WOMEN OF THE FISHING VILLAGES: While in Chennai we visited local coastal neighborhoods (or villages): Nochhikuppam and Ayodhakuppam.   These communities, like many along the Eastern seaboard were hard hit by the Tsunami several years ago where tens of thousands lost their lives. They’ve rebuilt again and though the government is hard pressed to relocate these communities, this life of fishing is all they know and to remove them from this environment would equally devastate their culture and livelihood.  This community is where one of the presenting Oppari Women groups resides.

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GETTING FRESH (FRUIT)! A little shopping for fresh fruit. Yummy tangerines!  Very sweet.  Shown here (left to right) are: local tamil teller and host Jeeva Raghunath, and storytelling adventurers: Sheila Wilgus, Liz Nichols, Nancy Wang, Lynn Ruehlman.

IN THE PRESENCE OF GODS & GODDESSES: The temples were ornately decorated with a myriad of the Hindu Pantheon.  This journey to India has been an introduction to the immensity of Indian mythology, made even more complex by the multiple names the deities can have.  At this temple, each god and goddess depicted were hand painted in a colorful array which needs to repainted every several years.  Esther, one of our Tamil interpreters puts on traditional ash upon the forehead of our visiting storytellers.

ETH-NOH-NEWS Come along as we travel the world through stories and have a whole lot of fun!

November 2008 Highlights

Once a Pod a Time: Eth-Noh-Tec is going techno with a podcast!

It Takes 2, Babyeee: Tandem is interesting on-stage…but what about off-stage?!

The What Buddies? Oldies but goodies Asian American style!

Awards: We’re humbled and grateful for these awards as storytellers and as a green environmentally sound org! Got to practice what you preach!

India ’08: Indian food, stories, workshops, laughing yoga…Hear about it at our Dec. 13 Salon.

Getting Personal: Nancy and Robert to write family stories.

Salon! You’re On! ’09: Our 4th year of monthly salons! Intimate and fun, you must grace our studio!

China ’09: Return with us this time? Youth tellers, too?

Classes ’09: Yes, you too can learn the art of kinetic performance

Spotlight: Diana Thompson: our office techno whiz+!

Update: Green Grows the Story

Read the whole story in Eth-Noh-News November ’08!

December 13 Salon Invitation

Save the Date!

Saturday, December 13, 2008
6pm Indian Dinner, 7pm Show

Salon? You’re On!

Tharisanam: Vision of the Other
Celebrate the American storytelling delegation’s return from Chennai, India. The folk stories & myths of India will be told by local SF Bay area storytellers Liz Nichols, Tim Erenata, Jeff Byers, and Eth-Noh-Tec. Listen to the stories from this incredible journey.

Taste the Flavors!
Join us for dinner: a delightful and delicious spread of Indian cuisine! All-you-can-eat meal: 6pm.

The Fashion
Designer Shilpa Srinivasan will exhibit her embelished line of printed tees: fun, unique, and inspired by Indian folk art.

The Fotos and Faces of India
A multi-media presentation of “Therisanam,” bringing together American and Indian artists in an amazing cultural exchange.

About the Storytelling and Cultural Delegration
This Fall, Eth-Noh-Tec lead a group of 15 storytellers from around the country in a cultural exchange to meet their storytelling counterparts in India. Hosted by the World Story Institute, they met master artists, puppeteers, musicians, dancers, theater troupes and other artists that use storytelling in their art form. Together, they shared their stories in local communities and built bridges of cultural understanding between the peoples of America and India.

Where:
Eth-Noh-Tec Studio
977 South Van Ness
San Francisco, CA 94110
between 2st & 20th Streets
close to 24th Street BART

When:
Saturday, December 13
6pm Dinner, 7pm Show

Admission, Dinner & Show:
$25-$10 (sliding scale)

Reserve by 12/10!
contact@ethnohtec.org
(415) 282-8705

Buy Your Tickets!
12/13 Salon Tickets

WE ARE FINALLY HERE: INDIA!

We have adjusted to the jetlag, the heat and fast clip of the first initial days of the trip. Indian food for breakfast and lunch then… you guessed it: Delicious Indian food for dinner!  We had better start getting used to spices as there are plenty here. SUNRISE LAUGHTER!: This morning many of us got up very early to catch the Laughing Yoga Club. These were amazing group exercises done in a circle of people. Part of a modern yoga developed by an India doctor who discovered the health beefits of laughing.  5 Laughing Yoga clubs in the Chennai area are part of over 3000 clubs in India, 14,000 internationally. This morning there were about 20 people ( 8 were from our group. What does it have to do with storytelling?: Making Peace in the world, one of their clear tenets.  We too believe that by understanding our human stories and cultures we bring all people to a peaceful humanity.  How appropriate that the Club meets not far from a statue of Gandhi! Click on this link to hear this unique style of yoga) 

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Singers (shown on left) garbed in colorful Sari's.

OPPARI SINGERS: We also experienced a presentation in Oppari lamenting songstory.  These lamenting balladeers (hired for funerary services) blend a performance singing and chant-like vocalization, honoring and lamenting over the loss of the deceased.  Through their grieving songs they tell the story of someone’s lost loved ones, often recounting their lives at sea and importance to their family.  We heard from two different ensembles, one from the local fishing community and a second( shown above) from farther south in the region.  The group shown are from a transgender community, a well organized society in India who honor the transexual/ transmorphic nature of certain gods in the Hindu pantheon.  There singing was so engaging and emotional that it moved many of our storytellers to re-experience grieving and loss from their own lives. An interesting day: starting the sunrise with laughter and ending the daylight with lamenting.  More postings later now that I know how to blog. However the challenge will be to find the time!

Well the moment of our travels to India is coming RIGHT up.  This journey will be an exciting program that engages 18 storytellers and story-lovers into the storytelling world of Chennai, India.  Along our itinerary we will be listening to storytellers, watch puppeteers, engage in movement theater workshops, meet the wonderful people of the rural and urban communities.  We’ve worked out everything from daily programs with Indian artists to ground transportation, from where we’re going to eat to shopping for mosquito repellent.  It’s all hands on deck as we pull together all our energy, talent, and combined storytelling power of the Americans going on the trip.  Listen to this!

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