Weekly Wednesday Pickmeup

The midweek playlist is ready for your listening pleasure. Enjoy!

Why Do We Rush Off of Planes?

Your flight just landed and you're taxing to the gate. Finally, the captain turns off the fasten seat belt sign and in half a second everyone on the plane is standing in the aisle, jammed in like sardines trying to get their carry on luggage out of the overhead bins. The flight crew has not even opened the door yet; What is this? The entire flight process has been this practiced dance of line after line where you wait your turn.  Then all of a sudden you have landed and it is a shameless free for all to get out of there. I don't know when I first observed this phenomenon but since noticing it, I can't seem to let it go.

Some of the people on your flight have about 15 minutes to make their connection. I think they should be allowed to get off of the flight first. You may have been in this situation yourself before and maybe you have even missed a connecting flight completely. You know it is not something you want to inflict upon your worst enemy! So, let's let these people get off first and get a running start to their next gate! They still may not make it but at least we gave them a fighting chance!

Some of your fellow travelers are returning home from some epic journey that is impossible to even fathom.  Perhaps they received the unfortunate call last night that a loved one is deathly ill. Maybe they are military members returning from down-range. Whatever the nature may be of their dire situation,  they should go next!

Then there are the screaming, restless children  - get them out of there!!  Mom is probably traveling with so much stuff that she had to spread it out amongst several overhead bins. It's going to take her a  moment to get it all gathered as she wrangles her herd of rambunctious children. Give them some space. Mom is ready to get home, kids are ready to get off of the plane and all other passengers are ready to be out of earshot of those little punks angels. It's a win/win situation to let them disembark next.

Then the majority of us, the people who are in no particular rush other than the fact that we would appreciate more than 2 square feet of personal space,  maybe then we should get off of the plane.

I believe this rushed debarkation has something to do with "group think"( that psychological phenomenon where people do what everyone else is doing simply because it is what everyone else is doing)! It is mindless following and we are all culprits.   We all stand up hastily after landing because that's what everyone else is doing so surely that's what we should do too.

I vote we reverse the tide! When one or two people calmly stay seated on the plane and wait, more and more people start following suit. Let's be the change we wish to see in the world people! If you don't have to be out of there in a hurry, hold on a minute! I'm not saying stay around all day;  everyone wants out of there and I'm sure the flight crew wants us gone too, but we should all slow down and be mindful of the situations going on around us!

Weekly Wednesday Pickmeup

The mid week has once again crept up on us and that means it's time for a playlist! As you may have noticed by now, I am a sucker for female singer songwriters, key changes,  building percussion and strange chord progressions. This week you'll hear a few more male vocalists as I'm trying to branch out here; Please excuse my progress! Give this playlist a listen - it will be worth your time!

 

(Clockwise from Top: Fitz and The Tantrums, LP, Japandroids, Quadron)

Pushing Through Hot Yoga

I made my very first attempt at hot yoga today.  It was challenging in ways I hadn't expected. The yoga practice itself was not different at all from your average vinyasa flow class but the heat! Oh my the heat! I found it hard to simply breathe. Even in a relaxing posture like child's pose, I was straining to fill my lungs with oxygen. The simplest task became difficult.

 

(Childs pose image via Kristin McGee on HuffPost Healthy Living)

There is something strange about the way the mind works against you in a steamy 109 degree room. At the 10 minute mark I began thinking about quitting. I was unable to focus on the task at hand. I was shiftily looking around at other class participants to gauge if they were thinking the same thing.

5 more minutes pass,  I'm just standing there holding my arms up.  I am fatigued and I decide to take an unscheduled water break.

 

(Image via Katie Paul of Head.Heart.Health)

A few more minutes pass, others in the class begin working at their own pace, taking frequent breaks and resting from time to time. Great! I can get on board with this. Or maybe I could just roll up my mat and go...

Then we enter into a Downward facing dog. The go-to yoga posture. The most frequently used pose in yoga: hands on the ground, feet on the ground, bum toward the sky. Simple. Or wait, no, what? The instructor had come over to correct me. Excuse me? This is basic - I can't possibly need assistance here...  but I guess I did. What just happened?

(Downward Facing Dog image via Kristin McGee on HuffPost Healthy Living)

In the middle of this self inflicted torture I came to a realization. It was one of those "ah-ha" moments that comes along every once and a while. I was dwelling on the heat. I was infatuated with the temperature, my labored breathing and sweaty limbs. I had forgotten to pay attention to the simple movement I have practiced countless times in the past.  I needed to calm my mind and simply focus on my practice.

Calming the mind is a basic directive of Yoga.  I often experience difficulty in purging my mental flow of rampant thoughts in a yoga sesh. "What will I have for dinner tonight?"" How crazy was that Super Bowl Last night?" "I wonder what my boyfriend is doing right now?" "I think my yoga mat smells like rubber I wonder if it is from recycled tires?" "How do you recycle tires?"and so on. That is my usual thought progression today it was something like this:

 "WOW, this room is warm. I'm probably going to sweat more than normal. Ok class is starting, she has asked us to start our breathing. Whoa breathing is hard in here. Seriously, should it be easier? I wonder if I might have a minor asthma problem? Ok we're moving now, interesting, maybe she will just take it easy on us. Nope, not at all, it's a regular class and I can't breathe. Maybe this is too intense for me, I'm a little rusty anyway - I've only been to a handful of classes lately. I've always been a Nancy. Suck it up - you can do this. No, quitting is a much better idea.  I should really consider my health here. What if I pass out from the heat like that time I passed out in the shower in 6th grade and the doctor said it was because the water was too hot. Yeah, I'm probably sensitive to heat. I should get the heck out of here. This is dangerous for me. Look, that guy over there is taking a break - I bet he wants to quit too. Maybe if he leaves I will just follow him out the door. OMG two drops of sweat just suicide leaped from my forehead and landed on my yoga mat. I'm so embarassed I'm so sweaty. The girl in the back is just sitting now - perfect. Maybe I should sit and let this sweating subside. The instructor wants us to do a downward facing dog now - Ok that should be easy enough... maybe. Ew, every ounce of me is sweating right now. I am literally dripping. Ugh I can't stand this. My legs feel a little shaky, maybe I should have eaten before class. Maybe that means i'm about to pass out - I should probably get up and walk out now. Two more breaths and maybe the next instruction will be sit down. Why is someone touching my arm. Oh it's the instructor.  She must be new - why is she correcting me. Nope, she is right, that is bad form. What am I doing!!!

 

(image via  Yoga District)

That was the breakthrough moment - that was the very instant that I realized that the heat is just like all of the other thoughts that pass through my brain. It is a distraction. It is keeping me from finding peace and clarity. It is distracting me from the task at hand. I realized that if I could conquer my thoughts in this moment, surely I would be stronger mentally tomorrow than I was earlier today. And if I were to continue to practice hot yoga - who knows how much I might grow?

So some may practice this way to clear their pores or to increase their endurance in heat or simply because they are masochists but for me - I will continue this practice as a brain training exercise. I will learn to conquer my subconscious stream and I will find clarity.


Revelations like this are why I practice yoga!

~Namaste~

Weekly Wednesday Pickmeup

Wednesday is upon us again and that means it is time for some mid-week entertainment.  Grab a cup of coffee, enjoy the playlist I've created for you this week and check out this blog: Dream Green DIY. This DIY, Design and Lifestyle blogger offers up tons of cute projects and styling tips.  The imagery on her site is captivating; I love her color schemes! Good luck navigating away from her site - I was stuck there (happily) for quite some time! Happy Wednesday!

   

          

   

This Kid is Awesome!

Today I'm going to let Kid President do all of the talking. He says it better than I could anyway!





I'm glad you're here and I'm glad Kid President is here too! Happy Sunday everyone!

Read This Post Before You Attempt to Purchase an Unlocked iPhone in the US

I moved home from Germany 5 days ago. I will be spending a few months in the States then I'm moving to Japan. I know the best option for me is an unlocked phone that I can move from one network to another as I travel around.  I thought this would be a simple enough problem to resolve. However, it seems that few mobile phone sales representatives in my area have any idea what to do in this situation. I started at the Apple store. They sent me to AT&T who sent me to T-Mobile, at T-mobile I was sent to Verizon, Verizon suggested I check with the Apple Store - I had gone full circle. I stopped at Target somewhere in there too, just to ensure that no one in my area had a solution for me. Frustrated, to say the least, I felt I should share the information I gathered with anyone who might possibly be looking to resolve a similar problem. The good news is that I have found a solution and so will you; Read on!

CDMA vs GSM

There are two major types of wireless voice technologies used globally: Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and Global System for Mobile communication (GSM). GSM is the standard in Europe. Japan is on CDMA. For other countries and regions of the world,  I have no idea but a quick Google search should provide an answer. In the United States we have a mix of both. Some US wireless networks such as Verizon and Sprint are on CDMA, while AT&T, T-Mobile and others are on GSM.  iPhones can be either CDMA or GSM compatible.  Apple does not produce a model that is both CDMA and GSM compatible (not in the US market at least). The CDMA iPhone and the GSM iPhone look the same and, for the average user, function exactly the same. The only noticeable difference between the two types of iPhones is their model number.  So you need to find out what type of technology you require and purchase the appropriate model. 

Wikipedia has a comprehensive list of US carriers detailing whether they are CDMA or GSM.

Click here for more information on iPhone Model Numbers. 

Purchasing an Unlocked iPhone

This is going to be expensive. You should expect to pay no less than $600 for the latest model. At the time of this writing I was quoted $712 for a 16GB iPhone 5s at Verizon or $699 for the same phone at the Apple Store. That being said, do your homework! The prices do vary based on promotional offers or excess stock or holiday weekend sales or whatever. On the day I checked at Verizon, they were selling the 5c and the 5s for the same price due to a promotion. However, both phones at Verizon were more expensive than they were at the Apple Store.

Not all wireless providers will sell an unlocked iPhone. Most will only sell the phone locked to their network. This means that unless you do some mid-level hacking (not recommended), you cannot take the phone off of their network. T-Mobile, Verizon and the Apple Store will sell the iPhone unlocked. Verizon requires that you are on their network for at least 7 days. This to me sounds like their way of locking you into a one month commitment to their service at a minimum.

WARNING: Beware of purchasing unlocked phones from 2nd party vendors. An iPhone that has been jail-broken and unlocked, AKA hacked, to allow it to leave it's original carrier's network may cause big problems down the line. They may have all sorts of glitches and quirks and you will unlikely be able to upgrade your software when a new version of iOS comes out. If you aren't particularly savvy with technology, you should avoid this route!

Contract Free Wireless Service

Once you have purchased your unlocked iPhone that operates on the voice technology you need (CDMA/GSM), you have one more problem to work out. Which US pay as you go service will you be selecting? There are several carriers that sell pay as you go SIM cards and credit refills at Target and other major retailers near you. If you have a GSM compatible, unlocked iPhone you can use the AT&T or T-Mobile options (beware of shockingly low data allowances!). CDMA folks, you'll be looking for other options.  Sprint has a program called "Sprint as you go" - this was not a great option for me as Sprint has spotty coverage in my area. Verizon does not have a pay as you go option that is worth your time. They have something listed online but it seems to be a daily rate. The representative in the store told me there was nothing compatible with the iPhone.  My father has a contract with Verizon and they offered to put me on his plan for $40/month with unlimited talk & text and 2GB of data. Since I have a phone that is unlocked, I have no commitment and can be dropped from the plan whenever I wish. Check with your friends and family to see if you can opt in to something like this temporarily.

Here you will find a list of CDMA carriers world wide.

And the GSM guys are here!

*Companies are known to switch technologies so these sites are subject to errors and changes.

More Good News

In many circumstances, buying an unlocked phone upfront will save you money in the long run. I did the math, if I had an individual plan with a 2 year contract I would pay about $90/month. For this I would receive the same service as I will receive with my unlocked phone piggy backing on my father's existing plan. I paid $599 for my phone and I will pay $40 per month for my service. If I was on this plan for 2 years I would spend $1559 in total. If I went the traditional route and paid $90/month for the service with the phone included for 2 years my total would be $2,160.  See what I did there? I just saved over $500! You can do it too! Plus you can have the freedom to leave the country, pick up a SIM card on the road and have mobile service throughout the world without being tied to a recurring monthly payment to a mobile provider back home.


"Fear commitment?" that's the marketing tagline they like to use to target people in our situation. How about "Are you a super cool, globe trotting, wanderlusting, nomad who deserves all the functionality of an iPhone even though you can't be counted on to stay in the same area code for long?" There are plenty of us out there and wireless providers are making this way too difficult to navigate. Until they get it together and help a "hopeless wanderer" out, I guess we have to rely on blog posts and internet research. Best of luck to you on your adventure into wireless contract liberation and global cellular mobility!