Seattle is Graced by Potta: The Retreat Sessions

Here are just a few shots from the actual function - - unfortunately I would say they do not do enough to convey the power and energy experienced by those who attended.


A New Day Starts - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2008 (click for larger image)


Leading with Prayer and Song - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2008 (click for larger image)


Holy Water, Petitions and Offerings - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2008 (click for larger image)


Reflecting on a Passage; Leading in Song
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2008 (click for larger image)

Seattle is Graced by Potta

At last, Potta came to town! After numerous practices and painstaking planning by the Indian community at the St. Louise church in Bellevue and participation by Joe Thomas on behalf of the local Mayalee association, a weekend retreat was held facilitated by 4 inspiring members of the Divine Retreat Center in Potta, Kerala, India: Rev. Father Mathew Naickamparambil (who founded this remarkable institution); Rev. Fathers Antony Thekkanath and Martin Kalamparambil, who have just launched a mission in New Jersey; and Rev. Sister Therese Varakullam.

For myself, who is unfamiliar with an evangelical manner of prayer, it was an eye opening and invigorating approach. I can see how on the one hand, it can be very appealing, much more personal, and drive people to be in the moment when it comes to prayer and one's engagement with their religion. For others, it is probably too much, as it runs counter to say, the highly organized structure of a Catholic mass. (The closest analogy that comes to mind is someone who plays trumpet under the strict guidance of a conductor in a symphony, then tries to shift gears to the largely self-guided improvisation of a jazz quartet.) Independent of the format, the weekend was packed with a great deal of thought-provoking content and scores of examples to re-affirm that a mystical side of life does exist to those who choose to believe and immerse themselves in the Catholic Faith.

Potta's success and scale is breathtaking.

From what I understand, each of the weekly retreats that occur in Kerala are attended by staggering 10,000 people, 52 weeks a year, year in, year out for 20+ years. The entity Father Mathew has created is on par with any globally known institution that has directly engaged millions of people. That one can interact with him at these traveling retreats is quite an honor, as at Potta the audiences are simply too vast.

Given that Molly was deep in the planning of the event, and led the childcare activity, I saw the fervent work that occurred in "the background" across the entire core team - - and it was indeed a boatload of work. As example, the folks who assembled the custom made choir practiced around 60 songs over the past weeks. And as proof of how well it came together, the attendees were able to simply worship, sing and focus upon the prayer at hand. All in all, the passionate words of the mission staff, and logistics undertaken by the event orchestrators, were a true labor of love.

Here's a few shots (I will add another post or two of the other aspects of the event)... I tried to capture the indomitable spirit of these Fathers and Sister but I can't say I pulled it off in the photos. All struck me as good hearted, extremely disciplined spirits, with radiant smiles and the ability to assess person in the blink of an eye. All were deeply prayerful people - - they were living examples of the adages "actions speak louder than words" and "practice what you preach."

Rev. Fr. Mathew Naickamparambil V.C. - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2008 (click for larger image)

Rev. Sr. Therese Varakullam F.C.C. - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2008 (click for larger image)

Rev. Fr. Antony Thekkanath V.C. - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2008 (click for larger image)

Rev. Fr. Martin Kalamparambil V.C. - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2008 (click for larger image)

Feed your mind, with.... YouTube

Now that we have two young inquisitive ones with an insatiable appetite for knowledge, the computer reigns fairly supreme in answering so many questions. What does it look like inside your heart? Where do whales swim? How fast can a train go? What does a robin look like?

The competition for who serves as the expert is stiff. For example, to the question "what does it look like inside the skin?" my dad was second choice, despite winning a gold medal in med school for Anatomy, and being a retired surgeon who is both Board Certified and a member of the Royal College of Physicians. "Hmmm... daddy... I think we should look in the computer first." The truth is that even I am only being included because they cannot type their own search phrases.

And YouTube is pretty much near the top of the heap. If a pictures is worth a 1,000 words, how about video? The range is ridiculous too. I like to show them things like Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. They like to see the TGV going at 570 km/hr and Shinkansen zipping by. We've watched sumo wrestling, hummingbirds in flight, (lots and lots of) Thomas the Tank engine, Tomy train sets that would make your eyes pop, "how to" videos on downhill skiing, and jumbos landing in stiff cross winds in Hong Kong's old Kai Tak Airport. What a world, eh? How different, how wonderful.

Paul Drives, Sidd Rides "Shotgun" - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2008 (click for larger image)

Selecting the next video - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2008 (click for larger image)

Immersed - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2008 (click for larger image)

Going to America

Going to America- -
Malayalam Manorama, Copyright 1966 (click for larger image)

Knowing the implications of our very next endeavor can be impossible to know. Which, often, is for the better.

Back in 1962, when my mom was 6 months pregnant with me, the University of Edinburgh extended a slot to my dad for their surgical training program. Dad was thrilled to secure a competitive admission to one of the great institutions of the UK.

A great adventure began. Deeper into the world of medicine. Far away to a new continent, by air to London, then the famous Flying Scotsman train to Edinburgh. A new culture, new people, new life style. Oh my, oh my.

He fully intended to return armed with new knowledge to take a teaching post in Kerala, a lush coastal state in India. But once in Edinburgh, the faculty urged him to "go to Chicago" for hard core trauma experience, in a surgical residency.

So he shared the long term value of such a move with my mom, changed plans and sojourned to the Windy City. When I was around 2, my mom joined him and I was dotingly taken care of by my grandparents, particularly my mom's parents, I believe. Finally, just before turning 4, my father insisted that I join them in the U.S.

Given the price of air travel, the most prudent option was to arrange for Air India flight staff to chaperone me all the way to JFK. My dad's father, Chachen, a PR minded trial lawyer, implored the largest local paper to "see" the editorial opportunity right under their noses: the youngest Indian to EVER travel to America was leaving in 2 weeks. This idea sold its way on to the front page. That is the photo seen above.

 

Just a couple of years ago one of my dad's sisters, Baby Auntie, shared more details of the actual day of departure. In truth, the excursion was probably pretty unpleasant (for me, that is). I was under the impression that all my dad's siblings, and his parents, were getting on the airplane with me. As my dad's family has 14 children and he is the 2nd oldest, many of these siblings were not much older than me - - and we played together all the time. So what a fantastic idea! Getting on a jet plane, with all of them?? I was out of my mind excited at such a prospect. My aunts and uncles were mortified by the reality, and no one explained what was about to happen. I was a bit puzzled when only Chachen walked on to the 707 with me. Shortly after the stairway was rolled away, they brought it back.

"This child is making a ridiculous fuss. He can't fly with us. No way." Having anticipated something a problem, Chachen purchased a big bag of colorful candy and walked back on board. He applied his charm and experience convincing juries, and convinced me to stay. Of course, the candy played a big role too. Damn that candy.

Side note: I do love air travel which I don’t understand. Shouldn’t I hate it? Perhaps it is the fact I had amazing family at both ends of the journey?

 

Upon landing in JFK, I vaguely recall a man walking up to me with a Tonka truck and saying, "Santhosh, I am your daddy." It was our first meeting. I was about to turn 4. What an unforgettable moment, particularly for Dad, eh?

 

Often, I have reflected on the sheer sacrifice my parents made. And the sacrifice made by parents across time. As I have two boys, one nearly 6 and one who is 4 1/2, the notion that I see them for the first time at such an age is breathtaking.

What if Dad had known that his 6 month program in Scotland would "take him 4 years forward" before he saw his child? I am not so sure he would have boarded that first flight. Nor reaped the benefits of that action for himself, his family and his many siblings. But we cannot see what the future holds. All too often, that may be for the better in the long run.

First Passport Photo 
India Passport Agency, Copyright 1966 (click for larger image)

Chant

So for the last 6 or so months I have been taking a shot at meditating each morning for around 20 minutes. After some exploration and reading, I have settled on repeating 3 passages, generally repeating the shortest one more than the longest one. To be clear, these are prayers, and for those who are truly atheistic in their outlook, this blog entry will probably be a waste of time. Two chants are homegrown and the last is a classic Catholic Prayer. The homegrown entries:

• I pray I am with you thru the baptism of today. The focus is upon me NOT forgetting in times of stress, that I for one, can begin to believe I have been abandoned by God, when in fact it is the opposite: I have abandoned my engagement with God. This insight was first brought to my attention thru the passage "Footsteps in the Sand." Ever since, I rarely say phrases like "Dear God be with me" as I know he already is. Baptism refers to the way we immerse ourselves in each day.
• I pray I will explore, discover, develop and appreciate the Talents, Treasures and Time granted to me, and optimize them in Your name and to your benefit. I was struck by the phrase "talents, treasures and time" the 1st time I heard Fr. Tom in our church mention it; it pretty much covers all that we have at our disposal, eh? What we are born with, what we earn or create, with whom we establish relationships, and the time we have in our hands to do all this. And it is so easy to take this for granted, to not look for and discover the gems placed under our noses, to not nurture them into greater fruition, nor fully appreciate it. And of course, to not fully apply them in an industrious manner. This chant is to elevate my awareness to such pitfalls and help overtly counter such missteps.
  

The "classic one" is the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi. I have always found the words in this passage have profound weight and wisdom.

I am unclear how this has impacted me - - I did not determine any metrics by which to assess changes in my day to day ways, and cannot say for certain my behavior has really fundamentally changed. But I have come to greatly enjoy this morning tradition to settle myself before the day begins.

Full Flight - Basketball

One revelation to me is that at pretty much any age, we can show athleticism at remarkable levels. In watching Paul and his peers play basketball (and similarly soccer) I see bursts of intensity that are eye-popping in a manner not much different from what is demonstrated by a pro. Here is an example, a fast break (there are only fast breaks in toddler basketball). The rush of bodies down the court, in pursuit or in exhilarated observation of the ball handler was just pure joy for us spectators.

Breakaway - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2008 (click for larger image)

Mementos from Susie Annie

Here we see the traces of a few doodling sessions that Paul, Sidd and Susie Annie had. It includes favorites of each party: Honey the bunny; bullet trains; balloons; more bunnies; and more bullet trains.

Standing by the Siddo/Paul/SusieAnnie Masterpiece - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2008 (click for larger image)

Susie Annie's West Coast Bunnies

We had the good luck that Susan could work out of the local GAO office in Seattle and thereby make a trip out West to see us. All get-togethers that you look forward to are blustery ones, and this one was no exception. Given that the boys are old enough to hold their own meandering stories, she had her hands full hearing about friends at school, toddler luminaries like Curious George, and at times long-winded opinions about dinosaurs - - and this was in addition to chats with Molly and I about Hillary and Obama.

Susie Annie and Honey 2 and 3 - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2008 (click for larger image)

A Belated 2007 Happy Holidays

With another year having blustered by, here is a few thoughts to close out the year. Of note, we are healthy and doing well. The boys are no longer little cuddly tots, (Paul age 5 ½ and Sidd age 4 yrs.) but the discoveries they make, and those of Molly and I thru them, are always something that makes us shake our heads and smile.

The boys, the baby Jesus, and his mommy and daddy...
- -Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2008 (click for larger image)

The Moveable Priest

Unfortunately in some respects, "church," in my head, is something that occurs in a big, fixed, specialized, largely single-use structure that sits out on its own. This notion has been turned upside down (only) twice at this point, and by the same priest. Stephen Uncle, here all the way from Nairobi, ended the wedding weekend by presiding over a quiet reflective function at Asha's house. 3 years ago, I attended a similar function that he presided over at a family reunion at Sunil's house. In both instances, I wondered how many (or few) people realized how easy it is, in some respects, to conduct mass outside a church. I for one, was quite surprised, in both instances.


Mass at home - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2007 (click for larger image)


Mass at home - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2007 (click for larger image)

Asha and Sunil's Wedding - Antham Chartham (sp?)

So the day before the wedding, "the boy's" and "the girl's" families conducted separate ceremonies. I am a cousin of "the boy" so here's a few images from that function. Back when people were married in their early teens, it was very possible that the ceremonial shave was in fact, the very first shave ever. Not so anymore but it was fun just the same...


Serena helps set things up - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2007 (click for larger image)


Sunil and the boys wait patiently - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2007 (click for larger image)


A fitting emcee - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2007 (click for larger image)


Mom and son look on, with the same expression - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2007 (click for larger image)


1st shave - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2007 (click for larger image)


In good hands - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2007 (click for larger image)

Dance Fusion

Mercy, who is the daughter of a friend of our is a talented dancer. Here she mixed traditional Indian music and jazz elements, along with the fusion styles of the Indian dancer Shobhana. Here are a few shots.


Formation, 1
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2007 (click for larger image)


Formation, 2
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2007 (click for larger image)


In Flight...
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2007 (click for larger image)


Still...
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2007 (click for larger image)

The Wistful Ways of The Washington Coast

We had the treasured opportunity to go to the lush western Washington forests and nearby coasts with my mom and dad. How remarkable. These were forests that felt right out of Lord of the Rings. Trees that had presided over hundreds of migration cycles. Sea spires that had meditated for millenniums and were the wiser. It was humbling to see the excessive beauty of the land. Here's a few shots from a lazy day at one of the beaches near Forks.


Grandfather Tree Watches On - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2007 (click for larger image)


Trail down to the ocean - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2007 (click for larger image)


Onward down the trail - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2007 (click for larger image)


Trekking with appa - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2007 (click for larger image)


Sea spires watch over us - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2007 (click for larger image)


Lunch with mom - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2007 (click for larger image)


Tossing driftwood back into the sea - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2007 (click for larger image)


Paul @ 5 - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2007 (click for larger image)


Sidd @ 4 - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2007 (click for larger image)


Playing by the shoreline - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2007 (click for larger image)


Parting shot - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2007 (click for larger image)

3 Layered Cake

Being on the West coast when all our immediate family is in the Midwest or East coast, and even extended family is 400+ miles away means visits are not casual drop-ins. One needs to overtly arrange air travel, time off, friends to watch over pets, etc. But the get-togethers are more than worth all the logistical trouble. They are collections of fleeting, whimsical moments and the occasional tiff as one might expect at any family gathering. And then they end before you know it, with the parties parting ways wistfully and wishing they had arranged a later return flight.

3 Chuttumbees Winding Down After Another Session of Play - -
Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2008 (click for larger image)

Rethinking Minimum Requirements for Fun

Little ones make it clear that fun requires way less than we presume. 

Each year in the Redmond, WA area we get about 5 days of snow.  And at the end of our cull de sac, there is a small downhill – literally a ~15 foot vertical drop.  Too small to be of any use, I say with derision.  I have seen the stupendous grandeur of Tahoe, Breckenridge and Whistler.

How completely wrong I was.  Our two lads would scream as they went down the hill, then trundle up despite being packaged like Charlie Brown, and do it again. Until they were ready to drop.

No lift tickets.  No fancy parabolic skiis.  Just two $9 plastic sleds.  And a pretty lame incline.  The result – sheer magic.

 

Another Run;  The Speed is Intoxicating
© 2007, Abe Pachikara (Click for larger images)

 

Screams of Exhilaration;  Thundering By
© 2007, Abe Pachikara (Click for larger images)

Two Veterans of the Local Slopes
© 2007, Abe Pachikara (Click for larger images)