Epic Evolution

Preparing For Burning Man Part 4

Original Post 2011.  Most recent update: August 2012

Health and Wellness on the Playa:
These are some of the tips I shared (in the Health and Wellness workshop) at the Burner School Picnic at Trout Lake Park in July 2011.

1) Getting sufficient sleep at Burning Man  (It is possible!)
My basic sleep schedule on Mon-Tues-Wedn at the event:
- Go to bed around 1am and get up around 8am.
- It’s a chance to enjoy the early morning activities at the Burn because later in the week, i will turn to my nighttime schedule to play under the stars!

My basic sleep schedule from Thurs-Sunday:
- Sleep right after dinner when it’s cooler (approx 9pm-1am = 4 hours)
- Stay up for the nighttime fun (1am-7am)
- Enjoy the gorgeous sunrise, one of my favorite times in the desert (6am-7am)
- Sleep again in the cooler morning hours (7am-10am = 3 hours)

Though I don’t keep to this schedule on a rigid basis, it’s a helpful guideline that allows me to remain in good health during the week at Burning Man and even return home rested!

Tips: Keep an alarm clock near your bed and use it to wake up at 1am, otherwise you may sleep through the night.  Get a quiet battery-powered fan that you can use between 7am-10am – really keeps it cooler in your vehicle or tent. The one my partner and I found is about 10 inches high and quiet. Read more

Follow Your Fetish: Ladyboy For A Night

Ladyboy for A Night from littlewoo on Vimeo.

May 26, 2012
I first saw the Ladyboy show in Koh Tao (Thailand) back in 2008.  It was such a fun show that when I returned to Koh Tao in May 2012, I had to see them perform again. This time, I was able to learn more about these fascinating performers by getting permission to shoot footage backstage for my “Follow Your Fetish” series. Watch for the “Heart of A Ladyboy” documentary video to be posted in summer 2012!

Even more amazing, the Ladyboys indulged me when I asked to perform one song with them.  Thus, I memorized the lyrics for one of their lip sync act whereas they did my makeup and lent me a costume. With no chance to rehearse nor learn their choreography, I improvised on stage while dancing precariously in high heels that were too big. Thankfully, it worked out and my brief ladyboy career was a success!  It was particularly funny to see people so impressed with how “lady-like” I was… And whenever I was backstage, I had nostalgic flashbacks of my burlesque days with all the feathers, glitter and girls!

Thanks to Patrick Riley for videotaping, Ramona for doing my makeup, Bambam for lending me an outfit and Big Mama for allowing me to jump into your talented lineup! I love the Ladyboys of Koh Tao!!

Follow Your Fetish: Mermaid-In-Training

Freedive from littlewoo on Vimeo.

Since it is one of my fantasies to swim in the ocean as a mermaid, I wanted to develop the ability to dive deep and understand the science of breath-hold.  Little did I know that it would be 3 years before I would be able to freedive properly! Read more

Follow Your Fetish: 449 Days & Counting

Interview with Hamish & Kat from Australia, whom I met while traveling in India.

We ended up doing a road trip and a camel trek together in Rajasthan.  See the following 2 videos for glimpses of Kat and Hamish:  http://littlewoo.org/golden-city-in-desert/  and http://littlewoo.org/of-forts-temples/

Check out their wonderful photo/travel blog:  www.adayendinginy.wordpress.com

Hamish & Kat1.  What is the essence of Travel for you?
Traveling for us is getting to know the places we visit; noticing the differences in the ways people interact with each other, the style of living, the food and drink, history, landscape and the arts  We’ve tried to make an effort to get to places that are more out of the way, or off the most beaten paths, to experience each country at its least touched.

2. How did this interest in Travel begin for you?
The idea of working a ‘standard’ or 9-5 job never really felt like what we wanted… it was either a stop-gap until we decided what we wanted to do or a means to an end.  When we met and started spending more and more time together, we realized travel was a common dream and after being together for 6 months we went on a 6-week trip through Europe, felt an indefinite trip was both something we really wanted and felt possible to do together.  Read more

Follow Your Fetish: Preserving Desert Culture

In this episode, we meet some guardians of Jaisalmer’s desert culture – a few local folk historians who have turned their collection of folk life mementos into public museums in order to preserve the desert culture for the benefit of future generations.

One must admire the commitment required to create and maintain these collections of manuscripts, coins, tools, kitchen ware, musical instruments, clothing and folk culture ornaments. The passion of these men is deeply inspiring: They are a special breed of humans who enjoy saving tangible pieces of history to share with others. The entry fee is practically free but their love of the desert culture is priceless…

Follow Your Fetish: A Cashew Baron’s Honor

Imagine inheriting $10 million in debt when you are 18 years old. What would you do?

In February 2012, I traveled to a city called Trivandrum in the southern state of Kerala (India).  There, I met a soul friend in Rajmohan Pillai – the son of a cashew baron.  But he was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth – I was amazed to learn that he had inherited $10 million in debt at the ripe young age of 18!

Rajmohan graciously agreed to talk about his spiritual journey for an episode of Follow Your Fetish. Check out the interview for more than the words – witness the calm matter-of-fact energy with which one can calmly accept and slowly tackle a seemingly impossible task!

This interview is not a lesson in finance or debt consolidation, it is a chance to observe the spiritual attitude that is needed to get through a long-term obstacle or commitment.   Rajmohan’s persistence is admirable in its longevity and his equanimity is inspiring in its authenticity.  Instead of complaining or feeling sorry for himself, he focused on the commitment and made the best of his situation.  And the ultimate feat -  he came out of this long journey more financially stable and fulfilled than many who never started off with such a debt!  (Continue reading below the video to see some interesting facts about his life)

12 facts about Rajmohan:
1. When he took over the company at age 18, he also inherited 175 legal cases, 50 of which were critical (meaning that any one could topple the company).
2. His father told him not to take on the debt yet his mother wanted to preserve the family honor. Rajmohan chose to protect the family name and took on the debt.
3. He was fully committed to the repayment of debt even though he didn’t know how it would happen.
4. Despite initial skepticism, he built people’s trust in his vision and in the growth of the company (creditors, buyers, sllers, employees, etc)
5. Growing the company’s success was his key strategy to repay the debt.
6. At age 44, he completed the payment of the debt and interest.
7. He is now running a 2.5 billon dollar company which employs approx 25,000 employees.
8. He has capped his own salary at 7 times the lowest salary in the company.
9. He considers himself simply a trustee of the wealth for all the employees.
10. One in every 3 cashews eaten world-wide comes from his family’s cashew business.
11.  He has written 3 books – including one about his brother’s tragic rise and fall.
12.  He usually gets up around 3:30am to start his day with a puja (Hindu ceremony) and some tennis (one of his greatest passions).

Spiritual advice from Rajmohan’s life experience:
1.  Do your work without expectation of results.
2. Play your part in the world as best as you can – be fully committed to your life path (to your dharma).
3. Understand that everyone has similar levels of trial and tribulation regardless of their chosen work or life.

A Malayalam Lullaby

This lullaby was taught to me by my friend Vasudevan in Koottala, Kerala in India.   It is in the Malayalam dialect, the main language of Kerala.

If you have a lullaby to share, I invite you to connect with me and take part in this project, please visit this page for more info…

Sacred Kiss in Malayalam

It is my hope that the Sacred Kiss Meditation can be translated into many languages so that it can be shared with more people in the world…

This first translation (into Malayalam) was generously done by my friend Vasudevan!
(For more info about this project, click here)

 
SacredKiss-Malayalam1

SacredKiss-Malayalam2