American crocodile handler

I leave for Cochin tomorrow and the Keralan backwaters. I'll be back in Chennai on the 2nd.

Indian crocodile handler

I should mention that the crocodile did not like PK very much; it writhed about almost as soon as he touched it. This picture was the most placid moment between the two.

In Chennai

Ever heard of the Irula? They are a tribe in India that used to skin snakes for a living. At some point, the Indian government decided to put a stop to the practice. However, they gave the Irula the option of collecting the venom. So, the Irula became venom collectors. The venom is used to create anti-venom, alleviate pain, and cancer (I am a little dubious of this one; I mean, I bet that gasoline can cure cancer under the right circumstances).

The Irulan guy in this photo has been bitten only once; he showed me the scar; I forgot to ask which type of snake bit him. There are 4 types in this photo: cobra, krate, russell viper, and saw-scale viper. You can see the snake jars in the background.

Last trip

I awoke this morning thinking about the flight home from my last trip. On this flight (from London to Chicago), they were showing a couple movies; I don't remember the names of most. I was pretty fried so I wasn't interested in reading. The only movie (“Melinda and Melinda”) that I found appealing was one directed by Woody Allen and starring Will Ferrell - a strange combination, I thought. So, I was watching the movie and drinking coffee. I took a giant gulp of the coffee (before it became too cold) and, at that moment, I witnessed the funniest scene of the movie. Indeed, I found it so funny that coffee went spraying out of my nose and mouth and all over the face of this little 50-something woman sitting next to me! The coffee didn’t hit the seat. Nor did it hit me. Every last ounce of coffee miraculously landed upon that poor woman’s face. Of course, I apologized profusely. However, apologies sound less sincere when the person giving them can barely catch a breath from laughing. At some point, to my discredit, I was laughing at both the movie and the coffee incident. It took ten minutes to regain my composure.

Graciously, this poor woman forgave me and we enjoyed talking for the rest of the flight. What a strange way to meet someone.

The Reading List

I have a problem (presumably but one of many). Prior to going on vacation, I am never able to decide which books to bring. Generally, this means that I carry far more than I can possibly read. However, for this trip, I am *trying* to pack light. So, besides the Lonely Planet, and a book or two for my thesis, here are the *two* books that I have decided to bring:

Speak, Memory by Vladimir Nabokov - I've already read this one. It is my favorite autobiography (Clarence Darrow has a good one too).

Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie - I haven't read this one yet, but it is set in India. The synopsis reads as follows: "Saleem Sinai was born at midnight, the midnight of India's independence, and finds himself mysteriously 'handcuffed to history' by the coincidence. He is one of 1,001 children born at the midnight hour, each of them endowed with an extraordinary talent — and whose privilege and curse it is to be both master and victims of their times. Through Saleem's gifts — inner voices and a wildly sensitive sense of smell — we are drawn into a fascinating family saga set against the vast, colourful background of the India of this century."

All reform requires admission of a problem.

Map of India

THE PLAN:
I leave for India on the 26th and I arrive really late (11:45pm, I think) in Chennai (a.k.a. Madras) on the 27th, so I won't likely do more than recover on the 28th. As of the 30th though, I'll probably take off for Bangalore and Kerala until the wedding (I am going in order to attend the wedding of a friend) on the 4th. After the wedding, the current plan is to go north to Delhi, Agra (the Taj Mahal) and Jaipur! Unlike my trip to Thailand, I am going to TRY to book train tickets early so I can ride something other than 4th class at least part of the time. If I fail, then I will be sure to post a photo of myself riding on top of the train car! More later....

Sunset at Uncle Bud's Hut