The light is low in the bar/cafe, opera music is playing, and I write with a single candle on the table providing most of the light.

The owner is a very internationally inclined Chinese man. Impeccably dressed in Italian clothing, he slowly works the room, offering for people to try...something, I can’t see exactly because it’s too dark. Candy? Chocolate? Olives? Something.

He and I have chatted before, but he sees that I’m working and leaves me to my writing and coffee. The coffee is pretty good. I’d prefer if it was slightly stronger, but it’s still pretty good.

I stayed up all night talking business with a Chinese friend, then had a call back to America scheduled at 5AM local time. I didn't sleep until 9AM, and then I awoke at 5PM when I got a dinner invitation.

Well, dinner for my host, breakfast for me.

He wanted my take on something that's been on his mind, I gave it. We talked history and politics a little bit, and then he invited me to an event on Sunday. Coffee hadn't kicked in yet, so I was still hazy. How's my calendar on Sunday? I think it's clear. "Yeah, I'm in, thanks."

I come back from breakfast/dinner, work a little bit, go running. A pretty hard run and it's pretty cold out. Did some stairs too.

Situps/pushups.

Shower.

Get a massage.

Hungry.

Order a chicken burrito and coffee at the bar/cafe where I'm now writing by candlelight. Coffee's pretty good. Could be slightly stronger, but pretty good.

I'm still hungry. How many calories have I had today? ...1700, I think?

I'm hungry, but no ordering. Still cutting. I want to look like a barbarian warlord. It'll help me do the things I want to achieve.

It'll be time for a bulking cycle soon, rebuild my muscles, get stronger. But I'll cut some more first. When I start lifting and bulking, my testosterone and aggressiveness are going to go up. Right now I don't need and wouldn't benefit from higher levels of aggression, and later I will benefit from it. So, still cutting. Bulk later.

I'm hungry. No matter. I'm going to look like a barbarian warlord. That's better than food.

I try to burn simple phrases into my brain that contain the whole gestalt of something I'm going to do. It makes it easier to avoid short term temptation.

"Barbarian warlord."

Health benefits are such a hazy and ill-defined thing. "I'm going to look like a barbarian warlord" - that contains the whole idea. That's better than food.

"Another coffee, please. Xiexie."

This coffee's weaker than the last one. Fuck, why is it so hard to get a strong coffee around here?

It's still not so bad. Good oil on top of it, prepared well. Hmm... I don't know what makes coffee strong. I should find out. Or maybe I can ask them to make it stronger for me. Hmm, hmm, hmm.

No food. Cutting. Barbarian warlord. Will eat asinine amounts of calories when I'm bulking. That'll be fun. I don't need the aggression boost right now, I'm not doing anything particular adverserial or controversial or fear-inducing that defiant mannerism and aggression would benefit. Keep cutting.

No more food. Barbarian warlord. Gestalt. Keep building.