What a gem. We met at Parmarth Niketan. The first time I saw her she immediately reminded me of my best friend Jasmine. In Jasmine’s younger years she had a short hair cut, much like Elisa had, with brown eyes to match. Elisa became my porridge and tea buddy. Every morning after yoga and meditation we would go for porridge at The Office. Correction, we would go for porridge and tea at The Office. A small, whole in the wall of a place with the best fruit and museli, porridge, or juices. They also offered apple and cinnamon, banana, or chocolate samosas! They boasted that they were the only place in all of India to offer these types of samosas. Elisa and I would talk about life, travels, life at the Ashram. She was so gentle, and soft in everything she did. I felt like a big, clumsy, boisterous Canadian next to the feminine, and graceful Elisa.
My favourite memory of Elisa was going into the town of Rishikesh to buy our very first Indian outfits. Elisa had very expensive tastes. Every fabric she selected was worth the most amount of money. We had a lot of fun shopping together. She selected a beautiful blue and bronze sari, which she looked incredible in. We went to pick up our newly tailored clothes the next day. Of course we wanted to try them on to make sure they fit. We were assured by the store owner that they fit 100% guarantee. We insisted upon trying the clothes on. The tailor put us on his motorbike and drove us over to his workshop, where we were able to try on the clothes. Of course they didn’t fit. Elisa’s sleeves were too small, our scarves were missing, and the drawstring to my pants were also missing. Good thing we insisted!
Every evening, after dinner, Elisa and I would duck out of the ashram into the deserted streets of Luxman Jula, and go to the office for evening tea. I would usually get mint, and Elisa ginger, lemon, honey. Language was a challenge as I didn’t speak German, and English wasn’t her first language. But we got by and enjoyed each others’ company. I was thankful to have her as my ashram buddy. Beautiful woman, beautiful presence, beautiful spirit.
NGO Matt
We sat together and had tea one evening at Bandhari Swiss Cottage. Matt from America, well actually from all over. He grew up in South Africa; his parents were missionaries, but ultimately ended up residing in Tampa Bay Florida. He had spent many years being a very successful marketing executive working sixteen and seventeen hour days. Working all the time and accumulating a great deal of success. He came to a point where he realised was very unfulfilled. So he sold everything, traveled to India and started an NGO supporting local orphanages through marketing.
Khusi Hona is the umbrella organization for orphanages in the province if Andrah Pradesh in southeast India. Matt took his marketing knowledge and experience and used it to gain international attention, sponsorship, and funding for the children of these orphanages. Not claiming any donations for himself Matt has spent the past two months building this NGO, spending time at the orphanages, and providing support in the ways he knows how. I further found out that his father is an author and has over 47 different books published on theology. A very interesting encounter indeed.
khusihona.org
Tara from Winterpeg- Life Coach
I met Tara in my Kathak dance class. On my first day of class she arrived late, but was the shinning star for the rest of us. She had been practising Kathak for a couple of weeks and as such was the senior student. It was her example that we were all to follow. She was also the only one in class that had the guingeroo, until I got mine a week later!
Once I stepped up my game and also became an example in class did we speak more. Tara spends several months a year at the ashram. When she first arrived Swamiji just put her to work answering emails, and doing other administrative things for the ashram. She kept coming back as she enjoyed the ashram but also to lend her time and skills.
After some time I found out that she works as a life coach in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She does offer her life coaching skills while in India at the ashram, but on a much more low key scale. I really enjoyed having her at the Kathak dance class with me. We would have a good laugh together, especially when we screwed up the dance moves and our guruji’s would give us hell. By the time I left I had a fondness for my fellow Kathak dancing, guingeroo wearing, Canadian. Again, always nice to have a buddy.
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