Nothing Wrong with a Reboot
March 9, 2025 – In the Lower Mainland
There is nothing wrong with a reboot. Last week entailed trying to catch up on a few outstanding items on my things to do list and I am happy to have finish a few things, even though it took waaaaaaaaay longer than I expected it would take to do. A comment reoccurrence for me… an underestimation of time. That’s ok. I’m learning and I am taking the time to understand how things work, how long it takes, and what I need to do to get things done. Furthermore, I’m not even sure how well I’m doing things, but that will be the next hurdle when it comes. I’m not being hard on myself, but I’m trying to keep a realistic and reasonable perspective of my work, my life, and my wellbeing. Admittedly, what has served me in the last year, and what I am taking into this year, is embracing SLOW, which required intentionality, LOVE, and rest.
I’m back in Vancouver/Burnaby. Coming back to the Lower Mainland feels like HOME. I am wondering if we can have different homes. Going to Prince Rupert also feels like home. And, I love my new place in Prince George. That feels like home too. Ahh… look at that food pic. I may have shared that image before, but it is one of my favourite meals to have. Often, going to The Boss Restaurant is one of the first things I do. This meal-of-choice is fish congee and lo bok go. I love the ginger and sesame oil flavours of the soup, the tender fish, and comforting texture and taste of the turnip cake. It also reminds me of my mom and making this food in Prince Rupert when I was a kid. Again, it feels like home. This visit to the Lower Mainland, I’m staying at a hotel. Normally, I would stay at my twin-bro’s place, but he was feeling under the weather.
So, this weekend has been a splurge. I’m staying at a hotel near my brother’s place… and near the location of which I booked a massage/spa session. OMG. I tried a massage last winter with my friends. It was intense. A bit of wincing, thus I am surprised that I booked another session at a different location. It was also a different massage package too. Whoa. I think I fell asleep a couple of times. I never experienced something like that before and it was exactly what I wanted (and needed). It was 90-minutes of pure relaxation. It was interesting to notice that my mind was fully activated at the beginning of the session, then I was focused on the massage, then… I was asleep. LOL. What a perfect way to spend my Saturday (aka., be a person day) morning. The experience was pure luxury and joy. I just LOVED it.
One thought that passed through my mind during the massage was… my mom would have loved a massage. She would have NEVER done something like this. She was so frugal and every thing was for everyone else. She never tended to her needs. She ALWAYS focussed on everyone else. She wore clothes that were way too big for her because they were clothes that were more than 20-years old. She might have splurged on a pair of shoes, but they were likely on sale. I admired her stamina to save money and make something out of nothing. It was somewhat incredible and admirable. She held everything together. Now that she’s gone, I noticed (over time) that she was the heart of our family. Ever since, we’ve made efforts to connect as a family, but it’s not quite the same. Coming to Burnaby is a time to restore and reboot.
After my massage, I had dim sum at the Neptune and then met up with my twin-bro. He is feeling better. We roamed around the mall and picked up small gift for my aunt. She planned a birthday party and it was a big Chinese dinner at a restaurant with 65 friends and family. Five huge round tables of people and the food was incredible. It was wonderful to reconnect with family and I was really happy for my aunt to celebrate LIFE with friends and family… and to celebrate her. It was amazing and cup filling. My aunt just wants to make a connection, and she did. I had a really good time. Today, included breakfast at the hotel (one of my favourite things to do, even though it’s included), chilling in my hotel room lying diagonally on the king size bed, and passively watching the Brier semi-finals on TSN (because I don’t get this channel).
Whew… does it get any better than this? Yes, it does. I’m blogging, I hope to get through my emails (and get crap off my desktop), and I have snacks and leftovers to eat in my hotel room. I LOVE this slowing down (while the Brier is on). I can’t watch the game too closely. It would stress me out. LOL. This afternoon, I’m meeting up with my siblings to go to happy hour downtown Vancouver, then I’m going to Gabor Maté at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre as a VIP ticket holder. I get to meet Gabor in a pre-session and take a picture with him, then go to the evening event near the front rows to listen to him talk. Now, that’s splurgy… for me. I bought the ticket before I bought my house, but no regrets. Gabor Maté’s books have resonated with me. I’ve been listening to his books online and the stories he shares are incredibly compelling.
So, when folks ask me if I am in Vancouver for business or pleasure… I’m here for me… for pleasure!! PS. I even went out on Friday night with a friend of mine who was in Metrotown… for business. I enjoyed the serendipity of our meeting. They sent me a food pic to make me jelly… and I said, I’m going there too. LOL. Life is so fun!!