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.