End of February Update

Well it's hard to believe, but February is over.
Here are the challenges I completed this month:
-Makeover Pt. 2
-Travelling with flowers
-Surrey Museum
-Sun Tzu's "The Art of War"
-Lobsterfest
-Machiavelli's "The Prince"
-Dining out alone
-Thai dinner
-Lao Tzu's "Tao Te Ching"
-Going to the movies alone

In terms of the challenges I completed, I have been challenged by all of them. Each one has been memorable to me and I hope to be able to complete more.  Because of the weather it has been difficult to complete outdoor challenges, but I am hopeful I will get to do these when the weather warms up a bit.

In terms of what is on the horizon for next month, I still have to complete "Walden" and it's do or die time for my courses at work. I am hopeful to have these completed as soon as possible. There are going to be more food challenges, more books and more challenges that allow me to grow as much as possible.

I would recommend this journey to anyone who would like to grow as a person or who just needs a change. I needed a bit of both this year.  For me, the more challenges I complete, the more I recognize that I am my own person. This blog has also been more challenging to complete than I initially thought. I am a rather shy person. However, this is going to be very useful next year when I look back on all of these.

Thanks for reading.
Lynn

Going to the Movies - Alone

Going to the movies shouldn't sound like a challenge. However, if you knew my husband and I, it can be. We don't agree on the type of movie to watch together. He likes action and I like stories that involve some sort of story line or a movie that evokes emotion. So we just don't see movies.

However, that changed today. I went to the movies myself. I saw "The King's Speech". It was an interesting experience. I think the guy at the counter thought I was with someone because he looked at me a little strange when I said I only needed one ticket.

When I've gone to the movies with someone, I never have to think about where to sit. When I was alone, I had to think about the most inconspicous spot and not to arrive too early. However, after that was figured out, I actually got to enjoy the movie. I would recommend it to anyone who hasn't seen it.

I learned that it is possible for me to do things I enjoy alone. After all, it's better than waiting for someone to go with you or arguing about your likes and dislikes.  I also learned that I may be a little quirky, but I can do my own things quite easily. I think I'm going to enjoy doing more things by myself in the future.

Thanks for reading.

Lynn

Lao Tzu's "Tao Te Ching"

I finished reading this book this afternoon. I have to say, this book resonated more with me than with any other philosophy book I have read recently.

Some of the ideals I found particularly helpful are:

#9: "It is easier to carry an empty cup than one that is filled to the brim. The sharper the knife the easier it is to dull. The more wealth you possess the harder it is to protect. Pride brings its own trouble. When you have accomplished your goal simply walk away. This is the pathway to heaven."
-It's a good thing I don't have any great wealth.

#19: "Forget about knowledge and wisdom, and people will be a hundred times better off. Throw away charity and righteousness, and people will return to brotherly love. Throw away profit and greed, and there won't be any thieves. ... Embrace simplicity. Put others first. Desire little."
-I think this has some connections with buddhist philosophy here.

#22: "If you want to become whole, first let yourself become broken. If you want to become straight, first let yourself become twisted. If you want to become full, first let yourself become empty. If you want to become new, first let yourself become old. Those whose desires are few get them, those whose desires are great go astray..."
-I think I will reserve my interpretations on this quote for my own personal life.

#29: "... Some are meant to lead, and others are meant to follow; Some must always strain, and others have an easy time; Some are naturally big and strong, and others will always be small; Some will be protected and nurtured, and others will meet with destruction..."
-Again, I'm not sure I'm a leader, life will always be challenging for myself and I'm glad for the struggles.

I could go on, but I'll have to end there.

The Tao the book refers to is the path. It is the path to enlightenment and heaven, although I am simplifying this ideal greatly in order to understand it. This book serves as a guide on how to conduct one's life. I can say this: while many cultures and sects hold their ideals to be unique, they are in fact universal.

When I got this book I thought I would be challenged. But as I read it, it became more thought provoking than challenging.

Thanks for reading.

Lynn

Next challenge: Thoreau's "Walden"

Thai Dinner

It has been another big day. I was able to keep lunch down so I thought I would try something more difficult. So far so good.
I was initially going to cook Thai food by myself. However, I don't own a wok. Also, if I decided that I didn't like it, I was out the cost of the wok. I figured I would try it first and then see if I liked it. So, tonight's dinner included:

Gaeng Jued-clear soup with vegetables, vermicelli, tofu, chicken.
Mussamun Curry chicken and prawns on rice -chicken and prawns with potato, tomato and onion in a mussamun curry and coconut milk sauce topped with peanuts.
Spicy Drunken Noodles- Stir fry rice noodles with green beans, red pepper, onions in a spicy basil sauce.

First impressions of thai food:

-I thought the soup was good. I think the tofu added a lot of texture to the soup. Although it was not spicy, it was a little bit bland. Although I quite like bland food at the moment.
-The Mussamun curry was my favourite. Although very high in fat, it was not spicy and the potatoes were a nice touch. I would recommend this dish to anyone who wants to try Thai but cannot handle spice.
-The Spicy Drunken Noodles were a different story. Although very good, it was too spicy for me. However, this was my husbands favourite dish so I let him have it.

I learned today that I am a fan of Thai food, despite the expensive nature of it. I like the textures and the peanuts were a nice crunchy touch. I think trying more exotic foods in the future may be a good challenge for me. That and I am now more strongly convinced I may be able to go vegan for a short while to see how I like that.

Thanks for reading

Lynn

Next challenge: Reading Lao Tzu's "Tao Te Ching"

Dining out alone

This was an unplanned challenge. However, one I felt needed to be blogged about. Because it was still a challenge to complete.

It's kind of funny to admit this given my age but, I never dine out alone. If I'm alone and hungry, I will usually make something at home. Or if I don't have anything at home, I will grab something and take it home to eat or make.

I have had several dinners of just popcorn or sandwiches because it is hard to cook for only one person.

So today, I decided to stop and dine out alone. Granted, due to some digestive problems lately, it wasn't much, but I still had to sit at a table in a restaurant and eat alone.

It was an interesting experience. I don't often get the opportunity to people watch and I took my time to actually enjoy the experience. I got to enjoy my food without being in a rush to go somewhere quickly. Although I have to admit it was kind of quiet. I also got stared at by a few other customers who must have thought it strange I was dining alone.

I am glad I was able to complete this by myself. I feel better that I can do all kinds of things by myself that I never thought were possible. I think travelling by myself is not entirely out of the question now. However, I have some advice for people who are thinking of trying this one out on their own: to avoid people staring at you, bring a small book or magazine to read. You don't stand out that much then.

Thanks for reading

Lynn

Machiavelli's "The Prince"

I just finished reading this book. While I am still trying to come to a final conclusion about it, I can see his point in a lot of things he has written about and the way current politics works. What I can also see is he is pointing out good leadership examples as well:

-"... So, on this question of being loved or feared, I conclude that since some men love as they please but fear when the prince pleases, a wise prince should rely on what he controls, not on what he cannot control. He must only endeavour, as I said, to escape being hated."

-"So a prince must understand how to make a nice use of the beast [use of force] and the man [law]."

-"A prince should also show his esteem for talent, actively encouraging able men, and honouring those who excel in their profession."

I am beginning to see that politics and business are entertwined. Both take extraordinary leadership in order to succeed. It also takes an incredible amount of luck:

-"...I believe that it is probably true that fortune is the arbiter of half the things we do, leaving the other half or so to be controlled by ourselves."

I have enjoyed reading this book. However, I have come to the conclusion, after having read two books on leadership, that I don't possess or need to posess all of the qualities relayed in these books to be considered a leader. Sometimes it's just the guy who's willing to do all of the grunt work that earns the higher rewards. That's at least what this challenge has taught me.

Thanks for reading.

Lynn
Next challenge: Thai dinner

Lobsterfest

Rationale behind challenge:
Growing up, my maternal grandfather loved the outdoors. This was passed onto my mother and onto me. My father, not that educated in the outdoors, tried as best as he could. Fishing with my dad involved going to local trout farms when I was much younger than I am now. One particular time, I caught a small rainbow trout, stunned it and brought it home. While on the way home, it kept flipping around in the bag. Because I was holding it, I decided to name it Freckles. That's where the problems started. When we got it home, my father cleaned it and gave it to my mom to cook it for dinner that night. At dinner time, I couldn't eat the fish. It was Freckles and because I had a personal connection to it, it was my friend and eating it was out of the question. From then on, everytime we went to the fish farm, the fish was cleaned prior to getting it home and was placed in a cooler out of sight.

While volunteering at a local salmon hatchery the same connection has also occured, but in a slightly different capacity. I used to feed the salmon when they were in the troughs every saturday morning until they were ready to be released. Since then, I rarely eat Salmon and if I do, I have to ensure the fish was not something that had anything to do with the system I used to support.

So I decided that I needed to make myself tougher in this regard and cooking a lobster was just the thing I needed.

Luckily the small ones were on sale today. I picked up a lobster that was about a pound and a half. I took it home and I put it in the pot of boiling water until it was cooked. I did not name it and I did not even look it in the eyes or I may not have been able to eat it. It did not scream when it went in the pot or I may have had to step outside of the room.

When it was done, I pulled it from the pot and waited for my husband to dismantle it. Without that, it would have sat on the plate and I would not have been able to eat it. I also had to turn it on it's side so that I did not have to look at its eyes. I also said a small prayer for the lobster and hoped it had a quick and painless passing. I know it's over the top but it's who I am.

I did not have any problems eating it. I made it into a Valentine's Dinner for my husband. I served it with risotto, coleslaw, corn and fresh buns. I also had white wine which couldn't get served because we don't have any corkscrews. It was good. However, I am glad I only bought one and not one for each of us. I couldn't eat anymore than I already had.

I have attached a picture:

So I won't be doing this again anytime soon. I have learned that I can do certain things when forced. I can only hope I don't have any nightmares.

Thanks for reading.

Lynn

Sun Tzu's "The Art of War"

I finished reading Sun Tzu's "The Art of War". I have been told this book is held in high esteem in management circles. I can also see these strategies being used historically.

As I read each passage, I spent time trying to think of both leadership examples and historical examples to provide further insight into just how much Sun Tzu's ideals have influenced the world. When I think about it, that's what made the book that much more challenging to read. I think what's also interesting to note that Sun Tzu's ideals are also heavily influenced by the Tao religion. I think for me to have gained everything out of this book, I should also have been reading the I-ching as well. This book is also on my list.

Some examples of leadership I have read include:

-"If soldiers are punished before a personal attachment to the leadership is formed, they will not submit, and if they do not submit they are hard to employ."
I take this to mean that in a team environment, if the leader does not empower it's members and treat them as if they are valued, then the team will turn it's back on the leader and in essence become ineffective. I have seen this and it does happen. It's sad when it does for everyone involved.

-"If you are quiet and inconspicuous, others will not be able to figure you out. If you are accurate and orderly, others will not be able to disturb you."-Mei Yaochen said this. To me, it indicates those that have the ability to focus are much stronger than the leaders that are merely driven by ego.

One link I have made to historical events:

-"Unless you know the mountains and forests, the defiles and impasses, and the lay of the marshes and swamps, you cannot maneuver with an armed force. Unless you use local guides, you cannot get the advantages of the land."

I can think of two historical examples for this quote. The first is the ill fated Franklin expedition. So he wasn't travelling with an armed force. However, he was travelling with a team in order to discover the Northwest Passage. He didn't use indigenous people to help him obtain information about the lay of the land and use existing technologies in this north to help him survive. However, there are plenty of examples of those people who have used indigenous people and techniques and survived. The one I can think of at this time is the first person to conquer Everest, Sir Edmund Hillary and his travelling sherpa Tenzing Norgay.

The second example for this quote is in World War Two and Hitler's disastrous attempt to take Russia in the winter. Besides the other many problems of Hitler's campaign around this same time, it should have been common knowledge then that Russia is cold in the winter and not a good time to invade.

There are many more examples from history which you can use to represent Sun Tzu's points which I simply do not have enough time and space to present here.

I enjoyed the book. However, reading it and making these connections has taken a fair amount of time. I was also challenged by the very notion that good leadership is taken from a book devoted to war strategies. My world view does not allow myself to comtemplate on war very often. I prefer more peaceful pursuits. For me to exist with my present attitude I need to believe that there are things out there, including leadership, that can be obtained by non violent notions. Life lessons are not always learned from war.

Thanks for reading.

Lynn

Next challenges (in order of completion):
Lobsterfest
Machiavelli's "The Prince"

Surrey Museum

While away travelling, I often stop in at the local museum if there's time. I have visited a few museums in the past years. These have included Harrison Mills, and Kamloops and several trips to historical cemeteries including Wells and Quesnel. I have even dragged my husband through Fort Langley on more than one occasion. I like visiting new places and find museums can be a great source of information.

However, I am a little embarrassed to admit this, I have never visited Surrey's museum. I work in Surrey, have lived in Surrey, have gone to school in Surrey and one of my favourite places to walk is also in Surrey etc. So today's challenge was to visit Surrey's Museum.

The admission to the museum is by donation this year. What better time to go?

I walked in to the museum and immediately gained a sense of just how massive Surrey really is. I learned:

-Surrey is the vegetable capital of BC
-Surrey became a city in 1993
-Cloverdale is named after the unique smell of Clover
-There were 5 original townsites in Surrey: Cloverdale, Fleetwood, Newton, Guildford and Port Kells, or at least that's what I can remember
-White Rock is no longer a part of Surrey

The display of facts and artifacts is rather dynamic. There were lots of things to touch, read and listen to. There was a clothing exhibit as well that is rather well put together. I also got the opportunity to see some weavings being completed in the textile room and discuss the designs with some volunteers. It was a rather interesting and worthwhile visit. I would recommend anyone who would like to find out more about Surrey to visit this site.

Next challenge: An interesting Lobsterfest and finishing Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War'

Thanks for reading

Lynn

Travelling with Flowers

What an unexpected, but wonderful challenge today!

Today was my last day at my job. Monday begins another job at another location.
To say goodbye all of the staff I worked with signed a card, gave me flowers and bought me a good bye cake. I have attached some pictures into this blog.
What a wonderful surprise this was! I am still blown away and greatly humbled by all you did! I couldn't have asked for better coworkers!

To get home today I had to take transit. I have to say travelling with fresh cut flowers was a bit more challenging then I thought. I managed to make it home with the flowers still intact! It was rather comical when another rider on the bus, a construction worker, asked me what type of flowers they were. When I responded to his question, he said they smelled very nice! I was blown away! He was pretty gruff looking and dirty from head to toe and he thought the flowers smelled pretty!

To everyone at CC63 and CC07 who are reading this I will say it was great working with you all. Thank-you from the bottom of my heart for all of your generosity and kindness. It is great knowing that it all starts with a great team and I feel very priviledged to have worked with one of the best. I promise to keep in touch to let you know how everything is going and please feel free to let me know how things are going with each of you. I'm only down the street or an Instant Message away!

Lynn

Makeover Pt. 2

Hi,

Okay so the reaction to the makeup may have been my bodies emotional reaction to the change. I have since kept it and have been wearing little bits every day in order to come to today.
Today was the grand finale of my makeover.

I am now educated in not only the use of a blow dryer but also a curling iron! Me! Never did I ever imagine this day happening.
I also have been educated in the ways of earrings in that there is stuff out there that is allergy free. I didn't even have to get big ones, but something small to add sparkle. I also have hair pins.
The reaction at work was quite unexpected. People seemed actually shocked that it was me and they liked the change.

As far as the makeover goes, I am now ready to try it on my own and start my new job. I feel like a whole new me, one that never figured this stuff out before. I think I'll try and keep it up. It makes me feel better about myself (in little increments).

This one's for you Kathryn: the makeover even included new additions to my pajama collection. Thanks for the pointers again. I still may go and buy the pajamas with the footsies. How comfortable and soft those were! (Is that blunt enough for you?!!!)

Anyways, thanks for reading. Tomorrow is my last day at my regular job.
Next challenges: Cooking a lobster by myself and visiting the Surrey Museum.
Lynn