Wednesday 28 March, 2007

GoAndHavFun

Ke batao me? I am so gone. But not in a Wizard-of-Oz-"I think we are not in Kansas anymore"-way. India feels like home. Staying at Arambol right now- which is probably the best kown Hippy-meeting-point in Goa. Good carma managed a nice little 200 Rupi-appartment for us, including wonderful people and (I still cannot believe it-) a fridge. W a h. But indeed there is something i miss- stupid me forgot my Nithin Sahwney CDs, what a crap. And somehow I forgot to kidnap Babasko and bring her here. I am so sorry. Here are some Saif-Chips for you, meri jaan. Please be nice and share it with the other Bollywoodbloggers.



Teek hai. Now I have to start writing immediately. Not cause I am an online-junkie but because so many nice things are happening. And at least I would share some of them. Arambol is really a crazy place which I rushed through on my last journey (2004). Finally now I am taking a closer look at this strangely commercial (halfbaked-) hippies paradise. Well, Its nothing for real hippies. Please ask the Hippy next to you, if he or she would really stay in secondhand-Babylon, with techno-music and bargainers everywhere you look, and a plastic-crap-landscape at the backside. But I can clearly see that some people really like this place. And once it is offseason it is really smooth.



I saw a documentary about Arambol (“Shanti Plus”) the other day and would like to confirm the description of Dorothee Wenner, when she was saying, that Arambol is an “in-between-world”. And despite it is not what I would call a paradise, it is an island for all the ones who want to spice up their holidays with spirituality. Sort of “cheap and best”. And besides... Osho, Che, Shiva and Shah Rukh- they are all here... being sold on bags or t-shirts and doing now satsangs with some dreadlocked spiritourists.



The local Newspaper “Travel-Talk” says about Goa that it is a “door opened to the discovery of the inner resources of every human being. When coming to Goa bear in mind that the true seeker will find his way there toward his self-realization.” What a funny and clever formulation. Former-Goa-traveler may please confirm.

But by the way I found also some extraordinary good qualities here. Not only in the many exorbitant friendly locals or f.e. in the wonderful food they are doing here. There are also very high-standard Yogaclasses one could try. But for now i am too busy with other things then becoming a yogin… like singing Bollywoodsongs with the locals, playing guitar on the beach and drinking chai with differentdifferent people and slowlyslowly really arriving in india. Tomorrow I will have my first tabla-guitar jamsession with two nice indian fellows. But I think you are more interested in the next story I want to come up with: There was a camera-team on the beach today.



Hehe. Lucky me. But I barefoot-stepped into dogshit the day before- so you see I also had to pay for this good carma. Round twenty people, one model and one producer were involved in this shootings. Everybody seemed like hopping just right out of a pictures book.

Well, sadly it was no movie but just an tv-advertisement for a “Wellenbad”, some will start in the mountains. But the shootings of the spot was really funny. The models name is Madhu, and she was saying here something like: ” Hi, I am Rhea and believe it or not…blablabla”. She had the same voice and behaviour like Preity Zinta in “Salaam Namaste”. The Producer was giving her the text right in front of my eyes and and kept saying motivating stuff like “Smile” and “good energy”. Was fun.



By the way- I will see “Namaste London” day after tomorrow, in case none of you guys keep me away of it. One of my many new friends here, Mahadev, translated the Indian newspaper (including the cinema-schedule from Mapusa) for me. Actually he was here when “Dhoom2” was shot near to Arambol and he saw also godess Aishwarya Raj. He told me that filmmakers don’t have to pay taxes for shooting here, and this is one of the many reasons why so many movies are actually made here.


Also our adorably nice taxidriver (Babban) - who brought us to Arambol on the first day - had lot to tell about the Goa-shootings. And by the way he already got Amitabhs Darshana. When Babban realized that I can do some hindiphrases he started to babble like a waterfall and meanwhile constantly came up with new words and local sayings, which he ment to be usefull for me (f.e “achibathe”- which is a nice saying of “very good”). In summary I was happy to still know the phrases I had already known before. But what a nice guy. He really liked us. We had really a perfect arrival.

O god, there were so many more smart conversations. Bas. I keep also the “unwritten-indian-rulez-stories” aside (maybe for my necglected german blog)and close this legendary first India-posting with some more Bollywood-related perceptions.

Imagine you are passing a restaurant in Arambol where a Hollywoodblockbuster is screened. Visualize the exclusively white audience. Count around 30 halfbaked-hippypeople. The exorbitant big TV-Screen is showing a not ending 5 minutes tonguebreaking kissing scene. Visavis you have another restaurant with the same amount of indian people. They are not giving a look. Somehow they are seeming outstanding busy…So this is what intellectuals mean when they talk about cultural clash and disjunctures, I guess...

Later in the same night I had some thoughtfull walk through Arambol and while understanding slowly that I already lost orientation I by the way explored Bollywoodscreenings all around- in cafes but also in private houses with open doors. So I slowly followed this good vibes and so then found home easily (dramatized).


So then we had “Krrish” the next morning for breakfast. Again no other tourists in the cafĂ© despite us seemed to have any interest in this cable-tv-screening without subtitles. Somehow all this experiences made me felt like you wonderful Bloggerguys out there where with me and therfor I enjoyed it.

But the obvious truth is that India has more to offer. And Bollywood is actually just a very small but colourful and spicy part.

3 comments:

babasko said...

hello meri jaan

did you see Namastey London yet? And how was Fort Chopra? Sooo missing you.

(hehe this sound like a whining lover, nahin? )

babasko said...

btw. i will not share those saif-lays. Nope.

Unknown said...

Not only in the many exorbitant friendly locals
But what a nice guy. He really liked us.
But the obvious truth is that India has more to offer.

After staying for few months your view on india is changed

Most of my friends started to ask me if I can recommend to travel India and I said no. Absolutely not. You must be crazy to go there. Tourists are basically treated like shit.


So this is what i wanted to say..
The locals in Goa are more friendly coz they are used to tourists ..
If all other states in India wuld also have so many tourists then there would be more chance of treating tourists with respect.--..-.

Each and every country..has gud and bad things ...ignore the bad see the gud..thts life --

there are gud and bad people :)

sorry once again fr my lecture :(
its some times borin ...

but am havin a gud time going thru ur blogs ...thankx fr those !! i mean it !! There are so many things hidden in ur blogs ..--