Meeting with NGOs

In the midst of all the traveling I have managed to meet with three NGOs about their work. Each meeting was more formal. The first was a nice dinner conversation with a woman working for a large NGO in Delhi, the second was over a beautiful lunch at the house of Manesha, a friend of my friend Arif's mom, and the last a formal meeting Tricia and I went to in Mysore to speak to an organization focused on human trafficking issues. These meetings have given me a sense of what is happening with organizations doing anti-trafficking in India - a sense.

It has become clear that trafficking and perhaps more evidently, slavery, is a big issue in the country. It is commonplace for people to state that the kids begging for money on the street are slaves working for their master. CNN India had a footer running that said - Efforts to End Slavery Continue. Still, the nexus between slavery and international trafficking is less evident, but people are aware of it when it comes to rural-to-urban trafficking.

Overall there are very few organizations in India that focus solely on trafficking issues. One source said only a handful of them exist. There are several groups - women's organizations and children's rights groups - that are more and more actively taking on the issue since it has become so evident that this is a worldwide problem worthy of a great deal of attention at the service, advocacy, policy and other levels. Still, these, like SAVE the CHILDREN India, do anti trafficking as a project in their overall work.

THE THREE ORGANIZATIONS:

To be honest I have forgotten the name of the first organization since the coversation happened over a social dinner, but what was memorable was the fact that the organization is currently dealing with the US' draconian policy on prostitution. As many of you many know, about a year (is that right?) ago the US passed a law that said that passing out contraceptives (condoms, etc) as part of work addressing prostitution, human trafficking and slavery for sex, and other like issues is the same as SUPPORTING AND ENCOURAGING these activities. So, the solution, per the Bush Administration was to defund groups passing out condoms, thus causing a higher spread of AIDS among young teenage girls who are enslaved and otherwise forced to be in the sex industry since condoms are no longer available.

Consequently, today, countries like Brasil, and now India (and I am sure others) are fighting this policy since they know its basically coookkkoooo. Brasil has taken a strong stance against it and has rejected monies it received from the US and is now getting money for such activities from the Brazilian government. This is the current struggle in India. This large NGO is fighting this policy and trying to do so by intersecting Indian/US laws to see if it is legal for the US to have such pre-historic requirements. India, as was explained to me, sees Brasil as a model of how to do prostitution and other sex-related work. Brasil's work is especially noterworthy in its dealings with US power and its effects on Brazilian citizens.

Mahila Sarvangeen Utkrash Mandal (MUSAM)

This organization was formed by Arif's mother's friend Manesha and her husband. It has been around for nearly 15 years and focuses on a variety of women's issues, as well as children's programs. All programs are designed for people in rural areas. For instance, the children's program has a project where children are taught about peace, equality and justice values, and teachers also work in severely depressed areas to ensure children are getting an education. The organization also has a Women's Self-employment Program where young girls are taught useful skills to build their self-confidence. The skills range from self-defense techniques to computer repair. MASUM also designs and carries out tribal empowerment programs and has helped build a vilage library so that folks have access to education and resources.

At the heart of this organization are Manesha and her partner, two souls who simply regenerate any energy you may have depleted in your way to meet them. Manesha eminates passion for her work, and her husband has a committed calm that makes you feel like the world is definitely going to be a better place after he and Manesha are done with it.

To top it all off they invited me there for lunch, and I had the pleasure of meeting their son and daugther, two magnificent young adults who have certainly been impacted by the magic of their parent's life long commitment to social justice.

CHECK THEM OUT AT: www.masum-india.org

ODANADI SEVA SAMSTHE

I learned about Odanadi from Mr. and Mrs. Partasarathy. Tricia and I were talking to them about HT issues and they said...oh, you should contact this organization. We got on the phone and easily made an appointment with Stanley, the founder. I was surprised we got the meeting, and ever so thankful that he could make the time for us.

We arrived at ODINADI and I instantly felt at home. Stanley was in the yard talking to a group of people, others were moving about busily and the energy was definitely non-profit - WE HAVE LITTLE, BUT WE DO A LOT. He asked us to wait as he took care of a few things and later joined us. We sat in a rooms with lots of partly done windows. This was the current state of the ODANADI house which is in the process of being built to care for 96 children who have been trafficked for one reason or another. As we say, it was social justice in the making.

Stanley and a partner decided 15 years ago to address the issue of prostitution in their community. Realizing the patterns of patriarchy (his word) and the few options available to women, they decided to take the issue on. In the very beginning Stanley went to the market (Mysore has an amazing fruit and vegetable market) and asked for donated food. He then cooked and cleaned for the children of prostitutes. He took care of them, their health, their needs, and anything else he could do. At the same time he worked with the women - jobs, advocacy, services - all very low-budget. This work developed throughout the years bringing it to today.

ONEIDA is squarely focused on human trafficking - strategically. I add strategically to say that they start their analysis and their work with trafficking issues at the center, but smartly branch out to include all the community needs that make it so trafficking grows - poverty, lack of education, health care, etc. In the first 10 minutes Stanley described the work of ONEIDA, and in doing so, the international strategy currently being used by the UN and others to combat trafficking. He went through the strategy step by step -

PREVENTION: Education of community, families, children at schools.
PERSECUTION: Working with the police and following the traces of where children are being taken to all over India. This work also includes rescue operations where Stanley himself follows the chain of the trafficking mafia to find a child who may be as far as Delhi (north india) but who is from a village in south India.
REHABILITATION: Working with individual children, their families and sometimes the entire local community who now reject the girl who is no longer virgin and seen as a prostitute and not worthy of marriage.

The details of his story, and the story of ONEIDA were both amazing as I think about the type of work I want to be involved in, in the future, and the work that US foundations need to be paying attention to. The experience of being there was also great.

Some moments to give you a picture:
-We are talking and Stanley is asked about what languages have to be used to write the sign that will be in front of the house. India uses Hindi and English, but many states (especially in the South) have their own language, and in many cases small communities have their own dialect.
-We are talking and a girl comes to ask him about the bumps on her body. Apparently she has a skin rash that no one can figure out that came about when she was trafficked. She is a dancer and really wants to be in the performance to happen a few days after out departure. Stanley tells her they are working with the doctor and that he wants to make sure she will dance, and he will try his best. She leaves, he gets on the cellular to the Dr. He explains the situation and asks for the Dr. to come back.
-We are talking and chais/teas are served to us. No matter the context, Indians (like many other cultures) are hosts.

In all cases, all interruptions Stanley excuses himself and says, "I'm sorry for the interruption but these kids are the reason I am here, they are the reason all of this exists. If I don't put them first than there is no point." Tricia and I nod in vehement agreement.

PLEASE, CHECK THEM OUT AT: www.odanadi.org

Needless to say I had one hundred thousand emotions in this meeting. What does this all mean to me? What do I want to do with my life? I wish I were a Dr. so that I could tell this beautiful girl she will be ok. I got teary eyed as Stanley described the work, the experiences of the children and as everything I have read about in the last two years came out of the mouth of this man who has lived it with the children. I was so happy to be able to converse with him due to my own knowledge and to be able to show that I came prepared and respectfully to his presence. Every 15 minutes we asked if he needed to go, and every 15 minutes he told us he too wanted people to know that this issue is happening in India and that more people need to be aware of it, and that he would go when it was time.

Stanley asked me what I was going to do next and I shared a bit of my thoughts. I was surprised by his validation when he said, "Whatever you decide to do it will be great. Your passion for this work is clear in you eyes." It's yet another moment in life where perfect strangers have a way of telling you what's important to you, something you feel, but question.

Also of course, I donated money to ODANADI. After all, I believe in philanthropy. After many years of wondering where my US donations have gone to I felt that my donation here was going to exactly where I wanted it to go. After about 1.15 hours Tricia and I left, both in silenceknowing that this world is a very, very complex place, that what ONEIDA is doing in magical, and I think individually trying to figure out what role we each need to play to make it better.

"Into the Woods to Find the Giant..."
www.brazilbean.net

From GOA, with love...BY PATRICIA LOOMIS (with Epiogue By Julio)

hello my lovelies,

I realize it's been a while so I'll start with the obvious: we're doing very very well, for a number of reasons. Last you heard, I was recovering from what turned out to be only the first phase of my 6-day G.I. adventure. It got uglier, especially when we had to leave Pondicherry (via Chennai aka Madras) to travel by rickshaw-bus-train-bus to get across the country and back to Goa. It was over a day of travel and the night before I left, I finally understood it when my pharmacist told me that I would know when I needed to take my Ciproflaxin. He was absolutely right, though I remember feeling frustrated when he said this to me. I now know what is meant by severe diarrhea. I'm surprised I have a G.I track anymore. I'll spare you any more of the details, but there was pain involved, along with the emotional difficulty of worrying about the fact that Immodium did not, as before, really help. Then again, maybe it did and it could have been much much worse. Anyhow and anyway, I am officially better and Julio's health is fine as well. I have eaten over the last few days and enjoyed it and I believe my stomach may be returning to its former size (a good thing!).

We are on vacation at the beach in a tiny town called Patnem. The water is warm, the sun is hot, the beach is long, wide and almost empty, save for Julio, Romina, Maria*, me and a few others. The neighboring town, Palolem, is hopping in comparison, filled with too many westerners so we moved after the first night. We've been staying in a shack on the beach made out of bamboo poles, plywood and woven palm walls. We have a little porch and a bathroom with running water that sometimes works. It is so lovely to wake up with the sun coming in through the patterned holes in the weave, it shines speckles of light on the mosquito net and is just so exquisitely beautiful. It's mostly idyllic except our little house is missing part of a wall and I realized this morning that we have other roommates besides the mosquitoes and crickets and insects. It's either a mouse or a rat and I think it must have a very dirty mouth because it's been eating my soap. It's scented with tea tree oil so I can almost see the appeal. Fresh and clean tasting.

[*these two are of Rishikesh fame, for those of you reading Julio's blog from his first month... they're two warm, amazing, beautiful-souled Chilenas who laugh a lot (like us) and have reminded me how much I love the Spanish language. I've decided to refresh my language skills when I return, although I now have an invitation to Santiago after they get back home. Tonja--you too! maybe we should think about living abroad for a while? And Carlo, I know you've always got a place for me in Ecuador, right?]

It was so nice to arrive here after our tour de force, which ultimately took a lot out of us, especially after our sicknesses. Now, our main commitment is to the sun and the water. We wake up when we feel like it, go grab some yummy coffee and something to eat at a restaurant down the beach called Home (London, Zurich, Patnem) and then we swim and soak in the sun. Today, Julio and I started the Bikram series in the sand as we were tanning. It was hot enough, just extra challenging because of the sand. At party time (the only official water break of the series) we jumped in the Arabian Sea instead of drinking water. After that, when we wanted water, we just swam. It felt so good, we haven't done any yoga here because we haven't been in one place long enough. Most yoga schools take students for a month or a week at the least. I've been missing Bikram. Charlie, Kim: you'll have to get me back in shape when I get back. Doubles for a week maybe? My practice was already slipping before I left, I can't imagine what a month off will do.

We found a place that makes really yummy, really fresh Indian food and it's affordable. There's no menu, just a waiter with a beautiful smile and great suggestions. We're thinking of taking a boat to get to one of the islands here and then maybe on another day renting mopeds to go up to Old Goa. We met a family on the train who are originally from Goa but have moved around the country over the last few generations. They told us a story about their annual pilgrimage back home to visit their family shrines. Basically, when the Portuguese were coming, their Hindu ancestors buried their idols so they wouldn't be destroyed by the Catholic colonizers. After the fighting ended the families returned, uncovered the goddesses and built shrines for them. They invited us to come and see them. Such a beautiful strength of spirit, sense of history, real hope for the future, and power over the powerful.

EPILOGUE:
Tricia has done an outstanding job describing our journey to Goa and what we have been doing here. I will simply add that Goa brings my psyche (our, really) back to normal. The sand and the sea and the all powerful sun have a way of recharging the batteries that have been used in out tour the force. Tricia wakes up smiling at the sun piercing through the bamboo, and I wake up singing -

LITTLE TOWN, SUCH A QUIET VILLAGE.
HOT DAY, LIKE THE ONE BEFORE.
LITTLE TOWN, FULL OF LITTLE PEOPLE.
WAKING UP TO SAY, "NAMASTE, NAMASTE."

LOOK THERE HE GOES THE MAN WITH MORE CHAPATI.
HE'S GETTING IT READY FOR US.
ALL WE FEEL IS GREAT SUN.
READY FOR SO MUCH MORE FUN.
IT's ALL SO WELL.

And, with these feeling we get on with our day as Tricia described. For those of you paying attention, yes, this means no OSHO for Tricia. We decided that the sun offered her much more (for less) than OSHO ever could.

And, a special note for my beautiful mother. THIS INDIA, YOU WOULD LOVE!!!!!!

"Into the Woods to Find the Giant..."
www.brazilbean.net

First Came the Rains....

And now the runs have come.

By the way, the monsoons have been confirmed. I have never before experienced such rain, such wind, such huge waves in a bay. Last night the wind was howling, the palm trees were bent over and the waves were crashing at least ten feet high. We're now staying at the Sri Oribindo (sp?) ashram guest house. It's lovely with beautiful gardens, and there are no required meditations. The gates are locked at 10:30, no drugs, drinking or smoking. Easy enough rules. And our balcony looks directly out over the water, our room is big and comfortable. Perfect for the sorry state we are in.

Between Julio's diarrhea and my vomiting, we are (literally) a mess. I've managed to keep down some toast, an improvement over last night when a drink of water made me throw up. It's hard to stay hydrated in those circumstances. It all started--I believe--with our shameful dinner two nights ago. Julio REALLY wanted some pizza (he's been traveling for longer than I have, so I tried to be understanding. There was supposed to be a lovely Italian restaurant with wood fired pizzas, not far from our first hotel. Unfortunately, they were closed. Julio's little heart was set on pizza and we had been on the road for such a long time that we just did it: we caved in and went to the Pizza Hut we had passed on our walk. It was okay, really, and you should have seen Julio's face when he bit into that first slice (wait, there's a picture so you will see it!). The next morning, we paid the price. We both basically peed our poop. I made the mistake of taking Immodium (which works really really well). Whatever gastrointestinal nastiness was inside was then trapped. My body had no choice but to start vomiting... At least this is my theory on why two different people who had eaten the same foods were affected so differently, in terms of the expulsion orifice our bodies chose. And I still have this cold, so the horrible headache I've been experiencing could be from sinuses, caffeine withdrawal or dehydration. who knows.

We're so fortunate that this happened here in Pondicherry, where we planned to stay for several days so we don't have to think about the bus or the train just yet. If this had happened three days ago, it would have been so much harder to handle. Plus, we're both sick at the same time and it's pouring down rain so it would be hard to do much of anything anyway. It's perfect, we're listening to the Life of Pi on the iPod (it takes place in Pondicherry), we sleep, and watch the weather.

Tomorrow the sun is supposed to come out. Keep your fingers crossed for us and our tummies so we can enjoy it.

"Into the Woods to Find the Giant..."
www.brazilbean.net

The Rains Have Come...by Patricia Loomis

The rains have come. The ones everyone's been talking about but we've been lucky
enough to have missed, up until today. We've arrived in Pondicherry (a little
ahead of schedule), this is after about 21 hours of travel, including the
journey from Ernakulum to Madurai on an overnight bus where we arrived at 5am or
so, tired but with a new attitude toward our welcoming committee. Now, we very
graciously thank everyone who offers something to us--most often a rickshaw--
"Oh, THANK YOU, thank you ever so much. We really appreciate the offer but we'll
walk. But really, thank you. You're very kind." It's amazing how it both turns
us around and catches people off guard (for better or worse).

We stopped in Madurai, specifically to see a temple (see, we CAN see the sights
and be good tourists! and you all thought we were just sitting around drinking
coffee, chai, and chatting...) We took a bicycle rickshaw from the temple to
breakfast, a train from Madurai to Villapuram (in unreserved chair class,
crowded but very cheap! it took only two hours longer than we were told it
would). As we arrived at the train station, we--unfortunately--had to burrow
into the very bottom of our packs to find our rain gear. (Tonja, we've been
trying so hard to channel your organization skills and efficiency over the last
few days, often stopping to ask, "What would Tonja do in this situation?" "Why
does this take us so long? If Tonja were here, she'd be showered, packed up, and
halfway to the bus station by now." It's just that before now, it's been nothing
but sunny and hot so my poncho migrated from the easy access part of my bag to
the least accessible part.) The scene we created looking for the raingear was
priceless. In short order, between fifteen and twenty children (and some adults)
were gathered around us, watching as we pulled stuff out, digging through our
things. They were just hanging out on the platform, so we provided some
wonderful entertainment. I have a picture of all of them, watching us in awe.
Not really an "experienced traveller" moment, but we moved on...

This was followed by a local bus to Pondicherry, you know, the kind where the
driver slows down so people can jump off (I got on while it was moving, with my
backpack, poncho and all!)... and finally an auto rickshaw to the hotel. We've
experienced lots of modes of transportation over the last day or so. And it was
just yesterday that we were on a ferry between Ernakulum and Fort Kochi and
earlier today we were wishing we could see the top of the temple from a
helicopter.

So it's pouring outside, I have a nasty cold, and you'll likely hear more from
Julio about how we caved in: a shameless dinner we just had. The beautiful thing
is we have a room with a view of the bay (of Bengal, to be exact), about six
minutes of hot water, (for the equivalent of about $10/night) and several days
in this town so there's no real reason to get up early tomorrow morning.

And we're in India experiencing the tail of the monsoon season. Not at all bad.

"Into the Woods to Find the Giant..."
www.brazilbean.net

YA-BA-DA-BA-DOOO (and a cappucino)

I know I have not written about places lately. Again, with Tricia here I have been both a bit less inclined to write, and super busy running here and there in South India. Anyhoo, a few days ago Tricia and I were thousands of kilometers, and several bus/train/rickshaw rides away in a place called Hampi. The idea to go there came after a suggestion by my friend Kalpana, as well as Lonely Planet. THANK YOU
KALPANA!!!

Hampi is a beautiful place with amazing temples surrounded by equally amazing rock formations. The region is made for discovering nature (rock nature), being in awe of the temples, and imagining of what would have been there before. For instance, the ruins of bazzars still exhist, thus allowing us to imagine the hundreds of people using shops everyday. You can still see simple, yet beautiful carvings on the sides of rocks, and tools that were once used for water or even a rock car with rock wheels-which actually worked! So

India, so Flistones. I found this entry in a travel site and thought it offered a good review of Hampi...

http://www.bootsnall.com/articles/04-04/vijayanagar-wanderings-hampi-india.html

For Tricia and me Hampi offered us a place to learn about how we like to travel, what we love to do, and how we like to experience another world. Hampi meant - the discovery of coffee, or better yet, the search for good coffee by any means necessary.

We started out at a place we had passed by on our way into the city. It boasted "cappucinos" and the site of little cafetera (the little
Italian stove top expresso makers) made our eyes twinkle with excitement. We ran to find a hotel, moved hotels, bargained, and landed in a place for R200/night. No hot water needed since Hampi's heat is like New Mexico's but in India. We showered since we had been in an DIRTY overnight train (worst than the one Tricia wrote about. Yes, there is such a thing) and got ready for our coffee.

We went to the little restaurant and ordered a pot and some puri for breakfast. We peaked to see how the coffee was being made, and suddenly the man appeared from the back of the restaurant with a tray with a cafetera, 2 glasses and hot milk. We were thrilled, but hesitant. After all, black coffee does not mean good coffee.

We meticulously measured the milk on each glass. Like brother and sister. You know, "I pour and choose the one you want." Then, slowly but surely we poured the dark, black, thick coffee into the milk and watched quietly, holding our breath, while the coffee mized with the milk. The milk turned a light brown, then it progressively turned darker until the process was over. We had the exact same amount of coffee on each glass, and we also have pictures to prove it. Then, we did a very important thing. We each held our glass, feelilng the warmth and power of the coffee between our fingers, and we closed our eyes, and we prayed. We prayed to Jesus, Abraham, Shiva, Moses, and even Juan Valdez. Then we slowly brought the coffee glasses to our mouths and took our first sip.

SCORE!!!!!!

It was so yummy. WOW. Sure it wasn't my mother's coffee, or Tonja's brew, but HELL, we are in India and we found one good cup of coffee. Beggers can't be choosers, and since we are choosers (we rejected many cups prior to this one) this was a true experience.

We drank that coffee like it was from the G-ds. This may be sinful to say. But that coffee was to us what I believe the waters of the Ganges are to Hindus - totally spiritual and washed away all past bad cups!!!

We celebrated that moment and we were so happy we did. We went back the next day and it was not so good. We then committed to trying every coffee place with a "cappucino" sign on it. Now, this is Hampi, little town in India, not LA. This mean 3-4 places. No made our cut, not even close. So, we settled for Nescafe for a while and then (because we are such hopeful souls) we went back to our place one last time and the coffee was good, not as good, but strong and with an attitude.

Hampi also marked the beginning of our swinging back into our addiction with a vengeance. Today, the mornings are tough and the afternoons hell. But we are managing. We now carry Nescafe, just in case. OK, while all the things on this last couple of sentences are
true we are also trying to slow-down. I (julio) have a goal to go back to tea between when Tricia leaves and Drew arrives. Tricia I am certain will go back to decaf. We'll see, but until then we are still in South India and somewhere we will find the "right cup."

Ooops, we gotta go, there is a place called Coffee.com around the corner and even though Tricia has been vomiting and I have had the runs for 24 hours we must have some joy in life...

"Into the Woods to Find the Giant..."
www.brazilbean.net

By TRICIA: Tour de Force

Where we've been and where we're going... For all of you out there poring over your maps of India, wondering where in the world we are, I can tell you we've been nearly everywhere, and where we haven't yet been, that is where we are going. Sounds like a riddle, doesn't it?
...feels that way, too.

I have only one month to travel with Julio in South India. India is huge. This is not enough time to see the south, but both heaven and Vishnu know we are doing our best, hence the Tour de Force of southern India.

So far, we've been to Mumbai, Goa, Hampi, Bangalore, Mysore, and Cochi. Tomorrow night we'll take a bus to Madurai and arrive in the morning (it's a new kind of sleeper bus seat: it sits upright and then... it reclines flat! we haven't yet tried this kind of seat so in some ways it's rather exciting, but in other ways--almost every other way-- it's really not. THE TRAIN IS MUCH BETTER. We like the train: no bumps, quiet, very few disruptive stops, polite conductors, optional breakfast/coffee/tea, more reliable schedule... the list goes on and on.) After a day in Madurai, we travel to Pondicherry for few days. Then we have to get ourselves to Chennai for a super-long train ride back to Goa. A few days on the beach, on to Pune (Osho! Osho! Osho!) and then back to Mumbai to put me on the plane. It's insane. Everyone we meet agrees that our schedule is crazy, too quick, but we' re doing quite well if I do say so myself. Our rule (to be broken over the next two days) is that between overnight transport, we have to sleep in a stationary place for at least one night.

We create scenes wherever we go, but of course we did this at school, in western MA, in LA, everywhere we've been together so it's really only new to the Indians. While in Hampi, we went to the barber for an adventure in getting Julio's fade just right. Language was a problem so I had to finish it up. It actually looked pretty good for someone who's never done a fade before... So now, not only is Julio a foot taller than everyone else and much more animated (it's dangerous to eat across the table from him because of the combination of food on his fingers and his gesticulations) but now he's nearly bald. And though I'm Indian-sized and fit quite nicely in rickshaws, on sleeper trains and on busses, I am blonde and white. (Yes, Tonja, I am white and am having my long-due "other" experience.) We dance in the streets, we return hellos with even brighter hellos, take pictures with all the kids who want to see themselves on the digital screen, stare back at the men who stare at me, lecture rickshaw drivers on morality and fight them when they try to cheat us, we drink a lot of (caffeinated) coffee and continue to laugh at the world, at frustrations, ourselves and think about when we're old we'll have these memories.

In some ways, we're lazy tourists, not too interested in seeing the sights, content to sit at a chai stand hanging out with the people who sit there every day with each other. This is what we do: we sit in coffee shops, talk, listen and watch... this is what we have always done, now we're doing it in India, it's perfect. We're almost past the point (I think) where Julio sits across from me and says, "Hi Tricia Loomis, in India," and we sit in amazement of our circumstances.

Some people have asked what happened at 17:15 on the 15th, the end of my honeymoon with India. It was a chain of events, really, culminating in a rickshaw driver interaction. We were arriving in Mysore and just needed a few minutes to get ourselves together (calling the hotel, figuring out where we were on the map) and of course, the welcoming committee was waiting for us and wouldn't let us go without trying to give out all kinds of conflicting information and only about 2 inches of personal space. We had just gotten off a hot, sticky bus ride where there were a group of men, smelling of drink, who were making comments about me and staring. For once, I was so happy not to understand what was being said. Before that, we had a challenging and frustrating time at the train station in Bangalore and walked through an underground walkway with inches of brownish stinky water (I hope?) in some sections (thank heaven for my Keens). It added up to a lot. Thankfully, I have--since then--become more capable at handling train reservations, pushing in line, phone calls and the run-arounds so it's not all on Julio to work this stuff out. We had a pretty successful transportation reservation day two days ago, with both of us taking parts of it.

My hour's up, lovelies. Namaste.

"Into the Woods to Find the Giant..."
www.brazilbean.net

By TRICIA: My Honeymoon is Over

Yesterday, my honeymoon with India ended. It happened at about 17:15 in the afternoon.

Not to say I'm unhappy or want to come home... not at all. I still love India, it's just that our relationship has changed a bit. I have more realistic expectations and have come to see some of the aspects of traveling here with a new perspective. I think as the honeymoon period comes to an end, denial takes over (that may have lasted a day or so before I realized our honeymoon was over... I still wanted to BELIEVE that train tickets could be had with simplicity, that people could, if pressed, give us the information we needed, that I could say "no, I don't want to buy that sticker/postcard/guidebook/banana/tour/rickshaw/taxi" without being followed...).

The current stage is ACCEPTANCE. I am working on this. I accept this country for what it is, all the 1.1 billion people who live here and must find some way to scrape by. I understand some of the long history and complex culture that combine to limit the mobility of the people of India (in contrast to the world I know in the US and our American dream). I know about the distinctions between the developed and developing world and see how globalization is affecting this country (for better or worse). I recognize the gross income disparity that slaps us all in the face when people like me (RICH people) come to India to travel.

The key, I think, is to remind myself of these truths and to focus on the beautiful things, the parts of India I fell in love with a week ago, and the new beautiful things that happen to put my head over my heels all over again. In some ways, I love the madness, the noise, the smells, the constant crush of people. I love the landscape, the sunshine, the warmth, the food, the generosity of some of the people we've met, their sincerity, their spirituality, their culture... I could go on and on.

This is all happening very fast, I know. We just met a week ago, somewhere in there we connected, wed and took a honeymoon. I'm sorry, India, that it ended. I still love you.... I really think we can work this out.

"Into the Woods to Find the Giant..."
www.brazilbean.net

LIVING and LEARNING

I HATE RICKSHAW DRIVERS!!!

So, I am a bit in a sour mood right now. Not because of the beautiful day that Tricia and I had in the back waters of Kerala. We spent the day going in and out of riverbanks in a house boat, then we changed to a five person canoe and went into even smaller riverettes (i am sure there is an official english name for these). The day was hot and the waters were beautiful.

Why am I annoyed? RICKSHAW drivers.

These guys are the bane of my existence here. In my nearly two months here they have only been honest once or twice. I have learned that they are also the bane of Indians' existence. This, unfortunately, does not make me feel better. Here in Kochi, as in many places, they have meeters, but claim these are broken when everyone gets into them. Lately Tricia and I have taken matters into our own hands by demanding the meter be turned on, or by turning the meter on ourselves. Still, it is annoying. More recently, tonight, we tried another strategy after we asked a guy to turn on the meter, he said no and we decided (out of spite and to hold to our values) to walk. The new strategy is. get in the rickshaw, let them take us where we want to go, and pay them what we believe it must be. This, as you might guess, is not popular with them, but it works. I just get really annoyed and just want to punch somebody, just sock them silly. I can give many people a lesson about the evils of the world and how the economy should provide good jobs, and blah, blah, blah, but cheatting is not right. It is not right to do it to foreigners or Indians.

I HATE RICKSHAW DRIVERS!!!

These experiences, and many others, are teaching me what I like and don't like about traveling. I don't like to move around too much. I like to get somewhere and stay there. I like to get to know a place, say hello to the chai guy because he has seen me for many days. I like to have tried several restaurants and go to my favorite one many times. I like to sleep on the same bed (clean or not) for more than two nights. I like to walk without using my map. I like to know where the best place to watch the sunset is, and I like to get up when I feel like it (which has meant 8am). I like to leave a place when it feels like I want a new experience. I like small towns. I don't like big cities, unless the big cities have good transportation (meter!). I also like to know at least one person in the big city. I love food, of all types. I love, love to try different foods. I now eat spicy food - green chilly peppers, black ones and sometimes I venture into red. I love coffee more than chai and I am an addict. MY NAME IS JULIO DANTAS and I AM A PROUD CAFFEINE ADDICT. I like people who like to exchange ideas and laugh, regardless of how much they speak any of the languages I speak. I like people who feed me endlessly. I like mineral water. I have a quiet side and it is only clear when I have not quiet available to me in my life. I like a moment alone between me and my coffee. I don't like to be bothered when that is happening. Chai time is also golden. This "quiet" time is at 3-3:30pm. All other times I am happy to carry on with someone about my and their lives.

I have also been a bit too logistical lately. Ok, not too logistical - necessarily logistical. With Tricia here for a short time, Drew's eminent arrival, and my departure to Vietnam I have been checking email every day for arrivals, calling hotels, making sure tours are in place, etc. Tricia is a great travel partner, and Drew is basically taking care of himself, and Vicky has done much of the work for Vietnam, but it is still details and details that I wish G-d would take care of for me. Alas, being a mortal is so hard. Especially a middle class mortal living in a developed nation. Snif, snif, for me.

Ok, abrupt closure, but I must depart to look at logistical emails.

Hugs to All,
Julio

"Into the Woods to Find the Giant..."
www.brazilbean.net

From Tonja To Tricia

Amazing Emails: We, the travelers, still have to address issues at home...all issues. All of you know how much I love these two. This email is a riot (and important) all at the same time.

From Tonja To Tricia:
Questions about our benifits.

(1)?Seeing as you got your contacts for the year and you have an rx with which you could get glasses before the end of the year, should I sign us up for the eyemed plan for '06. it costs $240 for the year. If you would like it, do not hesitate to say so, but wanted to put it to you.

(2) What are the chances you would have a baby before 1/07?? (you?would have to be preg by 3/06)?I ask because the plan we have charges $500 for a hosp admission. So, if you were to say, "yeah, one of the things I wanted to talk to you about is that I am ready to start trying RIGHT AWAY. I want to have a baby ASAP", then we might be better off bumping up our coverage. This is not to pressure you in any way, just thought I would make sure your thoughts have not majorly changed.

Love you, tonja

"Into the Woods to Find the Giant..."
www.brazilbean.net

Knowing My Limits, and Still Trying to Be Feminist "Friend"

To all my female friends, from International Correspondent: Patricia Loomis...

THE Art (or is it science?) of Changing a Tampon over an Indian Toilet

Julio has shared so much about his travels on his blog (http://brazilbean.blogspot.com), but there are some things he cannot know. Some things that may be uncomfortable for some readers, therefore:

READER DISCRETION ADVISED. The content of this message is rated R for discussion of the female reproductive system, graphic scenes, and some coarse language.

First, let me describe what an Indian--or squat--toilet is like, for those of you who may have never encountered one: It's a toilet stall, usually with a door, where the "seat" of the toilet is not raised English style, but rather is flush with the level of the floor, meaning that it is not a seat at all, but more like a hole in the ground, or the floor, wherever. Speaking of flush, there is none. At outdoor facilities like this, there is very rarely a sink with running water, usually no garbage can, and the floor is literally puddled with "misses". I always roll up my pants legs before going in because otherwise, when I squat down, they would get wet.

Second, a little information--kind of on the personal side--is needed before I continue. I use applicator-free tampons. Why? They're compact (useful when back-packing), they create less waste and I never had a problem with using them (some women are uncomfortable with the concept). In the squat toilet world, they are a bit of trouble though. Your hands need to be clean to put in the thing (organic, bleach-free cotton, of course... you can take the bourgoise (sp?) girl out of the developed world but you can't take the bougie out of the girl, at least when it comes to certain things)... but as soon as you touch the bathroom door your hands are no longer clean (and they weren't to begin with). And finally, you need to be able to clean your finger after inserting the tampon.

Third, what do you do with the old one when there's no garbage and the toilet empties out into something that goes somewhere where it's not treated? You take it with you of course, but that seems messy...

The solution to all this?
Baby wipes!!! Strategically stored baby wipes and a few squares of toilet paper... This is where cargo pants come in handy. But this must all be carefully planned out before getting near the facility.

The Steps:
1) Make sure you have the supplies you need: tampon, 1-2 baby wipes, and a few squares of TP.
2) Roll up the pant legs.
3) Enter the stall and take a deep breath, or then again, maybe not... breathe before you go in and try not to breathe until you're all done.
4) Remove your supplies and hold them in one hand while undoing your pants. Squat. This will create a lap shelf to put the supplies on.
5) Remove the old tampon and do any necessary related business. Wrap used tampon in toilet paper and put on the lapshelf. (I know, but it's better than putting it on the puddled floor.)
6) Use a wipe to clean your hands (hand sanitizer is a bad idea... ouch! it's alcohol based!).
7) Unwrap and insert tampon.
8) Clean up with baby wipe or TP.

Done!

"Into the Woods to Find the Giant..."
www.brazilbean.net

Home Laugther While In India

Email between Roger, a wonderful friend who has an amazing coffee and specialty cookies business in Los Angeles and has been named as one of the TOP 49 things every person in Los Angeles should try. My mother is a professional Brazilian Bikini Waxer (aka: pussy waxer) working on a book about her clients' experiences.

FROM ROGER to RENY:

Reny,

Thank you for the words of encouragement. I love the chapters of the book I read and practically fell of the elliptical machine at the gym. I know what you mean about work work work, and you are right that when you love what you do, it doesn't tire you as much. Since I am a perfectionist, most of the time, I work by myself t'ill the late or early mornings.

I am so happy for you! I look forward to getting an authograph copy. If you have a chance to run down to Borders be sure to pick up the November issue of Los Angeles Magazine (we are item 42 of 46 things every Angeleno should taste) Food Lover's Guide Issue, and Travel Savvy Magazine (Nov Issue) - They selected us as the # 4 Marshmallow Maker in the Nation....he he he :)

When you talk to your son, "Jew-lhio", tell him not to take the Jew part of his name so serious and shoot me an email. I was worried when India was shaking and emailed him, but he never got back. I found out from Drew that he was OK, so that was good. He needs to pick a safe place to settle, after all you named him Julio not Mosses so he shouldn't be wandering around for 40 more years I hope. I don't see him often, but he holds a special place in my fat little heart.

Anyways, back to work here. Paul and I wish you all a wonderful Holiday Season. Be sure to tell all your VIP clients that coffee is good for their pussies ;).

Hugs,

Roger

Roger Navas-Balladares
www.SplitBeanCoffee.com
Tel - (818) 448-5185
Fax- (309) 210-8449

"Into the Woods to Find the Giant..."
www.brazilbean.net

1.1 Billion People, and Counting

In Mysore, Karnataka State, at an internet place with Tricia. We just went to an amazing ALL YOU CAN EAT Thaly place. I had 6 servings, Tricia had 4 (yes, Tricia had 4) and we could not get up. It was fabulous. We ate on banana leaves, a staple in the South, and Tricia got to try eating with her hands. It was fabulous, and she will write more about it.

For now, I wanted to say a few words about 1.1 billion people. I am especially inspired because today I was body slammed (not intentionally), I got hit by a bike, and I walked into a rickshaw, all in a 4 minutes span. I am fine, laughing a lot with Tricia, and fine. Oh yes, and Tricia was nearly assassinated by a vegetable cart.

India has over 3.5 times the number of people the US has. There are people everywhere. In the bathroom there is always someone, in the bus the seats are almost always filled and some people stand, the trains are crazy with people everywhere, the internet cafes, the restaurants and especially the streets are crazy. The idea of a moment alone is foreign concept. If you don't like people, don't come to India is the main message. I am not judging the people in India. Most of the Indians I have met are wonderful, except for rickshaw drivers, but it's that there are so many people. So, with so many people I would like to give you some Indian moments that span the globe of experiences...

-I asked a man if he could tell me where I could get a pair of pants. He told, "follow-me, my shop!" I thought great. I entered his shop and saw thousands of shirts. I asked about the pants, and he said, "sir just take a look at some shirts." I rolled my eyes and walked out.

-You have heard, and I will tell you again. Every time foreigners get off a bus we have a welcoming committee. Two days ago there were about 18 guys standing outside the bus door as we walked out. All yelling, RICKSHAW, HOTEL, RICKSHAW, POSTCARDS. The number of people means that you have to take the experiences you have had as a tourist every where else and multiply it by 100.

-I often try to find a spot in a restaurant to sit quietly. I order my coffee/chai and sort of hide by looking into my book, or turning on my IPOD. The other day Tricia and I went for coffee with this same idea. The restaurant was EMPTY. We were so happy. They waiter asked us what we wanted, served our coffee, and then pulled up a chair and sat with us. He did not say anything, he just sat there, put on my sunglasses and waived at the people that passed by.

-I often ask a travel agent to look up at train ticket for me. He tells me the trains that are available. I then ask about a different route, and he often says my suggested route does not exist. He then tells me about buses. Then, I change my dates and he goes into the computer and offers me ticket in the route that moments earlier did not exist. I look at him and ask, always, "would it have been so hard to tell me truth a moment ago so that we did not have to do this twice?" He looks at me as if I am the crazy one.

-Train stations are amazing. Imagine a section about a quarter a football field. This is the size of some of the areas outside of train stations. When I take middle of the night trains, I walk over literally 1,000-1,500 people sleeping on the ground. At 4am, 6pm, 11pm, 2am, there are people at the train station, trains are coming and going and there is someone yelling CCCCCCHHHHHAAAAAAAAIIIIIIII

These are just a few moments of India and its people. The sheer number makes for both a variety of experiences and then the same experiences multiplied by 100.

Ok, I am fading here. It is going to be 10pm and I have a few pounds of food in my stomach. I need to sleep.

Oh yes, one more thing. We had a great day today. We visited one of the men who was in my Himalayas tour and whose daughter works for Human Rights Watch India. We did not see her, but will see her the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow we will be picked up by another person from my tour who will take us to their home for breakfast and who will give us a tour of Mysore. We are really looking forward to it.

Lots of hugs,

Julio

"Into the Woods to Find the Giant..."
www.brazilbean.net

The SLEEPER (NOT!) Bus- By Tricia

Dear all, With Tricia here I am on a little hiatus. Below is her entry of our eventful life in the last couple of days...

By Tricia:
{ Sorry, everyone, for the delay in telling you about the night bus. I know the anticipation must be building, but probably not as much as my frustration with keyboards, slow access, and lost emails. This is the third time I've written this. }

THE SLEEPER BUS from Mumbai to Goa. 8pm-8am
Imagine a big Greyhound bus, super fancy luxury Volvo AC bus. It's converted to a sleeper by adding bunks where the overhead storage would be. A few seats remain in the front of the bus, these are for people who bought "sitting" tickets instead of "sleeping" tickets. Our sleeping shelf was the second one on the right hand side, over the heads of a few people sitting below. Now, some of the bunks had ladders to help you climb up but not ours, so we used the bar meant to keep you from rolling out to hoist ourselves up... We laughed, in near hysterics, once we saw what we were in for on our 12 hour ride and appreciated the fact that we are as close as we are and that we like each other as much as we do. The bunk was about three feet wide, maybe 3.5, and this was a double sleeper, NOT a single. It's about 6.5 feet long, with a ceiling that slopes down toward the window (thank Shiva for the window, we got to look through the top six inches of it... without that I think the claustrophobic in me would have lost it). There were six inches from the tip of my nose to the ceiling and probably 12-18 inches above Julio's head. Thanks to Bikram yoga, our skeletal systems have improved enough that we could sit, with our spines curled over, for short periods of time. We grew very skilled at using our feet to retrieve items from the bottom of the bunk. But basically, we had to be horizontal for the duration of the trip.

We found all of this to be VERY funny, but it got even better. The bus made several stops in Mumbai and at one of them, along with the new passengers came an extremely strong, very foul odor. India is famous for the smells it offers (not always good). I don't know if stench rises like heat, but this one was truly awful. (If anyone knows the answer, let me know. A prize to the first believable response.) The doors were shut and we were trapped on our shelf with the curtains closed, covering our noses and trying not to breathe, all while laughing like a couple of lunatics. The conductor, in trying to remedy the problem, only made it worse by spraying an aerosol can of air freshener along the length of the bus. We could actually see the mist coming over the top of the curtain, into our bunk. It was possibly worse than the original odor.

Not too long after that, they switched from the radio to the soundtrack of a Bollywood film and when I say soundtrack, I mean the ACTUAL soundtrack, complete dialogue and fight scenes included. I heard the whole movie because it was impossible to sleep, I'll never know how Julio managed with me tossing and turning and the bus lurching in all directions. [Our night bus was not unlike the Knight Bus of the wizarding world:it didn't fly, but there were lots of tight turns, quick stops and starts, causing us to be thrown in all directions and bounced around as the bus went over potholes and bumps in the road...]

The bus stopped every four hours or so for people to use the toilet. I was desperate by the first stop and woke Julio up to tell him we stopped, scaring him with all my excitement. Then I couldn't find the toilet... In wandering around, I came across these really angry, really loud honking geese that greeted people as the went into the rest stop. Finally, I found the place, the most disgusting squat toilet that I was ever so happy to see. (Thanks also to Charlie and Kim for teaching me and Bikram Choudury for including awkward pose in the series; it makes squatting over a hole so much more manageable.)

The truth is, that despite all of what could have made for a terrible night, I was so happy to be in India, to be with Julio, that I lay awake actually smiling at the ceiling, composing this email in my head and looking out the window at the passing lights until we got far enough away from cities and it grew too dark to see anything.

I woke Julio up again at 9:00am when the conductor yelled, "Welcome to Goa! It has been a very slow ride!" We quickly packed up all our stuff to find out that it was just a chai stop and that we were being welcomed to the state of Goa, not the final stop. Julio asked the driver how much longer the trip would be: about two hours. We plugged in the ipod, laughed some more and danced around in our bunk, on our backs. Julio--amazingly--fell asleep again and woke up at the next stop where people started gathering their things and getting off the bus. After getting our packs from under the bus, we were harassed by a barrage of rickshaw drivers, taxi drivers and motorcycle taxi drivers (These last said that both of us and both of our packs would fit on the motorcycle, no problem). We got some sweets and started making phone calls to lodging places in Colva, the beach town we were ultimately going to, six miles away from Margao. At this point, this was my second night without sleep, and Julio had just woken up.

Maybe ten minutes later, we realized that we were not, in fact, in Margao but rather in a town called Mapusa in the northern part of the state. We wanted to be much farther south of where we actually were. Of course, our bus was long gone and we had no choice but to negotiate with some of the taxi and rickshaw drivers, whose prices seemed to make a lot more sense now. We chose an autorickshaw, deciding that we didn't want the local bus experience at that particular point in time. An hour later, we made it to Colva and took the first lodging option we came across. It took them an hour to clean our room, so instead of arriving on the beach at 8:30 or 9:00 as we had hoped, it was more like 2:30 before we walked into town, found some food to eat and walked down the beach.

We decided that the sleeper bus experience was one we were okay with having, but one that would not be repeated. Lo and behold, two nights later we were on another, from Margao to Hampi (the town where we are now). We opted for sitting tickets this time (they're cheaper). I won't get into the details here ( but here's a taste: cockroaches crawling up the walls, this one was NOT a VOLVO AC luxury sleeper)... believe me when I tell you that this was also eventful and unbelievable, mostly because of the crew in charge of the operation. Everything that happens here is somehow either absurd or just beautifully eventful and memorable. Every day seems like a week, but in a truly wonderful way, it's just time passing differently. I'd love to stay here longer.

Love to you all,
Tricia in India

"Into the Woods to Find the Giant..."
www.brazilbean.net

GOA: Beach and Sun, After a Tumultous Arrival (See Tricia Entry for Latter)

Tricia has shared with you our crazy trek to GOA. Suffice to say, with the two of us, it was cause for endless laugther and craziness. A golden moment was when, at midnight Tricia awoke me on the bus stating "OH MY G-D, THE BUS STOP. WE CAN GO TO THE BATHROOM. GET UP, LET'S GO!" It was like someone gave her this prize after 4 hours of travel. It was a riot.

Today was one of those days that makes the ticket price to India all worth it. We sat on the beach all day. We had breakfast at the beach, we were given a choice of fishes for lunch, and we ate the fish. The man brought a tray of different fishes (yes, raw and whole) and asked us which one we wanted. We chose one and told him how we wanted it done. Grilled with nothing. We added the salt, pepper and lots of lime. It was exquisite with the india/portuguese rice and the chips (french fries). We ate our meal looking at the Arabian Sea, which by the way, is a beautiful body of water in which to swim. You should all try it.

Having Tricia here has been wonderful. Apart from the obvious reason, which is that she is here and I love her so much, it has been nice to share India with someone else. Seeing her having experiences for the first time signals to me that I have been initiated, that I am learning, and that I have matured as a traveler and someone who is in the world in a more experienced way. Being able to be here for her also makes me feel like I am more comfortable in my new skin. The best tool to deal with crazy India has of course, been to tell everyone we are married in our honeymoon and that we don't want to be bothered. It has worked and we will milk it for what it's worth.

Goa is beautiful. OK, Colva, one of the many, many Goan beaches is beautiful. Once you walk away from the main drag where the crowds are you can find quiet places with seaside restaurants that let you sit peacefully and offer foods from China, Italy and India. It's is a tourist and middle to upper crust India paradise and trust me, it is the sector of Indian I am sticking to for a while. Tonight we are off to Hampi and the next 2 weeks we will be the whirling dervishes like a mad people getting through the south, and then back to Goa for Rumina (Chilean girl from Rishikesh) birthday for 4-5 days before we go back to Bombay where Tricia leaves from.

I am doing well. I think I am directing my madness to the right people - rickshaw and taxi drivers. I am also sitting more comfortably in the craziness, the smells, the noize and the madness. I do like quieter India, and I am also glad Bombay exhists I loved it there. It was a great urban experince. I think it was the metered taxis that made the difference. I didn't have to haggle, I could just get on the cab and tell them to turn the meter on.

That's it for now. Sorry if this wasn't not REALLY INTERESTING, but I am resting a little with Tricia here. She is telling you the details, which gives me a little time to rest. Hehe.

A month from tomorrow Drew arrives, and I will get to see Sarita and Eddie. I am so excited about that as well. Yet, I know a whole lifetime will pass before that day. It's funny, every day here is so intensily full. I have been here for 40+ days, and at the same time it feels like I have been here for a year.

Kisses to all,

Julio

"Into the Woods to Find the Giant..."
www.brazilbean.net

KUSHAL (His First Entry...)

the first time i saw julio at the osho meditation resort i was shocked to see that he looked just like me... the same color skin,the same eyes,the same hair color n style,the same strong jawline,the beautiful long neck, the identical toned up near-perfect physique,the voice,the stance,the graceful yet strong movement and strangely he was wearing the exact same outfit that i was...a beautiful silk maroon robe.i couldn't believe it...
ofcourse it was much later that i realised that he was just another fan pulling off another one of those attention seeking stunts... so i said it was no point avoiding him, i just spoke to him and thats how he met me...

and now for the real thing...

ive never met a more energetic,fun loving,honest,genuine,kind and golden hearted man like julio.he lightens up the dullest of places and the dullest of people...and ive experienced that with him.no matter what mood im in, he just would shake u up with his histronics and his energy and make u believe that hey!! this is one life and u gotta enjoy it, not just sit there sad and let it pass by u.

i admire the cause that he works for,the reason for his travels and his amazing ability to win people over just by completely being himself... i don't think he needs an osho to convince him to do that...if at all, he could teach the great osho a thing or two.

it was a great experience meeting him although it was a quite a short time we spent together but in this case, time really never got the better of us...all 4 of us enjoyed so much and i really feel that after so many years i took the first step to go to a place like the 'OMR' and this was the reason...not some old bearded man in a diamond cap and a gold robe telling me what to do...but infact it was to meet julio and atimati, two friends for life.i hope they feel the same 2..

all in all, i felt so much positive energy around me when sammy,julio and atimati were together and thats what its all about.spending time with people who dont judge u for what u are or what u do, but just enjoy being with u as long as u do 2.

i have to sign off now as my agents and producers have been waiting for hours outside my mansion but i will be back updating more on the lifestyles of the rich, famous and the bollywood stars...

love
kosho

"Into the Woods to Find the Giant..."
www.brazilbean.net

TRICIA (Her First Entry)

Tricia arrived last night, a little tired, a lot excited, and we already spent
a day in the great INDIA. I am so excited to have her her to myself for so
many days. We are off to Goa tonight in an overnight, sleeper bus.

Here is her entry of her first day...

Dear all,

I haven't yet been in Mumbai twenty-four hours, so count all yourselves lucky that I'm managing through my jet lag to send you this.

Note: This list may include several people who might be surprised to learn that I have arrived in India at all. It was less than three weeks ago that I decided to drop everything, face my fears and join one of my dearest friends during his travels in south India.

My plane arrived in Mumbai at 11:40ish at night. I quickly got through customs, waited a while for my bag (thank you Yolanda--I fit everything in there, it comes in at slightly less than 20 lbs, a weight I'm sure I'll grow more and more accustomed to), and went through several security scans to find a huge crowd of people standing outside the airport (all men, I think) waiting for arrivals. There among them was one who stood out, literally. Standing a foor taller than most Indians, and waving his arms, Julio was hard to miss. I wish I had a picture: kind of a where's waldo scene except in this case waldo's trying to be noticed. Julio had arranged a taxi to take us to the Salvation Army. This took what sounds like several days of bargaining with local taxi drivers until he found one willing to drive to the airport, wait for us to walk back to him (for some reason he's not licensed/allowed to enter the airport where the rest of the cabs were, so we walked to where he was waiting by a "tea shop") all for a third of the original price for a ride to the airport. (I never saw a tea shop, maybe it comes during the day only?) After a harrowing taxi ride, dodging other cars, trucks, dogs, people and cattle, and about an hour we arrived at the hostel. Remember this is now about 1:00am, on the 9th. I left on the 7th. I'm still very confused about where the time went. We showered and then went to bed around 2:00, 2:30 maybe?

In all my anticipation, excitement and confusion about the proper time, I didn't really sleep much last night. We kind of slowly got up and got organized, which mostly consisted of unpacking and repacking to get ready for the night bus we're taking to Goa tonight. It's a sleeper bus. how creative, how restful (?). I'll let you know how that goes... So this morning we went to a chain coffee bar for some pretty yummy cappucino and an almond raisin muffin (yellow raisins, so they blended in pretty well, honey: eek!). I know, not very Indian, but Julio was determined to ease me into this experience. We did some talking about how to plan the month I'm here, the places we want to go to, how to get there... It's an absolutely amazing experience to be here with Julio, doing this. For all of you who have kept up with his blog like I have, now I'm IN it, the IT that he's been describing so exquisitely and genuinely over the last 40+ days. Can you imagine?

Then we took a cab to meet some of Julio's Osho friends at a bookshop remarkably like a Border's or Barnes and Noble. They are lovely people. We had lunch and then parted ways. One, Sammy, lives in Mumbai, teaching yoga and doing massage. The other, Etimati (sp?), an Australian, is going back to Pune, to the crazy Osho place. After that, Julio and I walked around the city for a while, looking for a deal on a memory card for his new camera (which he seems happy with, though we had a laugh when, on the second picture, the little tiny thing slipped out of his hands and hit the table: an inevitable event when it comes to new things, don't you think?). After lots of inspired bargaining with lots of stand-owners, he did get a pretty good deal. I took a picture of Julio aand the shop owner who promised not to argue if Julio has to come back under the "limited" warranty sold with the memory card.

The city is very dusty and smoggy, and there are so many things going on at once, between the traffic (the daytime busy-ness put what I saw last night to shame: more cars, more bicycles, more motorcycles, and many more people, more more more!), the buildings, the constant honking, the shops, the people, that it's hard to know what to look at, and where to walk. It seems like when there is a sidewalk, it has a ditch winding through the middle of it, causing pedestrians to constantly step back and forth over the rut to maneuver around people and the constantly shifting places for feet.

We went to Haji Ali's mosque and the Mahalaxmi temple, being stared at all the way. People seem to be intrigued by me, possibly as much as I am by them. One man asked Julio if he could pose for a picture with me. Julio would not allow it until the man asked me directly if I was willing to stand next to him in a photo (taken with our camera, so this man will never see it). He finally understand what Julio was demanding, he asked me, I said ok, and then I looked up and a crowd of thirty men were standing there. Another what we're calling Sharon Stone moments happened later when somebody just stepped into the photo, holding his child, smiling.

Love to you all,
Tricia

"Into the Woods to Find the Giant..."
www.brazilbean.net

A-tomato, Atimati, Sammy the Supergirl, and Bollywood's Own Kosho

In many ways this is an open letter of love...to new friends.

I believe in destiny. I believe that things happen for a reason. I believe in karma, and I believe in past lives. I have always believed these things, and I am always glad when experiences remind me they are probably true. Meeting the OSHO pod has been one of those times.

There are other people that have come in my life like these three individuals - Terry Wooten, Salvador Vidal Ortiz, Damiana Sampaio, Miles, Anston, and others. These are people that, really, for no real rhyme or reason we just "saw" each other and most of them continue to be a significant part of my life. Others I have not spoken to in months, but they are in my heart, deeply. That's how I feel about the OSHO pod.

Sammy has a way of making the world both a more beautiful and more loving place. She wears her emotions in her beautiful face and that makes her purity come through so candidly. Her giggles are infectious, she is a great dancer, a riot to be around, and she is a fabulous yoga instructor.

Kushal is, well, simply lovely. (Secretly, he is pretty amazing, but I don't want his head to get bigger). His on-screen charisma is just as evident in person. He leads in very delicant and confident way and his the charm of gentleman. Yet, he, like all three of us, is a kid at heart and loves a crazy breathing exercise and dance. And, his metrosexuality goes beyond asthetics and runs deeper into his politics and openess to others, a refreshing thing relative to the other Indian men I have come across.

Atimati is the person I spent time with the most - about 10 days - and she is simply a jewel. She is in an amazing place in her life. After a few intensily crazy years of professional work she gave it all up to be an astrologer (who does NOT predict the future), and is not taking them time and energy we all need to be with the flow of the world, instead of trying to drive it. She eminates an amazingly open, loving and yet imperfect energy that allows those of us around her to be ourselves without pretense.

Together these three folks, along with my energy, created an amazing space in which we could dance, play, and simply let ourselves go into ourselves. For this, I hope all of us will in some way be able to stay connected with each other. Their space in my heart is already theirs and I hope our lives allows these spaces to be shared more in he future.

I wanted to publicly thank them for being so naturally fabulous, for opening their hearts up to each other and me, and for their willingness to accept my wonderful craziness as well.

"Into the Woods to Find the Giant..."
www.brazilbean.net

OSHO Closing

It's been a few days since I left OSHO now. I have been in Bombay waiting for Tricia who is now sitting beside me on a computer. YEAH!

The last couple of days a OSHO were great. Thankfully Sammy decided to stay longer and we got a chance to do some more breathing and crazy dancing. She then left on Friday and Atimati and I stayed until Sunday to dance some more and to meditate. It was nice as I got a groove going on letting go of my class analysis and focus on what the meditation techniques had to offer. And yes, the pool made the experience better too.

The best part about OSHO was laughing meditation (LM), an unforgettable experience which I wish all of you could have been there for. As it was, Atimati and I had a blast. It is important to remember that all that Sammy, Kushal, Atimati and I did for several days was laugh. We kind of became the laughing pod at OSHO. At one point we would laugh and a table beside us would imitate or join in. It was truly infectious. So, going to LM was natural, or so we thought. The instructor asked all 100+ of us to join her for directions. She started and immediately Atimati and I started laughing non-stop. The instructor laughed too and explained that she was happy we were ready. As she went through instructions, we laughed.

The instructions or laugther meditation are:
A) 30 minutes of non-stop laughter. The laughter should come from inside, but you can sometimes look at other people.
B) 15 minutes of lying flat on the floor, face down, and feeling the power of the earth (or of OSHO's marble floor).
c) 15 minutes of free flow - yes - dancing. This was done to keltic music. Odd, but cool.

She said go and we were off. Atimati and I were naturally laughing, and thinking - what the hell are we doing? We laughed so hard we could not stand up. At one point I bowed down because my stomach was hurting and banged my head on the marble floor. It hurt, but I could do nothing but laugh, and Atimati pointed and laughed at me. Then, she kept trying to get herself up against the wall, but never succeeded, a fact that made me laugh a lot. Finally, we could not stop laughing at the man who laughed and massaged his jaw at the same time because it hurt, the usually quiet man who laughed and jumped up and down while his belly wen boing, boing and he let out girly yeps, yeps, or the many people who were seemingly calm when we saw them on the grounds of OSHO and were now loosing it. It was great, great medicine.

After a few more dance mediations and a dance party and a farewell world dance event Atimati and I packed up and left for Mumbai to celebrate Sammy's birthday. This was Atimati's first India outing (she went from the airport to OSHO) and a wonderful time to witness her discoveries of the crazy and wonderful India.

In the end I truly enjoyed my time at OSHO. Again, I stopped the chatter in my head and just took part in the things that made me happy, that made me feel like I was generating my energies. I still think he is a capitalist and have hundreds of objections to the way the center is administered, and westernization, etc, but some battles I want to use my energies for and others I need to let go of, for a great good, that good, being my own.

"Into the Woods to Find the Giant..."
www.brazilbean.net

PHOTOS: Himalays - SET #1

Dear all,

Thanks to MINDY!!!! below is the link to the FIRST set of photos I took in India. It is of my travels to the Himalays with 9 Indian families for a total of 26 of us in a bus. Please read the Char Dham entry for the narrative behind the pictures.

Enjoy it, and don't forget that you can select the NO SIGN IN option when you reach the kodakgallery site. The link below should get you there, or simply cut and paste it into your browser.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=1i2bgirz.5q2u0e33&x=0&y=flc4w5

"Into the Woods to Find the Giant..."
www.brazilbean.net

PHOTOS: RISHIKESH, Set #2...FINALLY

AS you know the photo thing has been hell. This is SET #2. Mindy and I are still working on SET #1. I will try to get it to you by the weekend. Still, I wanted to send you something, anything. So, here are 20+ pixs of Rishikesh, the main experience after the Himalayas. If you need a reminder, do a quick read of the blog entry. Otherwise, enjoy the photos.

NOTE: There is a link at the bottom right where you DON'T HAVE TO SIGN IN or REGISTER. Choose that one if you don't want to bother.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=1i2bgirz.b9zymj1r&x=0&y=mtihu9

Kisses,

Julio

Diary Entry - At End of October

Under the Bodhi Tree - The Place Where Sidhartha Reached Enlightment - Bodhgaya, India, 2005

It is my 28th day in India. The 28th day of my round the global south trip. The 28th day of what feels like a new phase of my life, a life which is total has already been a powerful journey with much sadness and thankfully much more happiness.

Being here, in the world, differently (open to learning), has already started to remind me of the self that I am, of the person I love and respect, and of the person I know I must be more patient with, more kind to, more loving towards.

Witnessing myself in India has helped me remember so much. My ability to go with life, to be taken by new experiences, fearlessly. It has reminded me that I am a careful person, that I am a intuitively loving at first, but that in many ways as each day passes I try to be aware, albeit not too intensily, about what moves me and what I need to be more attentive to. This has allowed me to see that I try to make up for my shortcomings and that at the same time I am intensily candid with who I am, who I was, and who I want to be. Life for everyone, it is a complex balance, which I wish to negotiate differently the more I live.

As I meet people who are culturally different than my Brazilian Americanized self, people from Poland, the UK, Japan, Tibet and of course Indians, it becomes clearer and clearer to me that I am not them, and my uniqueness becomes more evident. Simple, yes. Yet, this simplicity is confusing after living for in a culture that struggles to be so totally the same, and yet unique at the same time. SImultaneously, I realize that I am exactly as everyone I meet. I feel hungry, cold, sad, glad, and I need shelter and friends and family. I need to laugh like them, and cry when I cry.

"Into the Woods to Find the Giant..."
www.brazilbean.net

Diary Entry 10-21-2005

NOTE: My real diary has been the blog. Going to the computer often allows me to tell you what is happening, but also creates a log for me. I can go back and read over things myself, and of course, once I am back home I will put it all in a file called - THAT CRAZY 1.5 YEARS. Still when there is not internet, in my room at night, I get a chance to write a little on the beautiful diary John, Sidney and Aidan gave me.

I am in a good place. And, India has really been getting to me lately. I swear I am in the crisis/confusion/anxiety phase hopefully moving into the adjustment phase because things are madnening all of the time and I am trying to accept them. It's a bit incredible, all of it really. There is not let down of intensity here. Under so much suppression of sensuality, romance, etc, is an India altogether exploding with energy. The desires are intense and the way people live in this country mind boggling. I think I found a land crazier than my own Brazil. I think I found a land where in many ways I must suspend all disbelief and give into the greater power that is India.

India moves at its own pace and more and more I realize that we, the foreigners, are changing the story line, but not the greater narrative. These are people that survived hundreds and hundreds of years of change, thousands. A people that know inequality and have both deeply accepted it in the name of greater power and rejected it in the name of progress. They also survived the west - the French, the Portuguese and most evidently, the British. India is anything but weak. In fact, its edges are hard enough to break anything that stands too firmly against it. India stands with arms akimbo only moving when it wants - gladly for us from the outside - often moving it to place its hands in prayer and to say "Namaste" a word that poetically signifies hello/welcome and goodbye/farewell.

India is India and I am so glad it has allowed me in and in many ways sucked me into its beautiful vortex.

"Into the Woods to Find the Giant..."
www.brazilbean.net

OSHO (Day 2-3)

I am so tired. Everything I have chosen to do has one of 10 aspects of dancing or violently moving ones body. This morning I was up at 5:30am for DYNAMIC MEDITATION, a process that changes every 12 minutes from violent body shaking and crazy power breathing, to scream therapy, to jumping up and down while landing on your heels and saying who, who, who, to standing still, to dancing for an total of an hour. By 7am I was drenched is sweat and TOTALLY AWAKE. This followed last night's DANCE PARTY with trans and other types of music. And, I need to write this email quickly so that I can make it to WORLD DANCE from 11-12pm, a daily dance meditation exercise. I will also do some silent meditation today. I think.

The last two days have been an absolute blast, and I can tell you, as I have told you before, that once again, the people have made it so. The four of us - Etimati, Samantha and Kushal have done everything together. Whirling, dancing, breathing, and more dancing and laughing, laughing and laughing. I have laughed so much the last two days. Between Samantha's wonderfully authentic giggle about everything, the beautiful contradictions of Kushal's humble personality coupled with his star moments, and Etimati's endless energy and amazingly intense sense of place and humor I have just had a dandy time.

Oh yes, last night we did the White Robe Ceremony (the one with the Osho's digital head) and we screamed KUSHAL, KUSHAL, JULIO too. It was a riot and we nearly got kicked out of the hall since we also did group aerobics, which is big no no. It was a blast and was only topped by our entrance into the dance floor where everyone was transing. We were like, trans, move over, style and grace are walking in. We salsaed (there was a latin song on) in and had blast.

We also made a movie and took lots of fun pictures. Kushal, who is Kushal Panjabi, in case you want to look him up (http://web.mid-day.com/hitlist/2005/april/107336.htm), should send it to us soon. We are all going to Bombay on Sunday to celebrate Sammy's birthday and dance our butts off some more.

Ok, that's it for now. Nicole, are you getting a taste of this?

"Into the Woods to Find the Giant..."
www.brazilbean.net

OSHO Resort - Part I

Leaving Bombay:
Two days ago I departed Bombay east to Pune where the famous OSHO retreat center is located. As my departures and arrivals have proved, they are always full of experiences. I said good-bye to the "girls" the Polish Girls, Edyta and Magda and went to the train station. It was sad to say good-bye to them. I had a great time as both of them are differently wonderful. Who knows they may come to Brazil next year.

I arrived at the train station and quickly discovered that no trains were available right away and that I would have to wait for several hours. After a good tip for a man who was helping some wealthier travelers I rushed downstairs to have my first LOCAL train experience. I was to go to Dadar where I would catch a bus to Pune. First I could not find the local ticket seller, when I did he spoke no English. So I heard a guy say Dadar, give the attendant R10 and did the same. Then, I ran after the guy and followed him throughout the station. He hoped on a train, and I hoped on a train. The train was surprisingly nice since it was not rush hour when people apparently hang out the window and such. I decided to stand next to the door just in case I saw Dadar and had to jump out. A few stops passed the train started to fill up. In India, like nowhere I have been, the concept of WAIT FOR PEOPLE TO GET OFF, then GET ON is TOTALLY LOST. So, this amounts to a mad rush of pushing and pulling and bumping and a great hope that you will get out in time (15 secs). I watched this carefully and realized that no man, woman or child was safe. And, I added, no foreigner either. I knew my station was coming up so I prepared myself. Got pack on, put day bag in front of me, tightened everything and man, the minute that door swang open I just started banging people with my bag from side to side and people came in and other grabbed on to me and I rushed out and people were all over and voila - OUTSIDE! There, my local train experience.

I also knew from VAST EXPERIENCE that I would arrive at the train station and the richshaw vultures would come for me. I got ready. As I walked down the stairs I could see them all salivating. So, mid-way down I started to run (with the pack gravity has a way of making it impossible to stop) and I just ran and as they started to come at me I yelled OUT OF THE WAY and broke through them and ran out on the street. Some ran after me and I stopped them and said, OK, OK ONE QUESTION FIRST! WHERE IS THE BUS STATION. They all pointed down the street. I said SHUKRIA (TY) and started running through the streets flailing my arms up like a crazy man screaming, NO RICKSHAW SHUKRIA, NO RICKSHAW SHUKRIA. This went on for two blocks as other rickshaw and taxi drivers joined in running after me yelling - PUNE? PUNE? PUNE? wanting to offer to drive me there for R750. I laughed so hard I nearly hyperventilated. I got to the bus station/stop and after receiving India information I waited for the Deluxe bus to arrive. India information? That means one person told me the bus was coming at 1:45, the other said 2pm, the other said they had no tickets to sell, the other said the bus had 10 seats and the other said the bus was empty. Oh yes, these were all uniformed men. I got on the NICEST BUS I HAVE EVER BEEN IN IN INDIA. It was brand new and so clean and the plastic was still on the seats, and this is India, so no one dared to take the plastic out. It was lovely. I tried to take a picture of me on the bus, in peace to show you, but when I took out my camera a nice man came to sit beside me and we talked for an hour until Pune.

OSHO:
I am here because I am curious, and I am here so that I can tell Nicole (and all of you) about this place. A little background. OSHO is the bad boy of meditation. In the 80's he moved to the US and started an ashram in Oregon. The ashram had thousands of people who turned what had been a dead town into an oasis. But, the US government and others were reluctant about it (like WACO) and deported him back to India. He is also a bad boy because he (like Bikram of the yoga I do) melts the east and west. That means that he, like Bikram, has a rolls royce collection, used to wear on only diamonds and lived lavishly. He is dead now, but his followers (mostly Westerners) continue to live the dream, however deferred.

The OSHO ashram is like THE ISLAND if you saw that awful movie. The basics:
To get in you need to get an AIDS test. In the 80s they had a tantric problem and now this is required. To get in you need R1250. To get in you need a maroon robe for the day and a white robe for the night when you meditate and listen to OSHO (ON SCREEN!) and got to the Center OSHO AUDITORIUM. To stay in you need to pay about R500 a day. OK, I am here for 6 days and I will have spent R5000 by the time I am done. This does not include lodging. Yes, my daily average has jumped from R700 to R1400. So, YES NICOLE, YOU CAN CERTAINLY HELP ME PAY FOR THIS ANTRHOPOLOGICAL EXPERIENCE. Ok, several massages will do. hehe.

So, why am I here? Several reasons.
-Pune is a nice little town in which to wait for Tricia.
-The Center has recently changed its name to Resort and has a beautiful pool, sauna and great organic foods and a cappucino bar.
-The meditations include dancing and I have needed to move my body. I have done so much my body hurts, but it's good.
-The Resort is QUIET AND CLEAN two things the India I have been traveling in does not offer.
-I totally feel like I am in the twilight zone and in some odd way it is nice. I don't feel I am in India or anywhere else really. I don't even feel I am at the OSHO since I am totally not in the place to listen to or have a guru. So, I enjoy my (mostly) anonymity as just another person in a maroon robe.

One of the really cool things that happened is that in the orientation which takes several hours and includes them telling you how you should serve yourself at the cafe and that you can only use the pool with maroon swimwear and that you must use maroon outfit for Zennis (zen tennis) I met Etimati, Kushal and Samantha. Etimati is a wonderful woman from Australia whose life consisted of planning conference for years but who has left it all to become and astrologer, Samantha is Indian and a massage therapist and choreographer, and Kushal is a famous Bollywood movie and Indian TV star who is currently in the cover of a magazine in India. The four of us are crazy. We do meditations together, "world dance" together, eat together and we laugh a hell of a lot at about everything. We both love and laugh at what the hell we are doing. So, what are we doing?

Many of the OSHO Resort meditations are based on movement. They require that you breath madly and blow air (and snot) out of your nose, shake violently and then stand absolutely still for 15 plus minutes. They also have dersvish spinning which is a supphi (sp) meditation where you spin for 30 minutes non-stop (I nearly puked my guts out after 10 minutes), dancing meditation, and many many other things, including quiet sitting meditation. I have only tried a few, tomorrow I will be up at 5:30 for the 6am DYNAMIC MEDITATION. Oh yes, for a description of all got to www.osho.com (of course).

The place has bout 1,000 people, mostly Europeans, Americans, Australians (read, a lot of white people) and then lots of Japanese and middle-upper income Indians. A lot of the people are Oshoites. They come here every year, the follow all of his teachings, they buy all his books, they OSHO OSHO OSHO, but nobody is converting anybody. They just "model" they don't recruit. Well, not yet anyways. The highlight of the day is the Evening Meditation. This is the only required meditation if you are at the resort. For it you must buy a separate white robe.

At 6:45pm everyone congretates at the OSHO auditorium, a pyramid building that looks like a mini-Las Vegas Luxor with black reflective windows and all. The floor is marble and the AC is pumping. At 6:45 a live band comes on and plays "meditative trans music." All 1000 of us dance - translike - to the sounds of the band, then when the music crescendos, people start to go crazy (like feeling the spirit stuff) and crazier and crazier and then there is a big drum beat and people throw their arms in the air and scream intensily OSHO!!! This dance is about 20-30 minutes and this moment happens two single times - OSHO! and OSHO! and ends with an overly excited, three times OSHO!OSHO!OSHO! And then, in quite an amazing fashion the room goes COMPLETELY SILENT and everyone sits down.

Osho comes on a big screen and for the next 1hour he does a talk, which was, of course, recorded before his death, just in case a lot of money could be made. He teaches us all about life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness from a throne (literally) in a beatiful outfit, with a diamond watch and huge, beautiful sunglasses. He is really funny actually and ends the talk with jokes. I can totally see why people love him, he is greagarious, charming and magnetic. After his talk we meditate for 5 minutes and then suddenly, in unison everyone starts to talk gibresh (sp). Yes, I said that, gibresh. People scream sounds and words that no one can understand and go crazy for about 5 minutes and then again, in an amazing fashion everyone falls silent. We meditate for a few more minutes, then do meditation where we imagine being dead and then it ends.

How do I feel about all of this? Honestly, I have been to many crazy things - 10 day silent retreats, retreats to get in touch with my inner child, places where I imitated monkeys, slep with stuffed animals and wrote letters to myself. So, I cannot judge. We each find our path. But, today, here, I am not open to any of this. I am open to learning new meditation techniques, to meeting interesting people and to laying in the pool or strolling in the amazing garden, but not to OSHO. I am not in place in my life where a guy who wore diamonds and collected rolls royces can teach me about buddhism. Buddha gave it all up. Osho and Bikram build their empires. I also don't blame them. Capitalism is what we make of it and we (including me) participate. So, he is smart.

Last night the main point of this talk (I think) was that the student is ready to "see" when s/he is ready to see. At that point s/he will find their guru. I am not sure he is right, but if he is that is exactly what is happening with me right now. Osho, or the Swami I listened to in Rishikesh, or any other messengers I have read are not satisfying me. Maybe someday, but for now I am in good place seeing things for myself. I am looking for authenticity, and even though I believe it may be gone (from religion and other such things), I would still like to feel it in my heart.

Finally, in case you wondered I could not shout OSHO, OSHO, OSHO. So, when that moment happened I shouted the first thing that came to mind - GARFIELD! GARFIELD! GARFIELD! Even funnier is Kushal who thought you were supposed to shout your name and so he did, the second time the thought, OH MY G-D, is everyone shouting my name? Yes, Bollywood and Hollywood stars are all the same. Still, tonight the four of us decided we will shout - KUSHAL, KUSHAL, KUSHAL.

Ok, 6:12pm, gotta get out of my maroon robe and put on my white one. Kisses to all.

Julio

"Into the Woods to Find the Giant..."
www.brazilbean.net