RULE OF THUMB IN THE RICE PADDY

The regimented rows of the rice paddy in the wetlands of Emakulam, near Kochi, were beautiful in their ordered layout. But rice paddies are becoming something of an emotive subject - with the increasing value of land, many rice paddies are being filled in for building construction, or more cash valuable crops like rubber and coconut palms.  Oxen and water buffalo are ideally adapted to work the paddies, but the labourers, in this labour intensive occupation, are becoming more expensive in terms of wages.  

Interestingly, the local Kerala rice has a tolerance for the salinity of the tidal backwaters of the area - the main cultivation period is between April and November, when salinity is at its lowest, due to the Monsoons.   But in the intervening months, prawn farming takes over - the prawns swim in from the sea, the inflow of water to the area being controlled by sluice gates - they feed on the remnants of the harvested rice - and they in turn, leave fertilizer for the new rice cultivation of the following season.  Needless to say, Kerala rice is rich in protein and has a slightly pinkish colour !

The importance of the rice crop for the socio/cultural life of the people is marked by the ten day  Harvest Festival, Onam, when colourful designs are created with flowers to celebrate the harvest.

MORNING DOWNFALL

DUSSEHRA

Mrs Patel was out early - she held a tray with a burning stick of incense and a bright pile of garlands of yellow and orange flowers - she draped a garland over each and every vehicle belonging to a family member - two scooters and five cars.  This was the day of Dussehra, the tenth day after Navratri, the celebration of Shakti and Divine Energy in the form of garba dancing for nine nights.  Today was the finale of the event and everyone would be celebrating.  It was a day for blessing your machines, I was told - including your computers !  Even the 'tread-mill', 'cross-trainers' and bicycles at the local gym were decorated with a flower.

Every vehicle in the town was draped with garlands, the townscape had been transformed into yellow and orange.  Special sweets were on sale everywhere - yellow fafda and orange jalebi !

Despite the carnival atmosphere and general mood of celebration,  a strict eye is kept on illegal drinking,  Gujarat being a prohibition zone.  As the large 4 x 4 car left the very expensive new district of the town, police flagged it down and the driver was asked to get out of the vehicle and open the trunk,  a man dressed in white kurti and pygamas, officiated:  "they are checking for bootleggers" I was told !!

CHINESE FISHING NETS AT KOCHI

THE AMBASSADOR

The car drew up outside the posh hotel - not a spot of rust on its vintage white and cream chassis, this Hindustan Ambassador gleamed from frequent polishing.  Anthony, the driver, was to take me to the airport an hour away.  He got out and opened the boot of the car for the luggage and then gave the back seat a final dust down and pushed the front seat forward to give me more leg room.  "The body is original" he told me "but I had a new engine put in in 2007 and it's now done 400 000 kms.  They don't make them like this any more" !  (The Hindustan Ambassador is based on the British Morris Oxford III Series of the 1950s - dubbed the 'King of Indian Roads').

As we got under way, he told me a remarkable story.  Some years previously, the hotel had sent him to the airport to pick up a visitor from Switzerland - along the way they had got chatting and as she was staying at the hotel for a couple of weeks, she asked to meet his family, his wife and daughters and so began an unlikely friendship.  She was alone and lonely and liked his family.

One day Anthony told her of his plans to build a new house - "then build it" she said "and add on a room for me, so that whenever I come to India, I can stay with your family - I'll give you a lump sum in Swiss Franks, as my long term investment in the project !"  And so he did just that.  He built a new home in the style of the hotel with the same colour scheme - white, cream and brown woodwork - the colonial style.  He had some of the pictures in the hotel copied to hang on the walls and also the colonial furniture faithfully copied by a friend who was a carpenter - he carefully recreated a smaller version of the hotel.  And into 'her' room, he put all the best pieces of furniture and added air conditioning !

"It's taken two years to build and in a week it'll be inaugurated and 'she' will be the guest of honour, he said proudly.  "She's flying out from Switzerland and will spend 3 days at the hotel and then come to my house.

"I'm not rich, but I'm rich in life....because I have a wife and three daughters, a home, a town and a job at the best hotel in town, I love them all"......and then he added:

"But there's one picture in the new house which isn't a copy from the hotel - I commissioned a large oil painting of my Ambassador Motor Car !!"   With that he gave a joyful chuckle !

TEA

"'Junis' - it's a Biblical name......  I enjoy my work as a Guide - I grew up in Munnar - our family has been here for 5 generations and I have lived here all my life.  My great grandparents, grandparents and parents,  all worked on the tea plantations, picking tea.  But it's not for me.  The work is hard - 8 hours a day, barefoot.  They used to handpick the tea, but now it's done with shears.  But no - not for me - I want to do different things with my life."  He took out his digital camera to snap the panarama and said that he would download it onto his computer later.   "Every time the light changes, you get a different view"!

"They pick tea every 10 - 15 days and the bush is productive for 100 years - nothing eats the leaf because of its bitter taste and they prune the bush every 5 years.  Everything that you see is about 70 years old".

He was able to identify every medicinal herb along the way with its correct botanical name - confirming Kerala's reputation of having the highest rate of literacy in India !