This is it from me till Thursday – Brahaspathinda, isn’t that the most gorgeously voluptuous word?
I’m off in the little sea plane, flying up to Kandy to watch the Perahera one last time. I’m hoping, fingers crossed, I’ll at last get a few decent shots of one of the greatest processions on earth. I’ll drive back, making a wobbly figure of eight across country up to Anuradhapura and Mihintale, and down through Kurunegala to Kegalla and on to Kithulgala before following the Kaleniya Ganga back home to Kolupitiya – no, no, I’m joking, I’m only coming as far as Battarmulla!
The akuru “K” is a wonderful shape, so I thought you might enjoy seeing it – K is for kakka, crow. Kandy, just as the sun is going down, is the abode of crows, all cawing at the top of their lungs, as they fight over roosting spots in the trees around the lake.
My photograph is from the series “Sinhala Akuru” by Michael Myler, illustrated by Linda Gill.
Have a lovely week, guys, and stay safe.
Beautiful paper! I’d love to have notepaper like that.
Notepaper would be very nice, wouldn’t it? These are a series of cards designed for teaching. Here, the teaching of letters is a very important ritual in a young person’s life, with ceremonies and commemorative items.
WOW. We in the US should have such teaching cards! Impressive.
We in any English speaking place, I think George
sounds like a great adventure, wishing you success with the photos!
It was very silly of me to be so obsessed with the photos! Now I have nearly a thousand rejects – but they’re enough to prompt my memories when the time comes that they fail!
The trip turned out to be terrific for different reasons, and i’m so grateful for that, Christine.
excellent!
That word kakka is a homonym for the French slang word for merde!
Have a lovely trip
Oops! Depending on the pronunciation it has another meaning in Sinhala too!
Bon voyage… a bittersweet journey. Enjoy
It was wonderful – and for totally different reasons than I was looking for – how silly I am to always be wanting, planning …
You are right the akuru “K” is a wonderful shape. I am sure I have seen a tattoo of that on someone. Now I am off to look up that wonderful word “Brahaspathinda”.
Did you find anything about Brahaspathinda? Madhu said: “Thursday is Brahaspathivar in Hindi as well (and sanskrit I guess). And Kakka crow in most Indian languages But the letters are not easily identifiable, although they look similar to the Dravidian language scripts.”
I did. I found out is Thursday. There wasn’t a lot but I did manage to find that out.
Oh, sweetie, I’m sorry – I thought I’d made it clear – “This is it from me till Thursday – Brahaspathinda … “. Thursday – that’s all there was to find out about it, and now we know from Madhu that it’s almost the same in Hindi – I love that!
Enjoy the trip and have fun taking photos!
That was my mistake, Amy – should never have begun thinking of taking definitive photographs! I almost forgot to look at what was going on through my own eyes … almost.
Safe travels, and good luck with the photos. Look forward to seeing them.
Remind me never to set out with the intention of taking photographs ever again!
Oh dear, that does sound ominous.
No, no! Just silly of me to try to catch up with my unphotographed past – it set me up for disappointment, and almost shut me off from experiencing what I’d gone to do – be in Kandy at Perahera time. It’s much more fun when you’re engaging with the world, not waltzing about behind that lens
Sounds amazing! Can’t wait to see and hear more!
Never let me be so silly again! Just as there’s no way to undo the past, there’s no way to catch up on untaken photographs. I’ve gotta stop obsessing about filling the memory boxes and just let life flow as it has always done, and the memory boxes will fill with whatever comes along, and those memories will be special, as memories always are.
All your works are truly great contribution my friend ,Thanks for sharing
That’s kind of you Jake. Now, once I’ve answered all these comments I haven’t had a chance to read, I must find something truly splendid for your challenge this week
But the word is also a great approximation of the sound crows make.
Almost exact, I’d say! It was interesting, they didn’t like all the noise, and smoke, and lights from the Perrahera – I don’t know where they slept for those ten days, but they were noticeable by their absence last week.
So … any hints on how to pronounce that gorgeously voluptuous word?
Br has pa tinda – with a rolled ‘r’ and a little ‘uh’ after it
Why don’t I have this same plan in my diary? Taking the Polish niece to the city of York tomorrow. Not quite so exotic!
It probably was for her, Jo
Sounds like a fabulous trip, can’t wait to see tour pictures
My dreams of at last capturing decent Perahera photographs were totally shattered, Shabna, but I learned a lesson more valuable than pretty pictures – why I used to travel without a camera at all. I got some other shots, different, telling different stories, but the big story for me from this trip will always be to experience things first – take shots if you can, later!
That is true, sometimes the camera alters the way we experience things. Without one it is possible to laugh, sing, jump or breathe freely. With a camera one is outside that feeling, watching instead
You’ve got it in a nutshell, thank you
Little sea plane?
Yes! Have a look – : http://thewanderlustgene.wordpress.com/2012/04/07/weekly-photo-challenge-journey/
A little scary…but cool.
A gorgeous, gracious shape, Wanderlust.You teach me something every visit. Have a wonderful time flying away on your little sea plane
Thursday is Brahaspathivar in Hindi as well (and sanskrit I guess). And Kakka crow in most Indian languages
But the letters are not easily identifiable, although they look similar to the Dravidian language scripts. I am off now to read all about the Perahera.
i love it when we find similar words across the languages!
Love your entire blog, Wanderlust gene! Congratulations!
Thank you, Margaret. I appreciate your support.