Kauai 4, Brandon 0.

There have been so many things happening since my arrival. One week ago today. And these aren't even things, they're powerful energies I am experiencing. At almost every moment, literally. I can write anything at anytime on this blog b/c as our little saying has gone so far, "there is never a dull moment in Kauai."  At least for us learning yogi housemates, that is.

I have been so overloaded when I sat down during my last two entries that I couldn't find my flow. I was being nutty trying to catch a tradewind here so I could lift off and be my Waloff self that I have come to know and understand so well over the last few years.

So now, finally, redemption!

I was thinking to write about this unique and mysterious island, the island of Kauai so you can be in my world, vicariously speaking, unless you want to come and visit. I had a thought last week on the mat, b/c so many of my thoughts are illuminated while I'm practicing. And that throught was so far was if this were a contest between me and the island, then I lost last week. The score being Kauai 4, Brandon 0.

Let me explain, b/c the island has been kicking my ass all over the place. No internet for almost a week. I tried hooking it up and talking to the landlord of the house, but still could not get online. I hear Kauai has a certain charm for not allowing one to use the latest current technologies that the world has to offer. As you probably read in my last post about my I-pod going for a swim with me in the Pacific.  Well, I couldn't get online and never took the time to read the directions on my own computer was asking me to look at.  The pop-up plainly said to look under the router for the passcode (which I finally did, after 5-days of phone calls and being disconnected, yeah).  All I had to do was read the fine print.

So there you have it, tally two points for Kauai. 1 for the I-pod, the other for my lack of foresight to get online. That's now 2-points for Kauai.

The next major victory for Kauai was the Staff infection that I got only 3 days into my trip. Apparently Staff is everywhere around here and if you cut yourself, you have to clean it out really well b/c the bacteria thrives in this environment. I scraped my foot in the airport coming out here, maybe even back in NJ. It was the babiest of all scrapes, one that just pulls back the skin. So no big deal right? Wrong. The cut I noticed was actually getting deeper during the first couple days into being here and I paid no attention thinking that the ocean would clean it out and no sweat. Well, someone from class, on my birthday gave me a special gift. "You have to cut out that scab b/c you have Staff." "What!?" I said, "Are you kidding?"  They weren't and I was enlightened to the fact that Staff thrives on this island. The scab got yellow and a nice red ring was slowly spreading up my foot near my ankle. I got scared and the day after my birthday at 3am I woke up with pain in my left foot and the only thing I could do about it was cut away at the yellow-white scab so I could let the Staff out and the anti-biotic ointment in. That was fun. I was up until 4:45am slowly performing surgery on myself.

And of course my birthday dinner was a surprise party for me. Not a literal surprise party, but one from the present I received from Chris, my roommate who began to tweak out a little bit, as he does from time to time, and cause all us roommates to tweak in response along with him, right before dinner. We all had to talk and open up, process and that tweak-out made dinner a bit awkward. Kauai is a powerful place which shows its newcomers just what they need to look at and process for their own life.  Another point for Kauai.

So yes, this has been a new wake up call for me. What I have been learning, as cliche as this sounds, is to just be present and stop worrying. I realize that I worry so much. Worry about the future, my foot, my internet, my housemates and how I will get along. I even found out that I worry b/c I am worrying. Because I just want to be present, open and free.  Lessons still being taught. I'm in school right now.

That was last week. There have been some minor miracles this weekend which I will post about soon. Mahalo~ Brandon.