Sunday 2nd May 2010
8.20am
Outdoor dining table, the Korean monastery
Lumbini, Nepal
It is the morning after the night before, and what a night!
Lightening, thunder, wind and rain came and I guess it was a pre-monsoon shower though it lasted for hours and hours.
I stood in my 1st floor room doorway and starred into the night. The electricity was cut. Every few seconds a ripple of thunder like bombs falling on a far off town would be followed by camera flash-like lightening that would light up the whole temple complex in front of me.
Outside over the balcony in front of me I could see on the ground torch lights searching into the night. I guess the night watchmen were checking the temple hadn't been washed away.
My drying socks, that had been hanging on the clothes-line outside my room, were swept onto the floor.
Some storm water leaked into my room during the night.
Right now the sun is shining amidst pools of water on the ground. There are few people around. A few ants are here to keep me company at the table at which I write.
...a woman from the kitchen just brought me a cup of chai (tea), this is most unusual. Firstly because I already have a cup of black Korean tea and secondly it never happened before here so that makes me think it is unusual.
It's welcome all the same.
I suppose the day manager here, a local man not a monk, is trying to saver power. I have been asked to move to another dormitory. For four nights I've been on my own in a four bedroom dorm, the room I was given when I checked in.
Luckily I'll share it with just one other person, Martin from Germany. Last night me and him continued our post dinner conversation about all things India.
Many thoughts enter my head at night, usually when the lights are out so I let them slip away only to try and squeeze them out of my head again in the morning when I can put them down on paper.
Plain Indian Chai is nice and sweet. Very strong.
I think I'd like to spend more time and money on and with my friends and family. They are what should matter most to me. I can't give to beggars or willingly to charitable organisations without resentment because I feel I should take care more of those closest to me heart than my wallet.
For my Dad's birthday I bought him some books from Amazon. I bought two, then one extra one. Also I decided to send a copy of the Karma Sutra to a friend who I know is getting married this month. A good friend and I regret I'll miss his big day. I've already sent him one small gift a few months ago, but I wanted to send one more.
It wasn't much, but better than nothing. It made me feel good to click 'purchase these items' and to spend a little on them. I feel happy giving, and want to believe I did it in this case out of sincerity and not guilt, the only thing between those is state of mind.
Yesterday the library was closed. I used the internet and changed my train tickets and bought some washing powder to do my regular hand wash.
On Wednesday or Thursday I'll take the train to Amritsar in India. It is near the border with Pakistan and home to the sacred Golden Temple of the Sikh religion, for some reason I've a burning curiosity to see it. That is the key, to follow your curiosities no matter what. In Kathmandu I'd lost my curiosity.
After Amritsar in Punjab province I'll head north to the home of the Dalai Lama and to some other (literally) cool places.
Now that my plans to teach have been put to one side I'll simply enjoy visiting places that are interesting to me where I can learn and relax.
When I get home...CELTA? Masters? (English Lit? Buddhist Studies?) Part-time job?
Where to settle...London? (because it's London) Bristol? (my hometown) Cardiff? (close to dad and my sister) Northern Ireland? (close to my mum)
I wonder if my infatuation with learning about all things Buddhist is a passing phase or will develop into something more long term. Time will tell.
The neatly lined up crusty wheelbarrows to my right are filled with the nights rain water, while I can hear the pleasant clamour of people working in the kitchen.
Birds are singing, well...chirping.
This morning I'll read chapter 3 of The Last Mughal and more of Buddhist Ethics. Last night in bed I dived into Vanity Fair. I still love English literature. I never knew Thackeray was born in Calcutta!
I wonder if it is worth pursuing getting a literary agent for my first book, maybe it's a pipe dream, or something that I could focus on between world cup matches in June.
To Amritsar - Gorakphur to Lucknow, change trains - Lucknow to Amritsar.
15 hours, 1000km.
40+ in Amritsar according to Google.
3 or 4 days is fine.
To Gorakphur - 3 hour bus from Sunnali to the Nepal/India border.
Footnote...
I know the world is getting smaller but I feel I should treat my time here as a once in a lifetime trip - it is hard to do in the heat. People travel so often and I may well do so again, BUT I think tomorrow circumstances and higher priorities could easily takeover.
Another footnote...
(last night's thoughts are coming back like lightening flashes!)
Sometimes I don't want to 'do' anything, sometimes it's nice just to 'be'.
That doesn't mean losing passion for life, it simply means (to me) not continually pushing yourself into new things and places, until you feel inclined to do so rather than duty bound.
10.45am
It's strange how after living in an urban area containing 20 million people + (Seoul, Incheon) and being comfortable their, that India represents a completely different challenge. It is not the number of people, it is their nature.
On Wednesday or Thursday I'll take the train to Amritsar in India. It is near the border with Pakistan and home to the sacred Golden Temple of the Sikh religion, for some reason I've a burning curiosity to see it. That is the key, to follow your curiosities no matter what. In Kathmandu I'd lost my curiosity.
After Amritsar in Punjab province I'll head north to the home of the Dalai Lama and to some other (literally) cool places.
Now that my plans to teach have been put to one side I'll simply enjoy visiting places that are interesting to me where I can learn and relax.
When I get home...CELTA? Masters? (English Lit? Buddhist Studies?) Part-time job?
Where to settle...London? (because it's London) Bristol? (my hometown) Cardiff? (close to dad and my sister) Northern Ireland? (close to my mum)
I wonder if my infatuation with learning about all things Buddhist is a passing phase or will develop into something more long term. Time will tell.
The neatly lined up crusty wheelbarrows to my right are filled with the nights rain water, while I can hear the pleasant clamour of people working in the kitchen.
Birds are singing, well...chirping.
This morning I'll read chapter 3 of The Last Mughal and more of Buddhist Ethics. Last night in bed I dived into Vanity Fair. I still love English literature. I never knew Thackeray was born in Calcutta!
I wonder if it is worth pursuing getting a literary agent for my first book, maybe it's a pipe dream, or something that I could focus on between world cup matches in June.
To Amritsar - Gorakphur to Lucknow, change trains - Lucknow to Amritsar.
15 hours, 1000km.
40+ in Amritsar according to Google.
3 or 4 days is fine.
To Gorakphur - 3 hour bus from Sunnali to the Nepal/India border.
Footnote...
I know the world is getting smaller but I feel I should treat my time here as a once in a lifetime trip - it is hard to do in the heat. People travel so often and I may well do so again, BUT I think tomorrow circumstances and higher priorities could easily takeover.
Another footnote...
(last night's thoughts are coming back like lightening flashes!)
Sometimes I don't want to 'do' anything, sometimes it's nice just to 'be'.
That doesn't mean losing passion for life, it simply means (to me) not continually pushing yourself into new things and places, until you feel inclined to do so rather than duty bound.
10.45am
It's strange how after living in an urban area containing 20 million people + (Seoul, Incheon) and being comfortable their, that India represents a completely different challenge. It is not the number of people, it is their nature.