PIE FOR BREAKFAST

I am sitting in a beautiful window seat overlooking lush green jungle eating paradise pie for breakfast -how blessed am I?! My first paradise pie creation: papaya guava pie with plum jam these pies are SERIOUSLY DELICIOUS. The beauty of these pies is that they are completely natural no artificial anything, no excess fat or sugar, no flour, nothing but goodness!!!! When I get home you’ll have to come over and get you some!

Yesterday, Aris and I went to Panama City. It has been a while since I’ve even left the jungle so it was nice to get “off the island” so to speak. It was a bit over stimulating at first especially with the change in air pressure and the smog but so worth it. I fell in love with the city. We were in the neighborhood that guide books warn you against but I was in heaven! The music, the beautiful people milling about with no particular place to go, the ambiguous shops selling everything from thermoses to saddles.

I bought a $6 swimsuit and a $16 machete. Oh yes friends that’s right I am now the proud owner of a machete. It is mostly for cutting open coconuts and of course bushwhacking if the opportunity arises. I got to watch the shopkeeper sharpen it and everything! BLISS seriously this place is fantastic!

Aris and I got on the bus to Cerro Azul after a long day in the city. It was hot and sweaty and immediately I cursed the fact that I didn’t bring my ipod. I needed to escape…..I then remembered my teachings at the Shambhala Center in Burlington and realized that rather than escape I could remain fully present in the moment even if somewhat uncomfortable. I decided to experiment with tonglin meditation. Inspired partly by the lovely Ashonda (one of three true angels I’ve met here at sunfire) and by the Tibetan book of living and dying. So I expanded the feelings I was experiencing and breathed in all of my discomfort and agitation. I then breathed out a blessing. This turned to my blessing every person on the van and picturing a beautiful rosy light pouring all over each of us and out the windows to the houses we passed. I breathed in and breathed out a wish that everyone on the bus would experience a little magic in their lives and for beautiful things to happen to them. So I’ll never know if that meditation practice had any affect but I am pretty sure that I for one was glowing when we finally reached our destination and began the walk home.

A couple links for info on tonglin: http://www.innerself.com/Meditation/weiss_andrew_60604.htm) http://www.whitecranejournal.com/wc01065.htm

Last and definitely least…. I decided it was time to do something about my hair. It has been severely damaged, knotted and borderline matted out here. I thought of just cutting it all off for a few moments but my commitment issues prevented that impulse. So, also inspired by aforementioned beautiful one, Ashonda, I spent four hours braiding my hair the other day. No it isn’t boderek-esque and I don’t love it but hopefully it’ll grow on me. It is MUCH MUCH easier! So braids it is probably for the rest of my trip.

As for today, Aris and I will do some work on the theories behind Sunfired cuisine as well as healing properties of raw foods. There is a beautiful woman here working on an organic garden and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to learn with her and get my hands dirty. I‘ll bring my machete out just in case !!!

LOVE LOVE LOVE