Blog Full - Maurice Leavitt | Personal Essays, Travel Writing & Reflections

22 Nov 2018

Kathmandu, Nepal – November 22, 2018

by Maurice | posted in: Adventure, Sabbatical, Spiritual | 0

I have had four full days here in Kathmandu, Nepal and it feels like it’s time to write. Even after only two months (versus two LONG months ????) I still find it hard to give myself the time to take a day off to do laundry, take a nap, write, meditate because there’s so much to do and see and my time feels very limited. I guess in some way time is limited if I want to look at this one and only precious life we are given. What is time anyways…. I digress…

After two months in India which flew by, my visa was expiring, and it was time to leave. Nepal was my next planned stop. The only things I knew about Nepal was that it’s a poorer country than India, the Himalayas, it’s mostly Hindu and the birthplace of Buddha. What I would be walking into is a mystery, once again.

I decided to take the least expensive flight from Cochin, Kerala, India to Kathmandu. This meant an almost 12-hour layover in Delhi. Lucky me, I got to meet a new friend who lives in Delhi and have a wonderful lunch and feel connected to another beautiful human being. On the other hand, it meant being picked up at 2am and after about 40 hours with no real sleep I arrive at my destination in Kathmandu exhausted.

Arriving at the airport was a free for all. From the moment the airplane came to a stop people were jockeying for position to exit the airplane which meant pushing up against each other as if there was some precious black Friday deal to be had. I’ve gotten used to the narrowing of my personal body space, but this was a little much. Anyway… after getting off the airplane it was time to get my visa and go through customs. There were many computer terminals to input my passport data, where I’m staying and how long I wanted to stay. I paid my $100US and then got my visa stamped in my passport. Nobody asked me a single question and getting through was easy. Even going through security, it was as if there weren’t any security guards watching the metal detectors or the monitor screen where the bags were being inspected. I met a retired Indian Navy undercover soldier and now I understand why he said Nepal is a place where potential terrorists make their residence. I got a SIM card for my phone and a taxi ride to my home-stay which was 10 min away. Here I am in Nepal tired and exhausted. You know what it’s like to arrive in a new and different place, it’s exciting no matter how tired you are. And I think I might reconsider this choice of travel next time.

I’ve been having great fortune in my decisions of lodging at home-stays that are listed in Airbnb and also staying outside the cities (about 3-4km) in quieter neighborhood settings. I’m staying with a Nepalese family here in Kathmandu, about a 15 min walk to the main Hindu temple, Pashupatinath, and close to Boudhanath, where one of the largest stupas in the world is located. I’m about 4km from the hustle and bustle of Thamel.

After an “OK” night’s sleep and a good meal I take Rabi up on his offer to take me into Thamel on the back of his motorbike as he makes his way into his work. I wanted to see what Thamel was all about. It’s full of all the stores selling knockoffs of NorthFace gear, Nepal trinkets, handmade Nepalese crafts, during the day. At night, Thamel transitions into party central. I witnessed this place go from moderately crowded before 6pm to really crowded. Close by to Thamel is also Asan Market, the main market in Kathmandu. There is so much to look at and so many things being sold. I was in Thamel to buy a jacket to keep me warm and after talking to several people I settled for one.

I was given some good advice about the foods I eat when traveling to this part of the world. To eat only the foods that have been cooked through and hot and only the raw fruits that you have to peel first. I haven’t been eating meat very much either. The few times I have eaten meat were the times I had witnessed the animal slaughtered or knew it was freshly slaughtered. I don’t even miss eating meat. I think this could be my first step into vegetarianism. After getting to Kathmandu and subconsciously feeling like I’m some kinda hotshot I met a new friend in Kathmandu and shared a pizza. Oh Man, that was a mistake. I got my first dose of food poisoning. Luckily it did not come with a fever, just some uncomfortable stomach issues that were resolved in about 24 hours. Ok… back to eating hot foods and peeled fruits. I’m getting used to and liking the combination of masala tea (chai), rice, dal, chapati and curried vegetable.

After taking a day off to rest, I went to the main Hindu temple, Pashupatinath, and to Boudhanath. I’ve been enjoying walking around where I need to go as long as it’s about an hour in one direction (approx. 3-4km). The streets of Kathmandu are full of construction, some of which is from the April 2015 7.8 earthquake. The roads and sidewalks are torn up and there is so much dirt and dust in the air that you need a mask on your face to prevent breathing it in. Blech! I bought a good mask and it makes all the difference.

I think I could tour around the world to places with temples and cremation ceremonies. Entering Pashupatinath temple was another example. For you history buffs, some history about the temple can be found here. There were 5 cremations going on at the same time and full of families and people. It was nothing compared to the 20 or so cremations going on at the same time in Varanasi at the Manikarnika Ghat. There is something about the process that happens at these temples that the Hindu tradition embraces that is cleansing and real. I think because most westerners are far from removed from the conversation of death and even of their own mortality and here in the Hindu faith it is real and in your face. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that India is so highly populated and have a lower life expectancy than most western countries?

From there I walked another 20 min to Boudhanath to see the Buddhist culture and the stupa. Here’s a cool video of the place here. I somehow feel right at home here too. The place is super clean compared with the Kathmandu streets surrounding it. You walk into the circle and you know you are in the midst of Buddhism… nonviolence, peacefulness and acceptance. It was really wonderful. There are shops, restaurants and the place feels very welcoming. I did the circle around the prayer wheels and again on the top of the stupa. I spoke with a friendly couple from Germany at the Pashupatinath temple and ran into them here as well. Sometimes it’s nice to have some good ‘ol human English speaking connection.

I made my plans to head to Pokhara after speaking to some trekking companies in Thamel yesterday. It is heading into winter here to which means its getting colder and the chances of snow closing off the passes at higher elevations are probable and there aren’t as many groups being organized to make these treks. I was looking at going to spend some time at a Buddhist Monastery, Lawudo Gompa which is a three day trek after flying into Lukla and there are daily flights from Kathmandu. Well… when weather permits and the last flight was canceled 5 days in a row due to weather. Once at Lukla… it’s a 3 day trek from 10,000ft in altitude to about 13,000ft. Plus its cold and I would need to bring EVERYTHING I would need from bedding to clothing. I could get food along the way. I know it’s not a good idea to go trekking by myself and I will not be going by myself nor on treks that will take me past about 11,000 feet as much as my ego may feel like it’s bruised by that decision. Instead of the full Annapurna Circuit trail, I have my eye on something a little more reasonable, the Poon Hill and Hot spring Trek, maybe 5 -7 or so days I think would be perfect to get started. Then I’ll come back here with my brother to do something longer (if I can even keep up with him :-). Let’s see once I arrive in Pokhara and see what happens.

As my friend Rudy says…. ONWARD!

16 Nov 2018

Is Living Hard In India? Is Living Life Meant To Be Difficult?

by Maurice | posted in: Adventure, Love, Personal Growth, Relationship, Sabbatical, Spiritual | 2

There’s been a conversation going on around me and also on the internet about how living in India can be a bittersweet, intense and sometimes contradicting experience (Thanks Kat Kozell for those words). I’ve always wanted to visit India because of the great diversity that this country offers, from culture, language, agriculture, food and economics from all the regions north, south, east and west. India had me fascinated and curious from afar which brought me on this pilgrimage here.

In my first day upon arriving I experienced the culture shock that I was made aware of only through conversations and reading. Staying at a really nice hotel in Delhi on a 12-hour layover and seeing how the workers lived nearby was a culture shock in itself. (I don’t even like to use that term “culture shock” because it’s only a difference of a way of life, why does it have to be “shocking”?) Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi does a great job making itself look westernized and modernized and just next door you find people living in the conditions depicted in this photo. Do people think what their living conditions look like is what makes life hard?

Arriving to Varanasi, India the following morning I continued to see and experience the vast differences in cultures. The 90-minute car ride from Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport to my home-stay in Varanasi there was a ton of new data to input into my brain. How store signage looked, the dress of the locals, the smog, the garbage in the streets, the beautiful colors of the saris on the women… and the things that stood out the most for me were watching the funeral procession in the street, the public defection, and the poverty. Is this what I should believe makes life hard in India?

I have stayed in over a dozen different hotels, home-stays, Air-BnB, retreat centers and ashrams in the two months since I have been in India. Each place having a different standard and idea of what “cleanliness” is. I have seen rats in kitchens, cockroaches in bathrooms, mice in restaurant dining rooms and I have also experienced good cleanliness as well. I have vacated some of these places because of the lack of sanitary conditions in search of something cleaner and I have also compromised my standards and stayed in places that I found “satisfactory” for one night. Is this one of the things that makes life hard in India?

Here are some of India’s statistics… India is one of the most densely populated countries in the world with almost 1.4 billion people with nearly 20% of the world’s population and only 2.7% of the worlds land mass. India is the second most populated countries in the world with about 33% of its population living in urban areas. On paper it’s hard to conceive what that might look like and when you get here you can see how densely populated the place is. I have witnessed some of the trade-offs when a country is so populated like this. Pollution is so evident, all the groundwater is contaminated and cannot be consumed without boiling or filtering and I’ve seen the air quality be deemed “Unhealthy” in Delhi. There aren’t resources here for the police department to monitor everything so the way people drive on the streets is loud, on the wrong side of the street, speeding and most of all pretty crazy. There is lots of corruption and I’ve been told you can buy your way out or in of mostly everything. Trying to find quality products and craftsmanship can be a challenge. There is a division in economic classes and a lot of people look down at the lower classes as being “less than”. The saying “everything is negotiable” is so true here. Are these even more of the things that make life hard in India?

One of the take-a ways from my two months in India is how accepting people are of “what is” in their life. Meaning, they don’t have a judgment of things being bad or good, just as it is. Sure, if someone wants to make something happen for themselves, they can make the moves to make things happen. And generally speaking, people are particularly content with what their lives are no matter what the economic class they are in. In the USA, things are a bit different. The competition to be the best… to get good jobs, to make more money to consume more things are pretty common. I’ve witnessed people in India generally happier and accepting of their lives.

Who even comes up with these judgments? What is clean or dirty, abundant or lacking, less or more, better or best, good or bad, polluted or sterile? Our mind can generate some really wild and crazy stories. There is so much going on in our world outside of ourselves and we can think about it all we want, and things will keep on happening regardless of our thoughts about it. The only effect our thoughts have on is on ourselves. Our thoughts have far less impact on life than we would like to think they do. Our thoughts are only making us feel better or worse about the things that are going on now, events that happened in the past or what might happen in the future.

Most of life will unfold in accordance with forces (The Laws of Nature, Law of Change, Low of Impermanence, etc., to only name a few) that are far outside of our control regardless of what our mind has to say about our life, what we think about our life or what judgments we have about our life. Eventually, hopefully, we will see that the cause of problems isn’t life itself, it’s the stories the mind makes about life that really cause our misery. What stories have you created that aren’t serving your joyful ways of being in this life?

Do you really think that you have to have everything figured out in order to be happy?

12 Nov 2018

Kerala’s Agricultural Mecca

by Maurice | posted in: Adventure | 0

I had no idea that when I planned to come to Kerala instead of Goa or Sri Lanka what I would be in for. Kerala is famous for cash crops like coconut, pineapple, rubber, tea, coffee, pepper, cardamom, areca nut, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon etc. and food crops like paddy (rice) and tapioca which gives the agricultural sector of Kerala a distinct flavor. The agricultural climatic conditions in Kerala suits the cultivation of a variety of seasonal and perennial crops as well. From some of these crops they are making cooking oils, fragrance/essential oils, wine type fermented products and other end user items.

When I first got here I went with Linda, my host to the Ernakulum market. It looks just as it is in this video. I was amazed at the bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables and how inexpensive they are. The market has everything you can possibly think of needing/wanting. From fresh fish and meats to grains and rice and cooking equipment. Ernakulum market is also a wholesale hub for the region. When you see these small carts selling fruits and vegetable in the small villages, those vegetables most likely came from this market. I explored all the markets where ever I was staying. Rishikesh was a beautiful marketplace too but nothing came close to what I’ve experienced here in Ernakulum. I learned about so many new products and ingredients.

Once I experienced this market my interest in the area grew and I wanted to experience more. I took a sightseeing ride into the hills about 150km from Fort Kochi for the day to see the damage from the flooding a couple months ago and the beauty of the land. Kerala was really hurt by all the rain and flooding and is just recovering. Tourism in the area is down and people are really hurting because of it. I’m here just before the season really starts and you can see people trying to fix things, so they can open up their shops, etc. Where I am staying in Fort Kochi has recovered pretty well… in the smaller villages in the hills, not so much. What I realized is that I wasn’t so interested in all the sightseeing like the palaces, dams, waterfalls, butterfly gardens and I wanted to see more of what the people were doing to make a living around agricultural production, fish farming, how they process some of the raw materials into quality products and the preparation and cooking of these items. Then I got this idea…. I was going to design a cultural and culinary tour of Kerala so people could really see, feel and experience the wealth of the area in terms of agriculture, food and products. Linda and Nayab were both excited to participate in designing this program as well.

I decided to spend a few extra days here in Kochi so I could see and experience more of the culinary aspects of the region. There is a big fishing industry here and went to one of the fish auctions. They grow a lot of coconut here and went to two coconut oil factories. There is one of the largest pineapple distribution markets in Asia and went there. Kerala has a very progressively managed tea plantation. Spice farms where they grow cinnamon, cardamom, chilis, ginger, nutmeg/mace, cloves, black pepper and other spices. Did you know you can make a fermented beverage called “toddy” from the flower sap of palm trees? Rubber, palm tree and banana plantations. Sandalwood trees that are used to make sandalwood oil… a government run entity here. Paddy fields filled with many different varieties of rice. Other things Kerala is growing are cashews, coconut, vanilla, cassava, mango and jackfruit. I still haven’t seen it all. I would need a month here and even then, there are things that I wouldn’t see because certain products have their harvest times.

Linda has included me in all the cooking here. She cooks every day. I even invited to take her out for a meal and she prefers to cook at home, so I go to the market with her to buy all the food she will allow me to purchase without making her too uncomfortable. I have a notebook full of recipes that use many different ingredients that I have never heard of before. I have become the student here in India and one of my hopes is that I can continue to be the student and keep learning from my experiences and all whom I come in contact with.

I sent a package back home full of spices, teas, coffee and essential oils that I cannot get back in the states so I can share it with you all. I am also looking forward to putting the finishing touches on this cultural and culinary tour to share with others who would appreciate this kind of experience. I’m happy to share whatever I can, please ask.

The two factories I visited – One roasted, one rotary

10 Nov 2018

One Pot Cooking and How It Creates A Sense Of Belonging

by Maurice | posted in: Adventure, Cooking Advice, Love, Relationship, Sabbatical | 0

One of the main intentions I had in coming to India on sabbatical was to see, feel and experience how one pot cooking feeds the sense of belonging to those that are participating in the planning, preparation, cooking and eating. What was revealed to me right away were some of the family values that promoted nourishment of the family and all those surrounding the planning, food sourcing, preparation and cooking of the meals. When I say “family”, it’s not limited to the traditional definition of family, it can be the attendees at an ashram or people residing at home-stays or anyone who is eating the food that is prepared at the same location and maybe even delivered to somebodies business for lunches.

One thing that fell into place immediately were the conditions and layout of the kitchens. Hot water, refrigeration and ovens are considered a luxury here and not a necessity like in the USA. Almost all of the kitchens I’ve been in had no hot water and about half of them had refrigeration. The standard setup in the kitchens are a 2-burner stove, some counter space, shelving storage and a sink. It is almost like camping except you have running water. Not drinking water… but good enough to boil to cook with and wash things with antibacterial soap. There really isn’t much of a choice other than to do “one pot” cooking. One pot, rice… One pot, dal… one pot, curry and/or vegetable. It really is that simple.

In the first day of my culinary basics class I ask my students “What is the sign of a good cook?”. There are a lot of wonderful answers and the one I tell them is… a good cook makes due with what they have and can create a wonderful meal that everyone enjoys. Here in India… my answer is made most real to me where ever I have gone. One of the things that has amazed me is how people don’t think they are really lacking anything and are happy with what they have. And I’ve eaten really tasty and incredible meals in conditions where most Americans would see the kitchens lacking good equipment, ingredients and a clean environment.

One of the main ingredients that we put into our cooking is the passion and love in our hearts. We realize what we are doing is nourishing the people we care for and love and it’s what we have a passion doing. Love is the one one major key ingredient in our cooking which drives us to extend the care we have for others. When we think we are lacking something in our lives and are craving for something different to happen we are not accepting what is. When something in our lives is happening that we aren’t liking or haven’t planned that we have an aversion to we are not in acceptance of what is. When we practice and develop our sense of peacefulness and acceptance to what is in our lives we can put that love into our cooking. Otherwise we are going through the motions and blindly living our lives. When love is made an essential ingredient and is put into our cooking everyone knows it and can feel it. The “love” we put into our cooking also shows in the quality of the products we choose to use and the amount of processing and additives in those products. The Indians here have this more figured out than what I’ve experienced in the USA (and the USA is by far a wealthier country). For instance, here in India you can choose to buy whole wheat flour from a place that produces it in bulk or you can purchase it from a place that buys the wheat from a reputable farm and grinds it themselves. Hence, your choices have a great impact in the final outcome. Don’t get me wrong… there are plenty of places here where this kind of practice isn’t considered in peoples’ thoughts and practices of nourishing people. And I’m fortunate enough that I’ve somehow landed in homes where love is the main ingredient on these multiple of levels. Are you getting this?

Just about all the recipes I have learned are of “one pot” nature. There are other snacks and sweets that I have learned that require more labor and different cooking methods. My focus has been on one pot cooking and how it creates a sense of belonging. Other ways I’m looking at how this way of meal preparation creates “belonging” are

Grounding in our lives to live the most fulfilled and purposeful existence through the support system of where/how food nourishment is prepared
Creating a sense of connection to each other, to god/universe/source and to the earth.
Developing a sense of community and developing relationships thorough a common purpose (cooking, eating, nourishment) to all those participating around the central focus area of the kitchen… farmers, producers, preparation, cooks and eating
Tending to the well-being of each other through a common purpose and goal.
Finding the most life-giving ways to engage with each other, the land and the bounty of the earth.

Are you ready to put this into practice?
I think all I mentioned above is a simple practice in theory and within the culture of the USA I think it is challenging to implement. We are so used to eating on the run, consuming processed and fast foods and dining at restaurants. We are more interested in growing our bank accounts, consuming stuff that we think will bring us comfort, meaning to our lives and some sort of satisfaction with our lives. Or maybe we feel like competing to be the best in what we think that getting a better job will bring us that happiness we think we deserve. I think we have lost a lot of those family values which support our sense of belonging in our families, business and in ourselves. It’s these shared values that will consistently bring people together around food preparation and gather around the table in support of the whole.

I realize that not everyone like to be in the kitchen however, relationships are cultivated and supported inside and outside of the kitchen when we choose to purchase foods from certain businesses, farmers and processors. In India, many family businesses are handed down from generation to generation and the business relationships that have emerged from these businesses continue to be supported and cultivated by the children and their children’s children.

On a side note, don’t we need to start instilling these values in our children at a young age? I’ve often wondered, what if children participated in cooking meals with the family and at school instead of only sitting in the classroom and taking quiz after quiz and test after test how that might help build the skills they need to be successful in life. After getting a tour of the Portland, Maine public school kitchens and seeing how most of the food that is being consumed is highly processed I became sad. Sad because parents want the schools to provide more scratch cooked choices to our children but they aren’t taking the steps at home to lead by example. Take a look what they do with children in Japan here.

We continue to nourish ourselves in the traditional sense by choosing the proper healthy foods to eat, and how we care for and cultivate our own peace of mind and acceptance of what is in our lives, while at the same time we get nourished by the relationships with the people we choose to surround ourselves by… who we choose to buy our foods from, who we participate in cooking with, by giving open kindheartedly to those who have less than we do, and sharing together the beautiful meals we crafted together around the dinner table. You are all invited!

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