Home  >> Stories  >> The Tale Spinner #2012-31

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IN THIS ISSUE

• Kate Brookfield recalls more about their travels in India
• Lyle Meeres continues his story about Newfoundland
• Carol Shoemaker detailes the differences between dogs and wives
• Tom Williamson sends a story about an anniversary presentation
• Betty Audet explains the meanings of performance review terms
• Sites are suggested by Bruce Galway, Catherine Nesbitt, Pat Moore, and Tony Lewis

Kate Brookfield describes more of their travels in the Delhi triangle:

JAIPUR - RAJASTHAN

After leaving Agra, we took a bus to Jaipur, the third city in the "Delhi triangle" and capital of Rajasthan State. We stayed at the tourist bungalows just outside the city centre. These government- built tourist bungalows were relatively new in 1984 and provided clean but basic accommodation in safe locations. They consist of a row of small bungalows in a semicircle with a grassed area in front. There is a separate dining room. After this, we looked for these tourist bungalows when we travelled the subcontinent. However, I hear that they are not so good these days as they have not been well maintained. Tourists tend to go for the expensive luxury accommodation which is not so practical or economic when travelling for any length of time. I used to think that the tourists in the big hotels did not really see India. You have to live with the people, not apart in palatial retreats observing life from a distance.

There is something about Rajasthan that feels so different from other parts of the country. I can only describe it as an assault on all the senses that made me feel happy and glad to be alive. Although other parts of India are also bursting with life, there is always the downside of seeing the poverty, and the smells of the streets can be off-putting. But in Rajasthan, the people do not make you feel sorry for them. They carry themselves with dignity and despite poverty and deprivation, there seemed to be a spirit of joy and excitement in the streets. The people exude warmth and friendliness to foreigners. As always, the happy children make visitors smile and dive for cameras. In Jaipur, the streets are much wider. Like Chandigarh, it is a planned city, only its plan was much earlier taken from an ancient Hindu text on architecture by the enlightened maharaja Jai Singh. It was Jai Singh who moved the ancient capital from Amber to the new city of Jaipur in 1733.

There seemed to be always something to attract attention in the streets of Jaipur: snake charmers in the streets, camels instead of donkeys pulling carts, vendors´ display ware artistically arranged, and so many unusual crafts, especially miniature paintings. The women wore brightly-coloured saris and the men wore huge brightly-coloured turbans. It is one of the biggest states of India and the most populated. Because it is such a big state, visiting this one city does not do justice to the whole state. The north-east of the state is mainly barren desert stretching into Pakistan. The south, where Jaipur is located, is mainly hilly.

We did go back to Rajasthan later in the year and visited Jaisalmir and Bikaner in the west, and took an overnight camel safari into the desert. But on this quick visit, we only really visited the old city of Jaipur and the magnificent fort palace at Amber, on the outskirts of the city.

Rajasthan is named after the Rajputs, warrior tribes who had dominated this part of the subcontinent for thousands of years. But because of their constant feuds, the Rajputs never became united enough to keep the Moghuls out, and were never assimilated into the Moghul Empire. Its name means the place of the kings, because it was composed of many small kingdoms, each with its own king or maharaja. The Rajputs are known for their courage in battle and high sense of honour and pride in their history.

After the fall of the Moghul Empire and when the British moved into India, the different kings (maharajas) signed treaties giving them some autonomy as independent kingdoms within the British Raj. But the maharajas lived extravagantly in ornate palaces or travelled the world with huge retinues of wives and followers and squandered their resources. When India gained independence in 1947, Rajasthan was the state with the biggest population, the highest rate of poverty and illiteracy, and the people were still living in medieval feudal conditions.

To encourage the Rajputs to join the New India, the maharajas were allowed to keep their titles, but their properties were taken by the government, with former rulers of the independent states given stipends. In the 1970s, Indira Gandhi abolished the titles, the stipends, and took away all property rights. Some maharajas managed to turn their palaces and forts into museums or deluxe hotels, but many of the royal families have disappeared into obscurity.

Jaipur is known as the pink city because many of the buildings and the original city walls are all constructed from pink sandstone. The city sits in a kind of bowl formed from a dry lake, with the hilly countryside surrounding it. It is possible to walk up the hillside and look down on the old city. We did this walk at night so we looked down on the busy city below. It was like being in the upper rows of an old Greek amphitheatre. I could hear the distinct voices of the people below. As it was night time, the backdrop of a quiet still star-laden sky contrasted with the lights and noise of the city below. The planned city of Jai Singh showed more clearly from above as it is now surrounded by less properly-planned urban sprawl.

The tallest building in Jaipur is the tallest minaret I have seen. It was built to protect the city and its name, Minar Swarga Sul, means the "minaret that reaches heaven". The Palace of the Winds is the building which attracts most attention in the old city. It is five storeys high, constructed from the pink sandstone. All that remains is the front of the building which faces the main street. It is not a fortress wall, but a mass of windows. Each window has ornate carvings surrounding it and the window itself is also covered with a fretwork of carved sandstone. These windows were to allow the women of the palace to observe the activities of the streets without being seen. Rather like a burka as a building instead of a dress!

We took the tour round the Palace of the Winds in 1984 when the maharaja was still living in the palace, but this was before Indira Gandhi took away his title, so I have no idea of the situation today. The main central palace was the museum displaying Rajput history in weapons, dress, and the wonderful miniature paintings depicting particular wars and heroes.

The bazaar in Jaipur is memorable. It is in a wide area with different sections for the different goods. It is the kind of place where one could browse for hours looking at fabrics, crafts, jewellery, marble and wood carvings, and the exquisite miniature paintings, but Mike soon had us moved on, as he likes to look at buildings. The seven gates of the old city are still standing, but most of the original city walls have gone. However, here and there, we would come across a portion of broken wall surrounded by houses and shops.

On our first night in Jaipur, we attended a programme of traditional folk dancing and music put on for tourists. I think this was another reason for feeling welcomed in Rajasthan as they do lots of activities to entertain visitors, but you get the feeling they are sincere and enjoy what they do. They did not seem so pushy about grabbing the tourists´ dollars and they gave value with joy. We really enjoyed this show and did not feel we were in a tourist trap, unlike other places we visited during our travels in India.

The following day we went to the fortress palace of Amber, which was the original ancient capital and the residence of many Maharajas until Jai Singh moved the location. We took a bus and on the hillsides we could see many fortresses, reminding us that this was once a territory with many minor rulers holding on to a bit of land. It reminded me of all the castles we see on the eastern coast of Scotland and northern England.

The most exciting part of entering the Amber fort was the elephant ride up the ramparts. One elephant takes four people, so we had our own elephant and talked to the driver as we lumbered up the steep incline with high walls on either side. He was quite young and told us that every elephant has the same owner for its life. So our elephant was about the same age as the driver. I am sorry, but I have forgotten the name of our elephant, but we were told her name.

The fort is set quite high on the hillside that overlooks a large lake. It is a beautiful setting and a huge palace with lots to see. I particularly enjoyed the miniature paintings. The colours have not faded at all and they show such intricate detail. I cannot describe all there is to see in this museum. I recommend visiting this site for excellent photos of the fort:

http://www.india.travelsphoto.com/amber-fort.php

After visiting Amber, we left Jaipur and took a bus to Sariska Tiger Reserve and National Park, where we stayed for two nights. We learned all about how the Indian tiger had become an endangered species and what the government was doing to try to restore the tiger in its natural habitat. For two nights we went out in the jeep to see the tigers, but were unlucky. We saw lots of deer but no tigers.

On our last morning we left the lodge and sat by the road for about four hours waiting for the bus to Delhi, which we were told would be along "soon". All in all, a disappointing side trip. (We did see a tiger later in the year when we were travelling in the south. This time it was day time and we saw it from the back of an elephant. Apparently, elephants and tigers respect each others´ strength and an elephant can get close to a tiger without disturbing it.) The bus did eventually come, full of people and their animals, but we got back to Delhi safely and home to Chandigarh. A Christmas and New Year to remember.... Well, most of it I remember 30 years later!

To be continued.

The next morning we left Gander, headed for Twillingate. On the way we stopped at Prime Berth Fishing Museum, where Dave demonstrated cutting and salting cod. This is done in a building called a "stage." This particular stage had belonged to Dave´s father, but the stage had been located in a different area, so Dave used his boat to tow the building to its new home. It makes a strange image, seeing a boat towing a building, but we learned that islanders did this with houses, too. Another strange image at Dave´s was the "ugly stick," which is a musical instrument made from an old broom handle with beer caps attached to make a jingling sound. Another stick, this time with notches, is dragged along the ugly stick. A man played the ugly stick and it didn´t sound ugly, which is surprising.

Twillingate summer fishing houses (click to enlarge)

The road took us over bridges and causeways that linked islands. In Twillingate, Nina, our tour guide, stopped to let us take pictures of fishing shacks. Then we wandered Twillingate Museum, which was swamped with visitors as another (and larger) tour bus stopped there at the same time. We learned that other tourists who had sought icebergs a week after our successful tour had found none - global warming?

After this we stopped at the Long Point Lighthouse, which is not typical. By the way, these days, lighthouses are generally for tourists, as mechanized lights now warn the ships without isolating and overworking keepers.

We learned that cellars are quite common here. A cellar apart from the house is partly covered in sod or built into the side of a hill. It is used to keep vegetables from freezing or rotting.

On a quiet stretch of road, Jim, one of the Americans, told us the story of the three-legged pig. A man saw a three-legged pig and stopped to talk to the farmer. "How did your pig come to have just three legs?" the visitor inquired.

"Well, one time at the lake our little boy got out too far. The pig saw that he was in trouble, ploughed through the water, grabbed the boy, and hauled him ashore."

"That´s remarkable," said the visitor. "But tell me, how does he come to have only three legs?"

"Now another time, me and the missus went to town to see the movie. After the kids went to bed, the house caught on fire. The pig realized what was going on, dashed up and bashed down the door. Then he dragged and pushed each kid out of the flaming house."

"Wow! That´s really something.... But tell me, how come he only has three legs?"

"Well now, a pig that good, you don´t eat him all at once."

Despite the story, we let Jim accompany us to the North Atlantic Aviation Museum. It was an interesting place which often told the story behind each display. One story involved a Newfoundland dog which in World War II had carried fuel supplies in Hong Kong and died carrying a Japanese grenade back toward the thrower. One display showed the generous response of the people of Gander when the 9-11 terrorist attack forced many planes to strand passengers in Gander. A video and many, many thank-you letters showed just what the community had managed to do, and the grateful response of passengers from various airlines.

Day 9 started with a visit to a memorial to the 256 passengers (mostly of the 101 American Airborne Division) and crew who died in a plane crash in 1985 near Gander. There are various theories about the reason the plane went down.

Then we went to Terra Nova National Park, where we walked a loop trail and enjoyed an interesting little aquarium. Being from the prairies, Pat and I appreciated the live demonstration of some of the sealife we were hearing about. Some of the fish we enjoy eating are uglier than an ugly stick.

Then it was on to Cape Bonavista Lighthouse Provincial Historic Site, where we heard about life in a manned lighthouse. Once again, the interpreters were interesting and often humourous. At the ground level we saw a large weight, which we learned had to be cranked up to the top every two hours because its slow descent was what caused the lights to rotate. We went to the top to see the lamps, huge reflectors, and the mechanism that caused them to move. The flames in the lamps were supposed to be smokeless, but nothing´s perfect, right? So the windows had to be cleaned frequently to maintain good visibility for ships. The thought of cleaning the outside of the windows would drive someone with acrophobia to ground level. The keeper had to have an assistant, because trotting up the stairs every two hours would destroy even an insomniac. The particular keeper we heard about had a wife and children with him, so isolation was reduced.

Cape Bonavista Lighthouse and a view of the lamps/reflectors (click to enlarge)

Nina drove us to see "The Dungeon," where we looked down at two tunnels that the sea had carved through rock. It was a pretty display of power along a rugged coastline, complete with huge sea stacks. Newfoundland and Labrador have 29,000 kilometers of coastline (18,000 miles), so one is rarely far from water.

Trinity Anglican church (clickable)

Trinity is a picturesque village with painstakingly accurate restorations of homes and business places. We visited the former general store, a merchant´s house, a forge, and a very attractive Anglican church. The houses are functional - real people live in them. It was one of our favourite stops. Pat bought a toque (find a place in your suitcase for warm clothing if you go in June.)

Before we could stop him, Jim told another joke.

It was time for an elderly couple to have their annual medical checkup. The doctor took the elderly gentleman first and was surprised at the end of the checkup when the fellow said, "This is the last time you´ll be doing this for me, you know."

"No," the doctor said. "And why is that?"

"From now on, God will be taking care of me."

"How do you know that?" asked the doctor.

"Well, when I had to get up to go to the bathroom, God turned the light on for me when I arrived, and when I left, He turned the light off for me."

The doctor left it alone and took the lady through her checkup. When he finished, her interest was in her husband. "How did he seem?" she asked.

"You know, at the end he was a bit strange. He said that he wouldn´t be seeing me anymore because God would be looking after him. He claimed that when he gets up to go to the bathroom in the night, God turns on the light for him, and when he´s done, God turns off the light."

"Oh no!" the lady exclaimed. "He´s peeing in the fridge again."

Jim claimed that it was the duty of the person sitting by the driver to tell a joke during the shift. We noticed that after that, there was a real reluctance to let Jim sit by Nina.

To be concluded.

ED. NOTE: For more of Lyle´s photos, go to http://members.shaw.ca/ vjjsansum/

Carol Shoemaker forwards this explanation of

WHY SOME MEN HAVE A DOG AND NO WIFE

1. The later you are, the more excited your dogs are to see you.

2. Dogs don´t notice if you call them by another dog´s name.

3. Dogs like it if you leave a lot of things on the floor.

4. A dog´s parents never visit.

5. Dogs agree that you have to raise your voice to get your point across.

6. Dogs find you amusing when you´re drunk.

7. Dogs like to go hunting and fishing.

8. A dog will not wake you up at night to ask, "If I died, would you get another dog?"

9. If a dog has babies, you can put an ad in the paper and give them away.

10. A dog will let you put a studded collar on it without calling you a pervert.

11. If a dog smells another dog on you, they don´t get mad. They just think it´s interesting.

And last, but not least:

12. If a dog leaves, it won´t take half of your stuff.

To test this theory:

Lock your wife and your dog in the garage for an hour. Then open it and see who´s happy to see you.

Tom Williamson sends this one about

THE ANNIVERSARY PRESENT

Bob was in trouble. He had forgotten his wedding anniversary. His wife was really pissed.

She told him, "Tomorrow morning, I expect to find a gift in the driveway that goes from zero to 200 in six seconds, and it had better be there!"

The next morning he got up early and left for work. When his wife woke up, she looked out the window, and sure enough, there was a box gift-wrapped in the middle of the driveway.

Confused, the wife put on her robe and ran out to the driveway and brought the box back into the house.

She opened it and found a brand-new bathroom scale.

Bob has been missing since Friday.

Betty Audet sends these definitions of

PERFORMANCE REVIEW TERMS

Outgoing Personality: Always going out of the office

Great Presentation Skills: Bull thrower

Good Communication Skills: Spends lots of time on phone

Average Employee: Not too bright

Exceptionally Well Qualified: Made no major blunders yet

Work is First Priority: Too ugly to get a date

Active Socially: Drinks a lot

Family is Active Socially: Spouse drinks too

Independent Worker: Nobody knows what he/she does

Quick Thinking: Offers plausible excuses

Careful Thinker: Won´t make a decision

Aggressive: Obnoxious

Uses Logic on Difficult Jobs: Gets someone else to do it

Expresses Himself Well: Speaks English

Meticulous Attention to Detail: A nit picker

Has Leadership Qualities: Is tall or has a loud voice

Exceptionally Good Judgment: Lucky

Keen Sense of Humour: Knows a lot of dirty jokes

Career Minded: Back stabber

Loyal: Can´t get a job anywhere else

SUGGESTED WEBSITES

Bruce Galway forwards this link to a video that morphs from the childhood of Queen Elizabeth to her diamond jubilee as Queen of England:

Bruce also sends the URL for a video of a breathtaking performance by trapeze artists:

Catherine Nesbitt sends the URL for a video of a precocious young dancer:

Catherine also suggests this video, which made me laugh out loud, The USA today:

Pat Moore suggests this National Geographic video of wild Russia:

Pat also forwards the URL for a video of a talented woman juggler:

Tony Lewis sends this link to a video of Frank Sinatra singing "Send In the Clowns" with a background of famous clowns from other eras:

What kind of data is your cell phone company collecting? Malte Spitz wasn´t too worried when he asked his operator in Germany to share information stored about him. Multiple unanswered requests and a lawsuit later, Spitz received 35,830 lines of code - a detailed, nearly minute-by-minute account of half a year of his life:

For those who are planning a long trip, this video shows how to pack a carry-on size bag for months of travel. Pack approximately fifteen garments and mix and match for dozens of outfits in a carry-on bag. Learn how to pack a suitcase efficiently and without the stress of wondering whether you have it all:

To check out the features of the "freedictionary", which changes daily, go to