India

Happy New Year!

Wishing you all the best for 2008!

We made it to Goa safe and sound and spent 3 hard, excruciating days laying on the beach

and sunbathing for a good 5-7 hours. Don't worry, it was not all just fun and games. We also had a strict schedule of when to flip over and when to get a nice cold drink. Ha aha! Then New Years day (have to start the New Years, right?) we decided to get an ayurvedic massage for all our hard work. It was an hour and half, about $12, with a deep tissue massage with soothing oils. Who would know that I was really tight in some areas (my calves) from not doing anything all day?

Goa, or as many people call it, is "not really India." Its FULL of Westerners and tourism and is known for its party scene and beaches. The beach we were at, Palolem, supposedly the nicest in Goa, was no Thailand, but pretty nice. It has the usual beach vendors selling everything from shawls to CD's and the random people that would just stand there and gawk at you - but hey, thats India! It adds character to the beach scene. We thought to come here, the party center of India, to celebrate New Years. We ended up at Dancing Shiva's and after a few drinks realized it was getting closed to midnight. We didn't notice much of a change (people looking at their watches, music stopping, etc) and decided to follow some people heading to the beach (the bar we were at was a little off). There were fireworks all along the beach,

which was nice. Then I looked at my watch. 12:00. Then 12:01. Then 12:02. Where is the countdown? Realizing that there probably wasn't going to be one and realizing that I have to have a countdown, Char and I did our own, which was a little anti-climatic, but whatever. Then we went back to the bar for some more drinks and chit-chat with some people we met, and well, when I started falling asleep while talking to someone, it was time to go, ha ha! And sorry to say, thats not the 1st time that has happened! Oops! But yes, it was really fun. So all we saw in Goa was Palolem beach and Palolem town, which had some really nice shops. It was funny, just past the cute beach bungalows by the beach, one commonly sees pigs and cows milling about, and well, sometimes the cows are the ones that you have to get around to get that seat you want!

But a beach is a beach, and it was super relaxing. I plowed through 2 books, which was good!

Here is a pict of our place, with the cute x-mas decorations:

And of course, sunset in Goa:

Have I mentioned how great the food is?!?! Ohh myyyy gawd! Goa is especially known for its delicious seafood, and I can't agree more. Yummmmy! Besides the awesome variety of vegetarian food, they also have Indian-Chinese food, which sounds funny, but I like better than real Chinese food. Its less oily with a little spice. But here in Goa, you actually chose the fish you want to eat (me, knowing nothing about 'proper fish selection' pretty much just chose the smallest, because it would be cheaper). Its all fresh and amazing!

Then.... sniff sniff, Char left to go back to Chicago... Here is a pict of our last dinner (I have to kindly draw attention to our nice tans, ha ha!):

At first, it was very very weird. Literally, for the last 4 months, starting with Lauren, then Lauren and Char, then Char, we practically spend every minute together. So as Char pulled out of the driveway and the super nice reception all waved her off, I first thought, "now what? What do to? Its just me now." Well, one of the first thing you realize traveling by yourself is that it gets SUPER expensive. You're not sharing and splitting costs. The 2nd thing is you don't have someone to talk to about stupid things that we always got a laugh at (BM's). BUT, what I soon realized is that its kinda easier to meet people? I don't know if it was me being alone and wanting to talk that I'm more direct, or other people feeling sorry for me, OR people talking to me out of curiousity of why I am married and traveling by myself? Who knows! And yes, I did say Married. Married? Yes, married! Married? Yes, Married! (thats a reference Sixteen Candles, for those of you that didn't get it!). In Bangkok, Char and I got wedding rings to use in Nepal and India to ward off any unwanted attention and to look "unavailable." Well, in Nepal it kinda turned against us, long story but Char, you know what i'm talking about! So we took them off. And now with just me, I put it back on, and it has also backfired with people I didn't want to ward off. So it was about to come off, but then it really came in handy so I'm just going to leave it on. Who knows anyway about this whole ring theory.

Anyway, here's an example of how the best part of traveling is the people you meet: I met someone really friendly in my train compartment on the way to Kochin, Kerala (then later his friend). I met someone while I am checking in the homestay. I met someone randomly on the street. This is all say, within an hour or so. Before you know it, we are all having dinner and then drinks together. Then coffee and dessert at a coffee house (sound familiar?). I met them all individually, and yet, we all got along so well it might as well been like hanging out with any of my friends at home. So fun!

Since I was to be in Kerala for literally 24 hours on the button, I had to move quickly. Luckily, Cochin and Fort Cochin are small enough that it is easily walkable and mangeable. And thanks to my new friends that kindly escorted me, it was even that much easier. Kochi or Cohin, is a cute little town with a cluster of islands and peninsulas, and has a rich history of maintaining ancient western influence because of the former Portuguese and British colonization. Just like Macau, China, its always cool to see these things in a place you wouldn't expect. Fort Cochin is similar to Goa, in that it is "not really India." I don't know if its being by the sea, but everything is sooo laid back, the streets aren't that loud or crowded, I actually didn't even see that many cows roaming the streets, but goats:

and is very relaxing with unique ancient western architecture combined with traditional Indian. There is the famous Chinese fishing nets, a system used for centuries and requires a lot of manpower to counterweight the fish that you catch (although, everytime I walked by it seemed they caught like 10 fish. Thats just me though!):

And then rhere is St. Francis Church, what is said to be the oldest European-built church in India. It was built by a portuguese guy in the 15th century. And by the way, fast fact, did you know that Vasco de Gama was buried there for 14 years before being moved to Lisbon, Portugal? He actually died in Cochin and his tombstone is still in the church:

Which, speaking of Vasco de Gama, on my little tourist map, it 'highlighted' Vasco de Gama Square, which I was looking forward to seeing because I loove European squares (especially in Spain) because they are so full of life, but here... well, it literally was a plain old boring open space with a few vendors. Hmm.... oh well!

So since Fort Cochin has the most concentration of diverse religious establishments, I had to check out the impressive catholic Santa Cruz Basilica,

Jew town, with its 16th century synangogue (which of course was closed because it was a Saturday), is in the middle of a the 'town,' which I guess soon became a center to trade spice in Kochi. Its too bad I don't cook, because it really looked fun to select!

and the muslim quarter:

It really has it all! Lucky its small enough that everything is easily walkable. Fort Cochin is really cute!

So, I hate to admit it, but I am about to leave Kerala without doing the 'thing-to-do,' a backwaters tour. Kerala has something like 900km of waterways and boats are rented as you coast along and see life on the water as well as get a home-made special Keralan dishes (cocunut dishes are their speciality, and fish of course). Oh well... I have to come back, I guess!

BUT, I did enjoy a speciality of southern India, dosa and chatni (chutney) thats more traditionally eaten for breakfest:

The cone shaped thing is the dosa, this paper-thin lentil-flour pancake.

Oh, I'm obsessed, I know, but here is a pict of yet another sunset from the rickshaw I took to Fort Kochin. Pretty, huh?

By the way, its very very hot and humid, and keeps getting even more so as I am working my way even further south. For .0002 sec I actually missed cold, but then I thought about it, and figured I was much better off sweating my butt off then freezing my butt off!

I'm in Trivandrum now, the capital of Kerala. If you look at a map, its literally almost at the southernmost tip of India! On the west side. Its another big city, so I'm just taking the day to relax and hang out. I'm tired! So no surprise how I ended up on the beach in Kovalam! The beaches there, well, Goa is much nicer, and it was so-so. Crowded, ugly sand, and once again, same 'ol with vendors everywhere, murkey water, and then .... more and more people:

Notice, well, I don't think you can notice, but ALL the westerners are laying out on the beach on easy chairs. ALL the Indians are having a blast in the water. It was kinda fun to watch, kids, women fully dressed in sarees, everyone in between jumping around in the water and having fun. Makes me appreciate yet again how Indians are such genuine people that really appreciate the simple things in life. Its just soo amazing here! I don't even mind the rickshaw drivers anymore! So whats a dollar or two? They really are a wealth of knowledge. It is still beyond me how my rickshaw driver in Goa knew that my train was delayed by 3 hours, about 1/2 an hour before the train station attendants knew. Hmm.....

Here is another pict of Kovalam, they had these old boats lying around that were antique looking, but I wasn't sure if they were still being used or just hanging out there?

Actually, I realize that its kinda a dark picture and you really don't see the boat that much, but eh, what can you do?

So today is my last day in India! Minus a possible day in Delhi, but I might be too cold to venture out. I had an amazing time here and am soooo thankful and appreciate for all the wonderful people I've met and also for learning about the diverse culture. I love India for the character it has, and for the great personality of it and the people. Everywhere you go, its something different and unique. Its fun to explore! Talk about NO RULES and living in the moment! I like it! Everyday is an adventure and brings new and pleasant surprises.

Hopefully that will continue as I venture even further south to the great country of Sri Lanka! Stay tuned!

I kinda like India! Really! Its true! The reason I say "I never thought I would say this" is because, literally, every single person we have met on this trip that has been to India or knows someone that has been here has said nothing other than horror stories, more concerning stomach issues, but still. For example, there is Delhi Belly (umm.... things coming out both ends at the same time), hating it while they were there, loving it afterwards, "my sister lost 20 pounds," "my friend was robbed on the train," people annoyingly taking a picture of you and then claiming to be their wife or girlfriend later, people touching your breasts, blah blah. It goes on and on. So to say that we weren't exactly jumping for joy to come here would be fair.

Well, inspite of all that.... its actually been really enjoyable! Granted, some travelers may say we have been pampered a little and thats probably why we like it. And well... its true. We've been pampered a little. In Delhi we met up with a friend of college who showed us around and hooked us up (Thanks Sachin!), then we were away in a meditation camp for 10 days so we were away from everything. When we got out a friend we met (on the last day, because that was the day we could talk) took us out around Pune and treated us to X-mas dinner, which was nice (thanks Priya and your dad!), and then off we were to Mombay to stay with my friends parents and hang out with some of his friends (Thanks Raj!). His parents are actually almost too nice and giving, but very much appreciated being taken care of after 4 months on the road!

We also hooked up with Raj's friends, Yogesh and Priya, in Mombay who were both super nice. Here is a pict of the group:

They, as it seems everyone in Mombay, were mostly part of the film industry. Not just Bollywood (which, by the way, I looooooooove! Om Shanti Om - I just saw it and I love it! The soundtrack is amazing!). Char and I were trying not to look too clueless we are in healthcare and know nothing about film, but it was kinda fun to be around these people and learn about the industry (they were more about the business aspect of it). It was too bad we weren't there during a time of a primere because we could have gone to that. Next time!!!

Soo... yes, we have been a little pampered, but have still gone out on our own, survived trains and buses, and seen the 'real' India. India is the most polluted country in the world. It also has one of highest level of poverty, which we were also warned about the aggressive beggers. I have to say when people said it "smells," I thought, "sure sure, it can't be that bad." Lucky for us someone recommended to buy Vicks and put it under our noses. The smells can almost be unbearable at times. In between public urinals out in the open, cow maneur everywhere, and just garbage everywhere (really, I've never seen a place so dirty), its gross. We got the jist of it because when we were in Delhi we happened to stay in Old Delhi, near the train station (Main Bazaar), aka. the slums of Delhi. Seriously, even a driver hardly would drop us off there because it was so sketchy. The "street" was pretty much us walking on garbage. Luckily, we survived to live the tale. BUT, if you put all that aside, its a vibrant, colorful, and ever-changing city. Its fun! We learned to dodge rickshaws while crossing the street as well as the 02394832234932 people that are always around. Really, in India people are just everywhere. And here I thought China was bad - ha!

We are in Mombay now, and we've seen yet another World Heritage Site of Elephanta Island, a place with many rock-cut temples and was constructed around 450AD to 750AD. The caves has sculpted images all related to Shiva and many images and stories to tell the story of the god.

Then on the way back by ferry we got a great view of the famous India gate, an icon in Mombay, that was built to commermate India's independence from the British. Next to it is the Taj Hotel Palace, one of the most expensive and beautiful hotels and historic in India. We treated the Pai's to a nice lunch there, which was yummy!

We also went to Colaba, which is one of the most happening areas in Mombay for its street shopping, and for its action. We did some quality shopping there and even came back a 2nd time for more. Ahhhh... just can't get enough of the hustle and bustle!!

The caste division in India is also interesting. Yes, there are a lot of poor or low class people and majority are on the street begging, but there still seems to be some kind of opportunity to work, i.e. drivers, and servants for everything (a person who opens a gate, a person who watches the gate, a person who helps with luggage, etc). At first I thought it was unnecessary (America is all about the consolidating to save money), but then realized that whatever it may be, its providing a job for someone. On the other hand, for the well-off... well, if your family has money, you're pretty much taken care of. You would have a driver, no doubt. Which I admit, isn't that bad (we had a few drivers). The separation of the classes is pretty grave, and I can see it more in Mombay than any other place. Mombay is known for being a business capital and film capital of India, so you can be in areas of the city where you might as well be in a nice place in the States, but then also turn the corner to a slum area. Its a really great and fun city though!

The traffic in India is absolutely horrible and talk about NO RULES on the road! Its crazy!!! Random thought.... we met someone in China who had studied in the States and when we asked him what he thought of the states he said "Booooor-ing." I was TOTALLY taken-aback. Boring? What? That would never even cross my mind. Then I was offended, then taken aback again. I let it go, but now after traveling throughout Asia and now India, yes, the States is boring. When I say boring, I mean by all the rules and regulations, structure, routine, etc. Everything has its place and soo many people (myself included) like it. There is nothing wrong with that. But then when you are in a place that doesn't hardly have any of that, it can be overwhelming and chaotic, but also fun (if you can accept it). Everyday is a new adventure and there are always things happening. I kinda like it!!! I'm going to e-mail that person and tell him to go to India.

All and all, its nice that people speak english and we have had pretty good interactions with the people, they always seem willing to help. Hopefully it will stay that way!

So another night we met up with my friends friend Priya, who owns this beautiful art gallery. This is a sunset picture from her gallery:

I would have taken a picture of the artwork, but I think its illegal? Anyway, She had to make a 5-minute stop at another friends opening and she took us with. We literally were there for 5 minutes, I barely finished my wine and left. Then today, we are in the newspaper! She is in this picture and the article mentioned that she brought along 2 Chicago friends and that we were impressed with the exuberance of the art. Sure, why not? It was kinda cool! So during the brief time we were in Mombay, we are famous! Or.... think like Mr. Pai, who said "why didn't they put your names? It could be any 2 Chicago people?" Well, we know who it is!!!

Oh, by the way, if you thought the beaches in Chicago were bad, check out the seaside here:

See all that garbage? TOTALLY smelly and dirty. When we went for our morning power walk with Mr. Pai, he's like "walk by the seaside!" We just couldn't handle it and instead walked on the street. Ha ha!

Next stop, Goa for New Years! Woo hoo!!!

Welp, we made it to India. Fortunately, we were greeted by a college friend of mine, Sachin, and after we were dropped off at our really really ghetto hotel (seriously, this is probably the worst one yet. We are in the TOTAL slums of Delhi) we were whisked to the Royal Taj Palace, a 7-star hotel. Niiiice. We quickly forgot about our scummy accodations and got comfortable eating bon bons (seriously, they had some) and getting dressed in Sachin's mom's sari's (to kinda fit in?). We were told that the wedding was going to take place in a farm. What the? A farm? I almost died. Here we go again freezing our butts off! I was seriously expecting to be around cows and a farmhouse with hay, but I guess in India a farm really means a nice, open backyard. It was actually really beautiful with torches, nice seating, and a grand buffet table. The food was soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo delicious and we totally pigged out.

It was Sachin's dad's best friends son that was getting married and they were all super nice and welcoming (even though Char and I invited ourselves there. But I guess in India most weddings have 500+ people and its really open, so a few extra faces doesn't matter). Nonetheless, it was all really really beautiful.

The next day Sachin, Char and I had a late start but did some sightseeing. We saw Humayun's tomb, which was built in the mid-16th century and is a great example of the famous Mughal architecture with high arches, beautiful gardens, and of course, the tomb of the wife of the emperor is red and white sandstone and black and yellow marble.

The cool thing about India, which I'm figuring out, is that although it can be dirty, polluted and crap everywhere, the sites are grandiose and pretty well-maintained (thanks to the expensive "foreign prices"). Most of the sites we've seen are pretty quiet and beautiful. Then you step outside and are greeted by cows and goats, horns honking and almost getting run over by a cycle rickshaw. Thats the way it is here!

The next day, lets here the music, ahhhhh, we hired a personal driver (they do that a lot here although I know it sounds super snotty) to take us to Agra where the Taj Mahal is, and Jaipur, in the Rajastan region. After 4 hours in the car, we arrived at the Taj, and ..... there it was! One of the most amazing and extravagant monuments in the world. What I think makes it more amazing then the aesthetic appeal is the story behind it.... Emperor Shah Jahan built it for his 2nd wife, Mumtaz Majal, who died giving birth to their 14th child (daaaaaaamn!) in 1631. He was sooo heartbroken then their is rumor that his hair turned gray overnight and that he sought to built this magnificant memorial for her. 50 years later and 20,000 workers this great monument was done. It was all HAND BUILT, they didn't even have wheelbarrels! People had to carry all this heavy marbel and handcraft the intricate detailed designs with semiprecious stones from all over Asia. Its really amazing and once again, I got goose bumps when I first saw it... and then again when last saw it...

It was soo amazing and once again, I have to think how lucky I am that in one single week I got to see the Himalayas in Nepal AND the famous Taj Mahal!!!!

Next, we saw the Agra fort, which is more like a palace:

After the fort and the Taj we slept in Fatehpur Siri where we saw the Jama Masjid, or the Dargah mosque which was built in the 15th century and is cool because it is a combination of a Hindi and PErsian design and has this 54m high Victory Gate, supposedly the tallest in Asia. Then we drove to Jaipur, what used to be the capital of Rajastan. Its also known as the pink city, not to be confused with Jodhpur, the blue city. And then there is Jaisalmer, in the desert where there are these fun camel treks that we really wanted to do, but don't have time for. Next time. BUT, close enough is that we got to see camels trek along the rodes, along with elephants and pigs and cows, stray dogs, and I don't even know what else. But camels, they are soooo cute! They always look like they are smiling

Anyway, Jaipur really is pink! They painted the city pink in 1876 to greet the Prince of Wales ... and really hasn't been touched since (so yes, a lot of things look a little rustic). Raj (means 'king') and Stan (means 'palace') sooo.... guess what? We see a lot of palaces, and forts here. We started with Amber Fort, which is of Rajput design,

moved on to the City Palace, a beautiful maze of buildings where one can see how the maharjas lived,

then hit the Jantar Mantar, this outsized, crazy looking astronomical instrument place, and finally finished at Hawa Mahal, this beautiful Palace of the Winds, that is pink (go figure) and built for women of the court.

Best of all though... we saw a Bollywood movie! It was soooooooooooooooooooo funny!!! Its called Aaja Nachle. I can't believe how cheesy and dramatic it is, BUT it is kinda cute at the same time. VERY energetic and fun and entertaining. And of course seeing a movie in India is a little different than at home. There is assigned seating, and since the Bollywood movies are so long, there is a 15 minute intermission. Ha! It was really fun and this theatre in Jaipur that we went, the Raj Mandir Cinema, is supposed to be famous because it really looks something like a temple, a meringue and a nightclub, all in one.

Thats Rajastan for ya!! Its a short, but sweet trip!!

We are back in Delhi andid a pow-wow sightseeing of the Red Fort, which was built by the same emperor Shah Jahan that had the Taj built. Its huge and pretty, but honestly, I think I'm a little forted out! We quickly made it to India's biggest mosque, the Jama Masjid which took 14 years to build and is definitely impressive. Its said to be Shah Jahan's final architectural extravaganza. Here is a pict of the madness at the entrance and of the mosque itself:

BUT, what I am most impressed about is the CLEAN (there are a few things I can say that about India) subway system!!! Its super efficient, easy to get around, and an easy ride! We took it and thought that it definitely topped Chicago's "L". Seriously, if India can do it, anyone can. Once again, I just have to mention that although India has amazing sites, it is soooooooooooooooooooooo dirty, soooo polluted, and sooo much poverty. Its really sad, but its really everywhere. EVERYWHERE! Public urinals, cow and goat crap everywhere, and garbage! garbage! garbage! I actually was feeling bad about dissing China so much about these things, when China looks like New Zealand compared to India. But as people saw, its all about the experience of India. Even the Bollywood movie we saw poked fun at us Americans being grossed out about the cows and the dirt. ha ha!

Now watch out! A cycle rickshaw is coming!

As of Dec 14th I am going to be silent for 10 days. No speaking. No looking at anyone in the eye. No electronics. No music. No cell phone. No journal writing. No computer. No watch. No ipod. 2 meals a day (nothing after 1pm). Probably about 6-8 hours of meditation. Waking up at 4 am to meditate. Then again. And again. Its called Vipassana and its a long story on how I got to do to this, but I will be finishing up on Christmas day (yea! I get to say Merry X-mas!) and will let in on how it went.

10 days.

Silence.

You try a couple of hours. Then a day. Then 10!!

I'm nervous. Its going to be hard, but... I'm hoping it will be rewarding in the end. It'll be a good time to sit (what else is there to do?) and reflect on my travels, my life, and everything in between!

(sorry, you need to scroll down a little to get to the "aftermath" part!)
....................................................................................................................................
The Aftermath.

The Vipassana camp is over. While I was there, I was trying to think how to describe this experience. To say that it was the hardest thing I've done in my life, both mentally and physically, would be an understatement. To say that a marathon, 1/2 ironman, any other physical accomplishment I've done, is "hard," I have to smile and almost laugh. Nyet! It doesn't even compare. This was really the hardest thing I've ever done. The silence wasn't actually a big deal, believe it or not. It probably was about 1/10th of the experience. You just get used to it, and if it wasn't for a few instances in the beginning where I wanted to tell Char something stupid, (ew! I swatted a fly and it landed in my dish!) it really wasn't an issue. Before I mentioned the food, or lack thereof, I thought that that would be hard to get adjusted to. But once again, it was about 1/10th of the experience. We actually ate lunch at 11am and then had a snack at 5pm, and that was it. The challenge was this is about you and the power of your mind. Vipassana is about insight and the importance of mental action and seeing things as they really are. Its training your mind to be aware and equanimous of consciousness, perception, sensation and reaction... which leads to being aware of the reality of "now" as your body experiences it. Which ultimately leads to getting rid of suffering and misery. A point which I like that he made is about cravings. Cravings lead to attachment which lead to misery. Think about it. And also about living in the present, not past or future. The goal is to purify the mind, and eliminate tensions and negativites that make us miserable. Who wants to be miserable? I know I don't. And how we can be miserable towards other people and try to change them, when ultimately, we are the ones that are miserable and need to change, and that change has to come from within.

It is also about meditating for 10 hours a day. Observing respiration and then sensations. Mentally working through the many many physical issues (my knees hurt, my back hurts, etc).

This was the schedule:

4:00am: wake up call. Or should I say, wake up dong.
4:30-6:30am: Meditation
6:30-8:00am: Breakfest. Bucket showers to bathe. Relax.
8:00-9:00am: What I tended to call "power" meditations. It was mandatory to do these group sessions and you had to sit still, NO movement, in the lotus-flower position without moving. Just being aware of sensations in your body. Keeping your eyes closed. Not even wiggling your fingers or feet. It sounds Nazi, I know, but that was where the hardest part of the camp came. The physical pain at times was absolutely unbearable. Sometimes I would try to think about the anatomy of all the places that hurt (hello! I'm a PT!), but then I remembered that I was supposed to be concentrating on my respiration and sensations. That, and I need a major review of thigns! But yes, I soo wanted to cry outloud in pain at times. But throughout the 10 days you train your mind to observe and be aware.... and basically train your mind to get over it "its impermanent. It will go away." At the end, I could sit no problem! Soooooooooooooooooooo rewarding. I really felt, when I got to that point, I could conquer the world. Nothing can stop me now!
9:00-11:00: meditation
11:00-12:00: lunch
12:00-1:00: rest
1:00-2:30: meditation
2:30-3:30: power meditation (group, no moving, etc)
3:30-5:00: meditation
5:00-6:00: snack time. The girls and boyz were separated by this curtain. We were also on separate sides during meditation and were separated the whole time. No contact allowed.

6:00-7:00: The 3rd and final 1-hour "power" session
7:00-8:30: Video discourse on meditation. These were fun and anxiously awaited for because the dhamma, Mr. Goenka, has an awesome sense of humor, was engaging and empowering to listen to. He was almost a mind-reader to your experiences that day, and after a day of going through soooooo many emotions and challenges and not being able to talk about it with anyone and dealing with it on your own, it was great to hear him almost relive what you felt that day, laugh about it, and just learn about the power of the Vipassana technique. And no, really, its not a cult or sect or ritual or anything. Yes (referring to my 1st "entry" above), I did think about stuff and reflect and analyze, but for the majority of the time I was ssooo concentrated on my mind and my body, that there could have been a horn in my face and I wouldn't even have budged. Hmm... okay, thats a little stretch, but you know what I mean.
8:30-9:00: meditation
9:30: lights out and bedtime.

So yes, 10+ hours of meditation a day.

Here is a pict of the golden stuppa where we meditated all day:

It was non-stop and sometimes I wanted to cry, other times to laugh, other times cry again, then other jump for joy. I think it was the 7th day that I really felt happy. Soooo much going on! The whole experience is a personal experience and what I experienced is what I experienced and not one single person will go through the same thing. Everyone does it for a reason, and gets something different out of it. I really really believe everyone should do something like this. It really really trains you to be the master of your mind... and really get to know yourself (i.e. me always thinking I'm 'tough' because of my athletic endeavors, but then really wanting to cry and quit because I didn't think I could handle it. That was day 2). How many times in your life will you really have no outside stimulation (no talking, reading, writing, music, etc)? Ugh! Its sooooo hard to explain, and I kinda don't want to explain or describe because if even 1 person of the 2 people that is reading this does it, I want them to have their own experience and not be "biased" of my experience!

But honestly, I have never felt so happy in my life. I feel soooo pure, cleansed, detoxed, rejuvenated inside, I can almost burst! I know it sounds crazy, and this probably won't last long, but really! Its how I feel! Like today, so we leave the camp, had a nice X-mas lunch (merry x-mas by the way! I kinda forgot about it sense we were at the camp and there isn't too much going on here for X-mas) with someone we met from the camp, want to go to the train station (heading around Pune) and BAM! How should I put this nicely? An unfortunate and ugly situation with a rickshaw driver. Yes, I was annoyed, but I didn't even flutter with anger or hatred, not even an ounce. My heart rate didn't even raise. I had a calm and clear mind. No anger in me whatsoever. And yes, we moved on. Of course to had to have another 'incident' within about 15 minutes of that, but again, we learned so much about 'misery' and recognizing yourself and your reactions, that again, I didn't even twinge. And honestly, 12 days ago we had a similar incident (umm... in case you can't tell, rickshaws are NOT a foreigners best friend and pretty much everytime you even approach one, nevertheless get in one, there is going to be an unpleasant interaction because of the notorious ripping and scamming). I literally was FUMING when that happened. I turned red, my heart was beating a mile a minute, and I was just LIVID with anger towards these people. LIVID! And LIVID for the next hour or so before I forced myself to let it go. But I was totally miserable for that hour. Why? No reason! What happened happened.

Noww.... well, I'm fresh from this experience, but its kinda cool to not even react to unpleasant situations. I don't want to be miserable, and hopefully will continue to keep up with some practices. By the way, I know whoever is reading this thinks I've become this junkie hippie and have been brainwashed by this whole thing, but I really recommend everyone to do it: www.dhamma.org.

It was the hardest thing I've done EVER, but the best thing I've done. And yea, I did it!!!!!

So go ahead, experience the here and now!

Be Happy!!!

HEre's a pict of a sunset at the camp: