Din 225: Remind my eyes to close.

First things first: I successfully put my hair in a ponytail today! Sure, it's a risible ponytail at best, but I'm proud nonetheless. (My felicitation over this fact makes one wonder: why did I cut my hair?)

I started the morning by writing a message to James Perla, a friend of mine who has tried a different technique of meditation, and wanted some details on the philosophy of Vipassana. However, I refrained from posting this description when some of my co-meditators reminded me that very specific intricacies of the technique are not to be shared verbally with others, but to be experienced by each on his own.

Nanaji and I went to the bank early in the day. On our way home, I requested that we stop at a gurudwara to pay our respects on Visakhi, a harvest festival which is celebrated by Sikhs as the beginning of a new year.


I touched down briefly at home before setting out again, with Nani this time, to the tailor. I read The Power of Now while Nani poked her head into the workshop to supervise the progress made on a suit I hope to wear at a small prayer ceremony in Ludhiana tomorrow.


Again home, I meditated briefly before getting a facial! I so pity any person who has to perform any sort of "beautification" process on me. I am the most impatient, fidgety, aggravating person in these situations. Poor Manu Auntie!

As soon as my face had been scrubbed with various concoctions and I had scraped this gunk out of my negligible amount of hair, Deepu came over! I had so much to share about my trip to Mumbai and meditation course, and she about her dreams to pursue child therapy (in addition to her career as an educationist). My guru Deepu also gave me a copy of Chetan Bhagat's novel Five Point Someone, on which my favorite movie 3 Idiots is loosely based! I can't wait to dive in to the story (or, well, flounder around in it, since I am such a slow reader).


When Deepu and I parted, Nani and I piled ourselves (and some mineral water for me) into the car again to visit our close family friends. We got to see Bhupinder Auntie again, and I met the lovely Bind Nani, Roma Auntie, and Mehr today! The latter is an especially impressive person -- this 11-year-old is so sweet and well-rounded! She is fabulously flexible, superbly speedy, and awesomely artistic! Mehr likes to run track, throw shotput, do yoga, draw, and write. She is also very loving and thoughtful. I really enjoyed talking to her today and am touched that she has started reading my blog! Let me know what feedback you have, Mehr!


The whole afternoon was made really enjoyable by the family's warmth and enthusiasm (not to mention our tea with two types of cake, assorted Maharashtrian snacks, popcorn chicken, and potato tikkas). I was in so good a mood (despite being really tired today) that I even sang a few Hindi and Punjabi songs for them -- now that is rare! I look forward to meeting them again when I'm back in Chandigarh, and introducing Mehr to Priya!


Back home, I gave Nanaji a quiz on taking photos, listening to music, and checking email on his mobile phone. He is such a good student!


My last few hours have been spent Skyping Sonal and packing in a state of semi-delirium. I think I've fallen asleep a few times while typing this post (please excuse any errors). Happy Visakhi and good night!

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