What an action-packed weekend! I didn't think I'd make it through the four events... especially since starting the writer's workshop and losing an hour because of daylight savings... And this, my friends, is why I hate self-prophecies. They usually come to fruition. Oh, so close yet so far... yet everything went well in the end and the universe was restored again.
So let me do the breakdowns:
* DAY 1 *
REVIEW: Paru's Restaurant
- People Attended: 4
- Food: 4.5 - Yummy vegetarian Indian food. How convenient that there were 4 of us and 4 entrees to select from, so we ordered one of each and shared.
- Atmosphere: 3.5 - Judging from its exterior, one would feel that this place is little inviting. First of all, it looks closed. You have to buzz in to enter. Kinda weird, but what can you do? Inside was decent though. There were long lanterns that hung from the ceilings, and I think they had the same Indian song on repeat, but that didn't bother me much.
- Service: 4 - The waiter was very informative, but he kept saying to order more, especially when it came to desserts. This isn't to say I was annoyed, I just don't want to be pressured into stuff I don't like to do. Simple as that.
REVIEW: Kirtan
- People attended: 2 (but there were 90 people total)
- Experience: 5 - I was a little reluctant to try this, having no idea what to expect... but I went because I told a friend I'd go with her, and you know how I hate flakes, so I wasn't going to be one of them. So I get there, and I'm a little intimidated by all of the other women there, all earthy and yoga-ish, wearing their Indian-inspired clothing and bindis. We had to remove our shoes. We all had blankets with us, either beneath us or over us. David and the band broke the silence with traditional Indian instruments, such as the tablas (drums) and the harmonium. We clapped, swayed, moved to the songs... He would chant in sanskrit, and the audience would respond. Most of us don't understand sanskrit, but we can apply any meaning to the words, whether they touch on a joyous celebration or a more deeper, harder-to-accept feeling. I lost the mood a little when I started thinking of the word "Ganapati" as "Gonna potty." But that negative connotation transformed into a positive one with "Gonna party" because that's what we did. We basically rocked out with the spiritual world! It was like I was in a trance most of the night, and I felt very at peace. It sort of reminded me of a Disney sing-along. I mean, I love singing in choirs... everyone joined in, and it wasn't only singing, but moving to the music too. Between songs, David would speak about how kirtan is like punk music... music made by everyone, not a corporate label that plays out of a box. Creating music is a very physical, corporeal act, in many ways spiritual since it flows out of the body. I lost myself in its rhythms...
I'm slowly learning more about what it's like to be a more spiritual being. I believe this experience has led me one step closer to realizing it. We are all full of love and when I looked at the room of people singing and dancing, I thought about how beautiful everyone is. I cast aside what people do for a living - that doesn't define who you are, like Maria Bamford says. I cast aside any judgments I have for anybody because everyone is just trying to survive in this world. Trying to love, trying to live, trying to enjoy each minute while we have it. And just experiencing that moment, living in the now, clearing my mind of all the noise that resides within the little crevices... trying to forget the bad memories that tend to creep up on me when I don't have time to address them... just letting bygones be bygones and moving forward with life. I truly feel content.
Afterwards, we bought a cd and chatted with some of the band members. Very down-to-earth and wonderful, modest people. I really hope I get to go to another one of these. They are playing again in April in Ventura. And like most of you reading this, who have no clue about what Kirtan is, just remember: I was like you a few days ago... but thanks to my friend I got introduced to something as great as this, and I'd like to introduce this to you too. Try new things. You never know; you may end up liking it.
* DAY 2 *
REVIEW: Gate to India Restaurant
- People Attended: 5
- Food: 3 - Mediocre, at best. Or maybe what 'suades my opinion is the fact that they falsely advertised that they offer a Sunday champagne brunch for $10.95. There was no champagne and there was no all-you-can-eat brunch. Ah well. I just wish I hadn't fallen for internet gimmicks like that.
- Ambiance: 3 - Decent, nothing extraordinary to make you feel like you're in an Indian Restaurant, which isn't necessarily bad, it's just not what we're used to. The music was Indian up till the end.
- Service: 3 - Although they did know how to refill your water, they were very slow when it came to bringing out the food and giving us our bill. I guess I was a little uptight though, because we were on a time schedule with the yoga class... which leads to the final blog experience of the weekend.
REVIEW: Intro. to Yoga (transformed into an Exercise Circle)
- People attended: 6
- Experience: (Improvised variation - 4) Because of daylight savings and the slow service of the restaurant, we were running late and didn't want to disturb the class upon our entry. And since I had to pee like a race horse, we ended up going back to my apt, releasing ourselves, and then relaxing a bit. We went to the park and threw the football around - well, others did while I ran around the field and stretched. I felt bad having missed the yoga routine, so thought to do it on my own at the very least. We ended up getting into an exercise circle, and each person had to suggest an exercise or a stretch for the group. Fun times... I enjoyed the headstands and the leap frog. What a way to release endorphins and enjoy the wonderful warm sunshine!
* Overall weekend: 4.5 - 3 out of 4 ain't so bad. I'm just proud of myself for the endurance!!! What a marathon!
This must have been the best-spent seven dollars ever! I would usually pay for a whole semester of a dance class like this, but this was a great way to sample cultural dances from around the world.
A couple people asked to interview us as well, saying they had been watching us all day. I was pretty embarrassed because I have no coordination and can only loosen up when I'm tipsy or have a natural high of some kind. But we answered the questions and had a great experience. My favorite dance was the Korean Fan Dance because not only did we incorporate props as elements of movements but our performance was a group effort. Our bodies interacting and emulating a flower seemed like a close metaphor for life. 
