January 22, 2008
Yo,
We are off to India!!! Wowzers. And here is my new email, it's gmail, and yes it's SUPER SONIC AVENGERS. That's right, I'm bringing the Avengers to the other side of the world. Thanks to everyone for helping us during the move and the packing and all that shit. And thanks again for celebrating my birthday.
Now that U have the address, please keep in touch. We will be checking the email every once in awhile when we get a chance.
We'll see you in 4 months!!!
Shawn and Tonya
Mumbai
January 26, 2008
Hello Wonderful Friends and Family, So here we are in Mumbai (big, dirty, and busy). I really feel right at home except that everyone is always staring at us with Shawn with his crazy hair and me because I'm sooo damn cute(well that's what I think). I also really miss my Friends and family and students because it really hit me that I won't see everyone for four months. I dreamed all night the first night about my beloveds! WOW what amazing people in my life!
Anyway enough filling your egos. We went to Elephanta caves today and they are quite amazing. It was about a one hour boat ride out to an island off Mumbai. We caught the first boat which left at 9am. We thought it was earlier and got a chance to watch the sun rise(AMAZING!!) between 2 islands. The smog really intensifies the colors and size of the sun. And boy is there a lot of smog. I thought it was rainy when we were landing but no just smog!! The morning is also the best time in the city; calm, quiet and friendly. Shawn even saw a laughing club on his first morning walk. So back to the caves, they are these gorgeous carved out caves of Hindu Gods and Goddesses interspersed with Shiva Lingams. We took some good photos.
The weather is great not too hot, not too cold. The Hotels good enough for me and we have eaten pretty well. So all and all we are doing great! We will hopefully be leaving tomorrow and taking a train west the visit another set of caves, then south to Amma's ashram, stopping in Goa along the way. That's at least the tentative plan.
More to come hopfully soon. I Love You!!
Much Love, Tonya
Hello Wonderful Friends and Family, So here we are in Mumbai (big, dirty, and busy). I really feel right at home except that everyone is always staring at us with Shawn with his crazy hair and me because I'm sooo damn cute(well that's what I think). I also really miss my Friends and family and students because it really hit me that I won't see everyone for four months. I dreamed all night the first night about my beloveds! WOW what amazing people in my life!
Anyway enough filling your egos. We went to Elephanta caves today and they are quite amazing. It was about a one hour boat ride out to an island off Mumbai. We caught the first boat which left at 9am. We thought it was earlier and got a chance to watch the sun rise(AMAZING!!) between 2 islands. The smog really intensifies the colors and size of the sun. And boy is there a lot of smog. I thought it was rainy when we were landing but no just smog!! The morning is also the best time in the city; calm, quiet and friendly. Shawn even saw a laughing club on his first morning walk. So back to the caves, they are these gorgeous carved out caves of Hindu Gods and Goddesses interspersed with Shiva Lingams. We took some good photos.
The weather is great not too hot, not too cold. The Hotels good enough for me and we have eaten pretty well. So all and all we are doing great! We will hopefully be leaving tomorrow and taking a train west the visit another set of caves, then south to Amma's ashram, stopping in Goa along the way. That's at least the tentative plan.
More to come hopfully soon. I Love You!!
Much Love, Tonya
Elephanta Island
January 26, 2008
So today we were on a boat and a scorpion crawled out from the bottom deck and was crawling around people's feet. Then on the island that we visited, Elephanta Island off of Mumbai, we saw a monkey jump out of a tree an grab a plastic bag out of a woman's hand and jump back up the tree. Crazy! We also saw 700 year old rock sculptures that are carved into the mountainside, as big as a house.
And we are also giving a 24 hour show for people to look at here. Apparently people are not used to tall skinny white dudes with dreads down to their ass, cuz people are outright gawking at me. And someone pinched Tonya's butt in the street! Well I can understand that one, but being completely stared at alllllllll day is getting kind of tired, especially since I feel like I am the butt of their jokes. Guess it's something I gotta get used to.
It's Independence day today, so the streets are crazy and there is a Indo-rave going on about a block away from our hotel. Yeaaaa. I'm sort of looking forward to getting out of this big smoggy city. I'm always so exhausted, don't know if it's jet lag or the food or what. But I'm having a blast! The tea is amazing and we watched the sun rise over the bay of Bengal this morning, really beautiful. And shit, I could be working at the Museum right now, so I ain't complaining.
See you,
Shawn and Tonya
So today we were on a boat and a scorpion crawled out from the bottom deck and was crawling around people's feet. Then on the island that we visited, Elephanta Island off of Mumbai, we saw a monkey jump out of a tree an grab a plastic bag out of a woman's hand and jump back up the tree. Crazy! We also saw 700 year old rock sculptures that are carved into the mountainside, as big as a house.
And we are also giving a 24 hour show for people to look at here. Apparently people are not used to tall skinny white dudes with dreads down to their ass, cuz people are outright gawking at me. And someone pinched Tonya's butt in the street! Well I can understand that one, but being completely stared at alllllllll day is getting kind of tired, especially since I feel like I am the butt of their jokes. Guess it's something I gotta get used to.
It's Independence day today, so the streets are crazy and there is a Indo-rave going on about a block away from our hotel. Yeaaaa. I'm sort of looking forward to getting out of this big smoggy city. I'm always so exhausted, don't know if it's jet lag or the food or what. But I'm having a blast! The tea is amazing and we watched the sun rise over the bay of Bengal this morning, really beautiful. And shit, I could be working at the Museum right now, so I ain't complaining.
See you,
Shawn and Tonya
Ellora and Ajanta
January 27, 2008
So today we are off and out of Lovely smoggy Mumbai. We are waiting seven hours for our train, just watched a cricket game (I don't understand that shit), We are going to Ellora and Ajanta caves about 8 hours train ride from here. After getting our train ticket, we saw an amazing seen of a wedding in the street. Shawn audio recorded the event. There were a bunch of guys playing music on various percussion instruments and the wedding party was dancing in the street. Then there was a display that I can only imagine was the groom offer dowry off which playfully the bride was demanding more. When there was enough offered they took off in a car elaborately decorated with flowers. Shawn just went out side and witnessed a car accident!!! Did either of us mention that I hold my breath when crossing the street. They drive quite crazily. Its good we have two sets of eyes because one or the other is grabbing each other back!! But hey we getting the hang of it sort of!. So this internet place is playing country music and dirty 94.5 dance hall.
Not sure when we will email next but after the caves we will either go to Goa then Kerala to Amma's or straight to Kerala.
Love, Tonya and Shawn.
So today we are off and out of Lovely smoggy Mumbai. We are waiting seven hours for our train, just watched a cricket game (I don't understand that shit), We are going to Ellora and Ajanta caves about 8 hours train ride from here. After getting our train ticket, we saw an amazing seen of a wedding in the street. Shawn audio recorded the event. There were a bunch of guys playing music on various percussion instruments and the wedding party was dancing in the street. Then there was a display that I can only imagine was the groom offer dowry off which playfully the bride was demanding more. When there was enough offered they took off in a car elaborately decorated with flowers. Shawn just went out side and witnessed a car accident!!! Did either of us mention that I hold my breath when crossing the street. They drive quite crazily. Its good we have two sets of eyes because one or the other is grabbing each other back!! But hey we getting the hang of it sort of!. So this internet place is playing country music and dirty 94.5 dance hall.
Not sure when we will email next but after the caves we will either go to Goa then Kerala to Amma's or straight to Kerala.
Love, Tonya and Shawn.
Disneyfication
January 29, 2008
It's crazy how you have to travel SO far away to RE-learn things that you already know about in life but just forget all the time cuz you're so damned busy running around .
Yesterday we left Jalgaon (Jalgaon, take me away!) and took a bus to the Ajanta caves. Man, I tell you, we are just pooped out from all this bus travelling, not knowing where we are going or how to get there and who to believe. Although everyone is REALLY friendly now that we have left Mumbai, and the initial reaction from Indians of making fun of us (or me, really) has turned into awe and wonder. I can handle that. But everyone has a different story, of where to catch the bus and the quickest way to a city, etc. It's a trip, this whole traveling business. We tried to get onto what we thought was the right bus, when everyone just swarmed around us and were pushing to get through the door and placing their children in-between people for leverage. When we got on the bus we had to stand the whole way, squished like sardines, over very very bumpy roads. I wasn't sure if Tonya was going to make it or not, and to tell the truth I couldn't wait to get off the bus, yet we had no idea where or when to get off. It's not like riding the T when a computerized voice tells you what stop it is. So when we figured it out, we walked down to the entrance, and the people selling their goods gave us the news, that the caves were closed because of Holiday. Who new that Monday was a holiday in India? Especially not someone who works in a Museum. So we just laughed.
But we could still go in, for a small fee of course, and walk around the outside. We walked down the gorge, over to a trash ridden park, and we found two benches under a tree..... and we sat. And we closed our eyes. And we listened to the parrots around us (which make a great sound recording, might I add). And it was really a beautiful moment, no auto-rickshaws beeping, no one trying to sell me something aggressively, no confusion as to where to go or where our luggage was or any of that stuff. Just silence, one with nature. And I had a revelation . As a tourist, I am running to all these hot tourist spots that I am reading about in the lonely planet bible, thinking that this is why I am in India, the "events" and "attractions". Which of course is the Disneyfication of all of these religions and peoples and cultures that are much older than any of my cultures. And it's only when I really open my eyes to everything that is around me, that is when I can truly see.
And on our way back, we met this absolutely amazing man, a local farmer who I had an hour conversation with on the bus, and who invited us back to his farm to meet his mother. Unfortunately we had paid for a hotel room back in the city and all of our shit wasn't packed, and we couldn't meet him at his farm because no one speaks English in his village, so as he put it if we went to meet him it would be a big mess. So we didn't go to his farm, which I am still kicking myself about. O well, lost opportunity, maybe next time.
And today we went back to the caves. I know, I know, I went on about the Disneyfication of Holy places, blah blah, but hey, what can I say, old habits die hard. I mean shit, we're here, right, might as well check it out.
Yea,
Shawn
It's crazy how you have to travel SO far away to RE-learn things that you already know about in life but just forget all the time cuz you're so damned busy running around .
Yesterday we left Jalgaon (Jalgaon, take me away!) and took a bus to the Ajanta caves. Man, I tell you, we are just pooped out from all this bus travelling, not knowing where we are going or how to get there and who to believe. Although everyone is REALLY friendly now that we have left Mumbai, and the initial reaction from Indians of making fun of us (or me, really) has turned into awe and wonder. I can handle that. But everyone has a different story, of where to catch the bus and the quickest way to a city, etc. It's a trip, this whole traveling business. We tried to get onto what we thought was the right bus, when everyone just swarmed around us and were pushing to get through the door and placing their children in-between people for leverage. When we got on the bus we had to stand the whole way, squished like sardines, over very very bumpy roads. I wasn't sure if Tonya was going to make it or not, and to tell the truth I couldn't wait to get off the bus, yet we had no idea where or when to get off. It's not like riding the T when a computerized voice tells you what stop it is. So when we figured it out, we walked down to the entrance, and the people selling their goods gave us the news, that the caves were closed because of Holiday. Who new that Monday was a holiday in India? Especially not someone who works in a Museum. So we just laughed.
But we could still go in, for a small fee of course, and walk around the outside. We walked down the gorge, over to a trash ridden park, and we found two benches under a tree..... and we sat. And we closed our eyes. And we listened to the parrots around us (which make a great sound recording, might I add). And it was really a beautiful moment, no auto-rickshaws beeping, no one trying to sell me something aggressively, no confusion as to where to go or where our luggage was or any of that stuff. Just silence, one with nature. And I had a revelation . As a tourist, I am running to all these hot tourist spots that I am reading about in the lonely planet bible, thinking that this is why I am in India, the "events" and "attractions". Which of course is the Disneyfication of all of these religions and peoples and cultures that are much older than any of my cultures. And it's only when I really open my eyes to everything that is around me, that is when I can truly see.
And on our way back, we met this absolutely amazing man, a local farmer who I had an hour conversation with on the bus, and who invited us back to his farm to meet his mother. Unfortunately we had paid for a hotel room back in the city and all of our shit wasn't packed, and we couldn't meet him at his farm because no one speaks English in his village, so as he put it if we went to meet him it would be a big mess. So we didn't go to his farm, which I am still kicking myself about. O well, lost opportunity, maybe next time.
And today we went back to the caves. I know, I know, I went on about the Disneyfication of Holy places, blah blah, but hey, what can I say, old habits die hard. I mean shit, we're here, right, might as well check it out.
Yea,
Shawn
Aurangabad
January 29, 2008
Hello All,
So I will not be personalizing to everyone who sent me a message. Thanks for all the love!! I will include a few personal interjections though.
Here they are:
*A marathon Antonia!! You're crazy!!
*WOW! Shawn has dread locks past his bum!
*A laughing club is exactly that! A group of folks who meet to practice laughing yoga, where everybody just laughs because its really good for your health. There are some specific designed exercises like lion laugh!
*Dad, just google Amma and her web site is very extensive.
So now we are in Aurangabad. Not so bad, another busy city. We came from Jalgaon which was a little smaller and kinder. There are two groups of caves between both places. We went to Ajanta both the last 2 day. They were closed on Monday so we just hung out in the gorge where the caves are. Today we actually went back and went inside. Very Beautiful inside and out! We meet nice backpackers from America, Canada, and Israel. We also meet some very sweet Japanese tourists that were excite we were from Boston, because of baseball! There also some very sweet Tibetan monks that enjoyed Shawn's hair in loving way. The Indians were also really sweet, waving at us and wanting to pose with us in a photo. I particularly enjoyed the children. It was good to be stared at in a positive way.
We are having many crazy adventures and chances to practice yoga in the practical, applicable sense. Patience, patience, patience. that is my practice and staying centered. It is very hectic here, yet everyone else seems relatively relaxed. I got lost yesterday walking back from the bus stand on my first walk alone in India. I walked by our hotel 4 times. I literally never left the street where the hotel was. I even took a rickshaw back to the bus stand. We had arrived at 2am and I forgot the name of the hotel. I ended up in another hotel an hour after I initially got lost. I got so worked up, I ended up laughing and crying at the same time. They were very nice and found our hotel by calling the one with the rate which we paid. It was one block away. Shawn was very worried and said he wouldn't let me out alone again at least not the first time I got out in a new city. I learned to remember my hotels name so at least I rickshaw could drive me back!!!
Next we will go onto Pune, then Goa and Kerala.
I apologize for any confusing ideas, I am kind of writing stream of consciousness on a key board that is sticky in more than one way!!
Love and Shanthi
Namaste,
Tonya and Shawn
Hello All,
So I will not be personalizing to everyone who sent me a message. Thanks for all the love!! I will include a few personal interjections though.
Here they are:
*A marathon Antonia!! You're crazy!!
*WOW! Shawn has dread locks past his bum!
*A laughing club is exactly that! A group of folks who meet to practice laughing yoga, where everybody just laughs because its really good for your health. There are some specific designed exercises like lion laugh!
*Dad, just google Amma and her web site is very extensive.
So now we are in Aurangabad. Not so bad, another busy city. We came from Jalgaon which was a little smaller and kinder. There are two groups of caves between both places. We went to Ajanta both the last 2 day. They were closed on Monday so we just hung out in the gorge where the caves are. Today we actually went back and went inside. Very Beautiful inside and out! We meet nice backpackers from America, Canada, and Israel. We also meet some very sweet Japanese tourists that were excite we were from Boston, because of baseball! There also some very sweet Tibetan monks that enjoyed Shawn's hair in loving way. The Indians were also really sweet, waving at us and wanting to pose with us in a photo. I particularly enjoyed the children. It was good to be stared at in a positive way.
We are having many crazy adventures and chances to practice yoga in the practical, applicable sense. Patience, patience, patience. that is my practice and staying centered. It is very hectic here, yet everyone else seems relatively relaxed. I got lost yesterday walking back from the bus stand on my first walk alone in India. I walked by our hotel 4 times. I literally never left the street where the hotel was. I even took a rickshaw back to the bus stand. We had arrived at 2am and I forgot the name of the hotel. I ended up in another hotel an hour after I initially got lost. I got so worked up, I ended up laughing and crying at the same time. They were very nice and found our hotel by calling the one with the rate which we paid. It was one block away. Shawn was very worried and said he wouldn't let me out alone again at least not the first time I got out in a new city. I learned to remember my hotels name so at least I rickshaw could drive me back!!!
Next we will go onto Pune, then Goa and Kerala.
I apologize for any confusing ideas, I am kind of writing stream of consciousness on a key board that is sticky in more than one way!!
Love and Shanthi
Namaste,
Tonya and Shawn
Pune
February 1, 2008
We are in Pune now, where "the ancient traditions meet the new face of India", which means that the slums are next to the yuppie malls. There is a whole section of Pune that is definitely the Western influence on the people that have money from the IT boom. There's an Adidas, Reebok and Nike store all on the same block, and Tonya spent an hour in the Urban Outfitters of India, "The Bombay Store", where they sold spices in little containers that you would see in Stop and Shop for five dollars. But they did have incredible clothes, and someone wasn't up in your grill every two seconds pushing their goods on you. And I have to admit, although all the capitalism is probably decaying the very soul of the earth, I was comfortable to be around familiar shops and familiar merchandise. There is a certain security in the same old bullshit that you see at home taken out of it's context and dropped into a foreign place. And the people of Pune definitely have money, driving around beamers and mercedes and staying at big hotels. And at the same time, I have seen beggars on the street deformed in ways that I have never seen before, as if out of a David Lynch movie (of course I have to make a film comparison, how else could I deal with it?).
We are trying to decide if we want to go to Goa next, or straight to the Ashram in the south. I originally did not want to Goa cuz it's over tourist, over-hyped and over Western. But now... all those things aren't looking so bad. We'll see.
Thanks to all who have emailed, it's great to hear a friendly voice. I'm actually starting to get in the swing of things, taking it easy and seeing what's in front of me. I worry about Tonya, though, Tonya was taking pictures of our cottage that we are staying at, and she must have stepped somewhere where she shouldn't because a swarm of bugs were all over her, underwear and all. I think it's all a little overwhelming for her, being away from her family and friends. Perhaps some encouragement would be helpful.
So we are going to a Tribal Museum where there are papermache masks. Then we will journey to the Osho gardens, outside of the Osho Mediation Resort, where there is Tantric sex classes and Zennis lessons. You have to take an HIV test just to walk in, no joke. Yea, I think I'll pass. But the gardens are free!
Love you all Shawn
We are in Pune now, where "the ancient traditions meet the new face of India", which means that the slums are next to the yuppie malls. There is a whole section of Pune that is definitely the Western influence on the people that have money from the IT boom. There's an Adidas, Reebok and Nike store all on the same block, and Tonya spent an hour in the Urban Outfitters of India, "The Bombay Store", where they sold spices in little containers that you would see in Stop and Shop for five dollars. But they did have incredible clothes, and someone wasn't up in your grill every two seconds pushing their goods on you. And I have to admit, although all the capitalism is probably decaying the very soul of the earth, I was comfortable to be around familiar shops and familiar merchandise. There is a certain security in the same old bullshit that you see at home taken out of it's context and dropped into a foreign place. And the people of Pune definitely have money, driving around beamers and mercedes and staying at big hotels. And at the same time, I have seen beggars on the street deformed in ways that I have never seen before, as if out of a David Lynch movie (of course I have to make a film comparison, how else could I deal with it?).
We are trying to decide if we want to go to Goa next, or straight to the Ashram in the south. I originally did not want to Goa cuz it's over tourist, over-hyped and over Western. But now... all those things aren't looking so bad. We'll see.
Thanks to all who have emailed, it's great to hear a friendly voice. I'm actually starting to get in the swing of things, taking it easy and seeing what's in front of me. I worry about Tonya, though, Tonya was taking pictures of our cottage that we are staying at, and she must have stepped somewhere where she shouldn't because a swarm of bugs were all over her, underwear and all. I think it's all a little overwhelming for her, being away from her family and friends. Perhaps some encouragement would be helpful.
So we are going to a Tribal Museum where there are papermache masks. Then we will journey to the Osho gardens, outside of the Osho Mediation Resort, where there is Tantric sex classes and Zennis lessons. You have to take an HIV test just to walk in, no joke. Yea, I think I'll pass. But the gardens are free!
Love you all Shawn
Fleas and Osho
February 2, 2008
Hello Beautiful Friends, I feel like I'm getting out of my slump a bit. It so good to get little messages back from some of you. Thanks so much.
So yes, I got fleas, like Shawn wrote about but I was easy to cure. I washed my clothes and took a shower though it was total freaky!
We went to Osho meditation gardens today. The rest of the place seemed pretty weird to us and over priced. Not really our cup of tea though it look nice. You also have to take an HIV test to go in so it seemed even weirder.
We stayed in a nice cottage the past 2 nights. It was surrounded by a garden and was behind a big old converted mansion. Not bad! There was a really big beautiful spider in the shower that kept away some of the bugs.
We are now waiting for a train to go to Amma's ashram near Kollam. 36 hours on a train!!!!!! Hope it goes smoothly. It will surely be hotter there. Yes we are skipping Goa but we'll be on a different beach and hopefully in a calmer environment. We will have internet excess and phone.
Love Tonya and Shawn
Hello Beautiful Friends, I feel like I'm getting out of my slump a bit. It so good to get little messages back from some of you. Thanks so much.
So yes, I got fleas, like Shawn wrote about but I was easy to cure. I washed my clothes and took a shower though it was total freaky!
We went to Osho meditation gardens today. The rest of the place seemed pretty weird to us and over priced. Not really our cup of tea though it look nice. You also have to take an HIV test to go in so it seemed even weirder.
We stayed in a nice cottage the past 2 nights. It was surrounded by a garden and was behind a big old converted mansion. Not bad! There was a really big beautiful spider in the shower that kept away some of the bugs.
We are now waiting for a train to go to Amma's ashram near Kollam. 36 hours on a train!!!!!! Hope it goes smoothly. It will surely be hotter there. Yes we are skipping Goa but we'll be on a different beach and hopefully in a calmer environment. We will have internet excess and phone.
Love Tonya and Shawn
Amma's Ashram
February 8, 2008
It has been an interesting and intense 5 days.
First, the 36 hour train ride. It actually was great and went by really fast. I listened to Beirut, Brain Eno, MIA, and other trance inducing music. I love trains, just looking out the window as life passes you by, ad not having to do a thing except nod off. Our compartment mates were two Indian men who were very sweet, we talked a lot, listened to their Bollywood music on their mp3 player/phone, I recorded them talking, they told us about their life and we told them about ours. really nice. And we saw two sunrises from the window. Beautiful. And yes, the compartment was FULL of cockroaches, but they didn't seem to bather me.
Now, Amma'a Ashram. Momma Amma. For those that don't know (my parents), Amma is called the "Hugging Saint" and is the only female Guru in India. She literally goes around the world hugging people, sharing love and spiritual/healing energy, and gives almost all of her proceeds to charities that she has created herself. So very positive.
I hadn't met Amma before (she comes to Mass. every summer), but Tonya has. The Ashram is located in Southern India, close to the tip, as is on the backwaters. Originally you could only get to it by boat, but now there is a massive bridge (in case of Tsunami). When we rolled into the Ashram on Monday, I was feeling a little taken back. Every where you turn, there are pictures of Amma. There are alters, huge larger than life, portraits, paintings, offerings, newspapers, shrines-- everything Amma. And you know, my typical Northeastern sarcastic cynical outlook on life just couldn't wrap my head around all of this. I mean, this person is just a human being, right, just like me, and if I am going to worship someone and try to believe that someone is the incarnation of God, it should be me, right, cuz when you get down to it, I am the the only person that I really know, right? Blah blah blah.
Anyways, on Tuesday a lot of school girls flooded the Ashram, and Amma came out, there was a big ceremony dedicated to Amma, all in Hindi (3 hours), and then the Darshan's, or huggings, started. I waited a long time. And the people running the show pushed me and Tonya in front of Amma, and she grabbed the both of us and whispered something into our ears, and hugged us for what seemed to be a long time (really it was moments) ........ and we both started crying. What can I say, words don't do it justice, but being around a, well, I think a spiritual enlightened being, it's magnificent.
But also a trip. We did a two day extensive meditation practice, and I was walking on air... and then my sandals were stolen.. or at least misplaced. So a lot of struggles and many things are going through my head right now, but ultimately all good.
We are doing well and our health is great. I am being kicked off the computer now, so talk to you soon.
Love you all,
Shawn and Tonya
It has been an interesting and intense 5 days.
First, the 36 hour train ride. It actually was great and went by really fast. I listened to Beirut, Brain Eno, MIA, and other trance inducing music. I love trains, just looking out the window as life passes you by, ad not having to do a thing except nod off. Our compartment mates were two Indian men who were very sweet, we talked a lot, listened to their Bollywood music on their mp3 player/phone, I recorded them talking, they told us about their life and we told them about ours. really nice. And we saw two sunrises from the window. Beautiful. And yes, the compartment was FULL of cockroaches, but they didn't seem to bather me.
Now, Amma'a Ashram. Momma Amma. For those that don't know (my parents), Amma is called the "Hugging Saint" and is the only female Guru in India. She literally goes around the world hugging people, sharing love and spiritual/healing energy, and gives almost all of her proceeds to charities that she has created herself. So very positive.
I hadn't met Amma before (she comes to Mass. every summer), but Tonya has. The Ashram is located in Southern India, close to the tip, as is on the backwaters. Originally you could only get to it by boat, but now there is a massive bridge (in case of Tsunami). When we rolled into the Ashram on Monday, I was feeling a little taken back. Every where you turn, there are pictures of Amma. There are alters, huge larger than life, portraits, paintings, offerings, newspapers, shrines-- everything Amma. And you know, my typical Northeastern sarcastic cynical outlook on life just couldn't wrap my head around all of this. I mean, this person is just a human being, right, just like me, and if I am going to worship someone and try to believe that someone is the incarnation of God, it should be me, right, cuz when you get down to it, I am the the only person that I really know, right? Blah blah blah.
Anyways, on Tuesday a lot of school girls flooded the Ashram, and Amma came out, there was a big ceremony dedicated to Amma, all in Hindi (3 hours), and then the Darshan's, or huggings, started. I waited a long time. And the people running the show pushed me and Tonya in front of Amma, and she grabbed the both of us and whispered something into our ears, and hugged us for what seemed to be a long time (really it was moments) ........ and we both started crying. What can I say, words don't do it justice, but being around a, well, I think a spiritual enlightened being, it's magnificent.
But also a trip. We did a two day extensive meditation practice, and I was walking on air... and then my sandals were stolen.. or at least misplaced. So a lot of struggles and many things are going through my head right now, but ultimately all good.
We are doing well and our health is great. I am being kicked off the computer now, so talk to you soon.
Love you all,
Shawn and Tonya
So some information from the female side.
February 9, 2008
So I was really bugged out no pun intended by the roaches and I really had to work hard not to obsess. Finally my last meal contained at roach right before I started eating. I really had to surrender to them and just relax. The ride was nice other wise.
The ashram is really great. Shawn and I have a nice clean room with a hard wood floor on the 15th floor of a building. we can see the whole island that we are on. It is covered by palm trees. The weather is great hot but a nice ocean breeze. Its not quite an island but we have to cross a bridge or take a boat here. The experience hugging Amma was great I have to agree with Shawn. Don't worry about us join a cult. Its not quite like that. She has great messages about love and equality and is a wonderful spiritual leader.
She left 2 days ago to tour around northern India. About 90% of the Ashram went with her so its even quieter and quite sweet.
We have to do seva which is selfless service. I work in the kitchen, big surprise. But I didn't even ask for it! And Shawn sorts trash! Its kind a shitty job no pun intended but he doesn't seem to mind.
I really love it here. Its giving my time to rest and get used to being here though its not quite India. There are many westerners and and we can eat great healthy food, meditate and practice yoga. I get up at 4:30am to chant the 1000 of the divine Mother. Its such a nice way to start the day. I haven't done a lot of physical yoga but we did partake in a meditation retreat.
We should be here for about anther week.
Oh and there are eagles here that steals people's omelets and veggie burgers!! It flew with in 3 inches of my head yesterday when I was running food! I work in the cafe kitchen which is the western food that you have to pay for. The spicy India meals are free. I love to watch Shawn sweat while he eats it. He said he's getting used to the spice but he still sweats. If you want to know more about where we are just Google Amma.
I hope everyone is well.
Much Love and Shanthi(peace)
Tonya
So I was really bugged out no pun intended by the roaches and I really had to work hard not to obsess. Finally my last meal contained at roach right before I started eating. I really had to surrender to them and just relax. The ride was nice other wise.
The ashram is really great. Shawn and I have a nice clean room with a hard wood floor on the 15th floor of a building. we can see the whole island that we are on. It is covered by palm trees. The weather is great hot but a nice ocean breeze. Its not quite an island but we have to cross a bridge or take a boat here. The experience hugging Amma was great I have to agree with Shawn. Don't worry about us join a cult. Its not quite like that. She has great messages about love and equality and is a wonderful spiritual leader.
She left 2 days ago to tour around northern India. About 90% of the Ashram went with her so its even quieter and quite sweet.
We have to do seva which is selfless service. I work in the kitchen, big surprise. But I didn't even ask for it! And Shawn sorts trash! Its kind a shitty job no pun intended but he doesn't seem to mind.
I really love it here. Its giving my time to rest and get used to being here though its not quite India. There are many westerners and and we can eat great healthy food, meditate and practice yoga. I get up at 4:30am to chant the 1000 of the divine Mother. Its such a nice way to start the day. I haven't done a lot of physical yoga but we did partake in a meditation retreat.
We should be here for about anther week.
Oh and there are eagles here that steals people's omelets and veggie burgers!! It flew with in 3 inches of my head yesterday when I was running food! I work in the cafe kitchen which is the western food that you have to pay for. The spicy India meals are free. I love to watch Shawn sweat while he eats it. He said he's getting used to the spice but he still sweats. If you want to know more about where we are just Google Amma.
I hope everyone is well.
Much Love and Shanthi(peace)
Tonya
Kochi
February 15, 2008
Hello All,
So Shawn and I are in Kochi right now. We just meet up with Greg and Susie (friends from Bread and Puppet). We may only travel with them a short while. I think we have varied plans.
Its very hot here!! The sun is sooooo strong. Shawn and I took a train here and from the Ashram we took a 6 hour boat ride to Alleppey. It was wonderful slow, quiet and relaxing. We took some beautiful photos along the way.
We are deciding now if we are going to take a train to Mangalore to attend a consecration of a temple or take a long boat ride back to the ashram, where our big bags are stored, with Greg and Susie. Then we will either go on a yoga vacation at the Sivananda Ashram or to the Integral Yoga center in Coimbatore.
At the ashram there was a monkey that lived on the 16th floor above us. He took the stairs all the way up. I guess he didn't figure out how to press the button on the elevator yet. Though I bet he could. We have quite a few good stores about him.
So we are staying at a lovely place called Thomas Inn. Its a little more pricey but after being eaten by mosquitoes last night in the Hotel we were staying in, we will be very happy. Its a home stay and the couple is very sweet and gentle. And apparently the breakfast is great!!
I hope everyone is well enjoying the winter and lack of mosquitoes (up until now we haven't had too many problems with them)
Much Love,
Tonya and Shawn
Hello All,
So Shawn and I are in Kochi right now. We just meet up with Greg and Susie (friends from Bread and Puppet). We may only travel with them a short while. I think we have varied plans.
Its very hot here!! The sun is sooooo strong. Shawn and I took a train here and from the Ashram we took a 6 hour boat ride to Alleppey. It was wonderful slow, quiet and relaxing. We took some beautiful photos along the way.
We are deciding now if we are going to take a train to Mangalore to attend a consecration of a temple or take a long boat ride back to the ashram, where our big bags are stored, with Greg and Susie. Then we will either go on a yoga vacation at the Sivananda Ashram or to the Integral Yoga center in Coimbatore.
At the ashram there was a monkey that lived on the 16th floor above us. He took the stairs all the way up. I guess he didn't figure out how to press the button on the elevator yet. Though I bet he could. We have quite a few good stores about him.
So we are staying at a lovely place called Thomas Inn. Its a little more pricey but after being eaten by mosquitoes last night in the Hotel we were staying in, we will be very happy. Its a home stay and the couple is very sweet and gentle. And apparently the breakfast is great!!
I hope everyone is well enjoying the winter and lack of mosquitoes (up until now we haven't had too many problems with them)
Much Love,
Tonya and Shawn
Obstacles
February 25, 2008
You always feel good after you have vomited. At least for a little while. A few minutes. Seconds, moments? Okay, maybe not for long.
As some of you may know, I am taking Malaria pills, Doxycycolene, very strong anti-biotics.
Well, Tonya and myself left the Ashram for a little while a week ago, and we went up to Kochi and met our two Bread and Puppet friends, Greg and Susie. Along the way we took a tourist boat from the Ashram to Alleppey along the backwaters of Kerala, which was SUPER relaxing. Just floating along the water, waving to children who would rush out of their tin huts and say "hello, one pen, one pen please". Tonya gave a little girl her pen, and then she chased the boat so that she could throw Tonya a beautiful read flower.
Kochi was nice but busy, although we took a ferry out to Fort Kochi, a peninsula owned by the Portuguese back in the day, so lots of churches, synagogues, temples, fisherman, very relaxed. We saw a Kathakali performance there, an ancient performance tradition that uses half mime, half dance, with wild hand and eye gestures, crazy pounding on drums, and serious make-up and costumes (we watched the performers transform into their characters for one and a half hours).
We thought that we would be traveling with Greg and Suzie, but quickly realized that they had a different agenda. I think that it is alright; they are both performers and are always ON all the time. I like to relax and ease into life, ya know.
Well, you get what you ask for, cuz life sort of made me stop for awhile. On the boat back to the Ashram, we were in the front of the boat for awhile, like two hours, and I had my shirt off listening to my ipod. All of a sudden, I didn't feel well. I went underneath to lay down. We stopped for lunch, but let's just say that I didn't eat that day. In fact, I was very very sick. At lunch, back on the boat, on the side of the boat, on the back of the boat. Yes, too much sun, in conjunction with the malaria pill (which I totally forgot about), and the equation was sunstroke. Luckily, well, I don't really believe in luck, so Blessedly, we were going back to the Ashram, where there is a big hospital. Tonya dragged me over to the hospital, literally, with the help of others, and they actually had to put an I V in me to put necessary electrolytes back into my body. And then I couldn't eat for days, fevers, chills, dizziness, etc.
Yea, not that much fun, but really good for revelations. Mom and Dad, I am all better now, really, I have been back to the hospital several times, and everything is in tip top shape. we are thinking of leaving the Ashram soon, where to next we are not sure, but we have been here so that we could re-cooperate for awhile. Tonya had a bit of sickness herself, only out the other way. She also is in tip top shape.
So yea, lots of obstacles, lots of challenges, lots of learning. A time of transformation.
Oh, did I mention that we cut off my dreads?
Shawn and Tonya
You always feel good after you have vomited. At least for a little while. A few minutes. Seconds, moments? Okay, maybe not for long.
As some of you may know, I am taking Malaria pills, Doxycycolene, very strong anti-biotics.
Well, Tonya and myself left the Ashram for a little while a week ago, and we went up to Kochi and met our two Bread and Puppet friends, Greg and Susie. Along the way we took a tourist boat from the Ashram to Alleppey along the backwaters of Kerala, which was SUPER relaxing. Just floating along the water, waving to children who would rush out of their tin huts and say "hello, one pen, one pen please". Tonya gave a little girl her pen, and then she chased the boat so that she could throw Tonya a beautiful read flower.
Kochi was nice but busy, although we took a ferry out to Fort Kochi, a peninsula owned by the Portuguese back in the day, so lots of churches, synagogues, temples, fisherman, very relaxed. We saw a Kathakali performance there, an ancient performance tradition that uses half mime, half dance, with wild hand and eye gestures, crazy pounding on drums, and serious make-up and costumes (we watched the performers transform into their characters for one and a half hours).
We thought that we would be traveling with Greg and Suzie, but quickly realized that they had a different agenda. I think that it is alright; they are both performers and are always ON all the time. I like to relax and ease into life, ya know.
Well, you get what you ask for, cuz life sort of made me stop for awhile. On the boat back to the Ashram, we were in the front of the boat for awhile, like two hours, and I had my shirt off listening to my ipod. All of a sudden, I didn't feel well. I went underneath to lay down. We stopped for lunch, but let's just say that I didn't eat that day. In fact, I was very very sick. At lunch, back on the boat, on the side of the boat, on the back of the boat. Yes, too much sun, in conjunction with the malaria pill (which I totally forgot about), and the equation was sunstroke. Luckily, well, I don't really believe in luck, so Blessedly, we were going back to the Ashram, where there is a big hospital. Tonya dragged me over to the hospital, literally, with the help of others, and they actually had to put an I V in me to put necessary electrolytes back into my body. And then I couldn't eat for days, fevers, chills, dizziness, etc.
Yea, not that much fun, but really good for revelations. Mom and Dad, I am all better now, really, I have been back to the hospital several times, and everything is in tip top shape. we are thinking of leaving the Ashram soon, where to next we are not sure, but we have been here so that we could re-cooperate for awhile. Tonya had a bit of sickness herself, only out the other way. She also is in tip top shape.
So yea, lots of obstacles, lots of challenges, lots of learning. A time of transformation.
Oh, did I mention that we cut off my dreads?
Shawn and Tonya
Amma's
February 25, 2008
Hello Lovely People,
Shawn beat me to an email, but here's my draft revised anyway:
I am not sure who has been on my email list but you are getting it any way.
It has been very nice here at the Ashram. The weather is hot but it is always comfortable next to the ocean in the shade. I am doing my seva (selfless service) in the Cafe(it serves the western style food). They move me around a lot because I have worked in this type of atmosphere and can pretty much easily do everything. They love that!
Shawn and I have been spending a lot of time in the cow shed. This lovely man, Shamoogra (not sure if its moo but it looks nice for a cow man), who works always with the cows, read our palms. It is so nice talk to him and to be with these gentle giants. Although one is moody and bumped me in the thigh with her horn, I am now more careful where I stand. Today I walk I cow from the field to the shed. I am careful to keep a distance for my toes. She stopped a lot to eat grass and I had to keep pulling her rope though her nose until I realized I had a banana in my bag. I then, simply had to lead her with a banana. Brilliant!! Though I can't take credit as I saw someone else do this with the baby cows.
We are planning now to move from the ashram. We were invited to stay with some folks we meet here who are renting a house in Varkala for a few days. It is a seaside village with a swim able beach. I will be nice to not have to dress entirely modestly and wear a tank top and short skirt though I don't think I have either. Then I may study ayurvedic massage for babies and new moms but I'm not sure. I meet a young mid wife from France who is going to do this. I will contact her after she is there. Then I may join her. Nothing seem to be able to be planned and that is great.
I have had some very inspiring moments here and I realize the I have been moving too fast and being too busy at home(an here I guess) I am practicing slowing down in my thoughts and actions. It is very good to have this time to work on myself . It is important as a yoga teacher not to be overly stressed and I think I was! I like this practice of stopping when I feel hurried and breathing. It is good. Being in such a spiritual place is also good for my prayers and devotion. Honoring the divine in all and carrying that with me.
I have a little friend who has some type of developmental delays, much like my favorite students. She is maybe my age or older and she often comes to hug me and lay in my lap. I am so grateful for her and her divine intuition. Some how she knows I need it!
And in case you didn't get the secret message at the end of Shawn's email, he has lovely short curly hair these days. And he is radiantly handsome! I'm one lucky lady!
Love and Blessings for India,
Tonya
Hello Lovely People,
Shawn beat me to an email, but here's my draft revised anyway:
I am not sure who has been on my email list but you are getting it any way.
It has been very nice here at the Ashram. The weather is hot but it is always comfortable next to the ocean in the shade. I am doing my seva (selfless service) in the Cafe(it serves the western style food). They move me around a lot because I have worked in this type of atmosphere and can pretty much easily do everything. They love that!
Shawn and I have been spending a lot of time in the cow shed. This lovely man, Shamoogra (not sure if its moo but it looks nice for a cow man), who works always with the cows, read our palms. It is so nice talk to him and to be with these gentle giants. Although one is moody and bumped me in the thigh with her horn, I am now more careful where I stand. Today I walk I cow from the field to the shed. I am careful to keep a distance for my toes. She stopped a lot to eat grass and I had to keep pulling her rope though her nose until I realized I had a banana in my bag. I then, simply had to lead her with a banana. Brilliant!! Though I can't take credit as I saw someone else do this with the baby cows.
We are planning now to move from the ashram. We were invited to stay with some folks we meet here who are renting a house in Varkala for a few days. It is a seaside village with a swim able beach. I will be nice to not have to dress entirely modestly and wear a tank top and short skirt though I don't think I have either. Then I may study ayurvedic massage for babies and new moms but I'm not sure. I meet a young mid wife from France who is going to do this. I will contact her after she is there. Then I may join her. Nothing seem to be able to be planned and that is great.
I have had some very inspiring moments here and I realize the I have been moving too fast and being too busy at home(an here I guess) I am practicing slowing down in my thoughts and actions. It is very good to have this time to work on myself . It is important as a yoga teacher not to be overly stressed and I think I was! I like this practice of stopping when I feel hurried and breathing. It is good. Being in such a spiritual place is also good for my prayers and devotion. Honoring the divine in all and carrying that with me.
I have a little friend who has some type of developmental delays, much like my favorite students. She is maybe my age or older and she often comes to hug me and lay in my lap. I am so grateful for her and her divine intuition. Some how she knows I need it!
And in case you didn't get the secret message at the end of Shawn's email, he has lovely short curly hair these days. And he is radiantly handsome! I'm one lucky lady!
Love and Blessings for India,
Tonya
Monkey Tales.
February 26, 2008
At the Ashram there are many beautiful living creatures. We have been spending lots of time with the cows, and I truly believe that baby cows know everything about this universe and beyond, you can see it in their eyes. There are also eagles that soar all around the buildings. Supposedly they were not here until the Tsunami brought them, although Amma has a history of eagles following her. But perhaps the most curious of them all is the monkey. Hunnamann. The Monkey God of Hindi belief.
We had heard that there was a pesky monkey living around the Ashram, but we had not had the pleasure of becoming acquainted. Supposedly the monkey keeps to himself, and even when he is around humans he just stares off into space. But once he is engaged, he can become mean. Okay, so mental note, stay away from monkey.
One night we were watching another amazing sunset melt into the ocean from our balcony, which rests in the clouds 15 floors above the earth. The sun had gone down, and everything was in dark profile. Suddenly Tonya yelps and jumps to the side and starts clapping and making strange sounds. What the fuck, I ask her. Monkey, she says. Monkey Monkey Monkey! I did not believe her, cuz we were on a balcony on the 15th floor and shit, but sure enough here is the monkey climbing over the balcony, in complete profile from the sun, just looking at us. Shoo shoo yells Tonya. Finally the monkey continues on his way up the side of the building, not being fazed by us at all.
The next day I was doing my selfless Seva work, which is picking up garbage from the kitchen, sticking my head and hands inside and taking out any recyclable materials. Dirty, hot, and unthankful. Well that particular day they asked me to do it twice, both in the morning and afternoon. Needless to say I was not pleased. I was stuck with a German who was very particular on how to sort through trash ("you are doing it all wrong!") and a short French man whose only English consisted of "I am France!". And it was hot. We are in Kerela now, in Southern India, which is lush and SUPER friendly but so M.F.'n HOT. I have never witnessed heat like this before. It's not worse than the mugginess of Boston in August, but different. It seems really nice and almost like paradise, but if you are being physical (i.e. walking) in the sun for 5 minutes, you're head starts swooning. It really catches up to you fast! And it just keeps getting noticeably hotter and hotter.
So I went to get yet another trash barrel, and when I came around the corner, Then French man was sitting on the ground, smiling his head off, and next to him is the monkey. Now I could finally get a glimpse of the creature, and it literally is almost as big as this French man. It is huge, almost baboon size without the big red butt. And the French man was petting him on the head, stroking it's fur roughly. And Frenchie is just laughing, pointing at the monkey and looking at me. And I have this dreadful feeling inside, ya know, but the monkey is in his own world, not even looking up. Then Frenchie grabs the monkey's hands and starts dancing with him. And I say No, you don't want to do that! But still the Monkey is not fazed at all. So Frenchie pulls a little harder, and that wakes him up. The monkey whips back it's claws and shows it's fangs, and Frenchie jumps back and yelps, but still laughs. the monkey then jumps under a gate and starts climbing up the face of the side of the building, like Spiderman! It was so cool, and all I could think of was that I was so happy to do my Seva that afternoon.
Next day we saw the monkey chilling where everyone was sitting around, in front of the temple, and he was eating an orange. After awhile he got bored and just walked into out building, walked right up the stairs, and apparently walked all the way to the 16th floor without being stopped. Well shit, are you going to stop a monkey? But the story goes that there is a woman who is in a wheelchair on the 16th floor, and she left her door open just a little bit. So of course the monkey got in and started jumping on the bed and was conducting a bunch of other monkey business. There were 3 men with bananas inside the room, trying to entice this monkey out, but he wasn't having it. Finally the monkey grabbed a big bag of granola and ran down the hall. Some courageous (i.e. crazy) guy ran after the monkey and had a tug of war with the monkey and the granola, until the bag ripped. And off went the monkey.
Then things were pretty still for awhile. Our friends Greg and Suzie came, who are both as tall as Alex. Anyways, one morning we were coming out of our room, and I spot the monkey down the hall, so I say to Tonya don't move. She says what, sees the monkey, yells, tries to go back in the room which is now locked, bangs on the door, and then jumps in my arms. All the while the monkey walks passed us like we are crazy.
Next morning we hear BANG BANG BANG on our door, and I opened the door and who do I see but Hunnaman. And of course I closed it quickly. So now he's knocking on our door, or so we thought. What actually happened was Greg was coming to our room to wake us up, and he noticed the monkey down the hall, trying to push open every door. Finally he finds one that is open, and goes in. And Greg saw this large Russian woman wake up, grab her sheet and wrap it around her, point and yell MUN-KEE MUN-KEEE. And so the monkey runs out of the room, straight at Greg. So of course he turns around and starts to also run, straight to our door, and when he gets there he starts pounding. We don't answer in time, so he continues to run, but when I answered the monkey stopped and greeted me. Everyone is petrified of this monkey. Next day I was mediating on my porch, early morning, and when I open my eyes there's Hunaman. Hello Hunaman!
So at this point we are kind of used to Hunnaman, But Tonya is still afraid. We both went to the Vedic astrologer, and he said to both of us that we should feed monkeys. So Now Tonya is working both on her karma and getting over her fear of this monkey. And every morning we leave him bananas.
Shawn
At the Ashram there are many beautiful living creatures. We have been spending lots of time with the cows, and I truly believe that baby cows know everything about this universe and beyond, you can see it in their eyes. There are also eagles that soar all around the buildings. Supposedly they were not here until the Tsunami brought them, although Amma has a history of eagles following her. But perhaps the most curious of them all is the monkey. Hunnamann. The Monkey God of Hindi belief.
We had heard that there was a pesky monkey living around the Ashram, but we had not had the pleasure of becoming acquainted. Supposedly the monkey keeps to himself, and even when he is around humans he just stares off into space. But once he is engaged, he can become mean. Okay, so mental note, stay away from monkey.
One night we were watching another amazing sunset melt into the ocean from our balcony, which rests in the clouds 15 floors above the earth. The sun had gone down, and everything was in dark profile. Suddenly Tonya yelps and jumps to the side and starts clapping and making strange sounds. What the fuck, I ask her. Monkey, she says. Monkey Monkey Monkey! I did not believe her, cuz we were on a balcony on the 15th floor and shit, but sure enough here is the monkey climbing over the balcony, in complete profile from the sun, just looking at us. Shoo shoo yells Tonya. Finally the monkey continues on his way up the side of the building, not being fazed by us at all.
The next day I was doing my selfless Seva work, which is picking up garbage from the kitchen, sticking my head and hands inside and taking out any recyclable materials. Dirty, hot, and unthankful. Well that particular day they asked me to do it twice, both in the morning and afternoon. Needless to say I was not pleased. I was stuck with a German who was very particular on how to sort through trash ("you are doing it all wrong!") and a short French man whose only English consisted of "I am France!". And it was hot. We are in Kerela now, in Southern India, which is lush and SUPER friendly but so M.F.'n HOT. I have never witnessed heat like this before. It's not worse than the mugginess of Boston in August, but different. It seems really nice and almost like paradise, but if you are being physical (i.e. walking) in the sun for 5 minutes, you're head starts swooning. It really catches up to you fast! And it just keeps getting noticeably hotter and hotter.
So I went to get yet another trash barrel, and when I came around the corner, Then French man was sitting on the ground, smiling his head off, and next to him is the monkey. Now I could finally get a glimpse of the creature, and it literally is almost as big as this French man. It is huge, almost baboon size without the big red butt. And the French man was petting him on the head, stroking it's fur roughly. And Frenchie is just laughing, pointing at the monkey and looking at me. And I have this dreadful feeling inside, ya know, but the monkey is in his own world, not even looking up. Then Frenchie grabs the monkey's hands and starts dancing with him. And I say No, you don't want to do that! But still the Monkey is not fazed at all. So Frenchie pulls a little harder, and that wakes him up. The monkey whips back it's claws and shows it's fangs, and Frenchie jumps back and yelps, but still laughs. the monkey then jumps under a gate and starts climbing up the face of the side of the building, like Spiderman! It was so cool, and all I could think of was that I was so happy to do my Seva that afternoon.
Next day we saw the monkey chilling where everyone was sitting around, in front of the temple, and he was eating an orange. After awhile he got bored and just walked into out building, walked right up the stairs, and apparently walked all the way to the 16th floor without being stopped. Well shit, are you going to stop a monkey? But the story goes that there is a woman who is in a wheelchair on the 16th floor, and she left her door open just a little bit. So of course the monkey got in and started jumping on the bed and was conducting a bunch of other monkey business. There were 3 men with bananas inside the room, trying to entice this monkey out, but he wasn't having it. Finally the monkey grabbed a big bag of granola and ran down the hall. Some courageous (i.e. crazy) guy ran after the monkey and had a tug of war with the monkey and the granola, until the bag ripped. And off went the monkey.
Then things were pretty still for awhile. Our friends Greg and Suzie came, who are both as tall as Alex. Anyways, one morning we were coming out of our room, and I spot the monkey down the hall, so I say to Tonya don't move. She says what, sees the monkey, yells, tries to go back in the room which is now locked, bangs on the door, and then jumps in my arms. All the while the monkey walks passed us like we are crazy.
Next morning we hear BANG BANG BANG on our door, and I opened the door and who do I see but Hunnaman. And of course I closed it quickly. So now he's knocking on our door, or so we thought. What actually happened was Greg was coming to our room to wake us up, and he noticed the monkey down the hall, trying to push open every door. Finally he finds one that is open, and goes in. And Greg saw this large Russian woman wake up, grab her sheet and wrap it around her, point and yell MUN-KEE MUN-KEEE. And so the monkey runs out of the room, straight at Greg. So of course he turns around and starts to also run, straight to our door, and when he gets there he starts pounding. We don't answer in time, so he continues to run, but when I answered the monkey stopped and greeted me. Everyone is petrified of this monkey. Next day I was mediating on my porch, early morning, and when I open my eyes there's Hunaman. Hello Hunaman!
So at this point we are kind of used to Hunnaman, But Tonya is still afraid. We both went to the Vedic astrologer, and he said to both of us that we should feed monkeys. So Now Tonya is working both on her karma and getting over her fear of this monkey. And every morning we leave him bananas.
Shawn
Controversy
February 27, 2008
So there has been some controversial response about my hair.
And there are many reasons why I finally cut it.
Actually, Tonya cut it so later on I can blame her.
The first reason is because I had a fever of 101 for two days straight.
The second is because, well, it's something that I've wanted to do for a long time, but could never muster up the strength or courage. I mean, I had my dreads for 13 years, it was to the point that I had no idea what I looked like without them. And they are dreads, ya know, they're so cool and long and Muppet like and they grew from my head as they little things and now they were massive and perhaps spiritual, at least I think so, but not in a Rasta way, or at least not entirely, but more in a Saddhu way of denouncing the world (do I really believe that? Maybe.).
So yea, I could never bring myself to cut them, but here I am in India, outside of myself for a minute, outside of the rat race, in a spiritual place (the Ashram), and it was a full moon, and we were on the roof. And it seemed right. I have felt like I could not move forward for awhile, and shit, I'm 34, and I'd like to , well, move forward. As Tonya says, now I look like a Dad, whatever that means (gulp).
And fuck it, I wanted to.
Yea, it had nothing to do with staying in a cult -- there are so many Westerners with dreds here, this is definitely a hippie Indian Ashram for sure (sort of). But it's nice to run my fingers through my hair and have it wet and not take 3 days to dry and have my head be able to sit on my body without hunching over cuz of the weight. Was it the right thing to do.. what's right anyways.
me
So there has been some controversial response about my hair.
And there are many reasons why I finally cut it.
Actually, Tonya cut it so later on I can blame her.
The first reason is because I had a fever of 101 for two days straight.
The second is because, well, it's something that I've wanted to do for a long time, but could never muster up the strength or courage. I mean, I had my dreads for 13 years, it was to the point that I had no idea what I looked like without them. And they are dreads, ya know, they're so cool and long and Muppet like and they grew from my head as they little things and now they were massive and perhaps spiritual, at least I think so, but not in a Rasta way, or at least not entirely, but more in a Saddhu way of denouncing the world (do I really believe that? Maybe.).
So yea, I could never bring myself to cut them, but here I am in India, outside of myself for a minute, outside of the rat race, in a spiritual place (the Ashram), and it was a full moon, and we were on the roof. And it seemed right. I have felt like I could not move forward for awhile, and shit, I'm 34, and I'd like to , well, move forward. As Tonya says, now I look like a Dad, whatever that means (gulp).
And fuck it, I wanted to.
Yea, it had nothing to do with staying in a cult -- there are so many Westerners with dreds here, this is definitely a hippie Indian Ashram for sure (sort of). But it's nice to run my fingers through my hair and have it wet and not take 3 days to dry and have my head be able to sit on my body without hunching over cuz of the weight. Was it the right thing to do.. what's right anyways.
me
Siva Rathri
March 5, 2008
So we will celebrate Siva Rathri tonight. It is a celebration across India for Lord Siva connected to birth and death. For any one who may not know my grandmother died today. I am told it is a very auspicious day to die. I am glad that I will be experiencing this time here and that she choose this day to pass on. I think all my prayers for her in the temple have effected her in someway. I also had a puja done for her at the ashram. We are going to celebrate Siva Rathri at a fire on the beach tonight and maybe visit a temple.
We have spent to last week staying with new friends in . They stay at the ashram a lot and rent a gorgeous home here not far from the ocean. We swam everyday and just discovered the most delicious chocolate pancakes in the world. Amazing that they are here in India. Our new friends have a 2 month old baby named Anjali. We have really enjoyed holding her and playing with her. She quite amazing. I will miss having a baby around as we are leaving here tomorrow.
India is very magical and amazing. Shawn and I slept on the roof for a while last night. As we were just lying down we heard these amazing drums getting closer and closer. Finally through the tree I could see a procession of some kind. We ran out to the main road and there was a procession with drums, a cool horn, and a statue of Vishnu. They were stopping at each house with an alter with offerings of food flowers and candles. Shawn used his sound recorder and the band stopped to play for him. Also a little friend we meet the day before named Sri Lakshmi came running over. She is a very sweet 10 or 11 year old who had a whole lot to talk about. We meet her younger brother Sri Hari. He gave me some of the prashad (offering) which I thought was food. After I got it in my mouth I realized it was funeral ash (auspicious). We all had a good giggle then the children spread ash all over my forehead. Magical Indeed!!!
I am getting attacked by mosquitoes as its sunset and we will go soon.
Love Tonya
So we will celebrate Siva Rathri tonight. It is a celebration across India for Lord Siva connected to birth and death. For any one who may not know my grandmother died today. I am told it is a very auspicious day to die. I am glad that I will be experiencing this time here and that she choose this day to pass on. I think all my prayers for her in the temple have effected her in someway. I also had a puja done for her at the ashram. We are going to celebrate Siva Rathri at a fire on the beach tonight and maybe visit a temple.
We have spent to last week staying with new friends in . They stay at the ashram a lot and rent a gorgeous home here not far from the ocean. We swam everyday and just discovered the most delicious chocolate pancakes in the world. Amazing that they are here in India. Our new friends have a 2 month old baby named Anjali. We have really enjoyed holding her and playing with her. She quite amazing. I will miss having a baby around as we are leaving here tomorrow.
India is very magical and amazing. Shawn and I slept on the roof for a while last night. As we were just lying down we heard these amazing drums getting closer and closer. Finally through the tree I could see a procession of some kind. We ran out to the main road and there was a procession with drums, a cool horn, and a statue of Vishnu. They were stopping at each house with an alter with offerings of food flowers and candles. Shawn used his sound recorder and the band stopped to play for him. Also a little friend we meet the day before named Sri Lakshmi came running over. She is a very sweet 10 or 11 year old who had a whole lot to talk about. We meet her younger brother Sri Hari. He gave me some of the prashad (offering) which I thought was food. After I got it in my mouth I realized it was funeral ash (auspicious). We all had a good giggle then the children spread ash all over my forehead. Magical Indeed!!!
I am getting attacked by mosquitoes as its sunset and we will go soon.
Love Tonya
Coimbatoire
March 7, 2008
We are now in Coimbatoire, which is an industrial city of fibers and car parts in the HUGE state of Tamil Nadu, which is basically 4/5's of Southern India. And it is definitely different from Kerela, which is where we were before. People are back to staring and not being so outwardly friendly, it is a dry hot landscape, beeping and fast pace, it is both modern and conservative, and not many people understand what we are saying. Tamil Nadu wanted to secede from the rest of India. As a Frenchman studying Ayurvedic massage and religion back at the Ashram said to me," the people of Tamil Nadu are much more wilder." I thought that sounded appealing at the time, but I am now seeing this statement in a different light. Kerela, on the other hand, is a communist state, it has the highest literacy rate, everyone speaks English, it's laid back and friendly. I guess maybe communism works, outside of Russia.
So what are we doing here, well, we are slowly making our way to Calcutta to see Amma consecrate a temple, and we stopped here because the type of Yoga that Tonya practices, Integral Yoga, has a center here. Okay with me, I have no agenda at all, and T's birthday is tomorrow. Also, she needs to emotionally rest after making herself feel so guilty about being here while her family is in mourning over where you are. Death is strange, and I'm not sure that anyone has really figured out how to approach it positively. Although life and death in India is not separate, and is not something to be feared, but celebrated. Easy for me to say, huh, I'm in India and not in cold New England. Yea, I wish we were both there to support the Salerno's, but here we are, and our love and prayers go out to them every minute of our trip. Teresa is in a better place now, I believe, and she'll never really go anywhere anyways, she'll always be inside of us who remember her.
Anyways, we are not sure what's next, we have a lot of options but we think we want to take it slow. Already miss the beach and the slow pace of Varkala. India is a gigantic country and will take several trips to see it all, if that's possible, so we have to keep reminding ourselves to just be here right now, wherever we are, and try to be at peace.
Shawn
We are now in Coimbatoire, which is an industrial city of fibers and car parts in the HUGE state of Tamil Nadu, which is basically 4/5's of Southern India. And it is definitely different from Kerela, which is where we were before. People are back to staring and not being so outwardly friendly, it is a dry hot landscape, beeping and fast pace, it is both modern and conservative, and not many people understand what we are saying. Tamil Nadu wanted to secede from the rest of India. As a Frenchman studying Ayurvedic massage and religion back at the Ashram said to me," the people of Tamil Nadu are much more wilder." I thought that sounded appealing at the time, but I am now seeing this statement in a different light. Kerela, on the other hand, is a communist state, it has the highest literacy rate, everyone speaks English, it's laid back and friendly. I guess maybe communism works, outside of Russia.
So what are we doing here, well, we are slowly making our way to Calcutta to see Amma consecrate a temple, and we stopped here because the type of Yoga that Tonya practices, Integral Yoga, has a center here. Okay with me, I have no agenda at all, and T's birthday is tomorrow. Also, she needs to emotionally rest after making herself feel so guilty about being here while her family is in mourning over where you are. Death is strange, and I'm not sure that anyone has really figured out how to approach it positively. Although life and death in India is not separate, and is not something to be feared, but celebrated. Easy for me to say, huh, I'm in India and not in cold New England. Yea, I wish we were both there to support the Salerno's, but here we are, and our love and prayers go out to them every minute of our trip. Teresa is in a better place now, I believe, and she'll never really go anywhere anyways, she'll always be inside of us who remember her.
Anyways, we are not sure what's next, we have a lot of options but we think we want to take it slow. Already miss the beach and the slow pace of Varkala. India is a gigantic country and will take several trips to see it all, if that's possible, so we have to keep reminding ourselves to just be here right now, wherever we are, and try to be at peace.
Shawn
OOty
March 10, 2008
OK, so maybe I was a little hard on the state of Tamil Nadu. You know when you listen to someone else's opinions about a place or a people, and you walk into that situation already jaded, and the slightest thing can set you off into thinking that the person's biased opinion was correct? Well, that happened. Someone told me that Tamil Nadu was ugly and the people unfriendly, and when we got to Coimbatore it was so bustling compared to the beach of Varkala, and the first two people we talked to didn't speak any English. Then I wrote the last email about Kerala being so much more peaceful and Tamil Nadu uneducated and blah blah. And you know when you put something out into the universe and something comes right back to you (this has been happening to me quite a bit, perhaps it always does and I'm just seeing it more), well immediately after I was on the computer everyone was very friendly to us and very welcoming. Perhaps I shouldn't jump to conclusions, huh. In fact, I quite like it here. Yers, Kerala is more lush and the people more friendly, and when you smile at people here not everyone smiles back (you think I would be used to that living in N.E.), but people seem to be friendly on the inside and still go out of their way to accommodate us. For instance, we were staying at the Yoga center and it was Tonya's birthday, and we had met an older Indian chap that morning in Yoga class, and later that night he stopped by with a birthday cake! Super sweet (and not just the cake!).
And now we are in the hill station of OOty. OOty OOty. This place was "discovered" by this English dude sometime last century who built a whole bunch of tea plantations and basically displaced the huge tribal community here, and instead made a little England in the mountains and thereby turned the hills into "snooty Ooty". And here we are, adding fuel to the tourist fire. But it's really nice, another bustling city set in the hills but just outside of the traffic is very quiet, which is where our hotel is, overlooking a lake. And hopefully tomorrow we are taking a forest trek into the hills and visiting a remaining Todod tribe. But half the fun was getting here. We took a miniature train up the mountains, which is a small train, 4 carts, being pushed by a steam locomotive, passed tea plantations and waterfalls and beautiful flowers and loads of waving children. But the best were the overly excited young men in the train, who were dancing and singing and clapping their hands the entire ride. I felt like a little kid again.
We will be making our way to Mangalore sometime this week, so we can take a really cheap flight to Calcutta next Monday. It's weird to be taking a plane to another part of India, but it is either that or take a 3 day train ride. We were going to go to a national park with elephants and tigers but we just found out that the park is closed because it is "fire season" (I told you it is dry here). So we will figure out something else to do until our mini flight.
Hope you are doing well
OK, so maybe I was a little hard on the state of Tamil Nadu. You know when you listen to someone else's opinions about a place or a people, and you walk into that situation already jaded, and the slightest thing can set you off into thinking that the person's biased opinion was correct? Well, that happened. Someone told me that Tamil Nadu was ugly and the people unfriendly, and when we got to Coimbatore it was so bustling compared to the beach of Varkala, and the first two people we talked to didn't speak any English. Then I wrote the last email about Kerala being so much more peaceful and Tamil Nadu uneducated and blah blah. And you know when you put something out into the universe and something comes right back to you (this has been happening to me quite a bit, perhaps it always does and I'm just seeing it more), well immediately after I was on the computer everyone was very friendly to us and very welcoming. Perhaps I shouldn't jump to conclusions, huh. In fact, I quite like it here. Yers, Kerala is more lush and the people more friendly, and when you smile at people here not everyone smiles back (you think I would be used to that living in N.E.), but people seem to be friendly on the inside and still go out of their way to accommodate us. For instance, we were staying at the Yoga center and it was Tonya's birthday, and we had met an older Indian chap that morning in Yoga class, and later that night he stopped by with a birthday cake! Super sweet (and not just the cake!).
And now we are in the hill station of OOty. OOty OOty. This place was "discovered" by this English dude sometime last century who built a whole bunch of tea plantations and basically displaced the huge tribal community here, and instead made a little England in the mountains and thereby turned the hills into "snooty Ooty". And here we are, adding fuel to the tourist fire. But it's really nice, another bustling city set in the hills but just outside of the traffic is very quiet, which is where our hotel is, overlooking a lake. And hopefully tomorrow we are taking a forest trek into the hills and visiting a remaining Todod tribe. But half the fun was getting here. We took a miniature train up the mountains, which is a small train, 4 carts, being pushed by a steam locomotive, passed tea plantations and waterfalls and beautiful flowers and loads of waving children. But the best were the overly excited young men in the train, who were dancing and singing and clapping their hands the entire ride. I felt like a little kid again.
We will be making our way to Mangalore sometime this week, so we can take a really cheap flight to Calcutta next Monday. It's weird to be taking a plane to another part of India, but it is either that or take a 3 day train ride. We were going to go to a national park with elephants and tigers but we just found out that the park is closed because it is "fire season" (I told you it is dry here). So we will figure out something else to do until our mini flight.
Hope you are doing well
Italians.
March 13, 2008
We are in OOty now, actually will be leaving in a couple of hours. Taking a "private" mini-bus down 36 hair raising switchbacks to Mysore in the plains, outside of the mountains. Oh, did I mention that it has been FREEZING since we've been here in the upper altitude. I know, I probably won't get much sympathy on that one, huh, considering we were just at the beach and it's been a steady 80 - 90 degrees every day. But when we left Coimbatore at 4:30 in the morning we were wearing a t-shirt and light pants, and it was already starting to get hot. By the time we arrived in OOty at noon, we had on a jacket, scarf and long underwear. Pretty drastic. And this is still Southern India, I'm not sure what to expect in the Himalaya's.
Two days ago we hired a guide through the hotel to take us out on a local trek around the mountains. And it was beautiful: rolling past different landscapes like pastures with lots of sheep, Eucalyptus forests, tea plantations, water Buffalo, aqueducts, into different Tota tribal villages where the children demanded that we take pictures of them, so we have a flash card almost full of beautiful smiling children with baby goats and colorfully painted houses (some where made out of bamboo and mud), and up to the top of a mountain where we could see 3 different states (Karala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka). We could see down into the National park where we wanted to visit, and there were indeed wild fires spread throughout the area.
SO it was relay nice, right? Right. No complaints. Exceeeeept... the people from the hotel that accompanied us on the trek. There was Stephen, from Germany, who was really nice and didn't talk, and then there were the Italians. Ricardo, Sonia, and Andres. First of all Andres made us miss the bus cuz he had to go out and get cigarettes right before we left, and then walked casually back (we had to go pick him up in a jeep). And then he didn't stop talking the WHOLE time, and I mean the whole time. The only moment he stopped to breathe was to chain smoke cigarettes. There were wild chicken who only lived in the forest that barked like dogs with a gobble at the end, no joke, and I tried to record their sound, and all I got was the sound of Italians yelling at each other. Even at the top of the mountain, when Me and T were trying to meditate, there would be a split second of silence, pure beautiful silence, and then they would start in again. Which reminded us of the group of Italians in Varkala, who were there everyday in the same spot, and would wade in the water up to their knees and chain smoke. There was one in particular man who had a golden red tan, speedos, large and in charge, and he would dance all the time in the water yelling Italian songs and waving his hands around. And the men would walk up and down the beach, flat out staring at the ladies (or was that the Indian men? Probably both).
So yea, if all I do is complain, why do I constantly surround myself with the Italians. All my friends growing up, past relations, the love of my life, all Italians. Is it the Catholic thing, misery loves company, I mean, shared traditions and cultures and all that (sorry Mom and Dad). I don't know, but I do know that after all the complaints, the Italians were still a lot of fun and they just enjoy life, I guess.
We were driving back on the bus and Tonya saw a sign that said Hotel Milan, and pointed it out to Andres. And he said, "You see, everywhere you go in the world, there is Italy."
Shawn
We are in OOty now, actually will be leaving in a couple of hours. Taking a "private" mini-bus down 36 hair raising switchbacks to Mysore in the plains, outside of the mountains. Oh, did I mention that it has been FREEZING since we've been here in the upper altitude. I know, I probably won't get much sympathy on that one, huh, considering we were just at the beach and it's been a steady 80 - 90 degrees every day. But when we left Coimbatore at 4:30 in the morning we were wearing a t-shirt and light pants, and it was already starting to get hot. By the time we arrived in OOty at noon, we had on a jacket, scarf and long underwear. Pretty drastic. And this is still Southern India, I'm not sure what to expect in the Himalaya's.
Two days ago we hired a guide through the hotel to take us out on a local trek around the mountains. And it was beautiful: rolling past different landscapes like pastures with lots of sheep, Eucalyptus forests, tea plantations, water Buffalo, aqueducts, into different Tota tribal villages where the children demanded that we take pictures of them, so we have a flash card almost full of beautiful smiling children with baby goats and colorfully painted houses (some where made out of bamboo and mud), and up to the top of a mountain where we could see 3 different states (Karala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka). We could see down into the National park where we wanted to visit, and there were indeed wild fires spread throughout the area.
SO it was relay nice, right? Right. No complaints. Exceeeeept... the people from the hotel that accompanied us on the trek. There was Stephen, from Germany, who was really nice and didn't talk, and then there were the Italians. Ricardo, Sonia, and Andres. First of all Andres made us miss the bus cuz he had to go out and get cigarettes right before we left, and then walked casually back (we had to go pick him up in a jeep). And then he didn't stop talking the WHOLE time, and I mean the whole time. The only moment he stopped to breathe was to chain smoke cigarettes. There were wild chicken who only lived in the forest that barked like dogs with a gobble at the end, no joke, and I tried to record their sound, and all I got was the sound of Italians yelling at each other. Even at the top of the mountain, when Me and T were trying to meditate, there would be a split second of silence, pure beautiful silence, and then they would start in again. Which reminded us of the group of Italians in Varkala, who were there everyday in the same spot, and would wade in the water up to their knees and chain smoke. There was one in particular man who had a golden red tan, speedos, large and in charge, and he would dance all the time in the water yelling Italian songs and waving his hands around. And the men would walk up and down the beach, flat out staring at the ladies (or was that the Indian men? Probably both).
So yea, if all I do is complain, why do I constantly surround myself with the Italians. All my friends growing up, past relations, the love of my life, all Italians. Is it the Catholic thing, misery loves company, I mean, shared traditions and cultures and all that (sorry Mom and Dad). I don't know, but I do know that after all the complaints, the Italians were still a lot of fun and they just enjoy life, I guess.
We were driving back on the bus and Tonya saw a sign that said Hotel Milan, and pointed it out to Andres. And he said, "You see, everywhere you go in the world, there is Italy."
Shawn
Mysore
March 15, 2008
We are now in Mysore, heading up to the North of India. Next stop is Calcutta, don't know what to expect. We took a private mini-bus bus from OOty OOty to Mysore, and as the Lonely Planet travel book calls them, "wrecks on wheels", it was quite an adventure. First off, Indians must be all tiny (Salerno size) because I couldn't even sit in the seats without my knees hitting my chin, and the bus went down 36 hairpin turns, so I had to reach out and grab the chair to my left and then the chair to my right every time we made a curve. The scene was beautiful as we were going down the Mountains, cuz in the plains just below the sun was beaming down through the clouds, and it didn't look real at all, like the painted backdrop to the Wizard of Oz or something.
On one of the curves there was a line of monkeys, just waiting in a row. We didn't stop though, I guess they have to wait for the monkey bus. Yea, the ride was a lot of fun! And then we drove through the National Park that we wanted to go through, and we saw spotted deers that looked like Bambi, boars (Lucio), peacocks, and ELEPHANTS!!! Okay, so the elephants were all tied up next to a building, but we saw ELEPHANTS!!!
Next day we went to the Royal Palace in Mysore, a super huge splenderiffic building with four ornate gates, seven temples inside the outer courtyard, an inner courtyard, a golden throne, a hall made of stain glass, huge portraits of royalty, a gigantic public hall with painted bulbous halls, and a private hall with ivory doors and sandalwood carved ceilings. And they charged us every 25 steps that we took. Camera charge, information tips, temple tips. And you know what, I mean, I was impressed and all, it was a royal palace and shit, but big whoop. We didn't even get to the private chambers cuz we would have had to spend more to get in. It's just weird to go into something like that knowing that there are deformed beggars lining the outside of the gates. But later on, we went to the Museum of Brotherhood. And THAT was AMAZING! The painting /sculpture/ fiber works were all from tribal lands and tribal people, directly, and they had a sculptress from West Bengal making a giant sculpture out of mud and hay, which she then would fire later on (maybe, there was some communication breakdown happening). And the paintings were SO colorful and transcending and simple and complex and funny and childlike beautiful and full of cultures and traditions and ceremonies, and yea, we dug it. Okay, so granted, this is definitely more our cup of tea than snooty royalty sitting on a throne with a lapdog and a gold turban, but the 2nd Museum was free. Need I say more.
Today we visited a temple on a mountain outside the city where there was a crazy procession of music and people bringing around the statue of the local Deity, and then we walked down 1000 stairs. True pilgrims walk UP the stairs, but I guess we are still Westerners, after all.
Shawn
We are now in Mysore, heading up to the North of India. Next stop is Calcutta, don't know what to expect. We took a private mini-bus bus from OOty OOty to Mysore, and as the Lonely Planet travel book calls them, "wrecks on wheels", it was quite an adventure. First off, Indians must be all tiny (Salerno size) because I couldn't even sit in the seats without my knees hitting my chin, and the bus went down 36 hairpin turns, so I had to reach out and grab the chair to my left and then the chair to my right every time we made a curve. The scene was beautiful as we were going down the Mountains, cuz in the plains just below the sun was beaming down through the clouds, and it didn't look real at all, like the painted backdrop to the Wizard of Oz or something.
On one of the curves there was a line of monkeys, just waiting in a row. We didn't stop though, I guess they have to wait for the monkey bus. Yea, the ride was a lot of fun! And then we drove through the National Park that we wanted to go through, and we saw spotted deers that looked like Bambi, boars (Lucio), peacocks, and ELEPHANTS!!! Okay, so the elephants were all tied up next to a building, but we saw ELEPHANTS!!!
Next day we went to the Royal Palace in Mysore, a super huge splenderiffic building with four ornate gates, seven temples inside the outer courtyard, an inner courtyard, a golden throne, a hall made of stain glass, huge portraits of royalty, a gigantic public hall with painted bulbous halls, and a private hall with ivory doors and sandalwood carved ceilings. And they charged us every 25 steps that we took. Camera charge, information tips, temple tips. And you know what, I mean, I was impressed and all, it was a royal palace and shit, but big whoop. We didn't even get to the private chambers cuz we would have had to spend more to get in. It's just weird to go into something like that knowing that there are deformed beggars lining the outside of the gates. But later on, we went to the Museum of Brotherhood. And THAT was AMAZING! The painting /sculpture/ fiber works were all from tribal lands and tribal people, directly, and they had a sculptress from West Bengal making a giant sculpture out of mud and hay, which she then would fire later on (maybe, there was some communication breakdown happening). And the paintings were SO colorful and transcending and simple and complex and funny and childlike beautiful and full of cultures and traditions and ceremonies, and yea, we dug it. Okay, so granted, this is definitely more our cup of tea than snooty royalty sitting on a throne with a lapdog and a gold turban, but the 2nd Museum was free. Need I say more.
Today we visited a temple on a mountain outside the city where there was a crazy procession of music and people bringing around the statue of the local Deity, and then we walked down 1000 stairs. True pilgrims walk UP the stairs, but I guess we are still Westerners, after all.
Shawn
Maxamillion
Tonya just sent a picture without permission.
I would just like to say that the name of the handsome person pictured here is Maxamillion.
Shawn
I would just like to say that the name of the handsome person pictured here is Maxamillion.
Shawn
Calcutta or is it Kolkata?
March 19, 2008
First of all to answer my own question its the later , just in case anyone didn't know.
I sure am glad we didn't land here first. Though, it is very congested here I have found the people friendlier than Mumbai.
Kolkata has been a serious trip!! WOW! So Shawn and I flew in from Bangalore which was really nice. Even though some people say part of the adventure is the trains, I think Shawn and I both agree we prefer to fly.
So things here are a lot rougher around the edges than in Kerala for sure. And yes there are many more people who are living on the streets but there is also wealth and modern living. Life is raw and beautiful and full of contrast. On our ride here we saw these amazing Deity statues at the base of a giant banyan tree (for anyone who doesn't know it is a gorgeous tree that grows by dropping its roots from its branches). The statues had hair that I could only assume was human. And upon further examination it all was a play ground of which children were playing on. No kidding, it had a slide and swings.
This is also one of the only places that still has men on foot pulling a rickshaw! We have done it yet but it seems really strange to me.
So we came to Kolkata to see Amma. The Amma program we found out is not quite in Kolkata. Its in this place called Sakarpool but up until yesterday we were just looking for Budge Budge Road. We got directions from both the hotel and the Foreign Tourist Bureau to Budge Budge Station. Great!! We thought. All too easy for India. Take the train to Budge Budge station and get a rickshaw from there to the Ashram (Amma has an ashram here too). We do all this during the hustle and bustle on an over crowded train(thank goodness we had seats) and we get to Budge Budge Station 45 minutes later. Head to the rickshaw stand and nobody has any idea what we are talking about. And just by the grace of God and/or Amma, an India man showed up in the same predicament. He spoke very little English but he knew what we were looking for and her could speak Bengali. After a lot of confusion and about 10 rickshaw drivers trying to help(This sort of thing happens often, too many cooks) a nice local man leads the three of us to a bus line where we hop on a rundown pimped out bus with various crazy printed plush walls, ceiling and chairs. There were even star shapes around the red lights on the ceiling(which didn't work). I learn very fast to hold on tight or find a seat! About 20 minutes later the whole crazy ordeal ends as our new Indian friend and I jump up in excitement as we see a huge picture of Amma! And we're there.
Much of the same as before with Darshan, really amazing and totally confusing. Amma hugged me first because I was pushed to her alone then pulled away. Because Shawn and I were supposed to go together she actually grabbed my arm and pulled me back. Then we were told we should sit on the stage. Not sure if Amma said we could or because we knew people who were running the gig but its pretty special because these children were performing an epic dance of Amma and the tsunami.
Today was the temple consecration. What an amazing day! We got up at 4 am to get there bright and early, then waited about 2 hours at the temple which aside from the inner sanctum is out side. It was very nice not too hot and not too sunny. When it started it was completely other worldly, at least with the sounds. There were many conch shells and drums being sounded and played over and over. Then Amma came out smiling and glowing. She made her way to the roof of the temple via a temporary stair case. Chanting came in and it all began. Where we were sitting we couldn't see much but I closed my eyes and was lost in the magical sounds. Rose petals were thrown on us by Amma, then water ran of the side which is supposed to be very powerful. I had a good time trying to get some water in the pushing crowd. It was easy because it was mostly women shorter than me. I let myself relax and flowed with the crowd and I learned a useful skill for the train station! The more you aggressively fight the crowd the more scary it is. Though I still plan to avoid major crowds in India. Amma came down from the roof and the consecration continued on the inside for some time and then it was all over. Shawn had been fighting a little cold and felt great! I was feeling pretty high from the event as well.
So 2 more days in Kolkata, one more with Amma. Then we are off to Varanasi, one of the oldest cities in the world.
I'm having a great and trying time. I'm discovering so much but there is still some part of me that really misses all you. I will stay present and enjoy my time here but I look forward to being home. I certainly want to come back to India but I don't think want to live here.
All my Love, Tonya
First of all to answer my own question its the later , just in case anyone didn't know.
I sure am glad we didn't land here first. Though, it is very congested here I have found the people friendlier than Mumbai.
Kolkata has been a serious trip!! WOW! So Shawn and I flew in from Bangalore which was really nice. Even though some people say part of the adventure is the trains, I think Shawn and I both agree we prefer to fly.
So things here are a lot rougher around the edges than in Kerala for sure. And yes there are many more people who are living on the streets but there is also wealth and modern living. Life is raw and beautiful and full of contrast. On our ride here we saw these amazing Deity statues at the base of a giant banyan tree (for anyone who doesn't know it is a gorgeous tree that grows by dropping its roots from its branches). The statues had hair that I could only assume was human. And upon further examination it all was a play ground of which children were playing on. No kidding, it had a slide and swings.
This is also one of the only places that still has men on foot pulling a rickshaw! We have done it yet but it seems really strange to me.
So we came to Kolkata to see Amma. The Amma program we found out is not quite in Kolkata. Its in this place called Sakarpool but up until yesterday we were just looking for Budge Budge Road. We got directions from both the hotel and the Foreign Tourist Bureau to Budge Budge Station. Great!! We thought. All too easy for India. Take the train to Budge Budge station and get a rickshaw from there to the Ashram (Amma has an ashram here too). We do all this during the hustle and bustle on an over crowded train(thank goodness we had seats) and we get to Budge Budge Station 45 minutes later. Head to the rickshaw stand and nobody has any idea what we are talking about. And just by the grace of God and/or Amma, an India man showed up in the same predicament. He spoke very little English but he knew what we were looking for and her could speak Bengali. After a lot of confusion and about 10 rickshaw drivers trying to help(This sort of thing happens often, too many cooks) a nice local man leads the three of us to a bus line where we hop on a rundown pimped out bus with various crazy printed plush walls, ceiling and chairs. There were even star shapes around the red lights on the ceiling(which didn't work). I learn very fast to hold on tight or find a seat! About 20 minutes later the whole crazy ordeal ends as our new Indian friend and I jump up in excitement as we see a huge picture of Amma! And we're there.
Much of the same as before with Darshan, really amazing and totally confusing. Amma hugged me first because I was pushed to her alone then pulled away. Because Shawn and I were supposed to go together she actually grabbed my arm and pulled me back. Then we were told we should sit on the stage. Not sure if Amma said we could or because we knew people who were running the gig but its pretty special because these children were performing an epic dance of Amma and the tsunami.
Today was the temple consecration. What an amazing day! We got up at 4 am to get there bright and early, then waited about 2 hours at the temple which aside from the inner sanctum is out side. It was very nice not too hot and not too sunny. When it started it was completely other worldly, at least with the sounds. There were many conch shells and drums being sounded and played over and over. Then Amma came out smiling and glowing. She made her way to the roof of the temple via a temporary stair case. Chanting came in and it all began. Where we were sitting we couldn't see much but I closed my eyes and was lost in the magical sounds. Rose petals were thrown on us by Amma, then water ran of the side which is supposed to be very powerful. I had a good time trying to get some water in the pushing crowd. It was easy because it was mostly women shorter than me. I let myself relax and flowed with the crowd and I learned a useful skill for the train station! The more you aggressively fight the crowd the more scary it is. Though I still plan to avoid major crowds in India. Amma came down from the roof and the consecration continued on the inside for some time and then it was all over. Shawn had been fighting a little cold and felt great! I was feeling pretty high from the event as well.
So 2 more days in Kolkata, one more with Amma. Then we are off to Varanasi, one of the oldest cities in the world.
I'm having a great and trying time. I'm discovering so much but there is still some part of me that really misses all you. I will stay present and enjoy my time here but I look forward to being home. I certainly want to come back to India but I don't think want to live here.
All my Love, Tonya
Happy Holi!
March 21, 2008
So I stole the colorful message at the end from my friend DJ but Shawn and I are in the thick of the celebration. (Hollie, you would love this as it is also your name). Holi is a spring festival which is celebrated by people throwing bright colored dye on each other and dancing in the streets. The dye symbolizes the colors of the spring flowers which by the way used to be used instead of chemical dye. I would prefer the natural and that is why I am avoiding being hit with color. People are generally pretty good here about this but I am finding out being with Shawn helps a lot.
Shawn got some nice green on his face and now his beard is green in places instead of white. I got close enough to get some great photos. I did get s sprinkle of pink on my arms which is not so bad.
We are leaving here tonight to go to Varanasi which I heard is crazier but we have a car from the guest house picking us up directly from the train station, so I am not concerned. We will use tomorrow to rest as Holi continues.
So we also took part in a self participator puja with Amma. It was to clear the negative aspects of Rahu(a planet in Indian astrology). It was very sweet. About 200 people sat on the floor each with their own little make shift alter made out of a banana leaf. We had these little pot with things lke ghee, candle oil, and camphor. We also had a banyan leaf and incense, and a ball of spice which I think is termeric. The spice was shaped into a snake by us. The gentle man who was leading us informed us not to get creative as iit was just a symbol. Shawn and I looked at each other with a big smile at that point because of course we were trying to make it look really cool. After that we used the lamp and incense for purify each thing. Finally we dripped the ghee on the snake as we chanted Om Siva Shakti Roopinyai Namah which is the Deity of the temple that was consecrated. Finally we took the banyan leaf(filled with a nut and maybe some coils if you chose as a offering to the guru) and the snake and proceeded in a very long line to the temple. Again we were to chant. It all finished as we made our way clock wise around the temple and throw the snake at the stone snake on one side of the temple statue alter. I missed and it the flowers. Too bad. It was very magical and I good ceremony for symbolically ridding myself of obstacles.
We were supposed to do a second puja at night for Saturn or Sani which is is call here, but the whole event was going to late and we had to get a train back to the city. The temple did our puja for us but I would love to know what we had to do as the items on our alter were all different.
So Happy Holi!
Love Tonya
So I stole the colorful message at the end from my friend DJ but Shawn and I are in the thick of the celebration. (Hollie, you would love this as it is also your name). Holi is a spring festival which is celebrated by people throwing bright colored dye on each other and dancing in the streets. The dye symbolizes the colors of the spring flowers which by the way used to be used instead of chemical dye. I would prefer the natural and that is why I am avoiding being hit with color. People are generally pretty good here about this but I am finding out being with Shawn helps a lot.
Shawn got some nice green on his face and now his beard is green in places instead of white. I got close enough to get some great photos. I did get s sprinkle of pink on my arms which is not so bad.
We are leaving here tonight to go to Varanasi which I heard is crazier but we have a car from the guest house picking us up directly from the train station, so I am not concerned. We will use tomorrow to rest as Holi continues.
So we also took part in a self participator puja with Amma. It was to clear the negative aspects of Rahu(a planet in Indian astrology). It was very sweet. About 200 people sat on the floor each with their own little make shift alter made out of a banana leaf. We had these little pot with things lke ghee, candle oil, and camphor. We also had a banyan leaf and incense, and a ball of spice which I think is termeric. The spice was shaped into a snake by us. The gentle man who was leading us informed us not to get creative as iit was just a symbol. Shawn and I looked at each other with a big smile at that point because of course we were trying to make it look really cool. After that we used the lamp and incense for purify each thing. Finally we dripped the ghee on the snake as we chanted Om Siva Shakti Roopinyai Namah which is the Deity of the temple that was consecrated. Finally we took the banyan leaf(filled with a nut and maybe some coils if you chose as a offering to the guru) and the snake and proceeded in a very long line to the temple. Again we were to chant. It all finished as we made our way clock wise around the temple and throw the snake at the stone snake on one side of the temple statue alter. I missed and it the flowers. Too bad. It was very magical and I good ceremony for symbolically ridding myself of obstacles.
We were supposed to do a second puja at night for Saturn or Sani which is is call here, but the whole event was going to late and we had to get a train back to the city. The temple did our puja for us but I would love to know what we had to do as the items on our alter were all different.
So Happy Holi!
Love Tonya
Wish U a very Happy Holi.
May this Holi brings lots n pots full of joy and happiness in your life.
& may your life become as colorful as the colors of Holi
May this Holi brings lots n pots full of joy and happiness in your life.
& may your life become as colorful as the colors of Holi
Mama Ganga
March 22, 2008
Yes I know, I just wrote a whole bunch but Shawn has a bit of a cold and is sleeping it off. He has requested I don't go out as it is still Holi and we are in Varanasi now!
There are free computers here at our guest house which is really nice. The balcony outside our room over looks the Ganges and the ghats. It is so quiet and relaxed being a holiday. I think I will be surprised by the return of the business. This is supposed to be a crazy city and it seems so incredibly peaceful. There are advantages to traveling on holidays as we had no traffic to and from the train stations and the train was empty.
Earlier I gazed out over the mighty river and WOW!! How gorgeous she is!! We are quite blessed to have been lead here and on such a peaceful day. I can almost hear the prayers of the people echoing off the river. If I didn't know better I would run down and jump in too. One side is covered with the ghats, the other a seemingly peaceful shore line.
There are also huge, fuzzy water buffalo everywhere and they make some good, fun sounds. Though I was surprised that the cows were the ones fighting. I watched 2 tourist walk dangerously close to cows charging each other and almost get knocked over. I made a note to myself that these are not the ashram cows and I should keep a good distance.
Though my body craves some hatha yoga I have found it quite easy to drop into mediation lately. Maybe it is the power of being with Amma or the magic of India. I am now feeling drawn away from this computer to the sunset and a mediation on the roof.
I hope everyone is well and enjoying the change of season. Just think it could be so hot outside that you just have to stay in during the middle of the day (I'm not complaining). I love all my little messages and look forward to receiving them. Oh and Jill, your emails are well worth the wait!
Om Shanthi,
Love, Tonya
Yes I know, I just wrote a whole bunch but Shawn has a bit of a cold and is sleeping it off. He has requested I don't go out as it is still Holi and we are in Varanasi now!
There are free computers here at our guest house which is really nice. The balcony outside our room over looks the Ganges and the ghats. It is so quiet and relaxed being a holiday. I think I will be surprised by the return of the business. This is supposed to be a crazy city and it seems so incredibly peaceful. There are advantages to traveling on holidays as we had no traffic to and from the train stations and the train was empty.
Earlier I gazed out over the mighty river and WOW!! How gorgeous she is!! We are quite blessed to have been lead here and on such a peaceful day. I can almost hear the prayers of the people echoing off the river. If I didn't know better I would run down and jump in too. One side is covered with the ghats, the other a seemingly peaceful shore line.
There are also huge, fuzzy water buffalo everywhere and they make some good, fun sounds. Though I was surprised that the cows were the ones fighting. I watched 2 tourist walk dangerously close to cows charging each other and almost get knocked over. I made a note to myself that these are not the ashram cows and I should keep a good distance.
Though my body craves some hatha yoga I have found it quite easy to drop into mediation lately. Maybe it is the power of being with Amma or the magic of India. I am now feeling drawn away from this computer to the sunset and a mediation on the roof.
I hope everyone is well and enjoying the change of season. Just think it could be so hot outside that you just have to stay in during the middle of the day (I'm not complaining). I love all my little messages and look forward to receiving them. Oh and Jill, your emails are well worth the wait!
Om Shanthi,
Love, Tonya
Harry Krishna
March 24, 2008
There are sometimes that I love Indian pop music, meaning Bollywood music, and sometimes it's like a tiny screw slowly being turned inside my brain. Not to complain or anything, it's just that I am trying to concentrate and write this email, and the family that own the homestay are watching an Indian MTV that shows Bollywood videos, and after awhile they are ALL the same. Anyways, hiyadoing? We are leaving our homestay today because there was a miscommunication at the desk and now they have rented out our room and are all booked up.
Yep. So now we are taking a boat down the Ganges to the next hotel. Just part of the adventure. I have been sick with a cold the past week, and being sick in India is like having a cold in the middle of the summer -- it doesn't make sense and it sucks. Tonya was sick in OOty, probably because of the drastic climate difference, and I was trying really hard to stay healthy, and doing a pretty good job I might add.
Then we went to Calcutta, and my body just said, what are you doing to me? Calcutta is a poop hole. I thought it was the dirtiest city I'd ever been to (Varanassi actually wins that title), but definitely the most crowded and most congested and most poor. At seven in the morning you can see a fog in the streets that is pure smog from all the traffic and pollution. When we were blowing our noses, blackness came out. And to get where Amma's program was, we had to take a cab to a city train (which means a train that's com-PLEET-ly packed, people hanging out the door) to a bus (also packed). And then we were around 100's of Amma devotees and otherwise. And the Consecration Festival was totally crazy. I always thought that the men of India were pushy, but NOTHING compared to the woman, especially the nuns!!! First of all they are all small, and they take their elbows and stick them out so they jab into your ribs. There was nothing you could do but to give up to the ebb and flow of people, become one with the wave of bodies. It was actually quite fun!
I have to admit, gladly, that the people of Calcutta are so pleasant and amazing and full of life. Our hotel, definitely a backpackers hostel dive where people sat up all night, drank, smoked cigs and swapped stories, much different than the Ashram, was located right next to Gypsy drive, where people lived in little makeshift shacks on the street. People are selling everything in the street, from broken pots to phone chargers with wires sticking out. There were lots of touts, but nothing like Mumbaii or Pune. There are actually more people in Mumbaii, but there seems like there are more in Calcutta because they are all in the streets rather than in the ghettos tucked away. Yet as homeless and penniless as some people were, they are just outright more friendly. Mumbaii and Pune and Bangalore are modern cities of India, and I've discovered that "modern" equates to "a bunch of punks". Young boys don't need to smile at tourists in a modern city, they are wearing blue jeans and already think like westerners, which means everyman for themselves. Maybe I am thinking like a tourist who enjoys the "simple smile of the exotic peasants", but there is still plenty of money in Calcutta, yet everyone was friendly to us. Sure, people were peddling their goods and trying to get money from us, but no one was mean or rude, in fact quite the opposite. And during Holi, it was a big party in the street with a band and everything. The city literally stopped. Yet no one messed with us, and were very gentle to Tonya. So yea, we liked Calcutta. When we were back at the Ashram, I asked my Indian friend from Canada, Harry, as in Harry Krishna, (no joke), if he was going to go Calcutta to see Amma, and he said "Hell no, I'm not going to that shithole, it's the roughest and dirtiest place in India." Well, it was cool to us...... but I'm glad we left. And now I've spent two days in bed, re-cooperating.
Feel better though.
Shawn
There are sometimes that I love Indian pop music, meaning Bollywood music, and sometimes it's like a tiny screw slowly being turned inside my brain. Not to complain or anything, it's just that I am trying to concentrate and write this email, and the family that own the homestay are watching an Indian MTV that shows Bollywood videos, and after awhile they are ALL the same. Anyways, hiyadoing? We are leaving our homestay today because there was a miscommunication at the desk and now they have rented out our room and are all booked up.
Yep. So now we are taking a boat down the Ganges to the next hotel. Just part of the adventure. I have been sick with a cold the past week, and being sick in India is like having a cold in the middle of the summer -- it doesn't make sense and it sucks. Tonya was sick in OOty, probably because of the drastic climate difference, and I was trying really hard to stay healthy, and doing a pretty good job I might add.
Then we went to Calcutta, and my body just said, what are you doing to me? Calcutta is a poop hole. I thought it was the dirtiest city I'd ever been to (Varanassi actually wins that title), but definitely the most crowded and most congested and most poor. At seven in the morning you can see a fog in the streets that is pure smog from all the traffic and pollution. When we were blowing our noses, blackness came out. And to get where Amma's program was, we had to take a cab to a city train (which means a train that's com-PLEET-ly packed, people hanging out the door) to a bus (also packed). And then we were around 100's of Amma devotees and otherwise. And the Consecration Festival was totally crazy. I always thought that the men of India were pushy, but NOTHING compared to the woman, especially the nuns!!! First of all they are all small, and they take their elbows and stick them out so they jab into your ribs. There was nothing you could do but to give up to the ebb and flow of people, become one with the wave of bodies. It was actually quite fun!
I have to admit, gladly, that the people of Calcutta are so pleasant and amazing and full of life. Our hotel, definitely a backpackers hostel dive where people sat up all night, drank, smoked cigs and swapped stories, much different than the Ashram, was located right next to Gypsy drive, where people lived in little makeshift shacks on the street. People are selling everything in the street, from broken pots to phone chargers with wires sticking out. There were lots of touts, but nothing like Mumbaii or Pune. There are actually more people in Mumbaii, but there seems like there are more in Calcutta because they are all in the streets rather than in the ghettos tucked away. Yet as homeless and penniless as some people were, they are just outright more friendly. Mumbaii and Pune and Bangalore are modern cities of India, and I've discovered that "modern" equates to "a bunch of punks". Young boys don't need to smile at tourists in a modern city, they are wearing blue jeans and already think like westerners, which means everyman for themselves. Maybe I am thinking like a tourist who enjoys the "simple smile of the exotic peasants", but there is still plenty of money in Calcutta, yet everyone was friendly to us. Sure, people were peddling their goods and trying to get money from us, but no one was mean or rude, in fact quite the opposite. And during Holi, it was a big party in the street with a band and everything. The city literally stopped. Yet no one messed with us, and were very gentle to Tonya. So yea, we liked Calcutta. When we were back at the Ashram, I asked my Indian friend from Canada, Harry, as in Harry Krishna, (no joke), if he was going to go Calcutta to see Amma, and he said "Hell no, I'm not going to that shithole, it's the roughest and dirtiest place in India." Well, it was cool to us...... but I'm glad we left. And now I've spent two days in bed, re-cooperating.
Feel better though.
Shawn
Mama Ganga II
March 24, 2008
Hey, this is really Shawn, talking in Tonya's voice. Kinda scary, huh. Just wanted to say that after all my complaining, we left this guest house to go down the Ganges and look for another place. Just as we were leaving, the owner, with a mouth full of chewing tobacco, said why don't you try the place downstairs? Well, we didn't know about the place downstairs. Turns out that there is a quiet little home stay without any signs, just 4 small rooms on the outside of where this super nice man lives, and it's cheaper. And they just happened to have a cancellation as we walked in. AND we can stay for as long as we want, AND the owner is the nephew of the dude upstairs, so we can go and use the facilities anytime we want. So now we are in a cozy spot for as long as we want. That's the universe for ya.
Thanks universe!
Shawn
Hey, this is really Shawn, talking in Tonya's voice. Kinda scary, huh. Just wanted to say that after all my complaining, we left this guest house to go down the Ganges and look for another place. Just as we were leaving, the owner, with a mouth full of chewing tobacco, said why don't you try the place downstairs? Well, we didn't know about the place downstairs. Turns out that there is a quiet little home stay without any signs, just 4 small rooms on the outside of where this super nice man lives, and it's cheaper. And they just happened to have a cancellation as we walked in. AND we can stay for as long as we want, AND the owner is the nephew of the dude upstairs, so we can go and use the facilities anytime we want. So now we are in a cozy spot for as long as we want. That's the universe for ya.
Thanks universe!
Shawn
Puja Puja Puja!
March 26, 2008
Om Namah Shiviah!
I realize that many folks that I had originally emailed with India updates are no longer on my list. So here it is:
In the city of Shiva we are burning out a lot of karma!
Varanasi, many of you may know is one of the holiest and dirtiest cities in the world. For the first few days i was in awe and full of gratitude. The Ganges is magical, the people interesting and culture abounds! I loved it! Then another round of stomach illness. It began with me and violent expulsions. They Shawn couldn't resist and joined me halfway through the night. He did much worse, burning at 103.8 degrees at one point. So 36 hours later and we are both wiped out, confused, and thankful to be getting better.
I had been impressed with how many yummy, health choices of food we could find but now I can hardly eat. At some point in all of this I knew this was an exercise in being humble.
Puja's happen all the time here. In the morning as the sun rises the temple in front of our guesthouse rings bell and beats drums to greet the sun. This morning was the first time I missed the event.
I am also quite a sucker for the children and am always buying over priced past cards from them. A sweet little girl painted my hand and arm with henna. She did a great job. I am also feeling effected a bit more by the poverty and lack of care of people and animals a like.
So its almost time for the mid day power shut off(10am-2pm everyday) and my stomach is feeling a little funky still. It gets brutally hot here in the middle of the day and I will be glad when we are well enough to move to the Himilayas.
Om Namah Shiviah!
Much Love- Tonya
Om Namah Shiviah!
I realize that many folks that I had originally emailed with India updates are no longer on my list. So here it is:
In the city of Shiva we are burning out a lot of karma!
Varanasi, many of you may know is one of the holiest and dirtiest cities in the world. For the first few days i was in awe and full of gratitude. The Ganges is magical, the people interesting and culture abounds! I loved it! Then another round of stomach illness. It began with me and violent expulsions. They Shawn couldn't resist and joined me halfway through the night. He did much worse, burning at 103.8 degrees at one point. So 36 hours later and we are both wiped out, confused, and thankful to be getting better.
I had been impressed with how many yummy, health choices of food we could find but now I can hardly eat. At some point in all of this I knew this was an exercise in being humble.
Puja's happen all the time here. In the morning as the sun rises the temple in front of our guesthouse rings bell and beats drums to greet the sun. This morning was the first time I missed the event.
I am also quite a sucker for the children and am always buying over priced past cards from them. A sweet little girl painted my hand and arm with henna. She did a great job. I am also feeling effected a bit more by the poverty and lack of care of people and animals a like.
So its almost time for the mid day power shut off(10am-2pm everyday) and my stomach is feeling a little funky still. It gets brutally hot here in the middle of the day and I will be glad when we are well enough to move to the Himilayas.
Om Namah Shiviah!
Much Love- Tonya
103.8
March 28, 2008
Hello all,
I just spent twenty hours in bed with a 103.8 degree temperature, burning up. But we both feel much better now. We're starting to eat and are not so dizzy. Think we'll leave Varanasii as soon as we can, were shooting for tomorrow but that's not happenning. Met an American from New York who looks like Frank Black and is super cynical and sarcastic. It was quite refreshing to hang out with him. My head is begining to spin so talk to you soon, more about Varanasi later.
Shawn
Hello all,
I just spent twenty hours in bed with a 103.8 degree temperature, burning up. But we both feel much better now. We're starting to eat and are not so dizzy. Think we'll leave Varanasii as soon as we can, were shooting for tomorrow but that's not happenning. Met an American from New York who looks like Frank Black and is super cynical and sarcastic. It was quite refreshing to hang out with him. My head is begining to spin so talk to you soon, more about Varanasi later.
Shawn
2 More days,Death or Not, or From the City of Shiva
March 29, 2008
You pick the title of this email.
As if we didn't get enough, Shawn and I are staying 2 more days in Varanasi as we could not get a train ticket in the class we wanted for tomorrow. Yes we are a bit snobbish when it comes to long distance train travel but you may be if you experienced the difference between 3 tier sleeper class and 2 tier AC. The first train we took was the former and it wasn't so bad until we realized in the middle of the night that when the beds went down there was no way to sit up! And also everyone and their mother, literally, came in in the middle of the night and just laid down on the floor around us. It really pushed my western spacial limit. We will pay the extra 700 rupees to have a cool, clean, semi private space where you don't have to be horizontal if you don't want to be. $5 or $25 back home it is not such a big difference!
So we leave for Rishikesh in three days. And will stay in an ashram and practice yoga. Not very focused but I think this is what we need right now. I sure we will be guided to a suitable place. We haven't go completely astray yet. The Universe is always catching us and showing us the way! This morning we took the most beautiful boat ride. Once you get past all the mess the Ganges is still amazingly spiritual. I talked about in my first emails from here. After a little bargaining for a reasonable price to be rowed up the river at 5:30am; we walked down Assi ghat, stepped into a boat and floated out onto the holy mama Ganga. The moment, much like watching my first sun rise here, brought tears to my eyes. I think one of my favorite things about India have been the boat rides and we have quite a few. I hope to send a long a few photos of the sun coming up over the river( I know I keep talking about photos). Shawn gave some of his dreads to Mama Ganga. They are so funny to look at not on his head. I guess they were funny on his head too. I didn't mention earlier that during my first walk on the ghats, which I had taken alone as Shawn was sick, I watched a cremation, right on the river. It was so ordinary, not sad, scary, or grotesque. Just normal. I was reading a book today in a little cafe( we just discovered and is very cute and clean and run by an American lady) about death or is there really death by Swami Muktananda. I really resonated with the information. As most of you know my grandmother passed on while I was here in India. Not that I haven't read about these or been told this before but all the goals of all this yoga and mediation are to realize we are just in these bodies for a short time. That there is so much more than what we experienced in the material world and here in India/ Varanasi is a really good place to began to realize this. The book talked about the surrendering and welcoming of death when it comes and that it will not be painful. I am sorry that this email may seem morbid but my experience has nothing to do with morbidity but rather the beauty and expansiveness of life! Of Immortality! Low and behold I am still living in the material world and I'm still a material girl. But maybe some day I will realize this fully. And I'm thankful to glimpse it and experience hints of our oneness. It is what keeps me on my path and I am grateful.
Thanks to each of you for being someone special in this material world and beyond!
Om Namah Shiviah! Love, Tonya
You pick the title of this email.
As if we didn't get enough, Shawn and I are staying 2 more days in Varanasi as we could not get a train ticket in the class we wanted for tomorrow. Yes we are a bit snobbish when it comes to long distance train travel but you may be if you experienced the difference between 3 tier sleeper class and 2 tier AC. The first train we took was the former and it wasn't so bad until we realized in the middle of the night that when the beds went down there was no way to sit up! And also everyone and their mother, literally, came in in the middle of the night and just laid down on the floor around us. It really pushed my western spacial limit. We will pay the extra 700 rupees to have a cool, clean, semi private space where you don't have to be horizontal if you don't want to be. $5 or $25 back home it is not such a big difference!
So we leave for Rishikesh in three days. And will stay in an ashram and practice yoga. Not very focused but I think this is what we need right now. I sure we will be guided to a suitable place. We haven't go completely astray yet. The Universe is always catching us and showing us the way! This morning we took the most beautiful boat ride. Once you get past all the mess the Ganges is still amazingly spiritual. I talked about in my first emails from here. After a little bargaining for a reasonable price to be rowed up the river at 5:30am; we walked down Assi ghat, stepped into a boat and floated out onto the holy mama Ganga. The moment, much like watching my first sun rise here, brought tears to my eyes. I think one of my favorite things about India have been the boat rides and we have quite a few. I hope to send a long a few photos of the sun coming up over the river( I know I keep talking about photos). Shawn gave some of his dreads to Mama Ganga. They are so funny to look at not on his head. I guess they were funny on his head too. I didn't mention earlier that during my first walk on the ghats, which I had taken alone as Shawn was sick, I watched a cremation, right on the river. It was so ordinary, not sad, scary, or grotesque. Just normal. I was reading a book today in a little cafe( we just discovered and is very cute and clean and run by an American lady) about death or is there really death by Swami Muktananda. I really resonated with the information. As most of you know my grandmother passed on while I was here in India. Not that I haven't read about these or been told this before but all the goals of all this yoga and mediation are to realize we are just in these bodies for a short time. That there is so much more than what we experienced in the material world and here in India/ Varanasi is a really good place to began to realize this. The book talked about the surrendering and welcoming of death when it comes and that it will not be painful. I am sorry that this email may seem morbid but my experience has nothing to do with morbidity but rather the beauty and expansiveness of life! Of Immortality! Low and behold I am still living in the material world and I'm still a material girl. But maybe some day I will realize this fully. And I'm thankful to glimpse it and experience hints of our oneness. It is what keeps me on my path and I am grateful.
Thanks to each of you for being someone special in this material world and beyond!
Om Namah Shiviah! Love, Tonya
Photos
March 30, 2008
So here are a few photos I promised. I will try to attach one of me as Cathy requested it.
The boy chased me down with a water balloon that didn't break on my leg!
The girl was just incredibly beautiful!
So here are a few photos I promised. I will try to attach one of me as Cathy requested it.
The boy chased me down with a water balloon that didn't break on my leg!
The girl was just incredibly beautiful!
More Photos
Here's me with my new friend Sri Lakeshmi who called me on my birthday to invite me over to her house. We were unfortunately about 500 miles away. And no she didn't know it was my birthday but it was so special anyway!!
There are so many great photos, its very hard here to take an uninteresting one that I couldn't chose. I picked horizontally oriented ones so it would be easy to look at. Love _T
There are so many great photos, its very hard here to take an uninteresting one that I couldn't chose. I picked horizontally oriented ones so it would be easy to look at. Love _T
ok a few more
March 30, 2008
That's it for now!!
There's one of the crazy men on Holi!!
This little girl is my favorite.
Sun rise over the Ganges and I don't remember what else.
That's it for now!!
There's one of the crazy men on Holi!!
This little girl is my favorite.
Sun rise over the Ganges and I don't remember what else.
Rishikesh
April 7, 2008
My last email never made it. I lost 1/2 of it when I lost connection so I will start a new.
We are in Rishikesh now enjoying the cool rainy weather right now and our room with a private balcony overlooking the Ganges and the foothills. It quite beautiful. We saw a fantastic rain and thunderstorm the other night. The weather hasn't been all bad. He has had some sun and it is pretty warm when it's sunny. For now we are enjoying our new sweaters. Shawn's is a gorgeous rainbow. Literally something I would be wearing.
The animals have been really fun too. Yesterday while I was practicing yoga on the balcony. I heard some sound in the room and then behind me. Thought Shawn had got out of bed but lo and behold there was a monkey sitting behind me eating 3 bananas. I ran in the room and realized that he was eating our bananas of which he had just wandered into the room and snatched. This morning in yoga class I watched 3 monkeys go into a room a few doors down. Also yesterday as we were admiring the peaceful black-faced monkeys one came from behind and bounced, literally, off our heads!! Today I decided to feed a sweet little baby cow. When he had eaten all the bananas.
In a week will go to a yoga retreat 10km up the river. I found out about the ashram from some very nice folks who had just finished a retreat. In the mean time we may go trekking into the Himalayas. We are happy and relaxed here and that is nice after all the Varanasi craziness. Though we did really like Varanasi.
I hope this email sends. So will say a prayer.
Love, Tonya
PS this one almost didn't make it as well, it has been saved on the desk top for two days and I am trying again today to send it
My last email never made it. I lost 1/2 of it when I lost connection so I will start a new.
We are in Rishikesh now enjoying the cool rainy weather right now and our room with a private balcony overlooking the Ganges and the foothills. It quite beautiful. We saw a fantastic rain and thunderstorm the other night. The weather hasn't been all bad. He has had some sun and it is pretty warm when it's sunny. For now we are enjoying our new sweaters. Shawn's is a gorgeous rainbow. Literally something I would be wearing.
The animals have been really fun too. Yesterday while I was practicing yoga on the balcony. I heard some sound in the room and then behind me. Thought Shawn had got out of bed but lo and behold there was a monkey sitting behind me eating 3 bananas. I ran in the room and realized that he was eating our bananas of which he had just wandered into the room and snatched. This morning in yoga class I watched 3 monkeys go into a room a few doors down. Also yesterday as we were admiring the peaceful black-faced monkeys one came from behind and bounced, literally, off our heads!! Today I decided to feed a sweet little baby cow. When he had eaten all the bananas.
In a week will go to a yoga retreat 10km up the river. I found out about the ashram from some very nice folks who had just finished a retreat. In the mean time we may go trekking into the Himalayas. We are happy and relaxed here and that is nice after all the Varanasi craziness. Though we did really like Varanasi.
I hope this email sends. So will say a prayer.
Love, Tonya
PS this one almost didn't make it as well, it has been saved on the desk top for two days and I am trying again today to send it
Trekking and Beyond
April 7, 2008
Tomorrow early we leave on a 4 day trek into the Himalayas. We learned that if you shop around for the best price in India you should take it. We decided to go with the ashram we are staying in for what equalled $20 more in price and found out that it was the same outfit that quoted the cheaper price. So we are paying more to this ashram, which is not really like an ashram but more like a hotel. Oh well, live and learn.
We have had some gorgeous sunny weather and have enjoyed lounging by the Ganges. Shawn and I both took a dip in the frigged water yesterday. It was refreshing and amazing. Its funny there are so many white water rafting trips here. Its very popular with both foreigners and Indians. I can't convince Shawn to go though.
On the 21st we leave for McLeod Gang where we will spending the remainder of our time in India. I will try to email when we return from the trek but may not while we are at the ashram. So you will have to wait for more stories until after the 21st. I hope that the weather is nice there and you are having a wonderful spring.
Much Love, Tonya
Tomorrow early we leave on a 4 day trek into the Himalayas. We learned that if you shop around for the best price in India you should take it. We decided to go with the ashram we are staying in for what equalled $20 more in price and found out that it was the same outfit that quoted the cheaper price. So we are paying more to this ashram, which is not really like an ashram but more like a hotel. Oh well, live and learn.
We have had some gorgeous sunny weather and have enjoyed lounging by the Ganges. Shawn and I both took a dip in the frigged water yesterday. It was refreshing and amazing. Its funny there are so many white water rafting trips here. Its very popular with both foreigners and Indians. I can't convince Shawn to go though.
On the 21st we leave for McLeod Gang where we will spending the remainder of our time in India. I will try to email when we return from the trek but may not while we are at the ashram. So you will have to wait for more stories until after the 21st. I hope that the weather is nice there and you are having a wonderful spring.
Much Love, Tonya
Himilayan Rhododendrons
April 12, 2008
Between the precipice and the falling rocks we journeyed by car to the lower Himalayas. I was pretty scared the whole way though the scenery was incredible; the river far below the mountains on both sides. Gorgeous! When we arrived at the little village from where we were to start our journey, we felt tired and cold but defiantly excited about being in the beautiful mountains. We began the first days hike with a stop at a temple. This lovely sadu with intense beautiful eyes told us about the temple a bit. It was nice to ring the bells and begin our journey with a prayer or two. I prayed for safety and no rain especially on the drive.
After we left the temple we began more of the assent. The trek was to be short, 5 km only. As we made our way into the forest area, bright red flowers bloomed on many of the trees. I thought they looked like rhododendrons. Our guide told us the name which was not rhododendron but later from our guide the net day we found out in fact they were. These were like no little rhododendron bush we have back home but sometimes giant trees of gorgeous pink and red flowers. And as I had been reading about Kali I thought of her roses and the color of her tongue. The whole mountain area we were in was in bloom and we were so lucky!
Just as we were arriving at the lake where we were supposed to camp it began to rain. A chilly rain. So we sat in the little shop that was there and drank chai while our guide and the porters set up the tent. Just as they were finished and calling us over the rain stopped!! Hurrah!! So we checked out our new home, bundled up in our new sweaters, hats and mittens, and walked around the lake. We said hello to some huge mama rhodi trees. Then climbed a rickety tower to watch the sun set and the cloud move over the snow peaks in the distance. Oh I didn't mention the snowy peaks. Well, there were mountains around like nothing I had ever seen in person. Huge looming peaks, some of which we found out were entirely unclimbable.
Later after a dinner the stars wowed us and we snuggled into our 5 sleeping bags and drifted off to sleep.
The next day we headed out early on the 21km leg. Our guide informed us he was sick due to his owe cooking but we suspected it was due to drinking whiskey all night. So we got a very sweet young local kid to guide us. The kid didn't even break a sweat going up the 3 mountains we crossed over. It was such a lovely, quiet day. Rhododendron forests were broken up by fields with butterflies and lady bugs. And the views were spectacular.
We arrived at the next village by 4pm. Had a bite to eat and soon after I was sick. Not horrible but my stomach was defiantly rejecting everything. Shawn was the same but wouldn't admit it until we got back. So our little tent was abandoned so we could sleep next to an indoor toilet. I decided no matter what I would attempt the final day.
I slept well, ate a little and got really to trek. Forgot to mention that we had another beautiful sunset and rise. So that day we were to hike 4 km up a snow covered peak. I was pretty slow. Our camera was out of batteries so no actually record of the assent. Again we started with the ringing of bells. The trail was paved with stones all the way to a small tourist village on the side of the mountain which was closed. Once I saw that village and had a small snack I got some energy back and took the lead. I had been snailing it up to that point. At the village we took a good long rest and visited another temple, before starting our snowy assent. At this point the snow began to take over the trail, so it got a little haphazard on our guide's part. We made it slowly, slowly and we arrived at the finally temple at the top with wet shoes and exhausted energies. But it was amazing. Chandra Siva was the name of the mountain and temple. We made it!!! Our decent down was fun as we leaped through the snow!! Elated and joyful for all our hard work and been given safety and great weather.
Thank Goddess!! Hurrah!!
Love and Light, Tonya
Between the precipice and the falling rocks we journeyed by car to the lower Himalayas. I was pretty scared the whole way though the scenery was incredible; the river far below the mountains on both sides. Gorgeous! When we arrived at the little village from where we were to start our journey, we felt tired and cold but defiantly excited about being in the beautiful mountains. We began the first days hike with a stop at a temple. This lovely sadu with intense beautiful eyes told us about the temple a bit. It was nice to ring the bells and begin our journey with a prayer or two. I prayed for safety and no rain especially on the drive.
After we left the temple we began more of the assent. The trek was to be short, 5 km only. As we made our way into the forest area, bright red flowers bloomed on many of the trees. I thought they looked like rhododendrons. Our guide told us the name which was not rhododendron but later from our guide the net day we found out in fact they were. These were like no little rhododendron bush we have back home but sometimes giant trees of gorgeous pink and red flowers. And as I had been reading about Kali I thought of her roses and the color of her tongue. The whole mountain area we were in was in bloom and we were so lucky!
Just as we were arriving at the lake where we were supposed to camp it began to rain. A chilly rain. So we sat in the little shop that was there and drank chai while our guide and the porters set up the tent. Just as they were finished and calling us over the rain stopped!! Hurrah!! So we checked out our new home, bundled up in our new sweaters, hats and mittens, and walked around the lake. We said hello to some huge mama rhodi trees. Then climbed a rickety tower to watch the sun set and the cloud move over the snow peaks in the distance. Oh I didn't mention the snowy peaks. Well, there were mountains around like nothing I had ever seen in person. Huge looming peaks, some of which we found out were entirely unclimbable.
Later after a dinner the stars wowed us and we snuggled into our 5 sleeping bags and drifted off to sleep.
The next day we headed out early on the 21km leg. Our guide informed us he was sick due to his owe cooking but we suspected it was due to drinking whiskey all night. So we got a very sweet young local kid to guide us. The kid didn't even break a sweat going up the 3 mountains we crossed over. It was such a lovely, quiet day. Rhododendron forests were broken up by fields with butterflies and lady bugs. And the views were spectacular.
We arrived at the next village by 4pm. Had a bite to eat and soon after I was sick. Not horrible but my stomach was defiantly rejecting everything. Shawn was the same but wouldn't admit it until we got back. So our little tent was abandoned so we could sleep next to an indoor toilet. I decided no matter what I would attempt the final day.
I slept well, ate a little and got really to trek. Forgot to mention that we had another beautiful sunset and rise. So that day we were to hike 4 km up a snow covered peak. I was pretty slow. Our camera was out of batteries so no actually record of the assent. Again we started with the ringing of bells. The trail was paved with stones all the way to a small tourist village on the side of the mountain which was closed. Once I saw that village and had a small snack I got some energy back and took the lead. I had been snailing it up to that point. At the village we took a good long rest and visited another temple, before starting our snowy assent. At this point the snow began to take over the trail, so it got a little haphazard on our guide's part. We made it slowly, slowly and we arrived at the finally temple at the top with wet shoes and exhausted energies. But it was amazing. Chandra Siva was the name of the mountain and temple. We made it!!! Our decent down was fun as we leaped through the snow!! Elated and joyful for all our hard work and been given safety and great weather.
Thank Goddess!! Hurrah!!
Love and Light, Tonya
Phool Chatti
April 22, 2008
Hello from McLeod Gang!! We arrived today tired from the train that arrived at 2:45am and after the 4 hour cab ride from the train station. But it is beautiful and clean here in the mountains. And people are genuinely concerned about he environment. Lots of places sell filtered water to save from too many plastic bottles!! HOORAY!
So Shawn and I arrived here with 6 new friends from the Phool Chatti Ashram and more of them are coming from Rishikesh with in the week. We had an incredibly transformative and healing time at the ashram which was in a very peaceful spot beside the Ganga. We swam in the freezing rapids almost every day. We did yoga twice a day and mediation twice a day. Shawn is even really into the neti pot these days. For those of you that don't know it is a system for cleaning the nose by pouring water through. I have been hooked for years and now Shawn really feels the benefits. We are both feeling healthy and strong.
Tomorrow we will meet with the gentleman in charge of organizing our volunteer teaching. I'm a little nervous because I have never taught English but it is so good to do some work and stay in one place. We are also looking for a long term housing with a kitchen which we may have soon.
More to come. I am going to see a movie!! Shawn is waiting at the restaurant for me. It will be the first one we have seen in 3 months.
Love You-Tonya
Hello from McLeod Gang!! We arrived today tired from the train that arrived at 2:45am and after the 4 hour cab ride from the train station. But it is beautiful and clean here in the mountains. And people are genuinely concerned about he environment. Lots of places sell filtered water to save from too many plastic bottles!! HOORAY!
So Shawn and I arrived here with 6 new friends from the Phool Chatti Ashram and more of them are coming from Rishikesh with in the week. We had an incredibly transformative and healing time at the ashram which was in a very peaceful spot beside the Ganga. We swam in the freezing rapids almost every day. We did yoga twice a day and mediation twice a day. Shawn is even really into the neti pot these days. For those of you that don't know it is a system for cleaning the nose by pouring water through. I have been hooked for years and now Shawn really feels the benefits. We are both feeling healthy and strong.
Tomorrow we will meet with the gentleman in charge of organizing our volunteer teaching. I'm a little nervous because I have never taught English but it is so good to do some work and stay in one place. We are also looking for a long term housing with a kitchen which we may have soon.
More to come. I am going to see a movie!! Shawn is waiting at the restaurant for me. It will be the first one we have seen in 3 months.
Love You-Tonya
Nice Neighbors
April 23, 2008
Anyone who wants to come to McLeod Gang within the month should! Shawn and I are now almost settled into our big beautiful, quiet apartment here. We have 2 bed rooms, a living room, and big kitchen with utensils. SO great!!! And to top it off our new neighbor is the Dali Lama!!! Literally! The house is right next to his compound. We have a view of the valley below from our balcony and a whole roof top! It is costing about $250 for the month! We went shopping today for food which we can cook and store in the fridge. I could stay for a while. Funny its a new story than a month ago. I wish I could have you all over for dinner. We do have friends here though of who are coming over tomorrow. I'm feeling happy! It is also so peaceful because Tibetans, praying as the walk around the Dali Lama's compound are also circling our home.
There is also some intensity as there is a hunger strike at the top of our street. There is no violence but people are really focused on gaining freedom to have their home land back. I hope I can lend help and support during their difficult time.
So tomorrow we meet with the director of the school and learn more about our teaching. Our students are all adults
We live next to the coordinator and he is very nice. He helped us clean today. Told us a little about the volunteering but we are not sure if we have a whole class or one or one but probably a whole class!!
So come to visit us soon:) If you can and you can have your own room!
Peace, Love and, Light
Anyone who wants to come to McLeod Gang within the month should! Shawn and I are now almost settled into our big beautiful, quiet apartment here. We have 2 bed rooms, a living room, and big kitchen with utensils. SO great!!! And to top it off our new neighbor is the Dali Lama!!! Literally! The house is right next to his compound. We have a view of the valley below from our balcony and a whole roof top! It is costing about $250 for the month! We went shopping today for food which we can cook and store in the fridge. I could stay for a while. Funny its a new story than a month ago. I wish I could have you all over for dinner. We do have friends here though of who are coming over tomorrow. I'm feeling happy! It is also so peaceful because Tibetans, praying as the walk around the Dali Lama's compound are also circling our home.
There is also some intensity as there is a hunger strike at the top of our street. There is no violence but people are really focused on gaining freedom to have their home land back. I hope I can lend help and support during their difficult time.
So tomorrow we meet with the director of the school and learn more about our teaching. Our students are all adults
We live next to the coordinator and he is very nice. He helped us clean today. Told us a little about the volunteering but we are not sure if we have a whole class or one or one but probably a whole class!!
So come to visit us soon:) If you can and you can have your own room!
Peace, Love and, Light
Peace and Candlelight
April, 27, 2008
Sorry if I have been neglectful with responding to email, as we are living a little out of the main center venturing to email is not our first priority. We are really enjoying our space. Today we walked the route around the temple and the Dali Lama's home(and our home) and it is so beautiful. Its a small path way through a forest filled with pray flags and stones.
Yesterday we trekked with some friends from Phool Chatti to a waterfall. Shawn and I both took a dip in the freezing Himalayan waters. It is really an idea place to live. Mountains out our back door, interesting city life out the front! I am hoping we will get to see the Dali Lama soon. There are a lot of different stories but I hope to get the correct one from my students.
Yes my students! I went to observe the class I was going to take and the teacher was sick. So I Friday I had my first classes and I loved it. The students and the nicest, sweetest, and funnest students I ever had. And teaching English wasn't so bad. I pretty much have the lesson plans already. And Shawn is diligently studying the rules of the English language as I speak, so he refreshes me. The Tibetan Charity where we work also had a dinner the other night during which we were welcomed. They also have training for Tibetan home nurses and a veterinarian center for street dogs. The dogs are fantastic here. It is such a wonderful place! Everyone should donate if they can!!
Every night there is a candle light vigil that makes its way to the temple complex. We went the other night and it was really beautiful. It is very peaceful here but so intense. During one of my lessons I was having my students use the word expressing like and dislike from hate to love. I asked a monk to use the words "don't mind" in a sentence and I definitely got it. He said , "I don't mind the Chinese." See they're sweet and funny.
Hope everyone is well.
Peace and Love,
Tonya
PS I think I figured out my phone, if you have tried to call.
Sorry if I have been neglectful with responding to email, as we are living a little out of the main center venturing to email is not our first priority. We are really enjoying our space. Today we walked the route around the temple and the Dali Lama's home(and our home) and it is so beautiful. Its a small path way through a forest filled with pray flags and stones.
Yesterday we trekked with some friends from Phool Chatti to a waterfall. Shawn and I both took a dip in the freezing Himalayan waters. It is really an idea place to live. Mountains out our back door, interesting city life out the front! I am hoping we will get to see the Dali Lama soon. There are a lot of different stories but I hope to get the correct one from my students.
Yes my students! I went to observe the class I was going to take and the teacher was sick. So I Friday I had my first classes and I loved it. The students and the nicest, sweetest, and funnest students I ever had. And teaching English wasn't so bad. I pretty much have the lesson plans already. And Shawn is diligently studying the rules of the English language as I speak, so he refreshes me. The Tibetan Charity where we work also had a dinner the other night during which we were welcomed. They also have training for Tibetan home nurses and a veterinarian center for street dogs. The dogs are fantastic here. It is such a wonderful place! Everyone should donate if they can!!
Every night there is a candle light vigil that makes its way to the temple complex. We went the other night and it was really beautiful. It is very peaceful here but so intense. During one of my lessons I was having my students use the word expressing like and dislike from hate to love. I asked a monk to use the words "don't mind" in a sentence and I definitely got it. He said , "I don't mind the Chinese." See they're sweet and funny.
Hope everyone is well.
Peace and Love,
Tonya
PS I think I figured out my phone, if you have tried to call.
Cow Blood and Dog Pee
May 8, 2008
We've been having a really interesting time here. The weathers great though it is the start of the rainy season, so we get some heavy wind and thunder storms some times.
Shawn and I have a new little friend named Ted. She's a fantastic puppy that some times follows us home. The Tibetan Charity, where we volunteer, has spayed her and de-wormed/de-flied her. I just found out how to get her back to the US but it is not going to happen as I need more time and money, though now I know how.
So this weekend Shawn named cow blood and dog pee. We were about to go out for the day. As we walked by a cow precariously reaching over the ledge to eat a bush, she lost her balance and went tumbling down the ledge. She rolled a few times and land on a path bellow but 2 of her legs were caught on a pipe. She was on her side. Shawn and an India man, who didn't speak English went down to help. Me and a old Tibetan lady, who also didn't speak English, stayed above and prayed. It was quite a scene. Finally with lots of help from Shawn and the man the cow was able to get off the pipe. At that point I noticed her horn was bleeding. She had broke her horn on the way down. So ran to the Tibet Charity to see if I could get a vet. Shawn ran to find a clinic near the Temple. I was not successful but Shawn was. When I got back there were about 15 people some above some below trying to get the cow to move so Shawn could clean and patch her horn!! The doctor at the clinic sent him with iodine and bandages and said he had to do it!! So some brave Tibetan women took control of the cow after she got up to the road. One literally took her by the horn. The whole time an American girl was video taping. Finally Shawn poured the iodine on the horn which was very bloody(afterwards we thought we should have poured some water over it) and wrapped a bandage on it. It was quite comical looking. So the cow left and we went about our day.
I went shopping and Shawn went to the school to study English(which is all he seems to do). As Shawn was coming in late, I walked to meet him and who did he have? Ted! This was the first time she followed one of us home. We didn't know if she would be missed but it just so happens the caretaker of the Tibetan Charity was visiting next door. He said to just take back which we set out to do just as it was getting dark. As we past on busy section of our walk out of no where came a pack of angry street dogs. Ted ran back. Shawn went to get her and discovered as he picked her up she was covered in pee and now so was he. Hence his title for the day and the title of this email Cow Blood and Dog Pee.
Today was a very special day. We saw the Dali Lama for the first time! He is doing teachings at the temple for the next 3 days. He spoke in Tibetan but we have to take a radio to hear the English translation. The teachings are very difficult and I often space out. When I realized that was happening I would try to meditate and I usually got more focused. There was a nice tea break in the middle of the teaching and a sweet old Tibetan man gave us cookies!! Shawn was soooooo happy.
The Dali Lama is quite funny and really cute!
So we're coming home in about 3 weeks. I am very excited about seeing all my loved ones but I'm not sure how American will seem to me. I am glad that I will be able to eat anything with out worrying. I am treating some amoebas in my system. They are not causing too much trouble now! The doctor is safe and cheap. The Tibetan nurse, who was went to nursing school in Maryland, from the Tibet Charity took me to see him. She's really amazing and her story is even more amazing. She was basically orphaned after coming to India and working on the roads. When she was 11 she entered the Tibetan schools and the rest is history. Her story is much more detailed but I won't be able to do it justice. Any way she was great she comforted me by embracing my head to her bosom when I had to have a blood test. It was the easiest and nicest blood test ever!!! So don't worry I'm healthy and I am on medicines.
See you all soon. I may not be writing too many more long emails.
Love and light, Tonya
We've been having a really interesting time here. The weathers great though it is the start of the rainy season, so we get some heavy wind and thunder storms some times.
Shawn and I have a new little friend named Ted. She's a fantastic puppy that some times follows us home. The Tibetan Charity, where we volunteer, has spayed her and de-wormed/de-flied her. I just found out how to get her back to the US but it is not going to happen as I need more time and money, though now I know how.
So this weekend Shawn named cow blood and dog pee. We were about to go out for the day. As we walked by a cow precariously reaching over the ledge to eat a bush, she lost her balance and went tumbling down the ledge. She rolled a few times and land on a path bellow but 2 of her legs were caught on a pipe. She was on her side. Shawn and an India man, who didn't speak English went down to help. Me and a old Tibetan lady, who also didn't speak English, stayed above and prayed. It was quite a scene. Finally with lots of help from Shawn and the man the cow was able to get off the pipe. At that point I noticed her horn was bleeding. She had broke her horn on the way down. So ran to the Tibet Charity to see if I could get a vet. Shawn ran to find a clinic near the Temple. I was not successful but Shawn was. When I got back there were about 15 people some above some below trying to get the cow to move so Shawn could clean and patch her horn!! The doctor at the clinic sent him with iodine and bandages and said he had to do it!! So some brave Tibetan women took control of the cow after she got up to the road. One literally took her by the horn. The whole time an American girl was video taping. Finally Shawn poured the iodine on the horn which was very bloody(afterwards we thought we should have poured some water over it) and wrapped a bandage on it. It was quite comical looking. So the cow left and we went about our day.
I went shopping and Shawn went to the school to study English(which is all he seems to do). As Shawn was coming in late, I walked to meet him and who did he have? Ted! This was the first time she followed one of us home. We didn't know if she would be missed but it just so happens the caretaker of the Tibetan Charity was visiting next door. He said to just take back which we set out to do just as it was getting dark. As we past on busy section of our walk out of no where came a pack of angry street dogs. Ted ran back. Shawn went to get her and discovered as he picked her up she was covered in pee and now so was he. Hence his title for the day and the title of this email Cow Blood and Dog Pee.
Today was a very special day. We saw the Dali Lama for the first time! He is doing teachings at the temple for the next 3 days. He spoke in Tibetan but we have to take a radio to hear the English translation. The teachings are very difficult and I often space out. When I realized that was happening I would try to meditate and I usually got more focused. There was a nice tea break in the middle of the teaching and a sweet old Tibetan man gave us cookies!! Shawn was soooooo happy.
The Dali Lama is quite funny and really cute!
So we're coming home in about 3 weeks. I am very excited about seeing all my loved ones but I'm not sure how American will seem to me. I am glad that I will be able to eat anything with out worrying. I am treating some amoebas in my system. They are not causing too much trouble now! The doctor is safe and cheap. The Tibetan nurse, who was went to nursing school in Maryland, from the Tibet Charity took me to see him. She's really amazing and her story is even more amazing. She was basically orphaned after coming to India and working on the roads. When she was 11 she entered the Tibetan schools and the rest is history. Her story is much more detailed but I won't be able to do it justice. Any way she was great she comforted me by embracing my head to her bosom when I had to have a blood test. It was the easiest and nicest blood test ever!!! So don't worry I'm healthy and I am on medicines.
See you all soon. I may not be writing too many more long emails.
Love and light, Tonya
Tibet
May 9, 2008
I am listening to many difficult and horrific stories of the Tibetans who have come to India. Many can't contact their families for fear that the Chinese government who is tapping their phone lines will arrest, torcher, and even worse their family members. Many have already lost family to the Chinese system. The ones that have came here illegally through he mountains have walked for up to 3 months some with out food! So please boycott the Olympics! And if your for what ever reason your going go to Tibet.
So there's my political message for the day. The Dali Lama says not to boycott but every Tibetan I've talked to really feels it is an important time to bring this issue into the light.
Love, Tonya
I am listening to many difficult and horrific stories of the Tibetans who have come to India. Many can't contact their families for fear that the Chinese government who is tapping their phone lines will arrest, torcher, and even worse their family members. Many have already lost family to the Chinese system. The ones that have came here illegally through he mountains have walked for up to 3 months some with out food! So please boycott the Olympics! And if your for what ever reason your going go to Tibet.
So there's my political message for the day. The Dali Lama says not to boycott but every Tibetan I've talked to really feels it is an important time to bring this issue into the light.
Love, Tonya
Triund and Dogs
May 19, 2008
Hello All,
Only about 2 weeks left!!
Can't wait to see you all.
This past weekend Shawn and I trekked to Triund which is a plateau at about 9600 ft and camped. The next day we hiked to La Got glacier. I will write more later with some good stories maybe!
Now to update you all, Shawn and I have fallen in love with a puppy who is named Miss Theadora Tenzin or Ted for short. We are scheming to take her to USA with us. We have some of the small details worked out, like staying in Delhi, bus ride to Delhi, kennel to buy in Delhi. I have been trying to call the airline which won't be so big but the vaccinations are a big deal. She has a rabies vaccine and is spayed. If anyone knows or has time to find out, please help us figure out the immigration end. I can get the vaccines and papers here but I'm not sure if will be enough and we would hate for her to be quarantined for 10 days!! Also as we are working out our housing and happy to tent with her, can anyone help us out on that end until we get a place to call our own? We assume full responsibility for her but would like to know if anyone can help us out. She is such a sweet girl I know you all will love her (if and/or when she comes to America)!!
Love Yours Crazy,
Tonya
Hello All,
Only about 2 weeks left!!
Can't wait to see you all.
This past weekend Shawn and I trekked to Triund which is a plateau at about 9600 ft and camped. The next day we hiked to La Got glacier. I will write more later with some good stories maybe!
Now to update you all, Shawn and I have fallen in love with a puppy who is named Miss Theadora Tenzin or Ted for short. We are scheming to take her to USA with us. We have some of the small details worked out, like staying in Delhi, bus ride to Delhi, kennel to buy in Delhi. I have been trying to call the airline which won't be so big but the vaccinations are a big deal. She has a rabies vaccine and is spayed. If anyone knows or has time to find out, please help us figure out the immigration end. I can get the vaccines and papers here but I'm not sure if will be enough and we would hate for her to be quarantined for 10 days!! Also as we are working out our housing and happy to tent with her, can anyone help us out on that end until we get a place to call our own? We assume full responsibility for her but would like to know if anyone can help us out. She is such a sweet girl I know you all will love her (if and/or when she comes to America)!!
Love Yours Crazy,
Tonya
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