Advice 2 Love

I’m guilty. I love shark fin soup. Growing up in Hawaii as a Chinese American, shark fin soup was considered a delicacy as well as a important cultural tradition. It was always present during an important celebration such as wedding, grandparent’s birthday parties and even baby’s first luau. 

In the recent weeks with Senate Bill 2169 which is aiming to protect sharks. If the bill passed, it would be a misdemeanor to buy, sell or posses shark fins in Hawaii. According to Carl Meyer, a University of Hawaii researcher, over 70 million sharks worldwide are killed annually for their fins. Shark-finning is a cruel way of slicing fins from live sharks and dumping their bodies back into the ocean. Without their fins, the shark is unlikely to survive resulting in a unbalance marine environments food chain. Every animals or organisms are important to maintain a balance within our systems. Unfortunately for the sharks, they do not reproduce fast enough to sustain this measure of slaughter. 

With the support of shark organizations and millions of Chinese around the world, many of them are stopping their habits of eating shark fins to protect the sharks. It would be a world wide nightmare if the next generation would not have any idea what a shark is. If we continue to kill off sharks for their fins, our children might be the one suffering without any knowledge of this beautiful creature that helps to protect our waters and assist our marine environment in keeping a balance. 

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Love. It is such a magically word. Some people take a while to fell in love, while others jumped right into it. We often see beautiful wedding on TV or even on the Internet, but now-a-day, there are quite a number of divorces too. Take for example, our Americans sweetheart, Sandra Bullock who recently won an Oscar for her role in Blind Side, is splitting from her husband. We also have golf’s sensation, Tiger Woods, heading to divorce court with his wife. With all these Celebrity Couples News, where does it leave us and who can we turned to as a role model for our youths?

There is one celebrity couple that I greatly admired. Every since they met in 1995 till now, the relationship is still going strong and their marriage is what most people called “rock solid”. This mega-superstars couple is Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. 

They both met when Jada first auditioned for the role of Smith’s girlfriend on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”. Although she didn’t get the role, she caught the eye of the leading actor and the rest is history. They both tied the knot in a secret New Year’s Eve Wedding that was held in Baltimore, Maryland at the Cloisters Mansion. Together they raised 3 talented kids and lived on a 100-acre ranch in California. 

Many people over the years have interviewed them on their secrets to a successful marriage. On what will worked and what will not worked. Below is a few quotes that they have said about each other.

Will about Jada: “With Jada I stood up in front of God and my family and said, ’till death us do part’. Divorce cannot be an option … I honestly believe there is no woman for me but Jada. No-one can handle me the way she does … Once you feel someone locked in on you, it’s no contest. This is it. I can’t imagine what anyone else would offer.”
Source: East London Advertiser

Jada: “I will throw my career away before I let it break up our marriage. I made it clear to Will. I’d throw it away completely.”
Source: USA Weekend

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It’s alarming to see half of the US populations are obese and 1/3 of them are children. With the demand of daily life, we often do not have the time nor money to educated ourselves on what good for our body and what’s not. Gym membership can be an alternative, but with the growing number of unemployment, it’s more essential to get food and shelter then spend hours on the tread mills. Often times, you’ll see what is label as “junk food” being a whole lot cheaper then “organic food” in supermarket. Where does that leave us?

According to my doctor’s friend, besides the common cold and flu, headaches are one of the most common reasons why people seek out medical’ advice. Stress is the most obvious trigger, but skipping meals, not getting enough sleep, poor posture and eye strain (from watching too much TV or staring at the computer system too long) can lead to tension headaches. Also, foods high in sugar, salt, nitrates (found in meats such as SPAM and hot dogs) or caffeine can also trigger tension headache. You can help minimize these headaches by exercising, eating healthy, drinking enough water (at least 8 cups per day), taking a warm bath or just stopping what your doing at the moments and relax for 10 minutes if you feel a headache coming on. Ibuprofen are usually quite good in relieve headaches. If your problems continue, seek out a health care providers.

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Recently, I’ve been falling in love with one daily product — yogurt. Perhaps it is the sales at the supermarket or the many dozens of yogurt shops that pop up around town offering many favors to try that I just can’t resist. One yogurt shop located at Ward Center in Honolulu offers many different choices and allow you to try the favors before you purchase it. My final choices were taro, green tea and mango with some kiwi fruits and gummy bears. You are allowed to add on any other things that you want from fruits to candy and even different types of cereal. Be creative and enjoy! 

In addition to tasting delicious, yogurt are really good for you. It’s a good source of protein, potassium and vitamins B, but how do you know which yogurts are the best when you have so many selections? The first step to choosing the best yogurt is to select ones that are regular, low-fat or nonfat yogurt as these contain less fat and cholesterol. 

The second step is to choose your own sweetener. No one likes things that are bland. Some people add artificial sugars while other choose corn syrup. If you are sensitive to these products, try whole-fat flavored varieties or unsweetened yogurt and add your own fruits. Be careful that some favors contain more sugar then other. 

According to the National Yogurt Association (NYA), there is a seal that appear on their products allowing consumer to know that it contains live, active cultures high in calcium and vitamin D. For those who avoid daily products, there the option of soy yogurt. 

Try adding yogurt to your daily in-take whether it is for breakfast, snack or a late-night treat, you’ll be amazed at all it’s benefit. Comments?

For an active and busy person like myself, Costco has been a life-saver. Not only do they offer a huge selections of products, but often times, 20% cheaper then most supermarkets. You’re find everything you need there including some of the latest books and magazines. I was wandering around the magazines area this past weekend when I noticed a young teenager grabbing a box of books. I don’t know if she was attached to the handsome Edward Cullen or the lovable Jacob Black in Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Series, but she was glued to the book. 

With the introduction of new books like Twilight and Harry Potter, young adults are enjoying reading more. It was no longer seen as a chores or an homework assignment, but something done as leisure. It a extremely wonderful feeling to lose yourself in a whole new world where vampire come alive and wizard are thought to be cool. 

Reading has many benefits including gaining new information on things, improving one writing ability and increasing one vocabulary. Professors around the globe encourage their students to read as it build imagination and develop a sense of creatively. So go on and open a book. You might be surprise on what you’ll discover. 

Comments? What kind of books do you like to read?

Every time I traveled somewhere, there is always something new that I learned. On a recent trip to Hong Kong, the importance was Feng Shui was evident everywhere from buildings to theme parks. Disney even acknowledge of used of Feng Shui in the theme park in Hong Kong allowing the shifting of it’s main gate by twelve degrees, therefore suggesting a better qi environment. 

What is Feng Shui? According to wikipedia, “it is a ancient Chinese system of aesthetics believed to use the laws of both Heaven (astronomy) and Earth (geography) to help one improve life by receiving positive qi.” In English, the term Feng Shui translate to wind and water. It is taken from the passage Zangshu (Book of Burial) by Guo Pu of the Jin Dynasty. He writes, “Qi rides the wind and scatters, but is retained when encountering water.” 

Going to any bookstore or library and you’ll find hundreds of books on the art of Feng Shui. People believed the important of creating harmony within a living environment and so avoiding negative or bad energy. Here’s 5 tips to improve your home.

1. Cutter. Are you a pack-rat? Do you need everything? Get rid of some stuffs that you no longer need and make some room in your house. Not only will it be more inviting, but less to clean. 

2. Make the entryway inviting. Put a mat out there or hang your child’s artwork. For one, it will help stop the dirt from coming in as guests wipe their shoes at the door and your child will love you for acknowledging their masterpiece. 

3. As the saying goes, “See the light at the end of the tunnel?” Light is important. It is positive engergy. Make sure all the light in the house is in working order and there is no burn our light bulb. You don’t want to be coming home one night and entering a dark house. Not only can it be a bit dangerous, but it also bad Feng Shui.

4. Don’t sit with your back to the door while working on the computer or on your study desk. Not only will you have no idea who coming, but they could also be leading over and reading what you’re doing. This is especially true at the office.

5. Make sure all your doors in the house open and close easily. No pulling or pushing. This drag down your qi. It is also important that if there is an emergency such as a fire, you can get out quick.

Give it a try and see how this new art can help you improve your own qi.

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There are moments in my life that I get so frustrated. Wanting to run toward the ocean and scream to my heart content. Is anyone listening? Fortunately, there are a number of friends in my life that would stop what they are doing to hear me out. All of these individuals are very busy as life demand for their attention, but it is their willingly to lean a few hours of their precious time to hear a girl voice out her pain is extremely priceless. Thank you, my friend, for your love, support and your listening ear. 

Below is a quote by Rachel Naomi Remen that speaks directly from my heart. 

“I suspect that the most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention. And especially if it’s given from the heart. When people are talking, there’s no need to do anything but receive them. Just take them in. Listen to what they’re saying. Care about it. Most times caring about it is even more important than understanding it. A loving silence often has far more power to heal and to connect than the most well intentioned words.”

Growing up and being surrounded by a dozen male cousins definitely has it’s advantages and disadvantages. I was introduced to the world of video games, sports, cars and technology, but there were times I wish for a female cousin. Someone I could share my deepest thoughts with, a shopping partners or even a friend who I can hang out with. Luckily, my aunt-in-laws step in and fill that gap. One aunt in particular loves sending me e-mail. I get about 1 e-mail from her a week. She would introduced me to new things or just send me pictures that she took at a family gathering. Through these e-mails, I have learned a thing or two and would love to share it with you. 

DID YOU KNOW?

According to Wikipedia, “Don’t judge a book by its cover” is a very common English idiom which basely means don’t determine the worth of something based solely upon its appearance and has often been used in modern culture.

Where ever you go, whatever cultures, education background or even jobs choice, people always make assumptions of other things based on their appearance. We chose the place where we want to live, not only on its location, but on the curb appeal and the interior design of the house. Our trip to the supermarket and our decision to buy the types of pizza is based on its packaging. Females buy a certain type of cosmetics because in our mind, it helps make us look flawless. And men purchase a certain type of luxury car to show off their status. With our buying power, its does help fueled a weak US economy, but most importantly it is the way we think. What on the outside may not always be what its seems. Take, for example, a fruit. We see this beautiful orange, but once we get into the inside, it’s sour.

Hundreds of people are going under the knife and turning to dangerous surgery to become more flawless or what society interpret as “beautiful”. A pretty person may not always be the most smartest, the most fitting parents or even the best staff, but most workplace will hired them because of their looks. It’s easy on the eye. What happen to education and experiences? Or even take the chance to look at the well written resume.

Similar to the court rooms in America, everyone deserve to be judged after all evidence and facts are presented. You never know, the next person you are judging might end up to be your best friend or even your boss! Take the time to get to know others and you’ll be surprise.

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“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” — Mark Twain

Reflecting back on my life, I do consider myself to be extremely lucky. Fortunate enough to be able to wake up to paradise every morning, the opportunity to travel the world, a great education and a supportive husband, but there are times that I am a bit lost. Life is not a yellow pave road as in fairy tales and there are definitely struggles that I endure on a daily basis. Road blocks, a never ending battle and the constant frustration over things can drive one up the wall. Not to mention peer pressure, family obligations and the downfall of the economy. Trying to figure my next steps can be overwhelming.

For the many times that I was screaming for help, my prayers were answer with the introduction of Lisa. Who is she? Lisa Michele Fonseca is a life coach. Not a therapists or a psychologist who prescribes drugs, but a coach who directs, instructs and trains people like me to achieve my own personal goals in life. Her sessions are typically 1 hour that can be either arranged one-on-one in person or over the telephone.

I first met Lisa at a coffee shop located minutes away from my condo. She walked up with a beautiful smile and we instantly hit it off. Having an excessive background in Human Resources Management, Lisa’s inspiration is drawn directly from her life experiences and the passion to help other people succeed. There were definitely intense period of tears and moments of laughter, but what I found was truly a friend who really cares.

With each and every person she meets, her assessment will be catered to your needs and the directions that you are seeking. For me, I was told to look in magazines and put together a collage. During the process, I found things that I didn’t even know about myself and remembered long lost dreams that I once had. All in all, I walked away from the sessions a much happier person as I followed my heart, found my true calling and learned not be too hard on myself.

We all live in a every changing environment and a different era that requires us to keep up with the fast pace and do things that we no longer enjoyed just to survive. Our dreams are put on the back burner. Don’t worry. Things can all changes and it starts with you. Whether you are deciding to change careers, go back to school, get married or any other personal achievements, make it about you and seek support for it. Lisa definitely can help you with it.

Lisa Michele Fonseca
Website: www.lisamichele.net
Email: lisa@lisamichele.net
Phone: (808) 286-1475
Skype: lisamichele75