Kochin is a charming enough spot. There are rich and varied colonial influences (Arabian, Portuguese, Dutch, English, etc.), a few decent restaurants, and a day or two's worth of sightseeing. But it's not Paris. Nevertheless we spent the better part of a week there. Two words: American Idol. Somehow I've managed to forget that while I've been on vacation, Paula, Randy, Ryan, and Simon have gone back to work. Basic Indian cable includes HBO, three or four reliable American programming channels, and the BBC. And I occupied myself with flipping among them all so as not to miss one precious moment. I shudder to think what kind of state I'll be in when I'm back home and in possession of my missed seasons of Gossip Girl, Friday Night Lights, and How I Met Your Mother, and Dexter. Not to mention whatever is on and amazing and unknown to me!
I realize that photo's not relevant to watching tv. Whatevs. Once Aaron me out of the guesthouse we saw all kinds of good stuff. Por ejemplo, chinese fishing nets:
Kochin is a collection of small islands. The next nearest Fort Kochin, where we were staying, is home to Jew Town. It's an old neighborhood full of artisans and antique shops. We visited our second synagogue in India (the first was in Mumbai) - we saw a man cross himself on his way out.
We spent a day on nearby Vypeen Island, which is really a collection of yet smaller islands. Each supports a small family residence.
Vypeen Island is also home to Cherrai Beach, which is unremarkable in itself, but provided a couple prime examples of some basic cultural differences between India and the West. First, Indian women were wearing the same clothes they wear everywhere else into the water: loose-fitting silk pants, a midriff bearing top that covers chest and shoulders , and a scarf to cover midsection and obscure the body more generally. Second, boys and men are physically affectionate towards one another in public. You can see them here walking down the beach holding hands and walking with their arms around one another's waists.
I think both the beach-attire and this behavior are reflective of how much more religious and culturally conservative Indians are. Recently, women were assaulted in a Mangalore nightclub by a Hindu extremist group. Homosexuality is not only discouraged it's illegal. Same-sex contact will not be interpreted as being sexual, so homophobia isn't a determent to this kind of expression the way it is in the States.
All this religious devotion and cultural traditionalism is especially perplexing in a communist state. Kerala has the world's first freely-elected communist government. There is far less disparity of wealth here, Keralans enjoy life expectancies of more than 70 years, and there's higher than 90% literacy in the state. So it's not exactly what I imagine when I picture socialism, but it's working.
We caught a traditional martial arts demonstration one evening. Aaron was the guinea pig for the "pressure point" explanation. Ouch.
xoxo Jessie
I realize that photo's not relevant to watching tv. Whatevs. Once Aaron me out of the guesthouse we saw all kinds of good stuff. Por ejemplo, chinese fishing nets:
Kochin is a collection of small islands. The next nearest Fort Kochin, where we were staying, is home to Jew Town. It's an old neighborhood full of artisans and antique shops. We visited our second synagogue in India (the first was in Mumbai) - we saw a man cross himself on his way out.
We spent a day on nearby Vypeen Island, which is really a collection of yet smaller islands. Each supports a small family residence.
Vypeen Island is also home to Cherrai Beach, which is unremarkable in itself, but provided a couple prime examples of some basic cultural differences between India and the West. First, Indian women were wearing the same clothes they wear everywhere else into the water: loose-fitting silk pants, a midriff bearing top that covers chest and shoulders , and a scarf to cover midsection and obscure the body more generally. Second, boys and men are physically affectionate towards one another in public. You can see them here walking down the beach holding hands and walking with their arms around one another's waists.
I think both the beach-attire and this behavior are reflective of how much more religious and culturally conservative Indians are. Recently, women were assaulted in a Mangalore nightclub by a Hindu extremist group. Homosexuality is not only discouraged it's illegal. Same-sex contact will not be interpreted as being sexual, so homophobia isn't a determent to this kind of expression the way it is in the States.All this religious devotion and cultural traditionalism is especially perplexing in a communist state. Kerala has the world's first freely-elected communist government. There is far less disparity of wealth here, Keralans enjoy life expectancies of more than 70 years, and there's higher than 90% literacy in the state. So it's not exactly what I imagine when I picture socialism, but it's working.
We caught a traditional martial arts demonstration one evening. Aaron was the guinea pig for the "pressure point" explanation. Ouch.
xoxo Jessie
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