.... which is not surprising - also full of cold - came on yesterday - back home and it feels like the sleeping sickness of two weeks ago is back! Went to work but got Robbie to pick me up at lunch time and then I have just slept - he's staying here cos there is no electricity or water in his house - and he has made me chicken noodle soup and been very attentive - which I have been very appreciative of - when awake!!!
Well - last week in the Valley of Dreams - with Spirithorse has been absolutely amazing - and the reason I'm so exhausted is I didn't want to miss a precious second of it - so haven't slept more than a couple of hours a night for a few days. So know I must sleep this off and get back to work properly as I have a lot to do - with deadlines looming.
Spirithorse is going through a period of transition and there was much discussion and recognition of changes occurring. Although I have not been involved for so long - less than two years - I am very much part of the community/family - and that is truly extra-ordinary. Also the times when I meet Spirithorse folk are also extra-ordinary - EIs, Cauldron of Plenty, India - so no half measure or chit chat - straight to the heart and truthful speaking - fierce searching and pure truth. - a heady combination. Also so much fun!!!
Hours of wild dancing for several nights followed by early morning breakfast crewing - and working on the bucket chain to bring slate up to floor the Women's Lodge - has left me in a different place - a beautiful place - but a pretty knackered place!!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Good few days..
Though I have been in a strange place, sleeping hours everyday, waking up and being quite lucid, working for a couple of hours and then drifting off again. Love my new bed - we have really bonded!
In one of the books I read whilst away, the author discussed the three states of existence: Acceptance, Enjoyment and Enthusiasm - and when you are Present you are in one of these. So from the minute I realised I wasn't well - I actively tried to Accept it - and then that did lead, at times, to a state of Enjoyment - can't say I enjoyed the stomach cramps - but as I was trying to listen closely to my body - in a strange way I did! So won't say I am in a state of Enthusiasm for gastroenteritis but I have certainly Accepted being unwell and Enjoyed aspects of it - like my new bed - like being still - like accepting that the work will get done.....
So have decided to stay at home again today - am feeling a lot better but still quite fragile - have started to eat but only small amounts - but can hear my body saying - let's just take it gently Trish!!!
China was really the final leg of a whirlwind few months - very physically demanding as well as a roller-coaster of emotion, change and activity. Looking back I Accepted what was happening pretty well, Enjoyed most of it and was definitely Enthusiastic about parts of it! But roller-coasters have dips as well as peaks and they are important too - as these were the points where I went down and the only way out was to recognise and to feel from my core - gratitude for this life that I have been blessed with.
Teachers have helped and I love the Teachers in my life - and there are so many of them - I am increasingly seeing this - and yesterday when talking to someone - in Hong Kong - like you do! - I said 'Parents learn more from their children than they teach them.' And it was a beautiful moment - as both of us stopped - and from my perspective as a parent and his as a son - the world changed.
But apart from learning from my beautiful sons I am also learning so much from so many people and things around me - including this gastroenteritis bug!! I suppose I am consciously looking for teachers and am open to learning - and using time - like writing this blogg to recognise what I have learnt.
Wow wow wow - I just live in such an amazing world - we all do - learning is about being open - and being open is about being happy - and happiness comes through Accepting what we have, Enjoying what we have and being Enthusiastic for what we have - which cannot occur without total gratitude for what we have! Lucky lucky us!!!
..... and today four young men move into Cheltenham Avenue - my once family home......
In one of the books I read whilst away, the author discussed the three states of existence: Acceptance, Enjoyment and Enthusiasm - and when you are Present you are in one of these. So from the minute I realised I wasn't well - I actively tried to Accept it - and then that did lead, at times, to a state of Enjoyment - can't say I enjoyed the stomach cramps - but as I was trying to listen closely to my body - in a strange way I did! So won't say I am in a state of Enthusiasm for gastroenteritis but I have certainly Accepted being unwell and Enjoyed aspects of it - like my new bed - like being still - like accepting that the work will get done.....
So have decided to stay at home again today - am feeling a lot better but still quite fragile - have started to eat but only small amounts - but can hear my body saying - let's just take it gently Trish!!!
China was really the final leg of a whirlwind few months - very physically demanding as well as a roller-coaster of emotion, change and activity. Looking back I Accepted what was happening pretty well, Enjoyed most of it and was definitely Enthusiastic about parts of it! But roller-coasters have dips as well as peaks and they are important too - as these were the points where I went down and the only way out was to recognise and to feel from my core - gratitude for this life that I have been blessed with.
Teachers have helped and I love the Teachers in my life - and there are so many of them - I am increasingly seeing this - and yesterday when talking to someone - in Hong Kong - like you do! - I said 'Parents learn more from their children than they teach them.' And it was a beautiful moment - as both of us stopped - and from my perspective as a parent and his as a son - the world changed.
But apart from learning from my beautiful sons I am also learning so much from so many people and things around me - including this gastroenteritis bug!! I suppose I am consciously looking for teachers and am open to learning - and using time - like writing this blogg to recognise what I have learnt.
Wow wow wow - I just live in such an amazing world - we all do - learning is about being open - and being open is about being happy - and happiness comes through Accepting what we have, Enjoying what we have and being Enthusiastic for what we have - which cannot occur without total gratitude for what we have! Lucky lucky us!!!
..... and today four young men move into Cheltenham Avenue - my once family home......
Monday, August 16, 2010
Not well!!!!
I obviously picked up something - somewhere on my travels and after a period of time in denial - I have accepted that my body has to be given the time and rest to fight it!
Never have done 'not well' with any grace - Chris used to say I was an awful patient - and I can see why now - I fight my body rather than accepting that it just needs time to get better.
Went into work but left early afternoon as I finally accepted how rough I felt and I could also feel myself falling asleep. Back home I have been drifting in and out of sleep in a strange world. I had been popping Imodium for several days but last night found my homeopathic kit - I'd got for India- and took something - read the instructions carefully which said only take a second one if your body does not feel it is improving. so even though I felt rough all day I felt I was improving - but this evening I took a second one!!
Time to drift away again....................
Never have done 'not well' with any grace - Chris used to say I was an awful patient - and I can see why now - I fight my body rather than accepting that it just needs time to get better.
Went into work but left early afternoon as I finally accepted how rough I felt and I could also feel myself falling asleep. Back home I have been drifting in and out of sleep in a strange world. I had been popping Imodium for several days but last night found my homeopathic kit - I'd got for India- and took something - read the instructions carefully which said only take a second one if your body does not feel it is improving. so even though I felt rough all day I felt I was improving - but this evening I took a second one!!
Time to drift away again....................
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Back from China.... and what time is it???????
... nearly 6.30 in the morning - so clearly time to cook and eat a huge breakfast from the strange things in my fridge and freezer and then blogg - well I have been awake for over three hours - and finally given up on sleep!!!
Jet lack combined with a buzzing brain is just not conducive for sleep - I was also ridiculously hungry!!
Rob picked me up and I got home 9.30ish last night - luggage to follow - my flight had spent 2 hours on the runway of Pudong airport, before an 11 hour flight and a mad dash across Schiphol - but hurray I'm home - somewhat spaced out - but joyful at being back in my beautiful little flat.
Well - what can I say about China......... well absolutely amazing will do for a start....... and absolutely amazing for a second and a third and wooooooow - it was amazing, I had a fantastic time, learnt so much, completely shifted my whole perspective on... well everything really.... yes - so a pretty huge learning journey!
OK - I did work - am now officially the Director of an International Centre for Excellence which was launched in the World Expo, Shanghai - that's pretty damn cool!! It was also a bit nerve-wracking - organising an event - so far away with a completely unknown audience etc etc - was actually brilliant - I had great support and my fellow speakers were fantastic and it all went very well, including being on Chinese telly. Like all these things - it is what they are perceived as - is actually more important than what they were - so the Centre has now been officially launched and this fact has now gone into the annals of history.
The rest of the time I took part in other University events and just had a huge opportunity to think and to talk and to reflect on my work from the other side of the world. In one of the books I read - I was going to look for quote but still in an airport somewhere in my bag! - the author talked about travel and being out of 'normality' having an accelerating effect on embracing change and all that goes along with that. I've known this for a long time - I think - and I always say to the TRiO students you learn more about yourself and where you've come from whilst you're in Liverpool than actually about Liverpool. But being in China I was very conscious of the process - that might also just be where I am - increasingly conscious of the process of change as I embrace it.
I also spent some great times with friends and colleagues, old and new - the all you can drink cocktail happy hour (2 hours) on the 40th floor of the Marriott - with the most stunning view of Peoples Park and central Shanghai was well used!!!! I also went dancing twice in nightclubs - one on the night of the launch - when I was as high as a kite and dressed in one of my Indian outfits, which later on I realised people thought was Chinese National Dress!!! So the newly launched Directora had an amazing few hours dancing on a third tier podium, with anyone who would dance with me, or just on my own, in Chinese National Dress, in a huge techno club, no-one batted an eye and I had a ball!!!!!!!!
So back to Liverpool - wonderful - grateful and happy - looking forward to seeing and talking to friends and family - and yes maybe some sleep sometime would be nice - I'm tempted to go for a run round the park - but think on top of such a big breakfast I'd be pushing it - so maybe back to bed!!
Jet lack combined with a buzzing brain is just not conducive for sleep - I was also ridiculously hungry!!
Rob picked me up and I got home 9.30ish last night - luggage to follow - my flight had spent 2 hours on the runway of Pudong airport, before an 11 hour flight and a mad dash across Schiphol - but hurray I'm home - somewhat spaced out - but joyful at being back in my beautiful little flat.
Well - what can I say about China......... well absolutely amazing will do for a start....... and absolutely amazing for a second and a third and wooooooow - it was amazing, I had a fantastic time, learnt so much, completely shifted my whole perspective on... well everything really.... yes - so a pretty huge learning journey!
OK - I did work - am now officially the Director of an International Centre for Excellence which was launched in the World Expo, Shanghai - that's pretty damn cool!! It was also a bit nerve-wracking - organising an event - so far away with a completely unknown audience etc etc - was actually brilliant - I had great support and my fellow speakers were fantastic and it all went very well, including being on Chinese telly. Like all these things - it is what they are perceived as - is actually more important than what they were - so the Centre has now been officially launched and this fact has now gone into the annals of history.
The rest of the time I took part in other University events and just had a huge opportunity to think and to talk and to reflect on my work from the other side of the world. In one of the books I read - I was going to look for quote but still in an airport somewhere in my bag! - the author talked about travel and being out of 'normality' having an accelerating effect on embracing change and all that goes along with that. I've known this for a long time - I think - and I always say to the TRiO students you learn more about yourself and where you've come from whilst you're in Liverpool than actually about Liverpool. But being in China I was very conscious of the process - that might also just be where I am - increasingly conscious of the process of change as I embrace it.
I also spent some great times with friends and colleagues, old and new - the all you can drink cocktail happy hour (2 hours) on the 40th floor of the Marriott - with the most stunning view of Peoples Park and central Shanghai was well used!!!! I also went dancing twice in nightclubs - one on the night of the launch - when I was as high as a kite and dressed in one of my Indian outfits, which later on I realised people thought was Chinese National Dress!!! So the newly launched Directora had an amazing few hours dancing on a third tier podium, with anyone who would dance with me, or just on my own, in Chinese National Dress, in a huge techno club, no-one batted an eye and I had a ball!!!!!!!!
So back to Liverpool - wonderful - grateful and happy - looking forward to seeing and talking to friends and family - and yes maybe some sleep sometime would be nice - I'm tempted to go for a run round the park - but think on top of such a big breakfast I'd be pushing it - so maybe back to bed!!
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