DAY 19 - Saturday is Rest Day

TGI Saturday, our day off practice! Mine will consist of breakfast, pool, and dinner. I haven't unpacked in my new place yet, but it's hot and the pool is calling!

Today is a day of lovely conversations... there's always a lot of talking here, but today I have a couple of moments at breakfast, and then at the pool, where I find myself in a really touching conversation with someone and remember how lucky I am to be here, sharing this incredible experience with all these beautiful people, learning from them and growing together. I feel grateful for this opportunity and for each new friend I have met. It makes me think that I should spend more time just hanging out with the people I really love when I get home; what kind of conversations would we share if we opened up this kind of time to spend together?

When I get back after dinner, I have another typical India experience. For those of you who have never been here, this is a pretty funny example of what it's like to be here: I decide to make some tulsi tea, and take out the new mug I bought myself today. It's got a crusty ring inside it, as if it was partly filled with murky water that sat in it for about 2 weeks. I figure, no problem, I've got to wash it anyway, and I wash it with water and soap with my hands. The ring doesn't budge. Hmmm. I guess I'll have to unpack some of my stuff to find a sponge. I find a soft one and scrub it again. The dye is coming out of the sponge but the mug is not getting any cleaner. Hmmm. I'm sure I've bought an abrasive sponge as well, so I'll have to unpack some more. I finally find it and scrub the mug and - success! - the mug is now clean enough to drink out of. I go downstairs to the kitchen and find that it's the dirtiest one I've seen so far. Yikes! I look for a pot and discover that none of them have handles, but one has a metal stub where the handle used to be attached. I struggle to light the burner with the spark thing and then put on some water. When it's boiled, I realize that I will have to grab what appears to be the least disgusting of the 3 very grimy kitchen towels so I can lift the hot, handleless pot, and then I burn my fingers a little. I pour the water into my clean mug and turn around to hang the dirty towel back up where it came from. When I return to the mug, I notice water all over the counter. I didn't think I had spilled... oh, no! My new mug has split open; it cracked down the side when I poured in the hot water. About an hour after this tea-making process began, I find that my tea is spilling all over the counter. Ha! I'm pretty bummed, but have to laugh at the situation. This is what it's like to try to do something simple in India!