i feel like i've been in incubation mode. Maybe its the winter thing. Buti feel like i am coming out of it today. A chrysalis. (isthat the word).? pardon me butm y spacebar isnot workingso good on this computer. what todo.
Well, i survived Christmas holidays and New years in Goa. today is january 1st and the sun is shining bright. Goa is famous for its christmas and new years parties. as well as its full moon parties, i've been here during all of that and haven't gone to one yet.
Last night i fell asleep at 10:30, to the sound of thump, thump, thump. Trance, the music style of choice for partygoers in Goa, and the bain of my existence. Even in all my years of loving and indulging in electronic music, I never could understand why people like trance. Maybe once, i came close, in Japan, at a party at the base of Mt. Fuji (the Japanese kids LOVE their trance) to understanding, just for a split millisecond, but then the moment passed and i am back to being mystified by it.
I just don't get it. It is the most monotonous, unoriginal, repetitive kind of electronic music there is. It is the reason that most people say that they hate techno, because they think techno equals trance.... but i'm here to tell you that it doesn't. and to all you funky house, breakbeat and drum and bass djs out there.... bless your souls!!!
anyhow... musical rant aside.
i went to sleep to the sound of thump, thump, thump and i woke up to the sound of thump thump thump at 7am. and i believe i awoke at midnight too... that must have been all the screaming and hoopla of voices that erupted in the middle of my sleep.
needless to say, i was much more interested in sleeping than partying.... obviously. Must be getting old. wink, wink.
I awoke at my usual time, went for my sunrise sprint, walk, run, jump, play.... down the beach. saw the party that was still going on... saw the people still dancing and sitting around. i remember those days... that used to be me.... the die hards.
The beach itself was completely strewn with trash, like a garbage bomb had gone off. what a sight. After i finished my yoga and had a frolick in the surf (and i DO mean frolick, the ocean was extra playful today because of the big mushy waves, so my swim turned into more of a frolick).... after that... i picked some garbage. funny. but it was so FUN! still early, not too many people were awake. slowly, slowly the beach got cleaned, mostly by restaurant staff responsible for their stretch of beach. so much trash!
today is a kind of special day. Indians, some, have this belief that whatever you do on january 1st, you will do a lot of during the year that follows. So for example, if you spend january first driving, then you will do alot of driving in the coming year. if you spend the day enjoying time with family and friends, then you will spend a lot of time enjoying family and friends during the following year. (so does this mean i am going to spend a lot of time cleaning and cleaning up garbage in the next year? ha ha! that's ok with me, actually, i could use some good housecleaning, in my body, in my bedroom,.... in my closet :)) maybe its a good thing. lol
anyhow.
here's wishing you all a happy new year.
peace, love and understanding
Friday, December 31, 2010
Happy Freakin New Year!!
Happy New Year!
Not a lot new to report. Each day the same as the last.
Some new photos, that's about it.
Really nothing new going on.
Day in, day out. Sorry its so boring. I don't know where my inspiration is these days... just waaay too laid back. :)
Mom is chillin but i get the distinct impression she is getting bored with the beach life. Thats ok, we'll be busy enough when our courses begin and things are underway, then we'll be busy.
hee hee.
ok, well,
sending all my love and well wishes to every one.
be safe
peace
Not a lot new to report. Each day the same as the last.
Some new photos, that's about it.
Really nothing new going on.
Day in, day out. Sorry its so boring. I don't know where my inspiration is these days... just waaay too laid back. :)
Mom is chillin but i get the distinct impression she is getting bored with the beach life. Thats ok, we'll be busy enough when our courses begin and things are underway, then we'll be busy.
hee hee.
ok, well,
sending all my love and well wishes to every one.
be safe
peace
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
see new pics below.....
Sun is shinin... the weather is sweet, ya.
makes me wanna move.... my dancin feet ya.
here's some new pictures from the past couple of days.
today was really really windy at sunset.
the pics are posted at the bottom of the page.... the new ones of the kite surfers and our beach hut and some yoga pics...
makes me wanna move.... my dancin feet ya.
here's some new pictures from the past couple of days.
today was really really windy at sunset.
the pics are posted at the bottom of the page.... the new ones of the kite surfers and our beach hut and some yoga pics...
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
cool as a cucumber
Good morning all!
everyone must be busy with holiday activities. i always love this time of year, it is so.... relaxing (probably because i don't have 3 kids and inlaws to cook turkey for.. .hahahahha!)
thank you stephanie and leanne for your comments. love to hear from you guys.
well, its just mom and me here at arambol beach.
we are starting to go to the general meetings of the Great Freedom organization (the primary purpose for our trip down here to Goa... .the secondary purpose of course is HOLIDAAAAAAYY!!!) their website is www.greatfreedom.org and you can start listening to downloads right away. its the real deal yaar! "hey steph, i learned what "yaar" means and now i am practicing using it in the appropriate places,... i have so much hindi to learn)
.
so ya, me, mom and the beach.
i have to get some more pictures posted to put up here. i know.
Well you'll all be happy to know that i am taking full advantage of the sun, sand and surf. and to all you yogis out there,... you know who you are.... i dedicate each mornings' yoga practice on the beach to you, so that each of you can be there in spirit. we can share.
then i go for a swim. so for all you water lovers out there... i swim for you. the water is so yummy and cool after yoga and the sun starting to heat you up. the morning sea is so calm and smooth. it caresses you so gently and slips along your skin... so fine.
by mid afternoon the wind has picked up and the water gets choppy.
the moon is waning and so the high tide line drops a little lower down every day. i love being in tune with the rhythms of nature here. it is so... rejuvinating on al levels. makes me wonder why we live in these square concrete buildings, on paved streets, surrounded by other box-like structures and move about in gas guzzling machines, just to go to work inside another square concrete box. it all just gets so ... .unnatural after awhile, doesn't it make you just want to quit it all and go skiing? hahaha.
i wonder how the hill is at sun peaks, by the way...
yesterday i squeezed in a mini sunset yoga and meditation session as well, so now i am really feeling wonderful. Hoping to store it all up and bring all that energy back. :) yesterday the afternoon got so uncharacteristically hot, you couldn't step out of the shade for a few hours. but if you find just the right spot, on your porch or in the right beach restaurant, you can catch a nice strong cross breeze in the shade... that, combined with a cool drink and you are cool as a cucumber and just chillin.
well, i hope you all had a fabulous holiday and are still having a fabulous holiday....
alright, peace, love and understanding for all, from Goa.
Love Ang
everyone must be busy with holiday activities. i always love this time of year, it is so.... relaxing (probably because i don't have 3 kids and inlaws to cook turkey for.. .hahahahha!)
thank you stephanie and leanne for your comments. love to hear from you guys.
well, its just mom and me here at arambol beach.
we are starting to go to the general meetings of the Great Freedom organization (the primary purpose for our trip down here to Goa... .the secondary purpose of course is HOLIDAAAAAAYY!!!) their website is www.greatfreedom.org and you can start listening to downloads right away. its the real deal yaar! "hey steph, i learned what "yaar" means and now i am practicing using it in the appropriate places,... i have so much hindi to learn)
.
so ya, me, mom and the beach.
i have to get some more pictures posted to put up here. i know.
Well you'll all be happy to know that i am taking full advantage of the sun, sand and surf. and to all you yogis out there,... you know who you are.... i dedicate each mornings' yoga practice on the beach to you, so that each of you can be there in spirit. we can share.
then i go for a swim. so for all you water lovers out there... i swim for you. the water is so yummy and cool after yoga and the sun starting to heat you up. the morning sea is so calm and smooth. it caresses you so gently and slips along your skin... so fine.
by mid afternoon the wind has picked up and the water gets choppy.
the moon is waning and so the high tide line drops a little lower down every day. i love being in tune with the rhythms of nature here. it is so... rejuvinating on al levels. makes me wonder why we live in these square concrete buildings, on paved streets, surrounded by other box-like structures and move about in gas guzzling machines, just to go to work inside another square concrete box. it all just gets so ... .unnatural after awhile, doesn't it make you just want to quit it all and go skiing? hahaha.
i wonder how the hill is at sun peaks, by the way...
yesterday i squeezed in a mini sunset yoga and meditation session as well, so now i am really feeling wonderful. Hoping to store it all up and bring all that energy back. :) yesterday the afternoon got so uncharacteristically hot, you couldn't step out of the shade for a few hours. but if you find just the right spot, on your porch or in the right beach restaurant, you can catch a nice strong cross breeze in the shade... that, combined with a cool drink and you are cool as a cucumber and just chillin.
well, i hope you all had a fabulous holiday and are still having a fabulous holiday....
alright, peace, love and understanding for all, from Goa.
Love Ang
Monday, December 27, 2010
hi all,
well, christmas is over (never knew it happened... first time in 37 years really).
Goa is not all that busy, at least Arambol isn't.
I went on a little expedition today... walked along around the clif path to another beach. not really that impressive... just more of the same as on the main beach, just on a smaller scale.
i have posted some pictures... i realize that i haven't included a picture of our actual hut... i will have to get to that... nothing else to do... ha ha.
mom is bored and wishes she were home. that's understandable as we wait for our course to begin, and she has a whole life going on at home without her . whereas me... i have no life except where ever i am. haha.
well, christmas is over (never knew it happened... first time in 37 years really).
Goa is not all that busy, at least Arambol isn't.
I went on a little expedition today... walked along around the clif path to another beach. not really that impressive... just more of the same as on the main beach, just on a smaller scale.
i have posted some pictures... i realize that i haven't included a picture of our actual hut... i will have to get to that... nothing else to do... ha ha.
mom is bored and wishes she were home. that's understandable as we wait for our course to begin, and she has a whole life going on at home without her . whereas me... i have no life except where ever i am. haha.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Anything goes in Goa
Goaaaaaaaahhh!
Euro-yuppie land or hippie haven.....
Arambol Beach, Goa is a little bit of both, I guess, along with a Russian contingent, an Israeli pod, and a few randoms.
Goa IS starting to grow on me, well, Arambol beach at least. We are on the Northern most beach of the state of Goa. An "anything goes" kind of place. Anything the foreigners want to bring here and do, the local population goes along with it. Its amazing. You slowly start to get used to it, the anything goes policy in Goa. People mind their own business and nobody, pretty much nobody, gets hurt. I think.
I am pretty much glued to the beach at sunrise, sunset and all the time in between. i figure why leave? i have everything there.
Mom has taken some pretty funny pictures. Some pretty pictures, yes, and then some pretty graphic pictures of our bathroom. Hey, at least we HAVE our own bathroom, wicker walls and all. Some photos will show up here soon, i promise that. And you will see yourself... the price we pay for beachfront property, haha.
hmmm... what else.
ya, i guess i am warming up to the "people" element here. I was always warm to the nature element, and that alone is enough. It is such a party place during the Christmas holidays. sort of a cross between a rave and spring break in mexico, all day and all night, ongoingly. kind of fun, if you're still into that kind of thing. the only hours of peace are in the a.m. when i am on the beahc. mom and i are in bed by 8 or 9 most nights. the music thumps on until dawn sometimes. except last night they quit at midnight. don't know why. anyhow, its three camps away, so its only off in the distance we hear it, so you can still sleep, no problem.
Our little encampment was chosen by me for its shanti, its peaceful vibe. and it is, one of the most peaceful places on the whole beach, the music, the people, the service and the whole set up, very very low key and a happy place :).
some places down the beach are so "pumped up" , as mom puts it. The energy is crazy, you got guys pulling you into their restaurants off the beach when you walk past, setting up umbrellas and chaise lounges for you, procuring menus and drinks in a heartbeat. at your beck and call. and all around you are bikini clad kids, and beer guzzling Mumbai-ites and techno loving Israelis, and thong wearing Europeans (of BOTH sexes) and tourists from all over, all here to take in the zoo that is Goa at Christmas break. wow. no rules man.
Anything goes in Goa
Euro-yuppie land or hippie haven.....
Arambol Beach, Goa is a little bit of both, I guess, along with a Russian contingent, an Israeli pod, and a few randoms.
Goa IS starting to grow on me, well, Arambol beach at least. We are on the Northern most beach of the state of Goa. An "anything goes" kind of place. Anything the foreigners want to bring here and do, the local population goes along with it. Its amazing. You slowly start to get used to it, the anything goes policy in Goa. People mind their own business and nobody, pretty much nobody, gets hurt. I think.
I am pretty much glued to the beach at sunrise, sunset and all the time in between. i figure why leave? i have everything there.
Mom has taken some pretty funny pictures. Some pretty pictures, yes, and then some pretty graphic pictures of our bathroom. Hey, at least we HAVE our own bathroom, wicker walls and all. Some photos will show up here soon, i promise that. And you will see yourself... the price we pay for beachfront property, haha.
hmmm... what else.
ya, i guess i am warming up to the "people" element here. I was always warm to the nature element, and that alone is enough. It is such a party place during the Christmas holidays. sort of a cross between a rave and spring break in mexico, all day and all night, ongoingly. kind of fun, if you're still into that kind of thing. the only hours of peace are in the a.m. when i am on the beahc. mom and i are in bed by 8 or 9 most nights. the music thumps on until dawn sometimes. except last night they quit at midnight. don't know why. anyhow, its three camps away, so its only off in the distance we hear it, so you can still sleep, no problem.
Our little encampment was chosen by me for its shanti, its peaceful vibe. and it is, one of the most peaceful places on the whole beach, the music, the people, the service and the whole set up, very very low key and a happy place :).
some places down the beach are so "pumped up" , as mom puts it. The energy is crazy, you got guys pulling you into their restaurants off the beach when you walk past, setting up umbrellas and chaise lounges for you, procuring menus and drinks in a heartbeat. at your beck and call. and all around you are bikini clad kids, and beer guzzling Mumbai-ites and techno loving Israelis, and thong wearing Europeans (of BOTH sexes) and tourists from all over, all here to take in the zoo that is Goa at Christmas break. wow. no rules man.
Anything goes in Goa
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Report from Arambol beach
Hello All! merry post christmas to all. haha.
ok seriously now. i just spoke to my dad on the phone now i need to get serious about blogging... cause he is reading, yaar! ("yaar" i have just learned, means good friend, somebody you can tell anything to).... see , i am learning my Hindi, slowly but surely. (emphasis on slowly, ever the procrastinator).
So, report from Goa is this: tide is high around midnight - 3am. waves get real loud outside the door.
Last night i woke up, it was dark, i opened the door and looked just outside and it looked like just before dawn, so i lit a candle on the deck to do some writing. i felt well rested, i felt like... ready for the day to begin soon ya. soon it would be a little lighter out and i thought i'd walk the beach, do my yoga, etc. etc..... so i was thinking.
and then the manager of our guesthouse/restaurant walks by, we say hi, he says "watcha writin'?" i say: "oh just about a dream i just had", "hmm" he responds.
"what are you doin?" i ask. "oh, we're just closing up" to which i replied shockedly "what time is it?"......"oh midnight", comes the response. So much for going with the flow. haha. if i had gone with that flow i would have been sitting on the porch for quite a few hours, waiting for the sun to come up. haha. So i went back in and went to bed.
The temperature is around 25 degrees right now. it gets up to around 31, 32 in the day but with beautiful ocean breezes all day, and down to around 19 at night. its pretty nippy some mornings, you gotta wear a hoody, cause its also damp from the sea spray.
But the ocean is pretty tame and friendly along this little section of beach. it doesn't jump up and bite you. the biggest waves are coming in at around oh... maybe 3 or 4 feet. (i don't know if that is hawaiian measurements or mainland measurements, for all you surfers out there, one is measured from the front side of the wave, but i think the hawaiians measure it from the back side, or some thing like that, Probably only Steve, Elizabeths steve will know what i am talking about there, but anyhow.... on with the report....).
Mom is finding her sea legs ONCE again. poor lady, dragging her all over India. i know, i know, she WANTS to go, its true, but sometimes that is hard to remember when you are having to adapt to so many new circumstances all the time. My hat is off to her, although i am hard on her and trying to constantly travel-savvy her all the time.. ... poor woman gets hardly any peace. haahahha.
we have been enjoying some lovely meals together the last couple of days cause its been christmas and christmas eve and such. sharing is the way to go. shared a lemon garlic tiger prawn platter. they threw in a couple extra big ones because we have been helping to write the daily specials in the menus. see, so we are pulling our weight here. haha.
last night we shared a prawn coconut green curry. y u m !! its great cause it cuts down on expenses and you don't overeat, too.
all the fruit juices are fresh and you can get a fresh coconut lopped off with a machete and a straw stuck in it for about 50cents. ultimate refreshment there.
the ocean continues to entice you into her waters each day at least a couple times. Still my favourite is just after yoga and meditation. it is the perfect way to start the day, just went the sun is starting to heat you up.... and you slide in and she is so cool and inviting, she embraces you, envelopes you and slips along your skin. It is heaven. and then you float. in the morning the sea is smooth, not choppy or wavey, so you can just float on her smooth surface and relax your whole body.
i think i have been wearing almost the same 3 or 4 articles of clothing since i got here. you don't get very dirty going from your beach hut, to the beach, to the water and back, maybe to the restaurant and the internet cafe and back... you don't break a sweat. its just nice.
ok, so enough from me.
i love everyone so much.
hope you all are taking care and enjoying your holidays.
yay!
happy new year!!!
ok seriously now. i just spoke to my dad on the phone now i need to get serious about blogging... cause he is reading, yaar! ("yaar" i have just learned, means good friend, somebody you can tell anything to).... see , i am learning my Hindi, slowly but surely. (emphasis on slowly, ever the procrastinator).
So, report from Goa is this: tide is high around midnight - 3am. waves get real loud outside the door.
Last night i woke up, it was dark, i opened the door and looked just outside and it looked like just before dawn, so i lit a candle on the deck to do some writing. i felt well rested, i felt like... ready for the day to begin soon ya. soon it would be a little lighter out and i thought i'd walk the beach, do my yoga, etc. etc..... so i was thinking.
and then the manager of our guesthouse/restaurant walks by, we say hi, he says "watcha writin'?" i say: "oh just about a dream i just had", "hmm" he responds.
"what are you doin?" i ask. "oh, we're just closing up" to which i replied shockedly "what time is it?"......"oh midnight", comes the response. So much for going with the flow. haha. if i had gone with that flow i would have been sitting on the porch for quite a few hours, waiting for the sun to come up. haha. So i went back in and went to bed.
The temperature is around 25 degrees right now. it gets up to around 31, 32 in the day but with beautiful ocean breezes all day, and down to around 19 at night. its pretty nippy some mornings, you gotta wear a hoody, cause its also damp from the sea spray.
But the ocean is pretty tame and friendly along this little section of beach. it doesn't jump up and bite you. the biggest waves are coming in at around oh... maybe 3 or 4 feet. (i don't know if that is hawaiian measurements or mainland measurements, for all you surfers out there, one is measured from the front side of the wave, but i think the hawaiians measure it from the back side, or some thing like that, Probably only Steve, Elizabeths steve will know what i am talking about there, but anyhow.... on with the report....).
Mom is finding her sea legs ONCE again. poor lady, dragging her all over India. i know, i know, she WANTS to go, its true, but sometimes that is hard to remember when you are having to adapt to so many new circumstances all the time. My hat is off to her, although i am hard on her and trying to constantly travel-savvy her all the time.. ... poor woman gets hardly any peace. haahahha.
we have been enjoying some lovely meals together the last couple of days cause its been christmas and christmas eve and such. sharing is the way to go. shared a lemon garlic tiger prawn platter. they threw in a couple extra big ones because we have been helping to write the daily specials in the menus. see, so we are pulling our weight here. haha.
last night we shared a prawn coconut green curry. y u m !! its great cause it cuts down on expenses and you don't overeat, too.
all the fruit juices are fresh and you can get a fresh coconut lopped off with a machete and a straw stuck in it for about 50cents. ultimate refreshment there.
the ocean continues to entice you into her waters each day at least a couple times. Still my favourite is just after yoga and meditation. it is the perfect way to start the day, just went the sun is starting to heat you up.... and you slide in and she is so cool and inviting, she embraces you, envelopes you and slips along your skin. It is heaven. and then you float. in the morning the sea is smooth, not choppy or wavey, so you can just float on her smooth surface and relax your whole body.
i think i have been wearing almost the same 3 or 4 articles of clothing since i got here. you don't get very dirty going from your beach hut, to the beach, to the water and back, maybe to the restaurant and the internet cafe and back... you don't break a sweat. its just nice.
ok, so enough from me.
i love everyone so much.
hope you all are taking care and enjoying your holidays.
yay!
happy new year!!!
Friday, December 24, 2010
Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
and Merry Christmas Eve to you, those of you who are still awake on Christmas Eve.
It is Christmas day here. And never in my life has it felt less like christmas. This would be the perfect place to come if you were someone who disliked Christmas. It would pass without you even realizing.
So, a bit OOPS!! for not writing in so long.... i have a dozen excuses, but the internet IS more expensive here than in rishikesh, and it is much farther to walk to get there.... and the lure of the beach is such that i can't seem to tear myself away, and then the internet cafe is busy alot of the time, and frankly, i am downright lazy.
So where is here of course? Goa, a southwestern state of India. We are at a place called Arambol (you can google earth it). Arambol beach, a quaint little hippie tourist fishing beach village. its cool. Its Christmas holidays so its a people salad out there. people from all over the world. a real mish mash. lots of europeans.
anyways... i seem to have writers block. maybe its the sun.
ever since we left agra and the taj mahal i have been just plain lazy.
not physically lazy. The tropic and staying right on the beach always brings out the best in my ability to nuture and care for myself. i love to wake up at dawn and walk the beach, do some yoga and start my day with a swim. then breakfast. It is a perfect balance.
Another reason i don't want to write is that i don't want to brag. i know that most of you are at home in the snow, and i love snow, i love snowboarding, so i am jealous, so i don't want to tell you all about the warm ocean , the sound of waves at night when i sleep, the sun, and the sand, the fresh fruit and palm trees.... i don't want to make anyone jealous.
Really , Goa is a zoo. Full of zoo animals. Maybe if i was 10 years younger I would BE one of those zoo animals, but today, now..... it is just a zoo.
we are taking pictures and will post them momentarily (meaning: within the next 2 weeks).... its just that everything slows down here and is so laid back, it is hard to get worked up about anything. and you find yourself slowly melting, melting, into the laid back atmosphere. beach culture. gotta love it.
and mom, how is mom? mom is homesick. i'm not gonna lie. She wanted to come to Goa because we can take courses with GreatFreedom here. www.greatfreedom.org
we both were excited to do this here and we agreed on it together, but now, mom is missing being home, with it being christmas and all, and with me forcing her to stay in a beachside shack. she insists i'm not forcing her, and i'm not, i've offered many times to move to something more.... solid and less like camping, but she insists and makes do. and so we stay on. With the sea, the beach, the sand at our doorstep and the most beautiful sunsets ever, right there. it is fabulous. i love it. my whole spirit calms.
and our place is a bit down the beach, away from the main chaos of christmas vacation partyers. it reminds me of cabo or puerto vallarta at christmas. its not so bad, its just.... not india. i mean... its india, but it is so not like anywhere else in india. it is its own little place. And considering it is christmas break and a playground for the party crowd, it is surprisingly civilized and mellow and not as busy as i expected.
i like our little place cause it is out of the way a little, so when i look out from my front porch, i just see sand, sea and sky, with a little volleyball court off to the right and a couple of deck chairs on the sand there too. so it is my idea of peace and paradise.
wish i could share it with you all.
the food is alright, nothing to write home about.
our courses start in a few days, so right now we are just having a little vacation and letting ourselves acclimatize.
So a very merry christmas to all. love and peace to all. Enjoy your families, your friends, and all you love.
xoxo
ang
It is Christmas day here. And never in my life has it felt less like christmas. This would be the perfect place to come if you were someone who disliked Christmas. It would pass without you even realizing.
So, a bit OOPS!! for not writing in so long.... i have a dozen excuses, but the internet IS more expensive here than in rishikesh, and it is much farther to walk to get there.... and the lure of the beach is such that i can't seem to tear myself away, and then the internet cafe is busy alot of the time, and frankly, i am downright lazy.
So where is here of course? Goa, a southwestern state of India. We are at a place called Arambol (you can google earth it). Arambol beach, a quaint little hippie tourist fishing beach village. its cool. Its Christmas holidays so its a people salad out there. people from all over the world. a real mish mash. lots of europeans.
anyways... i seem to have writers block. maybe its the sun.
ever since we left agra and the taj mahal i have been just plain lazy.
not physically lazy. The tropic and staying right on the beach always brings out the best in my ability to nuture and care for myself. i love to wake up at dawn and walk the beach, do some yoga and start my day with a swim. then breakfast. It is a perfect balance.
Another reason i don't want to write is that i don't want to brag. i know that most of you are at home in the snow, and i love snow, i love snowboarding, so i am jealous, so i don't want to tell you all about the warm ocean , the sound of waves at night when i sleep, the sun, and the sand, the fresh fruit and palm trees.... i don't want to make anyone jealous.
Really , Goa is a zoo. Full of zoo animals. Maybe if i was 10 years younger I would BE one of those zoo animals, but today, now..... it is just a zoo.
we are taking pictures and will post them momentarily (meaning: within the next 2 weeks).... its just that everything slows down here and is so laid back, it is hard to get worked up about anything. and you find yourself slowly melting, melting, into the laid back atmosphere. beach culture. gotta love it.
and mom, how is mom? mom is homesick. i'm not gonna lie. She wanted to come to Goa because we can take courses with GreatFreedom here. www.greatfreedom.org
we both were excited to do this here and we agreed on it together, but now, mom is missing being home, with it being christmas and all, and with me forcing her to stay in a beachside shack. she insists i'm not forcing her, and i'm not, i've offered many times to move to something more.... solid and less like camping, but she insists and makes do. and so we stay on. With the sea, the beach, the sand at our doorstep and the most beautiful sunsets ever, right there. it is fabulous. i love it. my whole spirit calms.
and our place is a bit down the beach, away from the main chaos of christmas vacation partyers. it reminds me of cabo or puerto vallarta at christmas. its not so bad, its just.... not india. i mean... its india, but it is so not like anywhere else in india. it is its own little place. And considering it is christmas break and a playground for the party crowd, it is surprisingly civilized and mellow and not as busy as i expected.
i like our little place cause it is out of the way a little, so when i look out from my front porch, i just see sand, sea and sky, with a little volleyball court off to the right and a couple of deck chairs on the sand there too. so it is my idea of peace and paradise.
wish i could share it with you all.
the food is alright, nothing to write home about.
our courses start in a few days, so right now we are just having a little vacation and letting ourselves acclimatize.
So a very merry christmas to all. love and peace to all. Enjoy your families, your friends, and all you love.
xoxo
ang
Sunday, December 19, 2010
The Taj and Agra Fort
after posting photos... i feel like i owe you more of an explanation. i will make it short and effective, because the sun is shining outside and it is so warm and nice and it does that for so few hours a day here in Agra in mid-December, that i want to get out in it and warm my bones.
so but the photos.... are of two locations. the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort: the Mughal palace and centre of power during their reign. Fascinating era. The Taj Mahal, of course, one of, if not THE most beautiful piece of architecture ever constructed. It is a monument of love. When Mumtaz, the empress of the Shah Jahan died giving birth to their 14th child, he built it to house her tomb, as a tribute to her and as an expression of his intense love for her. So she never saw it. And the expediture for building the monument was so great, that he was overthrown by his son and imprisoned in the palace, a short distance away, where he could never visit the Taj, but only stare yearningly at it from afar. So tragic.
The site is almost magical. Because it was built out of love, not out of a display of power, it carries an energy unlike anything i've ever seen or felt. It is the same dimensions tall as it is wide and master craftsmen were commissioned lands as far away as Persia and China, workers in marble, calligraphers (for the scripture engraved on its sides), the workmanship is amazing. Everthing hand carved and inlaid.
The palace is similar in its beauty and it is so expansive. HUGE is the word. The rooms go on and on, and there are fountains and courtyards and you can just imagine the wealth and life of the royalty that were housed their for generations. Thank you stephanie for the books, because i read all about life there, so i could imagine what it would have been like. and you can wander all over throughout. we must have taken 300 photos. it was gorgeous. here are just a few to give you a glimpse.
so but the photos.... are of two locations. the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort: the Mughal palace and centre of power during their reign. Fascinating era. The Taj Mahal, of course, one of, if not THE most beautiful piece of architecture ever constructed. It is a monument of love. When Mumtaz, the empress of the Shah Jahan died giving birth to their 14th child, he built it to house her tomb, as a tribute to her and as an expression of his intense love for her. So she never saw it. And the expediture for building the monument was so great, that he was overthrown by his son and imprisoned in the palace, a short distance away, where he could never visit the Taj, but only stare yearningly at it from afar. So tragic.
The site is almost magical. Because it was built out of love, not out of a display of power, it carries an energy unlike anything i've ever seen or felt. It is the same dimensions tall as it is wide and master craftsmen were commissioned lands as far away as Persia and China, workers in marble, calligraphers (for the scripture engraved on its sides), the workmanship is amazing. Everthing hand carved and inlaid.
The palace is similar in its beauty and it is so expansive. HUGE is the word. The rooms go on and on, and there are fountains and courtyards and you can just imagine the wealth and life of the royalty that were housed their for generations. Thank you stephanie for the books, because i read all about life there, so i could imagine what it would have been like. and you can wander all over throughout. we must have taken 300 photos. it was gorgeous. here are just a few to give you a glimpse.
can we do new pictures?.......finally?
wow,
internet banking. got it done. phew. gonna try and post some pictures now....
internet banking. got it done. phew. gonna try and post some pictures now....
dec.20
Early morning dec.20.
couldn't sleep. me cause i felt like i had already slept for like 12 hours, and mom cause she was cold and has a hip that aches when its cold. Now though, she is off at the heated fancy coffee shop that makes italian grade espresso, so i'm sure she is all blissed out by now. We stumbled across it yesterday in the dark, at 6am when we went out looking for the Taj Mahal. It was totally by accident and spontaneous, but what a jewel. To find coffee like that, that early in the morning, and the cafe is heated, and with comfy couches, so on these silly cold mornings, there is somewhere to go to get warmth and caffeine. We have about had it up to here with cold weather. Sure makes you thankful for all the fireplaces and central heating we have in canada, not that you could survive without them there. but anyhow.
we've awoken both mornings to the sounds of the morning conch being blown (in the Hindu tradition) and to the sounds of the Muslim call to prayer, which i love... it is like... so haunting and beautiful, it soothes the soul. soon it will be daylight.
couldn't sleep. me cause i felt like i had already slept for like 12 hours, and mom cause she was cold and has a hip that aches when its cold. Now though, she is off at the heated fancy coffee shop that makes italian grade espresso, so i'm sure she is all blissed out by now. We stumbled across it yesterday in the dark, at 6am when we went out looking for the Taj Mahal. It was totally by accident and spontaneous, but what a jewel. To find coffee like that, that early in the morning, and the cafe is heated, and with comfy couches, so on these silly cold mornings, there is somewhere to go to get warmth and caffeine. We have about had it up to here with cold weather. Sure makes you thankful for all the fireplaces and central heating we have in canada, not that you could survive without them there. but anyhow.
we've awoken both mornings to the sounds of the morning conch being blown (in the Hindu tradition) and to the sounds of the Muslim call to prayer, which i love... it is like... so haunting and beautiful, it soothes the soul. soon it will be daylight.
train blogging
Early morning of December 18. Wow, technology. Blogging on the train. I don’t have internet, but i can write. After bringing my computer... i’ll never go back. Its amazing how addicted we get to our technology.
Mom says hi. We woke at 4:45 for our adventure today. Nothing like an actual travel day to stimulate the old writing juices. Its like a ripe mango (or a ripe strawberry). The sun is rising on the Kalingautkal Express going to Agra from Haridwar in Northern India. We are slowly making our way south.
The sun is rising and mom says it looks like Africa, and it does, the silhouette of the trees backlit by the maroon and orange sky.
Last night we stayed in Haridwar, which is one of the most important Hindu pilgrimage centres in India. People come from all over India for the ceremonial Aarti (which is the singing and fire ceremony) on the steps of the Holy river Ganges. They might save the money their whole lives to make this one trip, important to the fate of their soul. We enjoyed.
Bicycle rickshaws abound in Haridwar and so we took advantage of such an ingenious invention ( i am considering a career change, if you like biking, what a great way to make a living! You’d live to be a hundred, your heart and muscles would be so strong. And it is so peaceful....like sailing, without the noise of an engine, just you and the wind.) We took another one this morning to the train station. It was so full of our luggage that only mom could ride. I walked along beside and I almost beat him there. (Train station was only about 200metres, but with so much luggage, 200metres is an unnecessary struggle). A nice brisk morning walk suited me fine.
We had a nice dinner of kashmiri pulao and raita last night, which is just a fancy word for a nice fried rice with cashews, pineapple and peas. Yum. And we went to bed early. Had a great sleep and woke up at 4:45 and here we are. So, we will be on this train for 10 hours to Agra. We brought snacks. We’ve already had our morning chai (nothing like my families chai in Rishikesh but what can you do). Now we are just enjoying the view. And i am a little bit tripping out over the fact that i can use my laptop on the train. Its a bit cold on the fingers though, to have them sticking out, so i think i’m going to sign off.
Tonight we will behold the Taj Mahal (or maybe tomorrow) and then in 3 days we’ll be in Goaaaaaaaaah. Aaaaaah. Can’t wait to get warm down south. I’m sure i’ll be complaining about it being too hot before you know it. Haha! But right now, i’m dreaming about it. So signing off for now. love and kisses , ang
Mom says hi. We woke at 4:45 for our adventure today. Nothing like an actual travel day to stimulate the old writing juices. Its like a ripe mango (or a ripe strawberry). The sun is rising on the Kalingautkal Express going to Agra from Haridwar in Northern India. We are slowly making our way south.
The sun is rising and mom says it looks like Africa, and it does, the silhouette of the trees backlit by the maroon and orange sky.
Last night we stayed in Haridwar, which is one of the most important Hindu pilgrimage centres in India. People come from all over India for the ceremonial Aarti (which is the singing and fire ceremony) on the steps of the Holy river Ganges. They might save the money their whole lives to make this one trip, important to the fate of their soul. We enjoyed.
Bicycle rickshaws abound in Haridwar and so we took advantage of such an ingenious invention ( i am considering a career change, if you like biking, what a great way to make a living! You’d live to be a hundred, your heart and muscles would be so strong. And it is so peaceful....like sailing, without the noise of an engine, just you and the wind.) We took another one this morning to the train station. It was so full of our luggage that only mom could ride. I walked along beside and I almost beat him there. (Train station was only about 200metres, but with so much luggage, 200metres is an unnecessary struggle). A nice brisk morning walk suited me fine.
We had a nice dinner of kashmiri pulao and raita last night, which is just a fancy word for a nice fried rice with cashews, pineapple and peas. Yum. And we went to bed early. Had a great sleep and woke up at 4:45 and here we are. So, we will be on this train for 10 hours to Agra. We brought snacks. We’ve already had our morning chai (nothing like my families chai in Rishikesh but what can you do). Now we are just enjoying the view. And i am a little bit tripping out over the fact that i can use my laptop on the train. Its a bit cold on the fingers though, to have them sticking out, so i think i’m going to sign off.
Tonight we will behold the Taj Mahal (or maybe tomorrow) and then in 3 days we’ll be in Goaaaaaaaaah. Aaaaaah. Can’t wait to get warm down south. I’m sure i’ll be complaining about it being too hot before you know it. Haha! But right now, i’m dreaming about it. So signing off for now. love and kisses , ang
Taj
NO luck with hotmail today so blaaaaah on you, hotmail. blogspot is working so much better. So, we get a blog instead of an email (too bad i can't blog my hotel to arrange our airport pick up in 2 days... hahhaha) When we arrive in Goa. Just starting to make more reservations instead of leaving things up to chance. they always work out when you leave them up to chance, but there is a certain peace of mind that comes with planning in advance. Haven't had any major screw ups yet, travel-wise (did i just jinx us there? maybe i better knock on some wood now).
Ok, so we saw the taj mahal today. .... WOW! that was something else. what a place. what a love. We were impressed. We went at sunrise which is supposed to be one of the best times to view it. Then we visited Agra fort, which is where the Mughal empire was run from. The palace of all the Mughal era emperors. wow again. what a place. So we are all touristed out. Been all over by bicycle rickshaw... missing the peace and relative quiet of Rishikesh a little, but doing alright otherwise. Now we are in India. Travellin'. mother, daughter, on the road.... in India. we are adjusting to each new thing fairly smoothly.
Today I had a real treat, there is an actual coffee shop here next to the Taj Mahal, with ACTUAL espresso, and creamy, like honey, the way it is supposed to be, so i just had a shot of espresso poured over vanilla icecream, one of my favourite treats. These little luxuries. We've been roughing it for so long. I mean i love chai, and its funny, because when you are in canada, and a good espresso is not so far away or difficult to procur, then you crave a good indian chai, a REAL indian chai, and then when you are in india and its chai, chai, chai, then you crave a properly pulled espresso. I am certain that we (i mean, ME) are waaaay too obsessed with indulgences and savoury experiences (or sweet ones).
We have one day to kill before we leave Agra and head to Goa. i know i think i keep saying that, but i am so excited, and believe me, mom is ready to hit some warm weather. it'd be nice for a change not to have to sleep with your socks on, your long johns and pants, hoody and toque on for a change. ya... that'll be real nice.
so we fly down there on the 21st, then i guess it is only 3 days til christmas. hmmm. well, i guess that is all to report for now....
much love to all of you,
ang
Ok, so we saw the taj mahal today. .... WOW! that was something else. what a place. what a love. We were impressed. We went at sunrise which is supposed to be one of the best times to view it. Then we visited Agra fort, which is where the Mughal empire was run from. The palace of all the Mughal era emperors. wow again. what a place. So we are all touristed out. Been all over by bicycle rickshaw... missing the peace and relative quiet of Rishikesh a little, but doing alright otherwise. Now we are in India. Travellin'. mother, daughter, on the road.... in India. we are adjusting to each new thing fairly smoothly.
Today I had a real treat, there is an actual coffee shop here next to the Taj Mahal, with ACTUAL espresso, and creamy, like honey, the way it is supposed to be, so i just had a shot of espresso poured over vanilla icecream, one of my favourite treats. These little luxuries. We've been roughing it for so long. I mean i love chai, and its funny, because when you are in canada, and a good espresso is not so far away or difficult to procur, then you crave a good indian chai, a REAL indian chai, and then when you are in india and its chai, chai, chai, then you crave a properly pulled espresso. I am certain that we (i mean, ME) are waaaay too obsessed with indulgences and savoury experiences (or sweet ones).
We have one day to kill before we leave Agra and head to Goa. i know i think i keep saying that, but i am so excited, and believe me, mom is ready to hit some warm weather. it'd be nice for a change not to have to sleep with your socks on, your long johns and pants, hoody and toque on for a change. ya... that'll be real nice.
so we fly down there on the 21st, then i guess it is only 3 days til christmas. hmmm. well, i guess that is all to report for now....
much love to all of you,
ang
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Taj Mahal awaits
HI all! AAaaaaahhhhhh! we made it. We are in Agra. We are just a few metres from the actual Taj Mahal! haven't seen it yet, its dark. we arrived by train, tired, hungry, all that stuff. checked in to our hotel and are getting settled. will go looking for the Taj tomorrow. yipee! so excited. internet is sloooooooow here. The train was pretty cool. enjoyed. mom is doing well. Agra is coolish like Rishikesh was. I am already homesick for Rishikesh. Travelling in India is always exciting and sometimes a chore. That is why it is nice to settle down in one place for a few weeks and get comfortable.
we will do that in goa, after we spend two days here seeing stuff, we will finally head south. can you tell i am looking forward to it? Agra... its pretty cool actually, a pretty cool place.
tonight a small kitty ate dinner with us (very fond of garlic naan he was)
.well, i better head back to the room, mom is waiting for drinking water and i am the bearer of that.
love to all, and i will see the Taj mahal for all of you tomorrow. yay!
we will do that in goa, after we spend two days here seeing stuff, we will finally head south. can you tell i am looking forward to it? Agra... its pretty cool actually, a pretty cool place.
tonight a small kitty ate dinner with us (very fond of garlic naan he was)
.well, i better head back to the room, mom is waiting for drinking water and i am the bearer of that.
love to all, and i will see the Taj mahal for all of you tomorrow. yay!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
irony
Well, i’m all tucked away here in bed. The only place to be. Listening to tunes on my ipod, Deepak Chopras “gift of love” music set to poems by Rumi... thanks to Janice. Thanks Janice!
Candelight.... just chillin. Contemplating our next moves. What we need to do to prepare for the next leg of the journey.
I bit the bullet and bathed today. Yes, in my bucket. Haha. My mom is laughing at me because she has this great shower she says... tons of hot water and pressure, just like living in the real world, and i am here, swimming in a bucket. Haha, jokes on me. Even though i have waaaay better blankets than her, actual duvets and the like, she has an actual space heater. Yum. Boy its nice to turn your feet towards that thing. she has it pointed at her bed and it is coooooooozy!
But i am happy and content here. It is romantic, the ambiance in my room, the candlelight, the music, the austerity. I am content, or full of “santosh”, in Sanskrit. In the daytime, my windows on all four sides let in so much light, it is like living outside.
My hindi is still coming along abysmally. Meaning: i am making little to no effort, therefore little or no progress, except to ask a few questions here and there.... how to say this, how to say that. I am just storing up my intention to learn and getting ready to make the concerted leap IN to actual learning. I don’t even need to be fluent or anything, i just want to be able to offer a few words here and there. More than just “bas” which means “enough”, (amazing how useful this word comes in in india, you can use it when people are offering you waaaay too much food, or even in the circumstance when someone is pestering you and you want to tell them to bug off). Of course there is my ubiquitous “shubratri”: goodnight, and its buddy shupraba: goodmorning. I know.... the words for milk and for water, or course, so i won’t go hungry or thirsty in the desert. Or i know alot of words for all the herbs, of course, these were the first words i learned last trip. Kind of obscure and A weird place to start when learning a language, i know, but i was always so interested in identifying my favourite Indian flavours. Kind of ironic that i know the words for saffron, cilantro and cardamom but i don’t know how to ask for help, or to tell someone to be careful, or to ask “how much does this cost?” or “what is this?” which is like.... the most basic tool for learning any language. If you can ask “what is this” in any language, that is your doorway to learn more. Or also you have to learn how to say “how do you say_______ in hindi?” in Hindi. Also very helpful.
So i gotta get on this.
Somehow i inevitably end up being taught words that are totally not useful in your everyday life here. like... oh..... the word for skunk (of which, by the way, there are none in india, so i will never need this word). Instead i figure i should at least be learning the words for monkey, cow and dog. These are the important animals I need to learn. And then the next one i want to learn is snake. Because i am simultaneously afraid and fascinated by them and want to know how to stay away from them. And i want to be able to shout SNAKE! At the inopportune moment that i might find one in front of me. Apparently rainy season is the problem for snakes here, so as long as i don’t come in august or September, i figure i’m sittin pretty and i won’t find one under my bed waiting for me when i come home at night..... eeek. I remember a time in Thailand when one was found in the kitchen. A big black one.... a BIG one, even the locals were marvelling at its size. I believe they killed it and after the commotion was over, the story was told with great glee and relish to all who were gathered around, drawn in by the sound of pandemonium coming from the kitchen. Like i said, i am simultaneously fearful and fascinated by the creatures, so i was both glad and a little disappointed that time when i arrived just after the snake had been disposed of. I think it is their power, their potential lethal dangerousness along with their exotic and strange beauty that i find so captivating.
There are other words too.... i am compiling a list of essentials in my notebook, and then i will accost my Indian friends and ply them with questions.
Some people teach easily and speak easily for me to understand. Others think it is a big joke and laugh at any attempt i make to twist my tongue around their words. A tremendous joke. Glad to be of entertainment to you guys. Thanks. Now what is the word for “irony”?
Candelight.... just chillin. Contemplating our next moves. What we need to do to prepare for the next leg of the journey.
I bit the bullet and bathed today. Yes, in my bucket. Haha. My mom is laughing at me because she has this great shower she says... tons of hot water and pressure, just like living in the real world, and i am here, swimming in a bucket. Haha, jokes on me. Even though i have waaaay better blankets than her, actual duvets and the like, she has an actual space heater. Yum. Boy its nice to turn your feet towards that thing. she has it pointed at her bed and it is coooooooozy!
But i am happy and content here. It is romantic, the ambiance in my room, the candlelight, the music, the austerity. I am content, or full of “santosh”, in Sanskrit. In the daytime, my windows on all four sides let in so much light, it is like living outside.
My hindi is still coming along abysmally. Meaning: i am making little to no effort, therefore little or no progress, except to ask a few questions here and there.... how to say this, how to say that. I am just storing up my intention to learn and getting ready to make the concerted leap IN to actual learning. I don’t even need to be fluent or anything, i just want to be able to offer a few words here and there. More than just “bas” which means “enough”, (amazing how useful this word comes in in india, you can use it when people are offering you waaaay too much food, or even in the circumstance when someone is pestering you and you want to tell them to bug off). Of course there is my ubiquitous “shubratri”: goodnight, and its buddy shupraba: goodmorning. I know.... the words for milk and for water, or course, so i won’t go hungry or thirsty in the desert. Or i know alot of words for all the herbs, of course, these were the first words i learned last trip. Kind of obscure and A weird place to start when learning a language, i know, but i was always so interested in identifying my favourite Indian flavours. Kind of ironic that i know the words for saffron, cilantro and cardamom but i don’t know how to ask for help, or to tell someone to be careful, or to ask “how much does this cost?” or “what is this?” which is like.... the most basic tool for learning any language. If you can ask “what is this” in any language, that is your doorway to learn more. Or also you have to learn how to say “how do you say_______ in hindi?” in Hindi. Also very helpful.
So i gotta get on this.
Somehow i inevitably end up being taught words that are totally not useful in your everyday life here. like... oh..... the word for skunk (of which, by the way, there are none in india, so i will never need this word). Instead i figure i should at least be learning the words for monkey, cow and dog. These are the important animals I need to learn. And then the next one i want to learn is snake. Because i am simultaneously afraid and fascinated by them and want to know how to stay away from them. And i want to be able to shout SNAKE! At the inopportune moment that i might find one in front of me. Apparently rainy season is the problem for snakes here, so as long as i don’t come in august or September, i figure i’m sittin pretty and i won’t find one under my bed waiting for me when i come home at night..... eeek. I remember a time in Thailand when one was found in the kitchen. A big black one.... a BIG one, even the locals were marvelling at its size. I believe they killed it and after the commotion was over, the story was told with great glee and relish to all who were gathered around, drawn in by the sound of pandemonium coming from the kitchen. Like i said, i am simultaneously fearful and fascinated by the creatures, so i was both glad and a little disappointed that time when i arrived just after the snake had been disposed of. I think it is their power, their potential lethal dangerousness along with their exotic and strange beauty that i find so captivating.
There are other words too.... i am compiling a list of essentials in my notebook, and then i will accost my Indian friends and ply them with questions.
Some people teach easily and speak easily for me to understand. Others think it is a big joke and laugh at any attempt i make to twist my tongue around their words. A tremendous joke. Glad to be of entertainment to you guys. Thanks. Now what is the word for “irony”?
yoga class is hard
Hi everyone. Hello all.
So i’ve been a bad blogger again. i’ve just been so busy, what with my new yoga class and helping my Bengalese family move houses, from one place to another. I’ve also started tutoring a friend of mine because she is studying to be a yoga teacher, but needs help with her yoga English. How to choose the right words in English to instruct in yoga.
Mom has her last day of panchkarma today. I haven’t seen her in like... 3 days, but we are having dinner today. It feels weird to be in the same town, in India and not to see her. She wanted to take these few days to have her own room and live alone, since she never gets to do that at home. Plus, in another 5 days we will begin to travel again so we will be sharing a room then and spending lots of time together again. I was a little hurt at first, when she wanted her own room, but i understood, my Indian friends didn’t however, understand the Canadians need to have “space” from eachother, to be apart. My Indian friends who live 6 people in two rooms, sleeping side by side. They don’t get it why we need so much space from eachother. Why do we not want to be together? Don’t we love eachother and want to be close to the ones we love? Really kind of makes you think.
And after spending time with my Indian friends, i start to see it their way. It is purely a cultural thing, yes.
So there are days when i go to see my mom at her place and she’s not there, and i leave a note, and days when she comes here to see me, and i’m not here , and leaves a note, and days go by.
I Am ready for a change. Ready for a change of locale, new scenery. I want to get up in the morning and do yoga but it is so cold, i just can’t bring myself to. Especially since my teacher is gone now, His substitute is no substitute and i can’t get myself up at 5 in the cold for his classes.
In winter here, the days are short and many hours are spending huddling under your covers. Businesses open late and close early, only staying open during the warmth of the day.
So now i am taking evening classes with Usha, Iyengar teacher. She is one tough cookie. Its sort of like taking yoga classes from Hitler. But she recognizes true effort and pure intention, so as long as you are sincerely present and trying in her class, she doesn’t pick on you too much. The amazing thing is that she is so popular. With her harsh style, people flock to her. I don’t know why they flock to be abused, I guess it is her thorough knowledge and direct line to BKS Iyengar himself, but its almost like they enjoy being yelled at and pushed around (i know right, sounds like a crazy class, and it IS!). Me, i just try my best and super-impose my own teachers voice and loving energy over hers and just breathe and float through class. She really is very good.
So anyways, yoga stuff aside (sorry to bore you non-yogis out there), there isn’t alot else going on, really. i...we leave for Agra and the taj mahal in like 5 days. Pretty stoked about that. And stoked to get off the plane in Goa and feel that warm tropical air on my skin again. I was thinking i might teach some yoga while i’m there. Its high season, so TONS of visitors, and i will maybe just put up some posters and run daily classes on the beach. Maybe.
Cause i’m feeling a little restless not doing any teaching. Its nice to take the break but now i am missing it a little.
Anyhow,
I’ll run now.
Lots of love to all
ang
So i’ve been a bad blogger again. i’ve just been so busy, what with my new yoga class and helping my Bengalese family move houses, from one place to another. I’ve also started tutoring a friend of mine because she is studying to be a yoga teacher, but needs help with her yoga English. How to choose the right words in English to instruct in yoga.
Mom has her last day of panchkarma today. I haven’t seen her in like... 3 days, but we are having dinner today. It feels weird to be in the same town, in India and not to see her. She wanted to take these few days to have her own room and live alone, since she never gets to do that at home. Plus, in another 5 days we will begin to travel again so we will be sharing a room then and spending lots of time together again. I was a little hurt at first, when she wanted her own room, but i understood, my Indian friends didn’t however, understand the Canadians need to have “space” from eachother, to be apart. My Indian friends who live 6 people in two rooms, sleeping side by side. They don’t get it why we need so much space from eachother. Why do we not want to be together? Don’t we love eachother and want to be close to the ones we love? Really kind of makes you think.
And after spending time with my Indian friends, i start to see it their way. It is purely a cultural thing, yes.
So there are days when i go to see my mom at her place and she’s not there, and i leave a note, and days when she comes here to see me, and i’m not here , and leaves a note, and days go by.
I Am ready for a change. Ready for a change of locale, new scenery. I want to get up in the morning and do yoga but it is so cold, i just can’t bring myself to. Especially since my teacher is gone now, His substitute is no substitute and i can’t get myself up at 5 in the cold for his classes.
In winter here, the days are short and many hours are spending huddling under your covers. Businesses open late and close early, only staying open during the warmth of the day.
So now i am taking evening classes with Usha, Iyengar teacher. She is one tough cookie. Its sort of like taking yoga classes from Hitler. But she recognizes true effort and pure intention, so as long as you are sincerely present and trying in her class, she doesn’t pick on you too much. The amazing thing is that she is so popular. With her harsh style, people flock to her. I don’t know why they flock to be abused, I guess it is her thorough knowledge and direct line to BKS Iyengar himself, but its almost like they enjoy being yelled at and pushed around (i know right, sounds like a crazy class, and it IS!). Me, i just try my best and super-impose my own teachers voice and loving energy over hers and just breathe and float through class. She really is very good.
So anyways, yoga stuff aside (sorry to bore you non-yogis out there), there isn’t alot else going on, really. i...we leave for Agra and the taj mahal in like 5 days. Pretty stoked about that. And stoked to get off the plane in Goa and feel that warm tropical air on my skin again. I was thinking i might teach some yoga while i’m there. Its high season, so TONS of visitors, and i will maybe just put up some posters and run daily classes on the beach. Maybe.
Cause i’m feeling a little restless not doing any teaching. Its nice to take the break but now i am missing it a little.
Anyhow,
I’ll run now.
Lots of love to all
ang
Monday, December 13, 2010
Stephanie
steph! did you not get my message about the book feast of roses? the second book you lent me, i didn't quite get to the end, but i left it on my nightstand at home and you can pick it up anytime you want, if you want. just call my house 554-0978 and someone will be there to greet you. just walk right in to my room and it is on my nightstand.
i don't know why i am putting this on my blog, i could have just written you an email.
hahahaahaha.
love u!!
i don't know why i am putting this on my blog, i could have just written you an email.
hahahaahaha.
love u!!
no news is good news
hello folks!
boy its slow internet here. getting faster, but still slow.
another sunny yet cold day in rishikesh. getting ready and prepared, mentally and physically for the next part of our jaunt. So excited about hitting warmer climes. i dont' want to get out bed in the morning for the cold. we are in a bit of a valley with steep hills all around in the foothills of the himalayas, so the sun doesnt even poke over the mountain until about 8:30 in the morning. sometimes i feel like i could stay in bed all day. crazy. i know.
teacher is gone to japan. feels like nothing to do. so time to move on. yup.
i'll be back here at the end of january, then the warm weather will come. phew! don't know how much more of this no central heating i can take. where taking a shower (euphamism for bucket bath) is a major undertaking. strip down? are you freakin kidding me? if there was a ray of sunshine in my bathroom, that might help, but instead there is just a constant breeze from the window that doesnt' close through to under the bathroom door. even in the middle of the heat of the day, this situation doesn't improve. So i'll admit to skipping a day. You would too. Plus, you don't get all that dirty when you are swathed in full clothing all day, head covered too, and no sweating at all.
Oh, ok, lets see.... what else... oh, the other day i had chicken! how weird. i know , its just chicken right? such a common thing. but rishikesh is a vegetarian town. so i haven't had any meat or fish since like the first week of november. My Bengalese family had me over for dinner and it was a special occasion so they had chicken. The bengalese are not traditionally veg, they eat fish and other things. It was strange to eat meat, i have to admit, especially IN rishikesh, i felt like i was breaking the law or something, and it is such a taboo. it tasted ok. i was a bit sketchy about it to be honest,... and i would have really rather have had any of their vegetarian dishes instead, which are soooo delicious. They also served mutton, which i passed on. That was just too much for even me.
Mom is doing well. done her panchkarma now, she is all light and full of light and youth and vitality. its pretty cool. way to go mom!
well, i guess i'll sign off for now. look forward to some more exciting news once we start travelling again and get to Agra and the Taj Mahal and then to Goa and the beach.
love and kisses
ang
boy its slow internet here. getting faster, but still slow.
another sunny yet cold day in rishikesh. getting ready and prepared, mentally and physically for the next part of our jaunt. So excited about hitting warmer climes. i dont' want to get out bed in the morning for the cold. we are in a bit of a valley with steep hills all around in the foothills of the himalayas, so the sun doesnt even poke over the mountain until about 8:30 in the morning. sometimes i feel like i could stay in bed all day. crazy. i know.
teacher is gone to japan. feels like nothing to do. so time to move on. yup.
i'll be back here at the end of january, then the warm weather will come. phew! don't know how much more of this no central heating i can take. where taking a shower (euphamism for bucket bath) is a major undertaking. strip down? are you freakin kidding me? if there was a ray of sunshine in my bathroom, that might help, but instead there is just a constant breeze from the window that doesnt' close through to under the bathroom door. even in the middle of the heat of the day, this situation doesn't improve. So i'll admit to skipping a day. You would too. Plus, you don't get all that dirty when you are swathed in full clothing all day, head covered too, and no sweating at all.
Oh, ok, lets see.... what else... oh, the other day i had chicken! how weird. i know , its just chicken right? such a common thing. but rishikesh is a vegetarian town. so i haven't had any meat or fish since like the first week of november. My Bengalese family had me over for dinner and it was a special occasion so they had chicken. The bengalese are not traditionally veg, they eat fish and other things. It was strange to eat meat, i have to admit, especially IN rishikesh, i felt like i was breaking the law or something, and it is such a taboo. it tasted ok. i was a bit sketchy about it to be honest,... and i would have really rather have had any of their vegetarian dishes instead, which are soooo delicious. They also served mutton, which i passed on. That was just too much for even me.
Mom is doing well. done her panchkarma now, she is all light and full of light and youth and vitality. its pretty cool. way to go mom!
well, i guess i'll sign off for now. look forward to some more exciting news once we start travelling again and get to Agra and the Taj Mahal and then to Goa and the beach.
love and kisses
ang
playing hooky to blog and watch bollywood
so Baaaaaad. Playing hooky from class tonight. So bad. Its just... i was on my way, i was walking down the street to get a rickshaw down to the class and i'm thinking..."you know, it is just one of those evenings you want to get in bed and watch a bollywood movie". Plus I had such a late lunch and then a snack with my mom, so my stomach is full, and in Usha's class... that is almost dangerous, since her class is so demanding physically. You might pop. So i decided to play hooky, just for tonight. and rest and chill... and watch a bollywood movie. (i am so hooked! i never used to get it, and now i'm all about them, so silly). like i said... just became another 12% Indian there. day by day, more and more.
the other day i broke down and bought an actual dupatta, which is one of those traditional scarves. Usually I am wearing another type of scarf, a heavier one, like a paschmina, which just the foreigners seem to wear, but finally i broke down and bought an indian style one. my style sensibilities are slowly changing.
the other day i broke down and bought an actual dupatta, which is one of those traditional scarves. Usually I am wearing another type of scarf, a heavier one, like a paschmina, which just the foreigners seem to wear, but finally i broke down and bought an indian style one. my style sensibilities are slowly changing.
hi
Hi everyone. Hello all.
So i’ve been a bad blogger again. i’ve just been so busy, what with my new yoga class and helping my Bengalese family move houses, from one place to another. I’ve also started tutoring a friend of mine because she is studying to be a yoga teacher, but needs help with her yoga English. How to choose the right words in English to instruct in yoga.
Mom has her last day of panchkarma today. I haven’t seen her in like... 3 days, but we are having dinner today. It feels weird to be in the same town, in India and not to see her. She wanted to take these few days to have her own room and live alone, since she never gets to do that at home. Plus, in another 5 days we will begin to travel again so we will be sharing a room then and spending lots of time together again. I was a little hurt at first, when she wanted her own room, but i understood, my Indian friends didn’t however, understand the Canadians need to have “space” from eachother, to be apart. My Indian friends who live 6 people in two rooms, sleeping side by side. They don’t get it why we need so much space from eachother. Why do we not want to be together? Don’t we love eachother and want to be close to the ones we love? Really kind of makes you think.
And after spending time with my Indian friends, i start to see it their way. It is purely a cultural thing, yes.
So there are days when i go to see my mom at her place and she’s not there, and i leave a note, and days when she comes here to see me, and i’m not here , and leaves a note, and days go by.
I Am ready for a change. Ready for a change of locale, new scenery. I want to get up in the morning and do yoga but it is so cold, i just can’t bring myself to. So in Goa, i can get up, walk out onto the beach at sunrise and do my yoga.
Especially since my teacher is gone now, his substitute is no substitute and i can’t get myself up at 5am in the cold weather for his classes.
In winter here, the days are short and many hours are spent huddling under your covers. Businesses open late and close early, only staying open during the warmth of the day.
So now i am taking evening classes with Usha, Iyengar teacher. She is one tough cookie. Its sort of like taking yoga classes from Hitler. But she recognizes true effort and pure intention, so as long as you are sincerely present and trying in her class, she doesn’t pick on you too much. The amazing thing is that she is so popular. With her harsh style, people flock to her. I don’t know why they flock to be abused, I guess it is her thorough knowledge and direct line to BKS Iyengar himself, but its almost like they enjoy being yelled at and pushed around (i know right, sounds like a crazy class, and it IS!). Me, i just try my best and super-impose my own teachers voice and loving energy over hers and just breathe and float through class. She really is very good.
So anyways, yoga stuff aside (sorry to bore you non-yogis out there), there isn’t alot else going on, really. i...we leave for Agra and the taj mahal in like 5 days. Pretty stoked about that. And stoked to get off the plane in Goa and feel that warm tropical air on my skin again. I was thinking i might teach some yoga while i’m there. Its high season, so TONS of visitors, and i will maybe just put up some posters and run daily classes on the beach. Maybe.
Cause i’m feeling a little restless not doing any teaching. Its nice to take the break but now i am missing it a little.
Anyhow,
I’ll run now.
Lots of love to all
ang
So i’ve been a bad blogger again. i’ve just been so busy, what with my new yoga class and helping my Bengalese family move houses, from one place to another. I’ve also started tutoring a friend of mine because she is studying to be a yoga teacher, but needs help with her yoga English. How to choose the right words in English to instruct in yoga.
Mom has her last day of panchkarma today. I haven’t seen her in like... 3 days, but we are having dinner today. It feels weird to be in the same town, in India and not to see her. She wanted to take these few days to have her own room and live alone, since she never gets to do that at home. Plus, in another 5 days we will begin to travel again so we will be sharing a room then and spending lots of time together again. I was a little hurt at first, when she wanted her own room, but i understood, my Indian friends didn’t however, understand the Canadians need to have “space” from eachother, to be apart. My Indian friends who live 6 people in two rooms, sleeping side by side. They don’t get it why we need so much space from eachother. Why do we not want to be together? Don’t we love eachother and want to be close to the ones we love? Really kind of makes you think.
And after spending time with my Indian friends, i start to see it their way. It is purely a cultural thing, yes.
So there are days when i go to see my mom at her place and she’s not there, and i leave a note, and days when she comes here to see me, and i’m not here , and leaves a note, and days go by.
I Am ready for a change. Ready for a change of locale, new scenery. I want to get up in the morning and do yoga but it is so cold, i just can’t bring myself to. So in Goa, i can get up, walk out onto the beach at sunrise and do my yoga.
Especially since my teacher is gone now, his substitute is no substitute and i can’t get myself up at 5am in the cold weather for his classes.
In winter here, the days are short and many hours are spent huddling under your covers. Businesses open late and close early, only staying open during the warmth of the day.
So now i am taking evening classes with Usha, Iyengar teacher. She is one tough cookie. Its sort of like taking yoga classes from Hitler. But she recognizes true effort and pure intention, so as long as you are sincerely present and trying in her class, she doesn’t pick on you too much. The amazing thing is that she is so popular. With her harsh style, people flock to her. I don’t know why they flock to be abused, I guess it is her thorough knowledge and direct line to BKS Iyengar himself, but its almost like they enjoy being yelled at and pushed around (i know right, sounds like a crazy class, and it IS!). Me, i just try my best and super-impose my own teachers voice and loving energy over hers and just breathe and float through class. She really is very good.
So anyways, yoga stuff aside (sorry to bore you non-yogis out there), there isn’t alot else going on, really. i...we leave for Agra and the taj mahal in like 5 days. Pretty stoked about that. And stoked to get off the plane in Goa and feel that warm tropical air on my skin again. I was thinking i might teach some yoga while i’m there. Its high season, so TONS of visitors, and i will maybe just put up some posters and run daily classes on the beach. Maybe.
Cause i’m feeling a little restless not doing any teaching. Its nice to take the break but now i am missing it a little.
Anyhow,
I’ll run now.
Lots of love to all
ang
Thursday, December 9, 2010
i have to laugh
I wrote this post 2 days BEFORE the half eaten monkey story of today so.... i guess the monkeys got their due.
I have to laugh. The top step of the stairs up to my rooftop is about.... oh.... just a half an inch higher than all the rest. Which you wouldn’t think is much, but as you are stepping, stepping along, you know, your body is unconsciously calibrating the length of each stride to make the step and..... it never fails, i always trip on that last step. Every single time. I couldn’t figure out why until i really examined these steps and realized that that last one is just that half inch higher and so it trips me every time. Pretty funny.
Life is constantly playing tricks on us. Testing our sense of humour.
This morning as i stood on a balcony down in the Ram Jhula area having breakfast, an area notorious for its mischeivious monkey population (we don’t have a monkey problem here in Tapovan, my neighbourhood), anyways, as i stood there watching the goings on on the street below, here comes this monkey, one of the bad ones with the red bums and short tails, not the cool langor monkey but the other ones, the brown ones, with mean faces, well, here he comes and he’s going straight for the banana cart. I can see this from birds eye view up on the balcony, waaaay before the humans’ view from the ground, but when they see him coming, boy they start to holler and shout, to alert the banana salesman to look out. The monkey is too fast. He leaps, he grabs and in one bounce, rebounds off another mans cart of trinkets and souvenirs, landing himself out of harms way on the roof. Treasure in hand, he sits in the shade and slowly savours his stolen banana.
Back on the ground, i watch the reactions. At first anger by all, then a softening, then slow laughter begins to form. What can you do? One man is down a banana, another man a couple of broken trinkets. The humans are all laughing on the ground now. That they were duped. The monkey trickster.
What is there to do but laugh? Life is one big joke that we all take waaaay too seriously.
"Yes, but, what about this?" "This is serious." "THIS is seriously serious." "Or that? Now THAT is surely serious."
Is it? Really?
Not to sound morbid but we all die in the end anyway. Know what I mean?
All of life is one grand joke.
I have to laugh. The top step of the stairs up to my rooftop is about.... oh.... just a half an inch higher than all the rest. Which you wouldn’t think is much, but as you are stepping, stepping along, you know, your body is unconsciously calibrating the length of each stride to make the step and..... it never fails, i always trip on that last step. Every single time. I couldn’t figure out why until i really examined these steps and realized that that last one is just that half inch higher and so it trips me every time. Pretty funny.
Life is constantly playing tricks on us. Testing our sense of humour.
This morning as i stood on a balcony down in the Ram Jhula area having breakfast, an area notorious for its mischeivious monkey population (we don’t have a monkey problem here in Tapovan, my neighbourhood), anyways, as i stood there watching the goings on on the street below, here comes this monkey, one of the bad ones with the red bums and short tails, not the cool langor monkey but the other ones, the brown ones, with mean faces, well, here he comes and he’s going straight for the banana cart. I can see this from birds eye view up on the balcony, waaaay before the humans’ view from the ground, but when they see him coming, boy they start to holler and shout, to alert the banana salesman to look out. The monkey is too fast. He leaps, he grabs and in one bounce, rebounds off another mans cart of trinkets and souvenirs, landing himself out of harms way on the roof. Treasure in hand, he sits in the shade and slowly savours his stolen banana.
Back on the ground, i watch the reactions. At first anger by all, then a softening, then slow laughter begins to form. What can you do? One man is down a banana, another man a couple of broken trinkets. The humans are all laughing on the ground now. That they were duped. The monkey trickster.
What is there to do but laugh? Life is one big joke that we all take waaaay too seriously.
"Yes, but, what about this?" "This is serious." "THIS is seriously serious." "Or that? Now THAT is surely serious."
Is it? Really?
Not to sound morbid but we all die in the end anyway. Know what I mean?
All of life is one grand joke.
eeew! even this almost made me squeamish
Ok, so, I'll admit, there have been "firsts" in the past few weeks that I haven't reported here. After awhile, in India, even the novelty of "firsts" begins to wear off and although something might shock you momentarily, after awhile, it never surprises you in this country.
But this morning, before breakfast no less, I saw a sight I've never seen before... and if you are squeamish, better not read on.... just scroll down a ways. so right in the street, it was a half eaten monkey, half eaten by dogs, monkey head and upper arms were left over, and a few guilty, yet satisfied looking dogs in the vicinity. wow. So i thought i'd internet first before heading straight for breakfast, just to give that image a little time to clear.
Dogs and monkeys, from time to time, have a disagreeing of opinion around here, I guess that one went to the dogs. haha.
more life, more death, and on and on we go.
so, on a much less disgusting note: my birthday was yesterday. tremendous birthday. ya, it was great, birthdays always are. Somehow. The biggest surprise (you sneaky little people) was a birthday card, signed by all of you at the studio, wow! thanks steph,and for the 501Rs, too, came in handy since the bank machine ran out of money the other day. thnks!
you guys are the best, i can't believe you masterminded that before my mom left and gave her the card. you sneaky sneaky and so thoughtful girl. it totally lit up my day. thanks!!
I am watching one of the bollywood movies i bought you, and i'm loving it. so hooked on bollywood now, watch out. don't know what happened, i just snapped and became about another 12% indian. no, all joking aside, the love stories and how they reveal the heart of the indian people is .... a beautiful unfolding of humanness.
alright,
that's all for now.
december 10th, two weeks till christmas! hope you are all getting ready. wonder how the snow is piling up up at sun peaks, anyone?
in one week we leave to see the Taj Mahal. Could i be more stoked about that? think not. no.
then off to the beaches of goa for a little R&R and a chance to melt the bones. aaaaah, sun here we come.
much love and all
ang
But this morning, before breakfast no less, I saw a sight I've never seen before... and if you are squeamish, better not read on.... just scroll down a ways. so right in the street, it was a half eaten monkey, half eaten by dogs, monkey head and upper arms were left over, and a few guilty, yet satisfied looking dogs in the vicinity. wow. So i thought i'd internet first before heading straight for breakfast, just to give that image a little time to clear.
Dogs and monkeys, from time to time, have a disagreeing of opinion around here, I guess that one went to the dogs. haha.
more life, more death, and on and on we go.
so, on a much less disgusting note: my birthday was yesterday. tremendous birthday. ya, it was great, birthdays always are. Somehow. The biggest surprise (you sneaky little people) was a birthday card, signed by all of you at the studio, wow! thanks steph,and for the 501Rs, too, came in handy since the bank machine ran out of money the other day. thnks!
you guys are the best, i can't believe you masterminded that before my mom left and gave her the card. you sneaky sneaky and so thoughtful girl. it totally lit up my day. thanks!!
I am watching one of the bollywood movies i bought you, and i'm loving it. so hooked on bollywood now, watch out. don't know what happened, i just snapped and became about another 12% indian. no, all joking aside, the love stories and how they reveal the heart of the indian people is .... a beautiful unfolding of humanness.
alright,
that's all for now.
december 10th, two weeks till christmas! hope you are all getting ready. wonder how the snow is piling up up at sun peaks, anyone?
in one week we leave to see the Taj Mahal. Could i be more stoked about that? think not. no.
then off to the beaches of goa for a little R&R and a chance to melt the bones. aaaaah, sun here we come.
much love and all
ang
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
no photos to go
how lax am i about posting fotos eh? jeez louise. i apologize.
i don't have my camera (never been much of a picture snapper anyhow), plus everything looks the same here as last time i was here, i just have shorter hair, that's all.... PLUS mom has her camera and is happily snapping away, i just have to get her to put some photos on my computer so i can put them up. will work on that, i promise.
hope everyone is healthy and happy at home. getting ready for christmas. how much snow do we have?
i don't have my camera (never been much of a picture snapper anyhow), plus everything looks the same here as last time i was here, i just have shorter hair, that's all.... PLUS mom has her camera and is happily snapping away, i just have to get her to put some photos on my computer so i can put them up. will work on that, i promise.
hope everyone is healthy and happy at home. getting ready for christmas. how much snow do we have?
“Dolce Far Niente”
I have always loved this expression.
I know its not Hindi, its not even Sanskrit, no, it’s latin for “the sweetness of doing nothing” .... of which i am learning the art from my friends in India.
From this practice... food comes to taste sweeter, sun surely feels warmer on the skin, life just gets better... and better... and better.
Even the Europeans have it over us, this art of doing nothing.
In Canada or the U.S. we would call it lazy (they call it lazy here too actually, when things need to be done, things do need to be done, regardless, not doing them means you are being lazy).
I sit and try to think what it is like in Canada, as a generalization. Why we are so darn industrious all the time, and why is that such a value in North America? We don’t even think about it when we are there, it is just a fact we take for granted. No one wants to be thought of as lazy, and there’re things to be done always.... right? And once we “do” all those things, it is our reward and our right to sit on the couch and watch our big screen t.v. , yet rarely do we allow ourselves the luxury throughout the day to just sit in the sun, gaze off into the hills and daydream. We have forgotten the art of that. Remember it when you were a kid? Doing that? I do, and it was delicious, and it is delicious still.
I always use the squirrel gathering nuts metaphor for living in Canada, we are industrious, because if we aren’t, we will freeze or starve to death, literally. You have to have some sort of fire lit under your backside to avoid these ends in North America. But in India, or Mexico, or Costa Rica, there really is a minimum that needs to be done to keep from starving (catch a fish, pick a mango), and you’ll never freeze to death (except for maybe in Mexico city in January, i hear it gets pretty chilly there then).
All of this is occurring to me now because as i sit here, wondering what to DO with myself in this window of 3 hours that i have between things.... I just finished a most lovely lunch shared with my Bengali family and i’m stuffed to the gills. Boy that mama can cook! I always leave their house satisfied. I have a yoga class at 6, and i am thinking at this point, full as i am, i either gotta pass out on my bed and sleep, or i gotta go DO something. Do something, do something, do something. And then i think: why? Why do i gotta go DO something all the time? Why don’t i just sit, in the sun, or sit and listen to some music, or write, or just chill out here for a moment in my room and reLAX? Why don’t i? Such an excellent question. So i do. Wishing for everyone: Dolce far niente.
I know its not Hindi, its not even Sanskrit, no, it’s latin for “the sweetness of doing nothing” .... of which i am learning the art from my friends in India.
From this practice... food comes to taste sweeter, sun surely feels warmer on the skin, life just gets better... and better... and better.
Even the Europeans have it over us, this art of doing nothing.
In Canada or the U.S. we would call it lazy (they call it lazy here too actually, when things need to be done, things do need to be done, regardless, not doing them means you are being lazy).
I sit and try to think what it is like in Canada, as a generalization. Why we are so darn industrious all the time, and why is that such a value in North America? We don’t even think about it when we are there, it is just a fact we take for granted. No one wants to be thought of as lazy, and there’re things to be done always.... right? And once we “do” all those things, it is our reward and our right to sit on the couch and watch our big screen t.v. , yet rarely do we allow ourselves the luxury throughout the day to just sit in the sun, gaze off into the hills and daydream. We have forgotten the art of that. Remember it when you were a kid? Doing that? I do, and it was delicious, and it is delicious still.
I always use the squirrel gathering nuts metaphor for living in Canada, we are industrious, because if we aren’t, we will freeze or starve to death, literally. You have to have some sort of fire lit under your backside to avoid these ends in North America. But in India, or Mexico, or Costa Rica, there really is a minimum that needs to be done to keep from starving (catch a fish, pick a mango), and you’ll never freeze to death (except for maybe in Mexico city in January, i hear it gets pretty chilly there then).
All of this is occurring to me now because as i sit here, wondering what to DO with myself in this window of 3 hours that i have between things.... I just finished a most lovely lunch shared with my Bengali family and i’m stuffed to the gills. Boy that mama can cook! I always leave their house satisfied. I have a yoga class at 6, and i am thinking at this point, full as i am, i either gotta pass out on my bed and sleep, or i gotta go DO something. Do something, do something, do something. And then i think: why? Why do i gotta go DO something all the time? Why don’t i just sit, in the sun, or sit and listen to some music, or write, or just chill out here for a moment in my room and reLAX? Why don’t i? Such an excellent question. So i do. Wishing for everyone: Dolce far niente.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Prana power yoga
steph, i'm gonna fly a kite for you in more ways than you know honey. kites. supposed to be a great movie too yeah? anyone seen it?
well good morning to you all. beautiful day here in rishikesh. just firing off a quick note as i am on my way to have chai, the national pastime of india.
had been feeling a little under the weather, having ingested unwisely some roadside food. wasnt' too bad, but had me a little down for a couple days. feel great now though. was back in yoga class this morning at 6 with bells on. yay! and we had a guest teacher.
before our guest teacher was 101years old! today our guest teacher was easily over 200 pounds. his name is "yogi Raj" (hahahaaha, steph, that is funny, elephant raj and yogi raj who is over 200pounds) and he is my teacher's uncle. not sure if that is an indian uncle (any older male father figure) or if it is his actual uncle... i suspect it is the former. Anyways, I have had yogi Raj's class once before and its a hoot! by the end you feel so good you wanna scream.
Now they are calling his special style of yoga "Prana power yoga" , which is hilarious, because basically he just gets you jumping around and doing breathing exercises WHILE jumping about, and he calls this the "warm up". ya, no kidding yogi Raj, the warm up. and we do this for like an hour until you have so much breath and blood rushing through your body, and flushing out your cell and the cobwebs in your brain, fresh oxygenated blood for all...... you've never felt so alive and clean. I love this class. The first time, i remember thinking "what the heck is this guy doing?... what is going on here, is this a joke?". This bepuzzlement is enhanced by the fact that he is as big as he is, and we're not talking all muscle here. Yogi raj can do a headstand, a shoulderstand, as well and as long as anyone.
i sense that the message my teacher is trying to give us is that yoga teachers can come in all shapes and sizes (and ages) and you don't have to be skinny to do yoga, you don't have to be young, you just have to do. These teachers are all incredible in their own right, and an attestation to the power of yoga practice over a lifetime. Yogi Raj can hold his breath at least twice as long as any of the other 40 of us in the class, and even though he is of mass proportions, can do jumping jacks with breath of fire just as long as any of the rest of us half his age and half his weight. Its nothing short of miraculous.
So i was gleefully grateful, as were a few other people familiar with his style and what the "point" of his classes are (to get prana [lifeforce] into every dusty nook and cranny of your being) while a few others, especially those enrolled in the 500hr teacher training going on still, were clearly more than a little.... well, almost offended, that this man was being presented to us as a "serious" yoga teacher.
Well, do his yoga... see how you feel.:)
reminds me of that sign we saw in costa rica one time: "taste our chicken.... see what happens!". (it was good chicken by the way, nothing really special happened afterwards, but boy that was delicious chicken)
Yogi Raj's yoga leaves your body clean, your breath full (i think my left lung and a left ventricle of my heart fully opened up during that class today) your head as clear as the big blue sky and a smile on your face that you can't seem to wipe off.
Thank you yogi Raj, and thank you Vishv-ji.
much love.
well good morning to you all. beautiful day here in rishikesh. just firing off a quick note as i am on my way to have chai, the national pastime of india.
had been feeling a little under the weather, having ingested unwisely some roadside food. wasnt' too bad, but had me a little down for a couple days. feel great now though. was back in yoga class this morning at 6 with bells on. yay! and we had a guest teacher.
before our guest teacher was 101years old! today our guest teacher was easily over 200 pounds. his name is "yogi Raj" (hahahaaha, steph, that is funny, elephant raj and yogi raj who is over 200pounds) and he is my teacher's uncle. not sure if that is an indian uncle (any older male father figure) or if it is his actual uncle... i suspect it is the former. Anyways, I have had yogi Raj's class once before and its a hoot! by the end you feel so good you wanna scream.
Now they are calling his special style of yoga "Prana power yoga" , which is hilarious, because basically he just gets you jumping around and doing breathing exercises WHILE jumping about, and he calls this the "warm up". ya, no kidding yogi Raj, the warm up. and we do this for like an hour until you have so much breath and blood rushing through your body, and flushing out your cell and the cobwebs in your brain, fresh oxygenated blood for all...... you've never felt so alive and clean. I love this class. The first time, i remember thinking "what the heck is this guy doing?... what is going on here, is this a joke?". This bepuzzlement is enhanced by the fact that he is as big as he is, and we're not talking all muscle here. Yogi raj can do a headstand, a shoulderstand, as well and as long as anyone.
i sense that the message my teacher is trying to give us is that yoga teachers can come in all shapes and sizes (and ages) and you don't have to be skinny to do yoga, you don't have to be young, you just have to do. These teachers are all incredible in their own right, and an attestation to the power of yoga practice over a lifetime. Yogi Raj can hold his breath at least twice as long as any of the other 40 of us in the class, and even though he is of mass proportions, can do jumping jacks with breath of fire just as long as any of the rest of us half his age and half his weight. Its nothing short of miraculous.
So i was gleefully grateful, as were a few other people familiar with his style and what the "point" of his classes are (to get prana [lifeforce] into every dusty nook and cranny of your being) while a few others, especially those enrolled in the 500hr teacher training going on still, were clearly more than a little.... well, almost offended, that this man was being presented to us as a "serious" yoga teacher.
Well, do his yoga... see how you feel.:)
reminds me of that sign we saw in costa rica one time: "taste our chicken.... see what happens!". (it was good chicken by the way, nothing really special happened afterwards, but boy that was delicious chicken)
Yogi Raj's yoga leaves your body clean, your breath full (i think my left lung and a left ventricle of my heart fully opened up during that class today) your head as clear as the big blue sky and a smile on your face that you can't seem to wipe off.
Thank you yogi Raj, and thank you Vishv-ji.
much love.
Rooftop Culture
WOOPS!!!
wrote this post and forgot to post it!
The roof.... that’s where it aaaaall goes down.
As i sit on my own guest house roof top, one simple outdoor flight up from my little turret room (windows and or doors and all 4 sides! Like a princess, i’m thinkin), munching half a papaya, to assuage my disgruntled tummy, I look around me and realize, with this 360 degree view, I can take in a lot.
Lots goes on on rooftops in India. They are not underused. They are used to hang laundry, to paint doors.... or just to stand look out at the world and see what you can see.... soak up the sun, sit, take a rest, spy on your neighbour, or perhaps do all three at the same time: watch your laundry dry, soak up your sun and spy on your neighbour. There is a whole world up here. People dry fruits and nuts on the roof, they sleep on them when it is too hot in the summer.....
From here I look over and realize that the new guest house my mom moved in to yesterday is just over yonder and i can see her balcony from mine (i have a balcony and a rooftop). So I can keep track of her whereabouts a little because I know when she is home, she is probably throwing open those doors and letting the fresh air in from her balcony. Today was the first day of her second round of panchkarma. I am not doing it. I am going to take on a yoga focus for the next 2 weeks. Possibly two classes a day. Even though i have moved out of the ashram into a room over top the Ayurvedic cafe, I am still going to morning classes at the ashram and i might take a meal or two there too. On Monday i will also take an evening class with a big Iyengar teacher here named Usha. She is German but trains with Iyengar himself several months a year. She is a long time student of his and very knowledgeable. Her classes are a total turn around from my teacher’s classes. Opposites, but i enjoy the balance of the two.
Today i’ve been under the weather. Something I ate or drank off yesterday. I do that. I feel so good and healthy in india, i sometimes am not as vigilant as I could be, and because i have such good luck (knock on my wooden head ) i don’t stress about washing or peeling my own fruit or eating at roadside cafes as much as most. I actually have a theory that it seems that those who take the most severe precautions to sanitize and sterilize everything are often the ones who get sick in india, bad tummies, diarrhea, you know, the fun stuff otherwise known as Delhi Belly. My theory is that because I don’t hyper sterilize everything i come in contact with, i slowly expose myself to some germs and my body has a chance to build up some natural anti-bodies. I trust my body. I trust it can take care of me and heal me, most times, with only a little help from the outside.
So i do, from time to time, like once or twice a trip, get a tummy ache, and i laugh because i think back to what i ate and drank the day before and its always like “yup, that’s what it was alright”. I take charcoal pills, all natural, if i need to, which help the body to wrap it up and pass through the system whatever it needs to get rid of.
All this sterilizing and anti-septicizing is an act of futility, i feel, in places like India or Mexico. You need to let your body build up a natural resistance, within reason of course.. (watch, now i’ve probably jinxed myself by being all self-righteous and high horsey and now look out. What’s gonna hit me?).
Anyhow, its just a good excuse to take it easy today. Rest. Let nature run its course.
I am also just taking in the view and watching the Indian version of that Friends episode where Ross and the guys are trying to move that couch up or down the stairwell and Ross is yelling “pivot! Pivot!”. Except here it was 5 Indians all helping to carry a huge length of rebar, folded in half. They use this rebar for building, of which there is alot going on in Tapovan, my neighbourhood right now. The rebar comes in these extremely long pieces and they cut them to size when they need them. And guess how they do this? They place the long bar of rebar on a flat round stone. It takes two guys. One to hold the rebar in place on the rock and then another sharp rock or tool on top of the place they are gonna cut, and another guy to wield the sledgehammer. Usually the younger guy, takes a couple wacks on this rebar and the older guy (with more experience but less muscle lines it up and holds it in place while the kid wacks it. Its amazing to watch. Takes a couple 2 or 3 runs sometimes, and the kid is just dropping that sledgehammer down with every ounce of his strength, and somehow the guy crouching low holding it in place never gets the business end of the sledgehammer. Its quite impressive. And they go through this process every time they need to cut a length of rebar.
Wow, huh. Makes us look like a bunch of sissies. What do we use to cut rebar?
wrote this post and forgot to post it!
The roof.... that’s where it aaaaall goes down.
As i sit on my own guest house roof top, one simple outdoor flight up from my little turret room (windows and or doors and all 4 sides! Like a princess, i’m thinkin), munching half a papaya, to assuage my disgruntled tummy, I look around me and realize, with this 360 degree view, I can take in a lot.
Lots goes on on rooftops in India. They are not underused. They are used to hang laundry, to paint doors.... or just to stand look out at the world and see what you can see.... soak up the sun, sit, take a rest, spy on your neighbour, or perhaps do all three at the same time: watch your laundry dry, soak up your sun and spy on your neighbour. There is a whole world up here. People dry fruits and nuts on the roof, they sleep on them when it is too hot in the summer.....
From here I look over and realize that the new guest house my mom moved in to yesterday is just over yonder and i can see her balcony from mine (i have a balcony and a rooftop). So I can keep track of her whereabouts a little because I know when she is home, she is probably throwing open those doors and letting the fresh air in from her balcony. Today was the first day of her second round of panchkarma. I am not doing it. I am going to take on a yoga focus for the next 2 weeks. Possibly two classes a day. Even though i have moved out of the ashram into a room over top the Ayurvedic cafe, I am still going to morning classes at the ashram and i might take a meal or two there too. On Monday i will also take an evening class with a big Iyengar teacher here named Usha. She is German but trains with Iyengar himself several months a year. She is a long time student of his and very knowledgeable. Her classes are a total turn around from my teacher’s classes. Opposites, but i enjoy the balance of the two.
Today i’ve been under the weather. Something I ate or drank off yesterday. I do that. I feel so good and healthy in india, i sometimes am not as vigilant as I could be, and because i have such good luck (knock on my wooden head ) i don’t stress about washing or peeling my own fruit or eating at roadside cafes as much as most. I actually have a theory that it seems that those who take the most severe precautions to sanitize and sterilize everything are often the ones who get sick in india, bad tummies, diarrhea, you know, the fun stuff otherwise known as Delhi Belly. My theory is that because I don’t hyper sterilize everything i come in contact with, i slowly expose myself to some germs and my body has a chance to build up some natural anti-bodies. I trust my body. I trust it can take care of me and heal me, most times, with only a little help from the outside.
So i do, from time to time, like once or twice a trip, get a tummy ache, and i laugh because i think back to what i ate and drank the day before and its always like “yup, that’s what it was alright”. I take charcoal pills, all natural, if i need to, which help the body to wrap it up and pass through the system whatever it needs to get rid of.
All this sterilizing and anti-septicizing is an act of futility, i feel, in places like India or Mexico. You need to let your body build up a natural resistance, within reason of course.. (watch, now i’ve probably jinxed myself by being all self-righteous and high horsey and now look out. What’s gonna hit me?).
Anyhow, its just a good excuse to take it easy today. Rest. Let nature run its course.
I am also just taking in the view and watching the Indian version of that Friends episode where Ross and the guys are trying to move that couch up or down the stairwell and Ross is yelling “pivot! Pivot!”. Except here it was 5 Indians all helping to carry a huge length of rebar, folded in half. They use this rebar for building, of which there is alot going on in Tapovan, my neighbourhood right now. The rebar comes in these extremely long pieces and they cut them to size when they need them. And guess how they do this? They place the long bar of rebar on a flat round stone. It takes two guys. One to hold the rebar in place on the rock and then another sharp rock or tool on top of the place they are gonna cut, and another guy to wield the sledgehammer. Usually the younger guy, takes a couple wacks on this rebar and the older guy (with more experience but less muscle lines it up and holds it in place while the kid wacks it. Its amazing to watch. Takes a couple 2 or 3 runs sometimes, and the kid is just dropping that sledgehammer down with every ounce of his strength, and somehow the guy crouching low holding it in place never gets the business end of the sledgehammer. Its quite impressive. And they go through this process every time they need to cut a length of rebar.
Wow, huh. Makes us look like a bunch of sissies. What do we use to cut rebar?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
