Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Techno-Hippie




Ever since I've been living in PR, I've noticed a lot of things have changed within myself. I am forever morphing into this stronger, better being--or at least I hope so. Living here has humbled me A LOT. I don't mind buying a purse at K-mart, or eating food from a truck on the side of the road, or even losing electricity and water from time to time. I've learned to deal. I've learned that there are so many other things to worry about in life, and material possessions and luxuries are not on the top of that list. Don't get me wrong, I love to be pampered now and then, and I'm not saying I live a life of struggle by any means. I just think that this experience is something that I can learn from. I hope that I can bring these things back with me when I move to the states again, and not resort back to my old way of thinking. I used to care too much about what others thought of me, and didn't focus on what was real and important in life.

A few short weeks after moving here, I realized that there is a huge problem with stray and abused animals here in Puerto Rico. I'm talking dogs, cats, pigs, horses...and of course, the ever so loving sport of cock fighting is numero uno here. This has completely changed my outlook on life and has somewhat helped guide me into becoming a vegetarian. Ok, so I am not a full-on vegetarian, I guess I'm a pesca-vegetarian because I eat seafood. I know, I'm a cheater, but it is still a step in the right direction. At first, I made this choice for health issues (high cholesterol is a family trait I didn't ask to inherit). Then, a year later, it soon became more apparent to me that it isn't just about health, and that I just don't like eating animals (not with four legs anyways). ;) There are so many cases of abuse and neglect when it comes to animals here and it has literally made me sick to my stomach. I am huge animal lover and I find it quite hypocritical to be eating something that I love so much. The benefits seem to out weigh my selfish reasons for eating it. Look, I am from Texas and was basically bottle fed meat and bbq, so it has to be really bad to make me not want it anymore. If you don't believe me, feel free to go to www.saveasato.org to find out for your self. Sato is the slang term that Puerto Ricans give to the stray dogs here. Some people call them pincho's too, which is a name for the various meats on a stick that they sell on roadsides throughout PR. Ummm, yea, nice.
I'm sorry if this sounds preachy...that is SO not my intent. I don't want to be one of those friends who is trying to change everyone's lives or make them feel guilty about their lifestyle. I am just talking about some of the major changes that I have made over the past few years.

Let's see...So, I recycle now (everyone should), which I never did before. I use as many organic products as I can (make-up, soap, detergent, dog shampoo, household cleaners, food, and so on). I started back at school over a year ago and I'm studying to be a holistic health practitioner. I am slightly addicted to acupuncture. I've learned to knit, sew, make my own jewelry, and kind of surf. I gave up our cable tv so that I could enjoy the outdoors more and spend more quality time with my sweetheart hubby. I became a yoga instructor over a year ago (not that I have really used the certification to my credit). I meditate, and I am an advocate for animal rights, and think that it is very important that we clean up our beaches...Oh My God, I'm becoming a HIPPIE!!! (not that there's anything wrong with that)

Okay, wait. Let me go on by telling you that I haven't changed in the fact that I still love technology, hence my cell phone, computers, digital camera, and the oh so un-hippie and greatly loved ipod. ;) I don't sit around campfires tokin' it up while strumming to folk music, and listening to my bohemian, flower-child best friend Wisdom Skye tell me how she plans on accomplishing world peace. I still love to get pedicures and manicures, I love a fancy martini, and have no qualms with staying in a 5 star hotel. I don't wear Birkenstocks, and I shave. So there.

I think all of these changes have been for the better. I am still who I have always been, just slightly wiser and more in tune with myself and what I want to accomplish. Puerto Rico has been an eye-opening experience for me. I've learned that it is okay to have a simple life. I've learned that I don't need fancy things to be happy and to live at life's fullest. Although, I do love my everyday modernism's, and I think that is fine. I mean, I'm not a hippie....
I think I will coin the term techno-hippie. ha,ha! PEACE OUT! :)

AND, ... que techno music: boom cha, boom cha...


Wednesday, September 5, 2007

To the Max


So, this is day two of my blogging experience. Yeah, I feel good about it. I think I can get used to this. Today I woke up and went to aerobics. Yep, in a sweaty-ass gym with no AC, and few fans that feel like someone is blowing hot breath on you. Nice, huh? It was a good workout with some fun music and what not. Although, the instructor did a routine to U2's Vertigo, (U2 is my all time fave group ever) and I didn't care for it much. I think I am slowly realizing that I am kind of a control freak when it comes to certain things. The whole time while I was bouncing around to "uno, dos, tres, catorce", all I could think about was how I would have choreographed the whole thing differently. Ugh, I need to let it go and learn to enjoy it for what it is. Free aerobics.

Living on a military base is sooo strange. I never thought I'd marry someone in the military. I'm glad I did, but this lifestyle is definitely one of a kind. I have a small group of girlfriends here. Some closer than others. We all go to aerobics together, go shopping, walk our dogs together, go to Coast Guard sponsored events, and frequently have dinner parties. Sounds fabulous, right? Not so much. We also all live practically on the same street, see each other every day, and know everyone's business. It's way too much for me. I like a little privacy and solitude in my life. I hate that I can sneeze and my neighbor says bless you. Okay, so that's an exaggeration, but not much of one. Currently, I am watching Our friends/neighbors labrador retriever named Max. You see, that's what we do here. A neighbor goes out of town, and we are fully responsible for their dogs, cats, house, etc. Max is a handful. He's still a puppy, but he's an 80 lb. puppy. I have two small dogs (a yorkie, and toy manchester terrier), and walking Max is totally different. Not to be gross or anything, but his poo is like a thousand times bigger than my dogs, and I nearly gagged and made a huge spectacle of myself at the park today having to clean it up. I don't think those little eco-friendly doggy bags are big or thick enough. I need to get an industrial size GLAD garbage bag to pull all the way up my arm for that mess. I can just see myself...walking Max tomorrow with a huge black glad bag, and a gas mask.

Anyways, I gotta run, gotta let Max out again before he leaves a disaster of poo and chewed up magnets in their house. Tomorrow morning calls for extra time during meditation. ...Peace, shanti, right?
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Tuesday, September 4, 2007

No TV = Yoga, Aerobics, and Blogging, Oh My!



Ok, I'm trying out this new thing. Although, not quite by choice. How do I put it??? Well..."He" got rid of the television! Not actually the tv's per say, but the cable (Tivo, HBO, etc...). So, now I'm left in my two bedroom home with 4 televisions (yes, four) and nothing to watch on them. I live in Puerto Rico (husband/"he" is in the military), and the local channels that I could try and pick up are all in Spanish. And to my shame and humility, after living here for a over three years, I do not speak it. I get to stare at the bare, black, dusty screen and it's actually becoming quite the eyesore. Now, I don't want to sound like I was a tv crack-addict, but it was starting to get that way. I started to find myself loving the disturbing, self-satisfying addiction that was reality tv. You know, the kind where someone is striving to become all that they can be, and they fail. Yep, that's it. I loved it! I think personally it is all a boost of confidence for all of us people at home. We can sit back and laugh and thank God that we don't live like that.
My husband, Allan, let go of the cable only a few weeks ago for multiple reasons. For one, the cable company here is awful! And I don't mean they're just slow, but they are "slow" (language barrier included). After several callous phone calls, and a few times with them hanging up on us; we gave up. We figured we shouldn't be watching it so intently anyways. This must be a sign. I'm all about signs. We both felt that we should be doing other things like taking walks with the dogs, hiking, enjoying nature, focusing on our hobbies, and bonding.

So now, I have moved on to bigger and better things (supposedly). I'm going to aerobics, trying to fine tune my at home yoga practice, and now I am blogging. Now there is a little bit of "blah" when I say blogging but that's because I was never sure if I liked the idea of it. Letting the world see your personal thoughts written across the world wide web. I mean really, who cares? And beyond that, why do I want to spend my precious free time doing it? Well, now that I have so much more free time not being zombified (yea, I made that word up, so?) by my television, why not? I think it's a great way to document my time, experiences, my travels, and life being a military wife always on the go. So here I am. Take it, or go look at someone else's blog about their broken relationship or failures they have run into in life. OMG, this IS a reality tv show, just via computer. See, I can't get away from it. *sigh*