One Day in Pondy or Dead Cat

7:00 AM wake up to the voice of the Muezzin who calls Muslims to prayer. India is very mixed religiously, the majority Hindu, but w/ sizable Muslim and Christian minorities. There is nothing like this call. It is a beautiful, haunting wailing filled w/ an otherworldly heartache. I really can't describe it. Truly amazing.

I get ready in my very basic $7 room. "Very basic" is European/ Australian code for disgusting. My first night there, I was like, I'm outta here, but day by day, week by week, I'm getting over myself and my American expectations and learning to deal with what is. I also have this need to live in squalor for now, to just really be in it. I also know that my students at Nirvana School would find it luxurious having a whole room to myself.

8:00 walk to bus stop pass Ganesha Temple, live elephant blessings and all that. Take school bus to village outside of Pondy -nonstop horns blasting throughout commute, the auto horn is used in reverse from the way it is used in West. It is a courtesy, saying "heads up please, here I am please, thank you please." I'm starting to hear the order underneath the chaos.

The Indians also dump all their garbage just wherever, out on the street, or in a field, so about 50 meters from the school in the usual garbage heap, I see it. That's right. . . Dead cat. Just when your getting all comfortable, dead cat. Awesome.

9:00 - 4:30 school day. The mornings I observe first period, mostly disrupt class like I did in '82 -nothing's changed. Then I take a few students at a time to the library and we practice English reading and writing. They all speak Tamil which has absolutely nothing to do w/ English, so it's challenging work, but the kids are simply love embodied.

For lunch, the HeadMaster Aunti Massi cooks me a full on Indian Meal, kicheri, rice, potato, dal, naan, the best meals ever. She has been running the school for 12+ years for free -she is a real deal Mother Theresa. After lunch I take a nap. Then back to school for a couple hours, then teach the yoga class, then back on the bus.

At night I go to Coffee.Com a beautiful family run joint where I hang out w/ Euros, most all involved in some type of development work or study. It's a beautiful crowd, inside and out. I'm typing from one of their laptops right now -a Mac none the less!! It's like another planet in here.

I told Auntie Massi today, that every day I go to her school even if I do nothing but play w/ the kids all day, I feel like I become a better person.

Not a bad gig.

Going to Vipassana (10 day silent meditation retreat) over holiday break. So, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Blessed New Year to All.

I love you, all out!!

Blessings,
yt