Two Month's Eve

It's now the day after Thanksgiving for us, here in Mysore. How do I try to explain that concept to our 8-year-old, let alone an adult local. Yeah, Thanksgiving; commemorating some mystical first meeting between Indians(Americans/Indiginous/First-Peoples) and their european "guests" as they settle down to a feast/pot-luch(potlach)/buffet with a Wild Turkey (Sorry, Russ, the bird) as the centerpiece. The fun doesn't stop the day after either. This day welcomes in the Spirit of Shopping, nestled right between the Spirit of Thanksgiving and the Spirit of Christmas. Brought to you by Ronco. Actually, it's difficult to actually be so cynical so far removed from the old ways. We celebrated our family last night with a HUGE bowl of fruit salad, and some chocolate, while watching another American family, The Simpsons. This is our new addiction. Every night we are mezmerized by low morals and high laughs. Yarrow even gets to watch it while we're at practice. After came Wallace & Gromit's Curse of the Were-Rabbit. But we are finding that despite the novelty of foreign TV offering a few familiar faces, we are trying to get by with what we have to go on moment by moment. It's like camping, in an unfamiliar town, for three months. Our list of what we should have brought is getting larger than the list of what we did bring. We appreciate what people have suggested we may need, but the truth is one never quite knows what one may need until it is needed. Duh. I know. My point is, we are learning more about ourselves and whis important to us than what we thought we would learn from outside sources. But we knew this going into this situation. So among the things I am grateful for bringing:
my sandals that I almost threw out before leaving,
my old Casio watch/alarm/calculator combo,
Leatherman,
Flashlight,
Bug-Bite Medicine,
Emergen-C vitamin mix,
Three bars of Vegan Chocolate.
We are already out of the last three, btu they were good in the going. Add them to the growing list of things we needed more of:
Music & DVD's.
We listen to a LOT. We are already a tune-cranking family (boom-boom music Yarrow would call it) but now we have to drown out the street noise at night. We brought a good variety, just not enough. In the past, we've actually brought more for a weekend retreat. We only brought 6 movies, and none of them with explosions!
Books.
Yarrow has a lot to read, we made sure of that. Many people said that Mysore is full of books for all ages, but that hasn't been the case. Pricing varies, the selections aren't that great. Part of me is saying 'Whatta ya want? You're in India.' The other part is saying 'Just because I'm in India doesn't mean I hafta read John Grisham or something about the Upanishads.' I've found myself craving words, like others crave sweets. There is English everywhere here in the South, no lack of familiar stimuli. But content is everything. Or is that context? I find myself reading and criticizing the local newspapers every bit as much as the Olympian and Seattle Times. It doesn't fill me up though, and so now I'm elbow-deep in three books and I am still ravished. I'm also reading a lot of non-fiction. This started with Michael Crichton's Travels. (Thanks Russ) Even the fiction was science related after that. Now I'm into Hawking's 'Brief History of time', Oliver Sachs' 'Man Wo Mistook His Wife For A Hat', 'Tao Te Ching' by Ko Hsuan (Aleister Crowley). Ok, so maybe that last one isn't entirely science, but it's still fun. On deck is 'Chaos' by James Gleick. Maybe I'm just looking outward to find my inner worlds. This whole trip has been like that. I knew the journey would be more important than the destination but I still have to go through that process to get at some things. Added to the daily survival is illness. I'm on day 3 of fever, actual 100-degree still-doing-yoga fever. If it gets any worse I may stay home, but mat-time is one of the few familiar things I've got. I'm fine with change too, but this is the reason we are here. We are already having a mat-defecit with just a quick led practice twice a week and (only) primary mysore in between. We pay for another month tonight and we are going to ask for more yoga. There are two opinions on this. Conservataves would say we should wait patiently until we are instructed to do so as this is the kind of thing that Karma and Chivalry and Obi Wan are all about. Others would say you gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, snatch that pebble Quai-Chang-Kane-like when it's your turn. We're going with #2. The worst is, he will say no, we will wait, he will forget, we will ask later. Like Memento. Without the tattoos. Of course all this is for the formality of adding a meager pose or two from second series, which we already do at home anyway. But we ARE here to learn, and maybe I need to learn to ask for things. We have already started adding some home stretchies into our evening routine. Not quite a full practice, but it helps us keep a grip on things. Part of the problem of having so much 'time-off' of our usual schedules means that Vivian doesn't get to do yoga with all her friends, 2-3 times daily six days a week! And I usually drop by for an added 1-4 practices/week, so we are not getting the back-bend attention we are accustomed to. You see, backbends are still the only real time we get to spend with the Family. We are sufficient enough in our practice to not need help getting into poses, so backbends is our time to get a compulsory adjustment. And it can be a deep one. Sometimes dropped back onto the top of the head, then three quick half-backs, then full back and walk the hands in. No, further. No, further. Now walk your hands, now walk in, walk in, Now take your leg, you-take leg, you-take-leg, take-leg, straight arms, I say straight arms, now up! Why? Why? Sorry. Flashback... Guruji was just asking me about my heels. 'I don't know why they lift' I say. He doesn't understand...
But we get up each morning and go.
This is why we are here.
All the side trips like the Tibetan Monastary, 1000 steps up to another temple overlooking Mysore, riding an elephant, scouting around for soymilk- these are distractions. Wonderful, educational distractions. We are richer for them, and will bring their energy and essences back with us to share in the form of stories, some with pictures and scraps others with sounds and movement. (Who are we?) I am further from my goal but closer to myself with every breath. That's what the yoga is supposed to be about anyway, isn't it?For the first few weeks I treid to block out my past life to acclimate to the new, and now that we are edging on the one month mark, I find my attention turning to home, only in the future, not the past. I am not thinking of myself in terms of who I was or what I used to do (for a living/ for fun) but who do I want to be when I get back? Where do I really want to put my energy? How can I rake in enough cash to make it back here next year? And that is the real topic in the forefront of our brains. If we are to commit to this as an interest, as a hobby, as a profession, as a lifestyle, what does that look like and what is it going to take to make it possible? Before I scare anybody into a 'they're never coming back' frenzy, we are. We have to. Our visa's run out soon. But if this is our life, job, hobby or at least passing interest, why not pursue our passions with vigor? As much as I seemed to complain about leaving too much Home at home, I fear I won't be able to bring enough India back with me. But it will be in every breath I take, every step I make, every--- ok, sorry about the Police reference. But seriously folks, It really does run deep, and I've also taken a bit of all of you here as well. From the HSP homies (found some children's material featuring questionable touches) to both Tattoo-d Casey's (found out that the Tattooed/pierced freaks at the shala I heard about is ME) and the rest of the Oly Yoga crew (no props, but lots of squirt bottles) to the Valley crew who would understand how easy it is to lose count in Navasana, to the Wind Up Here gang (thanks for keeping me posted) and the Crew at the Washington Center for all the hard, SAFE work. I wanted to take Yarrow on an amusement ride, but I don't trust American ones...If we survive, remind me to tell you guys about how they managed to get me set up with hot water for the morning shower...
Anyway-
That means that I'm rambling again. I want to do this more often so it won't come out so spastic, but look at who's doing the writing! I really, really, do promise to write sooner. Vivian had an entry, but it sat too long and i couldn't wait, so you may be reading her next. OK. I'm done. Yeah.

aeryk