Rain?

Upon wakening, the sound of water dropping was evident. Being orginially from the west coast of Canada, it is a sound that one associates with rain. Those clear drops of water falling outside the window. To conclude it is rain is to reach an erroneous conclusion. Standing up and looking out the window, I saw what appeared to be a fog which I took to be smoke from the garbage fires. I would again be wrong. What instead I saw was the thick mist of a near 100% humidity morning. The sounds that I had been hearing were water droplets formed on the plants from the humidity and then dropping off.

Temperatures have hit the mid 30s this week. You can really feel the intensity of the sun immediately upon entering its rays. Sweat forms on your skin while sitting and you quickly come to realize that you will be wet throughout the day.

Midday activity is slow. Those who are wise about the weather, being the locals, seek a quiet corner at midday and then curl up for a snooze - a practice common in hot countries. Those of us from further up in the northern hemisphere don't tend to do this naturally. Silly fools that we are.

Life returns to a busier pace mid afternoon with dinner not coming until later - 7 p.m. or afterwards.The mid day is not to be a period of activity but I do see many a westerner insisting on keeping active in teh hot hours. We have learned that exercise, like a walk, is best done very early in the morning.

I had a rather fascinating conversation with a taxi driver yesterday. He observed that come May, most westerners will have left this part of India going home or to the hill stations around India where temperatures are lower. Many taxi drivers leave this area and go over to the hill station regions where they can again find work. A few stay here. One told me that he prefers to be here, even with little work, so that he can be with his family. Many drivers dislike chaing the business as it takes them away from family.

Yesterday's drover proudly told me that his oldest, a daughter now 20, is  a teacher. The next , a boy, is at post secondary taking some engineering program while the youngest is still in high school. School is impotrant for his children and he is proud that they are getting an education which he did not get. In various ways, I have heard this story from many drivers who are anxious that their children exprience a better quality of life than they have had. This is a somewhat universal parental theme. These parents are working hard for it to happen.

As one looks around at the markets, the people working, the families, the children - it is easy to see that there is much more that unites us as a human race than divides us. Indeed, it is the themes of politics, nationalism and greed that seem to be the ones that pull us apart.

The beauty parlour reception room

Today, I wandered up to the reception room at Lakme Salon in Pondicherry to pick up April who was having her hair done as well as a manicure / pedicure. I was early and had a chance to observe Indian society unfolding before me.

There were two teenagers who had come together. At first sight, one would hardly believe that they came together. The more savvy one was wearing tight jeans, a bad boy tight t-shirt, make up and had her hair done in a modernized, western fashion. Her friend, on the other hand, was wearing a trdaitional churida and had her hair also done in a traditrional fashion. She had been brought to get a modernized look.

Shortly thereafter, a mother arrived with her adult daughter - both dressed traditionally. The daughter had the henna decorations on her hands. She was coming for preparation of marraige.

There was also the other teenager who had both feet in traditional and modern worlds. A tunic over her jeans.

Then there was the wife sitting next to me who was dressed in a way that would have made her fit in whether she was in Pondicherry or Calgary or London.

Yesterday, having become a bit lost on our motorbikes, we wandered into a very rural village where we saw quite basic huts for living and a very rural way of life that would have nothing in common with anybody that I saw in the waiting room.

This is a country under such change - there is the completely westernized at one end and the rural family whose only exposure to the west is when people wander in or the children get some lesson in school. There is not a single day here that is not fascinating and forever challenging you to unravel contradictions. That may be one reason why I really like this place!

Perhaps Gandhi was right

Matrimandir at dawn with a bonfire celebrating the 42nd Anniversary of Auroville

I recall that Gandhi said something to the effect that you should be the change that you want to see in the world. - Actually, he said "You must be the change you want to see in the world" - I looked it up rather than ramble based on my aging memory.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to visit another project in a village near Auroville. In this case, what I saw was the effort of a smallish group of people who are bridging Auroville with the Tamil communities nearby. This one was taking place in the village of EDAIYANCHAVADI.

Here I was introduced to a community healing centre where, amongst other things, some of the women are being introduced to yoga which has allowed them to get off things like medications. They are also learning ways to preserve some of the historical healing methods as well as receive some healing activities like massage.

There is also a centre for the children where there is a playground as well as a renovated Tamil home that serves as the centre. Here children hear stories read in English to help their language developemnt, play and are also offered opportunities to do their homework. This is a very active centre.

Both buildings needed significant renovation. It runs on donations.

One might consider that these are small efforts that are unlikely to impact the larger social issues within Tamil Nadu - you might be right. There are large scale issues here for sure. The Hindu today spoke about research that shows that 53% of children in India have been sexually abused. Changing that level of activity within a national social fabric is quite difficult. But, if you don't start somewhere, how will change occur.

So, on this the 42nd anniversary of Auroville, seeing a small group at work in one village willing to be the change they want to see is an example of how change can occur.

The day finished, as by chance for me, with seeing a mandala being put together in the terrace near next to an Aurovuille coffee shop. It was created by various people just joining in. A meditation was held and then, in accordance with the laws of impermanence, it was then destroyed.

If you want to know more about mandalas, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandala

During the break up of the meditation, I took a picture that shows the full moon but also a plethora of orbs. These are evidence of a strong spiritual presence. If you think I am crazy, check out the book by in this link:

http://www.acviews.com/kh/theorbproject1.pdf

What was rather fun was to see people who had just stopped by for coffee getting involved. Great fun!

OK - maybe we are crazy

Life in India has been pretty good. Frankly, we are not missing Calgary or work even one iota. The heat here is getting more intense. The mid day high has been 34C for the last few days. Sitting in the shade, reading a book and having a cup of chai today, I was sweating just sitting there. Thus, we have had to adjuist to heat knowing that in May it can be about 10 degrees higher. But for now, we are drinking lots of water, sunscreen, staying out of the mid day sun as much as possible - and - a moped:

The intrepid April - who now loves riding a moped and may be getting one upon return to Calgary

I also quite like it. The dirt roads here mean that you often cover your mouth and nose so as to not such in the dust. Helmets are virtually non-existant here. We rode into the suburbs of the city near here, Pondicherry. We haven't had the nerve to go all the way in yet. When you drive, you mix with buses, trucks, cars, motorcycles, dogs, cows, carts, goats, pedestrians - all wanting the same space.

There is an art that we are coming to appreciate about how the space on the roads work. Essentially, you can occupy any space as long as either someone bigger doesn't want it or someone faster doesn't get it. Seems fair!

One of the other aspects of being out of the country for a perid - Canadian politics are too distant to care about; Indian politics are so corript and complicated one can't care too much and coverage of the Olympics is completely non existant. You also learn patiencce here. For example, the internet has been dow for about 2 days; power shortages occur daily and that is just the way it is! Accept it because sweating it won't get you anywhere. It is fun to watch Westerners sweat it - they get all upset; complain loudly and nothing changes. But it is an entertaining sport to watch.

Village Visit

April and I had the opportunity yesterday to visit a nearby village where there are some interesting programs taking place. For example, when we arrived, there was a yoga class underway with boys and girls. This was in a community centre. These programs are the regular activity in the centre that occurs every Saturday morning. We also saw girls learning traditional Indian dancing, boys learning a martial arts program that originated in the forests and jungles to portect against wild animals and a group of children doing watercolours.

Yoga Underway

What impressed me was the very keen interest with which these children pursued the activities. This is not a wealthy village and without this community action program, it is highly improbabale that these opportunities would be available.  Regrettably, most villages of this small size don't have these programs.

This young lad sat quietly in the courtyard - quite unassuming - when I went to look at his watercolor, I discovered his talent. He was rather shy about showing it but it was very much there. I looked at several of his drawings - I am not sure what can be done to develop him but he is quite talented - but it is  not a talent in rural India that puts rice on the table.

This young lad was engaged in the martial art and quite proud of his effort. He knew his routines well and was anxious to show his instructor - a young man who would twirl these sticks like some of us might twirl a pen.

Like many villages around India, however, there is the constant problem with garbage. As we walked over to meet a group of boys learning to do the funeral music, we passed piles of garbage lying about and a garbage fire burning. These fires are seen throughout India and act as a major source of pollution. They also coat the air in some areas. Thus, one can face smoke, piles of garbage and open sewers all in the same block. Add to that the problem of plastic which cows and other roaming animals eat.

Example of a garbage fire

A fascinating area for me has been meeting some mothers who have talked about the impact that the west is having in their families. One, a middle calss mother, described the challenges she is having with her 13 year old daughter who is caught between both cultures. She is engaged in Indian dance lessons like those seen below while she also wants to watch the TV show Friends. Culturally and emotionally she is not able to manage the themes in Friends and, as a parent, this mother does not have the history from her own upbringing to know what these themes are about. These mothers talk about been trapped between their family moral code that they grew up with and the pressures from the west that they don't know hwo to manage.

Another interesting area is how parenting is changing - partially as a result of western influences that have made brought so many different attitudes about things like discipline. Thus, some of the abusive things that have been happening are getting slowly talked about.This may be good. It is also increasing awareness in at least middle and upper classes about education for girls including post secondary.

A pose from the traditional dance

Another feature of our recent days has been learning to drive a moped. It is getting too hot for the bicycle. The challenge has been getting a good one. We tried an electric one but the charge doesn't seem to last more than about 15 km. So today we will switch to a gas one which I deeply regret. We are keeping the bicycles for early trips in the mroning such as over to meditation.

A changing India

I woke this morning to the sounds of chanting to ancient sanskrit. The peacocks began their morning ritual of calling to each other. The almost daily sounds of a funeral following historical patterns could be heard from one of the nearby villages. This is an ancient culture with long standing traditions. But it is also a culture under seige from the west.

India is thought to be a booming eceonomy - and in the cities the middle and upper classes are doing well. The lower classes are still struggling with many deep in poverty. The minimum wage here is R100 or about $2.23 per day. There are many here who are employed at below that yet there is little they can do about it. I am told that even here in Auroville, a city established to bring a higher level of consciusness, there are people who pay their Amas (household servants really) below the minimum wage. Indeedm servants continue to be the norm with all most westerners and Indians alike.

Consider that the minimum wage went up from R80 after been at that level for abolut 2 years. In the meantime, the cost of things like fruits and vegetables has more than doubled. Inflation is high here although costs are very low on western standards.

Another part of the daily ritual for me is the India Times and the Deccan Chronical whihc are delivered to our table each morning. The latter one in particular features stories of western movie stars, Indian stars and a variety of the "party" class doing their thing in clothing that would be anything but Indian. What is amazing here is the way that the west is colonizng India thruogh the cultural influences that these images, TV, and the internet bring. Yet, for many, particularly in the more rural areas, they are very ill prepared for these changes.

I spoke yesterday with a lady who is trying to get some schools to talk about issues related to abuse. She faces huge obstacles and must be very careful about the language that she uses. Teachers are amongst her strongest opponents. She tells me that boys are more prone to see lack of protection in the larger world (war, environment) whereas girls are more open to talking about what may be going on more personally. I guess some things don't change from one culture to the next.

Abuse is rampant but it is very hard to get the dialogue going and they lack materials in Tamil language that they can use with the children and parents.

This same lady also said that she was trying some gentle sex education. One mother told me that, while she understood what a girl goes through with menstraution and the like, she has no idea how to answer her daughter when she asks such things as what a boy goes through or even if he does.

Thus, we have all these western influences in a culture that really doesn't know what to do with them or even how to talk about them.

Marathon Day

Being somewhat close to the equator, in an environment where the mid day sun can get quite hot, it isn't natural to think that there may be a marathon run here in Auroville, south India - but there you are. Indeed, one was run today. Given the heat, it may not be surprising to learn that the run starts at 6 a.m.  It is barely light at that time.

There were also a 10, 5 and 2 km runs today. This was not the only marathon in the area.  There was also one in the nearby city of Pudicherry where some 8500 people were registered. They started handing out shirts and regitration at 4 a.m. with that run starting also at 6 a.m.

Having done a marathon at one point in my life, I have tremendous respect for anyone who can do it. Here in Auroville, there was the furher challenge of the pavement - or at times lack of it. There were spots of running on paved road, then dirt road, then sandy trails, amongst traffic, in the trees and so on. No trail pampering here.

The fastest time for the marathon was a chap from Chennai (about 3 hours from here) who finished in 3 hours 10 minutes.

In the west (and I suspect wealthier parts of India) there is concern with running gear - having the right shoes that fit the foot - does it pronate and so on. Here, some runners have solved that problem - they run barefoot. You will also note that there is no fance running short, shorts, headband and so on. Just your good old fashioned basic runner.

Then, of course, there is this young lady out on the 10k course wearing tradition churida nd no shoes - doing quite fine thank you

The runners were also seranded by a drumming group from a local drum workshop. This was quite cool as these are drums made here and the performance was by local musicians. The rhythym was quite magical and the runners were pleased to have the encouragement. I likeed this guy who ran past giving a wave of victory as he encountered the drummers.

As I watched the runners come through the early morning, I was reminded of the book, The Lonliness of the Long Distance Runner.

It was quite wonderful to see this event taking place. The runners made their way not only through Auroville but also out into a bit of the communiites nearby. Its hard to guage what the average villager thought of the whole thing - but I suspect they thought most of the runners were somewhat made - why would you run around when there is so much work to do?