A bit of buzz

My first article in a paper as a business owner/consultant!

http://www.timeoutbengaluru.net/aroundtown/aroundtown_feature_details.asp?code=69

Last night in Mysore

It’s our last night in Mysore. I’m kind of sad to leave…this time with Hasan, without our businesses, school, etc. has been really nice and relaxing. It’s been nice as well to discover some things about India on my own. To acclimate independently, I suppose. Heck, we were even bargaining in jewelry shops yesterday as well as pushing back on scammy autorickshaw drivers and being very grateful for the ones that were so very kind to us.

Yet, I’m ready to move onto the next leg of the trip…isn’t that how it always is? I’m ready for Hasan to be back with Roxie. My sister-in-law, who is taking care of her, says she can tell that Roxie misses us. Not sure what that means exactly, but I want him home with her ASAP. This next week is going to be a lot of working for me – I’ve got a lot more to do for the workshop on Art & Social Media I am leading next weekend back in Bangalore (two full days!).

Today we visited the Mysore Palace which is just beautiful. Seeing 100% silver palace doors, ivory floors inlaid with semi-precious stones, wooden moldings inlaid with ivory, and so on…just gorgeous and amazing to think of humans producing such work. If we’d have stayed until 7 pm, we could have seen them light up the place – but at 4:15 pm when we were done with the tour and had enjoyed some nice relaxation time people-watching on the grass of the palace grounds, I was ready to come back to the hotel. It really can be tiring to be around sooo many people, pushing and shoving. And, sometimes the staring does get quite old. Not sure yet why so many people stare at me, us…is it because we’re Western-looking, because we’re mixed race, or just plain different? On the other hand, I remember quite well as a youngster going to the mall or wherever with my mom in the US, and whenever we’d come across other Indians, there would be staring. I thought it was so strange. Maybe it’s cultural. Or, maybe there in America, it’s about seeing someone “of your own kind” which back then was a lot rarer (since it was before the technology boom brought a bajillion Indians to America). I remember my mother saying “look Indians, Indians!” I of course didn’t particularly care for this association back then because I was trying to fit in as an American. But I can see how it would have been nice for her to see people familiar or somewhat similar. I wonder if immigrants of other cultures experience that in America as well. I am reading (er, listening via iTunes audiobooks) Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert on this trip. She talks about going to China and having mothers run up to her and almost bat her away, scared, and warning their children to run away from this “white ghost”. She really didn’t like that about her time in China. Funny what experiences are brought by traveling.

Here are some pictures of the last few days in Mysore, as well as a dinner my sister organized in Bangalore before we left to introduce us to new people, as well as to recognize our engagement. Really yummy food at a Japanese restaurant called Harima.

News of the day

Lots of steps yesterday – over 1000 tangible ones to the top of Chamundi Hill (my calves are killing me today!) and one big one as Hasan asked me to marry him (once again) and gave me a ring at the top of the hill. It was romantic and poetic. I said yes…again.

He wished for peace, health, and wealth - in that order. As long as we have our health, wealth is secondary. As long as we have peace, health is secondary.

He’s really enjoying Mysore – wants to come back here again and again. It’s nice to see him over the culture shock he experienced when he got to India. The slow pace of this small city suits both of us well. I’d love to do a one week Ashtanga yoga retreat here next time. It’s the “home” of Ashtanga yoga – where better to do it? This time, I’m going to at least try to get in one yoga class here…probably Monday morning.

Today we’re off to the Mysore Zoo which I had a fun time visiting with my sister the last time I was here. I remember walking in and seeing two big giraffes just hanging out – if I remember correctly, the animals seem nearer to you at this zoo than in American zoos. I told Hasan that and he said “well, that’s cool, as long as they don’t come and eat us”. We’ll see…

In the meantime, keep in mind that the softest thing on the planet is the human heart…we have the power to empathize, take in orphans, love, nurture, assuage, care for animals, and so on. My aim this year is to be a gentler person.

Greetings from Mysore

We’re now in Mysore - about 2 hours by train from Bangalore. Came here on Wednesday via the Shatabdi Train, which offers a nice view of the Karnataka countryside. We checked into the Royal Orchid Metropole hotel, a lovely gardens-filled place. Our room is very nice and the stay has been restful and sweet. This is a big step for me because I’ve never travelled by myself in India – meaning as the one navigating planes, trains, auto rickshaw drivers, and so on. Not sure why it felt like such a bigger deal to me to do it India than in places like Brasil, but it does.

Yesterday we did some shopping, lots of walking around Mysore, and toured the Karnataka Sandalwood Oil Factory, which is where most of the world’s sandalwood oil comes from. It smelled SO good there…the trees were just so yummy. Even the scent of the shavings (wood chips) from the trees was delicious.

Today we’re off to Sri Chamundeswari Temple, where we will climb up 1000 steps to the top of the hill. It’ll be a workout!

Here are some pictures of the past week. Lots of them were taken by Hasan - the things that struck him when he was walking around Bangalore near my sister's house.

I'm getting sad that Hasan will be leaving on Tuesday, but I'm glad Roxie will have one of us back with her. And I'm happy to have some time with just my sister and Tanuja.

Happy New Year!

What a neat way to start the new year...I've never been in India during the winter time with such nice temperatures, let alone for New Year's...what a blessing to have the two people I'm closest to in life, along with my fabulous new niece Tanuja, with me as we rang in the new year.


Hasan and I spent New Year's Day going shopping for wedding/engagement rings with Tanuja. The first store we went to we found exactly what we were looking for. Mission accomplished! It felt like an auspicious way to start the new year as a newly grown family.


We're still getting over the jet lag...keep getting up around 2:30 am and are unable to sleep. Then we take 3 hour naps in the middle of the day. Kind of nutty. We went to yoga this morning at Prashant Yogashraya - it kicked our butts! I have never done Iyengar Yoga...I was ready to go after 15 minutes. If our teacher hadn't been so ridiculously funny, I would have.

Anyways, we've just spending the day with Tanuja as my sister was at work all day. She's such a treat...so smart. She speaks 4 or 5 different languages at the age of 3. And we've been teaching her some words in Spanish (through Dora!) and Italian (we learned farfalle vs. macaroni vs. penne today).

Tomorrow Hasan and I are off to the beautiful Leela Palace to have lunch at Citrus and have an afternoon of spa treatments...can't wait!