The New Scene

Well, I did it!  Three of us girls sang on stage together at a small classical indian concert.  I really have stage fright about singing in front of people, but I was surprised to find that I wasnt at all nervous... Even though I was having serious doubts about whether we should have been up there singing at all! I had just learned two of the four mantras the day before, and still didn't have the words down; another girl had just learned one; we were all a little off key from each other; and our timing was off... But it was really about the experience and working on our fear of singing on stage, so it was good!  The audience was forgiving :-) I have never traveled to a town like this outside of the US.  It's really an activated place!  Almost every town I have been to has a similar story:  there are a couple temples to see; maybe some historical sites; a lot of shopping; some high dollar tourist activities (ie: trekking; camping; and other guided tours)... And not much else to do.  Traveling is often spent loafing about restaurants, checking emails, and socializing with other travelers.  Here, however, it is very different.... People come here to study.  There are classes on every kind of yoga you can think of; voice lessons; drumming and other Indian instrument lessons; meditation; Ayurveda; massage; reiki; language classes; jewelry making classes; sewing and cooking classes; many kinds of dance including: belly dance; classical Indian; contact dance... There are Buddhist retreats; free movie nights; volunteering opportunities; teaching opportunities; hiking... It's a good thing I will be here for awhile, as my plate is already full!  The best part about it, is that its affordable to "pig out" on all the activities you always wanted to do, but didn't want to pay $20 an hour to do it!  Everyone is bustling about, feeding themselves with new knowledge, and their favorite hobbies.  It's a smorgasbord of playfulness and I feel at home here.   Another difference, is that everything here is on a mountainside, so nothing is flat.  I spend a minimum of an hour a day (usually more like 2-3) hiking up and down hills.  We all do... So everyone eventually ends up in pretty good shape.  I love hiking mountains, so integrating into my daily routine of just getting around,  is perfect! Tomorrow I begin my yoga teacher training... Its going to be a big shift to be locked into an all day schedule for a whole month, yet, diving into the  rich and fulfilling practice of yoga and meditation are exactly how I want to spend my time, so I am really looking forward to it!! My new friend Ashley is finishing up her class in Ayurvedic massage today, and she needs a volunteer for her practical "exam".  So I am off to do my service with a 2 hour morning massage....