A Pilgrimage

Tirunnamalai, Tamil Nadu - January 21

This night of the January full moon, 100-200,000 Indians have flocked to this small town to pay their respect to the Hindu God Shiva. Offerings are now being made at the temple and at the time of the moon rise, around 9:00 PM, the pilgrims will set out to circumnambulate the holy Mount Arunachaleswar. Men, women and children will walk barefoot for 14 km to show their devotion, and we will join them. There are urns of fire set about in front of the temple symbolizing Shiva's light, which is believed to eradicate darkness and evil. The pilgrims surround the fire, tossing in chunks of white camphor to make it blaze higher. They reach their hands towards the fire, through + over it, bringing the light and warmth to their face + throat. Again and again. Then they move their hands to a gesture of prayer. The mood is reverent.

The next day

Last night was amazing! We did a respectable job, not arriving back at our guest house until 3:00 AM. Even at that hour, the streets were still full of late-starters, vendors and the hundreds (or thousands) who would be sleeping outside wherever they could. It was the largest gathering of people (for religious or non purposes) I've ever been in that had such a mellow + respectful vibe. Solo men + women, families, and groups of sadhus all demonstrating serious devotion in solidarity with one another. The route was an ever-changing scene of shrines, chai tea stands, snack carts, candlelit tables full of religious offerings for sale, brightly lit stores stocked floor to ceiling with music cd's, billboard adds selling political candidates, blind bands playing in open-back vans for the hope of a few coins, palm-read + computerized fortune telling, women cooking food over open fires, people begging + sleeping lining the road, and on and on. It was India, in the way that only India can be. It was beautiful, sad, celebratory + heart-wrenching all in one. And the full moon shown bright above it all, ever illuminating the dark hulk of the sacred hill on our right.


As the hours passed, the crowds pace began to slow, but not by much. Darin and I were trying to hurriedly soak it all in while keeping up with their brisk pace, so we were thankful for the slowing. And, our feet were starting to hurt. We looked at the feet of the pilgrims all around, and we saw people limping, we saw club feet, we saw the frail feet of the elderly. And we looked at our own shoe-clad feet and felt like weasels. But hell, WE weren't doing this for Shiva, nor did we want to end up with hepatitis or some other infection, so we kept them on. People were indifferent to us and our shoes as they focused on their task. For them, there were still SCORES of shrines to be visited along the way and offerings to be made. Only a few broke their revere to exchange greetings. Now and again, people would stop for a free chai or food handout from some community group, but most just kept walking.

It was a fine, warm night with just enough cloud cover to make it all seem even MORE mystical, if that were possible. We'd long ago lost sight of the city lights behind the hill, but could now just see them appearing around the other side. Over half way! We stopped for a chai to energize us, and later a fresh coconut for hydration. We were flowing in an ever-changing river of people.
Parents now carried sleeping children, groups were singing together and the elderly were hobbling. The minimal talk had mostly died out. People were tired - it was nearing 1:30 AM.

An hour later we again stood before the Arunachaleswar temple. People now slept along it's entryway while those that were newly returned stood gazing up at the towering Eastern gate. Again, hands reached into the fire, over and over, bringing the warmth and cleansing to face and throat. They raised their hands in the air. They bowed. They prayed. And we wandered in fascination among them. Yes, this is India, in the way that only India can be. This is why you suffer the hardships of travel here, just like the poor. This is why you come. And it's worth it.

Check the "link" for the rest of our photos from Tamil Nadu

Auroville - An alternative

Greetings from Auroville to all men of good will.
Are invited to Auroville all those who
thirst for progress and aspire to a higher and truer life.

One of the many things we hoped to experience from this hiatus abroad was an alternative to modern-day living in the States. Not only the day-in day-out predictable grind of work, but the bigger feeling of being a mouse on a giant treadmill that defines life in America. Auroville, a self-proclaimed Universal town in the making, is just that. The city itself was conceived 40 years ago and has since grown from a barren plot of land to a forested town with 2,000 full-time residents from 35 different countries, especially India, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands + America. There are a couple main gurus who conceptualized and built the city to what it is now, and whether you agree with all their spiritual teachings or not, their premise for Auroville is well founded.

The purpose of Auroville is to realise human unity – in diversity. Today Auroville is recognised as the first and only internationally endorsed ongoing experiment in human unity and transformation of consciousness, also concerned with - and practically researching into - sustainable living and the future cultural, environmental, social and spiritual needs of mankind.

By their very choice of being here, the Aurovilians commit themselves to be instrumental in the creation of "a universal township where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities". They are aware that "the purpose of Auroville is to realise human unity" so that, eventually, our species may progress.


It's taken us several days to just to figure out logistics of the city - get housing, transportation, opening hours, lay of the land... but now we're meeting great people and seeing inspiring things. We've been spending our days visiting some of the projects within the city to see what they're doing. Sadhana Forest was one of our first. The work they've been doing there over the past few years of creating a community devoted to extreme sustainable living is modest, but impressive. All the infrastructure is almost entirely out of natural, native materials. They utilize solar energy, collect rainwater, use composting toilets, are reforesting the barren landscape and more, and are continually working to expand and improve their systems by testing out new methods. The volunteers we met there said it's great - like summer camp for adults - but the 40-something project leader and his wife are committed. They've been doing it full-time for the past 7 years and devoted their entire life-saving into the work. Another that we visited was the Earth Institute where volunteers gather every day to make earth-bricks for the construction of Aurovillian homes and buildings. It's a HUGE task as Auroville aims to provide free housing for all of it's inhabitants. Our next stop was Solitude - another that aims towards sustainable living with a greater focus on a very low-impact style of organic farming called Fukuoka (aka Do Nothing farming) that also doubles as a zen meditative practice - very deep.

The general feel of an alternative, creative, primarily moneyless community reminds us alot of Burningman without the party vibe, and we find ourselves repeatedly making comparisons. What if our huge BRC community at home put our efforts towards more productive + lasting ends? We could do this too. Create an environment to nurture continual growth + learning. Instead of an event that's over in a week, we could live it year round. It gives us hope + inspiration to see this place flourishing after 40 years. It's not just an experiment... it's a viable, alternative reality to getting off the mainstream treadmill of western existence.

Auroville will be the place of an unending education,
of constant progress, and a youth that never ages.

Auroville is to be a major vehicle of evolutionary thrust and,
eventually, a platform for transformation.

It's interesting to note how many solid, interesting people we've met here in just a few days. People seem so open and willing to share. Compared to the disproportionately high number of expats we met all over Southeast Asia who are misfits, here, most we've met are on a journey of growth and making positive life change. Over time, I think being an expat in a place like Cambodia (as fun as it is) might have a degenerative effect while becoming an Aurovillian seems like it'd be nothing but positive.

So, if you're going to construct a city revolved around growth + learning, then building a central structure like the Matrimandir seems fitting. Though the Matrimandir is the spiritual center, the physical center of the city is an old banyan tree - one of the only mature trees on the site when they began. There are no particular Gods or religions followed here, hence there are no icons. You are free to worship as you like in silence. The Matrimandir isn't for spectators, and it took us 5 days to get our first glimpse inside, even as guests. The exterior of the sphere is comprised of numerous discs of 24k gold sandwiched between glass. It shimmers in the sun and is very futuristic in appearance. The interior is a light filled void in which to meditate and where absolute silence is observed. It's a wonderful, spiritual space, void of dogma and open to personal interpretation.

As with anything, Auroville isn't perfect, and we've heard our share of complaints about the growing pains it's working through, but they've got an impressive thing going so far. For anyone interested, there are numerous possibilities for living (or volunteering) and learning with different Aurovillian villages focusing on everything from sustainable living, organic gardening, empowering rural women, teaching orphans and others. There are available classes in yoga, reiki, capoeira, singing, drawing, healthy eating, language and numerous other topics. If this sounds good to you, plan to come for two weeks up to several months to make the most of it. We hadn't planned on commiting now, but we may well return.

(Photos: The founders - The Mother + Sri Aurobindo; Giant Banyan + the Matrimandir - the centers of Auroville; Matrimandir exterior detail; Crystal + Sectional elevation of the Inner Chamber; Modernist Aurovillian home; City site plan for accommodating up to 50,000 inhabitants)

As the world is rapidly changing and groping for new paradigms to re-model itself, so Auroville stands poised at the start of a new millennium, ready to enter a new phase of its development and growth, and aware of a new flowering of the faith in humanity's future that it represents.

Happy Pongal!

We've lucked out by timing our arrival with Pongal, the biggest annual festival in Tamil Nadu - a large state in the south of India.


The build-up has been going for several days, but the main event lasts three, culminating in a final day where the entire village gathers to celebrate. Pongal is a little bit like Christmas in spirit, but serves to celebrate the end of a bountiful winter harvest. Our first morning in Tamil Nadu, we noticed that the sidewalks in front of people's homes were freshly decorated with colored rice flour murals. The second morning, it was the same, but with all new murals. And so went the third, and every day since. The night before the big day, the women of the village we were staying near were gathered together, squatting on the ground over large pots on wood fires. Inside bubbled a mixture of rice, milk, butter, sugar + spices. This is one of the main holiday treats, simply called pongal.

The following morning, we quickly ate breakfast and walked into the village to admire the new murals. These were the most elaborate we'd seen yet with more complicated patterns and designs. The women are highly skilled at this art, called kollam, which is passed down generation to generation and learned at a young age. Today's murals were obviously done by the matriarchs of the family and were stunning. (Photo: Elephant mural and colorful mandala)

Soon after, we came across fathers + sons decorating their cows for the days highlight - a race though the village. Horns were painted and colored balloons attached to their tips; bells, flowers + greenery around the cows necks; and spots on their sides. Men also gathered at the village temple, putting final touches on Hindu Gods and attaching the floats to shiny, red tractors decorated with flowers and sugarcane stalks. (Photo below: Cow decorating)

Before long, the procession from the village to the main street was underway. Women and girls were turned out in their best saris with garlands of fresh flowers in their hair and dozens of gold bangles jangling from their wrists. The men, as usual, were dressed in sarongs and collared, button-up shirts, but today you could cut them some slack because they'd put so much time in to their cows. On the main street, everyone pushed their way in for a closer look. Firecrackers were set off and the cows started, giving one boy near me (who'd painted himself in blue) a painful jab of horn to back, before they all stampeded. There were yells + cheering all around and throwing of bananas as the men chased after. After a couple of rounds of this, people began to mill about and many headed to a nearby dirt lot where a carnival had been set up. There were fried + sweet snacks, rides for the kids and shopping for household goods for the adults. This carnival lasted for the better part of the afternoon, but we took our leave after an hour to further amble through the village. (Photo: The procession heads on to the main street)

Many villagers had already returned home and they smiled broadly and yelled "Happy Pongal!" to us as we passed. Several asked us to take photos of them and their children and we happily obliged. By nightfall, all that was left were the smeared remains of the street murals and a dirt lot full of rubbish. The next day, I am happy to report, a team of women were out sweeping up the lot and returning the village back to order. (Photo: Girls eating sugarcane, another Pongal treat)

Check the "link" for more photos

Farewell to Southeast Asia

Bangkok, Thailand - January 8

And so, after thirteen satisfying, memorable months, I pack my bag and prepare to leave this place I've grown to love so deeply. To hop on an airplane and arrive back in India, in another WORLD, in the matter of of a mere two hours seems utterly surreal. Darin + I kept toying with the idea of doing it all overland (as so far on this trip we've opted only to use planes as a matter of necessity), but our two possible routes were both restricted. 1) To go through Burma to Bangladesh to India, or 2) Vietnam to China to Tibet to Nepal to India. The first was impossible due to Burma's tight control over tourist's movements within + in and out of the country. The latter was due to expense plus the seasonal closure of the high pass linking Llhasa to Kathmandu. And so, we ended up back in Bangkok, running last-minute errands in preparation for our departure tomorrow. (Photo: Me standing next to giant standing Buddha at Si Satchanali - One of our favorite spots in Thailand)

It's much easier to get some perspective and not be so enamored here than if we were leaving directly from Cambodia, Vietnam or Southern China (I include the latter because the southernmost provinces feel very connected). Thailand, the place that drew me back to this part of the world initially, is not the place I long to be now. I/we held many hopes about what we wanted from this life adventure when we left, and a big one was to experience cultures distinctly different from our own. Thailand's got alot to offer, but it doesn't rank as highly in this respect. And though most of the developing countries we've traveled through ARE following the western model to one extent or another, the places we've fallen in love with are either well behind the curve or doing it with their own distinct flair. India falls into that category too, in a MAJOR way, which is partly why we've decided to go back instead of checking out Africa or some other new places in South America, even though we know they'd be great too. (Photo above: Darin with tree-root entwined temple at Angkor, Photo below: Woman cycling in countryside, both in Cambodia.)

Either way, we know we should leave, simply from the fact that we didn't leave our comfy scene in S.F. just to build another comfy scene abroad. At least not yet. We're not quite ready to become permanent expats... as tempting as it is.

But Asia's under our skin now and our plan was to really get into the culture here and take away as many valuable lessons from it as we could. And I have, even though I haven't mastered them in practice yet - Of patience and living daily with a slower pace; To be more aware of what's right in front of me instead of thinking of a million things at once; To be less selfish and more giving. Though India is different, we know it will inspire us afresh and help spark ideas for our future at home that we need to seriously begin contemplating. India's the kind of place that makes you search within yourself. To go deep. (Photo: Monks accepting morning alms of food from local women in Laos)

So yes, I'm here boxing up all the sexy, womanly clothes that I've been able to wear here (even though it too is more conservative than home) and don a more androgynous attire that will attract less unwanted attention among the masses of men that can't adultly handle the sight of bare skin. And from a country that was once renowned for it's eroticism! But as I've said before, you've got to work and make sacrifices for the myriad of wonderful things that India DOES offer. I know it won't be easy, but it WILL yield lifelong memories, and more importantly, teach me more valuable lessons.

So with that, I find myself relishing this final, bittersweet day. Trying to clearly capture in my minds eye all the daily scenes that have become so familiar - Women carrying vegetables and joking together at the markets, men sawing big blocks of ice and waiting around on their motos for a fare, children playing with homemade toys and riding on their parents laps on motos... SO many things that I'll miss.

But, India awaits. To you Southeast Asia, I bid farewell. God willing, I WILL see you again. (Photo: Typical market in Vietnam)

More of my favorite scenes -

Cyclo caught in Monsoon rains - Vietnam


Farmer heading up in to the Fields - Guizhou province, China

Hauling in the Morning Catch to bring to Market - Vietnam

Water Culture/Houseboat Living - Cambodia

A favorite Sunset spot at the Shrimp Farms - Vietnam

Scenic Sunset - Guangxi province, China

Behind the Smiles

I'm currently reading a pretty good book entitled Cambodia Now, by Karen Coates, a journalist from the U.S. who worked as a reporter for a local English-language newspaper in Phnom Penh for a few years. It's a depressing read covering lots of current events, but it made me realize that of all the glowing things I've said about Cambodia, I hadn't yet talked about the negative. Unfortunately, in a country of such incredibly friendly people, the actuality of daily life and all the ills that stem from the OUTRAGEOUS government corruption shouldn't put a smile on ANYONE'S face.

Quote from the Harvard International Reviw, speaking about aid money - The programs would have provided employment and aid for thousands of impoverished people, as the World Bank acknowledged. But World Bank officials claimed they could not risk having the aid money end up in the hands of wealthy government officials, who apparently did not heed their lesson in 2003. As Khem Sokha, president of the Cambodian Human Rights Commission, explained, "The money received from the World Bank was intended for the many poor who lack sufficient food, water, shelter, and other most basic needs, not for the villas, land cruisers, and mistresses of some officials." The corruption of a few has led to a national crisis, and Cambodia's economic state is continuing to decline at a dangerous rate.

The poor, not the POOR poor, that we interviewed with Maxima (during our work as Kiva Fellows) seem to have pleasant village lives despite living with only the basics. There are SCORES of people though that are forced to live on the edge of survival here (35% of the population lives below the poverty line), not knowing where their next meal will come from and having no home to call their own. What's tragic about all this is that there's ALOT of money flooding in to this country through tourism, especially entrance fees to Angkor (One million visitors a year times $20 per day or $60 per week, totalling $1.3 billion USD!), though the government isn't the one footing the bill for restoration work (Japan, France, etc. are). Other countries are also footing the bills for extensive road improvements and other developments as they vie for rights for other things (possibly oil that has been discovered off the coast + in the Tonle Sap). Most of the human assistance here happens thanks to a slew of international NGO's, but even that doesn't ensure the money is going to those who need it. Besides the money factor, improvement in Cambodia (and the allowance of government corruption) is hindered by a variety of other factors -


LACK OF EDUCATION
It's A BIG problem in a country where most had no access to it during the Khmer Rough Regime. Many we've met are illiterate and can not afford to send their own children to school past the eighth grade, while some still don't understand it's importance. Also, they're uneducated about basic human rights that they DESERVE. (Photo below: Public awareness campaign poster against burning)


LACK OF WORK
There is an apparent lack of available work, especially for those with no capital or education. And even with a job - whether it be teacher, food vendor, construction laborer, loom weaver, city garbage collecter and even some doctors - it's only possible to earn $1-2 a day! That's BARELY enough for most people JUST to get by, and not enough for most to improve their lives. I'm not sure what it's going to take for this newly educated generation to be able to work their way up the economic + social ladder.

KARMIC ACCEPTANCE
Theravada Buddhism offers rational explanations for previous + future lives, but doesn't really delve in to how to resolve dilemmas of this existence. The religion teaches it's devotees to take what comes, so that the act of living becomes somewhat passive. When hard times befall the people, they merely ask the monks to pray to relieve them of the evil spirits. Now too, some become monks only to wear the robes so that they can ask people for money. They even smoke, drink, gamble + hire prostitutes undermining people's faith in them as someone they can go to for guidance. (Photo below: Taken by our expat friend, Steve)


NO DEMOCRACY
The ruling political party (CPP) keeps their authority through falsifying elections and outright assasination of those that challenge them. This is even evident in the trials of the current Khmer Rouge leaders that have taken YEARS to prosecute those that ordered/participated in murdering 20% of their countrymen + women. Many people feel that they have no control over the political outcome of their country.

LAND OWNERSHIP
Records were destroyed during the Khmer Rouge regime and in 1979 land-grabbing became a free-for-all. Some people staked out plots for decades, securing them the rights to that land. Today, the rich and powerful take what they want, evicting those beneath them on the social scale to general acceptance. Many of these people are forced to migrate to Phnom Penh in search of work, or in times of flood or famine, living on the streets or building shanties. The government tries to hide the poverty, and it's part in perpetuating it, under a thin veil called "improvements", just so that it's not as obvious to the casual visitor. Ultimately, it's the powerful again who take what they want by any means necessary. Check out Darin's blog for a recent example we witnessed.


LACK OF SANITATION
Just 31% of Cambodians have access to clean water and a mere 15% to sanitary toilets (the style of which hasn't changed mush in 700 years). Most people are uneducated about waste disposal and how germs spread. Even now, sewage remains untreated and flows through open sewers, dumping into rivers which people downstream use as a water source. Those with no option but to live along the sewers suffer from a variety of related illnesses which they are to poor to seek treatment for. (Photo above: Roadside garbage, a common sight)

LACK OF HEALTHCARE
Most can not afford to treat their illnesses. Also, a variety of drugs which have been banned in the West are shipped off to poor countries (like Cambodia) and still readily available on the market, worsening the problem. Currently, the average life expectancy is only 61 years.

VIOLENCE
It goes back centuries. See the bas-reliefs at Angkor depicting ghastly scenes of battle and torture. More recently, the Khmer Rouge and the now-ruling CPP party. It's historically been condoned if done by the ruling elite to the poor, because of the class system. Now, even though they rule, police and other authorities are all known to be corrupt and not trusted so occasionally people take justice in to their own hands with mob beatings for offenders. (Photo below: Khmer Rouge genocide memorial)


THE STATUS OF WOMEN
It's a generally accepted view that a woman's place is in the home or at the market, and that her husband may do as he will. If not this, then she must be young, beautiful, and give herself to men. Women are just now beginning to understand that they have rights too and there are highly visible ad campaigns now telling women to say no to domestic violence.

THE STATUS OF CHILDREN
Approximately 500-1,500 kids live on the streets of Phnom Penh with their families (as of 2003), another 1,200 live alone, and 10,000-20,000 work on the streets selling books, postcards, candy, souvenirs, etc. Some children are sold for next to nothing by their parents because they can't afford to feed them. Some of these live a life working under a "Big Brother" who takes their earnings from selling things, and others are sold in to the sex industry to the highest bidder. Recently, the latter has been cracked down on, but if you've got the cash you can still get away with anything here. (Photo below: Public awarenesss campaign poster against domestic violence)


TOO MUCH AID
Many view Cambodia as a "beggar nation". Rich, donor nations pour money into causes they can feel good about with little concept of the culture here. The foreigners that come to work for NGO's seem to OOZE money in keeping with their western lifestyles. And the money keeps coming, year after year. The more problems Cambodia has, the more NGO's show up, the more money that comes. The people SEE this. The government SURELY sees this. Why should the government solve it's own problems when the foreigners can? Or will? And so Cambodia becomes a dependent nation. The government begs the world, the world gives, and the powerful take what comes. More and more money lines the official's pockets. The rich are rich and the poor are poor. And if you're rich, you must be doing something right to have that power, that good karma. Buddhism, the way that it is interpreted here, essentially tells the people so. Cambodia takes in $537 million (2005) of foreign aid a year, for more than a decade, but more than one-third of the population still lives below the poverty line.

VIEW OF THE FUTURE
As the gap between rich + poor continues to widden, and elections are falsified, the people have no faith that change will come from the inside. And with antiquated Buddhist beliefs, they continue to accept it. The feeling of hopelessness is heightened by the fact that the vast majority are so poor that they really just focus on the day-to-day challenges of having food and shelter.


Here's what the CIA's World Fact Book has to add - The major economic challenge for Cambodia over the next decade will be fashioning an economic environment in which the private sector can create enough jobs to handle Cambodia's demographic imbalance. More than 50% of the population is less than 21 years old. The population lacks education and productive skills, particularly in the poverty-ridden countryside, which suffers from an almost total lack of basic infrastructure.

All that said, I DO love the country, but earnestly hope for needed changes there. There's a great blog I enjoy reading, written by an expat living in Phnom Penh. Check out his regularly updated blog at Details Are Sketchy for a cynical view of current news in Cambodia relayed with humor.