Culture shock

I've been feeling nostalgic lately about picking berries when I was a girl. My mom and I used to have this agreement each summer that however many grades I was entering into at school the next Fall was how many flats I had to pick. I know my sister had this directive as well, but I don't recall ever seeing her pick a bucket of berries. I remember her eating a whack of raspberries and readily utilizing the communal trampoline on sight for rangy kids needing an outlet to blast some energy on. Picking raspberries for the number of summers I did has permanently left me without a desire to eat raspberries ever again. On the other hand, the feeling that summer is coming with the field-greenery blossoming to a full berry harvest makes me remember the smell of the fresh berries and the dirt which my bare feet were so often coddled in.

CBC Radio 3 has this great website offering weekly picture-porfolios of Canadian living. One that particularly caught my attention last Fall was this exhibit on Abbotsford berry farmers. The photos are stellar, bright, narrated with a soft touch and with great tunes to boot. I encourage you to check this set of 12 pics out to get a glimpse of the vibrant colours of Indo-Canadian farmers among the greenery of the berry farms. CBC is becoming more and more a destination for me to feel connected to my country. It keeps me grounded.

Directions to view the picture gallery: Click on this link and then choose from the left sidebar CBC Radio 3. Once you're there, choose Archives at the bottom of the page. In the search bar, type Born Farmers and click go for the search. Enjoy!

What a glorious Sunday it is today. Angelo and I went for a long and beautiful run along the Chilliwack River trail in the early afternoon. The sky was clear, bright blue and the river was crisp with views of the rocks and driftwood under the surface. The trail is a mere 15 minute walk from our place and makes for a fabulous daily excursion. Spring is in full swing and the trees are brilliant froggy-green. The colours of the Valley continue to awe me and I've been here over two weeks now!

I met a friend at Starbucks today, one of my old haunts (stores), and truly enjoyed the beauty of being a customer again. I saw things fresh and didn't note any particular set-up or 'partner' issues. It was really wonderful. The coffee is too yummy to describe. If only I could rig a deal to get it at a discount again. Thankfully, my coffee intake is considerably down compared to my previous life of eight doppios and 3 cups of traditional brew a day. One cuppa joe is treating me just fine.

I have completely put the India pictures together into two large photo albums. It was a full two day task, that included writing on the backs of each photo to remember the time and place and once in a while, the circumstances for the picture. The pictures are fabulous considering the colour, over-exposed (washed out) days and the diversity of India as well as our ability to navigate through the frenetic crowds of messed-up streets bearing innumerable amounts of cow-patties, with open sewers and strewn with people begging. Truly, it is proof that we were able to perform a balancing act without any severe repercussions. Fun stuff.

Since we missed about four months of films released on the big screen as well as on video/DVD, Angelo and I have been frequent regulars at our local video store. It is a blast being the one to walk over the wall and have so many flicks to choose from. Usually we are the couple that people ask, "How about a movie tonight?" and then we eagerly accept, go to the video store and find that we've seen everything that they are interested in. Not that we mind, but it's a bummer for the others.

Recently we rented 21 Grams and Wonderland.
Twenty-one Grams was despairing, gritty and a stellar acting showcase of Naomi Watts, Sean Penn and Benecio del Toro. If you are up for some depressing film, pick it up, but be warned, there is little to no smiling of any of the characters involved. What an artful piece of a picture though, considering the disjointed story-telling as well as the concept around of their three very separate lives intertwining to a stunning climax.

Wonderland was a true crime story about John C. Holmes, a not-so-attractive porn star, involved in the Wonderland murders in LA in 1981. It certainly surprised us as it thankfully wasn't about the job he possessed, rather about how he got wrapped up in the murders due to his whirlwind involvement with cocaine and his desperation to attain it. I certainly wouldn't recommend the film to just anyone, due to its gore of the crime (the DVD has the actual LAPD police footage fimed of the crime scene) and context of Holmes profession, yet the pictures within the film are so incredible. The ingenuity and placement of the still, slightly over-exposed pictures within the film are completely apt in capturing the early eighties feel and the soundtrack is second to none (maybe Magnolia and Almost Famous). Val Kilmer comes back to a significant role that makes him ugly, whiney and somehow loveable. The documentary feature of John C. Holmes life is rank, but certainly interesting. Enter at your own risk!

I hope to check out Kill Bill Volume 2 by next week as well as Big Fish, out on video/DVD next week. So much to look forward to.

On a cheesy note, Bollywood released some news today on my fave actor, Amitabh Bachchan. He is going to play Marlon Brando's legendary role as Don Corleone in an Indian version remake of The Godfather. The Big B is great, but really now.

Jeremy Copeland, CBC correspondent in Delhi, continues the dialogue about Tibetan exiles and feelings towards the Dalai Lama. This particular article captured my attention merely because of the ferocity and determination of his primary subject, Lhasang. I certainly didn't have enough conversations with dislocated Tibetans in Darjeeling to get the impression that Lhasang's feelings are common. Nonetheless, I find his point of view about the return of Tibet to his people extremely interesting.

I often wonder what it would be like to be in his same position. I have always had this spirit in me to escape the place from which I am from versus remain in it. Those of you that know my spirit have cause to guffaw at that because I have been one antsy girl! In truth, I again come to the conclusion that I have the option of exploring my self-awareness because I have food, water, heat/fire, shelter, so the thoughts that I engage myself in are gratuitous. Would I feel the same way as Lhasang about attaining my country back?

I certainly feel blessed to have been born Canadian. When I leave Canada, I have the wonderful feeling of returning to it, but truly only of my own accord and timelines. I will when I depart it and frequent its landscape. What a gorgeous freedom I experience every day!

Darjeeling is one of the places from our trip to India that will remain with us, deep in our hearts. The unique makeup of the population there comprises of Nepalese folk, dislocated Tibetans and of course, West Bengalese Indians. The diversity of the people makes the Himalayan spot absolutely deluxe, rich in cuisine and seeped in culture of religious differences that seemingly live harmoniously amongst one another. The Dalai Lama is infamous for his smile and kind words despite the 1.2 million of his people that have been killed due to the hostile Chinese takeover.

I find the current news about the 18 day visit of the Dalai Lama in Canada a very interesting one. The Dalai Lama is revered deeply within the country of India as a large percentage of people are Buddhist. The Dalai Lama lives in North-east India in Dharamsala where he has been exiled since the takeover of Tibet by Communist China. Check out this article about the Canadian PM Paul Martin and the political ramifications of meeting the Nobel Peace Prize winner.

The pictures came back, all 35 rolls of them. What a load, to bring in and later on retrieve. Thankfully Lens and Shutter decided that I earned a discount, so the end price didn't hurt as much as I had anticipated. I left the store with a small box loaded up full of wonder. I was so pleased to see that most of the pictures turned out to my liking. The filters that I purchased pre-trip turned out to be essential as the heat and washed out landscape of the country was eliminated from the gorgeous and elaborate architecture and costuming of the people. There were a few over-exposed rolls but that couldn't be helped considering that it was really an over-exposed kind of place and adds to the effect that we were intrepid or something. Artistic interpretation speaking here...

The most poignant part for me in looking at the pictures is how the colour of the saris and turbans captures the irony of India. The vibrant and decadent personalities of the people shine despite the very present hardship that they encounter each day. There is one photo that stands out, taken in Udaipur, Rajasthan, where this train of immaculately and colourfully dressed people are walking through a dried up portion of the lake bed going about their daily routine of transporting laundered clothing beat upon the river steps, retrieving loose wood to burn for fire, or collecting rocks to break up and use for construction of some sort among the green debris and garbage. It is a stark contrast of people to landscape and truly captures the irony of the place. Beautiful and despairing in one snap of a photo. The irony of India is what draws my heart to it. I felt that way about Cuba much of the time were there as well. I have this sense that life is beautiful no matter where you are as long as you are looking for it.

The task ahead lies in looking at the pictures and ensuring that the photo albums aren't too arduous to take in. Seven hundred plus photos to sift through! Thankfully, I have my handy photo journal nearby to help me recall what goes with which place and how I took the frames to learn from my mistakes and rarely, on the positive end, re-do what magic worked while in the photographic process. Fun stuff!

For you photo geeks, my camera simply rules! It is a Canon EOS Elan 7. I transferred my battery supply to double A's on the trip versus lithium and never used up the four that were in there. If I read my battery power on the display it shows full power, like they were brand new! So pleased with the double A's. I find that lithium wears down within 15 rolls and it shows in the finished product.

So, stay tuned for a glimpse of some photos in the next few entries. So many to choose from!

The thing that often comes to mind while in India and even more acutely after leaving it is that there is this feeling of despair that one can do so little to change or positively affect the people who are so poor. This struck me sharply when we landed in Bombay to a quilt cover of shanties set up around the airport and escorted the taxi cab, like a red carpet, all the way into the heart of the city. There was so little chance to feel effective as the amount of people who are considered 'untouchable', referring to the lowest of the caste system typically diseased, malnutritioned and homeless, is absolutely overwhelming. I felt that even if I gave all I had on me, that I wouldn't be able to mildly impact the women, babies, disabled beggars and disfigured lepers staring me in the face, tugging on my shirt sleeve, calling on me for "One rupee".

Throughout the trip, I looked for ways to make a difference from a distance, and in truth the opportunities seemed feeble and insincere. I think the difference that one person can make is most effective in one's own country of origin. I have recently deduced this based on the fact that learning about a country as a tourist is merely an exercise in the ability to adapt and simplify the basic decisions of life. Living in a country is what really tells about the culture, so being Canadian, truly I should know more about Canada than any other place and therefore be able to tap into how I can make a difference, right? In reading more about the recent free sari distribution trampling, I have this idea that if the Indians who are running the government of the country can't get it right, than how can I? They were doing something that was meeting a need, and yet the effort still failed grossly. Still, this answer does not perpetuate a positive impact on countries, like India, that need attention and to be rid of debt to advancing countries, and therefore my resolve to find my place in making a difference remains firm.

As an idealist who only enjoys honesty as the best answer, I find the situation of the world very difficult to face, yet I am completely drawn to the news and how it clearly reflects (or not) the state of 'developing' countries. The other element that interests me is how the history speaks to the current status of the country. India's history reflects a varied group of leaders with connected family ties to one another. I find the more I learn about Indira Gandhi (not related to MG, rather daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first independent Indian Prime Minister), the more I understand why the country has progressed so little. Reading novels like Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie and A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry about India during this period of time are cause to evaluate the facts about slogans to remove poverty and enforce sterilization. Scary stuff.

Before leaving Darjeeling, Angelo and I had this realization that in order to communicate to our friends and family what it is that we experienced in India, we needed to find a familiar platform on which to compare things to.

We started talking about movies. How to compare Bollywood to Hollywood? There is simply no comparison. I recall a young Indian man asking me whether or not I enjoyed Bollywood films. I said I had only watched a few to get out of answering the actual question, which honestly was, "No". He inquired of me why it is that American films have no music or dancing on a regular basis (we would consider their films musicals if a genre could be compared at all between the two). I said that it was not popular, that film-viewers would not be interested in seeing movie stars sing and dance, but rather to act out the story through dialogue or action sequences. I said that there were musicals in North America that had relative success at the box office, though they were either half a century ago, or rare risks that Hollywood took that paid off. Bollywood film is unlike anything of this hemisphere. It is melodramatic and contents are, well Indian, making the comparison completely impossible.

I do have to admit that I fell for one big movie star in India, Amitabh Bachchan. He is the movie star and endorser of an innumerable amount of products. He is like our George Clooney, but sings, dances (pretty damn good too) and can cry like nothing else! Just so you know, Amitabh's mother is ill, so India awaits the doctor's synopsis, I'm sure.

This is one example of many of the differences that are difficult to translate. Truly, Canadians live exactly the opposite of Indians. There is no balance on which to weigh these two worlds.

Today is by far the worst of the jet-lag. I woke up at 4 a.m. and felt like a million bucks, went for a run and then by 9 a.m. wanted to curl up and sleep again. Took a nap at 4 p.m. and felt wonderful starting again at 8 p.m.. When is this going to go away?

I can't figure out whether it's the jet-lag or the beauty of being back in the Valley, but the glaze on the world continues to glow like a strange hallucinogenic. The trees are so wonderfully green, the pink blossoms are glowing petal by petal and the mountains have this unreal dimension. I love the outdoors. I cannot believe where we live!

Watching television is a bit of a new nausea. I still think having commercials without Bollywood type ads in Hindi is a odd. The commercials here are so sane!
What really stands out to me is the 'reality television', which isn't reality whatsoever. I mean this in the sense that despite the obvious fact that it is staged or written to be conducive to entertainment value, it also isn't a real world whatsoever. Some shows that stand out are the 'Surreal Life' and the 'Newlyweds - Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey'. These shows prove how self-obsessed we are, while people in places like India have absolutely no ability to think beyond covering the basics of life. They do not have the option of considering whether or not they are self-aware. We are, particularly people with insurmountable portions of money to throw away, so self-contained that our world doesn't see beyond the sofa and the remote. Why the inability to see outside of the worlds we create (what a pleasure that option is!).

I certainly feel more drawn to the news than I ever have been. I feel disconnected to India already and miss knowing what is the latest news, whether it be reading the Statesman newspaper or watching a silly noteworthy news item on the BBC news. The items that I hope hold some future connection for me to India include Jeremy Copeland's freelance column on the CBC. He has some great insights to arranged marriages in India today, despite the 'privileged' in the country claiming to be rid of the concept altogether. I also intend on staying tuned to the localized papers, such as the Hindustan Times, telling about the latest sari stampede in Uttar Pradesh.

I arrived back in Canada on April 8th (really the 9th if you try and figure out the time change thing) from a 3+ month life-changing excursion in India. The jet-lag is certainly cause for an all-sense-enhancing effect, but the beauty of this country is considerably noticeable. Everything within our environment has a gleam and glow to it. The mountains are crisp and choppy. The trees' every leaf is distinguishable. The green of the landscape, blue of the sky and white snow-capped mountains shimmer in my eyes. I feel an overwhelming sense of being blessed with where I was born and have the ability to leave and return to at my whim. This country is completely unreal. That country was also completely unreal. How do I begin to reconcile the two places and begin to find my way?

In truth, the amount of joy I feel about both is what sustains my existence. The developing on-line journal that I've created and titled, "Culture Shock" will be an experimental exploration of the irreconcilable differences of these two worlds. Hopefully, dear reader, you will be inclined to particpate and respond. Otherwise, continue reading at your own risk! My only disclaimer is that after having had this format for blogging while away, I feel a bit of a hole in me for not continuing it. So, I will not attempt to replicate that blog, as this is without my lovely co-conspirator, Angelo, who is a wonder of a writer. I must admit, the panache and style with which he contributed to our collective blog was incredible, so it is up to you to determine if you care to join me in my analytical and grammatically incorrect musings. Whether you read or not, I will be here! So, with that, I invite you to join or not, but please be certain that input on this 'discussion' is most welcome.