Been long.

HELP!!!!!!!

Probably describes someone from Auroville best! This one is a community called 'Fertile Windmill'

We have a common kitchen. It is used only for the guests when we have any, and to make the tea for the workers. We have two sets of solar panels, now a bit old and not in very good condition. If I use their electricity for the computer nobody else has any electricity at night, so I am forced to charge some batteries with a noisy generator to be able to use the computer. We have hundreds of fruit trees, mainly mangoes and guavas.

However, as the land was pretty dead and without any topsoil when I first came, and because the water level is very low, we don't get all that many fruits. We have just come to see the trees as forest trees, which also give us occasionally some fruits..

For guests we have two capsules (bamboo-thatch structures) for 150 rupees a day, and ferrocement domes for Rs 200 - 250, including three meals a day.

Basically, the Fertile Windmill settlement passed through several stages:

1971 to the end of 1974 - pioneer stage - Mother sends names to plant trees - I lived in a 200 rupees capsule and walked every day to the neighbouring Fertile community to get a pot of water until the Windmill came up. Began joyfully planting a zillion trees.

End 1974 to middle of '76 - I go to Australia to make some money to plant more trees.

Middle 1976 to about 1983 - I came back from Australia with Dee (now Bhavana) and Ann, more and more tree planting, fencing and bunding the land, up to close to the Matrimandir and to Kottakarai, anti-erosion and water conservation works.

1983 up to 1997 - starting the gemstones and jewellery unit to support Fertile Windmill. Various people came to stay declaring their intention to help. Two are still here. We have learned to be careful to whom to open the door, and hope that, one day, the right people will come. Work consists mostly of earning the money to support the forest and the community.

1997 - The direction is now to make here a Healing centre, and, once another way is found to support the forest and the community, to gradually altogether abandon the commercial activity.

Wonder if I too need to seek greener pastures in order to have my plot of land at Auroville?

Moony is off to native land to see girl and get hitched. Islami is off as well for same purpose. A lot of Chanel's colleagues are in various stages of tying the knot! Great to think of oneself as a catalyst!!

It ain't so bad when all around seem to be biting the dust!!

So there!

This is my first post as a married man!!

Wonder how it feels? Well, not to different actually. And frankly, it takes quite a bit of adjustment. But I'm enjoying it so far. And hope to for ever!!

I don't know if you'd want to know all the gory details of the marriage and anyway I'm still savouring the bliss of married life, so I guess you'll have to do with snatches of thing I feel like posting.

While the travelling really got my goat and my back, Pondy turned out to be just what the doctor prescribed. Never mind the fact that I reached there at an unearthly hour. Never mind the fact that I never got to do my candle lit wine-dinner. Never mind the fact that looking for seafood took up a whole lot of time and effort. Just remember that I now have tons of handmade paper products from the Aurobindo Handmade paper factory and loads of pottery to decorate our house with!

Bubuli was really really helpful. Not only did she get us a pleasant place by the canal for a measly 40 bucks a day, but she spared all her time to take us around and show us the sights and sounds of Pondy. And her mom and parrot kept us entertained all through. Oriya cooking is nice. Especially loved the mustard fish! Yuuummm!

Casablanca and Titianic were where Chanel froke. Admittedly, I did too, but to the extent of pottery. Really wanted the hidesign though. But am glad chanel resisted. Otherwise meandered through the streets and picked up odds and ends. Gawd I wish I had hordes of money!!

And Auroville rules! I want to spend the next year or two making loads of money so that I can get to auroville, start my own farm and retire to a life of rurality. And Chanel can enroll at the University to continue her education. Let's see. These are merely plans and may come to nothing. But one never knows either way!!

Right now, am at work, but that is another story altogether and maybe I will blog when I am not all so nostalgic about other things!