Listening to: Sinnead O´Connor
Well,
It is this time of the year again, when I realise I need to send a huge letter to everyone, considering how bad I have been at keeping in touch throughout my travels and stories since last August. I know I had all these great plans to keep writing every week or so, and keep you all posted throughout the year. It didn’t work. I actually realised I do not like computers; I do not like the Internet. That’s my excuse! And since our digital camera got stolen last Christmas in Sri Lanka, I also lost all the photos I had and the opportunity for more. So that left me dry! But let me make amends now. Hopefully, I will keep more regular updates of my life through this blogg.
Let me see, it all started last year, in Heathrow, on the 8th August 2006, with a Round the World ticket in our hands…
The first leg of our trip was to Zimbabwe, to stay at my Dad’s for 2 months. Pétur and I both needed the rest after the hectic time of end of degree exams and dissertation, together with closing work, the flat and everything. We gave away pretty much all we owned, apart from our Ayurvedic and Yoga books, which we send by boxes of 30 kgs to my Mums in France (she was overjoyed with having to carry them to the 2nd floor alone on the other side, but this is another story!). There is definitely something quite exciting and freeing about getting rid of every thing you owe and setting off with a rucksack of maximum 20kgs (travelling virgin Airways, they are stingy on kgs). There is not much you can fit in 20kgs, just the summer clothes, 2pairs of shoes and a few books- done. And this was to last for 1 year? Me, with only 2 pairs of shoes? Oh, horror… I only agreed because I thought I would find some gorgeous beaded ones in India (which, I have to add, is definitely false advertising. All the nice Indian style shoes and clothes are in London. Typical)!
Zimbabwe was a bit of a contrast. Great for me to return, it is really the only country in the world where I feel like I am going “home”. It is my land. Funny, considering I wasn’t even born there, but my roots are strongly embedded in the soil there. The country is still stunning, beautiful, peaceful, strong and powerful. But the people behind their smiles are hopeless. Everything is in shortage, especially fuel. We were lucky because my father, as an urbanism consultant for a German NGO, works in all areas of the country so gets allocated fuel. We managed to travel to many places in the country, quite remote, in the bush. It was great for Pétur to get a taste of Africa behind the tourist scene, get to meet the people in their villages and their world, the women and the children who hold the community together. But that means that we really saw what was going on. Basically, from a country with farms after farms, after farms, which provided food for the whole of Southern Africa, it is now a waste. Waste of the land, waste of the talents that were developing in the farmers, waste of people’s lives. Now, all the farmlands are full of young trees, nature is reclaiming the land. It was taken away from the white farmers but not given to people who know how to farm on such a scale, with such a land. It was “given back” to ministers, politicians and family of politicians in a typical corrupted African mentality. And all the people who worked on the land, who lived, shopped, went to Church and sent their children on that land, lost everything in one go. They are really the ones suffering. The white farmers lost a land which they can buy again in Zambia, Botswana or even South Africa. The black workers lost their life and their family’s lives. And now that Mugabe has borrowed money from China, his bug buddy “comrade”, China is melting all the metal, which made up the irrigation system in the farms, and taking it back to China. Which means a decade of work to rebuild. So this was a bit grim.
The inflation rate is so high that from one day to the next, the same money will only buy you half of what you had. So every week, as we bought a trolley full of food (the advantage of being paid in euros), the people in front of us struggled with the realisation that today, they could only get 1 loaf of bread to feed their family. And yet, through it all, they smile, almost apologetically, as they pay for their loaf of bread with no nutritional value whatsoever.
And as a white foreigner, there is not much you can do. You can pay for the extra loaf of bread that the person in front of you is leaving behind because they cannot afford it. You can employ more staff that you need at home, with a cook, cleaner, laundry girl, gardener, ground sweeper and driver, because that means regular wages, regular extras of food, and a place to live in the back garden. You can pay for the school of the worker’s children. You can work with the few allowed NGO such as German Agro Action or Red Cross. But that is it. You are really powerless. One word of discontent and you will be kicked out of the country, which is not going to help. So you do just like the people who are born there- you smile, almost apologetically, you live day to day, spend time with friends and family and enjoy the small pleasures of life. Day by day. And it works for most people. So Zimbabwe is crumbling down, slowly, as it has for the past 8 years. Yet, with the highest interest rate in the world and a huge loan from China and the IMF, it still runs. Nobody quite understands why but if you go there and watch the people, you will see that it is just like that - day by day. I suppose that is the beauty of the world and of life- nothing is linear, not even economy. Everything adapts, turns, shifts and changes and we make the most of every situation. We really had a good time there, living as it was, and with the flow of things.
We left Zimbabwe after two months refreshed and more at peace with ourselves. Because through it all, Zimbabwe has that effect on your mind and soul. We set off for India on a 40 hours trip via Johannesburg and Singapore, and arrived in Trivandrum, Kerala, quite ready to face India- or so we thought. I learned quickly that it is a bit like my friend Lisa told me about having children- even when you think you are ready, you never are quite aware of what you are getting yourself into! (Although I think having children is much more pleasurable than India, especially in the long run) We met two of our university colleagues in Trivandrum, which is a tourist place of India, and spent a few days adjusting. We then travelled the 9-hour train to Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, our home for the next 6 months. Pétur did not stay; he was going to an ashram, for further intensive training in meditation and yoga. So it was 5 girls from the course together. Well, being India, nothing went as planned. I can’t even begin to remember all the problems we had to face in the first two weeks, it was hell- from no place to stay, to being told the course would cost $2000 instead of the agreed $1000, to no planned time table at work, to being treated like …., as foreigners, as if we knew nothing, the list goes on. The internship was nothing like we expected, and having lived in Africa 20 years, I expected problems. India was, for me, 20 times worse than Africa. Even the Arabic countries in Africa. Even Egypt. At least, in Africa, you can laugh and talk your way through things. Once something is agreed, it is law, you stick to it by honour. I found none of that in India, none of the dignity or integrity I knew from Africa, especially West Africa. The word means nothing, the written paper means nothing. You are white, you will be sucked dry, in every way or form possible. It was slightly easier for Pétur in the ashrams, they are not the real India, you do not have to deal with everyday life in an ashram. So his feeling of India is not as bad as mine! He did get so fed up at the end that he loved it when we left. But now, he remembers India fondly. I don’t. I still don’t really want to go back there (unless you pay me!). Really, I would recommend to everyone to go to India for a few weeks and look around. It is stunning, interesting, colourful, smelly, indescribable and a shock to all the senses. But don’t go there more than a few weeks, unless you can keep your cool in any circumstances! I discovered a mean side of me I never knew existed. Come on, I worked in a nursery for years without once loosing my calm with kids or staff, took 20 years of Africa, I thought I was a pretty decent, caring and loving person. Well, I’m not. I’m really mean and nasty! Thanks India, talk about having your shadow side stuffed in your face, just in case you thought you could avoid it! You end up losing your temper for less than 50p, because you are sick of being cheated yet again. And though the caste system is abolished officially, it still runs, through your status in society. If you have money and status, you treat people below you like shit. First, I played nice, respected people and treated them all well. In the end, I started treating people with no respect, shouting at them and demeaning them in my eyes. Then I not only got things done, but also gained respect. The meaner you are, the more status and money you must have, thus the more respect you deserve from people. If you are too nice, it means you are in a position of demand rather than power, and you will be cheated.
I found this tiring, draining, especially to the soul. I did not like who I became. 9 months there was a long time. Actually, one of the best time I had then was the week in Sri Lanka- it has all the great aspects of India, and less of the hassle and bull… - much better, it was great. Apart from having our camera stolen, which I consider as a piece of art anyway. It was stolen at some point from our rucksack, which was on Pétur’s shoulders the whole day. Considering how tall he is and how tall most of the Sri Lankas are, I really think they deserve the camera after this hard work…
Of course, India had a lot of positive things too. The internship, though not what we had been expecting, or paid for, did provide me with a lot of knowledge about practising Ayurveda on a day-to-day basis. I saw cases after cases of people who had been told in the West that their illness was irreversible, leave “reversed”- cases of arthritis, multiple sclerosis, accidents in wheel chairs, walking out on feet after 2 weeks. It really works, really. It was fascinating. It gave me lots of confidence to practice in Europe. And we had a wonderful 3 months travelling around the North of India after I left the internship. We saw the Himalayas from many different angles. And despite the new developments, which are being built as quickly as rabbits reproduce, India is really beautiful. A very interesting country. Pétur summed it up well when he explained to his friend that you do not learn in India, you unlearn what you believed you knew.
So we left India tired, drained, but happy about our experience and ready to start afresh somewhere, settle and build a business together. Our round the world ticket took us first to Singapore, where we booked in a posh hotel and indulged in 2 days of soft beds, baths with actual hot water and even a bath plug (don’t take anything for granted in India… Baths do not come with the plug and the hot water is often switched off!) The luxury was needed. And after chaotic India, clean, crisp, soulless Singapore was quite a shock to the system. We did not stay there long; we did not feel like it, so went straight to California- San Francisco!
The whole year away, we planned to do everything we could to stay and live in California. And when we arrived there, we just loved it, adored it. We mainly stayed in San Francisco and then travelled in the North of California, we did not go the Los Angeles side at all, so did not face the sea, sex and botox aspect of California. We found the hippie side of it, full of interesting people who, like us, want more out of life than the usual routine, and who are actually actively doing something for that. The funniest part was shopping in the organic vegetable store the day after arriving- we were so ecstatic about finding broccoli, asparagus and lettuce, the staff thought we were mad! Try 9 months of rice, lentils and a whole range of carrot, aubergine, okra and cabbage for meals. Broccoli is definitely exciting, promise.
Unfortunately, California wasn’t quite keen on keeping us. Ayurveda and yoga are practised as self-employment and we needed a green card through employment. We could have pushed a bit and found work, then built the business, but it just did not feel right, not the right time. So we took a two weeks camping trip around the North, staying in some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen, in forests of trees so tall you cannot see the top, and stormy seas, and enjoyed the rest. It was a time to reflect on all we learned- or unlearned- in India. And there was a lot of that. I felt like the pieces of the puzzle were being out back into place, with a few changes in the whole picture made without me realising. And it confirmed that there was one place in Europe which combined everything we needed in terms of creating an Ayurvedic/yoga business, home and family: Iceland.
So we left California and arrived back in London on 8th August, closing the circle after exactly a year of travel. We spent 4 days of shopping there, staying with Tim and Sara, my ex-employers/ become friends. So I spent time with my lovely friend Oscar and managed to also see other friends. We left the day of the terrorist scare (it is like we call these on us. We had the bombing in London last year before leaving, the bombing in Delhi when we were there, the bombing in Sri Lanka when we spent Christmas there…). But considering we were flying to Iceland, they did not do much searching- not many options there for any scare with a total population of 300 000!
So we are now in Iceland, which is actually not as cold as it sounds. Apart from today which is extremely reminiscent of a Scottish autumn day, it has been sunny, dry and beautiful. I really like Iceland. I like the countryside, the scenery and quiet. I like the fact that it is a small community (300 000 inhabitants, 160 000 in Reykjavik, the capital). And I really like the mentality here. In short, it has everything I need for an Ayurvedic business: awareness of yoga and natural healing, high education level and high level of disposable income. People are really interested and keen. And I have NO competition whatsoever; I am the only qualified Ayurvedic practitioner here! On top of all this, Pétur has a really good contact base from when he lived and worked here so we have a beginning. We have now been here more than 2 months, living at Pétur’s parents place with them, which is actually working quite well. The rental market in Iceland is almost inexistent- the government helps a lot in terms of loans, structure and financing, so most people just buy a flat or house. And luckily, they are very open minded towards living arrangements so that Pétur and I have the same rights as a married couple because we can prove that we have lived together for more than 2 years.
So these last 2 months or so have been spent settling down slowly. I have to say, opening a business from scratch is not as quick as I imagined. I have always been quite impatient, so I am learning here! It took long time to register as self employed- the tax office being as amiable and helpful as a prison attendant. I suppose that with such a small community, there are not yet used to people demanding information. Poor them, they didn’t know what hit them! I cannot deny that I have a lot of French blood in me, and thus have no problem asking for what I believe is my right, such as information… Well, I finally managed to be in the system, so can work officially with various clients. I am at the moment working as a massage therapist in classical massage, aromatherapy and Ayurveda for Nordicaspa, a very nice spa inside a good hotel in Reykjavik, Nordica hotel. Most clients are Icelandic, which means I am starting to build a client base. It is really like a factory for me, the work is quite uninteresting, but it puts butter on the bread and means that I only have to work 12 hours a week- leaving me time to go and visit my friends at the tax office regularly!
It also gives me time to prepare for the clinic. I have been working on various client packs take home after the initial consultation, case sheets, various programs and of course, the import of Ayurvedic medicines.
I have had a few meetings with the Food and Drug Administration here, and we have opened a dialogue, which is a start. The new European law on herbal medicines has not yet been passed here but it will be in the next few months. This means that eventually, as I can prove that Ayurveda has used certain herbs for more than 2000 years (continually) and has been used in Europe for more than 15 years, I will be able to import and use the Ayurvedic formulations here under “herbal medicines” category. It is important in terms of safety, insurance and reimbursement. My main aim was to reassure the FDA of my status as a practitioner, my safety, and training. As for the import of medicines, I will do it quietly in the beginning until I can be more open when the European law is passed. So, though this is not great yet, it is not negative either.
I am also going to create an Ayurvedic Association of Iceland to ensure that it is not misused. As the only qualified practitioner here, it is important that I do this to regulate Ayurveda here, inform people and control the safety. This is happening all around Europe and is really a breakthrough for traditional medicines. They are not safe if misused, and practitioners should be regulated in terms of years of study. So this is my first move towards putting Iceland towards these regulations with the rest of Europe. But it is a lot of paperwork!
Lastly, Pétur and I have spent the last 3 weeks looking for a flat to buy. We have found a really nice one, bigger than we originally planned, which means an extra room for guests (and later a child). We are in the middle of the whole signing process but everything has been officially agreed upon. So I am hoping it will all be done by the beginning of next week. We will move in on 1st December. It is so exciting, we have to furnish it from scratch, and I can actually do anything I want to it- it is ours! The only problem is that we are both useless at DIY. But the flat is impeccable, needs very little work. The only drawback is a tiny bathroom, but it has a bath, so I can handle the cold winter. One room will be the clinic room, for consultations and massages. We will use the big lounge space for yoga classes, reiki workshops and various other workshops that we will run. It is a very nice space for that. I intend to keep very busy! We now have to buy absolutely everything for the flat, considering we own 5 huge boxes of books and one Le Creuset casserole dish… pretty woman, walking down the street!
I have to say, it has been an interesting year and few months- so many changes, so many new things to learn and adapt to. Pétur and I have both done a lot of thinking, creating and growing. We are more than ready for this new phase in our lives, and we love it. It is definitely very challenging to move to a new country, having to learn a new language (I am slowly getting to grips with Icelandic), buying our first house and opening our first business. It’s a lot, and sometimes the scale of it scares me a bit. But we are doing well with it. When I think of all this, I realise that 3 months of preparation so actually not this long a time, I am just so impatient! So I have decided to open the clinic on 2nd January, officially. I have a name, logo, and deciding on the website, posters etc at the moment. I will email all these as soon as it is finalised.
Well, that’s it for now; I think it is plenty of information for one day!
I am thinking of you all, in all the corners of the world. Stay in touch, and please come and visit, I have a spare room! Iceland is also renowned for excellent restaurants and nightlife. I will sample these for you when you come… Keep in touch,
Lots of love, and kisses of course,
Flore
