Since I joined the workforce some 12 or so years ago, coffee became one of my largest vices. I am a natural Night Owl and well, coffee does help me to wake up in the mornings. I was never fortunate enough to find a job that allowed me to man the graveyard shift. I remembered that it got to the point where I was drinking quite a few huge mugs every day since coffee is provided free of charge by many companies. Of course, they got the cheapest variety, which turned out to be the super-unhealthy 1/2 coffee - 1/2 burnt corn blend that leaves a weird smokey-sour aftertaste in your mouth.
I switched to drinking Nescafe (and other coffees that at least were recognised supermarket brands) after the coffee lady informed us about the burnt corn. (Yeah, it was THAT long ago in a time when there were still coffee ladies in the workplace.)
I recently found out that drinking coffee was really not something I should be doing if I wanted a healthier existance. I mean, I knew that all along, after all one of my old primary (this is sort of like elementary school in singapore) school teachers died pretty young. She was a heavy drinker who sipped like 8 large mugs everyday and was advised by her doctors not long before she died that she had to cut down on the beverage because it was contributing to some kidney-bladder problems she had.
So about a month ago, I stopped drinking coffee... I still allowed myself to drink tea, but I sometimes wonder if I should stop that too. There's some talk in the circles I move around that tea has as much caffine as coffee.
Well, I was pretty glad when I saw the following article on Yahoo!
Article: Britain and tea: Health benefits renew century-old relationship
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20080924/tts-lifestyle-britain-culture-drink-tea-cac1e9b.html
The article claims that tea "...is mostly made up of water, is rich in anti-oxidants, is hydrating, low in calories and has a low level of caffeine..." Now I do not know if that factoid is really true because "scientific" research keeps changing day after day... (eg. In the past: eggs are bad because of high cholesterol. Now: Eggs are good because they are a rich source of lecitin...)
By the way... I like the following historical tidbit
"In 1908, a tea merchant in New York, Thomas Sullivan, sent samples of his tea to prospective customers in small silken bags.
The customers, many of them unfamiliar with the beverage, put the bags into hot water instead of emptying their contents, thereby leading to the development of the tea bag."
So how has my attempt to break the coffee habit been proceeding? Actually results have been pretty average... I mean I haven't had a single drink of coffee since I day I gave it up, but I really really cannot get over the whole idea of drinking coffee. I sometimes pass by Starbucks and go in to get a waft of that heavenly aroma... :(
And what's more, my attempt to kick my other vice... drinking Coke Light and other fizzy canned delights fell flat a few days ago...:( But that's really another story......
Really, this whole thing about kicking my longstanding vices and embarking on a healthier lifestyle was undertaken for general health reasons and in part due to the oft cited axioms in ceremonial magic:
"...the magician labors to purify the mind and body of all influences which may interfere with the Great Work..."
"... a magician must be sound of mind and body..."
Principles that are really not often adhered to today. :(
To divert from the topic of coffee lest I start making myself a cup... the other article of note which I saw today was the following:
Article: Singapore escort girls cash in on Grand Prix traffic
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20080925/tap-motor-racing-prix-singapore-escorts-c3bb44c.html
I guess this really should come as no surprise. I mean, what's a Grand Prix without the babes right?
There was a news story on Channel NewsAsia some days ago where retailers expressed doubt if sales would increase as a result of so many foreigners coming for the F1 event. Even Singapore Pools (that's the local lottery organisation) has gotten into the act. There's now an official betting booth down at City Hall. I had thought about putting a few dollars on the participants after doing a divination on possible winners, but I've never really been good when it comes so gambling so I'll leave it at that...
Besides, there's some local superstition about the negative effects of using psychic/spiritual/magical powers in gambling... I personally don't believe it, but I think at least for now it's appropriate for me to make my cash the old fashioned way...
Anyway, about that whole escort thing. An intrepid aquaintance and entrepreneur I knew expressed interest in this area once. I mean, it's true, this area of business will never really get out of fashion, even in bad times. And at one point, I did entertain the thought of what it might be like to own an escort service. It was some years ago when I was still a member of in the local media industry. I mean, some of the parties were really great... some movie launches had great buffet spreads... the clubs were pretty interesting but I generally don't like smokey, dark places with a full crowd. My experiences at the popular local nightspots were crappy for the most part. Sometimes, it got so crowded dancing is almost out of the question. The best movement I managed was jumping up and down on the spot... yeah, we were sardines.
But yeah, it was possible then for me to find a cadre of good looking guys and gals. Looking back at those times on hindsight, there were some things I missed... like free movies... well they were not exactly free since I had to do the reviews, but I still enjoyed doing them. And there were some things I don't miss at all. The smokey clubs was one and the other was that I don't really think I blended into the whole media-nightlife scene. That just wasn't who I really am. I mean I don't mind going out at night to a creepy location and staying up to do a ritual, and I don't mind smoke from frankincense and other natural resins, but its really another thing being at a club or pub. For one thing, with all that pounding music I don't knw how anyone can even think.
And I think, right at the end, even the local nightlife fixtures I knew could tell that I really wasn't "of the crowd". Did I change? No I don't think so... my job required me to wear a mask so that I could fit in and do what was required... but as a friend once commented, the mask got so tight if I didn't take it off it would just burst. And in the end, I think it did. The funny thing is that I didn't even know I was wearing a mask... go figure. Everyone's capable of intense self-deception and especially those who are into some kind of spirituality.
But back to escorts...
I guess if I were born into a different family this lifetime and brought up with different social mores on what's acceptable, I might venture into this business. After all, it really is pretty tame (not to mention legal here) considering I was a career criminal in at least two distinct past lives. So it should be no big whoop right?
I guess my need for respectability overcomes any notion I might have to make cash in a non-conventional way. Someday, I'll get over this. Someday...
Posts
