Year is almost over

awww....what a bummer.  2010 hasn't been spectacular, if anything, it brought me lots of headaches and stress but by no means do I want this year to be over.  Time passes by seemingly in a blink of an eye.  I need time to stand still for a while, just for a bit.  Let me catch up with life.  Maybe it's my own fault for not knowing how to but then again, how do you enjoy life when there are constant worries and endless stress. 2011 isn't gonna be any different, I can already foresee but I vow to make the best out of it anyhow. 

There has been many negatives in the year but allow me to recap the positives.

After spending 9 years in the same company in the same location, I said my farewell.  It was time to go.  Joined a MNC which pays me good, great colleagues, great boss, flexible working hours, great benefits but with that comes stress and pressure.  Nothing is for free right?  I'll ride on this for a while. I hope I can handle work challenges and time management better in 2011.

Enjoys taking up Pilates at the gym.  Learnt so much about this form of exercise that I didn't know before.  Formed great camaderie with the instructor and fellow pilates members.  Had a blast showcasing pilates demo on the gym stage back in August, my first ever experience doing anything of this sort.  Feels really blessed to have the confidence, trust and opportunity given by my instructor.  With this group of friends, I am also finally going to be fulfilling one (and hopefully two) of my fitness bucket activities next year....hurrah! And oh yes, I finally can see some abs definition...yeah!..but nowhere near any six pack (not even close to two), bummer! 

I finally succumbed to getting the almighty iPhone 4.  I loved my old Nokia but its life was ending slowly on me.  iPhone 4 has been awesome.  Took me a little while to get used to touch screen especially when typing messages but I'm getting the hang of it.  Needs more practice on the camera though.

Getting a new broadband package at home has been the best decision made (and thank god the big boss has agreed to increase my dept's broadband monthly claims).  This should reduce my stress somewhat because I now do not have to sit in front of my notebook watching the statistics of the crawling uploading speed when I'm rushing to submit proposals (while my blood pressure increases everytime this happens, not to mention stress!)

My fitness goal has always been to get toned, especially on the arms.  As much as I like the looks of my arms now, I have not fully achieved my intended goal.  However, I've been getting quite a bit of compliments from my new colleagues, which I found rather odd because I never thought that my arms are great looking.  It makes me feel good and my new focus for Body Pump 2011 is to increase the weights for Shoulder Track. No more sissy 2.5kg!   

Kettlebell-ing

Did my first ever kettlebell overhead squat workout earlier at a local gym called REV. I knew kettlebell isn't easy but never knew it was that tough, especially working on my left arm. The entire 1hour class consisted of kettlebell +other workouts - 10 ring pull ups, 10 push ups & 15 squats, as many rounds as possible within 15mins (or was it 20, 30 mins?). My achievement was 10 rounds. My proudest was total of 100 push ups, all on my toes...my personal best to date. Am starting to feel some soreness now.

How's this for hilarious?

I got my home telephone line fixed, got the broadband fixed.  Found out from the technician that I was supposed to be given a free telephone when I registered for this.  Went to TMPoint this morning to collect that phone and also my free DECT (Digital Cordless Telephone) that comes with the broadband package. 

So, now I got these....

Seriously...for someone who doesn't make a lot of calls, what am I gonna do with 2 phones?  I already have my cellphone.

Testing this out..

Blogging from iPhone. Can't post any photos but that's alright.

Merry X'mas 2010

It's all for charity

For the first time since I joined the gym, I have decided to attend the annual Miracle Charity event organised by Fitness First.  The main reason for not attending in the past was purely due to location.  This year, however, the format has changed and the event is being held at each FF clubs instead of a central location.  There would be special classes at these clubs and to attend, members have to purchase Miracle coupons.  Each class requires a RM10 coupon to enter.

I bought myself the Miracle Coupons at RM30 per booklet. There was only one interesting class to attend and that is the combo class of Body Combat/Body Jam. Another class is a specially arranged Wing Chun class to be conducted by a Rose Chan, who is a 4th generation Ip Man student, all the way from Hong Kong.  The other event is GX Idol, which is some sort of competition to pick the best winner from a group of participants aspiring to be instructors, I think.....hmmm.

So, today was the Miracle event at my gym club.The BC/BJ class started off with a couple of BJ tracks and then followed by BC tracks, BJ tracks, so forth.  I was totally comfortable in this combo class although I must say, I wished the BJ instructors didn't pick such easy tracks.  The crowd however, was a disappointment.  There were only abt 15 members in a studio that can easily fit 50 people.  Most of the "happening" regular Combaters were not there. Hmm...scared of BJ or simply too stingy to purchase coupons?  Then there were some who came but walked in and out of the class, esp during BJ tracks. I find this extremely annoying.

As low profile as I am, at least I showed up! And I stayed the entire 90 mins class too.  Very proud of myself. 

Finally, since I still have some coupons left from the booklet, I bought myself 2 packets of YoGood cereals at RM10 coupon per box.  I'm sure it was overpriced but this was for charity so I didn't mind.

My breakfast for the week...

It's all about work..crap!

2.07am.......still working on a proposal due 4am CST in...that's just 3 hours away.  Emailing back and forth with the team in US. Been asked at the last minute to join in their conference call which was at 1.30am. Sigh.....how to dial in to a con call using prepaid line and an un-reliable hp la??  And anyway, why still doing a con call just 3.5hours away from submission time? The whole proposal should have been at a final review by now.  So, I completely ignore the request to dial in. Pretend dunno.

Now I guess I have to await further instruction on whatever last minute revision to be done....once they are done with their con calls, of course...god knows when that will be.  Decided already tomorrow will work from home or go in office after lunch, whichever, don't care.

This job pays me better than the old one but I think they ought to pay me even higher!

New mimpi list- Handphone

Been checking out handphones ever since the battery cover of my poor Nokia 6233 broke and the battery life diminished. I have since been able to fix the problem but there are still some hiccups. As much as I hate to waste money, I couldn't help fantasizing of a new hp. 

I have a few models in mind...

iPhone 4 -
the more I look at it, the more I like it. If the price is right, this may be the one to grab.

Nokia e72 -
originally my first choice.  I am afterall a loyal Nokia supporter. If only the screen is bigger...



Blackberry - not on the top of my list but still, who knows...

 

HTC Aria -
love the big screen cos I need GPS. 

May the best price wins my heart. And oh ya, not forgetting the best voice/data package.  This is gonna be a business hp...

Still learning...

This marks the end of my 4th week at this new job.  Good lord...it has been really stressful. And this is just the beginning...

Hi there...

Have not been around but am not missing either. 

Hates changes in life but have to face them anyway.

Not that keen to face unfamiliar grounds but that's just part of life.

Can't wait for the day when I know that the unknowns are clearer.

Braving myself to face worries and stress, necessary or otherwise.

New interest at the gym

These days there are only 3 things that interest me...Pilates, Body Jam & So You Think You Can Dance show. 

Thanks to a friend who has gone addicted to Pilates recently,  I now find myself thinking more and more about this exercise too.  Of course, not to the extend of planning to be an instructor, like this friend mine intends to do.While I may not have obtained that elusive 6-packs, I am seeing a huge improvement in core strength ever since taking up this exercise 8 months ago.  People take years to master this form of exercise, so really I am considered a newbie.  Interestingly enough, over the weekend, a class member commented that I am very good in Pilates..ahaks.  There are lots more to learn but I do believe I am progressing really well.  I have been invited by the instructor to be part of her demo team this upcoming Merdeka holiday Pilates class. How's that for coolness??

I can't get enough of Body Jam, thanks to disco. The BJ schedule at the gym isn't doing me any justice cos for me, BJ is only 4 times a month. Never one a good dancer, doing that few classes makes it harder to improve. At times like this, I wish I am a passport holder so that I can visit other clubs.  Watching So You Think You Can Dance ignites more dancing sparks in me. 

It's Monday, so that means BJ later tonite..woot!

Great midweek but weekend is looking exciting too...

Celebrated my good news with a triple gym class yesterday evening.  Traffic was that kind to me so I managed to reach the gym in time to catch the Disco track in BJam. Couldn't have been more happier.  The next class BPump was surprisingly smooth sailing, and BCombat, an hour later was great as well, though not as exciting to me as my first try at this new release. 

An valuer is coming to inspect my home later as part of my mortgage refinancing process.  Then I'm off to the gym again.  Thursday is usually my day off from the gym but today (and the next 2wks) I'm turning up to support a friend who recently became an instructor.

I have so many things to do that I really don't know where to begin. I think I need to turn to FreeMind to help me map my to do list.

For once in my life, I am on cloud nine.

Good news to share...

When the room goes round and round

Despite few drops of rain, I still made my way to the gym last nite for usual Body Jam class.  Such is my loyalty and commitment to the one exercise that I don't excel in. I possess neither a dancer's body nor grace but occassionally I like to fantasize that I actually do. 

So, first half of the class last nite was great actually...I knew the moves..everything was going great, no problem.  Basically, I was rocking it, dancing to the praises of the instructor.  I was having fun, showing off every once a while to the newbies  and outside onlookers..

Moments of brilliance....

2nd block of the class, however, was a total nightmare.  There were too many spinnings in the tracks.  After a few turnings, the studio was basically spinning right in front of my eyes.  I was like a little kid trying to find my shadow on the floor.  I could have easily be mistaken for a drunkard. The instructor was no longer singing praises. 

The effect of one spinning too many.

I always tell myself that I don't take this class very seriously, preferring instead to enjoy an hour of fun, which I do really but sometimes stinking at something which I like just isn't fun . 

Cooking Project : Egg Drop Soup

Here we go, another cooking trial...egg drop soup or sometimes known as flower egg soup.  I first came to know ahout the existence of this fabulous soup during my college days.  I remember going to this little chinese shop in Chauncey Village, West Lafayette to get my fix of this soup, especially during the cold winters. In fact, I love this soup so much that I have tried cooking this a couple of times as a student. How about that eh?  None came close to the original taste, much to my dismay but they were good, nonetheless.

Egg drop soup is simply beaten eggs added to hot chicken broth, which consist of many different variations of ingredients but the one item which is a must is tofu, besides the eggs, of course.  The thin stream of beaten eggs added to the boiling soup should create a thin strand of cooked eggs.

.   So, ok...after many many years, I did another attempt at cooking this soup over the weekend.  My ingredients were tofu, egg, tomatoes (sliced into cubes) , cubed carrots and onion, some tiny chicken slices (for my soup base since I don't like using chicken broth cubes), coriander for garnishing & a few drops of pepper, salt and sesame oil for taste.  Simple enough right? 

All ingredients, with the exception of the eggs and coriander were brought to a boil.  Then I switched off the stove and added in the beaten egg, careful enough to slowly drop it in forkful by forkful. I have learnt from past experience not to pour the entire beaten egg in. 

Blurry side view of the soup

A less blurry top view of the soup

Verdict - Though edible, this is nowhere near the taste of the egg drop soup that I first came to know and liked years ago...not that I can vividly recall the taste after so many years but I'm pretty sure the original tasted (and looked) better than my current version.  For one, I overestimated the usage of salt and the beaten egg did not stream as well as it should.  The soup became a little too murky for my liking too.  Still, I finished the soup though. 

It is edible, people. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the next project.  God knows I can't even follow the simplest of recipes. 

Cooking Project: Baked Sweet Potatoes

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) USA ranked the sweet potato number one in nutrition of all vegetables. How about that?  I gotta admit, I never really pay much attention to this vegetable in the past but I try to eat more of this recently.  I've tried steaming the potatoes and eating it as it is, but it is so tedious peeling the skin off.  I've also tried boiling the potatoes with ginger (with some sugar and sago) and

having it as desserts. 

Then, there's the ultimate project....baking sweet potato as chips.  This is such an easy baking process. It doesn't require much prep, ingredients nor does it take up a lot of cooking time.

Sliced sweet potatoes in the toaster oven. I sprinkled some cinnamons for flavor, and spread some butter/olive oil to avoid the potatoes sticking to the foil.

Baked them for 10-15 mins, with constant monitoring.

The outcome.

Verdict:  Very flavorful and sweet (duh!) but could not get the chips to crisp up without burning them.  The rest were just soft.  Tried cooling them in hopes of them crisping up eventually but that didn't work either.  Thought maybe I had used too much oil or butter so I reduced that in the next batch.....didn't work too.  Needless to say, I will not be trying this again, ever. 

Another nite wasted

For the 2nd time in recent months, I went to the gym for my usual Body Jam class last nite (and I was really looking forward to it too) only to find the class being replaced by another class.  I had a moment of "Aaaaarrrrggghhh!".  To say that I am pissed is really an understatement, considering that the class was at 8.45pm and I wasted my time and effort to get to the gym only to turn back and walk out.  I wasn't sure if the replacement was a last minute change...but if it wasn't, to say that I am pissed at the group exercise manager (who handles scheduling) is really an understatement.  I had checked the internet schedule earlier to ensure that class was on.

Anyway, it wasn't a good start to my return this week, so let's hope today's pilates class will kick off in a much better way.  I could have gone for that replacement class but then it was Easy Step, a new in-house program introduced by the gym a year ago, of which clearly I am not a favorite.  It really makes no sense to me to invent another program that is identical in format and style to Body Step, an already established Les Mills program that the gym has been running for years.  For goodness sake, if you're gonna create a new program, be original.  Or bring in more creative exciting programs....kettlebell classes, or Capoeira maybe.

We're bored.

Well rested my foot!

I gave myself a whole week off from gym and a whole weekend of no physical activity, except for an hour of much needed housekeeping, thinking that I can restore my body's energy and catch up on lost sleeps. I swear my body is feeling more lethargic, and I don't feel any different than I did last week or the weeks before.  I probably slept too much too over the weekend and don't even mention the amount of watching TV...and then, I woke up this morning with sinus and a headache.  How about that?  It's no wonder fitness freaks like to preach about the benefits of exercising...

The misery of allergy...

I am declaring myself as the world's most allergic prone person.  Well, I've known since childhood that I am allergic to prawns and crabs (not other shellfish though), and consuming these food will cause immediate purging.  Not very pleasant experience each time. A month ago, I developed swollen eyes due to some allergic reaction to....I don't know....it was either antibiotics or some ingredients in some cosmetic item or a combo of both.  4 whole miserable days of suffering.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of getting hives.  Hives? They are slightly raised red or white bumps on the skin that caused itchiness. Hives is the body's reaction to an allergen, a foreign substance in or on the body. It could be allergy to certain food products, dust mite, bed bugs, insect bite or even stress (I certainly didn't know this one).

I wanted to take more pics but I think this one is ugly enough to make people go yuck..

I have no idea what I did or ate that caused hives.  It certainly isn't the first time that I got them...though the last time I had them was prolly more than 5 years ago and I remember as a kid, I had them a couple of times too.   The hives got became intenstely itchy late into last nite (cold compress didn't help, neither did cold shower) and I had no choice but to pay my less than favorite 24hour clinic a visit.  Was given an injection by whom I presumed is a nurse of some sort as I'm guessing the locum doctor is either not authorised or did not want to give out japs himself or too lazy.  For the first time, I was teary eyed after getting an injection.  Anyway, this allergy ordeal pretty much caused me a sleepless nite despite the amount of calamine lotion used and btw, I took double the tablet medication dosage prescribed by the doc. It was that bad.  How to sleep when I have the urge to scratch and claw my whole body out, right???

I thought my body was new again this morning (jumped for joy, no need to return to the clinic for MC) but now... several hours later, the hives are back.  I swear I have the ugliest thighs right now.  Blardy useless injection, which btw, caused me pain that I can still actually feel some effect of it. My arms and torse are spared at the moment but I don't think it will take too long for the hives to spread everywhere else. Sigh....the joys I get in life sometimes....

Too much Pink....

I find this such a coincidence that it's almost freaky.  For the past couple of weeks, I've been listening and watching P!nk's concert videos on youtube repeatedly.  I knew that in Body Pump & Body Combat past releases, there were tracks from P!nk's albums, such as So What!, U & Ur Hand (in BC), It's All Your Fault, I'm Not Dead (in BP)..and maybe more...so I was jokingly thinking that one day perhaps I should request the instructors to play all available P!nk tracks in the class, right?. Of course, I was telling this to myself....

Last Wed and yesterday, indeed 2 P!nk tracks were played during Body Pump!  And not only that....the hit from 4Non Blondes "What's  Up?" were also played...and this was a song that P!nk performed during one of her tours few years ago.   How's that for weirdness, huh? It was pretty cool actually albeit edging on freakiness. 

Now I wait and see if any of P!nk BC tracks will be played in upcoming Body Combat classes..and I guess I really should cut down listening to P!nk.

I am so sleepy I have to write something...

And again we did Bicep Track to the tune of  "Pump It" (by Black Eyed Peas)  in Body Pump last nite.  So freaking ridiculous.  The program director in Les Mills ought to be shot for this.  I just think that by using this song, a lot of the members compromised their forms, me included, because the song is fast.  So silly.  No, not the song....the song is lovely. I suppose I could have gone with much lighter weights but then again, that will just be a step backward.  I couldn't be more pissed last nite.

Speaking of songs, I am now an adoring fan of P!nk. Watched a few of her interviews in Youtube.  That girl has an infectious laugh.  And I truly believe that P!nk is the most underrated singer in the world.  What I like most is that she does not lip sync...and I love love singers who are able to sing live.  In fact, listening to P!nk singing live is almost like listening to her songs direct from the CD.  That is how awesome and incredible she sounds. She's the real deal.  Her "Glitter in the Air" trapeze performance in the Grammy Awards earlier this year was mesmerising.  Her performance was really the only thing I can remember out of the entire award show. 

I am so glad the weekend is coming soon.  I am so wanting to sleep in.  Aside from that and Pilates and Body Pump, there is really nothing to look forward to this weekend....but I still can't wait for the weekend to arrive anyway.  OH!  I have got to say this.  74 push ups done last Sunday.  24 on my knees during Body Pump and an extra 50 on my toes at home.  Take that!  I am gonna make this a weekly routine and every week the number has to increase.  A real test for me, I'm sure.  Bring it on....

Time well spent at the gym

The trip to the gym yesterday was very much how I liked it.  Both Pump and Combat classes were superb.  At last we are out of the new releases week but the BC instructor still kept that Shoot track in T4 of Combat, not that I mind at all...at least she didn't keep that "sword movement" track.  I did not stay for the last 2 tracks of Combat though...I figured I better not over exert myself as my stamina level is not at its usual 100% level, considering that I had skipped gym the whole of last week. 

I must say that The Black Eyed Peas' "Pump It" music is really not suitable for doing bicep curl singles.  The song was super fast and it was so gruelling to follow the beat of the music.  I felt like I compromised my form and had to stop and pause quite a bit.  I must remember to inform that instructor never never to go with that song again. So silly.....

Other than that, everything else was good.  Felt great to be sweating lots...........

Cooking Project: Sweet Potato patties

Another attempt at cooking.  Ever since I ate potato patties the first time, I had wanted to try my hands at making it myself at home.  Opting for a healthier option, I decided to use sweet potatoes instead.

Here was what I did over the weekend.

Boiling the sweet potatoes. 

Mashing the potatoes, using my brand new utensil from IKEA. Mixing in some peppers, salt and mixed herbs.

This is such a great exercise for the fingers.

Shape the potates into balls. Not a necessary step but I just love doing it.

I flattened the balls.

Brush the patties with egg and coat with oatmeals.

I tried baking this in the oven microwave for 10 mins. 

It did not turn out that great...

These look much better after I fried them....not deep fried though...just a little oil.

Verdict:  Makes for great snack.  I think it will taste even better if I use white potatoes instead, but of course sweet potatoes are healthier. 

Let's talk Loser...

and by that, I meant, the hit reality weight loss show...not that musical drama GLEE... is for Loser.  If you have never watched GLEE, I guess you'll be wondering what the hell am I talking about. Anyway......

I want to touch a little about the Biggest Loser show.  Being an avid fan, I love watching the contestants losing massive amount of weights week after week.  Their transformation is simply amazing.  Of course, Asia has just concluded its own version of Biggest Loser Asia recently.  In that show, I noticed that many of the contestants do not take weight loss seriously enough to make any significant difference.  The commitment is just not there 100%.  At the season finale, we saw that many of the contestants who were voted out early did not get any thinner, unlike the US or Australian version, where we see a huge difference in all the contestants.  My guess is that, as soon as they left the show, they went back to binge-ing the old ways and not exercising much. 

The reason I'm bringing this up is because, yesterday I had a field day arguing with a gym instructor about BL, who thinks that the show is sending wrong messages about living healthy. The truth of the matter is, in the real world, it is of course not realistic to lose 50-60kgs in 2-3 months and exercising 6-8 hours a day.  BL is not only about that...In a perfect world, people have jobs and families.  They face food temptations everywhere, plus, they may not always be able to exercise daily.  The other question is...is it healthy to lose 50-60kgs in 2 months?  I don't see why not.  If losing that amount of weight gets a person off 10 different medications, I don't see why not.....

While BL is a show about weight loss, it is still a competition. And as in any reality show, whenever you put  people together in the same house, there will always be drama. The important message to be learned out of this show, IMO, about is about taking the first step towards losing weight and learning that exercising and eating right is the correct way to go, not diet pills and surgery.  Can a fat/obese person lose 50kg, 100kg ?  Of course! It may take longer than 3 months but as long as they incorporate exercise and healthy eating, they can do it.  Sadly, most people only understand the first part of that equation.  I've seen fat people putting in hours upon hours at the gym but their diet is less than perfect.  There is always that mentality oh, I burned 600 calories, therefore I'm entitled to eat junk food after gym. What a load of crap...

Anyway, I feel that the show is and should be an eye opening for people who are fat or obese.  It is shown in 90 countries so, imo, it is an intricate part of pop culture doing some good to the world.  I don't think the show is sending any wrong messages, at all.

Fitness Equipment Bucket List....

Purchases of sports equipment is now tax deductable for up to RM300.  How neat is that? 

I couldn't help but wonder what constitutes sports equipment though.  Is lifting gloves considered sports equipment?? How about shoes? Or darts and board? Exercise DVD??

Anyway, speaking of equipment, I do have a list of fitness items that I have been wanting to get such as....

Yoga Mat

Isn't it amazing that I practised yoga for 3 years and now doing Pilates for 6 months and yet I don't own a mat?

Fitball

Great equipment for core and stability workouts.  I would love to have one of this at home.  And I think it'll be great to sit on this watching TV while learning to balance myself. I once fear this big ball but thanks to Ball Pilates, I fully embrace it.

Latex tube

Another great item for resistance training.  Tried this once and it's not as easy as it looks.

Dumbbells

The ultimate resistance training equipment.  I like this type of dumbbell because the weights can be easily adjusted and you don't need so many different pairs for different weights. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Then there are other sports equipments which I would love to own if I have the money to buy them cos these equipments are super expensive, but they are also super cool, imo.

Kettlebell

Swinging one of this kettlebell can be dangerous if one doesn't know the proper techniques.  One can get head or shoulder injuries. Imagine bowling ball with handles :-)

Bosu Ball

I would love to try doing Squats or single leg standing on one of this (the bosu turned upside down).  Great great for balancing training.

I can set up my own mini gym at home with all these equipments isn't?  I should seriously start shopping around for the best deal already. I'm gonna call this my fitness equipment bucket list....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How's this for hilarious...

Much to my amusement today, I stumbled upon a piece of document belonging to the resigned girl, the one who had made my blood pressure soar daily.  Her resume was still sitting pretty in the notebook she was previously using.  Not that I was intentionally searching for it.  It was right there on the Desktop of the notebook. 

I couldn't help but glance thru the document.  She had assigned herself as "Senior Business Executive" when in fact her position was just only Business Executive and she has only been with the company for 6 mths.  I was like, oh my god...was this girl for real?  Seriously?? Should I laugh til I pee or should I just puke?  I couldn't help but wonders if her past work experience is genuine or not.

Good Lord..some people just have no shame.  And coming from someone who is clueless and brainless, this is definitely worth shaking my head....

Liar...dirty liar!

btw, the new replacement girl is such a joy to work with.  I don't get headaches, I don't need to puke blood daily and my blood pressure is stable.   Huge difference.  I wouldn't mind if this one calls herself "Senior".

This and that....

Life at work was hectic for the past 10 days, I felt like a chicken running without its head. 

It is so much calmer now. 

Now that work life is back to normal, I can focus more on my jobhunt...ahaks.

After having worked 19 hours straight from Sun to Mon, I went home to get my much needed precious sleep but my body refused to cooperate.  I ended up with only 1 hour of nap. Surprisingly enuff, the past couple of nites have been blissful.  Uninterrupted deep sleep is something that is a luxury to me and is hard to come by.  So, I am very grateful...and I hope it continues.

Of late, I have been binge-ing on chocolate chip cookies.  At one shot, I can eat up to 10 or more minis in a day.  So much so that I went out and bought myself 2 more packets. Not a good decision considering that most baked goods contain hydrogenated oil (ie. trans fat....ie. the worst type of fat) but this one only listed vegetable oil in its ingredient so I'm really not sure if the ingredients list is accurate. Even as I'm writing now, I'm already salivating over the visual of the cookie.  Damn.....

Gym life is as it should be. 

This is the 2nd week of new releases and so far I can't say if I'm crazy about the new choreo.

Body Jam 52 is OK for the 1st half of the class. I think I can officially say I am more comfortable doing Latin than Hip Hop.

I don't like the new Body Combat 43 release. What is with the stupid sword move? Instructors kept stressing that this release works the butts but how come I don't feel it? Maybe I've got buns of steel. oh, I like the Tripod Push Up idea but seriously, it needs to be done in a much slower mode, imo, or else it won't be effective at all.

The new Body Pump 73 is gruelling. I love "I gotta feeling" by The Black Eye Peas but I hate the new Chest track. And damn the 3/4 range singles in Biceps track.

I am now an official addict of Oreo Milkshake.  This couldn't have come at a worse time, especially when I found out that Oreos contain HFCS in its ingredient list.  Go to this link "The Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup" for indepth understanding of this sweet liquid. Since my addiction won't go away, I am using similar cookies that look and taste like Oreo to blend my milkshake.  Again, I better pray that I have stronger willpower.

Burning the midnite oil

Yawn...yawn...2.06AM

I haven't done this in a while....staying up the whole nite and morning working in the office...since Sunday evening.  Luckily I am not alone or else I would have cried standing. Been here 8 hours already and I'm guessing we will need to be here for roughly another 9 hours.  I just wish my colleague would work a little faster, since my portion of work relies heavily on his portion.

My shoulders are aching from hunching over the notebook, as much as I try to be aware of my sitting posture.  My eyes are half closing. I have never wanted my bed more.  It must be age catching up with my body.  Never a good thing.  I gotta catch up on sleep later in the afternoon.

On a positive note, I have an interview scheduled on Tues morning. And I also received an email from somebody requesting for my resume submission.  Good positive vibes are starting to flow through.  Hoping something good will turn up soon. 

I didn't wanna do this again but I need an outlet to vent...

So, the most inefficient co-worker that I have ever encountered will be leaving today (thank god!) but not surprisingly she is leaving all her mess and shit for me to clean up.  Work that was assigned to her 2 weeks ago did not get done (again, I guess this shouldn't come as a surprise considering that she is a LAZY INEFFICIENT cow!).

As a result, now I have to scramble to get that work done (again, I repeat, cleaning up the idiot's shit) due to its dateline submission, and not only that, there are other parties involved (eg. bank) to get some documents drawn up and with just 2 days to go, I really don't know how well the bank is willing to liaise with us, if at all. 

If it is up to me, I would have given this idiot a 10x slap across the face before she stepped out of this office for the final time. I have harbour hatred for some people across my lifetime but never before have I hated somebody this much.

I have a strong urge to throw this in...

For better or for worse, I will show how I truly feel.

Today a colleague of mine commented that I really look fed up with another co-worker and it shows very obviously.  Well, I just want to say that my action is justifiable.  In my so many years of working in different companies, I have never experienced having to deal with a co-worker who is lazy, ignorant, blur, has attitude problem and has no common sense with work matters. Worse of all, despite numerous guidance and reminders, this person continues to make the same mistake and I have to frequently correct them.  Well, enough is enough!  To me, this person does not deserves any of my respect.  I would rather reserve that for somebody who is deserving, not someone who is making me "vomit blood" on a daily basis

It was shocking to me, at first, when I found out recently that I wasn't the only person in the office having problems with this person.  Seriously...what more needs to be said about such person then? 

I can have the words "fed up with...." printed on my forehead and it will still be totally justifiable.

Are new instructors really ready?

I am not sure what is with the gym lately.  It seems to me that there is a bunch of new and upcoming instructors, which is always a good thing, but then I noticed that new instructors are given more and more opportunities to lead classes during special events or during new release launch programs.  In a way, this will be considered good because these instructors will get all the exposures that they need to advance and be successful in their own programs. 

However, from a member's standpoint, not all of these instructors are ready for the limelight, not especially those who have just passed their clearance test. Nothing is more frustrating to members than instructors who fail to do proper cue-ing, often forgetting choreos or who simply fail to motivate the class. I understand that instructors need to go through a learning curve, pretty much as we all do in real life...however, I just feel that there needs to be a better instructor selection especially during special launch events. 

I'll speak for myself.  There was a time when I look up to certain instructors in the programs that I join because of their finesse, their fitness levels, the energy that they projected during class and their abilities to lead the class well.  It is these factors that kept me going back to their classes again and again.  Sadly, most of these instructors have either left the fitness industry, or are no longer teaching at the outlet that I go to or their slots have been replaced by new instructors.  It is no wonder that my trips to the gym has reduced significantly too...of course, the class schedule is the other factor.  

I now hear that one of my regular class for Body Pump may be replaced by some other class.  As a dutiful member, I have wrote in to complain but it remains to be seen how effective my feedback will be.  And oh ya, I made 2 of my friends submit feedbacks too. 

I am self praising today...

Who has been the one to come to the company's rescue EVERY TIME  someone from the Tender Commercial Bid Team resigns or is away on maternity leave?

ME! That's right....ME! 

and guess what.........that is not even my job scope but the fact that I am able to handle it speaks volume.  I am being look upon as the savior when there is no one to handle that job. 

Do I enjoy doing it? No.
Do I have a choice not to do it? Doesn't look like it.
Am I being appreciated? I highly doubt so.

You know what...despite all this, I am extremely proud of the fact that I am able to handle many different areas of job responsibilities reliably & independently and most important of all, do them well with common sense and quality.

Even though I am not rewarded well enough now, I hope some day someone out there appreciate my hardwork, values and trustworthiness...and reward me accordingly. For now, I will do my work quietly....

Tea break?

The last time I drank tea daily, I went thru 2 weeks of excruciating stomach upset and pain. I swore never to repeat this mistake but for the past few weeks, I have been drinking ice lemon tea quite frequently. I think it was partly due to the hot weather and partly because I was simply craving for caffeine, considering that I was off soda for quite awhile now.

I have a feeling that I am about to go thru another round of this unpleasant experience. I have been having slight stomach upset since last nite...the bloating, the discomfort, the cramps....resulting in the all too familiar sleepless nite and trips to the bathroom. And oh ya...I have just experienced a slight sharp pain few minutes ago.

I thought the first horrible incident was coincidence but now I really learn the hard way....

Cooking Project - Fettucine veggie pasta

Dinner last nite was fettucine with chicken pasta sauce + veggies. 

I don't think there's any need to go into recipe details since the picture itself is self explanatory. Besides, you  can use whatever veggies that suit your taste.

Verdict:  The pasta could use a little more salt but since I'm mindful of sodium intake, I didn't mind the bland taste. Veggies was nice with a little twang to it cos I added lemon juice.

Is it that difficult to read instructions?

I remember back during school days when we were sitting for examinations, teachers were always reminding and advising students to read and understand the instructions on the exam papers.  I may not remember all the things that were taught in school but that piece of advice has stuck with me long after I left school.

An instruction need not be something that is on paper alone.  In our daily lives, we are dealt with countless instructions, whether in college, at work, at home, etc etc.  An instruction can tell guide you towards doing something the right way and it is important that one listens or reads instructions. Some people simply do not understand the importance of reading instructions or they just do not bother to read them. 

I am dealing with one such subordinate at work and I find it extremely annoying, not to mention frustrating. Oral instructions given have to be reiterated many times.  Written instructions were not read or comprehended, resulting in work not done properly and me having to check this person's work.  I'm not dealing with a fresh grad or a junior level staff...this is someone who has several years of working experience and is paid senior level scale salary but yet make tons of mistakes each time and has to be constantly prompted to finish off a given task.  It is just pure hell dealing with this type of person but thank god, this person is leaving the company soon and the replacement is someone who is more reliable and more importantly, can understand instructions.  Can't wait..........

Mindless blabbing....

My thoughts seem to be everywhere and I can never gather them together enough to write a decent blog.  When I'm not ready to write, all thoughts and ideas come in a rush.  When I'm actually sitting down to write, my mind goes blank.  No difference today...so I thot I'll just jot down what comes to mind as I'm typing.

First of all, the office aircond airflow is insufficient to the point that I am ready to pass out daily.  No joke.  Highlighted the problem to the big boss but no conclusive action taken.  No worries boss, we'll just pass out quietly...

Isn't it frustrating when subordinates are not efficient in their work? I'm not talking about lack of creativity or not working smart.  It kills me when I have to constantly remind, monitor and check subordinates' work despite clear and simple instructions given. They will either not do it, take their own sweet time to finish the work, left the job half hanging or do it wrongly.  I'm vomitting blood dealing with this type of people.  Worse still, these people do not report to me but I have been asked to monitor & delegate work to them, otherwise I would have just fired them straightaway.  I am amazed at the lack of common sense around here

I watched Kelly Ripa appeared on Late Show With David Letterman last nite and damnit...her arms are ripped.  Needless to say, I was envious.  No amount of Body Pump sessions will ever get me those killer arms. If only I can have Jillian Michaels as my trainer....

I was very much distracted by a member in last nite's BP class.  She had her game face on the entire class, loading on heavy weights for every tracks.  I wasn't in the least bit impressed considering that she wasn't able to follow the timing and cue-ing of all the tracks, mainly because the weights were too heavy for her...it was that obvious.  Sigh.....some people just love to show off.

The Body Combat class went 10 tracks without rest last nite but I was hardly sweating much at all. I wasn't gasping for air even, like usual.  No thrills at all.  My sports bra wasn't even wet either.....

Caught a rerun of SYTYCD Season 2 finale last nite.  Favorite judge Mia Michaels was on....yeah! I hope there will be a rerun of Season 3 too cos I want to see more of Mia and her work.  Isn't it interesting that the 2 persons that I admire a lot (ie. Jillian Michaels, Mia Michaels) have the same last name.  I think it's so super cool..

OK, looks like the babbling train has come to a grounding halt.  No more thoughts coming out....

Need to re-evaluate my diet

Sigh....face looks a little gaunt.  Always the first sign of weight loss.  It shouldn't come as a surprise, I guess, considering that I haven't been eating as much as I should. The extreme hot weather outside and the lack of cold aircond air inside the office are a contributor to appetite loss.   Thank goodness I haven't been exercising that much.

Gym wise...am slowly returning to usual workout regimen, though am taking it easy on the cardio part.  I did turn up at the gym on Sunday for usual Body Pump only to find the class being replaced with some other class for that day, due to some special event.  Pissed me off that the schedule board isn't updated and I wasted my time and effort turning up.....which reminds me...I haven't submitted a complain feedback yet.

On  a different note, was paying my bills online yestesrday and realised that there were a couple of bills previously which were not paid...and I didn't even remember getting those bills in the post...otherwise I would have paid already.  A bit of a bummer cos that means all budget for this month completely went out of whack. I just hope there are still some balance left after settling the overdues...

Sure feels great to be back

Resuming workouts after a long break is usually something that I fear, a little. What was once easy became challenging.  In a way, that is good because then, I get to feel the burn all over again and that is where the growth is.  However, being someone  who is a self critic, I always walk out from the comeback workout feeling less satisfied.  

This week's fitball pilates and Body Pump workouts were pure hell for me.  I was half beat, half dead, very much struggling and extremely exhausted. Of course, it didn't help that I was very busy, stressed and tired from office work and found myself eating less than normal.  Not enough calories = not enough fuel = less energy.  On top of that, I have been having headache for days.  Stubborn me still insist on returning to the gym though.  Skipping it much longer will probably make it harder to come back. 

Having said that, I think the best part of resuming workouts after a long break is feeling the soreness of the body.  I just love that feeling, as miserable as it might get.  It gives me a sense of satisfaction, that I have pushed my body to the limit and I am reaping the benefits of the workout.

Now that I have gotten the initial post holiday workout struggle out the way, I am looking forward to my normal workout routines.  Stay strong, stay fit, stay healthy.

How's this for hilarious?

After a class workout at the gym recently, I was told that I was very good.  As much as I wanted to burst out laughing,  I decided to bask in the glory of the compliment instead.  Afterall, it isn't everyday that I get such remark from an instructor, let alone a dance instructor. Now..............if only I can be more coordinated and less stiff.

I must admit though.... it did feel good to be praised.  I think we all need that from time to time, regardless of how we grade ourselves. 

Speaking of dance, what is it with me and dancing? Having watched a few episodes of SYTYCD (So You Think You Can Dance) recently, suddenly I became a fan of dancing? Sadly, just as I have become a huge fan of Mia Michaels, she left the show in 2009.  What a bummer. I knew nothing about contemporary dance until I saw Mia's amazing routines.  And I gotta say, it was her wild haircut that got me hooked in the first place....

Mia Michaels, Emmy award winning contemporary choreographer,

who was also guest judge & choreographer in SYTYCD.

The holiday that didn't leave much impact

So, Chinese New Year holidays came and left without much fanfare.....well, at least to me.  Much of the holidays were spent hanging out with family members at home.  The weather was just too scorching hot to be doing anything outside anyway.  As much as I didn't want to celebrate CNY, I felt that I have to observe it, for tradition's sake. There wasn't much preparation of snacks at my home, not only because I didn't want to celebrate CNY but a lot of times, those snacks are either fried or sugary.  I wasn't paranoid about the caloric intake but more of being mindful about unhealthy ingredients.  Besides, from past experience, I was always left with lots of unfinished snacks which would eventually be thrown away.  So, in order not to waste food this year, I did minimal snack shopping.   Even then, I have a feeling I will be tossing out unfinished food again this year. No more buying next year....

I do admit that I am guilty of indulging in some of them at my sister's home though, as much as I tried to restrict myself. My face didn't agree with my food intake either because at last count, 4 pimples popped out within days.


My biggest regret this CNY was eating fast food again!  After 6 mths of shedding myself clean, damnit, I could really strangle myself for this one.  I was at the airport with sister and family....sending mom and bro off.  Everyone automatically kinda walked towards KFC for dinner and I didn't want to be petty about it so I went along...well, at least I could go for the salad garden......but damnit, the outlet didn't have that available. I settled on nuggets and a couple of potato wedges instead....felt real guilty the whole time about eating food fried in hydrogenated oils....bad bad bad.  I know...I caved in.  There goes my clean record....