Memoirs from “Gods own country”- Zab

pictures can be seen at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/runlowellrun/

“My name is Elisabeth..do you want to buy??” she asked with a sincere smile that showcases a partial row of broken damaged teeth. I tried and avoided the old lady but then her eyes caught me. Her eyes were like my own more so for the reason that I knew that she was part of my history. I was standing there awkwardly looking at the ocean and its rough waves, contemplating what I was really doing …” I cant swim..Let alone in 10 foot waves”. I tried to avoid the thoughts that flooded my mind. The beach in Kovalam, Kerala was mostly empty and the countless vendors scanned the beaches for the sight of a well-dressed person of that of a fair skinned tourist. This to suppl y their daily bread in the off season of tourists. I felt an outsider with this weird empathy that had more in common than just the logic of the situation. Though I am Canadian I am from Kerala. I haven’t really spent a lot of time here but it is the roots. This time here I have for the first time seen beauty and lushness of variety of this state. Kerala is known as Gods own country, I never really understood it until the majority of our trip was done. I mean it’s so lush here, for instance we stopped at one point on the road and within 4 meters we found coffee plant’s, coconut trees, a banana tree and a pepper tree and papaya. Kerala, though a part of India sets itself apart form the stereotype of India, and I believe that deep down inside so do the Keralites.

When thoughts about my Kerala trip were unfolding, I was in Munar, a hill station and tea plantation. The place where we were staying at was on top of a mountain. The clouds were constantly either below us with us. At times the rain clouds woud collide with us in a mist that would pour a monsoon shower. It was a good place to contemplate. The people of Kerala are now one of the most hardworking that I have seen. The first place in Kerala, Kovalam , which I like to refer to as Hawaii, was filled with a fishing population. The majority of the people there was in some way into the fishing industry. As we drove to our hotel we passed a village that had caught the Tsunami of 04. It was in a way surreal to see the place. Our second stop was taking a houseboat through the backwaters in Kerala. We watched the locals in between jungles go about their daily duties in the paddy fields, a very simple life of a humble farmer. The backwaters in Alleppy were like Venice. The next place that we went to was the section of Kerala in which the main occupation was working in the rubber industry. The roads were all surrounded by rubber trees. And the place after was Munnar, which was tea plantations all over in the valleys and mountains …everyone was working hard at just the bare minimum through the rain and chill of the mountain air.

I feel arrogant at times about how my attitude is towards many things in life. I look back at my people for receiving the knowledge of humility in whatever they do. This trip to Kerala has shown me too much about my culture to write down here. As someone who has grown in other cultures more, it gives me great pride to see the past where I have come from. Sometimes I get lost within the “present culture” that I lose sight of Gods variety in his creation and his simplicity in a human. Christianity has a very strong influence in Kerala and although it is a very different tradition to that of North America it gives me great comfort to know that the God that I thank before meals is the same one that takes care of his people in this very different place through much different circumstances.

Through a lot of our journeys in the jungles and the villages Lowell and I listened to my favorite preacher (Rob Bell). He spoke about oppression and about the views of the apathetic bourgeoisies of extreme poverty. And being where we were we felt like we were in the message and that he was giving a commentary as we were on a tour. I have learned much, from the oppression existing that we subconsciously choose to ignore value of a life to the very sweet Elisabeth trying to make it by on about a dollar a day on that beach and hundreds like her. Kerala is beautiful and am proud of the heritage and strength that it provides me with. This is just a rant that I wanted to put down about my experience of Kerala before we departed for our next destination..Bombay. God Bless.