Kolkata, India

I have made plans with a dear friend, Urmi Basu to go and spend time in November helping at her school in Kolkata. The Soma Home for Girls. She has asked me to help teach English and yoga to the girls. My heart is filled with such joy at the thought of this. I have always dreamed of sharing my love of yoga with others and being able to show the movements that make me feel so good and so connected with my body. I think it will be much easier to teach young people who don't have certain expectations of themselves and can just let it flow. But it's also a whole different culture and I don't have any idea what to expect. I'll just go with flow myself. Urmi is also starting a program to teach the girls how to make quilts using recycled saris. It all sounds so fantastic to me and I can't wait to immerse myself.

Sweet brother o' mine

From his email to me: "God bless you Chris and may the angels be with you!"

About places to stay in Varanasi, India

A forwarded email from a friend of a friend who is suggesting a place to stay. I love it. Especially the last part about the monkeys who wake you up in the morning. I get tears in my eyes when I imagine myself in India working with the girls at the Soma Home for Girls. It looks like I will spend 3 weeks there helping teach English and maybe some beginning yoga to the young girls who live there. Most are daughters of prostitutes who wouldn't otherwise have much of a life or an education.

"Alternatively she could stay in Varanasi on the Ganga, which is about a 30 minute auto rickshaw commute and costs about Rs 150 ($3.50) each way, if I remember correctly. It's a bit of a walk to where she would need to pick up the auto to Sarnath, as no rickshaws are allowed in the ancient city and only cycle rickshaws are allowed close to the entrance of the old city. I usually stay at Shanti guesthouse near Manikarnika (main burning) ghat. You have to climb a zillion stairs to get to the terrace, but once you are there you get to sleep in a caged outdoor dormitory for Rs25/night! (50 cents). The monkeys are sometimes annoying when they snarl at you through the bars and pound on the metal roof to wake you up in the morning. But the view of the city is unparalleled. It is truly awesome to wake up to all those sights and smells."

The tough stuff

For some reason my exit/entry into my new life is very turbulent. I am moving out of my apartment and am confronted with an absolutely crazy landlady. She sends me wacky emails telling me that I can't use the driveway on the 3 days before my move, she padlocked the gate so I couldn't move my things, she told me in an email that I am a trickster must be very jealous of her. What??

She's about 64, lives alone and makes bizarre art in mosaic tile all around the outside and inside of the house. She's making things incredibly hard for me. I feel very unsettled and unsafe in my apartment, which is the downstairs part of her house. I have 7 more days here before launching into something new. I am in the process of putting everything I own into storage and being a vagabond for the next several months. Strange days indeed.

I have moved most of my things out today and have a pad on the floor in front of my tv which provides some noise and comfort. All that is left is two suitcases, my computer, tv and a few things in the fridge. There is mold on the walls where my furniture was. That could explain a few things.

Things with my boyfriend are very "off" as well. I think he's sad and uncomfortable about my new life but won't talk about it.

I'm not sure what my lesson is in all of this but what comes to mind is that I really need to stand up for myself.

I pray for strength.

My birthday card

The best card I have ever gotten!!

getting in shape for India

A yummy breakfast at Oggi



A little yoga first


At the yoga studio

plans are taking shape

just got off the phone with Dick to get the itinerary set. Oh my gosh. I have goosebumps and a tingle in my tummy. I can't believe this adventure is really going to happen.

I have lists and lists and things to do. I hope I cover it all and am prepared. I'm sure I will be.

In the meantime I am packing up my house and have made 3 trips to the storage unit. My house is slowly emptying out....it feels like I'm doing the right thing.

My life is about to change in amazing ways.