Milk It

Wow I lasted very well today w/ only 2.5 hours of sleep. I felt pretty darn normal! Maybe even a bit more energetic than usual. Maybe it's all the Vit C I've been getting... or the small Mr. Browns coffee. Only half an hour ago (around 12:15AM) did I start becoming tired. Went to Korean this morning - learning how to construct sentences now -- topic/particle markers etc.

So far we've learned:
(Romanization might be a little off - I don't have my folder + notes w/ me)
Annyonghaseyo (Any sort of initial greeting like hello... good morning... hi... good evening etc.).. very basic everyone knows.
Choum bepkkessumnida (use before you say your name - means "Pleased to be your acquaintance")
Chonun Natasha yeyo. (I'm Natasha)
Mannaso banggawoyo (Pleasure to meet you) or Chal but'akdurimnida (I hope you will support me)
Shillayhamnida (Excuse me)
Sugohashawssumnida (Thanks for helping me)
Anyongi kaseyo (say when you're staying and they're leaving)
Anyongi kayseyo (say when I'm leaving and they're staying)
Chonun Kaenada saram ieyo. (I'm Canadian)
Chonun haksaeng ieyo. (I'm a student)

A few phrases from this week:
Igon hangugolo mwoyeyo? (What is this thing (near me) in Korean?)
You can replace Igon with Kugon (equivalent to "that" - meaning something near the person you're talking to) or Chogon (equivalent to "that over there" - meaning something that's far from both you and whoever you're talking to).
Anyo, miguk sarami aniyeyo (No, I'm not American).

So far, the vocab we've learned is around 30-40% foreign loan words so it's been pretty easy.
I want to learn the numbers and how to shop!! Next weeeeek
One Caucasian lady likes Kdramas so she let M borrow Coffee Prince. I can't wait to watch it... I haven't watched a drama in so long.

Anyway, after we took the #4 downtown and shared a Bibimbap + Red Bean donut (YUm!) @ Hmart, bought a SIGG waterbottle for R, and popped by A's house to drop off her keys. Then I went home and somehow 2 hours passed really quickly 'cause the next thing I knew, I was @ R's party. Lotsa fun games. He made an Amazing Race hybrid... not sure. Jason was my partner. Fair game with detours (2 choices.. you choose which one you think is easiest at that time but it just might not be.. like you can try to take a picture of his scale from 29-33pounds.... and his scale was very touchy and digital so that was nearly impossible.. OR take a picture of 10 street signs) which messed us up. If it was a game that involved even more endurance, we would have beat them all! But R took out the "exhausting" ones 'cause ppl didn't wanna do any sort of exercise. We came in 3rd. The hardest one was trying to fly a paper airplane into a basket (omg...). Tons of junk to eat... then we ended w/ the hilariously fun game of Quelch.

Tomorrow I'm supposed to volunteer for BMO's marathon buttttt they always seem to have too many volunteers so D and I don't really do much/anything anyway but eat their snacks for volunteers, sit on astroturf and amuse ourselves for a few hours early in the morning. So yea we're gonna skip out on that this year. My productive plans tomorrow include exercise, cleaning my room, eye appt at 2:30, and writing my Statement of Interest for exchange, and maybe watching a couple episodes of Coffee Prince.

Alex (from Clazziquai) and Shin Ae on "We Got Married" (where the cameras follow 2 celebrities pretend to be "just married" and live together for 6-7 weeks... I've mentioned it before) are so cute! They're my favourite couple. Alex is so thoughtful, romantic, chivalrous, light hearted, athletic... protective (in a good way), has such an easy going temperament, and seems to be good at everything (except maybe flying kites when there's no wind). Saranghaeyooooo. I've seen a few episodes from other couples and they're really funny too.
Too bad it's the 7th episode... I think that's the last =( I'll miss them.

Btw, I had no idea the "Nick" Mariah Carey is secretly married to is the Nick Cannon I know from Drumline.... good looking guy IMO. I see him as such a young guy compared to Mariah - 10 yrs+ difference!

My posts have been a bit picture-less... so here. Enjoy a couple pics of the uniquely beautiful Miranda Kerr (VS model + Orlando's gf).
Less than 10 days until I leave for LA! I can't believe how close it is... gotta start really searching where we want to eat/go!

Runnin' On Empty

It's 5AM right now -- still no sleep! Superwomannnnn

"Today" was a busy day... M and I went to Ktown to pick up some ingredients this morning. I cancelled my Yogurt Interview, dyed my mom's hair... OH I bought Preston and York Premiere Shapers the other day at Winners for $12.99 (reg. $26) and they're pretty darn good! Sucks everything in and doesn't show VPL at all - no lumps and bumps. My mom's going down to LA and is taking a repositioning cruise w/ her Taiwan trip buddies for their 30th anniversary. She's leaving the house in a few minutes actually. After I dyed her hair, we went to Winners... then I came back and did some solid exercise for 1.5 hrs. Then I showered, packed my stuff and went to A's house and her friends and I eventually made it to Caprice. I'd go again. Def. different shoes next time though. I stayed at A's house + watched TV (mainly prepaid infomercials) for an hour or so until 4:30AM so my dad could pick me up before he dropped my mom off at YVR.

Gotta get my 2.5 hours of sleep before I gotta get up to go to Korean class.

Can't Get Enough

After I went for a run, I made Green Pepper and Tomato Salad just 'cause I saw a few lying around.

Added a tiny orange pepper too. It smelled really good and tasted alright. I think if I put more fresh herbs in it instead of flat-leaf parsley, it'd be quite a bit better. Then I tried to make this not-so-good okra dish... yea wasn't very good. There aren't very many recipes for okra out there which is sad 'cause it's such a good-for-you veggie. The best is just to boil it in some sort of hot pot thing.

What else - went to eye appt at 3... T&T - bought a Tuna Onigiri (below) for $1.50! Reminded me of Taiwan mmm - it was pretty good xept I still don't know how to open it properly! I always break the seaweed. Someone has to show me.
I felt like I ate so much today.. salad, yogurt, orange, onigiri, okra, 1/4 of yam, rest of veggie soup, appies + chocolate, yogurt...
My goodness it does look like a lot doesn't it. At least I burned "220 cal" on the treadmill, did a full workout, and ate mainly veggies in the morning/afternoon.

Nad and I went to the Grand Opening Mavi store in Gastown! We drank wine, ate Daniel's chocolate (yumm), ate appies, tried on Mavi jeans and shorts, and walked out of the store w/ goodies like mascara, eyebrow wax, OPI nail polish, chocolate, LOULOUmagazines, and lip gloss, and Mariah's new fragrance. Then we walked down Robson and I got my beloved yogurt from Blueberry. I love these events... sign up for the newsletters from StyleSpy or SweetSpot if you want to know where and when they're taking place in your area!

Darn the nail on my pinky toe is demented. So much for a pedicure soon.

Chocolate Cupcake With Pink Frosting

I made my first Veggie soup this morning! It was fun just listening to music and improvising where I saw fit. I did generally follow a recipe though -- searched for about 20 min for one 'cause I realized I didn't have a lot of herbs/ingredients that seemed necessary for some recipes and my blender is being fixed right now so I couldn't make the soup I was planning to make.

Tuscan Vegetable Soup

It's one hearty, healthy, low-fat soup. I'm quite happy how it turned out! In it are red beans, zucchini, celery, sundried tomatoes, tomato (which I used instead of canned diced tomatoes to cut down on sodium), onion, carrots, spinach, garlic, salt, and pepper... and 2 cans of chicken broth as a base.

I looove cooking (esp. when it's not my kitchen day)!!

There's a new DBSK + SNSD commercial for the new Anycall Haptic. It looks and is(?) basically the iphone... I think... pretty nice... comes in 3 diff colours (white, pink, black), but I didn't really like the CFs... way too cheesy and I didn't really get what the message was... can you tell me? Here's the 15 second version and here's the 36 second. They're a bit different.

M + I picked up a case of 72 SunKist oranges from my Uncle's wholesale, Fresh Direct. I made quite a few cups of orange juice! I really like making orange juice from our old Braun Citromatic. I should open an OJ stand. Then we went to Metro to find some finishing accessories for her performance. Successful as always.

What else - B dyed my hair again using Garnier 100% box dye (which smells really good!!! Like raspberries! The conditioner also smells great and gives my hair a bit of shine). Now I know it's my hair's problem why the colour doesn't show up - not the dye's problem.. my hair, well the over-processed part, doesn't like being dyed over so it stays relatively black while the roots (virgin hair) picks up the colour quite well. Looks quite funny actually haha oh well. My hair does have a brown tinge instead of the harsh black from before now.. if you see it in the sun.

I just came back from Jason's going-away get-together at The Charlatan on Commercial. He's going to be in Germany for the whole summer for coop! Saw some ppl I haven't seen in AGES which was nice =)
I don't know why but I was very tired and my eyes kept on wanting to close but I fought to keep them open. Weird =( I took my contacts out so now they're fine but I'm exhausted so time for bed.
Oyasumi.

Master Cleanse - Final Day

I made 2.5 cups of lemonade in the morning and now I'm completely out of maple syrup! Guess what that means? I'm DONE!

Most people say the beginning of this detox is the hardest, but for me, the first few days were a breeze. The "end" wasn't so easy... so much temptation because you sort of realize you're over halfway through and I've already patted my back. It was nice having so many family and friends supporting me in both of my decisions (to do the detox and to finish early). I definitely don't regret doing it! Even though it really REALLY tested my resistance to food, it taught me about how strong my will power can be at times. Would I do it again? You know what, I think I will. Maybe in 2-3 years unless I find another one that is just as good (xept I get to eat like the veggie/fish detox my aunt used)... and hopefully I'll forget how terrible the salt water flush is. As for my final physical results, hmm I don't know I think I look pretty much the same xept I realize I don't have as much back/tummy chub as before -- but I still need to tone that up. The scale says I lost 7 pounds but it's pretty much inevitable (unless I really exercise like crazy) that I'm going to gain half of that back sooner or later.

Now, it's time to wake my digestive system up so I'm not completely done yet. I'll be drinking freshly squeezed and diluted orange juice tonight and I'm making vegetable soup for tomorrow!!

B asked me what I'm going to do differently now that I've done this.
I thought about it a bit more and here's my list:
- Eat more fruit and veggies - specifically fresh, raw veggies much much more
- Eat in moderation (that should be doable for the first few weeks)
- Eat a lot less canned foods and as much organic and natural foods as possible
- More fish than meat!
- Limit pork ('cause they contain bad worms that just stay in your stomach and you can't get rid of then unless you detox)
- Limit salt and sodium
- Keep drinking my liquids
- Tea!
- Hardest one: don't go out to eat as much -- try to make as much as you can at home (esp. this summer!)
___________________

OK I just came back from the Holt Renfrew's A Hot Date Beauty Event w/ M! We unfortch weren't the first 50 in line so we didn't get the free Pro-Linea Straightener, but that's ok 'cause we both have straighteners anyway and I hardly use mine anymore. Only the cosmetics department was open so we spent the time wandering around, eating (well, I actually ate) gourmet appetizers (mmmm), and testing products/shades (where I fell in love w/ this Shu Uemura blush I'm going to splurge on in a couple days). I'd say there were almost 200 people there. Everyone got 3 free alcoholic drinks (I was good though - didn't have any alcohol -- only had limonada)... and there was a gummy candy Sweetspot station where you grab as many gummies as you want. I got a huge handful for my mom (using spoons and tongs of course). There was also a gelato station for Marc Jacob's Limited Edition Splash line I mentioned in a post pretty recently -- grapefruit/pear/basil. You're supposed to smell the scent and then go up to the station and get your coordinating flavour. I liked the grapefruit scent the best out of them all, but the pear tasted the best.

I exchanged my American Apparel Interlock Pencil Skirt for a black version, and exchanged my Cucumber Toner from Kiehl's for a Heat-protective Silk Straightening Cream which seems pretty good! There was a cute blue and white bandeau swimsuit top @ Banana Republic for $72 buttt I look as flat as a board... seriously lol. How sad.

Anyway - I was "bad" and ate dairy and meat today. I did have 2 glasses of fresh squeezed orange juice this morning (which, when not diluted, is great! I should make it more often!). I realize I need a couple more herbs for gazpacho and we don't have the vegetable stock for the veggie soup... HMM that's a problem.

Master Cleanse Day 7

Technically 3 days left but I think I only have enough syrup for 1.5 more days max.
YESSSS! I get to make a veggie soup. I'm excited actually - the start of veggie soups! There's tons out there and they all look so yummy and healthy at the same time! Gazpacho mmm

I ate a spinach leaf today!!! It was heaven being able to chew something... heaven...
But only ppl on Day 7 of MC are allowed to eat veggies! lol... so NO eating, M!!!

Oh totally forgot to tell you guys yesterday -- I got my AA package! I ordered 3 deep V neck plain tees (1 in XS, S, and M in black and white. I guessed on the M 'cause I wanted something really big and baggy but it didn't fit as well as I thought it would), 2 pairs of leggings (eggplant in S and asphalt in M xept they fit exactly the same. Super comfy! I love them), and 3 pairs of interlock shorts (they're SUPER short but so cute! 1 in black and 2 in red w/ white piping -- one is B's). Everything was a little less than $11 each!! Pretty happy except for the M tee. Oh well I'll give it away. Hmm what else would I like from AA... oh yes - Gray Tri-blend Deep Vneck XS and maybe that Unisex Salt and Pepper Hoody xept it's waaay too expensive.. esp. 'cause the cut is boxy.

Whewww went up to SFU and got a ton of things sorted for my exchange! Rosy from the Business office is so helpful!! Anyway - so I'm almost done my exchange application! It's so much easier than I thought. All I need to do is pick courses (which will take less than half an hour) and write up my 400 word Statement of Interest. I plan to hand it in on the 9th.

Good-ish news! The guy who's in charge of the Night Market is a friend of my aunt's and she says even though the newspapers say the Night Market is cancelled ('cause of the stupidity on the 1st guy's part.. I wasn't too clear), they are still trying to make it work. There's still a chance guys!

WHAAAT? HEALTHY CANDY? YUM!!!!!
I want to try these BORBA Gummi Bear Boosters!
40 for $10
135 for $25

Snack your way to better looking skin. These delectable gummi bear dietary supplements are the first mobile, surprisingly delicious skin care nutraceuticals designed to harness the positive effects of vitamins, minerals and nutrients offered in BORBA formulations. Each Gummi Bear Booster contains a revolutionary, cultivated bio-vitamin complex, shown to help skin regenerate its natural support system. These treats help to increase the potential to absorb skin caring ingredients into the epidermis. Combines simplicity and nutrition with the delight of confections to deliver the benefit of enhanced skin care. Benefits: Protects from free radical damage Antioxidant protection Regenerates the skin's natural support system 100% Vegetarian and made with organic ingredients Fat free and preservative free Contains no artificial flavors Directions For Use: Consume at least six Gummi Bears per day. Do not exceed one bag per day. Use alone or with your current regimen to increase skin caring benefits. BORBA Skin Balance Confections increase the potential for absorption into the epidermis. Use along with BORBA Cosmeceuticals or Nutraceuticals for best results.

Ingredients: Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Corn Syrup, Supplement Blend (Dl Tocopheryl Acetate, Magnesium Gluconate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Grape Seed Extract, Potassium Phosphate Dibasic, Ascorbic Acid, Niacinamide, Zinc Picolinate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Pyridoxine HCI, Calcium Sulfate Dihydrate, Vitamin K-1, Green Tea Extract, Chamomile Extract, Vitamin B-12 USP, Selenium AA Complex 1%, Acai Extract), Pectin, Citric Acid, Natural Flavor

Interesting!! Apparently they're delish -- I hardly ever see "have at least __" on these types of packages. I wonder if Capers sells them. There are those GummiVites that I used to eat. You can buy at Costco but apparently they've been recalled 'cause they contain some sort of bad ingredient... lead or something in them...

OK when I come back from LA, the most important things are:
1. JOB
2. ROOM

19 days left until Hollywood Bowl!!
15 days left 'til I leave for LA!!!

Master Cleanse Day 6

AH this morning I was actually lethargic, weak, and dizzy! I drank my lax tea, a cup of water, and 2 cups of lemonade. I think I'm not getting enough sugar in me -- not enough maple syrup. From the rate I was using maple syrup before, I thought I'd run out of the 500ml before my detox was over but I'm over halfway now and I have half of the maple syrup left. Before, I put in 1.5 tbsp for every 2 cups where I'm supposed to drink almost 4. Anyway - now that I drank 3 tbsps, I'm quite a bit better.

I didn't measure myself before the detox -- maybe I should have but oh well too late. Most people lose a lot of weight even from the 3rd day and I was still the same. My aunt scared me 'cause she said maybe it's b/c my body feels it's starving so it's storing all the fat but that shouldn't happen! Even people who don't follow this detox half as well as I have have been losing over 7 pounds from their 3rd day. Anyway, today's the 6th day and I weighed myself (haven't weighed since the 3rd day) and I've lost almost 5 pounds.

Aunt's family and Jlo came for dinner.... they ate roast lamb, yams, shrimp salad.. and other super yummy things. Plus my mom made blueberry banana bread.. I can stil smell it from my room! It smells SO GOOD!!!
Now they're eating cinnamon buns my aunt made for dessert.... 's ok - I got to freeze one for me to nibble on in 1.5 weeks.

I've decided to stop my detox once I finish my maple syrup 'cause I'm definitely not going out to buy another bottle for the last couple days and I'm not going to drink the lemonade w/out the syrup (too sour). Probably another 2-3 days. FOOD!

SSW: 0
Lax: 1
Water: 4
Lemonade: 6

I kinda quite like this Guess bikini! Too bad I can't fill it out =( It's a Medium.. and even a small might be pushing it (too big). It's at $15.95 on Ebay. I wish it didn't have a string and that there was no hole in the middle lol.. I guess I just like the material + pattern.
This top is cute but the bottom is too frilly.

Oh here's some info on the Master Cleanse from Stanely Borrough's book:

Purpose:
To dissolve and eliminate toxins and congestion that have formed in any part of the body.
To cleanse the kidneys and the digestive system.
To purify the glands and cells throughout the entire body.
To eliminate all unusable waste and hardened material in the joints and muscles.
To relieve pressures and irritation in the nerves, arteries, and blood vessels.
To build a healthy bloodstream.
To keep youth and elasticity regardless of our years.

When To Use It
When sickness has developed - for all acute and chronic conditions.
When the digestive system needs a rest and a cleansing.
When overweight has become a problem.
When better assimilation and building of body tissue is needed.

And How Often?
Follow the diet for a minimum of 10 days or more - up to 40 days and beyond may be safely followed for extremely serious cases. The diet has all the nutrition needed during this time. Three to four times a year will do wonders for keeping the body in a normal healthy condition. The diet may be undertaken more frequently for serious conditions.

How To Make "The Master Cleanser"
(I have doubled the recipe that is in the booklet.)
4 tbsp lemon (or lime) juice (1 lemon)
4 tbsp genuine maple syrup (the darker the better)
1/5 tsp cayenne pepper (red pepper) or to taste
10 to 12 oz. water (spring or purified) (hot or cold)
Combine the lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper in a container.
Add the water and stir.

Use fresh lemons (organic if possible) or limes only, never canned lemon or lime juice nor frozen lemonade or frozen juice. The maple syrup is a balanced form of positive and negative sugar must be used, not some "substitute." There are three grades of maple syrup. Grade A is the first run - mild in taste, sweet and with less minerals that the other grades. It is more expensive and less desirable but it may be used. Grade B is the second run with more minerals plus more maple taste. It is more suitable for the diet and is less expensive. Grade C is the third run with even more minerals and still stronger taste of maple and slightly less pleasant for most people, although acceptable in the diet. It is lower in price. As Grade C is less expensive it can be used as an excellent sweetening agent in preparing foods. The strong maple flavour blends very well.

What the ingredients do:

The Lemon
The lemon is a loosening and cleansing agent with many important building factors. The ability of the elements in the lemon and in the maple syrup working together creates these desired results.
Its 49% potassium strengthens and energizes the heart, stimulates and builds the kidneys and adrenal glands.
Its oxygen builds vitality.
Its carbon acts as a motor stimulant.
Its hydrogen activates the sensory nervous system.
Its calcium strengthens and builds the lungs.
Its phosphorus knits the bones, stimulates and builds the brain for clearer thinking.
Its sodium encourages tissue building.
Its magnesium acts as a blood alkalizer.
Its iron builds the red corpuscles to rapidly correct the most common forms of anemia.
Its chlorine cleanses the blood plasma.
Its silicon aids the thyroid for deeper breathing.
The natural iron, copper, calcium, carbon, and hydrogen found in the sweetening supplies more building and cleansing material. It truly is a perfect combination for cleansing, eliminating, healing, and building. Hence, supplements are not needed during the diet and may actually interfere with its cleansing action.

The Cayenne Pepper
Adding cayenne pepper is necessary as it breaks up mucus and increases warmth by building the blood for an additional lift. It also adds many of the B and C vitamins.