I am a Woodstock Girl

I live for the weekends and Sunday was just awesome.

Woke up early to finally go for mass! Only that it was in an Episocal Church, in which I totally have no idea what exactly they are except for the obvious superficial similarities it has to the Roman Catholic Parish. The mass went as according to a usual mass, not that I noted any differences, and had essentially the same terms as a Catholic Parish. Anyway, it was a heart-warming experience, with brilliant, awesome folks welcoming me, making sure I was comfortable throughout the mass and telling me briefly, the history of the church...

Went shopping for Woodstock souvenirs, this being the last weekend I'd spend in Woodstock (heading to Brooklyn next weekend) and bought myself an awesome scarve/shawl/wrap whatever, something I would use and still essentially embodies the spirit of Woodstock from its colours. Not a blantant "Woodstock" Tee, but a beautiful multi-purpose symbolic green-yellow-red wrap. I immediately took off the scarve I was wearing and put on my new purchase, and felt like a Hippie right away.

For those who not know, Woodstock is a "small town whose identity is fixed and branded by a singular period of time", stuck very much in the 60s/70s, flower-power, peace-to-the-world era. Every spot lies a Peace symbol; the flowers planted in shape of that, graffiti outlined it, old fading posters and Bob Dylan's photographs. Only by contrasting comparism, I was able to identify that Woodstock is indeed sophiscated, modern and somewhat "commercialised". It is a place where the mahattan beings come during the weekends; the restaurants done up modern and rather generic; a small town where big city people come to see what a small town is like.

I took a day trip out of Woodstock to an authentic small town called Phonecia and immediately appreciated being in Woodstock for 2 months than any other small towns. Now, Phonecia has the kind of restaurants you always envision America would have, family-run, wooden-pedestrals-as-chairs, hand-coloured small "posters" advertising the various waffles they have. It was housed in a creaky, peeling white building and packed with people (that should explain the quiet streets) and waitresses who asked if you'd like coffee or tea after your meal. Seriously, the kind of restaurants you see in movies. In that tiny main street, it has an old pharmacy and a supermarket, everything is cow-boy like, creaky, peeling and wooden. Beautiful enough to sustain my interest for the 4 hours I'm there, but I certainly can't stay any longer than that in there.

Transported back to Woodstock in 30 mins flat, I saved the last picture on my roll for the drum circle that occurs every Sunday. Everyone is welcome to just sit and pick up drums that are in a huge trolley, or bring your own and sit and play to the beat. Little kids dancing in the middle of the circle, the homeless icons sitting around the circle and some dancing spontaneously to the beat.

Rushed home, grabbed my bags of laundry and cycled to the laundry-mat. While waiting for the laundry to be done, I cycled up to a hidden park off the main road. Feeling every bit of a Hippie the wrap magically cast, I took off my slippers, walked on the cold grass, the wind blowing my hair, the wrap gently flippered in the cold chilly wind. Strolling in disbelief of my sheer existence, swinging my rangefinder and breathing in the naturalisic view, I just wished I could have gotten that moment as a photograph. That was the moment of the week...

I see myself evolve over the weeks I'm here. And lately it has been terribly emotional. I feel like I get to understand Woodstock more each passing day, the time where beautiful sunlight falls on a particular spot, the people who will be at certain places at particular times of the day, the spirit and culture. And soon enough, I'm going home already!

Tonight is my first night of mediatation classes, as much as its culture symbolises: It is free lessons introducing spirituality and breathing techniques, for everyone in a community centre! Woodstock is all about spirituality, meditation, yoga, blah blah blah, zen.

I love the magic of the wrap.