Beauty

05.10.07
Today, I met Beauty. She is a fabulously pink bicycle that will be my trusty steed until she decides to leave me. I immediately resigned myself to the idea that she might (rather quickly) be lifted to another owner. She is just so beautiful and shiny that she my be hard to resist! Well, keep your fingers crossed that we can be together for at least a while.

Sure, there were lots of bikes to choose from, but at the urging of my friend and the behest of the 11 year old girly-girl inside me, I chose the frilliest bike possible. I mean, why not? Cruising through the wild traffic and cavernous potholes on a smooth, riding pink- machine somehow was just irresistible. The first day riding in traffic was not quite as daunting as I thought it might be. Don’t get me wrong, it is ultimately hectic and nerve wracking but if you can leave your American driving behind, there is a flow that is pretty easy to catch onto. I like to think of the horns, pollution, potholes, puddles and the myriad of obstacles to dodge (sleeping dogs, cows, people, rickshaws, bicycles, ox-carts, etc..) as tools to sharpen my senses and tone my reflexes. As long as you are not too tired, it is actually fun!

After leaving DPSNM (Dr. Pt. Sri Narayan Mishra) yesterday I took Beauty for her first long spin. About 3/4 of the way there, once I had left the main road and entered the gullies (tiny little alley ways- like the one in the picture below) on the way to Markji’s house, thunder and torrential rain exploded down on the city. There was nothing to do, but duck into a stoop and wait it out. Time has such a different feeling when I am in Banaras. Sitting for an hour to wait out a rainstorm in some random alley seemed like just exactly the right thing to do and the time passed as it was no time at all.

Last night, my house finally got gas, so I can make tea and food! Lucky for me, there was not only gas but also food! The landlord of the house was wrapping up some multi-day puja, so he was feeding the Brahmins (the ritualists) and also me! Yummy goodness!

-----------------
06.10.07
When in TX, it is more than a battle for me to wake up by 5AM and start a practice. Here, it is almost impossible not to. So, feeling the change in the wind, hearing the sounds of puja at the river I get up and head to the roof for a nice, asana practice preceded by a short seated practice. While relaxing in savasana (lying down pose at the end of a yoga practice) I thought I heard a crow landing on the water tank, so I opened my eyes to see a big male monkey perched right next to me. So, much for relaxing. I hopped up, he bared his teeth, I grabbed my rug and went inside. How rude I thought! He could have at least waited another 5 minutes or so! Monkeys…