Blogging Hi Chas and Ana, Great blog from NZ! Anne and I were there some 5 years ago, and did Waitomo, Rotorua, Taupo, volcanos etc as well (in 4 days!). This brings back great memories.
How's life then? Obviously you have been on another exciting journey around parts of the globe that I can only dream about from my desk or classroom! I have kept a loose grip on your news via Mum and Dad, but I haven't spoken to them for a few weeks.
Christopher is happy at uni in Liverpool, doing Primary and Secondary Maths teacher training, and William is now at Roehampton University in London, reading Classical Civilisation. Both of them are playing hockey for their uni teams, and seem to be having fun with their housemates.
We muddle along, with only Monty, our dog, for company! Anne is still part time librarian in the prep school, and I am still working in both parts of the school, teaching and being Registrar - no peace for the wicked, or something like that!
Anyway, take care, and thanks for the news from North Island.
Charles
Hi Hi charles,
I live in india. Born and brought up here. Hats off to you. You are absolutely right about your observations. Sexual repression is a malady in this ancient country.
lovely blog Hello Ana, what a lovely story about elephant camp. I love Elephants and google searched and found your blog to read. Tks for sharing the same. This may motivate me to go to Colombo to see kandy.
Uma
do you have any indian ads? Hi!
I found your entry very interesting and I am doing a project about ads, in particullar Indian ads and I wonder if you have any ad's that could back up your oppinion! You could send them to my e-mail, I would appreciate it emensly
Thank you
dear, your insight to the indian perspective of sexual morality is indeed very refined and accurate.
Sexual discourse in India was considered taboo even before the arrival of victorian puritanism . Influx of Islam and introduction of sharia ( muslim law) for about five centuries brought remarkable change in the position of women in society . Prior to it there were some religious changes which eulogised virginity as a virtue and abstinence of sexual practices for religious merits, but it didnt affected people that much.
your potrayal of indian males is quite real and being myself an indian , male i found them very true.
with warm regards,
Abhilash Chaudhary
exactly. i must say this is best description of India today, well said even we Indian cant understand all of India. Its really unfortunate things that changed about relationships,but true. I wish we could have back our glorious past.
Thanks for writing the article! To the author: Hi. I've never been to India, but I've been growing in my interest toward the study of sexual repression and I'm concentrating currently on changing my college major in order to focus more on being apart of the movements to reduce sexual repression. Ironically my girlfriend whom I work with was sent on a trip to India about a month ago for work and she'll be there for another 3 months. I've been talking to her a lot for the past month that she's been there, and everything she has seen in the news and out in public absolutely coincides with what you have seen and experience. I was just talking to her today when she told me that the sale of tampons is actually illegal there. It's seen as so unclean and whorish to put a tampon up your Vag that they only sell pads in India. So she's pretty stocked that she brought a bunch to last her entire trip. Anyway, a quick search on "sex in India" after I had gotten on the phone with her earlier today, a little depressed once again to learn of another country that is horribly repressed and trying to chear up with a sip of my diet Pepsi, I was led to your article. So, Thanks for posting such an informative analysis of India! I'm off to search the web for more info on sexual repression in India. Hopefully I stumble upon movements that are already being made to put and end to the logical fallacies of their culture, if not, well It'll be one of my target countries when I have the credentials and power to make a difference. Peace.
thats one of the truest description i have ever seen till date on the net, of India by a westerner. Most comments I have read are quite shallow. Given the massive cultural differences, if you could digest even this bit about India from your travels, then its commendable!
I'm loving it! I for one am LOVING your blog - so interesting and vital - it's great to hear both the positives and negatives, as that is all part of travelling, especially to the places you are visiting. (And not everyone has to agree with you!) Keep it up! Lots of love to you both and special love to Rachel. xx
Well done I've just been looking at some of the other blogs on the Inca trail and you're not the only one to struggle up the Dead Woman's Pass. Some have turned back altogether so well done Ana for pushing on and overcoming the dreaded soroche!
Ouch part 2 I have just reread this particular blog and the only negative vibes are criticsing the government for building a highway through an archeological site (similar to knocking down a pyramid to build a carpark) and how seeing a condor at a distance for 15 seconds after 2 days of travel was anti-climactic. I apologise profusely.
Ouch! I think you make a fair comment in that often what we, or more particularly, I find strinking about countries is negative. But we are certainly not going home as we are very positive travellers who go into very interesting places and always have a great time. I am sorry that this does not come through enough on the blogs. In regards to this particular blog, we did not mean for the condors to be anti-climactic, they simply were for all involved. Also, I seem to remember writing about enjoying the monastery, Juanita museum, the Nazca lines and much more. While I like to criticise governments, my friends know that I do that to every country I visit especially my own; governance never sits well with me. But rather than insult us, I would welcome some more positive feedback.
Yours faithfully
Chas
Hello It sounds like every blog you guys write have a negative vibe. You guys need a positive attitude pill. If not you guys can catch your flight back to where ever you guys are from.
now i'm really jealous... do you think you could post some of that icecream over? it's getting really cold here, so it shouldn't melt too much...
(Ana, are you putting on weight yet? You must be... a kilo of icecream???I don't even think I could do that)
BE CAREFUL - THERE IS A FINE LINE Oh yes. It is one thing to send carefree 'bons souvenirs' of Argentina, and QUITE ANOTHER to expose former residents and connoisseurs to photographs of indigenous steaks. Fortunately for you both, the sample was merely from Recoleta (PAH!) and not La Nelly, Olivos. Otherwise, who knows what vengeance Lufthansa might have suddenly flown in from Gatwick via Frankfurt. You have been warned. There are limits.
hey guy's! how great is it to be able to read your blog and see what you're up to!
just wanted to say hello to you and tell you that Melbourne is such a lovely city and we've been having a really good time.
Looking forward to see you here next year...
Sara
A reply to the above comment Dear Sir
I understand all of your comments on our blog, especially that not even Indians understand all of India. It is a country I have visited five times and am amazed by the diversity and change in a nation where every states speaks a different language and the southern states refuse to teach the national language.
So, please do not feel that I am holding myself out as an expert. You tell me to write, and I quote: 'In my experience'. If you had read my blog carefully, you would see in the opening paragraph the following words:
'This is an incredibly interesting and controversial topic and I am far from qualified to speak on the matter so please do not consider the following gospel or expert opinion. I have however travelled to India 3 or 4 times now and certain aspects of their sexuality strike me every time. Let be known that: this is the opinion of one white, male, Christian, Anglo-Australian and should be treated as such!'
Please notice the highlighted text. Does this not suggest that I stated that it was only opinion, the opinion of a westerner, and hence not to be treated as expert opinion? Hence, does my first paragraph not make your comment on my blog completely superfluous?
Yours
Charles Fisher
Chas and Ana have always been addicted to travel, going overseas at least once a year during their 5 year relationship. Now married they have decided to go on a 10 month adventure through India, Europe and South America.... full info
Charles Allen
non-member comment
Blogging
Hi Chas and Ana, Great blog from NZ! Anne and I were there some 5 years ago, and did Waitomo, Rotorua, Taupo, volcanos etc as well (in 4 days!). This brings back great memories. How's life then? Obviously you have been on another exciting journey around parts of the globe that I can only dream about from my desk or classroom! I have kept a loose grip on your news via Mum and Dad, but I haven't spoken to them for a few weeks. Christopher is happy at uni in Liverpool, doing Primary and Secondary Maths teacher training, and William is now at Roehampton University in London, reading Classical Civilisation. Both of them are playing hockey for their uni teams, and seem to be having fun with their housemates. We muddle along, with only Monty, our dog, for company! Anne is still part time librarian in the prep school, and I am still working in both parts of the school, teaching and being Registrar - no peace for the wicked, or something like that! Anyway, take care, and thanks for the news from North Island. Charles