Live Below the Line: Day 3

The full effect of hunger is building up.

There were a lot more to endure today. I hesitate to describe what I’m experiencing fully for fear of worrying those who cares about me. But I am determined to be completely honest in making these records. So before I continue, I want to assure everyone who loves me to not worry. What you are about to read may sound worse than what I actually experienced. None of what was going on with my body has affected my regular schedules. Please be confident that I am still well.

Since yesterday, I have been feeling a bit cold even though the temperature is high. I thought it might not be directly related to hunger. Yet today the feeling persisted. My body is getting weak. At times, I feel a very slight tremor in both arms and legs. And then there was the stomach cramps. They happened a few times right before meals, but never long. I feel best after eating, like now. Having had dinner, nothing can be more in the norm. Only two days to go. I can do this.

Feelings aside, filling my belling is getting more difficult. I struggle with whether to maintain a balanced diet, or to simply try to fill my stomach as much as possible when making meal plans. The hungrier I get, the more my priorities shift towards getting as much food as possible instead of eating healthily. I cut down on milk and meat today. A couple of days ago, this decision would be unthinkable.

For lunch, I still had an apple. It almost seems like a bad choice. Fruits are most unfulfilling. And without it I could get three times more pastina. Now that sounds very appealing. The sandwich I would normally find enough seemed much too small.

Dinner was equally unsatisfying, even though I got slightly more starchy food by cutting down on everything else. I am keeping this short. It seemed so pitiful, I can hardly think of something to say about it here.

This is the end of the third day; already the lack of food is having an effect on me. To think that soon this will be all over is a comforting one. But this is just me. There are 1.2 billion people out there who never know when their suffering will end. Hunger fogs the mind and weakens bodies. It exposes people to sickness. And these people, they are helpless against it. We, able bodied and healthy, can only try to do as much as possible to help. But will it ever be enough?

Today's total: $1.49

You can help make a difference too!
To donate, go to: http://www.livebelowtheline.com/me/mxke
All funds raised will go to the World Food Program (WFP)

Live Below the Line: Day 2

I couldn't wait to get out of bed this morning. I kept thinking "I'm having breakfast!" like it was the most exciting thing that can happen. Pouring cereals into the bowl, it occurred to me how wonderful the sound of cereals clinking on ceramic was. It made me happy. Then I realized I haven't appreciated breakfast cereal like this ever since elementary school. Having a meal feels like a rare treat.

I planned the coming meals with care today. Yesterday, I miscalculated the impact missing afternoon tea can have on my hunger and ate too little at noon. I won’t make that mistake again. For lunch, I modified a favorite brunch menu to fit my budget. I cut out the center of a toast, filled the hollow with an egg, and fried it. The extra bit of toast went into the stir-fried lattice. The dish sort of cheated my senses into believing there were more on the plate than there really was. Adding an apple, lunch was a feast.

The afternoon was easier to pass by. Even though I still wish for a snack, the craving wasn’t overwhelming. I was able to push food from my mind for a few hours as I went about my studies. At 5:30, I cut the toast and made some salad. Dinner was delicious but unfulfilling. My stomach still rumbles as I sit here typing, but the hunger doesn’t bother me that much anymore.

Even though I am getting used to the empty feeling, there were moments (such as when unknowing friends called up for ice-cream) when battling for self-control became difficult. Those were times when all the supporting voices that came to me over the last few days helped very much. In addition to friends’ and family’s encouragement, I was happy to receive words from both WFP and ‘Live Below the Line UK’ through social media. They reminded me that I am doing this for a good cause. Going to sleep tonight will be easier even with an empty stomach. For all that send in their support, thank you. I am very grateful to get those messages.

Today's total: $1.41

You can make a difference too!

To donate, go to: http://www.livebelowtheline.com/me/mxke

All funds raised is going to the World Food Program (WFP)

Live Below the Line: Day 1

Even though I expected to be hungry, I thought LBL wouldn’t impact my life too much because I don’t really eat much on a daily basis.

I was wrong.

Breakfast time. Coffee or tea was too much luxury. This I could deal with. Although an empty feeling was beginning to grow on my body. Still, I got through the morning without incident.

For lunch, there was only one lonely apple. It was the only fruit I planned to have all day. The memory of it stayed with me though the afternoon. I never thought I’d love the sweet taste of an apple so much. For someone used to having at least a fruit after every meal, my body was protesting. Dissatisfaction and cravings were constantly on my mind, even when I tried preoccupying myself with schoolwork as distraction.

3pm, the time of the day when I usually have afternoon tea and snacks. The desire to eat was overwhelming. I was already looking forward to dinner very much. The empty feeling continued to grow. To fill it, I kept on drinking water. It didn’t help much, but at least it was something for my mouth to do.

At 5pm, I decided I can stand it no longer, and had to have my last meal early. Mercifully, my daily budget was still enough to cook a simple pastina with some lattice and a very little sandwich turkey. No meal ever looked as wonderful as that small bowl of pastina soup.

This is only the first day. Already the feeling of hunger has taken up a big part of my conscious. But there is no cause to complain. Unlike people living though poverty, I do not suffer from the fear of not finding my next meal. I have the freedom to stop doing this if it becomes unbearable. How anyone can live in such insecurity and hunger for months, let alone years, is almost unthinkable.

Today's total: $1.44

You can make a difference too!
To donate, go to: http://www.livebelowtheline.com/me/mxke
All funds raised is going to the World Food Program (WFP)

Live Below the Line: Answers to Friends' and Family's Questions

When I expressed my intention to participate in this year's Live Below the Line challenge, the first thing friends and family said to me after learning what the challenge about is "Is it necessary? How will you stay healthy?"

The answer to that is: Yes, it is necessary because it not only helps me in experiencing a fraction of what it is like to live in poverty (we can never truly understand what it is like for we are still in the safety and comfort of our home, with a choice to end eat better shall we feel unwell) but this effort will give us the chance to tell the people around us: “I’m making an effort, why not join me?”

How will I stay healthy?

I won’t. I will make an effort to balance my nutritions and I hope they will not worry for me. It will be hard, and I will be hungry. But remember: it is only for five days, and there are billions of people out there that have to live through that for who knows how long? If you are concerned for me now, you should be even more concerned for them.

No one deserves to live such a life. That is why we are donating money and taking the challenge. When we are people who can make a difference for others, it is our duty to do so.

See more & participate at https://www.livebelowtheline.com/me/mxke