Awaiting my visa…

I wish you a Happy Year of the Fire Monkey, which I recently celebrated while awaiting my visa in New Delhi. The wait, imposed by the Government of India every five years, is always initially painful and frustrating. However, as I apply Shantideva's wisdom of doing what I can if there is something I can do, but not worrying, and accepting that there is nothing I can do if there isn't, and not worrying, I eventually relax and enjoy the wait. Here are some of the pix taken during my wait. 

I lived very comfortably in the rooftop flat of my godfather's home...

I lived very comfortably in the rooftop flat of my godfather's home...

I made my way down the stairs each morning

I made my way down the stairs each morning

Ganshyam took care of us, cooking and serving

Ganshyam took care of us, cooking and serving

with help from Savitri

with help from Savitri

I went for walks, photographing the grand trees of Friends Colony

I went for walks, photographing the grand trees of Friends Colony

and its beautiful wiring

and its beautiful wiring

and watch cricket, which I still don't understand

and watch cricket, which I still don't understand

I'd stop for tea and biscuits

I'd stop for tea and biscuits

and I sometimes went beyond the Colony's walls... to Chhatarpur temple complex where I met the statue maker

and I sometimes went beyond the Colony's walls... to Chhatarpur temple complex where I met the statue maker

visited bookshops

visited bookshops

watched office workers preen

watched office workers preen

stylish youth pose

stylish youth pose

and a Kashmiri lady await her tea beside the grand Jama Masjid

and a Kashmiri lady await her tea beside the grand Jama Masjid

I visited the Buddhist temple of some followers of B. R. Ambedkar, the author of India's constitution who converted to Buddhism in the 1950's

I visited the Buddhist temple of some followers of B. R. Ambedkar, the author of India's constitution who converted to Buddhism in the 1950's

His followers revere him as much as they do the Buddha

His followers revere him as much as they do the Buddha

And of course there was Delhi's the wildlife

And of course there was Delhi's the wildlife

which I shall miss.

which I shall miss.

Hello from South India...

Lovely Karnataka

Lovely Karnataka

With its many ladders to heaven

With its many ladders to heaven

Excellent boarding houses

Excellent boarding houses

with kind room service

with kind room service

Welcoming churches

Welcoming churches

and roadside tire repair facilites

and roadside tire repair facilites

weighing stations

weighing stations

and natural beauty

and natural beauty

where lions roam free

where lions roam free

as children play

as children play

twirling away

twirling away

and frogs delight

and frogs delight

among the deer

among the deer

and holy men

and holy men

young

young

and old

and old

and in between

and in between

Karnataka's a splendid place!

Karnataka's a splendid place!

where women still wear saris

where women still wear saris

and men wear lungis

and men wear lungis

and internet pervades

and internet pervades

Morning inspection tour...

The cows

The cows

and our new young cowgirl, Somali's granddaughter

and our new young cowgirl, Somali's granddaughter

Venerable Tashi Tsering, head of the dairy with our administrators, Ven Zumnyig and Ven Gyaltsen Palden

Venerable Tashi Tsering, head of the dairy with our administrators, Ven Zumnyig and Ven Gyaltsen Palden

The office... Jampa and George

The office... Jampa and George

Head of the kitchen, Venerable Lobsang Tenzin with our wood burning stove

Head of the kitchen, Venerable Lobsang Tenzin with our wood burning stove

Wood and broom

Wood and broom

And all of us

And all of us