Downpour

The abrupt rainy season is beginning to get into my nerves because I often need to hold off laundry day since nothing dries out anyway. When it starts to rain, it literally pours with splashing rainwater.

The only advantage of the rainy season is that I can deck out with the rain boots I kept in the rack for the longest period of time and dress warmly without having to worry about the sun peeking out any moment ‘cuz it’ll definitely rain the whole day long. I love the cold and the fog and sometimes I wish there’s snow so I have a reason to drink a lot of hot coffee/cocoa/tea but not the endless rain because I despise the sodden feeling.

Rainy days make me want to just stay home and crochet, bake or do whatever productive. Speaking of the rain, I saw tons of Tokyo umbrellas now being sold in my local 711 and it delights me because I have been yearning to have one for a long time now. The one that I got before was nowhere close to a Tokyo umbrella. It’s translucent with orange polka dots and screaming “SM” print on it geez. I want the ones that people in Japan really use thus explains why t’ was called as such. I have been in living in a high altitude city for nearly a decade now yet I never get used to seeing the fog fully blanketing the city and I’m forever in awe to see myself breath out smoke due to the cold climate more so when the temperature drops of course. The sight of pine trees never cease to amaze me because I hailed from the lowlands and suburbs with nothing but Mango trees and mostly  pollution from pretty much everything, noise, fumes, you name it, we pretty much have it. 

Moving on, I miss reading and I regret I haven’t read a book for quite a long time now and my current read is from nothing else but Lang Leav called ’Sea of Strangers.’ I guess longing for peace and quiet comes with age. All I want nowadays is to stay home more and binge-watch horror, Korean movies, and Netflix series. Speaking of Netflix series, I finished Stranger Things’ latest Season in one sitting whilst multi-tasking last month. I miss Game of Thrones of course because there’s nothing else like it anymore although I’m glad ‘The Haunting At Hill House’ will be back with a brand new season yey! Something new to look forward to for horror freaks like myself. I love Black Mirror Season 6 and I’m yearning for it’s the newest epi. The last epi I saw was the one with Miley Cyrus and t’ was alright but I liked the first couple of episodes prior though. I have tried marathon-ing ‘American Horror Stories’ (the latest season) but I got bored as hell no matter how scary it was or not my jam I guess. I’m into iFlix as well nowadays because they now have local indie flicks in their catalogs/selections which I thought was a brilliant idea as they are giving local indie flicks their chance to shine since most of them are way better than the mainstream ones or at least I thought because I am a fan on anything non-conventional. There’s a wide array of entertainment to choose from nowadays compared to what I grew up to, only AM/FM radio programs, noon-time variety shows and movies advertised on massive hand-painted billboards. Sometimes, it makes me wanna think because of today’s advancements with pretty much everything, have I time-traveled or what? Never in a million years have I imagined everyone will be this stoked with social media and the world wide web. 

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Reboot

I stumbled upon a documentary on iFlix called “Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead” last week and thought, why not give juicing a whirl since it’s the only thing I haven’t done? The documentary was about an Aussie guy’s journey to being healthy just by juicing for two months. Joe was diagnosed with a rare type of disease which involves rashes which might’ve been related to his being obese before. Joe lost weight because he also partnered juice fast with exercise and his journey towards becoming healthy was really remarkable thus served as an impetus for me to give juicing a try.

I’ve tried pretty much everything to lose weight, some are healthy and some are not. Yes I’ve tried diet pills before which eventually led to health constraints so I wouldn’t go back down that road just to lose weight (aside from I’m now hypothyroid so losing weight is definitely a challenge). I’ve tried healthy smoothies (beets, strawberries etc.) and juicing by far is something I haven’t done before so I’m willing to give it try not just for the sake of losing weight but to be a healthy 'new me.'

It doesn't taste as bad as I initially
imagined 👍🏼

For a start, my sister and I decided to buy a juicer and loads of vegetables last week, I tossed in lots of greens and fruits for my sweetener. The first one I tried consisted of Kale, Spinach, Celery, Parsley, Cucumber, Green apples, Lemon, Ginger, Romaine Lettuce, Ginger and it wasn’t so bad at all. I had headaches during the first couple of days which I attributed to not eating anything solid. I tried to replicate what Joe did (pure juicing and nothing else) but did not last a day not eating anything. The goal at first was to ‘just juice’ and not eat anything else but my headache went from tolerable to unbearable so I decided to eat real food during my first day of juicing which instantly solved the problem. I know the whole juicing thing might’ve shocked my entire body system thus caused the splicing headache. 

Moving on, I also read online that the headache is due to the cleansing speed the body has to go through (while detoxing) which is fast enough for the liver to process.  I think this might be true especially if it’s your first time juicing, just imagine how much toxins your body is required to release during juice fast. Another reason for the headache according to the articles I’ve read was due to the vegetables not being blanched/cleaned properly prior to juicing which I think could be true as well. The headache eventually subsided after couple of days (which might’ve been because i blanched the veggies in lukewarm water or the toxins were already released by my body, who knows right?). I also noticed the long and frequent urination which is also part of the detox process perhaps (although it wasn’t really alarming). I tried to reduce juicing though from thrice to just twice a day because juicing could be costly quite frankly since a bunch of veggies once juiced can only fill up 1-2 glasses so just imagine how much vegetables you have to juice to come up with a liter! I’m planning to continue on with my juice cleanse hopefully for as long as I could because you can never go wrong with fruits and vegetables. I’m also looking forward to trying more healthy flavors someday. 

If you’re looking to give it a try, make sure to gradually do it. You may try it first while eating regular meals then gradually reduce your solid intake perhaps if you know you can. It’s your body so you should know when to stop. In my case I’ve been eating veggies and fruits since I was kid (not because my Mom will scold me) it’s ‘cuz I really love greens so just imagine how difficult for your body to go through a reboot/juice cleanse if you never tried eating vegetables in the past. Based on my research as well, others claimed that juice fast will eventually reunite you with your previous health ailments only to make you feel better in the long run.  I also found this to be true because my allergic rhinitis came back the other day whilst I’ve never had one in months, my eldest sister (who I also conned into juice fast) told me she’s experiencing unusual effects brought about by juicing but she planned on continuing this endeavor because she’s feeling a whole lot better compared before. And oh, I also advised my sister to give turmeric tea (ginger ale) a whirl to combat her high cholesterol issues and we we’re surprised when her blood results came back the other day, her cholesterol level dropped significantly. 

the first recipe that I tried 

The effects brought about by juice cleanse btw may vary depending on one’s lifestyle as usual. My eldest sister is not a fan of greens growing up that’s why she felt different when she started her juice cleanse (body pains and sleepiness). The sleepiness is also something I noticed myself (although in a good way) because I usually sleep very late in the evening prior to juice cleanse, now, I feel sleepy even in the afternoon and sleep soundly at night. I would also suggest to buy vegetables not from supermarkets because they are so costly there, I often buy greens in wet markets because it’s so much cheaper plus you get your money’s worth. 

I did not consult any physician prior to juice cleanse so if you have a serious health condition I would suggest to check with your doctor first. As for myself, I’m still taking my thyroid meds whilst juicing. I have only been juicing for a week and I can already feel significant changes to my body (better breathing when walking uphill/exercising). Let me also share that I have been working out at home for a minimum of 15 minutes/day for couple of months now and I’ve never felt better. You may also check out these short workout videos on Youtube below which I scoured online. Just be reminded that eating healthy should be coupled with proper exercise as well. You may also check out Pinterest for great juicing recipes. What's the best time to juice? My research suggested to drink it up on an empty stomach so your body is able to absorb the nutrients from fruits and veggies better.

Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead 1 & 2 (must be signed in to iFlix)

Home work out videos

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Younger Yeah

I’m currently stoked with “Younger” a series I stumbled upon on iflix. The first time I watched it I was like wuut? You’re 40, pretend you’re 26 and hook up with a guy who’s just few years older than your daughter?? But then, as I watched along I totally understood Liza’s plight and I learned she was an exceptional mother who would do anything and everything for her only child. 

Liza, the main character in the series, who is already in her 40s, got recently divorced thus she needs to go back to the grind to fend for herself and her daughter. She then realized how the world has changed compared to before. It’s true, a lot of companies no longer value one's many years of solid work experience as they are more into young and fresh talents nowadays. Today, solid years of work experience in your sleeve may no longer work to your advantage because companies would rather employ kids with less job experience just ‘social media savvy’ ones who are so glutton for job promotion like there’s no tomorrow and wouldn’t stop selling themselves as tactful as they could i.e boast about their ‘not so many’ previous work experience in front of their fellow applicants not taking into account others are just being humble and keep mum about their accomplishments because that’s what mature people do in the first place. Don’t get me wrong, I totally understand that kids nowadays are so ‘in a hurry’ to be like this and that in no time, having no more respect towards their co-workers’ feelings/morale just to to be on top of the game which I don’t think I would ever get used to. I always have this notion that being ‘humble’ will earn you so much pride wherever you go and at the same time build better interpersonal relationship with your colleagues which could last for a lifetime. And yes, I have came across companies who would bombard you with insurmountable questions during job interviews like it’s a crime to have years of solid work experience (as if you never earned it) yet in the long run still end up hiring you because you’re an ‘asset’ to the company however will give you an effin hard time getting in so wtf right? These companies just want to shove it to your face that you’re too old and that they will give you a hard time because your wage offer is their ‘ceiling rate’ lol.

L-R: In character, Charles, Liza & Josh

Anyways, going back to Liza, unable to afford a lawyer to push through with the divorce settlement, had a rough time getting employed because of her age and financial difficulty became an impetus for her to pretend she’s 26 to get back to Publishing, the same industry she spent many years with (before she gave up her career to become a full time mother). Liza was hired by a 40 year old lady boss who thinks millennial babies do not have professional work ethic and knows nothing but party hard and spend most of their waking hours engrossed with social media. She was then forced to have her identity changed, recast her entire Facebook and Instagram page like her past life never existed without her ex-husband and daughter who goes to college in India knowing about it. Liza’s ex-husband was so broke to even pay for their college daughter’s tuition fee so she needed to work her ass off to shoulder pretty much everything. Then, Josh came along, a 26 year old tattoo artist from Brooklyn (who happened to live in the same neighborhood as Liza) unexpectedly.

Josh and Liza became romantically involved and it took a long time before Josh finally learned about Liza’s real age and previous life. Liza’s past life is beginning to haunt her one by one, she met an old colleague at work who almost blackmailed her since nobody knew at work about her past, not even her best friend Kelsey. Liza and Josh broke up many times because of their ‘complicated’ relationship status yet kept patching things up. Charles, Liza’s boss, who belongs to the same  age group as Liza (40 or something) and also a divorcee, on the other hand appears to be discreetly attracted to Liza not knowing her real age which I think is mutual anyways except Liza’s with Josh. I know a lot of things will still unfold in the long run and I can’t wait. So far I have finished Season 2 (12 Episodes) and I’m very squeamish to know how Liza’s story will end. 

Update (as of 06.12.17) 
I just watched the entire Season 3 today which consists of 12 episodes and it was far more interesting than Seasons 1 & 2.

Liza, still torn between Charles and Josh whilst the latter now head over heels with her. Kelsey, after the death of her fiancé on Season 2 is dating again and found her love interest through a New York writer she met in a party one time while her Jewish friend who's name I forgot began dating a former elementary school classmate who's now a Doctor. An unexpected character sprout from nowhere as well who knows about Liza's past began to haunt her. Liza's husband is back in the picture and is still trying to elude their divorce while she's already decided to push through with it. Josh by the way is totally smitten with Liza and is all ready to have a kid with her and take their relationship to the next level, Liza on the contrary thought Josh isn't really ready for anything serious yet and is not willing to give up her career because of pregnancy. Fortunately Liza, turned out to be not pregnant though to her relief, Josh was unhappy. Season 3's highlights were when Liza finally confessed to Kelsey about her real age and when Josh broke up with Liza after he saw her kissing Charles at the Hampton's just when he was about to ask her to marry him, he called her a liar and a cheater. Anyways, I read Season 4 will be aired last week of June.  You may check out Season 3 here.

Update as of 07/17/17: Season 4 is now available here (for episodes 1-3).

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