The Wedding of Trees

The Wedding of Trees -- Emily and Kalpabatta

Today I did a collaborative piece with the artists from Orissa... We had a marriage between my daughter the tree and Kshitish's son the tree. (My tree's name was Emily) Why would we marry trees? Welllllllllll.... in India there is a tradition of marrying trees...(true story!) If someone wants to marry his or her love and there is a problem with their horoscope, if they marry the love, the love will die. SO they first marry a tree (there are male and female species of trees...bet you didn't know that!!) The wedding is the real thing complete with guests, food, music, priest, the works. The tree apparently absorbs the the bad stuff and allows the person to marry their love without knocking them off.

THEN, once married, if the couple is having trouble getting married, are unhappy, having any sort of problems, they call upon the trees again. This time, they have a marriage between a male tree and a female tree (again, full-blown marriage)... they plant the trees together ... and they, once again, do their magic (a lot cheaper that infertility treatments or marriage counseling, eh??)

So, we had a marriage between two trees (I crocheted a LOVELY red and gold outfit for the bride)... It was really cool... they went through an entire (but small) Hindu wedding ceremony.... took red paste and put between our eyes and then pressed rice into it... then did to all the guests (we had 20 or so... an intimate affair, you know)

The priest chanted in Hindi... some of the artists played drums and tamborines and sang in the background... the priest had us put marriage crowns on the trees, and thread bracelets... the lady who hosted the wedding brought the tree couple gifts of bangles and saris and material and money.... she danced and sang whenever the mood struck her... others in the audience joined in... we danced with the trees around the wedding table (a low table with red cloth... oranges on 3 corners, grapes on the 4th... a spiral shell filled with red liquid and a flower -- obvious reference to virginity -- a small God figure) seven times and then the woman put tikkas on the trees brows and voila! the marriage was over!

Afterwards (during the many obligatory photos after any event that involves white people) the lady and I talked and both agreed that what would really be happening at that point is that the bride would be crying and begging her mother not to make her go live with the groom.... we were wailing while Kshitish tugged on "Emily" ..hilarious.

The drummers led our dancing wedding party to the place where we planted the trees (down a dirt path, through the kitchen tent where 3 cooks were stirring massive pots of rice and vegetables). The trees were planted together in one hole, intertwined... and we all dumped panfuls of water on them while the drummers drummed and the men wrapped their arms around each other and danced around the tree... then the women joined in and I am now, once again, the "dancing white woman"..adored by all... One Indian artist said, "When you dance you are like a flower slowly opening.." Hahaha... sooo sweet!

Ranchi

Post -- Ranchi, Bihar, India 2-24-10

So, as I said, this is the cleanest, most organized, least wacky town we’ve been in yet... so looking forward to aimlessly wandering around enjoying a smaller, cleaner, easier-to-handle town than Kolkata... and then we get a call to tell us to return to the compound immediately because it’s dangerous to be out on the streets... that we’re going to get kidnapped and robbed or held for ransom.

Of course we ignore such nonsense (calm down, worryworts back home, it’s OK). I’ve been in Bihar (the most violent and dangerous state in India) and although they have some Maoist mafiosos (or Robin Hoods, depending on your perspective) out in the countrysides, they generally don’t come into cities to grab tourists (which are few and far between in Ranchi...really not worth the effort).

However, fear spreads through the Art Karavan participants. We are told we can’t leave the compound (for a week??!!)... we are told we have to sign a waiver of liability if we DO go out (no problem)... we are told we have to be in each night by 7 pm if we do go out so they can lock us in.

We had an opening gathering of politicians and sponsors of Art Karavan so I asked some of the local people if we really are in danger. Every one of them say absolutely not... the city is safe (just use common sense and take precautions you’d always take; there ARE bad apples in any place!)

I had a nice chat with a retired geologist from Shantinikiten (spelling) and told him we wanted to go to the Indian cinema to see “My Name is Khan” and he offered to take us today. Kata, Eric and I went with Babul to the fanciest theatre I’ve ever seen in India (plush, overstuffed armchairs...popcorn... clean). The movie takes place in the US and is about the Muslim hate-fest that rippled through the country after 9-11. The theme of the movie is, “My name’s Khan and I’m not a terrorist” (i.e., just because you’re a Muslim doesn’t mean you’re a terrorist... there are good Muslims and bad Muslims just like any other group of people). Of course, mixed in with this message were others: Hindu-Muslim marriage (the hero does one and is ostracized by his brother), issues involving the handicapped (the hero is autistic), a dash of Black poverty and suffering in America, and I’m sure a few more. But it was good.

Afterwards we went to Babul’s apartment (lovely place) and had tea and snacks and talked with his wife (a junior high teacher of Sociology and Political Science). Babul gave us all parting gifts (Eric-a notebook, Kata-a change purse, me-an owl piggy bank) of traditional leather work and design from Shantinikiten. So sweet!

Tonight we learned some traditional Indian dancing (if you think Country line-dancing is tough, try this!! You have to coordinate feet, hands, neck, head, and EYE movements! Never gonna happen to me in my lifetime!! But it was fun trying!), looked at some paintings and sculptures and had a couple performances by local art students.

The week is filling up fast.... may go to a tribal village a couple hours away and spend the night... Holi (the color festival where you throw dyes on each other) is on March 1st... we’re going to visit a local prison (cool!) and do some performances... some are doing workshops at schools and here at the compound.

OH! The most amazing news of all! When we checked in, I took a room next to the toilets that smelled like a nasty latrine... nobody else wanted it... they all rejected it before I took it. Well, last night, Kata discovered that behind a door that we thought went to the outside, was a big, beautiful BATHROOM!! complete with HOT WATER!!! (Before this discovery we had to walk outside to the line of common squat toilets and take our bucket baths there, too, with ICY cold water.) I am sooooo happy!! India really does take care of me.... I wish for something and it suddenly appears!

Omm Shanti!

Karavan stop 3 --Ranchi

Post - Ranchi Delhi Belly & Raj Holi Feb 27, 2010

Delhi Belly in Ranchi, the clean city, is Delhi Belly nonetheless. A wave of illness washed through the artists during the past week and -- literally -- cleaned us all out (with the aid of a large dose of bacteria, I suspect). Marisa was the first to get “it,” a bug featuring diarrhea, vomiting, extreme fatigue, headache, dehydration in a combination of any or all. But it soon spread throughout the Art Karavan, dropping white people first but eventually hitting some of the Indian artists. It only lasts for a day or two (during which you sleep around the clock when you’re not running to the toilet). However, two of the artists ended up on IVs in the hospital because of dehydration and other complications.

I actually got off fairly easy -- I didn’t vomit. However, I felt like I was GOING to vomit for two full days. I couldn’t face food (especially the greasy and or spicy food we are usually fed) and I slept an entire day. The worst part of my bout was the SPLITTING headache I had for 3 days. No matter what I took or how much water I drank, my head pounded relentlessly. The doctor came to check us all out (and prescribed some medicine for the cough I’ve had since Nepal 6 weeks ago) and basically had us drinking rehydrating salts and taking pills to stop vomiting and diarrhea.

So, of course, as bad luck would have it, this is Holi time. Holi is the festival of colors... people light fires in the streets and fields to kick it off and then spend a couple days drunk and throwing powdered dye on each other. Nutan, the Rajasthani lady who hosted our tree wedding, invited Khitish, me, Kata, and Eric to a “Rajasthani Holi” celebration. Which would have been wonderful at any other time, but I was in the midst of my sickness, Kata just recovering from hers, and Eric starting to slide into his. Oh, and it was also 10 pm and followed a looooong program and the local museum.

But when a wonderful Rajasthani lady calls, we answer.

We walked to a hall a short distance from our place to the community room in a beautiful (gated!) high-rise apartment complex. The room reverberated with pounding drums and singing. We were greeted like royalty (showing up late, but, hey! we’re royalty!) The women (all dressed in beautiful brightly colored saris) jumped up and started dancing, dragging Kata and I into the fray. Of course, Nutan said there would be no colors (throwing dye), but we got smeared with fluorescent pink within moments of our arrival.

For the next two hours, the men drummed and sang (it was wonderful! Indians really know how to drum!!) The women danced and then the men danced and then we all danced together for the grand finale. The food looked wonderful but my stomach wouldn’t even consider letting even a morsel come its way.

Even though I gulped down some pills and crashed the moment I got home, it was a night to remember.

Post -- Ranchi -- Feb 28, 2010

I woke up today feeling half myself and that was good. My headache was halfway gone, my stomach felt fairly good, and my cough was slightly improved; a good day (compared to the last two days of pain and exhaustion).

I spent the day editing photos and video (learning I Movie out of sheer necessity) for our presentations tonight at the Center for Coal Production (or something like that), who gave us some money for the Karavan. Khistish and I are going to present the tree wedding piece.

Of course, we were first dragged to another place with another crowd wanting us to do anything to entertain them but none of us were prepared because no one told us what was happening so a few improvised and seemed to satisfy them.

But the Coal Center was amazing. The most modern building I’ve ever seen in India. It was in the midst of a corporate living community that could have been in the US. The show was long and drawn out .... lots of folk dancers and singers and our presentations that dragged on and on. We did get to dance with one of the tribal village groups which was fun. But basically we were all starving.

But, boy, was it worth the wait! It was a spread! Hot and sour soup, chicken in gravy, steamed vegetables, ice cream (these are what I ate) and loads of other delicious dishes.

We ended up all dancing wildly with the Indian men (and a few women) and had a fantastic time…. That’s what the Art Karavan needs – LOTS OF DANCING!!

Kolkata continued...

Pursuing serious information in the bookshops (that are air conditioned!) in Kolkata
Kata cracked up when she saw the chance positioning of Obama and Hitler books

Art Karavan stop #2 -- Kolkata

Tying crocheted bracelets on the wrists of my new brothers and sisters for my on-going project during Art Karavan

My favorite cook sitting in front of daily fare for Art Karavan in Kolkatta...yumm!?!??
Puja, her mom and friend at home in New Market slum

Kata with some of her dancing friends in the New Market slum

Tying bracelets on the arms of India

Entrance to wedding hall

Small yarn bomb of the hostel door beneath the stadium

Friends of Kolkata

Kshitish, artist from Orissa, during performance

Lunchtime friends

Gopal, from Assam, with his installation

Jeetin, from Bangalore, and Ondi, from USA (under red cloth) perform in Kolkata streets

Jeetin during Kolkata performance

India is great DANGER

Drummer girl

Kata dancing in slums of Kolkata

Dhobie wallah (laundry man)

Bare-bottomed beggar boy with stuffed doll

Kata Lengyel of Hungary in blue space where she danced and I filmed...very beautiful!!

Local lady showing me how crocheting is done!

Chicken choppers in New Market slaughterhouse, which is tastefully connectd to the main shopping "mall".... gives a special sort of olfactory ambience

"Blue Water" a small piece of hope created to inspire clean water to flow from my faucet

February 16, 2010 --Kolkatta

The train journey from Shantiniken to Kolkatta was 3 1/2 hours long and was highlighted by a dance through the train cars by Kata... the local passengers looked at us (her dancing, me filming) with surprise and smiles. It got more raucous when she did a dance over and around the seats filled with Art Karavan artists... good fun.

Our new quarters for the week are under a HUGE STADIUM in the Salt Lake section of Kolkatta... like the catacombs...numerous rooms and dormitories tucked along the circular hallway surrounding the stadium. However, our rooms are AIR CONDITIONED and relatively clean with western toilets and hot water! Can’t beat that! (Although some of the rooms host swarms of mosquitos and some huge cockroaches and there are a few rats scuttling down the hallways).

My room’s terrific because I’m by myself and can snore in solitude without worrying about disturbing any roommates. Kata has a room on the exterior of the building, however, and the mosquitos can’t be kept out. (So I am now sitting in her “new” interior room while the resident repairman hacks up the doorjamb trying to fix the slide bolt so she can lock her door. Of course this comes after the two electricians who were in to install lights in the bathroom....and they are working on getting us some mosquito nets... ahhhh! all in a day’s work!)

Last night after we arrived we took a walk with our Bangalore artist friend Jeetin. At the end of our road was not only a wedding in full swing, but also a techno-rock concert! It was tough to decide which one to crash, but we opted for the concert. However, it was for college students only and they wouldn’t let us in (hard to believe... TWO white females!! and they won’t let us in!?!?)

So we stood outside the gate and I began to dance... soon I was dancing with 20 or so college boys (Kata was hiding behind Jeet)... and before we knew it, one of the Security Guards came over and asked if we’d like to go into the concert (yes, we would, thank you!) He led us around to the VIP area right in front of the stage. The music was BLASTING! and I enjoyed it thoroughly... dancing and taking photos. The band’s name is “Fossil” and is “the BEST techno-rock band in Kolkata,” we were told... It seems that there will be another concert tomorrow night week and we, of course (now that we have established our reputation) are invited to it along with as many of our friends as we desire.

Time has slipped away from me today.... it’s already 3 pm and I’ve done very little. (Kata went out for a walk and some random man on the street exposed himself to her)... The repairman is finished, so I think I’ll head out into the streets myself...