WHERE IN THE WORLD IS MJ

Live From Studio 5 is operating without our beloved MJ
Don't panic it's  only for a couple more weeks.
She is in fact half way around the world  in INDIA
attending classes  on natural healing, Will we have to call her DR MJ when she gets back ?
she was kind enough to let me forward her emails to you, dear readers, so here is number 1
By the way I did ask first, she said  K

Hey Doug and Dew
I arrived in New DeIhi, India Tuesday at 3am (two eight hour flights + layover…about 24 hours total travel time)!!  We woke up five hours later at the YWCA and had our first official Indian meal: rice with beans, chilies and nuts, very thin eggs, toast and tea.  We have exchanged our dollars into rupees.  We rode in auto rickshaws to lunch that was in true Indian style...most of us had Thali--an assortment of small dishes from India and Nepal.  We have also been inside a Sikh temple (a very interesting experience).  The high temperature in New Delhi on Tuesday was 115 degrees Fahrenheit!

We went to the Taj Mahal yesterday…it was amazing!  It was soooo beautiful!  I also really enjoyed the drive up to Agra...we really saw many different perspectives of India...the extremes of life!  Today we drove 12 hours to northern India.  We drove through several Indian states, to include Punjab...this is where the fantastic Punjabi music comes from!!!!!!  At the end of the trek we drove two hours weaving back and forth (hairpin turns!) through an enormous mountain that faced the snow-capped Himalayas!!  Amazing temples and larger than life Shiva statues, tolls and state tax offices are everywhere...today I actually handed the official the toll fare (the official was on the left side of the car/ where I was sitting and so our group driver gave me the rupees to give to the official---since the steering wheel is on the right side of the car)  Honking is expected and reinforced...it is a constant soundtrack.  As our group driver said, "No problem" and "This is India"...these were explanations for when the most unexpected became the expected...driving against traffic (driving on the "wrong" side of the road)...passing other cars at amazing speed...admirably/skillfully swerving around cars, people cows, monkeys and dogs...you name it, it happened!!!!   Half way through the steep mountain we stopped for small glasses of Indian chai...it was absolutely amazing!!!!!!!  Honestly, my head is a little dizzy and my ankles and feet are swollen.  I think the dizziness is from acclimating to the altitude (we are really high up!!) and the swollen feet are still from our 24 hour plane experience to get to India...and the extreme heat...and very little sleep!

I have become really aware of the extremes of wealth and poverty in India.  Our group drivers (there are four drivers/cars) make about 200 rupees a day.  That's about $3.59 U.S. dollars.  This is the cost for one of our meals...for them it is a day's salary.  On the other extreme, there are very wealthy Indian people...and the Indian Mafia.

I am now in our hotel/dorm room in the Himalayan Mountains.  It has a wood floor, two small beds (to share with another student), a small bathroom with a shower, and a beautiful view of Dharamsala. When we arrived we took a long walk around the mountain and saw many Tibetan monks, nuns, prayer flags and wheels that you spin as you go, monkeys, and dogs.  We came back to hotel and had a welcome dinner as a group!  The food and company were amazing!  We had fresh lemon (squeezed from lemons), ginger (freshly sliced), honey (fresh) hot tea, two types of dal, garlic nan, and rice.  We were in the company of many Tibetans.

This experience is once in a life time...it feels so surreal and so right!

We will start our classes at the Dalai Lama’s Medical Institute soon…and will meet the Dalai Lama next week!  I’ll tell you all about it (I am not sure if it will work for me to call you during our show...we'll see!!)!

I hope you are well and doing great!!!!
MJ

Thanks MJ, if you are missing her as we are, please go to our facebook page and give her a virtual “HUG”

More from our roving host coming up, so don't miss it.
If you don't already, tune in every Wed to 90.3 & 106.7 FM or stream it on kfai.org 10 PM for “LIVE FROM STUDIO 5!”