Friday 13 December 2013

Back

Back in Mysore, back at blogging... at least a little?

It's actually hard to know what to write about Mysore. Things that would interest the yogis may bore or go over the heads of others.... whilst the kind of local colour that would interest 'normal people' can be very 'same same... yawn' for those who've spent any time here. In translation school, we were taught always to pinpoint the target audience and write for them, but here..... screw that rule! It's my personal free-for-all... I'll spew out whatever rises to the surface.

I left on the new moon. I'll be here for three months. The moon is about three-fifths waxed now, and I have been here nine days. It doesn't take long to settle in again, although practice-wise, things are just starting to gear up. A week of primary series, first 2s yesterday. Saving the handstand sequence for next week. Got a late start time of 9:15 and moved up to 9:00. Was told I'll start earlier next week.... but when I asked what time - 'I'll tell you next week'. OK then. It seems promising. It would be a drag trying to rush through the tictocs while the chanting crowd mills around on the steps.......

I'm a bit nervous about that, to be honest. Whacking out six handstand moves, one after the other in the middle of a crowded room.... and let's just say I have not perfected them yet.

But I did it last year, after a fashion.

Anyway, we come here to be challenged - not for comfort. In a way it's an easy life here, in a way it is not.

We'll see how it goes.

I'm at the Green Hotel and will post this when I get home. Friends will arrive soon for dinner. Saturdays there is no practice, Fridays we have the grand luxury of  eating dinner! In the morning, I shall take a walk to and around the lake. Then a pool day or castor oil bath, depending on the weather. But first a well-earned Kingfisher and a Hyderabadi curry. They always warn that it is too spicy, but for a Londoner, it is not that spicy.....

It's the beginning of that magical hour, Mysore dusk.... everything bathed in a gorgeous light that nature discovered well before Instagram did. Wispy alto-cirrus clouds are turning golden, then golden-pink, against a bright blue sky, the flat-topped trees becoming black silhouettes; long-beaked black birds swoop between the roof and trees, their caws mixed in with the incessant beeping from busy Hunsur Road. It was odd weather today - cool this morning, boding rain which never came - now the moon has a misty aura around it, and the air's less dry and dusty than the norm. I can feel a slight chill settle down over the gardens... it's palpable... and those damned mosquitos are coming out! Argh, they are worse than usual tonight.... could be the glow of the laptop screen. Waiter, please bring a coil.... this scarf and long skirt aren't doing enough! 

And now it's twilight and that one bright star is shining out, like a puncture hole in the high blue dome.... Mars, maybe? Must find out.

So this is just a place-holder.... I think I have lots to write, but it's all a chaotic swirl. But just like a long and daunting practice.... in the end you just have to begin it. There is no other way. 

Ekam, inhale.....

More soon :-)

6 comments:

sereneflavor said...

Yes!! So glad to have chronicles to partake of. Reading here is like watching a travel series, but with personality. Wishing you strong and steady hand standing. xo

susananda said...

Thanks Maria!
And thanks for reading it correctly, as people on Facebook have thought I was talking about the headstands, but I'm referring to the handstand / tictoc sequence here. X

Globie said...

Yay, glad you are back.
Have fun, Toon Toon

Wayne said...

Glad you are back in Mysore, and looking forward to hear about your experiences there!
Wayne

Grimmly said...

Love this ".....Mysore dusk.... everything bathed in a gorgeous light that nature discovered well before Instagram did."
So happy your blogging again, for a bit at least, now if we can just persuade Karen to indulge when she gets there...

susananda said...

Thanks for your comments guys! just seen them.

Funny that you can't 'like' a comment here, hehe. I'm used to facebook now!

I shall put up a new, wonderfully morbid post shortly. Stay tuned :))