A Fox in India

They say everything happens for a reason …... some things we understand straight away, others take longer to realise and still others we never understand.

When Ippy reached up her hand and took me from the shelf in Porthcawl, I had no idea what would become of me.

I trusted I would find a good home with her as she had a kind smile.

Never in my wildest dreams could I imagine what an adventure awaited me ….....

Let me introduce myself. My name is Felurian Fox.

Some say I am just a fluffy toy, but others, those who know the way of the Fae know there is much to this world than meets the eye.

They say a soul has no beginning and no end, they say that time is just a concept of the mind.

What ever you personally believe eventually becomes your reality and so it is that I, Felurian, for whatever reason, exist.

But let us not dwell of the magic that fills our world, let me tell you a story about my adventure in INDIA!!

Many people have a fear of flying.

Stepping into a huge metal container puts them outside of their comfort zone. The lack of control, the unexplained or understood principle of engineering leaves them feeling vulnerable and afraid.

Luckily for me, I simply trust in the good of all things and so it was with excitement that I jumped into the top of Ippys travel bag and boarded a train that would take us to Birmingham airport to catch a flight to Deli.

Airports are huge places and can be a bit intimidating for the first time traveller.

 Ippy and I made it through all the scans and checks, directed from place to place by smiling faces.

Ippy pointed out that even if you don't know where to go or what to do, you can always just follow someone else or you can put a blank expression on your face and ask!

People always like to feel helpful and if someone looks lost they just love to help you out!

We went window shopping in the wonderfully lit stores that lined the edges of the terminal.



One amazing lady came over and offered to help us find a nice perfume for the trip after I had inadvertently sniffed loads of men's aftershave looking for a nice smell!

She sprayed us liberally when Ippy pointed out that this was the only time she ever wore perfume, I even got a little behind my ears!

The Lady was so nice that Ippy told her a poem.

We all had a lovely time chatting and laughing and when it was time to say goodbye we had a huge group hug.

I gave her a big wave from the back of the travel bag as Ippy went to look for our flight gate.

The flight was uneventful as such, Ippy slept most of the way only waking for a quick chat when our wonderful food arrived.

She soon went back to sleep as I gazed out of the window into the vast blackness of the sky. Clouds drifted by far below, stars shone high above and at some point I must have drifted off to sleep myself.

I awoke most confused. Through the window a huge full moon shone brightly!

Bright enough to illuminate the surface of the clouds far below with an eerie purple to blue tinge.

I woke Ippy to ask her if this was indeed the moon as when we had left the moon had been a small crescent in the sky.

She looked as confused as myself at this huge bluey ball hanging in the sky, she even took some pictures of it!

In the seats behind us someone else remarked on the strange phenomenon outside the window, until their travel companion pointed out that the windows didn't have shades and therefore automatically dimmed to a deep blue to protect us from the suns rays.

As the person behind us pressed the button to reduce the intensity of the blue, we did the same.

Daylight filled our eyes and I can tell you now, we both felt a little foolish.

In Deli we read and chatted for a while until our flight to Kochi was called.

Everyone got up and stood in a line that seemed to reach forever down the room and corridor but Ippy and myself just moved seats to sit right next to the gate and continued our reading.

When the last person reached the gate we put away the Kindle, stood up and walked straight through to the plane and our seat.

It is so easy when you know how!

Over a glass of refreshing orange juice on the plane, Ippy explained that although we had no idea where we would stay that night I wasn't to be concerned.

“Taxi drivers always know the best places,” she informed me, “We'll just ask one!”

Nearly all India Airports have prepaid Taxis available, you book them at a desk just inside the terminal before you leave.

If you don't know exactly where you are going they are very useful as they can save you from all the shouting and chaos outside.

Things were going really well until Ippy tried to pay with some rupees she had saved from her last trip.

“I am sorry,” said the nice lady,
“This is old money, we can not take old money. You must go change it with the Money Exchange or pay with your card.” 

We wandered back inside the main terminal, explaining to the customs man why we were going the wrong was as we went, but at the Money Exchange they also couldn't change the notes!!

In the confusion a travelling man with a suitcase offered to change all the small notes for a bigger one. Ippy looked confused as he handed her a 100 rupee note the same as the ones she held in her hand.

 “Those ones are OK,” he explained, “It is just the big notes that are out of date.”

 We added up all the notes that were still in use and realised we had plenty for the Taxi plus a nights stay somewhere.

Tomorrow we would go to the bank and change the old notes for new and everything would be fine.

True to Ippys word our Taxi driver knew of a few places we could stay, the first one was very nice but too expensive so he took us to another place.

This place had rooms and dormitories and the face of the manager when Ippy said she would sleep in the dorm was a picture!! He insisted we stayed in one of the twin rooms for a hugely reduced price!

We didn't need to unpack much as we would be leaving in the morning so we went for a walk to the corner and back.

Ippy smile was amazing as we walked the streets, the smells and sights were all new to me but to Ippy it was like being back in a familiar place, even though she had never been to North Kerela either!

We both slept well until 3am and then we both woke up and were wide awake!

It would take a while for our body clocks to change to India time, so we read for a while and then went back to sleep. 

Tomorrow we planned to head to the coast, this Ippy mumbled as she fell asleep, usually involved lots of asking and lots of busses!

Greetings Everyone!!!

I have now been back in the UK for 2 months!! Time flys when one is busy busy busy!!

My Laptop died on me when I was away so no Blogs got written BUT loads of notes were taken and even more photos lie waiting to be processed!

Life at the moment is hectic with loads of new, plus old projects happening. The lap top is now fixed but running so slowly it is going back in to be cleared and as soon as that happens I will re-live the final two months of my winter trip and post it onto here.

In the mean time ....

A lady came into the Workshop today to buy some pan pipes, which inspired me to write a poem ..... I then wrote it onto a piece of Oak and hung it in the shop,

I hope you like it X X X

In the woods, beneath the trees,
Beside the stream that never sleeps,
Behind the boulder all covered in moss,
Drifts the sound of music, soft.
Tunes and magic fill the air,
Creatures stop to gaze and stare,
Birds fly down from high to listen,
While dappled light makes dew drops glisten.
A web of notes is spun and cast,
Throughout the pastures and woodland paths,
Who creates such songs of pure delight,
Who casts enchantment with magic pipes?
With the legs of a goat and the body of a man,
Yes, you've guessed it..... His name is Pan!

Love and hugs and Merry Meet, love Ippy X X X

Ippy is Me by the way,

I have reinvented myself as Ippy the Trainee Story Teller and now have a web page called ippystoryteller.com if anyone wants to check it out .....

So until the laptop is fully working again, have fun everyone and I will let you all know when the Travel Blog returns x x x

Little India in Singapore

My return to Singapore also saw my return to the Singapore Hare Krsna Temple in Little India.

Steve's mum Debbie had never been to Little India so a girls day out was arranged theoretically to do some window shopping and for me to pay my respects as we passed the Krsna temple.

On the final leg of the MRT we were approached by a girl in her 20s who enquired where we were from.

Two ladies, one with natural red pigtails and the other with blue hair HAD to be worth talking to she laughed once we had made our introductions. 

Having chatted and discovering she was studying theatre, we decided to join her for a fresh coconut drink in the local wet market not far from the train.

Our new friend chose our coconuts, pointing out the good green ones from the older brown ones and we spent a very pleasant half our chatting as life raced past us in the busy market.

Eventually she departed to meet up with her friends and Debbie and I went shopping.

We stopped briefly at the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple,

wandering past the variety of deities as I tried my best to explain who they were.

We were invited to enjoy the mid day prasadam, dining with other devotees in the upstairs dining room that looked down on the temples courtyard.

Filled with food, sated with coconut we at last entered the streets of Little India to look at the shops!

The theoretical window shop turned into a four carrier bag haul and an hour in the incredible Mustafa 24 hour multi floored no walled shopping Mall!

If you can imagine every shop in an average shopping mall squeezed into an area roughly the size of the average Lidl store, with aisles the width of the amazing place I found in KL, you will get some idea of what the inside of the Mustafa is like.

Floor to ceiling shelves with enough room for a single person to walk between are filled to overflowing with goods. 

Bags are checked and sealed before you enter, payment is made at one of two check out areas on each floor and again sealed. 

This place does not waste space on things not needed!

Yet it does boast some of the greatest selections of clothes, jewellery, food, electrical, camera, souvenir and other stock I have ever seen but at a price. 

Shopping under one roof meant that prices were sometimes double what we had seen on the smaller street shops but it did save a lot of leg work!

Having already filled various bags with shopping from our walk through the main street, we wandered the various floors just looking and enjoying the sights until I found the fabric area!! 

Sari's of every hue and fabric lined walls and shelves that reached up to the roof. 

Petticoats, tops, scarves, Indian clothing, Muslim clothing all crammed into an area the size of small swimming pool. I was in heaven!

One sari with matching petticoat later Debbie and I returned to the streets for a well earned drink in one of the many cafés that line the road.

We stopped briefly at the Hare Krsna Temple on Cuff Street and were invited to attend an initiation ceremony the next day. With a new sari in my bag I was delighted to attend 

and early Sunday morning, dressed for the occasion, I walked to the MRT and caught the train back to Little India.

When a person first comes to Krsna Consciousness they are welcomed and any offences through lack of knowledge are accepted. 

If one wishes however to embrace the faith so to speak, one is advised to take instruction from a Guru. One who has studied the scriptures and can help one on their path to enlightenment.

An initiation ceremony takes place one year after a devotee has found a Guru they can follow. 

At this point the Guru takes complete responsibility for any offences their student might make. 

The student in return takes shelter at the feet of the Guru and strives to study and please his Guru by following instruction given by said Guru.

It is a very important step of faith, a bit like baptism or christening in Christianity. 

During initiation you are given a spiritual name, new chanting beads and perform an amazing fire sacrifice along with all your god brothers and sisters who are being initiated at the same time.

I entered the decorated hall as morning kirtan was finishing

I paid my obediences and took my place on the floor for the mornings class.

In the middle of the floor a fire place had been built on top of a piece of board. 

Bricks had been positioned to build a retaining wall and the base had been filled with sand.

Various flowers, fruits, spices and powders had been places in particular places while 20 x 20 inch square banana leaves had been lain on the floor. 

Each piece of leaf held a small banana, a pile of various grains, a ring woven from a stem of grass and a container of water.

Bundles of wood had been sorted into various sizes and huge container of ghee stood to one side.

After class each of the initiates approached Guru Marharaji sitting on the dais, making their commitment known not onlly to Guru but to all the assembled devotees. 

Guru Maharaji in turn accepted their promise, gave them their new name and beads until each of the twenty had been heard.

At this point the fire was lit while the newly accepted devotees picked up their banana leaf and sat around it. 

As prayers were recited and mantras were repeated the grains were thrown a handful at a tie onto the ghee soaked twigs burning happily in the fire pit.

Smoke filled the room and more than one person nervously looked up at the sprinkler system in the roof to confirm they had indeed been turned off!

Smoke now billowed upwards until it hit the roof and descended again only to be whirled around by the huge fans. More and more handfuls of grain were thrown, more and more ghee wood was added.

The room became incredibly hot and even though most of us were not taking initiation that day we too were bathed in the cleansing smoke, we too chanted the mantras until with the final offerings of the bananas each of the new initiates circled the fire three times.

Kirtan started by the stage while the watching audience also circled the smoking fire and were given gifts of flowers, fruit and sweets.

I have taken part in and witnessed many joyful kirtans but this one was by far the most enthusiastic! People were picked up and swung, they spun and they jumped, they raced from one end of the hall to the other and they sang!

For over an hour everyone danced while drums beat out a rhythm and cartels chimed in unison.

Bit by bit the smoke cleared, the fire pit was dismantled as prasadam was served down stairs and slowly a calmness returned to the temple.

I left the temple full of joy and food.

Flowers swung in my hair, wood smoke clung to my clothes. 

It had been an amazing experience plus I had been invited to a wedding on February 14^th!

I briefly returned to the Mustafa Shopping Mall where I bought two more saris.

(I also bought 6 silk ones, each a different colour of the rainbow but that is another story!!)

Happy I returning to the apartment with my arms once more bulging with shopping bags!

Little India is a dangerous place for a girl with an excuse to shop!!

Morning Walks in Singapore

Life back in Singapore was a wee bit different from when I had left in December due to the Christmas arrival of Steve's parents.

With so many people in the apartment a routine was needed to ensure everyone had enough space to function.

Each morning I would get up and quietly leave the apartment before anyyone else was up to enjoy a relatively cool 3km walk along the canal to the lake. 

There I would nod or murmurer 'Good Morning' to the other walkers as I wandered along the paths beneath the trees.

By 10am each day Singapore is hot, even in the rainy season, but at 7am a coolish breeze drifts across the water catchment area allowing people to walk, to exercise, to stretch, to dance and to meditate in comfort.

After a week of morning walks familiar faces began to nod back, recognition from a distance sparked broad smiles as well as greetings as we passed.

By the end of two weeks I felt like I now belonged to the Singapore Lakeside Morning Club.

A lady called Linda would stop her bike to exchange a few words when we met. 

Through her I was introduced to the Chinese Ladies on the board-walk and the white poodle walker who always stopped so I could greet her dog.

Then there was the smiling Muslim lady who tapped her way through the park, chi gong while you walk. 

The boy who arrived on his bike for an hour of fishing before work. 

Each day more and more people nodded and smiled, stopped and spoke. 

Everyone separate, everyone together.

On one of my walks I decided to see what lay on the far side of the lake and instead of turning around at the Gatehouse I continued along the path. 

Different faces walked past until I reached the golf links. Then no one walked past! 

This, I realised, was a walk for only the dedicated long distance walkers.

I rested on a convenient bench and then returned to the Gatehouse. 

The day had become overcast and although the air was hot and muggy it was still cooler than usual. 

I sent Lisa a message to say I would be late returning. She messaged back saying today there were no plans so to enjoy my walk.

With no plans and all day to do them I walked through the Gatehouse archway and into the gardens I had explored with Lisa the year before.

The place was incredibly quiet. 

Most of the people walking in the park had now headed off to work, while family outings hadn't yet made it to the entrance.

I walked through the gardens to the Pagoda that had been closed the year before for renovations and climbed the seven stories to the top.

In the distance clouds covered the condos yet the views were still incredible.

Large monitor lizards that I had only seen at ground level could be seen swimming far out in the middle of the lake.

Birds sat in the tree tops far below me while in the distance the water feature of the lake pumped gallons of water into the sky.

Being so high gave me a better perspective of the scale of the park, things that I thought were quite far apart when one needed to follow the designated pathways were in fact very close.

I looked down into the Turtle Museum so close to the entrance gates while at the same time being closer to the lake than I had realised.

I took photos from various angles, walking around and around the top of the pagoda.

I took photos through the ornate window openings, trying to match up lines of symmetry like a great artist but failing miserably!

I took photos of the amazing spiral staircase again from different angles

and then climbed down each step, ankle protesting as loudly as the knees had done on the way up.

From the single seven story pagoda I walked to the twin pagodas that stand half over the waters edge.

I walked and read signs,

I walked and explored,

I walked and enjoyed the simple beauty of being outdoors.

And then I walked home via one of the outdoor mini gyms designed to keep everyone fit and healthy.

Legs were stretched in directions other than walking mode, arms were flexed, middles were rotated until totally pleased with my exercise efforts I returned to the condo for a large bowl of cake and ice-cream!

A fabulous breakfast of grains and milk in a form loved by all!

Well after all that walking …... I think I had earned it!