They call it "beauty" sleep for a reason!

WOW. It's amazing what actual sleep can do for you. The effects are quite drastic- for example it's only been 2 nights so far and I have put on significant WEIGHT and am the heaviest I have been for...I can't remember!!! My face is also starting to change perhaps losing some of that sickly hue...cool, I hope it continues...cos in a few days I'm due for renewal of a five year driver's license...it would cheer my vanity greatly to not have to always be faced with a terrible mug shot every time I open my wallet for the next five years...LOL!

I hope this post finds you well rested and in good health too :)

Black Tea...What a Nightmare!!!

It's 523am and I am still awake when I am exhausted...this has got to be some kind of record.

And I blame it all on the high caffeine content of black tea! Especially one left to sit in the pot and brew to maximum concentration... that and the insidious ciggy smoke that permeates into my unit :(

How ironic I'd been suffering major somnolence issues for the past couple weeks which had made study functioning seriously challenging...and just when I finally have the luxury of sleeping to my heart's content...I discover the full proof way to stay awake!!!

With a little reading I found that the stimulant affects of black tea were originally employed for staying awake during whole day meditations...

Damn that means my whole Saturday DAY will be gone...I seriously NEED sleep after the past week...but, I'm still just waiting to actually feel sleepy :p

Be warned, if you're at all chemically sensitive...stick to pure herbals e.g flower teas...

Newsflash: The Girl...SLEEPS!

Last night was the first I actually slept and awoke when the sun had risen for the first time since Last Thursday night!!! I don't ever remember having gone so long without being able to sleep-it's incredibly disorientating.

Sometimes, when you are completely drained...sucked dry, you need a bit of helping hand from someone with good energy reserves and spiritual clout - you know someone in God's inner circle with a huge army of angels in their "arsenal"? Suddenly, your prayers are a lot more immediately effective...

In any case not sure if it was the prayers or the unorthodox therapeutic approach of late night swearing that M engaged me in for his own amusement but it was FREAKING AWESOME to actually be able to sleep even if I still feel like I'm burning up and insides feeling icky from the potent brew.

With actual rest, I might actually be able to study for my huge exam Monday yet! THANKS MATEY and a certain Bishop del Portillo...

In other news due to being so completely exhausted I managed to lock myself out AGAIN(I'm starting to wonder if this is a birthday thing since James seems to have done this just as frequently in recent times too ;), this time with absolutely nothing on me...so I had to ask for help from a passing neighbour in the block to call for a spare key after he ascertained that no he could not climb into my apartment without risking serious injury(his idea not mine). So I ended up meeting my first authentic Chilean from Chile...and get this his name was Marx! (yes after Karl Marx) but actually he reminded me more of Groucho Marx LOL...

In another bit of good news...my easter break is looking good. A practitioner from the town I want to move to has agreed to take me in for some of my practicum and killing two birds with one stone I get a nice break out of the city too! In true out of city style she even said I could stay at her place for that time even though I'm a totally random stranger...how nice and hospitable is that!!! So refreshing these non city folk- brought a big huge smile to my face :) Something I really needed to restore my faith in other people and general society lately...

Did Aliens Invade My Sleep?!!!

I had remarked in the day after viewing Crop Circles,

"I wish I could visit one!" and that I was disappointed that there were none to be found in Australia.

Last night in my sleep Lo and Behold! I went for a Helicopter ride over a Crop Circle in Australia! Talk about instant gratification ;)

It was Amazing. Crop Circles are so very beautiful. Here are some favs (Germany seems to have some of the universe's most artistic aliens LOL)

Flower (I love this kind of pattern- I often draw similar patterns)

Yin&Yang (haha see even Aliens validate Chinese Medicine)

The Sun (the Sun is almighty to Aliens and humans alike!)

So is this the way the world ends?!

What are you trying to say?!

And typical elegance from Switzerland...

FluidFlower

okay this slacker needs to get cracking on work(!) Nice distraction for the day :)

p.s Random Thought: I LOVE Third Culture Kids!

A Meditation: Exotic Symbolism No.1

So...I finally got to test my every hour you sleep BEFORE midnight is worth like...double! theory.

By 8pm I was completely zonked- three hours later- wow I feel GREAT! It is really true- I feel like I've slept 8 hours or something- I actually feel refreshed :) But now my sleeping patterns are really, really screwed...

But maybe this will work once semester restarts. Because my brain definitely needs that reprieve before it can process even more information from the day...and I remember my high school biology teacher saying that your brain is actually most efficient (at least for retaining information and study purposes) around 11pm :)

This evening being so exhausted I also got to test my don't cook just eat a sandwich for dinner thing...and, I think it's definitely gonna stay! It's not that bad actually- I saved SO MUCH TIME and it tasted pretty good to me. I had good quality grain toast with super duper quality extra virgin olive oil with fresh organic baby spinach and lashing of sea salt on one slice and an awesome beetroot and sumac relish I got from an upmarket deli with the olive oil on the other.

Then I had some fresh squeezed orange juice and a tub of mango and passionfruit probiotic yoghurt LOL- felt so healthy- actually felt really good- I think my body really needed the cleanse (you inspired me S! yes you :) cos I've been so exhausted lately from toxin overload courtesy of chainsmoking neighbour...stressed city people are The Pits!

In any case, further developments from the day with many thanks to Scott for helping resolve my indecisiveness...there will be an exciting new addition to the family come Christmas!!! Okay, so my niece or nephew arrives September but I was actually referring to My Camera Family LOL.

My 'Family' consists of the long-ago retired too expensive to use 'Buddy'(film), 'Neo'(My Very Ill Digital Prosumer)...what will I call Camera No3(a DSLR equivalent of Buddy)?!! LOL several months to think about it- so can't wait to be able to take satisfying shots again!

Anyhow...last random thing...My Ceramic Coaster project inspired by Caroline and the work of Masaru Emoto and Himalayan salt lamps...unfortunately it has to be canned...cos the clay studio in the community centre isn't making money and has stopped opening its doors...

But they have all the preordered lumps of clay and the working kiln just sitting there and everything!!! It did cross my mind to take a page out of my lawyer-soon-to-be-barrister cousin's book and take it up with the art director on behalf of all the typically low income and student types like myself...but then I thought with semester restarting I should save my energy and just let it be...need to learn to refrain from scattering my energies all over the place and focus ...but in any case my mum was really enthused over the project so helped me select and write up a bunch of pretty characters for my personal coaster set...I don't know Chinese so to me it's just exotic symbolism to look at but I chose all the characters based on qualities or attributes I think I need more of in my life ;)

It's the character for HUMILITY - I felt I needed to remember this especially in light of getting *a bit of a big head* from being told "you're a really 'interesting' person" several times this week - haha.