Namaste, once again, from India. I figured it was time to do some blogging seeing as i haven't posted anything in like 4 months.... so yeah, where to begin? The circus tour came to its official close in the end of march, only a mere 2 weeks or so ago, though it feels much longer. We ended on a very high note with a very talented group of performers and a kick-ass show. Our last show was in a beautiful temple up in the mountains where thousands of ancient Shiva lingams (phallic ritual objects) have been unearthed and the villagers do fire puga under the moonlight seemingly every night, including right before our show. A beautiful ending to a dream come true.

Since the end of the tour I’ve been traveling on my own in India (and briefly in Nepal), which came as a bit of shock after being on the road in a bus with 13+ circus freaks for so many months. I have returned up to the Dharamsala area in Himachal Pradesh which is one of the first places I visited when I arrived in October and where I immediately felt at home. It is also home to the Dalai Lama and thousands of Tibetan refugees and hence has been very affected by the recent uprising in Tibet. There are graphic pictures hanging all over town depicting the brutality that the monks in Lhasa have suffered. There is an ongoing hunger strike and candlelight vigil happening every night. The outrage of what is happening can easily overwhelm one with feelings of rage and sadness, yet the Tibetans here still smile and laugh and confront this ugliness with dignity and strength. I’ve been proud to hear that SF is leading the charge within the international community in support of a Free Tibet. It has also made me feel like I am still somehow so closely connected to you all, though so far away.

As for my days, I am actually staying a little ways further up the hill from the main town and deeper in the forest. It is amazingly beautiful here with stunning views of the snow-capped Himalayas (as u can see!). I am on a personal spiritual retreat of sorts, waking up early to do yoga and meditation, taking long hikes in the mountains, studying more about Hinduism and Buddhism, and doing my best to limit my vices (kinda tough in the land of high-quality, cheap charras!). So far so good. Tomorrow I start a course on the Buddhist perspective of death and dying, and will probably continue to take courses at the various Tibetan monestaries and schools in the area in addition to exploring the various Tantric yoga classes available.

Well, I could go on but I’ve had enough of the less-than-inspiring ambiance of the internet café. Much love and luck to you all and, again, it’s always nice to hear from you if you have a chance to write. Oh yeah and if you send me yr address I promise to mail you a postcard :-)