where others come for vacation ...
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It's a foggy foggy day as we drive up along narrow winding roads with zero visibility to the small mountain village of Bristen. From here, we hop on to the red cable car, which slowly starts it's way up to Golzernsee in the wild-romantic Maderaner Valley 1400 m above sea level.
A brilliant sunshine greets us as we step out and down below, we can see the Sea of Fog hanging over the valley. A nature trail along colorful mountain pastures and charming farmhouses takes us in 20 minutes to the banks of the idyllic mountain lake.
Brilliant Sunshine Above, Foggy Sea Below, Grassy Banks, Unspoilt Nature, Colourful Mushrooms - Enough to bring on a Smile..
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The time and place is the turn of the last century in Banff, Alberta. The European settlers came to this rough, crass, and largely lawless region nestled in the Rockies in search of wealth, carried here on trains riding the 3000 miles of steel ribbon linking one ocean with another, spanning the continent of North America.
This is the setting for Jens Kruger’s narrative work “Spirit of the Rockies”. The piece begins as an old man reflects on his first arrival in the Canadian Rockies to work as a guide. There he falls in love, with a young woman who mysteriously goes missing. We listen spellbound, in Uwe's rich, resonant, and mellow baritone voice, as he recalls how his brief encounter with her forever changed his perceptions of himself and his place in the world. A defining time in his life, that all these years later he still struggles to fully comprehend. Ultimately, this is a story of discovery about how a new land, and a new perspective, can lead us to find new things in ourselves.
The music (a seamless mix of Bluegrass, Country, Classic, Pop and Blues) comes from Jens Krüger, the lyrics from his brother Uwe. Bassist Joel Landsberg sits cool on the stage like usual, offering his light-hearted smiles and quick-wit-one-liners. They're accompanied by "The Symphony of the Mountains", a special 15-piece orchestra consisting of professional musicians from Tennessee and North Carolina. The orchestra is led by Cornelia Laemmli Orth, originally from Switzerland, who now lives in the USA.
Twenty years ago the Krüger Brothers moved to the USA. On a regular basis, however, they return to Switzerland. Each time the Krüger Brothers play in the Uri theater, the hall is always full. Today there's ~500 of us fans in the audience. Standing ovations and never-ending applause prevent the trio and the orchestra from getting off the stage. They repeat parts of "Spirit Of The Rockies".
I too contribute my bit, by trying to sing along their Swiss-German song: "Immer em Härze nah".
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Today I'm teaching the 40+ Age group @ SU. Heidi meets me at 18.30 in front of Turnhalle Isenringen and shows around. I go about with the regular drill: drag the roll-cart laden with Yoga matts into the hall, collect the sign-in-sheet from the cupboard, lay my mat and wait. The women start entering in groups, chattering. Soon the hall is full. Today there are 25 women. As the last few are apprehensively rolling out their mats in front, I reassure them that being a Vegetarian i won't eat them. They have nothing to fear... 
We start off with Pranayama and continue with different Asanas. I notice some women continue to breathe through their mouths even as i tell them to breathe through the Nose. They have a skeptical look on their face. Some 60+ women find SuryaNamaskar interesting, some others decide to just watch... A few groans for Halasana and finally everyone is happy to lay down in Savasana and go into la-la land. I hear a couple of snores as i guide them through the relaxation ;)
Another round of applause after the class and then a couple of women from the skeptical group, come & ask me why do we need to breathe through the Nose, while during Sports they've been instructed to breathe through the mouth. As i explain to them, i also make a mental note to talk about it during my next Session.
After the Class, a few of us endup at Nidwaldnerhof again for a round of Tea, Coffee and GirlTalk in Swiss-German. Too bad i'm learning German and not Swiss-German.. Perhaps if i close my eyes and meditate, I'll be able to understand all this priceless juicy Gossip better.. 
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A Journalist from the local newspaper is coming to interview me today. He has heard that an immigrant is volunteering as a Yoga teacher at the local Sport Union (SU) and is curious to know more. I'm just about finishing making Masala Chai & Besan Cheelas for breakfast when the doorbell rings. I show him how to eat the Cheela with the Chutney. He takes a sip of the Chai - He enjoys it very much and says he would've skipped breakfast had he known he'd get to eat Indian goodies 
Over breakfast, we talk in German about my move to Beckenried from US last year, my childhood in India, my work in US, my experiences here in learning the language, local culture/traditions and of course my views on Integration et al...
After a bit, he takes out his cell and asks if it's ok to record our conversation. Perhaps my half baked German makes it difficult for him... Before we know it, it's been almost an hour and a half. He takes out a camera and asks if he can take a picture. A bit surprised though, I say Yes. We step out in the balcony and he takes a picture against a backdrop of a foggy sky and lake.
As he walks out of the door, he says he will let me know when the article gets published.. I sit down and wonder how the article will turn out. I'm reminded of the last time I was interviewed by a Journalist ... Summer - 2006 in Nova Scotia, Canada. I was volunteering as a Yoga teacher at the local Senior Center there.
Each time i volunteer as a Yoga teacher, a Journalist shows up... Quite a coincidence -- one might say!