i woke up yesterday to a phone call from the hotel desk, "happy diwali! we need your room now so get packed by noon." so i spent an hour packing, wondering where, on this busy holiday, i would go. they said they would put us up in the guesthouse, ok. kind of a drag. waited around for them to pick us up and at noon, a knock at the door, "good news madam. you can keep your room." only 2 words for that...IT'S INDIA.
spent 3 hours of the afternoon in air conditioned splendor at the world famous EROS theatre for the premiere of the fully restored colorized "mughal-e-azam" starring dilip kumar, the unbelievable beauty and cult heroine madhubala, and prithviraj kapoor-daddy of shammi and raj (rishi kapoor's dad-one of my faves check out "hum kisise kum naheen" and "bobby"). it was an unbelievable spectacle for the eye-a kalidescope of spendor. it's the oldest hindi film i have seen, me being stuck in the 70s. i had a ground floor seat, which is much better than balcony, contrary to popular belief, the sound and vibe rocks down there if you can stand the crowds. the place was chock full of old timers re-living the past, singing along, clapping for the stars. the guy next to me almost shot out of his seat each time madhubala was on screen, his palms sweating. she's quite the beauty. this is one of the most important movies in indian history, taking 10 years to make with no budget. it was intended to be filmed in color, except it wasn't available till the end of the filming, in which the final dance sequence was the only part filmed in color. of course there are not subtitles here, so if anyone knows how he was poisoned (feather and rose??), please kindly e-mail me with the information.
than we ventured out to the diwali festivities, which was not much fun for me because they are very fond of explosives-the m80 kind and dynamite. bombay had turned into a war zone and it really freaked me out. for a moment i felt what it must be like to live in bagdhad. i especially felt sorry for the street animals and children. if you didn't have earplugs, you were in serious danger of getting your eardrums blown out. i had to sleep with all the windows closed. apparently all this fest was about was whoever has the most and loudest "crackers" wins. a definitive "mans" holiday.
bindifry
Friday, November 12, 2004
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
quit india
it's great fun trying different cuisines in a cosmopolitan city such as mumbai. whatever you want it's here. it would probably take one lifetime to eat your way through and another lifetime for street food, which is not to be missed. (contrary to popular belief)*hi ellen-bindi is trying belpuri on the streets today after a trip to the prince of whales museum*.
i tried mangalore food and parsi so far, and the bombay duck, which is not duck, but fish.(sorry veggie heads). and still the best bet for proper indian brekkie is the hole-in-the-wall. why can't we get a proper dosa outside of india? my theory is that it's all about the potatos, and they are very different here than at home. plus there are no restrictions on ghee.
yesterday was india history day. my intention was to go to the nehru center, but was first dropped off at the quaint science museum, very similar to the one in san francisco, if you've ever been. lots of participation exhibits, you can be a child again. except the military guards are constantly over your shoulders (what can you possibly steal?) and cute little girls fondly gathering around with the same curious questions-"from what country you are from?" and when you tell them, they turn red, smile wryly, and scamper off. i think they place bets with each other as to where they think you might be from. finland is a big one, probably cause i'm blonde.
after mistaking the science museum for the other nehru center, we ventured to the masterpiece of archetecture. the building looks like a towering skinny waffle. amazing. what's most mind blowing is the "discovery of india" exhibition inside. it's a multi-media maze of the 50,000 year old history of india. if you've ever wondered about this great country's history, there is no better way to learn. it's based on india's first prime minister, jawaharlal nehru's famous book of the same name and the exhibit begins way before the indus valley as we know it, before any religion conqured, before buddhism (first here), hinduism, the jains, christianity, and finally islam and goes all the way through the revolution, gandhi and the "quit india" campaign that started here in bombay. unfortunately i was bugged out from the many hours of museum strolling and could only make it to the part when the british came and ruined everything, but i know that story already. i did not know they taxed the dead, though. anyhow, i bought the vcd and will be thrilled to share it with anyone who wants a wonderful slice of history.
the day was capped off with a tear inducing trip to mani bhavan-mahatma gandi's home in bombay from 1917-1934. his spinning wheel and bed, sandles, cup and glasses remain intact protected as he left it inside a glass room. the walls of this 4 story building were chock full of amazing photos of gandiji throughout his entire life, letters he wrote to hitler and roosevelt, and even the history of how the flag ended up looking in 1947. the last room had a gandhi history of little rooms with dolls representing all the important moments in gandhi's life. mani bhavan is the location of the very first "quit india" campaign-the campaign that pursued the british to leave india in 1942. WOW!
today is prince of whales and museum of modern art day, and more mangalorian food. makes me want to take a trip to mangalore just to eat!
bindifry
***who is bracing herself for the intense festivities that await tomorrow night on marine drive (marine drive looks like lake shore drive, and they give chicago a run for their money in the skyline department
*****HAPPY DIWALI******
i tried mangalore food and parsi so far, and the bombay duck, which is not duck, but fish.(sorry veggie heads). and still the best bet for proper indian brekkie is the hole-in-the-wall. why can't we get a proper dosa outside of india? my theory is that it's all about the potatos, and they are very different here than at home. plus there are no restrictions on ghee.
yesterday was india history day. my intention was to go to the nehru center, but was first dropped off at the quaint science museum, very similar to the one in san francisco, if you've ever been. lots of participation exhibits, you can be a child again. except the military guards are constantly over your shoulders (what can you possibly steal?) and cute little girls fondly gathering around with the same curious questions-"from what country you are from?" and when you tell them, they turn red, smile wryly, and scamper off. i think they place bets with each other as to where they think you might be from. finland is a big one, probably cause i'm blonde.
after mistaking the science museum for the other nehru center, we ventured to the masterpiece of archetecture. the building looks like a towering skinny waffle. amazing. what's most mind blowing is the "discovery of india" exhibition inside. it's a multi-media maze of the 50,000 year old history of india. if you've ever wondered about this great country's history, there is no better way to learn. it's based on india's first prime minister, jawaharlal nehru's famous book of the same name and the exhibit begins way before the indus valley as we know it, before any religion conqured, before buddhism (first here), hinduism, the jains, christianity, and finally islam and goes all the way through the revolution, gandhi and the "quit india" campaign that started here in bombay. unfortunately i was bugged out from the many hours of museum strolling and could only make it to the part when the british came and ruined everything, but i know that story already. i did not know they taxed the dead, though. anyhow, i bought the vcd and will be thrilled to share it with anyone who wants a wonderful slice of history.
the day was capped off with a tear inducing trip to mani bhavan-mahatma gandi's home in bombay from 1917-1934. his spinning wheel and bed, sandles, cup and glasses remain intact protected as he left it inside a glass room. the walls of this 4 story building were chock full of amazing photos of gandiji throughout his entire life, letters he wrote to hitler and roosevelt, and even the history of how the flag ended up looking in 1947. the last room had a gandhi history of little rooms with dolls representing all the important moments in gandhi's life. mani bhavan is the location of the very first "quit india" campaign-the campaign that pursued the british to leave india in 1942. WOW!
today is prince of whales and museum of modern art day, and more mangalorian food. makes me want to take a trip to mangalore just to eat!
bindifry
***who is bracing herself for the intense festivities that await tomorrow night on marine drive (marine drive looks like lake shore drive, and they give chicago a run for their money in the skyline department
*****HAPPY DIWALI******
Monday, November 08, 2004
magic carpet ride or there's someting in the tea
very revealing trip out to bandra. it's funny that nothing is ever what you imagine. india's "beverly hills" looks just like all the rest of this city and completely surrounded by the biggest slums in all of mumbai. i have never seen anything like it. beggers trying to crawl inside our taxi each time we were stopped in traffic, i had to keep my belongings underneath my bum. 6 miles takes almost 2 hours, no a/c, and a full on sunburn because of it.
we agreed to keep our taxi with us rather than fend for ourselves-thank god cause we would have been torn apat by the very desperate poor. we were first dropped off at a tall and skinny "mall" and taken by the lift(elevator) to the top floor by the mall tour guide. each floor containing only one or 2 stores, than you walk down the spiral staircase into shopping doom. i passed on the top floor much to the dismay of my guide-jewelry. then came floor 6-my greatest weakness staring me in the eye-kasmiri rugs. we met the delightful kashmiri man complete with full on entourage. we walked in and the jaws closed firmly. now i must tell you that the kashmiri's got all my money last year in kerala. i swear they put something in the tea. here's how the rap goes, and it's always the same. "i don't want to sell you anything. i simply want to get to know you. sit on my velvet couch". he snaps his fingers and a girl with a platter of tea arrives. he first makes you appreciate it's aroma, we aren't allowed to taste just yet, explaining the ayurvedic qualities. he explains how hard the kasmiri's have it with all the comflict in the north. we learn his name, his story, his sexual preference (no, not really)he learns about us. suddenly another finger snap and the tea table is promptly removed. here come the rugs. another member of his entourage appears first with the wools. he holds the rolled rug horizontally, kisses it firmly, and with a flick of his wrists, snaps it open and onto the floor. "look at it, see the colors change as it moves. it is not trick lighting." he invites us to walk around, talks of their history and asks, "how long you think this took to make?" i guess a year, he says "5 years by one person!" then invites us to remove our shoes and feel them with our feet. then the best part, quite remenicent of an info-mercial. he brings out a pair of giant scissors, invites us to feel the sharpness of the blades, and proceeds to slice away at the rugs, proving their indestructibility. no temptation yet. UNTIL...
THE SILKS!! i suddenly feel my entire body go flush, i feel faint. bastard!! unbelievable, gorgeous. his spell has worked. i want one. i want one badly. i need one more than water, more than air. after 2 cups of tea, i make my choice. and because it's ramadan, he offers 25% discount. of course one is never enough for these madmen, and spends a very intense hour trying to double my order. i have no business buying one, let alone 2, but come to my senses cause i don't want to cut my trip short because of rug weakness. signed authenticity contracts, and sign the back of the rug to prove it's the one i chose. i leave elated and sick to my stomach.
next stop-multi-level sari shop. of course they ask where i'm from, and bring in a mountain of salwars, tossing each one over my head at rocket speed. the girl asks, "how many you buy?" i say, 2 or 3. she says "you buy 3-at least!" HA!!! i walk out with 5, plus 2 pairs of rajastani shoes and wonder how the hell did that happen?
film city will have to wait cause we're totally wiped out. shopping in india is indeed dangerous to your health. next the never ending crawl through the slums filled with limbless naked kids, women lying on rubble in the 120 degree sun multi-tasking cooking, breast feeding, and sewing together marigolds for puja. me with my extravagent purchases between my legs, rug on the way, as everyone around me malnourished. i am told film city is not open to the public, but 2000+ rupies can do the talking. i am willing to pay, but next time we take a train.
bindifry
we agreed to keep our taxi with us rather than fend for ourselves-thank god cause we would have been torn apat by the very desperate poor. we were first dropped off at a tall and skinny "mall" and taken by the lift(elevator) to the top floor by the mall tour guide. each floor containing only one or 2 stores, than you walk down the spiral staircase into shopping doom. i passed on the top floor much to the dismay of my guide-jewelry. then came floor 6-my greatest weakness staring me in the eye-kasmiri rugs. we met the delightful kashmiri man complete with full on entourage. we walked in and the jaws closed firmly. now i must tell you that the kashmiri's got all my money last year in kerala. i swear they put something in the tea. here's how the rap goes, and it's always the same. "i don't want to sell you anything. i simply want to get to know you. sit on my velvet couch". he snaps his fingers and a girl with a platter of tea arrives. he first makes you appreciate it's aroma, we aren't allowed to taste just yet, explaining the ayurvedic qualities. he explains how hard the kasmiri's have it with all the comflict in the north. we learn his name, his story, his sexual preference (no, not really)he learns about us. suddenly another finger snap and the tea table is promptly removed. here come the rugs. another member of his entourage appears first with the wools. he holds the rolled rug horizontally, kisses it firmly, and with a flick of his wrists, snaps it open and onto the floor. "look at it, see the colors change as it moves. it is not trick lighting." he invites us to walk around, talks of their history and asks, "how long you think this took to make?" i guess a year, he says "5 years by one person!" then invites us to remove our shoes and feel them with our feet. then the best part, quite remenicent of an info-mercial. he brings out a pair of giant scissors, invites us to feel the sharpness of the blades, and proceeds to slice away at the rugs, proving their indestructibility. no temptation yet. UNTIL...
THE SILKS!! i suddenly feel my entire body go flush, i feel faint. bastard!! unbelievable, gorgeous. his spell has worked. i want one. i want one badly. i need one more than water, more than air. after 2 cups of tea, i make my choice. and because it's ramadan, he offers 25% discount. of course one is never enough for these madmen, and spends a very intense hour trying to double my order. i have no business buying one, let alone 2, but come to my senses cause i don't want to cut my trip short because of rug weakness. signed authenticity contracts, and sign the back of the rug to prove it's the one i chose. i leave elated and sick to my stomach.
next stop-multi-level sari shop. of course they ask where i'm from, and bring in a mountain of salwars, tossing each one over my head at rocket speed. the girl asks, "how many you buy?" i say, 2 or 3. she says "you buy 3-at least!" HA!!! i walk out with 5, plus 2 pairs of rajastani shoes and wonder how the hell did that happen?
film city will have to wait cause we're totally wiped out. shopping in india is indeed dangerous to your health. next the never ending crawl through the slums filled with limbless naked kids, women lying on rubble in the 120 degree sun multi-tasking cooking, breast feeding, and sewing together marigolds for puja. me with my extravagent purchases between my legs, rug on the way, as everyone around me malnourished. i am told film city is not open to the public, but 2000+ rupies can do the talking. i am willing to pay, but next time we take a train.
bindifry
Sunday, November 07, 2004
thick skin blues
finally mustered up the courage to try real paan. what an interesting thing. basically take a betal leave and stuff it with 10 ingrediants, including cardemon, cloves, betal nut, and god knows what else. it's quite interesting to watch them make it and it does take some time. supposed to be a digestivo, mouth freshener, and mild narcotic. of course we were accompanied by a paan bystander tour guide who instructed us not to swallow, but spit (i knew this). it's much bigger than i thought and it took me 4 bites to finish it. i did feel queasy, but it passed. lots of folks here are addicted to it and i can see why. you can have it sweet or with tobacco, which i passed on. definitly worth the 4 rupies.
off to the mumbai crawford market. that's when i realized i probably won't last much past diwali in this city. i have never been in that kind of crowd mashing before and the intense heat made me want to jump out of my skin. thousands of beggers grabbing at me, a pile of little girls ripped off my scarf to expose my tattoos, only to flee in terror at the sight. this has happened to me before on my previous trip. in fact if i wanted to be left alone, all i had to do was pull up my sleeves. i think they see it as demonic. i try hard to hide them, but not always possible. had a market tour guide,"no fee to just look-silk row here, spice alley there, fabrics there, fruits here, you can have it all" i almost passed out there were at least a million people on a sunday. i don't know how they do it. i know you can get used to anything, but i just don't know how they do it. all i wanted was a cool place to have a beer, which i found after wandering a couple hours waiting for planet m to open. just when i thought i was passing out, i came across the capital beer bar. yay. amberro, my new fave from aurangabad. and soon planet m was open.
i couldn't control myself there and ended up buying 13 movies, 8 cds and 4 cassettes. i'm actually now considering renting indian dvd's out of my future yoga studio since my library is climbing fast. i only spent 130US for all of that-most dvds going for 4 bucks, same for cds, and 80 cents for cassettes.
the BIG news is that mughal-e-azam, a very very famous epic movie made in 1960 has been colorized and released in the theatres, opening diwali! this was like the indian gone with the wind, or ben hur. and lucky lucky me gets to see it in a massive mumbai theatre. the other BIG news is veer-zaara, the new yosh chopra shah ruh khan/preity zinta romeo and juliet paki\indian love story also opens on diwali. these are the 2 biggest releases of the year.
today i'm taking the train to bandra, the indian beverly hills where all the bollywood stars live, and to film city (bollywood) and try to schmooze my way into the studio. these places are located outside of the city and takes a train to get there.
as much as i like it in mumbai, i don't think my skin is thick enough to last much longer past diwali, which is such a huge holiday i'm sure my energy will be spent from it. they're already firing off explosions in the middle of the night. lots of excitement in the air. probably the biggest holiday in india, kind of like x-mas in the west. they are encouraged to shop till they drop, give out sweets, wear new clothes, and light up the entire city with lanterns. sounds like a blast, but a bit scarey cause of the millions that will be at the festivities. this happens friday. diwali celebrates rama's return after 14 years in exile fighting the demon ravana from the ramayana.
bindifry
off to the mumbai crawford market. that's when i realized i probably won't last much past diwali in this city. i have never been in that kind of crowd mashing before and the intense heat made me want to jump out of my skin. thousands of beggers grabbing at me, a pile of little girls ripped off my scarf to expose my tattoos, only to flee in terror at the sight. this has happened to me before on my previous trip. in fact if i wanted to be left alone, all i had to do was pull up my sleeves. i think they see it as demonic. i try hard to hide them, but not always possible. had a market tour guide,"no fee to just look-silk row here, spice alley there, fabrics there, fruits here, you can have it all" i almost passed out there were at least a million people on a sunday. i don't know how they do it. i know you can get used to anything, but i just don't know how they do it. all i wanted was a cool place to have a beer, which i found after wandering a couple hours waiting for planet m to open. just when i thought i was passing out, i came across the capital beer bar. yay. amberro, my new fave from aurangabad. and soon planet m was open.
i couldn't control myself there and ended up buying 13 movies, 8 cds and 4 cassettes. i'm actually now considering renting indian dvd's out of my future yoga studio since my library is climbing fast. i only spent 130US for all of that-most dvds going for 4 bucks, same for cds, and 80 cents for cassettes.
the BIG news is that mughal-e-azam, a very very famous epic movie made in 1960 has been colorized and released in the theatres, opening diwali! this was like the indian gone with the wind, or ben hur. and lucky lucky me gets to see it in a massive mumbai theatre. the other BIG news is veer-zaara, the new yosh chopra shah ruh khan/preity zinta romeo and juliet paki\indian love story also opens on diwali. these are the 2 biggest releases of the year.
today i'm taking the train to bandra, the indian beverly hills where all the bollywood stars live, and to film city (bollywood) and try to schmooze my way into the studio. these places are located outside of the city and takes a train to get there.
as much as i like it in mumbai, i don't think my skin is thick enough to last much longer past diwali, which is such a huge holiday i'm sure my energy will be spent from it. they're already firing off explosions in the middle of the night. lots of excitement in the air. probably the biggest holiday in india, kind of like x-mas in the west. they are encouraged to shop till they drop, give out sweets, wear new clothes, and light up the entire city with lanterns. sounds like a blast, but a bit scarey cause of the millions that will be at the festivities. this happens friday. diwali celebrates rama's return after 14 years in exile fighting the demon ravana from the ramayana.
bindifry
Saturday, November 06, 2004
back home
back home
on my birthday i thought i died and learned to let go. a bit self conscious for wearing a salwar on the plane cause they're so damn comfy, i was quietly approached by an indian woman descending the escalator at the mumbai airport, "looking nice in salwar kameez." i felt my face turn red, but i beamed. the weight of self-consciousness dissolved.can i tell you how great it was to get a government taxi on a saturday at 6 am? a trip normally taking 2 hours + took a mere 40 minutes. imagine NO traffic in bombay!those familiar exhaust fumes, the burning smells brought back an emotional wave of familiarity which brought me to tears. i felt like i was finally home.of course 7am is too early to check into the bentleys hotel, so we wandered to the bombay harbor for some air and immediately spotted the world famous gateway to india, and the only place for coffee was at the 5 star astounding taj mahal hotel (which i thought of staying just one night for b-day, but just can't stomach the 250US$) i feasted on piles of fruit (after many meals of butter, cheese, rolls and all things dairy on the plane) including the chiku fruit. i thought about you, miss lal and your right about bombay rocking.the room is similar to the kaveri in mysore, only twice the size with a phone and color tv with god knows how many indian channels. (i repeat, i am NOT ashamed of watching indian television). not only that, probably a dozen stations on the radio! i love all india radio, but a dozen? sweaty palms.interesting birthday so far, having wandered out to the tourist thick beach only to be accosted by aggressive friendship bracelet wallas and wrist flower wallettes-"i don't want your money-just buy my baby milk." no time for that, she took 10 rupies instead. always making new friends. it's pretty damn crazy here, like mysore times 100, and contrary to popular belief, not really like new york, but like london on speed. already exhausted by mg road's miles of street stalls, pulled in every direction, charged 12 rupies for coconuts!! had to take a break at the famous leopolds for one beer. place opened in 1871, and chock full of travelers of all stripes, it was a bit annoying, but close and easy to have a beer and a snack.haven't slept in 2 days, wondering when it will hit me. of course i'm scouting for a bollywood film tonight, but SRK's 2 new movies aren't showing yet. fortunately the tv is chock full of movies from every era possible.this is just the beginning as i hope to get into some trouble to share.bindifrywho has to go indoors cause it's so DAMN hot!
on my birthday i thought i died and learned to let go. a bit self conscious for wearing a salwar on the plane cause they're so damn comfy, i was quietly approached by an indian woman descending the escalator at the mumbai airport, "looking nice in salwar kameez." i felt my face turn red, but i beamed. the weight of self-consciousness dissolved.can i tell you how great it was to get a government taxi on a saturday at 6 am? a trip normally taking 2 hours + took a mere 40 minutes. imagine NO traffic in bombay!those familiar exhaust fumes, the burning smells brought back an emotional wave of familiarity which brought me to tears. i felt like i was finally home.of course 7am is too early to check into the bentleys hotel, so we wandered to the bombay harbor for some air and immediately spotted the world famous gateway to india, and the only place for coffee was at the 5 star astounding taj mahal hotel (which i thought of staying just one night for b-day, but just can't stomach the 250US$) i feasted on piles of fruit (after many meals of butter, cheese, rolls and all things dairy on the plane) including the chiku fruit. i thought about you, miss lal and your right about bombay rocking.the room is similar to the kaveri in mysore, only twice the size with a phone and color tv with god knows how many indian channels. (i repeat, i am NOT ashamed of watching indian television). not only that, probably a dozen stations on the radio! i love all india radio, but a dozen? sweaty palms.interesting birthday so far, having wandered out to the tourist thick beach only to be accosted by aggressive friendship bracelet wallas and wrist flower wallettes-"i don't want your money-just buy my baby milk." no time for that, she took 10 rupies instead. always making new friends. it's pretty damn crazy here, like mysore times 100, and contrary to popular belief, not really like new york, but like london on speed. already exhausted by mg road's miles of street stalls, pulled in every direction, charged 12 rupies for coconuts!! had to take a break at the famous leopolds for one beer. place opened in 1871, and chock full of travelers of all stripes, it was a bit annoying, but close and easy to have a beer and a snack.haven't slept in 2 days, wondering when it will hit me. of course i'm scouting for a bollywood film tonight, but SRK's 2 new movies aren't showing yet. fortunately the tv is chock full of movies from every era possible.this is just the beginning as i hope to get into some trouble to share.bindifrywho has to go indoors cause it's so DAMN hot!
Monday, November 01, 2004
where is the yoga
i find it interesting that i have focused mostly on india and their movies rather than yoga. sometimes you wouldn't even know that is why i went in the first place. and honestly, that is not why i'm going back. i can go to helsinki or italy to be with my teacher lino. i can visit guruji on his tour of the states.
i am extremely inspired by india's high standards and attitude towards life. think about it. their art is mindblowingly detailed, the music is insanity, their spices-forget about it. they see no problem with sitting through a 3 hour plus movie, and when you study anything, you get the education of a lifetime. for instance, i came close to signing up for bollywood dance classes. i declined because they insisted that i take class 3 hours a day 7 days a week. the 3500 rupies would have bought me a lifetime membership.(that's75 bucks-such a deal) anyhow, i did not want to overload myself like so many westerners do. i think it's better to absorb india slowly and learn to be still. it is a highly spiritual place and the best place to pray and meditate. (but don't forget the ear plugs-especially in kerala where they love to set off explosives in their temples).
face it, folks. asana is way overrated here in the west. it's sad to see so many people missing the point, practicing their asana, climbing the series. one of the most popular questions among western yoga students studying in india is,"what series and posture are you on." geez, that's like asking someone how much money they make.
the surrender and dedication required for an astanga yoga practice is exactly like painting a mandala. takes lots of time, patience, and discipline. so i've come to the conclusion that to understand india IS to understand yoga. where everything in india IS yoga.
bindifry
i am extremely inspired by india's high standards and attitude towards life. think about it. their art is mindblowingly detailed, the music is insanity, their spices-forget about it. they see no problem with sitting through a 3 hour plus movie, and when you study anything, you get the education of a lifetime. for instance, i came close to signing up for bollywood dance classes. i declined because they insisted that i take class 3 hours a day 7 days a week. the 3500 rupies would have bought me a lifetime membership.(that's75 bucks-such a deal) anyhow, i did not want to overload myself like so many westerners do. i think it's better to absorb india slowly and learn to be still. it is a highly spiritual place and the best place to pray and meditate. (but don't forget the ear plugs-especially in kerala where they love to set off explosives in their temples).
face it, folks. asana is way overrated here in the west. it's sad to see so many people missing the point, practicing their asana, climbing the series. one of the most popular questions among western yoga students studying in india is,"what series and posture are you on." geez, that's like asking someone how much money they make.
the surrender and dedication required for an astanga yoga practice is exactly like painting a mandala. takes lots of time, patience, and discipline. so i've come to the conclusion that to understand india IS to understand yoga. where everything in india IS yoga.
bindifry
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