So, this week is Divali, one of the biggest holidays in India. The institute is closed, so we had no choice but to take a great Indian vacation! We flew to bangalore and drove to Mysore for the week. Our journey started at the Pune airport. As we waited for boarding time, we decided to have a snack and some chai in the airport lounge.
One of the most enjoyable things abot India is the difference in the use of the English language. It is creative, sometimes puzzling, and often amusing to us. At many restaurants the menu has some amusing categories and descriptions, but this one took the cake. I copied it down it was so great. I cannot reflect all the different fonts, italics, boldface, but I think you will still enjoy it. Here is what it said on the front of the menu:
Airport Port Lounge
FLYING with MEMORIES
Gazing in the Panoramic Beauty
Destination to Touch
JITTERY STOMACH
Settle on a flavoursome company
with Port snacks to serve you
Savour the delight of exotic tastes
Let your mind be consumed
in ECSTASY of TANG
for APPETIZING solitude as this
is SPORADIC and SOLE
Do you like?
we like it so much we are considering putting it on a tshirt!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Love
As in food love. I am in love with the food here. I am not exadgerating when i say that i have loved every meal and every snack i have had since setting foot on the plane (air india). I have loved every single bite. I have not had one single mediocre meal. Everything is delicious! I sometimes wonder if i will find the food bland when back in the states! So, I could talk about every dish in great detail, but I will tell you about just one particularly memorable meal we had.
The other night we were at the dingy hotel in our neighborhood which has our favorite restaurant on its rooftop. We go here regularly because it is really convenient, has a great atmosphere, and as in every other restaurant i have been to - the food is excellent. Like in every other restaurant there is always a gaggle of waitors doing pretty much nothing but serving our every need. Honestly there are always at least 10 or more waitors at each restaurant and usually like 3 tables of people. At this restuarant they are awkwardly formal and so sweet to us. They notice when our straw drops on the table and give us a new one, they serve each of the dishes on to our plates... They are used to us here, and we are used to them.
This night we tried an appetizer - a tandoori gobi dish. This means that it is cauliflower in a great spice, grilled up. Being the dairy fanatic that i am I was hoping we would order the cheese one, but was happy to have the cauliflower as well.
I HAVE NEVER HAD ANYTHING SO YUMMY IN MY WHOLE LIFE.
We were practically rolling on the floor it was so good. I cannot explain and I do not understand how cauliflower could ever taste this good. And I like cauliflower.
So while we are eating our gobi in awe one of our ten waitors stops by and asks if we like it. I said, as enthusiastically as i have ever said anything in my entire life, "I LOVE IT!!"
The waitor began to smile and then giggle and was then giggling uncontrollably. He left our table laughing the whole way.
Which is when i remembered that the word "love" is not necessarily used in this sense in different parts of the world. I realized that I think I basically just said that I would like to have sex with the cauliflower.
I think this is the first I have made an Indian really laugh. They find us very amusing just by existing and asking the dumb questions we ask, but this is the first that one has really really laughed at us .
It was all together an incredible dining experience. One among many.
The other night we were at the dingy hotel in our neighborhood which has our favorite restaurant on its rooftop. We go here regularly because it is really convenient, has a great atmosphere, and as in every other restaurant i have been to - the food is excellent. Like in every other restaurant there is always a gaggle of waitors doing pretty much nothing but serving our every need. Honestly there are always at least 10 or more waitors at each restaurant and usually like 3 tables of people. At this restuarant they are awkwardly formal and so sweet to us. They notice when our straw drops on the table and give us a new one, they serve each of the dishes on to our plates... They are used to us here, and we are used to them.
This night we tried an appetizer - a tandoori gobi dish. This means that it is cauliflower in a great spice, grilled up. Being the dairy fanatic that i am I was hoping we would order the cheese one, but was happy to have the cauliflower as well.
I HAVE NEVER HAD ANYTHING SO YUMMY IN MY WHOLE LIFE.
We were practically rolling on the floor it was so good. I cannot explain and I do not understand how cauliflower could ever taste this good. And I like cauliflower.
So while we are eating our gobi in awe one of our ten waitors stops by and asks if we like it. I said, as enthusiastically as i have ever said anything in my entire life, "I LOVE IT!!"
The waitor began to smile and then giggle and was then giggling uncontrollably. He left our table laughing the whole way.
Which is when i remembered that the word "love" is not necessarily used in this sense in different parts of the world. I realized that I think I basically just said that I would like to have sex with the cauliflower.
I think this is the first I have made an Indian really laugh. They find us very amusing just by existing and asking the dumb questions we ask, but this is the first that one has really really laughed at us .
It was all together an incredible dining experience. One among many.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Bollywood!
We saw our first indian film and I feel like I have never been to the movies until now! I think we might go to the movies at least like 3 times per week. It was that good.
And it definitely helps that it is air conditioned, in a fancy mall, and you can get dipped ice cream cones and popcorn. Also interesting is that there are assigned seats. So when you buy a ticket you have an actual seat. This is quite nice. So while in true Indian fashion everone waiting to get in the theatre is crowwded outside and pushing pushing pushing to hurry to get in. once inside everyone actually obeys their assigned seat.
And there is an intermission (called an interval) suddenly in the middle of the movie. Everyone gets up to get more snacks and then teh movie starts back up just as suddenly while half the audience is still out refililng.
Okay - so the movie.
It was a brand new feature called "Hello". All in Hindi, no subtitles, but occasional english phrases such as "no problem". You might think this would be a problem, but figuring out who is in love with who is fortunately not that hard. and fortunately for us, one of our party had befriended an actual indian so she translated some key parts for us after the movie. (such as what god said when he called them on their cell phone).
Okay - so the movie again.
It was FABULOUS! I have never seen something so FABULOUS! and i dont really use the adjective fabulous.
Constant music videos with buff indian men dancing (again like a bunch of homos) and Indian and western women doing scandalous dance moves as well. These music videos occurr throughout the movie and are quite entertaining and over the top. I usually and not that good with musicals but this is different. Such eye candy. and they are more intricate and wild than any music video i have seen. Full of random things like when they go on a coffee break there are women in ballet outfits getting down and soaring through the air.
The movie revolved around a call center and mercilessly made fun of all the americans calling with stupid questions. All the americans had pet dogs that were either really really big or really small. This was hilarious and fun and even better ws that all of the americans were really brits or australian, etc. Quite fitting as american movies use brown people interchangeably all the time.
We have already picked out three more bollywood films we must see.
Next time maybe Ill snack on a samosa or a dosa instead of popcorn.
I can hardly wait!
And it definitely helps that it is air conditioned, in a fancy mall, and you can get dipped ice cream cones and popcorn. Also interesting is that there are assigned seats. So when you buy a ticket you have an actual seat. This is quite nice. So while in true Indian fashion everone waiting to get in the theatre is crowwded outside and pushing pushing pushing to hurry to get in. once inside everyone actually obeys their assigned seat.
And there is an intermission (called an interval) suddenly in the middle of the movie. Everyone gets up to get more snacks and then teh movie starts back up just as suddenly while half the audience is still out refililng.
Okay - so the movie.
It was a brand new feature called "Hello". All in Hindi, no subtitles, but occasional english phrases such as "no problem". You might think this would be a problem, but figuring out who is in love with who is fortunately not that hard. and fortunately for us, one of our party had befriended an actual indian so she translated some key parts for us after the movie. (such as what god said when he called them on their cell phone).
Okay - so the movie again.
It was FABULOUS! I have never seen something so FABULOUS! and i dont really use the adjective fabulous.
Constant music videos with buff indian men dancing (again like a bunch of homos) and Indian and western women doing scandalous dance moves as well. These music videos occurr throughout the movie and are quite entertaining and over the top. I usually and not that good with musicals but this is different. Such eye candy. and they are more intricate and wild than any music video i have seen. Full of random things like when they go on a coffee break there are women in ballet outfits getting down and soaring through the air.
The movie revolved around a call center and mercilessly made fun of all the americans calling with stupid questions. All the americans had pet dogs that were either really really big or really small. This was hilarious and fun and even better ws that all of the americans were really brits or australian, etc. Quite fitting as american movies use brown people interchangeably all the time.
We have already picked out three more bollywood films we must see.
Next time maybe Ill snack on a samosa or a dosa instead of popcorn.
I can hardly wait!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
A bunch of homos and a parade!
If you didnt know any better you would think that Indian men were all a bunch of homos. Which of course, i absolutely LOVE.
Indian men are more feminine than the typical american man. I know many of you know this as I was aware of before I came, but it is so different to actually witness it. They are of course slighter in build, but it is also their gestures and their manner of speech that are softer.
Also, affection between men is very common. So I often see men walking down the street holding hands (or even better holding on to just a couple fingers of the other guy). Or the waitors in the restaurants (they are always men and there are always a gaggle of them with nothing to do) hanging on eachother, touching eachother, actually feeding eachother with their hands, or just being intimate in ways that you would never see back home.
This is the case even with young, hip men who dress in western clothes. They have their arms around each other, lean their heads into one another - and this is not just for a photo.
Last week there was a holiday - durga puja (it has multiple names which seems to be a theme here). It has something to do with the good winning out over evil. Seems like a worthy celebration right? The celebration entailed fireworks in the street, loud music and parades, and lots and lots of marigold garlands everywhere. We went out to watch some of the parades of floats heading towards the temple.
The first float was a small one with kids on it and little boys dancing in the street in front of the float. Then came a very large float with a generator in the car attached to the back. This float was tall, and the electrical wires in pune are quite low. So the wires get caught on the goddess figure on the float. But as ingenious and prepared for this obviously expected event, the Indians have a tall stick with a Y at the end like a slingshot that they use to lift the wires off the float and throw out of the way. Oh india. Meanwhile fireworks are going off everywhere and still the traffic is everywhere! Anyway Im getting distracted.
So - there was a hip dj on the float, and a couple indian men dancing on the float next to the gods. The music was loud and bumping, and the men on the float were fabulous and really getting down. This was not a pride parade, and no one was drinking! I LOVE that it is men that dance on the floates! In the street preceding the float was a large group of men dancing. Really dancing - and they were great dancers! Lots of hip action, and modern dancing with an Indian touch. Hard to describe but very pleasing to watch. One of my new bffs - Aaron - was pulled out into the dancing men. Where they proceeded to hold hands with him and dance with him and then freak him. This was the greatest moment yet. First - no one would dare pull a woman out into the street so I never had to worry about having to decline or being harrassed in any way. and secondly - how fun to watch our american friend out dancing in the street all touchy feely with the indian men!
And when they break from dancing they have their arms around eachother and they whisper into each other's ears.
So while being a real homo in India is severely unacceptable, it is nice to walk around and feel like im surrounded by a big homo indian family. But even when i think about how they are not gay, it is still just as great - to see this different version of men. Where intimacy and affection between men is normal. It is most refreshing and intriguing and always makes me like India.
Indian men are more feminine than the typical american man. I know many of you know this as I was aware of before I came, but it is so different to actually witness it. They are of course slighter in build, but it is also their gestures and their manner of speech that are softer.
Also, affection between men is very common. So I often see men walking down the street holding hands (or even better holding on to just a couple fingers of the other guy). Or the waitors in the restaurants (they are always men and there are always a gaggle of them with nothing to do) hanging on eachother, touching eachother, actually feeding eachother with their hands, or just being intimate in ways that you would never see back home.
This is the case even with young, hip men who dress in western clothes. They have their arms around each other, lean their heads into one another - and this is not just for a photo.
Last week there was a holiday - durga puja (it has multiple names which seems to be a theme here). It has something to do with the good winning out over evil. Seems like a worthy celebration right? The celebration entailed fireworks in the street, loud music and parades, and lots and lots of marigold garlands everywhere. We went out to watch some of the parades of floats heading towards the temple.
The first float was a small one with kids on it and little boys dancing in the street in front of the float. Then came a very large float with a generator in the car attached to the back. This float was tall, and the electrical wires in pune are quite low. So the wires get caught on the goddess figure on the float. But as ingenious and prepared for this obviously expected event, the Indians have a tall stick with a Y at the end like a slingshot that they use to lift the wires off the float and throw out of the way. Oh india. Meanwhile fireworks are going off everywhere and still the traffic is everywhere! Anyway Im getting distracted.
So - there was a hip dj on the float, and a couple indian men dancing on the float next to the gods. The music was loud and bumping, and the men on the float were fabulous and really getting down. This was not a pride parade, and no one was drinking! I LOVE that it is men that dance on the floates! In the street preceding the float was a large group of men dancing. Really dancing - and they were great dancers! Lots of hip action, and modern dancing with an Indian touch. Hard to describe but very pleasing to watch. One of my new bffs - Aaron - was pulled out into the dancing men. Where they proceeded to hold hands with him and dance with him and then freak him. This was the greatest moment yet. First - no one would dare pull a woman out into the street so I never had to worry about having to decline or being harrassed in any way. and secondly - how fun to watch our american friend out dancing in the street all touchy feely with the indian men!
And when they break from dancing they have their arms around eachother and they whisper into each other's ears.
So while being a real homo in India is severely unacceptable, it is nice to walk around and feel like im surrounded by a big homo indian family. But even when i think about how they are not gay, it is still just as great - to see this different version of men. Where intimacy and affection between men is normal. It is most refreshing and intriguing and always makes me like India.
Friday, October 10, 2008
The toilets!
I know you are dying to know.
So, as many of you know, toilet paper is not a custom in India.
Instead you will find in every bathroom a spigot with a bucket and a little pour cup in the bucket.
As obnoxious americans, my new found friends and I feel obligated to talk about teh toilet customs at every opportunity.
Here is how we figure it works. You dip the cup in the bucket of water and then use your hand (once presumably?) to splash yourself. This is of course your left hand. Then you let your underwear dry you off. For #2 this seems a little more difficult - we presume that if necessary you can pour teh cup of water over your bum. The idea of this brings such vivid images of us walking out of a bathroom with our pants soaked in water that we cannot help but have laughing fits when considering it. (yes, as i said we are obnoxious americans).
So, we avoid it all together and fortunatly tp is not hard to buy here. I carry with me faithfully and hope for a toilet when i need one. Toilets are particularly hard to find, many restaurants, etc do not have them. This fear of needing a toilet when one is not available is really not good for our states of hydration but we are quickly adjusting.
The toilet of the institute gives two choices: one is a regular toilet and one is a pit toilet. Of course you are more interested in the pit toilet. The pit toilet is a hole in the floor which you squat over. But this is not the good part. The good part is that there is a flip down seat attached to the wall. But it gets even better - the flip down toilet seat is very high up! So using the seat (even for a tall american) would entail hoisting yourself up there. I am not kidding. This would require at least a small jump and some arm strength. and a little hop down. For some reason the idea of peeing from up there gives me great joy. It is like being on the highdive.
One more complicating factor in this image is that the floor is wet. I try really hard to never question that this is just water. And of course shoes are not allowed inside of the building so you are barefoot. You are then able to wash your feet with a spigot in the bathroom area.
As some of you know, my favorite nightmares have to do with bathrooms. So now i have great additional material to fuel these reoccuring dreams! And being the prissy american that i fully own up to being, I am planning to never have to use the bathroom. So far this has affected my yoga practice only slightly. I cringe for the day when I come out of an inversion and just have to do it. I am sure it will be perfectly pleasant and i will realize what a shmuck I am for being such a toilet snob.
Well what do you know. Before I was even able to post this blog entry i was forced to christen the toilet at the institute. It was unavoidable. It was okay, but not enjoyable and really i think it's best if i try not to harp on the different definitions of "clean" that we have in the US and the definition that they have here.
So, as many of you know, toilet paper is not a custom in India.
Instead you will find in every bathroom a spigot with a bucket and a little pour cup in the bucket.
As obnoxious americans, my new found friends and I feel obligated to talk about teh toilet customs at every opportunity.
Here is how we figure it works. You dip the cup in the bucket of water and then use your hand (once presumably?) to splash yourself. This is of course your left hand. Then you let your underwear dry you off. For #2 this seems a little more difficult - we presume that if necessary you can pour teh cup of water over your bum. The idea of this brings such vivid images of us walking out of a bathroom with our pants soaked in water that we cannot help but have laughing fits when considering it. (yes, as i said we are obnoxious americans).
So, we avoid it all together and fortunatly tp is not hard to buy here. I carry with me faithfully and hope for a toilet when i need one. Toilets are particularly hard to find, many restaurants, etc do not have them. This fear of needing a toilet when one is not available is really not good for our states of hydration but we are quickly adjusting.
The toilet of the institute gives two choices: one is a regular toilet and one is a pit toilet. Of course you are more interested in the pit toilet. The pit toilet is a hole in the floor which you squat over. But this is not the good part. The good part is that there is a flip down seat attached to the wall. But it gets even better - the flip down toilet seat is very high up! So using the seat (even for a tall american) would entail hoisting yourself up there. I am not kidding. This would require at least a small jump and some arm strength. and a little hop down. For some reason the idea of peeing from up there gives me great joy. It is like being on the highdive.
One more complicating factor in this image is that the floor is wet. I try really hard to never question that this is just water. And of course shoes are not allowed inside of the building so you are barefoot. You are then able to wash your feet with a spigot in the bathroom area.
As some of you know, my favorite nightmares have to do with bathrooms. So now i have great additional material to fuel these reoccuring dreams! And being the prissy american that i fully own up to being, I am planning to never have to use the bathroom. So far this has affected my yoga practice only slightly. I cringe for the day when I come out of an inversion and just have to do it. I am sure it will be perfectly pleasant and i will realize what a shmuck I am for being such a toilet snob.
Well what do you know. Before I was even able to post this blog entry i was forced to christen the toilet at the institute. It was unavoidable. It was okay, but not enjoyable and really i think it's best if i try not to harp on the different definitions of "clean" that we have in the US and the definition that they have here.
Indian rules of the road
So, I know that a few of you are transportation enthusiasts and thought you might be fascinated by the rules of the road here in india. I certainly am... here is what i have picked up on after two weeks in pune.
Rule #1: Drive on the left side of the road.
That is unless the left side is too crowded, or you dont feel like driving on the left side, then by all means drive on the right side of the road.
Rule #2: If there is any moving vehicle in front of you, always try to pass it. This may require driving on the right side of the road when opposing traffic is present, but this is perfectly acceptable.
(This passing rule also seems to apply to any time you are standing in some sort of 'line'. Do not ever stand in line, just try to be first.)
Rule #3: Honk constantly. In fact, many of the trucks have signs on the back of them reminding you to do so (Honk please!). Honk at all the vehicles you see, all the pedestrians you see, and even if you see none at all (quite impossible in Pune) honk repeatedly.
Rule #4: Non-motorized vehicles: this includes bicycles, large push carts to sell fruit or coconut juice, pedestrians, cows, goats, pigs, donkeys and of course dogs. Please join the traffic in the middle of the road. There is no reason to stay to the side of the lane, just jump on in and join the fun!
Rule #5: Signaling. When turning you can stick your hand out, but better yet just honk and cut across traffic. You may need to swerve around oncoming traffic and weave your way across the lane. This is normal.
Rule #6: Pedestrians: Do not attempt to walk on the sidewalk. There are piles of shit the size of footballs and large holes (often times with small children digging in them - i like to imagine they are just playing, not actually day laborers :( ) Walk on the street with the rest of traffic.
Rule #7: Crossing the street. Your best bet is to try to follow an indian. If this is not possible, hopefully you are of the generation that had some experience playing frogger. Always remember: you never, ever, in any situation have the right away as a pedestrian. Eye contact with a driver means get the f out of the way. You must just go for it, do not waiver or balk, walk at an even pace so the drivers can time their swerving, and hope for the best.
Rule #8: Riding in a rickshaw. These are quite fun once you let go of fear of death (one of the vrittis for you yogis). It is like a toy car. Hold on, do not let your limbs hang outside of the vehicle, and enjoy. And as always, where ever you go, have the correct change!
The streets in Pune are really something to watch. Especially the circle intersections which have no lights, and appear to not have any logic. There are honestly cars and rickshaws and motos going every direction. Motos and bikes often feel fine driving on the opposite side of the road near the sidewalk. Rickshaws often use the other lane without hesitation or just drive in the middle. There really are cows and goats and pigs in the road, and im talking about real busy roads, not little side roads. The bicycles really do ride down the middle and the vehicles swerve around them! It is a wonder just to stand there and watch. Like a puzzle really, for my western brain to try to see the logic and order in the mayhem. Quite amazing.
Rule #1: Drive on the left side of the road.
That is unless the left side is too crowded, or you dont feel like driving on the left side, then by all means drive on the right side of the road.
Rule #2: If there is any moving vehicle in front of you, always try to pass it. This may require driving on the right side of the road when opposing traffic is present, but this is perfectly acceptable.
(This passing rule also seems to apply to any time you are standing in some sort of 'line'. Do not ever stand in line, just try to be first.)
Rule #3: Honk constantly. In fact, many of the trucks have signs on the back of them reminding you to do so (Honk please!). Honk at all the vehicles you see, all the pedestrians you see, and even if you see none at all (quite impossible in Pune) honk repeatedly.
Rule #4: Non-motorized vehicles: this includes bicycles, large push carts to sell fruit or coconut juice, pedestrians, cows, goats, pigs, donkeys and of course dogs. Please join the traffic in the middle of the road. There is no reason to stay to the side of the lane, just jump on in and join the fun!
Rule #5: Signaling. When turning you can stick your hand out, but better yet just honk and cut across traffic. You may need to swerve around oncoming traffic and weave your way across the lane. This is normal.
Rule #6: Pedestrians: Do not attempt to walk on the sidewalk. There are piles of shit the size of footballs and large holes (often times with small children digging in them - i like to imagine they are just playing, not actually day laborers :( ) Walk on the street with the rest of traffic.
Rule #7: Crossing the street. Your best bet is to try to follow an indian. If this is not possible, hopefully you are of the generation that had some experience playing frogger. Always remember: you never, ever, in any situation have the right away as a pedestrian. Eye contact with a driver means get the f out of the way. You must just go for it, do not waiver or balk, walk at an even pace so the drivers can time their swerving, and hope for the best.
Rule #8: Riding in a rickshaw. These are quite fun once you let go of fear of death (one of the vrittis for you yogis). It is like a toy car. Hold on, do not let your limbs hang outside of the vehicle, and enjoy. And as always, where ever you go, have the correct change!
The streets in Pune are really something to watch. Especially the circle intersections which have no lights, and appear to not have any logic. There are honestly cars and rickshaws and motos going every direction. Motos and bikes often feel fine driving on the opposite side of the road near the sidewalk. Rickshaws often use the other lane without hesitation or just drive in the middle. There really are cows and goats and pigs in the road, and im talking about real busy roads, not little side roads. The bicycles really do ride down the middle and the vehicles swerve around them! It is a wonder just to stand there and watch. Like a puzzle really, for my western brain to try to see the logic and order in the mayhem. Quite amazing.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
About my blog and my first week in india
I think that the most foreign thing that i have done thus far in india is create a blog! I know you thought I would never do it and neither did I, and it is actually making me nervous! More nervous than riding in the crazy rickshaws and crossing the insane streets of Pune.
So, a little bit about my blog:
1. There will be no pictures. I will tell you about the internet cafes (better named internet holes) later on.
2. I will be posting infrequently im sure.
3. There will be typos and other annoying errors. As referenced above the internet holes are hard to come by and not all that pleasant, and the keys stick. So I will not be editing!
4. There will most definitely be some discussion of toilets and bodily functions. I cannot imagine my blog not including this.
5. I will make a lot of pronouncements about life in India and Indians. Of course this is ridiculous as I have only lived here as an ethnocentric american for such a short time and have no right to make ignorant, probably completely false pronouncements and judgements. I will do it anyway!
Let me start by giving you an idea of what i am doing here.
First off I will start off by reminding you that i am NOT living in an ashram. So if you are expecting to read about a peaceful life meditating in an ashram with quiet hours and such, then I recommend you pick up a copy of eatpraylove. I live in a simple but beautiful apartment that is about a ten minute walk from the institute where I take classes. My roommate Natasha and I get to walk through the park to get to class. This is lovely because the streets of Pune are so loud and the pollution is so bad. I do about 5 hours of yoga a day - 2 hours of class and 3 hours of practice.
The institute is a humble building where we squash about 60 - 70 people in mat to mat for classes and practice. The noise of the street is not far away, and often while in poses you have a foot in your face or a butt over your head. It is amazing to be in the presence of the most amazing teachers in the world, but it is a challenge. I have not quite reached enlightenment yet, but maybe that will come after I stop pining for people to get the f out of my space. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining. It is all quite as i expected. No one comes to study with the Iyengars expecting to be pampered. But i found that before i left, most people have the image of studying yoga in india as being a retreat in some sort of meditational resort. Pune is quite the opposite!
Now let me tell you about some of my favorite things in india!
1. Our building attendant. His name is Indra (i think) and he is from Nepal. He tells us namaste every time we come and go throughout the day (which is about 15). We converse quite regularly which is always interesting as he speaks no english whatsoever.
2. Our landlord Karishma. She is quite opinionated about everything and scolds us mercilessly. (NO NO Jessie!) She is like our bossy fairy godmother and we call her every time we cannot figure out something indian.
3. Our maid Swarma. Having a maid is also one of my least favorite things as I am paranoid about her cleaning the toilet with my toothbrush while we are gone. So we ply her with chocolates in hopes that she will like us and not play mean tricks on us.
4. The grocery stores. The supermarkets are stalls on the street and you stand at the counter and say "Do you have... dental floss?" as clearly as possible and smile hopefully that they know what dental floss is and can understand your insane accent while speaking english and that their little store actually has it. And the thing is they always do! they wag their heads and wander into the back and come back wth dental floss! It is such a different way of shopping. You shop for what you need, not what you see because you cannot see what they have. We are always surprised and delighted when they come back with what we want. And, we do not even have to make a decision about what to buy as they pick it out for you! i love it.
5. The head bobble. It is most like the little toy dogs in the back of taxi cabs in chicago. It is an art that I am determined to master. It means yes, or no, or i dont know, or maybe, or i hear you. It is a constant. everyone is wagging their heads all the time. It is impossible not to wag your head back at them.
okay im getting kicked off the internet hole, so this is it. stay tuned and i will tell you all about the toilets next time!
So, a little bit about my blog:
1. There will be no pictures. I will tell you about the internet cafes (better named internet holes) later on.
2. I will be posting infrequently im sure.
3. There will be typos and other annoying errors. As referenced above the internet holes are hard to come by and not all that pleasant, and the keys stick. So I will not be editing!
4. There will most definitely be some discussion of toilets and bodily functions. I cannot imagine my blog not including this.
5. I will make a lot of pronouncements about life in India and Indians. Of course this is ridiculous as I have only lived here as an ethnocentric american for such a short time and have no right to make ignorant, probably completely false pronouncements and judgements. I will do it anyway!
Let me start by giving you an idea of what i am doing here.
First off I will start off by reminding you that i am NOT living in an ashram. So if you are expecting to read about a peaceful life meditating in an ashram with quiet hours and such, then I recommend you pick up a copy of eatpraylove. I live in a simple but beautiful apartment that is about a ten minute walk from the institute where I take classes. My roommate Natasha and I get to walk through the park to get to class. This is lovely because the streets of Pune are so loud and the pollution is so bad. I do about 5 hours of yoga a day - 2 hours of class and 3 hours of practice.
The institute is a humble building where we squash about 60 - 70 people in mat to mat for classes and practice. The noise of the street is not far away, and often while in poses you have a foot in your face or a butt over your head. It is amazing to be in the presence of the most amazing teachers in the world, but it is a challenge. I have not quite reached enlightenment yet, but maybe that will come after I stop pining for people to get the f out of my space. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining. It is all quite as i expected. No one comes to study with the Iyengars expecting to be pampered. But i found that before i left, most people have the image of studying yoga in india as being a retreat in some sort of meditational resort. Pune is quite the opposite!
Now let me tell you about some of my favorite things in india!
1. Our building attendant. His name is Indra (i think) and he is from Nepal. He tells us namaste every time we come and go throughout the day (which is about 15). We converse quite regularly which is always interesting as he speaks no english whatsoever.
2. Our landlord Karishma. She is quite opinionated about everything and scolds us mercilessly. (NO NO Jessie!) She is like our bossy fairy godmother and we call her every time we cannot figure out something indian.
3. Our maid Swarma. Having a maid is also one of my least favorite things as I am paranoid about her cleaning the toilet with my toothbrush while we are gone. So we ply her with chocolates in hopes that she will like us and not play mean tricks on us.
4. The grocery stores. The supermarkets are stalls on the street and you stand at the counter and say "Do you have... dental floss?" as clearly as possible and smile hopefully that they know what dental floss is and can understand your insane accent while speaking english and that their little store actually has it. And the thing is they always do! they wag their heads and wander into the back and come back wth dental floss! It is such a different way of shopping. You shop for what you need, not what you see because you cannot see what they have. We are always surprised and delighted when they come back with what we want. And, we do not even have to make a decision about what to buy as they pick it out for you! i love it.
5. The head bobble. It is most like the little toy dogs in the back of taxi cabs in chicago. It is an art that I am determined to master. It means yes, or no, or i dont know, or maybe, or i hear you. It is a constant. everyone is wagging their heads all the time. It is impossible not to wag your head back at them.
okay im getting kicked off the internet hole, so this is it. stay tuned and i will tell you all about the toilets next time!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)