Since my arrival in Spain, I´ve had a lot of time to myself. This is something I was looking forward to. I´ve been able to dive into a ton of books, meditate, and just enjoy my company. I spend a lot of my nights eating dinner on the open terrace overlooking the mountains or just reading and writing. I have found that the terrace is one of my favorite places to be. It´s been a wonderful way for me to take in all the sites, sounds, and fresh air Spain has to offer.
One of the books I´m reading is Vimala Thakker's ¨Blossoms of Friendship¨. A good friend of mine gave me the book prior to my departure. The book is pretty intense and contemplative. I read the first chapter 3 times just to make sure I was grasping the information. Vimala studied and worked with Krishnamurti so her style is very similar to his. I had an AHA moment while practicing flamenco the other day. I was able to connect Vimala´s message about concentration vs. attention vs. awareness. I realized that if I am to be a better dancer I have to work hard to connect the mind and the body while dancing not through concentration but through attention and finally awareness of the whole picture (mind, body, and soul). It´s really hard to put into words what this all means. I´m sure some of you are thinking, ¨What is she talking about?¨
On another note, I went out to a tapas bar, a dance club and a gay club the other night. Yes, all in one night. It was great to be out and about and speak spanish. We were out til 5am!
I´ve had some other realizations but I´ll leave those for another time.
I´m quickly learning that the area we stay in is notiorious for muggings and such especially during the high tourist season. I´ve been a little apprehensive and am taking all measures to be safe. If things on this front do not get better, I may have to reassess my plans. Not sure what I´ll do but I do not want to live in a state of fear. For now it´s not a problem since there are a ton of students here, but once people leave in August, it will be more difficult.
