My 2 closest friends at VKV - Leonore from France and Yossi from Israel. We made a great team - all 3 of us emotional refugees searching and hoping for wholeness and healing and direction. Leonore was here when I arrived and just left yesterday. She studied yoga and Carnatic singing. Yossi came 2 weeks after me and will leave 1 week after I leave. He is learning tabla and Hindi. We shared a house and our lives. I will miss them both very much, and hope that there's a way to connect with them in the future.
Since these photos are from Yossi's collection, he is in most of them. Here he is with darling Paula from Rio, Brazil - she is a professional dancer with a gentle spirit and big heart. She was
learning kathakali.
And here Yossi is with Lucy from England. She is studying mridangam and Carnatic singing. She is an amazing flautist and has been teaching flute to Yossi, Leonore and me.
On the steps of Aranmula Krishna Temple - the 3 of us again, and Evelyn from Scotland. Evelyn and her partner Laurence were doing the 2 month intensive yoga course (along with Leonore) and then stayed afterwards, while Evelyn did Carnatic singing and cooking and Laurence continued with yoga and also woodcarving. Evelyn and Laurence joined with me in French lessons with Leonore. Also Evelyn joined with me and others in learning beautiful gypsy songs from Leonore. Evelyn sang and played guitar often and it was a delight to discover she loves Joni Mitchell. She and I sang "A Case of You" and she played the guitar so much like Joni it was amazing.
My tabla guru, Ashok, with his favourite students - Yossi and me.
Ashok and me with my dear friend Santosh, the Carnatic singing teacher.
My mridangam guru, Subhash
Subhash's wife, Manju, who is a singing teacher. She was a student of Santosh, so the connections are all very web-like
