Rookie mistake

After 5 days of yoga I was going great at getting up in the morning and practicing... until yesterday. It was colder in my room than usual and so I didn't want to get up. Rookie mistake. I was sad and cranky most of the day, and it didn't help that the weather was colder than it has been, raining on and off (but at the snow is gone! For now!), and it was overcast. Oops.

SO this morning I got up and did it. Before I knew it, I was done and an hour had passed. I feel so much better, relaxed, and high-spirited.... and it's cold, windy, and cloudy outside! Nothing can stop me now!

(My host mom even opened my yoga book this morning and said she wanted to do it with me. I know she was joking especially because she laughed at all of the pictures as she was looking through it. But I think I can convince her one of these days... especially because now that it is spring she is back to work in the fields and at the oil factory. If I were her, I'd greatly dislike spring and fall and I would for sure need yoga to keep my spirits up! hehe)

Here is a photo from one of the silent walks from the yoga retreat.

Summer sky in December

Ok, so I know it just got to be spring (in Moldova, yes, but by the technical calendar we still have a week or so to go)... but look at these pictures from the blog of a KC photog got me super excited about the upcoming nice weather and... SUMMER!!!

... I think I am getting too far ahead of myself.

new beginning

With my once-again found happiness comes the beginning of spring...(which in Moldova begins the 1st of March) and I couldn't be happier. Except that with spring comes the occasional snow shower squeezed between upper 50 to mid 60 degree weather and mud up to our knees after the snow melts or the rain comes. But it's ok because the days are becoming longer, the sun is shining more, and I am sitting outside on the porch enjoying a cup of tea while writing this and then planning my lesson for tomorrow.

This morning when I walked to school I stopped to say hello to my two favorite doorbells and I think they missed me as much as I missed them.

Then the highlight of my day was the second I walked into school I had two 2nd grade girls come running up to me and gave me a huge hug. What a warm welcome that was! And, ironically, these are two of the girls that I struggled with at the beginning of the school year. I think it's actually kind of interesting because I think after that incident they quickly gained respect for me... just like a student who, in my 10th form, I put at the very front of the class on the first day because he was being rude and talking the whole lesson and just driving me crazy... but now he is one of my favorites (not that I have favorites, but I kind of do).

So the rest of the school day went great. It was warmer outside than inside but we still held lessons inside, and I couldn't wait to get outside and sit in the sun (which, like I said, is what i'm doing now). As soon as I walked out, a bunch of 2nd graders were playing around on the asphalt (which needs to be repaired... they will be there tomorrow so I'll take pictures). We did a round of the hokey pokey and then I went on my way because I was anxiously awaiting what I'm doing now.

After that I stopped and pet the doorbells again and I saw the men sitting on their typical bench and enjoying the sunshine. I walked by and told them how happy I am to see them sitting there because it means the weather is nice.... and when the weather is nice it is crazy how much more the village comes to life. I don't even need to be playing music right now because it is nice to take in the sounds of the village: the children in the background playing, the neighbors doing work outside, and the animals doing what they do best (making lots of noise).

Now the hard part with this beautiful weather is the want to be productive. However, I guess that can be an excuse for every season (in winter I don't want to be productive because it's too cold... in spring and autumn the weather is too beautiful I just want to be outside... on rainy days I just want to read... in summer I want to be laying out...). Guess you can't have your cake and eat it, too.

Well, I suppose I should attempt to be productive now since I obviously have my computer and internet with me while I'm sitting outside. Maybe I should get another tea first... :P

Sunny

I am back in Chisinau and I was happy to wake up and see the sun. Well, actually I woke up then an hour or so later saw the sun. I'm so used to waking up at 5:30 that I can't sleep in. But that's nothing new.

It was hard to sleep now that I am back in the city. A dog barked all night long and this isn't one of the best hotels in Chisinau... So I tossed and turned all night. Hopefully it gets better soon. Good sleep is necessary to good mental health!

Yoga in Austria

Yoga in Austria:

Warning: This is super long.

The vacation in Austria was just what I needed. And you know what? I finally feel back to my normal self and boy oh boy does that feel wonderful. I find myself smiling all the time just to myself and to strangers. That may get me into trouble when I get back to school but you know what? It's ok. I think the students respect me and I am pretty sure they will be happy to see me smiling again and bringing energy back to the classroom because it sure has been missing lately.

Oh, I suppose I should get back to talking about the Sivananda Seminarhaus in Austria.

When I first arrived in Munich I had to go from one end of Terminal 1 to the complete opposite end of Terminal 2 in order to meet up with my friend Isabelle (who I met when I studied abroad in France, and who I also visited in Portugal during that summer of traveling!) the weather was beautiful and the sky was clear during the whole flight. I had a beautiful view of the mountains from my window seat (the best seat, unless you're in First Class, that is... But of course I don't know what that is like). Anyways... It was beautiful until we began to land and then there was cloud cover... I mean, seriously?! But it was ok because as soon as we started going up in the mountains of Austria it cleared up and it stayed that way the WHOLE 4 days we stayed there.

The yoga retreat wasn't what I thought it was going to be, but is anything these days? I thought it would literally be in the middle of nowhere and they would make us give them our cell phones and there wouldn't be Internet (you can't believe wavering you see on a tav and in the movies). Well, it wasn't like that at all. The hotel and the yoga house are two totally different businesses although they kind of work together (even though they didn't really seem to know what was going on with the other one except for the rules of what we could and could not eat and what time the meals were).
Speaking of what we could and could not eat.... This gets interesting (so interesting, in fact, that I bought a cookbook). The people that practice this kind of yoga follow a very strict vegetarian diet. The reason for the vegetarian diet is due to the slaughtering of animals, and of course there is nothing humane about slaughtering (they kept using this term and would say it with absolute disgust) animals... So, they said that even if we raised our own animals and slaughter them we would probably not eat meat ever again (I think Moldovans would easily disagree with this). Regardless, it was interesting to hear their opinion (in which everyone is entitled to their own opinion). So we didn't eat meat, garlic, onions, or mushrooms (mushrooms grow in the dark so that's why they don't eat them). We did eat a lot of food that was cooked with Indian spices and, when we took the cooking class, it was quite interesting to see what spices they put in the food (curry and cinnamon together in the same rice dish? Who knew!?). The cooking in itself is really an art and a science. They know how all of the spices are good for the body and what spices should go with which food in order to aid with digestion. I even ate a TON of a banana yogurt and didn't have any digestive problems. Maybe if I only cook these foods then I will be cured of my lactose intolerance that usually gives me so many problems... Wouldn't that be amazing?! I think that will have to wait until I get back to America, though, because it is difficult to find everything I would need in Moldova, and especially in the village. Good think my host mom cooks yummy food (even if it doesn't agree with my stomach all the time or with the yogic diet).

So enough about the food. Now let's talk about what I learned on this vacation in a semi-bullet format to keep it short (since I have already written a novel and if you're like me, you haven't even made it this far because you probably got bored.)

What I learned:

Airplanes.
There is something about flying in an airplane that makes me so happy. Maybe its the freedom. Maybe its the view. Maybe its the destination. I don't know.... But it gets my heart racing and this time it is a good thing.

Traveling.
I really do travel by the seat of my pants... But I like that. It makes for a great adventure especially when I don't speak the language because there can be some things that are lost in translation (such as when I told the shuttle driver today that he did not have my flight information but he kept insisting that he did... But he didn't because Isabelle only gave them company her flight information)

Organization.
I'm not an organized person. I never put the documents I need in an accessible place, nor do I always know where they are. Oops.

Food.
A yogic diet (mentioned above) is actually really really good. And I was surprised that we only ate at 10 and 6 and I really wasn't hungry between then. Maybe that's because of all of the food I ate at those times. ha!

Alone.
My next getaway-and-recollect myself vacation will be alone. While it was so great to be with a good friend who I hadn't seen in a long time, I wasn't able to relax quite as much as I would have liked. We did have great conversations, though, and I am very thankful for that. I also prefer to do silent walks alone so I can take my time and take in all that is around me. It does help having a guide who knows the area, though.

Breathing.
Put your hands on your abdomen. Now take a deep breath. Did you abdomen move or only your chest? Most likely it was only your chest. Now take a deep breath beginning with your abdomen and then fill your lungs with air. How did that feel? Did you get more air? I sure hope so. That is how you should always breathe.... And do it through your nose! There is a reason we have one of those.

Yoga.
I. Love. Yoga. And apparently I'm a natural (although I would disagree). Bikram (hot yoga) is still my favorite but I did enjoy this kind because it was really relaxing and it focused a lot on breathing, which was great for me.

Spirituality+Yoga.
There is so much more to yoga than just practicing flexibility and strength, which is something I didn't realize until going to this retreat. It is actually very spiritual, which I found out by attending the meditation and chanting sessions. It is also based a lot on mythology which to me seems like it is based on Christianity. It is interesting t study different forms of spirituality and I was definitely able to appreciate it and the lifestyle the yogis have decided to live. They really seem at peace.

Goals.
The first day of yoga class the instructor had us do one of two poses: the dolphin or the head stand. The dolphin is more about strength in the arms and the abs, and the headstand is about balance (a wall cannot be used). They told us not to do the headstand unless we had previously been taught how to do it. Well, this made me want to do it so I made my goal to do it before I left. So the first days I took it easy and stuck to the dolphin but every time I saw people doing the headstand I got antsy and wanted to it so bad (patience young grasshopper). Then one morning I think the instructor could tell I wanted to try, so she came up to me and helped me get to. The basic position. Then in my last class she came up to me again and helped me get to the full position. It felt so great to achieve that goal and it showed me that patience, persistence, and determination are a big part of who I am and sometimes I lose sight of that, but it sure doe feel great when I find it again.

Advice.
A man who we usually sat and had dinner/brunch with gave me some good advice. I am usually an open book (um, obviously. I have a blog.) but that can tend to get me into trouble. Sometimes I trust people too easily and tell them information that would have been better if I had kept it to myself. But he made a good point. He said, "A best friend is a best friend." What that means is your best friend is usually also a best friend to someone else. So you know when you tell our best friend, "don't tell anyone this, ok?" Well, most likely they will tell their other best friend the same thing and before you now it, your secret is out. He is so right. And I have done that before. With Peace Corps being such a small community, you really do have to watch what you tell others. It is a HUGE rumor mill and full of gossip (sometimes true, sometimes not). So, just remember: a best friend is a best friend.

Technology.
When the opportunity for technology is put in front of me, I cant help but use it. My next getaway vacation really will be technology free.

Money.
Europe is SO expensive!!! It will be nice to have a paid job after the Peace Corps.

Sun.
The Austrian winter/spring sun is more powerful than one would think. My face is now a nice shade of pink and my nose is like Ruldolph's after sitting outside for a couple of hours yesterday. It felt so great though!



Happiness+Positivity.
I'm really really happy. And I love it! This vacation reminded me how powerful thoughts are and that it is important to remain as positive as possible in all situations. After a yoga class you can really feel happy... And it seems like the happiness is magnified. That also means that you are more susceptible to ALL emotions so anger can also be triggered easily... So it is important to recognize those emotions and keep taking deep breaths and remain calm. The little things in life that can upset and anger you really aren't as bad as you think (usually) and will eventually diminish after time (for example, one morning I was told to take my yoga mat out of e room because it was meditation time and not yoga time, but being as it was 6am, I wasnt really oaying attention. So I took it out. Then the instructor that told me to take the mat out stopped me again when I entered the room and said my blanket smelled too strong and I couldn't bring it in to the class (it smelled like laundry detergent or softener), and when I said it was theirs, she replaced it. Then when it came time for yoga class, she approached me again saying I couldn't use my mat because others were complaining that it smelled too strong... It smelled like rubber perhaps because it was brand new and also maybe because it was cheap, but i don't know the price because someone was very nice and gave it to me as a gift. So it was just me being ridiculous and I felt myself getting angry at this woman... But why? She didn't do anything wrong, and neither did I. After the class I calmed down... Because that was stupid I got upset).

Family.
I am just like my sister and my dad. I now have a (hopefully healthy-ish) addiction to peanut M&Ms. Thankfully I can get them un Moldova.... Although peanut butter M&Ms are still my favorite.

Country music.
I love it.

The end.

(pictures coming on Sunday)

Yoga in Austria

I am going to keep this short because i really need to get off of the internet and go relax in the sun for awhile before the next yoga class begins. But being here has really beea wonderful experience so far. The days begin at 6am with meditation (actually it's "concentration" because it takes time to develop the art of meditation and if they put "concentration" on the schedule no one would come, even though it is required). So, that is 25 minutes of sitting in silence and not moving. Isabelle asked me today what the point of that was and when I told her I actually enjoy it because it is a challenge for me to sit still, she was confused. But i really can't sit still and in these concentration sessions we have to because we don't want to disturb the other people in the class. Then at 6:30 we start the chanting.... Which I don't agree with because I feel like I am worshipping the big time yoga instructors who have died (considering their pictures are huge in front of us with candles and other things under them) and I don't know what I am saying... But if I look past that and think about the fact that I dot know what I am saying and it is supposed to help with the "energies" and the breathing then it's not so bad. Then we have a short 10-15 minute tea break and then the yoga class begins. It is so different from hot yoga in that well, it's not hot, but also because there is a lot of relaxing between each of the poses and it seems to really focus on relaxation. Then we finish just before 10 and then go to eat a homemade bio vegetarian breakfast. It's so good that I am finally back to my normal weight. Not tht Moldovan food isn't good... It is just so full of oil that it isn't good for you and i cannot eat a lot of it! Then after brunch we usually have a break until 2, and then it varies as to what we can do. Smetimes there is a lecture, a walk, a cooking class, or the sauna. It's all optional. Or we can schedule a massage. We did the cooking class yesterday and the sauna today. So then, at 4, we have another 2 hour yoga class, then dinner at 6, then meditation and chanting at 7:30, then bed at 9or 9:30. Last night, though, we went on a silent walk in the mountains which was great. Of course I left my yaktrax in my bag in the room but it wasn't too icy, thank goodness. I realized i definitely like silent walks by myself but when it is dark outside and I don't know the area, it is better to be in a group. But it was an interesting concept of focusing on each step taken... So that we are not focusing on the past or the future but instead n the present. Of course I was thinking about the future and when I was going to be able to sleep,... But it was still good and the air was fresh and. Eve with the light fog, the mountains were beautiful.

Now I am off to enjoy the warm winter/early spring sun and maybe take a nap. Believe it or not, i might go back to Moldova (which, by the way, has a much prettier view of the sky and the stars at night) with a little color on my face. Yahoo!

Cabs

I don't know my way around Chisinau. Why? I don't know. But I don't.... and I especially don't know the routes of the public transportation so it's usually easier for me just to call a cab. Because I've done this quite frequently I've began collecting a few numbers for drivers that had clean cars, were friendly, didn't smoke, and didn't overcharge me because they know I'm an American (which automatically means I'm rich... according to the stereotype). As of now I have two drivers that I call and if they are busy I will call the company to get me a cab.

Well, last night some of my friends cooked dinner and invited me over to enjoy it (they're so thoughtful... and awesome cooks!!!). It was time to come home so I called Victor Cab. He wasn't working. So I called Victor Cab 2 (yes, they are both named Victor). He was free and working so he showed up in about 10 minutes with curbside service! And he remembered where he picked me up the one and only time he'd driven me before... I didn't even have to say anything, and I didn't realize that until we were about halfway there. So I gave him 50 lei when the charge was 30. When I got out of the car he said, "Call me anytime and I will come get you!" Being as this isn't a country where tipping drivers, servers, etc is the norm... I think he liked that. And I also think I'll have a taxi whenever I need it in Chisinau.

Awesome.