gua sha girl

I think I had gone crazy over Gua Sha.

At least the person I'm with thinks so.

At least, looking at my legs--I'd think so.

At least, anyone who had spoken to me the past few days would think so.

Maybe I'm a little crazy--at least it's about some old Chinese practice.

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I would like to thank my lovely friend Lirie for once again, going around China with me :)

It started with my wanting to have some cupping therapy done, to which the universe conspired against--to have me experience Gua Sha.

I won't talk technical / medical terms. But I will talk about assessments and feelings.

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The practitioner told me of three points that I knew for a fact, I was quite surprised how dead on the assessment was, given that I had not provided any information to them.

I was also impressed by how the markings on my back physically validated what I was feeling inside.

I was also told to keep warm, take it easy and not to take a shower that day. The last part I ignored. I did wait till midnight to wash up. I don't think that was what she meant though.

Maybe that was okay, my body has a pretty good sense of humour ;)

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Fast forward to one week later, I got my hands on a cruelty free water buffalo horn gua sha tool.

Late at night in my hotel room, I was sitting up, unable to sleep thinking about the workday, I decided to self gua sha.

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I was so delighted to see some red spots. I was more encouraged by the smoothing feeling it gave me, that maybe I over gua sha-ed.

That lead to a lovely night's sleep.

Then, I woke up.

Sore.

Bruised. Badly bruised.

I could hardly walk.

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The next two days were torture. It hurt to stand. It hurt to sit. It just hurt :(

It was also alarming to look at. I looked like I was a hazing survivor.

Some areas were purple, on top was a sprinkle of red rashes. The red dots were everywhere, actually.

The 'rashes' didn't hurt. It was not even itchy. It was just an eyesore--as I knew these would go away, I didn't feel like that was a biggie.

It was the bruising and pain that really got to me.

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I showed a photo of the rashes to my best friend and another girl friend, they both got goosebumps--as in they were grossed out!

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It had been a week today.

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Alternating Tea Tree Oil and Hirudoid application twice a day had really paid off!

The purple had turned red and there are areas that are now yellow.

I had recovered from looking like a hazing survivor to someone with liver dysfunction. At least there is minimal--if any pain at all.

I'm not sure which of the two made my recovery this fast--I remember estimating 3 - 4 weeks for everything to go away.

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What of gua sha?

Well, I gua sha-ed my arms the other day. Gently this time.

I had nothing, maybe around twenty red dots on my left bicep and fifteen on the right bicep.

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I had definitely learnt my lesson.

But this is not to say that I will stop practicing self gua sha.

one, two, click

My recent China trip somehow brought about some changes in me. I hardly imagine how those ten days brought about various feelings, decisions and perhaps some life changes for me. This may not be the entry that talks about those in depth, but it would be about one point.I took this photo using my three year only camera that I had spent all my life waiting for. I remember feeling giddy over a gadget for the first time and when I got it, I knew it was the one. It was first of its kind too.

As expected, multiple brothers and cousins had been released boasting of better features and new functions.

I know in my heart that the day would come when it would be time to let go.

This is an especially hard lesson that I am training myself to master.

One must not be too attached to material things.
Playing around with my friend's new camera, I could not help but feel like the day is near--after all, hers was a really good camera. Excellent shots and very light too.

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This was the day we were exploring HangZhou.

Obviously, the day was spend sightseeing, chitchatting and taking photos--thus rekindling a once intense relationship with my man.

By the end of the day, I knew.

I may be being too dramatic here, but honestly, truthfully, I am yet to feel something holding and using another camera. For some strange reason there is comfort and reassurance (really!) that mine gives me.

Maybe it is the magic that goes with first loves. Or the illusion of magic. But I feel it. It's there.

So when am I changing cameras? Not today.

West (Lake) Story

Ah, West Lake--it seems to me that I had encountered many, maybe too many West Lake referenced.

It would probably be appropriate to mention that I distinctly remember eating at a restaurant of the same name a very long time ago. Rhea, being Rhea would probably remember the incident. It is funny how I suddenly made the association when in my conscious mind, I had no idea or recall of that day from a long time ago.

Going back to our story, my recent China trip brought me to the actual West Lake. Not a food joint. Or a prop play set. An actual lake. The actual lake.

It was lovely :)Quite a nice place to spend an afternoon.

It might be just me, but it as lovely as the place was it felt lonely at the same time.Looking back, I'm glad that I made time to take some photos.To be honest at some point I sort of stopped taking photos. In fact during my last trip I took, I hardly had any.Perhaps taking photos, is not unlike sewing and writing for me. I feel that I must never feel that I must do it to do it. There is joy in doing something without pressure, agenda or purpose. Perhaps with purpose, but only to enjoy the act :)

lucky charms

What a day!

It is interesting how my Friday was filled with wonderful and horrible things. Big and small.

I'd like to pat myself on the back and say "Well done, you've learnt the art of finding the silver lining", but my over thinking self would quip "You got lucky a few times, admit it" soon enough.

Either way, I have no reason to complain.

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I've been greedily looking at the Lucky Charms cereal boxes for a few weeks now whenever I go grocery shopping, the only thing that's stopping me is fear of consuming the entire box in one sitting.

As it happens with chips often enough, maybe I should trade salt and sodium with sugar next time.

Maybe it could land me a lucky streak.

obey

I almost posted a "wrong color wednesday" entry because I was surprised to find a color from my favorite make up brand that was horrible--at least, on me. After applying it, I not only looked like someone overly spray tanned pale with fever. Some oxymoron going on there, but yeah, that was how I looked.

I decided that maybe I could still wear it if I put something on top. But knowing myself, I'd probably put it aside. I am not too fond of 'multicoating'. I tend to go for either super sheer intending a natural look, or very high on pigmentation lip products when I feel like channeling my inner clown ;)

Multi lip products at one time? Close to never. Off topic, but I hate gloss too.

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Wednesday was a sad day.

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The following day, I had time to put on eye make up and decided to give the lipstick a chance.

This time I didn't apply it as thick. I thought it looked okay. Not great, but not horrible, just okay.

Might as well give it a go, right?

What do you know, three different people told me that they liked my make up.

The person I'm with even said that it looked very different (pretty) the day before (ugly) and that I looked, errrr peachy ;)

Of green toes and half moons

While doing Facetime with my Mom, she was surprised to see my hand nails painted (I almost never have anything on my fingernails,as opposed to my toes)and asked about the color.

She laughed a bit when I told her as it is quite funny--the shade. I was so glad it wasn't a product of my favorite make up brand, it would be awkward telling her "oh yeah, on my cheeks I've got libido".

Anyway, it is a deep green shade that I love. It feels weird having the same color on my hands and feet though. For me, it is like wearing shoes and belt that match perfectly in a color that pops. It sort of loses the appeal.

She then tells me that she has a friend who had lovely "half moons" on her nails and had them painted on over her shade.

Having trouble imagining that? Instead of a french tip, she'd have a concave shape--like a rising sun in white at the bottom of the nail.

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Then I thought about my own nails.

I never really give much thought about them, but I distinctly remember having to this day, natural "half moons" on my thumbs--but not on the other finger nails.

I told my Mom as much, citing that I remember having those on each finger nail when I was a kid--maybe I "lost" eight half moons at some point.

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Is it so wrong if I suddenly feel the urge to wipe my nails clean just to check? ;)

walk me home

Tonight, the person I'm with and I decided to walk home. While at it, the street light did funny things that I sort of jumped closer to him. He was quick to ask what happened and I reluctantly told him that I thought I saw a lizard.

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Then we talked about smiling babies, and how I thought I read somewhere that it was the face they made when passing gas. Seems like bull--or, something written in "why do men have n*pples?" (the last word, I am reluctantly writing). It isn't a dirty book. Really, it is a list of silly medical related questions and answers.

Yes, I read that--skimmed through. No, I did not buy it. Borrowed.

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Then we bashed Channing Tatum a little. And laughed about a witty blog entry about Ryan Gosling.

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After which, we talked about the movie we just saw, Hugo and how good it was.

(and how pleasantly surprised I was seeing Sacha.)

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I had a headache too, but somehow I didn't notice it too much walking with him.

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I love our walks.

There are days when I feel like the walk was the date and the date was a prelude to the walk. Perhaps, highlight is the word.

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When we were reaching my house, it started to rain.

How lucky were we?

Very.

Today, I brought an umbrella :)