Mom won't let me talk about American Greed on Skype. She's concerned Big Brother's listening. 🙂

My first conference was fascinating. I got to view Sharath, the (these are my terms) titleholder of the Ashtanga lineage, through the lens of a man who deals with keeping the purity of a practice in the real world-- the world of parties, internet gossip, and multiculturalism. A fascinating, non-textbook experience. A highlight, paraphrased: "A man with two gurus (gu ru: dispel dark) is like a man with two doctors-- take both pieces of advice/take both pills, and you surely are worse for it."

Between my "Ganesh is my OMboy" tee (thanks Karuna!) and silver nosering (thanks Lauren!), the locals are warming up to me. It also might be that I keep showing up and smiling like a crazy. Whatever.

I moved into a gorgeous house on the top of a hill today. Fuck the rupee cheating ttuk-tuk and jay! to Apu, my new tuktuk friend <3

I broke a tooth today! A trip to vist Dr Judith Pereira in Mysore for a fix and clean! Amazing grand total? 1100 Rupees... $22 dollars. She also said I was the politest American she had ever met and complimented my parents. She said I should be proud of them. Thanks, Mom!

Sharath yelled at me twice, then yelled at everyone else. "The only thing worse than being yelled at is being ignored."

I spent a good chunk of today sitting with the tuk-tuks after the house Shiva showed me didn't do the trick. Is 16000 Rupees an okay price for a house I'm going to share with a stranger? Your guess is as good as mine.

I have an hours worth of stories (minimum) and its not dark yet.

It's 85 here in Mysore. Seeing the driver holding a sign with my name on it was enough to make me want to cry, but the dangerousness of the car ride into town was enough to make me smile big. Best of all? I got to stay at the Southern Star/ Regalis-- exactly as planned. Antonella Accinelli will be pleased I didn't have to sleep outside.

Here we go!