The petri dish overflows, the pimple pops, there is an outside world

Last night I saw a movie called Perfume. Very strange, but highly entertaining. I think I recommend it. Very strange in a non-gory-yet-bizarre kind of way. I didn't go to the pool. Playing the part of the menstruating female, I felt fat and couldn't imagine stuffing what felt like my lard ass into a bikini and stomping my thunder thighs toward the water. Sorry, I just couldn't do it.

Instead, I ate my ration of homemade chocolate (dark with almonds) and pined over the idea of my boyfriend and I and our little life together here in Mysore. As you know, he isn't here, but we've been talking about it and anyway, a girl likes to have her "Mrs. so and so" dreams during a certain time of the month. At least I wasn't crying. (But I almost did today when I was watching the led second class. Ha!)

Even though I didn't have to wake up until 6:30, I found myself tossing and turning at 4am. So I called ____. Cell phones are so much like cigarettes. We talked and talked until the sun was coming up and I felt the inspiration to take a shower. Imagine--I have a bucket and western shower, but choose the bucket! India is a great place to bring your kids or embrace your inner child. You get to eat with your hands. Really, you can stick your fingers into food and no one really minds. Everything is made with lots of sugar. You can walk around barefoot. You get to dump buckets of water over your head and make a huge mess in your bathroom. There are farm animals everywhere...

I watched the led second series today, which was led by Guruji. He was really on it. It was so inspirational to watch. Its not that the poses are impossible, its the whole package. It took these people many years of visits to get to that point. They had to sacrifice so much of themselves just for this moment. It was awesome. The entrance way was packed with students watching.

After the class Rachel and I had breakfast up on my roof and a little chanting session with the harmonium. A person can get away with a ridiculous amount of hippie-like behavior here. We forgot the time and it was almost 11 before we were on our way to the green market. Every Sunday, the Green Hotel hosts a green market that features what I think is mostly organic produce and products. People are very serious about the market. There is a queue formed at each table before the official start at 10am. Everyone mentally picks out what they want and if I recall, someone must ring some sort of bell because right when it turns 10am, everyone charges the table like rats on a carcass. This lasts for about 10 minutes, and if anything is left, the booths might stay around until about 10:45. Luckily, when we got there there were still a few booths set up. I want to buy more veggies and things to cook at my house, but being as it is a one room studio, I really can't be bothered with dealing with food smells or the possibility of wild life in my sleeping area. That said, I feel like I should exercise some sort of restraint when it comes to eating out, which to be honest is how I do it around here. It is so inexpensive, you don't have to clean, you get to hang out with friends, and the food is awesome. Could you blame me? Even so, I'm trying to get a few things that don't involve a lot of preparation, clean up, or odor. Like avocados, which they call "butter fruit" in India. I also bought some hummus and I'll get some bread for little sandwiches.

Tomorrow, I think I'll go to practice again. On the way out of the Shala this morning I ran into Sharath.
"You no come today." He said.
"Holiday," I replied. He nodded his head.
"But I'll be here tomorrow for pasasana!" He smiled and laughed. Its a lot like having a crush in school on a much older, super popular guy. He noticed me! *sigh*

Dehli belly

I spent the whole night in a fetal position groaning and moaning swallowing down nausea and hoping for diarrhea. My body ached, the boat was rocking, I was a mess. I knocked on Elissa's door to tell her I wouldn't be practicing today. There was no way. No way.

After a few more hours of sleep, I called Alex and shuffled over to her house, which isn't far. I was sweating and nauseous, but figured that if I had to puke, outside was the best place. Plus, Alex has a squat toilet, which frankly, sounded like the cure. And a television, which cures anything.

She fed me grapefruit seed extract, which if you haven't taken is awful. But apparently, you can use it as an antibacterial. It purifies water, cleans wounds, helps diarrhea, etc, etc. Try a couple of drops and you'll see. I had one bite of millet toast, but couldn't imagine eating much else. You know how when you get really sick to your stomach, you keep thinking back to the thing that you ate, and the thought of that thing is almost enough for you to lose your guts? Well I couldn't stop thinking of roadside family restaurants serving greasy dosas and chutneys. Semolina mush, cheese tortilla thinks, dosas, oh dosas. And a single flash of the one speck of sugar I ate on Chamundi Hill from the cave Swami. These images would flash and my stomach would turn and writing about this right now is making me hold my stomach and cover my mouth. But I'll do it for you, dear reader. I've even dug some flicks off the Internet. You've got the chapati, roti, dosa, and paper dosa. All super greasy. Our "house mom" said that you should eat them only once a week, not three times a day. But everyone else downs them with such vigor and enthusiasm that I didn't want to be left out. But from now on, I'm initiating a boycott. I don't eat gluten anyway, so why did I think this was a good idea?

I feel a little better now, I mean, I was able to walk to Anu's for the net, which is a big leap. I'm not sure how I'll feel tomorrow, but I hope I feel well enough to practice. Some people at the Green Market (every Sunday, the Green Hotel holds a market with all organic produce and such) mentioned that they knew people with a 24 hour bug. Sounds like that could be it. Who knows. At least its not Malaria. I think. What are the symptoms?

Tomorrow I'm also going to join the Sanskrit class, which sounds more like just chanting. Its with a professor Jayashri and it sounds lovely. I'm looking forward to doing something more meaningful than shopping.