Answers

Hello All-----\/\/\/\/\/\/------My friend and consummate educator Gordon poses some questions in the comments section of this blog. I thought others may be interested in those things also. Gordon asks about music: There is not a lot of live music except for the drumming that accompanies the chanting and singing at the temples. There was some horn accompaniment at a wedding the other day but it wasn't earth shattering. The most impressive music thus far was just outside my favorite western restaurant, it was a real snake charmer. He played the flute and charmed the Cobra so that it "stood up" and peered from the basket the snake hissed and whipped it's tongue. The snake was cool, very primal, but the music coming from the mans flute was mesmerizing, piercing and other worldly..................There is a lot of Indian New Age Music played from the music stalls and tourist shops around town, it is kind of like being in the parking lot of a Grateful Dead concert that has been going on for 100 years.

The questions of birds was posed: There are many birds and they do seem less skittish than at home, you can get within 10 feet of the local crows no problem. I'm at the edge of the mountain jungle so there are many varieties of birds, my favorite is a medium size bird that lives and feeds near the river where I sit, it is all black with a belly and tail feathers that are Magenta with a hint of orange, on the crown of it's head is a pure white stripe..........

Gordon asks about the danger from Monkeys: I have two monkey stories; When I first arrived at the ashram and began to eat in my room I would have peanut shells and banana peels left over, as there is not garbage can(anywhere), I wrapped my scraps and thought I would take them to the road and give them to the cows. I stepped from my room door holding a plastic bag of scraps, I walked about 10 feet when a large brown monkey drops from the trees and has me in his sights. The difference between monkeys and say dogs is that the monkey uses eye sight not smell to search for food, and they have great eyesight. Also they are smart, this monkey knew that I had to use the stairway to exit so that is where he sat and waited. As I approached he flashed his very large teeth.........I quickly threw the bag his way and continued on my way. The second monkey story is at my favorite Indian restaurant,; the restaurant is located on a hillside overlooking the main street, there is a patio outside with one table, big enough for about six people. Sitting at the table were two women from Denmark, they look to be in their early sixties, short cropped grey hair, very sturdy intent in their discussions. I took a window seat that overlooked the patio and was feasting on the best aloo dun when from the roof WHAMM!! a 30 pound brown monkey land in the middle of the woman's table, they both scream, stand and jump back. The monkey begins to forage when one of the women smacks it an the rump and it flees without her sandwich. We all had a good laugh at that one.The grey monkeys as seen above are not so aggressive. Plus they look cooler.

Favorite foods thus far : Vegetable cheese curry::::Penne with tomato sauce with green olive and mushroom:::Palak paneer and brown rice:::: In all the food is great, it is against the local law for anyone to serve meat, fish or eggs in Rishikesh.

Meditation:::::::::::::Well it is good. I am taking a Reike class, I am taking Reike I and II, from a monk at the ashram, in order to relax we start each session with a Yoga Nadir, very deep, WOW.

It's late I must go back.

Merry Christmas

Happy Hanukkah

Later we will go upstream

cal