I took over 400 digital photographs on my recent trip to India. The good news is that I am not going to post all of them here, but I will offer a few samples. And I’ll let you know when I have more photos posted on Pinterest.

To begin, I offer shopping venues (at least it’s a change from my traffic reports):

This is one of the many roadside vendors displaying his selection of men’s trousers and shirts.

All sorts of things are available at roadside stalls — foodstuffs, shoes, clothing of all types, toys, tires, scrap metal — various branches of the English Wine Shop located all over Agra.

In contrast, this modern store specializes in kitchen utensils.

I purchased a microwave dish for cooking idlis, a dish using rice flour and often eaten for breakfast. The store was jam-packed with anything and everything one might need for preparing or consuming food. It was unusually well lit. One interesting fact about Indian stores (with certain exceptions) is that all items are paid for at one central cashier near the entrance. One can shop throughout the store; assured that purchased items will magically appear at the cashier’s desk as you leave. If you purchase a substantial number of items, they can be delivered to your door.

In contrast to the more customary Indian store, there is a recent shopping experience available at a store called Easyday. I could not help but notice it’s resemblance to Wal-Mart. Indeed, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. provides technical and management support for the retail chain run by Bharti Enterprises. There are over 200 Easyday stores throughout India.

Can’t beat those “Everyday Low Prices” — no, wait, in India, you can.

And while we’re on the subject of global marketing, I must mention those global Golden Arches.

Ronald MacDonald cheerfully encourages Easyday shoppers to pick up a Happy Meal on the way home. Or better yet,try a Masala Grill sandwich in either vegetarian or non-vegetarian (chicken) versions.

Purely in the interest of research, I tried the chicken. Although I’ve never actually eaten cardboard, the comparison did come to my mind.

But, India is more than shopping.

It is the Taj Mahal.

I was on the opposite side of the Yamuna River, facing the back of the Taj Mahal when I took this picture.

There are religious festivals

I took this picture on the final day of Ganeshchaturthi, a festival honoring Lord Ganesha. On the last day his image is immersed in a body of water to symbolize his rebirth. These worshippers were going to the Yamuna River. In olden times, the images were made of mud, but now they are fashioned from papier-mache and other substances that do not bio degrade as well.

 There are ox drawn carts—

Mothers shading their children –

And, of course, monkeys.

Have you been the victim of a parental slide show? Or, have you shared your own digital photo collection with friends?

Leave a comment.

All Photos by Author. All Rights Reserved.

The post PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORIES first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

We were two vehicles going to Delhi. The first carrying our hosts and friends; the second a taxi conveying the Handsome Bloke and I. Precise instructions were given to our driver, but the reality that he did not speak English brought home to me the necessity of learning some Hindi before our next visit. At this point, I find it both rude and impractical that I cannot voice more than five words – which include “water,” “rice,” “yes,” and “no.” Good words to know, but not very useful in conversation. I’ll keep you posted on how the language lessons go — my brain is already worried about overcrowding.

So, off we went into Agra traffic, stopped for “petrol” and meandered until we reached an amazing structure called the Yamuna Expressway – named after the Yamuna River, it is a toll road that connects Agra and the outermost areas of Delhi. It is a new highway with no traffic and no pot holes. Yes, that is correct. For kilometers, the only car was our host’s in front of us, and the occasional motor scooter carrying an entire family of four…or six. Until we came upon a rest area or toll plaza at which point there were more vehicles than one might expect. But they were either faster or slower, because soon the road was ours again.

Then we reached the “end of the road” where the expressway merged with the Delhi highway system. Traffic was back with a vengeance — but more along the lines of a traffic jam on the Los Angeles freeway system. Changing lanes on an American freeway can be a harrowing experience. On the Delhi highway, it seemed impossible, but our driver did it with nonchalance and a loud horn. Slowly we picked our way across town to reach the older “New Delhi” area with India Gate, the military cantonment, diplomatic district, and our destination: The Taj Palace Hotel.

Guarded gates open onto an opulent structure of marble and space. Staffers glide in their saris and suits, and tasteful flower displays accompanied by aromatic scents greet the visitor. Carpets are deep; appointments are immaculate, and traffic horns are replaced by a classical music. I recall Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” playing as we checked in. A living myth belying the irreverent cacophony just outside the gates. After spending the night in opulent luxury, we left early Sunday morning and boarded our British Airways flight to London.

As we wend our way through the air, I bemusedly try to make some sense of things. Say India to ten people in the west, and they are likely to mention the Taj Mahal, if they have any image at all. The Taj Mahal is a beautiful monument, but it is static. It’s been there for centuries – sometimes visible, other times buried. However, India is not static. She is straining to mix traditional and modernity, Jaguars and ox carts. She is vibrant and bustling, yet without a western sense of time. She is a global society struggling for her place, while still trying to provide adequate sanitation in remote villages. Luxury condominiums stand near tent cities. These contradictions cannot be understood – they simply exist.

I wonder if we in the west don’t have our own contradictions. Desperate inner cities surrounded by prosperous suburbs. Children living below the poverty level while surrounded by plenty. Something to consider.

What do you think? Leave a comment, if you are so inclined. After I return home and can download my pictures, I’ll post a board on Pinterest. Hope you are enjoying the seasonal change that is October.

The post FLIGHT TO ANOTHER WORLD first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

The road leads to the shore of the Yamuna River.

The Yamuna River winds past the Taj Mahal. It would be a short distance and lovely idyll by boat, instead of traffic snarls all the way. When I first arrived in Agra, it was Ganeshchaturthi – a festival held for Lord Ganesha. At the end of the festival, worshipers make images of Ganesha which are taken for immersion in the closest body of water. In this case, the Yamuna river. Environmentalists have become concerned. At one time, the images were made of mud, which returned to that state after immersion. Now believers use various materials, including papier-mâché, which add to the general pollution of the water.

I don’t think the environmental supporters will have much success in this campaign. Each group of worshippers wants to honor Ganesha with a glorious image, which is taken through town on its way to the river. There is music, dancing, a colorful “face paint.” The immersion marks Ganesha’s rebirth.

The road ends by the crematorium presided over by Shiva – the god of transformation. He is depicted as a benevolent figure. The Goddess Ganga pears out from the topknot in Shiva’s hair.

It’s curious to see modern and traditional life close together. Herders urge their cattle out of the river. Above them, electric grids stride across the water.

Work done, men relax for conversation.

Women share news of the day

Goats go on their merry way.

Some goats might be considered merrier than others. When I took this picture, I thought it was another shot of the herd. Only later did I realize what was really going on. That’s the thing about India. It’s impossible to truly see what is in front of your eyes. Only later does a visitor have a fuller understanding.

The post ROAD TO YAMUNA RIVER first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

Today’s blog features a few interesting sights on the road from Delhi to Agra. For example, the above picture of a buffalo keeping very good pace with the car. This is a good indication of how slowly the traffic can move.  Which gives me time to see and take pictures.

I can’t imagine anyone working as hard as this chap does to earn a living. He is pushing a substantial cargo on his bike. I suppose on the upside, once he delivers it he will have a ride home.

There are other ways to move goods. Carts, Camels, and very colorful Trucks, many with requests for the driver behind them to honk his horn.

Until next time, I’ll keep widening my perspectives.

Photos by Author. All rights reserved.

The post AH, INDIA first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.