Kerala Classical Dance
This week there was 2 days break because the Muslims and Hindus were each celebrating their own holiday. For the Muslims, their holiday was Ramadan. It is celebrated during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. One month before, they fasted each day from sunrise to sunset. When their fast is broken, they celebrate with a 3 day festival known as “Eid” or “eid ul-Fitr” which means “the feast of the breaking/to break the fast.” It is a celebration of the month long struggle they endured (the fasting) in order to achieve a higher spiritual state. Since Pramella Aunty’s neighbors are Muslim, they brought us delicious birayani and chicken curry which they give to all their neighbors. Then, the Hindus also celebrated their holiday which is known as Durga Puja. For 10 days, they celebrate with ceremonies, rituals, fasts, feasts, songs, and dance in honor of the supreme mother goddess Durga. She is celebrated for her victory of good over evil. Since Pramella Aunty is Hindu, we went to a town hall to watch 2 nights of classical dancing. It was so beautiful! The dances are vibrant and expressive with hues of red, yellow, blue, and green. The dancers wear anklets studded with large bells so that it makes a sound each time they stomp their foot. They wear colorful dresses and beautiful jewelry which adds to the beauty of their dance. There is no audio recording for the music. There are men who sit on the side and play their drums. With each beat, the dancer simultaneously stomps her foot which makes a cool sound with the anklets she wears. Classical dances are the traditional dances of Kerala, therefore, there are a wide variety of them. Some of them are: Kathakali, Mohiniatam, Thiruvathirakalli, and Kolkkali. Classical dance is difficult to learn and often takes three years just to learn basic movements of this dance because it involves difficult eye and head movements. The interesting part of classical dance is that it tells a story. Local legends, traditional stories, age-old customs, cultural beliefs, and mythological stories find expression in these brilliant and colorful dances.

P.S. I TRIED to upload the video I took of the classical dance but it didn't work. If you know how to help me, let me know!!

International Friends
This week, I met up with my friends Nadia and Ancha at the Coca Tree. The Coca Tree is a small café that sells American food, Mexican Food, and Indian Food. It felt like I had stepped back into a coffee shop in America! Nadia is Australian, Ancha is German, and I’m Indian (obviously!), so we make a pretty interesting trio as we walk the streets of Cochin! We were meeting at the Coca Tree because they are both leaving soon, so I was a little sad to see them go!