On the first day in India, Rob had to go to work. We're staying outside of Bombay, which at first I didn't understand. Now I do. Not being sure of the train/bus/taxis/rickshaw system, I hired a driver, Ramesh, who had an airconditioned car, with seats covered in clear plastic. We agreed that he'd drive me to the center of town and take me home when I was ready. At least I thought we agreed to that. He had a bigger tour in mind, which I discovered when he pulled into a driveway full of trucks, trash, and flower petals, and said, "You go inside. I wait for you here." Not really understanding all that much of what he said to me in general, I thought that I'd at least try following the part I did understand. When I got past the trucks I saw an alley-way filled with crates, men asleep on shelves, ladies and children sitting on the ground surrounded by piles of flowers, and a warehouse, which appeared to be the main attraction.
I went into the dark open-air structure and realized it was a flower mart. But the only things being sold were baskets and baskets and baskets of mostly marigold flower heads. I knew enough that this was wedding season and I knew that weddings require marigolds, but it was amazing to see this many of them all in one place. And everyone selling the same thing. The brilliance of the colors and smells against the darkness of the space and of the people working there was beyond beautiful. I was the only westerner in sight.
Walking back to the alley, I saw that the ladies and children were sitting on the ground, next to the mounds of trash mixed with orange petals pulling the stems off of an incalcuable number of flowers. A truck tried to maneuver around them, crushing some of the flowers in its path as the women tried in vain to stop it.
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| From India 11.09 |
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| From India 11.09 |
After that, Ramesh took me to the laundry. Washers and dryers are too expensive for many to buy, so things are washed at the outdoor laundry by laundresses in concrete basins. When I told Shilpa, Rob's boss' assistant, she said, "Didn't he take you to see anything beautiful?"
I'll continue this later, as Shilpa just called and we're all going shopping and then to a Hindi movie. Tonight is Day Three of the wedding - the ring ceremony. But it doesn't start until 8, which means more like 9 or 9:30 in what they call "Indian Standard Time." Things start when everyone shows up, not the time listed on the invitation. We are learning....
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