Primitive Post

Etched on a primitive writing tablet using an ancient stylus, somewhere far away....

"I've been without electricity now for almost three days.  No phone, no computer, no Facebook!  No way to charge anything, including my camera battery.  How long can one survive without electricity?  I'm about to find out.....

...PS If you're reading this post, it means the electricity is back on!  yeah!!  I will survive!!"

The Wind Blowing in my Hair.....

Imagine looking down on a huge ant colony, with the busy freeways of ant life…every ant just trying to get where ever it is they have to go as fast and as direct as they can – sort of a purposeful chaos.  Well, that’s kind of how the roads are in Vrindavan.   And today I was careening down the Vrindavan ant-people-cow-dog-monkey-bullock-camel-horse-car-bicycle-rickshaw-motorcyle-pedestrian Freeway of Chaos perched sidesaddle on motor scooter.

I had my reservations – I am a little cautious (don’t laugh) when it comes to matters of potential bodily harm.  I wasn’t always so cautious, certainly as anybody who knows me will attest, not a cautious teenager or young adult.  But somewhere along the line, seat belts, helmets and designated drivers started to take on a certain urgent appeal as time marched on and responsibilities mounted. 

Apparently, I’ve come full circle!!

From the moment I climbed onto the back of the scooter, wrapped a light grip around my driver friend’s waist, and lean into his back, I wasn’t worried in the least bit about not having a helmet on, or weaving in and out of traffic, dodging sleeping cows, and playing chicken with the oncoming rickshaws.  The constant blaring of horns just added another dimension to an already supersaturated sensory ride.   

When we arrived at our destination, like the end of a rollercoaster ride, I was sorry to have to get off.   But we were out to attend to business after all!  The process of renting a house in Vrindavan, and setting up a vocational/counseling center for the widows requires a lot of running around from landlord to lawyer to Vrindavan to Mathura and back again.  Now, I think all my paperwork and documents have been prepared and sent to California headquarters for input and approval.  Once all the documents are signed and we take possession of the house, it’s on to phase two - setting up a sole proprietorship business to facilitate our White Rainbow Project’s operations in India.  I’m hoping all that running around can be done from the back of a motorcycle!

Getting Connected

Do you know anyone who does NOT have a cellphone?  They are everywhere, and 30% of the world's cellphone users are in China and India.  But they don't all walk into spacious AT&T or T-Moble stores to get connected.
Today, Asha James and I went to the local mobile store to get a SIM card for my cellphone (Not using my iPhone here for anything but text messaging and photos - international roaming charges are prohibitive).  This little mobile kiosk is how most people in India get their connections.
That's Asha James shuffling through the red packets of SIM cards looking for  good number - Indian's like to pick out their cell phone numbers, something easy to remember or auspicious for them.  In order to register for a SIM card you must prove your identification and leave a passport type photo with the application.  India has had it's share of terrorist problems; here's a run down of this year's activities alone!  Terrorist groups would use cellphones for communication and throw away the SIM cards so they could not be traced.  This is just one way that India is fighting a very serious problem.
And actually, I do know one person who does not have a cellphone...my second oldest brother, David.

Good News/Bad News

Good news - got tickets booked today.  Leaving from LAX July 2nd...

Bad news - on China Eastern Airlines (and I specifically said no Chinese airlines, please!!) with a stop in Shanghai.  This airline doesn't exactly get great reviews!!  If anybody has flown with them and had good experiences - please make me feel good and tell me about how great it is.  If you've had bad experiences with this airline - don't say anything!!

Good news - maybe they'll serve orange chicken for dinner...

Visa Interrupted

Around four o'clock last night (well, 4am this morning) I was attacked by a cat; I'm sure it was an accident, but the cats were racing around, jumped on my bed (the California King - and I was sleeping head towards the foot board, so really they weren't expecting my face to be at the foot of the bed, in their defense) and used my face as a spring board to rocket off the bed.  It happened to fast, and then they were gone (afraid of what they'd done) I don't even know which cat did it!!
However...to the point at hand...I was going to go get visa photos today, but now I have these huge, long scrapping claw marks down the side of my face and neck.  And I recall that one of the questions on the Indian visa application was..."Do you have any visible distinguishing marks?" to which I answered, "no".  So, I could hardly submit a photo with long, pronounced, parallel lines running down the side of my face like some tribal tattoos, now could I??  That would be an immediate...
...visa
...denied!!

Visa - And I'm Not Talkin' Credit Cards

Started my visa process - application is all online now and so far, it's been a very pleasant process.

Here's my last India visa...

The process to get this one was much more difficult.  I was living on a small Greek Island, Paros, and had to take a ferry boat to the mainland, then schlep into town (Athens) and find the India Embassy, fill out piles of paper work, pay big baksheesh and wait around for days hoping it would be approved.  Obviously, I got approval to enter India for the second time in my life on April 29, 1981--------------->
The passport with this India visa has more visas in it than any of my other passports.  With this now expired passport, I circumnavigated the globe.

(The first time I went to India was with my parents in 1968 - somewhere I have that visa, too.)