Photo above courtesy of Café Besalu.
NOTE: It may have made more sense to post this in the Foods for Fantasizing section, but I decided to put it in Life au Cochon because of what the main focus of the material is. Sometimes, it’s nice to get away from the daily life and immerse oneself in a fresh, new environment…or at least an environment where you know you can fully relax and almost feel like you’re on an overseas trip. For me, one of those places is Café Besalu (note that I said ‘one of those places’ instead of ‘the one place’…This goes to show how much I love variety in escapement). I have only been to this refuge four times, but I somehow already convinced myself that it is one of my ‘second homes.’ There is something remarkable about the bustling noises I hear as I sip my latte and eat (more like inhale) my pain au chocolat—the lively chatter between couples and friends, the constant opening and closing of the ovens mixed in with the clinks of cups and saucers in the kitchen, and the mellow jazz music fuse into a lovely mélange. All of a sudden, I am enjoying every moment that passes. I am able to glance out the window by my table and relish the way the Sunrays hit the richly green leaves of the trees. I feel myself living in the present, which can be very hard to do most of the time back in the daily life. This is why I compare escaping to such an environment to going on an overseas trip—when you are in a place so far away, you feel relaxed and reassured enough to constantly think and do in the present. You don’t worry about what’s to come or what has happened in the past. This is why I convinced myself that Café Besalu is a ‘second home’ to me—I can fully relax, let go and take in everything that surrounds me each time I make my visit. ~~MC P.S. Their pain au chocolat is literally the most amazing I have had in my life. Usually, you would find yourself searching for the hard, stiff, overly sweet chocolate somewhere in the depths of the stale pastry. At Café Besalu, you will surely get lost in the inexplicably rich, melted, conquering dark chocolate that almost flows through the freshly baked croissant.
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5/21/2014 0 Comments SanityPhoto courtesy of Kyle Meyer.
Lately, I have discovered why Mother Nature is so amazing. I'm talking about the sense of calm you can't get from anything else; the magnetic pull you feel towards thinking, feeling and living in the present. Now let me tell you why I sound like I had never seen a tree before in my life... 90% of my sleep consists of dreams of unpleasant/stressful scenarios, or of possible outcomes and other things to do with the future or the unknown. I wake up in the morning with tension in my neck and shoulders, and even worse, I wake up with a mind filled with negativity and anxiety. It all seems to wear off by the end of breakfast time, but sometimes fragments of it stay with me through the rest of the day. This situation has dwindled down to a near zero since I started going to the park in the morning. I used to walk/jog for the sake of exercising, but now it 's for the sake of my sanity. I still have the unpleasant dreams at night, but I feel less tense after I wake up as I get more enjoyment out of the rest of my day. Whenever I'm in the nature, I feel small and insignificant. The trees and sky towering over me, combined with the reassuring silence (save for the light chirping of the birds, my favorite sound!), makes me feel like all my worries are minor and not such a big deal. So next time you feel like you are on the brink of falling into a deep bottomless pit of despair (or, you know, you just feel like taking a walk after a long day at work), take yourself on a tour of Mother Nature and feel your negative thoughts melt away. ~~MC 9/20/2013 0 Comments Something FamiliarLast night, I was watching a re-run of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (of whom I am a huge fan). When he announced in the beginning of the episode that Jack Johnson was to perform, it was all I could think about from that point on to where he introduced Johnson to the stage. Though I usually tune in to all the jokes and genuine moments on Late Night, this time I saw it all as a blur.
This description I just made is obviously a little bit of an overstatement, but I was still thoroughly excited and anticipating that moment where he would open his mouth and start singing in that lovely mellow voice of his. You see, a friend introduced me to his music a couple of years ago, and since then I have deemed him my all-time favorite musician. If I was only able to go to one more concert in my entire life, I would in a heartbeat choose to see Jack Johnson. With his infinitely calm singing voice that takes you to a weightless world where everything in life feels just a bit easier, and his effortless guitar strums and comforting lyrics that reassure you that you can in fact handle life's hurdles (with songs such as "Upside Down" and "No Other Way,"), I can safely say that he has helped me get through tough times and made me want to enjoy life a bit more ...Maybe these results also have to do simply with how he always seems to just have the best time of his life when he's performing live, or when you see him surfing in music videos. Anyway, it had been awhile since saw him on TV or perform in general. So, when he finally began to sing his new song on Late Night, I felt at home. I was reminded of those times in the past few years where I relied on his songs like free therapy sessions, as well as the times where I have just played his music for the pure enjoyment of feeling the sensation of calm take over me. It's nice to get in contact with something incredibly familiar to you, since life is full of changes (both good and bad). Here is the clip from Late Night. Although maybe you don't have the same attachment I have with his music, I still hope you enjoy the video as much as I did! http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x14wsvl_late-night-with-jimmy-fallon-jack-johnson-radiate_news ~~MC 8/12/2013 0 Comments Negative Energy, Not WastedWhat do you do when you go through a time of frustration, sadness and/or anger? How do your reactions go when you find yourself struggling to free yourself from an internal knot, digging into the pit of your being as the turmoil caused by some event that left you feeling much less than you would ideally want to?
You can always scream into a pillow, hold the feelings in until a minor event makes you snap, or you could go down the road of seeing life in a more negative light. Or, you can take the anger or sadness and use that energy for good! I recently was feeling an internal knot of my own. And although it was hard in the beginning, I had decided to make something out of those feelings so that I would not find myself empty-handed after they go away. So after crying in the bathroom for a few minutes (since it is required that I fulfill the tear quota for every time I find myself in utter turmoil), I grabbed my poetry journal and pen, poured myself a cup of jasmine green tea from my bright yellow teapot, and sat myself down in the part of my living room that was most lit--namely, the part of the living room that was exposed to direct sunlight...I figured, why not put myself in the brightest position possible? *Cue rimshot: Bada pshh!* Afterwards, I came to this website to write a blog post since I have always known that writing something potentially helpful to other people lifts my spirits. Then, I logged onto my Facebook account to reading whatever inspirational and uplifting posts my friends have shared. When tough times roll in, it's always nice to expose yourself to all things positive--so that you're constantly reminded that things will always get better. Here is a short list of productive ways to deal with the internal knot: 1. Write a poem 2. Read inspirational quotes, books, blogs, etc. 3. Clean your room (since you have more adrenaline when you're feeling mad/sad/frustrated) 4. Answer the long list of e-mails you had been ignoring for awhile (" ") 5. Watch an episode of a sitcom/your favorite show 6. Watch a movie that you know always makes you feel good (in my case, it's Pride & Prejudice starring Keira Knightley) 7. Walk outside (especially if you're in Seattle in the summer--you will regret it later on if you don't take advantage of the 2 months of glorious warm sunny weather! :) ) 8. Talk to someone whose opinion you trust; ask them how they would deal with whatever turmoil you're in 9. Listen to relaxing music 10. Do something new and fresh--trying a new recipe, randomly pick a TV show on Hulu and try watching an episode or two (yes, I made a rhyme there just now on purpose), research for new ways to go by your daily routines, etc. I hope this post has helped you as much as it helped me while writing it. Have a stress-free Monday! ~~MC 6/6/2013 0 Comments Time to ReleaseWhat do you do when you have thoughts tumbling and twisting in your mind, thoughts that won't let go of you until you find some way to release them and put them out of their misery?
There are probably many solutions, but one I personally have become familiar with is writing a poem. Or, perhaps I should say "re-familiar," because I used to write poetry when I was in middle school. For each piece, I would start by doing a bit of research about a chosen subject, usually a subject that was suggested in my poetry journal (which I still have)...followed by taking my pen and jotting down ideas that came to mind; followed by typing the revised, polished version on Word; followed by choosing the right font that matched the mood; followed by printing it, cutting it out of the solid white printer paper, and pasting it into the journal; and finally followed by adding a colored pencil illustration to connect myself more to the poem. And now, we have the final product. This was my artistic process as a 14-year-old. At the time, I perceived poetry as something methodical, with a goal assigned to you from the outside, and where you must follow a specific list of steps in order to write a successful string of verses. It is almost like I understood poetry as more of a science than an art. These were things I believed until recently. To put it briefly, I came across events during the past several months that had pushed me to a state of near-constant worry, stress and fear. These emotions reached a point where thoughts tumbled and twisted in my mind. It was as if my eyes could not see in front of me, but rather they were consumed by the invisible and intangible, the fluid statements and questions and anxieties in my head that never stopped rising and falling like uncontrollable waves. And so, my instinct was to release these thoughts, to free them and thus to free myself. In other words, I start writing poetry. And I soon realized that this was real poetry. I understood that, like all other forms of art, writing a poem is something that comes out of you and that is not given by another person. The words seem to jump onto the paper, and there is something miraculous about that. When you feel as consumed with magnified feelings and thoughts as I did in my case, it is a good idea to make use of them instead of letting them render you lost and helpless. You don't even have to be faced with feelings/thoughts that are negative--Finding yourself in times of inexplicable joy, or perhaps times where you learn new things about yourself that you want to carry with you like you would an injured bird you found in the road, are also lovely opportunities for you to jot words down. It is always nice to remember the good and bad of your experiences, and to allow yourself to create such an art as poetry in order to make sense of this big world you live in. :) So grab a pen and paper--or if you like to be organized like myself and keep a journal solely dedicated to poems, which you can keep close in order to release those overwhelming thoughts any time--and start writing, because by doing so you are enlivening not just a poem, but one of many footprints you will leave in the universe. ~~MC 3/21/2013 0 Comments Forgetting MichelangeloSometimes when you find yourself in such a state of worry that you pray for your inner sanity to escape from it unscathed, it helps to turn your face to the window and watch the rain fall outside.
Whether you see a drizzle as light as the weight of the foam that sits quietly on your mug of morning cappuccino, or a hailstorm as tormenting as the itching anticipation of Monday sneaking from around the corner (not today, obviously, because it's only Thursday), it is always comforting to witness an act as natural as Mother Nature quenching her thirst through one of the most refreshing things a human being can ever encounter. Will watching the tumbling drops allow you to calm your worried mind? Undoubtedly. Will it lead you to be so inspired that you end up writing one of the best masterpieces of poetry anyone has ever read, or sculpting a piece so endlessly captivating that one can easily forget that Michelangelo's David statue existed? Maybe, maybe not. You can never dream too big though, and it never hurts to see where a calm mind can lead you to. :) ~~MC 3/18/2013 0 Comments Surfacing from the Deepest OceanSometimes it feels good to take a breather from the Internet.
The photo of above is just one of the things you can choose to avoid, as other examples can be the news (especially since most of what we hear nowadays can be too heart-wrenching to let enter your mind) or YouTube videos. Here are just a few ways you can take a break from it today: -Reading -Writing (whether it be music, lyrics, music and lyrics, poetry, or stories; the list is endless--We humans were born to literally get our hands on something raw and material, and use our inner capabilities and spiritual creativity to turn it into something of our own.) -Talking with a family member in the kitchen or living room (I guess this can especially apply to me, since I spend 90% of my time at home in my room studying). -Admiring the nature outside your window while enjoying a mug of hot tea (or coffee, depending on what time of day you decide to do this.) -Listening to music -A combination of any of the above; to give you a helpful example, this morning I turned on the radio to a soothing jazz station and let the tunes echo in my room, while I watched the rain fall gently outside and held my mug of coffee in my right hand (my left hand was busy clicking and scrolling idly through numerous Word documents of practice problems for my upcoming accounting exam). So, I guess this list has (hopefully) inspired you to realize that time can always be spent in other ways than on the Internet. Sure, you need the Internet to get some work done, to study, or to get yourself updated on what's going on in the world outside your window. But, there is always the point that your brain reaches where it needs to swim back up to the surface of the deepest ocean ever and take a few refreshing breaths. ~~MC Tea...
There is something about the pure herbal goodness that is so soothing. Particularly, when you are going through a stressful or a generally less-than-ideal time, brewing and pouring yourself a mug (or glass cup, like in the above image) feels like a most natural method of finding your calm center. Or if not your calm center, if the turmoils of life have been so grand or so unavoidable to your thoughts that it seems nearly impossible to find any sense of peace in the midst of them, tea can at least act as your 5-10 minute (or even 15) breather. As you wrap your hands around the cup and take in the light steam subtly infused with the sweet or tangy scent colored by the flavor you have chosen, you begin to forget for a minute what was taking place around you just moments ago, and you concentrate on the allure and the comfort of the beverage you hold like it were to take you to safety in the middle of the whirlwind storm. Or, if you're not in need of being rescued from the negatives you are going through, tea can help you emphasize the positives (which I hope win over your number of negatives disproportionately). For example, are you sitting by the window and watching the Sun come out, after what felt like an eternity of rain buckets? Make yourself your favorite mug of tea, whether it be earl grey (which I personally love to blend with 2% milk and honey), green, or oolong tea (my latest obsession; apparently its caffeine level is somewhere between black tea and green tea); then, sit by the window as you take in the lovely scenery, aaccompanied by the spontaneous, calming bird chirping that fits in the nature just as effortlessly as tea does in your day. Enjoy a cup of tea today! ~~MC 2/6/2013 0 Comments Pendulum of TunesThe sky could be blue, could be gray
Without you I just slide away The sky could be blue, I don't mind Without you it's a waste of time These are my favorite lyrics to the song, of which I have here posted the lovely music video. To be honest though, I am listening to "Somebody to Love" by Queen as we speak...as I am writing a post about...a Coldplay song. Oh well, some things in life just don't make sense. Anyway, this is one of those songs where the music alone renders the listener more at peace. Maybe it's the playful tune that swings slowly like a pendulum from one note to the next; or, maybe it's the soothing, flowing hues of lead singer Chris Martin's voice that nearly echo into the background mass of melodic waves, waves that one can easily get lost in (and I mean 'lost' in a good way). Whatever the source of this sense of calm, it doesn't hurt to have even just a brief listen when you are in need of a study/work break, if you need something to get your creative/artistic juices flowing as much as the song, or if you just plain love Coldplay (one of my own personal reasons!). So go ahead, press the play button and allow the aura take hold of your senses! ~MC Today is a lovely day in the midst of June, the gateway month to the irresistible next months that we call Summer...
But, I am wearing long pants, a thick t-shirt, and my GAP knit cardigan that I was so devoted to during the near-hypothermia, coffee-consumed months. On top of that, I am wearing a pair of slippers that are keeping my feet all warm and snug, as I'm sipping on hot peppermint tea from a mug. What is wrong with this picture? I care not to make any effort to answer this question, because I have been relishing those very acts of wearing such cozy clothing and being snuggled up in my humble warm abode (warm probably because I snuck to the thermostat when my parents weren't looking and turned up the heat just a bit) with my hands snuggled up around my mug. I guess this goes to show that whether it's June or December, you have the permission to dive yourself into a pillow-soft ensemble and take the time to be surrounded by all things you define as 'comfy.' Particularly during times where you would rather feel differently or just feel stressed out by things happening to or around you, I can guarantee you that doing this works wonders. Go ahead, try it. ~~MC |
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