Hello 2015!

Attention 2015!  Let's finish the year strong!!













With serenity, peace and love!

Hello 2014!

Because my favorite family was away on holidays last weekend, leaving me to house-sit and water their tree, I had a nice, peaceful, quiet time.  Also managed to get a chance to get to mass early enough for confession. Now onto my new year resolutions.

No. 1 - working on the relationship with my mother.  (At the confessional, I was told very wisely that my mother is my "spiritual asset").  Sigh.  I hear you, God!

No. 2 - perspective.  When I had a job, $ in the bank, healthy working limbs, I bitched all the time.  In 2012, when it was all taken away, I learned how not to take things for granted.  Now I am grateful I have a chance to groan that it is Monday and I need to crawl out of bed and go to work!  Thank you God.  You are good, all the time!

It's like that funny story we repeated while at the lousy start-up I was with.  We had this European customer that had a long laundry list of stuff they pestered us to fix.  One day, the server in our US office crashed, and suddenly in perspective, none of those "must-fix" bugs mattered when faced with irrecoverable data loss.  At that time, we laughed it off over lunch.  But that's precisely the lesson in life : it is all about putting things in the right perspective.

No. 3 - discipline.  No more slacking off, must do my daily readings.

That's it.  I will focus on these 3 for a start.  So help me God!

Merry Christmas!

It all looks so clear now. Yep, I got an iPad for Christmas from Ian/Michy. The bestest family a person can ask for. Not just cos of this gorgeous iPad, more so the support and encouragement the past half year. It has been a trying year, can't wait for 2014.

Happy birthday to me!

Things did get worse, the job hunt grew protracted and dry... In desperation, I stayed beside happy people - Matty of cos is happiness personified, and started to run with some seriousness.  Just when I worked myself up to a comfortable 25km in training, a fall during a run rips the innards of my knee.  It gets worse : my hospitalization insurance coverage is woefully lacking.

It never rains, it pours.  Truly.

Thankfully our Lord only lets you endure to the point He knows you are able to.

Things finally turned for the better.  To new opened doors.

Never never never give up!

As Matty sings his song from Thomas the train : "never never never give up, even when you're feeling rough... If at first you don't succeed, never never never give up!".

The last 2 months has been an emotional roller-coaster ride of hoping/praying followed by crashing back to earth with each job rejection.

The economy is not doing well.  Right now, I don't really know where I am heading and I have no credible interviews in near sight.

But I will, never never never give up and keeping hoping/praying in the Lord.

OTG updates

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Monday morning blues

This morning I woke up and did my first PCN to East Coast park run.  Took it nice and easy and as is my usual style, prayed for and got a few red lights for me to stop and catch my breath a little.

I'm only out running cos I have this half marathon race plus Mount Kinabalu hike that I'm totally unprepared for and gasp!, it's this Saturday!

Why o why o why o why do I do these things to myself....

It doesn't rain, it pours

To add to my life's woes, I met with a really stupid accident at the car park beside NTUC Marine Parade.  I only needed a quick place to stash the car to run into Parkway Parade to grab a dozen cupcakes.  Clearly I made a wrong choice of car parks.  Now I have this gash along Roar's side bumper.  Sorry Roar.

People reading this, please, it's a car park, not a grand prix track.  Can't you even wait 10secs for me to back into a parking space?  I do not appreciate the inconvenience, more so the extra $$ to fix poor Roar.

Life sucks.  I sat at mass ultra moody, listing my shit list to God.  Oh help me please!

The lazy bones diary day 1

Should I wake up early to run - so I won't die at the Borneo marathon, OR, do I wake up early to go boulder at Kinetic - so my upper body doesn't deteriorate to point of climbing 5a grades only.

:(

Today's reading on Feast of Saint Mark

1 Peter  5:5-14

Beloved: Clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for:  God opposes the proud but bestows favor on the humble.

So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.  Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you.

Be sober and vigilant.  Your opponent the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your brothers and sisters throughout the world undergo the same sufferings.  The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ Jesus will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little.  To him be dominion forever. Amen.

I write you this briefly through Silvanus, whom I consider a faithful brother, exhorting you and testifying that this is the true grace of God.  Remain firm in it.  The chosen one at Babylon sends you greeting, as does Mark, my son.  Greet one another with a loving kiss.  Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

Shopping in Seven11

It's the Taiwan-ness in me.  I still browse the shelves of a 7-11 even though it sucks here in Singapore.  I don't know why I do...

Mental note to self : dive gear I should acquire for next dive trip

Talking out loud to self.  If and when a next dive trip materializes, I need these :

1. Snorkel - mine's kaput/broke.  Considering it's more than 10 years old, I got good amortization out of it.

2. Surface marker aka sausage.  I have been wanting to get one forever.  I think it's a safety must.  It scares me that we often surface without one - thankfully we have been lucky.  

Difficult times

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Heinous - terror at the Boston marathon

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2013/04/the-meaning-of-the-boston-marathon.html

An awesome read.

I stand with all indignant runners around the world, praying in solidarity for the victims, that God will grant Bostonians and all affected the courage/grace/strength to overcome.

Pope Francis Names Advisory Panel at Vatican

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/14/world/europe/pope-francis-names-advisory-panel-at-vatican.html?smid=pl-share

Hammerhead diving!

Our last big dive trip was the Similans (off Andaman sea) dive trip in 2011 - we were rewarded with a 45min dance with a big white manta ray.

The same group plus an elephant regrouped this month for some hammerhead shark diving at Layang Layang (off Borneo).  We were rewarded on our second dive with hammerhead shark viewing!  Everyone absolutely ecstatic.

What's left on my to-see list for scuba diving before I retire?  Whale shark, or any whale!

I leave my photos to speak for the fantastic dive trip with the pelagics : manta ray, marble ray, turtles, huge schools of tuna, jacks, baraccudas and of cos the hammerhead sharks.

Small selection
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151381683143157.1073741825.645738156&type=3

All photos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8062670@N07/sets/72157633222274519/

I didn't know that Layang Layang was part of the disputed Spratly Islands until Alfred told me.  Sure am glad no one shot at me when I ran on the naval base part of the landing strip that is closed to public.

Hilarious Catholic humour

Ok I lifted this from a FB post, but it's hilarious!

AMEN: The only part of a prayer that everyone knows.

BULLETIN: Your receipt for attending Mass.

CHOIR: A group of people whose singing allows the rest of the Parish to lip-sync.

HOLY WATER: A liquid whose chemical formula is H2OLY.

HYMN: A song of praise usually sung in a key three octaves higher than that of the congregation's range.

RECESSIONAL HYMN: The last song at Mass often sung a little more quietly since most of the people have already left.

KYRIE ELEISON: The only Greek words that most Catholics can recognize besides 'baklava'.

PEW: a medieval torture device still found in Catholic churches.

USHERS: The only people in the parish who don't know the seating capacity of a pew.

PROCESSION: The ceremonial formation at the beginning of Mass consisting of altar servers, the celebrant and late parishioners looking for seats.

RECESSIONAL: The ceremonial procession at the conclusion of Mass led by parishioners trying to beat the crowd to the parking lot

Perks of Running Solo or Social - from Runners World

Perks of Running Solo or Social

There are perks to running with others—and alone. How to get the best of both worlds.

By

Jen A. Miller

Published

February 11, 2013

As a runner you know that a program that incorporates various distances, paces, and surfaces helps you perform your best. What you may not realize is that the same holds true with the company you keep—or don't keep—on the run. Whether you'd rather gab away the miles with pals or be alone in your own thoughts, runners who are strictly social butterflies or lone rangers are at a disadvantage. "Being set in an introverted or extroverted running pattern can limit your experiences and prevent you from growing as a runner," says Michelle P. Maidenberg, Ph.D., M.P.H., a psychotherapist who works with athletes. Mixing things up and seeking out—or passing up—companionship can make you a more balanced runner.

SOLO PRACTICE
Between chirping cell phones, pinging e-mails, chatty coworkers, and rowdy kids, it can be tough finding moments of peace and quiet in your day. Running alone can allow you to hit the mute button on the world (especially if you leave the gadgets behind) and take full advantage of exercise's stress-busting benefits. "Running alone can be a meditative experience where you get to really think and concentrate or completely clear your mind and zone out," Maidenberg says.

There are performance benefits as well. When you're on your own, you can pay better attention to your form, breathing, and pace, says Brendan Cournane, a Chicago-based running coach. "It's easy to choose to run with a group at a casual pace, but doing that all the time can keep you from reaching your running potential," he says. "And if you always run with a group that's too fast, it can push you into doing more than you should." Running by yourself is especially important if you're coming back from injury and need to listen to your body to avoid another setback.

Also, solo training makes you self-sufficient for race day: You'll feel comfortable finding—and sticking to—a pace on your own without relying on a partner, and you'll get practice recognizing when your body needs hydration and fuel.

GROUP LOVE
One of the biggest gifts running partners give you is accountability: It's hard getting up at 5 a.m. to run, especially if it's raining and you stayed up late watching Leno or The Daily Show. But if you know that a buddy is waiting for you, you'll have extra motivation to climb out of bed, Cournane says. And it works on the run, too: A partner can keep you from slipping off pace or cutting a run short.

This positive peer pressure even works on a subconscious level—thanks to a concept called "social facilitation," says Cindra Kamphoff, Ph.D., a sports psychology consultant at Your Runner's Edge. It was first discovered with cyclists—they had faster times when racing against someone else versus doing a time trial on their own. The same holds true with runners. "When you run with others, you tend to give more effort," she says. "You get caught up in the pace, and you might not recognize how fast you're going."

Pairing up can also encourage you to branch out. "You learn more about how other people train and what they're doing, and it can inspire you to do something different," Kamphoff says. "It can open up your mind to trying new distances, races, or types of workouts."

Many beginners are solo runners, says Cournane, because they feel overwhelmed or intimidated by running with others. He suggests dipping your toe into the running community by pairing up with just one other person. Before you go, talk about your goals, especially pace. If your friend is faster, schedule your running date for a day he'll be doing an easy, recovery day. That way you can enjoy the run without worrying about keeping up or holding him back.

THE RIGHT BALANCE
With so many advantages to solo and group running, it's smart to do both. A loner might want to pair up with a slightly faster friend for speedwork or join others for company on long runs. And a social runner could split off from her relaxed group in order to do a quality workout designed for her individual goals.

That's what Kamphoff did when preparing for September's Omaha Marathon. Although she prefers to log miles with her running group, she did solo runs in order to work on her mental game. "You have to practice letting go of the inner chatter that can get in the way of what you want to accomplish," she says. "And that's something you have to do on your own." On race day, Kamphoff was able to reframe her negative thoughts. She won the women's division in 3:05.http://www.runnersworld.com/running-tips/perks-running-solo-or-social

Sore thumb

As I was telling friends, my car is the only red car in a carpark full of black/white/silver cars.  People passing by, just need a glance to tell if I were in or out.  Sigh.

I need to be more inconspicuous like Bob the sheepdog.

Easter Mass

Matty had his picnic birthday party at the Botanic Gardens early in the morning.  He got to run around, play with bubbles, eat lots of junk food and get different people to carry him (cooler than running in the mid day heat himself!).  His birthday cake was from an expensive yuppie shop called The Patisserie, his parents chose a delicious cake with a road in cream and we topped it up with a real toy train (Thomas and Friends of cos).  I chose Charlie cos he's a nice pretty purple train.  Cake shop lady snootily told me that the cake is soft, do not put the train on for too long.   So after we sang the birthday song, we started to take photos with some urgency, "hurry hurry, Charlie is sinking!".

We met up for Easter mass and dinner together in the evening.  It was great, all of us sitting at mass together.  Even if Matty had to bring all his trains along.  During the entire mass, Matty squirmed back and forth along the pew we were at, sat on floor, sat on our kneeling pews, played with his trains (alas metal trains on wooden pews does make some noise), dropped some prayer books and at one point had to be taken out when he cried loudly after we said no to his insistent "play with godma's phoooone!". But, he was in his Father's house on Easter Sunday celebrating Jesus reigns!  Alleluia!

The funniest moment was when Michy muttered to Matty to behave in order that he not put off people from having more kids, that the 6.9 will be all foreigners and he's single-handedly responsible.

Or it could be Matty going up to communion with his left palm stuck out just like all of us yet did not receive communion.  He pointed back indignantly, "I want!".

Happy second birthday Matty!