All about the edge...

Oh, the week that just past left a traced of important experiences to ponder. One evening last week after the swim while at the register paying for my cup of coffee, a young African young man was behind me waiting for his turn caught my attention as I talked to store clerk. He carried a good-gestured smiles which made me courageously to return it with my smiles and politely asked him where he is from. He said in a gentle-toned manner, "I am from Sudan." I replied, I will be visiting Africa in the summer and he replied with a bigger and sincere smiles. It was that moment that made me even reflect and think more about how so diversified we are and started to build more feelings of acceptance and I started think of my future trip to Africa as I take a sip of my coffee in the car parked on the lot. That moment turned into a time of reflection. What a positive feeling I had that time towards the different cultures this world has. I suddenly remembered the quote printed on the shirt of one of my colleagues at work that says, "There is no such thing as different kinds of people, what exist are different cultures." What a powerful quote! This is all about the edge...

What I will remember this past week is the personal record I broke with my freestyle swim. I did not know where did all my energy come from...considering I swim after dry-land workout that always happen after work after a 45-min drive from Salinas to Santa Cruz. I myself could not believe that I made 53 non-stop laps in 23 minutes without aches and pain, and no hyperventilation at all (I never hyperventilate anyway). In addition, I even made 12 more laps after the full set of 53. Also, this week has been even so relaxing swim since I added the steady float after the long drills as part of the floating, breathing, body turn and hard-rock head drills. Wow! This is all about the edge...

Last week has been a calm less stress at work..I've seen a considerable improvement with the work habits and effort of the majority of my students specially those who have been very challenging. Ops, I should not think that is the start of a forever effect...I still deal with "hormone kickers" everyday. They are growing and change is sure and inevitable. Whatever the case may be, at least the past week was good. There's still students who are "sedated" with their own ways who seemed not to change at all despite positive reinforcements and interventions...but overall...it was good. This is all about the edge...

The Saturday of last week was a "super" Saturday. Rarely that I do all the chores and the basic "must do" for the following. Despite waking up late that Saturday I was able to do my big laundry (the most hated chore I need to do), got milk that day also since I did all the grocery for the week, got conditioner also since I did my CVS stuffs that day, and got "endorphins" too since I broke my personal freestyle swim record that day, too. This is all about the edge...

The week has been full of careful thoughts about the essence of "waiting" and the virtue of "kindness" in the message of Charles Stanley in the podcast listen daily. Now I am always challenged to always take even go slower with careful thinking and in a good timing. Life is a matter of waiting, and waiting is a active and not a passive act. The other key concept was all about kindness. It is true that a kind person is "beautiful." Really! We are all attracted to someone's gesture of kindness both in words and in deeds, no matter who the person is and no matter how the person physically appears to us. This is all about edge...

I've seen great pics of the Mt. Everest in Nepal, one of the countries (aside from Hong Kong) I am visiting this April 2011. This is all about the edge...


At the edge of the mountain behind the Machu Picchu in Peru, Summer 2010