Our last sunset in India, tomorrow we head to the airport for a 2o hour ride back to the other side of the globe. It's a great life!

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Western Indulgence

Well...let me give you Judi's version of our Western indulgence. Check out coconutbayresort.com I think is the website, or Google "Coconut Bay Kovalam." It is incredible. Almost as nice as the Marriott in Kuaii, Hawaii, but better. OUr room has an incredible view of the Arabian Sea. We sleep with our windows open at night to hear the ocean. Jo-JO has a little six yr old German girl to play with who is actually Indian, but adopted by German parents. She speaks hardly any English, but kids seem to be able to communicate regardless of verbal language. They are laughing and having fun together.

Most of the people visiting the resort are German. THere are a few Swiss, too. We are the only Americans. It is top of the line. The food is incredible, anything from Kerala/ Southern Indian food to Tandoori cooking, and a few Chinese and Western selections. THe fresh fruit and fruit juice is amazing. And did I mention Ayurvedic massage? Steve failed to disclose that I signed him up for a "rejuvination"massage, which I thought meant a hand and foot massage. Actually, it meant that the massage therapist used hands and feet on Steve! But, he was very relaxed afterwards nevertheless. I had a massage this afternoon -- warm massage oil. It was awesome. I feel so relaxed I could melt into the beach chair.

And, hot showers, clean surroundings, yoga, a library, and gift shop. I of course have already been shopping at the local hawker's stores on the beach. That's all for now. I am excited and sad to fly home tomorrow. It has been an incredible journey.

Ciao! Jude, Steve and Jo-Jo

This video was taken about a week ago from the bridge over the backwaters at night. Click here

Leaving the Ashram

Our taxi ride (part 2 taxi ride) to Kovalam from the Ashram was bitter sweet as we really enjoyed the stay but are happy to be moving on. It's about 2.5 hours travel time in a taxi which can be a tough ride but we were lucky enough to negotiate and get an air conditioned SUV that has proven to be very comfortable. This means we were all able to fall asleep for some time during the ride.
We have never been to this resort in K0valam before and weren't for sure what we were getting ourselves into. The website photos and descriptions can be quit deceiving at times. When we arrived it was far better than we could have hoped for.
We will be staying here a couple days then off to the airport for our trip home.


OUr experience is hard to explain as nothing profound happened at anyone time. It was a combination of things which can only be experienced by staying for an extended period of time that have left an impact on us. The travel, tropical climate, living conditions, spiritual practices, people from all over the world, and especially AMMA who started this ashram are a few of the things we experienced at different times for different lengths of time that have been a apart of our adventure. Jolena adjusted and did great on this trip, she was bitten by spiders and mosquito's, scarred by a huge toad that jumped at her, screamed when a giant cockroach ran in front of her, had an eagle swoop down and take food from her plate, was terrified when a crab on the beach ran across her foot, was hit by waves, eat strange food, slept on floors and cots, took cold bucket showers, was butted in the butt by a calf at the ashram, played with kids who don't speak English, sang spiritual songs in the temple, swam in some pretty cool swimming pools, hiked in the coconut groves, and more. She kept a daily diary which is full of pictures she drew of her experience. Who knows what she got out of the trip, it will be interesting to see what she remembers.
Judi has been an amazing travel partner and we have really gotten along well during this adventure. Everything great about our relationship surfaced during this trip along with everything frustrating. The important thing was that we talked about it all when it surfaced which made it possible to really enjoy our trip and grow together as partners.

More later..... Steve

Last Day At Amritapuri

Well, we sadly leave the ashram tomorrow. We have met friends from all over the world: Donatella and Luke from Italy; Miriam and Marie from France; the Indian dairy farmer Shamunga; our rickshaw driver Santhos; the German family, the Americans, Canadians, Finish, Danish, Belgians, and many others. We have so many offers to stay with people when we visit Europe. Very open, very kind people.

We are going to Kovallam, which is a seaside resort area south of Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram). We are going to live it up for four days like typical American tourists at our seaside villa before coming home Monday. It's been an incredible experience.

Jolena and Steve are at the swimming pool right now for the last time, and I was doing our laundry in a bucket in the room. THank God for travel size Tide from Target. We leave the ashram filled with lots of joy shared from all of the great people here. I have to do dishes one last time today,and Steve has trained Charlie from Manhattan to take over his job su[pervising the breakfast line, so will work with him one more day tomorrow before we leave.

We have a three hour taxi ride to Kovallam. I'm grateful for my mp3 player, because the honking will be obnoxious again.

Ciao! Love, Jude, Steve and Jo-Jo

4th Week I think...

Well, I think it's our fourth week we are wrapping up. We have one more week at the Ashram, then head south for beachtime and then fly home. It has been a wonderful experience.

Steve is in charge of the breakfast workers every morning and the line. They must have figured out he was once a captain in the Marines...not sure. They have now opened a coffee bar at the Ashram at breakfast. I am in java heaven. Had a cafe au lait today. Jolena eats French Toast every single morning. She never seems to tire of it. Oh, and now we have had hard boiled eggs, too, which she loves.

I've been going to yoga almost every day. There is a class for women at 4:30 pm daily. The teacher is a woman from the Netherlands who used to be a principal on the European opera circuit 20 yrs ago, so I feel she is a kindred spirit. It is Iyengar style - and reminds me of our teacher Mark Watson, at home. The class goes for 1 1/2 hrs. I had to take two days off from being so worn out from class. I also take Jo to the Ashram swimming pool almost every day.

Here are some pictures from the Ochira Temple in the village of Kyamakalum. I'm sure I spelled that wrong. The language here in Kerala is Mayalam, which I think is harder to pronounce even than Hindi. Anyhoo, there is a picture of a worshipper at the temple, and then one of me and Jo looking totally like Western tourists.

Finally we got mobile internet access for our p.c., and it's our last week. We are selling our time to a woman who just arrived from Canada when we leave. If we ever come again, at least we now know how everything works.

Oh, did I mention we have a gecko in our room? Even nice hotels have geckos in the room. Last night he was in the bathroom which kind of freaked me out a bit. They are good to have, because they keep the bugs and especially mosquitoes at bay, but I think some good bug spray would do the trick just as well. So, we are co-habitating with amphibians. I think he/she is an amphibian, but it's been a long time since biology class in college.

This man is taking his daily bath in the backwaters which is also where all the sewer run off is. They bath, laundry, brush teeth, and go to the bathroom all in the same water. It is amazing that they dont get sick here. If I did that you would have to medivac me off to a major hospital. Westerners have to be very careful here not to drink the water and eat only food that has been heated. Fortunately we have only had one incident where Judi was up all night with the "Dehli Belly Flue" other wise we have been very fortunate which is due to a lot of hand sanitizer and drinking only bottled water. Dispite that it is absolutely beautiful here.

Week 3 I think?? We are wrapping up our third week in India. We took a two day hiatus to Varkala, a tourist beach town. I contracted "Dehli Belly" somewhere along the road and was sick in the hotel room the first night. I guess I feel grateful I made it this long without getting sick. Anyway, I'm fine now after losing my cookies for about six hours and moaning and groaning.

Varkala was beautiful. It reminded me of Virginia Beach, but within an INdian backdrop. We had some excellent walks, beach combing, swimming pool and good meals at a place called Clafouti. Jolena got to eat penne pasta with alfredo sauce and thought she was in food heaven. She is drawing lots of pictures, and misses her friends, especially Beau and Sky. She has met Amar, a French boy here, and Mira and Govinda at the Ashram, and her friend Deepa in Varkala.

The train to Varkala was fun. We paid for first class, then got on the wrong car, and were squished like sardines in second class. On the way back to the Armitapuri Ashram we got on the first class car, and it was so sweet. Nice benches, pillows, blankets, room, and even air conditioning!

Seva: Seva is the service work we are asked to do at the Ashram. Steve helps serve breakfast in the Western Cafe. The Western Cafe is where most of the Euros, North and South Americans, and Japanese and Chinese go to eat. They have veggie burgers, fries, omelets, etc. to eat. Oh, and forget about losing weight in India when you're at this Ashram. I may have lost one or two pounds becasue of the walking and yoga, but the food in incredible. They have a bakery, and we get sweets all the time. Also, free chai at 4 pm. Ok, back to seva. Steve has also been painting some signs, and touch up paint jobs. I take care of the pool at 10 am every morning for the women. I'm the official pool attendant for the women's swim time. It's great. Jolena and I get to swim for an hour, and I just have to clean the filters and swab the decks. Ok, really I just sweep the pool deck. Not too bad.

My dishwashing seva is what I don't like. I don't even do dishes at home. Mostly Steve does them! Ugggh. So 2 hrs a day, three times a week, I'm in the Western Cafe doing dishes. Usually I'm by myself, but today I had a helper-- a new visitor to the Ashram, Emily from Pennsylvania. She is a corporate lawyer who just quit her job to go explore the world for a couple of months. We had a great time visiting. And, I got done 30 minutes earlier having help!

Jolena enjoys pistachio ice cream every day. They have a "juice stall" which is common in India, and the Ashram is no exception. You can buy fruit, fresh squeezed juice, and ice cream! They have milk shakes, and the best is called a "sharja" which is chocolate, cashew, and banana. You have to ask them for "no sugar" otherwise you will go into a sugar induced coma. Seriously, the Indians really like their sugar.

We have made some great friends here. Juliana Secchi. a college student from Rio, Brazil. Then there is Amar and his mother from France. She gave me some music to copy that I can teach the kids at home. Then there is Sharmunga, the dairy farmer on the Ashram. He is very nice. He is copying some CD's of Carnatic music for me, and a dance DVD. He really likes chatting with us. He and Steve hit it off the day we met him because they are both a bit hair challenged. I also met Amina from Berlin, and yesterday I acted as an Italian translator for Donatella, who is from Florence, Italy. Not many Italians here yet, and she was so lost as her English is not so good. Most of the INdians can communicate in English, so she needed help. I took her here and there, and showed her around. I understand about 50% of what she is saying. So, between my broken italiano and her broken English, we are getting along. My Italian teacher Eduardo would be proud!

We also met a German couple who have two boys, one is three, and one is two months old, who live at the Ashram. They have been helpful showing us all the kid friendly things to do and how to cope with the differences here to make it a better experience for Jo.

Lastly, wanted to add about my first Carnatic music lesson. I learned a raga, which is a set of pitches or tones, from Subhadra and her son, Shyam Krishnan. Steve has a video, so you can see for yourself. I'll add a picture of them. I met Subhadra at the elementary school where she teaches. She does not teach music at the school however. Most Indians here in Kerala learn music at home, or serious ones through private lessons like what we had.

Prior to our trip to Varkala we visited a local tempel which was not what I expected. It was built around a few trees where you donate a few ruppies for the poor and say a few prayers. During the visit the afternoon monsoon kicked in and our rickshaw crossed the spiritual boundary and picked us up. It does not rain cats and dogs it is more like elephants and hippos.

Om Namah Shivaya! More later! Thanks for all your comments. I'm homesick and it's great to hear from everyone. Love, Jude, Steve and Jo-J0

PS Jolena says hi to Beau, Sky and Clayton especially. She says "I love you!"

Jolena's Birthday

Jolena celebrated her 5th birthday in India. It is tradition here for kids to give people a piece of candy for their birthday;. We bought her a bag, and she handed it out to everyone she has met here -- the shop keeper, the guy at the information kiosk, the guard at our ashram, and a few friends she has met. We had apple juice and candies at her birthday party where a French boy named Amar came and played games and celebrated with her. Amar is eighht, and lives here in Kerala.

We went to a palace today and saw alot of ancient articfacts, including a very old toilet! Apparently the Dutch brought toilets to Kerala -- Thank God for that! We also went yesterday to Ochira Temple. It was built around a huge tree. Some interesting chracters, including musicians.

Here are a few pics, hope i can figure out how to load them. We miss and love you all!

Jolenas turn to take a video.

After taking numerous videos of Jolena she has decided its her turn to interview me. I give a brief outline of my schedule here at the Ashram and you get to see what I look like after 2 weeks of no shaving. Anyway, enjoy and we will have many more exciting things to post in the next week because we will be venturing outside the Ashram to tour the area. Jolenas birthday is today as well, so many photos of that coming soon. They actually don't allow pictures to be taken right in the Ashram so most of the videos and pictures will be from the surrounding area.

There are people here from all over the world and Judi has talked to everyone. She is the most social person I have ever known. She knows enough in about 10 languages to greet someone and in a couple languages can converse very well. I am amazed how fast she can learn new words and the people just love her for it. Because of her teaching and music background she is becoming the entertainment leader for the kids, who just lover her. She knows all kinds of songs in different languages and can quickly adapt. It is awesome to watch her incredible talent at work. Hopefully I will be able to get it on video. Steve

First Week

We had a great first week. Now that all of our sleep schedules are adjusted, everyone is happy! It's an 11 1/2 hour time difference from home in Nebraska. We have a fresh coconut every day from the locals. It costs 15 rupees, or about thirty-five cents. We drink the milk and eat the coconut meat. Very refreshing and full of nutrients. There are also two puppies owened by the people who have the coconut stand. Jolena loves to go see them every day.

The canteen at the ashram has crows and a Kite, which try to eat our food all the time. A kite is similar to an eagle. It swooped down and tried to steal Jolena's french toast. It prefers toast, breads, omelets, etc. Another funny thing that happend is we were walking down the street in the village and I of course had my big mouth open and accidentally swallowed a bug. Well at least I'm getting my B-12. Hmmm. So that's how these vegetarians manage!

Steve uploaded some videos. One is a view from the 16th floor of the dormitory. You can see the ocean, it's beautiful. However, we can't swim in it because it's rainy season (although we've hardly seen rain), but because of the tides and wind, it is very dangerous in the sea right now. But, still beautiful to watch. Steve gets up every morning at five a.m., does yoga and goes to sit on the beach. Even here he is an early riser, and JO and I sleep in.

I went to the school to see if I can volunteer. The principal was sick, so I go back on Monday to interview. All the kids wear uniforms. It is very rudimentary, but the teacher's lounge is typical. Just like at home, the teacher's hang out in the lounge on break, eat, and visit. There are about 1200 children in the school. It is K-12 school. They want all the students to learn English and technology, these are two important skills to help elevate them from poverty. I will most likely be teaching conversational English to the older students, but we will see. Maybe they will just have me clean the hallways!

I have met many musicians. Tonight we are invited to a Carnatic music clss for Westerners, taught by the music teacher from the school. She teaches at the school, and her husband teaches violin privately. I went to a music store, and bought a few instruments and books. I want to spend alot of money there, but I'm under my husband's eagle eye right now...have to wait until he's really relaxed and them hit him up with the amount! They have sarods (stringed instrument like a sitar), tablas, doumbeks, etc. Also, I met a European who wants to take voice lessons from me, but it's difficult coordinating schedules thus far.

The ashram we are staying at is very simple. We have to sweep our room every day. Showers are cold, but for the most part it is clean and pleasant. Jolena drew some pictures to decorate our door and the walls. We draw everyday, play Go Fish, and go look at the baby calf in the dairy. She loves that. There are some elephants, too, but we have not seen them yet. She did make a few friends today while going for a walk on the other side of the backwaters. Much more to explore!

Whew! what a couple of days!

Namaste Friends! So much to say not sure where to start. It was quite a ride to the ashram. 3 hours of crazy Indian highways. Thank God Jolena slept the whole way. Very crazy driving, but it all seems to work.

The Ashram is like a YMCA camp or 4H camp but much bigger. We had a great breakfast, french toast, coffee, and had to watch out for the eagle that hangs out in the canteen and swoops down to steal food. That really is like something out of Seinfeld. or the Office.

More later, off to adventure! Love, J & S

July 4th, 3:20 a.m. Mumbai
Our flights from Chicago to Frankfurt and Frankfurt to Mumbai went splendidly. Very fine accommodations on Air India. Of course Steve and Jo slept, and I had trouble settling in, but got to watch Invictus with Matt Damon, which I wanted to see for some time now.
Mumbai airport is a trip. Right now, I am wearing my sunglasses as we await our flight to Kerala. My shades are not because it is sunny, but because I am jet-lagged to the max, and there is a Bollywood movie being filmed about 25 ft from us in the terminal, and the spotlight is blinding me. Seriously, could this me more of a prime time comedy? I feel like I’m in an episode of Seinfeld –India style. And, to make it more classic, Steve and Jolena are walking around, with the hopes of being in the background of the Bollywood blockbuster which we will never see. If they do one more take, I think I’m going to lose it. I swear, I’ve had all the vitamin D I can handle from the spot. Yikes!
We met a very kind man who has been helping us through the maze of theMumbai airport. He is a pediatrician from Cleveland, OH, but was born and raised in Thiravananthapuram. We had to deplane from our Frankfurt flight on the runway, wait for a bus, get on the bus, ride to the terminal. Then we went through customs. Then, we waited about 45 min for another bus to get us to the domestic terminal. Now we are watching Bollywood in the making…can’t wait to get to our hotel in Kerala. Our Dr. friend said Kerala is the best place to go in India, and will remind us of resort areas in Mexico. Beaches, sand, beauty…and 100% literacy rate So far our journey has been absolutely incredible!

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The Trip & The Plan

Well, we did it. We have purchased tickets to India. I have wanted to go for about ten years, and my dream is coming true in the best way possible - with my husband and daughter. We fly out of Chicago on July 3rd into Thiravananthapuram. We will spend the night there, and then go by taxi to the Amritapuri ashram where we will be staying for our six weeks in India.

While there, I will be working on a research project for my MS at Creighton University. I will be studying how music is taught to young children in the school system. I am very excited to get my hands on some field work.

We have been preparing. We have had our shots, got our malaria prescription filled, and are now making the necessary preparations. We are all excited, and have only 26 days before we fly!