Strike

Sunday we had another led class as is usual on Sunday's. The shala was a lot emptier I noticed this Sunday compared to the previous week. People are starting to leave now...
My stomach was not happy, after the trip to the ashram in the B.R.Hills, but my practice did not seem to suffer. I think the rest was good as my jumpback and jump throughs were getting better. My thumb went numb again, but today it only lasted for half an hour. After practice I sat and watched the intermediate led class straight after us.

Then I went to the Sunday morning market at the Green Hotel with Leena and afterwards I lay down and looked at options for my week of travelling after Mysuru. I had some bananas and biscuits to eat, which was the first time in two weeks I ate processed food, but my stomach was not up for indian food and then I fell asleep for a while.

Leena woke me up and reminded me that there is a conference with guruji. The conference was interesting, but he's english is very difficult to understand and he often speaks Kanada to his grandson Sharath, the language spoken in Karnataka state, and he quotes a lot of sanskrit passages and then he looses me.

Afterwards I went to see Borat at Ken's place (anatomy teacher). There were 20 or more people there. The movie was interrupted by power cuts, which we thought were likely the lighting of the palace, which occurs on Sunday nights at 7pm. I then walked Quyen home and she made some stirfry noodles for supper because neither of us had eaten.

Monday was a bandh (general strike), which seemed to be enforced by police, because even the rickshaw drivers would not take any passengers... so it was extremely quiet considering I am in India!!! There were no restaurants open, no shops opened until late in the afternoon, even then internet place was closed the entire day...
Practice on Monday morning was Mysore style, so you start practicing at your alloted time, which is still 7:30 am for me. I am actually not keen on getting an earlier time slot which happens as you get better or have been there for some time. The reason is because when I finish my practice at around 9 am the shala is a little less crowded and I do not have to move my mat into the change rooms to do the finishing sequence. Once you finish the back bend, the last pose where you will get assisted, you are expected to move your mat to the back of the shala, the stage or the change rooms to make space for the people that are arriving to practice, and do your finishing sequence there.

After practice I just ate some papaya at home and then lay down for 4 hours (stomach still not happy). I slept a little and researched my plans for the final week of my stay in India after my month in Mysore is finished. I am planning to go to Daramsala to see the Dalai Lama teach at Mcleod Ganj.
I then cleaned up around the flat a little because we had invited a whole bunch of people for dinner again. In the afternoon I went to my sanskrit classes and then back home for dinner. Leena and Quyen had cooked again and there were a total of 11 of us, so we had to do a round robin with plates etc... Misa and Nea from Finland had brought 3 big slabs of chocolate and of course I had too much of that!!!

Today, Tuesday, practice was good again, except that I kicked Michael in the head on a jump back... yes, that is how close you are to the people around you. Often you will be halfway on another person's mat for a particular asana...
Did not go out for breakfast again today, because we went to the Metropole Hotel for lunch today, as Michael is leaving tomorrow. He is flying to Mocambique to be with his girlfriend. He has been a love sick puppy and time has not been passing fast enough for him :-)
The hotel was stunning, a heritage building... sixteen people arrived, and the food was great!!! It was a buffet and cost Rs 220, which is very expensive here, but about ZAR 40 or USD 5, 50.

Afterwards Michael and I went to the Southern Star Hotel next door where he had a shave, and I had my head and beard shaved. Still getting used to the funny feeling when I put my hand on my head :-).