It’s almost time to go back and I’ve not written at all- such a shame as so far it’s been an amazing visit, despite my health issues. Three vacations, with the third planned by God for me. Four days after arriving end of March, went to Amsterdam. Was a hectic visit, as did a lot in a short time. Notably the visit to see the cherry blossoms, and Kukenhoff, which I think I wrote about. I think my poor phone’s camera was all tulip-ed out! Also, at least three trips to Massimo for the bestest pistachio ice cream.
Back home in the UK, in time to spend the extended Easter holidays in the Isle of Wight. Though it was just a short visit of five nights, it was a fully immersive vacation. Despite doing a lot of stuff, we were all so happy to be there and enjoyed it tremendously. I wish I had written about things everyday. There was no shortage of material or inspiration, just the usual inertia and emotional torpor filled apathy. I had forgotten I had written about Alfred and the trees, and the poem, and reading it again brought it all back to mind in a happy way. Actually, right by Already was another oak, and he’s Arthur.
Friends in Faraway Places has been sitting in a few drafts. The others are in New Delhi, Bombay, Sydney, Amsterdam, two in Rugby, and one in Dublin.
The very first is a laburnum tree- my favorite flowering tree of all time. It grew outside my grandfather’s house on Babar Road, in New Delhi. It was a very young tree then, perhaps no more than 7-10 years, and I was a teenager when I started giving it more attention, though I had been noticing it even as a child. It flowered profusely come summer and with its ringlets of gold, which I then thought looked like bunches of grapes, tapering down like a chandelier. My grandfather told us about it and referred to it as laburnum and Amaltas, it’s Hindi name.
Yesterday I was watching an interview on YouTube about Krishan Bhagwan, and the young man, Vinay Varanasi was talking to the Beer Biceps guy Ran err Allhabadia. He spoke of a tree in Vrindavan, at a place called Vamshi Vat. There is a tree here, where devotees throng to hear the mridangam by pressing their ears to the trunk. It seems however, that if you chant the 108 names of Gopala and do Gopala Sadhna, you can hear the Flute that the tree recalls Krishna playing. Yeah, the flute, imagine how ecstatic that must sound. It’s such a shame so few of us connect with the trees. Fortunately, the children accept their mother’s tree craze, and even have an appreciation for trees and plants and nature in general themselves.
I so long to have my own laburnum tree. Someday. Perhaps. In the US, it’s discouraged as its seeds are considered poisonous for pets. Honestly, I think animals have a better sixth sense then human babies.
So back to the Isle of Wight. It was such a lovely vacation that upon returning, we felt so rejuvenated that we’re planning to go back again when I return in July.
There would be so much to say if I wrote about every single day in IOW. The very first evening, we had encountered rain, so just had a quick walk around the town nearest to our lodge. The next day however, we drove to Shanklin, and the first taste of magic came in the form of a very timely kindness. I have been so touched by the many kindnesses of people recently. I was telling almost everyone who asked about my holiday, just how kind people have been. Every. Single. Day. In the Isle of Wight, and almost everywhere, starting on my flight over, on Virgin’s Soul Rebel. The name struck a chord in my heart, as my soul was in a rebellious state coming over.
The Virgin crew are always awesome, and I think the friendliest in the skies. They will make your bed for you in Upper class. Though this time I flew premium as I was flying alone, and I’m more comfortable sitting up straight. I do not even recline my seat, so the bed is really wasted on me as I’s sitting anyway. This was a huge plane, an A 350-1000 capable of carrying 500 passengers. And we were flying almost empty, so much so that the flight was delayed because they had to rearrange the luggage and cargo, for balance. Upper class and premium were full, but economy had less than two dozen passengers. The plane was being repositioned to bring back a full load as Easter Break was starting in the UK, and Orlando has direct flights from the UK everyday, from London Heathrow and also from Manchester. I’m sure from other airports as well including Edinburgh and Glasgow in Scotland. Anyway, won’t go into details, as must keep moving on.
So we were in Shanklin, and it was a lovely sunny day so we walked around a fair bit. Has tea and a snack at a family owned cafe, shopped at an antique store, K got books and I purchased a small replica of the huge brass oil lamp holders the Priests use that I’ve seen in videos of the Ganga Aarti. It must have been a good two hours as we lazed and stopped at shop windows, and even had ice cream. And true to form, as I always say, women’s bladders never disappoint, and yours truly needed to go.
The good thing is that the UK has public toilets, real public toilets- maintained by the city, so we knew there has to be one around. Sure enough, we saw a sign, and A gave me a one pound coin in the event they were laid toilets, and this being a Sunday, I did not want to take chances. Sure enough, there they were on the street corner, a row of three or four toilets with steel doors, right next to the library, which was closed. There were the slot machines outside each door, with pictures of coins that it would accept, starting at 20 pence and all the way to a pound. Good, I went straight for the middle door and put in my money, and grabbed the door- it wouldn’t open, and out popped my pound back. So frustrating and my dear beloved bladder, sending the proximity of its point of relief made its discomfort felt quite clearly. Sucks, broken machine I thought and tried the next one, same story! Bummer, went to the first one, damn, for some reason, the machines did not like my pound. Then I went to the disabled toilet, and again had no luck.
I was going to call A and just then saw a lady with a cane cross the street, and walk up. I turned to her, and said the machine doesn’t accept my money, please can you help me work this. She said nothing, but smiled, as she took out her keys and coolly proceed to unlock the disabled toilet door. I was going to bed her to let me go after her. But before I could say anything, she held the door open and motioned me to go in, “go on,” she said and I dashed in with a hurried thank you. Once out, I thought I would thank her properly, and offer her my pound which she could drop into the machine. However, she wasn’t there, so I waited, presuming she’s in the next toilet. I waited and finally realized she’s not around. I looked up and down on either sides of both the streets and even across the road, but she had just vanished- I wasn’t that long! It felt so odd and I was beginning to feel foolish just hanging outside public toilets looking here and there. It was almost as if she did not exist, and had I imagined it? But the pound was still in my picked and I had just used the restroom. How did that door open? I finally realized that the kind old lady had come just to open the door for me. I was very very touched. That was the first of many kindnesses in the island.
Such is life. So many good people. This streak continued on our vacation to València, which followed the IOW. The most honest cab drivers, the lovelies of people. I was back in Valencia after almost exactly two years. We had last visited during Easter- April of 2023. Came back after an eight night vacation, and felt we had been away for a month. Thank you God, may all be happy and well in the world. Please end the wars.
Krishna, where are you? Yada, Yada and all that, shouldn’t you be here soon and put an end to evil, conflicts and wars?
Veenu Banga
11:41 pm
May 15, 2025.
