Retirement Journey to India

Hanuman Temple - 5 February 2012

2012-02-11T05:18:00.000-08:00

Our friend Sara is getting married and leaving Coonoor next week. One of the things she really wanted to do before she left was visit this Hanuman temple on the road to Ooty.

"Hanuman, the mighty ape that aided Lord Rama in his expedition against evil forces, is one of the most popular idols in the Hindu pantheon. Believed to be an avatar of Lord Shiva, Hanuman is worshiped as a symbol of physical strength, perseverance and devotion. Hanuman's tale in the epic Ramayana - where he is assigned the responsibility to locate Rama's wife Sita abducted by Ravana, the demon king of Lanka — is known for its astounding ability to inspire and equip a reader with all the ingredients needed to face ordeals and conquer obstructions in the way of the world." (from about.com/hinduism)

The temple is at the top of this mountain, but all you can see from the street is this yellow building.

After you pass through the yellow building, you come to this statue of Hanuman.

Behind these statues and under the rocks is this natural pool of water that you bless yourself with before proceeding. Sara sprinkled us with the holy water.

Needless to say, there were many Hanuman statues en route to the temple, probably a kilometer.

The further up we climbed, the more vast the vistas.

At last, the cave that is the temple.

The little squares are places to place your foot as you walk. With each stap you chant "Shri Ram."

After the walking "Shri Ram" mantra, at this station you pour oil on the black Hanuman statue and milk on the brass Hanuman.

We paid 20 rupees each for a special puja. (Did I say that Sara is Muslim?)

After puja, we went down these stairs to the bowels of the temple. At least Sara did. The stairs were made of large gravel, roughly plastered with cement, and my feet couldn't continue.

This is what Sara saw below. Stepping, chanting stones and .....

It was such a truly beautiful hike up, and then the temple itself was moving in its natural massiveness. (I love the rocks and mountains.) I am deeply grateful to the Shri Jay Hanuman Kugai Koil Trust for creating such a sacred space in this gorgeous natural place. It was a great experience.

January 2012

2012-02-10T21:06:00.000-08:00

Clouds over Mettapalayam, on our morning walk 4 January.

Our friends, Atul and Shriya, with Gopal on our 8 January visit.

Sun going down behind the clouds, evening walk

We named this street dog Ganzhu

On our walks through Singara, this is the sign on the first tea stand we pass. It makes us laugh.

The building on the right is The Clinic for the Poor where I volunteer. On 11 January, as we were closing up for the day, the little old woman in the picture came for pain medication. She was so frail, she couldn't sit down to rest. So much pain. She lives down the hill straight ahead in this picture. The road is steep, with terrible holes and rough pavement. Not knowing she couldn't sit down, I pulled my car up and tried to put her in my car so I could drive her home. But, no. After she left, I cried for her and her life. She was also malnourished. It makes me cry while I type this.

29 January was my friend Sheila's youngest son's wedding. The picture doesn't do justice to the beauty of my new saree for the occasion. The wedding was beautiful and so were the bride and groom. The food was good, and I think I saw every person I know. Fun.

Beautiful Sara came to help me into my saree. She's wearing a saree her new husband gave her which is really gorgeous.

Snake Dance

2012-01-22T02:08:00.000-08:00

On 2 March 2011 I posted the following video "Snake Dance." I assumed it was two snakes in some kind of mating behavior. Today, I was watching a story on Discovery's "Wildest India" about male cobras fighting each other during mating season. Since they are immune to each other's venom, it becomes a battle of strength, trying to knock each other to the ground. And, it looked exactly like my next-door snakes in March! So, instead of the mating dance I assumed it was, it was probably a battle for territory and women. The ones in my video went at it for four hours even knocking each other down an embankment into the road.

President Obama defeats the Keystone pipeline!

2012-01-18T19:29:00.000-08:00

Congratulations, Mr. Obama! And in an election year too! Very, very good. :-)

December socializing

2011-12-29T21:50:00.000-08:00

On the 10th of December was the second luna eclipse of 2011,which we could see very well from our house. Sorry to say, I did not get a good shot of it at all, but it was spectacular.

On 11 December we saw one of the Gaur (wild bison) babies, partially grown up

This may be momma. They were exceptionally close by, and they make me nervous. They are very large. (Wikipedia: 'The Gaur is the largest species of wild cattle, bigger than the African buffalo, the extinct aurochs, and wild water buffalo.')

On 12 December, Raju came from Delhi, just as I came down with a cold. He left on 20 December, and the poor guy hardly got out of our house since I was sick the whole time he was here. Then, Gopal got sick just before he left. I really felt bad for Raju.

On 14 December, the fifth anniversary of my son's death, we decided to go to the little temple very close to the house. Here's Raju in front of the little tree temple in the woods.

Gopal is our personally swami. Here he is setting up the puja at the tree temple.

We made sacrapongal for prassad, which you see in front of the picture of Mike. I hate to admit that around the time of his death each year, it comes so close and the grief is acute again. I think that may be why I got sick.

We did take Raju to a local viewpoint, Dolphin's Nose. Here he is with Gopal.

Not sure when my Facebook friend, Bhavani, told me she would be in Ooty soon, but we have never met and I am a great admirer of hers. She's an environmental activist par excellance. I am so flattered that she came to visit me and thrilled she brought her family. They arrived at my house on Christmas Eve.

We're laughing that here we are looking at a bird book right off the bat. (Carolyn, Bhavani)

Her terrific daughters, Ananya and Lavanya, both interested in everything.

Ananya, Lavanya, and Prakash (their father)

Bhavani, Ananya, Prakash, Govindharajan
Our friend Govindharajan was good enough to take time out of a busy day to give us a tour of the Tan Tea factory here at Tiger Hill.

Having a cup of tea in Govindharajan's office as we left

On the 27th, our new landlord Sambasivam came to visit us. We had never met him. He came from Chennai with his lovely wife, Jayalakshmi, his second son, Shiva, Shiva's wife Chitra, and their three children (7, 11, and 14). Shiva, Chitra and their children live in Houston, Texas!

Sambasivam, Jayalakshmi

Shiva, his three gorgeous children, and his father Sambasivam

Govindharajan, Chitra, Jayalakshmi
Later, Govindharajan invited us all to dinner at the Tan Tea guest house at Tiger Hill

Sambasivam, his friend, Shiva, Govindharajan
Sambasivam is a retired Tan Tea executive and old friend of Govindharajan's. We really enjoyed spending time with them and look forward to seeing them again. Oh, because the guest house had only one room available for the night, Sambasivam and Jayalakshmi stayed in our apartment downstairs that night. Nice.

'The Next Decade' by George Friedman

2011-12-29T02:09:00.000-08:00

Not sure how long ago, The Financial Times provided a link to a geopolitical analysis of the United States developed by STRATFOR. It turned out to be part one of two parts, so Gopal found it and downloaded it too. He found it so interesting, he copied it and insisted I read it. What we did was read it aloud to each other for the next two hours. Wow! It was fascinating. It made me look at the world in a different and, I think, more realistic way. (I kept thinking, "Where have I been?")

That's when I went to their website, learned about STRATFOR's CEO/Founder George Friedman and the books he had written. The most current is 'The Next Decade.' I just finished it. It's very thought-provoking and gives a different perspective than I have had for a very long time. Very pragmatic; very Machiavellian.

If any of you read this book or look into some of the things on STRATFOR's website, I would welcome your opinions.

This is what Flipkart (the Indian version of Amazon) says about the book:

'The Author of the acclaimed New York Times bestseller The Next 100 Years now focuses his geopolitical forecasting acumen on the next decade and the imminent events and challenges that will test America and the world, specifically addressing the skills that will be required by the decade's leaders.

'The next ten years will be a time of massive transition. The wars in the Islamic world will be subsiding, and terrorism will become something we learn to live with. China will be encountering its crisis. We will be moving from a time when financial crises dominate the world to a time when labor shortages will begin to dominate. The new century will be taking shape in the next decade.

'In The Next Decade, George Friedman offers readers a provocative and endlessly fascinating prognosis for the immediate future. Using Machiavelli's The Prince as a model, Friedman focuses on the world's leaders -
particularly the American president - and with his trusted geopolitical insight analyzes the complex chess game they will all have to play. The book also asks how to be a good president in a decade of extraordinary challenge, and puts the world's leaders under a microscope to explain how they will arrive at the decisions they will make - and the consequences these actions will have for us all.'

24-29 November 2011 - Thanksgiving and Beyond

2011-12-06T07:21:00.001-08:00

THANKSGIVING IN COONOOR

On Thanksgiving (24 November), I was very homesick for my American family.

So, we decided to go to the Taj hotel for dinner.

Salad bar

Desserts

Our friend, Govindharajan, and Gopal

The food was extremely good. What a treat! And my friend Parvathi was there having dinner with friends. We had a nice Indian Thanksgiving dinner.

MONSOON

Monsoon started while I was in Caifornia, raining every day for weeks. The rain took a break after I returned, but then started up again with a vengeance.

Gopal and I walk to the Singara Tea Estate early in the morning every day, pretty much. Here's a little video clip of what our walk looks like when the rains have been heavy.

Here's a shot from our morning walk, looking down on the clouds over Mettapalayam which is down the mountain.

20 October 2011 - Shyam's new house

2011-12-05T05:12:00.001-08:00

Shyam's house

Neighborhood, his street

Proud Shyam in his living room

Kitchen/dining room

Yasoda in the kitchen (making me tea)

Yay for Shyam!

23 October-1 November 2011 - California

2011-12-05T03:30:00.000-08:00

On the 23rd, Suzie and I took a shortened version of our Big Sur visit. Here is the view from Nepenthe, the wonderful shop there.

HALLOWEEN IN CALIFORNIA

Here's Dexter anticipating making a jack o'lantern out of his pumpkin.

Suzie and Dexter beginning their jack o'lanterns.

Ramon and I joined in.

Dexter admiring our creative jack o'lanterns.

Side trip to Best Buy, where I wanted to show off their recycling bin system (Plastic Bags; Plastic Bags; CDs, DVDs, & Cases; Rechargeable Batteries; Ink & Toner Cartridges; Gift Cards; Wires, Cords & Cables; and Remotes & Controllers). Isn't that terrific?!

Halloween party at a friend of Dexter's

Suzie is a room mother for Dexter's kindergarten class. We prepared these oranges as favors for their Halloween party.

SAN FRANCISCO SIGHTSEEING WITH SUNAR FAMILY

Laxmi (Tilak's mother), Nandani (Tilak's bride), and Tilak with the Golden Gate Bridge behind them.

Laxmi, Nandani, Carolyn

Tilak and Nandani on the GG bridge

We tried to go to the Academy of Sciences, but here are the entrance fees per person!

The de Young Museum was nearby, so we went there. And it was a free day for everything there but their main exhibit. So, that worked wonderfully for us. What a beautiful place!

THEN, we went to Twin Peaks (I can't believe I had never been there!). What incredible views! Wow!

We had such a great day together. Thank you, Tilak!

Gloria Steinem's speech at Bioneers Conference 2011

2011-11-28T22:18:00.001-08:00

Bioneers is generously sharing some of these talks. Here's Gloria Steinem:

Gloria Steinem at Bioneers 2011 from Bioneers on Vimeo.

Bioneers Conference 2011 - 14-16 October 2011 - San Rafael,California

2011-11-27T06:44:00.001-08:00

This is how Bioneers describes itself on their website www.bioneers.org, and I wanted you to understand who Bioneers are.

What is Bioneers?

A New Word.

Founder Kenny Ausubel coined the term Bioneers in 1990 to describe an emerging culture. Bioneers are social and scientific innovators from all walks of life and disciplines who have peered deep into the heart of living systems to understand how nature operates, and to mimic "nature's operating instructions" to serve human ends without harming the web of life. Nature's principles—kinship, cooperation, diversity, symbiosis and cycles of continuous creation absent of waste—can also serve as metaphoric guideposts for organizing an equitable, compassionate and democratic society.

A Leading Source of Innovative Solutions.

As a 501c3 nonprofit organization, we provide a forum and social hub for education about solutions presented through the Bioneers Conference and our programs. Our media productions leverage this content to reach millions of people around the nation and the world with our award-winning radio series, Bioneers: Revolution From the Heart of Nature; anthology book series; television programs; and our interactive website. We act as a key source for the media, including third-party films and the press. Our DVDs, CDs and other educational materials are also used by colleges and schools and by community-based and other organizations to inform and inspire positive change at the local level.

An Annual Conference.

The Bioneers Conference is a leading-edge forum where you can see tomorrow today: a future environment of hope. Social and scientific innovators focus on breakthrough solutions inspired by nature and human ingenuity. These visionaries are already creating the healthy, diverse, equitable and beautiful world we want to live in—our legacy for future generations and the web of life on which our lives depend. You can connect with hundreds or thousands of engaged folks making a real difference.

In 2008, more than 12,000 people attended our main Bioneers Conference in San Rafael, California and 18 local Beaming Bioneers satellite conferences across the country. Bioneers fosters connection, cross-pollination and collaboration by bringing together diverse people and projects. We link strategic networks at the local, regional, national and international levels.

A Systemic Framework.

The bioneers are engaged citizens from all backgrounds and fields who focus on solving our world’s most urgent problems within a framework of interdependence: It's all connected. Just as the web of life is intricately interconnected, so too are all environmental and social issues. We take a "solve-the-whole-problem" approach that is holistic, systemic and multidisciplinary.

A Network of Networks.

Bioneers fosters connection, cross-pollination and collaboration by bringing together diverse people and projects within a broadly progressive framework. We connect people with solutions and grow social capital for positive change by linking strategic networks on the local, regional, national and international levels.

A Catalyst for Restoration.

Sustainability is the dynamic midpoint between perpetual natural cycles of destruction and restoration. In this severely damaged and depleted world, we need to tip the scales toward restoration, regeneration and resilience to sustain the web of life for future generations.

An Oasis of Hope.

As a celebration of the dazzling genius of people and nature, Bioneers helps spark mass creativity and engagement. As author and social entrepreneur Paul Hawken said, "Bioneers is central to the re-imagination of what it means to be human."

Here is a link that will give you the program of the conference - http://www.bioneers.org/conference/2011-bioneers-program

As you can see, I am overwhelmed by how to present the conference experience. I can't do it. But I think I'll at least list the speakers my sister, Joan, and I listened to while we were there:

Friday
(Among other things to kick off the conference was a performance by R. Carlos Nakai, whose music was so important to me over the years. He is native American (Navajo/Ute) and plays a reed flute. I remember soaking in my bathtub late at night, with candles lit, listening to Carlos Nakai.)

Opening remarks by co-founders Kenny Asubel and his wife, Nina Simons, are always so eloquent, inspiring and profound. It would be worth the price of admission to just hear them talk.

John D. Liu
Restoration Writ Large: Unleashing the Potential of Nature and People for Large-Scale Ecosystem Restoration

Karen Brown
Revolutionizing K-12 Education with Sustainability in Mind

Roxanne Brown
Blue and Green: Working Together to Secure a Sustainable Future

Rebecca Moore
Google Earth-Eye View: Mapping Futue Environment of Hope

Gloria Steinem
When Women Are People... and Corporations Are Not: Why the First Inequality Will Also Be The Last

Saturday

Paul Stamets
Solutions from the Underground: How Muchrooms Can Help Save the World

Natalia Greene (Equador)
The Rights of Nature: An Idea Whose Time Has Come

Joshua Fouts
The Emerging Imagination Age

Anim Steel
The Real Food Challenge

Amory Lovins
Reinventing Fire

Sunday

Melissa Nelson (Anishinaabe/Metis)
Revitalizing Indegeneity: Eco-Cultural Knowledge and Reciprocity

Dayna Baumeister
Life's Operating Manual

Pam Rajput
Voices for Peace and Sustainable Development - The First Women's Parliament of India

Mary Evelyn Tucker
The Power of Story

Phillipe Cousteau
Continuing a Legacy: Building a Sustainable World in the 21st Century

One of my quandries about how to present this was, for example, do I list the people who introduced the speakers? That was an impressive group of people too. sigh You can fill a lot of gaps if you're interested by checking through the program (link is above). Short bios of all the speakers and presenters are there. The afternoons were filled with workshops on the most interesting subjects.

Here is what I chose to attend:

No Women, No Democracy: From the Streets of Cairo to Your Family
My sister attended Leveraging White Privilege Toward Beloved Community

Thereafter, we did not attend any of the afternoon workshops because we had so far to travel to get to my daughter's house before dark. But this is what I had signed up for:

Leadership at the Nexus: When Women Thrive, Communities Thrive

I did attend this one: Moonrise: A Whole Systems Inquiry into Women Reinventing Leadership

Re-Envisioniing Education: Transforming Schools to Cultivate the Wisdom of the Young

Campaign Connection: Pursuing Happiness Instead of Chasing Growth - Creating a Happiness Initiative in Your Community

Genetic Engineering: The Battle for Safe Food, Public Health and Environmental Sovereignty

Love That Works: Developing an Ecology of Love and Unlocking the Mystery of Transformative Intimacy

Take a look at the program, and you will see that there are sooooo many diverse subjects being worked on.

Here are the few photos I took:

Marin Center, San Rafael, California where the conference is held

The workshops were spread around in different rooms, auditorium or tents

View from across the lake

Lots of juicy information all over the place

Imogen Heap and another musician performing. She entertained a couple times and was terrific.

Gloria Steinem was impressive and inspiring

One of my workshops

Destiny Arts
"Destiny Arts Center is an Oakland, CA-based nonprofit violence prevention and arts education organization whose mission is to end isolation, prejudice and violence in the lives of young people....."

6-13 October 2011 - London, California

2011-11-26T08:44:00.001-08:00

My husband and I left our home in Coonoor, taking a taxi to Coimbatore airport where we flew to Chennai. I flew on to London later that day; Gopal took a train to Delhi.

I landed in London on the 5th, went sightseeing on the 6th, then flew on to San Francisco the following day.

Dexter met me at SFO dressed in a kurta pajama I had bought him years ago. He looked so cute, I couldn't believe it! (Turns out his parents had bribed him to wear the outfit.)

The first full day in Oakland, we all went for a walk.
Ramon, Dexter, Suzie

A little snake we encountered on our walk

One of the first things I did was put a bird feeder outside Dexter's bedroom window. (No birds ever fed from it while I was there.)

On Monday, the 10th, I went to see my friend Tilak and his wife Nandani, who had come recently from Nepal. It was magical to see her in the U.S. with him. And it was nice to see Tilak's mother, Laxmi.

On Wednesday, Suzie's friend Jenny brought her new baby, Ellory, over to show us. Suzie had a hard time keeping her hands off that baby.

Jenny with Ellory's older brother, Oli

The next day my sister, Joan, came to stay over so we could go to the Bioneers Conference the following day. Our brother, Todd, and his wife, Sharon, came by to eat take-out pizza and salad with all of us. Coincidentally, it was Sharon's birthday. It was fun.

#Occupy!

2011-10-22T12:44:00.000-07:00

My daughter had sent me an essay by Russell Brand regarding Amy Winehouse's death. Today she sent me this one by Brand, which I really appreciate. Enjoy.

#occupy

October 20th, 2011

Among the many triumphs of the OccupyWall Street movement (a campaign so alive with zeitgeist that I feel hereobligated to reference its proper title – #OccupyWallStreet) is the remarkablesense of occasion that accompanies the phenomenon. Since it began a month agoI’ve been subliminally transfixed. Then, like a baffled alien abductee, Iunwittingly found myself first transplanted from Los Angeles to Manhattan thensuddenly somnambu-jogging through Tribeca to Zuccotti Park, lured by a peculiarcertainty that I simply had to be there.
Leaving my apartment with an objective no grander than to go for a run Isomehow landed amidst Zuccotti’s tarpaulin sprawl in unforgivable leggings anda headband that would have had Alice reaching for a shard of crackedlooking-glass.

There can be few cultures that wouldunthinkingly welcome into their fold a man dressed as I was in the macabreattire of a spandex scarecrow but the occupants of this pop up civilizationoffered me first food, then shelter and then, incredibly, hope that we canchange the world.

Of course, this may seem like cock-eyedoptimism given that physically the site resembles a Kenyan slum, all slungtogether wigwams, a Toy-Town medi-centre and a cardboard-igloo library, butwhilst the visible structures may be flimsy they are held together by aninvisible scaffold of ideals founded upon the thing the establishment fearsmost; the will of the people.

During my first accidental visit Ichatted with an enthralling bunch, notably a beautiful group of teenagers,righteous and idealistic and interestingly mellow. I suppose they differ fromthe London teens that last month took a starkly contrasting course of actionfrom the same impetus of frustration, in that while they may be similarlydisenfranchised, they believe in the possibility of change.

Brianna who is seventeen, pagan-prettyand dusky, is attending college by day and occupying Wall Street by night likesome heart wrenching cross between Pocahontas and Batman, said that youngpeople are entitled to an education without being bound to a lifetime of debt.Whilst “Messiah” (there’s a lot of those names flying about, go with it; it’s asmall price to pay for Utopia) literally danced into the conversation and selfconsciously, but touchingly, divided up and shared a stick of gum in a “Sermonon the Mount” brought to us by Juicy Fruit. You might think, that given hername, that was the least she could do, but we’re talking about asixteen-year-old girl here. If Fox News and the Daily Mail are to be believedI’m damn lucky she didn’t shiv me in the guts and film it on her phone.

Here in Zuccotti Square these youngpeople clearly felt safe, purposeful, included and behaved with charm,compassion and respect. Naturally I was impressed but more agitated than everby my jogging outfit. Really, it’s terrible, I mean if we’re going to bringabout systemic and meaningful social change, I want to be dressed for it.

The next day I returned to learn more,in a very fetching scarf with my friend Daniel Pinchbeck the brilliant writer,radical and ludicrously, yet truthfully titled “psychedelic Shaman”.

One of the movement’s significantprinciples is that there are no appointed leaders. That said, there are moreexperienced and pragmatic inhabitants to whom Daniel and I chatted. We weregiven a tour of the site and in spite of the lashing rain and gales, which I,of course regarded as the winds of change and cleansing rain, all weencountered were bonhomous and welcoming. Much more than I’d anticipated. Let’sface facts, one of the campaign’s few edicts is to provide the unrepresented99% with a voice, had I, when I fitted into that demographic, chanced upon atouring celebrity I would have used that voice to tell him to fuck off, nomatter how nice his scarf was.

Perhaps it is this ambience ofinclusion, of acceptance and indeed of love that has brought #OccupyWallStreetsuch success. There is a remarkable absence of anger and resentment which iswhy the movement resonates so deeply. Is this movement’s implicit goal toreengage our humanity? To reach beyond the political, the national and otherillusory, temporary concepts and into our true, spiritual nature?

Justin, our volunteer tour guide wassmiling and patient, especially with my incessant questioning about wherepeople go to the toilet; mostly in McDonald’s it transpires – I’m glad Ronaldand the Hamburglar at last have a chance to atone for their mucky past and eeryjocundity. The sense of cohesion and civic duty in the square, which many call LibertySquare, its former title, was something I found appealing. In my country,England, and across the world there is amongst older people an irritation atthe breakdown of traditional values, a grudge against apathetic and uncaringyouth, atomized and X-box agog, indifferent to their culture, abstracted fromtheir land.

Here young men who would typically bedrenched in spittle-flecked “Get a job” rage diligently join committees forsanitation, cooking and on site security. A voluntary conscription to the causeof change. A nation founded on ideals of harmony and responsibility, onrepresenting the whole, built here in a privately owned square. The ownershipof the Square, explained David, a seasoned and visionary activist, is importantas the New York Real Estate Group who represent the interests of the powerfulinstitutions to whom this movement is a threat, are now desperate to implementlegislative change that will ensure the Occupation will be curtailed and notrepeated. Clearly this is no simple undertaking as demonstrated when thesuspicious attempts to vacate the Square for cleaning were abandoned. It isunlike Mayor Bloomberg to back down but David outlined this movement is unlikeanything this country has ever seen.

Other protestors took the time toeducate me on the matters that had brought them to the square. One purplehaired, perfect skinned occupant told me beneath the billow and crack of theturbulent tarpaulin that in 2009 24% of American families with children were atsome point too poor to buy food. Hunger. It doesn’t get more basic than that.Another lad, black and bright eyed with spectacles that I suspect-acle didn’thave glass in them, informed me that 50 million Americans do not have healthcare. Perhaps that’s why his glasses weren’t finished.

Of course these problems are not uniqueto America, they are the symptoms of a global epidemic, said a lady who wasthere speaking on behalf of the Mexican Zapatista movement using the alreadyiconic “Human Mic” system in which staccato sentences are truncated andrepeated by the crowd. A charming and inspiring instant cultural artifact.

A Scotsman there told me that heconsidered this to be America’s class awakening, that the 99% are acontemporary proletariat existing in opposition to an oligarchical 1%. Abusiness class that have been steadily waging a clandestine class war throughmarket deregulation and psychopathic economic exploitation. The surprisinglysanguine Scot told me that now this exploitation is reaching critical mass, toomany families are affected, too many people are losing jobs, too many peopleacross our planet cannot put food on their family’s table for this behavior tocontinue unopposed.

As I listened, Johnny, a wild-eyed wolfman drummer, continued the burgeoning rhythm, a slow, comforting nocturnalheartbeat.

Later, leaving the McDonald’s lavvy(the staff were lovely and friendly and seemed to really like the protestors;recognizing perhaps whose interests were being represented) we exploitedcorporate facilities further by questioning Bill, a seasoned campaigner, inDirty Ron’s boutique brand, Pret a Manger.

Bill has been an activist for manyyears primarily with the early campaigns to bring awareness and justice tosufferers of HIV and AIDS. He said there were similarities with the#OccupyWallStreet movement in terms of the bureaucratic obstacles and officialreluctance, but that this huge issue of social inequality, of unbearableeconomic disparity has a veracity and velocity that was difficult even forthose on the ground floor to anticipate.

Daniel Pinchbeck proposes that we areentering an era of profound change of consciousness. That capitalism hasprovided our civilization with the machinery of mass communication and with itpotential global union.

It occurs that the relentless charge ofvagueness leveled at this movement may be it’s great strength. The reason thereis no candid agenda is because a spiritual shift this seismic is initiallydifficult to legislate.

I think another attractive distinctionthat #OccupyWallStreet has is that unlike a lot of pious “Lefty” movements it’sa riot down there – I mean in the sense of “fun” not the kind of riots I wasarrested at as a boy. Why, I met a fellow in a skin-tight stars and stripesgimp suit, all covered with scribbles and slogans. I’m not ashamed to admitthat in the giddiness of the moment I quite forgot myself and unzipped hismouth and planted a kiss on his full lips. Only after did I ask his sexualorientation which he described as “open minded”, the perv.

As I was leaving, my outfit compromisedonce more by the addition of a freely given plastic poncho (it wasn’t really aponcho it was a sack, I had to chew my way out of it to make a head-hole, eventhen I was hardly Clint Eastwood but I had to do something about my hair. Plusmy ascot was by now ruined) a bloke I spoke to, a former US governmentemployee, a Doogie Howser Deepthroat, told me of the fear the movement hadgenerated amongst politicians. #OccupyWallStreet has no recognizable funding,an anomaly the government does not know how to address. Typically publicprotests are funded by non-profit organizations that are easy to hound, andbehind them foundations that would yield to political intimidation. But thisamorphous, righteous, global collective is impossible to buy, too popular torepress and too peaceful to oppose militarily. Those in power for the firsttime in two generations are being confronted with something they don’tunderstand, and they are afraid.

As I walked home to my 1% apartment Ifelt incredibly hopeful, the benevolence and enlightenment of the Zuccottitribe alleviated my feelings of hypocrisy, at least for now. Looking backthrough the media trucks and flash bulbs it was apparent that they havecolonized more than the formerly anonymous square, they have colonized theinternational agenda. All about the surveillance cameras observe, the policelook on.

The Occupy Wall Street movement isalready a success on the most basic of principles; it’s own simple objective asstated in its name has been met- Wall Street is occupied. At least ZuccottiPark is, this once architecturally banal plaza, framed by silently thunderingcorporate tombstones, is becoming both the graveyard of a deceased economicdogma and the cradle of the revolution.

America is awake and with it theAmerican dream has awoken.

Birds around our new home

2011-09-26T23:58:00.000-07:00

Hoopoe (We can hear her, but haven't seen her here yet.)

Common Flameback (Singara Tea Estate)

Common Myna (Live and feed near the house.)

Long-tailed Shrike (Saw in the neighborhood.)

House Crow (We feed; they come to remind us.)

Large-billed Crow (We feed.)

House Sparrow (We feed.)

Jungle Babbler (Singara Tea Estate and neighborhood.)

Oriental Magpie Robin (Neighborhood.)

Pied Bushchat (Singara Tea Estate and neighborhood. Tiny bird.)

Red-Whiskered Bulbul (We feed.)

Rock Pigeon (Transcient; we feed)

Spotted Dove (We feed thirteen.)

Grey Wagtail (who paddles and bobs through the puddle on the roof next door)

6-21 September 2011

2011-09-25T06:07:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures we have taken on our walks.

Apurva, Govindharajan's youngest, surprised us with a visit on the 15th. On the 16th she stayed overnight while her father travelled on business. She's sweet and fun. We enjoyed her stay with us.

Carolyn and Apurva at Singara

We couldn't find a name for this guy, but it looks like some kind of ground beetle. It's 3" long!

I found this flower at the Taj hotel where I take yoga.

From the side. Isn't that elegant?

When we moved into our new house, I cried because I couldn't have the bird feeders and bird bath I was used to. Now, we throw feed over the driveway out back to the roof behind the house where birds come to feed. And the rain provides large pools of water for them to drink and bathe in.

Here's a Grey Wagtail, a marsh person who comes to pad around in the water. His long tail bobs behind him the whole time as if he bends his knees and bounces as he walks.

Here are Spotted Doves

And this guy is a pup who lives nearby. Very sweet and needing love.

27 August 2011 - Mike's birthday

2011-09-25T03:54:00.000-07:00

This was taken on our walk in Singara tea estate on 21 August. The small, lighter colored bison is a baby who was jumping and running around. Wasn't quick enough to get a video of it. But this shot was very close to our trail. (The big males make me a little nervous.)

MIKE'S BIRTHDAY

So, Saturday, 27 August, was my son's birthday, so we went to the little temple on the mountain, Saravanamalai, a Murugan temple. We asked Prabhu to come with us. He always comes with us.

Prabhu and Gopal climbing up the hill through the forest toward the temple.

At a familiar junction in the trail, we found that the Forest Department was planting native plants right there. Very good! Since there are sooooo many eucalyptus trees in this forest, it will be interesting to see how successful these plants and trees will be.

Here's our little temple perched upon enormous granite rock.

Prabhu helping us clean up the temple by sweeping with a branch.

The temple is very small, and this is the Murugan picture inside.

View from the temple grounds

On our way down over the rock

A little temple built into the rock on the way down

A little temple on our trail back down. (We always do a little puja at each little temple, burning incense at each one.)

Just had to show you my new saree that I wore to a lunch on the 30th of August. I'm standing in front of our front door.

2011-09-16T19:55:00.000-07:00

A friend of my husband sent this to him this morning.. a poem by a Palestinain-American poet named Naomi Shihab Nye. Enjoy ...

"Before you know what kindness really is,
you must lose things,
feel the future dissolve in a moment
like salt in a weakened broth.
What you held in your hand,
what you counted and carefully saved,
all this must go so you know
how desolate the landscape can be
between the regions of kindness.
How you ride and ride
thinking the bus will never stop,
the passengers eating maize and chicken
will stare out the window forever.

"Before you learn the tender gravity of kindness,
you must travel where the Indian in a white poncho
lies dead by the side of the road.
You must see how this could be you,
how he too was someone
who journeyed through the night with plans
and the simple breath that kept him alive.

"Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,
you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing,
you must wake up with sorrow.
You must speak to it till your voice
catches the thread of all sorrows
and you see the size of the cloth.

"Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore,
only kindness that ties your shoes and sends you out into the
day to mail letters and purchase bread,
only kindness that raises its head
from the crowd of the world to say
it is I you have been looking for,
and then goes with you everywhere
like a shadow or a friend."

1-7 September 2011

2011-09-07T05:26:00.000-07:00

This post is going to seem idyllic, and that's appropriate. Our life is like that.

The weather right now, traditionally, has been a sunny period between two monsoons, the heavier coming in October. But the lesser monsoon that starts in June was late, and it has been raining on and off every day for over a month. This rainbow came on 31 August (one month in our new home) when the sun came out for the first time in a long while when it was drizzling, as usual. The picture was taken from our balcony. sigh

When we left our home on Gray's Hill, I cried for two days because I was unable to have a bird feeder, etc., in our new home due to monkey invasions. The monkeys also terrorized my flowers. I was really upset. Another thing I disliked was the low, ugly building along the back of the house, which we had to look down on all the time.
Well, it turns out that building is a great place to throw bird seed and watch all the birds come to eat. AND, big puddles collect when it rains, so everybody comes to bathe and drink. So fantastic! Here are Spotted Doves. Aren't they pretty? (We had ten of them the other day.)

On Saturday, the 3rd, on our daily walk over at the Singara tea estate, this is what we saw late in the day.

The following morning, we found our bison friends grazing in the tea. (I think they never stop eating since they're so big.)

And today, near the tree temple just inside the forest next to the tea plantation, I found this guy crossing the road and encouraged him to turn back where it is safe. Isn't he/she gorgeous?

Oh, and this morning, we saw this guy walking through the tea. This picture is from the net because, by the time we figured out what he was, we couldn't get a good picture.

This is a Ruddy Mongoose, which had the coloring of the one we saw. The Nilgiri Mongoose is black. Who knows. But pretty darned exciting, huh?

Anna Hazare's fast has ended!

2011-08-27T22:09:00.000-07:00

Anna Hazare has ended his fast! I want to run out into the street and shout for joy! He, Arvind Kejriwal, and many others (actually all the people of India!) have achieved a historic victory for India by getting the Jan Lockpal bill passed unanimously through parliament. Wow! The whole country rose up in disgust and frustration against the rampant corruption literally running India. It was wonderful to watch. Anna Hazare fasted in order to get the government ministers to hear the people. It kept the pressure on. He has fasted twice; this time for 13 days. It was such a relief to watch him end his fast. The work will now begin on ending corruption here.

3-19 August 2011

2011-08-22T11:14:00.000-07:00

Monkey invasion

Many babies

Sara

Bison 6-8-11 on our walk through the Singara tea estate near our new house

View from the Tantea guest house 9-8-11 where we had dinner with Govindharajan and his sister Rukumani who was visiting from their home village

Govindharajan, Carolyn, Rukumani

Gopal, growing a beard

Govindharajan, Kanakaraj, and Rajendra at the guest house

View of our house from the street

From the front

The apartment downstairs

Sunrise at Singara (5:55am)

Widening our street

Malati, Vanya, Carolyn
On 12 August Malati invited us for her husband Ashok's birthday. Malati and Ashok now live across the street from us. Vanya founded Earth Trust in the Nilgiris

The wonderful spread

Ashok, Netha
Netha is a wonderful cook and professional food counselor who cooked wonderful treats for us.

Carolyn and Sachi, Netha's daughter, who is heading for film school in Paris

We spontaneously decided to sit around the buffet table so we could eat and gab there.
Maji (Ashok's mother), Carolyn, Ashok, Malati, Netha, Vanya

Netha, Vanya, Sachi, _______

More bison at Singara 15-8-11

Found this guy in the geranium in the garden (about 3" long)

Eveniing at Singara 19-8-11

July 2011 - Our new house and a visit from Sushil

2011-08-22T07:32:00.000-07:00

Our friend Govindharajan showed us this house, which we decided to rent. Big decision. 14 July was an auspicious day astrologically for moving in, so we traditionally boiled over milk in the kitchen and did a special puja for our new home.

Our new kitchen weeks before all our stuff arrived (Besides milk to boil over, we brought makings for a cup of milk tea.)

Our little puja table by the front door

Our friend Sushil from Delhi came to visit on 15 July (just in time to help with the moving). Here we are on a tour boat on the 24th at Ooty Lake, which I love. That's Sushil in the black shirt.

From the boat you can see the kiddie train that runs along the lake

We decided to try the little train

That's my faky camera smile

Cutie

A couple days later we took Sushil to Dolphin's Nose, a viewpoint nearby. Here's a waterfall we could see from the viewpoint.

Here are a couple horses available for riding. Everyone there is scrounging for a meager living.

The next day, Aishwarya generously came to Coonoor to see her friends here, including us. We had dinner with her at the Tantea guest house, guests of her father. Aishu is studying in London, so it was a particular treat to be able to see her like this.

On 31 July, the day before the move, we brought the plants over. What a terrible mistake. The monkeys trashed them, spreading dirt and parts of plants all over the balcony. Some of the plants were salvageable, but not the gorgeous hanging geranium.

These two pictures are the view from the balcony at the new house.

Picture of Suzie and Dexter - May 2011

2011-07-05T03:48:00.001-07:00

Love this picture.

26 June to 3 July 2011

2011-07-05T03:44:00.000-07:00

Our good friend Govindharajan showed us a house for rent then decided to give us dinner at the Tantea guest house he built this last year. This was our first time seeing the house completed. It was really pretty, and the location and views are out of this world.

I and Govindharajan

As the sun went down and the air got colder, they built a fire in a brass vessel outside. It was my favorite part of the evening (except when the smoke came my way). Pictured are Govindharajan and Gopal by the fire.

I tried to show you the view but failed. It is so gorgeous!

We had such a wonderful evening, thanks to all of these gentlemen. The three men in the middle we grabbed as they were on their way home at the end of the day. They cheerfully (at least on the outside) turned their motorcycles around and cooked up a gracious and delicious meal for us. The gentleman in black in the middle actually stays at the guest house, sleeping on the floor in front of the door at night to shoo away the wild bison who roam into the yard. (I am not remembering their names, but will post them when I can get them.)

That was Sunday, 26 June. On Saturday, 2 July, Govindharajan's youngest daughter, Apurva, came from Chennai to Coonoor to celebrate her 20th birthday with her father. She brought two college friends, Asha and Jyoti. So, Govindharajan surprised us by having dinner again out at the guest house. Happiness! I had never spent much time with Apurva and so did not know her well, so I was thrilled at the chance to spend some time with her. We had such a great time. The girls are so smart, interested in so many things, studying to be CPAs, very good dancers, very high energy. (They have all the pictures of our evening at the guest house, I'm afraid.)

The next day the girls (Asha, Jyoti, and Apurva) came by to say good bye en route to Coimbatore on their way back to Chennai. It is hard for me to express how much I loved having them in my home and how much I have learned to love Apurva, after all we are family.

I, Apurva, Govindharajan, Gopal

24-26 May 2011, Munar and Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, Thattekkad, Kerala

2011-05-28T23:18:00.000-07:00

En route to the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary in Thattekkad, we passed through Annaimalai where we saw this temple peaking above the other buildings. We decided to go in and left our shoes in the car. Wow was the pavement HOT!

As with most temples, there was a market all around it.

After Annaimalai, we passed these windmills in the Udumalaippettai area.

In the evening of the 24th, we reached the hill station, Munar. Because of the extreme heat all over India right now, this is the high season for hill stations. The approach to Munar was gorgeous. But Munar was sooo crowded, and we hadn't booked anything and ended up in a very mediocre residency lodge. I'm assuming, with better knowledge, there are some great places in Munar, both to stay and to eat, but we sure never found them.

But in the morning, after a terrible breakfast (we had had a terrible dinner the night before, also in Munar), we roamed the markets.

And then the temples. Right around the market were a church (Catholic), a Hindu temple (this one - a Murugan temple), and a mosque which wouldn't let in women or foreigners (no comment).

We visited the Hindu temple.

The mosque was beautiful, but ...... Sara is a Muslim and didn't think much of our exclusion.

We left Munar around noon and headed for the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary in Thattekkad.

Jack fruit tree

Black pepper vine

This picture is to show you how cute we are while traveling. Sara and I ride in the back seat with all the windows open. She always looks very elegant. I, on the other hand, take my dupatta (the long scarf that we wear with our salwar kameez and I wrap it around my head to keep the hair out of my face. Works beautifully, but looks like ______.

We finally reached the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary in Thattekkad. It was unbelievably hard to find. No signs anywhere, so we had to keep stopping people along the road asking if we were headed in the right direction. Even when we got close, no one seemed to know about it. So we drove right past it. But eventually we found it! Boy, was it worth it. Here's a link to an article in one of the Indian newspapers about it.

http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article1053004.ece

Two Red-wattled Lapwings

We saw so many birds, but I didn't write them down on the trail.

Asian Open-Billed Stork

White Throated Kingfisher

Red Junglefowl

Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill

One of the first topics we discussed with our host, Sudha, was butterflies since they are fluttering around everywhere you look. I told her I had been unable to find a book on Indian butterflies, so she ran downstairs and brought a book, "Damsels from Heaven" with photographs by her friend Unni Krishnan Pulikkal, published by the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in Ohio. I grew up in Cleveland and was very familiar with the museum of natural history there. What's exciting to me is that I am now starting to identify and look up butterflies in addition to birds. I have a terrible time seeing them well because they move so quickly, but here are a few I know I saw.

The Southern Birdwing is the largest butterfly in India.

The Common Jay.

And the Common Tiger

A miniature dragonfly

Sambar deer in a protected area

What a juicy place!

Darter, drying its wings

This is a papaya tree just off our balcony. There's a little papaya hanging there that's hard to see.

This is a rose apple bush also off our balcony. Sara and Prabhu harvested some for our trip home. The fruit is not very sweet, but pleasant, waterier than a green pepper, crunchy. I really like them. They're about an inch long.

Our host's son, Gireesh Chandran, took us on a nature walk the next morning. It was wonderful. He was well-supplied with bird calls, so we were able to see many birds. At this time of year, it is really hot and there are no migratory birds to see.

Gopal got this shot of a hornbill.

When we first arrived at Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, we were directed to this home stay just inside the gate. It is a truly wonderful place! Very comfortable accommodations, great Kerala home-cooked food, and very warm and well-informed people. Our host, Sudha, was charming, warm and a bird guide in her own right. I wanted to stay longer and look forward to coming back.

Gopal, Sudha's 87-year-old mother, a grandchild, and Sudha

After leaving the bird sanctuary, we passed through Kalady where we saw this monument to Adi Shankara

from Wikipedia -- Adi Shankara was an Indian philosopher from Kalady of present day Kerala who consolidated the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta. His teachings are based on the unity of the Atman and Brahman—non-dual Brahman, in which Brahman is viewed as without attributes.

Shankara travelled across India and other parts of South Asia to propagate his philosophy through discourses and debates with other thinkers. He is reputed to have founded four mathas("monasteries"), which helped in the historical development, revival and spread of Advaita Vedanta. Adi Shankara is believed to be the organizer of the Dashanami monastic order and the founder of the Shanmata tradition of worship.

for more about Shankara -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adi_Shankara

23-24 May 2011 - Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and Tiger Reserve, Kerala

2011-05-28T04:39:00.000-07:00

On Monday, 23 May, Gopal and I, Sara, and our driver Prabhu left Coonoor and drove toward the Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and Tiger Reserve in Kerala. We arrived in the evening, and the park was not allowing entrance, so we went back down the road a very short distance from the park gate to a farm stay named 'The Dense.'

Here's a shot of the evening sky from The Dense.

Our room, with Gopal on the laptop on the patio.

Gopal and I had the bed; Sara slept on the floor; Prabhu chose to sleep in the car.

This little building was the other room available.

This is the dining room.

The owner of The Dense, Mr. Srinivas, stopped by to see if we needed anything.

Ready to eat dinner.

This little house gecko was on the ceiling of the dining room. We had another on the ceiling of the patio. They make a clicking noise and are very cute.

The dinner they provided was very good. Here's Sara serving herself.

We would have loved to spend another night at The Dense, but they were booked. We were fortunate to get the room that night. We liked it very much and highly recommend it.

We arrived at the front gate of the Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and Tiger Reserve at 6:30am Tuesday, the 24th. We drove in about 6 kms to the entrance gate of the reserve.

Annaimalai is another name for the reserve.

The state line was right where the entrance gate was for the reserve.

So, Parambikulam is yet another name for this reserve.

We saw many Indian Peafowl

Our mini-bus tour

A family of spotted deer

This area is full of teak forest

This shows teak forest, and the dark things in the back there are bison.

This is a dam in the reserve.

And this is Shanmugam, our bus guide. He was a really nice young guy.

Bear in mind that the weather was in the 90s, we were always thirsty, and the sun was hotter than blazes. After this reserve, we hit the road toward Munar to see a Kerala hill station.

3-28 January 2011 - California

2011-04-26T02:30:00.000-07:00

Impulsively, I decided to go to California to support a friend who was having her first baby, with no family nearby. I have been feeling like her mother since her mother died. It was also wonderful to spend time with my daughter, son-in-law, and grandson whom I miss greatly.

When I returned to India, I was able to afford badly needed cataract surgery in both eyes, then had to wait for appropriate glasses which I bought on April 16th. That's why it has taken me so long to post these last few posts. I simply could not see my computer well enough to post anything. And now, so much time has gone by, I'm having trouble remembering some of the things that went on when I was in California. So, I'm only posting about the things for which I have photos.

On 8 January, my daughter's family took Dexter to the Bladium Sports & Fitness Club in Alameda where he takes his soccer classes. I think Saturday is kids' day at Bladium. Bear in mind, that Dexter was four. Bladium is located on the recently abandoned Alameda Naval Air Station and is housed in one of the fighter jet hangars. It is HUGE! This picture is of one of the old naval ships docked nearby.

Bladium Sports & Fitness Club

Front desk

Hockey

Basketball

Dexter's soccer class

After soccer, we went to lunch with one of the other families then went for ice cream where the following sign was posted. It just struck me so funny since there are so many kids in there.

Suzie and I met my sister-in-law Sharon for lunch (Sharon, Suzie, Carolyn)

Here's the beautiful mama, Manohara, I came to help with her baby. I wasn't able to give her as much support as she needed unfortunately, but we were able to spend quite a bit of time together, going to doctor appts and to the L&D dept at the hospital.

That's my sister, Joan, in front of the Berkeley Art Museum where we were able to get in free. We had a magical day.

Manohara (in the front) generously brought me to this restaurant twice (Himalayan Flavours), a great place, in Berkeley. I was thrilled to see an old friend, Priyanka, and meet a new friend, ________.

Here's tired Manohara not long before the baby came.

Kalpana, Manohara's husband's niece and an angel, who stayed with Manohara during this difficult time. I liked her very much.

Todd, Carolyn, Sharon, Dexter, Suzie, Ramon
My brother, Todd, and his wife Sharon met us for Japanese food. It was really wonderful.

Then, just as Suzie and I were departing for Big Sur, Manohara had her baby, Drishya. She's a beauty! (And I wasn't there!!)

The only pictures I got of Suzie and my Big Sur trip was this shot of a sea lion at Point Lobos State Reserve near Carmel.

On her birthday, Suzie had lunch with her old friend, Jenny.

Jenny's baby, Oli (?) What a cutie, and what a handful.

PS - Manohara took care of Drishya alone until the baby was six weeks old. Then she bravely flew to Nepal with Drishya to be with Drishya's father. They made the trip beautifully! (I was worried.)

Here is Drishya with her grandma in Nepal. Grandma is giving her an oil bath. They both look pretty happy.

23-26 December 2010 - Ellora Caves, Aurangabad, Mumbai

2011-04-25T04:01:00.000-07:00

Ellora caves

Ellora (Marathi: वेरूळ) is an archaeological site, 30 km (19 mi) from the city of Aurangabad in the Indian state of Maharashtra built by the Rashtrakuta (Kannada: ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರಕೂಟ) rulers. Well-known for its monumental caves, Ellora is a World Heritage Site.^[1] Ellora represents the epitome of Indian rock-cut architecture. The 34 "caves" – actually structures excavated out of the vertical face of the Charanandri hills – being Buddhist, Hindu and Jain rock-cut templesand monasteries, were built between the 5th century and 10th century. The 12 Buddhist (caves 1–12), 17 Hindu (caves 13–29) and 5 Jain (caves 30–34) caves, built in proximity, demonstrate the religious harmony prevalent during this period of Indian history. from Wikipedia

Cave 32

This was the first cave/temple we entered. It is so fabulous, and carved out of one huge rock, I wept.

Another cave

Cave 33

Cave 29

On the way back to Aurangabad, we stopped at a handloom factory, where I got shawls and scarves to take back to California.

Somewhere en route back to Mumbai, we stopped (did not go in) at this palace.

Bibi-Ka-Maqbara

We stayed at Krishna's brother's in Aurangabad. His son, Rahul, pictured here between Vijaya and Krishna, arranged this 'country' dinner for us. It was really enjoyable.

Here we are with Shanti, Krishna's brother and our gracious host in Aurangabad

We ate a grain that was roasted in this fire

Rahul's son, Mohan, with Vijaya

Krishna, Ashok (another brother), and Rahul's wife Meetha

Shaking the green berries off the branches

Yumm!

This is another party there - a group of women having a time away

A men's group nearby

Our group

Mumbai and Ajanta caves - 18-22 December 2010

2011-04-23T06:18:00.000-07:00

Traffic in Mumbai as we make our way from the airport to Navi (New) Mumbai where our friends the Gosavis live

Vijaya Gosavi with her granddaughter, Anina, and Gopal

Local shopping mall, ready for Christmas

Gopal, Lena (Vijaya's daugher), Anina, and Vijaya at the entrance to Lena's architectural firm

En route to see the Ajanta caves, Vijaya and I rode in the women's car on the train to the main Mumbai station

Train to Aurangabad

Bus fares to the Ajanta caves outside Aurangabad. Notice the difference in fare between Indians and foreigners.

Ajanta caves

from Wikipedia The Ajanta Caves (Ajiṇṭhā leni; Marathi: अजिंठा लेणी), Maharashtra, India are 31 rock-cut cave monuments which date from the 2nd century BCE. The caves include paintings and sculptures considered to be masterpieces of both Buddhist religious art (which depict theJataka tales)^[1] as well as frescos which are reminiscent of the Sigiriya paintings in Sri Lanka.^[2] The caves were built in two phases starting around 200 BCE, with the second group of caves built around 600 CE.^[3f

from the "Ajanta" booklet, World Heritage Series, Archaeological Survey of India (the introduction by R.C. Misra, Director General)

Rock-cut caves near Ajanta, possessing perfect specimens of Indian mural paintings were discovered in 1819 by

a band of British officers while hunting a tiger.

These caves excavated in a semi-circular scarp overlooking a narrow sinuous gorge, includes five chaitya-grihas

and some twenty-five viharas or monasteries. They were excavated between the second century BC and seventh

century AD and served as sanctuaries for Buddhist monks during the monsoons.

The caves of Ajanta are famous for their architectural qualities, graceful elegance and serenity of sculptures, and

above all, the world-famous paintings that adorn their interiors.

The paintings are intensely religious in tone and theme and depict the lives and times of Buddha and

Bodhisattvas. They also act as a sort of illuminated history of those times - court scenes, street scenes, cameos

of domestic life as well as animal and bird sanctuaries. These murals have stood the test of the highest standard

of mural paintings.

The pictures below I borrowed from the internet because ours didn't turn out well. There was no light in the caves. The internet pictures were taken when the caves were lit by electric lighting - very beautiful. But eventually they found that the light was deteriorating the ancient paints and colors, so they took them out. Gopal took our pictures, because my cataracts were so bad at that time, I couldn't see in the dark at all.

Antechamber ceiling

Bodhisattva Padmapani

Our picture of the Bodhisattva Padmapani

Buddha in Padmasana

Cave 4

Cave 4 tempera

Cave 10, pillar and wall

Cave 10 stupa

Cave 12

Cave 26 sculpture

Ceiling outside cave

Monks' bedchambers, Cave 13

Pillar sculpture

Reclining Buddha

Scenes from Jakata tales

Our camera was not able to take good photos in the dark, but this is restoration work going on in the dark.

It was soooooo hot in the sun and I had no hat

On our way back to Aurangabad from Ajanta, I took this picture of plastic water bottles through a curtain behind the bus driver's seat. Plastic bottles by the zillions everywhere! So depressing.

Snake dance 2 March 2011

2011-03-30T02:21:00.000-07:00

Just to show you how slow life is here, Gopal and I were looking (out our bathroom window) at one of the street dogs taking a nap in a pool of sunlight on the lawn of our neighbor's empty house. In the background was movement. It took a minute to realize that it was two snakes in a mating? dance.

They were so preoccupied with this process that they fell down an embankment into the road. We went to see what happened and saw that one was about six feet long and the smaller about five feet. Our approach encouraged them to climb back up onto the lawn where they resumed the dance. Isn't it amazing?!

NDTV in India interviews Julian Assange

2011-03-24T22:26:00.000-07:00

The interview by NDTV was very good. I wasn't sure if this kind of coverage was available in the U.S.

http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/news/cash-for-votes-cables-are-authentic-as
sange-to-ndtv/194291

12 November 2010, Palpa (Tansen), Nepal

2011-03-05T02:19:00.000-08:00

After months of traveling and then cataract surgery, the thread of this blog got lost. Sorry for the very long void. I left off after our second day in Nepal ....

We drove from Lumbini to Palpa in the dark through areas that had suffered landslides, etc. It was a terrible ride. The roads were a mess. When we got to Palpa we couldn't see anything and checked into rooms with no water. But, in the morning, this is the view from the patio where we ate breakfast.

This is what is referred to as the White Lake, a layer of mist and clouds that settles over the valley and burns off later.

A little cafe where we had a nice breakfast of chana and tea.

It came with a resident baby.

Local temple

The Tansen Durbar, a palace that was destroyed by the Maoists and is now being restored.

This sign refers to "Magrant Autonomous Republic" which I looked up and wonder if this wasn't part of the fairly recent Maoist insurgency. The Magrant refers to the Magar population, descended from people who had come to Nepal through Tibet before Buddhism (7th century) and are one of the many ethnic groups in Nepal.

Nearby viewpoint

There are some very old alleys and buildings here. I really liked it.

We found this wonderful courtyard restaurant on the tiny square.

Then on to Pokhara.....

Cataract Surgery 16-18 February 2011, Coimbatore

2011-02-25T08:02:00.000-08:00

Aravind Eye Hospital, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu

The hospital is built around this courtyard with a built-in pond.

We stayed on the second floor.

This is a little out of context, since this is a picture of me, with my friend Sara, waiting to be seen for an appt. the week before the surgery.

En route to surgery early the morning of the 17th, this is how dilated my eye was.

After surgery, eating lunch in our room.

Gopal waiting in line at the hospital Canteen.

While I slept the day of surgery, Gopal got his eyes checked, ordered glasses and picked them up the following day.

The new glasses.

Leaving the hospital the following day. Including paying a driver, meals, room and surgery, it cost us $580. It would have cost me $7,000 in California.

"Climate Wars" by Gwynne Dyer

2010-12-11T23:08:00.000-08:00

I just finished this book and highly recommend it if you want a good, pretty thorough rundown on how we got here, what are our chances, and how the future looks - what are our choices. Very thorough and informative. It didn't make me feel any better, but I at least have more understanding.

11 November 2010, Lumbini, Nepal

2010-12-09T03:41:00.000-08:00

After leaving Chitwan at 5:30am, we arrived at Tilak's friend Ashok's in a village en route to Lumbini. Here is Ashok with his grandmother.

Carolyn, grandmother, and mother

Saying goodbye

After leaving Ashok's, we passed this horror - a motorcycle loaded with live chickens hanging upside down.

Lumbinī (Sanskrit: लुम्बिनी, "the lovely") is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in theRupandehi district of Nepal, near the Indian border. It is the place where QueenMayadevi is said to have given birth to Siddhartha Gautama, who as the Buddha Gautama founded the Buddhist tradition. The Buddha lived between roughly 563 and 483 BCE. Lumbini is one of four magnets for pilgrimage that sprang up in places pivotal to the life of the Buddha, the others being at Kushinagar, Bodh Gaya, andSarnath.

Lumbini is in the foothills of the Himalaya,^[1] 25 km east of the municipality of Kapilavastu, where the Buddha is said to have lived till the age of 29. Kapilvastu is the name of the place in question as well as of the neighbouring district. Lumbini has a number of temples, including the Mayadevi temple, and others under construction. Also here is the Puskarini or Holy Pond - where the Buddha's mother took the ritual dip prior to his birth and where he, too, had his first bath - as well as the remains of Kapilvastu palace. At other sites near Lumbini, earlier Buddhas were, according to tradition, born, achieved ultimate awakening and finally relinquished earthly form. (from Wikipedia)

At the entrance to Lumbini is this eternal flame in front of what will be a long pool and plaza.

I was not able to find detailed enough information on the internet regarding Lumbini, which has been developed in a wonderful way, with monasteries and temples built by countries all over the world. Today is Thursday, and Saturday I'm going to a bookstore where I'm hoping to find a Lonely Planet book that will give me more detail about Lumbini. In the meantime, I'm going to post this and will not label some of the pictures since I'm not sure which temple it is. Will correct later.

Gorgeous temple of Thailand

West Bengal pagoda

Sri Lanka pagoda and monastery

Myanmar pagoda

West Bengal pagoda

Myanmar pagoda

Sri Lanka pagoda and monastery

This is a fresco at the Sri Lanka temple

Artists still working on the frescos

Myanmar pagoda

This may be the Cambodia pagoda

These are young monks at the Sri Lanka monastery, studying. They will eventually go to Sri Lanka to continue their education.

Buddha statue at Sri Lanka pagoda

Sri Lanka pagoda

Archeological site where Buddha was apparently born.

I didn't walk down there in the heat. Gopal took these pictures.

The glassed-in area is supposed to be the birth area.

The ruins were within these walls.

This bell was near the eternal flame at the entrance to the memorial area.

Paresh just had to photograph the repair to this plastic chair.

Japanese Peace Pagoda

"The Wild Tress" by Richard Preston

2010-12-02T08:44:00.000-08:00

Just finished this wonderful book. Honestly bought it not realizing what it really was. Thank heaven! It is a non-fiction book about newly discovered extremely tall trees and the very skilled, bright people who find them, climb them, and study them. The story is about these passionate people and the wonderful trees they work with - coast redwoods, mountain ash, eucalyptus regnans. Wow! It is a wonderful read. I read it while touring Nepal.

I learned so much about temperate forest canopies, tree time, other worlds way up there, yet to be discovered. All the magical things we are losing so rapidly, ya know?

10 November 2010, Elephant ride, Chitwan National Park, Nepal

2010-11-30T06:49:00.000-08:00

After lunch, we went to ride elephants. Tilak, ;Nandani, Gopal and I got on one elephant; here's Siddue and Paresh waiting to board anther elephant.

Here's our elephant, Puja, and her mahout Sushil.

Rhinoseros

Our mahout coralled the rhino and her baby into an open field where the baby started running around like a puppy!

Paresh and Siddu

Alligator

Back at the staging area

Samir, our driver

Back at the hotel