Got through Ardha Badda Padmottanasana (Half Bound Lotus Forward Bend, which I modified to Vriksasana) with a few breaks, about 34 minutes without breaks. I’ll be adding Utkatasana (Fierce Pose) and Virabhadrasana A and B) by the end of the week, which will be about 37 1/2 minutes. Then onto the Primary Series postures next week!
that’s a Beatles song right?
I flew into San Francisco international Airport on March 2. I don’t think the flight was more than about 10 min. later than the scheduled arrival, which I find amazing since we flew over 7000 km. I flew Air China, which isn’t a bad airline, but some of the nice touches that were present during my flight on Asiana Airlines were definitely not present on air China, like actual metal silverware, meals were little bit better, the flight staff was more attentive as well, and you could actually listen to the movies which were being played.
But all of those little inconveniences or lack of polish are definitely first world, 21st century problems. I’m just glad that we arrived in one piece. I don’t have a fear of flying, but I am fascinated that a huge and very heavy metal sausage can even get off the ground, let alone travel for thousands of miles without stopping and then land safely. Truly amazing. I am happy it’s the safest way to travel. In Korea, I was more in danger of being hit by a car or much, much more likely to get plowed by a speeding food delivery guy (they’re all guys) on a scooter than I was in crashing in an airplane when flying over 8000 km at 920 km/h.
It was wonderful to see my parents, of course. And of course, we went to a Mexican restaurant in Berkeley, Mexican food one of being one of the major holes in the South Korean restaurant scene. They’re actually couple decent places in Itaewon: Taco Amigo and Vatos’ Urban Tacos. The latter is a relative newcomer, having just opened in November.it was opened by three Korean-Americans to whom grew up in Los Angeles the third grew up in Texas and their stuff is pretty damn good. Taco Amigo was opened up by a Caucasian-American who grew up in I think California and spent time in Mexico, and their stuff is also very good the menu is much more diverse, but not necessarily better. But does actually seems more authentic, more like a taco truck, which I’m sure they’re trying to emulate and which is becoming much more popular right now in California the Korean/Mexican taco truck or fusion.
Life is good, this world is beautiful, and I’m incredibly fortunate to have a wonderful family, an amazing girlfriend, and great friends.
Thank you
It’s been juuuuuust over a month since I last posted, a month and 2 days since I finished my degree. I had a glorious 2 1/2 weeks with Kamila in LA. I got to see the city like I’d never seen it before in the dozens and dozens of times I’ve been down there, mostly with my family, mostly visiting family (or Disneyland).
Kamila lives in a sweet, quiet house in W Hollywood, in a neighborhood that veers from tarnished (or burnished, take your pick) apartment buildings down one street and incredibly tidy and gorgeous examples of single-family residential architecture down the next. And since it’s between Santa Monica Blvd. and Melrose, it feels like the epicenter of American pop culture, from Chaplin to Beach Boys to the Jonas Brothers (Who the hell are they by the way? Do they make music with more than 2 chords?).
So what did we do for 2 1/2 weeks? Well, she worked during the week, so I volunteered in the Shumei Natural Agriculture Garden three days a week and stayed home (yes, it felt like home – I seem to be supremely adaptable) the other 2 days, read, caught up on my email, recovered from the gardening, whatever.
And I enjoyed cooking for her: Breakfast, packing her lunch, and making dinner. Of course I love cooking already, no surprise there, but I rarely do it everyday, three meals a day. I didn’t have to be particularly creative, my own money ran out after the first week (LA is expensive, go loaded for bear), and I didn’t want to be extravagant, but I had a lot of fun being creative with what I had and what was inexpensive: brown rice, legumes, greens. I actually made mayonnaise from scratch – raw yolk and everything – for the first time while I was there out of necessity. And it was awesomely delicious!
And without being indiscreet, Kamila is truly amazing and we had a magical time. I were but little happy if I could say how much…
I’m all about the food in one form or another, even if I don’t eat it. We were staying at my youngest sister’s place at Soil Born Farm’s Hurley location, where she lives with her boyfriend, Ryan (they’ve been together more than 10 years). We didn’t have the pleasure of their company this time since they were in New York visiting friends.
However, some of the other farm animals kept us from getting too lonely or bored. The chickens are cooped up, but one of them can fly out of the coop, and seems to enjoy getting out and walking around. I started stalking it, cornered it, and then picked it up and put it back in the pen with the rest of them. Then the same bird expressed her displeasure with me by flying at me! The nerve!
They just got a couple of piglets, very cute. Those are Ryan’s mother, brother, and father, great folks.
I didn’t get a photo on Monday, so I’m a day behind on the 30-day assignment. This afternoon I’ll post the pictures I took of a radio DJ this morning (7a!), along with the pictures I’m going to take at the main Merced Fire Department. That will catch me up, and then I’ll have another 7 days of photos. Then I’ll do my 1-Day project, do a book report on Loup’s book, pitch my essay, and photograph it!
Oh, I need to get a portfolio together and submit it, but that might be challenging since I’ve moved 11 times (no kidding) since I left Columbia in December 1999, and my photos aren’t as together as they should be for this type of thing. I’ll talk to David about it for some guidance.