Dukan – Day 189 – Shanghai with Kitty

Posted on February 24, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Friday was a PV day.

Daily Weight Loss: +0.9 lb/+0.40 kg… a gain 😦
Total Weight Loss: 71.3 lb/32.41 kg

So here I was up early on my day off to go to Shanghai. My friend Lucy shipped some boxes here and I needed to go clear them with Customs. I know, I know, I’m a glutton for punishment!

Driver here right on time at 730 a.m…. grabbed a couple tea eggs and then off to pick up Kitty. Kitty is my personal assistant (at work) and accompanies me to deal with paperwork because I have little patience to deal with stupid people (read: people who don’t want to do their job) and she keeps me out of jail 🙂 So here we are in the taxi, bright and early…

Hangzhou Taxi

It took us 45 minutes to get to the train station across twon here in Hangzhou (I might add that this is 3 minutes longer that it takes to get to Shanghai on the train 190 kms away!). Purchased tickets, got coffee and jumped on the train, as it was boarding when we purchased the tickets! Here we are in our 1st class seats. First class costs $5.71 more than 2nd class… worth every penny!

Kitty and Sandi

It took 42 minutes at 304 kph to get to Shanghai… I read my novel “The Wire In the Blood” by Val McDermid while Kitty napped… the girl can nap anywhere, at any time, it’s amazing!

Subway to our first destination and because Kitty is so amazingly efficient we got there without getting lost and she had all the paperwork ready, it was forthwith stamped (the Chinese stamp everything 457 times!!!) and money was exchanged and then we were cleared to go to customs.

But it was lunch time, so on to the subway to go to my favorite hamburger joint, The Blue Frog … woo hoo 2 times in 1 week! What a lucky girl I am. The server actually asked if I wanted what I had on Sunday and repeated it verbatim… am I really in China?!? I was pretty darn impressed, and yes, I wanted exactly what I had on Sunday 🙂

Lunch at the Blue Frog

Kitty had a HUGE burger, which she deconstructed and ate with a fork and knife. She also tried ketchup for the first time… and liked it… poor girl is getting Americanized by me.

After lunch a quick stop off at the City Shop grocery to pick up fat free yogurt (can’t get it in Hangzhou anywhere, and the City Shop online delivery warehouse didn’t have any last week. I got 10!

Then off to the customs office where the lady didn’t want to do her job (no big surprise) and as I wound up to start running my mouth, my sweet, naive, soft-spoken Kitty says, “I’ve got this” and lays into the lady, with a sweet smile on her face, but an angry voice and the lady did her job. We were in and out of the Customs office in under 30 minutes.

Back to the train station by way of 3 different Lines and train headed back by 436 p.m… The sad part, it took 1 hour and 17 minutes to get to my flat from the train station.

Dinner was stir-fried steak chunks with onions, squash and garlic stems.

I’ll tell you where the 0.9 lbs came from… I had NO WATER, at all. I had 1 cup of coffee in the morning, 1 latte in the train station in the morning, 2 diet cokes with lunch (something I rarely drink anymore, and don’t miss to be honest), a latte at the Shanghai train station, and 2 cups of yellow label tea at home. NO WATER… it makes a huge difference. And I noticed my urine was concentrated last night… hmmm, do you think that could be from drinking no water!?!? 😀 I also didn’t get in my yogurt and bran. I had no appetite for it last night.

Exercise… Kitty and I walked up and down every single stair there was in the subway system. We didn’t take the escalators, even with my back pack full of yogurt and a few other groceries, I climbed the stairs. It felt great and accomplished… Kitty, ever the trooper, went along with it, but told me on the train that her legs were tired. Bless.

All in all a good day. Here’s one last pic… a family sculpture in Shanghai that we passed, and as my driver Jerry reminds me FAMILY = Father And Mother, I Love You… pretty cool, huh?

FAMILY

Ciao!

Quote of the day: “You don’t always get what you wish for, you always get what you work for”

Life Is a Book

Posted on February 23, 2012 by flamidwyfe

A lot of people ask me how I am able to travel so much. The answer is simple. I just do it. I make an average amount of money and I spend it on travel. Saying you don’t have enough, is an excuse. I was dirt poor and managed to scrape enough together to do a medical mission trip to Vanuatu in 2005 (I had to pay for flight and 30 days accommodation). Was it hard to come up with the money? Hell yeah, was it worth… every damn dime!

At this point in my life I am not married and the mom to 3 adult kids. I make a decent living working overseas. This puts me closer to a lot of places I’ve always wanted to visit. I don’t own a house, a car or very many “things”. I would rather spend my money exploring… and that’s what I do. Sometimes you just need to put on your big girl panties, pack up a back pack and walk out the door… You only live once!

This picture was taken by me, with my iPhone, while sitting on the beach on Phi Phi Island, Thailand in November 2011. I had an amazing vacation with my friends Cathy (from Illinois), Karen & Dominique. Karen & Dominique are Brits living in Abu Dhabi. Make memories… take the time to see something new… Step 1 get a passport and explore!

Ciao!

Phi Phi Island, Thailand November 2011

Dukan – Day 177 – Trying to Shake the Blues

Posted on February 12, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Sunday was a PV Day. It was suppose to be Day 3 of 4 of PP days, but I had lunch with friends at a restaurant… More on that later 🙂

Daily Weight Loss: 0.4 lb/0.20 kg
Total Weight Loss: 66.7 lb/30.31 kg

Morning started off better as I slept until 5 a.m. And that made me happy 😀 I had a pot of yogurt with bran and Splenda and a cup of coffee to start my day. Then off to work in this lovely (not) rainy, dreary, cold weather. A stop to pick up my daily allotment of tea eggs. My 1 mile/1.5 km walk is now down to about 12 minutes. When I started walking everyday to work, nearly 5 months ago, it took 17 minutes. I work on the 4th floor of my building and after clocking in I take the stairs up. I realized yesterday that I’m no longer out of breath AT ALL by the time I reach the top… How awesome is that?

After morning rounds I did some lactation consulting (just when I give up on helping women here breastfeed, there always seems to be a couple of women who request it, funny how that works… I’m not a quitter, but so passionate about breastfeeding, that sometimes I must take a step back, throw in the towel and not allow the circumstances here consume me!). Both ladies were very grateful for the help.

I then had a lovely 6 hour prenatal visit with Velina and Robin 😀 Just like the old days when I was a home birth midwife. They came at 10, we lunched from 12 – 2 and they left around 4. It filled my day with some sunshine 🙂 Lunch for me was T-bone steak, broccoli , cucumbers and raw red cabbage.

Then the bad news of the day – Whitney Houston died. She’s MY age, born a few months before me, how does this keep happening? What demons cause these remarkably talented people to head down the path of drugs, alcohols and bad behavior?? I sobbed watching the video of her singing The National Anthem at the Super Bowl in 1991. What a waste of amazing talent.

Dinner: Chicken chunks stir fried in soy sauce with cumin and garlic cloves.

To bed at 9, trying to shake the blues, fighting the urge to pack up and go home, come on sun, I need ya buddy, the grey skies are wearing thin and I need some sunspiration.

Ciao!

Quote of the day: I believe that children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way. Show them all the beauty they possess inside. – Whitney Houston

Pic of the day: Robin, Velina & Me

Dukan – Vacation update

Posted on February 3, 2012 by flamidwyfe

So a quick update since I’ve received numerous emails about not blogging 😀

I’ve lost weight. I met and exceeded my goal to lose 70 pounds by February 11th. I’ve stayed true to my Dukan life-style during my 16 days so far on vacation, with the exception of a glass of wine x 2 and a bit more bacon than I should be eating… LOL

I’ve been walking with a friend nearly every morning before sunrise, which has been awesome, it’s cool, dark and quiet… About 4 miles or so.

I’ve seen just about everyone and have really enjoyed my visit home. Trip ends in a few days and I’ll be back in China and back on my tea eggs and back to daily blogging.

Ciao!

Quote of the day: You can always take the easy way out & give up but real strength comes when you decide to keep pushing no matter what the circumstances are. ~ Unknown

Early morning drive from Gainesville back to Stuart…

Early morning view after morning walk…

My niece Aja serving drinks at the Seafood Festival…

Lunch in Miami with some birthing buddies, including my niece Charity…

Dukan – Day 132 Hong Kong Bound!

Posted on December 31, 2011 by flamidwyfe

Friday was a PP Day.

Daily weight Loss: 0.4 lb/0.2 kg
Total weight loss: 57.8 lb/26.31 kg

HAPPY NEW YEARS EVE!!!

My friend Lucy and I are in Hong Kong to celebrate the New Year. They have a Times Square here, so we’re going to watch the ball drop and then the fireworks over the harbor… should be a great time!

We were picked up by the driver, Jerry, at 1030 and he brought my coat that he picked up at the tailors… Fit like a glove! So nice to have a coat made just for you. The tailor also knows that I’m losing weight and said he’d be able to alter accordingly 🙂

My gorgeous new coat!

Then off to the Hangzhou airport for the 2 hour flight to Hong Kong. Plane took off late due to mechanical issues and we arrived in Hong Kong at 530 and headed to our hostel. As part of my New Years resolutions, I’m going to travel on a tighter budget and this was a good way to start that off… LOL. Here are some shots of our room, some of them taken from OUTSIDE the room, since it is so small! The room is 12 x 6′ and the bathroom less than 3 x 3′, but functional and what do you need a fancy room for anyway?? (this is what I’ve been saying to myself over and over… I will eventually buy into it!)

Our ~~jail cell~~ hostel room door.

The SSS bathroom… Have to say the water pressure was amazing!

Then out for a quick bite to eat and then we found the Pause Cafe in the building we’re staying at… Total dive, but awesome coffee! We’re totally going back to play darts Saturday night, before going to Times Square!

Shooting darts at Pause Cafe

Lucy made me open my eyes for a pic!

Then off to bed for a rest up for Saturdays fun-filled day!

HAPPY LAST DAY OF 2011, my friends… It’s been a crazy year for me and I don’t regret one minute of it!!

Ciao!

Quote of the day: Make new friends, but keep the old, some are silver and the others are gold! (changed to my liking!)

One last pic… The “hotel” across the street from ours… Who only sleeps for an hour??

Dukan – Day 130

Posted on December 29, 2011 by flamidwyfe

Wednesday was a PP day.

Daily weight loss: 0.4 lb/0.20 kg
Total weight loss: 56.6 lb/25.71 kg

So as the day progressed things got a bit better… Poor Kitty was a good sport taking my bad day and smiling through it… She’s such a trooper. I had a very productive meeting with the CEO and finally got my OWN office, with the room to put all the manuals that I’m creating with new policy, protocol, clinical safety guidelines and competencies. YAY!

I also got a new work coat today, because my other was baggy… Pic below!

Breakfast: 2 tea eggs
Lunch: 2 eggs and the last of the leftover turkey… Tempted to make another just for the leftovers!
Dinner: pork stir-fry with onions and garlic stems

I had a nice walk/run circuit… 4.5 kms (3 miles) in 35 minutes… I know I’m not going to win any races, but I’m winning my own 😀 And boy was it a great way to erase the rest of the stress I had from the last 2 days… That and a nice long Skype chat with someone who cheers me up 🙂 Stress all gone!

Ciao!

Quote of the day: It’s my life, it’s now or never, I ain’t gonna live forever… I just wanna live while I’m alive… It’s my life! ~ Bon Jovi … Sorry into music this week… I crank this up when I’m running!

Dukan – Day 104 – Hello 48!!!

Posted on December 3, 2011 by flamidwyfe

Friday was a PV day.. Of which I’ve done too many in a row!

Daily weight loss: -0.6 lb/0.3 kg
Total weight loss: will post tomorrow when back with the spreadsheet.

Today it’s my birthday (Saturday) and I had a lovely celebration with my girlies here in Hong Kong!

Breakfast: Fat free Greek yogurt with bran and Splenda & 500 mL water & coffee with Splenda and skim milk.
Snack: Starbucks cafe latte, skinny (with skim milk) and Splenda… Lucy is a bad influence, will be glad to get back to Hangzhou where this isn’t easily bought!!

We took the subway to Central and then a 1 km uphill walk to get to the Victoria’s Peak tram station.

The view from up there is amazing!

After looking around we headed to the top floor and had lunch at Bubba Gumps!

And had a burger with no bun and a salad… 2nd time in two days, but hey… I can’t get a decent burger in China and it’s my birthday… Low carb, but not low fat! It was, however, yummy!

After lunch we took the tram back down and raced to the embassy to get Lucy & Ethel’s visas. Sadly, Ethel wasn’t approved 😦 We then headed back to Troy, the amazing travel agent, and booked her a flight to Manila. Lucy has decided the next time we’re in Hong Kong we’re going to a. Pop in and take a photo of said Troy for my blog and b. Ask him out for a drink 😀 Sounds like a plan!

We then headed back to the South Pacific for the girls to take a short nap (I never nap, I’m afraid I’ll miss something!). And then we got ready for my birthday dinner. I actually put on make-up (a bit of eye liner and mascara!) and that little black dress I’ve been talking about, with my black tights and black boots… Feelin’ groovy about turning 48!

Then off for the 1.5 mile walk to Ryan’s steakhouse for dinner. We had a great time! Where I ate another bacon, bleu cheese burger and a salad… Believe me, I’ve got my fill now 😀 Oh, and I had a glass of wine, which of course is not Dukan, but maybe my 4th alcohol drink this year, it was nice to relax with friends.

Lucy being cheeky…

Ethel being Ethel…

And they all sang Happy Birthday and the cake was my FAVORITE!! Carrot cake!

Do you think I had some?? Not a chance! Not worth the feeling of being bloated and YUCKY!

Then a hike back to the room. What a great night out with friends! I am SO excited to see what my 48th year has in store for me. Although the 47th was like a roller coaster, I rode the ride that was intended to get me where I am today. I can only imagine that 48 will be just as awesome a year!

Ciao!

Quote of the day:

Dukan – Day 103 – Goodbye 47!

Posted on December 2, 2011 by flamidwyfe

Thursday was a PV day.

Daily weigh loss: 0.4 lb/0.2 kg
Total weight loss: ??? I don’t have my spreadsheet with me…

So, I usually blog in the morning about the day before, which I’m doing now. But, the title is appropriate for today 🙂 More on that at the end.

Woke up after 8 happy to be with friends in Hong Kong. I am amazingly grateful for my blessings of having a job that enables me to travel. And off we went in search of breakfast and passport photo booth for Lucy & Ethel so they could apply for their visas to visit China.

Quick walk to Times Square to find out the photo places open at 11, shuhada! We tuck into a busy little diner and order eggs and sausage. Just the right portion for me, but the girls were a bit concerned that I’ll be starving them 🙂 (Ethel just opened the bathroom door after her daily weigh in to let me know she lost 0.9 kg since yesterday morning… She’ll be a believer soon!)

We then got their pictures done and took a walk around city center. The whole city is decorated for Christmas and is beautiful…

Then off to the visa office at 2 pm.

Lucy & Ethel filling out forms…

The LINE!

Where, after over an hour we find out that Ethel needs more documents because she’s from the Philippines. She needs a return tix to Manila (which we were going to book in Hangzhou) and hotel voucher… What to do? We decided to hit up a sushi restaurant and figure it out. I was able to google map a travel agency 175 meters away, so after a hurried lunch we rushed over and got to the agency at 403 pm. Note that the embassy closes at 5 and if we didn’t get them documents before then Ethel & Lucy would have been stuck here until at least Monday, and Hong Kong is an expensive city to be stuck in!! I have to add here that we don’t realize how lucky we are to be from the Western world until we find friends who aren’t and realize it is much more difficult for them to travel as freely as I can.

Troy, the amazing travel agent (and not bad to look at either) got to work right away on the reservations while Lucy and I darted back downstairs in search of wireless so I could email him Ethel’s flight info to Hangzhou and he could print it for those pesky immigration people. Lucy says while we’re running back to the agency that she feels like we’re on The Amazing Race!

Troy got the tickets done in under 20 mi it’s!!! And then we started running the 3 blocks, which includes taking stairs up and crossing over the highway and then back down and arrive at the embassy at 441. They let us in! YAY! And we go right up to the desk we were at before. After a few tense moments the girl accepts Ethel’s papers and then states… “oh, because she is not applying from her home country, she is from the Philippines, AND this is her first time applying for a visa to China, she may not be approved… WTF!!?? Deep breaths… We smile, we thank, we’re told to come back Friday after 4 for the decision… We’re praying it all goes well, if not, we make other plans.

After that fiasco we trek back to the hotel, feeling a bit deflated, but trying to keep positive. The girls took a little rest, I read my emails and the other blogs I follow and then we got ready for the long hike to Ryan’s Chicago steakhouse. My favorite in this city. I had my standard bacon cheese burger and a house salad, no bun, no fries, of course!

Then a walk around the mall…

My jacket now zips and I’m very happy about that 😀

And then the long walk back to the hotel… Fabulous day!

Now for the “Friday” part… It’s Friday morning and my last day of being 47. It’s been a crazy, emotional, fun, nightmarish, amazing roller coaster of a year. I’ve had a few endings and a couple of awesome new beginnings. Life is very, very good and I absolutely can’t wait to see what adventures I’ll experience in my 48th year.

To my mommy… I know that today is a tough day for you, I’m sure daddy is smiling down on you, saying Happy Anniversary… Thanks to both of you for creating me.

Ciao!

Quote of the day: Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.

Dukan – Day 102 Up, Up & Away… Again!

Posted on December 1, 2011 by flamidwyfe

I’m actually sitting on the plane waiting for take off. I was suppose to fly to meet Lucy & Ethel tomorrow, but the hospital needs me for marketing on Sunday, so I’m flying a day early. I can’t wait to surprise them at the airport!!! In one of those cool things that happen in life, our flights are at the exact same time today, so they are also sitting on an Emirates plane in Dubai, probably also ignoring the safety video, but probably not blogging 🙂 Their flight is at 1005 UAE time and mine is at 1405 Hangzhou time… I get there 5 hours before they do 😀

I brought the scale with me, but I didn’t upload my weight spread sheet to my iPad, so will have no clue until I’m back on Saturday on total weight loss, but will keep up with daily loss.

Well, the plane has just taken off, I think I’m going to eat a couple boiled eggs (airplane food is definitely not Dukan friendly!!) and then take a little nap… Will do more blogging later.

OK… Fast forward… I took a bus from airport that took nearly 2 hours to get to hotel. We’re upgraded to a suite because of my birthday… How cool is that?

The toilet is a Toto and has some pretty interesting buttons that individually clean your bottom and the seat warms up when you open the lid… Very posh!

Then I had to take the subway and train back to the airport to get the girlies. They were very surprised to see me 🙂 Here’s the sign I had…

And the reverse sign…

I love surprising people as evidenced by this blog from 18 months ago: https://flamidwyfe.wordpress.com/2010/05/19/camino-blog-updates/

Taxi back to hotel, then a very late dinner at a street cafe 🙂 Glad to be with friends!

Ciao!

Thailand & Dukan Day 90

Posted on November 19, 2011 by flamidwyfe

Friday was a PP Day.

Daily weight loss: 0.66 lb/0.3 kg
Total weight loss: 40.24 lb/18.3 kg

Today was a day off from touring. We were suppose to travel early morning to Phuket, but decided we wanted a lie in (I was up at 710!!!) and shop in Krabi, so I arranged a 400 pm pick up.

Breakfast: 2 egg omelet with onions, coffee and water.

Then a nice walk and a nice chat on Skype and an hour after breakfast, the BEST THAI MASSAGE I’ve ever had. I told her what was hurting and she fixed me. Stretching and yoga poses and 1 hour and 25 minutes later, I was a new woman! All for $11.35!!! I looked over at Cathy and asked her if we could stay an extra week!!

We then walked around Krabi, bought a few things, and then got the tat I’ve been wanting to get for a while 😀

Here’s the tattoo artist…

And here’s his adorable little girl… Who squealed with delight every time we spoke to her…

I strangely LOVE the pain from tattoos and this high was over too damn quick! He finished in about 4 short minutes 😦 I was thinking I should have asked for a bigger tat! I even whined to Cathy about it… She thinks I’m a nut 😀

Lunch on the beach, then back to hotel for private van transfer to Phuket… Sigh, our holiday is coming to an end 😦

Ciao!