Very comfy in Mysore

• Palace Malice
• The perfect Ashram?
• My blog used as an academic reference
• Rats on and off screen in the cinema

I know it’s pretty, but I’m bored off my hole of palaces so spent 30 minutes here and 2 hours exploring the local markets.  These infused with the famed local sandalwood incense were a feast on the senses…..

Free waste disposal service

My favourite sign in the market...

My fav tash in the market

My reason for coming to MySore was to visit AyurYoga Eco-Ashram the new Ashram built close to MySore by the yoga leader who had led my YTT and reputed to be one of the largest ashrams in southern India. 

Here's Krish describing his vision......it's going to be a very special place!

Although only partially built this place blew me away.  It was quite a special reunion, meeting the staff who 8 months earlier had seen me complete my YTT on crutches.  I had a chai with the cook, Sonar who I’d taught to swim in Kerala, and most importantly was still swimming.  I then went to a lecture with Swami Jii in which he referenced my blog when talking about marriage, I felt totally honoured :)

Me with Sonar

Me with Krish and Swami Jii

The YTT group was very different to mine.  This one was just 8 girls; there was no-where to hide or people to sleep behind when you were tired out.  All sat in each class with perfect straight backs which my group did for the 1^st day (after  that moving every 5 minutes like a game of musical chairs).  This was their 2^nd week. I was impressed.  Sitting in a few lectures, despite nearly teaching yoga 100 lessons myself I felt as if I needed to do the course again.  I was tempted even more by the fact that this place was the most peaceful Ashram I’d been to and there were absolutely zero mosquitoes.  Highly recommended – check out the website for upcoming courses.

Some of the classes with the perfect posture ladies!

Ahhhhh sweet savasana :)

On my last night in Mysore I had another spin through the city on the back of a bike by a kind neighbour on the local bus who wanted to carry on our chat about what I was doing in India instead of me getting a rickshaw.  At this stage of my trip I've had +50 strangers offer me a lift on the back of their bikes, it’s been a great experience but this time on the back of a small moped with a 20 stone Indian once again I mused on the idea of safety.  I wonder if I'll do the same when I get home?!

I then went to the cinema to see my first Bollywood flick on the big screen.   I've seen plenty of Bollywood films and been to the cinema here too but this mix was different.  Firstly, the cinema was a hole.  I had a family of rats and cockroaches running over my feet.  The audience was 90% male and the mood was of testosterone reinforced by all the stereotypes.  The Movie 'Bhai' was a story about a gangster who walked everywhere followed by his entourage of white people in bikinis/swimsuits (no Indians – just us westerners looking like whores); he shouted, spat and shot at people, then headed to the bedroom with the white girls.  Some horrendous stereotypes which even make a 1960s James Bond film look like high brow literature.  Here’s a taster:

As I was staying away from the tourist part of town there was no WiFi or internet cafes around so I decided to invest in a 3G dongle.  I’d been warned that they didn't work unless you are in a metro city but I had no choice.  I was walking passed a fancy new phone shop (they had the iPhone 5s a few days after it’s launch which is a big deal in India) I inquired about getting a 3g dongle.    According to the sharply dressed shop assistant who spoke perfect English I didn't need ID or to fill in an application form.  All seemed splendidly easy.  5 minutes later we’d established I did need a photocopy of my passport, I confirmed that was all I needed.  I later returned with the same saga for 2 passport photos.  5 minutes later I needed a second form of ID.  I ended up going back 5 times (including the next day).  And does it work?  No. 

I also stocked up on my last bit of Indian restaurant food.  Finding my favourite Masala Dosa spot at just 25RS (30 cents) for a Masala Dosa and Chai (breakfast of gurus ;) ) at a local Dhaba.  A Dhaba is a very basic restaurant in which strangers share tables to ensure the maximum amount of punters can squeeze in.  This is normally good fun, acknowledging your neighbour with a nod but this time my neighbour acknowledged me by coughing and sneezing all over my food.   People who go to Dhabas don’t usually have a packet of tissues in their pocket nor, based on this guy’s behavior any idea that sneezing on food isn't hygienic.  He continued.  Much as I love Masalsa Dosas, this one was left half eaten.

My next stop was KSV, a school I worked at from Oct 2012-Jan 2013 and a project I was very fond of based on the change it is making to the kids lives and the need they have right now for fundraising. I couldn't wait.