Categories
Marco Pola - A traveller (f)

The Darkness Stroke – Plague

In memory to the coming Jewish Passover Holiday & the 10 plagues in Egypt – Learning on the Darkness Stroke in India

Munnar, India 13/3/08

Every one that visits India, soon enough finds out that there is a daily electricity run down.
Each day in the morning or in the evening, or both – the duration can be from one hour to 3 hours = NO electricity!

Lucky enough for me, in the 3 weeks that I am in India, in all the places I stayed there was a generator that soon replaced the main electricity source.

Munnar, The country of tea plantation

Now I am writing in the DARK!
I am amazed to discover (only now!) that people are very adaptable! We can adapt to every thing. Of course if we want!!! A bit of complaints, a bit discomfort, but soon we adapt. With that kind of power that we have, no donut we rule the world, also exploit it to the brim.

I was lucky to arrive to Munnar the day before yesterday, as to get The Darkness Stroke on the my FIRST night it’s a bit too much. Every time I arrive in a new place my first night is a bit rigged – I listen to the new night sounds, I look at the creatures in my room, I listen to the dogs bark outside etc. I am a city rat, so the noises I know are of loud Police cars, loud cry of Ambulances cars etc.

In My journey I discover again the sounds of nature. The ‘music’ in each place is very different. In New Zealand there are a lot of crickets. (Zarzarim = Hebrew) They sit on a tree – one huge colony. When one passes under that tree the chirping is so loud that it can hurt one’s hears. These crickets are very particular, they choose only certain trees they like to live on.
They do not like just any other tree!
I listened to that huge choir on one tree, and in the next one it’s a complete silence.
Only then I can hear the birds singing too, Thank God they can raise their voices also.

Auroville is a real country side, without nearly any cars and pretty far from big cities, so the voices of nature are loud & proud. Each night is adventures and creative according to the events of the season and the ‘symphony’ will be different. Even before midnight, at just one loud bark of a dog – a major choir of dog barks starts all ever the region. At that same time the jackals are waiting… then they will wake up completely, and their sound is like a line of trumpets in a live concert.
To hear the noises of the jackals just out side of my room, made me quickly lock myself in behind closed doors. But, in most houses in Auroville there is a generator!
That was the time I realize that I must get a torch…. Ha Ha

Other exciting voices I got to know in Auroville at Ilona & Tony’s house. On the roof, actually in their attic – there live one big happy family of squirrels. I was told about them, so when I went to sleep I was ready. I must say, they have a busy life, chasing & running up and down all night.
Also I saw & heard the lizards!!! They have a loud squawk when they chase one another in romantic events: “Come to me my love!” they probably say to each other in a squawky voice. 🙂

You must see my hand writing now, as I write with my small torch = it’s looks BALAGAN!!! (rough writting)
But…. with an Indian buttery it’s soon going to be off too.

On top of the Darkness Plague, I have now a strong stomach pain. Eating the Indian food is fine, but it’s pretty HOT, and my stomach have to get used to digest it. (adaptation)
The buttery is finally dead, and the pain in my stomach increased.

I was so astonished that an hour later, when the electricity came back, the pain in my stomach went away, slowly but surly.