From: Anya Bernstein
Subject: Fieldnotes on the go
   Date: August 8, 2005 1:22:04 PM CEST
     To: Undisclosed recipients

After a short train trip from the capital - again, nothing but palm trees and backwaters in the window, we arrived at this small beach town and took the rickshaw directly to the ashram, picturesquely situated on the jungle-clad mountain overlooking palm groves and villages below. It was pleasantly quiet and seemingly empty. After some time spent doing failed English verbal exchanges trying to explain what we want and ask if we could stay there, I decided that the best way was to request to meet the main swami of the ashram.
However, absolutely no one spoke any English and after spending about an hour on the steps of what seemed to be a Soviet-looking office, where the ashram employees sat around tables heaped with papers, drinking chai, chatting, and getting absolutely no work done, the elusive swami was still nowhere to be found... NEXT PAGE >