In India

The yoga ashram I am staying at. To be written about sometime in the future. :)

Hello from Goa, India! I'm at the midpoint in my yoga training right now and I have a couple weeks to go. Yoga really is more than just what we consider yoga in the states - it's a lifestyle and the asanas (physical/positions part) is only a portion of it. I've been living and breathing yoga every day for the past several weeks and I feel like I've only barely scratched the surface. To put it briefly, it's really changed, changing and will continue to change my life.

I don't want to bombard this post with too much info so I'll ration it out into several different posts. I just wanted to poke my head out and say hello and to let folks know I'm alive and safe and so very happy. It isn't too difficult to find a internet cafe here but it's difficult to leave my ashram since there are so many classes to attend and a lot to digest (philosophy, history, physiology of the body, meditation, mantras).

So, next time I find myself in front of a computer, I'll talk a little more about where I am, my teachers and other students, my experience traveling as a single female, Indian people and culture...gosh, there's just so much to share.

Till next time, namaste!

How I had my first taste of soul, pop and funk

Where my first taste of Jackson 5, The Monkees, Diana Ross and Stevie Wonder all came from:

I had the soundtrack CD on repeat ALL of 5th/6th grade. I even performed Sugar Sugar with my then bestie, Katie, at our annual school talent show. Went all out (there is no other way)- with the rainbow tinted Lennon glasses, home-made bell bottoms and braided hair complete with matching hair bands that hipsters wear to coachella these days. 

I listen to it now and I still think the person who put this soundtrack together is a genius. Just look at the songs. LOOK AT IT. 

As much as I declare my love for the more grown-up films like The Usual Suspects and Forrest Gump, this movie ALWAYS has a big place in my heart. BTW, 2005 was THE BEST movie year (Now & Then, The Usual Suspects, Brave Heart, Bad Boys, Toy Story, Se7en).  

Travel Day

Things I'm looking forward to that are on my mind right now:

1) No distractions, no excuses and truly focusing on one thing only

2) Walking everywhere (no cars!)

3) Writing letters & postcards to friends and family from abroad

4) Meeting my host family in Narita and exploring the city for a day before I head out to Delhi

What I ate for breakfast before my flight:

1) Banana

2) Juice and water, mixed with fiber

(I hate feeling full and uncomfortable on long flights) 

What I packed for my 7 week trip: 

1) Carry-on suitcase

2) Yoga bag + mat

3) 1 additional carry-on bag

( I will not be taking that bike :D)

Btw, I did record a video of what I packed but don't have time to post it yet. Will do on my down time sometime soon.

AU REVOIR!!!!!

Music & Travel

As I get ready for my trip to India and Japan, I was trying to figure out what I want to listen to. Music becomes my companion when I travel alone so it is very important in choosing the right adventure buddy. But so far, music has never disappointed me, whether it's Al Green, The Archies, Jon Brion or Jay-Z.

I ended up adding all of eat drink + be merry's mixtapes to my cellphone, which are rightfully titled, Wondertune. 

ed+bm is more than a food blogger. He is one of my my go-tos for travel, life-style and music inspiration. He was one of the first L.A. food bloggers I followed back in my final year of college when you could still count them off with your hand. Now, everyone's a food blogger. But! He still stands out from the masses. Ever glowingly so.He tells stories through his pictures, through food and the people he meets. And he takes you on journeys with his city-themed curated mixtapes. 

My current favorite is his Mexico City one (which I listen to at work a lot). Looking forward to hearing some of the newer mixtapes I haven't heard yet while I'm in Goa. 

I'm also taking my iPod, which will be my main source of audio pleasure. And DJ Bedhead is preparing it for me!! I've requested RnB and Indierock. Very excited to hear what he has in store for me. 

OMG HAIR

I've never talked about hair + hair styles + head shapes + hair care this much EVER before. Shaved head = major conversation starter. It's only been day 3 and I'm ready to put away the shaved head conversation.

Before I do though, one more thing. I can wash my hair in the sink! In less than a minute! HA!

Oh, and I've totally been avoiding my mom's calls lately b/c I'm afraid to tell her that I shaved my head.

3 MORE DAYS

In less than 3 days, I will be heading out to this place right here:

Arambol Beach in Northern Goa of India

I will be doing this:

Yoga and not thinking about Facebook, nonprofit stuff, HIMYM etc.

My itinerary at a glance: YFT India/Japan

I'm gonna try to do my best to share with you my experiences in India and Japan. I journal like a mad woman every time I travel, but I do have the habit of forgetting to take photos and sharing my experiences with everyone. This time around, I want to see if I can take you guys along with me on my adventuring/frolicking. 

Yay! 3 MORE DAYS!

---

By the way, shaving my head had nothing to do with India or yoga or becoming a monk. I did it because it's something I've always wanted to do and I thought "if not now, then when?"

Hence. Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Diary of a Shaved-Headed Woman

I shaved my head yesterday. Actually, I didn't shave my head. My friends did.
I did get to shave the boyfriend's head, which was fun and therapeutic. But back to my head. It's soft and fuzzy. Finding out that I've always had fuzzy hair underneath my long waves and tangles makes me feel fuzzy inside.

So how was the whole experience? I dunno. It didn't feel as crazy as when I shaved a third of it two weeks before. When I did that, I went through a roller-coaster of thoughts and feelings. This time around, it was just liberating. And fun!

When I got a third shaved, Cassie-style. Or as my friends like to say, Yullrex/Skillree-style. 

It took a lot longer to shave my head than I thought it would... about 35 minutes. Not including the trimming part. I guess I had a lot of hair! It was a good thing we watched Madonna's performance first (btw, Minaj+MIA= Mindplosion. They really should collaborate). As I was sitting on the stool in the middle of my friend's new apartment (happy house warming, btw!), I didn't really feel all that anxious. I just couldn't wait to see it in the mirror! And when I did, I thought, "Whoa! It doesn't look as weird as I thought it would." I guess in the back of my mind I had thought I would look different. Like a different person. A boy. Or a crazed lunatic. But I looked like me. I know this will sound strange, but when I looked at the reflection in the mirror, I thought, "Hey! I look more like me than ever before. You can see my ENTIRE face, ENTIRE head, EVERYTHING!"

Day 2: Time to bust out all my long earrings!

Like I said, liberating.

Downsides? None yet. Showering was mad fun. My hair felt fuzzy even when wet. Haha. Getting out of the shower was really fun, too. I was like, "Wait, why am I wrapping this towel around my head? I don't need to!!! FREEEEEEDOM."

The only part that's been uncomfortable so far is when I went to bed last night. Laying my head on my pillow is a little uncomfortable - I describe the feeling of my head hitting the pillow as "crunchy." That's the ONLY "eh" part. I'm having a blast with my fuzzy fuzzy head.

Before I go, I did want to thank my friends for being so supportive and shaving my head! Special thanks to my bf for going through it ALL (pre-jitters, post-excitement, shaving his own head in support). He even helped me pick my outfit this morning for work. It felt like the first day of school. :D