8.13.2008

Last of Majuli





So I know I've already posted a ton of photos from Majuli, but here are a couple more. These were taken the night we had dinner with a family in their home. Not sure if you can tell, but thats a fully feathered chicken the woman is pulling out of the pot. Apparently the feathers are easier to pull out if you boil it whole first.

With amazement, I retold this story to my grandparents, who got a real kick out of it. My Grandaddy then told me all the ways he used to kill his chickens, and how they'd boil them to make the feathers come off easier. I felt kind of stupid afterwards for thinking my story would sound foreign and somehow glamorous. Watching this scene unfold felt worlds apart from what I knew; Surrounded by tribal villagers wearing lungis, squatted on the bamboo floor and speaking Assamese in the firelight, I remember Jordan and I looking at each other and asking, "Is this real?" Turns out our worlds are actually a lot closer than I thought.

1 comment:

Rhonda Austin said...

Some things are universal. I remember watching my grandmother pluck chickens in just the same way--in Texas, USA.