Getting into the local adventure: Train Journey

Though its already past midnight here in Jaipur, I thought i must finish up this post before i hit my fluffy pillow. Just the other day, in my previous post on Respect your Limitation, i was hoping for chances to explore the boundaries of our limitation. And, today, it happened.

From Agra going to Jaipur, we had our train tickets all nicely arranged ( in the upper class, where there's relatively clean cabin with meal served). Skipping our breakfast, arrived at the Agra train station even before the sunrises; to know that our scheduled train was delayed for 7 hours! Due to the heavy fog, neither being helpful with the traffic nor the temperature.

We then managed to squeeze in some space on the bench ( standing by the singaporean spirit of kiasu), behind a wall at least to keep the wind away from us. There was a Dutch guy beside us alone ( Flo), and ended up we started chatted and trying to kill time. While some local kids started to get curious about the only 3 foreigners in the station, doing stunts to attract our attention.

Instead of the 7 hours wait, we grabbed another tickets over the counter for the next earliest train. Again, the time was re- scheduled umpteenth time, till i was even afraid to look at the time board. It was like a short burst of hope, and burst into disappointment. And finally, all in all, we wait 6 hours in total in the station, battling the cold.

My finger tips got numb, then my feet got numb, and the numbness ran up my ankles and calves. We didn't have much water ( to avoid the public/ train toilet as much as we could), and just eating bananas and more bananas.
The good thing was, we met Flo, we shared our travel stories and that really help to give one another some mental support.

When the train finally arrived, our tickets were valid only for the local cabin! The local cabin, not even the usual indians will opt for it. Its very male domineering, in that cabin; with at least Flo's presence, i did feel safer. We were very luckily to get seats once we board the train.

Opposite us were a bunch of local old men, in very humble clothes, frail and thin. One started to talk to us, requesting us to take a photo of him. I, being really on a high alert, and fighting mode, rejected his request. And still, he said a bunch of stuff in Hindi, and again asking for camera.

Once again, i didn't dare to even take out any gadget from my bag, feeling a little unsafe, i raised my voice and said, " photo nahii! photo nahii!" ( no photo! no photo!). Flo, took out his camera and satisfy his request.
Seriously, i didn't know that i would actually flare up, but because am scared!

Through out the 4 hours journey, in my mind, i thought i probably would not have survive through the long ride. We were sharing seat, and in a very awkward, uncomfortable, one- sided butt numbing position; My neck- shoulders were really sore from the heavy bag pack. The weird stench from the toilet, the frequent sight of the dirty toilet bowl...phew!

A mantra was running in my head, " Oh gosh, i think i'm not going to pull through this... am going to break down soon." i didn't know how long my physical body can take it.

Together with the random disturbance from the old man, am keeping my mind really busy--- by continuously mental encouraging myself to stay on, and also keeping alert of any potential harassment nearing us.

Babaji simply just lay against Flo's body, making himself really at home!

I gathered whatever hindi stuff i learnt for the passed months right at the tip on my tongue. And i did also learn a couple of mean & bad words in hindi... just in case i may need it!
Interestingly, i probably have to thank the old man trying to disturb us, that i did actually manage to converse with him in very basic hindi. And till he stopped his silly act.

Really counting my blessings, every other second, we did meet some really nice local in the same cabin to help us around.

As a home- grown Singaporean, i'm really surprise that we made through all these. For once, at any one time, i thought i'm really going to break my limit. My face was powdered with dust, hair was entangled with dust... so much that i felt like am a dust too. I'd no complains, in exchanged for a really rare opportunity to expand my horizon and limitation.
Its not too bad after all!

There was this old man on the train, who would walked over to our cabin, with a tambourine- like instrument and sang " Rama Rama Sat" every other stopover. And he sort of insisted us to sing with him, looking at us and said " its good it good... Rama Rama Sat!". After many trip over to our cabin, we did sing the last round with him when our station was approaching. Till now, i've no idea why he was doing it, and what was it about? 
Anyone who knows it, please share and enlightened us:)!

We cleaned up, and had a really good dinner treat for ourselves!

Living in the numbness of fear. The Crow did not fly today.

For such long time, and still I'm thinking--- what which point, what factor that trigger us to learn and move forward?
Instead, today i explored the other end of thought--- what trigger us not want to learn; at which point that we decided not want to move any step further?

Sure that there are many factors, and one of them is fear.
I have many, so many that did not even realize their existence. This morning in practice, i met one of them.
I was on this transition of jumping from downward facing dog to a crow pose.

Teacher Olivia instructed, " jump FORWARD".
That split second when i see my face so close to the floor, the feet landed and stopped me from moving forward. That's pretty frustrating.
Many tries, it didn't happen today. Maybe tomorrow:)

After the class, i was thinking what was pulling me back? Fear of falling. The same feeling when my longest toes could not reach the ground on a bicycle in Germany.
Fears under suppression are ignored. Fears when exposed are a kind of discomfort.

Heard how people don't mind living within the border of fears;
Seen how people don't mind living in numbness of discomforts;
Met the operation of lives according to their fear, just to get that little satisfaction;
and they told me, " That's life".

My teacher, master Paalu once said, " Don't fight, we conquer". I always keep this with me.
I'm learning to stop avoiding and just looking those inner fears; instead to walk through them and shatter them into atom-size particles.

Acting upon fear is like drinking acid, eroding us from the inside out.
Pretty sure that i'm still sipping some acid down my throat, i'm cutting down the liters!

The cello is my weapon~ Dr. Beatocello

Just a 15 minutes walked out from the guesthouse, there is a hospital sitting at one side of the main road. As the day breaks, the locals would be waiting outside the hospital--- hospital for the children. We were on our way down to the central area, as the tuk- tuk passed by the hospital, i saw flashes faces with glimpses of hopes waiting for the door to open.

Beside the hospital, is a small concert hall--- where Dr Beatocello ( real name as Beat Richner) holds regular cello performance every Saturday at 7.15pm, free admission.

On a Saturday evening, we settled in a cushion seat, waiting for the show to start. Later, a man in smart causal, messy hair, armed with his cello walked up on the stage, without a word., sat down and played the first song. I used to attend concerts and heard how soloist perform for the audience. This Swedish man, played only for himself--- he was so engrossed that somehow the cello, the notes, the tunes and him has become one. As if the only thing he do whole day is this. Really shweet!

In between each pieces, Dr Beatocello would give a speech of the current situation of the hospital operations, the Cambodian children ( most of them suffered from TB), and very open about that they need funds and blood for the patients. And followed by a short video clips, that screened the history of how he came about in Cambodia, way before i was born.

I'm impressed, not only by what he has been doing--- but that he knows how to keep his passion going for himself by performing in public, and using his talents and skills to fulfill his mission to help the Cambodians.
Want to know more about this operation, please visit: www.beatocello.com

From Singapore, a group of wonderful doctors do also run " Operation Smile" , providing treatments for facial deformities to Cambodian children, check them out at:  www.operationsmile.org

We meet many people everyday, but how many of them are filled with so much warmth and passion, who are happy with what they has been doing, who are willing to go an extra mile, beyond their work space, and extend their hands to make a positive difference in the society? Not many.
I count myself lucky to meet a few...

Lady, you want some massage?

A day before the group arrive, shirly and i had our little holiday--- traveling around the town of siem reap intensively. We were told that the massage services are very affordable ( from USD3 on wards). A more premium range is probably charging at USD25 onwards.

Baking under the noon sun, feet were sore from the whole day of walking, we decided to check out the services. Went around hunting for Frangipani Spa as recommended by Kania ( a staff from Bloom Garden). It is located at a small street cluttered with other shops. The moment i stepped in, it a nice fuzzy homely feeling seeped into me. The operation is run by a group of Cambodian ladies, properly trained with good skills.

 

Out of curiosity, we went on to for a foot massage at one of the affordable range. We opted for the leg massages--- and never expect any foot reflexology, because its just "massage".

We probably got massage the same strokes for 15-20 minutes on each leg. And later they moved on our shoulders, neck and head. I could not stop laughing--- running on my shoulders, pressed my head like cracking a walnut; i must had look utterly funny with the violent shakes all over. I went back with some colours on my legs. Its was an interesting experience:)

a penny for a thought...

A Riel getting away!

A 3D4N getaway ended beautifully as how it had began.

Gathered a group of people who met up for the first time, shared their purpose of attendance, shared their history and future, discovered their first time in Siem Reap together, sweated through the practices, nodded off sleepily together in the meditation classes, armed with yoga mats for a practice in Aagkor Wat for the first time...

At the back garden of Bloom Garden.



breakfast! breakfast!

Personally, a yoga retreat was a dream, and others helped this dream come true. I am truly grateful for that. The idea of  "I.M Perfect Getaway" came in by chance in 2010. As shirly and i were chatting about organising a retreat--- just then the computer besides us popped up an email from Diana. An invitation from her to her newly operated guesthouse in Siem Reap. I felt fairy godmother had sprinkled some miracle dust over us--- " Why not do it in Siem Reap!?".

Six people from six different backgrounds with six different stories met in Siem Reap. And we became a part of one other's history.

What i learnt when i hike. Lesson #3 Beauty is not for the pockets

Along the way making our way up to the mountain top, we were blessed with beautiful scenery. Most of the time, i would be looking down at the crumbly path. Small little blue flowers waving and the morning glories smiling at me. When i lift my chin up, greetings from the clear blue sky and friendly Himalayas never fail to remind me that we are always part of the universe.

Of course, sometimes i would have silly fantasy that i could carry the mountains back to Singapore. Woken up by the fact that, its is best to leave them alone, soaked myself into such estasy. However cute the wild flowers are, pulling them out from their soil and pocketing them means ceasing their moments of glory. I would prefer to squat and look at them as long as i want.

I was fumbling with my camera, trying to get some good shots of what i've seen. And realised that, nature is just too much for capture with the lens. I shoved my camera into my bag, and just enjoy. I was the camera, my eyes took the shots, my brain kept it into films of images became great memories.

None of a true beauty can be bought and keep into any of our pockets. Not even a smile.
None of a true beautiful moment will happend twice, like the flowing river. The same river will not flow a second time, the way it has flowed for the first.
We are all beautiful, when in our natural way.

What i learnt when i hike. Lesson #2 Mind Your Own Business!

You and me, we all have got the same 24 hours every day. Why are there stillpeople begging for more time, others are using it just right and some others has got too much to spend?

During hiking, i couldn't stop talking. Being overwhelmed by the nature, i would talk to Shiya about the flowers, the clouds, the weeds, the stones, the sheep, the children....
For the first ten minutes, i would get some replies of acknowledgement. And slowly, i realised she could not be bother about me; but i was just keep talking.... maybe to myself or if the guide could understand me. When i turned around, Shiya was busy fighting her own war with the flights.

Shiya decided to ignore me... reserving energy for herself. Which is good:)

And we were minding our own business. She was sweating gracefully and i was making my own speech. We were both experiencing body tiredness, fighting with stamina, sudden gushes of cool wind...The fact is, we could not walk the path for each other, not possible.
Each of us has got a business to mend, that's a very personal experience.

Every single one of us has got the same schedule planner; where we will jot down our appointments. Take a look at your own planner, looking at just any one month of the year. How many of these appointments are for yourself, and how many of them are for others?

Though we are blessed with 24 hours a day, most of us like to give away part of our share. Ended up not having enough to reach our goal; and the lucky ones would have few more extra hours from others for themselves.

We are all running a business of our own. No other people should be able to tell your how it should be run, for they have their own business to mend too. You have a goal, a direction, a passion, an idea, a thought, a plan and 24 hours a day; now do it.

What i learnt when i hike. Lesson #1 Speak The Heart Langauge

Language is not a barrier, words are.

Last year, my younger sis got herself a position in a company after graduation. One day, she came home and told me, " When my colleagues greeted me How Are You?; before i could even open my mouth to answer them, the greetings was brushed off.... and next sentence followed closely: Could you help me to do something?"
Start getting use to it, more to come.

Which is a pity, so now How Are You don't really mean a greeting... its a prelude to the next question actually. However harmless this may look, it is a start of a practice of saying words that we don't actually mean it--- mis-communication.
We live in a world of broken promises. How many times have you told a friend you'll call them back, but never did? And it became a habit of losing credibility.
Living in this busy city, my ears has become numb.

A short hiking with Dhan and Prem ( guide and porter) in Nepal had been few great lessons for me.
There was one time, my travelling partner Shi Ya was telling me of removing her sweater. Before we turn to Prem, Dhan tapped Shi Ya and gesture that he can get her sweater onto Prems' backpack. We were amazed by their service. That's a WOW factor in customer service.

The humour of life is, though speaking a common tongue, we still get misunderstood a lot. Forgo the barrier of words, simple words get us understood better.
A hike had presented me few great lessons... act through your heart.
" Wow, the little yellow flowers are beautiful" and i meant it. " The mountains are huge" and i meant it. " The wind is cooling", i meant it. " i need water and rest" and i meant it too.

A heart language is not difficult to speak at all. With a little more awareness, realise that our facial expression and gesture always come first, then the mouth will articulate the words to describe.

Example: My legs are tired from the climb. I feel the aches, and i say it after. or...
I feel the hunger first, and then said that I'm hungry.

Experience first, then comes with the words.  
Experience is the truth in the heart. The word may be the truth or a lie.

Being truthful to oneself, is probably another good deed we can do for ourselves.

614 steps to Gomateshvara (Bahubali) statue

A vertical climb up 614 steps, will bring you to the peak of Vindhyagiri Hill; viewing the statue of the Jain deity, Gomateshvara (Bahubali) (17.5m), said to be the world's tallest colossal status one can see.

Putting the bare soles on the first step at the foot of the hill, it’s the start of your own little pilgrimage. Considerably a comfortable climb, as the coolness of the stone-ground is not affected by the blazing sun.

While still fixing the eyes at the hill top, do take some intervals and turn around for a breath-taking view during the journey. Not to be surprise to have companions of local young children, monks and elders making their way up hill.

 

Do take a breather when hitting the first entrance, you are half way through. There are more steps leading into the temples and to the statue. On the way, drop into a place of worshipping, while appreciating the ancient architecture of the building.

More than 800 inscriptions have been originate at Shravanabelagola, dating to various times from 600 to 1830.

A great number of these are found in the Chandragiri and the rest can be seen in the Indragiri and the town. Most of the inscriptions at the Chandragiri date back before the 10th century. These inscriptions include texts in the Kannada, Sanskrit, Tamil, Marathi, Konkani, Marwari and Mahajani languages. The second volume of Epigraphia Carnatica, written by Benjamin L. Rice, is dedicated to the inscriptions found here.

Every 12 years, crowds gather here to attend the Masrakabhisheka ceremony. The statue is quenched in holy waters, pastes, powders, precious metals and stones.

The upcoming is in 2018.

We’re all kids, anyway

The day we are born, we’re starting to die; even now.  We all have to grow, a process that’s unavoidable. One way is to grow old; the other is to become mature. Remember how carefree our laughter can be during childhood, and when we started to move into adulthood… we simply smile. And with all the struggles of life, we forgot how to smile. Yes, sadly.

I remember watching a new report: in Japan, there are “Smiling training” courses for the student, because those hippie youth had lost the ability to smile! They were in some confusion of expressions. It was pretty shocking for me though.

“When was the last time you laugh?”--- This is one question I’ve like to ask in random.  Huh… What a question?!

Yes, I am curious… when was the last time you’ve laugh like a child? If I ever post this question to you--- feel free to laugh at me; and there!  You will be given a chance to laugh a child.

Look at the children, see how they play with one another, how they are so willing to share their stuff and happiness and listen to their giggling conversations. Children response to according to situation, while adults react based on their memory. That’s why we see that children are temperamental, and adult suppressed their emotions.

Surely I don’t mean that we should behave like a child as we grow, but we can live like them. Not childish, just child-like. No doubt, each of us has a child inside us; we’re piling layers and layers of “conditioning” as we grow, unknowingly. Just as we peel them of one at a time, there you see a child hiding inside you.

An incident in my first year of yoga teaching, I was only 22. Based on my age, it’s pretty normal for the little credibility people had for me. With this pretty establish firm, I was running a workshop for the corporate. The guy in charge reminded me repeatedly before the class that I need to be very tactful with the group, as they were from the top management with very tight schedule.

The group came in with suits and ties… as the class started, I got them to remove their shoes, then their coat, then their ties; some even pulled out their shirt, unbuttoned the collars and pull of their socks. At the end of the session, who I’m dealing with were not anyone from the top management… they were all kids having games.

I was just a kid, playing with a bunch of children:)

Reflection from iRobot

1 December 2010, 10pm, Kovalam Beach in Kerala

Lazing on the bed; stalling a little more time for some digestion work to be done in my stomach after munching a sandwich and fruit platter. Located on the beach, I can hear the sea waves from my room… just like those recorded sea waves we can find in the music stores. The TV was screening iRobot, it’s probably the 5^th time I’ve watched it. For which ever reason, it is a good show… and of course for Will Smith! If you’ve watched it, do have a thinker about the messages in their conversations.

In the show, Spooner had a strong dislike for robots, all because they were too logical. That caused the death of a 12 year-old girl. And that ticked me a little that 95% of us are living like robots. We’re being programmed, that we often trained to follow instructions from the 5% of the population. We’re given a “life manual” and tries to follow the instruction as closely as possible--- satisfied and comfortable, a false believe that’s life all about; no desire to question.

Why should I do what others are doing? Has this question ever pop out in the head for all these years of slogging and complaints? This is what happened when we behave like a robot. Robot has a mind, no heart. Robot is highly logical, no emotion.  That’s pretty much are happening to most people. Too logical, too afraid to do crazy things, too much fear to move into changes--- missing a big chunk in life. 

Our mind is just like fire. A good servant, but a real bad master; fire disasters happened and we get burnt if we don’t know how to used them. Just like the mind; our life will turn disastrous when we burnt our heart if we don’t how to make the mind work for us.

Life’s not too difficult if we want it not to be. All we need is to stay still for a while, close the eyes and listen to ourselves, and with a pinch of the logical mind--- that will do. 

The tragedy of life is not death, but what we let die inside of us while we live

~Norman Cousins

Is there miracle?

...still bumping around in Kerala, there's so much thoughts running through; trying to get some of them sorted out and splash them onto my blog posts.
Collection of information started when i was seeping into India. Along the way, i'm witnessing more sights, soaking colourful experiences and great chats.

Am totally shacked physically by the 5 hours of bumpy trip; going to let my body rest for a bit... and today let's talk about Miracles...

When i was still a silly little kid, i started not to believe in miracles... the time my grades started sliding down. And still don't think such stuff when i started working. Or let's put it this way: i do not really understand what miricale is and how it works.
At the third stage of the seventh year in my life, things flipped. Yes, miracles do happen... only if we want to.

This trip to Kerala is surely a good one, at least for a spiritual discovery. When one can get such a close touch with the nature, one eventually become part of the nature. My vision had sort of upgraded from a magnifying glass to a telescope! I'm exceptionally in love with the wild flowers, blooming along the road side, the borders of the hills and all over the rough-patched wall. They don't share the fame of roses and sunflowers; fancy in their own little way, shouting out loud for the zest of life.

" Let wait for miracles to happen"... and nothing's gonna happen. With just a little more of awareness to the surrounding, miracles is all around us. Very close to us actually, and we just need to put in a little more effort for the magical moment happen. We don't create miracles, because it has already been created by the Creator. And our job is to discover them, and everyday can be a miracle.

On the second day in Munnar, there was a strike among the taxi driver ( yellow plate). We had a wonderful guide, Jee jee. We decided to drive out as much as we could, while the rest of the cabbies closed for the day. And when as when we thought we probably get to experience some stone-throwing in town, nothing actually happened. We managed to move according to plan.
If we have not persisted, we've have not seen so much. If Jee jee would have refused to drive us around, we'll be staying in for the day. It's a miracle.

And this reminded me of a talk with the sawmi who's staying in the cave. He who pointed that a plan will always remain a plan, a dream will always remind a dream--- nothing will happen, unless you put them into action. To act is one of an important element for magical moments to happen...

Colour me Up!

2010, another brick-house is standing in Operation Shanthi--- a home to stop straying life for the cats and dogs. Thanks to Tracy, we got a great opportunity to splash some creativity on the walls. And we decided to flow with the theme--- Animals.

"Make me a White House"

Tama Mahesh @ work

Painted by lovable kids... check out the faceless monkey & cat

Colour mixing station ( myself & shirly)

Jo-anne the joker

Under the Sea



Clown or cow?



Animals in Sunset

It was yet another enjoyable time splashing paints on the wall; great therapy to unleash some of my creativity! Whether its "Chapatti making" or "Mural Arts", it gave me great opportunities to interact with the kids to understand a little bit more. Some of the bigger kids ran straight to the wall after school--- for an Art Appreciation period; where they had contributed their brush strokes with dignity.

They may not have the most exciting days... am sure they're leading colourful ones!

A place worth going: The Tibetian Settlement, Byla Kuppe

One place that probably worth for a second or maybe few more trips is.... Byla Kuppe. A Tibetan settlement located near Mysore ( 2 hours drive); where the Tibetan refugees started their own town in this part of the land--- villages, monasteries, universities, shopping area, temples.

Monks and nuns from Bhutan, Tibet, India for Tibetan studies and practices.

Golden temple, one of the big temple where most tourist will visit. Where the monks and nuns lodge and study here. 



 

In the chanting room. Stacks of scripture wrapped in cloth cover.

At the back wall of the temple. Turning the wheel of Karma.

 

Another University, 4 km ride off the main temple.
Serajay Monastic University, for advanced Buddhist students.

Just ended their 7 days of pooja (ritual). The rice grains will there after the ceremony for 3 days, beforethe place is clean up.

meditation lamp made from butter

Beautiful designs... its just so colourful!

All knackered!