4

初段
準初段 (black)
１級
２級 (brown)
３級
４級 (green)
５級
６級 (yellow)
７級
８級 (orange)
９級
１０級 (blue)

Nature's Candy

Pardon the cliché, but I've been taking careful steps to watch what I eat. After reading Michael Pollen's In Defense of Food, borrowed from Dave, I took a look at some of the standard foods I've been keeping in my apartment.

Let's examine my morning staple: cereal. Turns out, the crap I was eating (up until a few weeks ago) read more like a list for a chemical experiment than it did for ingredients. I switched to a much more basic cereal with six ingredients, down from the 20+ I found in my original cereal (and if you give the book a read, you'll find he recommends keeping ingredient lists shorts, under five if possible). I definitely didn't need all the sugar they were pouring into it.

There are times when it's necessary (yes, required!) to eat something outside of the realm of mostly healthy. My after-karate bakery item is a good example. Since I only do that three times a week, it's not bad. But what about times when I'm feeling hungry and seem to have no other choices besides fast food or convenience store items?

The key: cherry tomatoes. They're sweet, they're delicious, and they're healthy. I bought a pack of them a few days ago before sitting down with friends at Mr. Donuts (rest assured, you'll get some stares). I just ate a pack a few minutes ago, prompting me to make this post. So the next time you're wondering what to have for a snack, why not reach for something more natural. You'll enjoy it and your body will thank you for the natural ingredients.

One of Those Weekends

Lying in my slightly old apartment, the I can hear the wind howling outside. It sneaks through the small gaps in the windows and whistles from time to time. The rain is also coming down pretty steadily, nothing violent, just constant. But being Okinawa, the weather doesn't really get cold, it just gets colder than normal.

And so I'm here, not really wanting to do anything today. And it's a great feeling.

I can remember some of my most relaxing days in Chicago were of the very same sort - bad weather, warm blanket, a cup of tea, and a good book (these days, good Japanese material). The tea has been upgraded and I tend to drink more of it now. The reading is a little slower, but not all of it. I can remember a time when 「日本人の知らない日本語：なるほど爆笑の日本語”再発見”コミックエッセイ」 would have taken me a long time to look up, then pronounce, then finally understand. Now, it's easy (and it means "Japanese (language) that Japanese (people) don't know: a comic essay on the rediscovery of hilarious "Oh, I see." Japanese"). It's a good book, too.

But now I'm feeling hungry, so Cliff and I are going to head to my second favorite type of spot - a small breakfast cafe in Nago. I'm not sure what I'll have, but a cup of coffee and a relaxing morning are going to be part of that order.

Slow and Steady

The results are in: I'm not perfect.

The advancement test on Wednesday went well, but not perfectly. There were several instances during the kata (a series of moves designed to teach basics, as well as continuity) where I made a mistake. Not severe, more of a detail issue, partly due to nerves, party due to not regularly performing the kata, as I should be doing.

Taira-sensei's words were encouraging, though. And for me, taking a simple look back at where I started over two years ago, I'm content with the progress I've made - stronger, faster, more comfortable. There is still so very far to go, however, and even achieving a status of 初段 しょだん black belt, is really only the beginning.

As Taira-sensei likes to tell us, 空手 からて karate is a life-long activity. Proof? Just ask Taira-sensei's sensei, Nakamura-sensei. He's 84 (at least?) and still strong.

Present

Been busy.

Also, trying to keep the title of this post as my state of mind.

空手昇進級審査 (karate advancement test) on Wednesday. Not so present, but hey, that's not my fault.