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This journal is about the life of Katalin Koda, founder of the rubybleu foundation. It includes new information regarding the foundation and the work she is doing in South India.

   

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Returns

Months have passed since I last shared with you from my corner of the globe with all of you but I am starting to really feel like my corner is more like a spacious network in continuous shift. Ironically, the last time I wrote about the idea of ‘bloom where you are planted,’ then proceeded to take off from our sweet little home in Varkala, traveling to Bangkok, Thailand, California, Maryland, Connecticut, New York City, Florida, Las Vegas and back on through California and Bangkok. I felt like a whirlwind to say the least, like a dandelion mama scattering her seed pods across the lands yet, all the while my heart remained centered and open. I enjoyed seeing family and friends all over the country but the highlights were: Manhattan at four in the morning with an old friend and Italian coffee, playing in a New England rose garden with the oldest and youngest of my family: Yoko and her great- Grandpa, seeing Yoko with her cousins, meeting Leon’s entire family in Vegas, visiting with my relaxed and retired parents in a quiet Floridian town and, the best of all, watching Yoko go crazy for Blue Man Group. It was quite a summer of abundance and Love and connectedness.






Throughout my travels, my psychic roots in Varkala remained strong and I am enjoying sinking them back into the red, soft earth letting myself slow down and Flow. We spent our return happily enjoying two gorgeous weeks of bright sun, clear weather and Onam festivities. Onam is the time when the great Kerala king, Mahabali, returns in joy to celebrate his precious land of abundance: miles of coconuts, full rivers, lush fruits and glittering gold. In his honor all Keralites, Hindus, Christians and Muslims alike, light huge oil lamps decorated with sweet smelling jasmine, make lovely flower mandalas called attam on the streets and in front of their homes, and spend hundreds of Rupees on new clothes. It reminds me a little of Christmas: the return of a king, big feasts and yummy sweets, mad shopping and no work for a week. Leon, Yoko and I spent the days walking around the neighborhoods and checking out the lovely attam designs (akin to viewing Christmas lights I think), eating delicious South Indian food at friend’s homes and unpacking our Western treats from all our suitcases that we managed to lug across the globe.



Rubybleu House is looking beautiful, having been well kept by a friend over the summer monsoon months. Hundreds of passion fruit have sprung up, huge, sweet yellowy fruits unique to our garden. The rest of the garden was lush and jungly and Leon had to spend a few days hacking it back and clearing the paths so Yoko can run along her own private fairyland once again (naked, of course). She loves the garden, walking with her cane, playing tea party and building sand castles in the backyard.


Since our August fundraiser, the rubybleu foundation has given its first scholarship to a young woman from a very poor fishing village. Gigi, born to an unwed mother, has managed to fight the overpowering culture of poverty and oppression and rise above her situation. At the top of her class, she was accepted to an excellent college just 40 kilometers north of Varkala. We provided the tuition necessary to complete the first year of schooling and hope to continue giving her the support to finish her Bachelor of Science degree. I am very excited to be supporting a young woman who has such a bright future and has already overcome so much. The article about Gigi and the Centre which we are connected with will be online next week at www.rubybleu.org/projects

In the meantime, I’ve turned thirty and as a friend says, welcome to the Power Years. I had a lovely, quiet birthday celebration on my friend’s rooftop café. And a few days ago I rented a room, or part-time office, on the South Cliff of Varkala (as opposed to the North Cliff where our house is), at the Golden Beach Resort. This time on the South Cliff, which is very quiet, windy and has a true panorama view of the sea, is also a break from the intensity of Babytime all summer long which, as all you mama’s know, only makes the work of Motherhood that much more enriching.

Take care and hope to see more of you on this corner of our shrinking Earth….Peace,
Katalin


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