May 15th

We have joined the Tollygunge Club, and tonight was our first night as members. It was so pleasant. The pool was clean and blue, not too crowded, with long lanes for swimming laps. The food was yummy and the drinks were very reasonably priced. We sat in the garden restaurant out and watched small white screech owls fly down from their nests to catch critters in the golf course. It was all so pleasant. The next time I go, I'll be sure to get some tennis lessons, have a gin and tonic, and make a luncheon date with the ladies from the International Women's club, let me just check my engagement book. ....lovely and strange that these things can really happen to me here in Kolkata.

I have a couple of pictures from the horse stalls in the club- one really cute horse shrine area, but those that I'm posting are mainly from our touring around the area with our friends. We visited the botanical gardens, which is only a 15 min drive from our house, and it houses the largest Banyon tree ever recorded, too big to take a picture of, so I shot one of Sam and Matthew walking around the giant shoot off trees the main had sprung. There's a picture of me with some women who were visiting Calcutta from Andra Pradesh, they wanted a shot with me, I wanted one with them... we were all happy. There are some other's that are thrown in there for your enjoyment.

xoxo
laura

May 15th

We have joined the Tollygunge Club, and tonight was our first night as members. It was so pleasant. The pool was clean and blue, not too crowded, with long lanes for swimming laps. The food was yummy and the drinks were very reasonably priced. We sat in the garden restaurant out and watched small white screech owls fly down from their nests to catch critters in the golf course. It was all so pleasant. The next time I go, I'll be sure to get some tennis lessons, have a gin and tonic, and make a luncheon date with the ladies from the International Women's club, let me just check my engagement book. ....lovely and strange that these things can really happen to me here in Kolkata.

I have a couple of pictures from the horse stalls in the club- one really cute horse shrine area, but those that I'm posting are mainly from our touring around the area with our friends. We visited the botanical gardens, which is only a 15 min drive from our house, and it houses the largest Banyon tree ever recorded, too big to take a picture of, so I shot one of Sam and Matthew walking around the giant shoot off trees the main had sprung. There's a picture of me with some women who were visiting Calcutta from Andra Pradesh, they wanted a shot with me, I wanted one with them... we were all happy. There are some other's that are thrown in there for your enjoyment.

xoxo
laura

Shankurpur

After running back into the house at least twice for such necessities as a computer charger, a cell phone, and chocolates, we finally made it out of Kolkata. Weve been wanting to spend a long weekend outside of the city but haven't had the chance. So, when our dear friends called us up with an invite to the beach, we were more than ready to confirm their offer. The drive out of the city was fast and crazy! We used a major highway half of the way and well paved roads for the other 1.5 hours. We successfully avoided wandering mangy dogs, bicycles trailing large bundles, massive speeding buses piled 3x high with passengers belongings, and the occasional oxen. Oh, and a ride on a major 6 lane highway at around 75 mph, can't be complete without a speeding vehicle going the wrong way- coming head on at us blaring their horn demanding we get out of their way. Honestly the journey was nice, even when we got lost and did 10 kilometers of off road driving on what we later realized were only footpaths. Our detour did enable us to see a very seaside rural West Bengal.

When we finally made it to our destination our hosts greeted us in the canteen with a lunch of rice, dal, pomfret, jack fruit curry, and potatoe crunchies. We were happy to see them and happy to have such great food. We at like this for the remainder of our trip -had tons and tons of fresh fish and hot breads. Bengali culture is known for its thorough attention to intelligence and education, this really goes with fish being brain food, they eat it at least once a day.

Next came our journey to the beach. Because it is very hot now in W. Bengal, ranging from 81- 105+ degrees we're careful not to be outside during the peak hours of sunlight- eary morning and late afternoon evening. Peak hours were spent in the air conditioned comfort of our room.... ahhh frosty (check out the shot of Sam and Nilanjana- the camera lense was very fogged up from the transition - cold room hot canteen). Anyway, to get to the beach we walked for 5 or 10 minutes through a very magical forest filled with all kinds of living creatures. Village women combed the ground for firewood while carefully making sure they don't step on sharp fallen pods from the high trees above. Cows were grazing on the short grass covering the gradually rising ground. Fishermen stretched their nylon nets out in the dry shady forest to expose the small knots that had formed from a day on the rocky sea. The eucalyptus tree tops were home to lizards, kingfishers, quick squirrels, and butterflies. ...the walk to the beach was almost better than the beach itself, where the water was warm, turbulent- great for body surfing, and full of silt. Many of India's rivers find their delta at the Bay of Bengal.

Our 2.5 days of swimming, and adventuring at the seashore were great. We now have an official spot for our weekend getaways.

Plus, on the way home we found a spot a great spot to find jilabees- really sweet friend dough!

Hope you like the pictures!

I know the book City of Jinns was not written about Kolkata but it should have been. Mystical magical things appear down every narrow lane, behind brightly painted doors, near thin blowing curtains, and atop the worn plastic seat of an archaic rickshaw. Kolkata is filled with mystery. I am speechless on the place. It is the city of a 300,000 million stories, told before the backdrop of exotic and complicated beauty.

My friend Emma and I traveled the town yesterday to document the amazing things we live beside each day. We watched, talked, wrote and took photographs.

Here are some of the things we see each day.

been a while

Once we returned to Kathmandu from our 3.5month long adventure in India I somehow thought the adventures would be over. Not that I wanted them to be, but in my mind, content in going back to a quiet reality, I pictured life to be mellow. But, as you all know, it's not and I wouldn't want it any other way.
We're learning and working, making friends and traveling all the time, and our loved ones are as supportive as ever. Our reality is as huge as our dreams. Now, if I could only get the flying machine to work like it does when I'm in the midst of some REM, I'd be all set. Oh, and as for the dream where all my teeth fall out, and I'm standing naked holding a tennis racket in a bus station, I'm perfectly happy not living that one out. Thank you.
Anyway, this is my little bridge to land of blogging again, as there are so many people I want keep connected with, and the first time around blogging was kind of fun :)...plus we have lots more news and pictures to share!

xoxo
laura

Back from India

Hi everyone! We’re back in Kathmandu, and it will certainly do. While India was certainly mind blowing, it’s good to be back to somewhere that is mellow. We can regroup, put our minds back together and get ready for life’s next voyage.

I’ve managed to choose 10 pictures from out 2 month trip. It was hard, but with all the power cuts, making for limited use of the inter-go-go-net, I only had a few to choose from and I had to choose quickly. So I hope everyone enjoys. I can’t thank you enough for the continued emails, and good vibrations from ya’ll. Knowing that Sam and I have such wonderful friends and family is like getting a big hug even in a ka-ka –poo situation. Although hugging in poo is just not hot. I’m not feeling it. So I suppose knowing you’re all there more like a finding a $20 bill in your pocket when you thought you were broke. But you’re all worth way more that 20 dollars but if I didn’t write 20 it wouldn’t be realistic. I mean how many of you really carry $100 bills around, even just by accident. Hmmm. Okay you’re all like desserts, after not eating sugar for 2 weeks, and yes you can pick your own type and flavor. No arguing, there can be more than one chocolate brownie sundae. Of course you can be low cal too, but that’s not how I’ll think of you.

I’m not sure what order these pics will come up in so you’ll have to infer a bit.
Here they are…..
1. Cave Painting- from north of Bohpal. This drawing came from a site that houses the worlds largest collection of cave paintings. This one is at least 4000 years old.
2. Here’s a cow at sunset. Yes one from the series from cows of India. This one could be seen from the view from our room in Gokarna, Karnataka.
3. Juice man. Yes everyone loves fresh juice, except for this guy. He seems to have accidentally put his pet gerbil in the street juicer. There is fresh juice all over Delhi, it’s cheep, and there are many kinds. I believe we were on a pomegranite bender when I took this shot.
4. Sam and Laura in Delhi and the Olive Bar….lunch with Alan, Suzi, and the Kempkas.
5. Dried fruit and nuts….

SORRY BUT WE COULD NOT GET THE PHOTOS TO POST. WE WILL TRY AGAIN IN APRIL WHEN WE GET BACK FROM TREK.

Merry Christmas

Dear Friends and Family,

Sorry it’s been so long since we’ve posted anything here on the B-Log. We’ve been busy…..
Sam has been working hard on the Buddha Boy movie. He’s been translating the interviews, writing the subtitles, figuring out various programming entities, and more…
The film is now ready to post on the internet. Watch out Steven Speilberg, Sam Chapin’s Buddha Boy will give you a run for your money.
Since my last cold shower I’ve had a couple more. However, now that I’ve been going to the Ex- pat gym with our friend Tina I’ve had couple of very very long hot showers to make up for frosty ones. Ahhhh yes!
So besides yoga, writing, shopping, recording studio work, Passage work, much eating, drinking and merriment, we’ve had a few adventures. There was going to Sam’s house in the hills. Here you can hike for hours, live like Little House on the Prairie on you’re not on the Prairie and there’s a CD player, and peer out onto the endless mountain filled sky. We’ve gone to Pashipatit (please excuse my spelling mistakes, I’ve reverted back to childhood quite a bit here and now I’m using inventive spelling on many words). Here of course were the funeral pyres and monkey craziness. We walked to the Monkey Temple… struggling on the many stone stairs to get to the top. There was the butter lamp lighting at Bodha the Tibetian stupha. How can you miss a delicately lit monument under a harvest moon? Hmmm? Plus we made another pilgrimage to a cave. I believe Guru Rinpoche live in this one for 25 years. However, I’ve been know to get my meditation caves messed up so feel free to fact check with the big guy. You can see the picture of Sam and friends on the top of a big hill covered with prayer flags munching on a picnic after our cavernous experience.
I don’t know when we’ll post our next message. Hopefully once before we go to India on the 30th. No computer, just proper traveling for a couple of months ☺ But, please check every now and then anyway just in case.
We hope ya’ll are having a fabulous holiday season. Ours is great! Off to the Bodha stupha for a little holiday peace walk, the to dinner at a fancy spot, and tomorrow a Christmas brunch at our house ☺ We love you!!

Much love,
Laura & Sam

Some nice photos around Kathmandu

Our trip up to Sam's house above Kathmandu

guilt

Just when you thought it was safe to let your guard down and relax, you entered the shower. You think the geizer (sp) had been left on long enough. But 35 minutes just isn’t enough for a girl that needs conditioner, or shampoo for that matter. The warmth lasts just long enough to get some initial comfort but quickly you’re tricked. Teased. Like a bad relationship, everything is great in the beginning but bam it slaps you in the face and you think, “What am I doing? I’m not happy! Where am I?” You’re left brutally uncomfortable dripping with anger and swearing at everything.
But, then you remember the boy that sitting under a tree in the middle of the jungle wearing only a few yards of fabric. He’s at the base of Himalayas. At night here the temperature is only about 40 degrees right now. The forest floor is cold, hard, and damp, and there are a myriad of animals that can come out to paw you at any moment. Maoists surround him. You think if he can sit there for 6 months and 20 some days, I can endure a cold shower.
Plus you think shit, there are people in this very same town that shower only every couple of days or weeks. They join others around a community tap when the sun is at its peak and they wash away the diesel fuel that’s blackened their exposed skin. These people don’t complain, they don’t lash out at the people around they just live and smile and they accept. They move on and give their pain away to a higher source.
So for the sake of not feeling so damn selfish, I give my bitterly cold shower to a thirsty pilgrim somewhere in the Sahara. Enjoy.