It has been a long time since I posted something... way tooooo long :)
Well now I am back and there have happened some interesting things in my life. First of all, I started my masters in Philosophy. Another 1.5 years and I will have finished my formal education. I am really looking forward to it, although it is great fun doing philosophy. I had a discussion with a guy studying political sciences. He called it the discipline everybody wants to study but nobody dares to study, because you pretty much prepare yourself for a really interesting out-of-work-life. Well, I do not know about that but I certainly do feel privileged being able to think about all the important questions in life.
Anyway, over the last summer I have become vegetarian as well. Until now it has been quite a good experience. There are a lot of vegetarian goodies that are hard to get in Tromsø, but all the basic stuff such as veggies, fruits, beans, different kind of corn, basic soy stuff etc. is easily to come by. Before I made that decision I was doing a lot of reading, especially because I was afraid I would not get sufficient nutrient. Well, I found that the human body does not need meet to satisfy its needs for protein or vitamins. The only vitamin one cannot get from a vegetarian or vegan diet is B12, but this is stored in the body for up to 30 years (ok, it is only stored for 3-5 years but the body reabsorbs it when using it, and thus it lasts for about 30 years in the body), especially when one was a meat-eater prior to becoming vegetarian/vegan. And in Norway we are really socialized into taking our vitamin pills. So you get more than enough B12 and all the other vitamins, too, not only from the pills but as well from fortified foods such as soy/rice milk. After I had made the transition I expected to have a real hard time (because I still like the smell and taste of meat, that did not change :-), but surprisingly it is much easier and demands much less effort than I was expecting. I will keep you guys updated on how it plays out in the long rung. In the end, for me, it was an ethical decision. Actually it was my good friend Franky who got me thinking about where our food really comes from and managed to open up my mind toward vegetarianism. Thank you Franky!
Well the other major change, at least to me, was that I am now doing barefoot running. Up to now it has worked very well, but I am still in the beginning of my new adventure so I need to do a lot of training. I just hope I will find the time and place to do that (dark-time-period and long winter can be a problem for barefoot runners in Tromsø ;-) I have been using my fivefingers (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=137378&id=630441340) for over a year now and I just felt it was time to go completely bare (regarding solely my feet of course ;-) If you guys now think that I have gone completely nuts, well you are probably right. For those of you who might be interested in why I am doing it, you should check out: http://barefootkenbob.runningbarefoot.org/?page_id=25 He has been a source of inspiration for many barefoot runners and you will find the whole story on his page. The link I posted above leads you directly to his book, which he is willing to share with everybody free of charge (ok, it is not finished yet). And that is probably the most likeable thing about him; he does not believe that running should be about buying a lot of stuff only in order to feel good. Well, check it out if you like. For me, barefoot running is all about going back to childhood when I was running around without wearing shoes, the adventure to try new things and of course to run natural - hm, I do not intend to start a philosophical argument here :) - playful and healthy for as long as possible.
Ok, guys
So far so good
I will try to be a good Barefoot Timmy and post to my blog more often.
Remember it is always good to hear from you guys so please feel free to keep me updated about your life, as well.
I am sending a good 10-second-hug to all of you.
Your barefooted East-German vegetarian
Timmy
