A new stage in my life...................
- Thread starter Grannie G
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I think that is what I mean, Sylvia.
It's just lovely to be sharing this experience anyway. x
Now this morning I woke at about 9am which is my norm here. It was a beautiful day and I thought I would spend the first part of the morning writing to my daughter on the balcony. As soon as I sat down I had the urge to look up one of the young men we met a couple of days ago at the Aarti ceremony at Triveni Ghat. It is the place that Sylvia will place Dhiren's ashes into the Ganges. I asked this man if he knew anyone who would perform a little ceremony and he said his brother could if he was available. He gave me his card (all in Hindi) and asked me to ring him as he would ask his brother.
Right, back to this morning. I looked him up on Facebook because he told me he used facebook. I found him straight away to I asked him to be friends. To my surprise he accepted straight away so I messaged him to ask if he had spoken to his brother. He said he had and we could all talk it over. I asked when and he said his brother was at some religious festival in another indian state and would be back 14-15 March and we could all meet then. I spoke to Sylvia and she was happy. He then messaged me again to invite me and Sylvia to meet his mother today. We accepted and asked if 3pm would be fine. He then asked what indian food we liked because they wanted to share a meal with us. I said vegetarian. So we will be going on another adventure this afternoon. We will have to find some Indian sweets to take to his mother. We will get a taxi there as its on the other side of the river I think.
It is wonderful just walking into the day and letting it unfold without trying to organise it. Everyday has been special. We will fill you in about our afternoon with Kamal and his mother. We will tell the hotel staff where we are going and ask them to hold onto his card. I feel completely safe but 'just in case'.
Everyday when I go out walking with Sylvia I am very aware of walking upon the surface of the earth and I can experience this ball of earth hanging in space with me walking upon the surface and all life is upon it. The birds can fly but everything depends upon the surface. I don't even try to visualise anything, it just comes. I like it.
This is Kamal
Speak later
Love
Right, back to this morning. I looked him up on Facebook because he told me he used facebook. I found him straight away to I asked him to be friends. To my surprise he accepted straight away so I messaged him to ask if he had spoken to his brother. He said he had and we could all talk it over. I asked when and he said his brother was at some religious festival in another indian state and would be back 14-15 March and we could all meet then. I spoke to Sylvia and she was happy. He then messaged me again to invite me and Sylvia to meet his mother today. We accepted and asked if 3pm would be fine. He then asked what indian food we liked because they wanted to share a meal with us. I said vegetarian. So we will be going on another adventure this afternoon. We will have to find some Indian sweets to take to his mother. We will get a taxi there as its on the other side of the river I think.
It is wonderful just walking into the day and letting it unfold without trying to organise it. Everyday has been special. We will fill you in about our afternoon with Kamal and his mother. We will tell the hotel staff where we are going and ask them to hold onto his card. I feel completely safe but 'just in case'.
Everyday when I go out walking with Sylvia I am very aware of walking upon the surface of the earth and I can experience this ball of earth hanging in space with me walking upon the surface and all life is upon it. The birds can fly but everything depends upon the surface. I don't even try to visualise anything, it just comes. I like it.
This is Kamal
Speak later
Love
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That sounds wonderful Helen.
I hope you have a lovely time and that you enjoy the meal.
I'm glad you are both feeling a bit better. x
I hope you have a lovely time and that you enjoy the meal.
I'm glad you are both feeling a bit better. x
I do love your thread, so enjoy visiting every day to see what's happened and what is next. Enjoy your day today xx
They had an Indian chef on Saturday kitchen this morning - the chap from the Cinammon Club in London. He was explaining about Holi and how much he had enjoyed the festival as a child in India. He said that they have a Holi 'pod' in their posh restaurant in London and talked about the contrast between the colours of that and the grey business suits of some of the diners! He got James Martin and his guests to put coloured paint on their faces. He made the most beautiful looking Samosas. Made me think of you two!
I don't know what the powder is but it certainly isn't powder paint. Both our skins are so smooth after being coloured, it can't just be a coincidence.
We have had an amazing day.
We took a tuk tuk and the driver agreed to stop at a sweet shop so we could take some sweets to Kamal and his mother. The sweet shop was wonderful and we bought a big box of assorted Indian sweets.
It was difficult to find the address with the information we had and there was no wifi to help us. Helen had left the business card with the hotel just in case so we didn't even have a phone number. The tuk tuk driver asked locals and found our destination. We were warmly welcomed by Kamals mother, sister, neighbour and her father. Only the neighbour spoke English but somehow we m anaged to connect and communicate.
We were presented with tea with lemon picked from the tree and an Indian snack, much tastier than Bombay Mix and then a delicious meal of rice, chapati, dhal , green cabbage and vegetable curry. Afterwards some of our sweets were passed round and they were a million times better than any I've had in the UK. wonderful.
I'm embarrassed to say mucky pup here spilt and I tried so hard to eat with a bit of decorum.
After eating we had to pose for 100 photos.
We noticed a back to back neighbour turning a large wheel. He was shredding garden weeds for cattle feed. Both he and his wife looked above middle age and yet they climbed over the wall with agility I haven't had for years. Their young adult daughter came too. She was English speaking and I felt an instant connection with her. We are going to keep in touch on Facebook.
More relatives arrived and more photos were taken.
I was mindful our poor tuk tuk driver was still waiting for us but we had promised to visit the neighbour next door. She was so proud of her lovely home and she too served us refreshments.
We finally took our leave after hugs all round. We will see them again when we talk to Kamals brother about a ceremony for Dhiren.
There was not a word of complaint from our tuk tuk driver who had been waiting more than two hours for us. We paid him well over the asking price and the look of pure delight on his face was a pleasure to see.
We have had an amazing day.
We took a tuk tuk and the driver agreed to stop at a sweet shop so we could take some sweets to Kamal and his mother. The sweet shop was wonderful and we bought a big box of assorted Indian sweets.
It was difficult to find the address with the information we had and there was no wifi to help us. Helen had left the business card with the hotel just in case so we didn't even have a phone number. The tuk tuk driver asked locals and found our destination. We were warmly welcomed by Kamals mother, sister, neighbour and her father. Only the neighbour spoke English but somehow we m anaged to connect and communicate.
We were presented with tea with lemon picked from the tree and an Indian snack, much tastier than Bombay Mix and then a delicious meal of rice, chapati, dhal , green cabbage and vegetable curry. Afterwards some of our sweets were passed round and they were a million times better than any I've had in the UK. wonderful.
I'm embarrassed to say mucky pup here spilt and I tried so hard to eat with a bit of decorum.
After eating we had to pose for 100 photos.
We noticed a back to back neighbour turning a large wheel. He was shredding garden weeds for cattle feed. Both he and his wife looked above middle age and yet they climbed over the wall with agility I haven't had for years. Their young adult daughter came too. She was English speaking and I felt an instant connection with her. We are going to keep in touch on Facebook.
More relatives arrived and more photos were taken.
I was mindful our poor tuk tuk driver was still waiting for us but we had promised to visit the neighbour next door. She was so proud of her lovely home and she too served us refreshments.
We finally took our leave after hugs all round. We will see them again when we talk to Kamals brother about a ceremony for Dhiren.
There was not a word of complaint from our tuk tuk driver who had been waiting more than two hours for us. We paid him well over the asking price and the look of pure delight on his face was a pleasure to see.
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I wrote out our story of this afternoon and then lost it..... Never mind. I've just seen Sylvia has posted which is great. It was a real adventure today into a part of India tourists wouldn't go. We were prepared to face whatever situation we found ourselves in accommodationwise and hoped that we wouldn't need the loo AND that we wouldn't have to sit on the floor.
It was a nice little village. Quite a lot of people passing Kamal's house took a great interest in the two white women and were probably wondering what it was all about. When we first arrived there was Kamal's mother, her sister, her neighbour (male) and his daughter Neha. Neha contributed to our meal by providing a curry. Then Kamal and his friend arrived. As the time went by more and more people arrived. His aunt's husband and child had gone to visit a temple and they returned to find us there.
I was very interested in the neighbours at the back turning a wheel which was like a scythe. His wife fed the cutter, he turned the wheel and the grass was finely chopped for his vow. Kamal said we could go to them. Their daughter came out who spoke English. She was lovely. They didn't mind me taking photos and then they came over the wall to join all the fun of group photography. Hundreds of photos they all wanted.
We were prepared for anything and received fabulous welcome into their simple home and neighbourhood. The next door neighbour made us promise we would visit her before we left. We honoured our promise but had to cut our stay very short. We have promised them more time when we return in mid March.
This is the kind of thing that you can't buy. It isn't available on organised tours. There was very little language between us but there was a great connection that transcends language. I have learnt a little Hindi which gives them great pleasure to hear. I want to learn one more word or short sentence a day whilst I'm here.
On another note, we are both managing to climb the hill and then the steps so much easier now.
Love
It was a nice little village. Quite a lot of people passing Kamal's house took a great interest in the two white women and were probably wondering what it was all about. When we first arrived there was Kamal's mother, her sister, her neighbour (male) and his daughter Neha. Neha contributed to our meal by providing a curry. Then Kamal and his friend arrived. As the time went by more and more people arrived. His aunt's husband and child had gone to visit a temple and they returned to find us there.
I was very interested in the neighbours at the back turning a wheel which was like a scythe. His wife fed the cutter, he turned the wheel and the grass was finely chopped for his vow. Kamal said we could go to them. Their daughter came out who spoke English. She was lovely. They didn't mind me taking photos and then they came over the wall to join all the fun of group photography. Hundreds of photos they all wanted.
We were prepared for anything and received fabulous welcome into their simple home and neighbourhood. The next door neighbour made us promise we would visit her before we left. We honoured our promise but had to cut our stay very short. We have promised them more time when we return in mid March.
This is the kind of thing that you can't buy. It isn't available on organised tours. There was very little language between us but there was a great connection that transcends language. I have learnt a little Hindi which gives them great pleasure to hear. I want to learn one more word or short sentence a day whilst I'm here.
On another note, we are both managing to climb the hill and then the steps so much easier now.
Love
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