Travelling from the South to the North was like going to a totally different country. The language is different (in Andhra Pradesh, the language is Telegu, in Jaipur, it's Hindi). The people look different (in the South, people tend to be darker-skinned and shorter, in the North folks look more Arabic, or Persian). The food is different (still fantastic, and still, lots of rice and dhal). And mostly, the character of the people is different. In Jaipur, there are lots of forts and palaces. I think that's reflected in the personality of the people here -- there's much more 'edge', to put it very lightly. I've never been harassed by men in the South like I have been up here. I've definately been the object of curious, sometimes bewildered stares, but up here it feels predatory. I think Rajastan is especially like this, so I'll wait and see how it is in other Northern states.
I'm here in Jaipur for another Su Jok course. Unfortunately, I got sick again, and haven't been able to attend all of the course. But the lectures I did get to were really interesting. Su Jok starts out pretty straightforward. The course reviewed the body correspondence points on the hands and feet. Then it integrated basic acupuncture theory of the 5 elements (wood, fire, earth, metal and water). OK so far. Then it added a 6th element to complete the 6 Ki Theory. Okay, I got that and actually found it really helpful.
Then it integrated chakras into the 6 Ki Theory. Groovy! Chakras were described in ancient Ayurvedic texts. I think of chakras in this way: just as the heart is the central pump for the circulatory system, and the lymph nodes are concentrated areas for the network of lymph flowing in the body, the chakras are the spots where nadis converge. Nadis are the pathways that life energy or prana or Chi flows through the body. In the Chinese tradition, they're called meridians. Not only do nadis converge in the Chakras, but the energy is amplified and accelerated there. Chakra is the Sanskrit word for wheel, and you see the symbol on the Indian flag. So, by addressing any issues at the chakra level, you're intervening in a kind of esoteric, but very fundamental and powerful way.
Then the course started getting very metaphysical. We talked about brightness and darkness, and the figures started looking like Kabbalistic drawings of the structure of the universe. At this point, my fever started climbing, and I had to experience my own little period of chiaro-scuro in my bed. There was a TV that sometimes worked, so I got to catch up on the latest Bollywood movie song videos. :]
SRK in Om Shanti Om and Chack De, Saawariya, You are my Soniya!!
I did enjoy my time in Jaipur, though. They have the Anokhi flagship store, I met some very nice folks from all over the world (Nigeria, Israel, Mexico, Italy, England, etc), and we shared many mediocre meals and much Bob Marley (and Enrique Iglesias) at the Chit Chat Shack. The architecture and the place really started to grow on me, but I resolved to learn some Hindi before I spend much more time up here. I need to learn how to say, "Stop staring at me! I'm not a monkey in a zoo!"
Elisa and her crew helped me celebrate a wonderful birthday with a fantastic meal at an incredible heritage rooftop restaurant. Te extrano y espero que regresaste a Monterrey bien de salud y espiritu!
Here's a foto I took at the Amber Fort and another of me and my favorite rickshaw wallah, Ramlal. He's crazy and we got along great. We sang Bollywood songs as he pedalled me through the Jaipur traffic. He assigned me (without knowing anything about my blog) a Hindi name -- Tara.
It works.
And I have to give a shout out to Ashok Kothari Garu, the organizer of the course. He is Yang Ming all the way. He is Hotei, the smiling Buddha with the big belly. He is an incredibly kind and generous person and I thank him for ALL he did!
Hope you finally got some rest, ji!
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