Breath, Grief and Gratitude~

My lesson in life is to live in the moment.....sometimes it comes down to each breath. Which can be difficult when you realize you are actually holding your breath.....

I have returned from my epic adventure of India just less than one month ago. So much has happened, much of which I am not ready to share. I have been told there are silver linings in all things. I believe the silver lining for me now is to realize all that is beautiful in my life and how fleeting this precious life can be. To embrace and love the people and wonders that surround me. Witnessing the seasons that miraculously unfold no matter what is happening in one small human's day, even when I feel the world must be standing still, it never is. In this regard, I am indeed rich. It is Spring, filled with boundless beauty...even when surrounded by denial, this is undeniable. As my heart feels too heavy to acknowledge joy, I look and there it is, the vibrant colors of Spring seeping thru my grief clouded consciousness.

I know that the paralyzing grief I feel due to the knowledge of my Dad not being long for this world is only selfishness of not having him in my life any longer. This knowledge does not offer relief.

Jet Lag

Jet lag is an interesting occurrence. I believe I experienced it both coming and going but with the excitement of arriving to India I was able to muscle thru it. Returning home is a different matter. So much is happening around being home and before I arrived I planned to jump right in with both feet back into my life. But the couch is all I have been up for entertaining.....

Of course one's body is out of wack. When I think of it, traveling over 400 miles per hour over vast tracks of land and ocean, being thrown back half a day with the time change, not sleeping for days and the dehydration of it all....it warrants a few days of being a non functioning, tired and sleepless zombie. I am coming around. Yesterday and today I feel more myself and tomorrow will be ready to tackle the load of things to do before the full steam ahead season begins for 2012. I am really lucky to be able to take a break, step away from my life and see such spectacular wonders of the world and then return to the world that I Love so much here on Fire Fly Farm fully ready to embrace my life. I have my sister and her amazing family to thank for the trip of a lifetime. Without all the help of the Lovely Kuskovskis my trip would have been a fraction of what it was if not completely non existent. I miss them so and am overwhelmed with gratitude.

As I am crawling out of my stupor, I look forward to seeing you all very soon. I am back!

Epic adventures of Mumbai airport

I did have a little forethought about luggage....First I thought I could have two bags on my way home....after packing and one bag STILL being too heavy and then realizing that I only had one free checked bag, I decided to just put everything into the colossal bag Matt and Jess lent me and just pay the over weight fee instead of both overweight fee AND extra bag fee. The bag seemed WAY too heavy and after not being able to find a limit to HOW heavy the overweight bag could be I figured I would just go with it. FYI: There is a weight limit and mine was about double that.....and if you have to pay for an extra bag or heavy luggage fee, add yet another hour to your departure time to the airport...

Not being able to sleep, I hung out with Jen and Vladimir until time to leave for the airport after midnight.
First of all to fly in India you need a piece of printed paper with your itinerary if you cannot print your boarding passes off. You cannot enter the airport without it.....I dragged the bag thru the airport. At the check in there were only 10 people, half of them being large parties flying together, I figured this would go quickly. Not exactly. Almost an hour later I made it to throw my bag unto the scale. I believe there has never been a bag this heavy ever attempted to be checked into the Mumbai airport with the reaction I received. After much discussion about how to make this work, a young man was assigned to me to figure this out. He loaded a push trolley with the bag (WOW! Why didn't I think of this earlier?!) and off he went, me tagging along, finding a tattered old box, finding tape, helping me repack, finding a shrink wrapping department, then he said wait here....he rushed off to weight everything to make sure and then we approached the ticket counter again. Just in time, I thought I was about to dissolve into a pool of sweat. Then I was told they were unable to take credit cards to pay for my extra bag (or in my case, box) so I would have to go to the business office. At this time, my carry on tote ripped in half with everything pouring onto the floor. No worries they have KLM plastic bags!! I took three for extra strength and now feel like the bag lady. The young man loaded my carry on stuff and wheeled off to show me this new spur of the adventure. The business offices are at a completely different area. It was approaching an uncomfortable time to my flight now and the young man realized this too because he was almost running. I jogged along beside him as he kept nervously turning his head to make sure I was with him as we wheeled down a very long and very dark corridor as it was about 2:30am now, my flight to leave at 3:05am. Running down this endless, dark hallway, I was thinking, you HAVE to be kidding me......a woman with the same bewildered expression that I must have had was leaving the office with her attendant as we entered. Three people were in there and they seemed all in training for what happened next. I kept a calm expression but on the inside I was not calm. Finally, I had some papers that they told me to hang onto that would prove I did pay for this extra bag, as I wadded it up and crammed it in my pocket and ran back down the corridor I was wondering if I would ever see my luggage again.

Now I approached a line for immigration, and was asked for a piece of paper, oh, that one.....found it and quickly, now shaking, filled it out. As I stood in line a person was calling for the Paris flight, I waved my arms figuring it was about to leave and I had immigration, security and a bus yet to take......as I was waving my arms I ducked under the tape. DO NOT EVER DO THIS. Just wave, do not move. So instead of being able to easily slip under this tape and be directed to a short line, I had to clammer over everyone else in line and their luggage to then be directed. The same with security.....in the security line they were again calling for Paris ticket holders and as I waved, they told me to clammer to the head of the women's line and this all but started a riot with the angry women I left behind me. Not wanting to miss the flight, I forged ahead. Finally, now I am in the line for the bus to take me to the plane with other people who were on the flight so I could breath again knowing I would make it. The flight was running a little late, WHEW.

Being an international flight I ordered a glass of wine as soon as I was able. Not drinking much on this trip in India, this was all I needed.
Now I am sitting here in Paris, 9:30am, nice and calm at my gate in PLENTY of time and someone is playing lovely music on a piano. My adventure is not quite over.....I will have to collect my luggage in Detroit to walk it thru US customs to check it again to Maine. Jen mentioned not being able to use luggage trolleys....THAT will be interesting.

Henna Heaven

In yoga class this morning, I asked the instructor if she knew anyone in the area who did henna art, a quick call on her cellphone, she asked if 4pm would work... YES!!

Neeta came to Jen's flat and performed her fabulous henna artistry on my hands and feet. I LOVE IT!! I have had henna parties in Maine with my girlfriends and have done belly henna at Motherblessings but have never had anyone do any on me. I am now not only planning a sari party.....there will be a henna party this Spring as well. I quickly remembered why I always had henna parties outside in the sun while enjoying cocktails. A little messy but not too bad, I was the one making the mess, not Neeta.

I am thrilled to have this to take home with me, I keep looking at my hands and smile...
It will be an exciting yoga class tomorrow!

Sula Vineyard

We took a family trip to Sula Vineyard over the weekend. A bit of a rough trip, we were all car sick, Maks having the worst of it, actually getting sick, poor guy. He was a trooper and as we cleared the last mountain pass, things seemed brighter. As we approached the vineyard, a calm was in the air, it was absolutely stunning. Mountains framing an endless lake that met over 2000 acres of pristine and perfectly kept grape vines. It was incredibly impressive. Happy to get out of the car, we roamed the fabulous grounds of the hotel, swam, had a wonderful lunch and then prepared to tour Sula Vineyard and Winery. This is the largest wine facility I have been in. Again, the size and equipment was impressive for such a young winery. It appeared to me during the tour that they are catering to an audience that does not know much about wine. We had a great time, had a chance to taste a few wines and stomp some grapes. The grape juice was fabulous.....and the return ride back to Mumbai was MUCH more gentle!

Street Crossing

Interesting day....I picked up some tailor work that I had done with my sari, found some lovely chocolates and bakery to surprise Jen and Maks (Valentine's Day) and then was hit by a moped while crossing the street. I am all right, just a large welt and nasty bruise in the works but the whole thing had me furious for a little bit. Had to walk it off.
Now this is the street that has three "lanes" marked going each way but actually has six lanes of vehicles (mopeds, motorbikes, buses, trucks, cars, cabs, rickshaws....) careening and jostling each way down the strip of road, horns blaring the whole time. The moped driver said he was really sorry but he was using his horn. This almost had me laughing. It doesn't matter that everyone is blaring their horns at ALL times, I am deafened by horns and that it is then all right to hit a person instead of using the brakes. Hmmm. After many angry words and arm flaying from both of us, he drove off after we obviously were not going to have a way to settle it. He actually said he would drive me to the police station and motioned for me to hop on the moped. He didn't realize how crazy that was after he just HIT me, yea, like now I was going to go for a ride with him.
The irony of all of this is that I actually made it across the road and walking along when I was hit from behind and two other people were kind of a buffer....
I am not short of story material, that is for sure.....

Goa

Goa is incredible. India is such a vast country in every way. Goa offers breathtaking beaches, crazy busy beaches, turtles, spice plantations, conservation areas, elephants, colorful markets, rockin' night clubs and very friendly chatty people. The waters are blue and warm but not too warm, sandy beaches and a place to sit and enjoy the best food I have had in India and a cold cocktail everywhere. My favorite place was Brittos, one of the original restaurants on the beach and came highly recommended, which I know why, it was fabulous~

The absolutely lovely bungalow I stayed in was on Baga Beach which is like the tropical beach on steroids. I arrived and it was full peak crazy, boats zooming around dragging people on tubs, parasails everywhere, nets being thrown out by people fishing, tables and umbrellas out with young men trying to encourage you to have a seat at one and enjoy a drink or maybe some food? The beach was lined with these restaurants and available lounge chairs. I walked a ways and found a quiet strip of beach that became my place to be and swim.

I met so many young men who felt obliged I guess to walk along with me and learned so much about the ways of India for these young men. I hadn't met people who were so open and talkative until Goa. They all commented on how quiet they thought I was, which of course I thought was funny. I enjoyed their stories.

After dark the lounge chairs disappear to be replaced with clothed tables, chairs and candlelight for evening cocktails and dining. I enjoyed this, sitting so close to the waves that they lapped my bare feet while enjoying a nightcap and watching fireworks....

Anjuna market was a BLAST. It is known to be a touristy market but I had to experience it for how famous it is. The largest market I have seen and right above the beach. After dark it switches to amazing music. I listened to an incredible sitar band, and on the other side a young woman in complete "hippy" attire rocked out to Janis Joplin songs. I met people from all over India and Europe.

I visited the Arya Cashew Factory where we saw the whole process of the cashew from harvest, roasting, shelling, scraping the skin, many quality control sorting and the final nut ready to eat. Each step done by the individual nut by the hands of women.

The next day was the organic Sahakari Spice Plantation and Elephants. This blew me away. Not only have I learned an incredible amount regarding the local spices, I was able to hear the extraordinaire stories behind the three elephants who reside there. The Elephants migrate and at times will be separated from their herd. There are people who monitor this as best they can to prevent poaching. They bring the elephants to the place they are migrating to and work for five years each to reintroduce them to a herd. If they are rejected, then they are brought to Southern India to the temples where they are treated like gods and hand fed by the women who tend the temples. They will remain the god of these temples or be able to roam conservation areas like this spice plantation. The conservation areas will not take more elephants then the land can maintain. The elephants work a few days a week giving short rides and get washed by us, and then give us a bath, which is a complete riot. I have always dreamt of being this close to an elephant so I was beside myself with excitement and joy.....

I Loved Goa!!

Sounds of Mumbai

Which hour of the day do I start to describe the sounds of Mumbai when Mumbai never sleeps?
The dogs barking wildly (which even on the 24th floor, they miraculously sound as if they are right outside the window) and the rooster usually wake me around 3 am and I then hear the horns and rickshaw motors. At 6am the first Islamic call to prayer of the day can be heard.....then at about daybreak the pounding will begin, constant pounding and the horns start in at a decibel that if you cannot tune it out, it will drive you mad. The dog barking is now replaced with the roar of traffic, rickshaws, horns and pounding that is continuous throughout the day. If you are inside, add random ringing of the various doorbells and dragging of chairs across marble floors. When you hit the streets for a walk, the horns and pounding are magnified. So much so that you may not hear the Islamic call to prayer that continue throughout they day. I usually hear the one at about 6pm.....

The traffic, horns and rickshaw motors go thru the night, at 9:30 last night the pounding was still going. This also sounds as if right outside the door. I can hear chairs being dragged across the marble floors in the other apartments since I know we are all in bed.....The dogs may start at midnight or 3am, depending on what is going on in their dog world. I am not using my earplugs to sleep any longer which means I will sleep like the dead when I return home. I tend to wake up frequently, with the shades drawn it doesn't seem dark unless you go out for a walk, then it seems very much so.

I have heard that people from Mumbai feel lonely if they leave the city. The quiet leaves them empty. My first day, after just a couple hour walk I had to draw the shades and lay on the bed in the dark room, my head hurt so bad. I spoke to some expats who didn't even leave their apartment the first month they were so overwhelmed. A few times the first few days I felt the rise of anxiety with the noise and just tried to keep calm and grounded. Jen said and I agree, how important meditation and yoga is to a place like this. To help remain centered in all the chaos. There is a free yoga class at 6am each morning that I am attending. It is fun, the people are very kind and helpful if I hesitate to watch some of the stretches since I do not know Hindi. I am having a great time here in India. It challenges and conjures so many emotions each day. I embrace being in a place that has such an impact.

Laughter Meditation

"There is a story, in Japan, of the laughing Buddha, Hotei. His whole teaching was just laughter. He would move from one place to another, from one marketplace to another marketplace. He would stand in the middle of the market and start laughing...that was his sermon.

His laughter was catching, infectious; a REAL laughter, his whole belly pulsating with the laughter, shaking with laughter. He would roll on the ground with laughter. People who would collect together, they would start laughing, and then the laughter would spread, and tidal waves of laughter, and the whole village would be overwhelmed with laughter.

People used to wait for Hotei to come to their village because he brought such joy, such blessings. He never uttered a single word, never. You asked about Buddha and he would laugh; you asked about enlightenment and he would laugh; you asked about truth and he would laugh. Laughter was his only message."

I had read this in Osho's book of meditation before joining the much awaited laughter meditation. I thought of how wonderful this would be....of course, now if I attempted to just start laughing in a marketplace with no words, I would be dragged off to the funny farm....now that would be the laugh....


I am in love love love with laughter meditation. It is perfect. Just laughing. This session at Osho was 20 minutes of laughter and then 15 minutes silent meditation (still filled with random giggles which I was guilty of) and then, of course, more dancing. I had read about laughter meditation years ago and was curious and wondered if it would be a room of people straining to laugh. It was incredible, I wanted MORE. Not only was it not difficult to keep laughing, I really couldn't stop, with tears streaming down my face. We were to keep our eyes closed, for the laughter to be OUR laughter, not us laughing at anyone else. But I have to say, at a "dry" moment, I peeked and to see everyone else with their head thrown back in full laughter and some rolling on the floor, this made me so happy, I couldn't stop laughing once again. There is something phenomenal about being in a huge auditorium of people splitting their sides in laughter. For the first time, I had faith in complete strangers.

Year of the Dragon

The year of the Dragon is considered the luckiest year in the Chinese Zodiac. 2012 is the Water Dragon, water calms the Dragon's fire which can be a good thing. In just this one week, this year of the Dragon has been more than spectacular. I indeed feel lucky, I hope it continues for myself and every one of you.

I ventured out on the streets of Mumbai on foot again today. I am feeling more confident in exploring every nook which you need to do here, it is the nooks that hold some of the most interesting shops and people. You wouldn't EVER think something like that would be there but once you walk down a small crack of an ally, it opens into a whole world of colorful things. The incredibly intense gawking I attract doesn't even bother me anymore. I must be getting somewhat accustomed to the heat also, it seemed as if I wasn't sweating as much, which is really noticeable when you see everyone bundled up with scarves, long sleeves and sweaters and here I am soaked.....

Today I explored foodie things, more spices, teas, Indian bakeries and stainless steel cookware. The pans used here are fun and much different than I have seen so I wanted to check them out. My sister does not live in a touristy area so the prices are incredible and the shop keeper gave me a discount when I told him I was the one who would be using the pans. They loved that, wanted to know where I was staying, my name, brought me savory lassi and when I said I was okay and didn't need anything to drink, they insisted and said I was their guest! Shopping here is an extraordinary experience. The kindness is amazing.

I didn't recognize a thing at the bakery so the man offered me samples of everything, again, amazing....all these chewy almond, pistachio, date, fig fudge~y treats that he packed into an adorable little box.

I found the "expat" store that I had read about. I wanted to purchase chocolate chips to bake some cookies for Maks and Jen. They are the tiniest chocolate chips in the tiniest package, one ounce. The man said he had them at his other store and if I could wait 5 minutes, he would have them here, no problem. The store was Indian as well as western so I was more than happy checking everything else out until the chocolate chips arrived.

I saw the restaurant named Royal Challenge which of course cracks me up. Vladimir said it was a good place to eat so I will have to try it....

Swathed in vibrant cloth euphoria

My amazing sister Jen and her wonderful friend Nandi took me sari shopping yesterday. I am typically not a "shopper" sort of person but this was a joyful and extraordinaire experience. Nandi knew the best shop and it truly was a blast. The service in India is incredible, the impossibly small shop is full of the three of us and twice as many people there to take your bag, make you tea, bring bottled water and lay out an abundant array of the most amazing colored cloth in all combinations of cotton, silk and synthetic fabric, you barely get a glimpse and another is piled on top, if you didn't realize already, your mind is now boggled with the endless choices you have. Then there is the "trying on" which consists of you standing there with your arms up, a curtain has been drawn to cover the entrance and you are wrapped up, of course not before feeling a bit exposed, in this luxurious fabric. They have the perfect match of top and petticoat, stress how important the folds are and how to manage it. It all goes so quickly and then the mirror, yep, I LOVED it. I have the perfect sari and feel lavishly wrapped in the color that brings utter joy.

Photos soon to follow.....

Osho Meditation Resort

Traveling thru the bustle and traffic of Pune, India, you cannot imagine where this described tranquil meditation center could be, then there is a left turn and the street turns quiet and cool, shaded from the blazing sun with huge trees.

From what I understand, this center had changed it's status from ashram to meditation resort, due to it's western style compared to other ashrams thru out India. I LOVED this life altering place, so much so, I have meet with the staff about the live in residency stay for the future.....

I don't think mere words can give this experience justice so I may not even attempt it but to share that I threw myself into it for the full experience, participating in the first meditation that began at 6am each morning and filled the day with every offered event until the last meditation that ended at 10:30pm. I slept only a mere five hours (due to some of the playful after hours music, dancing after the meditation and of course played LED poi in the Buddha Grove....) yet awoke feeling refreshed, alive and centered. I dreamt of being in magical places here in India....

This style of meditation is not like any other I have tried or read about. At first, I thought everyone was nutters but the results are life altering.....I look forward to sharing these incredible meditations when I return home. This is no mere sitting and meditating style, there is MUCH movement, Osho shares that our minds are not busy in movement. So the day is filled with dancing and then a sitting meditation after you have exhausted yourself with movement, which was PERFECT for me since sitting all day would have driven me mad. Instead I hobbled about, almost crippled from all the wild dancing barefoot on marble floors.....and ooohh, the marble in the two main meditation auditoriums.....absolutely stunning.

I met people from India and all over the world here. Osho Meditation Resort is a luxurious place full of beauty. The whole campus as well as it's many gardens and park are kept in immaculate condition.

As I said goodbye to the lovely people I met on my five day stay that my sister so generously gifted me, one friend mentioned that I looked absolutely radiant, I definitely felt this way, I had just finished two amazing meditation sessions of laughter meditation and the No Dimensions Sufi whirling meditation......I am in utter bliss~

The Markets of South Mumbai

I will attempt to play catch up here....as if it is at all possible to describe the last week or so....
The market tour blew me away. We first went to the Crawford Market, one known for it's food. Rosemarie, the lovely woman I met during the Village tour told me to find the Spice King, so that was my first stop. This was incredible, he had his presentation all set for his eager audience, pouring out each brilliantly colored spice into little stainless steel bowls for us to smell and taste. I purchased way too much but I told myself, I can justify it.....birds of all sizes and colors at this market as well as any fruit or vegetable you can imagine.

Then off to Mangaldas, the textile market. This was my wonderland. After walking a few steps inside this market, I felt transfixed. Color does something to me, it is hard to describe, when surrounded with the vibrancy of such richness, it is like it fills my heart with the same. I feel giddy and drunk with it and want to be wrapped up in the brilliance of it all. The joyful irony here is that with sari, I literally can be....

So I just stood there beaming like a crazy woman and couldn't even attempt to narrow it down to make a purchase, not this time....way too overstimulated. So I just staggered thru, trying to breath it all in and etch this dazzling vision into my memory.

We breezed thru Zaveri, the jewelry market, this was a high end jewelry market of gold and diamonds, out of range....

It is the wedding season here in Mumbai so the Bhuleghwar Pool, flower market, was bustling with activity. Here is where they are making garland and complete walls, curtains and drapes of pure flowers and flower petals. Here you can breath deep and forget you are in Mumbai. The colors and detail of this work blew me away, some of them were working one single rose petal at a time.

We visited a few temples learning the ritual offerings and passed by many vendors all along the way. I stopped to replenish my bindi collection and tried to keep up and take in all the surroundings at the same time. The streets were packed with throngs of people walking, pushing carts, carrying their parcels upon their heads.....I cannot wait to visit south Mumbai again.....

The Dark Side

The poverty and population of Mumbai is staggering. It is considered the richest city in India as well, which is not the statistic that comes to mind when walking the streets. It is all thrown together here, the spectacular, heartbreaking, chaos, peaceful temples...everything. The population of Mumbai is over 20.5 million and growing. 10~15 people die each day on the public transportation system. Mostly from people hanging on from the outside or sitting on the top of trains, the wires above that the trains pass under are 220 watts, this is the reason for the highest mortality in this horrifying statistic. So many people, even with trains leaving every 5 minutes, it is not enough to accommodate the demand. Once on the trains, it is often impossible to make it in time to the door to get off at your stop. There are no maps on the train and no one announcing the stop.

The signs and the smell of poverty that you witness no matter where you are here is something you cannot even conceive. Due to a corrupt government, things happen here even if illegal. Gut wrenching barbarity like child prostitution. I can only imagine how a place like this must dull your senses after a long period of time. I hear that people who have grown up here have a hard time leaving, they feel lonely, that it is too quiet elsewhere.....

Tamarind Jungle

Reality India is a tour group that is beyond any tours I have ever imagined. They are fabulous. Only three in our group each time and 80 percent of the money goes to the place you are visiting and Dharavi. My amazing sister with her extensive research found them, they came highly recommended and I certainly know why. Yesterday I attended the Village Tour. The translated name of the village is Tamarind Jungle. I left the apartment at 6:30am and returned after 9pm speechless with the whole spectacular adventure. We all met up at the Gateway of India in South Mumbai. I hadn't been there yet and at 7:30am, it was just starting to take a morning stretch. Marine Drive was full of people taking walks, stretching, doing yoga, some in what we see as workout clothes but most in traditional clothing of India, women walking in sari with sneakers.

On this tour were two other women, Rosemary and her daughter, Sonja, both from Germany. Rosemary has been living in Mumbai for three years. We were instructed to board the ferry and our guide (one of the founders of Reality India) would meet us on the other side.

We met up with Krishna and hopped on the bus. I had the adventure of hopping on as it was traveling down the road, determined NOT to be separated from the rest of the group. Before catching the rickshaw, we stepped into a cafe for some late breakfast, tea and discuss what we would be doing for the day. The food here was amazing. Everything I have had out has been made from rice, even the unleavened breads. Then I discovered what an Indian toilet is like. Here, there are no seats. You squat over a hole. Some places have a spigot and pail to fill and "flush" or rinse the hole. It smelled as if I was the only one who did the rinsing step. We then clammered into a rickshaw for a long dusty trip. We stopped to pick up as many school kids as we could fit on our way to the school. The school had a handful of small classrooms that had to hold 60 students, many sitting on the floor since there were not enough seats and desks. It was an exam day so after much commotion of us being there and them wanting us to take their photos (Krishna downloaded our pictures so he could make copies for everyone) they settled in. With much giggling, the girls shared with me that my name in Hindi means cat. The feathers in my hair has been drawing much attention everywhere I have been going. I pulled some out and pinned them in their hair. Much excitement.

Then off to the village. About 200 villagers had left that morning on a pilgrimage to a holy place three day's trek away, so it was very quiet. It was peaceful anyway, no automobiles just bull driven carts. It was like being on another planet after Mumbai. I loved it here. The land was covered with rice fields, some trees and a small cluster of brightly painted homes. Each home had an elaborate alter to the Basil Tree with a Basil tree growing on top. Everyone came out to great us, we were invited to lunch with many homes. We did have an arrangement to have lunch with one family. The two young girls of this family joined us for the whole walk, gathering tamarind, fruit and berries for us to try along the way. The village had one shop that was half of the shop owner's home. The owner was also a musician so with his wife's prompting, he pulled out chairs and his piano accordion to play and sing for us. Most of the remaining village gathered as well. It was fantastic.

We walked to the rice fields to see families threshing the rice. It is the time of the winds so men were sifting rice as the wind blew to remove the chaff. We were invited to join them for lunch also.

There is a tribal village above this one. The tribal residents make temporary dwellings of straw here in this village and are the brick makers. Bricks are all made by hand, sun dried and then kiln dried. We visited the tribal village briefly before heading back.

Lunch was incredible and served in traditional style. We sat on a mat on the floor and ate together without silverware. This is what I had been preparing for back in Maine. I had given up using silverware and switched from coffee to tea a week before the start of my trip.

The ferry ride back to Mumbai was festive and lively. Not just us but everyone on the boat was rejuvenated. We were on the roof of the ferry, the boat was packed due to the next one being canceled. Music was playing, people were dancing and laughing. A man was selling potato chips he was kettle frying up fresh before boarding the boat. One of the young men bought a huge bag and the whole ride the young men were feeding the seagulls from their hands. The seagulls wildly followed the ferry all the way on our one and a half hour journey to Mumbai.

Mumbai is breathtaking at night. The lit up skyline is magnificent and from this view coming in from the harbor, it did not seem chaotic at all. Even after getting off the ferry and walking thru the throngs of people selling balloons, cotton candy, bubbles, tea, trying to take my picture and hail me a cab.... as I stood on the street deafened by the horns, cracking up over the gawdily flower decorated and neon lit horse drawn silver carriages, I found all the craziness of Mumbai somehow alluring after dark. Mumbai is growing on me.....

Slumdog Millionaire

There is so much here in Mumbai to take in that is so foreign to anything I have ever seen. By the end of the day I am utterly exhausted beyond imagination. It is like my brain is learning something new and incredibly difficult each day just by witnessing these things. I don't even think I can attempt to recount the events. Jen described it wonderfully, it is like trying to describe a taste of something to someone who had never eaten that before, like a strawberry. After today, I am now thinking it is like describing a strawberry to someone who cannot taste at all.

I went on a tour of the largest slum in India, Dharavi. I felt torn about this, that it would just break my heart and seem a disrespect and violation of the resident's privacy. Jen explained that the money went to the community and we read the debate that the folks, Reality India, gave about how it was to educate people about what was actually happening in this community and what the industry was there and the work that was being done....the tour was fascinating. The guides for the tour were young men from Dharavi and the community center that the Reality India tours created and funded taught Dharavi residents the computer and language skills to continue to college and help with job placement.

Dharavi was incredibly intense. The feeling I am left with is the remarkable pride of these people, they work hard and everywhere I went I was greeted warmly. The "tour" is kept small, there were three of us. I could go on and on about the fraction of this amazing place that I saw. One million people in Dharavi which covers just over one half a mile. Most of what we saw was the recycling of plastics. What the companies make and the pittance of what the workers are paid and the conditions they work under is a crime. The industry makes 650 million after taxes a year and pays out 150 rupee a day to the workers which is $3. The residents who stay do not want to leave Dharavi due to the close sense of community. Most of the residents work outside of Dharavi. It is mostly migrant laborers from other villages in India that do the industry work inside Dharavi.

The ride to and from Dharavi was in itself an epic adventure. The four lane highway is just a guideline at best. Most times there were six or more cars careening around and down the highway. Anyone who has ever had me as a passenger in their vehicle knows how challenging that can be. I decided to NOT look at the road at all ahead of me if I didn't want my heart to explode and to focus instead upon the other mind boggling scenes we zoomed past. It was the best call I could make.

Streets of Mumbai

There is so much to see and take in while roaming the streets of Mumbai. My head hurts after. I felt better prepared today, yesterday was just intense and overwhelming. Today I was READY. The sounds of Mumbai are a constant, endless around the clock blaring of horns and hammering. At dark add dogs barking, at about 3:15am the roosters start. The air is thick with smog, heat and a smell you don't want to think much about, later in the evening and early morning there will be a lingering scent of smoke. Hitting the streets I started on a lovely road lush and shaded with greenery and a perfect breeze. The streets are not marked so trying to absorb the landmarks when not familiar with anything and feeling overstimulated is always interesting. Jen and Vladimir made a good point, try looking up, the building of school, apartment and new apartments being built are all quite tall. When I hit the major street of my day's adventure it was complete chaos. Crossing the road was one of those life threatening challenges, that when I finally made it to the other side, my heart was racing. I crossed this street twice.

I saw everything you could imagine. There were chairs set up on the side walk with a man lathering up a man's face for a shave, others cutting men's hair in front of a stand selling cups of tea in front of another tarp roofed shop selling sandals. A bicycle with a grinding wheel to sharpen blades, vans parked with doors open to display incense and bags full of colorful spices, chickens in cages with the racks of eggs for sale right above the chickens, young boys pushing carts up steep hills full of pineapple, with a machete to cut it up for you, loads of street food vendors with carts or make shift tables, tarp covered shops selling everything, fruit piled upon tables lining the sides of streets and flowers that looked like carnations strung on strings of garland. All of this with a constant noisy stream of cars, buses, trucks, rickshaws, bicycles, motorbikes and loads of people on foot, the horns going off continually. Attempting to take in the vast array of shops, I noticed there were also pockets of shops, a horse shoe alley of sorts to check out. These shops are mingled in with dwellings. This is where I found my salwar kurta, orange of course! It is a casual wear one and I love it.

I stepped into a bank since my ATM card is free anywhere for currency exchange. There was a man standing at the entrance with a shotgun. At the end of this street there was the Oberoi mall. I wanted to check this out and perhaps find a restroom. I walked thru security like at the airport, complete with walk thru metal detector, bag search and pulling me off to the side for the wand scan. The mall was huge, several stories and air conditioned. Restrooms were spotless. As I stepped outside the mall, there were three men scrubbing the walkway around the entrance.

From the apartment where my sister and her lovely family live, is a lush view of the milk district. Seeing so much green space in such a tremendous city is like comforting eye candy. People here work endlessly, Mumbai does not sleep it seems. This is a city of monumental population, 24 million and growing. I wonder what people do all hours of the night and where they are continuously rushing off to....

New Year~

As a blogger it would be shameful that it has been this long since I have blogged. It has been a wild ride since I have last posted. A blur of an amazing season, the highlights being the farmhouse has a *new* roof, brilliant new paint job and the inside front two rooms re~taped, mud and painted. Huge. The exterior work prompted by the insurance company which has my coolbot walk in cooler project postponed another year.....ah, well, the house looks fabulous. I am still in the process of putting it all back together on the inside, which of course has spurred on a feng shui attack. Much needed. Having piled two rooms (and of course epic rooms, the kitchen and living room) into the other already full two rooms for several months as the schedule of markets and farm never cease, has led me to feel as if I could be on the edge of being a hoarder. Which scares the crap out of me. But, hey, if this is what it takes to make my life more simple, I welcome it!! Purge!

Another of the many highlights is: Fish Tacos at the Common Ground Country Fair!!!!!! I finally did it, applied and was excepted as a food vendor at the Common Ground Country Fair. This fair is a spectacular event of all Maine Organic fare from celebrations and DIY workshops of all types of rural living. I have been doing the Farmer's Market at the fair since 1993, making crowns from dried flowers and the ever fragrant signature scent of the fair: Sweet Anni. This year, I had my amazing staff doing the crowns for me and another fabulous crew assisting me with Fish Tacos over in the food area. Fish from Port Clyde, hand pressed masa tortillas formed and cooked right there, with the crunchy slaw and chipotle crema, all made fresh and from Maine (except the lime....). We had such a blast I wondered why it had taken me so long to do this? We laughed thru the three days that flew by.

I am now on the trip of a lifetime. I am in Mumbai visiting my sister and her lovely family. I have been here one day and know this will be the trip that will change my life. I am thrilled and always wanted to go to a place that would have such an impact. Photos and adventure tales will soon follow.....