The more you "see" the more you "love"

This weeks blog title was plagiarized from the back of a bus in a typically average Indian traffic jam. It struck me as the perfect opening to my week.

When last I wrote it was at the end of a long, dark week (Saturday evening). When I woke Sunday morning somehow the world looked very different. I kept thinking of the word “shiny”. Everything looked shiny; the sun, the faces of my retreat compatriots, breakfast, and my reflection in the mirror. I had the image of my girlfriend and her son who recently decided to “polish rocks”. What they didn’t know is that the tiny little rock polisher they got would take weeks and weeks of tumbling with different grades of sand to get the rocks smooth and “shiny”. Every time I visited them over the course of well over a month I could hear the distant rumble of that little rock tumbler working away to create gems. I think I’ve been in a rock polisher. I got all tumbled and rubbed up against tough sandy painful stuff and eventually I smoothed out. This week has been a “gem”!

Sunday a group of us went to the Wild Animal Reserve that was about a 3 hour drive. And while the elephant ride was fabulous (see pics), the road trip there was the real adventure! It turns out that you drop approximately 4000 feet in elevation by going down a road with 36 hairpin turns (the Brits in the car were very proud that the road had been engineered by a British man), with count-down signs on each turn and multiple signs warning of the dangers of the road (see more pics!) We sang the whole way (mostly Abba songs-I hadn’t realized how international they are!) and didn't once scream out in fear (of this I am proud).

While waiting for the elephant we were entertained by the monkeys that were casually hanging out among the humans. They were quite the charming little crew. (more pics) We were especially entertained by the “couple” who sat at our feet and preened each other in the mostly gentle, loving and detailed sort of way. It appeared that to signify when the cleaner was done with the cleaning, he/she would stand up and stick their butt in the face of the newly flea free partner. They were quite the kick.

It was a great start to my shiny week.

And then the week got shinier.

I have been talking with the owners, Contelal and Rekha, (pic) about the Six Billion Paths to Peace project I want to do with children when I am done with my yoga training (and lots of other things like the benefits of arranged marriage and their 42 year long marriage, the fact that this property has been in their family for 6 generations, and why Tamil Nadu is the best state in the entire country). Contelal is a member of the Education Committee for a group of schools in the area and he got so excited about the project that he took me himself to a school he thought would be interested. They were. However, when we looked at dates and such complications arose. The students start their “exams” on the 11^th, and then start Winter Break on the 23, giving me little or no time during my break to work with them! However, not to be discouraged, we hatched a plan that I start with the students immediately and complete the project before their exams, which means I get to start working with them while I'm still in yoga school myself! Woooo Weeeeeeee!!! And so, yesterday I skipped a class and spent the afternoon at the school. Unknown to Contelal this is an all girls school (I can’t quite figure out how he didn’t know that, but he swears he didn’t), ages 13/14, and while I had hoped for both boys and girls I could not look into the faces of those (15) young girls and say “no”, so I said “yes” and I’m hatching another plan to get some male involvement (more on that later). (I also trust the perfection of it all, and won’t even try to guess why it’s working out this way).

Yesterday, the girls and I discussed what we think peace is, where we would find it if we went to look for it, and why it is important. Then I gave them each a camera. (pic) They were thrilled. However, school here is very different than at home. Students sit in rows, they walk in line, they wear uniforms, their hair is all braided exactly the same way, they stand when they speak, they never speak out of turn, and even asking them to give me answers took awhile. With the other adults and teachers in the room they were very shy and quiet.

The next step is tomorrow (Sunday). The girls are meeting me at the park with their cameras. We are going out for ice cream and to take photos together. They were extra excited about this part of the week. I made them promise that if they came to the park the requirement is that they must talk, talk, and talk to me about everything. They eagerly agreed, and, of course, I don’t think the offer of ice cream hurt. I’ll be back in class with them next week and will let you know how it goes.

In the meanwhile, I’ve just finished my 4^th written test. This one was LONG and I took the entire 2 hours allotted time to complete it. Next week we start anatomy AND teaching our own classes on certain days-I teach multiple classes on Wednesday. I am happily exhausted, a little homesick, and “very much captivated by India” (said with head bobble).

PS all sorts of technical difficulties made it impossible to include photos in this post, so they are in a slide slow one post below - check em out