Farewell to Arulagam

Another month has come and gone, or at least that's what the calendar says. Time has flown by. I will be leaving Arulagam on September 2nd and heading to Pune (near Mumbai) where I will spend a few days with "Uncle" Sri Mayasandra. I fly back to the U.S. on September 10th. Soon!!

I will miss a lot of things about this place. THE FOOD, for one. Luckily, I've written down several recipes. I am counting on the internet to fill in the steps missed due to our communication difficulties.

Two tireless cooks, Rekha and Mouseena, with a big pot of sambar (lentils and vegetables). I spent a lot of time with them in the kitchen.

And I will miss the friendly staff and residents who have been so kind to me. I will even miss being asked 10-15 times per day if I've finished eating. (Saptig illa, or something along those lines, is the only phrase I know in Tamil, after all.) They've been making a real effort to "fatten me up", but, alas, there is only so much you can do in a month.

I am sure I will also miss the (somewhat) peaceful atmosphere of a secluded compound, as well as the activity of children, dogs, a chicken, peacocks, lizards and who knows what else.

What Do Arulagam Residents Do All Day?

I may have mentioned that part of my duties here are to document the activity at Arulagam. Here are some pictures from several of the classes. The women participate in classes for 4-5 hours per day, Monday to Saturday.

The weaving class:

Weaving instructor, Mannicorrie, winding thread onto a spindle.

Rug-making.

The children's creche:

The sewing class:

Girdle-making.

Muthulakshmi is stitching together a skirt.

Like a Good Tamil Woman Would Wear

I guess it is almost surprising that I haven't warn a sari since coming to India until now. It's also surprising that the women at Arulagam have taken three weeks to put me into on. In Tamil culture, men and women dress very traditionally, so I'm sure that what I normally wear is seen as strange. People here are always asking if I'm going to change my clothes before I go somewhere, which is basically a hint that I'm dressed weirdly or not in the traditional Tamil way.

So finally, a group of women came to my room dressed me, did my hair and adorned me in (fake) gold jewelry. They were very pleased with the result. So much so, that they took lots of pictures and set up different poses. I was quite amused.

The photo shoot:

Raekha and I. She is the one who let me borrow her sari and jewelry.

There are many peacocks that live on the hill behind Arulagam. We walked up one afternoon and spotted one showing its feathers off.

Pictures around Arulagam compound

It's hard to believe that I've already been back in Madurai for 2 1/2 weeks. I have only a couple weeks left! I am enjoying my stay more and more. I've begun taking pictures of all the activities that go on here, both for myself and for Arulagam's photo records. I have also been entering some data into the computer and pretending that I know how to use Microsoft Access (I don't really). Anyway, I'm feel like I'm being useful and also keeping myself busy.

I've also started learning how to use a foot-pedal sewing machine. I am not very good at it, but it's been fun to have the women try to teach me. And has resulted in a lot of laughing.

My room at Arulagam with my beloved mosquito net.

Getting the henna treatment.

The morning after. The design might bring me good luck, I am told.

Mussie, Sewati and Raekha. Sewati is all dolled-up to go to the Sunday evening church service, Arulagam's weekly outing.

The food pantry with Deborah and Mussie.

How many people does it take to stir a pot of sambar? Three should do it.

A nice-sized lizard.

And for some strange and random things that I've found out; according to the Tamil calender, the last month (from approx. July 15th to Aug. 15th) is known for it's hot, windy/dusty weather. So much so, that people don't start any new ventures (marriages, businesses, etc.) until after the month is over. No wonder I wasn't able to sleep; last month was practically cursed! And like clockwork, the weather cooled off on the 15th, and we've been having cool weather and occasional evening rains ever since.

I also found out today that the Court often makes the accused pay fines, either monetary or in crop-form, which are then donated to charity organizations. Last week police came and delivered Arulagam received 7 bags of rice from the Court. Good to know where your food comes from, I guess.

India's Independence Day

Indian's celebrate their independence from Britain on August 15th. At Arulagam, we celebrated by having a free day; no work and a minimum amount of chores for the women here.

The women of Arulagam.

We began the day by gathering on the rooftop of one of the dormitories for a 7:00 AM ceremony. As the "Chief Guest", I had the honor of raising the Indian flag and, after some arm-twisting, also giving a short speech about the U.S. gaining their independence from the British. Then, everyone sang a few songs in Tamil and we all ate some candy.

Much of the rest of the day was spent dancing and generally hanging out, with some people in costume.

A baby (girl) wearing a moustache.

Sales, Palaces and Temples

My first week with Arulagam has included quite a bit of activity. I've played accountant at two sales of Arulagam handicrafts made by the women residents.

The Arulagam sales booth at a sales fair associated with the Church of South India. Pictured here are ManiCoorie (sp?, pronunciation?), Sylvia, Margaret and her son, Danny.

I also visited the Thirumalai Nayak Palace, which is an impressive 400+ year old structure in desperate need of the reconstruction it is currently undergoing.

I again visited the Meenakshi Temple that I first saw last March. Both the temple and palace were built by the same (presumably filthy rich) king.

A foreigner taking a ride on a beautifully decorated temple elephant.

The temple room of 1,000 carved pillars.

Myself with one of the more intricately carved pillars.

Pushpa posing with a (fake) elephant.

In other news, I think (knock on wood!) that I'm finally adjusting to the climate here. I find that standing under the shower head fully clothed and then lying under a fan feels much like being in air conditioning. Very comfortable. I have also gotten better at securing the mosquito net covering my bed, which makes sleeping through the night a lot easier.

Back Down South to Madurai

The compound with what I'm guessing is a mango tree.

I will spend my last month, where I started, in Tamil Nadu, but at Arulagam Women's Hostel. I was hoping that by this time the climate would have improved a little bit, but I think it's even hotter than when I last visited Arulagam in April. My new surroundings, mosquitoes, my steady 90 degree bedroom (day and night) and strong tea are probably all to blame for several nearly sleepless nights I've had since coming here. Thankfully, I got a full night's rest and am feeling way more "with it" than I've been for the past few days. Hopefully, I'll be able to be a little more involved in activity and (limited) conversation.

I have made some friends with the staff members at Arulagam and feel very welcomed by the residents here as well. I get lots of smiles and inquiries about how I'm doing (some in English and some in Tamil with gestures). I have become particularly close to a woman named Raekha who has been with Arulagam for 20+ years, since she was a girl. She is the chief cook for the 40-0dd women living here, which means I'll probably be able to convince her to teach me how to make some South Indian dishes!

This is a truly free-range chicken that wanders all over the compound, including into the office to inspect the contents of the waste bin. I haven't yet figured out if she is a pet or dinner, but I've started calling her Petunia, anyway.

Anyhow, Raekha has taken a liking to me (she is forever grabbing my face and then kissing her fingertips) and we have a good time joking with each other. After I thanked her for bringing me a cup of tea she said something like, "That is 20 thank you's; I will have to open up a bank account," and everyone laughed and then translated what she said to me into English so that I could understand. In Indian culture (both North and South), people don't say thank you that much, and Indians often find it strange that foreigners say it so often.

Trains at a Glance

Trains are definitely the best way to travel around India. They are economical, comfortable (especially in cars with AC) and a great way to view the countryside. The following pictures were taken from a Sleeper Class car. Though un-airconditioned and hot in summertime, Sleeper cars are very conducive to taking pictures through the open windows .

People waiting at a train station somewhere along the way in Rajasthan.

A stopped train. Also note, the more traditional Rajasthani men wear impressively wrapped turbans, which signify one's standing by the color and the way the turban is wrapped.
A man with a lovely pink turban.

People waiting at the Jodhpur train station.