Eventually
Everything
Everywhere
Changes.
We have arrived. It is now day three, Friday, Halloween, the fifth and final day of Diwali, and the end of the yoga week at the shala. It has been like riding a whirlwind.
When Kara arrived to pick us up for the one hour ride to Seatac Airport, I knew we were in trouble. Last time around, we had no idea what we were getting into, we hadn't even packed yet as she stood in our piles that stretched from our living room, through the kitchen and back into the rest of the house. No, this time our 8 bags were mostly neatly packed and we gathered together as many loose ends, trying to weave a safety net to hold our lives together long enough for our return. But there were things we had to let go of, things that may possibly get done three months from now, perchance a few things to be taken care of via India, or perhaps things left alone forever. I really only obsessed on one loose tendril just out of my grasp: Shiva. He's the go-to guy here in Mysore. Need a room? Need cash exchanged? Need storage? Need a ride? Yes to that last one. That yes saved us last time, and I was determined to be saved again. For two days, I called Shiva from home trying to get through with no luck, hoping to secure a car ride from the Bangalore airport right to the doorstep of our apartment. Sweet! But this eventually required several calls to Verizon, and we were delivered from our dire with ten minutes before boarding our plane with our phones on hold until January. Close. The alternative would have been to get a cab with our 8 bags, then shuffle through the train station for our 3 hour rail odyssey south to Mysore if we get the express, then one final overpriced cab ride to our new home.
British Airways is not Singapore Air. I just wanted to tell you that up front. When it's your turn to make the trip to India, decide for yourself which discomforts you are willing to endure for the rewards of such a journey. Singapore Air features hand-picked beautiful stewardesses, attentive service, roomy seats, many pleasing video options, and stops at the Singapore airport, which has a swimming pool in the hotel at the airport. British Airways offers hand-picked middle aged stewards who were unable to do anything about the smaller seats and limited video selection for my particular tastes. The trip however, was much shorter- only 8 hours and 9 hours with only minor runway and change-over delays for our one-stop booking to Bangalore. As ticket rates fluctuate, this was not only the cheapest way to go this time, but it was also cheaper than last time .
On day one, 4:00 PM Tuesday/ 6 am Wednesday, 24 hours later, we arrived to a newly remodled airport with video screen advertising, food court, natural lighting and great ventilation. Gone were the stick scaffolding supporting the mud and brick that was our welcome walkway of 2006. There was work in progress...
The first picture, our beautiful Sun, our real and symbolic bringer of light, warmth, constance and hope, was captured while our familiar driver sped along the new highway on-ramp. I felt safe. It was warm. It was familiar, enough. But even the 6am ride showed the dichotomy of India; change and tradition. We passed familiar temples and landmarks interspersed with progress. New buildings, new businesses, five Coffee Day shops instead of two, and even a McDonald's outside Mysore. McWhat? I didn't stop to ask what's in the Hinduburger.
Some things stay the same. A few locals glad for our return, a few familiar yogi's, the upstairs apartment in the same building, and the shala running 15 minutes ahead of the world. Some things you can count on. On a second look, as the second shot from day two shows, some things change a lot. I know you don't know what to look for, (no it's not a Where's Waldo) but this festive house across the street was run down, abandoned and grey. Now look at it go. You go, party house! Other things were different and out of place. Our favorite eats, Tina's and Rishi's could not be found. Our tailor Lokesh had also gone missing. A nearby store is closed for it's transformation into a larger, fancier 'Nilgiri's store. That's good. But not for today.
Sorting out our lives is tiring with the time and space shift, and it's taken me 5 tries in two days to set these words to screen, but so far our needs are mostly met, the food is good, and we've found Rishi's new fabulous place as this day three picture shows, right after finding Lokesh in his new larger shop up the road. Yes, today is a good day. A really long, tiring end to a week that for those already here was a quick, light yoga experience. Tomorrow is Saturday, the traditional day off for yoga. Maybe then I will write more about pigs, helmets, and firecrackers. Then again, maybe I won't.
--- aeryk ---
