Epiphany at dawn!!

Its five in the morning, my mind is going a million miles a minute and won't let me sleep till I write these thoughts down! I woke up in a panic with the answer to why I do not like blogs. Yes, very important thing! It all stems from how I was raised, being from a Japanese but not Japanese family meaning our core beliefs are definitely Buddhist yet my parents have modified and adapted to American ways. My father, who I admire and idolize, is a man of few words, he is more of an observer. Which is how I am too, but it makes me one heck of a bad emotional communicator, I often internalize my feelings (unhealthy, I know) and I also don't say what I want to say when I want to say it, which sucks! So, this is my "aaaaaaaahhhhhhh" light tunnel moment.

Another thing I lay here thinking about is how I am trying to feel really connected to my body, trying to visualize nerve impulses firing to my fingertips as I type this message. I want everyone to try it because we take little things for granted, like wiggling our toes! I imagine Ryan's lower body being like a rusty choo choo train, that needs to just get moving and once it starts moving, everything else will smooth out, however fast it doesn't matter it is moving!

One more thing, I "chatted" with my best friend Jenson today for maybe 2 minutes on Facebook, and it made me extremely happy on the inside, I was smiling at dinner and chuckled out loud, but it was just something silly we had done together...we will never lose that connection, however far apart we are, and knowing that, made me happiest the mostest!


Take a deep breathe....hold....hold...wait for it.....relaaaaaaaaaaaax!

The Sisterhood of the Ya Ya Sassy Pants!!!

Ryan's mom Skyped us this morning calling us the "The Sisterhood of the Ya Ya Traveling Pants", but I think Sassy pants is more fitting! We have Sassafras, McSass, PrinSass, and Sass. I will let you be the judge of which one I am!

Delhi at 630 in the morning is quite peaceful, no honking in the roads, no wild drivers, just you and the road...ooooooommmmm! Ryan, Erin, Michael, and I try to swim as much as we can and 7am fits best with Ryan and Michael's Physio time and our yoga time and my running time....we are busy!!! A Frenchi at the pool said that he can tell I am a good swimmer by looking at my shoulders, thanks dad for these wonderful shoulders! I guess it was a compliment?

We even got to venture out today and go to India gate, which is the equivalent of L'Arc de Triumph in Paris, it was very beautiful! We then preceded to walk to the Parliament and on the way was a really nice park, which is very refreshing to see that people in India can slow down for a few minutes and look up at the magnificent clouds! At the park there were some boys playing cricket, the NFL of India. Michael being sort of a fanatic for sports was drawn to them like a magnet, i think the locals love it when foreigners make fools of themselves! Well, Michael did a nice pitching job and guess who was up to bat.....Ryan! It was fantastic!

The not so fantastic part was our ride to dinner, we hopped in to a meter rickshaw (usually we negotiate prices before) and the driver kept going around and around and east and west and stopping a gazillion times asking for directions that he doesn't know how to follow...so we decided enough was enough and paid the gentleman 10 rupees (25 cents) for wasting our time and got into another rickshaw only to get ripped off yet again, but its the name of the game! Plus whats a dollar right!?!

Ryan has a procedure tomorrow, its an injection in her spinal muscles! Hope the tiny little healers travel to areas that need the most love! We love little healing people!

Speaking of healing, indulging in ice cream has never felt so good! I feel as though my night is not complete without a scoop of ice cream!!! mmmmmmm

Apples to Apples, Knock Rummy, Spork...Dorm life again!

Being out of dorm life for 10 years now, I have forgotten how much fun it is! I know its a hospital, but aside from all the needles jabbing, toe flickering, and robot legs, we make the most of life!!! Game time is always my favorite, although most who have played any game with me know that it can be also the end of our relationship, for a minute! I can be very competitive...I am very competitive! After hours of knock rummy, which I will teach you when I get home, I wanted to show Ryan and Michael what fun things my computer can do....which is brilliant! Just brilliant! Till the wee hours of the night we had a great laugh!


Todays physio Ryan ambulated 15 meters, which is weird since I have never known the walking Ryan! Its kinda strange to see it, strange in a good way! Dr Shroff was at physio today as well and when she walks in the room its as if the world stops spinning for a split second...her presence is quite powerful! She is the most optimistic, positive, and down right amazing woman I've ever met! As Ryan says she can sell poop to her!

We went swimming this afternoon, Ryan and Michael had a race...I won't disclose who won for the protection of their pride. Erin and I also raced and she beat me by a fingernail...I demand a rematch!


All I can say is 4 people, two wheelchairs, one rickshaw....priceless!

Monument of love and Heeps of Punjabi Rap!

Breaking news...we made it to the Taj and back in one piece, and we are no where near the bombings, thank Buddha! So how was it? I've been on many road trips in South East Asia and I've been on the worst roads in my eyes, so with that said, Delhi to Agra was paradise. Paradise meaning the roads were paved and few potholes to speak of. My view of paradise from the window of our small small car is that you drive past camels and elephants pulling huge stacks of what have yous, or cows laying in the middle of the road, which should have caused many accidents but we somehow glided through many close ones like Neo in the Matrix....very out of this world experience to see your life flash before your eyes...there were parades of men and some women wearing bright orange, carrying a metallic half circle with ornaments hanging from it, and they are walking from all parts of India to the Holy Ganges River. I think everyone needs that kind of faith. Paradise because it could be worse!

The Taj was majestic and in some ways poetic, I can see why it is called the monument of love! Will I ever be loved like she? Hopefully not, since she had 14 children! In presence of such beauty I did some yoga poses, slip and slide time on marble, and licked the Taj. Only Kanako would do such things.


India is becoming more of a spiritual journey for me, I am realizing what things I have to work on....isn't that just so exciting! I will let you know if I've reached my goal at some point in my long journey!

Going to Agra was a must but I don't know if repeat visits are necessary at this point. BUT if it weren't for this trip I would have never known that I like Punjabi rap music!

"Oh My GOD!" says the little indian boy!

Mistas, Sistas, Kurtas...Oh MY!

This blog thing is new to me and I truly hate having to do this, but this is Ryan's wish, therefore, it will be done! Ryan and I have this great relationship where we push each other to do things we hate to do and that is why we work! Anyway, after 2 days of travel and a little pit stop in Munich, I have finally arrived in Delhi to join the Charlie's Angels well in this case it is the Ryan's Angels. We kicked off the day with Physio, Ryan showed me all her new tricks, which to my surprise is beyond my expectations. Not that I did not believe Ryan could move her legs or hold the cat and cow pose, but I just did not expect it to happen so quickly! In my humble opinion, this is already a huge success. What helps Ryan more than anything in the world, which no stem cell can grow, is her strength in her mind. She really has such an amazing way to look at things and is very much grounded, which will in the end supersede any physical movement! I have met really nice people here, which makes me feel like I'm in heaven...everyone here is glowing!

We have gone swimming twice and let me tell you the water tastes funny and the Hindi's swim in a very interesting way. But its a great workout, I see so much improvement in Ryan's swimming, her hips are less tight and I see her legs moving in a controlled fashion.

Yoga class is a lot harder in India, especially when the instructor doesn't know how to count or know the difference between inhale and exhale...I was doing a lot more giggling then meditating....that too I will learn to overcome!

Oh and I bought my first Kurta last night, which for those who don't know is a traditional Hindi dress. Will post pictures soon!

Off to the Taj we go!

One more thing...I've learned that anything is possible last night when we fit Ryan, Michael, and I with their chairs in a rickshaw....