Always two ways to see the world

The other day I was out looking for an apartment. I was driving my car around and noticed the thermostat was suddenly all the way up to H for HOT! Hmmmm..... That had never happened to me before, and when my friend had this same car, it had never done that -- as far as I knew. I wondered to myself what it meant, and how to fix it, and decided to turn off the AC even though it was a really hot day. Well, my question got answered in short order when the car started smoking. I was in shock and panic. Seems to be a theme with this panic lately. What is going on with my kidneys I wonder? Anyway, I was a total damsel in distress not knowing what to do or who to call. (Note to self: Get AAA right away.) By the grace of the Universe, I had the number for a mechanic, because I had been planning on getting my car tuned up anyway. He suggested getting the car towed so that I didnt cause any further damage, and as I hung up, I wanted to cry. Why me? Why me? Why me? What does this mean? Oh, existential pain! Then I caught myself, and tried to see things in a different way. We always have a choice to see things in a different way. Instead of thinking how horrible it all was, I decided to think how great that this mechanic was helping me. Instead of worrying what others were thinking with my car parked in this awkward place, I thought, "Now I have more time to read my book" Instead of thinking how I was missing out on viewing all those apartments I had scehduled viewings for, I trusted that I would get the right one anyway, and maybe it was time to stop looking. The universe was sending me a message to stop looking, and that came through pretty loud and clear. The mechanic coming to tow me was going out of his way to borrow his friends tow truck, and he was putting aside everything on his que to come and help me, just because he is a nice person. Instead of being embarrassed for being towed, I instead thought, "How fun. I have never been towed before. I get to ride up in this big hefty truck and watch him shift those gears." Life is play, and I decided to make that moment into play too. I am so very thankful that he was able to help me. He didnt have to do that. Mahalo Tony!

Thank heavens for nature and loving teachers

For the past month, I have been working hard to try and find a place to live in Honolulu. My spirits have stayed positive for the majority of this time, though searching for a place to live here was really a full time job, and I am happy to report that I got a really cute little cottage with a beautiful lanai to enjoy nights and weekends with my family and friends. May is the move in date. Suddenly, the reality of rent hit me. I spent the last two days in a complete panic. HOW do I start my own business???? How can I make money doing this????? Will I need to go back to teaching English?

I went for a walk with Kai, the Siberian Husky, our nightly ritual as the sun goes down and the weather cools off. He leaps through tall grass, sprints up the hill, and smells the flowers. When we get into a walking rhythm, and I can look at the stunning scenery around me, and I can smell the fresh air, and see the vibrant colors, things seem to be more positive.

I called my teachers who keep the "red line" open all the time. I am so grateful for their guidance and help as I make my way through uncharted territory, flung out into deep water. My teacher says, "Forget teaching English. That is the easy way. If you do or think this way, you will get stuck in karma and see the world in only one way. Trust and believe. Students are coming. Money is coming. Devote everything to trying to get students." I got off the phone with them feeling a lot better.

Thank heavens for nature and loving teachers. Oh, and great sisters too! I love talking by IM and hotmail with you Allison.

Had a GREAT night in the organic garden. This
shangri la is directly behind the Chinese Cemetary, in the back of Manoa Valley.
Interesting feng shui, but the garden and the people seem to be thriving.
They felt the Chinese chose the cemetary for the auspicious site about
100+ years ago and for that reason, it doesnt stagnate the chi in the area or
threaten the occupants nearby. There are about 3 guys who live in this
converted building and it is a cozy, and shall I say, very earthy place.
Very interesting people who live there and garden there too. Acupuncturists,
artists, one other macrobiotic person.... Every Thursday people join as
volunteers, share dinner together, and are generally free to take
fruits and veges from the garden. I just weeded, which was what I wanted to
do. It felt therapuetic to me. Afterwards, we sat down together and had a
lovely meal. Tonight it was cooked vegan, but people added cheese to the
pasta and sauce. They made kabocha (baked) fresh from their garden, sauteed
greens, also from the garden, pasta with tomato sauce, brown rice, garlic
bread (yes, I ate some), and baked tofu with a tahini sauce. Yummy! I was
sent home with bananas (not for me) and fresh cut tropical flowers that are
simply stunning and breathtaking. So much fun!

We had been talking about organic pesticides,
because the proprieter had just given a lecture on it the previous
day. He told the audience that the best possible thing one could do
is have excellent soil and then one would not really have to worry
about pests. This sounded so much like macrobiotics to me. If we
have strong blood and are not eating lots of sugar or fruit then
mosquitos, viruses, and other illnesses should not be bugging us. (the mosquitoes in the garden chomped on me.... what had I been eating I wonder???? But I did try to just shoo them off instead of smooshing them.)

the jainists in india went so far as
to brush the path in front of them while they walked so as not to
kill bugs (ahmisa, for yoga lovers). i sometimes still think about
that...... for some reason, it really struck me.

i got a job cooking for this macro woman. she is catering a party,
so that was great for her to ask me. she also runs the cooking
demos at the KI summer conference, and she invited me to help her as
a volunteer, so I came home flying after receiving these
opportunities. It was so much fun to be there tonight.

Macrobiotic Meetup in Manoa

Today we had our first Vegan/Macrobiotic Meetup Group activity in Manoa at Kathy Maddux's Great Life Bento place. At first I thought it would be just Kathy and myself, but I was so happy to see 3 more people come, all of whom are vegan. It was a lot of fun for me to talk with everyone and get to know some people around Honolulu, and to hear more about Kathy's experience when she went to the Kushi Institute. She is, so far, the only macrobiotic person that I have met here, and it really recharges my macro battery to interact with like-minded individuals. It will be important to generate a strong community. Our next event is going to be a potluck, and I am sure we can get more people to attend. That will be a lot of fun to have a social event and to meet some people.

In the past, I used to be really shy, but after becoming macrobiotic and learning yoga, I have been able to open myself up to new experiences and new people. This is why arranging this meeting and getting to know others was super exciting for me. Changing my diet and lifestyle has made such an enormous difference in my well-being, spirituality, peace of mind, and life destiny.

After the meeting, I was just a hop, skip, and a jump away from Manoa Yoga studio, so I went over there for a class with Ray Madigan. It felt really good to stretch my body, and as a result, I became very relaxed, and my spirits were really lifted even more. While doing forward bends, there was a huge rainbow arching across the valley, embracing us.

I am so grateful to be in such a beautiful place and to challenge myself with this new life opportunity. Thank you to the Universe.

Fish Pond

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Originally uploaded by macro808.

Here is a sacred fish pond from the Place of Refuge on the Big Island. The Hawaiians raised fish in ponds like this one, a significant part of their culture. However, today, there are very few active fish ponds left. On Oahu, the most significant one is now Pearl Harbor.

Tiki

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Originally uploaded by macro808.

This was a tiki overlooking the ocean from The Place of Refuge. In ancient times, if a Hawaiian person broke a law or did something bad, they could be killed. However, if they made it to the sacred refuge before their enemies found them, they would be blessed by a Hawaiian priest and absolved of all wrongdoing, free to go.

The world is a beautiful place

Today was such a busy day full of running errands. I went into Manoa in search of a place called Great Life Bentos that sells macrobiotic lunch boxes, but she was closed today unexpectedly. Despite being disappointed at the closure, I was so happy to know that she is there and that I have more options for lunch, especially considering the only other macro bento place here in Honolulu doesn't really seem macrobiotic anymore. (Yin and yang -- everything that has a front, has a back.)

As I made my way around the post office, drug store, and various other places, I was so surprised at the gloomy faces and lack of smiles. Maybe it was because I have no tan yet and so people thought I was a tourist, but they sure weren't friendly. But today was so gorgeous, and rainbows were popping out all over the place. I wanted to tell them all that "Life is GREAT" and how the world is a beautiful place. Play, have fun! Enjoy yourself!

Tofu and frolicking

This past week I have been on the Big Island of Hawaii enjoying the Kona side of the island. It was a shock, but I didnt find a single place to eat brown rice. What a relief that I took some precooked things with me for breakfast so that I could enjoy it still at least once a day.

I did get to see some really cool things, such as the Place of Refuge, a very sacred Hawaiian site. At the Place of Refuge, we met a local Hawaiian man who carved the tikis for this national park. Later, we also took an airplane ride over the volcano, and it was completely insane. We could see inside the crater with all the lava sloshing around. My mother and I gasped out loud in awe. Another great thing was Queen's Bath, a fresh water pool underground that was right next to the ocean. You climb down inside and peer up into the palm trees. I put my hands above me onto the rocks, and they were buzzing with energy. Mother Earth held me inside of her, and I felt very refreshed and renewed. For the first time, I also got to paddle in an outrigger canoe. My very athletic mom met them and found out anyone could go. We took an hour out of our morning to experience this. It was great fun.

My father went snorkeling and forgot to put on sunscreen. For 4 hours he was like a turtle without a shell, so needless to say, his back was very burnt. I thought maybe they were maybe 3rd degree, but my sister who is a nurse corrected me and suggested that they were 2nd degree burns. Nevertheless, after we spotted the blisters popping out all over his back, I went to the local grocery store to buy some tofu. We cut it up and placed it on certain areas that were the worst. It was very uncomfortable for him, but he was a great sport. The tofu actually cooked on his back. We were so surprised to see this. I hope that it helped reduce the pain he felt. After a couple of days taking it easy, he was feeling better.

Thanks Mom and Dad for a great time. It was great to be there with you. I am happy George could come too.