goodbye holalkere

Today was my final visit to a sangha in Holalkere. While I initially dreaded the thought of spending a few weeks at what I like to call "Indian Camp Shahola." (We used to spend Memorial Day Weekends in the Poconos as children at this camp with all these other Indian families from when I was young until well into my adolescence.) I realize that I have grown quickly accustomed to my "country life"; I have found some friends and most of all found comfort in the great amount of solitude that I have in the evenings and on weekends. I think that while I spend a lot of time alone in New York, this experience has taught me to spend time alone in a useful way. Instead of of just simmering in a pit of self-loathing by looking at photographs on my laptop (shout out for Louie!) I have read through two good novels, gotten back into practicing Spanish, written a bunch and have worked on my i-movie skills. I also, while it is rather difficult since I don't speak any of the local languages, have tried to spend time with the staff at the training center and people who work at the RC who also live here. In particular, one RC manager's son, Arshid, is one of the most adorable kids I have ever seen. (Krish - remember when we sat at Bridgewater ages ago and rated baby-cuteness? He is a 10 :p. ) I try to pop in and see him and his mom. She usually cuts a mango and makes me tea, and is really sweet, even though we have about 30 words in common.

I should go through my routine of the last few weeks, just to demonstrate the simplicity but relative peace of the last few weeks. The first week and a half I was here, I would get up at around 7 or 7:30, turn on my water heater and do regular-morning things: say hello to spiders, count lizards, put on contacts, brush my teeth and so on. At around 8:30, Toufiq or Mudhasir, two really nice guys ( brothers) who work here, would knock on my door to call me for breakfast. Each morning, they were setting my breakfast up in the training director's room: breakfast and tea, and solitude. I would then meet up with my translator, Vijay, and Rafi, the driver (who has also been really great about answering all of my questions about agriculture/religion/social practices) and we would drive and do 9 or so interviews and come back in the evening. Afterwards, my back would be killing me, from having sat on the floor, indian style for 8 hours, so I would grab my book, turn on the fan and my anti-mosquito repellent and lay on my bed inside my mosquito net, and read for two hours. At around 8:30, Toufiq would knock on my door for dinner back in the training director's room. I would sit there and eat, while Toufiq kept me company and we would try and tell and understand one another's stories while I slowly ate my dinner.

This week, since the training director was back, I opted to have my meals back at the mess hall. The nice part is that there are more people to chat with including the translator and this other guy, Nihal, who is a recent MA and is pretty conversational. We would eat and chat and this stray dog that seems to love me, would come around and try to pilfer food from our plates.

I have to say it is amazing how actions and facial expressions can really help in communicating with people. I recognize that while only a minimal amount of information is going back and forth between me and anyone else here, at least some messages are being passed. The staff, Sujata, Chittappa, Appu do not speak any English at all. They are all really friendly, helpful and kind.

I will also miss being in such a green place, its quiet, aside from the fat beetles that think my bathroom door is a moshpit and most importantly, its safe.

While I expressed frustration in a regular routine and having to be on a schedule, I have to say that I will really miss being at the center because I really did feel so much more at home than I do now at my dirty hotel in Chitradurga. (Traveler's Note: the only big "hotel" in Chitradurga the closest "city" in this area is a place called Aishwarya Fort... don't be fooled by the largess, its still probably a 1.5 to 2-star establishment....when I got to my room today, I noticed that in the bathroom there was a pair of dirty underwear hanging up.) I am going to ask them to move me to a clean room. Also, it seems that I should not trust any of the staff, especially all of the men who work there, so that is just great... Oh Holalkere how I will miss you.