Wednesday, 16 November 2022

Thursday, November 03, 2022

Halifax, Nova Scotia

Out with the Haligonians

The early morning began with the thickest fog, which caused a delay for Mahadev, Annapurna and I to fly to Halifax from Toronto. Once we arrived by Swoop Airlines at 11 am, the sky was clear and a brisk air was there to greet us at 3⁰ Celsius. Hurray! And Hare!

Our main engagement for the day was the book launch for The Saffron Path, at Halifax Central Library. All technical and facility arrangements were professionally executed for our opening kirtan chant, while my regular Thursday Zoom was set up for others out of province. The room filled up!

I told my stories and it was a tall, brown, good-looking man from South India who mentioned, after the presentation, that he liked the details of the redneck dynamic I went through in New-Brunswick in 1996, when a motorist rolled down the window and gave me the middle finger as his way of discriminating against my monastic robes.

“I felt insecure, but way-a-minute, he’s the one that’s insecure, so let me transfer my self-pity to empathy for that driver.”

Anyway, book sales went on at the end of the presentation. All liked the chant, including the drumming by local devotee, Mangalananda.

Programs held in libraries are usually for the thoughtful kind. I was happy for us because there were mixed groups of listeners, ethnically, and all were thoughtful.

May the Source be with you!




 

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