For the love of mangos

Today was amazing. We started off with a hearty breakfast of papaya, pinneaple, chai tea, papaya juice, salwar, and other Indian breakfast items. There are always vegetarian options (sometimes only vegetarian) when we have gone out to eat, which is awesome for me! To answer the question about eating with hands...there is a great emphasis on hygiene here. Restaurants and cafeterias have sinks in common areas so people generally wash their hands before and after eating. Even on the plane the airline gave us free toothbrushes, socks, and face wipes. Shoes are always removed before entering houses or other buildings. People here put more thought into cleanliness than in the U.S. it seems.

Our snack: Chai tea and fried bananas. I've had so many different types of bananas since I've been here (boiled, fresh, fried in oil, fried in batter). These bananas were fried in coconut oil with a rice batter. They were absolutely delicious!

I have learned so much already. We spent most of the day at the Center for Development Studies (CDS) here in Trivandrum, which is a world-class research institute built by one of our program's sponsors, the Center of Science and Technology for Rural Development (COSTFORD). COSTFORD staff gave a presentation on the organization and the architectural style of one of COSTFORD's founders, Laurie Baker. Baker was an environmentalist, quaker, activist, architect, and artist, among other things. COSTFORD bases its affordable housing and other architectural works on Baker's style. We toured the CDS campus, which he designed, and saw many examples of sustainable design that is both low-cost and beautiful. From passive heating and cooling to rain water harvesting, the buildings were designed in such a way to have very minimal impacts on the environment. The entire campus was designed specific to that site so that the buildings took full advantage of the location and geography. Baker was an amazing artist and one of his fascinations was the mango. He completed thousands of paintings of mangos using recycled materials and the mango shape can be found all throughout his architectural designs.

Center for Development Studies (notice the mango shape)

We also heard from one of India's top economists and staff of the CDS, Dr. K. P. Kannan, who gave a very informative presentation on India and Kerala. His breadth of knowledge is amazing and his presentation included an overview of history, economics, and social issues in the region. Dr. Kannan works for the Center for Development Studies and spoke about some of the work that the CDS has conducted since it was created. Despite low income levels when compared to the U.S or Europe, quality of life indicators are very high in Kerala. Some of these indicators a longer life expectancy, low infant mortality rates, and universal access to education with extraordinary literacy rates. Kerala has nearly a 100% literacy rate. While people may be living in a slum, they know how to read, are not starving, and dress well.

A place of worship

Some other important things to know about Kerala: it was the first to democratically elect a communist government; the current governmen is leftist;  Kerala has a very strong civil society with high levels of participation in organizations, women's groups, neighborhood groups, unions, and political or social protests; there is a strong movement away from the use of pesticides and towards organic agriculture; and Kerala's economy is largely based on construction, manufacturing, and remittances from residents (who work mainly in the Gulf countries). There is also a large service sector with many jobs in education, health, banking, and insurance. That is just a brief description to help paint a better picture of Kerala. There was so much more presented, but this will have to do for now!

A view of Trivandrum from the library of the CDS campus. Look at all those coconut trees!

What most struck me about Dr. Kannan's presentation is his philosophy of economics and its relationship to social equity, which is very different than what we are used to hearing in the U.S. The dominant perspective we hear from American economists places a huge emphasis on competition and the market as the priority. In comparison, Dr. Kannan emphasizes that income is not an end in and of itself. Rather, income is a means for achieving a better quality of life for people. We should not measure quality of life solely on income or GDP, but instead on human capabilities.

After a full day on the CDS campus, we took a trip to FabIndia. I bought a couple outfits so stay posted for a photo or two of me trying out the latest fashions!

Day two of my Kerala experience was awesome. Indian fashion, mangos, sustainable development, and economists who place social equity above money...it doesn't get much better than this!

First day in Trivandrum

After 30 hours of travel I finally made it to Trivandrum, Kerala, or "God's Own Country." I am very tired but glad that everything went smoothly. We arrived between 3 and 4am today, got a few hour of sleep, then went to lunch. The city is very humid and warm. Lunch and the walk to and from the restaurant was quite an eye-opening experience. The roads are chaotic with vehicles driving in every direction. There is a constant honking of car horns and since there aren't many sidewalks it is hectic trying to walk around. Many people walk, however, and children waved at us as we passed their houses. Many dwellings line the streets, most of which are shack houses. Lunch was great and I ate like a local: with my hands! We all had a talli, which is a meal consisting of a variety of dishes to sample and includes rice, daal, and other dishes. Locals grab the food with their right hand. The left hand is not used for eating so that it can be used for wiping or when touching communal or shared items. It was definitely different for me to scoop rice and daal with my hands but was fun to try. I am looking forward to other new experiences that lie ahead during the trip. After a short nap, we will be taking a trip to Fab India to do some shopping. That's all for now. Namaste!