Monthly Challenge - August

Monthly challenge... what is really about?!

Just a quick recap.  I believe that there is always something about ourselves that we can work on... whether its physically, spiritually, mentally, emotionally and so forth... I think by creating a monthly challenge, it allows me to focus and conquer any fears, barriers that hopefully transition into a more permanent state.

This month, I am happy to say that I have given up smoking... Well at least completed my monthly challenge of not smoking... Some people have doubted me as I am an on and off smoker, and to be honest I don't consider myself having an addiction to smoking... if I want a cigarette, I will have one and not have one for months on end.  However, this past March when I visited France... when people say, "when in ____, do as the ___ do," and that is sort of what I did, I smoked cigarettes with the French people and it carried over to an association with relieving stress...

I am back on my physical training and I think that is one aspect that has helped me kick the smoking habit... I've only been home 10 days and I've ridden over 130 miles (with my longest ride this past Sunday at 41 miles)...

So yes... I have this month, monthly challenge was a complete success... No more smoking cigarettes...

To be honest, I don't think it was that hard - for me personally, I think having a stubborn, driven personality really helps!

My new monthly challenge will be announced tomorrow and I am truly excited about September's challenge!

Mahalo for reading.

Until next time.

The L Word...

The L Word...

No, I'm not talking about that L word.  No one wants to read about laundry - OR do you!? o_O

Alright, a quick quip about laundry - for those a bit interested in the topic and I'll get down to the proper L word of this blog... Lament, Lienculus... alright, I guess this will be my first blog about Love.

I can probably talk about everything in the grandspectrum of conversations - perhaps why the lienculus is to important (YES... open a new tab and google it - I'll wait...) or if you're debating if lament is a Harry Potter spell (sounds like it, doesn't it?!)

Well, I'm writing a blog and not a book so I guess I should start...

I'll start with a string of questions...
Have you ever met someone while traveling (or while they were traveling)?
Did you keep in touch even when you were back to your normal lives?
Did you ever meet again just to make sure it wasn't all in your head?
Does that person make you happy?

If you answered yes, yes, yes and yes.  Then you're quite in a predicament.

What do you do then?  Is a visit or two enough to create or sustain a relationship? Or how about a phone call every so often...  Do you just accept the realities and realize it will never be?

I'm a big fan of living in the moment and understanding that the structure that is holding (preventing) one's self from doing the things they want to do is for the most part is the individual.  There is also realities of occupation, geographical location, monetary restrictions, social obligations that prevent us from making the leap of faith.  On the other side, there is also fear... what if things that we currently perceive is not the vision we had while you were apart?

I guess I'm somewhat babbling and I may have raised more questions than answers...

But I'll end on this note...

A friend for my birthday gave me a keychain that states... "Live the Life you Love"

Looks like I'll have to prioritize my life sooner than later.

ima wo ikiru - Live in the Moment.

Mahalo for reading.

Until next time.

Hawaii... First 72 hours!

Lei'd by Michelle... Times 2!

Wow... I cannot believe I have been back in Hawaii for 72 hours!

So... What have I been up to, since I got home!?

Well... I got lei'd twice upon arrival!

Special thanks for Michelle M. for picking me up at the airport and for my special leis, they are drying on my counter as we speak.

Michelle and I spent an hour or so catching up over beverages at a local bar in Hawaii near Waikiki Beach.

Getting home was quite overwhelming.  I didn't recall my room ever being so immaculate, though now, it looks like my backpack threw up all over my room.

I spent that Friday night sorting through mail, which I'm still in the process of working on, and the same with unpacking.  I've unpacked 1 of 3 luggages so far, and by unpack, I mean dumped the backpack on my bed which I've piled on one corner.

Mail, yes... 3 months of mail is quite a lot, and since I had internet access in most places that I've gone, I had the opportunity to order my school books and supplies while I was gone, which did save me heaps of money.  Yes, the pic doesn't do the amount of mail I've had to sort through...

I originally told people that I wasn't ready to come home, that I could have traveled for another month or so, and being back in Hawaii, I'm happy to report that I'm glad to be back home.  The weather, the water, my friends... have really welcomed me back with open arms.

Well, after sleeping in my most comfortable bed, the next day was completely geeking out and spent most of my day updating my computer, which being gone for 3 months I was surprised that it really wasn't too much at all... I'm just glad to have a Mac and that updates are painless and just requires a couple of clicks and the rest takes care of itself.

Sunday was a really nice day.  It started with getting back on the bike!  I can't believe my race is about a month away and I was just so happy to be getting back on the bike and doing a quick ride to test out my legs and my bike and happy to report, its not too bad... I got in contact with my coach and now I have a training schedule until race day... so basically I just need to make sure I am well enough to train (I'm currently a wee bit sick)...




Sunday was also my brunch celebration.  I try to hold a brunch celebration at my house at least once every two months, which entails having mimosas at my house (which do not tell any French people that you add orange juice to champagne) then off to Blu Water (most of the time).  Blu Water has really affordable brunch, with entrees ranging from $14-$20 and any entree purchase includes access to an all you can eat pancake bar (with 6 types of pancakes).  Needless to say, having friends there and just sharing our stories of our summer was great - our previous brunch was about 3 months ago discussing our summer plans, so it was interesting to see which ones panned out, which plans changed.  It was a great time to also give out some presents.  I was really surprised I received some presents in return.  One of the best presents I have received in my life came in a form of a birthday card.  Many people have different interpretations of what makes a great birthday present - for me I enjoy taking the time to find a birthday card that really says what I want it to say and also even wrapping - I like the finer details and the thought process behind the gift and this card I received made me cry...

The rest of of Sunday afternoon involved getting my grubby hands on a Xbox live remote and playing a new game Top Spin 4.  Yes, I love tennis.  I can spend countless hours playing tennis.  The rest of the time was basically preparing for school the next day.

The first day of school wasn't too difficult nor too exciting, I think once you've attended the same school for a while the novelty wears off - but one thing that was really great is seeing many familiar friendly faces... I think the novelty wore off when I spent 3 classes in the same classroom - YES! and tomorrow I return to the same classroom for another class... ugh. lol

Alright, just some bits on upcoming Blog posts!!
-Monthly Challenge - Smoking
-Pictures from the trip!
-Weekly reflections on a particular summer 2011 place!
-Training and Fundraising - YES a little bit over a month left!

Mahalo for reading.

Until next time.

Crying...

Crying...

It's an emotion that we rarely talk about... Crying... Is it even an emotion? Perhaps there are many connotations with crying... Most negative, some positive... Wen was the last time you made someone cry? when was the last time you were the cause of someone else crying?!?  I'm going to briefly talk about the latter question... 

As most of you know, I love to laugh... it's my cure for everything... Wanna know when you're a decent speaker in a other language - simple... If you make them laugh... The last time I was the cause of someone crying was about a week ago... On the 15th, I made Elena cry... 


Who exactly is this Elena?! Elena is the doña of the house.  I stayed with here for approximately 4 weeks in Guatemala... She made my breakfast, lunches and dinner... We spent most of dining times together at the kitchen table where we dined on her creations... From eggs and tomatoes, chocolate banana pancakes, frijoles, rice, chicken and so forth...  (not at one time) I know I eat a lot, but dang!! 


I never imagined Elena as the crying time, at the kitchen table, I seen her mock me, make fun of me (jokingly, of course), not to mention. Shoot tequila shots without flinching - sin salt and lime... You don't really become an older Guatemala doña by not being hard core - and Elena was one of those beings, awake at 4 am in the morning (yes, I woke up at 04:55 to head to the gym on certain days and she would already be up) , she did almost all of the cooking - I ordered pizza one day... She also cleaned the house and dealt with most of the other household chores.... 


Why did Elena cry?! I cant pin point exactly why, but it happened during our goodbye, I gave her a hug and thanked her for everything, for her hospitality, her funny and stern demeanor and the awesome food and company... I can still imagine here on the hallway waving goodbye.  Maybe it was the pointed jabs, maybe it was because I can make her laugh, maybe subconsciously I treated her like my own grandmother - since mines are no longer with us...  No matter the cause, I miss Elena as well as my maternal grandmother... Lola, thanks for loving me unconditionally and I just wanted to just write that I do think about you... 


This is dedicated to all of the hardcore grandmothers.

Xoxo.

Mahalo for reading.

Until next time.

How was your trip?!

How was your trip!? - a question I like and dread at the same time.

Like - easy conversation starter, the person being asked has free range to talk about what they found to be exciting.  Great for weekend trips, when you can summarize the things you did.  Great for week trips, where you can highlight key points and omit those points where you weren't really doing anything or omit the stories the asking person wouldn't find interesting (like watching a DVD that you've seen a couple of times or playing that game on your phone or tablet which kept you up way too late)...

Dread - Reducing trips, countries and experiences to a few choice words...  This is somewhat troubling for me as I always think of the thing I really wanted to say after a conversation is over.  This questions leaves a lot of room for interpretation - someone can just be making polite small talk or REALLY wants to know about your trip!  Trying to gauge how much time a person has and filling that time without the stares of "I wish this person would STFU" or "OMG... I'm so bored" coming into fruition.

On this particular trip, I've sort of been gone for almost, well I will have been traveling for over 3 months.

Of course, I love to talk story and like most things depends on the person, the time, the place and the context of the conversation.  Most times, I take the less is more approach, I figured if a person is interested they'll find a way to continue communication (question... or uh huh) OR maybe a blunt - You've been gone for 3 months and that's all you have to say?! o_O

I will be writing reflective bits when I get home and post more pictures of each place.

So "How was your trip?"

Mahalo for reading.

Until next time.

Freeze Frame...

I was inspired by a recent tweet in my inbox, that triggered philosophical banter in my head.

I've never actually quoted a tweet before, so if you want to know who its from, just leave a comment below.

Freeze frame: If this is all that life had to offer, is it enough for U?

I interpret this question in 2 ways.

My first interpretation was, "If you're not satisfied with your life, what would you do to change it?"
and the second is if you were to die tomorrow, "Did you live your life?"

I've made many life changing choices in the past few years to better position myself to do the things I like to do as well as have the free time to enjoy life.  I've only taken positions within companies that allow me the opportunity to take time off to travel.  I've been very very blessed.  If I were to die tomorrow, I don't have any regrets, I've been super fortunate to have done more in my life than I ever thought possible.

So... If this is all that life had to offer, is it enough for U?

Go do something awesome!  Come and join me, when I get back to Hawaii I have Kite surfing lessons as well as paragliding lessons!'

Special shout to my sister!  Happy Birthday!

Mahalo for reading.

Until next time.

Monthly Challenge - August - Update 1

Quick blog post...

My monthly challenge this month is to quit smoking and so far, so good.  I've had 3 cigarettes this week.  How is that good?!  Well, for those who smoke, there are certain times where we still want a cigarette no matter what and I imagine the same thing will happen when I no longer smoke.

Huh?!

Breaking an addiction doesn't mean you no longer participate in the activity if you choose to do so.  Well, that's my $0.02 anyways.  I had 2 cigs Saturday night when I was out and about (Insert Canadian accent, and re-read previous phrase), and I had one last night when I ate way too much.

Week 1 down!  Wish me luck this week!

Mahalo for reading.

Until next time.

Antigua - Best Restaurant?!

Before I start ranting and raving about the best restaurant in Antigua, Guatemala.  I guess I'll start chit-chatting about what makes the best restaurant...

First and foremost the food - No matter how great the rest of the following criterion are, or how bad they are, we'd do some crazy stuff for great food.  Such as wait in line for an hour or more, or putting with the loud crowd Yet, having great food doesn't overcome all of the other factors in a great restaurant, they can still make or break the experience.  When it comes to food, there are different categories, my favorite are: comfort food and high-end restaurants.  Yes, dropping $175 for dinner for 2 is great, but also having some SPAM or some DIM SUM is super great too (OMG, I can't wait to get back to Hawaii - yes, I am seriously craving Zippys right now!!)

Atmosphere- I know... atmosphere can be gimmicky (spinning restaurants and such), but believe me, when I atmosphere can make or break a dining experience)... Imagine, you're dining at Sarento's Atop the I (I is for Ilikai - LINK HERE).  On your way up, there is an elevator that takes you directly to the top of the Ilikai (a hotel in Waikiki) and basically dares you not to be in awe.  If you go for dinner, you'll more than likely see the sunset, a spectacle that is enhanced by the fact that all of its booths face outwards into the ocean, so any seating arrangement is very intimate.



Ok, so let me get to my favorite restaurant in Antigua... As you can see from the pictures, there is ample room, great seating, a fountain, and not to mention a view of the volcano.

See the subtle hints in the pictures?!





Which restaurant am I talking about?  Yes, you're looking at images of McDonalds in Antigua.

Most McDonalds around the world tend to be part of buildings with an industrial decor inside.  As you can see, this McD is far from uniform.

I know, what am I doing at McDonalds in Guatemala.  I've been traveling for over 3 months!  I was just craving french fries and was blown away by the beautiful location.

Don't forget to click the homepage for other blog posts!

Mahalo for reading.

Until next time.

Monthly Challenge - August

Yes, I haven't done a monthly challenge in quite some time and this one is going to be quite a doozy!

My previous monthly challenges can be found on (hawaiiinsomniac.com - a website that will be taken down in the later this year).

I will be quitting smoking.  Actually, yesterday was already day 1.

I have smoked on and off for the past 10 years.  I don't really consider it a super bad thing, I actually enjoy a cigarette time to time (even when I am not a "smoker") and I don't have to have one daily.

This year is quite different, starting in March actually when I went to Paris for spring break.  Everyone was smoking around me and just picked up a pack and haven't quite stopped since then, maintained my school stress and then traveling and a little bit of partying.

Well, today is day 2.  Will keep you posted once a week on my progress.

Mahalo for reading.

Until next time.