Twenty years asleep before we sleep forever.
on Why Did the Tofu Cross the Road (India), 01/Jul/2010 04:32, 34 days ago
Traffic laws getting enforced?A little while ago on my way home with my roommate Jen I witnessed a rare phenomena at Kolpana Square. The police were actually pulling over motorbikes for violating the helmet law. In Bhubaneswar (and I think across India) it is mandatory for the driver of a motorbike to be wearing a helmet. This law is seldom enforced and tonnes of people break it. It was nice to see people receiving their fines and warnings... so I took a few snaps of the displeased offenders.Tickets being handed out.Before you ask, the law is indeed only for the drivers of the motorbikes. Passengers are free to ride without a helmet. I am not sure of the reasoning behind this because I feel that passengers are just as likely to receive a head injury in the case of an accident.Jens' BirthdayMy roommate Jen and another Bhub volunteer also named Jen have birthdays that are two days apart. So we threw a joint birthday party for them. Jen G. (my roommate) cooked up some meat delicacies while I made sure there was vegan food for all. We spent the night chatting over drinks and eating way too much food. The birthday celebration was official when Lucy went around smashing cake into the faces of the birthday girls.... a long standing Indian tradition.Jens' feed each other cake.Jen G. getting cake-faced by Lucy!My animal friendsI have been in India for almost eight months and I am still fascinated by the animals that I see everyday. I constantly find myself watching the cows, dogs, goats, and pigs that can be found on the streets.Pigs in Koraput.At work I have a routine. I get in, settle down and try to cool off. As I am setting up my computer and waiting for it to start up I walk to the back of the OAB and whistle. I have about four pups that come running and I run around with them and make sure that they get some water. Everyone at the OAB refers to those puppies as "Madam's dogs".Cows are everywhere and seem to have more of a presence on the street now that the weather is cooling off. I really enjoy how the cows make a claim to their space and will lay down for hours in the middle of streets and intersections. Cows learn quickly that nobody will mess with them so they walk confidently into moving traffic knowing that the cars and trucks will avoid them. In India it is the responsibility of the public to care for the street cows. I take on this tradition and hold on to left over fruits and vegetable pieces and feed my "regular" cows as often as possible. Most of the cows I see are in poor health and in desperate need of more than just food scraps.Cow in the middle of a busy street. (Lewis Road near Ravie Talkies Square)Song from title:Set Yourself on Fire by Stars