Sunny day!

This morning the sun is shining and the laundry is drying and I am happy because I have purchased an illegal indian mobile phone to smuggle into the ashram. Life is good! I can really only call out because I am keeping the ringer off at all times, but at least I am able to talk to Matt more regularly, and even called my family last night to thank Margo for the box of treats that arrived at the post office for me yesterday - delightful!
After hearing about the body cleansing kriyas the other day, Mom said to me on the phone: "Honey, when they offer you the koolaid, don't drink it please." Don't worry I am not. But there are some bright moments too - Saturday nights during satsang we have a talent show. Last night a norweigian (sp?) guy who has not shown much personality yet got up on stage and did a spot on impression of the head swami here, an italian guy who was fortanetly out of town, leading us through a guided meditation. It was fantastic. I laughed so hard I cried. He guided us in the same way the swami does, and then started to improvise - In a thick italian accent, slow, calming voice - "Focus your attention on any spot on your body - for example, the mosquito bite on your left ankle. Or any place that is itchy, irritating or annoying. If you are are a loving, devoted person, focus your attention on the cute Japanese girl sitting behind you. If you are more of an intellectual person, focus your attention on the creature crawling up your back. Ask yourself "why did you start this course in the first place?" Then begin repeating your mantra to yourself. If you don't have a mantra, you can use the universal mantra... "This is boring".
I suppose its not as funny to those of you who haven't listened to the sanctioned version of this speech twice a day for the last two and a half weeks. You'll just have to take my word for it.
This week we start actually teaching yoga. Tomorrow I teach four of my classmates the 3rd course of a four class beginners program. Hopefully I will be able to get through it without sounding too frantic, forgetting any counter stretches, or damaging anyone physically. I'm both excited and nervous about it.
Today we get reassigned for Karma yoga so I don't know what my schedule will be moving forward but I will try to still make it down here periodically to check in. We are also still contemplating the situation in India and what we will do when my time here is up = whether we will follow our original itinerary, taking us north to Mumbai and then Dehli, Agra, Gwalier and Jaipur, or redirect. But I do know I don't want to take off as soon as this class is over - I felt like I haven't had any time to explore and enjoy yet! We'll see what happens.