My favorite thing about Pune, is leaving town for the weekend.  As much as I like this amazing city, the noise, the pollution, and the constant hustle get to me after a while.  I’m just not used to it and as anyone who’s been here will tell you, India is relentless.  So taking a break and leaving the city for the weekend is always a good idea.

One of my dear friends, someone who was really there for me at a time in my life when I needed him, has long since retired and left the U.S. for Asia.  I remember when I met Barry that he would leave, and in fact did leave, for an ashram in India every year.  But I was 18 years old at the time, Yoga studios did not adorn every town, and Eastern culture was somewhat obscure and synonymous with hippies — an era of my life yet to come — so I had no idea what he was talking about.

Barry is a Baba-Lover, and Baba-Lovers believe Meher Baba was the most recent incarnation of G*d — on par with Jesus, Mohammad, and Buddha.  (more…)