my second gig in haiti was to translate for a yoga teacher training for the same group of youths in cap haitien.
the visiting yogi was a bright, shiny spirit named Andrei Ram Om, hailing from colombia and new york city. i feel like i really lucked out on this one because, although i was working as andrei's translator, i pretty much received the training for free (actually, i got paid to do it!). i learned a lot that week about yoga in all aspects: origin, asanas (postures), meditation, etc. i feel quite fortunate to have shared such an intimate space and experience w/ one such as andrei. om.
i've been around the sun 31 times! wow. life keeps gettin' better and, of course, i wouldn't settle for less. it's usually around this time each year when i realize just how many amazing people i've been blessed w/ the opportunity to know and connect with in this little life of mine. and man, what would i have to do to get all of these belovedones together in one spot (a wedding is out of the question, ha)? but just the idea alone--the combined energies of so many beautiful, crazy, lovin', wise & inspiring beings-- kindles the permanent smile that i carry around on my insides.
once again, in yet another time and place, i find myself surrounded by new & wonderful friends. i'm deeply grateful for all thelove i receive everyday & am excited to spread it around many times over.
so this is what turning 31 in seoul looks like when you're aimeegaines:
a little partay w/ more than enough dessert, wine, cheese and hummus and just enough good friends (note that i took these pictures at the very beginning, meaning that there was even more yumminess & loveliness as the night progressed). :)
sleeping in and then having pumpkin pancakes at noon with one very cool chick (trisha!) ... after which we lazed around, played music, ate leftover desserts and watched movies for most of the day. we did finally made it out of the house (although mostly out of guilt, ha) and met up w/ some other friends for drinks. :)
the next day, my actual birthday, was the last day of my yoga teacher training course, which began 5 months ago (where'd the time go?). yoga felt good. afterwards, i went out w/ the yoga gang for chinese eats, where we were granted our certificates. check it. i like accomplishments. woot!
AND i received some cool & sweet gifts from some cool & sweet pals.
like annie's mac & cheese! i have been talking about it forever, & trisha hooked it up. so stoked! and it suits my habit perfectly w/ the frank's red hot sauce she gave me for xmas. trisha officially rocks. ;)
and check this out. jonna picked up on my owl fetish (she loves her some owls, too) and found this cool owl print on canvas, which now dons my bathroom door. grooviness. love you, jonna! :)
also, some of my students brought me gifts. and i was moved to see that these gifts were obviously inspired by the kids themselves, and not just some token of crap from the parents. these kids pay attention to me. karen got me some chapstick (just like hers), cuz i apply it consistently throughout the day. she also made me a necklace of sparkly yarn w/ a pendant of pink crayon attached w/ tape (quite the invention, eh? haha). alice got me a cute little neck pillow that's supposed to look like either a fish, chicken or snake (i can't figure it out). she told me to use it so that i don't hurt my neck again. awe. and harry got me some fancy chamomile tea and a blue whiteboard marker (because all of the 10 markers i have in my classroom are just about out of juice. haha). and all the kids made me cute little cards and pictures. i just love them to death.
birthdays, as vain as they may be, can be uplifting. i feel great again. thanks, guys. for all of the emails and fbook messages, too! xoxoxoxo
man... so it's 2010, all right. what started off in candlelit zen-- prancing and grooving-- seemed to fall from great heights and smash into smithereens, leaving a numbness that i have never known.
the new year's celebration this year was great. novel and meaningful. the clock struck midnight perhaps around #58 of 108 bows. the number 108 signifies the number of defilements one must overcome to reach enlightenment, oh dontcha know. ...so, in the traditional buddhist fashion, each bow was a full-out sun salutation kine... 1. standing, hands pressed together at the sternum, 2. kneel, 3. down on all fours, 4. lower elbows to floor, 5. touch forehead to floor, 6. reverse, and 7. repeat. rhythmic chanting kept the pace. i was one of perhaps 20, worshiping, you might say, in a large circle down in [what reminded me of] fraggle rock. shadows of prayer flags cast on earthen walls. eyes closed and lost in the motions, my mind scanned back through the year and beyond and, by the time 108 rolled around, i was back in the present and feeling better than ever. full peace. the chanting then concluded and melodious beats started drifting in. glance at a friend's watch. it was 12:04 and, being westerners and all, the fact that not a single "happy new year!" could be heard amongst the crowd was just not acceptable. mi loca, smilja, grabbed the mic from the dj and said, "hold up. let's rewind. this is how you do it! 10! 9! 8! 7!........ happy new year!!!" with that, the loving spirit caught on. i hugged and kissed as many people as i could get away with and then frolicked the night away.
..... so i'm feeling all jazzed and exuberant about the year ahead. winter vacation ends, school begins. blah, blah. to be honest, though, it was really good to see my kids again, the little buggers. they give me so much love.
then comes january 12th. i wake up, turn on the robot, make a pot of coffee, sit down at the table and then read one of the many headlines about the 7.0 earthquake that hit haiti. seriously? o, dye. i mean, i know, and pretty much everyone i know, knows how much i love haiti... but i now know how deep that love runs in how it has affected me. a real blow. a heaviness that i just can't shake. a reminder of how cruel life can be. anyway, i won't go into it. but i felt/feel helpless in the matter, especially being on the other side of the globe. but it's just not in the cards for me to be there at this time. and i think i finally accept that. heaven knows that they'll still need some support when i do make it there. i'm grateful that those close to me in haiti are ok. i guess, along w/ some monies, i'll just keep sending my love through the vibrations.
so there's that and it's friggin' colder than i know how to explain. and i'm still too stubborn to buy a real coat. ha. "it's all about the lay-yers." hehe.
on the positive side (and there are always more +es than -es), i'm still rockin' the yoga & meditation and it's doing it's thang on me...and as of this sunday, i'll be a certified yoga instructor. and i've already signed up for the advanced course. and i've decided to stick w/ my school for another year & am feelin' decent about that decision. there's talk of a promotion.... i might also get to see some of the most lovely people in my life this year, too. and i am blessed w/ so much each and every day. so, sorry if this has been a whiny post.
and spring will come!!! and if it doesn't, i'll hunt down summer someplace reliable... :) full of love, i am.
the biggest change to my lifestyle, thus far, in korea happened on august 30th: the first day of YOGA TEACHER TRAINING. yes! i enrolled in a course that takes place every sunday, from 10-5 (6 hours of yoga!), and for 5 months. that's quite a commitment and is one that i'm really happy to have made. ...sure, it means that i can't go on any more full weekend trips out of seoul, and i can't go out dancing until dawn anymore on saturday night (well, maybe still once in a while ;)... but it also means that i'll be whipping myself into amazing shape & deepening my practice...and with a huge bonus at the end---i'll be a yoga instructor. sweet, eh? i'm loving the course so far. doing lots of meditation & improving my flexibilty and balance. ohm.
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