If you have a back pain that you can't shake off even after yoga, don't be despaired. Use the foam roller, and it may well solve your problem. First you need to keep faith.
Here is a great video on how to use the foam roller.
http://yogainternational.com/article/view/self-massage-with-foam-roller
Friday, September 19, 2014
Bossy girl, naggy wife
We made Japanese curry tonight. I cut the veggies we already have and waited for Jack to get more mushrooms from the store.
Jack got home with the mushrooms, and found me doing foam roller in the living room. I went to the kitchen with him, and watched him take the button mushrooms out of the bag.
Y: these mushrooms need to be washed.
J: I wasn't born yesterday!
Y: haha,"I'm not leaving the cage."
I picked up the piece of jalapeño on the counter and said: this piece of pepper needs major surgery.
J: I know that. Go back and do your yoga.
Y: OK.
I almost forgot that we have been living together for over 10 years now, and my man is well trained.
Weekend
I don't want this blog to become movie and book reviews, because there are tons brilliant reviewers out there. But since I switch to working from home full time, I haven't gotten much inspiration other then the movies and books.
So, tomorrow, I'm going over the hill, drive by the beaches and through the mountain roads, and hopefully I'll have some real world inspiration.
So, tomorrow, I'm going over the hill, drive by the beaches and through the mountain roads, and hopefully I'll have some real world inspiration.
Asking nicely
Last November I went to China to visit my grandmother and relatives on my mother's side. One day my older cousin, Hui, or he called himself "Chandler" based on his favorite sitcom character, which I didn't care much about, took me to tour the new hip area of Guangzhou, an old factory converted artist galleries. It was nice to have someone drive me around to experience the city, which has changed so much since I left 20 years ago.
I thanked him for taking me out for lunch and driving me to sight see, and he told me to stop thanking him, because there was no need. He observed: "You thank people a lot." And I was like, why not? That's the right thing to do.
When I first left China to come to the U.S. en-route Hong Kong, my first impression about the people of Hong Kong was on a crowded bus, people say: "excuse me"when they need to get by you on the bus. I still remember what a revelation it was to me, because that was not what we used to do in Guangzhou, though we were brought up to be polite. Let's just say we were not as verbal.
I was pleasantly amused when I heard our friend's 2-year-old daughter enthusiastically said: "more please, more please" after finishing the food in her plate, and said: "all done" when she finished.
We need to learn our magic words such thank you, please, excuse me, pardon. If you ask polite, you'll get what you want.
I thanked him for taking me out for lunch and driving me to sight see, and he told me to stop thanking him, because there was no need. He observed: "You thank people a lot." And I was like, why not? That's the right thing to do.
When I first left China to come to the U.S. en-route Hong Kong, my first impression about the people of Hong Kong was on a crowded bus, people say: "excuse me"when they need to get by you on the bus. I still remember what a revelation it was to me, because that was not what we used to do in Guangzhou, though we were brought up to be polite. Let's just say we were not as verbal.
I was pleasantly amused when I heard our friend's 2-year-old daughter enthusiastically said: "more please, more please" after finishing the food in her plate, and said: "all done" when she finished.
We need to learn our magic words such thank you, please, excuse me, pardon. If you ask polite, you'll get what you want.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
At Middleton, the movie
In case you are wondering, the way we choose movies to record on TV is nothing scientific. Once a while, I scroll through TV guide a few hours out, pick mostly comedies, our favorite actors and actresses, and based on the very short abstract shown in the guide. When I have free time, I would go and watch those movies. The selection is very random, and once a while, I do find interesting movies. I much prefer this kind of selection rather than getting recommendations from Netflix.
This movie, At Middleton, is another good find on TV. Without commenting on the mechanics of movie making, I think the story is exceedingly close to truth. It's so close to truth, it's sad and scary, especially for people that are at middle age, approaching middle age or older, which is probably most of the adult population. Hmm, thus the name "Middleton"?
A man and a woman, who apparently had nothing in common, drove his son and her daughter to Middleton for the college tour intending to have the last bonding moments with the children before they leave home. The man and the woman were separated from the tour, and after a sequence of interesting encounters and events, they found laughter in each other, and they fell in love. At the end, nothing happened; they did the "right thing" and went back to their unhappy lives. It certainly left me feeling melancholy.
This is one of the rite of passages in life, kids going off to college, and leaving parents behind (possibly) living like strangers, and wondering what happened to the last 17 years. I honestly hope this is not the case for everyone.
In modern life, it is next to impossible for a married couple to be in love for all their lives, without any kind of attractions to other people. Not only that two people came from different backgrounds, but they also could easily grow apart, and when they do, their hearts are opened for others to enter. Can't we honestly acknowledge the truth that change is life?
Yet, the law of marriage dictates married couple to remain faithful with each other "till death do us part." I just think this is totally unrealistic, hypocritical and unfair. If people are unhappy in their marriages, why can't they separate and find happiness elsewhere without being severely punished financially and emotionally?
This movie, At Middleton, is another good find on TV. Without commenting on the mechanics of movie making, I think the story is exceedingly close to truth. It's so close to truth, it's sad and scary, especially for people that are at middle age, approaching middle age or older, which is probably most of the adult population. Hmm, thus the name "Middleton"?
A man and a woman, who apparently had nothing in common, drove his son and her daughter to Middleton for the college tour intending to have the last bonding moments with the children before they leave home. The man and the woman were separated from the tour, and after a sequence of interesting encounters and events, they found laughter in each other, and they fell in love. At the end, nothing happened; they did the "right thing" and went back to their unhappy lives. It certainly left me feeling melancholy.
This is one of the rite of passages in life, kids going off to college, and leaving parents behind (possibly) living like strangers, and wondering what happened to the last 17 years. I honestly hope this is not the case for everyone.
In modern life, it is next to impossible for a married couple to be in love for all their lives, without any kind of attractions to other people. Not only that two people came from different backgrounds, but they also could easily grow apart, and when they do, their hearts are opened for others to enter. Can't we honestly acknowledge the truth that change is life?
Yet, the law of marriage dictates married couple to remain faithful with each other "till death do us part." I just think this is totally unrealistic, hypocritical and unfair. If people are unhappy in their marriages, why can't they separate and find happiness elsewhere without being severely punished financially and emotionally?
Friday, September 12, 2014
Epic
The second "Hobbit" movie was Jack's movie choice of today. The Lord of
the Rings is truly an epic story, wouldn't you say? Epic, is exactly the
word I use to describe my new favorite historic novel, Here Be Dragons!
The story took place in 1200s in England and Wales. It is a true story about King John, his bastard daughter Joan (Joanna in the book), and the Welsh prince, Llewelyn Fawr (Llewelyn the great). It was the best way to explore England and Wales in the Middle Ages, the king, the queen, their barons, their children and their enemies. The wars, schemes, and marriages between England and Wales were all told in lengthy details with superb writing.
Thus, Llewelyn became my new hero. Like the heroes in those Chinese Kung Fu legend stories, which I was so intrigued with as a teenager, I am now fascinated with this Welsh prince who not only was the great warrior and strategist who united the Welsh to fight against the English Crown, but also a great lover to his young princess, Joanna. What a story with so much ups and downs of wars, calculations, blood and love. The most amazing thing is, the dramatic story is mostly based on real people and events!
I have been researching everything Welsh, their people and features, e.g. red hair or dark skin tone, culture, the Welsh laws and genealogy. Every night we watch movie, I would curiously look up actors/actresses to see if they have Welsh ancestry. For example, Catherine Zeta Jones, Michael Sheen, Anthony Hopkins are Welsh, and Mary Steenburgen has Welsh ancestry on her mother's side. Every time I found such information, I chuckle with joy.
For a few weeks, I can say I am having a sort of "Welsh Fever". There are two other books after Dragons, but everything goes down-hill after Llewelyn the great.
One may complain that the book is too wordy, and it can be. Others may also complain that this is more of a romantic novel, and it is in some ways, but I am a girl who enjoys great romantic stories, so there you have it.
The story took place in 1200s in England and Wales. It is a true story about King John, his bastard daughter Joan (Joanna in the book), and the Welsh prince, Llewelyn Fawr (Llewelyn the great). It was the best way to explore England and Wales in the Middle Ages, the king, the queen, their barons, their children and their enemies. The wars, schemes, and marriages between England and Wales were all told in lengthy details with superb writing.
Thus, Llewelyn became my new hero. Like the heroes in those Chinese Kung Fu legend stories, which I was so intrigued with as a teenager, I am now fascinated with this Welsh prince who not only was the great warrior and strategist who united the Welsh to fight against the English Crown, but also a great lover to his young princess, Joanna. What a story with so much ups and downs of wars, calculations, blood and love. The most amazing thing is, the dramatic story is mostly based on real people and events!
I have been researching everything Welsh, their people and features, e.g. red hair or dark skin tone, culture, the Welsh laws and genealogy. Every night we watch movie, I would curiously look up actors/actresses to see if they have Welsh ancestry. For example, Catherine Zeta Jones, Michael Sheen, Anthony Hopkins are Welsh, and Mary Steenburgen has Welsh ancestry on her mother's side. Every time I found such information, I chuckle with joy.
For a few weeks, I can say I am having a sort of "Welsh Fever". There are two other books after Dragons, but everything goes down-hill after Llewelyn the great.
One may complain that the book is too wordy, and it can be. Others may also complain that this is more of a romantic novel, and it is in some ways, but I am a girl who enjoys great romantic stories, so there you have it.
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Movies to be deleted
A year ago when we upgraded our direcTV package, we got a huge amount of DVR disk space for recording movies. So we thought. I have to say I enjoy to be pleasantly surprised by finding interesting movies on movie channels, so we use the DVR a lot.
Now we only have less than 30% space left, so we were forced to delete some movies. What to delete and what to be kept went through some sort of negotiation between the two of us, even though we agreed about some of them.
I'm writing down the deleted or to be deleted movies for the record.
Blue jasmine
- Recent Oscar winner. Good movie, but I won't have the mood to watch it again, because it is too depressing and intense.
Lloyd
- We watched it twice. A classic kids movie where there are popular kids v.s. nerds. The end is kind of like Napoleon Dynamite. I guess Napoleon copied from Lloyd because Lloyd is a much older movie.
Out towners
- One of the first Goldie Hawn movies I have ever watched. She is a good actress and good comedian.
Exaggerated and funny, easy going, good for late night entertainment to fall asleep.
The banger sister
- Another Goldie Hawn movie, good plot.
Guess who is coming for dinner?
- Classic. Sydney Poitier, Katherine Hepburn, Spancer Tracy. Need I say more? But it is very serious and intense, so I don't expect to watch it again.
Hysteria
- Hmm... Only watched part of it, and go the gits of it, and never had the interest of watching the whole thing. Something to do with medical method in older times to give women orgasm. I'm sure it's not everyone's cup of tea.
Flipper
- Nice movie, but I can't watch movies about human hunting or harming animals, on land or in water.
Stranger than fiction
- Interesting story, but the writer is too depressed for me to watch the movie again.
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