What do you call a day that was supposed at go according to the books, but nothing goes as planned. Everything somehow turns out much better than I could have even imagined though. I guess that is the outcome of going with the flow, yet not deviating from your duty. Things will work out the way they are supposed to. Just enjoy the ride.
After I finished work at the office, I left the hospital to go to the library. There, I met with fellow volunteer and we headed for the garden to soak up the heat in the Sun. We could not resist the wonderful calling from the canteen for some Chai! Our century old tradition has sucked me into the whirlpool of chai BID. The canteen was divided into two stories-upstairs aka the junk food/all the good continental food department, and downstairs aka the typical Gujarati thali (dish) meals and chai and traditional snack dept. I enjoyed both sides of it. We had tea downstairs, and then, we went upstairs where I had pani puri. There, we ran into some colleagues, and the topic of dance came up. Next thing we know, I am trying to teach garba (Gujarati folk dance) and Kathak (Indian classical dance), our Punjabi colleague is trying to teach Bhangra (Punjab folk dance) and my friend was trying to teach me Hip Hop. It is some of the most fun I had in yrs! What a multi-cultural experience in India. I always find myself in the midst of radical ideas or indulging in non typical hobbies. Our Assamese friend came to join us for tea earlier, and he tried to teach me Assamese. I would love to go visit Punjab and Assam..Bengal to Kashmir. So many places to go-so little time. Anyway, later, half the people left, and it was just my friend and I. She had borrowed our Assamese friend's laptop, so we just browsed for music on there. We came across all these American songs as well as Hindi songs. Another dance session-this time we lit a candle (or own version of disco ball) and danced the night away. I felt so liberated. I hadn't danced like that since I was in USA. Actually, not even then. I felt like I was dancing after ages. It is hard to find privacy in India to just breakaway and dance. just dance-the mantra of happiness. The candle melted away just as we finished dancing and decided to head for dinner. I stayed back at the hostel since it was getting late, and taking a chagda/rikshaw from the town to the city that late would be a shady ride. Although, I roam around the city at night with no issues, going from a village to city is a different story.
It all worked out great though! I had the time of my life dancing, and in the morning, we did yoga. Then, headed for morning chai and library. It was my friend's birthday, so I eventually went back to the city and walked to the tailor's shop to pick up my dress, and met up with my friend later! No luck in finding a dry cleaner to get my dresses dry cleaned in time before we leave, but its okay, I will probably be washing clothes by hand anyway. If the colors come out, they come out, just have to separate them from other clothes. Some of my clothes have colors rubbed off on them anyway. I'm not really picky.
I am excited to embrace the simple life. Exploring a new city-well not so new-but different for sure. Living with simplicity-I am going to try to do yoga everyday. I got this excellent book on yoga from Shri Aurobindo Asharam in Baroda. Besides that, whatever I remember from the couple yoga classes I attended at the university. Someday, I will be more flexible-yoga is a practice, a way of thinking, preserverence, challenges, and growth.
I had also gone to Shri Aurobindo asharam-where we meditated for what seemed like a timeless experience. It must have been 2 hrs or so, but being there was like being at home. The universal home. No tension, sorrow, or negativity could have even come close. Ironic how it is located in the middle of the city, yet peace echoes on every inch of the asharam.
Goodbye wi-fi until later! much later! I am trying to avoid technology during my stay with Gandhi Asharam-it defeats the purpose if I take my laptop.
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