Week 3 complete

1/3 of TT is already over; I feel it’s time for a little reflection:
Bikram:
He is gone for this and next week and I have to admit that I kinda miss him. He is such an interesting person and surprises me again and again with his amazing memory and knowledge, not to mention that he can be very entertaining!! One thing new I learned about him is that he lived for 10 years in Japan and speaks Japanese fluently. Finally I see why there are so many references to Japan in the dialogue (Japanese Ham-Sandwich, Japanese style etc).
Teachers/Staff:
The staff just rocks!!!! They are there when needed and are always friendly and patient. Dom is a sure tip for laughter when he does the daily announcements. At times I feel sorry for him when he has do go over the most basic rules of how to behave in a group, as a big group in a Hotel and just respectful behavior towards each other. The Teachers doing Posture Clinic have been very kind so far. One group (David, Norm and Ben) gave really good feedback and tips on how to improve and on Thursday we had so much fun with Dom and Jules that is barely seemed to be work.
Posture Clinic:
So far, so good. I had problems delivering Backbend and Hands to feet, Awkward was true to it’s name but Eagle and Standing Head to Knee have been way better. So I’m moving in the right direction!! I feel very fortunate to have Jane in the same group for mental support. She has had a strong run from the beginning with just a little stumble in the last one which has her a bit upset. It is interesting to see how everyone is progressing and to see/hear the different “homework”. Chrissy (from Toronto), for example, is so rock solid in the dialogue that her homework for the Standing Bow Pulling Pose is to deliver it while doing the Triangle!!! So sad that she is in a different group and I won’t be able to see that. Others are solid with the words but don’t seem to be able to connect, then there are those that have it all there before class and blank when it’s their turn. As always there have to be ‘black sheep’, those that just don’t learn it or even skip presenting the whole pose (2nd and 3rd part of Awkward). While it is a little upsetting that they get away with it, I don’t want to waste my energy on them and instead trust in Karma!
Anatomy:
Dr. P. is just great!! So much fun to listen to and such an overload of information! I do like Anatomy but have to admit that it is challenging to follow at such a high pace, when you are tiered and struggle, every once in a while, with the ESL-issue. Tomorrow we are having the first test and will meet later today in a group to study. I hope I get enough into my head to pass it, but I think it will take some more peaceful reviewing, most likely post-TT, to really understand all of it.
Yoga Class:
The week we started with rather cold classes that slowly increased in temperature. On Thursday evening we had another of these dreaded hot and humid classes where people left the tent in big numbers and some went down on their mat. The instructors have all been great, but I have to admit that Jacob from N.Y. gets my vote for the most energetic and fun class yet!!
Roommate:
Cool, fun, great are words that come to mind when I think of my roomy Jana! We get along great and the best is that we seem to learn dialogue best the same way, which makes for an excellent study partner!!!
Hygiene:
It is a strange thing, this thing with hygiene! I marvel about the fact that being together in a huge group seems to erase common sense in some of us. How else can one explain that there were some washing their mats in the hotel’s Hot-tub (it had to be let out and refilled!!), coughing without covering your mouth and, really disgusting, snotting big blobs of gue on the towel only inches away from your neighbor’s face, leaving used tissues behind after class….. the list goes on and on! Due to being happy in sharing germs we have the acoustics in the tent of being in a therapy-centre for Tuberculoses. As annoying as it is it seems that I have joined the ranks, without the coughing (for now). I hope I et passed it fast and won’t be slowed down by it.
Time:
It is getting tighter. I have decided that I won’t try to connect to the internet during the week. Our room is in a kind of internet-dead-zone and I don’t want to waste time waiting to connect for 20min. only to be tossed out after 2min. of connection. I know that Jane is blogging nearly every day, so there is an update available since we are in the same group. (Her link is under the blogs I follow). Since Bikram isn’t here we have had fairly early nights and so keeping up is not impossible yet, but we start to feel the wear and tear of 2 classes a day. What gets me the most is this endless sitting in the chairs. It kind of numbs the butt and makes it painful during class. Only little things, nothing big but annoying!
Free time:
Fun!! Hanging out with Jane, Jayna, Jana, Chrissy, Heather and Alvin is great. We do get along great, support each other and have fun exploring San Diego. Yesterday evening we went to a Thai place and had a fabulous dinner. While doing the laundry run we went to the Pizza pace next doors, Bronx’s Pizza, and you could see 5 happy Yogis drooling all over their plates with the deliciousness of the pizza close to having died and gone to heaven! The weather has been great. Even though we had some rain and even Thunderstorms it is always perfect at the weekends!