Joyrides and riptides

Ok. I'm back in action!!!

I've had a chance (forcibly, but still) to charge the ol' batteries and realize my limits in regards to the heat.  These limits are much closer than I once had originally thought: India is not Florida, and who am I kidding? When I lived in Florida I had constant access to air conditioning, Walgreens and a pool or the ocean.

Here?  Well, we get a breeze from time to time, but there is nowhere to hide from the heat, ahh!! It's driving me nuts.  Just thinking out being outside gives me a headache, lol. I always hope that I don't have to walk back to my hut from the main hut after 10 a.m because of the heat. It's sunny everyday and it never rains.  Portland sounds like a good move right about now.

To stay cool I've decided I need a moped.  Yes, that's right, I'm the proud renter of a moped for the next few weeks.  I went from never having driven one on Sunday, to riding all over town with not only one, but at one point TWO people on the back (though one was a pocket-friend and only counts as half a person, lol).  Yeah, I guess I'm a bad-ass.

There's even a few people here that have taken to nicknaming me "Rock 'n Roll." Ha, I swear it's true, and no, I didn't ask them to call me that, it occurred naturally.  Oh, and I decided to name my moped Harvey Dangerfield (get it? like Harley Davidson, haaaahahhahaha). 

The Internet has been out here for like 4 days, and it has been kind of boring.  I do love the Internet, especially when it's my one joy, the happy little center of my middle-of-nowhere life that helps me to stay connected to my peeps.  And I'm not going to lie, I've been dying to update my blog, ha, I know: dorky!

While I've been out joyriding around the past few days, I've done the following activities:

• Eaten pizza (which was pretty good! The place, Tata, is owned by an Italian, it's totally reputable).
• Been to the beach (but haven't actually swam in it).
• Eaten vegan and non-vegan ice cream (I'm still warming up to the food at SF, eek). 
• Almost driven off the road while thinking about pizza (no joke, I've been DREAMING of pizza); have no fear, there were no casualties or injuries, just a bruised ego.

It seemed like more in my mind.  Today I'll venture out to the city center to meet a friend for tea.  Everyday people with mopeds leave at least once a day in search of CHAI!!! It's a huge deal.  I still haven't found my chai "place" yet.  I have a samosa "place" now, which is pretty darn tasty, they have this sauce for the samosas with cilantro, lime and chili pepper; it's like an Indian/Mexican mixture. And they serve 200ml glass bottle pop for about 12 rupees each.  I LOVE how cheap India is.

I ate a whole pizza and drank a whole pop for 125 rupees (less than $3).  And that's expensive.  If you get Indian food from the local places, it's usually wayyy cheaper than the American fare or "vegan" fare. 

Before I came here I was like "OOh, I'm going to be vegan, and I'm never going to leave Sadhana and I'll ride my bike everywhere." Ha, fat chance.  I'm riding all over the place on a gas-guzzling moped eating ice cream and pizza every chance that I get.  And I still haven't ridden an actual bicycle since I've been here: FAIL!

Oh well, our plans don't always work out the way we anticipate.  I'm just going with the flow.  Though I would sell a left arm (not mine, necessarily) for some Mexican food (Chipotle, even, who cares) and some Sour Patch Kids.  Six months is starting to sound like a really, really, really long time.  Really.

I'd ask for someone to send one, but shoot, burritos don't really keep in the mail, and sugar is definitely contraband.  I don't know what I was thinking, lol...

I don't have many words left, I've been talking a lot the past few days, but I do have tons of pictures; enjoy!

 This is Ida and Swati.  I told them to look cool.  They are succeeding.

 This is a Banyon tree in the courtyard at the pizza place.  They grow many trunks.

 This is an empty Coke bottle.  You've probably seen one of these before.

 This is a pizza menu.  You've probably seen one of these as well.

 This was a slice of the Mediterranean pizza that made me feel less homesick. YUM!

This is Kali.  She is the Hindi goddess of time and transformation.  She frightens me.

 
 Those would be intestines.

 This sharp lady was hanging out near Kali.  I don't know her name, but she seemed a bit friendlier.

 This was a giant tomb that was also at Kali's shrine, but it didn't look like Kali.  It's very large.

 Enjoy some palm trees.

 This was a pond at this sanctuary at the beach.  It's called "Quiet Beach." Don't worry, I didn't get kicked out.

 Ida on the path to enlightenment. Hehe.

 The ocean!!!

 These are huge lumps of fishermen ropes.  There are piles of them all over the beach (see: below).

Red and black ants and face plants...

Ugh. 

Around here, the Sadhana compound that is, there's this term that I've been hearing, constantly, since hour 1: full power.  It's like the "kaizen" of Sadhana.  It means feeling awesome and being all that you can be, yada yada yada.  People say it all.the.time.

Worse yet, I've even found myself saying it.  Not recently, but my first few days I'm all like "Yeah, garden watering, full power, booyah!" As a consequence of rockin' out a little bit too much full power, I feel like poopoo kaka.  Though I have moved from the healing hut back to my own hut, each day is a roller coaster ride of energy.  It's kind of hard to have energy when you don't eat, I guess.

Yeah, so I'm struggling with a fear of having the D word, which translates me to being afraid to eat anything that is prepared here.  It's kind of weird that I, Danielle Harkins, food lover extroardinaire, is willing to not eat because she doesn't want to get sick.

I don't really have much of an appetite either; the mere thought of any of the food from Sadhana makes me sick to my stomach.  I haven't eaten any of it since Sunday morning.  I know, crazy.  They say fasting is good to defeat sickness, but shit, I'm tired.  Kind of makes me miss the teege.  I'm craving some gnocchi sorrentala (sp?) from the frozen section right about now...

Sorry to sound a little like Debbie Downer, this is the part of the blog where I get real with the folks back home.  Don't worry, though, just becaue I haven't eaten anything from here doesn't mean I haven't eaten anything at all!  Some nice people have been kind enough to sneak in contraband (read: processed food, still vegan) that tastes good.  A few days ago, someone brought back some rolls, so that was my meal on that day.  The next day, someone brought back some little crackers, potato chips, and even some Kombucha (which is crazy cheap here, like 35 rupees=less than a dollar, screw Whole Foods).

Last night, someone even brought back some paratha from a local Indian restaurant.  I feel like I'm eating like a picky 2 year old, haha.

And I haven't been alone.  It just so happens that my closest Sadhana friend thus far, Ida from Sweden,  has been just as sick as I have and we've been able to spend time loads of sick time together, eating contraband snacks, hehe.

I'm not gonna lie, it still sucks.  Now that I'm back in my own hut, I have to resume a war with these red and black ants that sneak up and crawl over everything.  And they bite. 

One of my first afternoons here I took a shower (read: filling up a bucket and dumping water over yourself with a cup, in privacy, no less!) then returned to my hut for a nice little nap.  When I woke up, I had these stupid ants crawling all over me.  You can't feel their bites, you just see them later.  So I've been walking around the past week with about 70 bites all over my legs and arms.  Awesome.

And apparently, I haven't quite figured how to get rid of them, because they keep showing up.  Never at night, thank God, so I can sleep then.  It's just in the afternoon, when I want to take a little siesta, they pop up everywhere.  And it's never when my eyes are open, I never see them, it's as soon as I start dozing off, I can feel one or two crawling on my leg, maybe my arm.  I swear they're little demon ants.

I even have lots of bug bites on my face, though I think they're from mosquitoes.  That's why I'm not posting or taking any photos this week.  There's got to be at least 30 on my face, I look like I have acne; people keep asking like "Dude, what happened to your face?" It's awesome.  One guy thought I had chicken pox.  I was like "Hey guy, wrong number, I've already had them, I'm actually a leper."

Eh.  So that's what's going on.  If it's what you're into, I could use some prayer this week, to bring me back to full power, and to bring my heart back to why I'm here because I'm almost ready to call the whole thing off.  The past 5 or 6 days have been baddd.

Kisses!

The "D" word

So, when I first got here, I thought it was rather curious that within the first conversation that you have with somebody, that diarrhea is likely to come up.  I was like "hmmm, in the states, it's a little peculiar to have poo talk with someone until you're close friends, and even then sometimes you don't go there."

Anyway, I realized why it comes up so much: because it happens to everyone! Ewww.  The past 48 hours have been some of the sickest of my entire life.  I have been lying on my almost death bed in the "Healing Hut" (infirmary), hoping to feel better.  Luckily, I haven't had an appetite for several days, so eating food isn't an option for me.  Although, white pasta with olive oil, salt and pepper sounds amazing. Ahh, the things that I took for granted in my past life.  Six months is sounding a bit longer now that I've had my first life-or-death sick experience.

I was literally walking around like "I want my Mom, I want my Dad" being a big, whiny, sick baby, with a fever, a headache, bug bites all over me, throwing up, and ailing from the big D.  I'm telling you, it was rough.  I looked like some crazy leper.  Not to mention my hair is wilder than ever here.  The shampoo is a little too natural and makes my hair look oily, so I've given it up and have been washing my hair with mud from the (clay) mud pit.  It's where we all go to swim and cool down.

I had gone for a fresh swim and wash on the day I came down with the plague, and something in the clay makes my hair huge, I'm talking carrot top huge, so yeah, long story short, I've been lying around looking pretty scary with some sort of weird messed-up afro for several days.

Luckily, everyone here is really nice and really cool, so all day yesterday people were stopping in to say hi and to keep me company for a while.  They're all like "Oh, we've been there, what a drag, it's just what happens when you come to India, especially Sadhana Forest" and so forth.  And of course everyone wants to discuss the big D, like what color is it, how frequent is it happening, yada yada.  I'll spare you the details (and photos), as it's likely I haven't quite broached the taboo poo subject with all of you yet at this point in our relationships.

Nonetheless, I'm feeling better now.  I'm still going to have to spend a few days lying around and healing, but at least I don't feel like I'm dying.  Whew. I'm worn out, and it's only been a week: 25 weeks to go!

Camp Al-Gon-Quain: The Later Years

So, to recap:

The second flight was easy-peasy: 3.5 hours, no big deal.  The 2 hour car ride from the airport in Chennai to Auroville, where Sadhana Forest is located, was something else.  The driving was so wild!  It's kind of my dream: you can drive all over the road, pass on all sides, and no cops will pull you over! And, the best part, you get to honk the horn and flash your brights all the time; it's expected, especially if you're passing another vehicle. 

As I normally do not like to ride in vehicles with other drivers, I was rather impressed with my ability to keep my cool; I actually had full faith in my taxi driver to get me to my destination both quickly and safely. It almost felt like a controlled environment, like Mr. Toads Wild Ride, on amphetamines.

When we were almost to Sadhana, the driver pulled over and asked if I wanted some coconut.  I was thinking to myself 'hmm, everyone says not to eat fresh food or eat street food', so.... of course I partook, lol. 

So this guy on the side of the road hacks open a coconut, grabs a straw, and I drink.  It was utterly delightful, much better than the coconut water that you buy in the tetra pack (sorry, Zico).

Upon arrival to Sadhana, I was feeling energized and exhausted simultaneously. It was only 7am and I had a whole day to go.  After some asking around, I found Jamey, the guy I was here to "report" to, or the only person I had been in contact with.  Then I just hung out, ate some food, met some people (there were so many, lik 70 the day I got here, and already 20 have left in anticipation for the hot season), and volunteered to work in the kitchen.  By the time lunch rolled around, I was delirious!

Thus, some nice folks that live here showed me to my new home/hut, where I proceeded to cry a little bit, make my bed, get things tidy enough, and fell asleep. For hourrrrs.....but I still managed to wake up in time for dinner, duh!  It's that Harkins stomach, it knows when feeding time is, lol.

The past few days have been a blur of working, making friends and getting to know sadhana.  On Thursday night "Night Out" is imposed, where you have to fend for yourself for a meal.  Many people who are staying here long term have motor-bikes or mopeds, yet I haven't even checked out a bicycle yet.  The roads are so crazy I don't want to be on them at all!

However, I found myself hurtling down dirt roads and past cows on the side of the road on the back of a moped with a new friend, in pursuit of an ATM and some authentic Indian food for dinner.  If I thought the taxi ride was wild, this moped ride was horrifying!!!  I was like "Slow down, I'm an only child!" which of course elicited much laughter from my co-rider.  Geez Louise.  But once again,
I'm obviously safe and sound:)

For the work life, I've been volunteering to water the garden the past 5 days, which is really nice, but is also a job that requires work on the weekends.  Early.  Each day, I work outside with a hose and water cans from 6:30a-12:00p (with a break in between for breakfast).  Whew.  I'm looking forward to some new 1st and 2nd work (that's the insider terms for the work we do before breakfast and after) next week. For sure.

I'm not trying to knock it; I've learned so much about plants in a small amount of time, which is awesome, it's just sooooo hot.  The high here is in the mid-high 80s everyday, and it doesn't rain until monsoon season, which means it's super sunny, all day everyday.  Meow!  Luckily, I've been rockin' the SPF 100 to protect the tattoos and the skin, lol. Everyone here is tan besides me, especially my legs, eeew.

All in all, I'm loving it here.  I wake up everyday and can't believe I'm actually here while at the same time I feel like I've been here forever.  Also, each day when we wake, it's to several people walking around with an acoustic guitar, singing lovely songs.  It totally beats an alarm clock!  I had a dream about John Lennon the first night I was here and woke up to realize that the people walking around were singing "Here Comes The Sun."  It was soo awesome!!!

Here's a visual recap of the living situation: (and I get a personal hut because I'm "long-term" meaning I don't have to sleep in the dormitories: Yeah, privacy!)

This is what they look like from the outside, there's like 30 of them, they look like scary birds.

This is the view of some of the tapestries that act as a door and curtain.

This is my bed on the floor.  The mosquito net I have doesn't fit, so I sleep with the bugs :)

This is bed #2, in case I have any visitors/sleepover buddies. Or it's an alternative spot to nap.

Uh, this would be me, in my hut, decked out for watering the garden (sans sunglasses, duh).

So that's India, in a nutshell.  Stay tuned for more grown-up summer camp tales from yours truly:) 

Thirteen hours on the run, and I'm not even hungry.

My first adventure as a traveler of the world was rad.  Big planes are definitely more fun than little planes, and a little less scary. However, I was rather nervous flying over the ocean; there's so much of it.  Six hours into the flight, though, I finally relaxed a bit:)

Each seat had a tv screen on it, and there were "lots" of movies to choose from.  I watched "True Grit."  It was pretty good, for a western ...

Believe it or not, it is pretty hard to sit still, in a single seat, for 13 hours, in the middle of the night.  I think I caught about 3 total hours of sleep, which is admirable considering I was sitting up the whole entire time (I am a huge fan of sprawling-style sleeping on a bed, for instance).  An extra $10,000 to sit in first-class would have been nice, those guys get to lay down. Niiiiiice.

Yet, I really can't complain because I'm an eater, and there was more food than I knew what to do with trolling down the aisles of that planes' cabin. It seemed like every 20 minutes the flight attendants were returning with more goodies.  Granted, it wasn't like dining in a 5-star restaurant, it was better than a bag of pretzels and a diet coke.

My favorite thing: in the middle of the night (flight), this guy came around with ICE CREAM!!! It was soo good, it was like a Klondike bar, but bigger and better, with a caramel swirl. Meow! Glad I wasn't sleeping at that point in time, otherwise I would have missed out on my final pre-vegan village treat.

As for now, I'm in Abu Dhabi, waiting for flight #2 to board.  It's pretty great here, it kind of reminds me of Miami, with a similar climate.  Here are some highlights from the airport:

(a toilet for all ability levels!)

(I'm a sucker for anything that looks remotely tropical)

And there were TONS of international hotties, but taking their pictures would have been weird. 

I must board now. Kisses!

Unemployed. And homeless.

So, it's official: I'm living on couches, with only the clothes on my back.  Well, the clothes I can carry on my back.

I just returned home from a mellow week in Michigan, filled with many hours of thesis writing, editing, and Desperate Housewives season 1.  Oh, and lots of Poppa time, which also translates to lots of eating and laughing time :)

BUT the highlight of my week?

That would be defending my thesis. (Chhh, more like the highlight of my life!)  BOOYAH! It was just a few hours ago yet it already feels like a lifetime.  Beforehand, I'd never been so nervous in my life, though I surely didn't want to admit it.  I'm sure the red-face, the stuttering and the sweat on my upper-lip might have given me away  during my presentation, haha.

And now?

I've never been so relieved in all of my life.  Truly.  I thought getting accepted to graduate school felt pretty good, but I assure you, finishing that goshforsaken thesis feels wayyy better.

In the meantime: it's time to celebrate.  The big going-away soiree is at Chez Mahoney tomorrow night, and I intend to do just that.  Then Sunday night, it's off to India. Whoa. I'm sure it won't feel real until I'm hurtling through the Indian countryside in a taxi...