SAFRA membership

i have been putting off renewing SAFRA membership because i don’t use at all. but lately as i gear up my swimming practice, i  now need access to 50m lap pool, a deep pool will be good for some confidence building. and happens i need a watch too! so i signup the 5 year membership @ $155 which gives a useful TIMEX ironman watch + 1 year free extension + 2x carl jr meal

so its actually 6 years @ $155 which translate to only about $2.15/month! so far i tried the pool at 3 location:-

1. Mount Faber
Nice green surrounding but are not enough lanes as there always seems to be some training going on, and closure of some lane. i like the rain showers but i seen quite a few clogged up drainage, hope that will be fixed that soon!

2. Jurong
50m lap pool about same size as mount faber, the rest are kiddy area. didn’t like to surround air too, probably because it’s near the industrial estates.

3 Yishun
the best for now! more lanes + lovely outdoor Jacuzzi! surrounding is nice too. only problem is that it’s too far from my home.

Toa Payoh undergoing reconstruction and will only be ready in 2012. Going to try the Tampines pool soon ……….

bangkok 2012

After confirming the flights, accomodation & plans, the bomb blast kickoff the following week. How sweet that was, bangkok! Ok perhaps couldn’t have put the blame on them, just my “good” luck! On a positive note, at least the situation wasn’t so chaotic.

So a short trip for some prayers @ erawan shrine, gun shooting session, massage & trying out the street food. Rest of free time will be relaxing or dozing off in some lazy coffee club. Oops sounds like i still can’t get away coffee for now? !

Pack list going be simple, all going into smallish day pack
Tee x1
Shorts x1
Disposable underwear  x3
Empty bottle x1 fill water at airport
Travel Adapter x1
Mobile + charger
Digicam + spare battery
Small umbrella
Some toilet paper (yes, it’s very important item!)
Book – Larsson’s the girl who kicked hornets’ nest
Lactoforte tablets in case ate something disagreeable….
Hmm….. missed anything?

jan12 habits review & feb12 habit

got a little time for a quick review on jan12 habits before bedtime

going coffee free for a month was easily accomplished. while i can’t say i’m completely caffeine free since i had used green tea at time to curb my urge, green tea is still no coffee. nuff said!
benefits when going coffee free was i sleep better and wake up fresher. i decided to try for few days going back to daily coffee in feb12, and all i can say my sleep suffered.

so my conclusion, going coffee free is certainly a right choice for me. so i’m absolutely going to kick it off once i finished off with those credits in my starbucks card

daily swim/run wasn’t that successful. besides distraction by lunar new year holidays, at time work & personal commitments got in the way too. so felt perhaps it wasn’t realistic for my lifestyle. i guess it good to have days when away from swim/run. anyway, it still did help to get me into mood of workout ~ better than nothing!

as long as i run/swim for at least 3days/week, that will suffice. ok going to leave that for now.

feb12 habit ~ i guess a bit late to start. besides busier schedules, i’m also planning for a short trip away from the hustle & bustle. i been thinking about going vegetarian for quite sometime, so was actually thinking of trying to cultivate that habit in mar12

till then …. zzzzzzzzzz

2012 water dragon day one

today is the first day of 2012 lunar new year
we having extra long weekend till tuesday
i think it was a mistake to made run/swim / coffee habits
while i can’t keep the daily run/swim habit
i’m glad no coffee habit still holding well
albeit making me very tired
i don’t think my weight going down this jan
in fact, i will be most glad if there is no change

hopefully this new year
brings me health, wealth
golden opportunities
and new life direction
which i’m still pondering at this juncture!

++++++++++

no coffee x3
going to miss 4 days of swim/run due to holidays

Not Malay?

yes i been doing more swim under the sun
yes i looked more tanned obviously
no i don’t think i look as dark as malay
even pretty malay receptionist says so
so i was really amused when a malay uncle
starts talking to me in malay language
and keep asking “you not malay?”
yes i’m chinese not malay

++++++++++

no coffee
swim 800m @ 45mins

Boring

“People soon get tired of things that aren’t boring, but not of what is boring.”
― Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore

**********

remembering my young & restless years
going after the
latest trending stuffs
branded clothes & watches
exquisite (& expensive) cuisines
bleeding edge technological gadgets
and finally got tired of all these extravagances

and now i
enjoy simple meals
can’t be bother new trends
don’t mind cheap LCD watches
prefers simple & comfortable clothes
happy with still functional old gadgets

so murakami is right!
but it took me that long to realize
you will soon get tired of your WANTS
but you will never get tired of your NEEDS

++++++++++

no coffee x2
swim 1.2km @ 60mins
treadmill 30mins @ 6:40min/km

mosquito

is summer here already?
lunar new year suppose to be spring right?
i already have couple of mosquito bites
also the weather been getting incredibly hot!
hearsay drinking apple cider vinegar
will keeps the mosquito away?
hopefully not another urban myth
besides it may just help on my weight loss
guess it is worth the try

++++++++

no coffee
treadmill 30min @ 6:40mins/km (9km/h)

long sleep

i had the longest sleep ever yesterday
10 hours (ok did woke up for a pee)
not sure why just felt very tired
though very tired i could not sleep initially
but glad my much needed sleep eventually arrive

was it because of an hour half swimming at beach?
weather was hot but water was comfortably warm
with occasion pockets / stream of cool water
lovely sensation which is entirely new to me
after stopping swimming many many years ago

or perhaps the heavy carbs meal?
bananas, rice crackers
3 cheese torellini with zucchini + aubergine pasta sauce
ending with talisker 10 year single malt

whatever ……………….
the long sleep was certainly welcome
for my usual only lasted 5 hrs
and hoping of another long sleep
this coming weekend

++++++++++

no coffee x 5 (so far so good!)
run/swim x 4 (missed 1 due to this long sleep but really a lame excuse)

pre-holiday peace

work rarely got so peaceful
like today
nothing urgent
nothing problematic
nothing out-of-ordinary
just usual routines
it pleases me very much
for many months ago
every attempt to go short breaks
erratic workload often showed up
just before the start of break
perhaps i should start counting my blessings!

so am off for few days break
and returning next week

++++++++++

no coffee
treadmill 45mins @ 6:40mins/km (9km/h)

grilled saba

i’m in love with korean grilled saba (mackerel)
not anywhere but only there
perfectly grilled, soft juicy flesh, crispy bones
serve on sizzling iron hotplate
with caramelized onions
over a savory fruity sauce
they often comes with the tail
i love munching on crispy tail
and slowly chew the crispy bone
once i’m done with soft juicy flesh
i like to add lots of white sesame
and chopped spring onions too
making it colorful & aromatic
i just can’t have enough

just when i’m trying to get off one
a new addiction suddenly found me
oh what a “great” start for 2012!

+++++++++++++

no coffee
swim 1.2km @ 50mins