tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324605908640328603.post6970451651596943247..comments2023-08-22T21:30:57.303+05:30Comments on Tales from the road: about the girlShiva112http://www.blogger.com/profile/13439595789711833747noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324605908640328603.post-62237622055680589912009-04-22T15:27:00.000+05:302009-04-22T15:27:00.000+05:30Hi Mike, I don't think I will become a bitter hagg...Hi Mike, I don't think I will become a bitter haggered miserable cynic over this but it has certainly been an eye opener.<br /><br />In regard to your question about teachers, I don't really know. The ones who are into big time social service aren't giving out money directly but are providing direct opportunities for education and training etc. which one presumes are less liable to exploitation.Shiva112https://www.blogger.com/profile/13439595789711833747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324605908640328603.post-67378515670326570822009-04-20T18:15:00.000+05:302009-04-20T18:15:00.000+05:30Great story, what have you learnt from it?
While i...Great story, what have you learnt from it?<br />While it is easy to take the experience as a reason to be cynical about the world this response would only have damaging consequences in the long term. Of course there are many in all walks of life who see human kindness as a weakness to be exploited in any way their imagination will let them. Fortunately there are far more individuals who see kindness for what it truly is; a gift.<br /><br />That said I would be interested to learn how the teachers and gurus protect themselves from such exploitation. There must be great pressure on them to solve the worlds problems both personally and more widely. How to they filter pleas for help? Do they have mechanisms in place that help fend off unwarranted approaches such as minimal material possessions or a retreat into a doctrine; there is no suffering it is only resistance to what is?.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03857405900167754593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324605908640328603.post-90619954171707036912009-04-20T10:52:00.000+05:302009-04-20T10:52:00.000+05:30Thanks for all of the comments. The idea of creati...Thanks for all of the comments. The idea of creating a warning has occurred to me so I'll mull it over some more - the thing is very few Westerners will be here until next Oct/Nov so I'm not sure if a poster would survive that long. Anyone getting sucked in as I did will be protected if they insist on researching the claims thoroughly. However the mother and daughter are expert at subterfuge, laying on the guilt trip and feigning hurt feelings if one starts asking too many questions. Maybe they started out honest but got tempted by the prospect of relatively easy and relatively large chunks of money by 'extending the truth' somewhat and playing on peoples sympathy........ <br /><br />Oh, and I'll definitely be keeping a photocopy of the statement. I'm not sorry this happened as it is a typical slice of Indian reality. I view it as a rich learning experience. What to do? In the words of that hip-hop dance song 'It's like that, and that's the way it is'<br /><br />About Aum Amma, they are not selling any books, any photo's, any DVD's and they are not requesting any donations. So even if she is pulling a scam, which I doubt, they don't appear to be making any money at it.Shiva112https://www.blogger.com/profile/13439595789711833747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324605908640328603.post-87918118385929146312009-04-20T06:07:00.000+05:302009-04-20T06:07:00.000+05:30I am sorry this happened to you...
Take care.I am sorry this happened to you...<br /><br />Take care.baskarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324605908640328603.post-82631644882046321722009-04-20T05:01:00.000+05:302009-04-20T05:01:00.000+05:30Sorry to hear that it was a scam, but good on you ...Sorry to hear that it was a scam, but good on you for researching it so thoroughly. Perhaps you could take a photo of the statement if you want to keep a copy....Andrewnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324605908640328603.post-8982051652330618662009-04-20T03:28:00.000+05:302009-04-20T03:28:00.000+05:30Come on be honest. What scam is Aum Amma pulling? ...Come on be honest. What scam is Aum Amma pulling? Sweet as she is.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324605908640328603.post-41167583692386268792009-04-19T17:34:00.000+05:302009-04-19T17:34:00.000+05:30Perhaps the best thing you could do now is to crea...Perhaps the best thing you could do now is to create some kind of warning to other foreigners who may stumble across this kind of scam in the town,in future? It cuts off their supply route for the future, without directly punishing the scammer. Otherwise new people will arrive and face a clean slate each time, once you've left the area. Perhaps some printed notices up in guesthouses frequented by foreign travellers, detailing the layout of the scam? Recently in Malaysia people had put up notices in the guesthouses (even photographs they'd taken on mobile phones of the scammers) about the various Filipinos who hang around Kuala Lumpur and approach foreigners (usually single males in their 20s-30s) in the Chinatown area in the hope of luring them into fixed gambling games with the intention of seriously ruining your life. Even met some myself, and decided to play 'them' for a change, by acting naive. Leading them on for several hours to make them think they'd hooked a big fish, before removing the hook from my mouth and walking off politely with a knowing smile. Oh how down they looked :DAdamnoreply@blogger.com