Dec. 23, 2004

David, Maurine and I arrived Dec 4th, to Trivandrum, S. Kerala. A wonderful, uneventful flight.Watched 3 movies and turned off more. Elf was so funny, I laughed out loud a lot.

I met a sweet young man from Calcutta who lives in Vancouver while we were waiting in the Van. airport. He was an orphan living on the streets and a cdn. missionary adopted him. We spent a lot of time visiting over the next 2 days and really connected. We exchanged tel numbers for when we return home. His extended family are devotees.

In Singapore (overnight there)we did a hop on hop off bus tour that my sisters and I learned to do in England. Great way to see the city quickly.We now can go where we want on the return trip when we have more time. We also did a Singapore river trip, great fun.We met western devotees there who were going to have a holiday first in Kovallum Beach, before going to the ashram, We decided to do the same. I didn't realize how stressed I was from the house renos, We laid on the beach, under beach umbrellas, played in the surf, ate tropical fruit salads, coconut milk drinks, and shoppecourses and preparation for the trip.d. My body had some adjustment to make we are 18 hours different, so day is nighttime! Melatonin helped a lot.

We found a great Lonely Planet restaurant , vegetarian, with amma's photo at the entrance. Good and inexpensive food.

The people are kind , helpful, beautiful. Got a hotel room for $10. off the beach. could have got one cheaper but we were tired and had a lot of luggage. I felt at home and comfortable right away.
I got 2 plain white punjabi outfits and another of unbleached cotton with gold trim, made for 1000 rupees $28.and had a beautiful punjabi top made for Allie, out of raw silk, red and gold weave.
(I'll get your bed hanging on way home Allie, not much at ashram.)

Hired an ashram cab to bring us to Amritapuri, A air conditioned new landrover! I felt loved!
So good to be at the ashram! On the way I could feel Amma tugging my heart, Maurine and I got teary as we arrived and I wanted to jump out and kiss the ground, I restrained and just touched the step and my head and heart.

I feel at home, my real home. I know so many people here, and I've met so many more. My seva is veggie chopping from 7-9am after archana (prayers) and meditation, but before breakfast.
The weather is hot but pleasant, Our room is 10th floor and get a wonderful breeze, and view east over the mainland and backwaters and sunrise.I was told we had Amma's grace to get such a good room.
I got sick the first meal here (indian food) I was sick for 1 1/2 days. then I had bad headaches. Someone said take electrolights (Coconut milk) and re hydrate. I did and immediately I was better.

We have so many westerners, 600 from all over the world we tend to speak pidgeon english, so forgive any lapse, also I don't know how to do spell checks on this slow old pc. (I'm a mac owner).
I can't believe how many people I know here! I've also met so many. It really is Heaven on Earth.
Got a bird dropping down my back soon after arrival, a friend, a new resident here said it was good luck to have an Amma bird drop on me, within 20 minutes it happened again at another location.
Food is delicious. Have choice of western cafe (cheap)or free indian. After my experience with getting sick, I'm a little leary.

Did a 6 day Calicut Brahmastnam temple trip. 1st day in Manjeri to an Amma school. Thousands of people came,3 second for each person to receive darshan (hud and prasad) An all day night affair. We left when Amma finished darshan, and drove to Calicut , N. Kerala.

Did Mars puja with thousands of people but we had preferential treatment to be in thr main temple.
I had 2 wonderful sevas. one was timing the prasad giver. I sat directly behind Amma for an hour, timed indians for 45 sec and westernerd for 1:15 . picked up Amma's garlands and gifts and handed extra prasad to the woman next to me if she needed it. I was in overwhelm with so much to do but chanted my manter and I felt covered in aAmmas grace and everything went so smoothly like I'd done it for years. The 2nd seva was face wiping. IO was sitting on Stage , just being in Amma's presence and a request came for some one to take over the face wiper job, as I had done it at Amritapuri, I volunteered. I was to take each Indian womans sari or shawl end and saying Om Namah Shivaya, gently but firmly with love pouring from my heart, wipe their face and ear so Amma doesn't get their sweat and makeup on Her.What a beautiful seva. Some of the old woman would take my hand and kiss it and be so full of love for me. Perhaps they thought I was a brahancharini or something.

Next day we did Rahu Puja, and nearing the end of it, I got up to circumnambulate, and my foot was asleep, without warning. I fell, foot rollingto the side, I screamed and fell into a pillar of Ganeesha (the remover of obstacles). I got dizzy, naseous, and kept blacking out. I just kept praying to Amma to keep me conscious. My friend and puja partner Sukreta helped me through the rest. I had to wait 5 hours for a Dr. who never came. I finally asked for a push chair to take me to my room so I could lay down. Dr. came later and said It probably was not broken, but might get x ray. I hobbled for 2 days and went for xrays back at the ashram after speaking with a friend Nancy's husband a Dr. Took a cab for 150 R's to town and the xray cost 80 r"s$2.25! too funny. the tec. said it was fine.

A new friend Maneksha, who helped me through the original ordeal kept trying to convince me to come lay on her cool balcony. I finally agreed. It turned out to be Amma's old flat!! I swang on Amma's swing, did archana and meditated, awesome!! ! It really helped the healing process! She certainly had Grace to buy that special flat.

Getting used to the indian (squat) toilets , but not great with a sore foot.
I'm just eating 2 meals /day I just don't like to go to bed at 9:30 with a full stomach, then wake at 4:30-5am for archana.My goal for 2004 was to learn the 1000 names in sanskrit, I'm getting them down now, just in time for 2005!

They finally posted a notice for the IAM meditation instruction. David and Maurine want to take it. the review is the following day. I was hoping to learn the 2nd level.....It's been a year, I hope they offer it.

David is going to take off and go to Maharshis' ashram in Tamil Nadu in the new year, he isn't finding Amma to be for him yet. Maurine is happy as a clam. I'm at peace doing seva, archina and meditation. I may go into silence after D goes. We have changed our relationship to friends, since San Ramon......
I asked Amma If it was for my highest good to have no relationship and do sadana, or If I needed a relationship to grow. Amma said if I need a friend totalk with have a friend but do Sadana (spiritual practice). It was the exact answer I was hoping for. I really don't want anymore relationships.....

David's site of our photos so far. Not big pics, but he has them saved to a disk for later:
http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/corkytraveler/album?.dir=/c5ff&.src=ph&.tok=ph9b_PCBxJNvT3sb

Well time for chai, i'll write more later, another day.

Om Amriteshwaryai Namah

Kalavati