In February (2017), I had a visit to the eastern "arm" of India that extends out over the top of Bangladesh, the Assam Valley, home to some 100-year old Indian oil fields, and Assam tea...
 |
Photo by Mark W. Laughlin
|
These tea fields were not "hillside", as I have seen in other countries, they were on mostly level ground, extending for miles on either side of the road. The rainy season there will begin any time now, so in February the folks were busy finishing their dry-season work, pruning and preparing for the beginning of the rain, when the tea will start growing again at full pace.
 |
Photo by Mark W. Laughlin
|
Here, you can see on the left, they have pruned the bushes down until there is very little green, to the right, more green is left (I have no idea what the difference is...)
 |
Photo by Mark W. Laughlin
|
We had a few moments to spare as we drove back to Dibrugarh airport for our flight to Delhi, so my friends, knowing that my answer would be "yes !", asked if I would like to stop for a few photos of the tea fields. They turned onto this access road, and I got out.
 |
Photo by Mark W. Laughlin
|
Now, one issue I have is, I'm a bit shy about engaging with people and asking if I can take their photos. But this time, time was short, there were people there, so I just decided to head out into the field and see what would happen.
 |
Photo by Mark W. Laughlin
|
As I got closer, stopping occasionally for a photo, a fellow came over (the fellow in the white shirt...with the machete...). He didn't speak any English, wasn't challenging or asking me to leave, but was just "coming over", seeing what I wanted.
 |
Photo by Mark W. Laughlin
|
But then the fellow in the blue jacket came over, seeming to be the leader of the group, and who spoke much more English. I introduced myself, explaining we were driving to Dibrigarh, and asked if I could take a few photos. But at that moment, the fellow in the red shirt, shouted from where he was standing something that sounded to me like "blah, blah, blah...photo". The fellow in blue said, "he asks you to take his photo".
 |
Photo by Mark W. Laughlin
|
 |
Photo by Mark W. Laughlin
|
He was smiling when he was distant, but as we stood together, he was more stoic. The fellow in blue took our photo with his phone, and then I tried to hand him my camera "oh, no, no, no..." he said (not wanting to handle it). But just then, my friend Shardul joined me from the car, so he took our photo.
 |
Photo by Mark W. Laughlin
|
 |
Photo by Mark W. Laughlin
|
There seemed to be several jobs going on. The ladies seemed to be pruning the tea bushes. Several of the men were climbing the trees that were frequent across the tea field. I'm thinking they like some, partial shade, from the trees, but too much means too much shade for the bushes, so as I was standing, posing for photos, I heard a big "crack" nearby, and a "whump" as a large limb was cut from one of the trees. As far as I could see, all work seemed to be manual, hand saws, hand clippers, hand carts to haul away heavy debris, and the lady with the bundle of sticks on her head.
 |
Photo by Mark W. Laughlin
|
So, a very brief, but fun jaunt out amongst the people, taking photos.
As has happened each time I have engaged with people in India,
they responded with smiles, and friendly requests to participate in the photo taking.
My kind of fun.
- Mark
 |
Photo by Mark W. Laughlin
|
 |
Photo by Mark W. Laughlin
|
As we flew back west, toward Delhi, we flew along the Himalayas,
these off to our right in Nepal, as the sun readied to set.
No comments:
Post a Comment