Paul Gellman's blog: A Day of Rest in Cochin

Saturday, Shabbat, and I need a day of rest! I have been to Yoga class every afternoon since we got here, plus three Ayurvedic treatments, and my body is going through a definite healing process. Today, I take the day off of Yoga and most other activity, though there are plans for this evening.

India is such a strange and wonderful place. There are things about it that are incomprehensible, illogical, and generally weird. Examples:

Yesterday I saw a family of five on a motorcycle, daddy driving (of course), mommy and three kids, including a babe in arms. And – one helmet for the driver. This is called normal here, one helmet, the others don’t need. Why? Don’t ask.

Every bank machine will only provide 10,000 rupees (about $185), and there is a $5 charge each withdrawal. The sign on the ATM says “30,000 maximum withdrawal” – meaningless. And ask the man who “guards” the ATM why, he says this is the way it is. Then Amy goes to a machine, and she can take 20,000. Why? Don’t ask.

The electricity is up and down like a yo-yo in this town. Usually there is a half hour in the morning and a half hour in the evening. While “the current” is out, it gets really hot in the room, with no fan. Sometimes it can go down three or four times a day for various lengths of time. Why? Don’t ask.

Kochin is the site of a major naval base, perhaps the largest in South India. It boggles the mind how much land it occupies here, how many men are employed, and the billions of dollars spent on helicopters airplanes, warships and so on that are visible and active each day. Yet, most people are very poor. Why? Don’t ask.

Malay English is a different language – the vocabulary, the accent, the expressions. The street signs and store signs are ridiculous. Flyers advertising Ayurvedic Treatment centres pay no attention to spelling, punctuation, or “proper” English. Example:

“Ancient India had remarkable advancement in various branches of science and so-on. Thousands of years age Ayurveda, the science of life span originated from the Divine memory of Lord Brahma in the time immemorium and practised by the Ancient ‘Rishis’ in India. It is a medical system that emphasis prevention of all ills, ailments and ethies on living to attain Physical and mental happiness and longivity.” I kid you not – I’m going right away!

The first European church in India is here, St. Francis, founded during the time of Vasco da Gama, who lived and died here in the early 1500s. The church was more recently renovated – in 1776! Vasco da Gama’s tomb is in the church, but his body is not, it was removed back to Portugal.

Also the oldest “active” synagogue in India, the Paredesi Synagogue in Mattancherry, a few kilometre bike ride from us, in Jew Town (!). There are only a handful of Jewish residents left, and they are passing on, or moving to Israel, so it’s future is in doubt. They can’t often get a minyan, so there are no services.

My favourite thing about India and Fort Cochin is the people! The local people are virtually all open, friendly, interested, and smiling. They reach out to say hello, ask where you are from, and smile. And the little ones? They melt my heart just to look at them, they are so lovely and wide-eyed. I don’t know why, but I almost never hear a child crying here. In spite of hardship and suffering, poverty and illness, happiness exudes from almost everyone. They are rich, rich people, and I love being around them. I am comfortable being here, in spite of the heat and mosquitoes, the garbage and sewage. The least friendly people are most of the western tourists, many of whom walk around with scowls on their faces. Oh well.

Here are some photos from the last few days - shopping trip to Jewtown (!)