They didn't try to poison the water-hole....my foot.

They are everywhere! "Osho" followers that is. Here is yet another interesting conversation I had with a man here is Rishikesh:

Me: That looks pretty good, what is it?
Guy: It's the spinach omelet, part of the green hills breakfast.
Me: Oh yeah looked pretty good. You sound like you're from the states? Maybe New England somewhere?
Guy: I'm from Brooklyn, but I have spent around 30 years in Arizona. What about you?
Me: I'm from Oregon, Portland area.
Guy: Oh really? I spent a little more than a year in Oregon.
Me: Oh great, where?
Guy: Rajneesh Puram (again, there was something very stern in the way he said it). You know it?
Me: Well, yes, I wasn't alive when it was the Rajneesh Puram, but my parents lived in Bend. I heard there was some sort of water poisoning business associated with it?
Guy: Hmm, I'm not sure, but I know Osho was sent back to India.

He looked skeptical at the thought of his commune doing anything wrong. Nonetheless, I had a good conversation with him about many things, including our shared belief that religion has become too much about religion and not about how you express your faith. I also argued my case for Christ, which took us down a plethora of paths. After we were done speaking and he left, I slowly realized that I have learned so much, mainly about myself and where I stand on things, by talking to the most unlikely of people. I think about all my experiences with homeless people in Eugene and the poor people of this country, as well as strange characters like Krishna and this other Rajneesh guy, and I always feel like I understand the world a little better, until the next conversation and I realize I don't. But, I especially feel like I understand more and more why Christ reached out to the people he did. In Shane Claiborne's book, "The Irresistible Revolution", Claiborne makes a stunning case that Jesus was homeless...I wholeheartedly agree. Look at the gospels, he was an outcast Himself. This fact moves me to cling to, and express, the LOVE that Jesus talks about.

Rishikesh is a magnificent place. Set in the foothills of the Himalayas, it is sort of a haven/basecamp for yoga lovers and pilgrims trekking up to the head of the Ganges River. I'm just here to hang out and buy some nifty wool products, maybe take a hike to a waterfall. T-minus 4 days until I board my flight back home, but until then I'm gonna...

let er fly,

Reido

Sunrise.

Unfortunately, I was NOT able to get an ex-Officio picture at the Taj this morning. Security is pretty tight there, and they would not even let me bring in my 'on-the-go' lemonade packets. However, I still enjoyed the overly extravegant mausoleum built for some shah's wife, and some nice French people took my picture. Agra is a great city, not too big and crowded, comparatively, and I met a very reliable richshaw driver to help me navigate the sights. However, I almost been driven insane by the rickshaw/taxi drivers that swarm around the hotels and shops, considering you crazy if you don't want a ride somewhere. I just wanna WALK somewhere, but some of these people are nuts for tourism. I had one man show me his shop before I went into the Taj, and when I came out, he popped up outta nowhere and asked me what it is that I wanted. I just laughed and told him I wanted him to get away from me, as least harsh as possible. Sometimes, you just gotta slam your foot down.

I have a nice overnight bus ride to Haridwar tonight, then on to Rishikesh for a few days....boogie on upside.


Taj Mahal, sucka:



let er fly

Reid

Not a big fan of Chennai...

Well, it's only because I had a bad experience. I said, I had a bad experience. In Kerala, I was convinced to skip Kanyakumari by my hotel host, Samesh, because there was nothing to see there, only the southern most tip of India. Somewhat reluctantly, I agreed and decided to go straight to Chennai after another night at the guesthouse I was in, which was a great place. In many ways, the exact reason I choose to go to some places is because there is nothing to see except the southern most tip of India, and for the sheer enjoyment of saying I went there. However, the combined coaxing and thought of being short on time made me cut it out of the plan and head to Chennai before making the long trek to Agra. Needless to say, I will be coming back...maybe to make an exclusive trip to Kanyakumari to see nothing at all. THERE. In your face, Samesh.

The journey to Chennai has been one of my worst by far. I had to reserve a ticket last minute, so I got stuck with a sleeper-car chair seat, not a bed, for 14 hours. It wasn't so bad after we got going, and after 3 or 4 hours a man boarded the train and offered to switch his bed for my seat, which was just above it. After a few more hours of frequently interrupted sleep (mainly food vendors and the men that sell coffee with their heavy accents, so it sounds like 'copy copy copy copy copy' ) , I felt a little bit of the famed "Delhi Belly" coming on. I tried to fight it in my mind and prove that I wouldn't be susceptible to it at this point in my travels. But sure enough, there I was, ralphin' out the side of a speeding Indian train in the the middle of the night on way to Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

Hence, the terrible night on the train and onset of some sickness made for a very bad introduction to Chennai. I arrived exhausted and dehydrated, without an idea where my hostel was in a very big city. I found a pre-paid taxi, which took me to the Salvation Army guesthouse I had booked for and entered my fairly dilapidated room, ready to pass out. To make matters worse, I sharted. Yes, that's right, I sharted. If you don't know what that means, look it up or ask a friend. I won't go into details, but let's just say I'm glad I brought some extra t.p. and there was a wash bucket nearby.

Let me be clear people, this stuff just happens. It's India, and I'm a foreigner. I don't mean to complain, and I've been in mostly good spirits about it. I met some older men from Holland and Switzerland, also backpacking, and we have shared a couple of meals together so far. There are valleys of sorrow in our lives, and they can really beat us up. But there is always a river of joy waiting, and that river came when I finally found someone who helped me with my train tickets. The ticket to Agra was not confirmed and I was on the waiting list, but the lady at the reservation office in Chennai sorted it out, and made it clear that I have a guaranteed seat on the long, 25 hour trip to the north. The Lord is showing me the meaning of relying on Him, and singing praise even in the crappiest of train rides or hostel stays. My experiences with travel troubles are nothing compared to the vast poverty and brokenness of this subcontinent, which I see every day in various ways, always giving me something to ponder and to pray for. Tomorrow morning (6.12.09) I will be on my way to Agra to see a gleaming white tomb and a red fort, then on to Rishikesh to relax and get my yoga on ;]

let 'er flyyy

Reid

To the south I go...

An interesting conversation I had with a man that I stayed with in Calicut, Kerala, especially if you know about Young Life/Oregon's history :

Me: You have a very nice home, it's just you and your wife?
Krishna: Yes.
Me: Oh, that's nice. (I started staring at a poster on the wall)
Krishna: You know of Osho?
Me: Um, no, but I have been noticing you have many of his posters on your walls.
Krishna: Yes, he is my leader. He has passed. You said you are from Oregon?
Me: Yes, I am.
Krishna: Osho spent most of his life in Oregon, maybe you have heard about him?
Me: I'm not sure, but he does look very familiar, does he go by any other name?
Krishna (looking very stern) : Rajneesh.

Keep in my mind I was told that this man was a friend of someone in Pen, so I figured it was a safe place to stay, and indeed it was. However, I changed my plan of staying two nights to just one after I learned of his Bhagwan connections, as I felt a little skeptical of his motives. He was in fact a very nice man that took me in and fed me, which was great not to have to spend any money there, and he seemed very dedicated to his job as a primary school teacher and yoga instructor. However, I was really kind of freaked out from all the books he had written by Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, and decided to get the heck outta there :]

Currently, I am Alleppey, Kerala on a last minute decision to see the backwaters here. It is an incredibly beautiful place; very tropical looking and rich with culture. The trains I have taken to get here have been some of the most memorable experiences...one being crammed into a sleeper compartment with two, hash-smoking, jackandpepsi-drinkin, obnoxious Russians and a man in the Indian Navy. On another train, which was a little emptier, I decided to do like the Indians do and lean out the open car door for a peak at the scenary when my hand slipped on the rail and I just barely hung on for dear life. God is good.

More updates coming....

let 'er fly!

Reid

boogie across India

This is my final week here in Pen, Maharashtra, and it's closing up fast. The amount of activities Jessica and I are doing has dwindled considerably; with the end in sight and the November temperature sitting at a blazing 30 degrees centigrade, we both feel a little apathetic. But, things are gettin a little wild at the end of the week. For those of you who don't know, I'll be backpacking for my last two weeks here, and coming home December 17th. I thought I might give you my tentative schedule of travel just to put the area of India in perspective....these are cities and states:

First stop, arriving in Anjuna, Goa on Nov 27th.

On to Calicut/Alleppey, Kerala on Nov 29th.

On to Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu by Dec 2nd.

Up to Chennai, Tamil Nadu by the 5th.

Taking a long ass train ride on the 6th, and reaching Agra, Uttar Pradesh by Dec 7.

Leaving the next day for Rishikesh, Uttarkhand, and staying until the 14th, where I will then make my way back to Mumbai, owiee!

let er fly,

reid

T.I.I.

In India, It's common practice to drive as impatiently as possible and risk weaving through oncoming traffic just to get in front of a bus or cow.

The interns and I take daily note of ridiculous things that take place here, shocking us but seem so normal to the people here. For instance, the public bus and rail systems seem to have no order or rules, and I have literally seen men push and shove and fight as they bottlenecked onto a simple inter city bus, or someone may put their fanny directly into your face while attempting to squeeze into a seat next to you. Just the other day, I saw an elderly man slowly bend down and pick up a rock and feebly throw it at a barking dog. It's dangerous to ride a motorcycle here, not just because of the traffic and people on the side of the road, but because the tires might slip out on a fresh cow pie. When it comes down to it, we just have to laugh at things if they are completely frustrating or if something seems totally ludicrous, and just say 'T.I.I.' 'This is India." And I have to be honest, I actually stole this line from the movie "Blood Diamond" where Leo uses the phrase 'T.I.A.' (This is Africa). The cultural differences here are incredibly vast, and I often cannot finds the words to explain it to someone, or describe it accurately. So, for now, T.I.I.

as someone here once spelled my name,

Rid

Coming and Going...

Here I am again in Cyberlink Communications, our local internet cafe with an appropriate cheesy title. Regretfully, I have taken a brief hiatus from blogging, as I simply have not had the time or energy to come here and write about what is going on here and my feelings on the matter. There has been plenty to talk about, but with an inconvenient schedule and crappy internet connection, I have not been able to do some of my experiences justice. The good news is that I have mostly everything written in my journal...so whenever I get around to reading my journal over, I'll post a blog. Sounds promising, doesn't it?

Anyway, one of the biggest things I am realizing right now is how fast the end is coming. I knew it from the beginning, that my time here would fly by, but it was not until this past Friday that I realized I have only two weeks of my program left. I plan on traveling afterwards, so I have about a month left to go, but still, I am 2/3 of the way through. For the past two weeks, we had someone by the name of Mohit join us in our bungalow. Mohit is a cancer researcher from Canada, who decided to come here on his own and volunteer with the India Study Abroad Center for two weeks, who placed him with us to work with CFI. His hope was similar to mine, in that he wanted to see medical practices and public health care in a rural area of a developing country. I have to say, it was awesome having a male around for two weeks...not that I don't like the girls, but it was nice to talk to a guy for a change and have someone explain cricket to me. During his time here, I kind of revisited some of the things I did when I first got here, so he would have some company...we went with the mobile vans and visited the government/CFI hospital to see different surgeries, as well as visit a school called Suhit Jeevan Trust, which caters to students who are mentally handicapped and hearing impaired. All this was always accompanied by endless confusion and waiting for people to get their butts in gear.

During the second week Mohit was here, Kelly left for Mumbai. She left us. She left us. Kelly was offered another sort of option to finish her internship in Mumbai, spending time in an orphanage with kids who are victims of HIV/AIDS, or whose parents are victims of the same. While we were all sad to see her go, this was a great opportunity for her and having heard from her since, she is doing great. Now, it's just Jessica and I, which is a little bit lonely, but we are still having new experiences every day, sharing them with each other and becoming closer friends with our neighbours, who always have a cup of tea waiting for us if we want it :]

let 'er fly,

Reid