Snapshot Sunday: Adverts repurposed as breakfast

This week’s WordPress photo challenge is ‘Repurpose’.  We’re to submit an image of something of our own that we’ve put to a new use. I couldn’t come up with anything worth a snapshot, even though I’m rather keen on ‘repurposing’.

Instead, I want you to come with me to Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu.  I was there almost ten years ago as part of my Indian Adventure.  I loved this town.  It’s not quite on the tourist trail, as its glorious and extravagantly carved temples remain unpainted.  They are not vibrantly painted like those in nearby Madurai, so Madurai gets the foreign visitors.

I stayed* with a young American academic, Gwen, who for seven years had made Thanjavur her home.  She whisked me about on her motor bike, introduced me to her Indian friends and neighbours, asked me to run errands for her in the market where nobody spoke English or saw tourists much, and took me to tiny back street shops to buy freshly prepared and sizzling-hot evening meals.

I was by myself though, when early one morning I came upon these goats. They’d found a new use for the adverts pasted on the walls of a house. Look.

goats-in-thanjavur

And here’s the cow that was tethered outside Gwen’s window.  It’s found an unfortunate use for the pile of rubbish tumbled into a pile on the corner.

View from Gwen's window
View from Gwen’s window

Finally, here’s a different use for a pavement.  It’s become a canvas for traditional drawings in fine sand.  These designs frame the lights which lit our path homewards every evening during Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Light.

diwali

And here are three picture postcards – temple views.

Thanjavur: Breehadeeswara Temple.
Temple elephant, Thanjavur
Thanjavur: Periya Kovil Temple

* via ‘Couchsurfing’, a scheme which matches travellers with locals, who offer beds, local knowledge and friendship.

Author: margaret21

I'm retired and live in North Yorkshire, where I walk , write, volunteer and travel as often as I can.

24 thoughts on “Snapshot Sunday: Adverts repurposed as breakfast”

    1. Not brave at all. I was actually being quite selfish, because by choosing to travel alone, I didn’t have to compromise on what I wanted to see and do..

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  2. Pingback: Repurpose: Railway Station Delft | What's (in) the picture?

  6. What a wonderful time you must have had! I feel sorry for those poor animals though – especially the cow. But like most of the poorer inhabitants of cities and towns in India, they make do with what they find. My friend is off to India in nine days time for five weeks. She teaches in a hospital (not sure where she’s off to this time) and loves it there. She’s marvellous – in her mid seventies and still game for anything!

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  7. What an eye-opening trip. One man’s advert is another man’s (or goat’s) meal. It’s all perspective. My school has a large South Asian population – India and Pakistan are highly represented – a even blend of Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh – about 25-30% of my class. Most are born here as first generation citizens the rest born there and immigrated here. Occasionally, the make trips ‘home’ at Christmas break because that is when the weather is the mildest. I’d love to visit the region, just once. Nice interpretation of the challenge. Hope all is well in your world.

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    1. That’s interesting. We don’t tend to realise that you too have extensive faith communities from the Indian sub-continent. It must bring richness to your school community to have such varied cultures. Enjoy your week.

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  10. I love the photos, especially the one with the goats! At a supper club on Wednesday we sat opposite a Northern Irish man who’s been taking cycling tours to South India for the last four Christmases. He said that in any other Asian country you’re a tourist, but in India you’re a traveller, and in the South you always feel safe and welcomed. India certainly sounds like an unmissable experience.

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