Road To Mysoretag:blogs.ashtangi.net,2010:/RTM/52008-01-25T10:50:17ZMovable Type 3.31LA Boundtag:blogs.ashtangi.net,2008:/RTM//5.70622008-01-25T10:30:55Z2008-01-25T10:50:17ZI'm currently at the Bangkok Airport waiting to board my plane back to LA. I can't believe this is the end of another amazing chapter of my journey. I'm not ready for it to end. My life in LA is boring compared to my life in India/Thailand...Thailand have become my second favorite city and will be flying through Bangkok whenever I head to Mysore. I left Mysore last Sunday. I hate leaving Mysore. I was having such a blast. I was suppose to leave last Thursday but begged my travel agent to book me in for Sunday instead. I was waited until Thursday morning which meant I still had to pack as if I was leaving on Thursday. I didn't know until 11AM that I was confirmed for Sunday. The extra 3 days helped me calm down a bit and got me ready to leave. This trip started slow and a bit boring but in the middle, it picked up some steam and in the last 4 weeks went 150 mph. It was crazy busy in a very good way. I really loved Narasima's meditation class and philosophy class. It put a lot of things in perspective. I appreciate more what I'm going through. It gave me the courage to tell my boss in my own words, "to fuck off". Which means I'm currently unemployed. I was a little worried about that in the beginning but I know that life has it's way of working things out by itself. I love Narasima's explanation of "detachment". i wish I wrote it down. i can't explain it but i understand the essence of it. It help me decide to make changes with my life. I wasn't planning on changing jobs this year but I knew that it would have to happen sooner or later. I guess it happened much sooner than I expected. The next few days is going to be spent getting my LA life back together...finding an apartment, going on interviews, pulling stuff out of storage, renewing my license...and shit, I'm short 2 or 3 hours of CPE and getting ready mentally and physically for work...that's assuming I'll find something. In other words...life is good...it's going to be fun. I said goodbye to Luke today. I told him I would see him in October, maybe even earlier. I haven't left Bangkok and I've decided to return already....Joeywww.ashtangi.net/blogs/RTM
I'm currently at the Bangkok Airport waiting to board my plane back to LA. I can't believe this is the end of another amazing chapter of my journey. I'm not ready for it to end. My life in LA is boring compared to my life in India/Thailand...Thailand have become my second favorite city and will be flying through Bangkok whenever I head to Mysore.
I left Mysore last Sunday. I hate leaving Mysore. I was having such a blast. I was suppose to leave last Thursday but begged my travel agent to book me in for Sunday instead. I was waited until Thursday morning which meant I still had to pack as if I was leaving on Thursday. I didn't know until 11AM that I was confirmed for Sunday. The extra 3 days helped me calm down a bit and got me ready to leave.
This trip started slow and a bit boring but in the middle, it picked up some steam and in the last 4 weeks went 150 mph. It was crazy busy in a very good way. I really loved Narasima's meditation class and philosophy class. It put a lot of things in perspective. I appreciate more what I'm going through. It gave me the courage to tell my boss in my own words, "to fuck off". Which means I'm currently unemployed. I was a little worried about that in the beginning but I know that life has it's way of working things out by itself. I love Narasima's explanation of "detachment". i wish I wrote it down. i can't explain it but i understand the essence of it. It help me decide to make changes with my life. I wasn't planning on changing jobs this year but I knew that it would have to happen sooner or later. I guess it happened much sooner than I expected.
The next few days is going to be spent getting my LA life back together...finding an apartment, going on interviews, pulling stuff out of storage, renewing my license...and shit, I'm short 2 or 3 hours of CPE and getting ready mentally and physically for work...that's assuming I'll find something. In other words...life is good...it's going to be fun.
I said goodbye to Luke today. I told him I would see him in October, maybe even earlier. I haven't left Bangkok and I've decided to return already.
Leaving Jaipurtag:blogs.ashtangi.net,2008:/RTM//5.70162008-01-03T04:20:42Z2008-01-03T04:39:11ZI left Pushkar yesterday and arrived in Jaipur by noon. This is where it all began and this is where it will end. I fly in a few hours to Bangalore and expect to arrive in Mysore by 6PM. I'm still debating on whether I should get a taxi or a bus to Mysore. After all is said and done I hope to be in Mysore before midnight today. I don't want to do anymore travelling after this. It was great but sometimes you just want to stay put. I'm supposed to go to Coimbatorre next week for a day or two but I don't think that's going to happen. When I first arrived in Jaipur about 3 weeks ago I stayed at the Jaipur Inn and paid 1,250 rupees. I had budgeted about 1,000 rupees per night on hotels. As I traveled around Rajasthan, I realized that I didn't need 1,000 rupees hotel rooms. If I can sleep in the desert for two days on a dirty mattress and blankets...then why would I need a clean hotel room. As I made my why through the different cities, I settle for the 500 or less rupee rooms. I'm beginning to love these dumpy hotels...sometimes you need to move backward before you can move forward. What was I thinking? Someone once told me, "if you can find peace in the midst of chaos, then your yoga is working for you." I'm begining to understand what that really means. I think that's what I love about India so much...it can be very chaotic...you either take it our leave. I have a large glass of lassi yesterday that the Lassiwala on MI Road. I plan on having another one this morning before I head to the airport...lassi to die for!!! Last night I watched a movie at the famous Raj Mandir. It was a good movie but I still prefer them with subtitles....Joeywww.ashtangi.net/blogs/RTM
I left Pushkar yesterday and arrived in Jaipur by noon. This is where it all began and this is where it will end. I fly in a few hours to Bangalore and expect to arrive in Mysore by 6PM. I'm still debating on whether I should get a taxi or a bus to Mysore. After all is said and done I hope to be in Mysore before midnight today. I don't want to do anymore travelling after this. It was great but sometimes you just want to stay put. I'm supposed to go to Coimbatorre next week for a day or two but I don't think that's going to happen.
When I first arrived in Jaipur about 3 weeks ago I stayed at the Jaipur Inn and paid 1,250 rupees. I had budgeted about 1,000 rupees per night on hotels. As I traveled around Rajasthan, I realized that I didn't need 1,000 rupees hotel rooms. If I can sleep in the desert for two days on a dirty mattress and blankets...then why would I need a clean hotel room. As I made my why through the different cities, I settle for the 500 or less rupee rooms. I'm beginning to love these dumpy hotels...sometimes you need to move backward before you can move forward. What was I thinking?
Someone once told me, "if you can find peace in the midst of chaos, then your yoga is working for you." I'm begining to understand what that really means. I think that's what I love about India so much...it can be very chaotic...you either take it our leave.
I have a large glass of lassi yesterday that the Lassiwala on MI Road. I plan on having another one this morning before I head to the airport...lassi to die for!!! Last night I watched a movie at the famous Raj Mandir. It was a good movie but I still prefer them with subtitles.
From Bundi to Pushkartag:blogs.ashtangi.net,2007:/RTM//5.70082007-12-31T12:53:34Z2007-12-31T13:20:23ZIt took the sleeper bus from Udaipur to Bundi last Friday night. I was dreading it because it's an 8 hour bus ride. I hate sleeping vertically on a bus. To my surprise, I passed out for 5 hours and when I woke up we were two hours away. I could feel the roads were terrible but I slept through it. I must have been really tired or I'm getting used to the travelling thing. We got to Bundi at around 5AM and headed to the hotel I had reserved the day before. It was dump of a hotel but was a good place to sleep until the town woke up. I couldn't sleep so at around 7AM, I started walking around town and looked around for other hotel. I found a couple of good one. I returned to my hotel, paid 150 rupees for a dump of a room and transfered to a better hotel. Later that morning, I agreed to let one of the sons of the hotel to be my guide. We first hiked up the hill to the fort. It was big beautiful abandoned fort. We walked around for over two hours. It was really cool because I saw only one tourist the whole. I pretty much had the fort to myself. The rest of the day he took to to other sights...none of which were very impressive. I was supposed to stay one more day to chill but I decided to make my way to Pushkar last Sunday. I needed a day or two to just chill and decided that Pushkar would be a better place to chill...I was right. When I got here yesterday, I immediately decided that it was second favorite place in Rajasthan...Jaisalmer being my favorite. It is such a chill place and I love the food here. After checking in, I walked around and bumped into a couple I met in Udaipur. I joined then for dinner and hung out until it was time to sleep. Today was such a chill day. I woke up late, did a short practice and had breakfast. I meet up again with the couple and did a hike to a temple up the hill...I forgot the name. It was a steep kilometer from the base of hill but when we got there the view was breathtaking...this is exactly what I wanted. The couple headed down the hill after half and hour. I decided to stay a couple of hours just to soak it in. I really needed the chill time. I've traveling from one city to another for over two weeks now. I hope to do another chill day tomorrow...no more sightseeing. I've reached a point in my trip wherein I'm forted-out, templed-out and palaced-out. My trip is slowly coming to an end. I can't believe that time has flown by so quickly. Before I left for Rajasthan, I was hoping to convince a friend in Mysore to travel with me. When I realized that there were no taker, I almost backed out. I went anyway and now I'm very pleased that I traveled alone. I learned so much about myself that I surprised myself. There is something special about traveling around India alone. It's nice to travel with other people but traveling alone has not only been a visual journey but an internal journey as well. I now look forward to do more traveling alone in the future. I am no longer the same person I was when I left Mysore a few weeks ago. I have a confidence about myself which wasn't there before I left. I was able to meet a lot of other cool travellers and also had time to reflect on my life. I am anticipating more drastic changes in the near future...it's going to fun...a little scary but fun. I don't know what life has in store for me but I know it's all going to be good. I'm a much stronger person because of this trip. I went out of my way to get out of my comfort zone and survived...that's a great feeling. I can't help but smile. Thank you India for being such a wonderful place and helping me discover who I am...I love this place!!!...Joeywww.ashtangi.net/blogs/RTM
It took the sleeper bus from Udaipur to Bundi last Friday night. I was dreading it because it's an 8 hour bus ride. I hate sleeping vertically on a bus. To my surprise, I passed out for 5 hours and when I woke up we were two hours away. I could feel the roads were terrible but I slept through it. I must have been really tired or I'm getting used to the travelling thing.
We got to Bundi at around 5AM and headed to the hotel I had reserved the day before. It was dump of a hotel but was a good place to sleep until the town woke up. I couldn't sleep so at around 7AM, I started walking around town and looked around for other hotel. I found a couple of good one. I returned to my hotel, paid 150 rupees for a dump of a room and transfered to a better hotel.
Later that morning, I agreed to let one of the sons of the hotel to be my guide. We first hiked up the hill to the fort. It was big beautiful abandoned fort. We walked around for over two hours. It was really cool because I saw only one tourist the whole. I pretty much had the fort to myself. The rest of the day he took to to other sights...none of which were very impressive.
I was supposed to stay one more day to chill but I decided to make my way to Pushkar last Sunday. I needed a day or two to just chill and decided that Pushkar would be a better place to chill...I was right. When I got here yesterday, I immediately decided that it was second favorite place in Rajasthan...Jaisalmer being my favorite. It is such a chill place and I love the food here. After checking in, I walked around and bumped into a couple I met in Udaipur. I joined then for dinner and hung out until it was time to sleep.
Today was such a chill day. I woke up late, did a short practice and had breakfast. I meet up again with the couple and did a hike to a temple up the hill...I forgot the name. It was a steep kilometer from the base of hill but when we got there the view was breathtaking...this is exactly what I wanted. The couple headed down the hill after half and hour. I decided to stay a couple of hours just to soak it in. I really needed the chill time. I've traveling from one city to another for over two weeks now. I hope to do another chill day tomorrow...no more sightseeing. I've reached a point in my trip wherein I'm forted-out, templed-out and palaced-out.
My trip is slowly coming to an end. I can't believe that time has flown by so quickly. Before I left for Rajasthan, I was hoping to convince a friend in Mysore to travel with me. When I realized that there were no taker, I almost backed out. I went anyway and now I'm very pleased that I traveled alone. I learned so much about myself that I surprised myself. There is something special about traveling around India alone. It's nice to travel with other people but traveling alone has not only been a visual journey but an internal journey as well. I now look forward to do more traveling alone in the future. I am no longer the same person I was when I left Mysore a few weeks ago. I have a confidence about myself which wasn't there before I left. I was able to meet a lot of other cool travellers and also had time to reflect on my life. I am anticipating more drastic changes in the near future...it's going to fun...a little scary but fun. I don't know what life has in store for me but I know it's all going to be good. I'm a much stronger person because of this trip. I went out of my way to get out of my comfort zone and survived...that's a great feeling. I can't help but smile. Thank you India for being such a wonderful place and helping me discover who I am...I love this place!!!
Udaipur and Octopussy!!!tag:blogs.ashtangi.net,2007:/RTM//5.70032007-12-27T14:53:18Z2007-12-27T15:11:51ZThis whole traveling thing is exhausting. I'm having a great time but Rajasthan is so amazing that there is so many place to see and things to do. My plans keep constantly changing too. I'm not sure what I'm going to do next. A couple of days ago, I was in Mt. Abu. It was a nice place...something like Ooty but nothing spectacular. The downside to seeing amazing places is that when you see something good, it becomes a waste of your time. It's hard not to compare one place to another. I was planning of staying in Mt. Abu for one day but I spent one afternoon and decide to leave the following day for Udaipur...good decision. I got to Udaipur yesterday afternoon and walked around a bit. There is something special about this place. I'm glad I'm here. Last night we watched the James Bond movie "Octopussy". I've seen it a long long time ago so I didn't really remember the story. A good number of restaurants here show the movie every night because a good chunk of that movie was filmed here in Udaipur. It was actually cool seeing the movie on a rooftap restaurant and just point out the Lake Palace or the Monsoon Palace while watching the movie. The was a good way to spend the first night in here. Today, I went to the City Palace with some fellow travellers. It was nice but I've recently been to other more stunning palaces or forts the past few days. It was crowded and just average. Later that afternoon we headed to the Monsoon Palace up the mountain. The palace has been abandoned but the view from that mountain was stunning. I wish I could have stayed there longer. We watched the sunset and the lights slowly light up. Earlier today, we called to see if we could have lunch or dinner at the Lake Palace. I'm told that the rooms are about $600 to $1000 a night. They told us that lunch was 2,500 rupees for lunch plus tax and 3,500 rupees for dinner plus tax per person...too much for my blood. I also was told that the restaurant was already booked for the whole month. Which means that even if I was willing to pay, I still could go. I hate places like that...they make me sometimes feel so small. Tomorrow will be my last day in Udaipur. I've already schedule a half day horse riding excursion around the countryside in the morning. I'm looking forward to that. I'm should be back in the hotel around one or two. The rest of the afternoon I hope to just chill and get ready for my next stop...Chittor or Bundi or both. I'll decide tomorrow evening....Joeywww.ashtangi.net/blogs/RTM
This whole traveling thing is exhausting. I'm having a great time but Rajasthan is so amazing that there is so many place to see and things to do. My plans keep constantly changing too. I'm not sure what I'm going to do next.
A couple of days ago, I was in Mt. Abu. It was a nice place...something like Ooty but nothing spectacular. The downside to seeing amazing places is that when you see something good, it becomes a waste of your time. It's hard not to compare one place to another. I was planning of staying in Mt. Abu for one day but I spent one afternoon and decide to leave the following day for Udaipur...good decision.
I got to Udaipur yesterday afternoon and walked around a bit. There is something special about this place. I'm glad I'm here. Last night we watched the James Bond movie "Octopussy". I've seen it a long long time ago so I didn't really remember the story. A good number of restaurants here show the movie every night because a good chunk of that movie was filmed here in Udaipur. It was actually cool seeing the movie on a rooftap restaurant and just point out the Lake Palace or the Monsoon Palace while watching the movie. The was a good way to spend the first night in here.
Today, I went to the City Palace with some fellow travellers. It was nice but I've recently been to other more stunning palaces or forts the past few days. It was crowded and just average. Later that afternoon we headed to the Monsoon Palace up the mountain. The palace has been abandoned but the view from that mountain was stunning. I wish I could have stayed there longer. We watched the sunset and the lights slowly light up.
Earlier today, we called to see if we could have lunch or dinner at the Lake Palace. I'm told that the rooms are about $600 to $1000 a night. They told us that lunch was 2,500 rupees for lunch plus tax and 3,500 rupees for dinner plus tax per person...too much for my blood. I also was told that the restaurant was already booked for the whole month. Which means that even if I was willing to pay, I still could go. I hate places like that...they make me sometimes feel so small.
Tomorrow will be my last day in Udaipur. I've already schedule a half day horse riding excursion around the countryside in the morning. I'm looking forward to that. I'm should be back in the hotel around one or two. The rest of the afternoon I hope to just chill and get ready for my next stop...Chittor or Bundi or both. I'll decide tomorrow evening.
Jodphur In A Daytag:blogs.ashtangi.net,2007:/RTM//5.69982007-12-24T11:55:12Z2007-12-24T12:17:04ZI only alloted a full day to check out Jodphur. I booked a train from Mt. Abu early tomorrow morning so I wanted to do the 3 major sites in about 4 or 5 hours. First stop was the Meherangarh Fort where the maharajah of Jodphur use to live. I could see it from the rooftop restaurant in my hotel. It's massive and impressive from a distance...it's amazingly stunning and beautiful up close. I spent two hours touring the fort. The audio tour was good and informative...one of the better audio tours I've ever done. If the only thing I saw in Jodphur was the Meherangarth...my stop in Jodphur was well worth it. It's very different from the Jaisalmer Fort...more elegant in a way and well kept. I stayed in a hotel in the Jaisalmer Fort and there were many hotels, restaurants and shops inside. The Meherangarh was primarily for sightseeing, there were a few shops but it was more organized and less chaotic. I wanted to stay longer but I had contracted a ricksaw driver to take me to a couple other places. The next stop was the Jaswant Thada...a milky white marble memorial a kilometer from the Meherangarh. It was a nice place but nothing compared to the fort. From a distance, I could see the Umaid Bhawan Palace and Museum. That was my last stop. It was a huge and beautiful palace but from some reason I wasn't too impressived...I wasn't feeling the place. I met a few travellers from Hong Kong at the Jaswant Thada. They told me that to skip Chittorgarh from Udaipur and head to Bundi instead before heading to Pushkar. They told me that it's a must see. They were the second group of people who told me to go. My plans are constantly changing...in a good way but I my have to take another day from my trip to Pushkar or Udaipur...decisions, decisions, decisions...it's a great feeling though...having all these great choices. I know I'm going to be exhausted when I get to Mysore. I'll need a vacation from my vacation... My stay in Jodphur is short and straight to the point. It was worth the stop. I'm sure there are more things to do but I'm ready to move on. My train for Mt. Abu is at 5:30AM tomorrow. I hope to sleep early tonight....Joeywww.ashtangi.net/blogs/RTM
I only alloted a full day to check out Jodphur. I booked a train from Mt. Abu early tomorrow morning so I wanted to do the 3 major sites in about 4 or 5 hours. First stop was the Meherangarh Fort where the maharajah of Jodphur use to live. I could see it from the rooftop restaurant in my hotel. It's massive and impressive from a distance...it's amazingly stunning and beautiful up close. I spent two hours touring the fort. The audio tour was good and informative...one of the better audio tours I've ever done. If the only thing I saw in Jodphur was the Meherangarth...my stop in Jodphur was well worth it. It's very different from the Jaisalmer Fort...more elegant in a way and well kept. I stayed in a hotel in the Jaisalmer Fort and there were many hotels, restaurants and shops inside. The Meherangarh was primarily for sightseeing, there were a few shops but it was more organized and less chaotic. I wanted to stay longer but I had contracted a ricksaw driver to take me to a couple other places.
The next stop was the Jaswant Thada...a milky white marble memorial a kilometer from the Meherangarh. It was a nice place but nothing compared to the fort. From a distance, I could see the Umaid Bhawan Palace and Museum. That was my last stop. It was a huge and beautiful palace but from some reason I wasn't too impressived...I wasn't feeling the place.
I met a few travellers from Hong Kong at the Jaswant Thada. They told me that to skip Chittorgarh from Udaipur and head to Bundi instead before heading to Pushkar. They told me that it's a must see. They were the second group of people who told me to go. My plans are constantly changing...in a good way but I my have to take another day from my trip to Pushkar or Udaipur...decisions, decisions, decisions...it's a great feeling though...having all these great choices. I know I'm going to be exhausted when I get to Mysore. I'll need a vacation from my vacation...
My stay in Jodphur is short and straight to the point. It was worth the stop. I'm sure there are more things to do but I'm ready to move on. My train for Mt. Abu is at 5:30AM tomorrow. I hope to sleep early tonight.
Long Road Ahead...tag:blogs.ashtangi.net,2007:/RTM//5.69962007-12-23T13:44:48Z2007-12-24T04:00:12ZIt's been a while since my last post and there's been a lot of good things that happened before I left Mysore 8 days ago. The last two weeks in Mysore was crazy busy in a very good way. I did Narasima's philosophy and sutra class every morning and did the chanting class in the afternoon. I was driving to the city twice a day...that was exhausting but well worth it. The philosophy class really help me understand what I've been going through. I felt everything but didn't know how to verbalize it. I learned so much in those two weeks, some of it stuck and some of it was just way over my head...it's all good though. There were two things that really stuck. For the longest time, I been concerned about the road ahead. I would make plans for the near future but it would never stick and then another one but it still wouldn't stick. Nothing made any sense. It reach a point about a month ago...I no longer saw a road ahead. All I knew was the step ahead and beyond that was a total mystery. I asked myself many times..."am I going to go through life blind?" It's a scary thought...not knowing what life has in store for you. I was not brought up this way...it doesn't make any sense. One day in class Narasima said, "Yoga is a pathless path." He elaborated beautifully but that one sentence hit me like a brick. I'm fine with where I am and what I'm doing. It's a scary thing...this yoga path, but deep inside me this is what I want to do...this is my path...this is my passion...this is where I want to be...this is my destiny... The other thing that he talked about was how the east and the west view things. I won't go into details but the gist of it was...In the west, it's either black or white and in Indian it's all grey. I've been struggling with this for a long time. I was brought up to think of things in terms of black or white and wrong or right. At some point in my life, I started to see things in terms of grey and what I once thought of as black or white is now simply grey. This is important to me because I've realized that there is no point in discussing things when that person look at things as black or white and you're looking at it as grey...it's a stupid discussion and something I should simply avoid. We discussed a whole variety of things which I'm still trying to soak in and make sense of. One thing is for sure...I have so much more to learn...I haven't even scratched the surface. The last day at the shala was surprising. It was a Friday led class. There were still over 60 people at the shala. I had expected that it would have thinned out by then. The energy was great and we all applauded Saraswati at the end of class. She did an amazing job running the shala alone. Outside the shala at the coconut stand, I stayed as long as I could. I didn't want to leave Mysore...I wasn't alone. I did tell Saraswati that I would see her in January though and she just smiled. I left Mysore early Saturday morning the day after the last day for Bangalore. From Bangalore, I took my flight to Jaipur and spent about two days there. I visited the forts and did some sightseeing but for the most part, I didn't care much about Jaipur. One thing I loved about Jaipur though was the Lassiwala on MI Road...best lassi in the world...since 1944. I can't wait to get some on my way back to Bangalore. It's penned in my calendar...January 2, 2008. I left Jaipur last Monday evening and took a sleeper train to Jaisalmer. The train was suppose to leave midnight but we didn't leave the train station until 1:30AM...it was freaking cold in the train station and I didn't have enough warm clothing. We didn't get to Jaisalmer until 4PM the following day. I was starving on the train because I skipped breakfast thinking we'll be in by noon...big mistake. I wanted to ask my fellow passenger if I could buy some of their food but resisted. When we got to the Jaisalmer train station, I made a B-line to the nearest food stall and grabbed some cookies to hold me over. My last meal was the night before. I met a fellow traveller in Jaipur and we decided to stay in the same hotel in Jaisalmer. We reserved a room in the Ganesh Guest House inside the fort. The rooms were sweet and we paid only 350 rupees....Joeywww.ashtangi.net/blogs/RTM
It's been a while since my last post and there's been a lot of good things that happened before I left Mysore 8 days ago. The last two weeks in Mysore was crazy busy in a very good way. I did Narasima's philosophy and sutra class every morning and did the chanting class in the afternoon. I was driving to the city twice a day...that was exhausting but well worth it. The philosophy class really help me understand what I've been going through. I felt everything but didn't know how to verbalize it. I learned so much in those two weeks, some of it stuck and some of it was just way over my head...it's all good though. There were two things that really stuck.
For the longest time, I been concerned about the road ahead. I would make plans for the near future but it would never stick and then another one but it still wouldn't stick. Nothing made any sense. It reach a point about a month ago...I no longer saw a road ahead. All I knew was the step ahead and beyond that was a total mystery. I asked myself many times..."am I going to go through life blind?" It's a scary thought...not knowing what life has in store for you. I was not brought up this way...it doesn't make any sense. One day in class Narasima said, "Yoga is a pathless path." He elaborated beautifully but that one sentence hit me like a brick. I'm fine with where I am and what I'm doing. It's a scary thing...this yoga path, but deep inside me this is what I want to do...this is my path...this is my passion...this is where I want to be...this is my destiny...
The other thing that he talked about was how the east and the west view things. I won't go into details but the gist of it was...In the west, it's either black or white and in Indian it's all grey. I've been struggling with this for a long time. I was brought up to think of things in terms of black or white and wrong or right. At some point in my life, I started to see things in terms of grey and what I once thought of as black or white is now simply grey. This is important to me because I've realized that there is no point in discussing things when that person look at things as black or white and you're looking at it as grey...it's a stupid discussion and something I should simply avoid. We discussed a whole variety of things which I'm still trying to soak in and make sense of. One thing is for sure...I have so much more to learn...I haven't even scratched the surface.
The last day at the shala was surprising. It was a Friday led class. There were still over 60 people at the shala. I had expected that it would have thinned out by then. The energy was great and we all applauded Saraswati at the end of class. She did an amazing job running the shala alone. Outside the shala at the coconut stand, I stayed as long as I could. I didn't want to leave Mysore...I wasn't alone. I did tell Saraswati that I would see her in January though and she just smiled.
I left Mysore early Saturday morning the day after the last day for Bangalore. From Bangalore, I took my flight to Jaipur and spent about two days there. I visited the forts and did some sightseeing but for the most part, I didn't care much about Jaipur. One thing I loved about Jaipur though was the Lassiwala on MI Road...best lassi in the world...since 1944. I can't wait to get some on my way back to Bangalore. It's penned in my calendar...January 2, 2008.
I left Jaipur last Monday evening and took a sleeper train to Jaisalmer. The train was suppose to leave midnight but we didn't leave the train station until 1:30AM...it was freaking cold in the train station and I didn't have enough warm clothing. We didn't get to Jaisalmer until 4PM the following day. I was starving on the train because I skipped breakfast thinking we'll be in by noon...big mistake. I wanted to ask my fellow passenger if I could buy some of their food but resisted. When we got to the Jaisalmer train station, I made a B-line to the nearest food stall and grabbed some cookies to hold me over. My last meal was the night before.
I met a fellow traveller in Jaipur and we decided to stay in the same hotel in Jaisalmer. We reserved a room in the Ganesh Guest House inside the fort. The rooms were sweet and we paid only 350 rupees. I stayed in a crap room in Jaipur and paid 1,250 rupees...what a rip off. Let me say one more thing before I continue...OMG...Jaisalmer is an amazing place...love at first sight. I decided to stay a day longer than plan. A beautiful fort in the middle of the desert...breathtaking.
My love affair with the fort was short lived because we booked a two day two night camel safari the following morning. My travel companion had to leave on Friday so we had to do the safari immediately. I would have wanted to soak it in a bit but I knew I would stay for two more in the fort so it was all good.
On Wednesday morning, Chris and I met up the rest of the crew and headed to the desert to meet up with our camels. There were 8 of us doing the safari. We were on the camels for about 4 hours each day...two hours from around 10 to 12 and around 2:30 to 4PM. We camped beside the sand dunes...they were amazingly beautiful. We ran around the sand dunes...it's great fun...and the sunset...OMG!!! At night we hung out the camp fire and got to know my fellow safari mates. One thing I've learned on this safari is that you realize how little you've travel when you start meeting other travellers...it's very humbling. We slept under the stars...no tents just scorpions...our guide told us that the scorpions don't come out during the winter so we would like to believe that they were under us keeping warm. It was a great time and I learned so much about myself. Camping in the desert for two nights is definitely not within my comfort zone. The thought of not being able to take a shower for two days was difficult but I survived it and I would do it again.
I spent last Friday and Saturday sightseeing in the fort and surrounding areas. I met some really cool people...a group of New Yorkers and an Indian family from Mumbai. I was a little worried about travelling alone but now I'm glad, I did this trip alone. I could have easily stayed another day in Jaisalmer...I love that place.
I left Jaisalmer on a 10AM bus this morning. I'm glad I arrived in the bus station early. The bus was packed like a sardine can. I was fine with it though. I arrived in Jodphur around 4PM and checked in my hotel. I'm not feeling the vibe here...felt like Jaipur. I met a couple of Americans during dinner and they said they were heading to Mt. Abu tomorrow. I was supposed to go there but I was told that it was too cold to go. They're from Colorado so they said, "How cold can it be?" My landlady kept telling me before I left that I should go to Mt. Abu but ditched that idea when I was talking to other travellers in Jaisalmer about Mt. Abu...too cold. Since I don't care much of Jodphur, I decided head to Mt. Abu the day after tomorrow. I'm told that the fort in Jodphur is a must see and worth it...beyond that, I would rather be away from the hustle and buzzle of Jodphur. It's late and I have a long day ahead of me...ciao...
Beautifultag:blogs.ashtangi.net,2007:/RTM//5.69362007-11-27T04:37:12Z2007-11-27T05:11:19ZI spent the last few days checking for the best airline ticket I could get from my trip to Jaipur. In previous years, I would just go to Air Deccan's website and book it online. I tired to get it from them again this year since they had the best price but the website would just freeze. I finally spoke to Ganesh and he told me that Air Deccan is no longer allowing anyone with a foreign Visa or Mastercard purchase a ticket. It's their way of telling foreigners that we have to go to the travel agent and pay more...that sucks. I was hoping to get a ticket for under 8,000 rupees but the best price on-line was on Air Deccan for 9,000 rupees. I called the travel agent and they told me that their best price was 10,000 rupees. That's just great...I have to pay an extra 1,000 rupees for being a foreigner. I spent most of the day trying to decide on whether I should still go to Rajasthan or maybe some place closer. It's peak season in Rajasthan at the moment so I expect the hotels to be more expensive too. The fact that the dollar is so weak has not helped me. I thought about doing a Vipassana in Mumbai instead. A couple of friends were just there and they loved it. The flights to Mumbai are much cheaper too and the Vipassana is by donation. Kerela was another option too. I even thought about taking the train instead but I don't think I'd enjoy sitting on a train for two days. In the end I gave in and paid the 10,000 rupees for the ticket to Jaipur...ouch!!! A few days ago the memory of a little girl came up. In begining, I couldn't figure out why I even thought about her. I must have been around 4 or 5 years old when I knew her. She was my neighbor and according to my parents we played together. I don't have any memory of us playing together but I remember seeing a picture of the two of us together years later. I remember being told that she was my beautiful "girlfriend"...for God's sake, I was only 4 or 5 years old. The only other memory I have of her is that one day I was told that she drowned in swimming pool in their house and died. At that age I didn't even know what death was all about. I've been trying to maintain my daily meditation practice. I've only miss one morning practice and one evening practice since our last class. There are days when doing the 20 minutes or more is easy and there are days when I barely make it...oh well. My mind is a lot more quiet now than when I first start. Various thoughts and memories are slowly starting to surface. Being left alone with my thoughts is not so bad. I've been spending a lot of time alone too. It's also helped me be more focus during my asana practice. I don't know where this meditation practice will lead to but I hope to keep it. I've come to realize that my perception of was is beautiful was planted in my mind at a very very young age. I wonder what other memories would surface......Joeywww.ashtangi.net/blogs/RTM
I spent the last few days checking for the best airline ticket I could get from my trip to Jaipur. In previous years, I would just go to Air Deccan's website and book it online. I tired to get it from them again this year since they had the best price but the website would just freeze. I finally spoke to Ganesh and he told me that Air Deccan is no longer allowing anyone with a foreign Visa or Mastercard purchase a ticket. It's their way of telling foreigners that we have to go to the travel agent and pay more...that sucks. I was hoping to get a ticket for under 8,000 rupees but the best price on-line was on Air Deccan for 9,000 rupees. I called the travel agent and they told me that their best price was 10,000 rupees. That's just great...I have to pay an extra 1,000 rupees for being a foreigner.
I spent most of the day trying to decide on whether I should still go to Rajasthan or maybe some place closer. It's peak season in Rajasthan at the moment so I expect the hotels to be more expensive too. The fact that the dollar is so weak has not helped me. I thought about doing a Vipassana in Mumbai instead. A couple of friends were just there and they loved it. The flights to Mumbai are much cheaper too and the Vipassana is by donation. Kerela was another option too. I even thought about taking the train instead but I don't think I'd enjoy sitting on a train for two days. In the end I gave in and paid the 10,000 rupees for the ticket to Jaipur...ouch!!!
A few days ago the memory of a little girl came up. In begining, I couldn't figure out why I even thought about her. I must have been around 4 or 5 years old when I knew her. She was my neighbor and according to my parents we played together. I don't have any memory of us playing together but I remember seeing a picture of the two of us together years later. I remember being told that she was my beautiful "girlfriend"...for God's sake, I was only 4 or 5 years old. The only other memory I have of her is that one day I was told that she drowned in swimming pool in their house and died. At that age I didn't even know what death was all about.
I've been trying to maintain my daily meditation practice. I've only miss one morning practice and one evening practice since our last class. There are days when doing the 20 minutes or more is easy and there are days when I barely make it...oh well. My mind is a lot more quiet now than when I first start. Various thoughts and memories are slowly starting to surface. Being left alone with my thoughts is not so bad. I've been spending a lot of time alone too. It's also helped me be more focus during my asana practice. I don't know where this meditation practice will lead to but I hope to keep it.
I've come to realize that my perception of was is beautiful was planted in my mind at a very very young age. I wonder what other memories would surface...
Chocolate Banana Caketag:blogs.ashtangi.net,2007:/RTM//5.69332007-11-25T14:47:35Z2007-11-25T15:05:56ZSo what do you do a lazy Sunday afternoon in Mysore...bake a chocolate banana cake... A few days ago I had breakfast with Pam and Jake. I asked Jake if he can bake me the cake he did last weekend. He said, "no problem" but Pam said, "why don't you make it yourself. we'll give you the base recipe and you can throw in what ever you want it in." Pam planted the seed in my head and in the next days that followed I kept thinking about my cake. I use to bake a gazellion years ago but I no longer have any of my recipes. This morning Jake gave me his base recipe and suggested that I throw this and that. He said he never bakes the same thing because he never measures and throws in whatever he feels like. He knows what the consistency would be and when he got there, he would just pop it in the oven. I'm a familiar with the consistency so I thought...what the heck... This afternoon, I gathered all the ingredients. I decided to throw in chocolate, coconut powder, flax seeds and cinnamon. I had to throw in the cinnamon because after going to 3 different stores I found it. It's easy to get cinnamon sticks here but apparently they don't use it in powder form. I was a little worried about how is would come out since I haven't bake in a long time and my kitchen equipment is a little primitive. I told Shoba, my landlady that if it came out well, I would bring her a few pieces. If you don't get any then you know what happened. So let me tell you how it came out...tumba chana gee-de!!! Tomorrow...coconut oatmeal raisin cookies.......Joeywww.ashtangi.net/blogs/RTM
So what do you do a lazy Sunday afternoon in Mysore...bake a chocolate banana cake...
A few days ago I had breakfast with Pam and Jake. I asked Jake if he can bake me the cake he did last weekend. He said, "no problem" but Pam said, "why don't you make it yourself. we'll give you the base recipe and you can throw in what ever you want it in." Pam planted the seed in my head and in the next days that followed I kept thinking about my cake. I use to bake a gazellion years ago but I no longer have any of my recipes.
This morning Jake gave me his base recipe and suggested that I throw this and that. He said he never bakes the same thing because he never measures and throws in whatever he feels like. He knows what the consistency would be and when he got there, he would just pop it in the oven. I'm a familiar with the consistency so I thought...what the heck...
This afternoon, I gathered all the ingredients. I decided to throw in chocolate, coconut powder, flax seeds and cinnamon. I had to throw in the cinnamon because after going to 3 different stores I found it. It's easy to get cinnamon sticks here but apparently they don't use it in powder form. I was a little worried about how is would come out since I haven't bake in a long time and my kitchen equipment is a little primitive. I told Shoba, my landlady that if it came out well, I would bring her a few pieces. If you don't get any then you know what happened. So let me tell you how it came out...tumba chana gee-de!!!
Tomorrow...coconut oatmeal raisin cookies....
Road to Rajasthantag:blogs.ashtangi.net,2007:/RTM//5.69182007-11-20T06:02:06Z2007-11-20T06:03:51ZMaintaining a daily meditation practice has not been as easy as I had expected. It’s easy to get distracted and finding the time is sometimes tricky. So far I’ve been consistent. I hope to keep it up and make it a part of me. I’m already feeling the benefits. I’m much calmer and few things seem to bother me. Narasima did warn us that we will hit some plateaus and encouraged us to keep going. It’s part of the whole practice, just like the asana practice. I’ve finally started the process of planning my trip to Rajasthan. The more I read about the places to see and things to do the more anxious I am to leave. I’ve been told by a lot of friends that it’s an amazing place. The 3 weeks I have pegged to go will barely scratch the surface. I will probably leave the day the shala closes on December 14 and return on January 4 or 5, before the shala reopens. I was hoping to convince some friends to travel with me but most of them are heading to Goa…been there, done that…nothing to be excited about. I think I will end up traveling, alone which is fine, but it would be more fun to travel with someone…oh well. The shala is starting to fill up. There seems to be 2 to 4 new faces arriving each day…let me take that back, mostly old faces are arriving each day and a few new faces. It’s great to see some of them. Yesterday, Sharmila (Sharath’s sister) showed up. She assisted Saraswati in the led class. It was nice to see her. I had the chance to chat with her a bit. I got to know her well last year when we rode the train together from Bangalore to Mysore. She was instrumental in making our Bollywood dance happen last year. I asked her if she was going to help her mom in the next 3 weeks. She said she was only here for the weekend and that she couldn’t leave her own classes in Bangalore. She will be visiting Mysore as often as possible to visit Guruji and help her mom....Joeywww.ashtangi.net/blogs/RTM
Maintaining a daily meditation practice has not been as easy as I had expected. It’s easy to get distracted and finding the time is sometimes tricky. So far I’ve been consistent. I hope to keep it up and make it a part of me. I’m already feeling the benefits. I’m much calmer and few things seem to bother me. Narasima did warn us that we will hit some plateaus and encouraged us to keep going. It’s part of the whole practice, just like the asana practice.
I’ve finally started the process of planning my trip to Rajasthan. The more I read about the places to see and things to do the more anxious I am to leave. I’ve been told by a lot of friends that it’s an amazing place. The 3 weeks I have pegged to go will barely scratch the surface. I will probably leave the day the shala closes on December 14 and return on January 4 or 5, before the shala reopens. I was hoping to convince some friends to travel with me but most of them are heading to Goa…been there, done that…nothing to be excited about. I think I will end up traveling, alone which is fine, but it would be more fun to travel with someone…oh well.
The shala is starting to fill up. There seems to be 2 to 4 new faces arriving each day…let me take that back, mostly old faces are arriving each day and a few new faces. It’s great to see some of them.
Yesterday, Sharmila (Sharath’s sister) showed up. She assisted Saraswati in the led class. It was nice to see her. I had the chance to chat with her a bit. I got to know her well last year when we rode the train together from Bangalore to Mysore. She was instrumental in making our Bollywood dance happen last year. I asked her if she was going to help her mom in the next 3 weeks. She said she was only here for the weekend and that she couldn’t leave her own classes in Bangalore. She will be visiting Mysore as often as possible to visit Guruji and help her mom.
Europe 2009tag:blogs.ashtangi.net,2007:/RTM//5.69002007-11-17T08:49:03Z2007-11-17T09:44:30ZToday was our the last day of our meditation class. I'm sad it's over. I really enjoyed the way Narasima explained everything. He makes it very simple and understandable. He never tries to use big words to try impress us. He is a simple and humble man. I think that's what makes him incredible. In contrast, a lot of western yoga teachers like to talk big, act like they're enlightened and pretend they're humble but you can see through them...full of BS. He is a rare man, full of knowledge and never selfish. Our class was suppose to end at 10AM but we all kept asking him questions...trying to squeeze every bit of wisdom. At some point you realize that it would take a lifetime to achieve that. He told us that in 15 days we would have a follow up/check up class. From here on in, it's up to use to maintain a daily meditation practice...20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the evening. I'm confident I could do it. Last night I went to Elena's for dinner. I arrived an hour early so I could help and watch her make the pasta sauce. Ever since Gabriele made pasta for me last year, I've been obsesed with pasta. What can I say...these Italians, when it comes to pasta...they're amazing. I help her cut the vegetable and watched diligently. I can't believe how simple it was. She gave me a few tips on how to enhance the flavor of the meal. I told her, "I can do this." She replied with her Italian accent (love that accent by the way), "Of course you can!!!" I stuffed myself last night...yummm...very simple but amazing. There is nothing like a homemade Italian meal. Jillian told me during dinner last night, "Your like a food magnet. Where there is good food, your there." I smile but couldn't say anything...it was true. The past few days, I've been regularly walking around the lake. I noticed that there are more birds and a larger variety. I particularly like the eagles that glide by so effortless. On those long walks, I've reflected on what I really want to do with my life. When I first came to Mysore, I promised myself that I would come every year for the next five years. Next year will be my 5th year and as much as I would like to come every year for the rest of my life, there is more out there that I want to experience. Recently, I've been spending a lot of time with various Europeans...they facinate me. My trip to Rome this year was my first trip to Europe...I loved it and want more. I know at some point I want to spend a substantial time in Europe the way I spend time here Mysore. Not just travelling around but staying in a city for 3 to 6 months at a time. I spoke to Elena about it last night. See gave me some insights. I know it won't happen next year because it's still Mysore in 2008 but in the next 2 to 3 years, I want head to Europe and stay there indefinitely. I don't know exactly what I'm going to do. All I know is that at some point, I'm going to say, "f@#k it, Europe here I come." Pick up whatever odd job I can get, move from one country to another, learn one language after another and immerse myself. I know it can be done. I need find the courage to do it. I also need to figure out what I need to give up/let go to make it happen...Europe 2009!!!...Joeywww.ashtangi.net/blogs/RTM
Today was our the last day of our meditation class. I'm sad it's over. I really enjoyed the way Narasima explained everything. He makes it very simple and understandable. He never tries to use big words to try impress us. He is a simple and humble man. I think that's what makes him incredible. In contrast, a lot of western yoga teachers like to talk big, act like they're enlightened and pretend they're humble but you can see through them...full of BS. He is a rare man, full of knowledge and never selfish.
Our class was suppose to end at 10AM but we all kept asking him questions...trying to squeeze every bit of wisdom. At some point you realize that it would take a lifetime to achieve that. He told us that in 15 days we would have a follow up/check up class. From here on in, it's up to use to maintain a daily meditation practice...20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the evening. I'm confident I could do it.
Last night I went to Elena's for dinner. I arrived an hour early so I could help and watch her make the pasta sauce. Ever since Gabriele made pasta for me last year, I've been obsesed with pasta. What can I say...these Italians, when it comes to pasta...they're amazing. I help her cut the vegetable and watched diligently. I can't believe how simple it was. She gave me a few tips on how to enhance the flavor of the meal. I told her, "I can do this." She replied with her Italian accent (love that accent by the way), "Of course you can!!!" I stuffed myself last night...yummm...very simple but amazing. There is nothing like a homemade Italian meal.
Jillian told me during dinner last night, "Your like a food magnet. Where there is good food, your there." I smile but couldn't say anything...it was true.
The past few days, I've been regularly walking around the lake. I noticed that there are more birds and a larger variety. I particularly like the eagles that glide by so effortless. On those long walks, I've reflected on what I really want to do with my life. When I first came to Mysore, I promised myself that I would come every year for the next five years. Next year will be my 5th year and as much as I would like to come every year for the rest of my life, there is more out there that I want to experience.
Recently, I've been spending a lot of time with various Europeans...they facinate me. My trip to Rome this year was my first trip to Europe...I loved it and want more. I know at some point I want to spend a substantial time in Europe the way I spend time here Mysore. Not just travelling around but staying in a city for 3 to 6 months at a time. I spoke to Elena about it last night. See gave me some insights. I know it won't happen next year because it's still Mysore in 2008 but in the next 2 to 3 years, I want head to Europe and stay there indefinitely. I don't know exactly what I'm going to do. All I know is that at some point, I'm going to say, "f@#k it, Europe here I come." Pick up whatever odd job I can get, move from one country to another, learn one language after another and immerse myself. I know it can be done. I need find the courage to do it. I also need to figure out what I need to give up/let go to make it happen...Europe 2009!!!
Second Meditation Classtag:blogs.ashtangi.net,2007:/RTM//5.68942007-11-15T13:52:03Z2007-11-15T14:52:24ZI did my second meditation class today. I'm really enjoying the meditation technique I'm learning. I'm normally the type of person who cannot stay put. Since yesterday, I've practiced it 3 times alone and once more in class. It's really simple. We were all given mantras to repeat in our minds. He recommends that we should meditate for 20 minutes each time. The first time I did it alone, I did it for 20 minutes. The second I did it only for 19 minutes. That was because I kept thinking about not being late for class today. This evening, I did it for 25 minutes. He doesn't want us to meditate too long alone because we're beginners and we're not in a controlled enviroment. When he let's us meditate in class he is constantly watching us. It may be too soon to speak on what kind of impact this meditation has on me but at the moment, I feel relax and at peace with myself. I want to include this to be part of my practice so I don't want to get overly excited. My mind is constantly going in a million direction, hopefully I can slow it down a bit. I got an email from a friend of mine a few days ago. He asked me how this trip is different from all my prior trips. I think the most significant difference about this trip from other trips are the people I've been meeting and spending time with. There are generally three types of people you meet in Mysore...people who are passing through, acquaintances and people who would have a significant impact in your life, the true friendships. In priors trips I was lucky enough to make a lot of good friends who to this day I still keep in touch with. I could be wrong and it may be too early to say but most of the people I've met recently fall in the first two categories. There may be a handful of people I've recently met who may turn out to be one of the latter. At the moment, that remains to be seen...only time will tell. Experience has taught me not to expect too much....Joeywww.ashtangi.net/blogs/RTM
I did my second meditation class today. I'm really enjoying the meditation technique I'm learning. I'm normally the type of person who cannot stay put. Since yesterday, I've practiced it 3 times alone and once more in class. It's really simple. We were all given mantras to repeat in our minds. He recommends that we should meditate for 20 minutes each time. The first time I did it alone, I did it for 20 minutes. The second I did it only for 19 minutes. That was because I kept thinking about not being late for class today. This evening, I did it for 25 minutes. He doesn't want us to meditate too long alone because we're beginners and we're not in a controlled enviroment. When he let's us meditate in class he is constantly watching us.
It may be too soon to speak on what kind of impact this meditation has on me but at the moment, I feel relax and at peace with myself. I want to include this to be part of my practice so I don't want to get overly excited. My mind is constantly going in a million direction, hopefully I can slow it down a bit.
I got an email from a friend of mine a few days ago. He asked me how this trip is different from all my prior trips. I think the most significant difference about this trip from other trips are the people I've been meeting and spending time with. There are generally three types of people you meet in Mysore...people who are passing through, acquaintances and people who would have a significant impact in your life, the true friendships. In priors trips I was lucky enough to make a lot of good friends who to this day I still keep in touch with. I could be wrong and it may be too early to say but most of the people I've met recently fall in the first two categories. There may be a handful of people I've recently met who may turn out to be one of the latter. At the moment, that remains to be seen...only time will tell. Experience has taught me not to expect too much.
Meditation Classtag:blogs.ashtangi.net,2007:/RTM//5.68892007-11-14T15:10:19Z2007-11-14T15:28:38ZToday I started a four day meditation class with Narasima. I've been wanting to do it cause I heard some good feedback from other. One of my friends told me that it's help her asana practice tremendously. The class start at 9AM. He request that each of us bring flowers, fruits and the white hankerchief for the puja. Why the white hankerchief? I don't know and I didn't bother to ask...maybe later. The class started with a short puja in a very small puja. There were 8 student and we barely fit in that room. After that, we spoke to us one at a time and gave us a mantra to remember. I asked him if I was suppose to know what my mantra meant. He said "no" but I think he might tell at the end of course. When we returned to the classroom, he let us fill out some forms. It was just basic questions like what we expected, if we had ever done any other meditation techniques and etc... Then he explained the techniques and let us apply it for 25 minutes. I was worried I would pass out because I normally take a nap at around this time. The meditation technique made me instantly relax and thank God it didn't put me to sleep. It was a very simple technique but had a strong impact on me. Time just flew by. I was absolutely at peace with myself. I'm supposed to practice the technique tonight before I sleep and tomorrow morning before heading to class. So far so good. I'm looking forward to class tomorrow....Joeywww.ashtangi.net/blogs/RTM
Today I started a four day meditation class with Narasima. I've been wanting to do it cause I heard some good feedback from other. One of my friends told me that it's help her asana practice tremendously. The class start at 9AM. He request that each of us bring flowers, fruits and the white hankerchief for the puja. Why the white hankerchief? I don't know and I didn't bother to ask...maybe later.
The class started with a short puja in a very small puja. There were 8 student and we barely fit in that room. After that, we spoke to us one at a time and gave us a mantra to remember. I asked him if I was suppose to know what my mantra meant. He said "no" but I think he might tell at the end of course.
When we returned to the classroom, he let us fill out some forms. It was just basic questions like what we expected, if we had ever done any other meditation techniques and etc... Then he explained the techniques and let us apply it for 25 minutes. I was worried I would pass out because I normally take a nap at around this time. The meditation technique made me instantly relax and thank God it didn't put me to sleep. It was a very simple technique but had a strong impact on me. Time just flew by. I was absolutely at peace with myself. I'm supposed to practice the technique tonight before I sleep and tomorrow morning before heading to class. So far so good. I'm looking forward to class tomorrow.
Expect the Unexpectedtag:blogs.ashtangi.net,2007:/RTM//5.68762007-11-09T05:48:18Z2007-11-09T07:01:22ZI woke up at around 9:30 this morning. I don't remember the last time I've slept in this late. Normally on moondays and Saturdays I would still wake up before 7AM. I'm a morning person. Last night, I met up with some friends and went dancing at High Octane. It was hip hop night. We danced till it closed at 11PM and heading to the Metropole for a late night snack. I ended up getting home at around 1AM. I'm normally asleep at 9PM so I was way past my bedtime. I need more nights like this. This trip has been an unsual one in very many different levels. I'm not sure I even know how to express myself at the moment. I think the title of this blog entry explains everything. I expected a lot of things in this trip that never happen but there are a lot of things that have happened which I never expected. I am constantly surprising myself. I know I'm being very vague but I'm not sure how or if I will ever be able to express what I'm going through now. For starters, a lot of the people I thought I would be spending time with in Mysore have decided to keep to themselves. I'm connecting more time with people whom I least expect. Most of my crew are going to arrive in December and January but now I doubt I may spend that much time with them. Last year I arrived with a built in group of friends. I didn't even bother to reach out to other people. This year, I tried to reconnect with those that I already know but it didn't seem very natural. Just recently, I've met a group of people who don't even practice yoga. The connection has been effortless. It's surprising because we're different in very many ways but in escense we're the same. I don't know it that makes any sense. The fact that they don't practice yoga has been a breath of fresh air. I'm tired of talking about yoga and that's what you tend to do when you're hanging out with the shala people...especially the new ones. I don't know where these friendships are heading...honestly, I don't want to know. All I know is that when I'm with them, I'm living in the present and the future is not important. My friends asked me a few days ago what my age was. I told them the truth. They all said, "Noooo!!!" They decided that I was 28. They refuse to accept my real age for whatever reason. I decided not to argue with them so from now on, I'm 28. I figured that I could either tell the truth and be called a liar or tell a lie and not be called a liar. I'm choosing the latter. I was hoping to use my time here in Mysore to reflect on where I want to go and what I want to do with my carreer/life. I thought that once I was here and I could gather all the information I need, plot my strategy and carve my own path. At the moment, I don't want to do any of that. I simply don't care about my carreer. I don't know why but my carreer at the moment is so boring and unimportant. Why would I want to spend my energy figuring how I can make more money or be more successful when I can spend my time doing nothing and being nothing...I'm tired of chasing, let the chips fall where ever it wants to fall. In the bigger picture, it doesn't really matter. If I can find peace at this very moment then why should anything else matter. I've learned that whenever I jump, I will always land with my two feet. When I left Los Angeles over a month ago, I told myself that I would work hard to get my yoga practice to where it once was. Ironically, I didn't have to work hard to get it back...it was always there. All I needed to do was to let go of all the burden I was carrying. I can't even figure out why I was carrying it in the first place. It's amazing how much crap is placed on our shoulders by society. We can either choose to carry it or just say "no". I wish I had said "no" more often. Most days I wish that I knew what the future holds for me. Today, I'm happy not knowing....Joeywww.ashtangi.net/blogs/RTM
I woke up at around 9:30 this morning. I don't remember the last time I've slept in this late. Normally on moondays and Saturdays I would still wake up before 7AM. I'm a morning person.
Last night, I met up with some friends and went dancing at High Octane. It was hip hop night. We danced till it closed at 11PM and heading to the Metropole for a late night snack. I ended up getting home at around 1AM. I'm normally asleep at 9PM so I was way past my bedtime. I need more nights like this.
This trip has been an unsual one in very many different levels. I'm not sure I even know how to express myself at the moment. I think the title of this blog entry explains everything. I expected a lot of things in this trip that never happen but there are a lot of things that have happened which I never expected. I am constantly surprising myself. I know I'm being very vague but I'm not sure how or if I will ever be able to express what I'm going through now.
For starters, a lot of the people I thought I would be spending time with in Mysore have decided to keep to themselves. I'm connecting more time with people whom I least expect. Most of my crew are going to arrive in December and January but now I doubt I may spend that much time with them. Last year I arrived with a built in group of friends. I didn't even bother to reach out to other people. This year, I tried to reconnect with those that I already know but it didn't seem very natural.
Just recently, I've met a group of people who don't even practice yoga. The connection has been effortless. It's surprising because we're different in very many ways but in escense we're the same. I don't know it that makes any sense. The fact that they don't practice yoga has been a breath of fresh air. I'm tired of talking about yoga and that's what you tend to do when you're hanging out with the shala people...especially the new ones. I don't know where these friendships are heading...honestly, I don't want to know. All I know is that when I'm with them, I'm living in the present and the future is not important.
My friends asked me a few days ago what my age was. I told them the truth. They all said, "Noooo!!!" They decided that I was 28. They refuse to accept my real age for whatever reason. I decided not to argue with them so from now on, I'm 28. I figured that I could either tell the truth and be called a liar or tell a lie and not be called a liar. I'm choosing the latter.
I was hoping to use my time here in Mysore to reflect on where I want to go and what I want to do with my carreer/life. I thought that once I was here and I could gather all the information I need, plot my strategy and carve my own path. At the moment, I don't want to do any of that. I simply don't care about my carreer. I don't know why but my carreer at the moment is so boring and unimportant. Why would I want to spend my energy figuring how I can make more money or be more successful when I can spend my time doing nothing and being nothing...I'm tired of chasing, let the chips fall where ever it wants to fall. In the bigger picture, it doesn't really matter. If I can find peace at this very moment then why should anything else matter. I've learned that whenever I jump, I will always land with my two feet.
When I left Los Angeles over a month ago, I told myself that I would work hard to get my yoga practice to where it once was. Ironically, I didn't have to work hard to get it back...it was always there. All I needed to do was to let go of all the burden I was carrying. I can't even figure out why I was carrying it in the first place. It's amazing how much crap is placed on our shoulders by society. We can either choose to carry it or just say "no". I wish I had said "no" more often.
Most days I wish that I knew what the future holds for me. Today, I'm happy not knowing.
Predictiontag:blogs.ashtangi.net,2007:/RTM//5.68702007-11-07T13:30:34Z2007-11-07T14:02:52ZToday I went to the shala to pay for my second month...time flies. It's hard to believe that my first month is already over. I spoke to Saraswati and she told that when I pay for my third month, I will get credit for the two weeks in which the shala will close. That will work perfectly with my schedule because my third month will coincide with around the time I will leave. I may extend my stay a by or two so that I will leave on my last day at the shala. I also plan to extend my trip by a week so that I will arrive in LA on the first week of February. I am not looking forward to going back to work. This is the first time I've been in India where in the US dollar is pretty low. I thought I left with a lot of money but I can see my bank balance shrinking faster than anticipate...that sucks. I need to watch what I spending from here on. I know I have enough but not as much as I had anticipated. Normally when I've been in India it's been about 43 to 45 rupees per dollar. It's currently around 38 rupees to a dollar. I've noticed that everyday I see regular students arriving. All of them are staying through February or March. The word on the street is that more of the old/regular students are arriving between now and December. Those that normally come in January are arriving a month or so before to secure a spot in the shala and avoid the chaos. I predict by the first week of December, the shala will be full and anyone arriving in January will be practicing after 6AM. It will be interesting to see what will happen in mid-January. Tina told me that last January and February, they were still serving breakfast until 1PM. I'm going to witness only a small part of the chaos and can easily avoid that because I'll be out of the shala before 7AM. It will be fun though to see some of my old friends....Joeywww.ashtangi.net/blogs/RTM
Today I went to the shala to pay for my second month...time flies. It's hard to believe that my first month is already over. I spoke to Saraswati and she told that when I pay for my third month, I will get credit for the two weeks in which the shala will close. That will work perfectly with my schedule because my third month will coincide with around the time I will leave. I may extend my stay a by or two so that I will leave on my last day at the shala. I also plan to extend my trip by a week so that I will arrive in LA on the first week of February. I am not looking forward to going back to work.
This is the first time I've been in India where in the US dollar is pretty low. I thought I left with a lot of money but I can see my bank balance shrinking faster than anticipate...that sucks. I need to watch what I spending from here on. I know I have enough but not as much as I had anticipated. Normally when I've been in India it's been about 43 to 45 rupees per dollar. It's currently around 38 rupees to a dollar.
I've noticed that everyday I see regular students arriving. All of them are staying through February or March. The word on the street is that more of the old/regular students are arriving between now and December. Those that normally come in January are arriving a month or so before to secure a spot in the shala and avoid the chaos. I predict by the first week of December, the shala will be full and anyone arriving in January will be practicing after 6AM. It will be interesting to see what will happen in mid-January. Tina told me that last January and February, they were still serving breakfast until 1PM. I'm going to witness only a small part of the chaos and can easily avoid that because I'll be out of the shala before 7AM. It will be fun though to see some of my old friends.
My Time Will Cometag:blogs.ashtangi.net,2007:/RTM//5.68582007-11-03T07:20:52Z2007-11-03T08:00:28ZLast Wednesday, I sent an email to my boss. He was in Tamil Nadu with another Tax Partner. They were very impressed with the office of another US CPA firm in India. He basically said that our firm will be opening an office in India and will be sending people from the LA office to train the India employees in early January. Unfortunately, I may not get involved in this process...oh well. I was initially disappointed when I got the news but for some reason I felt that it was not meant to be. There is a part of me that wants to get involved but there is another part of me that knows it's not my destiny. I know it has a lot to do with me terminating my status as an employee. They would rather have someone they can control...that's just the way it is. I know that it's time for me to start opening new doors but for that to happen I must close old doors. A few days a go, Elle came over and made me some Thai food...vegetable green curry. It was such a treat. I cooked a mixture of black jasmine rice and brown rice to go with it. I have to say that Thai food is my favorite food. I was in food heaven. Last night, Mirjana and I met up with Shoaib and his friends in a bar called High Octane. I was pretty impressed with the way the bar was set-up. It was nicely decorated. Shoaib had 5 European women with him...what a stud. I had a good time chatting with Shoaib's friends. We danced a bit. I wanted to dance more but Mirjana and I were not feeling the music. At around 10:30PM, we left the bar and took a scooter ride to the city. The city is so different late at night. It's so quiet and peaceful. We went along the Mysore palace, KRS circle and up Devarajas road. It was a good way to end the evening....Joeywww.ashtangi.net/blogs/RTM
Last Wednesday, I sent an email to my boss. He was in Tamil Nadu with another Tax Partner. They were very impressed with the office of another US CPA firm in India. He basically said that our firm will be opening an office in India and will be sending people from the LA office to train the India employees in early January. Unfortunately, I may not get involved in this process...oh well. I was initially disappointed when I got the news but for some reason I felt that it was not meant to be. There is a part of me that wants to get involved but there is another part of me that knows it's not my destiny. I know it has a lot to do with me terminating my status as an employee. They would rather have someone they can control...that's just the way it is. I know that it's time for me to start opening new doors but for that to happen I must close old doors.
A few days a go, Elle came over and made me some Thai food...vegetable green curry. It was such a treat. I cooked a mixture of black jasmine rice and brown rice to go with it. I have to say that Thai food is my favorite food. I was in food heaven.
Last night, Mirjana and I met up with Shoaib and his friends in a bar called High Octane. I was pretty impressed with the way the bar was set-up. It was nicely decorated. Shoaib had 5 European women with him...what a stud. I had a good time chatting with Shoaib's friends. We danced a bit. I wanted to dance more but Mirjana and I were not feeling the music.
At around 10:30PM, we left the bar and took a scooter ride to the city. The city is so different late at night. It's so quiet and peaceful. We went along the Mysore palace, KRS circle and up Devarajas road. It was a good way to end the evening.