iNdIa 4 jan - 5 march, 2006
jan.4.....in a land where people go barefoot anywhere, cows and goats roam each block, (and monkeys abound..), meals are eaten with bare hands, temples replace 7-11's - and hindu, muslim, jain, christians, and a couple of buddhists, wander the streets in rivers of humanity. mariages are arranged by caste...

i run into my fine friend timmy witter, with whom i hung out, saw concerts and travelled for a week or so...below are photos from kanchipurim and pondicherri, respectively.

timmy and i catching up...

from there to bAngAlorE, to tHe aMazIng jOhn DevaRaj And his bOrnFRee aRt sChoOl. here, he takes working children off the streets, and teaches them to be artists. since i arrived just about two weeks ago, i helped write the world`s largest love letter (yes, it is a guiness contender), performed in the bAnGalOre street performers festival, in
the Oceans of Joy arts fest, and performed at the nAtioNal sEmiNar foR SociaL woRkeRs.....
john with the kids the phenominal mioi, who keeps the school running..the largest letter in the world (20X 80 metres), to the children of pakistan, suggesting peace between pak and india. at the unveiling, hundreds of children showed up to sign the letter...(r.) painting the monster..the chaps in the background are playing cricket! (below..me clowning at said event)

preforming at 'oceans of joy', and in 'sParTaCus rEtUrns'

riding south with exquisite zenobia, who came from taiwan to visit....

feb 28...finished 21 days in mAdiKeri, playing uku about 8 - 10 hours/ day. originally it was to be 40 days i seclusion...but, well i was living with this family on a coffee plantation. vittal (big monkey), his wife, bHavana and their spoled 5yo mukul (little monkey), and bhavanas moather. it was small quarters, and they couldn't stop asking me questions, nor, in vittal's case offering me drinks..he used to sneak up to my window at night and secret bottles of honey bee brandy through the window. i had some great photos, but my camera has unceremoniously deleted them....sorry, mom, i had some shots for ya in that batch. at any rate, i leave sunday for banGkoK, and then into china.....oh, yes, below are photos of jethro tull (!) whom i saw in concert in bangalore. tHat WAs sTRaNGE...

big love and trust,

randall

the hOoNtOwN pUPpeT feStiVal in bangkok, thailand
(click images for larger view...)

here, i accompany...puppets! (note the charango, l.) with cc, my old friend from san francisco, who put me up for the days in bangkok...
some FacES and imagEs that made the festival so memorable...

duskin, janeke (also an old compatriot from sf), Boon, and the three masterful pupeteers........
sari and rabbit's wild west review makes it's debut.....





a completely wild new years eve...or a few images from it





bits from bangkok

my last images of taiwan...