Double Face

I don't really have much explanation as to why I have been tardi with writing. So many idea have been floating through my head of late its ridiculous. To start with I messed up on my website ( I am writing a new one via HTML coding, CSS and Java and learning all along the way). That frustrated me enough to take a break from dreamweaver and start learning the korean language. 

To be honest, I think a lot of what I learn will stick. My approach to learning is different than my weak attempt at learning Thai. Korean is a phonetic language and I am starting with the alphabet. After learning the characters, I have taken to trying to read the street signs as I walk. Although my understanding of direct exchanges of words is rudimentary, I already feel as though my base of reading is coming along quite well. 

Flash back to the modelling world. My editorial shots from Luel magazine came out. I posted a few on my instagram and twitter over (follow me @wintonyk). Here are the rest:

After being slow, this week has really started to pick up with castings. We had a couple on Sunday, one of which was just for me (Hyundai TVC). Yesterday evening I had an emergency casting for Samsung Promo video, well its booked and I am working tomorrow evening. Coming up there is also a booking for Macaw golf and hopefully some more magazines. Only time will tell. After being slow things are starting to look optimistic. 

Let’s talk food

We all love it, we can’ live without it, but there is always that challenge of developing a healthy relationship. That healthy relationship has to occur in two ways, there are the obvious healthy food, but also a healthy mental relationship so we don’t fear food. I can’t count the number of people I know right now and have encountered while nutrition counseling that are scared of food. So I wanted to talk a bit about the mental side right now from my point of view.

Life isn’t simple and making your food choices aren’t exactly easy. There is that mental battle at Starbucks of a Java Mocha Frappucino latte with extra whip and syrup, or a plain coffee. Obviously the word plain creates a negative view of it instantly. I mention Starbucks because that where I sit as I write this, hoping to snag some WIFI as I find new environments. Try it though, think about one of those dedicantly evil foods and its healthy alternative, most the time we throw plain in front of it, instantly setting ourselves up for disappointment.  It all becomes a mind game of swinging towards positive thinking. Plain becomes all a matter of perspective. 

Catch me on just about every day and I will shed some positive light, I like smiling, and certainly more fun to smile that furrow your brow and sink your head. How can we swing these choices to appear positive? Positive reinforcement is generally a pretty good way to set you up to continue down a desired path. When we introduce that plain negative reinforcement; resentment is sure to follow.

 

Ask yourself an important question right now. Do you desire to be healthy and happy? I know I sure as hell do and I am. Then again that is easy to say when you have jetted off to a foreign country for an adventure.  Enriched by my life choices is how I feel. Almost 16 years ago this winter my life changed, and it wasn’t until 8 years after that moment I truly gained full respect for what that change did.

Faced with an endless list of NO foods, limited YES amongst chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia, all those things we are told to eat became a necessity. Eat this yes foods, you feel energetic, can spend time with friends and family, think clearly and of course enjoy life.

I keep coming back to asking you questions. This is because I want you to make these decisions for yourself not what other people say. If you start choosing more of these YES foods, which not only apply to my dietary challenges and me but to everyone, you will notice a difference in your life’s force. It may even be worth changing these names to make them seem less well plain.

Here is an example of one of my latest enrichment dishes and also one I had a restaurant here in Seoul. 

2 cooked chicken breasts (yes friend in a little oil, this is still healthy)

2 cups spinach

1 cup red cabbage

½ onion

1 cup bean sprouts

2 cloves garlic

½ inch chopped ginger

¼ cup tomato paste

Mustard

3 sheets of rice paper

This all lasted for about 2 meals for me.

And the Korean Dish Bulgogi.  

Next time I think I may talk about cheating.

Whoosh!

This sounds pretty much explains the last 24 hours of my life. Sitting waiting, I found ways to keep myself entertained at home this past week. My work visa arrived on Friday, and an email was promptly sent out to inform my agents and to get things rolling.  Of course there was the issue of time change and a weekend.

 

While waiting, I shoveled the walkway of snow, cleaned the kitchen multiple times, and of course went on a few glorious walks with Diesel. I am going to miss that fella. Then Tuesday night arrives. An email with some details, then a phone call, then a final email. At 9 pm Pat and I spoke and my flight was set. By the time all was confirmed through the airline it was closer to 10 pm, I would be departing for Seattle in 8.5 hours (that’s 6:30 am). My father had offered to pick me up and take me to the airport at this ungodly hour. I really appreciated that, its nice to have that support network available, as I know not everyone does.

I guess with your flight leaving soon, packing is usually a good idea, followed by a bedtime snack I finally got to bed at 1:30. Subconsciously I think I knew if I was gassed heading into nearly 24 hours of travel I could sleep on through most of it.  Security and customs were a breeze and took maybe 10 mins total, my beard must not appear very threatening.

Brrrrrrrrrrrr. Okay I don’t know how the lyrics go of the Dash 8 Turbo prop go but this morning was my first experience on such a plane. Every time I closed my eyes however I could imagine the black and white videos you watched in Social Studies and History classes of the B-52 bombers. This little plane delivered me towards a 7 hour layover in Seattle, coffee shop central.

I have never been comfortable with sleeping in an airport terminal (safety wise), so I worked hard to keep my eyes open before I could get my Tokyo drift on during the 11 hour flight to Narita (joke courtesy of dad, followed my many other inappropriate puns related to exhaust). 

Let’s take a look at what I have done to keep myself nutritionally satisfied.

3 am: 2 scoops protein and 2 packs Nature’s Path Flax and Oats

7 am: Clif Bar

9 am (Seattle time so add an hour): 3 eggs scrambled with Dungess crab and Dungess Shrimps, and about 4 little hashbrowns

12 pm: 5 Dark Chocolate Covered Macadamia nuts (my caving to some sweet cravings

3 pm: Slices beef with rice noodles and vegetables and 1 glass of merlot

8:30 pm: 4 pcs of almond cluster crack

My goal of getting sleep has worked out pretty well. My section of the plane is nearly empty so I laid across the 3 seats in the middle and dozed off, first an hour then our meal, and my post feeding 5.5 hour nap.  I have successfully killed 7 of my 11 hours in this plane so far sleeping, not bad.

With 2 and a half hours to go, I am going to immerse myself in Sons of Anarchy.

You can call me ______

The past few nights at work nicknames have come up a little bit. Last night I had a cougar calling me Ashton. Tonight my nickname appeared to be Marky Mark, which was somewhat funny as I was just watching Ted during my morning treadmill session. If you haven’t seen the movie “Ted”, get on it; the film is hilarious while crude and obnoxious at some points. In the weeks leading up to now, as more people have discovered about my upcoming adventure, Fabio and Derek have also been tossed out there.

All these nicknames are based on celebrities. Reminding me of past conversation in which a few names were tossed out as my celebrity doppleganger.

Kevin and Fay both seem/seem to thing I am a Andy Samberg lookalike:

 

The cougar the other day as mentioned was calling me Ashton:

Tonight it appears I take on the Marky Mark look:

All my life, I have been presented with do I know you, or you look like someone I know. From time to time I joked about appearing in a magazine (this was before I ever actually ended up in magazines or TV), or blew it off and just said I have a familiar face.  I think part of the familiarity is my love to smile, which becomes very inviting and pleasant to be around.

In the end, no matter who you look like or whatever nicknames you pick up, we all have our own identities, they may change and grow, but we are all our own independent person.

My Thai My Pride

 Look back, way back, okay maybe that far how about May. Do you remember that fateful day where I shared my love with a beautiful woman on a boat amongst an incredible backdrop? No? This may refresh your memory then Wedding in Phuket

Now a little controversy was created as my cousin and some family members thought I actually got married all of the sudden.  While I am all for “taking those shots”, I shy away from jumping into a relationship let alone marriage thoughts. That blog was all written with regards to a Thai Airways commercial I was filming. Well, it’s here!

In Calgary, the leaves are falling, frost is etching the windows of cars in the morning. Yikes every day that is gets colder becomes the coldest day I have seen since I packed away my winter jacket and headed for the tropical environment known as Singapore. Freezing cold and wearing gloves I willingly traded for sweating bullets and flip flops. I will be leaving Calgary one month earlier this time around, although Korea isn’t exactly the 40 plus degree environment in October that Singapore treated me too, I am equally excited if not more.