Rubber Plantation

Rubber trees making pretty shade, pretty patterns on the bark, gooey white rubber sap.  Cups are metal; used to be coconut shells, apparently.  More picturesque, less practical.  True of so much in life.

Road Building

A new road was made in front of my house, with a combination of machines and people doing the work.  The edges were tidied by several women with these brooms - the only sort I've seen anywhere here - switches of something probably from a coconut palm.  Immediately after, the road was in use, still very sticky, causing cars to pull up significant chunks.  They returned a few days later and laid another layer, seeminig to last days instead of hours.

Me and Some Friends

In a village near town, at a "pond" at the temple.  The red and white stripes always indicate a temple (just off to the right of the photo) with the water very still, lots of petrol slick, and lots of little fish being caught by little boys, who will take them home and eat them.  Really, it's just a mosquito nest. And a full view of what I wear to work every day, which is super comfortable. 

Temple Functionary

At Friday night services at the big, tourist-filled temple, this fellow accompanies the silver container which has a shiva inside.  His job is to fan the air by the side "door", presumably to help shiva breathe, since the air is thick with smoke from burning ghee and candles and goodness knows what else.  Note the cell phone in his waistband.