Shopaholic Takes on Kuala Lumpur

I'm usually not much of a shopper. I mostly spend my money on books, but today the Rebecca Bloomwood in me emerged (maybe it was sparked off by HL's blog) Went down to Mid Valley today. Here's what I bought:

1. black jeans
2. cargo pants ( I love cargo pants)
3. bracelet (for Mom)
4.doggie bracelet (for myself)
5. Riddler and LOTR cartoon vcds
6. Low sugar white lotus and ginkgo lotus mooncakes for friend's parents
7. Tiramisu and mocha macadamia mooncakes for family

Spent a while at MPH reading Jeff Galloway's book on marathon training. It was quite pleasant, with therapeutic sounds of flowing water and Bach/Gounod's version of Ave Maria in the background. Managed to read quite a bit except for the training programs. I'm not sure if I can train Galloway style, which is to walk and run a marathon. Some people have used this method and achieved marathon time of 2 hours plus. Amazing. If I walked and ran I would take 9 hours to complete a marathon I think.

Well tomorrow's National Day but I have to work. It's going to be just another day for me. I guess I am not patriotic at all.

Exercise diary:
5.5km outdoor run

Food diary:
Breakfast: toast and coffee
Lunch: Crouching tiger bun and 1/8 tiramisu mooncake
Dinner: Stir fried French beans and cauliflower, Oyster sauce chicken with potato and carrot, Pineapple

Salmon Poem

I am here in Starbucks again with Claudine having my Brazil Ipanema Bourbon. Just as Harry Potter's punishment was etched on the back of his hand in Order of the Phoenix, so was Dr Peter Ng's sermon in my mind. I've been thinking of salmon all morning. And no, not the sashimi type! God answers prayers. I was a salmon this morning. Went running (5.5km). I was definitely like a salmon going upstream when i was running up the Terasek slope (mind you it's only a slope not even a hill). Even the sky was salmon pink. Beautiful morning. As I ran up the slope, a little poem conjured in my mind. It even has a tune to go with it, sounding very much like one of those piano tunes I used to play in John Thompson's beginner books.

I'm a salmon swimming upstream,
Going to the place I dream,
I'm a salmon swimming upstream,
Things are never what they seem.

Lo and behold I'm up the creek,
Heading towards the peak,
I'm a salmon swimming upstream,
Going to the place I dream.

Going Upstream

Monday again. Time just flies. As usual I was out the whole of Sunday. But I had a great day yesterday. Started the day with church, and I really liked the analogy which Dr Peter used. Here's an excerpt from his sermon:

"Are you more like a salmon or a jellyfish?
Salmons begin their lives in the fresh water rivers of the frigid Northwest. Not long after they are born they begin a long swim down stream. Their destination is the ocean. It is here that they spend the majority of their adult lives.
Then something strange happens. Scientists don’t even understand how, but at some point the adult salmon begins to swim back home. Though they may have swum thousands of miles from that original river location they head back home. They swim upstream, against the current of the river as if led by some magical instinct or inner calling that must be compelling enough for them to go against all the tides and streams and difficulties in life.
They are leaping out of the water to overcome waterfalls and other barriers impeding their progress. They face predators like bears and people. Incredibly, though they’ve been gone for years many of them return to the exact spot where they were born.
a documentary on one determined salmon that even swam through a maze of pipes and nudged open a grate to re-enter the hatchery where it was born. After an incredible effort the fish spawn and then die. The new salmon are soon born and repeat the process.

The salmon is like the born again Christian who relises his true calling in being alive in Christ. He realises God has mapped out for him the path home and he homes in on it despite all the obstacles of life.
Does your life have a destination? Are you going in a specific direction and are you willing to face all the obstacles to get there?
Are you controlled by one overriding passion in life?
the jellyfish. There are numerous species of these yucky-looking little creatures. Some of them are tiny. Others have tentacles that can be measured in feet.
Jellyfish are born in the ocean and die there too.
They have limited movement, but never really use that ability to go in any particular destination. They’re moved along primary by the wind and waves and tides. They drift about stinging and surviving.

Are you more like a jellyfish than a salmon? You just kind of float from here to there. You’re carried by circumstances or other people’s plans, but you really have no particular destination of your own.

The difference between salmon and jellyfish is the same as the difference between people. Some have a direction. Most just drift.
Drifting can be fun. I’ve spent most of my life as a jellyfish. You just go with the flow enjoying life as much as you can.
The problem with that kind of life is that you don’t accomplish anything of significance. You reach your final days, scratch your head and ask, What was it all for anyway? Jellyfish people never find nor fulfill the reason for which they were created. "

The life of a salmon is truly amazing. What's more amazing is that God has left little lessons like these for us to learn. I kept thinking to myself, I don't want to be a jellyfish. After all they do nothing but just drift around PLUS sting. I spoke to a friend about this analogy, and she told me that she's been to a salmon breeding farm before. She said that when the salmon jumps upstream, it isn't an easy process. They keep jumping but falter a couple of times before they manage to take one step up. I guess that's how we are like. Faltering and stumbling along our way..but if we persevere we'll be one step higher. What a wonderful lesson the salmon has taught us. I've always loved salmon....... sashimi!!(Anyway only had tenggiri today. )

Oh, also watched Seven Swords yesterday. Kind of draggy....the cinematography was fantastic, but the plot was boring. Charlie Young was very pretty though. The movie was pretty long, about 2 hours 45 minutes. One word to sum up the movie: brutal. A lot of beheading and throwing the heads around like a basketball.

Today I met up with Mien. It was great to see her after 6 months. Brought her to my condo to have a look. Kim Kee also came to measure the windows for curtains. I'll see the samples this Sunday. Finally. Once I get the curtains up and the bed, I'm all set to move in.

Exercise diary:
25 min walk on treadmill
25 min on ellyptical machine
pushups (narrow and wide)
Dumbell row
lateral raises
upright row
double crunch
bridge

Food diary:
Breakfast: toast andmargarine, Milo
Lunch: maggi mee, ice lemon tea
Dinner: stir fried green vege, stir fried celery, fried tenggiri

Postcards from the Edge

Glorious morning! Was so tired last night, I gave bible studies a miss..also had a bad headache that I slept from 8pm until 6.45am this morning. It's funny how when I sleep more than 8 hours (which is my max) I feel very tired...eg if i slept at 12mn and woke up at 8am, i'd feel sluggish.But i felt quite alright this morning. I think that I'm just a morning person (as opposed to The Owl ..ie ET) and I'd feel sluggish if i wake up after 7am.

Since it rained last night, the weather was really kind and I managed to muster a 10km run. It felt like I had just completed a marathon! Legs were like jello at the end of the run. I think it's also partly due to insufficient fuel, as I only had 2 slices of bread last night (due to my headache, I didn't have any appetite)

Well here are the photos from my PD trip:

















On A Clear Day..

















Some Enchanted Evening...

















2 sisters, 2 survivors and 3 terrorists


















Little terrorists building their empire

Diamond in the Rough

She's a diamond in the rough,
Her beauty hidden within
Deep in her soul and mind,
It really isn't hard to find.

She's a diamond in the rough,
Which needs gentle care and polishing,
Then will her beauty shine forth
For all to see, bright and sparkling.

She is but a diamond in the rough,
Look no further..

Running Schedule

I am now at Starbucks having a cup of Brazil Ipanema Bourbon (Mild blend). The name sounds hot and bold but the blend is really mild. Yikes this laptop they have here on promo is really tiny i have difficulty typing. Did a 3.5km run on the treadmill this morning. Feel sluggish after not running for a week. I hope to do a 10km this weekend.

Just got my running schedule from the Penguins:

September 05
04 = Adidas King of the Road 10km
11 = Putrajaya Half marathon
18 = PJ Half marathon
25 = Powerman (run 10km - cycle 60km - run 10km)

October 2005
02 = 20km training run (start time: 6am at Bukit Aman)
09 = 20km16 = 30km long run (start time: 5am at Bukit Aman)
23 = 10km (start time: 6.30am at Bukit Aman)
30 = 20km

November 2005
06 = 20km (or Taiwan marathon)
13 = 30km long run (organize by Pacesetters)
20 = 20km
27 = 10km

December 2005
04 = Singapore Marathon
11 = Rest

Nah won't be joining every run. I'm not that crazy..and I need to go at my own pace.

Well I am off to PD today. Be back tomorrow :)

What Annoys Me

1. People who smoke in restaurants especially those who sit right in the middle of the restaurant and pollute the entire place
2. Paranoid people who lock up entire home like Fort Knox every single minute of the day
3. People who drive and cut into your lane without any indication
4. People who shake your seat in the cinema
5. People who leave their handphones switched on in cinemas AND who answer calls in the cinema
6. Screaming, unruly kids (don’t you just want to throw them out of the window)
7. Parents who don’t do anything when their kids are screaming and unruly
8. Interruptions to my schedule
9. People who double park when there is ample parking space available
10. People who dawdle and take their own sweet time when they KNOW that you're in a hurry
11. Tardiness
12. Queue cutting
    

Back on my feet

Wonderful bright blue sky....couldn't resist it...did outdoors today. Didn't want to overdo it so I walked 2.2km and then ran 2.2km. It feels good to be on my feet again. Before I went out I thought I'd slather some Yoko yoko ointment on my feet, to relieve the stiffness. Boy, did I live to regret it because after the run the ointment started burning my feet! Whoa! It was like having feet on fire...

Dad's car broke down last night - the battery went flat. Which was a good thing because I'll be using his car for an overnight trip to Port Dickson tomorrow. Won't have much peace there as I'll be surrounded by my nephews. My brother and his family went away today, so it means longer hours at the shop today. I just hope it won't be chaotic.

Bought some cds again last night - Johnny Hates Jazz and Westlife (Turnaround). I don't particularly like Westlife's new songs (except the Sinatra cover versions which they did a great job) but this one was on sale. I saw some other cool cds, really old stuff from yesteryear like Madness and Haircut 100. They remind me of childhood days. I've been wanting to get the Dirty Dancing and Forrest Gump soundtracks as well but both are double cds so they'll cost a bomb.

Exercise diary:
2.2km walk
2.2km run

Food diary:
Breakfast: toast and margarine, Milo
Lunch: 2 sets of egg sandwiches
Tea: Coffee/tea mix
Dinner: Fried beef kuey teow, 1 slice pineapple

Clear Sky but alas!

We've been experiencing such great weather and atmosphere the last few days. Clear sky! Hurrah! The irony of it is that I wasn't able to run anyway because of my tight muscles. Sigh. I have just only started my marathon training but unable to get very far due to tight muscles. I think I overdid it the week before. I've laid off running for a week now. Well I guess I have to be patient.Isn't that always the case...

Exercise diary:
30 min walk on treadmill
25 min on ellyptical machine

Food diary:
Breakfast: Toast and Komodo Dragon coffee
Lunch: Maggi mee (unhealthy but I am so sickl and tired of food in BSC)
Dinner: Sweet n sour fish, Fried mak choy, lotus root soup

Karaoke was more than OK

It's been a long day for me. Started my day at 8am..visited St Paul's church this morning. It's my first time in an Anglican church, so i felt a bit awkward that I wasn't familiar with the practices there (especially during the communion where you had to dip the wafer into the wine). I guess it was obvious that I was a new face, since the vicar asked if I was confirmed during the communion! Nevertheless, God speaks to you wherever you are, wherever you go. The sermon sure spoke to me and reminded me that God heals us in His grace and love. Amen to that.

After church, I dropped by my new place, checked out the stove which they installed for me. Good and clean job. Now I need to buy the gas cylinder! Chilled out for a while at my new house. It was really cool and breezy. After that, went to fetch Ellen and we headed off to KLPAC to watch Romi and Joo Lee. Pretty entertaining, I liked the number which they did "You will survive" (sung to the tune of "I will survive") It's loosely based on Romeo and Juliet but with a Malaysian twist. The star of the show was Gavin Yap.

Later in the evening we had a karaoke session at Red Box in the Curve. It started with an Abba-fest (fatboybakes would LOVE this), with Zan and I belting out numbers like Dancing Queen, Knowing Me knowing You, Take a Chance on Me, I Have a Dream and Does Your Mother Know. Then came a series of Chinese songs from Ee Tan and Ellen. Expected more songs from Mun Loong but there wasn't any Italian songs other than La Donna E Mobile. There wasn't "The Prayer" (duet version) available either. But he entertained us with "The Last Waltz". Hui Li showed no signs of any neck sprain when she sang "Livin' on a Prayer". Or perhaps she WAS ACTUALLY in pain when she was screaming the song and i wasn't aware of it..I guess the highlight was when I attempted to sing "Bohemian Rhapsody" which Cheese sang along but abandoned halfway! Chun Nam also displayed his talent singing a Chinese song (don't know title...as if I would understand what it means even if i knew the title..) which ended with "ee ho wat tat.." The grand finale was "We are the World" which everyone screamed with all their hearts.

After 3 hours of crooning and yodelling, we ended the day with a meal at Kim Gary. I had a wonderful day after a lousy Saturday. It's like candy to a child!

Pasto Magnifico

When I was a novice runner, I used to train incessantly and without rest. As age progresses however, I've come to appreciate that the most important "R" of the 4R's (principles) of training is REST. Although I have been indulging the last few days, I didn't punish myself as I said I would. Besides my feet are sore and they deserve some good rest.

Last night was yet another night of feasting, celebrating Ragu's birthday in Vincenzo at One Bangsar. Of course we had the usual Italian dishes: bruschetta, pasta, pizza and of course sealing the calories with a Chocolate Indulgence cake. I found it hilarious how Harlina referred to Calzone as "the Italian curry puff". I noticed that the lights they used at Vincenzo are the same ones in Sure pizza except in a different colour. It must be an Italian thing.Vincenzo is one of the better restaurants at One Bangsar. Service is bad at the Thai restaurant, and the French one is overpriced.



















Clau and I























Birthday boy and Clau

Setting the Pace

Couldn't sleep after all that food. So decided to do some homework for my marathon. I am trying to shave my timing from 5 1/2 hours to 5 hours. I wonder how Oprah Winfrey managed to do it sub 4 hours. So i used the Pace Calculator on Runner's World to find out how fast i need to run. Here was my result:

Input

Distance run: 42.195km

Hours: 5 Minutes:0 Seconds:0

Output

7 : 07 Pace per kilometer

8.44 Kilometers/hour

2.34 Meters/second

Wow. 8.44km/h. Maintaining that speed on a leisurely short distance run is fine...but to keep that pace for 42.195km? Sounds scary. 2.34m/s sounds even more daunting. Should I lower my standard and go for 5:15 instead?

Pasta + Pizza = Pounds = Punishment

Mamma mia! Overdid it again! Had a grand feast with HL tonight. We had enough food for 4...disgusting! We actually had too much to eat (refer also to items 7, 16 & 17 at M&M) but I've only taken pictures of the pizza and the tiramisu to spare ourselves the embarrassment. Yes, we had PIZZA and PASTA (PENNE) , not forgetting GRARLIC MUSCHRROOMS (that sounds more German than Italian..by the way, that's exactly how they spelt it in the menu..left us flummoxed!?)...and soon we'll be PACKING on the POUNDS. Which of course, means PUNISHMENT. Oh yes. I'll either be POUNDING the treadmill tomorrow, or if the weather permits, I'll be POUNDING the roads. I should target a minimum of 8km. Oh, not forgetting that I'll be having another round of Italian again tomorrow. Big time punishment over the weekend....

















I love zucchini and beef pepperoni....

















Mama's homemade a tiramisu....


















HL and I sucking in tummies.....


















One for my treasure box...my PreciouSSSSS..
Exercise diary today:
25 min on ellyptical machine
20 min on stepper
Push ups
Bench press
Barbell row
Reverse flye

Food diary:
Breakfast: 2 eggs and toast, Milo
Lunch: Crackers and Sumatra coffee
Dinner: garlic mushrooms, Pizza, Penne arabiata, Tiramisu , "Happy Holiday" ice blended drink (can't recall what it is called in Italian)

Outdoor again

As I'm blogging this, I am soaking my feet in warm water with rosemary oil.Ah! Feels good! Went for an outdoor run this morning, first time in 2 weeks...6.6km. Running outdoor is so different...it's also a lot more challenging with the undulating terrain. Only 15 days left for early bird entries to the Singapore Marathon, and my friends still haven't shown ANY interest in participating. Hello!! Clau!!! Are you at least coming for the half marathon?

It has been pretty uneventful the last 2 days. Nothing much except work, plus being exceptionally physically tired yesterday. Energy level increased today though. Running always helps. I just love a boost of endorphins! I'm taking things a little slower now that renovation has been completed. Wanted to go curtain shopping last week, but decided to stay home because of the haze. Then wanted to go last Sunday but ended up watching Fantastic 4 instead, and I'd much rather prefer to shop for curtains on a weekday when there are less people and crawling kids in shopping complexes. Also I can't decide on the colour scheme. Time to look for interior magazines again.

Today's exercise diary:
6.6km outdoor run

Food diary:
Breakfast: Sumatra coffee (yippee!) and toast
Lunch: Cereal and milk
Dinner: Pork stew with potatoes and mushroom, boiled broccoli and carrots, fresh tomatoes and celery sticks

Tiring day

Very drained and tired today. Only managed 4km run on the treadmill.

Exercise diary:
4km run on treadmill
10 min on ellyptical machine
squats
plies
shoulder presses
push up

Hmm I'll have 2 nights of mega eating this week..one with HL and another, to celebrate Ragu's birthday. Time to work it out!

Just found out my friend has delivered her second child 2 weeks back. Congrats Su!

Coffee Lovers

Try this Coffee Taste Matcher to find out your preferences for coffee! My favourite all time is Sumatra.

Sumatra
Sumatra has a full, syrupy body with virtually no acidity – so the coffee’s intensity lingers in your mouth. The concentrated spicy, herbal notes and earthy aroma are the telltale signatures of this well-loved coffee. The island of Sumatra produces 70% of Indonesia’s income and is home to over 38 million people.

Other coffees which i like:


Kenya
Medium-bodied Kenya has layers of flavor, from black currant or blackberry to sweet, tropical fruit. The coffee is prized for its bright and refreshing acidity. The finest coffees of Kenya provide an archetype of coffee quality, used by coffee buyers from all over the world as a point of comparison.


Komodo Dragon Blend®
Komodo Dragon Blend® is wholly an Asia Pacific coffee – deep, full-bodied with a complex flavor that is bold and unanticipated. Indonesian coffees are known as the deep, stalwart elements of the coffee world, while the Papua New Guinea coffee offers a touch of acidity.


Italian Roast
This sturdy Latin American blend is less complex than Espresso Roast and not as intensely smoky as French Roast. Nonetheless, it’s a potent, bold cup of coffee.

I'm not a coffee addict. It's like a little reward for me. Brewed coffee gives me a boost but I'm not hooked on it.

Movie Day

Watched 2 movies today. "The Perfect Man" - typical mom-daughter movie. It's about a single mom who fails at relationships with second rate men and everytime that happens, it results in the family moving to another city. Sick and tired of moving, Holly (Hilary Duff) conjures up "a perfect man" for her mom....an imaginary secret admirer who sends flowers, letters and emails to boost her mom's esteem.

I can't say it's a great movie but hey, I love girly movies.
























Finally watched Fantastic 4. I used to love reading the comics. The movie version isn't bad...rather entertaining. I thought Jessica Alba had a very close resemblance to Britney Spears in this movie. Chris Evans was cute and has a body to die for but I thought Ioan Gruffudd had really engaging eyes.....

It rained again today. I am so glad! Training resumes!

Tea with an old friend

Had tea with an old friend Mae Yin yesterday. Yet another one of my friends moving to Down Under. I think this is the first picture we've taken in 10 years! We were housemates before in university. One of the best housemates one could ever get! We never fought or had any arguments when we stayed together. Always talked about things openly and never gave room for resentment to fester. I'll have someone to visit in Sydney now!

Total Distance

Hurrah! It is still clear this morning! But due to my cautious nature, I decided to run indoors anyway. The haze has just cleared, and who knows what pollutants still remain lingering in the air.Achieved 10km on the treadmill today. What a task! Running outdoors is so much more fun. I look forward to it soon.

My total mileage for the week:

	Mon	Tues	Thurs	Sat	Total KM
KM	7	7	8	10	32

I Can See Clearly Now

Hurrah!!!! Yippedeedoo!!The haze has cleared up quite a bit!! I can see the condos opposite my house!Hope it stays this way.... Look forward to outdoor runs again soon...

No Mood

I've lost my mood to do anything.
I can't breathe.
I feel sleepy all the time.
I guess this must be what it's like for people who try to commit suicide my gassing themselves out with carbon monoxide.
My skin constantly feels itchy and dirty.
This is the result of the haze.
I only want to stay in my room.
That's the only place where I can breathe.
I keep my windows and door shut.
Even recycled stale air is anytime better than what we breathe outside.
Our nation is suffering from someone else's misdeeds.
This happens EVERY YEAR.
DONT THEY GET ENOUGH?

NOT in the mood.

Flora and Fauna

Took some pics of my mom's flowers. Also here are some of my favourite animal pictures. Yes, that's Razor.

1 Thessa 5:17

PRAY CONTINUALLY...

Furgeddaboudid*

Feel somewhat groggy and dizzy. I think it's from inhaling all the pollution. I feel like I've been in a pub the whole day long. Was looking forward to a big feast of pasta, pizza and "true Italians" (*wink wink*) tonight but HL and I decided to cancel the dinner due to the haze. It wouldn't have been fun trying to stuff our faces while feeling sickly due to the poor air quality. Good thing it rained after a whole week of dry weather. The rain helped to clear the air WITHIN the complex itself. I hope it continues to rain the next few days.

Got some cd's today at a good deal...RM9.90 each only: Mona Lisa Smile soundtrack (I LOVE smooth jazzy oldies), The Aviator soundtrack and a techno cd for WWW (his favourite)

Exercise diary:
20 min on ellyptical machine
10 minute walk on treadmill
15 min on stepper
Leg press
Squats
Alternate lunges
Side squats
Straight legged abs crunch
Bridge

Food diary:
Breakfast: toast and margarine, Milo
Lunch: Crackers and mochacino
Dinner: Chicken, cabbage, fishball and tofu pok soup

( I know it sounds bland, oh well, I HAD planned to have Italian but too bad...)

* "Forget about it"
(Remember the scene in "Mickey Blue Eyes" where Hugh Grant was trying to speak with an Italian accent?)

Killer Haze

The haze has become worse. I can even detect the burnt smell indoors. It has been making me feel ill. Throat feels sore and itchy. What is more annoying is that people keep smoking indoors. Why don't they just save some money, go outdoor and INHALE the haze? That should be enough pollutants to make them high. Even visibility within the complex has deteriorated. Everyone looks like a "dream girl" or "dream guy" with the hazy effects minus the hair blowing in the wind and soppy music.

So, it looks like indoor training for me for a while. Sigh. It definitely isn't easy to run long distance on the treadmill. Firstly, it's boring and secondly, it's not good gym ettiquette to hog the machine. So I have to get up extra early to ensure that I arrive at the gym at 6.30am (when it opens) because the crowd starts trickling in at 7am. This morning I arrived at my gym at 6.30 and lo and behold...the usual caretaker (an old uncle) who usually opens the place is on medical leave. He left the keys with one of the gym attendants BUT he left the wrong set of keys. Another instructor had a spare set of keys but he lives all the way in Batu Caves. So what did the attendant do? He actually broke the door. He said he's never broken a door before but I thought the manner in which he did it was rather skilled. My friend is convinced he's an ex crook.

Exercise diary:
7km run on treadmill
5 min on stepper

Food diary:
Breakfast: Toast with butter and kaya, 3 eggs (that's because Claudine didn't want her egg), Milo , lime juice
Lunch: Cereal and milk, 1 1/2 cream crackers
Dinner: potato and carrot soup, stir fried chinese cabbage with tofu pok, oyster sauce chicken with baby corn, mushroom and carrots

I must lay off eggs for a few days. Good thing is that eggs are good for active people. But I also found out that coffee, nuts, chocolates and steak (all in moderation) are also healthy! Hurrah!

Show Must Go On

The haze isn't getting any better. It hasn't rained for days either. But the "show must go on". I still need to start training for my marathon. This weather makes me feel sick all the time...but I haven't got much time...4 months to train only. So I have to revert to training indoors. Ran 7km on the treadmill today...good thing it wasn't such a boring task today as they were playing some Whitney Houston megamix which was pretty upbeat, a lot better than all the noise on MTV even though some of the songs were old.

I desperately need to start planning my run schedule.

Claudine told me something hilarious today. She said she read somewhere that to get rid of body odour, one would have to wedge a mantou under their armpits on each side and walk towards east!The things that people suggest!

Exercise diary:
7km run on treadmill
push ups (narrow and wide)
dumbell row
shoulder press
lateral raises
double crunch

Food diary:
Breakfast: toast and coffee
Lunch: Oats and marmite
Dinner: Tofu, cabbage and fishcake soup

Tribute to Mom and Dad

Did some self reflection, and today I'm full of gratitude to my Mom and Dad for raising me. I guess living with my parents most of my life makes me take them for granted...also my parents have basically done everything for me in my life. They've given so much to me...their blood, sweat and tears to ensure that I have a comfortable life. And I truly thank God for such wonderful parents. I know I will never be able to repay their love and care in the same manner, and the only way I can ever return their love is to share the love of Christ. I pray that my parents will come to know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour in their life.

Training foiled

Rats. I have exactly 4 months to train and my first week of distance running has been foiled. The haze is extremely bad, even as i wound down my window at the toll booth when i was driving, I found myself suffocating in the car. I really have to chart out my running schedule. Have to be extra disciplined as I'm doing it alone. Sigh. So all I did today was walk about 1.5km to the coffee shop, had breakfast, then walk back. It's funny how I get hungry faster when I DON"T exercise. Pigged out. Had the pan mee soup without the noodles and steamed bread with butter and kaya.

Rain, please rain!!

Nostalgia

L-R (back row) Phak Peng, me, Nyun Mien, Janice, Phak Yan
(front row) some kid whom i don't know, Joanne

Found this picture today. I have such fond memories of primary school days. Some of the best years of my life. This picture was taken at Janice's 11th birthday. We used to bunk over at her house, and going to McD's for breakfast was such a treat. Her house has now been converted to Fella Design furniture shop at Jalan Maarof in Bangsar. Nyun Mien's the only person I keep in touch with. The last time I met Janice was last Christmas, and that alone was coincidental. Phak Yan's hitched to a European and now lives in Luxembourg. The last I heard of her is that she has 1 child. I am not so sure about Phak Peng, I think she resides in England now. Joanne resides in USA I believe. We've all gone our own ways, but memories of my old school mates still remain vivid in my mind.

Beechfront

Ah! Finally my kitchen cabinets are done! It takes up quite a bit of space in the kitchen but I am rather pleased with the workmanship..very neat. Also it's always better to have extra storage space because I tend to accumulate a lot of things over the years. I chose beech coloured woodgrain...originally I had wanted mocha walnut colour as I love dark wood, but my kitchen's really tiny and dark colours would make it look more congested.

Finally! Renovation is complete, and what I need to do now is to start shopping for curtains, furniture and appliances. Then I'm all set! But first, I'll have to do some massive cleaning.....

One for Memory Laine

Had lunch with Lainey this afternoon at House & Co. OH looky! Her eyes are OPEN for once :D We both had the beef rendang pita. It was extremely yummy....(oh and I loved the raw onion rings that went with it) It was good to catch up just before she leaves for the States next week. We also pigged out on plum and prune layer cakes. The plum layer cake was rather interesting, they used haw flakes in between the layers. Drats! My 6km this morning was wasted.

Didn't go for outdoor run this morning as planned. It was still a little hazy and I didn't want to risk getting any respiratory ailment. Running 6km on the treadmill is extremely tough though. (Boring) Plus it doesn't help that MTV keeps showing all these new disturbing videos. I can't decide whether the "music" or the videos are worse.

I also tried the Starbucks mooncakes. The tiramisu mooncake is to die for. It has cheese filled centres and is extremely delicious. The hazel coffee one isn't as good...tastes pretty normal. I just took some samplers but I think it was enough to negate my 6km.

Exercise diary:
6km run on treadmill
5 min on stepper

Food diary:
Breakfast: Toast and Komodo dragon coffee, samplers of mooncake
Lunch: Beef rendang pita with celery and carrot sticks (SUSH: YOUR BIGGEST NIGHTMARE), plum and prune layer cake (shared), ice lemon tea
dinner: Stir fried brocooli and oyster mushroom, black pepper pork and capsicum, egg tofu, radish soup

Me and my shadow

Little writer at work

















Claire and I mucking around in my room.

Reviewing resolutions

Thank God for the rain. Cleared up the horrible haze. I hope it will rain for a bit the next few days just to clear the suffocating air. (So that my running schedule won't be foiled) I look forward to a great outdoor run tomorrow.

OK..let's review my mid year resolution:
1. Lose weight: Ok....lost some weight (minimal though). 1 kg only though my friend swears it's more than that. I don't think the weighing scale lies.

2.Start preparing for marathon: well. I've just only started so I'll fill you in on the progress. Haven't achieved 10km so far but should within these 2 weeks

3. Join kickboxing class: This is currently on KIV list since I'm teaching Pilates. Hopefully I'll have the time after my client has learnt the basics.

4.Move into my new home: Work-in- progress. Kitchen cabinets should be complete today. I'll go and have a look tomorrow. After that will be shopping for furniture and appliances.

5. Join BSF: Currently on hold too as it's a heavy commitment to lead bible studies and go for BSF simultaneously. When the time is right...or when i am called to..

6. Shop for new hamster.. done that and 1 died already.

7. Read all the books I've purchased but never read: Getting there. Just need to make some time to read Harry Potter 6.

Ok! I think I'm doing quite alright. Taking little steps each time.

Exercise diary:
25 min on stepper
25 min on ellyptical
Bench press
Pec flyes
Tricep kickback
Bicep curl

Food diary:
Breakfast: toast and margarine, Milo O
Lunch: Sumatra coffee and crackers
Dinner: Roast black pepper chicken, salad, wholemeal bread

Point of No Return

Mom's a lot better. Thanks everyone for your prayers. Just found out that my crazy friend has already registered for both half and full marathons. And she's still recovering from a hamstring injury. Crazy! So here's what I did today....I registered for the Singapore Marathon too on December 4...... I don't really know what I am doing, as my usual gym buddies are not registering at all. Which means that I'll be training alone...My other friend usually trains on Sunday but it's not convenient for me as I have church to attend..so this means I have to train all by myself. Oh well I have to start planning my run schedule soon.....I've reached the point of no return..what have i done?!?!

Exercise diary:
4km outdoor run (Jln Terasek)

Food diary:
Breakfast: 2 eggs and toast, Milo
Lunch:

Wild Zebra

Went to watch Wild Zebra yesterday. It was a bit slow moving and improved only after second half. Here's what I thought of it:

1. Only the 2 lead dancers (Wild Zebra and Princess Zebra) were good. Princess Zebra's flexibility left me dumbfounded.
2. Overall it's a silly story
3. Fox Spirit was annoying
4. I could have played the role of Queen Bear (it doesnt require any dance skills)
5. The entire cast (aside from the lead) was terrible at dancing
6. The male dancers were terrible as they were either too heavy and not nimble enough, OR they were too scrawny and fairy-like
7. Music wasn't fantastic
8. Props were not too bad (though ML was quite impressed by it)
9. Very melancholic ( I guess most dance dramas are)

Overall it was pretty mediocre although there were one or two moments of spectacular acrobatic choreography. There were many who gave a standing ovation at the end, but I tend to agree with Cheese that standing ovations are sacred.

I had to miss the Choral Worship Festival yesterday as Mom was pretty ill. Thank God she's a lot better today.

Exercise diary:
3.5km run on treadmill
push ups
lat pulldown
reverse flyes
bench press

Food diary:
Breakfast: cereal and milk
Lunch: tuna sandwiches
Dinner: Stir fried broccoli and cauliflower with meatball, oyster sauce chicken
Supper: Vico