The Bad and The Beautiful

Clearly each person has his or her own reaction to the trash situation in India. It doesn't seem to bother this young woman at all.On the other hand we were out and about and desperately trying to replenish some of the fluid in our bodies and had just finished off yet another quart-sized plastic bottle of water. Looking for a place to get rid of the empty container we saw trash cans: both animal and inanimate:Why then did everyone simply throw their trash on the ground?I walked along the beach here the other day and waded through mountains of trash. Mostly plastic - a sad rainbow of depressing colors. I was torn between repulsion and fascination. You don't want to look too closely, but somehow your eye is drawn and you begin to categorize: bottles, bags, paper, pieces of string, discarded underwear, broken toys, all pushed and pulled by wind and water unto undulating eddies of anti-ephemera as it will never decompose - except for the fish heads which have already promoted arguments among the ravens (whose comings and goings and infighting fascinate David):We have a friend who swims at the beach every morning. When I expressed horror at the idea he told me, "I just ignore the trash." Which is, I guess, the answer to my question above.For every bottle, disposable diaper and plastic bag, however, there are gorgeous and totally wonderfully crazy things to see:Children of the most extraordinary beauty:People up at all hours, talking, laughing, listening to music:Men enjoying a conversation even while riding a motorcycle:As well as someone planning for the day she can ride by herself:A barbershop where you can get a shave and a haircut and a highball (just kidding about the highball - Kochi is a comes close to being a dry city):It's easy to find beauty in the most unexpected places. David's keen eye alights on things I would have missed:Buildings in various stages of decomposition turn out to be active churches where mass is said to a full house several times a day:The promenade by the sea is a favorite place for wedding pictures. This young groom-to-be doesn't actually play the violin. But the photographer thought it would give the photo some additional class:And the school children in our neighborhood have developed quite an attachment to David: