On this trip to Siargao, I was supposed to detox, do yoga everyday, swim, ride my bike, write... Exactly none of that happened.
Well, the yoga did. For a while.
But I missed the first two Sunday sessions: one, because of a hangover and, the second, because Nicolas was leaving that day and I wanted to be around to say goodbye. So I resolved to go out only once a week (on Friday nights since Kermit doesn't have yoga on Saturdays) so that I wouldn't ever miss yoga on Sundays on account of a hangover.
And then, of course, that very same week, Friday night turned into Monday afternoon.
And, after a disco nap, I still went out dancing that night.
I tried to return to yoga on Wednesday but an (alcohol-related) knee injury kept leaving disgusting slimy trails of pus all over my mat so, after the second day back, I decided to let the wound heal by doing less yoga that required a lot of time on the knees.
I brought out the Ashtanga videos. On the first day, I did Kino MacGregor's Introduction to Ashtanga, but my fragile state couldn't handle her voice so, the next day, I switched to John Scott, but his video isn't really for beginners and wiped me out. The next day, I tried David Swenson, whom I think is my favorite, but I'm really incapable of doing the full primary series, so I resolved to bear Kino MacGregor's voice and resume doing her Intro (half primary) course.
I took a break on Monday and, despite another massive night out, still did Kino's video the next day. Then Thursday rolled around and, with it, a children's party (which, on this island, is really an excuse for adults to drink even with children around) and Palaka Dive Center's Full Moon Party, which was epic as per usual.
Which was followed by another Friday night out, and the knee wound that was finally beginning to heal was, once again, ripped open and is now even worse than it was before.
I have less than a week before leaving Siargao. I still don't have the energy to work out (- I did laps in the pool maybe less than five times during my entire time here, and didn't get on the push bike even once).
But, although I did go out last night, I only had one cocktail, didn't smoke a single cigarette (- yes, am smoking again but am trying to quit again), and said no to a plate of pork and garlic fried rice when I didn't need to eat. Which makes me think that maybe all is not lost and gives me hope of some slight (however minuscule) reform before I leave the island on Friday.
I wouldn't put any money on it though. (After I publish this, I'm heading to a bar to watch UFC 202.)
Oh, I also bought a bunch of lettuce and assorted green thingies from the organic market yesterday! But I'm really hoping to serve it to other people.
I am excited about going back to Manila though, if only to work out with Rosan's new trainer. She's leaving for the Himalayas soon, and wanted to train for altitude and she found a really good trainer in San Juan. I want to see what he can do with me in one week and, if it works out, I might stay longer in Manila to work with him after I get back from Europe in October.
Oh, yes, the reason why I've been able to tap out some blog posts is because we finally have WiFi at our house here in Siargao. I started writing something on Sri Lanka, but it's photo-heavy and the WiFi is still too shitty and erratic to handle it. I will have to publish it once I am back in civilisation, whatever that means in the Philippines now...
I got back to Siargao last Tuesday (19 July) but had friends staying with me so I only got back to yoga last Friday.
Found out that David Scarr's morning Ashtanga classes are temporarily on hold while he finishes constructing accommodations on his property, so that he can earn a proper living and continue doing his donation-based yoga classes. If you would like to contribute to his project, please do.
So, in the meantime, I've joined the yoga classes at Kermit Surf Resort and Camp. Gianni Grifoni, Kermit's Italian owner, finished building his super cool Chill Out Hut last May. It is located behind the restaurant and can be accessed from the parking lot.
The yoga is on the second floor.
It's a small U-shaped space, and the ambient sounds sometimes make it difficult to hear the instructor, but that's probably true of most open-air yoga spaces.
Current in-house yoga instructor is Sarah Coxon from the U.K.
She starts the classes with breathing exercises then segues into Yin Yoga poses before doing a very, very slow vinyasa. It seems to be yoga specifically designed for surfers to ease tension in the shoulders, neck, and back, and strengthen the core.
Classes are Sunday to Friday at 8 AM. They run for an hour and a half. 5 PM classes are from Monday to Thursday. Cost is P300/class (- with a package of P750 for three classes). For local residents, it's P100/class.
The morning schedule and local rate definitely work for me. (Thank you, Gianni!) Will try to go everyday. When I am not hungover, that is. So, yeah, I missed the Sunday class...
Before I leave for my next trip, I should get this blog post out first.
My apologies for my vague recollections and lack of photos from my Singapore trip. It was a birthday surprise and I was just happy to see friends there, so we just drank a lot and took a lot of photos of ourselves rather than the food, like the narcissists that we are.
Anyway, here are some random recommendations for Singapore and Tokyo.
Bar-A-Thym - A friend did all the ordering and I remember most of it as being very good. When I was eating, that is. I may have been drinking more... Here's a review that might help. Reservations recommended.
Kwee-Zeen at the Sofitel Sentosa - Go for Sunday champagne brunch. One of the best buffets I've been to. The selection may not be as extensive as other hotels, but the quality is excellent. Reservations recommended.
Unlimited foie gras and chocolate.
Do not feed the lobsters to the peacock.
Pure Yoga - SG$50 for a class. Ouch. But we enjoyed it. We went for the Hot Vinyasa.
In Tokyo:
Butagumi - Recommended by San Francisco-based BFF, Alan Montelibano. When I read the menu, I never felt so understood in my life. There was a different selection of pork, ranked according to fattiness. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. If you love tonkatsu, this is where you want to be. There's so sure of their pork's quality, that they recommend trying it without the sauce, and just adding a bit of rock salt. I swooned with every bite.
Pork, pork fat, battered, deep-fried. Yes, yes, yes, and yes. It could only be more perfect if it had cheese in it and came wrapped in bacon with an optional chili-dark chocolate dipping sauce. Yes, I am quite mad. But you already knew that.
I asked the server to recommend a fatty cut and he chose the Deluxe Nattoku-buta from Gifu for me.
Tsukiji Itadori Uogashi Senryo - On my way to Tsukiji Market, the taxi driver recommended a restaurant. He had a photo of it on his phone and insisted that I take a photo of it. Here is that photo:
Which turned out to be this:
And because I couldn't help myself, I ate all my food as soon as it arrived. But this is what I had:
A massive amount of seafood on top on a bowl of rice.
I just googled the restaurant and, apparently, there is a certain way to eat it, apart from shovelling it in one's mouth. Oops!
Tsurutontan - If you like udon and you're in Roponggi, you have to check this place out. I'm not sure if they accept reservations, but be prepared to queue during peak hours. I confess that I'm not a big fan of udon so I had no idea what to order. I was about to order anything that was laden with pork, when I thought to ask my waiter for his recommendation. He recommended this:
Which is why I am still not an udon fan. I mean, sure, it was tasty, and it came in a bowl bigger than my head - and I've already got a pretty big head...
... but it seriously lacked some piece of dead flesh in there.
I should have gone with my instincts and ordered the pork.
But this starter was really good:
Fried prawn and corn.
There is no English sign outside, so if the plastic displays of bowls of udon outside aren't a dead giveaway, you might want to look for this sign:
Gonpachi - Better known as the "Kill Bill" restaurant. Even if the food were shit, I'd still go. Thank goodness, it serves decent fare. (We ordered the lunch menu.) Although the choice of house music for Sunday lunch was kinda off... We didn't make reservations but we were there when it opened so we were able to get a table. The restaurant filled up later though so it might be best to make reservations.
Yes, that restaurant. (Internet file photo.)
Too cool. We were stoked just to be there.
Apparently, so were a lot of other celebs.
Ippudo Ramen - I know they've got them all over the world, but it's still damned good. Go for the Shiromaru Classic, with an extra order of soft-boiled egg.
Yakitori Hachi-Bei - If you like yakitori, head to Hachi-Bei in Roponggi. Order the pork belly, the enoki mushroom wrapped in pork belly, and the chicken thighs.
Sukiyaki on skewer with egg yolk.
Savoury egg pudding with truffle. I rather liked it, but Nicolas could have done without it.
Himawari Sushi - Nicolas and I randomly wandered into Himawari Sushi in Shinjuku - our first sushi train in Tokyo! - and we were pleasantly surprised to find that the quality of the sushi was excellent. We were so happy with our experience that we went to another sushi train joint the next day, only to find out that not all sushi train joints are created equal. At the end of your meal, try the sake cake. Nicolas liked it so much, he brought two back to the Philippines.
Other random restaurants that we cannot name. It's almost impossible to have a bad meal in Tokyo. Here are other places we ventured into and had some good meals:
This place near our apartment in Shinjuku...
... only serves this...
It even looked exactly like the picture:
Yummy and cheap!
The owner has another restaurant next door (to the left of it, on the corner) that does more elaborate food, but we never got to try it.
... they mash your potatoes at the table. With cucumbers and onions and I forget what else.
That was damned good potato salad.
The beef tempura wasn't bad either...
And neither was the fried chicken...
Croquant Chou Zakuzaku - I first saw this chain from Hokkaido in Harajuku last year, and there was a long queue in front of it. By the time I made up my mind to join the queue, they were closing. So, on this trip, I got there early and joined the crowd. If you like cream puffs, this one is really good. Yes, it's even better than Beard Papa.
Warayakiya Roponggi - I loved this izakaya tucked away on a side street in Roponggi. I managed to snag one of the last seats at the bar where I got to watch the chef grilling food using straw instead of charcoal, a cooking method from Kochi Prefecture in Shikoku.
When I saw those flames, I thought, holy shit, surely he had burned my dinner! Yet, amazingly, the bonito that I ordered (which was highly recommended by the wait staff) was perfectly seared. Which, of course, I washed down with some sake.
The Bar Codename Mixology - Nicolas and I tried both Star Bar and Mixology, and we both thought Mixology in Akasaka was the better bar. Star Bar had no menu and we had to rely on the suggestions of the bartender (which were the Sidecar and Moscow Mule). Mixology, on the other hand, has the most inventive cocktails we had ever tasted! They were so good that, on a previous visit, I made friends with the other patrons at the bar so that we could try everything on the menu. Some of the more notable cocktails were the following:
Redefining (and complicating) the frozen mojito: They froze the mojito with liquid nitrogen and served it with soda water. You're supposed to scoop the mojito into your mouth then take a sip of the soda water so that it will turn to a proper mojito in your mouth.
It's amazing how you could still smell and taste the smoke long after the drink had been unwrapped.
Le Perryche: Black pepper-infused bourbon / Apple / Vanilla syrup / Lemon /Foie gras ice cream They had me at foie gras ice cream. It was brilliant. One of the regulars later recommended a drink that wasn't on the menu that had truffle-infused vodka in it. When I returned with Nicolas, I asked for the truffle-infused vodka with the foie gras ice cream. I forgot to ask for the dehydrated apple. That would have completed the drink.
The bar's best drink: India Ink. Absolutely luscious.
Tom Yum Goong. It really tasted like tom yum goong. If you like Bloody Marys, you might like this. It wasn't for me.
I can't begin to tell you how weird this drink is. It really tastes like a liquid breakfast. And a good one at that!
My favourite alchemists: Fumitake, Hitoshi, and Takahashi.
***
Now for... WHAT YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO IN TOKYO:
I normally don't do this, but I wish someone had told me this before so, now, I feel duty-bound to tell you: Unless you are fully into Japanese kitsch, or have nothing better to do with your life and can't think of anything else to do with US$80 then, by all means, go and see the Robot Show at the Robot Restaurant.
The only way I think it would have been worth it for me was if I were absolutely shit-faced, but getting to that level of absolute shit-facedness might also require having to spend a good amount of time in jail. Was the show worth that? I don't think so.
It's a good thing I didn't insist on having dinner there, because I didn't see any actual restaurant and the only food that I saw was being sold was popcorn and some assorted junk food.
There are three shows per night. Reservations are recommended. And if you absolutely insist on seeing the show, look through magazines like Metropolis or even those ones advertising where to go in Shibuya or Shinjuku, and you'll find that the ads for the Robot Show offer a 2000 yen discount. That's about US$20. You'll need one ad per person. Tickets go on sale only about an hour before the show.
Nicolas and I went to the last show of the evening. When they let us in, we were led into this room to wait:
There were no waiters. Just a bar at the far corner, with a long queue in front of it, and some guy on a stage dressed as a robot playing 80s songs.
When it was time to be seated, we were ushered through a back exit, down numerous flights of steps to the basement.
The left photo is of the steps and, on the right, are the walls going down to the basement. Total sensory overload.
As we were descending, I was getting more and more claustrophobic so, for people with space issues like me, you may want to consider twiddling your thumbs at home instead.
They were selling more drinks and snacks at the basement but, once the show started, everyone had to be off the floor and in their seats. No getting up to the get a drink or go to the bathroom, except during breaks.
And then the show started.
It felt like some surreal variety show, with some lame background story of a robot world being threatened by some evil entity that, somehow, included dancers in glow-in-the-dark costumes performing to a medley of Michael Jackson songs, which actually was one of the best bits of the show.
The show was okay, but I wouldn't rush out to tell you to buy tickets and give it the rave reviews you'll find all over the web.
For me, it had "tourist trap" written all over it (it certainly felt that way in that small, packed basement), as well as "Emperor's (Not So) New Clothes". "Different strokes for different folks", I guess.
I would post videos but I don't know how to embed videos on here.
I'm proud to report that I got straight back into yoga after Tokyo. I did it everyday while in Siargao (June 6-9; there were no classes on June 4 and 5 so I went swimming and cycling, etc.) and, now, in Cebu (June 9 till the 14th, hopefully, before I leave for Kuala Lumpur).
In Cebu, I go to classes at YogaHub at the Banilad Town Centre (BTC), which is five minutes away by cab from Nicolas' apartment. It's a small space, with a boutique, and two changing rooms. The bathroom is outside. (Be sure to bring a P5 coin for a packet of tissue paper from the vendo machine.)
The first class is free. Drop-in classes are only P200, plus P50 for mat rental. Following is their class schedule:
I did Ashtanga Friday and Saturday, and then Vinyasa today. Will do Ashtanga again tomorrow and Vinyasa on Tuesday. I'm glad for the Vinyasa classes; they're a welcome break from the routine of Ashtanga.
I still think I'm the worst student in the room - with the tightest of hamstrings and lower back - but, strangely, today, the teacher singled me out after class and told me that I had "a very strong practice". Which is encouraging, except that I will be off traveling again soon. Two steps forward, a thousand steps back...
I still need to do something other than yoga though as those damned last two kilos stubbornly remain. It's so goddam frustrating.
The good thing about YogaHub being at BTC is that Ala Gym is also there. It's a really good boxing gym and I used to go there. And I would totally go straight after yoga, except that, for some stupid reason, I don't have any gym shoes here in Cebu, and I really don't want to buy another pair. Will have to bring back some shoes from Manila, as well as boxing wraps, the next time I am there.
The downside to YogaHub being at BTC is that, apart from all the restaurants there (- the layered pork at Choi City is to die for, but don't make the mistake of doing any of their all-you-can-eat specials because you'll be served substandard fare; I also like to make my own burrito at Pueblo Mexicano; and I've been doing all I can to resist that carb-infested paella place...), every Saturday, they have food sellers occupying the whole first floor. It's the worst obstacle course ever.
Yesterday, one of the food vendors I ran into was Son-Gohan Onigirazu. Think sushi burgers, except that they're stuffed with different yummy things. I had three yesterday (two beef, and one chicken teriyaki). Good grief.
I'm staying at my folks' place again, even if it is still a construction site. I can't get away from construction sites, can I? I live in one in Siargao and now, again, in Manila. But, to their credit, the folks already have an internet connection - thankgod - and it is surprisingly faster than the one Nicolas has in Cebu. (Hence the posts in quick succession.)
I'm also back doing yoga at White Space, Katipunan. I arrived at two o'clock this morning, got to bed at 3:00 and was at White Space for a Vinyasa class at 10:30. (I would have made it to the 8 AM but was too lazy to get up.) I'm desperate to work off the excesses of my birthday weekend in Singapore. Of course, my balance this morning was completely off, and I fell asleep during savasana...
I was planning on doing two classes a day, except that real life keeps getting in the way. (I keep forgetting that I came back to Manila because I have things to do.) Ah, well... Will at least commit to one class a day then.
Here's the schedule:
I'm hoping to detox a bit while here. I'm trying to cut out carbs and sugar, taking it easy on the alcohol, and quit smoking for the umpteenth time...
Um, I hope I just didn't jinx myself by saying that.
I got to Puerto Galera before the long Easter weekend and, as soon as I saw my friends, still on my yoga high, I announced that I was going to take it easy on the partying. I told them that the lives of my last three surviving brains cells - Moe, Larry, and Curly - depended on it. And, with that said, I proceeded to torture and maim the poor Three Stooges in my head.
Downing the first Horse, with Carlo Cajili, Agnes Borromeo and child, Llandro.
By the time I got back to Manila, five days later, I was near collapse. I resembled the Walking Dead and my body clung desperately to any sleep it could get.
The next day, bleary-eyed and half human, I was back at yoga.
"Good morning," the peppy instructor chirped. "Today, we are going to continue with our balancing series…" Fantastic. I was possibly the only one there pretending to be alive, toxins oozing from every pore, devoid of any semblance of balance within and without.
There was a lot of shaking, tipping over and gnashing of teeth.
I still did two classes that day. And the next day. And the next.
I think we've already established that I have zero expectations of myself and am not really deterred by failure. The only thing that stops me from doing anything is a loss of interest.
***
When I signed up for yoga at White Space last month, it was with the intention of doing Ashtanga Yoga so that I could re-familiarize myself with the practice, to make it easier to follow a video when I return to Siargao. Except that White Space only does Mysore-style Ashtanga, which means that it isn't for slackers like me who can't even remember what month or year it is. They only do a Led Class on the last Thursday of the month, so I caught the one in March and the one in April.
In between, I signed up for Yoga Basics, Hatha Yoga, and Vinyasa Yoga Chill (- I didn't dare try Vinyasa Yoga Plus), none of which I had done before which, in the end, worked out perfectly for me because they turned out to be the kind of gentle yoga that I needed.
Even with Moe, Larry, and Curly in intensive care, this week, I did an assisted forearm stand, an assisted headstand, and a one-legged chaturanga, stuff I never thought I'd be able to do before.
Internet file photo.
I also appreciated the different approaches each teacher had to different poses and, for the first time, understood the need for a vinyasa and a downward dog.
When I was in India last year, one of the students taking the class with me was a yoga instructor. She said she had been diagnosed with scoliosis and, because she did not want to be a victim to her condition, she chose to fight it by learning about the body, through massage and yoga. She stood very tall and straight and it was only later, when I had a chance to work on her body, that I noticed the defect in her spine and body symmetry. Every time I get "stuck" in a pose, I remember her and draw inspiration from her strength.
My body is wrong in so many ways. My spine is crooked so that one of my ribs sticks out while the other one curves in. My knees are so bony that I can't apply any weight on them, my legs are curved so that I cannot hold certain positions for very long, and my elbows and wrists just aren't right. So every inch that I gain in a yoga pose, in a forward bend or the rotation of the torso, is a victory over my body and its limitations. I want to surpass my physical boundaries so that, in the end, there won't be anything I cannot do.
I've already signed up a yoga instructor to work with me when I get back to Siargao next week. Although I won't be able to practice twice a day, three to four times a week of intense one-on-one training is better than nothing. I'm still doubtful about my capacity to cultivate a self-practice, but it is on my mind.
8:00 AM - Although there was no formal announcement, I found out that the yoga at the massage school was discontinued. So I went to the Indian guy who does "Thai yoga" down the road from my guesthouse. Julia, one of the English girls in my class, goes to him.
Sainu's style is rather quick. We only hold the poses for five breaths. And he doesn't check on us all the time, so if his instructions are lost in translation, then so are we.
While he did correct us some times, it would have been nice if he had done it more often, especially since there were only three of us in class. All in all, it wasn't bad and I guess something is better than nothing - and he did some much needed stretches afterwards and a lovely gong meditation. (One hour sessions, everyday except Sunday. 200 rs/session or 1000 rs for five. I signed up for five.)
12:00 PM - Chai break: Took a nap.
2:30 PM - Julia, Monica and I went to Arambol for some shopping.
We had lunch on the beach first, at 21 Coconuts Inn, which Lua, the Brazilian, recommended. I had a fish tikka and half a vegetable biriyani for 280 rs.
Monica, with her red snapper tandoori, and me, with my fish tikka.
Julia, with our shared vegetable biriyani and her fish curry. It wasn't a good day to be a fish in Arambol.
Matt (Brit), whom Alan, Stephen and I met in Kerala, was also in Goa briefly on his way to Mumbai. So I caught up with him and had a cigarette. Ayyyy...
After lunch, we went shopping. I bought some harem pants to replace the ones I want to toss, and a silver ring.
We walked back on the beach just as the sun was setting and a pretty cool scene was unfolding. There was a guy tossing a frisbee, there were cultists meditating, there was a girl doing tricks with a hula hoop, there were kids doing somersaults, there were people drumming and dancing… There were also a bunch of foreigners selling their creations on the beach. (I bought another ring.)
Scenes from Arambol:
It got quieter the farther away we got from Arambol. By the time we reached Mandrem, night had closed in, so we looked for a cab to take us back to Morjim.
8:30 PM - It's cold! I feel like the air-conditioner is on in my room, except that it's not. Neither is the fan. In fact, I hardly ever use the fan. I'm so grateful that the weather, at this time, has been rather pleasant. According to Urja, it was scorching in November and December.
Did 100 jumping jacks, then took a shower.
As I was showering, I noticed a small frog hanging out on the grills of the bathroom window. Like it was something it did everyday. I didn't want it hopping about in the room so I called someone to get it out.
Prince Charming, is that you?
How the hell did that frog get in my room and how did it get all the way up on the bathroom grills? (Yes, I know it hopped, smart ass.) So far, I've successfully kept the mosquitoes out of my room but, if the frog could get in, could other creatures get in too? Eek! <shudder>
Friday, 14 February
7:00 AM - 100 jumping jacks.
8:00 AM - Thai yoga. Today, we did pranayama after the asanas, which was nice.
12:00 PM - Chai break: Samosas! Had two vegetable samosas.
3:30 PM - I was going to skip lunch but, I swear, the music at the restaurant in my guesthouse is driving me mad. They've been playing the same music from morning to night, every single day. And I can hear it from my room! At first, I liked it and wanted to get a copy, but, now, I'd really like to rip their iPod out of its dock and hurl it under a passing car.
Instead, I fled to the cafe down the road, but not before I sent an email to the guesthouse owners and pleaded with them to give their staff a wider selection of playlists.
Esperanto Cafe shares the same name as the restaurant of Morjim Resort, which is a stone's throw away, except that Morjim Resort seems to confused as to the spelling of "esperanto" because, on one sign, it's "essperanto" and, on another, they took out the extra s so it's "es peranto".
I like Esperanto Cafe. It's a funky little cafe.
They have a deli with cheeses made in Goa (- camembert, feta, etc.), jewelry, clothes, bags, herbs, spices, soaps, etc. And I finally found a scrub!
When I get back to the guesthouse, I will scrub my feet clean!
I had a brownie (which they topped with what I think is their muesli mix and chocolate syrup) and a grilled aubergine and feta sandwich.
On my way back to the guesthouse, I bought another 5-liter bottle of water. I'm doing well on my mission to hydrate! I've had 7.4 liters in two days!
Except that, now, this is me:
Story of my life.
6:30 PM - 100 jumping jacks. Then stepped into the shower. I love my new scrub!!!
8:00 PM - We went on a party out on a boat. I suppose it's their way of getting around the 10 PM noise curfew. But it was retro pop music: funk, disco, soul, R&B… Lots of old fogies. We stayed because it was a beautiful night to be out on a boat.
The food and drinks were expensive though. And the menu seemed to be merely a suggestion and was open to much interpretation. Kat (another Brit) and Julia ordered an avocado salad and got a chef's salad instead because they were out of avocados. Urja ordered fries with a cheese dip and got a mayo dip instead. When she asked for a cheese dip, they just gave her more mayo. I ordered a butter and garlic prawn and squid starter (675 rs.) and got some creamy mixture served with bread. I didn't eat it. They did have a cheap bottle of wine (850 rs.) so I drank instead. We had three bottles shared among four. So, yeah, there was a lot of arm-flailing and woohooing at the top deck. I also smoked a lot.
After the party, a few of us went back to Garett (American)'s place, supposedly on our way to another party, but Garett wisely put a stop to the festivities seeing as there was massage school to contend with in the morning.
I think it was 1 AM when I got to bed. My regular bedtime.
Saturday, 15 February
6:30 AM - I hate waking up early. My alarm is set for 9 AM but I'm already awake. Thinking of going to yoga, but - nah.
9:30 AM - I stopped in at Cafe Delicieux to get Urja a carrot cake. I'd like her to try it. Since I was there already, I had a bacon quiche.
12:00 PM - Chai break: We had some sort of rice. Urja said it was "pre-cooked rice". It was mixed in with some herbs and it was delicious. And then, she brought out a pie because it was Saskia (German but living in Anjuna for the past 12 years)'s birthday. I guess that's lunch!
Saskia cuts her birthday pie. (That's Valentina, from Chile, in the background.)
The pie turned out to be a cleverly done banana pie. I'm not sure what went into the "crust", but the inside was just bananas with something like a peanut butter sauce and coconut shavings. Simple but good!
4:30 PM - 100 jumping jacks.
I'm tempted to stroll down to Cafe Esperanto for a quick bite but we will be going to the night market and I'm pretty sure we'll be eating quite a bit over there.
7:30 PM - Saturday Night Market, Arpora.
So much for skipping dinner. I was starving and went straight for the food. Had some fried chicken and a cheesecake. I also had a slice of pizza which was offered to me by a Danish family that sat opposite us at the table.
I love the night market. There are so many things to see. It's expensive though and you can seriously blow your budget. I bought four dresses then got out of there by ten. But I could have easily stayed till much later. I think I'll go back next week.
6:30 AM - I went to bed at about 1 AM and, typically, was awake by 6. I'm averaging about five hours of sleep now. Which would be fine if I could have my second sleep but, since I have a full day ahead, it really isn't an option.
I still don't sleep before midnight.
Did 100 jumping jacks.
7:45 AM - Iyengar yoga. Put off by yesterday's kiddie yoga, I wasn't going to come in today but Urja urged me to check out the new instructor, so I did. Except that it was still Anya. She said she's been having neck issues but was feeling better today so she decided to come in.
I finally interviewed her. She's been doing yoga for five years, but wasn't serious for the first two. Max only started two years ago but is more flexible than her. They both completed their teacher training in Arambol in November of last year.
Four of the ten Chinese returned today. And only two of the massage school students, myself included. If this were an Agatha Christie novel, it would be "And Then There Were None."
Today's session was much better than yesterday's. As I said, I don't mind it being slow because I haven't done anything strenuous since forever and my shoulders are so sore than I can barely do diddly anyway.
After the class, Anya told me that the pain in her neck had started up again. She's sending another instructor tomorrow. I guess Urja's going to want me to check him out.
12:00 PM - Skipped the fruits and had a nap during chai break. This could be my second sleep.
3:00 PM - Monica and I were supposed to go to Arambol today and ordered a cab but it was commandeered by someone else when the massage class went into overtime when we stayed for some meditation. Monica still wanted to go but I begged off and was glad for the time alone.
I accepted a ride on Miwa's motorbike going back to the guesthouse.
5:00 PM - It's hard not to eat when you're sitting in a restaurant. Am at my guesthouse's restaurant, using the WiFi because the signal here is much stronger than in my room. There's a menu on the table, which I've browsed through and pushed aside a hundred times. I finally ordered a butter chicken paneer and it was a beautiful thing.
The Indians don't understand how someone could order a curry and not order some sort of flat bread or rice to go with it, so I ordered a roti but had less than half of it. I didn't really need it. At least now I know I can have a curry and not need any carbs to go with it. Although if that had been lemon rice or ghee rice or anything-rice instead of a roti, I'm pretty sure I still wouldn't have needed it but, boy, would I have loved it.
8:00 PM - Did 100 more jumping jacks and only one set of the exercises in this article. Except for the step-ups because I have nothing to step up on in my room. (The table looks rickety, and the bed is too high, and the mattress rock hard and impossible to move.) With no weights, of course.
Wednesday, 12 February
6:30 AM - 100 jumping jacks.
Btw, can you believe that I am now doing my own laundry? My mother would have a heart attack if she knew. (Don't tell her lest she get some funny ideas.)
Well, there's a bucket and a clothesline in the bathroom. And the only laundry place I've seen charges 20 rupees a piece, and I change clothes everyday, sometimes twice a day. I'm not sure why when almost everyone else in class is wearing the same clothes they've been in since I met them. Seriously. That's five days now. I'm wondering if they're going ten for ten.
Anyway, I got back from the first day of school covered in oil, powder (- the massage I am studying uses an herbal powder) and dust. I couldn't get out of my clothes fast enough. I dunked them in the bucket, swirled in some detergent, and left them to soak overnight. The next day, I changed the water, swirled the clothes around a bit more, and did this on repeat until the water was clear. Et voila! Fresh clothes!
Now I do this daily.
Next thing you know I'll be buying a backpack and staying at hostels! <Fast forward to a few weeks later...>
Well, it only take a few minutes. I did it this morning before I left for school.
I know my clothes can't be that clean but, when in India, I've resigned myself to being covered in grime. You should see my feet. I'm definitely due for a good scrubbing.
7:45 AM - Iyengar yoga. The new instructor showed up. Another Russian bloke who was quite massive but very strong and flexible. I liked the session. Maybe because he didn't know that the Chinese couldn't understand English - or maybe he just didn't care - and the class was a bit more challenging than the ones we had the past few days.
9:30 AM - I spoke to one of the Chinese girls who can speak English and she said, "I come to India to study yoga with Indian teacher and there are only Russian teacher." True that. I told her about the Indian instructor a few doors down from my guesthouse - but then I remembered that he teaches - get this - Thai yoga. He also gives Thai massage. Go figure.
12:00 PM - Chai break: bananas, papaya and grapes.
2:30 PM - Lunch with Monica and Lua (- our Brazilian classmate) at Morjim Resort's restaurant, Esperanto. The specials of the day are written only in Cyrillic. Goa has been annexed by Russia.
Before our orders arrived, I ducked into Cafe Delicieux for a brownie.
Lunch was so-so. I ordered a beef stroganoff that I found too sweet because they put capsicum in it. They also put capsicum in the Basmati rice which, at least, ensured that I wouldn't eat much of it. Yeah, capsicum. I'm not a fan. Unless it's roasted, doused with olive oil and sprinkled with rock salt.
And then we got to talking to a man at the table next to us. Rakesh turned out to be the owner of the resort/restaurant and he was having lunch with his in-laws and his son. When their food arrived, he offered us a taste of "typical Indian food". It turned out to be chole (chick peas curry) bhature (fried bread), which I had in Mumbai with Alan. Rakesh told us that he only cooked it once a month because it was too heavy.
Chole, on the left, and bhature, on the right.
It was delicious and totally saved the afternoon.
Of course, the glutton in me didn't find it heavy at all. He should try that beef burger I devoured in Bangalore. It had two patties stuffed with mushrooms and cheese, with an extra topping of bacon. Now, THAT is heavy. Yum.
That's half of the burger called Juicy Lucy from Plan B in Bangalore.
4:30 PM - Monica and I headed back to school to try the Kundalini meditation. It was led by a German guy who informed us that we would be doing an Osho "active mediation". It was broken down into four parts: Part 1: Shaking (15 minutes, to music); Part 2: Dancing (15 minutes, to music); Part 3: Sitting (15 minutes, to music); Part 4: Lying Down (15 minutes, to silence, ended by a gong).
All-righty then.
(I am open-minded and will not judge. I am open-minded and will not judge. I am open-minded and will not judge.)
Well, the shaking and dancing should count as some form of exercise.
6:00 PM - It occurred to me this morning that I may be dehydrated. I confirmed it tonight. I bought a 5-liter water bottle when I arrived last Friday and only had to return the bottle to the store now. I must have had only 7 liters in 5 days, and that is already a generous estimate. That's 1.4 liters a day. According to the Mayo Clinic website: "The Institute of Medicine determined that an adequate intake (AI) for men is roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day. The AI for women is 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day."
While they do say that the actual amount varies from individual to individual, 1.4 liters is still not enough. Not for India, and not with all the massages we've been doing. I should be tripling my water intake and take up permanent residence in a toilet.
9:00 PM - 100 jumping jacks and one more set of those exercises. Will slowly work my way up to three sets of each exercise but am too lazy right now.
7:45 AM - Iyengar yoga. Only three of us showed up at class. Even the instructors' number was diminished by half; only the chick turned up. Anya was bright and enthusiastic. Since there were so few of us, she said, we could do harder poses at a faster pace, etc., etc., etc.
And then ten Chinese showed up.
Don't ask. Long story. But, yes, they were expected.
So ten Chinese showed up for class. With long-sleeved shirts, jackets, hats and cameras. They looked lost, like aliens who weren't quite sure on which planet they had landed.
Picture the scene: A Russian chick, already struggling with English, trying to teach yoga to ten Chinese - who cannot speak English, but have an "interpreter" who pretends that she can - in India. It was quite surreal.
Suffice it to say that I did not have much exercise this morning. Which is just as well, as I am in massive pain.
By the way, I take back what I said about Max (the male Russian yoga instructor) and Anya. There's no way that she is his mentor. She seems to be more of a novice at yoga than he is.
12:00 PM - Chai break. Papaya, bananas, and grapes. No chai.
2:00 PM - We ended massage class early because there's a Kundalini meditation session scheduled at 4 PM at the school. Monica and I grabbed lunch at Cafe Dolphin down the road, where I had a grilled red snapper with lemon butter. No chips, please.
4:00 PM - It turns out that the Kundalini meditation isn't till Wednesday.
I took this as a sign to have another slice of that wonderful carrot cake at Cafe Delicieux. I practically skipped all the way there. Once there, I was confronted with a freshly baked carrot cake and a leftover slice from yesterday. Which to choose??? I took a gamble and spent my last rupees on a slice of the fresh cake. Of course it wasn't anywhere close to the one I had yesterday. Remaining stubbornly optimistic, I told the manager to save the leftover slice from yesterday for me while I hoofed it back to my guesthouse for money.
The cake turned out to be yet another waste of time and calories. It was already too dry. (Yes, of course, I still ate it all. Did you really have to ask?)
7:15 PM - I got a text message from Urja. She and Monica (who is staying at Urja's) want to have dinner at my guesthouse and did I want to join them? I told them I'd sit with them but wouldn't eat, on account of The Plan. And the two carrot cakes.
8 - 10:00 PM - We had dinner at La Plage instead.
La Plage was the only fancy restaurant in Ashwem-Morjim before and was always an institution in Goa. Eight years ago, our entire massage class treated ourselves to lunch there after we finished our course.
How could I not have dinner there tonight? Well, not only did I have dinner, I had everything carbohydrates. I guess I don't score any points for ordering from the vegetarian menu.
Starter: Macaroni stuffed with ricotta and fresh herbs, lime leaf and tomato coulis. (290 rs.) It was very citrusy.
Starter: Mango and beetroot carpaccio, coriander and feta. (290 rs.) For my main course, I had a mushroom and spinach risotto with a "tangy red wine reduction" that tasted more like a balsamic reduction. (420 rs.)
I did skip dessert.
(Note: Two appetizers, three mains, and a bottle of red cost only 3000 rs!)
After dinner, we walked along the beach. It was a beautiful, clear night and I wanted to walk barefoot in the sand, but Monica reminded me that we had found a used syringe on the beach yesterday. We ended up somewhere near the massage school and walked back up the road to my guesthouse where Urja had left her motorbike.
7:30 AM - It's freezing! It's the first time I've stepped outside so early and it's cold! It's been cold at night too.
A few minutes into my walk to the massage school, Miwa, the Japanese girl from class who is staying at the guesthouse opposite mine, pulled up on her motorbike and offered me a ride. I would have preferred to walk but thought it rude to decline.
7:45 AM - Iyengar yoga. The class is led by a cute young Russian. When he and his girlfriend arrived at the school, they were all bundled up - so when the Russians are complaining of the cold, you know it's cold. He is obviously new at teaching and she is clearly the more experienced instructor (- I suspect she may also be his mentor), so they were tandem instructing. I liked it. It was for beginners, so it was slow, with a lot of attention to correct posture. Which I was grateful for, but which meant that the yoga instructors among the students were bored and may not show up for subsequent classes. I hope the classes aren't discontinued because of this.
9:30 AM - Almost caved in at breakfast at the sight of the aloo paratha that the other students ordered. Ordered a fruit juice and a fruit salad, but cancelled at the last minute to stay true to The Plan and stick it out till chai break.
Paratha stuffed with potatoes and coriander. Yum!!! I might have this for lunch tomorrow. (Internet file photo.)
12:00 PM - Chai break: fruits only. Bananas and oranges. No chai.
3:00 PM - Chetan, one of the massage school owners, was supposed to book a taxi to take us to Mandrem for lunch but had forgotten about it, so Monica and I walked along the street until we found a cab.
Monica is a Swiss lady who had taken the same massage class with me eight years ago. She still remembers asking me how I had gotten to the school in Morjim on our first day of class. I told her that I had walked along the beach. When she asked how long it took, I shrugged, "An hour?" After that, she offered me a ride from her guesthouse (which was just down the beach from me in Mandrem) to the school and back everyday.
After having lost touch for almost five years, it's a happy coincidence that we decided to relearn the same massage at the same school at the same time.
We've been so overwhelmed at how much Goa has changed that we wanted to check out Mandrem and see if the guesthouses we stayed at are still there.
While we walked along the street, with cars and motorbikes zooming dangerously close, it was so hot that I insisted that we stop at Cafe Delicieux for a cold drink. Since she has a gluten intolerance, I didn't think she'd want to stay but she gave in to the tarte tatin, so I ordered what is probably the most marvelous carrot cake I will ever have in my life. (And a so-so quiche lorraine. You know I never just order one thing off the menu!) The carrot cake was so good that I recommended it to a mom who was patiently waiting for her little boy to choose some cakes. She ordered it for herself and, as we were leaving the cafe, she called out to thank me for the recommendation. She nodded her head in agreement that it was a very good carrot cake indeed.
At the cafe, I also met the owner of a hotel in Goa that was just featured in the New York Times. Let me see if I can find the article. Here it is: Hotels with History in Goa. It's the first one featured - Siolim House. Nice fellow. He asked us to stop by some time for tea.
We eventually found our way to Mandrem and were blown away at how much it had changed. At least from the roadside. From the beach, it's still as wonderful as it used to be. I barely recognized my old guesthouse. Will come back and take photos and ask about the hotel next time. Monica said her guesthouse was still the same but with slightly improved surroundings. We ate at Oasis, our favorite tandoori chicken joint, which changed ownership five years ago and is now a pizzeria. We ordered the tandoori chicken anyway.
As we had lunch, looking out onto Mandrem's shimmering beach, she asked herself the same question I had been asking myself all along: Why did I wait so long to come back?
5:30 PM - Since it was quite late and there was a strong wind blowing us back in the right direction, we walked an hour on the beach back to Morjim, just as I did eight years ago. Ashwem and Morjim are completely unrecognizable to us. There was almost nothing along the beach before and now it is crowded with bars, restaurants and beach huts.
10:00 PM - I missed a lot of parties today. What am I talking about? I missed a lot of parties the whole weekend!
Just saw that Urja, my instructor and owner of the massage school, sent me a message two hours ago, asking if I was going to the big party at Bardo. I would have loved to (- Goa has a 10 PM sound curfew so the party would be wrapping up by now) but that would mean eating and drinking and skipping out on yoga class tomorrow and being a bit slow at massage class... I'm being a good girl. For now. That may change next weekend.
My whole body hurts. I'm not sure if it's from giving massages (the one I'm learning is pretty strenuous), the yoga, the walking or a combination of all three, but I sure could use a massage right now.