VELOCITY

One earth shattering phobia that has every orifice contract, dry up and curl in its wake, is my fear of heights.  One afternoon, finger pressed on “Buy” and miraculously my Amex Card gave me no alternative but to face my fear.   The trip was a present to myself.  As every psychologist knows, the way to heal yourself is to confront your fears. 

Its Sky diving in Perth, Australia is where my Amex card committed me.  No refund, only everyday until DDay was one anxious level increasing to its crescendo until the very last moment, trembling, I was on the ledge ready to  jump.  To everyone it sounds like a bucket list but in reality I wanted to do something extraordinarily against my will.   

Perth, Western Australia is a community of immigrants from Greeks to Vietnamese. Perth is a beautiful city, the sky is clear, the ocean inviting and the variety of wine choices beckoning.  Travelling  on the spur of the moment, impulsive actions gains spontaneity in life, my inner voice placating my already shaking nerves.  Tearing myself apart from Freemantle market, and the ordinary Perth life, I dabbled with my Maker.

A weekend of freedom, I hasten to add more excitement with the audaciousness of not telling loved ones of where I was going and even what I was doing.  I did look into my life insurance policy, and it did not cover Sky-diving.  Shrugging it off, it seemed in retrospect a very selfish undertaking.

Bruce, none other, picked me up at the airport.  His blond tuff, attractive golden skin came complete with a wash board stomach, only marred by his broad Aussie accent as I strained to understand his colloquialism.   Straight to my hotel with an early start before sunrise.

They talk about wind, about temperature, about velocity.   All of the talks just didn't hold.  I was oblivious.

My adventure was worth every penny spent, spell bounding but yet I still fear heights.  Lost in this thrilling excitement, my breaths were not deep, I had remind myself to take in more oxygen.

My sky diving Advertisement assured me anyone, young old, can experience the exhilaration:

"with the advances in design of the parachute, including HAHO (high altitude, high opening) chutes as well as smoke jumping chutes which open at very low altitudes, people of all ages, sex, size, and skill are jumping out of airplanes."

I opted for a tandem jump which leaves the professional (Bruce) in charge.  I was attached with him on a double harness.

The moment we belly jumped, my world of safe haven, my cocoon-like life did not exist - I was with Bruce and God.  The euphoria that comes about one VERY LONG minute into the ride cannot be described with superior adjectives.  It is your very being angrily fighting gravity, then seemingly floating, then, what does anything matter? The fear left me only momentarily with my heart pounding out of my mouth only to discover, a fatal heart attack mid-air could be a splendid way to depart.

Would I press repeat for annual gratification....the answer is NO.  Did I lose my fear of heights......the answer is NO.  Am I proud of my gungho-ness....the answer is YES.

TIME DILATION

Time dilation  -  Sensory deprivation  -  Gravitational deficit   -  Mind discovery

Cutting off from sound, sight, weightlessness, enveloped by water that doesn't drown; you are left with nothing but self evaluation for an hour. Nothing, but nothing, prepares you for sensory deprivation floating tanks.

For someone like me, nothing is worse than being motionless with no stimuli for sixty minutes in a confined space.  Just sitting still at the beauty salon for the weekly prerequisite grooming; of manicure, pedicure, waxing, hair trimming sends me to paroxysm of angst.

As a work-force product of this millennium of LCD stimuli, whether it be a laptop, smart phone, multi-faceted minutia of instant gratification, I am guilty of all of the above.  How is it possible to go through an hour-long confinement in a tank of Epsom Salt, meditative music and self-introspection?

Allow me to take you through this wondrous moment of time dilation.

 Showered and in my birthday suit, I gingerly lowered my body into the tub, holding on tight to the stainless steel handle as if the whole contraption was going to swallow me whole.  Light switched off, soft meditative music piped-in, I float in this 2ft deep water in total darkness.

Initially a wave of concern washes over me, but hell I’d sky-dived recently so step off the grid of fear and within seconds of the decision to trust this place, my neck muscles loosened, my back fell to the cushion of water and very soon the music stops.

I am alone with my thoughts; it has never been so stark that I even cannot hide behind my own subconscious.  Brainwaves, in and out, flashes of memories that dart backwards and forwards and from nowhere I have an image of a French adventure years ago with my daughter.   The images so real, the happiness welled in my heart.  Another flash of an equally happy time on a rooftop in Rome;  Chianti in one hand and gesturing with the other in my broken Italian under the night sky.

I could hear nothing but my own heartbeat, strong and rhythmic, gurgles of air, running down the tubes.  Aware of one’s own organs functioning is self assuring that all is in working order.  Breathing regular deep breaths, I am able to see the oxygen passing through the lungs, exchanging with the blood vessels and slowly in tune with my body, unafraid of my mortality.

And then the realization of the pulsating heart, the breathing, the gurgling all resembled the nine months I spent in my mother’s womb; so loving, so comforting, I could stay in this state of submerged amphibian life forever.  I was annoyed when the music piped-in again signaling my hour is up – it was only ten minutes ago, so it seemed …..this is time dilation that Annile conveyed.

Sometimes money spent on watches, an expensive and satisfying meal, a visiting international concert, or the essential brand handbag, does wonders for the ego, but surely loving yourself in this way truly gives the soul the glow it needs that can never be acquired elsewhere.

Thanks to Theta Float Centre and Annile who unknowingly gave me back my spiritual oneness.

POP, SIZZLE AND FIZZ

 

It Pops in your tongue.

It swizzles in your mouth.

It sparkles you to life.

When you swallow, it takes down and cleans up any gunge that may have been trapped when unwanted debris coats the palate from phlegm to a multitude of things we tend to put in our mouths.

Try not to let my naughty suggestive thoughts cloud your judgment of my intent.

And finally, if you are not careful, it makes you burb rather LOUD.
Suppressing such natural phenomena, would only find the bubbles go another direction with added odorous consequences.

 

I’m talking about Sparkling water, carbonated water or plain soda water.

It’s another of my addictions.

You’ll soon get to learn I have many addictions, almost all are legal and legitimate ones.

Anywhere I go in the world, however spicy the Indian curries are, or the blandness of English pot roast; the local sparkling water just makes it go down easily.

The more carbonated, the better it is for digestion.  

The properties of carbonated water :

 

Its bottled, its clean, safe to drink, aids in digestion and cleans the palate.

The more carbonated, the better it is for digestion.  Studies show that there is significant reduction in the low density of LDL Cholesterol and increase in levels of high density HDL  - therefore the risk of heart desease is reduced by about a third. Because of the richness in bicarbonate, it helps balance any negative effects sodium may have in the body.  Concluded in a health report that in carbonated waters, the richness in sodium actually has "bubbled" up suggesting that they may actually offer considerable benefits for the body.

Whatever......its time for another bubbly.  And mine is the healthy kind.  

Cheers.