I submitted this audio piece as an ungraded assignment for my audio documentary class. When I played it for my classmates, a lot of people loved it so I thought why not upload it here as well.
Here’s the transcript!
*START*
Today sadly marks one week since I’ve been back from India. I spent two weeks in a blissful daze at a place called the Govardhan Eco Village. The entire property is over 100 acres and lies in Maharashtra, a state in western India that’s about a three-hour drive from the bustling chaos of Mumbai.
People come there for many reasons— some to complete yoga trainings, some to receive treatments, others to decompress, and some for spiritual pilgrimage. I came for the latter, and to visit the more than 100 cows who call the eco-village home.
I love cows.
Here’s me trying and failing to feed one of the cows an apple:
Honestly, for me and many others the eco-village is a place where you can truly relax.
During some of our last days in India, we stepped back into the chaos of Mumbai. And it was there, right in the middle of that energy, that one of my friends from the group took us to a music shop—where I picked up these little things.
They’re called kartals, they’re like these little hand cymbals that you wear on the index finger of each hand to play. You hit them together and they make this amazing jingling sound. They’re an instrument that’s commonly played in my religious tradition.
I always envy people who can play them fastly, so seamlessly! I’m not so good at them yet. If I’m honest, this is my fourth pair of kartals, but the ones you’re hearing now are probably my favorite.
And if I’m honest about something else, I miss my friends and India dearly. But for now, I’ll keep practicing my kartals to prepare for the next time we’re all together.
(Me practicing the kartals and singing the Nrsimha Pranama prayer as an outro).
*END*
You can also listen to this on Soundcloud as well.
disjoint blog · Sounds of Separation
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