Hello, Fall Weather.

Edmonton doesn't get a bunch of rain. A lot of sun, a lot of snow.. But rain not so much. So it's quite noticeable to Edmontonians when it's gloomy and wet. On gloomy chilly days like this week's, I feel an extra surge of protectiveness towards Hachi, because I imagine him in his days as a stray in the Nordegg woods. All alone and cold, wet and starving :(

Not anymore :)

Mind Farts

-I'm noticing feminism fails even by men who were otherwise ahead of their times.  Jose Rizal ... yogis back in the day ... inventors ... "geniuses" ... Is the concept of your mother/sister/spouse/female friend as a fellow human being *that* hard to grasp?  Come on now people

-Iyengar is pronounced "eye-yen-gar" and I am loving being a complete beginner at something again. I think I was made to be an eternal student

-On CBC radio, I listened to a clip from the dash cam of an American cop shooting a black man on his way to work who just happened to be gassing up his car. Absolutely chilling. What really made me sick was how the victim had to be polite and apologetic even under the horrific circumstances.  I'm sure he was afraid of being shot even more times or even worse, being blamed for the incident. You just knew he was raised to be wary of white cops.  Unfortunately the warnings were legitimate in this case. Thank God for dash cams 

-I cut potatoes and tomatoes with a handcrafted Japanese knife for the first time at the Springhammer movie release afterparty. Wow, I actually got tingles doing it. I've always heard Japanese knives were amazing but I didn't realize what all the hype was about until I tried one! You can actually feel the knife grip the vegetable/fruit before the blade slides through 

-Currently enjoying Stromae's music and its blends of sounds I relish - hip hop, house, electro, 90's R&B, African rhythms.  Plus each song is refreshingly different, which gives me multiple eargasms.  If only I didn't have to translate the lyrics (which, by the way are not mysoginistic or arrogant at all). Makes me wish I did French immersion in school

Dip of Shame.

I'm dumb for not realizing that honey isn't vegan. Finally googled it - of course while currently on a huge honey mustard kick - and realized my vegan fail. A huge sorry to all the squished and homeless bees as casualties of this yellow addiction of mine.   I even bought mini Tupperware containers just so I could keep dipping at work.

As soon as I finish all the honey mustard at my place, I am not buying anymore. I'll make my own using agave syrup if I have to!  

Hello Yoga, Nice to Meet You.

We've flirted and danced around each other but now let's talk!

Officially registered for a semester at the Iyengar (how do you pronounce that?) yoga studio near my office. 

Acro-yoga and Pilates have given me tastes of yoga but now I can really learn some pure technique and poses :) Now is my chance. Boo-yah!

Lucky Me.

I still have an open door to train and perform once I am healed.  Without pressure, and despite my abrupt sabbatical.  The dance director is good to me.

On that pleasant note, here is Hachi trying to keep his eyes open in the car today post-daycare.  Faiiillll.

Let the healing begin.

Some Shedding.

I received a harsh reality check as a result of this past weekend, where I danced all night in heels at a wedding.  I am now not quite able to point my right foot or relevé without pain.  I'm not even walking right.  And it's already Tuesday!  My frustration has led me to realize that I am not healing from my dance injuries at all.  My foot is actually getting worse.  This has resulted in me deciding to leave the Afro Cuban dance team indefinitely.

Now for inspirational quote time:

I don't want to be in pain and I don't want to be injured.

I want to be strong and balanced and frolicking.  There are other ways of doing this aside from dance so I can heal properly.  Enter acro-yoga, Pilates, kettlebells or even just good ol' yoga and bodyweight training.  Things have to change.  I want to be able to rock heels and dress up without physically paying for it later.

As a silver-lining hunter, I still see a positive side to all of this.  I have realized that I will not turn into a crackhead over being away from dance for a while. This frustration must be channeled productively.  And who knows, maybe as I heal I will become a better dancer in the future because of my focus on being injury-free.

It helps that I've been having a good time during my dance sabbatical.  Having a social life and not running on adrenaline all the time is relaxing.  Even my boss noticed that I am calmer nowadays.

And let's not forget a wonderful little energy-consumer of mine:  Hachi.  He's at doggy daycare today while I'm in the office :)  I know he will be happy and spent when I pick him up.  Here's how he looked after his first day at doggy daycare:

He could not even keep his eyes open during the car ride home!  I'm excited to pick the little guy up.

Anyway, I just needed to record that little milestone in my life.  Back to lunch and logic drawings ...

National Dog Day Was Last Week.

The above photo is Hachi's "Happy National Dog Day" Instagram post.  Look at how many Instagram photos I have taken of him already.  I can't help it - I'm a proud dog momma!

So far Hachi

• still doesn't bark much (I'm not complaining!) - could this be Akita blood?
• can sit, lie down, shake hands
• doesn't try to leave with me anymore when I leave for work
• is able to go off-leash at the dog park now

And such a gentle friendly disposition!  He has coaxed smiles out of many fellow dog-owners and random folks we encounter on our walks.  There is something about a rescue dog - I think it's a sense of happy gratitude that emanates from the dog.  This is my first rescue and I am hooked.  It's a win-win situation really.  A dog-owner win: I am reminded not to work too much and to take breaks and enjoy the outdoors everyday.

Another win: being able to explore parts of Edmonton that are dog-friendly.  Remedy Cafe gets a thumbs up for their dog-friendly patio and vegan food.  I checked out the downtown Farmer's Market this weekend and I loved the hustle and bustle of  booths, people and canines.  My lunch currently consists of locally grown potatoes and tomatoes (roasted with balsamic vinegar courtesy of this recipe - yum!). 

I'm enjoying the dog parks in this city as well.  Terwillegar Park was crazy busy this long weekend.  A dog's excitement about just being able to go outside is contagious.  Hachi = spurts of joy about the simplest things.  

Especially when there is so much pain and suffering out there: the Nigerian schoolgirls are still prisoners, hostages, senseless cruelty and killings, poaching of elephants, disappearing First Nations women ... 

It's like Ebola is the only hot-topic misery that wasn't started by stupid humans.

We need to take some notes from our four-legged furry friends.  Aside from the butt-sniffing practices of course.

Mind Farts
-more and more veggie options are popping up around the city!  had a delicious Vietnamese veggie sub at MKT of all places
-mmm ... ginger beer
-i discovered dulse seaweed this weekend.  i used it to make vegan bagoong.  bagoong is one of the few things i miss from my seafood days ... ohhhh that fermented shrimpy fishy taste that i love so much.  dulse may help me out with this craving 

-still can't dance in heels because of the ankle.  but i can't say i've been feeling deprived or sad about it :)  you know that saying "don't put your all of your eggs in one basket?"  i'm like an Easter egg hunt - eggs all over the place
-*finally* read Jose Rizal's Noli Me Tangere.  even though there are old fashioned attitudes in the novel especially about women (creamy white neck and demure = wifey material), i still got a fascinating look at the Philippines in the 1800s.  man, the Spaniards were such absolute dicks to the native Filipinos.  just horrific.  even poor Mr. Rizal was shot for this exposé :( 

Eid Mubarak!

There is a significant Muslim contingent in the office. Which has resulted in desserts in the lunchroom to celebrate the end of Ramadan - no more fasting!

The evil stomach issues have settled down quite a bit, so my attempts at stress reduction have been fruitful. 

More free time has resulted in being able to care for Hachi and also being able to take the time to think over life in general and what I want to do with things like my womanhood. It's kind of like I just woke up and realized I'm in my thirties.  Even though I feel the same if not more energy compared to my twenties - I just don't do as many careless things. Yay for frontal lobe development!