Shurik's Blog

Weeklong Fast.

( Note: If you like my Friendster blog, check out my other blogs on Google Blogger: My All-Purpose Blog, My Tech Blog, My 100 Goals ).

(Below are some of my experiences with fasting. It may not be all 100% true (aren't we constantly realizing this and that and changing our minds about things?), or 100% applicable to you, but it is my honest opinion on the matter, and I hope you find it useful.)

 

Please read the information provided at http://www.fruitarian.com/. Who knows, it may save your life.

Did you know that fasting is good for you?

Well, sort of. There are many factors. E.g., are you an anorexic, who's already deprived of calories, vitamins, minerals, protein, and all that other good stuff? Or are you the average Joe, eating your three meals a day, day in day out, week after week, month after month, year after year.

In the book Hunger, by Knut Hamson, the main character--for lack of any sort of money--takes in no food for days and weeks. Granted, he is always trying to fill his belly, and occasionally loads up on baked goods or gorges on steak; but essentially, without calling it so, and against his will, he's fasting.

Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights. And when he saw some stones and the devil whispered in his ear--"Hey man, you're Jesus, go ahead and turn these rocks into bread, and fill your belly"--even then, he had the willpower to resist the devil. If it's good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for me.

Buddha fasted for who knows how long. Granted, then he ate an apple or something and realized that the life of moderation is best, but still, to get to that point of enlightenment, he was fasting.

Bruce Kumar Frantzis mentions fasting in one of his books.

Swami Vishnu Devananda's book on Yoga has a section on fasts--up to one month long!

Ghandi is said to have done 3-week-long fasts (source: Paramahansa Yogananda's literature).

In the bible, I read that when some population had some chaotic and upleasant things going on, there was a decree by the king, that the population should fast; and the catastrophe was avoided. How is this possible?

What are the effects of fasting? On a physical level, the body begins to clean itself out. We take in toxins from the air we breathe, the (naughty) foods we eat and liquids we drink. Like Jay-Z sings, we live in a world of sin, and it's up to us to do what we can to purify our bodies and minds.

On an "energetic" level, it might make us more aware of our body's inner workings. For example, my appendages gain sensitivity (I begin to feel an ever-present vibration in my hands an feet, like an energetic current--in other words, chi). It becomes easier to breathe more correctly--the stomach doesn't suck up energy and so lung capacity might improve to let so-called "pranayama" (I borrow the Indian term) breathing exercises have more of the desired, liberating effect.

On a spiritual level: As the body cleans itself out and the mind loses the need to take in victuals, there is an ever-present sense that food binds us to our body. Take away food and what you have left is more of that spirit. Paramahans Yogananda writes, "I am spirit", and fasting helps to affirm this.

But I speak from past experience. Since I found out about the benefits of vegetarianism and fasting (from an awesome book by Swami Vishnu Devananda, disciple of Swami Sivananda), I've been taking forays into the world of fasts every once in a while. The last time I fasted was months upon months ago, and I did it for 5 days. Unfortunately, I broke the fast too quickly (i.e., ate too much in the days and weeks following the fast), thereby, in my opinion, nullifying the effects of the fast.

But each new fast is a chance to perfect that art of fasting correctly, start to "finish" (i.e., till the next fast). Ironically, if you feel the need to fast, it already means your body is somewhat polluted, but hey, in today's (American) world of lunch dates and dinner dates and food overabundance, fasting may be a viable and useful way to cleanse oneself and even grow spiritually. You decide. This blog will catalogue my week-long fast, from Friday, May 19th, 2006, to Friday, May 26, 2006, evening to evening (one of the rules of fasting--according to Swami Vishnu Devananda's Yoga book--is to break the fast in the evening, and only with one meal, not eating the second meal till the first has been passed and eliminated).

Weeks prior to the day before the first day of the fast: I've been eating pretty cleanly, eating fruit and veggies every day to detoxify my body a bit--otherwise, with a really poor diet--the first days of the fast, when toxins are pouring out of every cell of the body into the bloodstream, life can be rather unpleasant. I've also been making sure to eat my favorite rice and beans to keep up my intake of protein. Getting lots of carrots and tomatoes for vitamin A. Mixing in almonds and flax seed left and right--for essential amino acids (also, almonds have calcium). Cooking oatmeal with milk, to load up on calcium. Well, don't let me bore you with the details of my diet. Onto (in my opinion) a very important part: the last day of the fast.

On the last day of the fast: No bleached-white bread or bananas--they temporarily slow down digestion (thanks mom for the tip). For a week-long fast, you want to eliminate all solid food from your stomach, since otherwise, it sits and sits there and causes more harm than good. For example, DO NOT begin your fast by eating a steak as your last meal.

My last meals prior to the fast were an orange, rice and tofu (went out with the guys at work to a Chinese restaurant) I just finished, some carrots (with almonds--my mom, the ever-useful nutrition-advice giver, said the vitamin A in carrots is better absorbed with some fats), a good serving of green leaves (with almonds and rice cakes), and I'm about to eat the last bit of food before the fast begins: four figs and a few almonds.

I'll write tomorrow evening about how the first fasting day went.

(It is now Thursday, May 25, 2006. Well, I've gone six days without eating and I didn't get a chance to write my experiences down). The first day was pretty bad. Toward the evening, though, I felt a little better. The second day may have been even worse. The third, fourth and sixth days were pretty good, as I once again remembered that it isn't just food that gives us energy, but that things like chi gung, tai chi, and especially meditation, also do. So does green tea. Yesterday, I did a tai chi class in Mountain View for 2.5 hours, and the next day, could barely move (my left leg's muscles were overworked), so needless to say, that was one of the longest work days of my life. Something funny is happening...today I barely felt the need to even drink juice. It's sort of like inertia--once you stop eating, as the days go by, you feel like you need less and less calories, to the point where even juice sounds in excess. But I know that once I start eating again, tomorrow evening, my metabolism will kick into high gear as the days go by, and I'll always be hungry, and it's then that one of the hardest parts of this fast that I'll go through--moderation after the fast. Well, good luck to me. Yeah, I've reminded myself that I'm spirit and blah blah blah, but frankly, I'm a little depressed. Once you take food away from the equation, life seems kind of pointless. Food is a sort of intoxicating substance that binds us to the chains of the material world. Take a good look around you...what's the point? The ironic part, is that as I'm losing my appetite for worldly comforts, people are actually taking a liking to me. What do I mean? I've noticed that people's treatment of me is in general MUCH better since I've stopped eating. The clerk at Trader Joe's, random people with kids on the street, coworkers...they seem to like me better, as if I'm some cheery, happy-go-lucky, pleasant fellow, while inside, I feel sort of depressed, disillusioned, discontent, and somewhat apathetic to the whole world.  Can you feel me?

But we must all keep moving forward. Tomorrow, I'm going to break my fast at "home" (home? where is my home?), by cooking oatmeal (change of plans from just dried prunes) and throwing those dried prunes in at the end, and adding some sort of nuts. Then I'm going to let that meal pass through my digestive system, and not have solid food till it does. (Actually, a went to lunch with a programmer and feasted on rice, tofu, steamed broccoli and cabbage for my first meal). The wonderful thing about fasting, is that every subsequent meal is extra special. You know you deserve it and you want to eat healthy food.

In conclusion: DON'T be an anorexic. But DO take a break from solid food once in a while, and see if you don't start looking at the world around you with different eyes. If you think about it, we're actually sort of trapped on earth, relying on air, water, food, sunlight (not to mention shelter, clothing, sex, money), all because of these bodies that we have. Yes, things like yoga, chi gung, Tai Chi, and especially meditation, offer some solace to this entrapped state. But no, the world ain't no piece of cake. Yeah, you can have your cake and eat it too, but it isn't the point of life.

Christmas 2005.

Hello dear reader!

Well there's a fork in the road. Oh what does my future hold. Is it working with Oracle technologies, working closely with a dba-type for a dialysis company? Or is it working closely with Microsoft technologies, including Visual Studio, Visual C++ and MFC? Duy at work said that the Visual Studio debugger is the best he's seen, and I've come to respect his words.

Maybe it doesn't so much matter? There are a variety of facts and factors, such as pay, type of employment (employed? on contract? on contract to hire?). And of course the people. But people tend not to reach the extremes of wickedness or holiness. It's a learning experience with every person. I mean, I appreciate having a veteran programmer to interact with at my current employer. But it doesn't mean that I won't learn a lot from my future boss and the coworkers there. It'll be a new environment, and there are a lot more people at that other company.

One thing's for certain thought: there's a lot more work yet to be done up ahead.

So on that thought, good bye my reader. Till we meet again. I can then update you on some interesting thought or feeling or accomplishment. Let's hope for the best in regards to all decisions that we make. Let's not judge the go-getters for wanting better pay, a tax-deferred retirement plan, health insurance, and free food other than pizza during office meetings). ;) I also hope that as people rise up to the top of the working-world ladder, no matter what is it that they do, they will give back, give back, and get back, get back. What I mean: One of the best things that happened to me--let me not exaggerate here--one of the coolest things that happened to me, is the meeting of a monk at the Downtown Berkeley bart station, who sold me a copy of the Bhagavat Gita, and from whom I later purchased (out of curiosity--and to this day, it's only curiosity) a set of Shrimad Bhagavatam books. Anyhow, the author of these books was a bhakti yogi. The focus is on God. In his books, it's God this and God that. (Incidentally, do you think it matters whether Swami Prabhupada--the writer of the 1970s books mentioned above--knows how many times he mentions the word God in his books?) So Swami Prabhupada says, that humans are meant to have a master, and that the ultimate master is God, so if you serve God, you're fulfilling a sort of primal instinct (because in most cases a master is someone who knows more than you, someone you respect, someone who possesses skills you wish to develop inside yourself). So how does Swami Prabhupada's writing relate to the working world, to making money, to buying a car, to buying a house, to saving for retirement (things I didn't think about even a year ago)?

I think a lot could be different if people who possessed the money, and those who desired to posses money, thought for a moment, how can the money that I make benefit God? Whether you believe in God or not is irrelevant. Like I told Duy at work, I was an atheist for many years, since childhood.  And even now, thanks to books like A Jewel in the Lotus by M---, and a book Java Yoga. Ha ha, I meant Raja Yoga. The latter book I received at a Hindu temple in Berkeley, when I went there with my sister and her boyfriend and his mother. In this book, the author outright says that any sort of "spiritual" experience a person may have, has a bodily counterpart, namely, relating to the spine. So if you have your little "god exists because I feel his presence all around me" moment, pause and ask yourself, maybe you just feel good. People who "meditate" are just sitting with their spines erect and nicely stretched out, activating the energies of the spine. So that's fine. Now in the Jewel book (incidentally, I have a friend whose nickname is Jewels), M---- says that those who blindly believe in God are fools and actually a lot worse off than those who question God's existence. So M--- spends a long time seeking the answer, and meets a bunch of cool people along the way, including a (naked?) lady who scarfs a number of bananas down (that M--- offers as a present), and some guy who says to him, "smoke this..." (and M--- does! In defense of M---, he does warn of the "meditation master" who gets into a trance only after smoking a little ganja. And M--- seems to discern between the levels of expertise in the so-called masters that he encountered in his travels).

Back on track, back to money and God. It's fine to travel and to demand your right to a good life--but something must be done about other people's needs along the way. I want to help my mom pay off her mortgage, which I know gives her stress. We also have family members in Russia whom we want to come live in America. How could my mom afford that on her own, without the needle on her stress-meter skyrocketing?  I also like to think that some day I could apply my technical skills (e.g., if I were an awesome Oracle dba) to help other organizations--e.g., schools or school districts--to set up their own database servers. I mean, this is too concrete--I may not even work with databases or Oracle--but anything you learn can be used for good down the line when you've got the power thanks to hard-earned skills. Eh...

Merry x-mas.

Shurik

PS My schedule in Spring 2006 at the trusty College of San Mateo comes down to three choices: XML, JavaScript/HTML, and C++ Data Structures. 2-2-4 units respectively. That and a 40 to 60 hour workweek may prove challenging. I ought to take programming courses and study diligently just so I feel like I'm making formal progress as well as informal on-the-job training (which in itself is wonderful and necessary). Best of luck in all of your endeavors, dear reader, as the year 2005 finishes its cycle and the year 2006 creeps close. It's been one year since I graduated from UC Berkeley. Let's make the next year even better and brighter (pardon the sudden flow of emotion)!

Hello World.

( Note: If you like my Friendster blog, check out my other blogs on Google Blogger: My All-Purpose Blog, My Tech Blog, My 100 Goals ).

Saturday, November 19, 2005.

I allowed myself to use part of the biweekly paycheck from Analytic on books. Amazon has good deals on older books (Linux in a Nutshell for two dollars...). One of the newer books I bought is "Google Hacking For Penetration Testers" (GHPT). I like the title, and so far I like the book. It's interesting that I interviewed with Google for a position awhile back, and was told that I don't have enough statistics to satisfy the position's requirements. I was also presented with another opportunity, for which I expressed my opinion and interest. Now, reading the "GHPT", and also browsing another book, called "Google Hacks: Tips & Tools for Smarter Searching", gives me insight into Google's products and methods and reach, so to speak, whereas when I interviewed for the position, I viewed Google as a sort of cool-startup-turned-corporate-beast.

The good news is that whether I work at Google or Analytic, my growth as a programmer shall surely steadily rise. I mustn't overdo programming, overzealous at the newfound hobby, means of self-expression, and livelihood, lest I lose interest in it, or fatigue myself. But there is so much to learn!How wonderful it is to do a lot of reading, and after some thinking and implementation, present your boss with something you made that does what he wants it to do. And there are so many ways of making a program better, more reliable, simpler, more secure. There's so much potential at Analytic in terms of learning and making things better and making things happen, that I wonder whether I'll get it all done by December 31st, when my internship is officially over.

On the other hand, I think, what if programming sucks me in, and I find myself 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 years later, without a PhD or masters in mathematics. It's too challenging a question. I do not really know how deeply I yearn to study graduate-level mathematics anywhere from 2 to 10 years (2 for a masters, 10 for one of the harder mathematics PhDs, in logic, for example). Maybe my view of graduate school is too influenced by sights at Berkeley, and that getting a mathematics masters or PhD is not as difficult (e.g., it takes persistence, careful planning, and a healthy work ethic). Just to start, I'd want to ace the GRE Subject Test in Mathematics (I think the best score is 800). I've looked at the questions, and there's some heavy-duty upper-division mathematics there.

And how to keep up with the study of mathematics--let's call it, GRE Preparation (GREPREP)--alongside the study of computers and computer-related things. And why mathematics and computers? Why not underwater basketweaving?

PS Oh, and the Spring 2006 classes are finally up at the College of San Mateo website! A programmer at Analytic tells me that he learns better autodidactically and doesn't take classes. I somehow like the structure of a class. Taking and finishing a class gives me the feeling like something was accomplished, like I can put this concept on my resume. Plus, it's a chance to ask professors questions. Anyhow, I signed up for three or four classes, not being sure which one I'll end up taking. Some choices are: C++ Data Structures, HTML/Javascript (a lighter classes). There is also a Java Data Structures class. I ought to take the C++ class I think--I've already taken a Java class--but something that's (temporarily, I can only anticipate) unsettling, is that I can't get Eclipse  with a C/C++ add-on to compile my Hello World application. I have a feeling (directly inspired by a certain "Help" page) that some of the three programs marked as essential are not functioning or are absent. The three programs are gcc, make, and gdb, or their equivalents. And this is just to get Eclipse running! I feel like such a newbee (granted I haven't tried to compile in C or C++ using Eclipse ever before), maybe I'm eating too much honey.

For now, if you're reading this, be well!

--Shurik

Halloween Week Interviews: Deloitte and Morgan Stanley

2006+10+20 Hey Friendster guys, how do I view the source code of the layman's view you're feeding me here? I mean, I just pasted in the code below, but instead of X* I see the code below

( Note: If you like my MySpace blog, check out my other blogs on Google Blogger: My All-Purpose Blog, My Tech Blog, My 100 Goals ).

Oh, and thanks to MySpace for the blue circular faces with eyes going round and round! I think they're called Smileys. Friendster is my first blog, my first "love" so to speak, but not my last. :)

*(where X = ...hmmm let's look at the source code from the blog's main page. Oh, I see, this document uses a CSS(?) template approach to webpage design. So is there a way in Friendster to edit the template of this blog?)

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I had an interview with Deloitte Consulting today. Tiffany and Mark were good people. It was a learning experience. I feel I have a better grasp of what a "consultant" does. It's different to implement SAP or Oracle or whatever else (programs I know little about) on a client's system, than being able to handle UNIX as well as Windows and being able to write a C or Java program. The point is, Deloitte's consultants are more business types than programmer/developer types, or so it seems. On the other hand, Morgan Stanley's IT Analyst program seems to feature a variety of technical skills and languages. I guess it's the IT that makes the difference. This interview with Deloitte is a good prep for Friday's interview with Morgan Stanley.

Still at Analytic (though had to miss today). Deloitte's application .asp file gave me good ideas about the ASP.NET implementation of the CRM system I'm still working on. New tires on Toyota, new axle too. Interestingly, the car seems to have gotten a little more "rigid"...like there is more friction, or like the frame is held together more rigidly now. Tomorrow it's a choice: take  Caltrain to Los Altos or take the car. Caltrain implies lots of walking. Car implies lots of sitting.

If you're still reading this: Happy Halloween 2005!!!

Winter is coming.

2006+10+20

( Note: If you like my Friendster blog, check out my other blogs on Google Blogger: My All-Purpose Blog, My Tech Blog, My 100 Goals , Esperanto Blog ).

--Shurik

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Sunday, October 23, 2005.

Reading Catch 22.

Working as programmer/intern with Analytic.com. I am building a Customer Relations Management system. The database aspect is there, using technologies like SQL Server, ASP.NET, C#. I like working here at Analytic for a few reasons. First, the customers are school districts, who use our product to manage their HR details, finances, benefits, and more. Second, I get to build something the way I see fit, using whatever tool or method I see fit (currently, I'm building an ASP.NET WebForm with C# the language of choice for logical manipulation). No one is preventing me from building a C++ application, or a Java application; in fact, my boss keeps the options open. Third, I'm learning as much as I can (currently, I'm working with pattern matching--C# has a class that allows using regular expressions). This internship has been a neat exposition into the realm of technological developments...and the interesting thing is that the things that I learn sort of seem to fall into my lap...one topic naturally leads into another, as if a problem naturally seeks a resolution. Validation of forms in ASP.NET may use pattern matching, for example. It's also interesting that whatever I learn can have a direct implementation that you can point at and say, "Look! There is that something I built!"

Car is at the end of creation/maintenance/destruction cycle. Mechanic said this morning, car looks in bad shape. But how will I commute to Los Altos to go to work every day? I suppose it’s time to revert to the trusty, California public transportation system. (Later note:--two months later--the car is still working fine...).

There's some hope of full wage/full-benefits employment with a company Mercury.com, with whom I had a technical screen test in C/C++/Java/Databases/Operating Systems. Test took me 2 hours and 15 minutes--the maximum allotted). Mercury is bigger than Analytic, but they both seem to carry a spirit of independence. Somehow being at Analytic, and reading the New York Times business section, makes me think of how besides the product of the company, and the customer base, and the employee output and input, there is also the no less important monetary base, a financial footing, that makes initiatives possible to implement, and kicks employee morale up. After all, living in America, in a city, in the Bay Area, people need to earn a decent living, to afford groceries, a roof over one's head, heat and maybe air conditioning. Not to mention a car, which is a heavy dose of necessity and part luxury (there are alternatives--for example, my direct superior and mentor at CafePress biked to work and either didn't own a car or didn't drive one; similarly, many professors and GSIs at UC Berkeley biked to work). In addition, none of these things are permanent. Cars and houses wear out, and start to creak, and wear out their transmissions. Floods  and earthqueakes happen. And so being under the wing of the employers, who provides you with a weekly or biweekly check, medical benefits, a tax-deferred retirement plan, in return for your time and initiative, does indeed provide a sort of comfort and security.

Winter is coming, said the mechanic. Winter is coming, said a friend.

***December 25, 2005: By the way, winters in California are mild, at best.

Esperanto in the Media.

Esperanto appears in Malcolm in the Middle!

A young actress in today's episode of the TV series Malcolm in the Middle (playing a girl who's interested in Malcolm) mentioned Esperanto as part of a joke which she related to Malcolm. I don't remember what the joke was.

Working for the Man.

2006+10+20

( Note: If you like my Friendster blog, check out my other blogs on Google Blogger: My All-Purpose Blog, My Tech Blog, My 100 Goals , Esperanto Blog ).

--Shurik

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Hi dear reader. You are viewing Shurik's blog, dated/started July 19, 2005.
Setting: Somewhere in California on a cool summer night.

Some things in life, my friends across the globe, are too unbelievable to explain. Yet at the same time, how else could they be? Afterall, one can track back, rewind one's life and observe how each successive moment is a result of the previous moments. And here I am.

What am I yapping about? I'm talking about being a Marketing Database Associate. For the men, the founders, Fred D. and M.J. at CafePress.com. I'm talking about having a mentor, a boss, a confidante, the guy I report to and respect (though not without the occasional outburst from my immature self), Hong T. I'm talking about facing reality: my current position as Marketing Database Associate  at the mysteriously wonderful CafePress.com comes to an end on the 29th of July. This is of course a natural course for what is a part-time, temporary position.

And yet, the natural course doesn't mean devoid of mystery and uncertainty, full of questions. Where will I be after the 29th of July? At CafePress or at some other company, drawing my livelihood?

Now, CafePress is doing pretty well. People like company, they like the founders, they like the product, they like the customer service. And if you visited CafePress on any given day, you'd get a feel for the way the place is run, the tight ship and the tight crew. In the Marketing Department, where I am currently stationed, there is collaboration to set sailing the Affiliate Marketing program. Naturally, a position of Affiliate Marketing Associate has opened up, and would entail not only close contact with the customers--the folks who have a website and want to get paid when their website's visitors click off to go to CafePress.com's website and buy a product--but also working closely with Affiliate Marketing guru Michelle to develop certain aspects of the program. Furthermore, since CafePress is an e-commerce, and since an affiliate program by nature involves computers, protocols, cookies (I like otameal and raisin), networks, and a fair amount of coding upstairs by the development team, this project has a technical aspect which I can't but cherish. Is it a sin to want to know what lies behind code, as well as want to build a relationship with your customers (who are, after all, entering into an agreement with the company which you represent), to chat them up over the phone and assure them that we indeed have worked out the details and done our research and and can help them create revenue by driving a piece of traffic our way?

But wait, there's more. Beauty lies around every corner. But the feeling is over, the excitement has passed. What of my future? What should I care where I end up; either as a Affiliate Marketing Associate at CafePress, continuing my employment, surrounded by familiar faces; or elsewhere? I will just wake up early in the morning tomorrow and head out to work, coming in early, to continue reading those VBScript scripts that a friend in the developer's group at CafePress sent to me today. To take stretching breaks and press on. To keep working, to keep learning new things. Why, afterall, was I placed on this earth, if not to cross the San Mateo bridge every day, with my foot to the pedal of my 13-year-old (4-month-new) Toyota, all lubed up and humming with Jiffy Lube's cheapest oil? I know my mind isn't supposed to form any attachments, but Toyota baby, you stick by me and get me to work wherever it may be, and I'll lube you up, and even change your radiator fluid every 15000 miles--for 99 bucks. I rely on you. We're in this together. We both work for the man. Lord, did I get that right?

 

Tips For Vegetarians (and non-vegetarians alike).

2006+10+20

( Note: If you like my Friendster blog, check out my other blogs on Google Blogger: My All-Purpose Blog, My Tech Blog, My 100 Goals , Esperanto Blog ).

--Shurik

PS In the background of this picture, are wheatgrass trays I'm a-growin' at home. I also grow mushrooms (shiitake and something-rather; though I think I killed one of the mushroom-incubation containers by not opening the plastic bag for too long and/or watering too much...hey, the instructions said to cut the bag at the top, and that's what I did! Well, maybe there's a chance; the instructions say that the reddish-brown residue on the outside of themushroom kit are the spores...so maybe a mushroom head will pop out sometime in the future. I'm not sure that I'm actually saving money by growin my own 'shrooms though. But it sure is fun to tend to your own fungi :) )
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Shurik's Blog: Tuesday, May 17, 2005.

Preface:
As promised in my previous blog entry titled "Why I Am a Vegetarian," I create another entry whose purpose it is to provide the newbee struggling vegetarian with a few tips. Why is turning vegetarian a struggle, you may ask? "Isn't it the beginning of your purification and self-realization, and isn't it the beginning of wonderful feelings, including increased sense of smell and boundless energy, where you feel as light as a grasshopper, smell like a baby's just-washed bottom, and your muscles never ache? "  No, and if you don't  approach the task of adopting a vegetarian lifestyle correctly, you may feel weak, tired, and hungry almost all the time, proclaim vegetarianism as inferior and insufficient means of sustenance, and revert to the dietary habits that you know best. So don't make the same mistakes I made, and learn from Shurik, who's been a vegetarian for 3 years now and doesn't feel the desire nor the need to go back to being a carnivore.

The Blog:
To be continued as time and energy permit.

(fast forward to September 23, 2005; incidentally, today is the day after my only remaining grandma's birthday--who actually no longer celebrates her birthday because a couple of years ago she became a Jehovah's Witness--I wonder, how does one, after 64 years of birthday celebrations, just turn off the celebratory feeling when your 66th birthday is coming up? Well, anyhow, to each his own, right, dear reader?)

So let's get back on track to the topic vegetarianism. Here are some tips.

Tip Number One: Mix carbs and protein to make a "complex carbohydrate".

For example: Cook some rice, cook some beans, slap them together (ratio of about 70% rice, 30% beans), add some flax seed oil, and you're good to go do your thing. Or, cook some oatmeal (first just with water), then add some (fat-free or low-fat milk), add some nuts or flax seed oil, add some cinnamon, add some maple syrup, and that's what's cookin', good lookin'. (Are these entries getting cornier?) Or else, grab some bread (e.g., whole wheat, kamut, spelt--Trader Joe's sells wonderful organut non-wheat bread varieties), toast it a bit, slap on some cheese or avocado, and you've got a meal in no time.

Tip Number Two: Watch your iron.
Vegetarians often suffer from a lack of iron. My mother, who thinks or has been told that she has a slight case of anemia, and who is a nurse, has gone so far as to view beef as a form of medicine. But of course many nuts, vegetables, and fruit contain iron, so there's no need to eat any meat to get your iron. When you do your shopping, if there are labels, check to see the iron content of the foods. I notice that red and green products tend to have a lot of iron. For example, Costco's organic leafy greens are labeled as having 25% of your iron needs per serving. Granted, I've heard that not all iron is created equal, and that iron content and iron absorbancy are different things. Well...just chew slowly and hope for the best. ;)

Tip Number Three: Watch your protein.
As the yoga book that I brought up in a previous entry ("Why I Am a Vegetarian") mentions, people in America are obsessed with protein. Having said that, don't just eat carrots and apples for weeks on end (though even these contain some protein). The diet of the yogi, I am told, is rice and lentils. Nuts have quite a bit of iron (almonds and walnuts are said to be the best kind of nuts--I'm guessing because they are lowest in saturated fat). I think protein only becomes a concern when you are quite physically active, and your body needs to heal ASAP. But even in this case, maybe you're better off asking yourself, What's the rush? Why am I wearing myself out (are you growing spiritually or just running away from your demons?)? Bruce Kumar Frantzis, the author of The Big Book of Tai Chi advocates what he calls the "70% rule," which is, don't do anything at all beyond 70% of your capacity. Which means, maybe you're better off laying off that exercise regimen, instead of popping protein bars and energy drinks like candy.

Tip Number Three: Fast.
There's no way around this one, I think. Or maybe there is, but to me, fasting is a must. How often? Some (like Paramahansa Yogananda) advocated a weekly (orange) juice fast. At times in my life when my metabolism was super speedy, this seemed like sheer torture. So I instead listen to my body more than follow a systematic rule for when to fast. And to be frank, I'm not sure I'm the ultimate authority on this. My fasts are usually fruit juice fasts (drink a few cups of juice that day, or those few days, and don't take in solid food).  Somehow, the yoga book said, choose either fruit or vegetable juice and drink that exclusively--I've no idea why one can't drink both types of juices (obviously not at the same time). The longest that I've ever fasted on juice is 3-4 days. I'm sure there is much literature about the benefits of fasts so I won't go into details here. I will say that fasting makes the body more efficient in general, and this might relate to the question of protein, in that now protein doesn't seem like such a big deal, because with each successive bite after the fast, one can feel how ones energy grows.

Tip Number Four: Eat natural foods.
Admittedly, when I came to America, I ate a lot of junk food. In fact, I didn't start thinking about how eating is cheating--yourself that is, if you eat processed, preserved, "unnatural" foods. For example, why eat soup out of a can (unless you're camping, or starving?) if you can take the time to experiment and make some soup. Come on, grab your lover, or a friend, and make some soup together. Or better yet, eat simply. Cook some potatoes and some beans, drip a little olive oil, and dig in. Or work up an appetite, cook some broccoli, and just eat it raw (something I've not gotten used to). Simply, I have respect for people who eat simply. There's something so pure about it. I like going out and being served something heavily sauced or wonderfully-spiced, but if you make a habit out of it, beware. Case in point: My dad, whose job required him to travel for 3 years, attributes his bouts of gout to exclusively eating out at restaurants during those three years. So what I'm saying is, nothing compares to home-cooked food, no matter how simple it is. And cooking is so relaxing. Imagine, you have the chance to do nothing, except chop and stir and taste. No bills to pay, no email to check, no lives to save, just cook away, and salivate as you anticipate the delicious meal up ahead.

Tip Number Five: Eat Organically-Grown Produce
They say the earth is overfarmed. They say the foods you eat don't have as many vitamins and nutrients as they used to, because the earth doesn't have much left to give. They say organically-grown foods contain more nutrients (are organic crops not overfarmed then?).  So decrease your intake of pesticides and get some high-quality food in your life, while at the same time helping support a healthier ecological cycle. Come on, friend, let's be nice to Mother Earth.

Tip Number Six: Consider Vitamins
I take two vitamins daily: a daily vitamin (from organic sources, advertised for men, from Whole Foods) and vitamin C.  I highly recommend vitamin C, as I (think/suspect/notice) that it gives me a quick pick-me-up. Take it with a meal, as afterall, it is ascorbic acid. I also suspect that vitamin C aids digestion of my meals.

Tip Number Seven: First Eat, Then Wait, Then Drink.
Mixing food and drink, it's been said, dilutes the naturally-occuring juices of the stomach. Of course, if you're drinking coke or orange juice (or even tomato juice--also acidic), maybe it doesn't so much matter.

Tip Number Eight: Don't Overcook.
It's been said that overcooking kills vitamins and minerals.

Tip Number Nine: Don't Forget to Floss.
It may come as a shock to some people in America, but when I grew up in communist Russia, nobody ever showed me floss. The first time I saw floss was at our sponsor's house in San Francisco. I was presented with this thin white string, and was told to guess what it is that I was supposed to do with it.

I guess I'm running out of tips, because what's next, Use All-natural Body Wash (from tea tree oil, for example, sold at Whole Foods; or made from palm/peppermint oil, sold at Trader Joes)?

Good luck in your culinary adventures and all the rest.

--Shurik

Why I Am A Vegetarian.

2006+10+20

( Note: If you like my Friendster blog, check out my other blogs on Google Blogger: My All-Purpose Blog, My Tech Blog, My 100 Goals , Esperanto Blog ).

--Shurik

PS Oh, and yeah, I'm still vegetarian, for 3 to 4 years now. Although I do occasionally eat eggs, caviar, and try fish oil once in a while. Also, I'm into the whole grass juicing concept. I'll have to post a blog about that sometime (since I do have a book on it now, thanks to Wheatgrasskits.com

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Shurik's blog: The 24th of April, 2005

Preface: This blog will first give you some background of where I come from (I wasn't a vegetarian my whole life) and why my current lifestyle with respect to food is what it is today.

(May 27, 2006 Also, check out www.fruitarian.com Very interesting and informative and useful, if not a tad bit fanatica.!)

Something I want to add before delving into the details, is eat and drink whatever you want! I'd rather see you munch on a hot dog and wash it down with a diet coke than watch you as your stomach starts to eat itself because you're starving from lack of food. Having said that, those of you lucky enough to be born (or immigrate) into a non-third-world country, especially Americans, let's recognize that we live in the land of the plenty, and that when it comes to food, we're blessed with the choice of what to put into our mouth.

The Entry:

Imagine Communist Russia circa 1984. Picture poverty, food rations, rampant alcoholism, dilapidated apartment buildings made of brick, outdated fashions that are are reminiscent of the American 60s or 70s. I was born in the city of Tomsk, Siberia, Russia, to a hard-working  mathematician-turned-programmer father, and a mother who had a master's in Chemistry (which, curiously, is said to be the equivalent of a PhD in America) but at that time worked part-time hours as a librarian. Our family lived in a two-room apartment (originally, we had all managed to lived in a meager one-room apartment) in an age-worn red-orange brick apartment building consisting of three floors. We lived on the second floor. When I use the word "apartment" I don't mean one with the amenities of a bathroom or stove or toilet or faucet. I mean a room. Meaning, the facilities were public: the kitchen, the bathroom, the "shower" (our floor just had a bathtub and a hose that plugged into a bathtub's faucet to be used as a makeshift shower head), the toilet.

Now that you have a sense of what I witnessed in my childhood, it's no surprise I wasn't a vegetarian all my life. As a kid, I used to love eating meat dishes, which is good, because the traditional Russian diet, besides stewed cabbage and a host of salads, has many meat dishes. E.g., the red-colored beat-juice-saturated soup "borsh" is usually made with meat (probably beef); the potato salad "Zimnij Salat" (literally translated, "Winter Salad") is usually garnished with bits of meat; the ravioli-or-dumpling-like "peljmenji" (mass noun having no singular variant) and the supersized version of pel'men'i called "manty" (plural of "mant"). And of course everyone in America has heard of "piroshki" (plural of "pirozhok"), which is fried dough that is filled with things like cabbage, meat, eggs, or maybe even something sweet. And one can't forget the equivalent of a "meat patty" (the kind one places between hamburger buns), which the Russians call "kotlety" (plural of "kotleta"), and just eaten as-is, or with say a side of mashed potato, without the addition of buns. Then there's "sasiski" (plural of "sasiska") which is just the weaner; again, it's the cylindrical six-inch hot-dog, minus the bun, eaten by itself or with say some potatoes.

Being blessed with a mother who is a wonderful and creative cook, I got to experience many traditional Russian foods. Being blessed with a father who at one point was a strict vegetarian, I was introduced early on in my life to vegetables: cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions. One of my warmest memories of Russia is coming home from school and eating: either by preparing food for myself (a big salad, if we had the veggies available; or ) or by dipping into a dish my mom had prepared in the community kitchen on our floor, brought it to our apartment, and wrapped it in a blanket so it would stay warm.

When my family came to America (around the time of the Russian Perestroyka under Gorbachev), we were so fruit-starved that we devoured a giant fruit basket that awaited us at our sponsor's home without difficulty, in what has to be record time.  The next day, and the next day and so on, we filled our bellies with fruit at our host's expense (to be paid with due time). This voracious appetite for fruit may be due to the scarcity of fruit in pre-Perestroyka Russia...just about tiny, sometimes rotting apples is what we had. At our sponsor's apartment during our first few days in America, I remember that every day I would eat about a half dozen bananas...I suppose I was potassium-deprived. My mom said that one night I got up and walked over to the kitchen, peeled and ate a banana, and went back to bed. I must've been sleepwalking because I didn't remember the episode in the morning (was there a peel left over as proof of the fact?).

Now to the meat of this blog entry, the part where I explain how I became a vegetarian. The impetus to be a vegetarian (besides my dad's real-life example when I was a kid and he was in the stage of his life where he practiced vegetarianism) was a yoga book, published in Great Britain in 1980, that did a beautiful job in not only illustrating the various yoga postures (The Crow, The Cobra, The Splits, The Wheel, The Plow, The Headstand, The Handstand, and a multitude of others), but also featured an enlightening section on clean eating habits, as well as on spirituality and mediation (breathing techniques, candle-gazing exercises, written and oral mantras). This book is yet another blessing in my life, because, having been a vegetarian for about 3 years now, I can see why some people give up on the whole concept, and go back to their former lifestyle. I will detail my personal eating habits in another blog which I'll title: Tips For Vegetarians.

Having woken up one morning with a need for spiritual nourishment, I dusted off the book and flipped through the pages. Coming upon the vegetarian section, it occurred to me that I should try the vegetarian lifestyle, to see if it suits me. How healthy I felt just from this decision! Later, obviously, it dawned on me that turning vegetarian isn't necessarily going to make you healthier than you already are, that vegetarianism is just one means for the end goal of a clean, spritually-fulfilling life.

So what are the reasons to turn vegetarian? If you can't think of any, I'll help you by listing all the reasons I know for cutting out meat from your life for good: 1) Meat is toxic. Any meat raised on a meat farm (chickens, turkeys, cows, pigs) is injected with at least two substances: hormones and antibiotics. Hormones are for speedy growth. Antibiotics are to fight off the diseases (that otherwise would run rampant given the conditions of meat farms--what conditions you may ask? For example, chickens are cooped up with no room for movement, smeared with each other's feces--is being smeared with feces conducive to a healthy, delicious body?). Furthermore, even if meat were hormone- and antibiotic-free, some claim that the nature of meat--afterall, meat is flesh, composed of cells that are different in structure, nature, and function than the cells of plants, nuts, and other non-meat living entities. Oh, and have you heard that pregnant women aren't supposed to have any (or very little) tuna because of tuna's high-mercury content? You may not be pregnant, you may not even be a woman, but would you want to pump yourself up with mercury? (Of course, the same thing can be said about almost any food with a question like, Would you want to pump yourself up with lead [mushrooms, I hear, are excellent absorbers of lead]? or Would you want to pump yourself up with pesticides like methyl bromide (strawberries are said to have the highest concentration of methyl bromide)? My response to these counter-questions is two-fold: First, read my blog titled "Why I Buy Organic Products"; Second, choose your poisons--afterall, it's your body and your money. 2) Meat is hard to digest. From personal experience, meat takes a longer time to digest than lighter foods like fruits, veggies, or whole-grain cereals. Apparently, there was once a medieval method of torture that involved feeding the prisoner meat for a period of time (30 days should suffice), until the subject's body gave up and departed. To continue with this train of thought, people aren't vultures or hyenas or wolves or lions or snakes, whose teeth and/or digestive processes are designed for uncooked meat. We must cook our meat, right? This of course naturally leads to the observation that we can't eat raw oats like horses can, that we prefer to make oatmeal, so why aren't we "meant" to cook our meat and it it. Nonetheless, the examples demonstrate that humans aren't nearly as good at digesting meat as some creatures. Make what you will of my claim that meat is not easily digested and can (and oftentimes does) lead to constipation and hernias. 3) Meat is not requisite. Some people I talk to are convinced that only meat has some essential amino acids that no other non-meat foods contain. I am not a chemist or a nutritionalist, but I do know that flax seed and its derivatives (flax seed oil, ground flax seed) contain various amino acids. Additionally, nuts such as almonds and walnuts contain certain amino acids that are useful to a vegetarian striving to maintain a balanced diet. Some people think they won't get enough protein in their diet if they don't eat meat. It's true, some types of meat have a lot of protein (fish, for example). On the other hand, many types of meat, unless they are "lean", contain a lot of saturated fat, a known "bad" fat (whereas vegetarian sources of fats such as flax seed, nuts, avocadoes, and so on, contain relatively little saturated fat, and NO cholesterol at all--only animal products or animal-derived products may contain cholesterol). Many vegetarian products are rich in protein: cottage cheese, beans, milk, cheese, yogurt, nuts, seeds, oatmeal (and other whole grains). Taken together, one can get plenty of protein from vegetarian sources. More importantly than how much protein you take in, is to combine certain types of foods to make a "complete protein" or "complex carbohydrate": Mix carbs (brown rice, oatmeal, whole-grain bread, whole-wheat pasta, barley, quinoa, etc) with protein (beans, milk, cheese, yogurt, tofu, soymilk and so on) and for an extra punch throw in some fats as well (almonds, walnuts, cashews, flax seeds, avocadoes, etc). This way you'll have plenty of sustained energy after every meal. For example, eat bread & cheese, rice & beans, oatmeal & milk, and so on.

Did anything help me get through the learning stages of turning vegetarian? Yes, the fact that I can tell you the exact moment I ate my last piece of meat (besides the camouflaged bacon bits amidst a packaged salad that snuck past my field of vision one time). It was with a close friend Dominic up in the state of Maine, the summer after I had my fist upper division course (oh Abstract Algebra...) at UC Berkeley with Professor Lam. My last piece of meat was Maine lobster, dipped in melted butter, with mussels to boot. Thanks Dominic, for such a wonderful way to embark upon a new lifestyle! I should add that, although I found the lobster to be delicious, after three months of not eating meat, the next day my body showed slight distaste for the previous day's festivities. ;)

In conclusion: In America at least, with the abundance of whole grains, nuts (including the irreplaceable flax seeds!), beans, vegetables, fruit, soy products, milk products, and in general every type of food at affordable prices, there's no reason not to turn vegetarian. Additionally, if you mix certain types of foods to make a complex carbohydrate, and watch your intake of iron, you'll have plenty of protein in your diet, and never face anemia.

World Peace: Revision.

Now, a friend of mine (let's call her Shustra) has criticized me in regards to the idealistic tone of my (first ever) blog entry. Shustra then asked me how her chide jives with me--am I not offended that she thinks that World Peace is too lofty an ideal to hope for, when just waking up in the morning is too heavy a burden for some? This criticism both shows that someone actually read my blog (yay!) and is an excellent impetus to create a second blog entry.

To paraphrase, this is how Shustra admonished Shurik:

"Shurik, get off your high-horse and smell the coffee. I disliked your message about peace. I think it was idealistic and honestly I disagree with searching for world peace If I am not able to find in inside of me. Sadhana begins inside of one, then it goes around one's house, then community and eventually all together becomes the world....

--Yours truly, Shustra."

So this is my response to my friend Shustra:

Dear Shustra,

Thank you for reading my first ever blog and making such thought-provoking comments. To tell the truth, I was not acquainted with the term Sanskrit term "sadhana", which, as a Google search uncovers (to the extent that internet searches are correct), is derived from the Sanskrit root "sadh"=bring about, and means something like, and I paraphrase, "spiritual discipline or path; the daily practices one observes to calm the Monkey-Mind (the natural, quite restless, state of man's mind)". You are right Shustra, that World Peace has no chance against Monkey Mind, and that in order to see progress globally, one must start locally. There's a maxim that goes, and again I paraphrase, "To tell how you are progressing spiritually, take a look at your relationships." It's quite obvious that if everyone had the mind of Jesus (pre-crucifiction), or Buddha, or Moses, or Mohammed, then World Peace would naturally come about.

So I revise my first-ever blog, if I may (according to Dale Carnegie's 1936 seminal classic How to Win Friends and Influence People, one may and should admit one's mistakes). My revised first-ever blog is as follows: Sandra Bullock is still right; World Peace still should be on everyone's mind; but  until we as individuals get our heads out of the gutter, until we arm ourselves with means for self-realization, until we bombard ourselves with spiritual ideals and realize that the Earth is one, that people of all religions, faiths, colors, genders, sexual preferences, and whatever other distinctions one chooses to mention, are no different from a birds-eye-view...well, until then, until then, until then...until then, Shurik will keep writing his blog and meditating on all that is good.

And I hope you will join me too!

--Shurik

World Peace.

2006+10+20 "Lord, Can We Get a Break? We Ain't Really Happy Here. Take a look into our eyes, and see pain that I see." --Ja Rule

( Note: If you like my Friendster blog, check out my other blogs on Google Blogger: My All-Purpose Blog, My Tech Blog, My 100 Goals , Esperanto Blog ).

--Shurik
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Note the freshly-implemented, paint-coated Google AdSense ads. There's even an ad there about AdSense. Please, please leave a comment or send me an email . Of course, you can also leave a comment in Blogger itself. Consider yourself one of the few, elite members of society to visit my page. Heck, I've made 61 cents so far. And that's nearly a quadruple increase from the 16 cents I had yesterday. But of course, I won't quit my day job (although I do not have a job now--hence the time to spend time on technology that isn't "low-level" like a Java book. Well, I am admittedly trying to read Head First Java. It was a bestseller I think...or at least popular? It certainly is trendy and the publisher (O'Reilly) took a chance on that book (or so we're told somewhere in that book).

I bought a "switcher"-type device, not for the computer, but for the TV. Our TV is OLD! It's big, heavy, with one useful hole in the back (though somone really resourcesful may find a way to use what looks like could be another hole in the back of our TV; when I say our, you know what I mean. Trust me.

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April 4th, 2005's the day. Shurik's the name.

Today is special because on this day I start my first ever blog. I haven't much to say. If hard-pressed to come up with something, I guess what I'd say is what Sandra Bullock (go Sandra!) said in her movie Miss Congeniality 2 (I paraphrase): What we all (should) hope for is World Peace. So, people of the world, let's all work for world peace together and maybe some day our children, or our grandchildren, or our great-grandchildren, will live in a world where neighboring countries (such as Israel and Palestine) aren't sending their sons and daughters to their death. And maybe some distant relative of ours will be able to look back at the state much of Africa is in, in regards to the spread of HIV for example, and say, "How foolish people in the 21st century were! Why, in Africa they were infecting each other with a deadly virus because zip-dickies, the condom alternative, wasn't invented yet at that time." Well, there's lots to hope for, so let's take it one day at a time, and remember that it'd be nice to have peace, world peace please.

--Shurik