Recharged. Reorganized. Revitalized.

Days 6, 7 and 8.

FREEEEEEEEEEEEEDOM, take it, it's yours!!!

*Say it the same way Brad Pitt (Achilles in the movie Troy) says his "Immortality, take it, it's yours!" line.

Bree and I at Chaweng beach today.

Our first day off was perfect.  Do not get me wrong, I love being in the Sanctuary but I did miss those signs of civilization.  Tops, Boots, McDonald's (not that I will bother with that icky fast food place), Swensen's, market (woohoo!), som tam from street lady (the more dodgy-looking the lady is, the better tasting the som tam) and the BEACH.  Oh the glorious beach!  It was cloudy in the morning but we were blessed with no rain.  Most of the time was spent studying dialogue but it was a breath of fresh air having the sand on my feet.  The girls and I had a wonderful one hour massage and I finally got my much needed pedicure. 

Side notes:  

1.  Last night, I cut my finger nails and filed them with the Conrad emery board that I took with me (I get a knack out of taking hotel freebies home), tweezed my eye brows, shaved my legs and conditioned my hair.  I feel like a woman again!

2.  People here should learn how to give proper pedicures.  Really.  They use petroleum jelly as cuticle softener and do not use that metal stick thing with the sharp end (what is it called again?) to get into the sides of your toenails.  I had to makeshift with a toothpick.

I had street som tam for lunch, went to the grocery and some of the shops along the main road but did not buy anything.  Self control is in order. 

Eager beavers to sign up for the bus ride to the beach. Aisa, Julie and Bree.

At Tops. Yay!  

Janine with monkey.

Oh yes, we do!

New driver of Absolute Samui.

Happy campers.

We headed back to the Sanctuary before sunset and lounged by the pool until dinner time.  I Skype dated with the special other and got a few more minutes of study time before heading down to the Kitchen for dinner.

Is this not beautiful?

YUM.

What will we do without you guys?  Kob kun mak krab!

Our server Pim is my favorite.  She wraps left over for me to take back to my room as my midnight snack.  

Diet? Huh? What is that again?

It was also a day to get to know more of my classmates and this whole process of unveiling personalities is just pure sweetness.  I love how you discover things about other people that you would not expect at all.  My roommate Eva is engaged to a very lucky man, has the cutest dog named Emy and it takes forever for her mother to say goodbye to her on the phone.  She is so sweet and is one of those genuinely nice people that our world lacks.  Thank you so much, Lucas, for rooming her in with me.  Paula has a nurturing soul and was made to be mother.  It is the most amazing thing how one of her really close friends would just happen to be the ex-wife of her husband and she had sent Paula these little notes to get her through training and being away from home.  Think of those little Hallmark gift cards that we buy in National Bookstore for about 5 pesos each.  She has one for each day and they have special things written on each of them.  Who does that these days?  So beautiful and thoughtful.  I teared when she showed one to me.  Janine is just plain funny.  She cracks me up with her ways and I love listening to her when she tells me about her home, her family and how she grew up.  I discovered we have way too many things in common.  The similarities scare and astonish me at the same time.  Bree just never ceases to amaze me.  My love for her just grows by the day.  By the hour, even.  She is my sister from another mister (just figuratively speaking, ok Mom?), my extra sunshine on a gloomy day.  And she loves Fern Gully too!  Julie just overflows with sweetness and she does not even know it because she is a New Yorker (Julie, do not kick me when you read this).  When she lets you in her colorful world, there is no turning back.  I will visit her in her side of the world when those damn Americans decide to give me a Visa.  I really missed her today.  She did not join us at the beach because she was busy purchasing the whole Samui market.

Sister from another mister.

All of them are beautiful women, both inside and out.  It is wonderfully serendipitous that we have found each other, to be in this journey, on this magical Samui island.  Thank you, God, for such an amazing blessing.  I am lucky to have them as my support group.

The last two days have been full and busy.  Teaching modules 1 and 2 are over and done with and I am still trying to figure out whom I like as my “judges” during practice teaching.  I know I love having Pim around because her presence inspires me and calms me.  Everyone knows I am scared of Jeanne but when she is there, I am so driven to get my act together and just do well.  Harreson still speaks too fast but I wish I could be blessed with a full and well projected voice like his (and John's too).  John reminds me of  Randy Jackson in American Idol.  He says "man" a lot, too.

Adelle and Megan at class. 

Study break: a glass of warm water with lime, ginger, sea salt and cayenne pepper.

Guest student.

Yes, Harreson, you know we love you.

Such attentive students we are.

We did module 1B a few days ago and it went so much better than our first practice teaching session.  A complete turn around for most of us.  It made me so proud of how well everyone is doing.  Rough edges are still there for sure, but I can see that people are slowly getting the hang of it.  I know I am.  I do not feel like pissing in my pants anymore.  It just feels like having a million butterflies in my stomach going cuckoo.  It astounds me how much help, support and comfort we are giving each other.  It definitely softens my heart to see groups working on the dialogue at 6 in the morning, probably still with morning breath and "muta" in their eyes.

*As I type this, Bree is putting aloe vera lotion on her burnt chest.  Hilarious.  A few days ago, she put the song Firework as her alarm in the morning, specifically for Janine's benefit.  This poor Janine had to deal with Firework last song syndrome for the rest of the day. I have no words, just "HAHAHA".  I love you, Bree!

I remember Manduka's Monday Mantra:  Trust in joy.  I needed to read this.  Thank you, Manduka.  

*Janine enters our room.  Woohoo!  Pajama party!

I just realized my sleep shirt has not been washed for 2 weeks now and I really think it needs a visit to the washer.  To whoever this belongs to, I miss you.

Time for a bath tomorrow.

*Janine unveils a deep, dark secret.  We burst out laughing at her new discovery.  I will fall asleep tonight, farting from all this laughter.

Speaking of gas release:  Mine smell less because of the change in my diet.  Flatulence is just at a high with all the good, fibrous stuff we have been eating.  Whoever stays beside me at practice in the mornings, beware.  Oh you beware.

Tonight signifies the start of my colonic cleanse.  Juice and broth fast for three days and  a Colon Hydrotherapy session at the end of the third day.  This whole enema business is scaring the balls out of me and I think I might not make the three day fast.  Oh well.  It is worth a try and I will let you know how I do.  Wish me luck!  

http://www.colonhydro.ca/benefits.html.

I needed today.  I really, REALLY needed today.  Now I am recharged, reorganized, revitalized and ready to face another week of more practice teaching, less eating, more learning and less of the nerves.

Your baby girl and little yogini is now in her sleep shirt and ready for bed, with module 3 safely stored in my brain.

Week 2, I am ready for you!  

Love&Light,

Aisa