Sunday, February 28, 2010

Day 171: Last day of the Olympics

I have never been more proud to be a Canadian. The most gold medals won for a host country. Third in overall medal count. I had to sing O Canada every morning in grade 3 because my teacher made us. That practice I put to use these past 17 days. I sang O Canada an average of once a day. (Today about 4 times because Canada won the gold medal in men's ice hockey.)

I started the morning waiting in line to go into a pub. We had to be there early to get good seats to watch the gold medal men's hockey game. I got to the pub at about 9am and there were already people in line. I have never seen lines ups at pubs that early in the morning. We had a blast waiting in line. We did the wave. We cheered every time when people honked at us. The pub finally opened at 10:30am. In our group, there was 18 people. We were the noisiest but it was a blast. We cheered every time Canada hit the puck into their zone. We cheered every time Canada got the puck away from the US. We cheered even louder when they scored. It was a nail biting game. At the end, Sidney Crosby scored the winning goal. We cheered until our voices were sore. We sang O Canada a few times. It was a fantastic vibe. We left the pub and walked into downtown. Everyone on the streets were cheering and yelling. The cars were honking. Everyone is proud to be a Canadian today.

I left downtown and was on Commercial Drive for a bit. The vibe was more toned down. There were still people yelling and screaming. The cars were still honking. There was even a pick up hockey game in the middle of the street between traffic. There were a few guys just running into the street waving the large Canadian flag at one intersection. Once I left Commercial Drive, there wasn't much celebrating. It was so quite that you would never know anything happened.

I watched the Closing Ceremonies on TV. It was so fun and entertaining. I like the way it started. In the Opening Ceremonies there was a glitch with one of the torch arms not elevating properly. Catriona Lemay Doan's arm was the one that didn't come up in the Opening Ceremonies. In the Closing Ceremonies, it came up and she got her chance to light her arm. The athletes then came out in no particular order, except Canada. They went last again. There was the formal speeches and passing of the torch to Sochi, Russia for the Olympics in 2014. After all the formality items, it was one large party. There was also a parade of items that represented Canada like beavers, mounties and mooses. It was quirky and fun. There was short 'monologues' by famous Canadians: Michael J Fox, William Shatner and Catherine O'Hare. They had Canadian musicians each sing a song or two. There was Neil Young, Nickelback, K'os, Alanis Morissette, Avril Lavigne, Hedley and Michael Buble.

Overall these past 17 days was unbelievable. There was so much patriotism and love in the air. There was so much to see and do. There was a party every night in downtown. I wish it is like this every weekend after the Olympics.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Day 170: Will the Olympics leave a negative or positive impact on Vancouver

The Olympics is a huge event for Vancouver. It is on only for 2 weeks. Vancouver has been preparing for this event for years.

Positives
I think there are more positive lasting effects than negatives. After the Olympics, Vancouver has made its mark in the Olympic map. Besides holding Expo 86 and being voted the most livable city in the world for a few years, it now can call itself an Olympic city.

We now have new venues to use. The Canada Line takes you straight to the airport. I still haven't used it yet. I think the concept of being transported from downtown to the airport in less than 30 minutes is brilliant. It is so convenient. We now have the Richmond Oval. I haven't been to yet. We have the new trade and convention center. It can accommodate larger conventions and shows than the old convention center. Some shows weren't being booked in Vancouver because we didn't have a large enough space.

The festivities in downtown showed the world we can party. We were called a 'no-fun' city. Because of the festivities, the label may not stick anymore. I think after the Olympics we should have 'street festivities' every so often. Maybe every other week? Or once a month? It has a relaxed atmosphere, ok maybe a drunk here or there. It gives street performers an opportunity to perform. I think the large video screens are great. The sides of the Sears building in downtown was used as a projection screen. It lets every watch the game.

Negatives
I can see how some people will think the Olympics will leave a negative impact on Vancouver. I know the taxpayers will be paying for the Olympics for the next 30 years.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Day 169: 6th day of Olympic Festivities

Today we went to see LiveCity Yaletown. In LiveCity Yaletown there are Acer, Samsung, Panasonic and Coca Cola pavilions. I waited for some friends so I went to see the pavilions with the least line up. I went to see Panasonic first. It had a 12 minute 3D show which I didn't watch. You have to line up to take a piece of paper with the time you have to come back to watch the show. I didn't have time to wait and watch the movie. I just walked around to see what else they were exhibiting. On the right side of the pavilion is a TV playing a 3D blue ray for your home. They had 3D glasses for you to try on. It would be really neat to watch 3D movies at home. On the left side of the pavilion is the process of making a 3D movie. It is quite interesting.

Next was Acer. Inside was lots of monitors; computer monitors and TV monitors. There was an area where Acer computers where set up with Olympic games. I watched some kids play and they were really good. There was another area with Olympic quiz questions. After you completed that, you got a pin (important for pin collectors). There were other areas with touch screen monitors. It would make life so much easier but then maybe people will lose their typing skills.

All my friends arrived and we lined up at Coca Cola. It was the pavilion with the longest lineup. It was a 45 min lineup. Once you got inside the building, there was still a line up. It was really interesting. The walls were decorated with information of the history of Coca Cola. There is also a display of previous Olympic torches since Coca Cola started sponsoring them. You are then taken to another room to watch a short video on the torch relay across Canada. After the video, then the happiness continues in another large room. In that room there are decorated Coke bottles by various artists, various virtual games and a photo op with the Olympic torch. You also get a free small bottle of Coke. It was a nice bottle so I kept it as a souvenir after I finished drinking the Coke. I had to finish it because they uncap the bottle for you before they give it to you. The virtual games included a game where you pretend to be a Coke bear and see who can paddle down the river the fastest. The other game is about recycling bottles. I think the game is about who shots the most bottles.

After our adventure at Coca Cola, we went to the Samsung pavilion. There was a stage there with performers. You get a passport when you get in and you have to get stickers of the 3 mascots then you get a scratch ticket. There are three games in there to play to receive the stickers. If you played one game, you would get one sticker. But after you receive your first sticker, you can just go to the other games and ask them for the other stickers to complete your passport. You can then redeem the completed passport for a scratch ticket. With the scratch ticket you can win items like a collector pin set, a cell phone or a pen. I won a pen. Not so exciting. The also exhibited all their new and upcoming cell phones.

Tonight we watched the laser light show and fireworks at Robson Square. We watched the 9:30pm show. There are two shows a night; 9:30 and 11pm. There were so many people watching it. The laser light show was pointed in the sky and towards the Sears building. They also had a snowboarder, a skier and a hockey player zipping across the zipline. The show only lasted 15 mins.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Day 168: Patriotism


I have never been a patriotic person. I remember going to the US and they hang American flags on their front doors. I remember thinking 'wow! they are a very patriotic country.'

It only has been since the Olympic that I realized that we (Canadians) are very patriotic. As I walk downtown there is a sea of red and white with maple leafs. There are people walking and carrying large Canadian flags. Every once in awhile a group of hooligans will break out the anthem and everyone else will join in. I have never sang O Canada so many times in such a short period of time.

Before the Olympics, I didn't have anything that said Canada. The closest I have is Vancouver Canucks gear. I have a t-shirt, 3 jerseys and a fleece jacket. For my birthday, my friend gave me the scarf that says 'Canada' on one side and checkered on the other. The more I walk downtown the less patriotic I felt. The theme of this year's Olympic is Believe. I bought a Believe red toque to keep my head warm and the famous red mittens to keep my hands warm. I'm all bundled up and ready to celebrate more Canadian victories.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Day 167: 5th day of Olympic festivities

Today we went to the Concord Pacific / Science World area. We went to Sochi (Russia), Saskatchewan, Quebec, Ontario and Edgewater Celebration Village.

I was meeting my friends at 2 pm in front of Sochi (Russia) which is known as Science World before and after the Olympics. There was a massively long line up to get in. It snaked round and round and round. We waited for about an hour before we got into the building. You had to walk thru a metal detector before entering the building. There was only one metal detector. Sochi occupied all three levels of Science World. The bottom floor has a small stage where they had performers. The middle floor had various rooms. They had their broadcast room. There was a room with many TV screens and you can watch the Olympics. There was a room which showcased their new train system. The top floor showed Russian movies. We didn't watch any movies.

The men's hockey game Canada vs US was on at 4:40pm. After Sochi, we wanted to watch the game. We ended up watching the game at Edgewater Casino in their Vue Bar and Lounge. It was good they had the sound on and there were lots of Canadian fans. It's too bad we lost tonites game.

Outside Edgewater Casino was the Edgewater Celebration Village. There were lots of booths that sell food and stuff. It is very similar to the Richmond Night Market (aka Summer Night Market). There was bubble tea booths, food booths, jewelery booths and clothing booths. It took us about 10 mins to walk thru the whole thing. When we were done Edgewater, we walked back to see Ontario, Sask and Quebec.

Quebec we did a quick walk thru before we went to Edgewater to see if there was space for us to watch the game there. They had small TV screens and it was too packed and didn't have space for us. In Quebec, they sold food and there was a stage. There wasn't a schedule so we didn't know when the performers came on. We didn't stay long in Quebec.

Ontario looks neat on the outside and there was a long line up. There is two sections to Ontario; one was the 4D show and the other was the pavilion. We lined up for the 4D show first. I like 4D shows. They are quite neat. It is an enhanced 3D show. The show was advertising Ontario and what it has to offer visitors. There was a line up for the pavilion because a band was going to perform. We didn't want to see the band but we wanted to see inside the pavilion and try some of their food. I knew someone who works at Ontario and she helped us by passed the line. We ordered a bit of food and relaxed.

Saskatchewan was quite boring. There are two buildings. One building was closed when we were there. It had a private function. This building was round like a balloon. On the outside they projected images of Saskatchewan. The other building was a large tent and inside was a beer garden with a stage. We didn't want to drink and we didn't want to watch the performer. We spent about 5 mins in that tent.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Day 166: Olympic atmosphere

Downtown Vancouver is the place to be during the Olympics. There is so much to see and do. I haven't had a chance to watch any men's hockey in downtown to soak up the atmosphere. I watched it all on TV at home. It seems like so much fun with all the hooligans. It's almost 11:45pm and there are still people lingering on Robson St. They are still celebrating the win in men's hockey and the gold that Christine Nesbitt for women's speed skating - 1000 meters. I would like to watch the Canada vs US game on Sunday. It would be an exciting game because of all the NHL players on the teams.

Tonight is my rest day. After going to see Olympic festivities for the last few nights, I am really tired from all the walking. I am going on Sunday to see some more pavilions / houses by Science World. I want to save my energy for more walking on Sunday.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Day 165: 4th Day of Olympic festivities


Today was about checking out the cauldron. Because we were in the waterfront area, we went to see the Royal Canadian Mint Pavilion and Canada's Northern House. We parked at Pacific and Hornby. We walked on Granville towards the Royal Canadian Mint Pavilion. On the way we saw an unicyclist juggler and Batman. On Granville St there are public art exhibits and the row of lantern trees. The last time I was on Granville, I forgot my camera. This time I finally got a chance to take some pictures with the lantern trees.

At the Royal Canadian Mint Pavilion there are two parts you can see. One part is seeing the Olympic medal up close. This part had a 2 hour line up. We didn't want to wait in line for that long and they closed the line by the time we got there. Because we didn't wait in that line, we just went to see the other part. It is upstairs and you can hold a gold bar and there is a million dollar coin. We just waited for about 15 - 20 mins to hold the gold bar.

A few blocks away is Canada's Northern House. There is a photo op with an inukshuk when you first walk in. I found this house very interesting and informative. It shows how they live in the north; their culture, their arts and crafts and their modes of transportation. One thing I found interesting was that they stock up their groceries because they only go grocery shopping twice a year. They only go twice a year because getting food up there is a challenge. There is a station with small pieces of stone and you can build your own inukshuk. While we were reading about lifestyle in the north, there was a live performance. The music was good background music. It wasn't too loud and disruptive. Downstairs had information on their sports and arts and crafts. There was no long line ups to go in this house. After saying good bye to the huge white polar bear in the Northern House, we finally headed to see the cauldron.

The cauldron is located by the new convention center. Because of all the commotion with it behind a large fence, VANOC has made the fence a bit closer with a small gap in the middle so we can take pictures without the fence being in the way. There is also a viewing floor/roof top where you can view it. We didn't go there because we thought it would be closed. After taking about 10 pictures of the cauldron, it was time to head home. We ended the night with a Japadog. One friend has never tried a Japadog before and today was his first time.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Day 164: 3rd day of Olympic festivities

After work I met up with some friends to see Olympic festivities. We were in downtown to see some of the pavilions. The first pavilion we saw was the Aboriginal Pavilion. The outside of the pavilion is very clean and unique. We lined up just in time for the show. Inside the pavilion reminded me of the space center theatre. Everyone who came in the theatre formed a large circle to look up at the inside circular screen. There was a speaker who came on to welcome us to the pavilion. The show was 9 minutes long and had scenes of nature and of aboriginal culture.

We walked a few blocks to BC Hydro building. They had a few tents / portables up. One tent had the dance floor. It was really neat. The more energy you use on it, the more it lights up. Another tent had just patio lounge chairs and a TV to watch Olympic coverage. We sat and watched Patrick Chan (Canada) figure skate thru the short program. We cheered him on then moved on to a portable with energy efficient items. One of the items that I thought was very neat was the oven. It was split into two portions: the top third and the bottom two thirds. You can use them separately. It is useful for baking small portions without wasting so much heat.

The final adventure was to LiveCity Downtown (Beatty and Georgia). We had to wait in line. Once we got to the entrance we had to be searched, like at the airport (except you don't have to take your shoes off). I had to throw my bottle of water away. The security guy told me that Coke is the sponsor and won't let us bring other drinks in. I said 'what if I brought in a coke drink can I keep it?' He said 'yes'.
The hype was about the $10 million Canada Pavilion that opened a day after the opening of the games. We sat in a bobsleigh to take a picture. We walked to see the old hockey and ski equipment. The highlight of the Canada Pavilion was seeing the Stanley Cup. We had to wait in line for about 30 mins to take a picture with the Stanley Cup and two RCMP officers. I got to take a picture with the Paralympic torch. After the not so impressive Canada Pavilion, we went to see the Manitoba Pavilion. I think there were two rooms but we only got to see one because the other one was booked for a private function. The room we got to see was quite boring. It was a large billboard for Manitoba. There were interactive TV's with more information on Manitoba.

We then walked down Beatty street. We got to the Bell Ice Cube. There was a line up outside and we didn't feel like standing in line. We also walked past Alberta Pavilion. There also was a line and we peaked thru to see what was inside but we couldn't see much.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Day 163: 2nd Day of Olympic Festivities

Today was a full day of Olympic festivities. I started off at Granville Island then went to Richmond Ozone.

My parents and I went to Granville Island at 1:30pm. We walked around to see what was happening. We heard some music in the Place de Francophone area (by Performance Works). It was some performers drumming in the air. It was so neat to watch. It happened to be just a rehearsal and the show was starting at 5:30pm. We didn't have time to watch the final show. We didn't go in Swiss house (Bridges Restaurant) because it was a restaurant serving Swiss food. It wasn't a pavilion and anything to see. We missed the 2pm food sampling at Atlantic House. I showed them some of the houses on the water behind Emily Carr. There was an art gallery close by and we went to see that. After that, I met up with my friends in front of Emily Carr and my parents went home. My friends and I went to have some lunch at the public market. After lunch we stood in line for an hour for the free food samples at Atlantic House. We had halibut ceviche, yellow split pea cake, salted beef and pickled root vegetables and smoked salmon sphere, creme cheese and caramelized apples. The food samples were so delicious. We then walked back into downtown to pick up the car to drive to Richmond.



I have never been to the Richmond Ozone before. We were there to see the Lion Dance because it is Chinese New Year today. It was great. There were 10 lions dancing on stage at the same time. I have never seen anything like that before. There were two large screens there for us to watch. The right screen had the video of the performance that was happening. The left screen had the highlights of the days' events. I think because it is Chinese New Years, there were Chinese kung fu demonstrations and Chinese singers. We only stayed to watch the opening act and two songs of the main act. Before the concerts, there were fireworks. It was only 10 minutes long but it was almost as good as the fireworks at English Bay. We ended our night at Pearl Castle in Richmond Center. I shared a seafood hot pot and logan hot bubble tea with a friend. Great way to end the night!

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Day 162: 1st day of Olympic Festivities

After our Chinese New Year dinner, some friends and I went downtown to see the Olympic festivities. We tried to see as many sights as possible.

We wanted to go to David Lam Park to see the sights and sounds there. When we got there, it had a major lineup and it was closed for the night. We then walked into Yaletown. There were many booths selling stuff. Some booths were closed cause it was late. We went into the Yahoo! Vancouver 2010 building. (It is the Mini Cooper store. The Mini Store relocated somewhere else temporary). We took some pictures. It was closing soon after we got there. At about 10:45pm there were fireworks. We didn't see everything. We peaked thru the tall buildings to see the fireworks that were high in the sky.

One friend said there was a dance floor where it lights up in front of the BC Hydro building. When we got there it was closed for the night. We walked down Granville Street. As usual, there were many hooligans on the streets. This time some sang the national anthem on the streets.

One friend said she never had a Japadog before. We walked to get a Japadog on Burrard and Smithe. We shared a terimayo. ummmm so delicious. I was thirsty so I was feeling like a bubble tea. We made our way down Robson Street towards Bubble World. There were many people in the streets but there wasn't much to see in terms of booths or entertainment. We headed home after we bought our bubble teas.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Day 161: Olympic Opening Ceremonies

I watched the Olympic opening ceremonies tonight. It was so neat to see all the different countries that have participating athletes. I want to cheer for the underdogs, the teams which have one athlete. They have to work extra hard to earn that spot. The 3 hours was filled with singing, dancing and cultural entertainment. The part I liked the least was the opera singing (I don't appreciate opera yet) when the Olympic flag was raised and the flying guy on the wheat field (it was big squares on the floor which was yellow and black). I am not sure what it was supposed to mean but I didn't get it. The highlights for me were the riverdance, singing by Nelly Furtado and Bryan Adams and, of course, the lighting of the cauldron. I was looking forward to see who would light the cauldron. It was neat to see five important Canadian figures sharing the spotlight in lighting the cauldron. I also admire that there was a moment of silence for the lugar that passed away. It was very respectful.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Day 160: Sidney Crosby


He's hot! (I think he's a good hockey player too!..haha)

That's all I have to say about him. Ok, I can stop drooling now and write something about him. Sid the Kid, that's what some people call him. He helped the Pittsburg Penguins win the Stanley Cup. He celebrated his 21st birthday in his hometown of Halifax, Nova Scotia with the Stanley Cup. So young and accomplished so much. There are many players that aim for the Stanley Cup but never achieve that goal. I'm sure there was a little push from his parents. So determined from a young age. He was involved with Timbits Minor Hockey programs since he was young.

There are many things that are great about him (besides his good looks). From the interviews in the documentary tonight on TSN, his coaches describe him as low key, dedicated to his sport, has great sportsmanship, humble and an excellent hockey player. The documentary was on Sid the Kid vs Oveckin. It was quite interesting. Both of them started hockey at a young age. Both of them reached the 100 point mark at about the same time. At the Vancouver Olympics, Crosby will be playing for Canada and Oveckin will be playing for the Russian team. It will be an exciting match!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Day 159: Long Table Series - Feb 10


The Long Table Series. A terrific concept. It is super affordable. It has a very friendly atmosphere. http://ltsmenu.blogspot.com/

It is a very casual and fun experience. The price is about $15 to $17 a person and that includes an entree and a drink (usually beer, but you can substitute it for pop). It is held at the Salty Tongue in Gastown. You have enter thru the Irish Heather and head to Shabeen in the back. It is like a waiting room. They encourage you to have a drink or two while you are waiting. Everyone has to wait there before we are called into the Salty Tongue. They use a cow bell to get everyone's attention and to let everyone know it's time to head to the Salty Tongue. There is one long communal table. Everyone is sitting elbow to elbow.

We went in a group of 8 people tonite. From past experience if we go in a large group, we have to walk the same pace to find seats. It's a strategy to find seats together. It's a first come first serve seating. If you are not quick, you may not sit with your friends.

The food is so delicious. I have been to four Long Table Series dinner. Every dinner is a different entree. But every time it is so tasty. Tonight we had game hen. Each serving is 1/2 local game hen marinated in an 'old fashioned' cocktail (sugar, angostura bitters, bourbon, orange and lemon) oven roasted and served on mashed potatoes and green beans. The hen was perfectly cooked. It was so soft and tasty. It wasn't dry. The green beans are cooked perfectly, it isn't flashed cooked or overcooked. There wasn't much mashed potatoes, but I'm not complaining. After dinner, we ordered dessert. There are usually two options. Today's option was lemon tarte / cake and chocolate cheesecake. I don't like sour desserts so I didn't choose the lemon option. My friend and I shared a chocolate cheesecake. It wasn't too chocolately and too sweet. It had the perfect blend of chocolate and cheesecake.

The whole dinner experience only lasts about 1.5 hours. Short and sweet. But I am totally satisfied.


Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Day 158: 'The Terminator' to run in Olympic torch relay

"The Terminator-- aka California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger -- will run in Stanley Park in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic torch relay on Feb. 12." - The Province, Feb 9, 2010
http://www.theprovince.com/sports/2010wintergames/Schwarzenegger+will+torch+relay/2540262/story.html

Is there something I'm not understanding? I know I'm not that smart, but someone please explain this to me. I do understand that Vanoc wants to include celebrities to carry the torch. They have included such celebrities as Jan Arden, Michael Buble, Terry Fox's dad, Wayne Gretzky's father, Stan Smyl and Bob Lenarduzzi. I understand all those people are Canadian and/ or important sports figures. But Arnold? He's not Canadian. He's not a sports figure. We can't vote for him. Why does he get the privilege to carry the Olympic torch? If it is because he is a celebrity, why can't any other celebrity carry it? Hey, Bradgelina would be a good choice! They get more publicity than Arnold. If it is because he is a political figure, isn't Obama a better choice?

Monday, February 8, 2010

Day 157: Dysfunctional Families

When someone says 'dysfunctional family', the family that comes to my mind is The Simpsons. The Simpsons is just a TV show. But living in a dysfunctional family is more common than one would think.

Each family has its own story. I knew someone who didn't talk to his cousin at the Christmas dinner. I don't know if something happened between them when they were younger. He just told me he doesn't talk to her. Why do you not talk to your own family? I know someone who didn't invite his extended family to his wedding because they are too dysfunctional. He only invited his immediate family. I am not sure about the details about why they are dysfunctional. I know someone who's cousin is pregnant with a married man's baby. That is just the tip of the iceberg of his family. I knew someone who had two weddings because the bride's parents didn't get along. One wedding was for the bride's father's side. The other wedding had the mother's side. I know someone who really doesn't get along with his sister since they were young. All these stories would make a good reality show. Who needs Jersey Shore or shows like that to entertain you when there are real stories of dysfunctional families? Maybe when it comes to your own family you don't want anyone to know..but when it comes to someone else family you want to know all about it??

I am very glad my family isn't that dysfunctional (that I know of..that's what I am going with). Maybe I am not that nosey to pry in my relatives's life to find out about all their problems and issues? My mom has taught me that family is important because you are only given one family in this lifetime. It is best to develop a good relationship with them.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Day 156: Developing friendships

If I want to become friends with someone, I ask them out to do something. It should be that easy.

I am friends with some of my ex's. Sometimes we jump into a relationship before we build a friendship. Then after we break up, we build a friendship. Of course it's a bit weird. The friendship is different then if you were friends first. But I can't be friends with them right away after a breakup. It takes time to get over all the emotions and negative feelings I have towards them. Sometimes I am friends with them after 3 years or after 10 years. It really depends on if they want to be friends with me too. It also depends on how intense my feelings are for them. If they were really intense and they broke my heart, it will take me longer to become friends with them.

There are some friends that I think we got along and would like to hang out with them more. One friend I contact them on facebook to say 'HI, how are you'. No response. I contacted another friend in Oct to hang out in Dec because I know it's a busy month so I wanted to book her early. Nope we didn't make plans. Maybe she was too busy? I don't know. It's Feb now. She still hasn't contacted me to make plans. I guess I shouldn't be focusing on these people who don't want to make time for me. Makes me think there is something wrong me. I know I have other friends who are more than happy to hang out with me. I should focus more on them instead of trying to develop friendships with people who don't want to be friends with me.

Day 155: Meditation

A few months ago I went to a free meditation class. It was a one hour class. It was the first time I went to a meditation class. The room was quite small. There was about 20 people in the class. I sat on a pillow and there was another block / pillow for my butt but I didn't use it because I am used to sitting my butt on the ground. There was the teacher in the front of the room. He coached us on what to do. I sat with my back straight for the whole time. Because I injured my upper back years ago, sitting straight hurt my back muscles.

Meditating is quite hard. You have to think about nothing and focus on your breathing. You have to inhale and exhale deeply for the oxygen to go deep in your body. When you close your eyes or focus on one area in front of you, you are trying to be focused on nothing. Focusing on nothing is the hardest thing to do. When I close my eyes, all I can think about is what I have to do the rest of the day, what groceries I have to get, etc, etc. My mind is just thinking instead of relaxing. I have read that you should meditate for at least 30 minutes before you go to bed. I think it is a good idea. You can relax and let yourself go because your day is done.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Day 154: Pool - Lesson #1

My venture to be a better pool player. My friend and I went to play pool tonight. I learned to play when I was in grade 7. I would play with friends casually. As I got older and played more pool, I got better. But I think I plateaued at my skill level. I never went to school or anything for pool. I just learned as I played with friends.

I told my friend I want to be a better pool player. He is much better than I am. He offered to give me lessons / pointers. Today he taught me about where you hit the cue ball determines your leave for the next shot. (I don't know the technical terms for what I am writing about.)
It is good strategy to have a good leave because then you have the next shot ready. If you continually play with that strategy you will always have a shot. He also got me to practice hitting the cue ball straight. I didn't realize I wasn't hitting it straight. I kept on putting a tiny spin on it when I was trying to hit the ball straight. I was hitting the cue ball on where I thought was the middle to make it go straight, but it wasn't.

Because he is a better player, he usually wins when we play. He is a snooker player so playing 8 ball is a cinch for him. I usually lose by 3-5 balls. I won him in one game only! I was so excited that I actually won him. But maybe he let me win because I was losing so many games. I don't want him to pity me that I'm not as good as him. My goal is to win him everytime we play each other.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Day 153: "What If" Game

The other day my co worker asked me if I ever played the 'What If' game. I said No because I didn't know what it was.

She said each person takes a turn. When it is your turn, you say what if something didn't happen how your life would be different. For example, if I didn't work at my current job, I would've have met my ex. If I didn't meet my ex, then my life would be better..hahhah... I did learn some culinary skills because he is a chef. If I didn't meet him, which direction would my life be? Maybe I would've met someone better? Maybe I would be married now? Who knows? That was the choice I made then.

The concept/idea of the game really made me think. It made me think about the decisions I make. Do I make the decisions because I have thought about the answer? or thought about how my future will take shape? or because it is just a gut feeling? I think most of the time it is just gut feeling. My subconscious mind leads my conscious mind. It knows more about my life than I am aware. It leads me to the right direction. It does the steering of my life. Sometimes my gut feelings steers me in the wrong direction to teach me a lesson. I have to realize the lesson before I move on. Then I have to take the lessons I have learned to make better decisions.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Day 152: What will it take for you to be the best?

I know I want to be the best at something. I know it takes a lot of time, effort and sacrifices. I know I take a lot of time relaxing and enjoying my time on the computer or watching TV.

I am watching the Ultimate Cake Off on TLC. It's a cake building competition. The contestants usually have their own cake shops. To participate in these competitions, they need the skill, the stamina, the planning and the organization of their team to complete the cake in 9 hours. They would have to practice many hours to win this competition.

Brian McKeever is a prime example of someone who shows determination to succeed. (http://www.vancouversun.com/opinion/Blind+Canadian+skier+Brian+McKeever+makes+Olympic+Paralympic+teams/2474047/story.html)
He is blind and made it onto the Olympic and Paralympic teams. There must be years of practice and perseverance to qualify for both competitions.

In any case, there is a common denominator. To be the best, there is alot of practice, determination and perseverance. You have to visualize yourself getting to the finish line and winning. There will be many hurdles along the way. You have to jump thru them, go under them or go around them. Its one step at a time, eventhough it is baby steps.