Monday, January 26th, Hyderabad

Having been under British dominion for some 180-odd years, depending on the historian, India has adopted many nuances of speech, education, and thought familiar to one acquainted with the U.K. Apartments are "flats," trucks are "lorries," guys are "chaps," and so on. Vehicles, if they can be said to be driving at all, considering the random conditions on the road, stay on the left side with the driver's wheel on the right. Many Indians, especially those privy to higher education, display distinct traces of a clearly English accent if one listens. You must listen carefully because many Indians simultaneously also have their regional accent mixed with the English accent.

One word I kept hearing over and over from Indian colleagues of mine, most often female friends who were born on the subcontinent, was "auspicious." This word, for those unfamilliar, means fortunate, lucky, or of a good omen. After a while, it seemed that nearly everything was judged in terms of being either auspicious or inauspicious. This may, although I am neither theologian nor sociologist nor cultural anthrologist, be a modern-day manifestation of cultural syncretism--a linkage into one of aspects of two or more cultures. In this case, the English word added to the Indian penchant for spirituality results in pervasive usage.

I mention all of this because today corresponds with a solar eclipse in this section of the world. A regional belief is that eclipses can be extremely inauspicious signs, especially for pregnant women. They are encouraged to remain safely inside a darkened room, shades drawn, and rest quietly for the duration.

The remainder of the day was excitingly spent packing for our trip tomorrow to Jaipur, a city in northern India. I'm including another couple auto-rickshaw pictures for entertainment purposes only--I'll keep trying to catch the fabled 12-persons-in-rickshaw shot, it's my Moby Dick.