About to go to bed...Exhausted, frustrated, confused...To answer your "why?" would take all night....Lots of things going on right now. I'm just thinking that I shouldn't think about any of it right now - too tired to process anything properly, so no use trying. Moments like these I wish I could clone myself and divide up my tasks between several of me ;) Seriously though feeling a bit overwhelmed by the number of responsibilities and general decisions I've got on my plate these days - and in different countries nonetheless! Man, times like these I really think back to my childhood, or even back to college days when it seemed like you had so many responsibilities but what I'd give for that load now! Ha!
A few people in my life often say that I'm really lucky to be able to travel around the world and study with my teacher in India and to have a supportive partner who understands that these are my dreams....And you know what - they are right, I am lucky. Lucky that I have the will to forge ahead and work through ALL the things I don't want to in order to do the things I do want to do...Make sense? I'm sure it does....We all have our stuff right...Well just feeling like my stuff is quite full on right now and man I could use a little help over here ;) sigh....
night night!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Randoms
Starbucks to close 300 more locations in second round of store closings....
Very Interesting site - fellow Twitter posted this link - found it mildly entertaining - be forewarned its entitled F*** My Life...
Very Interesting site - fellow Twitter posted this link - found it mildly entertaining - be forewarned its entitled F*** My Life...
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wisdom from Mama Shirley!
There comes a point in your life when you realize who matters, who never did, who won't anymore... and who always will.
So, don't worry about people from your past, there's a reason why they didn't make it to your future.
Great Quote
My friend Sasha sent this quote to me - and I quite fancy it ;)
Quote of the day:
'Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater. If you give her sperm,
she'll give you a baby. If you give her a house, she'll give you a home.
If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal. If you give her a
smile, she'll give you her heart. She multiplies and enlarges what is
given to her. So, if you give her any crap, be ready to receive a ton of
shit.'
Quote of the day:
'Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater. If you give her sperm,
she'll give you a baby. If you give her a house, she'll give you a home.
If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal. If you give her a
smile, she'll give you her heart. She multiplies and enlarges what is
given to her. So, if you give her any crap, be ready to receive a ton of
shit.'
Monday, January 26, 2009
PCB...W
Happy Monday everyone!
I hope you have had a relaxing, perhaps productive weekend ;) I sure have…On Friday I gave a few massages and then spent the evening hanging out with friends. Saturday was all about Krista – I had a wonderful breakfast the Green Hotel with Rowena and Chris, both here with me from Edinburgh.
I then went to my pamper spot and got a pedicure, facial, and coconut oil hair treatment ;) I opted to leave the coconut oil in my hair overnight as that is what you are typically supposed to do in order for the oils to really help you hair – and I must say my hair has never felt so healthy. I plan to do a little experiment and put coconut oil in my hair twice per week for the next two weeks to see if it will help my dry hair syndrome. Most Indian women have the healthiest looking GOREGOUS hair, and they attribute it to twice weekly coconut oil treatments – so I will just have to see about this!
After a few hours of marvelous pampering I came home to spend the REST of my Saturday learning Photoshop and working on my website. Website is not yet finished but I have made tremendous amounts of progress, for which I am grateful!
Yesterday’s led second series class was awesome! I am really quite happy I’m starting to enjoy led second, something which never used to be so enjoyable ;) Now that I’m working up till Mayurasana I move to the back of the room and wait to begin finishing sequence till the rest of the led group has finished all of second series – I used to just move to the back and do finishing and leave when I was done…But it seems once you get to Mayurasana you wait to finish. I’ve never been in this situation before – it’s great to sit there and work on my breathing and watch the group do the remaining asanas in second series, but boy is it a challenge to do backbends once you’ve gotten cold ;(
After second series I came home and had some breakfast before venturing out on Miss India Gold to find the Lalitha Mahal Palace on my own…You see I was to meet Rowena, Chris and Kate there to enjoy some much desired sun. I have never biked all the way out there before, only been via rickshaw…And this is an area of Mysore I’m not too familiar with…To make a long story short, I got lost! I think it should have taken me no more than an hour on the bike to get to the Palace, and when I had made a circle back to the center of town 1 ½ hours after leaving my house I made the executive decision to bike to the Southern Star to lay out instead. I knew very well how to get there, my bum was a bit tired of sitting atop the bike, I wanted a break and wanted to lie in the sun for a few hours, and I was feeling a wee bit lazy. So sue me! I went to the Southern Star and enjoyed a glorious two hours by the pool reading. I’m currently reading Blue Christmas, by Mary Kay Andrews – the title I thought quite suiting for a lovely day at the pool in January in Mysore ;) – I was grateful for the time to read as I’ve had trouble making time recently for enjoyable reading. And sadly I’ve only got about 50 pages left in this book – always hate to say goodbye to great reading!
When I’d had enough of the pool I biked back to Gokulam to meet up with Laura at the coconut stand as we’d made plans to bike around town together. I took her through Saraswatiporium, an area of Mysore I like very much b/c it has a rockin energy about it – not sure why, but it does! We biked for nearly two hours and by the time we got back to Gokulam I was exhausted, hungry, dirty, and thirsty! Geez! I came home and tore up my kitchen while waiting for the hot water to get hot. As I was sitting at my table consuming a banana with peanut butter, and some roasted broad beans I suddenly realized that my diet thus far this trip to India almost ENTIRELY consists of foods with the letters P B or C…Peanut Butter, Peanuts, Papaya, Poached Eggs, Porridge, Broad Beans, Bread, Butter, Bananas, Chai, Coconuts, Cashews, and Carrots. Is that odd???? But then as I went to the kitchen to cut up some of my recently purchased Watermelon, I realized I also occasionally consume substances that begin with W – watermelon and wine ; )
I hope you have had a relaxing, perhaps productive weekend ;) I sure have…On Friday I gave a few massages and then spent the evening hanging out with friends. Saturday was all about Krista – I had a wonderful breakfast the Green Hotel with Rowena and Chris, both here with me from Edinburgh.
I then went to my pamper spot and got a pedicure, facial, and coconut oil hair treatment ;) I opted to leave the coconut oil in my hair overnight as that is what you are typically supposed to do in order for the oils to really help you hair – and I must say my hair has never felt so healthy. I plan to do a little experiment and put coconut oil in my hair twice per week for the next two weeks to see if it will help my dry hair syndrome. Most Indian women have the healthiest looking GOREGOUS hair, and they attribute it to twice weekly coconut oil treatments – so I will just have to see about this!
After a few hours of marvelous pampering I came home to spend the REST of my Saturday learning Photoshop and working on my website. Website is not yet finished but I have made tremendous amounts of progress, for which I am grateful!
Yesterday’s led second series class was awesome! I am really quite happy I’m starting to enjoy led second, something which never used to be so enjoyable ;) Now that I’m working up till Mayurasana I move to the back of the room and wait to begin finishing sequence till the rest of the led group has finished all of second series – I used to just move to the back and do finishing and leave when I was done…But it seems once you get to Mayurasana you wait to finish. I’ve never been in this situation before – it’s great to sit there and work on my breathing and watch the group do the remaining asanas in second series, but boy is it a challenge to do backbends once you’ve gotten cold ;(
After second series I came home and had some breakfast before venturing out on Miss India Gold to find the Lalitha Mahal Palace on my own…You see I was to meet Rowena, Chris and Kate there to enjoy some much desired sun. I have never biked all the way out there before, only been via rickshaw…And this is an area of Mysore I’m not too familiar with…To make a long story short, I got lost! I think it should have taken me no more than an hour on the bike to get to the Palace, and when I had made a circle back to the center of town 1 ½ hours after leaving my house I made the executive decision to bike to the Southern Star to lay out instead. I knew very well how to get there, my bum was a bit tired of sitting atop the bike, I wanted a break and wanted to lie in the sun for a few hours, and I was feeling a wee bit lazy. So sue me! I went to the Southern Star and enjoyed a glorious two hours by the pool reading. I’m currently reading Blue Christmas, by Mary Kay Andrews – the title I thought quite suiting for a lovely day at the pool in January in Mysore ;) – I was grateful for the time to read as I’ve had trouble making time recently for enjoyable reading. And sadly I’ve only got about 50 pages left in this book – always hate to say goodbye to great reading!
When I’d had enough of the pool I biked back to Gokulam to meet up with Laura at the coconut stand as we’d made plans to bike around town together. I took her through Saraswatiporium, an area of Mysore I like very much b/c it has a rockin energy about it – not sure why, but it does! We biked for nearly two hours and by the time we got back to Gokulam I was exhausted, hungry, dirty, and thirsty! Geez! I came home and tore up my kitchen while waiting for the hot water to get hot. As I was sitting at my table consuming a banana with peanut butter, and some roasted broad beans I suddenly realized that my diet thus far this trip to India almost ENTIRELY consists of foods with the letters P B or C…Peanut Butter, Peanuts, Papaya, Poached Eggs, Porridge, Broad Beans, Bread, Butter, Bananas, Chai, Coconuts, Cashews, and Carrots. Is that odd???? But then as I went to the kitchen to cut up some of my recently purchased Watermelon, I realized I also occasionally consume substances that begin with W – watermelon and wine ; )
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Luna Bars and Cliff Bars Recalled
For Everyone out there who loves Cliff bars like I do...check the package before you take a bite!
Why?
I knew today's practice would be a bit of a challenge...You see, I had a wee lil accident on my bike last night and gained a bit of a bobo on the palm of my hand and a few scrapes on other body parts (will explain momentarily)...I was careful to clean my hand and apply 'liquid skin' (better than a bandage - supposedly!) to the bobo before practice but knew this bobo was gonna bother me no matter what. I mean com'on you use the palm of your hand in EVERY asana man...whatever, I went about my business and really focused on my bandhas full on today instead of the burning sensation on the palm of my hand. All was well til Supta Vajrasana - after completing the posture I realized my 'liquid skin' had lived to term and had pealed off, exposing my bobo to my manduka ;( I went on with things though, albeit a bit slower than usual, and I only worked on Karandavasana a few times today.
Backbends didn't feel too shabby, but they didn't feel so great either. Sharath came over and after drop backs he took my hands to my chins...but today they landed an inch lower than usual...I heard him say, "why?" He moved my hands up a bit just below my knees, and again he said, "Why?" He is usually able, on the first go to get my hand at or just below my knees, and on the second go on my quads...When I stood up with a pain ridden look on my face he just looked at me blankly and said, "WHY?" I avoided his question and SLOWLY lowered myself to my mat so he could squash me...all the while thinking he could read my mind, "Sharath I'm not giving up my bicycle! I could be a wee bit tighter today b/c I had a lil accident on my bike yesterday, but its not the bike riding in general that has my back tighter today. And even if it were, I'm not giving up my bicycle!"
...I went out for an awesome ride early in the evening before the sun went down. Like a lil kid I had a ball dashing through India's adventurous traffic on my Red Miss India Gold, lapping up the wind hitting my face, listening to my ipod. I started my wee journey off the beaten path, to an area of Mysore I've never seen - made my way through tons of small towns and past little shops and, lots of people enjoying the cool breeze of the evening.
I got back on a main road as the sun was beginning to set, en route to the city to pick up more business cards I ordered. Being the multi-tasker that I am, I gracefully managed to take my sunglasses case from my bag in my nifty basket, remove my sunglasses from my face, place them in their case, back in my bag, and back in my basket. I also, while pedaling on a main road in 'rush hour' traffic in India, managed to take my water bottle from my bag in my basket, and chug nearly a liter of water before returning the bottle into the basket. No problem!
Got to the printer - was quite happy for a few minute break. And to my utter surprise (NOT) I was welcomed with, "hello madame, just one moment!" Ten minutes later.... "Madame, they have been taken for lamination and it should be no more than thirty minutes." Ten minutes later... "Madame, they will not be ready til tomorrow!" Now a few years ago this would have angered me, or at the very least slightly annoyed me....But you see I've learned how things work in India. So I only stopped by the printers to 'check' on the 'status' of the cards that were supposed to be ready today, and I only stopped by to check because I wanted a wee break from riding my bike; but KNEW full well before I even got there that I wouldn't leave with those cards! So I happily said, "No problem, I come back on Thursday!"
There is no greater place to cycle than right here in Mysore - the weather is perfect, the hills are incredible, the scenery amazing, and the energy superb! In the early evening when the sun stops beating down like mad, the air cools and feels so delightful on your skin.
After another hour of riding it had become full dark and I decided it was time to head home...I was about fifteen minutes from my flat, riding down a little side street, listening to my ipod, which was hooked to the left side of the neck of my shirt for easy accessibility. As I was pedaling I decided I wanted to skip ahead to the next song, something I've done a hundred times while pedaling my bike through the 'Sore. I usually keep my left hand on the handle bar and manipulate my ipod with my right hand. And so my multi-tasking skills went to work but something went terribly wrong...As I was reaching towards my ipod with my right hand, I unknowingly went over a large hump in the road and lost control of my front tire ;(
The result...the bike tire went left and the bike went down to the right with me crashing down on top of it - sounds FAR more dramatic than it really was, really! My new Red Miss India Gold has a few scars, and my lovely lil basket has a new shape :) but all in all she's fine. And me, no biggie, I have a few small cuts in some ODD places from falling onto my bike, and the palm of my right hand took a little beating b/c its what braced my fall. I remember getting up from the ground on that small street in the dark and laughing out loud b/c I was grateful that it happened on a small street in the dark with no one around - OMG how embarrassing it would have been if that occurred in the center of gokulam in broad daylight! Ha, writing it on my blog and publishing it on the web for the world to read somehow seems less embarrassing :)
When I spoke to Kwang last night after I got home I told him I had a lil accident on my bike...I told him it wasn't a 'traffic accident' but a 'krista accident' and he started laughing really hard - he said he figured as much, "Krista you are the clumsiest person in the world!" Ain't that the truth!
So will I keep riding my bike? Definitely! In Mysore? Of Course! Will I keep multi-taking while riding my bike in Mysore? Yeah probably :)
Backbends didn't feel too shabby, but they didn't feel so great either. Sharath came over and after drop backs he took my hands to my chins...but today they landed an inch lower than usual...I heard him say, "why?" He moved my hands up a bit just below my knees, and again he said, "Why?" He is usually able, on the first go to get my hand at or just below my knees, and on the second go on my quads...When I stood up with a pain ridden look on my face he just looked at me blankly and said, "WHY?" I avoided his question and SLOWLY lowered myself to my mat so he could squash me...all the while thinking he could read my mind, "Sharath I'm not giving up my bicycle! I could be a wee bit tighter today b/c I had a lil accident on my bike yesterday, but its not the bike riding in general that has my back tighter today. And even if it were, I'm not giving up my bicycle!"
...I went out for an awesome ride early in the evening before the sun went down. Like a lil kid I had a ball dashing through India's adventurous traffic on my Red Miss India Gold, lapping up the wind hitting my face, listening to my ipod. I started my wee journey off the beaten path, to an area of Mysore I've never seen - made my way through tons of small towns and past little shops and, lots of people enjoying the cool breeze of the evening.
I got back on a main road as the sun was beginning to set, en route to the city to pick up more business cards I ordered. Being the multi-tasker that I am, I gracefully managed to take my sunglasses case from my bag in my nifty basket, remove my sunglasses from my face, place them in their case, back in my bag, and back in my basket. I also, while pedaling on a main road in 'rush hour' traffic in India, managed to take my water bottle from my bag in my basket, and chug nearly a liter of water before returning the bottle into the basket. No problem!
Got to the printer - was quite happy for a few minute break. And to my utter surprise (NOT) I was welcomed with, "hello madame, just one moment!" Ten minutes later.... "Madame, they have been taken for lamination and it should be no more than thirty minutes." Ten minutes later... "Madame, they will not be ready til tomorrow!" Now a few years ago this would have angered me, or at the very least slightly annoyed me....But you see I've learned how things work in India. So I only stopped by the printers to 'check' on the 'status' of the cards that were supposed to be ready today, and I only stopped by to check because I wanted a wee break from riding my bike; but KNEW full well before I even got there that I wouldn't leave with those cards! So I happily said, "No problem, I come back on Thursday!"
There is no greater place to cycle than right here in Mysore - the weather is perfect, the hills are incredible, the scenery amazing, and the energy superb! In the early evening when the sun stops beating down like mad, the air cools and feels so delightful on your skin.
After another hour of riding it had become full dark and I decided it was time to head home...I was about fifteen minutes from my flat, riding down a little side street, listening to my ipod, which was hooked to the left side of the neck of my shirt for easy accessibility. As I was pedaling I decided I wanted to skip ahead to the next song, something I've done a hundred times while pedaling my bike through the 'Sore. I usually keep my left hand on the handle bar and manipulate my ipod with my right hand. And so my multi-tasking skills went to work but something went terribly wrong...As I was reaching towards my ipod with my right hand, I unknowingly went over a large hump in the road and lost control of my front tire ;(
The result...the bike tire went left and the bike went down to the right with me crashing down on top of it - sounds FAR more dramatic than it really was, really! My new Red Miss India Gold has a few scars, and my lovely lil basket has a new shape :) but all in all she's fine. And me, no biggie, I have a few small cuts in some ODD places from falling onto my bike, and the palm of my right hand took a little beating b/c its what braced my fall. I remember getting up from the ground on that small street in the dark and laughing out loud b/c I was grateful that it happened on a small street in the dark with no one around - OMG how embarrassing it would have been if that occurred in the center of gokulam in broad daylight! Ha, writing it on my blog and publishing it on the web for the world to read somehow seems less embarrassing :)
When I spoke to Kwang last night after I got home I told him I had a lil accident on my bike...I told him it wasn't a 'traffic accident' but a 'krista accident' and he started laughing really hard - he said he figured as much, "Krista you are the clumsiest person in the world!" Ain't that the truth!
So will I keep riding my bike? Definitely! In Mysore? Of Course! Will I keep multi-taking while riding my bike in Mysore? Yeah probably :)
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
McYoga
I've always been quite open and passionate about my practices - food, yoga and otherwise...
I stand behind the idea that you should be who you are and do what feels good and right to you...
My girl Sasha sent me an amazing article on this very topic...You MUST read Derek Beres' McYoga.
Shala time
Leaving my house in a few....It's 5:50am my time, 6:05am shala time...Sharath moved me from 7:00am to 6:30am yesterday...Not a big deal but I was growing QUITE fond of my late start time...Lovely to wake up at 5:00amish and have a good 1 1/2 hours before practice...Only means I will see 6am and 5:30am start times before I leave...Its about non-attachment right? Ha, would be soooo silly to get attached to a TIME in space ;)
Yesterday I had the best practice I've had in MONTHS!!! First time since August my back felt proper open where it was delicious to take Kapotasana and Backbends. I got an incredible heat in practice, bandhas and drishti were rockin, and Shavasana was soooo deep and rejuvenating! Ahhhhh....yummy!
Am completely re-doing my website - and FINALLY started working on that monumental project yesterday...I'm so picky about every little detail regarding colors, fonts, text, pictures - gonna be a long undertaking - and since I won't have the time to do it once I get back to the States I need to get my asana in gear ;)
During a much needed break from the computer I took an incredible bike ride into the city, somewhere outside the city, and all around gokulam - my Miss India Gold is getting worn in properly :)
Well, I must go for now - wishing everyone a wonderful Monday evening in America, lovely sleeping in Scotland, and good morning in India ;)
Yesterday I had the best practice I've had in MONTHS!!! First time since August my back felt proper open where it was delicious to take Kapotasana and Backbends. I got an incredible heat in practice, bandhas and drishti were rockin, and Shavasana was soooo deep and rejuvenating! Ahhhhh....yummy!
Am completely re-doing my website - and FINALLY started working on that monumental project yesterday...I'm so picky about every little detail regarding colors, fonts, text, pictures - gonna be a long undertaking - and since I won't have the time to do it once I get back to the States I need to get my asana in gear ;)
During a much needed break from the computer I took an incredible bike ride into the city, somewhere outside the city, and all around gokulam - my Miss India Gold is getting worn in properly :)
Well, I must go for now - wishing everyone a wonderful Monday evening in America, lovely sleeping in Scotland, and good morning in India ;)
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Happy Sunday :)
Hello and Happy Sunday from the 'Sore :)
Hope all is well with you wherever you are in the world....
I've had an extremely fun filled, exciting, enjoyable week here in Mysore. Practice at the shala has been INTENSE - in the best possible way! Monday was a led Second class due to Sunday's moonday - and I think that was the first led second class I've actually ever enjoyed. The rest of the week in Mysore my practice wore me out - my back tightened up a bit in Scotland and its gonna take some time in this warmer climate to really open back up to its good ole self ;) Today's led second was also quite lovely - there is NOTHING like practicing here in the shala under Sharath's guidance - Nothing....
I've been pretty busy with massages this week - good to be making some rupees while studying here! And this trip I had a special wooden massage table made with a great cotton mattress to go on top - it was a bit pricey but will have it paid off with a few more massages.
On Friday my friend Laura and I went to the city and purchased bicycles :) the highlight of my week...We both got Red Miss India bikes, fully equiped with locks, bells, and baskets ;) And we got a killer deal for them both - due to some time shopping around at about five bicycle shops. I took my brand new Miss India for a long ride Friday and Saturday - she's so perty!
Yesterday I went to the city with tina to purchase supplies for 20 girls at the convent - shampoo, ladies essentials, bodysoap, suds to wash clothes, toothpaste, toothbrushes and other neccessary items. We were in a bit of a hurry so we quickly stopped up to the convent and handed over the supplies for the girls. I paid for all the supplies for the girls so if anyone still wishes to donate some monies for the cause I'd be most grateful!
Today after Led second Rowena and I made the trip out to the Lalitha Mahal to soak up some of Mother India's gorgeous rays. We spent about three hours sitting by the pool, tanning our sun deprived bodies, and chatting up a storm. I left with more than a tan, I most definately have a bit of sunburn - but its all good b/c it will turn into a lovely golden brown in a day or two!
I can't believe its already the 18th of January - my goodness how time flies! This is gonna be my shortest trip to Mysore - two months only - and it seems like time is running out so quickly...I'm certainly going to enjoy every second I have here with my teacher and this lovely city. Yet I am also yearning to get home and see Kwang, my family and my friends. I miss everyone dearly and look forward to returning home in March.
I wish everyone a lovely Sunday and wonderful week ahead!
Om Shanti!
Hope all is well with you wherever you are in the world....
I've had an extremely fun filled, exciting, enjoyable week here in Mysore. Practice at the shala has been INTENSE - in the best possible way! Monday was a led Second class due to Sunday's moonday - and I think that was the first led second class I've actually ever enjoyed. The rest of the week in Mysore my practice wore me out - my back tightened up a bit in Scotland and its gonna take some time in this warmer climate to really open back up to its good ole self ;) Today's led second was also quite lovely - there is NOTHING like practicing here in the shala under Sharath's guidance - Nothing....
I've been pretty busy with massages this week - good to be making some rupees while studying here! And this trip I had a special wooden massage table made with a great cotton mattress to go on top - it was a bit pricey but will have it paid off with a few more massages.
On Friday my friend Laura and I went to the city and purchased bicycles :) the highlight of my week...We both got Red Miss India bikes, fully equiped with locks, bells, and baskets ;) And we got a killer deal for them both - due to some time shopping around at about five bicycle shops. I took my brand new Miss India for a long ride Friday and Saturday - she's so perty!
Yesterday I went to the city with tina to purchase supplies for 20 girls at the convent - shampoo, ladies essentials, bodysoap, suds to wash clothes, toothpaste, toothbrushes and other neccessary items. We were in a bit of a hurry so we quickly stopped up to the convent and handed over the supplies for the girls. I paid for all the supplies for the girls so if anyone still wishes to donate some monies for the cause I'd be most grateful!
Today after Led second Rowena and I made the trip out to the Lalitha Mahal to soak up some of Mother India's gorgeous rays. We spent about three hours sitting by the pool, tanning our sun deprived bodies, and chatting up a storm. I left with more than a tan, I most definately have a bit of sunburn - but its all good b/c it will turn into a lovely golden brown in a day or two!
I can't believe its already the 18th of January - my goodness how time flies! This is gonna be my shortest trip to Mysore - two months only - and it seems like time is running out so quickly...I'm certainly going to enjoy every second I have here with my teacher and this lovely city. Yet I am also yearning to get home and see Kwang, my family and my friends. I miss everyone dearly and look forward to returning home in March.
I wish everyone a lovely Sunday and wonderful week ahead!
Om Shanti!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Tina and I want your help again!
Good evening from the good ole 'Sore :)
It's time again to send a few rupees this way to help out some wonderful children in need! Tina is going to buy school supplies tomorrow for the children at the convent - if you are followers of zee blog you remember we raised funds for this school a few months back - we were able to provide necessary items for over 20 girls for the whole term ;) So if you wish to help Tina and these amazing girls, please please please let me know - anything will help $5.00, $10.00, $20.00 - Tina, the girls, and I would be so grateful!
It's time again to send a few rupees this way to help out some wonderful children in need! Tina is going to buy school supplies tomorrow for the children at the convent - if you are followers of zee blog you remember we raised funds for this school a few months back - we were able to provide necessary items for over 20 girls for the whole term ;) So if you wish to help Tina and these amazing girls, please please please let me know - anything will help $5.00, $10.00, $20.00 - Tina, the girls, and I would be so grateful!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Delhi
Good morning and happy Monday ;) - I've finally managed to post pictures from my trip through the North of India. I've posted them in order of places I've been and when so be sure to scroll through all entries from January 10-12th - Varanasi is the last stop before I returned to Mysore. I hope you enjoy the photos guys - I sure did enjoy taking them. But I must give credit where credit is due - this is a compliation of photos - some were taken by my friends John, Ed, Linda, Shainaz, and Scott. These Pictures from Delhi were taken December 21 and 22nd...
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Amritsar - December 23rd
We left Delhi around 8pm on December 22nd and took an overnight train to Amritsar. We arrived around 6:30am on the 23rd. We spent all day touring the amazing city. Amritsar
Our first stop was the Jallianwalla Bagh,the site of the Amritsar Massacre of 1919, one of the defining events of
Golden Temple - Amritsar - December 23
One of the real highlights of this city is the incredible Harimandir Sahib, also known as the
India/Pakistan Wagah border ceremony
Amritsar sits right on the Pakistan-India border. In the late afternoon we ventured to the border post to watch the formal flag ceremony. Every evening hundreds of people gather to watch the famous goose-stepping parade and the ceremonial lowering of their national flags by the Indian and Pakistani army at sunset. It was especially touching because the border was closed and the ceremony stopped for some weeks after the Mumbai bombings - this was one of the first ceremonies after some time.
Dharamsala/McLeod Ganj - December 24 and 25
On Christmas eve day we left Amritsar by car and took a nine hour drive along Himalayan mountain roads to Dharamsala/McLeod Ganj. We spent Christmas eve and Christmas day here...
Dharamsala (litterally "Rest House"), is the home of the Tibetan government in exile. Dharamsala has been connected with Buddhism for centuries. The local Gaddi people are now almost all Hindu, and for the most part worship the goddess Durga. When the Dalai Lama left Tibet, Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru offered to permit him and his followers to establish a "government-in-exile" in Dharamsala. Since that time, several thousand Tibetan exiles have settled in the town.
1988 the Tibetan community founded the Norbulingka Institute in an effort to promote and preserve Tibetan culture in exile. The Institute, situated near Dharamsala, promotes the traditional arts and literary studies of Tibet to ensure they are not lost forever, and a visit offers the best introduction to Tibetan culture and art available anywhere in the world.
Dharamsala (litterally "Rest House"), is the home of the Tibetan government in exile. Dharamsala has been connected with Buddhism for centuries. The local Gaddi people are now almost all Hindu, and for the most part worship the goddess Durga. When the Dalai Lama left Tibet, Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru offered to permit him and his followers to establish a "government-in-exile" in Dharamsala. Since that time, several thousand Tibetan exiles have settled in the town.
1988 the Tibetan community founded the Norbulingka Institute in an effort to promote and preserve Tibetan culture in exile. The Institute, situated near Dharamsala, promotes the traditional arts and literary studies of Tibet to ensure they are not lost forever, and a visit offers the best introduction to Tibetan culture and art available anywhere in the world.
Shimla - December 26-27
The morning of the 27th we traveled by car The to the Himalayan hill town of Shimla (originally Simla), former summer capital of the British Raj. The drive from Dharamshala to Shimla took approx. 8 hours. We arrived around 8pm at night - I got to my hotel room and had a phenomenal yoga practice in the room while everyone else ventured into town for some food.
Shimla, the capital of the state of Himachal Pradesh, is a city dotted with imposing Victorian buildings, monuments to British power in India at the time, and arriving in Shimla is like travelling back in time to the ‘glorious’ days of British rule. Scottish civil servant Charles Kennedy built Shimla's first British summer home here in 1822. By the latter half of the 19th century the town had become the summer capital of the British Raj, and every summer many British soldiers, merchants, and civil servants moved here to escape the heat and disease at India's lower altitudes. As the locals say "Shimla's like a graceful old lady...she may have put on a bit of weight recently and got a few gimmicky clothes, but underneath she's still elegant, still got class..."
On the morning of the 28th we took a joyride on the Kalka-Shimla Toy train. The Guinness Book on 'Rail Facts and Feats' included Kalka-Shimla Railway as the greatest narrow gauge engineering achievement in India. The train is one of the most unique railway tracks of the world. It is said that this railway line has been first sketched in November 1847, almost 50 years before it was actually constructed. The Kalka-Shimla Railway was built to connect the summer capital of colonial India with the Indian rail system and was inaugurated by the British viceroy, Lord Curzon in November 1903. As it leaves Kalka (at 656 metres above sea level), the railway enters the Himalayan foothills and immediately begins to climb. Flanked by towering hills, the line clings perilously to the sides of steep cliffs, crosses graceful bridges (864 of them) with mountain streams hundreds of feet below. The train passes through 103 tunnels, 969 bridges, 919 curves and 20 railway stations in its entire journey.
After the train ride we made our way to Summerhill where we toured the Viceregal Lodge. Viceregal Lodge, formerly the residence of the British Viceroy Lord Dufferin and the Wild Flower Hall, one time home of Lord Kitchner, Commander-in-Chief of the British Army in India and the Gaiety Theatre, where Kipling and Baden-Powell (founder of th boy scout movement) walked the stage.
Shimla, the capital of the state of Himachal Pradesh, is a city dotted with imposing Victorian buildings, monuments to British power in India at the time, and arriving in Shimla is like travelling back in time to the ‘glorious’ days of British rule. Scottish civil servant Charles Kennedy built Shimla's first British summer home here in 1822. By the latter half of the 19th century the town had become the summer capital of the British Raj, and every summer many British soldiers, merchants, and civil servants moved here to escape the heat and disease at India's lower altitudes. As the locals say "Shimla's like a graceful old lady...she may have put on a bit of weight recently and got a few gimmicky clothes, but underneath she's still elegant, still got class..."
On the morning of the 28th we took a joyride on the Kalka-Shimla Toy train. The Guinness Book on 'Rail Facts and Feats' included Kalka-Shimla Railway as the greatest narrow gauge engineering achievement in India. The train is one of the most unique railway tracks of the world. It is said that this railway line has been first sketched in November 1847, almost 50 years before it was actually constructed. The Kalka-Shimla Railway was built to connect the summer capital of colonial India with the Indian rail system and was inaugurated by the British viceroy, Lord Curzon in November 1903. As it leaves Kalka (at 656 metres above sea level), the railway enters the Himalayan foothills and immediately begins to climb. Flanked by towering hills, the line clings perilously to the sides of steep cliffs, crosses graceful bridges (864 of them) with mountain streams hundreds of feet below. The train passes through 103 tunnels, 969 bridges, 919 curves and 20 railway stations in its entire journey.
After the train ride we made our way to Summerhill where we toured the Viceregal Lodge. Viceregal Lodge, formerly the residence of the British Viceroy Lord Dufferin and the Wild Flower Hall, one time home of Lord Kitchner, Commander-in-Chief of the British Army in India and the Gaiety Theatre, where Kipling and Baden-Powell (founder of th boy scout movement) walked the stage.
Rishikesh - December 28-29
On the morning of the 28th we got back in the cars and drove about 8 hours to Rishikesh. Rishikesh is a holy city for Hindus located in the foothills of the Himalaya in northern India. Legend states that Lord Rama did penance here for killing Rāvaṇa, the demon king of Lanka. It is also known as the gateway to the Himalayas and is located around 100 kilometers away from another holy city, Haridwar. Rishikesh is the starting point for traveling to the sites that form the Char Dham pilgrimage — Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri. The sacred river Ganga flows through Rishikesh. This is the spot where the river leaves the Shivalik mountains Himalayas, and flows out into the plains of northern India. Several temples, ancient as well as new, can be found along the banks of the Ganges in Rishikesh. Rishikesh, sometimes nicknamed "the world-capital of Yoga", has numerous yoga centres that also attract tourists. It is believed that meditation in Rishikesh brings one closer to attainment of moksha, as does a dip in the holy river that flows through it. It is also becoming a popular spot for white water rafting enthusiasts, both from India and abroad, as it offers medium to rough rapids in the course of river Ganges. On the 29th several of us went white water rafting in the ganges, and it was one of my favorite memories from this trip! It is higher than other holy cities of Haridwar and Varanasi, the water in Ganga here is cooler and cleaner. The flow of the river is stronger here and the city is less populated than others. It is more calmer and peaceful here.
Haridwar - December 30th
In the morning of the 30th we drove from Rishikesh to Haridwar and spent a few hours in the holy city before boarding an overnight train to Allahabad (which was supposed to take 17 hours but ended up taking about 23 hours to get to Allahabad) - did yoga on a train for the first time in my life ;)
In Hindi, Haridwar stands for Dwar of Hari or Gateway to God, with 'Hari' meaning god and 'dwar' meaning gate. Haridwar is regarded as one of the seven holiest places to Hindus.After travelling, 253 km (157 mi) from its source, at Gaumukh, 3,139 m (10,300 ft) above sea level, situated at the edge of the Gangotri Glacier, Ganga enters the Indo-Gangetic Plain of North India for the first time at Haridwar, and this is what gave the city its ancient name, Gangadwára , as the place where the Ganges descends to the plains.According to Hindu mythology, Haridwar is one among the four sites where drops of the elixir of immortality, Amrita, accidentally spilled over from the pitcher, in which it was being carried away by the celestial bird Garuda, after the Samudra manthan. These four spots -- Ujjain, Haridwar, Nasik, and Allahabad -- have today become places, where the Kumbha Mela is celebrated once every 3 years in any of these 4 places and after a period of 12 years, the Maha Kumbha Mela is celebrated on the 12th year at Prayag in Allahabad. Millions of pilgrims, devotees, and tourists congregate here from all over the world to celebrate the event. They perform ritualistic bathing on the banks of the river Ganga. The spot where the nectar fell is considered to be the Brahma Kund at Har-ki-Pauri (literally, "footsteps of the Lord," and symbolically the footprints of the Amrita), the most sacred ghat of Haridwar; thousands of devotees and pilgrims flock here during festivals or snan from all over India to take a holy dip. This act is considered to be the equivalent of washing away one's sins to attain Moksha.
Allahabad - December 31st
Once the train arrived in Allahabad, around 2pm, we drove three hours to Batoli Ghat. After freshening up we boarded our boats and sailed a few hours down the Ganges. We sailed to Chunar where we set up camp for the night on the sandy river bank. Allahabad city is situated at the confluence of the Ganges and the Jumna. The ancient name of the city is Prayāga (Sanskrit for "place of sacrifice", Prayāg in modern Hindi) and is believed to be the spot where Brahma offered his first sacrifice after creating the world. It has a position of importance in the Hindu religion and mythology since it is situated at the confluence of the holy rivers Ganga and Yamuna, and Hindu belief says that the invisible Sarasvati River joins here also. An annual fair is held at Allahabad at the confluence of the streams on the occasion of the great bathing festival at the full moon of the Hindu month of Magh. It is known as the Magh-mela, lasts for a whole month, and is attended by as many as 250,000 persons in ordinary years, either for religious or commercial purposes. Every twelfth year it is one of four sites of the Kumbh Mela, which is attended by a million of devotees at one time. the others sites being Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik.
It was dark by the time we arrived to our camping site. We set up tents and and had dinner and drinks before bringing in 2009 on the banks of the Ganges river!
Varanasi - January 1-3
On New Years Day we woke up and had breakfast at the campsite before boarding our boats and continued to sail towards Varanasi. We had lunch on board before we arrived at Asi Ghat and took private transportation to Varanasi.
We arrived in the afternoon into Varanasi, the quintessential Indian holy city where millions of Hindu travel, for pilgrimage, to worship, to mourn or to die. During our time in Varanasi we got to see rituals of bathing and burnings as you float past the numerous ghats of the River Ganges. Varanasi is also known as Banaras, Benaras, Kashi, and Kasi. Varanasi has a unique culture, quite different from other places in the region. This culture has developed through thousands of years during which it has been one of the major cultural centres of northern India. Everything revolves around the river Ganga, which is the heart and soul of the city.
The legends, myths and aura surrounding Varanasi led Mark Twain to famously remark. "Benaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together". Varanasi is the oldest continually inhabited city in the world, dating back thousands of years. Varanasi seems to encapsulate all of India within its boundaries. Life and death go hand in hand in Varanasi: in among the bathing ghats, smoke rising from the cremation grounds signals the final release of tormented souls from the earthly round of samsara, the unceasing cycles of death and rebirth.
The culture of Varanasi is deeply associated with the river Ganges, its reigning deity Lord Shiva and its religious importance; the city has been a cultural and religious center in northern India for thousands of years. Varanasi is a pure vegetarian town – NO eggs, NO meat or fish and NO alcohol (within a certain distance of the river Ganges).
There are about more than 100 ghats altogether, they cover 6km of the river from Assi ghat as far as Adi Keshava Ghat near the Malviya Bridge. They are a celebration of life and the time -honoured rites of passage.
We arrived in the afternoon into Varanasi, the quintessential Indian holy city where millions of Hindu travel, for pilgrimage, to worship, to mourn or to die. During our time in Varanasi we got to see rituals of bathing and burnings as you float past the numerous ghats of the River Ganges. Varanasi is also known as Banaras, Benaras, Kashi, and Kasi. Varanasi has a unique culture, quite different from other places in the region. This culture has developed through thousands of years during which it has been one of the major cultural centres of northern India. Everything revolves around the river Ganga, which is the heart and soul of the city.
The legends, myths and aura surrounding Varanasi led Mark Twain to famously remark. "Benaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together". Varanasi is the oldest continually inhabited city in the world, dating back thousands of years. Varanasi seems to encapsulate all of India within its boundaries. Life and death go hand in hand in Varanasi: in among the bathing ghats, smoke rising from the cremation grounds signals the final release of tormented souls from the earthly round of samsara, the unceasing cycles of death and rebirth.
The culture of Varanasi is deeply associated with the river Ganges, its reigning deity Lord Shiva and its religious importance; the city has been a cultural and religious center in northern India for thousands of years. Varanasi is a pure vegetarian town – NO eggs, NO meat or fish and NO alcohol (within a certain distance of the river Ganges).
There are about more than 100 ghats altogether, they cover 6km of the river from Assi ghat as far as Adi Keshava Ghat near the Malviya Bridge. They are a celebration of life and the time -honoured rites of passage.
We stayed in Varanasi on January 1st and 2nd. We were supposed to take an overnight train back to Delhi on the 3rd and arrive early morning January 4th but there was intense fog all over North India, which caused the train to delay over 13 hours. Since I had a flight from Delhi to Bangalore the following day I had to hop on a plane to take me to Delhi so I wouldn't miss my flight to Banalgore. So I said goodbye to Varanasi, my traveling companions, and my three week trip through North India on the afternoon of the 3rd.... What an amazing three weeks! I hope you have enjoyed the photos!
Friday, January 09, 2009
Randoms
Hello and happy friday! I am now settled back in good ole Mysore and I couldn't be happier to be 'home' - arrived early Monday morning and started practice at the shala again on Tuesday. There was no better feeling than arriving in town at 3am in the morning and pulling up to my house and merely unlocking my door! So sweet!
I was a little disappointed to find that my house wasn't in the same condition I left it in back in September - the tenant who rented my place either ran off with or threw away all my cleaning supplies, ALL my bath and dish towels, and dishes were missing. On top of that there was a leak in my bathroom, no gas in my cylinder, and my internet was out....but aside from that it was home sweet home! After two days I have internet and gas again but am still waiting to get my leak fixed. Now the leak shouldn't be such an issue but it has become a bit of a hassle because I have to go outside and turn the water off whenever i'm not using it (and you use water randomly throughout the day to wash your hands, dishes, use the bathroom, shower) - but wait it gets worse: my landowner came down this morning to 'fix' the facet, but didn't realize it needs to be replaced...so he took the whole thing off and told me he'd be back this afternoon to replace it - leaving a gapping hole in the wall....so I could not turn the water on at all or I'd have a flood in the house...Guess what? It's 10pm and he still hasn't shown up...What to do?
In any event, I spent all of monday shopping for cleaning supplies and new towels and whatnot, scrubbing my place from top to bottom, registering at the shala, and getting unpacked ;) The last few days have been a nice re-acclimation to Mysore, along with playing catchup with emails and paying bills, etc. So now its time to catch up on zee blog! I've spent a lot of time today organizing pictures from my North India trip and I'll be posting them up tomorrow for your viewing pleasure.
________________________________________
On a side note my friend Ethan - from WHAT DO YOU KNOW - has a new online educational/entertaining venture that is very worth checking out http://www.thewaytobuildwealth.org/
________________________________________
I just joined Twitter http://www.twitter.com/ - join me here guys its tons of fun ;)
________________________________________
For any and all estate planning know how check out Sasha's blog http://sashaaklein.wordpress.com/ - so proud she is finally becoming an internet dork like me and Ethan ;)
_________________________________________
I'm gonna leave you with a snipit of an email from my sister Kimberly regarding her Christmas gift from her partner Jason.....I seriously wet myself reading this so please be forewarned!
"Oh- I don't think I've told you about Jason and my present to each other... We bought a new storage shed. Now he and the boys have room for all of thier toys- dirtbikes, 4-wheeler, wave runners, jet ski... and I get the old building for my arts and crafts and my exercise equipment. The new building is huge- 14x36 ft -I can't get a new house so I had to make more room somewhere. However, you might be a redneck if the combined square footage of your sheds is larger than your house. And you might be a redneck if the toys you store in your buildings are worth more than your house. Oh well- HaHa"
I was a little disappointed to find that my house wasn't in the same condition I left it in back in September - the tenant who rented my place either ran off with or threw away all my cleaning supplies, ALL my bath and dish towels, and dishes were missing. On top of that there was a leak in my bathroom, no gas in my cylinder, and my internet was out....but aside from that it was home sweet home! After two days I have internet and gas again but am still waiting to get my leak fixed. Now the leak shouldn't be such an issue but it has become a bit of a hassle because I have to go outside and turn the water off whenever i'm not using it (and you use water randomly throughout the day to wash your hands, dishes, use the bathroom, shower) - but wait it gets worse: my landowner came down this morning to 'fix' the facet, but didn't realize it needs to be replaced...so he took the whole thing off and told me he'd be back this afternoon to replace it - leaving a gapping hole in the wall....so I could not turn the water on at all or I'd have a flood in the house...Guess what? It's 10pm and he still hasn't shown up...What to do?
In any event, I spent all of monday shopping for cleaning supplies and new towels and whatnot, scrubbing my place from top to bottom, registering at the shala, and getting unpacked ;) The last few days have been a nice re-acclimation to Mysore, along with playing catchup with emails and paying bills, etc. So now its time to catch up on zee blog! I've spent a lot of time today organizing pictures from my North India trip and I'll be posting them up tomorrow for your viewing pleasure.
________________________________________
On a side note my friend Ethan - from WHAT DO YOU KNOW - has a new online educational/entertaining venture that is very worth checking out http://www.thewaytobuildwealth.org/
________________________________________
I just joined Twitter http://www.twitter.com/ - join me here guys its tons of fun ;)
________________________________________
For any and all estate planning know how check out Sasha's blog http://sashaaklein.wordpress.com/ - so proud she is finally becoming an internet dork like me and Ethan ;)
_________________________________________
I'm gonna leave you with a snipit of an email from my sister Kimberly regarding her Christmas gift from her partner Jason.....I seriously wet myself reading this so please be forewarned!
"Oh- I don't think I've told you about Jason and my present to each other... We bought a new storage shed. Now he and the boys have room for all of thier toys- dirtbikes, 4-wheeler, wave runners, jet ski... and I get the old building for my arts and crafts and my exercise equipment. The new building is huge- 14x36 ft -I can't get a new house so I had to make more room somewhere. However, you might be a redneck if the combined square footage of your sheds is larger than your house. And you might be a redneck if the toys you store in your buildings are worth more than your house. Oh well- HaHa"
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Happy New Year
I'm sitting at an internet cafe in varanasi...I'm a few hours from the overnight train ride which will take me back to Delhi...from there I'll fly to Bangalore and drive to Mysore....It has been a wonderful two weeks of travels through North India - spent Christmas in Dharmasala, New Year's camping on the Ganges, and a whole lot of fun and excitement in between. I've taken tons of photos and will post many of them up next week once I get settled back home in Mysore. I want to send my wish to you all for a prosperous 2009!
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