क्या हुआ??

So I’m going to be taking the Foreign Service Officer Test next month. Therefore I’ve been reviewing some American History and Government and all that. Well, I was reading up about religious movements in the 1800s and found this little anecdote.

“John Humphrey Noyes, a product of the Second Great Awakening, and disciples of the Society of Inquiry founded the Oneida Community in New York in 1848. In contrast to the celibate Shakers, Noyes’s followers accepted “complex marriage,” the idea that every man and every woman in the community were married to each other. Boys and girls were trained in sexual practices when they reached puberty, but only those who accepted Jesus Christ as their savior were allowed to have sexual relations. Oneida prospered because it developed products known for their quality, first steel traps and later silver flatware. When Noyes left Oneida to avoid prosecution for adultery, the members abandoned complex marriage and formed a company to continue manufacturing tableware. It remains in business today as Oneida Community, Ltd.”

I went to http://www.oneida.com and sure enough they manufacture some very nice looking dishware

I wonder what they say about the history of their company!

“The company originated in a utopian community established in the mid-nineteenth century, and has had a strong reputation for quality since that time.”

Hmmm…guys, I think you left something out! But yeah, history can be a little surprising sometimes.

So I’ve finally done it, I’ve joined a gym. There’s a 24 Hour Fitness center about a 5 minute walk from my apartment, so I decided to stop making excuses and check the place out. I went in for a tour and walked out with a membership and a half hour treadmill session under my belt. What a great feeling! Even though my summer weight loss resulted from digestive issues and an all-around lack of appetite, I came to the realization that I wanted to continue losing weight (though perhaps with a healthier method).

The unfortunate thing is that personal training is ungodly expensive,  so I’ll have to just work with whatever I can learn from my orientation session on Friday and maybe one personal training session. Anyway, at least there are classes like every single day, so I can at least get some guided stuff once or twice a week. My big challenge now is to actually get into the routine of going to this place. I forced myself to actually stay today and work out today instead of doing the “I’ll start tomorrow” thing. I’m going to force myself to get up and go tomorrow and the next day…until it’s not forcing anymore and just becomes habit.

The nice part is that the liquor store nearby has wifi, so I was totally able to listen to my favorite, upbeat Pandora station….and check my email…while on the treadmill (which is a bit silly I know, but whatevs!)

So yeah, whoever actually reads this blog, feel free to hassle and nag me about whether or not I’m keeping to my workout routine! Let’s hope I won’t need it! (The nagging, that is)

Well, I’m back to my normal blog now. Not sure how many followed along on my India blog, but if you’re one of them, then thanks!

I’m now a week into my second year of my M.A. program. It may be the final year, but that all depends on how my thesis research goes. I’m really coming into this academic year with a new perspective on a number of things. The experience of this summer has made me a more mature, driven and confident person.

I’ve had to make some difficult decisions lately, well one in particular. Some people may know what I’m talking about while many still don’t even know what the secret was behind my “In a relationship” facebook status for around 10 months. Let’s just say that if you have principles you should stick by them and don’t change them for another person, especially when they wouldn’t do the same for you. I’ve let myself be pushed around and have given in to bullying and guilt far too often. I’ve realized this now, and I’m not going to make excuses for people anymore .

Anyway, I feel a bit more free now. More than anything, I’m excited to finally get out and explore Austin.  The best part is I actually feel like myself, fully myself.