Sick day

Since Tuesday night, I've been feeling a bit under the weather.

Both Steven and I are taking a natural cold remedy and going to bed at 9:30.

I braved the heat outside and got us some Manuka honey.

This stuff is fantastic. Not only does it taste like honey on steroids, but it has lots of health benefits, like soothing sore throats.

Unfortunately, I only realized that the active ingredients in it would probably be killed in the scalding hot water I made my tea with.

Next time, gotta eat it on toast.

A bad food day and Ashtanga

Yesterday was a bad food day for me.

I overloaded on a heavy Taiwanese bento (mm, deep fried king oyster mushrooms I heart you).

And then we went home, took a nap (I heart naps), and went back out for a coffee.

And yes, coffees now always come with a piece of heavy chocolate cake and whipped cream (I heart chocolate frosting).

Later, Steven and I watched the Australian Open men's final and I ate a bag of chips (Doritos, I heart you).

By now you're wondering what I don't heart (or you want to punch me).

I don't like this hurricane-y weather we've been having (though the view is really nice).

This is basically my view every day for my morning Ashtanga. That's Central station in Sydney.

Speaking of which, it was painful and stiff today, like I had been running a 10K or something (which I haven't, really!).

My knees both popped, my left wrist lost feeling for a moment, my hips felt like they were pummeled. I even stopped before drop backs to check if today was a moon day and I should stop this madness immediately (it isn't...sigh).

I think diet affects us more than we realize, especially when each morning demands that your body bend (forward and back), twist (Marichiasana D, I do NOT heart you), and hold (friggin Navasana impossible lift ups).

Something as simple as Doritos, chocolate cake, and oversleeping can really mess you up.

Well, tomorrow's a big day for me. My first day of work, a trial yoga class at a new studio, and everything in between! I'm going to eat right today and get my energy up for tomorrow.

What foods make you feel like a 92-year-old hobo that just woke up from a night on a park bench?

I got a JOB! A real JOB!

This lucky duck got herself some work!

Now, to fill the rest of my time with yoga, teaching, and possibly lululemons!

I'm hoping to work at Lulu part-time so that I can still keep my feet in the yoga.

I got a grapefruit green tea + tapioca and coconut jelly to celebrate.

Chatime for the win!

The Sydney Bay Run

Yesterday, I took a day off from spreading my heart over Sydney and getting rejected looking for a job. 

I did this: 

All Murakami on sale at Kinokinuya for 9.95!! Except 1Q86, the only other one I haven't read yet. Boo.

Starbucks soy latte because soy is free here (Aussieland 1, Canada 0).

This is THE BEST DANISH I HAVE EVER EATEN. 

The fresh, flaky crust embraces the sweet blocks of mango like a koala embraces its tree. 

As you bite into the pastry, the crunch of the crust is such a pleasure against the syrupy sweet mango, which tumbles off the pastry and into your lap creating a big sticky mess, but whatever. 

This was amazing. 

You know what else is amazing? 

This guy: 

After a long day of making the bacon, he brought it over to Iron Cove.

That's where our friends took us to do the 7K Bay Run.

Now, we didn't do the actual Bay Run, because that's in August, but we ran/walked 7K.

My stats:

30.07 minutes
2.87 miles
10:30 min/mile average pace

Then, I stopped and took about a 10 minute walk, and did a few more minutes of running.

This was an absolutely beautiful run.

You go around the bay, encounter all sorts of dogs and people, up some hills, over some bridges, through city, country, and everything in between.

It's too bad that my knee hurt.

I knew 2.87 miles was enough for me, but I still kept pace with my friend back to the car.

I will have to take a few extra rest days to get my knee back.

Oh well!

Anyway, because our place is out of internet (friggin internet, bane of my blog-xistence), Steven and I have come here to our favourite cafe for some treats while we Inter our Nets.

I am pondering why lattes here are served in glasses, and glad I'm not alone. Glasses get HOT. It makes absolutely no sense that this is the "proper" way to have a latte. (Aussies 0, North Americans with mugs 1).

Have a good night everyone!

Best day in a while

After my run yesterday (I'll blog about this later!) I woke up feeling pretty good. I was determined to paper the town with my resumes. 

NO RETAIL STORE ANYWHERE IN SYDNEY WOULD ESCAPE MY WRATH. 

I took a train (btw, 6 dollars for the ride. SIX DOLLARS! Gawds, I'm so poor now.) over to Chatswood, a  suburb in northern Sydney.

Actually, I had an ulterior motive in coming here to Chatswood. 

It is the location of a Lululemon store, and you know how I love to get my lemons on. 

The ladies here were super nice (as they are everywhere), and asked me a bunch of questions. They didn't seem to mind that my visa only allows me to work with any one employer for 6 months. 

I'm invited to an open interview soon, and I hope I get a job (for the sake of both Steven and my sanity). 

My lunch was Sumo Salad, this fast food chain with ready-made salads in nearly every food court I've been in here in Aussie-land. 

I chatted with Steven about how happy I was that the Lulus were nice to me. 

Then, I went for a walk around Chatswood since I'd already paid the $6 to get there. 

I was looking about the shops when I saw the mighty OM sign in a window. Naturally, I examined it further, and found The Yoga Hotspot. 

I went inside and talked to David, the co-owner of the studio, and I'm excited to practice, and possibly teach (!!!!) at The Yoga Hotspot. 

Then, as I was walking back to the train station, glowing with happiness, some guy came up to me and said, "Sorry to stop you, but I couldn't let this chance walk away from me." 

"So, you're pretty cute, and I thought I'd just try to talk to you." 

"How are you doing?" 

When I picked my jaw back up from the floor, for a milli-second I thought about toying with this guy, but then I said, "I have a boyfriend. Sorry." 

"Boyyyyyfrrriieennndd?!?" he moaned. 

"Good luck!" I patted him on the shoulder. 

And that's the makings of a pretty awesome day. 

How was yours? 

Breakfast in Sydney

Fried egg on a tortilla with salsa, cheese and sour cream.

Off to find a job!

My new favourite dress

Off to discard resumes to the wind (which is as good as handing them out to the stores here, apparently).

At least I look nice. Or so I think.

In the top picture, you can also see the pec/delt/bicep I've put so many hours into making. Thanks, Ashtanga!

Yoga in Hyde Park and a Run

Monday morning in Sydney.

Unemployed, bored, and all alone.

What's a girl to do?

1) Ashtanga home practice to maintain sanity
2) Email a billion people but not really expect anyone to email back (sad face)
3) Go to a local yoga studio to apply for a job, and get coldly turned away (sad, sad face)
4) Get called about an outbound call center job
5) Do some yoga in the park with the lululemming crowd

The deal is, Monday afternoons from 12:30 to 1:15, the lulus will meet at this epic fountain (called Archibald Fountain) in the middle of Hyde Park.

I waited 10 or so minutes and got my first lulu spotting, a bunch of girls wheeling a box of mats into the square.

(P.S.- This isn't a lulu hate-blog. I was actually decked head-to-toe in the stuff. It's good! Pricey, and we all look the same, but good!)

We quickly set up and got to it.

I forgot how a led class feels, especially an impromptu one. It brought back memories of when I! Me! ME! used to do this.

I miss it.

I miss the work of it--studying the bodies and thinking of words or movements that could help, studying the personalities and thinking of the words or movements that could make an impact. I couldn't help but sweep my eyes over the crowd and make those mental notes that come naturally when yoga is your job: "Tight shoulders and chest = hold plank, lower and chest stretch, Runner Man in the back = triangle, and so on, and so on."

I forced my eyes away and pulled myself back into my breath. Which was weird because I couldn't hear a thing!

In Ashtanga, we're all about listening and breathing and counting. When you're outside, you can barely hear your teacher over the cars, birds, tourists.

It's easy to be distracted, especially when someone is proposing in the sky!

Now, I know this is a really bad picture, and yes, that's someone's foot, but the guy was in the process of writing "Marry Me Erica".

C'mon, that's pretty awesome. :)

After class, I went home to eat toast and yogurt.

Because I'm unemployed and poor.

And being SO bored and unemployed and poor, I went for a run.

Shoes. Check!

Garmin. Check!

Sleeves that Jen-Jen bought me for my birthday. CHECK!

Life-sized chess in the park. CHECK!

And MATE! (har-har, oh I'm so witty)

Finally, Starbucks iced latte with soy on the way home because I suck at running.

My stats:
2.55 miles
29:18 minutes
11:29 min/mile average

I was almost thankful for all the people I had to dodge because they slowed me down. I'm so out of running shape! Anyway, I'm thinking of signing up for a race while I'm here, either to run it or volunteer in it. It might be a fun way to make some new friends!

Rubber Duck at Darling Harbour, Sydney

A giant rubber duck floating in the harbour = awesome sauce.

Sorry about my duckface. I'm not very duck-like.

Lentils as Anything Melbourne

We've got Internet!!

Now, for a post I've been wanting to write for a while...

Lentils as Anything is a strange and wonderful place.

Steven and I found it as we walked around the St. Kilda area of Melbourne a few weeks ago, looking for a vegetarian option for me.

Lentil serves everything vegan, so I knew immediately it was safe.

We quickly realized that it operates on a pay-as-you-feel basis.

The restaurant started up as a place for starving (ha-ha) artists to go when they were between jobs and pay cheques. What you ate today, you could pay for later.

Now, you might wonder how this differs from a soup kitchen or another charity. I think the difference is trust.   Lentils as Anything trusts you will pay it forward--be it today or tomorrow or next year--where a soup kitchen doesn't ask for anything in return. The fact that the restaurant has survived for 12 years already is a testament to the fact that people will give when they are able to.

I had the eggplant curry with rice, salad, and a half slice of toast. It was savory, hot and delicious!

I don't mind sharing that I dropped $10 into the Magic Box (as much as I was ready to pay for lunch anywhere in Melbourne), and wished "Lokah samastah, sukino bavantu."

Oh, Internet, wherefore art thou?!

Just a quick pop in to update:

Steven and I are well. We found a place to live in Sydney, but we don't have internet, hence the long delay in posting!

Once we're connected, I'll fill you all in on our exciting lives.

:)

I MISS YOU, BLOGGER WORLD!