Long Distance Ritual: Memorial Day Special

This week's long distance ritual falls on a very peaceful and relaxing Memorial Day weekend. Instead of surrendering to expensive gas prices, or packing a bag and sifting through presumably crowded airports, I decided to stay home this weekend, watching movies and doing yoga. A very simple dish was at hand tonight, and I'm sure that my girlfriend, living halfway across the world, will have no trouble replicating it (actually, the chances of her improving upon this recipe with her own ideas and ingredients are quite high). Boiling some broccoli and sauteeing mushrooms and garlic in olive oil became the Monday night special. I threw everything together with angel hair pasta, lemon pepper and chili flakes. Light and healthy.

The other day, my girlfriend sent me a link of foods that are categorized by whether such foods produce alkaline or acid. According to this list, one's diet should consist of a proper balance of alkaline producing and acid producing foods, with a higher proportion of alkaline producing foods compared to its not so healthy counterparts. Well, it seems that lemons top the list of high alkaline producing foods, so I decided to change up my beverage variety and enjoy some delicious lemonade.
Apparently, fruits are also high alkaline producing. Grapes are a good source. I bought myself a bunch and vowed not to eat chocolate or other sweets until I finish the grapes.

In a month of taking huge steps to become healthier, my diet is becoming a perfect complement to my now addicting yoga practice and other health-related activities that are now a part of my life. Thanks to the inspiration of a woman who wants only the best in life for herself and for me, I have found my little groove in 2008.

Of course, every once in a while, random saturday mornings in particular, a plate of fantastic jasmine rice with fried egg, and corned beef with chili flakes and onions all mixed into one man's meal becomes quite the treat and reward after a long week of work and working out. I know. I know. Not the way to end a post that seemed immaculately green.

The Yoga Bandwagon: Mens Sana In Corpore Sano

The name of the game is stress. I have been the self-proclaimed champion of this game in my little world for about 29 years, and it is right about time to retire. Too long have I found myself swimming in a cesspool of unnecessary stress. Too long have I allowed my little world to swallow itself in a mind-created black hole. Too long have I sustained the very demon that I have been trying to exorcise, only to suck the happiness out of my relationships with others, and most importantly, the happiness within myself. It's not who I want to be moving forward. Moreover, now that I am in a long distance relationship, any stress that emanates from my behavior and state of being is magnified a hundred times over, and the last thing me and my girlfriend would need is an emotional gap to further widen the blatantly obvious physical gap that remains between us. This too goes for my relationship with friends and family.

Of course, going through the workaday world has its own additional sources of stress, such as simply trying to make ends meet, or making sure I have enough groceries, so there is a lot to deal with when living alone.

My change has transpired over the years, but has been purely a mind and attitude-focused type, with broad but incomplete changes. Now is the time to take everything to another level and see more genuine results. I am of the belief that taking care of my body will free my mind of stress, prompting me to embark on a serious mission to incorporate yoga, some diet modifications (I'm quite certain a scrumptuous pork dish will appear in a subsequent post notwithstanding this declaration), and proper breathing into my life. Once my back heals fully, I plan to return to sports as well. My good buddy had once reminded me of a powerful yet neglected principle: mens sana in corpore sano (a sound mind in a sound body).

I used to think that yoga was a funny hobby and alternative to the gym with a trendy reputation. Years later, I find myself in a yoga class trying to sweat out not just the toxins in my muscles, but 29 years of an inner-stress that has kept me from freely being who I have been wanting to be all these years. It's never too late for awesome changes I suppose, and I want myself and those around me to feel a lighter and more joyful presence of me.

The Sensitive Man Tackles the "Sensitive Man"

For most of you who have been following the evolution of Confessions of a Sensitive Man, and thus, the interesting evolution of myself, as I have undergone, and am presently going through, an ontological change over the years, you could probably see the character and content that supports the not so ambiguous title of the blog, without me having to discuss what really constitutes being a sensitive man in this day and age and who I am in all of this. That sort of changes today. Sort of.

How amusing. Googling "sensitive man," I came across a few online publications (other than my blog) that provide various angles and interesting insight on the topic. Very amusing. On one hand, there's the "good" side of being a sensitive guy. Dotmoms' Sensitive Man in Training published a proud account of raising a sensitive boy, meriting a congratulations from presumably another mother in the comments section. The benchmark for sensitivity apparently is how well you treat women, as this author subtly cites to how her husband was lacking in that department. On the other hand, however, a somewhat opposing, in-your-face analysis in the article, What is a "Sensitive" Man? poses the philosophical and ironically can-potentially-be-misconstrued-as-insensitive question, "Why do we feel the need to identify men as sensitive or not?" Appropriately, the article was published in askmen.com.

How about ultra-sensitivity to the point that it has become a social issue (perhaps a disorder? are you listening Merck?) that needs to be addressed? Heart-2-heart coins the pseudo-sociopathological term "Ultra-Sensitive Person," and provides some sort of support source for this potentially inhibiting state of being, which interestingly includes being "exceptionally intuitive and artistic," yet has an "urge to hide in a quiet, sometimes dark, room when things are too much." "Don't take yourself too seriously," some might say to that approach. Let's have fun with sensitivity, says the light-hearted man...let's play up the concept of the sensitive man and give him an award...literally. Unilever in London decided to effectuate such a notion by giving the most sensitive man in the United Kingdom a trophy or something like that.

Then there's Bill Clinton.

I am not even sure how I figure in all of this, if I do at all. Some random, but incomplete brain farts:

I have a low threshold for pain, and have been trying to toughen up over the years. Sometimes, when I empathize, I feel worse than the person who is confiding in me. In terms of approach, I don't like it when people are insensitive and I hate it when I am oversensitive. So I enjoy shaping my life to balance out who I am by continuing to be passionate, compassionate, empathetic and emotion-filled, while shaving off unnecessary reactions and taking things too seriously or personally. That being said, I am definitely not the most sensitive person I have met. Not by a mile and not within the 90th percentile among all people I've encountered. In sum, I grew up reacting too much to others, and have since then tried to be chill and less reactive. I enjoy myself more and am more enjoyable to others in the absence of sensitivity-related stress. Balance. It's a good mantra for all things.

The abovementioned articles were interesting reads. I should putter around the net some more and see what other people are saying, but maybe later. Right now, I am psyching myself up for my second-ever session of bikram yoga. Never in my life have I fathomed attempting to bend like a pretzel (those huge ones sold in Manhattan next to the hotdogs). Maybe yoga will help me maintain "balance" in sensitivity.

Who knows? Unilever might give me an award.

A Journey to Momofuku SSAM

A rare weeknight journey to the East Village became the highlight of my week. Situated a few cities away, my craving for one of the best dishes I have ever eaten in foodtown Manhattan was increasing at an annoying rate, and the only things standing between me and Momofuku SSAM's popular dish were time and space. The late afternoon Metro North train ride sucked the life and patience out of me, but at least I had quite the view as my backdrop for daydreaming and drooling as we crossed the Bronx into Harlem, Manhattan.


Upon my arrival at a relatively empty Grand Central Terminal, I noticed something that had irked me. My telephone contained a text message from my friends whom I was meeting that evening, informing me that dinner was at 9:00 pm. Fantastic, I thought. The famous clock in the middle of the Terminal told me that another hour and forty-five minutes would pass before my chance to so as much sit down in Momofuku. Luckily, some of my friends were available before then, so we decided to get a drink across the street from Momofuku. At that point, I jumped onto the 6 train heading downtown.



Yes. The train was crowded. In New York, if you couldn't hold onto something on the subway during rush hour, there is no need to worry; your body is bottled up within a hexagon of other bodies supporting your weight like a trust-exercise in an overpriced empowerment seminar led by a perky maniac with a lapel microphone taped onto his cheek. I poured out of the subway and finally found myself in Union Square, hungry like no one's business. It was close to 8:00 pm.

Union Square had its distractions and temptations. A slice of typical New York pizza almost seduced me into cheating on the not-so-imminent Momofuku experience. I resisted, but with some remorse.

Eventually, I found myself at the Blue Owl drinking a happy hour Martini with old friends from Manila. They too were impatiently waiting to satisfy the somewhat destructive craving that was just across the street.

At 9:00 pm, after a seemingly long and endless journey, I finally made it to Momofuku.

I had three pork buns that evening, and it hit the spot to say the least. The pork was tender enough to melt in your mouth and was covered in a tangy hoisin sauce and thinly-sliced cucumbers in a Chinese bun. Fantastic. I had no thoughts of the long commute back up north...I needed to bask in this moment of culinary glory.

Movies, Bloghers and Long Distance Relationships

My route through the online universe today took a few unexpected and surprising turns that left me with a smile on my face. Three simple online events took place, which taken together, made me appreciate the fact that I am appreciating the small things in life. For starters, I did find myself watching the trailer of the new Batman movie The Dark Knight. The reinvention of the Batman saga on the big screen is now appropriately following the graphic novel and comic book threads of alternate storylines, interpretations and depictions of the psyche known as Bruce Wayne, a.k.a. Batman. Suffice it to say, the original Batman, starring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson, and Batman Begins, starring Christian Bale and a gang of oscarworthy actors, are my two favorite films of the kind to date.

I was then pleasantly surprised when I discovered that a new film from brilliant and daring producer/director/cameo-actor M. Night Shyamalan is a month away from keeping me on the edge of my seat. The mind-blowing, at times dark, yet smooth films of Shyamalan make the hairs on my skin stand. Movies with spectacular twists top my list of genre preferences, and within that category, Shyamalan is king. This new film, The Happening, looks like a promising enough apocalyptic mystery to quench my spin-thirsty mind.

I must say though, that the highlight of my day was something other than appeasing my movie-buff self. Apparently, Confessions of a Sensitive Man has been cited on someone else's blog (other than relationship guru Keith Ferrazzi's blog Never Eat Alone - buy his book when you get a chance). In particular, a woman blogged about her preparations for a long distance relationship and cited to other blogs that have discussed the same topic, mine included. What makes this interesting, is that her blog is located in an all woman blog community, Blogher. The site also contained links to other related posts from other bloggers in the community.

Read her thoughts when you get a chance at Blogher. She expresses her difficulty and melancholy in being physically separated from her loved one, the feelings of which I am currently most familiar. I wanted to leave a comment, but only members can leave comments, and I believe only women can be members! My heart goes out to those people going for the long distance arrangement, and I wish them all the strength, faith and confidence needed to sustain their most intimate and relevant of connections. I also have special admiration for those who express the reality of their long distance relationships through blogging.

Cheers to you all.

Long Distance Ritual: Chicken Paprika

Perhaps many of you know how much I miss my girlfriend given my previous posts, so I will not belabor the point and dwell on the glaring distance that has been restored between us. Instead, I have chosen to push forward with this long distance relationship and continue with the long distance rituals (see http://acidjazzboy.blogspot.com/2008/01/long-distance-rituals.html and http://acidjazzboy.blogspot.com/2008/03/long-distance-ritual-salmon-asparagus.html) that have constituted the mutual affection conveyed between me and her through these digital channels.

Sitting down for hours and zoned out in front of a computer is a typical day for those working in an office, and that basic characteristic could not have been more evident today. Add jet lag to the mix, and you have a recipe (no pun intended) for silent chaos and restlessness. It was at the point of realizing this uncomfortable state of being that I wanted to cook something delicious for dinner without having to labor extra hard with complex cooking tricks, tedious cutting and the use of half my kitchen tools.

Thanks to a memory of an old friend who cooked me a similar dish in the past, I decided to prepare something simple and tasty: Baked Chicken Paprika. It turned out delicious...perhaps one of the tastier things I have ever prepared.

Rub some rock salt on 2 1/2-3 lbs. of chicken pieces, and place on a baking pan thinly coated with olive oil. I would recommend dark meat pieces (legs, thighs) to allow for sinful drippings. Season the chicken with paprika, and sprinkle a bit of cracked peppercorn (optional) for a bit more kick. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and then cook for 55-60 minutes depending on the amount of chicken.

For long weekdays, this is a perfect bachelor's dinner to prepare.

A Review of Cathay Pacific

For the first time in years, I flew Cathay Pacific to travel home and received little pleasant surprises in the quality of several aspects of this air traveling experience. At first, I was skeptical about the prospects of enjoying my flight given it's ridiculously long duration (I traveled for 29 hours plus stopovers, including refuelling - and de-icing of the wings - in Alaska, after traveling to Toronto, and before Hong Kong and eventually changing planes to Manila). Moreover, I left for the airport after a full day at the office, so the fatigue was kicking in. I was hesitant in applying to the Marco Polo Club, the first airline membership for which I had to pay a sizeable fee. In the end, the entire check-in to arrival process finessed an otherwise exhausting journey to be with my girlfriend.

Cathay Pacific did a fantastic job of making the experience simple, and simple travel is most desirable for a long trip. For example, the Marco Polo Club membership allowed me to basically bypass long lines at the check-in counter and the gate, expediting the check-in and boarding process at a speed I had never imagined. Upon entry, the flight attendants were more jovial than other airline attendants, and were quite helpful. Throughout the flight, the flight attendants had no qualms about offering drinks or snacks to the people who could not wait for the main meals in order to satisfy their needs. In my previous experiences with other airlines, flight attendants looked disgruntled when asked to serve drinks at times other than meal time. I also believe that the quality of the food was a hundred times better than other airlines, a point which is extremely important for long flights.

In terms of entertainment, the new economy class seats provided me with numerous options for television, gaming, movies, music and just watching the navigation of the plane. TV was on demand, and included a few episodes of CSI, Heroes, The Wire, Everybody Loves Raymond, Friends, and the Flight of the Conchords to name a few. I spent most of my time catching up with movies I had missed over the past few months, including National Treasure: Book of Secrets, The Golden Compass, and Beowulf. The music selection was limited, but diverse, and functioned like your normal music player with a shuffle-type of setting among other options. There were probably 40-plus video games, from arcade-type space invaders to simple hangman, and 3D shooters to Who Wants to be a Millionaire. On my way to back to New York, this served to distract me from a somewhat painful goodbye hours earlier, and it did its job.

One of the more trippy functions on the plane is the digital navigational map, which shows the route of the plane from a three-dimensional angle. I enjoyed it because it made the trip feel shorter. For those who are acrophobic, avoid the channel that shows a feed of a camera lodged at the base of the airplane. You can see the sky and the bottom of the airplane in real time; the view of the base of the plane and the faint moon shining against it is quite a visual at night.

Perhaps my only complaint about the economy class seats is that they are not wide enough for me. Having said that, the distance between my seat and the seat in front of me is slightly more spacious than other airlines, so legroom is not too much of a problem.

Overall, I would recommend Cathay Pacific for long travel. The service and the people factor are a huge bonus, in addition to the already high quality economy travel.

Now, if I only had funds for a business class seat (bed)...or first class.