A new friend from Fiji..

Last few days I was feeling a bit blue as my mind was filled with some heavy thoughts and analysis... So as always, I decided it was time for some form of exercise to lighten up, and I didn't feel like following the typical gym routine.

Instead I embarked onto moonlight beach, Encinitas , Ca. and decided to run down the sand, as far I could , despite the high tide, and the water on most of the shore... Running on the beach always refreshes my mind, and relaxes my soul....and having the Ipod on, it was a feeling of one of those indescribable high's....the waves crashing, the heart beating, and the melody to my ears....

...As I approached the next beach town of Leucadia (probably 2-3 miles North), I had come to the end of my journey, to face a huge cliff of ROCKS about 15-20 feet high, between one point of the beach and the other. I decided to climb to the top, and sit, watch the waves crash hard against the rocks, and just wander out way out into the deep blue yonder ... As I was sitting, I was confronted by a young man named Harish and his family. At first, I was astonished to see himself, his wife and little kids, having climbed the steep rocks as well. "Are you Indian", do you "speak hindi," he asked....

We engaged in at least a 20 minute conversation that went on to discuss India and the history of Fiji! Harish is from Fiji and now settled in Sacramento, CA. Apparently there is a huge Fiji population out there, and in many other parts of the country. He went on to tell me how in Fiji, there is no "class divide", everyone speaks perfect hindi, and it just seemed as if the old Indian culture I knew of, was very much preserved out there. When I did ask mom about that later, she told me that many people in Fiji, Sri Lanka and other neighboring Indian countries , have been "Stuck in time" and still retain most of the old culture, not even as evident in India any more.

One thing I really liked in my conversation with Harish was that he had mentioned how his kids, born in the US, speak perfect Hindi. "There is one rule in our house" he went on to claim. Our kids "must speak Hindi" they "must speak Hindi", and went on to say it was his and his wife's responsibility to teach them Hindi so they don't blame their parents later in life for not knowing the language. Good idea, I thought to myself , something I'd consider to teach my future as well....

Finally, after taking one last glimpse of the ocean, I set forth on my running path back to moonlight beach, and headed home.

It was a nice evening jog...and a nice making a new friend from Fiji.