Our last week at the convent was eventful. It began with Durga Puja, a Hindu celebration for the Divine Mother. Circus and I walked through the city visiting Pandels which are temporary temples set up just for the occasion. There is even a contest for the best one of the 62 in Shillong. We were happy to get away from the Catholic Church environment for a night and experience some Hindu culture instead. Each temple gives prasad or an offering of grace which is usually sweets or savory snacks dropped right into your hand. The first Pandel we visited, which was a few minutes walk away from Bellefonte, gave us a trika, the red dot between the eyebrows. Of course, as foreigners we were treated like royalty and led to the front seat every place we went. Each Pandel and celebration were slightly different but all had live music, some had dancing or singing, and Brahmins or priests doing the Puja, and offering ceremony to Ma Durga. By the time we walked back towards our district of Golflink - named for the gofd course in its center - it was a late and we stayed at a friend's for the night.
Early the next morning we walked back to the convent and packed up for an overnight trip. Sister Helen took us west to a small village called Rangblang which is a bumpy 5 hour jeep ride away from Shillong. Meghalaya was called by the British "The Scotland of India" and it's no wonder. The rolling green hills, lolling rivers, and quiet countryside make you think you're in the UK. The further we got from Shillong the less traffic we encountered which was good because at least half of the road to Rangblang is unfinished and currently under construction by the Meghalaya State Public Works Department. My understanding is that each locality is in charge of their own part, but the materials and funding for labor come from the state or federal government. So most of the traffic we did pass was big construction trucks and a few actual cement trucks and back hoes. And of course fresh tar being made on the road side (see my last post for more details on that process). Where the road had been recently done it was quite nice and wide enough for a car in each direction. Where it hadn't yet it was, well, jarring. It was a bumpy ride to say the least, not to mention much of it was near the edge of a cliff and too narrow for an oncoming car. The locals are used to it, though. We actually had a pretty roomy ride with only 5 of use in the jeep. Most cars we passed were packed to overflow with passengers. I sat in the very back, Sr. Helen and Sr. Celina in the middle row and Circus sat up front next to Bah Deng, our usual driver.
We stayed overnight in the convent at Rangblang which only has 5 sisters who work at the Catholic School managed by the Salesian Fathers. There are at least 60 girls who board and over 1000 in the K-10 school. The sisters also run a dispensary (meaning pharmacy) both in Rangblang and in Umdohlun, a neighboring village we visited the next day. The reason for our visit was to check out the site of a new school that Sr. Helen has been asked to set up. She is applying for funding from the North East Council and the state of Meghalaya to start both a primary school and a vocational training center, a miniature version of BCC. In fact, it would be a satellite campus of BCC. The village headmen and village council has donated the land to the sisters and offered to build it once they get the materials. Their skills aren't high enough to be able to pour concrete or build brick walls, but they could build the bamboo huts that will be the initial phase and do menial labor work on the new buildings. Like all of us, they hunger for education for their children and are willing to do whatever they can to make that a reality. I was grateful to be there and see the site and the excitement of the people. We were treated to tea and lunch by a local SHG shop (Self Help Group) that Sr. Helen helped to establish. She told me they have over 100 groups in that area who are successfully running self-sustaining businesses thanks to BCC.
We stayed a few more days at Bellefonte Convent in our cozy cottage and then took our friends up on an offer to come stay with them for a few nights. The sisters were in the midst of preparing for some big events and we felt it would be easier for them, and for us, to find other accommodations. They kindly showed us around a few places in Shillong and shared with us tons of local knowledge. Because of the continued "bandh," or threatened road blocks and violence, the city was very quiet and the only transportation was on foot. We got out a few times but generally had some very lazy days. I had a hard time adjusting to the "vacation" mode and found myself bored and frustrated at not being more productive or having a purpose. I've done all the touristy things I want to in Shillong so it's not even like I wanted to just walk around and explore the area. I smile as I write this, as I've dealt with it again this week, and as I see just how I need to allow myself to be. I did commit to twice daily spiritual practice, social time with other tourists, who we are staying with in Kolkata this weekend, and working on some Karma Yoga projects for Agama Yoga, my yoga school. I tried to blog, but just didn't feel motivated so I didn't push myself.
I believe that we manifest exactly what we ask for and that I've manifested this quieter time. I certainly have wanted lots of time to do my practice, to read again, - and we're currently staying in a yogi's apartment with tons of yoga/Ayurveda books - time to do the aforementioned Karma Yoga which I committed to a year and a half ago, and for introspection. For me, and I think for most of us, I'm more comfortable when there is a balance of something to do or to work for and reflective time. I think I've done well with learning how to schedule time for myself, whether on the mat, at the sauna, in class, or with my community, and I'm oh-so-good at keeping busy in my home environment. Now that I'm on the road, I remember that that's not so easy to do. Besides what I'm working on in the moment or the few friends I've made, there just isn't that much to do! Halleluiah! Is what I should be saying :) No way to busy myself up! But instead I get bored and frustrated and take it out on my partner and myself. So the svadhyaya or self-study question would be: how can I make what feels like "extra" time into productive time doing the things that I feel are beneficial for me and others around me? And what are those things? Well, for me they are my practice, quality time with my partner, reading things that put me in a beneficial resonance, cooking and eating nourishing local food, exploring new surroundings and meeting new people, to name the obvious ones.
What I'm also remembering is that there is a good deal of this down time when traveling. We're lucky if we accomplish one thing a day because it takes so long to manage logistics, travel, cultural differences, etc and there's a lot that we need help with. So the frustration comes of not being as independent as I'm used to, of not having a daily task that keeps me busy, and of course that twinge of homesickness. Fall is my favorite season and as much as I love all the pictures on facebook, it makes me miss the season and my Seattle family, friends, and students. I'm letting that all exist, and also trying to navigate gracefully all of my discomforts while sharing with but trying not to burden my partner, Circus. I read a wonderful yoga book this week called Babaji and the 18 Siddha Kriya Yoga Tradition and was reminded that the essence of yoga comes down to love. If we do not love ourselves unconditionally and absolutely, then we cannot profess to be a yogi. I was also reminded that the microcosm - all that we experience in our daily life - IS the macrocosm - what we might call God, Spirit, the Universe. So this experience is just as Divine as what is "out there." It's nice to pick up off the shelf exactly what I need to hear on a given day. That has been one of the ways I'm reminded of being in the flow.
In short, in our last week we stayed 1 night at a cheap Indian Guest House, went to a concert for peace in the central area of the city, and have been staying in a friend of a friend's apartment for near a week. On Thursday we'll go back to Bellefonte for 2 nights before going by jeep to Guwahati, then by train to Kolkata for a few days.
The last item to report is my first visit to an Indian dentist this morning! I remember the popularity of my blogs about Korean dentists so I didn't want to disappoint by not relaying the not-so-gory details. I was referred to a dentist about a 15 minute walk from our apartment by our friend Elmie. I chipped a filling a few months ago and have some mild pain in one tooth and haven't been to a dentist since I left Jeju in August of 2010. I debated getting the chipped filling fixed in the US but never ended up with the time or dispensable income to do that, what with no insurance and all. So I called the dentist this morning and they told me to come on in any time. I arrived at about noon and walked up a flight of stairs of an unfinished 4 story building and into a very simple, small concrete waiting room. A sliding door opened within 30 seconds and I was ushered into the Dental Clinic which had 2 dental chairs, 2 assistants and one very kind dentist. Dr. Balerie (or something close to that) wasn't the dentist I had been recommended but they are co-workers so I figured I was safe. I sat down in the chair and she started poking around with a mirror. Then she asked me why I had come and I explained about the chipped filling and the tooth pain. She banged on my irritated tooth and said we could do an X-ray of the tooth and then come back tomorrow for a prognosis. I agreed and asked her if she could fill the other one, which she happily agreed to.
I was slightly concerned about the sanitary-ness of the utensils and cleanliness of the water with which I was supposed to rinse but was assured it was all sanitary and cleaned after each use. It all looked clean, but in India I opt to check before letting anyone put anything in my mouth. I asked how much the filling would be and she said, "about 700 Rupees" which is roughly $12. Yeah, okay, I agreed! It took about 10 minutes to drill out the excess debris in my tooth, fill it and fix the bite. I agreed to come back tomorrow morning to check out the x-ray, which I'd take next, and to get a cleaning. I quickly mentioned that some other fillings I'd gotten in Korea might be getting cavities and she responded that they were just discolored/stained and polished them up in a matter of seconds. Then I went to to a small room across the hall, just big enough for a dental chair and tooth x-ray machine, had a quick x-ray of 1 tooth, paid 800 Rupees for the filling and x-ray and walked out. The whole thing took no more than 15 minutes and cost less than $15. No wonder "medical tourism" is so big.
As it approaches 11pm, it is past my bedtime. We do have some things on our agenda this week, like packing up and moving back to the convent, a few meetings, a visit to the doctor and dentist, and travel logistics to work out. So I shall head to my mat and wish you a beautiful week. Crunch some fall leaves for me!
Early the next morning we walked back to the convent and packed up for an overnight trip. Sister Helen took us west to a small village called Rangblang which is a bumpy 5 hour jeep ride away from Shillong. Meghalaya was called by the British "The Scotland of India" and it's no wonder. The rolling green hills, lolling rivers, and quiet countryside make you think you're in the UK. The further we got from Shillong the less traffic we encountered which was good because at least half of the road to Rangblang is unfinished and currently under construction by the Meghalaya State Public Works Department. My understanding is that each locality is in charge of their own part, but the materials and funding for labor come from the state or federal government. So most of the traffic we did pass was big construction trucks and a few actual cement trucks and back hoes. And of course fresh tar being made on the road side (see my last post for more details on that process). Where the road had been recently done it was quite nice and wide enough for a car in each direction. Where it hadn't yet it was, well, jarring. It was a bumpy ride to say the least, not to mention much of it was near the edge of a cliff and too narrow for an oncoming car. The locals are used to it, though. We actually had a pretty roomy ride with only 5 of use in the jeep. Most cars we passed were packed to overflow with passengers. I sat in the very back, Sr. Helen and Sr. Celina in the middle row and Circus sat up front next to Bah Deng, our usual driver.
We stayed overnight in the convent at Rangblang which only has 5 sisters who work at the Catholic School managed by the Salesian Fathers. There are at least 60 girls who board and over 1000 in the K-10 school. The sisters also run a dispensary (meaning pharmacy) both in Rangblang and in Umdohlun, a neighboring village we visited the next day. The reason for our visit was to check out the site of a new school that Sr. Helen has been asked to set up. She is applying for funding from the North East Council and the state of Meghalaya to start both a primary school and a vocational training center, a miniature version of BCC. In fact, it would be a satellite campus of BCC. The village headmen and village council has donated the land to the sisters and offered to build it once they get the materials. Their skills aren't high enough to be able to pour concrete or build brick walls, but they could build the bamboo huts that will be the initial phase and do menial labor work on the new buildings. Like all of us, they hunger for education for their children and are willing to do whatever they can to make that a reality. I was grateful to be there and see the site and the excitement of the people. We were treated to tea and lunch by a local SHG shop (Self Help Group) that Sr. Helen helped to establish. She told me they have over 100 groups in that area who are successfully running self-sustaining businesses thanks to BCC.
We stayed a few more days at Bellefonte Convent in our cozy cottage and then took our friends up on an offer to come stay with them for a few nights. The sisters were in the midst of preparing for some big events and we felt it would be easier for them, and for us, to find other accommodations. They kindly showed us around a few places in Shillong and shared with us tons of local knowledge. Because of the continued "bandh," or threatened road blocks and violence, the city was very quiet and the only transportation was on foot. We got out a few times but generally had some very lazy days. I had a hard time adjusting to the "vacation" mode and found myself bored and frustrated at not being more productive or having a purpose. I've done all the touristy things I want to in Shillong so it's not even like I wanted to just walk around and explore the area. I smile as I write this, as I've dealt with it again this week, and as I see just how I need to allow myself to be. I did commit to twice daily spiritual practice, social time with other tourists, who we are staying with in Kolkata this weekend, and working on some Karma Yoga projects for Agama Yoga, my yoga school. I tried to blog, but just didn't feel motivated so I didn't push myself.
I believe that we manifest exactly what we ask for and that I've manifested this quieter time. I certainly have wanted lots of time to do my practice, to read again, - and we're currently staying in a yogi's apartment with tons of yoga/Ayurveda books - time to do the aforementioned Karma Yoga which I committed to a year and a half ago, and for introspection. For me, and I think for most of us, I'm more comfortable when there is a balance of something to do or to work for and reflective time. I think I've done well with learning how to schedule time for myself, whether on the mat, at the sauna, in class, or with my community, and I'm oh-so-good at keeping busy in my home environment. Now that I'm on the road, I remember that that's not so easy to do. Besides what I'm working on in the moment or the few friends I've made, there just isn't that much to do! Halleluiah! Is what I should be saying :) No way to busy myself up! But instead I get bored and frustrated and take it out on my partner and myself. So the svadhyaya or self-study question would be: how can I make what feels like "extra" time into productive time doing the things that I feel are beneficial for me and others around me? And what are those things? Well, for me they are my practice, quality time with my partner, reading things that put me in a beneficial resonance, cooking and eating nourishing local food, exploring new surroundings and meeting new people, to name the obvious ones.
What I'm also remembering is that there is a good deal of this down time when traveling. We're lucky if we accomplish one thing a day because it takes so long to manage logistics, travel, cultural differences, etc and there's a lot that we need help with. So the frustration comes of not being as independent as I'm used to, of not having a daily task that keeps me busy, and of course that twinge of homesickness. Fall is my favorite season and as much as I love all the pictures on facebook, it makes me miss the season and my Seattle family, friends, and students. I'm letting that all exist, and also trying to navigate gracefully all of my discomforts while sharing with but trying not to burden my partner, Circus. I read a wonderful yoga book this week called Babaji and the 18 Siddha Kriya Yoga Tradition and was reminded that the essence of yoga comes down to love. If we do not love ourselves unconditionally and absolutely, then we cannot profess to be a yogi. I was also reminded that the microcosm - all that we experience in our daily life - IS the macrocosm - what we might call God, Spirit, the Universe. So this experience is just as Divine as what is "out there." It's nice to pick up off the shelf exactly what I need to hear on a given day. That has been one of the ways I'm reminded of being in the flow.
In short, in our last week we stayed 1 night at a cheap Indian Guest House, went to a concert for peace in the central area of the city, and have been staying in a friend of a friend's apartment for near a week. On Thursday we'll go back to Bellefonte for 2 nights before going by jeep to Guwahati, then by train to Kolkata for a few days.
The last item to report is my first visit to an Indian dentist this morning! I remember the popularity of my blogs about Korean dentists so I didn't want to disappoint by not relaying the not-so-gory details. I was referred to a dentist about a 15 minute walk from our apartment by our friend Elmie. I chipped a filling a few months ago and have some mild pain in one tooth and haven't been to a dentist since I left Jeju in August of 2010. I debated getting the chipped filling fixed in the US but never ended up with the time or dispensable income to do that, what with no insurance and all. So I called the dentist this morning and they told me to come on in any time. I arrived at about noon and walked up a flight of stairs of an unfinished 4 story building and into a very simple, small concrete waiting room. A sliding door opened within 30 seconds and I was ushered into the Dental Clinic which had 2 dental chairs, 2 assistants and one very kind dentist. Dr. Balerie (or something close to that) wasn't the dentist I had been recommended but they are co-workers so I figured I was safe. I sat down in the chair and she started poking around with a mirror. Then she asked me why I had come and I explained about the chipped filling and the tooth pain. She banged on my irritated tooth and said we could do an X-ray of the tooth and then come back tomorrow for a prognosis. I agreed and asked her if she could fill the other one, which she happily agreed to.
I was slightly concerned about the sanitary-ness of the utensils and cleanliness of the water with which I was supposed to rinse but was assured it was all sanitary and cleaned after each use. It all looked clean, but in India I opt to check before letting anyone put anything in my mouth. I asked how much the filling would be and she said, "about 700 Rupees" which is roughly $12. Yeah, okay, I agreed! It took about 10 minutes to drill out the excess debris in my tooth, fill it and fix the bite. I agreed to come back tomorrow morning to check out the x-ray, which I'd take next, and to get a cleaning. I quickly mentioned that some other fillings I'd gotten in Korea might be getting cavities and she responded that they were just discolored/stained and polished them up in a matter of seconds. Then I went to to a small room across the hall, just big enough for a dental chair and tooth x-ray machine, had a quick x-ray of 1 tooth, paid 800 Rupees for the filling and x-ray and walked out. The whole thing took no more than 15 minutes and cost less than $15. No wonder "medical tourism" is so big.
As it approaches 11pm, it is past my bedtime. We do have some things on our agenda this week, like packing up and moving back to the convent, a few meetings, a visit to the doctor and dentist, and travel logistics to work out. So I shall head to my mat and wish you a beautiful week. Crunch some fall leaves for me!
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