Don't you forget about me

Today was a great down day! I got my computer back, which means I am now able to skype! Also we went into town and it is the beginning of Pongal (which is a 4 day Tamil thanksgiving type deal). So lots of parades and food and loud sounds will be heard and keeping me awake for the next four days. Also here are the promised pictures of where I will be living the next 2ish weeks, a picture of the yoga festival and images of the walking Gandhi. Also the image of me looking kinda of crazed is with Emily and Lukshmi the elephant who gives blessings. Another weird thing is people hang the mothers eyes every where, to provide luck and prevent theft. Now you might be asking to yourself who is the mother? The mother is one of the two creators who helped design and plan the city of Aurovile; which is a alternative living community, filled with Europeans, northerners (people from northern India) and new age hippies. However the mother did help out Puducherry so there are Ashrams and other sites founded in her name. And yes, I meant Puducherry, instead of Pondicherry this is because recently in order for the colonial area of Pondicherry and several other areas to establish distance from their colonial pasts have changed their names at great cost, cause more economic issues in this area. 

Another fun fact is the campus is based in a village of the lowest cast level, so most people live in grass huts on the ground (allowing rodents ants and anything else in), and most don't have waste systems in place so they use the surrounding area, so in the mornings you will see people relieving themselves. I also learned today, never pay with your left hand. Yes I knew this but I kind of forgot, but after the look I got from the man today that I paid, I don't think I will ever forget again. Well those are my little tid bits of knowledge for you guys for today!

 

By the way this is one of the many geckos I wake up with. How they get in....our huts are not sealed off from the outside world (just note the back wall in the picture) the huts are only to help prevent some of natures forces from bothering us while we sleep that is why it is key to sleep under the bug netting.