Reflections on India; culture shock in Thailand

It feels so impossible to begin to describe India in any way that people who haven't been will comprehend. It is predictably crazy and unpredictably beautiful. In each city or village that I visited I always get off of the tourist path - often it often only takes 1-2 blocks - and talk to the local people. The children are always super excited to practice the English that they know and see their photos in my camera. Which is good because children were always my favorite subjects.

In reflecting on my experience in this country, I thought I would share some of my favorite unblogged-about moments, faces and photos...




Joyful children: Who can argue with the sheer bubbling joy that Indian children find in their very simple lives?




Kedar from Varanasi & other young salespeople: His mother died during the birth of his younger brother, so he and his four brothers all work on the ghats selling postcards and other touristy trinkety things. He is six years old, speaks English well from communicating with tourists, and seriously stole my heart. It is very difficult to adopt kids who still have living parents, or Kedar would have come home with me! As soon as kids can walk and speak basic "Tourist English" they are often sent to the streets to sell goods to visitors. This young girl below was six years old, and though she told me that she went to school, I doubted it. It was 6:00 am and she was actively working the ghats selling flower pujas to visitors, including me.



The ritual of offering pujas: Pujas are given as an offering to a god or goddess, and they are given in hundreds of different ways. I offered several pujas and prayers for certain people (you know who you are!) to the Ganga river, and Shiva. They are a small cup made out of leaves, filled with flowers and a small tea-light. You make a prayer into the beautiful cup, light the flame and then release it into the mighty Ganga river.



The beautiful, colorful, sense-filled markets! How can one country have so many colors????


The bus ride that would never happen in the US: At 18-hours, my "10-hour bus ride" was still two hours from the destination and had been stopped because it had just crashed through a police checkpoint at 4:00 a.m. Sleeping passengers woke up with a start, in confusion, and then waited two hours before making other arrangements to get to our destination, Mysore. Earlier in the night, the brakes had overheated which required a one-hour rest, we'd gotten a flat tire (took over an hour to repair), got stuck on a narrow, windy mountain road because our bus was too big (don't they know these things before they take the roads?). My fellow passengers and I made a bonfire by the side of the road to keep warm, and it turned into a quintessential Indian experience!

Perfect night in Mamalapurum: Sitting on a beach in Mamalapuram with Gerdien I experienced a moment that will stay with me forever...Crescent moon and Venus in the western sky, a full slate of bold, bright constellations floating above the ocean in front of me, a warm salty breeze reminding me of my location. We sat on a log, laughed until I hurt, and watched someone offer a puja to the ocean right in front of us, complete with a candle and incense. The roar of the ocean drowned out the sound of our laughter ripe with shared wine. A difficult moment to re-create, but one of those moments that make trips like this so special.

New friends from around the world: There are too many to mention specifically, but this is a photo of the people who studied Buddhism with me in Bodhgaya. Wonderful people from Israel, France, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, Holland, Australia and more. It has been such a blessing to connect with people who are sharing a similar adventure and have similar values. Definitely many people that I will keep in touch with!


The community of women: The sense of kinship that Indian women feel for one another is palpable everywhere, everyday. It's a kinship born of shared struggles, and the women gather anywhere they can, whenever they can catch a break. I saw many of these spontaneous gatherings in the middle of very rural areas where there was no apparent homes nearby, or sometimes it was in the middle of a busy alley. Always it involved talking, laughing and listening. It gave me a real sense that even though they have terrible, difficult lives, they seek solace in the comfort of friends.





Funny street signs: Whether or not it's interpretation or their very different sense of humor, the street signs never cease to crack me up. One in Varanasi proclaimed proudly, "Yes! We are less dirty!"









Sacred cows: Since neither Buddhists or Hindus eat beef, and cows are considered sacred in India, cows are EVERYWHERE. They appear to have no real "home" and instead just wander the streets and alleys eating whatever organic material they can find. They even walk down the middle of the busiest roads, and the cars and buses swerve to miss them. Some entrepreneurial types dress up a cow and walk to the beach, charging tourists for photos of their "sacred cows". I fell for this trap, but didn't know about the cost until after I snapped my photo - about 15 cents.





Small business, India style: My favorite chai shops are invariably the ones that are little more than a crude small camp-style cookstove, with a pot of tea on top. The vendors set up shop anywhere that they can find a small space with pedestrian traffic, which is about everywhere. They sell chai for 3 rupees per glass, about 7 cents. Often they speak no English beyond what is required to sell the tea, but they always take great pride in their beverages. This one was located in what appeared to be an abandoned shed on the side of the road where there was very little traffic, but clearly it is how this woman makes a living.



Fresh Lemon Sodas, and other uniquely Indian flavors: A lemon soda is not a sweet drink out of a bottle, it is the juice of at least one, maybe two fresh lemons served with a bottle of soda water. One of my favorite refreshing drinks. Other food I will never forget: South India's coconut chutney and sambar served with dosas, fresh coconut curry, fruit curd muesli, and chocoballs! Yum!

Leaving India like a Princess! Gerdien and I went different directions our last week in India and decided to meet in Calcutta the day before our flight to see the city again, and perhaps Slumdog Millionaire (didn't work). I get a call from her when I'm almost in Calcutta and she tells me that she's met "some friends" and we're going to spend the day with them. Great, I think. Gerdien has a knack for picking people up... So, I get to the train station and it's Rupak and Neha, his sister, and they are prepared to be our guides for the day. They do our laundry (!), feed us lunch and dinner, pay for everything, and let us stay at their house. The most hilarious part was that we were on parade for all their friends and family to meet. It was a perfect way to leave India, and also certainly a different side of Calcutta that I'd seen before.

I arrived in Thailand yesterday to great shock! My bus from the airport was air-conditioned (!?), clean enough to eat off of the floor (I didn't try), and was driving on the equivalent of an American highway with lanes (can you imagine!). The city is very shiny, very Western and already I've seen more Americans than I had in the previous five months. This is going to be a very different kind of adventure indeed!

With love,
Pam

Holy Places and In-Your-Face Poverty

India is full of Incredible Moments that are so hard to communicate. Just a few minutes ago a very typical scene unfolded before my eyes. I am walking down a narrow alley, probably five to six feet wide at the most. On both sides of me there are very small businesses, each with a vendor standing in the front of their store inviting me in to buy. I shake my head. "Mah-dam, looking is free. Come in," they all proclaim. I continue walking and step sideways to dodge an enormous pile of cow dung (perhaps he had been constipated?) and then just narrowly miss an oncoming motorcycle who lays on his eardrum-piercing horn to let me know the error of my ways. I hear music. Very loud, though I can't tell which side it's coming from. A group of maybe ten small school kids are coming straight at me. "Namaste!," they all yell at the top of their lungs. "Namaste!" I say in reply with a great big smile. They all look to my blue eyes incredulously, and I to their beautiful mocha skin and joy. The music is getting louder so I stop to see what's going on. I have to step up onto a crude milk crate step that's been placed over a two-foot deep hole in the alley to see. It's a wedding procession, which is a big deal here in India. A drum and trumpet lead the pack, and behind them scores of very well dressed people come with nearly expressionless faces all stepping around the enormous pregnant cow that fills the better part of the alley. Then the groom comes. Again, stoic and probably scared to death considering the chances are good that he's met his new wife only once. Behind him, there were some people chanting, and two people were carrying a 10-foot-long lime green cloth flat, and shaking it. It was holding something small, but I couldn't tell what. As they passed I peeked inside, and saw a collection of small items that strangers apparently toss into the collection as good luck for the bride and groom. "Hashish?, someone asks me and stirs me from the moment. "No thanks," I reply and walk away smiling as I pass a Hindu woman lighting incense and leaving a puja on a Shiva temple with three goats waiting for her.

I just emerged from ten not-quite-as-silent-as-they-were-supposed-to-be days studying Buddhism and meditation in Bodhgaya at the Root Institute. It was a very powerful, educational and - most of all - inspirational experience. Definitely something that I want to continue exploring when I get into a regular routine again.


While in Bodhgaya, I spent the better part of three days sitting at the Maha Boddhi Temple located adjacent to the sacred Boddhi tree where the Buddha attained enlightenment. It is the most sacred destination for Buddhists from all over the world, the Buddhist equivalent of St. Peters Basilica. Each day there were pilgrims from at least a dozen countries (probably more) prostrating, meditating and chanting all around the grounds. At each turn, a new song emerged, or a new color of robe. On one afternoon, I sat directly beneath the Boddhi tree waiting for leaves to fall so I could bring a few home. When one did fall, I would race to be the first to get it. It was a hilarious scene as I was in a fierce competition with monks, children, sari-wearing women and other rabid tourists. The level of devotion is positively astonishing, like nothing I have ever witnessed before. The energy is electric, and honestly I could have stayed much longer, just sitting and feeling with the masses.

It is not at all surprising that Buddha's Four Noble Truths were conspired while he was in India. Not surprising because they are all about "suffering". Granted, the Buddha was speaking more of a dissatisfaction than our Western definition of suffering as pain, but the word is so appropriate when you travel here. So many people in India are really, truly poor. So poor that they don't have food to eat, access to clean water or a proper roof over their head. The faces of the lepers, old people with skin hanging off of their frail bodies and young, starving and very dirty children pull my heart out. And as tourists, we are instructed in every guide book and by everyone we meet to not give money to beggars as it just encourages their habit. It seems suffering is just the way of life for a great majority of India's 1.2 billion people. This country is not for the faint of heart to visit, or clean freaks for that matter.

Garbage is something that has fascinated me since I arrived in India, only because there is so much of it and I've never seen a proper garbage truck or dump. Here in the narrow alley ways of Varanasi people pile up their garbage outside their businesses and a barefoot old man with osteoporosis and a wheelbarrow comes to pick it up. This is, of course, the morning after the sacred cows, stray dogs, monkeys and wild boars have eked out every bit of organic material that they can find. He makes one trip at a time, to a location I can't imagine, though I am certain it is on the side of some road or in front of someone's home.

Varanasi is an amazing city, the most sacred for Hindu people. In fact, it's the place where Hindu's come to die so that they can be cremated on the very holy river Ganga. The scene on the river is mind-blowing. Each day, approximately 200 people are put to rest on the shores of the river, and for all to view. It's similar to what I experienced (and also loved) at Pashupatinath in Nepal, but at 100 times the scale. I took a row boat ride a little ways up the river to the "burning" ghat. It was sunset, and the sky was turning from light blue to dark blue, and the moon was rising. There was very loud music coming from an ill-equipped loudspeaker at the ghat, and at least 20 simultaneous cremations taking place with orange fire and smoke rising from each. A cow was placed on a small platform above the fires from which he couldn't move, and I suspect had something squishing his privates, because from the water the screaming moos of this agitated cow echoed constantly and furiously. The fires illuminated the night, and our boat at one point was so close that I could feel the heat of a burning body. It is a tragic, beautiful, and peaceful scene, the likes of which I am not sure any movie producer could ever recreate.


In early February, I took a train from Chennai in the south to Calcutta in the north. Gerdien and I got off the nearly 30-hour train and instantly knew that something had changed. The south and the north really are like two different countries. I had heard it said, but it is true for certain. Off the train, walking on the pedestrian bridge towards the city to spend a 12 hour layover, we descend some stairs into Calcutta's famous Flower Market. It was beautiful, and we were definitely the only westerners in a very crowded and colorful scene.

Calcutta's poverty was unlike any I had seen anywhere in India. Two thirds of Calcutta's estimated 19 million men, women and children live in the city's infamous and enormous slums, with no water or proper sewage. One anonymous quote I found interesting about the city is:

"The people of Calcutta actually love their city and accept the dilapidated living conditions, the lack of space, the lack of clean water, the dirt, the daily power cuts and the extremely crowded public transport with scolding resignation. They regard Calcutta as the most Indian of all cities."

And I close with one of my favorite quotes from Mother Teresa, who has gained an enormous amount of status in my book after seeing this city that she chose to love so faithfully.

"We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love."

With great love,
Pam

Authentic India & New America

Blogging is becoming a bit of a chore. I think it's that the weather is really hot and the internet cafe's are even hotter. Sorry for my infrequent updates, but trust me...I'm safe and having a great time!

Today, Gerdien and I will leave Auroville. It's an interesting "intentional" community designed to be a peaceful place for people of the world to flourish, and respect each other. Currently, there are about 2,000 full time residenst with about 2/3 of them being foreigners representing 40 countries! The golden orb at left is the Matrimandir, or the "soul of Auroville" that has a very special meditation chamber inside that we got to visit. We've been here a week now, and we've had an interesting time just trying to elbow our way into the flow of the town. Since it's not really designed to be a "tourist" destination, and instead a place where people come to live and participate in the chores of life - farming, organizing, creating arts and crafts, running a restaurant or guest house, you have to really work to find all the locations of classes and concerts. BUT once you do it's really fantastic! There are probably at least a dozen (or more?) courses per day from which you can choose to enrich your mind, soul or body. I chose yoga, pilates, music and a class on "Finding my Healing Voice." That was a fun one, but I'm glad there is not a video for me to relive my singing in front of the group! If I ever get the chance, Auroville would be a very interesting - and affordable - place to spend 6-12 months. Next time...

Gerdien and I took a scooter ride through Auroville and Pondicherry and it was a really great experience of authentic Indian life. We drove slow, took lots of photos and got off the bike a few times to talk to the local people. At one stop, Gerdien slipped and scraped her foot and some local women and children came running and insisted on tending to her wound. It was a great entry into a wonderful moment in India. With this group of 12, we laughed, talked as best we could, and they even fed us some lukewarm fish that had probably been sitting on the counter for a few days... ugh. These are the moments that you hope you never encounter because it is SUCH a warm act of kindness and generosity coming from these people who have so little that you really just feel terrible to say no. So, we said yes, and about a day and a half later I had a little "Delhi belly" problem. Oh well... the small cost of a wonderful encounter. And look at these beautiful children - I can't believe I didn't tuck one in my bag. Their eyes are so happy and soulful. I fell in love a dozen times!

Then we headed to the beach. But unlike Goa and Gokarna this wasn't a "touristy" beach. This is where the LOCALS hang out. For us that meant no bikinis or swimming, but lots of gawking locals taking sneaky photos of us with their cell phones. But we just sat there for a few hours and really soaked in the culture. Lucky for us there were some locals who were fishing, and we got to watch the two-hour adventure. First they dragged the nets out in their boats, and dropped them a few hundred meters out. Then they all sat on shore hanging onto the opposite ends of the net. When they decided that enough time had passed they started slowly pulling the nets in, one heave-ho at a time, and more locals joined the game to help them pull the nets in faster. Mind you, with a HUGE net filled with fish, it was a big chore to get it out of the water and onto the beach and it took about 90 minutes. When the nets were finally on the beach, there were hundreds of people who gathered to witness the catch, and we were the only light faces in the crowd.

A few miscellaneous experiences that I have to share...

An interesting massage experience: Several times during my travels, I have gotten a massage "just because". Just because I want to, just because it feels good, and just because it's really cheap. This time however was different. My back had become really achy and stiff, and it was causing me pain to pick up my bag or even sleep. I found a woman in Kerala who is a very talented practitioner of Kalari and Sidda, a unique ayurvedic healing technique. To start with, getting massages in Asian countries is a bit different than at home. The practitioner stands in front of you and tells you to get undressed. While they stand and just watch you. "Everything?" I say. "Yes, everything". OK...

Once over the awkwardness of this situation, then the magic begins. The massage oil has been specially prepared for my "vata" body type and pain using nearly 100 special herbs, most of them collected from within miles of where we are. It begins with a head massage, utilizing special "hair oil". Though it really is complete bliss, it takes days to get it out. Then she rubs REALLY FAST everywhere in some sort of coordinated chaotic pattern...with LOTS of oil, like maybe a gallon (seriously!). As the table is just a plastic coated platform, this got a little tricky when she asked me to stand on the table and walk back and forth so she could look at my gait. (Remember that I am naked while doing this - it was simultaneously awkward AND dangerous!) Anyway, Sunitha worked her magic on my aching body, and then sent me skipping out the door. Lucky for you there are no photos of this hilarious encounter!

And, on my expanding waistline: The food in India is so delicious I can't begin to describe... well, the photo here of my belly will help you understand! I've probably gained around 5 wonderful pounds. A typical day's food is something like this... breakfast consists of a lassi, dosa (thin pancake filled with a spicy potato mixture served with two different chutneys), lunch is some kind of curry or masala served with rice or chapatis, and dinner is often a thali, an Indian rendition of dal bhat, which consists of rice, veg curry, dal, some kind of spicy vegetable, curd and a dessert. Average cost of an all-you-can-eat thali is about 80 cents. Usually in the day for a snack we'll have a fruit salad or fresh juice. Yum. Daily cost of gorging yourself: about $8.

On a new America: I did get to watch the innaguration of Barack Obama as the new leader of America on CNN. It was such an emotional moment for me, as I'm sure for you as well. Gerdien and I were in the dirtiest, grossest hotel in Madurai, and I kept her up late into the night to watch all the festivities. We drank beer and toasted with the world! Now the real work begins, but trust me the world is optimistic too!

And on my toenail: Look it's growing back! Not quite ready for a coat of toenail polish, but it's getting there!!

Today we leave Auroville and head north for one quick day to Mamalapuram, then we'll take a two-day train north to Bodh Gaya to take the Discovering Buddhism course at the Root Institute. And, once again, I'm extending my stay in India until my visa expires on February 26. This is such a big country and it would take a year to see it properly! Such a pity, but I will come back for sure...

With love,

Pam

Communication Challenges & Real-Life Situations

India has 18 different recognized "official" languages, and a universally understood head bob that apparently means yes. Since I speak only English, and a few words from each state I visit (basically hello and thank you), communication can be a challenge, to say the least! Most people have studied English for at least a few years in school, but most of them speak a very programmed set of words. "What is your good name?" "You from where?" "You like Kerala?" and their very favorite word, "Yes." I always try my best to answer their questions with a smile and graciousness, but occasionally I need to ask questions too. This is where it gets complicated! Here are a few real-life situations that have happened recently, and trust me there are ten a day just like this...

Situation #1: Am I on the right bus? -- I know that our bus from Kerala is supposed to depart at 5:30, so at about 5:20, I start looking around the station but the bus destinations are not written in English. So I poke my head in a few buses and ask, "Kumily?" A few say no, and point to some invisible bus next door. One replies with a head bob. I, and most westerners, interpret this vague signal to be "perhaps" or "maybe" or "maybe not", so I ask again. "Is this bus going to Kumily?" Head bob. I say, "Yes, then?" Head bob. So I look at Gerdien, and we shrug, and board a bus that we hope is heading to Kumily... amazingly, we arrived. (But only after barfing out the window, but that's another story!)

Lesson - The head bob means yes, no matter how ambivalent it looks.

Situation #2: Big Talkers, Heavy Accents -- One of the most hilarious aspects of communicating with Indians, at least the ones that work in the more touristy places, is that they are overly confident in their English skills, even if their accent is so heavy that you can't understand a word they say. Today, while getting a massage for an achy back, the woman said to me so confidently and fast, "Today, you go home, no pick, eat no, rub like this every day" and she acts out a poorly coordinated routine I'm supposed to copy, and I try. She says, "NO! Not that." Then she says, "You ten years, today come to me, not good today, tomorrow pain, after. You understand?" I head bob in agreement, though I think mine means more of a maybe not. She doesn't understand the language I speak, nor me her, but I feel better nonetheless.

Lesson - Unless your life depends on it, just assume that you will never understand everything that is being said and know that you will be OK anyway.

Situation #3: Goa Bus Station -- Gerdien and I board the bus bound for the railway station and we sit in a bench seat built for three, our backpacks occupying the third seat. When the ticket collector comes along, and the bus is moments from leaving he loudly insists that Gerdien get off the bus and buy a third ticket for our bags. She rushes to the ticket window to ask for a third ticket (only about 10 cents) for the bags, and the ticket agent looks confused and says "No ticket needed." Hmmm. She comes back to the bus, no ticket in hand, and the ticket collector says, "Twenty rupees please." (about 50 cents.) We, and our bags, make it safely to the train in plenty of time.

Lesson - Everything is possible in India, with a small tip to whoever is in charge.

Situation #4: Ordering food -- At a local Indian restaurant (not the tourist variety) I try to order lunch. "Can you tell me what the Malai Kofta is?" Response, "Yes". "OK then, what?" "Yes." I ask, "Is it fried?" "Yes?" He says "Fresh fried." Hmmm, what's that? "OK, then how about the Chana Masala." He says, "Chapati?" "No, no chapati, no rice, just chana." "You want chapati then?" "No, no chapati." "OK, chana masala and chapati?" I'm tired of ordering, and finally just say "Yes." When the order arrives, alas, there is no chapati. These situations happen basically every time I order a meal, and I never stop finding them hilarious.

Lesson - Just order anything. Everything is good, no matter what you get!

Situation #5: Bargaining for a Rickshaw -- "How much is a rickshaw to Periyar?" "One hundred rupees." Aghast, I say, "Too much! How about twenty five?" "OK., get in." Done.

Lesson - NEVER pay what the rickshaw driver asks!

Situation #6: Asking the Price of Something -- I ask at a phone booth how much it will cost Gerdien to call Holland per minute. "Five seconds, two twenty rupees." "No, I want to know for a minute, not for five seconds." She repeats, "Five seconds, two twenty." "Two hundred and twenty rupees for FIVE SECONDS? That's like thirty dollars for one minute!," I exclaim. "No..." and she scribbles something down on a piece of paper, "2.2 rupees per 5 seconds." OH. That's a little different...

Lesson - When in doubt, have them write down what they are trying to say.

Hopefully, should YOU come to India someday, you can learn from my real-life lessons!

A New Year, A New Bag, and Gobs of New Experiences

Happy New Year! It's been a while since I've written. I've been unmotivated to post since I had a tragic memory card error and I haven't been able to upload photos. The good news is that I was able to extract MOST of my photos and copy them to CD (they've been sent home!) and my memory card was repaired so I can still use it. The bad news is that I lost five really rich days worth of images...oh well. The memories will live forever, and I have learned a valuable lesson.

I started the new year with a new bag... Angie's departure back to Seattle was a good excuse to send my "Princess Bag" home with her and get a new, smaller bag. I am SO much happier being able to carry all of my worldly possessions on my back . I've made a resolution for myself: if I buy something new, I have to leave something behind. It's so liberating and I feel so free!

New experiences...they happen every single day. Every moment of every day. There is no way for me to describe how much I am learning about the world, India, other people, other cultures, and - most of all - myself. As I travel, mostly without much of a plan, I am constantly exposed to people and places that are off of the tourist path. The vibrant colors, pungent (and often delicious) smells, the beautiful landscapes, the constant (and I mean that) sound of horns and dogs and Bollywood music, the positively delicious, local food...every minute of every day I am doing and tasting and seeing things that I never would have imagined. My perspective is become so much more open, and things that would have shocked or scared me a few month ago are now beautiful and fresh and fun. And, I never stop recognizing the gift of being able to take this extended time off and relax into each place in a way that becomes more natural with every new sunrise.

I am changing, growing, evolving as a result of it all. I'm no longer the person who left Seattle but I'm likely not yet the person I will become. I'm me, but I'm someone new. With so many experiences coloring my world, I'm excited to discover how I will continue to morph into the New Pam that will return to Seattle. My friend Scott gave me an MP3 player with a song that I listen to over and over again by Cat Stevens called "On the Road to Find Out." The lyrics resonate with me...

Well I left my happy home to see what I could find out

I left my folk and friends with the aim to clear my mind out

Well I hit the rowdy road and many kinds I met there

Many stories told me of the way to get there

So on and on I go, the seconds tick the time out

There's so much left to know, and I'm on the road to find out

I really am on the road to find out though I suspect I will find it already exists inside of me.

Travel update: Last week, I spent five glorious days in Goa. It was my reunion with Gerdien, and we had a great time together. Goa is touristy , but you don't have to look hard to find the local flavor and culture. I enjoyed having a few days just to relax, and to stay in one place for an extended period of time. (Unpacking is such a joy!) The most fun that I had was renting a motorcycle and exploring northern Goa. I have a video that I so wish I could share, but unfortunately it lives on a CD bound for the US right now... imagine me, with Gerdien on the back (her filming the video), our hair flying in the wind, the afternoon sun shining on us, and both of us just with the hugest smiles possible and lots of laughter. I was like a kid on Christmas morning...I giggle just thinking about it!

This past weekend I spent at the International Conference on Sustainable Architecture in Trivandrum, Kerala. I know, you're asking what the ???? I just thought it was a little too serendipitous that it was going on, and I was there. I'm glad I went. I connected with a few people that I know I will stay in touch with - both personally and professionally - forever. And it was fascinating to see the "sustainable architecture" of India. It is such a contrast to that of the western world... such simple, low-tech designs: courtyards that open from the inside out (like you can experience the rain falling from your living room), no insulation, many multi-functional spaces (for eating, sleeping, entertaining, cooking, watching the weather change), lots of windows and a big focus on solar orientation. Unfortunately 90% of the buildings that I toured would not even be allowed to be built in the US...such a shame!

I've decided to extend my time in India by a couple of weeks (depart mid-February) to study Buddhism in Bodh Gaya (where the Dalai Lama spends his winters...maybe I'll see him!) In a few weeks, I'll join a yoga retreat where I'll get to indulge in yoga and meditation and delicious organic food at least twice a day. I might even learn how to kite surf...and I still really want to see a tiger!

I can hardly believe that the calendar has turned the page to 2009. For years, I have thought of this as the year when my niece Alanna will graduate from high school, and that has always been so far away! Suddenly, here it is...and time continues to tick! I hope you all were able to share the holidays with loved ones, build a snowman or two and hopefully make plans for adventure in 2009. I must admit, I was a little jealous to miss Seattle's first White Christmas in 20 years... I spent mine with white sand!

South India is a joyous explosion of the mind and senses! I hope someday you are able to experience it for yourself...I promise to help you build a really great itinerary!!

With love and wishes for the happiest of new years~

Pam

A blissed out broken heart

Oh, the terrible irony...

On Friday, December 12, one of my best dog friends in the entire world passed away suddenly. I got the news via email three days later and immediately called Joanie to grieve with her. Ginger is the sister (pictured on the right) of my dog Sadie, and she is like a second child to me, having spent much of her life with Sadie and me - at work, home and play. She was the tenderest, sweetest , most laid back pooch in the whole world (I've been looking!), and she was completely devoted to Joanie. Being halfway around the globe when something traumatic like this happens to your best friend is so difficult, and suddenly the world - which for three months has seemed so small - is in an instant very, very big. For the first time in my travels, I am homesick. My heart wants to be home with Joanie, and Sadie. Ginger Parsons, you will be missed...

But for now, I am here, in South India. And completely blissed out. I am writing from Kudle Beach in Gokarna and have been spending my time floating in the gentle Indian Ocean waves and working on tanning up all those white parts of my body. It's a hilarious mix of aging hippies, dreadlocked backpackers, hungry cows and us. (My family will be thrilled to know that I am definitely one of the least hippie-like people here!) Our hotel room is expensive in India terms -about $28/night - but it is gorgeous, and looks right out onto the beach through the palm trees that keep our room cool and shady. Anywhere else in the world, this room would probably cost a few hundred bucks per night. Of course, I am on a budget (much to Angie's chagrin!) and we do want to see more of India than just the beach, so we will leave here soon. Direction - south. Destination - TBD.

Prior to the beach, we stayed in Hampi for three nights. Though hardly a blip on the India map, it is one of the most amazing, historic places I have ever been. It is INCREDIBLE! I describe it as Ancient Rome meets the Desert Southwest. Imagine Arches National Park with nearly 1,000 temples built on the rocks, and you have an idea of what Hampi is like. When the Vijayanagar Empire was the center of South India's government (until 1565), Hampi was the largest and most developed capital city in the world... even BIGGER than Rome! We met a local rickshaw driver / mega-entrepreneur "Ragu - like the sauce," who gave us a tour of the many temples and historical sites. The pure awe I experienced upon arrival in the town will stay with me forever.

This is a photo of one spot along the riverside in the morning, with nearly every one of the town's 3,000 residents coming for their morning bath.

This was taken from the top of one of the hills to give you an idea of the landscape. From this place (though you can't see it in my photo) there were at least 20 temples that I could identify - and probably at least 100 more!

This is the largest temple, standing at about 300 feet tall, and built right in theheart of the town directly adjacent to our hotel. There were Macaques (monkeys) crawling al over it.

Though Angie didn't get to actually wash Laxmi, the resident elephant (this is as close as she came!) we did have a wonderful morning on the shore of the river watching her morning bathing ritual (same river, same time as the humans!) and then witnessing her adornment for the local festival. It was awesome to watch, and to be so close to one of nature's true majestic beauties. That said, we are still holding out for an even closer encounter...

It's also been interesting traveling with Angie. I joked before we got here that she would be so hard to find in this land of dark-haired, dark-skinned people. Indeed, she does blend in and is constantly asked where she's from - no one has ever guesses the USA. Most people think she's Indian! Meanwhile, I am like a one-person, white-skinned, blue-eyed freakshow. Everywhere we go (that's not touristy), people want to shake my hand, take a picture with me, and try in their best English to make small talk. In these moments, Angie luckily can sneak away and hardly be noticed. The top photo was of a group of school girls who were visiting one of the temples we were, though they were more interested in me (!), and the other one was taken at the river bank. I had to feign hungriness to get away from this group.

One of the highlighst for Angie on this trip so far has been her experience shopping for a sari in Bangalore. Our hotel was in the garment district, and we passed no less than 100 stores selling silks for saris. If you know Angie, you know she is a fabric geek with an awesome sense of style. Watching her in the sari store really was like watching a kid in a candy store!

It is impossible for me to name a single highlight of India. I have enjoyed every second of this country, though as Angie can attest to, I can not stop comparing it to Nepal. Though it's similar in some senses, it is definitely not the third world. I'm looking forward to heading deeper into the heart of this country and to discover all that I can absorb.

With love and gratitude for friendship,

Pam