Well it took a bit longer to get adjusted then I had anticipated but I am managing. The apartment we are staying in is right on the ganges, It's lacking some ammenities such as a kitchen but it has a bed, a shower and a western toilet so I'm happy with that. Unfourtnately, they over booked the room so we will have to move on the 1st and it's becoming a challenge to find a new place. They over book rooms and don't seem to have a real system for managing places. We may end up staying at the hotel where we are practicing yoga. I was delusioned to think we would be able to watch football here, there are no tvs. So I am counting on you all to cheer on the Broncos for me! It's also much dirtier then I had imagined. Cows, and dogs roam freely so there is poop everywhere. We bought house shoes to try and keep our space clean but the smell still wafts in the windows. They don't have a way of dealing with trash so they just pile it up and burn it. We were having breakfast yesterday and I learned how they do dishes and almost died. They just rinse, I'm not sure he even used soap. If I had to guess that's probably why most people get sick...I may have to consider where we are eating. We don't have a fridge which makes it a challenge but it may be worth it. I'll just say I am so thankful I have my vaccinations.
We have been very busy since we arrived. The first workshop is called Tantric Relationships and it basically covers the difference between romantic love and true love. We are working with tools to help reduce attachments, insecurities, and fears in order to support and develop unconditional love in our relationships. It's been nice to have Jordan here to work through this with. We are able to provide a lot of insight into our own relationship so we can be better partners in our next relationships. We are using the work of Byron Katie which has been eye opening and I would recommend the books to anyone looking for some growth for themselves. I am going to have a very long list of books to read when I return, I may have to start a list on here to share with you.
The food has been good, every restaurant seems to serve the same foods but there is a variety of Indian, italian, greek, chinese and thai. I was thinking the food would be too spicey but it fact it's quite bland. They make fresh juice at every restaraunt and it's only $1.5 a glass so of course I am drinking it everyday! They say to expect a cleanse after 3 weeks so I have that to look forward to. They don't serve any meat which I'm sure it part of why your body goes through a cleanse. Most mornings we have been going to a place overlooking the Ganges and we have Chai a fruit bowl with muesili and curds and a pancakes with cheese and veggies, the pancakes are more like crepes and so so good. There are plenty of restaurants so we are trying new foods everyday!
This week they have been celebrating Diwali which is the victory of light over darkness. They have been lighting fireworks at all hours of the day, the restaruants are decorating with christmas lights and there is loud music everywhere. Tomorrrow night will be the big celebration but our school is having a different kind of ceremony with a priest. I will tell you more when I better understand what we are doing. Tonight is the end of our first workshop and we will have a celebration tonight. We will need to move tomorrow and then we start a 28 day intensive on Monday. We will be doing 4 hours of yoga a day and two hours of lecture. It's hard to do much because we are staying so busy but we are trying to see as much as possible. Next Sunday I am hoping we can hike up to the temples and see the value from above. It's beautiful out here, just don't look down ;)
Until next time,
Angela
