I lie..
I never had Buns of Steel. Nor a Will of Steel for that matter. I DO have a cooking bowl that is made of steel, or some similar metallic material, which I have to say has been far too overused in the most recent of times.
BUT! (I've got one of those since being in Chile, the carbalicious diet is a sure way to plump up your cheeks) I did use to have a will for keeping in some sort of shape, as the positive metal and physical benifits always seemed to outweigh the negative. I used to get out there most days, busting a sweat in my leggings and oversized top, living the dream as a POWER WALKER, maybe even hitting up a wee Bums Tums and Thighs class at the local gym. Girls, I'm sure its not only me who thinks to herself around late September every year..."This is the year (inset name here), this is the year. You are gunna get out onto that beach, wearing a sly size 0, and everyones eyes are going to be at risk of being poked out by your rock hard abs.''
Why then, is it soooo hard to force myself back out there into the exercising world, after a short but devestating decent into a carb/refined sugur hell? Well I decided that I was time to MAN UP! And face up to this situation once and for all. Im not necessarily going to be melting all your faces off with my oiled up 6 pack any time soon, but i'm not going to lose this war with the $300 paso-for-6 bread buns from the store down the road either.
I've been back on the walking track every day for a week now, every morning I set out around 9.30 with the babies in pram, huffing and puffing as I walk on tiptoe, pushing them up the face of Mt Everest/the hill I live on. Its been sunny and I like to get emotional to the tunes on my iPod, Im not ashamed to sing outloud (I was however ashamed when a bloke started laughing to my version of ''under the sea''). So far im out there for about 30 mins each day, and even though it doesn't sound like much time, and even though its only been a week, I can already feel the difference emotionally and see the difference physically. I don't feel as nervous about leaving the kitchen for long periods of time like I used to (joke), and I don't beat myself up when I just can't resist that occasional bar of chocolate that makes its way into my shopping basket. I actually have noticed the cellulite that has NEVER graced my thighs before until this very year has certainly reduced to a less conspicuous level, which I am all but sacraficing a lamb with thankfulness about.
I guess what I am trying to say ladies, men, inbetweeners (do I KNOW any??..Lady G), is that if you too are feeling the post-winter downing on your bods is getting you down, don't let it. Get out there for a walk, or bust out the pilates DVD, dust of the gym membership card. Start small, and work your way up to it. It honestly makes you feel great, you know it does, and its just that intial step thats the hardest.
The only place I want orange peel is in my orange flavoured cupcakes. Which I'm going to make right now. Better make tomorrows walk a long one.
Big loves xxxx
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
3 months later....an update.
Well well, I thought I had actually posted a couple more blogs, but as it turns out, I had unfortunately not been pressing the correct button and they got sent into some kind of cyberspace blackhole instead.
So as it has been literally months since my last post, I guess I will just write about highlights etc. In an effort to continue something that I started...so here goes
Early July, I headed up again to Las Trancas, this time with a bunch of the other expats who work at the school, and we rented a cabana and drank/went snowboarding for a few days. This time the place was waaaaay packed out, far different to my original visit. But still awesome. Snowboarding was an interesting experience, and not least because of my average/poor skills when it comes to shredding up the slopes. Throughout the days I heard many a ''no pueeeedo, no pueeedo!(I can't!!)'' coming from childen being forced down the mountain by ambitious parents, and many a time I though ''im friggin with you kid!''. After a particualy awkward event transpired (a small boy child and I collided when I decided to take the 'scenic route') I was slightly put out, but it was nothing that a little hip flask pisco and watching other people bail couldn't sort out.
July was pretty gay here for a while, namely cos it was busting out the rain left right and centre, and anyone with kids would know that rain+kids= undesirable conditions. My days were spent walking, shopping, watching tv, and looking after the kids. My evenings were spent hanging out, pining for some decent reading material, and hanging out with friends at the local bar. Sometimes I got pretty bored, and lonely, but I guess thats life anywhere, I feel that in this time I finally understood the phrase "the grass is greener". Thats not the whole phrase but I feel that I can't help you on this one if you don't understand what I'm talking about from that wee taster there.
Early August saw me heading off to Brazil with Paulie *shout out to Paaaaulie*. Wiiiicked experience, set up in 5 star hotel, seeing how rich people live (and eat), generally just loving the sunshine and good times. I was a big fan of Brazil I have to say, but to be honest I probably didn't experience the real Brazil. Definitly one to head back to in future tho. Highlights were probably going sandboarding on huge inland dunes, and also the AMAZING breakfast spread available to us every morning. I swear to you that I would get like 5 mini crossaints, and Paulie would get 5, and I would end up eating like 7 out of the 10 all together. Thats how good it was. I actually think we spent a good chunk of time watching Antoine Dodson on Youtube, and then just repeating everything he said in our best Prrrojects accents.
Getting back for Brazil saw a change in my work hours, Im now busting the cheeky 8-12 in the am, which means I A. have to get up early(er) and B. have time in the afternoon to pursue lesuire activties (see above list).
Mid August Kimberly my host mum and Stephanie the 4 year old jetted back to NZ for work, while I, Kane and the two babies remained behind in Conce. This was really a taste of parenting for me, as much of the time I was looking after the two babies on my own, and let me tell you, bags NOT ever having twins. One memorable weekend in particular was when Kane went away for rugby, and I had the two girls alone for a night. Libby decided to get up at aroud 11pm and refused to even stop crying until about 3am, when, exhusted, she feel asleep on my stomach, and I was able to roll her off of me and let her sleep in my bed next to me. I kept jolting away panicing that I may have rolled over and crushed her with all my bread weight, but the child made it through to see daylight. Although parenting is a massive task, it does have its rewards, and there is satisfaction and joy to be found in the seemingly mundane tasks of cooking, cleaning and washing 2 little rascally babies. Seeing their personalities grow and change is also way cool.
September came along to say hello, and I decided it was time to start geetting my butt out and about and around Chile, because before you know it BAM! I will be back in NZ harrassing you all in person. A couple weeks ago I headed off to Pucon, to have a uno-on-uno with nature (jokes its like backpacker town assss), but I really was riding solo. The whole journey down was a bit of a debarcle (missing buses, left at the wrong stop, old man STEALING MY SEAT!), but upon arrivle I found some English speaking amigos and latched on to them like a parasitic fish to the belly of a whale. I ended up volunteering to go white water rafting in a sweet river with glacial waters washing right off the local volcanoe. They were grade 4 rapids (from what I could gather from the Spanish speaking instructor), so I don't know what that means but I wanted to include the information, in hopes of potentially impressing some of you. It was brilliant fun, and even though the day had clouded over and it started raining, I along with eveyone else from my raft, elected to jump out at the end and go for a wee swim along. Just when I thought I would seize up and die from coldness, I walk out of the changing room and BOOM! A wee Chilean pops up with a Pisco sour, all ready and waiting for me to consume. Which I did. The rest of the weekend was choice, I went out with a bunch of the people and had drinks and pizza and card games and another persons hostel.
This weekend just past marked Chiles 200th year of Indepence, and to celebrate they did...well....nothing. Well to be fair they probably did, jsut not where I was beacuse they all went away for the long weekend. Not to be left out of the fun, my friend Duncan and I went to hunt out some fun, and ended up walking around at 11 o clock at night, eventually getting drawn in by a little old man to his wee bar, where we sat with him and drank wine and beer and chatted to old men. It was great fun, especially when I started suspected the old man of hitting on Duncan, after dressing him up in his ponco and hat, the typical outfit for the Huaso (male dance partner in the Chilean national dance). On the Sunday we headed to another friends place for a big afternoon barbeque that carried on until early the next morning. They had a small mountain of bread, a larger mountain of meat, and a ginormous jar of salt. Chileans salt everything. A friend jokingly mentioned he saw an old man salting his apple once, and the Chileans all enthused "oh yes, it is so nice!". Don't make me vom in my mouth. This party was great fun however, I love over here how appropriate and non-weird it is for everyone to dance together, I had even drunk enough wine to feel that I was somehow capable of busting out the Cueca. Apparently I had awkwardly misjudged my abilities, somehow thinking that if they could do it, surely I could too.
Annnnyway this post is way long, but that should give anyone who I haven't talked to in a while a little bit of insight into some of the things I have done in the last wee while. I hope to be doing a fair bit more travelling in the next few months, so will try to update any hilarious misunderstandings I may have on these trips.
Besos por todo xxx
So as it has been literally months since my last post, I guess I will just write about highlights etc. In an effort to continue something that I started...so here goes
Early July, I headed up again to Las Trancas, this time with a bunch of the other expats who work at the school, and we rented a cabana and drank/went snowboarding for a few days. This time the place was waaaaay packed out, far different to my original visit. But still awesome. Snowboarding was an interesting experience, and not least because of my average/poor skills when it comes to shredding up the slopes. Throughout the days I heard many a ''no pueeeedo, no pueeedo!(I can't!!)'' coming from childen being forced down the mountain by ambitious parents, and many a time I though ''im friggin with you kid!''. After a particualy awkward event transpired (a small boy child and I collided when I decided to take the 'scenic route') I was slightly put out, but it was nothing that a little hip flask pisco and watching other people bail couldn't sort out.
July was pretty gay here for a while, namely cos it was busting out the rain left right and centre, and anyone with kids would know that rain+kids= undesirable conditions. My days were spent walking, shopping, watching tv, and looking after the kids. My evenings were spent hanging out, pining for some decent reading material, and hanging out with friends at the local bar. Sometimes I got pretty bored, and lonely, but I guess thats life anywhere, I feel that in this time I finally understood the phrase "the grass is greener". Thats not the whole phrase but I feel that I can't help you on this one if you don't understand what I'm talking about from that wee taster there.
Early August saw me heading off to Brazil with Paulie *shout out to Paaaaulie*. Wiiiicked experience, set up in 5 star hotel, seeing how rich people live (and eat), generally just loving the sunshine and good times. I was a big fan of Brazil I have to say, but to be honest I probably didn't experience the real Brazil. Definitly one to head back to in future tho. Highlights were probably going sandboarding on huge inland dunes, and also the AMAZING breakfast spread available to us every morning. I swear to you that I would get like 5 mini crossaints, and Paulie would get 5, and I would end up eating like 7 out of the 10 all together. Thats how good it was. I actually think we spent a good chunk of time watching Antoine Dodson on Youtube, and then just repeating everything he said in our best Prrrojects accents.
Getting back for Brazil saw a change in my work hours, Im now busting the cheeky 8-12 in the am, which means I A. have to get up early(er) and B. have time in the afternoon to pursue lesuire activties (see above list).
Mid August Kimberly my host mum and Stephanie the 4 year old jetted back to NZ for work, while I, Kane and the two babies remained behind in Conce. This was really a taste of parenting for me, as much of the time I was looking after the two babies on my own, and let me tell you, bags NOT ever having twins. One memorable weekend in particular was when Kane went away for rugby, and I had the two girls alone for a night. Libby decided to get up at aroud 11pm and refused to even stop crying until about 3am, when, exhusted, she feel asleep on my stomach, and I was able to roll her off of me and let her sleep in my bed next to me. I kept jolting away panicing that I may have rolled over and crushed her with all my bread weight, but the child made it through to see daylight. Although parenting is a massive task, it does have its rewards, and there is satisfaction and joy to be found in the seemingly mundane tasks of cooking, cleaning and washing 2 little rascally babies. Seeing their personalities grow and change is also way cool.
September came along to say hello, and I decided it was time to start geetting my butt out and about and around Chile, because before you know it BAM! I will be back in NZ harrassing you all in person. A couple weeks ago I headed off to Pucon, to have a uno-on-uno with nature (jokes its like backpacker town assss), but I really was riding solo. The whole journey down was a bit of a debarcle (missing buses, left at the wrong stop, old man STEALING MY SEAT!), but upon arrivle I found some English speaking amigos and latched on to them like a parasitic fish to the belly of a whale. I ended up volunteering to go white water rafting in a sweet river with glacial waters washing right off the local volcanoe. They were grade 4 rapids (from what I could gather from the Spanish speaking instructor), so I don't know what that means but I wanted to include the information, in hopes of potentially impressing some of you. It was brilliant fun, and even though the day had clouded over and it started raining, I along with eveyone else from my raft, elected to jump out at the end and go for a wee swim along. Just when I thought I would seize up and die from coldness, I walk out of the changing room and BOOM! A wee Chilean pops up with a Pisco sour, all ready and waiting for me to consume. Which I did. The rest of the weekend was choice, I went out with a bunch of the people and had drinks and pizza and card games and another persons hostel.
This weekend just past marked Chiles 200th year of Indepence, and to celebrate they did...well....nothing. Well to be fair they probably did, jsut not where I was beacuse they all went away for the long weekend. Not to be left out of the fun, my friend Duncan and I went to hunt out some fun, and ended up walking around at 11 o clock at night, eventually getting drawn in by a little old man to his wee bar, where we sat with him and drank wine and beer and chatted to old men. It was great fun, especially when I started suspected the old man of hitting on Duncan, after dressing him up in his ponco and hat, the typical outfit for the Huaso (male dance partner in the Chilean national dance). On the Sunday we headed to another friends place for a big afternoon barbeque that carried on until early the next morning. They had a small mountain of bread, a larger mountain of meat, and a ginormous jar of salt. Chileans salt everything. A friend jokingly mentioned he saw an old man salting his apple once, and the Chileans all enthused "oh yes, it is so nice!". Don't make me vom in my mouth. This party was great fun however, I love over here how appropriate and non-weird it is for everyone to dance together, I had even drunk enough wine to feel that I was somehow capable of busting out the Cueca. Apparently I had awkwardly misjudged my abilities, somehow thinking that if they could do it, surely I could too.
Annnnyway this post is way long, but that should give anyone who I haven't talked to in a while a little bit of insight into some of the things I have done in the last wee while. I hope to be doing a fair bit more travelling in the next few months, so will try to update any hilarious misunderstandings I may have on these trips.
Besos por todo xxx
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