5th cast

There is a very nice bollywood film in cinemas called English Vinglish. Fun to watch when you get a chance (screening in Europe?). A gorgeous French man character in it :-) 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dWir9Q_Vek  

Going to cinema here was an adventure. Firstly because I couldn't get things right due to total misinformation of which place, what day and what time the film is shown. Then you start the screening with... national anthem! People stand up and respectfully watch as on the screen appears brave soldiers of Indian National Army in tough Himalayan conditions holding the national flag straight in spite of blowing wind... No kidding!!! And there is a break in the middle - of course in the  most exciting moment of the film. 

You know how there are/were 4 casts in Indian society. Well, I discovered there is a 5^th one – the rickshaw drivers… Ohhh, these are evil people. They give you prices out of the blue, that can be 3 x more than it is. Every time I need to play tough and bargain with them…cutting the price by 3 or 2, walking away so they can call their last price… before I finally close the deal with the 3^rd or 4^th driver… Sometimes they don’t want to take me at all – they just say “no” and drive off… It so much spoils the fun of going anywhere.

And then came this one time when it was one drop too much. I wanted to go to a specific market. After the usual initial hassle (look above) the driver started to argue with me that here it is good enough and why do I need to go to that market of mine. I needed even to ask myself for the directions! I got into argument with him – me talking in English and him in Kannada…We finally made it. After the market, when it was dark and I had bags full of veggies and fruits, I needed to march in the horrendous traffic, under some kind of a flyover that made the fumes concentrated even more, and there was no rickshaw available... They were passing by with the lucky winners already inside. Even when I turned into some quieter street, they stopped only to drive off after I indicated the destination (too far). I was close to tears! Finally the local woman, who saw me in my misery, stopped a rickshaw for me. The guy accepted my destination and the price right away. That is the miracle of a social pressure in the community…

The very next morning I got myself a scooter… It cost me probably the same as taking a rickshaws but the hassle turned into fun! I have never driven scooter in Europe and here I am squeezing between cars, buses, rickshaws and other two-wheelers, on the roads that remember the last Raja, among Indians who are famous for their free style driving... I zoom around, getting lost and asking for the directions every 500m but I am free!!! I can go anywhere, given that I leave an hour earlier to find my way :-)  I don’t have to be on the mercy of the 5^th cast anymore. Vio happy!

 I discovered the Indian coffee!!! Love it!  It is just right mixture of brewed coffee, chicory, milk and sugar. It's like coffee icecream but hot :-)

My Bangalore home, "Chez Lizzy". And that's a pace of life that I can finally enjoy :-)

Mysore

I took a break from Bangalore and went to Mysore to celebrate Dussehra – one of the biggest Hindu festivals. It’s about the victory of the good over the evil. 

 

 

So there is god Rama who get lovely Sita for his wife. And there is this demon king of Lanka (Sri Lanka) Ravana. Ravana has sister who fells in love with Rama and his brother. She wants to marry one of them but Rama is already taken and his brother…said no to the lady… She gets a bit angry and threatens to kill Sita and then marry Rama. So his brother gets more angry and cuts the tantrum lady her nose and ear. Ok, so now Ravana gets really pissed off and kidnapps Sita to Lanka. Rama and his bro teach successfully a lesson to Ravana quite successfully and that’s how the good wins over the evil.

And life is simple in these stories – there is good and bad, beauty and the ugly jealous one, siblings that are loyal to each other no matter what. Why to complicate things with some nuances? Some other shades of gray? Black and white is good enough ;-)

Anyway, Hindu love their heroes, as they call them here. They can wait in the sun for many hours to see the parade with elephants, the gods and heroes, and their goddess Chamundeshwari. And I waited with them. For 4 hours…in the burning sun…on the side of the road… That’s how devoted Hindu I became :-)

I had so much fun with my fellow “waiters”!!! I love the feeling of belonging that one can develop with the Hindi.  Starting innocently asking “what country?”, then they look over my shoulder what I’m reading, then we play with my camera and everybody is laughing around. The kids are taking all kinds of photos. Even “Sir”, the police superior, got into the game and smiled. Before you realise, you are belonging to a circle of people around. There is a little community, a micro village where people start to feel familiar with each other. Children ask for my water, they share their sweets, my cookies get in the crowd and never come back and the fresh lime soda that the kids fetch every so often, is shared among all the “villagers” (not equally but they remember about the elderly man who doesn’t say anything).

Indian hospitality is huge. They spoil me with their attention and care. I’m a guest so I get the best bits to have pleasant time in their country. And I do, big time J  Before even I belong to the “village” I get the best place to watch the parade, they insist that I sit and not tire myself standing, they explain what is happening during the parade, what are the names of the elephants and what gods are coming. Even the police worried about “white sister” when the crowd started to push too hard. And after all this fun together, they returned my camera (sb was taking pictures for me) and my scarf (we shared for protection from the sun) and we waved goodbye with big smiles.

And what language we use to communicate? I guess just a human language – sincere interest in each other and mutual will to communicate and connect.

Cultural Blr

This time I don't really travel in India. I can just live here :-)  Of course, it's not a "daily life" but still I learn about other aspects of India. In Bglr it's about city life: shopping, transport, going out, but also garbage problem, cut of electricity, fight for the water with Tamil Nadu (neighboring state), etc. 

I indulge myself into cultural events of Blr. And I'm so happy what I'm discovering! 

I went to screening of 1 out of 3 films of a young, not at all professional, filmmaker Shree Venkatesh from Bengal. He was having his corporate life (like many young people here) and at some point he dropped everything and went toward what he always wanted to do... storytelling. He makes films to tell the stories that have been in his head forever... And he does it very well and successfully! It's interesting way of filming and interesting subjects. 
Have a look at his Hemlock Society - a film that teaches you how to commit suicide ;-)  Excellent!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_EXx5detmY

 Unfortunately the full version is on Youtube. I don't like it but I guess, it gives you possibility to see the film in Europe, so here you go:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hG1g-7SWJME

I went for screening of another amateur film about jazz in India! Fits very well into my interests :-) 
"Finding Carlton" tracks down the jazz musicians in early 70ties! Of course I didn't know that the jazz scene was booming here (mostly Kolkata and Mumbai) with Indian and foreign musicians. 
The following evening I had a chance to actually listen to Carlton life in one of the bars in Bglr. It was good piece of jazz!

The concert hall, Chowdiah Memorial Hall, I made my base for cultural events. 
Odissi Dance - one of the 8 classical dance forms of India. It exists for thousands years. That's the figures that you see sculptured on the monuments in India. And when they dance it really looks like the statues. It was mesmerizing to watch them! 2 to 4 dancers on the stage and you feel that you can't follow all the detailed movement that express the feeling, tells the story or gives the glory to the gods. Have a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwPtrEDSDnQ

Scottish Dance Theater - yes! I came all the way to India to watch the Scots on the stage :-)   And they were phenomenal! 3 pieces, completely different and very charged emotionally: 

http://sdt.new.previewsite.org.uk/index.php?pid=172

 I attended also a concert of classical singing performed by the best living singer, Pandit Jasraj, but I must admit, it was very unfortunate - the hall didn't do a good job on the sound, the VIPs started to walk out in the middle of the concert and the singer himself was not satisfied with his voice (would it be the age?). I tried to make an abstarction of all this and just enjoy the singing: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psZKJUVVSJo&noredirect=1

And finally we managed to go to... simple cinema. I've tried several times but a) I couldn't find the cinema, b) we were late because of the traffic, c) it was said on internet that the film is on... and it wasn't!!!  English Vinglish - sweet Indian story. I hope it will enter cinemas in Europe. The French guy was so crunchy and cute!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dWir9Q_Vek

Bangalore. Garden city.

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I'm staying in 5 star hotel - in Lizzy's fabulous apartment. There are terraces everywhere and I am surrounded by art and pretty things and most of all, by Lizz and her funclub – recent and old childhood friends and family.

Without stepping out of this paradise, we have people dropping by and entertaining, especially me, with elephants, snakes and rhinoceros stories dating back from the times of the tea plantation life in Assam, or more or less recent stories of a crazy life in Bangalore.

Being in India a good couple of times, I still try to pinpoint what draws me to this country so much. One of these “things” is definitely Indian connection. People here want to communicate and connect! About little or big things, they talk and relate to each other all the time. Even if the communication is difficult because of the language barrier, they want to establish relation. Hence constant questions “which country ma’me?”, “what’s your good name ma’me?”. Most of these people have no clue where is Poland or can’t repeat my name (it usually comes out as “Boleta”) but they want to interact, be somehow connected. Making the contact is easy, if you only wish to open and go for it. And I had wonderful moments of being accepted and belonging without knowing the people or being able to verbally exchange with them.

 Hindi are easy going and very casual in conversations. One feels welcomed and part of the company straight away without this initial shyness when you don’t know people. They ask about you and share their stories, they offer their company, their help, their house, certainly phone number “in case you need anything”. Connecting spreads and creates a big network of people. If you are in trouble or in need, certainly somebody knows somebody else who can be of a help. One feels like a member of a village and, I must admit, it gives me a precious sense of belonging and security.

Vipassana, near Nagpur, Maharashtra

Well... being surrounded by 70 beautiful women who are not to talk (the Noble Silence)… What can I say? I loved it!!!  :-) The intensive rainbow colour of their saris and kamiz completed perfectly the greenery that surrounded us. It was a remote countryside with chirping birds all day long, crickets accompanying you to sleep, butterflies in all colours, always present lizards... Apparently there were also snakes and scorpions but I didn't have pleasure to meet those fellows.

And trains! Frequent, fast and loud...promising the journey - meeting a long time not seen relative or friend...or visiting far away places, places to be discovered... I loved to listen out for and watch them from my tower. 

Yes, I spent most of my time on the water tower. In the morning and afternoon I snoozed there and at noon I was having a regular intake of vitamin D with the sun, just for 20 min. 

We were to remain not only silent but also without any kind of communication: gestures, touch or even eye contact. Not needed anyway. The communication is happening just by being in this community. The togetherness creates connections that are stronger with some then with the others. How? Is it the energy of every single person floating in this absolute causing the move in the energy of another creature? Is it the universal low of a tribal living? By the end of 10 days I gave the names in my head to most of my fellows and non of them was unnoticed :-)

And I never stopped talking.... in my head... We had great conversations: me, myself and I, and Violetta joined as well. We spoke English, Polish and even some French.


When the ladies started to talk, that's what it gives: 

Again I was the only white in the crowd, friendly called "English". I've always wanted to be born English mother tongue. See how India is a "dream come through" country, not only the America. 

 Another similarity with the US is that you eat food with your hands. Here you mix thoroughly the flavours of different freshly prepared dishes with rice/chapatti; in America greasy, ketchup dripping, carnivore burgers. Another reason why I'm in India...

 













My manners here are being challenged. During Vipassana I was presented with quite frequent burping, cleaning one's throat and nose in, let's say, spectacular way, equally in dining and meditation hall. I'm not there yet and maybe I'll rather focus in perfecting my eating technique rather than other habits. My way of fingering the food might be equally repulsive for them as their burping for me. First of all I still use my left hand to tear the chapatti, while it is the "dirty" hand that serves rather the other end of digestive system. Secondly, I'm not very coordinated to shoot the food into my mouth so it sometimes misses the goal... Well, I'll ask Molly Kotchamma, Lizzy's mum, to teach me some table manners. 

But what about Vipassana itself? 

At the beginning my mind was rushing like a wild horse. For the first 2 days I was trying very hard to canalise this roaring stream of thoughts. I could not stop it! I was like in surrealistic state between dream and reality. Whenever I closed my eyes (which was for about 9h a day) I felt like Alice in Wonderland: the past was mixing with the future, real with not real, joy with sadness. My mind was working also during the night and I was waking up from violent dreams, sweating. It is astonishing how we are possessed by our own mind. You think you are the master but the mind has a live on its own...

So for 10 days all I was doing was sleep, eat and meditate. Imagine the comfort of being provided with everything and all you need to do is to dive into a depth of your own mind and try to tame this wild horse. It's a hard work, I can tell you! 

Now I feel clearer in my mind. It's like somebody took off a lid that was covering my head (I'm not sure it wasn't belgian gray sky) and gave a way to an endless space where one can breath freely and calmly. I'm not sure if it is not an Indian climate rather than Vipassana... ;-) 

 
I didn't manage to follow Goenka's philosophy. It's too...flue for me. I translated it into Mindfulness terms. The technique after all is the same.

For me it was intensive crash course of Mindfulness. The conclusion I drew is one and simple - meditation is to my mind like brushing to my teeth. I need to incorporate it into my daily routine. And I manage to do since.

Nasik, Maharashtra

I have my lovely hotel in a supposedly nice spot - just above the Godavari River and ritual bathing tank...

Hundreds of Hindu pilgrims arrive every day to bathe and pray... and immerse the ashes of their cremated close ones... 'cause the waters provide "moksha" liberation of the soul...
I don't have to tell you the state of the water... I admire the devotion of those brave Hindu... 

My peaceful place turned out to be an epicenter of all the noise India can make!!! It is Ganesh Chaturthi!!! Huge celebration that goes on for 10 days... Loads of music, dancing, loud explosions, stories of Ganesha told through loudspeakers...from morning till the evening...

 Hiking in Trimbak

3 days in and around Nasik - I'm the only white so far...and must admit, I'm fed up with it! Indians don't bother to make their excitement discreet - they stare, take a picture, elbow their pals not to miss the opportunity to look at "angleze"... Where is my tolerance for India? I guess I'm so used to being here, that I consider myself at home, like I was belonging... Their smiling looks prove the contrary - I'm a painted bird here....

 
 Even those guys are starring at me...







 
But being painted bird in India has a lot of advantages. In their endless hospitality, Indians take care of me and make sure I'm well: get on the right bus, have enough to eat, taste things "angleze" might not know and they instruct me what to do, where and how :-)

And meanwhile He is becoming my very close friend :-)