Work or Play?

This morning, renewed by the fact that I didn't have to bust my brain studying for an exam, I got to thinking. As Jules left for work, she said to herself"I am going to have a great day at work". It's her way of manifesting a pleasant, productive day at her job....and a technique that I think does have some definite bearing on how her day goes. Well, a light went on in my head and I told her what if she changed that "great day at work" into a "great day at play". I wonder if that would change anything?

It seems to me that by merely switching those words, we can have an even more profound effect on our day. Even in play, we encounter challenges but we treat them not as obstacles and sources of discontentment, but as ways to get even more out of our experience. Think about not being able to hit a golf ball straight (a problem of mine). I can't do it but occasionally things work out (and planets align) so that I can smack it on a frozen rope out on the fairway. Just because I can't do it all the time doesn't make me angry because ultimately, I am PLAYING! Now I realize that some of you golfers out there might be saying "hitting the ball crooked DOES make me angry". Well, if that makes you angry, I would hate to see you at work. Just kidding.....but if we try to make our work as play and start by switching some words around (words are pretty powerful things....don't believe me, try complementing someone and see what happens) maybe our brains will somehow switch on that little pleasure knob and make our day of work, studying or running errands just a little more pleasurable.

With that said, another idea that came to mind is being a student of the universe. Think about what it means to be student....not too hard for me but it may be to others. I always think of a student as someone who learns and observes. It is the second piece about observation that I want to focus on. If you find yourself stuck in a mindless task or maybe in a waiting line, take a look at what you are doing or what is happening around you. Try to be aware of what makes the motions you are doing work. What does it sounds like where you are? What are the scents in the air? Are there any colors that you are particularly drawn to? How does standing there make your bones or muscles feel? Bring awareness and observation to yourself and your environment can allow you to fulfill the first part of what I think it means to be a student, learning. Learn how you feel, how to react, how to observe. Ultimately, I think the point is to then remove any of these preconceptions and just be in the moment and react to a situation but by practicing this first, maybe it is possible to get to that goal of "nowness" a little sooner. That "nowness" is new, exciting and just like being at play!

Enjoy your day at PLAY!

Second Term....CHECK!!!!

We'll it has certainly been a little more challenging finding time to post blog entries than I thought it was going to be. If only I used my time more wisely....I think that is a quote that most people can relate to.
Speaking of lately, I have been busy with my finals in acupuncture school wrapping up this week. Now that I am done studying....at least for a couple of days (I have a year wrap up Comprehensive Exam May 19th...so kind of them to give us a real break) I intend to get out an enjoy a little of the beautiful weather that we have been having in Boston. With that said, keep an eye out for some new pictures on my Fotki website eventually. My folks come up to Boston next weekend and we have some good stuff planned including a BBQ and some tix to a Red Sox-Devil Rays tussle Sunday afternoon.
More later.....Cheers!!

Out Like a Lion!

So much for the end of winter....we actually had some snow and sleet yesterday. Currently it has changed to rain so I am excited to see all the greenery and flowers as the weather gets warmer in the next couple of weeks....we hope. Hard to believe that Easter is right around the corner. March has flown by and everyone in Boston is preparing for the beginning of a new Red Sox season as they attempt to defend their World Championship by starting their season in Japan. If you haven't heard, the Celtics are having a record season as well having just ended the Houston Rockets 22 game win streak and continue to add wins to the NBA's best record. I'm not a big fan of the NBA because it seems to be too individual with the stars taking all the shots and making or breaking their team, but this year's Celtics squad seems to be sharing the load. I don't profess to be the biggest fan, I'll leave that moniker to my buddy Arto, but it has been enjoyable watching them compete this year.

Acupuncture school has been full of new experiences such as electroacupuncture, which is stimulation of needles using a slight electrical current, and old ones, such as preparing for a test every week. We are starting to put some pieces of this whole Chinese medicine puzzle together (at least that is what they tell us) as we prepare for a Comprehensive Exam in the middle of May. I haven't started studying yet but went to a review session and am in the process of organizing my materials. It'll happen one of these days.

In case you were unaware, I consider myself to be a Buddhist and had the opportunity to attend a recent retreat in the Boston area at the Shambhala Center last weekend. Luckily it was a slow weekend for studying so I didn't have to stress about getting any "real" work accomplished. Basically during these retreats we do a lot of sitting meditation interrupted briefly by walking meditation practices and tea breaks. Occasionally, we have an opportunity to discuss some of the issues we are having with the practice with a teacher and other students which provides a welcome break from the aches and pains of sitting as well as gives us some insight into other ways of thinking about the same problem: how to open one's self to the world and its inhabitants without fear. It's funny how almost 3 hours of sitting in the same position and walking in silence will clarify things for you....or not. Anyway, it was invigorating and I really felt a shift in my mental attitude and state this week. I did want to share something our teacher told us about daily interaction with other people. She mentioned that a good way to develop an understanding and compassion for others, whether they be strangers or friends, was to try the following exercise:

Discreetly look at someone's face (don't creep them out though)
Keeping their face in your mind say to yourself
"This person wants to be happy,
This person wants to be taken for who they are,
This person wants to be loved,
JUST LIKE ME!"

Give it a try and see what happens. It is especially useful when you are waiting in line behind someone slightly annoying or while driving on the Massachusetts Turnpike.

In honor of St. Patrick's Day earlier this week, check out the YouTube videos of the Muppets singing Danny Boy. Very funny:)

May you find happiness and the root of happiness, Cheers!

New Cousin!

Don't know how I forgot to mention this in my last post since it happened while my parents were up in Boston but I now have a new cousin. My Uncle Bill and his wife, Aunt Diane, had a baby girl on Saturday, March 1st at around 6:30 in the evening. Her name is Hannah Alexandra Lehmann and she weighed in at about 8 lbs or so at a length on 20 inches. I could be wrong on the measurements but the important thing is that she and Aunt Diane are healthy and have since come home from the hospital to be officially welcomed into the family. Yippee!

Beantown Visit

Having vomited all the information I knew about Materials & Methods, the pathologies of Lung and Spleen, and all 67 Bladder points onto paper over a grueling 3 day span, I was ready to party. There was just one remedy for my intellectually deflated psych and that was a visit from.....my parents. Yes, Larry and Irene made the long trek (only an hour by plane) up from MD for a stay in Boston. Now I know February might not be the ideal choice for time of year and it did just so happen to be one of the colder weekends of the whole winter but we had a great time none-the-less. They arrived on Thursday afternoon and their not so studious (I actually skipped a biochem class...it's a co-requisite science class, BORING!) son picked them up from the airport and shuttled them to their home away from home, the Westin Copley Place. A beautiful hotel with scratchy sheets, at least according to my dad whose skin is evidently a little sensitive. After dropping off luggage and checking in, it was on to Newton and Apt 2R where Jules and I live for a greeting before hopping over to the Super 88 to grab some dinner. The Super 88 is this awesome Chinese market with an international food court where you can get dim sum, Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, Korean, and Chinese food. Having sampled the dim sum before, we elected to try it again and purchased nearly $50 in food (which is pretty amazing considering each item costs about $3 and usually includes 3-4 pieces). We took our stash home, met up with some friends, Arto and Stephanie, and settled in to watch LOST. We spent the next two hours trying to figure out what the hell was going and there was no shortage of conspiracy theories about the rescuers and the Oceanic 6. My parents hopped on the T and after a little trouble with the swipe card machine, made it back safe and sound.
The next day poor Julia had to go to work but I was lucky enough to spend the whole day with my folks. We met at the Museum of Fine Arts in the Fenway area and wandered around for the next 3 hours. It being Friday, there were lots of noisy school kids around but we found some solitude among the Asian art pieces (they have a really cool reconstructed Buddhist temple there) and the weird modern art pieces. The highlight had to be the interesting 3 sided piece composed of mirrors and finely polished vases, decanters, and glasses. My Dad has a picture of it and it really tripped us out a bit. Getting back on the T and heading into the city, we met up with Julia and had dinner at Silvertones. The wait was a bit long but the food was tasty and we still had enough room in our bellies for a couple of pieces of Boston Creme Pie at the Parker Omni House, which is supposedly the birthplace of the dessert and a former employer of Hoh Chi Min (sp?). Pooped from a long day of walking, we pulled the sheets up to our chins and fell asleep in the Heavenly Scratchy Beds.
Saturday we woke to a light snowfall and after a quick breakfast at Au Bon Pain, headed out on the town to do some of America's favorite past time....shopping. Julia had gotten her hair cut that morning so she looked particularly beautiful with her brown, straight, flowing locks peaking out of her winter hat. We only made it to a couple of stores but had a great time hunting for bargains on the racks of Filene's Basement, the Tannery shoe store, and City Sports. Of course, we couldn't just satisfy our craving with cheaper adornments and found ourselves in a very expensive jewelry store. Some of the pieces in there were beautiful, especially an earring and necklace set that Julia found made of gold and a myriad (good word, huh!) of multicolored precious stones. We had a late lunch at Fire n' Ice, a hibachi type restaurant with a more American flair to it. You pay a set price, fill your bowl with whatever your little heart desires, and take it over to the giant circular grill where the cooks fry it up and put your choice of sauce on it. My Dad even tried some crayfish! Pretty simple to eat I guess; pull off the tail fin, twist the body off the tail, suck the head (YUCK!), and pull out the tail meat. He liked it but didn't go back for a second helping.....of crayfish, at least. From there we headed back to the room for a little nap before getting ready to venture into the South End for dinner at a restaurant called Masa. They are an American/Southeast fusion sort of place with loads of tequilas and giant margaritas. We didn't sample the margaritas but yours truly had a tequila flight consisting of three different shots of tequila all made by the same brewer. Pretty tasty:) Speaking of tasty, the food was delicious and we gobbled everything on our plates, except for my Mom, who chose to order the 16 oz. cowboy cut steak. That was one BIG piece of meat and she ended up taking some of it back where it was donated to become my lunch this week. We had some time after returning to the hotel so we ordered up Juno on the hotel TV and enjoyed the movie in bed. Great film by the way. Ellen Paige (Juno) did a super job, I can see why she was nominated for an Oscar. The writing was excellent as well and did a good job of capturing the nuances and vernacular of high school kids. Justin Bateman, a reborn actor these days, also did a solid job as a father to be.
Sunday dawned bright, clear and cold. Today we decided to do some more site seeing about Boston and headed over to the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown, near where our friends Alli and Steve live. We spent several hours there wandering about the grounds and the museum erected to commemorate the event. Julia, myself and my Mom(!) climbed the 294 stairs to the top of the monument to catch a cold glimpse of the city spread out before us. I think all our legs hurt for a little while after that. Following our history lesson, we headed back to the South End to enjoy the day and take a peak at all the cute shops and eateries in the area. Prior to dinner, we met up with my parents friend Joey and his new girlfriend in the hotel bar. It turns out that Joey is nearer to our age than theirs so we might have made a new contact in the Boston area. Following a meal at Cheesecake Factory in the Prudential Mall, Julia and I gathered our gear and hailed a cab back to Newton. Luckily for me though, I would able to see my folks one more time before they left.
I got up early and rode the T into the city to meet them for breakfast and a little quality time before I had to head back for class. We took a little stroll up to the Public Garden near Boston Common and then marveled at the spacious brownstones along Commonwealth Avenue. In all, it was a fabulous visit and we always have so much fun hanging out with each other. I know I went through a little withdraw after they left and we have already started planning another trip when the weather turns a little warmer. So the lesson learned is....come visit, we'll keep you busy, tired and full. I'm sure my parents can vouch for that!

STOP!!!!

Before you drive over to your local Wal-Mart or Sam's Club (same owners, multi-BILLIONAIRE Walton family) and go wandering around their 20,000 square foot store looking for some tiny thing nestled way in the back, watch the following movie. Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price. Really eye opening to say the least. Jules and I recently got it from Blockbuster online but it is probably possible to find it on NetFlix or even your local movie store.

It is pretty disgusting the way that unchecked anything-for-a-buck capitalism and corporate greed has demolished any sense of trust that consumers can have in the products that they buy. There doesn't appear to be any accountability for the rip offs out there. Some people may say "well that's what you'd expect from a place where you can get cheap clothing." There is a difference between getting a deal because of smart shopping and getting a deal at the expense of someone else's livelihood. Let us not forget that many of the products that we get in the great USA are made overseas by workers that get barely enough money to live (and not at poverty level, like our USA Wal-Mart employees mind you). It may be difficult to make smart consumer choices when it seems that everything is unPC at times. Do you eat farm raised salmon or not, should I buy this J. Crew shirt made for pennies in Malaysia, what happens to the waste products of the computer manufacturing company in Korea? Tough, tough and I know that I am not by any means innocent of consumer misinformation or apathy myself. But just ask yourself the question the next time you go to a McDonald's or a Wal-Mart or any other store guilty of poor payment and treatment of workers or life (animals too!).....Do I want to support the poor ethics of this company and reinforce their shady dealings with my dollars? You decide.....

Great Success!

For those of you that know my Dad, he isn't easily surprised but my Mom and all us kids pulled a big one on him. He turns 60 on February 26 and to celebrate, my Mom put together a surprise party at a local restaurant. It has been in the works for several months now and I am amazed that there was no tip off or bungle that ruined the party. Regardless, it went perfectly and as he entered the restaurant, he was greeted by many of his friends and family. The look of shock on his face was priceless..... and once he realized what was happening, all he could do was give my Mom a big high five (a la Borat....hence the title of this post) and hug.
After that, it was on to the Grand Marniers and congratulations from all the revelers. We had gotten to the restaurant earlier in the day to decorate the room with streamers, flowers in watering pots painted especially for the occasion, and Happy Birthday signs. Lindsay (my sister) did a great job acting as the liason for the gathering and organized the invitations and RSVP list with a detail savvy mindset. Julia and I lent our artistic prowess to the invitations and watering pots as well as getting the tables ready for the celebration. But the biggest congrats has to go to my Mom for scheming the whole idea in the first place. I am sure she just about has an ulcer from having to remain tight lipped about the whole thing when she was around my Dad. She even went as far to delete her informational e-mails from the "sent e-mail" folder after she sent us a message about the party. Pretty sneaky.....I guess she picked something up from all those deviants she nabbed while working in security for Verizon. The evening closed with a gift extravaganza back at Chez Lehmann where my Dad got to see how much people really appreciated him being their family member and friend. I am sure he'll keep plenty busy planting all the flowers and hitting all the golf balls he's going to buy.