Apple Juice
December 8, 2006
During the Navaratri trip to India the day’s events would begin at 8 AM and they’d do pujas until 10:30 at which point all the priests would take a break. Typically they would gather in the kitchen and make different things to drink. Some would have coffee, some tea, and some would make fresh fruit juice.
One day, one of them made apple juice. It was absolutely delicious. I had two glasses. Big mistake.
Later that night I got a fever, then stomach sick. Then it got worse. In spite of all my precautions, I had apple juice made with local water and paid the price. I have never been so sick in all my trips to India. But after a couple trips to the doctor, I was much better.
When I returned to the yagyas, the priest who had made the apple juice was a little shy and obviously embarrased that he had made the apple juice that made me sick. In spite of his lack of English, I managed to convey that at least in my opinion, getting sick at least once is just a part of visiting India, so it was no big deal.
Then it turned into a big joke. The next time the priests took a break and asked me what I wanted to drink….I said “Apple juice!”. Much laughter. Then everything became “apple juice”. It was the running joke.
Last night (thursday) when I called India to listen to the chanting, Seetharam told me that the priests all wanted to wish me a Happy New Year, so he held up the phone and all the priests yelled, “Apple Juice!”