Jan 21, 2013 - Hyderabad Sights

After a leisurely breakfast, we drove with our guide to Charminar, a four-sided arch surmounted by a mosque (no longer in use), built at the end of the 16th century as a monument to the survival of the plague. We walked up the 130 steps to the viewing platform. Chaminar is at the hub of the old bazaar, where I was struck by how many women were garbed in black chadors, albeit sequined and embellished with sparkles. Our guide told us that about 30% of the people in this area are Muslim, and across the street is India's second largest mosque,...

Jan 19, 2013 - SFO - Hyderabad, India

On Thursday, January 17, Barry and I packed our bags, arranged for Angela to stay with Wally, said good-bye to our three daughters, and set off for a five week trip to India and Burma (Myanmar). Our British Airways flight left San Francisco in clear sky for a smooth flight to Heathrow, where we landed on Friday morning around 10 am in a full-blown snow blizzard. Somehow, our flight to Hyderabad was still scheduled to take off at 12:30 pm, so we boarded and waited. And waited. We didn't get to the de-icing machine for at least three hours,...

Apr 30, 2012 - Why are we going?

In a September morning of 2011 I prayed and searched online scriptures to learn more about fasting. I was 41 years old, was raised in a Christian family, read the scriptures about fasting and how often Jesus fasted in His life. Yet I had managed to never fast a day in my life. I wanted to know Christ in a new and deeper way. I hoped he would show me more of Himself by making a commitment to fast. Here is what I read that morning… 6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the...

Mar 7, 2012 - En Route To Kalkota

An early start today as our train is due to leave Chennai central station at 8.45am and Sanjay is going to take us there. It was quite a way from the house to the central station but we got there in plenty of time, checked that we had the right station and which platform before heading out so Roger can get his daily shave. I resorted to my little battery shaver yesterday rather than arrive at Jaya's house all bristly. The station inevitably was a mass of humanity with people milling around or apparently camped out on the floor everywhere....

Jan 18, 2011 - Field visit to southern Andhra Pradesh Jan 15-17

January 15-17, 2011 The Village Commons in Andhra Pradesh, India The conference ended on Friday, the 14th. I missed the closing ceremonies because of my cold--slept instead. We gathered to board two buses for the multi-day field trip at 8:30 pm and were on the road to Chittoor District in the southern part of Andhra Pradesh by 9:00 pm. The bus was comfortable--a "semi-sleeper" with footrests, reclining seats and blankets. We made two stops on the way down--one at a roadside stop with stores, food canteens and washrooms, the second by the...

Jan 14, 2011 - Last day of conference

Friday, January. 14, 2011, Hyderabad Woke up with a cold, but didn't want to miss the last morning of yoga, so headed over to the session at 6 am. Always feel good after we're finished. Spent the last day of the conference in panel sessions, one on gender in forestry research in developing countries and another on Authority, Power and Social Exclusion: Conceptual and Methodological Perspectives. Had to keep running out of sessions to blow my nose, which is running like a tap. We depart for our multi-day field trip at 8:30 pm tonight. Will...

Jan 13, 2011 - Medak field trip

Thursday, January 13, 2011, Hyderabad Today was field trip. We gathered at 7:30 am at the conference site to catch buses. We didn't get underway until 8:45. It was a long 2-hour ride to the first site. I had a scratchy throat after the short night's sleep and yesterday's Chowmahalla party. We stopped at a Guest House after an hour's drive to use the facilities. Took photos of the plentiful monkeys and goats on site. FES provided box lunches, snacks, juices and lots of water, so we lacked nothing. The focus of the field trip was "Conflict...

Jan 12, 2011 - Dazzled by Chowmahalla Palace

Wed, January 12, 2011, Hyderabad Another full day of conference presentations. Spent some time this morning booking hotel in Bangalore for the night of the 18th (Purple Lotus) and trying to figure out bus bookings. Tried to get help from Kuoni Travel staff here at the conference, but no help at all. I'm trying to figure out which off the multiple pick-up and drop-off bus stops are the closest to the hotel in Bangalore and Candolim Beach in Goa where we'll be staying nights of Jan 20-21 (Highland Beach Resort). Finally took the leap and...

Jan 11, 2011 - Conference day 1

Tuesday, January 11, 2011, Hyderabad Even though I got back late last night and didn't get to sleep til after midnight, I was up in time for yoga at 6 am. Started with pranayama/breath work--alternate nostril and chest breathing. Did various postures/asanas, most I was familiar with, but a couple of new ones. It was a good start to the first full day of the conference. Presented my paper at noon today in a session titled "Traditional Knowledge and the Commons. My fellow panelists were lawyers from an NGO, Natural Justice in South Africa....

Jan 10, 2011 - Conference opening

Monday, January 10, 2011, Hyderabad Started the day with a yoga class. Came late, thinking I was on time. Did a couple of postures and then Shivinasana. Thought it was a pretty short class, but instructor explained that class starts at 6, not 6:30. He was kind enough to take us through some breathing exercises and a couple more postures. The rest of the day I spent in a pre-conference workshop on "People, institutions and forests: Moving toward a new governance agenda" organized by the Center for International Forest Research (CIFOR). Also...

Jan 10, 2011 - The wonders & traffic terror of Hyderabad

Sunday, January 9, 2011, Hyderabad Up early and over to the gym. Ravi was there and I asked if FES had arranged to get yoga mats. He promised to look into it. At breakfast Ayari and Anna said they were joining friends who had rented a van to see some of the Hyderabad sites. They had extra space so Lynn and I joined them, out again into the crazy traffic. We had an accident on the way to Golkonda Fort. Our driver rear-ended a car. Lynn was sitting in the front seat and was thrown to the front of the van. Luckily she wasn't seriously small...

Jan 10, 2011 - IFRI day 2 and shopping

Saturday, January 8, 2011, Hyderabad Weather consistent--sunny, mid-high twenties during day and cool (12-16) at night Day 2 of IFRI meeting. Lynn Palmer arrived just as I was leaving for the meeting. She had been sick on the flights over so was looking forward to getting some rest, We finished the meeting at 5 and then went shopping at a place Leticia had discovered the day before--FabIndia. It was a power shopping trip because we had to be back at the hotel to catch a bus for a dinner hosted by the Forest Ecological Society. We took a...