Less to social pressure, yes to shopping procrastination
There are so many choices of merchandise to choose from and so many ads/ marketing schemes that sellers use to get people to buy. New products are reaching the market at immeasurable speeds. It is easy to want the next latest thing that everyone has. In the tech world, it’s the MacBook Air Lap top, or the iPhone, for example. It’s great to want these things, but understand that the price will drop once the initial fad is over. It’s also worth the wait, even though you don’t get the Ooh’s and Aahh’s of people around you, you’ll have more money in your pocket.
My parents, along with some of our family friends are avid orchid enthusiasts. After watching their beautiful orchids grow each year, I became more and more interested. Last year, I attended the Orchid Show in Santa Barbara, which displayed a myriad of unique orchid species. There was one that stood out called Oncidium Sharry Baby that actually smelled like chocolate. I also fell in love with the cattaleya’s and bought a few to raise on my own. It is exciting to see them grow and I am looking forward to the flowers blossoming. It is amazing what growing an orchid can teach you. These are a few things that I have learned:
photo of when I visited Kiyomizu-dera in Kyoto, Japan
Traveling will broaden your horizons
Traveling is one of my favorite hobbies because it is always a fun learning experience. You can read about places in books and watch television, but there is something to be said about experiencing any place first hand. One of my most memorable experiences is when I traveled to Japan. My cousins and I visited Kyoto, which is one of the most beautiful places in Japan. It is where modern Japan co-exists with traditional culture. On one street, you will find the bustling city filled with modern stores, electronics and office buildings. When you turn into another street, there are wooden doors, geisha’s walking elegantly and a UNESCO world heritage listed site called the Kiyomizu-dera . It is noted for the vast veranda, supported by multiple pillars that is held together by precision architecture and no nails.
Sometimes I want energy, but I don’t want to have to go to a gym or go get energy bars. These are the 4 ways that have worked for me.
Walking
I usually like to walk in the morning for about 15 minutes and also after dinner. I enjoy different paths to disrupt monotony and also stay away from busy streets. Sometimes I feel particularly lazy so it helps to have my walking partners for motivational support. AARP and Medicine Net both have information related to the benefits of walking.
A couple years ago, my mom was diagnosed with Osteoporosis, a debilitating disease where bones become fragile and easy to break. Just recently after she took a bone density scan, we found that it had gotten much worse than expected. This was hard for the family, but especially for my mom. Although there are no cures at this time, there are medications that can be taken to slow down the disease and make the existing bones stronger. My mom has been in contact with various physicians as to the best treatment option and I as well have been trying to understand osteoporosis. Here are some information and resources that I gathered.
Recently, I have been doing more research on medical insurances and in particular Medicare. As I was assisting my parents and grandmother with this process, we have to come to realize that it can be quite daunting. This is a general overview of information summarized from Medicare Webpage as well as additional resources that have helped my family and I navigate through this process.
Valentines day can hold very different meanings for everyone. Wikipedia has an interesting entry on the history of Valentine’s Day.
For me, it has changed over the years. When I was a child, it was a fun holiday where I would hand out cards and candy to my friends. It was a day where I gave my parents a hand-made “I love you card.” As I got older, it was no longer the cute cards, but more the dating scene or couples scene. I was single for a long time, so I spent Valentines day wishing my friends and family happy v-day. I thought that it would be a more significant deal once I started dating.
It is so difficult to get away from the internet these days, especially because for some it is their livelihood. But sometimes one can be so absorbed in the “virtual” world that the “real world” can be far away. I, myself am somewhat addicted to the internet. I write blogs, check emails, play games, but I know that I have to take breaks or not be continuously on the internet because it can wear me down.
Fear can be a good thing. Your flight-fright response is activated, your adrenaline is rushing and you are able to pick up quickly on danger. However, sometimes it can be limiting, as it is with flying. When this fear is very real and extremely debilitating, it is referred to as pteromerhanophobia. Indeed, it will take someone afraid of flying longer to get to places or if not impossible to get somewhere. These are 5 things that have worked for me.
If there is a possibility that a child can become developmentally delayed or is already developmentally delayed, the regional center can help. It provides resources such as nursing care, as well as financial aid for costly equipment. This is a directory of regional centers that exist in California (http://www.dds.ca.gov/rc/rclist.cfm)
