Beautiful Mandalas in Front of Door Steps

I went to have South Indian Thali with Yoomi. It was terrible. As it goes on this whole journey, when the food goes bad, it's really time to move on. The walk was a nice stroll. I visited rooms for $100 a night and it was vacant.

One of the things I noticed about this part of India is the integration of color, art, creativity in Spirituality. I see color mandalas everywhere like this either in flowers or right outside the front door on the street fresh every morning beautifully done with colored sand and colored flour.

Don't Get Side Tracked and End Up in Moscow or Something

I woke up with my entire body aching. I sat and meditated for an hour and the aches went away. But the fatigue from the aching all night didn't, so all I wanted to do was meditate for the rest of the day. However I do have an appointment with Puri to go on the heritage walk.

I was too tired to take in any food. It's odd this way. I need the energy to use for the day and I need the energy from food to use. However I need to use up the energy I had in order to produce more energy to use. The cycle rate is a day for this process and I only have a day left here. I so decided to use what is left of my energy sparingly to tour. It's like you have 60 miles to go and there is less than half a gallon of gas in your car. And you know if you pull over to a rest stop you know you aren't gonna make it to your destination in time because you are just too tired. But if you don't pull over you might just run out of gas and stop all together. Well, I was banking on lucky stars to pull me through.

I checked my emails at Mark's and Rev. Heng Sure reminded me to not get side tracked in Bangkok and somehow end up in Moscow or something. Well, I really want to go to Russia but I am totally out of cash to do so. My financial supply is like my energy supply right now. Actually I have been stretching it somehow for the last 3 months. It's quite amazing how I've lasted this long.

This type of architecture is common in this area, painted in colorful bright colors, decorated with French-Indian motifs.

Bow to Greater Plans

After checking out of the Guest House, I decided to splurge and hop onto a rickshaw for 30 rupees to drop me off at Shuddham along with my packs. I parked my stuff at Yoomi and Mark's place. I went to BookBox myself to help out with a bit of translation work and fortunately I had a 10am appointment at the travel agency so I didn't stay long to translate. Honestly, I think I do enough of this kind of volunteer work back a home and I really don't feel like doing any of it right now. It makes me feel like I am not in India but back a home and I feel it's premature for me to be back a home. They are still working on connecting me with housing.

At the travel agency, everyone was great and nice and most of all very helpful. I was able to locate a flight out of Chennai via Bangkok to Taipei for $430. I put in all the rupees I had and saved 300 rupees for the ride to airport and then put the rest onto a credit card. I fly 00:15 AM January 15. I land in Taipei after 11am the same day. This was the best arrangement after many visits to various agencies including Bangkok, Ahmedabad, Pondy. It's interesting how things work out. This was the best flight arrangement to be on that was why I could not purchase a ticket in Bangkok nor in Ahmedabad because it really wasn't the best arrangement for me. But I didn't know that then. Oh how many times on this trip have I had to bow to the fact that my logical plans loose to greater plans that I was not awake to.

Afterwards I went back to BookBox and did one hour of work and then stopped for lunch. My kind of work schedule. I went to Yoomi's for lunch. Their friend Moussin from Morocco who also lives half of the time here in Pondy and half in Berkeley brought take outs from Suguru's. It was delicious I had Tondori Paneer. I really think Paneer is like firm tofu. It turns out he just got himself into his friend's two bedroom apartment with AC washer etc... But he is goinig to Kerala Sunday and gave me the keys to stay as long as I wanted. Gee... how did I luck out on this. I had no housing now I do and it's better than any housing options I could have found for myself. However since I just bought my ticket for Sunday night flight I will only be able to stay for one more night which is tonight. The place is nice and is above a gym. Well, I will miss eating and chill'n here but I can eat and chill in Taiwan! Mark was sweet to offer to locate a ride to Chennai airport. That's really nice and I really appreciate all the great however short time I've spent here.

After dropping off my packs at the apartment I went back to Mark's and met Puri their friend who is also working on restoration of French Architectural buildings here. I was connected with a heritage walk for tomorrow to check out French Architecture with students on a guided walk. I do love art and love architecture. I even once thought of getting into architectural history.

Shuddham

I stepped into the the Shuddham building to meet up with Yoomi and Mark. They poured me a cup of French Stawberry tea while we chatted in their studio. I checked out the bandages on their body and Yoomi's limp as she walked. I learned of their car accident in Bangalore a month ago. They were there for their friend's wedding. They were on a scooter when a bus hit them from the back and Yoomi's foot got stuck in the bus's bumper and the scooter too got stuck underneath the bus along with Mark's leg. So the bus dragged Yoomi, Mark and their scooter while all the passengers on the screamed at the bus driver to stop the bus. When the bus finally stopped the driver switched out of the driver seat and the official bus driver jumped into the seat. Mark lost flesh not just skin. He was heavily medicated and not mobile. He has to go into the hospital to change bandages daily to keep the open flesh from infections. The daily challenge is having to make it to and from the hospital. The rest of the time he is in bed battling the pain. Yoomi can now finally walk with a limp. Well, I am so glad they are alive what a brush with death.

Mark and Yoomi are both very beautiful people. They live part of the year out of San Francisco and the rest of the time in Pondicherry. When they are here they volunteer here at Shuddham and is also involved in restoration project of historical French architectural buildings in the area. Yoomi introduced me to a literacy project at an office nearby with BookBox and asked me if I was interested in translation projects in trade for possible housing options. BookBox is working in increasing literacy in India through internet storytelling for children. Here is info on Shuddham an NPO with environment as their focus and empowering women. http://shuddham.wordpress.com/

Yoomi took me to her friend Surag's travel agency and helped me sort out flights to Taiwan. I have to return tomorrow because it was already closing time and so I have make another trip tomorrow.

Then Yoomi took me to Suguru's for Dosai and other South Indian dishes. They were all very delicious. I wonder if I should stay here longer just to eat. Hum.... tempting and dangerous. But must solve the whole housing problem first.

I walked along the beach at night to find my way back to the hotel. It was crowded, lots of people are out walking on this beautiful night with warm summer breeze. I pretty much did people watch all along the beach as I walked.

In the room there are large images of Sri Arvind and Ama on the wall. Honestly it really requires adjustment on my end to have their images in the room where I change clothes and sleep. It just doesn't feel respectful on my end to have them in the room.

Didn't Even Know I was on a Mini Date

Auchil woke me up this morning because I did hear the alarm clock right next to my ear but she did and I was glad she did. I really would have slept through it. I was also glad to be smart enough to go to sleep in what I would wear today because I could just roll out of bed and be all dressed too. She hugged me and had me write to keep up he inspirations and support.

The pre-arranged rickshaw insisted the rate for the ride was at 30rupees and not 20rupees. Or it was 20ruppees like it was agreed upon but he decided to up it. Well, it was 5am in the morning and I am glad to not have to be out in the street in the dark to flag my own rickshaw and risk getting myself into danger and also the risk of no ride to the airport that early in the morning. So for the safety and convenience I paid 150rupees total for the entire 17 minute ride to the airport.

At the airport I had to drink my 1L of water because it was not allowed on the plane dur to security reasons. So I drank the whole thing and I had plenty of time to pee it out before the boarding since I was so early. I thought with the 150rupees the driver was charging me and with him telling me it was far justifying why he was charging me so much, I ended up at the airport way early than I needed to.

I got onto Spice Jet which was a nice airline. I had the whole row to myself. I sat did my meditation and recitation with ear plugs on. But I was too tired and I fell asleep and stretched out on the seats. And because I drank too much water, I had to get up to pee very frequently. Good thing I wasn't far from the toilet. I got to see the sun rise over the puffy clouds, it was beautiful, fire red and orange.

I decided to lean over to a neighbor and ask how to get to Pondicherry. Another man and his wife over heard this decided to take me under their arms and hand hold me through the entire aftermath of locating ride to Pondy. The wife was so sweet. She like a good mother, told me all the no's and was ready to send me off on my own. I must have looked really lost and fragile because she decided to change her mind and ended up arranging everything for me. She flagged a rickshaw for me and told the driver to make sure to do the following: locate a seat on the right bus for me. I am to be on the right bus and I am to have a seat. Until then I cannot pay him the beautiful sum of 120 rupees, a tourist price.

I got onto a bus and sat by the window in the last row by the door. In India all window and doors are open at all times. It was so hot that I didn't mind. I put a shaw over my head and slept the whole time. It costed me 52 rupees for the entire 4 hour ride to Pondy. While on the bus I saw the trains go by and there were carts with no seats and it was full of people hanging out the door. Wow! Glad I wasn't on that train.

I made it to Pondicherry bus station. From here I took a rickshaw for 20 rupees to drop me off at Park Guest House by the beach. IT was only 2 minutes away. But I didn't know that ahead of time. Well the Park Guest House was nice. There was a yoga retreat this weekend and the place was full. The reception didn't want to let me have a room and then decided he would only if I promise to pack out of there in the morning because they are full and most of the people for the retreat is already in town. I got the room for 600rupees. The room was a nice and it had a queen size bed and AC. Oh the AC! Love the AC. It is so hot and humid here. I am foot steps from the beach. The place is really clean here. Because I was so tired I took a two hour nap in the AC. Fatigue and hunger, hummmm...... fatigue wins and so I slept first and ate later. I didn't have my first meal for the day until dinner time.

I walked around to hunt for other living options. I got to know the French quarters very well. Around 4:30pm I came across an internet cafe and checked my mail and got a response from Yoomi. I borrowed Shakti's phone to call, he was a passerby. He also ended up giving me a ride all over town. That was very risky of me to just hop on. He ended up buying me juice and samosa. I didn't realize what I had gotten myself into, I was like on a mini date and I had no idea. He did however drop me off like he promised at Yoomi's and that was good. It really wasn't far from my place but I didn't have a map and didn't speak the language.