Above – At the Moana Street Block Party last weekend. I forget the name of the girl riding shotgun.

Below – Making fresh apple juice after gymnastics.

Was it good? That’s 2 thumbs up!

At the OB Pier Pancake Breakfast last Saturday.

Later that day at the Moana Street Block Party. The kids had a blast!

Bike decorated for the parade. We missed the parade to allow Sparty to finish his nap but Maya didn’t seem to mind.

Sunday morning Skype with Robb and the boys. Alo is showing us his tooth that finally got fixed. Kando’s showing us his teeth too.

Robb and the boys at Redwood.

Making pancakes. Robb’s phone camera is broken – not focusing.

Having dinner on the patio. Robb just moved into a new place and there’s this nice little patio (still unpacking).

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone with LOVE!

Above – Flowers Maya & Sparty brought me from the OB Farmers Market.

Below – Designs on the OBYoga t-shirts I had batiked while I was in Pune – a hot item.

Swim time.

Maya using an overabundance of chalk at gymnastics. Imagine that …

Gymnastics friends James & Sparty being silly after gymnastics.

Here are some videos to show what the kids are up to at gymnastics (taken Sep 13).

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone with LOVE!

Above – Hogan missed me.

Below – someone violated the yoga studio

and visited regularly.

Robb and the boys went to the Jelly Belly factory.

and the Zoo.

and the train museum.

AND train ride.

AND the carousel!

I received a package.

Ziggy missed me.

So did Bear. Horribly.

Pappa and I Facetimed.

The new yoga cabinets got finished (as in paint finishing).

Bruce had to move all the “stuff” into the spare bedroom.

Pappa put felt on the “package.”

and put it on it’s own special shelf in the yoga cabinet.

Everything got put back in place.

The Birjoo Mehta Workshop took place at Williams Barn in San Marcos. This has been a work in progress for the Iyengar Yoga Association California Southern Region of which I’m Communications Chair. I already had my Pune trip planned before the date was set for this workshop so I couldn’t make it. I hear it was, although very hot, a great success. This venue was filled with 150+ attendees when it got going.

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone and MacBook with LOVE!

Above – Sirsasana on the hill behind Fergusson College.

Below – The day before I left I said goodbye to the team at Ayurjoti.

Then a final walk in the rain. That’s Jill with the umbrella.

This little fella didn’t seem to mind the rain.

He also didn’t seem to mind that he was blocking our sidewalk.

Oblivious to the fact that we were amazed over the size of those huevos!

A photo after our last class at RIMYI.

On the tarmac – me, Jill and Deni (Maui). We all caught the same flight to Mumbai.

Finally on my Emirates flight from Mumbai to Dubai.

Here’s the flight path.

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone and MacBook from HOME with LOVE!

Above – L-R  Jill, Archana, Nirmala, Nana w/me in front.

Below – When we pulled up in front of Nana’s house in the rickshaw we were greeted by Chamely (English translation = Jasmine), Nana’s sweet little dog.

Looking out one of the windows.

Hey Bruce, check it out. Nana has reverse osmosis!

Nana likes to pour his chai from his cup into the saucer to drink.

View from one of the decks looking out at the farmland surrounding Nana’s home.

A condominium structure is being build to one side of the property. The workers, including women and children working together to mix cement. What’s rare here is the presence of a compressor and cement mixer. On most of the constructions sites workers mix the cement manually.

This small structure houses some of the workers.

Back in the house on the top floor is the family altar.

One of two family kitties.

There’s a small pond outside.

Here’s Nirmala (Nana’s wife) with the cat.

Wheat storage. Nana said they go through one of these big bags a month. That’s a lot of wheat.

Nirmala makes quilts. Here she is holding up several of the quilts she’s made.

Deck at the top (4th) floor.

More views from the deck.

While we were up on the deck, a goat herder herded these goats past the house.

Dinner time.

Selfie eating homemade bhaji. I got the recipe for this tasty veggie dumpling.

Here’re my dinner plates. I ate all of it and more. Very delicious!

Nirmala cleaning herbs.

Nana isn’t very techy …

Here are both cats.

Archana (daughter-in-law #1) joined in the cleaning.

This is what the bhaji looks like before it’s dropped into oil.

Group photo.

Nana’s entire family lives in the 4-story stand alone home. The living room (which also serves as the dining room) and kitchen are on the 1st floor. Both sons and their wives have bedrooms on the 2nd floor. Nana and Nirmala’s quarters on the 3rd floor, and the outdoor deck is on the 4th floor. The last time I had dinner with them was in 2013 with Sharon Maruca. At that time, they lived in a smaller flat. Since then, son #2 got marred and they moved here three years ago. It’s nice to have had this homemade meal in a more intimate setting.

I am home now after two days of traveling. I’m a bit jet lagged but I slept on both legs of the trip and slept fairly well in my own bed last night.

There was a bit of a scare the last couple days before we left because of heavy rainfall and severe flooding in Mumbai because of the monsoon. Much of the city was shut down because of the floods, people were stranded and public transportation was at a stand still. There was more rain this trip than my previous trips, but the temperature in Pune was moderate and with umbrella in hand everywhere I went, it was quite comfortable.

I’m looking forward to spending the next couple days getting caught up on 5 weeks worth of mail, resting, recovering and practicing.

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone and iMac from HOME with LOVE!

Above – SCORE! Selfie with pigs and piglets. I’m seeing and taking so many pictures of animals this trip I thought I’d start adding a twist. Selfies with animals. These pigs eat anything and everything. Just look at them groveling in the garbage. And they were really pigging out (pun intended) …

Nana picked Jill and me up Monday afternoon at 3pm to begin our journey to have dinner with him at his house. On the way we stopped at Mohammed’s Happy Heart store so Jill could pick up a pair of earrings he was fixing for her. The plan was for Nana to go into the store and get the earrings while we waited in the rickshaw for him. Neither of us wanted to go in there for fear we’d buy something (else). Next thing you know Mohammad was standing outside the rickshaw so we got out and followed him into the store. I said “I’m not buying anything,” and “Don’t show me anything,” and “How much is that Patanjali up on that shelf?” Seriously …

Here’s Mohammed holding MY new Patanjali. He was so proud of himself.

Here’s another gas station, Bruce.

Pune version of Nurseryland.

Cow.

Nana insisted I take a photo of this sign “Don’tworry Puja Bhandar.”

Calf and cow.

Here’s my selfie.

This picture was painted on the side of a tuck-truck next to us while we waited at a red light.

A family hay ride in the rain. How fun.

A look down a side street.

Nana lives in the country so we saw a lot of dirt roads and green fields.

“Nana, pull over!”

These ladies are shucking lemon grass.

This is Nana’s street. He lives in the last house at the end of this dirt road. I was surprised the rickshaw made it. We’re expecting more rain so I’m guessing this road isn’t going to get any better.

Nana’s house very nice. I took lots of photos I’ll share with you tomorrow. I’ll have plenty of time at the airport … or wherever I end up.

Today is the last full day I have in Pune (I think). I took my last women’s class with Sunita who taught Maha Mudra brilliantly, I had my last Ayurveda treatment this afternoon, and I’m almost done packing.

Tomorrow morning is the last Prashant 7am class. After class I pick up the class recordings I ordered and get a last practice in before finishing packing and heading to the airport.

Is it the end of the month already?????

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone and MacBook from iNdia with LOVE!

Above – Having fun with Nana in the rickshaw.

Below – View from the rickshaw on the drive to the BIG Ganesha after the hike to the cave temples.

This young girl was sitting at the entrance selling flowers and coconuts for offerings to Ganesha.

A peek of Ganesha from the bottom of the hill.

Part of the stairway up.

We made it. He’s a beauty!!

This sitting area looks out at the hill we hiked up to see the caves earlier.

Ganesha selfie.

Looking up from a couple different angles.

This nice garden was on Ganesha’s backside.

Before leaving.

A view from the rickshaw on the way to a Sai Baba temple. We went to another Sai Baba temple on the way back from Alandi.

This archway along the driveway to the temple is beautiful.

Ron – Another one for you. I paid 2 Rs to use this toilet. I had a dilemma here, or maybe I was facing the wrong way, but the water spicket was on the right. Don’t worry, I got it worked out.

Kids playing in an adjacent lot.

This building was off limits. It may be living quarters.

This artwork was painted on the tiles outside the building you saw above.

Here are a couple close-ups of the fence going around the building.

It started to rain so Nana put his hankie on his head.

The grounds around the building were so green and beautiful. We weren’t allowed to take pictures in the temple, but the inside was gorgeous.

Here’s another painted entryway. It was getting dirty and muddy because of the rain.

The market outside the temple.

Spices – I bought some cardamom and cinnamon sticks here.

Jill with the vendor next to the spice vendor.

Here’s a photo I took of the vendors down the street. Jill and I were taking shelter from the rain waiting for Nana to bring the rickshaw around.

These people were also taking shelter.

Look, there’s The Sheikh again. It looks like he really was expecting a flood.

On the way back to the flat.

A look back at BIG Ganesha.

“GO SLOW,” whatever that means. This is the Pune version of a speed limit sign.

This man pulled up next to us while we were waiting at a red light. He was soaked and very happy to have his photo taken.

Our final Sunday outing with Nana was such a fun day even though it was raining and the road was very very bumpy. We stayed dry for the most part and enjoyed the entire experience.

My last day here is fast approaching. I’ve begun packing and assessing the luggage space situation. I vowed to not buy much here this time around, but somehow I have an abundance of items I need to squeeze into my suitcase – gifts for the kids, India-style snack foods to share when I get home and a few “other items.” Don’t even ask …

This afternoon Abhi and Raya gave another Q&A session and talk, reminiscing and telling stories about their mentorship with Guruji. It was priceless.

Tomorrow morning I get to sleep in because the final women’s class of the month doesn’t start until 9:30 am. After class I take my final trip to Ayurjoti and then back to the Institute for 4pm practice.

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone and MacBook from iNdia with LOVE!

Above – Jill and me at a cave temple on top of a hill on the way to the Big Ganesha in Lonovla. 

Our Sunday outing with Nana started out as a trip to see a BIG Ganesha quite a distance out of Pune. As usual, this outing turned into an adventure with many things to see along the way.

Here are some makeshift homes along the side of the road.

Here’s a look down a street along the way.

Another drive across the Mutha River and a look at a bridge running parallel.

Some of the tropical landscape along the highway.

Bonus … a BIG Hanuman on the way to see the BIG Ganesha! You can see by the building behind Hanuman, he stands several stories high.

A post is not complete without cows.

… and horses!

… and sheep!!

This sheep herder was gathering his sheep to cross the highway.

It rained along the way and much of the day.

Roads were getting muddy.

Before we reached our destination, Jill and I spied a stairway going up a mountain so we asked Nana to pull over to see where it went. As it turned out, there are two temples in caves at the top of the mountain. Jill and I decided to weather the storm and take the hike. Nana opted to stay near the rickshaw and have a chai.

This photo is for the grandkids because this is the kind of thing that makes them happy, and I’m that kind of Amma …

This cow and I decided to take a selfie together.

Then the others got jealous.

At the foot of the hill …

Here’s where we’re going. Actually, we went up the closest hill, not the one in the distance.

Here’re are some views from about half way up. Top photo, center, is a stray dog.

That’s the Indrayani River in the distance. This is the river that runs through Alandi

As usual, we attract a crowd wherever we go outside Pune. At this lookout point we got a lot of stares and requests for photos. Of course we obliged. It’s so much fun! The first two photos are of a group of college students.

This family was so sweet.

You can see a portion of the stairs behind us in this photo with these two nice young men. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again … The people here are absolutely beautiful, warm and friendly.

We made it! It was raining btw …

I didn’t take any photos inside either temple. Since Nana wasn’t there with us I couldn’t ask him if it’s ok and I didn’t want to disrespect anyone or anything. We went inside both caves that were carved into the stone. The first one was fairly large and the second one was very small.

Outside the first temple.

This small garden was planted outside the second temple.

Selfie in front of the garden.

Here’s another photo from the top of the hill.

Me and “The Sheikh.” I was wearing the very cheap (but cute) rubber shower sandals I bought on Amazon for this trip, and coming down a muddy and slippery rock portion of the trail. The Sheikh was heading up the hill and telling me to be careful and to watch my step. I figured this warranted a photo.

This photo is also for the grandkids. Bugs. Very exciting. This was a very big ant.

Here’s the slippery portion of the trail I was talking about. The good thing about shower shoes is they’re designed to not slip in the shower. Well guess what? They don’t slip on rocks either!

A zoomed in photo of this man from the stairs above.

Here’s me and Jill with a portion of the stairway behind us on the way down. They were steep.

Back at the bottom of the hill. We (me in my rubber shower sandals) made it!

That was really fun and a great hike to an unexpected gem of a find along the way. Even Nana didn’t know about this stairway to heaven. When we got to the bottom of the hill we had chai before heading to the BIG Ganesha which will be saved for tomorrow’s post.

This morning was a 7am Prashant Pranayama class, breathing for the different areas of the body (no area was excluded, btw). After class I did an inversion practice in my bedroom while waiting for Sudhir, the Dimpex man, to bring the finished OBYoga t-shirts I brought to be batiked. They turned out great – red, blue, purple and green, with Om symbol, heart chakra and Ganesha.

My day didn’t end there. Nana picked us up at 3pm and took us to his house for dinner. He moved since the last time I was there to a stand-alone house alongside very green farmland. The evening was lovely, dinner was fabulous, and the ride in the rickshaw was an incredible adventure. Stay tuned … I have photos.

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone and MacBook from iNdia with LOVE!

Above – Cat drinking from a pottery bowl along a busy street.

Here are some photos from a couple walks around the neighborhood.

Below – Some kind of mushroom growing from a tree.

These men were enjoying chai together at a sidewalk cafe. They didn’t seem to mind me taking their photo from the sidewalk.

Jill “took one for the team.” I avoided the woman asking for money and giving bindis in return. Jill wasn’t so lucky.

Lunch time.

And a serenade while eating.

Wherever you go here you will see people on their cell phones. Here’s a whole line of people sitting along a block wall, all of them on their phones.

Flatmates – ManYee, me and Jill taking a rickshaw ride (not Nana) to look at some yoga props.

This photo is a little hard to see because it’s taken in a tunnel from from a rickshaw. What you’re looking at here is two men on a motorbike carrying a ladder.

ManYee, me and Jill enjoying a night out at the Marriott. Cheers!

The Marriott here is very nice. Here’s artwork hanging from the ceiling in the main lobby.

Here’s more artwork at the top floor.

I don’t know how I missed this little gem. This market is very close to our flat. I’ve never seen it in the 3 times I’ve been here, but you can bet I’ll be going back.

Here’s a photo Jill took of me walking home from the store.

When I was sick I missed the celebration marking the third year of Guruji’s death. Here is a photo Jill shared with me of the Patanjali in the practice hall decorated with Guruji’s photo and cast of Guruji’s feet. The photos on the wall behind Patanjali are Krishnamacharya on the left and Ramamani Iyengar, Guruji’s wife, on the right.

And my Pune friends Kathleen, Jill and ManYee at the celebration.

More photos from the road …

A common sight here. This boy can’t be more than 6-7 years old.

This is the entrance to The Bombay Sappers, which is a regiment of the Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army that has served in many wars. There’s a lot more to know about the Bombay Sappers if you’d like to google them.

Driving over the Mutha River bridge after Ayurveda.

An unfortunate site. A lot of trash.

More bus stop waiting.

And cows!

Demolition.

Across the street from The MoMo’s – This hungry girl is eating for more than herself and she’ll find food anywhere she can get it.

I saw this deity hanging on a tree along one of my walks in the neighborhood.

I had a great day today. Jill and I spent all afternoon with Nana. We visited three temples and I took many beautiful photos I’ll begin to share with you tomorrow.

btw, I’m feeling much better today. I believe I’ve made a huge breakthrough with this cold. I’ve got 7am class with Prashant tomorrow and very much looking forward to it.

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone and MacBook from iNdia with LOVE!