Still Blessed… Just check this week’s news

Tuesday, 4.Nov.08
Ø Started working with the biggest Salsa Company in Bangalore – Lourd Vijay Dance Studio (http://www.lvds.in/)- with African workshop for the dancers 8 a.m to 9.30 – even though the sound system didn’t work, it was a success to be continued the following 3 mornings. This day: general Hip and Arm Work with Tribal sound, Batuko, Kolá San Jon and Mazurca.
Ø Attended Satsang – Hour of Good, the Spiritual session I frequent at my centre on a weekly basis. We are reading “The Power of Now”, by Eckhart Tolle. Probably the book that will provoke the second spiritual turning point in my life (the first was “Celestine Prophecy”, by James Redfield, many years ago). Kurt and André, my friends from My Choice! project were there too.
Ø Mrs. Lalita’s niece was helding a private classical indian music concert in her hall/ living-room. We were invited to join and sat on the carpet watching this transe-inspiring voice singing a classical recital. I felt that I got out of this world and came back: the emotion and vibration of the singing, tabla, harmonium and tampura together made that one of the most emotioned musical moments of my life. In the end Mrs. Lalita cried looking at me, as she hugged me saying: “the way you were feeling the music, my God!!” – I really was, somehow, even without understanding any technicality of it.
Ø Had nice dinner with Kurt, speaking of trips, My Choice!, healing technics, plans and unplans.

Wednesday, 5.Nov.08
Ø Dance Company applied last days’ learning in music: Hip Work, Batuko, Kolá San Jon, and we added Ragga and Soucusse.
Ø Had my Odissi Dance Class – Odissi is a classical Indian form of dance that has its origin in Orissa, in northern India. I feel drastic improvement in exactly the three things I specially needed to work on my fitness: flexibility, balance and discipline/ persistence.
Ø My Choice! – it’s more then time to tell you all about this project me and 3 other expatriates lauched in Bangalore – we are bringing sustainability issues to Bangalore school children. This happens in 3 stages: 1 – inspirational and interactive classroom sessions conducted mostly by expatriates; 2 – live simulation where some of the kids from the classrooms come together to learn more about sustainability through experience and games; 3 – teams of students build projects trying to reach Zero Waste in there school, be it on the level of energy, food, water consumption, waste, etc. And 4 – we will do a final Fair and Awards night where media, principals from other schools who may take the programme up, parents, etc, will see the projects, a jury will evaluate them and the documentary we will have filmed during this pilot of My Choice! will be showcased as a best-practice case. PLEASE DO CHECK www.mychoicebangalore.org AND http://mychoice08.ning.com FOR MORE DETAILS on this initiative. So this day we gave our second training to the expatriates who will be mentors in class-room sessions and for the sustainable projects realization by the students’ teams.

Thursday, 6.Nov.08 – DEFINITELY ONE OF THE BEST DAYS OF MY LIFE
Ø "Como se dice? Como se llama? Obama! Obama!"
Ø Couple work started with Lourd Vijay Company: back to Mazurca, introducing Kizomba individual and in couple and finishing with Kuduro.
Ø Was invited to give workshops and dance for the biggest festival in Bangalore – the Bangalore Habba.
Ø Was invited to be interviewed by one of the upstream newspapers in the city, The Hindu
Ø Received a Yes from a personal contact (through Mrs. U) in a wild-life sanctuary to sponsoring an Award for one of the winning teams in My Choice! Project Awards, the prize being a 3-day retreat in this sanctuary in Coorg – www.saisanctuary.com
Ø Confirmed the presence of My Choice! Team in Chinnara Habba on the 20th of November, in Palace Grounds, SPEAKING ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY TO 100.000 CHILDREN through a quiz my team is developing.
Ø AND MOST IMPORTANTLY: MY MENTOR, MRS. LALITA UBHAYAKER, NAMED ME HER GOD-DAUGHTER. I couldn’t feel more blessed and fortunate.
Ø Called my mother and André and SMS’ed Johan and Pedro: had to tell them how happy I was.
Ø Came home to a great sharing moment with Katherine, good friend, great non-coincidence in my life who is just about to leave back to San Francisco, USA.

Friday, 7.Nov.08
Ø Finished the workshop with Lourd Vijay Dance Company having taught the basics of 10 african-originated rhythms (ending with Semba, Funaná, Kuduro and a revision of the other rhythms), with great response and invitations to give private lessons to the choreographer and the main dancer.
Ø Was invited to dance at a Media Seminar and a Flee-Market in Bangalore.
Ø Was very tired and again saw how I found myself one more family, two more parents, in the Ubhayakers, as they worry for me and take care of me.
Ø Held a movie screening of “11th Hour” film-documentary, produced by Leonardo Di Caprio, followed by a discussion on environmental issues. This initiative was promoted by Smriti-Nandan and me and conducted by an already good friend and fundamental piece in My Choice! creation: Kurt Archer, Canadian Eco-traveller and environmentalist, currently travelling Asia raising awareness around sustainability issues (http://www.globaldamu.org/asia/). It was a success, the movie – I knew it already – is much more impacting and positive then An Inconvenient Truth even: you should see it. The discussion that followed and the commitment of some of the audience led Mrs. Lalita to start a series of initiatives around Environment and a discussion circle that will gather some of the people present that day: “What can we do about it?”.
Ø My Choice! Team had had the privilege of being invited to stay for dinner at the Ubhayakers after the movie. And whom else stayed and inspired us all dinner-long but two of the greatest environmentalists of Karnataka? Lovely Awe-like evening, ending with Mr. Hiblekar accepting to be Chief Guest at My Choice! Award Ceremony.

Saturday, 8.Nov.08
Ø Started teaching private Sevillanas lessons at her place, to a Bharatanatyam dancer and singer, Mrs. Susheela, the niece of the Ubhayakers who had hosted the classical concert on Tuesday. Great experience working with dancers again, as they catch everything so fast that we don’t have to worry but with the perfection details (I mean as much as I can correct them, of course, not being a professional in Spanish Dances)
Ø In the afternoon, the second of my World Dances Workshop sessions was even better then the first. Both kids and adults had a blast – I could tell by the clapping, laughing and rising energy: Salsa, Mambo, Bachata, Cha Cha Cha and Merengue lifted their soul for 1h30 hours (x 2).
Ø Had many friends surprising me at the centre and joining the last fun dance moments of the class. Our photographer and My Choice! documentary-film-maker Arvind also came to cover my workshop.
Ø Was contacted by a photo-journalist coming from the States who wants to do a photo-essay on me.
Ø Was contacted by the same Salsa Company to held a workshop for their students the following Sunday - check the page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=39749890094
Ø Had dinner at my favourite place, Empire, with friends.

Sunday, 9.Nov.08
Ø After sleeping 15 hours as never in India as I needed to recover from such an energetic week, went to Opus (where the Salsa Company has their studio) and attended an advanced salsa class as an invitee. In the end, I did an energetic 5 minute Demo of what the African Dance workshop will be the coming Sunday to attract students into attending it.
Ø Got invited by the owner of the company to give a Kizomba workshop at Chennai Salsa Festival on the 23rd of June.
Ø Went to have tea at Mrs. Deepti’s house, an Indian dancer, journalist, architect, painter and spiritual guru/ yogi who lived in the States for 14 years and had attended my Spanish Dances Workshop the prior weekend.
Ø After coming home to change, went with Katherine, Alexandra, Andre, Kurt and other 3 new international friends to Casa del Sol for my first Salsa party in Bangalore where I found again everyone from the Dance Company and other schools and danced in a couple as I didn’t for almost half a year. Great!
Ø Was offered regular work as a dance teacher across India, in Thailand, Singapour, etc, by this Dance Company - in case I want to stay longer I definitely will have means of sustaining myself.

Monday, 10.Nov.08
Ø Back to my Odissi Class, am noticing technical improvements. The coordination of movements and the persistence necessary for the fitness work is great challenge and non-comparable to any other dance class I ever went to.
Ø Came home to an experience with Galvanic Spa provided by Katherine, that refreshed my face and face-lines in an incredibly drastic way in just 20 minutes – following came a great Indian dinner with Kat, Thripthi and Roshin.
Ø And then the so-expected photo-shooting: great session with Katherine on the camera and me on the modelling, Rodrigo Leão on the laptop, candles and a scarf over the light in the room. For a long time I wanted to try to have my pictures taken: again India is going beyond my expectations even in things that I didn’t establish as goals.

Tuesday, 11.Nov.08
Ø Richard Seshie, the Coordinator of My Choice!, gave us the news that someone from AIESEC is contributing with 100 euros for My Choice! Our first financial aid: a lot of happiness, very welcome: again a renewal on the good-will of many people in this world.
Ø Meeting with Ashvasan member who will intervene on the kick-off session of my Youth Programme at Mount Carmel College on the 13th: “Ashvasan Cares: Bridging Old and Young Hearts!”. I’m trying to get my senior citizen foundation some young blood, some young volunteers to work with the elderly. We are also wanting to raise awareness among youngsters on the situation of the senior citizens in India.
Ø One hour later, meeting with Mrs. Lalita, Kurt and Mrs. Sughatta, an organic farming promoter – subject: what our next steps should be on initiatives promoted by Smiri-Nandan on Environmental issues.
Ø One hour later, Satsang and again the tremendous words of Tolle in “The Power of Now”.
Ø One hour later, interview at The Hindu newspaper for a column on foreigners in Bangalore. Great interview: outcome to be published on Saturday.
Ø One hour and a half later, dinner at Coconut Groove with expatriates from 6 countries.
Ø Two hours alter, hearing from Roshin and Thripthi, in the house, about the cast system in India and the Malu weddings.
Ø Half an hour later, starting to write this as such a great week had to be shared with my precious family and friends.