Thursday, April 16, 2009.
Where do i start?
Today is my last day in mysore. It's a strange feeling really, what i'm feeling. Somehow i can't help to feel that it's gone so quickly, yet at the same time so much has happened, so much has changed. Suddenly the life here has become the familiar one and thinking of my life back home in sweden suddenly seems strange, like some kind of parallel world.
But i've heard that it does go way quicker to adapt back then it did adapting to this.
I guess we'll find out.
So obviously being here has been great, i mean obviously. uuunbelievable! So i've been reflecting over the last 12 weeks, of everything i've seen and everything i've experienced and everyone i've met. And how could i ever even begin to explain everything. Surely coming home to my family will be lovely, still i will miss this.
One thing that i feel i've learned being here is how very little you really need to be happy, and also how truly simple things and life in general can be if we just don't complicate it. Sound easy maybe, though in real life i guess it somehow is harder. But yeah being here has deffinetly made me look at things in a different way, i guess travelling does that, kind of puts things in a different perspective. You learn things about the world and even about yourself that you might not always have known. Some of these things may be good and some may be bad.
Being here i think i have learned to appreciate my life at home in a different way, my life and my family. I remember as a child when i would of various reasons be upset or angry my mother would tell me "but michelle, think what a nice life you have, you have a warm house and a family that loves you" I remember being fed up and telling my mom that, that infact "has nothing to do with anything" i now years later realise that infact, being happy where you are and being grateful for what you have really has everything to do with evertyhing. It's really all about how you look at it. So thank you mom, for trying to teach me that, and i'm sorry that it took me more than ten years to actually understand what you were talking about, i guess some things in life we just have to figure out on our own.
One of my first days here in mysore i was feeling completely lost and i went downstairs and knocked on the door to Brookes apartment. She invited me in and made me green tea and we talked, i remember telling her that i allready then wondered how it would be to go back after being here. How could we see all of this and be a part of it all and then just go back and live like we always have? She told me that it was true what everyone who comes here says in some way "India will change you"
I now realise ofcourse that it is all about how you use all of your new experinces and integrate them in your daily life. But i wonder, have i changed? I deffinetly feel some kind of change inside of me, somehow thinking of myself for just three months ago i feel i've in some ways grown lots or changed or whatever you should call it. I don't know if all these changes i feel inside me are things that other people will see, but i'll tell you here and now, you might not be able to see it, but i can surely feel it.
You know the classic saying "people change" I've heard that people actually don't change, we just become a little more of who we really are. So in that case i guess i infact haven't changed at all.
But being gone for almost three months in india has deffinetly helped me become a little more of who i really am.
and for that i will be forever thankful.
So to india, mysore and to all of the lovely amazing people i have had the joy to meet:
thanks, and also
i love you, love you, love you and i will miss you, miss you, miss you.
So i'm off to experience my last day(for this time) in mysore. Quite a busy day, i actually have lots of small errands i need to run around and do, and pack ofcourse and also maybe the most important thing of all.. scheduled chill out time. the best of all. we really all had our reasons for being here, didn't we?
until next time
you know what to do.
take care.
mich.
Today is my last day in mysore. It's a strange feeling really, what i'm feeling. Somehow i can't help to feel that it's gone so quickly, yet at the same time so much has happened, so much has changed. Suddenly the life here has become the familiar one and thinking of my life back home in sweden suddenly seems strange, like some kind of parallel world.
But i've heard that it does go way quicker to adapt back then it did adapting to this.
I guess we'll find out.
So obviously being here has been great, i mean obviously. uuunbelievable! So i've been reflecting over the last 12 weeks, of everything i've seen and everything i've experienced and everyone i've met. And how could i ever even begin to explain everything. Surely coming home to my family will be lovely, still i will miss this.
One thing that i feel i've learned being here is how very little you really need to be happy, and also how truly simple things and life in general can be if we just don't complicate it. Sound easy maybe, though in real life i guess it somehow is harder. But yeah being here has deffinetly made me look at things in a different way, i guess travelling does that, kind of puts things in a different perspective. You learn things about the world and even about yourself that you might not always have known. Some of these things may be good and some may be bad.
Being here i think i have learned to appreciate my life at home in a different way, my life and my family. I remember as a child when i would of various reasons be upset or angry my mother would tell me "but michelle, think what a nice life you have, you have a warm house and a family that loves you" I remember being fed up and telling my mom that, that infact "has nothing to do with anything" i now years later realise that infact, being happy where you are and being grateful for what you have really has everything to do with evertyhing. It's really all about how you look at it. So thank you mom, for trying to teach me that, and i'm sorry that it took me more than ten years to actually understand what you were talking about, i guess some things in life we just have to figure out on our own.
One of my first days here in mysore i was feeling completely lost and i went downstairs and knocked on the door to Brookes apartment. She invited me in and made me green tea and we talked, i remember telling her that i allready then wondered how it would be to go back after being here. How could we see all of this and be a part of it all and then just go back and live like we always have? She told me that it was true what everyone who comes here says in some way "India will change you"
I now realise ofcourse that it is all about how you use all of your new experinces and integrate them in your daily life. But i wonder, have i changed? I deffinetly feel some kind of change inside of me, somehow thinking of myself for just three months ago i feel i've in some ways grown lots or changed or whatever you should call it. I don't know if all these changes i feel inside me are things that other people will see, but i'll tell you here and now, you might not be able to see it, but i can surely feel it.
You know the classic saying "people change" I've heard that people actually don't change, we just become a little more of who we really are. So in that case i guess i infact haven't changed at all.
But being gone for almost three months in india has deffinetly helped me become a little more of who i really am.
and for that i will be forever thankful.
So to india, mysore and to all of the lovely amazing people i have had the joy to meet:
thanks, and also
i love you, love you, love you and i will miss you, miss you, miss you.
So i'm off to experience my last day(for this time) in mysore. Quite a busy day, i actually have lots of small errands i need to run around and do, and pack ofcourse and also maybe the most important thing of all.. scheduled chill out time. the best of all. we really all had our reasons for being here, didn't we?
until next time
you know what to do.
take care.
mich.
Sunday, April 12, 2009.
"Life is a highway and i'm going to ride it, and every day is a winding road. My rollercoaster has got the biggest up's and down's, as long as it keeps going round it's unbelievable"
Today is Sunday, easter sunday actually so i guess i should start by saying happy easter everyone! This morning when my alarm went off i was tired, very tired. I'm not really sure why because i got enough sleep. But I got up at 4 this morning which is a time that i don't usually get up at, either i'll get up at 3:30 or 4:30, not 4. But since lead practice today was going to be at 5(shala time) instead of 4:30 i slept a half hour longer which might have confused my body or something.
Practice was okay, it wasn't my best lead, but it was good. I enjoyed it. Somehow i've gotten in to the 'habit' or whatever you should call it, of not thinking practice is ever 'bad' it's really just how you think about it, right? My back bends were good today though, i saw my heels (it's possible, IT'S POSSIBLE!! What is more possible than this? haha oh good times)
After practice my whole body was filled with the feeling of "well being" a lovely feeling. Saraswati smiled at me when she went past my mat in to the office and after i'd rolled up my mat i put my palms together and thanked her and she smiled again. Sweet lady she is. I was just totally in my own world just smiling at everything and didn't even notice that the guy who has smiled at me everyday in the shala for two months today finally decided to say something to me. He said he'd gotten bitten three times by mosquitos today during headstand. I answered something like "those bastards, they're a real pain in the mornings aren't they?"
Someone outside the shala said "Now we just finished a week of practice, or wait did we just start a week of practice?" I have the same thought every sunday, not really knowing if it's the end of the week or the beginning of a new practice week since saturday is the resting day it kind of messes you up. So good question, somehow it makes me think of radiohead, where i end and you begin. I mean seriously..who knows?
Then i walked home smiling at everything i saw. Maybe since today was my last lead practice i just feel like "savouring" everything. I will probably have that a lot now i can imagine. It's my last week. And i am known to make everything become "the last supper" i did it before i left home, surely i will do the same here.
But i'm quite glad to say that instead of laying energy on thinking "i don't want to leave this place" I actually have the last few days been very good at savouring the moments and just beging happy. It's quite easy when you are surrounded by lovely people. Also the last days i've been thinking of my family and how nice it will be to see them.
But until then i am truly enjoying my last mysore days, and don't mind if i do so to the fullest.
Friday ws my friend Per's last day. In the evening my friend Irene invited some friends over to her house for dinner, Irene lives in my building, in the flat underneath me. The flat where dear Brooke used to live. So Me, Per, Alex and Elisabeth were invited to Irenes house. It was a sort of 'good bye dinner' for Per. It was very nice, Irene cooked pasta which was delicious (they don't eat much pasta here in india) and we'd even gotten beer since there was no practice the other day. Per left for his train around 7:30 and after we'd waved him good bye we continued sitting on the floor drinking our king fishers and eating cookies (made by the same people that make that heavenly homemade chocolate needless to say they are amazing) and chatting. It was a very nice evening with lots of laughter, later on Irene made us some lovely chai. Yes we just had a very nice time.
Saturday i had a sleep in, sleep in ofcourse meaning waking at 7 (practicing yoga six days a week doesn't really make you a party animal since we all want to go to sleep at a descent hour) It was nice though, before going to breakfast i even did some laundry in my lovely pink bucket.
I went to breakfast at Om Cafe sometime after nine and sat there talking to all the usual "Om people" which is always a nice scene, the breakfast scene. Closer to ten my friend Anton from lakshmipuram and his roommate Istvan came. Anton is the guy i met on the set of the Bollywood movie, i happened to bump in to him at the pool the other day and i told him he should come to Om for breakfast. We sat there for another hour or so then decided that Saturdays plans should be going to the pool, so after leaving Om Cafe we dropped by my place so i could pick up some things for the pool. Both Anton and Istvan liked my apartment. There is some kind of joke between people living in lakshmipuram and people living in Gokulam, the people in lakshmipuram think that we are all snobs over here since we pay 27000RS for one month just to practice at the main shala, when they pay 5000RS for one month. Haha it's quite funny the first time Anton told me the price he was paying i swear i said " you mean RUPEES?"
Okay so the joke's on me. Still for now i wouldn't change it. ("Who are you trying to convince there, me or yourself?")
After my place we walked over towards the shala, Istwan hadn't seen it before and i mean come on everyone needs a picture of themselves infront of that sign! =) so we took some photos and then decided to head over to Lakshmipuram for them to get their swim stuff. On our way to the rikshas a man selling mangos on a bike came by, "want mangos?" he asked. Being curious we asked the price. "150RS a kilo" i liked Antons response to the man "That's not good, you know sometimes you have to be honest..even to western people!" All of a sudden the man said 70 Rs for a kilo. Still we didn't buy them, later on Anton bought a kilo for 35 RS from another man. Haha.
So we headed towards lakshmipuram which is another part of mysore, it was nice and i got to see where they lived as well which was a nice place. We ended up having lunch there before going to te pool. Anton made a "western style meets india" lunch.. grilled cheese sandwiches but instead of regular cheese he used paneer! Very yummy.
So on the way to the pool they showed me where Patthabis old shala was. Being honest it wasn't that special, i think i might even hav walked by it if they hadn't told me. Still ofcourse being a devoted ashtangi i enjoyed seeing it. I liked the tiny little sign, they put a bit more money in to the sign at the new place =)
We stayed at the pool, southern star for a few hours which is always nice. Laying relaxing, swimming and eating mangos. Eating mangos by the pool, man i will miss that! As i mentioned before, mango season arrived, they are so fresh and juicy whoa! They really are absolutely lovely. How could anyone not love mangos?
After the pool Anton told me that there were "two options, either i go home to my place and just hang out, or you come with me to my place and just hang out"
I decided to go with the second option, meaning me going by riksha and Anton biking. Crazy funny i was sitting there laughing in the riksha. The riksha would stop at every red light and Anton would come riding up beside the riksha on his bicycle waving, then it would turn green, he would bike away, we would pass him, we would stop at another red light, he would pass us. This happened like four times, obviously being funnier everytime it happened.
So we made dinner, or Anton made dinner and i was supposed to time the pasta allthough both times(had to make it two times) i forgot about the time and he had to remind me "are you checking the time?" "Oh! yes! it's ready now!"
We watched some yoga videos he had, for example John Scott which is a yoga dvd i hadn't seen but that i can highly recomend. And ofcourse parts of David Swenson.
So now i know what Eckhart Tolle looks like..and how he SOUNDS. Feeling you Henrik.
So i rikshawed my way home from lakshmipuram back to my humble flat in Gokulam, realising i had laundry hanging upstairs, collected it and then went to bed.
Not much plans for today, lazy sunday, afternoon chanting in the shala with Saraswati. Just got a text on my phone, thinking it was another advertisement(they send text advertisements to you here like ALL the time and occasionally they will call you and like a voice will be singing or saying somthing weird in hindi, super strange) but it was from Alex saying they were going to tinas for dinner around 5:30 and wondered if i wanted to come. Nice.
Here are some random pictures from the last week:
Dinner at Green Leaf for 37Rs
Last breakfast together with Anna and Anna at Om Cafe.
Lunch at the "RRR" also known as eating thalis with your hands.
Birthday party for Javier at a very nice house in the country.
Full moon evening entertainment at Om cafe thursday night.
BARISTA! Elin, Lars and Per, happy scandinavians going to drink coffee.
Monkeys climbing the tree outside barista.
Irene fixing us dinner.
Per and Alex, Per happy to be drinking beer.
Elisabeth is burning yoga dvd's.
Sitting chatting after dinner.
Alex drinking chai. Had to take a picture of the brilliant cup. Quote from Elisabeth: "What the f**k is that? is that a carebear?"
The usual breakfast scene, Om Cafe.
The lakshmipurians that came to visit.
Anton and me outside the "main" shala.
Anton.
In lakshmipuram at Anton and Istvans house, eating grilled paneer sandwiches for lunch.
The old shala in lakshmipuram.
Me infront of the old shala.
"I can feeeeeel the energy!"
Bruno, owner of Alia's guest house and Om Cafe, and the young boy who helps out there.
"today coffee is on me michelle!" he said this morning, he does that sometimes, and i always reply "oh you don't have to do that" and he says " i know i don't but i have the power to do that" haha lovely people.
have a wonderful day everyone.
lots of hugs.
take care.
mich.
Today is Sunday, easter sunday actually so i guess i should start by saying happy easter everyone! This morning when my alarm went off i was tired, very tired. I'm not really sure why because i got enough sleep. But I got up at 4 this morning which is a time that i don't usually get up at, either i'll get up at 3:30 or 4:30, not 4. But since lead practice today was going to be at 5(shala time) instead of 4:30 i slept a half hour longer which might have confused my body or something.
Practice was okay, it wasn't my best lead, but it was good. I enjoyed it. Somehow i've gotten in to the 'habit' or whatever you should call it, of not thinking practice is ever 'bad' it's really just how you think about it, right? My back bends were good today though, i saw my heels (it's possible, IT'S POSSIBLE!! What is more possible than this? haha oh good times)
After practice my whole body was filled with the feeling of "well being" a lovely feeling. Saraswati smiled at me when she went past my mat in to the office and after i'd rolled up my mat i put my palms together and thanked her and she smiled again. Sweet lady she is. I was just totally in my own world just smiling at everything and didn't even notice that the guy who has smiled at me everyday in the shala for two months today finally decided to say something to me. He said he'd gotten bitten three times by mosquitos today during headstand. I answered something like "those bastards, they're a real pain in the mornings aren't they?"
Someone outside the shala said "Now we just finished a week of practice, or wait did we just start a week of practice?" I have the same thought every sunday, not really knowing if it's the end of the week or the beginning of a new practice week since saturday is the resting day it kind of messes you up. So good question, somehow it makes me think of radiohead, where i end and you begin. I mean seriously..who knows?
Then i walked home smiling at everything i saw. Maybe since today was my last lead practice i just feel like "savouring" everything. I will probably have that a lot now i can imagine. It's my last week. And i am known to make everything become "the last supper" i did it before i left home, surely i will do the same here.
But i'm quite glad to say that instead of laying energy on thinking "i don't want to leave this place" I actually have the last few days been very good at savouring the moments and just beging happy. It's quite easy when you are surrounded by lovely people. Also the last days i've been thinking of my family and how nice it will be to see them.
But until then i am truly enjoying my last mysore days, and don't mind if i do so to the fullest.
Friday ws my friend Per's last day. In the evening my friend Irene invited some friends over to her house for dinner, Irene lives in my building, in the flat underneath me. The flat where dear Brooke used to live. So Me, Per, Alex and Elisabeth were invited to Irenes house. It was a sort of 'good bye dinner' for Per. It was very nice, Irene cooked pasta which was delicious (they don't eat much pasta here in india) and we'd even gotten beer since there was no practice the other day. Per left for his train around 7:30 and after we'd waved him good bye we continued sitting on the floor drinking our king fishers and eating cookies (made by the same people that make that heavenly homemade chocolate needless to say they are amazing) and chatting. It was a very nice evening with lots of laughter, later on Irene made us some lovely chai. Yes we just had a very nice time.
Saturday i had a sleep in, sleep in ofcourse meaning waking at 7 (practicing yoga six days a week doesn't really make you a party animal since we all want to go to sleep at a descent hour) It was nice though, before going to breakfast i even did some laundry in my lovely pink bucket.
I went to breakfast at Om Cafe sometime after nine and sat there talking to all the usual "Om people" which is always a nice scene, the breakfast scene. Closer to ten my friend Anton from lakshmipuram and his roommate Istvan came. Anton is the guy i met on the set of the Bollywood movie, i happened to bump in to him at the pool the other day and i told him he should come to Om for breakfast. We sat there for another hour or so then decided that Saturdays plans should be going to the pool, so after leaving Om Cafe we dropped by my place so i could pick up some things for the pool. Both Anton and Istvan liked my apartment. There is some kind of joke between people living in lakshmipuram and people living in Gokulam, the people in lakshmipuram think that we are all snobs over here since we pay 27000RS for one month just to practice at the main shala, when they pay 5000RS for one month. Haha it's quite funny the first time Anton told me the price he was paying i swear i said " you mean RUPEES?"
Okay so the joke's on me. Still for now i wouldn't change it. ("Who are you trying to convince there, me or yourself?")
After my place we walked over towards the shala, Istwan hadn't seen it before and i mean come on everyone needs a picture of themselves infront of that sign! =) so we took some photos and then decided to head over to Lakshmipuram for them to get their swim stuff. On our way to the rikshas a man selling mangos on a bike came by, "want mangos?" he asked. Being curious we asked the price. "150RS a kilo" i liked Antons response to the man "That's not good, you know sometimes you have to be honest..even to western people!" All of a sudden the man said 70 Rs for a kilo. Still we didn't buy them, later on Anton bought a kilo for 35 RS from another man. Haha.
So we headed towards lakshmipuram which is another part of mysore, it was nice and i got to see where they lived as well which was a nice place. We ended up having lunch there before going to te pool. Anton made a "western style meets india" lunch.. grilled cheese sandwiches but instead of regular cheese he used paneer! Very yummy.
So on the way to the pool they showed me where Patthabis old shala was. Being honest it wasn't that special, i think i might even hav walked by it if they hadn't told me. Still ofcourse being a devoted ashtangi i enjoyed seeing it. I liked the tiny little sign, they put a bit more money in to the sign at the new place =)
We stayed at the pool, southern star for a few hours which is always nice. Laying relaxing, swimming and eating mangos. Eating mangos by the pool, man i will miss that! As i mentioned before, mango season arrived, they are so fresh and juicy whoa! They really are absolutely lovely. How could anyone not love mangos?
After the pool Anton told me that there were "two options, either i go home to my place and just hang out, or you come with me to my place and just hang out"
I decided to go with the second option, meaning me going by riksha and Anton biking. Crazy funny i was sitting there laughing in the riksha. The riksha would stop at every red light and Anton would come riding up beside the riksha on his bicycle waving, then it would turn green, he would bike away, we would pass him, we would stop at another red light, he would pass us. This happened like four times, obviously being funnier everytime it happened.
So we made dinner, or Anton made dinner and i was supposed to time the pasta allthough both times(had to make it two times) i forgot about the time and he had to remind me "are you checking the time?" "Oh! yes! it's ready now!"
We watched some yoga videos he had, for example John Scott which is a yoga dvd i hadn't seen but that i can highly recomend. And ofcourse parts of David Swenson.
So now i know what Eckhart Tolle looks like..and how he SOUNDS. Feeling you Henrik.
So i rikshawed my way home from lakshmipuram back to my humble flat in Gokulam, realising i had laundry hanging upstairs, collected it and then went to bed.
Not much plans for today, lazy sunday, afternoon chanting in the shala with Saraswati. Just got a text on my phone, thinking it was another advertisement(they send text advertisements to you here like ALL the time and occasionally they will call you and like a voice will be singing or saying somthing weird in hindi, super strange) but it was from Alex saying they were going to tinas for dinner around 5:30 and wondered if i wanted to come. Nice.
Here are some random pictures from the last week:
Dinner at Green Leaf for 37Rs
Last breakfast together with Anna and Anna at Om Cafe.
Lunch at the "RRR" also known as eating thalis with your hands.
Birthday party for Javier at a very nice house in the country.
Full moon evening entertainment at Om cafe thursday night.
BARISTA! Elin, Lars and Per, happy scandinavians going to drink coffee.
Monkeys climbing the tree outside barista.
Irene fixing us dinner.
Per and Alex, Per happy to be drinking beer.
Elisabeth is burning yoga dvd's.
Sitting chatting after dinner.
Alex drinking chai. Had to take a picture of the brilliant cup. Quote from Elisabeth: "What the f**k is that? is that a carebear?"
The usual breakfast scene, Om Cafe.
The lakshmipurians that came to visit.
Anton and me outside the "main" shala.
Anton.
In lakshmipuram at Anton and Istvans house, eating grilled paneer sandwiches for lunch.
The old shala in lakshmipuram.
Me infront of the old shala.
"I can feeeeeel the energy!"
Bruno, owner of Alia's guest house and Om Cafe, and the young boy who helps out there.
"today coffee is on me michelle!" he said this morning, he does that sometimes, and i always reply "oh you don't have to do that" and he says " i know i don't but i have the power to do that" haha lovely people.
have a wonderful day everyone.
lots of hugs.
take care.
mich.
Friday, April 10, 2009.
Only one week left in mysore. Bring on the panic...
Yesterday i got asked how i felt about going home, it didn't really come as a surprise that my answer was something like "well i don't really want to leave" But the thing that did surprise me was that afterwards when i got the question "then why don't you stay for longer?" that the only answer i could come up with was "I don't know"
So here's the real question: "Why don't i stay i longer?"
When i woke yesterday i felt a strong pain in my left knee, the sort of pain you get from like sleeping on your arm or after sitting on the floor and feeling stiff. The kind of pain that usually lasts for just a few seconds. Only the pain in my knee didn't want to go away. It was strange cause i don't remember doing anything special that would have hurt my knee, but as soon as i would bend down to like sit on the floor or cross my legs it would hurt. So i was glad yesterday was a moonday. I was a bit worried that it would hurt today during practice, but when i woke this morning at 3:30 it was okay. Strange. I can still feel there's something there i just don't know what. Opening? For sure soon both my knees will be super.
So what has happened since i last wrote? The true beauty of mysore, is the way things happen and unfold and how even the smallest things here seem to be an experience. I've said it before but i'll say it again even just walking to practice in the morning is an experience, or walking to breakfast. This morning i was going to breakfast at santoshas, but when i got there i found Julian, the new owner hanging over the gate, he said the chef called in sick and the produce guy hadn't come so he didn't think he'd open. He said he was sorry, and gave me a cookie. a beautiful homemade cookie that i'm pretty sure i will enjoy later on. Yeah life is a bit different here.
On the subject of mangos.. mango season just arrived here and with that i don't need to say anything more do i? The other day i looked down in to my fruitsallad and was like "Whoa! mango!" and someone said "yes mango season is finally here!" Sweet.
For two months everyone has been asking at every restaurant "do you have mangos?" and everytime it will be the same answer "no sorry not mango season yet!"
So i think i need to pay the fruit guy a visit today. =)
So my plans today are the following: Lunch at one, which is like soon, then after that the pool, then dinner at Irenes place and say goodbye to my friend per who is leaving for chennai tonight.
Sound like another lovely day if i may say so myself.
i need to get of the computer now.. it's nearly lunch allready. i'll try to posts some photos some day soon, i've been bad lately of taking photos though. i'll be better.
oh and even though they don't really notice it much here i would like to wish you all a happy easter!
hugs
mich.
Yesterday i got asked how i felt about going home, it didn't really come as a surprise that my answer was something like "well i don't really want to leave" But the thing that did surprise me was that afterwards when i got the question "then why don't you stay for longer?" that the only answer i could come up with was "I don't know"
So here's the real question: "Why don't i stay i longer?"
When i woke yesterday i felt a strong pain in my left knee, the sort of pain you get from like sleeping on your arm or after sitting on the floor and feeling stiff. The kind of pain that usually lasts for just a few seconds. Only the pain in my knee didn't want to go away. It was strange cause i don't remember doing anything special that would have hurt my knee, but as soon as i would bend down to like sit on the floor or cross my legs it would hurt. So i was glad yesterday was a moonday. I was a bit worried that it would hurt today during practice, but when i woke this morning at 3:30 it was okay. Strange. I can still feel there's something there i just don't know what. Opening? For sure soon both my knees will be super.
So what has happened since i last wrote? The true beauty of mysore, is the way things happen and unfold and how even the smallest things here seem to be an experience. I've said it before but i'll say it again even just walking to practice in the morning is an experience, or walking to breakfast. This morning i was going to breakfast at santoshas, but when i got there i found Julian, the new owner hanging over the gate, he said the chef called in sick and the produce guy hadn't come so he didn't think he'd open. He said he was sorry, and gave me a cookie. a beautiful homemade cookie that i'm pretty sure i will enjoy later on. Yeah life is a bit different here.
Wednesday evening there was a birthday party for Javier which was quite far away like out in the country towards chamundi hill and the lalita mahal. It was a very beautiful house where someones friends to a friend or whatever it was lived. To fully explain how nice this house was just let me say this : There was a mango tree out in the garden.. A MANGO TREE!!! I mean if that doesn't say it all, then what does?
Anywho it was nice, lot's of yogis sitting on the floor chatting, just having a nice time, eating cake..On the subject of mangos.. mango season just arrived here and with that i don't need to say anything more do i? The other day i looked down in to my fruitsallad and was like "Whoa! mango!" and someone said "yes mango season is finally here!" Sweet.
For two months everyone has been asking at every restaurant "do you have mangos?" and everytime it will be the same answer "no sorry not mango season yet!"
So i think i need to pay the fruit guy a visit today. =)
So my plans today are the following: Lunch at one, which is like soon, then after that the pool, then dinner at Irenes place and say goodbye to my friend per who is leaving for chennai tonight.
Sound like another lovely day if i may say so myself.
i need to get of the computer now.. it's nearly lunch allready. i'll try to posts some photos some day soon, i've been bad lately of taking photos though. i'll be better.
oh and even though they don't really notice it much here i would like to wish you all a happy easter!
hugs
mich.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009.
Goodmorning.
It's 9:45 here and i'm on a serious caffeine rush. The last few days i haven't been drinking coffee for breakfast, usually we'll go to barista in the afternoon and have coffee drinks there but it's not like having black coffee for breakfast. I feel all jittery, maybe i'll have another giggle day..who knows. Last week i had several days where i just felt like giggling, somedays a lot of things will make me giggle. I guess it's all about the mood and maybe about how you look at things. Having a nice giggle or even just laughing out loud..how refreshing isn't that?
Practice this morning was good, After just the sun salutations i was sweating like a pig. I don't get it, the way i sweat here i've never sweated like this before..ever! So strange. Also Sharath said that you're not actually supposed to dry it off with a towel, actually you're supposed to rub it back in to your skin. But when it starts going in to your eyes and making you blind i just go with the towel.
After practice i walked home feeling the heat of the sun that had during my practice come up. I think i fell asleep during the relaxing today, or i was just totally relaxed. On my way home a dog came up to me, he comes every day he lives on the same street that Anu's is on. It was quite funny cause my first weeks every morning i would be walking home totally relaxed and then all of a sudden this dog would come running towards me in full speed and i would freak out. The dog obviously just wants to play, he has a collar and everything so he's not a stray dog. But after practice when i'm on my high relaxed cloud i don't really feel like playing (not that i usually feel like playing with dogs anyway) This morning the dog came again.. i've stopped getting freaked out when he comes. But this morning he jumped up on me leaving dirty little paw marks on my yoga pants (why you little)
When i got home i showered and then did some washing. Washed my clothes in my little pink bucket, then i hung them out on the roof. In the beginning i missed not having my wash washed in a proper washing machine a lot. But after almost eight weeks of hand washing i must say you get used to it. I might even say i enjoy it....well atleast i don't dislike it. I mean yeah it's a bit of a hassle from time to time. But somehow i find it a bit soothing and i love hanging it out to dry on the roof. I love going up there and looking out over the rooftops, seeing that view makes me always want to start singing "This land is mine" strange huh?
I went to breakfast at Om Caf'e where i as i mentioned had coffee, fruitsallad and toast. Lovely as always. After a nice breakfast i walked together with my friend Per here to Anu's internet cafe'. As we were walking still on contour road (road Om cafe' is on and the road that i live on) I said "wow the temperature is great right now, couldn't it be like this all day?" then we established that in about ten minutes or so it would probably be freakishly hot again. By the time we'd made it to the street that Anu's is on i said "yep, now it's hot!" Haha..
I had to change computers because the one i was first on wouldn't let me log on to facebook, the page had been blocked by some parental control.. the reason said "pornographic" haha facebook? what? So i changed.. now Per called to me and said that he couldn't get on to DN(a swedish newspaper online) because it was blocked and the reason said "weapons" Haha what's going on with Anu's computers?
Yesterday I went to lunch with Per and two friends from norway. The norweigan friends wanted to show us a lunch place where you could eat thalis directly on banana leaves. It was quite the experience. The restaurant was called "RRR" and was packed with indian people everywhere, we had a bit of a hard time finding a table at first because we must have gotten there at lunch rush hour. Finally we got a table, and it was a bit different from having Thalis at the green leaf. First this one guy came around and gave us each a big banana leaf..(this was our plate) Then another guy came around with a huge bowl of rice and slapped down a few scoops of rice on everyones banana leaf, then next guy came around giving everyone two little thali bowls each with different sauces in. Then the next guy came around with three different sauces or stews or whatever you should call it and slapped some of each on to our banana leaf. Then we were ready to eat. The proper indian way to eat thalis..is just to go at it. As in..you eat with your hands.. you mix the sauce with the rice with your hands and just shuffle the rice and sauce in to your moth with your fingers. Haha it's so funny seing the indian people eat like that, i'd never eaten like that before but once you've gotten over the thought of "Oh my my hand is sticky" or "I've got rice everywhere" it tastes delicious to eat with your hands.. and also it's quite fun.
We where the only western people there and there where several indian people waiting for tables staring at us.. the indian people aren't so discreet and quite often people will stop and stare at you. Haha quite funny actually. The other day this boy almost drove his bike off the road turning his head looking at me and my friends when we were walking down the road.
So the eating pace at "RRR" was a bit quicker, and since people where waiting for tables. We practically threw the food in to our mouths. I think we were done after like fifteen or twenty minutes.. the bill came to a total of 180RS.. lunch for four people that is.. do note that 100RS is about 20SEK.. yep.. We were FOUR people. haha it's hilarious the other day i ate dinner for 37RS.
So when we got back out on the street outide "RRR" we where all speeded up after our "speed lunch of eating with our hands" so we decided to go for a nice relaxing coffee at barista. We squeezed into a riksha, usually one person will get to sit up front with the riksha driver if you are four people but this driver said we had to all sit in the back. The driver drove like a complete maniac..so after the "riksha ride from hell" where i was sitting half on Per and half on Elins lap holding on for my life and we were all laughing zig zaging through town saying things like "hope you don't mind if i throw up in your purse" and "one more bump and i'll be ready for another lunch" we finally arrived to barista which was like coming to airconditoned heaven...ah the silence.. ah..caffeine.
We sat at barista for a few hours relaxing, talking, laughing..just having a good time. It was a nice contrast from "RRR" and the riksha ride. The contrasts you see here in india is one of the things that amazes and fascinates me the most. I love the way everything is so completely different.
Well the plan for today is a trip down town then lunch, then the afternoon at the pool. The pool is very relaxing and sometimes when i'm there i'll forget what country i am in, another contrast. But always when i come back to Gokulam and to my apartment on contour road where the cars and rikshas never stop going and the cows and horses and goats walk loose up and down the street somehow i feel... home.
have a nice day.
mich.
It's 9:45 here and i'm on a serious caffeine rush. The last few days i haven't been drinking coffee for breakfast, usually we'll go to barista in the afternoon and have coffee drinks there but it's not like having black coffee for breakfast. I feel all jittery, maybe i'll have another giggle day..who knows. Last week i had several days where i just felt like giggling, somedays a lot of things will make me giggle. I guess it's all about the mood and maybe about how you look at things. Having a nice giggle or even just laughing out loud..how refreshing isn't that?
Practice this morning was good, After just the sun salutations i was sweating like a pig. I don't get it, the way i sweat here i've never sweated like this before..ever! So strange. Also Sharath said that you're not actually supposed to dry it off with a towel, actually you're supposed to rub it back in to your skin. But when it starts going in to your eyes and making you blind i just go with the towel.
After practice i walked home feeling the heat of the sun that had during my practice come up. I think i fell asleep during the relaxing today, or i was just totally relaxed. On my way home a dog came up to me, he comes every day he lives on the same street that Anu's is on. It was quite funny cause my first weeks every morning i would be walking home totally relaxed and then all of a sudden this dog would come running towards me in full speed and i would freak out. The dog obviously just wants to play, he has a collar and everything so he's not a stray dog. But after practice when i'm on my high relaxed cloud i don't really feel like playing (not that i usually feel like playing with dogs anyway) This morning the dog came again.. i've stopped getting freaked out when he comes. But this morning he jumped up on me leaving dirty little paw marks on my yoga pants (why you little)
When i got home i showered and then did some washing. Washed my clothes in my little pink bucket, then i hung them out on the roof. In the beginning i missed not having my wash washed in a proper washing machine a lot. But after almost eight weeks of hand washing i must say you get used to it. I might even say i enjoy it....well atleast i don't dislike it. I mean yeah it's a bit of a hassle from time to time. But somehow i find it a bit soothing and i love hanging it out to dry on the roof. I love going up there and looking out over the rooftops, seeing that view makes me always want to start singing "This land is mine" strange huh?
I went to breakfast at Om Caf'e where i as i mentioned had coffee, fruitsallad and toast. Lovely as always. After a nice breakfast i walked together with my friend Per here to Anu's internet cafe'. As we were walking still on contour road (road Om cafe' is on and the road that i live on) I said "wow the temperature is great right now, couldn't it be like this all day?" then we established that in about ten minutes or so it would probably be freakishly hot again. By the time we'd made it to the street that Anu's is on i said "yep, now it's hot!" Haha..
I had to change computers because the one i was first on wouldn't let me log on to facebook, the page had been blocked by some parental control.. the reason said "pornographic" haha facebook? what? So i changed.. now Per called to me and said that he couldn't get on to DN(a swedish newspaper online) because it was blocked and the reason said "weapons" Haha what's going on with Anu's computers?
Yesterday I went to lunch with Per and two friends from norway. The norweigan friends wanted to show us a lunch place where you could eat thalis directly on banana leaves. It was quite the experience. The restaurant was called "RRR" and was packed with indian people everywhere, we had a bit of a hard time finding a table at first because we must have gotten there at lunch rush hour. Finally we got a table, and it was a bit different from having Thalis at the green leaf. First this one guy came around and gave us each a big banana leaf..(this was our plate) Then another guy came around with a huge bowl of rice and slapped down a few scoops of rice on everyones banana leaf, then next guy came around giving everyone two little thali bowls each with different sauces in. Then the next guy came around with three different sauces or stews or whatever you should call it and slapped some of each on to our banana leaf. Then we were ready to eat. The proper indian way to eat thalis..is just to go at it. As in..you eat with your hands.. you mix the sauce with the rice with your hands and just shuffle the rice and sauce in to your moth with your fingers. Haha it's so funny seing the indian people eat like that, i'd never eaten like that before but once you've gotten over the thought of "Oh my my hand is sticky" or "I've got rice everywhere" it tastes delicious to eat with your hands.. and also it's quite fun.
We where the only western people there and there where several indian people waiting for tables staring at us.. the indian people aren't so discreet and quite often people will stop and stare at you. Haha quite funny actually. The other day this boy almost drove his bike off the road turning his head looking at me and my friends when we were walking down the road.
So the eating pace at "RRR" was a bit quicker, and since people where waiting for tables. We practically threw the food in to our mouths. I think we were done after like fifteen or twenty minutes.. the bill came to a total of 180RS.. lunch for four people that is.. do note that 100RS is about 20SEK.. yep.. We were FOUR people. haha it's hilarious the other day i ate dinner for 37RS.
So when we got back out on the street outide "RRR" we where all speeded up after our "speed lunch of eating with our hands" so we decided to go for a nice relaxing coffee at barista. We squeezed into a riksha, usually one person will get to sit up front with the riksha driver if you are four people but this driver said we had to all sit in the back. The driver drove like a complete maniac..so after the "riksha ride from hell" where i was sitting half on Per and half on Elins lap holding on for my life and we were all laughing zig zaging through town saying things like "hope you don't mind if i throw up in your purse" and "one more bump and i'll be ready for another lunch" we finally arrived to barista which was like coming to airconditoned heaven...ah the silence.. ah..caffeine.
We sat at barista for a few hours relaxing, talking, laughing..just having a good time. It was a nice contrast from "RRR" and the riksha ride. The contrasts you see here in india is one of the things that amazes and fascinates me the most. I love the way everything is so completely different.
Well the plan for today is a trip down town then lunch, then the afternoon at the pool. The pool is very relaxing and sometimes when i'm there i'll forget what country i am in, another contrast. But always when i come back to Gokulam and to my apartment on contour road where the cars and rikshas never stop going and the cows and horses and goats walk loose up and down the street somehow i feel... home.
have a nice day.
mich.
Monday, April 06, 2009.
Sometimes you gotta wonder why we do this, why people travel from all over the world to come here and do this. Why do we travel all this way to climb over gates at four in the morning or to sit outside the shala waiting for a good spot for an hour getting eaten alive by mosquitos. Pushing our bodies into strange poses and sweating like an animal. Yeah sometimes you gotta wonder. But as soon as i roll out my mat and step on to it, it becomes so clear. How could you ever not want to do this?
So obviously practice today was good, as in very good. I had a very nice lead practice yesterday aswell but today was even better. I fellt tired when my alarm went off at 4:45 this morning, and a bit stiff in my hips, i figured it might have been from me stretching yesterday, i met Per on my way to practice and he said "maybe it's an opening!" Haha well yeah it might very well be.
Practice was good as soon as i started with my sun salutations it just felt so good. Somedays it's just that way, you never really know why or when it's just as if your whole body is happy, thanking you. Thank you for stretching me out. It felt good anyhow, i don't really know how to explain it.
So after i got hurt for a few weeks ago, pulling my hamstring doing kurmasana. I haven't been doing it. First i was just being careful because i needed to rest my poor hamstring, then after not doing it and remembering how it pulled i developed some kind of fear for it. So i havent been doing it at all. I've thought like every day "Today i will do kurmasana" then when i reach bujapeedasana and i think of being pushed in to kurmasana and my hamstring going "snap" i think again and go directly to the finishing poses.
Yesterday i said to myself "monday i'll do kurmasana, i will" But then again today after bujapeedasana i rolled my mat up and started heading to the womens changing room for finishing when Saraswati called after me "What was the last pose you did?" ehm... "bujapeedasana" I answered. "You come back and do kurmasana" Okay.. so i went back, put my mat back out.. did kurmasana while Saraswati was watching me, when i was done she said "I'll come help you soon!" So I sat there and waited, the guy next to me was smiling, and Saraswati helped him with backbends, then she helped another few people while i waited. When she finally came over to me i said "I pulled a hamstring doing kurmasana for a few weeks ago" "okay we take it slowly" she said. Taking things slowly at Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute is a bit different from taking things slowly at home. I got in to kurmasana and Saraswati pushed on my back then she started saying things like "Slowly take your hands behind the back" While saying the word "slowly" my arms were yanked back around my legs and back, it didn't hurt though i'm very happy to say, still it was neither slowly or carefully. So Saraswati was pulling my arms and my legs in ways i wouldn't have dreamed of even in my worst nightmares for like a year ago. But somehow it was nice. It was nice knowing that i can 'kind of' do it, atleast without hurting. Yeah kurmasana is a killer for those hamstrings, i guess you just got to take it slowly.
After getting helped i felt happy and went then in to the changing room for my finsihing, when i reached Baddha Padmasana (sitting in lotus) I swung my arms around and all of a sudden i realised "OH MY!! I am holding on to my toes from behind my back!" How did that happen? It was about two second of pure happiness until my right hand lost hold of the toe. But still.. come on!! It was great even though i couldn't hold for the entire time. Maybe it IS an opening.
Haha too funny the way the body plays tricks on us.
I find this practice so amazing and challening at the same time.
On my way out of the shala i got eye contact with my friend Olga who had just began, she smiled and i whispered "breakfast at santoshas" to her, then i thanked Saraswati and slid outside.
So i went home, showered and then went to Santoshas for breakfast. I had a very yummy breakfast and after breakfast i went straight here, not much has happened here so far today besides the good practice and good breakfast. At one i'm meeting some friends at the coconut stand, we're going from there to lunch. Then at four thirty i'm giving meditation another shot. Maybe i'll do a quick visit at the pool before that.. otherwise for sure we're going to the pool tomorrow. It's been soo hot here the last days.. haha listen to me i've been saying that for two months now.. yeah..it's hot lets leave it at that. The weather here is very very hot, but......i absolutely love it.
take care
mich.
So obviously practice today was good, as in very good. I had a very nice lead practice yesterday aswell but today was even better. I fellt tired when my alarm went off at 4:45 this morning, and a bit stiff in my hips, i figured it might have been from me stretching yesterday, i met Per on my way to practice and he said "maybe it's an opening!" Haha well yeah it might very well be.
Practice was good as soon as i started with my sun salutations it just felt so good. Somedays it's just that way, you never really know why or when it's just as if your whole body is happy, thanking you. Thank you for stretching me out. It felt good anyhow, i don't really know how to explain it.
So after i got hurt for a few weeks ago, pulling my hamstring doing kurmasana. I haven't been doing it. First i was just being careful because i needed to rest my poor hamstring, then after not doing it and remembering how it pulled i developed some kind of fear for it. So i havent been doing it at all. I've thought like every day "Today i will do kurmasana" then when i reach bujapeedasana and i think of being pushed in to kurmasana and my hamstring going "snap" i think again and go directly to the finishing poses.
Yesterday i said to myself "monday i'll do kurmasana, i will" But then again today after bujapeedasana i rolled my mat up and started heading to the womens changing room for finishing when Saraswati called after me "What was the last pose you did?" ehm... "bujapeedasana" I answered. "You come back and do kurmasana" Okay.. so i went back, put my mat back out.. did kurmasana while Saraswati was watching me, when i was done she said "I'll come help you soon!" So I sat there and waited, the guy next to me was smiling, and Saraswati helped him with backbends, then she helped another few people while i waited. When she finally came over to me i said "I pulled a hamstring doing kurmasana for a few weeks ago" "okay we take it slowly" she said. Taking things slowly at Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute is a bit different from taking things slowly at home. I got in to kurmasana and Saraswati pushed on my back then she started saying things like "Slowly take your hands behind the back" While saying the word "slowly" my arms were yanked back around my legs and back, it didn't hurt though i'm very happy to say, still it was neither slowly or carefully. So Saraswati was pulling my arms and my legs in ways i wouldn't have dreamed of even in my worst nightmares for like a year ago. But somehow it was nice. It was nice knowing that i can 'kind of' do it, atleast without hurting. Yeah kurmasana is a killer for those hamstrings, i guess you just got to take it slowly.
After getting helped i felt happy and went then in to the changing room for my finsihing, when i reached Baddha Padmasana (sitting in lotus) I swung my arms around and all of a sudden i realised "OH MY!! I am holding on to my toes from behind my back!" How did that happen? It was about two second of pure happiness until my right hand lost hold of the toe. But still.. come on!! It was great even though i couldn't hold for the entire time. Maybe it IS an opening.
Haha too funny the way the body plays tricks on us.
I find this practice so amazing and challening at the same time.
On my way out of the shala i got eye contact with my friend Olga who had just began, she smiled and i whispered "breakfast at santoshas" to her, then i thanked Saraswati and slid outside.
So i went home, showered and then went to Santoshas for breakfast. I had a very yummy breakfast and after breakfast i went straight here, not much has happened here so far today besides the good practice and good breakfast. At one i'm meeting some friends at the coconut stand, we're going from there to lunch. Then at four thirty i'm giving meditation another shot. Maybe i'll do a quick visit at the pool before that.. otherwise for sure we're going to the pool tomorrow. It's been soo hot here the last days.. haha listen to me i've been saying that for two months now.. yeah..it's hot lets leave it at that. The weather here is very very hot, but......i absolutely love it.
take care
mich.
Saturday, April 04, 2009.
On my way here to Anu's internet Cafe` i had such a strong feeling of happiness. After a lovely breakfast at Om Cafe with my friends whom which two of them are leaving tomorrow. All i could seem to think about was how very lucky i felt that i still have some more time. I could feel how the sun was getting hotter warming my skin, the traffic going by me, all the rikshas and mopeds, the warm breeze, and i though to myself "what a wonderful place this is"
Yesterday on my way to early morning lead practice, i left my apartment around 3:30 am and came down to my gate to realize that over the night they'd changed the lock. We have gate and there's usually a chain with a lock around it now this morning there was a different lock. Thinking that this was a bit strange and maybe because i was a bit tired i tried my regular key in the lock.. nope it was just turning around. And i thought to myself "why would you change the lock without giving the key to the people who live there?" Yep they'd locked us in. No way was i going to miss practice over such a silly thing so i threw my yoga bag over my shoulder and started climbing. I was quite happy that no one came by right then, might have looked a bit suspisious with me climbing the gate at 3:30 am. So i climbed it and went off to my practice.
After practice we stood outside the shala for a long time, talking drinking coconuts etc and i met Irene a girl who lives in my house too, she went by and asked me "hey michelle did you have to jump the gate this morning too?" "Yep!"
Funny.
When i got back home they'd tooken the lock off so i didn't have to climb. Later on i met my landlord and asked if i could have the new key.. his answer was: "The lock isn't working!" Well no, i kind of noticed. Haha seriously.
Note to other landlords who might be reading this: When changing the lock on the gate, make sure your tenants get the new key.
Okay.
Today is saturday which means no practice. After six days in a row of practice it was quite nice to get to have a 'sleep in' this morning. And when i say sleep in i mean i slept until 7, which is late. So far i haven't done much today, i washed some laundry, in my bucket and hung it out to dry on the roof, then i had a nice breakfast with my friends at Om Cafe and after breakfast i went here. I'm quite happy to not have to be dancing in highheeled shoes all day this saturday even though last saturday was hilarious.
Well it's almost time for lunch allready..haha seriously somedays it seems like all we do is laze around until we go to the next place to eat. Next stop is meeting for lunch at the Sixth Main at one o'clock. That's in one hour. I Should write some e-mails before that too =)
Well here you get some photos..enjoy =)
A tiny little lizard i found on my curtain before i went to bed, i told the lizard "it's fine if you want to hang out, but i'm going to bed now and you don't get to climb into my bed, okay?"
Birthday party for Per at cubs.
Yummy cake.
Happy birthday to you Per!
Anna, me and Anna at cubs.
Outside the shala after 4:30 am lead practice friday morning.
After practice, waiting to have a coconut.
Breakfast at Santoshas friday.
Yummy 'no practice today' breakfast at Om Cafe, fruitsallad and coffee.
Breakfast.
Landlord and cleaning lady, he was sleeping..as always and she thought i should take a photo, but then he woke up.
hope you all are well.
take care.
mich.
Yesterday on my way to early morning lead practice, i left my apartment around 3:30 am and came down to my gate to realize that over the night they'd changed the lock. We have gate and there's usually a chain with a lock around it now this morning there was a different lock. Thinking that this was a bit strange and maybe because i was a bit tired i tried my regular key in the lock.. nope it was just turning around. And i thought to myself "why would you change the lock without giving the key to the people who live there?" Yep they'd locked us in. No way was i going to miss practice over such a silly thing so i threw my yoga bag over my shoulder and started climbing. I was quite happy that no one came by right then, might have looked a bit suspisious with me climbing the gate at 3:30 am. So i climbed it and went off to my practice.
After practice we stood outside the shala for a long time, talking drinking coconuts etc and i met Irene a girl who lives in my house too, she went by and asked me "hey michelle did you have to jump the gate this morning too?" "Yep!"
Funny.
When i got back home they'd tooken the lock off so i didn't have to climb. Later on i met my landlord and asked if i could have the new key.. his answer was: "The lock isn't working!" Well no, i kind of noticed. Haha seriously.
Note to other landlords who might be reading this: When changing the lock on the gate, make sure your tenants get the new key.
Okay.
Today is saturday which means no practice. After six days in a row of practice it was quite nice to get to have a 'sleep in' this morning. And when i say sleep in i mean i slept until 7, which is late. So far i haven't done much today, i washed some laundry, in my bucket and hung it out to dry on the roof, then i had a nice breakfast with my friends at Om Cafe and after breakfast i went here. I'm quite happy to not have to be dancing in highheeled shoes all day this saturday even though last saturday was hilarious.
Well it's almost time for lunch allready..haha seriously somedays it seems like all we do is laze around until we go to the next place to eat. Next stop is meeting for lunch at the Sixth Main at one o'clock. That's in one hour. I Should write some e-mails before that too =)
Well here you get some photos..enjoy =)
A tiny little lizard i found on my curtain before i went to bed, i told the lizard "it's fine if you want to hang out, but i'm going to bed now and you don't get to climb into my bed, okay?"
Birthday party for Per at cubs.
Yummy cake.
Happy birthday to you Per!
Anna, me and Anna at cubs.
Outside the shala after 4:30 am lead practice friday morning.
After practice, waiting to have a coconut.
Breakfast at Santoshas friday.
Yummy 'no practice today' breakfast at Om Cafe, fruitsallad and coffee.
Breakfast.
Landlord and cleaning lady, he was sleeping..as always and she thought i should take a photo, but then he woke up.
hope you all are well.
take care.
mich.
Thursday, April 02, 2009.
So along came april. God where have the weeks gone? In one way i'd like to say that i feel that time has been flying past me, yet in another way i really feel that so much has happened during my weeks here. Is it possibe for time to go both fast and slow at the same time? Or is it just me who never really got the hang of the whole "time" thing. It's a mystery.
So it's april and over the last week mysore turned in to ghost town, Okay not really but with Sharath leaving so did so many students. Now there is always room in the shala when i come in the morning. Also i got bumped up to practicing at 5:30 every day now..lead classes 4:30. The rumour goes that by next week it will be 4:30 every morning. Well i guess we'll find out.
So yeah lots of people have left this week making Gokulam more quiet. Which is both nice and a shame at the same time. It's nice that it's a bit calmer, but a lot of great people left which is a shame. This weekend some more of my friends are leaving. It's strange the way you get to know people here, there are people i've known here for like a two weeks period of time that i feel i know better than people at home that i've known for years. Maybe it's just the way we socialize here, the way we let other people in in our lives in a different way. I think we relax and instead of building fences around our selfes we simply open up our arms for friendship. I'm not sure. So yeah it's a shame that some of my friends are leaving but mostly it scares me that with them leaving that must mean that i only got two more weeks here. Again..time..when did it all start going super quick? I gues it's true what they say that time does go quicker when you're having a good time, and since i've really been having a great time..it just started flying.
Today i felt stiff during practice, somethings going on in my back..maybe opening or closing..who knows? I feel stiff like between my shoulderblades, i think it's from the mareechasana c and d. I can bind on both sides in D now, so yeah doing that might play some tricks in those back muscles. I like the way Anna said that as soon as she feels stiff or pain somewhere she tells herself that it will make that musle "super" soon, that it's just like working right now. She has pain in her one knee and knows that soon it will be a 'super knee' And soon i'l have a 'super back' with 'super shoulder blades' i can feel it...and it does feel super =)
I met my friends for breakfast at Om Caf'e. As always the atmosphere there was lovely and i had a great breakfast. Shared a small press coffee with Anna, I didn't think today was a coffee day, havent had coffee for a few days but it tasted excellent and i feel the caffeine now.
Today is my friend Per's birthday, we're meeting up a bunch of friends at Cubs for cake this afternoon. Yay happy birthday Per and happy cake! They have excellent chocolate cakes there, yum. We got one when my friend Marielle had her 30th birthday last month.
Before cake a few of us are going for lunch at green leaf.. thali again maybe? I love their thalis. Hmm.. seems that again i'm taking a bit too much about food. But yeah it's great. All is good, all is great. Let's just leave it at that.
Some pics.
The mysore palace. They light it up on sundays and special occassions, we where there last friday for the new year.
"You can never run away from coca cola"
A bit dark photo, my mats hanging out to air and dry outside my apartment.
breakfast this morning at Om Cafe`
take care.
mich.
So it's april and over the last week mysore turned in to ghost town, Okay not really but with Sharath leaving so did so many students. Now there is always room in the shala when i come in the morning. Also i got bumped up to practicing at 5:30 every day now..lead classes 4:30. The rumour goes that by next week it will be 4:30 every morning. Well i guess we'll find out.
So yeah lots of people have left this week making Gokulam more quiet. Which is both nice and a shame at the same time. It's nice that it's a bit calmer, but a lot of great people left which is a shame. This weekend some more of my friends are leaving. It's strange the way you get to know people here, there are people i've known here for like a two weeks period of time that i feel i know better than people at home that i've known for years. Maybe it's just the way we socialize here, the way we let other people in in our lives in a different way. I think we relax and instead of building fences around our selfes we simply open up our arms for friendship. I'm not sure. So yeah it's a shame that some of my friends are leaving but mostly it scares me that with them leaving that must mean that i only got two more weeks here. Again..time..when did it all start going super quick? I gues it's true what they say that time does go quicker when you're having a good time, and since i've really been having a great time..it just started flying.
Today i felt stiff during practice, somethings going on in my back..maybe opening or closing..who knows? I feel stiff like between my shoulderblades, i think it's from the mareechasana c and d. I can bind on both sides in D now, so yeah doing that might play some tricks in those back muscles. I like the way Anna said that as soon as she feels stiff or pain somewhere she tells herself that it will make that musle "super" soon, that it's just like working right now. She has pain in her one knee and knows that soon it will be a 'super knee' And soon i'l have a 'super back' with 'super shoulder blades' i can feel it...and it does feel super =)
I met my friends for breakfast at Om Caf'e. As always the atmosphere there was lovely and i had a great breakfast. Shared a small press coffee with Anna, I didn't think today was a coffee day, havent had coffee for a few days but it tasted excellent and i feel the caffeine now.
Today is my friend Per's birthday, we're meeting up a bunch of friends at Cubs for cake this afternoon. Yay happy birthday Per and happy cake! They have excellent chocolate cakes there, yum. We got one when my friend Marielle had her 30th birthday last month.
Before cake a few of us are going for lunch at green leaf.. thali again maybe? I love their thalis. Hmm.. seems that again i'm taking a bit too much about food. But yeah it's great. All is good, all is great. Let's just leave it at that.
Some pics.
The mysore palace. They light it up on sundays and special occassions, we where there last friday for the new year.
"You can never run away from coca cola"
A bit dark photo, my mats hanging out to air and dry outside my apartment.
breakfast this morning at Om Cafe`
take care.
mich.
