March 31, 2008 at 3:50 am (bento box, clothing, cooking, feng shui, food, home, life, life history, lifestyles)
Friday: Which is morally better: to make one’s own (organic) clothes, or to buy second-hand clothes, which already exist (and therefore no extra material is needed or “wasted”) but may not last as long or be organic or fully express one’s individuality?
Saturday: Another day of high energy and positive moods. Eating out of a bento box feels healthier, 
but I’m still exploring food options before I approach the food preparation/packing with a “complete” meal in mind. Shown is my third bento arrangement: salad with coconut, raisin cinnamon bread and vitamin C, peanut butter/honey for the bread, and my boss’s homemade tomato basil soup.
Sunday: How protected and secret should we keep the history of our lives (anything having to do with relationships, hobbies, social habits, family structure, and other public/private matters)? Is there a limit as to how much information we should share (in private surveys, to friends/colleagues, or to anyone anywhere), no matter how comfortable we are with sharing it, so that we maintain some sort of honor or self-respect that we wouldn’t otherwise have? Or, if we are comfortable with discussing our lives, isn’t that sort of confidence honorable in itself?
I guess it took me about seven months (and perhaps two earlier re-arrangements) before I realized how I could re-arrange the furniture in my “great room” so that it looks clean, organized, and chi-friendly. Now the studio space connects to the study space which connects to the dining space which connects to the library space in a flowing circular pattern. After finishing the arrangement, I stood there, surprised by how much it helps to put a few boxes away, move the easel away from the window, and move the chairs a little.
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March 29, 2008 at 2:45 am (balance, contemplation, health, thoughts, time)
Tuesday: The day of energy. Though working a ten-hour shift, I felt unusually refreshed and energetic. My theory: The weekend was relaxing yet full of new activities.
Wednesday: The day of determining priorities. When hundreds of things are on one’s “top priority” list, which item should be taken care of first? It’s easier to answer this once eliminating some unnecessary “top priorities” – getting in that extra hour of relaxation, or attending an event that others expected you to attend (but you just don’t feel up to it), for instance. Watching a movie that consists of pointless arguments is another example of something to eliminate fromone’s task list.
Thursday (yesterday): The day of affirmations. This involves contemplating who I am, who I want to become, what I believe, and where I’m headed. Thinking so much today became very distracting (in a good way?) from routine habits. Today’s chores (doing laundry) only gave me more time to think, which in turn made the chores refreshing.
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March 26, 2008 at 3:04 am (astronomy, family, friends)
Yesterday I visited my mom and two brothers. We all got caught up on some things – important and not-so-important – and when I left, Matt told me to look up in the sky, and I caught a glimpse of a very bright falling object. It was much brighter and much larger than anything I’ve ever seen in a meteor shower – it had no doubt entered our atmosphere.
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March 24, 2008 at 3:06 am (family, friends, life, time)
After enjoying an Easter feast and conversation at another house with friends and family today, I thought about how differently time had felt there – it was as if time had either disappeared or paused (even though it was obviously later in the day when it was time for me to go home). While over-used, the saying “time flies when you’re having fun” does have truth to it. I think our pre-occupation with time (following a time-based schedule, being somewhere on-time, checking the clock even if we don’t have to be anywhere, considering relaxation or breaks from work as a waste of time) turns out to be meaningless when we’re actually spending our time living – enjoying ourselves among others, or doing something new or colorful or non-routine – because time simply disappears. Oh, look! It’s so late already – time to sleep – or maybe I should just keep having fun and ignore the time? Perhaps yes, except that sleeping sounds very enjoyable right now.
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March 24, 2008 at 2:43 am (cooking, health, raw food, tea, vitamins)
Raw fruits, vegetables, and other plant products are bursting with vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Surprisingly, though, new studies have concluded that cooking certain foods will increase their overall nutrient content. Yesterday (10.23.08), my attention was guided to several articles promoting the cooking of vegetables. Studies have shown that cooking increases the availability of certain nutrients. For instance, cooking tomatoes increases the lycopene content, but the same process will decrease vitamin C levels (1). More research probably has to be done about which foods are most nutritious (and more digestible) in their cooked form and which are best eaten raw. Of course, the nutrients one needs more or less of will also depend on one’s overall diet, so consider the nutrients that are increased and decreased during the cooking process. “Everything in moderation” is what my great-grandma Mutti used to say.
Similarly, allowing tea to steep for a longer time (or at a higher temperature) releases more antioxidants. This same process will also slowly turn the tea bitter (which is why each specific tea will have its own recommended brewing time to result in the best quality cup), but for many people, the added benefit of the extra antioxidants is enough to not mind (or even enjoy) the most bitter of teas.
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March 21, 2008 at 2:22 am (balance, contemplation, life, love, thoughts, time)
When the whole day is spent for others, one can greatly appreciate time to oneself.
When the whole day is spent for oneself, one can greatly appreciate time with others.
If life needs balance, but love/goodness/happiness is at one end of the spectrum, then is a balanced life neutral instead of fully composed of said good things? But can one really have too much goodness in one’s life? Perhaps love and goodness are the balance, and there are different things on the ends of the spectrum. If love (as a concept) is a balance between love (the emotion) for oneself and love for others, then total love for oneself (and no care for others) would be on one end, and total love for others (and denial of oneself) would be on the other end. The balance involves all.
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March 19, 2008 at 7:01 pm (Michigan, colds, dessert, tea, tourism, treats, vitamins, wagashi)
If you like decadent little treats, especially those that go well with tea, then you’ll LOVE wagashi, the Japanese treats traditionally served during the chaji (the Japanese tea ceremony with food). Wikipedia has a page on wagashi, with a link to articles (some of which have pictures) of 20 different kinds of wagashi. The tiny confections are extremely artful and comparably healthy for a dessert, as the main ingredients usually consist of azuki beans, followed by various fruits, vegetables, nuts, and/or grains. Oh, and sugar. During the chaji, wagashi are served after the meal and before the drinking of Matcha, the finest green tea in powdered form. Pictured is a tray of simple wagashi from thisnext.com.
Thinking about visiting Michigan? Great!… But bring your umbrella during the warmer half of the year and your parka during the colder half of the year, and don’t be surprised if you don’t need your sunscreen. We get sunshine about 3 out of 7 days each week. With little sunshine, bitter winters, muggy rainy summers, and a mountainless landscape, you would think that no one would be living in Michigan anymore. Despite the negatives, though, Michigan is a comfortable, exciting, unique place. The wilderness up north is gorgeous. We’re surrounded by some of the world’s largest lakes, and you can’t walk anywhere without practically tripping over one of our smaller lakes. The dunes on the west side of Michigan are especially tall and sandy, and you don’t have to deal with the unbe
arably salty water that comes with oceans. We may not have mountains, but we have plenty of ski hills and some of the world’s largest indoor rock climbing gyms. Our historical areas can’t be missed: there’s Mackinac Island, with the original Fort Mackinac and historical nature trails; Greenfield Village, a beautifully preserved historical village with its own railroad and details such as tables set for dinner and historical actors creating clothes the “old fashioned” way; Dutch Village, with a working windmill and plenty of tulips and Dutch candles; and too many cultural attractions in Detroit to mention. The University of Michigan’s several huge libraries, museums, and performance centers are some of the best in the country and attract important people from around the world whom visit Michigan to perform, give lectures, and study. So, don’t forget to bring your camera, notebook, and hiking shoes (or should I say – your iPhone, Mac, and Birkenstocks)!
Yesterday marked a turning point in which, after catching a bug on Friday, I felt well enough to be mostly my normal self. I documented the stages of this cold (or was it a flu?) by the day, including the vitamins and herbal teas I had, so that next time I catch a bug, I can find out a little more about the things that help one to heal.
- Friday: Woke up with a mild sore throat, which lasted all day. Felt a little worse in the evening. Drank Chamomile Blossom tea around lunchtime and Eucalyptus Mint Echinacea/Vitamin C Herbal Tea in evening.
- Saturday: Sore throat was gone, but I had a stuffy/runny nose. Also felt a little light-headed or otherwise out of balance. Felt worse in the evening after work – sore and headachey. Drank Eucalyptus Mint Tea during the day and once in evening.
- Sunday: Felt uncomfortable even sitting, slightly weak, throat glands swollen but tonsils looked fine, light-headed. Headache all day, later on especially under/in back of my right ear, which couldn’t hear as well because of congestion blockage (?). Took vitamin C, multi-vitamin, Zinc, and B12 with lunch, and took another vitamin C and Zinc in the evening. Drank Eucalyptus Mint Tea a little bit during the day.
- Monday: Same as Sunday. Headache around ear worse before I took a nap. Felt better sometimes when I yawned and could get my ear to “pop” and clear the congestion blockage. Took vitamin C, multi-vitamin, Zinc, and B12 with breakfast, and took another vitamin C and Zinc in the evening.
- Tuesday: Ache around ear gone, but headache lasted until the evening and went away probably around the time I went to bed. Took homeopathic headache pills in evening before and after dinner, and took vitamin C, multi-vitamin, and Zinc after dinner.
- Wednesday: Headache gone. Feeling better overall, with more energy and clarity. Coughing mostly in the morning (congested lungs), with coughing throughout the rest of the afternoon. Still regular congestion; affects how I sound. Evening: Very little to no coughing. Nasal congestion, but very bearable. Took vitamin C, multi-vitamin, Zinc, and B12 with lunch. Drank Blueberry Yogurt Green Tea in afternoon.
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March 18, 2008 at 10:02 pm (blog, contemplation, exploration, life, manifesto, readers)
Hi everyone! This blog is for you, readers, who may find inspiration from sharing strikingly similar, as well as having completely different, life paths as mine. Of course I am but one in a world of billions, yet here I choose to record my daily experiences, growing philosophies, new fascinations, and searches for truth, as I move through perhaps a century in an infinite time of change – challenges and discoveries, insignificance and meaning, paradoxes and coincidences – so that you may be inspired by the similarities you may find between our lives, as well as our differences. Every individual’s life is unique as a whole, so we all have something unique to give. In addition to my daily work, art, and social interactions, I give this. If you find my blog useful, great! If you don’t, you’re not trying hard enough. it’s okay, because it’s still useful to me and perhaps others.
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but I’m still exploring food options before I approach the food preparation/packing with a “complete” meal in mind. Shown is my third bento arrangement: salad with coconut, raisin cinnamon bread and vitamin C, peanut butter/honey for the bread, and my boss’s homemade tomato basil soup.
