Part III- Back to Ahmedabad

Alexander and I returned from Kerala in time for Gujarat’s famous Kite Festival, Uttarayan. In preparation, groups of men dusted yards of kite string with a neon pink powder (made from chalk and ground glass) and wound the colorful thread into spools. Other vendors hawked diamond-shaped paper kites, some with bow-tie tails. Before the festival officially began, children would gather before and after school to hone their kite-flying skills. Soon the streets were littered with wads of bright string and the torn shreds of fallen kites.

In kite flying, as in life, the main objective is to survive as long as possible. Staying afloat is not as easy as it seems, however, because the glass-infused kite strings “cut” each other whenever they meet in mid- air. Sometimes the “cut” kite will attach itself to the victorious kite, and then that lucky someone will be flying a double-headed kite! But in most cases, it is either “cut or be cut.” You can either be defensive by avoiding any contact with other kites, or you can be offensive by trying to “cut” down as many other kites as possible.

On January 14th, Alexander and I ascended the stairs of our apartment complex and joined the thousands of people gathered on rooftops all over the city. The site was breathtaking. The sky was packed with the colorful dots of kites. It looked like the air was churning with colorful confetti. The airborne diamonds swooped and spiraled as they caught different drafts while the severed kites floated down to the street like crisp autumn leaves. Groups of neighbors cheered for their family members and friends as they tried to fell the competition. Alexander and I both tried our hand at flying but I cannot say it went well.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the kites turned into silhouettes against the subcontinental sunset. Firecrackers exploded over the city as children lit small explosives. The vision was scored with the Bollywood music that blasted from rooftop stereo systems.

Days later Alexander started to teach his course at NID. He spent an intense thirteen days teaching both morning and afternoon sessions on campus. The class turned out to be a great success. Most of his students produced innovative books and they had a popular exhibition at the end. Alexander says he loved the experience, but is happy to get back to his own work. Also, we learned recently from some student friends that Alexander has earned quite the reputation at NID as a “harsh critic” and “strict instructor.” Not bad for his first time teaching, especially considering many of his students were older than him!

Now we are off to Mumbai. We will be flying to Thailand on January 27th. Check back for more updates!