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Radharani
USA
843 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 06 2016 : 11:52:21 PM
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Hello again my dears - well, it's been a little over 6 months since my last post, and now I will bring you the latest fascinating episode of this soap opera:
After the Tenants from Hell moved out, husband and I were busy at work on renovations to the trailer and made excellent progress. We had to remove garbage that covered the entire floor and all surfaces, kind of like on that "Hoarders" t.v. show except in this case it was "only" about a foot deep. The debris included large amounts of food waste, especially sweets, along with hypodermic needles and empty insulin vials in half-eaten boxes of cookies (tenant was type 1 diabetic, making the findings even more horrifying, and I suspect heroin as well). All the plates were covered w/ moldy food remnants and scattered throughout the home. Every surface in the kitchen was covered with maggots and the stench was unbelievable. While cleaning off the maggots I chanted japa (silently, or else the little flies hatching from the maggots would have flown into my mouth!) Also found a leaky pipe under the kitchen sink that apparently had been that way for months and nobody had bothered to tell me, leading to rotted wood and mold. In addition, there was a bedbug infestation. I'd never seen them before; what was this, a sort of tick? Had to look it up online. Upon closer investigation, the bed was so heavily infested that it had to be taken to the dump, and the bugs had spread throughout the trailer. It was an incredible challenge to get rid of them, and several people actually advised us that arson might be our best option... Cleaning and debugging the trailer was a truly Herculean task akin to the Augean stables, but we prevailed! By the end of the summer we had mostly restored the trailer to its former beauty and were ready to move in. The plan was for us to live there, while keeping the house as a yoga studio and retreat center. The floor of the master bath still needed to be replaced (that part was not rented out; we'd been using the master suite for storage), but since it would hold my weight we figured it was not urgent and could wait until we had more money for major repairs. So, by fall we moved in and were quite happy there. I got the house ready for yoga students and had several retreat guests lined up!
But, then I started getting progressively sicker. At first I assumed it was just a CFIDS relapse, to be expected after all the exertions of the renovation while trying to keep up with my job and the vegetable garden. But even with rest, I kept getting worse. Husband also complained of a cough and respiratory problems but as he is a heavy smoker, hard to tell. Then one night our cat was looking up at the ceiling fan meowing at a black rope-like thing hanging off one of the fan blades. We had so many other things to clean that I'd neglected the fan up until that point. The blades were covered in a fuzzy black substance - not ordinary "dust." Then I noticed the ceiling was also covered with the substance, especially near the HVAC intake, and I began to cough and sneeze convulsively, eyes burning, throat tightening. WTF?! It suddenly dawned on me: Black Mold! It explained the aggravation of my immune deficiency and all the other symptoms we'd been having. Unable to determine the origin of the Mold, and couldn't afford professional analysis and intervention, we had to move out. There was no alternative. We had to move into the yoga studio/ retreat center!
Meanwhile we had the worst plague of insects in memory which devoured 90% of our crops despite using all manner of natural, unnatural and toxic remedies including help from our many reptile and amphibian friends. And the sinkhole has progressed closer to the trailer, perhaps a moot point since it was now uninhabitable. Additional pretty but worrisome springs and streams came up on the property. Upon studying sinkholes on the internet, I learned some fascinating information; more below.
We moved into the house/yoga studio with all our animals and it soon became apparent that I could not teach yoga here because it would never be clean enough for students to lie on the floor unless I took lots of time off from my regular job to clean, in which case I couldn't pay the bills. Thought about trying to sell the parcel w/ the trailer on it to pay off my debts, but now with the sinkholes and Black Mold, that would not be possible (or even legal). After speaking with several debt counselors and attorneys, I finally decided to file for bankruptcy. This was a very good exercise in humility and ego detachment which took me a while to process. Once I'd agreed to take the attorneys' advice and began the filing process, a banking error turned up which required that I must wait a year to file bankruptcy! (The bank had for some reason shown me as a "joint owner" of my father's accounts, which I was not.) So as there was nothing further I could do, I left the matter in God's hands, hoping I would not be sued before the year had passed, and turned my attention to my work - my wonderful job as Spiritual Advisor for the Famous Psychic Company, which was now full-time, quite busy and demanding, and very rewarding! I would not be able to do this work were it not for the siddhis that come with a lifetime of yoga practice and exist for the purpose of helping others.
Meanwhile the rain, which had been unusually heavy since 2013 when the sinkholes began appearing, continued to come down and they grew, with new springs and streams bubbling up. Husband said it looked like the ground was sinking (technically, I learned, "subsiding") although it's difficult to tell without objective measurements, like probably satellite telemetry. I did some research and learned about the fascinating terrain of our property, which includes limestone "cliffs" and areas resembling the Grand Canyon on a smaller scale, with springs and streams. I never knew Florida had cliffs. Turns out, it does not; our "cliffs" are the side of an old sinkhole! The property, like much of Florida, has a substrate of limestone caverns and underground streams, which causes the surface of the land to collapse when the water table rises or falls substantially. The water table here is just about 3-8 feet below the surface, hence the shallow sinkholes that had been forming and the lovely clear springs rising to the surface in low spots and flowing down to the creek which borders the property sloping down on 3 sides. So basically, from what I have learned, the entire property is geologically unstable and the ground could open up under us at any moment and swallow everything up! It could take a century or it could be tomorrow. Certainly there has been significant progression since I moved here in 2001 and especially since 2013. I designed and built the house to be hurricane proof, with 10-inch thick cement walls and a propane generator. Wouldn't it be ironic if it fell into a sinkhole instead?!
It very well might, and there isn't a damn thing I can do about it. I don't really know how to "worry" anymore but it would do no good in any event. It's all in God's hands. If we are to be swallowed up by a sinkhole, so be it. I am more concerned about not having a place to teach yoga, but I suppose this will work out somehow. Maybe we can find other living arrangements in another year or so after the bankruptcy is done and we get back on our feet financially. Until then, I am sending potential students to the HOY free video series on YouTube and to AYP Lessons and advising them to practice at home, and call or email me with any questions.
And so the ordinary, or even extraordinary, drama of life goes on and everything is ok even when it isn't. It simply is what it is. Meanwhile as the Sufi saying goes, we just "do what needs to be done." Dig ditches, shovel crushed concrete, mend fences, reinforce the barn floor, haul buckets of water in there for the horses on cold nights, etc. Soon we will plant our spring vegetable garden in the hope of getting a crop before the summer insect onslaught. All the while, thanks to yoga, we rest in God's Love and Bliss in the center of the heart which remains the constant Reality amidst the movie.  
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Edited by - Radharani on Feb 06 2016 11:57:46 PM |
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Ecdyonurus
Switzerland
479 Posts |
Posted - Feb 07 2016 : 04:03:31 AM
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| Hi Radharani, nice to read you again! Your experience resonates with me because I am also having some special troubles in my life, and through yoga I feel/know somehow that everything is allright although by society standards one coild think that life is hard on me. Wish you all the best. |
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Bodhi Tree
2972 Posts |
Posted - Feb 07 2016 : 07:03:11 AM
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After reading your account of sinkholes, maggots, mold, etc., there is a sutra in the Samyama book appendix that comes to mind...it's "elements"...which results in "mastery over the five elements (earth, water, fire, air, and inner space), enabling manipulation of all matter." In addition to the core set of sutras, I've been throwing it in the mix, and having some success. You may find it beneficial as well. 
Keep on truckin', Radha.  |
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Dogboy
USA
2294 Posts |
Posted - Feb 07 2016 : 2:09:35 PM
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| Oh Rahadrani, so sorry to hear of your misadventures. Your attitude is admirable and I hope the Universe provides for you and your spouse |
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1734 Posts |
Posted - Feb 07 2016 : 2:20:25 PM
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Wow Rahadrani, what a saga! It seems to me you are passing this test with with flying colours  |
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sunyata
USA
1513 Posts |
Posted - Feb 08 2016 : 11:02:15 AM
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That's a lot going on Radharani. Hope things get better soon. It's so true Yoga shows us the beauty in imperfection.
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Edited by - sunyata on Feb 08 2016 11:03:20 AM |
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Radharani
USA
843 Posts |
Posted - Feb 08 2016 : 5:32:07 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Ecdyonurus
Hi Radharani, nice to read you again! Your experience resonates with me because I am also having some special troubles in my life, and through yoga I feel/know somehow that everything is allright although by society standards one coild think that life is hard on me. Wish you all the best.
I'm right there with you, friend! |
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Radharani
USA
843 Posts |
Posted - Feb 08 2016 : 5:49:39 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Bodhi Tree
After reading your account of sinkholes, maggots, mold, etc., there is a sutra in the Samyama book appendix that comes to mind...it's "elements"...which results in "mastery over the five elements (earth, water, fire, air, and inner space), enabling manipulation of all matter." In addition to the core set of sutras, I've been throwing it in the mix, and having some success. You may find it beneficial as well.
Keep on truckin', Radha.
well Bodhi, I've never had any success w/ "manipulating" the natural world, other than my friendship with all living creatures including the wild and "dangerous" ones. In my youth I did put a lot of energy into trying to do that (material manifestation) over many years, without results, and more recently as well. But here's the thing - it's just Nature. When I bought this property I didn't know it was geologically unstable and sitting on top of underground caverns and streams. Water levels are rising in various parts of the world, including Florida, due to changing weather patterns. I may be cynical, but I don't think meditation/ samyama is going to fix that. Also from a philosophical or spiritual perspective, just how much energy should we put into mentally manipulating the elements? The maggots required simply cleaning by hand, no problem. The Mold legally would require professional treatment, as the State does not recognize samyama. Call me lazy, but I think I'd rather do what can practically be done (which isn't a whole hell of a lot) and then leave things in God's hands. I feel that focusing my energies on trying to change the external world to go against what Nature is doing would be a full-time job and also a step backwards spiritually. but, to each their own. If it "works" for you, go for it. |
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Radharani
USA
843 Posts |
Posted - Feb 08 2016 : 5:57:08 PM
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| Thanks Ecdyonorus, Bodhi, Dogboy, BlueRaincoat and Sunyata! Appreciate your kind thoughts. Everything will work out one way or another, or else maybe it won't, and that's ok too. Our needs are being met for the most part. My only real unsatisfied desire at this point is to have a place to teach yoga but I believe something will eventually become available. Meanwhile I suppose it's not an emergency. This little town is overflowing with yoga studios. |
Edited by - Radharani on Feb 08 2016 5:59:11 PM |
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Ecdyonurus
Switzerland
479 Posts |
Posted - Feb 09 2016 : 12:24:42 AM
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| You still are teaching yoga, Radharani - by writing such great posts about the art of surrender. Thank you. |
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Bodhi Tree
2972 Posts |
Posted - Feb 09 2016 : 12:54:48 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Radharani
...the State does not recognize samyama.
Ain't that a shame? Don't worry, we'll infiltrate the Legislature in due time and re-write the laws to accommodate the reality of stillness in action via the release of sutras into silence. I worked for the Florida House of Representatives for a little while. It can be done.  |
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Radharani
USA
843 Posts |
Posted - Feb 12 2016 : 8:56:34 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Ecdyonurus
You still are teaching yoga, Radharani - by writing such great posts about the art of surrender. Thank you.
wow, thank you so much for pointing that out! very helpful. |
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Radharani
USA
843 Posts |
Posted - Feb 12 2016 : 8:57:55 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Bodhi Tree
quote:
Originally posted by Radharani
...the State does not recognize samyama.
Ain't that a shame? Don't worry, we'll infiltrate the Legislature in due time and re-write the laws to accommodate the reality of stillness in action via the release of sutras into silence. I worked for the Florida House of Representatives for a little while. It can be done.
LOL! LOVE it! yes, please do.  |
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Radharani
USA
843 Posts |
Posted - Jun 08 2017 : 03:03:52 AM
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Cannot believe it's been over a year since I last posted here! Been super busy with work and lots of other "interesting" stuff. Funny, the title of this thread is "making peace with the psychic job," but the actual outcome has been way more than "peace." With the exception of the high taxes (contractor position, not employee), this has turned out to be an actual DREAM JOB! As you may recall, my original career plan had been to work as a counselor with my Psychology M.A., but that plan was derailed due to licensing changes that made it illegal for me to practice my profession.
I then switched gears and went into medicine, became a Medical Language Specialist, which got really OLD after 22 years, especially since I was working mostly in Oncology  and the pay had dropped so much over the years that it wasn't worth the aggravation. I had opened my yoga studio but couldn't make a living teaching out here in the boondocks. I enrolled in a Medical Coding Certification program in order to make use of my prior experience and education based on advertising stating the job pays upwards of $40,000, which as it turns out, was untrue. I was about halfway through the program when I learned from people working in the field that they were lucky to make $10/hour, if that, and decided to cut my losses and drop out.
Meanwhile I had my resume' online hoping to find a job as a medical writer or editor. I was contacted by the Most Prestigious Medical Transcription Company in the U.S. who pursued me aggressively for months, but it was for a transcription position. Because I was flattered (they only hire the best of the best), I went ahead and took their entrance exam, which I aced. Then they pursued me even harder, but ultimately I rejected their offer, because it would mean being stuck in another low-paying, soul-sucking, dead-end job that I despised. My friends said I was crazy for rejecting the offer when I desperately needed a job, but my heart just wasn't in it. I wanted to make a decent income doing something halfway enjoyable. And it turned out to be the BEST decision!
Shortly after that I got a contract working as a Spiritual Advisor with the Very Famous Psychic Company on TV and, as stated previously in this thread, it has been AWESOME! The management is so incredibly NICE that it's hard to believe they are real humans. My clients are the best, most wonderful and interesting people including scientists, engineers, doctors, diplomats, military intelligence, celebrities, etc., really fun to talk to. I have ultimately realized that I actually enjoy this job MORE than Psychology, with its focus on pathology/ dysfunction and trying to "fix" people and make them fit into "normal" functional roles in society, whereas being a Spiritual Advisor is helping people gain deeper insight and grow spiritually through their life experiences. Since beginning this job I've received several promotions, the most recent of which I hope will finally enable me to pay all my bills and taxes. I'm now being paid nearly as much as I would have as a Psychologist.
And that's a good thing, because - I am bankrupt! Oh, it's been fun. I began the process in 2015 and then my attorney went out of business shortly after my last post here in February of 2016, taking my $1000 retainer payment with him. The State Bar says I am unlikely to get any money back. I had to find a new attorney and start all over with the payments. My new attorney is wonderful and has a great reputation, got an award for "Most Ethical Attorney" (is that an oxymoron, like "excellent airplane food," LOL?! no offense to any attorneys who may be reading this). My court date is this coming Friday and then hopefully it will all be settled. whew!
And then I will have to turn to my next legal case, namely, Eminent Domain. The State has informed me they are taking part of my land to widen the freeway and also to install a huge gas supply pipeline. This will require bulldozing of the strip of forest that serves as the only "buffer" between the property and the freeway, including the Sacred Grove which is a beautiful, magical healing place beside a waterfall where I used to meditate a lot. The State is supposed to pay me for the land, but attorney says they will try to condemn it instead based on the sinkholes, the uninhabitable trailer with Black Mold, and other concerns around the property.
Over the last couple of years my husband has gained and lost a couple of jobs and had an EEOC lawsuit with the last one, which he lost. Employers here in FL can fire you for nearly any reason or no reason at all. He has been unemployed since fall of 2016 and is in the process of applying for Disability on the basis of ASD (Autism Spectrum) which has interfered with his ability to get or keep a decent job his entire life.
So like I said, it's all quite "interesting"!  And what does this have to do with yoga? A LOT, actually!
Between work and handling our various lawsuits, meetings with attorneys and tons of paperwork, and trying to keep up with taking care of the property including the veggie garden, it's been hard to find time to do my complete yoga practice. But I need to MAKE TIME because I've found that when I scrimp on my practice, things don't go as well, whereas when I give myself that extra half an hour or so to indulge in the Ecstasy, it improves my work and everything else. It helps me to be much more present as a channel of Blessing for my clients, and really IS worth putting the time into it even when things are hectic and there aren't enough hours in a day.
The other aspect of this in reference to yoga is that if the universe had handed me all this "stuff" prior to the Reality Shift that happened several years back thanks to a lifelong yoga practice, I would NOT have been able to handle it. As it is, the situation is certainly stressful and exhausting, but at the same time I am able to step back and find it amusing in a twisted way on some level, like a Monty Python movie.
I must say I find it quite amusing that so many people call me for advice when my own life is a freaking train wreck, LOL! But that's because I'm helping them on a deeper level that goes beyond material concerns, allowing us to better deal with life's endless worldly drama. The traffic noise is loud enough already even before the cutting down of the forest and expansion of the highway. But when I sit in meditation all the noise, like the drama, just flows right on by. It doesn't stick, and can't touch the silent Bliss in the depths.
Every day when I wake up I put my life in God's hands and pray that I may be a clear channel for Blessings of Love, Light, Peace, Grace and Holy Wisdom to flow to my clients and the world. And by God's grace and yoga, somehow it happens.
Will try to stop by here more when I get a chance. LOVE to all my friends here. |
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jusmail
India
491 Posts |
Posted - Jun 08 2017 : 06:49:01 AM
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| Welcome back. We need you as much as you do us. Blessings to you |
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Dogboy
USA
2294 Posts |
Posted - Jun 08 2017 : 8:48:06 PM
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Wow, Rad, your practice truly is bearing fruit, with your witness into Monty Python and all  ! Thanks for the update, you sound marvelous! |
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lalow33
USA
966 Posts |
Posted - Jun 08 2017 : 9:02:53 PM
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There is another member with chronic fatigue. I can't remember who but was asking questions about it. Hopefully, he or she will see this post.
Good luck, Radharani. We are rooting for you. |
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Bodhi Tree
2972 Posts |
Posted - Jun 08 2017 : 10:25:23 PM
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Radha! Keepin' it real. Love it.
Your writing is superb. Seriously. Congrats on your ongoing success with the psychic company. Your clientele sound fascinating. Glad you are helping them navigate their life. They're in good hands.
Thank you for the thorough update, and keep shining. |
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Radharani
USA
843 Posts |
Posted - Jun 08 2017 : 11:17:17 PM
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| Thx so much, my dears! LOVE you guys. Will try to drop by here more often. |
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dv2014
USA
93 Posts |
Posted - Jun 11 2017 : 10:09:19 PM
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Always nice to read your posts. Happy to learn that your new job is going great. In fact I am tempted to get consultation from you :-) You must be an excellent counselor.
Love to you and your husband. Wishing you luck in sorting out all legal issues. |
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Radharani
USA
843 Posts |
Posted - Aug 03 2017 : 02:22:42 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by dv2014
Always nice to read your posts. Happy to learn that your new job is going great. In fact I am tempted to get consultation from you :-) You must be an excellent counselor.
Love to you and your husband. Wishing you luck in sorting out all legal issues.
aw, thx!
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Radharani
USA
843 Posts |
Posted - Aug 03 2017 : 02:29:30 AM
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Latest update: Bankruptcy hearing went much more smoothly than anticipated, thx to my excellent attorney! what a relief.
You know, I've been saying all along that I can't teach yoga here in the house now that we are living here, myself, husband and all our animals. Just could not keep it clean enough, especially the floor. Also I really couldn't afford to take the time off my regular job to clean and teach, because I'd be losing $$ and I owe the IRS too much. Well, that may be changing!
A dear friend gifted me with a Bissell machine that vacuums and steam cleans the floor at the same time! It is truly amazing and will decrease the time required to get the floor clean enough for people to lie on. Also, I got a big raise at my counseling job so I may be able to set aside at least one day a week to teach yoga. Yay! I've really missed teaching. |
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Charliedog
1625 Posts |
Posted - Aug 03 2017 : 03:34:23 AM
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| Good for you Radharani, happy teaching |
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Dogboy
USA
2294 Posts |
Posted - Aug 03 2017 : 06:10:53 AM
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1734 Posts |
Posted - Aug 03 2017 : 07:14:10 AM
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Great news Radharani.
Good luck with the teaching project! |
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Making Peace with the Psychic job
