India, take two.

Enough! I say, enough of wanting to write but always making excuses. Oh, I'm so tired I have so much work I should be editing photos or writing lesson plans or returning emails or painting my flat or cooking or cleaning perchance going to bed early or going to a yoga class or or or. ENOUGH! So, I have promised myself a little entry to my forgotten blog that I won't edit my ass off. Let's write and see what happens.

Salone - like an old friend I forgot I had and loved - was what being in West Africa was like. A strange but comforting familiarity, thrill, and natural harmony was my initiation to a continent I never really cared for, or desired to know. The wild and dark continent! How could I shrug Africa? The warmth, the tactility and the wide smiley people. That language, that skin, that body; Oooh what heaven!

Working and living in a rural fishing village was at once cocooning/safe and isolating. Internet? What internet? Movie theatre? Ha! Hot shower, yeah right. But I did have an amazing roommate, the most mind meltingly talented and inspiring students,  hot guards to fantasize about and even a sweet little hole in the wall bar to patron. All was fine fine in Salone. In three short months I became a Salone uman. Saying Adieu to this country was the saddest, most heart wrenching goodbye I have experienced thus far, leaving the people dumbfounded. 'Stop crying Miss B. You must endure. This is life. This is God's will. Endure. Endure!'
 Ha. Indeed.

The subcontinent beckoned, and I listened. India, the breathing paradox, the place where all is permitted  and all is repressed; where all is sacred and all is profane. The stares and dirt and sweet and spice and assault of the 5 senses implored me to be amongst its colour, taste, and charm. And I caved. Now I am in the South; a different India. More chill, more palm trees, more dosas, more sarees, more coconut. Same dirt, same pollution, same rubbish piles, same temples, same stares, same sacred cows.

My flat is big and sometimes lonely.

My student today said, 'So aren't you lonely in your apartment?' 

me: 'Hmmmm sometimes. Can we focus please?'

student: 'Where's your husband?'

me: 'I don't have a husband!'  Ok come on let's focus. Show me your focus hands.'

student: 'What? (visually troubled by this news) well you should get one! And then when you have a husband you're going to get a baby.'

me: 'Hahhahah well yes, I guess you might be right. Alright, so, what do you think Dr. Seuss means when he says: 'hang ups and bang ups?'

student: 'So you'll have to miss a day of school when you have the baby. Hmmm. I don't think you should get married Miss B. We can't have you away for a day.'

How can I possibly be lonesome when I have nineteen (soon to be twenty) international little ones loving me up seven hours a day, five days a week? Impossible.

India is home. My bedding and my students make it so. Achcha hai!

More tips and tricks for the single traveler

Drink a ton of water. Will do. Wear comfortable shoes. Got it. Pack light. Done.  Carry a notebook. Of course. Get a music player and good ear/head phones. Duh! Learn please and thank you in the various languages you will encounter. Check and check! Ok so, what else is there, you're thinking, to traveling well? So much more mes amies- the above is obvious and generic! What's coming up (in my humble opinion) will heighten your experience, regardless of where you're going, or how you're getting there:

1: Bring a pen, actually no, bring three. You can never have enough pens. You will need to fill out forms and write down directions, not to mention sharing your wealth with a stranger that forgot (or can't find) a pen. Keep them in separate compartments of your bag, not randomly in the crumbly pit bottom of your carryon. Few things are more nightmarish than to search and scramble for a pen you're positive you've packed!

2. SNACKS SNACKS SNACKS! I heart snacks.  Candy, chocolate, and nuts are my weakness. Something sour/bitter (cheery blasters, sour keys, dark chocolate), sugary and soft (swedish berries), minty and chewy (mentos), and buttery (almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds...). I cant stress enough how happy you will be to have your own yummy munchables.... Hahah do I have diabetes yet?!

(On that note: yes indeed, drink lots of water. Of course.)

3. Wear a scarf. Yes, this applies to men as well. Scarves are multi purpose and chic, making you look instantly put together. It also can take on the role of blanket, towel, sun shield, pillowcase and pillow. By scarf I mean a large square cotton piece or a faux pashmina. Think lightweight, super soft, and a palette that compliments your wardrobe and skin colour.

4. Sunglasses. Don't skimp on this item. Buy a good pair. Take care of your eyes. Totally worth the $ and again helps in the put-together look and feel.

5. Wear something with a hood. This comes in handy if you wish to shield yourself from the daylight and wish to be left alone. I've spent countless hours in airports, bus terminals, and train stations, grateful for the cocooning effect of my hooded jacket and dupatta.

6. Carry a facecloth in your carryon. This is self explanatory but also pretty important. Traveling can be dirty. Be the traveler that looks and feels clean. One of life's daily pleasures is washing your face, even if it's just with water.

7. Sit at the airport bar, order a beer and chat it up with the bartender. Chances are the next time you order a drink (make it a mixed drink this time) the bartender will make it a stiff one!  Try it. Works every time.

8. Drink as many drinks on the plane as you possibly can, and don't be shy or embarrassed about the fact that you are enjoying your third beer while the person next to you just wishes he had the audacity to ask for another. Drink yourself to a comfortable state. Doze. Sleep. Stare. Listen to music. Meditate. ( I give this advice in jest; in no way am I promoting alcoholism. Please let that be noted.)

9.  Breathe. Do some breathing exercises. It will make you calm and focused, aware of the moment. Don't be hating on the fact that you're waiting, you can't connect to the internet, about finding your heavy book all of a sudden so incredibly boring. Just breathe. Sit up. Pull your shoulders back and down. Breathe in slowly for 4 counts. Hold for 2. Breathe out slowly and fully for 7 counts.

10. Stretch. make circles with your shoulder blades in one direction, then the other. make circles with your ankles. Move your head to one side, then the other. Do a  standing or sitting forward bend, hug your knees. The varieties are plentiful. Just close your eyes and focus on your breathing, your body. Where are you holding tension? Breathe into there and intuitively let your movements guide your stretching. Your body will thank you!

And lastly, 11. Smile. When you're walking around, dawdling, spritzing perfume in the Duty Free, minding your own business, killing time. Smile, and look people in the eyes. Connect. Trust. Talk to your neighbor. Smile! You're on an adventure! You're taking- or about to take- a plane/train/ferry/boat/bus! How awesome is that?!

The meals I've been making with food items I find in Andrea's fridge.

Chicken with Pineapple and Peanuts.

I marinated cut up chicken with soya sauce, sugar, sesame oil, franks hot sauce, crushed peanuts and chunks of pineapple.  I also added a glug of port and balsamic vinegar.
let sit in the fridge a few hours.
I chopped a few cloves of garlic and sauteed them with some butter. added the marinade, added frozen peas and tad ah! dinner! Serve over white basmati rice

Hot Italian Sausage with Sour Cream, Red Onions, and Port

boil the sausages in a pan beforehand. prick holes in the sausage so the fat can ooze out. set aside.
Cut a whole red onion and sautee it with garlic and one part butter one part olive oil.
add port. Once the onions have softened a little, add the sausages to the pan and add some sour cream.
add some franks hot sauce and some Dijon. very lovely tasting.


Tuna and Rice Casserole, with some frozen Peas.

Some day-old rice is perfect for this. add a can of tuna to the rice, thinly slice some chives and add to the mix. a dollop of cream cheese, mayonnaise and Dijon. add the peas, some Parmesan, a dash of soya sauce. mix. cover with shredded cheese and Parmesan. place in the oven (350) . 20 minutes later you are eating! Also at the last minute set it to broil so the cheese gets a little golden.

All of the above ingredients I found in her fridge and cupboard. I made it my mission create dishes with what was at hand.
The project proved tasty.

I did spend money on the Chocolate Almond Cake, and it was worth every dollar and ever calorie.

thanks for reading y'all.
keep eating, 'cause, you know: LIFE IS SHORT
B

A conversation with A second chance.

The luxury of Unemployment guides me to slothful coffee mornings and even slothier mid-afternoon baths.
Leisurely walks through the snow at night.
Just because.


And now - for ART making!!
My oh-so-lovely and ultra talented friend Lizzy said,  "...make a... make a collage".
And so I did.
Collage: the untroubled way to instantaneous reward.
Burglarize from a few found - but not sought out- sources
to create one work.
Random (?) words, phrases, photos:
I and this collage are at the mercy of materials at hand.
...
Picking Choosing
....Fitting Gluing
and TadaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaH!
ART!

And like good (?) Art does, it sparked discussion, animated insight,  manufactured TRUTH.

(The mind: what treasure; what torture)

What are you made of?

.......
Happy Endings




Isn't it?

Simple.

Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music- the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people.
Forget yourself.

doing nothing and loving the nothingness. pressure free in 2011

waking up at 11:30 or so, making coffee and lying in bed with my best friend, talking boyz and life.
some things never change, thank god.

sitting out on the balcony and smoking nasty ciggies...
some things never change....
ewww- so bad for my bod.

asking why
(some things never change....)
 knowing you will never get the answer.

going to bed at 3am or so.. snuggling with the cat and my friend
some things are
as is
as regular as the seasons.
thank god.

Sci Fi Death Dream. Happy 2011 everybody!

Happy new Yeaaaaaaaaaaare!

Hello beloved  Baths And Beer blog readers. I wish you a healthy and fun filled 2011, stuffed with a ton of loving and laughing and epicurean delights!

 I preface this post with a creative and creepy dream I had last night. Actually, it was the impetus to start writing again.  So I am happy to be here, typing away, instead of agonizing on my next plan of attack for 2011.

In the dream I decide to stop my diddle daddling in Canada, go back to India without any real plans and live it up, this time in the south.
In the dream I decide to stop living in my head and start living out my dream of being the adventure-filled globe-trotting person that I desire to be. I am in some type of outdoor specialty shop, searching for a new back pack(think Moutain Equipment Co-Op or The North Face).
In the dream I am still very much in my head, thinking 'ah fuck it, stop worrying about finding love, about getting married, about having kids, about learning Hindi, about gluttonous pig out sessions, about finding the ideal teaching gig, just be, gosh, B!' I walk towards a wire bin full of back packs...
In comes a man with a gun. He is dressed like he is about to climb a mountain. The gun is futuristic looking, a brushed silver and mat navy blue, with a wide barrel. He shoots at nothing and a spray of white smoke comes out. Next the smoke materializes into a jacket, then pants, then hiking boots. I look up this outfit and see a man(not a real man, real looking but I know he is a robot) in the hood of the gortex jacket. The robot then pulls out his hand from his jacket pocket, brandishing a similar looking gun and points it at me. Again not a bullet comes out but a pffffffft sound accompanied by white smoke. I try to run out of the store, but my legs are not following my brain. I finally get to the exit and open the door, but once I do another mountain hiking robot is there to greet me and shoots the pfft smoke in my face... all I can think about as I feel myself falling into a fateful slumber and slow motion crumbling onto the sun lit sidewalk is that I wasted SO MUCH FUCKING TIME WORRYING about the FUTURE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I woke up in a mood. Did I just die by some strange smoke robot? Why? F- the Universe cares not for why. Why is not important. But because of this dream I decide to stop worrying.

Being unemployed with no foreseeable prospects is a reality that I am struggling with. Yeah, to the onlooker it could look like a ton of fun to wake up whenever, do whatever, and go to bed whenever. Yet there is a pressure in all my freedom.

Every day is a gift, right?

I spent New Years eve and day at my best friend's parents cottage. We came back to Ottawa late Monday night, to yellow crime scene tape and a couple cop cars at her apartment building. The basement tenant was stabbed to death and was found outside the building new years day. It's an ongoing investigation. No one really knows what happened. When your time is up, your time is up, I guess.

Every day is a present, indeed.

So, my 2011 is about adventure and uncertainty.  I'm going to be that Hindi speaking, Life adoring, Dosa eating, Children teaching, and Portrait photographing individual that I wish to be.

Stability can wait. And I already have a back pack.