Date: Sun Sep 10, 2000
Subject: Back in Varanasi

Hi folks,

Well, after our mountain retreat I'm now all alone back in my second home, Varanasi, setting up my room and settling in for the long-term.

For those who are interested, I now have a regular postal address -
Shen Flindell
c/o Munna House
B14/60 Narad Ghat
Varanasi 221001 U.P.
INDIA

A brief review of the last couple of weeks -

After a week in a hotel room in the active town of McLeod Ganj (Upper Dharamsala - Tibet town), Alicia and I decided to move somewhere quieter and found Uma Ashram in Lower Dharamkot - a lovely little place on the edge of the forest, next to a stream, with a little garden. Very nice - there was even a little communal kitchen for the residents. We shared the place with a French guy, who was staying long-term and studying Ayurveda and massage, and two Israeli girls. We had an opportunity to take part in a Sabbat Shalom (apologies on the spelling to all Jewish folk out there) - a Friday night feast and celebration to mark the Sabbath. Apparently, many young Israeli folks disregard it when at home, but get all traditional and spiritual when travelling in India and take up the tradition - I guess helps them feel the homely vibe too.

It was very sad to leave such a lovely place when it was time for us to go and
catch Alicia's flight from Delhi - ohhh those overnight mountain bus trips are hell! I caught a train out of Delhi in the afternoon so I didn't get to see Alicia off on her flight.

On arrival in Varanasi the next morning I went straight to Munna House where I already planned to stay. For my friends Doug, Tom and of course Alicia, I am staying in what was Valerio's room last year. Last year when Alicia and I stayed nearby, there was quite a nice scene happening around Munna House - Valerio is an Italian juggler who stayed in what is now my room; there were also two other jugglers staying around. Each evening they'd be practising by the river and as a result there was quite a festive and sociable scene which was a pleasure to be a part of.

My Guru-ji is in the best of health again - he has been very happy to see me. On my first day back, he was very keen to get straight back into the lessons again (normally I'd visit on the first day, settle in, and start lessons the next day) - he said it was because it was a Thursday (Guruvar - Guru's day) and therefore a good day to start, but I think he was just very excited to be able to get into it again. That day he taught me my first 'Gat' - a very special type of rhythm which shows many different sounds of the tabla.

In the week since then I've been learning especially in 'Rupak Taal' (7 beats), and apparently soon I will start 'Pancham Sawari' (15 beats) - generally considered by most musicians to be quite a difficult time signature, so all my muso-buddies back home should get practising on there 7s and 15s! But the main thing I've learnt this last week is to pay more attention to all the strokes I play - I am especially learning new sounds and new ways to play sounds I already knew, especially the 'closed' sounds (TeTe, Tirikite, Tak, Ne, Kat) - I think my students will be very happy to hear this, and for those of you who don't know what I'm on about, let me assure you that if you've only ever heard tabla played by me, you'll understand a bit better why I love this
instrument so much - so many sweet sounds are possible!

Well, there's heaps more to write but as I'll be here for most of the next 7 months, I'll save it, hey?

Aum Mani Padme Hum,
Shen