Tag: usa1987
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With only five dollars in my pocket
Memories of Amma’s first USA Yatra 1987 – part 7 Often it was the case where there was only $5 in my pocket, but somehow Amma always made sure that I was getting by. Old friends from college would drive me far and wide, or someone from a video show would offer a Greyhound bus ticket for me to get to the next place. Hundreds and then thousands of miles passed by in those six weeks; it was me, my backpack, and an intense longing to bring Amma to Her children. Finally March 20th arrived and I had made it…
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Emergence of the Divine web
Memories of Amma’s first USA Yatra 1987 – part 6 Crossing the country that winter was extremely cold, but every day I managed one video show and at least one decent meal. Sometimes a contact from the summer would arrange for me to show a video, other times I would simply walk into a bookstore and see who might want to watch Amma’s video. I was not fussy, Amma’s children were everywhere and She was my guiding light. Using the phone book, I would arrange to meet informally with members of different church denominations and spiritual centers to speak of…
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Permission for the pre-tour
Memories of Amma’s first USA Yatra 1987 – part 5 It is hard to imagine those days when there was no computer, no cell phone, no internet . But all the planning for the first tour took place without that. The small typewriter which had been given to me was my way to contact people, to type up the Amritanandam newsletter and to keep in touch with the small & scattered group of people who had been keen to help after seeing the video of Amma in the summer. The Europe planning had been divided out and given over to…
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Buying the plane tickets, reuniting Amma and her children
Memories of Amma’s first USA Yatra 1987 – part 4 December 1986 The ticket I had traveled on during the summer of ’86 was a dream ticket. At first a simple round trip to San Francisco was my plan, but as it turned out the travel agent in Kochi advised me that there was a new deal – for $1000 I could pick two airlines and 10 cities. That had worked very well for the initial tour planning, and my idea was to get the same ticket for Amma and the group. There was only one problem – there was…
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Yoda moment at the US Consulate
Memories of Amma’s first USA Yatra 1987 – part 3 The task which would absorb my attention for nearly three months was applying for all the passports, procuring the US & French visas, and getting the plane tickets for Amma and the nine others who would go on tour. The passports would be easy, but the visas were another matter. In those days, even for a short visit, US sponsors were required for Amma and the brahmacharins. It was very difficult to get one visa, much less seven of them. In fact, although none of the families I approached for…
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Returning back home
Memories of Amma’s first USA Yatra 1987 – part 2 The front porch of the Kalari* was where Amma was sitting that day in August of 1986 when I arrived back**. Some of the residents had also joined Amma there and were curious to know how my time had been spent. What was happening? When would Amma be leaving for America? Where were the places Amma would be visiting? Who had heard of Amma? I recall the volley of questions being both exciting and overwhelming at the same time as I struggled to answer them in a clear way. Within…
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My Children are crying, Amma must go to them
Memories of Amma’s first USA Yatra 1987 – First part (Gretchen Kusuma is recollecting how Amma’s first world tour happened in 1987 on this 25th year of Amma’s visit to USA) 25 May 2011, writing from the Denver airport…. We were about twenty renunuciates living with Amma at the Idammanel family compound in April of 1986 when the invitation for Amma to visit America came and was accepted by Amma. The invitation was from Nealu’s (now known as Sw.Paramatmananda) brother and sister-in-law, Earl & Judy Rosner of San Francisco. At the time I was the ashram cook and was in the…