Good people, good karma

Date: June 17, 2009
Time: Reflecting on the day at 10:00 p.m. Indian time
Location: In a quaint hotel in the central of Mysore

Walking outside in the afternoon, the sun is like a stove burner on high, and it fries our white skin well, over-done. We don't stay refreshed long! Steve poses and I take his picture. I cannot help but notice how much he stands out. Strangely, the only foreigner I have seen is Steve! An Indian man approaches us and asks, "Where are you from?"
"America!" I reply.
"What is your good name?" he asks.
"Teresa and he is Steve. What is your name?"
"Samir!"
"Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you, Samir."
"Where are you going?" he asks.
"We are walking to the market."
"How long are you in India," Samir inquires.
...and so we tell Samir our story of arriving to Bangalore and cycling to Mysore. His eyes grow wide and he smiles.
"How do you like India?"
"I love it! The people are so friendly. We love the vegetarian food. The country is so beautiful."
"Thank you!"
"Are you from Mysore?" I inquire, "What do you do?"
"I am a sports teacher for small children. I was born in Mysore," Samir informs us.
Bright colored decorations outline the entrance to a building. "It is a wedding," Samir remarks, noting my interest. "You like to enter?" he asks.
"Sure!" I reply. He leads us inside the banquet hall. Eyes turn away from the bride and groom on the steps and on us. I get the alien landing feeling. For just a moment I feel scared, sad for crashing the wedding. Then, a man smiles and grabs our hands. he pulls us forward and in moments we find ourselves on the stage standing next to the bride and groom. At first, I am shocked and I don't know what to say. Then, easily, it comes to me. "Congratulations!" I say to the groom on the right side of me while camera flashes go off, "Your wife is beautiful. Good luck!"
"Thank you! Thank you," he replies with a smile. The bride and groom both shake our hands. The smiles of acceptance feel warm and welcoming. Then, the same man that led us on stage, leads us to a separate room and demands that we sit down for some Indian sweets and bananas. Never would I have guessed that I would crash a wedding in India!

Samir joins us for sweets and bananas. "You like the wedding?" he asks.
"Yes, very much. Very beautiful!"
"I am married for two months," he offers.


Next, Samir leads us down the street a couple of blocks and then enters a small dwelling and we follow him inside. "Here is a wood carving place. You can see the men carving! Mysore is famous for the wood carving!" A long hallway opens into a room full of wood chips where two men sit at tables chipping away at an intricate design by hand. I take their picture. Samir holds up a carved elephant. It requires so much patience.

Outside the wood carving shop, Samir explains that he knows a friend that extracts oil from flowers and wants to know if we would like to visit him.
"Mysore is famous for four things, the beautiful palace, the wood carvings, the herbal oils and incense,and the silks. I will take you to see all of them. I like to take you. It brings me good karma, you know."

Samir darts into another small dwelling. I can smell the burning of sandalwood incense. An Indian man with a round face welcomes us with a smile and chai tea.
"Welcome," he says.
Samir explains that we are from America and that we are cycling through South India.
"You know, we like bicycle. It is different from other tourists. You are like the real people. We respect you. Welcome to India."
He beckons me to put my arm out and lets me sample all the oils from Lotus extract, rose extract, and jasmine extract. All have a distinct use. Some are used to reduce stress or headache. Others are used to inhale for a cold or sickness. We are there for an hour sharing stories, culture, and chai tea.
"Now you know the wood and the oil. You must see the silk of Mysore. I have a good friend. He sews well with the best fabric. It is a government store. You can buy it if you like."
Needless to say, I am enamoured by all the bright colors. The man in the shop measures our arms, necks, waist, legs, thighs and so forth. Steve orders a pair of dress pants and a dress shirt. I order a saree, a shirt, and pants Indian style!

Thank you, Samir for showing us your city, Mysore and all its inside beauty. May you have good karma!