India

First blog roundup of the year

This is what some of our contributors have been up to in their personal blogs. Drop by and say hi!

Marcel, our contributor from Ireland and Berlin, describes how his move back to Berlin across Europe went.

“Crisscrossed Europe in a small and overloaded Japanese car, with the constant fear of getting crushed by my complete household whenever I brake too hard. Thankfully there was no snow and all ferries were running on schedule.”

Anu, our contributor from India, posted an interesting photo essay about images of the sky snapped from different means of transport.

“I am back at last from my trip – the last one of 2011 and also the first one of 2012. I was accompanied throughout by some wonderful weather, the cyclone Thane throwing no hurdles in my path, just a lot of clouds and some rain to enliven our travel! “

Carmen, our contributor from Romania, shows a display of Christmas lights in the city of Bucharest.

DeeBee, our contributor from France, shows a pretty collection of modern shop signs inspired by medieval ones.

Read more
From our contributors: week of December 20
From our contributors: week of December 4
From our contributors: week of November 21

PocketCultures world tour: best of 2011

Happy New Year! Our roundup of 2011 begins with a reminder that 1st January is not the beginning of a new year throughout the world. Carla wrote that Brazilians consider the year to start after February’s carnival, and Anu wrote about new year celebrations which take place at different times in different parts of India. Of course many parts of the world do celebrate the start of the New Year on January 1st, and Sandra’s post explained all about new year celebrations in Portugal.

Bolo Rei – part of the New Year celebrations in Portugal. Credit.

(more…)

From our contributors: week of December 20th

Here’s what some of our contributors have been up to in their blogs in the last couple of weeks. Happy reading!

 

Sandra, our contributor from Portugal, describes the many festivities that take place in the Netherlands in November and December. She’s been very busy!

This year was the most cheerful Saint Martin’s Day that I have ever enjoyed! I didn’t stop all evening. Many children knocked at my door with their paper lanterns, singing Saint Martin’s songs. In the end of the evening, the three bowls filled with candies got almost empty! That means all the children have sung very well.

 

Anu, our contributor from India, opens her home and shares the 3-day celebration of Kathikai, a sort of Diwali in South India.

In our south-Indian dominated colony, Karthikai arrives with much fanfare, with special pujas in the temple, which I have never attended, thanks to having to celebrate the festival at home, and stay guard over the lamps, which have to be constantly replenished with oil! But more interesting are the beautiful red and white kolams decorating every house and the beautiful lamps which light up the usually dark passages

 

Ski, our contributor from Hong Kong, published a thought-provoking scene in the streets of Hong Kong.

Spotted during a tour with Renate. It was a scene that touched my heart and made me pensive for a few moments. When Renate stopped to take a few pictures of them as unobtrusively as possible, I waited at the side, appreciating the finer details of that beautiful moment.

 

DeeBee, our contributor from France, writes about the meaning and delights of decorating a Christmas tree.

The decorations must be removed on 12th day after Christmas, or January 5!
Pagan civilizations believed that the branches of holly, ivy, mistletoe and guy used to decorate their house during the Winter Solstice celebrations housed the Tree-Spirits. The sprigs were not only used as decoration but also protected the Tree-Spirits during the 12 days following the celebrations of the Winter Solstice, when the sun had disappeared and evil spirits roamed the earth.

 

Jenna, our contributor from Poland, reflects on her love for Polish trains.

When I first started teaching in Poland, my students often asked me what I thought about the country. I once answered that I really liked the train system. I thought it was great that there are train connections to nearly every city and town in Poland, and that I can live a car-free life. They stared in response. “You like the  Polish train system?” They couldn’t believe me. “Polish trains are terrible!”

Read more

Christmas in Wroclaw, Poland
How we celebrate New Year in Portugal
Neha, from Mumbai to Zagreb

From our contributors: week of December 4

This is what some of our contributors were up to last week:

Sandra, our contributor from Portugal, writes about a show of light and fantastic creatures called Turn on the Lights 2011 at Dam Square (Amsterdam)

“A couple of weaks ago, I went to Amsterdam to meet my friend Raquel. She had invited me to watch a show at Dam Square. A show of light and fantastic creatures: Turn on the Lights 2011 by Bijenkorf”

DeeBee, our contributor from France, writes about the symbolism of Christmas Holly in France from the Celts to this day.

“The use of holly is full of symbolism that, once more, originated in paganism. Celts believed that its prickly leaves had magic power and protected from evil spirits…druids wore a sprig of holly in their hair during the Winter (and Summer) Solstice celebrations. This belief remained  and for centuries people hung a sprig of holly above their bed.” (more…)

From our contributors: week of November 7

We continue with our bi-weekly roundup of articles written by some members of our contributors team on their personal blogs.

Anu, our contributor from India, writes about a visit to the Corbett National Park, a wildlife sanctuary  in Uttarakhand -India- and her search for “the elusive tiger”.

“At present, the reserve extends over more than 1300 square kilometers, including about 500  sq Km of core area, and about 800 sq Km of buffer area. The dense moist deciduous forest mainly consists of sal, haldu, pipal, rohini and mango trees, and these trees cover almost 73 per cent of the park. 10 per cent of the area consists of grasslands. The sanctuary is home to around 110 tree species, 50 species of mammals, 580 bird species and 25 reptile species. However, the main attraction here remains the elusive and endangered Bengal Tiger.”

DeeBee, our contributor from France, writes about All Saints Day celebrations in France.

“In France, the Toussaint – All Saints Day (November 1st) and the Jour des Morts – Day of the Dead (November 2nd) have become one celebration during which French people honour their dead and put chrysanthemums on their graves…  In the Language of Flowers the chrysanthemum is the symbol of Peace and Resurrection.”

Jenna, our contributor from Poland, describes the celebrations of All Saints Day in Poland.

“November 1st in Poland is a day for cemetery visits. The tradition is inextricably linked to All Saints’ Day, a significant holiday in the Christian (and particularly, the Catholic) Church. The holiday, followed by its companion All Souls’ Day, is designated as time to reflect on the lives of the Saints and to remember all who have died. Different ways of celebrating and honoring deceased ancestors manifest themselves in communities around the world. The colorful masks and skulls associated with the Day of the Dead in Mexico is one example that comes to mind.”

 

Read more

Travel Tales from Kerala, India
Bastille Day celebrations
Christmas in Wroclaw, Poland

Neha: from Mumbai to Zagreb

Neha is an Indian expat living in Croatia with her husband. I interviewed her a while ago via email. You can visit her blog at Flying Suitcase

Tell us a little bit about yourself?

My name is Neha, and I am a freelance writer.

I was born in India, and spent my first few years in Mumbai. When I was four, I moved, with my parents, to Lusaka, Zambia. I still remember bits of that first journey in vivid details. My mother was nervous. I was upset – at having to leave our home and family behind. I remember the food in the plane – it was terrible, but I loved the packaging – I’ve always enjoyed airplane meals. I don’t remember arriving in Lusaka, but I don’t remember the day we left either.

For a long time Lusaka was home. There was a big Indian community and it made things very easy, especially for my parents. We celebrated all national and religious festivals with great pomp. In fact our whole year revolved around preparing of festivities; the desire to assert one’s cultural identity is so strong when you are away from home, it becomes the centre of your existence. It was only when we moved back to India that I realized the frenzy with which we celebrated all things cultural was not always the norm. (more…)