Rafal returning to Poland (but just for a while)
Sampurna returning to Czech Republic (but also just for a short while)
Sasha and Adri off for the summer to work at the Osho Centre in Lesbos, Greece
Changes at Croydon Hall
This is a time of change at Croydon Hall. Nearly all of the current people working there are leaving, including Kanta who has done a fantastic job for the more than 3 years that she has been there. A few months ago the situation was looking a bit scary - who will take over and continue the work? But in the amazing way that existence works, new people have arrived to fulfil every position being vacated!! The way this all works never ceases to amaze me.
Welcome to Croydon Hall: New housekeepers Dity, Nilaya and Anju (top row). The office is now run by Leela (formerly from Osho Leela) and by Anada who is also working as a web designer (second row).
Kanta and Shanti will be leaving after the summer festival in July and I will write more about them later. In the meantime here are some of the other goings and comings.
Leela (Romania) and Anahato (France) left recently for a very interesting 3 year job looking after a family and cooking for them in Qatar! Leela’s place has been filled by Anada who comes from Mexico. As well as doing the nitty-gritty group details, she is a graphic and website designer so has already taken over the design of marketing materials. In two weeks Arunima (India) returns from Goa to take on the chef duties in the kitchen and her partner, Mukunda (Scotland), will take over from Sampurna (Czech Republic) assisting Shankara (New Zealand) in Maintenance. Alesh returned two weeks ago from Czech Republic and will be assisting Arunima in the kitchen. He is also a computer whiz so his skills will be useful in the office.
Also leaving the office is Rafal who has been office general manager for the past two years. He is going back to Poland for two months and will then return to work somewhere in England. The other Leela, from Osho Leela, (loads of playfulness here!) and French Sarita have arrived to take over Rafal and Kanta’s jobs in the office.
Sampurna was Housekeeping Manager until a month ago and did an unexpectedly brilliant job in a role which had previously only been held by a female! He will leave in two weeks for a short visit back to Czech and will also come back to work in England. He was ably assisted by Arup (Slovakia) who has already left and is enjoying a holiday in Thailand.
Welcome to Croydon Hall: IT wizard and cook Alesh.
The Housekeeping Manager is now Diti from Bulgaria and two days ago Nilaya (Brazil) arrived to help her and to take over from Sasha (also Bulgaria) who leaves soon with her partner, Adri (Israel), who is the current chef. They will go for a short holiday in Bulgaria and then work for the summer at the Osho Centre in Lesbos, Greece.
Anju, Amitabh’s friend, has just arrived from Germany and will stay for 3 months. She is helping out in Housekeeping.
In all of this, the necessary take-overs have all happened smoothly (except for one or two hiccups) so the work at Croydon Hall and the service to their clients has never been interrupted. It is a tribute to the flexibility and dedication of sannyasins, and, I think, Kanta in particular, that there has been this seamless continuity -- especially considering the quite extraordinarily unique international flavour of the community, with sannyasins coming from all over the world to work in harmony because of their common love for Osho.
The dance, the play, continues...
text and photos by Veena – May 2008
