your *free* dose of liz :: kosovo

The First Signs of Winter

I've been speechless for the last for days, and not because of the beauty and location of our new flat in Notting Hill. I've lost my voice from a proper chest cold, the kind that upturns large chunks of booger from the depths below that you can't wait to show off to friends and loved ones. You know.

So a lot has been going on here in London in the past week, notably, we've moved, and I've been busy with thai massages and yoga yoga yoga (though the past 4 days have largely been occupied by coughing, moving house, making tea, and rejoicing over the thing in the kitchen called the oven. It's the first time I've had one in 8 years so there's a lot of baking to catch up on).

Tonight I find myself behind the desk of the Jivamukti Yoga Centre in London. How I got here is beyond me. I came in to assist the basics class and take a class myself, but due to the announcement of Winter with its brisk winds and dropping temperatures, the regular front desk girl couldn't make it in. So I learned a bit of running credit cards, signing people in and selling water and towels. And of course, drinking, and making tea, something I'm getting to be a pro at.

Speaking of  Tea, my new favourite shop on Westbourne Grove is Tea Palace, where the tea and tea accessories are must haves if you have any spare coinage and are at all interested in tea culture. Nearby, my other new favourite shop is onhand - Sweaty Betty, for girls that like to sweat!

We're expecting internet/tv/phone to be hooked up in the very near future, enabling me to blog/vlog and ... reconnect with english television. Hooray!

A brief but Wonderful Amsterdam moment

Touching down to the land of flatness, greenhouses and water, I breathed a heavy sigh of relief as memories and emotions flooded through my head. It's strange to have one foot in such an orderly, clean, just world, the other in chaos, crime and pollution. Don't get me wrong, Amsterdam is far from idyllic, but the Dutch have had a *long time* to figure systems of public policy out and the one they've got seems to work pretty well from all angles.

Today I have a doctor's appointment, seems my blood isn't getting any better for now so I have to make some new adjustments in life. Absolutely no alcohol, no problem. Making sure I have all kinds of shots so I don't catch something like Hepatitis, no problem. Taking some new alternative medications like Milk Thistle, Enzymes, MacroBiotics, no problem. I don't know that all this does anything, but I'm sure that by all the positive thinking my body will rebuild itself in some perfect form in a year :-) It's a good goal to meditate on anyway.

On a lighter note, Xav got back from Tunis on Tuesday and had some hilarious stories to share. Being the only white at the interview, getting interviewed by a panel where microphones were switched on and off everytime anything was said, staying at a 'luxury' hotel out of the '70s... that reminds me of a place I stayed in Mangalore, 800 rupies a night with someone to come just to turn my bedding down. But I digress.

I'm very excited to see Patrick and Gosta at Svaha Yoga, to sing with them on Sunday, and to see my friends, attend a baby shower, etc etc. I have to make sure my bike has full tires and that I can get money out of my dwindling savings! Tot zo...

Open for Business

Well, it's been about two months since my last post, and if anyone is still reading, for that I am sorry. No warning, no nothin'.

I've been in the good ol' USA for about 6 weeks doing my Jivamukti teacher training which was just an extraordinary, life changing experience. So much to say, but words could not explain. In the coming posts however, I'll do my best to try.

I'm not back in Kosovo with a pretty severe case of JetLag, but on the upside I've managed to read some excellent books like The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, and my current read, The Red Tent. More on both of those later.

Getting back to Kosovo is easier than I thought it would be. Everyone is very enthusiastic to see me, and teaching yoga is a wonderful gift to give someone. I have also been to the University in the meantime and plan to teach Advertising Principles and Designing with the Computer in the fall. Meanwhile, Xav continues to interview, including two this week in London and Tunis. We are not getting hopes up and are prepared to stay here for as long as needbe.

Next week I'll travel to Amsterdam to visit the doctor and see some friends. While I was away I had some blood work done that indicate my liver is not as healthy as it could be, so it's time to start checking in more frequently with the doctor and perhaps doing some cancer screenings. For those of you who don't know, I have PSC, a disease in the bile ducts that can lead to a failure of the liver. But mine is basically ok.

Lastly, I have signed up for a Thai Yoga Massage course in August to get certified in this form of massage. Very excited about that! Between getting settled in, starting up a website for Jivamukti teachers and teaching 4 classes of yoga a week, I'll promise to be a bit more regular in the coming time about posting to the ol'blog. Stick with me. I promise my stories of personal struggle, organized crime and bizarre and funny travel mishaps won't leave your mouth in a frown!

where i'm going, where i've been

Been awhile since I've posted, and I blame that entirely on travel and being generally b*u*s*y. No good.

Here's a brief update.

I was in Amsterdam for a week which was fabulous. I loved seeing my friends, admiring the canals in springtime, sitting in the Westerpark, going to all my old haunts and feeling like I was living there again albeit for a brief time. I also saw Dave Matthews with Tim Reynolds at the Paradiso - a real treat. I spent most of my college years seeing Dave perform in small cafes, then at bigger venues on the east coast, so to be in spitting distance of him once again with nothing but him and his guitar (and Tim Reynolds) on stage brought back many memories that even triggered some nostalgic tears.

The pity is that my iPod got stolen and I seemed to misplace 2 of my favourite rings that I've had for a long. long time. I'm trying to think of this as a lesson, that I became too attached to these material things, but I'm still hoping at least the rings turn up. Let go.

I flew back to Pristina and hopped into a taxi to go right into a yoga lesson - the first of a 5 module series I'm calling Yoga Basics: Creating your Home Practice. Then X and I were back in Macedonia on Friday night and on the horses all weekend. It was sunny and fantastic, though it's become a bit of a circus these days at the Cherry Orchard. Every family with children seem to frequent the place, it's almost like a zoo! The people look at the horses, rabbits, chickens and pigeons, and the kids hang to the railing of the riding ring which makes for an interesting session, especially when I'm riding Lasta, a white mare who spooks easily at any sound or small movement. It's ok though, I kind of like the excitement, my cowboy past life pops back into the picture and I become a girl with a whip and a mission.

In other news, I've now completed the essays I had to write for the Jivamukti teacher training and all I have to do is locate a scanner anywhere in this here town of Pristina to scan and email the 'agreement'. That's a tough task.

Lastly, I'm experiencing frustration when it comes to working with a local production company. We were supposed to shoot a commercial this week and the guy never gave me the storyboards, so now we're running a week late. This is par for the course here, which makes yoga especially necessary.

More soon.

Drop me a line! Skype: lizzieb2007

Now, where was I?

Life in Pristina, at least for the next 7 weeks, will be busy.

I've started at the American University of Kosovo doing marketing / pr / copywriting / tv producing / web consultant type of work. People here in Kosovo, in general, wear many hats! I really enjoy working as a 'freelancer', tackling short term projects and having variety. I also notice how productive and efficient I am when working from home compared to having to sit for hours on end in an office. I like to work in my pajamas, listen to loud music, get up from time to time and shake my ass (it's my version of a cigarette break). I also like watching the next door neighbor, every single day, at 8.30, stick her head out the window and shake out her rug. I mean, how much dirt and dust and crumbs can one person generate in only a day??

I've also started teaching 2 yoga classes, one at the UN on Tuesday evenings, and one on Wednesday mornings in a back room of a restaurant for a group of women who haven't done yoga before. The two classes couldn't be more different, but it is a very good experience for me, good practice in communication and also gives me a taste of how teaching yoga can be. So far, I've gotten a lot of positive energy back from this, and I can only imagine it will get better and better once I have completed the Jivamukti training.

Today I'm headed over to the campus of AUK to meet with the dean. I'll take some photos to give you kids an idea of just what this place looks like. The university started 3 and a half years ago in a 2 bedroom house, and has since expanded into its own campus with 2 proper educational buildings, a canteen, and next year they will even offer dorm space. Because this is a university in partnership, the students here get a US degree from a school with an excellent reputation in the US (Rochester Institute of Technology), which is a big differentiator from the other universities in the region, that are either mired in post-communist lethargy and corruption, or privately owned, meaning that basically no-one fails, it's just a money making enterprise.

Another interesting project has come up on the horizon this week as well - the possibility to work on a human-trafficking awareness campaign with several large organizations working in the region. More on that as it unfolds.

Lastly, a note on my major jones for shopping. I'm just disgusted with my appearance these days. I am sick of every piece of clothing I have, my hair is one large knot, and I just want to shop. I had a dream last night that I was on a shopping spree and the owner of the store marked everything 70% off. I spent 750 euros in my dream and got basically a whole new wardrobe. Of course, everything that I bought was hand knitted ;-). I was also eating chocolate throughout the shopping spree. Hmmm. X and I went to the mall in Skopje last weekend, I left having spent 50 dinar (90 euro cents). I bought 10 coloured flower hair clips and was happy as pie. For the rest of the weekend I sported them in some kind of wierd twisty hairdo that  got people smiling.  Well, at least they were smiling...

Procrastination take two.

Something about writing papers...I dunno, just makes me want to write random blog posts!

Tonight, for lack of any other time, I will be writing my paper on Ahimsa - nonviolence. This is the first Yama (or restraint) of yoga. So much to say on the topic, starting with how we treat ourselves. Those little messages that get planted in our DNA so early on in our lives from actions from our past lives parents genetics and disposition burrow into the particles of our being and affect pretty much everything we do and say. What do we tell ourselves when we look in the mirror? Get a speeding ticket? Say something we maybe shouldn't have said? How do those messages have an impact on the way we treat others, even how we eat? Well, that's going to be what I'm writing about tonight.

After quite a busy day on the scene of AUK (american university of kosovo), I left the campus with my work cut out for me (a later post) and my first official yoga class at the UN to prepare for. The focus was on backbends and chest openers, and all went well. In the hour and a half, we didn't get to a third of the asanas I had planned, but such is life. It takes a whole lot longer to explain things, give adjustments and remember the next posture than you'd think! Props to all the yoga teachers out there.

The payoff is happy individuals, leaving smiling, glowing, feeling better physically, and mentally when they came in. It makes it all worth it. Luckily, many people seemed to feel great after class, so I did too!

And now....to work.

Day of firsts.

Well, I'm officially a paid employee again. Today is my first day on the job as the Marketing and PR consultant for the American University of Kosovo (AUK). It will be a 7 week stint since my yoga teacher training is coming up in April. More on this soon.

Also, tonight I'm teaching my first official yoga class at the UN, and tomorrow the international women's group will start their basics yoga class. Busy busy.

More on all this soon, but for now, gotta go!

I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want...

Yoga mats!

It's been about 3 weeks since I offered to organize a 'bulk yoga mat' ordering. That 3 weeks, researching logistics, ordering processes and who wants which mat in which colour was challenging, yes, but a good practice in getting things done. Just when I thought I'd cracked the case, ordering 30 mats from a German manufacturer in various colours and styles as people chose, the mats didn't manage to find their address and are being shipped back to Germany. Oh la la.

You see, shipping to Kosovo is no easy task. Most companies charge 4 times as much to ship here, and ask for payment up front since they can't guarantee a delivery. Once it gets into Kosovo, it's in the hands of the local post. Street addresses are unknown (I have no idea of my address, for example), and it's pretty much a toss up if you'll ever get the package you ordered. It's for this reason (and others - namely, getting their milary supplies delivered) that the Austrian KFOR (police) set up a mailing address in Austria, where packages are then shuttled to Pristina twice weekly. Problem is, unless the package is sent regular post, it will never find that address in Austria. The address, as it so happens, is a bit vague, and extremely difficult to find any information on. I called the Austrian KFOR, the Austrian Liason Office, the Austrian military base (in Austria) and a handful of other random phone numbers before I was redirected back to the Austrian KFOR in Kosovo to speak with a Lieutenant Fibble who was the one who finally told me that the address is a post office inside a military base (Camp Casablanca) that has no phone number and no employees (no phone). Big companies like DHL and FedEx simply can't make a delivery. So now, 3 weeks later, I find out this information, with 30 hungry yogis waiting for their mats. What to do?

Yesterday I got into a taxi, determined to comb the area for any mats that vaguely resembed a yoga mat and to purchase every single one. I found myself in Ferizij, a Serbian enclave a good 45 minutes outside of Pristina. There I found the Ben-Af, a strange medley of groceries, car supplies, dishware and children's toys, and after asking countless times for mats, I was taken to the 'mat' section of the store, offering car mats, mats for wiping one's feet outside the door, linoleum flooring and...yoga mats! I swiped all 13 mats at the store and made a run for it. After checking out 3 or 4 more regular sporting stores and finding nothing, I returned home, happy that I'd made a dent in my mat-promise. Over the weekend, I shall scour Skopje to find out what mats they've got on offer. It's become a scavenger hunt, and I'm on the trail...problem is, so many people want mats that it's more like 50 now that I need!

Procrastination.

It's been a long time since I've written a book report. A really, really long time.

In preparation for the yoga teacher training I'm doing this spring, I have to read a series of books and write a rather lengthy report of each, based on a theme of my choice.

Today has been spent preparing the first report on the book Autobiography of a Yogi.  While it is rather long (and at times tedious), I can genuinely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in deepening their yoga practice with a more holistic approach to the concept of yoga and universality.

I have chosen the theme of the role of maya and vedanta in the life of Paramhansa Yogananda. I chose this topic primarily because these concepts resonated for me more than anything else throughout the book. The dichotomy of illusion and attachment juxtaposed with oneness, or non-duality, has intrigued me since my university studies where I studied philosphy. This mind-pull is a major cause of suffering on this earth for most of us, whether we realize it or not! Think about all those times when you were heard to 'let go'. Did you? Were you able to let faith in the phrase 'things have a way of working out' transcend your need to be pro-active (ie. control) your life? Well, in case you didn't make the connection yet, that attachment to control is the illusion part; the letting go (and letting God, as some circles say) is the belief that there are other cosmic forces in the works, challenging whether or not we have control or an influence in anything (Vedanta says the only reality is the reality of cosmic oneness..but then there's more to it than that)...

So there you have it. My little procrastinatory post about big ideas (or lack of them). Back to work.

where does the time go?

Somehow time has always managed to slip through my fingers. Even now, without a job, I sense that I am ..busy. I may even dare to say, busier than usual.

In the past few days some small project work is starting to come in, and with my new status as 'advisor' to World Child, preparing for a yoga teacher training and prospects of other project work on the horizon, I have barely had time to update my blog in the past 24 hours! As they say here, what to do (imagine hands spread, moving quickly next to face).

In the aim of continuing to entertain you, the reader, even when I don't have the time or anything worth reporting,  I will share with you the best email I've gotten in the past 24 hours. The context of this email is that I've been organizing a bulk yoga mat order for the yogis here in Pristina. The UN has these horrible mats from the '50s that slide all over the place, giving new meaning to 'steeram sukham asanam' (steady joyful seat). I asked people to send me an email to let me know that they wanted one, and one person responded:

Dear Elizabeth,

I am writing you to confirm that I am a yoga mat.
Thank you.

Yes, friends, for now that's as good as it gets.