alilou's Adventures in Wonderland - Rarotonga, Oz, Vietnam

[alilou]

But you've been married longer than 16 days though, right?

Yeah we made it a bit longer than that.

[Buzz]

Here is something you might be interested in reading Alliou.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-17093267

[alilou]

Thanks for the link Buzz - very interesting article. I also read one of the related articles about the history, and the family that owns the temple. It will be interesting to see how the wealth is distributed in the end.

[alilou]

I've added a new blog post - walking around the mountain, Pondicherry, what we eat, garbage, and beggars

Life here in Tiruvannamalai rolls slowly along. Our days have become very slow and peaceful.

http://alisonarmstrong.blogspot.com or the link in my sig line.

(I can't wait for worlds! I will be in Bali by then and I'm thinking of getting a subscription to the ISU stream even if it is choppy - I'm experiencing FS withdrawal )

[skatesindreams]

Thanks, as always for sharing.
I hope that you feel completely well, soon!

I also hope that you can get the ISU feed for Worlds.
Perhaps, I can help with links, also.

[victoriajh]

Love the update aliou!!! You shaved your head I see , which impresses me to no end love the pictures and wnt to hear more about the inner peacce you are finding -
Wishing you rickshaws with headlights and. A good Internet feed fore worlds

[pingu]

I love that hanging wooden chair. You should bring its picture to IKEA so that they can produce it, then I'll buy it and spend the rest of my life lying on it. Thanks

[alilou]

Thanks, as always for sharing.
I hope that you feel completely well, soon!

I also hope that you can get the ISU feed for Worlds.
Perhaps, I can help with links, also.

I think I'm on the mend, but not 100% yet. We're off to the hospital again tomorrow for more tests. It seems more likely now that I caught some kind of virus.

I'd really appreciate any help I can get with links for worlds. I really am thinking of staying up to watch it live whatever the time is in Bali, so thanks for your offer. I'll be watching the threads but if anyone knows of any free live streaming at the beginning of each segment of the competition please please pm me

Love the update aliou!!! You shaved your head I see , which impresses me to no end love the pictures and wnt to hear more about the inner peacce you are finding -
Wishing you rickshaws with headlights and. A good Internet feed fore worlds

Glad you're enjoying the blog. Shaving my head - one of the best ideas I've had for a while It's so freeing.

The inner peace thing has truly been a lifelong quest, with some success I might say, but I sure still can get triggered if someone rubs me the wrong way. It feels like a deepening of it here, and in some ways getting mildly sick has been a kind of blessing as it forced me to just stop. I spend a lot of time sitting on the balcony looking at Mt Arunachala which is said to be so powerful. And in spite of the mess and mayhem if India, and inspite of not feeling well physically, I do feel very peaceful.

I love that hanging wooden chair. You should bring its picture to IKEA so that they can produce it, then I'll buy it and spend the rest of my life lying on it. Thanks

I love that swing chair I spend a lot of time in it

[Buzz]

Thanks again for sharing your journey with us and how did the hospital visit go?

[alilou]

Thanks again for sharing your journey with us and how did the hospital visit go?

Read all about it in the next blog post - coming up in a few days

[Angelskates]

alilou - I love you response to beggars. I almost always give food, but almost never money. I will give money to those who play instruments though

I hope you are feeling better, and am looking forward to your next blog. I think I'll make reference to yours in my next blog. Lots of people ask me about beggars here.

[alilou]

I'm glad you like the piece about beggars. It really was one of those serendipitous bits of insight that's made it a lot easier for me to deal with them. There's more about it in my next post (coming in the next day or two). And thanks for the reference.

I am feeling better thanks, almost back to normal. It feels great to be getting out and about more.

[alilou]

The latest post is up. Some more about beggars, the trip to the hospital and
and holy cow

http://alisonarmstrong.blogspot.com or use the link in my sig line.

Glad to be able to say I'm well again. It took a long time. I'm usually so healthy and energetic that being sick for a month was a bit frustrating.

[Buzz]

Thanks again for sharing and glad that you are feeling better. My favorite photo is of the guy with all those pots on his bicycle.

[skatesindreams]

I'm so happy that you are feeling better,
It's unfortunate that the cause of such misery was something you were taking to prevent something else!
I'm glad that you had access to world-case care. so far away from "home".

I love your photos.

[alilou]

Thanks Buzz and skatesindreams. Feeling better is a bit up and down but mostly good, and not slowing me down any more so that's an improvement. That trip to the hospital was wild.

Yeah, there's several of those guys with all the pots. I've seen two I think on motor bikes and at least one on a bicycle (piled equally high!). Finally got a picture of one.

I'd love to get a picture of an entire family (mom, dad, and 2 or 3 kids) all on a motor bike. I see it often but no luck getting a shot yet.

[Angelskates]

alilou - I updated my website today with my random thoughts on beggars here

Your photos are gorgeous, I love the one of the bird with the bright background.

[alilou]

alilou - I updated my website today with my random thoughts on beggars here

Your photos are gorgeous, I love the one of the bird with the bright background.

I love your blog. I know it's really only for family and friends so thank you for sharing. I'm assuming you can buy quinoa in China. It's the easiest thing to cook. 2:1 water:quinoa (2 cups water to one cup quinoa will give a generous serving for 4). Put both in saucepan, cover and bring to boil. Need to be watching! As soon as it boils turn heat down to simmer. Simmer 35 mins and voila a pot fill of fluffy quinoa. You can add a little salt if you like. Or a half a soup cube for flavour. I always added some spike (a commercial seasoning - don't think you'd get it in China, possibly not even in Oz)

I liked your piece about beggars. Very interesting the situation with beggars in China, and very difficult. It's wonderful that you take the time to sit and eat with some of them from time to time. It's also really quite complex here too with the begging cartels in the big cities that "own" and maim children and send them out to beg. The worst of humanity really. I know I've only found one small solution for me for where I'm located at the moment.

One woman who I regularly give money to was at the entrance to the grocery store yesterday. I gave her 10 rupees as usual, but she kept talking to me wanting something else. I couldn't understand what she wanted so I went into the store to do my shopping. When I came out she had managed to make Mr alilou understand that she wanted some soap. Such a simple thing. She wanted some soap so she could wash her clothes. I took her into the store and had her choose what she wanted - a bar of soap and a bag of laundry powder. I was so happy to buy it for her. Such a simple thing. When I paid for it (less than $4) and came out of the store and gave them to her she wiped tears from her eyes. Mr alilou too. And then she and I hugged each other. The experience of beggars in India has been a huge heart-opener for me. Such a simple thing to bring joy.

Got the results of my latest blood count and liver function test today and everything is back down to normal levels

[Buzz]

Great to hear you are back to your normal self Alilou! We sometimes forget how lucky we are here in the west.

[skatesindreams]

One woman who I regularly give money to was at the entrance to the grocery store yesterday. I gave her 10 rupees as usual, but she kept talking to me wanting something else. I couldn't understand what she wanted so I went into the store to do my shopping. When I came out she had managed to make Mr alilou understand that she wanted some soap. Such a simple thing. She wanted some soap so she could wash her clothes. I took her into the store and had her choose what she wanted - a bar of soap and a bag of laundry powder. I was so happy to buy it for her. Such a simple thing. When I paid for it (less than $4) and came out of the store and gave them to her she wiped tears from her eyes. Mr alilou too. And then she and I hugged each other. The experience of beggars in India has been a huge heart-opener for me. Such a simple thing to bring joy.

It's a shame that people need to beg/ask for what we would consider a necessity.
I'm glad that you were there to help.