Bring us some sweet payasam!

We wish you a Merry Christmas!
We wish you a Merry Christmas!
We wish you a Merry Christmas! And a Happy New Year!

So bring us a sweet payasam!
So bring us a sweet payasam!
So bring us a sweet payasam! And a cup of good cheer!

Come to think of it, when we went Christmas caroling last Friday, we probably should have changed that last line to "And a cup of good chai!" Payasam is a sweet, creamy dessert common in Kerala and eaten at all feasts (much more common here than figgy pudding....). My favorite way to eat it is with a smashed up banana and a crumble papadam. And yes, I learned to make payasam in my cooking class.

Christmas carolers are common in Kerala. We went last Friday, Dec 19, and there was another group out that night in the village. We started with almost 20 people (a little more than half staff members and the rest students) and we had others, especially kids, join us along the way. We ended up with at least 30 people. It was the most raucous and joyous caroling group I've ever been a part of -- we had a guitar and a flute and thudding drums you could hear from streets away. We had angels and even a Santa handing out stars filled with chocolates to the children. Wait until you see the pictures of Rajeesh as Santa-- I only wish I had a video of him singing and dancing! We sang mostly in English but also German and Malayalam (the language of Kerala). During one of the practices, Gowtham heard me sining the extra words to Rudolph (you know when you repeat the last word of the line or add stuff "like a lightbulb"?) and asked me to teach them to him. He sang the lines when we went caroling; the best was his accent on "like monopoly" and his lack of enthusiasm on the last like, "like George Washington." Maybe we should have changed it to "You'll go down in history.... like Mahatma Gandhi!" One time when we sang it, one of the Germans added, "Like Obama!"

When I stayed in Periyar by myself Sunday night, I saw a group of carolers when I went to dinner. Much later that night I could hear drums off in the distance. They made me want to dance, but it took me a while to figure out they were carolers. Actually, I didn't put it together until I could hear them singing and recognized the Malayalam Christmas carol (it's beautiful- I wish I could sing it). It was well past midnight when I heard them go by the homestay (it was a family's house and there was a building in the back with four nice rooms). Then I heard them come in the gate. And up the stairs. And stop in front of my door. And pound on my door! I'll admit.... I didn't answer... I was already in my pajamas (but the light was on, I guess that's why they stopped). Some of the groups are taking collections, and I just didn't want to answer the door alone....

Last night instead of going to midnight mass, I was at the temple at Chidambaram. I was with my teacher from home and the group he is leading. This temple is a special place for my teacher: he first came here 31 years ago with his teacher, who was raised nearby and spent his childhood at the temple. The entire day was incredible beyond words (and yet I'm trying anyway?!!??!).

We went to the temple at 5am and saw the many, many altars and shrines. We came back after breakfast for a huge pooja offering that the group had collectively paid for and arranged. It took almost 20 Brahmin priests and lasted almost four hours. The rice from the offering was cooked and fed many people lunch. The Brahmins then took us home and fed us lunch-- including fruit salad made from the offering, prasad: food that has been offered and blessed. Last night we got to sit in meditation in front of Shiva and then see the final ceremonies of the day, when the deities are tucked in for the night. There were children pulling the ropes to ring the huge bells. We were the last ones out of the temple, with our guide, Vasu Deekshithar, at about 10:30pm. I went back myself this morning. It was a different, but beautiful way to spend Christmas eve and morning. When I finish this post, I'm catching a bus to Kumbakanom and another temple.

Merry Christmas to all!!! Wherever you are and however you celebrate, I hope you have a joyous day :)


(PS There is a new post below titled "The Laundry Stone". I had it saved as a draft, so it posted in the order of the original date, December 16.)