Thursday 5 January 2012

Sangam House day 2


The garden in the morning


Cows and birds
Beautiful morning here at Sangam House. There was a green hummingbird outside my window. They take very good care of us here. Arshia made us a "gentle stew" for dinner last night, of chicken and potatoes and carrots.  I fell into bed around 10 p.m., suddenly overcome by losing a day somewhere over the Atlanic.  And I fell asleep to crickets and faint music from somewhere.

Mangala is sweeping my room and her bracelets are tinkling. That sound of sweeping is an almost constant backdrop here, the gentle rhythmic brushing of grass brooms against stone walkways or fallen leaves. Now I hear the drone of an instrument, not sure what it is or where.

I went for a walk; I'll post a few photos. They may be a bit fuzzy, as I have to use my iphone camera; I forgot the cord to transfer photos from my camera. It's very rural here and slow-moving, like rural places everywhere. I walked down the red dirt roads through open fields and passed cows, each with their own attendant white bird, something like a heron. A few people passing through on motorbikes. Women walking in the most beautifully coloured saris and salwar kameez: saffron yellow, emerald green, orange, turquoise. Some wear orange flowers in their hair. I was thinking the men seem plain in comparison when a man in a bright orange tunic came by.

The fields around Nrityagram
Poinsettas grow here and are in bloom now. Also hibiscus (coral), bougainvillea (pink and white), bananas and papayas, and magnolias (very fragrant).  Marigolds, squash, basil, various other kitchen garden plants. Sangam House is in a dance village called Nrityagram. The dancers start their practice at about 9 each morning and we can go and watch them. Visitors come from all over, too, and walk the grounds and watch the dancers.
An interesting fruit of some kind

A small temple

5 comments:

  1. I'll be adding your link to my blogroll (thanks to Brenda Schmidt for pointing me here) so I can follow along with you from the comfort of my home office. I'm loving the photos and the details you are providing.

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  2. I'm enjoying the details, Francie! I love your thoughts on sitting in the front with the taxi-driver and putting on your seatbelt - I guess there comes a certain freedom when you hit 50!! A freedom to take care of yourself and take some control :).

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  3. Auntie Francie, don't sell the iPhone camera short! It really is an amazing little device. Many people no longer use a point-and-shoot digital camera anymore, preferring instead to use their iPhones. Maybe download a photo app or two... Camera+, tiltshift generator and perfectly clear are a few excellent ones to start with that will really do amazing things to your photos.

    I'm really enjoying reading about your trip so far! Hope you continue to have a wonderful time!

    Thinking of you in balmy Winnipeg,

    Jessica!

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  4. Great to hear from all of you. I'm kind of amazed at how easy it is to stay connected to everyone and also how reassuring that is when you're far from home. Last night there was panic all round when we lost our wireless connection for a while. (but the iphone still had it). This morning I called Khal and David via Facetime and took them on a mini-tour of our grounds (within wireless range). So yes Jess I love my iphone and I am currently downloading "prefectly clear." Thank you for the advice. While settling in here I have three main obsessions: clothes (what's right for the current temperature, what I should ship home when I go to London,etc), food (always an obsession) and technology.

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  5. Correction: I said there were magnolias here, but they're actually (probably) frangipani.

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