tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13959691050790979162024-03-14T10:53:51.566-07:00kosarupaKosa Elyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09453593555835333447noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1395969105079097916.post-91112379053190413062008-08-18T15:24:00.000-07:002008-08-18T16:42:51.471-07:00Lord Balarama's Appearance Day<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><br />ISKCON Silicon Valley<br />Lord Balarama's Appearance Day<br /><br />Book Distribution Team (photos of Bhakta Jonathan and Vaisesaka das)<br />Bhajans with Gauranga Kishore das, Tusta Krishna das and Stephanie<br />Downtown Santa Cruz, California<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh55QhLBxcXYxJSWbj2m5zidTVlYHzbUF506pCZWxxzL_L3f4vizcYcFm_p-Rislu5pHx-eSgRJjJKWeiy4OuNd_UfY6SvmKzLyQXbr9faPGI215yPG0YP5sDlWl6VhoUl-h3mSuKI5F16d/s1600-h/IMG_3334.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh55QhLBxcXYxJSWbj2m5zidTVlYHzbUF506pCZWxxzL_L3f4vizcYcFm_p-Rislu5pHx-eSgRJjJKWeiy4OuNd_UfY6SvmKzLyQXbr9faPGI215yPG0YP5sDlWl6VhoUl-h3mSuKI5F16d/s320/IMG_3334.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235990113927202130" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxg8f0-8NkvcS6DS22FjbrRPWoZJpkVEnQ8XJzXrz9sdzpKmajxHx4jFJ0pHNdExqQtwPeLtCRveeHGRwsqZb1EnImMX6oa98N3uz_ZFqr1QyUpF5d50-9lBAd115NH_jmu2jHBFWbdaxG/s1600-h/IMG_3335.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; 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Nrsimhananda and Natasha kindly hosted us (and eight other devotees) at their pyramid house in Topanga.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJwaiPCmN2kro_yJWdHgnXchBDVY6BkMsDLEZRztPj1qTyZEXBNM8jg2bcVwn5d0_XExWI4ynMzvNmsNB4gFalGABexUCz5e6uqIP-71SpF-y7Bj8lY1RylFzsJV1snworKj8nT_jWEPg/s1600-h/IMG_3161.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJwaiPCmN2kro_yJWdHgnXchBDVY6BkMsDLEZRztPj1qTyZEXBNM8jg2bcVwn5d0_XExWI4ynMzvNmsNB4gFalGABexUCz5e6uqIP-71SpF-y7Bj8lY1RylFzsJV1snworKj8nT_jWEPg/s320/IMG_3161.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235990800535712802" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Kathleen, Kristy, myself (Kosa) & Nicole<br /><br />I am blessed with awesome sisters.<br />They are a big reason for me to live<br />in Monterey.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBaYkn7_Ns1UcHRzd2EOAMSrq8j0fnjOrkUXHQHBS-y-zz2r30ptraI_yurErkNl7LAj4zkq5m0pMAezuA0hyqKxknUnKxAiedKDxns-YWezXR7BYwo4kNML-99t-CzqtHEba2uNyBETXA/s1600-h/IMG_3172.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBaYkn7_Ns1UcHRzd2EOAMSrq8j0fnjOrkUXHQHBS-y-zz2r30ptraI_yurErkNl7LAj4zkq5m0pMAezuA0hyqKxknUnKxAiedKDxns-YWezXR7BYwo4kNML-99t-CzqtHEba2uNyBETXA/s320/IMG_3172.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235990857660880834" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb60FVoH_mTkN1iLR4HCyBjg3xrGlMfUb8_usdSZIZO0r-TcOg5J1QBxX_d3FqFckx_YiDca47PpP7OxkBoLLZTabUYgQcCOgfEPZv_KpwFt_EUcUjG9mc4qgPCEzrjV2Gpe0QdU3facoB/s1600-h/IMG_3319.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb60FVoH_mTkN1iLR4HCyBjg3xrGlMfUb8_usdSZIZO0r-TcOg5J1QBxX_d3FqFckx_YiDca47PpP7OxkBoLLZTabUYgQcCOgfEPZv_KpwFt_EUcUjG9mc4qgPCEzrjV2Gpe0QdU3facoB/s320/IMG_3319.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235988058369417458" border="0" /><br /><br /></a><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb60FVoH_mTkN1iLR4HCyBjg3xrGlMfUb8_usdSZIZO0r-TcOg5J1QBxX_d3FqFckx_YiDca47PpP7OxkBoLLZTabUYgQcCOgfEPZv_KpwFt_EUcUjG9mc4qgPCEzrjV2Gpe0QdU3facoB/s1600-h/IMG_3319.JPG"></a>Kosa Elyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09453593555835333447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1395969105079097916.post-29095095762888365712008-07-03T21:47:00.000-07:002008-12-10T21:44:50.313-08:00Artist Hide-away<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh84JEOsg2sNPa52uiWMm4HTuFYkTamHcMkS8Ccit0d4DeIusI5ewNyCEdIomkwh-IR0F7ptXBRLUXH-iexMaCCjSVIxjbI9XmL5h2vla7-jlT7te8FQzgza6vRY_T9tOJZqQyxP_toP_5U/s1600-h/IMG_2980.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh84JEOsg2sNPa52uiWMm4HTuFYkTamHcMkS8Ccit0d4DeIusI5ewNyCEdIomkwh-IR0F7ptXBRLUXH-iexMaCCjSVIxjbI9XmL5h2vla7-jlT7te8FQzgza6vRY_T9tOJZqQyxP_toP_5U/s320/IMG_2980.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219019170951880834" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv46LIxmWkl5ceabxVeaoC7MD9ltYv-4KgTRBfaqzw9wqb4b81tgk7q_XpUeRbpH5qyLd_B7Y96MnHPJkOiZf06jlcmuS4V7VePWwu04orDlJ8LXQt11oLRmX8KxXxqgh_aUSnrs24KuuQ/s1600-h/IMG_2979.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv46LIxmWkl5ceabxVeaoC7MD9ltYv-4KgTRBfaqzw9wqb4b81tgk7q_XpUeRbpH5qyLd_B7Y96MnHPJkOiZf06jlcmuS4V7VePWwu04orDlJ8LXQt11oLRmX8KxXxqgh_aUSnrs24KuuQ/s320/IMG_2979.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219019176033216914" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwUdY75CM_eSD0rfpQPZjPZQ6iqmcT7yBQBXir9xoPgLoV4hPmek7ZW-dJqtqABnHioTgnpxUNMxy-frMVR_bWQkTvpOwt3ZGRAwvhXeWxdwyiBGMVeBggoAfS9Ocz7cDOIRCTx7VlC7X/s1600-h/IMG_2926.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwUdY75CM_eSD0rfpQPZjPZQ6iqmcT7yBQBXir9xoPgLoV4hPmek7ZW-dJqtqABnHioTgnpxUNMxy-frMVR_bWQkTvpOwt3ZGRAwvhXeWxdwyiBGMVeBggoAfS9Ocz7cDOIRCTx7VlC7X/s320/IMG_2926.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219017173460692146" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2PPcXfBWnMtJFIdoEJsnvchZ2IyJx56vASMX_LWYpNjOg0crzK5SMPm6Vtncb3lqUrnB24sAbiblGpHwiKrW8dZHkOxW-aeWGtILMOw3LUJYEZM5NagtnKMvgJwO3eyu8kRwMBWBdwj_A/s1600-h/IMG_2930.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2PPcXfBWnMtJFIdoEJsnvchZ2IyJx56vASMX_LWYpNjOg0crzK5SMPm6Vtncb3lqUrnB24sAbiblGpHwiKrW8dZHkOxW-aeWGtILMOw3LUJYEZM5NagtnKMvgJwO3eyu8kRwMBWBdwj_A/s320/IMG_2930.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219017178873398226" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ3FjRlvXmnl7pUAw9TfA5MIqz9aMjto882rdDGdMlpO3PW7oN1Ilk4JRTVezcFbdiVecyPB25JQ-xgQR5m2vcu2bGG-nD_jj6E-X_Kpa3AV676H20kCAwI_INv-SLH1wZy1tS3MXle9Nl/s1600-h/IMG_2924.JPG"><br /></a>Kosa Elyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09453593555835333447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1395969105079097916.post-10156044294353377072008-02-12T13:18:00.000-08:002008-12-10T21:44:55.845-08:00New Zealand Flashbacks<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-FDMHloUxCh7bxRZTulsj7aS0N-647_r4vfUxcB5txPOwoHlJAxnjrxEPgZMqfA6FHXbPJvT6FL-9EhJd6w2gYYP5eKKT6Wo-mQR537pan1ADzGuONqX14xSLINaCBIvkWJtwpaHrlql/s1600-h/K+arms+up.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-FDMHloUxCh7bxRZTulsj7aS0N-647_r4vfUxcB5txPOwoHlJAxnjrxEPgZMqfA6FHXbPJvT6FL-9EhJd6w2gYYP5eKKT6Wo-mQR537pan1ADzGuONqX14xSLINaCBIvkWJtwpaHrlql/s320/K+arms+up.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166254611792035346" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">I could be marooned here in the Bay of Islands - no problem</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwyAbK4HVvAxVJAA6x8qa4HPcbFLCFgKQIK_0LUk_F1xHBdOD_ERl1xaccZDPbQjK_7pH1laO8uw5UwqX9duP1f3jxWWJJ0lLmZbTLmFAtuMQ9HxpghXMH_Bvdrq7AsLChXKedIZvQPyh2/s1600-h/red+kayaks.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwyAbK4HVvAxVJAA6x8qa4HPcbFLCFgKQIK_0LUk_F1xHBdOD_ERl1xaccZDPbQjK_7pH1laO8uw5UwqX9duP1f3jxWWJJ0lLmZbTLmFAtuMQ9HxpghXMH_Bvdrq7AsLChXKedIZvQPyh2/s320/red+kayaks.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166256467217907266" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Beached Kayaks at the Bay of Islands<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0De5NSUjkwIFJLoHJgR4mtqmcIpVg8IO4eYzNsgZNVJC6YkIDYr2doZu5jgcHTofWDP_6WiKGJJtyBIwxj-pIpWvgv2de9dcqGalg5Uk-COrag9U4Wix3qE0ll0-Ce9ekarNx3GphyphenhyphenJEF/s1600-h/G+scuba.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0De5NSUjkwIFJLoHJgR4mtqmcIpVg8IO4eYzNsgZNVJC6YkIDYr2doZu5jgcHTofWDP_6WiKGJJtyBIwxj-pIpWvgv2de9dcqGalg5Uk-COrag9U4Wix3qE0ll0-Ce9ekarNx3GphyphenhyphenJEF/s320/G+scuba.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166250273875066354" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Goat Island, 1 hour north of Auckland, snorkeling around the reefs</span><br /></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLNyk93hpnz3jdKLys1L9djtsfLemEMlGGYc41vjRj5cUJc1PjnXeVR1T6XBvkFEPuhgA_kqDPCxKvAzg2hKGSG5IDQuTXmigOZS9cCU8YPhe9bwXWn_uQ-71-k6_J_uzjS_Xj2rnkc9M/s1600-h/Suk+G+wrestling.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLNyk93hpnz3jdKLys1L9djtsfLemEMlGGYc41vjRj5cUJc1PjnXeVR1T6XBvkFEPuhgA_kqDPCxKvAzg2hKGSG5IDQuTXmigOZS9cCU8YPhe9bwXWn_uQ-71-k6_J_uzjS_Xj2rnkc9M/s320/Suk+G+wrestling.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166256480102809170" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Sukadeva and Gaura wrestling<br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7z3ptekqgUET8hJLTrDSCwbk6o0YFHv375wyakEPDdzVp4665i0M4Fs-R2RCbdm6G_SNTeOciToDV7RuXcGJ-68BXShOFtXwRA8tdFAWsloBHQVVDd4DqMGmIfkwL5UC_PY-07ZCKpRi1/s1600-h/Piha+fall.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7z3ptekqgUET8hJLTrDSCwbk6o0YFHv375wyakEPDdzVp4665i0M4Fs-R2RCbdm6G_SNTeOciToDV7RuXcGJ-68BXShOFtXwRA8tdFAWsloBHQVVDd4DqMGmIfkwL5UC_PY-07ZCKpRi1/s320/Piha+fall.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166255475080461858" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Piha Waterfall, about 1 hour west of Auckland</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5g7GoyxBUB065hanqsCmEuZ7Cya2qkYac0kXQ0oOoXMP0ZqXBerxvlQRyEOvIN8PU6YPWyULquT5yJHaLrN7pmtte5nLxVXqmN18JJWsrvhtAgfx-W3bn7RQJ2Er20Br7xoaEbfBdv045/s1600-h/BH+G+waterfall.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5g7GoyxBUB065hanqsCmEuZ7Cya2qkYac0kXQ0oOoXMP0ZqXBerxvlQRyEOvIN8PU6YPWyULquT5yJHaLrN7pmtte5nLxVXqmN18JJWsrvhtAgfx-W3bn7RQJ2Er20Br7xoaEbfBdv045/s320/BH+G+waterfall.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166207096568839586" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Father and Son under the Fall</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy6nJtCBhO9DLQME9gHSH-_E2v20UalLpuZonl0TussER0UkDTbKRr9yJ1gjzz4urjWzdCAXHK29mXxo9i6Cwol3eaPoHq1KTEgRfK0I9rOTTT0mv60k2GkQkA6qSKHwZYo_liDMJgIf9o/s1600-h/Piha+window.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy6nJtCBhO9DLQME9gHSH-_E2v20UalLpuZonl0TussER0UkDTbKRr9yJ1gjzz4urjWzdCAXHK29mXxo9i6Cwol3eaPoHq1KTEgRfK0I9rOTTT0mv60k2GkQkA6qSKHwZYo_liDMJgIf9o/s320/Piha+window.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166255496555298354" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">The Beach at Piha<br /><br /><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Lake Taupo</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn8buOM59OymjHZsuz9N9gDRgUyK-YWlRkHETqyHk_-bMYS1i8aFzQs_spK9WmZVmqkkILHkc3hQ0y_buxaDMxEv2mLWuPoNni8Ivb33VUaeJ6HsLooSYL-qR5Zbg-vSzar3xzI1Py3Wod/s1600-h/G+boat.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn8buOM59OymjHZsuz9N9gDRgUyK-YWlRkHETqyHk_-bMYS1i8aFzQs_spK9WmZVmqkkILHkc3hQ0y_buxaDMxEv2mLWuPoNni8Ivb33VUaeJ6HsLooSYL-qR5Zbg-vSzar3xzI1Py3Wod/s320/G+boat.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166250256695197154" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Would you trust this driver if you were being towed?<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj46FLXPh7bHU3ZdEHzAwoD_Fa51pxNVqfhfO9GZA9wgBy6Eyluv3u2oWyFoPAxfuBYzxOebMC2imyco0sjyuSEnj3Jdv-WvVmEKmensa2CIUmq4-S9p8KMNb5jb8J_PF_FTO7VGrwFZRD_/s1600-h/BH+biscuit.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj46FLXPh7bHU3ZdEHzAwoD_Fa51pxNVqfhfO9GZA9wgBy6Eyluv3u2oWyFoPAxfuBYzxOebMC2imyco0sjyuSEnj3Jdv-WvVmEKmensa2CIUmq4-S9p8KMNb5jb8J_PF_FTO7VGrwFZRD_/s320/BH+biscuit.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166207079388970386" border="0" /></a></div><span style="font-family:arial;">What Bada Hari does when he's not singing</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFnJqPzn9dL5-eKGAVbiSi1VchcQU7sR5I-_AQdgkXM5a0gY2Zu5s_qwchQiVisnbO2vyh2STe7wTP0Yl7jVbVqCkvE6hqYsNKh4TUtQ4Hf2KwQDh-RuiW2bA3sFBmQXWpLYRPfWGXdCEU/s1600-h/G+biscuit.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFnJqPzn9dL5-eKGAVbiSi1VchcQU7sR5I-_AQdgkXM5a0gY2Zu5s_qwchQiVisnbO2vyh2STe7wTP0Yl7jVbVqCkvE6hqYsNKh4TUtQ4Hf2KwQDh-RuiW2bA3sFBmQXWpLYRPfWGXdCEU/s320/G+biscuit.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166244548683660754" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Gaura flying hard and high</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj46FLXPh7bHU3ZdEHzAwoD_Fa51pxNVqfhfO9GZA9wgBy6Eyluv3u2oWyFoPAxfuBYzxOebMC2imyco0sjyuSEnj3Jdv-WvVmEKmensa2CIUmq4-S9p8KMNb5jb8J_PF_FTO7VGrwFZRD_/s1600-h/BH+biscuit.JPG"><br /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Crater of the Moon Thermal Park</span><br /></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzixNVdVjIjgDcV1W0qXVFZN6rFweE2-V6JRnCdLDN43OhB_0BpGUOdkUQIbCmDyFYq7GWGoFQcmtbdZYEemRb9NeozGyvg1h_cngUS8Fx2wZ2zukm0b9v8nHhdi4gUAWEd3-0sCYD9Vc0/s1600-h/crater+moon.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzixNVdVjIjgDcV1W0qXVFZN6rFweE2-V6JRnCdLDN43OhB_0BpGUOdkUQIbCmDyFYq7GWGoFQcmtbdZYEemRb9NeozGyvg1h_cngUS8Fx2wZ2zukm0b9v8nHhdi4gUAWEd3-0sCYD9Vc0/s320/crater+moon.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166207118043676082" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYJL5aOs5ZIgYAm5FaLxzjFEIZtw80VVk2gdyFxAzq2m_SGU7oG1GuqSvZy94B_kP609QDUe7oGFEyTHNV0XTM0IalZFXYy4uFdoiEvjYzDcUtOmkLzRTbBjO6VNJ35tGGrEeJmaUf3jnN/s1600-h/crater+park.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYJL5aOs5ZIgYAm5FaLxzjFEIZtw80VVk2gdyFxAzq2m_SGU7oG1GuqSvZy94B_kP609QDUe7oGFEyTHNV0XTM0IalZFXYy4uFdoiEvjYzDcUtOmkLzRTbBjO6VNJ35tGGrEeJmaUf3jnN/s320/crater+park.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166244531503791554" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1sIzLYfXGZnOOriMX7kX9OKftkllziCGdUA6NIbIJeqkz9YuIqa7oB1_7Ooh-D4p31LmDYcAy3yA4VZ7QSNItqxIxrSxw0XqCIBgeTY4pXME6gUp3Z59706qAzT9QGWK7LBjCH3NzoxtV/s1600-h/G.+volcano.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1sIzLYfXGZnOOriMX7kX9OKftkllziCGdUA6NIbIJeqkz9YuIqa7oB1_7Ooh-D4p31LmDYcAy3yA4VZ7QSNItqxIxrSxw0XqCIBgeTY4pXME6gUp3Z59706qAzT9QGWK7LBjCH3NzoxtV/s320/G.+volcano.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166254590317198850" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">View from the volcano</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnPcDQhm3Lam5LyBuqFvn4jblUguFYt8ODMT3YznFhk7weKFRI4bWjVAH2RtCAkWemVR0Dfc5wRcYhyphenhyphenM0wlvHmFM5-_Epc7mxT8hfI1VPbD_lqgByePh7jyS3ZnN1lpYWg0T7Nu7OTQmiu/s1600-h/south+of+taupo.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnPcDQhm3Lam5LyBuqFvn4jblUguFYt8ODMT3YznFhk7weKFRI4bWjVAH2RtCAkWemVR0Dfc5wRcYhyphenhyphenM0wlvHmFM5-_Epc7mxT8hfI1VPbD_lqgByePh7jyS3ZnN1lpYWg0T7Nu7OTQmiu/s320/south+of+taupo.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166257150117707362" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYJL5aOs5ZIgYAm5FaLxzjFEIZtw80VVk2gdyFxAzq2m_SGU7oG1GuqSvZy94B_kP609QDUe7oGFEyTHNV0XTM0IalZFXYy4uFdoiEvjYzDcUtOmkLzRTbBjO6VNJ35tGGrEeJmaUf3jnN/s1600-h/crater+park.JPG"></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-ReFdEycR8Ng8dYN5Sp1XDmHCZgPWDu92SLA7OoDzUsNQGSxXAHjA9B8wLlQ3R_j8D4zvpjc-N5ahAbmEKeGnLmXY5zOz_q5innghiHpn_-klgoq2tVCkGZkD9NggbVZHWen_k9B6kXJ/s1600-h/sunset.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-ReFdEycR8Ng8dYN5Sp1XDmHCZgPWDu92SLA7OoDzUsNQGSxXAHjA9B8wLlQ3R_j8D4zvpjc-N5ahAbmEKeGnLmXY5zOz_q5innghiHpn_-klgoq2tVCkGZkD9NggbVZHWen_k9B6kXJ/s320/sunset.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166260921098993282" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">The end of another beautiful day in New Zealand</span></div>Kosa Elyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09453593555835333447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1395969105079097916.post-16186582010905084922008-02-03T23:57:00.000-08:002008-12-10T21:44:58.103-08:00Melbourne, Australia<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcpsID0yPaxirkSD7Ej_L6Uac3nfuQUikG87V6v_BZ4tJ8E6AlMQdHWHRDtuNMmQc0Fv5_WYxAPOvQD5MEkKc31Eu27d6xDTIf05Cd-A7byqkq8D9GxCA5m4uvbtS9JBcEq48G-5y7V0Ai/s1600-h/IMG_1609.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcpsID0yPaxirkSD7Ej_L6Uac3nfuQUikG87V6v_BZ4tJ8E6AlMQdHWHRDtuNMmQc0Fv5_WYxAPOvQD5MEkKc31Eu27d6xDTIf05Cd-A7byqkq8D9GxCA5m4uvbtS9JBcEq48G-5y7V0Ai/s320/IMG_1609.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5165173066012458354" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8n9Ld4ab1ibFpW1wwt9pcAFaLh7M6jRIhCdoyR4TvBtrSKoPew8mo1FXFZOqAgeHqysmi_Zc5nshO3wGKdgWNtRCdTSkRu6Zm2Z6Jqjoqm8KOw0nPMVLadeNyUNbnwmKiLDwgd80ZKLEK/s1600-h/cb.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8n9Ld4ab1ibFpW1wwt9pcAFaLh7M6jRIhCdoyR4TvBtrSKoPew8mo1FXFZOqAgeHqysmi_Zc5nshO3wGKdgWNtRCdTSkRu6Zm2Z6Jqjoqm8KOw0nPMVLadeNyUNbnwmKiLDwgd80ZKLEK/s320/cb.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163035187012178098" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br />In Melbourne, Australia, is a thriving ISKCON temple on the outskirts of the city, in the historic district a few blocks from the ocean.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;">Srila Prabhupada visited Melbourne four times, twice here at this temple. His rooms upstairs house a beautiful museum, with all his personal paraphernalia on display. The main sitting room is where we chanted our japa each morning.<br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrrNocLq97OQ5UlHR9xNt93rRrEvcKLGN4gqc1a-H6UMtlEdXMF3w1w9IwdioZJELMKyKRKTSbRHDdhrwqGU7NanfptJJdmVRc1KTCgW-yVhnbk0nrdr03miXdKYbDQ2NShwMnHyvkNoK0/s1600-h/mel+RK.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrrNocLq97OQ5UlHR9xNt93rRrEvcKLGN4gqc1a-H6UMtlEdXMF3w1w9IwdioZJELMKyKRKTSbRHDdhrwqGU7NanfptJJdmVRc1KTCgW-yVhnbk0nrdr03miXdKYbDQ2NShwMnHyvkNoK0/s320/mel+RK.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5165168560591764818" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbVaZsz-XpV4k2DSqRgHDdFUO4v9oe6lEp6c8ZeCeN2MIOh_52vwMkkPQJR6d6gF7Ibt9XAcHaTa-wyzembswfttrXJwbqwg4zfXXk3GRQvyQOmLcnvRUZtXmbjw5tVNX_JSGumqVq_Dj/s1600-h/cv.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbVaZsz-XpV4k2DSqRgHDdFUO4v9oe6lEp6c8ZeCeN2MIOh_52vwMkkPQJR6d6gF7Ibt9XAcHaTa-wyzembswfttrXJwbqwg4zfXXk3GRQvyQOmLcnvRUZtXmbjw5tVNX_JSGumqVq_Dj/s320/cv.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163060261031252194" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">A lot of prasadam distribution is happening every day in Melbourne. Downtown is Crossways, an inexpensive lunch program that serves at least 300 people each day. Two blocks away is Gopal's restaurant, serving 200 - 250 people for lunch and dinner.<br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnDERnqcxnrPMKnXaBoTzcRhaMZjV3-aEC11f-zc_GK5EHsxZD2ORnBSR9bRsnjS0ayfTSasZlTxfliK0m8EWOrJlfIDYcUYDESaO7u_cQqHOWGXQE215P9XrVti2nJtSmcitN1lX4Cphe/s1600-h/cz.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnDERnqcxnrPMKnXaBoTzcRhaMZjV3-aEC11f-zc_GK5EHsxZD2ORnBSR9bRsnjS0ayfTSasZlTxfliK0m8EWOrJlfIDYcUYDESaO7u_cQqHOWGXQE215P9XrVti2nJtSmcitN1lX4Cphe/s320/cz.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163060312570859778" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6DEyaVoxAIw9R5CUMSFP-o-uHEY43p6nIJr-Saa_jyQDInj8UmSO7w3rcOC17BeSyhhdksqWqeY10SLmOwpidiZ5rd5_lFESWXcLcc-DKKReKpKOvq1TF_jf4OltvCR-q9NbGUdhh7g9-/s1600-h/IMG_1661.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6DEyaVoxAIw9R5CUMSFP-o-uHEY43p6nIJr-Saa_jyQDInj8UmSO7w3rcOC17BeSyhhdksqWqeY10SLmOwpidiZ5rd5_lFESWXcLcc-DKKReKpKOvq1TF_jf4OltvCR-q9NbGUdhh7g9-/s320/IMG_1661.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5165173087487294850" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Brahma Kunda kindly hosted us in his apartment on the outskirts of Melbourne city, driving us to and from the temple, taking us to see the city, to the beach, and most important- bringing maha sweets for Gaura.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifmxESx9dKJewmvYAO_LcG2oAvCaBYzRNtx_mQXapxtvgY6us9WXP16_YYJsCaeU3f2V4dvNX3meFmtfhO6RPlW6u7SBDh0BNusrg6UApFUjJ5OcaNqk3azn5e5g73ow2nMlC4dmI4CvhW/s1600-h/Brahma+BH.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifmxESx9dKJewmvYAO_LcG2oAvCaBYzRNtx_mQXapxtvgY6us9WXP16_YYJsCaeU3f2V4dvNX3meFmtfhO6RPlW6u7SBDh0BNusrg6UApFUjJ5OcaNqk3azn5e5g73ow2nMlC4dmI4CvhW/s320/Brahma+BH.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5165169728822869346" border="0" /></a>While in Melbourne,<br />Gaura and I watched some of the Australian Tennis Open matches. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8hdx7sDOVV0IseIBYYlXIj8eb3btrsSqpx0zdLQoxq9e9T__SoR0HFZBrgBchUcE-SCd4nItaolKC3K7zOnvl5o2fSC_hFIsGC9D5hMx_xaNazgj_AUhPHPKEBCepTkzSK5MYPGd6yvJ4/s1600-h/cn.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8hdx7sDOVV0IseIBYYlXIj8eb3btrsSqpx0zdLQoxq9e9T__SoR0HFZBrgBchUcE-SCd4nItaolKC3K7zOnvl5o2fSC_hFIsGC9D5hMx_xaNazgj_AUhPHPKEBCepTkzSK5MYPGd6yvJ4/s320/cn.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163035242846752978" border="0" /></a><br />The beach near the temple.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZWddYpi_w3nz6TbqJPZufuRBjvOGvNqE2g1sCUyRigDy6LE67tbiKF81cIYNDIzHIGUQbyCctZeioJSn7imsL80x5OdQFaAVbetnmZnEc4UVnHhVQPFU98nGvch0gTW2zXYAaTKv2aFkZ/s1600-h/cm.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZWddYpi_w3nz6TbqJPZufuRBjvOGvNqE2g1sCUyRigDy6LE67tbiKF81cIYNDIzHIGUQbyCctZeioJSn7imsL80x5OdQFaAVbetnmZnEc4UVnHhVQPFU98nGvch0gTW2zXYAaTKv2aFkZ/s320/cm.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163035234256818370" border="0" /></a><br />Sunset over the city bridgeKosa Elyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09453593555835333447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1395969105079097916.post-25394103481450411942008-01-31T13:34:00.001-08:002008-12-10T21:45:01.187-08:00Dolphins & Koalas<span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><br />Bay of Islands<br /><br />Four hours north of Auckland is the famous Bay of Islands, with the warmest weather and water you’ll find in New Zealand.<br />Many of the residents of New Zealand’s Northland, both historically and present day, are of Maori descent. In the evening we went to a cultural presentation on the history of the Maori people presented by Maori youth and young adults in story, dance and song.<br /><br />Amongst the 144 islands dotting this bay there are dolphins, whales, penguins, and other varieties of sea life. Wanting to swim with the dolphins, we went out on a half day excursion around the bay. There are many eco guidelines in place to protect the dolphins, so we didn’t end up getting to swim with them, but we did enjoy some wonderful exchanges off the bow of the boat. All the dolphin pods we came upon had young calfs, so to protect them, no swimmers are allowed.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3dDDbhH2sGJbVazb8G_9rubpNXmFx8c35KA3gMo8ImwhwSfB2wCtkR-40sq_e9egLzSGh-RKzzemNhKtJFTwkM5eTonqO1IqucZZ698wIGkQuPwVsL1aa1FOqcbGNvN8f-5PNIfqE7kPB/s1600-h/ty.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3dDDbhH2sGJbVazb8G_9rubpNXmFx8c35KA3gMo8ImwhwSfB2wCtkR-40sq_e9egLzSGh-RKzzemNhKtJFTwkM5eTonqO1IqucZZ698wIGkQuPwVsL1aa1FOqcbGNvN8f-5PNIfqE7kPB/s320/ty.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161801204253331602" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Gaura took these dolphin photos from the boat<br />(not easy to get!)<br /><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVLSq8fr48dxHBEBP9pMGePZcDrpyVJ8-pkSSmlFDfvKy3GAYBsyG-SikfjuJX9JzJzW50YvQywju_dbRSl_T7g2QvynL1Nb6gs_2b_O5a6abX1Uapy8483Pe1vAk7X8idohA8eHoo24Lj/s1600-h/th.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVLSq8fr48dxHBEBP9pMGePZcDrpyVJ8-pkSSmlFDfvKy3GAYBsyG-SikfjuJX9JzJzW50YvQywju_dbRSl_T7g2QvynL1Nb6gs_2b_O5a6abX1Uapy8483Pe1vAk7X8idohA8eHoo24Lj/s320/th.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161798193481257058" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglgg4gJYF2ZqO2jtiulkGxoTaUDEBn7qA52au7UPxtGd_r2FTWsSx2Q77Y2o11R4m14Or3qVldsU7B5Qa_v6srSmI2GoDbL7rvHFbrBjVtWKzQ4OmBwXtX9vVPBriZFWF7ZUM_smuhba46/s1600-h/tr.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglgg4gJYF2ZqO2jtiulkGxoTaUDEBn7qA52au7UPxtGd_r2FTWsSx2Q77Y2o11R4m14Or3qVldsU7B5Qa_v6srSmI2GoDbL7rvHFbrBjVtWKzQ4OmBwXtX9vVPBriZFWF7ZUM_smuhba46/s320/tr.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161798227840995442" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">We were invited to lead an evening program about one hour south of the Bay of Islands.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> Vidyapati’s parents, Marleen and Bill, live near Whangarei, and host programs at their home from time to time. The bramacharis from Auckland stay with them sometimes to distribute books in the area, and invite the people they meet to these programs. It’s an informal get-together: teaching people how to sing kirtan, explaining why to chant and touching upon our basic philosophy, and of course, serving a wonderful dinner. Many of the guests stayed around for casual conversation and to ask questions ‘till after 10 pm. Can this simple format, with brand new people, be duplicated anywhere?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Fast Forward<br /><br />We’ve got about 3 weeks of blogging to catch up on, so we’re going to fast forward so we’re current, and fill in the missing weeks’ photos here and there. </span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7oFx-NNvS7l6EUjPJAVHqaLfQmSIBQTkFj-m1XJAAu4C5DanNT0Z0gh7kesnMEHBNU8UYnaUViA2WN8b-hO4bfykdxsPOHweufu0Yy2inlyTh1aL_sOa6xLWHC0iiYB72YHuqOnNatuf/s1600-h/IMG_1563.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7oFx-NNvS7l6EUjPJAVHqaLfQmSIBQTkFj-m1XJAAu4C5DanNT0Z0gh7kesnMEHBNU8UYnaUViA2WN8b-hO4bfykdxsPOHweufu0Yy2inlyTh1aL_sOa6xLWHC0iiYB72YHuqOnNatuf/s320/IMG_1563.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161765873852354626" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Melbourne, Australia</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">On the 2nd day of the retreat at Nandagram, 2 hours from Melbourne, Kaushal prabhu took us out to see the coast on Great Ocean Road and wild koala bears.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq6OuLpkQe-paUgBONCg_m5I4EwkK9xtHH5OL9AWye_KJjNdfOp8G60ktLAigDHOSkypvt3eGVL-yXQjLtRcpAK1ShGTs0j2ocYVfds52ptTFmHQo2DjN-4fef1eoLOoP9OCzGoohOHw49/s1600-h/IMG_1562.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq6OuLpkQe-paUgBONCg_m5I4EwkK9xtHH5OL9AWye_KJjNdfOp8G60ktLAigDHOSkypvt3eGVL-yXQjLtRcpAK1ShGTs0j2ocYVfds52ptTFmHQo2DjN-4fef1eoLOoP9OCzGoohOHw49/s320/IMG_1562.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161765951161765970" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIk3zqNL5LhdACJvBAFAb2InVLmuuGhD0cVqe5Fla89J5thTsoupN5L6AiXN6G5WS-ibas9WPPEkXsIRFoFwFjIumqnaUNe3kPuovGTFNJhv9Xxv8XpvgoRfCotcEVjB3LtiszBXEeRDxL/s1600-h/IMG_1558.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIk3zqNL5LhdACJvBAFAb2InVLmuuGhD0cVqe5Fla89J5thTsoupN5L6AiXN6G5WS-ibas9WPPEkXsIRFoFwFjIumqnaUNe3kPuovGTFNJhv9Xxv8XpvgoRfCotcEVjB3LtiszBXEeRDxL/s320/IMG_1558.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161764276124520482" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyFpY7Up4mEy13x9IbUSWrtyWCPUs8ocUMQ5cWQMJENs4RIlZLjY5sKCAlByyQefxr1YbUSl_eUJ4mwZZd0kUScCwU9Wu6Wn6Su0QmFQ4SryUVCcNSEFKijZFNm8dfUjPLanM3FPV3Mfsl/s1600-h/IMG_1561.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyFpY7Up4mEy13x9IbUSWrtyWCPUs8ocUMQ5cWQMJENs4RIlZLjY5sKCAlByyQefxr1YbUSl_eUJ4mwZZd0kUScCwU9Wu6Wn6Su0QmFQ4SryUVCcNSEFKijZFNm8dfUjPLanM3FPV3Mfsl/s320/IMG_1561.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161764327664128050" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt0S996h9ONIb07zKc2zfzVbQUa9jWQfbZxmzNBs0zW79_4KxGI9mVcHSwUbPDSDazx7EMPHFR5AberkjH8DGa36fBko66nQ_d_BiW3OKEayiVaA-uHksWimeXFjoNbGJs13tNY8Pv4o2y/s1600-h/IMG_1549.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt0S996h9ONIb07zKc2zfzVbQUa9jWQfbZxmzNBs0zW79_4KxGI9mVcHSwUbPDSDazx7EMPHFR5AberkjH8DGa36fBko66nQ_d_BiW3OKEayiVaA-uHksWimeXFjoNbGJs13tNY8Pv4o2y/s320/IMG_1549.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161762081396232194" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Gaura climbed high in the Eucalyuptus trees to take these photos</span><br /><br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyM85nK34NEt4UsUNLE5C_Fgg6kq7zkfRTmKr0uv5hMxLARuuvCJylBT1OOi5tL4qbLbPGR4jccypBWqKWt_Pg1ym0gBJcrW2Yo7TLJbvfNFbOhTxwGQTgLq0ye4PLJo1hu1pTPdQBxqi4/s1600-h/IMG_1552.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyM85nK34NEt4UsUNLE5C_Fgg6kq7zkfRTmKr0uv5hMxLARuuvCJylBT1OOi5tL4qbLbPGR4jccypBWqKWt_Pg1ym0gBJcrW2Yo7TLJbvfNFbOhTxwGQTgLq0ye4PLJo1hu1pTPdQBxqi4/s320/IMG_1552.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161762158705643538" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifhuYlVMSqw7wZrs0BfQce_1QOEAHWI8i1mOK32oiPNQSnR-eUup84XXqQQe667PgVxz_8sJHaR1I-uYEUWRiPMyy79q_1SyutCmJz1NUlWQU3iINFCJXZpA2B55Pywys6lOYk47749d13/s1600-h/IMG_1544.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifhuYlVMSqw7wZrs0BfQce_1QOEAHWI8i1mOK32oiPNQSnR-eUup84XXqQQe667PgVxz_8sJHaR1I-uYEUWRiPMyy79q_1SyutCmJz1NUlWQU3iINFCJXZpA2B55Pywys6lOYk47749d13/s320/IMG_1544.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161760105711276018" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> He even shot this one while balancing in the tree</span><br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-C1U4PpIfTvLjX9eSvCa39n-kXC92BMJZG2D6nFFVYzqb58DO5I_-q7VkAFkPe0uyGQTrSRJ2iXqtRkbvy9mrtnzFjSCie1CI5a7sAW2G1pnGKexNQ-3KMOXZFwx9J6-U-Nrbsku6WPs/s1600-h/IMG_1522.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-C1U4PpIfTvLjX9eSvCa39n-kXC92BMJZG2D6nFFVYzqb58DO5I_-q7VkAFkPe0uyGQTrSRJ2iXqtRkbvy9mrtnzFjSCie1CI5a7sAW2G1pnGKexNQ-3KMOXZFwx9J6-U-Nrbsku6WPs/s320/IMG_1522.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161758675487166402" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAS8SrmQ1IeR37fHj6H7s3KWZZi3s0JX9sartwayLuZPWq0S41snOWMxFCv7WK7pI8l6wIfYt_vsxR8Ug0kgT2fvJfkdG0dPXHD9QaBA-xMs5PQuzOMCwnRBz1XvpXEkBVdDX99P2kHN6w/s1600-h/IMG_1527.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAS8SrmQ1IeR37fHj6H7s3KWZZi3s0JX9sartwayLuZPWq0S41snOWMxFCv7WK7pI8l6wIfYt_vsxR8Ug0kgT2fvJfkdG0dPXHD9QaBA-xMs5PQuzOMCwnRBz1XvpXEkBVdDX99P2kHN6w/s320/IMG_1527.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161758705551937490" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1CBrzOSZpdWOFLHb2vMdeiod_Glv2cn8ouuLn-av_gu4-2JmoWyLldCa0zP2r2J-EsC7KJwmt9g-EHCvoRd3A5jEuUUPtfFZyklIaNU8pAyEjwZQiuIDtEW1nmKSefP3o1zAojrQGtxP0/s1600-h/IMG_1528.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1CBrzOSZpdWOFLHb2vMdeiod_Glv2cn8ouuLn-av_gu4-2JmoWyLldCa0zP2r2J-EsC7KJwmt9g-EHCvoRd3A5jEuUUPtfFZyklIaNU8pAyEjwZQiuIDtEW1nmKSefP3o1zAojrQGtxP0/s320/IMG_1528.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161760045581733858" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:arial;">I got these two shots from below, as Gaura bonded with his new friend</span><br /></div>Kosa Elyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09453593555835333447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1395969105079097916.post-19833080530042897032008-01-31T12:37:00.000-08:002008-12-10T21:45:03.507-08:00Anniversary of Deity installation at New Varshana<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrTBINow_oBEJxO6P033VpdMuJxn3DnNgAjczSdv7M-pvTm23u4ggjakaRlPRiRmtyKlC91LgjXsyhVuAKYQPbLv8xMIZgK0p-S27xh-L0bYy1ApRXTcV90KeFlExSi6GzjC1KCw_3f1_7/s1600-h/Giridhari.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrTBINow_oBEJxO6P033VpdMuJxn3DnNgAjczSdv7M-pvTm23u4ggjakaRlPRiRmtyKlC91LgjXsyhVuAKYQPbLv8xMIZgK0p-S27xh-L0bYy1ApRXTcV90KeFlExSi6GzjC1KCw_3f1_7/s320/Giridhari.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161746490664947586" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Back to Auckland for the 3 day festival at New Varshana<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfrgt_yX1twg1_FHQxJrRO3sYW3lGIT5_r5QKs3EiC0XNFgOU7N-NSZ9kYODl9PFjCY8z_yDZAZmZ50ebfdSGCe8YdYFcnwiMo8zfRvKWNkwtUJ3HklmfYNJgF-QQ7_AsH8t6yuviEujdP/s1600-h/altar-sweets.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfrgt_yX1twg1_FHQxJrRO3sYW3lGIT5_r5QKs3EiC0XNFgOU7N-NSZ9kYODl9PFjCY8z_yDZAZmZ50ebfdSGCe8YdYFcnwiMo8zfRvKWNkwtUJ3HklmfYNJgF-QQ7_AsH8t6yuviEujdP/s320/altar-sweets.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161751816424394674" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />The presiding deities, Sri Sri Gaura Nitai, Sri Sri Radha Giridhari, and Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra, were all personally installed by Srila Prabhupada thirty-five years ago.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi835yMPiBuZNTr9G_vd_BoygFaJEZEoayqFz2Ts-m1hHZzYoL9notuuV5bYgU3rEb0r9_iPr2OOtS1clWc0N-bJCYMaWyqVa1NybrDE2uVMMkoho43TmKofQOZGp9TNqt1nFviWaon4xo7/s1600-h/JBS+abhisheka.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi835yMPiBuZNTr9G_vd_BoygFaJEZEoayqFz2Ts-m1hHZzYoL9notuuV5bYgU3rEb0r9_iPr2OOtS1clWc0N-bJCYMaWyqVa1NybrDE2uVMMkoho43TmKofQOZGp9TNqt1nFviWaon4xo7/s320/JBS+abhisheka.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161748689688203170" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Each day the festivities, abhisekha, bhajans, and class, center on one of the sets of Deities. Friday the festival is centered on Gaura Nitai, Saturday; Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra, and Sunday; Sri Sri Radha Giridhari</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-8kdc-Fjy6mpIYPDg8a4XCbHL9XR4OzJ0eXvfHhWZQEAtE3lD1kUBwiZ5pqdan8nfgQ0lRgbjqGv6pEhnIIHmmVTefM7fgSXLTUyrwR9mFztm_EWINOAxAnIAIgdpdBy4ktMF10sWcNzI/s1600-h/DAS+ghee+lamp.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-8kdc-Fjy6mpIYPDg8a4XCbHL9XR4OzJ0eXvfHhWZQEAtE3lD1kUBwiZ5pqdan8nfgQ0lRgbjqGv6pEhnIIHmmVTefM7fgSXLTUyrwR9mFztm_EWINOAxAnIAIgdpdBy4ktMF10sWcNzI/s320/DAS+ghee+lamp.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161743853555027794" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Thousands of flowers are strung into beautiful garlands to decorate the altar and to make flower dresses for the Deities. Plates are filled with sweets and savories. Hundreds of devotees gather to sing and dance for the Lord. The main program begins at 4 pm and continues until 10 pm each day. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><br />Devamrita Swami offers Sri Sri Radha Giridhari ghee lamps<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Flower Abhisheka for Sri Sri Radha Giridhari<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5QPybxTDSexq44aaIcS2P-Q6-FK4RQDBaZl8wbZnXD_-24LxWx6xm0dxTVjmN7kRdv_HeqgAj0S-3v_MYBpJtZQvmt-Ey5_MelP1-HQpnCH-yptVbUP0lRML8IS3hBvgZPq32Qr48X52/s1600-h/Kosa+flowers.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5QPybxTDSexq44aaIcS2P-Q6-FK4RQDBaZl8wbZnXD_-24LxWx6xm0dxTVjmN7kRdv_HeqgAj0S-3v_MYBpJtZQvmt-Ey5_MelP1-HQpnCH-yptVbUP0lRML8IS3hBvgZPq32Qr48X52/s320/Kosa+flowers.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161744841397505890" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWnVGNS2mB6VqN-ZNpYjjpOtQHp5V3gaZNm_XpgDmtggoE4wCwTXyT2IfkkvsSnf9YwS21-oaUiecWOmwYRlEeupuSN0aI_EP1D5ESzhgsgkmE-SkVvG6lWAqtdPQyNyGFf0IB25KvLkHd/s1600-h/bh+flowers.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWnVGNS2mB6VqN-ZNpYjjpOtQHp5V3gaZNm_XpgDmtggoE4wCwTXyT2IfkkvsSnf9YwS21-oaUiecWOmwYRlEeupuSN0aI_EP1D5ESzhgsgkmE-SkVvG6lWAqtdPQyNyGFf0IB25KvLkHd/s320/bh+flowers.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161747564406771602" border="0" /></a>Kosa Elyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09453593555835333447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1395969105079097916.post-78580976627926765802008-01-31T11:38:00.000-08:002008-12-10T21:45:04.359-08:00Otaki Retreat<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi55TptT17nG0GT1Ntp9krU3A0J0pMUDFkBZRiCmiGUdifHHl_gEar-YcI-XTeD1g4n5aPYWGxBUNj-eqMa6MJ-heW-EgdO08PbxVILRPOwmHBYT3yUYtqu-HOvBXDEmGvSo2m1E9SnH7IX/s1600-h/ladies+retreat.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi55TptT17nG0GT1Ntp9krU3A0J0pMUDFkBZRiCmiGUdifHHl_gEar-YcI-XTeD1g4n5aPYWGxBUNj-eqMa6MJ-heW-EgdO08PbxVILRPOwmHBYT3yUYtqu-HOvBXDEmGvSo2m1E9SnH7IX/s320/ladies+retreat.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161738815558389538" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">What happens when eighty young, enthusiastic Hare Krishnas gather together with their spiritual master for an entire week of festivities? Fantastic kirtans, serious dancing, enlivening classes, new realizations, and delicious prasadam. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;">The Otaki retreat center is on the Otaki River so there was swimming and rafting too, beautiful nature walks, rain and sunshine. In New Zealand, expect it all! </span> <span style="font-family:arial;">On Saturday Devamrita Maharaja held initiations for 19 disciples. These devotees practice Krishna consciousness for close to two years (or more) before taking their vows for hari- nama initiation, and at least two more years before taking brahman initiation. The personal training and guidance they receive from both their spiritual master and their mentors is impressive, and it shows up in the retention rate amongst his disciples.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizVF6VcWBclWzbyAvnQMQJ2QoBMeNub0yj24Ygus69DweMlNDNJdRIOWdh_L2ffPwgXKEvUEWgC-gEEO2WBGCeICDnaGftZD9766yP7qjKJeWpp19sOydbO_9MbC3iTByq4W7_DdNSiFvq/s1600-h/ladies+retreat+2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizVF6VcWBclWzbyAvnQMQJ2QoBMeNub0yj24Ygus69DweMlNDNJdRIOWdh_L2ffPwgXKEvUEWgC-gEEO2WBGCeICDnaGftZD9766yP7qjKJeWpp19sOydbO_9MbC3iTByq4W7_DdNSiFvq/s320/ladies+retreat+2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161739794810933042" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">The prasadam at the retreat was exceptionally wonderful. I found out there was a bit of a competition going on between the cooks from each center, each endeavoring to out-do the others. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Bada Hari and I took breakfast and lunch prasadam with Devamrita Maharaja every day, giving us the opportunity to ask dozens of questions and get a glimpse into the strategy of Maharaja’s preaching. <br />When I mentioned how much I appreciated the enthusiasm and expertise all these devotees have in cooking prasadam. Maharaja explained how in the early days of ISKCON many devotees learned to cook, and cooking for Krishna was wonderful service. Over the years it became a chore, to the point where many temples have no cooks, and have to “hire” cooks. <br />He desired to reintroduce the enthusiasm and blissfulness of cooking for Krishna. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;">Well it’s working. Most of his disciples are wonderful cooks, and they consistently make new devotees with the delicious prasadam they serve at their centers.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"> </span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Women’s Retreat</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSHJioUH9tnPGGG7JQzzEFHT3ZtrByNx2SX7OjWOBsmufgMck0By4RlmaoWKfSBD9ZNxuy51AxpMq-Tx3CLxtD1VCgi21q0bxdZ8Oyf1StEA4QtJm95l8QfiU06mIzvsnoqIGAdKi9o7VQ/s1600-h/watching+skit.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSHJioUH9tnPGGG7JQzzEFHT3ZtrByNx2SX7OjWOBsmufgMck0By4RlmaoWKfSBD9ZNxuy51AxpMq-Tx3CLxtD1VCgi21q0bxdZ8Oyf1StEA4QtJm95l8QfiU06mIzvsnoqIGAdKi9o7VQ/s320/watching+skit.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161740688164130626" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The next three days the retreat split into two: one for the ladies and one for the men. The schedule was adjusted to give more time for reading and resting (and socializing).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Each evening I facilitated a workshop on "Skills and tools for the Grihasta Asrama". It turned out to be a wonderful forum for discussion and heart-felt sharing. I appreciated having the time to get to know these Vaishnavis. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Gaura Haven</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZY8hZ5AWodW7br-Gcde_Y7JgE5Rpp-ZWre8yF9w0sO4qvC_UgWRowS6F39Ot7iGPdCyf9XzBp-vZeUo6FbO6S-e-7iGwWTZzmqEFqRt5vE1VVaxSfNuK0PmHM3K6li0DdE-Y7eaXBSEfZ/s1600-h/G.+Haven.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZY8hZ5AWodW7br-Gcde_Y7JgE5Rpp-ZWre8yF9w0sO4qvC_UgWRowS6F39Ot7iGPdCyf9XzBp-vZeUo6FbO6S-e-7iGwWTZzmqEFqRt5vE1VVaxSfNuK0PmHM3K6li0DdE-Y7eaXBSEfZ/s320/G.+Haven.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161736105434025730" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Recently acquired to serve as a mini-retreat facility, this lovely home and surrounding property of about 25 acres accommodates up to 18 persons.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPMy9n4_2Y3X8tHxK_wQx-Aro3DXow4wdCXnsv2UMvnWDLfWzKJR0GbP2hHIaatUZdnzMRS6JpBsI6jXHUp9GWiICUJenzSXs7-d-dHzEKleQxQgrgjBWnz-wks60crWkljWfvXU6RrQdG/s1600-h/GH+chairs.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPMy9n4_2Y3X8tHxK_wQx-Aro3DXow4wdCXnsv2UMvnWDLfWzKJR0GbP2hHIaatUZdnzMRS6JpBsI6jXHUp9GWiICUJenzSXs7-d-dHzEKleQxQgrgjBWnz-wks60crWkljWfvXU6RrQdG/s320/GH+chairs.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161737071801667346" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Gaura Yoga, in Wellington, is less than an hour away. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">We stayed at Gaura Haven for the ten days of the retreats.</span>Kosa Elyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09453593555835333447noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1395969105079097916.post-68044740807179330882008-01-20T16:59:00.000-08:002008-12-10T21:45:04.595-08:00Kayak Trip<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRucgycFYGrXvCBq30RfVJHq9_SoYstVtfUr-s0ZlWi_1y80Wy2JFQnGhrpr0Flxu3aoF0w8ji50MRxJjaTYRy7xrU_EscpOTGeoMk9V6GCy1-JnHWqP9HFkbhgBJxjQty9WRT3Wj2Qr-/s1600-h/kayak+river.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRucgycFYGrXvCBq30RfVJHq9_SoYstVtfUr-s0ZlWi_1y80Wy2JFQnGhrpr0Flxu3aoF0w8ji50MRxJjaTYRy7xrU_EscpOTGeoMk9V6GCy1-JnHWqP9HFkbhgBJxjQty9WRT3Wj2Qr-/s320/kayak+river.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157729834514949042" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">The only kayaking I’ve done has been on the Ichatuckhee River in Florida. There you have the favorable river current the whole way (you can sleep in your kayak and end up at your destination). </span> <span style="font-family:arial;">When we set out on our Kayak course we didn’t know we would be seriously paddling for 3 to 4 hours, and against strong currents for more than an hour. Life is an adventure and so was our kayak trip. We traveled through a winding river that led us to Lake Taupo, crossed over the stunning lake to the canal, ducked under bridges, hiked up a hill and over a bridge (with our kayaks on foot), then slid our kayaks down a steep riverbank to re-enter the river that would return us to our starting point. It was a good workout. Unfortunately the sunscreen was insufficient for the duration of our exposure and we got intense burns on our legs that we sorely wore for the week to come.</span>Kosa Elyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09453593555835333447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1395969105079097916.post-75149692761037443042007-12-21T16:13:00.000-08:002008-12-10T21:45:07.863-08:00Week of December 14th thru 21st<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCHDrlxBoOfhgparwemr01K9QPBy7W8NbaaXxTl0eiIDdfu_1_-gE-lbM3ySVKHvb5i5xhFjFxiZYP2UhK0RWSjA_J2aWGf5k_mFM1hOZ_riSpjqoNGFqNf6A57ngsY7txURISciDMjlwh/s1600-h/IMG_0508.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCHDrlxBoOfhgparwemr01K9QPBy7W8NbaaXxTl0eiIDdfu_1_-gE-lbM3ySVKHvb5i5xhFjFxiZYP2UhK0RWSjA_J2aWGf5k_mFM1hOZ_riSpjqoNGFqNf6A57ngsY7txURISciDMjlwh/s320/IMG_0508.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146591962114204450" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Life at the Beach</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br />Here is the beach we go to - about two blocks from the house we are staying in on Auckland's North Shore.<br /><br />Below is the middle school we pass on the way to the beach.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMZrawmc9rRUJ3sOiSAnmbaImeaXFZkmJVTY72sUgZqsJ9a908PWGmLW9_M-VXGGIXsKUCFqHRSknMPFknhElKKDMEHt1Pdm4jhd7gXM0kb2mWbgY_z-BzmFVWe2eY7_WR7ySnPVbdCHw/s1600-h/IMG_0506.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMZrawmc9rRUJ3sOiSAnmbaImeaXFZkmJVTY72sUgZqsJ9a908PWGmLW9_M-VXGGIXsKUCFqHRSknMPFknhElKKDMEHt1Pdm4jhd7gXM0kb2mWbgY_z-BzmFVWe2eY7_WR7ySnPVbdCHw/s320/IMG_0506.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146599332278084434" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQEFtcoK4Tb0oAYgIVCNKKR40xGrl-fn34PnrSedax_ULpQ2Gf1f_T-neroxZ8PQtQ-EiwxXCoA97MpsV_EwUzrHG76MTuPLBajf4R66u-OHuDMPheqze9Ot-fk5cRhVFp2VJF39U4jB8/s1600-h/IMG_0502.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQEFtcoK4Tb0oAYgIVCNKKR40xGrl-fn34PnrSedax_ULpQ2Gf1f_T-neroxZ8PQtQ-EiwxXCoA97MpsV_EwUzrHG76MTuPLBajf4R66u-OHuDMPheqze9Ot-fk5cRhVFp2VJF39U4jB8/s320/IMG_0502.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146594732368110402" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">More than a week has quickly passed by since my last blog. Bada Hari returned from Australia Saturday eve, and Sunday we enjoyed a pancake brunch cooked by Varsana, daughter of Rasayatra and Jhulan Yatra.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Next we went to the Temple where a Gita Jayanti festival was being held, and more than 200 people were gathered to chant the entire Bhagavad Gita together.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Then off to The Loft for the Krishna Fest. I was invited to give the class and Bada Hari led the kirtan and bhajans. The devotees take cooking seriously and they go all out to prepare delcious, wholesome meals and desserts. Check out the cool look of their signboard (below). They use this for their invitation cards too.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48bpknRu_RnnjpJrDvkx7QSeTZHrZB1kjWr1hRVbDkzMZdIZvbEgn_RafQgywF4LeT1Dx_kwytKlVXjrLro2b8QF6xW-Visq-PKDw0BGKtvJOY28zbcOs3PEtX2eLoYSRNxRJUcAPl5Dp/s1600-h/IMG_0577.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48bpknRu_RnnjpJrDvkx7QSeTZHrZB1kjWr1hRVbDkzMZdIZvbEgn_RafQgywF4LeT1Dx_kwytKlVXjrLro2b8QF6xW-Visq-PKDw0BGKtvJOY28zbcOs3PEtX2eLoYSRNxRJUcAPl5Dp/s320/IMG_0577.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146590759523361538" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br />We've had the opportunity to visit devotee homes and businesses, The Loft, the school, and the temple, every day this week.<br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFEQNUgWG7UEnO2jqqadU-PAE0r_NivqfdIZPpaocDJL3iRKIakPog0gFbkIj6kLMw72M2w3FUB_Aanr-dDHBKASyk2dHATEOkuzUw_6RUOo8jj9BvnnO2aa-GxbDLPCxYvNTp4MtvrKuY/s1600-h/IMG_0554.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFEQNUgWG7UEnO2jqqadU-PAE0r_NivqfdIZPpaocDJL3iRKIakPog0gFbkIj6kLMw72M2w3FUB_Aanr-dDHBKASyk2dHATEOkuzUw_6RUOo8jj9BvnnO2aa-GxbDLPCxYvNTp4MtvrKuY/s320/IMG_0554.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146590776703230738" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">It was the kid's last week of school, so Gaura didn't want to miss a day of play. He is the oldest kid, so he has been the self-appointed playground coach. On Thursday, the last day before summer break, the older kids played rugby, and Gaura scored 14 goals. He was exhausted and very happy.<br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmrN3YyunDwLuiWRkbQz_GaWlVR_BSmLkaeky1oTqPqp5G7hhkXZjm0bTOmmq06iTvdXBM-d_8ZpK__xsZEaeGXanbY_gzpjoK9QYz2uhul47Nuxs8711GoZTU7ehyphenhyphen-aLQ9hsY3L8kK9l/s1600-h/IMG_0526.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmrN3YyunDwLuiWRkbQz_GaWlVR_BSmLkaeky1oTqPqp5G7hhkXZjm0bTOmmq06iTvdXBM-d_8ZpK__xsZEaeGXanbY_gzpjoK9QYz2uhul47Nuxs8711GoZTU7ehyphenhyphen-aLQ9hsY3L8kK9l/s320/IMG_0526.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146599370932790130" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">The Takapuna Library, our internet connection, home school resource, and more, is on The Strand, just up from the beach.<br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2fZKY27jQmXVD43OPf2MsyXtdTxd6zUaP8U4tTC0oPUpdw__ZHB2_QFzWoTur0XAiFS3Ib6d0Z6IllIsjN187B_UyRuX3HzJqOS6VxIFrDzXe15AFQn0e7Wf6t3ktHxVwUJrfMXcYV8gA/s1600-h/IMG_0497.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 380px; height: 285px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2fZKY27jQmXVD43OPf2MsyXtdTxd6zUaP8U4tTC0oPUpdw__ZHB2_QFzWoTur0XAiFS3Ib6d0Z6IllIsjN187B_UyRuX3HzJqOS6VxIFrDzXe15AFQn0e7Wf6t3ktHxVwUJrfMXcYV8gA/s320/IMG_0497.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146588723708863202" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDwSB6U3IIFKe2nUu8-Ut-9d3BkTuwFyLY5xdkyT00vc-1LB0KwreJtg6bPM1vP2wbN9W0EfjLe7SOV30B80BaI-Krux-p2keypJMs8V_O5GhVcWZd9WDGjkYA1RGEIwf4ZFthL27qee4a/s1600-h/IMG_0499.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDwSB6U3IIFKe2nUu8-Ut-9d3BkTuwFyLY5xdkyT00vc-1LB0KwreJtg6bPM1vP2wbN9W0EfjLe7SOV30B80BaI-Krux-p2keypJMs8V_O5GhVcWZd9WDGjkYA1RGEIwf4ZFthL27qee4a/s320/IMG_0499.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146603678784988034" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /><br /><br />The beach from the Library, only one block, but who's counting. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">So far, everywhere we've been we get to enjoy the ocean air. With all the wind and all the rain New Zealand gets, the air is very crisp and clean. </span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"> </span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /><br />Monday and Wednesday evenings at The Loft Karana Karana teaches Hatha Yoga, and Tuesday and Thursday evening Gopesvari teaches Astanga Yoga. Bada Hari and I have been enjoying both of their classes (sorry no photos, we're always too preoccupied with our asanas). Between twenty five to fifty guests come each evening, and after a hard workout they are served a fantastic dinner and dessert. It's a great deal, $15 for both yoga and dinner, and student rate is only $12.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOpOyxdt9iCElgRmGvMJ0lQWGpdtHbEvFEM5BrSiL2bXVJpN6qc58cIWkN0vLmdvFs5jPpuxRvMie-MUJcNFnvAndChfYAdiz605V6hOJxdHHUUIjzIQ-ybfT2qeFMYW_rzEbgElesOUaB/s1600-h/IMG_0479.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOpOyxdt9iCElgRmGvMJ0lQWGpdtHbEvFEM5BrSiL2bXVJpN6qc58cIWkN0vLmdvFs5jPpuxRvMie-MUJcNFnvAndChfYAdiz605V6hOJxdHHUUIjzIQ-ybfT2qeFMYW_rzEbgElesOUaB/s320/IMG_0479.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146599353752920930" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">The people I meet here at The Loft are from all over the world. Some have been coming regularly for over a year, others are here for their first time.<br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWc31coTwdKCT3MBo79-eYxV9vTlv3xLJBTwmb_Jd0-Dc7p-q-a0ChPXBhsSWhmTGXex20RtQ3cRUPRtqTYPVqxcGjcEj3gx-PK4c99y5d5imD_JaM_JSZpqm-2XZ09_TNypI7bX2uYjip/s1600-h/IMG_0482.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWc31coTwdKCT3MBo79-eYxV9vTlv3xLJBTwmb_Jd0-Dc7p-q-a0ChPXBhsSWhmTGXex20RtQ3cRUPRtqTYPVqxcGjcEj3gx-PK4c99y5d5imD_JaM_JSZpqm-2XZ09_TNypI7bX2uYjip/s320/IMG_0482.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146594715188241202" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">The first day Gaura and I visited the school, when I was introduced to the teachers here, they all knew my book, The Prince and the Polestar, and said all the NZ Krsna kids know it too. They warmly encouraged me to write more books. I said yes, I have many books I want to produce, as soon as I find an illustrator.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">That night I thought of the artist, Dina Bandhu das, who painted the beautiful paintings adorning the temple here. Why not ask him? He is an accomplished artist and illustrator. He and his wife, Karuna Manjari, know Bada Hari from the Ukraine, and they are living here at the Auckland farm.</span> <span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /><br />This week I had the good fortune of meeting with Dina Bandhu several times, and we are making plans to produce children's books together. This is, so far, the highlight of my trip.<br /><br />Tonight Bada Hari is singing evening kirtan and bhajans at the Temple. Tomorrow morning we head south to enjoy a couple days of hot mineral springs in Tapao, on the way to Otaki, where 100 devotees are gathering for a retreat for 10 days.<br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12PAISnwixQM6ckfzBwRPH62t_dGKW4mE87Vy8RjJOo-9gSckg8_wfMEhEPXXxtoK27rpqi1W3qVYoQc_RBsnmGvEkR9SRTMdLX_YaTgrJPm8MvzAcMggZfie4Pa86U3LgpL0mrGn_WXW/s1600-h/IMG_0489.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 417px; height: 311px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12PAISnwixQM6ckfzBwRPH62t_dGKW4mE87Vy8RjJOo-9gSckg8_wfMEhEPXXxtoK27rpqi1W3qVYoQc_RBsnmGvEkR9SRTMdLX_YaTgrJPm8MvzAcMggZfie4Pa86U3LgpL0mrGn_WXW/s320/IMG_0489.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146603695964857234" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">It doesn't appear that anyone misses out on Christmas here in Auckland, though it lacks a lot of the hype and consumerism of the US. Check out the cool life-size wooden solider.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"></span><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE24rzhGwl_RUxVCe59Cdu187eJGjJcdHhHZ60Od0tZV2G-hj3Zh5u8dVV3tR-tMNGvAmhbJJ-6NxwPbw4rcxen3L5-hqbdp_512yYCmV5geEUOs8R7JIKJq9S7_1mH28nLG7Qf-VuDRps/s1600-h/IMG_0496.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE24rzhGwl_RUxVCe59Cdu187eJGjJcdHhHZ60Od0tZV2G-hj3Zh5u8dVV3tR-tMNGvAmhbJJ-6NxwPbw4rcxen3L5-hqbdp_512yYCmV5geEUOs8R7JIKJq9S7_1mH28nLG7Qf-VuDRps/s320/IMG_0496.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146603717439693730" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">...and in case any of you are wondering, an equivalent of Calendar Club does exist in New Zealand. If you are out working a mall<br />may you have a very successful season. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">HAPPY HOLIDAYS!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Enjoy the time with your family and friends. </span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">I'm grateful to have you in my life and send </span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">you my love and prayers. </span></div>Kosa Elyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09453593555835333447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1395969105079097916.post-45822195002460128242007-12-12T15:25:00.000-08:002008-12-10T21:45:11.340-08:00New Zealand - Auckland<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Day before our Departure</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN9CM9C-kVyVXZN4srROrF837XUxr6d-G0gegjibeY-8hCfp8kyyAlDYh6Bh5QIU8ulU1SYH9KMI90t3W3LRepGeh6Udcd0CHD0DkWUv5jJax_oebCOx0dLYoqVOqRZdZuu_ngy_8MSpo9/s1600-h/IMG_155.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN9CM9C-kVyVXZN4srROrF837XUxr6d-G0gegjibeY-8hCfp8kyyAlDYh6Bh5QIU8ulU1SYH9KMI90t3W3LRepGeh6Udcd0CHD0DkWUv5jJax_oebCOx0dLYoqVOqRZdZuu_ngy_8MSpo9/s320/IMG_155.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143264445683741026" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Sunday, Dec. 2nd</span></span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />We had the privilege of hosting Raghu Nandini and Govinda’s wedding at our house in Gainesville. About 90 guests, family and friends, gathered under the majestic oak trees to witness</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> their fire ceremony and the taking of their vows. </span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Raghu looks so beautiful, like an English princess, with her fair skin beautifully contrasted by her red sari and elegant jewelry, her hair set in ringlets with yellow roses and daisies, her shy and enchanting smile and sparkling eyes.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;">Govinda looks pretty good too.<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><br /></span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ9eJlCODxfgSIPZiCPrAkAlqVnCsYHn1p396imQpM0cfVicUhhXy2lk4jbzPEl9E27IpMdm01-7bztjDvqmIIg3sCfsdSavAMRGLl6kcfJIQo3eeC1zjEXN7tE6S_IKG52T2zoh6eqvXO/s1600-h/IMG_0170.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 339px; height: 245px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ9eJlCODxfgSIPZiCPrAkAlqVnCsYHn1p396imQpM0cfVicUhhXy2lk4jbzPEl9E27IpMdm01-7bztjDvqmIIg3sCfsdSavAMRGLl6kcfJIQo3eeC1zjEXN7tE6S_IKG52T2zoh6eqvXO/s320/IMG_0170.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143276158059557234" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><br /></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><br /><br /><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><br /><br />Monday, Dec. 3rd</span> </span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />Leaving Gainesville</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />Jatari kindly came to our house in the early morning to bring us to the airport. What a friend!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I’m happy to report we had our medium size suitcases underweight (this may be a first in recorded history for my international travels). </span> <span style="font-family:verdana;">To our surprise, our Delta airline rep offered to check our bags all the way through to Auckland. I had used miles for our flight to LA, so it was an unexpected perk that we would not have to collect our luggage in LA and recheck it. </span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />LAX</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNq1peSStaUYQ53l5ctwuVjUPhavRWWeRQYfCMDBkOKVpW5NH0jjmrHlSDUXXVYhsElX84_k_1JJOetUIs5Y9mGHnODznMzo76y51FnBi1KvHlUTDKkS988o9ekiWhe4kCpLzLgspHDdjb/s1600-h/IMG_0182.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 159px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNq1peSStaUYQ53l5ctwuVjUPhavRWWeRQYfCMDBkOKVpW5NH0jjmrHlSDUXXVYhsElX84_k_1JJOetUIs5Y9mGHnODznMzo76y51FnBi1KvHlUTDKkS988o9ekiWhe4kCpLzLgspHDdjb/s320/IMG_0182.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143282261208084866" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Once on the ground in LA we checked in (way early) with Quantas Airlines and got our boarding passes effortlessly. An hour or so later, Nrsimhananda (aka David Shapiro) kindly picked us up and took us to the LA temple and restaurant. Waiting for us there were a couple of his friends who have a raw food café and want to add Amazon Herbs to their customer offering. It was a fun, but brief hour, and then back to the airport. We were ever so grateful to Nrsimhananda for giving us the opportunity to have darshan of Sri Sri Rukmini Dwarkadish and dinner at Govinda’s. It made our journey auspicious.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">Tail winds shortened the flight to eleven hours. As the plane neared New Zealand we witnessed an amazing sunrise over the ocean and some outlaying islands. </span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;">Tuesday, Dec. 4th</span> </span> <span style="font-family:verdana;">was mysteriously gone – something about crossing the Date Line. </span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;">Wednesday, Dec. 5th</span></span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />Arrival in Auckland<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjBfdNygSJ3jYQ8MDNa3ZMDDBeyERo93NhD5IE9fKklRMThlBNKy0Ol6IMa-4IVq1zJ3s-fGpH2skwvqX3dGuohfURICUkWKLVnEOUMHWJCqgYbo0E93WwOxeAP-qE7I01KyrQd0G84fh8/s1600-h/IMG_0227.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjBfdNygSJ3jYQ8MDNa3ZMDDBeyERo93NhD5IE9fKklRMThlBNKy0Ol6IMa-4IVq1zJ3s-fGpH2skwvqX3dGuohfURICUkWKLVnEOUMHWJCqgYbo0E93WwOxeAP-qE7I01KyrQd0G84fh8/s320/IMG_0227.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143287260550017426" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">We moved effortlessly through immigration and customs - except for our New Zealand apples that had come with us from Florida - they were not permitted back into their country of origin, but were put in the quarantine bin. We found that amusing.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnWw12x0mwVCCGS_Sj310RsmJUNY8tpFiBfLTyCdy5Ha7hSHrz6G45rJuVbxue4kYrMy6SE1oa_KveRVfK8FIGyRSSGxox2DNs_Db7rnGG8DFw7EQHJMrtMn_R8BcPXohFlaSdjH42FfFB/s1600-h/IMG_0234.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnWw12x0mwVCCGS_Sj310RsmJUNY8tpFiBfLTyCdy5Ha7hSHrz6G45rJuVbxue4kYrMy6SE1oa_KveRVfK8FIGyRSSGxox2DNs_Db7rnGG8DFw7EQHJMrtMn_R8BcPXohFlaSdjH42FfFB/s320/IMG_0234.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143289846120329634" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />When filling out our arrival card, it occurred to me that we had no phone number for anyone in New Zealand and no address. Other than emailing our itinerary to our host, we had no real plan or back up plan, and our host was in Australia. Hmmm…a bit of an oversight.<br /><br /><br /></span> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhUSIUB68beIXLlvGDiqajmOjdsOSv5htj2yjI0DdN49WG1qIZUcl5Ltr_xAp7JrwYSn8AjfN5X9RyXfHhFgOzXCDi1JLy8vT9vh6WT3lCTEbF2Fr-1ljZmHgbt42gWdH2jxj1Mse1Tq8J/s1600-h/IMG_0244.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhUSIUB68beIXLlvGDiqajmOjdsOSv5htj2yjI0DdN49WG1qIZUcl5Ltr_xAp7JrwYSn8AjfN5X9RyXfHhFgOzXCDi1JLy8vT9vh6WT3lCTEbF2Fr-1ljZmHgbt42gWdH2jxj1Mse1Tq8J/s320/IMG_0244.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143289897659937202" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">As soon as we came through the gate we are greeted by Bhava Sandhi dasi, nullifying my concern for a back up plan. Bhava Sandhi manages the preaching center in downtown Auckland and has arranged everything!<br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhooxZEta-_fxEOiK_Jt0jCD2dUfBIa0mliJKt4qDUqPVN4Ch9Tg69UnI0tNYKifKGMSJqUzGrKXsOeQQ-3XzYBLrDgkXDXQW6yJ42ss-60M9-lGKuG8UxRAo2PpguUHxWvRCSa2PoqRwsS/s1600-h/IMG_0335.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhooxZEta-_fxEOiK_Jt0jCD2dUfBIa0mliJKt4qDUqPVN4Ch9Tg69UnI0tNYKifKGMSJqUzGrKXsOeQQ-3XzYBLrDgkXDXQW6yJ42ss-60M9-lGKuG8UxRAo2PpguUHxWvRCSa2PoqRwsS/s320/IMG_0335.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143292607784301042" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">The preferred method of communication amongst the devotees in New Zealand and Australia that we are traveling with is text messaging. So the first order upon our arrival is to purchase cell phones along with prepaid minutes. </span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />Bhava Sandhi drives us first to downtown Auckland to show us the preaching center, known as The Loft. To visit The Loft online, you can go to www.theloft.org.nz</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />Auckland is the cleanest city I have ever seen. And though the traffic is thick, people are courteous drivers and unrushed. </span> <span style="font-family:verdana;">From The Loft we head north on Highway 1 to Auckland’s North Shore.<br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji4BaVH068asqYrsmUu2hSG2Y1LXVFfr8f0HJvjJxuje75Slublqz36ewQ_F3bDjAZEq4JdkPAo-2_px7bIwXCed8cWa4sWovYYZwAzWK74p8eYOh2dfkSIOlTg5c57GeAzFm6-WdBXxb8/s1600-h/IMG_0273.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji4BaVH068asqYrsmUu2hSG2Y1LXVFfr8f0HJvjJxuje75Slublqz36ewQ_F3bDjAZEq4JdkPAo-2_px7bIwXCed8cWa4sWovYYZwAzWK74p8eYOh2dfkSIOlTg5c57GeAzFm6-WdBXxb8/s320/IMG_0273.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143289923429740994" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">In a quiet neighborhood across the street from a High School and only 2 blocks from the beach we arrive at the house that is to be our residence for the duration of our stay in Auckland. It is a lovely two bedroom house, with a full kitchen and laundry facilities. Bhava Sandhi has brought with her delicious prasadam the devotees cooked fresh this morning. And the kitchen is stocked with fresh produce and ingredients for cooking.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5i1TtNqASXAcl_twR-Mvyw8CYXK27l49rFHDWslE_xNkRvMCsv_8ZckuLWdK-Wt9v0jU_aNBwXWwCWn9fvB2HrKzayaEc8b46fogGuqS5mtu0m2msG6jkVQtpR22QQDwEnqKhZVmYtCo/s1600-h/IMG_0459.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5i1TtNqASXAcl_twR-Mvyw8CYXK27l49rFHDWslE_xNkRvMCsv_8ZckuLWdK-Wt9v0jU_aNBwXWwCWn9fvB2HrKzayaEc8b46fogGuqS5mtu0m2msG6jkVQtpR22QQDwEnqKhZVmYtCo/s320/IMG_0459.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143580263218950770" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">The devotees have provided us with a car, too. It’s about 20 minutes to The Loft, and 35 minutes to the Auckland temple and school. The learning curve, to drive on the opposite side of the road in city traffic, is no small feat. </span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />In the late afternoon I brave my first driving venture. When the rain blurs my visibility I pull over to the side of the road for a breather. When it lightens up, I drive us back to the house. The jet lag is mild but by 8 pm we’re all asleep. </span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Thursday, Dec. 6th</span></span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />Recovery day</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />The fresh air at the beach is invigorating for morning japa. Today is Ekadasi, and Guru Vani dasi brings us a wonderful lunch and then gives us a tour of the North Shore.<br /></span> <span style="font-family:verdana;">Gaura teaches Bada Hari and I how to text message on our cell phones. Around 6:00 pm</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;">Bada Hari heads out on his first driving venture with Gaura to the library to use the Internet. I fall asleep.<br /><br /></span> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-family:verdana;" >Friday, Dec. 7th</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />After our morning japa and beach walk, we go to The Loft. Bada Hari is flying to Australia to participate in a seminar with Devamrita Swami. Bhava Sandhi is taking Gaura and I to the temple for darshan and to the school.<br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR1PewZeVOdGjppWXfLoVFOOBJe9Rxi2okEEraAVEBxAKQWJV9tOOlpAz09RFHAwTTGXoKQdvRiyrvQoPoDznKfe9Wp4lnLLxdIiA7DW5RZixZreTPiIwGsp1tqVeDBvrM-9mj6j2TqPsW/s1600-h/IMG_0359.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR1PewZeVOdGjppWXfLoVFOOBJe9Rxi2okEEraAVEBxAKQWJV9tOOlpAz09RFHAwTTGXoKQdvRiyrvQoPoDznKfe9Wp4lnLLxdIiA7DW5RZixZreTPiIwGsp1tqVeDBvrM-9mj6j2TqPsW/s320/IMG_0359.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143567395496931842" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">The temple is beautiful, as are the grounds (about 100 acres) and the Tulasi garden. The temple design is unique, and the feeling inside is very serene.<br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOk8g965XN2cuDcNp9c5DYIu5IzrbXgdbiiBkacBaj73HKi9nKxodFqCMNBaWEmKibDT_xmuZSchSY_LKEe-xZgIeAUtMgyhsfahBXNQNrNE0-xGStuISBh8xcRaLPwtQz95Ukbo_6BAhg/s1600-h/IMG_0390.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOk8g965XN2cuDcNp9c5DYIu5IzrbXgdbiiBkacBaj73HKi9nKxodFqCMNBaWEmKibDT_xmuZSchSY_LKEe-xZgIeAUtMgyhsfahBXNQNrNE0-xGStuISBh8xcRaLPwtQz95Ukbo_6BAhg/s320/IMG_0390.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143567447036539426" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUaKdns9DTpYtE_qXzcIV6XXRw9Etdk6Qgd476VyCryA1KYiOA5DMVjx4rXloDjgc_Ml4FQvcY4eLb3BYM9DLyEc3QeSaizkp5PlxAldiZ1NS4KxRuY2mchavAixCz1KyCNEJU1X1ryL_8/s1600-h/IMG_0392.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUaKdns9DTpYtE_qXzcIV6XXRw9Etdk6Qgd476VyCryA1KYiOA5DMVjx4rXloDjgc_Ml4FQvcY4eLb3BYM9DLyEc3QeSaizkp5PlxAldiZ1NS4KxRuY2mchavAixCz1KyCNEJU1X1ryL_8/s320/IMG_0392.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143567472806343218" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">At the school I meet a previous acquaintance, Prana das, the school’s headmaster and dedicated educator. They have 80 children now, and are embarking on a large curriculum project. He also discussed the charter of the school, the endorsements they have received, and the future plans for a High school.<br /><br /></span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs0yIQ-6tIxRlbL1zQBAEE40ej66QXaeWo_wKMoS6uMMQ96ar_Ii3eEx7X1xD5J5YR4hinisHZNOuL_OMvXMST5Vyl-7vhVNbdaMTBdakYN682P8gwCJvXR96v6rkgPxzdaR3Heh0u3z0v/s1600-h/IMG_0455.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs0yIQ-6tIxRlbL1zQBAEE40ej66QXaeWo_wKMoS6uMMQ96ar_Ii3eEx7X1xD5J5YR4hinisHZNOuL_OMvXMST5Vyl-7vhVNbdaMTBdakYN682P8gwCJvXR96v6rkgPxzdaR3Heh0u3z0v/s320/IMG_0455.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143587435814335138" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">After Gaura gets in a few good hours of hard play with the kids, we head over for kirtan and prasadam at The Loft. This is my first chance to meet all the girls who live and work here, distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books during the day, and serving the guests in the evenings. Monday through Thursday they host a yoga class, philosophy class and dinner here. Sundays are their “Krishna Fest”.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-family:verdana;" >Saturday, Dec. 8th</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Our first sunny day, Gaura and I head down to the beach, climbing rocks and exploring various pools. We found a great cove to skip rocks in. The sea is not very salty here, (just how we like it) I guess because the weather is cool. The temperature of the water is similar to Southern California in the summer. </span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Auckland reminds me of California, but of a California that is friendlier and less crowded. And way cleaner. And safe. I guess that’s what I’m looking for – the California of my childhood. </span> <span style="font-family:verdana;">It is much lusher here though. It rains more and is much greener, as green as Hawaii, but cool, so the humidity is pleasant. </span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_JM7SBr7t03tUbXbDel7yUQNk-Fk-yMqwxHOqO-2o0nYVLWukn_QRJxnNgkd08RsXUqrblUComVRtdU_Piokd7KwVJA47BQr5g5LdeCGCYes5vVsqvGGK1NQaeBG3wp6jKUPaqsQgOHoE/s1600-h/IMG_0281.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_JM7SBr7t03tUbXbDel7yUQNk-Fk-yMqwxHOqO-2o0nYVLWukn_QRJxnNgkd08RsXUqrblUComVRtdU_Piokd7KwVJA47BQr5g5LdeCGCYes5vVsqvGGK1NQaeBG3wp6jKUPaqsQgOHoE/s320/IMG_0281.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143292534769856978" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Bhava Sandhi and Daivya make dinner at Rasayatra and Jhulan Yatra’s for about 20 devotees. It is award winning pizza, cake and ice cream. And to my delight, they’ve made a vegan pizza and the cake and ice cream are vegan too. Does it get any better than this? </span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />The mood and relationships amongst the devotees are very sweet. The upcoming retreat is discussed - an entire week of hearing and chanting and classes together with about 100 devotees. Rasayatra’s son, Sukadeva, is close to Gaura’s age, and they are already friends. That means Gaura will have a friend at the retreat. Very important!</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />Gaura is my map reader and navigator every where we go. He’s really good at it, and it enables me to concentrate on driving. It is also an interesting dynamic, as he is in charge, and basically tells me what to do and where to go. He clearly likes this role.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><br /><br />Sunday, Dec. 9th</span> </span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />Gaura and I head to the Temple for the Sunday program. It’s from 12:30 pm to 4 pm, which nicely accommodates the congregation. No Sunday traffic so we arrive early. Again it’s raining.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp0Pcubkz7-OmSKncGdc4BKhM76fRjoUZbd_lvyEWz4fV9B7y85FyubCyE0BCRgJGEvE2G6tYTbnzay7MJngeOtdT70VZJlbvCWpAqHcah8lIapbC1y60eWvUaT5m9r1oqbOzO75xf0UeG/s1600-h/IMG_0453.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp0Pcubkz7-OmSKncGdc4BKhM76fRjoUZbd_lvyEWz4fV9B7y85FyubCyE0BCRgJGEvE2G6tYTbnzay7MJngeOtdT70VZJlbvCWpAqHcah8lIapbC1y60eWvUaT5m9r1oqbOzO75xf0UeG/s320/IMG_0453.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143587401454596754" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">The kirtan singer has a beautiful voice, and his choice of tunes are celestial. The young man who gives class, Ramanuja das. heads up a bhakti sastri study group in South Auckland, and uses an interactive format with this class too, even though it is so large. After class everyone participates in guru puja for Srila Prabhupada. </span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />While everyone takes prasadam, I stay in the temple room to have prayer and japa time with Sri Sri Radha Giridhari, Gaura Nitai, and Jagannatha, Balarama, and Subhadra. Soon another group of bhajan singers offer their hearts and their voices in melodious kirtan.<br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0DLu1q0qrxuaID6bjz4L8WJ0UDfMTJfgzF7za3TFfrO4emCPzssIr1NdlzH1fRgNeqsnw-dbMHlKiOmDugRIv6bFkktr1IrmPqcAaw3xRvJGMCG0URtK2jfhyphenhyphenxEttaNmMXRzglVDItkI0/s1600-h/IMG_0428.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0DLu1q0qrxuaID6bjz4L8WJ0UDfMTJfgzF7za3TFfrO4emCPzssIr1NdlzH1fRgNeqsnw-dbMHlKiOmDugRIv6bFkktr1IrmPqcAaw3xRvJGMCG0URtK2jfhyphenhyphenxEttaNmMXRzglVDItkI0/s320/IMG_0428.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143567485691245122" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />I am feeling deep appreciation for the spiritual family Srila Prabhupada has given us. Just think about it. Here we have traveled half way around the world, and yet we are right at home. Thank you Srila Prabhupada for our spiritual family, and all the beautiful temples and communities that exist because of you. </span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />From the Temple we head over to the Sunday program at The Loft, which starts at 5 pm. Having already participated in more than seven hours of kirtan and study on this day, I feel almost ready to give the class. The guests who come to The Loft for the Krishna Fest are mostly young people, many who frequent the yoga and philosophy classes that are offered during the week. </span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />After a mellow sit-down kirtan, class begins. Looking out at this warm and friendly audience, I am praying that I can inspire these special souls to come closer to Krishna. After 20 minutes of sharing ways to connect with Krishna and remember Him throughout our day, I ask for questions. Wonderful questions and discussion ensue. This is one of the most attentive audiences I can recall. </span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />The following kirtan inspires serious dancing. I may be sore tomorrow from dancing so long and hard, but right now we’re having too much fun to stop!</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;">At The Loft, vegan diets are accommodated, and I am able to enjoy delicious vegan prasadam. Several guests come to ask additional questions, and more discussions begin.<br /><br />There is a softness the New Zealanders have about them that appears very conducive for spiritual inquiry. I feel so at home, sharing Krishna consciousness with the guests and devotees. This is the nectar I’ve been hankering for. </span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Monday, Dec. 10th </span></span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />After morning japa, it’s time to clean the house and do laundry. Oh, and get Gaura to do schoolwork. And it’s time for me to take care of business and correspondence. Off we go to the Library in Takapuna for our Internet connection. </span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />Early evening Gaura and I sing the Prayers to the Six Goswamis, and chant the Siksastaka prayers. It’s nice having all this time with him. He’s peaceful. And he eats every couple of hours. I may be imagining it but I think he’s grown a couple inches in the last week!</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />Spoke briefly with Bada Hari. All 20 Om Purnam CDs that were put out on a table at the seminar sold. He’s been giving classes at the Melbourne temple and really likes it there. He’ll be flying back to Auckland Saturday evening.<br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuf5lz_zKbxrIB-8_fC4sgSf3dAIdP0gWy71w42hhCrqLsYTnK0ZeWCkktzKH21phLRUAQCILCq2LQxDPgLNDIQ5strCOdPYqoe0fxGbdnQpa0Z1asHspn-hpOXIt85Kregj2n7BX2Zvze/s1600-h/IMG_0308.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuf5lz_zKbxrIB-8_fC4sgSf3dAIdP0gWy71w42hhCrqLsYTnK0ZeWCkktzKH21phLRUAQCILCq2LQxDPgLNDIQ5strCOdPYqoe0fxGbdnQpa0Z1asHspn-hpOXIt85Kregj2n7BX2Zvze/s320/IMG_0308.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143292582014497250" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Our Australian tour will be for 3 weeks at the end of January into the middle of February, so we have to book the rest of our tickets and hire a car now. Then, after Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and New Govardhan farm, we'll fly to New Zealand's South Island and explore there for 10 or so days before returning to the USA.<br /><br />Stay tuned, over the next few weeks here on the North Island we will venture to the far north, spend a few days in Rotarua, and a couple weeks in and around Wellington.<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuf5lz_zKbxrIB-8_fC4sgSf3dAIdP0gWy71w42hhCrqLsYTnK0ZeWCkktzKH21phLRUAQCILCq2LQxDPgLNDIQ5strCOdPYqoe0fxGbdnQpa0Z1asHspn-hpOXIt85Kregj2n7BX2Zvze/s1600-h/IMG_0308.JPG"><br /></a>Kosa Elyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09453593555835333447noreply@blogger.com5