I met Leah, a graduate doctor, about to go into an internship in Toucson, Arizona. Leah was also staying at the Green Hotel. Leah's friendly, active, into a bit
of yoga, pretty liberal...so we've had some nice conversations about stuff and we went exploring on Saturday, April 11th. Taking
off down Vinobi Road, the main road out of town in one direction, that the Green Hotel's located on. I was thinking at some stage,
maybe even first up, we'd take a rickshaw...but that didn't end up happening, even after about 15km of walking round the city...
We took off into one of the suburbs at the sight of a temple under construction in an open field. Along the way walking past
some local Mysoreans going about their chores, rituals and starting out in the day. We got to the temple to find a few workers
hard at it and a couple of older guys hanging out the front...who encouraged us to take a look inside the nearly finished
marble temple, about the size of a tennis court or thereabouts.The opening is due on May 4th, I think...
From there we wandered the backstreets, coming across heaps of cows with implicit right of way, cruising through a nice fenced
garden, then heading towards the city centre with no real plan in mind. Along the way I overpaid for an amazing fresh mango and
Leah got a portion of Jack Fruit, which I likened to dry banana, with a different texture. It's a huge fruit, little bigger than
the watermelons I'm used to, full of flesh covering seeds.
More meandering saw us link back up to Vinoba Road, heading into the city. The pattern of shops would repeat throughout the
city centre, as they do in a lot of cities I guess. We ended up at the main markets, organised mayhem. We stopped for a while
at a perfume and oil store, the young, confident guy is a real good seller, keeping us engaged and interested, helping to remember
the name of the store as IRS, like the American Tax Agency...working out how much money we could spend, providing samples of the
scents...and finally giving us some incense sticks. All this will probably see me back there, because, in addition, he gave us some
great tips about local scams - come and see the incense factory, the beedie (cigarette) factory etc.
After negotiating our way out of the market, we were back on a main road and the city had picked up a couple of notches in pace.
Being a Saturday it was probably an especially busy day...we had any number of beggars, one of whom was on our case as we approached
a silk store. It looked like a nice store, so we stepped inside and evaded our pursuer. These guys were also slick in sales,
but, it's a state run shop, so the prices are fixed, but some of the normally attendant sales pressure isn't there. Upstairs to
look at various colours and patterns of silks and pashminas, ranging in price for Rs 250 to Rs 1550 for some of the nice pashminas.
I ended up getting a nice, pale green pashmina for my mum, Leah ended up with a range of pieces as gifts...though Leah's ATM
card wouldn't work in the store...a couple of the local ones didn't work either, so, we promised to come back when we found some cash.
I was in the market for a hat of some kind, the day was typically hot and I thought that I'd end up fried...I certainly would have
if I'd spent the same amount of time in the sun in Australia. We found an ATM, but, since it was just after midday, Leah pulled out
some Lonely Planet pages and we decided on a nearby restaurant...me being happy that she was happy to lead the way - I had no
idea which way to go. After a bit of toing and froing we found the restaurant, which turned out to be a first floor oasis after the
dodging of traffic, constant begging attention and general assault of the senses.
Recharged we hit the streets, back to the silk store for Leah's transaction, then off...to check out the lake...Karanji lake,
I think...or, as the shopkeeper told me Karanji Keddeh. That was a feat of patience, as the lake was off Leah's map, but in the
mean time we passed Mysore Zoo, the Palace on one side, a municipal hall of some sort...backtracked a couple of times, asked for
directions a few times...and we were finally there...not after passing a bus stop with a clock nailed to a tree, to help the commuters
with the likely bus traffic.
The lake was in some way linked with the zoo, there were peacocks, ducks, geese and the tallest birds in India...? in an enclosure.
The lake itself was another great sanctuary with huge trees, grass, sprinklers and the lake itself, to provide some welcome cool
after the hot city streets. We sat down for ice cream by the edge of the lake for a bit, posing for a photo with some locals...
then circumnavigating the lake, walking past young couple on the seats dotted along the edge of the lake...over to a butterfly garden...
and back again.
Now, I was hoping for a rickshaw ride home...but we kind of set out and never really stopped to get one. Some drinks from
a streetside vendor kept our pep up, along the 7 or so km walk back to the Green Hotel, just in time for a well earned shower
and dinner...and bed, ahead of a 4.15am get up for my first practise at the Shala...
Monday, April 13, 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Tharun and Smriti
Travelling from Bangalore to Mysore today, Good Friday. Tharun had been too kind, offering to pick me up and drive me to Bangalore.
He and his wife Smriti were travelling to Ooti, so Mysore is kind of on the way there. We'd planned to leave at 6am from the Radha Hometel,
so I was awake at 5am to make sure I was sorted to hit the road. I was checked out by 550 and sat in the lobby waiting to be picked
up. Tharun called at 6, to say that they hadn't left...another hour, at 7 Tharun calls reception to tell me they'd be there in 10 minutes.
Turns out they were up early preparing a breakfast and some South Indian Tea for the road. It is the first time I'd met Smriti and the
two of them seem well suited and talk like they'd been married for 6 years, instead of 6 months.
So, we hit the road at 7, by which time the traffic had thickened up as we headed south on a ring road, then west...missing a turnoff
to Mysore Road, then asking for directions from 2 or 3 people, all very helpful. The signage wasn't great to the roads and even when
we were going in the right direction, Tharun was asking anyone he could whether we were going towards Mysore. We ended up looking for
the NICE road, which I thought meant a nice road, but it's an acronym...for something...turns out it is a nice road! With a couple of
makeshift toll gates. There's quarries along the road just out of Bangalore, perfect for making roadbase I guess. The road ebbed and flowed
and we stopped over for breakfast of idly with coconut chutney and spicy sauce, which was so tasty...and so fresh, prepared that morning
and still hot, even after an hour's driving.
The ebbing and flowing was punctuated by check points for the elections that were going on, which mainly meant that the traffic slowed down
, I didn't see much checking going on. Then there were speed bumps, which it looked like the locals had arbitrarily put in - I think
they didn't like traffic moving through their part of the road so quick, so they put a speed bump in the road. Then there were buit up towns
on the main road as well, which meant people crossing and some cross roads.
All that meant that we reached Mysore about 11.30, so about 4 hours travelling for 180 kms from Bangalore to Mysore.
Banglaore seems to be drifting larger and larger, we went past a high rise development that was home to I think 400,000 people
or 4 lakh as Tharun said - a lakh being 100,000 and a crore being 10,000,000 or 100 lakh. There were offices of Honeywell, Accenture,
Intel and a lot of other IT/ Technology/ Offshoring companies along the way out.
The Green Hotel was reasonably easy to find...Tharun asked about 10 people where it was. It's a great method of finding the way...
first, we started with the suburb - Jayalakshmipuram, so people helped us in that direction, then we started asking for the Greens Hotel
and a few knew that, though the further away we were, the more complicated the directions were...so, we'd remember maybe 2 directions...
then ask the next person, until we were on the right road, within 200 metres and we were sorted.
I thanked Tharun and Smriti and said goodbye, left to settle into the Green Hotel for a few days.
I spent a bit of time settling in, then went and had a delicious vegetable curry, 2 roti, mango juice and south indian chai
for lunch, costing me about 9 dollars all up.
By then it was about 2.30 and, judging by my experience getting places in India so far, I decided to head to the Shala, to be
there by 16.30 to register. I took my first autorickshaw ride, with the help of the security guard at the gate. It was all of a
10 minute ride to the Shala in Gokulam...so, I was there waay early, by just before 3. Turns out the office was opening at
4, so I thought I'd have an hour to kill. There was a guy at the Shala who asked if I had accommodation, I'd planned to work
that out on the weekend, but it turned out to be a good opportunity, as Shiva lived about 3 doors up on the other side of the
road from the Shala. Shiva's business card says he is a Personal Assistant and can help organise Scootar, among a few other essentials
..including "Housing"...so I was introduced and introduced myself...said I was looking to spend about 10-15k rupee for 3 months...
Shiva closed his eyes, working through an inventory of accommodation he kept, in his head I guess. Told me about 2 places - 1 for 15k,
one for 6k, which are in the next street from the Shala. So we went round, checked out both places. The one for 15k has kitchen,
washing machine, internet, ups and a nice communal area...i checked the other one, a floor up in the same 3 storey building..
and decided on the place for 15k rupee, figuring that since I'd paid 10k for 3 nights in Bangalore, 15k for a month was pretty
good.
Shiva's offsider, I think his son, took me on the back of his scooter to an ATM, I took 20k, we went back to Shiva and went into
his office = garage and took care of business.
By then it was nearly 4, so I wandered back up to the shala...it was still a bit before, so I walked back towards the mainish
street and met Mane, another guy who organises stuff for yogis. A rickshaw driver and business man. Nice guy, who said there
weren't too many people round, most had left because of the heat...
I went back to the Shala and Prakash said that the office was nearly open...I waited 5...he told me to come in...my first
steps in the shala, through to the office to meet Saraswati...who asked whether I'd already sent a registration...i said yes,
in January...Saraswati didn't check, then had me fill in another, slightly different registration form, on the front was the same
stuff as the online form, on the back was a condition that you weren't to practise asana anywhere else but at the shala and,
that if you were stopped at a posture by a teacher, that's what you did. I got the underlying sense of strictness and discipline...
Saraswati told me to come on Sunday, at 5, then Monday to Thursday at 5.30, which Saraswati also wrote on my registration card
as I was giving my registration and first month's payment of 27,530 rupees and handing over a passport photo, of when I had a beard...
guess i better grow a beard :)
So, back to where I'd met Mane, who'd taken off, one of the other rickshaw guys took me back to Green Hotel, for 30 rupees -
about a dollar...then I went to find an adaptor...as my Indian one didn't fit the Mysore plugs...went back to the restaurant for
some water...darned parched...and some more South Indian Spiced Marsala...a few westerners were out and about and I met Leah,
an American medical student from Arizona, who'd been in India about the same length of time as me and taken the same route.
Leah's arrangement for some training at a hospital had fallen through somehow, so she was figuring how to travel round for a month.
I gave her some tips on Ooti and Kerala and got back to my room...and here I am!
He and his wife Smriti were travelling to Ooti, so Mysore is kind of on the way there. We'd planned to leave at 6am from the Radha Hometel,
so I was awake at 5am to make sure I was sorted to hit the road. I was checked out by 550 and sat in the lobby waiting to be picked
up. Tharun called at 6, to say that they hadn't left...another hour, at 7 Tharun calls reception to tell me they'd be there in 10 minutes.
Turns out they were up early preparing a breakfast and some South Indian Tea for the road. It is the first time I'd met Smriti and the
two of them seem well suited and talk like they'd been married for 6 years, instead of 6 months.
So, we hit the road at 7, by which time the traffic had thickened up as we headed south on a ring road, then west...missing a turnoff
to Mysore Road, then asking for directions from 2 or 3 people, all very helpful. The signage wasn't great to the roads and even when
we were going in the right direction, Tharun was asking anyone he could whether we were going towards Mysore. We ended up looking for
the NICE road, which I thought meant a nice road, but it's an acronym...for something...turns out it is a nice road! With a couple of
makeshift toll gates. There's quarries along the road just out of Bangalore, perfect for making roadbase I guess. The road ebbed and flowed
and we stopped over for breakfast of idly with coconut chutney and spicy sauce, which was so tasty...and so fresh, prepared that morning
and still hot, even after an hour's driving.
The ebbing and flowing was punctuated by check points for the elections that were going on, which mainly meant that the traffic slowed down
, I didn't see much checking going on. Then there were speed bumps, which it looked like the locals had arbitrarily put in - I think
they didn't like traffic moving through their part of the road so quick, so they put a speed bump in the road. Then there were buit up towns
on the main road as well, which meant people crossing and some cross roads.
All that meant that we reached Mysore about 11.30, so about 4 hours travelling for 180 kms from Bangalore to Mysore.
Banglaore seems to be drifting larger and larger, we went past a high rise development that was home to I think 400,000 people
or 4 lakh as Tharun said - a lakh being 100,000 and a crore being 10,000,000 or 100 lakh. There were offices of Honeywell, Accenture,
Intel and a lot of other IT/ Technology/ Offshoring companies along the way out.
The Green Hotel was reasonably easy to find...Tharun asked about 10 people where it was. It's a great method of finding the way...
first, we started with the suburb - Jayalakshmipuram, so people helped us in that direction, then we started asking for the Greens Hotel
and a few knew that, though the further away we were, the more complicated the directions were...so, we'd remember maybe 2 directions...
then ask the next person, until we were on the right road, within 200 metres and we were sorted.
I thanked Tharun and Smriti and said goodbye, left to settle into the Green Hotel for a few days.
I spent a bit of time settling in, then went and had a delicious vegetable curry, 2 roti, mango juice and south indian chai
for lunch, costing me about 9 dollars all up.
By then it was about 2.30 and, judging by my experience getting places in India so far, I decided to head to the Shala, to be
there by 16.30 to register. I took my first autorickshaw ride, with the help of the security guard at the gate. It was all of a
10 minute ride to the Shala in Gokulam...so, I was there waay early, by just before 3. Turns out the office was opening at
4, so I thought I'd have an hour to kill. There was a guy at the Shala who asked if I had accommodation, I'd planned to work
that out on the weekend, but it turned out to be a good opportunity, as Shiva lived about 3 doors up on the other side of the
road from the Shala. Shiva's business card says he is a Personal Assistant and can help organise Scootar, among a few other essentials
..including "Housing"...so I was introduced and introduced myself...said I was looking to spend about 10-15k rupee for 3 months...
Shiva closed his eyes, working through an inventory of accommodation he kept, in his head I guess. Told me about 2 places - 1 for 15k,
one for 6k, which are in the next street from the Shala. So we went round, checked out both places. The one for 15k has kitchen,
washing machine, internet, ups and a nice communal area...i checked the other one, a floor up in the same 3 storey building..
and decided on the place for 15k rupee, figuring that since I'd paid 10k for 3 nights in Bangalore, 15k for a month was pretty
good.
Shiva's offsider, I think his son, took me on the back of his scooter to an ATM, I took 20k, we went back to Shiva and went into
his office = garage and took care of business.
By then it was nearly 4, so I wandered back up to the shala...it was still a bit before, so I walked back towards the mainish
street and met Mane, another guy who organises stuff for yogis. A rickshaw driver and business man. Nice guy, who said there
weren't too many people round, most had left because of the heat...
I went back to the Shala and Prakash said that the office was nearly open...I waited 5...he told me to come in...my first
steps in the shala, through to the office to meet Saraswati...who asked whether I'd already sent a registration...i said yes,
in January...Saraswati didn't check, then had me fill in another, slightly different registration form, on the front was the same
stuff as the online form, on the back was a condition that you weren't to practise asana anywhere else but at the shala and,
that if you were stopped at a posture by a teacher, that's what you did. I got the underlying sense of strictness and discipline...
Saraswati told me to come on Sunday, at 5, then Monday to Thursday at 5.30, which Saraswati also wrote on my registration card
as I was giving my registration and first month's payment of 27,530 rupees and handing over a passport photo, of when I had a beard...
guess i better grow a beard :)
So, back to where I'd met Mane, who'd taken off, one of the other rickshaw guys took me back to Green Hotel, for 30 rupees -
about a dollar...then I went to find an adaptor...as my Indian one didn't fit the Mysore plugs...went back to the restaurant for
some water...darned parched...and some more South Indian Spiced Marsala...a few westerners were out and about and I met Leah,
an American medical student from Arizona, who'd been in India about the same length of time as me and taken the same route.
Leah's arrangement for some training at a hospital had fallen through somehow, so she was figuring how to travel round for a month.
I gave her some tips on Ooti and Kerala and got back to my room...and here I am!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
just sweeping the lawn
the front lawn of the Radha Hometel was more immaculate due to the work of two lads who swept the lawn with long, thin bunches of
what looked like dried blackboy quills, which of course they weren't, but similar...it sure was nicer than hearing those infernal
leaf blowers that have become ubiquitous in Australia...and it is indicative of the sheer number of people over here to do work...
there are people doing work in the hotel round the clock, all manner of cleaners, restaurant workers...then you visit one of the
IT parks and there are at least 10 people on security on the front gate, then 5 on reception at the office you're visiting...i visited
Atos Origin India - an IT services firm, about 20 of their staff were in training to skill up to take over support of an offshore
Business Intelligence system, it was 2 months worth of training for these guys. This capacity is mindblowing and Atos isn't one of the
bigger IT services firms around these parts. If you extrapolate this to any service offering and offshoring services suddenly
becomes very attractive. Also, from the meeting I had with the guys, they realise there's allowances needed for cultural differences,
the lesson's been learnt the hard way, but these guys sure do learn quickly!
The other attitude I picked up today, while signing up for a mobile phone, typically there's an attitude of getting a result..
I was helped by Tharun and Shilpa, both colleagues from when I was working on a project in Sydney and they were providing development
work from Bangalore for SAP. Our confrontation (that's all I can call it) with the girl at the Vodafone shop was typical of the
attitude...the options for signing up for a mobile were very numerous, some were plans, some prepaid, some deals weren't available
any more, some phones weren't available any more...there was a lot of ID required and so on. It would have taken me most of the day
to understand what was going on, but Tharun and Shilpa perservered until the deal was done and wouldn't give an inch on bargaining
or asking questions.
So, the attitude seems to be keep pushing and pushing and take any route to get there...very similar to on the roads - there's
no rules except that whatever type of road user you are - just move in the general direction you want to go and let people
know that you're there - most times with the horn. so, the pedestrian is the bottom of the food chain in this scenario.
Tharun, Shilpa and I then went to a cafe and then Tharun and I walked down to SAP Labs, Tharun proudly exclaiming that it is the
biggest campus in Bangalore (in terms of area at least), home to 3000 employees, 300 Custom Development team members...all of whom
are provided free lunch and dinner and snacks...and buses. I think Tharun likes working there :)
I've just been out for my first real walk around the neighbourhood. No footpaths, plenty of dust and haze, loads and loads of people,
buses ferrying workers to and fro, came across truckloads of girls who were being picked up from their sewing shop/ factory.
Turns out the street I'm on runs East/ West, I walked West into the setting sun. Such mild and balmy weather - plants going
crazy everywhere, such lush growing conditions...and loads of stray dogs cruising round
Off to Mysore, planning to leave at 6am tomorrow morning (Easter Friday) with Tharun and his wife in his tiny Suzuki.
My knees are feeling a bit creaky, so I think it'll be a slow entry into practising down there...with plenty of Graeme
exercises to pump up the quads and take the pressure of those precious knees.
Keen to get on the road and see some of the countryside.
what looked like dried blackboy quills, which of course they weren't, but similar...it sure was nicer than hearing those infernal
leaf blowers that have become ubiquitous in Australia...and it is indicative of the sheer number of people over here to do work...
there are people doing work in the hotel round the clock, all manner of cleaners, restaurant workers...then you visit one of the
IT parks and there are at least 10 people on security on the front gate, then 5 on reception at the office you're visiting...i visited
Atos Origin India - an IT services firm, about 20 of their staff were in training to skill up to take over support of an offshore
Business Intelligence system, it was 2 months worth of training for these guys. This capacity is mindblowing and Atos isn't one of the
bigger IT services firms around these parts. If you extrapolate this to any service offering and offshoring services suddenly
becomes very attractive. Also, from the meeting I had with the guys, they realise there's allowances needed for cultural differences,
the lesson's been learnt the hard way, but these guys sure do learn quickly!
The other attitude I picked up today, while signing up for a mobile phone, typically there's an attitude of getting a result..
I was helped by Tharun and Shilpa, both colleagues from when I was working on a project in Sydney and they were providing development
work from Bangalore for SAP. Our confrontation (that's all I can call it) with the girl at the Vodafone shop was typical of the
attitude...the options for signing up for a mobile were very numerous, some were plans, some prepaid, some deals weren't available
any more, some phones weren't available any more...there was a lot of ID required and so on. It would have taken me most of the day
to understand what was going on, but Tharun and Shilpa perservered until the deal was done and wouldn't give an inch on bargaining
or asking questions.
So, the attitude seems to be keep pushing and pushing and take any route to get there...very similar to on the roads - there's
no rules except that whatever type of road user you are - just move in the general direction you want to go and let people
know that you're there - most times with the horn. so, the pedestrian is the bottom of the food chain in this scenario.
Tharun, Shilpa and I then went to a cafe and then Tharun and I walked down to SAP Labs, Tharun proudly exclaiming that it is the
biggest campus in Bangalore (in terms of area at least), home to 3000 employees, 300 Custom Development team members...all of whom
are provided free lunch and dinner and snacks...and buses. I think Tharun likes working there :)
I've just been out for my first real walk around the neighbourhood. No footpaths, plenty of dust and haze, loads and loads of people,
buses ferrying workers to and fro, came across truckloads of girls who were being picked up from their sewing shop/ factory.
Turns out the street I'm on runs East/ West, I walked West into the setting sun. Such mild and balmy weather - plants going
crazy everywhere, such lush growing conditions...and loads of stray dogs cruising round
Off to Mysore, planning to leave at 6am tomorrow morning (Easter Friday) with Tharun and his wife in his tiny Suzuki.
My knees are feeling a bit creaky, so I think it'll be a slow entry into practising down there...with plenty of Graeme
exercises to pump up the quads and take the pressure of those precious knees.
Keen to get on the road and see some of the countryside.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
honk if you're...
got in to Bangalore after flying Sydney > Singapore > Bangalore, 10 at night and 28 degrees - welcome to Bangalore. The airport is amazing, the city's grown so fast, something like from 1m to 6m people in under 10 years, that they just decided to move the airport to cater for the increased traffic...speaking of traffic, the roads haven't been so good in keeping up, my first attempt at crossing the road could have gone better :)
meetings today with a business partner in India on how we might work with them, really exciting for me at least...almost as exciting as the food...even in the Radha Hometel where I'm staying, the food is as good as any Indian restaurant in Sydney...and the lunch was sublime...figure on taking a few more kilos on to my next flight!
met a fellow Ashtangi on the Singapore > Bangalore leg...Carol from Auckland. Carol was getting picked up from Bangalore to drive straight down to Mysore, quite a journey.
Turns out all the trains are booked out tomorrow ahead of the Easter break beginning Friday, so I'll spend one more night in Bangalore and Tharun will drive me down to Mysore on Friday morning...Tharun and his wife are going that way for some honeymoon time...I know, I feel like a bit of an intruder, but Tharun's insisting...I'll owe him big time!!!
meetings today with a business partner in India on how we might work with them, really exciting for me at least...almost as exciting as the food...even in the Radha Hometel where I'm staying, the food is as good as any Indian restaurant in Sydney...and the lunch was sublime...figure on taking a few more kilos on to my next flight!
met a fellow Ashtangi on the Singapore > Bangalore leg...Carol from Auckland. Carol was getting picked up from Bangalore to drive straight down to Mysore, quite a journey.
Turns out all the trains are booked out tomorrow ahead of the Easter break beginning Friday, so I'll spend one more night in Bangalore and Tharun will drive me down to Mysore on Friday morning...Tharun and his wife are going that way for some honeymoon time...I know, I feel like a bit of an intruder, but Tharun's insisting...I'll owe him big time!!!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Craig David...live
a chance encounter with Craig David, rnb superstar at Changi airport...bonus of the trip so far :)
the same...but different
today, April 7th i headed off from "home" on the train. starting at Stanmore train station, catching the morning crush of commuters in to Central, then platform 23 to the International terminal.
With all those commuters, one of whom I'd been for the past 5 years, it felt kind of different. they were all off to the 9 to 5 and I was headed to the airport. the route was the same but i felt like I was going in a completely different direction to them
before that, breakfast at the local cafe up on enmore road. Julie gave me a big hug and some advice on being careful and trusting myself...then goodbye to Adam...
i got to the airport round 830, check in took about 30 mins with a decent size queue. My backpack weighed in at 13.9 kg, which I'm pretty happy about, means i'm now out travelling with less than 20kg on my back. I like minimalism, but this is a whole new level..., then out through customs where i met an Irish girl who'd overstayed her visa by 8 hours, I lent her my pen as the other ones weren't working, wished her luck...then saw her briefly after customs and she'd gotten through ok
now i'm off to buy a gift for Tharun, who's going to pick me up at Bangalore when I land
With all those commuters, one of whom I'd been for the past 5 years, it felt kind of different. they were all off to the 9 to 5 and I was headed to the airport. the route was the same but i felt like I was going in a completely different direction to them
before that, breakfast at the local cafe up on enmore road. Julie gave me a big hug and some advice on being careful and trusting myself...then goodbye to Adam...
i got to the airport round 830, check in took about 30 mins with a decent size queue. My backpack weighed in at 13.9 kg, which I'm pretty happy about, means i'm now out travelling with less than 20kg on my back. I like minimalism, but this is a whole new level..., then out through customs where i met an Irish girl who'd overstayed her visa by 8 hours, I lent her my pen as the other ones weren't working, wished her luck...then saw her briefly after customs and she'd gotten through ok
now i'm off to buy a gift for Tharun, who's going to pick me up at Bangalore when I land
Monday, April 6, 2009
last NSY practise
my first practise at North Sydney Yoga was on a Monday...thus was my last...at least for a while. it was a pretty quiet day with Kate running the class. got some nice goodbyes with Lisa and David, Kate, Laine and Sarah...
Now, while I remember some wise words from a couple of friends - on when i first get to india - go real slow, so slow you feel like you're going backwards - from wise Polly...and abundance is more than your mind can ever imagine from wise Andrew...all these wise friends...great :)
Now, while I remember some wise words from a couple of friends - on when i first get to india - go real slow, so slow you feel like you're going backwards - from wise Polly...and abundance is more than your mind can ever imagine from wise Andrew...all these wise friends...great :)
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