Stitches for Small Seed Beads

So, I have a crap load of small seed beads (11 o) that I got a long time ago that I need to use up before buying any more...

The following stitches have been cooperating pretty well:

"Leaves" "Apache Leaves" (although I've heard it referred to as some kind of Russian leaf before...)

http://www.unikatissima.de/e/?p=4327

They're cute. I should re-teach myself that stitch.

I've had success as you can see in the "Winter Beading" post with spiral stitch. However usually for the inner body of the stitch I have to use delicas or something with a bigger hole... otherwise I drive myself crazy.

Another stitch I've had success with is the St. Petersburg chain, and the 11 o s seem to be accommodating the double St. Petersburg which is pretty stunning. I hope I'll be able to embellish the top too. I'll update when I'm done.

St. Petersburg Chain (Double)

http://noeasybeads.blogspot.com/2008/11/double-st-petersburg-chain.html

It's quite stunning.

Herringbone did NOT accommodate the 11o seed beads.

http://www.tarnhelm.com/NeedForBeads/Tutorials.htm

Late...and Early by ~pixipatrin on deviantART

Acupuncture, Beads, and Ballet

So I'm loving acupuncture. I get instant relief everytime I go. Not all my problems are gone, but there have been so many it wouldn't be realistic to expect an instant cure and especially without addressing the emotional stuff the problems stirred up in me. I got a funky little bruise on one of the points this time, but i was having fluish body aches all week and sinus symptoms... and the treatment with moxibustion was instant relief for the pain... and even a little bit for the sinus stuff. I think I'm allergic to my birds. Always get tingling and some "anxiety" symptoms during treatment. The energy balance is just stubborn I suppose.

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Having a lot of fun with beads, but gotta get up throughout the day. I feel yukky if I sit around too much.

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Thinking of starting up in ballet again. Looking back giving up ballet back in h.s. was a difficult thing for me. I didn't miss the competition, but I think the physical activity and core focus was really important and kept me healthy throughout my youth. It was after I quit ballet that I started going downhill. I guess for me it's sort of like yoga. I'm doing a little bit of that too, but there's nothing like the feeling I used to get when I was a kid and I could just melt into the music. I'm starting to stretch in prep for it. I remember all the technique and what my body is supposed to be able to do but know that my ankle and core strength and flexibility are definitely not what they used to be (flexibility has always been a problem) I'll talk to my parents about it over Christmas, otherwise I'll just have to figure out a way to pay for it. And it's good, it's sort of on a pay as you go system at Ballet Fantastique in Eugene. You can pay for 20 classes... which takes off the pressure of having to make it to every class in case there is a big paper, exam, or reading assignment.

Here's the clincher though, I stopped ballet in h.s. to take difficult classes, when in reality the physical activity probably would have helped me better cope with the stress of the classes. So I guess this is an early New Year's resolution to go back to ballet. I'll miss prancing on pointe now but I guess that is something spared for my feet in my "old age." ;)

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My school friend Tomona is likely coming at the end of February into March. I'm looking forward to the girl time after sort of getting stuck in Eugene with boys only. Haha boys only talking in Korean. Gotta admit it gets on my nerves sometimes when I can't understand anything. Or I understand and I'm just a mute because I can't express myself intelligibly in Korean. I can get my point across with confidence in Japanese but I've got a huge mental block for Korean. I don't know why. We'll see what happens when I get back to Korean class in January, and see what happens since my Japanese friends in Eugene (Tomona, and my student) both study Korean. They'll be excited to work on it... haha BUTTTT *ahem* I'd like to keep it in English or Japanese. Ugggh I hope then Max will know the frustration I feel. But if (WHEN) I relocate to Japan for work he'll definitely get it real close. He's so maddeningly easygoing at times I'm sure he'll adjust great.

Winter Beading

A repository for recent beaded projects. I like beading... I really want to try my hand at a new stitch as I've been doing spiral stitch for the last 3 or 4 projects I've done. Maybe I'll revisit peyote or get something out of Beadwork.

Duck Bracelet by ~pixipatrin on deviantART

EBV Community

A nasty problem that's been a thorn in my side since 2009: EBV (mono) Virus. Just enough to dull your whole world. Not serious enough for modern medicine to want to find a fix for (maybe it just can't)... and just overwhelming enough to make a person miserable. Anyway maybe this online community I find might be useful.

EBV Support Community

http://www.ebvcommunity.com/forum/index.php

Lovebird Ticker

Comet Ca$h

Well two acupuncture treatments.done. I do notice a difference! My sore throat isn't gone but I'm sure mono won't cure itself overnight. However, in general, my whole body just feels better.

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I brought a present for Christmas over to the neighbors since they're so good to us and are really friendly neighbors and got hooked up with getting to start my volunteering at the elementary school early. And they really needed a lot of help today~~ it was a Winter Holiday Carnival and there was a bazaar with donated goods. They earned some "Comet" Cash for doing homework and for being good in their classes and then got to spend it... and go "shopping" and bought things for special people in their lives. With hundreds of youngsters of all ages... it was quite a happening. They broke me in pretty quick~ But now winter break has begun for EVERYONE and now there is no escape from my house and the major BRO-mance going on with Max and his brother. So I'm kind of the odd one out wishing I had some girl friends to hang out with.

I really need to get on my Christmas cards.

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So I have a lot of options on when to graduate and what to do after, I guess those options will depend on when I go to see an advisor to find out if there are any classes I would have to take if I decided not to graduate from the honors college. There are a bunch of schools I would like to apply to teach at in Japan... and whether or not I could enter the companies sort of is weighing in my mind as a deciding factor of what I want to do with this graduation thing. I have one Japanese class left for a Japanese degree. General science is totally out the window because I don't want to be here for 3 more years to take all the classes I would have to in order to get that degree.

OR

I could stay in the honors college, start the time consuming thesis process... write it through the summer, and maybe get it wrapped up, stamped, graduated by the end of fall and apply to the JET Programme. Which is the "Cadillac" english teaching entry job... but the private companies don't sound that bad, although the purpose is a lot different than the government sponsored programs because it brings the company, corporation component into teaching.

The Big EFL Resource Link Repository

EFL Resources Repository (under construction, look forward to more links, reviews and summaries of the websites to come! for now this blog is more or less a little notepad)

http://www.esl-galaxy.com/

http://www.ingilish.com/

http://genkienglish.net/index.htm

EFL Through Songs

EFL SONGS SITE LINK:

http://www.songsforteaching.com/esleflesol.htm

unfortunately you have to pay for them, but hey, it's an investment and they can probably be played over and over. I'm sure if I dig around later I can find a lot for free as well, not to mention the splendor of YouTube. Too bad google took it over.

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So there are some jobs I can apply for. Depending on what happens with the applications I will graduate either this spring (I'll be eligible to graduate after winter term... if I quit honors college all I have left is 4 credits of Japanese, although there are other classes that I WANT to take... haha I just don't want to take honors college classes) and if neither of the jobs go through, maybe I'll just stay and I think I can finish honors college by the end of fall 2011. One is in Chiba, and one is in Aichi. I would be much more excited to live in Aichi especially since it is a part of Aichi that easily accesses more rural areas... Chiba is just a stone's throw from Tokyo. Haha but if you need to escape real quick it is close to Narita.

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My first acupuncture appointment is today. The acupuncturist said the most noticeable problem from the TCM perspective was a stomach yin deficiency. Besides that, between cleaning my house and going to the izakaya for a second time with friends, my good old friend mono showed up again and all the sinus ickies with it. Luckily I feel much better after sleeping.

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The food at the izakaya was pretty good, they do have good nabe, sukiyaki, and what not. It is a little expensive for the portions but some things are a good deal. It is supposed to be western themed but only looks partially western themed, just the drink names and a little of the decor. They have some growing into their bar that could be done. It'd be nice with some more pictures and knick-knackery on the walls. Nice that they don't have flat-screens all over the place. I suspect that people have forgotten how to talk to each other.

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Today I also applied to volunteer at an elementary school. Hopefully some experience will be coming my way shortly.

Western Izakayas and TRUE VACATION~~

So today I was looking through the local paper and I guess there is an Izakaya Meiji in Eugene. I didn't know about it until today, but my mom came because my follow up appointment for the CYST was today. And the CYST is GONE! So good news all around. My blood pressure was really low though... no wonder my legs fall asleep so easy and when they do it's the whole darn leg and I walk around like a cripple for a few minutes after... dizzy standing... heart beating like crazy. But a lot of relief. I'm going to Izakaya Meiji with the boys tonight. I think I'll take my camera and hopefully the food is pretty good.

It's "Wild-Western" themed with izakaya fare... I'll let you know how good it is, but the bar-goers of Eugene have given it a 4/5 star rating on the scale which is pretty good. The only almost authentic Japanese food I've had in the Eug is the raamen and even most my students don't really like that (Toshi's best thing is the gyoza I think...Toshi's Raamen) You can get much more authentic Korean food in Eugene... no coincidence that most the Korean places are Korean-owned. Just looked at the menu... they have it all! Garatan, karaage, korokke. All the good greasy Japanese stuff. And of course yakitori. Aww good memories. I'll include a picture from a time eating yakitori in Japan with my school friend's family.

Are you sufficently hungry yet?

A Familiar Story

An Anxiety Experience, and What Helps:

http://www.derealization.org/my-experience/derealization-cured-my-story

Great story. Kind of sounds like when I have my descents (well I have had 2 major falls with this anxiety... and a few short-lived minor ones)

Interesting that it came on after this individual was trying psychadelic drugs. I have never done any drugs... I'm such a pansy among my friends... usually the only one drinking water at the college parties...

It's interesting BECAUSE my anxiety started after the Gardasil + Menactra + Hep vaccines. It's as if I received a brain-chemistry altering drug!

And the story is EVEN MORE INTERESTING when the things the individual writes down helped their condition are uncannily the same things that have been helping me, that functional medicine and this whole unsettling but (hopefully) strengthening journey has brought me to. That is, magnesium, l-theanine (which I have been prescribed but seldom need to take, said to help with "brain chatter"... I get that feeling when I am hungry, and it is usually greatly helped by eating something, a little bit of complex carb with protein)... AND, optimistically, acupuncture. I'm getting really excited about doing some acupuncture.

When I was in Japan my host mother did acupuncture on me. She gave that up to pursue allopathic nursing, but it's nice to know that someone in the allopathic realm would have that experience. I know that it might not do anything, but there are so many problems I don't see how at least one might not be helped, especially with how it's effectiveness in treating nausea (from chemotherapy, etc...) and pain (effective nerve blocking) is touted. Very interesting stuff.

And look! Here's my blog offering another testament.

My one other dream? Kicking mono's butt.

Grumpy Takes a Vacation

Grumpy Takes A Vacation:

Not feeling so grumpy today. I contribute that a lot to doing some deep breathing exercises last night... chilling... and eating well today: that is, on time and with the right protein to veg to carb ratio. I definitely start to feel worse if I'm getting hungry. I'd settle for a stomach growl but I really start to get anxious and my mood drops.

At any rate, couldn't make it to my friends going away party tonight ; - ; Max's last final is tomorrow... and he hadn't even finished the take home portion by the time the party started so here I am. She said she'd come visit with another friend of ours this weekend. I'm not sure if it will go through, and I feel really bad about not being able to go. But at least I got to see her a few days ago.

Urggg finals.

I'll just look forward to the weekend and hope my two friends make it to visit. Or maybe I'll ask if we should just meet up somewhere... my house is pretty far from where everyone lives.

Finals Week!

Finals Week!

Well, technically my finals week (and my term) has been over since Monday... but Max (my husband) won't be done with his finals until about noon on Friday. That means my "best friend" is busy all week and I have "no one to play with." Haha it's definitely testing me. His brother is visiting. I meant to write a long blog to celebrate making it to December, to be my first December blog, but some other things I wanted to put in my blog beat me to it.

I'm going to take the plunge and try acupuncture. It's supposed to help with anxiety, nausea, and chest pain~~ I figure there's nothing I can loose. My insurance covers some of it... I found an Ac. near my campus so it will be easy to keep with the schedule even if school starts. And if my benefits run out there is a community acupuncture clinic where the fee is based on how much you earn, which for me, is nothing. I like that. I really like naturopathy, but it's much more expensive and so far, alone, has not given me results. There's a free consultation that I'm going to next week, to tell them about what's been going on...

Maxy's brother has been here for more than a week. Unfortunately we haven't really clicked yet... I really want things to go well... this last attack (the anxiety and feeling sick) took a lot of my confidence away and I'm not feeling in the outgoing sort of mood. More like "gosh I just want to recuperate and hope this doesn't happen again." He just doesn't seem that interested in trying anything new. But I suppose he's probably here to see Max more than anything, so it's normal he doesn't seem to care? I gave him a bunch of English study books but he's watching Korean dramas and cooking Korean food all day... and speaking Korean all day (I can't understand a thing of what's going on in my own house... or when I can understand it's like I'm mute because I can't speak Korean (yet?) ) And doing Korean boy things like drinking and smoking (not in the house, of course).

So now I'm feeling homesick in my own house! I don't want to feel this way... and I feel like a lot of it is my fault but I don't really know how to get things in motion. I'm getting pretty hungry... the boys LOVE greasy food... eggs, sausage, strange fried noodle concoctions, and even stews, salads covered in mayonnaise~~~ and FISHY food. If it doesn't smell like a pier it's not worth their attention. I've tried to cook a few times (my best recipes)... chicken marsala, enchiladas, nachos de Malia, vegetables with sweet and sour chicken... and just get slightly disappointed vibes everytime. But I myself get slightly disappointed everytime the food is greasy because I know I am going to feel awful if I eat it. And when you know you're going to feel awful then nothing really tastes good even if it really does (who doesn't LOVE greasy food? I love it, but...) I can't communicate that because 1)I feel rude 2) I feel embarassed

When is it safe for someone to put their foot down?

He did pick out a movie for us to watch together (haha I wouldn't have picked it myself but it was all right~~~) "Enchanted"... I missed that one when it was in the theaters. I think the best recent Disney movie was the Princess and the Frog. And Ratatouille. Haha for some reason I can watch Ratatouille again and again. I guess the food divide is the most exhausting, because every meal requires so much thought "What SHOULD we eat?" "Who should cook?" "Am I going to be able to eat it?" haha and... "Is this going to require a base of fish broth???" He was also a good sport and went to play tennis with me one day... a day with a rare break in the clouds! Rare for Oregon! Speaking of which, today is clear! I'm gonna get my butt down to the mall to get a haircut! (my hair is are falling out like crazy.)

Japan Blogs I Like

So I'm kind of considering starting a Japan Culture, Japanese language blog to stand alone. I've held volunteer Japanese language classes before and it might be a fun tool to have if I do that again, maybe give the students lessons/hw/questions to ponder and cultural factoids to look up. It's tough to say something that hasn't been said before, but I guess the fun thing about blog culture is you see similar subjects in all different lights based on all the blogs out there.

Here are some of my favorite blogs by people living/working in Japan:

The Good:

http://kylemullen.wordpress.com/

Fellow Uni-friend, and his adventures about 40 minutes from Tokyo in Chiba prefecture as a JET ALT

http://www.julieinjapan.com/

A good variety of interesting, optimistic, upbeat blog.

http://anenglishmaninosaka.blogspot.com/2005/03/all-posts.html

Great variety, comedy, fact and FICTION. Good for a laugh.

Middle Ground:

http://www.keepingpaceinjapan.com/

Critical Eyes:

http://japanlost.blogspot.com/

A Token one on Korea for good Measure:

http://chrisinsouthkorea.blogspot.com/2010/10/dont-blame-foreigners-interesting-look.html

(And most of them more or less have a lot of overlap... such is life)

I'm supposed to be studying for a final tomorrow so I'll leave this at that and come back with more links later.

Soy Milk Recipe: Link

I'd like to write a blog about the debate on soybeans: are they beneficial or harmful to health? (It's quite a debate, and quite confusing to me)

Anyway, there is a link to a recipe for soymilk. With all the ingredients added to commercial soymilk, it's nice to have the option to make it at home.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2019300/make_homemade_soy_milk.html?cat=5