Tag Archives: india

Bamboo Workshops in Auroville

This weekend I’m dodging cows, dogs, and goats on my moped through the streets of Tamil Nadu. The engine lets out a constant scream as I ride full-throttle at 40 kph. My usual preference for a cycle is impractical for this weekend’s agenda–I’m attending a Bamboo workshop at the Bamboo Center in Auroville.

This weekend I’m dodging cows, dogs, and goats on my moped through the streets of Tamil Nadu. The engine lets out a constant scream as I ride full-throttle at 40 kph.

On my 4-day weekend break from work, I took a 7-hour bus ride from Bangalore in Karnataka to Pondicherry in Tamil Nadu. Auroville is an incredible community with more wisdom per-capita than I’ve ever experienced in any town or city. Any traveler should land here with the intention to stay a few weeks, and the will to stay a few months. There’s volunteer opportunities at every corner, with immense potential for useful knowledge in permaculture, sustainable architecture, community, and spirituality.

Mikey is smiling for the camera. He is wearing shorts, and his hands are covered in brown mud. In front of him is a wall made of panels of mud. Other panels can be seen covered in mud--some are exposed, showing a lattice of bamboo beneath the mud. A girl is standing just behind Michael. Above them is a bamboo lattice roof. — Wattle and daub

A document titled "Training Course Certificate" from "Auroville Bamboo Centre" says "This is to certify that ___ has successfully participated in a training course from ___ to ___ for Bamboo Furniture & Construction" It is stamped with "Auroville Bamboo Center, Autoville, Tamil Nadu" — Bamboo Workshop Certificate

Mikey smiles as he shows off a bamboo hinged door that he built — making a bamboo medicine cabinet

Mikey is laying in a bed taking a point-of-view shot. HIs wallet is on his chest, and his feet are stretched out in a bed. He holds a paper that reads "redBus.in eTicket, Bangalore -> Pondicherry" — Indian Bus to Auroville

Mikey is holding hist wallet with a sheet of paper over it. The paper reads "Auroville Bamboo Center" and lists an illegible number of rupees. — Bamboo Workshop Receipt

Mikey stands under a sign that reads "Govt of Tamil Nadu Welcomes You" — Tamil Nadu

Mikey stands on a bridge next to a sign that reads "Welcome to Kerala State" — Kerala

Mikey stands in front of a landscape of rolling hills covered in lush green tea fields — Tea

An auto rickshaw displays the Indian flag on Indian Independence day — Independence Day

A plate has 3 small bowls on it filled with different colored indian gravies. There's also 4 fried vada on the plate. — Vada, sambar, and chutney

A bicycle with Mikey's pannier is leaned against a sign that reads "Auroville Bamboo Centre." Next to it is a hexagonal brick road. Along the road is lush, green, and full of trees. — Auroville Bicycle

Mikey stands smiling in front of the Matrimandir in Auroville — Matrimandir

Mikey stands over a thick book titled "Bamboo In the Field of Construction in Northeast India" — Bamboo In the Field of Construction in Northeast India

Mikey holds a bamboo joint that he made — My first bamboo joint

An Indian man is seen holding a wood chisel in his hand. He is cutting into a short length of bamboo, which is propped on a table and held in-place with his toes. The table also has various carpentry instruments on it, including a drill, wooden drill bits, a vice, and a hand saw. Behind the man is are bamboo in all shapes and forms (ie: long, cut short, and latticed). — Making nails from bamboo

Mikey stands in an infinity pool — Infinity Pool

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Palaces, Temples, and selfie requests

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I’m at a zoo in Mysore. A man holding a baby asks me in broken english to take his photo, but does not hand me a camera. Confused, I hold out my hands; he hands me his baby–who immediately starts to cry.

A man holding a baby asks me in broken english to take his photo, but does not hand me a camera. Confused, I hold out my hands; he hands me his baby–who immediately starts to cry.

I’m very confused, but I later realize they wanted a picture of their baby with the token white guy. But I don’t do babies, and the sweaty, balling child wants to be back in his comforting Mother’s arms, not my awkwardly extended, camera-expecting hands.

The baby’s mother retrieves her young, and I notice my friends are far ahead. I apologize, and start sprinting towards them. Looking back, I see their confused faces. I don’t like children, but I don’t always run in the opposite direction when a stranger hands me their child. In this instance, our tour bus arrived 20 minutes ago, but I didn’t have the time or the language to explain that couldn’t afford to get stuck 125 km from my office; I have to work tomorrow..

Mikey is seen holding a bamboo trekking pole and wearing a daypack with an orange bitcoin bandanna. In the background are lush green, rolling hills. — Kudremukh

Outside of the “look, a white guy! Let’s take a photo with him!” experience that has now become commonplace, I’ve been having a good time in India. I took the Karnataka government-run tour bus through Mysore. While I generally hate this sort of guided tour, I thoroughly enjoyed my first visit to a palace.

I also went to the Chamundeshwari Temple in Mysore, which is the first temple I’ve ever visited. My biggest take-away was that I know nearly nothing about Hinduism, and I was more thoroughly confused than enlightened. I couldn’t even see the deity, as she was covered in flowers–but the excitement was palpable as the crowed pushed & shoved to advance to the viewing area, still 15m away from their idol.

My first trip East

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I’m on a plane reading when the intercom announces breakfast. I check my GPS; I’m flying over Stockholm. It occurs to me that this is the furthest I’ve ever been from home in the Northern Hemisphere.

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From Peru to India

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I’m laying on my bed in a small room on the 4th floor of my new room in Miraflores. In 2 weeks I plan to be in Cusco, exploring ancient ruins like Machu Picchu for my week off. I’ve grown to like this place; I’m sharing it with ~6 other International travelers, it has a nice rooftop right outside my window, and it’s no-frills cheap. $280/month rent. Beats the hell out of $850/mo in NYC.

Drop Machu Picchu. Drop Patagonia. Drop festival in Rio de Janeiro. I’m going to India!

I’m switching tabs back-and-forth between launching nodes in aws and researching bus routes for my next 6 months in South America: Valparaíso, Buenos Aires, Los Ríos, Christmas in Torres del Paine (Patagonia), Montevideo, Festival in Rio de Janeiro. I’m excited as I read through the internet travel guides and multi-day, international bus routes.

My boss sends me a message. I expect he’s going to yell at me for signing-off for an hour during lunch. Instead, he asks, “Would you be interested in working in India for a couple months?”

Drop the phone. Drop everything. Drop Machu Picchu. Drop Patagonia. Drop festival in Rio de Janeiro. I’m going to India!

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