A Little Perspective from JK Rowling to Harvard Grads on the importance of FAILING Occasionally
February 27, 2010
I hope you appreciate this video because it took me an hour to figure out how to post a Vimeo video to WordPress. Hint: You need to get a VODPOD account to do it. For those of you wondering, why bother? – the major difference I’ve seen is that you can post videos longer than 10 minutes… a very nice perk when you get tired of uploading multiple segments!
The Long-Awaited Carewell Kick-off
February 23, 2010
Today was a big day. It was the start of my pro-bono coaching work at Carewell, a local Cancer Resource and Wellness Community. If you remember back, I found Carewell in the midst of a personal crisis. Or maybe I should be cliche and say that Carewell found me. Well, no matter who found who, it seemed fortuitous that we had been united.
Consequently, I had been anticipating the start of our work together for quite some time and I was afraid that this would be one of those instances that got marred by what I term “The Prom Effect”. Per my definition, “The Prom Effect” is when you build something up in your head to be larger than life; magical; or earth-shattering. Let’s just say that this has been a frequent pattern in my life and that I was somewhat scared that Carewell would fall victim to it as well. Yet I remained cautiously optimistic…
And amazingly, it came through. There was excitement…and energy…and instant connections…and dare I say it, even MAGIC. It was grand. I was exactly where I was supposed to be.
So what was this magical affair, you ask? Nothing more than an information session about the basics of coaching. Surprisingly, it managed to pack in quite a crowd, with only a few seats open in the very back of the room. It was a wonderful mix of cancer patients (Carewell’s members), doctors, caregivers and members of the local community that support Carewell.
And what a crowd they were! The questions came fast and furious and I found myself delighted to have such an interested audience. Maybe I do like this public speaking thing!? All I can say for certain is that it felt wonderful to welcome all these curious souls into my beloved world of coaching. Let the fun begin!
A Rugged, Versatile Adventure Camera: Canon’s Powershot D10
February 21, 2010
Greetings- I hope you enjoyed last week’s photo and video highlights of our time with the whale sharks. After a weekend of extensive usage in Donsol, we have nothing but rave reviews for the Canon Powershot D10. It truly is the perfect adventure camera with it’s combination of durability and features.
Here are a few of the things we like about it:
- Waterproof to 33 Feet
- Cold Resistant from 14-104 degrees Fahrenheit
- Shockproof up to 4 Feet
- 12.1 Mega pixels, 3x optical zoom
- Face Detection Technology
- A bright 2.5 inch color LCD
- 4 accessory posts around the corners that allow you to attach a cord with carabiners or a wrist-strap (perfect for those treacherous times when scaling mountains or attacking the rapids)
- Superb video capabilities
- Large rubberized buttons that make for easy usage when underwater or wearing gloves
- A bargain at just over $300
Up Close and Personal with the Butandings
February 16, 2010
On Monday we got back from what could surely be titled one of those “once in a lifetime” adventures. We had left early Saturday morning and flown to Legazpi, on the Southern part of Luzon, the island where Manila is located. When we disembarked the plane we were greeted with a view of stunning Mount Mayon volcano. She was even in a good mood, letting us have a view of her famed tip, often referred to as the perfect cone. It was breathtaking and hard to believe that she was ready to explode less than 2 months ago. Our thanks to her for letting our trip go off as planned!
From Legazpi it was a 1 hour drive to Donsol. Donsol is the intersection of a large river and the ocean, creating an area rich with plankton that the whale sharks love to feed on. And this is why they camp out here for so long, because like humans, good food is worth hanging around for!
We stayed at Woodlands Resort, one of the 3 in the area. Nothing fancy, but it met our basic needs. You should have seen our excitement when we got a solid 3 minutes of hot water (something we’ve yet to experience at the 3 other Philippines resorts we’ve stayed at)! Between that and a decent bed, we were set. Basic needs aside, it was time to focus our attention on the feature attraction, the beloved Butandings (the Filipino name for whale sharks).
We were each assigned to a boat with 6 people in it. Now, mind you, I was filled with plenty of apprehension on the first day. I’m not a big physical activity person to begin with and on top of that, I strongly dislike getting wet (which my family can highly attest to). Not a good combination. I was thinking it’d be a miracle if I could manage to get myself over the side of the boat (flashback to my scuba failure).
Here’s how the process worked. We had a Butanding guide that was a trained spotter and swimmer. He could pull us along if we got tired. He would stand at the front of the boat and look for large shadows in the water (indicating a whale). He would then give a signal and we had about 1 minute to get our gear on and get all 6 of us seated on one side of the boat, perching on a 2 inch wide ledge (while the boat was still moving). Not the safest thing I’ve ever done! Then he’d shout GO GO GO and we had to plunge into the ocean in the next 5 seconds and swim furiously behind him. Then, all of a sudden he’d stop and point down. We immediately plunged our faces into the ocean and lo and behold, a bus-sized whale was coming directly at us. It was the wildest thing. Here’s an example of what our first glimpse looked like:
No lie, the thing was about 5 feet from us and didn’t mind one bit! Notice the murky water – that’s because of all the plankton in it. That made it tricky because you wouldn’t notice it was there until you were practically on top of it! Now, upon locating the shark, you needed to immediately regain your composure and begin swimming with it in order to keep up with the 1-2 knot pace that it goes at.
I liked to start near the head (pictured above) and then allow my self to slow gradually and move down the length of it. This is going to sound odd, but the thing it most reminded me of was swimming with the sea turtles in Hawaii. Yes, it’s mammoth, but it’s a gentle giant. There were periods when we’d be swimming alongside it for 20-30 minutes and at times you could forget that others were around you. It was as if time was suspended and it was just you and the whale moving in sync with the water drowning out the chaos above. Pure magic.
And just about the time when you’d forgotten that other people existed, you’d get kicked in the head with a flipper by some obnoxious, flailing tourist that didn’t know how to swim. So annoying. And if they accidentally touched the whale shark, then it would dive down to a deeper depth where no one could see it. GRRR. The crowding was definitely the frustrating part. They were supposed to limit it to 1 boat of 6 people per shark, but since it was low season still, they weren’t enforcing the rule. Therefore, at any given moment in time there may be as few as 6 or as many as 30. Word to the wise: protect your head!
Complaints aside, I’d do it again in a heartbeat! There’s no way to ignore the “awe”someness of nature when side by side with this beautiful creature. Thankfully, in Sorsogon, the region where Donsol is located, they’ve created an awareness and preservation program. Despite that, things still happen to the animals. One heart-breaking moment was scoping out this giant beast and seeing that his tail had been cut by a propeller. Nick managed to get a really clear picture of it below. So sad!
The Stats:
- Total time on the water looking for sharks: 8 hours
- Injuries sustained: Technically 0, although I have a very nasty bruise on my leg from someone’s flipper
- False jumps into the water: 6
- Number of swims with a shark: 4
- Shortest swim: 1 minute
- Longest swim: 25-30 minutes
- Number of sharks seen: 2 different ones, we think. We ended up with the cut-tail shark more than once
- Value of the experience: PRICELESS
Must give all the credit to my talented husband for this great video and the underwater shots. My coordination is definitely not at the level where I can keep up with a shark and shoot video of it at the same time… thank goodness for Nick! We hope this gives you a sense of what we experienced – isn’t technology fantastic!?
Swimming with the Sharks this weekend – Am I officially crazy??
February 12, 2010
I am not sure how I got talked into this, but over V-day weekend, instead of going to a romantic dinner, I will be jumping into the ocean to swim with whale sharks. Seriously, have I lost my mind?? We will be spending the entire weekend going out in little fishing boats chasing these things and then jumping into the water with our snorkels to swim alongside them for as long as we can! We even bought a new fancy-pants underwater camera just for the chance to get some good shots… I willl be brave!
A few facts about these animals:
- The Filipino name for the Whale Shark is Butanding
- The average Whale Shark is 30 feet long, with the longest one being recorded at nearly 42 feet
- The average Whale Shark weighs 15 tons and is roughly the size of a school bus
This illustration will help you visualize the scale. WHOA, huh?
- Average lifespan of 70 years
- Greatest predator: Humans
- Feeds on: Plankton
Curious to learn more? Check out WIKIPEDIA
V-day Parties at Friendship Home!
February 11, 2010
Just wrapped up part 2 of our two week Valentine’s Day celebration at Friendship Home. My Mom and Dad helped me kick it off last week when they were in town. Last week’s party was 1/2 Bingo and 1/2 pouch making. Mom was instrumental in planning and preparing the activities. Remind me to never be a teacher, it is way too much work! But oh did the kids love it. They were so into it that they forgot to make noise.
Bingo was brand new for 2/3 of them and they took an instant liking to it. It was great watching the intensity on their faces as they scanned their cards. The personal highlight for me was listening to my Dad call the numbers. It was such a fun moment!
The other half of the party was devoted to creating their Valentine’s Day pouch that they’d receive their cards in the following week. Here’s a sample of what they turned out like:
This week’s party was devoted to creating the Valentines to fill those pouches. They decorated about 20 hearts each to put into each others’ pouches. I had brought some small candies to attach to the back of their cards, which was a completely foreign practice to them. There were smiles all around as their pouches began to overflow with Valentine’s from their friends. Pretty hard not to feel loved with a bursting pouch! Remind me again why I used to hate this holiday?? I think I’ll replace it with this new association. Check out these great pics, they totally capture the excitement and energy. There are lots more great ones on SMUGMUG in the “Janet and Steve Visit Manila” Gallery.
Awww. What can I say? I’m a sucker for weddings. Especially for my own. As you know, my big day was a 20 year event in the making. I can remember back to 7th or 8th grade when I started going to the library each week to page through the bridal magazines. I always dreamed that one day my wedding would be featured in one…. and now, lo and behold, it is! Granted, I submitted it. But it did get selected to be featured, which is something. All I care about is that I can check that off in my Life Goals book now! Oh, and did I mention that I still really like my husband 1 year later? That’s a nice bonus! Here’s the online feature for better readability: NICK & SARAH
Biyahe Tayo – My favorite song of the moment
February 8, 2010
I am simply addicted to this song at the moment. Produced by the Philippines Department of Tourism, it features 21 top Filipino artists. It’s magical! Take 5 minutes and enjoy the pictures and stunning harmonies…
Bangkok Recap!
February 7, 2010
Delightful, delicious Bangkok. Like Manila in many ways, but about 20 years ahead from an infrastructure standpoint and with way better food (No offense to my Filipino friends, there’s just something unique about curry). We got a 4 day taste of Bangkok while my parents were visiting. Given that they enjoy a faster pace, we packed the activities in. Here’s an overview of what we got to see:
Day 1: A Tour of the major must-sees in the city (Used Tours with Tong and rented a private van for the day)
This is the 500 pound solid gold Buddha that was found encased in concrete just 50 years ago. They just completed the temple to house this statue 1 year ago, so it’s a relatively new attraction. Definitely a WOW.
Next up was the Royal Temple and Residence Complex. Two words: Massive and Gold. Bright, vibrant colors assaulted the eyes from every direction. I think it would have been blinding on a high-sun day. Simply spectacular though and kept in really good shape.
This was the largest laying Buddha, also located in a temple in Bangkok. It’s hard to grasp the magnitude of the size in a picture. Just think of covering that Buddha in gold leaf, one inch at a time.
Our last gig for the day was a canal cruise. We got a really intimate glimpse into Bangkok daily life. My favorite moment of the day was when I snapped this daredevil leaping off the canal bridge. He purposely waited for the boat to go by so that it would evacuate the catfish from the area while he jumped. Now that’s clever thinking!
Day 2: Culinary Indulgence
Day 2 was all about the food. We started with a 6 hour cooking class at Bai Pai cooking school. This was hands-down my favorite part of the trip. The entire experience was a hoot and we really came away with a solid understanding of how to make Thai food at home. We also enjoyed meeting friends from around the globe. Our menu for the day was: Golden Bags, Panang Chicken Curry, Tom Ghoon Soup and Fried Rice with Pork. DELICIOUS!
Later that night we enjoyed a feast aboard one of the local Riverboat dinner cruises. The boat was a converted rice barge, which I thought was particularly neat. The two hour cruise took us up the river and back, allowing ample time for grazing and enjoying the illuminated sights on the river. Highly enjoyable!
Day 3: Daytrip to Ayutthaya (Tour with Tong)
We were back in our van on day 3 with our guide Lily. Today’s adventure was to the old capital city called Ayutthaya, located 75 minutes north of Bangkok. Built in 1350, it was the second capital of Siam and destryoed by the Burmese in the 18th century. Now a UNESCO world heritage site. It was well worth the drive!
When you remove the glitz and gold, these ancient temples reminded me a lot of Cambodia. It was easy to imagine the past grandeur of this fallen city.
And what’s a day without a Buddha visit?? Today’s chosen Buddha was the largest sitting Buddha in the country. Please take note of the man standing near Buddha’s hand so that you can get a sense of the scale. The scale of this one was staggering. I was definitely in awe.
Remember how much we loved the elephants in Cambodia? We were delighted to find that elephants were available to ride here. I love this great picture of mom and dad enjoying their very first elephant ride. So awesome! That’s not something you can find in MN!
Day 4: The Ancient City
We didn’t need to be to the airport until noon, so we decided to fit in one last activity on Day 4. We had heard great things about the Ancient City, which is about 1 hour outside of Bangkok. It was not an actual ancient city, but a replica of all the architectural traditions that exist in the country. It reminded me a lot of something you’d visit in Wisconsin Dells, basically a classy theme park without rides. The cherry on top of the experience was the fact that we got to use these old-school bikes to get around! I haven’t biked in so long – it was AMAZING! Who wants to stop and see things when you have a wide-open stretch of road to bike on…definitely NOT available in Manila!
To close, I’ll leave you with one picture that really amused me. This group of tourists begged Nick to come be in their picture because he was the tallest, whitest man they had ever seen. What an accomplishment honey, I’m so proud of you!
Insanely behind… be patient with me!
February 4, 2010
Greetings readers- I’m well aware that I haven’t posted in days or shown you pictures of our Bangkok trip. The thing is, there just hasn’t been any time! We have been go, go, going all day long at which point I tumble into bed exhausted. It’s been fabulously grand – YAY FOR PARENTS!
I promise that I’ll do a recap of Bangkok. In the meantime, please go check out the gallery of photos that I’ve posted at SMUGMUG. There’s a good variety of shots from gold Buddhas to elephants – Thailand was larger than life, all glitz and glam and occasionally over the top. I loved it! Possible future post? I sure hope so!
