A new semester, a new nose

 Potential Soulmate?

Turns out most of you are more twisted than I had previously thought - far from being grossed out, it seems that people actually do want to hear about my snot. (If you just said "bleck," click here to catch up. I promise, you too will be swept up in the suspense, and return hungry for more snot related news.)

Two weeks in to a daily Neti routine, I'm happy to report that it really is all I dreamed it would be. It feels a little funny at first, but it looks even funnier. Remember the photo I posted last time? Well, its WAY funnier than that. Its actually more like this

but even funnier, because instead of that girl, its me. At first I kept wanting to look up to see it in the mirror, causing salt water to leak in to my throat, but I've since learned how to catch a peek while still keeping my chin tucked in. Oddly satisfying, that smoothly flowing stream - like the satisfaction of snapping one last hidden bubble when you thought the wrap was all snapped out. Without pills, sprays, or surgical masks, I can breathe, smell and taste. I feel like I'm strolling in a warm sea breeze all day. (Salt water residue, I guess.) I think I've even awakened my Ajna Chakra (a heavy sleeper, at that), and reached a higher state of consciousness. Several in fact.

It's like I have a new nose.

The only problem is that I went back to work this week, which will sort of interfere if I need a mid-day Neti. I'm considering doing it in Starbucks, which functioned as my bathroom oasis first semester when I couldn't bring myself to pee at school - in a trough, in an open room in the presence a bunch of primary school kids. Think of it, I was mocked just for blowing my nose in class; can you imagine the ramifications to my authority status if they'd seen me with my pants around my ankles? Not to mention that it was about zero degrees in that school (no heating), and I couldn't bear the thought of taking off my pants. I've used many a horrendous toilet in my travels, but this one just wasn't going to happen. No way. Enter Starbucks, my saviour with its clean human-style private toilets, heating, and reliable supply of toilet paper.

My new school this semester has marginally better facilities, so I was planning on going back to my sanctimonious snubbing of the evil corporation, but while the new school bathrooms are usable, I'm still not sure it would be totally appropriate to Neti there. As the only foreigner in this huge institution, I get enough laughing and pointing as it is. So I may just have to sell my soul to The Man, and go back to Starbucks. In the meantime, I'm hoping that the Neti will work its magic without a midday swish.

Ok, I'll stop now, before I have to change the blog tag-line to "All Neti, All The Time...."