Monthly Archives: March 2007

This Forks for You

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Bananas...

Bananas...

I’m currently working on a theory about the relative prices of eating out here in India. After a couple of weeks here we’ve been in big cities and small cities. Touristy places and less touristy places and we’ve been trying to come up with an explanation of the wide range of cost on what is basically the same food. Here’s my theory: If you get a fork, you just paid too much for your meal.

Most Indians eat with their fingers or whole hand (right hand only). They either dump their curry on top of rice and mash it all up before picking it up (Southern Indian Style), or scoop it up with bread (N. Indian Style). So the locals almost never use western utensils, and if you eat in a “locals” only type restaurant chances are you won’t get a fork without asking for one.

Now, places that cater to tourists tastes (and budgets) will include a fork when you get you’re food, and generally it will run a few dozen rupees extra to get exactly the same food.

So here for your pleasure is my over simplified formula:

1 – If you get a fork without asking for it – You paid too much for your meal.
2 – If you ask for a fork and get one – You may have paid too much for your food.
3 – If there are no forks to be had, and/or people are eating off of banana leaves (This will only happen in the South) – Congratulations you scored a bargain.

Hot Time in Kochi

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Kochi Coastline

Kochi Coastline

First off let me say we did not do Kochi justice. Kochi (formerly Cochin) needs to be seen in December or January – before it gets too hot. In late March it’s just too hot and too humid. Next time we will come in milder weather.

That said, heat and humidity have not kept scores of other explorers away from Kochi and it’s easy to see why. Saint Thomas the Apostle came here to spread the gospel, after him Arab and Chinese and Jewish traders weren’t far behind. The Portuguese, Dutch and English liked it so much they took turns running the place. All of these visitors left something behind too, so while the town is deceptively small, there’s a lot to explore here.

The most striking physical reminders of these visitors are the cantilevered Chinese Fishing nets on the north side of town. They were a gift from the Emperor of China to Kochi about 700 years ago, and folks here are still using them these days.

St. Thomas & later the Portuguese left behind a lot of converts. A majority of residents here are Christian and there are a slew of old Churches in town.

LeeAnne and I also rented bikes and rode out to “Jewtown”. Seems there’s been a Jewish community here in Kerala since the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem – that’s a long time. All that really remains of the old Jewish Princely State now is a few geriatric Jewish folks, a Synagogue, and the name of this Neighborhood on the south side of town – Jewtown. It’s a unique place where Stars of David live in equality with the (Indian) Swastika.

My only complaint is the extreme heat and the dearth of Air Conditioning. Call me a lazy tourist, but I love me some AC. Next time we’ll come in December.

God’s Own Country

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School Day

No, we didn’t come up with this, the State of Kerala did. Signs and brochures are quick to coin Kerala as God’s country. I imagine much of this is due to its beautiful scenery, which in all honesty we haven’t had the chance to see much of as of yet. For me, this phrase best describes the people, their history and their way of life. They look out for their own here.

One of the reasons we decided to come this way was because, as I mentioned in an earlier post, it’s “less crazy.” So far this has held true. There was a woman from Kerala in my graduate school program at GWU. After she accompanied a group of students to Haiti over spring break, she dropped out of our program. She was overwhelmed by the poverty she saw there. I never could understand this. She was from India. But as Dave and are realizing India is a very big and very diverse country.

Kerala is said to be one of the most progressive states in India. In the late 50s it was the first state in the world to elect a communist government. From what I understand they eventually fell out of favor with the hard liners in China, but their influence is quite visible here. There are many unions and cooperatives, a relatively equitable distribution of land and income, low infant mortality and the highest literacy rate in India (91%). Signs of education and job training abound – including instruction for lady truck drivers!

Sure there is still trash on the streets, but for the most part it’s been swept into piles to be burned. Yesterday, we came across a “plastic free zone.” There are even places where you can fill your water bottle with potable water to avoid yet buying and throwing away yet another plastic bottle. And yes, there are even trash cans.

Dave was beginning to worry when we’d been here a day and no one had begged us for money. (A few, but not many, have since.) If you’re interested, the well known book, The God of Small Things, is set in Kerala and offers a flavor of its culture and history.

It’s quite an interesting place to be. A far, far cry from our experiences in Mumbai. For us, the only drawback so far is the heat. Let’s say it’s more like God’s Own Oven! Note to those considering travel to India, DO NOT come during the hottest months of the year like we have very unwisely done!