Life is Mysore: Part 2

since coming back about 4 weeks ago, i've been asked a lot on how i find living in mysore. i got these strong feeling that most of those who asked expected me to say not-so-nice things about the place. for benefits of others, mysore is about 3 hours by car from bangalore, yes the IT hub of India. mysore is in state of karnataka, where the people speak 'kannada', a slight twang from tamil language, at least what i used to hear in malaysia. it is one of the cleanest part of india that i've ever been anyway. for 2 months, i stayed in a middle/middle upper class neighbourhood called gokulam. it is a really nice area especially when it comes to security. i can certainly vouch for that having to walk at 5.30am daily to yoga shala. i never walk so much in my life till i get there and my heels were the testimony of that. even after 4 weeks being back, the cracked heels are stubborn at healing. over there, everything is within walking distance, be it 5 or 20mins walk. then again, with the cool breeze and good company, i'll take the walk anytime. sadly, my interaction with locals was limited to my landlord and family, tina (the cafe owner), pritti (the lady from lucknow), the 'brothers' at my fav chai shop, and lokesh the tailor. during the first week, i was so excited about learning hindi so i can converse with the locals but soon enough i realised tina is the only person that speak hindi at home while the rest don't. i don't even wanna talk about the rest of mysore population. so, safe to say that i kept the 'conversation hindi' book that i bought away with other books to be shipped back home. i did learn on how to count and simple 'how do you do' and 'i want some chai' in hindi. i called that progress! given the packed daily schedule, most of my interactions were with my coursemates and breakfast and lunch operators. sad, i know. but hey, i signed up the course to socialise so i had to make do with the little interactions i managed to get daily except perhaps on sunday where i can hang longer at breakfast joins without having to rush back or anything like that. so, sunday was for me and my book and tall glass of chai and if at santosha, some beautiful music. heavenly. a place called 'the coconut stand' is a very famous reference in gokulam. for example, someone who want to explain the direction will asked you whether you know the 'coconut stand'. curious why is it called such?!! simple. because it is just a pile of coconuts both fresh and used. at rs10 each, you get the freshest coconut and so nutritious. the thing about india is you can get the healthiest things at fraction of the cost back home and i'm saying that coming from malaysia. i can't imagine for those european, americans, japanese and others. india is so diverse as society and yet so cultured. i know i used the word 'cultured' because that is a fact. it has so much to offer if one willing to learn and let live. no wonder some who came would find it hard to leave...and those who left, can't wait to come back!

Life in Mysore: Part 1

It is rather impossible to condense my two-months living in mysore in just a paragraph or two. i think a 'short story' would be pushing it as the experiences are far beyond my imaginations....i told verity how much i 'dislike' the place and didn't plan on going again, has turned into (after few weeks).."i love this place and can't wait to come again.." such was my reaction when asked about my being there. what not to love..weather is great (H-24degrees, L-14degrees), food is good, though some europeans may not agree with me, and things are relatively cheaper compared to malaysia. i absolutely love it!
Initially, i do plan to give details on my daily lives there but i find that a bit much effort especially after the course started and my need to sleep/eat/rest superseeded everything else that i plan on doing before the madness begins..
i just got back on eve of xmas and rather prefer to chill with family and selected friends, at the moment. there are so many things to catch up on, so many things to share, to tell, to explain, to do, to change....the list is long but for now, i just wanna get my practice back on track and breath...

New chapter

In life, the tough experiences taught us the most about ourselves and life in general. Those experiences force us to redefine ourselves and the path we've chosen. New chapter of my life has begun and i embrace it with thankful heart to God above and stay true to myself as i possibly can. I intent to continue running and practise my yoga as i always have done before..i owe that to myself and my friends and my student.
I've started teaching again after few months break and it made me realise how much i love to teach in the first place...."the best way to learn is to teach". I have also started a new class in Havana Estudio on Sunday morning. I often told Verity that I have always love teaching a big class...no matter how tired i am, my energy, sometimes, miraculously, on top form within 10 minutes of the class.
To all, welcome back to class. For those who still thinking about yoga..well, open your heart and your mind...and let yourself go. Let's live!

Class schedule for 2008

For those who have the intention to start yoga, below is some info on my class:

-Day and Time: Every Saturday 9-10am
-Address: Havana Estudio, No 34B(2nd floor), Jalan Persiaran Zaaba, Taman Tun Dr Ismail
-Contact no: 03-7710 6148