Looking forward to going to Germany in 2006

After the Holi celebrations had finished in Vrindavan, I was already getting ready again to leave home. It had already become a routine for me to be in India for Holi and then leave soon after, when it started getting hot in India. Over the course of years however, many aspects of my travelling had changed.

For once, I was going with Yashendu. We had started the International Yoga Teacher Training together with the University of Cologne the year before and were thus right in the middle of the two-year-training course. So we were going together, I did not travel on my own anymore.

I was also, by now, sure where I would go from India at this time of the year: to Germany. Not only because I had work with the Yoga Teacher Training there. No, also because I loved going to Germany. I had spent a lot of time there and I had really grown fond of the country, the culture, the nature and landscape as well as the people.

I liked the straight-forward style of expression that Germans use. Their talent of organization and their reliability. When they agree on doing something, they take their responsibility serious and you can normally really count on people to help you. And of course, I had made a lot of friends already whom I would meet again. So when we were on the way to the airport, I was happily looking forward.

Even the journey itself had changed much compared to when I was travelling within India. Whenever I had been in a train in India, I kept my mouth shut and did not interact with anybody around me. I did not want to get into any talk because it was usually going all in the same direction: someone asking me for advice and guidance on his life path, blessings or for some wisdom of the scriptures. I was always happy to help people but if I had started engaging in such conversation on a train ride of one-and-a-half days, I would have surely gathered a crowd of listeners around me – as nobody has anything else to do in the train – and I would have practically given a lecture while being on public transport. I had no wish to draw that much attention to me and so I normally travelled in silence.

Not so when I was travelling out of India. I had anyway left India to do something new, something different. I wanted to be with different people – and when I was thus at the airports, train stations, sitting in trains or planes, I was not mute. I did not look only down or out of the window. I studied my surroundings and also looked at the people around me. I had my eyes and mind open – and people could see that.

I was approached often, asked about my getup, my next destination, my work, my philosophy, my name and contact details, my next program. I made connections while on the move. I was invited, I got into conversations, I made friends. I got to know a lot of people in this way – on the go. And I enjoyed it.

One of these encounters was rather interesting but that I will talk to you about next week.