Follow up photos

Hi all! I am in Nagpur, a transition town for me on my way to Anandwan Forest of Joy Center for people with leprosy  tomorrow. I am not sure if they will have a computer or not. I will be there for 3 weeks and then heading to my 30 day silent meditation retreat. So not sure how much contact I will be able to make in the next 2 months!!!! I am only 2 hours away from Anandwan... so rest assured that I am safe and sound even if you don't hear from me for a bit! I will try to make contact in between retreats at the very least if I can. Anandwan's email address is http://www.anandwan.in/default.html if you want to check it out more. I mentioned before in my Mrs Peacock blog some donation options around this holiday season. As I mentioned, I spent over 2 months at Sri Ram Ashram/orphanage and know the administrators intimately and feel 100% sure that any donation if you so desire... would go directly towards children's programs or immediate needs. There address is http://sriramfoundation.org/ I do not know that about Anadwan yet, but from what I have heard it is also a smooth running program with excellent intentions and services provided! I am going to try and post a few more photos now and see what happens! Much love to you all! And happy holidays in case I don't speak with you!

Well it is always something...  I inserted the photos in 2 trials to be sure not to loose any. Smooth as ice the first time.... second try they inserted out of order, distorted and over to the side. So you may need to scroll to see them... and excuse the sequence. The village by motor bike did not download when the woman helped me to get photos on to this computer, but I think this is a great start!!!! Well worth the 2 + hours of trying to get them to download! Much love again! Jen

Best toy in the universe!

This potter uses a large stone wheel on a base. He starts it spinning by  using this stick. The wheel continues to spin and if it slows he starts it again. Within 15 minutes he made 3 perfect vessels including a perfectly fitting lid without measuring the opening or anything. He was amazing to watch! 

roof top kite flying

A little dark, but so cute! They wear the dark line under their eyes to make their eyes look bigger so that  they can take more in AND to protect them from the evil eye. For example, someone telling you that your baby is cute, could be taken as a bad omen because it could be coming from jealousy or with malice. (Couldn't remember if I explained that already)

Opium ritual. Strained several times through a camel hair filter and a goat hair filter (I think). Prayers  chanted and then the mixture is poured into another person's hand three times. Used at times of celebration, holidays and reconciliations.

Solar energized weavers hut so that they can work on their craft later into the evenings now.  Recently decorated for the holiday Diwali

Amazing loom and rapid hand work to produce beautiful masterpieces

Not so rapid hand work. Soooo much harder than it looks! 

Sitting peacefully at a park, then one brave child approaches, then another, then they call their family over and before you know it, you have a party! A regular wonderful occurrence. 

And you fall in love!

Meet Baballoo

Introductions!

Getting more comfortable

They bow down on all 4 legs for you to get on.... this is my friend Sheila getting on for the first time. It is quite intimidating at first! But after that it is pure joy!!!! This is Laloo. 

Being lead through the desert with our 11 year old and 15 year old guides. 

There were some sand dunes, but most of the territory was sand and brush.

End of a hard day's work. Needing a little dental work. 

dinner being prepared

sunset

An evening game with a stick created hours of fun! 

And of course the family chicken has to join in on the fun! 

Our home for the night. Note the stick. Our last instructions before the father of the family left us to ourselves in the desert were, "this is for if the dogs come.... whack them like this and they will go away." Comforting! As if the snakes and scorpions weren't enough to worry about! But no problems! 

Sunrise

The boys trying to wrap a turban on my head

Morning chai

A good bye smile

Note the bangles on the arms. Usually seen all the way down to the wrists. 

Shabbat dinner with about 25 people from Israel

The beautiful family we stayed with in the desert.

Aladin's disco light

Sorry for the delay in postings... and now, the challenge of trying to consolidate an amalgamation of experiences into a concise update....

I have spent the past few weeks traveling through the state of Rajasthan, the land of royal families, warriors, palaces, forts, and deserts. Rajasthan has seen the rise and fall of many empires and has the architectural masterpieces to evoke their stories. Walking through the labyrinth of walk ways, up and down narrow steep stairs, in and out of a variety of royal quarters and on top of the canon filled bastions in these impenetrable fortifications really brings you back in time. The stories and paintings of battles won and lost, women committing jauher (collective sacrifice on the funeral pyre of their husbands), the participation in watching animal fights as a sport and inspecting their daunting medieval weaponry sheds light on the gruesome nature of this period of time which is contrasted with the telling of love stories, loyalty, bravery and witnessing their opulent architecture, furniture, attire, jewelry, and art work.

Modern day Rajasthan remains steeped in colorful traditions. Many men wear very large colorful turbans and sport long mustaches to display their manlihood. The turbans are said to represent unity (in that everyone from peasants to royalty wore them) as well as distinction (in that the size, color and way they are wrapped may indicate a person's caste, religion, region, occupation, and whether they are grieving or celebrating). Many women wear vibrant color saris or traditional skirts and continue the practice of purdha (covering their face to "protect them from the gaze of men"). The jewelry women wear, ie. white plastic bangles up their entire arm or large nose rings are also identifying factors of marriage and class status.

I visited common pilgrimage sites that modern day folks visit to receive blessings for life's transitions such as marriage, birth, and death. I have seen an observatory built in the early 18th century with gi-normous equipment that is still used by sages and scholars today to observe the cosmos to inform science and fortell of auspicious dates. I have gone on a non-comercialized tour into villages and watched the common practice of an opium ritual and weavers and potters demonstrating their village trade. I have laughed with elders, watched children flying kites on rooftops and of course played with many others, I have rented a motorcycle with a new friend and visited small rural villages and my story culminates with a magical overnight camel safari in the desert, sleeping under the starry skies at a village family's camp site. Only to be kept awake all night by an Indian wedding at a posh heritage hotel over 30 miles away flashing disco lights and pounding base "music." But of course! This is still India don't you know!!!!

I have been worn down by haggeling, trying to dissect through lies, scams, who to trust, the heat, horns, dust, nasty smells, tummy upset and then built back up by random acts of kindness, generosity, someone offering you home cooked food they brought on their picnic for you to try, the genuine invitation from an Indian family to come stay with them in their home hundreds of miles away just after a small conversation, and the meeting of new friends from India and around the world. This place really is exceptional! And not for the weak or weary!

Jaipur the pink city... The honey combed building was for the royal women built so that they could look out but designed so nobody can look in. 

Large sun dial (I think) 

Palace window

Wild peacock

One of many forts

A common form of transport for a family of 4. Mom was not on the back yet and did not want her picture taken. Women often sit side saddle and not uncommon for children to  be standing up.

Waiting at the bus stop

Rajasthan colors

A wedding march. The vessels on their head are for the spirit of Ganesh to pass through. 

Practicing Purdha out of respect because her in-laws are near by. From what I have been told, some women are expected to remain covered and completly silent in their own homes except with their husbands.

Difficulty and time restraints... so more photos to follow from colorful attire and turbans to camel trek and motor bike ride into the village!