you must dance with smiling face-afterwards it will be yum yum yum!!

HI-GRO
on indian television, this is some kind of foot device that claims to make you grow as much as a half a foot. don't think we have this in the states.
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being alone is a challange-especially if you are shy, but smiling alot can go a long way. my technique is to first eavesdrop on conversations, gather the info so i can ask questions, and then take the plunge. it helps if they are drinking beers, so i know they won't be snotty. that's how i met an old dutch artist who had been to india 10 times, so he had many good stories and future travel advice. afterwards, i was swept away by the hot indian waiter whom i've known for 3 years who seemed particuallarly interested in me. however, he invited me to "talk" with him at 10:30 pm after his shift at a hotel. hmm. had to blow that one off. a young hot indian and me at a hotel late at night is just asking for trouble. it's weird, cause it seems if you are married, you almost become a dude magnet. go figure. maybe it's the committment thing-casual sex must be happenning like crazy here. they sure hide it well.

friday morning was my first practice with lino-a traditional led class called very slowly-about 2 1/2 hours, which was good for me. very nice. i just love that man lino. "reeelax your baby toe...." it quite wiped me out, but the beauty of this place is you can always take a nap pretty much whenever you want.

in the evening, i took my first cooking course with the famous SIVA of lonely planet. it was the best rps300 (US$6) i've ever spent and tons of good healthy fun. i even made a friend from london.

siva gathered the 10 of us around the cooking burners. it was like the indian emeril, but way more cool. siva has a unique way of speaking. the first things he said about cooking indian food was, "first most important. you must have a good mood. you must dance with smiling face!!! afterwards, it will be yum yum yum!"
he taught us 10 items in 2 hours, everything when prepped properly takes under 5 minutes to prepare "siva's very own fast food!" the first was his "magic sauce", an all purpose basic gravy you can use in 128 (?) items. with it we learned to make aloo gobi (potato & cauliflower), channa masala (spicy chick peas), aloo palak (potato and spinach). after, we learned to make fresh coconut chutney and tomato chutney (my favorite-he singled me out on that one cause he knows how much i like it, "maybe, lisa, you go back home and make your own dosa stall!" "how did you know my plan?" i replied. i got hands on experience making my very own masala dosa. that definitely was a highlight. than we made dal, dal fry, chappatis, and vegetable biryani-siva's own, with pineapple, cashews and raisens. we got to eat everything we made, no additional charge, and i left stuffed and very happy. i now feel very confident to start my own indian kitchen. it was a great way to spend a friday night. siva does indeed rock!