Thank You, Gen San...til Next Time

GPS waypoint: 6°08'15.6"N 125°10'17.6"E
Location: Gen San City, South Cotabato Province, Mindanao Region, Philippines

Cosmic Flow
Having left Gen San, it's still not clear to me what brought me there, but whatever it was, I felt that my stay has already served whatever purpose I had to finish - otherwise I wouldn't feel the need to move on again. Of course I went there upon the invite of Jang to teach yoga for a few days...but that's what I would call the 'pretext' - a veneer my benevolent universe lays over to unravel what life has in store for me. The yoga invite was part of that karmic process (sorry if I'm getting too spacey, but in my paradigm, everything that happens is part of a process that needs to take place). Oftentimes, the real reason is revealed long after the fact, after a chain of events reveal the obvious reason. If I'm mindful enough, I notice it - otherwise, things simply fall into place without my knowing. It's all good as I am also a part of other people's karmic process - what's important is how I deal with the here-and-now.

Peoplescape
And as far as my here-and-now goes, I cannot be more privileged. In the 7 weeks I stayed in Gen San, I was admitted into the orbit of Gen San's yoga community, met a lot of interesting people, some of them will remain friends long after I'm away. I'd been invited to sumptuous dinners, lavish lunches, birthdays, karaoke nights, and out-of-town getaways. Friend-bridges were forged, previous friendships were reinforced and loose ends were tied-up. I moved within people's orbits who were generous, friendly and accommodating. Although my stay was short, it was rich and memorable. I take with me the friendship of everyone I met, as I have given them mine. As I write this, I am already missing the happy moments spent with them.

Indulgence
I indulged myself in durian consumption, tuna skin chicharon from Porky Best, treated myself to all the movies shown in town, discovered cheap and hearty eating nooks and just lost my way into the city's market. I'd been a regular to Bobot Tamayo's chewy tupig and coco-bibingka, Merle's arroz caldo, and Ate Nening's free coconut juice in Purok Malakas where I was staying. With cheap and abundant good eats around, I was a kid lost in a candy factory!

Yoga
In Gen San, I had an opportunity to put into practice what I learned from Veer. I would spend days preparing for my sequences based on the 'Fire' element and apply everything I could remember from his teachings, playing back the videos I took, and researching on the internet. In the process, I added more to whatever I already knew. I liked the way I managed to level-up despite not being with Veer. My students would be exhausted after class, but they still come back for more. I would combine the features of a led class, workshop, theories, practical outside-the-mat application, and mythology. Sometimes the 90-min class extends beyond the 120-min threshold - but nobody was complaining. That's how I'd like to grow in my practice, and that's how I'd like to evolve in my teaching. I just hope my students benefited from my class as much as I have benefitted from conducting it for them.

Marichi Yoga House
Except for my 7 day stay in Zabala Hotel (where I was forced to move back to Marichi because my phone and digicam were stolen), I was staying at Marichi Yoga House the entire time I was in Gen San, over-extending my 1-week invite. Specially during Helen's 10-day vacation out of the country where I was left to man her place and the studio, it felt like I was the caretaker of an ashram - with yogis coming in and out for practice, much like a revolving door. I tried to be useful, being handy when needed. Marichi Yoga House was my yoga studio, my home, my office (where I did most of my web work)...it was my universe.

Helen Prieto
I didn't know Helen until I arrived in Gen San. But she was my benefactor during my entire stay. We became friends by default. I would cook in her kitchen, we'd eat together and share stories long enough to extend to the next meal. We'd go to durian places along Santiago and indulge. She'd tag me along to the market, her favorite siopao place as I would tag her along to my newly discovered places. I introduced 'alcohol lacing' to just about everything we eat or drink - coffee, tablea, halo-halo, crepe, mussels, etc. My greatest indulgence is without question my marathon talks and eats with her. It came to a point she got fat (sorry Teach, can't say it any other way...mwah!) and I had to see a doctor for antacids (thank you Utchie for being such a Good Samaritan).

Thank you Helen for the roof over my head at Marichi Yoga House, and making me a part of your yoga community. Most of all, thank you for your friendship.

Ending Thoughts
For a guy with no money, no property and no home, I managed to eat good food, sleep with a roof over my head, teach yoga and be in the company of wonderful people who admitted me into their private space. With this abundance, who needs a million dollars? I'd like to think that a person's wealth lies not in his bank account but his freedom to go where he wants to go, be what he wants to be, go where he wants to go, unbeholden to anyone, whose politics and divinity is his, and hasn't lost his option to say No when situations get tight. For all these blessings, thank you Gen San.

--- TheLoneRider

How to Get to Gen San from Manila

1. all major airlines have a flight to Gen San - Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines, Air Phil, etc.
2. unlike some airports where you just cross the street and flag down a jeep, it's more expensive from Gen San Airport - you can take a multicab or taxi (P~350) - jeeps or tricycles are not allowed inside the airport, and won't be waiting outside.

Gen San Blogs by TheLoneRider

• Thank You, Gen San...til Next Time May 14-Jul 4, 2014
• Long Drive for Apareja Halo-Halo in Koronadal Jul 1, 2014
• Twist Sequence Jun 28, 2014
• Sunday Farmer's Market in Gen San Jun 22, 2014
• Marichi Yoga House 3-Month Online ABS Showdown 2014 Jun 21 - Sep 20, 2014
• Father's Day Greeting June 15, 2014
• One-Leg Sequence Jun 14, 2014
• Abs Yoga: Core Sequence June 14, 2014
• Hearty Street Breakfast at Purok Malakas, Gen San June 3, 2014
• Backbend Sequence May 31, 2014
• 108 Sun Salutations and Tour of the Manilay Ancestral Home, Gen San May 27, 2014
• Climbing Mt. Matutum, South Cotabato May 24-25, 2014
• White Water Tubing at Maitum, Sarangani May 18, 2014
• Yoga at Sar Bay Festival 2014 May 16, 2014
• Teaching Yoga at the Marichi Yoga House in Gen San May 15-16, 2014
• Mystery Lady of GenSan Dec 15, 2012
• Sunrise Festival at Gen San Nov 27-Dec 7, 2012

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