Rhymes and Reasons...

The last few weeks have been filled to the brim with celebrations, visits and an opportunity to know life here.

We celebrated the First Communion of Milka's sons - a joyous event held on a rooftop.

We visited Anand Ashram, the original location of Asha Niketan Bangalore. It's been 8 years since the community moved to Koramangala, but the men seemed to feel so at home there - touring the gardens, and pointing out the trees that they had planted and where the workshop used to be. The ashram is now a home for the elderly and an orphanage. We shared tea and songs together.

We also visited Liza's Home - a home for women with disabilities, far outside the city. The director of the home was formerly the director at Asha Niketan. The women were brilliant, welcoming and seemed very happy to join in dancing and singing. I found particular kinship with Hazel, who greeted me from behind the keyboard as we entered their home - what a surprise when I realized that she had no hands! It truly forced me to look at the world from a different angle, as she played and sang beautifully.

Thus far, the new year has been filled with many blessings.

I've had the opportunity to meet a wide variety of people, celebrate new festivals, learned to worship in new ways, and, I think, started to realize the reason (or reasons) why I'm here.

Spectacular Spectacles...

Last week I took my two day weekend and visited Mysore.
Mysore is known for its silks, sandalwood and incense.
I will remember it as the place where I was bombarded by Indian tourists who thought that I was the main attraction at the Maharaj's Palace. At this point, I looked up and realized that I was part of a photo. In fact, I was possibly the first white woman that many of the visitors at the Palace had ever seen! As soon as people realized that taking my photo was ok, I had to sit for at least 10 more before I could move along.
Luckily, some of the picture takers were also willing to have me take their picture!

My first day, I visited the Maharaj's Palace - a beautiful place that is truly the focal point of the city. I wandered around a bit, and then sat near one of the gardens so that I could enjoy the surroundings. It was at this point in time when one young woman sat unusually close to me. (I say unusually close, because physical contact in India is almost non-existent.)

Naturally, people were surprised that I was traveling on my own, and several times I had to 'mention' that my husband was back at our hotel.

The next day, I visited the Temple at Chammundi Hill, and although I had to consciously avoid all of the people who wanted to take my money ('offerings to the gods'), I did meet some nice Brits who toured with Temple with me, and a lovely family from Mumbai who drove me to the Bull Temple.
From there, I walked the remaining 700 (of 1000) steps down to the village, and went exploring the 'world famous' market.
The market was filled with colours, and smells, and sounds that made me want to sit in a corner for hours and just absorb as much as possible.
Traveling solo made the entire journey a little tiring, but I'm thankful for the opportunity to visit a new place, and to have a home to return to at the end of the day!

Love from India,
Haley.

Today...

I learned how to wrap a sari...

(With my 'gurus' Airicamary and Shamshad)

“I said to the man at the gate of the year, ‘Give me a light that I may go forth into the unknown.’”

There’s something very special about New Year’s Eve. Perhaps I feel this way because I’ve always been surrounded by good company on this, the last day of the year.
In high school one of my New Year’s Eves was spent in the company of good friends, one of whom had just had a neck halo removed after a very serious accident. I remember how incredibly thankful we were that we were able to spend that night together, reflecting on the sadness of the past years’ events, but looking forward to the new year with great anticipation.
To ring in 2005, we celebrated in New York City – complete with sparkly ‘2005’ glasses, and confetti and hugging strangers in the streets.
My first year in Cape Breton, I celebrated by sitting on a couch with someone who was to become a very close friend, sipping wine, watching the lights on the Christmas tree, and then being delighted by a surprise performance of “Under the Sea” by a young man in drag.
The last two years, I’ve spent cozied up in the Power-Donham livingroom, surrounded by a variety of faces, all of whom I have been incredibly blessed to share life with.

In addition to the good company, New Year’s Eve allows for some deliberate reflection on the past year, something that I sometimes shy away from in anticipation for ‘what is to come’.

Last year, I believe I reflected a great deal on ‘the darkness and the light’. However, this year that idea became so much clearer.
There was beautiful joy and beautiful sorrow – for which I give thanks.
Indeed, there was an incomparable richness in what was lived throughout this year, and as always, I have learned so much.
Some things that I have learned…

…there are fights that are not yours to fight.
…community is not the best place for everyone
…sometimes we must choose solitude, and experience some degree of loneliness on the journey to finding wholeness within ourselves
…true friendship crosses borders
… ‘community living’ comes in all shapes and sizes
…there is great beauty in fragility
… ‘signs’ are all around us, we must trust in our ability to read them, and then be willing to take chances and see them through
… we are each a part of the body, pieces of the puzzle, ribbons in the tapestry
…the ‘great tapestry’ cannot be understood from underneath
…life holds regrets. They must be acknowledged, honoured, but not dwelled upon
…loss and its accompanying sorrow do not go away; they linger in dark corners, sometimes dim for extended periods of time, but they remain.
…sometimes, setbacks, frustrations and tears are a part of what you were looking for

In Bangalore, we celebrated with prayer, a bonfire and a special meal (delicious paneer).
The prayer focused on:“O thou who has given us so much, grant one thing more – a grateful heart”

We honoured the ‘colours’ of the past year, and added them to puzzle pieces for our prayer centerpiece. We remembered events of the past year – gave thanks for life and love.

Throughout the evening I could hear lively voices, singing bhajans and rejoicing at the temple and at the dance school next door. And later into the night, there has been a barrage of fireworks, followed by laughter and more singing.
We’ll get to celebrate several more new years as each state has its own depending on the harvest.

And so, forward into this New Year!
With hopes of joy and peace, many days filled with side-splitting laughter, good conversations, wise revelations, new friends, old friends, true loves, wild adventures, the occasional glass of wine, tears of joy and sorrow, warm hugs, sun in which to bask, rain in which to dance, and a true passion for life.

Love from India

Haley