Penance

Namaste Jesus said:
How did you get that gig?
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Just a last minute thing. A mate needed a favor and I needed some money.

Senthil said:
Aussie, there is s strong state loyalty in India, and besides languages, the car's license plate is a dead giveaway.
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The vehicles we were using had UK plates with a Foreign Media stamp, but no state insignias at all. We changed guides often to suit whatever region we were in. I say guides, but really they were just locals the producers hired to keep us from transgressing any unwritten laws. The only requirement was they speak English and have a good grasp of local dialect and customs. Most were blokes from lower income areas eager to earn some ready cash.

In the north we had no problem at all speaking to people from all walks of life. As we traveled south however we began to meet with more and more opposition. Contempt really, particularly when dealing with more effluent people. They seemed to somehow resent having to associate with the more common members of society.

We were treated well by the Police for the most part. Lots of hoops to jump through in India to get permission to film in some areas, but a few Rupees in the right palm usually got the job done.
 
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When it comes to traveling in India, nothing surprises me. When the goats are smart enough to use the pedestrian overpasses on the new interstate highways, but the people still just run across, expect anything.
 
Then again, regarding contempt or disdain, some cultures simply aren't as polite as others, to our sense of it. Some cultures are just more direct, or circumstance makes it that way. So its hard to tell really the inner attitudes of those whom we encounter. We all know of the 'polite' man who'll stab you in the back if given the opportunity.
 
Senthil said:
Then again, regarding contempt or disdain, some cultures simply aren't as polite as others, to our sense of it. Some cultures are just more direct, or circumstance makes it that way.
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Looking back, 3 car loads of Aussies pulling into your village is probably a bit intimidating as well. We're not known for subtlety.
 
Another common penance I forgot to mention is volunteer tonsuring. This one is more difficult for women, but remains common at two particular temples, especially Tirupati Venkateswara, and Palani Murugan temples. Tirupati sells the hair to raise funds. Besides several fundraisers for cancer etc. , I've done the religious type 3 times now. It has become too easy to be called a penance any more.
 
If you went to Palani you could just buy some sandalwood paste and smear it all over that bald head anyway. For awhile you'd get the admiring look from the devotees. The sandalwood has a cooling effect, and believe me, one gains new admiration for the skills of a barber with a straight razor in his hand.
 
Probably half of all Hindus get the chudakarana (head-shaving) samskara when young too.
 
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