Monday, October 3, 2011
recharging
Couldn't use my recharging station just yet. Someone is using it. As if he needs recharging. He has been lazing about all day while I was busy hauling things around the house for cleaning.
free bookmark!
The nice thing about a crafty sister is I get a lot of free goodies. Especially bookmarks - which I get to use a lot because I read multiple books at a time and I like marking favorite pages and passages.
The latest I got is this one:
The latest I got is this one:
counting the good and happy
While Mr. Time is playing hide-and-seek with me and my to-do list, I will instead focus on the things I actually got done and which made me really pleased:
Had a full breakfast after missing on it for the past few days.
Finally cleaning my kitchen extension (yes, somehow I managed to create a kitchen extension in my tiny studio heehee). I've been meaning to do it for days and I finally did it! I scrubbed and disinfected and wiped and re-arranged.
Picking up my new checkbooks from the bank which I was supposed to do last week. However as I was stepping out from the lobby, the receptionist called me to tell me that the electricity bills have been delivered. So I picked up mine and got to pay it in the bank before I claimed my checkbooks - two birds with one stone!
Passing by the supermarket (which was right beside the bank building) and picked up items I missed from last night's trip : panko, arugula, fresh mushrooms, fresh fruits and bread.
Walking all the way both ways from home to the bank/supermarket and back again.
Successfully making spiced garlic pork sausage patties!!! Been craving for something like it while reading Cleaving and the ready made ones were too expensive so I hunted for recipes and adapted a few into my own. Had it for dinner with fresh tomatoes and arugula. ^_^
Had a full breakfast after missing on it for the past few days.
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| Scrambled egg, sharp cheddar slices, pan de sal bread. And coffee, of course :) |
Picking up my new checkbooks from the bank which I was supposed to do last week. However as I was stepping out from the lobby, the receptionist called me to tell me that the electricity bills have been delivered. So I picked up mine and got to pay it in the bank before I claimed my checkbooks - two birds with one stone!
Passing by the supermarket (which was right beside the bank building) and picked up items I missed from last night's trip : panko, arugula, fresh mushrooms, fresh fruits and bread.
Walking all the way both ways from home to the bank/supermarket and back again.
Successfully making spiced garlic pork sausage patties!!! Been craving for something like it while reading Cleaving and the ready made ones were too expensive so I hunted for recipes and adapted a few into my own. Had it for dinner with fresh tomatoes and arugula. ^_^
 |
| I used a whole head of garlic of half a kilo of ground pork. Chopped it into tiny bits. |
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| Mixed the garlic in the pork with salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, sage, chopped coriander, 1/3 cup red wine; Shaped them into patties before storing in the freezer |
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| Fried in just a tablespoon of olive oil until the edges are a bit crispy (I like 'em that way) |
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| Matched with fresh tomatoes and arugula |
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| Dinner! (Dipped the sausage in red cane vinegar - yum!) |
Mr. Time, where did you go?
I just had a chat with my sister and we both lamented the fact that we both feel like Mr. Time has been in a hurry to leave us the past few days.
For my part, I always have a lengthy to-do list and I know I will never finish it in one day. Things get moved to the next day, or the next week, or sometimes get cancelled altogether. I am often trapped by house chores -- which I sometimes find frustrating because I have a tiny studio (a mere 375 square feet) and if I don't clean and clear as soon as something gets dirty or out of place, it can easily transform into some sort of hell-hole in a couple of days. (I actually read somewhere that small places are prone to look messier because of the limited space.)
The house chores fight it out with the money-making work - whether a writing assignment or a research project or a bit of both. At the end of a day when I have to tick off chunks from these two time-gulpers, I barely have enough time (and energy) left to read or do something closer to what I am passionate about like crafting and writing poetry and more creative activities.
I am still figuring out the whole formula of 24 hours for 24 million things to do. And that's on top of allotting time for sleep, food and exercise. I truly marvel at working moms or those who get to do their beautiful crafts and baking from scratch while raising children.
I don't think I'm lazy. But I wonder what I'm missing.
For my part, I always have a lengthy to-do list and I know I will never finish it in one day. Things get moved to the next day, or the next week, or sometimes get cancelled altogether. I am often trapped by house chores -- which I sometimes find frustrating because I have a tiny studio (a mere 375 square feet) and if I don't clean and clear as soon as something gets dirty or out of place, it can easily transform into some sort of hell-hole in a couple of days. (I actually read somewhere that small places are prone to look messier because of the limited space.)
The house chores fight it out with the money-making work - whether a writing assignment or a research project or a bit of both. At the end of a day when I have to tick off chunks from these two time-gulpers, I barely have enough time (and energy) left to read or do something closer to what I am passionate about like crafting and writing poetry and more creative activities.
I am still figuring out the whole formula of 24 hours for 24 million things to do. And that's on top of allotting time for sleep, food and exercise. I truly marvel at working moms or those who get to do their beautiful crafts and baking from scratch while raising children.
I don't think I'm lazy. But I wonder what I'm missing.
"let your vision of success evolve"
The above is what I opened into in Joseph Cardillo's book, Bow To Life: 365 Secrets From The Martial Arts For Daily Life. My sister and I both have the book and read a passage a day. We are hoping it will help us in both our kendo practice and also how what we learn from kendo can translate in our day-to-day.
My sister reads the passages in chronological order. I am more of the random page opener.
Here are some key thoughts that struck me: that discovering the self and living to our full potential is a never-ending journey. We flow through stages and levels, but as this happens, our desires also shift to bigger goals. For example, from just wanting to set up a business, to making that business flourish, to being considered an expert in that business.
Our measures or ideas of success change through time. Our job is to keep on creating, to always be aware of where we are at any point and be conscious of taking ourselves to the next level. Of course this is not meant in an ambitious, obsessive kind of way but in a way that develops us as whole people, not just as career persons, or as artists, or as parents for instance. In every stage we see where we can grow and we expand that way, most often following where our heart leads us. This is not just about the rational mainstream leveling up that we see often portrayed in movies or even in the values inculcated in us since childhood - getting promoted, progressing from singlehood to marriage, having kids in a year or two after the wedding, etc. Practicality is part of it but also is spirituality. How we grow inside not just outside is an integral part of our own success.
I think about where I am now and how some people may view my career situation as a step back. That is their definition. That is probably their measure of success. But from my own perspective, I have achieved something important - breaking out of my comfort zones and paying attention to the other aspects of me that have been neglected through the years and listening to the calling of previously dormant passions.
In my kendo practice I realize that how other people measure success in the dojo does not have to be the same as mine. I will define my practice and if it teaches me patience and perseverance and discipline then I will think myself a success even if I don't get praised or singled out or given special care and attention. Even if I am told in so many subtle and un-subtle ways that I am not "catching up" or "doing as well as". This is not an easy thing to do because we have been brought up in a context of competition and measuring ourselves against what people say and think. But slowly I am managing to just see what is essential to me in my practice and everything else will just be a backdrop to what is important for me to achieve.
My sister reads the passages in chronological order. I am more of the random page opener.
Here are some key thoughts that struck me: that discovering the self and living to our full potential is a never-ending journey. We flow through stages and levels, but as this happens, our desires also shift to bigger goals. For example, from just wanting to set up a business, to making that business flourish, to being considered an expert in that business.
Our measures or ideas of success change through time. Our job is to keep on creating, to always be aware of where we are at any point and be conscious of taking ourselves to the next level. Of course this is not meant in an ambitious, obsessive kind of way but in a way that develops us as whole people, not just as career persons, or as artists, or as parents for instance. In every stage we see where we can grow and we expand that way, most often following where our heart leads us. This is not just about the rational mainstream leveling up that we see often portrayed in movies or even in the values inculcated in us since childhood - getting promoted, progressing from singlehood to marriage, having kids in a year or two after the wedding, etc. Practicality is part of it but also is spirituality. How we grow inside not just outside is an integral part of our own success.
I think about where I am now and how some people may view my career situation as a step back. That is their definition. That is probably their measure of success. But from my own perspective, I have achieved something important - breaking out of my comfort zones and paying attention to the other aspects of me that have been neglected through the years and listening to the calling of previously dormant passions.
In my kendo practice I realize that how other people measure success in the dojo does not have to be the same as mine. I will define my practice and if it teaches me patience and perseverance and discipline then I will think myself a success even if I don't get praised or singled out or given special care and attention. Even if I am told in so many subtle and un-subtle ways that I am not "catching up" or "doing as well as". This is not an easy thing to do because we have been brought up in a context of competition and measuring ourselves against what people say and think. But slowly I am managing to just see what is essential to me in my practice and everything else will just be a backdrop to what is important for me to achieve.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
unplanned pause
The weather has been confused all day, swiftly shifting between sun and rain. I had lunch at my parents' house after washing yesterday's dishes and cleaning a good part of the kitchen.
I had plans of working on the revisions for the business document and then also update the business accounting. But Sunday slipped over me and wrapped its warm comforting arms around me and I ended up reading and making notes about vintage and crafting. I guess the rest of the chores will have to wait with the project revisions. There is just something so irresistably delicious about Sundays and books. And don't forget the coffee.
I had plans of working on the revisions for the business document and then also update the business accounting. But Sunday slipped over me and wrapped its warm comforting arms around me and I ended up reading and making notes about vintage and crafting. I guess the rest of the chores will have to wait with the project revisions. There is just something so irresistably delicious about Sundays and books. And don't forget the coffee.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
skipped practice but whipping myself to work
I slept at 4am this morning. I did not finish the business info book but I got a good chunk figured out and a few pages all cleaned up. I got back to it again as soon as I woke up at around 10am, took a break for lunch and then back to work.
I decided to skip kendo practice today for a host of reasons : the late night and lack of sleep, the unfinished work, and the fact that I have gotten derailed from my yoga and cardio practice for the whole week. I would have been in such bad form that I would only make myself feel bad afterwards. So I'm sticking to working and getting this project DONE so I can move on to more fun things.
The good thing about making myself work this hard is finally seeing something get produced in front of my eyes. It's just tough having to sit and focus for hours because I could hear the unread books calling out to me but even when I am working slowly I could see the results of my labor. It is quite satisfying.
All this sounds weird considering I've been working myself to the bone for the past sixteen years but I guess the difference now is that I am working for me. I am my worst employee and I am my worst boss. But today both are working together.
I decided to skip kendo practice today for a host of reasons : the late night and lack of sleep, the unfinished work, and the fact that I have gotten derailed from my yoga and cardio practice for the whole week. I would have been in such bad form that I would only make myself feel bad afterwards. So I'm sticking to working and getting this project DONE so I can move on to more fun things.
The good thing about making myself work this hard is finally seeing something get produced in front of my eyes. It's just tough having to sit and focus for hours because I could hear the unread books calling out to me but even when I am working slowly I could see the results of my labor. It is quite satisfying.
All this sounds weird considering I've been working myself to the bone for the past sixteen years but I guess the difference now is that I am working for me. I am my worst employee and I am my worst boss. But today both are working together.
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