It's nice to be here in the crisp, cold air. It feels like it's clearing my brain a little.
I had a great weekend with Taylor, Julian and Dylan. We went to the Dinosaur Museum and Julian had so much fun. He was pretty upset when it was time to go. He is so cute and so curious about everything. He goes at lightening speed from one thing to the next and it's a challenge to keep up. The three of us cooked a lot together, watched movies and played with Julian. It was pretty cold outside so it prevented us from doing some things.
Today it was gorgeous and clear so I took a nice drive up to Sundance and had a delicious lunch. I have a friend who works there and it was good to see him again. I sat outside where they have a fire going at the base of the ski lift and had a nice conversation with a man and his son about India and the state of our world. It was really interesting. Now I am at the business center doing some work that I need to catch up on. I'm writing up some proposals for some of the projects I worked on in India. I hope to help them raise some much needed money.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Everything is going great in Utah. I have loved spending time with Julian and getting to know him again. We defintely have a deep bond that won't be forgotten no matter how much time passes. He knows me and I know him on a soul level.
I have gone to a couple of challenging yoga classes and went to a booksigning of a friend who wrote a book on raw food and green smoothies. It got me very pumped to get myself and my body back in better shape and nurture it after the beating it's taken the last several months. I went right out and bought lots of leafy greens and have been experimenting. The drinks are actually quite tasty and SO good for you.
Since I got back I have been filling myself with all the things I've missed: hamburgers, chocolate, cheese, wine. I need to find a good balance and get some good nutritional stuff in ther too. I feel like I'm headed in a good direction.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
I arrived in Utah last Friday after a very pleasant 2 day drive through s. Cal and las Vegas. My friend Jennie sue joined me and we laughed and talked all the way. It's so great to be here and I feel like I can finally fully relax. Seeing Taylor and Julian has been the highlight so far. He has gotten so big since I last saw him. He's so funny ans loves to run and play. And so do I! Utah is cold and beautiful. It's a nice change of pace. I can just chill here for a while and figure out my next steps. Right now I have no idea where they will lead me.......
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Bread & Roses
I have been volunteering for Bread & Roses for many years and it is a huge joy in my life. I was a volunteer host for a show this week, which means I go with the musicians, make sure they have what they need, introduce them and talk about the mission of Bread 7 Roses. After each show I write a show report and a story about the performance. Here's my latest one. It made me so happy to be there.
Marin Services for Women is a wonderful healing center for women recovering drug and alcohol dependency. We met together in their "living room", a wonderful room with several comfortable, overstuffed couches and chairs. There were about 25 women who filed in after having an evening meeting. There were 3 women who had just arrived that day and were probably feeling a little nervous and scared about what the coming days would bring.
Norm Weintraub is a generous man. He is generous with his songwriting skills, his singing voice, his guitar playing and certainly with his feelings. He is very open and talks a lot about the people in his life and the reasons he writes the songs that he does. He tells us that most of his songs come to him through dreams. And he is a very attentive listener.
Norm sang several of his own songs that told wonderful stories of the relationships he has with the people in his life, his wife, his father, memories of childhood. He also sang some great songs from the past that everyone could sing along to , like "People Get Ready", "My Girl", and "Summer Breeze". Everyone in the room sang along, clapped their hands and had huge smiles on their faces. Listening to Norm sing was a very healing experience for everyone. They were so appreciative of his music and for him coming to spend an hour with them. We stayed in the room as each of the women said what they are grateful for before they all retired for the day. Norm and I shared with them the things we are grateful for and then we all joined hands and recited the Serenity Prayer. It was a very beautiful evening and I was grateful to be a part of it.
Marin Services for Women is a wonderful healing center for women recovering drug and alcohol dependency. We met together in their "living room", a wonderful room with several comfortable, overstuffed couches and chairs. There were about 25 women who filed in after having an evening meeting. There were 3 women who had just arrived that day and were probably feeling a little nervous and scared about what the coming days would bring.
Norm Weintraub is a generous man. He is generous with his songwriting skills, his singing voice, his guitar playing and certainly with his feelings. He is very open and talks a lot about the people in his life and the reasons he writes the songs that he does. He tells us that most of his songs come to him through dreams. And he is a very attentive listener.
Norm sang several of his own songs that told wonderful stories of the relationships he has with the people in his life, his wife, his father, memories of childhood. He also sang some great songs from the past that everyone could sing along to , like "People Get Ready", "My Girl", and "Summer Breeze". Everyone in the room sang along, clapped their hands and had huge smiles on their faces. Listening to Norm sing was a very healing experience for everyone. They were so appreciative of his music and for him coming to spend an hour with them. We stayed in the room as each of the women said what they are grateful for before they all retired for the day. Norm and I shared with them the things we are grateful for and then we all joined hands and recited the Serenity Prayer. It was a very beautiful evening and I was grateful to be a part of it.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Being back
I have been going through so many strange sensations since being back. I love and appreciate all that my life is here. I love having good clean food, a warm bed and warm water. I have been going overboard on my meat consumption and loving every delectable bite.
But at the same time I have been feeling very sad and a little depressed. I think part of it is that it has been grey and rainy here in the Bay area almost every day since I returned. But also I feel my experience slipping away from me like a dream and that makes me sad. I talk about it and write about it and relate stories, but no one can really understand and feel the things I felt on my journey. I have hundreds of photos that tell my story, but no one wants to look at them all, and I don't blame them one bit. They weren't there so it doesn't mean to them what it means to me. I feel like I need a "Travelers returning from India Support Group" TRFI Anonymous. I wonder if there is such a thing....
But at the same time I have been feeling very sad and a little depressed. I think part of it is that it has been grey and rainy here in the Bay area almost every day since I returned. But also I feel my experience slipping away from me like a dream and that makes me sad. I talk about it and write about it and relate stories, but no one can really understand and feel the things I felt on my journey. I have hundreds of photos that tell my story, but no one wants to look at them all, and I don't blame them one bit. They weren't there so it doesn't mean to them what it means to me. I feel like I need a "Travelers returning from India Support Group" TRFI Anonymous. I wonder if there is such a thing....
Friday, January 29, 2010
a borrowed quote from Paul Coelho and Rosanna Marshall
My friend Rosanna has been volunteering in Nepal for the last 3 months and has had some amazing experiences. She has been reading The Pilgrimage by Paul Coehlo and shared this quote which I can totally relate to:
“When you travel you experience, in a very practical way, the act of rebirth…. since all things are new, you see only the beauty in them, and you feel happy to be alive. That’s why a religious pilgrimage has always been one of the most objective ways of achieving insight. The word peccadillo, which means a “small sin,” comes from pecus, which means “defective foot,” a foot that is incapable of walking a road. The way to correct the peccadillo is always to walk forward, adapting oneself to new situations and receiving in return all of the thousands of blessings that life generously offers to those who seek them.”
“When you travel you experience, in a very practical way, the act of rebirth…. since all things are new, you see only the beauty in them, and you feel happy to be alive. That’s why a religious pilgrimage has always been one of the most objective ways of achieving insight. The word peccadillo, which means a “small sin,” comes from pecus, which means “defective foot,” a foot that is incapable of walking a road. The way to correct the peccadillo is always to walk forward, adapting oneself to new situations and receiving in return all of the thousands of blessings that life generously offers to those who seek them.”
Thursday, January 28, 2010
The New Light India Newsletter
http://www.newlightindia.org/newsletter/Newsletter2009.pdf
I am so impressed with New Light India and all that they are doing in the Calcutta community to help the children of sex workers, and to help the women themselves. They are helping to retrain them and give them other options. And they are helping the children to get an education and make sure they don't go into the same line of work. So amazing.
I am so impressed with New Light India and all that they are doing in the Calcutta community to help the children of sex workers, and to help the women themselves. They are helping to retrain them and give them other options. And they are helping the children to get an education and make sure they don't go into the same line of work. So amazing.
Observations
One of the biggest things that strikes me after returning home is how unhappy many people seem to be. There is an underlying worry and unhappiness in a lot of people. I totally understand that there is a lot going on in our country and a lot to be concerned about, but, man we have it so good here. If everyone could take a trip to Haiti or to India or Nepal and see how other people live it may make them realize that we are living very high on the hog, as they say. We have SO much to be grateful for.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
a few photos New Light India in Calcutta
The women at New Light working on the blanket project
The Soma Home for Girls
This is little Godee. She is the newest addition to the New Light India family
Little Coco. Her mother passed on a few weeks ago and now she is being taken care of by the great staff at New Light
Monday, January 25, 2010
Re entry
I've been back a week now and it's been good. I have been getting a lot of rest, eating a lot of good food and even made it to the gym once. It's been raining every day since I returned.
I'm back at my friend Sabrina's house, keeping Diamond the kitty company while she's out of town. It's so nice to be back here, the place where I was before I left. It's still just as peaceful and beautiful as ever.
I have loved being able to reconnect with my friends and talk about my travels. It helps me to process it all. I will get together with my wonderful bookclub girlfriends on Thursday. Can't wait! Going to see The Pink Floyd Experience at the Fillmore on Wednesday. That should be another transformative experience.
I'll be posting more about my travels as it all settles into me and around me. So please stay tuned!
I'm back at my friend Sabrina's house, keeping Diamond the kitty company while she's out of town. It's so nice to be back here, the place where I was before I left. It's still just as peaceful and beautiful as ever.
I have loved being able to reconnect with my friends and talk about my travels. It helps me to process it all. I will get together with my wonderful bookclub girlfriends on Thursday. Can't wait! Going to see The Pink Floyd Experience at the Fillmore on Wednesday. That should be another transformative experience.
I'll be posting more about my travels as it all settles into me and around me. So please stay tuned!
Friday, January 22, 2010
I heart San Francisco
The flight from Hong Kong to San Francisco was good. Sometimes I just end up feeling so restless, tired and claustrophobic on long flights but this one was ok and the time passed with relative ease.
I sat next to a young man from San Jose who had been traveling in India with his college class and also an Indian man who works in the software industry in California. 2 meals, a few naps, some chapters of my book and 3 partial movies later, I was here.
Susie picked me up and we went straight to my favorite restaurant for pizza and wine and then to her house for a delicious nap. She was so sweet and took such good care of me. I borrowed a thick flannel nightgown from her and didn't get out of it for 2 days. It was great and was exactly what I needed. Susie made me mashed potatoes and salad for dinner and bacon for breakfast. I was in absolute heaven. It has been raining non stop since I got home so it was easy to stay inside and do nothing.
It's been a bit strange and has taken some days to readjust. I felt like I have been straddling two very different worlds. There is such a huge difference in the way people live in America and especially in the Bay area. So much privilege here. I'm not judging. It's just the way it is. But being in India has opened my eyes. I will never again take forgranted all the things I am lucky to have here at home. Clean water, hot showers, very clean air, orderly traffic on the well maintained roads, and most of all not having to worry every time I put anything in my mouth. It was very stressful to have to think about food so much and wonder if it was going to make me sick or not.
It's been good to reconnect with friends and be able to have long conversations. Most of my communication in India had to be very basic so that I could be understood. I had to become sort of a different person there and use different techniques and different parts of my personality. It's nice to see the old American me again.
I got on a scale today and was surprised to see that I've lost 15 pounds. But it doesn't feel that way on my body. I think I've lost a lot of muscle because I was not really getting good exercise or eating any protein. I look forward to going on long hikes in the hills, getting back to my yoga practice and firming things up.
And I can't wait to get to Utah to get my hands on my darling little Julian. God, I have missed him so much. It will be so sweet to see him and play with him and see all his new tricks. And his grandma will have some pretty good stories to tell him :)
I sat next to a young man from San Jose who had been traveling in India with his college class and also an Indian man who works in the software industry in California. 2 meals, a few naps, some chapters of my book and 3 partial movies later, I was here.
Susie picked me up and we went straight to my favorite restaurant for pizza and wine and then to her house for a delicious nap. She was so sweet and took such good care of me. I borrowed a thick flannel nightgown from her and didn't get out of it for 2 days. It was great and was exactly what I needed. Susie made me mashed potatoes and salad for dinner and bacon for breakfast. I was in absolute heaven. It has been raining non stop since I got home so it was easy to stay inside and do nothing.
It's been a bit strange and has taken some days to readjust. I felt like I have been straddling two very different worlds. There is such a huge difference in the way people live in America and especially in the Bay area. So much privilege here. I'm not judging. It's just the way it is. But being in India has opened my eyes. I will never again take forgranted all the things I am lucky to have here at home. Clean water, hot showers, very clean air, orderly traffic on the well maintained roads, and most of all not having to worry every time I put anything in my mouth. It was very stressful to have to think about food so much and wonder if it was going to make me sick or not.
It's been good to reconnect with friends and be able to have long conversations. Most of my communication in India had to be very basic so that I could be understood. I had to become sort of a different person there and use different techniques and different parts of my personality. It's nice to see the old American me again.
I got on a scale today and was surprised to see that I've lost 15 pounds. But it doesn't feel that way on my body. I think I've lost a lot of muscle because I was not really getting good exercise or eating any protein. I look forward to going on long hikes in the hills, getting back to my yoga practice and firming things up.
And I can't wait to get to Utah to get my hands on my darling little Julian. God, I have missed him so much. It will be so sweet to see him and play with him and see all his new tricks. And his grandma will have some pretty good stories to tell him :)
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Delhi and coming home
I had a really nice day in Delhi. My driver, Manoj picked me up early in the morning and we set off. First stop was the Raj Ghat, where Gandi was assassinated. It is a beautiful, peaceful place. They have created acres and acres of serene park with many birds, ponds, walking paths and a wonderful, peaceful feeling. It was a good first stop to get my head in the right place and begin to think about leaving India.
We then went to Jantar Mantar. From Wikipedia: The Jantar Mantar is a collection of architectural astronomical instruments, built by Maharaja (Ruler) Jai Singh II at his then new capital of Jaipur between 1727 and 1734. It was absolutely fascinating. How someone could be thinking about this stuff so long ago and in such great detail is beyond me.
Next Manoj took me to a fancy restaurant so I could have lunch. I'm sure he gets a kickback for any tourist he brings there. It was good but way too expensive. I decided to just relax and enjoy it, read more of my guidebook and take a nice break. After all the total bill was only 800 rupies. (about $16 which is top end for a restaurant bill).
Next stop was Birla Mundir a very important Hindu temple but built expressly for people of all religions, and all castes. It is so beautiful and a very spiritual place. I loved my time there. I got many blessings from Ganesh, Laxshmi, Buddha and even Jesus Christ was there. It was a God party.
Then off to Humayan's Tomb. which is an incredible set of several tombs built in the 1500s by the Emperor Humayan's wife. They were built before the Taj Mahal but have the same style, so maybe the Taj copied some of the architecture. I really loved walking around the grounds but was starting to feel a little pressed for time. I still had to get back to my hotel, freshen up, do some last minute packing and get to the airport.
We made another stop at the Bazaar where I picked up some last souvenier items and got some henna designs installed on my hands to bring home with me.
I enjoyed Delhi very much and hope to spend more time there on my next trip. They are getting ready to host the Commonwealth Games and the city is very clean and modern and easy to get around. People are very nicely dressed and there are giant stores everywhere. Very different than the other cities I visited in India.
I got to the airport around 9 pm for my midnight flight. Everything went very smoothly and soon I was on the very full flight to Hong Kong. After an ok nap and some food, we were in Hong Kong 6 hours later. I had a 6.5 hour layover in Hong Kong and I found a nice little corner in the sunshine and took a good little nap with my bags under my head. Hong Kong is a great place to spend time. It's very open and spacious and clean with many stores, restaurants and laptop work counters. And free wifi.
We then went to Jantar Mantar. From Wikipedia: The Jantar Mantar is a collection of architectural astronomical instruments, built by Maharaja (Ruler) Jai Singh II at his then new capital of Jaipur between 1727 and 1734. It was absolutely fascinating. How someone could be thinking about this stuff so long ago and in such great detail is beyond me.
Next Manoj took me to a fancy restaurant so I could have lunch. I'm sure he gets a kickback for any tourist he brings there. It was good but way too expensive. I decided to just relax and enjoy it, read more of my guidebook and take a nice break. After all the total bill was only 800 rupies. (about $16 which is top end for a restaurant bill).
Next stop was Birla Mundir a very important Hindu temple but built expressly for people of all religions, and all castes. It is so beautiful and a very spiritual place. I loved my time there. I got many blessings from Ganesh, Laxshmi, Buddha and even Jesus Christ was there. It was a God party.
Then off to Humayan's Tomb. which is an incredible set of several tombs built in the 1500s by the Emperor Humayan's wife. They were built before the Taj Mahal but have the same style, so maybe the Taj copied some of the architecture. I really loved walking around the grounds but was starting to feel a little pressed for time. I still had to get back to my hotel, freshen up, do some last minute packing and get to the airport.
We made another stop at the Bazaar where I picked up some last souvenier items and got some henna designs installed on my hands to bring home with me.
I enjoyed Delhi very much and hope to spend more time there on my next trip. They are getting ready to host the Commonwealth Games and the city is very clean and modern and easy to get around. People are very nicely dressed and there are giant stores everywhere. Very different than the other cities I visited in India.
I got to the airport around 9 pm for my midnight flight. Everything went very smoothly and soon I was on the very full flight to Hong Kong. After an ok nap and some food, we were in Hong Kong 6 hours later. I had a 6.5 hour layover in Hong Kong and I found a nice little corner in the sunshine and took a good little nap with my bags under my head. Hong Kong is a great place to spend time. It's very open and spacious and clean with many stores, restaurants and laptop work counters. And free wifi.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Bye bye india
My last night in india.
I flew to Delhi and arrived around 5:30 pm. Arnab bad arranged for someone to pick me up and take me to the wild orchid guesthouse which is just fine. It's at the higher end of what I usually pay. It's 2500 rupies which is a whopping 42 dollars.
I walked around a little i'm surrounded by very high end stores with a nice mix of tea stalls, junky soivenir items and good food.
Tomorrow I will do a marathon tour of Delhi before heading to the airport for my midnight flight. It will be a long ass couple od days getting home. Probably about 30 hours door to door.
I have so many feelings about leaving india. I will miss it and the people who live here but I do need a break from the fast pace and the constant battering of all of my senses at once. I will do some serious chillin' when I get home. Right after I have biggest green salad of my life and a gallon of red wine. That should cure any jetlag :)
I flew to Delhi and arrived around 5:30 pm. Arnab bad arranged for someone to pick me up and take me to the wild orchid guesthouse which is just fine. It's at the higher end of what I usually pay. It's 2500 rupies which is a whopping 42 dollars.
I walked around a little i'm surrounded by very high end stores with a nice mix of tea stalls, junky soivenir items and good food.
Tomorrow I will do a marathon tour of Delhi before heading to the airport for my midnight flight. It will be a long ass couple od days getting home. Probably about 30 hours door to door.
I have so many feelings about leaving india. I will miss it and the people who live here but I do need a break from the fast pace and the constant battering of all of my senses at once. I will do some serious chillin' when I get home. Right after I have biggest green salad of my life and a gallon of red wine. That should cure any jetlag :)
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