Today is the last day of my vegetarian challenge! It was a good month and as always forces me out of my food ruts and gets me and my family trying new things. It gave us an excuse to talk to the kids about why we think cutting down on meat is a good thing- for our bodies and for the environment. Now that they are getting older it's cool to hear their opinions on the state of affairs in our environment. Going vegetarian sparked some good conversations and some good food.
I think the favorites this month were stir fry with teryaki tofu, veggie won tons, and my personal favorite- a grilled veggie sandwich with goat cheese and pesto on ciabatta bread... sooo good. I know this might sound silly, but the better I eat the worse I feel when I indulge in something not so good for me. It may sound like there is no down side to this problem, but there are times you have to eat not so awesome, maybe eating at a friends or on a road trip etc. or even getting popcorn at the theater. My stomach and my love of food that isn't always good for me are constantly at war.
I'm glad I did this challenge but I'm also really looking forward to eating a turkey burger tomorrow. Anyone else doing the veggie challenge this month find any new favorites?
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Big things and little things
One of my goals this year was to get to know the core curriculum better- really try to focus on one technique at a time and understand why I was making certain movements and why or why not things work. I've had a few big light bulbs go off about a couple of techniques, which was awesome, but then the realization that I'm a good year into black belt and I'm just figuring this stuff out. Feels like white belt again sometimes, and it feels good. I know that training this way is improving my eye for detail and makes me a better martial artist in the making. I actually laughed out loud during black belt class and then couldn't keep a silly grin off my face once I realized how a simple adjustment made to one of the knife defenses made all the difference in the world.
I am considering what life would be like working in Westlock- my practicum placement wants me to stay. I can't say enough good things about the clinic there and the people in it, but a big change. For now it's just something to think about- but it's made me think about the fact that often we make sacrifices in our quality of life mentally for convenience and/or money.
See you all Friday!
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
a little perspective
Saturdays meeting was the first I was able to attend and it was nice to be a part of the group. It's easy to get caught up in our own lives and the things that directly affect us- Saturday helped me reset my perspective. Thanks to the team members who share their struggles, it can't be easy and I know it helped me.
Getting excited about demo season- I'm going to try to re create a very cool cane fight scene- probably not for this time around but maybe the next.
Getting excited about demo season- I'm going to try to re create a very cool cane fight scene- probably not for this time around but maybe the next.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Before I die
There is a sign on the wall at the kwoon that says "Before I die I want to change a life". I know I often walk past it and it's part of the background but with Pandamonium on my mind I've been thinking a lot about how relevant that sign is to what we are trying to accomplish.
When we talk to students and maybe family and friends about the charities we support it is easy for them to end up with this amorphous hazy idea of neediness that want our help by way of money. People tend to phase out when you give them your rundown of who we support. I feel that the answer to this problem is by making people realize that they themselves can change a life. It can be hard to feel a connection when we don't come face to face with those we help, but it is possible. The kids at the kwoon especially need to know that they CAN change the life of a girl who lives halfway around the world- they have that power. They can save a dog from death and starvation, they can feed a homeless hungry man, they can change another child's life! They need to know THAT is what Pandamonium is, and I think most of them don't. When you are dreading trying to find people to donate or dreading the conversation, please try to remember what you're doing. Please lets try to put other people in those shoes. It's easy to say no to that faceless group who wants money- It's impossible to walk away from an individual in need. How cool is it that the students of Silent River are feeding the hungry, helping the discriminated- we are CHANGING LIVES!
When we talk to students and maybe family and friends about the charities we support it is easy for them to end up with this amorphous hazy idea of neediness that want our help by way of money. People tend to phase out when you give them your rundown of who we support. I feel that the answer to this problem is by making people realize that they themselves can change a life. It can be hard to feel a connection when we don't come face to face with those we help, but it is possible. The kids at the kwoon especially need to know that they CAN change the life of a girl who lives halfway around the world- they have that power. They can save a dog from death and starvation, they can feed a homeless hungry man, they can change another child's life! They need to know THAT is what Pandamonium is, and I think most of them don't. When you are dreading trying to find people to donate or dreading the conversation, please try to remember what you're doing. Please lets try to put other people in those shoes. It's easy to say no to that faceless group who wants money- It's impossible to walk away from an individual in need. How cool is it that the students of Silent River are feeding the hungry, helping the discriminated- we are CHANGING LIVES!
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