It's about the French it seems.  Lots of French influence here - from a bit of the colonial architecture to some of the restaurants to the recommendations from Patricia (France) who I had met earlier in the trip to dinner with Loic (French, working for French Consulate - met in Bangalore) to a guy in an internet shop learning French?!?

Ok, so there was a good bit of the French but it is still clearly India.  Really India is such a big and varied country that there is room for all.  Wait a second, given the crowding everywhere I'm not sure that saying "room for all" is quite right, but...  Maybe it's better said that it's all in India, all crushed together?  Just about all religions, people from all backgrounds, all economic and educations levels, etc.  Is there another country with Euro yoga, muslims, drunk Israelis, French, English, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and new-age weirdness?...  the list could go on and on.  Not sure where I'm going with this, so time to stop.

Had a great time on the train ride playing games with the kids.  Parents and others were entertained by it all.  Usually I seem to end up in interesting discussions of politics, education and religion on Indian trains, but this time it was games.  I think Tara got things started.

As always, enjoyed wandering another town.  Nice restaurants, interesting times.  

Then there's Auroville.  It's one of those new agey "is this a cult?" sort of places at first glance.  An attempt at a utopian planned community, and one that has lasted quite a long time despite not yet having reached its goals.  I'm writing this offline or I'd post a link, but I'd guess a search on Wikipedia or wherever will provide some interesting reading.  Chatted with a woman who has been there for years, about some of the concepts that seem contradictory to the ideas of Sri Aurobindo who was claimed as the inspiration for the project.  I couldn't quite bring myself to ask about the one known as "Mother" who was the founder and continues to be the inspiration for the project.  Odd that someone known as "Mother" had a son from a previous marriage who it seems she left in France when she left?  Other than his birth he was never mentioned.  Hmm... I want to know! She died in 1973, but "is still with us and guiding the project," the woman assured me.

Later I ended having dinner with Loic from the French Consulate.  Asked what they do with French spiritual questing types who lose their minds in India?  "We yell at them.  It usually works.  A little French authority brings them back to their senses..."  From babbling nonsense on the street to returning to family or to slightly more normal, whatever that means.

Lots of unhappy or already unstable people seem to come to India to "find themselves" or their "spirituality."  Everyone finds something...  could be anything...  India is enough of a shock that it can be a problem.

Really not sure if I'm meaning to imply that "Mother" should have been yelled at by Loic, but it was an interesting contrast for one day.  Wonder what the result would have been? We all have different enjoyments and ideas, and I pass no judgements unless these things cause unnecessary harm to others...

Hmm...  Wonder if that was what I was thinking at the time?  Putting this (incoherent and unstable) page together months later...


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July-05-2006 -- 05:47 PM Date the photo was taken.

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