I'll keep this brief.
Thank you to all of the readers who have been following my blog, from those of you who check in sporadically to those who have devoured every word, picture, and video posted on RaUM in the past 12 months. =)
When I started this blog last year I honestly never expected to continue writing for a sustained period of time as frequently as I have. I didn't expect my friends to read more than a handful of entries much less having strangers referred to my blog. I am humbled by the support I've received through this blog and it's become a part of my life now. I'm not sure how long it will last but, for now, I'm enjoying the ride. I'm grateful that you have decided to ride shotgun with me!
Thank you again, from the bottom of my heart! I appreciate your readership and hope you stick around a while longer.
Until next time, faithful reader......
(P.S. Now that I'm finally moved into the new apartment, it's safe to say that regular updates will resume this weekend.)
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
Milestones
Welcome back to another installment of RaUM,
I usually don't consider any drop in weight to be permanent unless I can have three consecutive days at or near the 'new' weight. But I can say unequivocally that I officially 185 pounds!
My first major milestone weight was getting to 200 pounds. When I reached 200, I thought I could make it to 185 and figured that would be the absolute minimum weight I could maintain and still be healthy. I created short term goals along the way. The first goal was getting under 200 pounds and maintaining that weight. Then I used every 5 pounds as a mini-goal. Now that I'm at 185, and feeling fantastic, I realize that I still have few extra pounds that I could lose.
I'm in a strange place now, mentally. I never thought I would be able to drop below 200 pounds on a consistent basis and 185 always seemed so far away for the past 2 years that, now that I am at this weight, I almost don't know what to do. Do I consider a lighter weight as my new "ultimate" goal? Do I maintain my current weight and stay content with my progress to date? I don't want to reach the point where all I want to do is continue losing weight because that's not realistic.
I know I mentioned before it isn't so much about weight as it is about how I look and feel. I can definitively say that one thing that has annoyed me about the whole weight loss process is realizing that almost every bit of clothing I wore last fall/winter fits a little too loose for my liking now for the colder weather we're about to experience in the Northeast. I need to go on a little shopping spree for my new body. =)
To be honest, I'm kind of afraid to go shopping since I may undergo another weight loss and change in my body which will make all the new clothes relatively useless. but I think it's a small price to pay for the "new" me.
I'd like to thank those of you who have supported me along the way, whether directly or indirectly. Every comment about how much slimmer I looked, every second glance I got from the most unexpected people, and every seemingly innocuous comment about how I was looking better, not only boosted my ego but gave me additional motivation to keep plugging along to my goal in the past two years.
Recap of my progress (based on weight):
Holiday season 2007-08 -- 225 (possibly closer to 230)
August 2008 -- 216-217
Dec 31, 2008 -- 206
February 13, 2009 -- ~201
March 23, 2009 -- 198 (plateaued at this weight for quite some time but I was happy to be consistently under 200 lbs.)
July 12, 2009 -- 195 (finally a break through in the summer but plateaued here again and became a bit frustrated but plugged right along continuing what I was doing)
October 15, 2009 -- 185!!
- 40+ pounds in less than 2 years
- 20 pounds in the 10 months of this year
- 10 pounds in the last 3 months alone
I'm soooooooo stoked. I haven't decided on my next milestone. But I can say that now I'm a full fledged Middleweight (my UFC/MMA fans know what I'm talking about!).
I cannot adequately express in words how immensely proud I am of getting as far as I have. Thank you again to those who have encouraged me, directly or indirectly, in the past 2 years.
I am a new man. And I'm loving every second of it.
Until next time, faithful reader......
I usually don't consider any drop in weight to be permanent unless I can have three consecutive days at or near the 'new' weight. But I can say unequivocally that I officially 185 pounds!
My first major milestone weight was getting to 200 pounds. When I reached 200, I thought I could make it to 185 and figured that would be the absolute minimum weight I could maintain and still be healthy. I created short term goals along the way. The first goal was getting under 200 pounds and maintaining that weight. Then I used every 5 pounds as a mini-goal. Now that I'm at 185, and feeling fantastic, I realize that I still have few extra pounds that I could lose.
I'm in a strange place now, mentally. I never thought I would be able to drop below 200 pounds on a consistent basis and 185 always seemed so far away for the past 2 years that, now that I am at this weight, I almost don't know what to do. Do I consider a lighter weight as my new "ultimate" goal? Do I maintain my current weight and stay content with my progress to date? I don't want to reach the point where all I want to do is continue losing weight because that's not realistic.
I know I mentioned before it isn't so much about weight as it is about how I look and feel. I can definitively say that one thing that has annoyed me about the whole weight loss process is realizing that almost every bit of clothing I wore last fall/winter fits a little too loose for my liking now for the colder weather we're about to experience in the Northeast. I need to go on a little shopping spree for my new body. =)
To be honest, I'm kind of afraid to go shopping since I may undergo another weight loss and change in my body which will make all the new clothes relatively useless. but I think it's a small price to pay for the "new" me.
I'd like to thank those of you who have supported me along the way, whether directly or indirectly. Every comment about how much slimmer I looked, every second glance I got from the most unexpected people, and every seemingly innocuous comment about how I was looking better, not only boosted my ego but gave me additional motivation to keep plugging along to my goal in the past two years.
Recap of my progress (based on weight):
Holiday season 2007-08 -- 225 (possibly closer to 230)
August 2008 -- 216-217
Dec 31, 2008 -- 206
February 13, 2009 -- ~201
March 23, 2009 -- 198 (plateaued at this weight for quite some time but I was happy to be consistently under 200 lbs.)
July 12, 2009 -- 195 (finally a break through in the summer but plateaued here again and became a bit frustrated but plugged right along continuing what I was doing)
October 15, 2009 -- 185!!
- 40+ pounds in less than 2 years
- 20 pounds in the 10 months of this year
- 10 pounds in the last 3 months alone
I'm soooooooo stoked. I haven't decided on my next milestone. But I can say that now I'm a full fledged Middleweight (my UFC/MMA fans know what I'm talking about!).
I cannot adequately express in words how immensely proud I am of getting as far as I have. Thank you again to those who have encouraged me, directly or indirectly, in the past 2 years.
I am a new man. And I'm loving every second of it.
Until next time, faithful reader......
Friday, October 9, 2009
Spanglish (or Another Big Pet Peeve)
Well, this is something I've been wanting to vent about on this blog for quite some time now. I'll do my best to present my case, as I see it, and let you react to it by posting your comments below.
There are many things about the English language that I appreciate especially since it is my native language. I was born in the states, grew up here, and despite a mixed cultural heritage, English will always be my first language. At the same time, I find a lot of beauty in the Spanish language as well. There are many phrases and ways of wording statements that simply cannot be translated literally without sounding like gibberish in English (remember learning about idiomatic phrases?). It is because of my love for English and Spanish that I have begun my hate affair with Spanglish (if we can have "love affairs" we can ALSO have "hate affairs"... hmph).
Spanglish, for those of you who don't know, is a phrase coined by Salvador Tio (a Puerto Rican linguist) describing the "code switching" between English and Spanish. Essentially, a person will switch between using English and Spanish in a conversation, sentence, or any other form of dialogue. The by-product of this is, not just the confusion of both languages, but the creation of a new vocabulary that blurs the line between English and Spanish.
Here are some examples:
- When talking about a parade, Spanglish speakers will use the word 'parada' instead of 'desfile'. A 'parada' is a stop NOT a parade!!
- Hangueando/chileando: meant to indicate the person is hanging out or chillin'. It's fucking stupid!!
- 'Lonche': Seriously?!? It is really so hard to say 'ALMUERZO'?? DAMN!
- Marqueta: Now it's getting ridiculous! Did you forget the word 'mercado' or maybe 'tienda'??
- 'Carpeta': OK now we're just getting lazy, aren't we?? I grew up not actively speaking Spanish and even I know a carpet is an 'alfombra'. If this native-born gringo knows this word, why do other Spanish speakers not know this?
- 'Boila': Is this what we've come to? Why don't you ask someone what the Spanish word for 'boiler' is, PLEASE!!!!!
More incorrect uses of words based on confusion between English and Spanish words:
(1) 'Asistir' looks like the English word 'assist' so it is used in place of 'ayudar'. In Spanish, 'asistir' means to attend.
(2) 'Atender' looks like 'attend' in English so it's used instead of 'asistir'. In Spanish, 'atender' means 'to heed', 'to look after', or 'to pay attention'.
The list goes on and on. As a matter of fact, Wikipedia's Spanglish listing actually has some good examples if you want to see some more misuses of my beautiful languages. Each one is more ridiculous than the last. It's as ridiculous as English speakers adding the letter 'o' to every English word thinking that it instantly makes it a Spanish word!
In NYC, our form of Spanglish has been influenced primarily by Puerto Ricans and Dominicans. In the Southwest US, it's Chicanos that created their variety of Spanglish. For a long time, I thought Spanglish was a result of ignorance and poor education by low-skilled immigrants that came to the U.S. I know better than to assume that now. Nevertheless, Spanglish has been adopted by new generations of Latinos/Hispanics who accept it as a valid "language" even tho it's ruining the true Spanish language, the beautiful language that I adore.
Now I must say that I don't hate the interchanging of languages, per se. As a sociologist, I can accept that phenomena as by-product of the culture clash that exists when an immigrant population enters a new environment and mingles with the native population. It is the changing - bastardizing, is more like it - of the original languages (those of the native born and immigrant groups) that bothers me the most.
*sigh* I feel better now that that's off my chest. Your thoughts?
Until next time, faithful reader......
There are many things about the English language that I appreciate especially since it is my native language. I was born in the states, grew up here, and despite a mixed cultural heritage, English will always be my first language. At the same time, I find a lot of beauty in the Spanish language as well. There are many phrases and ways of wording statements that simply cannot be translated literally without sounding like gibberish in English (remember learning about idiomatic phrases?). It is because of my love for English and Spanish that I have begun my hate affair with Spanglish (if we can have "love affairs" we can ALSO have "hate affairs"... hmph).
Spanglish, for those of you who don't know, is a phrase coined by Salvador Tio (a Puerto Rican linguist) describing the "code switching" between English and Spanish. Essentially, a person will switch between using English and Spanish in a conversation, sentence, or any other form of dialogue. The by-product of this is, not just the confusion of both languages, but the creation of a new vocabulary that blurs the line between English and Spanish.
Here are some examples:
- When talking about a parade, Spanglish speakers will use the word 'parada' instead of 'desfile'. A 'parada' is a stop NOT a parade!!
- Hangueando/chileando: meant to indicate the person is hanging out or chillin'. It's fucking stupid!!
- 'Lonche': Seriously?!? It is really so hard to say 'ALMUERZO'?? DAMN!
- Marqueta: Now it's getting ridiculous! Did you forget the word 'mercado' or maybe 'tienda'??
- 'Carpeta': OK now we're just getting lazy, aren't we?? I grew up not actively speaking Spanish and even I know a carpet is an 'alfombra'. If this native-born gringo knows this word, why do other Spanish speakers not know this?
- 'Boila': Is this what we've come to? Why don't you ask someone what the Spanish word for 'boiler' is, PLEASE!!!!!
More incorrect uses of words based on confusion between English and Spanish words:
(1) 'Asistir' looks like the English word 'assist' so it is used in place of 'ayudar'. In Spanish, 'asistir' means to attend.
(2) 'Atender' looks like 'attend' in English so it's used instead of 'asistir'. In Spanish, 'atender' means 'to heed', 'to look after', or 'to pay attention'.
The list goes on and on. As a matter of fact, Wikipedia's Spanglish listing actually has some good examples if you want to see some more misuses of my beautiful languages. Each one is more ridiculous than the last. It's as ridiculous as English speakers adding the letter 'o' to every English word thinking that it instantly makes it a Spanish word!
In NYC, our form of Spanglish has been influenced primarily by Puerto Ricans and Dominicans. In the Southwest US, it's Chicanos that created their variety of Spanglish. For a long time, I thought Spanglish was a result of ignorance and poor education by low-skilled immigrants that came to the U.S. I know better than to assume that now. Nevertheless, Spanglish has been adopted by new generations of Latinos/Hispanics who accept it as a valid "language" even tho it's ruining the true Spanish language, the beautiful language that I adore.
Now I must say that I don't hate the interchanging of languages, per se. As a sociologist, I can accept that phenomena as by-product of the culture clash that exists when an immigrant population enters a new environment and mingles with the native population. It is the changing - bastardizing, is more like it - of the original languages (those of the native born and immigrant groups) that bothers me the most.
*sigh* I feel better now that that's off my chest. Your thoughts?
Until next time, faithful reader......
Saturday, October 3, 2009
On My Own and Moving Along
I hate moving... Those of you who follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or have been friends with me for years know this about me.
My current situation: I need to move despite loving my current apartment. Both of my roommates have moved out and I simply cannot afford the apartment on my own.
I've looked at a couple of decent places, one really nice apartment, seen a lot of awful listings online, and I'm hoping to get it all sorted out soon (a.k.a. this upcoming week... cross your fingers and toes plz).
I have a couple ideas I'm bouncing around in my head to blog about. But I wanted to assure those of you who have been patiently waiting for my blog entry on Spanglish - you know who you are - that it will post very soon (I'm targeting sometime this beginning of the upcoming week, maybe Monday or Tuesday).
With that being said, I realized the other day that I'd rather not post anything on RaUM if all I have to offer you is an apology for not posting anything and a promise to post after a few days (or weeks). So I'm avoiding that in this entry.
I have to admit that having the apartment to myself is a great idea... on paper. To be honest, the first few days sucked. I missed having someone around. I'd been so used to having some ambient noise in the apartment whether it was during the time that I took care of my mom (financially) for all those years after my parents separated or more recently living with my fiancee (ex-fiancee now). I won't go so far as to say I was depressed but I was definitely melancholy. On those early nights I couldn't go to sleep because it was too quiet. I tried everything from reading, to watching TV, to drinking tea, to playing xBox to exhaustion... nothing worked. I recall seeing the outside world getting a little brighter, as the sun began to rise, just as I managed to SOMEHOW fall asleep. Sometimes being left alone with your thoughts is a TERRIBLE thing.
It's been just about a week now and one of the major adjustments has been getting myself accustomed to make dinner ahead of time. I get home any time between 9 and 10 PM on nights that I teach and, quite frankly, I'm too tired to start whipping up a meal on the spot. The idea of ordering out has been EXTREMELY tempting but I've been good about eating well and have had enough will power to avoid the easy take-out meal for dinner. It's not that I won't do it every now and then but I don't want to fall into the habit of doing it regularly. What I need to do is make several meals on the weekend and re-heat them throughout the week. That way I will always have something to eat. I'll also have some quick fix, on-the-fly type of foods available as well so if I don't feel like eating what I have in the fridge, I can still eat a good meal without resorting to eating food out of a can.
I can now say that I'm finally settling in to the idea of being on my own. It's not a terrible thing (it felt rotten early on) but it certainly will be a work in progress as I discover new things about being alone that I'm not necessarily aware of now: good and bad.
I'd like to hear from you on this topic. Help me figure things out a little, faithful reader. For those of you who have been on your own, what's been the biggest adjustments and/or lifestyle changes you had to deal with? For those of you who have yet to be on your own, what do you most look forward to when you think about living by yourself and what do you think you will miss the most from your current life?
I hope to hear from you soon.
Until next time, faithful reader......
My current situation: I need to move despite loving my current apartment. Both of my roommates have moved out and I simply cannot afford the apartment on my own.
I've looked at a couple of decent places, one really nice apartment, seen a lot of awful listings online, and I'm hoping to get it all sorted out soon (a.k.a. this upcoming week... cross your fingers and toes plz).
I have a couple ideas I'm bouncing around in my head to blog about. But I wanted to assure those of you who have been patiently waiting for my blog entry on Spanglish - you know who you are - that it will post very soon (I'm targeting sometime this beginning of the upcoming week, maybe Monday or Tuesday).
With that being said, I realized the other day that I'd rather not post anything on RaUM if all I have to offer you is an apology for not posting anything and a promise to post after a few days (or weeks). So I'm avoiding that in this entry.
I have to admit that having the apartment to myself is a great idea... on paper. To be honest, the first few days sucked. I missed having someone around. I'd been so used to having some ambient noise in the apartment whether it was during the time that I took care of my mom (financially) for all those years after my parents separated or more recently living with my fiancee (ex-fiancee now). I won't go so far as to say I was depressed but I was definitely melancholy. On those early nights I couldn't go to sleep because it was too quiet. I tried everything from reading, to watching TV, to drinking tea, to playing xBox to exhaustion... nothing worked. I recall seeing the outside world getting a little brighter, as the sun began to rise, just as I managed to SOMEHOW fall asleep. Sometimes being left alone with your thoughts is a TERRIBLE thing.
It's been just about a week now and one of the major adjustments has been getting myself accustomed to make dinner ahead of time. I get home any time between 9 and 10 PM on nights that I teach and, quite frankly, I'm too tired to start whipping up a meal on the spot. The idea of ordering out has been EXTREMELY tempting but I've been good about eating well and have had enough will power to avoid the easy take-out meal for dinner. It's not that I won't do it every now and then but I don't want to fall into the habit of doing it regularly. What I need to do is make several meals on the weekend and re-heat them throughout the week. That way I will always have something to eat. I'll also have some quick fix, on-the-fly type of foods available as well so if I don't feel like eating what I have in the fridge, I can still eat a good meal without resorting to eating food out of a can.
I can now say that I'm finally settling in to the idea of being on my own. It's not a terrible thing (it felt rotten early on) but it certainly will be a work in progress as I discover new things about being alone that I'm not necessarily aware of now: good and bad.
I'd like to hear from you on this topic. Help me figure things out a little, faithful reader. For those of you who have been on your own, what's been the biggest adjustments and/or lifestyle changes you had to deal with? For those of you who have yet to be on your own, what do you most look forward to when you think about living by yourself and what do you think you will miss the most from your current life?
I hope to hear from you soon.
Until next time, faithful reader......
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Who is The One?
No. I don't mean Neo (from the Matrix).
I'm referring to "THE ONE": the ideal mate that we all are destined to meet, fall in love with, and have a happy and fulfilling life with!
In a recent conversation with my best friend, we discussed the concept of "the one". There are many people who want to live by this idea and use it as the yardstick with which to measure all potential mates. The danger in that way of thinking is that you may end up having expectations that are exceedingly high. So high, in fact, that no person could realistically meet them. This is not to say a person should settle for less than they feel they deserve but we need to bear in mind how irrational the idea of the perfect mate ("the one") truly is. These people may be closing the door on opportunities with a potentially great mate and maybe, if they're lucky enough, their future husband or wife.
This model of perfection is something that we use to highlight all the characteristics we want in a mate, both on the inside and the outside. Some people are more shallow than others and only care about the outside while others consider themselves people of substance, more concerned with the inner beauty in a potential mate.
I think my "one" is somewhere in between. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little shallow regarding looks but I also don't want someone supermodel-esque (nor would I turn it away, I'm not stupid!). I've always been more of a 'natural beauty' kind of guy. I'm a sucker for a beautiful smile. It's not just about having nice teeth but also having their heart and soul shine in their laughter and smile. No fakeness to it at all. I'm neither a "boob man" nor an "ass man". This is not to say I want a flat-chested, flat-assed woman. I'm a fan of shapely women. Nice hips and curves are extremely sexy to me. =)
I like women with a great sense of humor. Sarcasm is always welcome. The ability to laugh at yourself is critical. Also, my 'one' need to be able to dish it out a little. She is someone who will keep me on my toes. I'm a smart man (toot toot) and need a woman who is on my level and can keep up with me when I drop the occasional one-liner. If I have to explain myself it kills the whole purpose of the joke, innuendo, or statement.
I want a woman who isn't afraid to speak her mind no matter how mundane or intimate a subject is. My 'one' is an affectionate woman who won't keep me guessing how she feels about me, our relationship, or anything else important to her (or us). One other facet of 'the one' deals with our sexual desires and needs. I won't discuss this aspect of my 'one' on this blog. But if you're wondering, I know what I would like and dislike from my 'one' when it comes to sex/sexuality/sensuality/etc.
This, by no means, is the entire list. These are the characteristics that have come to my mind while writing this blog entry. But, to me (as I'm sure it is for most people), the list is quite exhaustive and ranges from the minimal traits to characteristics that are "deal-breakers" for certain people. I believe the best we can all hope for is someone who matches the majority of the characteristics we hope to find in "the one".
There is one other issue with idea of 'the one'. The truth of the matter is that there is no ACTUAL "one". 'The one' is constantly evolving as we grow older (and wiser?). Our needs, expectations, and likes/dislikes change with time and 'the one' changes with us. The people we meet, the events in our lives, and other social factors constantly influence us and causes us to re-evaluate what we value in our lives. It's very difficult to find a person who will change along with us in the way that we would like. To expect someone to change in every little way to meet our selfish desires is one of the major causes of break-ups among many of my friends.
I consider 'the one' to be more like 'the one right now'. We can't anticipate what will change within us. And that's part of the beauty of life and living. We don't know what tomorrow will bring. The best we can hope for is someone who is understanding enough to accept us for who we are and that he/she is someone that we can do the same for.
Thanks for listening. What's your take on this?
Look forward to hearing from you.
Until next time, faithful reader......
I'm referring to "THE ONE": the ideal mate that we all are destined to meet, fall in love with, and have a happy and fulfilling life with!
In a recent conversation with my best friend, we discussed the concept of "the one". There are many people who want to live by this idea and use it as the yardstick with which to measure all potential mates. The danger in that way of thinking is that you may end up having expectations that are exceedingly high. So high, in fact, that no person could realistically meet them. This is not to say a person should settle for less than they feel they deserve but we need to bear in mind how irrational the idea of the perfect mate ("the one") truly is. These people may be closing the door on opportunities with a potentially great mate and maybe, if they're lucky enough, their future husband or wife.
This model of perfection is something that we use to highlight all the characteristics we want in a mate, both on the inside and the outside. Some people are more shallow than others and only care about the outside while others consider themselves people of substance, more concerned with the inner beauty in a potential mate.
I think my "one" is somewhere in between. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little shallow regarding looks but I also don't want someone supermodel-esque (nor would I turn it away, I'm not stupid!). I've always been more of a 'natural beauty' kind of guy. I'm a sucker for a beautiful smile. It's not just about having nice teeth but also having their heart and soul shine in their laughter and smile. No fakeness to it at all. I'm neither a "boob man" nor an "ass man". This is not to say I want a flat-chested, flat-assed woman. I'm a fan of shapely women. Nice hips and curves are extremely sexy to me. =)
I like women with a great sense of humor. Sarcasm is always welcome. The ability to laugh at yourself is critical. Also, my 'one' need to be able to dish it out a little. She is someone who will keep me on my toes. I'm a smart man (toot toot) and need a woman who is on my level and can keep up with me when I drop the occasional one-liner. If I have to explain myself it kills the whole purpose of the joke, innuendo, or statement.
I want a woman who isn't afraid to speak her mind no matter how mundane or intimate a subject is. My 'one' is an affectionate woman who won't keep me guessing how she feels about me, our relationship, or anything else important to her (or us). One other facet of 'the one' deals with our sexual desires and needs. I won't discuss this aspect of my 'one' on this blog. But if you're wondering, I know what I would like and dislike from my 'one' when it comes to sex/sexuality/sensuality/etc.
This, by no means, is the entire list. These are the characteristics that have come to my mind while writing this blog entry. But, to me (as I'm sure it is for most people), the list is quite exhaustive and ranges from the minimal traits to characteristics that are "deal-breakers" for certain people. I believe the best we can all hope for is someone who matches the majority of the characteristics we hope to find in "the one".
There is one other issue with idea of 'the one'. The truth of the matter is that there is no ACTUAL "one". 'The one' is constantly evolving as we grow older (and wiser?). Our needs, expectations, and likes/dislikes change with time and 'the one' changes with us. The people we meet, the events in our lives, and other social factors constantly influence us and causes us to re-evaluate what we value in our lives. It's very difficult to find a person who will change along with us in the way that we would like. To expect someone to change in every little way to meet our selfish desires is one of the major causes of break-ups among many of my friends.
I consider 'the one' to be more like 'the one right now'. We can't anticipate what will change within us. And that's part of the beauty of life and living. We don't know what tomorrow will bring. The best we can hope for is someone who is understanding enough to accept us for who we are and that he/she is someone that we can do the same for.
Thanks for listening. What's your take on this?
Look forward to hearing from you.
Until next time, faithful reader......
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