Portraits
The Curse of the Hijra
By Thomas on June 7, 2009 | No Comments »
The first time I saw two hijras in a hotel lobby fighting with the receptionist, I was very confused. Loud and obnoxious, aggressive and lewd, these women did not behave like any other Indian women I had seen. Why? Because, as it turns out, they were not women – at least not in a traditional sense.
In the West, for a lack of a better term, hijras would be called » Continue reading this post »
Work it, Baby!
By Tony on May 26, 2009 | No Comments »
We met this Lambani tribal women during the Chariot Festival, and, of course, I asked to take her picture. What a character! She giggled and screamed like a little girl as I clicked away. We both » Continue reading this post »
Good People
By Tony on May 22, 2009 | 1 Comment »
We’ve made our way to Hampi just in time to catch the famous Chariot Festival. The temples and ruins throughout the area are full of thousands of villagers who have walked into the town and set up camp in the ancient buildings to wait for the festivities to begin. (Where else in the world would people be allowed to camp in a UNESCO World Heritage Site?)
Curious about the throngs of people, we set out to explorer the impromptu camps. Phenomenal. Winding our way from temple to shrine through pillared halls and a sea of god statues, we moved from campfire to campfire meeting some of the greatest people we have encountered in India. Having walked in from distant villages, the townspeople and holy men are extremely unjaded by tourism. Rather than begging for money and harassing us for “gifts,” these amazing people share smiles and invitations to join them for a dinner under the stars. This is exactly what one dreams of finding in India.
Olive Ridley Sea Turtles
By Thomas on May 1, 2009 | 1 Comment »
While on Havelock, Tony came back from diving one day with a you-won’t-believe-what-happened-to-me expression on his face. He recounted how he had missed a 12-foot manta ray gliding over him while he was looking at a turtle below, fully expecting my sympathy. But instead, I was like, “You saw a turtle?!”
I have every reason to be envious. The few times I have snorkeled, I haven’t had any luck spotting a turtle but, fortunately, » Continue reading this post »
Demoness in Red
By Tony on March 5, 2009 | No Comments »
Here’s another kind of forward woman, a demoness dressed in red to seduce her latest victim.
This portrait is just a little preview of what Thomas will be focusing on in his upcoming video on the art of Kathakali, so stay tuned!
