Friday 4 January 2013

Being keen for led class, and Big Drama

I'm going to try to keep up the blogging while I'm here, even though I anticipate feeling over-exposed, something I've really been trying to avoid recently in my life......

***

This morning was led primary series at 6:00. I didn't buy into the whole 'arrive early' thing last year, preferring to arrive 'just on time' and go for a place in the foyer. But this year I decided to stick with Karen, and off we set at ten to five. The warm, still, humid morning reminded me of Canadian evenings in the summer, and it was simply too beautiful to speak with the trees hanging motionless in the mist and the half moon shining down, so although I had plenty to babble to Karen about, we walked mostly in silence. And actually the wait outside the shala was just another deliriously beautiful experience.... sitting on the stone bench (as the steps were already full), surrounded by all the foliage inside the gates, and the looming shadows it cast against the shala wall; the small (growing) crowd of ashtangis sitting with closed eyes or completing their Sanskrit homework; Sharath's voice counting out the 4:30 class inside, the rhythmic Sanskrit syllables like a lullaby to those who aren't actually doing the lifting and sweating; a couple of latecomers actually practicing outside (within the gates), and a very gentle street dog showing the same respect as all of us for the early morning stillness as it weaved its way through, giving out a nuzzle here and there. And since I actually ended up in a decent spot in the front row AND had time to get to the toilet in the few minutes' break where 70-odd people file out and the same amount scramble in and claim their places, the experiment could be considered a resounding success. And I had a very nice practice... and maybe I've just been lucky so far, but it seems like my mat neighbours this year have been particularly self-contained, aware, and nice to be near. The rest of the day as usual revolved around conversation and food, and as usual the buzz from the morning's practice fuelled a kind of quiet rapture throughout the rest of the day....

***

So the bedding-in week of primary series is over. A week ago today I arrived, after two nights of barely any sleep, having left my flat at 3:00am and made stops in Frankfurt and Abu Dhabi en route. That meant that the longest flight was six hours, and I got to stretch my legs in the aforementioned airports, then managed to arrive in an adequate state of sleep deprivation to doze the whole 3 1/2 hours from Bangalore. Yes!! Awaking after sunrise, I decided to look at the scenery for the remaining half hour, but as soon as I gazed out the window it all looked strangely familiar, and indeed it turned out we had just turned onto Contour Road and a moment later pulled up at my hotel. Apparently I'd been following along in my sleep....

A busy day followed, meeting lots of friends and running errands. It was nice to arrive this time and know the drill, and I was buzzing! To cut it short, I ended up with Kristen at the Green Hotel, and after dinner we decided to rickshaw it home rather than walk, because it was quite late by then and surely I should be exhausted?

We finally flagged one down, who tried to charge 150 rupees (at least triple the rate), so we walked on in disgust, with him following beside shouting figures at us, finally agreeing to turn on the meter, at which point we got in. A terrifying ride ensued as the rickshaw seemed to be falling apart, tipping dangerously to the left (my side), even seeming to nearly go over as he swerved to the left of a speed bump on Gokulam Main Road. I had visions of myself lying maimed underneath it, and was relieved to be dropped at the corner. Important detail: Kristen paid him.

Tired. Face washed, teeth brushed, getting into bed, getting a lip balm out of my bag, and.... no wallet.

My wallet was not in my bag.

A bit of flapping about revealed it was nowhere in the room.

I felt panic rise. I hadn't got organised yet. Everything was in there. In that one little packet were my shala fees (a lot of rupees), a couple of hundred pounds, my debit and credit cards and online banking fob, and my PASSPORT, as well as the expired passport containing my residence permit, which I need to get back into the UK....

I called the numbers on the Green Hotel website. They were all wrong numbers. I knew I had last had it there, when I paid. I texted Kristen. I needed to keep her awake for moral support. She was on it, my lifeline. I was on the verge of not being able to dress myself. Deep breaths. I wasn't DYING.... I put on my running shoes and ran back there - down past the crematorium and up Kalidasa Road, and the adrenaline that could have fuelled the panic went into moving my legs, one after the other.... breath, heartbeats, breath, feet.....

The gates were closed. I peered through. One gate swung open, giving me a fat lip. It vaguely registered that I was lucky not to have lost any teeth. The gatekeeper sent me through to reception. I woke the night porter from his snooze beside the desk. I explained. 'Oh yes...'

'Yes? You have??' Elation....

But no. Four more men appeared and together we searched outside around the table, but clearly it wasn't there. The waiter knew me from last year. He is nice and I leave tips. He would have turned it in....

The kind men asked questions and clucked sympathetically. They insisted that one of them should drop me back home (it was midnight). I declined.... I wanted to walk the long way back, the rickshaw route. It had to have fallen out in the rickshaw, or on the road..... There ensued a mental debate about the moral character of the rickshaw driver. We hadn't got on with him, but... would he? Surely not...? Overcharging didn't make him a hardened criminal....

Walking along Gokulam Main Road in the dark. There are few people about at that time. It isn't very scary though, safer than London. I wasn't going to die. They weren't going to lock me up. I wasn't lying maimed under a rickshaw.... my body was still mine. My lip was stinging, but as a bonus, I had all my teeth! So this trip was going to be a little different. It wasn't going to be too relaxing. There'd be trips to Bangalore. There'd be a LOT of red tape.... I should cancel the credit card now. I should call my mother. Kristen and others would lend me money to register. I would still practice, and apart from that I'd put up with a little bit of hell and just be glad to be alive....

And then it was there, lying on the side of the road by the speed bump. About six inches by four inches, black, with pink ribbon sewn on that says 'lolli' on one side and 'pops' on the other. I walked over and picked it up. Everything was inside. It had been lying in the road for over an hour.

I still had Kristen on the texts. I had someone to send some OMGs and a lot of exclamation marks to!

Happiness!

Thus ended my first day in Mysore this trip. I'm kind of hoping that's the biggest adventure I have this time round. Still and all, it seems an auspicious start....

6 comments:

Nobel said...

It does seem like an auspicious start indeed! I think some wise guy once said that big happenings do not have small omens, or something to that effect. Having said that, however, I was holding my breath the whole time I was reading this post. Glad you found everything in the end! The whole thing certainly had a very surreal, magical realistic quality to it.

Wayne said...

So glad it all worked out! I'm already enjoying hearing about your time there!

susananda said...

Thanks guys :-)

I like that, Nobel.... big happenings do not have small omens!

Everything here is a bit 'real-life-magic-realism', all the time....

(0v0) said...

Hi :)

In addition to everything else I can't believe about this, I can't believe you ran to the Green Hotel. In the dark.

This is an awesome story.

susananda said...

Hi!

I had adrenaline-fuelled energy. And there are street lights :)

Thanks. I think it will have something to do with losing my identity (passport!) and finding it again. If that sounds flaky, then... whatever :)

Miss you here! XO

(0v0) said...

Totally not flaky.

I guess adrenaline makes crazy feats seem not so crazy, but still, this blows my mind a little.