Slack Lining

While spending a day in the park, walking in the fresh air and then relaxing under the shade of a tall pine tree, I saw what I initially thought, were some crazy hippie types. I was intrigued as the one hippie type started tying a length of rope to a tree. My initial thought was that she was going to tie herself to the tree in protest of something (as it is her democratic right to protest) but she didn't.  She tied her rope to another tree about 10 metres away. 

Suddenly it made sense, she wasn't a hippie, she was a slackliner - now, I felt bad for having judged and assuming that they were hippie types.  

The line, which is not a rope at all. It's made of flat nylon, the type used to strap motor cycles to the back of trailers, wide enough for the foot to rest on, strong enough to hold a persons weight. 

She got onto the line. One foot on the ground, one on the line. She used one leg to lift her body up. I was intrigued, not at the fact that had bigger legs than I do, but at the fact that she was able to balance from such a precarious start.  

I was fixated as she walked on the slackline. I needed to try it.  I approached her and her friends and she agreed that I could have a go.  It was awesome. I really thought that I would not be able to walk on it, but it wasn't bad at all. It's so amazing how the body starts to adjust to the motion of the line.

I managed to get up to about four steps before falling off. If i had known before Christmas how easy slacklining is to do, I could have saved myself some cash instead of using it on PS 3 peripherals. 

Would I do it again? Yes, most def! 

One more thing ticked off the list. 

All Yoga'd Out

On my journey for inner peace, calm of mind, relaxation of the body and girls in yoga-pants, I decided to try a yoga class with my friend who had previously attended.

I knew exactly three things about yoga before yesterdays class, its meditative in some way, it requires flexibility and balance comes in handy. I've tried to meditate several times before, but I usually end up waking up two hours later - more power nap than meditation. When it comes to flexibility, I'm a little flexibly retarded. The last time I was able to touch my toes without bending my knees was when I was five years old. Balance however, I'm able to do.

My arrival at the class seemed a little too quiet for me, "Ah, people are in the meditative states" I figured. The instructor asked if I had been before, I told her no, so she showed me the breathing technique. She handed me a tissue to disgard the gum I had being chewing, "How did she know I had gum," I wondered to myself. She loaned me a yoga mat, which I was afraid would smell like someone else's sweat - surprisingly, it didn't. She also told me not to drink water until she said it was OK to do so... "This is a Cult", I immediately concluded.

I couldn't wait to start, to sit like Buddha and get my mind relaxed and have an out of body experience.

That's exactly unlike how it happened. The studio was as hot a kitchen on a hot day with 100% humidity. I started to get heart palpitations. I wanted to get out. My eyeballs were drying out. I felt anxious. How long was this going to go on for... I hadn't asked and now I was stuck in front of the class, not knowing what to expect.

During the first 10 minutes, my body was in shock. Just the introductory breathing exercises had me breathing heavily. 80 minutes later, the class ended. I was completely soaked with my own sweat. I had not felt any more spiritually enlightened, enlightenment had utterly eluded me, perhaps I perspired it out.

I had just had a slow-motion workout in a completely humid environment. I'm not sure how good that is for the body. I survived. Bikram Yoga. One more thing of the list.  

The Religious Beggar

I'm not sure what the politically correct phrase for this is - I wanted to refer to the guy as a hobo initially, but I'm afraid the homeless with access to the internet would not have been too happy. I've decided to stick with 'beggar' just to be safe.

So earlier today, while driving through Durban city a beggar came up to my hire car window. He started a small conversation because my window was down. He started off by telling me how wonderful my 'colour' was - I think he was referring to my aura. He then told me how blessed I am and that the Lord is good. I told him not to bother going on, because I'm an atheist. He then told me that Atheism is a new concept, that people throughout the ages had had a necessity to have a god. The best part of this was what he said next:

"Why don't you park off so that we can buy each other a cup of coffee and talk further about god?"

This is a man who had just asked the guy in front of me for some loose change, offered to buy me coffee - not coz he was a good Christian, but because he was sneaky. I know that he was trying to use me. I know he actually meant, "Why don't you come buy me some coffee."

Sneaky beggar did make me smile though.

Be nice to somebody today