Wine - Luck Party

Omkareshwar, it is a very good place to hide yourself. You couldn’t find it on the map indeed. Like Jeanmi, who is a musician from Quebec. He’s been hiding himself in Omkareshwar for ten days.

I was totally lost in this mini Varanasi when I arrived in Omkareshwar. Hundred thousands people flooding into this small Island for a Holy Festival. They used the speaker for praying all day and all night. Particularly at night time, the lovely local people played five Bollywood movies and used five loud speakers in the valley. I couldn’t sleep for two nights although I put the ear plugs in my ears.

So that I was a little bit sleepless and I met a couple, Sean and Aki, who are artists, American and Japanese. They described how much they loved Rajasthan and stayed there for five weeks. They met me every morning when I was having my breakfast, and talked about Rajasthan for two hours.

I totally loved them! I bought the train ticket to Jodhpur, Rajastah. (Eventually, I gave up trying to find Jeanmi…let him continue to hide himself for six months here.) I love the life on the road, because you’ve never know what will happen tomorrow and who you will meet tomorrow.

I talked with lots of Indians on this trip. They are government officers, taxi drivers, farmers, freelances and employees of foreign companies, etc. China and India have lots of things in common. At first, our population is huge. The second, our environmental pollution is really serious (Global warming and lack of water). The third, the position of women is still low. (Now it is rising, because more and more women are working and getting economic independence.)

Otherwise, both governments are developing tourism strongly. They respect the foreigners very much and protect us. Most Indians are very friendly and love to help foreigners. One big difference is religion…

Judie
On the road

Please visit Jeanmi’s website and listen to his music…
http://jeanmichelrenaud.com/

The weather is very comfortable in Mumbai today. I am sitting in a Parci area of Colaba. Nearby are group of elder ladies and I am listening to them talking. I think I can understand them because they are speaking in English sometimes.

(The Cusrow is a Parci community. They resided originally Iran one thousand three hundred years ago. An elder told me.)

I came to Mumbai for Bollywood. I did not enjoy the Indian movies when I was a kid. But since my senior classmate, Liu Yun showed me some new Bollywood movies this year, I changed my mind.

The unknown photographer and the unknown extra actress have some things in common. At first, they have to wake up early at 5 or 6 am. The second, they need much patience. And third, they both get low pay.

I woke up at 5.20am yesterday morning and walked around the street in Colaba. In a moment, I’ve got a job as an extra in Bollywood. But in fact, the film belongs to a New York film company. It’s about a love story, so I joined the wedding shoot with a group of foreign travellers.

The director, Jimmy said “Your guys look fabulous!! Listen, here is not in India, it’s in U.S., you are in Central Park in NYC…” Our handsome first actor is Jesse Metcalfe. He acted in the TV show ‘Desperate Housewives’. Someone said if the first actress was sick today then I could play her role instead. “Are you serious?” I said.

It was a very good experience for the whole day. But it needs the patience of a saint to be an extra. Now I understand that to be an actor is one of the most difficult jobs in the world.

Judie in Mumbai

My new companion, Dana is from Switzerland. She’s married early and has two daughters, 21 and 23 years old. She has been travelling in the southern India for four months, alone. Her husband is very caring and supports her all the time…

I heard 5,000 Israelis are in GOA. I couldn’t believe that. But It’s true, the young Isreal men are very fun. Most of them stayed more than one month, in the beaches of Southern India. I met a young Israeli boy who is only 17 years old and has travelled around our loverly earth twice. Dana said the young Isrealis are bored of the war and are escaping to all over the world. They’re no choice.

I am lucky, because all local people said I am a first chinese on this beach. I stayed here for five days and haven’t see any Japanese and Korean.

A lot of western people would like to travel when they are in college or graduated from high school. They stay overseas for more than 6 months or one year. They can learn more as a backpacker on the road. Then they will return to school and choose the subjects they really like.

It’s very important to follow your heart, you can choose your favorite subjects and career, your can choose the one your like, your can choose the place your would like to stay, longer or shorter, and lifestyle.

I am reading <Walden> by Henry David Thoreau. I learnt a lot from Henry. Henry philosophy’s “everyone has the new life, everyone should create a new road. We shouldn’t follow our precursor print. If the precursor say something you shouldn’t do, maybe you should try to do. Because the past activity belongs to antiquity, so our new activity is suit to the modern time”. I agreed his viewpoint by 90%.

Your life belongs to you, and not to anyone else. It doesn’t belong to the material world…

Anyway, I will finish this book and wait for Voila and her boyfriend.
Judie on the Road

At last, I found a nice place where I am the only Chinese girl. It’s not easy in this world.

I am now sitting in Kashi, a quiet gallery cafe house, listening to pleasant jazz and drinking Indian Chai…

I met an Italian Lady and an Australian girl last week. We took the same flight, same taxi and stayed in the same hotel. The nice Italian lady, Viola, worked in NGO for many years. Viola’s waiting for her singapore malay boyfriend here. Then they will go to the beach in GoA.

I met a couple from Sweden who brought their daughter (5 years old) and their lovely son (1 year old) on the road. They will travel in Asia for one year. HOW Cool! That’s not bad to work for a year and travel another year. Their daughter said she was UNHAPPY to travel with her parents because she only wants to sit down and have a cold drink at that time (It is her third trip with her parents, she’s no choice…like her brother). The 1 year old son didn’t know much and slept on his mother’s bosom.

I was taking my breakfast with two nice UK guys in Elite House…Woh! I’ve just been writing about them, and they’ve just come into Kashi accidentally.

How nice in India! How nice people here! How nice in Kashi. I do nothing, except reading and gazing…I hope my professor won’t be angry with me because I’ve left my thesis and come here to daze.

The sun is going down. I will leave for GOA tonight. I would like to find a nice beach for my parents, my brother and his girlfriend for the next trip.

I would like to stay here more than 40~45 days, as long as possible, if I can.

Judie
on the Road

Most people earn money to buy a house, car and to look after their family, or advance their material life. My friends asked me, “Why did you spend most of your time and money on traveling and writing?” I said because it is my passion!

In the view of the Eastern people, I knew I am an unusual lady, because I walk towards an unusual destination. But, perhaps I am a person who really knows what I want to do. I’m not comfortable living an ordinary life… In fact, I feel very rare, I am lonely in the city.

I feel happy in nature, in the mountains and in the ocean. I love to travel around that makes me feel close to nature. I love to write, that makes me feel close to my soul. I can find myself back on the road and I feel I really exist in my words.

Of this last thing I am very sure, I am happy to live this lifestyle.

Judie in India

Nov~Dec 2007