Couch to 5K : Week two

We did it! We made it through to week two! After every run, I do feel immensely proud of myself; I'm almost picturing it as a tiny step completed on a massive journey. I'm still super apprehensive and doubtful that I will actually be able to run for a whole thirty minutes, but even two weeks ago I doubted that I'd even make it this far! (I'll probably say that every week). 

I think one thing that has made it easier is the fact I have a running partner; we motivate each other and it really has helped me to have a kind of support and someone saying "not much further" when I'm struggling at the end of the last run of the session. I also feel more sense of responsibility now that Dena and I are running together; sometimes it is ridiculously hard to drag my bum out of bed at 6.30 in the morning and run, before heading to work to teach French/Chinese/Nigerian/Spanish kids English for 9 hours. But having someone else doing it too, I have a commitment to fulfill and I don't want to let either of us down, and so far it's working! 

I'm also contemplating signing up for a mile run in September. It's for a local charity and even though it's a race, they are encouraging runners of all abilities to join in. I thought it would be a good goal; it should be one week before I complete the programme and a mile should be an achievable target. Right now, I'm a bit nervous that I won't be able to do it and it will affect my confidence and make me feel like a failure, but I'm also thinking that if I sign up and pay the joining fee and end up not running, it don't matter because the money will have gone to a good cause and I won't have lost out. Even though I have just completed the second week of the programme, running a mile continuously seems like the equivalent of my own mini Everest at the moment. 

I'm feeling positive towards week three; we have found a route that is comfortable but also quite challenging with a few inclines and different surfaces, so it'll be good to see how it pans out with the new timings for running and walking. I'm hoping it won't be too much of a jump up from the second week! 

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San Sebastian del Oeste, Jalisco

Just like the Islas Marietas tour, we took this tour to San Sebastian del Oeste with Vallarta Adventures.  San Sebastian is a small town that I had heard a lot about during my stay in Mexico and when the opportunity arose to go and visit while in Nuevo Vallarta, I jumped at it.  

Nestled in the Sierra Madre Occidental, San Sebestian thrived during the 17th century, thanks to the many silver and gold mines that brought prosperity and work into the town.  At its peak, more than 30,000 people lived in the area and now, the town counts 600 souls as it's population.  It's been named a pueblo mágico, which means that the town now receives promotion as a tourist destination as long as it retains its colonial buildings and other structures.  For me, it's fascinating history and unique Mexican charm make it a destination well worth visiting. 

The first stop on our tour was the beautiful Hacienda Jalisco. During San Sebastian's hey day, it was the only dwelling in the town to have electricity and since then, it has been visited by celebrities and movie stars. It's a beautiful colonial hacienda that now houses artefacts from the mining days as well as offering the ultimate getaway and relaxation spot, as it doubles as a bed and breakfast. It would be perfect for escaping the commotion of daily life; as now, it doesn't have electricity at all, leaving you with all the time you need to unwind and switch off. The gardens of the Hacienda are beautifully maintained and give you a snap shot into the days of colonisation in Mexico.

San Sebastian is also renowned for it's coffee production. We were lucky enough to visit an organic, independent coffee plantation on the outskirts of San Sebatstian, that has been producing coffee for hundreds of years. The workers harvest tonnes of coffee from the mountains by hand and then go on to produce coffee to sell. It was an amazing opportunity to visit a small, family business in Mexico and support the local economy. The coffee itself was amazing and we bought some back to England to enjoy here; visiting the plantation also made me realise the hard work that goes into coffee production and understand why it's such an expensive product - we should support the fair coffee trade! 

The pueblo of San Sebastián itself is also delightful. Wandering around the small, original cobbled streets was again, an insight into post colonisation Mexican life. In the central plaza, you can see the pergola (essential in every Mexican town) and the beautiful church. As always, these plazas are very important to local life as they serve as a meeting spot, are usually impeccably maintained, and there, you can happily watch the world go by. 

San Sebastián still retains it's colonial charm and doesn't shy away from it's impressive mining history, with one small silver workshop still making and selling silver jewellery and other merchandise. The original features of the town mean that you feel like you are almost stepping back in time. Mexico is steeped in history: fascinating, intricate, at times brutal, and one that takes a lot of time to dissect the different stratas. Visits to small towns such as San Sebastián not only give a glimpse into the history of this incredible country, but also into the daily life of Mexicans living away from the big tourist destinations. 

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Couch to 5K : Week one

I'm not going to lie, I'm really not the most active of people when it comes to exercise. Even through school, I much preferred the academic subjects to PE; probably due to a severe lack of hand-eye coordination and a dislike to running around in the freezing cold. 

However, recently I've decided to make a few changes to my lifestyle (this was all kick started by my gallstone diagnosis) and I wanted to attempt and do something that I never, ever thought I'd be able to do. That's where Couch to 5K came in. To be honest, running is (was? Nah, probably still is) my idea of hell.... I'm pretty sure my body isn't cut out for it! But the health benefits of running are well known and I want to prove to myself that I can do it, so here I find myself, having just completed the first week of the 9 week programme. 

I'm following the NHS plan, which requires you to complete a session three times a week. The sessions in week one involved an interval training kind of plan; 30 seconds of running followed by 90 seconds of brisk walking for half an hour. It sounds a lot easier than it is, for a running novice anyway!  You download your podcast, pop on your trainers and just go for it. The fact that each session is only thirty minutes means that it's pretty easy to fit into your day, I've been getting up an hour earlier and gone before work. It's tiring but already I have noticed a difference in how difficult I have found each run - I'm sure week two will be another shock to the system though! 

I thought I'd blog each week about how it's going because it's great motivation for me to keep on track! I still can't imagine myself running five kilometres but even the fact that I'm exercising three times a week is a massive positive change for me! Here goes for a good second week! 

Have you ever tried an exercise plan like Couch to 5K? 

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Islas Marietas

While we were staying in Nuevo Vallarta, we decided to do a couple of excursions so my family could see a tiny bit more of the Pacific coast.  Having already done and enjoyed a trip the Islas Marietas, we thought it was a great way to spend a relaxing day.  Like I said, I had taken this tour before but this time we went with Vallarta Adventures, and took the Marietas Eco Discovery tour and were not disappointed!

The Marietas Islands are a group of small islands in the Banderas Bay and they are home to a wide variety of marine life, and the water is crystal clear and a lovely, warm temperature.  The day we went required an early start - we left the marina at 7am - but it's definitely worth the early morning.  When we arrived at the first island, we were the only boat there, it was so peaceful avoiding the later in the day rush of tens of boats and hundreds of snorkelers.  The weather didn't seem on our side to begin with; we sailed to the islands in heavy rain and a huge thunderstorm, which led to swimming into the hidden beach and snorkelling during a lightening storm.  My initial thoughts were that it would be terrifying but in actual fact, the sea was still calm and it made for an even more memorable experience; how many people can say they experienced this amazing wildlife and environment in a lightening storm?  

The hidden beach is something out of a movie - you jump into the water and swim through a tunnel of volcanic rock into the 'middle' of the island.  Once you reach the other side of the small tunnel, you reach crystal clear waters, teaming with small fish onto a perfect, white sanded, hidden beach.  The beach is completely surrounded by more rocks, with green fauna growing and playing host to hundreds of birds.  It's truly spectacular and out of this world.  You can explore hidden caves around the beach, relax in the water or snorkel and enjoy the marine wildlife.  On the swim back out to the boat, you have the opportunity to snorkel around the edges of the boat and witness the coral reefs, fish and ecosystems in the bay. I love snorkelling, for me, I feel like I've been transported away from real life and love seeing the fish - I was so happy to have seen a starfish on the sea bed!

After exploring the hidden beach, we had the opportunity to kayak or paddle board - I decided to just swim and watch everyone else enjoy the other activities!  The weather had brightened a lot by the time we visited another island.  This time, we took a smaller speedboat to a beautiful beach, only reachable by boat.  Once again, the sands were soft and pure white, with gentler waves lapping the shore.  The beach was overlooked by a cliff with cacti lining the edges.  A perfect spot to wile away an hour or two and enjoy the sun and beautiful sea.  

Vallarta Adventures provided us with a delicious lunch on the way back to dry land and an open bar.  We were lucky enough to spot dolphins on the way back to and if you visit during between December and March, you may be lucky enough to spot whales.  The staff were friendly and knowledgeable, answer questions about the marine life or the activities. Vallarta Adventures are also trying to become a green company and treat the environment with the respect it deserves.  They try to recycle as well as leave no trace of tourists on the islands - ensuring no rubbish is left or wildlife damaged.  To me, this is so important as we need to maintain the islands and claim responsibility for the environment long after your tour has finished.  

All in all, an awesome day enjoying what Mexico has to offer!

  

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Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick : a mini review

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I picked up this book after visiting El Museo de Memoria y Tolerancia (the Musuem of Memory and Tolerance) in Mexico City; a museum that teaches about genocide and describes the unimaginable horrors of this crime against humanity, and encourages tolerance amongst human beings. Of course, the Killing Fields of Cambodia featured in the museum, the same subject of this novel and for that reason, this book shocked, saddened and inspired me even more than if I had read it without any prior knowledge.

That's definitely not to say that this book wouldn't have hit home, it's a truly harrowing, real life story of how a young Cambodian survives the tortuous regime of the Khemer Rouge in the 1970s for four years. The story is narrated by Arn, who is eleven years old when his whole world is turned upside down when the Khemer Rouge (the communist movement, led by Pol Pot) comes into his town and marches everyone into the rice field to work as slaves and provide for the Angka.  Men, women, and children are all murdered during this regime, either in cold blood or they waste away and die of starvation or illness. The fact we see the se horrors unfolding through Arn's initial child eyes, for me, makes it extra disturbing. Arn quickly has to grow up in the most awful of ways, he encounters horrors on a day to day basis that most of us cannot, and will never be able to, understand. His innocence and youth are ripped away from him; his story had a profound effect on me. 

The book is written in patois but it is not difficult to understand, you quickly get used to Arn's Cambodian English. This dialect allows you to be transported into Arn's shoes and really captures his voice and the setting. McCormick states in her authors notes that she tried to impose grammatical rules and structure onto Arn's story but it lost a lot of his personality, and retaining the patois makes the book even richer and the story even more realistic, drawing you in. 

The book, understandably, contains a lot of violent imagery. At times, it's not easy to read and the violence and death of the times is portrayed crystal clear through the pages. Again, though it may make for uncomfortable reading, it's important that these facts and ordeals are preserved in plain, violence language in the same way they were committed, for both the story and humanity.  Arn found himself in situations that fortunately, the majority of us will never have to deal with, and McCormick does great justice to his story with her telling.  She is able to artfully and respectfully pad out Arn's story where his memory is vague and the story flows, heartbreakingly along. 

There has been a lot of discussion whether this book is indeed situable for the young adult audience to which it is aimed. I think it could potentially be a difficult read for an early teen, not so much becaus of the language, but because of the content. However, I would encourage any young adult to give it a try, after all, the Khemer Rouge regime was real, thousands of people, children included, lost their lives during the genocide and it would be disrespectful to downplay their story and lives. This subject matter should be difficult to read, thought provoking and challenging. 

Overall, I couldn't put this book down and I read it in two short sittings. Once again, I did find it incredibly difficult to digest at times and heartbreakingly sad, but with glimmers of hope through various 'characters' in the book. Arn is truly a testament to the strength of human spirit. An incredible, reflective journey through an harrowing era of our World's history. 

Life lately #4

Wow!  Where has the past month gone?  I can't believe I'm writing my first blog back in England; I had such an amazing last month in Mexico, with memories that'll last a lifetime.

My parents and aunt came out to visit and we all spent two weeks in Nuevo Vallarta - it was great to get out of the city and spend two weeks relaxing by the sea.  We also did a couple of excursions while we were there, blog posts to follow!

After holiday, we spent a week in Guadalajara.  I had a couple of goodbye parties with my school there and Mexican friends as well as visiting a few places around the city that we still hadn't gone to - even after living there for one and a half years.

That being said, I was ready to move on at the end of our last week in Guadalajara.  I hate living in limbo and we were like that, with all our hotel and transportation reservations, suitcases packed and just waiting to leave for Mexico City.  I had an amazing last week in Mexico City and to be honest, it made me remember why I love Mexico so much.  Mexico City is such a dynamic, vibrant and culturally rich city; there is always something to do, a place to visit, or something different to experience.  We had a lot of fun just generally being tourists, we went to some amazing museums and discovered interesting places in the city.  But alas, all good things have to come to an end and so I find myself back here, in Suffolk.

So far, I'm enjoying being back, I've missed England a lot, and of course, my family and cats.  I have a new job to start and lots of other ventures planned over the summer.  Here's to a good summer and to start ticking things off my summer bucket list!

Happy July! 

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker : a mini-review

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The Age of Miracles is another book that was subject to a lot of hype around its publication. From the description, it does indeed look promising; the story is told from the protagonist Julia's point of view, who is eleven years old when the Earth's rotation starts to slow, days and nights lose their meaning as each rotation slows to seventy plus hours. It is indeed a terrifying concept and one that could be real. Humans are discovering and learning as much about the planet and space but we rely so heavily on the concept of our 24 hour day and night. Initially, it seems that Thompson Walker has delved into a fascinating and scary prospect.

However promising this book seemed, it disappointed me overall. It could have been so much more,  Thompson Walker raised some interesting points about how society would react under these circumstances but then quickly brushed over them and we, the reader, just have to learn to accept them. It would have been so interesting to go into further detail about how the human race copes with an uncontrollable change. Unlike dystopian novels that are set in the future, this novel had the opportunity to dissect what happened during that change, and in The Age of Miracles, it just wasn't made the most of and felt like a lot of missed opportunities. 

Another issue that I have with this book is the voice of Julia. At times, there are wonderfully descriptive and well written prose that capture the mood and thoughts of our protagonist. However, at other points, I felt like Julia's voice was too young for the readers. Things were simplified and condescended the reader. This is a young adult book and I'm pretty sure I don't qualify as a 'young' adult anymore but readers do not need to be treated like small children. Maybe Thompson Walker wanted her protagonists voice to feel like the 11 year old's she was describing, but for me, language from the young adult genre do not have to be overtly simple.

Finally, the science. This novel is, of course, fiction and I am not a scientist nor do I particularly understand physics but there seemed to be gaping holes in the physics of the story. Please, feel free to correct me if I am wrong, but it doesn't seem logical that the slowly of the Earth's rotation would affect gravity. At the end of the book, there is a throwaway comment about centrifugal force which makes a little more sense (to me) but there seems to have been no research about the science. It's not a sci fi story, it's a coming of age tale, but it needs to be logical. The readers are not stupid. So many times I found myself wanting to google the different sciency aspects because it made so little sense to me. 

Overall, I was disappointed by this book. It felt anti climatic and at times, the story dragged along with flimsy, whimsical subplots. It's a shame because it could have been so good, the idea of the Earth slowing and the effect that could have leaves you with so many what ifs and pondering thoughts that could have been addressed. It's a catastrophe that would affect everyone, and Thompson Walker missed out on a great opportunity and a fascinating idea.

Mum's Amazing Elderflower and Lemon Cordial

My Mum makes the most amazing, delicious, summery elderflower cordial.  The elderflower season is very short and they only bloom once a year, so go check those hedges and see if you can find some!  My favourite way to drink the cordial is with a (generous) measure of gin and lemonade.  Perfect for lazy Sunday summer barbecues.  

Recipe

Preparation time : 40 mins

Steeping of flowers : 48 hours

Ingredients

1kg sugar

1.5 litres of boiling water

4 medium lemons, washed

30 large elderflower heads, shake to remove insects

55g citric acid (available from pharmacies or homebrew shops)

Method

Place sugar into a large saucepan or stock pot, pour in water and stir until the sugar has dissolved and leave to cool.

Grate the rinds of the lemons with a fine grater and add to the sugar water.

Slice the lemons into thick slices and add to the water.  Add in the citric acid and stir, then add the elderflower heads and stir. 

Cover with a clean cloth and leave to steep for 48 hours.

Strain through a fine muslin cloth into a bowl.

Pour into sterilised  bottle using a funnel and store in a dark, cool place.   

Easy, so delicious and refreshing!   We have also used the cordial as flavouring for home made ice-cream! 

My Mum did a great job of taking all

the photos too!

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