Ode to a Neti Pot

There once was a house that fell ill

And racked up an emergency room bill.

They hacked all day and night

With no end in sight,

Thank God the Neti Pot works better than a pill.

WE LOVE YOU NETI!  Thanks for clearing up our sinuses.  You’re so much more reliable than Western Medicine!

Here’s a little educational video on how to use one:

For those who haven’t tried this before, no judging until you give it a shot.  Yeah, it feels super strange – but it works like a charm on sinus problems and allergies!   Neti pots are becoming so mainstream that you can even get one at Target!  Here’s the brand that we picked up before leaving, which includes 50 packets of the salt rinse you need to mix with the lukewarm water.  1/2 pot per nostril is our rule.  Experience the magic for yourself!

The Ralph Lauren of Pearls

After purchasing 5 sets of pearls for friends and family, I just couldn’t resist anymore.  The pearls were calling to me.  But not just ANY pearls, the Ralph Lauren set of Pearls… And by Ralph Lauren I’m not referring to cost (they were actually quite reasonable around $40), I’m referring to VERSATILITY.  Like any good set of pearls, you can showcase these pearls with the perfect suit or evening gown.  But the unique thing about the “Ralph Lauren” style is that they can be dressed down and look just as good with a pair of jeans and a t-shirt!  The perfect pearls, in my mind!

What makes them so versatile is that they can pick up any color in an outfit.  They are essentially an irridescent black with hints of purple, blue, green and pink.  Even in the two photographs I shot, they appear to be completely different colors.  That’s what makes them so fun!  I think I had known for awhile that this would be my first set ever since I laid eyes on them back in August.  It was just a matter of time…

The other part that makes me feel good is that I purchased them from Dam Good Stuff, a livelihood project that provides for families who were displaced from there homes when a dam was installed in the Pangasinan area 200 km north of Metro Manila.  Seems like a win-win situation to me!

Baby on the Way!

On Sunday we attended a baby shower for our good friends Andrea and Brian.  Nick and Andrea trained together in Washington, D.C. and have been inseparable ever since.  Andrea and Brian are also immensely likable because they are fellow Minnesotans, having lived in St. Paul before joining the foreign service!

I had assembled a Baby Care Package for the family that included a MN Monthly Magazine, An Alvin and the Chipmunk’s CD (the singular most played record of my youth) and various baby clothes.  Norma took over the assembly of the care package and when I tried to step in to help she told me that I was doing it wrong and would prefer to just finish it herself so it all looked the same.  It swear that I used to be able to wrap gifts on my own before I had a Norma…. Perhaps I’m regressing?

Suffice to say, the party was a heck of a lot of fun.  Made me want a baby – ALMOST.  Maybe we’ll just borrow theirs for a few nights and test the waters.  :)  All the pics are on SMUGMUG.  Otherwise, here are a few of my faves:

Our Perfectly Packaged Gift courtesy of Norma

Another Emergency Room Visit and Healing Massages: Our Weekend in Review

Yes, it is true.  We are still sick.  New symptoms seem to be showing up each day.  I haven’t kicked my cough yet despite all the various remedies I’ve tried.  And then Nick woke up on Saturday morning and told me he had an ear infection and needed it looked at immediately.  So off we went to the Emergency Room for the second time this week!  I’m starting to become a regular there – it’s really quite sad.  He was diagnosed with Swimmer’s Ear, which is essentially an infection of the ear canal.  Quite painful!  With drops and pain meds in hand, we settled in for another rest-filled weekend.

I’ve written several times about how I frequent The Spa, which is in Greenbelt.  While I still love my “home” spa, I felt like a change-up was in order because I was so used to the routine of the various massages that I’d know which direction I needed to turn or bend my leg before they had even prompted me.  The buzz in the Embassy community has been around Neo Spa, located in Fort Bonafacio.  I decided to test it out with a friend on Friday and see how it compared.

Since I’ve been sick for almost 3 weeks now, I opted for a unique massage geared toward helping your immune system.  It’s called a Lymphatic Drainage Massage and although the name isn’t very sexy, it ended up being in my top 3 massages of all time.  This style of massage boosts the flow of lymph around your body, refreshing your immune system and flushing out toxins.  For those of you that aren’t into biology: Lymph is a clear, yellow fluid that flows around your body, bringing white blood cells and antibodies to your tissues and organs.  These are vital to your immune system and help fight infections.

It’s hard to describe what the massage felt like.  At times, I felt like she was kneading my muscles, pushing her hands together from both ends.  She also used a unique S stroke that I’ve never experienced before.  Everything was long and flowing, but there was an intensity about it as well that felt different than Swedish.  She started at my toes and worked up to the top of the body, seemingly squeezing all of the toxins out through my head.  Simply amazing!  For those of you who like massage, add this style to your repertoire!

You can just about guess how excited I was about this new spa I had found!  So what did I do but book another appointment on the spot for Nick and I for the following day. I got him the Lymphatic Massage that I’d just received and decided that I’d sample a new massage called Tui Na, which is a form of Chinese Manipulative Therapy often used in combination with acupuncture.  I was struggling to explain the basics of Tui Na, so I pulled a short excerpt from Wikipedia to share with you:

The words Tui Na translate into “push-grasp” or “poke-pinch” in Chinese. Physically, it is a series of pressing, tapping, and kneading with palms, fingertips, knuckles or implements that help the body to remove blockages along the meridians of the body and stimulates the flow of qi and blood to promote healing, similar to principles of acupuncture, moxibustion, and acupressure.  Tui na is a hands-on body treatment that uses Chinese taoist and martial art principles to bring the body to balance. The principles being balanced are the eight principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The practitioner may brush, knead, roll/press and rub the areas between each of the joints (known as the eight gates) to open the body’s defensive chi and get the energy moving in both the meridians and the muscles.

I had no idea all that was happening but I can say that it felt sensational.  The most unique aspect of the style was that it was done almost exclusively with the two thumbs.  I can’t imagine what kind of hand strength that must take!  And the great thing about this new spa is that they have 4 or 5 other unique massage styles that I’ve never had before including: A bamboo massage, a Seashell Massage and a Lomi Lomi Massage.  I can guarantee that I’ll be sampling every style at least once!

 

 

These Guys Sure Take Their Cake Seriously!

Last night was a big one for the Novak family – our first ever Marine Ball!  Just to give you a little history, the Marine Corps Ball is an annual event that is celebrated each year on the Marine Corp’s Birthday.  This year happened to mark its 240th birthday and celebrations will be going on at each post around the world within a week’s time span.  The reason that this event is so closely linked to the Embassy community is that, quite simply, the Marines are the ultimate protector of the Embassies worldwide.  This celebration is a chance to honor them for the commitment they make to keeping our Embassy community safe!

In the Embassy world, this is the biggest day of the year to get dolled up.  Women start early – getting hair, make-up, and nails done throughout the day.  Over half of my friends were also having their dresses made.  They started back in August and worked with a local designer to come up with their creation.  As some of you know, I really wanted to get one made but Nick forced me to choose between getting the Chaise Lounge or the new dress.  We all know which won out.  I still think I made the right choice… So when the afternoon rolled around, I confidently slipped up my 11 year old Senior Prom Gown to storm the ball!  Added in an heirloom from the wedding (my flower) and I was all set to go…

Thankfully, I have the most skilled helper EVER and in a previous life she trained to be a nail technician.  This is a shot of her doing my manicure, after finishing my pedi earlier in the day.  Note the awesome beach chair, which has never actually seen a day at the beach yet, but works amazingly well for nails!  :)  Norma is also getting lots of photography lessons from me so that she can feel comfortable shooting pictures of us with the SLR camera.  She’s making great progress!

I’ve gotten many requests for a picture of Rudy – so here it is!  Rudy, is our dashing chauffeur.  He fills in as an excellent grandfather-like figure as well, passing me a hard candy every time I get in the car.  We feel so lucky to have him!

Here’s a shot of Nick and I before we left for the ball.  There was a 6 PM reception, a 7 PM program, 8 PM dinner and then dancing until 1 AM.  We were a bit  pathetic and bowed out around 10 PM due to flu recovery but we still feel like we got the essence of the evening.  And it doesn’t feel quite so critical to stay when you factor in that we’ll be going to this event for the next 20 years!

This was the formal ceremony part.  The color guard marched in and honored Ambassador Kristie Kenney, the honorary guest of the evening.  Then there were speeches, movies and the pinacle of the event – THE CAKE CUTTING!  I have never seen anything like this cake cutting before.  It started when they pushed in the largest cake I’ve ever seen in my life.  The thing is, it reminded me of a casket procession – they were completely stoic as they guided the wheeled cart in and flanked each side.  I couldn’t stop giggling (very undiplomatic of me).  The strange ritual continued as a Marine pulled out his sword and began to slice the cake.  I think my mouth dropped open here.  The Ambassador got her piece of cake first.  No sooner had she taken one bit than a Marine whisked it away from her.  The next part of the ritual was where the oldest Marine in attendance took a bite and then the youngest Marine took a bite.  (BTW, the youngest marine in attendance was born in 1988 – WHOA)  What floored me was that the whole thing was done with sharp turns and salutes and crisp arm movements.  It was hard to fathom that we were watching them eat a Birthday Cake!  (Sadly, more giggling on my end).  At the end we all shouted HURRAH! and then there was more marching to finish our celebration.  Definitely an experience to remember!  Here’s a picture of the wheeled cake being cut with the sword:

Finally, here’s a shot of my hubby looking just as good as the day we got married!  :)  I sure love seeing him in a tux!

Didn’t think I looked to bad myself.  The slit was a bit higher than I remembered and required some strategic napkin placement during dinner.  But other than that, I felt like I rocked the 1998 Prom gown!  Uh huh- I am 29 and feelin’ fine!  As always, LOADS more photos on SMUGMUG!

Christmas Shopping, Manila-style!

Manila is big on bazaars.  There is always one a month for the American Women’s Club of the Philippines.  The US Embassy Club does 2 annually as well.  And then there’s the myriad of church and local bazaars that spring up in other locales… point being that bazaar shopping is plentiful and the way to go.  It’s less expensive than mall shopping and more convenient for most.  I’ve learned that it’s best to attack the bazaar with a fierce, warrior-like mentality and a thorough, detailed list.  I’m getting so intense that I won’t even stop to chat – I’m on a mission…

As the holidays get closer, the bazaars get bigger.  The one that I went to this week was the biggest yet, filling the entire Philippines World Trade Center.  Despite still being on the mend after being sick, I was determined to get my Xmas shopping done (update: about 70% there).  Here’s a sampling of the beautiful wares that showed up this month at the bazaar.

A wider selection of photos can be see at SMUGMUG!

A Curse Upon Our House!

Friends, it’s been a long few weeks.  I swear, our house is plagued by disease and injury.  As you know, I picked up the nasty whooping cough in Hong Kong two weeks ago.  It’s finally working it’s way out of my system (100 cough drops and 3 bottles of cough syrup later).

Then Norma got a flu bug last week and we sent her home for two days.  Just when I thought we were rounding the corner on health, Nick comes down with the chills last night.  It was way freaky – I’ve never seen anyone shaking that bad.  So he’s piling on sweatshirts and blankets and telling me that’s something’s wrong.  So now he’s home with a 101 degree temp.  Please note: He has none of the same symptoms that I did, so I’m not taking responsibility for infecting him!

Oh, but wait!  The fun’s not over yet.  This morning, as Norma reaches up into a high cupboard in the back room to get Nick a can of chicken noodle soup, a precarious stack of heavy luggage falls from above and hits her in the head.  I feel like I should be in contention for the Worst Employer Ever Award – I’m sure we got her sick last week and then she gets a concussion trying to take care of Nick!

After seeing the massive read bump on her forehead and inquiring about her condition (she felt very dizzy), we decided to make an impromptu trip to the hospital.  Since Nick was sick, I had the honors.  And what an experience it was!  Rudy drives us there and pulls up to the Emergency Room entrance.  We go into a bizarre 6 foot by 6 foot room with a sign identifying it as the triage room.  Mind you, there were about 8 patients and 2 nurses stuffed into this little bitty space and they were scrambling around taking temps and blood pressures.  Once you got “triaged” you were sent to another area to wait.

Happily, since we had a head injury on our hands, we got bumped ahead of the less urgent issues.  Off we go to another absurdly crowded space.  There are some beds around the edges, chairs in the middle of the room and people standing everywhere.  The patients would just stay in their “waiting room” chair and a nurse would come to them and draw blood or take a blood pressure right in the middle of this chaos.  It was like nothing I’ve ever seen…

That being said, the quality of the care was exceptional, equal or better than the best care I’ve ever had in the States (if you can get over the lack of privacy).  We were taken in right away and Norma went through exams, bloodwork and xrays for the next hour and a half.  In the States, I imagine the typical process would have been to shine the light in the eyes and do a quick exam – done in 10-15 minutes.  Not in Manila!  She had a 30 minute exam by a nurse, a 10 minute exam by a doctor, she got an IV put in and was given fluids and then we ended with a head xray.  Very thorough if I do say so myself.

And the grand total (with no insurance)…. $60!  For those of you who are curious, the biggest expenses were:

Doctor’s fee: $8
Emergency room fee: $12
Xray: $20

Wild, huh?  Seriously, this is the place to get sick.  Filipinos are born nurturers and pretty much every other College student is in school to be a Nurse or Doctor.  Honestly, it quelled a lot of my fears around getting injured because I saw first-hand how exceptional the care was.

So back to Norma.  She was a trooper.  Second time EVER at the doctor/hospital!  She was given an all clear – no skull fractures.  We got her some pain pills and had Rudy driver her home.  So there you have it, my first hospital visit.  This girl is EXHAUSTED from all the care-taking that went on today.  Please pray that everyone starts healing ASAP!

 

 

MJ Goes Out on Top!

All I can say is WOW.  I am still reeling 5 days after seeing Michael Jackson’s This Is It.  I can’t seem to get it out of my head… I struggle to even write a review of it, as the experience was more visceral than anything for me, making it incredibly hard to put into words.

I’ll begin by placing myself on the continuum of Michael’s fans.  I’m not an MJ obsesser, nor am I a MJ hater.  I like to think of myself as an MJ Appreciator.  Thanks for letting me get that out of the way up front.

I realized after his death that the mere mention of Michael Jackson made me quite uncomfortable.  Opinions were so disparate and I felt like I had to make a case as to whether the value of the contributions of his music outweighed the negative impact of his misunderstood behavior.  To like him was to defend that he was sane.  To not like him was to deny the quality and impact of his work.

For me, the movie provided the resolution I needed to this internal conflict.  It was a stunning compilation of his final project, portrayed in a very raw, intimate way.  It was impossible to deny his innate talent when watching the film – even at age 50, his gift as a musician shone just as brightly as the video footage of when he was 20.  Even the dancers were struggling to keep pace!

When you stripped away the hype of his personal life and just focused on his ability to make music, it was impossible not to be moved.  He knew his songs backwards and forwards and was a step ahead of all the other supporting performers.  Other than the emaciated look of his body (which was hard to ignore), nothing else suggested that he was incapable of executing this tour.  And so it was with immense joy that I just sat in my seat and let his music wash over me.  I lingered over memories that his music brought up and found myself clapping in between songs along with the rest of the theater.  It was incredibly therapeutic to embrace him for all that he was (good and bad) and mourn that I wouldn’t get to enjoy any more of his music.

I had always secretly hoped that Michael would go out on top.  I wanted him to be remembered for his contribution to music, not the tabloids.  And as I walked out of the theater with a wide smile on my face, I was relieved to realize that somehow this movie made it all right.  In the space of that 2 hours, all was right with the world.  So go to the movie, all you lovers and haters, and make your peace with MJ.  It’s time to put this debate to rest.

In closing, I leave you with one of my favorite MJ medleys by Sam Tsui:

And the Decorating is Finally Complete (Well Mostly)

As you all know, while the location and view of our condo were fabulous, I had quite a bit of work to do to create an environment that felt “homey” to us.  I’ve been laboring for the last 4 months and am finally ready to unveil the results.  Please feel free to share your thoughts!

The complete gallery of before and after photos can be viewed at: http://www.minnesotagal.smugmug.com

First, a reminder of what we started with so you can better appreciate the final product:

And the after shot:

And a few more shots of the transformation:

Check out the AMAZING slipcover I had custom-made . . . covered up that awful coral just beautifully!

And some shots of the master bedroom

A Childhood Wish Come True OR Sarah Gets Her Chaise!

Oh my goodness, Oh my goodness, Oh my goodness!!  I FINALLY got the one thing that I’ve been pining my whole life for (besides a husband and a blow-out wedding).  I wanted what every little girl dreams of — a chaise lounge, of course!  I can pinpoint the exact moment I first saw one.  I was around the age of 10 on a family vacation in Duluth.  We were visiting the Glensheen Mansion (shout out to my good friend Christina, who lives a few blocks away!)  and were in one of the bedrooms of the Congdon girls (note: if you go visit, they’re not allowed to talk about the murder that happened there) when I saw my first fainting couch.

And so my obsession with chaise lounges began.  I started collecting pictures of chaises in all shapes and sizes.  Some dainty, some robust, all upholstered.  The piece never fit in any of my prior residences, so I just put the dream on hold.  But then we arrived in Manila and the room was just calling for something more – a regal throne to recline in and view the grand city, so to speak.  And I knew it was time.

Now, the worst thing one could do was rush out and buy any old chair.  No, no, I would not have regret taint this experience.  I started slowly, negotiating a budget with the hubby.  I did online research, looking into some of the current styles and thinking about what would work in this space (as well as many others ahead).  I also wanted to give it a flair that was unique to the Philippines, so I chose to go with a Rattan style.  Next up was interviewing potential manufacturers.  There were two strong front-runners that I felt confident could pull it off.  I worked with a designer to identify the exact shape and dimensions I wanted and they sketched a concept (see below).

We were in business!  For those of you in Manila, the two designers were Las Palmas Furniture Inc with a showroom in Salcedo Village and JNC Rattan with a showroom in Market Market at the Fort.  Here’s the design we came up with.

Rattan actually ended up being a bit too thick for the piece.  It would have worked well for an outdoor piece but was too chunky for a project like this.  Instead I chose abaca, a variation of rattan that is indigenous to the Philippines.  (Fun fact: Back when I worked in the gifts department at Target, all of our baskets came from the Philippines and most were made of this fiber!)  With a mid-range gloss to finish, it had the perfect look that I wanted.

The base cushion is designed loose so that it can easily be washed.  I also chose a more durable cotton fiber to account for wear over time.  At the end of the day, I went with JNC as the vendor as they came in at $600 and Las Palmas was closer to $1000.  Las Palmas quality was exceptional and I know it would have been a superb product… I’m just getting used to paying less here.  Happily, JNC created a wonderful product and delivered it free of charge too!  And now, all that’s left for me to do is sit in my chair and gaze out the window at the city planning what exciting project there is to conquer next.  Do be sure and stop by and try it out – but I’m warning you, pretty soon you’ll want one too!

 

Just Another Manic Monday . . .

Poor Monday – it always gets a bad rap as the worst day of the week.  I’m taking a stand for Monday!!!  I challenge you to inject your Monday with some FUN!  Here’s a little inspiration to help…

How Hong Kong Got the Best of Me

The good news is that I can say I’ve finally been to Hong Kong.  The bad news is that I can’t say that I’ve actually seen much of Hong Kong… here’s a peek into how my 4 days unfolded:

I arrived in the city bright eyed and bushy-tailed on Wednesday morning, ready to take on the New York of the East!  Although the flight was uneventful, I began running into problems shortly thereafter.  I am quite sure that Hong Kong would get high marks for having one of the cleanest, fastest transportation systems in the world but for some reason we just didn’t click.  It took me a solid 2 hours to deplane and get to my hotel.  Insane, I know!  The 3 biggest factors that held me up were:

1. The IMPOSSIBLE Chinese language – Every station stop sounded the same to me.  I got off at the wrong one twice.  JEEZ.  Time lost: 30 minutes.
2. The Octopus Card – All the guide books raved about this fabulous Octopus card that you can load money on and use for all transportation options (as well as grocery stores, McDonald’s, Pharmacies, etc).  It did sound great.  Too bad I had no Hong Kong dollars and they wouldn’t let me get one with a credit card.  Time lost: 30 minutes to find an ATM and get the stupid card.
3. My Carry-on – Nick has been pushing me towards trying to pack lighter and carry on.  In my quest to become a savvy traveler, I decided to try his method and use his favorite bag and carry it on.  The problem?  It had no wheels!  I was certain I could lug that sucker on my shoulder for the short distance to the hotel.  And what I learned was that I most certainly could NOT (especially since it took close to 2 hours).  Time lost: 30 minutes of setting the bag down at various points to rest my aching shoulder.

I have to admit, I was pretty crabby by the time I got to the Cityview Hotel in Kowloon.  I perked myself up by eating (which always seems to do the trick).  I was directed to a fabulous dim sum restaurant where I indulged in steamed pork balls, spring rolls and beef dumplings.  All were sensational, although I made quite a mess attempting to work with the chopsticks.  I found some highly creative ways to utilize the chopsticks to reach my end goal of getting the food in my mouth.  Never mind the appalled looks when I tried to saw the meatball with the chopstick (it worked, by the way) and stabbed the steamed pork ball and ate it like a kebob (also very effective).

I still wasn’t feeling like much sight-seeing at this point, so I wandered around the hotel neighborhood and found a reflexology place.  It felt very authentic – down in a dimly-lit basement, stained towels, no English and shabby, threadbare chairs.  (Sidenote: I’d like to quickly insert here that I’ve attempted to get reflexology done 3 times now and always been sorely disappointed with the mediocre foot rub I got).  Somehow the dinginess of this place gave it some real authenticity, making me want to take a chance on it.  And let me tell you, I couldn’t have been more right!  It was out of this world – I had no idea there were so many sensory points on my foot!  My favorite part was following along on the foot chart (which had an English translation) and seeing if I could feel something shift in my stomach for example as he pressed on the part of the foot that correlated with that organ).  Amazingly cool!!!  I should have known that I’d have to go to China to get the real deal.

By that point I’d mustered up the energy to attack the city.  I walked from my hotel in Kowloon to the harbor, taking in all the sights and smells along the way.  I got some great photos in the Kowloon city park and then jumped the Star Ferry to cross to Hong Kong.  I was starting to feel quite exhausted by that point, so I merely located my bus pick-up location for my conference the next day, grabbed some dinner and retired for the night.

Little did I know that when I woke up on Thursday I’d have a budding head cold to deal with.  This unwelcome pest sapped me of all my energy, putting me out of commission for the rest of the trip.  I was determined to attend my coaching classes though and I’m happy to say that I made it through.  What got sacrificed though was the evening sightseeing I thought I’d do.  Instead, I got to know my bed at the Cityview quite well.  So alas, Hong Kong seemed to get the best of me.  Maybe the second time will be the charm…

In Search of Future Bennies and Johnnies in the Philippines!

There are few things in the world that I’m more passionate about then my undergraduate experience at the College of St. Benedict (CSB) and its partner institution, St. John’s University (SJU).  To this day, I’ve never encountered another community quite like it.  My growth during that period was astronomical and I’m still uncovering the foundational shifts that took place for me over those 4 years of bliss.  You know how when you discover something so wonderful, you just have to share it with someone else?  Well, that’s exactly how I feel about the CSB/SJU experience.  I know that it’s not right for everyone, yet I know that for the right person it’s PURE MAGIC.

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what makes the experience so unique, but some of my favorite influences were definitely the Christian spirituality base, the deep reverence for community and the commitment to life-long learning.  Another group of people that had a profound impact on me were the international students – ones that I met on campus or during my time abroad in Greece and Italy.  CSB/SJU has made a real commitment to increasing the international population (currently 8% of students) and I decided that that’s where I wanted to focus my efforts as an overseas alum.

I went to the International Student Admissions Representative, Roger Young, and asked to be trained as a rep so that I could go recruit at some of the schools in Manila.  I spent time preparing by reading up on the current stats and organizing the recruitment brochures that were mailed to my home here.  I completed 3 visits over the last week and I can’t even begin to describe how rewarding it was!  I went to 2 International schools and 1 Private High School for Filipino students.  I had the chance to have 1-on-1 conversations with 7 different students, many of whom were incredibly interested in the unique attributes of the school (and not afraid of a little snow)!  I also had audiences with the guidance counselor teams at each location, building relationships that will hopefully lead to them recommending the school to more and more students each year.

My favorite part of the experience was witnessing the students’ excitement (and fear) around starting this new part of their life.  I could tell that the fact that I was an alum (and not a paid member of the institition) really resonated with the millenial generation, as it spoke to the authenticity of my experience and the fact that I wanted this for other people.  My favorite comment was, “I can’t believe you really gave me your cell phone number!”  What an incredible way for me to feel connected to the current generation that’s coming into the Colleges.  So much for the excuse that living halfway around the world has to impact how involved you can be!

Next up, figuring out a way to create a program for other overseas Alums to do this for the countries that they’re currently residing in!  Just think of the International students we could reach as a collective group!!  Stay tuned for more updates on my Filipino prospective students…

Off to Ontological Coach Training in Hong Kong

Photo by Slack12 from Flickr Creative Commons

I’ve been waiting for this day to arrive for a long, long time.  Back in May I was awarded a Fellowship from the State Department to continue my coach training overseas.  I am so impressed by this Fellowship, which provides funds for spouses to enhance their training and development so that they can continue to work overseas (which can be a huge challenge for many people).  I jumped on the opportunity and received a $1500 grant to attend a 3 Day Ontological Coaching Course in Hong Kong run by the Newfield Institute.

I think that Ontological Coaching can best be summed up by this excerpt from the course overview:

“Ontology is the study of being – what it means to be human. Ontological Coaching focuses on our Way of Being, which is a dynamic interrelationship between three areas of human existence – language, emotions and body. Way of Being contains our often deep-seated perceptions and attitudes and is the underlying driver of our behaviour and communication.

Coaching in all three areas of language, emotions and body can generate profound learning, resulting in fundamental shifts, both in self-perception and perception of what is possible in personal and professional life. From an ontological perspective, deep and lasting change requires shifts in language, emotions and body.  An ontological approach to coaching is based on a deeply grounded understanding of human beings, which has emerged from significant breakthroughs in a practical understanding of the power of language and communication.”

Although I am already certified as a Coach, I truly believe that my next area of development is in regards to “Being” because I, like many of you, tend to rely on my head more often than my heart and intuition.  I hope to come away from this class with the tools to help clients access not only their thoughts, but their full range of emotions and intuition as well.  It has the potential to make a very powerful impact on my coaching.  Oh, and did I mention the best part???  I get to be trained by the CREATOR of this methodology, Alan Sieler!!  For those interested, here is some additional information on the COACHING IN ACTION program, which is offered in a variety of locations in Southeast Asia and Australia.

So I’m off for 4 days of learning and exploration in Hong Kong.  Wednesday is my free day to take in the city, which will be followed by 3 days of classes.  I’ll do my best to post updates and pictures if free time permits!  This sponge is ready to soak up as much new wisdom as she can!  Seriously, how is it possible to love going to classes so much?  I LOVE SCHOOL!

A Neighborhood Shoot-out!

This weekend brought excitement a little bit too close to home.  Our beloved Greenbelt 5, which is a 2 minute walk from our place, was subject to an armed robbery.  The 7 person team of robbers were dressed in police uniforms and arrived in the mall’s basement parking lot at noon Sunday.  They leaped out of a van and bypassed a security guard (even though they were clearly armed) by telling him that they were being called in to investigate a bomb threat.  The armed robbers then proceeded up to the main level and attempted to rob the Rolex store.

Thankfully, two bodyguards of a local mayor were nearby and ran to the scene with their guns drawn. One of the robbers was shot dead and the group changed course.  Before they left the building though, they shot off several rounds of bullets.  I’m pleased to say that very few were injured though!  This hits just a little bit too close to home, as I literally pass by this Rolex store an average of 3 times a week.  Not good, especially since only 2 years before there was a bomb that went off in Glorietta Mall, just a few blocks away.

It’s a good reminder that there are inherent dangers no matter where you live and it’s always important to be aware.  That being said, I plan to take extra precautions these next few months, as I’ve been warned that the level of crime rises in proportion to the closer we are to Christmas, as desperate people need money to buy Christmas presents for their loved ones.

Today I’m giving thanks that Nick and I are safe.  I wouldn’t mind though if the neighborhood quieted down a bit.  First typhoons and now gunshots!  Makes me miss the days when blizzards were the scariest thing that could impact me…

Weekend Update

After passing a cold back and forth for the first part of October, Nick and I are finally starting to get our energy back.  We managed to come up with a fun-filled weekend to get us back into the swing of “normal” life.  Here are a few of the highlights:

The Art Sale

We took in an art show on Friday night.  I was hoping it was going to be like the MCAD student art sale that happens each year in MN in which everyday folks have a chance to buy inexpensive works of art by budding artists that could be famous someday.  I was really hoping that I’d discover an up-and-coming Filipino artist that we could feature in our home.  No such luck.  Beautiful works of art, but already discovered and quite spendy (especially by Filipino standards)!

Side Note: It just so happens that the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) is having their next art sale on November 20th and 21st!  Will someone please go for me??  Pretty please?

The Embassy Welcome Party

The big Embassy Welcome Party also took place this weekend, officially ushering in  the 60+ new families that arrived at post this summer.  It was very geared towards the kids (pool time, dancers, a Filipino Feast, etc.)  The highlight of the night for me was getting my picture taken next to a Jeepney, the most popular form of public transportation in the Philippines!

Julie and Julia

Nick was in a giving mood Saturday night and offered to join me for the Filipino debut of Julie and Julia.  I’ve been patiently waiting a month for this film to get here and it did not disappoint!  I was incredibly struck by the parallels between mine and Julia’s lives.  I had no idea she was a diplomat’s wife who discovered her passion while looking for something to fill up her time overseas!  Very cool indeed.  She may very well be my newest inspiration!

Badminton

Sunday is usually a quiet day for us but we spiced it up a bit by accepting an offer to join friends for a morning game of Badminton.  I should start by saying that I haven’t played since the Badminton unit in 9th grade gym class.  That being said, the skills came back fairly easily and I wasn’t half bad at it (unlike most sports I try my hand at).  Nick was quite taken with it too and we may have just found our new joint hobby!  Next time we will definitely try an air-conditioned court though – we sweated through all our layers!

Halloween Party at Friendship Home

Wow, my spirits are still soaring after visiting the sensational children of Friendship Home today!  It was a big day – the Halloween Party!  There were 3 stations for the kids to rotate between and I brought bags of candy that they had to do “tricks” to receive!  It was a hoot… I continue to marvel at these kids and the amazing creativity.  Seriously, today’s activities centered around toilet paper, newspaper and paper plates.  These simple activities fueled a solid two hours of dramatic play and interaction between the 20 kids.  A good reminder of the endless play possibilities that exist in the absence of TV and computers and Nintendo!

You can really sense how appreciative the kids are, no matter what we do with them.  There isn’t a child that will complain or cause problems.  They’re totally engaged, the entire time.  Pretty amazing to witness.  So what did we do today?

We made newspaper hats!

We mummified each other with toilet paper!

And we made cool masks (this is Raymark adding some string to his).

I had brought my digital SLR to take pictures of the kids.  It ended up being a very popular item.  One child named Rodrigo took a particular interest in it and spent the majority of the time taking shots with it.  He later told me (as he carried my bag out to the car – he insisted, I swear) that he dreamed some day of buying a camera.  Heartbreaking!  Sweetest kid ever.  I’m playing with the idea of picking him up some Saturday and taking him to Fort Santiago to teach him how to shoot manually.  Wouldn’t that be a fun way to share my new-found skills?  Here’s a picture of the two of us:

I’ve been racking my brain trying to think of how I can take my skills and teach them things.  Here’s a list of some of my skills and my ideas for how to transfer knowledge:

• Singing/Music: I’d really love to find a guitar player and then lead some group songs.  Otherwise I came up with the idea today of buying a bunch of recorders and teaching them how to play and read music.  Seems do-able.
• Theater: We could do a little play perhaps…
• Games: The possibilities are endless, I just need to determine which ones would work best in a group.  Maybe a tournament of some sort?
• Social Media: I think this one may be out since they don’t have access to computers.
• Economics/Business:  ?
• Photography: Maybe I could teach them the elements of photo composition.
• Dancing: Already downloading the music to teach them the electric slide soon!
• Pilates: Hmmm.  I wonder how that would go over?
• Entertaining: Perhaps teach them napkin folding techniques or how to set a perfect table??  :)

As I said before, I’m taking ideas.  I Appreciate the help (and so will the kids)!

Good Times at the Hoedown!

It was a big weekend folks.  My first dress-up, large-scale event in Manila.  And it was not just any event, it was the Annual Hoedown put on by the American Women’s Club of the Philippines.  This event unites the expat community (men and women alike) around down home cookin’ and country line dancing.  And where else would you expect a Hoedown to be held other than the Sofitel, Manila’s best 5 star hotel.  Makes me laugh, as it’s so representative of the strange dichotomies that exist here.  It was a fine venue though and fit the crowd of 300 well.  Just silly to see chandeliers mixed with patriotic bunting!

Many of you know that I love a good theme party, although I must say that a Hoedown has never been on my “must-attend” list.  I embraced it 100% though and had a tailor design me an honest-to-goodness cowgirl shirt!  I felt like the real deal with my blue jeans and heeled Madden boots.  Next year I’ll be adding a hat to change it up!  I’m glad I went all out because people were definitely decked out for the night.  Who knew a Hoedown could be so classy?!?

The night was split into several parts.  The Chili Cook-off was from 5-7 PM.  Fifteen expats showcased their finest chili recipes for all to try.  This guy’s (above) was my absolute favorite.  It had taken him 15 hours to make.  Now that’s someone who’s serious about chili!  After the Cook-off it was time for a dinner that included: Ribs, Brisket, Corn on the Cob, Coleslaw, Mac ‘n Cheese, Root Vegetables and Manila’s best attempt at apple pie (only so-so).  I was so full from all the chili, that I just skipped right to the dessert table.  Mmmm!

The line dancing started around 8 PM.  There was even a live country band that played all night.  I was totally shocked that a country band exists in Manila!  Who’d have thought??  That seems so random to me… and although I was too busy socializing to dance, plenty of other people did.  That floor was packed!  The mechanical bull was my hands-down favorite.  What a hoot!  

The AWCP did an amazing job with the event this year.  I was not expecting anything of this magnitude, which was a nice treat!  I had a wonderful table of ladies that I went with, which was a blast.  My husband was crushed that he couldn’t go (yeah right!) but has promised to attend next year.  Can’t wait to put together his outfit!  :)  YEE HAW!

High Tea at the Peninsula

Ahh, some days my new life amuses me.  Like today, when I was invited to “High Tea” at the Peninsula Hotel.  Can’t say I’ve ever been to “Tea” before, let along “High Tea”.  This brings up a whole series of questions like:  What does one wear to tea?  Should I eat a light lunch that day, assuming there will be lots of food?  Do you stay at your table or move around with your tea?  I could keep going for quite a while here folks… suffice to say that I wasn’t really sure what I was doing on this one.  But as I’m so rapidly learning, one must act like you know what you’re doing!

The fun part about this tea was that it wasn’t just the American Diplomatic Community.  There were Diplomatic Spouses of all kinds including Brits, Aussies and Canadians.  I tell you one thing, Brits and Aussies especially know their tea.  I was educated on the most common kinds of afternoon tea as well as how to identify a perfectly-made scone.  I made the mistake of asking someone if we were supposed to put the jelly on the biscuit and she pointedly replied, “Yes, you put the JAM on the SCONE.”  Oops – my bad.  In Minne- SOH-ta we only use jelly. Some people are mighty sensitive about those scones…

Don’t these pictures below make it look like we’re going to a wedding or something?!?  I mean seriously, all of this for TEA???  Makes me want to burst out giggling.  Which I would if I wasn’t trying so hard to be proper!

Oh, and did I mention that a “High Tea” food spread is really like a mini dinner?  Mini sandwiches and crab cakes and fettuccine alfredo and fruit and a whole bunch of desserts.  Forget the tea and scones, I’ll just do the desserts please!  And so a lovely time was had by all.  I can now say that I have a diverse new cross-section of foreign national friends (who thankfully speak english too – makes it so much easier!)  I also have my first “High Tea” over and done with and won’t make the same mistakes at the next one.  Silly Sarah, you must work on your protocol!   SIGH.

The Grocery Game: Why You Should Consider Playing

This is a bit of a deviation from my normal posts, but it seemed too good not to pass along, so here goes!  Just learned about this site called The Grocery Game.  Teri, the woman that began the site, started studying the sale cycles of Supermarkets 10 years ago and producing a weekly list based on the best time to buy.  Members of her site plug in their zipcode and select the lists for the stores they frequent.  The color-coded system tells you which items to stock up on and which to wait and get until the following week.  The list also layers in coupons and explains how to get the best value from them in combination with store-specific sales.

Let’s just jump straight to the cost, shall we?  A 4 week trial membership is free. After that, the cost is $10 per list for 8 weeks.  Additional lists for that same 8 week period are an extra $5.  I searched my old St. Paul zipcode and found CVS, Cub, Whole Foods and Rainbow.  Fun fact: The article I read stated that the average family of 4 who participates saves $512 a month on groceries.  Seems like an easy way to me to find some extra money each month!  Since we can’t partake here, those of you that check it out, please report back and let us know if it’s as good as it sounds!