It's hard to imagine that I arrived in India almost a month ago. My voice laced with tears arriving at my current home. The first day afraid of the new sounds, smells, people and even water.
Battling through vast empires of emptiness, anxiously awaiting for an appropriate time to go to sleep so I could cry. Slowly, barely perceptible, even to me, the emptiness recedes. I am cognizant that some new facets have emerged in my character and am holding fast to old favorites. Every day I seem to overcome a previous fear and everyday my confidence grows just a little bit more.
I started off this week hitting up the biggest market in Trivandrum, Chalai. I arrived at the peak of the day, sweltering hot and packed with people. I really believe that the whole of Kerala's 3.6 billion people were all at the market! It was dizzying. There were people banging drums, selling flowers, incense, rice, every kind of fruit and vegetable, nuts and spices, textiles, shoes, purses and cosmetics. Sometimes all in one store! it seemed like everyone selling something noticed me, "Hey foreigner, check out my (insert anything here)! " I ended up fleeing the main drag of the market and getting lost among the smaller, quieter shops. It sure was an interesting experience, the first of many this week.
The following morning I woke up early 530 to get ready to go and check out one of India's highly revered Saints who goes by the moniker Amma (meaning Mother). Varshad and his mother picked me up and we headed to do puja (elaborate rituals and silent prayers) before meeting Amma.
We were seated in front of a plastic chair with a banana leaf. On this leaf were; a pot of oil and a wick, a ball of turmeric, an incense stick, a small bowl of something oily and a three leafed plant. Nervously I watched the puja unfold and tried to play along:)
It began with lighting the wick from the candles at the front of the alter. It was actually a very beautiful thing to witness as thousands of people lit their wicks and passed on the fire to their neighbours, all the while chanting Sandskrit verses. Then we all lit our incense and circled it three times around our faces. Then my favorite part, my instructions were, "build a snake out of the turmeric"! I began rolling the yellow ball and an elderly lady took it from my hands and said, "no,no snake" impatiently. She showed me her snake and pointed at my pathetic yellow serpent and said "bad". I proceeded to make a "snake" which was more like a bowl with a flat (cobra like?) back. Then while chanting we dipped the leaf (3 leaved one) in the oil and dripped it on the "snake". My snake promptly collapsed, to which my snake building guide just shook her head and continued chanting. Then we all got up to walk to the Siva Temple where they throw water on you and you get to throw your oily, shabbily made "snake" at the statue of Siva. It was a pretty good way to spend a morning.
When Amma came out I heard some people sobbing, I am assuming out of pleasure but it sure didn't sound fun. She came out and sang (beautifully) while the members of her congregation banged drums gently. It was all a very lovely experience.
Amma is known here as the hugging saint because she gives out darshans (blessings) in the forms of hugs. I lined up with thousands of people to get a hug from this mysterious lady. The process was a little disjointed, I was in the woman's line and I literally had an elderly Indian woman rest her crossed arms on my bum! It was the closest I have ever been to a stranger and I was not happy. However, trying to live everyday by, When in Rome.., off I went to the front of the line, elderly woman in tow. They (the cult, I'll explain later) wash your face as you pass between Amma's people (all white foreigners, dressed head to toe in white) on both sides. The check your hair for clips, wipe your face repeatedly and ask you your language. They also direct you to not hug her, just let her hug you. I won't lie, it was kind if creepy. I was trying not to be cynical and was even trying to sublimate my awkwardness with humor, apparently the Cult doesn't find me funny either. So I'm pushed at Amma when it's my turn and she hugs me and says something in my ear (I'm not supposed to repeat this as it's bad luck, couldn't even if I wanted to as I am sure it was in Malaylam). No sooner than I'm ripped from Amma's grasp the cult yells stage and push me towards the stage. Apparently, this is a HUGE honor and so I sit without direction or purpose on the stage. I try to talk with some of the cult and ask them what I should do on the stage the answer, always without inflection or eye contact, try to get close to Amma. Ummmm ok, I just hugged a stranger, threw a snake at a statue I think I'm done. I told the cult thank you but I'm leaving my spot for someone who will really appreciate it.
I'm supposed to go and stay at Amma's Ashram and am truthfully a little put off from the whole experience. I'm still unsure if it's the cynic in me showing, my lack of faith in Saints or my inability to grasp people's blind devotion to one person, that isn't themselves. Stay tuned.
My week at yoga was great. I am able to do scorpion unassisted, you should google it. I fell out of it on Thursday and smashed my left foot. I don't think it's broken but it sure is sore. I also taught my first class, 45 minutes and did really well. I'm proud of myself.
My weeks highlight was that on Friday morning I saw an elephant! The man was walking him like a dog down the street! I zoomed past him in the rickshaw elated and screaming elephant! The yoga people have told me I am elephant crazy! It was so beautiful and her pretty face was speckled with pink spots, divine!
I also rescued a massive slug from the bathroom and a cockroach the size of a mouse from my room. I can't wait to see what this week brings!
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