Happy Tiger Year

Today is Chinese New Year, beginning of the year of the tiger... it's going to be a good year. This time last year, i was nursing a torn ACL from skiing accident. It's funny how we take our health and mobility for granted. I remember last CNY, I told myself I would never ever take my health or mobility for granted again but soon enough one forgets. CNY is a time of family get-togethers, eating way too much and also snacking on junks. so going raw has been a challenge... not that i have indulged in the CNY goodies. i do miss the pineapple tarts, almond cookies and traditional goodies we have during this time but i know how i would feel if i indulged in them though. being a former enthusiastic steak fan, i am quite pleased that i have been off meat since sept when I went to LL. i havent missed eating meat though, which is surprising. in fact, not having had meat for a while, i can just about tolerate the smell.

At home here, its very common for buddhist to be vegetarian for the first day of CNY, meaning they dont eat meat for the day. but what i find strange is that people would have "mocked" meat/fish/chicken. a very popular one is mocked char-siew, which is basically roasted pork except that this is another very unhealthy version made with flour. in fact, i think its probably more unhealthy than the real thing coz of all the flavourings that goes into it trying to be a pork but is not! you can even get mocked chicken liver that actually taste quite like chicken liver although i cannot say i have acquired a taste for it.

my biggest challenge going raw is missing all the double boiled soup we make at home. i do like a nice pipping hot bowl of soup (even though the weather is so hot here!) i think its like comfort food. i must admit i havent been 100% raw although i try to be as vegetarian as i can. i still do like my fish although i think my stomach is starting to react to eating seafood though. the biggest challenge about being a raw foodist is because of the extremely hot weather we get here, vegetables don't stay as fresh here for long and certainly not as good as what i had in california. somehow the organic strawberries don't taste as flavourful as what i had in california. i do miss the wonderful fresh organic vegetables in california, just the reason for me to visit california again.... soon i hope!

have a great day!

and i almost forgot, to everyone out there... happy St. Valentine's Day....