dancin queen

so I haven't been in the mood to write up lately but after a night spent cold sweating/almost passing out/half sleeping on the bathroom floor and a day laying in bed feeling like the bottom of a shoe and choking down rehydration salts (if you've never had to drink them may you never have to...the LASTTTT thing you want while feeling sick to your stomach) I figured being bedridden anyway I have no excuse avoid it any longer. What is new? MY PROJECT! Some of you may know that by the end of my month long trip all I wanted to do was hide away in the ashram for the rest of eternity chanting and meditating and eating watery rice and peas. I was this close to calling Dr. Rao and asking to let me change my project and do just that, and was also considering staying on past my departure date so I could be around when Ammachi actually came. I'm so glad I didn't! I'm sure it would have been great in its own way but I couldn't be happier with my dance project. The teacher, Kripa, turned out to actually be REALLLLLY into it and the instant I got back had all these plans and schedules and things which was GREAT because when I originally told her I wanted to like stalk her life for a month she seemed umm...less than eager about the whole idea (I believe "so what do you think I'm supposed to do with you for an entire month" was one of her straight faced queries.) My days Monday through Friday look something like this:
9:30 catch the city bus in front of the big tree by the bank that apparently everyone and their mother knows is a bus stand but had me quite confused for a few days
11:00 FINALLY arrive at Kripa's after changing buses in the middle of town, having twelve hernias that I'm going the wrong way or gonna miss my stop, and getting stared at by Indians of all shapes and sizes for pretty much the entire ride.
11:00-12:30 Get PRIVATE LESSONS with Kripa in the dance studio in her house (called the rhythm cottage--I love that) where she spends some of the time teaching me new moves for a dance, lots of the time making me just run through the basic steps til my legs are shaking and I'm dripping sweat, and a good amount of time letting me sit down and talking about all manner of things in the universe, sometimes dance sometimes not. I am so grateful to have this time--Kripa is EXTREMELY respected in the community (her dance students bow down and touch her feet at the end of each class!!!) and having one on one time with her for 7 and a half hours a week is pretty much unheard of/amazing.
12:30-1:00 One of Kripa's longest running students (18 yrs!) who now has a masters in dance and runs her own studio comes to practice, and I think this is the most valuable part of my day. I get to run through some of the steps with her (!!!!!) and I spend a lot of time watching the way she stylizes each move and moves her head and stuff and try to copy. After a while I sit down and she practices for a show she has coming up. I am inspired and blown away every time and wish I could learn the dances she's doing!
1:00 Kripa's jolly husband Vijay makes us all lunch (SO GOOD) and usually puts on ABBA blasting so loud the windows shake. I think he is trying to impress me so I try and respectfully nod along while surreptitiously holding one of my ears to my shoulder to drown out the noise.
1:30 Kripa makes me go take a nap in the dance studio on a bamboo mat, during which time I usually busy myself swatting mosquitos and trying to remember the new moves from that day which most often I've completely forgotten.
2:00-4:30 Ride with Kripa on the back of her scooter to the school where she works and observe two hour-long dance classes for the kids. She usually makes me get up and take class with the second group who I think are 7 or 8 yrs old and they straight kick my ass at dancing. DEFINITELY makes me swallow my pride, but it is great practice.
4:30 this part hasn't been figured out yet quite--I spent a few days riding back with Kripa on her scooter and then taking the bus but at that hour it is so crowded that you can barely breathe and getting off feels like coming through the birth canal it is stuffed so tight with people. Tried taking a school "bus" (actually a weird old jaloppy van) with some kids and a mentally disabled lady but after getting soooo nauseous in the back he dropped me off only half way anyway and I ended up walking/catching the bus after all. Someone said there are arrangements being made so I can have a legit school bus ride back to my area so that will be nice! 3 hours of Indian bus is about 2 and a half hours more than I can handle.
OK my stomach is starting to act up again so I'm off to go lay down and stare at the ceiling for another long while. hooray. Love to everyone!