Hong Kong Trip Day 1

I've traveled to so many places this year, and I've always wanted to start blogging about my journey, but eventually was too tired/lazy/busy to do so. Let me see how long I can keep up with this.

So, this is my 5th trip out of Singapore this year. It's a trip with my close buddy and we booked the tickets in February when there was a Jetstar promotion ($250 sgd). 

As the flight was in the afternoon, I didn't knock out on the flight like my previous trips, I looked out of the window and saw these beautiful clouds when the sun was going down.

It was almost 11pm when we reached, and it was midnight after we finally showered and go out to search for dinner. We found a Yuen Kee restaurant near our guesthouse and ordered their beef bisket noodles (around $30 hkd), it was quite good for a shop opened at that hour, and it was still filled with customers.

Although it wasnt one of the restaurants in our 'must-try' list for this trip, the first bite into the noodles was refreshing and the beef brisket, tripes etc was chewy. We felt quite satisfied with this very late night meal. 

Shoes addiction

Two weeks back, we went to Queensway Shopping Centre to get some shoes.

As part of my marathon preparation, I decided that I need a new pair of Asics running shoes. Actually, I still have two pair of Asics that I'm using in gym and training but I just wanted something of a nicer design (girls being girls!). I know nothing about the practical function of those running shoes and the one and only thing I was looking out for was design and colour! And of course, the price as well.

After going up and down the shopping centre and looking through all the shoes in the shops, I finally settled on a Asics Gel-Fujiracer 2. The shop didnt put up any signage and I was pleasantly surprised when there was a discount. Sadly, a few days after my purchase, I went to school wearing my new running shoes and one of my colleagues D commented that its a pair of ugly shoes. (-_-) Its kind of abrupt in some ways as we are not on such close terms and its quite weird that he commented about my shoes negatively. I checked with K and he also said that when we were picking out the shoes, the design didnt impress him. (!!!) Anyway, after taking a good hard look at my shoes, I decided that I still love them no matter what they said. I took it for a run that evening and it was quite light and the cushioning was comfortable. Unfortunately, when I went home to pick up my running stuff last Friday I forgot to bring it along and didnt get to wear it for my first FM. :(

As I had been wearing Asics (and swearing by it), it's strange how I have the pair of Nike for all my races this year. It's no that much of a surprise as K is a super BIG fan of Nike. As a guy, the number of Nike shoes he has at home far exceed the total number of all my shoes put together. Can you imagine that? We bought a pair of Nike training shoes each earlier this year when he decided to start going to gym (that determination only lasted till June).

After I bought my new pair of Asics, he had his eyes on some Nike Kobe System 8 shoes and I paid them for him since he loved them so much and there was a discount in the store. Those shoes are pretty but its more for walking and light gym training, I was just trying on a pair to see how it looked. Even though they were nice, I was reluctant to get extra pairs of shoes and just leave them sitting around without much usage. But alas, I succumbed to the thoughts that its cute if we have matching Kobe 8 shoes and since he offered to pay for mine, I got my second pair of shoes.

I'm quite happy with those and had been wearing them quite a bit instead of my usual Converse after our purchase. Meanwhile, K is still on his crazy shoe mission and he had bought a few more pairs of Nike to add on to his foamposite collection (whatever they are) *roll eyes*.

Workstation Annual Spring Cleaning

This is the only time of the year when I have the chance to do a thorough cleaning of my work station. By now, most of my colleagues had already left for their holidays and the staff room was extremely quiet when I went back for my last bit of cleaning today. I'm satisfied with the end results, hopefully I can sustain this for at least a few weeks after the school reopen.

My First Marathon Experience

I always have this impulsive habit of signing up for marathons but ended up not training and not turning up for them. Yesterday, I FINALLY completed my first marathon.

It started with signing up with the U Run premium package at the end of last year and feeling very motivated to start off the year with more running and training. Actually, I did just that. 2013 is definitely the year I went to gym/workouts/jogging more than previous years, its almost comparable to the time I was ten years young and still active camping and kayaking. As of today, my nike+ accounted for 64 whooping runs this year!

These are the races I completed this year:
1) U run (10km+OMB Climb)
2) Nike We Run SG 2013 (10km)
3) Shape Run (10km)
4) Great Eastern Women's Run (HM)
5) Brooks Happy Run (9km)
6) Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore (FM)

Other than signing up and completing these races, I didnt really keep to the marathon training as planned. One month before the marathon, I was having second thoughts about going for it due to the lack of training and there was no way I could cram more long runs into this short period. After reading about many others with similar concerns and encouragement from the rest of the running community, I decided to just go for it and only aimed to finish the marathon, telling myself this is really something I have to achieve.


I started reading up on motivational articles, running tips and training methods, preparing myself during the last one month before the race. During the REPC, instead of just picking up the race pack, I spent a bomb getting all the running gear I need: SPI belt to hold my energy gels, new Oakley sunglasses, new compression top and bottom etc. Lots of articles mentioned that I should not be wearing/doing anything new during my big race, but since I was not aiming to achieve any PB, I just wanted to make sure I was comfortable enough (and looking good as well).

After the REPC, I was really excited when I was packing my stuff and getting ready for the race. I only had less than two hours of sleep but the caffeine in the energy gels kept me going during the race so I didnt really feel the fatigue. I woke up before 3am and started to gear up for the event. I was really glad that SCM is a big running event, as the MRT was already up and operating by 2.30am. This was unlike the few previous morning races when I took a cab to the event site.

Even while I was waiting for the train, there were already other FM runners waiting on the platform. Soon, the train arrived and it was filled with other marathoners. I felt so happy and excited that I was one of them, just attending the race was already an achievement in itself. However, upon reaching the event site, I was quite frustrated that the baggage deposit took up 20 min as I felt the urge to visit the restroom even while I was still queueing. I initially planned to make it to the start pen early but ended up spending the time queueing and feeling nervous about it.

Anyway, there were still lots of others behind me when I finally reached the race pen, I knew the first wave had started but there were lots of people still waiting to inch forward and start the race. During the first part of the race, most people really paced themselves well and the overall momentum was slow and steady. Surprisingly, the roads were wide enough and there were no bottlenecks despite the big turnout of the running. Due to the lack of training, my strategy was to adopt the Galloway method of Run-Walk-Run and I specially ordered a Gymboss timer to clip onto my new SPI belt a few weeks before the race. It kept me going quite effortlessly all the way till ECP and 1/3 into the race.

As I was running along ECP and eager to approach the U turn point, it eventually became harder to start running after my one minute walking break. I walked through all the drink stations along the way, but on top of that, my walking breaks became longer. I started to look forward to the next distance marker and I noticed most people around me were also slowing down and eventually walking, there were only a few still jogging and overtaking me after 25km. When I finally left ECP behind me at the 29km mark, I had already given up trying to jog and just walked along with the rest. The pain in my knees became hard to ignore and there was just no way I could command my legs to jog or even run any longer. It was really a test of endurance and I kept doing mental calculations of how fast I was moving along and how long it was going to be before the race will be over. Unfortunately, it was still another 2 hours to go when I hit the many many "runner's walls".

I was amused that even we approached the last 500m, I couldnt get my legs to move faster unlike other races and I was still strolling along. It was only the last 200m when I saw so many people lining the finishing point that I forced myself into a slow jog. Finally, when I finished the race, the pain in my knees and the urge to visit the toilet overcame the feeling of euphoria I was supposed to feel. But after some rest, I'm now determined to train harder next year and achieve a better timing in my next marathon or even HM. I'm eagerly looking forward to next year's running events. :)

Philippines Trip Day 2 (8/12)

We woke up with these bread hot and ready on the dining table. These bread rolls are call Pandesal and is a type of breakfast food they have here. K had been missing the taste of these when we were still in SG and for the past few days, we were saying that we will wake up early to buy them for breakfast. Of course, that didnt happen and we were lucky that his uncle brought them to us. It taste just like normal bread to me, really nice when dipped with coffee (I think it will taste even better when dipped in Milo). I only had three of them and I was already feeling full. On the streets, I can see a lot of bakeries and small stalls selling the Pandesal too.

It was already 11am when we woke up, and once again we set off to Angeles where K is going to collect his Iron Man stuff (roll eyes). As it was already late, we went there in his Nissan pickup. It was the second time I ha a ride with K driving and its not easy to drive around in this part of the world as the traffic is not smooth, he was really stressed the first day when we drove to the dentist and other part of Tarlac city since his license had expired and he had not been driving for quite some time. I could hear him cursing and swearing a lot more when he's at the wheel, and tension sort of built up at times and I tried my very best to be patient then.

We dropped by at KFC for lunch, we had been going to KFCs at different parts of the world (Sin, Phuket, Vietnam etc) and he was looking for the sauce that they will serve with rice here. He was disappointed again and again and had been looking forward to come back for his rice in KFC here. In my photo, you can see the sauce in the middle and the rice is wrapped up like a burger. There's also a dispenser at the side where they can refill the sauce. Most of the combo meals come with rice in this land as its the favourite staple of the locals as mentioned before. He order salad for me and I realised that I missed the leafy greens, veg and fruits are almost non-existing in K's diet and I feel that I'm really deprived of those when I'm with him.

It took us a whole day just to settle the Iron Man thing, the fact that its already pitch dark by 6.30pm here make the day seems to past really fast. I was totally sleepy and tired on our way back, the slow traffic and dim lights of the dusk didnt help me to get more energized. However, I was excited when we got home as K's mum had brought home some Baluts. I was eager to try this exotic dish as its well known that we can get to eat this here in the Philippines. In fact, its more like a fear factor dish, akin to the fried cockroach they have in Thailand. The Balut is a unhatched duck egg with duckling embroyo already developed inside (around 16-17 days), and then boiled like a normal hard boiled egg. K had been telling me that they will usually sell them at night, when the temperature is cooler and the warm balut will feel really good when eaten. I was expecting myself chewing some soft bones and my mouth full of duck feathers but that didnt happen. The Balut is very much like a hard boiled egg except for the fact that the egg yolk is covered with dark crimson liquid when we broke the shell. There's the egg yolk and part of the egg white which is already harden (they call it the stone), but there's also a very small slice of bloody skin that looks like a small duck, some people find this too gross to consume and would just finish up the other parts without this.

After a little rest, we took a bus to Tarlac City and met some of his friends who are also working in SG as TAs. We went to Kart City and K was really looking forward to have a go on the Go Kart, I wasnt too keen as I was feeling a little lazy although I had recovered a lot from the late afternoon fatigue. To save my day, it started raining and his other friends are not exceptionally keen to go on the Go Kart. We were just having our chillax session and dinner at the cafe next to the track. The place was quite nice when we were sitting outdoors before the rain. We ordered pizza again as I really loved the pizza they served at Zulu the previous night. It was too dark in the restaurant to get a proper shot at the pizza, but I can almost taste the thin crust with fresh ingredients and veggies! Mmmm....

After leaving the cafe, we went to pick up a new kitten that K had bought a few months before we were back in the Philippines. Luckily, the kitten is really tame and shy, it loves cleaning itself and doesnt make any noise (till we switch off the lights and it was pitch dark in the room). I wasnt mentally prepared when K wanted to let it roam around our room when we were sleeping, I was concerned about it peeing and pooping on our bed as we're not too familiar with it yet. On top of it, I will get paranoid about the kitten brushing against my skin in my sleep. Finally, he compromised and brought in a cage for the kitten to sleep next to us. I really heaved a sigh of relief when he did that, even though I felt sorry for the poor cat. Luckily, it didnt whine and just left it to us to decide its fate. K was looking at our gadgets in the room, and as a big fan of Apple products, he decided to name his new kitten Apple. He was really unsettled until he finally he made up his mind about the name.

Philippines Trip Day 1 (7/12)

This is the land of pork and rice. Before I came to the Philippines, I already realised Filipinos cant do without rice in their meals, we are cooking rice at home everyday and they consume it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can imagine how hard it is for me to stay with my no carbs diet, I feel worried for K's health and weight when I see him eating that amount of rice everyday. We have less of the pork at home, and we usually cook more chicken instead. The first two meals I had over here was sisig and liempo, and it goes without saying that we had them with rice. I must say, those are really good. I always have sisig at Gerry's Grille in SG, and the ones over here are even better. Sisig is a dish cooked with all parts of the pig head (tongue, ear etc) sauteed with onion and garlic on a hot plate. It was past midnight when we went out to hunt for dinner and balut (another exotic dish which I havent get to try yet), therefore I tried to taste just a few mouthful of that.

A trip to the Philippines is really a test of self control for me in terms of diet, sigh. I kept reminding myself to eat in small portions and just a few mouthful to try the taste of the different food. However, I already have the feeling that I'll put on A LOT of weight after the first day.

After a good night's rest, we're ready to set off. We actually planned to go out really early as K had planned a long list of things to do. Deep in my heart, I was almost sure we would sleep in, and that was exactly what happened. We only went out after 1pm.

 The first stop was the dental clinic, I havent been to the dentist for years and I was doubtful that I would want to get my teeth checked in a foreign land. However, the dental clinic proved to be clean and I went ahead with the scaling and polishing, it cost only SGD $15 and that is at least 4 or 5 times cheaper than in SG. I have a fear of visiting the dentist ever since my primary school years and the high cost of dentistry treatment is a real put off too. If we had more time, I would have gotten my fillings done as well, it would be sooooo much cheaper than to do it at home. I made a mental note to visit the dentist as soon as I'm back as the dentist explained that both my front teeth need fillings to be done. Sigh..

One of the places we went after that was a traditional cake shop. K missed the taste of cakes in his homeland and bought a 9inch cake just to finish off on his own. He also got me some traditional cookies and snacks, I must say that they taste really good.

The ones on the left are my favourite, they are known as Boat Tarts as they're shaped like a boat. It's a half pastry, half sweet tart and its really tasty. The white ones on the right are like candy wrapped in rice paper and they are Turrones de Casoy, it sound really Spanish to me.

We took the public bus to Angeles (another city near here) and I had the experience of taking both the air-con and non air-con bus, the difference is obviously in the price. The air-con bus is like the private bus serving us back in SG, the non air-con one is not too bad too as the air is cool and I get a whiff of what I call the 'forest smell' (just the normal non-industrial area smell that I love). I must admit I was really reluctant when we board the non air-con old bus when heading home, but it was already 1am and I slept most of the way back. That evening, we went to a really nice restaurant owned by one of his many friends in Angeles and the ambiance there really nice. The food in this Zulu restuarant is really good and of course seems really really cheap to me.

This is the Sinful cake that K had been telling me about since the early days of our friendship. I was doubtful then that I would ever get to try it, but I'm really glad that I finally did. The texture of the cake is really good, I think we might be able to find similar ones in SG but it will be much more expensive. As the name suggest, every mouthful feels sinful to me and I think it goes without saying that there's loads of calories there.

It's December.. I'm back...

I realised the past few posts were all made in December, when I get really bored inspired during the hols. Anyway, I'm back again. This may be my one and only post for this year but nevertheless, I'll just write something as I'm in the mood right now. This is the first day I'm in the Philippines (yesterday was just taking the flight and exploring K's place) so I'm thinking of recording the stuff I'll see around here. Therefore you see, last year I had a motivational blog in mind and this year I intend to transform it into a travel journal. We'll see if that will happen..

I also changed the template for the blog after using the last one for many years, I just revisited the blog this morning and realise that the width and border of the blog are all out of place. I dont really bother to customize it like the previous one and just adopt the nicest template blogger can provide me at the moment. :)