Good morning all and happy POETS day. On Facebook we keep seeing references to some sort of quasi religious festival, I think its called Amazon day from the number of postings and seems to involve large numbers of parcels and gifts being bought. From what I can see it may also have something to do with with the German traders setting up stalls in the middle of shopping precincts and the selling and drinking of warm wine. To enter into the spirit of the thing Sarah had a young coconut from a street trader, the top sliced off and topped up with Bacardi, not quite the same but the thought was there.
The traders are beginning to get in the Christmas swing, a few decorations have appeared and the "specials boards" outside a couple of the restaurants have begun to advertise christmassy fayre but in typical Indian style haven't quite got the hang of things. My favourite so far is the restaurant that now advertises
Live Lobster
Live Duck
Live Turkey
I think they are under the impression that "Live" means fresh, at least I hope so... I'm not sure I want to go to a pen out the back and pick out which duck i want dispatched for dinner but anything is possible.
Also, in one of our favourite restaurants a crib has appeared, think Blue Peter Nativity Scene but done in the style of Gangsta Bling, its about 8 feet high, five feet wide with more lights than Oxford and Regent Street put together.
I still find it strange coming from a basically secular society to see religions celebrated in this way, neon and LED lights are deployed at every opportunity, including funerals. Most houses have a small shrine, and where in the UK some might stop at a cross hung on a wall and maybe a candle here or there, in India if its worth worshipping, its worth doing big, photos of dead relatives, 3d depictions of the crucifixion, holy water by the bucket, flashing fairy lights, in fact anything goes and its not limited to the house. Tuk-tuks are adorned with religious icons, often from different religions Ganesh sits on the dashboard alongside the baby Jesus and a dead relatives hair dangles from the wing mirror in a mix and match approach to securing gods blessing. All a bit over the top for western sensibilities... until you see the road fatality figures, they were published for Kerala in the Hindu yesterday, and it was "good news" from January to the end of November the number of road fatalities has fallen from 3,867 to 3,748 and the number of reported accidents from 32,980 to 32,109. In 2012 - 4,286 people were killed in 36,109 accidents. With those figures, if I was a Tuk-tuk driver I think I'd hedge my bets and take all the help I could get regardless of which religion it came from.
It rained last night for the first time this week, this morning the weather is overcast and still, the earth has that freshly washed smell and its cool, i.e. low 80's F. Believe it or not it actually feels autumnal, strange how perceptions adapt so quickly. The paper's cookery section talks of warming stews for the winter months though the day temperature seldom falls below 90 F. Unfortunately the fixation with cooking programmes and celebrity chiefs has also reached India, Gordon and Jamie are big here though I've not seen any evidence of an Indian version of the Great British Bake Off so far... "Tonight Paul and Mary will require you to knock out a dozen chipattis, a Peshwari Naan and a Perrota and as your signature bake you are required to make a ginger bread Taj Mahal". No doubt it will come but i'd like to see even Paul and Mary cope with only having a two ring burner and a griddle pan.
So... now its time to head out for the day as my festive breakfast awaits at the local tea shop, perrota, onion masala and an egg.
Have a great weekend, enjoy the run up to Christmas and take it easy.
K&S
13/12/13
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