Life Lived!

This post is an assortment of more street scenes, food delights, and a certain little kitten I've come to know and love.

Narangi (aka Nini) is doing GREAT! I've been working on clearing up her fleas, intestinal worms, and a "somewhat rare" (vet's words) intestinal bacterial infection (*sigh* *been there*). ( See the photo below of the bottle of medicine and nail trimmers? The medicine costs me about 20 cents, and the trimmers were about the same.)

Remember that very small plastic toy container for travel that Nini could bust right out of? (See previous post.) Well, from there, she graduate to a cloth bag and she is now the proud owner of her very own cat carrier (which, by the way, is also airplane-approved).

Nini has gone from a lethargic, starved, likely-dying little critter to an active, healthy kitten! Climbing curtains? Check! Spazzing out over the cat-toy? Check! Meowing at me constantly if I'm not sitting down for her convenience? Definitely! What a relief it is to see the life and energy and light return to her. That's one tiny and fragile life saved...

As for Nini traveling back to the US with me in May -- that possibility will involve a lot of hoops to jump through, including: vaccinations, medical forms, a microchip, a possible re-booking of a domestic flight, a "travel" litter box, a special spray for anxiety, and more. Can it be done? Stay tuned... and keep your fingers crossed.

Now let's talk about FOOD! One of my favorite things to talk about in India, despite my gut-battle for much of January (4 doctors, 3 antibiotics). The first pics here are from a dinner out, on Valentine's Day, with my neighbors'/landlords' family at a place that serves only "sizzlers." Sizzlers in India are a specialty food that is a whole meal stir-fried and served on a sizzling platter. There are different varieties, but they mostly involve vegetables, rice, fries, sauces, and paneer. (Really, anything goes.) Delicious!

The next set is from a place I went to a couple of days ago with my friend's cousin, Sidharth, who lives in Pune. He took me to a place that serves South Indian food, especially idli and dosas. You've seen a photo of dosas before, but here are the ones we enjoyed recently! To eat a dosa, you tear off some of it, scoop a bit of whatever is inside (usually a potato-mixture), and dip it in sambar and coconut chutney. I'm getting pretty good at eating with my hands. :-)

And now let's get to another of my favorite things -- the daily street scenes. Life lived in all its glory! I walk a lot when I can (in the mornings when it's not too hot), and I never tire of the small moments, the sights and sounds, the Indian contextualized realities. Men, women, children, and animals. Challenges and joys, chores and games, colors everywhere. Feel free to ask me questions in the comments below!

All of these sights were either on my walk to Asha or to my college. Sometimes I wander through narrow alleys where people live in "hutments" that line the road. And sometimes I'm on the more busy major streets where traffic honks and mingles and zooms, and where you need to watch every step and say a prayer that you don't get hit by anything!

* Women and men sweep the streets and sidewalks every day, with coarse straw brooms;

* Children play barefoot or sit by the roadside with a mother or head to school on motor-scooters and school vans and rickshaws;

* Laundry hangs from edges of buildings and bridges;

* Food cart "wallahs" set out their goods;

* Men lay bricks for buildings and walkways, scaffolds are made of lashed sticks, and road construction happens side by side with cars and scooters and bikes.

* It's a cacophony of sounds, a feast for the eyes, a full-on immersion into the moments of intermingled lives. What's your favorite photo from the set below?

So many kids in this rickshaw!

Kids and kids!

Barefoot boys play cricket

Colors

man selling fruit

Woman grinding spices (?)

Morning routine

On my way to Asha

barefoot girls walking

Woman sweeping street

Woman carrying a load

Osha would have a heart attack

Pigs wallowing in muck

I will end here, as it's time for Nini and I to call it a day! (Yes, I took this picture and closed my eyes, because this is how we slept for nap time... Please ignore how terrible I look, and pay attention to the cuteness-overload of Nini!)