Simplicities and acceptance - Teaching Dance in Bangalore - Weeks 4/5

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Currently I am sitting at the airport waiting for a flight to Goa... I got here extremely early so I thought it was time for an update.

There hasn't been much adventuring for me over the past few weeks so I thought I might make a list of things I have learned that may be of use to someone wanting to travel to Bangalore. Please understand I must only say Bangalore because people from other places tell me they are totally different to here and different things apply but I guess some general things will be consistent.

So must begin by saying that one month is as long as it takes to feel adjusted. I have found myself a routine and some coping mechanisms for spending a lot of time on my own - a healthy addiction to Sons of Anarchy and Paulo Coelho novels. I feel more confident being out in my own area in the evenings now, I know the streets and some shops where I have become a regular customer give me a sense of safety. Two of my students have been educating me about the local food and introduced to some people who work at the local restaurants, which was a huge help.

Food in south India consists mainly of rice. You can get it in various forms - standard steamed rice, dosa, a flat, semi fried pancake, iddly, a round steamed rice cake and vada, a fried doughnut, all of which come in various forms and accompany what is called Subzi or vegetable curry, chutney, usually coconut, sometimes Mint, mango or tomato, Sambar, a spicy lentil based stew, very thin and Rasam, a soup like concoction. You can get all of these things at most places, each place having their own version. Then there is Biriyani, which consists of rice, chicken or mutton meat or vegetables. There are different types of Biriyani, depending on the spices used. So far I have tryed Donne Biriyani, served in a bowl made out of dried Banana leaf which comes with chicken, half a boiled egg, chopped onion, cucumber and gravy and Ambur Biriyani, differnt spices are used but again served with chicken and gravy - there was salad at the table in the food house but I was not game enough to try it, as caution must be taken when eating fresh vegetables in restaurants that are not connected to 5 star hotels. Then there are the breads, Chapati, a particular kind of wheat based flat bread and Parotta, a layered wheat flat bread. I crave Parottas, parotta and subzi, parotta and chicken, parotta and mutton, it's become my staple, a fine and filling alternative to rice I think everyone should try. Chapattis are simple and delicious but the Parotta... I have tried lots of different chicken curries, names of which I can never remember, I'd need to have a note book with me constantly to record them, but this would be to hard with my fingers covered in food as I become more accustomed to eating everything by hand without cutlery. The amount of times I miss hear what is being said for the accent is nearly 100% and vice versa, so it can hard to order in places with no menu, but try your best, keep repeating yourself and they'll bring you something yummy usually so not to worry. Chicken is the most common and healthiest meat to get (or so I'm told) in Bangalore, so there has been many chicken meals, but I finally found a place I can get fresh/frozen meats from (Nature's basket, expensive supermarket for local standards but a must for western comfort food) so I finally made a delicious pork and fennel pasta topped with Granda Padano and plan to cook goat soon, this meal finally made me feel settled.

It's Ramzan (or Ramadan) right now, and a very old friend of mine who owns a hotel in Bangalore, took me, along with his gorgeous wife and brother-in-law, to a suburb called Frazier Town to try the special street food stalls, only available during Ramzan. It was so delicious and the stalls stretched for miles with most major hotels and food places bringing out their finest halal street food. Chicken on a stick, beef kebab, Biriyani and I tried Haleem, a beef/wheat dish which I can best describe as a mashed up beef pie, but that makes it sound bad when it's actually delicious. It's becoming fun to try food now the stomach has adjusted, but a note of caution must be made, only eat at recommended places or 5 star hotels, even locals get food poisoning. It's a shame really that the hygiene is not better, but with so many people, I imagine it must be hard to police this with health inspectors.

I have been so amazed that 2 of my students are in full fast for Ramzan and continue to take class almost as normal - sometimes they simply must sleep, but thats some seriously committed faith to be able to endure such a rigorous schedule and not even take a sip of water, mind blowing! Spirituality and faith are so very strong here, traditions have really been upheld and I find that acceptance of history and culture very inspiring.

Getting around is becoming easier. When I first got here I could never imagine how anyone could navigate themselves, the road system is very confusing, but I am pleased to say I can find my way to some places without the help of google maps and know if someone is taking me for a ride when I get in the rickshaw. Something all people must know is the rickshaw and taxi guys see foreigners as an easy pass to getting free stuff. I was casually walking down Brigade road, a main branded shopping street in Bangalore when a cabbie approached me, explaining that if I went with him to some places he would get a free t-shirt for his children, I went along because he had been honest. I upset him as I failed to stay in the stores for longer than 5 minutes because I was like, seriously, I will never buy a sari, where will I wear one? And, no I can not buy wooden artefacts that will be taken off me by customs, so this is a waste of time. All of the emporiums stock the same goods and if your good at bargaining, you will not be charged a fortune, but the store clerks and Rickshaw men expect you to have no idea, so don't be alarmed, play their game, I did and got to see around an area of Bangalore and quality handcrafts for free. Also never go in a rickshaw without the metre, they will try and double your fare and if they don't want to go to the area you want on your terms they can be very rude, just ignore them and find someone who will - a thick skin is required.

The best treat I got in the last two weeks, apart from a full Sunday of cleansing rain, was a double dose of full body Ayurvedic massage and steam boxing. I suggest you get someone to recommend you a place, because there are good massage places and ones that give you a pretend treatment for the money because you are a foreigner. There are many different types of Ayurvedic treatments, that treat all ranges of body and mind issues. I went in specifically to unwind my muscles from work and to de-stress so I can sleep better. Women massage women and men massage men, and ladies if you are not comfortable with someone you don't know touching your breasts I do not recommend this. I was happy that when they say full body they meant it! You have to wear this paper g-string and lay on a wooden table that has a slight upward curve in it. You get covered in medicated oil and I mean coated, completely, my body was sliding on the table at some points due to the amount of oil used. They're movements are rhythmic, repeated and increase in pressure. On first treatment expect them to take it easy on you, this is a precaution due to foreign bodies not being used to the herbs and oils used, but you can tell them to be firmer. After the massage I was placed in a steam box. This was pretty funny because it is not a sauna room, it is literally a box with a hole in it to keep your head out. I was happy about this because I hate saunas because I get to hot and light headed. The masseuse said the head must remain out of the heat to avoid the giddiness. After the massage you are recommended to rest, I got the best sleep I've had the entire time I've been in India that night and after the second massage, it was like all of my sadness and stress had been wiped away. I think that from now on when I travel, no matter where I am I will get a massage in the first week, just to release the tension and anxiety that can be associated with travelling.

Lastly I will mention a bit about how the dancing has been going. I have started teaching the Company as well as the training course, so all of my time on the weekdays is taken up with sharing my knowledge with these wonderful people. I had a really magical moment this past week, when I realised how beautiful it was to watch someone embodying my movement and how powerful this is to witness. I do not claim originality to any class exercise I create, It follows the structures and conventions I have learnt, but is my interpretation of them manifesting into sequences of movements. The feedback gained from watching different bodies grapple with my material helps me see my habits and the places I skip because they are difficult for me, forcing me to change my approach and expand my practice. I have also been surprised every day with how much I have retained and learnt, with the added challenge of answering questions of what the exercises are for, why the class is structured in such a way and so forth. I have started creating a piece for the Diploma students graduation, that was described to me as a jigsaw puzzle, with unexpected relationships and serious of random, although somehow related events. Everyone getting a moment to shine and with 26 students, I feel this is very important. I get woken up at night with steps, counts, ideas flooding my consciousness, I love it. This experience has really allowed me the time I've needed to explore myself as a teacher and an artist, plus learning a bit about business along the way.



So to sum up:

1. Only eat at recommended places or 5 star hotels.

2. Be ready to bargain. Start by buying things at government approved stores until you get used to the prices, this includes local supermarkets for your fresh fruits and veg.

3. Never travel in a cab or rickshaw without the metre.

4. Be patient, you will adjust.

5. Get a massage and find ways to relax.

6. Dance with others, share and create.

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Photos

Turkey
Likes to hang out outside the studio and serenade us with gobbles.

Dosa
Onion Rava Masala Dosa, Plus various chutneys and Subzi

Breakfast
Iddly, Vada and various other delights

Mule and Carriage
Common on the streets in Wilson Garden - My suburb

8th Cross road and it's various non human inhabitants
Sad truth to the life of the cow in the city - For some reason they love hanging out in Wilson Garden