Monday, August 27, 2012

Total Body Cleanse: Day 5

Getting through this by modifying a little bit and giving myself a little more time to ease into it. It's day 5. I know it's supposed to be only fruits and veggies but because I like to work out and I just started work, I have to include almonds, egg whites and boiled chicken breast in the first week. Next week I will weed those out one by one and then go liquid for 3 days, back onto solid raw foods and complete it by the end of September. It was really tough at first but it's getting better. My body is getting used to not having caffeine, dairy, alcohol and processed sugar. I went for a long bike ride yesterday and I felt fine. Except for the ridiculous hunger sometimes, I think all is well in body cleanse land.

First day back at work...I had my first class at 10 am this morning. I have an Advanced English Conversation class. It's my first time teaching them and there are two or three students older than me. It just means more extra prep on my part. I like the challenge...let's just see how well this might go.

My next class is at 4. I should be doing my lesson plans but I figure I'd have time to do that on Thursday ^^ Lots of trips to Seoul coming up because of the Superstar Halla event. They don't give us the full schedule ahead of time so everything is always last minute. Apparently we will be in Seoul at least 8 times this month...even on school days.  I also need to pack up my house and get ready to move. I really don't want to move because I'm lazy but sometimes in life you just gotta get things going.

my quote of the day: 
happiness is a journey, not a destination. 

for a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. but there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. at last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. this perspective has helped me to see there is no way to happiness. happiness is the way, so treasure every moment you have and remember that time waits for no one. 
-souza

Thursday, August 23, 2012

After the rain...

"There is no one in this world who can sail through life without any hardships. Unless we take action happiness will not simply come to us. Reality is tough. That’s why, instead of allowing ourselves to be tossed around by our circumstances, we must choose to face reality squarely, using such struggles to strengthen our lives."

-Daisaku Ikeda

I've been in a slump lately. I hate it when I am like this. I know why I am feeling like this, I just couldn't help getting to this point. I do things that are unhealthy and I seriously need to detox my body so I've decided to do a total body cleanse. I don't think I can do the Master Cleanse as the Salt Water Flush would probably kill me :P I'm going to ease my body into it by doing a fruit and vegetable one leading into a fruit/veggie juice diet and easing back into eating solid foods. I give myself a month to complete this and get back into my exercise routine and drink plenty of water. I might do a spiritual cleanse as well and go to a temple stay on a weekend just to clear my head. Wish me luck. I will start today...

My life is in my own hands... I refuse to let anyone take that away from me. I will be strong, I will not give in. "Suffer what there is to suffer, enjoy what there is to enjoy..." I'd like to believe that after the rain, you learn to appreciate the blue skies a little bit more and not take what you have for granted.

"Worth is not found in joy alone. Nor is success the only valuable outcome. Suffering is the mother of realization; worries and failures, so long as we are not defeated by them, become the raw material with which to construct lasting happiness."

-Daisaku Ikeda

I'm also grateful that although I'm not super religious, I am always refreshed when reading the wisdom that Buddhism has brought to my life. I was born into Buddhism and so they call us fortune babies. Whenever I am lost, my faith helps me search for the strength inside and believe that I can get through it, whatever the challenge may be.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Hair and relationships...

"...and then there was nothing."

After every major break up I've always cut my hair. It was getting shorter every time. This time since the relationship was so long, I decided to chop most of it off. I'm just worried one day I'll get into a 10 year relationship, break up and have to shave my head or something :P Those of you who are curious...this is what my new haircut looks like. What do you think?

It's really comfortable and I actually really like it. I'm glad I got my hair cut today. I'm feeling good about the change.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Hopeless Romantics Anonymous

"For a minute there, I lost myself...I lost myself."



Hi everyone, my name is Christine and I'm a hopeless romantic. I have fallen into the pit of fictional Korean drama romance. It's been 4 hours since I've subjected myself to the cheesiness that makes real life seem so vapid.

"Hi Christine..."

I don't know why I do it to myself when I know I get like this from watching fictional happy endings. I got sucked up into another Korean drama. I could feel myself slipping into the pit of despair with every passing minute yet I couldn't stop watching. All I could think about is whether I'd ever feel that kind of cheesy romance again. The kind where reason goes out the window and the only thing you're aware of is the sound of your own heart racing. We've all grown up to the idea of a fairy tale ending. The only problem with that is  we never actually get to see the in between, the real parts that make up a relationship and the real issues that life throws at you. When that bubble pops and reality sinks in you realize why they didn't want to show us what happened in between.

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result."

If my relationship was a Korean drama and not real life then one of us would have said to the other, I'm willing to go anywhere for you and he'd stop me at the airport with a ticket in hand or I would give in and tell him even if we're poor as long as we have each other I'm ok with staying here forever...then we'd kiss and the cameras would pan around us and the credits would come up and everyone would think that it was so sweet that people were willing to give up so much for each other. In reality it doesn't end there. The relationship was over when I realized I wasn't willing to give up my dreams.

"you give me miles and miles of mountains and i'll ask for the sea."

I guess in the end I'm still a hopeless romantic sadly cheering for the spunky awkward girl to find someone who can fully appreciate her for everything that she is and cherish everything she has to offer. The hopeless romantic who still believes that someone might put up with her weird antics and bouts of random jealousy and ridiculously impulsive behavior and love her more because of it. I'm not holding my breath but it is the fate of a hopeless romantic to look up into the sky and believe that someone out there might one day literally stumble into their life and change it for the better. Until then you might pursue your career, travel the world and learn to understand yourself better.