March 6-7, 2011- Vacation Days 5-6 – Knees, Books, Kitcheri, and Ram Jhula on a Sunshiny Day

March 6-7, 2011- Vacation Days 5-6 – Knees, Books, Kitcheri, and Ram Jhula on a Sunshiny Day

Sunrise this Morning

I have just finished reading a book “Dog Boy” by Eva Hornung and am speechless.  I sit here in shocked silence, choked with tears.  All I can say is, if you can find this book, you must read it. It was published in 2009 so should not be difficult to find. I usually just post the books I read with short comments on the tab marked “What I am Reading” at the top of the blog, but this time I MUST say a few words here.  There ARE really no words I can find to truly portray the stunning beauty and sadness of this book. It is sobering to say the least, the concept for the story not a new one, but the author has realized it magnificently.  Do your best to find this one!

Now let’s head back to yesterday.  As I mentioned in my previous post, my knee had been complaining after my long day of walking, so it was obvious to me that today would be a close to home day.  The knee was actually worse than I had imagine, and I found my self limping even when walking a short distance, and the stairs up and down from my room were really difficult and painful.

I spent a good part of the previous night, and the rest of today, doing Reiki, but then realized that the pain originated not in my knee but in the calf of the same leg.  I began to think that perhaps I had overdone something in yoga yesterday morning, and then the extended walking just aggravated the problem. (Good news is, the next day, when I am writing this, my knee is good as new and I will go out walking soon).

The day dawned beautiful and sunny again, and I was able to do my morning meditation, pranayama, prayer etc. outside in the sun.  Had a very light breakfast of hot milk with my chawanprash and dried fruit, and di a lot of reading.

And then a lovely young Israeli girl who had “heard” about me, came up to meet me, and we wound up having a lovely and intense (for both of us) session.  I received a powerful channeled message for her, and also was “adopted” by three angels at the end of the session.  It was really wonderful!

Then I went down for a light lunch of steamed veggies, but wound up eating a vegetable burger on a roll, with salad and chips!!!!  I just couldn’t resist and it was soooooooooo delicious.

Came up to my room and slept for a couple of hours to my great surprise, probably a result of the long day out the day before.

When I awoke, was outside again in the sun, and offered to cook dinner for my neighbor and me if she would do the shopping for the veggies…she happily agreed.  Just then, someone else came up to talk to me (the wife of the guy who I had emailed for quite some time – the yoga instructor who mentioned me on her ABC interview…this all in a previous post).  We had a pleasant talk for awhile but then the neighbor came back with the veggies and I had to excuse myself to cook kicheri for us.  Which I did!  And it was really nice cooking for someone else and eating with them…first time this trip I did this-forgot how pleasant it is to be able to cook for other people once in awhile.

The day ended pleasantly, outdoors, and I had a lovely sleep last night, waking early to the beautiful sunrise at the beginning of this post!  Pays to get up at 6:30 and go outside!

It is now after noon and I will be heading out soon for a short walk to make sure my knee is really OK…and will be back later with perhaps something else interesting to write.

Back from my short walk…only out for 4 hours…and my knee is fine, thankfully.

Had a very expensive lunch at the “spa” restaurant in Ram Jhula, and it was interesting but not something I would ever order again.  A wrap, made in whole wheat chapattis (4 of them on the plate – too much for me to eat – of grated beets and carrots in tehini with mint chutney on the side.  It sounds much better than it tasted, believe me.  But it was a change and the place is nice to sit at, so I can’t complain.  Walked around the ghats in ram jhula for a while and then came back,

 

Ganga Panorama from Ram Jhula Ghats

check out more scenes from today’s walk here:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=275070&id=547896544&l=a04e7fe4d1

did some shopping for the next week, visited with some friends staying at Seema’s and am now happily back on my rooftop where I will relax and read and play and listen to music for the rest of this lovely day 6 of my vacation.

cross the ganga and succsss your journey

Don’t forget to check out this link for some more shots of today’s stroll along the ram jhula ghat.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=275070&id=547896544&l=a04e7fe4d1

Namaste

Jane

 

 

January 15, 2011 – What I am Reading

January 15, 2011 – What I am Reading

Just a quick “what I am reading” post.  I read an enormous amount of books while in India, and I usually post them on my blog page “What I am Reading”…haven’t done that yet thistrip, but that is not because I have not been reading.  I arrived here with a book I began at home, leant to me by a friend, written by Anne Tyler called “The Amateur Marriage”…I enjoyed the writing style and the story very much, and on my first visit to the used book shop here to pick up more reading material, came across a book by the same author entitled :”Digging in America”.  Since it was a small, lightweight book, I bought it to use as my “walking around” book..to keep in my bag for when I need something to read while waiting for food, etc.  Just as well done as the other one I read.  Both highly recommended.

During that same book shop stop I picked up a book by Carlos Casteneda, apparently his final novel, “The Active Side of Infinity”…finished it, thought about, and although brilliantly written, cannot say I would pass it along to anyone I know.  One quote taken from the book was posted on my blog and facebook, but I found it rough going.

The book which I kept as my “in room” read and which I just finished, is “The Help” by Katheryn Stockett.  Definitely a must read!  I read a few other books as well since herebut have already returned them and am sorry to say I do not remember the names of a couple.  Another was called “Maalika”, and if you find it, also a powerful true story of a British woman who married an Ethiopian and spends her life trying to ease the plight of the disappearing  Afar nomads of Africa…Valerie Browning is her name and she has an amazing and quite unbelievable life story to tell.

And now, I’ve just picked up a new book, and after reading just the first couple of paragraphs, I am hooked.  It is by Cecelia Ahern, titled “The Book of Tomorrow”.  I’ve read several other books of hers and have enjoyed everyone of them.  She has a very special writing style which I enjoy very much.

And last but not least, I read Jodi Picoult latest novel, “Nineteen Minutes”, her longest novel yet (definitely an “at home” book) but emotionally charged and really difficult to put down…highly recommended.

Namaste

Jane