India the land of extremes- a complex concept!!

I felt inspired to write about my understanding of Indian culture, which, is often referred to as one thing, but everyone of the 26 states is absalutelyand completely different, and even within states there are massive differences in how people conduct their lives and cultural practises. One comparison that I have been thinking about generally is the north/ south divide. So my observations are very much a generalisation but I have noticed the massive difference between western states in the north and south, I do not feel that I spent enough time in the eatern states to compare at all. I htink the north is more developed than the south, there are more westernised tendencies, there are more mountains..... (the Himalayas would put any other ranges to shame!), it is hotter in the south, the people are blacker, and in the caste system black is considered to be a sign of a lower caste, women seem to have more value in the south, it seems cleaner in the south- because less tourists/ less pursuit of western greeds?, bargaining is more gentle, eg one gives richshaw drivers the amount that one thinks the journey is worth, the food in the south is probably my favourate of all the places that I have been, I love the chutneys (coconut esp!) I am trying to learn it befor eI leave and then I can delight those I love with delicious meals. This is not complete but I will add more later.... some musings for now.

Ethical volunteering

I thought I should write about an interesting and relevant conversation I had with some other travellers about ethical volunteering. They had looked for a company who organised ethical volunteering projects and then were happy to pay to take part in one project in Africa, they found an organisation called 'Quest' who met their requirements. They pointed out that it was important that if one is voluntering abroad then it is *important that they are doing something that they are qualified to do in their own country, and I can give the example of when I took classes with the children in Ladakh, I am not trained teacher but if I went into a class to help then the teacher would dissappear....? Then mayhem often ensued.... * Only take part in long term projects, rather than a project that only exists for the sake of the volunteers who are participating * Don't do something that a local person would get paid to do. My friend gave the example of when she paid to participate in a project teaching english in Camaroon, but the people who she taught paid to take the lessons and the host family who hosted her did not recieve any payment.....

Let the body fast and feed your soul.

Kerala, S.India. It is the neighbouring state to Tamil Nadu and couldn't be more different, being here has made me really appreciate the simplicity and authenticity of TN. Kerala is a consumer society, and much more westernised than its neighbour. It has a lot more water too, it keeps raining and the land is intersected with beautiful silent waterways, teeming with life. Apparently the rain is not normal for this time of year however, more evidence for the global nature of a changing climate. The most obvious difference between Kerala and Tamil Nadu however is the role of women, in Tmail Nadu it is a very conservative society and women always play an inferior role to the all knowing, all seeing man, but in Kerala it feels like theres less sexual repression and the women have a more equal status. In Kerala the Niars caste is the most dominant, they are traditionally the rulers and warriers of the state, and the Niars community is the only remaining matri lineal community in the world! In other words the family name is passed on through tthe women raher than the men..... I have been here for a while and came on an epic 3 day train journey from Agra where I saw the Taj Mahal, impressive but please check my photos for the more feminine 'Baby Taj' which really captured me.
I am having a wonderful time here, my dad and big brother joined me for a holiday which was great but a dramatic change from my usual low key travelling style! Great to see them and to share India with them, it has really touched my life, and seeing how it touched them too was really special
I am in Cochi which is a touristy haven, but actually really nice. I will leave tomorrow however to head to a beach where I can swim, but my movements are westwards now. I am planning my return, and I think I will retrace my steps through Pakistan and Iran and Turkey. But this depends on whether I can get a Pakistan visa in India, as it is reputedly difficult.
Being in Kerala is gorgeous, very humid and hot, its very gorgeous here abundant with wildlife and nature, so far we saw elephant dung, dolphins, Giant Malabar Squirrels, kingfishers, flying fish, an otter, eagles, cranes, unidentified frogs... We swam in the lovely silky, warm arabian sea and ate fresh fish.
Tomorrow I will head north to a beach where I can again swim everyday, something that enriches my life immensely.

The Ganga is the artery of India obviously

I am in Rishikesh and am blissed out, it is the melting pot of Indian spirituality and beauty. If India is the land of the heart, and I believe it is, then The Ganga is the artery. Here I realise how India has infilitrated my blood after all this time. My pace is slower, more mindful, physically and mentally, I am more shanti in my totality. Equanimous in my being.
Travelling alone again, I like it very much but I have been thinking about how travelling is for a woman on her own. I think it is the way to travel actually, its so easy, everyone is so willing to help at every step, because the assumption is that I am more vulnerable as a woman on my own, however this is a double edged sword of course, as sometimes the help is more than is wanted, and my independence is incroached upon.
I am aware that I am more defensive when I am on my own, not to such an extent that I am not forming connections with people, but for example I have learnt that I cannot let any Indian man touch me, even to shake hands, because there is much sexual repression here seemingly. I do not let men take photos with me any more as they just use it as an excuse to touch me, and although in my culture in the west this is no issue, it is here. Innocence prevails here and men do not think that a woman may be scared of them, they always look very surprised and apologetic when reminded.
I feel like a potential problem here in Rishikesh is that I will feel like I should be doing lots of things however the peaceful atmosphere counteracts as does my shanti presence that and I feel very happy to quietly remain open to soaking up the array of delights that are in abundance here.

Seeing things as they really are

Just out of vipassana retreat, my second experience and much more powerful than the first, my medtation has come on lots and I worked really hard. Concentrating one's mind for 10 hours a day is no mean feat, from 4.30 am till 9pm we are working on our meditation. Sitting in a meditation posture for all this time is an amazing experience, my body is so toned and fit now which is bizarre after not doing any conventional exercise for 12 days! And the pain that one experiences is undescribable, and not relieved by adjusting posture even. I was able to enjoy the experience this tme immensely and met yet more sisters of course who I went on a fantastic expedition to a mountain 10km walk away and spent the night in a cave under the full moon...... Divineness...
I realised that I suddenly was pining for my friends and family for the 1st time achingly.
I have decided to return for the job with The banyan next summer probably.
Eagles and vultures, kites and crows circle the wind currents above the city continuously reminding one of freedom and simplicity. Dharamsala is a gorgeous place but it is tinged with saddness, as there are many Tibetans here living in exile hoping that Tibet will be one day free from the human rights violations of the Chinese authorities when they will be able to return.

Monkeying in the Mountains with His Holiness

I attended the first day of teaching by HH Dalai Lama today, it was really moving, he is truely an awesome being. I have found a great charity HOPE in McCleoud where I have just spent a happy time chatting with young Tibetans, I love the Tibetans, they are so interesting and compassionate, seeing them with HH is so touching, the Tibetan and Ladakhi cultures both resonated with me in a special way, they are simple and gentle, perhaps it is the strong element of Buddhism in both that really makes them appear so genuine and grounded in humanity. I think Indian culture is harsher, but it has a place in my heart. I love how everyone is considered to be family, and everyone calls each other brother/ mother etc, society is run according to the heart and it seems to work in a very chaotic way!! I mean people often make payment in ways other than money and people trust one another by default. In the west societies function according to laws and etticut much more, less heart involved! Negative aspects of this FULL ON society are the ever widening gap between the rich and the poor, the lack of awareness of the environment, and the status of women, men do not see women as equal, as inferiors and objects of sex, apart from mothers that is, older women are treated very differently!!! However I often find younger men who are quite able to have an educated discussion with me, but they do say that they think of western women as different to Indian women, and I suppose in the main they are!
Another thing I love about Asian culture is the aspect of gift giving, if someone is given a gift they accept it without question graciously, whereas I find that westerners often decline gifts which baffles (and offends Asians). I love giving gifts and it is a delightful thing when my gifts are recieved unquestioningly.
I love walking around the mountains here and I got into adventures (quelle surprise!) a few days ago when I tried to find a waterfall, I lost the path and found myself in the middle of a jungle, and suddenly realised that I was in the middle of a community of human sized black faced monkeys, who were clearly distressed by my presence, I was a bit alarmed I admit as I realised how vulnerable I was, so I decided that it would be a good idea to sit down and meditate, so I did and the monkeys chilled out. I mused that maybe they could understand the energy that I gave off when I was meditating as it was simpler than the complex human nature of today that is so far removed from our ancestors!
I have met some folk who I was in Leh with, and they are great companions, I plan to trek to the snow line with a lovely French Canadian after the first set of teachings and sleep in a cave!!
More adventures await me....

Choosing happiness

So here I am in Dharamsala, what a gorgeous place, I have such a good feeling from it already. The bus ride from Manali was fantatic entertainment, 10 hours of divine Indian scenes, and bouncing children, and aching seat bones....
Manali was a breif stop, but contained delights of course, a full moon party in the middle of a forest, with some lovely traveller folk.
I ached a bit to leave Ledakh, it gave me so much, but in the usual travelling fashion I soon discovered some new beams of light in the form of 2 Californians who led me to a lovely home in Vashist. But I felt sad to leave behind the sun capped mountain peaks, always smiling, always changing. I met some really class people before I left too. I gained so much from my time in Ledakh, it gave me so many new perspectives. Inspired by a beautiful meditation I wrote this poem
Veins
External and internal
Keep the flow
Dynamic and refreshing
Continuous change repeating
Streams rushing purposefully with their precious load
Nourishing and sustaining life
Delivering hope and loy to all in their paths
These blessed energy systems of all life
Galantly serve their duty
With humility, resolution and grace.

Six months after arriving into India I can safely say that I have fallen in love with the mother, the culture here is so very different from the one I have always known, and indeed from state to state within India, but now it feels like I have absorbed her into my skin, and am excited and delighted to be here, and a little concerned about how I will adapt back to life in the west eventually- any advice from folk who've made the transition is warmly welcomed.