Buhbye

Went on to conduct my last morning class earlier. Announced to the members that Crystal would be taking over the class next week onwards while I shall be doing the Sunday evening slot. The mic wasn't working so well, so I had to shout quite a fair bit but I could feel the energy in the studio. The intensity was high, track after track after track. We brought the house down. The mood was definitely there and most importantly, all of us had a fun but thorough morning workout.

After the cooldown track, a couple of them came to me to chat for a bit. The same questions came up, why didn't I want to continue doing the class. It felt so good to be appreciated. After explaining to them that I'm just taking over temporarily, they wished me good luck and some even promised to make it for my Sunday slot. *Me so happy*. Sorry la, I know many seniors probably get this on a regular basis but me newbie ma. Anyways, a BIG THANK YOU to Elaine, Anna, Carolyn, Melody and the rest of you ladies who've made this instructor feel just that much better.

P.S. For the morning slot, I start the class with the sky still dark and end it with the sun up. For the Sunday slot, I'll begin with the sun still up and end with the sky pitch black. :) Nothing significant here ... just some pointless ramblings.

The last one

Did a cover for a 5:45pm class today at Hartamas. Tomorrow shall be my last 7am class and from next week onwards, Crystal will be taking over the morning slot.

However, for some reason, her name was placed on the GX class schedule board. Hence, two of the regulars from tomorrow's class approached me and asked if I was still teaching tomorrow. I told them no, assuming Crystal will be doing it instead. They told me that they actually liked my class and asked why I didn't want to continue teaching. Well, the reason was simple, I was actually covering temporarily till the GXC finds a permanent instructor to do that slot. Anyways, after re-checking with the GXC, I am still on for the early slot tomorrow.

But all those aside, I was actually elated that there were at least two members who appreciated and enjoyed my class. It may not mean a lot to others but for a newbie like yours truly, all the excruciating effort of waking up early, dragged my sleepy self to the gym and conduct a class at an unGodly hour ... all these doesn't seem to matter anymore. In fact, now I kinda wished I could continue on with that slot knowing that all the energy pumped out on stage is actually worthwhile. However I reassured the members that Crystal is a very experienced and kick-ass instructor and that they'll defintely enjoy her class when she takes over. I've heard a lot of good things 'bout Crystal but have not had the oppurtunity to see her in action yet.

Well, I guess I had better turn to bed now and recharge myself to give the members a class to remember tomorrow morning. :) Wish me luck k.

Yawnzzz

How much do you love sleeping on your own bed? For me, nothing beats lying down on mine, tossing and turning beneath the fluffy soft airy duvet before you finally nuzzle into your most comfortable position with both the mattress and duvet perfectly enveloping your body’s contour.

Better still if it’s raining outside. Somehow, the sound of heavy raindrops tapping on my window as I lay protectively warm under my sheets soothes me.

The reason I’m typing this is due to the fact that I’m extremely sleepy now but apparently, my boss does not concur that snoozing off during office hours is conducive to productivity. Oh and it's pouring outside.

So how do you make the sandman go away? *Coffee didn’t work* :(

I don't see the light

Yesterday I had a near death experience. Well, at least I think it is one. You see, I was driving to the gym from my workplace and came to an intersection. From afar, I could see that the traffic light was already green and there wasn’t a single vehicle in front of me. At the junction, I made a 90 degree turn and on my right, a van and a car probably thought that there wasn’t going to be any vehicle coming from my direction and hence, tried to beat the traffic lights. I slammed on my brakes with all my might and my car screeched to a complete halt. The ABS kicked in and vibrated violently. Both van and car zoomed pass inches away from the front of my Honda. I honked at them angrily. The other drivers simply stared. I took a second to compose myself and continued to my destination.

If I had collided with the van, no doubt the car behind would smash right into me. It’s gonna be an ugly scene. At that speed they were traveling, killing me is highly likely. But no, I did not see my life flash before me, no light at the end of the tunnel. I guess my time just isn’t up yet.

Monday come Monday go

Work was a real drag this gloomy Monday. Just had so much to do. Currently juggling two projects at the same time, one's a tender for a job in the Middle East and the other is my current on-going one in Putrajaya. I don't know why but each time I focus on one, it felt as if I'm neglecting the other. I guess guys just weren't made to multitask afterall huh. :p

Went to the gym in time for Su Yee's Body Pump class and she had Darren to TT with her. It felt good since it's been a while since I last did a Pump class. Time to wake the body muscles up. After that, I went on stage to cover for Terence's BC class. The regulars were there and were really supportive. You guys knew who you are. A HUGE thanks for the high energy level. Screwed up on the muay thai track though ... ahaks. I reckon some of the regulars noticed it but luckily some didn't coz this particular track wasn't done often by the other instructors. Anyways, promise it won't happen again. Other than that, it was a great class ... for me at least.

Capped off the night with a nice quiet dinner with a friend I hadn't seen in a while. (If you're reading this ... we should do this more often k). Really miss the good company and the perfect way to put an end to a Monday.

So tell me how was your Monday???

GX Instructors Night Out @ Shogun

What a night!!! On the 27th of October 2007, more than 20 GX instructors from True Fitness gathered at Shogun Restaurant, 1 Utama. For exact number of attendees, count yourself from the pic above ... hahaha. Anyways, a few early birds arrived on the dot at 6:30pm. As time pass, more and more streamed in. Those who came in attacked the buffet line immediately. Choices and food variety were aplenty and our seatings were rather good too thanks to our organizers, Alex and Su. The theme for the night was PURPLE coz it's TF's colour ma. Most of us came in the right colour code though Alexander still insist that his 'blue' Giordano t-shirt is indeed purple. Hmmmmph ...

I tell you ... instructors eat like there's no tomorrow. We ate and we binged and we walloped so much. Too much in fact that it's bordering a level of obscenity. And the noise we generated ... hahaha, we simply brought the house down especially during the 'Unlucky draw'. Everyone else were staring at us but who cares ... we had loads of fun and that;s what matters. In fact, Eng Guan & Co managed to scare away the table beside them with all those 'dirty talk' going on. Haha. BTW, Eng Guan, if you ever decide to quit your job from Alliance, stand up comedy is so your thing. :) Go for it and spread some cheer to the rest of the world.

The highlight was definitely the Unlucky Draw as they called it. But before the draw, two announcements were made. Firstly, that Eng Guan was inducted into TF's family of GXI and secondly, Jack shall head TF's latest branch in Pavillion as the GXC. Many congrats and we're really glad for you guys. :D You peeps deserved it.

Back to the draw, each of us were given a number and the first draw was done by Eng Guan. His mouth memang celupar ... he said he might draw out his own number and abracadabra ... he actually did it. Unbelievable. He got himself a cute tiny Nike water bottle and his expression in the pic below shows it all. Haha. Janet got the other similar prize. Next item out for grabs is a soft and lush Nike towel. Baba Barney got it and it was presented by Alexander. Up next were four Nike Bags, two in pink and two in black. Winners include Lorraine, Azmy, Brian and myself. Woo Hoo!!! Since Azmy and mself got the black one, poor Brian had no option but to take the pink one ... hehe ... we poked fun at him the whole night. Reminded me of the song, Pink by Aerosmith. Two big Nike water bottles were next on the list and the recipients were Julian and Jack. Jack is depending on it for his upcoming RPM training. Go Jack go!!! The following winner was Emma and she got herself a RM100 voucher from TF's spa. Lucky lady huh. Brandon won himself a Nike bagpack and finally the grand prize for the night. It's Nike digital watch *drumroll* and the winner is ... Jun Yin!!! We still think that the watch is too small for his big wrist ... it should be worn by someone with a smaller hand like ermmm ... *cough cough* me *cough cough* Haha. And that was it and btw, the prizes were fully sponsored by our generous TF boss ya. Thanks chief.

After the draw, we lingered around ... more eating, more drinking, more chatting and a lot more laughing. :) By 10:30pm, we dragged our overfilled bellies out of the restaurant. We bade goodbyes to most of the group while eight of us stayed back. We (namely Alex, Su, Jun Yin, Emma, Alexander, Brian, Julian and myself) decided to catch a late movie. We got tickets for 30 Days of Night. A vampire horror flick set in the Alaskan scene where for 30 days in a year, a sleepy town called Borrow will experience no sunlight and this is when a group of vicious, butt ugly, blood thirsty vampires (who can't speak English ... I mean you would think that after roaming the Earth for several centuries, they should have picked up the language no?) emerge and terrorize the townfolks. Josh Harnett is the main lead and overall, I thought it was rather ok. Some of them didn't agree though. (Met Alexander the next day and he mentioned that he still felt very much disturbed by that movie ... keke).

We had some time to kill before the movie, so on the agenda was bowling. Two games each and we split ourselves into two separate groups. Team A vs Team B. End of the day, Jun Yin, Alexander, Emma and Su creamed Brian, Alex, Juls and myself but who's keeping score anyway. :p It's not whether you win or lose ... it's how you play the game ... hahaha. (Loser talking here).

The movie credits came out after 2:30am and hence we exchanged goodbyes and headed our separate ways home. All in all, it was an excellent outing. Good food and good company ... a combo few would disagree on. So let's hope we can all have this again in the future ... till then, KIA KAHA!!!.

Organizer for this GX instructors binge eating outing. None other than Chewbaca. Thanks Alex, it was a great night out.

I present you ... TF Pavillion's new GXC, weighing in at 140 pounds, BC instructor, BP instructor, Cardio Wave instructor and future RPM instructor ... JACKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!

NO!!! My hand is not where you think it is. Perverts!!! :p

Jun Yin ... that shirt is SO NOT PURPLE!!!

The newbies. Juls and me. We wait anxiously for the new Les Mills batch of instructors to come out so that we can pass on our titles of 'babies' to them. :P

The dynamic duo. Alex & Su Yee.

Alexander at his best. Hahaha. Now girls, control yourselves.

Jun Yin, the biggest prize winner for the night from the 'Unlucky Draw'. Also the 'most hated' guy that night coz everyone else wanted that Nike watch too. Hehehe. He's got no excuses to be late for classes anymore. Ahaks.

You can tell Juls' reaaaaaaally happy hor. :) I wonder if it's because the prize was presented by the lovable Baba Barney.

Eng Guan drew out his own number. Tak malu ... hahaha. Landed himself with a cute li'll tiny Nike water bottle.

Winners of the Nike Water Bottle Award ... Jack & Julian.

From the 'Unlucky Draw' ... the Nike Bag recipients (Brian, me & Lorraine). We were poking fun at Brian coz he got himself the bag in pink. I think pink is quite his colour no? :p Haha.

Boys will be boys. PSP rules!!!

The only food photo I managed to take before a waiter came over and told me no food pics allowed :( Hence, my apologies guys ... no saliva inducing photos for you to drool over.

Friday the 26th

There's nothing interesting to blog about this time round. Well, let's see. Started the day with a 7am class in Jaya33. Only 5 members but it was energetic. I guess they're all regulars. For some reason, from the beginning itself, I was panting heavily throughout the class. Dunno why.

Work was a drag today. The client gave us 'trouble' and wasn't being cooperative at any level. My colleagues and I spent our lunch time cussing at them and mind you, the languages used were most 'colourful'. :) Hehe. We had Bak Kut Teh (some kinda pork soup/stew). The weather was scorching and combined with the boiling soup, the cili padi and hot chinese tea ... we were thoroughly soaked with sweat by the time we paid the bill. At least no issues with water retention there. Keke.

The night class was fantastic!!! Energy level was sky high (no more panting) and the members were most responsive. It took some effort to coax them initially into being more open and having fun but it worked. :) I had a bloody good time and I'd like to think they did too.

Had a simple dinner after class and headed back home. Gonna turn to bed early tonight (after this blog entry hopefully). My body's telling me to rest, to recuperate and to recover. To say that this had been a tiring week is somewhat of an understatement. I need to recharge. There's only one class in the morning tomorrow and after that ... dinner at Shogun, 1 Utama with the other GX instructors from TF. Ought to be fun. Good company and fabulous food ... can't really go wrong with that combo. :) Will try to get some photos from the outing ... let's just hope I remember to bring along the camera. Ahaks.

Here's wishing you peeps a good weekend ahead. Sayonara.

Another day, another dollar

Two back to back classes today. Somehow today's classes were better than yesterdays'. Was rushing like a madman from the first to the second class ... only 25 minutes in between ... I drove so fast I think I could've given Kimi a run for his money. I guess the adrenaline rush gave me a pretty good kick start for the class. Haha. Anyway, arrived with 8 minutes to spare and blasted a couple of uplifting songs in the studio. One of em' ... Tattoo by Jordin Sparks. Thanks Steph!!! :) Even the members loved it. One came to me at the end of the class and requested that I play that song once more. Hehe.

Ok, I'll stop right here ... have to hit the sack. Another 7 am class tomorrow. G'nite peeps.

My love will get you home

By Christine Glass

This song helps put me to sleep sometimes. My lullaby if you will. Simple lyrics, soothing melody ... play it with soft lightings to destress or reflect on your day. So to all who are currently plagued by problems, undergoing depression or just feels 'lost', I dedicate this song to you.

Be warned, the tune may stick in your head and once it does, you can't get it out. :P

Penat

Feeling terribly exhausted now. I woke up this morning with the after effect of yesterday's back to back class. But once on stage, all the tiredness dissapeared (I think I've blogged bout this before). Anyway, I pushed myself to push the members. Make sense? Well, it does to me. I was a member and I know that some of 'em need the instructor to work them out. And with programs like Body Combat, taking it slow just doesn't seem right to me. Hence, I go all out each and every time. I arrived at the gym early for the evening class. So did I head out for a quick bite or just rested myself before class ... NOOOooo. In fact, I worked on the ab bench and then further ran 8km on the treadmill. By the time I was done, I was poofed out to the max. The hamstrings, calves and inner thighs screamed fatigue. I quickly did some last minute stretching and headed to class. Recognised a couple of hardcores from last week's class and so there's no excuse to take it easy. Again, I sweat, I shouted and I pushed. It's the tired sigh of the members after the cooldown track that gives me the satisfying sensation that I've done my part well.

Anyways, there was suppose to be only one class tomorrow but a last minute call from a senior instructor for an urgent replacement resulted in me having to do a double. DIE!!! Friday got two more. Saturday got one. Hahaha ... lets hope it's all worth it. Doing the class, I like, the after effect, I loathe. How ar? Got a win win kinda situation? If there is one, lemme know ya.

Oh and by the way, workload from the office is increasing too. New projects coming in. *Shivers*

Like that also can ar ...

I drove out to lunch earlier and managed to find a parking spot right in front of the restaurant I intended to go (this area is notorious for its terrible traffic congestion especially during lunch hour). Even better, that parking spot was shaded from the sun due to a huge tree planted right beside it.

After the meal, I walked out towards my car and was mighty pissed to find a disgusting sludge like thingy on my windshield. Upon closer inspection, it looked even more vile and I quickly made a mental note to self to splash some water on it when I reach back to my office for 'damage control' purposes.

Inside I was wondering just exactly what do birds eat nowadays to warrant them to produce excrement of such nature. YUCKS!!! What happened to the white-ish slime we were so accustomed to. Then as if to answer my question, as I opened my car door, exposing the interior of my car for target practice, one of 'em damn birds let one go and ... SPLAT!!! Right on my car's door sill plate (See pic above). @#$%^&*!!!

At that moment I wished I had a blowtorch just so I could roast that two-legged foul excuse for a bird to kingdom come but on second thought, what if there's more to come or even worse ... what if it had some smart-ass comrades just waiting to 'bomb' some more.

Hence, I quickly rushed in, slammed my car door shut and drove to the nearest car wash kiosk. 45 minutes, later, I was back in the office, RM8 poorer and had the entire office laughing after I told them what happened.

So how was your Wednesday afternoon???

Just Heavenly

Finally ... F.I.N.A.L.L.Y!!! Finally managed to find my way to Just Heavenly in Epicure and got my hands on their much raved about delicasies.

Firstly the pics. The first one right on top is the famed Death BY Chocolate. It's to die for. Rich soft creeeeeamy chocolate mousse covered with a bitter sweet layer of dark chocolate cream and topped with a crunchy yet moist chocolate swirl. Stirctly only for chocolate lovers. If you are one, this indulgence is one you shouldn't miss. The flavour will just set your taste buds into a tantalizing frenzy.

Next is the tiramisu in a cup. The egg white mousse is oh so smooth and on first bite, taste wise, it didn't blew me away. In fact, it was on a kinda mediocre level. Nothing fantastic. But gradually as you eat more and more (preferably in tiny bites), the taste will start to set in. The after taste left behind is a mixture of sweet and rum bitter. Made me crave for more and more. Before I knew it, I've almost polished the entire serving. The best part lies at the bottom but I'm not gonna tell you what it is. So go find out for yourself ... guarantee no regrets. Hehehe.

I've saved the banana cream pie for breakfast this morning before my class. It was just about 6am when I introduced my toungue to the pie. I was jolted wide awake with the wonderful texture blend of the soft sweet bananas coupled with the crunchy crust and not forgetting the double dosage of fluffy white and thick yellowish cream. And mind you, Just Heavenly is awfully generous with their bananas serving. I'm a banana lover by the way ... (wait, that came out way wrong!!!) Hahaha. Astro was screening The Simpsons at that time and there's nothing like fantastic food and good laughter to help kick start your day.

Sorry, actually I sampled two others from JH, namely the rum ball and profiterole. But before I had the oppurtunity to take photos of 'em, my appetite got the better of me and I devoured them both in the car itself. MUAHAHA ... and you know what, no regrets whatsoever. The rumball is more dense than I would have expected. It's also smaller that the ones you usually get in the other bakeries but what it lacked in size, it made up in terms of taste and of course, the rummmmmmmm. Two tiny bites and I'm done but the satisfied feeling one get from sinking your teeth into one of these dark alco babies is almost second to none. Next was the profiterole. Vanilla cream puff. One of the best I've taken ... no joke. I love cream puffs. Never fail to sample them each and every time I see 'em in bakeries. JH's version is somewhat different from the rest. Firstly, the cream inside is A LOT. First bite and it overflows out. Secondly, it's not as liquidy as some of them I had before. The cream here is somewhat more solid and goes bloody well with the soft airy puff. A slight dusting of sugar icing on top sealed the deal for moi.

Desperately wanted to go for their Durian Choc. There were 6 pieces left when I was there. Unfortunately, the guy in front of me bought every single one of 'em. @#$%^$%!!! So I guess I can only have the luxury of enjoying it the next time around but then this also gives me an excuse to head back there again. Keke.

Seriously guys, for pastries and cake lovers, head on to the Epicure for a slice or two. It's just heavenly I tell ya. Worth every single calorie consumed. :p

Poor me

Date : 23rd October 2007

Venue : Kosmokars Sdn Bhd (Glenmarie, Shah Alam) (Authorised Honda Service Center)

Object : Honda City 1.5L IDSI (2004)

Comment : 80,000km Routine Service

Duration : 4.5 Hours

Cost : AN OBSCENE RM387.20!!! :O

They provide free coffee, how many cups should I consume to make my money worth??? Hehe ... the kiasu side of me is showing its ugly tail. I really need to do more classes to cover this cost. Sighhh ...

Never Meant To Say Goodbye

One of my current favourite song. The words just seem to strike a cord. Song title is Say Goodbye by Jordan Knight (former lead singer of New Kids On The Block) and Deborah Gibson (pop queen back in the 80s).

P.S. Ignore the video clip k coz this is the best music quality I could find. Anyway, seeing that cute hottie is way better than looking at Jordan and Debbie no? Enjoy :)

Dining alone ...

After gym today, I was on my way to the bank. Passed by a restaurant serving some simple food and chinese dessert. There wasn't a crowd in there and as I tried to decide whether or not to eat in there, my stomach was agreeing with much enthusiasm.

Anyway, as I was wolfing down my meal, I got a call from a friend asking me out for coffee. I declined the offer and told her that I was already finishing my meal. We continued chatting and she asked if my company would mind me talking for so long on my mobile. I told her that I was alone and she couldn't believe it. Somehow it seemed surreal to her that I was actually having a meal all on my own.

This brings me to the topic of whether it is ok for you guys to eat alone in a restaurant / cafe / bistro etc. Well, I can. In fact, I've been doing it rather often and sometimes I quite enjoy the experience of dining alone. Perhaps it's my experience as an engineer where I sometimes have to eat alone due to me being located at certain project sites where having company for meals is not an option. Don't get me wrong, I love having meals with family, friends, colleagues, etc but all I'm trying to say is that in the event that there isn't anyone available, I have no qualms 'bout eating alone. I know some people can't do it ... they just simply can't. Period. Worst case scenario also, they'll take away the food and eat at home. For me, I'd rather not have to do the dishes after the take aways. Easier to just makan, pay the bill and get going no?

Take Starbucks for instance, I can sit there with my iced grande vanilla latte with a newspaper or my notebook and not feel any discomfort whatsoever but I guess one man's food is another man's poison.

Would really like to hear your views on this ya. :)

Nothing significant

Was driving from the site office (Putrajaya) back to my HQ (Subang) when the heavens opened suddenly and it poured. I switched off the radio as the blending sound of heavy raindrops on my car roof and the piercing scream of Axyl Rose just doesn't do it for me.

My watch showed me that it was 11:47am, so I slowed down my speed and just cruised along the almost empty highway. This way, I should just be in time for lunch upon reaching Subang. :)

In my mind, many fleeting thoughts came and went. Most I couldn't remember by now. Amongst those I could still recall was that I still owed a friend a meal. She will be heading off to Germany soon for work and I've promised her to meet up and we would makan besar, talk, joke and catch up just like when it was back during our uni days. One more for the road huh CL. :) Me so jealous that she'll be able to experience the Oktoberfest next year. *Sob Sob*

A motorcyclist was talking on his mobile with only one hand on his handle. I've got to give this guy some credit for having huge kahunas. I mean, the road is wet and slippery and yet, here he is, probably shouting into his mobile to get the conversation going. I pondered what could be so important that he has to talk at that hazardous moment. I tried to read his lips but after 3 seconds, abandoned my attempt. I hope he gets to where he wanted to go safe and sound.

Then I thought 'bout what I wanted to have for lunch. Since I shall be passing by Taipan, I screened through my options in that area. People say it's impossible to find a parking spot at that time in that area ... well, 2 years of working there had taught me that you just need to know where to look. True enough, I found a nice spot after 5 minutes or so. Patience is virtue or haven't you heard.

Bought a copy of the daily paper and propped myself down at Old Taste Kopitiam. The rain died down to a misty drizzle ... and with the sound of the rustic fan blades swishing above, it somehow enveloped me with a sense of calm and serenity.

The headlines depicted the picture of one of Malaysia's more promising cyclist. Unfortunately, the poor chap died in an accident and according to his sister, he was behaving funny the day before he died. How he was keeping to himself a lot etc. How many times have you guys heard of this before??? That the deceased always behave or react differently soon before their demise. Next time, if someone dear to me began behaving weird, I'm gonna strap that person to a chair until he/she acts normal again ... don't want to risk any chances ... hahaha.

Anyways, the nasi lemak there was good. I lurveeee the sambal, super spicy and just salty enough ... reminded me of the one I used to have daily from my primary school's canteen. I guess this is one of my comfort food. Paired it with a tall glass of white coffee 'C' and you have the perfect lunch.

Am now back in the office, gonna get busy with a tender for a new project in Abu Dhabi ... blehhhh. Not looking forward to it. Sigh ... I wonder if it's still drizzling outside.

Sunday the 21st

I actually woke up at 10:30am today. Suprised even myself since I'm usually up and running by 8am. Anyways, had my first class for the day at 12:30pm and was starving like you wouldn't believe straight after. Had lunch at TGI Fridays. Opted for the set meal of appetizer + entree + dessert for RM39.90++. Value for money if you ask me and I had the shrimp martini, mojito whitefish with brown rice and of course the MUD PIE!!! And let me assure you ... it was so GOOOoooOOOoooOOoD.

Went for a bit of grocery shopping after that in Cold Storage and stocked up on milk and cereal. *Yay* Been having crackers almost daily for breakfast lately .... getting sick of it. Blehhhh.

Then it was back to the gym for the evening class. Wasn't really looking forward to it since I expected the crowd to be minimal ... Sunday evening ma. Mana tahu ... quite a number turned up and it's really good to see a few regulars amongst them. The energy level was definitely there and by the end, all of em' including myself had a fantastic class.

Dinner was at Big Boy Bistro and Cafe. Went for the La Perfecto set meal consisting of grilled chicken on mash, soup of the day, butter & bun, ice cream and iced lemon tea. A truly fullfilling meal and the service was nothing short of wonderful. Good ambience and for some reason, the classical music played seem to blend in really well with the entire cafe setting. I like !!! :)

Ended the day with a venti caramel macchiato. Couldn't have asked for more and the company was great too.

But as they say, all good things have to come to an end, so here I am blogging and browsing through my Facebook as the weekend draws to a close. Speaking of FB, I think it's really great, super interactive and managed to hook up with some really ol' mates through it.

Oh yea ... a BIG shout out to Wei Chyn. Congrats girl on your engagement. :) Who would've expected you to be the first amongst our group to get hitched. Am real happy for you. Till we meet again, here's wishing you all the very best with marriage life. A new adventure awaits you babe.

P.S. The pic above shows the smoothest tau foo fa with 'black pearls' I had at a street side stall in Hong Kong ... simply divine. Yummmmssss

Saturday the 20th

My Saturday. Started off with the usual routine. Climbed outta bed and headed to the gym after a quick breakkie. Bumped into Su Yee as I entered TF and helped her to load a couple of rice sacks meant for charity. I was pleasantly suprised to find that the members of TF Taipan are actually a generous bunch. Loads of stuff donated for the less priviledged. Soon there might not be enough space in Studio 2 to cater for more incoming contributuons.

Started off with RPM. The 'Gregster' was in fine form despite being absent for two weeks. But what was more important was the presence of a certain Ms. Pink and Ms. Orange in class (sorry, inside joke :p). Anyways, Body Pump was next and I was really pushing it to the limit. Certain areas of my body was screaming in agony especially after yesterdays workout (1 Body Pump, 1 RPM, 1 Cardio Wave and 3/4 Body Combat). The gang (namely Julian, Greg, Alfee, Lorraine and yours truly) went for lunch at Big Boy Restaurant. As usual, I overate and having to rush for class after that is no laughing matter. Seriously ... NOT FUNNY. Arrived with plenty of time to spare and this time there were four 1st timers in my class. Hence, I used them as an excuse to take things slow ... kekeke. Was busy coaching them throughout the entire class and hardly broke a sweat. Well, the same can't be said bout tomorrow's class at Hartamas since I anticipate most of them to be regulars. A certain someone had already requested for me to do a particular BC release, so in a way it's a good thing coz this way, I don't have to think of tracks arrangement.

The day ended with me spending some time with my family in church and then proceeded to a nice dinner at Cagayan's, Center Point. The Classic Ribs we had was sooooooo good, the sauce was finger licking worthy and the meat was lip smacking tender and juicy. Since the night was still young, we headed to Pastifrance for fat free gelato and the supervisor actually allowed me to bring in outside food. Guess what I brought in ... Noir, refer to previous post for this yumylicious oh-so-chocolaty chocolate mousse cake. It's to die for I tell ya. Paired it with a glass of bitter sweet macchiato ... nothing beats this combo.

So here I am back home in the comfort of me own room. Next on the itenary is to learn the choree for tomorrow's class and then perhaps I shall watch a dvd. Some alone time ... haven't had that in a while. :)

How was your Saturday???

Solitude

On the bustling city street
I stood silent in total discreet
Thousands of people walked by
Hurrying as tears fell from the sky

I looked up to the high heavens
Are you pitying me, is all forgiven?
Can I ever turn back the hands of time
To undo the happenings of my crime

My soul is ever aching and ever longing
To be free of regrets and all misgivings
But alas, when destiny drew us apart
All that’s left are the pieces of a dying heart

Sometimes, when I feel you near
I call out your name for all to hear
I reach out my hands to hold you tight
Only to grasp the loneliness of the night

This pain will never disappear
It’s fine, this way I’ll always remember
Of what could’ve been, of what should’ve been
The story of what love truly means

My Fav Jap Video Clip ... from the movie 'Heavenly Forest'

Love it ... especially the part where she said "Nani". Waaaaaa ... kawaii desune.

Kindred spirit

I was driving back from the city earlier tonight. It's about quarter past ten and Jalan Sultan Ismail is just about to come alive. The street was filled with mostly tourists, enjoying the breezy night under the flashes of blitzy neons. My car window was down and the heavy bass from nearby clubs resonates disturbingly with my own heartbeat.

I came to a halt at a traffic light. Beside me was a Kelisa driven by a lady ... probably in her mid twenties. She stared blankly at the empty road ahead and then let out a very heavy and worn out sigh. She proceeded to lean back and closed her eyes. At that moment, she somehow seemed so delicate and vulnerable. A couple of seconds later, she propped up and caught me staring.

For some reason, I offered her a weary smile. She paused and then returned the gesture. The light turned green. I tilted my head forward to indicate that we ought to be moving already. She acknowledged with a li'll nod. We drove and went our separate ways at the next intersection.

Even within such a short time frame, it's funny how two complete strangers could connect and form a certain degree of kindred spirit. I wish her well and that tomorrow would be a better day for the both of us. TGIF.

Me tired

Hmmm ... I think it all due to me being a newbie, but having to do classes after work (sometimes even before) almost everyday of the week is tiring me out. The classes I did weren't fixed, most of 'em are replacements but somehow, for the past two weeks, I've been doing quite a number. Perhaps I should seek the advice of my seniors and sifus on methods of preserving the body since they teach more often than I do.

For some reason, when I'm on stage, all the exhaustion goes *poof*. I feel like a million dollars. I'm able to push to my limit but it's the after effect of it ... after a hot shower and your heart rates goes back down, man ... this is when the tiredness hits you like a cement truck.

At times like these, I wish I have a hot meal waiting for me at home along with someone who I can share a decent conversation ... perhaps about how our day went, share a li'll joke etc and then perhaps end the night cuddling in front of the tele ... ooo ... and adding a sinful indulgence of ice cream to the picture would be perfect (something like the one in the photo above would be nice no?). Haha ... wishful thinking I know but one can dream right?

How would you like to cap off your day?

The early bird catches the worm ??? ... I think not.

Dragged myself outta bed at 5:15am, brushed me teeth and showered. The freezing water really helped propped me awake. Had a quick breakkie of milk and cheese crackers and then it was off to the gym. By the time I got there, it was already 6:20am and I can see quite a number of people already panting and sweating profusely on the treadmills. I mean, talk about dicipline man, having to get up before the sun has risen and then go all out to exercise ... I just cannot comprehend how they do it.

Anyways, saw a couple of regulars back in my class today ... got about 9 members in total. The warm up track was so so only because I just can't seem to get into gear. By the 2nd track, everything was full steam ahead. At the end, I could see most of the members had a good and thorough workout ... some of these things you could tell just by looking at their body language. That's what they're here for no?

At least I wasn't the only one having to head to work, a show of hands indicated almost half my class needed to (reluctantly no doubt) get back into the corporate rat race as well. As for the rest, they're going to Oldtown Kopitiam for a sumptuous breakfast and then back to the gym for the next class, Body Pump. I'm green with envy here.

Alrightey, it's time for lunch, put in a couple more hours at work and then it's back to Hartamas for another Body Combat class at 8:15pm. Gonna replace Terence's class (with no mic available) ... should be fun. Haha.

Deprived of sleep

I've not been getting enough sleep for as long as I can remember. I turn to bed usually after 2 am and it's time to rise and shine by 7am. On days when I actually get to sleep in, well ... I don't. I'll wake up early and just do something ... anything, hit the gym, go for a morning jog, play with my pets etc.

Take now for instance, the time tells that it's 12:30am. I've got a 7am class tomoro. This basically means that I'll have to wake up by 5:30am to shower and drive over to the gym. And here I am, blogging. My gym clothes are not packed yet, I've not showered and I've got some documents from work to look through.

My body's aching, it's screaming for me to rest and take things a notch down. I'm tired but somehow I keep pushing. I don't know why. Can someone enlighten me?

What's wrong with me???!!!

Coffee on a Tuesday afternoon

It's a Tuesday afternoon, I just had my lunch. On the menu was Curry Chicken Nasi Lemak. Am now lazing in Starbucks with my usual Vanilla Iced Zen. I'm blogging as I indulge myself in Noir, Starbucks latest offering of rich dark chocolate mousse layered with chocolate cream with a crunchy cookie center topped generously with thin chocolate sticks. It doesn't get any more sinful than this ... but it's just the way I like it.

I'm heading back to work after this but my day seems a li'll brighter now ...

Guess who's back ...

Honey I'm homeeeeeeeee. Haha. It's good to be blogging again after being MIA for oh so long. Anyways, just a quick update, nothing much have changed since the last entry. Work's keeping me busy and FYI, I'm still stuck in that Putrajaya project, chances are that it'll be completed before the end of the year so keeping fingers crossed here.

Apart from that, for some absurd reason, my gym had allowed me to conduct Body Combat classes. Yes, I passed and gotten clearence from the Head Teacher to proceed and teach classes but as to how they actually permitted a nerdy looking guy to go up on stage and act tough and all kung fu-ee still puzzles me. But a million thanks to you guys for having faith in me ... you know who you are. :) Been enjoying EVERY SINGLE CLASS I teach immensely, honest truth here. Come November, I'll also be having my permanent slots too. *Yay* Will post up my schedule once I see my name on the roster.

Social wise, I've taken forward and backward steps at the same time. To summarize things, I've gotten closer with a couple of ol' friends. Our bond was strengthen over time and let's hope things will escalate to better things in the future. On the downside, I might also be losing one of my closest friend in gym. Why you ask ... well, it's complicated and I do not wish to make it a public announcement on this blog. All I can say is that after spending time thinking and reflecting over the matter, I think it simply boils down to fact that both my friend and I have a difference in opinion over certain matters. We've talked over it but a solution is no where to be found. I guess now the only thing left to do is to let time take its own course and hopefully, by some miracle, things will get better. On a lighter note, I've also managed to make new friends, well, mostly from the gym. The gym is such a wonderful platform to meet new people, I mean you get people from all walks of life coming in for the same purpose (or at least I think most of them are), to workout and to gain a better fitness level. And I'm speaking from experience here that by being an instructor, it's much easier for me to approach others and vice versa.

Oh oh oh, the other day, after a class, a member (young and quite a hottie), whipped out her camera and started aiming at me. Initially, I thought she wanted to take a photo of the studio, hence I moved aside. But she persistently followed my movements and I approached her with a simple smile. She then got her friend to get a picture of both of us together. How sweet hor ... and she proceeded by taking a few more photo shots at me. Haha ... maybe it's to use as a dart board ... who knows ... but I would like to think otherwise. :P

Ok. it's back to work no before hitting the gym for another class tonight. And then there's two tomorrow, one at 7 freakin' am and the other one at 8:15pm. Thursday also got one more. Crazy huh ... I mean for a newbie like me ... but as long as I'm enjoying every minute of it .... why not. Someone once told me that 'If things seem under control, you're just not moving fast enough'. So I shall use this as my mantra and go all out to work, to workout, to eat, to socialise .. to live my life the way I want to ... the way it should be no?