Indian Samurai इंडियन सामुराई

 Everyone has by now heard of the recent attacks (on July 13th) in Mumbai. Toll: 18 dead people. They can do better… No provocation here; Indians have proved their expertise in terrorism and if you see the scale of previous attacks, they could really have made more damage. If the idea is to terrorize, they have a long way to go. Once passed the initial shock of “I could have been there” and “fuck not again”, life took over almost immediately. Moreover, nobody has yet claimed the attack though it is most probably for religious purpose.

PS: National religious terrorism makes India rank 6th among the countries more at the risk of the terrorist threat (2001: 5,839 victims, 2010: 1,902).

More fatal, the Amarnath Yatra. Two weeks after the opening of the pilgrimage – which Emilie and myself were supposed to do this year, already 51 pilgrims died. All that to go and worhsip a frozen giant penis (of Shiva). No no, no blasphemy here. Pilgrims face the cold, the rain, the altitude to go see one of the most sacred lingams of India.

Source: http://www.deccanherald.com/content/175941/10-more-die-way-amarnath.html

From my rickshaw, on my way to work...

 And view from my desk... 

This morning, still sleeping like during the holidays (sleeping early and getting up early – yes it is not usual but in a country where most places do not have electricity it is rather normal), I got up to go to…  my first class of… yoga!! Yes yes. I did hope that it would rain and I would not be able to go but no…

I thus gathered my strengths to go to a place full of unknown people (when you are shy, you are shy) and I took my first lesson of yoga.

For the story, I have never been attracted by yoga. But then, upon my mother’s insisting, I tried to register in Pune (in the Iyengar center) but their bureaucracy irritated me and I gave up.

When I arrived Mumbai, I began aerobic one in the gymnasium of a college. That was good exercise but after 6 months, my dash broke with the holidays.

Since then I have been looking to practice sport. In vain. Not one squash court, nor badminton (the only way is to be a member of a “club”), no gym with step classes, and I stopped running after a big fall caused by a stupid root.

Then I had this brilliant idea: if I can not make any exercise in Mumbai (because of a lack of space), but yoga, it must be a sign.

To find a yoga class however was not so easy. And I did not want a private teacher – I want to socialise!

And then which yoga?? After some research, I chose Ashtang Yoga. Why?? Because that is also called “Power Yoga”. Stupid reason but well…

So this morning I learned that Ashtang yoga is a yoga which is based much on the breath and I made my exercises like a good girl – at the beginning the teacher was surprised/worried that I had never practiced any yoga but I did quite well!!

So here I am, having yoga class 2 times a weeks, early morning, 5 minutes walking distance from home, and we are two in the class, which is really nice!!

Let’s see for how long I’ll hold ;)