Namaste, India

  Dharamsala, India
Tuesday, May 29, 2007

After seeing the season come and go in Goa, I happily headed up to Dharamsala out of the intense heat and humidity around the middle of April. The crisp mountain air was just what I needed to replenish my body after several weeks of activity including a Watsu training, setting up an installation, performing, and working on a film--- yikes. On my second day in McLeod Gang, I started a butoh intensive that I had heard about from many friends in India. For those of you who aren't familiar with the term, I would describe butoh as a way to a) access your inner sensations and perceptions, and b) magnify and express them through movement and sound. Butoh started in Japan after WWII as a reaction to the atomic bomb and the sudden influx of foreign influence that developed in the country because of the war.  My teacher's technique was more focused on self-exploration that required each student to find his or her own way to move and express. For me, this meant delving into the folded recesses of myself that I normally do not access. What I loved most about the course was that there was no need to explain verbally what we were expressing. In fact, we were encouraged by our teacher to speak as little as possible during the class. One day, I began crying during the self-exploration-- it felt great to be able to cry in front of others without having to explain myself, especially since there was no clearly "logical" explanation for my tears. And I guess that's what butoh provided for us all-- a space to express the subconscious qualia that we normally do not tap into.

When the butoh course finished, I went up to Bagsu, a small village farther up the valley, where my friend Moksha and I scored a magical house together. Literally, we found the house by climbing over a stone wall and into what looked like a secret garden. The house itself seemed to be abandoned and it took a bit of finagling and convincing to find out who the owner was (turned out to be some rich dude who did not even live in the area) and then convince him through a middleman to rent us the house for two weeks. We had to do about a full day's worth of cleaning to get the house in order, but we ended up with the most private living space I have ever had in India. (with a fireplace, nonetheless☺) Enjoyed taking a silversmith class where I actually came out with some interesting pieces. Looking forward to working with silver again. Besides the classes and events that I invariably get involved in wherever I am, Dharamsala gave me access to some beautiful hiking that helped me to slow down and reflect a bit on what I had experienced in India.
My time came to an end back in Delhi where Moksha and I stayed at my friend Rajeev's place who has a vineyard a few hours outside of Mumbai. Contemplating on all that I had experienced while in India, Moksha and I opened up Rajeev's vintage Cabernet Sauvignon on my last night and brainstormed into the morning about our dreams and visions for the future.

Seriously, we were so dorky that we even took out our little notebooks and jotted down our ideas at 4 in the morning. That night, I went to the airport with a standby ticket back to Chicago and a juicy ripe mango. I guess the universe was ready for me to leave India, as I was the last standby passenger to get on. I embraced the offer, and had a quiet 14-hour trip back to the city where my wonderful parents, sister and many dear friends reside. And so it is finally time for me to close this travelogue, although I believe that my travel, living, inspiration, and vocation will continue to blend fluidly together regardless of where I am. Blessings to all of you that have shared this journey with me.