Second round (or is it the third)

Second round (or is it the third)

I have often heard the phrase that when it rains it pours. Now, living in Udupi is certainly an example of that with its almost incessant monsoon rains etc. However, on a personal side, I have been experiencing just that. Well, to be honest, Gopi's been experiencing it and I have been along for the ride.
Essentially, Gopi has been ill since mid Febuary 2007. Rather, she has had a series of illnesses since then. First, the foot, then the lungs (TB), then the surgery. Somehow, I've had a feeling that it's not over.
Then last week ( a week ago from today), I was in Chennai trying to get my passport renewed so that I could work on getting Gopi and the kids visas updated etc. and I get a call from Gopi saying that she was experiencing serious pain in her pelvic region and was losing blood.( She had been having a urinary problem for the last month. We saw a couple of Ayurvedic docs apart from the allopathic doctors who were treating her for her lung issues.) So, she went in to the hospital for a check up and to have some tests done. That was last monday. By friday, I get a call from Gopal (I think this is the first time he's used the phone by himself) saying that his Mom was seriously ill. Luckily for us, there were two south African devotees (Mayapur Chandra and his wife Suvarna Manjari - really wonderful, delightful devotees) who we had befriended over the last few weeks, who stopped by to check on Gopi.
Anyways, the word from them and Gopal was that Gopi was losing a lot of blood (from her vagina) that she had thrown up a couple of times and that she had lost consciousness (fainted) a couple of times too. They rushed her in an ambulance to the KMC hospital, where she was treated earlier. I was still in Chennai trying to convince the local honchos to release my passport (as things would be there was date problem on my passport of 10 years -- my DOB siad 15th instead of the 5th).
Well, anyways, Gopi was admitted to the hospital and yesterday thet gave her some blood because she had lost a lot and her haemoglobin was low.
The docs say that all signs are indicating that she has a malignant growth on her cervix. We won't have the results from the tests for the next few days - to know for sure if it is malignant or benign.
I would be lying to say fear has not crept into my heart and mind. When she had her lung problems in the last few months, obviously I was concerned, but this time I am worried serious. I have faith that Sri Krishna has his plan, and from a philsophical perspective I am trying to be sober and unaffected. But as good old Jim Morrison once said - the future's uncertain and the end is always near.....


So , dear friends, please keep Gopi in your prayers and wish for her (and us - the kids and me) that the storm will pass...

How to know if you're doing well (i.e healthy)

08 Aug 2007

how to know if you are doing well (i.e healthy) Well, actually, to know if you are ill (or not in the best health condition verging towards illness) which is a state called apakva (uncooked) here are a few pointers. In Ayurveda, when one's digestion is not functioning well (i.e you are pooping everyday) it is considered that one's digestive fire is low and therefore not digesting the food. The resultant state is calle Aama, which is undigested food, which in turn ends up accumulating in the body and being toxic. Aama is called considered uncooked, useless, etc Well here are some symptoms of ama. 1) tongue is coated (i.e even after cleaning/ scraping one's tongue there is still a whitish coating on it) 2) stool is smelly (well more than the usual smell, i.e as if something died in your intestines) 3) stool is sticky 4) stool does not float (good shit should float not sink. Also good poop should be cylindrical) 5) Bad body odour 6) Bad breath will add a few more next time

Panchakarma

12 Jul 2007

Panchakarma therapy So, last week or so, I enrolled in the Panchakarma therapist program at the Kasturba Medical Hospital. This is a one year program that trains one to work with an Ayurvedic doctor to treat patients. In other words, the doc diagnoses etc and the therapist is the hands on..... The first week has been for observing. We are in the room watching while a trained therapist performs/works on the patients. So far, it has been very interesting. I have observed simple full body massages, head massages, shirodhara -which is a process where oil or buttermilk is dripped onto the patients fore head for an hour (this is actually incredibly relaxing), rakta mokshana- where leeches are used to suck out impure blood from a patient, svedana - where steam is used to induce sweating either locally or full body, netra tarpana - where medicated ghee is held in place over the eyes while the patient opens and closes the eyes ( to improve eyesight or to just relax the eyes)and last but not the least the grand champ of panchakarma - basti - where medicated oil or teas are induced in through the anus ( a glorified enema). Well, believe it or not apparently 50% of ayurvedic treatments are based on basti, or rather it is said that 50% of diseases can be cured with basti. There is a different basti for different patients... anyways. Well, so much for whats stored in one's guts. Got to get the crap out, out , out.

Cheek Pinching

19 Jun 2007

cheek pinching Ok! I know it is not pinching someones butt, but Indians (do others do this?), or should I say some people in India, have this really annoying habit of pinching kids cheeks. Well, my experience has been mostly with regards to Vrinda. There are two kinds of people who fall in this category (1) absolute strangers and (2) people that we are familiar with. (1) Many a time, we may be walking down the road or squeezing past someone at a store etc and a person would reach out and pinch Vrinda's cheeks. An absolute stranger! the nerve. At first, it used to irk the heck out of me and I would think of reaching out and pinching that person's cheek. (I mean is a child just some object that someone can express their appreciation of cuteness on?)My blood would boil and I would do my best to just calmly react to the situation. Some time later that day or the next the same situation ensues again - another stranger! I would have to go about picnching a nation of cheek pinchers to teach them how to behave. So, I have got into the habit of being vigilant to grab Vrinda out of the way when my cheek piching sensors go up and I sense one of them coming along. I have also taught Vrinda to put her hands over her cheeks defensively. (2) the other category is persons who we are familiar with doing the cheek pinching. Usually waiters at restaurants that we frequent. sure these are nice guys , who we are friendly with etc. still it irks me. Well, less than when strangers do it. I still try to pull her out of the way or try and stop the pinchers hand. Nasty habit.

Bananas

bananas

Life in small town, small city India is still quite charming. Sure, there is the thrash lying around, the smell of stool in the air, cows wandering about etc. But, the charm is in the still slow speed of life. People still have time for each other. Another thing that could be a draw back is that you recognise people - be it the lady selling vegetables at the street corner, the guy selling trinkets and hair clips that Vrinda wants to check out every time we walk by, the man selling pan (that he preparing at the street side), the fruit vendor and the pan handlers. Right across from where we are staying is a little dive that serves decent dosas etc. However, every morning right around 10 or so a band of kids, and some ladies carrying babies, attack vulnerable passer bys. They know who to go for. I am not in the habit of giving cash to kids - so I made it a point to buy them some fruit. These kids aren't starving because the temple which is about 50 meters away serves simple south indian fare to anyone, everyday. So, instead of change, bananas it is .

Caste ism

11 Jun 2007

caste ism The caste system is pretty strong here in Udupi. It is clearly viewed when it comes time to chow down, take prasad. There are separate areas where the brahmins and the rest eat. however, they serve two free meals to everyone - regular south Indian fare - rice, rasam, sambar and buttermilk, with a smitten of subji if you are lucky. Interestingly though, the brahmins serve everyone. I met an interesting brahmin here who says that he does not eat out at all and eats only at the temple and with brahmins (other than at home)

Still in Udupi

still in Udupi

Been hanging out in Udupi for the last few weeks. Staying at the guest house of the "Puthige Mutt", one of the 8 mutts (branches/temples) of the Sri Krishna Mutt started by Sripad Madhvacharya.
Well, been doing nothing really. Well, eating and the rest ... irregualr visits to the three local temples - Sri Chrandramouleshwar, Sri Anantheshwar and Sri Krishna- which are adjacent to each other.
Gopi's health has been improving slowly. The kids have been great. Naturally (is it natural?) we have some trying moments because we spend all our time together.
Really appreciate of this nice devotee Shirmani dasi, a local medical student at Kasturba Medical College (KMC). Her friendship has been inspiring to Gopi, the kids and me.
Met Manu Suta Das, a disciple of Srila Prabhupada, a couple of times at woodlands, our local eating haunt. Nice food. Manu is a cool dude- he takes care of the Varavan farm, which we haven't visited yet.
Met Tejiyas Das, another Prabhupada disciple, old Delhi pres -from the 70's, and a resident of Udupi for the last few years.
Otherwise, it seems like we are waiting .....
oh ! spent some time with Prem Niddhi, a resident of the Bhaktivedanta eco village, the other day. Actually ran into him at "woodlands" a couple of times.
Thinking of staying here for an extended period....went looking for apartments etc for the last couple of days. saw one I liked, but someone else got it. I guess, it had to be.