Tuesday, November 29, 2005
the politics of waiting
your place in the mysore ashtanga hierarchy is somewhat established by what time you practice. if you practice at 5am, there is a fair chance that either your practice is advanced, you have been in mysore a long time, or have been many times, or perhaps simply you were 'lucky'.
each morning, you arrive at your designated time, you wait in the entry room, and as guruji, saraswati and sharath call "one more", you negotiate your place in the waiting queue and without offending anyone, take your place as you see fit. the 5am-ers are the non-waiting crowd, they set up their mat, chant the opening chant and begin practice. as they finish, spots become available and the waiting-crowd make their entrance. all this is a fine performance every morning. add into the mix, some egos and it becomes a process of treading on eggshells.
it is an inexact science anway, because the shala clock is 10-15 minutes faster than the actual time in india. so first, you have a choice whether to come at you appointed time according to the actual time, or according to shala time. andthen some may decide that their practice time is too late, and shuffle in casually a bit earlier. in any event, there seems to be a longing with many yogis to reach that all important start time of 5am.
i start at 6. sometimes 5.45 i arrive, if i'm feeling shala time, sometimes 6.15 i arrive, if i slept in. perhaps i'm missing the point, but i'd rather not be shifted to 5am, as then i'd have to get up an hour earlier, and its hard enough getting to bed ontime at the moment.
your place in the mysore ashtanga hierarchy is somewhat established by what time you practice. if you practice at 5am, there is a fair chance that either your practice is advanced, you have been in mysore a long time, or have been many times, or perhaps simply you were 'lucky'.
each morning, you arrive at your designated time, you wait in the entry room, and as guruji, saraswati and sharath call "one more", you negotiate your place in the waiting queue and without offending anyone, take your place as you see fit. the 5am-ers are the non-waiting crowd, they set up their mat, chant the opening chant and begin practice. as they finish, spots become available and the waiting-crowd make their entrance. all this is a fine performance every morning. add into the mix, some egos and it becomes a process of treading on eggshells.
it is an inexact science anway, because the shala clock is 10-15 minutes faster than the actual time in india. so first, you have a choice whether to come at you appointed time according to the actual time, or according to shala time. andthen some may decide that their practice time is too late, and shuffle in casually a bit earlier. in any event, there seems to be a longing with many yogis to reach that all important start time of 5am.
i start at 6. sometimes 5.45 i arrive, if i'm feeling shala time, sometimes 6.15 i arrive, if i slept in. perhaps i'm missing the point, but i'd rather not be shifted to 5am, as then i'd have to get up an hour earlier, and its hard enough getting to bed ontime at the moment.
pain is coming, pain is going
last friday, being the novice at riding passenger on motorcycles, i burnt my leg on the exhaust. this has been a challenge is a dirty india world to keep clean and healing, but more of a challenge not to scratch and scrape it in asana practice. anything demanding a right over left cross leg is near impossible, so i seem to have invented a clumsy new jumpback and a lopsided garba pindasana. today i didn't do so well in protecting the injury, and coming down from supta konasana, landed on the edge of someones mat, and scratched and scraped to the point of tears for the rest of the practice.
fear is coming, fear is going
i was standing at the top on my mat, waiting to drop back. sharath asked me 'finished?', i said 'no, still dropbacks'. he came over and stood close, and so i inhaled up and exhaled back, and smash, landed on my head. it caused a little rucus on the mats around me, concern and hilarity for a few moments. i got back up and said to sharath, maybe a little support would be good, he hadn't touched me as i went back, and he laughed and said he thought that i could do already.
after crash landing, there is realisation that no harm is coming, falling on your head is not so bad. fear is going.
last friday, being the novice at riding passenger on motorcycles, i burnt my leg on the exhaust. this has been a challenge is a dirty india world to keep clean and healing, but more of a challenge not to scratch and scrape it in asana practice. anything demanding a right over left cross leg is near impossible, so i seem to have invented a clumsy new jumpback and a lopsided garba pindasana. today i didn't do so well in protecting the injury, and coming down from supta konasana, landed on the edge of someones mat, and scratched and scraped to the point of tears for the rest of the practice.
fear is coming, fear is going
i was standing at the top on my mat, waiting to drop back. sharath asked me 'finished?', i said 'no, still dropbacks'. he came over and stood close, and so i inhaled up and exhaled back, and smash, landed on my head. it caused a little rucus on the mats around me, concern and hilarity for a few moments. i got back up and said to sharath, maybe a little support would be good, he hadn't touched me as i went back, and he laughed and said he thought that i could do already.
after crash landing, there is realisation that no harm is coming, falling on your head is not so bad. fear is going.
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
every morning i drift in and out of sleep as the mosque calls people to prayer. it gently moves me between sleep and wake, sleep and wake, filtering softly into my subconscious and then into consciousness as i wash and make my way to practice at a time when few are awake, just a few bicycles passing and the eager man who sweeps his front driveway at 5.30am. a couple of yogis sneak out their front doors, mats and cotton rugs in arm. without my glasses, this is the way i recognise the yogis in the dark mornings.
* you need to regulate the number and sweetness of chais you drink in a day to avoid sugar induced hyperactive states.
* BNS Iyengar is not receptive to visits by Pattabhi Jois students.
* the best form of entertainment may be sitting on the steps of a bookshop next to KRS circle and watching the traffic, as the bookshop you were going to was closed between 1pm and 5pm.
* a shop is not closed merely because there are no lights on at night, it may be time for "load shedding" or blackout.
* you realise how chilled out you are when someone stressed appears in front of you and their behaviour seems incredibly amusing.
* if you let go of something, it turns out in the way you would have wanted.
* BNS Iyengar is not receptive to visits by Pattabhi Jois students.
* the best form of entertainment may be sitting on the steps of a bookshop next to KRS circle and watching the traffic, as the bookshop you were going to was closed between 1pm and 5pm.
* a shop is not closed merely because there are no lights on at night, it may be time for "load shedding" or blackout.
* you realise how chilled out you are when someone stressed appears in front of you and their behaviour seems incredibly amusing.
* if you let go of something, it turns out in the way you would have wanted.
Thursday, November 17, 2005
no changeroom?
i had mastered catching the bus in mysore, so i was feeling pretty confident about the whole india system. until, i realised that my missing bra had been left at the green hotel and consequently put into the garbage which was collected after 3 days of sitting in the garbage (intimating that someone at the hotel would have sifted through all the garbage to find my bra, had the garbage collection not already come).
and so i thought perhaps i will buy a new bra in mysore. what a good idea. off to devaraj urs road, it seems you can find anything on this road. i found a guy that fixed my bent out of shape glasses, so i thought surely i could find a new bra. now, most bras here cost around Rs100 (AUD$3), and the quality and aesthetic of the garment pretty much reflects this low price. i thought though no problem, i will try and find one that will be okay for the time being. the sizing here, you can select 32, 34, 36 or 38 and cup B or C. that is it. i had no idea what number would correlate to my size and i was perplexed by the choice of only 2 cups. doubly perplexing was the tendency of most bras to form a conical kind of shape, much like madonna may have required during one stage of her career. but worse was the fact that all bra shops were manned by yes, men and there was no possibility of trying on a bra as changerooms just do not exist in these shops.
you'll have to hang out for the ending to this story...
i had mastered catching the bus in mysore, so i was feeling pretty confident about the whole india system. until, i realised that my missing bra had been left at the green hotel and consequently put into the garbage which was collected after 3 days of sitting in the garbage (intimating that someone at the hotel would have sifted through all the garbage to find my bra, had the garbage collection not already come).
and so i thought perhaps i will buy a new bra in mysore. what a good idea. off to devaraj urs road, it seems you can find anything on this road. i found a guy that fixed my bent out of shape glasses, so i thought surely i could find a new bra. now, most bras here cost around Rs100 (AUD$3), and the quality and aesthetic of the garment pretty much reflects this low price. i thought though no problem, i will try and find one that will be okay for the time being. the sizing here, you can select 32, 34, 36 or 38 and cup B or C. that is it. i had no idea what number would correlate to my size and i was perplexed by the choice of only 2 cups. doubly perplexing was the tendency of most bras to form a conical kind of shape, much like madonna may have required during one stage of her career. but worse was the fact that all bra shops were manned by yes, men and there was no possibility of trying on a bra as changerooms just do not exist in these shops.
you'll have to hang out for the ending to this story...
Monday, November 14, 2005
* it is delightful to sleep all cocooned by your mosquito net.
* your feet get very dirty in india, but no problem when a pedicure costs Rs100
* you have to hide your shock when it is explained to you that a guy will come to clean your toilet and he will not be allowed to touch anything else in the house and he is actually referred to as a "scavenger".
* if there is even the slightest hint of the road slanting downwards, your rickshaw driver may turn off the engine to conserve fuel, even if these results in travelling at a speed of 1km/hour.
* a keen rickshaw driver may also drive up onto the side of the road, and zig zag everywhere in the avoidance of potholes. drivers may look crazy in india, but in fact i believe they are just avoiding potholes.
* i haven't worked out why houses here have 20,000 locks and bars yet. hopefully, insight coming soon .... when i go to bed at night i must:
- lock the front gate
- lock the key hole latch
- lock the deadlock
- slide the internal deadlock thing
- engage 2 latches, top and bottom and then ...
- put two massive metal bars across the door and secure.
at least i'll be safe if a truck tries to drive through my front door i guess.
* your feet get very dirty in india, but no problem when a pedicure costs Rs100
* you have to hide your shock when it is explained to you that a guy will come to clean your toilet and he will not be allowed to touch anything else in the house and he is actually referred to as a "scavenger".
* if there is even the slightest hint of the road slanting downwards, your rickshaw driver may turn off the engine to conserve fuel, even if these results in travelling at a speed of 1km/hour.
* a keen rickshaw driver may also drive up onto the side of the road, and zig zag everywhere in the avoidance of potholes. drivers may look crazy in india, but in fact i believe they are just avoiding potholes.
* i haven't worked out why houses here have 20,000 locks and bars yet. hopefully, insight coming soon .... when i go to bed at night i must:
- lock the front gate
- lock the key hole latch
- lock the deadlock
- slide the internal deadlock thing
- engage 2 latches, top and bottom and then ...
- put two massive metal bars across the door and secure.
at least i'll be safe if a truck tries to drive through my front door i guess.
Saturday, November 12, 2005
My camera and I were the local entertainment as school was let out the other day near my chanting class.Friday, November 11, 2005
...and a free landlord to boot
when you take on accommodation in india, you do not only rent the space, you also acquire an immediate additional family member or ten. they will take you into their home, feed you, make you the best ginger lemon saffron tea and they will not allow you to leave for as long as they can. you become, by virtue of living in their house, an extended family member. this can at times be wonderful, and sometimes a challenge. there is little sense of the western 'space' that we get accustomed to.
i had to move out of my previous house yesterday, because i was getting terrible allergies. when i went to see the owner today, i could be mistaken but she might have had tears in her eyes. at least she was very sad. i think in 2 short days, i had become a wonderful friend and she was very sad to have me leave. she said that yesterday was a very unlucky day, as she was at a party and didn't win any of the games and second, i left her house. she is such a lovely lady, it made me sad to leave too. i will still visit her often.
now the new house, i have decided to live in is upstairs from an indian family. even though, it is a separate residence, they told me to come to their house anytime, to be one of their family, to come eat dinner. many rickshaws drivers and others are getting into the business of 'real estate', and when they find you a place, you will pay a commission. some, like shiva have a set commission, others will take what you decide is a fair rate. the landlady, being concerned that i might have to pay too much commission told my driver (my real estate fixer) that the rent was actually Rs2000/month less than what i am paying, so that i would not have to pay too much commission!!
it is so funny to move house so many times, it is so easy, just pack the suitcase (again), throw everything into a rickshaw and $1-$2 later, you are at your new abode unpacking and settling in. i will be making another move on either dec 1 or dec 9 - this is the place i've had my eye on!
when you take on accommodation in india, you do not only rent the space, you also acquire an immediate additional family member or ten. they will take you into their home, feed you, make you the best ginger lemon saffron tea and they will not allow you to leave for as long as they can. you become, by virtue of living in their house, an extended family member. this can at times be wonderful, and sometimes a challenge. there is little sense of the western 'space' that we get accustomed to.
i had to move out of my previous house yesterday, because i was getting terrible allergies. when i went to see the owner today, i could be mistaken but she might have had tears in her eyes. at least she was very sad. i think in 2 short days, i had become a wonderful friend and she was very sad to have me leave. she said that yesterday was a very unlucky day, as she was at a party and didn't win any of the games and second, i left her house. she is such a lovely lady, it made me sad to leave too. i will still visit her often.
now the new house, i have decided to live in is upstairs from an indian family. even though, it is a separate residence, they told me to come to their house anytime, to be one of their family, to come eat dinner. many rickshaws drivers and others are getting into the business of 'real estate', and when they find you a place, you will pay a commission. some, like shiva have a set commission, others will take what you decide is a fair rate. the landlady, being concerned that i might have to pay too much commission told my driver (my real estate fixer) that the rent was actually Rs2000/month less than what i am paying, so that i would not have to pay too much commission!!
it is so funny to move house so many times, it is so easy, just pack the suitcase (again), throw everything into a rickshaw and $1-$2 later, you are at your new abode unpacking and settling in. i will be making another move on either dec 1 or dec 9 - this is the place i've had my eye on!
and so the sun comes out
after a few days of cloud, the sky is clear and blue, the air has cleared. yesterday was a mess of cloud and polluted fog, but everything is so much fresher now. the shala is closed for 4 days, as guruji is off to get some award in mangalore so the story goes. sharath announces the closure at 5am, when the advanced people are starting, and then assumes that the message will filter down to all of us, which it pretty much does. that is the most sophisticated communication system here. word of mouth.
i'll use these 4 days to rest up, find a house (hopefully) and do some reading. and of course, drink the obligatory coconuts every day.
after a few days of cloud, the sky is clear and blue, the air has cleared. yesterday was a mess of cloud and polluted fog, but everything is so much fresher now. the shala is closed for 4 days, as guruji is off to get some award in mangalore so the story goes. sharath announces the closure at 5am, when the advanced people are starting, and then assumes that the message will filter down to all of us, which it pretty much does. that is the most sophisticated communication system here. word of mouth.
i'll use these 4 days to rest up, find a house (hopefully) and do some reading. and of course, drink the obligatory coconuts every day.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
this love affair is sometimes sweet and sometimes sour ...
when i feel good and strong, i love the india sounds, the calling of the fruit sellers in the morning, the dirt, the dust, the smell, the endless waiting for everything you do ...
when i feel not so well, all this challenges me endlessly.
i moved into a lovely room in a family, but sleeping here is a nightmare for me, awake all night sneezing. it looks like my housing search is not meant to be over yet. there is apparently something better in the works. practice ... and all is coming (hopefully soon)
when i feel good and strong, i love the india sounds, the calling of the fruit sellers in the morning, the dirt, the dust, the smell, the endless waiting for everything you do ...
when i feel not so well, all this challenges me endlessly.
i moved into a lovely room in a family, but sleeping here is a nightmare for me, awake all night sneezing. it looks like my housing search is not meant to be over yet. there is apparently something better in the works. practice ... and all is coming (hopefully soon)
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
I am glad to know that someone searching the internet for Dog Companion and Dog Training is getting the reliable information posted on my blog. that is very comforting to know.
So, the housing saga continues. It's what i do all day. What else will I do when this is over? I may have to up my intake of coconut or chai, or god forbid even explore somewhere outside of Gokalum (I jest). So, the story goes ... I drop around to visit the current tenant of the house i am desiring, but alas the tenant is never home. indians must have supersonic ears, or super awareness of what is going on around them, as the landlord suddenly comes out from her next door home and invites me in. what are you going to do? so i drink some hot milk (i hate milk), and watch a fantastically overracted kannada serial on tv, where all i can make out are the over the top gestures and facial expressions and the occassional english "oh, how sad" or some such. but we talk about her family, my family, i check out her puja room, all her bedrooms that she decides to show me, and i think we may be on the way to being friends.
i went to the most wonderful chanting class this afternoon. i was rewarded for my perseverance. we chanted the first two padas of the yoga sutras, or rather i chanted the ones i knew, and mumbled along the rest. jayashree, the teacher is a wonderful kind, incredibly knowledgable woman. i would urge everyone coming to Mysore to go to her classes. When i asked her what payment she would take, she looked at me sincerely and said "you see, money is very difficult for me". I said I will pay her what I feel. A little different to Guruji with his electronic money counting machine that I am in awe of ;)
So, the housing saga continues. It's what i do all day. What else will I do when this is over? I may have to up my intake of coconut or chai, or god forbid even explore somewhere outside of Gokalum (I jest). So, the story goes ... I drop around to visit the current tenant of the house i am desiring, but alas the tenant is never home. indians must have supersonic ears, or super awareness of what is going on around them, as the landlord suddenly comes out from her next door home and invites me in. what are you going to do? so i drink some hot milk (i hate milk), and watch a fantastically overracted kannada serial on tv, where all i can make out are the over the top gestures and facial expressions and the occassional english "oh, how sad" or some such. but we talk about her family, my family, i check out her puja room, all her bedrooms that she decides to show me, and i think we may be on the way to being friends.
i went to the most wonderful chanting class this afternoon. i was rewarded for my perseverance. we chanted the first two padas of the yoga sutras, or rather i chanted the ones i knew, and mumbled along the rest. jayashree, the teacher is a wonderful kind, incredibly knowledgable woman. i would urge everyone coming to Mysore to go to her classes. When i asked her what payment she would take, she looked at me sincerely and said "you see, money is very difficult for me". I said I will pay her what I feel. A little different to Guruji with his electronic money counting machine that I am in awe of ;)
*remember the lesson from shantaram that there are special 'rates' for friends, and of course higher rates for others, so make sure you spend time becoming friends, learning the names of their family, before you do business
*the people in india want your attention in the way they would from a hollywood/bollywood star, but they always want copies of photos of themselves
*sharath remembers every face in the shala and knows exactly what time you are meant to practice
*indians have amazing feet and toes, as if they were another pair of hands to use. suddenly janu sirsasana C is making more sense
*if you go to a chanting class and the teacher doesn't come, there will always be another class tomorrow
*apparently there is a japanese supermodel practicing in the shala at the moment, but i can't tell who she is, as everyone looks to me like a supermodel
*yes, its true, guruji does only drop back girls. well, being 90, you probably wouldn't want to drop back a heavy guy, but take it whichever way you will
*the people in india want your attention in the way they would from a hollywood/bollywood star, but they always want copies of photos of themselves
*sharath remembers every face in the shala and knows exactly what time you are meant to practice
*indians have amazing feet and toes, as if they were another pair of hands to use. suddenly janu sirsasana C is making more sense
*if you go to a chanting class and the teacher doesn't come, there will always be another class tomorrow
*apparently there is a japanese supermodel practicing in the shala at the moment, but i can't tell who she is, as everyone looks to me like a supermodel
*yes, its true, guruji does only drop back girls. well, being 90, you probably wouldn't want to drop back a heavy guy, but take it whichever way you will
Monday, November 07, 2005
5 minutes, you wait
house hunting in sydney has always been a bit of a challenge. but now, i look back with fondness as i go through the experience of looking for a house in mysore. this is where the yoga comes into play i think, not so much on the mat, but in the experience of trying to get various things done in mysore, the patience, the patience, oh and did i mention the patience.
there seems to be a hidden agenda with the housing 'agents' and landlords that is not yet evident to me (though i noticed that there is one). i suspect it is all to do with loyalties to particular landlords and people. so, for instance you might ask shiva if he has any properties available in the area and he will show you only one saying it is the only one. if this is no good, on face value you might be concerned that there was nothing else available through shiva. but this is not the case. if you take a seat in shiva's office, and wait maybe around 15 minutes, you will find that eventually he will get bored of you sitting there, he will scratch his head, look up to the sky for help from the gods, and suddenly "yes, i have one more house, you look". and this process can really go on endlessly. but only one house will be unfolded at a time. and it will take some coaxing and strategic lazing in shiva's office to evoke more properties.
so, once you have found that there is a house availabe and you would like to inspect it, it is a matter of finding some keys or contacting the landlord or some such. the traditional ask "you wait 5 minutes, i call landlord and get keys". now sometimes 5 minutes does really mean 5 minutes. but most of the time it will mean half an hour. or sometimes an hour. and sometimes even 2 hours, or not at all. so time really flies by in india as each 5 minutes can actually last for hours. so you have to make a call. is it time to wait on the side of the road and see what happens, is it time to have a chai at the local chai stall or a coconut at the coconut stand. or should you try to coax them to call you when the key is available (not a reliable option)? the best option, i've found is to tell that that you are going for chai, and you will be back in "5 minutes" thus allowing you the ability to have a 5 minute chai, a half hour chai, a one hour chai or even in extreme circumstances a 2 hour chai without reproach. you will still be back in 5 minutes.
house hunting in sydney has always been a bit of a challenge. but now, i look back with fondness as i go through the experience of looking for a house in mysore. this is where the yoga comes into play i think, not so much on the mat, but in the experience of trying to get various things done in mysore, the patience, the patience, oh and did i mention the patience.
there seems to be a hidden agenda with the housing 'agents' and landlords that is not yet evident to me (though i noticed that there is one). i suspect it is all to do with loyalties to particular landlords and people. so, for instance you might ask shiva if he has any properties available in the area and he will show you only one saying it is the only one. if this is no good, on face value you might be concerned that there was nothing else available through shiva. but this is not the case. if you take a seat in shiva's office, and wait maybe around 15 minutes, you will find that eventually he will get bored of you sitting there, he will scratch his head, look up to the sky for help from the gods, and suddenly "yes, i have one more house, you look". and this process can really go on endlessly. but only one house will be unfolded at a time. and it will take some coaxing and strategic lazing in shiva's office to evoke more properties.
so, once you have found that there is a house availabe and you would like to inspect it, it is a matter of finding some keys or contacting the landlord or some such. the traditional ask "you wait 5 minutes, i call landlord and get keys". now sometimes 5 minutes does really mean 5 minutes. but most of the time it will mean half an hour. or sometimes an hour. and sometimes even 2 hours, or not at all. so time really flies by in india as each 5 minutes can actually last for hours. so you have to make a call. is it time to wait on the side of the road and see what happens, is it time to have a chai at the local chai stall or a coconut at the coconut stand. or should you try to coax them to call you when the key is available (not a reliable option)? the best option, i've found is to tell that that you are going for chai, and you will be back in "5 minutes" thus allowing you the ability to have a 5 minute chai, a half hour chai, a one hour chai or even in extreme circumstances a 2 hour chai without reproach. you will still be back in 5 minutes.
Thursday, November 03, 2005
shiva, star of mysore
i was asking earlier, perhaps if there was a mini bangalore in mysore city. oh my god! i decided to go and search out a good Rs30 thali, but i spent 2 hours walking around disorientated marvelling at the thousands of people doing trade and generally passing time in the city. it is easy to get lost in india. for one, i don't think i've worked out which way is north or south, so maps are of limited use particularly because street signs are non existent. the only way to find out the street you are on, is to look for a well established business that is using a sign quoting its address. but even then, it is best to make sure that a few different businesses quote the same street until you are really sure which road you are on. so eventually, i think i did a 360 degree loop of the city, and finally came to my destination for a refreshing lassi and thali. so never fear, there is a crazy side to mysore and a peaceful side.
i met with shiva today. he is what in the west we might call a relocation agent. in india he is a "fixer". he fixes you with whatever you need, particularly accomodation. he knows all the landlords in gokalum (apparently).he can also apparently get you a scooter or whatever takes your fancy. i will try to get a photo of him, he has a very cool long beard. he promises me that he knows what i am looking for and will meet me at 12 tomorrow. which could be 12.30. or 1. or 2, knowing india. but no problem, yaar, i've not much better to do.
in other news, the coconuts here are even cheaper than bangalore. Rs7 instead of 10.
i was asking earlier, perhaps if there was a mini bangalore in mysore city. oh my god! i decided to go and search out a good Rs30 thali, but i spent 2 hours walking around disorientated marvelling at the thousands of people doing trade and generally passing time in the city. it is easy to get lost in india. for one, i don't think i've worked out which way is north or south, so maps are of limited use particularly because street signs are non existent. the only way to find out the street you are on, is to look for a well established business that is using a sign quoting its address. but even then, it is best to make sure that a few different businesses quote the same street until you are really sure which road you are on. so eventually, i think i did a 360 degree loop of the city, and finally came to my destination for a refreshing lassi and thali. so never fear, there is a crazy side to mysore and a peaceful side.
i met with shiva today. he is what in the west we might call a relocation agent. in india he is a "fixer". he fixes you with whatever you need, particularly accomodation. he knows all the landlords in gokalum (apparently).he can also apparently get you a scooter or whatever takes your fancy. i will try to get a photo of him, he has a very cool long beard. he promises me that he knows what i am looking for and will meet me at 12 tomorrow. which could be 12.30. or 1. or 2, knowing india. but no problem, yaar, i've not much better to do.
in other news, the coconuts here are even cheaper than bangalore. Rs7 instead of 10.
this is what the housing is like in mysore (or at least gokalum). palatial compared to bangalore. more coming...
mysore (the st ives of india) and the shala
i have to admit to missing the sounds and vibrancy of bangalore. the place is completely crazy, but in that madness, there is something so special, so endearing. so it was a shock to get to the greenness of mysore, the lush peaceful environment with massive houses, more extravagant cars. perhaps it is just gokalum, i will explore today and report back. maybe there is another mini bangalore lurking in central mysore?? i miss the thousand waiters that serve the buffet at the ballal hotel in bangalore, but i am making friends with the guys that work at kev inn. i will bring up my favourite lines about cricket and sharukh kahn shortly and perhaps i will then have friends for life.
practice this morning was amazing. i felt like i whipped through primary series in about 2 minutes, although the clock insists that nearly 2 hours went by. the energy in the shala is high. this energy can just carry your practice, you need to exert no effort at all.
as you practice, the sounds carries you, the ujjayi breath and the occassional "one more", "one more" as a space becomes available and the next person comes in to practice. i had to chuckle when guruji was shouting "one more" "one more" ... "oh, no more?"
the best part though was that guruji has a money counter. one of the senior teachers rumour has it bought him this as a present because it was excruciating to see him count all those rupees time after time. money really looks like a lot more when you put it into rupees. you carry around wads of Rs 500 which is only about $15.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
this is shalini, the gorgeous doctor i met on the train.it's a small world after all
so i am waiting on the train platform, just watching the goings on around me. i managed to make it with so much time to spare to bangalore station despite so many warnings. i also managed to fit all my luggage easily into a rickshaw with leg room to spare! at the station, i am waiting and i see this lady sitting, looking lovely in her finest sari (i later discover she is 68). i smile and do my best head wobble that i have been practicing. i get a nice smile and head wobble back.
so then, i am taking some snaps, and i sign to her asking if i can take a picture and she nods and does her best happy snap pose, as the people of india are so good at.
later, she wanders over to me, and gives me a gorgeous hankerchief saying that she wanted to give me a gift for taking her photo. we start chatting for a while. the train is coming and i show her my ticket asking which carriage to get on. she says, yes you are next to me. and yes, literally i was in the seat next to her. she was travelling with her husband and nephew, but the aisle separates the male and female side. so, she became my travel companion. when i first saw her, i didn't ask about taking her photo, i just signalled because i didn't know if her english would be good. but then, her english is perfect, the only barrier to my understandng is the fact she doesn't have her dentures in. we talk the whole way, she is a retired doctor and her husband is a retired judge and he was government secretary or something quite important. i quickly discover that the fact i paid R590 for this express train means that only the well to do of india are in my carriage. doctors, lawyers, judges, etc. we even get served a meal as we travel. she tells me about her sons, one in sydney, one in california, and talks lots about different things. what a gorgeous lady. she gave me some of her finger size bananas - they are so tasty.
anyway, so it was nice to have her to chat to, a gorgeous lady. but my story gets much better. we start chatting to the lady behind us, who has mostly been snoring through the trip. i find out she is from sydney. we talk for a while and i find out her son is a lawyer, he was working in sydney and just moved to london 6 months ago. and then i find out he worked at the law firm i used to work at. and then i find out his name - yes i know who he is. i check that their last name to be sure. i find out that she knows two other friends of mine who she has met through her son.
sometimes, i just can't believe what a small world it is. my new acquaintances are meeting a friend to go and have lunch at their house, so i am invited, so i get to meet some mysore locals as i step off the train, they drive me to their house, i spend the afternoon there with them and th daughters, have a lovely meal and take a 'wash' (a popular past time in india - even a dirty old pond will do!) i have their phone number. the lady is a doctor as well (i am thinking everyone in mysore is), and said to let her know if any problems here, especially of the medical kind.
so that is my crazy adventure of today. it never ceases to surprise me the kindness of people and the weird ways of the universe.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
urinate madam?
i decided i should go and see some sights this morning, so i wandered out and found a rickshaw and asked him to take me to the nandi (bull temple). he wasn't quite sure what i was talking about, but someone nearby translated for us, and off we went. the thing with hopping into a rickshaw is that within about 2 minutes, i have lost all sense of direction. so i just watched the world go by as we drove. the good thing about getting lost, is there is always another rickshaw you can jump in and try to get unlost again. eventually i saw a temple and the driver asked me if this was it. well, its hard to know if you are at the right place if you have my sense of direction and you've never been to this place before. so i said yes. it turned out to be a temple dedicated to ganesh. bulls, elephants, eh ...
i watched some rickshaws being blessed and offerings made to ganesha. and since i was here, i started to roam the streets. it was different to being in the main tourist stretches around MG road and brigade road. i found people to be so wonderfully interested and genuine and everyone just wanted to be the star of my camera, particularly the coconut man, who posed such a lovely shot. i promise to find out how to upload photos soon.
anyway, as time went on, i started to think that it would be a good idea for go to the toilet. not having faced this issue so far, i pondered how to approach this. i kept my eyes peeled for an establishment that might look to have a toilet, but this was not to be the case. so i asked in a sweet shop. they pointed down to the end of the road. so i walked along with peeled eyes, searching for some clue, some sign. i was perplexed. so i asked in a jewellery shop. "no madam, no toilet. there is a park at the end of the street." ah, i realised that the sweet shop guys were meaning the park when they were pointing.
so to the park. now to take care of things in a park, where there is barbed wire keeping you to the path, and many people sitting on the benches, is a difficult thing if you even moderately value your privacy. eventually i found i little off track with a lot of large boulder rocks, and though this was my best chance. i managed to maintain some privacy, and then just at the right time, some guy approaches, with a security uniform.
"urinate madam?"
*sheepish* "yes"
*head wobble* "yes madam"
he then guides me down to this stagnant pond appearing to be infested with all sorts of insects and directs me to wash my hands in it. i am sure he is trying to be friendly and help the foreigner with a need for urination, but this is when i look at him with disbelief and concern about how i am going to get out of this hand washing business, i suspect my hands would be much dirtier if i put them in the pond. quick thinking, i remember the water in my bag and get the bottle out, pouring it over my hands in front of me. he is satisfied and wobbles his head.
i decided i should go and see some sights this morning, so i wandered out and found a rickshaw and asked him to take me to the nandi (bull temple). he wasn't quite sure what i was talking about, but someone nearby translated for us, and off we went. the thing with hopping into a rickshaw is that within about 2 minutes, i have lost all sense of direction. so i just watched the world go by as we drove. the good thing about getting lost, is there is always another rickshaw you can jump in and try to get unlost again. eventually i saw a temple and the driver asked me if this was it. well, its hard to know if you are at the right place if you have my sense of direction and you've never been to this place before. so i said yes. it turned out to be a temple dedicated to ganesh. bulls, elephants, eh ...
i watched some rickshaws being blessed and offerings made to ganesha. and since i was here, i started to roam the streets. it was different to being in the main tourist stretches around MG road and brigade road. i found people to be so wonderfully interested and genuine and everyone just wanted to be the star of my camera, particularly the coconut man, who posed such a lovely shot. i promise to find out how to upload photos soon.
anyway, as time went on, i started to think that it would be a good idea for go to the toilet. not having faced this issue so far, i pondered how to approach this. i kept my eyes peeled for an establishment that might look to have a toilet, but this was not to be the case. so i asked in a sweet shop. they pointed down to the end of the road. so i walked along with peeled eyes, searching for some clue, some sign. i was perplexed. so i asked in a jewellery shop. "no madam, no toilet. there is a park at the end of the street." ah, i realised that the sweet shop guys were meaning the park when they were pointing.
so to the park. now to take care of things in a park, where there is barbed wire keeping you to the path, and many people sitting on the benches, is a difficult thing if you even moderately value your privacy. eventually i found i little off track with a lot of large boulder rocks, and though this was my best chance. i managed to maintain some privacy, and then just at the right time, some guy approaches, with a security uniform.
"urinate madam?"
*sheepish* "yes"
*head wobble* "yes madam"
he then guides me down to this stagnant pond appearing to be infested with all sorts of insects and directs me to wash my hands in it. i am sure he is trying to be friendly and help the foreigner with a need for urination, but this is when i look at him with disbelief and concern about how i am going to get out of this hand washing business, i suspect my hands would be much dirtier if i put them in the pond. quick thinking, i remember the water in my bag and get the bottle out, pouring it over my hands in front of me. he is satisfied and wobbles his head.
Bangalore Airport: The Musical
the story of my arrival in bangalore goes something like this. from the beginning i had wanted to take my chances finding and negotiating a way to get to my hotel, taxi or maybe even rickshaw (having studied the back of rickshaws carefully for a day, i am quite sure i could fit my luggage in one), but had been dissuaded by those who said i would be tired and in no mood to negotiate and find my way to the hotel.
but isn't it interesting how things work out. as i left customs, changed some money, and headed out into the midnight world of bangalore airport i studied all the signs, hoping to find my name on one and yet there was none. i wandered up and down a few times with a friendly tout in tow, saying madam, the ballal hotel is not coming, i take you there. so finally i gave in and asked for his rates, oh come over to my taxi and i show you. and so that is how i ended up with my suitcase in the back of a taxi and sitting in the back negotiating with these guys in the middle of the night. they show me their rate card, which says Rs1300, now i'm quite sure that it is not more expensive to get from the airport to the city in bangalore than it is in sydney, so i am refusing. unfortunately i can not remember what the hotel had quoted me, so i have no base to negotiate on, but i make it up anyone.
i am sorry, but i cannot be paying this price, i will go and call the hotel and get them to pick up. but madam, it will be at least half an hour before they come and pick you up, we go now, i take you there. ballal was going to charge 500R (i say making it up), so i cannot possibly pay you this amount you are asking. but madam, this is standard rate, it says so on the card. this goes on for about 15 minutes. at this stage i am really enjoying it. it feels like i am taking part in a stage show, there are a set series of interactions that happen. but madam, the cost of petrol, but madam, it is special nighttime rate ...
this indian soap in which i was the key star progressed to "ok madam, you wait in car, i speak to my manager". and he disappears for 10 minutes. i look forward to the new character about to appear in this saga. the manager comes to the car and another guy, so there are 4 of us now playing out this increasingly complex roleplay. there is much banter in hindi or kannada, i'm not sure which, and then to english, the manager is saying to the driver "i cannot believe you are trying to charge this lady 600R too much, you are giving my business a bad name. i am telling you that you charge this lady the proper rate and you do not do this again, otherwise you are not having job anymore". this was all tremendously overacted and quite obviously for my benefit, which makes me suspect the correct rate for the taxi was maybe about 1/4 of what he quoted. i happily paid 700R, had a fabulous drive with all the sights pointed out along the way.
the hotel had also lost my booking, or just never recorded it in the first place. but they had spare rooms, so all was nice and smooth.
welcome to india.
the story of my arrival in bangalore goes something like this. from the beginning i had wanted to take my chances finding and negotiating a way to get to my hotel, taxi or maybe even rickshaw (having studied the back of rickshaws carefully for a day, i am quite sure i could fit my luggage in one), but had been dissuaded by those who said i would be tired and in no mood to negotiate and find my way to the hotel.
but isn't it interesting how things work out. as i left customs, changed some money, and headed out into the midnight world of bangalore airport i studied all the signs, hoping to find my name on one and yet there was none. i wandered up and down a few times with a friendly tout in tow, saying madam, the ballal hotel is not coming, i take you there. so finally i gave in and asked for his rates, oh come over to my taxi and i show you. and so that is how i ended up with my suitcase in the back of a taxi and sitting in the back negotiating with these guys in the middle of the night. they show me their rate card, which says Rs1300, now i'm quite sure that it is not more expensive to get from the airport to the city in bangalore than it is in sydney, so i am refusing. unfortunately i can not remember what the hotel had quoted me, so i have no base to negotiate on, but i make it up anyone.
i am sorry, but i cannot be paying this price, i will go and call the hotel and get them to pick up. but madam, it will be at least half an hour before they come and pick you up, we go now, i take you there. ballal was going to charge 500R (i say making it up), so i cannot possibly pay you this amount you are asking. but madam, this is standard rate, it says so on the card. this goes on for about 15 minutes. at this stage i am really enjoying it. it feels like i am taking part in a stage show, there are a set series of interactions that happen. but madam, the cost of petrol, but madam, it is special nighttime rate ...
this indian soap in which i was the key star progressed to "ok madam, you wait in car, i speak to my manager". and he disappears for 10 minutes. i look forward to the new character about to appear in this saga. the manager comes to the car and another guy, so there are 4 of us now playing out this increasingly complex roleplay. there is much banter in hindi or kannada, i'm not sure which, and then to english, the manager is saying to the driver "i cannot believe you are trying to charge this lady 600R too much, you are giving my business a bad name. i am telling you that you charge this lady the proper rate and you do not do this again, otherwise you are not having job anymore". this was all tremendously overacted and quite obviously for my benefit, which makes me suspect the correct rate for the taxi was maybe about 1/4 of what he quoted. i happily paid 700R, had a fabulous drive with all the sights pointed out along the way.
the hotel had also lost my booking, or just never recorded it in the first place. but they had spare rooms, so all was nice and smooth.
welcome to india.
