Raj Dadu's Life Stories

Raj Dadu and Adarsh Dida are visiting, as well as my grandparents, not to mention the other visitors we have day after day. You may be one of them! glad to have you, but i must tell you, my mind tires after a week of work, driving and other things that are a part of life. Weekends are when i just flop about the house. In other words, my language will be casual here, Im jsut super excited to hear these stories and I WANT to write them down.

So i wake up relaxingly at 12pm this afternoon. Delight to see my sister back from her interview in DC, and Raj dadu already sipping on his beer! Adarsh dida and Maya dida relaxing around the house.

I begin listening to the stories my elders (who have seen much more of life, the world, and time than I have) have to tell. Raj dadu comments on my music, photography, and movie collection. I tell him how much i admire his book collection... somehow the conversation winds its way to the fact that he had Dennison Berwick staying at his house!!! I just got his book "a walk in the clouds" a few months ago, it is out of print and hard to come by. Apparently a few months ago Mr. Berwick had visited Raj Dadu. This man lives in his boat on the oceans, and travels the world. I wish that were a life i could lead. Well About Mr. Berwick, not only did they take him to visit a very crowded Durga Mandir (temple for godess durga), but they went out digging, a amateur archeological venture. What fun!

We all dream. (the secret: beleive in that dream. see it feel it.... and you will have it).

Then he talks about how Hilary stopped by once. So i ask Raj Dadu, "Which Hilary" and he says "edmund ofcourse". Ofcourse I am astounded, I admire and aspire to be like these great travelers and adventurers. There is nothing more I'd love more than to see the world i most love and protect with all my life. So Sir Edmund Hilary hung out at Raj Dadu's dig on the Ganges on a trip up to the himalayas via jet boats!

They had 80+ bottles of beer with them and did not have the privacy to drink it the entire trip, until then. They were just staying for lunch, but lunch lasted till 4, so they shacked up there for the night! AMAZING! Going back to the story of the jet boats, apparently a Yogi came over, and the Hilary crew had a tug of war with them! I need to get the book and read this! For all who are new to these places and people, just know one thing: India is beautiful, India is an Adventure, India grows on your heart, India is where you go when you want to learn more about yourself.

Raj Dadu and Dida are pure vegetarians, no meat whatsoever, maybe egg, but no MEAT! (although dida loves fish).

Here's the story: a long time ago (i think he said in the 60s) they went to Paris, France. There the host was invited to the best and very famous seafood restaurant. Ofcourse there was nothing vegetarian to eat there. The salad had herring in it. Raj Dadu has never tasted meat in his life, however he doesnt not want to eat herring, and it would be distasteful to suggest a different restaurant. So what he does is order a plate of raw oysters. dipps them in lemon and butter and swallows them whole. Thus he says he has NEVER tasted meat in his life. :-)