Three Days Done, Three Months To Go...

Did I mention the time-stamp is Mysore time? Well it is. We are still adjusting to the time difference. I was cocky at first to think that I was impervious, but is seems to have crept up on us. Maybe it was the adrenaline of arriving, but now that we are trying to settle into a groove things are wearing on us. Let me backtrack a bit. The last week of Oly-time was hectic. Vivian and I got our 3-4 hours of sleep a night, but our waking life was crazy. We worked right up until Monday night with a flight on Tuesday. Now that we are here, there is no "job" to go to, but there is just as much running around. I found out why people use travellers checks. Banks here will only give out so much money per day, and despite my telling my bank I was leaving town, they put a hold on my account once charges from India showed up. So I've become familiar with ATM's trying to get at some funds to pay for our schooling. It's sort of embarassing to tell Guruji that I've travelled across the globe to be here, but he'll have to spot me some yoga for a week or so until I can pay him for it. So we haven't paid all of our "tuition" or the sanskrit classes we signed up for, nor our rent, and we haven't even started looking for cel phones. Which is just as well. Oh yeah-- the way to call us when we do get them (from the US) is to dial 011 (international) 91 (India) then the number. I didn't quite get this in the correct order when I was trying to get ahold of our driver and host family on the eve of our arrival. I found out that Officer Stevenson of the Olympia Police Department didn't know how to make international calls either. After trying several combinations of 91, 011, 1(long distance), and the local Mysore digits, I accidentally called and hung up on 911 dispatch. I told them the first time what I was trying to do, but after several tries I think they just wanted to see in person how stupid I really was. The Mysore cops by way of contrast are hardly ever to be seen. Most intimidating though is the Singapore Airport, with it's AK-47 patrols. But I'm off the track again, a sure sign of jet lag. For those wanting the yoga news, here it is. Led class yesterday was at 5am. Vivian and I got there early just in time to be squeezed in the second-to-last row. It felt good to be back on the mat. Nothing like trying to do asana in an airport. Guruji led the opening chant (call & response) and sun salutations. Sharath led the rest. Kind of like tag-team wrestling, only not as fake. It was interesting to see where people were at with their series- some were stopped at certain points, and some respectfully stopped where they were previously told. We finished tired and victorious after surviving Sharath's Utplitihi. He seems to have the same counting troubles as Guruji. There were two nine's on the way to ten. This morning was our first Mysore-style class. Vivian was placed nearly immediately, and I waited until after 3 people cut ahead of me. I also got moved around a bit. Good news though. We both did the complete series and managed to not get any "bad man/lady". It was a good experience to see where we have been doing things correct and not so correct at home compared to here. I think (and thank) David & Catherine heed well to what's done here. I wish I could have spent more time with them before leaving. And here in Mysore there are so many wonderful and inspiring yogi's and locals to learn from and we are often saying "next time we come..." The same goes for this blog. I keep thinking about all the cool stuff that I see around us and I want to share it with the world, like the eagle-sized fruit bats at the Bird Sanctuary, or the way my head (and Vivian's) almost peeled back from the third eye at the Rama Krishna Ashram, or the way the chaos of scooters flows like blood platelets through one's veins. All this and more. And it only cost letting go of everything and putting myself in debt to become so rich. Tonight I will sleep early, tomorrow I will breathe yoga. Then I will drink from a freshly served coconut. Three days in and already I'm an addict.

Back to the Start

We're here.
It's as simple as that. The journey was 40 hours of airports, naps, food breaks, more naps, more planes and a lot of chaos. Too much to go into detail here, but let's just say we have come out the other side. I tried to reset the blog to allow postings for those who need to talk back, but it's all still barebones for a while. I need to figure out our camera so we can post pictures, but I can tell you we almost took pictures of Hindi cows, pigs, dogs, chickens, monkeys and one cat within a few blocks of our apartment. Speaking of- thank you to Joey for the use of his castle, and to Frank for hooking us up in his usual yoga tour guide fashion. We are three blocks from the shala and Shiva- the Mysore wheeler & dealer. We are told that now that we use him as our personal broker we cannot use anybody else. Same goes with Guruji & yoga. We signed the waiver so it's official. We are having banking troubles and will continue to resolve them today, but Guruji took us in anyway and we start tomorrow @ 5am. That's it for now. We still haven't regulated our sleep or eating, so we must hunt down our next meal before hitting the banks.

Double Exposure

I love this picture. It's not a great one; Vivian often doesn't like how she shows in photographs, and you can't even see how the violet in her beautifuly shimmering skirt matches my shirt. And I look way too serious and formal for someone not wearing a jacket. The reason why I love this picture is because Yarrow looks happy. She also looks like she's plotting something. That's her spirit. Her mind is always as active as her body, which for most 8 year olds is quite a lot. I've personally witnessed her devour a 250 page book in 24 hours and find time to practice her violin, run around the yard, play on rings, and attempt to teach the cats circus tricks. She's brave, too. She swallowed live Typhoid cultures four times. One day she got three shots full of---------

O.K.... That story must wait. I've been delayed for two days now, haven't written about all the crazy things that have transpired since I started this entry.
It is now 42 minutes until our ride arrives, we finished 80% of what we wanted to do! Our house is trashed (sorry Hillary & Richard) but we are almost on the road. Thank you everyone who have supported us, either behind the scenes or right in our faces. We couldn't have made this journey without you. We will take a part of everyone with us and try to bring back a little India to share with everyone. In a few days or hours we will be back and tell you about Yarrows shots two at a time, and how the cops showed up at my house last night. Them packin' blues! Until then, we enter this next part of our journey open, warming our faces in adventures flames...

aeryk

Yoga is Union

with toes ablaze and torso turning each moment resurrected in a fiery spiral her smile mirrors the beat that calls the beasts to dance...

Those were some of the first words written to Vivian, via e-mail, in the early times of our courting. We had for three years what her daughter Yarrow called "the time of love" before making said love legal on paper with witnesses. On June sixth we shared chai at a table with a few legally recognized friends. Two months later we had a party for our families.
What you see in the picture is true. She was a glowing bride. That was a massive piece of bridal-bling. But that's me in the dress, and that ribbon was in my mouth for over 20 minutes. We're married so it's all right. I taught her how to get down with some Botoh-dance inspired performance art, and she taught me to live yoga.

The flight for our first trip to Mysore leaves in 210 hours. I am trying not to panic. I hear that is a common response, but it doesn't help. I took the last of four Typhoid pills and it's kicking in. Slight nausea, gastro unease. Love is like that. Not the part about the side effects, but the part about how it can carry you through whatever you're going through and also be that carrot you see at the end saying in it's little rooty voice 'you can do it, I'm right here' and you can come out the other side. I know things will work out in the end, I just haven't come out the other side yet. Soon I will sleep, only to rise again for 6am practice. I carry with me to slumber the love of my yoga friends, all my circles, and especially to Vivian and Yarrow for the journey we've already started...
*** aeryk ***