http://www.jasontopia.com by jason niedle Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:48:20 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en So I'm browsing the Google News pages, and I see something about a festival in Kerala in India -- where we're recently visited (here, and here). It's an interesting article by the BBC about a women's festival there with 3 million attendees. The paragraph that utterly shocked me was this ... http://www.jasontopia.com/2010/03/01/1-toilet-per-60000-people/ I started this blog for my friends and family to look at and now, somehow or another, I get about 14,000 pageviews a month. Thanks for looking. You'll notice that I don't post often -- usually only when I have something interesting to say (unlike today). I try and post photos ... http://www.jasontopia.com/2010/02/07/14000-pageviews-last-month/ Thursday, 26 Nov 2009 -- Four AM of Thanksgiving 2009 comes fast, as two bell boys and a driver are there to get me on my way. I leave fiancée April sleeping at our resort (Ayurvedagram in Bangalore) as she has a different flight than I. The ride to the airport ... http://www.jasontopia.com/2009/12/09/layover-in-london/ The amazing Wednesday spent in India at an Ayurvedic resort was coincidentally one year from the day that April and I first kissed. As I ponder the last year, I can only be astounded at how different my life is in such a short time period: after 37 years of ... http://www.jasontopia.com/2009/12/05/reflections-upon-the-year/ Wednesday, 25 Nov 2009 -- Ayurveda is a 3,500 year-old holistic health system developed in Kerala -- where we've been visiting for the last week before our return to Bangalore. The name of our resort, Ayurvedagram, means "Ayurveda Village," and we're excited to slow down after our harried travel schedule. (We ... http://www.jasontopia.com/2009/12/05/ayurveda-heaven-at-last/ Tuesday, 24 Nov 2009 -- The sunrise over our Kerala houseboat brings a new day, and soon the night is just a memory. As "Disneyland natives" we have to keep reminding ourselves that this isn't the jungle cruise, it's so beautiful. I take a ton of sunrise photos over the ... http://www.jasontopia.com/2009/12/03/kerala-to-kochi/ The journey to our houseboat in Kerala -- seemingly like all journeys in India -- was quoted as 1 hour ... and delivered as 3. (Breakfast at the resort, by the way, was marsala omelette, fresh squeezed pineapple and watermelon juices, various vegetables in sauces, and the heavenly local coffee, ... http://www.jasontopia.com/2009/12/01/kerala-houseboats-india/ It's Sunday (22 Nov 2009), and April and I have finally got a decent night's sleep as we awaken in our room literally over the sea, in Cherai Beach Resort near Kochi. The A/C in our room works, thank god, which dries out there air a bit (feels like 140% ... http://www.jasontopia.com/2009/11/28/kochi-india-or-is-it-cochin/ Palakkhad, India, Saturday 21 Nov 2009 - From the orphanage (see prior post) we leave on our "30 minute" drive to our resort. We have now taken to calling the estimated travel times "IST" - for "Indian Standard Time." It's been our experience that you can add from 50% to ... http://www.jasontopia.com/2009/11/22/a-rural-indian-village/ India, 20 Nov 2009 (Friday) - Once again we are under-slept and travel weary as we get up at 6am to be out of our 2-bedroom apartment in Bangalore by 7am. We head the harrowing roads back to the airport, through security lines segregated by sex, and onto a Kingfisher ... http://www.jasontopia.com/2009/11/21/the-kids-of-palakkad/ [caption id="attachment_683" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="(Good thing DAD has his helmet on! Note the family of 4 on the motorcycle.)"][/caption] After a great flight on British Airways down to Bangalore (or Bengaluru, as it's officially named now), I finally arrive in India. I have to admit, standing in the airport I could've ... http://www.jasontopia.com/2009/11/21/the-bustle-of-bangalore/ As the sun rises over London -- viewed from BA flight 9119 -- the flash of the wingtip lights illuminates the light fog and the pink glow of morning warms the horizon. With all the chatting among new business friends, I've slept maybe an hour, blanket over my head in ... http://www.jasontopia.com/2009/11/17/sunrise-over-london/ Four hours. That's how long I've got until it's time to wake up and begin this journey in earnest. April is 7 of the 11 hours to London, probably asleep over the north pole right about now, and I'm up in LA sleeping in her old bed, closer to LAX and ... http://www.jasontopia.com/2009/11/17/four-hours/ Yes, to the blog has been "dark" for quite a while now ... somewhat because of Facebook (if I post there, what do I put here??), and somewhat because I haven't been traveling much. However, a new big trip is in the works in just a few days ... LA ... http://www.jasontopia.com/2009/11/15/back-just-in-time-for-india/ The famous Kogi Korean BBQ Taco Truck (www.kogibbq.com) made an appearance at the Santiago Art District in Santa Ana last night (May 16, 2009). I waited in line a mere 1-1/2 hours for my 6 Korean BBQ short rib tacos, Korean BBQ short rib burrito, and Kimchi Quesadilla. (I hear ... http://www.jasontopia.com/2009/05/17/kogi-bbq-at-santiago-art-district/