one door closes and another door opens

"Oh blog, how it feels like an eternity since I last layed my eyes on you and had words with you..."

You quickly realise that access to the Internet is a commodity when your in a tiny little city 4 hours out of Delhi... so the next few posts I will have piece together as best I can as I have still been writing but just as random notes on my iPhone...

Below are a few blogs I wrote while still in London...(remember...unedited means, that I have not re-read allot of these, so pardon me for the slightly embarrassing grammar)...

LONDON

This god for 'saken' town. Love to love it, love to hate it but hate that love it so much!!

Within 2 days of being here the tube map, it's connections and change overs are back in my head and I'm walking the streets like an A-Z or as one would say "a proper Londoner innit"! It really does feel like my home away from home. Being here after 4.5 years since returning to Sydney is probably the perfect amount of time as I am less attached to the desire to stay here. I did love living here and I could easily see myself living there again. But the calmer part of me can also see that being in a fast pace city again is something I would mentally have to prepare for or even avoid if I am to find my true balance. Walking along oxford st and going out in Soho last night reminded me how intense this city can actually be. Millions of people from all over the world co-existing in one city all striving to succeed, to become something, thriving for the same energy to become financially independent, to achieve their purpose, or even find their purpose, wanting something different from their life. This is the buzz that is London. This energy is possibly what makes it one of the best cities in world. It is nice to have lived it and experienced it, but for now, its an amazing place to visit. I have wanted to move back so many times since I moved back to Sydney but it was this trip that allowed me to close this door in my mind and realise that living in London again at this stage in my life would be a novelty that would wear off very quickly.

So the new door that is to open is my travels through India...

48 hours in Delhi...

All I can do is giggle at what a foreigner I am or what I may be perceived as being. My walk, my talk, my dress, my mannerisms, my camera…need I say more. I often wonder what runs through a persons mind when they see me. Am I acting too butch, too foreign, too vulnerable, too sexy, too not sexy, a target? I have no idea, it doesn’t bother me but I would like to hear their internal dialouge when they stare at me.

I got over the staring when I was in SE Asia, scary men, kind of sexy men, sleezy men all at which that take an interest in a foreign women and show this by staring do not bother me at all…here in Delhi, every time I have talked to them, they are pretty harmless and try to charm me and ask me out. I try not to laugh and just brush it off by changing the topic but I do admire their confidence and upfront’ness’. We could all learn something from this approach. If you like something go after it.

Yesterday upon arrival into Delhi at 4am I went straight to my hotel “Hotel Chand Palace” great little hotel, pretty much in the middle of ‘New Delhi’. I slept till 1.30pm in the afternoon and started my day relatively late by travelling standards, but was still willing to go and check a few things out. I hired a driver who took me to a few sights, but I was just so tired that I got home about 6pm, slept a little more, woke up by 9pm went for a walk and check out the streets at night. As I was alone and not too familiar with pretty anything I came back to hotel and slept again and decided to start my day early…

So this morning at about 9am I set off. I had my first rickshaw experience which I must confess was no where near as scary as what I have heard. Again, I think SE Asia has softened me which means not allot puts me on edge. I got dropped off at ‘Connaught Place’ (tourist shopping area) which was closed. So I walked around looking for a coffee place and started talking to this 23 year old local Delhi Boy, who has since become my ‘Delhi Angel’. Anil, gave me an amazing local tour of New Delhi, Temples, Markets, Food, he even took me to a great tailor to get some ‘Ali Baba, yoga style pants tailored’. Get this, 3 pairs, made to measure, delivered to my hotel all for $70 AUD. He even helped me organise a Sim card, which may not seem like a big deal, but is actually not as easy as the UK where I just slipped in 20 quid to a vending machine at the airport and boom!...

Tonight, I’m taking it easy, packing and getting set for my yoga journey. I still can’t believe I am actually here in India and all is soon to unfold!

...in transit

Just got off my LHR to AUH (Abu Dhabi) flight. Pretty easy flight 6.5 hours and talked to the girl next to me most of the way. Though am right into my book 'Shantaram'. After we made conversation and kept talking for an hour, I kinda felt akward about opening the book up to continue reading.

Unusually... I don't have allot to say except, I thought I would write a little blog about nothing, just to use free wifi in Abu Dhabi and plot my location so I look really cool.

London was amazing,I ate lots, drank lots and caught up with loads of people. The time went oh so quickly, but my mind and body are ready to be immersed into my Yoga Teacher Training. While being present and allowing my self the freedom to do as I please, I continue to wonder how people who live a toxic lifestyle survive. I know it was only a week, and I'm not regretting a single thing...but omg. I was kinda feeling lethargic and tired all the time. Though it could of been the late nights with my bestie, up till 2am on the vino and up at the crack of dawn because we're both mental PT's. 

In 5 hrs from now, I will be on the Indian subcontinent! holy shit!