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At the End of a Long Drive


Shreesh and Neena Taskar

We didn't make the decision, the decision made us. On October 20th, 2007, we left our comfortable city of San Francisco to follow a simple algorithm - go North till the road ends then turn around and then go as far South. In between those two points was the stage, the timeline, the space, where we made things happen and things happened to us.

The past is fleeting and the stories, the sights and the feelings are perishable. One sees what one wants to see, and perhaps we are not capable of more. We saw that people are kind and helpful even if they were not materially rich. Some we could understand even though we didn't speak the same language, the motivations of others were incomprehensible even though we did. In the end fragments remain - the smell of roasting chocolate, a flock of snow Ptarmigians on snow, the creaking of the rainforest, the rough feathers of penguins, and the intoxication of Curanto.


So these are our stories. Every time you visit the site you will see a random post below. Each starts with Lo que pasa es que...

The Market

Aug 9th, 2008 by

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Beef

Foreign markets – The need to buy. (Map this!)

There’s something about markets that is appealing. Visiting the colorful village markets of foreign lands give us a whiff of a foreign life with unfamiliar customs and exotic goods. The sights and smells overwhelm the senses. But for me the most powerful stimulant is the acquisition of the wares on display.

We often bemoan the “materialistic” nature of the U.S., specially the acquisitive greed which burdens people under mountains of debt. Yet, the need to buy is something rooted deep within us. I often find myself at the farmer’s market with way more succulent vegetables and fresh fish than I need and then planning the next meal with a gleam in my eye. Artesan markets are so much more fun when I can actually buy some of those wonderful crafts on display.

Market Day, Otavalo

For a higher resolution video click here.
To see more pictures of the Otavalo market, click here.

This trip has been difficult for me as I cannot even indulge myself in one of the most permissible acts of acquisition in my eye – collecting books. With our limited space and no permanent dwelling, we stop ourselves from buying anything which is unnecessary to the trip itself. So we try to capture the exotic local color of the markets in photos and video and be satisfied. But sometimes, in spite of the best intentions, we do end up buying some small things….

4 Responses to “The Market”

  1. fred says:
    August 10, 2008 at 5:41 am

    You know you can always buy stuff and have it shipped to us. That is as long as you don’t mind my reading your books when they arrive 😉

  2. Suhasini Taskar says:
    August 10, 2008 at 7:39 am

    Shreesh and Neena,
    Wonderful and lively video of the market!!. I am extending the same offer as Fred that if you really want to buy something, you can always ship at our home address provided it is not a huge package.
    Aai

  3. Shreesh says:
    August 13, 2008 at 4:19 pm

    Thanks Fred and Aai.

    But somehow our heart is not into the aquisition of goods, even though they are beautiful. Mostly this has to do with the uncertainty of where and what our future home will be…

  4. shanta auntie says:
    August 15, 2008 at 7:00 am

    Loved your video on market! The music is great!

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