Snacks for Scabs

Today was a good day in Mysore. I didn't sleep well again. Up too late and then need to be up early for practice. Once I walk through the doors of the shala all tiredness seems to melt away and I'm ready to practice. I had a good spot, no rug lumps under my mat to deal with. I didn't get any adjustments until my trouble spot, maricasana C on the second side. I have been able to bind the first side with no problem at every practice here so far. So I struggled with the second side before David M, an authorized teacher from Jois Yoga in Encinitas CA, came over. I like his adjustments, they are strong and severe. I don't need much on mari C but he stuck around and helped with mari D also. The first side has been relatively easy for Sharath and his assistants to bind me in. The second side is crap. But today with David's help, for one brief second my fingertips touched!

After practice we were off to my favorite place for breakfast, Anokhi Garden, and then off to chanting class.

I tried to nap after chanting but couldn't so I decided to go for a walk by myself. I was actually able to find Loyal World all by myself without getting lost. That is amazing considering I still get lost in a Vegas sometimes.

On the way to Loyal World I found a restaurant I had been wanting to try and it was lunch time so I stopped in for a bite to eat. I finally got to try a thali. Thali is basically a tray with small cups of different things. It was so good! I will definitely be back there for more before I leave.





The naan bread, cabbage dish, fried rice and the curry things were really great. I didn't need all the white rice and the sweet dish was really gross, kind of like a heavy donut sitting in sugar syrup. The think white stuff was buttermilk, that was left untouched because, well buttermilk is gross. The milky white stuff was also left untouched. I'm not sure what it was but it made me think of dirty dishwater.

At Loyal World I bought dog biscuits for Scabs and some Snickers bars for me. I took the long way back because I figured Scabs would be hanging out on Main Street. I was right. As I walked past Scabs he got up and started to follow me as usual. I led him around the corner away from all the people on the street and put two treats on the ground and walked away. Scabs sniffed them and continued to follow me. I put two more down, same thing. You can lead a mangy street dog to biscuits but you can make him eat them. I left one final one outside the gate of my apartment and went inside. About 30 minutes later it was time for Sanskrit class. As I walked down the street I saw that the dog biscuits were all gone. I hope it was Scabs that got to eat them. I have a small bag of biscuits in my pocketbook for tomorrow if I see him.





I got all my Sanskrit homework correct!




The teacher said I should beat Kevin with a stick.


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Devaraj Market

I'm pretty sure we were the only white people at the market today. Tourists = cash cow.





Many vendors are selling these colorful powders. The powder can be mixed with water to make watercolor paints. I'm sure there are other purposes for the pigments but asking questions makes them think you will buy stuff. The pigment vendors also sell perfume oils. Right now I reek from all the oil samples they put on me. I didn't buy any. Most of them smelled bad to me and my lungs are already messed up from the pollution here. I did buy 20 rupees worth of incense. A kid took me into his booth and showed me how incense is made. I called out to Kevin to watch and make sure I wasn't killed in the stall.





All kinds of fruits and vegetables are for sales. The market is crowded and chaotic and full of people carrying shit on their heads.













Monks vegetable shopping.













You can even buy human hair at the market. Gross.





Of course there are dead animal stands too but not many.







These chickens must have escaped :)





At least the cows are safe.


These goats are in goat heaven. This goat is standing on a mountain of vegetables but is eating a piece of newspaper.


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Let Sleeping Dogs Lie...Because They Probably Have Rabies

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Lazy Sunday

I slept like crap last night, too late to bed and then awake at 3am, so after class I was exhausted. I took a long restless nap after breakfast and then off on a trip to More Megastore to have a look around. Nothing exciting there to buy, I left with tp and a package of cookies.

Since not much is going on here today here are some random pictures from the past two weeks


LOCAL BIKE SHOP









I'm always impressed by the women carrying stuff on their head












I stopped at the vegetable stand last night and for 46 rupees, about $1.00, I got 3 cucumbers, a red onion and a few handfuls of tomatoes. Delicious and I didn't get diarrhea.


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Wisdom from the Godly Museum

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Chamundi Hill

I had to pay this kid 20 rupees for a picture


Today we went to Chamundi Hill. It is one of the eight most sacred hills in all of Southern India and, according to the sign, is the sacred abode of the universal mother.









Vendors sell temple offerings





It is also home to the Godly Museum





I don't know who this guy is







Here is the temple






Everywhere you turn are vendors selling all kinds of stuff, mostly crap













We paid a rickshaw to haul us up to the top rather than climb the 1000 steps. We did walk down all 1000 steps.







Along the way down I was blessed by a holy man (it cost me 20 rupees)








About 300 steps down from the top is Nandi the Bull





And a cave temple with lots of monkeys











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