Family. 'Tis a Beautiful Thing.

Currently running on 2 hours of sleep for the 2nd time this weekend and will be off on a road trip to South Padre Island in an hour or so :)

I love that we can visit our aunt and uncle and cousins after 7 years and it's like nothing's changed. Aside from more additions to the family of course :).

I was coerced into a Silent Hill marathon last night. My throat's still sore from screaming and laughing. Love having spazztastic female gamers in the family!

Still Hot.

First of all, thank you Lord for men on the Olympic track.  Gymnasts too!

Also, thank you for delicious Heritage Days (my favourite Edmonton festival) which fed me well this weekend!  I was stuffing my face the whole time while sweat was pouring off me.  It's been constant heat mixed with rainy thunderstorms - hopefully these are not tornado ingredients for Edmonton!  I really shouldn't complain ... there is crazy flooding in the Philippines right now :(

I was a bad girl at Heritage Days:
Egyptian donuts (zalabia - soo good.. like a syrupy Tim Hortons tim bit)
Dutch mini-pancakes with icing sugar topping (poffertjes)
Filipino fried bananas (turon)
Israeli lemonana (tart lemonade)
Egyptian roselle (reminded me so much of drinking Ribena as a kid!)
Ugandan fried plantains (gonja)
Filipino shaved-ice/ice-cream/coconut-bits-and-other-jelly-and-bean--goodies (halo-halo)
Filipino noodles (pancit)
Dutch salted herring with onions on a bun

I played with the thought of going for a giant elephant ear (monstrous pastry the size of a newborn) from Romania but we were so full and hot and sweaty that we just plodded on home.

This long weekend gave me the luxury of waking up without alarm for 2 of the 3 days.  There's nothing like coming home when the sun's coming up and waking up later in the afternoon naturally with no interruptions :)
I needed that.  Last week was a bit nuts.

To kick off crazy week, my car got broken into for the first time.  Thankfully, whoever did it was nice enough not to break the window.  He/she took a pair of sunglasses (really?) and my emergency roadside assistance kit.  The rest of the week consisted of some big changes at work.  When I was applying for this job (and I really didn't think I was going to get it) I told myself that it might be time to deviate from engineering if something managed to change or impede such a good opportunity.  Well, something "changey" has happened.  I still really enjoy my workplace (best one I've experienced so far), but these changes are either going to make me extremely overwhelmed or extremely self-sufficient.  Either way, I have many things to think about.

Sometimes I wonder if the universe is trying to tell me something and maybe it's time go somewhere a bit less rednecky and a bit more tree-hugging and cosmopolitan while I'm not yet 'tied down.'  I have friends who have made the big leap elsewhere and it's hard not to catch the 'grass is greener' bug.  At the same time, the economy here is fabulous and I have a fun and stimulating lifestyle already......

So I continue to marinate.  It'll be a while before I can actually take action anyway.  But thinking doesn't hurt now does it?  Maybe some new goals are in order.

Mind Farts
-despite the heat, mosquitoes are still attacking me.  myself and another mosquito-bait girlfriend tried being guinea pigs and experimenting with various more 'natural' DEET-free repellents.  i even tried the vitamin B1 patch on my left butt cheek.  no go.  they were still biting.  a cruel mosquito even bit my left butt cheek, taunting my patch defense.  i tried the greasy stinky citronella spray.  nope.  got bit seconds after.  same thing with Tiger Balm.  so far, DEET is my only hope
-and HOW do i get bit inside the change room after a workout?  sneaky little mosquitoes!! arrghghghgh
-to counter Fifty Shades, i am now reading Anne Rice's Sleeping Beauty erotica trilogy.  well-written and imaginative but ... maybe i just don't get pain and subordination as a turn-on
-i am also reading The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari ... haha this is kind of not helping my situation ... actually it is, just in a strange way
-Alberta men sure like their meat
-so when is a ref's weird calls still allowed to be 'human?'  poor Canadian women's soccer team :(
-hi Mars :)

Yessss!

Two kinds of awesomeness today.

First, I have such a great mechanic.  Diagnosed source of leak (my passengers need to shut my door tighter!) and wouldn't take payment (I forced donuts and iced caps instead).  Yay! My car is fine :)

Second, THERE ARE FREE ONLINE INTERVAL TIMERS.  I used this tonight and promptly kicked my ass less than an hour using just my bodyweight.  

An Independent Venture.

I cancelled my gym membership today. I've been thinking about it for a while now.  Due to dance and other activities that don't involve gym machines, I've been making it to the gym once a week if lucky.  This was definitely not good budgeting.  I found out that it's much cheaper to do a drop-in fee every time I go rather than pay for the whole month.  Thankfully the staff member that cancelled my membership for me didn't give me a hard time (me no likey when they get pushy).    

It feels a bit weird and exciting to be figuring out my own workout structure on my own.  Actually, I don't even need to figure it out.. a bunch of choices to play with are in constant revolution around me - like a workout spice rack!  Pilates, bodyweight, kettlebells...  I just need to select how much and when :)  I could even fit climbing into my life once again ... maybe ... someday?

When I got home I rewarded my new-found independence with a remake of a Filipino childhood favourite: eggs, rice and banana ketchup!  Instead of rice, I mixed in sauteed quinoa and spinach.

Yep, it's the Hot version.  I'm a big girl now.

Mmmm.. a healthier taste of my breakfasts as a kid :)

Mind Farts

-crazy heat has been replaced with crazy rain.  which has revealed some sort of leak into my car flooring (i would have never found out if it wasn't for an observant passenger).  i wonder what my mechanic will discover on wednesday

-crazy rain = crazy mosquitoes!  i am averaging almost 2 bites per minute of static outside exposure combined with bare skin :(  why do they like me so much?!?!  i have low blood sugar!  diet blood!

-crazy rain = flooded basements and leaky ceilings for others.  while i am sandwiched quite dryly between floors at my condo.  i shouldn't complain so much

-a banana can make or break a smoothie

-good Lord.  the banana cream pie from Sugar Bowl is ridiculous.  i'm not even that big a fan of banana cream pies but.. @#$%^&*&^%$%^&*&^%$!!!!!!

From Heat to More Heat!

I am currently typing with the fan pointed right at me.  My condo has no AC and I am currently in the midst of Edmonton's heat wave.  It's gotten to the point where I've been staying at work a bit longer because I enjoy the air-conditioned office so much!!

Despite the crazy temperatures, I managed to squeeze in Salsa in the Park this scorching weekend.  Got a good tan, but ruined a pair of shades.  Spinning = centrifugal force + shades + concrete.  Note to self: never dance with sunglasses on:

This scorching weekend also allowed me to catch up on a lot of things that are currently on my plate, mainly having to do with groups I'm a part of.  I've mentioned before that I need to value my rest, but I've also been squeezing in more into my life. Again. I can't seem to help pushing.  I've become a tad more aggressive, and instead of being annoyed at the reluctance of others, I've found myself hearing Gandhi's "Be the change you want to see in the world" and then plunging into things. Hence the loaded plate. It doesn't help that I keep getting bombarded with inspiration!

Last month I went on a great work-related trip to Raleigh, NC.  Another scorching place.  Not only did I meet and enjoy some really intelligent, witty, driven and inspiring people, I also ate.  A lot.  Southern food is a larger portioned, sweeter and creamier version of its Northern counterparts.  There was also an abundance of cheap beer.

I was actually full the entire week of training.  No sensation of hunger ever touched me.  Even during the training sessions, the hotel was sure to cart in a ton of delicious snacks in between breakfast and lunch and dinner.  Dinners were spent out and about Raleigh, checking out good spots to eat.  I am happy to say that there was a 24-hour gym at the hotel, so I was able to do some damage control :)  Plus, I was jumping around with happiness in my hotel room due to my first unassisted pistol squat (see previous post).

A lot of work can pile up if you miss a week.  Fortunately, the week of training filled me with an invigorating fresh type of ambition and drive in my career(s).  There are some hard working, bright and well-rounded people out there and it is awesome to be surrounded by them not just on a local scale, but on a global scale too.  

Speaking of energizing, I've been following Aaron Paquette's story about his wife Clarice, who was in a horrific accident involving two vehicles (she was jogging - one car hit her and the other one ran over her) near my parents' neighbourhood.  His heartbreaking post against distracted driving went viral and his story has been inspiring thousands - maybe even millions.  It's amazing.  His wife's walking again and he's working on a book - I just pre-ordered :)

Mind Farts

-read that Gabriel Garcia Marquez is suffering from dementia :(  tragic.  i'm STILL reading his 700-page biography (got sidetracked by some pop erotica - a.k.a. 50 Shades trilogy ... do not read while sitting next to grandmother and 10 year old boy on plane)
-proof that i can be stuck almost anywhere with my Kobo: i was delayed for many hours trying to fly back to Edmonton.  was i stressed?  nope.  too busy reading!

-i am on a fish taco mission.  so far i've tried Tres Carnales, Earls and Joey's in town.  i need to re-try Joey's to get frame of reference again
-Fort Edmonton Park is a lot more than i expected!  it's huge and it was really interesting to learn about my good old Edmonton.  you'd think i would've done this a long time ago
-Moonrise Kingdom.  deliciously awkward
-Brave.  loved it, even despite the tense parts
-Ted.  i laughed, but i also wanted to barf at the cheesy parts
-Good Lord.  Tutti Frutti IS RIDICULOUS.  GUAVA FROZEN YOGURT? TARO FROZEN YOGURT?  RED VELVET FROZEN YOGURT? WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIPS?  aughghghghghhgh - it's the perfect place to go in this heat

Holy Crap!!

I am in my North Carolina hotel room (here for training). I had an hour to kill before meeting up with some colleagues for dinner.

So I decided to do a mini-workout in my room.

And I just did my first non-assisted non-modified pistol squats!!!!!! My first actual real pistol squats! I had to repeat 9X just to make sure :)

Well time to get ready for dinner! 'Tis a fine time in Angel history :)

Saskatoon Hospitality.

Congrats to Saskatoon for hosting its first international salsa congress this weekend!  It was great to perform and social dance at this intimate but fun affair :)  Alberta dance companies did a great job of representing and supporting this event.  I also met international professional dancers who were so so so amazing but yet so humble.  Really an inspiration for me, knowing that people can get to an almost inhuman level of skill but still manage to maintain kindness and respect for others.  I could gush about these people for hours!!! I'm such a salsa groupie sometimes :)

Actually I was floored by how nice people were in general - not just the dancers at the congress, but the locals I encountered.   One server recommended a bunch of good places to eat and took the time to make a handwritten list.  Another one sent us away with free Callebaut dark chocolate covered cherries to keep us going on our 6 hour drive home :)  Lovely.

Saskatoon itself is a quaint place.  At times it was eerie because it felt strangely Edmonton-like.  Typical Canadian prairie city I guess.  It might even be flatter than Edmonton, because when it gets windy it gets REALLY windy.  

This road trip reminded me of how open and spacious the prairies are.  The blue skies seem to go on forever.  It's beautiful really.  Remember the Windows XP background?

Now I am struggling to stay awake so I can get unpacking, laundry, dishes and work lunches done - this is what I get for my 3 hours of sleep last night.  Maybe chores will have to wait until tomorrow - good thing I booked the morning off from work!  I'm finally learning to prioritize rest.

Mind Farts
-i haven't had chocolate in a while until this weekend.  and Callebaut at that!  i've forgotten how giddy i get after chocolate
-still not done Gabriel Garcia Marquez's 700-page bio.  got sidetracked by reading about eating more raw food whenever you can (smoothies, fresh salsa, etc.).  apparently it's the best way to get much-needed enzymes for your body.  i'm trying it out
-challenge comes with the fresh food thing ... the amount of food i bring to work keeps growing and growing:

-one thing that i've really become inspired about this weekend is female physical strength.  it's absolutely beautiful!  i've been working on it (hello, nice to meet you chin-up bar) and it really helped me during a private lesson this weekend that involved lifts with my partner.    let's see what happens when i combine really healthy food and building more physical strength!