http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBr5cj13z0A&feature=share


I am going to begin blogging again. It will be fun to share Portland. There are so many opportunists for joy in the simple things.

The last three months in CT

Today was lovely.
I sat at the table and worked on a jigsaw puzzle of a Washington mountain side while listening to soul music. I remembered and old boyfriends Mom bought me a box set of soul music, she looked to her son and said, "Why would anyone want this?" I laughed if only she knew what soul music does to the heart, mix in a jig saw puzzle, then it gets really good.  

It has been cool here in Connecticut which is good because we will be moving to Portland Oregon in three months. It will help me to adjust. I recently watched a Lewis in Clark program for National Geographic, Lewis wrote in his journal that in the four months of winter in Astoria, Oregon (close to Portland) they only had eight days with out rain.

I am done with school for now, which means I will have time for blogs.  Perhaps they will just be ramblings like this one. I am sure I will be full of thoughts.
Here are some photos from my recent Portland trip. 

Portlandia

The Happy Movie

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Happy & How I Feel About It

Misha Dawn

Southern Connecticut State University

Happy (2011) is a warm and thoughtful documentary film directed, written, and co-produced by Roko Belic. (www.thehappymovie.com)

The opening scene of Happy is in an Indian slum. A thin man wakes up in a small wooden structure: his home. He heads out to pull a heavy rickshaw for travelers. My eyes tear up instantly, I know the film is going to say this man is happy, and they do.

While in India over the Winter break I spent two and a half weeks with my husband’s family. What a joy to be with a people who predominantly esteem intrinsic values such as the ones noted by the film: personal growth, relationships, and a community feeling.

I recall noting to my husband as I saw a young boy and his sister reading and laughing together in an Indian slum that, unlike what I had hear about India, I did not see destitution, but instead, I saw happiness.

The film talked a lot about how extrinsic values such as money, image, and status work in contradiction to the intrinsic values needed to sustain happiness. A pie chart was shown as a quantitative breakdown of happiness: 50% is genetic, 10% is success, and very large and important 40% was found in intentional activities. So the “Hedonic Treadmill” (more stuff equals the need for more stuff) provides individuals with fleeting pleasure but no sustained happiness. (Happy 2011)

The film noted that a portion of Japanese culture works so hard to sustain extrinsic values they are in fact dying. The Japanese have created a word to define this condition: karoshi. (Happy 2011)

My husband has a man in his lab that has been in New Haven one year. His family remains in Japan and he constantly works and exercises. I may make a sign for his computer that says NO KAROSHI. Or I could bring him to our home more often for games and food.

One of the ways happiness can be can be cultivated is through structured religion. Religion was reported to be able to provide the “bigger than us” need to be happy. However, this feeling can come in any group that works together in cooperation. One psychologist stated that cooperation releases dopamine in the brain the important chemical for our joy. (Happy 2011)

One man found happiness through direct service. He left his life as a successful business man to work in the Mother Theresa dying clinic in Kalcutta his statement was a beautiful testament to his religions ideals, “My life if a loan from God, I will give it back with interest.” (Happy 2011)

I have worked in the helping professions for most of my adult life. I have noticed that I have been less happy while meeting my own needs through schoolwork. So, like the joyful surfer in the film who preaches the need to connect with nature and live simply. I may have to fight the desire to join in rather than give so much to my studies.

Perhaps finding a balance where I can still give back while I am learning would be ideal. Also, I could meditate on compassion, which, the film reported has been shown to better treat depression than narcotics. (Happy 2011)

Reference

Shadyac, T. (Producer) & Belic, B. (Director). (2011). Happy [motion picture]. USA: Wadi Rum Productions

At last I found it.

 The above photo is from my high school year book.

I never really understood really what this girl meant, but I did find this muffin in India.

Wayanad

This was my favorite day in India. The day began with the cool morning walk and breakfast in a small cafe. I was the only women in the restaurant, I faced the door so I could not see the observance of the melanistic squirrel.

We had tea with milk and sugar and idli (which, is a steamed, spongy food that is made from rice power) and a green pea curry. This is not the starchy, soft green pea, that I am used to but a harder legume type of pea.

The curry was flavorful and it was nice to eat early. I found that my Indian family liked to eat several hours after I had been out of bed which, for me, is very hard. I am one of those people that wake up and want food shortly after my eyes are open.

Then we went home and had a second delicious breakfast. This time, puttu, (rice flour steamed in a tube shaped metal object, with coconut,) bengal gram curry and fried bananas.
(I have been home for a month now and I am still working the fried bananas off my pot belly, they were so worth it. )

Then we were off in a car to Wayanad. A place of stunning landscape and wild monkeys.  The road to the top of the mountains was full of pin curves. Also the black top had been washed out in many places by the monsoon rains leaving large rocks and sand next to large drop offs down coffee covered hillsides and of course tour buses auto rickshaws and us all passed one another on a race to the top. 

However, it was so beautiful I hardly noticed the crazy road conditions. In the distance I could see the quilt like look of the tea plants. Each plant is trimmed to a similar height however, each plant has its own unique shape giving the hillsides pattern without rigidity.

Heros in Eden

On 12/20/2011 I awoke early and as was with each morning could hear the crows outside squaking about the arrival of the sun.

On the previous day Rahul took me to Prasanthi School for special children. The children at this school were full of bright smiles, laughter and curiosity. I could tell, right away, they were cared for.

The care began with the atmosphere of the building. The architecture allowed for a cool breeze to pass through, light filling the halls and heat to stay out. Next, was the teacher to student ratio, six children per teacher, in addition to aids for support. Also, in the classrooms the students were observed to be working at their own pace without trying to slow down or speed up to match the other students.
Unfortunately, I did not take photos in the school. Mostly out of respect for the children's privacy and so I could just be there as a witness. However, the road to the school was like Eden.

The Road up to the School

Random Puppy Seeks Children 

Rahul and the President Ramakrishnan Palat

The man running the school is one of Rahul's old professors, Ramakrishnan Palat. This is a man who had a successful career as a professor and could easily just have retired and chased around elephants on his plantation. But no, this man chose to create a place for special children.

Very few of these kinds of places exist in southern India. The goal of the school is go get the children accepted into the main stream schools.

I was honored to meet a man with such a kind temperament and a true example of altruism.
Here is a link to an article in The Hindu http://www.hindu.com/2007/05/20/stories/2007052000750200.htm
about how Dr. Palat became interested in helping.

Meals on Leaves

On 12/18/2011 Rahul and I had a wedding reception. It was a bit odd to have this party without my own family to cheer me on. 

I was draped in a full Sari by both sisters; Rahul's sister, Rakhi and his sister in law Swathi. We even did a practice run in Sari the night before (with the assistance of an assertive neighbor) so I could learn how to walk wrapped in the long cloth. 

Sari's are very long and they cover your toes. I wanted to pick up the cloth, prance around and curtsy however, I was told not to pick it up. (On the practice run I picked it up a few times anyway to tease my new Sister in law). However, at "show time" I was well behaved. One of my good friends told me I could lightly kick the bottom so I did not fall down.  (Thank you Kamma)

The Indian wedding reception begins as the couple is greeted and well wished by many family, neighbors, co-workers, friends and friends of friends. Then after photos, a lot smiling, and more photos take place, a wonderful feast is eaten on a large banana leaf.

This feast is called Sadhya and it is specific to the Kerala region of Inida. Sadhya consists of many wonderful curries each created to please a certain taste for your palate: sour, sweet, pungent, astringent ect.  There was a curry made with pineapple and coconut, there was one with vegetables and butter and jaggery (a kind of sugar) one that was spicy and pickled with mango and mustard seeds and others lovely savory dishes all surrounding a heap of rice. 

I sat and ate with a charming man who was a librarian for a collage and a woman who was a gynecologist. The conversations was as rich as the foods. We talked about food and Indian culture. 

In India, I always was asked two questions: 

How do you like our country? And 

How do you like the food?  

Marriage ceremonies like the one we had bring together neighbors and family. Most of the time this feast consists of hundreds of people. (Ours was much less due to my family being more potato than curry. :) )

Marriage receptions help to strengthen communities by getting everyone out to share a feast of fine foods, food is a very important part of Indian community.   

After the feast we sat out side and talked and laughed. I chatted with family and Amas' friends who are history professors.

My favorite part of the whole day was when Rahul's father sat next to me leaned in and said, "You are a nice lady." with and affirming kindness, I was glad to receive.