heynicejacket's photostream

dig it on black

I'd spent the day on a shikara going around Dal Lake, and had barely begun to put a dent in the big box of cherries I bought that morning at the waterside fruit stand, so when I saw these kids running alongside the boat, the girls trying to sell me flowers they'd picked and the boys simply smiling and waving hello, I tossed them a bagful of my cherries. Clearly, they were quite excited.

Retrospectively that seems really colonial.

The girl in red pants was pushed to the side by the others, so I threw her a handful while the four were fighting over the contents of the bag.

Follow the blog at hey, nice jacket (3 May - 4 August).

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Follow the blog at hey, nice jacket (3 May - 4 August).

dig it on black

It was simply amazing spending what little time I did around Dal Lake, getting to know the neighborhood a little and just barely scratching the air around the surface of what life is like there. I thoroughly enjoyed discussions with the houseboat owner and Slick Jimmy about culture and society, both of Kashmir and specifically that of Dal Lake. I need to go back for a longer stay.

Life on water is so different from life on land, there are so many nuances of living on solid ground that change so drastically when applied to water. There's something captivating about it all, especially when factoring in cultural differences, and I think in the future I'll find myself seeking to travel in places which deviate from the general life style I've grown up in.

This photo was taken during a lunch break on a shikara, on my way to Hazratbal Mosque in Srinagar with Slick Jimmy. Lunch consisted of rice, lamb, chicken, potatoes, and the usual delicious spices.

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dig it on black

A schoolhouse on an island in Dal Lake, Kashmir, where - as we float by on our way to a house where someone will fix our propane stove - Slick Jimmy tells me this is the school he attended as a child.

On the left side (viewed large), you'll notice a group of shikaras - presumably belonging to the schoolchildren - lined up at the shore. Also, inside the left window is the teacher, reading from a book.

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From the blog post "In which our hero feels like an Indian tourist":

I felt like Bush on a photo-op, putzing around Dal Lake like a Mumbai accountant on family vacation, standing on an orange piece of plywood going maybe - maybe - 15mph, just enough to keep me above water. "Faster, for chrissakes!" And they sped up a bit. This was ridiculous, I had to do something, so I leaned, pushing the board to the left to ride the wake of the boat (which was maybe 2.5 meters away). Then right, then left. Then the Kashmiris in the boat noticed, and became frightened, thinking I was out of control. They slowed, and started making hand signals to help me straighten out. I laughed and did it at more extreme angles. They became confused. They realized I was doing this intentionally, but, why? Wasn't just straight fun enough? "I'm from America, go faster!" But then it was over.

That's Slick Jimmy's legs in the photo. Also, note the map location. You can see the little island - named something like "Four Tree Island" - in Dal Lake where all the Indian tourists go mid-tour; water-skiing, gardens, a restaurant on a beautiful old houseboat, and a dozen heavily armed guards (one of which Jimmy tried to talk into letting me hold the gun for a photo).

Follow the blog at hey, nice jacket (3 May - 4 August).