Life goes too fast

It's been a long time and although I've been wanting to write I just couldn't. Many things happened since I got back to Europe and it's been like a roller coaster of emotions, moments of joy, of sadness, of disappointments, of doubts, of contentment. Very mixed emotions all together mixed with a sort of existential crisis but followed by the calmness and sweetness of the last couple of days that finally enable me to see things from a fresh perspective.
Everything is falling into place smoothly here in Rome and I still can't believe that it's all happening. If all is confirmed I should be starting to work in early October (more details will follow when it's all set).
In the meantime, I am missing India, its magic, its people, its noise pollution, it's chaos (it's not so different here in Italy after all and sometimes I really wonder which of the two belongs to the 3rd world!), I miss the smell, the smiles, the simplicity that is nowehere to be found here but mostly I miss my greatest connection to it, who's now miles away but close to my heart like never before.
Below are some pics for a small revival.....

A beautiful video of the school where I was teaching in India

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0SotjcyAJU

Back in Italy

I was supposed to fly back to London on the 11th and then to Rome on the 17th BUT British Airways delayed our flight due to a 'technical fault' (turns out there was a leak in the fuel tank since the previous week and they KNEW about it!).

They kept us on the plane for about 2 hours without having the decency of making an announcement or giving us a glass of water. The air conditioning was not working either so imagine the heat as Mumbai was already on 40c!

They finally bothered to let us know that there was a problem and that we had to leave the plane while the issue would get rectified. Not so.... we were kept standing in a miserable airport corridor, again with no update or instruction on what to do. People started getting agitated and started asking what the problem was.

They then shifted us to an area where we could all sit (bear in mind that there were loads of elderly people trying to fly to New York and lots of families with babies). At that point the whole BA crew left and we only realised a few hours later when we started enquiring where everyone had gone and if we could have at least a glass of water. After such request, they (someone who suddenly showed up again) gave us a glass of water and a coleslaw sandwhich and a mini pack of crisps!

To cut it short.... BA crew (if they deserved such a title as they all seemed incompetent barbie dolls to me) showed up again and shifted us to a hotel nearby where they expected us to share rooms with total strangers and where we were expected to pay 5 star hotel rates to make a phone call (which according to European law is our right in such situation) and use internet. Also, they informed us that they would only cover for the hotel and breakfast and dinner. Nothing else! Still NO UPDATE ON WHEN WE WOULD FLY AGAIN OR IF WE WOULD HAVE THE POSSIBILITY OF TAKING ANY OTHER FLIGHT.

We were kept in this hotel for 50 hours.... without any update and insisting we should pay for any drinks (they were trying to charge me for a watermelon juice, we are not even talking about a glass of wine) except for water.

They finally flew us to London on the 13th of May at 1pm (with 40 minute notice!). They assured us we were elegible to compensation for at least our return flight and they instructed us to follow a link on their website once back to Europe. But guess what? They dated our boarding pass the 11th of May instead of the actual 13th AND they are now refusing to refund anything because they claim that the flight was not cancelled but only delayed. Outrageous. I am now in the middle of a legal dispute in which I will claim full compensation for the time I had to waste in such hotel and the fact that British Airways refused even the basic right of providing communication means to let our families know that we had been delayed.

Needless to say I will never ever fly BA again in my life and needless to say the company is really degenerating and has become as stingy and petty as Ryanair, but at least you wouldn't really expect much service from Ryanair.

Anyway, I will now be in London on the 24th of May and will stay until 3rd of June. My UK number is always the same so feel free to give me a call.

Love to all

Coming back to London and Rome

11th of May.... I will arrive at Heathrow. I was trying to extend my VISA but my one year visa states that I have to leave after 6 months and then I can come back after 2 months so I decided to happily come back to Europe and enjoy the Italian and British summer.... can't wait to see you all.

Love

11 Maggio, tornero' a Londra. Il mio visto di un anno prevede che dopo i 180 giorni consecutivi in India si deve uscire e si puo' rientrare solo dopo due mesi...e quindi torno felicemente in Europa per godermi l'estate italiana e inglese (se arrivera'). Non vedo l'ora di rivedervi tutti.

con affetto

How I ended up in Omkareshwar

I have been asked many times in the last few months how I found out about Omkareshwar and the Ashram where I ended up staying for 4 months and since I just got an email from the person through whom I discovered this fantastic place, I thought I would tell you the story.

Some of you might recall that I was ready to move to Istanbul, Turkey to go teach there. For some reason though a little voice was telling me inside that it wasn't the right choice.... so I remember one morning waking up in my flat in London and deciding suddenly I should spend the next year in India instead. I decided right there that I should go volunteer and practise Kirtan like I had been wanting to for the last 3 years.
I started looking for places where I could volunteer as a teacher in India through the internet but with no luck as all these big organisations seem to charge lots of money to volunteers and you never know what it'll be like anyway. Then I suddenly decided to send a message to Narayani, an amazing Kirtan singer whose concerts I had seen in London various times (some of you might recall that I went to a kirtan concert on Valentine's day in 2010) and whose CD I was playing all the time in my flat.
I asked her if she knew a place in India where I could do meditation, kirtan AND volunteer as a teacher.... and she happened to know just the perfect place where you can do all of these. I had never received so much grace before and it just felt right since her reply. There I was in Omkareshwar a few weeks later.... and what a journey!
I am dedicating this post to Narayani, whose web page you can check following the link www.onebodyonesound.com  and whose second album has just come out and I am attaching below her invitation to celebrate it. Please do go and check it out if you have the chance as you will not regret it. She is great and her concerts have a great and relaxing atmosphere. Thank you again Narayani for giving me the chance to spend the last few months in one of the most magical places ever! I will keep all the sweet memories as my most precious treasure.

Narayani

Kirtan, Voicework, Yoga 

Dear Valentina,   I am really excited to annouce that Maatri Sharanam, my new album is now available for sale and download from my website. Visit www.onebodyonesound.com to listen to samples or to buy the album. I will be launching the album on Saturday 16th April in London, full details are below. Do come along and enjoy a wonderful evening with myself, Lucy Crisfield and Tom Simenauer, the muscians who helped me create this album! If you have preordered the album you will receive it this week. If you do not receive it please do contact me.  Best wishes Narayani 07976 016 103 www.onebodyonesound.com

Kirtan Concert   

The Life Centre, Islington 

celebrating the launch of my album

 Maatri Sharanam  

Saturday April 16th  

7:30-9:30pm

joined by Lucy Crisfield & Tom Simenauer 

The Life Centre, Islington 

1 Britannia Row, London N1 8QH.  

Tel: 020 7704 0919       

islington@thelifecentre.com 

www.thelifecentre.com  

Maatri Sharanam is Narayani's second album  featuring some of her most popular chants, including Sita Ram and Bolo Bolo Submilla Bolo. A combination of meditative and ecstatic chants inspired by traditional Kirtan, that have taken on a western twist authentic to Narayani's style and her own journey integrating the depth of  Eastern philosophy with a Western life!

Come and celebtrate with Narayani in this evening of meditative and ecstatic chants,  led by Narayani's deeply resonant voice. Sanskrit mantras are set to beautiful, yet simple, melodies. Kirtan (often called Bhajans) is an ancient and effective yogic practice of singing together to open the heart and connect to the self. The chants are easy to pick up and give a wonderful opportunity to discover the power of your own voice.

Greetings from Taj Mahal

It's even more beautiful than I expected. Breathtaking Taj Mahal, monument of love.

Recent travels

I'm in travel mode at the moment and starting to get nervous about having to leave India in a month. : ( Don't know what the reverse culture shock will be like. The positive thing is that it will be summer in Europe so at least I will not have to face the winter.
I'm in Delhi right now and my father is here. He will be here for a couple of weeks and we are heading towards north around the Himalayas. We're going to Agra the day after tomorrow to see the famous Taj Mahal, can't wait!
Below are some pics of the recent places I visited. One of them is Khajuraho, popular for it Kama Sutra carvings on amazing to say the least temples. Enjoy!

sunset in sanchi

sanchi stupa

the main buddhist stupa

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detail of one of the gates

stairway from the stupa down to the entrance

The lady in white

Khajuraho

view of Khajuraho's temples

Orchha

beautiful Orchha

6am sunrise at Orchha seen from the top of a rock

The brain tree or Lover's corner as called by the locals

Shooting of the australian movie Singularity

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kama sutra

more kama sutra

and again....

this is well known

warning:do not replicate this at work

same as above