Mustard

The mustard fields are in bloom.
They are yellow yellow.
Full of color.


Here are some of those who live near the fields.

Down on the farm

I'm staying with some friends. They have a number of domesticated birds wandering about: chickens, quail, guinea fowl.

The guinea fowl are odd and noisy birds.
I think they sound like an old, rusty, water pump.

Some new little chickens were born this past weekend.
They are nice and fluffy.

And what farm is complete without the faithful, guard dog watching over it all?

Stuck on a bump

I saw a strange thing today: a car stuck on a bump.
How did the driver even get there? What you can't see from the picture is that just beyond the car and trees is a huge gully. So what was this driver thinking to get so close and loose the ability to control his car?
But how do you get the car free from such a predicament?
First you stand and look at it.
Then you give it a push and run the engine really hard.
Then you get more help, an audience, and the car will be free.

Autos are hard work

The zipper on one of my suitcases broke off while traveling recently. The suitcase is a fairly new one, so I wanted to take it to the store where I bought it and have it fixed.
I called them first, knowing that if I went all the way out to the store and they didn't have what was needed for the repair that I would not be happy. They told me they had a store much closer to my location and I should go there instead.
Good idea.
That's where I headed this afternoon (first auto). The shop was supposed to be at a newly constructed mall. I walked to its location, didn't find it, and then I asked the lady at the information counter about it. "Oh," she said, "That shop is closed while they have a meeting."
"When will it be open again?"
"Two or three days."
"Days?"
"Yes, ma'am. Sorry for inconvenience. You look tired."
Of course I was tired. I had been carrying around a suitcase for half an hour.
So I headed out to another store in another market (second auto).
When I brought the suitcase in and showed it to the store manager, he was very happy to fix it and told me it would take two days.
"For a zipper?" I asked, hopeful that I could have it back within the hour.
"Actually, ma'am, our repair man is due to come in today for some other work. So perhaps it will get done today and you can pick it up tomorrow."
Well, if I must come all the way again tomorrow...
I got something to eat and headed back to where I'm staying (auto three). About half way there, the driver suddenly pulled up next to another auto and said to the driver: "Will you take this passenger to the PVR for 50 rupees?"
"Of course," he waggled his head.
What? My driver was kicking me out?
Apparently, he had bought his lunch just before he picked me up and was now too hungry to drive any further without eating it. He and the other driver made a deal and my price was the same, so I climbed into auto four.
Just as I entered the neighborhood where I'm staying, my phone began to ring. "Hello, ma'am? This is Mohit from the luggage shop. We have your luggage fixed. Are you still in the market?"
"No, I am not there anymore. I will come for it tomorrow." Bummer. Shoulda been more patient.
"Very good, ma'am."
I went into the house and started to wash all the dust off me from being out in the traffic so long and my phone rang again. "Hello, ma'am? This is Mohit from the luggage shop. We have fixed your luggage today."
"Yes." This sounded very familiar. Had he forgotten that he'd just called me?
"Inside your suitcase you have left some money. So it is best if you come to pick it up today."
OH! The suitcase has so many pockets and I thought I'd checked them all, but I'd missed a very important envelope with a significant amount of money in it. "Yes. You're right. I will come now."
I walked back out to the road and negotiated with a driver to take me to the market and back again, and off we went (auto five).
I got my suitcase from the shop and thanked the manager several times, telling him he had done a very good and honest thing.
Then I found my driver and set off again. It took us an hour and a half both ways.
Riding in an auto is hard work. All the bumps and jolts. The shaking and vibrating. The exhaust and heat. All together I spent over three hours riding around in them today. I feel tired and covered in dust.
I hope I don't have to go anywhere tomorrow.

Goodbye again, Thailand--Hello again, India

This is my farewell picture of Thailand: green rice fields and colorful housing.
I left this week after finishing all the office and training work I had to return to India.

In India today, I went out to buy some groceries. The store I purchased my bread, cheese, tomatoes and melon from does not bag their customers' items. Shoppers must bring their own bag. This is a very commendable and responsible policy. But for those, like me, who had no idea I wasn't going to get a bag to carry these things home in, the idea of buying a melon is not a good one. Once they were aware, though, that I had no bag for my purchased items, the clerks went and hunted up a box I could use to carry it. It wasn't the easiest way to get it all back to the house, but at least I didn't have too far to go.

Did you ever wonder how dominoes delivers in India? By motorcycle, of course.

By the way, this is my 100th post, so congratulations and thanks for reading along with me this far.

Where to go for a strawberry smoothie

I still love the night market for taking photographs. It doesn't matter how many times I go, there's always something new to notice.
Besides, so many of my pictures were stolen that I need to go back to where I've been and replace them, right?


After all that picture taking, I was thirsty. So I had the fruit drink stand whip me up a yummy strawberry smoothie.
Mmm...

At the top of the mountain

A year ago (almost to the day), I traveled up the same mountain for a view of the city. It was the same view both times: fog and smog.
Next time I want to try it, I should go at a different time of year, perhaps.
But there were other things to see.
Bells.
Buddhas.
Buildings dripping with gold-ness.
I discovered a shifty-eyed buddha sitting among the many others.
And I liked the statue of the lady I saw last year just as much this year.
The best thing about the trip this time around, though, were groups of dancing little girls. They were fun to watch.

The last picture in this video is my favorite one of the day.

New theme song

As I anticipate going to India soon, locating a new place to live, starting a new job, building community, and just starting a number of things from scratch--it feels rather lonely.
So this song struck me when I heard it on the internet radio and I decided to make it my new theme song:

Drive a motorbike, save money

Here are some photographs of my recent motorbike victory. It's only cost me approximately $2.50 in gas this past week. That's a saving of an average $39 in taxis. How nice.
No wonder I'm smiling.

A pretty pool

A friend and I heard that there was a nice quiet place to go swimming at a hotel in the city. We decided it was a good Saturday afternoon thing to try.
It was true. The pool was big and blue and the surrounding gardens were pretty and quiet.
There were even elephants.
Before we left, we tried the outdoor cafe, but that didn't prove to be a good idea. We were attacked my swarms of mosquitoes. I had to run with the last of my french fries in my hand and pay our bill from a safe distance away.
Besides the ending, it was a nice, relaxing afternoon.