BUMM-barappap, BUMM-barappap...

Oh Kizomba ... They say you originated in Angola, but I think it was actually Heaven.  Just did a workshop :)  Such a soothing lovely dance. Tried to keep social dancing afterwards but the coughs kept coming and I didn't want to make folks sick (yes, I'm still sick).

So here I am in my post-kizomba swoon, curled up with some NeoCitran and my Nexus 7 and streaming a kizomba playlist.  Not a bad Plan B.

7" of Heaven.

So I did some research, and went for the Google Nexus 7 :) It's beautiful and displays PDFs AND epubs beautifully using the Aldiko reader. I am giddy!

From Tropical Sea Breeze to Crisp Winter Air.

Cuba was, as predicted, amazing.  There were a few culture shocks of course, but overall I fell in love with the beautiful people (so warm, so friendly and so extremely resourceful) and the rhythms.  It helped that I pretty much lived in a summer dress and that my skin and hair lapped up the humidity and perfect weather (28C with ocean breezes).  I will have to go again.  I wasn't able to visit any museums or buy any art on this trip, but I was able to interact with locals and eat amazing local food (anyone that's complained about bland Cuban food to me may have eaten at more 'touristy' places').  I am happy to say that I danced my ass off!  Morning and night :)  We got to be part of a music video for a famous Cuban salsa star and we got to see him and his band in concert as well as another famous salsa band.  Unreal!  I didn't sleep very much on the trip.

Now I am paying the price with my 2nd sick day off from work.  I will definitely go into the office tomorrow though ... there is nothing like spending the day in bed to energize the body. 

Also as predicted, I did come back a little different.  I feel like life could be so much more natural and simple.  I ate and drank (Cuban rummmmm) quite a bit on the trip, but I can still fit into my clothes.  I think we need to pump less processed food into our bodies.  Less processing, period.  We need to sing and dance more.  Cuban men can be quite the manly types but if they feel like breaking into song and dance, they do it on a whim ... and it's harmonious and gorgeous.  Here it's more like drunken Canadians yelling and stumbling around at the bar every now and then - heh.  I do understand that I may have had an unfair bias - I was fortunate to be constantly around a group of male dancers/performers :)

I know, I can't stop gushing about the trip.  The trip has made me appreciate Canada more as well.  I have a job that provides enough for me to live on my own and travel.  Infidelity is not as common (publicly anyway).  People never hear of shortages here (it's a good and bad thing).  But maybe all this abundance and comfortable ease leaves us less resourceful and less imaginative .... just a thought.  It definitely leaves us less ... slender ;)

When I go back, my Spanish will hopefully be better.  It's amazing what you can accomplish with a smile and the ability to salsa though :) 

Mind Farts
 -read Cutting for Stone based on a girlfriend's recommendation.  lovely read that sucks you into Ethiopia and Immigrant US using a plot line that branches out from the result of a union between an Indian nun nurse and a British surgeon: brilliant twin boys
-took Immodium for the first time on the trip (brought some digestion meds with me based on travel reviews and recommendations) and what a little Godsend!
-thinking of caving and getting a tablet.  i love love love my Kobo Touch, but it's not able to read bigger PDF files.  should i bite the bullet and pay for an iPad?  or will it be too bulky as a portable reader?  iPad Mini?  Google Nexus 7 maybe (seems like way more bang for your buck - 1GB RAM and 32GB storage for under 300 bucks)?  i'm just worried about the PDF rendering (my main purpose after all).  gotta do my research

It's a Sign.

I don't normally buy mags, but I picked this one up :)

Let's See How Much I Can Squeeze In the Last 2 Months of 2012 Shall We?

It's been awhile!

All the Hurricane Sandy craziness made me think of how I was just enjoying the NYC Salsa Congress last month.  So I went through my camera.

And emptied it. 

Because ...

I'm going to Cuba!!!!

To dance and learn and dance and learn :)  It's been a dream of mine to do this in Cuba.  I had my last chance to do it with a Cuban-style dance school here so I couldn't resist.  I leave next Sunday.  16 hours of private training with a Cuban professional in one week.  In a land overflowing with rhythm, sensuality and flavour.  The freaking roots of salsa.  I don't think I'll be the same when I come back!

Just 1.4 more weeks of work.  Speaking of which, so far so good.  The slope of my learning curve is ever rising but it helps when those around you are competent and sincere.  It really does.

I've been on a non-fiction reading spree lately.  The last work of fiction I read was Cloud Atlas (beautiful book - the variety of character and feel is mind blowing).  Then I delved into Escape from Davao, which gave me a new fascination about WWII.  While reading it I kept thinking the two halves of me were somewhere, unjoined, in the Philippines at that very period of time.  I had to write my grandma because I kept thinking of her.  If my other grandparents were still around I would have definitely written them too, may they rest in peace.  I couldn't stop imagining their lives and what they must have seen.  My mom was born and raised in Mindanao ... where the soldiers struggled with the heat and humidity and the living things that scraped and bit.  My very own ancestors on both sides suffered at the hands of the Japanese.  The book made it so much more palpable.

Next up is the Master of Disguise.. written by the former CIA agent that was portrayed in Argo (fantastic movie).

Oh!  And the Talent Code was also pretty fascinating.  I was on a "oh it's mostly genetic" train of thought for a while (especially after reading things like the Blank Slate) but the Talent Code had me thinking some more in the other direction.  The more you practice the better you get of course, but there's also more to that.  The igniting of a spark ... the maintaining of a spark ... the focus.  I know I have to sharpen and narrow my focus (focuses? foci?).  I think I'm at the point where if I add any more activities to my plate ... then OPA!  Crash.  So difficult for me though - I hate feeling deprived.  

However  I am great at depriving myself of sleep.  Which is something I'm trying to fight (and am so very painfully reminded of in the mornings).  So before I go, Happy Halloween!!!  I leave you with my first non-salsa Halloween costume in several years.  It took us 4.5 hours :)  Yip-yip-yip-yip.

Texas Family Hola Latin Calgary Sunshine Work Oil Salsa Manhattan - Huh?

Mmmm ... Fort McMurray for breakfast.

Talk about contrast. Flew out at 7AM to spend all day at a site visit in the oil sands and then flew back to Edmonton nighttime. Now am packing for the NYC Salsa Congress!!  Yup, I am hitting Texas, Calgary, Fort Mac and NYC within the month of August. Wheeeeee!!! Thank God I booked an afternoon departure for New York. I may actually get over four hours of sleep tonight!  I'll need it - I'll be averaging three hours during this wonderful congress (helloooo dancing till 5am followed by 9am workshops!).

Passport? Check. Dance shoes in carry-on? Check! Everything else is secondary.

Mind Farts
-Texas was fabulous! what lovely relatives I have :)  video games, shopping, workouts, the Alamo, the Riverwalk, food, drink, pirates, awkward movie, decent movie, a creepy book and a beach ... still have to post pics!
-Calgary Expo Latino was delicious and hilarious.  it somehow turned into an invading swarm of flavourful female Edmontonians that came in groups.  we danced in the sun ... we danced in the dark ... we catcalled men using Italian food names ... we talked smack to male Calgarians ... we gorged on edamame beans and Latin food and gin.  my wicked group of roomies:

 -watched the Queen of Versailles.  fascinating peek at a rich family's financial plunge.  makes me appreciate being middle class (no need for old sugar daddies, no need for crazy upkeep of crazy assets).  the doggies reminded me of Kobe :(  she had American Eskimos everywhere!!!!  i miss my little guy. 

Beach and a Book....

....Makes a happy Angel.

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!

Fresh Salsa is NO Joke. Brothels?

I am actually posting about what most people around here think about when I say the world "salsa."

Yup, the food.

Looks like it's not just dancing - both types tire me out.  Fresh salsa takes much longer to make than I imagined!  I was up past midnight squeezing limes and chopping.  I finally rolled into bed, exhausted (working out followed by lime squeezing = ururhghghgh).  I will never take fresh salsa for granted ever again!  Ever.

Hmm, I wonder if there's fresh salsa at the farmers' market.

My exhausted night was quite worth it though.  My lunch was delicious!  It was blackened salmon and quinoa on a bed of spinach

topped with the very happy-coloured and precious mango salsa:

Now I am going to bed early for a change.  With Gabriel Garcia Marquez.  Or at least his 700 page biography anyway (yay, I'm 40% done!).  Okay one more thought.  Brothels were apparently the happening spots back in the day.  Gabriel Garcia Marquez and his buddies hung out at brothels.  Heck, he even lived in one.  Even the characters in his books hang out in brothels.  All the quick-witted men in Game of Thrones hang out in brothels.  I guess it's called the oldest profession for a reason.  I'm starting to think that in a time and place where women can't really do much or own much, brothels become more exciting compared with being trapped at home.

That is, until your looks or an unfortunate accident prevent you from working at the brothel anymore :(

I'll take 2012, a paycheck and indoor plumbing any time.

(Although if I imagine myself living in those times, I'm not sure if I would have been happy with not being able to earn a living or own anything or do anything.  Unless I had a really cool progressive husband, I might have very well ended up in a happening brothel).

The history of the brothel - it would make for fascinating research.

Mind Farts
-I AM AN ANTIPASTO FIEND!!  and fresh mango salsa fiend.  i think i have developed a love of chopped veggies and sweet tangyness wallowing in their own juices inside a container
-went to the dogpark for the first time since Kobe passed away.  it was bittersweet ... we missed him a lot, but it was nice to remember how much fun he used to have there.  and dog watching is always a pleasure :)
-super video game nerds.  my sister and i cleared the Longest Journey (super old super awesome storyline) and then cleared the sequel Dreamfall (not the newest, but still a super awesome storyline) over the long weekend.  we were devastated at the ending.  aughghghghgh!  how do we get this affected over storylines?  it's gotta be genetic
-patio weather is here!  sun, salad, lemon slice in my water and any of the following side orders is perfect:
    a) good convo
    b) my Kobo
    c) fellow people-watcher(s)
-a couple of recent convos have definitely cemented my opinion on racist parents.  i could never be with someone long term if his parents were racist.  it would repulse and disgust me too much.  the guy could be wonderful, but i could never handle the unfairness of my parents being sweet open-minded folks to him but me having to be mistreated by backward ignoramuses

SuperMoon!

There's nothing like coming home from a good salsa night, feeling the sweat evaporate off my skin and clothes, the thirst of my parched dehydrated throat, the slight ache in my feet ... and ...

SUPERMOON STARING AT ME!

Eep.  Almost 3AM.  Morning practice is going to be tough tomorrow but it's all good because my quadriceps are finally back.  I survived pilates this morning :)

Quadriceps are STILL Angry :(

I'm not sure if I've ever had my quads this sore for this long.  No workouts tonight either.  Or salsa :(  The pain is not as bad, but I still walk very veeerrrreeeeeh slowly.  Stairs are still brutal!  Le sigh.

At least this morning I discovered an inexpensive way of making my mornings more refreshing:

Yup :)

Tonight it's just me and the Hobbit.

Angry Bodyparts!!

Angry feet!!  The above picture is of some fabulous fabulous red shoes I just bought.  And wore in Vegas for a wedding.  Without breaking them in first.  Yikes.  Bellagio slippery tiles + sore feet from going out in heels both nights beforehand = painful geisha walk.  Vegas was fun despite my feet though.  Very well-planned wedding.  Thursday night was the stagette/stag (the men and women totally split up that night), Friday was recovery day and Saturday was the lovely wedding.  Small, intimate and classy.  Plus I had one of my greatest weaknesses pretty much at least once each day:

Auntie Anne's almond-crusted pretzel with sweet mustard sauce!!  I still drool at the thought of it.  If I lived anywhere near this amazing American creation, I would be a much larger person.  No joke.

Today - right this minute actually - I am missing pilates for the first time because of sore legs.  I don't think my quadriceps have ever been this sore.  That's right, VERY ANGRY QUADRICEPS.  GRRRARRR!!!!  They are even sore to touch.  I guess bodyweight workout followed by hours of dance followed by a new bodyweight workout followed by intervals on the stepper was not a good workout combination over four consecutive days.  I kind of forgot about the rest day.  To be honest, I think it was the new bodyweight stuff that killed me; I especially blame trying to do modified pistol squats.  Should have taken it easier the day after.  Good Lord, and those weren't even real pistol squats!

After a super busy day at work and having to walk on sausages of pain instead of regular thighs, I decided to reward myself with bad food (I sense a pattern: angry body parts call for naughty food).  So many of my Filipino Facebook relatives keep posting Magnum ice cream pics!  I finally picked my first one up on the way home from work.  I got the Mini Magnum bars (less than 200 calories per bar).  It was the almond kind with milk chocolate.  And my very first bite was goooood.  I know, I know, I am a bad North American for only having it now.

And now I am (for the first time in a while) just going to relax and not move too much.  I'm reading the Hobbit (I didn't realize it was more of a kids' book - no complaints here though).  I just finished Elizabeth Gilbert's Committed (based on a recommendation from a fellow 'independent lifestyle' girlfriend) and it was a fascinating read on how society has shaped marriage.  Historically women have always gotten the short end of the stick in the marriage deal.  It's only now that things are starting to even out.  It's only too true to me. If you think about it, I am the in the first generation in both my maternal and paternal lines to do 'whatever I want' as a female.  If I'm with someone, it's because I feel like it - there is no pressure - and I will never have to get financial support from someone else just to survive.  Marriage has become something you just 'want to do' as opposed to 'have to do' or 'should do.'  Like if you enjoy someone so much that you want to lick his brain.  And then save on taxes.  My girlfriends married men for personality.  No one married for money. 

Before Committed I finally read Marquez Garcia's Love in the Time of Cholera.  And boy did women ever get the short end of the stick in those times.  Ouch :(

Mind Farts
-the Kobo passed the sunlight test!  my iPhone didn't though.  hmm.. interesting.  it was so easy to read my Kobo by the pool at my hotel (40 degree weather baby!).  my iPhone was not easy to read AT ALL.. i wonder if iPads have the same problem
-i still love lemongrass salmon
-ahahah i just got a flashback of Vegas despite my little spiel on independent women.  sugar daddy central.  independence fail!  shopping win though
-Game of Thrones with the Joffrey birthday gift scene.  WTF.  awkward and awful and NOT IN THE BOOK ANYWAY SO WHAT WAS THE POINT OF THAT?!?!
-it's official.. i like lack of beer bloat more than beer now :(  sorry beer.  it's been fun.. but i have to have less of you and maybe more of wine or gin or rum
-oh ketchup seasoned movie popcorn ... my other naughty food.  i will sit through almost any movie for the ketchup popcorn alone.  this weekend i took my sis to see the Hunger Games (her 1st time, my 2nd - yay!) and when i had to get a second bag of ketchup popcorn during the movie, the guy at the counter made fun of me like i was some type of crackhead or something.  i kind of am though
-this time Vegas had the most Canadians i've ever seen.  EVER.  and they were mostly Albertans.  i tell you, Albertan women are funding a great part of Chippendales right now.  go oil money!
-like father, like daughter.  my name now matches up with at least one name on the US Customs "watch list" - but at least airport staff are nice about it

Zzzzz.. Laundry! Zzzzz.. Cook!

Procrastination can pay.  April landed and I still had winter tires on.  I started to worry about wearing down the tread due to the warmer temperatures, but then I woke up to this on Thursday:

There were a couple of guys who got stuck in the office parking lot that morning, but I had no problems thanks to my Nokians.  

I did, however, finally change them back to all seasons this weekend.  Hopefully the rest of April and May is fairly warm!  

I am currently waiting for my work lunch for this coming work week to finish cooling down.  It smells delicious, but I'm in no danger of eating any of it tonight.  I am so very stuffed from Easter dinner.  Thank goodness I had practice in the morning!!  It makes me feel less guilty for eating so much.  Must eat healthy for rest of the week.  Work lunch this week shall be steamed salmon with spinach, scallions and a special dressing.  The dressing smells so good!  I have been experimenting with vinegar these past few weeks and I still really cannot stand the smell of balsamic or apple cider vinegar.  The taste is fine, but the smell - UGRUGHGHRHGH!  My body instantly is repulsed and I don't know why - it's always been like that.  

I went a bit more "Asian" and I'm glad I did.  The Chinese vinegar smells great.  The mirin smells great.  Together with lemongrass, the dressing smells heavenly!  

This BTW, is my first intro to lemongrass in its natural state.  I love Vietnamese food and I seem to love any Vietnamese dish that has lemongrass.  I never really knew what it looked like until today.  Despite our mutual Easter bloat, the beefy one was kind enough to take me to Chinatown to pick up some ingredients.  It turns out lemongrass looks like this:

And it really does have a gorgeous citrus smell.  Mmmm :)

End result? 

I'll find out how it tastes tomorrow at work!

I'm kind of blogging to keep myself awake right now.  Food coma + tired muscles = high level of difficulty in staying awake for cooking and laundry.  I have friends partying right now, but tomorrow is a workday for me.  And that's okay.  Alcohol plus everything I already ate today would be very very very bad.

Mind Farts

-i read Room.  loved it.  Jack is SO beautiful.  how many out there are trapped and hidden against their will?  it's so cruel it makes me sick

-i also read Spartacus the Gladiator by Ben Kane (yup, still on a Spartacus kick).  adventurous read.. this is why i enjoy historical fiction so much.  it's such thrilling learning

-i'm not sure what to read next.  a guy on my team just gave away these amazing books.  delicious old school books.  but also very heavy old school books (my fault. i was greedy and grabbed so many).   it was a challenge to go up my stairs with already tired muscles.  but so worth it.  best Easter present ever

-tax success!!  

-purge success!!  

-fascinating National Geographic doc on Mary Magdalene.  i can dig it.  prostitute or not, it doesn't matter.  it's all about the message.  in my mind, she was obviously an influential woman for a reason.  and it couldn't have been a stupid reason.  she was intelligent and charismatic to have stood out despite all the strikes against her (especially considering how little rights women had at the time).  she deserves respect

Spring - I Think.

R.I.P Tito Boni and Tita Pinang.  One death is almost impossible to bear, but to have both within days of each other ... your poor kids and grandkids :(

Spring's supposed to be officially here, but there was a snowfall of several centimetres on its first day.  Earlier this month when I landed in Calgary for some training, this is what I saw:

This was past midnight after a bunch of cancelled flights.  Snowstorm!  I can't complain though, it was Canadian politeness at its best.  Numerous cancelled flights.  A bunch of people on business trips who had to wait and wait.  Did anyone throw an annoying adult tantrum?  Not at all.  We all patiently waited.  Even when we boarded the plane the first time and were told to get off because of cancellations.  Even though we all knew we had early morning meetings the next day.  I still remember being in Miami for work years ago.  There was widespread chaos and rudeness throughout the airport.  And that was on a NORMAL flying day without flight cancellations.  I hate to think what flight delays would unleash *shudder*

Mid-March brought my first wipeout of 2012.  Not on a ski hill but in my office parking lot.  Wiping out in office clothes is always an interesting wake up to start the day.  I hope the scab on my knee falls off soon.  It's going to be the time of spring dresses!

Yes, it is getting warmer and sunnier despite the occasionally wonky weather.  I think it will be time to change out my winter tires soon :)  Thanks Nokians!

I'm reading Confessions of a Wall Street Analyst right now.  Partly because anything titled "Confessions of a.." usually intrigues me.  Partly because I admit to not knowing enough about this stuff.   I'm just a commoner who tries to have something put away in company stocks and mutual funds for retirement purposes.  Now that I have a better idea, I can't believe the sums of money involved in the financial investment world.  At the right time and place, I could have become an investment analyst right out of engineering school and swimming in millions.  I acknowledge that as a big "what if" of course.  In the process I also could have become an overweight workaholic, working too hard to take time to be physically active or even dance.  Or I could've lost everything in a stock crash.  Or sent to prison for unfairly making those millions.

Fortunately I have a job I enjoy that still allows for a conscience and life balance.  Dancing and workouts have resumed despite the lingering cough.  As a consequence, I am currently suffering from Zombie Friday due to another fun night of Thursday salsa.  So worth it!  Even if tonight is relegated to laundry and napping with Wall Street.

Mind Farts
-i've been using coconut oil.  it adds a lovely tropical vibe to my food
-my sister introduced me to Spartacus.  it's like 300, but with a plot that is more distracting than the bodies! i love that i've been to Greece and Italy before watching this.  now i want to go to the museums and the ruins again
-i did my taxes on my own! yayyy
-truffle oil truffle oil truffle oil *drool*
-i saw Hunger Games!  the movie did a pretty good representation of the book :)  the casting was great.  and many of the scenes were just as i imagined!!!  i love it when that happens
-went to a random ingredient dinner party a few weeks ago.  great idea.  everyone brings random stuff and magically a dinner happens.  fortunately we had men who knew their way around the kitchen!  check it:

men who cook win!  glazed chicken (didn't eat that) ... peppers stuffed with salmon (definitely ate that) ... salad and wine :)

Ahem, Cough Cough.

Winter is here with a bang!  I'm sick yet again with an attack of the phlegmy coughs and have missed out on dancing and pilates but that's okay because my grandma is doing much better and has just celebrated her 90th birthday!! How does someone look this great at 90?

Kickass genetics and being surrounded by an amazing huge family.  That's how :)
If only the Philippines were a train ride away!
Yay for internet and phone updates though :)

Right now my sleep-deprived friends are in the midst of the Vancouver salsa congress.  Lucky bastards!  I didn't go this time (need to boost up savings) but it's probably best that I didn't or else I would just be making myself even more sick.  Or worse, getting the whole international congress sick.  Whoops.

When my body throws a tantrum, I have no choice but to listen.  My fault (again) for not sleeping and resting enough.  One day I will learn.  Maybe my New Year's Resolution should have been to get more sleep.  Oh well, more time to read and write!  I've been checking out some Roald Dahl lately, author of The Witches.  As a kid, I read the book and saw the movie.  The story haunted me for a while.  I think it was one of the first stories I read at that age that didn't have a happy ending.  It will be interesting to read it again as an adult.

Our strange extremely late winter has brought so much snow.  Check what needed to be scraped off my car before going to practice last weekend:

My winter tires are being put to use, finally.

I have a gassy feeling that this vegetarian/pescatarian thing is going to need some tweaking.

Mind Farts
-who knew that Edmonton is the capital of one my late night greasy Chinese dish favourites?  the very creamy peaches and shrimp must be our guarded treasure.  it's not in Vancouver.. it's not in Calgary.. and it's not out east!
-Up was surprisingly good. ok, correction - i knew it was going to be good.. but i love it when things blow away my expectations :)
-luxurious toilet paper is not your friend.  i will no longer buy anything thicker than 2-ply.  yes, n-ply (n>2) feels great when you use it but plunging the toilet at 4am after getting home from the club is not my idea of fun
-i have gone from sweater dress girl to belted cardigan girl
-i am attempting to do my taxes by myself for the first time this year (yup, boosting savings = avoiding extra money for accountant this year) - wish me luck! 

Extra Long Weekend.

There was a fire at the restaurant near my office last last night, and the power's still out at the whole commercial complex.  If it weren't for two junior police officers driving by, the fire would've gone unnoticed for much longer that night.  So thank you, junior officers, for noticing and keeping the fire from spreading.

This is my second day off.  I know I always appreciate free time, but I feel so bad for the restaurant owners :(  Hopefully insurance takes care of everything!

Well, I'm glad I went dancing after class last night!  It's Zombie Friday, but at least I can nap and read in bed whenever I feel like it (it feels so weird two days in a row!).

Mind Farts
-new thing i'm sampling wherever i can: falafel wraps
-good valentine's day present: tickets to a comedic play
-still on the short stories.  my Kobo is waiting!
-it's time to stop telling abrasive drunk guys that i salsa
-starfruit is delicious!

Go, Library!

I was having trouble tracking down a book.  Out of stock at Chapters.  No E-Book available.  Patience is not my best virtue with books, so I decided to check the public library website.  Yes!  Available.  Trouble is, I haven't renewed my library card in years.

I went to the library after work yesterday and tried to renew my old card.  No go.  The library system has been revamped!  Instead I was rewarded with a bright new, bright red "I'm an Information Ninja" library card and a bright pink tote bag:

Sweetness.

Plus, there was a book sale in the basement (1 dollar books! ACK!) but I resisted buying any more books.  It was a commendable show of will power.

Time to finish laundry, do some homework and hit up a birthday party.  Today was a lovely day -  I got more than 5 hours of sleep - finally :)

Mind Farts
-R.I.P. beautiful ms. houston :(
-i am so loving short stories right now!  it's like a variety platter!
-oh dear.  you'd think farting on your dance partner would be mortifying, but it's a hilarious bonding moment (depending on the partner).  and gives him a free pass to do the same.  eep!  well, at least i was contracting my abs during the lift
-i ate out with some coworkers for Chinese New Year and there were these magical "hair" mushrooms.  did they look like something from my bathtub drain?  kind of.  what do they taste like?  pungent, mushroomy heaven.                                                                                                                                                                  

Oatmeal Delight.

This is how I feel.

Along with my 40 hour workweek I've logged around 20 hours of dancing/writing/reading.

I'm tired but giddy that I've managed to squeeze so much in.  Oatmeal for dinner.  It required the least amount of effort.

Now off to bed, because my contact lenses are screaming at me.

P.S. I love being in a classroom again.

It's the Year of Dragon!

So far, this description has been quite fitting.  2012 has been enlightening and uplifting for me already.

Half a year later it is still a wonder for me to actually look forward to going to the office and feel like I am doing something useful.  I've learned so much and I've barely scratched the surface.  Plus it's good environment to be a sponge.  It is a treat being around competent non-draining people.   I leave work with my battery still at 80%, which leads to wonderful things like workouts and socializing and salsa dancing on weeknights (like last night).  I always pay the price of Zombie Friday the next day, but even after working a full day I'm still mentally energized right now (although extremely sleepy).  I've rediscovered salsa again!  My New Year's Resolution is to social dance as much as I can.  

I even did it last month with girlfriends in Vancouver. Vancouver salsa folks are super friendly :)

Salsa nights caress my sanity.  Social dancing is what caused me to fall in love with salsa in the first place.  It's time to go back to the mentality of being a salsa newbie - all wonder and thrill and fun.

I'm also in love with my Kobo.  My last read on it was Watership Down.  A very rich and haunting story that takes place in the secret world of rabbits.

Now I'm delving into some non-fiction.  I've discovered something about non-fiction.  It lets me have a life!  It doesn't swallow me up as much as fiction does.  The Blank Slate says to stop the denial of human nature.  I agree.  The older I get, the more I realize that there are just some things about me that are built-in.  It might be better not to ignore them (hence the late night dancing and the devouring of fiction). 

Mmm.. sleepyhead mode.  I think I'll make Friday nights my new Sunday afternoons.  Laundry and dishes with intermittent napping and reading sounds good to me.  

Mind Farts

-i have been a social "pescatarian" and eating sushi with friends.  i can't eat things with feet though.

-i am godmother to a baby with the best hair ever.  some people just magically make beautiful babies!

-eggplant.  so versatile.

-i hope my grandma is feeling better.. i can't believe she's 90.  she's genetically gifted though ... she doesn't look her age and from her letters, she's still very sound of mind.  there was recently some severe arthritis going on :(  this is what sucks about being half a world away from most of your relatives.