Third week in Pune:
I visited India last December for a friend’s wedding and spent three weeks traveling in Delhi, Agra, Goa, and Kerala. It was an amazing, awe-inspiring trip that was a huge reason why I wanted to move here. Living in Pune so far has given me a heightened appreciation for Indian culture. Every day I see something new that makes me break out in a big smile or cover my mouth in shock. For example, the other day I was leaving my flat when I found my way blocked by a herd of ox on my street. There’s a nice patch of green right at the entrance to my society and someone had taken their herd there to graze. Hey, why not? I’ve seen a dog scratching its back on the road…right in the middle of a busy intersection. Today I read a submission for a sex column in the Times of India where multiple male readers posed strange questions about masturbation. Mind you, this followed an article about the injustice of being forced to marry your rapist. Clearly, sexuality is an interesting topic here in India. It’s something that is repressed and at the same time constantly in your face.
While I have yet to explore much beyond Pune, this week I really enjoyed getting to know my new friends here and eating more incredible Indian food. At Capoeira Pune we had a wonderful guest instructor from Mumbai, Succuri. He’s been training for five years and has an amazing game and an intuitive sense for teaching. Both Capoeira Pune and Capoeira Cordao de Ouro in Mumbai reach out to kids in the local slums and orphanages to teach them capoeira and its lessons in balance, perseverance, and hard work. I can’t wait to visit the group in Mumbai and see them in action. We said goodbye to one capoeirista, Bond, who left for South Africa. This was the first time I have been out for a drink in Pune. We went to a bar called Toons that was filled with male college students cheering for the India cricket team. After a glass of Kingfisher we played some music and headed home. One thing I really enjoy about India is that alcohol doesn’t have to be present at social gatherings –in fact, the pressure is reversed. In DC drinking is a huge part of the culture. Every bar has a happy hour and you don’t join a dinner party without bringing a bottle of wine. I definitely do miss my red wine but I like how I feel without alcohol and I’m inspired to start finding activities back home for my friends and I that don’t involve booze. I also enjoyed my first Hindi film at an Indian theater this week, Barfi. Film tickets are only about $3 (150 Rs) which is incredible. They have assigned seats which has its pluses (can show up just before the film starts) and minuses (bright flashlights showing people to their seats who show up late). The movie was great – highly recommend it if you can find it.
This week sees the start of the Ganesh Chaturthi Festival in Pune. This is a 10 day festival honoring the birth of the beloved Hindu god, Lord Ganesha. It starts today, September 19th and has been celebrated in Pune since the 17thcentury. The brief history of Ganesha is that he is the son of Lord Shiva and Parvati. Parvati asked Ganesha to guard her while she took a bath. Shiva, who had been away, turned that day and asked to enter the house, but because the father and son didn’t recognize each other, Ganesha refused to let him in. Shiva became enraged and chopped off Ganesh’s head. When Parvati saw what happened she ordered Shiva to find a new head for their son and the first animal they came across was an elephant – which is why Ganesh has the body of a man and the head of an elephant. I’ve learned that Lord Ganesha is an especially important god for Maharashtra. Right now, all over the city, people are setting up huge, elaborate statues of Ganesh in specially-made structures or mandapas. On Anant Chaturdashi, the 11th day, the statues of Ganesh are taken through the streets in a procession to immerse him in the river. The procession includes huge crowds of dancing, singing people. I’m excited to see how people in Pune celebrate. Pictures to come.
I visited India last December for a friend’s wedding and spent three weeks traveling in Delhi, Agra, Goa, and Kerala. It was an amazing, awe-inspiring trip that was a huge reason why I wanted to move here. Living in Pune so far has given me a heightened appreciation for Indian culture. Every day I see something new that makes me break out in a big smile or cover my mouth in shock. For example, the other day I was leaving my flat when I found my way blocked by a herd of ox on my street. There’s a nice patch of green right at the entrance to my society and someone had taken their herd there to graze. Hey, why not? I’ve seen a dog scratching its back on the road…right in the middle of a busy intersection. Today I read a submission for a sex column in the Times of India where multiple male readers posed strange questions about masturbation. Mind you, this followed an article about the injustice of being forced to marry your rapist. Clearly, sexuality is an interesting topic here in India. It’s something that is repressed and at the same time constantly in your face.
While I have yet to explore much beyond Pune, this week I really enjoyed getting to know my new friends here and eating more incredible Indian food. At Capoeira Pune we had a wonderful guest instructor from Mumbai, Succuri. He’s been training for five years and has an amazing game and an intuitive sense for teaching. Both Capoeira Pune and Capoeira Cordao de Ouro in Mumbai reach out to kids in the local slums and orphanages to teach them capoeira and its lessons in balance, perseverance, and hard work. I can’t wait to visit the group in Mumbai and see them in action. We said goodbye to one capoeirista, Bond, who left for South Africa. This was the first time I have been out for a drink in Pune. We went to a bar called Toons that was filled with male college students cheering for the India cricket team. After a glass of Kingfisher we played some music and headed home. One thing I really enjoy about India is that alcohol doesn’t have to be present at social gatherings –in fact, the pressure is reversed. In DC drinking is a huge part of the culture. Every bar has a happy hour and you don’t join a dinner party without bringing a bottle of wine. I definitely do miss my red wine but I like how I feel without alcohol and I’m inspired to start finding activities back home for my friends and I that don’t involve booze. I also enjoyed my first Hindi film at an Indian theater this week, Barfi. Film tickets are only about $3 (150 Rs) which is incredible. They have assigned seats which has its pluses (can show up just before the film starts) and minuses (bright flashlights showing people to their seats who show up late). The movie was great – highly recommend it if you can find it.
This week sees the start of the Ganesh Chaturthi Festival in Pune. This is a 10 day festival honoring the birth of the beloved Hindu god, Lord Ganesha. It starts today, September 19th and has been celebrated in Pune since the 17thcentury. The brief history of Ganesha is that he is the son of Lord Shiva and Parvati. Parvati asked Ganesha to guard her while she took a bath. Shiva, who had been away, turned that day and asked to enter the house, but because the father and son didn’t recognize each other, Ganesha refused to let him in. Shiva became enraged and chopped off Ganesh’s head. When Parvati saw what happened she ordered Shiva to find a new head for their son and the first animal they came across was an elephant – which is why Ganesh has the body of a man and the head of an elephant. I’ve learned that Lord Ganesha is an especially important god for Maharashtra. Right now, all over the city, people are setting up huge, elaborate statues of Ganesh in specially-made structures or mandapas. On Anant Chaturdashi, the 11th day, the statues of Ganesh are taken through the streets in a procession to immerse him in the river. The procession includes huge crowds of dancing, singing people. I’m excited to see how people in Pune celebrate. Pictures to come.
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