dec 29 update

i believe i am 13.5 hours ahead of the rest of the world, so it’s dec. 29 my time.

a little more on the music of india. some of the other btc’ers who went on the trip to south africa said that it reminded them of the african tribal music. everyone enjoys music and dance in india, not just the few who are bold enough (like in america). it is very refreshing to see people savoring the sounds and feelings of song and dance. i believe it was shritl (sorry, i totally know i’m going to mispell everyone’s names) who said that dancing is a form of meditation. i have to agree. the feeling of pure spirit and freedom that can be achieved by dance is amazing.

countless times while we have been here, all we needed was someone with a drum and a few people clapping, and everyone just broke out into dance. the kids at manav sadhna welcomed us with a rousing dance that just screamed happiness and joy. at nirali’s house the other night, everyone did their best girba(?) impression.

just before we left the blind school on monday, the kids packed into a room, a few people manned the drums, and one of the elders crooned out a wonderful song with accompaniment from the children. it was beautiful. the energy and emotion was indescribable. the children were so happy to have us there and were already asking when we would be back. it is very sad to think that although i would like to see them again, chance and circumstance may say that i never see them again. i don’t know what the future holds, so it is impossible to say, but there are many places left to travel, many things beckoning back home, and many forks in the road. hopefully, i will return. because the people in india aren’t asking me when i will return out of courtesy; they are asking out of love.

yesterday, we made visits to sam vedana (i know, i know, mispellings everywhere) and utthan, the mentally handicapped school. this was actually my first visit to sam vedana. some of the others had been there before to paint, and i saw the fruits of their labors. people had painted some of the walls with lively pinks and green pastels, in a kind of southwestern color scheme. those walls looked much better than the older, cracked walls in older parts of the school. and i know how hard the btc’ers worked because i would see them come home with paint all over their clothes and skin and hair. i’m sure the kids appreciated everything you did for them, guys. they sure loved it the time when i visited.

time for an internet intermission…