local flavor

I've been spending a bit more time on my apartment building's rooftop to enjoy the breeze and people are usually drying herbs and spices (along with laundry, shoes, bedding, etc.) in the sun. Here are some photos I took - can you guess what they are?

Answers: The first is actually a masala mixture of cumin, coriander, black pepper and cardamom. The second is turmeric (it's a root that they dry and then grind into a powder). The third is a bit trickier for most westerners. It's betel nut - the seed that's used in making paan. It has a very interesting color pattern on the inside. The fourth photo is four trays from farther away - two on the bottom are the masala mixture, the brown bean-looking pods are tamarind (yum!) and the upper left is turmeric.

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They've been doing a lot of construction on the road near my house and I am continually in awe of the methods. Ever think your job is boring or tedious or hard? Try shoveling baskets of rocks or sand
and then carrying them back and forth on your head all day.....
and your work environment is this dusty, dry, dirty street:
(I took these shots from a rickshaw)
Here's one of the men taking a rest from digging up the street by hand.
Makes one very grateful for the comforts and privilege we have!