Bring on the PIGS

BURP! ~

Christmas season is killer for my waist line for sure. For those not from this country, I have to explain that for most homes, any celebration is not complete without the roast pig. It is the counterpart of Turkey. We call that lechon.

The roast pig is stuffed with herbs and roasted over  coals in a pit

After a few hours, what comes out is skin that is soo crunchy and meat that is succulent. this is served with a rich brown liver sauce/gravy.

This is killer for cholesterol levels
We had our lechon chopped before hand.. chopping at home takes a lot of time and effort you know-

So, if you can imagine, we ate a pig a day..... each christmas party had 1 whole pig. (we did not finish the whole pig). The left overs like the head, other meat and the legs get stewed with the gravy. What comes out is a dish you can have for days after. It's lechon paksiw

I am ready for my salad eating days now. Let me not see another lechon till the next Christmas season. I am also sleepy from all the eating that has been going on, and to think there is still NEW YEARS.

Happy New Year everyone!

Ventosa or (how to look like a bludgeoning victim)

It was after the last 5k run. I only had 4 hours of sleep because we had attended a high school reunion dinner the night before. So, we decided to go have a ventosa massage.

We went to chinatown. My husband assured me this is the best therapy for our aching muscles. The masseuse gently massaged my back and then POURED a whole lot of oil on it.  I was thinking....okay.....  it turned out you needed the oil for the cups to take a good hold.

(this is not me)

Ventosa cupping massage is performed by placing a small flame inside a cup and letting the fumes accumulate inside a cup. this cup is then placed on specific points on your back to create a vaccum.  I have seen pictures before but I have never tried it myself. As the girl placed the cup on my back, I could feel the suction pulling my skin. It felt like being pinched by HULK HOGAN. ouch.! She placed several more cups. ouch again.... after a few minutes, the skin where the first cup was placed was getting numb. That's when she moved it.

It felt like my skin was being pulled. I was imagining that this what it felt like to be hung by your skin. It was THAT painful. She kept moving the cups to certain points in my back. I guess it was to release the tension in the "Chi" points in my back. My worst part of it was when she placed it near the base of my armpit. I think she hit my lymph node. It hurt like I was giving birth again-- I gritted my teeth a lot.

I came home looking like this---

The top picture is a closeup of my shoulder... you can see the lines from my bra strap crossing the circles.  
Overall, it was not so bad. My muscles loosened from the cupping and maybe, after the red spots are gone, I can go back for another session.

FYI- a lot of people reacted to my back when they saw it. Those who didn't know about ventosa was a bit shocked.. (i joked that my husband beat me up)-- hahahaha

Milo- give me strength!

I will be running in a 5k again this Sunday. To be honest, I just had 1 training day this week. I was so busy with managing the house and my father in the hospital I just had no time for anything.

It will be the MILO INTERNATIONAL MARATHON.  In the flier, they put the 3k run as a "kiddie run" -- it just takes me back when I was struggling with the 3k run... and they consider it for kids??

Well, Milo is a chocolate drink for kids..so maybe there is a point. Sunday will be the national finals for the marathon. I am just there for the experience (me and little ol' 5k...) Can you believe %k is only a WARM up to the marathoners? I even saw some leggy Kenyans competing last run I was in. I am sure they will be participating again on Sunday.

I hope I can maintain my time-- Considering I will be sleep deprived - It's my father-in-law's birthday dinner on Saturday. We will only have a few hours of sleep. well.. my fingers (and toes) are crossed.