Thursday, September 29, 2005

I'm rich beyond belief

Monday night, Sept. 26th, 2005 changed me in a profound way. I went to give a private cooking lesson for a family whose patriarch is suffering from cancer. We had our cooking lesson, and I left the house really in a daze. Suddenly, I realized that I have everything that I could possibly need. I have my health, my boyfriend, my friends, my family, enough money to pay my bills and get by. I have a roof over my head and a job with good people. I have people who trusted me for no reason and invited me to teach at their schools or to work in their homes. The stars were brighter, the musical notes more articulated, and the air more quenching. The next morning, I woke up and felt ALIVE. I felt grateful for everything and everyone around me and in my life. There is so much to be thankful for. Thank you to the people in my life who have given so much to me. Thank you to this family for their beauty and lifeforce.

Things that have been happening lately

I can't believe how long it has been since posting my last message. I have emails to send to people that I've neglected.... One of those people, if she's out there reading, is in Europe! I think about her often, and will write soon!

Where does the time go? Since my last posting, I have been working really hard. I've been doing lots of cooking lessons, which seem to be going very well. I'm so encourgaged by the turn out. For example, one that I did in Kailua, HI brought in close to 70 people. I nearly fainted when I "went on stage". It's only through macrobiotics that I have come out of my shy clamshell to find less fear about public speaking. I have more confidence, and I also have genuine passion about this topic that I want to share with everyone.

My other cooking classes have been filling up too. These have been more hands-on instead of demonstrations, so the students really get a lot more out of it. Even as an English teacher, I've had a strong inclination towards experiential learning.

One of the weekly classes is through the local Adult Education program. The local highschools open up at night for a variety of courses with things like Magic, yoga, Italian, French, ukelele lessons, Tai Chi, crocheting, faberge egg decorating, and pretty much anything else under the sun that you can think of. I love that it's affordable and accessible to people who can REALLY benefit from wholefoods and macrobiotic principles. Tonight we had our second class, and so far, the students (with all varying ages, ethnicities, and life experiences)again remarked on the ingredients, the changes they made in just one week, how easy the food is to cook, and how delicious they feel the food is. I'm so pleased!

One of my other fun things has been bringing vegan and vegan-macro potlucks to the community. We have the Veg Society of HI and the UH Veg club people attending and a handful of macrobiotic people too. Recently, a sweet and lovely woman named Kaori came from Japan for a short work-related visit. She's a student of my teacher's, the Naka's, and so I got to meet her and spend time at a party. She's so sweet and wonderful!

The potlucks fill a gap felt by many. Several people remarked to me through the evening how they opt not to go to social events because they can't fathom the thought of being around meat cooking on the grill.... Or that they find themselves withdrawing from friends they had before and making new friends who share a similar lifestyle. I'm glad that I can offer an opportunity for others to network and share something that we all feel passionate about.

I've been making some waves in Honolulu with macrobiotics. People overall have been extremely willing to listen.... Even those who are not so interested wnat to come to the potlucks and partake in the gourmet vegan food made with love and friendly conversation. Like Hiroyuki taught me, a strong headwind (obstacle) can suddenly change and become a tailwind!