Living Below the Line - Day 2

Rahinat Emily Koti-Major here again!

My day was going well, for breakfast I had oatmeal with a rice cake (unsalted). Then I had plain 'ol tuna from the can. After all that I had about 95 cents left for dinner. But during dinner temptation came into play. 

My mom has been supporting me in this challenge by locking the freezer and refrigerator for my sake and also by not eating in front of me. But for some reason she was just acting devilish today. She ended up cooking my favorite dish for dinner "shrimp and okra." Once she was done cooking it she realized what she has done and said sorry but then also taunted me and said that if I feel like giving up/in the food is on the stove for me. 

Delicious shrimp and okra

As much as I loved the smell and knew that it would taste soo good I didn't give in. But every now and then when I made my way towards the kitchen to get some water, my mom would peek to see if I was going to the stove for a little taste but I restrained myself. 

After all that happened I just laughed at my mom and we talked for the rest of the night. And she gave me this little analogy saying, in life there are a lot of test along the way and she wanted to see if I was weak-minded or strong-minded. I guess I passed the test. I am so thankful for her support in the things I do although sometimes she makes me want to renege, but I keep my mind focused on knowing that the end is near. 

For dinner I had chicken flavored Ramen noodles instead. And this was my trying Day 2. 

Sincerely, 

Rahinat Emily Koti-Major

Living Below the Line - Day 2

Nicole here again!

I successfully survived Day 1 of the challenge. I think the dread of not being able to eat whatever, whenever I want is actually worse than the actual hunger I've experienced. I was able to get by on my three meals of oatmeal, ramen & peas, and beans for dinner. Drinking gallons of water helps to fight cravings and quell the colossal rumblings of my stomach.

Aren't they lovely?

Here are the rest of the week's beans soaking in some water, the old fashioned way:

Tired of bean pictures yet? WELCOME TO MY WORLD!

Emotionally, I'm borderline okay. My mood could be described as follows:

Also, the lack of caffeine, sugar, and rainbows in my diet has led to a nifty headache, as well as an overall feeling of lethargy and tiredness. I fell asleep early while watching TV last night, and then struggled to get out of bed this morning. I wish I could say...

...but unfortunately that is not the case. Feel free to come by The SAC and watch me eat my sad ramen lunch and cheer me up. And if you bring a burger anywhere near me I will be very upset with you. I will seriously reconsider our friendship!

Don't forget to donate to UNICEF. Do it for the children:

LBTL Berkeley Cares Team Donation Page 

Disclaimer: These are my personal opinions and do not reflect the views of Berkeley College.

Living Below the Line - Day 1

Greetings from Nicole Luthman, Coordinator for Student Development & Campus Life at Berkeley College's NYC Campus.

Today is my first day doing the Live Below the Line Challenge! And I must say, all I can think about is FOOD!

Why am I doing the challenge? The number one reason I do everything at my job: for my students. The number two reason? I'm a sucker. Just kidding!

Last month, d'Arcy Lunn, a powerful speaker from The Global Poverty Project came to Berkeley College's NYC campus to talk about his experience living below the line for 5 weeks. He's biked across many countries and documented his travels, which you can read about in detail on his blog, lunnyLBTL.wordpress.com. You can also follow him on Twitter: @darcylunn.

d'Arcy opened our eyes to the heartbreaking issues of global poverty and to some solutions as well. He inspired several students to come to me and request that we do this challenge. My first thought "Do I have to do everything I ask my students to do?" But then, I realized I could hardly ask them to do something I couldn't do myself and that we would support each other through this challenge.

So here I am, thinking about food...