Colours of India "Holi"

Colors of India (Virtual Holi) is theme number two of the events lined up on the sun calendar of the internationally collaborative Solar Eclipse'99 project. This is a project about using computing technology to connect up communities located in different parts of the world. The aim will be to interact, exchange, share ideas and work together through synchronous networking, in spite of the participating members being separated by huge physical distances.

This event that was scheduled for the evening of the13th(Friday) March was designed around playing virtual holi through the information technologies with other countries from around the world. As part of our "new audiences"( which for us would imply those not involved yet or likely to be involved in the conceivable future, in any way whatsoever, to these technologies.), we had with us a painter Jitish Kallat and six street children from YUVA(Youth Unity for Voluntary Action) who painted on the theme of the festival. The interesting outcome of this being that Kallat created a digital canvas by interpreting the paintings done on paper by the street children. This went online on web. Since M F Hussain had agreed to come and could not at the last minute, the response to his last-minute cancellation has been interpreted in a 'Hussain feature' and is being put up on the web.as well, along with a critical elaboration of Hussain's work by art writer Meher Pestonjee.

Though the site was launched with the above event, we expect the site to be an interesting place to discover and exchange notes on colors. We have also created this site with the view that it will extend and grow with suggestions from people who are accessing it. 'Colors of India' being the overall theme, anything that would contribute to this is expected to be either included or linked to this site. The aim is also to make the site interactive, playful and useful. We solicit suggestions, feedback as well as additions to the theme of 'Colors of India'.

Christmas

Are you going to celebrate Christmas in Budapest with Hungarian friends? I tell you some essential information about opening hours, public transport and some interesting Hungarian Christmas traditions.

In mid-November Budapest starts to prepare for Christmas. Streets are decorated with colourful lights, shop-windows are adorned to lure in customers hunting for gifts. More and more people set out to look for the ideal Christmas presents in shops or in the markets. If you're looking for a unique Hungarian gift and want to get away from the all alike shops visit the Budapest Christmas Fair at Vorosmarty Square.

Shops are open for the Bronze, Silver and Gold Sundays on the three weekends before Christmas. Shops close around early afternoon on 24th December and open only on 27th December. Some larger shopping malls might stay open until early evening on 24th December. On Christmas Day and Boxing Day all shops, supermarkets are closed in Budapest. Many shops do not open between Christmas and New Year's Eve. Life gets back

Restaurants are also closed on Christmas Eve (24th Decemeber), but most of them open on 25th-26th December. Budapest is a popular tourist destination even in winter and restaurant owners are well aware of that. Don't worry you'll definitely find several good restaurants open during Christmas in Budapest

At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ in Hungary. The main celebration is on Christmas Eve (it's Szenteste in Hungarian, meaning Holy Night) Familiy members get together in the afternoon on 24th December and decorate the Christmas tree. Grandparents or elder brothers and sisiters look after the little ones, so they won't see their presents placed under the tree. The fragrant fir is adorned with colourful paper decorations and a special Hungarian Christmas candy (szaloncukor) wrapped in shinny coloured papers. Housewives cook traditional Hungarian Chrismas dishes in the kitchen.

We usually have fish soup, stuffed cabbage, pastry rolls stuffed with poppy seed, walnut or chestnut stuffings (it's called bejgli in Hungarian). Family members exchange gifts in the evening on 24th December while listening to tradtitional Christmas songs. In Hungary baby Jesus brings the presents, not Santa.

What is Tour

Mojacar on the Costa de Almeria is made up of two very different parts; the traditional hilltop village of Mojacar Pueblo and, in complete contrast, the modern coastal strip of Mojacar Playa. The former is a very attractive village, with its steep, narrow streets of cube-shaped, whitewashed houses. A profusion of flowers completes this picture postcard scene. Mojacar Pueblo is best enjoyed in the evening once the many day trippers have departed.

The town has had a long and varied history. There are remnants of Phoenician, Carthaginian and Roman occupations, but it wasn't until the Moors arrived that the town began to flourish. After the Christian re-conquest of 1488 Mojacar continued to thrive, although the situation was reversed in the mid-nineteenth century when the area was racked by droughts and the population declined. It wasn't until the 1960's that Mojacar began to recover after it became home to a colony of artists and writers. Tourists soon followed and the resort of Mojacar Playa was developed into the resort that we see today.

Mojacar's busiest beaches are Playa del Cantel and Playa de la Cueva del Lobo. There are plenty of activities available here including scuba diving, windsurfing, fishing and sailing. Only part of Mojacar's coastline is developed, so it's not difficult to find quieter beaches just outside the resort, especially in the direction of the Cabo de Gata national park to the south.

The fall of Moorish Mojacar to the Christians is celebrated every June with the 3-day 'Moors and Christians' festival. This colourful spectacle has fireworks, music, and re-enactments of the battles with the participants dressed in historical costumes.