Fairfield Sweet Sixteenth

My trip to Fairfield in March 2018 was the sixteenth now documented in this blog. Yes, it's taken a while for me get started on this entry. I promise to keep it brief, so let's jump in:

I stayed at the Men's Peace Palace, as last time. Given the time of year, I saw lots of sunrises, and some were photo-worthy.

The entryway looked familiar, including the reminders on the floor to remove one's shoes.

I finally noticed that the coat hangers in the entryway bore duck heads.

It was the same room I had back in November.

In the middle of one thunderstorm-wracked night the power went out on parts of the campus, including the Peace Palace. My battery-powered clock woke me at the correct time, but I couldn't turn on any lights. I was able to navigate with my camping headlamp, and the building's hot water was still comfortably warm when I turned it all the way to "H," so no harm done. The power came back later in the morning.

My two-week visit included five days of Ayurvedic treatments at The Raj, which were welcome and very settling. One evening I took this photo combining the entry and the moon.

The shirodhara treatment, oil poured slowly on the forehead, was especially calming.

Between the extended group meditations in the Golden Dome, my Raj treatments, and iffy weather I had only a few opportunities to wander. On one of my walks I discovered that the old railroad depot had undergone another reincarnation.

The expansion of the North Campus Village was continuing.

Is that a giant spider up there?

Concrete was being poured.

This zoom shows some of the tubing and mechanisms of a long-distance pour. Click on the image to enlarge.

Sure it's not injecting alien eggs into the ground?

On one of my walks uptown -- or is it downtown? -- near the square, anyway, this juxtaposition caught my eye.

That's Fairfield!

Now for my campus-area photos; first, an engaging trio of trees near the student union.

A Chevy Volt was charging up near the Sustainable Living Center.

On the other side of the green battery shed, a student project had been installed next to the photovoltaic panels.

EVSE is an acronym for Electric Vehicle Service Equipment. The charging equipment within the car and the EVSE negotiate a power level for charging that's acceptable to both parties.

OpenEVSE is an outfit that will either sell you a completed EVSE, an EVSE kit that you assemble, or parts to build an EVSE to your own specifications.

Here's a view of the central hallway of the Sustainable Living Center. The whole trunks are much stronger than sawn boards.

I had the opportunity to walk another segment of the Jefferson County Loop Trail, which I have explored over the years. A schedule conflict, however, prevented me from collecting the final mile needed to claim the entire trail.

On the afternoon of March 25th there was to be a Global Group Meditation, where TM practitioners everywhere would gather in groups and meditate at the same time, 5:05 pm in Fairfield. This effort, it was anticipated, would tweak the global level of consciousness for the better. Of particular interest, Maharaja Adhiraj Rajaraam -- also known as Dr. Tony Nader -- would be addressing those of us in Fairfield (via audio link) and answering questions before the meditation start.

Although tempted to complete my walk I cut it short. This was wise, because the treatments at the Raj had calmed my metabolism a lot, and I was getting accustomed to a new prescription. I knew I shouldn't stress myself with an extra two miles.

At the Dome the gathered souls were first addressed by Dr./Raja John Hagelin, and a video of him was played, explaining the mechanics of how group practice could affect the greater population. His background as a physicist was put to good use in the video. John also wished another TM notable, Raj Rajeshwari Candace, a happy birthday.

The program then moved to Dr. Nader, who also spent time noting Candace's birthday and praising her works, followed by Candace's thanks, which quickly transformed into lengthy admiration of Dr. Nader's insights and leadership. After a final return expression of thanks to Candace, Dr. Nader unfortunately had time to answer only one question. Then it was the start time for the global meditation.

A look back at the Dome when it was all over, and I was on my way to the Golden Dome Market Cafe for a light dinner.

After a rejuvenating visit to Fairfield I returned home. As for the loop trail -- maybe next time!

Fairfield 8: Eight? Really?

In early November 2013 I returned yet again to Fairfield, Iowa, for a meditation intensive (the Invincible America Assembly, or IAA), for 7 days of Ayurvedic treatments at The Raj, and to see friends and poke around. Not that there was an abundance of free time between the IAA and The Raj. If you've been following this blog, you may wonder what I'll have to write about this time that hasn't already been said. So do I! But don't worry, instead of Fairfield for Spring 2014 I will go someplace I have never been before.

My first photo will be my favorite one from this trip. It's first so that it will be the displayed photo under 'Recent Posts' or 'Popular Posts.' A cyclist rides away from the Men's Dome, after evening program, in front of the Maharishi Tower of Invincibility. I saw this alignment one night, and kept an eye and my camera out for any re-occurrence. I captured this image a couple of days later.

I roomed in a different place this time. I was north of the campus, in North Campus Village, instead of south. The building I was in contained several condos.

A short cut-through connects the North Campus Village with the Fairfield Loop Trail in several locations.

The new location changed my commute to and from the Golden Dome, which made it possible for me to notice the cyclist in front of the tower. When I arrived the trees in front of the Dome had changed color, but the leaves were still attached. This didn't last long.

The long driveway down to the Raj was brilliantly colored as well.

Here's a closeup.

For details about the Raj, I'll refer you to this post and this one. The staff was wonderful, as usual, and the treatments gave me a good "reset" of my physiology.

The store nearby to campus, Everybody's Whole Foods, was setting up a two-level railroad display for the holiday season.

The Sustainable Living Center on the MUM campus was now fully open for activities. Bob Argo, who came out to Fairfield with me, and our mutual friend in Fairfield, Cary Davis, and I took a walkthrough. Here is one of the classrooms.

The building is supported by intact tree trunks; these are stronger than sliced-up boards.

The circular glass you see above the doorway in the above photo, slightly higher than dead center, is a stained glass rosette.

One of the informative panels on the main hallway lists the certifications this building has earned -- not just one. Click to enlarge.

The south face is used for many different plantings.

Elsewhere on campus, the venerable bridge over a vanished stream has been closed off. It's falling apart. I suppose there's no point in maintaining a bridge over nothing, but I still find it melancholy to see it wither.

On one walk downtown Bob, Cary, and I had a brief but fascinating visit at the ICON (Iowa Contemporary Art) Gallery and Bill Teeple Studio, which share the same space.

One of Bill's special talents is the drawing of small nature scenes in pencil. I do mean small:

With extreme cropping, I can present an image that will give you can idea of what he does, although all the exquisite detail is lost in this photo.

Although Bill was busy switching exhibits in the ICON Gallery, he took several minutes to show us how he uses a pencil to create entrancing scenes.

Thank you, Bill!

The other big excursion was to the site where Steve Nolle was having a Sthapatya Ved house built. Steve is on the Computer Science Faculty at MUM; I met him at least a decade ago when we were both attending various week-long retreats at MUM. Back in the day, we discovered, we both worked for Bell Labs. I was in Columbus and he was in the Chicago area.

We approached the house, which is in a "four-square" style, where each side is the same length.

The sides have plenty of windows for admitting light. Here's a closeup of the south face.

The entrance faces east, in accordance with Sthapatya Vedic principles.

The builder is known for his post-and-beam construction, but Steve convinced him to try an experiment and use a robust but typical American balloon frame. The builder did include posts in the porch design, above.

The full basement was built with insulated, poured concrete forms.

It's easy to run a conduit to the electrical outlets -- just dig a small trench in the insulating form, as you can see above (click to enlarge).

Here Steve is explaining the passive radon-venting system built into the foundation.

The roof and ceiling beams are huge. This photo doesn't do them justice.

Steve pointed out the various rooms in the interior.

This is the view through the south windows.

This is the view to the north. Beyond the fence is cattle pasture, retained by the original owner of the land.

It was intriguing to see this style of house under construction. It's more solidly built than the average American home, and has many ecologically-minded features.

For my final photo from this trip, a sunset view from North Campus Village.

The next trip will be in an entirely different direction.

Fairfield 6: Return to the Raj

Last November I returned for another visit to Fairfield, including extended meditation and more treatments at The Raj. The photos and impressions I have to share cover three categories: updates to the MUM campus,  changes in Fairfield, and a return to The Raj.

MUM Campus
The MUM campus continued to evolve during the seven months since my previous visit. The stairs at the Argiro Student Center had been problematic since its opening with spalling (crumbling or chipping) of both the original and repaired concrete. Now, the stairs and entryway are tiled.

I hadn't taken a good photo of the west face of Argiro before; although it is the back of the building, it's also the side that faces Highway 1. In Sthapatya Ved, the most auspicious orientation for a building is to face east.

Across Highway 1 from Argiro, the wind turbine between the library and the new Sustainable Living Center -- which had its opening just a few weeks after I ended my April visit -- was now completely installed and generating power. Being a student project, it's a turbine of modest size.

On a sunnier day, a closeup of the turbine.

The big sign facing Highway 1 has received a facelift.

Nearby there are new tree plantings.

The railings of a campus bridge were replaced in a style whose arch echoes the Jefferson County recreational trail where it crosses Highway 1, only a few hundred feet away. Here is the refurbished campus bridge,

and here is an earlier picture of the trail bridge.

Many of the residential buildings known as "frats" received substantial makeovers, both inside and out. Here, a new roof is being installed.

New, energy-efficient windows replaced the old ones.

Here is a snapshot of a renovated lobby in one of the frats.

From in front of the frats the view encompasses the Maharishi Patanjali Golden Dome at left, the Victory Tower, the Bagambhrini Golden Dome, and at far right the Golden Dome Market and Cafe.

In previous posts I've shown the expansion of the Golden Dome Market from the outside, and now I can show you the effects on the inside. The northern extension on the ground floor is now the produce room.

Above it on the second floor is additional dining area.

As before the center of the second floor is the main serving and dining area. The southern extension is a new kitchen, so food no longer has to be transported from the kitchen in Argiro. I did not eat here during this visit, but I may make extensive use of it next time; if you're after a smaller meal, as opposed to all-you-can-eat, the Cafe is less expensive than the Argiro, albeit with a smaller selection.

The southern extension on the ground floor is several aisles of dry goods, and I couldn't take a meaningful photograph.

Around Fairfield
The biggest change in Fairfield took place just a few days after I left. After decades of 60 to 80 trains per day blowing their horns as they passed through, Fairfield is now an officially designated Quiet Zone. The crossings were all upgraded with long medians so that vehicles can't maneuver around the lowered gates. No more horn blasts! Here's a picture of one of the new crossings.

There is now a rotating display of Parsons College memorabilia in the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center. Parsons College declared bankruptcy in 1973 and was purchased by Maharishi University of Management, then called Maharishi International University, in 1974. That's how MUM came to be in Iowa.

The stained glass came from the Parsons College chapel. Let's zoom in on it (click on the picture for an enlarged version).

The folks behind the Cafe Paradiso purchased the building next door, and renovated it to offer both residential and office facilities.

The notes on the side of Cafe Paradiso, just noticeable in the above photo, intrigued me. Depending on the angle of the light, they were either clearly metal projections from the side of the building, or sometimes as if painted on the brick. First, the ironwork look:

Then, my attempt to capture the painted look:

Every time I reappear in Fairfield there seems to be a new shop somewhere downtown. This time, it was a combination tea and pottery shop.

The Raj
I documented my first visit to The Raj in some detail here. This time I'll add some more information without repeating the original stuff.

My biggest concern in returning to The Raj for another seven-day round of panchakarma (Ayurvedic treatments) was the possibility of the second-time letdown. That's when the first time you experience something, it's great, and you're eager to repeat it, but when you do the second time doesn't measure up to the first, leaving you with a vague feeling of dissatisfaction. This fear was unfounded.

It was necessary to budget nine days for the seven days of treatment. Because I was doing extended group meditation in the mornings as part of the Invincible America Assembly, arriving at the Dome during early November dawns,

only the afternoons were available for treatments or meetings at The Raj. The first afternoon was a meeting with the director, Mark Toomey, and Dr. Siju, a vaidya (Ayurvedic physician). They interviewed me, read my pulse, and prescribed the series of treatments for the next seven days. I would see them again in the middle of the treatments, so they could evaluate progress, and again after the treatments were complete, receiving advice for herbs, diet, and such when back home.

While taking treatments at The Raj special PK (panchakarma) meals are part of the program. The PK dining room is separate from the restaurant at The Raj; here's my photo.

The meals were a highlight of each day, especially because of the opportunity to converse with other PK diners. We came from diverse backgrounds and with different experiences, and usually found plenty to talk about. Also, across the eight days that I ate there, some guests would reach the end of their stay and depart, while others would arrive.

I took an illustrative photo of one lunch meal.

The main plate has, clockwise from bottom, a chapati (Indian flatbread), spinach, rice, artichoke with a green sauce, and mixed veggies. The bowl to the side is a lentil and veggie soup, while in the shot glass is a digestive decoction, which for me was fennel and coriander based -- there are two main types. This is consumed first. And there are two chutneys next to the decoction. Brought out later were a digestive lassi (yogurt drink) and a dessert, which is usually a stewed fruit dish but is occasionally one of my favorites, rice pudding. These meals are designed to complement rather than interfere with the treatments you're receiving. The idea is to not strain the digestion.

I'll close this blog entry with a final sunrise photo. There are so many when you're walking to the dome at 7:00 AM (I like to get there a little early; 7:30 is when the doors close).

After another springtime visit to Fairfield, I may visit the Raj again next November.