Which continent, exactly?

This blog's title isn't in reference to actual continents (I've now been to four), but is rather drawn from "The Third and Final Continent," a stunning short story by Jhumpa Lahiri, from her collection, The Interpreter of Maladies. In particular, I'm inspired by the following quote that summarizes the attitude I try to carry with me through life and on my travels

I am not the only person to seek his fortune far from home, and certainly I am not the first. Still there are times I am bewildered by each mile I have traveled, each meal I have eaten, each person I have known, each room in which I have slept. As ordinary as it all appears, there are times when it is beyond my imagination.

I love this. It calls on us to consider the tiny details of our experiences, both one-by-one, and in the aggregate, and to maintain a sense of wonder even about the seemingly mundane things that are the building blocks of our lives, and often, the glue that binds us to our traveling companions.

This blog began as a chronicle of my study abroad experience in Cairo in Spring 2008, and continued last year while volunteering in Geneva, and South Sudan with a wonderful organization, VIDES.

Now in graduate school, I'm returning to the Continent this summer while interning in New Delhi, India.

Please enjoy, inquire, and learn.

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Fauna-tastic: Large mammals of India edition

Continuing my Fauna-tastic series from Africa, wanted to post some of my favorite pictures of some of the cool and unusual creatures I've gotten to see and get close to during my travels

ELEPHANTS!!  
We got to ride up the hill Amber Fort, in the city of Jaipur, state of Rajasthan. It is harder than it looks to stay balanced on one of these guys, but it is exhilarating. 


COWS!  
As previously discussed, they are everywhere. EVERYWHERE. This rather adorable baby was found hanging out behind a village school I visited in Maharashtra.  


OXEN
 Found and used throughout rural India, commonly with painted horns. You can't leave the city without seeing a couple of these yoked together and pulling a cart plow.  I'd been seeing and recognizing examples of my favorite 2-letter Scrabble word everywhere, but wasn't quite sure what, biologically, they were without the help of Wikipedia. 
[An ox is bovine trained as a draft animal. Oxen are commonly castrated adult male cattle]  


WATER BUFFALO  
Large, intimidating, somewhat ugly creatures, and common source of milk in rural areas. Occasionally also used as draft animals.  
  • Fun fact 1: Almost all the limited "beef" served in India is, in fact, buffalo.
  • Fun fact 2: My recent field work involved me passing over and around the rump of this creature at least 5 times.
  • Fun fact 3: The word buffalo correctly refers to these creatures.  We call the American Bison, buffalo, but that is somewhat of a misnomer.  


Only a mama buffalo could love a face like that. 



A special note to one of my readers...you know who you are.  I cannot bring you a water buffalo. Here, I put my foot down.

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