It’s been a year already…

Ever since I moved to Swansea, I guess I have fallen off the blogging bandwagon and have been posting here only once a year (approx), which is sad really. Because so much has happened since we moved here and I could have kept the record of all the stories behind it if only I took some time to post about it. Here is hoping to do more in the new year.

2021 hasn’t been any different to 2020 to most and I am not going to add to the doom and gloom of it because we have had enough of that. I have kept myself busy with my post-graduate certificate course in higher education, started training in yoga (online), prepared two new courses when I had a break for a term, visited a few places (safely and within the permitted guidelines) etc. etc.

Now coming to the end of this year, I have successfully completed my PGCE and am now a qualified yoga teacher. I have already started teaching yoga to a couple of my friends and have been doing so for the past few months (online, of course). I recently finished writing all about my travels on my other blog. I have thoroughly enjoyed travelling in and around Swansea and making sure we take breaks whenever we can and as safely as we can. Neither of us is getting any younger but the year-long training of yoga has kept us in good shape. I should say that I have never been better, health-wise, than now and may long it continue. I have also never written so many essays in my life. This year has seen me write so many essays (both for my PGCE and for my yoga training). I think that is why I didn’t feel the need to write anymore in any blog. People are surprised when I tell them about the essays in yoga teacher training. Those essays have enabled me to read various classical texts on yoga and have given me a lot of things to think about and reflect on. It also reiterates the fact that yoga is an all-encompassing thing, a way of life, not just a physical exercise.

I have also witnessed a few heartbreaks, a few disappointments, a few sad events, but who doesn’t. It is part of life and growing up, I think. Just recently my nephew had a breakdown because he wasn’t happy with his Christmas present 😀 and he thought that Santa could have done better. I had to tell him that his message to Santa about his gift was very ambiguous and in future, he would do well to remember that ambiguity would lead to heartbreaks and he better make it super clear as to what he wants.

At work, after being together for almost three years, slowly things started to change as and when folks moved on to better prospects and I ended up finally identifying who my friends are and who are just acquaintances and I am glad for my friend’s circle, which is very small but very good. I also had a good term recently where a very difficult module was totally redesigned and there were no tears. That is a huge success in my book. Even though I wasn’t super happy about going back to face to face teaching this autumn term, we did it and touch wood, no one got ill during the term. We maintained social distancing, face masks, letting people learn from home when they had any slight symptoms etc. What the next term is gonna be is anyone’s guess at the moment. All I know is I am ready for both online and in-person teaching and I have managed to keep the learning experiences similar-ish either way.

Another year without any choir to attend (not even an online one like last year) which is sad, but at least we were able to visit a few churches and see their nativity displays and enjoy a couple of Christmas markets. This is the first holiday where I haven’t been working or even thinking of work. All I have been doing is relaxing, doing odds bits and pieces that needed to be done at home, doing my regular yoga, and finishing some last-minute books for this year (according to GoodReads, I have read 130 books this year, which is quite good) etc. Just chilling out really.

To top it all, I have finally been offered a teaching job back in India in my hometown which I would be started during the next academic year (Indian academic year). That means that we will be relocating to India next year, which is going to be very exciting more for Mr M than me, as it would be like going home after a very long break I guess. The move might not be as smooth as it was when I moved to the UK as it was just me then and this time we are moving as a family. There will be so many things to sort out and on top of it I would have to start my work without much break, but I guess I deal better when I have things to do and Mr M is more than capable of dealing with the admin stuff anyway. My nieces and nephew are quite excited about my move back and are looking forward to it very eagerly.

This virus is not going to go away any time soon. It is in their nature to mutate and spread and then mutate some more and spread again. It is their cycle of life, just like we have ours. Having seen the worse of it in 2020 and then some in 2021, all we can ever try and do is be safe ourselves and ensure that we protect our near and dear ones as much as we can within capacity. Some things are beyond our capacity and control especially, how the governments behave during such a crisis (I am trying hard to not get political here), but we should do what is within our control and capacity and get through this together. I am getting my booster jab today and Mr M has already had his a couple of weeks ago. Here’s to hoping that these boosters help along with some common sense.

Looking back, this year has been jam-packed with loads of learning and travelling and the new year is starting with new opportunities and new experiences. Let’s hope and pray that it is all for the best.

May this New Year bring with it hope, health, and happiness to all of you. Keep smiling and keep spreading joy wherever and whenever you can. Blwyddyn Newydd Dda! Happy New Year! 

Battered and Bruised

It has been a long time since I did any hardcore exercises. I try and do stretches via yoga thrice a week (for 20 mins max) and one day of badminton which keeps me a little bit healthy and fit. Heavy duty bodyweight exercises for an hour and a half: haven’t done that in a very long time. We (Mr M and I) signed up for the three-day workshop to learn something new, which involves a mix of all (cardio, stretch, bodyweight exercises etc) and today was our first day. It was brutal on us. Mr M and I had to drag ourselves back with so much effort. At least I got off light because I can relax at home whereas poor Mr M had to go to work for half a day. Wonder what will happen to both of us after the third day.

It felt good to do those extreme stretches which were part of the techniques taught. I could feel my muscles, especially in the legs screaming at me. If I am bedridden and don’t blog for a while, then you know what is the cause 😀 At least I will have time to recover before the school starts next week.

The Science Behind Yoga

An interesting video about Yoga and the science behind it along with its benefits.

Life and other things…

I have started work in a private school and things are going great. Finally, I have become someone I have always wanted to be. A Teacher. And I am really enjoying it. I still have some work to do on the Primary side of teaching. Learning on the job has always been my way and I am glad to do that here too. I have loads of help from the other teachers and that is a great help.

That leaves me with less time to do something like blogging 🙂 I still manage my occasional photo posts. Once the term is over, you might see a barrage of posts from me 😉 During the weekend, we are going to the yoga class and I am glad of my progress there. I am now in a position where I can do a full plough pose without the fear of falling over or jerking back up. And that is a huge deal for me. When I started these courses in March, I wouldn’t do it at all. I was so scared….but I knew that if I took my time to progress slowly and steadily, I will get there….My next attempt is for crow pose and then I would move to head stand. I am not holding my breath on that though 😉 Head stand takes the last priority for me. Among all the yoga classes I have been to, I like the Sivananda’s Yoga much better. Their way of teaching is slow and relaxed and you feel much better after the classes. I am planning to keep up with my practice even if I do it only a few poses a day.

I wanted to write about how I feel leaving one industry for another, but that will have to wait until the term end.

Lot has happened worldwide in these couple of weeks. Terror attacks close to home…don’t know what to think of it. We were in Windsor and Eton that day when it happened. It was so sad and so despicable. Trump is getting more stupider by the day. Cauvery water bed is dry and the water problems in Karnataka and TamilNadu doesn’t seem to cease. Not to mention the elections and the way it backfired. We had mock elections in the school and it was fun to see the way the kids campaigned and the results of the elections were totally different from the real ones. On the brighter side, India is through to the next stage in Champions Trophy, even though I didn’t bother watching the match (Mr M did though 😉 ) We tried to get tickets for yesterday’s match, but it was way too costly and we weren’t sure of the weather. Next time sometime. My nieces and nephew have gone to the next grades…they are growing so fast.

I do have photographs of Windsor and Eton to post, but they are yet to be processed. Will do that shortly. We liked Eton more than Windsor. And nope, we didn’t go to the Castle. I am not a big fan of Castles or Palaces. Been to one too many in Spain.

I am slowly and steadily catching up on the posts. I might have missed a few during the last couple of weeks. Will try and get to them soon. Until next update, Happy Blogging and fingers crossed for better and good things in the world.

Something very random

• I did my first headstand pose and a full plow pose during my yoga class, with the teacher’s assistance of course. Felt so good about it. Should get rid of my apprehensions and start doing them.
• Wanted to share this wonderful Bharatnatyam dance fusion I saw today.

• Been watching episodes of “Lewis” They are very good. I am becoming a fan of Hathaway in fact. His voice is so like Benedict’s.
• Got all the Christmas sweets ready. I did plan my gym membership well, you see 😉