Randomness on a Rainy Day

Loving the cool weather, which is going to be great for jogging. Time to pound the road again, and shelve swims until the sun returns.

Suddenly missing Japan. Wish I could be there.

A blood red sweater will go very well with my new pencil skirt. Ok more shopping for me. The floodgates have seriously opened.

I am having karaoke withdrawal symptoms. Must go memorize all those Korean songs for the next belting session. Top on the list is Nobody by Wondergirls!

Read up on calendula. I'm increasingly amazed by the healing properties of nature all around us. I should have overcome my fear of frogs, done biology in school and embarked on a career in pharmaceutical R&D or medicine instead.

Can't wait to explore JB after the Boy raved about it. Good Friday trip to look forward to!

Punched by Goggles

Yes I am feeling like an idiot. Having skipped exercise for 2 weeks, I decided to go for a swim, now that the weather is too hot for jogging. It was actually a really good session. The water temperature was comfortable, I didn't feel out of breath, and my strokes were paced. But I was oblivious to the new goggles digging into my brow and cheek bones until I removed them after Lap 8.

So now I look like a panda, or punched in both eyes. And I have a major presentation tomorrow morning. Great.

On a happier note, I consolidated all my angbaos. Not a bad haul this year! (given how old I already am. *Blush*)

You are what you eat

Mostly, people tend to associate malnutrition with third world countries, such as Ethiopia and other African nations. But the scary thing is, the condition can occur to those around you, ruling out bulimia or anorexia cases of course.

From friends, I have heard of two separate real-life stories, both of undergraduate students struggling to make ends meet in the UK. Both had held part-time jobs while studying, to earn their living expenses or even tuition fees.

One, a promising Malaysian girl in her twenties, subsisted on a diet of instant noodles and bread, only to realize upon returning home to commence her career that her kidneys are now close to failure. Another, a Malaysian or Singaporean student (the details elude me now), also survived largely on instant noodles and has now passed away.

It is so easy to assume that incidents like these can only happen to people worlds apart from our own. That just because we have been fed almost a lifetime of nutrition, we can neglect our dietary intake for a couple of years.

But the stories touch a raw nerve for me, since I know I am prone to putting work and other pursuits ahead of health. Having been in such a bad physical state last year, the grim reminder to take care of myself has once again hit home.

P.s. Stitches accompanied the 2.6km jog today. I think too much CNY inactivity is the root cause (Oops).

2010 Resolutions Update

I'm proud to say that I have been keeping at the exercise bit. Determination and a nice evening breeze really make a difference to the sessions.

So here's a short log to track my progress so far:

24 Jan - 2.0km
28 Jan - 2.0km
31 Jan - 2.6km
7 Feb - 2.6km

A Dash of Nostalgia, a Dollop of Yearning

I was searching on LinkedIn for some Korean Internet advertising experts as part of my work, and I came across someone who completed his Comms Masters and PhD in MSU.

My immediate reaction is a mixed bag of feelings - regret, yearning, envy, uncertainty, nostalgia. As much as I've made a decision to stay put where I am (for now), my thoughts inevitably drift to that dream I had invested so much in and had so much anticipation for. If anything, I miss the certainty and clear sense of purpose that going to grad school had given me.

"I could have been there at this very moment."

P.s. I have been sticking by my New Year health resolutions with jogs last Sunday and yesterday. With the breezy weather, the task has actually been quite bearable. The sense of accomplishment is also a big deal for an exercise-hater like me.

2010 Health Resolutions

Before leaving for my Japan holidays, I got a check-up at the polyclinic for my persisting cough. It was the third doctor's visit since the cough started over a month ago, and a recurring one since the same thing happened at about the same time last year.

Turns out that I've got an asthmatic cough. I was prescribed the usual inhaler for any cough or wheezing attacks, plus a long-term medication to eventually reduce the hyper-sensitivity of my windpipes that leads to the asthma.
On another note, I was quite utterly defeated by the skiing in Japan. I don't like to exercise very much. It's boring and I hate perspiration. But I enjoy stuff like climbing mountains and skiing while overseas, largely because I don't sweat much, the scenery is spectacular and the experience cannot be replicated.

Having said that, I also realize how taxing and damaging it can be to put my body through punishing activity without a general level of fitness. So my resolutions for 2010 are:

• To throw off my asthma so it won't recur
• To be physically active. I hope to do Mt Kinabalu in June, but let's see how the asthma comes along
• To be focused and efficient, so I can rest better and have a more balanced lifestyle
• To eat well and gain mass. I lost weight after the op, and gained some back after Shanghai. The effort of coughing has taken off the kilos again but I didn't put back in Japan due to the strenuous activity.
  

As a start, I aim to sleep at least 6 hours during work nights, remember to take my meds no matter how busy I am, and keep warm wherever I am.

Determination is what I need right now.

Alone

Thinking of doing some alone stuff the next few days, after an emotionally trying weekend

Watching Departure
Going back to gym class
Taking a swim
Working late in the office
Having a long walk

Weekend Pursuits

My legs are going to break... I decided on some self torture after procrastinating about my swim until it started to pour. Then seeing how good the weather was, I took out my dusty Nikes and hit the road. So obviously my quads are not made for pounding the ground. I can hardly descend the stairs now!! Copious amounts of pain are involved.

On a side note, compensation in the form of a 1.5kg chilli crab has made me crustacean sick. Bleargh.

Exercise Weekend

I'm hardly the adrenalin junkie, but it sure feels good to get my butt off the couch this weekend. I still hate jogging, but there's no denying the fact that it literally whips my legs into shape. Body Balance also featured in my schedule. It has always been more of my thing anyway, because it uses muscle groups I didn't know exist, and it's more intense (in my opinion) than yoga. I admit that my adeptness at it is an encouraging factor too.

The highlight, however, must be the golf. Okay fine, I admit that my brand-new baby pink Callaway leather glove won me over. But driving at the range was really fun too! I did better than the first time I tried playing golf, so there was definitely a sense of achievement. Hopefully in the near future, I'll get to to make full use of that ultra sweet-looking glove again!