Ruby

We mentioned on our first day in Honolulu that we saw our friends Mardy and Jeff. I will post a bit more about them later but I wanted to mention them again because we ran into them again on Kauai at a trail head on the North Shore. We made plans to meet the next day and we picked this cute coffee shop on the side of the road. We have found that we lean towards the locally owned shops because well we are a local shop owner kind ourselves. This coffee shop was an Internet cafe as well. You could see the locals coming in for coffee checking their email or just catching up on the local surf report. The buzz in the small cafe today was about the big bad ferry that is about to start running from the many islands. I could see their point, more cars allowed on the island, more visitors, more chaos to the perfect garden that secretly they do not want any New York investor to develop. As the soft conversations moved around the shop, we could not help but notice the shop owner's daughter fluttering around. She wore a silky kimono that as she danced to her own rhythm got unbuttoned to allow for air conditioning. It was time to prepare for a party, Ruby announced to every person in the shop. She would kindly and not so kindly approach your table and announce, you must move. We have a party to get ready for and your table is in the wrong spot. Table by table people would get up and let Ruby move their table to the "right" spot. (Usually only a few inches from the current placement) As Ruby approached our table we didn't move as fast as the other patrons. In the loudest voice she could muster, she roared, you and you get up NOW! Don't you know that we must get ready for the party! We helped her move our table as Dad kept taking orders and ignoring the imagination show that Ruby had so prepared for our entertainment. Jeff and Mardy met us there and they too got the privilege of having Ruby dance around our table and create drums on our backs to her pretend music. The world was hers to play in and we were brought in just to be a part of her play for the day. With our scratched backs and a few laughs later, we walked out and pondered the joy of freedom to create your own play. Although we wanted to be a little annoyed with Ruby, it was much more a reminder for us to learn to let go of our pretension and use our imagination and begin to create the world as we want it, one act at a time.

Living at the end of the rainbow.....

I know we all grew up singing or have atleast heard of the song. It is always somewhere under the rainbow. Didn't you wonder where that was? I alway thought it was in the creek at the end of my street that my parents would never let me explore. Well, I was wrong. It truly is here in Hawaii. Almost every day we have seen atleast one rainbow and in the photo above we were blessed with two. It is the Disneyland of gardens that you have always wanted to explore and now get the chance to do so. We have spent time exploring the North Shore, the East Shore , the South Shore and tomorrow we will explore the West Shore better known as the Napli Coast. In "THE BOOK", there is only one that everyone uses call the Ultimate Kauiai Guidebook, this hike we are doing tomorrow is the must see of all hikes. It is about 11 miles so it will be an all day adventure. Until then, I will put a few highlights of the last week for your review.......

Blogger Shut Us Down

Well, as it seems, we have been a popular read the last few weeks. Apparently so much that it appeared that we were a spam posting so they shut us down for a few days until they could prove we are real people. I am pretty sure when they saw our goofy photos on the plane that they not sure what to think.......I guess we are real folks because we are back up!

Teacher Training Flashback

I know it has been four years but once you walk into a room full of atleast 200 people you kind of get lost it in all. I am sure you thought we fell in a puddle of sweat and lost all consciencousness and were worried sick? Not so bad as that but it seemed like the last few days in Honolulu were fast and furious. Just a few picutures to see how class went for some...







The last photo is of one of the students daughters being spun around like an airplane in floor bow posture. If we could all have her flexibility who would need a hot room! I guess some of the students here are that lucky....




Arnie and I are almost to these positions after just one week of advance training! With us teaching you when we get back you too can look like these guys! :)

At one point this week, I thought, why are we here when we could be in the comfort of our 105 degree studio? Well, Bikram was is a great mood most of the week and class ended up being a lot of fun. There were days when it would have been a bit difficult to follow if you had never taken advance before but there were a few "teaching" days that gave us all time to "try the right way".

As always, with anything to do with Bikram, there are always something that happens. Since the training, is in the lobby of a hotel,yes, you can stand in the lobby and see through the windows as the students strut or show their stuff. (Let's just hope the stuff is a posture and not something else....) Yes, please wear short that cover all the basis! Anyway, strange as it is, the hotel has units that are individually owned and people live there. You can image what kind of scene we are in the midst of their "peaceful" Hawaiian lifestyle. Several residence wonder down during class to make sure the doors are not open. This is the worst for the students since the yoga room has NO ventalation and we rely on the days the Bikram allows the door to be cracked to let in some air. The lobby mind you is open to the outside so it is not airconditioned but it is much cooler than in the room. I kept wondering what was the big deal with the door opening, we are not waisting their electricity. I finally come to understand that the residence wanted the door shut due to the smell! Yes, and they would kick whatever was keeping the door propted open to make their point!

One thing for sure there was never a dull moment.....