Bloggin like Crazy...

Yes twice in one day!!! As promised I thought I would show you my new apartment. I think my mother pictures me in a hovel knee deep in roaches (BTW its has been weeks since the last roach attack). So here it is...
My Kitchen - see the clock, all the way from England - this clock chimed every 15 mins in the back of my car on the drive down to Mexico.The other end of my kitchen - the sink was the only thing in the apartment that I did not have to buy:You can see I have two electric hobs on a counter next to the door (I need to replace these with gas) and a little cooker on top of the counter. Note the Heinz Tomato Ketchup on the bench. Tomato sauce sandwiches are still a staple for this girl:) Mam's painting is by the door, with a picture of my parents in Rome underneath. Bigsy is on top of the fridge, together with a picture of Daniel and Lee (My best friend Lisa's kids).
My bedroom is a little messy:I usually make the bed religiously, every day, as soon as I get up. Today I was tired and so I planned to leave it until after my afternoon snooze. As it happened I did not have time to snooze today. You might just see Big Ted in the left (a very well traveled bear). I painted the room mint green which I love. I bought a heavy Mexican chest of drawers, which I also love and a nice bookcase where Buddha sits. Julio gave me a bed frame his brother had made.
My clothes closet is on the other side of the room as well as another bookcase: My Green Man is hung by the door. The closet has no doors but that's good here to avoid humidity.
Finally my bathroom - small, clean and white. It works well:
I am EXTREMELY happy here.

My Job

I thought I'd give you an idea of how my day runs here in Cozumel. I set my alarm for 7am and leave my apartment by 8, then I drive to the hotel I work in. I walk through the staff entrance of the hotel to my dive shop which is right on the beach. Usually I stop and take a look up the beach to see how the ocean is behaving that day (a bit like checking my e-mail first thing at the American Club!). Rosie works in the shop: Usually she starts every day with a prayer on the beach for good luck with $$$ that day. She also pays us and gives me advice on Mexican men and cooking. Go Rosie!
I am one of three instructors. Here are Fernando and I in our uniforms - one of our students took this picture:
And here is Luis:
As soon as we get to the shop we load up tanks and set them up by the pool, as bait. Now we sit in wait until customers attracted by the 'scuba lessons at 9' sign come over and ask us what its all about. Usually we get 4-5 people. We teach a short classroom session and then jump into the pool with the students. The pool is around 65 degrees and the worst part of the day is jumping in htere. This is me with Emily working on equalizing:After the pool we encourage people to sign up for a beach dive. So far we've made no money so this is the important part. We usually have a good sign up rate. We earn $26 per diver who agrees to come for a 'discover scuba' dive with us.
At around 12 we head off to Sunset Beach. Here I am breaking down gear after a dive:We work in rotation, so every 3 days its my turn to teach the discover class in the pool. The other two act as back up - bringing gear etc. The person teaching the pool takes the first 4 divers to the beach. If more than 4 sign up a second instructor comes along. In addition to the discover scuba lessons, we also teach certifications - mostly Open Water Diver. When its busy we usually have one or two certifications on the go. We also take turns in teaching the three day cert courses. Yesterday I started teaching a certification for two guys and taught the discover course in the pool because Fernando and Luis were already in the middle of certification courses. Its busy right now but we're making a nice amount of money. This is good because many on the Island now are having trouble finding work.
After work I generally come home, listen to 'The Archers' on the radio, have lunch, call parents or friends, take a 2 hour nap, go to yoga and then meet up with friends or boyfriend.
Might I add that when its not my pool day and there are no certifications, I can be finished work by 10.30. I like these days almost as much as my day off. They are true rest days because I have nothing planed and can laze around my apartment.
Stay tuned for apartment pics!

I'm Back...

BUSY
Well its been a while since I've blogged - apologies. After Christine and Cat left I had a lot of work to do in making my new apartment habitable. Mostly painting. I painted my apartment in NJ and I have to say that this was a much harder task. Firstly paint in Mexico smells much more strongly than its US equivalent. Add to this that I'd developed a nasty chest infection and you can imagine that painting became a mammoth task. When I was finished I had to leave the apartment for a week for the smell to completely clear so that I could stand being in there again. I'm not sure that there is a Health and Safety Authority here, to speak of but I'm pretty certain that the paint I was breathing was not entirely healthy for me. Next time I will definitely wear a face mask.
NEW APARTMENT
So now I am in my new apartment. I've cut my rent in two and I love my new place. I bought all of my own furniture, which is really nice. I have a mint green bedroom, sunshine yellow, eat in kitchen and a white bathroom. Everything is how I like it. I still need a bed base, bedside tables and a desk, but need to save a little for those.
ILLNESS
I have been hampered a little by my illness. I basically got sick after the January full moon celebration - all that dancing around with the cold wind running through my hair! I had a pretty bad chest infection with very irritating chesty cough, followed in quick succession by a head cold.
BOYFRIEND
I have a boyfriend too, which is taking up a little of my time. One of my, self set, blogging rules is not to talk about romantic relationships. There are a few reasons for this. Primarily - well they are private. Also I like to keep my blog focused on the constant things in my life. I want to be able to go back and read it without thinking - Uggrrrhhh!!! Sad reflection on my past relationships, but there you go.
So why do I mention my new relationship???? I guess its just because it has been occupying my thoughts a little recently and so blogging about other things has seemed less exciting.
WORK
Work is good. Loving the guys I work with Fernando and Luis. We all work pretty hard but Cozumel has been beset with an unending stream of North Fronts - which bring cold temperatures, wind and rain. This has not been good for business as it is difficult to convince people to jump into a frigid pool when its gray and cold.
VISITORS
Michele Carvale and her fiance Bill are currently in town. Great to see them. Both very happy and excited about getting married.

So there it is an a nutshell. I'm setting myself a new, once a week blog target. Perhaps next blog I'll add some pictures of my apartment.

New Year with Friends Catherine Holt's and Christine Norton's Visit....

So I have yet to blog about the visits of two of my favorite friends, from New York, Cat and Christine. Christine arrived first on December 28th. I was able to take the day off the first day after her arrival which was nice. We spent the day driving around the Island, stopping off at every beach that caught our fancy, and catching up on everything that had happened since we last saw each other. Christine and I have become pretty good friends over the years. We met through diving and tended to see each other once every three months or so. Christine is awesome - I think she looks just like Katherine Hepburn. She's also fiercely honest and together, I love shooting the shit with Christine about all and everything. Here she is standing on one of the rocky beaches:Cat arrived on the 31st. I picked her up from Scuba Shack and then she came to sunset beach with me while I dove with some resort divers. Cat had a massage while I dove and then we had lunch with my co-instructor Fernando and his kids. It was nice to introduce Cat to Fernando and show her where I work. i really miss having Cat in my life. We'd tend to see each other once a week in New Jersey. One of my favorite nights out would be to go round to Cat's house, order sushi and drink some wine. We'd talk, sing and watch the New York sky line. Anyway Cat and I finished on Sunset Beach just in time to pick up Hans and Allie from their Hotel for a quick chat before we all got ready for dinner.

We spent NYE at Sorisi's, an Italian restaurant which is normally awesome. Unfortunately they were overrun and the food was not great. Nevertheless we had a good time. Here are some pics:



Christine left on Jan 3rd which gave me some quality time with Cat. It was great to hang out with one of my best friends. I only wish Cat would come and live in Cozumel - so she's be a stone's throw away again. I MISS YOU CAT!!!!!!!!!

Full Moon Meditation

Last night was the first full moon of 2009 and I went with my yoga class to the other (Eastern most) side of the Island to see the moon rise and meditate with some of the pople from my yoga philosophy class.

2009 is going to be a special year. The year carries the master number 11 which condenses to a 2 year. The last time we had the influence of a 11 year was in 1910. Last night was a particularly powerful night because it was 1.11.09 (3 more 1's). Also 11 people showed up for our full moon meditation.

Apparently in numerology the number 11 is a Master Number – ‘Master’ meaning it is of intense/high vibrational frequency and works within the etherical, magical and transcendental realms of creation. Master numbers possess great potential for learning and growth, and can bring major transformations in life. Right on, this is definitely what I need for 2009.

The number 11 is the most intuitive number and is a clear channel to the subconscious. It is the number of leadership, personal power and spiritual truths. The number 1 by itself represents leadership, initiative and new beginnings… thus two number 1’s together opens a gateway of potential far greater than the sum of its parts.

The gateway of the Master Number 11, is the freedom of choice. The freedom to choose a path of truth, authenticity & Love, or conversely to recoil in fear, pain and stagnation. This is nice for me because on of my themes for 2009 is letting go of past romantic hurts so that I can be open to new relationships (perhaps a healthy one!).

So when we arrived it was a cloudy night. We set up and began to meditate in a circle. We thought of the things we wanted to say goodbye to from 2009 - negatives in our lives. Selene's ex husband played drums and we danced to balance ourselves and connect to the earth. We then lit Copal incense as an offering in recognition of life's pain so far the focus was - we value what we've learned from suffering but have now learned enough. We moved the Copal around our bodies to cleans out auras and as we did this the most amazing red full moon came out of the clouds:

We then each said what we desired for ourselves for 2009 and what we desired for the group. By this time the moon was out in her full glory - sending a great silver path accorss the ocean to where we sat on the beach. More dancing, then we all stood in the waves, feeling the power of the moon; imagining her standing above us and her silver energy surrounding us like armour which would protect us in 2009. The wind was whistling through my ears and hair and the silvery light of the moon was very powerful. I wished for the things I wanted in 2009, and offered those wishes to the moon. There was much heart felt hugging. I like a good hug:)

Mam and dad (and Barbara B) you will be pleased to know that we also felt guardian angels placing their hands on our heads and the power of the holy spirit flowing from the moon's energy. Perhaps I'm a bit of an old hippy but I loved my full moon meditation experience.

Gopi Krishna - "KUNDALINI - The Evolutionary Energy in Man

I just finished reading a book on Kundalini yoga. I started taking classes in Kundalini yoga when I arrived here in Cozumel. I practice yoga three nights a week and take yoga theory/ meditation classes two nights a week.

What is Kundalini? It is believed that Kundalini is a force which lies dormant coiled like a snake, at the base of the spine in every human being. Yogi's bellieve that when awakened the Kundalini rises up the spine, through the 7 chakras and finds expression in the form of spiritual knowledge, mystical vision, psychic powers and ultimately enlightenment. Variously described, the Kundalini seems to represent a great increase in the connection between the mind and the universe/ nirvana/ god/ the powers that be. A higher level of conciousness, closely connected to the health of the physical self: "a marvellous transformation of the nervous system and brain, resulting in the manifestation of a superior type of conciousness"

Gopi Krishna was an Indian man who inadvertently awakened his Kundalini through yoga and meditation practices. He's a very down to earth guy who remains very humble despite his experiences:

"...the manifestaion [is] not a mark of special devine favor, vouchsafed to me in particular or earned by me as a reward for merit, but as an ever-present possibility, existing in all human beings by virtue of the evolutionary process still at work in the race, tending to create a condition of the brain and nervous system that can enable one to trancend the existing boundaries of the mind and acquire a state of conciousness far above that which is the normal heritage of mankind at present. In otherwords, instead of believeing that the experience, in spite of its marvellous and sublime nature, denotes a subjective apprehension of ultimate reality, complete and whole, it represents to me an upward climb from one rung of the ladder of evolution to another "

The book also contains a psychological comentary by James Hillman. He ponders whether these events actually took place in Gopi's physical body or in his yogic body/ body of the imagination. All agree that the chakra system of the yogic body is not suposed to have any objective existence in physical space. Gopi believed that his physical body was for him the material place of projection of immaterial events and there in the 'body' they were experienced by the senses and felt to be real. Our pshychology clearly can have an effect on our physical bodies - look at psychosomatic symptoms. I seem more susceptible to illness when I'm mentally run down and invincible to colds when I'm feeling on top of the world.

So is this a load of whoey? Interesting question - I have also purchased two books by Jung (who I think is fantastic) on Kundalini and yoga. One is a series of lectures and the other 'The Psyche-Body Connection". I certainly believe that there is a strong link between physical and mental health. I also strongly believe that people radiate energy - some have a powerful positive energy - those people I like to be around - Selene and a number of people at my yoga class, Allie, Cat, Monica. There are others who ooze negative energy and I can feel that accutely when I'm near these types. A Kundalini practicioner will cover their head with a turban to protect their prana/ kundalini power from such negative energy. My aunt Judith tells me that in body therapy its is recomended that you wrap a garment around your chest to protect your own energy from the negativity of others. Bit difficult to whip out my wooley hat around people who give off negative energy (Cat I was REALLY feeling ill last week when I was wearing my wooley hat around you!). My energy definately swings and yoga most certainly keeps me sane.

I will report further on the opinions on Jung on this phenomenom when I get through those books. For now I am reading, and loving, the "Tibbetan Book on Living and Dying".

Cozumel's Mayan Ruins - San Gervaiso

My friend Cat just left Cozumel to return to her new home in Germany. Allie, Cat and I decided to spend her last day visiting the ancient ruins of the town of San Gervaiso, which contained the ruins of a temple built to honor the goddess X'cel ('she of the rainbow'). Ix Chel was the Mayan goddess of childbirth and medicine.

Her temple was built on Cozumel because the Island was the eastern most point of the Mayan territories. Of course, the sun rises in the east, with its light hitting Cozumel before any of the other Mayan provinces, and so the island was chosen to celebrate the beginning of life (conception and fertility). Incidentally the second most eastern point is the Island of Isla Mujeres, which literally means 'island of the midwives'.

Women from far and wide would make pilgrimage to the Island to pray at the shrine of Ix Chel for their families' fertility. Many weddings were performed on the site. This arch was at the opening of the town:
You can see that the curve of the arch has six inverted steps on each side. The moon is full every 28 days and each of the steps represents a full phase of the moon with the top of the arch representing the 13th moon of the year or the 'blue moon' (second full moon in one month which happens once a year - actually New Years Eve of 2009 - which will be cool for camping on the beach). The arch would cast a shadow to the east or west depending on which side of the solstice the calendar was on. This acted as a sign for the towns people to plan or harvest crops.

Under the arch is a stone map of the Island showing all of the reefs - this would act as a guide for sailors:The light gray stone in the middle represents the Island with the broad end being the north and the point - Punta Sur. The smaller rocks surrounding the Island represented reefs and shipwrecks.

We paid $6 each to enter the sight and also $20 for a guide. I would strongly recomend paying for a guide as we learned a whole lot about the site that we otherwise would not have.

Another interesting feature of the town were these 'wells': Rather than containing water they actually lead to a system of underground passageways that lead to different locations in the town. Our guide has explored these caves during his training - very Indiana Jones!

I will definitely go back to this site with more guests as I am very interested in Mayan culture and would like to here the tour guide explain the site and the various numerological significances of various stair cases and positioning of buildings.