Thursday, February 16, 2012

Meditation Learned Techniques and Suggestions From Fellow Indians

Prosperity, wealth, success, love, and peace 30 times morning and night
Theta-to tap into deeper subconscious

Take a hot glass of water, place a drop of water on tongue to solve problem and Say, “This is all I need to do to solve the problem of _____”

Staring at a central location (dot) placed in the middle of the wall

Breathing techniques 20 minutes, 5 second in and 10 second out each nostril

Are pictures capturing the real moment for us?

The saying goes that a picture can tell a thousand words.   Does the picture actually tell a story about the moment or does writing make your moment come alive? Pictures can provide us with feeling words to associate with moments.  It may provide us with a snap of what people, places, and landmarks look like.  Although, pictures do not have any words, a person can create their own vision based off a photo. We snap photos to hold onto beautiful moments whether at a festival, event, concert, birthday, wedding, or travel destination. We snap photos to capture moments that make us feel happy and joyful. 
But lately, I have been questioning the art of photography.  I have always loved photography since a young age and I always will, but now with my strong interest and passion for writing I consider how much I am photographing vs. how much I am writing.

Losing my camera many times I have to question the meaning to understand the message being relayed from my higher power.  It appears that focusing on my writing should be prioritized vs. taking photos.  The camera is taken away for me to focus more on the moment, the interpersonal interaction, and to build on my relationship with others through writing. 

Taking many photos does not always enhance an experience and can distract you from the real message. I have realized that too many photos of one thing are unnecessary and many things just require a real experience. If you are truly experiencing a moment for what it is without a photo then you can always go back and enjoy that time.

Somethings are not meant to be photographed-they are meant to be experienced –PRIS-

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Beautiful Host Family In Pondicherry

The family that hosts in Pondi are so sweet and warm.  They constantly have new couch surfers coming in and they always greet them with a smile. I felt a nice connection with them as I spent time sitting with them and joining in on their daily activities.  The family consists of my host, N, his mother, father, sister, grandmother, and grandfather.  When I wake up in the morning they are always chopping something or cleaning.  They stop what they are doing to make me breakfast and make sure I have morning tea.  When they ask me to eat, I always ask if they are eating too because I enjoy us eating together.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner consists of sitting on the floor and eating with our hands.  It is nice talking to my host’s sister.  My favorite person is actually the father.  We built a special connection with one another through our nice morning meditation sessions. 
Each day he would teach me new meditation techniques and he would demonstrate each meditation technique himself.  I am very thankful to learn from someone like him and I can see that his spirit is so connected and peaceful.  Frequently he would forget the English name for a word and would present with a puzzled face.  After a couple seconds, he would start describing in his own words.  He always wore traditional white dorga and white t shirt with poojas performed in the morning and afternoon.   
Another thing that was surprising to me was that the 80 year old Grandfather sleeps on the floor.  It is common for their religion to sleep with mats.  There is only one bed in the house and the couch surfers(in their early twenties) got to use the bed while the cute Grandpa slept on the floor and so did I. 
An 80 year old man giving up his bed for couch surfers-I am a bit confused by this.  The most adorable man whose voice sounds like a guy from the muppets, sits so adorably and eats his food and watches the Tamil videos.  He has a proshetic leg and he is sleeping on the floor so a couple of couch surfers can sleep in his room.  They are probably like 21 years old and this man is 80 years old.  This tells you something about the hospitality of this family and certain India families really go above and beyond.
My host said that I should never tell people that I am staying with a couch surfer in India because it is strongly discouraged for foreigners to be hosting locals.  I always just say I am staying with a friend, but that is not the point.  The point is that this family goes out on limb hosting people everyday.  I just can’t help, but wonder why they do it.  I know it is exciting getting to know foreigners and it is a cultural learning experience, but they are not technically supposed to be doing it.  All rules are pretty much made to be broken in India or let’s just say they are quite flexible, but at the end of the day it is still the law. 
This just connects back to my other post about how these beautiful people go above and beyond for others and my amazing hosts I had on my journey thus far.  It is incredible to meet people with such a giving heart and spirit.  It inspires me to try and be a better person and give. 
                                          IT’S THE THE BEAUTY OF GIVING=)

Pondicherry- A French Influenced City

Many cities I have visited in Southeast Asia are French influenced and each city has similar charming qualities to it.  The architecture is unique, French cafes are great, art galleries, and historical monuments-it is almost always a nice, pleasant experience. 
Pondicherry is one of those cities with special qualities to it that make you want to stay an extra day longer. 

Starting off my journey, I was dealing with some impatience that has built up(This maybe due to culture shock and traveling for almost four months.) I saw many people riding around on bikes and I knew that was exactly what I needed to restore my feelings of happiness. 

I started biking towards the villages and with villages always comes a smile.  I began to snap out of my funk and focus on what I love-the local village life.  Passing by my eyes peak into their huts seeing their living spaces, the kitchen, televisions, and domestic tasks.  I pass into a small alley and I stumble upon an all girls Christian orphanage and high school.  I peak my head in the gate and waived at the girls and up to the fence comes a nun, Sister Mary Vonogulum.  She welcomes me inside to see the school and sit and chat with her.  I feel more at peace being near her and feeling a spiritual connection.  When I am feeling down, he makes sure to lift me up. 

Sister had been working at the school for more than thirty years.  She is curious about the US and asks questions about my life and travels.  She inquires about why I do not have a husband and says she will pray for a nice husband for me.  I inquire about missionary work and social work jobs and she responds that I should come work with her at St. Francis.  She does not have much information as she eats, sleeps, and breathes the school. 

I ask her what her hobbies are that she enjoys and she said she loves singing songs in Tamil and American.  I ask her to sing some of her favorite American songs and she sings, “Joy to the World”, and I share my favorite American song, “Holy Night.” We both sit and sing together and it lifts up my spirit.  She takes me to both churches where I say a prayer.  She said that many miracles happen when praying at St. Francis. I sit and hope that God hears my prayers.  

I sit and observe the school girls play games and they all giggle and ask me questions about where I am from.  The one little girl is named Priscilla and we joke back and forth about our names.

Sister is very thankful for me coming to visit as she says they never get any visits from foreigners.  We part saying, “God bless you” many times to each other giving hugs and gracing each other’s shoulder.  I am thankful for this encounter and the lifting up of my spirit.

I proceed down the alley and run into a group of boys who I chat with and ask them what their future plans are and they all say they want to be a police man.  The one boy looks like he could be a mafia guy with his slicked back hair, fancy shoes, and cool attitude.   I tell him to make sure he stays in school because I could just envision the streets eating him up.  I part ways giving big high fives and words of encouragement.  Throughout the day I see these boys and girls in the villages. 

I stop in another village when flying the kite and a family welcome me inside. We sit and watch Tamil videos and I pull out some dance moves.  The two girls and parents are laughing hysterically at me. I purposefully like to entertain and make myself look stupid so I can make them laugh and smile.   We share some coffee together and I do not like drinking out of the cup, but sometimes I have to just take the plunge with germs and leave it in my higher powers hands.  

The sun begins to set and I head to the park for some reading and enjoy a chocolate croissant.  I start riding into the major traffic areas and enjoy dodging through traffic standing up on the bike so I can see ahead.  I engage my singing of Kuala veri making some locals laugh. 

I find some amazing shops with the Indian gown and pants set.  I am tempted to buy it, but I know that I can not fit anymore in my bag.  I get blessed by Lakshi the elephant  at the temple.  You give her money, she takes it from the palm of your hand, and then taps you on the head with her trunk.  I just sit and stare at this elephant-so smart the way it interacts with people and it is all dressed up-I just adore her and want to bring her home. 

Oh Chennai

Some highlights were going through the village area and dancing with the local kids, dinner and beach walk with my host, joking around about my bad experiences, sitting and writing at Café Coffee day, the neighborhood of my host and the family across the street, Marina Beach, Chamandala Art village, amazing vegetarian buffet, and the unique temples.   My host was the highlight of Chennai-such a sweet, kind person who works in telecommunication sales all throughout India.He has many positive experiences to share and he cheered me up with all our joking and listening to some great Hindi music.


Not highlights...

The people were not very friendly and my interaction with locals was definitely not as strong as usual. A local who gave me a motor bike ride to the bus stand was nice, but he was also interested in American girls. He was inquiring about American woman and their likes/interests in an appropriate manner, which was fine.
I was constantly misguided on how to get to destinations and the first night I ended up sitting in front of a BMW dealership crying because I just kept getting misdirected. Being nice does not always work in my favor and therefore there is a fine line between nice and being assertive without being intimidating and/or aggressive. This line is frequently blurred at times because people take advantage of being nice.
With the BMW incident, I ended up being walked to the train station by their own security guard and he paid for my train fare. In the end of the day, India reallly takes care of their foreigners.
The overall Chennai experience was a 6 on a scale of 1-10. I am going to start scaling my travel experiences from now on!

The Rushed Indian Wedding

I planned to go to my cousin's friend's wedding because A.) Sandeep invited me a few different times and he told me it would be very different from my cousin's wedding B.) To see the ritual ceremony as it is very interesting to me C.) Spend time with my cousin's friends and my cousin and wife before leaving to travel
It turned out things were pretty rushed. The thing is with not having your own car or routine, you have to wait on other people and this can result in doing things based off their timings and schedule.  It happened to be my cousin's birthday so we left the morning ceremony early for lunch.  I did get to see my cousin's friends, but I did not get to spend that much time with them.  My most sincere apologies for not being able to spend more time with you Sandeep. Many blessings to you and your wife if you read this blog=)






                                                                 Happy Birthday!!!!!




Golden Temple in the Tibetan Village

Before leaving Madikeri, I did a little exploring and then headed to the Tibetan Village.  I ate some veg momos at a little Tibetan shop and went off to do some meditating in the Golden Temple. 

The Tibetan village had various charities, the Tibetan children village, an an NGO.  It was mainly country farm road and the regular cows and pigs.  Coming back from the temple, I felt tired from walking half way with a backpack the way there so I did like the locals and hitched a ride on the back of a wagon.  I stood there waiving like Miss America to the locals-it was another one of those Kodak moments. 




Back to Bangalore on the bus meant another 6 hours on the local bus.  I was stuffed in the back like a sardine with a bunch of local guys.  I have gotten used to the crammed situation on the buses and I still prefer a crammed local bus to a private one. The experience is adventurous and way more exciting.  On this bus, the conductor made sure I got a seat and I noticed him keep his eyes on my backpack.  I feel safe on the buses and I usually do not worry about someone lifting up my backpack and taking it.  This can happen, but whoever wants to attempt pulling and lifting it out of the crammed bus space, more power to you.  I keep everything that I actually care about on me in my carry on bag and purse so if the backpack is ever stolen-everything inside are just replaceable things. 








Homestay at Little House on the Prarie

Last minute I found a host through S.  S described it as a peaceful home away from the city and I decided on going for it.  I had met the host the night before at Storm and he seemed nice.  HIs name is D(names not mentioned for confidentiality purposes). 


Beautiful place overlooking the mountains with lots of trekking and jungle forests around, cardamom plantations, and coffee plantations with the cutest village and nicest locals.  We ended up getting along and sitting and talking and talking for hours while sharing a bottle of wine by the fire.  Nothing romantic, but just nice conversation with someone who genuinely listened. 


Next day went for my own mini trekking session around town talking with the local family who owns the convenience store in town.  They invited me in for tea and described in one to two word phrases the coffee making process.  Their hut had a few different rooms and roosters in the back.  Meeting some local kids by the school, we were trying to communicate in Kannada, but they had difficulty understanding me. 



Another nice quite night with my host talking and then taking a break to enjoy the silence.  He likes to keep a peaceful, silent home and I think that is wonderful and it suits his home very well.  I felt like I was talking and talking and talking, but I just felt comfortable with him listening and I enjoyed our conversations. I was sharing many of my theories, writings, and beliefs.  He was supportive of my thoughts and offered some constructive criticism for me, which is often hard to accept, but I am learning to take it as a just a spoonful of medicine. Thank you D for everything!



Coffee!!!

The mother of the family I met-such a sweetheart


 

Madikeri-The Scottland of India

Omkareswara Temple
Bhagamadala
Talacauvery
Raja's Seat
Coffee plantations
Gaibeedu Village
Cardamon spice farm
The jungle forest

Exploring Coorg

S is a local of Coorg and offered to drive us around town for some sight seeing.  Waking up early we said our goodbyes to our friends who all pretty much live in Bangalore and we were ready to escape our prison. 
In the Storm festival, you are not allowed to leave the festival grounds and at times it is way too restrictive.  We joked that we were prisoners and a Irish guy joked that we were trapped in North Korea, but that is a bit extreme.  Those running the event were being extra cautious, but overall it did not negatively impact my experience.   

We made our escape off into the hills of Coorg with our first stop being the Talacauvery temple.  Again, it was like a celebrity sighting with many kids asking to take photos.  I was trying to share the words I know in Kannada while making some funny explanations-it was quite entertaining I must say.  

The temple has the holy water available for bathing in front and B decided to go in for a dip.  I wanted to do it, but again I was afraid of the germs.  I decided to think about my higher power and sacrifice.  I needed to stop being selfish and think about the meaning of dipping yourself in the holy water and cleaning myself of my sins.  B and I ran in the water quickly and jumped out to avoid making another tourist scene.  The cleanse felt liberating and I decided to mentally not worry about the germs and think about the meaning. 


Next spot, the Calaveri river has been a holy place for years and years.  The Bhagamadala is where the three rivers meet.  This water I decided not to take a dip in, but B happily stepped in and asked for photos.  He wanted to share his holy experience with his parents-sweet. 


Lunch was at a local Coorg restaurant with Pandan Curry and a veg beet dish for myself with fresh lime soda and honey.  It seemed to be quite the Coorg afterparty with many people from the festival at the same restaurant.    We went to Raja’s seat after and I wanted to go on the train exploring Madikeri, but they just kept laughing at me-problem was I was serious ha!

amazing spices, honey, cashews, almonds, dates, sweet tomatoes, coffee yum!

Storm Music Festival 2012

Storm is the first outdoor music festival for Coorg. A post was put up on couchsurfing and I volunteered to go with a felllow CSer from Bangalore.   Another cser drove from Bangalore with us and his name is Beru.  B is older with a dry sense of humor that I love-another great dynamic right off the bat.  We went to breakfast and had some Channa porri. We were making jokes about my horrible customer service and not being able to get coffee without sugar.  The waiter smiled for his mistake and then proceeded to give me a pack of napkins-oh india!
We get to the festival super early and it turns out it is top security since it is the first outdoor festival in Coorg.  They have more security than an airport and we are forced to get rid of a lot of things including: the oranges.  We just bought these fresh oranges I was so excited about eating and they were confiscated! You can take B’s medication, you can take my liter of water, but please don’t take the oranges! I manage to sneak in a packet of cashews.  While going through maximum security I manage to meet a nice girl from Bombay and her friend from Bangalore. 


We make it inside and get all set up in our tents. We chillax and watch the daytime bands, which were 70 percent good.  One band specifically was awesome.  We got up and danced in a circle, their costumes were unique and colorful, and the instruments were amazing.  I did not understand the words at all, but it really did not matter. It is about feeling connected with the rhythm and beat. 
B is quite relaxed during the day and Sam is always snapping photos of the artists and this leaves me to go around and socialize a bit with others.  I happened to meet my favorite people at night.  With the main band on rocking out, I was jumping up and down with the crowd loving the sounds. 

                              Indian Oceans- Incredible Band

Next to me stands an adorable chunk of love swinging his arms to the music and singing out loud.  He is an Indian dream come true-just so innocent and adorable.  He explains to me who the band is and speaks in such a proud yet humble manner.  We start dancing with one another jumping up and down and laughing.  He is moving his arms and head constantly-him dancing is a total vision-adorable.  We went to the drink area where I met his friends and the rest is history.  About seven of us all hit it off and danced the night away.  We went into the tent area listening to one of the band members play guitar while everyone sits around in a circle singing along a bunch of original and meaningful tracks ranging from the doors to the beatles to u2.   I was talking with the security guards and made friends with the bartender ha!  Since I had a special relationship with my friend Kumar, I was engaging with them in peer pressure to get him drunk.  We told him beer was apple juice and vodka and sprite was lemon soda.  He took my cup and ended up chugging my whole vodka soda, which was good because I have no desire to drink vodka(first time in a few months I engaged in drinking hard alcohol).   He then proceeded to drink some beer.  Before we know it, Kumar was tipsy dancing around-it was quite hilarious.  He made a drunk friend and they were sitting and talking nonsense.  This is why I love being sober for entertaining moments like this.  


They were so strict on security that once the bar closed at 10:30 they had the security guards stand in front of the bar in a row blocking the bar like a marching band ha! Since I do not care about alcohol, I did not care they closed the bar. As long as music is there, I am content. Such a great night!






I decided that it is time for Kumar to go to bed.  I tuck him in his tent and say “Good night Kumar.” Sitting by the campfire with the boys, I see someone in a yankees cap and wool sweater walk toward me.  My Kumar escaped from the tent and was out on the prowl ha!

Next day was a bit slow with the bands so I did some writing and finished my book.  My buddy, Kumar, sat with me for a bit and did not discuss his drinking the night before.  He was in this thing called denial ha!   The bands after 6pm came in and the group of myself and the ten boys met up again.  We all began to dance inside for DJ Judge Jules who was surprisingly awesome.  Very little alcohol for everyone and just amazing energy with the whole crowd.  My cute little kid crush asked me to dance, which I thought was cute. 23 years old, but something just cute about him. 



It was nice making new friends, especially with the two guys who created and ran the whole event.  I realized when the one guy came on stage, Satchie, I had been chatting with him throughout the festival.  He even found my camera case for me.  For their first outdoor festival, they really did a  great job and I give them props.  And they win for the CLEANEST FESTIVAL I HAVE EVER BEEN TO! Super impressed with the lack of litter, the clean bathrooms, always toilet paper, and good quality food rather than junk. 






Back we went to the tents for a campfire, singing, corn on the cob, veg korma, but no alcohol. There was a rumor that their would be alcohol served to campers after 10pm.  False promises in India? Nooo way! Ha!

Chilled out night around the camp fire and off to bed to do some Coorg exploring the next day.

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Turning down the Good Ones

I have such a good man sitting next to me. He would love me unconditionally.  He would take care of me if I was sick, nurture me, and provide me with real affection.  He would listen to my thoughts, feelings, and concerns and be respectful of any life choices I made.  One would think, “Wow, that is amazing I have found someone so nice and caring.”
But I just think that is very sweet, but I am not interested.  Overtime I have met and continue to meet men who would “stop the world and melt for me.” One was Turkish from New York, one Israeli, a couple Moroccan guys, an Indian guy, a Croatian guy, and the list goes on.  Some I have gone on a few dates with while others seem to have this instant attraction and rush into their feelings.  They talk about getting married and introducing me to their family and they are quite serious after meeting me once.  The sound of that with someone who I do not feel it with is quite awkward.  Feelings should be mutual right?

While traveling through Asia, they seem to be coming at me from all angles.  When I was a 10 year old girl, I had three boys knocking on my door at the same time.  The attraction others have towards me is not a new thing, but it is sometimes difficult to grasp when again the feeling is not mutual. Usually the women want the serious commitment from a man, but this is the opposite way I around.  I am the man who does not want the commitment unless it a true and 120 percent real connection.  My heart needs to feel that true connection, which is difficult for me because I am very selective and am possibly desiring something superhuman.  A man with intelligence, drive, humor, a giving heart, adventurous, spontaneous, educated, travels, and cooks. I met this man in New York-the Moroccan man I had been dreaming about, but he was not a good catch as he was dishonest.  Why is dishonesty attractive to women?
It is fascinating to me because I can act completely disinterested, ignore them, say something mean, and they just keep on trying and maintain interest.  I try to persuade them about other types of girls to be interested in and it just backfires because they want to be with only me-crazy.  They walk around like lost puppy dogs with big eyes and their hearts on their sleeve. These men become quickly attached and I can tell by their eyes and the way they smile at me when they have fallen into a love spell.  Unfortunately, I can not look back at them with that same spark in my eyes. 

As human beings, we all seek or need comfort and to feel loved.  This may come from our family, friends, or a significant other. These boys may be craving that comfort and security and want it so badly that they have interest in me.  They want to be working and in the safety zone of a socially constructed work life and love marriage. 

We should be with a loving man who provides safety, security, comfort, and love.  But what we should do and what I want to do are two different things.

 The strong mind and independent girl from America attracts an international wonderland of men. Love stories of lost boys to be continued. 


The more you try, the less I buy it and I don’t have to think it through, you know if I am into you

I don’t need a man to make it happen, I get off being free

I don’t need a man to make me feel good, I get off doing my thing

I don’t need a ring around my finger to make me feel complete

I want a love that is for real and without that no deal

The Pussycat Dolls

Never Alone When Traveling

Many people ask, ponder, or wonder how do you get by traveling alone? Don’t you get lonely and need a friend?
My answer is simple: I am never alone when traveling. 

Traveling alone is something that I just love and actually have more difficulty traveling with others because my interests are so diverse from the average traveler.  Most people traveling with me would not want to go through villages and spend time with locals rather they would want to go to the beach or go drink-not my interest.  The only one person I can truly travel with and miss traveling with is my wife, Tanya.  She is amazing and we have the best time together, but she has a family and commitments so my life goes on with or without her.

When I make the statement I am never alone.  I am never alone because I have my higher power by my side-this may sound cliché to some, but this is real.  I am constantly meeting people( his spirit attracts other to mine)-all day and everyday whether it is a shop owner, a street vendor, on a bus, at a park, in a temple, at a tourist site, at a guesthouse, in a café, or anytime-anywhere.  I actually meet more people than I would if I traveled with another person, which brings me to my theory on the beauty of being alone. 

The beauty of being alone is that one has potential to meet more people than when being with another friend or group.  It is important to note that the person has to be open minded and have a desire to interact with others.  One can go through traveling not speaking to a soul and with their head dug deep inside their books, music, or hobbies.  The energy ypu give to the universe comes back to you full circle  in life. The energy you send out to people around you may increase/ decrease your chances of having a positive interaction. 

If open minded and willing to learn about others, the potential for learning and meeting new friends is endless.  As an American, I never realized how many people are interested in getting to know me.  I think of Americans as boring and have little interest in talking with them when traveling unless they are first class Americans.

A first class American is someone who is open minded to new cultural experiences, immerses themselves into other cultures, travels, and believes that America is not the best and only country in the world.  There are many of them that I come across on couchsurfing and these kinds of people are the ones I truly appreciate. 

Back to people’s interest in getting to know me, I did not realize until this recent trip how many Indians and Southeast Asians are interested in me just being an American who speaks English.  English has incredible value worldwide and growing up you just take it for granted.  I am amazed with people’s interest in getting to know my culture.  From my experience, these locals abroad have such an interest in getting to know us so we should have equal interest in getting to know them right?

Unfortunately, most Americans do not have this interest in cultural learning because real travel is not encouraged, which leads to ignorance, discrimination, and stereotyping.  For instance, the middle East is perceived in US media as this awful place, but in reality it is not.  I can not speak of the Middle East based off personal experience, but just based off people I have met and shared travel experiences.  We are encouraged to think negatively based off limited real experiences and built up negativity. 

My points are getting jumbled together, but back to my main point that there is true beauty in traveling alone.  What you can see, do, think, and experience-the sky is the limit.  Since you are alone, you get bored so you spark up conversions with random strangers who might end up being life long friends. 

The true social networking starts with TRAVELING not FACEBOOK.  Many Americans fear traveling and worry about leaving their socially constructed life, but the opportunity abroad is amazing.  This statement depends on a variety of factors of course, but if you are a person who is extroverted and meet people easily-this statement is true.  When you are traveling you are building connections and sometimes you never know who people really are and who they know.  I have met people who are so well connected, they could probably help me get a job in multiple fields.  It is overwhelming the amount of social networking that goes on and how people come in and out of your lives leaving footprints on your heart, leaving your mind stimulated/changed, inspiring, empowering, and educating you. 
This is what makes traveling so amazing-THE INTERPERSONAL INTERACTION. I can not reinforce this point anymore.  It is NOT about drinking, partying, touristy destinations place to place, etc.  These things come along time to time and it is fine, but that is not what the traveling is about. 

The opportunity comes my way from country to country and it just about finding that job where I can travel all over and follow a mission that is meaningful.  I have wonderful people asking me to stay longer in various cities and offering to help me find work or build connections. But  I have my own mission when traveling, which is inspriring and empowering others to believe in their purpose and passion.  People laugh when they hear my email and without me currently being connected to a corporate job people just think I am going around partying and watching the clouds. 

On a daily basis, I have meaningful interactions with people and acknowledge them as human beings.  While this is not important to most people, it is important to me and this mission of mine is not documented, but maybe it should be so people can understand the importance of believing in your purpose and educating others on their potential. 

I am never alone and I am floating among seas and seas of opportunity… I have no fear about finding a job or not having money anymore. I am learning to let go of the focus on materialism and that is when good things come your way.  Focusing on money creates stress and rather than stress- I just want happiness. 

                    “ I want to celebrate and live my life to the fullest potential ”

Friday, February 10, 2012

The Best Cooking Comes from Home because Home is where the Heart Is..

Over 90 percent of the food that I have been eating has been with family or inside other’s home. I have eaten at some excellent restaurants as well, but in my opinion the home made food is the best. 
I enjoyed cooking some fish curry with my Aunt and learning how to make dosa.That is the extent of my Indian cooking skills so far.Most of the dishes I eat I have never had at an Indian restaurant in the US as they are authentic and delicious.  Every day my family wakes up and cooks fresh in the morning. If you open up an Indian cupboard you will find spices.  If you open up an American’s cabinet you will find cans and packages.The level of freshness and the mixing of spices is incredible.Bring on the spice India, I love it!!!

Many the Miles to Istanbul

Sara Bareilles- "Many the Miles"

There's too many things that I haven't done yet
Too many sunsets
I haven't seen
You can't waste the day wishing it'd slow down
You would've thought by now
I'd have learned something

I made up my mind when I was a young girl
I've been given this one world
I won't worry it away
But now and again I lose sight of the good life
I get stuck in a low light
But then Love comes in

How far do I have to go to get to you
Many the miles
Many the miles
How far do I have to go to get to you
Many the miles
But send me the miles and I'll be happy to follow you Love

Leaving Bangalore and Enjoying the Real Exploring

For about a month, I have been taking little side trips away from Bangalore, but always coming back to my family base.  Now I am off on the road and the real traveiing in India begins with the buses, trains, and the work of keeping myself moving from place to place. 
There is incredible beauty to explore and amazing people to meet.  I am amazed with what I have seen thus far in the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.  You come to India not knowing what to expect, but you expect surreal experiences that will last a lifetime.  Temples, beaches, ashrams, mountains, bustling cities, villages, farms, and hill stations- watch out because here comes the Bollywood Solo Traveler!
 Cheers to India and my solo India exploration starts NOW!!!

1 Dosa, 2 Dosa, 3 Dosa, 1lb, 2lb, 3lb

So I have been enjoying the food in India a little bit too much.  When I first arrived in India, my Aunt said, “Do not worry, just be happy and enjoy, so I did.” I enjoyed eating 5 meals a day and eating a bunch of sweet deserts when they are available- I love the Indian sweets and different creations involving coconut milk, carrot, noodles, fruits, and nuts.  The different dishes consisting of rice, beans, and vegetables are so good.  What I do not eat in protein(since I went vegetarian) I make up for in carbohydrates. 
Basically, I have been eating with my family and with my family I accept all food.  I have tried to say I just want one dosa and then I have two or three dosas put on my plate.  I am not in the US and I do not want to insult them by declining food so I just eat it.  I also want to prove that I love Indian food, I love spice, and that I do not waste food. 
There was an occasion where the maids(helpers) put a bunch of fried items on my plate when I declined them.  I did not want to eat these fried tasteless puffs that were catered in so I tried to sneak them in the garbage.  The next day my Aunt is telling me not to waste food.  The maids told on me, which I knew they were going to do. 

I truly do not believe in wasting food and especially with my strong spiritual base and love for people-I am aware of hunger, malnourishment, and starvation.  I am not in Switzerland or Italy, I am in India where some are lucky to even get one meal per day.  I am aware to my food consumption because my dad told me growing up, “Do not waste food.” It was engrained in my head and working constantly with those who have less, you have to be mindful of these things. 
So back to the amazing Indian food, I knew that eating rice, dosas, and a lot of starch would add on weight and it did. With each dosa has come an extra pound. It is not the food itself, but limited activity due not being as active as I was in Southeast Asia.
Everything is good in moderation and with some yoga, increased running, and limiting food consumption-India and I will work together to keep my body healthy and I will try to stop eating everything in sight ha!