The Plan

Rough Plan
Well, the plan is there is no plan. Don’t want to zigzag across the place like a lunatic either as both time and money are of essence, so I’ve realised it’s important to at least visualise something. Apparently, November’s a good time to be in Delhi as it’s not too hot or cold and the party scene will also be in full swing. Shivlink Records are guys I’d met at the Boom this year and they’ll be in Delhi about now, so hope to get a taster of the city’s electronic music scene with them. Vrindavan is a four-hour journey from Delhi. It’s Krishna’s place and from what I’ve heard, is engulfed by a beautiful energy of love and spirituality so I’m looking forwards to visiting temples and attending ceremonies and pujas. It’s also a popular time to get hitched, so I guess this will be my chance to experience a real wedding in India as opposed to the Indian ones I’ve been accustomed to in the UK. This should carry me into December, which will be a good time for heading to Rajasthan to check out Jaipur, Udaipur, Pushka and to perhaps link up with my uncle in Bikaner. I’ve been warned he’s super strict, but still, it will be good to connect because who knows when I’ll see him again? Should I take out my piercings? Guess I’ll just cross that bridge when I come to it. South, south, south after this, and then back up in time for the Buddhist New Year celebrations in Spiti, Himchal Pradesh…

Cross-cultural boundaries
Indians know Indians. Regardless of the fact I at least “look” the part doesn’t mean people won’t know I was born in the west - and this, my dear friends, will trigger somewhat of a culture clash. Indian girls born in the west are considered, putting it mildly, rather outrageous. Travelling alone through the subcontinent is bound to bring me face to face with a few clashes, so I’m prepared to be prepared, and as they say, when in Rome… So I’ve decided to try and dress in Indian attire as much as possible and save skimpy stuff for Goa. I’m guessing life in rural areas and smaller towns will be different to the bigger cosmopolitan cities such as Delhi, Banglore and Mumbai, where the buzz word on the lips of most Indians is “modern” (say that in an Indian accent!). I’m sure I could very easily slip into this way of life, but it’s the rural areas to which I feel most drawn because I want to soak up India for what it really stands for, complete with its traditions and values.

A new India
India is changing and before it does so completely, I want to be there to experience it for what it really is. There are some things that I could never compromise, such as the role of women and their equality to men. However, traditional ways of living away from the negative effects of globalization is what I want to experience - before it’s too late. In some parts of India, it is too late, which is why I want to aim for small towns and villages in rural, mountainous, country and desert areas. Kutch is an example of a place that has taken globalization to a positive level. Situated in the north-west Gujarat region, women here have been involved in the tradition of hand embroidery for centuries. Technology came along and practically destroyed their livelihoods and the tradition was on the brink of destruction. That’s until one woman discovered both a way of bringing it back to life, and for utilizing it to create economic sustainability for the women in the area. It’s a place that has caught up with the 21st century whilst sustaining its traditions. India is not just about slums, poverty, corruption and disease. It’s also about many beautiful things and these are not communicated to the outside world as much as they should be. Kutch is a place I hope to visit.

The dark side
There is the dark side of course. Having spoken with the Spanish editor of Vice magazine in Barcelona just last week, I realised how even the raw alternative press love a certain kind of sensationalism. I knew the kinda features they’d be interested in so I compiled a list of ideas which included the way corporations are currently abusing the population so India can make it’s mark as the economic world leader. I look forwards to finding out what I can. There are some things we just don’t get to hear about. These are the things that need to be exposed because awareness is what we need to make the changes our world needs. They loved it all and wanted it all. On the “lighter” side, they’re interested in hearing about the Indian punk scene! Apparently, it’s non-existent and no one has heard about it as of yet so to discover it will be a challenge. It’s not exactly an authentic representation of India, but its discovery would be an intriguing insight into Indian youth and their interpretation of a sub-culture that once defined the spirit of sixties Britain. Following 200 years of British colonisation, many Indians continue to aspire to western ways of life. Can this be interpreted as a positive form of globalization or is it something that will destroy the real essence of what India is really about?

Trendy sub-cultures and the Indian middle-class
The point is this: It is only those middle-class Indian yuppies with money that are able to indulge in regurgitated western sub-cultures. So what about the other billion people living on the brink of poverty? The rest of the exploited population is kept busy working for nothing to keep their families alive. Outside of middle-class Indian societies, there are tribes and peoples that are not influenced by the west, I want to find these and tap into their way of creative expression.

All mouth no action?
Could be a case of all mouth no action. Or even all mouth some action. I just don’t know. It’s a thought process. The closer I get to leaving London, the more intense my thoughts about exactly what I’ll be doing when I get out there. Guess it’s all part of the journey…

Diwali
It was Diwali just the other day. A powerful day to remind the world how our collective consciousness can bring positive change and light. A day to remind us to connect with our inner self, hearts and souls. It’s with this realisation that we can discover universal love and compassion and the awareness of how we are all one. Knowledge has the power to bring us freedom and Diwali represents this. It’s a celebration of our inner light that surpasses all negative forces. I think Diwali is a powerful day. Maybe everyday is a powerful day and perhaps Diwali is one of those days to remind us of this fact.

Bright Lights Big Cities

Memories of India
Sitting in Barcelona last week, continents apart, I tried to visualise life on the other side of the planet. I was just 11 years old the last time I was there. To see India through adult eyes for the very first time will be strange. I remember the smells, the colours and the swarm of people begging around us for food and money. I remember shantytowns and slums that we bypassed on the way to villages where friends and relatives lived. I also remember meeting people my own age at the time. In particular, a Rajasthani girl about 10 years old, who was about to marry a 40 year old man. She’d learnt the only English words she knew from a Bollywood movie song. It was from the Bappi Lahiri movie, Disco Dancer, and went something like, “I am a disco dancer…. Zindagi mera divanaaaa!” - It was hilarious, but you gotta watch the spoof video (www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYdYJSZvaSY) to get a fuller understanding! I think of that girl now and of how different our lives must be. It makes me wonder how she ever coped with being catapulted straight from childhood into womanhood.

Lovely Londoners
My sister decided to pick me up from Heathrow instead of Gatwick. The wheels of my exploding bag had already broken by the time I’d left Barcelona. Twice my size and about 10 times my weight, I dragged the thing through the underground and felt tears of frustration as I tried to get from train station to underground. A few people eventually come to the rescue. One guy even picked the whole thing up and ran up a load of stares for me. I take back all those misconceptions about cold, robotic, London commuters that stare right through you with their soulless eyes. Behind the blank stare is a person with a heart and soul willing to get off their arse to help someone else in trouble. It made me realise there are kind and helpful people everywhere. Even in London.

It’s all happenin’ in Camden

Camden cool! It’s been about five years since I’ve been back. The fire has destroyed its soul in many ways, although it does still have that groovy London feel. We went to the InSpiral Lounge. A funky little set-up conjured up by Dom, the brainchild behind the Synergy Project. It’s an organic café featuring live music and DJ sets, and serves amazing food and drinks. There’s even organic beer and the spirit of the place is kept alive by the energy of all sorts of weird and wonderful London folks. Saw Coldcut at the BBC Electric Proms. Felt strange to see them perform within such a formal set-up in comparison to the times I’ve seen them bring the house down at all the hedonistic festivals I’ve been to. Connected with Matt after the show. He reminds me of a wizard. They’re still doing some pretty amazing things and you can feel the conviction behind their productions. The essence of the message could not be clearer and clarity is what we need in this world. Too many people are mind-numbingly ignorant about so many things. Twenty odd years on, and they continue to create original material with an energy that is significant for the elevation of collective consciousness and global awareness at intellectual and artistic levels. It’s a combustion of creativity and technical skill. Guess someone had to do it. Watched the Coldcut v TV Sheriff Revolution video after the show. Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6Lz264wOAg

British telly
There’s Coldcut and then there’s your bog-standard, run of the mill, mind-numbing British telly. We can all choose what we want to watch, but knowing what to watch is half the battle. Having lived in Spain for the last six years, I conveniently forgot about the magnitude of shit that flies from the British television. It reminds me of an octopus with tentacles killing the chakras of the body. You feel suffocated by its agenda for advertising, brainwashed by politically controlled news media, intellectually crippled by cheap game shows and cheated by products of manufactured pop where motivation for scumbags like Simon Cowell lies with money not music. As we experience the credit crunch and as businesses go bankrupt across the world, narcissistic twats like Russell Brand are earning six figure salaries, reality TV shows entice couples to cheat on each other and housefuls of people are egged on to single out and victimize individuals. Is this the reality of our society? The characteristics of the nation are regressing. Fear, paranoia, division and hatred too are becoming its fundamental components. It all comes down to the controlled media that is validating and condoning the fact it’s okay to be this way. Intellectual prostitutes have made television an opiate of the majority who continue to believe all they see and all they hear. And as they say, tell a lie enough times and people believe it as truth. The rest, as they say, is history.

Indian on the telly!
Virgin have recently taken to advertising Bollywood movie songs! Yes, there is a huge Indian population residing in Great Britain. Yes, many of them are besotted by Bollywood culture. But, NO, they do NOT need mass media advertising to convince them to listen to their own fucking music! Yet people will watch this and say, “Babaji, Indian on telly, look, look! Indian!” and this is enough of an impact to generate record sales. It’s times like these I feel happy to be leaving the European terrain, especially when I know there’s a lot more to the world than the politically biased propaganda and consumer-driven media to which we are subjected. Yes, India is on the same path and while it’ll be interesting to see the impact of its propaganda machine, it’s a place still a big enough to discover a million sparkling gems.

The Journey Begins

Contemplation

Contemplation can become the root evil that holds us back from the decisions we want to make but are too afraid to follow through. Mulling something over can leave you discombobulated, sick with indecisiveness, frustrated and filled with fear as finally, instincts are pushed away and regret begins to settle in. It’s a bit like taking a load of uppers that get you excited and inspired, only those feelings are dashed when the effects begin to wear off.

I’ve been confused at the supermarket trying to select a packet of biscuits. I’ve even found myself in the “phone a friend” scenario when I’m not sure whether to buy marmite or vegemite. Considering this, and considering the fact I have jack shit cash and no job to support me, it’s a wonder how I made the impulsive decision to screw everything else and book me on a flight to Delhi.

Brave or stupid?

Brave or stupid? Could be both. Yet following six years of living in Spain, I felt it was time to move on with a brand new agenda which I hope will bring me equilibrium; one that will ground me, provide me with the gift of self-discovery and help me to tap into the cosmic universe. Yet, that’s right; it’s all about me, myself and I because nobody else will do this for me. So, despite my usually indecisive nature, this is one decision that I haven’t even had time to dither about because it was made for me by the urge, impulse and burning desire to connect with India. The power and energy that draws me to the east has never been greater, making the whole journey, a bit of a revelation.

Visions

I envision an explosion of colours and smells, a sea of candyfloss turbans and fluttering saris; the diversity of cultures, religions, peoples and traditions, the rise of the electronic music scene, the new Indian yuppie, tribal wars, conglomerates that contaminate spiritual lands; the economic boom and the ever-widening gap between rich and poor; the caste system, under-age marriage, sutras, NGOs and their development projects, the Dalai Lama, women warriors, the corrupt government, Bollywood and the Mumbai mafia; scents of the sacred herb and one woman’s plight to save traditions of hand embroidery… So much to explore and to write home about; I hope to cover as much of India in this blog as I possibly can. I aim to bring cutting edge features to open the eyes; ones that will allow us to understand as well as question the world’s biggest democracy for all it is and all that it is about.

Check

Take off is scheduled for 18th November 2008. However, as they say, the wall of time that stands between me and the journey that I am about to take is a journey in itself. And so, the journey begins. And with it, arrives a list of things to sort including injections, visa, portable laptop (check), decent rucksack (check), external hard drive (check) and specs (old ones held together by superglue, so, yes, check). Despite lack of real funds, I am in fact not worried. Return flight booked for September 2009 and the only thing I’m worried about right now, is not worrying. Know what I mean?

Partners in Crime

In retrospect, decisions to jack in job and book flight were much easier than painstaking process of finding pair of specs. So a good friend of mine took pity and nicked a pair for me. Having tried on practically every pair, he, decided the time had arrived to take the bull by the horns. “We must go now. They all look all the same”. Outside the store, with a casual calm, he holds up a blue metal-wire frame. “How about these? They’re by Pedro del Hierro.” I don’t do brands. “Pedro who?” Said frame is priced at no less than 125 euros and so two weeks of intense frame shopping comes to an abrupt end.

And now...

That was in Malaga two days ago. In Barcelona now at Nicola’s place. Waiting for the Peace Boat to arrive from Japan, which brings with it survivors of the Nagasaki and Hiroshima atom bomb attacks. Yet another on-going reminder of the catastrophic damage for which the Americans are responsible. Getting on the boat for a day to hear first-hand stories, so watch this space for news on that. Apparently the boat had been delayed en-route and is now expected to arrive around 19th October - just a few days before I make a beeline for Londres. There’s also the Kosmopolis International Literature Fest, which takes place in Barcelona at the CCCB. A cosmic journey has already begun. I can feel it in my bones and I can sense it in my heart and soul. Horizons of inspiration abound!