observation application Chapter One
17
Completely normal activities for the people of Haridwar were creating a disturbing reaction within Blake. They will surely be sick. How can someone bathe in the same water they drink? If the children had any cuts, they could be infected. She hadn’t tested the water yet, but had a gut feeling it wasn’t good.
She feels her brow begin to furrow, and her face wrinkle with discomfort. A breeze picks up and brings a sour stench to her nostrils, which she instinctively holds. As she scans the beach once more, her eyes come to rest on a woman filling a water jug down a ways from the bathing man. In an instant, the woman looks up, locking eyes with Blake. The woman’s gentle expression turns to stone when she assesses Blake’s judgmental gaze, leaving Blake with an instantaneous feeling of embarrassment. The woman shakes her head, breaking the stiff gaze between them. With flushed cheeks and no way to apologize, Blake turns away sharply and power-walks back to the main road.
When she gets home, she feels defeated and guilty. She wishes she had been more aware of her facial expression, more judicious with her inward emotions, and able to communicate her error to the woman. She never wants to do that again, and regrets offending the woman. Blake recalls an exercise she learned in Rishikesh, called full body awareness, that improves self-awareness, a key element in observation and mindfulness, and decides to give it a go. She wants to be more in control of her body to prevent any more misunderstood, reactionary body language. There’s a corner of her temporary flat with a bright Areca Palm and a floor cushion that she nestles into.