Edmonton, Alberta
The
Ice and the Bird
It is not the most walker-friendly area to
get around, but then again drivers in this industrial district are fairly
courteous as the pujari (priest) and
I maneuver along on foot. This is day
number two, when for an hour and more, we brave prairie-winter weather. Actually, even that, we cannot complain
about, because instead of the usual coarse temperatures at -20° Celsius or
lower, you are looking at just below freezing.
The streets are glistening and without
snow, meaning that white and black ice dominate as ground cover. But in the sky, oh yes, in the sky, our
feathered friend, the magpie, is truly in charge. Have you ever seen or heard those aggressive
creatures? They seem to transcend. They are tough birds. I don’t see them flying south for the winter. If it wasn’t for them, nature’s more jovial
side wouldn’t be so present out here on the prairie.
Purbajaya, the pujari, doesn’t know much English—although he knows warmth and
kindness—and the magpie is just one more item of the north he isn’t familiar
with. Well, I always say, “Get to know
the place you’re in. Familiarize
yourself with your surroundings. Know,
at least, who’s the king of the sky around here.”
In this southern portion of Edmonton—where
hockey really matters (the Oilers)—and being near the Radha-Govinda Cultural
Centre, where I'm staying, you try to avoid the slip and slide of the ice. Sidewalks are few; remember, it’s an
industrial area. To balance the easy
life of the many hours of comfort in the centre, I am committed to meet the
rawness of the outdoors and view those black, white and blue birds in the air.
I’m signing off for a program at the home
of Yogendra. https://instagram.com/p/Bc5PjX0lGBp/
May the Source be with you!
6 km
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