Surrey Babbai

One of the best things about living in Surrey is numerous Babbai(seniors) roaming the streets. Better still is greeting them and totally making their day. The majority greet you right back and their face lights up. This post is dedicated to them. No one else can experience this in the west, the close proximity isn't as much as it is in my pind Surrey.

Whenever I go for a walk or walk to and from Kwantlen(University College) it's a given that I'll see a few of them walking their grandkids or pushing a stroller or just merrily walking with an umbrella in hand no matter rain or shine.

Now many people have a negative view of all babbai as being drunk all the time and just sitting there on park benches playing cards. I think that's the case with a small minority who are pushed into these circumstances. From what I've heard and seen most babbai have a rotten experience at home and so they venture outside and find similar company and lessen their collective 'dukh.'
This pauree From Bahi Gurdass Jee comes to mind:
ਅਮਲੀਰਚਨਅਮਲੀਆਂਸੋਫੀਸੋਫੀਮੇਲਕਰੰਦੇ॥
ਜੂਆਰੀਜੂਆਰੀਆਂਵੇਕਰਮੀਵੇਕਰਮਰਚੰਦੇ॥
ਚੋਰਾਂਚੋਰਾਂਪਿਰਹੜੀਠਗਠਗਮਿਲਦੇਸਠਗੰਦੇ॥
ਮਸਕਰਿਆਂਮਿਲਮਸਕਰੇਚੁਗਲਾਂਚੁਗਲਉਮਾਹਮਿਲੰਦੇ॥
ਮਨਤਾਰੂਮਨਤਾਰੂਆਂਤਾਰੂਤਾਰੂਤਾਰਤਰੰਦੇ॥
ਦੁਖਿਆਰੇਦੁਖਿਆਰਿਆਂਮਿਲਮਿਲਅਪਣੇਦੁਖਰੁਵੰਦੇ॥
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਗੁਰਸਿਖਵਸੰਦੇ॥੪॥

Over this summer I have gotten to know how bright most of them really are. It's surprising how much general knowledge these folks possess on all matters of life. You just have to get a conversation started.... These guys are on top of everything that happens around town, around the province, country, world and beyond. Its amazing the great number of them can fluently speak English have a crazy British like accent. I would guess it's because they served in the Indian Army, Air Force, taught school etc.

One time in 2002 I was starting work the first day and had to take a bus to get there. I was almost lost. Seeing my confused look two of them came to me told me what the best way to get to Richmond from 22nd Street Station would be and which bus to take. Most of the time I've taken a bus to places outside of Surrey, I've been amazed at how far these guys can go just with the help of the bus pass. More and more of them can be seen in the Downtown core whenever I'm there. Their navigational skills are unparalleled.

One of the most admirable things about them is that they don't hesitate to do what they deem right and stick up for it. One example is asking for rides at the end of a gurdvara program where they come up to you know ask you which way you are headed. I would never have the guts to ask someone who is a complete stranger....

Even the most dessiest of Babbai can get around easily. I have never encountered a baba who was lost and needed any direction.

It would be unfair to mention some of the negative aspects of the baba-life too. There are the ones who drink and urinate in public places. A few days ago there was this guy in his 60s singing a Jamla Jutt song and pointing at cars passing by. THere was the one who passes out across the street and was picked up by an ambulance. This week still one was sighted walking wildly and hit a pole while almost getting killed as he stumbled across to oncoming traffic.

I don't see how things could be different even if everyone tried to solve this. Negative aspects of the baaba life are quite old and old things turn into habits and habits never die. As Bhai Gurdass Jee has said, one naturally finds the company of the same without any problem. I think things are looking up even with the not so good public exhibits.

One thing you can do is to include the Babbai of Surrey in ardass and ask guru sahib to give them good-mutt and realize that death is coming nearer and nearer.... and that its still not too late to change.

Kirtan in Dreams

One of the best things ever is to experience a kirtan dream. What is a kirtan dream? Well it’s a dream where while asleep there is kirtan going on and you dream a dream and you hear kirtan in the background within the contents of the dream. Your dream follows kirtan. I myself listen to kirtan while asleep and I have recommended it to anyone I know as well. From having listened to kirtan at night, all night for over 14 years I can tell you that my dreams have been the very best someone can dream and I have never had a scary dream all this time.

As usual I had a really good dream last night. It was about my workplace moving to Langley and getting a really big warehouse with many big machines. Nearby there were other mega warehouses and a huge shopping mall.

So I was there at work at the end of the week and working night shift during a break I went to one of the windows and saw that there were kids in the opposite set of warehouses. I went out to my car and get a pair of roller-skates out and went to the business park adjacent to ours. It was nighttime and there wasn’t anyone about who I would have to report to.

So anyway I go over to where the kids were and when I get there I didn’t see anyone. I went to the back of the buildings and saw that there was a big opening to one of the buildings and when I went in all the kids were there skating, a group of about 5-6. The whole warehouse had a huge tubular track lined with white green and blue tiles with ridges and bumps like it was made just for skating.

So this may sound like I’m a gorafied Punjabi but for the longest time I taught these kids how to do new tricks. I then looked outside and it turned out that there was light coming from the windows and it was way late to go home.

As I went outside and told the kids I had to go home now, through the sidewalk of the building I made my way and one little guy tugs at my shirt and asked me what they should be doing. I told them that its very simple, they should Jaap naam. And like a dam bursting I could hear all the kids do Vaheguru Vaheguru Vaheguru in unison so loud that I thought the neighbors would wake up.

I kept going and the one kid who asked what they should be doing was still with me and i asked him if I’ve seen him before and he said yes he did and that I taught him Punjabi at Khalsa School during the summer, it turned out that it was a fact too I recognized him instantly at that.

When I woke up I was listening to the Bhai Prabhjot Singh Jee Track from Prince George Raensbayee 2005 with the Vaheguru dhunni still going.

Listening to Kirtan during the night pays. One dream too good.