2-2-09

Happy New Year!!! Yesterday we took a taxi from Kanchipuram to Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram). We had been planning on taking the bus, but Mom was not feeling so well so we decided to leave the adventure of our first bus ride in India for another day. Not long after we left our hotel, we passed a shrine to Ganesh. Our taxi driver stopped the car without any warning, jumped out, placed a coin or two in a beggar’s bowl, and paid his respect to Ganesh. He then jumped back in the car and drove off as though nothing had happened. My guess is that New Year had something to do with this unusual behavior. Ganesh is the remover of difficulties and it is advisable to ask his help with beginnings. The taxi driver probably hoped Ganesh would remove the difficulties of the coming year. The rest of the drive was more or less uneventful. There are often designs in chalk in front of doorways. The ones on New Year’s Day were much more complex and colorful than usual.
After we had checked into our hotel and put our luggage up in the room, Dad and I went for a walk on the beach while Patrick and Mom worked in the Internet Café. I was very strange when I realized that I felt out of place because I was wearing traditional Indian clothing. After walking for a bit, I wanted to go for a swim, but I decided against it because I have to hand wash my own We found a nice café owned by a Frenchman called Nautilus, which had meat, french fries, omelets, and, best of all, chocolate crepes on the menu. It was delicious and had a nice atmosphere. After satiating our cravings for western food, we meandered down the street looking at shops. Mamallapuram is definitely a tourist trap. It was really strange for me to see white people in blue jeans and T-shirts again, I have to admit.
At night we went to see two performances-a folk dance and a classical dance (Barata Natyam) performance. One of the classical dancers was particularly excellent. Her facial expressions were clear, but not overdone. One of her dances showed her as Yashoda playing with, and remonstrating, the mischieveious Krishna. The dance ended when she rocked Krishna to sleep. As she creeped off stage, as an exhauseted mother would creep out of the room of her sleeping child, the audience burst into applause. With a concerned facial expression, she rushed back on stage, signalling for the audience to be quite, and desperately rocking the imaginary cradle. It was very well done. She completely captured the essance of any mother with a mischievious. but well-loved, child.