Lakshmi Amman's Journal

So, gentle readers, I have been a long time off this loop.  For those of you who friended me way back when, you may remember that I'm more active when:

• I'm not working
• My work isn't blocking my LJ access

This account started in response to everyone I know getting on LJ, and me wanting a place to annotate my SCA dance life.  Then it became part everyday me, and part SCA me... and the Burlesque me is really spawned over to another account here and a presence on Facebook.

In the meantime, my work locked up LJ, and then I became a manager.  As it turned out, the two together combined to make me remarkably LJ-numb, because the communicative part of my brain got entirely eaten by being a daytime manager who spent the majority of the day reading and writing emails.  Doing more with people on computers in the evening has always been TOO MUCH - at least until I went to India last year and found myself both offline for most of the day and disconnected from all that I knew in the US.

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So.. I always mean to blog about Kalari massage and never do as much as I wish.

This is my third time scheduling a katcha thrimmu massage - which is the massage for "healthful people" - the fine print is that only healthful people can survive it, and they really mean healthful *crazy* people - because if you were sane, you wouldn't do it.  I figure it must work kind of like the part of the movie where the super hero transforms for the first time - usually the process is excrutiating and unnatural - which sums it up nicely.

At this point, though, the startup process is a known quantity:
- don't eat meat or alcohol, try to put as much healthful food in the body as possible - veggies, whole grains, good dairy - buttermilk is a particular win... prep for a week ahead of time
- drink some awful tasting tinctures - when you can get them.. the search process has become easier, but we were so short on advanced notice this time that I haven't gotten them.
- since I will be swapping massages with Barry - I got a callous removing pedicure - not so necessary when receiving massage, but Barry is a whiny baby about calluses. :P
- do a bit of other depilation - toes caught in pubic hair is not fun... just a little trim there.  Also, since I'll be showing my armpits, it would be nice if they were not growing a mustache.
- pack a towel, soap, shampoo, bathrobe and spare cotton for a loin cloth

This time, I'm trading off with Barry (the body mechanic), Rajeesh (my guru's asst teacher) and Anil (my guru).  That's in escalating expertise.  Barry's really a riot - he's absolutely amazing when fixing people with his hands, but the foot thing throws him for a loop.  Rajeesh has gotten substantially more confident in the year since last he worked on me.  Anil is a constant baseline of utter confidence.  It's not too hard to feel whose foot's doing what.

The massage?  It's a foot massage.  If you're really lucky, you bring your own oil and you promise me some good booze sometime, I just may offer to the "restful" version... I love doing them at Pennsic, it really gets me in the mood of Indian persona.

The whole thing is done lying on the floor, with the masseuse applying foot pressure with the help of a rope suspended between two walls. 

This year - wow - intense!  It's my third year, I'm 30 lbs lighter, and I've been doing kalari pretty seriously.  Apparently this is all indications that they should hit every pressure area on my body.  Seriously.  Every pressure point that causes mind numbing agony is apparently fair game.  I didn't even know I could *be* hurt in so many places!  Other years, the first day has had me feeling like "yeah, I can handle this" and it isn't until day 3 that I think ??Is this really a good idea??  They pretty much had me at that point in about 30 minutes.  The basic stretchy poses hurt, and the stuff I usually find relaxing hurt.  Even my favorite part - the face & head massage - hurt.  I really thought they were turning my face inside out.

Weirdly, however, as soon as it stopped, so did my memory of the pain.  Im a little sore - like I've been working out really hard.  But not sore like someone beat me up...  as soon as it was over, I felt light and invigorated -- and STARVING!  The no meat diet seems to make me hungrier, and I had a dramatic weight loss last week.  I think my body is still fighting back, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised when after 3 hours I started thinking everyone looked like a tasy pork chop!

I'm kind of amazed at having done this 3 years - I've always seized the opportunity - there's not many folks that will do and teach this stuff, and Anil's won awards for his skill at kalari and as a teacher in India... but to have had the opportunity and availability to do it 3 years running is pretty wild.

Crossing fingers for tomorrow - I'll be doing this for 6 more days.

Yeah, not Indian, but awesome;

http://www.bostonbabydolls.net/ournextshow.cfm

Madame Burlesque
Cambridge YMCA Theater
Central Square, on Mass Ave.

Thursday, Friday, Saturday - doors at 7:30, show at 8:00

It really rocks.  I can't believe I'm getting to reprise two of my favorite numbers.  I also designed an all out lingerie set for a new number in the show and choreographed two group numbers that I'm REALLY proud of.  C'mon down!

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I'm quite excited - I'll be going to the Hafla this weekend!  I'm psyched to dance and get to see everyone!

Then off to celebrate a birthday in the evening!

ALSO!  Extremely cool, I'm now teaching 2 (count 'em!) classes on Sundays:
11:00 AM Dance Complex, Cambridge - Bollywood - I'm substitute teaching for one of my teachers while he goes to India to renew his Visa.  Limited time only - he's back mid April.

6:00 PM - my very own "Bump -n- Grind Your Butt Off" - http://www.bostonbabydolls.net/classes.cfm - A totally 100% "Betty" class.  Partially inspired by Evil Anne and her Death by Shimmies (there is a good solid 10 minutes of shimmying), partially inspired by being bored in just about every aerobics class I've ever taken, and mostly inspired by just having a really great set list of Babydolls-esque music that makes me want to dance.  It's a guided dance workout - not beating on technique, but enough complexity to keep you engaged, and if I see people getting the hang of something, I add to it or make it harder.

It's been really fun to teach this last one for the last month and a half and we're plowing into our third month in March.


Last but not least - another kickass show is coming up

March 11-12, Mr Cupid's House of Love
http://www.bostonbabydolls.net/calendar.cfm?calyear=2011&calmonth=3&caltype=full

8:00 at the Cambridge YMCA theater
(WHERE WE HAVE OUR NEW RESIDENCY!!! WOHOO!!!)

It's about 1/2 as crazy as the Wrathskellar - a little closer to our "normal" shows - Burlesquey with a certain mix of cute, funny, sensuous and technically cool.  But with a certain old timey New Orleans Storyville flavor and a wistful air for a more gracious time. 

(but since it's really all about me....)

And a choreography that is definitely pushing me as a choreographer - Save My Soul (version 3.0 if you are a hardcore fan...).  This time with 5 people - 4 ladies plus Scratch.  With a certain modern musical styling of everyone moving, not necessarily in unison in ways that coordinate.  It's really keeping me on my toes - the writing goes in fits in spurts, unlike my normal almost industrial rate of 1 minute = 1 hour, I'm finding that 1 minute takes moments, while the next minute takes 3 hours! And it's also a challenge to the dancers - there's not much time or space to queue off anyone, cause once you get into the "groove" the groove changes.  

This is definitely a good technical push for all of us and it's a good mental redux of some of the very non-intuitive choreography I've been enjoying my Indian classes.

OK, *not* this Friday -- I have an engagement.

I also didn't see much interest - I know lioritgioret is interested, cause she's a giant fabric addict and also a dealer. :)

But if it's just her and I, we'll schedule offline and do something low key.

So... if you're interested in the fashion show - please post here, so I know who to include.  And let me know what free time looks like for you...

I promised myself before I left that I wouldn't stop blogging as long as I had some memories worth writing about.  It'll be a fight for time - I'm always pressed for time in regular life.  But I don't want to let precious memories slip away...

But first - VOTE FOR US!  Every day!
And tell your friends.

We're successfully nominated as a Best in Boston group! 
The category is "Best Dance Troupe, Sexy"

http://thephoenix.com/thebest/boston/vote/dancetroupesexy

The voting is daily, so please vote every day!

Mysore, Part I, continued

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The last 3 hours are the hardest.  Being sad to leave outweighs being happy to get home.  Just had last Kannada lesson.  Read my way through my first "book".  It's an ABC book aimed at 6 year olds.  Happily, Arno and I are at about the same level, although I think my grammar may be better when I write.

Also, luggage still looks daunting.

In the effort to be cheery... here's a little thing I wrote a few days back when the power was out. for a few hours.

 

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This is the end of my second to last day here.  It remains fun, but I'm still ready for home. 

I keep preparing myself for a nice, quiet, stay at home, boring sort of day.  Never!

Amma was sick today, my bet is that it's a cold - tired, achy, runny nose, slight cough...  For her, the weather is very chilly.  I'm still failing to see why I want a wool wrap.  We look funny on the street at night.  She's in a sweater, a headscarf and a sari.  I'm in the lightest cotton imaginable.

( But just when you think you're staying home... )

With all the friendly interest from non-LJ friends and family, I just changed my comment settings so that anonymous comments are no longer screened.  We'll see how this goes.  Long ago, I locked it down due to some rudeness posted by an anonymous person.  But since the comments have been 100% positive lately, nothing is currently screened.

For those of you posting anonymously, this means what you post will appear right after you post it, instead of whenever I read it and publish it.

Thought I'd be seeing my friend Sapna tommorrow night.

No dice, surprise telecon has gotten her.  :(  And she's booked Wednesday night, too.

blech.