Yummy Wakame

“My idea behind going to Nepal was all about escaping, escaping from the daily grind at Microsoft, the conference calls, the emails and just getting away. I went trekking looking for nothing but snow capped Himalayan peaks.”

Room to Read

via Tim Ferris’ The Karmic Capitalist: Should I Wait Until I’m Rich to Give Back?

The Buckland Romani Tarot Deck

This exquisitely illustrated and rare deck has sadly been out of print for years and can only be found through collectors these days. It is in the English Romani tradition and comes with the Romany Tarot Gypsy Book of Wisdom. Every years or so I check to see if it’s back in print so I can get a deck… I’ll definitely post an update on the site if it comes back.

Today I discovered this quirky little deck.

This deck is based on a set created for Svetlana Alexandrovna Touchkoff by her mother who was taught this art by an 80-year-old Russian woman after WWII.

These are highly unusual cards in that each square picture has been split in half with the halves scattered among the set - only 25 cards in all. This means each card has four different half-scenes. In readings, the cards are laid down in 5 rows of 5 cards, and the reader looks for ways to rotate cards next to each other to make matching halves. Completed objects are then interpreted according to their orientation: up, down, facing left or facing right.

Excerpt from the book:

“Fortune telling was once an integral part of people’s lives in Russia, especially before 1917. During the week they told fortunes, while on Sundays they went to church and prayed. Everyone in the house participated. One person would do the reading, while the rest of the family or friends would sit around the table, listen, and make contributions. This was a time before table games or encounter sessions were developed. People wanted to have their fortunes told because it was a time they could concentrate on themselves, talk about their feelings or frustrations, and formulate strategies for the future. It was generally a happy time with everyone participating. The people believed in the predictions, yet they were not controlled by them. An individual’s free will or God’s intercession could turn any situation around. This open attitude by the Russian people toward fortune telling and the psychic world has remained to this day.”
~ Svetlana Alexandrovna Touchkoff
Introduction from Russian Gypsy Fortune Telling Cards

A few days ago I blogged about the desire so many of us have to ditch the 9 to 5 and do something truly fulfilling. Well if you were looking for some real-life inspiration, there is a wonderful article about my yoga instructor, Anna Dubrovsky, who’s transformed her life in an amazing way. Its a wonderful read and I hope it inspires you too.

Just Breathe - a Q & A with Anna Dubrovski

Anna’s personal site - anywherebutacubicle.com was recently redesigned by my lovely Nathan! Anna also writes for Fitness Magazine on her blog The Happy Diet and recenty joined the stable of writers at Be3.

Haven’t you always wondered why French people are always bean-pole skinny, even in a culinary country where they notoriously enjoy delicious rich foods like chocolate, wine, cheese and croissants? Well the reasons might surprise you, and may not necessarily be what you’ve assumed…

Why French Women Are So Thin
Author Mireille Guiliano, author of “French Women Don’t Get Fat: The Secret to Eating for Pleasure” reveals why ladies from the City of Lights aren’t fat and what you can eat to be slim.

See also: 5 delicious family recipes she shares on TODAY.

Personal Note: This famously French philosophy and attitude towards food is so easy to embrace as part of anyone’s lifestyle. After applying this philosophy myself over the years (it took a while to build up all these good habits as part of a personal food philosophy) I have discovered a new world of enjoyment and appreciation for food that I completely missed out on before. Its a deeply fulfilling, satisfying and indulgent love-affair with food that requires no actual dieting whatsoever. I was so excited to see this interview I couldn’t resist sharing the secrets! For the determined new years resolutioner I highly recommend watching this clip once a week to reinforce the tips until they become second-nature. You’ll be amazed how easy it is!

No matter how you pour it, we’re slurping up way too many calories these days. A study from the University of North Carolina found that we are now consuming 450 calories a day from beverages, nearly twice as many as we were taking in 30 years ago. All told, this increase amounts to an extra 23lb per year that we’re forced to work off or carry around with us.

And it’s not just soda that’s stretching our waistline — it’s now coffee drinks, cocktails, beers, even smoothies that are doing much of the damage.

The good news is that they are the easiest calories to cut from our diet, as long as we know where they’re coming from.

Drink This, Not That
This short video snippet on the Today show this morning yielded information that really surprised me. Prepared by the Mens Health Magazine editor and author of “Eat This, Not That”, it includes great tips on switching drinks and opting for smarter, lower caloric options. I was shocked by the findings on beer and cocktails. This kind of information is gold to the determined new years resolutioner!

Telegraph: New year is busy time for divorce lawyers

Divorce lawyers are expecting their busiest day of the year today as the pressure of Christmas and the New Year holidays finally blows rocky marriages apart.

I’m sure almost everyone can relate to this, whether you were married or in a long-term relationship. more…