August 2005

India 2005

August 30, 2005

About the Trip I finally had the opportunity to take my daughter Rossella to India, something we’ve both been looking forward to for a long time… Photos in this section are by Ross unless otherwise noted. There are many more on her own site. Itinerary July: 26 depart Milan after overnight with friends in the city. Mumbai flooded by [...]

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The Soul of a School

August 25, 2005

Woodstock School was founded in 1854, for the daughters of American Protestant missionaries and of British civil and military personnel in India. Like most British and American schools of its time, it was founded on a strongly Christian ethic and tradition, aiming to instill Christian values and knowledge in its pupils. Woodstock girls were trained to [...]

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India Vlog: Mehndi

August 16, 2005

In the evening, back at the hotel, we had mehndi (henna) painted on our hands, something Indian women traditionally do for big occasions, especially their own weddings. A complex design covering both sides of both hands such as we had done is called bridal because it’s most often done for brides (along with their feet). [...]

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India Vlog 2005: August 14

August 14, 2005

Fabindia, Mumbai – photo by Ross More shopping. Yuti went around with us to places near the Gordon House, including Fabindia, where I bought a cotton bedspread in blue, green, and purple, to go with some silk throw cushion covers I had bought on a previous trip – for the spare bed in my home [...]

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Jaipur Transportation

August 9, 2005

Various forms of transportation in Jaipur. Missing: horse tonga (carriage), horse cart, donkey cart, human-pulled cart.

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English Words in Devnagiri (Hindi) Script

August 9, 2005

Few shop signs in Jaipur are written in the Roman alphabet, even when they contain English words – all the words are transliterated into Hindi. This is not a rare phenomenon in India, but I’ve never seen it on this scale anywhere else. I amused myself filming a few and pronouncing the words as written. [...]

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India Videoblog: Jaipur – How to Tie a Turban

August 8, 2005

We ate lunch at the Surabhi restaurant and turban museum, where the waiter was delighted to discover that I speak Hindi – though not enough to follow everything he was saying. “I feel sad because I don’t speak much English, so I can’t converse properly with the customers,” he said. He was very concerned that [...]

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India Vlog: Jantr Mantr in Jaipur

August 7, 2005

For more information on Jantr Mantr, see this magnificent site. Ross’ photos:

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India Vlog: Jaipur – Amber Fort

August 6, 2005

The book mentioned is Stephen Alter’s “Elephas Maximus,” a thorough account of the Indian elephant, in all its scientific, historical, mythical, and symbolic facets. Amber Fort, just outside Jaipur, is best reached by elephant, and the ride is included in standard tourist packages. So off we went. It takes about 20 minutes altogether, but I [...]

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India Vlog: Jaipur Crafts

August 6, 2005

After Amber Fort, we visited some touristy handicraft shops. They’re very well organized with demos and explanations, and, of course, opportunities to buy! Hand Block Printing Fabric Handloom Carpet Production

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India Vlog: Arrival in Jaipur

August 5, 2005

After arriving in Delhi at 11 pm and getting up again for a 6 am train, when we arrived at the Samode Haveli hotel at mid-day, we were ready for a nap. We spent the afternoon resting. Later, we sat out by the pool and absorbed the sights and sounds of the evening.

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India Vlog: Happy Valley Tibetan Colony, Mussoorie

August 1, 2005

Filmed at the Tibetan Homes Foundation. Tibetan Buddhism seems to traditionally favor mechanically-aided prayer. Each of these wheels has a core wrapped with paper inscribed thousands of times with om mani padme hum (“the jewel is in the lotus”). Spinning the wheel sends the prayers up to heaven.

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