Sunday, September 12, 2010

Back in the Land of Chai, Cows and Children asking “Do you have your country coin”

After 2 years, I'm back in Mysore! I am slowly settling in to life here and can sum up my 1st week in a few words ... Same same, but  Different.  For example:
  • I still have ants ... but now, they are the small brown ones and confined to my bathroom.  I have already located their nest but we are co-existing quite peacefully ... for now.
  • Indian officials still have the ability to amaze it.  When my hand luggage went through the X-ray machine after clearing immigration at Bangalore airport, the customs official beckoned me over ... “Madam”, he said, “You have gold chains in your bag?”  I was like ... Huh? Gold chains? No!  He then pointed to the Xray screen, showing my bag with thick coils at the bottom.  I stifled a giggle .. Sir, that’s the wire for my laptop!
  • My coconut man, Guru, is still under his tree.  My muruku boy (now a young man) still remembers what I like best.  I still have internet access via a long LAN cable running from my landlord’s house on the ground floor, up and over the roof, then down into my living room.  So, although he has yet to go wireless, at least it is now High Speed :o)  Sadly, my favourite local breakfast place has closed down – must find another! And last but not least, the washing machine is still up and running ... Hurray!!
  • Practicewise, it is beautiful.  Sharath is now restricting the number of applicants to 100 at any one time.  And if people drop out, they are not replaced.  There are about 70 people in the shala at the moment and the energy in the room is lovely ... quiet and cool versus previous times when it was a lot more agitated and noisy.  The weather is still a little rainy as the drought from previous years is now gone but this makes the weather cool which is a perfect contrast to humid Singapore.  This also means less power cuts as the dams generating hydroelectric power are full.
It's great being back here ... ,although I miss the kick that Teh Halia gives which is lacking in the chai here :o)

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