STILL ALIVE!

Hello again! Finally have access to a computer again (although I can't access either of my email accounts for some reason, so if you've sent email, I'm not dissing -- my servers just suck.)

Since my last post, we've been to a town called Belgaum, where we stayed for three days/three nights. My host family there was awesome. The Rotarian was a 30-something guy named Veerdhavel, and he owned an iron casting factory. He lived in a HUGE house with his wife and two sons, his sister and her two kids, and his brother, wife and their two kids. And his mother. This is very common in India - they call it living with extended family.

In Belgaum on the first night, my hosts took me to Gandhi garden. Mahatma Gandhi had attended a congressional session there back in the 1930's and they made it into a monumental garden in his honor.

The next day we visited the KLE hospital which is on par with a Johns Hopkins. We had a very detailed tour - even saw people receiving dialysis and having cardiac catheters. On the same day, we visited Hindalco - a company that mines a mineral called beauxite and produces a chemical called alumina. And then after THAT, we toured a giant technological engineering university. It was a far cry from the visits in Dharwad, to say the least.

Yesterday on my birthday. my host family made me a cake and sang happy birthday. It was a most amazing day. First we visited a fort more than 1,000 (or was it 10,000?) years old. In this fort was an ancient Jain basti (temple). Jain is one of the world's oldest religions. As is happened, my host family were Jains so I learned a lot about the religion from them.

Also at the fort was an mission ashram (I have all the actual names of these places written down, just not nearby) This was by far the coolest experience ever. We meditated in the main hall for a bit and then had an audience with a local guru. He explained to us the "real India" - their beliefs in things like God, death, and the balance of the world. Hell of a birthday present -- finally learning the meaning of life. Words can't express.

After the ashram, we visited the Tata electrical plant, which supplies power to places all over India. It was pretty cool, but my head was still back at the ashram with the guru. In the evening we did our second Rotary presentation. It went pretty well, and at the end, they surprised me with a birthday cake. Picture 65 Indian Rotarians singing Happy Birthday to me... yes.

And the day was STILL not over! We went back to change and then out to dinner and THEN out to see a Hindi movie. Meals are at very different times here. Before breakfast there is always tea. Lunch happens around 2 pm, and then dinner is never before 9:00. I have eaten as late as 11:00. The food is awesome, and they always seems to be bringing more of it.

This morning my host, his sister and a few of the kids taught me seven pranayama (breathing exercises). Veerdhavel is a yoga master, so that was pretty cool. I met up with the other team members around 10 AM and we left for Kohlapur, which is where I am now. I'm using the computer of Vikram (my new host)'s brother and it's a Mac (yay!!)

Internet here is painfully slow. My last host family only had it at certain times, and never when I was around to use it. And our days have been so insanely busy that I haven't even had a chance to find an internet cafe. But I've finally got some time so I figure I can catch up as best as I can.

Please allow me to touch on the hygiene factor. Those of you who know me fairly well know that I am somewhat particular when it comes to grooming habits [ie: 30 minute showers, 2x a day] Well, for the past six days, I have been bathing out of a bucket and peeing in a hole. It's just strange. The last host's house was beautiful, but their bathroom was just horrific. The first night I encountered two cockroaches and could not fall asleep the entire night.

But I do not want to dwell on that. Because although it seems Indians are third world in sanitation and hygiene, they are light years ahead of us in spirituality. They are the most peaceful, gracious people I have ever encountered. And not just my host families, but everyone. People on the streets. People walking with 50 lbs. of mangoes balanced on their heads. People riding atop a pile of sugarcane, behind a couple oxen.

Even the malnourished, dirty kids at the cotton factory. They are who they are, they feel God in their hearts and they just love. In this way, I feel that they are way ahead of me.

Okay - I guess that's enough for now. In two hours we're leaving to make a presentation and then a dinner at 9. Tomorrow we travel to Sangli, but are staying with these hosts in Kohlapur for about 5 days. So hopefully I can check in again soon. I hope you're all well, and please know that I miss you and can't wait to see you all... But not before I take a 30 minute shower.

Namaste.