This is the thing with adventure: it puts you face to face with things that unveil layers of yourself you did not know you had... perhaps layers buried under years of habit and ease, comfort and familiarity. However, when you put yourself out there, meet new people, try new things, break out of your tiny little boundaries.... you risk discovering things you like, things you don't, things that please and things that hurt.... Growing pains, cooking pains?
I have not written in a long while and I have been missing it... You can actually tell by the number of superfluous words I use :) However, I have been keeping rather active. From giving "First Step" intro talks, to having a first Satsang in Bucharest where we had the pleasure to hear my favorite singer on planet Earth to date... WALTER GHICOLESCU, to writing an article and now starting a regular column on stress in a Romanian newspaper in Canada (!!!), to - believe it or not - giving a first cooking class in Bucharest(!!!), to starting to jog again - in my favorite corner of Bucharestian Paradise, to safely getting away from a pack of 10 -12 errant dogs that had pretty much surrounded my friend, her little dog and I, to fighting off what feels like the beginning of my first Romanian cold!
Where to begin? What to tell?
I had another Art of Living Course last week. It was very nice. I got to meet an amazing young woman who runs marathons, who has a heart of GOLD, who is perpetually happy and smiling and has the sweetest disposition... a JOY to be around. And who, most probably, is the reason I started to take my running shoes for a spin again. She also wants to be involved in our project with the elderly and she has had the most brilliant idea: she wants to inspire them to be physically active! How awesome is that?
I also met Walter Ghicolescu... the singer I can't say enough about.
His music resonates deep within my soul... churns my heart and, all at once, makes it bleed and sing with joy. I was able to get him an interview with the guy who interviewed me in the newspaper :) and put him in touch with a friend of mine here who owns a tea house for a little concert in Bucharest (he is from another city, by the sea, lucky him!) and... I REALLY can't wait to hear him sing live again! Apparently, it might happen in April...soon enough. Don't worry, when it does happen, I will most certainly flood my facebook page and blog with posts and images about it :) It's too bad I can't upload from his CD... you can find his music on youtube... but not with the violin from the CD... his music partner, Adrian Gradinaru... just as wonderful.First Satsang in Bucharest... well, first for me anyway, and first in a long time here. Here, I think due to the fact we don't have our own place yet, Satsangs don't happen very often..I was missing them rather a LOT. We had about 20 -25 people show up. The live webcast with Guruji got lost in transition, but we still had a great time. Here, a few pictures :
Sonia and Cezar, the (other) two teachers in Bucharest:
Sonia, me and a rented drum... ahhh... where is my BEAUTIFUL turquoise drum... I hope you guys take good loving care of it over there... I WILL come back for it one day!
Various happy faces:
And, YES!!! I have started to jog again! It has been... what? 2-3 years? I don't actually want to know how long it's been. But now I jog again, and do so in my favorite park... Cismigiu. I have posted some pics of the flowers piercing through the snow. You should see what it looks like now! We now have little blue flowers among the white and yellow ones. And, besides what nature has to offer in this park, you have to see what history has left behind!!! Statues, remains of an old church dating back to the 18th century, an old water spring people still come take water from... I will show it all to you in pictures, as soon as the grass grows and I can show you the park in all its glory :)My cooking class, AyurVeggie has been a frank success, I do believe. Well... sort of. I did not have enough salt in the food but, once the salt was in, the food was tasty... enough spices, colorful enough. People liked it. And we also gave TONS of information about Ayurveda. While "waiting" for the food to cook, we were giving people pointers on Ayurveda, the three doshas, properties of various food items and spices used in the recipes. We had full house, 15 people, and already, next week is almost full too!!! Here is proof for the non-believers: some pics taken by one of my personal angels who, along with her husband, helped me more than they know! :)
The Chefs : Cezar and yours truly:
and the rest is self-explanatory...
See... it really happened ;)
My heart is now starting to feel split in two: one piece in Canada - family, friends - one piece in Romania - where I feel I belong, where I feel I can be of service, where I want to build a life and a future for myself! What to do... This decision, however, will be on the back burner for a few more months still... Who know what is to come anyway!
Till next time... be happy, be bold... and write to me once in a while!
All my love!
Alexa... cooking in Romania
love ur haircut :)
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