Well, after fighting it out for a while, things are starting to take a turn for the better now that October has begun. Realistically, nothing drastically positive has really happened with my job circumstances or my ability to return here next year, but since my last post I have become simply content with my circumstances here.
My apartment still has nothing in it, but my bed and my luggage (which still serves as my closet), but I have come to like it very much. It stays cool for much of the day and I have learned that leaving the windows closed can effectively impede the entry of mosquitoes (Duh!), and actually preserve a pocket of cool air inside my space.
I still have no refrigerator or stove, or anything, but I have explored my options at the store and am content with my usual selection of goods: bread, fruits, dried fruits, nuts, crackers, honey, canned beans, sardines, and canned stew. I take my lunches and most of my dinners in BH when I am there with Kenia, so I am not routinely consuming these things. However, all my breakfasts are at home and I enjoy my simple mornings of bread with honey, a piece of fruit, and a lot of water... Maybe some crackers too.
I know that a big reason for my recent contentment is that I have developed a nice routine structure for myself and have successfully filled that structure with some elements, still leaving space for more. Previously, I was a bit upset with the fact that I could not afford a gym and I was worried about the success of training independently. However, through extreme self-discipline and the desire to challenge myself on a daily basis, I have been able to construct a solid fitness regimen, 6 days a week, that is based more on the ferocity of my own motivation rather than the environment I am in.
Each morning, Monday through Saturday, I wake up around 8am, eat my breakfast, hydrate, and 1 hour later, begin my morning activities. Two days of the week, I run 1 mile down to the lake, and then run around it (4.39 miles, 7km). After about 2.5 miles of the run, I stop in the military area to perform a a variety of activities depending on what I am working that day. All types of squatting, jumping, lunging, sprinting, and core activities are my best friends, along with a grotesque amount of pushups and pullups. Each time I work out, I try to replicate my experiences when I was training with Josh Vert in Arcata and continually check my reality and ask, "Did I really do enough?". Some days, I go down to the lake, but do not run and instead I perform a variety of movement activities on one of the sand football fields. Flying burpees and brutal, ugly feeling movements that bust my ass in the sand are common activities on these days. In my living room, burpees and whatever I can do on the tile floor are good and I also bought a tension band that I use to closely replicate activities on the ski and rowing machine....
Nutrition was originally a challenge, but after exploring more food options and sources to get fresh fruits and healthy, fiber rich items, I am good to go. I think with my routine and prioritization of certain food items, I have discovered a mode of operation that is highly mobile, flexible, and capable of sustaining me into my later years, that is of course, with the absence of competition fighting and the damage it can entail.
My apartment still has nothing in it, but my bed and my luggage (which still serves as my closet), but I have come to like it very much. It stays cool for much of the day and I have learned that leaving the windows closed can effectively impede the entry of mosquitoes (Duh!), and actually preserve a pocket of cool air inside my space.
I still have no refrigerator or stove, or anything, but I have explored my options at the store and am content with my usual selection of goods: bread, fruits, dried fruits, nuts, crackers, honey, canned beans, sardines, and canned stew. I take my lunches and most of my dinners in BH when I am there with Kenia, so I am not routinely consuming these things. However, all my breakfasts are at home and I enjoy my simple mornings of bread with honey, a piece of fruit, and a lot of water... Maybe some crackers too.
I know that a big reason for my recent contentment is that I have developed a nice routine structure for myself and have successfully filled that structure with some elements, still leaving space for more. Previously, I was a bit upset with the fact that I could not afford a gym and I was worried about the success of training independently. However, through extreme self-discipline and the desire to challenge myself on a daily basis, I have been able to construct a solid fitness regimen, 6 days a week, that is based more on the ferocity of my own motivation rather than the environment I am in.
Each morning, Monday through Saturday, I wake up around 8am, eat my breakfast, hydrate, and 1 hour later, begin my morning activities. Two days of the week, I run 1 mile down to the lake, and then run around it (4.39 miles, 7km). After about 2.5 miles of the run, I stop in the military area to perform a a variety of activities depending on what I am working that day. All types of squatting, jumping, lunging, sprinting, and core activities are my best friends, along with a grotesque amount of pushups and pullups. Each time I work out, I try to replicate my experiences when I was training with Josh Vert in Arcata and continually check my reality and ask, "Did I really do enough?". Some days, I go down to the lake, but do not run and instead I perform a variety of movement activities on one of the sand football fields. Flying burpees and brutal, ugly feeling movements that bust my ass in the sand are common activities on these days. In my living room, burpees and whatever I can do on the tile floor are good and I also bought a tension band that I use to closely replicate activities on the ski and rowing machine....
Nutrition was originally a challenge, but after exploring more food options and sources to get fresh fruits and healthy, fiber rich items, I am good to go. I think with my routine and prioritization of certain food items, I have discovered a mode of operation that is highly mobile, flexible, and capable of sustaining me into my later years, that is of course, with the absence of competition fighting and the damage it can entail.
One of my favorite creations has been the "bedlift".. I figured out a way to replicate every activity except for the deadlift. This was solved by stacking all my belongings on the end of my bed, filling two jugs of water and placing them at the end as well, and deadlifting the bed at that end, repping it 30-50 times for a few sets. My body weight has definitely dropped, but my volume in all my activities has begun to increase rapidly, so it is all gravy at this point.
As far as work goes, it has been an unforgettable experience. To pull it off, I have had to become a one person corporation, with a little outsourcing to a call center (Kenia) for people who speak no English. To make it all cost effective, I hand draw all my posters, have the xeroxed, and then go around posting them in the places I like. People contact me by phone and e-mail, and I meet them in restaurants and parks to have lessons in conversation or whatever else they need.
My first student was a very cool fellow who had spent some time living in an English-speaking country already. We had two lessons together where I earned my money talking about women, American football, and the uncertainty of life after college. My second student, who has signed up for a month of lessons in conversation, is going to America for the first time in December and he is a very cool guy. We spent the entirety of our first lesson discussing how to talk to American girls and where to buy alcohol in America. My third student met with me for 15 minutes and spoke no English. I was actually able to carry on a conversation with him and he explained that he was going around trying out different teachers and he would contact me again if he still wanted me. However, for the 15 minutes, he did pay the price for 1 hour.
My setup is simple. I charge a set amount for each hour lesson. If you want a month, you get a discount for 5 weeks of lessons. During the first meeting, if you want a month, you pay then. If you don't want anymore, you pay me the regular cost of 1 hour for that first meeting. English is my product, my business, and English is what I do.
The rain has finally made its appearance and I enjoy it very much. When I am in my apartment, I savor the sound of it pattering on the roof and the way it makes the flowers smell outside. The temperature takes a pleasant drop when it starts to pour and all the dust and putrid artifacts in the gutters are washed from the streets. Sometimes, when the smell, sounds, and temperature are just right, I have mind numbing flashbacks to my days in Hawai'i; 18, nothing I had to do, nowhere I needed to be. Just cruising. I remember random, small, pointless times... Sitting, smoking cigarettes. Particular things people said on some occasion. A beach, a bird, a tree, a laugh.
It averages out at about 91 degrees Fahrenheit now, with more heat coming in January. The humidity is thick and moist, but I love it all. I am where I should be.
My first student was a very cool fellow who had spent some time living in an English-speaking country already. We had two lessons together where I earned my money talking about women, American football, and the uncertainty of life after college. My second student, who has signed up for a month of lessons in conversation, is going to America for the first time in December and he is a very cool guy. We spent the entirety of our first lesson discussing how to talk to American girls and where to buy alcohol in America. My third student met with me for 15 minutes and spoke no English. I was actually able to carry on a conversation with him and he explained that he was going around trying out different teachers and he would contact me again if he still wanted me. However, for the 15 minutes, he did pay the price for 1 hour.
My setup is simple. I charge a set amount for each hour lesson. If you want a month, you get a discount for 5 weeks of lessons. During the first meeting, if you want a month, you pay then. If you don't want anymore, you pay me the regular cost of 1 hour for that first meeting. English is my product, my business, and English is what I do.
The rain has finally made its appearance and I enjoy it very much. When I am in my apartment, I savor the sound of it pattering on the roof and the way it makes the flowers smell outside. The temperature takes a pleasant drop when it starts to pour and all the dust and putrid artifacts in the gutters are washed from the streets. Sometimes, when the smell, sounds, and temperature are just right, I have mind numbing flashbacks to my days in Hawai'i; 18, nothing I had to do, nowhere I needed to be. Just cruising. I remember random, small, pointless times... Sitting, smoking cigarettes. Particular things people said on some occasion. A beach, a bird, a tree, a laugh.
It averages out at about 91 degrees Fahrenheit now, with more heat coming in January. The humidity is thick and moist, but I love it all. I am where I should be.
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