THREE WHITE STATEMENTS

OMG.
I am SOOOO white. (really. check. track back my entire blog. Half this shit is on there.)
I am also TOTALLY buying that book when it comes out. Totally.

READING BETWEEN THE LINES

So, last Fiction Friday, a restless, ugly, bitter, frustrated, depressed, confused, distressed, angered, weak, selfish, panicky Lonely Londoner sat in her white hot bathroom on the cold yellow tiles, took a sharpened pair of scissors and carefully cut a line into her right thigh. Yes, I am a fleeting cutter. Actually, this is the first time I've had the urge since 2006. So, the American X suggested getting back fully into my yoga and Buddhist practices, particularly the I-Ching or Book of Changes. Ever heard? Anyway, as all my belongings have taken up all my floor space what with all the packing and moving off of campus going on this week, and since the book was delivered to me bright and early this morning, (also since I'm constantly fascinated by prying into more corners of Asian culture) I went with the I-Ching. I'll tell you about it.
"The I-Ching takes a decidedly realistic view of the world. It doesn't mislead us into thinking that evil - in ourselves, in others, in the world at large- can be eliminated once and for all. It acknowledges that we all have in our characters both positive and negative elements, and it teaches us to be led by our superior qualities so that our thoughts and actions are free of inferior influences. It also teaches us how to respond to negative influences outside ourselves in order to avoid harm and maintain our well-being."

"The qualities that the Book of Changes counsels us to embody in our lives are modesty, awareness, acceptance, adaptability, compassion, restraint, innocence, perseverance, tolerance, reticence, devotion to inner truth, patience, openness, detachment, conscientiousness, balance and inner independence. The qualities that the I-Ching urges us to let go of are fear, anger, desire, arrogance, aggressiveness, anxiety, harshness, cunning, goal orientation and self-indulgence. At this point these are merely words. It is only when we begin to follow the guidance of the I-Ching that we begin to have an inkling of their true meaning."

So basically, after that, you shake three coins, heads have a value of 3, tails a value of 2. Add them up. For each number that is even draw a broken line, and for each number that is odd, draw an unbroken one; putting the number you got next to the line. You throw the coins 6 times. So you will have 6 broken or unbroken lines on a page, with the first line drawn starting at the bottom.

Then, there's this chart...So, basically lines 1-3 (the bottom three lines) make up the lower trigram, and 4-6 on top make up the upper trigram. And the number on the chart that lies at their intersection indicates which hexagram you threw, and which hexagrams you should turn to for advice for this particular session. There are a lot of twists, like, for the first hexagram you draw, you only read the advice from the lines that have "changed", meaning the ones that came up to a value of either 6 or 9 in the coins. And then, for the second hexagram, (which is based on the lines you get from inverting the "changed" lines, you only read the opening paragraph, as it is merely read 'to further illuminate the instruction of the first'.

So, you can turn to the I-Ching if you have a specific question in mind, or if you just feel troubled, or some people throw hexagrams every morning to direct the path of their day. Asian culture is ram-packed with superstition so...technically, this is like a more fun, advanced and interactive Hosroscope, and I tend not to like living my life based on what someone or something says it's going to be like. I'm more of a hippie, if you will. But, it seems I need to try some direction. I'm way too lost at this stage to do the whole 'go with the flow' thing. So, this is an experiment.

So, yes, some people let this be the breakfasts of their day and wholly live by it, but my hexagrams today, among other tidbits of advice, say I should know my limit and try not to strain myself, so I'm probably not going to stick to this/report to you everyday. Although if and when you get the book, your personal hexagrams will instruct you differently, I will try loosely (it's a lot of info.) to share with you what I received from time to time, because it's still great advice. But not today because 1) I'd like to explore the book further on my own and really understand my advice and, 2) this post is already too frickin' long.

BROWN PAPER PACKAGES TIED UP WITH STRING...

Ooohhh! It feels like Christmas. I was greeted with these this morning; some of my summer reading list and a gig ticket for tonight's show. I'm aiming for one book a week. But no pressure...

Okay. Back to watching 'The Joy Luck Club' and crying all over myself (I'm pretty sure I have to change my contraception). Then I'm going to cook pasta so I don't have a barf fest later what with all the boozing I am SO doing tonight. It's been a while.

SEVERAL THINGS ABOUT SATURDAY

Whoa. I can't sleep right. So, I woke up a couple times for the unruly buzz of my cellphone and a knock at the door, which I was so shocked by that I didn't even answer (no one in this flat knows I'm alive. Why would that happen?), but other than that, I literally slept all day. So tonight is going to be interesting. I'll tell you ALLLLL about it.

What's so funny is that the latest song stuck in my head is 'Gubbish' by Chad Vangaalen. Its lyrics go something like this. NOT ONLY that song though! 'Asleep' by The Smiths won't stop popping up when I put my iPod on Shuffle. (Okay we know that's also about suicide but DON'T think so deeply. It's about sleep too)

So I'm taking matters into my own mouth. I'm doing sleeping pills. The date will be set for tomorrow (well today, later, whatever). (Okay we know I sound suicidal and have suicidal tendencies but don't think so deeply. This is about sleep too). I will take them at 10pm and hopefully that will set things straight from there. I have not been on the right time zone since 2006. I've been up and down from Trinidad to Abu Dhabi to London to San Francisco and back, this way and that way, whichever way is cheapest; because my old friends are in Trinidad, my family is now in Abu Dhabi, my school life and flat is in London and my boyfriend (now ex) was in SF. So, it's just never stopped. It's amazing how far apart they all are too, just to stretch my fucked-up-ness even more to the limit.

Usually when I end up pulling these all-nighters I don't fall asleep til noon, and I made an appointment to get my hair dyed black later at 2pm so I'm just gonna have to Redbull it all day long. I HAVE to stay awake. "I'm never goin' to sleep, I'm never goin' to sleep, I'm never goin' to sleep..." That song is so permanently lodged up there....*sigh*

Anyway, to make matters worse, I have a choice of two new DVD's tonight that I bought yesterday because they were dirt cheap. Wait for it....'Interview with the Vampire' and 'The Science of Sleep'. HMMM. To be the living dead or to be the dead living? To be awake or asleep? My brain has hinted enough. It's time to end this Zombie Tirade.

Maybe I should've shamelessly gone to that 'Pimps and Hoes' party at Suburban that I got invited to tonight. Could've just gotten smashed so I would've knocked out conveniently at a fairly decent 3am hour? Oh well, too late. Didn't feel like wearing THOSE BOOTS anyway. But I DID shave my legs this weekend so the mini skirt would've been fun to wear. I hardly ever shave. I opt for the long pants/jeans/leggings route. And well I'm not having sex so...psh! But a couple hours ago, since I shaved, I wore shorts to go collect my pizza and the wind felt like someone was running a silk sheet against my legs...ahhhhh *falls back into a bed of roses* pure bliss. I'll shave more now. :D

So, first thing on the agenda for tonight's sleepless activity was deciding on and ordering several books to read over summer. The class I'm taking next year, Developing the Novel, requires that we read at least 10 books over the summer, not including the Creative Writing texts they asked us to look at as well. So, I made my list:

1.The Lonely Londoners -Sam Selvon (yes, this is where I got my blog title from. I think I read this book in class back in Trinidad. He is a very famous London based Trinidadian author)

2. Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams - Sylvia Plath (I love Sylvia and the title rocks. Plain and simple.)

3. Candy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper- Diablo Cody (all the Juno fans should know that this is the chick who wrote the screenplay for that movie and won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, and used to be a stripper, and is gorgeous, and wears gorgeous Daphne Guinness-esque rings like this!) (I will be doing more posts on her in the future. She's my new research project.)

4. The Body: And Seven Stories - Hanif Kureishi (You knew I had to put him in. I'm also struggling through 'Intimacy' and plan to finish it tomorrow at the salon. Seriously guys, get into this guy's work.)

5. A Moveable Feast - Ernest Hemingway (Sadly, this is the first book by this reclaimed suicidal author I am reading. I think anyone who writes such a beautiful short story all in dialogue, about abortion, without even mentioning the word or scenario, deserves my readership - Hills like White Elephants)

6. The Snows of Kilimanjaro: And Other Stories - Ernest Hemingway (gotta know this guy more)

7. Another Sky: Voices of Conscience from Around the World - Hani Kunzru (I heard excerpts from this at a seminar for imprisoned writers/censorship in other countries etc. It is compiled letters from prison, and they are fantastic, and real. The seminar was put on by this group I am planning to join called PEN (Poets, Playwrights, Editors, Essayists, Novelists and their translators), and they aim to 'promote literature, defend freedom of expression, and build a world community of writers'. They're based in 104 countries but here's the wesbite I have for English PEN.)

8. On the Road - Jack Kerouac (I should've read this eons ago. But I read this book about The Beat Generation of San Francisco/New York and all those cats; Ginsberg, Burroughs, Carlos Williams and Kerouac, all the amazing fag writers, and that is one of the craziest things I have ever read, along with 'Howl'. Now I know what I'm getting into and I'm ready for their prose. I remembered about it again tonight because the girl who told me to read it, a friend from Uni, she ran off to India and came back a couple days ago. I missed her a lot. So this is for her.)

9. Naked Lunch - William S. Burroughs (I know. Don't laugh. But I'm ready now.)

10. The Book of Other People: Short Stories- edited by Zadie Smith (Smith is one of my favourite writers, having read 'White Teeth' and 'On Beauty' so...anything with her name attached to it gets me going. This is compiled short stories from UK and overseas writers, including Hari Kunzru who compiled 'Another Sky' above. I figure, if she chose them, they must be damn good. So there.)

I ALSO ORDERED:

11. The Inheritance of Loss- Kiran Desai (Because I think I've read something EPIC from that author before and it's set in the Himalayas and has lots of character Point of View stuff. I realised I like lots of Asian Conflict prose. Theyre very funny and very tragic; Amy Tan's 'The Joy Luck Club', 'Bonesetter's Daughter', Ha Jin's 'Waiting', Arthur Golden's 'Memoirs of a Geisha', Dai Sijie's 'Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress', Hidier's 'Born Confused', Gita Mehta's 'A River Sutra'...I could, and BADLY want to go on...)

ANYWAY, as a result, that's why I am looking for something more on asian culture, and something on Samurai (because I still want to study their ways and become one...yea right). I'm going to also order:

12. Saving Fish from Drowning - Amy Tan (She is an asian wordsmith goddess. I heard this one isn't like her usual Chinese mother/daughter dramas though, and is actually quite disappointing, but I'll be the judge of that)

I AM ALSO TRYING TO FIND:

13. The Savage Gentleman - ? (Amazon is bringing up a buncha crap for this. I think the book might be out of print, which explains why my ex has it wrapped in plastic at home (?) "Hey, Euphemism, a little help finding this book?" Wonder if he'll read this...)

14. Indestructible Wolves of the Apocalypse Junkyard - Max G. Morton (I am so pissed about this one. Jen from Gnarlitude featured it on her blog and, since I shamelessly worship her now, I thought I'd give it a go. It sounded interestingly sick and something new for the reading palate. There are only 500 copies in print and I found one yesterday on Amazon but now it's gone. Will keep checking the website, I guess...)

ANYWAY! I made up my mind to watch 'Interview with the Vampire'. I'm going for sleepless allround tonight. And my pizza's getting cold, and my drink's getting warm, and this is way too long so, Goodnight to all those who sleep!

Nevermind...everyone's up now. Campus alarm went off. MUHAHAHA!

IT'S MAY, HUH?

Wow, it just came...I pretty much started the year yesterday. Ao anyway, this means new Book of the Month. Honestly, all I've managed to read is a buncha Kureishi novels (you know how wild I am about him) and I have already featured two of his books. The other books I feverishly read recently were for my course, and I sort of never want to see those books ever again (well, at least for 5 months). Have no fear though, one of the classes I chose for third year (Developing the Novel (GOD HELP ME)) requires that I read at least 10 novels this summer so I'll deliver splendidly in the next few months. For now, have this one:It's called Tracks. I had to read it for last semester's Travel Writing class, but it's not what you think. It's about clearly THE MOST badass woman that ever lived- Robyn Davidson; a psycho city lady who decides to go to Alice Springs, a desert town in Australia, and learn to raise wild camels so she can cross the desert with her own herd. You know those crazy white women, ALWAYS getting some sort of outlandish Calling. Actually, she had me conspiring all kinds of things after I read this (twice), for an essay (that I got an upper 2nd on thank you very much!).

She's sort of the reason I was packed and ready to go to Egypt in January and stay at a hostel in Cairo by myself for a week until my parents caught me. I was going to ride a camel. Next time.

Actually, it is REQUIRED that all demotivated women read this book at some point in their lives. I'm pretty sure I cried, but since I've been doing that tenfold lately, I'm beginning to wonder if it's my contraceptives.

LOVE THIS PHOTO! She was pretty hot too. Oh, for all those lovey dovey types, there's a tough girl love story in here too. It was very sweet. I will HAVE to gather some epic quotes from this book but not right now, as the day's a-wasting, it's sunny out and I need nourishment. READ IT!!!

REASONS YOU SHOULD READ MY BOOK OF THE MONTH: THE BUDDHA OF SUBURBIA

Just finished this book and am about to go on to his fourth piece of fiction (also the 4th book I'll be seduced by by him) 'Intimacy'. Will tell you how that goes.

"It was clear that Eleanor had been to bed with a large and random collection of people, but when I suggested she go to bed with me, she said, "I don't think we should, just at the moment, do you?" As a man I found this pretty fucking insulting. There were constant friendly caresses, and when things got too much (every few hours) she held me and cried, but the big caress was out."

"I'd had a haircut at Sassoon in Sloane Street and my balls, recently talcum-powedered, were as fragrantly dusted and tasty as Turkish Delight."

"She looked at me as if she wanted to press a hard grain of rice down my penis."

"As Anwar smacked downwards with his stick, Changez lumbered to one side, just in time, withdrew the knobbly dildo from its paperbag sheath, and with a Muslim Warrior shout - at least, Shinko said it was a Muslim shout, but what would she know? - whacked my uncle smartly over the head with it. Uncle Anwar, who'd come from Indian to the Old Kent Road to lodge with a dentist, to jangle and gamble, to make his fortune and return home to build a house like my grandfather's on Juhu Beach, could never have guessed all those years ago that late in life he would be knocked unconscious by a sex-aid. No fortune-teller had predicted this. Kipling had written 'to each his own fear', but this was not Anwar's."

"I ran towards Heater and mounted him by stepping on his knee, grabbing him by the lapels and using velocity to bounce my forehead against his nose in the way I'd been taught at school. Thank God for education. He wheeled away, holding his nose onto his face. Then Hilary and I were running and shouting; we were holding each other and kissing, and it seemed that blood was everywhere; it was just pouring off us. I'd forgotten that Heater had learned at school never to go anywhere without razor-blades sewn into the back of his lapels".

PLUS THERE'S A TV MINI-SERIES! AHHHHH DID. NOT. KNOW. THAT.

Anyone recognize the main star? Naveen Andrews from Lost. He looks just like my friend Syam. Can't get over it.

AND DAVID BOWIE DID A TRACK FOR IT! (I quite like it...Song of the Week maybe?)

WHAT IS AMBITION?

SO, in order to win a wad of cash (£1000 actually) from Harper's Bazaar, I have to write a short story about Ambition by April 11th, the same day I am handing in my entries for the Vogue Young Talent Contest for Young Writers.

I decided to look up the word Ambition, as a starting point, to see what pops up in my head. Dictionary.com says:

am·bi·tion /æmˈbɪʃən/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[am-bish-uhn] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1.
an earnest desire for some type of achievement or distinction, as power, honor, fame, or wealth, and the willingness to strive for its attainment: Too much ambition caused him to be disliked by his colleagues.
2.
the object, state, or result desired or sought after: The crown was his ambition.
3.
desire for work or activity; energy: I awoke feeling tired and utterly lacking in ambition. –verb (used with object)
4.
to seek after earnestly; aspire to.

I also decided to do some research on the competition and I'll be damned what came up on google. SOMEONE HAILING FROM MY UNIVERSITY WON THE 2006 PRIZE! AND I knew her. She's a very well known erotic writer in London, Debra Mehta, and she did a reading at our University's first major literary event last year (where I sadly won Best Dressed. Whatever happened to winning something for writing? But actually there were no prizes for writing anyways so no biggie.) Anyways, I guess the topic changes every year because I don't see how erotica can be classed ambition.

WHO THE FUCK CAN SAY ANYTHING GOOD ON AMBITION BESIDES CHEERLEADERS?! You guys have to help me. Give me some ideas, some sparks, some starting points. I really need this money*cough* I mean, this recognition. Okay jokes aside, I think daily readers of my blog know I would kill to make it as a successful writer. It's not really about money for me, or else my parents would've forced me to study medicine like I had originally planned. But you gotta admit, winning this competition and that money is a GREAT place to start. One of my favourite authors Zadie Smith won this (if you haven't read White Teeth and On Beauty yet, GET ON IT!). I actually wrote about Zadie Smith in my admittance essay for my University.Anyway, this website is really good for any and everything short and reader worthy (short stories). They've got upcoming competitions and lists of magazines that publish stories etc. You can also download some short stories here for reading pleasure.

FEEDJIT LOVE

Boy, do I love my Feedjit. I'm seeing people visiting me from New Mexico, Western Finland, Korea(!), Germany, Athens, Trinidad(naturally, had to bribe the friendies), San Jose, CA(giggles). I better post daily and devotedly and keep my international readers happy! I know I'M happy!

THANK YOU FOR VISITING MY BLOG! PLEASE COME AGAIN!

Okay, gotta get back to reading "Midnight All Day" before World Book Day ends. Ciao!

HAPPY WORLD BOOK DAY!

Just as the title says. To you in the raspberry beret, to you with the cigarette hanging from your lips, to you the geek, and to you and you and even you too! This year March 6th is World Book Day! So DO take a sliver of time from your busy day today and read something, anything; be it from the phone directory or a coffee table photography book. Doesn't matter.

I for one am reading a bit of Hanif Kureishi today - "Midnight All Day"
As well as my Writing Contexts core text "What If? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers" by Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter

Maybe you'll catch me in Starbucks today. I'll be the one with the ratty hair, dirty Chucks with dirty pink ribbon laces and want of sleep. In the corner. Iced Coffee only!

WORDS OF WISDOM

"Sometimes there is just no way around it- we are boring and we are sick of ourselves, our voice, and the usual material we write about. It's obvious that if even goig to a cafe to write doesn't help, it is time to find other ways. Dye your hair green, paint your nails purple, get your nose pierced, dress as the opposite sex, perm your hair."

"Actually, one small prop can often tip your mind into another place. When I sit down to write, often I have a cigarette hanging out of my mouth. If I'm in a cafe that has a "No Smoking" sign, then my cigarette is unlit. I don't actually smoke anywah, so it doesn't matter. The cigarette is a prop to help me dream into another world. It wouldn't work so well if I ordinarily smoked. You need to do something you don't usually do."

"Borrow your friend's black leather motorcycle jacket, walk across the coffee shop like a Hell's Angel, and sit down and write. Put on a beret or house shoes and a nightgown, wear work boots, farmer's overalls, a three-piece suit, wrap yourself in an American flag or wear curlers in your hair. Just sit down to write in a state you don't ordinarily sit down to write in. Try writing on a large drawing pad. Wear all white and a stethoscope around your neck- whatever it takes to simply see the world from another angle."

My Goddess Natalie Goldberg, author of my 'March Book of the Month' on the right says the coolest things. Now, mind you, I don't think it's all that spectacular of an outfit but normally when I sit down to write I'm in a dingy hoodie and a bad mood. I started making a little effort when I head out to write in public. It makes me feel more like a writer for some reason, because people sort of expect a writer to look 'cool' and chill, snug in a cafe corner staring at you with a pen scratching his/her chin. This is what I wore last at Starbucks where I put forth a very fruitful three hour writing session, with the help of my Grande customized iced coffee.

THE PASSION OF A THOUSAND PASSION FRUITS!

*Isn't that the loveliest thing you've ever heard? It is my friend Sian's Facebook status update. Sian has the passion of a thousand passion fruits!

* Jiinzu o kaitai. Translation: I want to buy jeans. Actually, I want to buy ANYTHING, because I can't. I am only 2 weeks in with my Lenten shopping ban (40 days). It all ends March 23rd. That's before Spring Break, right? RIGHT?! In case you didn't catch it, that was also your Japanese Phrase of the Day (object + o kaitai = I want to buy (object). Love it or leave it.

* Have you chosen yet? Your book, I mean. You know, for World Book Day. 6th of March. World Book Day traditionally took place on 23 April (Shakespeare's birthday and St George's Day). From 2001 this was changed to the first Thursday in March to avoid clashes with Easter holidays and allow schools to take part. If you haven't yet chosen, and can't choose, I found this really cool website that challenges to find the right book for you. Check it out. There are actual metres where you can click on the level of funny/sad, safe/disturbing, easy/demanding, short/long, you would like in your book.

I've actually chosen to read lots of Hanif Kureishi, as he is my author of choice at the mo, so I ordered, and just received, two of his books 'Midnight All Day' and 'Love in a Blue Time' from Amazon; which is also great because I've chosen to do my Editorial Analysis Essay on his story Four Blue Chairs. I STRESS, READ IT! Or, find your own book on that link up there. What will you be reading? SEND ME COMMENTS! I like.

* ITEM OF THE DAY (Yes, I'm doing everything on one ridiculously long post, because I can, and I really hated being absent but I was fulfilling my yogi duties).

These, I found bookmarked on my laptop from maybe a year ago; the GeeWaWa Hip distressed leather boots in silver. Order them from zappos now for the reduced price of $178 (was $223.95). Smitten.

* BJORK IN APRIL! Are you going? You are?! Oh, fab! Get me tickets. Let's go together. It's just a 72 bus ride away from my flat, in Hammersmith. What is so funny about my Lenten shopping ban, is that I can't tell whether or not I can buy these tickets for a show in April, LONG AFTER my ban has been lifted. You understand the urgency of buying concert tickets months beforehand, right? So, would that be cheating?

* BIG UP TO MY TRINI SALLY! My girl is now officially blogging on her intern escapades at Teen Vogue. Aint she cute? She doesn't like the picture, but we should all let her know how adorable we think she is.P.S. WOW! I just saw that Jazzi is 18. Totally hasn't registered, and never will. She is at least 22 to me.

* Yesterday, my wee little Sony Vaio TR3A Series Notebook nearly died. If you don't know what it's like to have an electronic friend's life flash before your very eyes, I want everyone reading this to take a moment and JUST THINK about what your life would be like if we were still in a world where we had to put pen to paper and shell out 3,000 word literary essays, could not read or write cool blogs like this, or communicate with the world at large by picking at a keyboard. Yes, we are all considerably lazier because of it, but can we really live without computers? Do you know how valuable Skype is to an International student? *Sigh* That really shook me.

* I'm a Neo Polyvorist, by the way. Did you know? If you missed out on my Greenery set, which you shouldn't have, because it's the post right under this one, then, as soon as the bloody website is done with its conveniently scheduled maintenance at this hour, I will post another set I did one 6AM on things my future NYC loft will be wearing. I hope my future husband is a blog reader.

* Diesel likes quirky cool advertising. The last set of ads they did were 'Global Warming Ready'. Now there are these interesting Live Fast ones. You know that phrase "Live Fast, Die Young"? Well, I think this is sort of a secret gesture/message to us. Diesel scares me. They like telling us we're going to die soon. And that last ad reminds me of the ever-lovely and all stitched up Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas; also a very gloomy subject (but at least it's in a fun way.)

* You know that Mika song 'Big Girl'(You Are Beautiful)? And how they had that great video shoot in London with all those curvaceous beautiful women (who weren't really all that big, a mon avie) dancing around him in fabulous shiny get-ups? Well, I started making small talk with my new co-workers at the bikram yoga centre, and, my new friend there, from Canada, is a West End theatre actress, currently casting for High School Musical and Hairspray and the like. She's done some other great shows I sadly can't remember. She also told me, she was in that video! AND DON'T YOU JUST HATE IT WHEN YOU INSTANTLY RECOGNIZE THE FACE UPON HEARING THAT? YOU JUST CLICK? It really was her! I remember! Here she is on set in the orange glittery dress. Although she's not that big anymore and the yoga is making her lose weight (5 lbs in 2 weeks!). SO EXCITING! Maybe I should start looking into theatre shows now...*cough*DISCOUNTS*cough*

* Speaking of yoga, I just want to point out how proud I am of yesterday's class. I got a REALLY deep energizing stretch and executed fabulous pro-level postures, ESPECIALLY my Dandayamana-Janushirasana pose. I actually gasped in the middle of performing it because my head had finally touched my knee lol.

*PHEW! I think I'll leave it at that for now, don't ya think that should last you guys for a while? My work here is done. Have a great Thursday everyone.

I'M GETTING PAID TO DO YOGA

I mentioned a while back that I applied for a job at a yoga centre. Well I went over there today for a quick chat with the manager and was told I would be starting working on Tuesdays and Fridays. I originally applied for receptionist work and was told I was going to be a helping hand. But it didn't exactly come to me in those words. She said "Okay Kara, so usually receptionists are helping hand first then they move up once they get a feel of the place and what bikram yoga is all about. So, what you're basically going to be doing is spraying the mats before and after classes with lavender and rose water, because they tend to get really sweaty, and then you sit in on the actual classes, so you're going to need to bring your yoga gear."

I can't say I wasn't thrilled but 'SAY WHAT?' This isn't sitting behind a desk on Facebook and taking calls. I'm glad I took it up though. I get a chance to learn this beneficially amazing artform(never done bikram, but I practise Hatha) for free! The place is well set up and although very steamy, as it should be, it is such a relaxed atmosphere, and I only made it to the lobby. The benefits are great, a ten day pass as of now just for showing up, anyone who shows up I think, and well, once I get started I am pretty much getting paid to detox, strengthen and flexify myself! And I can still go for free whenever I'm not working. This centre is really great. Check it our here. It's based in Fulham but there's another one opening in Balham soon.

I made sure before I got to the interview I did a little research on Bikram yoga. So, in case you were interested in getting started:

Bikram yoga is a popular type of yoga that was created by Bikram Choudhury. The Bikram yoga practice consists of a sequence of 26 postures, which are each held for approximately 20 to 30 seconds. The room temperature in which Bikram yoga is practiced should be approximately 105°F and 60% humidity. The heated room is beneficial for warming up the muscles to allow a deeper stretch and to detoxify the body. I got this from my Teach Yourself Visually Yoga book, which is the way I learnt yoga. Yes, if you don't want to go sweating it out with a bunch of half naked strangers, you can do it in the privacy of your own own.

Did I mention my depression and how well it had lifted my mood and my thinking? I am telling you, yoga is the real deal. And with results in body and mind in a mere three weeks? Can't go wrong people. Become a friend of Bikram Yoga; or yoga period! I'll keep you all posted on how my work there progresses.

On a sidenote, those Teach Yourself Visually books aren't half bad. They're so many of them on the most unlikely DIY things. You may not even have to get a degree anymore: Digital Photography, Adobe Photoshop 7, Drawing, Handspinning, Poker(!), Wireless Networking, Jewelry Making and Beading, Golf, MacBook, Calculus, Chess, Weight training, Dog Training(!!!). Yeah, a sign for me to stop.

The picture isn't to scare you away. Trust me, you'll be able to do this in like a week of practising.