Trivandrum was my first spot in the great state of Kerala (the one state EVERYONE told me I had to visit, though they really could never pinpoint why). Trivandrum is the capital, and it's in the southern part of the state. As soon as I stepped into the city, I could see the differences between this state and the others. Kerala had the first ever democratically-elected Communist government (in 1967), and now it's the most developed and educated state in the country. It has a literacy rate of 91 percent, which is amazing. Most things in Trivandrum were written in both Malayalam and English. The city buses were by far the most posh I've seen. And everyone just looks educated, even in the more slummy parts of town. In fact, my first day in Trivandrum, I didn't see a single beggar. Not one! Amazing, yes?
Being a Communist state that prides its democratic process, Kerala sees a great amount of protests and strikes in its capital of Trivandrum. I witnessed one on my first full day there, while I was walking the 3 kilometers along MG (Mahatma Gandhi) Road. The road was choked with a thousand people chanting something for the AITC and waving large red flags. I asked someone, and he said that they were representing the Commerce Party, or something like that. Ah, if only I could understand Malayalam. Still, it was fascinating.
I ducked into a restaurant for lunch, and to avoid the protestors. This is where I came across one of the weirdest meals ever. It was completely naturopathic, and really represented more a philosophy than anything else. The meal started with five juices that I had to drink in a particular order. Some were good and sweet. Others were salty, warm, bitter, or just with a strange texture. After this, I was served small amounts of five different foods, which I had to eat in order. This was on the top of a banana leaf, and all the food was eaten with only the hand. Oh, and it was all vegetarian. Some of the foods were delicious. Others caused a little gag reflex. Yet, I had to eat it all before I could move on. And move on I did. He placed five on the bottom of the leaf. Then five on the top. Then three on the bottom. Three on the top. By this point, I was getting sick from all the food. SO MUCH. And of course he then put a giant pile of unprocessed rice on the bottom of the leaf. Gawd! I was force-feeding myself! Since I've arrived in India, my stomach has shrunk, meaning that I can't eat very much to begin with. Too bad. I had to finish. And once I did, all the while trying not to moan and collapse, he poured a dessert on the leaf. Being a liquid, eating with my fingers became a messy endeavor. Finally, when I slurped up the last bit of the tasty sweet, he poured honey on my hand to lick off. And that was it. I walked out of there near dead. And walk I did, another 1.5 kilometers. The whole while, I had to fight to keep in the food. Every now and then, I'd stop and will my stomach to hold it in. Luckily, I did, though I still felt sick for a while, even after I reached the zoo...where the Manipulator comes in. And man, was she a whirlwind!!!
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