Time in Dallas

Dallas has been a fabulous trip with glorious weather. I've been wanting to be here for a long time to make up for missing my younger brother's wedding in Fiji last year. That moment was the lowest point in my life since leaving California, I remember literally being floored by the acceptance that I was going to miss the occassion. Up until that moment, I had not realized how much I loved my brother - it hurt a lot.

For the past 4 days I've been catching up with him and his wife (A & A) living the bourgeois life - lots of shopping... and eating. The food has been very good, one morning the 3 of us ate at this Cafe de Patisserie called Bonnie Ruth's. A & A along with their close circle of friends are in a period of abstinence at this time for Lent. Each has opted to forgo certain pleasures such as bread and flour or meat. Since I am not abstaining, I attack the buffet and enjoy the best breakfast for as long as I can remember. Crepes in berries and cream cheese, french toast with thick syrup and chunks of butter. There are also red velvet cupcakes that melt in your mouth that I enjoy the next day when him and I return for lunch.

To compensate for all the glorious food, the folks in Dallas pursue a lot of fitness related activities. The current fitness fad is the P90X workout program. My brother gives me a copy.

We also go Salsa dancing at the yoga/Aikido/pilates studio. I enjoy Salsa dancing but I have not been committed to it for many years so really I am a newbie again. I do enjoy very much dancing with different women in the class, there is always a different sort of chemistry with each person and it is quite obvious when you pay attention to it. There is a tall slim African American girl that seems to have no shyness about her, she is constantly staring me in the face in a friendly manner as we perform our basic maneuvers. I resist looking at my feet and face her. When it is time to switch partners she playfully whispers "Hot!!" as she grins with a gleam in her eye. I know what she means. By the end of the class I am convinced that in Sydney I shall take on bi-weekly Salsa lessons to gain a respectable level of proficiency in it. I do believe Tai Chi will compliment Salsa as I grow my body awareness and become more attuned to the interplay of yin and yang forces.