Sat - October 21, 2006
Monkey Business Moving
What's up,
y'all?
For ease of use and integration with our photo, music and movie files, I'm going to be discontinuing posts to this url.
Never fear, however, Monkey Business will continue to be posted at http://web.mac.com/rachellepaulgold/iWeb/RP/Blog/Blog.html.
So, please update your bookmarks and rss (where appropriate).
This site will remain online for reference and revisiting.
Later...
For ease of use and integration with our photo, music and movie files, I'm going to be discontinuing posts to this url.
Never fear, however, Monkey Business will continue to be posted at http://web.mac.com/rachellepaulgold/iWeb/RP/Blog/Blog.html.
So, please update your bookmarks and rss (where appropriate).
This site will remain online for reference and revisiting.
Later...
Posted at 11:53 AM
Fri - September 29, 2006
Robert Newman Video - A History of Oil
I may be preaching to the converted and those on
the other side of the fence may choose to ignore this and continue polishing
their George W. Bush shrines, but this is a funny, insightful and, basically,
accurate account of the current US and UK forays in Iraq. Check it out.
Posted at 06:41 AM
Mon - September 25, 2006
YouTube Videos of Guruji and Sharath
Thanks to our friend, Hollie, for directing me to
these. I've been visiting YouTube for awhile now and enjoying old clips of John
Coltrane, Sam & Dave, James Brown, Hüsker Dü,
etc.
Strange that it never occurred to me to look for yoga-related clips. I wrongly figured that, other than music, people were just putting up clips of themselves shot-gunning beers.
Sharath doing backbends.
Guruji on Ashtanga Yoga.
Guruji teaching in 1987.
Not the best looking video I've ever seen, but definitely worth a look. Enjoy.
Strange that it never occurred to me to look for yoga-related clips. I wrongly figured that, other than music, people were just putting up clips of themselves shot-gunning beers.
Sharath doing backbends.
Guruji on Ashtanga Yoga.
Guruji teaching in 1987.
Not the best looking video I've ever seen, but definitely worth a look. Enjoy.
Posted at 05:27 PM
Fri - September 22, 2006
Movie Reposts
While doing some maintenance on the blog, I
noticed that a few of the movie files had become corrupted. So, I've reposted
them. They date from awhile back, but they are among my
faves.
One is a rickshaw ride through the streets of Old Delhi.
The second clip features the monkeys of Chamundi Hill, Mysore.
The third movie showcases Rachelle getting prepared for an Indian wedding with the help of our former landlady, Gita.
The movies may take a few minutes to load up. Enjoy.
One is a rickshaw ride through the streets of Old Delhi.
The second clip features the monkeys of Chamundi Hill, Mysore.
The third movie showcases Rachelle getting prepared for an Indian wedding with the help of our former landlady, Gita.
The movies may take a few minutes to load up. Enjoy.
Posted at 07:30 AM
Tue - September 5, 2006
New York Newbie
My friend, Dave, has another piece in the New York Times. Published on Sept 3rd, it's a great reminiscence of his move to New York twelve years ago.
Read now or pay later.
Posted at 12:35 PM
Sat - September 2, 2006
Fri - August 18, 2006
Wide Angle Lens
We bought an ultra wide angle lens for our Canon 20D. It's a Sigma 10-20 mm. It gets pretty wide, indeed. We played around with it at the cottage last weekend. Click the photo to view.
Posted at 05:47 AM
Tue - August 8, 2006
Mysore 2007 in the Works
It is pretty official. Our next (and 5th) trip to Mysore is going to happen just after the new year.
January 12th to March 17th, folks. We have our flights and a place to sleep overnight when we arrive in Delhi.
Next is to book the flight to Bangalore and to secure a flat in Mysore.
We probably won't do any traveling while we're there, barring any unexpected Shala closures, so we can maximize our time as students.
Yeah!
Posted at 12:46 PM
Sat - July 29, 2006
Cottage Album
Photos from our vacation at the cottage have been posted.
We had a great time. Click the image to view.
Posted at 09:33 AM
Fri - July 28, 2006
Validate Me/Look at Me - Yoga Psychology, Part V
Here's an interesting
one.
In this reaction, the practitioner looks to the teacher after every asana, every jump through, etc or is scanning the room to make eye contact or to see whether they are being watched by the teacher. It is as if the practice doesn't exist outside the consciousness of the teacher. These students have yet to learn that the practice is personal and isn't being done for the approval. It is natural for students, especially Western yoga students, to have this reaction as our entire educational system is based upon getting the teacher's approval.
On a personal note, I was probably the King of this reaction. For the longest time, I had great difficulty keeping my eyes on my mat. I was constantly diverting my attention away. The first time I went to India, I had a very difficult time when Guruji and Sharath didn't give me the attention and approval that I was accustomed to getting back in the West. It drove me nuts!
The sensations and experiences that can arise on the mat can be intense and it is natural for the mind to want to divert its focus. Looking around is just another reaction that we face.
In this reaction, the practitioner looks to the teacher after every asana, every jump through, etc or is scanning the room to make eye contact or to see whether they are being watched by the teacher. It is as if the practice doesn't exist outside the consciousness of the teacher. These students have yet to learn that the practice is personal and isn't being done for the approval. It is natural for students, especially Western yoga students, to have this reaction as our entire educational system is based upon getting the teacher's approval.
On a personal note, I was probably the King of this reaction. For the longest time, I had great difficulty keeping my eyes on my mat. I was constantly diverting my attention away. The first time I went to India, I had a very difficult time when Guruji and Sharath didn't give me the attention and approval that I was accustomed to getting back in the West. It drove me nuts!
The sensations and experiences that can arise on the mat can be intense and it is natural for the mind to want to divert its focus. Looking around is just another reaction that we face.
Posted at 05:38 AM
Wed - July 26, 2006
Phoning It In - Yoga Psychology, Part IV
The main characteristic of
Phoning It
In is
laziness.
Unlike the practitioners seeking shortcuts or wanting to power through practice, this practitioner is not applying any sustained effort or determination in practice. The mind is not focussed and he/she is going through the motions. Phoning It In avoids exploring any of the physical, emotional and psychological edges while doing one's best to appear to be doing just that.
While the Shortcut seeker wants the asanas to "look good", in this reaction, the laziness factor usually precludes any attachment to having pretty yoga poses.
The justifications for this reaction are fatigue and soreness. It took me many years to learn that practicing tired just keeps one from wasting energy that one doesn't have. Some of my best experiences on the mat have been mornings after a bad sleep.
It is exhilarating to see what is possible when you just start practicing despite the lack of sleep, etc. We just need to clear the mind of all the chatter of "I'm tired," etc.
Unlike the practitioners seeking shortcuts or wanting to power through practice, this practitioner is not applying any sustained effort or determination in practice. The mind is not focussed and he/she is going through the motions. Phoning It In avoids exploring any of the physical, emotional and psychological edges while doing one's best to appear to be doing just that.
While the Shortcut seeker wants the asanas to "look good", in this reaction, the laziness factor usually precludes any attachment to having pretty yoga poses.
The justifications for this reaction are fatigue and soreness. It took me many years to learn that practicing tired just keeps one from wasting energy that one doesn't have. Some of my best experiences on the mat have been mornings after a bad sleep.
It is exhilarating to see what is possible when you just start practicing despite the lack of sleep, etc. We just need to clear the mind of all the chatter of "I'm tired," etc.
Posted at 05:00 AM
Fri - July 21, 2006
Hummingbird Album
A little hummingbird had stunned itself and we found it sitting in the garden at the cottage. We were able to pet the little thing (Rachelle’s hand in photos) and keep it company as it regained the strength to fly away. Click the photo to see the album.
Posted at 05:12 PM
Thu - July 13, 2006
Cheat/Shortcuts - Yoga Psychology, Part III
What makes this reaction different from the Power
Through?
In both cases, effort and determination are present; however, for the Shortcut seeker, that effort is applied to make the asanas easier. The student's effort is (incorrectly) applied in order to "get" the form of the asana. Again, the form of the asana becomes more important to the student than the fundamentals of breath, bandhas and dristhti (gazing point). Good examples in ashtanga yoga are seen in the jump backs between asanas and in utplutih. Students know it is correct method to keep the hands flat, but they'll cheat so they can lift themselves higher. In the case of utplutih, a common cheat is to hook the feet around the arms. I've seen Sharath walk around the room in Mysore busting people.
The desire to "do" the pose is given priority. At the end of the day, this isn't a big deal in the big scheme of things, but it is important to notice with honesty how our minds react to the practice. Shortcuts deny us the ability to immerse ourselves in the process of the practice. It is important to take the time to see the body change, to see the mind strengthen and watch how the senses are not perturbed over time. Maintaining the proper method ensures this process will bear fruit.
So don't cheat, ok?
In both cases, effort and determination are present; however, for the Shortcut seeker, that effort is applied to make the asanas easier. The student's effort is (incorrectly) applied in order to "get" the form of the asana. Again, the form of the asana becomes more important to the student than the fundamentals of breath, bandhas and dristhti (gazing point). Good examples in ashtanga yoga are seen in the jump backs between asanas and in utplutih. Students know it is correct method to keep the hands flat, but they'll cheat so they can lift themselves higher. In the case of utplutih, a common cheat is to hook the feet around the arms. I've seen Sharath walk around the room in Mysore busting people.
The desire to "do" the pose is given priority. At the end of the day, this isn't a big deal in the big scheme of things, but it is important to notice with honesty how our minds react to the practice. Shortcuts deny us the ability to immerse ourselves in the process of the practice. It is important to take the time to see the body change, to see the mind strengthen and watch how the senses are not perturbed over time. Maintaining the proper method ensures this process will bear fruit.
So don't cheat, ok?
Posted at 05:00 AM
Sat - July 8, 2006
West Africa 1991 Album Online
I have finally finished scanning the negatives from my long ago trip to West Africa with my friend, Peter S. There are some scratches on the old negatives, but the photos are good and give a good impression of where we were and what we did. Click the photo to view the album.
We ended up spending about six weeks total in Senegal, Mali and Burkina Faso. The lion's share of the trip was spent in Mali where we must have spent at least four weeks. 99% of the photos are from Mali. For some reason, I didn't take many pictures in Senegal and took no photos in Burkina Faso.
It was a pretty intense trip, indeed. It was my first time visiting poorer areas of the world and there is some very deep poverty in this part of the world. It was very common for us to see kids with distended bellies and with runny eyes and noses from malnutrition. I had a serious case of the White Guilts on this trip.
Another challenge was the obvious disparity in income. It is not uncommon in this part of the world for people with money to treat others to drinks, entertainment, etc. Peter and I kept feeling that we had the choice of paying for everything and having friends and locals to hang with or just being the two of us on the outside. This dynamic had us feeling like we were constantly being ripped off. It made us feel that people were disingenuous. After 15 of reflection, I think we partially uptight and partially frustrated by the chasm that separated us from the locals. That said, there were definitely people trying to rip us off (some succeeded!), but in retrospect, what's the big deal of having to pay for the beers if the payoff is hanging with locals and enjoying some inside views of the place we were visiting.
One more note... we were taking lariam, an anti-malarial prophylactic, that made us incredibly moody and paranoid. Nice side effects! So, once per week when we took the meds, we invariably had a messed up day.
Still, there were some great memories and no shortage of good stories to tell... the Dakar-Bamako 30 hour train ride; our night on the town in Bamako with the proprietor of the hotel/brothel where we were staying; French coffee and croissants in an expatriate café in Dakar; drinking Guiness and playing pinball for hours in Bobo-Dioulassou. Perhaps I'll write some of them down.
The process off scanning the negatives was labour-intensive, but provided a nice trip down memory lane that would have been lost had I taken them to a photo service.
Enjoy. Let me know what you think.
Posted at 07:48 AM
Fri - July 7, 2006
Power Through - Yoga Psychology, Part II
This reaction is characterized by a determination
NOT to bail. Rather, there is a willingness to do whatever it takes to do the
asana.
It is a case of better intention but with an incorrect application of effort.
In the desire to do the asana, the Power Through type will try to rush or push things. He/she will begin irregular, fast breathing or stop breathing all together. It is also common in this reaction to close the eyes and make faces, stick out the tongue, etc. Hence, I've also called this reaction Close Your Eyes and Think of England.
In this reaction, the asana is seen as the end in and of itself, rather than as an extension of applying the breath and bandhas. It relies on physically muscling one's way through the asana. It is good for a student to be determined where practice is concerned, especially since determination is lacking in the incarnations of Give Up/Bail. However, Powering Through is ultimately an unsustainable approach to practice. This kind of student generally burns out or gets injured.
It is a case of better intention but with an incorrect application of effort.
In the desire to do the asana, the Power Through type will try to rush or push things. He/she will begin irregular, fast breathing or stop breathing all together. It is also common in this reaction to close the eyes and make faces, stick out the tongue, etc. Hence, I've also called this reaction Close Your Eyes and Think of England.
In this reaction, the asana is seen as the end in and of itself, rather than as an extension of applying the breath and bandhas. It relies on physically muscling one's way through the asana. It is good for a student to be determined where practice is concerned, especially since determination is lacking in the incarnations of Give Up/Bail. However, Powering Through is ultimately an unsustainable approach to practice. This kind of student generally burns out or gets injured.
Posted at 06:36 AM
Thu - July 6, 2006
Tue - July 4, 2006
Give Up/Bail - Yoga Psychology, Part I
This is probably the most common reaction for
beginners and more experienced students
alike.
Awash in a sea of sensations, many unpleasant, it is normal to want those feelings to stop as quickly as possible. The prime motivation here is avoidance of the unpleasant sensations, etc. As Patanjali explains, we will call anything that is antagonistic to the ego as pain. We will also seek to avoid the reoccurrence of that sensation in the future.
The impulse to give up or bail can be further subdivided. One's personality will determine which subdivision one leans toward in a given situation.
They are 'I Can't Do It', 'Blame/Righteous Indignation' and 'Let's Talk About It'.
The 'I Can't Do It' practitioner generally bails and sees it as a personal shortcoming. Keeping it together through the sensation is just too much for him or her. This reaction can be accompanied with varying degrees of drama and self-flagellation to prove the point.
Other people look for an external target and blame the teacher for his or her bailing. This is the 'Blame or Righteous Indignation' reaction. That student would be able to do the pose if the teacher were doing X or Y. My natural tendency is to fall into this subcategory...just ask Rachelle.
Alternatively, there are some students that, as soon as they reach a particular threshold of sensation, stop everything and begin chatting about what's going on and seek to explain to the teacher why he or she cannot hold the pose.
In any of these subcategories, the Give Up/Bail reaction represents the cessation of effort and concentration in an asana. Here the total dominance of the mind and senses over the breath and bandhas is present. For whatever reason, the level of sensation overrides the mind's ability to cope and the student is left to justify why he or she stopped.
Over time, with diligent practice, the student is able to ride these waves and discipline the mind and senses.
Awash in a sea of sensations, many unpleasant, it is normal to want those feelings to stop as quickly as possible. The prime motivation here is avoidance of the unpleasant sensations, etc. As Patanjali explains, we will call anything that is antagonistic to the ego as pain. We will also seek to avoid the reoccurrence of that sensation in the future.
The impulse to give up or bail can be further subdivided. One's personality will determine which subdivision one leans toward in a given situation.
They are 'I Can't Do It', 'Blame/Righteous Indignation' and 'Let's Talk About It'.
The 'I Can't Do It' practitioner generally bails and sees it as a personal shortcoming. Keeping it together through the sensation is just too much for him or her. This reaction can be accompanied with varying degrees of drama and self-flagellation to prove the point.
Other people look for an external target and blame the teacher for his or her bailing. This is the 'Blame or Righteous Indignation' reaction. That student would be able to do the pose if the teacher were doing X or Y. My natural tendency is to fall into this subcategory...just ask Rachelle.
Alternatively, there are some students that, as soon as they reach a particular threshold of sensation, stop everything and begin chatting about what's going on and seek to explain to the teacher why he or she cannot hold the pose.
In any of these subcategories, the Give Up/Bail reaction represents the cessation of effort and concentration in an asana. Here the total dominance of the mind and senses over the breath and bandhas is present. For whatever reason, the level of sensation overrides the mind's ability to cope and the student is left to justify why he or she stopped.
Over time, with diligent practice, the student is able to ride these waves and discipline the mind and senses.
Posted at 05:15 AM
Thu - June 29, 2006
Yoga Psychology, An Introduction
I did an online dictionary search of "psychology"
and the primary definition was "the science of mind and
behaviour."
Some years back I got my hands on a copy of Bramananda Saraswati's translation of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras with commentary that was titled Textbook of Yoga Psychology. At the time, I was pretty new to the yoga world and I was a little taken aback by the title. I confess that a great deal of what I read was beyond me and I found the title a little heavy and pretentious.
Like all things yoga-related, it is 99% about practice and only 1% theory. At the time, I hadn't been practicing long enough to have a more visceral understanding (rather than intellectual understanding) of what I was reading.
Ten years later, after years of practice and teaching, I really like the connection made between the sciences of yoga and psychology. It is particularly apt in the western context where the perception of yoga is so overwhelmingly physical in its orientation that the mention of yoga equal to psychology is bound to leave many westerners standing slack-jawed and wondering just what the hell is going on...
Over years on the mat, through the ups and downs, I have been able to watch how my mind reacts to different things: intense sensation, fatigue, feeling strong & light, feeling stiff & heavy, feeling like I suck, feeling like I rule, etc. The game is to begin to honestly observe how my mind reacts to these different thoughts, feelings, sensations, etc.
At first, when one first starts yoga practice, it is very difficult to avoid identifying with these thoughts, feelings, sensations, etc. The question becomes, "what do we do when we are awash in these thoughts, feelings, sensations, etc.?" We like to think of ourselves as pretty complicated, but our reactions, depending on our personalities, tend to fall among a pretty standard list which I have been compiling over the past months.
Let's have some fun with the standard reactions. I'll list them then talk about each in turn, probably in separate entries.
1. Give Up/Bail. Further subdivided into "I Can't Do It", "Righteous Indignation/Blame" and "Let's Talk About It"
2. Power Through aka "Close Your Eyes and Think of England"
3. Cheat/Shortcuts
4. Phoning It In
5. Validate Me/ Look at Me
Before going into these in more detail, I want to suggest that overreaching all of these is the desire for the mind to justify and rationalize. Since controlling the mind and disciplining the senses is the most difficult thing (but is the goal of taking practice), we will need to have strong excuses and justiications when we succumb to the mind during practice. Hence, the need to rationalize. This need also appeals to our sense of individuality... i.e.- our pain is different than everyone else's so our rationalizations are even more justifiable.
So, a discussion of Give Up/Bail coming soon.
Some years back I got my hands on a copy of Bramananda Saraswati's translation of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras with commentary that was titled Textbook of Yoga Psychology. At the time, I was pretty new to the yoga world and I was a little taken aback by the title. I confess that a great deal of what I read was beyond me and I found the title a little heavy and pretentious.
Like all things yoga-related, it is 99% about practice and only 1% theory. At the time, I hadn't been practicing long enough to have a more visceral understanding (rather than intellectual understanding) of what I was reading.
Ten years later, after years of practice and teaching, I really like the connection made between the sciences of yoga and psychology. It is particularly apt in the western context where the perception of yoga is so overwhelmingly physical in its orientation that the mention of yoga equal to psychology is bound to leave many westerners standing slack-jawed and wondering just what the hell is going on...
Over years on the mat, through the ups and downs, I have been able to watch how my mind reacts to different things: intense sensation, fatigue, feeling strong & light, feeling stiff & heavy, feeling like I suck, feeling like I rule, etc. The game is to begin to honestly observe how my mind reacts to these different thoughts, feelings, sensations, etc.
At first, when one first starts yoga practice, it is very difficult to avoid identifying with these thoughts, feelings, sensations, etc. The question becomes, "what do we do when we are awash in these thoughts, feelings, sensations, etc.?" We like to think of ourselves as pretty complicated, but our reactions, depending on our personalities, tend to fall among a pretty standard list which I have been compiling over the past months.
Let's have some fun with the standard reactions. I'll list them then talk about each in turn, probably in separate entries.
1. Give Up/Bail. Further subdivided into "I Can't Do It", "Righteous Indignation/Blame" and "Let's Talk About It"
2. Power Through aka "Close Your Eyes and Think of England"
3. Cheat/Shortcuts
4. Phoning It In
5. Validate Me/ Look at Me
Before going into these in more detail, I want to suggest that overreaching all of these is the desire for the mind to justify and rationalize. Since controlling the mind and disciplining the senses is the most difficult thing (but is the goal of taking practice), we will need to have strong excuses and justiications when we succumb to the mind during practice. Hence, the need to rationalize. This need also appeals to our sense of individuality... i.e.- our pain is different than everyone else's so our rationalizations are even more justifiable.
So, a discussion of Give Up/Bail coming soon.
Posted at 05:53 AM
Tue - June 20, 2006
Djenné, Mali 1991
Check out this photo of me standing in front of the Grand Mosque in Djenné, Mali. Nice hat, yes?
Back in 1991, my friend, Peter S., and I travelled to West Africa. We spent about six weeks in Senegal, Mali and Burkina Faso. The lion's share of our trip was spent in Mali. The trip to Djenne was one of the most unpleasant and harrowing of my life, but the old town was quite interesting and the market was quite colourful.
The journey from Mopti to Djenne was in the back of a pick up truck that had two rows of wood benches on either side of the truck bed. We boarded with about ten others and started the journey along the pot holed road.
Take a moment in your head and try to imagine how many people you could squeeze into the back of a pick up truck. This truck kept stopping and picking up people. And since people were making the trip for market day, lots of people were carrying goods. More and more people kept climbing in and we just kept stopping to pick them up.
By the end of the trip, we had about thirty five people stuffed back there!! I was literally sitting on only one buttock with one arm and my face hanging out from under a tarpaulin so I could breathe. Peter got out of the truck and walked with about a mile or two to go. It was so completely out of control that I spent at least half of the day in shock, unable to take in anything of the town, market, etc.
The thought of a return trip on the truck was so harrowing to contemplate that we opted to get severely overcharged and ride in a car with a Malian family.
Oh, memories. I will post more photos from this adventure as I scan them.
Posted at 05:55 AM
Mon - June 12, 2006
Garage Doors and Other Fun Stuff
Here's something very strange. We have had
intermittent problems with our garage door where it won't close fully. It stops
about a foot from fully closed. We were having to reopen and close the door
until it worked. That is until we broke the code. We now have discovered what
seems to be a foolproof method to ensure a full close every
time.
When we talk to the door with an Indian accent, the door closes properly. It has worked every time either Rachelle or I have done it. It's worked when we were together or doing it separately.
You just need to break the code and it all falls into place.
Here's something fun. These pics are from a trip we took to St. Lucia back in 2001 soon after we moved back from Los Angeles to Toronto. Snorkel-rific.
When we talk to the door with an Indian accent, the door closes properly. It has worked every time either Rachelle or I have done it. It's worked when we were together or doing it separately.
You just need to break the code and it all falls into place.
Here's something fun. These pics are from a trip we took to St. Lucia back in 2001 soon after we moved back from Los Angeles to Toronto. Snorkel-rific.
Posted at 06:50 PM
Mon - May 15, 2006
Fun Day with R's Parents
Photos online from a day on the town with Rachelle's parents.
It was quite the big city adventure.
Click the image to view.
Posted at 06:18 AM
Fri - May 12, 2006
Bollywood's Casting Couch
Maybe I just haven't been reading the news as
much lately, but here's another good story culled from
Wired.
This one looks at the use of foreigners in India's film
industry.
Enjoy.
Enjoy.
Posted at 09:47 AM
Mango Mania
Found this article in the online New York Times travel section.
Today, we were ambling around Chinatown and then Little India with R's parents. It is definitely mango season here in Toronto too. Most of what we are seeing are boxes and boxes of the atuolfo (aka Haitian or yellow mangoes) rather than the Indian alfonso mangos (though a few boxes of these make it to Little India for sale at quite a premium for the truly homesick NRI's). The atuolfos are tender and sweet without being stringy. Worth pursuing if you're wanting to catch as case of mango mania of your own!
We've never been in India during the height of mango season (too hot!) but have caught the tail end. Very tasty, indeed.
Click the image for the article. As with all NYT articles, read now or pay later for the privilege.
Posted at 09:20 AM
Fri - April 28, 2006
Interview with Sharath Online
For those who might not get news of this from other sources, I wanted to post this here.
Click the image to read the interview.
Posted at 05:54 PM
Fri - April 21, 2006
Maximum City
An excerpt from this book appeared, I believe, in the last issue of Namarupa describing a wealthy Jain family that was going to renounce the world and become wandering monks.
So, this book was a recent Amazon.ca purchase. Rachelle and I spent a few days in Mumbai during our first trip to India back in 2000 and we rather enjoyed the place through our jet-lag fog. It was our first glance and introduction to the country. Like most international flights into India, we arrived in the middle of the night. Unlike some other ports of entry to India, when you arrive in Mumbai, you have a good hour-and-a-half drive to get from the airport into the centre of the city. We finally arrived at our hotel at around 4 am not having been able to make much sense during the dark night's driving. And I remember giving our passports to the guy at our hotel and wondering if we would ever see them again despite his assurances of "no problem. Reception is closed. I will bring them back in the morning."
Rachelle and I were then left in our hotel room with its odd smelling carpet, strangely shaped bathroom and our bottles of water. I don't think we slept much that night...
I am loving this book.
Posted at 05:20 AM
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Published On: Oct 21, 2006 11:54 AM
Published On: Oct 21, 2006 11:54 AM