Ganga Aarti

Yes, another post already. I just wanted to wrap up Haridwar before I leave early tomorrow morning. I still have things to write about Rishikesh, so I want to diminish the pile-up when I get to Mumbai!


I've just returned from the "special evening outing" that I postponed last night. It was Ganga Aarti, probably the main reason people come to Haridwar. Every single day, at dusk, thousands gather at the ghats near Har-ki-Pairi temple for evening prayers, blessings, and putting offerings (mainly flower floaters with candles) into the rapidly flowing Ganga. (I finally found out where all the westerners hang out! There are still only a handful of us, but it was nice not to be the token white person for a short while.) I watched as people sent their offerings into the river, bathed in the water (while holding onto chains to avoid being swept away), or splashed their feet and faces. I had my photo taken by and with a large Indian family from Punjab. (This also happened once in Rishikesh. There have been more than 2 requests, but depending on my mood - and the approach - I either accept or walk on.) The process lasted about 10 minutes, as different adults or kids came into the frame with me. The women even handed me their toddlers to hold for the pics. If I hadn't told them - as my jaw was beginning to twitch from uninterrupted smiling for so long - that I would only stay for one more, I think we may have been there all night. Other families saw what was going on and began to approach, so I had to quicken my pace of escape. I walked down the ghat a little further, where the crowd was less dense, and did a little meditation of my own with my feet in the water. Then walked back through the brightly lit night bazaars, stopped for dinner at the good naan canteen from day 1 (Krispy Kountry... don't know where they got that name!), and headed here for a quick blog before heading home to bed. Train from Haridwar to Delhi leaves at 6:20am, arriving around 11, then from the train station I hop on the subway which brings me to the airport. I then fly to Mumbai, arriving early evening. Was a little last minute in booking a room, only called today! My first two choices were full (was afraid I'd have to greet  Blaire by telling her we were sleeping on the airport floor Friday night...), so had to settle for the third. Seems like a decent spot, fingers crossed!


Couple quick tidbits before I sign off:


-After a month and a half in India, never once have I felt in any kind of danger... until my hike up to the temple yesterday, when a bunch of monkeys started chasing me! I've seen and been very close to monkeys every single day, and they've never bothered me. But this time, they got my adrenaline pumping! I sped up while peeking back, tried not to panick as they nudged my leg, and they eventually slowed down and went back to the side of the road. Ouf!


-I mentioned the staring earlier. It's not just short glancing then looking away, but full-on, following stares. The Vikram drivers and rickshaw cyclers nearly caused accidents a few times by driving for more than a short moment with their heads turned back to stare at me as they passed. Should blend in more in Mumbai...


-Before I found the westerners at Ganga Aarti, I thought I saw a white guy down the street, but as he approached, I saw he was just a pale Indian. A minute later, across the street, I spotted her. Another single white female. Woohoo! I'm not alone!


-This afternoon, I bought my first bag of roadside Indian sweets... Sooooooo delicious! (I'd compare them to fudge if I had to give you an idea, but that doesn't do them justice. Actually, more like a cross between fudge and fried syrupy doughnut. Yes, they were outrageously sweet!) I ate them while browsing through the library on the veranda of my guest house. I officially want to buy every book in India. Can someone send a ship?


-Yesterday afternoon, as I showered, I heard frantic knocking at my door, with yells of "Hallo? Ma'am? Hallo? Ma'am? Ma'am? Open please! Hallo?" I ignored it as I continued my shower, figuring it was nothing important and he'd come back later. It continued. Stopped for a bit, then started again. I finished my shower, got out, wrapped a towel around my body and head, and was about to get dressed, when it started again. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! "Hallo? Ma'am? Hallo? Hallo? Ma'am? Yes? Hallo?" So I swiftly opened the door and started at the lobby clerk in annoyance. He stood there calmly and said, "Passport copy please?" For cryin' out loud!!! You'd have thought the place was on fire! I told him, with unmistakable  frustration, that I'd bring it down when I was dressed and ready.


When Anoop dropped me off at the Rishikesh bus station, he was surprised I was staying 3 days in Haridwar and said that was long. But even with the pretty packed days I've had, there's still so much I want to do here. Already making a list for my next trip!
Ok, folks, that's it till Mumbai!

Happy in Haridwar : )

It's now day 3 in Haridwar, and I'm still officially the only white girl walking around town. (Or guy, for that matter. There was Eola on the balcony and a man at internet, but out on the streets, it's just me.) The relentless and shameless stares started getting to me by the end of yesterday, but given what I just wrote, they are of course to be expected.

(In response to a request, I will be skipping lines between paragraphs to make my lengthy blogs easier to read... I'm sure many will appreciate this besides the requester!)

So, back to two nights ago... bumped into Eola at internet (she was leaving the sole computer in the tiny room, just in time for me to take over). I went to internet with the intention of writing a post, but by the time I got through all the Swati responses and answered them all (wanted to reply personally to each), I had been reading and typing for almost 2 hours. Can't thank you all enough!

Found my way back to my guesthouse through the dark roads, bought a chocolate bar as a tv snack, and went up to my room. As I was reading through some e-mails earlier, a few people mentioned the Oscars coming up. Pffff, I thought. I'm so beyond caring about all that western glitzy gibberish. But then as I was eating chocolate and flipping channels in my room, I didn't stop on a Bollywood movie. I stopped on the Oscars. Yes, I confess, I watched them from beginning to end. While I'm a little ashamed of this, especially given my mental response to the mention of them in the e-mails, I have to admit it was kinda nice to travel back west for a few hours. And I have to say, it was one of the best Oscar shows I've seen in a long time. Billy Crystal was a great host as usual, and I had to laugh when, after the musical intro, as the awards were about to start, he said, "Enjoy! 'Cause there's nothing like watching millionaires hand each other golden statues!" Hahaha. I particularly liked Christopher Plummer's win and speech (at 82, the oldest man to ever win an Oscar), and kept trying to picture him as the young and handsome Captain Von Trapp (Sound of Music reference, for you poor souls who don't know). The Cirque du Soleil performance was quite impressive, and Meryl Streep's win and speech were classic of course. Ok, ok, back to India!!!

Wait, one more thing... I realized how much work Rishikesh had done on opening up my emotions when, at several different moments during the show, I exploded with laughter or swelled up with tears.

I didn't get much sleep that night. Turned the tv off at 12:30am when the show was over, and went in and out of sleep for the next several hours. Wake-up reasons: 1) The bed is the hardest I've had yet (guidebook even warned about that), and I kept awaking to my bones painfully pushing against the plank I was lying on. 2) My room here is quite a bit cooler than the one in Rishikesh, since it doesn't get any sunlight to warm it up during the day. Since I'm only here for 3 nights, I didn't want to unpack my sleeping bag, and just used my light fuzzy shawl to cover myself. Not enough. Felt chilly every time I woke up. (The room did provide a blanket, but since the bed was so hard, I used its minimal thickness as extra padding under me, rather than over.) And 3) Had to pee, but since I was cold, didn't want to get up to go to the bathroom.

Despite the interrupted rest, I had a packed day yesterday. Got up around 8 and headed into town at 9. Walked over to the main road to find a breakfast spot recommended in my guidebook. Walked in, and who do I bump into again? Eola. I'm filled with joy every time I see her. She is incredibly sweet, bubbly, alive, friendly, and has a stunningly kind and happy face :) She was finishing up, so we only chatted for a few minutes. She had the Times of India in front of her, and pointed to the Oscar news on the front page. She confessed to watching it too. She even got up early in the morning the day before to watch them live, not knowing they'd be replayed in the evening. We exchanged a few comments about the show, and then she was off to the bus station to inquire about her trip to the Nepalese border. I had my chai, parantha and curd (most typical Indian breakfast), as I watched the busy street outside. This is much more like the India we hear about and expect than Rishikesh was (or at least the part of it that I was in). It's busy, loud and crowded. (But I'm sure I'll think back on it is as calm and peaceful when I arrive in Mumbai tomorrow!)

Speaking of Mumbai, though it was not my initial plan, I will be flying there from Delhi. I went to my Rishikesh travel guy a couple weeks ago to book my train ticket, feeling good about reserving in advance. In advance?? he said. For the busy line between Delhi and Mumbai, you need to book 90 days ahead of time!! 90 days?!?! Geez, how do people plan so far ahead? Indeed, the trains all had waiting lists of 50-100 people. (I should specify that this is for "decent" trains. I could have got a spot on the ones that are are so packed that people are hanging out the windows, sitting on the roof, rubbing up against each others sweat, and possibly stepping in animal shit. I might have a go on one of those at some point, but figured I'd save the experience for a journey that wasn't an overnight 16hr ride.) So, my only other option was to fly. 2 hours and only double the cost of a good train. And that's what allowed me the extra couple days to stop in Haridwar. Everything happens for a reason :)

Back to Haridwar... after breakfast I stopped by an internet place to transfer my full memory card of pics and vids onto a DVD (have emptied my 8gig card twice already, and hope to have a photo blog up soon... I know, I know, I keep postponing, but there just aren't enough hours in a day!). Explored town a little more, then it was back to my room for a change of clothes and a warm shower. Morning clothes get too warm by noon, and afternoon clothes get too light by dinnertime. For the first time in India, I went leggingless that afternoon, wearing only my light flowy Indian pants for the steep half hour hike up the mountain to Mansa Devi temple (yes, I was also wearing a shirt). Amazing views over the city and surrounding area. Got "scammed" into several donations and blessings as I kneeled before a variety of holy men who chanted prayers while patting my head and marking the center of my forehead with red and orange powder. Then, for less than a dollar, I took the cable car back down to town. (Hike up and cable car down is what Eola had done and recommended to me as I saw her off to Nepal earlier that afternoon.) Walked along the river, watched bathers dip into the holy water, checked out the ghats and temples, then made my way back through the city's bazaars. Bought my first bindis and bangles. Another stop at internet, then grabbed snacks for my room and headed home. I had a special outing planned for that evening, but I was pretty pooped and getting slightly irritated with the stares, so I'm keeping it for tonight instead.

Back in my room, I did some organizing, reading, writing and channel surfing. Then listened to Snatam Kaur on my iPod as I fell asleep around 10. Happy to report that I didn't wake up till 6 :) I mentioned the hard bed, but forgot to say that in exchange, they've got the most amazing pillows! Guess you can't have it all... Cocooned myself under my shawl, head included, and had a good sleep. Got up at 7, after lazing around in bed, thinking, for an hour. Then, again, I'm ashamed of what I watched: CNN. It's the only English news channel available, and I feel soooo out of the loop of current events. The election primaries were on, and while a lot of it was junk, I did enjoy a few wise and thoughtful words from Ron Paul. Too bad he's not on top. Wake up, people!

Walked out to Railway Road (main street) around 8 for a roadside chai - where the workers were a little too overjoyed that I had chosen their stall to stop at! Sipped my deliciously sweet and spiced tea, then headed here for some web time... 2 and a half hours ago!!! Ok, gotta get up and go!   

Hello from Haridwar!

Sadly, the time came to leave magical Rishikesh this afternoon. As difficult as it was to go, my trip to Haridwar was a happy, peaceful one, as I knew I'd be returning to Rishikesh in May with my dad :)
Here's how I spent my last day...
Woke up around 8am, got dressed, brushed my teeth, put on a warm sweater for the still cool mornings, and headed down towards the river. Stopped at roadside chaiwallah for a glass of tea and brought it down the ghat steps to a spot by the water. I sat there watching the peaceful river flow, peeking over from time to time at the Indian man nearby performing his morning meditation, pranayam, chanting, prayers, and finally, with his arms reached out towards the sky, his laughter yoga. It was contagious and I couldn't help but giggle as I sipped my chai. I did a short meditation myself, then wrote a thank you card for Swati, splashed some Ganga water on my face, and headed back up the hill. Went to my room for a bit of packing, then over to Trika where I was meeting Irati (my teacher who cured herself naturally of cervix cancer) for a list of reading references on various healing therapies (for some work I hope to do when I get back home). I poked my head into the hall just as the morning class was ending, and she invited me in to participate in a short ceremony and meditation - it was the last class she was teaching there... at least for now. I sat with the group (people I had done my last week with as they did their first... they are now starting their last) and had a beautiful meditation on my time in Rishikesh and what brought me there. Then Irati gave me the fantastic list of books, journals and websites... I've got my work cut out for me! I said good bye to Irati and Sapna (who had come to meet her), gave them a thank you card as well as one for Ananta and Angela (who I'm sad not have had a chance to say goodbye to), and headed back to Sudesh for a little more packing. At 11:30, I went over to Swati's for the final goodbye and the exciting announcement. We chatted and she gave me a beautiful set of necklace and earrings in an ornate little container, then we had tea and snacks together, and then I gave her her thank you card with 10,000Rs ($200) for her mother's bathroom (I knew I must have misunderstood the cost... even for India, $50 seems unreal to build a bathroom... it's closer to $200... but with all your generous contributions, that amount has already been surpassed!). I could tell she was holding back emotions as her face lit up with happiness and gratitude, and she told me how incredibly thankful her mother would be. I also told her about the projector and camera I would be bringing in May (Meera, my coworker at Chambly, has generously offered to donate the camera - thank you Meera Jee!), as well as classroom supplies for English and math that my dad will bring (merci Papa!). Needless to say, she was overjoyed. I said goodbye to her mother-in-law, who told me I was like a daughter and reminded me to come for dinner in May with my dad, then goodbye (or see you in 2 months!) to Swati and Amit, as they drove off to town on scooter to check about her fever. Then it was back to Sudesh for final packing. Amazingly enough, I was able to fit my 16 (yes, 16) new books into what was already a fully charged bag when I came to India. Only my hiking boots didn't fit anymore, so I tied them to the outside of my bag. Quick room meditation before I left, then dropped my bags at reception while I made one last stop at internet. Got more messages in response to the Swati request, shedding some tears as I read through them. While I read, Anoop (Swati's brother-in-law who was also my yoga teacher for a few days after Trika) came in and told me he'd like to offer me a ride to the Rishikesh bus station so I wouldn't have to trudge my heavy bags across town and take a rickshaw with them. I told him it wasn't necessary, but he insisted and so I told him I'd be done at internet soon. He was across the street at Amit's stationary shop when I walked out, so we headed back to Sudesh, as I said goodbye to some shopkeepers along the way. I got my bags, said goodbye to the Sudesh guys, and hopped onto the back of Anoop's scooter. Great ride into town, said thank you and goodbye and see you soon. He gave me his business card and said to call if I ever needed anything, and that if something were to happen in Haridwar, they would come to me. Such incredible kindness. I hauled myself and my bags up the steps onto the rickety bus, and settled in for the half hour ride to Haridwar. I was the only westerner on the packed bus, and only one of about 5 women. About 10 minutes into the journey, my neighbor struck up a conversation with me. When he asked whether I spoke any Hindi, and I answered in Hindi, the three men in front of us slowly turned their heads, wide-eyed, and stared at me as I continued to converse using the few Hindi sentences I know. It doesn't take much to amaze Indians when it comes to speaking their language. They are so delightfully shocked as soon as you speak a few words :)  I took in the beautiful scenery as we approached Haridwar, continued to chat with my neighbor (who was visiting from Lucknow, a town up north), and got off the bus to be greeted, of course, by a few men wanting to give me a ride to my guesthouse. I haggled a little for the price (I only bargain for rides and when buying in bulk - like books! - but for the rest, I don't bother; everything is so wonderful and cheap already). We walked over to the selected man's vehicle, and I realized I would be taking my first bicycle rickshaw ride. I then felt bad about the haggling, and decided I would give him double what he initially asked when I got off. He did try bringing me to a hostel that was not the one I requested, but when I told him I already had a reservation, he moved on. As others called out while we rode along, he calmly told them I had a booking. I think I could probably have walked faster than he was peddling, but we finally arrived at Inder Kuteer Guesthouse, a couple kilometers away. I only had very large bills left, so I asked for change at reception. They didn't have any, which is a common hassle in India, but one of the workers walked down the street to get some for me. When he returned with the bills, I handed a 100 rupee note ($2) to the driver, but he wouldn't take it and grumbled something in Hindi. The first thought that crossed my mind was that he didn't want to accept the doubled fare, so I insisted with a smile holding the bill out towards him. He got increasingly annoyed and started raising his voice. Geez, I thought, I'm just trying to be nice. I caught that he was saying something about change, and I did have some smaller bills in my hands, so I thought, maybe he doesn't want to be stuck with a 100 bill and wanted it in smaller chunks. So I gave him 100 in 10s and 20s. He looked a little confused as I smiled at him, then he walked away still looking confused/grumpy. As I walked towards the hostel lobby, I was a little perplexed, though not bothered, by the absence of any sign of gratitude. Then I realized he probably thought I was expecting 50 back when I handed him the hundred (even though I tried expressing that I didn't), and was frustrated that I had gone through the trouble of getting change, but not giving him the exact amount. Ah well, what can you do... even with my little Hindi, some things still get lost in translation. Then came time to check-in, and the manager told me they only had deluxe rooms left, which were double the price we had agreed on when I called a week ago to reserve. I stood my ground, insisted that I hadn't called in advance for nothing, and of course, they did have cheaper rooms available. What he told me is that they keep those for Indian tourists, and keep the deluxe ones for westerners. I told him I wasn't a deluxe kind of a gal, and asked him to show me to a room that was the agreed upon price. Go Erika! My astrology workshops and two astrologers in Rishikesh (which I still need to blog about later) pointed to me needing more confidence, so here's to a good practice! Settled into my room, which, despite being the cheapest in Inder Kuteer (yet more than double what I was paying at Sudesh) is a great room. Even has a TV... maybe a little Bollywood movie tonight - I'd rather explore town for the first time in daylight tomorrow. Met a lovely, lovely woman on the common veranda, whose name is Eola. She's from Maine, in her 60s, and also traveling alone for a few months in India and loving it! Chatted with her for a bit, then headed out into the streets for some food. Had a delicious meal with the best naan bread I've had in India. I walked around town, exploring, for at least half and hour, and I think it's safe to say that, aside from Eola sitting on the Inder Kuteer balcony, I'm the only westerner in town! This means a lot of staring. But everyone is still wonderfully kind.
Well, that pretty much wraps it up. Still have a few Rishikesh experiences that need to be blogged about, but this post is already pretty long, so I'll save them for another day.
As I was writing this post, a woman came into the tiny back room which I'm in (only one computer in a bare cell-like box, with cracking paint on the walls) and lit some incense while praying before the image of an Indian god (forget this one's name... he has a short white beard and his face is a little monkey-like)... So I've been typing surrounded by the powerful fumes of the burning stick. Ahhh, India. 

THANK YOU!!!!!!

I'm completely overwhelmed by the incredible response to my Swati request on the blog, e-mail, and facebook. I'm sitting here crying tears of joy as I read through all the generous offers you have made. 
Thank you, Merci, Dhaanyavad, Shukriya!!!


My bags are packed and I'm leaving Rishikesh in less than an hour. Will blog about it in more detail from Haridwar...

Swati

Ok, I never thought I'd actually do this, but I'm pulling a total Eat, Pray, Love scene. I'm sending the "Tutti" e-mail (or blogpost). I've been very inspired by my friendship with Swati, and want to help her and her family. This is a request for you to help me help her. I'm looking for small donations for various things. $5, $10 or $20 depending on what you choose to contribute to. First, I mentioned my visit to her mother's home in my e.coli post. While I was there, I discovered that her parents and brother do not have their own bathroom. There is only a communal toilet (hole in the ground) for those who live in the small area. There is a space where a "bathroom" could be built in her parents' home, but she tells me they don't have enough money for it. Her father works at a small roadside stall, bringing in only enough money for food and shelter. Her mother takes care of the home, and her brother is attending college courses for hotel management. To pay for the courses, his parents borrowed a lot of money from relatives. Later that day, I asked Swati how much it would cost to build the bathroom facilities which her parents could not afford. Price: a mere $50. She said she wanted to help them, since she has a relatively good job teaching the children of the Ganges, but it is not accepted for a girl to financially help her parents. Her earnings should go to her own family and her husband's family, since that's who she lives with. So I asked her if it would be acceptable to receive financial help from foreigners. She said they would be extremely grateful. So, fund #1: ten $5 contributions for Swati's parents and brother to have their very own hole in the ground. Fund #2: ten $10 contributions to buy Swati a camera. She loves looking at the photos and videos I take of her family and the Children of the Ganges, and has fun using my camera herself. I'd love for her to be able to continue taking photos after I leave. Fund #3: The woman who founded Children of the Ganges recently sent Swati a laptop to use for educational purposes. Swati wasn't sure what to do with it or how to use it with the kids. I told her she'd be able to do much more with it if she had a projector to connect it to. So, ten $20 contributions towards a projector for Children of the Ganges. 

I intend to give her the 1st $50 for the bathroom before I leave tomorrow, so that maybe I will see what it created when I return in May with my dad, and hopefully offer her the camera and projector at the time I come back. I'll front all the money, and will collect any donations when I return home. For those who aren't in my area, you can send positive thoughts instead :)

Thanks in advance for your generosity. This is a cause that you can be sure about where your money is going, and know that there are no administrative costs!

Shukriya, Dhaanyavad.

Namaste.

Wedding #3

You may find this hard to believe after my last post, but last night I got all dolled up and attended the wedding of the wealthiest man in Ramjula! (Swati had told me the previous wedding was that of the wealthiest man, but she corrected that statement for this one.) So, the first wedding: I heard but didn't see, the 2nd: I watched the evening "parade" where the groom rides through town on horseback with a crowd and a marching band, and the 3rd: fully immersed as a guest! Since my dizziness and hot spells at internet two nights ago, I've been feeling great! Meds are working their magic. Swati had told me about this wedding a few days ago, and asked me to join her and her family who would be attending.  When I got sick, I was very disappointed that I probably wouldn't be able to go, but my trip to the hospital and ingestion of antibiotics allowed me to take part in this amazing event.

Went to Oasis for more Kichri at lunch yesterday (which they made specifically for me, it's not on the menu) and it was absolutely delicious. If only all medicine could be that pleasant to take! I had my last Hindi lesson in the morning and relaxed in the afternoon. Drank lots of water, ate only what I was supposed to, and felt great. I was meeting Swati at her place at 7:30, so in the couple hours that preceded, I treated myself to my very own little spa. Had a great soapy shower, put on my nicest clothes (Swati had offered to lend me a sari or Indian dress for the event, but I tried them on after class that morning and, well, she is minuscule, no fit), fixed my hair, and even put on a dab of make-up. Then I listened to the classic love songs of Charles Aznavour as I painted my toenails a bright orangy-pink (thanks for the polish, Sabrina!). I walked over to Swati's and chatted with her as she got ready. She looked stunning in her fancy sari. Amit and Arnav headed out to catch the Barat (groom on horse parade with band), while Swati and I put the finishing touches on our appearance. Then we went out to join the boys at the corner, saw the Barat just as it was coming through, but then, instead of following the slow procession around town, we headed straight for the gigantic outdoor tent set up for the reception. I have never seen so much (free!) food in my life!!! (Grand-maman aurait ete au septieme ciel!) I was a little conflicted about eating any of it given my situation and diet, but I'm afraid I was unable to resist. I was feeling great and it all looked sooooo delicious. And so many things I had never tried before! Glad I indulged (though I didn't overdo it) - still feeling fine today. We arrived around 9pm, and a couple hours later, Swati took little cold and tired Arnav home. The bride hadn't arrived yet (typical) and I was determined to see her, so Swati told me to stay with Amit. Shortly after, the bride finally made her entrance. Wow! Stunning as expected. (Though she never once smiled, something I had also noticed when going through Swati's wedding photos. Swati told me that was normal because the brides are very nervous and stressed on their wedding night.) I watched as she approached her seated husband-to-be, and as they both stood and put a garland around each others necks (equivalent to our exchanging of rings). Took some great pics and vids, then made my way home around midnight. Couldn't believe how awake I was, after barely being able to sit up the night before. My guesthouse is just a few minutes walk from the tent, so I didn't even attempt trying to sleep right away, given the very loud Indian dance music blaring from the speakers (btw, only males go onto the dance floor at Indian weddings... it's quite funny to see). I was pleasantly surprised when the music stopped a short half hour later. I read a bit, then turned the light out and went to sleep. Or at least tried to. I was still pumped with excitement from the wedding and the loud music, and sleep was nowhere near. Tried a few mediation techniques for sleep, but still no success. Around 2am, I pulled out my headlamp for a bit of reading. Tried falling asleep again around 2:30, and just as I was sensing some progress, the friggin' marching band got back into full swing! It went on for about 3 hours, along with very loud constantly barking dogs. Somehow, I actually slept on and off for those 3 hours, but was awake again around 6 when things fell silent again. But then, of course, the sun would be making an appearance in the next hour or so. Needless to say, my eyelids are little heavy today, but amazingly, even after pushing my luck with the wedding buffet, my health is still intact :)

Only two more days in Rishikesh... new adventures await elsewhere...

I'll end today with a passage from my 2am read from Practicing the Power of Now - Essential Teachings, Meditations and Exercises from The Power of Now (by Eckhart Tolle)

"Power over others is weakness disguised as strength. True power is within, and it is available to you now."
Take that and run with it!!!       

Field Trip...

Ventured out on a field trip to the actual town of Rishikesh with Swati today (she was amazed that I had never been to town in over a month here). Destination: hospital. Result: e.coli diagnosis. Turns out my tummy troubles were a little more serious than I thought.
As I mentioned in my last post, I never fully recovered from V-Day sickness, though the day or two after seemed better. But for the past five days, I've had rather unpleasant stomach sensations and have spent lots of time in the bathroom. At home, like here, I tend to wait until a situation gets quite drastic before resorting to doctors or hospitals. So first, I just paid attention to diet. Rice, banana lassis, raisins, plain crackers, dhal. When I saw little change after a day, I went to the ayurvedic shop near my hostel and got some rehydration powder to put in my water. Drank that all day. No change. Next day, back to the ayurvedic shop, where I was greeted with a loud and enthusiastic, "Hello my friend! How's your diarrhea??" When I told him the problem had been persisting for a few days, he said it was too late for ayurveda and that I should go to a hospital for appropriate medication. Ok, I guess I might consider it. Next morning I had Hindi with Swati, and when I told her about my problems, she said I should definitely go to the hospital. It so happened that she was heading to Rishikesh town the next day for an eye appointment, and said I should go with her. Seemed like the right thing to do. Later that day, I stopped by her husband's stationary shop for a few things, and he told me the ayurvedic doctor just next door to their home was very good and treated many foreigners. So I went there right away, hoping it might save me a trip to town and to the hospital the next day. The ayurvedic doctor asked what my symptoms were, then took a quick look at my tongue, listened as I made the sound "Aaahhh" with my tongue sticking out, and said I had excess mucus descending into my stomach and that I also had excess "fire". This was his ayurvedic way of telling me I was going a little too strong, and needed to chill out, relax, take it shanti, shanti. He prescribed me 4 doses of 4 different natural, ayurvedic pills, 2 doses for that evening, two for the next day. Told me what I should and shouldn't eat. Said I should be feeling fine tomorrow. Total cost for consultation and medicine: $1.20!!! So I headed towards home, stopping at Oasis for a small meal of "should" items, and then home for dose #1 at 6:30pm. Had to wait 3 hours before dose #2, which proved to be very difficult, as my energy levels were very low. I couldn't even read. Somehow, I managed to stay awake till 9:30, took my second dose, and fell asleep right after. For the first time in a few days, I actually slept through the night, not waking up to go to the bathroom. So, something good was happening. This morning I took my 3rd dose, felt decent, but still had loose bowel movements. Decided to go to the hospital with Swati just to be safe. We hopped into an auto-rickshaw together and rode into town. When we arrived at the hospital (more like a clinic size-wise), she managed to get me to see the doctor right away, asking that I be put through as an emergency. Skipped the line. Felt a little guilty. But I only took about a minute of the doctor's time. He asked about my symptoms, and said the best would be to have stool sample to check for any parasites. I got a small plastic container, spent a few minutes in the bathroom, but no luck getting a sample. Seems the ayurvedic pills were effective in stopping the diarrhea. The nurse suggested I go eat something then come back and try again. So Swati and I went across the street to a roadside stall for some parantha (potato flatbread), then back to the clinic. Tried again, unsuccessfully.   
(I wrote that part of the post last night, but started feeling nauseous and dizzy and having hot flashes, so I left the internet and went home to lie down. I think it was just a reaction to taking lots of new medication. Turned my fan on for the first time when I got to my room, and had a good sleep. Feeling better today. So here's part 2.)
Ok, where was I... yes, no stool sample even after food. So I went back to see the doctor and told him I had no sample. He prescribed medication for a regular, amoeba diarrhea (prebiotic and probiotic capsules: Diacowin Plus; antibiotic tablets: Ciproflaxin and Tinidazole, and some Immodium) since I didn't have fever or vomiting. Picked up my pills (still cheap, 200rs($4) for the emergency consultation, and 173rs($3.50) for my meds) then walked out to hail a rickshaw with Swati. But as we reached the street, I put my hand over my stomach and told her I thought I might be able to get a sample now. Went back in, went to the bathroom, and was able to produce only a tiny sample. Lab tech said it was enough for the test, so I left it with them to analyse and went to the eye clinic with Swati as we waited for the results. (She's having trouble seeing out of her left eye.) Her mother's home is near the eye clinic, so we walked there when she was done. Of course, her mother was uber-sweet and greeted me very warmly. She offered me tea right away, but when Swati explained my situation, she prepared a rehydration drink for me instead (water with lemon, sugar and salt). Swati's father was working at his roadside stall, and her mother's friend and sister were also at the home. They speak less English than I speak Hindi, so we didn't get to converse much, but whenever I spoke some of the little Hindi I know, all three women broke out in laughter. I thought I wasn't saying things properly, but Swati reassured me that what I said was fine. They were just so amused and impressed by my Hindi that it made them laugh :) When the friend and the aunt went back home (just a couple doors down), Swati's mother insisted on preparing Kichri for me. It's rice and lentils cooked together, with a consistency similar to rice pudding. It's a magical Indian dish for tummy troubles. It sounds quite plain, but was delicious. I had some of it there, and she packed the rest for me to take home for dinner. The kindness of people here is overwhelming. Swati's son, Arnav, goes to school in town near her mother's home (there are schools closer to when she lives, but not as good) and Amit (her husband) was coming to pick Arnav up while we were at her mother's. He came to meet us and offered to go back to the hospital himself to pick up my sample results. While he did, I visited Swati's aunt's home just a few steps away, and chatted with the ladies as much as I could. Amit returned with the results, telling me I had bugs in my stomach. When he showed me the paper, I saw that it was e.coli. Details of the test results (not sure why I feel inclined to share all this...maybe for those who know something about medicine...) were: Macroscopic examination: loose consistency; brown color; no blood; mucus present. And Microscopic examination: Pus Cells 6-8/hpf; cyst of e.coli and e.histolytica; no ova of any helminths seen. So, I was a little concerned when reading all this, but it seems that it's nothing too serious and can easily be treated. I'm on the initial meds he gave me for 3 days, and I'll go back tomorrow to see what I need next. Soooo glad this is happening now, and not while I was doing Trika!!! While my V-Day sickness was caused, I believe, by the Hello to the Queen, I don't think this is the same. It could have been caused by a variety of things, but I'd say that the pretty porcelain fountain that is labelled as reverse osmosis drinking water may have been the culprit. It's just in front of my guest house, and many others in Sudesh have also been sick. So, back to my day. I took some photos of Swati's family (her brother had also come home from his college classes while I was there... he is not married and therefore still lives at home) before I left, then hopped on Amit's scooter with Arnav and Swati. Arnav in the front (helmetless, of course), Amit driving, me straddled behind Amit, and Swati sitting sideways at the back. My first motorbike ride in India... loved it! Amit dropped us all at their home before heading back to his stationary shop (which his father watches while he picks up Arnav every day). I thanked Swati immensely for all her help and walked back home to rest. Energy levels very low in the evening. After a nap, I walked over to internet to blog, but that's when I started feeling off, as described earlier. Went back to my room, had the leftover kichri (forced it down as I had little appetite, but had to eat to take my antibiotics), and went to bed. Feeling much better today... fingers crossed for it to continue!    
(Ouf, that was a long one... sorry!)

MahaShivratri

Rishikesh was packed this weekend, with Indian tourists flocking in for Monday's big Shivratri festivities. Shivratri is the day to celebrate the wedding of Shiva and Parvati. I started the day with a plain black tea for breakfast. (Tummy troubles never completely left after Valentine's Day. Seemed to be getting better for couple days after, but since then have been persisting. Woke up feeling pretty lousy this morning, but much better this afternoon. All that to say, diet has been pretty boring and simple to try to appease my stomach.) After tea, I walked over to Trika to ask a few questions I still had, and also to ask for suggestions of how to spend Shivratri. Sapna, who is the only Indian teacher, was the one who had just taught the morning class, and she told me she was going to satsang with Prem Baba then following him and his followers up to the Shiva temple in the mountains, where the chanting and festivities would go on until 3am. I told her I'd probably go to satsang, but wasn't feeling well enough to stay out all night. I then went for my Monday class with Swati. She had been to a temple in the morning for Shivratri, but wasn't doing much else to celebrate. Except fasting for the day, then sharing a nice meal with her family late that night. (But she said her son and husband weren't fasting: "They feel the hunger too much!") She suggested I go to the temple near where we live, which is where her mother-in-law would be that night. (Every temple in Rishikesh would be having its own celebrations.) So I took Sapna and Swati's suggestions. There actually wasn't any satsang with Prem Baba. He said he preferred not to use words that day, but simply let the chants speak. So the gathering started with a few Indian men blessing Prem Baba with Shivratri prayers, then the bhajans (chanting) went on for over an hour, as people lined up to walk past Prem Baba and receive his blessing. It was hot and stuffy in the hall, since there were many more people than usual, and I had to walk out onto the balcony for air and down to use the washroom a few times. Despite the tummy, I was able to enjoy the beautiful and powerful chants that came from hundreds of voices. When it ended and the group prepared to head to the mountain temple, I slowly walked back to Sudesh. Really not feeling well at this point, and disappointed that I might not make it to Swati's temple that evening. I napped, relaxed, listened to soothing music, went to Oasis for an exciting plate of rice and ghee with black tea, and decided I'd attempt the temple visit. Walked down around 9pm, found the place Swati recommended, and walked up the steps. It was a very small temple, with fewer people than I expected. Only about 50 pairs of shoes at the entrance. I peeked in, saw only Indian people, and hesitated to go in. But I did, and I'm very glad I did. I was indeed the only foreigner in the place, but no one stared or looked at me questioningly. They actually seemed pleased that I was there participating in the puja (ritual of offering). Everyone stood around a small central shrine, with something happening in middle (I stayed towards the back and couldn't see exactly what they were doing). A long red and yellow string connected all who were present, and we held onto it as we chanted, prayed or meditated. Since this was a celebration of marriage, I meditated on happy and harmonious unions for myself as well as all my loved ones, and for humanity as a whole. After the loud and rapid ringing of the temple bells (wedding bells) I stepped outside, walked around the temple a few times, and slowly made my way back home. Lovely, lovely night.  

Children of the Ganges

As promised, details about my night with Swati. We had often talked about the English class she teaches at Children of the Ganges, but I was never able to go during my Trika month because the schedules conflicted. I think I said a bit about the school in an earlier blog, but here's a reminder. A woman from the Netherlands (but who lives in NYC) named Truike was inspired to start a school for poor children when she was here last summer. Swati is the lucky one who got hired as the teacher. The children who attend go to regular Hindi school during the day, then come to Swati from 5:30-7:30 to get general instruction as well as life skills all taught in English. This keeps them out of trouble in the evening, and opens door for them later in life. Swati told me that many of them were quite violent when they first started there, but they are now calm and incredibly polite. As you may have guessed, that's where I had the privilege of going last night. It's actually located in the same hotel as Anoop's morning yoga classes, but the hall is on the 5th floor, and the classroom is in the basement. It's a small, cozy, nicely decorated room. I walked over with Swati and Arnav (her 4 year old son who often joins her there to avoid being bored at home), and welcomed the students through the back gate. As each student approached the doorway to the class, they stopped, put one hand through, and said something I could not understand. When I asked Swati about this, she told me they were asking permission to enter. Wow! I can hardly imagine my students ever doing that! It took about 10 minutes for all 20 students (aged 6-13) to arrive, and they sat calmly at their desks while waiting. When all had arrived, they stood, closed their eyes, placed their hands in namaste, and followed Swati's opening Hindi songs (as Arnav and I kept peeking at each other), then cute little Arnav led them in an English prayer, followed by Swati's sanscrit chants. She invited me to come and sit next to her at the front when it was time to begin. I sat down, looked at her, looked at the expectant children, looked back at Swati, and she said, "Ok." "Ok, what?" I asked. "You can start," she said. "Huh?" "You are the teacher today!" Hahaha! Thanks for the warning! So, ya, I taught on the spur of the moment. We started by singing Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, then played pictionary, then I read them a very bizarre story  called The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon (while I read, a woman came in bringing tea for Swati and I), and we ended with me drawing images accompanied by English words for them to copy into their notebooks (one of my best sketches was called: Erika doing yoga!) Then it was dinner time. They all went out to wash their hands, then were served a potato dish with two chapatis (flat round bread). The two students in the front row invited me to squeeze in between them at the tiny desk to eat my meal. The woman who had served us came around with a newspaper page onto which we each placed a small ripped piece of chapati. I looked questioningly over at Swati, who said the first bite of the meal is for the cows. When they were all done, there was a final Hindi song/prayer and that concluded the class. I said good-bye to the kids and told them I'd surely be back to see them before leaving. 

Then it was time for part 2 of the evening, another thing Swati and I had been talking about for a while: she invited me back to her place to see the photo album of her wedding. Holy smokes! As I flipped through the pages, I could have sworn it was a royal wedding! But Anoop, who was also there, said that by Indian standards it was very normal and ordinary.  Swati looked absolutely stunning in her red and gold wedding dress, covered in jewels and  hennaed  forearms and feet.  I asked how many guests there were: 2000! And again, that's quite standard.  Her mother-in-law brought me tea and food, and when we were done with the album, I transfered  the pics and videos I took at Children of the Ganges onto Anoop's very nice new laptop, which one of his yoga students offered him as a gift! Don't think I'll be getting him anything that extravagant, but I do intend to donate quite a few things to C of the G (http://www.childrenoftheganges.com). 

Another incredible night, after a wonderful day :)

New Places, New Faces

I already described my most intense experiences yet... now, the most exhilarating! Just back from my first dip in the Ganga. I kept being told it was a must, but hadn't been till now. Walked about an hour to a small quiet beach, with a clear blue sky above, shining sun, and warmth. Sat down for a meditation before going in, then took a few deep breaths before submerging myself in the very cold sacred river. Wow. Amazing. Breathtaking. You can strongly feel the power of that holy water when it completely envelops your body. With a little will power, I was able to stay in for about 3 minutes, and 3 full dips. Your chest and heart expand, and your breath is sucked right out of you. Moments after coming out of the water, a huge grin spread across my face, then came laughter, then a few tears, and more laughter. I did a walking meditation as the sun and breeze dried my self and my drenched sarong, and I was overcome with an incredible sensation of peace. When I arrived an hour before, I was alone on the beach, but as it got more and more crowded, I packed my things and made my way home. Arrived just in time to say good-bye to my good friend, Scott, who is heading up to Dharamsala, following his heart. A little envious... it was supposed to be my next destination, but since I've stayed so much longer than planned in Rishikesh, I won't be able to make it this time around. So, the Ganga dip was one of the new places, and the second is Anoop's yoga class. Anoop is Swati's brother-in-law who recently got back from doing his yoga teacher training in Mysore, and has started teaching just a few minutes from my guest house. After taking 3 days off of yoga after Trika ended, I'm back to daily classes. But only one class a day for now, 8:30-10:30am. Great way to start the day. The yoga hall he teaches in is much smaller than the Trika hall, and there have only been 3-6 students in the class. It's a very different atmosphere and style from Trika, and as much as I loved Trika, I'm glad to be doing something a little different. And with an Indian teacher. The hall is on the 5th floor of another guest house, with a beautiful view of the mountains.
Now, the new faces. Most people following my blog are friends and family, but one girl came across it while preparing for her trip to India. She had some worries about traveling to India alone, and was inspired and comforted by what I had written. We exchanged a few e-mails, I answered a few questions, and we planned to go for tea when she arrived in Rishikesh. Yesterday, she showed up at Sudesh looking for me! We spent the afternoon together, I showed her around, and brought her to Prateek who was able to squeeze her in that very afternoon (she's only here for the weekend). After parting ways with Victoria, I ran off to have tea with Hari, the man who will be my dad and I's trekking guide when we are back here in May. Chatted about Rishikesh, trekking, and the Quebecois woman he is married to! Then, I ran back across the bridge to meet Scott for our dinner plans with a couple who runs an Ashram in BC (check it out: http://www.anuttarayoga.ca/index_files/retreatcentre.htm). Scott is friends with the couple, and I had told him I'd love to have chat with them before he leaves. He had given me the Ashram brochure about a week earlier, and I was  really inspired by it. I wanted to ask them plenty of questions about how they went about setting it up and running it. As I shared my questions and ideas with the girl, Cody, over dinner, she told me that what I seemed to have in mind for my own version of what they've done is not an ashram, but rather an Intentional Community. She gave me some great references for permaculture courses and associations which would help a great deal in this kind of undertaking. I won't go into too much detail at the moment for what it is I hope to develop when I get back home, but let me tell you, I'm very, very excited and full of wonderful ideas. It's not an easy undertaking, and I have lots of people in mind for help in different areas of expertise... so get ready to be called upon when I return to Canada!
I'm off to meet Swati  for a very special evening, which will surely be the topic of my next post.
Shanti, shanti, shanti.

Post-sick Schedule

Slept and fasted my way back to health - fasted on the 14th, fell asleep around 6:30 and got up at 9 the next morning! Was still a little off yesterday, but already much better than V-day. And today, totally back in business. Gotta make up for lost time! Time cannot be wasted in Rishikesh... especially with only a week and a half to go! However, I must remember that being sick is in part my body's way of telling me to slow down. To be shanti, shanti. But it's hard. Yesterday, on my first post-Trika, non-sick day, I finally ventured out a little further than I have in the past month. I've experienced so much, done so much, grown so much, yet remained within a 3km radius. On a 2-hour walk, I discovered so much more of my surroundings, but a year would not even be enough to see all there is to see in Rishikesh. I still only explored a small area of Ramjula, the small district I live in, which is one of four areas in the yoga part of Rishikesh. I haven't even been to the actual main town of Rishikesh, where the hustle and bustle and main market are. I've planned out my last two weeks with all that I still want to do, and there definitely isn't any room for another sick day... or even sick hour for that matter. Speaking of sick, I've been on a black tea, plain rice, and raisins diet since V-day, and let me tell you that the sight or mere thought of ice-cream makes me want to hurl. This may be hard to believe for those who know me well! (My friend Nina mentioned that the ice-cream sickness may be related to the electricity that keeps going on and off... not so good for dairy.)
After yesterday's exploration walk, I went back to my room to relax for a bit, then headed out to see my first Indian wedding! Swati (my friend and Hindi teacher) had told me about it during my class earlier that day, and I was determined not to miss it. What a production! Apparently, it was the wedding of the wealthiest family in Ramjula, and would be hard to explain clearly, but I took some videos that I'll share back home. (Oh, and I promise a photo blog before leaving Rishikesh!) After an hour of that craziness, I headed back to Sudesh for a Sufi music concert in the yoga hall on the fourth floor. Great time! Group of 7, with 2 harmonium players, 1 tabla player, 1 keyboard player, and three singers/clappers. We were served chai and pakoras as we listened and swayed to the mesmerizing music. After the concert, we could still hear the Indian dance music blaring from the wedding reception, which was held in a tent just behind my guesthouse. I thought it would go all night and prevent me from sleep, but it was quiet by midnight. But then, I was woken up around 4am by band music... hmmm, guess they just took a quick nap and got back to festivities! It seems the wedding may go on for 3-4 days! Despite the noise, I'm glad it took place while I was here and that I caught some of it.
Off to hear what Prem Baba has to say today...

V-Day

Not much sign of Valentine's Day in Rishikesh... and as for me, this year's love affair has been with my toilet. Ya. Real romantic. Haven't been this sick since the "all-you-can-eat-meat-buffet"(???) in Cambodia 6 years ago. Actually, that one was much worse, but this comes a close second. And for such a silly reason... There's this mouth-watering dessert in every cafe in Rishikesh called Hello to the Queen. Ha. I've been watching people eat them for a month now, never indulging in one myself. I told myself I'd get one after completing the full Trika course, which happened yesterday. Saw it as a reward for a month of mental and physical purification, but it didn't end up being a reward at all. As I took the last bites (actually, I haven't described it yet: cookie crumbs at the base, covered with warm, chopped bananas and a mountain of vanilla ice-cream, drizzled with chocolate syrup), I could already tell this had been a very bad idea. Stomach pains began immediately, and I went back to my room very early. I lay in bed with stomach cramps for several hours, and then, from 1am to 1pm I visited my bathroom many, many times. The problem with eating so healthily and doing all these purifications, is that my stomach can now no longer tolerate the guilty pleasures I used to regularly indulge in. Oh, and if that weren't bad enough already, I ran out of toilet paper. Great. This time, I'll spare you the details, saying only that I'm now more familiar with the typical Indian way of, well, wiping. It's now 5pm, and I thought I was feeling well enough to venture away from home... not too sure anymore, let's see how long I last.
So, as I said, yesterday I officially completed the full Trika course, without having missed a single class. Last week was back to basics, since I had started during week 2, and it was nice to tie up all the loose strings at the end. To give you a clearer idea of what I've been delving into, here are the lecture topics from the course (this will only represent the tip of the iceberg of what I've learnt and experienced, but should paint a pretty good picture):
-Two fundamental principles of yoga: correspondence and resonance
-The 7 chakras (root, sacral, naval, heart, throat, third eye, crown)
-What is Yoga? (history and why to practice it)
-Asanas (postures of the physical body)
-The 4 kriyas (daily morning cleansing: tongue, gums, nose, eyes)
-Polarity (solar/lunar, yang/yin, male/female, cosmic/telluric, +/-)
-Indriyas (body organs related to each chakra)
-Suryanamaskar (sun-salutations)
-Ashtanga (the 8 limbs of yoga)
-The different branches of yoga (Jnana, Bakhti, Karma, Raja, Tantra, Hatha, Kundalini...)
-Pancakosa (the 5 bodies/layers, physical and beyond)
-Music Meditation 
-Ahimsa (non-violence)
-Mental Concentration
-Satyam (truth)
-Healing in Yoga 
-Asteya (non-theft)
-Vamana Dhauti and Ayurvedic medicine
-Brahmacharya (sexual containment)
-Vegetarianism
-Aparigraha (non-possessiveness)
-Karma Yoga
-Sauch (purity)
-Sanka Praksalana (intestinal cleanse)
-Santosa (contentment)
-Yoga Nidra (lucid dreaming)
-Tapas (austerity)
-Svadhyaya (self-knowledge)
-Macrobiotics
-Isvarapranidhana (surrender to the divine)
-Laya yoga (mantras to hear the sound of the universe)
Those are the main topics, and you can probably see why this course has been so life-altering.
Had planned to go to Prem Baba this morning, and I assumed he might be focusing on Love. But since I was bed-ridden, I delved into Osho's Being in Love which I recently bought. 
Ok, it's getting pretty urgent that I return to my room... so I'm going to go back to how to love with awareness and relate without fear as a celebration of this year's Valentine's Day.

  

Femininity Workshop

Well, after all that's been said and done, I can tell you with certainty that yesterday I had my most intense experience yet. Trika occasionally offers workshops on various topics such as metaphysics, tantra, astrology, the art of dying, and femininity. When Sapna told us the next one would be femininity, I wasn't particularly interested and thought the other topics all sounded much more appealing. But then she described the workshop, talking about what topics would be covered and how it would unfold, and I thought, "I have to go to that". So I did. It was yesterday (Sunday - our day off) evening, scheduled from 3-6, but ended up lasting until 7:30. I'm not going to go into detail, because I could not possibly convey the intensity or emotions in a simple blog. But here's the jist of it.
Not really knowing exactly what we were in for, 12 women (some from Trika, some not) gathered in the yoga hall and sat in a circle with our teachers, Sapna and Irati. After the consecration to Durga (Goddess Durga is the mother of the universe and believed to be the power behind the work of creation, preservation, and destruction of the world. Since time immemorial she has been worshipped as the supreme power of the Supreme Being), Sapna gave a talk on the different stages of femininity: the little girl, the teenager, the woman, the mother, the goddess. For each of these stages, after having been given info and specific instructions, we were told to draw (or write) what came to mind, then share. I won't go into specifics here, but I can tell you that as the sharing began, women who had walked in looking solid as stone became incredibly vulnerable, letting go of fear, pain and tears. For me, this happened when we got the woman stage, and my emotions arose in relation to my mother (whom I lost to breast cancer 8 years ago, for those who may not know). Again, for the details of this part, I'll share with some of you in person. The instruction, drawing, writing, and sharing for each stage lasted about 3 hours, and was followed by Irati's dance segment. Once we had opened the floodgates of feelings and tears, letting go of many things that we were painfully holding onto, it was time to dance. For more than an hour straight. But let me tell you, having danced for 16 years of my life, I have never danced like this. This part of the workshop, like the first part, was very specifically designed and organized. It wasn't just, Ok, now dance. Again, the dancing and accompanying music was separated into the 5 stages of femininity, and there's still much more to it that I'll keep for sharing in personal conversations. As I said before, strong emotions relating to my mother arose during part 1, and they didn't end there. As we moved through part 2, I held her hand, I hugged her, I walked with her, I cried with her, and I danced with her. It was magical, it was incredible, it was beautiful. It was Joy. 

Daily Life

Warmth not here to stay after all... back to multiple layers and socks in flip-flops. But the sun does shine every single afternoon :) A few random tidbits for today's post...
- In the past week, I've recruited several people to Trika and Sudesh (guesthouse) during meal conversations. Really, I should be getting compensation for all this business. Wait, no. That's a very un-yogic thing to say. It's Karma yoga. And I can only hope that my recommendations lead to life changes in them as great as the ones I've experienced.
- As my course comes to an end, I'm finding a little more time for reading. Found The God of Small Things in the Trika hall library, a novel that came highly recommended by Cindy, my yoga teacher at home. I'm finding it a little hard to get into, but I'll persist. Anyone read it?
- I had mentioned earlier that there is no alcohol on any menus here since it's a sacred place, but I only recently noticed that there's no meat anywhere either. I guess non-vegetarians would have noticed much quicker! It's strange to have full menus to choose from everywhere I go, rather than a few select options on menus back home. It's fantastic, but sometimes time-consuming for an indecisive person like me.
- There's this lovely little fountain just outside my guesthouse that says "R/O (reverse osmosis) Drinking Water" above it, and for quite some time I didn't dare drink from it. But a couple weeks ago I started filling my water bottles there, and no problemo! Free water :) Spending my drinking money on tea instead... at least three cups a day (usually chai masala from the street stall in the morning, ginger lemon honey in afternoon, and jasmine in the evening... also sometimes have mint tea, ayurvedic tea, tulsi tea, warming tea... all wonderful). And they cost about a quarter a cup (actually, I should say glass... they have this strange habit of serving tea in water glasses, which are way too hot to hold!)
- Speaking of costs, I'm still living on about $15 a day :)
- As I walk to my afternoon class, the high school kids are on their way home. I smile at them in their various, neat uniforms, which all schools in India have.
- My walks home from evening lectures are helping me develop great night vision... very few street lights, so my eyes have to do a very good job of spotting dark cow dung in the dark alleys as I make my way home. Still have yet to step in a pile... knock on wood!
- I'm amazed to see how many families travel here with young children, it's great! The kids and parents all seem very happy.
- Here's a good one: When I told one of my yoga teachers about the sensations I was having during final relaxation (savasana), she told me it was very rare that first level students experience these things. She said I was probably an enlightened yogic guru in a past life. So... I went back to Prateek (astrologer) to ask him more about this. All I knew from the first meeting was that I lived in France. Here's what he told me: I lived in the mountains of Toulouse, had a very highly developed spirituality, spent my life healing people with herbal mixtures I made, and lived a very, very long life. Enlightened guru, maybe not, but not too far off... Next astrology meeting will hopefully be with Amodini, a woman who does much longer and more thorough readings than Prateek, and who is hard to find since she does not advertise in any way. After a couple weeks of searching, finally got a hold of her phone number... we'll see where it leads me...
- I've now written 60 pages in my India journal, about 40 pages of random notes in a smaller notebook, at least 100 pages of Trika course and lecture notes, 20 or so pages of Hindi lesson notes and 20 lengthy blog posts... Many people have commented on how much they enjoy reading the blog, and that it could even make a good memoir. Prateek also told me that I had great creativity in writing (without reading anything I've written, of course) and that I should use and develop it more... So, who knows... maybe all these pages are a book in the making...
- I went back to Shanti Mai last week, and she showed a very inspiring video. She often speaks of the amazing shift in consciousness that is presently taking place on earth, and about how 2012 is the beginning of a pretty incredible period in history. Check it out, it's sure to fill you with inspiration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1fiubmOqH4 As she ended the satsang, she said: "If you want life to be magical, it will... Humankind knows what to do!... The world is changing, this is 2012!... Figure out where you stand; I hope it is not in fear... I pray that you will find your beauty... I thank you with all my heart, for being exactly who you are..." Ya. Pretty uplifting huh? Best part is... it's true!
That's it for today. Let me end with a quote from Irati's (Trika teacher's) facebook page:
We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.   

Trika Part 2

Warm weather seems to be here to stay... no more socks in my flip-flops :)
So, a bit more about Trika... One of my favorite daily moments is doing the 4pm surya namaskar (sun salutations) while chanting the 12 vedic names of the sun. When we have a big group, especially with lots of deep male voices, the chants are incredibly powerful and vibrate the entire hall. However, it is sometimes a little difficult to maintain a strong voice while in downward dog or back-bend! Another enjoyable - and more comedic - moment is when random cows decide to come through the curtain, which serves as our main door, to check out what yoga moves we're doing :) Followed by our semi-frantic teacher rushing over to push them back outside! Also amusing, evening lectures are sometimes interrupted by unpredictable noises, that make it impossible for the speaker to be heard. The loudest and longest yet was a wedding procession just outside our window (read: hole in the concrete wall covered by a curtain). The fanfare blared for at least 20 minutes, without seeming to move on. Another time, there was drum concert again just outside; and during this morning's class, I think the sadhus who sit just below the window were blowing up squashes... yeah. There was a loud boom, followed by laughing and an exquisitely aromatic smell of pumpkin. Repeated 4 or 5 times. Then there's the unpredictable electricity, which goes on and off as it pleases. Once, our evening lecturer sat down, crossed his legs, took a few deep breaths and said: "Let's begin". Immediately, the lights went out, and we were sitting in the dark. 
Almost a month of yoga, 4 hours a day, has worked wonders for my body and flexibility. I used to do yoga only once a week back home, and sometimes wondered why the physical results weren't more noticeable. But of course, for significant change, yoga needs to be a daily practice. Which I'm sure it will now be for me, even after finishing Trika. (Cindy - remember how much I dreaded paschimottanasana and always had to use a bolster under my knees? Well, it is now one of my favorite and most relaxing postures, with my legs fully outstretched on the ground!) And the final asana we learned, the king of the asanas, was sirsasana (pronounced shirshasana), the famous yogic headstand. Yup, I am now calm and content as I stand on my head for several minutes.
Turns out there are no student of the week or month certificates, but I did get chosen as the student who would have access to the lock combination to open the front door gate and set up if I arrive before the teachers. Lighting the candles, the incense, and doing a short consecration before lighting the ghee surrounded wick. Good enough.
Last week, I ran into the Australian girl I met on my first day in Rishikesh (remember, who was here visiting her uncle for a few months who has been living here for 11 years), and she said, "Wow, you seem so much more peaceful than you did when we first met!" She also said that she could always spot the "Trika people" in Rishikesh from the twinkle in their eyes ;)
As promised, here are the two passages I read from Adbusters magazine during the final ceremony. As I flipped through the pages, I couldn't believe how closely the words connected to what I had experienced at Trika.
From the first page:
"A revolutionary movement does not expand by contamination. But by resonance. Something emerging here resonates with the shock wave emitted by something emerging out there." This resonance, let's name it "event." The event is the sudden creation, not of a new reality, but of a myriad of new possibilities.
And from the last page:
The divine is the experience of being part of one's natural environment, vibrating with its energy, connected to all, without having to erect imaginary boundaries between the self and the other.

Trika Yoga

So, more about Trika. Well, let's start with this past weekend. On Saturday night we had the final ceremony to receive our certificates of achievement. I still have a week of classes left, but I still got my certificate... here's how it works. It's a 24-day course, given over 4 weeks, and you can join on any day. After the last day of Level 1, the course starts again the following Monday, so if you started late, you just pick up what you missed at the end. I started on the Tuesday of week 2, so I have 7 days left. But technically, you only have to complete 75% of the course to receive your certificate, so when came time for the ceremony and Angela saw that I was only missing one day to complete the 75%, she wanted to be able to award me my certificate with the students I took the course with. So I promised to take the extra day (and am of course also eager to go to the week I missed even if I don't technically need to do it), and was able to participate in the beautiful ceremony. The hall was nicely decorated, a consecration was done at the beginning, and 5 of us received our certificate, a big hug, a gorgeous orange and yellow flower garland and a prasat (Indian sweet, not sure how to spell it, kind of fudge-like). Then, we each went up one by one to share a bit about our experience at Trika and present something (song, reading, game...). I got quite emotional as I shared what I had gained from Trika, and ended with two passages I found in an issue of Adbusters I had brought with me to India, which fit perfectly with the course. I wanted to share those passages on the blog, but forgot the magazine in my room, so you'll get them next time. Then we were purified with a specially made small fire, and the ceremony ended with a meditation and a great big group hug :)
Sunday night we had another celebration, this time for Angela's birthday. Adrienne, Scott and I (who have become good friends) bought a chocolate cake and decorated the top with sliced bananas, pomegranate seeds and red flowers. It looked amazing! We thought about going into business here. Angela loved it. We chatted, ate cake, and danced.
About the teachers: Angelic Angela from Spain, who runs the Rishikesh Trika center at the moment; Fascinating Ananta from Polland, who has been having out of body experiences since he was a child; Incredible Irati from Spain (but who grew up in Scotland... most unique accent I've ever heard!) who naturally cured herself of cancer (big focus on macrobiotics); Lovely Indian Sapna, who was born in Malawi but grew up in London; Handsome Kristof from Austria, who sounds like - but does not look like! - Arnold Schwarzeneger; Laura from New York, who looks just like Alanis Morissette; Celine from France, who just arrived from Thailand a few days ago; and Katarina from Switzerland, who we only had once for a lecture on vegetarianism. The teachers are unpaid (Karma Yoga - doing a good action without needing anything in return), and work on a rotational basis. Our main ones have been Angela, Ananta, Sapna and Irati. I found out more today about where our fees go, since we don't pay their salary: of course, there's renting the hall, paying for electricity, and contributing to publicity posters, but there's also the monthly "bribe" they pay to local police. Here's the story. The founding Swami of Trika is a Romanian, who set up his school in Rishikesh. His philosophy and teachings appealed to many, and soon, his school was packed with people while others were looking for customers. He employed several foreign trained teachers to expand the school. The Indian "mafia-like" system here didn't like that his school was attracting so many people compared to others, and also didn't like that money was going towards a mostly foreign-run yoga school. So, they did everything they could to find problems or loop-holes in Swami's legal documents, and managed to eventually ban him from re-entering India. He then moved the main center of his school to Kho Pagnan in Thailand. Ever since, Rishikesh Trika has been paying monthly bribes to stay open. This morning, on Day 1 one of the course for many, Sapna arrived looking quite frazzled and said we may have to cancel class. A cop had stopped her on her way to the hall and said sternly: "No class today!" Apparently, this month's fees haven't been paid on time, and the cops threatened to come in and check the teachers' legal working visas (which some have, but others don't, since technically they aren't being paid for their work). So Sapna called Angela, who said to proceed with the class anyway. We did, and no cops showed up... maybe they'll drop in this afternoon.
Now, the equally eclectic group of Trika students I did week 2, 3 and 4 of the course with: Beautiful Anastasia from Russia, who was only there for a few days, before switching to the Kho Pagnan school (Another very interesting aspect of Trika is that you can split your course between different places - main centers are in Rishikesh, Thailand, and Mexico, with smaller branches elsewhere around the world - and that once you pay for a full course, you can repeat it at any center as many times as you want for free. They encourage repeating to really let the info sink in and get lectures from the perspective of different teachers.) Then there's sweet Adrienne from Pensylvania, who, like me, taught for a few years, got frustrated with the regular North American education system, and ran off to India. Scott, the scruffy, tattooed tree planter from North Bay, Ontario; Holgar, the tall German who knows about so many fascinating topics; Peppino, the serious but passionate and kind wine-maker from Italy; Julian from Switzerland, our Bhajan singer and guitar player (accompanied by his German girlfriend, Tonya, not in Trika); friendly Alice from Belgium; high strung yet soft and timid Blanca from Czech Republic; Emma and Tom, young couple from England; kind, smoker Tom from Scotland; and Mick, the friendly DJ from England. Most are my age, around 30, except Tom and Mick who are probably in their 50s. Class size, depending on the day and drop-ins, varied between 6 and 12. But today, back to Day 1 of the course, there were about 25! It feels quite different, and I'm glad I arrived earlier to have a small, cozy group. Tourist season is approaching, and Rishikesh is getting increasingly packed. Though there are still more Indian visitors than Western one. Another thing that is finally arriving... heat! I'm sure I'll be complaining about it very soon, but for now it feels great! Only one layer of sleeves yesterday and today :)
Well, I didn't get to much detail about the course itself, but it's already time to head to afternoon class, so Trika part 2 next time, along with the quote I read at the ceremony.

Correction

I fixed the last word from the chant... life, not light.

Daily Life

Just checked the date of my last post... been slackin' on the bloggin'!
Guess it might be because nothing outstanding has taken place in the last few days. Well, by Rishikesh standards at least. I learned about conscious dreaming and how to be in control of what happens while you sleep. Those hours are no longer simply replenishment for the body... the things you can accomplish while you sleep are unbelievable! But that's just regular news in terms of Rishikesh. Nothing like Sanka Praksalana to report on today. Not surprisingly, that post got the most responses yet.
So, daily life... let's start with small-talk, the weather. I still wear two layers of pants and of long sleeves pretty much all the time (plus scarf, tuque, socks and shawl). When sitting in the sun for a few minutes, I'll occasionally remove one layer on top. Speaking of sun, it's almost always out. It hasn't rained since my first couple days here, and most afternoons are sunny. Had to buy a new shawl since giving mine away... I was constantly shivering in the mornings and evenings.
As for my daily schedule, pretty packed. The only time I've relaxed for more than an hour was yesterday, and only because, for the first time, I was a little physically sick (and maybe due to that, a tiny bit homesick for the first time). Tummy troubles. Felt it in the morning, went to class anyway but took it easy, then lay down in bed reading, writing cards and listening to music for almost 4 hours. Amazing. And it worked. Tummy healed, but I ended the day with a little cold and congestion. But again, it quickly passed, all better today. Sicknesses appear, and I just shoo them away! Back to schedule: class from 8-10am, brunch from 10-11, then alternating between Hindi classes (Mon-Wed-Fri) and satsang (Prem Baba or Shanti Mai, Tue-Thu) from 11-1. From 1-4, variety of things: errands, internet, snack, read class notes... class from 4-6, lecture from 6-8, dinner from 8-9, then bed around 10. Every day except Sunday, our day off from class.
Next, lodging. I've stayed in three different places since arriving in India (Delhi, Rishikesh on the other side of the river, and where I am now). But I've also moved three times in my current guesthouse, Sudesh. Started in a tiny, basic, cell-like room that received hardly any light or warmth through its one window, which never faced the sun. But it was clean and relatively comfy. I had described the mattresses at Om Karananda (first guesthouse across the river), as 1-inch thick, dense and futon-like. We actually use the same thing in our yoga hall to cover ourselves with during final relaxation. So you can imagine that a mattress which can also serve as a blanket isn't much of a mattress at all. At Sudesh, the mattresses are a bit thicker (maybe 2 inches) and squishier. But 2 inches of sqishiness means you pretty much sink down to the wooden plank bed base. But hey, plenty of Sadhus (wiki: Sadhus are sanyasi, or renunciates, who have left behind all material and sexual attachments and live in caves, forests and temples all over India and Nepal) from nearby ashrams sleep on concrete benches, so I really shouldn't complain. Anyhow, I asked for a room with more windows after three days, and the only one they had available was the "penthouse", best room in the place. It was a whopping $6/night  (previous room was $3). So I figured I'd splurge for a few nights to get some sunlight. When another big window room freed up two floors down, I moved there and it is my current home. Nicer and a bit bigger than my first room, but not as "luxurious" as the one I came from. Back to $3 a night. Colors leave much to be desired: fluorescent green walls (not very zen), with salmon colored blinds. Gorgeous. But, I've made myself at home there and don't think I'll move again till I leave. Which, by the way, will only be at the end of February, in time to meet Blaire (my cousin) in Mumbai on March 1st. Planned to stay here 2 weeks, turned into 4, and finally 6. Rishikesh does that to you. (And since I'm already often shivering here, with my warmest clothes, heading up to Dharamsala, my initial plan, didn't seem like a good idea. It goes below freezing at night, there's snow, and of course, there's not heating.)
My New Year's resolution was to wake up earlier to spend time meditating, and I'm pleased to report that my alarm, set for 7am, has only woken me up about 3 times since I've been in Rishikesh. Otherwise, I'm up between 6 and 7 in the dark. Gets light around 7. While I haven't done meditation on my own yet in the morning, I do start my day with two hours of yoga class... close enough! And when the course is done (I have one week left) I'll be able to spend more time on my personal practice. (If I don't do level 2, that is!)
Food here is fantastic, and I even started eating street food a couple weeks ago. (And brushing my teeth with tap water!) I've spent countless hours at Oasis Cafe, (thatch-roof hut, wood stove at the center, cushions and low tables around it) just a few steps from my guesthouse, savoring the delicious food and engaging in some of the most interesting and enlightening conversations I've ever had, usually with students from my class. Next post, I'll give more details about my class, the students, and teachers.
Electricity here goes on and off a few times a day as it pleases, but has never been out for more than about an hour. When it was out at night and I was in my room, I was very grateful to Chrystal who convinced me to buy a headlamp the day before I left for India, and... who gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby boy, Loic, about a week ago :)
Cost of living: I've paid between 3 and 11 dollars per night for lodging; morning chai is about 15 cents, post-class brunch is usually about $2, afternoon snack less than a dollar, dinner about $3; internet is 75 cents an hour; Hindi with Swati is $2 per class; satsangs are free. Those are my regular costs, plus my Trika yoga which was $210 for an intensive 24-day course. The Delhi travel agent was charging me $200 per week for the Rajastan trip, and let me repeat that I am sooooo happy to have ended up here instead!
That's it for now. I'll end with the English translation (we usually sing in Sanskrit) of one the chants we sang at our Friday Bhajans last night. Just reading it, however, doesn't do justice to the beauty of it when chanted in sanskrit as a group and with instruments (even had harmoniums last night). Maybe I can organize Bhajan evenings back home when I get back!
Oh lead us from the darkness to the light,
From the unreal to the real,
From the earth to the open sky,
From death to eternal life,
From death to eternal life.