Does YOUR Water Come from a Volcano?

A little bit of rain in the north coast of a remote island. It sinks down and is filtered through ancient volcanic rock. A distinct, soft, smooth mouthfeel? Are we talking about wine? Nope. 

Fiji water. 

My 30 day drink nothing but water challenge is now in full swing, and I decided today as I walked into a nearby convenience store (in the 14 minutes I had during a break in my Mozart class) and walking by the iced teas and fruit juices, that I would become a water connoisseur. But what is there to taste? It's just...two hydrogens and one oxygen. 

I decided to try Fiji water today. After a little research, this is what I found:

Fiji gives back 1% of it's profits to go towards helping the environment. It claims to be sustainable, and eco-friendly. But it's a huge company. I find it hard to picture a few Fiji natives going into the earth to fill up these rectangular bottles. That's the other thing. It's good water (not that I'm sure what "bad" water would be...probably the water left over in a pot where you just cooked hotdogs)...but the bottle is rectangular! It doesn't fit into the handy little backpack pockets that are meant for normal shaped water bottles. Looking at the analysis of the water I see silica, calcium, magnesium, pH, bicarbonates, and total dissolved solids (wouldn't they not be solid?). 

So what are these?

Silica comes from minerals, and is released under water during volcanic activity. Fiji water is filtered through a volcano. That makes sense. Was YOUR drinking water in a volcano?? I think not. Unless you are currently sipping from a rectangular bottle. 

Magnesium comes from minerals and is usually found in sea water. Minerals. Volcanic rock. Under ground. Makes sense. 

pH level is 7.8. That's slightly alkaline. Not as much as sea water (7.9), but more so than blood(7.3). 

Bicarbonates...necessary for digestion. That's a good thing!

Reading about total dissolved solids is really confusing...but there are 220 of them in the water. Caused usually by calcium, nitrate, and some organic matter...but usually just used for aesthetic reasons. Like taste. 

It's true. Fiji water does taste pretty good and the taste does vary from it's other bottled water pals. 

I invite you to read about Fiji Water. There are plenty of articles that warn you about "things you didn't know about Fiji water". Honestly, I'm not here to start any huge debates. I'm here to inform you of my tasting notes and research regarding H2O (I was trying to sound like a snobby wine-o just now). 

But just in case you didn't know...that's what's out there. 

And their bottle, although a little inconvenient and unwieldy, is very aesthetically pleasing:

As you can see, I was a good girl and drank all my water. I'll make good use of the bottle by refilling it a few times before I recycle it! 

24 Hours in...

There I was, the night I began my drink-nothing-but-water-for-30-days challenge, on a couch in a friend's apartment, just chatting away and half-watching Monday night football. There was a large selection of beers available, a little whiskey, and there was even an option to order some soda or iced tea with our chinese delivery order. Normally, I would have gone for a beer and a soda...but last night I ordered the bottle of water. It hurt a little, but it was a good decision. 

There I was, unsuspecting again, 24 hours into my challenge in the organic section of the supermarket, searching for some non-dairy treats (and I found them: yummy), when I had a thought: I should probably pick up some almond milk to try with some cereal...or maybe I could try a glass of ice cold chocolate soy milk! But lo! I cannot...for I am only drinking water for the next few weeks. 

Water hasn't been the only change I've made...while at the supermarket I picked up some baby carrots, apples, and kiwi! That's right...some fruits and veggies. Just trying to be healthy.

So...water every day. 

The downside? Realizing you really have to use the bathroom at the beginning of a 2 and a half hour wind ensemble rehearsal. 

The upside? We are playing THIS amazing piece: 

Aegean Festival Overture 

oh and uh...this is my awesome cup. 

My trusty water glass, probably counts for at least 2 glasses of water... 

Water, Water Everywhere

Two posts in one day...don't you feel special? What is the meaning of this special occasion?

I have a new 30 day challenge. 

70% of the earth's surface is covered by it, and for 30 days I will be drinking it. 

For the rest of September, I will only be drinking water (I will stop this challenge on October 1st so that I am able to have a drink on my birthday!). This will be hard. Like most Americans, I depend on caffeine to jump start my brain and body, giving it energy for a few hours. This means no coffee, espresso, or tea. Lots of times in the middle of the day when my blood sugar is low, I like to drink some orange juice, iced tea or lemonade. At dinner, usually a beer or a glass of wine with my meal is a great way to wind down. Only water.

Well, if I don't drink OJ where will I get my vitamin C? Maybe eating an actual orange once in a while? Or perhaps eating a few kiwi fruits for breakfast. There's usually a lot more sugar in juices than you think, and a lot more fat too. I'm staying away from sugary sports drinks and sodas...and we'll see what happens in 30 days. 

There are lots of reasons why I want to do this (other than the fact that my idea to learn how to sail was a compete and utter failure)...

1.) Dehydration is bad. Usually, when I'm feeling crappy, its because I'm slightly dehydrated, feeling a lot like Sponge Bob in the Tea at the Tree-Dome episode. It's easy to ignore water, especially while working in the restaurant biz. I go entire shifts (5 hours) without drinking anything, and when I do, it's usually a sip of Coke or Sprite, followed by the beer or two after work. It will be hard to only drink water, and be conscious of it. Lots of times if I stop in at a convenience store, I go in the back on auto pilot, and pick up my favorite flavor of my $.99 tea in a can, sip it on the way home, and finish it before the night is done. This is a huge amount of high fructose corn syrup, fat, and calories-it's a glucose overdose that keeps me awake.

2.) It's good for your body on the inside and outside. It's good for flushing out toxins and other bad things floating around in there. It's good for your skin too. And especially your lips. Whenever I feel like my lips are dry, it's always a sign that I'm thirsty...they're not always chapped.  

3.) I have also read that it helps if you're trying to lose weight. Working out and eating better is what I've been wanting to do for a while now (my favorite black jeans are getting a little snug!) and I think that switching to only drinking water will be a huge step. Plus...if our bodies are already made up of mostly water, wouldn't it make sense to keep water flowing through it? 

Are there any cons? I've been trying to find some but there aren't any. Besides having to um...use the restroom more often. I've been dairy free for many months now, and I've been taking calcium supplements and lots of vitamins, so it's not like I'll be missing out on milk. Vitamin C I take daily, but that can be found in most fruits. 

Yeah...no cons to drinking water. 

Water, water everywhere...and lots of drops to drink. Like...8 glasses worth. 

For those of you who have 8 minutes or so, it's not the best quality, but it's entertaining nonetheless.

Also...you should watch this if you didn't get my Sponge Bob reference from earlier. Feel free to fast forward to 4:25. 

A Weekend of Firsts

I'm back from a little bit of blogging hiatus, and I've found myself in a sort of "blogging limbo". As it turns out, I had some issues purchasing the Groupon online, time ran out and sadly I won't be able to begin my challenge to sail. I expect that some of my challenges won't work out the way I plan them, after all they are "challenges", and the point of this blog is to challenge myself. One more time? Challenge. Oh, it will still happen...but perhaps in the summertime. Besides, it's getting chilly! 

I'm currently sitting in my bed, still in my PJ's with the window open, a nice cool fall breeze coming in through the window, listening to Mozart. Today I have my first orchestra rehearsal, but before I go and pick up my music, practice, shower, and find some grub (okay, not in that order), I have decided to blog a little about my experiences this weekend. I'm still up for trying new things, and I did just that this weekend. 

Adam and I went to the Big Apple this weekend to visit one of his awesome friends for his birthday, and it was so much fun! My virgin eyes finally saw Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark for the first time ever...and on the IMAX big screen...in Times Square. Here are some photos:

NYC in the rain in Times Square, after seeing my very first Indiana  Jones movie. 

Walking off the copious amounts of food we ingested, through Central Park. Now, I have been to NYC and Central Park before, but this was the first time I have visited when I a.) didn't have to wear any kind of jacket and b.) was not threatened by a stomach ache, now that I am aware that I am, in fact, lactose intolerant. 

My first time in Kosher bliss. Pastrami sandwiches, french fries, and huge Kosher pickles at Katz's Delicatessen. It was also my first time visiting Little Italy!

As for a September challenge, I'm still trying to figure out what exactly I want to do since sailing hit the fan. I'm simultaneously reading A Game of Thrones and The Year of Living Biblically(One man's humble quest to follow the Bible as literally as possible). I like A.J. Jacobs because he puts himself up to really long challenges, instead of short 30 day challenges. He spent a year reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica, he spent a year living biblically, and he spend another year trying to be the healthiest person he could possibly be. So far I've...taken a few pictures and talked a little about music. But have no fear! I'll come up with something...

A Post about Poulenc

Today in a large breezy room furnished with a desk, a few chairs, and a piano, I had my first lesson with Ethan Sloane. I have decided to tackle those orchestral excerpts, purchase some new etude books, and that I no longer want to be afraid of the Poulenc sonata. I used to be afraid of the Debussy Rhapsody, such a gorgeous piece, but so hard to play. So I learned it and performed it on my senior recital.  This is a recording of me playing the Debussy. I think it was pretty successful...
So I have decided to do the same thing, and learn and perform the Poulenc clarinet sonata. In fact, here is a video of one of my favorite clarinet players, Paul Meyer performing the third movement (hard):

And here is a funny video set to Paul Meyer's recording:

(What my performance will hopefully look like)

Have I mentioned that I have met, played for, and been coached by Paul Meyer? We also played Foosball!

How Lucky We Are...To Be Musicians

Just listen:

Mozart. That is the subject of the day, and actually...my semester. As a graduate student (and recently appointed clarinet teaching assistant) I have the beauty of only having to take one class. It meets on Wednesday mornings, and for three hours we talk about Mozart. How FANTASTIC. The class is taught by Professor Jeremy Yudkin, who has a wealth of knowledge and love for Mozart. Yes, there will be lots of research every week including analysis, lists of Mozart's works, facsimile studying, performance critiques, and historiographical essays, but there will be so much music (hear the music above if you have not yet clicked on it). The music above was the first thing he played today in class, in a little room, twelve students and one teacher, sitting around a conference table. He even turned the lights off, and with no windows it was just us, Mozart, and his music. Because the lights were off, nobody could see my smiling from ear to ear, because for the first time in a year I was part of a conversation about music, and I felt an overwhelming sense of belonging. How lucky we are to be musicians.

The Beginning of the Beginning (part 2)

Happy September!

I am aware that it's well past September 1st, but we finally have internet in our new place, and I owe you a new challenge and some fun stories about moving day! Lets start with the Great Day of Moving. It was worse than I thought. First, we were ungraciously cast out of the apartment we were staying in at 6:30 in the morning by a cranky maintenance guy. Since the lease technically ended on August 31st at midnight, there was nothing we could have done about it. So we packed up what remained in the apartment and set off. We couldn't hand in the keys until 10, so the three of us (Adam's roommate included) hung outside drinking gatorade, occasionally taking a break to use the bathroom:

Goodbye Fenway apartment!

Now, Adams now former roommate had to drop some things off at his new place-only 2 blocks from our new apartment, so we maneuvered the moving truck into a narrow ally and helped him get his things out. It took us an hour an a half to backtrack to our apartment, only 2 blocks away. There were triple parkers, obnoxious pedestrians, people trying to unload while their moving trucks were still moving slowly down the street because there was no parking. It took us another hour to find a place to park...which was illegally. We double parked, threw the hazards on, I hopped in the back pushing our belongings to the front, and Adam was grabbing them and creating a pile of our things on the sidewalk:

Happy September 1st

Then there were the people who went around in pick-up trucks collecting tossed furniture, and I also found out that this day is also known as Allston Christmas, for that reason alone. One of my challenge ideas for this month was to study, read about, and practice some Feng Shui in our new apartment, but we still have lots of moving and trying out the most effective way to arrange our furniture...plus I got a better idea (more on that to come). Anyways, I think we did a pretty good job feng shui-ing our apartment:

Our living room, post move in

When we finished frantically unpacking the truck, I stood with our belongings and started bringing up the expensive stuff to our new place. It took us about an hour to bring everything up, and Adams former roomie came and lent a hand with the heavy things. Adam had parked the truck somewhere, and we had to return it to Rhode Island, so we left things as they were (above), hopped in the truck and started driving. We stopped in Norwood to get a bite to eat-McDonalds sounded SO GOOD and hit the spot. We filled the tank up with gas, and got it back to the Budget place. There we were, stranded in North Providence with no cash. So we walked to the nearest gas station, paid the $2.15 fee for taking out cash, and called a cab to take us to the train station (as we were driving, this song came on, taking me down the path of nostalgia to when my little brother invented the "cup dance":)

We arrived at the train station and waited for the commuter rail. There was also an Amtrak train, which we decided to take at the last minute, and wound up in Boston at the time our commuter rail train would have left. We had plans to go to a bar with Adams former roomie, and also plans to go out to all you can eat sushi with our friends who are basically our new neighbors. We ended up not going out due to extreme exhaustion. We showered the dust, dirt, and grime off our bodies, ordered Chinese take-out, and had a perfect night at home. 

Now it's time for my September 30 day challenge. I am going to learn how to sail. That's right...rig, furl, unrig, and sail away down the Charles River. I've always wanted to learn how to sail, growing up in Rhode Island, but never had the financial means to. There is a great deal going on now, where you can purchase a 30 day membership (perfect!) for 70% off, and you learn sail theory, how to rig, how to tie knots, etc...and then you take a few tests and you can come and sail whenever you can. I'm also SO excited, because Adam wants to do it too, and I'm looking forward to many September evening sails at sunset. 

There's nothing quite like being on the water. 

And as we say at work...

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