I’m back from Rishikesh.
The holy city of hindus. Located in the foothills of the majestic Himalayas.
Ganga darshan.
A glimpse beyond the bag of bones.
Spiritual theatre
Passed many shaven pilgrims. I have a new vision of myself now. In this city of mystics, mendicants and seekers, my tonsured head blends in.
My dad and I sat by the side of the Ganges and dipped our fingers in the sacred river. He placed his hand on the crown of my head, leaving droplets in my pilgrim fuzz. We watched the faithful immerse themselves. Flashes of flesh, fabric flung away, a human ache meets the waters.
The waters cleanse it all away.
It is said.
More on the gathering place of the Rishis later…
On the B side, Cooking with Stella will be releasing in Canada soon.
Remember vinyl records? There was an A side and a B side.
India right now feels like the A side of my life.
A message from Dusty in Dilip Mehta’s office:
The Indian Film Festival of Las Angeles has invited Cooking with Stella to be a Gala presentation during their festival (April 20-24).
The festival would like the Gala presentation to also be a benefit screening to help raise awareness and support for the Myeloma Research Centre in California (http://www.imbcr.org/ ).
Another yellow memo:
And here’s a must-read article about MMRF Founder and CEO Kathy Giusti. The article discusses in Kathy’s own words, her experience living with Multiple Myeloma, her advice for patients and families living with a diagnosis and describes the instrumental role Kathy’s pharmaceutical and business background has played in the MMRF’s success in advancing the next generation of treatment.
http://www.parade.com/health/2010/02/25-kathy-giusti-misson-to-cure-multiple-myeloma.html?index=2
Kathy was diagnosed at 37, just like myself.
She is a Yellow Warrior. And my special Guru. I called Kathy a few months before, in the middle of a watery moment during chemo. As the liquid burned through my veins my mind turned to crisis.
And then Kathy was on the line. She somehow placed her hand on my brow, from a distance.
And I felt calm.
Just as I had sitting at dusk today, by the river with my father.
Sometimes the world is so beautiful and so fierce I can feel my heart tear.
I would like to be around for some time more.
Bobcat just had knee surgery. With my seeking on the ‘A side’, and Bobcat healing ‘B side’, we maintain a strange symmetry. Still, I wish I was close.
And a message from Rahulji in Goa:
Please come back soon. No one does handstands on the beach with me anymore!!
And Tishani is finishing all the ganaches before we get to them…
ah yes. I haven’t written on Goa yet because I’m trying to formulate a way to do it without reference to exact location. My friends are adamant of protecting the privacy of their favourite resort.
Time is coming to flow down from a higher place to sea.
Like the sacred river.
