Mysore: Logistics

It's more crowded here than when I arrived. That is today, the first wave of students started at 4:30am and the last student left the studio at 12:15. I arrive 20 minutes before my scheduled time, the second shift of students, and the foyer is packed with people waiting their turn. Chanting classes are pushed back 15 minutes to an hour pending how the student influx goes. No one I know has been granted an extension to stay longer than the study period for which they signed on. The housing crunch remains just that. A crunch.  I mention all this because some days, beyond yoga practice, I wonder where the time has gone, then realize much of the day was taken up with logistics and as many of those have been housing related. At least this week, with some imminent housemate changeover in the works, my other self-imposed writing and rehearsal practices have been squoze a bit.  Added to the standard logistical laundry list of getting water, figuring out the post-office (international packages are sewn together before posting which requires another step in than process), and a making a dentist appointment, has been meeting potential roommates or giving someone else a number to a friend of a friend who might have a room to spare for a couple of days if not two months. And then it has not been uncommon for people to knock on my door unexpectedly, looking for a room. Many people are leaving. Many people are coming.

It's easier and more comfortable than ever to be a yogi in India—the path of other yogis who have come before with their requests for filtered water, WiFi and Western style food has become smooth — provided you can find a place to stay. I suppose it wouldn't be India without the contradiction.
Regarding the dentist, there's surprisingly good and inexpensive dental care here (800RS for a teeth cleaning, walk-in appointments possible). In fact, I've met people who've extended trips specifically to get their teeth fixed. (Likewise, if you're injured, it's relatively easy to get an MRI and complete results within the day.) The dentist office is in a building that also does a lot of cosmetic procedures, another irony, this luxury in the face of the poverty 10 yards down the road.