Close to the Mahatma...

This place in India is truly remarkable. It is very peaceful and serene, a community of about 60 people, most of them students of about 20-30yos. Mahatma Ghandi's challenge 'be the change you want to see in the world' supplies the impetus for all discussions. Many of them are doing an 'Action for Life' course where they learn all kinds of skills that will prepare them to go back to their communities all over the.

It is a multi-ethnic, multi-faith group that in itself is quite a challenge. Hindus from India and Fiji, muslims from Sudan, Indonesia and India, budhists from Taiwan and Tibet, athiests from Russia and Vietnam, christians from Australia and Kenya and Uganda. There are more, but I haven't met them yet.

We are just pitching in with whatever needs doing, and for the first couple of weeks that we've been here we've been spending time with a group of 13 interns who are doing a 7 month live in kick-up-the-bum kind of course. They are quite inspiring to listen to. 3 mornings a week there is a group quiet time in a beautiful 3/4 round room that overlooks the botanic gardens and the valley below. 1 hour of silence and then discussion with a partner about what you 'heard' in your heart/head/from God. Then the group has a range of seminars on various topics related to leadership/family/service/charity/etc and more group time. Once a week there is a mult-faith prayer time that was very interesting. An intimate time where we heard a group of 3 Tibetan guys chant one of their meditations. 2 girls, both hindu, one from India and one from Fiji sang a song from their repertoire. And an australian couple here sang a spiritual song from our traditions.

Breakfast at 8am, morning tea at 10.30, lunch at 12.30pm, afternoon tea at 4pm and dinner at 7pm... seems like all we do is walk to the dining room. ha. The food is great, and quite varied. Lots of dahl and korma curries, chappaties and lots of rice, both plain and spiced. There is a bit of fruit, lots of water to drink. They make the most abyssmal coffee that I've ever tasted.... even worse than doctor's waiting room instant in a foam cup! Hard to believe.

There is a young aussie couple here with a 5 year old daughter who Zoe has taken to like a seagull after a sick prawn, and Aaron has found the space here really refreshing after the hubub of the orphanage. They are the only kids. Each day, Jude and I, and the other couple who are helping to run the Intern program take turns to look after the kids between trips to the dining room. Adam is an architect, and is working on some building reno's, and there are a couple of other projects, inc a hedged labyrinth that I've already been asked for some ideas about.

I am going to be doing a couple of design projects for them, a new design for their quarterly magazine, and a brochure about another of their courses. Jude is putting together some first aid info and going through the motions of getting a seminar together. W have been part of a panel [not our idea!] of 3 married couples being asked any question on earth, about marriage and family. It was interesting.

We have our own little apartment, tucked away in a corner of the property, with 2 bedrooms, a lounge and kitchenette, and our own bathroom with hot running water! There are two 3-story buildings here that accommodate the students and staff, as well as 2 large dining halls, huge catering kitchen, auditorium, library, sports facilities and lounges. The grounds are planted [coincidentally by australians] about 40 years ago, so there are lots of bottle brushes, silky oaks and gum trees around.

The conference centre is nestled up against the southern wall of a large plateau - evidently the largest plateau in all of Asia. The name Panchgani - where we are - means 5 hills, and refers to the 5 plateaus that make up the valley we are in. I think the next 5 weeks will fly by, and will be richly rewarding for Jude and me especially, as much of the time here is given to quiet time to reflect, pray and contemplate... and talk to people of all nations.

At the end of our time here, we'll only have 2 weeks before landing on aussie soil again... it still seems far off, but one thing I know from this trip... for good or for ill, the hour always comes.