Liam takes his Moustache Guitar & Hat to India Part 4: Chrsitmas Eve and Christmas Day

Merry Christmas and a happy new year everyone! I started writting this post on christmas eve but a lot happened, and I've been doing lots, so it just kept getting longer...I've finally finished and it is too long! but skim through and hopefully enjoy.

Dec 24^th, Christmas Eve
This is my first Christmas away from Mam, Dad, Sion and Ciara and I do very much miss them, and I miss going down to Aunty Tammy’s with them for our family get together. However, I’m having a good time here thanks to the very generous people around me.

After breakfast I was distracted from making Christmas cards with the sound of the Mirambika children singing carols. I remembered that they had a programme on today and Srila Didi, who leads the carol singing group, said I could play along with them on my guitar. So my guitar and I followed the sound, and sure enough, as soon as I arrived they enthusiastically put me on a chair next to the young pianist (she’s 14 and she directed the whole show, played keyboard for it, and conducted the singing). They acted out the nativity story in Hindi and sang some songs. Then I noticed lots of them had Jewish kippas on their heads. An American got up to speak about Hanukah and then they all danced to Hava Nagila! They did it very well.

A trainee teacher from Pondicherry, sings a French song with the kippa wearing children

Mirambika School children singing christmas songs conducted by a fourteen year old girl

I was running late to meet some friends for the next event of the day, but so were they so it didn’t matter. One of these two friends is from a Christian background and she misses her family in California, so she invited me to spend Christmas Eve with her and her partner, my work friend and superior.

In the morning she took us to a place where she volunteers, the Saalam Baalak Trust. It’s on one of the upper floors of a run-down apartment block down a wonderful narrow street in Old Delhi. It’s a place where orphaned street kids are taken in. I think they live there, although it is a very small space for all those children, and apparently they aren’t allowed outside in case they run away. Well, if they were allowed more freedom and regular outdoor activities maybe they wouldn’t want to run away? Anyway, I don’t really know enough about this to comment; I shouldn’t accuse anyone of any mismanagement without any facts.

The people who ran it seemed nice and the kids seemed happy. Camilla taught them Yoga, Nitin translated and I did the moves too so they could copy me. I’m very new to yoga so wasn’t especially useful here, but I brought my guitar with me and the kids were very excited to hear some songs. I played the one Hindi song I know, “Disco Dewane” by Nazia Hasan, and then tried to teach them “Felis Navidad” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” The kids prefer lively Bollywood songs to be honest, so I played “Jai Ho,” blurring through the lyrics (which I haven’t properly learnt yet), and they all danced and sang/shouted “JAI HOOOOOOOO” with much enthusiasm. This is a massively popular song here. There’s a Hindi version of the film apparently. I don’t know if they filmed the dialogue twice, once in each language, or if they dubbed either the English of the Hindi version. I’m very pleased that a film by our own Danny Boyle is so popular here in India (although my friends said it sensationalises reality, or it’s not realistic or something).

Me playing some songs for the ex-street kids at the Salaam Baalak Trust

After that we went to eat Chaat, which is not at all like the Chicken Chaat or Prawn Chaat they serve in the Asha Balti in Llanrwst (I prefer our one to be honest, but the real one is interesting and I like trying new things).
My opinions on food are distorted right now as my appetite has become very small from being ill for a good few weeks (on and off since that one event of bad sickness). Paul, I know a little bit how you felt during first year! I’ve completely gone off curry and chappatis, especially vegetarian curry. Now I crave meat, cheese, fish, fancy baker's bread, Mediterranean and BRITISH food: Sandwiches, roast dinners, cheddar cheese, fresh salad, sausages, peas & sweetcorn... (as a Christmas present to myself I bought some Indian made Cheddar Cheese from the Ashram’s Matri Store – it’s very satisfying and delicious!).
When I first arrived I found the Indian food to be amazing, and the ashram food is generally very good, so it’s a great pity that this digestive problem and homesickness has put me off most of it somewhat.

Diversion

A few days ago I went to the “English Medicine” doctor and he prescribed me some anti-biotics which will hopefully clear it up. He said its only traveller’s diarrhoea which is common with foreigners, and he said I could have amoeba in my intestines.

They call Western Medicine something like “aleopathic” and offer it  for free at The Mother’s Integral Health Centre along with the alternatives: Homeopathic and Ayurvedic. When I went to the registration about a month ago, the day after the severe stomach upset that was probably the dreaded food poisoning known as “Delhi Belly”, they asked me  “which doctor do you want to see, alurrrblolopathic, ayyoooblrrblrrr or homeopathic ?” and I replied, ”…ummmmmm” so they sent me to homeopathic. I thought, “yeah, why not give it a try, I’m mostly better now,” so I met him and he prescribed me some homeopathic remedy. I went again a few days later as I still wasn’t completely back to normal, so he gave me a different homeopathic remedy and put me on a diet of curd, rice and yellow daal! This was bloody difficult to stick too. I ate yogurt and rice for lunch at work and then I was really hungry in the aftrenoon.

I failed to stick to his diet and still wasn’t better; I didn’t want to go back to the same doctor because I hadn’t taken his advice and he’d probably give me another homeopathic remedy which I’d have to pay another hundred rupees for (it’s a donation and it’s a free health service so it’s fair enough). So this week, like I said, I saw the “English Medicine” doctor instead.

Back to the story of My Christmas

After Camilla and Nitin dropped me back at the Ashram I went for a nap. I woke to see it that it was five o clock and time for choir practice!!! The choir are ashramites and vocational trainees of various age groups who want to learn Christmas carols to sing in the meditation hall on Christmas day. Srila Didi kindly enlisted my help in teaching them the carols and leading everyone with my guitar and confident singing. It’s been fun, and we've improved massively since the start, although I’ve not been successful at teaching harmonies. They’ve taught me some carols too.

After the carols, I rushed to the meditation hall to hear the Belarussian student play Indian Classical on his Traditional Indian Flute. I forgot to take off my shoes! It was very embarrassing. As soon as I sat down on the cushion, Tussar, who also stays in the boy’s hostel, came up to me and sternly sent me out to remove my shoes. A girl called Bhavna laughed quietly which made me feel a bit better.

After meditation (still embarrassed) I rushed to my room to look up directions to the Vatican Embassy, where Camilla had invited me to join her and Nitin for a Christmas Eve English language mass.

I skipped dinner and went there in a tuc-tuc, via the cashpoint (we were already late...why did I agree to pay his stupid foreingers fair or 150 when he'd already reluctantly agreed take me for 117?). The autowaller didn’t know where or what was the Vatican Embassy (fair enough really as the sign says “The Embassy of the Holy See”) so we drove along the road with all the embassies for a while, looking for the place we wanted. (I wonder how many embassies they can fit along this road, surely not one for every country???)  He eventually took me to the British Embassy and we finally saw the Vatican one was just next door.

I arrived late but I think it had only just started. The service was packed. About half of the people there were foreigners, mostly Europeans and Africans plus a few South East Asians. I think they were mainly diplomats and foreign embassy staff. We started singing Silent Night, and someone at the front went “now in French” and a few people mumbled the verse in French. Then there was Italian, and when he called “now in Spanish” another priest with a strong Latin accent shouted “JUST ENGLISH, PLEASE.” It was quite funny. The main priest was African/Italian. He had a mostly Nigerian accent but said “blaad” with a strong Italian accent. It was an awesome accent to listen too, and quite amusing. There were other priests and speakers from different countries.

Half way through I saw Nitin and Camilla up on the top balcony so I went past loads of people sitting on the spiral staircase to meet them. I sat next to an English lady from the British High Commission!

After the service I met some of Camilla’s friends, 2 Indians and one Iranian and they could all speak French. I really want to learn more languages when I get the strength of will to make some time for it and commit.

I was a few hours late back to the Ashram. Luckily there was another boy waiting outside who’d already buzzed the bell. I went in with him but he doorman recognised me and told me off (I was already late twice before, within the last two weeks).

Dec 25^th, Christmas Day

This morning I woke early and rushed to the dining hall to sing carols during breakfast time, as was our plan. Everyone sang very well and people complimented us afterwards.

After this I hung around the Ashram a bit, admiring the tree that Hrishikesh’s department made from brushes and paper, and the other decorations. These Spiritual Hindus really go all out for Christmas! Then I rushed to finish Camilla & Nitin’s Christmas card, supposed to be a nice painting but actually a pretty average and unfinished sketch.

I was sitting outside and a mate from the boy’s hostel walked past. Turns out he’s a Christian and he was going to the Green Park Free Church, so I joined him. I knew the way but he said he knew a short cut, and took us the wrong way, so we had to get an auto, which I had to pay for because he has no money (I know he has none because he asked to borrow Rs. 250 from me once – too many people want to borrow money from me! it’s quite annoying). But it was lovely weather.

We arrived late to the church, sat outside as it was jam packed, then left early because I’d been invited to my friend’s place for coco, eggs and/or pancakes. I had no credit to tell them I was late! So I arrived, was warmly welcomed, and we listened to Christmas songs on youtube and took some photos. They gave me a lovely present – a cushion cover with a stitched elephant and vibrant colours. This will become my sitar playing cushion when I get home!

Camilla made some delicious scrambled eggs on toast – haven’t had eggs for ages! I didn’t realise how much I missed them. They don’t serve egg at the ashram, I don’t know why as they serve milk, and it’s surely more cruel to take milk intended for calves rather than to take unfertilized eggs that would otherwise rot or be eaten by another animal (but there’s more too it with eggs, so my vegan cousin told me, so I’ll have to look up what she said).

I returned home happy and had an afternoon nap. After a special Christmas afternoon snack (they call it tiffin for some mysterious reason – tiffin is the name for the lunch boxes that are consumed daily all over Delhi!) everyone went to the Hall of Grace to play games. It was really fun! There were lots of challenges and brain teasers, and if you won you got a Christmas present, randomly. I won three games, but only got two tokens as the third game I won, hitting balloons through a hoop, had run out of tokens (because the game was quite easy).My two lucky tockens got me two parcels, neatly wrapped in newspaper. Two old handbags, neither of which contained chocolate.

These are the prizes I won in the Hall of Grace. My lucky day!

I met another architect! So we chatted and then I had to rush to the meditation hall to be ready for the carols. I was little bit late, and choir were already there, but we had ten minutes ‘til seven o clock when meditation would begin. It went very well and was an enjoyable, relaxing and rewarding experience. We sang “we bow to thee oh mother” (about The Mother), “angels we have heard on high”, “joy to the world”, “we three kings of the orient are,” “Felis Navidad,” and many more. We kept going until quarter to eight and most people stayed to listen, which Srila Didi said was a big compliment. Srila asked me to close with a solo rendition of “Amazing Grace”, one Karuna Didi’s favourites (she’s the elderly lady who usually sings and plays harmonium during meditation), and I felt honoured, and obliged them. I sang it in as controlled and concentrated way as I could, hoping to put in passion etc. I remember the silence and the sound filling the hall, and everyone listening. I was very pleased with how it went and felt very happy.

People left for dinner and I was delighted to see that Pronita had made it to watch! Then Nitin and Camilla appeared at the back, but they’d unfortunately been stuck in traffic and missed it. We all had a jolly good laugh together outside the meditation hall, and then Pronita and I went for some food and beer in the Hauz Khas Village. We went to the Delhi Smoke House and ordered a very delicious European style meal of chicken breast, mash potato, green beans and spicy rice. It was really good; succulent and full of flavour. They gave us proper fresh brown bread, onion bread and bread sticks with some dips for starters, free of charge!

I got back ten minutes before the curfew and spoke to my lovely family on Skype. So, thanks to the Grace of God, I had a very nice Christmas with lovely people, and I’m grateful to all of them. I feel very lucky.

Pronita and myself next to the Ashram's Christmas tree