The Roaming Minds

An x-ray of a foot by Andrew Magill (Wikimedia Commons)      In my previous blog, I started an account of how I began my journey of becoming a future marathoner. I have been doing well. My endurance with running is getting better. My weight has improved, and I have officially completed two 5-kilometer runs. I even completed a half marathon two weeks ago. I am excited and ready physically and mentally to complete my first official half-marathon in about three weeks!  But, the story changed significantly about two weeks ago when I started experiencing health problems in my feet that could prevent me from running, including the marathon I am dreaming of completing in November 2023. Disclaimer:  The content of this blog is only intended for entertainment and not to provide expert medical information or give advice. If you have symptoms, consult your doctor. Plantar fasciitis      I am flat-footed, which sometimes causes my heels to hurt and inflame. ...

My membership card. I love the slogan! On November 2022, I joined the New York Road Runners (NYRR). This organization is the non-profit group that sponsors the world-famous and one of the largest marathons in the world - the TCS New York City Marathon. The marathon attracts runners from 130 countries and with around 50,000 finishers. I am not an athlete and have never run a race. However, I decided to run to achieve a more active and healthier lifestyle, especially after the pandemic. Moreover, I want to fulfill the dream of becoming a marathoner and simultaneously explore the five boroughs of New York City through running. At first, I thought I only needed to register to run the marathon. But, after exploring the NYRR website, I realized running in the marathon is a process. First, you become a member of the organization to gain a guaranteed spot in various races. Next, you train and maintain your fitness. Finally, keep racing. I joined NYRR. It is optional to become a member to run i...

Welcome to Little Italy sign at Mulberry and Broome Streets intersection.           The quick answer to that question is food - Italian cuisines and desserts. Have you tried different flavors of  bruschetta, gnocchi ,  ravioli,  and  linguine ? How about  cannoli, pignoli ,  gelato,  and  torrone ? If you want to try authentic Italian food other than the familiar spaghetti, meatball, pizza, and salad, go to Little Italy. They have rows and rows of ristoranti Italiano (Italian restaurants) and dessert stores. If you need to know what to order, restaurants display menus with a list of ingredients at their entrances. There are also standby receptionists waiting to answer your questions. Here are three things you need to experience when visiting Little Italy.  Eat at one of the ristoranti Italiano.      There are so many restaurants to choose from. We tried Benito One's linguine seafood made of white c...

  The Harvesters  (ca. 1565) by Pieter Bruegel | Oil on wood | 45 7/8 x 62 7/8 in. You can examine the artwork here .      Pieter Bruegel the Elder's (ca. 1525-1569) work above depicted one hot summer in a Dutch countryside. It was part of his original six paintings, but five survived, showing the different seasons of the year. The one above is currently displayed at the Met Museum in New York City, while the other four are exhibited in Vienna, Austria, and Prague, Czech Republic.      It is interesting that as I examined the details of this Dutch masterpiece, it brought memories of the  barrio  (village) where I grew up in the 1980s. It is fascinating despite significant differences between the year (the 1500s versus the 1980s) and place (the Netherlands versus the Philippines), the subjects in the painting and my experiences shared similarities. As a result, those similarities triggered the memories of the village I grew fond of....

A Medieval portal      The Middle Ages, or Medieval Period, was a European period in history that began from the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century to the Rennaisance Period (13th-15th century). This period became known for its art and architecture, particularly ecclesiastical structures like grand cathedrals and monasteries.      The Met Cloisters has curated some of the grandest Medieval architecture, exquisite gardens, and original art forms. No other museum in the U.S. has combined these aspects of Medieval cultures. Here are our favorites. The cloisters and gardens      A cloister is a covered corridor with a wall on one side and an open quadrangle, garden, or courtyard on the other. This type of architecture was common in Medieval monasteries, convents, or cathedrals. There are four cloisters in the Met Cloisters, three with idyllic gardens in the middle. The Bonnefont Cloister   Behind us is the herb garden at the Bonnefo...