India: DAY ONE!

We arrived at the hotel at nearly 5 a.m. and began the check in process. I immediately noticed the very helpful personality of the Indian people. Yes, it could be because we are at a fancy hotel but it seemed to be about much more than that. Anyways, as the petite gentlemen working here struggled to unload the baggage of 7 stuntmen (who don't pack light) I noticed something. The hotel had armed police officers at the entrance gate, metal detectors, and a bag carousel just like the one at the airport that allows guards to check your belongings. That struck me as odd seeing how I have always heard that Indian people are very non-violent and that the worst you will encounter is a very talented pick-pocket here and there. I must admit that it had me confused until later that day. After a four hour nap and a small photo session from my room with a sea-view I headed downstairs for some grub. That was to be my first taste of India.

You should now that since new years I have decided to try my very best to eat much healthier and to eat proper portion size. The 80% rule. I have also been trying to mix up the type of proteins I eat throughout each day, never having the same kind twice. That doesn't mean I always succeed but I'm trying. I have also been trying to eat at least one vegetarian meal a day in order to make sure I get those all natural unprocessed ingredients in my body. All in all I have been doing pretty darn good other than a few slip ups and Frosted cupcakes with the fiance' before I left. India, was a chance for me to try to go even healthier. With all the reading and running I have been doing this trip just presented itself as an opportunity to really get healthy. I mean physically, mentally and spiritually healthy. (To see what books I have been reading look to the right.)

So I started my day off with an amazing wholegrain grilled vegetable sandwich that comes with a shot of chilled carrot soup and sliced watermelon, kiwi, and fig. Let's just say it was so good that I've had once a day for three days straight. After eating I relaxed into my lobby chair and began reading a new book: "The Tipping point" recommended to me by my good buddy and fellow Tempest Daddy, Paul Darnell. Having just recently finished the book "Way of the Peaceful Warrior" I was in the mood to keep up the reading. I got through about a paragraph before the rest of the stunt guys started trickling down from their rooms. One of the guys started taking pictures of the lobby from a couple floors above but was immediately approached by an undercover security agent and told that he could not take pictures there. Thats when we realized the reason for the high security. It turns out that not too long ago the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai was bombed and attacked by terrorists, I believe from pakistan. The hotel I am in now is it's sister hotel called the Taj at Lands End. Apparently since its one of the nicest it gets some pretty high profile people in here, therefore they take certain precautions to protect it. Like barbed wire around the entire premises, a low level sort of gun tower at the front gate and officers and metal detectors, which probably are just set to go off randomly. After sitting around with the guys for a bit we all decide its workout time. Since I have been running so much lately I decide I will be going for a run down by the Arabian Sea. And to no surprise, I found that I'd be going alone. At this point I was still a little nervous and to be completely honest, not sure I felt safe going out into the city alone, with no cell phone, no money, and no form of communication. But the way of the peaceful warrior is fresh in my head and so I decide to jump right in.

As I am running out the gate I notice how bad the pollution is and combined with the all familiar brazilian style humidity it makes my run seem almost pointless. Throughout my run I am looking at mostly young Indian faces who return a glance, probably one of curiosity, only to wonder what this foreigner is doing. I was in shock to see that not one other person in this humongous population was out for a run. Not even one. Then I thought to myself, maybe they know better. I never got my answer. After about a half mile jog I arrived down in a small cove of the sea where the water had dropped so far that all the boats were laying on the earth as if taking some sort of late afternoon nap. There were pigs, goats, and small children roaming the seas floor for scraps and who knows what else. There were groups of homeless people scattered about, either washing their clothing or picking up trash or relieving themselves out in the open. After a brief pause in my run, I snapped a couple photos and let my culture shock convince me that it was time to head back. After I returned from my run, checked through security and finished a short workout in the gym, I decided to write. To tell a story that has no point other than a shared experience and an opportunity for me to do something I love.

That night I joined the guys for dinner at the chinese restaurant in our hotel. We met up with the stunt coordinator and second unit director to catch up and look at some photos they had gotten since arriving three weeks earlier. His pictures were amazing. But some of those photos were disturbing yet touching in a very awkward way. It reminded me of my run and the pictures I wanted but was too afraid to take. I found myself in a struggle. I wanted to capture the images I'd seen but I also wasn't completely comfortable with snapping photos of people and areas that seem to be poor beyond repair. It was something I hoped to come to terms with but also something I hoped I would never come to terms with, If that makes any sense...