Monday, February 21st 2005, 7:48pm

Yep, here it is, the last night. And here I am sittin at an internet joint! Anyway, I'll fix that soon enough - I'm freakin hungry!

I'm gonna drop by the local "chemist" to get some cheap pharmaceuticals, then grab some dinner (veg fried rice I'm thinkging), and a Nutty Buddy ice-cream cone for desert. Then it's off to the local "wine shop" for some beer, grab some fried chicken on the way home, and settle down for some reading. :) I got a couple new books today, and I'm going to start one. Speaking of which, I'm going to list off the books I've read since ~January 10th, when I borrowed the first from Joga Sing. They'll be in chronological order.

Kitchen Confidential - Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly
Written by: Anthony Bourdain

White Wolf
Written by: David Gemmell

Blasphemy - a novel
Written by: Tehmina Durrani

I Moved Your Cheese
Written by: Darrel Bristow

Franz Kafka: Stories 1904 - 1924
Translated by: J.A. Underwood

Tell Me Your Dreams
Written by: Sidney Sheldon

Wet Work
Written by: Christopher Buckley

Deadeye
Written by: Sam Llewellyn

Morning Noon & Night
Written by: Sidney Sheldon

Legend
Written by: David Gemmell

I didn't read the whole lot of Franz Kafka stories as I was borrowing the book and left town before finishing it, but they were interesting. And that brings us up to today. I've just started The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I also bought The Doomsday Conspiracy by Sidney Sheldon.

So, India's been a blast alright. I'd like to say more, but it's hard to do... to boil down all of these experiences, flavours, smells, all these feelings, into words. I look forward to my next visit.

I'm gonna roll now, I gotta eat, etc, and get ready for tomorrow. I have a feeling it's gonna be a tiring day, what with having to check out of the hotel before noon. Hell, maybe I'll just pay one last day, or half a day or something, for the ease of not having to carry my shit around all day. Yeah, that's what I'll do. :)

dharma

Friday, February 18th 2005, 9:30pm

I did accept the invitation, and so we hit the road in the afternoon, arriving in Delhi around 10pm.

It's an interesting deal trying to drive oneself (so to speak) out of one Indian city, across the country, and into another city. It requires many stops to "ask directions", interpret "directions", make it some distance through twisting and confusing streets, ask directions again... and so forth. Then driving on the roads is a real trip. A two lane highway turns into a two to five lane gauntlet. Cars, trucks, busses, motorcycles, etc, passing in both directions simultaneously. Flashing lights to claim right of way, honking to let someone know you're in the process of passing them so that they don't turn into you (people do not even think of shoulder checking). If you don't honk, you don't exist. Honking to warn the pedestrian 100' ahead that if they cross the road without looking, as they were just about to and often do, they're going to be dead. Passing on the right, passing on the left, two wheels on the shoulder and two on the road, weaving in and out of lanes, slamming the brakes and lurching back into our lane to avoid the bus from hell which came.... very close.... Trying to decide if that right-hand turn signal means he's going to move into the right-hand lane, or if he wants us to pass him on the right. It seriously is used for both. Hitting hidden bumps and speed breaks, and then the roof. It's all in good fun, and god's with us every step of the way.

We did make it though, and made it well. I hope the couple on the Vespa scooter that ran into our opening passenger door make it home ok too.

After a couple days in Delhi, which were pleasant enough, we took off at about 6am, and headed to Vrindaben U.P. The dense fog didn't slow the car much, and neither did any of the vehicles which emerged from it and slid by us as we sped along. Following the directions of Pupino, one of the Chezk fellows, we made out way to a nice little temple where we got a single room for Rs 15, and a room with three beds for Rs 60 total. We've been relaxing like mad here... it's really quite peaceful and quiet as towns in India go. Vridaban is the home of the ISKCON Hari Krishna movement, and they have a truely beautiful temple here with services throughout the day. I don't feel entirely comfortable with the whole ...movement, I must say. There are a number of aspects of what I see that just rub me the wrong way right now. Another instance of my very stiff mind - interesting to watch.

So we were going to spend another day or two, and then head to Agra, then through Rajasthan toward Diu, but as seems very common these days, plans have changed for me.

A serious family ...situation.. has come up, and I shall be flying back to Canada on evening of the 22nd - roughly four days. I wanted adventure and unpredictability, and I have gotten it in spades, and it's been so good for me.

dharma

Saturday, Feb 12th 2005, 9:21pm

Today was pleasant - in fact the last two days have been very pleasant. Staying at the Golden Temple has been great. There's the Golden Temple, with all of its areas and charms - the langar hall (dining hall), the residence I'm staying in which is now packed with foreigners from all over the place, the green areas surrounding grounds, the temple itself in all its facets. Then there's the city wiht various temples and what-not to see. I've really just been taking it easy, reading lots, drinking a soda here and there, going for walks, eating, reading more, playing guitar... and I would continue to do such for a few more days except....

There are these three fellows, one from Austria who's driven over-land through whatever parts of Europe, Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan, and his two companions since Iran from Chezk Republic. Oh, and the little puppy he picked up before crossing the border into India. They seem a pretty neat bunch... The fellow from Austria has his Mac laptop (very nice indeed) with him, and is daily working on his web page done in Flash - very sweetly done. They're planning to head out of Amritsar tomorrow, swing through Agra, Rajasthan, and head for Diu, right on the ocean on the North-west coast of India. And, they've invited me along if I'd like... they've room for one more! I can't think of any good reason not to, so I expect I'll accept the invitation and go for a little adventure, and then of course return to the Punjab after that.

I've met ...maybe a half-dozen people in the last day who've traveled through places like Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, and so other countries I don't know how to spell. Anyway, what I've heard from them has really piqued my interest, and I can't wait to set up for another trip, this time through those very countries, and more.

Yeah, staying in this dorm type situation at the temple has been a very nice surprise. Initially I thought that I would want to get a private place quite quickly, but my attitude has changed. There's guys and girls from all over, as I mentioned, Japan, China, Canada, Spain, France, Chezk Republic, Norway, Austria... and more. Stories are swapped, tea is served, conversations go, it's great!

Anyway, I don't really know what more to say at this point. I'm feeling pretty high spirited right now which is nice. I'm making a little progress in Panjabi. I think I've pretty much got down the Gurmuki alphabet pronunciation, and now I've just go to memorize all the consonants, work in the vowels, and on and on.. and on.. :) I'm up to thirty now in counting. Need to memorize more verbs. Today I bought some good stiff card-stock paper, or whatever you'd call it, to cut up into flash cards to aid the process. I'm starting to be able to read some words with references back to my alphabet chart, and thereby correct my own pronunciation... so that's cool.

Yeah, so that's it. More adventures! Weeeeeee....

dharma

Friday, February 11th 2005, 12:42pm

Just a quick update...

Yesterday I was just getting ready to walk out the door and head for the 10 day meditation retreat when I got a phone call saying it'd been cancelled due to the teacher falling ill. So, a cup of tea later I'd switched to: going to Amritsar, home of the famous Golden Temple, the headquarters of Sikhism in the world.

I arrived in the early evening, rain coming down. Made my way to the temple and got settled in a free accomodation - a room with three beds. Only foreigners are allowed in the room(s) I'm staying in, so it's interesting. Last night my companions were a fellow from Switzerland who'd traveled overland through Europe, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, and yesterday into India. He spent two months in Pakistan and looks forward to going back. Our North American media sure pumps us full of fear eh? The other fellow was from Japan, and he left this morning bound for Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey. :) A funny coincidence. The next room over had four female students from Norway who have been in India for a little over two months as part of a group of 15 students (university). The third room ...I'm not sure, an NRI (non resident Indian) young woman born and raised in Australia, a young fellow from... Germany? And an older guy I'm guessing is from China or Taiwan.

So, I'm gonna spend maybe a week here deciding what to do next. I think it'll be nice just to chill a little bit. (Is that what I'm doing?)

dharma

Tuesday, February 8th 2005, 11:58am

Ok, well, I opted for going to Hoshiarpur to visit friends, and in a couple of days I'll be heading for a 10 day vipassana course nearby.

I've been reading books like mad lately - novels and so forth. I've been going through them at a rate of one every two or three days. I guess they're a pretty effective escape, and I reckon I'm probably looking for some escape these days.

It's interesting, to me anyway... lately when I get offers to go and see a local Hindu temple, or a mosque, or go visit a secondary school, well... I'm just not interested. I feel like I've seen just about all the temples, sure it'll be literally different from the last one, but not that much different. I know what visiting a school will entail - sure it's a different one, but what difference will that make? Meeting friends of my friends is cool enough, but... we still can't communicate, and so the interactions are very repetitive - I can offer the same phrases, the same questions are asked, and when that's all over, well.. I just kick back and listen to then talk about whatever, and pick up the occasional word here or there. My attitude seems sorta lame to me, but maybe there's a gentler, valid view to it which would offer that I just need some down time from all of these things.

As for learning Panjabi... well, I am slowly learning more. Every once in a while I get some minor insight, and I've been doing fairly well at learning the different sounds of the Panjabi alphabet. I also know that I need to make, well, it would be helpful if I made, a more serious effort myself, you know with a daily regimen and everything. Anyway, I guess I'm not too worried about it. I'm here, I'm doing my thing, and whatever happens - at least I made it. Besides, I think I'll probably kick into a slightly higher gear here at some point. I need some flashcards. :)

Let's see, how about some miscellaneous thoughts that have been kicking around...

(As I write this the young woman working the counter at this internet cafe has been pacing around like a caged tiger for the last ... nearly hour now. Round and 'round she goes.)

The houses here in Punjab... some are large, some are small, some are very large, even by North American standards. None of them have indoor heating though, it just doesn't exist. If it's cold out - and it is - then it's cold in. I reckon evening and morning temperatures are in the 5 - 10 degree celsius range right now. People I've hung out with tend to all get on a big bed, cover themselves in one or two large blankets and watch TV or whatever. Sitting there in a chair, eating dinner, every breath visibly floating away. Even when the doors are shut, there's inevitably some unsealable ventilation built into the walls or ceiling, just as a matter of the architecture, which is kinda cool - like, you're always in touch with nature no matter what, but... There's a LOT of use of marble too - a very typical feature of houses around here. Marble floors, patios, whatever. Wall to wall. Anybody want to take a shower? Not me! Hot water, or even warm water is not a common occurrence. It's freakin cold!! And shower time is usually morning or evening right, and it's already freakin cold! I mean really, what is the deal?

Now, I can the see up side to this, that these folks are built tough, but I dunno, so far I'm still happy with the way of living I come from: soft, warm, easy.

What else.... oh, the moon: instead of the phases moving from left to right or right to left, or whatever it is in North America, they move vertically, so the moon winds up being a glowing bowl up in the sky - a curious difference. I'm still able to watch Orion, the Big Dipper, Cassiopeia, and the north star though. And during the day I'm always packin (and referring to) my compass.

I know I've had lots of little things on my mind to relate, but I'm drawing a blank at the moment. I think I'll head off here after two and a half hours of internet.

As I mentioned before, I'll be out of touch until at least the 21st, so y'all take care.

dharma