2009 08 31. Monday.

Arun and I met at 6:45 at the Kalari Temple. They had recently finished a puja there so I was able to get a scoop of sweet brown chewy prasad. Yum! We then grabbed a bus to the local train station and had a quick breakfast there (doshas and sambar, Yum! again). Once on the train we talked for a little bit (mostly me listening) until we pretty much ran out of things to say. I said "I want to do some morning meditation." Then for the 2.5 remaining hours of the train ride up to Amma's AIMS hospital in Kochin I did various chants, mantras and meditations; felt good to get into my own space. We got to Kochin and took an auto-rickshaw to AIMS. On the way Arun unloaded on me all the serious money problems he and his growing family are facing. He has another child on the way. I listened patiently but his story made me wonder why people in his kind of dire financial condition keep having more and more children. We had a little lunch at the AIMS canteen and Arun shared how much he disliked spicy food. Poor guy was definitely born in the wrong place! South India has one of the spiciest cuisines in the world. I love it!

At AIMS Arun came in very handy as a translator. Many of the staff at AIMS only have a marginal understanding of English, and misunderstandings are common. After lunch I had my consultation with the hand specialist and he confirmed I needed surgery to repair the cut tendon. The doctor was very nice and answered all my questions about the procedure. He had an opening the next morning so I took it. Then Arun went off to meet his wife (she's having some prenatal tests done) and I went to check in at the guest house. Felt good to be back by myself.

I checked into my room and discovered they don't have any towels available. Uh-oh. I gotta take a shower. I needed bedsheets so I ordered an extra one. The bedsheets are 100% cotton so the extra one worked perfect as a towel. The room was blessedly quiet. Very nice to be away from all the noise at my ashram room.