Is it really like that there? - Pedro asks

Is it really like that there? - Pedro asks
Yes. Everyday. Everywhere.
Driving and Traffic in India:

Findings

In such little time, I feel an unexplainable bond with the Ubhayakers. I feel as part of the family and I feel a deep respect and privilege, happiness and security but most of all a tremendous blessing for being embraced among them, share their life stories, learn from their wisdom and be inspired daily by such honourable, accomplished, socially active, warm-hearted, forward-thinking human beings whom I will forever take as role-models in so many senses of my life. I am greatful forever to Life and Mrs. Lalita for this opportunity that made me grow so much especially on a personal level, and I reinforce my sense that nothing comes coincidentally, and certainly not this experience, and also that some bonds are cosmic and independent from age, race, religion, upbringing, information... I shall honour my new revered God-Mother and the moments we lived and will live together.

......

I went to Goa last month.

More than a Portuguese heritage hunt, it was a beach life trip where friendships were reinforced and the wonders and baths of Nature striked all of us.

Together: Raquel, Maria, António and Afonso from Portugal, Mariana, André, Ricardo and Evandro from Brazil, Pauline and Anne-Sophie from France, Ahmed from Egipt and Nataly from Colombia.

The best-kept memories are: that of a sunset at Vagatore beach, where the forest meets the beach, the rain met the farewell of the sun and gifted us with two simultaneous rainbows, rocks were climbed with the help of Andre to see the dawn from "the middle of the ocean" while all the friends watched it from the water (I did it the following day); and still that of ridding a scooter for the first time; dancing my spirit out at Mambo's; savouring fish and portuguese influenced savouries still with sandy feet; and shopping for clothes at the locals' tents. These and still some more of love, sharing and new experiences with every day more brother-alike friends.


Also last month: travelled back to Pondicherry as Auroville needed to be revisited.

Out of that trip with André, Mariana, Evandro, Ricardo, Pauline, Neeraj from India and Svetla from Bulgary... I took the great luxurious relaxed beach life at Mahabalipuram, the comfort of travelling in private or rented vehicle with a driver, the apparent easy-living at Pondi - that coastal city colonized by the french, sharing care and love with my best friends here, meeting Kurt in Sri Aurobindo's Ashram in a totally sinchronized non-coincidental happening, but mostly the certainty that I'll go back to Auroville to live the concept and the truth - check http://www.auroville.org/. This time I had the privilege of going inside the Matrimandir and meditate for 15 minutes in the most profound silence in 25 years of existence in a white room enlighted by a cristal. Some truths reveal, the atmosphere and intents, I totally identify with them >> have to get back. Will in the beggining of 2009.

Still Blessed… Just check this week’s news

Tuesday, 4.Nov.08
Ø Started working with the biggest Salsa Company in Bangalore – Lourd Vijay Dance Studio (http://www.lvds.in/)- with African workshop for the dancers 8 a.m to 9.30 – even though the sound system didn’t work, it was a success to be continued the following 3 mornings. This day: general Hip and Arm Work with Tribal sound, Batuko, Kolá San Jon and Mazurca.
Ø Attended Satsang – Hour of Good, the Spiritual session I frequent at my centre on a weekly basis. We are reading “The Power of Now”, by Eckhart Tolle. Probably the book that will provoke the second spiritual turning point in my life (the first was “Celestine Prophecy”, by James Redfield, many years ago). Kurt and André, my friends from My Choice! project were there too.
Ø Mrs. Lalita’s niece was helding a private classical indian music concert in her hall/ living-room. We were invited to join and sat on the carpet watching this transe-inspiring voice singing a classical recital. I felt that I got out of this world and came back: the emotion and vibration of the singing, tabla, harmonium and tampura together made that one of the most emotioned musical moments of my life. In the end Mrs. Lalita cried looking at me, as she hugged me saying: “the way you were feeling the music, my God!!” – I really was, somehow, even without understanding any technicality of it.
Ø Had nice dinner with Kurt, speaking of trips, My Choice!, healing technics, plans and unplans.

Wednesday, 5.Nov.08
Ø Dance Company applied last days’ learning in music: Hip Work, Batuko, Kolá San Jon, and we added Ragga and Soucusse.
Ø Had my Odissi Dance Class – Odissi is a classical Indian form of dance that has its origin in Orissa, in northern India. I feel drastic improvement in exactly the three things I specially needed to work on my fitness: flexibility, balance and discipline/ persistence.
Ø My Choice! – it’s more then time to tell you all about this project me and 3 other expatriates lauched in Bangalore – we are bringing sustainability issues to Bangalore school children. This happens in 3 stages: 1 – inspirational and interactive classroom sessions conducted mostly by expatriates; 2 – live simulation where some of the kids from the classrooms come together to learn more about sustainability through experience and games; 3 – teams of students build projects trying to reach Zero Waste in there school, be it on the level of energy, food, water consumption, waste, etc. And 4 – we will do a final Fair and Awards night where media, principals from other schools who may take the programme up, parents, etc, will see the projects, a jury will evaluate them and the documentary we will have filmed during this pilot of My Choice! will be showcased as a best-practice case. PLEASE DO CHECK www.mychoicebangalore.org AND http://mychoice08.ning.com FOR MORE DETAILS on this initiative. So this day we gave our second training to the expatriates who will be mentors in class-room sessions and for the sustainable projects realization by the students’ teams.

Thursday, 6.Nov.08 – DEFINITELY ONE OF THE BEST DAYS OF MY LIFE
Ø "Como se dice? Como se llama? Obama! Obama!"
Ø Couple work started with Lourd Vijay Company: back to Mazurca, introducing Kizomba individual and in couple and finishing with Kuduro.
Ø Was invited to give workshops and dance for the biggest festival in Bangalore – the Bangalore Habba.
Ø Was invited to be interviewed by one of the upstream newspapers in the city, The Hindu
Ø Received a Yes from a personal contact (through Mrs. U) in a wild-life sanctuary to sponsoring an Award for one of the winning teams in My Choice! Project Awards, the prize being a 3-day retreat in this sanctuary in Coorg – www.saisanctuary.com
Ø Confirmed the presence of My Choice! Team in Chinnara Habba on the 20th of November, in Palace Grounds, SPEAKING ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY TO 100.000 CHILDREN through a quiz my team is developing.
Ø AND MOST IMPORTANTLY: MY MENTOR, MRS. LALITA UBHAYAKER, NAMED ME HER GOD-DAUGHTER. I couldn’t feel more blessed and fortunate.
Ø Called my mother and André and SMS’ed Johan and Pedro: had to tell them how happy I was.
Ø Came home to a great sharing moment with Katherine, good friend, great non-coincidence in my life who is just about to leave back to San Francisco, USA.

Friday, 7.Nov.08
Ø Finished the workshop with Lourd Vijay Dance Company having taught the basics of 10 african-originated rhythms (ending with Semba, Funaná, Kuduro and a revision of the other rhythms), with great response and invitations to give private lessons to the choreographer and the main dancer.
Ø Was invited to dance at a Media Seminar and a Flee-Market in Bangalore.
Ø Was very tired and again saw how I found myself one more family, two more parents, in the Ubhayakers, as they worry for me and take care of me.
Ø Held a movie screening of “11th Hour” film-documentary, produced by Leonardo Di Caprio, followed by a discussion on environmental issues. This initiative was promoted by Smriti-Nandan and me and conducted by an already good friend and fundamental piece in My Choice! creation: Kurt Archer, Canadian Eco-traveller and environmentalist, currently travelling Asia raising awareness around sustainability issues (http://www.globaldamu.org/asia/). It was a success, the movie – I knew it already – is much more impacting and positive then An Inconvenient Truth even: you should see it. The discussion that followed and the commitment of some of the audience led Mrs. Lalita to start a series of initiatives around Environment and a discussion circle that will gather some of the people present that day: “What can we do about it?”.
Ø My Choice! Team had had the privilege of being invited to stay for dinner at the Ubhayakers after the movie. And whom else stayed and inspired us all dinner-long but two of the greatest environmentalists of Karnataka? Lovely Awe-like evening, ending with Mr. Hiblekar accepting to be Chief Guest at My Choice! Award Ceremony.

Saturday, 8.Nov.08
Ø Started teaching private Sevillanas lessons at her place, to a Bharatanatyam dancer and singer, Mrs. Susheela, the niece of the Ubhayakers who had hosted the classical concert on Tuesday. Great experience working with dancers again, as they catch everything so fast that we don’t have to worry but with the perfection details (I mean as much as I can correct them, of course, not being a professional in Spanish Dances)
Ø In the afternoon, the second of my World Dances Workshop sessions was even better then the first. Both kids and adults had a blast – I could tell by the clapping, laughing and rising energy: Salsa, Mambo, Bachata, Cha Cha Cha and Merengue lifted their soul for 1h30 hours (x 2).
Ø Had many friends surprising me at the centre and joining the last fun dance moments of the class. Our photographer and My Choice! documentary-film-maker Arvind also came to cover my workshop.
Ø Was contacted by a photo-journalist coming from the States who wants to do a photo-essay on me.
Ø Was contacted by the same Salsa Company to held a workshop for their students the following Sunday - check the page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=39749890094
Ø Had dinner at my favourite place, Empire, with friends.

Sunday, 9.Nov.08
Ø After sleeping 15 hours as never in India as I needed to recover from such an energetic week, went to Opus (where the Salsa Company has their studio) and attended an advanced salsa class as an invitee. In the end, I did an energetic 5 minute Demo of what the African Dance workshop will be the coming Sunday to attract students into attending it.
Ø Got invited by the owner of the company to give a Kizomba workshop at Chennai Salsa Festival on the 23rd of June.
Ø Went to have tea at Mrs. Deepti’s house, an Indian dancer, journalist, architect, painter and spiritual guru/ yogi who lived in the States for 14 years and had attended my Spanish Dances Workshop the prior weekend.
Ø After coming home to change, went with Katherine, Alexandra, Andre, Kurt and other 3 new international friends to Casa del Sol for my first Salsa party in Bangalore where I found again everyone from the Dance Company and other schools and danced in a couple as I didn’t for almost half a year. Great!
Ø Was offered regular work as a dance teacher across India, in Thailand, Singapour, etc, by this Dance Company - in case I want to stay longer I definitely will have means of sustaining myself.

Monday, 10.Nov.08
Ø Back to my Odissi Class, am noticing technical improvements. The coordination of movements and the persistence necessary for the fitness work is great challenge and non-comparable to any other dance class I ever went to.
Ø Came home to an experience with Galvanic Spa provided by Katherine, that refreshed my face and face-lines in an incredibly drastic way in just 20 minutes – following came a great Indian dinner with Kat, Thripthi and Roshin.
Ø And then the so-expected photo-shooting: great session with Katherine on the camera and me on the modelling, Rodrigo Leão on the laptop, candles and a scarf over the light in the room. For a long time I wanted to try to have my pictures taken: again India is going beyond my expectations even in things that I didn’t establish as goals.

Tuesday, 11.Nov.08
Ø Richard Seshie, the Coordinator of My Choice!, gave us the news that someone from AIESEC is contributing with 100 euros for My Choice! Our first financial aid: a lot of happiness, very welcome: again a renewal on the good-will of many people in this world.
Ø Meeting with Ashvasan member who will intervene on the kick-off session of my Youth Programme at Mount Carmel College on the 13th: “Ashvasan Cares: Bridging Old and Young Hearts!”. I’m trying to get my senior citizen foundation some young blood, some young volunteers to work with the elderly. We are also wanting to raise awareness among youngsters on the situation of the senior citizens in India.
Ø One hour later, meeting with Mrs. Lalita, Kurt and Mrs. Sughatta, an organic farming promoter – subject: what our next steps should be on initiatives promoted by Smiri-Nandan on Environmental issues.
Ø One hour later, Satsang and again the tremendous words of Tolle in “The Power of Now”.
Ø One hour later, interview at The Hindu newspaper for a column on foreigners in Bangalore. Great interview: outcome to be published on Saturday.
Ø One hour and a half later, dinner at Coconut Groove with expatriates from 6 countries.
Ø Two hours alter, hearing from Roshin and Thripthi, in the house, about the cast system in India and the Malu weddings.
Ø Half an hour later, starting to write this as such a great week had to be shared with my precious family and friends.

Dancing Passion in Words OR Bio Dancing Data

I was asked to write my bio-data because of the Workshop I'll be conducting. And this is how they do it here...

Raquel Lemos is a Portuguese Dance Lover, Teacher and Performer who is now in India working as a volunteer for Lalita Ubhayaker Foundation for the Arts.
Raquel was born in a family that shares the passion for Dance. Since early age, being the daughter of a Cape-verdean (African) father and a Brazilian mother, Raquel started dancing as a pass-time, a hobbie and a way of expression, as dance was an essential part of her family’s life.

While as a child she attended Ballet classes, from the age of 12 she started dancing Hip Hop. At 15, she was very active in the world of Fitness and started receiving training in Dance Monitoring. By the age of 16 she was conducting Hip Hop & Cardio-Funk classes both to Children and Adults on a regular basis. It was the beginning of her proficiency in dance.

During High-School Raquel got involved in a Theatre Group, which gave her a different insight into performing arts and stage creations. Her studies led her to do a college degree in Communication & Culture, but her life-time passion kept calling for her dedication.

Having contacted with the Latin Dance World, the community quickly and enthusiastically embraced her as a fast learner and a dancer from the heart. Few months later she was invited to become a dancer for Sabor Tropical Dance Company, which gave her personal training on the rhythms, moves and techniques of dances like Salsa, Cha Cha Cha, Merengue among others. She also received private lessons from the best Dance Masters in Portugal and overseas in the areas of Salsa, Zouk and other Latin and African dances.

With her dance company, for 3 years Raquel Lemos travelled Portugal giving classes, workshops and animations in many sorts of events and venues, having performed in the most notorious Latin dance congresses in the country including some TV shows. During this period she created, together with a dance couple, an original unprecedented methodology for the teaching of Zouk (couple dance style original from former Portuguese colonies in Africa and the French Antilles), which is now being used by many masters a little bit all over the country.

For the following years, she took training and traineeship in Show Production and contacted with some of the best practices in Hall and Cultural Management. In 2006, as she started her professional career as a Communication and Events Manager at the biggest private bank in Portugal, her time to teach and perform became limited. But as she took executive post-graduations in Events Management and Business Management, she still managed to use her spare evenings to perfection and diversify her dance skills, having attended several courses and regular classes in Sevillanas, Flamenco and Tango.

Raquel is nowadays an accomplished and multi-style dancer who does occasional performances and workshops under request. During her stay in India where she came to do volunteer work, she performed four times already, mostly for clubs and associations like Ashvasan, and she’s taking classes in Odissi classical Dance. Raquel Lemos loves plastic and performing arts, and she has long decided to take up Art and Culture as a producer and a managing facilitator rather then as an artist. It is in this scope that she joined Mrs. Lalita Ubhayaker in her endeavours in Smriti-Nandan Cultural Centre, Yuva Sangeet Utsav and Ashvasan Foundation. She is now invited to do a recollection of all Dances she learned throughout her life and present a World Dances Workshop for Children and Adults at Smriti-Nandan.

World Dances Workshop

Dear friends,

During the month of November, I am conducting a WORLD DANCES WORKSHOP at my workplace, Smriti-Nandan Cultural Centre.

World Dances Workshop will be basically a practical overview of the rythms, dance styles, moves and some choreographies from a little bit all over the world: from Flamenco to Samba, from Hip Hop to Rumba, from Salsa to African Tribal, passing through many others... it will be a fun, healthy, learning and interactive cultural experience!

The level of difficulty is adaptable to each student, and in the end everyone who wants will participate of an open performance. The workshop will take place on saturdays, and the programme will be as follows:

WORLD DANCES WORKSHOP

A Journey through the Rythms and Dances of 3 Continents

By: Raquel Lemos, Portuguese Dance Lover, Teacher and Performer

Saturday, Nov. 1st '08: SPANISH

Saturday, Nov. 8th '08: LATIN-AMERICAN

Saturday, Nov. 15th '08: BRAZILIAN & AFRICAN

Saturday, Nov. 22nd '08: NORTH-AMERICAN

* Children: 2pm - 3.15 pm * Adults: 3.15 pm to 4.45 pm

* No special shoes or attire are demanded for the classes, you should just feel comfortable and in the mood for DANCE :).

Venue: Smriti-Nandan Cultural Centre www.smritinandan.org

Map: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=109499249516994058062.0004475e089e952955d63&z=15

'Not Bad' and the Temple City

“Not bad” – many say to my travelling.
“En fait” (comme diraient les français), I’ve been travelling quite a lot within South India and I feel happy and realized because of that.
Staying in Bangalore for the weekends is almost depressing – this city is too busy and too stressful.

I hadn’t travelled since August 24th. Too long I know... But that’s when I went to Hampi... :
Hampi (in the same state as the recently renamed Bengaluru – Karnataka) was an amazing experience.
The momentum is gone though... A month and a half has gone now without me telling you anything about it, so I won’t come on to many details.
... So much has been happening that I haven't been managing to 'stop' living to actually tell my friends and family about life :) Apologize me for that.
So 'here comes the sun... txu ru ru ru... here comes the sun... I say: It's alright txu ru ru ru ru ru ru........."

Hampi is the place in India that I visited where SCALE is more obvious and striking.
You’re driven past dozens of temples through majestic piles of round rocks that only an Olympic God could have disposed in such a wonderful way over each other.
You reach peeks where the view invites you to meditate as your eyes get lost in a horizon measuring 360º. The air thickens but feels purer and the hot rocks burn your feet while you jump your way to the promise of an even greater landscape.
At the temples, they put red ink marks on your forehead as you visit and honor the God to which it is dedicated – the mark on your forehead signifies that you’ve been blessed for paying visit to this holly place. You’re invited to leave donations if you want, and also in some places you can buy sweets inside - especially when the God represented is known to like sweets in Hindu Philosophy (like Ganesha, the elephant faced young man).

Hampi is there where on one side of the river, you can find guest-houses, eat meat, drink alcohol… and on the other one, you can’t.
There where you find the smiling same children wanting to take pictures with you anywhere you go.
There where you have to take your shoes off, roll up your trousers, and walk through stopped waters and 'unidentified' mud until you reach the boat that will bring you to the other shore (only until 6 pm!).
There where shopping and sleeping is cheap.
There where you go up hundreds of stairs up a mountain to reach Monkey Temple and find it more than worth it, and then spend hours just amazing at the rocky greeny orangy never-ending landscape... and probably find hardly any monkeys. Others say that they’ve seen dozens of monkeys there, some that they were even followed by them: don’t lose hope! ;)
There where you see how society worked in the East much before any Romans civilized our global village or our Western Jesus started preaching.
(By the way, did you know that Jesus Christ spent more than a decade of his existence in India? – “e esta, hein?”).
There where temples are made out of rock – sometimes you can hardly disguise them in the horizon as they melt into the natural rock mountains.
There where you take sun baths in a deserted lake surronded by the huge round and polished rocks Hampi is made of.
There where you bargain until the end and have five drivers (at a time! :P) making you promise not to forget them - as in any touristic place in South India, actually.

Hadn’t seen old temples as yet. Here you have one at each corner, differently shaped, beautifully carved both on the inside and on the outside.
So so hot! If you go do book a full-day rickshaw to drive you around.
Gonçalo, Me, Jacky, Maria and Ahmed left out of Hampi wanting to come back.
We didn’t know what was expecting us though.

On the train back I lived my biggest challenge in India: but I’ll spare you the details and tell you only that we had literally no seats on a 1000 people train and occupied the worse 2 square meters in Sleeper class.
Having overcome that and its ‘nuances’ in a 10 hour train trip in India (and still avoiding any specifications as they tend to disgust listeners), I feel ready to sleep almost anywhere, with almost any discomfort, smell, ‘company’ or hygiene level.

'Tenho dito.'

Sonnet and Acrostics - Gal Raquel Lemos

When a couple of weeks ago you heard from your mentor: "We're so glad to have you as part of this family"...

... And after lunchtime yesterday you've heard from her husband: "You know you're like a child to us"...

... When in the afternoon one of the senior committee members of the senior citizen welfare organization you work for ('Ashvasan') comes to you with such a 'gift' to be published on the foundation's newsletter...

... Then you are just thankfull, emotioned and feeling gratified, and any little trouble is automatically erased (again life is answering the slightest of my feelings of doubt with no delay)...

... And you just know you have to share it with your loved ones.

I had no words. I just cried and cried while she read it out loud.....................

SONNET & ACROSTICS

GAL RAQUEL LEMOS

Glamour and youth entered Ashvasan with your arrival
Amidst all of us veterans
Lofty, loving thoughts of the young will be incorporated with your presence
Robust and radiant your looks and your dancing ability immaculate
Always a smile on your face
Quietly you accomplish your work to perfection
Under the protective canopy of Ashvasan
Energizing your activities and experiences
Lasting love and affection, we shower on you
Loving tales of Portugal and its life there you’ve told us
Eager we are to learn more about your country
Marvel, we do at your ability to learn and absorb
Older people like us welcome you in our midst
Sweet and simple person like you can definitely teach us a thing or two

By Indu Subramaniam
24.09.08

* 'GAL' stands for 'Girl' (american slang/ accent)