Arrival

So here I am at last in MY village. It's so exciting to finally be here. I arrived in India late Friday night spent yesterday in Trivandrum, which was in itself exciting as I could finally make the jump into believing that I was in India. Even the font on Indian signage seems to be distinctive, let alone the morning sounds of men hacking up phlegm, movie soundtracks being played somewhere in the street, autorickshaws zooming past and the sound of their horns. I managed to walk to a temple and arrive as puja was happening - unplanned on my part, and I watched the priests parrading around the sanctum sanctorum with drums and a kind of clarinet, and the devoted following close behind them. Ah yes, I'm in India, I remember this.

But even so, Trivandrum is a city and I felt a bit purposeless there - just a lone tourist walking around the streets and not behaving the way the autorichsaw drivers expect (No I don't want to go to Kovalam beach or the museum). Today as soon as the train took me into rural Kerala I knew this is the India I want to be in - green and lush, spacious, water, village life. And so I arrived in Aranmula this morning and all sorts of memories jumped out at me as the autorickshaw drove into familiar territory.

There's been a big change of staff here and I'm trying to hold back disappointment and let what will be happen. But from those who remain (Hari, Arjit, Santhama, Manesh, Kamel) it was a very warm greeting - Arjit ran out the door yelling "Tony Hole" and hugged me. It's nice to be remembered and loved!

For the ex-VKVers' information: Nancy, I'm in your old room and take it as an honour to take in your spirit. But Tharayil House doesn't look like it's the party house anymore. Hari and Arjit both asked if you were coming back. Sadly Atma has left as well as Rajesh and Kurup. Also the old school house is being returned to the landlord after this month so there will be a new building for the classes. Things are changing. I was looking forward to seeing Atma - hope I can organise it anyway. I intend to go to Cochin to see Rajesh. Raju the nightwathman is still here but on leave back in Nepal at the moment. I'm looking forward to seeing him.

Anyway, there are 24 students here at the moment and most of them are long termers apparently. At lunch I met some but not all of them. There's even a Belgian couple with 2 young kids stayinf here. A number of French women, British, New Zealander, others I haven't met yet. There's an intensive yoga course going on at the moment so a group of 6 are devoted to that. The New Zealander is an actor and dancer and he is learning Kathakali traditional dance/theatre. Others are learning classical South Indian dance, and/or Carnatic vocal music. Apparently there are 2 other people studying tabla, but no-one else is learning mridangam (in fact when I say I'm going to be learning mridangam no other students seem to know what it is.) They seem to be a very dedicated lot here, so serious art learning is happening (I remember Nancy referring to this place as Art Prison once) But this is the kind of environment I want to be in. On the plane on the way here I was reading Michael Ondaatje's new novel (a favourite author of mine) and in it he quotes Nietzsche: "We have art so that we will not be destroyed by the truth" I like this, for me it is very appropriate - not to avoid the truth but to integrate it, heal it. Added to this is InterPlay's philosophy of art as play and play as art. And add to the mix the riches of studying a tradition of an art form from another culture under a master. So there's some important reasons why I've chosen to be here for 3 months.

This morning I went to the local fabric shop to buy dhoti and lungi (both a kind of sarong) and now am doing the familiar thing of having a dhoti dragging along the ground and trying to adjust the thing in the street without exposing myself. I feel this is where I belong at the moment - just have to work out where I am in the pecking order of the students!

I was walking along the street this afternoon and I was recognised by the tailor who came out of his roadside shop to shake my hand and greet me with a big smile and tell me he is very happy. Such small things can warm the heart.

The biggest thing that happened today (still my first day at VKV) was that I went to try to find a family whom I visted once last time. They invited me into their home, even though they have only a simple concrete house and gave me a cup of tea and a pawpaw. I only saw them once but they made a big impression on me. So this afternoon I wandered to where I remembered their house is in the village, and it was such a lovely feeling to experience their genuine welcome and delight. As we chatted their 10 and 9 year old daughters and neighbouring kids gathered round to watch and listen and practice their English lines ("What is your name?" giggle giggle) I was again invited into their home and again offered tea (they had to send out for a cup of milk because they didn't have any - embarrassing. Next time I want to take them something) We talked about families, comparing India with Australia, remembering last time, what fruits they grow in their garden, what subjects I am studying at VKV. Such lovely people. I will make sure I visit them from time to time.

So today, being Sunday, there are no classes and it is a settle-in day for me. Tomorrow the learning begins - there will be yoga for an hour at 7.30, a 2 hour tabla lesson and a 1 hour mridangam lesson and the 1 hour of kalaripayat in the early evening. Dive in!

Meanwhile I read an email from Anne to say that our Prime Minister has finally announced the election date. So now I have to go online on the Australian Electoral Commision website to find out how I can have a postal vote sent to me in Aranmula village. That's a new experience for me. If the election is a cliffhanger, they'll have to wait to receive my vote for it to be counted.

Next report - fulltime music student.