India Culture & Music: November 2008

So recently I have started running and walking in the mornings with my teacher. It is taking a bit to get adjusted to waking up, but if I know he will be there, I can do it. I get up around 5 am and then put on warm clothes and shoes and then quietly lock my door and head downstairs. Everyone in the landlord's house is asleep at that time. I usually hear snoring. Then I do a complicated unlocking and re-locking of the exterior gate while trying to be gentle because it is an iron gate and it can make nice ringing noises.
I walk out and across the end of the street there is a Sikh temple (Gurudwara) very close to where I live and they have already been awake for a little while and doing their thing. A few people are usually going there. Then as I walk towards the park where I run I see a few people out walking. Some middle-aged couples, some older couples and several middle-aged men. Usually they are the same people everyday. People don't smile at you as they do in US. If they know you they will greet you but otherwise you just keep on walking and do some staring. Shops are all closed and it is fairly quite. Practically no one is on the roads. I pass the other Hospital/gurudwara that I had pictured in the previous Diwali photos post as well.
When I get to the park, I don't go straight in to the park but rather walk on the road next to the park that goes away from it in a different direction. A couple of laps of that road and then I enter the park. Sometimes people bring their dogs. Then the local road-dogs usually follow that person and the dog all around the area to make sure that no claim to their property is laid by the visitor.
This park is called D.C. ground which stands for Deputy Commissioner Ground because it is near the D.C.'s house. All around us are buildings built probably from British times to house the officers. Most of these are occupied by high ranking police and other administrative officers. They have security guards posted outside. These are large properties and have a lot of grass and trees and space, a luxury to which most modern Indians have little access.
It is still dark but the area lighting is good. Some men and women are usually walking on the elliptical concrete path in the park. A group of middle aged, younger and older men is usually sitting under the gazebo as well and they do some chanting and hand clapping and other things to get themselves going. Even in the cold winter days most of these people will show up and talk and laugh and do some walking and chanting. Many of these people are businessmen and they start talking business and news and other topics of discussion that interest them.
The park is well maintained. There are nice ornamental trees and shrubs. The scene becomes beautiful when the dawn appraoches. There is light in the sky and birds go about their morning rituals. The dew makes things feel fresh. I look forward to seeing some fog soon.
My teacher does his exercises and I run on the grass getting my shoes dirty with wet grass and dirt. After this I usually stretch a little and then go walking with my teacher towards his home and we walk in the bigger park near his house. We usually talk about music or other interests. Lot more people are out and about at this time and the park is full of people walking and exercising and talking. Some of the men move from their previous gazebo to this park's gazebo to continue their chants and chatter.
Afterwards, I head home and fall asleep after breakfast.
It is a nice culture of walking and associating that helps keep many of the elderly going and makes them feel socially connected. I enjoy getting up and talking music with my teacher in the mornings, the peace and quiet and also exercising. If only I had the discipline to do this on my own all the time. But I am hoping that by doing it here I will create the habit that will surely serve me well.