A Little Language, Goes A Long Way...

None of the Sri Lankans can wrap their heads around how much Sinhalese I know, and how little time I've been here. I was told today, by several different locals, that I know more Sinhalese than almost every foreigner that they've come across. They ask if I'm going to school here, working here, or planning to live here...but I'm not doing any of the above, I just love languages and I love the smile that I get when I speak the local language (even if I'm butchering the pronunciation...). So today I made lots of friends, tried some new things, and soaked up a lot of sun as I was absorbed into my current novel. I hung at the hotel/restaurant Kingfisher in Unawatuna because I like that part of the beach and I love the guys that work there. After a fair bit of sun, swim and reading, I left my stuff at Kingfisher and went for a walk to get some lunch. I wanted something local and authentic, and I got just that-- ending up in the back of a grocery hut for some curry and rice. When I walked in and said hello it was like the world froze. Everyone stopped eating and just stated at me. A dozen locals and me. It took about five minutes for everyone (including the owners) to realize that I meant to be there and that I planned to eat. Though all the locals pay 150 rupees and eat with their hands, the owner (I guess) didn't think that I was quite ready for that...so my food was separated into individual bowls, served up on a serving tray, and had utensils and napkins. I paid 300 rupees. Perhaps the price increase wasn't just the "white tax" but instead for the actual napkins and extra silverware and such, seeing as everyone else used old newspapers as napkins. The stares continued throughout lunch but I was unphased...my head was buried in my plate, my mind was trying to decipher each taste so I could describe in my blog, and any free bit of attention that I had was used to swat away the flies that were competing for my meal. I washed it all down with two cups of delicious hot tea and then sat for a bit to digest the largest meal I've had in months. Yes, I paid twice as much as the locals- but it was only $1.10 more- and it's something that I was willing to pay for such delicious, authentic food. To eat anywhere else in this touristy town would cost about $10, and it wouldn't be nearly as good. After my meal I made my way back to kingfisher, making friends with every taxi driver and street-hanger that I passed. My Sinhalese vocab was growing with every step. When I got back to my spot I took a dip, hung with the boys and then grabbed a TukTuk back to Gillys. Again, typical Asia: "do you know where Venlen Street is by Thomas Gall School", "Oh yes yes, absolutely." Well nearly an hour later and id seem every sight and every street in Galle! Eventually Gilly tracked us down and we got back to her house for some relaxation and tea before her schools Christmas Concert. The last picture here is of Gillys house, my latest home. It even comes with cute cows...

Day 4

Trekking around Galle yesterday was great. We are moved into Gillys house yesterday on Vensen Street. It's a bit further from the beach and further north from where we'd been staying before. It's in Galle and right around the corner from the school where Gilly is a principal. The house it's self is actually part of a beautiful development of "track homes" that were built as part of the tsunami relief. Just in 2004 all of the beaches here were washed away by the tsunami, displacing thousands...similar to what's going on back home right now on the east coast. Anywho, the house is super cute and I truly feel like I'm in Sri Lanka when I'm here.

Last night we moved the furniture around in her living room because she wanted to join in on one of my beloved crossfit wods. The nights WOD was 80-60-40-20 air squats, 40-30-20-10 sit-ups, and 20-15-10-5 push-ups. Intense and sweaty and fueled by my blaring iPod...she survived! After the WOD we did a full Yin session, Gillys first ever. I found myself in a long seated meditation afterwards, and got a bit emotional. When we quiet down and just *sit* with ourselves there is a lot that comes up. When we aren't trying to figure things out or digest the conversations in our mind, but we just relax into that silence, so very much is revealed. A powerful evening after a long and beautiful day.

Started my morning today around 5:30am (the Muslim mosque begin their prayers very early, and very loud). Papaya and tea for breakfast, and I gotta say- as soon as I stopped fighting my "I miss coffee in the morning!", I've found that I'm pretty down with this whole tea thing! In the end, with a choice between crappy coffee and proper tea, id choose the proper tea. Crap coffee is sacrilegious, and I can quite afford a fancy $3 cappuccino every day.

Called SriLankan airlines yesterday and found out that my surfboards are in Mumbai in India. Apparently that's where United Airlines sent them to when I had my layover in France. Sri Lankan airlines assured me that there is a flight from Mumbai to Colombo today, late afternoon, and that my boards should be arriving then. So....fingers crossed that I will have my boards and be in the water by Thursday morning (Friday the latest!).

Heading to the beach today when Gilly goes to school and going to scope out the scene in the hip Unawatuna.

Galle.

Hanging in Galle today at the famous Dutch fort. Ran into a friend of a friend who owns Serendipity Arts Cafe, walked around the fort and hung at the lighthouse, enjoyed some cheap local eats and some expensive cappuccinos, and just soaking up all that I can. Day 4 thus far is pretty good.

Day 3 FOOD

So lets talk about the food in Sri Lanka. It is incredibly spicy and outrageously satisfying. Coconut and curry and spice and potatoes and shallots and garlic and goodness.

Day 3 and I'd finally beat the jet lag. Still no surfboards from the airlines, so I chose to just enjoy a lazy day while Gilly was at work- and to take advantage of the beautiful home that I was staying in for one last day. I woke u at 6 and read and drank tea, drank more tea and read some more and then yep- more tea and more reading. I stretched a bit and then did a travel WOD, worked up a good sweat and an appetite. For breakfast I had scrambled eggs, some *delicious* Sri Lankan toast, a sliced tomato and gherkin and I washed it all down with a beer (because I'd already had way too much tea!). Topping my breakfast was Pol Sambal (life-changing!) and chili garlic sauce.

After breakfast I swam and sunned myself...in an out of the pool, reading and relaxing. I grabbed a shower when I was through with lounging and ventured into town for some exploration. Any foreigner is going to be stared at, especially an unaccompanied female with blonde hair. I was literally the talk of the town. I fumbled with my broken Sinhalese, but the locals appreciated my whole hearted effort to communicate and they were happy to help me with my grocery list. For $10 I got a SIM card and 200 minutes for my Nokia phone, one papaya ("papol"), two mangoes, 9 limes, one ice cold coca cola, a sarong, curd, a shorty and two sri lankan chicken and rice dishes to go. Boom. The chicken is curried and served with sautéed onions and vegetables in a spicy sauce, a ton of turmeric rice, spicy daal, and some Sambal. All for 100 rupees, which is about 80 cents. The shorty is a local snack that's freaking delicious (it's the item in the photo that looks like an egg roll). I want to compare it an egg roll on the outside with the filling of an Indian samosa on the inside. Spicy, slightly greasy and just amazing. And cheap- 30rupees (about 20 cents). And finally, curd. Similar to yogurt but a bit more sour. Top it with palm syrup and cinnamon and you're in heaven. On that note, I'm off to eat!

Lap of Luxury in Sri Lanka.

This has been my home the past few days in Sri Lanka. The home is one of Gillys friends, an older couple who were spending a bit of time at their other home in Australia. We move out tomorrow and into Gillys little house further down the road in Galle (pronounced "gawl" by tourists but "gaar-le" by locals). We both agreed that we are going to miss this charming house that is bursting with personality, along with the swimming pool and über-private location. I started off my trip in the lap of luxury, that's for sure.

Misplaced Surfboards, Sinhalese and Sunsets in Sri Lanka.

What a beautiful and blessed journey that it has been, and its only just begun. As giddy as I was sitting in the Newark Airport at my gate, I still felt a bit uneasy in my heart and the question "What the frigging hell are you doing cailin?!?" kept popping into my head. I was kicking myself for not brushing up on some French before my flight to Paris and I was feeling pretty vulnerable as I stepped onto the plane. And then, I met Nardin. He was intrigued by my guitar and my "beautiful, soulful voice". We quickly became friends and I practiced some French on my new French friend. Not only did I have someone making me laugh and smile and feel less alone, but the perks of being friends with a First Class attendant are endless. Wine, champagne, cheese and wine, ice cream sundaes (yep, a proper ice cream Sunday with hot fudge and walnuts and all!!), delicious mint tea and proper cappuccinos out of real glasses, none of that styrofoam nonsense. Add onto that the great perks of international flights...they actually feed you food and give you free movies!! I watched TED and the latest Batman. I had the vegetarian curry option for dinner and had a hot croissant and fresh fruit for breakfast. I said goodbye to my friend Nardin, vowing to play a round of tennis with him in Paris some day, and then attempted to navigate the airport in Paris, which was confusing and had me a tad bit flustered for a bit. I really could have used a bit more French in my vocab, and it would have helped if there were people who worked the airport actually sitting at the desk, but there was no one to be found. I eventually figured out my way after covering most of the airport on foot, and was grateful that my layover was 4 hours and not 40minutes. I felt tired and sore and sluggish and full....and I woulda killed for a mini vinyasa/crossfit/yin session. Unfortunately everyone in my terminal was really uptight and I was already getting funny looks for my basic stretching (pam Tracey style haha) so I passed on the travel wodding.

I'm now on my 10 hour flight from Paris to Colombo, Sri Lanka. I have a window seat in the row with only two seats (hooray!) and I'm seated next to IndhuMahti, a lovely Sri Lankan woman with whom I've been bartering. I traded her my lemon dessert for her wedge of cheese, and she traded her complimentary glass of wine for some listening time on my iPod, a fair trade. I've eaten again...another epic vegetarian platter, washed down with some hot tea. And then some more tea. And then a glass of wine. Hey - I'm on VACATION! Ha.

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Any uneasiness or doubt that I had about this trip truly vanished about a half hour into this flight. When I'm traveling I am at my finest. I feel home. Finally in a good place I figured it was time to write my first blog. And then I started to cry...

I just want for my dad to know how much fun I'm going to have, and before any of you out there who read the blog, it was my dad who demanded the stories- and *detailed stories...he wanted to feel it, taste it, and experience it through my words. Just as I got a bit emotional Chris and Thomas' song " Broken Chair" came on....only to be followed by Ben Harpers "Walk Away"--- goddamn you iPod!!! I have had tears rolling down my face ever since. It's going to be a hell of an adventure. Can't wait to share it with all of you.


Chris and Thomas : Broken Chair

You grieve, you love, you lose
You take, you break, you choose
And as you laugh and cry
You do your best and try

And as the days go by
It makes you wonder why
You try so hard, so hard
To mend what's bound to fall apart

Ooooh, maybe it's time to let it go
Ooooh, , maybe it's time for taking it slow
Ooooh, maybe it's time time time
For anything at all
Time time time to let it all fall as it may

And as the path goes on
You deal with what comes along
Some friends they come and stay
Some leave and go their way

Ooooh, maybe it's time to let it go
Ooooh, , maybe it's time for taking it slow
Ooooh, maybe it's time time time
For anything at all
Time time time to let it all fall where it may


Written somewhere over the land and seas between Paris and Sri Lanka...
12:49pm NYC - 11:19pm Colombo - 6:49pm Paris Fri Dec 7th

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Today is Sunday December 9th, 7:30am where I am in Galle. Back home it's just about 9pm on Saturday night. My 10 hour flight from Paris to Colombo was effortless, I breezed through immigration, and all seemed to be moving along flawlessly. Alas, it's never an international trip without some drama... After watching the baggage carousel go around a thousand times, and after asking countless porters for help (here's the thing about Asia, no one wants to disappoint so they always say "yes", even if the answer is a definite "no". So despite the reassurance from all of the airport workers that my 9' longboard bag was coming, eventually I knew that it was not. I made my way to Baggage Services and waited in a loooong line to file my complaint. Tears were just a moment away from spilling over. I closed my eyes and took a few deeps breaths. My phones service I'd had suspended, and I didn't yet have a local SIM card for my Nokia...so I couldn't text my Mom, I couldn't call Gilly and alert her of my delay ,and I couldn't contact my driver...who undoubtedly was standing outside the airport several hours longer than he'd expected. As everything in Asia, filing my complaint took a very long time. But eventually I relaxed...it's only a board, hopefully it will make its way to me and if it doesn't then what'll tears do to fix my situation? Nothing. The Sri Lankan guy next to me, who lives in Wisconsin in the US helped me to speed the process along and even gave me his contact information in case I needed help, and he assured me that thought lost baggage happens often in this country, it always makes its way back to you in just a few days. *sighofrelief*

My cab driver was "Rookie", and we got along like two peas in a pod. By the end of my 3hr ride to Galle I already was full of Sinhalese phrases and vocab. I was especially grateful for the local slang that he taught me, which always brings a smile to the locals faces. As soon as I got to Gillys place I crashed....hard. I slept like a rock for 3 hours before Gilly woke me and alerted me that it was time to head to the beach. We headed to a local ExPat hangout filled with Brits, Scots, and Germans. We had a swim in the beautiful refreshing water, sipped on some fresh lime juice and soaked up the sun. I met a ton of Gillys friends and closed my eyes and drifted to sleep a few times. I was a lovely evening, but im definitely looking forward to some more authentic sri lankan experiences in the days to come. We watched the sunset and then headed home to Gil's for some chicken curry and fresh local bread. It was early to bed and early to rise for me. I woke once in the night due to the humid heavy air in my room, but I turned up the fan and went back to sleep. With me I have a sarong that I'd bought for my dad in Indonesia. He slept on it nearly every night until he passed, and I sleep with it now. As far as I'm concerned its the only "valuable" thing that I've brought with me this trip, and when I was falling to sleep last night I was super grateful that I'd brought it a long....there's definitely a huge bit of comfort and home that it offers me.

Not sure what's in store for today. Just as with any trip, I hope to fall into a steady routine. Wake, yoga, meditation, tea, breakfast, stroll and wifi, nap, authentic lunch in town, and then a mellow night. I try to eat at the same local spot day after day....it helps me to figure out the language faster, offers up a deeper insight into the culture as you undoubtedly make friends with the owners, and the routine gives me a sense of "home" while in a place that is very far from it. I am hoping to find a local Ayurvedic place in town so I can add a daily Ayurvedic steam bath to my routine, and once my boards get here I hope to be surfing each day as well. Missing you Mom, and all you crazy crossfitters (home WODs will be added to the mix once I settle in), and missing my yoga community. Love to you all. "AAYU-BOWAN" (goodbye in Sinhalese).





Sent from my iPad

Au Revoir!

First stop Paris and then SRI LANKA.

The Invitation

The Invitation (By Oriah)

It doesnt interest me

what you do for a living.

I want to know

what you ache for

and if you dare to dream

of meeting your hearts longing.

It doesnt interest me

how old you are.

I want to know

if you will risk

looking like a fool

for love

for your dream

for the adventure of being alive.

It doesnt interest me

what planets are

squaring your moon......

I want to know

if you have touched

the centre of your own sorrow

if you have been opened

by life s betrayals

or have become shrivelled and closed

from fear of further pain.

I want to know

if you can sit with pain

mine or your own

without moving to hide it

or fade it   or fix it.

I want to know

if you can be with joy

mine or your own

if you can dance with wildness

and let the ecstasy fill you

to the tips of your fingers and toes

without cautioning us

to be careful     to be realistic

to remember the limitations

of being human.

It doesnt interest me

if the story you are telling me is true.

I want to know if you can

disappoint another

to be true yourself

if you can bear

the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul.

If you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know

if you can see beauty even when it is not pretty

every day.

And if you can source your own life from its presence.

I want to know

if you can live with failure

yours and mine

and still stand at the edge of the lake

and shout to the silver of the full moon        "YES"

It doesnt interest me

to know where you live

or how much money you have .

I want to know

if you can get up after the night of grief

and despair weary and bruised to the bone

and do what needs to be done

to feed the children.

It doesnt interest me

who you know

or how  you came to be here.

I want to know if you will stand

in the centre of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesnt interest me

where or what or with whorm

you have studied.

I want to know

what sustains you

from the inside

when all else falls away.

I want to know

if you can be alone

with yourself

and if you truly like

the company you keep

in the empty moments.

Thank you to blog reader, Markus, from Germany for sending me this beautiful poem along with well wishes for my travels! 

Final Flow

So last night was my last class before heading out to Asia. There were 25 yogis who showed up for the flow itself, and even more that came after for the potluck feast. It was mat to mat and the room was jam packed. My crossfitting yogis, avalon yogis, oc yogis, margate yogis, philadelphia yogis and friends-who-have-never-done-yoga-but-love-me-yogis all came out! 

Final Flow Love. 

Avalon Yogis.

Me and the Queen Bee being goofy and enjoying the lovefest.

My speech was about the word "fuck", so instead of chanting OM to start off class we all just screamed the F word at the top of our lungs. Rebel yelling feels soooo good. 

A snapshot of the spread....

Great Times and Spilled Wine.

Had a shit show of a good time last night at the house. What began as a small pizza dinner turned into a huge gathering and feast with all my friends. Bill, Megan, jay, Ro, Bridget, John, joe, Sam, Brooke, Mom and me. I made a kale and white beans soup, a huge antipasto platter and pizzas. We drank wine and dirty martinis, and then drank more wine, and managed to spill quite a bit as well. We laughed so hard that I can't believe no one peed their pants. We hooted and hollered and carried on all night and it was crazy fun.

This morning we rolled out of bed and laughed some more. We all reconvened at Bridget's house for homemade waffles, which were taken from "awesome" to "epic" with some delicious homemade whipped cream. The final touch, fresh strawberries.

And since the good times were still rolling, we figured "Why stop now?". So Ro, Brooke, Megan Albrecht, Meg McD, Bridget and myself headed to Pretty Nails for some kickass pedicures, with 3 bottles of champagne and Campari in tow. We took over the salon, plugging in my iPod and rocking out and laughing and drinking....again.

A brief intermission was topped off later by an outstanding dinner at Sushi Ocean View. Faith hooked us up with all sorts of amazingness, and again - more fun than we could handle.

For the first time ever I'm actually feeling a bit sad before I leave...

Christmas @ the Dead Dog.

Paisley and Me.

Luther photo bombing all of us beautiful ladies...Pam, Erika, and Adena.

My two Megs and Bridget. 

Mom Me and Bridge.

Chang yelling at me, telling me that I have to play one more set!! 

I'm so glad that I've gotten to celebrate a bit of Christmas before I'm on my way. Last night there were dozens of christmas hats and reindeer antlers floating around the Dead Dog Saloon for my final gig. I jammed all night long, and had even added a few new songs to the repertoire. EVERYONE came out, and for that I am so grateful. I've said it before, I'll say it again - I have the greatest friends. 

...Paisleys Party.

Adena and I busting some moves up by the DJ booth.

And so the yoga rave continued at the Anchorage...

The Crazy Crossfitters all trying to channel their inner yogi.

Still super impressed by Brandons epic moves. Nice Crow pose!

...from the yoga rave, we went to paisleys party @ the anchorage. I had a change of clothes but it was pretty dressy, plus it was just the Anch, plus I don't mind my yoga clothes- so I stayed in my yoga rave gear. Did I get some weird looks? Many. Were people judging me? Absolutely. Did I give a shit? Not at all. Adena and I started off the dance party and before you knew it the dance floor was packed. I danced so hard that I busted up my finger, but that was a small price to pay for the amount of fun that was had.

Yoga RAVE

I feel like every second of my days lately have been packed to the max. Adam made his world famous spring rolls for me on Thursday night and him, Ari and I hung and chatted the night away. It was great to talk a bit of business with ari and start to scheme for our epic upcoming summer. I spent the night at their house and cuddled with their super adorable puppy and then hit up aris 9:30am 90minute SWEAT class. As if that wasn't enough I then went straight to living well and did crossfit with Sam, paisley and Donny for two freaking hours! I rushed home to shower and eat and then was right back in the car to give a 4:30pm massage. And then....it was time for YOGA RAVE at Boogie Nights in the Tropicana!!! Glow in the dark body paint, neon yoga clothes and disco tunes....it was unbelievable. There was a huge crowd that came out and after the fun flow we shook our asses on the dance floor before heading out and making our way to Paisleys birthday party @ the anchorage...