Yesterday afternoon I spent an hour getting a fabulous beauty treatment - Coconut Head Massage. For Rs150 (around 4-5 bucks) you get a wonderful head massage where they drizzle warm coconut oil along part lines in your hair, before massaging your entire head, face and neck included - and make that shoulders too. It was sublime - an hour of this - hard to take really. Gigi, a crazy German chick, who lives and teaches in Athens accompanied me - she had never had it before. Anyway we were so mesmerised and relaxed, we booked in for another before we leave. I have also booked a pedicure - again about $7 (Rs300). I can get a full spa pedicure - unlike the hefty price tag at home. This is however not for pampering - my feet are the worst I have ever seen them - I will take a before and after pic to prove. Anyway thought I would do it when I get home but I may have no heels left in tact by then - not to mention a feel like an ugly, filthy trog. That's what you get from walking around through shit and dirt and dust all day every day in a pair of almost breaking thongs. Oh well what must be done, must be done.
Yesterday was also just filled with eating - not much else. Morning mango, tea and carrot cake on roof post practice, followed by omelet and spirulina at Tina's, then as Vivian was heading back to Taiwan (an old friend who now has a cafe here), I had fruit salad at her establishment, followed by coffee and cake, and nibbles of Gigi's salad at Cubs, then a quick powernap, then off to the beauty salon, then dinner at the Green Hotel - Malai Kofta - yum - vege patties in a rich creamy sauce, with Palak Dal (Spinach Dal - I know how to make this), rice, and naan - what else could a girl want - well other than a Kingfisher, and Gigi had a glass (make it thimble) of wine (Grover white - thank ganesh for aussie wine). The glass of wine was so small that Gigi said to them - "the sample was good - now bring me the real glass" (joke) - and she got (they don't get sarcasm) "oh no madam, that was the glass". Anyway we had a riot of a time - walked there and home - a 5 km round trip - and peed ourselves laughing the whole time.
Today we took the bus into town - Gigi managed to entertain the whole bus for the entire journey - I should have taken a photo. She is leaving Friday so she needed to pick up some bits and pieces. I also wanted to get a couple of woven bags from a friends father in the market. We had chai in the market, entertained a few more, before having a coffee uptown and going our separate ways, she to lunch - me home - I have orphanage in less that an hour. We will reconveen for dinner - and cake!
So life here is good but slowly coming to an end. The shala has really cleared out - I am still practicing at 6am for Mysore prac, and am happy with that - though feel I will be bumped to 4.30am any day. Led is 4.30am still and Saraswati said we will be doing some chanting this week - that might be cool. No news with practice - same same really - though might ask her if I can do full primary practice for the remainder of the week and my time here - others have asked - so I'll see what happens. If not I am happy - feel my practice has strengthened so for that I am happy.
Am looking forward to moving on in a week - though have lots to do before then. Cooking class yesterday was cancelled, but am doing it Friday. Catching up with old and new friends before leaving, but also need to finish a book so I don't have to drag it with me.
Will miss Mysore, though glad to be moving on. Will miss the shala, but not lots of the wanky BS that people rant and rave about, each and everyone an "expert", but will miss the couple of wonderful people I have met. Will miss the kids at the orphanage of course - no need to embellish here. Will miss the lush green of Mysore, heading for the dry western deserts of Gujarat, and the over abundance of water here - washing the concrete and street entrance in the morning (you never see that at home). Will miss lots of things - food of course. But more new things await - lots of train travel before I leave my beloved India in 15 days - how I need to savour it - until of course the next time!!
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