Adjusting to Jetlag (for Rookies and those curious)

STAY AWAKE WHILE THE SUN IS UP. That’s the first and most important rule or trick of the trade. It’s a given, it’s a must, and yet, it’s one of the hardest things to do when you feel the wooziness of jetlag, especially when your night becomes day and your day becomes night. Anyone that has traveled to Asia knows what I mean. I’ve been to China and Taiwan, and it’s never gotten easier despite my change in age, weight, shape, size, and sleeping habits. When jetlag hits you, the only thing you can do is keep to the basics, stay hydrated, eat when you’re supposed to, and pray to God your internal clock adjusts to the external time zone.

EAT WHEN YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO. Three square meals a day, that’s it! Avoid snacking! Don’t let your previous eating schedule throw off your current eating schedule. Your bowel movements will follow once you’ve established a steady eating schedule. Your organs will adjust if you don’t cheat and stay focused on the task of adjusting. Not only that, but your energy will shift so as to match your dietary functions and you will find that there is hope for you yet! Drink lots of fluids to stay hydrated. Don’t overdose on sugar or caffeine just because it might keep you awake. It might just keep you awake when you’re supposed to be sleeping. Your body can only move SO fast. Be considerate. Be kind to your body. It’s with you till the end.

REMEMBER TO EXERCISE BUT NOT TOO MUCH.  Most people think vacation is a time when you ought to move more. The truth is, most people who think and do just that get injured far faster and more often than those who lay back and chill. Overusing your muscles that you don’t normally use as much can be quite catastrophic. One year, when I was in my early teens, I felt like I could jump 6 stairs to show off my flexibility. I ended up rolling my ankle and the rest of my vacation was spent on the couch, on crutches, or hopping through uneven streets. Another year, I reached up to show off a spike in volleyball and dislocated my right shoulder. I spent the rest of that vacation in a sling, somewhat able to feed myself, and barely able to do any more than a child could. I was MISERABLE!! So, remembering to exercise is good. But don’t overdo it!! The same physical laws that you are bound to in your home life still binds you when you take a vacation. To enjoy your vacation to the max, just keep it simple and safe!

LAUGH AND STRETCH AS MUCH AS YOU CAN!  Laughing, obviously, helps to keep your abdominal area in check, but it also brings more oxygen into your body, which makes life and all else seem better. Breathing is important. Laughing also makes you feel happier, lighter, and much more energetic. Laughing to the point of tears is great once in a while, but remember to allow your body to release anxiety and doubt! And when you can, whenever it is, stretch your body a bit. To relieve stress and pressure that you might not have known was there, you have to take deep breaths, loosen your muscles, and what better way to help you than to stretch your body? Simple arms in the air and then side to side is just fine. Whether you’re on vacation or at home, worry and stressing out about stuff that may not presently matter is not healthy. Learn to relax your body whether through your own means or meditation; JUST CHILL OUT. Your body will appreciate that!

I feel like a guru trying to calm the masses, but, in truth, I’m working just as hard to get over jetlag as you are at this moment. And, as if it wasn’t obvious enough, the last bit of advice I have for you is simply to KEEP YOURSELF BUSY. Sure, it would be easy to give into sleep. OH, SO EASY!! But to do a few things before going to sleep would make you feel more accomplished, take up more time, keep you awake longer, so that your sleep would be THAT much better. Like yesterday, for me, I wanted to sleep through the day. But had I done that, I wouldn’t have been able to sleep at night, and I wouldn’t have had a wonderful lunch with a dear friend, deposit money at the bank, and gas up my car for the upcoming week of adventures. I wouldn’t have washed my clothes and watched a few anime episodes as it dried before hanging them into my closet and reclaiming the extra space the luggage took up in my room. I couldn’t have slept as long as I did last night, and after recording a podcast with Ed, I’ll eat something, stay awake until about 7-8 and then enjoy a nice sleep until I need to get up again in the morning. Life goes on faster when you’re busy. You’re more entertained and excited when stuff’s going on!

Any questions? Concerns? Suggestions? I’m all ears!! ~~ Seriously, give me something to ponder on!! 

KEEP ME AWAKE!!

So Not Ready (03.16.16)

Not ready to be parent, this much I know. And I was reassured of this when I returned to PingTung, Taiwan to visit my paternal grandparents. How this could connect, well, let me just put it easier for you to understand without a tumultuous amount of storytelling...

My paternal grandparents live in PingTung, Taiwan. My grandfather has been in the hospital for two weeks and getting better as time goes by. My grandmother, however, has been at home with a live-in caretaker. Due to her dementia, she only remembers things five minutes at a time, and then repeats it. It first started happening when she lived with my family in Los Angeles, California, and then got worse. And as things took that turn, my grandfather made the decision that it would be better for them to return to their home, here, because if she were to get lost, she could speak to everyone and they would understand her. Whereas, if she got lost in America, not as many people would be able to help her. The idea of having a round-the-clock caretaker was offensive to my grandfather, but he gave in after he found himself too tired from doing everything she used to do for him.

My paternal grandma fled China in the old days and made it to Taiwan. She had a daughter, 5-6 abortions, and then a son, my father. She dedicated her life to Church and her job as a librarian. She raised my sisters and myself and worked hard to make ends meet for her family. A master chef in the kitchen, a loving housewife to her husband, and a creative genius otherwise, none could compare to her diligence and humbleness. And yet... now... To hear her speak incomplete stories, I feel a sadness in my heart. None of them make sense, none of them are complete, and some of them may have happened, but none of them happened that day. Many of the stories she says aloud happened very long ago, but because it’s in her mind, she happened to say it out loud. Whether or not there are names or just memories muddled together or not, then she goes on, making things up, and then repeating it. A bit like Dory, if you really think about it.

And when I thought the ice cream truck was coming by, boy was I surprised to see that it was the trash collection truck! My hopes and dreams of something yummy turned into something yucky! What a horrendous discovery that was, indeed!

So, when her reading is done, from the newspaper to pre-made pamphlets of Bible passages and stories, she also pulled out a huge bible with large words, all in Chinese. So, not only does my grandma's literacy rate go up, time passes rather quickly and she wastes away the day reading instead of doing anything. And the most interesting part is that, she has no recollection of ever reading the material. Instead, she thinks she is reading it for the first time, learning and discovering as she goes.

This is strange to me because my maternal grandparents are both quite sharp as whips, but my maternal grandfather just is a bit hard of hearing. They never leave their apartment but have enough family around them to send people out to bring things back for them. They're never lacking anything and very independently surviving. They live quietly, together, and are quite cute, funny, and wrinkly. My maternal grandmother is a bit like Master Oogway from "Kung-Fu Panda" physically and personality-wise. And my maternal grandpa is something different altogether for me. To put it so that you can understand just how much this man means to me... my very first memory, when I was 3, was with him. I thought it was just a dream, but, I REMEMBERED more than they told me and shocked them all! Yes, for the man who I first remembered holding the hand of and walking over green grass by a pond, all my love and hope for approval goes to him.

WELL... I'm not completely out of touch with my life in LA, though!! Here's a trailer to a film I want to see, for sure!!

As for the CoTangent, well check out Ed on his own in LA, recording!!

Enjoy and watching my paternal grandma fit shapes into a puzzle for kids... Once the greatest mind... Am I to face a similar fate?

"The Book Of Life" Movie Review (written on 03.12.16)

I left Los Angeles (CA) in the afternoon on the 12th for a 14.5 hr plane ride to Taipei, Taiwan. Since I managed to watch a highly recommended movie, I decided to write a review. It's much later than the release, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!! 

But first, I want to gripe! I got on the plane and someone was in my seat. When he moved, he acted like I had stolen the seat from HIM. WTfudge, right? So as I'm sitting there, the guy moved ENDLESSLY. When I tried to sleep, his elbow found its way over to my side, and he kept it there. He was the WORST plane seat neighbor I'd ever had!! Most people keep to their side of the arm rest, and yet, he acted like I had less of a right to sit there. So, I moved and kept to myself, but, eventually, I couldn't help but want to smack him. I didn't... or did I? No, I didn't!! I'm not like that!! And when he woke up, he had the WORST BREATH ever!! Man, and he kept talking and yawning, I was eating cough drops just to breathe out and kill that disgusting smell!! Ok, griping done!! Here's my review!

A truly sweet and cultured story is this tale of life, love, and all that is precious in the moments we pass with those we are close to. Featuring Diego Luna, Zoe Saldana, Channing Tatum and an array of voices, this story is sweet, touching, and relatable to everyone who watches it. Naturally, many are unnoticed due to the nature of the films, but as for promoting Hispanics and Mexico, I really find new love for the culture.

The light and colors that differentiated between the worlds was most mesmerizing. I wanted to watch it to no end and found it a delightful viewing experience. As many films with such goals tried to do in the past, this film truly illuminated the visual experience with bright colors contrasting with the dim and darkness of the World of the Forgotten. Despite the darkness and sadness, there is so much for the eyes to see. Proud should be the creators of wuch a film. I think it was superbly done and I would readily watch it again. Indeed.

The dialogue was expertly woven together. From the colloquial language to those of children, I found it pleasant and easiy to understand. With everyone talking, with accents and not, I wanted, I was left without want. The different styles and tones really stimulated my thoughts and imagination. If only we could have such stark contrasts in our world, right? Overall, I found it always a pleasure to hear and learn from the story.

Character development was nice and very easy to follow along. With the color and appearance differences, the consistencies were enogh well done so that I could follow along easily, as could any child. The love story from childhood to adult was brief for a moment and then everywhere, which made things all the more interesting. I did wonder, at some point, why their forms changed so dramatically, but there were definitely some things in the story that I didn’t like. Physical depictions of how Mexicans ought to look disturbed me, which seemed to go unnoticed by some. I guess, reading into things is just like that, then?

Sound was key, definitely! With cool music and sound effects, the foley and more made me feel like each experience and movement was real. I know @MoonLiteWolf would have LOVED it!! OMG!! Well done!!

The overall theme of love and life is very heavy and sweetly told through the entire story. In every moment, one or the other was highlighted and I felt an overwhelming sense of my questions being unanswered and brushed aside by the two heavier themes. It’s nice and I’m touched, but I do have questions that were unanswered. So... I give it a 3 of 4 Stars!!

Fun Apps I Wish Existed (03.10.16)

So, as always, when you go to somewhere new in the world, there are things you wanna try that you couldn’t usually be so inclined to at home. Here are a list of a few Apps I wish did exist for these purposes… In fact, if you choose to take my idea, just give me some credit, alright? Hehe!

Local Guide – App that sets people up 1-on-1 with clean reputed local either as a blind date or plutonic friend tour guide

What’s the first thing most people want to do when they experience a new city? They want to experience the life without the restraining relative or judgmental friend. This way, you can find someone local who doesn’t know you and may be just as interested as where you’re from. This is a friendly exchange unless you plan for it to be a blind date. As for me, I’d love to see what dating in foreign countries is like, so I’d want to find someone to take me around and give me the date treatment. The tour guide option is like a friend option; having a new friend take you around and show you the local highlights. OMG, that would be fun!

Friend Date – App that lets you meet people and go on friend dates, like a pre-blind date

I WANT THIS SO MUCH!! For me, I make friends very easily, so without the pressures of it developing into anything more. Think of it as a pre-date where you are connected by interest and goals. I go on dating sites for this and end up closing my account because most guys on dating sites just want to hook up. There’s no relationship in it. And I’m not looking for that. So, why can’t we make something that connects like-minded people without the pressures of sleeping with someone to get to know them? Shouldn’t it be the other way around anyway?!

Menu Charted – App that shows me where the foods and cravings I have can be found according to taste and location

There are SO MANY PEOPLE who love spicy foods and yet… they’re left to hunt through the city for what they want. So, make an App that rates food on spice levels and, add something that makes food equivalences to help me, the foreigner, understand the importance of these foods! Show me the ‘Denny’s’ of China… or the ‘In-N-Out’ of Taiwan. Where is the ‘Olive Garden’ or ‘Chipotle’ of Africa or Europe! And likewise, the App can go the other way around showing tourists in America their ‘Denny’s’ and more. Know what I mean? Get what I’m trying to say? It’s not a replica or mimic, but more like telling me, a tourist, what I’m eating means what where I am at. This is so hard to explain without knowing what the abroad restaurants really are. For example, I think I’ll be safe if I say that the ‘In-N-Out’ of Taiwan is ‘Mos Burger’. Right? Get it?

Treasure Hunt (Live!) – App that gives me the thrill of a treasure hunt through the city of my visit

Depending on your budget, any treasure hunt is possible. Instead of relying on a travel agency, give me an App that lets me customize my time and route, so that I can see the treasures of the city before I embark on my journey. The Broad Museum had it synced up so as to digitally show me more about everything in front of me based off of either a QR code or something that links me somewhere else where all the information is stored and accessible by curious minds, like myself. Maybe the hunt can be a competition, to see if we can find all of them and take photos and experience the city in the way more locals do. I mean, isn’t that WHY we travel and visit the world?

Knowledge On Call – App that connects me to people who has answers to my questions

I think about A LOT of things that really blows my mind. I want answers so I want to have a conversation with someone without physical appearances getting in the way. Instead of talking to an AI, I want to talk to someone of that field, and speculate with them. I want them to encourage me to think and so that I can think more on my own, before coming back to talk to them. Whether they be old or young, interest is interest. Curiosities need to be satisfied, especially if I just need to know the POV of one idea that can take minutes… I don’t want to do hours of research in the wrong direction. Come on… HELP should be readily available and free!

Okay, these are just a few. But I feel like I’ve vented a lot of my frustrations and it makes me happy. You got any ideas, any recommendations, and thoughts and feelings about these? Want to collaborate or make one? I’d love to hear from you!!