Saturday, June 1st , 2008

Saturday, June 1st , 2008 – Baltimore, Maryland, USA

It is a baseball-charged city. The city’s stadium bleachers could be seen from Pratt Street where I walked. They seem quite full. The odd thing is that most people here, I’ve been told rout for the Boston Red Sox. Some people couldn’t care for a game and are just interested in a cigarette or a drink. “I ain’t got no money” said one dude to his friend.
Pratt St. turns into Frederic and it looks like it had better days.
“Hey what are you supposed to be?” asked a loiterer at a corner street.
“A monk!”
“What’s that?”
“Someone who leads a simple and disciplined life”
Out emerges from the corner store a buddy who overheard the conversation and said, “You mean karate!” “Not exactly, My life is more devotional”
“I never seen a monk before,” remarked the first guy to my response. “There’s a lot of funk to the life of a monk.”
There were a few more instances like this on my way back to Vivek’s after a somewhat successful Ratha Yatra (Festival fo Chariots) hosted by the local members of ISKCON. I had staged a drama, “the Jaganath Story” featuring the history of several images popular from Orissa. It was well received. It is one of the reasons for the hefty walk after the festival. I was so wired up, as they say. It was a way to wind down. Walking is an excellent vehicle for winding down the passions of the day.

11 Km.