1 Year as a Dundonian...

Well, I've been here a year now... A year ago on Wednesday I got on a plane, Thursday I arrived in the UK, and a year ago yesterday I arrived in Dundee.



(on the plane that brought me here)

It's been an interesting year, I must say. When you think about it, it was quite a gamble moving to an entirely different continent with very little funds saved, and no job lined up - leaving a fairly comfortable job, life, family, friends.

I had Faith though, and the knowledge that if I did everything in my power to make things happen, that God would help me... and he did.

1 year later - I have a permanent job in a place that I enjoy working, a place to live that I love - with an excellent view, fully functional kitchen and plenty of space to myself, fantastic landlords, good friends that I can turn to if I need help with anything, plants, furniture, food in my fridge, a gym membership, the list of blessings goes on really. There's still a few vitally important things missing from my life, but overall - I have it pretty good really...

... and I think the gamble (or leap of Faith as it's more appropriately called) payed off. Things are looking up. There's always something new in my life to keep my interest fresh.

People here still ask me - every time they find out that I've moved here from Canada - "Why did you move here?" (people here think Dundee is the armpit of Scotland) I always answer the same - "I needed a change" or "I like Dundee - it's just the right sized city for me", etc... the truth is, I just felt drawn here, and now that I am here - it's home. For this moment in time for me - Dundee is my home city. Calgary hasn't felt like home for a fair number of years now. My immediate family is there, not to mention a very large portion of my friends - but the city itself is not my home - anymore.

So, I guess that would make the move - a success.



(here in my flat - this minute - happy)

The Cold...

It's been well over a year since I last had a cold, so I suppose I'm due one. However, this one seems to be the cold-spawn of the devil. I hate being sick - hate.it. I stayed home from work today and slept most of the morning, but have you noticed that when you have a cold, you only manage to sleep in short spurts? Perhaps it's the whole not being able to breath thing... On a positive note, I received a box from home today. (lucky I was in house) It was full of more of my books. Oh how I miss my books. There's now about 18 boxes left to mail. Can only really afford to send a few at a time, but that's ok - because it's kind of like receiving presents in the mail.

Speaking of receiving presents in the mail, I've started this campaign on FB to get my friends in Canada and the U.S. to mail me a box of Kraft Dinner. The other day I was sitting around, thinking of what simple, easy food I could cook for myself, and like anyone else who was raised on the stuff, I immediately thought of KD. They have Kraft "Cheesy Pasta" here, but it's total crap, and nowhere near worthy of even being compared to KD. The thing is, as an adult, I grew out of the desire to eat KD - because it is rather naff. But, once in a while, you know? The craving just overtakes you. Perhaps it's just comfort food. I really must be well established here in Scotland, because I remember that last year when I arrived, my friend - Steve was having similar cravings, and his parents sent him KD. I was all - why? It's so disgusting... Now - I get it. Comfort food from home.



So, if you want to make my Christmas wish come true, send me a box of KD (address on FB) and I promise that if you do, I'll mail you one authentic Galaxy bar (or whatever chocolate you choose) from right here in the UK. Fair deal? You can thank Jocelyne for that - her idea.

I do wish this cold would go away - though I have to say, I'm well stocked up with cold remedies. This is all down to my dear friend Hilary whom I work with. She really is very thoughtful. As soon as she heard I was sick, she marched me down to the chemists and bought me Lem Sip (Neo Citron), Cough Syrup, Strepsils, and a Hot Water Bottle. Bless her - she takes good care of me. I've started a fan club for her on FB - it's entitled "I Love Hilary" - she really is the best.

So - yeah that's about all I have to report today. December is here, my chocolate parcels are mailed home, Christmas is coming, and I've already got 2 invitations to dinner - which is brilliant. I'll be spending most of the holidays with my friends the Clancys though. Love the Clancys. "Christmas at the Clancys" - sounds like a movie.

Later peeps.

How Becky Got Her Groove Back...

Well, it's been a week of being back on the wagon...

I seriously feel like I've got my groove back. I feel amazing. It's all due to exercise and good nutrition. Maybe that's what I've been missing all of these months. I've been slightly... down in the mouth for a while now. I blamed it on being single, and the usual depressing things. Apparently all I needed (not that I don't still need the other things) was good nutrition and exercise.

Life is pretty good this week I have to say. I shall continue my ride on the wagon to wellness and fitness. I have not weighed myself, nor will I. I have no idea what progress I've made this week weight-wise. I have to say though - looking and feeling fairly hot.

Roll on wagon train...

Back On The Wagon

I have no idea how much I weigh at this moment, and I'm not going to find out. Sufficeth to say though, I'm not too impressed with my physical situation at the moment, because my clothes are starting to not fit, and I can't afford to buy new clothes. So, the answer is...

BACK ON THE WAGON

However, I've decided to keep the rules simple this time around.

Rule 1: I will not weigh myself at all (for at least a year)

Rule 2: I will eat no candy except dark chocolate and crystallized ginger (and then sparingly)

Rule 3: I will do Yoga at least 3 times a week

Rule 4: I will do 30 minutes of cardio 6 days a week. (Running, Cycling, or Fast Walking)

I think my eating habits are fairly normal other than that, so I'm going to keep everything else the same, and continue to try to eat healthy overall. Christmas is coming, and I've still got the mound of Birthday Candy to conquer, so that may prove difficult, however - I CAN DO IT. As I have proven before. I just need to remember that. Plus, I can't afford new clothes.

Some Nonsense Writing For General Update....

Blah!!!!! That's just how I felt like starting this blog. I really have nothing at all in particular to say - I just thought - it's been quite a while since I wrote anything at all here... what have I been up to? Lets see............

Work is going well. I'm settling in at the Graduate School well now, and I like the people I work with. I miss my friends at the other School, but we have lunch now and then, so it's ok. Dundee is nice and small - so no one is really that far away. I have no dating life to speak of - still. I have decided it's not because I'm not a great catch. I am - we all know this. I possibly just need to network more. I need to join a club of some kind or two. The only problem with this is that it always costs money to join things, and I'm totally skint. Life is expensive here as it turns out. Actually, truth be told, it's cheaper to live in Dundee than it does to live in Calgary - but I'm paying more bills since I'm out here on my own, with no room-mate. I'm Mary "freakin'" Tyler Moore. I kind of like that - most of the time. Some of the time it's lonely, but usually at those times, I log on to FB and remember that the world really is a much smaller place than it used to be. Also, I have a few friends that I spend time with, and slowly, my circle of friends is getting larger.

Mum and Dad are doing ok, they stood in line for the flippin' H1N1 shot for six and a half hours though. I guess there's this huge hype over the shot back home. Here we hear nothing of it - it's only for people who are under some danger of dying from the Swine Flu. Can you imagine, my senior citizen parents standing in line for 6.5 hours? They were quite sore the next day as it turns out. Sigh. Alberta. Nuts to Ed Stelmach. On the bright side, they seem to be coping with my absence now. I think they finally believe that I'm not coming back. I really can't go back now - I have furniture and stuff, and an entire life built here. Besides, I like it here. The weather is infinitely better than it is back home. Yes, it's wet, and chilly sometimes, but Dundonians really have no idea what cold is. I'll tell you though, Sunday we had possibly the worst weather I have experienced in a long time (including Calgary weather). It rained from early morning until late night, and it wasn't normal rain. It was the sideways kind of rain, and incredibly windy, cold, etc. Who was wearing a skirt as she walked to church? Me. I had an umbrella, but it didn't help - even a little bit. I got ridiculously soaked - to the bone. Then I had to teach Relief Society - which incidentally - went great. I love our ladies at church - they are the greatest! Sunday also marked the calling of a new Bishop here in Dundee Bingham Ward. A young fella - younger than me - got called, and he seems like a very capable Bishop. It turns out, he's done the job before. We'll all miss Bishop Snee, but life changes and moves all the time. The only thing constant really is change.

I've been reading Barbara Kingsolver's "The Poisonwood Bible" - which I will finish today. The woman - is amazing. I have to say, I can put this book in the same classification as "To Kill A Mockingbird". It's that good. I will write a review after I'm done - maybe tomorrow, maybe not. Remember when I wrote a review of her "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle"? I actually met B.K. at a Slow Food event in Calgary when she was promoting that book. It seems kind of ridiculous to me now that I hadn't read this ingenious novel before meeting her. Everyone else at the event was all - "Poisonwood Bible this, Poisonwood Bible that". I had no idea that I was standing in the presence of pure genius. A multi-talented person all around, that is for sure.

Well, that's all I have to say today. It's all nonsense, but it's my nonsense. I'll try to write more nonsense more often. Love you all, and miss you. (you know who you are)

B

Act

What is it that turns the switch inside the human brain? The switch that goes from being acted upon to acting for one's self? I'm not sure what it was yesterday, perhaps just the last straw really. But, today - I have a new outlook. I won't go into too much detail, but I have felt somewhat - helpless lately. Almost like, nothing I could do would change my circumstances. I had done absolutely everything I thought possible to make the changes in my life that would bring happiness, but nothing seems to be working. As I was communicating this in prayer last night, I fell asleep, and as I awoke, I had a new outlook. It is up to me, to decide - this is what I want. I may not be able to change the external factors in my life that much, but I can change how I react to them, and I can change myself, by deciding now - how I will act and what my response will be to the external factors.

2 Nephi 2:26 comes to mind...

"And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given."

I think that whether or not you believe in the Book of Mormon, as I do - this message is something that all of us regardless of our belief should adopt into our system of beliefs. We are here on this earth - to make choices and learn from them. The more we allow ourselves to be victims of circumstance, the less freedom we will hold. Helplessness is a tool of evil. (regardless of whether or not you believe evil exists as I do) We really are a lot stronger than we realize, because we are children of God. The divinity inside each of us is strong enough to conquer anything - at all. There are forces in this world that would prefer we didn't realize that. Don't be fooled though - you can do anything... and so can I.

Book Review: "The 100-Mile Diet - A Year Of Local Eating" by Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon

I just finished this book that I've owned for about a year. It's called "The 100 Mile Diet" by Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon. The book chronicles their attempt to eat locally for an entire year - specifically within 100 miles of their home. They chose 100 miles because they live in Vancouver; the surroundings of which are a cornucopia of amazingly good local food. The suggested local food line is actually 200 miles. This is drawn from Dr. William Rees' Ecological Footprint calculator. However, after analyzing their location, Alisa and James decided that would be FAR too easy for them, and that 100 miles was a bit more of a challenge with them living in the Pacific Northwest. I find it remarkable how they did this - just picked up and took on the challenge from where they were at that moment. The idea was born from a meal which they miraculously prepared while staying at their cabin in Northern British Columbia where they were virtually cut off from the outside world. They had friends visiting, and the only thing they had on hand was a cabbage. So, they and their friends went into the forest to forage, and what they came up with was the most amazing meal they had ever tasted. After the meal, they went home with an idea forming in their minds.

The thing about local eating, is that it really may be one of the most important ways we can make a difference in the world. Not only is it more nutritious to eat locally (nutrients are lost with the amount of time that food is out of the ground and thus - the farther it travels), but the fact of the matter is that we have lost touch with our food chain. Do we know where our meat is coming from? Do we know what is in our meat? (see entry below re: Fast Food Nation) Do we know how our vegetables were grown? Do we know that they were ethically traded? What sorts of things are we taking into our bodies? In my mind, almost no question to do with our physical bodies is more important. What are you putting into your body? I'm not saying I know exactly what I'm putting into my body all the time, but heck - I'd like to, and I do try. Beside the nutritional, and the health factors - eating locally is a VERY effective way to lower your carbon footprint. Do you know how far your food travels to get to your plate? Do you know how many gallons of oil are in your meal? Not only are we talking about travel costs here, but also petroleum products such as pesticides and herbicides used on your food. You wouldn't believe how much energy goes into one single plate of food. That's something to think about.

There are lots of websites with excellent ideas about how to eat locally, not the least of which is Alisa and James' site... (link)

There was also a local experiment which (according to Steve) has some links to the 100 mile diet experiment. The project was called "The Fife Diet" (link) Steve knows the guy who did this one apparently.

This brings me to my sad news about the garden... :-( Well, here it is - Sue Anne went to Germany for a couple of months to do research, and Steve went to Canada for a month, and because I had no money to get on the bus to Dunino (it's £7.05 round trip to St. Andrews alone) - our garden is pretty much dead. There are things alive in it, we just need to salvage them from the weeds. So, yes - we have a garden in Fife - we were part of the Fife Diet - however sadly it turned out. How great would it be though, to grow your own food, and obtain other food locally, and live off of it for a year? Or maybe - forever? (as much as one can) I think - that's pretty much my dream. It's even possible for flat dwellers such as myself to obtain an allotment from the city council, and grow food on it. It really isn't that hard.

I may have been dubbed the "garden murderer" in our recent attempt at this sort of project, but with a reasonable amount of do-ability and elbow grease, it's totally possible to carry this out. Alisa and James are proof. Some of you may remember that I did a book review in May of 2008 about another family who did this project. It was called "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver and her family. They did the same thing, but they took much time to prepare for their year of local eating. What I loved about Alisa and James, is that they just did it - right from where they were at that moment - they decided to just eat local for a year. They're true heroes in my books.



Some links to help you on your way to local eating...

Slow Food International

Slow Food UK

The Fife Diet

100 mile diet

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

Scottish Association of Farmers Markets