No sleep for me last night.  Too much to do. So much to consider.  Yep, the bank froze my debit card seeing 5 people eating out in Suaraha, took care of that …again.  Yep, made sure that there was a new hotel reservation for Kathmandu, that the interview with the “Bee Acupuncturist” was in fact happening (an acupuncturist that uses bee stings as his needles) and answered the inevitable emails that come in about 4am every morning.  That’s before my feet swing out of bed,

I don’t care about sleeping. I think most people who find themselves at the apex of their creative center feel this way.  We forget to shower, eat…take out the trash.   It is like waiting for a child to be born.  While the Team is in Nepal, I am simply lit up like a firecracker.  It is one thing to achieve a goal:  Send 5 wonderful young people to Nepal as ambassadors for AOMUSIC and come back with recordings of children singing as well as unparalleled footage of this amazing process.  But it is what happens in between the goal and the outcome that defines the creative process.

Creating is the art of allowing.  Allowing the picture to come into focus without pushing, allowing for interruptions to the plan to reveal the REAL plan.  Allowing for magic to break in unexpectedly and change every person involved, which then immediately changes the outcome. Rain, food issues, cultural differences, language, altitude all are the ingredients for surprises, one after the other.   This is why I don’t mind loosing sleep.  This is why I have put my life in alignment with AO Foundation International:  Because I am guaranteed to be allowed to unfold, just like the process of making this film and meeting these families, children and the country of Nepal.

So, while I was still awake at 5:30 this morning, this email came in from my daughter Jessie.  Internet is difficult in Nepal and as the team writes each sentence they have to constantly re-boot, re-fresh, wait and shut down.  Does not make following thoughts very easy.  But it is the spirit that blazes bright in every email.

From Jessie:

“And it is a late late night for me….Today was like breathing.  It was our second and last day with the children at Shree Little Star School. As wonderful and amazing as they were, I am even more excited about the days to come and the future footage I will take, as we just got invited to come back to Kathmandu to work with a group of children in an Orphanage there, as well as with a renowned musician from Nepal.  Raj took only myself over to Mushard Village to quickly meet the new children here in Suaraha and speak to them about coming in the morning to record them.

Although the streets were muddy and the village small and poverty stricken. I have never experienced such radiating light, love and laughter like that from children.  I was only there maybe less then five minutes and I left with them knowing my name and chasing after me when we left on the Mo-ped. I have never felt happier and more up-lifted in  my life.  This was after a morning of slowly drifting down the Rapti River in a canoe with Josh and Rob doing yoga. We watched an elephant and her baby cross  the river.  A magical day of footage and pure excitement. Things are unfolding so fast and so beautifully, I can only assume I am walking a path that I have been searching for my whole life.”

Sigh.

So, the Team is working today with a new group of younger children and then packing to go to Kathmandu in the morning.  This was an unexpected new offering that happens all of the time with AOMUSIC.  Once people hear the music, doors open to wonderful new introductions to communities and children.  It is our firm belief to follow the gifts we are given and make those contacts, take the treks and be open hearted, open handed and supportive of the families and children contributing to our albums.  So a new adventure begins.

Our third Team member was also a gift.  I had never met Karan Sharma, but through an introduction to Marc Pingry Production a light bulb went off in Marc’s head as we were having dinner in Seattle.  “Karan…you must bring Karan Sharma with you”, said Marc.

Marc proceeded to share about this young man whose father is Romesh Sharma, an Indian actor, producer and director in Bollywood.  Karan has acted, and worked on a documentary series called  “Fantastic Festivals of the World”. He brings a creative eye, enthusiasm, great ideas and heart to the AO Project in Nepal and is working with a larger camera to film the team teaching children and the story of the team itself.  Here is a little on Karan.

Karan currently is living in India, and has studied International Business and Management Studies at the European Business School London. He is fluent in English and Hindi, and can speak some French.  Karan has also acted and we are excited to work with him in the future on our larger documentary that will trek to the Caves of Maratika and to a monastery near Everest.  He is a gem!

Fantastic Festivals of the World

Season One & Now Season Two   People around the world know how to have fun!The “Fantastic Festivals of the World” Series features the best, most exotic, bizarre and unique of these celebrations!  This exciting and colorful HDTV series can be seen currently on the Discovery HD Theater (www.dhd.discovery.com) in the USA on Wednesdays at 8 pm and 11 pm PST. the documentary was done by Marc Pingry Productions.  www.youtube.com/pingryhdtv

So, when Karan came enthusiastically onboard I thought our team was complete.  Until one night I woke up and saw a picture in my mind of a young man I barely knew and somehow understood that for some reason, Josh Massad, I think that was his name, had to be part of our team also.  I had no Idea why, but in the next few days I found him in Goa, India and found out why I had had a vision of him that night.   Tomorrow I want to introduce you to the teams own “Yoda”.  Josh Massad.  Our fourth team member.