just went the Dekalb Farmer's Market which is a LARGE international market in Atlanta (one of those places I consider a hidden tourist gem but isnt in any tourist guide) that not only has food from all over the world but has people from all over the world working there - literally - their name tags have the country of origin and languages spoken and i think out of the dozens of times i've gone i've only recognized a country's name once or twice... it's a very inspiring place - who knew there was 18 types of cucumbers and eggplant?
Anyways
Today there was a guy offering pieces of fresh baby cocunut and fresh squeezed baby coconut juice so, of course, i went over to try some. He pointed at my arm and said something in extreme broken english so i assumed he was pointing at the tattoo of my cat, namaste, so i said "that was my cat" but he said "no, the word..." and i said "namaste?" and he shook his head and asked me what i thought the word meant and i said something like "to me, it's a greeting that also means peace and harmony" and he said, and i think this is the gist cause neither brian nor i could really understand it all, but he said something like "in nepal people say this word morning, day and night and if you say it to someone a great big smile will cross their face" and i was a little stunned and overjoyed by that and don't remember what my specific reply was other than a probably stupid american "cool!" - but really - how cool is that?! :D :D :D
I was obsessively into the Beastie Boys in the early-mid-90s and especially felt a strong connection to their song off 'Check Your Head" entitled "Namaste" - the last verse most notably:
"A cold chill of fear cut through me
I felt my heart contract
To my mind I brought the image of light
And I expanded out of it
My fear was just a shadow
And then a voice spoke in my head
And she said
dark is not the opposite of light
It's the absence of light
And I thought to myself
She knows what she's talking about
And for a moment I know
What it was all about."I lived on Division Street in Madison in 1995-96 and used to sit on my front stoop alot. There were 2 black kittens that would come around with their mom playing in the catnip one of my neighbors had planted. They were super duper sweet and friendly. One day I was petting the kittens and the neighbor from across the street came over and said that i could have one of the kittens if i wanted cause it was her cat that had them and i already had two cats, Mr Groovy Cat and Jazmine, but i decided to take one of the black kittens because i would sing to it "dark is not the opposite of light
It's the absence of light" constantly on the stoop and he would always sit next to me when i would. And so i named him Namaste.
Soon after i decided to look up the definition of the word since i only knew it as a song title, and the first definition i came across, and I don't remember where i found it was:
"My soul bows to your soul" and i thought that was so lovely and so appropro for the way my cat Namaste made me feel, i was happy i picked that name.
And i was totally happy, smiling from ear to ear, when that guy at the market offering baby coconut samples, took the time to teach me something from his culture.
anxious
happy
giddy
artistic
hopeful
exhausted
excited
mellow