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Artwork: Just Me and My Goat

My latest artwork, a watercolor of a little girl from Gujarat, India

Just Me and My Goat

Watercolor

Dasada region, Gujarat, India

©2018 Melissa Enderle

Since I finished helping my sister carry water for cooking, I finally get some time to play with our baby goat. He is a lot less wiggly now because he just finished drinking from his momma. I like carrying our baby goat. It is fun and will help make me strong. Then it will be easier for me to help carry more wood for our cooking fire. I also have to watch and make sure that the baby goat doesn’t walk too close to the road. Daddy says that the goat is not so smart yet and might get runned over. I feel important when I can help my family.

See more artwork on my Facebook page - Melissa Enderle Artwork  or my website www.melissaenderle.com 

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Two of My Favorite Things

I wrote a story to accompany the color pencil artwork I just finished. We met this family of the Mir ethnic group on our way back to Dasada, Gujarat. (Read my blog post on our encounter). Note the red flip phone that she is clutching, along with the goat "kid." Like other Mir families who have settled in the Rann of Kutch region of Gujarat, her family lives in poverty. Nowhere near their "tent" (a plastic tarp propped up with skinny logs) could I see access to potable drinking water, electricity, or toilets. 

The elaborate background in this piece is of Mutva mudwork known as Lippan Kaam, seen in some homes in the Kutch region.

See more of my artwork at www.melissaenderle.com.

With the heat beginning to let up, I climb over my sleeping brother and lift up the flap of our plastic tarp. Time to play a bit with the baby goats before their feeding time! I’m glad that our mamma goat had some babies. It gets a little boring living out here in the dry, flat region of Gujarat called the Rann of Kutch. I would like Papa to move our tent closer to the town of Dasada, because then I would have more kids to play with– besides my brother and three sisters. Plus, we might even get electricity so we could charge our cell phone more easily. Papa says our location is just fine because it is right along the highway. That way, more tourists can stop to buy our bangles. Oh, wait! Here comes a car right now! Gotta go!

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Pink Crocs, a Matchbox Car, and a Monk's Bowl

As I was walking up the stairs of the Zhiyun Monastery, this little monk was also making his way to the temple. In one hand, he carried his bowl; in the other, a toy matchbox car.  

Nearing the top, he paused momentarily to spin the wheels on his car. How much time, I wondered, did he and the other young monks receive to play? What kinds of chores and responsibilities did this young boy have? When did he last see his family, and how long would he be at the monastery? 

What is his story?

The moment of playfulness quickly evaporated and the little boy with the crocs quickly proceeded up the stairs and into the shadows of the buildings.

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Halloween in Mali

October 31, 2000

Mainly for the ex-pats and other families working in Mali, the American Embassy and our school hosted a Halloween trick-or-treat. Homes of expats and around the Badalabougou area volunteered to be a place where the children could stop for treats. The school was the starting point and also had candy. I decided to go and help out at the school, partly because I knew they would need help and also because I have not gone to one of the 2 "supermarche" stores in well over a month. 

Kids (mostly those who attended our school) began descending on the school entryway, accompanied mostly by their parent(s) and sometimes by a driver. A few used commercially-made costumes, but many had more creative, individually (perhaps by one of the local tailors) made costumes. Or, they simply improvised with the clothing or materials they had at home. Of course there were quite a few witches, some ghouls and vampires, and a few dressed up as cats or dinosaurs in full costume. Some had makeup on as well. Children were carrying the plastic pumpkin containers or plastic bags It was quite the sight - all the kids in costumes walking through the terra-cotta dirt road - past the goats eating leaves or grass, and past the local people. 

For the locals who don't even understand the whole concept behind Halloween and trick-or-treating, you can imagine why they had looks of either puzzlement, surprise, and perhaps more. Why, when you really think about it, would any sweet child suddenly wear plastic fangs in their mouth, garish makeup, and a dark costume. As I began handing out candy, I noticed the local children. Some were playing soccer (they have to be careful where they are playing, for if they hit the ball too far in two directions, the ball could land in the open sewer) and others were either standing around, playing with the handmade toys, or helping at a local produce stand. Knowing that they probably haven't had candy in quite a while (and certainly not Halloween candy), I brought the bowl closer to a few. At my urging they each took a piece. Well, word soon spread, and I was giving a way quite a bit of the candy. You should have seen their faces though - it was if they were given a precious gift! 

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Children in Mali

October 29, 2000
As I was eating supper tonight on my porch, I could easily hear the children (boys) playing soccer in the lot next door. Despite a few obstacles such as large rocks and cinder blocks, the boys had found a good place to play the national sport. A much better location than playing on a street, where an inaccurate kick might send the ball down the open sewers on either side of the streets!

Anyway, I thought I'd write about the children in Mali. Children here begin working at a very early age, whether it is caring for their younger siblings, household chores, or even physical labor. It is quite common to see young girls carrying their youngest sibling, strapped to their back with a wide strip of cloth. Even the youngest children begin practicing the amazing (to me) feat of balancing everything on their heads. First they may steady the load with their hand, but soon carry it with ease. Young girls also begin helping with household chores, such as doing the wash by hand, pounding the millet to make flour, etc. Like their mothers, the girls seem to work longer hours than the male counterparts. Boys also do physical labor that would not be even thought of in the US. But, especially in cases where a parent has died, the children are expected to carry the load.

Children are typically quite inquisitive. Being light skinned and a redhead, I must stick out like a beacon of light. Many simply want to come up to you and gently shake your hand, and say Bonjour. If I am taking photos, they want their photo taken. Luckily I have my digital camcorder, which enables me to take pictures that they can immediately see. For some, it is perhaps the first time they have seen a picture of themselves. Often times then, they coax their older siblings or mother to look at the photos, and perhaps even have a photo taken of them as well. Like the adults though, the children seem very gentle. I have not observed arguing or fighting - or even disagreements.

"Neighborhood Children" Color Pencil
by Melissa Enderle

Appearance-wise, the children vary. Some don't wear any clothes (mostly the youngest ones). Many are wearing western hand-me-downs. Some of the clothes are clean and quite good yet, while other times the clothing is very dirty or torn. Sometimes the clothing is Malian style and is hand-made. Adults tend to be the ones wearing the hand-made clothing though. Belly-buttons are quite interesting here. Most are the "outy" variety, with many sticking WAY out - perhaps 2 inches or so. While you don't see any fat children here, I really haven't seen any children who are gaunt-thinI have heard that many families only eat one meal a day though.You can find boys with tomato cans begging along the roads for money. Often times it is a requirement for their studies in the Koran. There is not much to be found in the line of pre-made toys. You may see boys playing with homemade toys, such as a plastic spool-like thing with wire, allowing the spool to roll as a wheel. Tires are a popular toy, with a stick guiding the tire as it rolls.I've also seen some creative toy cars or similar items made entirely from junk. I haven't seen girls playing much though. I have heard that female circumcision is still practiced in Mali. Hopefully that will change - soon I pray.

Overall, the children seem happy. Even despite the need to work hard at a young age, children, like their adult counterparts, continue to be optimistic and very pleasant to be around.

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Posing with the Yellow Balloon

Couldn't resist capturing a quick snap of this cute girl with her yellow balloon posing in front of some lanterns at the Jogyesa Temple.

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Lanterns Made by Little Hands

Located next to the Jogyesa Temple during the Lotus Lantern Festival was a tent displaying lanterns made by children. The variety of shapes, sizes, and techniques made it fun to look through and admire. Which is your favorite?

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Tuckered Out

After a long stroll through the Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul on the day of Chuseok (harvest festival), this young girl succumbed to her need for a nap on the stairs of a building in the queen's quarters. 

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Happy Chuseok, Korea!

The Gyeongbokgung Palace was a very busy place today, on this very important holiday called Chuseok. It is on this lunar holiday that Koreans pay respect to their ancestors for the year's harvest and share some of their bounties with family and friends. Traditionally, families would return home to their ancestor's graves, making the roads very congested and leaving Seoul deserted. Having been downtown today both in the palace and surroundings, I can attest a lot of people were definitely still in Seoul. Those wearing a traditional hanbok were able to get in the palace at no admission fee. While some took advantage of this offer, I was disappointed to see that most continued to wear Western clothing. At least I got a photo shot of a few cuties such as this one! 

Read more about Chuseok on this website, made by the Korean Tourism Organization.

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Books are for Everyone

These children seemed so engaged in the books before them. While it is likely that they are supposed to be selling the books/coloring books to passers-by on the street, I can hope that these young kids are able attend school and experience the joy of reading.

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Monks and Finger Puppets

Near the Shwe Inn Dain Pagoda, we stopped for a few moments at a metal constructed monastery building housing young monks. Sporting knitted caps and sweaters underneath their robes, these youngsters emerged from their warm blankets to check out the visiting foreigners through the open window. They got a kick out of the tiny finger puppet one of my travel mates had brought along. A dominant boy quickly pushed to the front to try out the dwarf, giggling as he bent his finger. Regardless of location and occupation, kids love such simple toys.

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Kampev Primary School

Our destination was a local primary school. Children sat on wooden benches, ready to take notes from the teacher’s lecture on the chalkboard. Typical of kids anywhere, our presence caused distraction for some. The teacher of one class called an early recess, with his young pupils quickly darting out of the doorless entryway before any minds were changed. We had seen this teacher earlier today, as he was one of the bullock cart drivers. Even here, the teachers need to supplement their salary! It was fascinating watching the kids play at recess. Some boys were engaged in a marble game, crouching down to the dusty ground in order to get the competitive edge. Most of the other children were engaged in a “try to make it to the other side while avoiding being hit” type of game, but using what looked like a large, weighted badminton birdie. The girls playing were equally as aggressive, throwing the birdie just as hard as the boys and not complaining when they got hit in the head - even though it clearly hurt. Although I am sure that the manufacturers of the birdie device did not intend for their toy to be used in that fashion, these kids sure made it an engaging recess activity.

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Just Hangin' Around With My Friends and My Toothbrush

I've seen this many times- people in India seem to like to walk and brush. While curious as to the red-haired visitor to their quiet island village, the girl quick got in a few brushes in between posing for the camera. Quite the four-some!

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Recycled Fabric Dolls, Nirona

After the demonstration, the women quickly spread out toys and dolls created from recycled fabric and seed beads. Although rather crude, they had their charm. A few women also created jewelry out of seed beads. I was particularly interested in the women’s colorful clothing and jewelry, including large white bangles on their upper arms and brightly colored bangles extending from their wrists ¾ the way up their forearm.

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Sewing the Wedding Pieces

 Items for weddings comprise a large portion of floral pieces sold in Chennai flower markets. This woman is adding strips of skewered jasmine buds to one piece used as part of a wedding costume. Below are some other components of the wedding costume in process. But the star of the show was her darling newborn baby girl, slumbering so peacefully in her mom's sari.

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A Makeshift Seesaw

One of the things I love about poor people is their ingenuity and ability to create items out of simple items or junk others throw away. In this fishing village in Chennai, we see children who have crafted their own seesaw and having a blast playing on it. Too bad today's kids in the USA are deprived of this equipment, deemed unsafe by the "playground police."

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Photos posted: Chiang Rai

After spending a couple of days in Chiang Mai, I went up to Chiang Rai, even closer to the northern border in Thailand. Most of my time was spent on a hill-tribe related tour. Here is a link to the Flickr photos I posted. Travelog writings to follow in the next couple of weeks...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/melissaenderle/sets/72157623804521954/

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More photos of the Streets of Agra

For those who enjoyed seeing the photos in yesterday's post, here are a couple more scenes in the streets of Agra. You can find more on my Agra Flickr set.

 

 

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Walking Through the Streets of Agra

Walking back down the stairs, I proceeded to wander through the streets. At first I was fairly close to the walls of the mosque. Wanting to explore more intimate alleys, I headed just a bit away and soon found myself in narrow alleys, some of which had dead ends. Here I found some beautiful doors and windows – along with rubbish, etc. Kids in their school uniforms smiled shyly as I passed by. Having a fairly good sense of direction, I was able to correctly make my way back to larger streets. Here things already were abuzz with activity. Muslim fried breakfast foods were being fried in large woks. Meat was being chopped on platforms outside of narrow stalls. Legs of goats were piled up, ready for sale. Rice was being weighed on a scale, dished out to hungry customers. Produce was being laid out ready for the morning sales. Children wearing bright uniforms and matching winter hats walked as small groups in the street, eager to have their photos taken. Other kids were working in the stalls or pushing carts. While walking along, people stopped me and asked if I would take their photo, to which I always obliged. It is so satisfying to see their joy and excitement as I show the photo to them and others around them. Meeting such local people is always one of my favorite parts of traveling. Alas, it was time to head over to the train station. A short auto rickshaw ride later, I was on the platform for the train headed to Delhi. A three hour ride to Delhi and then a plane ride back to Chennai, my trip was almost finished.

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