The whistle guy, weaves of India, and the fabric of life.

I wonder if Indian boys dream of being a 'whistle man' one day when they grow up. In the same way American boys may dream of becoming a fire man. And I think Israelis, of being a soldier. (And of course, in that case, they all get to be one:).

The whistle man is a guy that emerges at night in the alleyways of wealthy and semi wealthy neighborhoods blowing his whistle constantly all night long, when it is finally perfectly peaceful and the chaos of the day has subsided for once. They look something between a policeman, a soldier and a bodyguard, but a little scruffy and less glamorous. They are full of importance and utmost diligence for their job.
According to Indian logic, having someone make noise all night long will scare the thieves away. It makes the citizens feel safe and cared for.  According to my logic, if a thief has half a brain, they can assess how far away the whistle is, and strategically plan their plot. But of course, the thieves are Indian too; so they follow the Indian logic, not mine. And no body seems to be bothered by the piercing noise of the whistle but me. Although, I have to admit, I've gotten used to it by now, and most of the nights sleep soundly through it. I try to also take advantage of the sacred nap time. Another window of relative quietude, when even the mosquito seems to rest.

I've definitely fallen of the blogging wagon back in December. It's not that I lack things to write about. On the contrary, perhaps overwhelmed with subjects and ideas, that I just let it go all together. My time and energy has been consumed by my dance training and the fullness of life, and then felt the yearning to spend more of my precious 'off' time in silence and meditation. I've been dancing day and night, watching lots and lots of dance in many spectacular festivals, and occasionally go on shopping excursions on my days off. These are time consuming and rather fascinating and exhausting affairs. There is so much to look through!!! It is heaven for fabric lovers. The abundance of brilliant weave patterns, colors and qualities is endless. Hand-loom weaving of silk, cotton and wool in a large variety of styles and qualities is still alive and abundant. Every region has its own, often centuries old, specialties and designs, and the products are stunning. There are many selections of natural dyes and natural fibers, and also "Madam, this is 100% chimical, nothing natural, (with a proud smile)". I love colors and fabrics, and I can spend hours examining, touching, admiring...what a delight! Thank goodness shopping unconsciously is not one of my weak spots, otherwise, I might have had to start a saree business with all the sarees I would acquire. However, I do intend to bring a small selection of shawls and scarves as gifts and goods to sell, (and yes, a few sarees too..) just because I can see all of my friends and students enjoying this exquisite fabrics, and also feel moved to support these businesses. Hand-loom weaving is a dying art. The cost of raw materials and the time it takes to produce these items makes it not 'productive' and not competitive in this industrial, digital, high-tech world of ours. This primal link of connection between humans and the earth is disappearing...most kids and even adults in our present time world have never worn a piece of hand made cloth, or naturally dyed fabric in their life! In India, the government (so far...) still support and sponsors hand loom weavers in a large scale. The citizens do too. Hand loom fabrics are common items in everybody's closets. All middle class women are proud of their hand loom collection of sarees. And it is tradition to wear those in all festivities, rituals and ceremonial occasions, as well as in daily life. There are large and successful hand-loom weavers companies and corporations. In Odissi dance classes, it is expected to wear traditional hand-loom Orissi sarees and fabrics. In performance it is compulsory. Traditional fabric designs are integral part of Indian culture and art, and the weave of fabrics is deeply woven in to the fabric of life.

Along with the dance and the spiritual heritage of India, the fabrics are another captivating aspect for me of this rich and diverse culture.

I have many more of my life experiences and insights that I wish to share in this blog, and I hope to continue to do so frequently in the near future. Tomorrow, I'm taking the long journey by train to Bodh Gaya, the enlightenment place of Guatama Sidharta (The Buddha), for a 10 day insight meditation retreat. I'm very ripe for this time of deep silence and reflection, strengthening my mindfulness. I take refuge in the Buddha.
I'll be away for two weeks and will report soon after my return.

love, peace and blessings to all.