Jal Meokkesseumnida

...in other words - Bon Appetit in Korean! I have a new favourite food! A friend recently introduced me to Korean sushi - Gim Bahp. I'm a HUGE sushi fan...and though the Japanese version is still number one on my list, Gim Bahp isn't far behind. The difference, is that the Korean version has no raw fish. The rolls are larger and very colourful, usually including the regular sushi rice and nori wrap, but also, ground beef, surimi, spinach, egg, carrots and dahk-wahng (which is a pickled Korean daikon radish). I find the cost very reasonable too. A roll (which is about 13 pieces) costs less than $5. Even though the Gim Bahp has enough flavour on its own. I still enjoy it most with wasabi and tamari (natural soy sauce). Each fantasic morsel is low in calories and healthy for you! ENJOY!!!!

It's Top Gun...

Well almost....maybe no Goose and Iceman - but definately some cool planes, dedicated and courageous pilots and some loud engines! I am a huge fan of the Air Show and am so looking forward to seeing it this weekend. When I was a little girl, I had always dreamt of becoming a pilot. But I guess life had other plans for me....I still love flying, planes and those handsome pilots in their flight gear. Ahem. I really hope to see the Viper (pic above) and all the other cool jets. I heard that one can book to fly a MIG jet fighter - www.migjet.com. Not for the faint hearted or the cash restrained. If I ever win the lottery........But in the meantime, the Air Show will have to do to quench my desire to take flight and soar.

Bittersweet reconnect

First, of all, I hope the person who inspired this post, will understand the emotions and the positive attributes to bringing this all to light. I'm glad we reconnected, mein alter Freund! For the sake of protecting this person's identity, I will refer to my friend as Klaus for this article.
I recently found an old friend on Facebook who I'd lost touch with many moons ago. We used to go to German language classes on Saturday mornings in the 80s. What a way to spend a Saturday morning! The class was small and we had our share of fun, that's for sure! Klaus was a punk rocker. He wore a lot of black, Doc Martins, and he preferred to have his hair stick up in an attempt at a mohawk. He listened to bands that had sick and perverted names. I had a crush on him. Not sure if he ever knew. I guess it was his toughness, his uniqueness and his not being afraid of being different that drew me to him. In a sense, he portrayed a freedom I wish I had or should I say, wish I had the guts to capture and fly with. We were young, true, but even then, I was brought up to conform and do as I was told by my elders. So spending time with Klaus made me feel like a bit of a rebel and I liked that. Recently, talking to Klaus again, I found out that he has been in a wheelchair for many years now. This news made me feel sad. He had had a motorcycle accident. I remember him talking about motorcycles during our class breaks or after school. Unfortunately, this passion let to tragedy. At the same time, I am speaking from the point of view of a person who is not disabled. I say this, because Klaus does not want any sympathizing. He is strong as ever and involved in Wheelchair Rugby and keeps very active. He doesn't feel sorry for himself and so I am trying not to feel sorry for him....although I think it is just a natural instinctive feeling to have. Klaus is an inspiration. His determination, courage and acceptance is truly wonderful to see. Connecting with Klaus again has been an eye opener and I am a better for it.

Today's Rant

Ok, PLEASE tell me how people can walk and read at the same time. I mean REALLY! They are either not giving the book the undivided attention it deserves, or not giving their natural surroundings any appreciation. There is no way that anyone can do both well at the same time.....I'll commend these people on not tripping as often as I would if I tried multi-tasking this way!!!!

I'm a Starbucks gal

OK, I've loved Starbucks for years. Their coffee is good and strong, and I love their teas...especially the Tazo Chai. What a treat! I remember going to work in another Canadian city (if you want to call it a city!) and the first thing I looked for to remind me of my home comforts was a Starbucks. I just found a link to their nutritional drink information -

www.starbucks.com/retail/nutrition_beverages.asp

So, if you were ever wondering how many calories that Frappacino has.....hmmmm....maybe better not look! But now that I'm living healthier, this was good info to know.
Now, let me kick back and enjoy that oat bar and Chai latte........

I feel good!

I'm sure many of you have the same story.....years of low self esteem due to being on the chubbier side. I can't even remember ever really feeling good about my body. Well, for me that has changed and I couldn't be happier! I have tried dieting before but I didn't have the discipline to stay on them for long. My gym membership went unused for the most part because most of the people in the gym looked good, which didn't make feel like I belonged there. I also prefer being outside during warmer weather instead of smelling that sweaty, locker room stench of a gym! I started running over a year ago, albeit I didn't keep a steady regime. But I have to say, it felt good. I promised myself to keep this good feeling with me to motivate me to keep doing it. I started reading more about foods and the nutrients they have. I knew that I needed to add more vegetables to my diet, more grains. I slowly started to change what I ate. Through talking to a good friend, I gained more knowledge on various food products and running techniques. I started to take things seriously. I started to think about my health first, rather than my looks. I subscribed to Self magazine and got really intrigued by the articles and tips. I also finally took an intro to Yoga class - which is something I wanted to try for a long time. I have to admit, concerning Yoga - I am HOOKED! It doesn't even feel like exercise, but you sweat and you feel all your tight muscles afterwards. And since I love to learn, it is great to gain knowledge about an ancient practice and delve into your mental strength, as well as your physical strength...Ok, got a little sidetracked there!!! So, let me tell you about the results.....since the later part of May, I have been following this new lifestyle...and that is indeed what it is. Take note, this is not something that you can just do for a short time and then give up on it. It is a conscious decision to want to change your lifestyle to a more healthy one. So since I started this, I have lost 14 pounds. Now, this may not seem like much, but it is the steady, slow loss of weight that tends to be more effective...in staying off. I am convinced that this is the best way for me. I have never felt so good. Strong, sexy, confident and thrilled that I have done this for ME! I enjoy yummy foods, exercising outdoors and Yoga. I don't feel deprived at all...actually, just the opposite! I feel so good knowing that I'm doing my body good. And now that I am doing this, I don't feel as guilty when I enjoy a piece of chocolate or a bit of ice cream. So get out there and do it!!! YOU can!

Can Crocs Be Dangerous To Your Child?

This is in response to the CP24s story - Can Crocs Be Dangerous To Your Child? on Monday August 13, 2007. I don't like Crocs. Sorry if I'm offending anyone. But, they are really not attractive and if you are looking for shoes that are healthy for your feet...try some Birks. But getting back to the story where a four year old was riding an escalator and got his croc stuck in a gap on the moving machine and nearly lost a toe or more. The mom of this boy is suggesting that the soft toe front of the Croc is unsafe. Well, we should then take every shoe that isn't steal-toed off the market for being "unsafe". Now, I'm not trying to be cold hearted.....far from it....but PLEASE....could it maybe be that the kid was being a kid and sticking his foot somewhere where it shouldn't have been? I mean kids do try things!!!! It is the parents' responsibility to ensure that they keep their kids safe whenever possible. How about children, or adults for that matter, wearing sandals? I guess this mother (who is also a teacher..hmm....) wants sandal makers to put signs up everywhere to ask people to be careful when wearing their product, cause they could hurt themselves since the toes are exposed?!?!?! WHAT....C'mon now! I commend the Croc company's response to the complaint that the problem isnt' the shoes...it is getting more people to understand about escalator safety.

Today's Quote

"Each moment in life
can be a perfect one,
if we let it." JP Tamblyn

I hate to say it...

...really I do...but the past few days, the air just has a sense of fall approaching. I know, I can see the cringe on your face.....but the mornings are not as light and it is cooling down at night. It doesn't really seem like we had much of a summer. It just seems to have gone by so damn quickly. Maybe I feel that way because this year, my office doesn't have any windows, so I don't really get to see much sunlight during the day. So I'm going to try to get outdoors as much as I can, catch as much sun as I can, before we start seeing the leaves change colour. It won't be long now. I'm going to try to hold on to summer as long as I can! (though I do enjoy autumn too - it's just different!)