This morning J #1 and went to the lake to run. Actually J #1 ran and I dilly dallied. Towards the end of our run/dilly dally we passed a group of young men. There were about 6 of them in this group and when J #1 passed them, I could see that they were saying something about her. I don't understand their language, but it is pretty obvious. The people here have no subtlety. When I saw they were analyzing her, I was a bit hesitant to pass them. One of the guys noticed me and gestured for me to pass. I walked as fast as I could to pass them and once they were behind me, they started yelling at me. I didn't turn around, shook my head and put my hand up acknowledging that I heard them. My headphones were pretty loud and through the music I could hear them telling me to run and keep running. I turned around and one of the guys was gesturing with his hands for me to get away from them as if I insulted them by passing through. I could feel myself getting upset and yelled at them to "shut up". From there things just got worse and their insults kept flying. I could feel the anger rising in me and at this point, I turned around again and yelled "shut the hell up you ignorant bastards". I'm not sure if they understood me, but I took off and ran and ran like Forrest Gump.
When I was finally far enough from them, the adrenaline was wearing off and I began to question my reaction. That was actually the 2nd thing that went through my head. The first thing that went through my head was a Fraggle Rock episode. Not sure which character it was, but I remember vaguely that the character had to leave Fraggle Rock because he was so fed up with people pushing him around. He told his family/friends that he "had it up to here" and that was over the limit the Fraggles were allowed.
It has been a while since I've been that angry and lashed out at anyone. If you asked any of my friends to describe my demeanor, most of them would probably say that I'm pretty mellow. I wouldn't describe myself as "mellow", more like quiet. Earlier today someone told me I was "kind" and it took everything in me to not roll my eyes and argue. A "kind", "mellow" person who is learning and trying to practice the Eight Limbs would of reacted differently. I could attribute my reaction to not feeling well (which I'm so over), lady's holiday, lack of sleep, etc. In the end these are just excuses that might make me feel better for about 2.31 seconds.
On the lighter side of things, my obsession for the game Bejeweled is getting a little out of control. Here are signs when you know you have a problem:
1. you close your eyes and can see the different colored gems
2. you close your eyes and not only can you see the gems, but strategize to place them
3. in your sleep you can hear the sound of the game
4. staying up too late and losing sleep
5. playing in secrecy and lying about the amount of time you are playing from your roommate
6. turning off the sound so no one can hear the activity on your computer
7. pretending to be napping, but really playing
8. reading tips on line to get a higher score
9. envying your cousin's mad skills
10. you sit and ponder how it is possible that your friends score 3x more than your highest score
11. video chatting with a friend and playing at the same time
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Be Careful What You Wish For
Yesterday morning, Jonah, a new friend and I took a day trip to the town of Bylakuppe. Bylakuppe is the 2nd largest Tibetan settlement in India about 2 hours from Mysore. Between the 3 of us, renting a car with a driver as oppose to taking the bus was worth the money. We didn't see as much as I expected, but it was nothing like I've ever seen before. The main tourist spot is the Golden Temple and it is absolutely stunning. The temple houses three huge beautiful, gold Buddha statues. Words cannot describe everything else inside the temple so I will leave it at that. Anything I say would be an injustice to the beauty of the place.
Today was our last practice before another break, which I missed. I'm going through another bout of stomach issues accentuated with flu like symptoms. As much as my body needs this break, I'm unhappy about it. We will be off for 5 days and return the first week of October. The last break we had threw me off and I've been a bit out of sorts since. After this break, the shala should be open till the 3rd week of November with the exception of moon days and our Saturdays off. My goal is to refocus and recommit to my purpose (whatever that is). I've been going back and forth about staying in Mysore for an extra week or two to get in another full month at the shala. I may even consider staying till the next break in November. It all depends on my patience and tolerance level.
10 Things I Learned
1. never leave home without an electric razor
2. bring toilet paper EVERYWHERE
3. if you are wearing long pants, fold them before entering a public restroom
4. when getting on a bus or train, always bring a copy of your receipt. otherwise, you will have to pay twice
5. it's not funny to joke about being attacked with a machete when there is crazy people around. it's possible that they are carrying one around
6. be careful what you wish for. you might regret it
7. do not assume men walking around holding each others' hands are gay. heterosexual men here like to hold each others' hands too
8. you know you have a problem when you close your eyes and all you can see are the gems from the game Bejeweled
9. when you hear a doorbell, don't bother getting up. it's probably your neighbor's 10. if your room is on the first floor, it is not a good idea to walk around naked with the curtains open
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Waging Wars to Shake the Poet and the Beat
I've been pathetically laying in bed for the past few hours playing this game that I'm addicted to. I feel horrible and that is my excuse. I'm going through another bout of stomach issues, with headaches and nausea. My trip to Hampi screwed up the immunity I have built the past few weeks. Now I am back to sqaure one going through the process all over again. Emotionally, there is also something that is not right about me and I have yet to figure that out. I have a few ideas and it is probably a combination of everything going on in my head. Since I've been gone, I have missed a lot of birthdays and with the upcoming months I am going to miss more. Tomorrow is my dad's and best friend's birthday. I feel a bit guilty not being there for my dad. I haven't seen him since June and talking to him is impossible. Since his stroke, my relationship with him hasn't been the same. He is physically here, but I often wonder if he is mentally. It is hard for me to see him struggle and the suffering he is going through is unfair. I've purposely stayed away and for months subconsciously didn't tell any of my friends that he was back living in Los Angeles. It's not the proper way to handle things, but for the mean time, it is, what it is.
Today's practice was our first day back from holiday. We have 2 more classes, then the shala is closed again for another 4 days. My practice this morning was actually good. I wasn't sure how I would do with the stomach issues and was worried that I would be unfocused from the long break. There is this one asana I'm working on and I usually end up with my forehead crashing into the mat with my legs crossed over my arms stuck. My forehead didn't slam into the mat today, but I still need to work on getting out of the pose.
Not much going on today. Christian is leaving tomorrow so I plan on spending sometime with him. Since Jonah arrived, I haven't seen much of Christian. One of my friends mentioned that Christian might feel like a bit casted out which in truth weren't my intentions. I'm sure I would have struggled more my first month here if he weren't my flatmate. I had a lot of fun with him and he has helped me in so many ways he will never know. I'm fortunate to have met him and will miss him greatly.
Today's practice was our first day back from holiday. We have 2 more classes, then the shala is closed again for another 4 days. My practice this morning was actually good. I wasn't sure how I would do with the stomach issues and was worried that I would be unfocused from the long break. There is this one asana I'm working on and I usually end up with my forehead crashing into the mat with my legs crossed over my arms stuck. My forehead didn't slam into the mat today, but I still need to work on getting out of the pose.
Not much going on today. Christian is leaving tomorrow so I plan on spending sometime with him. Since Jonah arrived, I haven't seen much of Christian. One of my friends mentioned that Christian might feel like a bit casted out which in truth weren't my intentions. I'm sure I would have struggled more my first month here if he weren't my flatmate. I had a lot of fun with him and he has helped me in so many ways he will never know. I'm fortunate to have met him and will miss him greatly.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
In the Land of Hampi (Hump - e)
Jonah and I returned this morning from an amazing trip to Hampi. Getting there was an adventure in itself. We took the bus Tuesday evening from Mysore to Bangalore, then caught another bus from Bangalore to Mysore. The bus ride was about 12 hours, which wasn't too bad considering we were on sleepers on the second leg of our trip. We arrived in Bangalore a little early and had a few hours to kill before our bus arrived. Bangalore is a city that I would prefer to stay away from if possible. The city is filled with chaos, rats, noise, etc. I'm sure not every part of the city is like that, but it seems every part I visit is.
We arrive in Hospet around 7 the following morning and take a rickshaw to Hampi. Hospet is the closest major city to Hampi which is about 15 kilometers away. Just like any major city, it is also noisy, dirty, chaos, etc. We go through a few small and see people standing in front of their houses brushing their teeth and children pooping on the side of the road. Not a pretty picture. As we approach Hampi there is a dramatic change in scenery. For miles you can see boulders that seem to go on forever. The air and roads are a bit cleaner and less noise. I had a bit of knowledge on Hampi from various reading sources and a climbing video I saw a few years back. The pictures and video that I saw is an injustice to the beauty of the town. Maybe I'm a little biased because of all the bouldering possibilities, but there were ruins and granite boulders everywhere. Granite is a strong material and it was fascinating to see how an empire was built using the stone. The city is very tourist based and since it was the slow season, business is hard to come by. The only annoyance was dealing with merchants/beggars trying to sell their services or asking for money. All day we would hear "need a rickshaw", "hah-low! come into my store. it's free to look".
Aside from the major transportation services, the trip was unplanned. I didn't make reservations for a place to stay and left it all to the moment of our necessity. The main area of Hampi is divided by a river. The other side of the river is an ideal place to stay. It is much quieter than the bazaar area, less beggars and merchants and also more bouldering. When we arrived, we were told by the rickshaw driver the water level was too high for us to safely cross, so we were stuck on the bazaar side. I think the driver was partly lying due to the fact that we were able to cross the following day and we later found out he earned a commission for taking us to the guest house we stayed at even though I requested for him to take us there. In the end, it worked out. Thanks to the Lonely Planet guide I was able to find us accommodations that were decent and fairly priced.
Everyone in Hampi assumed Jonah and I were a married couple. When we checked into our guest house they gave us a room with a double bed. The people that would stop to talk to us would ask if we were married and we agreed. It was just easier that way. The other question we were poised with is where we were from. Being from the United States is a huge deal and there is this assumption that you are rich. Jonah and I started making up countries that we could be from. One day I was from Singapore and Jonah was from Germany. On our last day we decided to be Kiwi's. Jonah is of British origin and I was Maori.
Jonah and I came home sick and we are both having stomach issues. I'll write more about the trip when I'm feeling better.
Here are some Hampi Highlights:
Day 1
bus ride from Mysore to Bangalore - 3 hours
bus ride from Bangalore to Hospet - 9 hours
rickshaw from Hospet to Hampi
guest house check in
explored area
found boulders to climb and ruins
Day 2
tried climbing near temple. kicked out by security
crossed river and found boulders to climb
saw crazy lady with machete
almost didn't make it across river. water level too high and strong current
shopping at the bazaar
Day 3
early morning climbing session
toured ancient ruins
check out of guest house
ripped off by train. made us pay twice
The trip isn't as boring as described above. I would go back if I could and spend a few days climbing.
We arrive in Hospet around 7 the following morning and take a rickshaw to Hampi. Hospet is the closest major city to Hampi which is about 15 kilometers away. Just like any major city, it is also noisy, dirty, chaos, etc. We go through a few small and see people standing in front of their houses brushing their teeth and children pooping on the side of the road. Not a pretty picture. As we approach Hampi there is a dramatic change in scenery. For miles you can see boulders that seem to go on forever. The air and roads are a bit cleaner and less noise. I had a bit of knowledge on Hampi from various reading sources and a climbing video I saw a few years back. The pictures and video that I saw is an injustice to the beauty of the town. Maybe I'm a little biased because of all the bouldering possibilities, but there were ruins and granite boulders everywhere. Granite is a strong material and it was fascinating to see how an empire was built using the stone. The city is very tourist based and since it was the slow season, business is hard to come by. The only annoyance was dealing with merchants/beggars trying to sell their services or asking for money. All day we would hear "need a rickshaw", "hah-low! come into my store. it's free to look".
Aside from the major transportation services, the trip was unplanned. I didn't make reservations for a place to stay and left it all to the moment of our necessity. The main area of Hampi is divided by a river. The other side of the river is an ideal place to stay. It is much quieter than the bazaar area, less beggars and merchants and also more bouldering. When we arrived, we were told by the rickshaw driver the water level was too high for us to safely cross, so we were stuck on the bazaar side. I think the driver was partly lying due to the fact that we were able to cross the following day and we later found out he earned a commission for taking us to the guest house we stayed at even though I requested for him to take us there. In the end, it worked out. Thanks to the Lonely Planet guide I was able to find us accommodations that were decent and fairly priced.
Everyone in Hampi assumed Jonah and I were a married couple. When we checked into our guest house they gave us a room with a double bed. The people that would stop to talk to us would ask if we were married and we agreed. It was just easier that way. The other question we were poised with is where we were from. Being from the United States is a huge deal and there is this assumption that you are rich. Jonah and I started making up countries that we could be from. One day I was from Singapore and Jonah was from Germany. On our last day we decided to be Kiwi's. Jonah is of British origin and I was Maori.
Jonah and I came home sick and we are both having stomach issues. I'll write more about the trip when I'm feeling better.
Here are some Hampi Highlights:
Day 1
bus ride from Mysore to Bangalore - 3 hours
bus ride from Bangalore to Hospet - 9 hours
rickshaw from Hospet to Hampi
guest house check in
explored area
found boulders to climb and ruins
Day 2
tried climbing near temple. kicked out by security
crossed river and found boulders to climb
saw crazy lady with machete
almost didn't make it across river. water level too high and strong current
shopping at the bazaar
Day 3
early morning climbing session
toured ancient ruins
check out of guest house
ripped off by train. made us pay twice
The trip isn't as boring as described above. I would go back if I could and spend a few days climbing.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Safari
Woke up at 3 am this morning to go on a safari at Nagarhole National Park. I didn't get very much sleep again. Went to bed at 1 and woke up 2 hours later. The park is 2 hours away from Mysore so I was able to nap for a bit in the car.
The safari was a last minute decision and I am glad we went. Coordinating this trip was not fun at all. We had a misunderstanding with the agent and almost didn't make the trip. In the end, it all worked out. I just hate looking like an ass when I have 2 other people making decisions. Our safari was great. We had a private jeep and saw elephants, some type of monkey, deer, peacocks, wild boar, and eagles. No sightings of leopards or tigers which we were all hoping for. The resort that organized the safari is tucked away in the rain forest on a lake. Our driver got lost which is understandable considering that there are no road signs and the driveway is a turnoff to some random dirt road.
Tonight, Jonah and I go on our bus adventure to Hampi. Our first leg of the trip is the bus ride from Mysore to Bangalore which is about 3 hours. From there we rickshaw to another bus station to catch our bus to Hospet which is about 8 hours. From Hospet we take another rickshaw to Hampi. We originally had plans to take the train, but our plans were delayed a day. The bus supposedly has sleepers, but no air conditioning. It will be interesting to see how everything works out. Nothing is really planned, so we will figure things out once we get there.
The safari was a last minute decision and I am glad we went. Coordinating this trip was not fun at all. We had a misunderstanding with the agent and almost didn't make the trip. In the end, it all worked out. I just hate looking like an ass when I have 2 other people making decisions. Our safari was great. We had a private jeep and saw elephants, some type of monkey, deer, peacocks, wild boar, and eagles. No sightings of leopards or tigers which we were all hoping for. The resort that organized the safari is tucked away in the rain forest on a lake. Our driver got lost which is understandable considering that there are no road signs and the driveway is a turnoff to some random dirt road.
Tonight, Jonah and I go on our bus adventure to Hampi. Our first leg of the trip is the bus ride from Mysore to Bangalore which is about 3 hours. From there we rickshaw to another bus station to catch our bus to Hospet which is about 8 hours. From Hospet we take another rickshaw to Hampi. We originally had plans to take the train, but our plans were delayed a day. The bus supposedly has sleepers, but no air conditioning. It will be interesting to see how everything works out. Nothing is really planned, so we will figure things out once we get there.
Monday, September 21, 2009
One Month Down, ???? To Go!
Exactly one month to this day I was sitting on the plane to Singapore having doubts about my departure. I remember having so much anxiety after the plane boarded and had to call Palindrome and Rainbow to talk me down. I can't believe it has been month. The month flew by and I feel like I'm finally settled in. I remember sitting on the plane and thinking about the amount of days I would be away from home. Seventy days seemed like a huge number and if I told myself 2 months and a few plus days, it didn't seem as bad.
So much has happened in the past month that I would have never experienced being home. I immensely miss my friends and family and at times get teary eyed thinking about all of them. With every person in my life, I've made a conscious decision to have a relationship with that particular person. Each individual is truly a special person to me.
Coming here was something I had to do for myself and it has been one of the best decisions I've made. For me, it sometimes takes being by myself to branch out and experience different things. Recently I've noticed subtle changes within me that take me by surprise. Yesterday, I was telling my sister how I left the house with wrinkly pants and how it took me all morning to get used to the idea that it was okay. Leaving home with wrinkly pants is not a huge deal, but there were times when I would be late for work and couldn't leave with unpressed clothes. Lately when people invite me to go out, I actually go. I went to my first puja yesterday and that was something I've never seen before. The ceremony was incredible and I'm glad to have partook in it. For me it is the little things that make a difference.
My friend Jonah arrived yesterday and he will be joining me for the second half of my trip. We moved into our new apartment and spent most of today cleaning and setting everything up. I'm excited to have a piece of home here with me and look forward to the journey ahead of us.
So much has happened in the past month that I would have never experienced being home. I immensely miss my friends and family and at times get teary eyed thinking about all of them. With every person in my life, I've made a conscious decision to have a relationship with that particular person. Each individual is truly a special person to me.
Coming here was something I had to do for myself and it has been one of the best decisions I've made. For me, it sometimes takes being by myself to branch out and experience different things. Recently I've noticed subtle changes within me that take me by surprise. Yesterday, I was telling my sister how I left the house with wrinkly pants and how it took me all morning to get used to the idea that it was okay. Leaving home with wrinkly pants is not a huge deal, but there were times when I would be late for work and couldn't leave with unpressed clothes. Lately when people invite me to go out, I actually go. I went to my first puja yesterday and that was something I've never seen before. The ceremony was incredible and I'm glad to have partook in it. For me it is the little things that make a difference.
My friend Jonah arrived yesterday and he will be joining me for the second half of my trip. We moved into our new apartment and spent most of today cleaning and setting everything up. I'm excited to have a piece of home here with me and look forward to the journey ahead of us.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Thinking About Tomorrow
No practice today, moon day. Christian and I had a late dinner last night and we stayed up too late eating junk and watching South Park. On our way home from dinner, the rain started pouring. I thought walking in the rain was fun, riding on the scooter in the rain is even better. We had to make a cookie and beer (not for me) run before heading home prolonging the ride which I was ecstatic about.
This blog has turned into the adventures of Christian and MC and for a second I thought about changing the name. That will soon change as he is going home at the end of the month and my friend Jonah will be filling the role of sidekick. Yes, we spend a lot of time together and it's not my fault he thinks I'm nice and fun to hang around with. I'm actually surprised that he isn't sick and tired of me yet. I must say that I appreciate the fact that he spends a lot of time in his head thinking like I do and speaks only when necessary.
Earlier this afternoon, J#1, who by the way is Johanne, took a walk around the lake again. Johanne said I could refer to her by her real name which is fine since J#2 has left and distinction between the two J's is no longer necessary. However, there is less to type if I refer to her as J#1. Towards the end of our walk, one of the locals pointed out a crocodile in the water. This wasn't like a "Reggie" in the lake situation. This was a real crocodile, not that Reggie wasn't, but this thing was bigger and wild. I was excited and fearful at the same time. On both sides of the trail is swamp and a crocodile or snake could easily hide and come out of nowhere. In the beginning of our walk, J#1 was wondering if it was safe to run around the lake by herself. After seeing the crocodile, don't think she will be doing that anytime soon. On our way out of the lake, this guy trying to show off on his motorcycle by speeding through the speed bump, completely eats it. He was unhurt, but when anyone tried to help him he was interested. I don't know how he was unhurt with that spill. His motorcycle fell on him and he hit the asphalt pretty hard.
**can't come up with a title, so i'll use the title of the song currently on my iPod
This blog has turned into the adventures of Christian and MC and for a second I thought about changing the name. That will soon change as he is going home at the end of the month and my friend Jonah will be filling the role of sidekick. Yes, we spend a lot of time together and it's not my fault he thinks I'm nice and fun to hang around with. I'm actually surprised that he isn't sick and tired of me yet. I must say that I appreciate the fact that he spends a lot of time in his head thinking like I do and speaks only when necessary.
Earlier this afternoon, J#1, who by the way is Johanne, took a walk around the lake again. Johanne said I could refer to her by her real name which is fine since J#2 has left and distinction between the two J's is no longer necessary. However, there is less to type if I refer to her as J#1. Towards the end of our walk, one of the locals pointed out a crocodile in the water. This wasn't like a "Reggie" in the lake situation. This was a real crocodile, not that Reggie wasn't, but this thing was bigger and wild. I was excited and fearful at the same time. On both sides of the trail is swamp and a crocodile or snake could easily hide and come out of nowhere. In the beginning of our walk, J#1 was wondering if it was safe to run around the lake by herself. After seeing the crocodile, don't think she will be doing that anytime soon. On our way out of the lake, this guy trying to show off on his motorcycle by speeding through the speed bump, completely eats it. He was unhurt, but when anyone tried to help him he was interested. I don't know how he was unhurt with that spill. His motorcycle fell on him and he hit the asphalt pretty hard.
**can't come up with a title, so i'll use the title of the song currently on my iPod
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Going Postal
Today was the last day of practice till the 27th. The shala recently posted additional closure dates starting on the 30th of September till the 4th of October. Haven't made any travel plans for those dates yet, but I'm sure I will find somewhere to go. I'm glad to have made it through this weeks' practice. The lack of sleep and poor diet has been brutal and my body is currently paying the price. I had a few moments during this mornings' practice when I wanted to lie face down and stay there. It's my karma! Back home I've taken some of my friends to one of my regular yoga classes and some of them literally end up exactly how I felt this morning. Every time this would happen, I would laugh and think it was funny. Now I know exactly how it feels and as painful as it is, it's still funny.
I had to run a few errands this morning and my first stop was the post office. My primary purpose was to mail a few postcards that have been sitting in my room for the past few weeks. I also wanted to go there and demand my package that my sister sent me. My sister sent the package priority mail and the scheduled delivery was 6-10 days. It's been longer than 10 days and I want my package now! There is food in this care package that I am after. I was able to get postage, but wasn't able to ask about my package. The Indian post office is conducted a little differently than our system in the US. Needless to say, I will never complain about the line at the post office. The lady that sold me the stamps took the stamps out of a folder in a plastic bag sitting on her desk. There were papers and mail everywhere in this office. The office looked like a guest house that is attached to the neighbors property. I had no clue it was there until the rickshaw driver showed it to me yesterday. I have been walking past it every day for the past few weeks. The cost to mail the postcards is Rs 12 (rupees). The post lady then had to count postage for 6 postcards and that pretty much took all morning. I then had to lick each and every stamp and don't remember the last time I had to do something like that. After I was done applying the stamps, I had no clue where to drop the postcards. The didn't want to wait in line again and found this lunch pail looking thing that read "Indian Post". I threw the postcards in it and everyone in line looked at me when I did this. Apparently, the cow for the cow mail train hasn't been born yet, so I'm not sure if the postcards will end up at their addressed destinations.
My next stop was to the local grocery store. Walking to the store or anywhere in town is always fascinating. Some of the locals look at you like a leper and sometimes from their body language you can tell the things they say could be inappropriate. I've never left the house without my iPod and if I turn the music loud enough I can't hear anything. My ignoring skills have definitely improved since I've been here.
I arrive at the store and one of the sales clerks spots me walking to the back. I find the yogurt section and like clock work she is there staring at me. She doesn't say a word so I ignore her. I walk over to another aisle and she follows me. I stop to look at an item and from the corner of my eye I can see she is standing about 3 feet away. Thought I would have a little fun with her, so I kept walking around the different aisles, stopping to look at various items. When she would catch up, I would walk to another section and pretend I was looking at something else. I think she got tired of following me so she positioned herself at the opposite end of the aisle. I could see her walking from aisle to aisle as I moved. At some point, I started walking faster and sliding around in my flip flops. I would stop in between sections to see how persistent she was. When she would miss me, she would go back to the previous aisle to see where I was. The store is pretty small and after my 3rd or 4th lap, I finally stopped and checked out. Yogurt was the only item I came to buy, but got so much more than what I paid for.
I had to run a few errands this morning and my first stop was the post office. My primary purpose was to mail a few postcards that have been sitting in my room for the past few weeks. I also wanted to go there and demand my package that my sister sent me. My sister sent the package priority mail and the scheduled delivery was 6-10 days. It's been longer than 10 days and I want my package now! There is food in this care package that I am after. I was able to get postage, but wasn't able to ask about my package. The Indian post office is conducted a little differently than our system in the US. Needless to say, I will never complain about the line at the post office. The lady that sold me the stamps took the stamps out of a folder in a plastic bag sitting on her desk. There were papers and mail everywhere in this office. The office looked like a guest house that is attached to the neighbors property. I had no clue it was there until the rickshaw driver showed it to me yesterday. I have been walking past it every day for the past few weeks. The cost to mail the postcards is Rs 12 (rupees). The post lady then had to count postage for 6 postcards and that pretty much took all morning. I then had to lick each and every stamp and don't remember the last time I had to do something like that. After I was done applying the stamps, I had no clue where to drop the postcards. The didn't want to wait in line again and found this lunch pail looking thing that read "Indian Post". I threw the postcards in it and everyone in line looked at me when I did this. Apparently, the cow for the cow mail train hasn't been born yet, so I'm not sure if the postcards will end up at their addressed destinations.
My next stop was to the local grocery store. Walking to the store or anywhere in town is always fascinating. Some of the locals look at you like a leper and sometimes from their body language you can tell the things they say could be inappropriate. I've never left the house without my iPod and if I turn the music loud enough I can't hear anything. My ignoring skills have definitely improved since I've been here.
I arrive at the store and one of the sales clerks spots me walking to the back. I find the yogurt section and like clock work she is there staring at me. She doesn't say a word so I ignore her. I walk over to another aisle and she follows me. I stop to look at an item and from the corner of my eye I can see she is standing about 3 feet away. Thought I would have a little fun with her, so I kept walking around the different aisles, stopping to look at various items. When she would catch up, I would walk to another section and pretend I was looking at something else. I think she got tired of following me so she positioned herself at the opposite end of the aisle. I could see her walking from aisle to aisle as I moved. At some point, I started walking faster and sliding around in my flip flops. I would stop in between sections to see how persistent she was. When she would miss me, she would go back to the previous aisle to see where I was. The store is pretty small and after my 3rd or 4th lap, I finally stopped and checked out. Yogurt was the only item I came to buy, but got so much more than what I paid for.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
If I Fell and Nobody Was Around, Would I Make a Sound?
A storm hit last night that lasted till mid-morning. I enjoy the change in weather and love walking in the rain listening to music. Lately, I've been listening to the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs. There is something about the song "Zero" and "Y Control" that gets me psyched. The songs are upbeat compared to the melancholy music that I usually listen to. On my way out of the shala, I ran into this girl that I met my first few days here. She commented on how I seemed much more at ease and seemed like I've settled in. She was right. I'm still slightly bored, but don't feel so antsy. There is stuff back home that causes me stress, but for the most part being here makes me happy. Happy to the point that I'm considering a longer stay. We'll see how the next month develops. At the moment considering a longer stay might be a bit premature.
This mornings practice was another close call to a disastrous end. To save myself from embarrassment, I now wait till Sarashwathi can assist me with my headstand. Like today, it can sometimes be a long wait. I was tempted to go up on my own, but since the blind crashing incident, I knew better than to allow my impatience to overcome me. By the time she came over, I was over the whole headstand thing. I debated for a few minutes if I should just skip it, but I wouldn't be honoring my commitment if I chose to do that. When I was finally up and steady, she let me go. I was balancing for a bit on my own and suddenly begin to over rotate. I wasn't sure where she was, but she caught my leg right as I was about to kick her in the face. Me falling caught her by surprise. It wasn't anything new to me as I fall over everyday when I practice my headstands. As she caught my leg, I hear her gasp. A sudden rush of fear arises in me to be prevailed with Saraswathi's laughter. I was so scared she was going to be upset and yell at me. With my one leg still in her hand, I flip over and see her laughing. When I see her laughing, I start to laugh with her.
Yet again, another precious moment when I'm face down on my mat, laughing at myself.
This mornings practice was another close call to a disastrous end. To save myself from embarrassment, I now wait till Sarashwathi can assist me with my headstand. Like today, it can sometimes be a long wait. I was tempted to go up on my own, but since the blind crashing incident, I knew better than to allow my impatience to overcome me. By the time she came over, I was over the whole headstand thing. I debated for a few minutes if I should just skip it, but I wouldn't be honoring my commitment if I chose to do that. When I was finally up and steady, she let me go. I was balancing for a bit on my own and suddenly begin to over rotate. I wasn't sure where she was, but she caught my leg right as I was about to kick her in the face. Me falling caught her by surprise. It wasn't anything new to me as I fall over everyday when I practice my headstands. As she caught my leg, I hear her gasp. A sudden rush of fear arises in me to be prevailed with Saraswathi's laughter. I was so scared she was going to be upset and yell at me. With my one leg still in her hand, I flip over and see her laughing. When I see her laughing, I start to laugh with her.
Yet again, another precious moment when I'm face down on my mat, laughing at myself.
Monday, September 14, 2009
I Wasn't Kidding About the Asperger's
The test assesses five different areas. Autistic-like responses will show poor social skill, attention switching, communication and imagination, and an exaggerated attention to detail. In other words, geekiness. You scored 34. The ranking below provides some idea of where that AQ fits in.
I took the test again to see if I missed anything. I was actually hoping for a lower score and got a 35. No comment!!
http://www.piepalace.ca/blog/asperger-test-aq-test/
| Score | ||
| 32 - 50 | Scores over 32 are generally taken to indicate Asperger's Syndrome or high-functioning autism, with more than 34 an "extreme" score. | |
| 31 | ||
| 30 | ||
| 29 | ||
| 28 | ||
| 27 | ||
| 26 | ||
| 25 | ||
| 24 | Average math contest winner | |
| 23 | ||
| 22 | ||
| 21 | Average male or female computer scientist | |
| 20 | ||
| 19 | Average male scientist, and average male or female physicist | |
| 18 | Average man | |
| 17 | Average female scientist | |
| 16 | ||
| 15 | Average woman, and average male or female biologist | |
| 14 | ||
| 13 | ||
| 0 - 12 |
I took the test again to see if I missed anything. I was actually hoping for a lower score and got a 35. No comment!!
http://www.piepalace.ca/blog/asperger-test-aq-test/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)