What, me fat?!

Fatass Hachi can’t wait until Dawn finishes wrapping the Gyoza dumplings

While I was in Indiana this year on business, I ran into several guys from Japan that I had previously worked with.  I hadn’t seen most of them for several years, and I was mostly glad to see them… But after our usual pleasantries, they all commented to the likes of “you’ve gotten fat”, “you’ve gained weight” or “you’ve become rounder than I remember.”  (not all Japanese people are ass holes.  Japanese people that I work with are.)

I have never considered myself to be overweight in the past.  In fact, people used to comment on how skinny I was…  Maybe these guys are just comparing me to the sickly skinny me…  Or Japanese standards of  being “FAT” is a bit skewed…  Of course, there was also a case when I went to a physical in which I was noted as overweight…  WTF…

A few months ago, my parents subtly lent me a Japanese book titled “病気にならない生き方 (how to live without getting sick)” authored by Hiromi Shinya, MD.  He is a pioneer in a colonoscopy surgery, and he discusses in his book healthy ways of living from the perspective of digestive health.  I’m embarrassed to admit that I don’t do much reading usually, but I read this book quickly and intently.

I don’t want to bore you with all of the details of his observations and theories (you can get his English book if you are interested), but I have started incorporating some (not all) of the practices that he describes in his book:

• Exercise (very) lightly in the morning;
• Eat Oatmeal for breakfast;
• Eat fresh veggies, less meat, less dairy;
• Drink cool water (20 fl. oz.) 1 hour prior to meals;
• Eat supper as early as possible; and
• CHEW AT LEAST 30 TIMES EACH BITE!

I found all of the items pretty easy to do.  Chewing 30 times per bite took some getting used to.  I used to be known as a fast eater, now I usually finish last at the table.  Many of the items curb appetite, so I don’t eat as much, and I don’t go hungry during the day, either.

I have lost 10 lbs. so far, and it has been pretty virtually effortless.  Fitting into my pants has become less of an ordeal in the morning and Dawn is not sewing back my pant buttons on as often.

I recommend to anybody following Dr. Shinya’s preaching.  Some of his recommendations are hard to follow (like ‘daily coffee enema’… wtf?), but most of them require little changes in your daily routine.  The book is very convincing, and I can’t wait to show these bastards that I’m not a fat ass anymore.

Smartphone Transitions

Left to right: Sony Clié T415, Palm Treo 650, Samsung Omnia, HTC Droid Incredible

 

My obsession with smartphones started with a practical necessity at work several years ago.  I needed something portable that would allow me to keep track of my schedules/contacts and to take notes.  I had a company standard issue of “Franklin Organizer”, but I kept forgetting to take with me the notebook whose thickness was of a dictionary whenever I left my desk.  I concluded that my forgetfulness had nothing to do with it, but everything to do with the lack of its portability.

Searching for a solution, I started from a pocket-size organizer and eventually ended up with my first PDA Sony Clié.  I even had a foldable full-size keyboard for it and I was able to take notes during meetings.  I was totally geeking out and proud!

Clié was definitely the solution to my issue… BUT now I was dealing with another one… Clié is a PDA, not a smartphone so I was also carrying a personal cell phone (Motorola StarTac, if you care).  I was also carrying a company-issued pager.  Imagine Clié holster, a cell phone, a pager, and office badge hanging from my belt…  I needed a geek tool belt!

Enter Palm Treo.  A PDA and a cell phone in one “compact” unit!  This is the first smartphone that I owned.  I found a used unit on eBay at a good price (at least, I thought so).  I didn’t subscribe to a data plan at that time.  I just used it as a phone and a PDA, and my pants felt a whole lot lighter.

My entry into the mobile data plan was with a purchase of Samsung Omnia in 2008.  Getting Omnia meant having to subscribe to a data plan and $30/month (Verizon Wireless) but my Treo was starting to earn a “dinosaur” status around the office, and I figured that I would get a new smartphone since Dawn was getting a new phone as well.  I liked the slim and simple form factor and the 5MP camera that took a very decent photos .  Negatives: awkward Windows Mobile 6, faulty touch screen, and slow data communication.

My latest gadget: HTC Droid Incredible.  Coming from Omnia, this Android smartphone is excitingly fast and intuitive.  No more drooling when I see an iPhone!  (Camera is a disappointment, but It DOES come with 720p HD video )

I remember paying $3000 for my first PC back in 1996.  It ran on a 200Mhz CPU with a 2GB hard drive.  It had a dial-up connection at 56 kbps…  It was the cutting edge, then!  My $150 phone runs on a 1Ghz processor and has total of 24GB of memory.  It has a 3G wireless connection at 1Mbps.  It’s amazing how far the technology has advanced in the last 14 years…  For a geek like me, the future looks like so much fun!  … if I don’t get left behind…

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