Sunday, April 24, 2011

Eat Pray Love

I realized a few days ago that there are a lot of people who don't actually like the movie "Eat Pray Love".

Well, I'm not one of them. I actually really enjoyed it.

It's light, yet deep, it's fluffy, it's typical, but at the same time, it's got what a lot of people want to do. Quit their job after a bad situation, and go travel the world.

I always think about quitting work, leaving everything behind and travelling the world for a while.

So yes, I really enjoyed the movie, and the soundtrack as well.

Today I was trying to find the name of that Portuguese singer and the song title, and I came across this really funny and sarcastic review of the movie. There was a particular paragraph that I thought was super awesome! I wish I had an experience like that:

"It’s off the relaxed Richter scale. It’s like having honey dribbled into your mouth in a hot bubble bath whilst getting a neck massage in candlelight as a demure French woman reads your favourite childhood book to you in dulcet tones and a kitten strokes your eyebrows. Extreme audio pleasantness."

Wouldn't you like to feel like that?

Well, you can read the rest of the article here.
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Great sites

So, I've been finding a lot of great permaculture/organic/homestead/DIY/other kind of websites, but they are saved ALL over the place. So, I'm going to put them here as a reference not only for myself but for anyone else interested in this sort of stuff. (NOT FINISHED)

Farming/Gardening/Permaculture/Natural Building/Organic/Eco Sites:
Plant Encyclopedia
Ontario Native Plant Nursery
Toronto Community Garden Network
Worldwide Permaculture Network
Growfood - Work, Live, Learn
Manitoba Farm Mentorship
Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada
Permaculture Forums
Permaculture Meetup Groups - Ontario
Organic Farming - An Introduction - Saskatchewan
Farmer Training - Ontario
Everdale Farm - Ontario
Transition Guelph
Earth Heat - Canada
Organic Gardening and Homesteading
Eartheasy - Solutions for Sustainable Living
How to - Compost Bin
Introduction to Organic Farming - Ontario
Panya Project - Thailand
Permaculture Zone
Our Ecovillage
Permaculture College - Australia
Permaculture Planet
Eco Tips
Open Source Ecology
Permaculture Research Institute - Australia
Urban Agriculture Notes - Canada
Sustainable Farming Connection
Hobby Farms
Slow Food
Auroville - India
Organic Gardening
Illustrated Plant Encyclopedia
Buy Seeds and Plants
Buy Organic Seeds and Plants
Organic Garden Tips
Fascinating underground homes
Homemade Drip Irrigation System
Landscaping Tips
Rare Breeds Survival Trust - UK
Compost with Worms
Natural Pest Management
Ersson Rainwater - Harvest and Purify
Plants that stop Mosquitoes


Cooking + Recipes:
Food Paring and Replacing Guide


Craft/DIY Sites:
Belgian Book Binding
Cool Popups
Cannibalistic pumpkin carving
How Rice Bag
No-slip bookmark

Travel/Live for free/cheap:



Other Mixed Interest Sites:


Techy Stuff:
Facebook Disconnect Chrome Extension
Facebook Cleanup Chrome Extension
Ad blocker Chrome Extension
International Weather Chrome Extension
Translator Chrome Extension
Dictionary Chrome Extension
Click and Clean Chrome Extension
One More Gadget



Survival stuff:
Hobo Stove
Mini pot can Stove - Video
Must-Carry Survival Gear
Halcon Stove

Farmer Dating sites:
Farmers Only Dating
Horse and Country Singles
Countryside Love
Singles Corral

Knitting sites and Patterns:

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Banam Project

Here we go!!!

This is the tunnel leading up to my plot of land.

 This is the crazy curb before it. It's not a nice turn up to the underpass. I hope they'll fix that gravel road.

 This is the little town after my piece of land.

 My bike is up there waiting for me :).

 Up the road is my little plot. Can you see it??

 AND!!! HERE IT IS!!!!!!!!!

I had to get some rubber boots :).

 First steps with the new boots.

 At that far end is a small stream.

I'll have to make a small dam right about here to make taking water with a bucket a bit easier.

Beautiful. Isn't it?
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Thursday, April 21, 2011

Working out

This week I've been very good.

Started working out last Friday. Swimming for 1 hour.

Saturday took a break.

Sunday worked in my garden for about 4 hours.

The gym is closed on Monday, so that was a day of rest.

Tuesday I went swimming for 1 hour.

Wednesday I went to the gym for 1 hour.

Thursday I took a break.

Friday (today), I'm going for 2 hours. 1 hour in the gym, 1 hour in the pool.

I feel so good!

And like the smoking thing, I don't feel like it's a burden anymore.

I used to hate working out/going to the gym. It was the way I looked at it. It's all in your perception. But now, I just want to get healthy. I want to feel good. I want to look good. I want to fit into nicer clothes. I don't feel like I have to work out because that's what you're supposed to do. I want to do it for myself!

This year will be a great year for my health!!
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Tuesday, April 19, 2011

I'm on the ball

This year has been really amazing so far.

I've learned many things, made big decisions, been good to myself.

In the last little while, I've taken my health really seriously. I'm getting close to 30, and I want to be healthy and in shape before I get there. So, I went on a diet. I lost a few kgs, but I didn't like the diet itself. I think a healthy diet should be a balance of vegetables, fruit, nuts, grains and meats. So, I'm going to complete this diet, and then just continue to eat healthy.

Since last week, me and the guys in my area have been doing a dinner rotation thing.

Twice a week, someone cooks and we all go to that persons house and enjoy some fantastic home cooked food. It's fabulous. First day was mine, second was Michael. This week we went to the next town over where Logan cooked on Monday and Simon cooked on Tuesday.

Last year, or the year before, there were mostly girls or couples in my district. Now, I'm the only girl, and the rest are guys. It's pretty interesting when we have a gathering.

So, during the day, I bring this big plastic container with veggies: cucumber, broccoli, carrots, bell peppers and tomatoes, and I just nibble all day until I go home. Then I eat a proper dinner.

Also, I've quit smoking. Finally!! Never again shall I pay and pretend to enjoy killing myself in a very slow and horrible way!

This is my 3rd week and I feel great. I haven't wanted to smoke at all. Last weekend I went to a big gather of foreigners at a cabin in the woods. I was surprised that a majority was smoking. It was a good test though, and my mind has been changed. I no longer think smoking is nice, and no longer want to smoke!
The book "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking" by Allen Carr has helped me tremendously. You can click on the link and read the pdf online. It really does work. It changes the way you look at cigarettes, and after that, you just can't go back!

So, now I'm eating better, quit smoking, but I'm still lacking the exercise factor which is crucial. So, from last Friday, I started going swimming. I also went yesterday and will continue to go every day or 1 hour. It really is fantastic. I feel so good!!

Another great thing to add to the list... one of my ex-co-teachers who lives in the area and has a large piece of land told me that she would let me use about 30 square meters of her land (which is about the size of my apartment), to plant or do whatever I want with. WHOAAAAAAAAA!!!! COMPOSTING here I come!!!
I'm also gonna try some Companion Planting!! That's gonna happen this weekend!!!

Also, one of the teachers from the teachers class I teach, asked me if I want to join her in taking Horse Riding Lessons. I said: ABSOLUTELY!! I did one lesson last year, but alone it's not so much fun. And also, we talked about hiking around my area during the weekend. So, YES!!! I'm getting way more active now!!

It's taken a while to wake up and try to balance my life.

I want to live my life now, and now just live for the future!

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Saturday, April 9, 2011

Big Decision

So, I've finally made the decision I feel good about.

I'll stay another 6 months.

There are a few reasons, and they all make sense to me.

1. I'll go visit Romania in August.
2. I'll do the PDC another time.
3. I'll go to Canada in March.
4. I'll work here in Korea for 6 more months.
5. The school will pay for my ticket to Romania.
6. I'll fly out at the begining of March to Canada, and then Abby will be skinnier and I won't have to worry about how I'll take her on the plane.
7. There won't be a flight embargo then so, again, I won't have to worry abou taking Abby on the plane.
8. I'll have 5 years of experience instead of 4.5. Many of the jobs I've seen need at least 5 years. :)
9. When I come back to Canada I'll have only 5 months before schools start in the ME and I can get a good job.
10. I'll have enough money saved to not have to worry too much about it for those 5 months.
11. I'll be able to do the TESOL diploma AND the DELTA which will make me eligible for many MANY more and BETTER jobs.
12. I will have time until next February to get all my grade 5 and grade 6 to a level where they can read.
13. I will have time until next February to get my 1st grade middle school students to make full sentences.
14. I will be there at school until the end of the year and have a proper goodby, not in the middle of the school year.
15. I'll be able to use up the compost I made.
16. I'll be able to eat some strawberries from the plants I bought today.
17. When I go back to Canada, I'm going to be able to see my moms Lilac trees bloom.
18. I've started to be more social now and being more active, so I know I'll be happier and able to survive an extra 6 months.

I did all this thinking today on the 5 hour bus ride that was supposed to be only 3 hours to the "Strawberry Festival".

I didn't send my boxes with winter clothes home for a reason.
I didn't pay the deposit for the PDC course for a reason.
I didn't buy my ticket to Romania for September for a reason.

I just hadn't figured it out yet.
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