Having an Indian Moment

This morning I had an Indian moment. This is going to sound like one long complaint and it kind of is, but is it also a fabulous example of common goings-on here. If you are getting frustrated just reading this, good relief would be to look out your window and thank your fellow Americans for doing hard work. We stayed later at the O today because one of Katryna's friends bought dinner for the kids and wanted to stay and eat with them. This was fine, but because we would get back late, I wanted to leave later in the morning to catch up on some sleep. The driver's phone is broken or something so he is totally unreachable. He came at 9:30, the usual, and I asked him to come back at 11 because we would be leaving later. I understand this was kind of short notice, but there was no other way. Here comes the bad part that made it an Indian moment: he called his boss and griped about having to pick us up later. Then, he handed me the phone (all the while I am half-asleep because I had just crawled out of bed) to talk to him because he speaks English. Turns out, the driver only works eight-hour days so wanting to go at 11 and be picked up at 8 was a nine-hour day. It gets worse. Last weekend the driver had three days off when neither Katryna nor I went. Also, he doesn't work more than four hours a day- it is about a 40-minute ride to the O, so two round trips is far from eight hours. I hope this is making sense. Anyway, what was so frustrating was that he would agree to take me at 12 and pick up at 7 to get back by 8, or take me at 11 and pick up at 6 to get back by 7. It had nothing to do with any prior engagements, just that he didn't want to work that much. It was beyond frustrating because at the time all I wanted to do was go back to sleep. We agreed on the 11-6 time, so he just waited outside until 11. I guess I have far to go in understanding Indian time.

So I wake up after finally closing my eyes again and our housekeeper comes. I'm sure I have mentioned her before, but she steals. She has taken everything from food to cash to notebooks to magazines. So, we follow her around as she cleans because the director won't fire her. The worst part is that she doesn't do a good job. Our apartment gets very dirty because the air is so heavy with filth and we only have screens on the windows and fans to circulate the dust. The place could really use a good sweep every day, but we only let her in maybe three times a week because she makes us so nervous. So we found out that she is supposed (meaning getting paid for) to clean the whole place, including the dishes and shelves. But, she only sweeps and mops some parts. Long story short, she came in and did her thing (which I am convinced makes the place more dirty because she sweeps the kitchen counters, shelves, and floor with the same broom and cleans the bathroom floor with the dirty water she has used to mop the other floors) and I asked her to do the dishes. She said something in Tamil and just walked out. We found out this was her job last week and ever since she has been avoiding it! It wouldn't be so bad if she didn't steal and curse at us in Tamil, but she does both of these things so it makes it much harder to like her. Now, the level of frustration of both of these events was amplified by my level of tiredness, so please take that into account. But, if I ever refer to having an "Indian moment," this is what I am talking about.

Last weekend I took a course on Pranic healing. Pranic is healing with the hands using energy as a guide for health. It was totally interesting and I am taking the advanced course this weekend, along with psychotherapy which is mind power. In the basic course, I learned how to do basic healing for minor ailments (anything from sunburn to head cold to sinus infection, that kind of thing), distant healing- healing anyone anywhere, meditation, self-healing, and the basics of a person's energy aura and chakras- energy passageways. I can now sense anyone and anything's inner and outer energy aura. Every physical thing (it doesn't have to be living) has an energy aura. For a human, eight inches is a strong one. They grow through prayer and generosity. Five inches is normal and two inches is ill. Anywhere where the energy aura is depleted means there is pain or sickness in that part. Pranic healers clean and energize (by holding an open palm to it) the chakras to heal. The body has eleven main ones- the powerhouses- and numerous minor ones. Distant healing was my first taste of psychotherapy. In this, the healer visualizes the person in front of them as they heal.

By far the coolest thing that has happened to me since I took the class was at the tattoo shop where we like to hang out because Katryna's friends own and staff it. So, the owner took the class a year ago and was so excited that I did that wanted to try something. I had scanned Katryna's aura a few nights before to feel how big it was and it was around eight inches. So he said I should scan it while he tried something. I did and I felt nothing! To scan, the healer starts with the hand about a yard away from the space between the shoulder and the elbow on the arm and moves slowly in until he/she feels a tingling or pressure. I was scanning, and I hit her arm before feeling anything. He said he depleted her aura with his mind. All the while, Katryna was complaining of suddenly being very hot. I scanned it once more and her aura was back! He then proceeded to create a fire with his mind on the floor after I had taken its aura. First it was about one inch, then I took it after he made the fire and it was almost four feet! He then erased the fire and it was back to an inch. Psychotherapy is some crazy stuff. I can't wait to take it. So, if you have any aches or pains, e-mail them to me! I would love to try distant healing on it! You've got nothing to lose and I would love the practice. Don't let this Pranic freak you out, it actually makes good sense. I wasn't ever a believer in Eastern medicine because Western medicine is so effective. This picks up where Western medicine leaves off and can replace Western medicine at times. Coooooooool!