On love

In 2009 I created a post with the exact same title, "On Love". It was a birthday dedication to a boy I loved very much at that point in time, and it captured the very essence of my heart. I think that Love which you grow in time as you get to know a person, get to recognize the things which makes you smile, and those which make you hold your breath, as you learn their flaws and turn them into affection, and as you feel the need to be the reason that person is happy, is a truly amazing thing. That, to me, is Love in its purest form, and the kind which takes forever to shut down because you so carefully nurtured it through time.

Marriage, through my simple eyes, is a public announcement of that love. It is like that Facebook update that you were so happy about, you wanted your 1000 plus subscribers to know about it. It is the promise that I have fallen in love with you, and I do not intend to climb back out. To be so sure that nobody else in the world would make you happier than the person next to you, is a big call - and a brave one at that.

Not many people have the opportunity to meet Love this way. And among those who do, not all of them are lucky enough to have their feelings requited. And so I think that those who make it all the way to marriage, and all the way past years and years of marriage to their deathbed, I think they're heroes.

Congrats Kor and Ah Soh! :D

Today my brother married the love of his life. It was something about his smile, the radiance in his face, the spring in his step, and the song in the way he talked, (and this is the big brother who could make me cry by scolding me via online chat), I could tell he was very happy. :)

I want that for myself. (And I've said that to practically everyone). One day. =)

My 2012 wish list

I've been a little greedy lately ever since I started to see money in more than 3 digits coming into my bank account every month. It's a wonderful feeling having (some) financial freedom! But like always, it is a lot of money but never enough. There is a host of things I really want to get so I've decided instead of making resolutions I shall make a wish list of items I wish to purchase over the period of next year. Here goes:

Hand Blender:

 

Ever since I stayed with SherMayne in her flat my first semester in New Zealand, I've fallen in love with her hand blender and I think it's the most awesome invention ever. I want one.

Handphone:

 

My phone is still functional, but it is kinda tiny and it has served me well for 2 years come June next year. So I figured it's time to put aside the old and make room for the new!

Laptop:

 

I want a new laptop, and it wouldn't hurt if it looked something like this! Haha...but I need a new lappie to replace my 4 year old Dell Inspiron.

Smexy workout gear:

 

I want some new smexy work out gear for my job! :D

A crib:

And of course, I want my own place.

*edit* I forgot! I want one of this too!

Coz I need to get my game on next year if i want to get myself involved in the sport again.

So, time to make money.

On Work.

Sometimes I cannot believe how amazingly real my dreams are turning out to be. The satisfaction of seeing the opportunities come calling on me one by one is enough to drive me forward every single day. A handful of years ago, I had a vision that everything would be like this. I had a dream that the industry would swell up in due time, and that studying a course I was interested in would give me a step up in my career. I had a dream that the fitness industry would be various and ever growing. And not all of my childish dreams come true. So the fact that this one is becoming a reality, it's pretty overwhelming.

Here I am, with less than 6 months of being in the industry in my homeland, and already I have been approached by so many people with such various and interesting job offers! And I feel extremely lucky. I think the stars are aligned in the universe for me or I must've done something quite right in the past to be getting such opportunities but whatever the reason, I am very very grateful.

Though, with the abundance of job offers comes a great sense of responsibility to live up to the industry's expectation of me. I have been feeling nervous and anxious lately, simply because I don't know if I am as good as they think I am. My dad says I have self esteem issues, and maybe I do, but I wasn't the top of the class in uni, and so I sometimes feel a little unsure of myself. But make no mistake that I am more than willing to research on the issues at hand, and to learn as much as I can from the veterans of the industry that my good karma has allowed me to meet. I really don't want to mess things up, because I think a good reputation is hard to built, but once I obtain it, I am pretty much "invincible". =)

And that, is the kind of person I plan to be someday.

My brother the Ironman

My brother is a bit of a superhero. Today he completed his 4th Ironman race in Western Australia in under 10 hours 30 minutes. That is AWESOME! He put in hours and hours of training with undying discipline and enthusiasm and he achieved a goal he had set sight on months ago. Bravo, Kor! =)

In my family, sport and exercise is a huge thing. We're all active people with athletic inclinations. To a lot of people on the outside, it's pretty amazing. And I think it is too. My family is so supportive of one another in the things we love to do. My dad was on his laptop all day just keeping up with my brother's progress. It just reminds me again and again why I never want to be too far away from home. =)

Running related.

Running is a huge part of my life. I centre a lot of things around running. Like why I keep my hair long, so that I can tie it up in a tight ponytail to run. Or why I love buying socks and I only choose those that are light and not too loose, so I can use them for running. Or why I try not to make any plans on Sundays, because I'm usually running on that day. Or why I eat a lot of bananas and I'm never afraid of carbs, because in my job I am always running. Most of everything I do is running related. That's why when my running performance is affected by something, I get pretty upset.

The last time I felt a little different in my run was about 5 years ago. It came as suddenly as a thunderstorm, without much warning, affecting my run very distinctly. All of a sudden, I was unable to run any more. When I told that to my friends, they couldn't understand me. What do you mean, you can't run any more? I said I just couldn't! I would start my run at a leisurely jogging pace and then within 15 minutes I'd be panting as if I had finished 20 clicks. It was bizarre! When I told that to my family, being the sportsmen they are, they told me I wasn't putting in enough training. They said, I can't keep improving without training. Sooner or later I'll start going downhill and I'd have to up my training to keep up. So I trained more and more and every time I tried the same thing would happen, I'd run out of breath within 10 minutes. It brought me to tears wondering what was going on. Then I saw a doctor who made me take a blood test. I found out from the test results that I had hyperthyroidism. I was put on medication and it was horrible. I gained weight, I looked like a balloon, I had hives and itched everywhere as a side effect of that medication, and I felt miserable. The medication course took 6 months and I was ok again after that. My running went back to normal and I was smashing personal best times again. =)

Fast forward to today. The past few races I have taken part in have been miserable. I am constantly tired these days and I have been told by many that I seem to be losing a lot of weight. I like the weight loss bit, but I really don't like all these "cannot run any more" business. So after a depressing Penang Bridge marathon, I went to take the same blood test again. The doc also mentioned I have been losing weight, so he said it has most likely recurred. Today I took the test results and I was right. I am once again hyperthyroidic - if there's such a word.

I've been given a 6 month course of medication again. I am probably going to be quite miserable again, but hey, I am looking forward to the time I can run again. And I'll be smashing my PBs again, just you wait and see.

Pro Singles

I've been single for over a year now, and I, very often, get invited out to 'Girls Night Outs'. I think it's cool that my single girlfriends take the initiative to hold these occasions and have very positive mindsets on singlehood and whatnot. But as much as I appreciate their gestures, I can't help but find them a little "pro single". They glorify being single as if it's the best lifestyle in the world. They say they are free to travel, to go out and flirt guilt-free, to meet people and have them buy drinks for them, and just have a whole lot of fun without the need to owe any explanation to anyone. I admire their strength and courage, but I am definitely not one of them. Another friend of mine told me that if I really want to get over my ex for good, then have a rebound one. I think the thought of that already has my moral consciousness screaming bloody murder.

I am strong enough to live independently without a partner. But having a partner doesn't make you weak or dependent or restrained. I dream of having the kind of partner that will travel with me to exotic places. I dream of having the kind of partner whose hobbies and interest compliment my own and we'll have many shared moments together, thus there'll be no need to report to him because more often than not he'll be by my side. And I dream of having the kind of partner who makes me so happy I will not see the need to flirt with random strangers and fish for compliments. I don't really go out at night anyway apart from hanging out at bubble tea places with my bestie. So I don't think I need to worry about accidentally flirting with anyone and feeling guilty about it if I am in a relationship.

Being in a committed relationship, to me, is amazing. Having that one person who'll always be by your side, who always get you, who knows what to say or do to lift you up, on whom you can count on...that to me are life's best moments. Maybe I am a sappy romantic, but I really really want all of that, not some stupid unmemorable fling that'll only leave me feeling more guilty.

Chocolate ice cream

Today I realised when I find myself caught in the perils of self pity and loneliness, a nice big bowl of chocolate ice cream and chocolate sauce can do wonders.

Look forward, Karen. You need to stop holding on to the past, it's not coming back.

Running a half marathon isn't quite like ABC anymore.

I ran the PJ Half marathon yesterday morning, and I did it in 2 hours 5 minutes. That is about 10 minutes or more slower than my best half marathon time. So I've finally accepted that I am no longer that good a runner. No more excuses, no more "I didn't eat well the night before" bull sh*t. I'm just going to admit it. As a long distance runner of more than a decade of experience, I now kinda suck. Maybe at age 25, after running for 12 years, I've gone past the peak, and am now in the downhill phase. Stink.

The weather was extremely hot though, and even though I thought I could handle that sort of heat pretty well, I think my 3 years in Auckland has made me a bit less tolerant of the tropical rainforest climate, especially during physical exertion. Or maybe that's just another excuse. hahaha...I ran probably the first 12km with relative ease, and then the heat just got the better of me, so I kinda ran-walked the remaining 9kms - the walking became more frequent towards the last few kms. I was feeling extremely warm, and I was drying up like a prune. Even 12 hours post race, my face was still radiating heat. That was how baked I got.

But whatever I lacked in drive yesterday, I made up in style :D I ran the half marathon with my devil horns like I did last year in Auckland, because it's Halloween. And because I'm in typical Malaysia, I was the only person to dress up, and thus, got plenty of attention...which is always kinda nice, even if it is not for the reasons I hoped for. I even got my face in today's The Star! So not too bad la, I was quite happy about the race despite it being one of my worst times ever.

Hopefully I'll do a bit better for Powerman and Penang Bridge. =)

Anaerobic or aerobic power?

When I was a little kid in primary school, I never liked running. I never wanted to follow my mum and dad to the Subang lake to go jogging because I was afraid it was a place only for pros and I was conscious that people might laugh at me. I was always an active kid, but I took part in telematch sports more like running in the gunny sack, or 3 legged race. I was queen of the monkey bars in the playground, and I've always loved hula hoops. In Standard 4 (Age 10), I became a rhythmic gymnast after my mum saw the bigger girls dancing with pretty leotards in school. And when I first started, I was pretty good at it. =) Then as the choreographed routines got more complex and harder to remember, I didn't do so well any more...haha...but I still loved it. I still think rhythmic gymnastics is the most beautiful sport.

At age 13 I took part in a jogathon. It was 7 km and I had signed up with a bunch of my friends for fun. I came home with a prize. That was the beginning of my long distance running career. I guess I had the right genes for it because I never took it seriously enough to train hard for it, but I always manage to clinch some sort of prize. Also not many girls my age took part in runs so I had a very good chance. And as I grew older, the more I ran the better I got. From my running, I went into triathlons, and duathlons, and marathons. So that was cool. =) By the time I was in uni, I have already been in the long distance running scene for about a decade.

So aerobic power has been my forte for the past >10 years. No matter what happened in my life, I always had my cardio endurance. And then Work happened. Boot camp is all about sprints, drills, grunts. High intensity interval training with minimal rest periods in between. Training people who are less fit than me, I run at a much slower pace. And long working hours meant I am more often than not too lazy to train. To make sure I still work up a sweat every now and then, I resort to short 30 minute work outs at home, which, you can probably guess, consists of more high intensity interval training. SOOO...as proven by my dismal performance this morning (4.8 km run in 31 minutes), I think I am slowly turning from an aerobic to an anaerobic athlete! Now I understand why a lot of my fellow marathoners have now turned into Crossfitters and what not. Endurance training just takes too much effort sometimes. haha...

It's not a bad thing to be. Anaerobic power is an amazing trait, but I think I'm more comfortable being an endurance runner. So, I hope I don't lose it. I keep telling myself I need to train up, but I know it's gonna take a great deal of will power to get my game into high gear and start clocking in those miles. Oh, let there be faith!

Am I good enough?

So I've been writing quite a bit on work and work related stuff. It's been great, I couldn't have imagined it any better! Malaysians are more open to the health and fitness industry than we think. It's changing out there, more and more Malaysians are more aware and more educated about the importance of keeping a healthy lifestyle. Which is why I still think I am very blessed to come into the fitness world right when it's starting to bloom. I couldn't have picked a better time, and it's working out really well for me. And I have an amazing network of support, where my family and friends believe in me. And the people I've been lucky to work with? They have faith in me too. And the people I train, the people who train with me...they all believe in me, and pass on good words about me to other people so that people who are looking for trainers have this very good impression of me. Now the question is, do I believe in myself?

I feel greatly honoured when people approach me and ask me if I'd like to work for them. I really do. Especially when these people are fitness gurus themselves! I have very high regard for these people, and here they are asking me if I would like to work with them. I feel the excitement bubbling inside of me. It's just so surreal! But amidst the thrill and everything, I suddenly wondered, am I good enough?

Am I as good as they think I am? Will I fall short of their expectations? Do I really have what it takes to step up to the plate and be the person they think I am? I am surrounded by people with years of experience on their backs and a fierce passion for what they do, people who went through the whole food chain of the fitness industry, and rose at the top through sheer determination and hard work. Am I good enough to ever be anything like them?

I've only been working for less than 3 months, and already I feel like people have expectations of me. And I have expectations of myself. And I really want to be more than these expectations...I want to be the best person I can be, but what if I underachieve? What if I'm not good enough?

What am I?

It's been amazing what I've been doing so far, job wise. I couldn't have pictured a better way to transition into working life than how I'm doing now. And it only gets better and better, because today, I received yet another phone call from a Personal Trainer cum fitness studio owner who wants to talk business with me.

I have to say, I'm loving the attention. All those sweat and tears to get my degree is really paying off because Malaysia, or Klang Valley at least, seem to be quite taken by my qualification. Hehe...so, quite bangga lah. Education not wasted!

But because I juggle so many different jobs, I have a slightly harder time explaining what I do when people ask me what I do. I always start with "I'm a trainer." And they go "As in...fitness? Motivational?". And then I go "Hahaha, I'm a personal trainer." And they go "I can see that". (Good. At least I look the part. Haha, always feel like I need to do a whole lot more conditioning work to look fit enough to be a trainer.) And then I go on to explain the different things I dabble in and how my working hours vary from a day to day basis, and how I sometimes end up working 7 days a week, though for short periods only. For now it's still kinda fun elaborating because it gives me the opportunity to market myself and tell people who I really am, but I think after a while it'll stop being fun and start being annoying...haha...

So what am I? I'm a personal trainer/fitness instructor/phys ed teacher and self declared fitness missionary to my family and friends. I hope to inspire and motivate the people around me to get off their butts and lead a healthy lifestyle. I hope to impact lives and initiate change. I hope to create a fitter, healthier community. So, who's with me? :)

Statement pictures.

Lately there has been a sudden influx of all these little statement pictures on Facebook. Like this one:


or this one:


or this one:


Honestly, I think they're kinda cool. Except for the fact that it's turning into a fad now. That makes it kinda not cool any more.

The thing is, the only quotes I can repost on my wall are the ones about running, and motivation, and inspiration to get off the couch and start training. Because I'm too self conscious to post something about love and relationships. If I post a bitter one about exes and break ups, then I sound, well, bitter. If I post something about finding the right one and joy and happiness, well, that's just denial. Or wishful thinking.

Truth is, the photo I really want to post is this:

I miss the joy, the happiness, the out of this world sensation you get when you are together with someone. I miss having a default person to call out for movies, for drinks, for holidays. I miss having a someone. And being someone's someone. Being single is only fun if you're the kind of person who rocks at being single. Me, I don't rock it that well. I have no intention to flirt, to date casuals, to figure out if I can date alternative types. I don't really want to. If I were 16, hell yeah. But I don't really want to right now. Right now, all I really want is to go home after a long tiring day, to talk on the phone with that special person while lying on the bed, making plans for the holidays or the weekend. I want to look forward to weekends like I used to. Nowadays the only thing I look forward to during weekends is 8 am sleep ins and Sunday morning boot camp with my mates.

That day better come.

The Legend Marathon

I signed up for this race sometime in June. It had showed up in my email and when I saw that the date was close to graduation, I was more than pleased. I felt like I needed to make my trip back to NZ a bit more worth while so I signed up for it without much hesitation. The next day I boasted about it to my colleagues and friends and I remember my boss, the owner of Configure, saying to me, "Oh that one's a toughie. You need to add about 30-45 minutes to your best marathon time to that one. It's quite mean!" Oh, darn. And then my girlfriend Ingrid said her boyfriend did it and had to add about 35 minutes to his best time, and he's a pretty awesome marathoner. So, that would mean I'd have to add more than that because I'm not that strong a runner as he is. A quick search on Google and I found out that the Kiwis rate this to be the toughest on-road marathon in NZ. To be completely honest, that got me more keen. :D

Time really sped by and before I knew it, I was on the plane back to Auckland again. I touched down Friday morning. Had not had much sleep on the flight, which turned out to be a good thing because by 9.30 pm Auckland time, which was 5.30 pm KL time, I was more than ready to go to bed.

I got up at 4.45 am on Saturday morning. Heather picked me up at 5.15 am, and we got to the race venue before 6 am. 6.30 am was start time. It was freeeeeeeezingggg cold, so I decided to run with my yellow jumper on. I knew I'd regret it later on because I'd have to take it out and then it'd be a liability, but I couldn't stand the cold.

I started alright, running alongside Heather. I had my brother's iPod in my ears because I carelessly lost mine (again!). I also had my mobile phone with me to put RunKeeper on. About 10 minutes into the race, it started to drizzle, and then it started to pour. (it rained 4 times throughout this darn race!). My jumper got really soaked and heavy so I took it off about 8ks into the race. Cold, wet, and coughing, I had trouble keeping up with Heather, so after about 12ks of struggling to keep up the pace, I told her to go ahead. Took the pressure of me. haha...It wasn't until about 16ks into the race did the incline start to increase exponentially! That was when we started slowly (well, me anyway) tracking up to the Waitakere Ranges. It was insane! About 6 kms of possibly 30-40% gradient. Gosh. But I was loving it. I cursed the hills, but I was loving the fact that it lived up to its name. I kept thinking to myself, if i completed this I'd have the honour of saying I have done 8 marathons, and I just did NZ's toughest on road race. Hooyah! :D That was my motivation to keep going. I slowed to walk some of the uphills, but generally I kept on going whenever I see the road plateau. I knew a 4:30 time was going to be impossible, so I said as long as it was under 5 hours I'd be pretty happy with myself. I did just fly 10 hours the day before, and was sick for the most of last 2 weeks.

Long story short, I took in the fresh cold air and amazing scenery and came in in a time of 4 hours 48 minutes. I was happy. =)

8 marathons done! Now for Penang Bridge Marathon. hehe...

Salomon X Run 2011

It's been a while since I posted up a race report. I think I've kinda lost the interest in posting lengthy written reports since a single line of expression coupled with a post on my race route, pace and time on Facebook seems to get way more attention. It's a tech savvy world out there. =)

But I have mixed feelings about this morning's race. I went this morning not feeling too confident to begin with because I have not been training in the past 2 weeks. It is part because I was sick and part because I was just a lazy bum, still struggling with full time working hours and so on. Also, last night's dinner was BBQed lamb chops, cheese sausages and fried mee hoon. hmm, probably not the best pre race diet because i had a bit of indigestion this morning.

But no matter how many times I tell myself to just take it easy, stay calm, run your own race, this is an easy run, just go and have fun, and God knows what other self talk I do to ensure I take my competitiveness out of the equation, it always resurfaces the moment I see all the familiar faces at the start venue. All the self talk just dives out the door when I see the regular runners lined up at the start line, rearing to go. I wish, with all my heart, that I am able to pull off one of my fluke shots. (Must not have been flukes since I succeeded very frequently in the past). heh.

So anyway. Gun start. Off all the powerful women go, leading the pack. It took a lot of will power to refrain from keeping up this time, because I know I'm not 100%. I took a slower steady pace, so I can run the whole distance without stopping to walk. But it was useless. I stopped to walk halfway through a steep hill about 4 kms in. I was puffing like mad, my heart was pounding against my rib cage and I wondered whether my hyperthyroidism was back. Because I have never reached max heart rate doing a silly 10k run before. My tummy was bloated and uncomfortable. I picked up running again after the hill, but breathing was very hard.

I stopped another 2 more times after that. It was pathetic. I was going into self loathing at that time, and half my reserve energy was now used to refrain from tearing up. :( I know it's silly because I'm obviously not a 100% and a lesser performance should be expected but...sigh...it used to be a lot easier to bounce back when I was younger.

I think it's a social thing. I am very sad to see that my reputation as a young, fast female runner is now overshadowed by other younger, faster, prettier women out there. boo. So stupid, right, to think this way? I know. But it is still disappointing. Plus, with being a fitness trainer at Rebel and a Personal Trainer to others, I really wanted to be an inspiration to everyone. What inspiration can I be when I am overtaken by so many other less experienced runners.

I need to grow up. But it's so hard!! *pout*

[edit] Though I have to say the route this morning was gorgeous! It really reminded me of running in NZ with all the cows and horses and piles of poo along the track. haha..=)

People are interesting.

They never cease to amaze me.

I went out for yumcha with Weng and an old schoolmate, Seng Chee, this afternoon. I haven't seen Seng Chee in quite a while, and that catch up was the randomest meeting which started off as a simple Facebook comment.

Anyway. He was pretty much the same person he was back in high school, although I never really hung out with him much back then. We were doing the usual "Hey, how's it going? So what are you doing right now? Working? Oh, for who?" and that sorta stuff. And then we started talking about relationships. (And the lack thereof). And, I don't know, I just never thought he was such a deep, philosophical person. And he said a lot of things which made sense today. Of course, he said a lot of things which I already knew as well, from experience. Haha, I sometimes feel I should write a book on how to screw up a long distance relationship. heh. And just like that, I left that mamak with a somewhat different impression of Seng Chee. He's interesting.

And just earlier today, I was feeling somewhat restless so I decided to head to Pyramid to do some shopping. I figured I didn't have much free time left from now till I fly off to Auckland, so I'd better start buying those things for my friends. One of the items I was supposed to carry with me to Auckland were wedding magazines for a friend who just got engaged recently. I even played a tiny tiny role in the planning of the proposal. True story. So I found a couple of nice ones at Popular, and proceeded to pay at the counter. And the girl at the counter gave me a wide grin, to which I smiled as politely as I could in return and said "These aren't for me". Her face almost immediately reddened and I felt bad so I wished her Selamat Hari Raya, quickly paid and went away.

I don't blame her. If I saw a young woman holding a bridal magazine I'd smile myself giddy as well. It's nice to see a girl at that time. It's probably one of the happiest moments of a girl's life - getting married. I would think so anyway.

I think, that my parents are probably trying to guess whether I'm dating anyone at the moment. Everytime I mention a friend's name that I'm going to meet, they probably mentally cross reference it in their heads with the last time i mentioned that same friend's name and make a mental note on how frequently I go out with him. I wish I could tell them I am dating someone. But, well, I just haven't met him yet. =)

I need to do something out of the ordinary. I need to meet new people, partake in new activities, reach out of my comfort zone. I need a new breath of fresh air. Maybe then I'll meet someone cool enough to be my man. =)

Family.

I can tell that I've been a lot more attached to my family since coming back home. I go almost everywhere with mum and dad, even if it was just to go and pick Keith up from tuition down the block. I guess I really appreciate how close I am to them, and how I can just chat their ears off till the cows come home! haha...I don't know if they still enjoy my company, though. Maybe I'm starting to be a bit of a third wheel already. heh.

But since most of my friends are busy with work, chilling out with them is getting much less frequent unless I take the initiative to start calling everyone (which is a feat on its own), so after I've tried a couple of times, I've kinda given up. :p

I've been extremely slack with training for my legendary The Legend marathon. sei la. I think it's going to take me 5 hours. I just wake up at 5 every flippin' morning! And try as I might I can never get myself into be before 11 pm. I don't know why! Just got so much to do every night, and when I'm on my notebook I spend quite a bit of time getting my social networking fix. haha...so I end up using every free time I have taking naps here and there, or eating food to curb my ever growing hunger! I am turning into a glutton, ironically!

Like my brother says, I'll just have to wing it. But now I have bigger concerns than trying to safe my face from losing to a 57 year old grandma. I've just done something to my back, which *fingers crossed* isn't a sprain, or a hernia, or a slip disk. It has been hurting for 2 days now, if it still hurts tomorrow morning I think we can rule out DOMs and maybe consider an x ray scan.

3 weeks!

I've been working for 3 weeks now. I wouldn't say it's full time yet, but gosh I am so so so exhausted by the end of every week! I don't even work a full day every day, but the days I do, I come home with aching feet and without an ounce of energy left in me.

Right now I cannot wait till I get my first pay cheque. :D Kinda wish my pay comes every fortnight like in New Zealand, but it's ok. Big lump sum at the end of the month is definitely something worth looking forward to! To be honest I can't wait to give my parents money. Haha...it's just been one of those things I've been wanting to do since I finished my first degree, but was never able to. And when I was studying in Auckland, and my friends have been earning monthly salaries back home, I wanted to graduate more than ever!

On a different note, a lot has been happening in my circle of friends. People getting engaged and married and all that. It's all very surprising and exciting and I'm very happy to see that my friends are doing well in life. Love and happiness to me is one of the biggest success a person can achieve, and I am glad my friends have found them with amazing people. But to say I am not jealous would be a lie. I wish that for myself more than ever now that I am done studying, and embarking on my career.

I have so much happening for me right now. Things are working out better than I expected and it's been exhilarating being in charge of my own life, and watching it pan out the way I had hoped. But I'd really like to be able to share this excitement with someone. My family and friends are great, I've been entertaining them with stories of my mischievous kids at school and what not. And they're supportive and motivating. But yeah. Would be nice if I could share it with someone special. Haha...for once I don't want to be the one who's still studying, who has assignments and exams to go home to, who doesn't have enough money to foot the bill! haha...

Owells. Hope for the best? :)

Ectrodactyly

Ectrodactyly, sometimes referred to as the “Lobster-Claw Syndrome”involves the deficiency or absence of one or more central digits of the hand or foot and is also known as split hand/split foot malformation (SHFM).The hands and feet of people with ectrodactyly are often described as "claw-like" and may include only the thumb and one finger (usually either the little finger, ring finger, or a syndactyly of the two) with similar abnormalities of the feet.

Source: Wikipedia

If you had ectrodactyly, what would you do? If you met someone with ectrodactyly, how would you treat that person?

We all try to be socially correct when our paths cross that of special individuals who are a little different. We perk up, try to look past their differences, pretend we don't see anything, and act extra cheerful around them. Or if we don't do so well at that, we try to avoid them altogether. We all do that. It's probably human nature. It is extremely difficult to treat them normally without trying too hard.

A young girl in my class has Ectrodactyly syndrome. And I, as a Physical Education teacher, find it very challenging to be as fair as I can to everyone, without patronizing her, or pushing her too hard. But she makes it very easy for me. Simply because she sees herself as no different than everyone else. She asks for no modification to the exercises I give out, she attempts everything with full enthusiasm, and she's such a happy camper all the time, I will never forget she's a teenager, just like everyone else in her class, enjoying probably the awesomest period of school (I presume...hehe). Every time I see her, I am moved by her spirit.

Being a PE teacher in the past week has taught me patience, perseverance, creativity, and most of all, humility. Just chatting with these kids, being their friend, gaining their trust and friendship, you realise you are being schooled every day. In that class, there is no lesser individual, every one learns from every one. =)

Hello, work!

Everyone says, enjoy student life! You'll never get it back when you start working. They all say, once you start work, you don't get so much freedom, you don't get to play that much.

What everyone didn't believe me was when I said, work was going to be so much fun. I was right.

I started work this week, and it has been amazing! I do admit being committed to work for such long hours does kinda drain my energy, but apart from that work is so much fun! I'm still a little conscious about myself, being a new kid on the block in the whole PT thing, but I think I'm slowly gaining confidence. I am, after all, a Sport and Exercise Science degree holder. I am possibly more qualified than half the trainers in this country, if not more. =) *Just psyching myself up, don't mean to sound pompous*

On another note, I've been pretty moody lately, and I don't know whether it's just my hormones at work, or it's just being back here again, and facing all the memories once more. I function fine when I'm kept busy, but like always, the night gets to me. Also, I've been having dreams lately, and they leave me a little...disturbed...when I wake up. It's a bit unsettling. But it doesn't stay long, because once the day's activities pick up, I'm a happy camper again, which is good. But yeah, gotta do something about the nights and the dreams. heh. And the fear that I'm going to die alone. HAHA. No really...

Sara Bareilles sings for me, I swear.

Car is parked, bags are packed, but what kind of heart doesn't look back
At the comfortable glow from the porch, the one I will still call yours?
All those words came undone and now I'm not the only one
Facing the ghosts that decide if the fire inside still burns

All I have, all I need, he's the air I would kill to breathe
Holds my love in his hands, still I'm searching for something
Out of breath, I am left hoping someday I'll breathe again
I'll breathe again

Open up next to you and my secrets become your truth
And the distance between that was sheltering me comes in full view
Hang my head, break my heart built from all I have torn apart
And my burden to bear is a love I can't carry anymore

All I have, all I need, he's the air I would kill to breathe
Holds my love in his hands, still I'm searching for something
Out of breath, I am left hoping someday I'll breathe again

It hurts to be here
I only wanted love from you
It hurts to be here
What am I gonna do?

All I have, all I need, he's the air I would kill to breathe
Holds my love in his hands, still I'm searching
All I have, all I need, he's the air I would kill to breathe
Holds my love in his hands, still I'm searching for something
Out of breath, I am left hoping someday I'll breathe again
I'll breathe again

Fear.

We all have fears. Big stuff, small stuff, critical phobias and not so critical phobias. It is what makes us human, the whole not being perfect thing.

I fear lizards. Yes, the common house lizard which roams around my house in the dark and scurries away when I tun the lights on. *urgh*. Scares the living daylight out of me.

I also fear fish. HA! Betcha didn't see that one coming, huh? Yes. If I can scale rock faces, bungy jump, sky dive, run marathons, but ever wondered why I have not taken a diving certificate? I can't stand being in the water with fish surrounding me. That whole fish spa thing that's good for hard skin on your feet? Hate it. Couldn't last 10 seconds in it. I think it stems from my very amateur swimming ability. Because if something horribly wrong were to happen, I am not a strong enough swimmer to swim away from it - yes even little anchovies might turn out to be carnivorous creatures ok? In fact, they probably are.

Apart from that, I also fear not being good enough. I know I take on a chillax attitude most of the time, but when it comes to being judged by somebody very important to me, I almost always fear that I am not good enough for him. I think it's a rather crippling bad point of me which I have come to discover of myself in my previous relationships. Be with someone long enough, and I start to change to suit his wants, his preference, his idea of a cool, amazing person. It's not very healthy, I know. And I'm hoping to attribute some of it to the fact that my past relationships were kinda dysfunctional anyway. But yeah. I KNOW that this is a big flaw in me and I am going to try to prevent this from happening in my future relationship.

On a different note. Don't you just hate ex girlfriends/boyfriends? As in, not yours, but, well, the ex of your current partner/interest. I think no mater how grown up you are, all's fair in love and war. Only in extremely rare (and weird) situations would you end up being buddies with their ex. Most of the time, the sight of their name just kinda makes your skin crawl doesn't it? And everything they say or do just seems like they're out to get to you. *GROWL*.

To one such person in my life right now, I'd just like to say, even though you probably will never read this, (Actually then again, it wouldn't be completely impossible if you did), it's not a competition. I am no longer in the game. So you can drop the whole outsmarting me act and go get him if you want. Just on geographical proximity alone, you win. You probably already won all along.

I get out of bed, and I check the time
Adding 4 hours when I used to subtract
Wondering what you're up to today
Before I realise, and I retract

Lunch time and I sit and ponder
What to have and who to call out
I smile as I think of you and fish burgers
Then I realise that's not what today's about

Mid day passes, and evening comes
And I thought I'd done pretty well on my own
Then a little beep, and your message comes through
Out the window my façade is thrown

It still is nice to hear from you
No matter how brief or casual it is
I still look forward to words from you
Words I really am not supposed to miss

I hope in time, this yearning will fade
And so will the emotions that lie within me
I hope the distance will run its course
Burying my thoughts deep where they will sit silently

It's happening right now.

Today I landed my first PT client. I've been dreaming of this day for the past 3 years, and let me tell you, it feels pretty damn amazing. It's just one (potentially 2, because she referred me to a friend), but it's all coming true for me. My hopes, my dreams, the moments I envision in my head those cold, lonely nights in Auckland - it's all happening right now.

I may just be getting started, but to all you non believers out there, I just checked into Reality and so far it's awesome. =)

Malaysia Part II

Being home has been GREAT. It's great having Mummy's home cooked food, and listening to Daddy's dinner table stories and I'm surprised (once again) at how much my brother, Keith has grown both physically and in personality.

I've been meeting up with my friends one by one, I love knowing that I am starting full time work soon, so it means steady income coming in very soon. ;) It's been great seeing all of them again, and catching up with each other's lives, and finally feeling like my own life can now get under way, rather than be put on hold while I finish my studies.

And, of course, one of the awesomest things about being back at home, gastronomy haven aside, is the hi speed unlimited broadband, which means I get to follow all my favourite TV series again! I've been going on a Gleeathon and I am BLOWN away! *Heart* Glee!! ♥

One episode in particular, was talking about acceptance. How we should accept our imperfections and wear it on our chests with pride.

This touched me a lot, especially with what has been going on in my country. The Bersih rally that was held on July 9th, the night I flew back here, is still splashed across news feeds everywhere. A lot of touching stories have surfaced from different angles, contributed by people who were either at the demonstration itself, or was married to one of them, or was barred from going to the rally...the stories make me want even more to be back home here.

I love Malaysia. I will always be proud to be Malaysian. People still ask me, "Why don't you get yourself a permanent residency in New Zealand? Such a waste, you already study there for 3 years, stay a little longer and you can get your PR already." I don't quite understand why.

I don't understand why we as children of Malaysia are asked to run away to a foreign country. Why complain about life in Malaysia, and then escape and never return? Why not do something about it? A lot of us are blessed to be given the opportunity to study abroad, why not bring what we learn back home to Malaysia to better our own home country? The country we grew up in, where we were shaped and moulded?

"But you study Sport Science! How to survive in Malaysia? No market for you la, stay in NZ better!". Wrong. I studied Sport Science to help better peoples' lives. And it would be plain silly if I run along and helped foreigners in a land where the industry is already well developed, while I can easily do the same for my fellow Malaysians who are in greater need of such knowledge than the white men.

Same reason why we cheer for Harimau Malaya (Malayan Tigers), our national football team, when they go against world renown Arsenal, even though our players are no match for them. The world of sport is highly patriotic. People will cheer for their own home teams no matter what the odds. It feels good cheering for something you belong to.

I don't know if the Glee episode is really related, but it touched me and it made me think of how we shouldn't be ashamed of the imperfections of Malaysia. We should be proud of it, and we should want to better it. Home is where the heart is. My heart belongs to Malaysia. =)

Malaysia.

SO! My last post was more than 3 weeks ago. Hello! I'm back.

So much has happened in the last few weeks, I don't really know where to start! I don't even think I want to. Heh. Let me try to summarize. I basically started travelling the day after I finished my exams (a.k.a. the day I finished my degree, hehe). I was off to Fiji for 7 days, which was pretty awesome, despite the rain and winds that came from the 3rd to the 7th day. And then a day after I got back from Fiji, Lyn and Rosie came to visit and away we went down to Rotorua, then up to Northland. And then they left, and I had less than 48 hours to pack up my 3 years in Auckland into 25 kgs of checkked in baggage and 10 kgs of carry on PLUS throw a farewell party before I then spent about 15 hours journeying back to Kuala Lumpur on the 9th of July - the day Malaysia will remember as Bersih 2.0.

So now I'm here in my much missed bedroom in Subang Jaya. I have just checked my results online this morning and found that I have PASSED MEDSCI 205 which is GREAT! I was a very happy girl when I saw that. I have also started to unpack my baggages, which turned out to be almost as mind boggling as packing seeing that I have no space in my cupboard for a lot of things. I eventually gave up halfway and decided that perhaps I should just live out of a suitcase. =) I also sorted out my mobile phone woes, and my internet banking and bought some antibiotic cream for my now pus dribbling battle scars on my heels. yes they look as gross as they sound.

I am exhausted. From the travelling, from the laughter and the fun I've been having.
I am gaining weight. From all the food I've been eating sans the exercise because I haven't been able to find time to do so and then my injuries now hold me back.
I am relieved. To be rid of exams, assignments, textbooks, journal articles, studying and stress.
I am comfortable. To be among family and best friends again, and the same awesome food I grew up with.
I am saddened. By the end of something that was potentially something pretty good.

Yup. In the past 4 months of my life in Auckland, I have managed to gain and lose love. I had met someone amazing, someone who I'd love to be with, but was never meant to be in love with. It saddens me that I had to bid him farewell, and that our chapter had to end. It saddens me that I am now back to zero again - to begin my search once again for someone to fit into my wonderful life, to have and to hold for many years to come. But life is a never ending journey, and love should not be the only thing I search for. =)

The world is my oyster now. I can do whatever I want right now with my life. That feels surreal. =)

meh.

I'm about 4 days to finishing my degree, 5 days to flying to Fiji, 12 days to Lyn and Rosie coming here, and 22 days to flying home. I should be extremely excited, which I kinda am. I guess. If I were to rank my events in terms of excitement factor, they'd be, from best to worst:

Finishing my degree
Fiji
Lyn and Rosie coming
Home

Not because they come in that chronological order, but because going home now seems a bit disheartening. I know, ironic isn't it? How I had wanted to go home so badly for so long? Haha..

It's been 6 days since I last saw him, but who's counting. ikindamisshim. Another 11 days to go before I see him again. The text messages make it all better though. =) Still...this is not looking good. What about next month? Hm. Meh.

heart.

On my player, John Mayer plays Half of My Heart.

On my bookmark, a poem entitled Trust Your Heart.

Chris Brown sings "There're hearts all over the world tonight".

And on Google reader, my friend blogs about heart ache and heart break.

My heart is anxious.

At least I've got about 25 days to prepare myself for it this time.

Half of my ♥

On being the world to somebody

I want to be the world to somebody.

I want to be the reason he laughs, the reason he has a good day, the reason time fly by, the reason he has that song on loop, the reason he buys new clothes, the reason he trains harder, the reason he looks forward to the weekend, the reason he tweets, the reason he cries, the reason he's hungry, the reason he wants to go there, the reason he wants to be there, the reason he wants to come home, the reason he smiles in the morning, the reason he sleeps well at night, the reason he gets no sleep at night, the reason he loses weight, the reason he buys breath mints, the reason he does charity, the reason he gains weight, the reason he runs, the reason he sacrifices, the reason he gets nervous, the reason he feels so at ease, the reason he sings, the reason he likes chocolate, the reason he buys chocolate, the reason he loves.

I want to be that person to somebody. :)

what next

My flatmate, E, got rejected when she applied to extend her 1 year working holiday visa here in New Zealand. So for the past couple of weeks she has been laying out her options on what to do next. She does not want to go back to France yet, she still wants to travel. She just came into my room to tell me that a working holiday visa in Australia costs NZ$365 to apply, which she thinks is too much. What was she to do?? I wish I had some ideas for her.

But as I get caught up in all the drama as well, it is pretty exciting that my own life is about to transition into another chapter very soon. I have been waiting for this moment for too long, and it is now only weeks away. I have a thought out plan, which is pretty cool. But at the same time, something at the back of my mind asks what if I didn't have a plan? What if I was free to do whatever I want, go wherever I want and return whenever I want? Because technically, I could take off to, say, Lituania, and apply for a waitressing position in some tiny little cafe and just check things out. Technically, nothing's stopping me.

Just the idea that I have options, I can decide what I want to do with the rest of my life, and that is all happening very soon, makes me tingle with excitement.

BUT until then, I still have 4 exam papers to study for and pass. 16 more days, Karen. Just hang in there.

18 days

At 1700 hours today, I walked out of hopefully the last ever academic lecture of my undergraduate life. Strangely enough, it didn't feel quite so relieving, rather, it felt pretty daunting. Medsci 205 final exam is just around the corner, 10 days from now to be exact. Somehow, it seems to want to take priority over everything in my life. It is what I am most worried about, what I cannot shake from the corner of my mind every waking second of my day. It is such a fear, yet I haven't quite found a way to harness that fear and turn it into something constructive. Rather I feel like avoiding it altogether even more. Maybe that's how I have been coping with my life all this while, I avoid my fears. Not good.

Anyway, in 18 days I will hopefully be free. Wish me luck! :D

Burnt out.

burn·out/ˈbərnˌout/Noun

1. The reduction of a fuel or substance to nothing through use or combustion.

2. Physical or mental collapse caused by overwork or stress.

I. cannot. study. any. more.

Have you ever felt such disdain for something that you'd wish you can shove everything about that something into the "insinkerator" and laugh with elation as the clinking and clanking sound of your relief fills the air?

How on earth did I come from begging to do this degree to this point?

I think it's the knowledge that there are other aspects to life other than education. How I wish I can go back to primary school, where getting A's is all I have to do and all I have to know how to do to make mum, dad and little Karen all very happy. How I wish I never learned of Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg or successful people who make it big without graduating.

meh.

Be humble

One of the things my parents placed a lot of emphasis on as we were growing up was to be humble. Never show off things you've got or you are capable of doing. Never brag. But at the same time, they always encouraged us to go out and shine! They encouraged us to pursue the things we wanted to pursue, and supported us all the way.

So in a way I always feel like my parents raised me as a superhero. A vigilante who goes out to "save the world" but then always hides behind the face of just another person amidst the crowd. I mean, I'm proud of how they've raised me, and I'm proud of how far I've come. I know that I've been given plenty of opportunity to experience and achieve the things I have today. But I will always try to be humble about it, and not let it get to my head too much. I will always look at myself from an outsider's point of view, and find plenty of room for improvement.

Which is why when people compliment me, I feel elated. Because that is what I've earned. That is not self praise, nor is it being smug. Praise and compliments from other people always make me extremely happy, and game to do even better the next time.

Not too long ago, I received an e-mail from a friend. I am not particularly close to her, but I've hung out with her a couple of times here in Auckland. She's very cool and I have high regard for her because she has a strong personality and is a dream chaser. Her e-mail came to me as a total surprise because I've not had any communication with her in a while. In her e-mail she wrote that she just wanted to let me know she thought I have plenty of potential. She said I had the right personality and physique for the entertainment industry and if I were keen on it she could hook me up with her networks. She said she thought I was a hard worker and she thinks I could go far.

Reading something like that out of the blue and from someone whom I respect, really made me feel pretty good about myself. It was honest and sincere, because I know she is honest and sincere, and I don't really know what to say except that I was very touched by her note.

And I guess I'm blogging about it only now because today I'm feeling kinda...meh. And I needed a picker upper. I've not been doing so well with the Medsci Lab Reports, when I thought I've been doing ok. The markers this year seem to mark even more strictly than they did last year, which is a bit annoying, because I handed in pretty much the same report, just with adjustments and improvements, but I got marked down instead! Annoyed. =\

I feel a bitterness rising inside with anything that has to do with Medsci. I know it's not good, but I just have so much hatred towards this paper. I don't like it, I don't want to like it, and I will never like it. But I have to take it. And I have to pass it.

I fear this coming final exams. I have never feared exams, but I fear this one. It is the one thing standing in my way of obtaining my Bachelors in Sport and Exercise Science. Without Medsci 205, my life would be a whole lot easier. This last semester was supposed to be doable, it was supposed to be me just finishing up and getting my degree. If it had been just me and my 3 Sportsci papers and 1 Math paper, my last few months in NZ would be bliss.

But looks like someone up there doesn't want my life to be a bed of roses just yet. Someone really wants me to prove how tough I can actually be. Grr..I hope that someone is happy that I'm getting sleepless nights because of Medsci.

Xterra Trail Run Series - Riverhead Forest

This morning I took part in the first Xterra Trail Run. Stan signed up as well, so we did the Super Long course together. 21kms of pure muddy, rocky, rugged terrain. <3 haha...

Over the past few days I have been working my legs out heaps. I went for a run up Mount Wellington on Friday morning, then took a spin class about an hour just after. Yesterday morning I took Bootcamp for Configure, for which I didn't run much, but I did lead the warm up up Mount Wellington again. And then I took another spin class at 10.30 am that same morning. And to add to that, I've been swamped with reports to complete, which meant I had very little sleep over the past few nights too.

Which is probably no wonder that my quad muscles started to cramp up about 8kms into the race. And then in a moment of pure clumsiness (Karen style), I slipped on a muddy patch, jammed my foot to stop myself, and pulled my quad. Ouch, is an understatement. I tried to massage it, and slowly stretch it out, which helped to ease the pain. Slowly I started to pick up the pace again.

Stan and I ran the rest of the way together. He's amazing motivation to keep going. It's pretty awesome, because the last time I truly enjoyed running alongside someone else was with Keeran for the first Genting Trailblazer. But we were in a team event then, so we kinda had to keep close together. And I wasn't going out with him. So that's a different story. =) Oh running with Lydia was cool too, but again, team event, must run together.

We finished the race in 3 hours and 9 minutes, roughly. I was quite happy =) I aimed for 3 hours, but with trail runs, you can never tell how long you're gonna take because the terrain is so unpredictable. Plus, pulling a muscle is no fun. But having somebody to run with, is a lot of good fun. And especially with the kind of terrain we went through today, I know that even the keenest running friends I've got would not have enjoyed it. The fact that Stan thoroughly enjoyed it just leaves me in disbelief, I can't believe I never met him sooner. =)

happiness

me: haha...we're ambassadors of fitness ;)

him: LOL. should we take over the world?;)

me: yes! hahaha

him: me and you... deal. we'll recruit more soldiers. and run our own fitness regime

me: hahah...yay! u know the cartoon the pinky and the brain?

him: yea. i'll be pinky :D

me: hahah

him: brain is weird

me: ok i'll be the brain...i'll start planning to take over the world...haha

him: haha cute! then we'll get that tank too :p

me: *nods* =)

him: then we'll rock up with our aviators

me: LOL :D

happy times!

What is this, I shouldn't have let that piece of bad news stay on top of my blog for so long! Because although I was gutted, I was actually pretty numb about it a day after. =)

I've had SUCH a busy week! Well, I've had such a busy month. period. It's already the month of May! Time's speeding! I'm in my 9th week of uni, just a little over 3 weeks to go before the end of the semester.

Over the weekend I held a little party at my flat just to celebrate my birthday. I know it's not the actual day yet, but oh well, I figured it's also kinda like a pre farewell party...actually, it was just a reason to hold a party. just because. haha...=) You know how much I love having people over. And the turn out was great! I had roughly 20 guests. It was a tea time party, so I only prepared snacks and finger foods, Stan helped make some club sandwiches, Elise made me a ham and mushroom quiche, Laura made a fruit salad, and Erin and Lily both baked me my birthday cake! It was nice to see all of my favourite people in Auckland together in one room. I always do this, chuck all my different clicks of friends into one room and just hope they get along. It usually works, though I don't know if that's strange to do or not. hehe..

Wye Yin, or Coreen as she is known here, still think it's kinda cool how we come to meet again in New Zealand after all these years.

Erin and Elise! Two of my favourite Es. =)

Stan, the Man. ;)

So yes, finally I'm having a ball in Auckland, just when I'm about to leave. The irony! Life gets you in the silliest situations doesn't it? Oh, did I mention I'm also sick as hell with the cold, cough, fever, headache and all that jazz just 2 days before my actual 25th birthday? My flatmates told me it's bad luck to celebrate your birthday before the actual day, I think this is karma knocking on my door already. But then again, I'm gonna will myself to health with my super awesome immune system! I'll be in the pink of health come this Wednesday, you'll see! ;)

Am I stupid or something?

Ok, so, I just got my Medsci205 Mid Term results back, and GUESS WHAT?

I failed it. Again. In fact, I think even worse than I did last year.

I'm starting to think maybe I'm a little stupider than I actually think of myself. Which is kinda sad because I've always had pretty good self esteem. It's insane. I've never done so badly in a subject before. I'm not that dumb, I don't think. I have brains that may not work 100% all the time, but I think it's safe to say that I've always been a higher than average student. I don't score straight As, but I do get them here and there. I understand things, I learn quick, and I'm really NOT a dimbo. I think I do have a scientific brain or else I wouldn't have gotten the results I've gotten in all my Sportsci subjects and through my BCom and through school. I'm NOT STUPID!

So why is it that this pathetic Stage 2 Medical Science subject seem to render me completely baffled, numbstruck, beaten to a pulp, outright stupid? I really do not get it. What is it about my brains that just doesn't seem to want to LEARN ANYTHING from this course?

Mental block? Perhaps. But even my mental blocks do not make me fail things. I do pass things. In all my years of bitching about Sejarah (History), and Geography, Biology, and Management 100, and Chemistry, I don't fail them. I always manage to scrape through.

But this, this leaves me defeated. And I don't like feeling defeated.

There's still a chance for me I guess. Lab reports and final exams. I could still pass this.

But really, God, please help me. I've never really prayed much in my life, and I am truly sorry I don't always believe in religion, but grant me the spirit and drive to just get through this paper so I can get my degree, please. I promise I'll do more charity, and reach out more to family and friends. I promise I will put this degree to the best use anyone possibly can. I have a vision, please help me get there.

the slightest thing

I could go on without a care
Just living life, sharing laughter,
I could be a completely new person,
Without a history or a past endeavour.

I could ride on motorbikes, as fast as light,
Sip on cocktails or pints of beer,
I could watch movies, have dinner,
And just be with him, have no fear.

I could get skinnier, laugh louder,
Eat more good food, live the life,
Let my hair down, hang loose,
Have fun without having to strive.

But the slightest thing from you,
The teeny tiniest detail,
That had nothing to do with me,
Just your name, on a page,
Or a picture of you,
Is enough to paralyse me,
With memories of once upon a time.

Bonjour!

My 2 week Easter break is about to come to an end and it has been quite a school break! I've been hanging out with so many cool people it's awesome! In all honesty, I did try pretty hard to study, but the discipline eludes me, as it always does, and so studies wise, it wasn't very productive. =\ BUT, life is about seizing opportunities...and in that sense, I've been doing pretty well. :D

I went on a trip with Elise and Henny, my flatmates. We did a short roadie to Paeroa, where we trekked to Karangahake Gorge. Then we drove to Coromandel town to spend the night. The next day we went to Cathedral Cove, which was another short trek to one of the loveliest beaches I know in North Island.When we came back, I went to meet Moïse for a cup of coffee. He is a traveller from France, stopping over in Auckland for 4 days, before he jets off to Tahiti to visit friends. When I first saw him, I almost gasped. Because I measured up to right below his shoulder. I've never felt so puny before, literally. But he was very warm and very nice to talk to. We ended up hanging out the next night (which was yesterday night) and the whole of today too.I went partying with the girls again last night, bringing Moïse along to Auckland's night scene. It's funny how this is becoming quite frequent for me now, seeing that I was the antithesis of clubbing not too long ago. Haha...guess perceptions can change. I still wouldn't club in downtown KL though, for the simple reason that parking is too expensive, and people who smoke are annoying. This time around I had a good night out with them. Because it's Easter today, clubs and bars turned the music off at midnight, so I called it a night early, while the others went on to the only 2 clubs left open in Auckland on the night before Easter.

I also hung out with Stan during the day. We watched the movie, The Town, which I highly recommend to everyone. Ben Affleck is so amazing, I might add. Stan's a cool dude who's from the NZ Army. We've been hanging out, not to mention he bootcamped my arse the other Sunday, leaving me with sore quads, biceps and lats for 2 days.

Today Moïse asked me if he could take me for a ride on his big bike! He rented one of those sports bike to tour Auckland, and I couldn't peel my eyes off it when I saw it. I was dying to ride on it, so when he asked if I'd like to go for a ride I was completely stoked! We rode to Piha, and I felt pretty cool for that 65 minute ride. hehe...I've got plans to buy me one now, when I make my millions next time. Imma get me a motorbike license and buy me a superbike. =)And to cap the night, Abby came by to chill and watch Slumdog Millionaire with me.

Looking back, I think I've had quite a couple of weeks. I'm surfing through the pictures on Facebook and I can't help smiling. It's funny. I think I'm finally having the time of my life here in Aucks. Life is finally looking peachy. =)

Sunday morning.

8.25 am. I'm happily chewing my Vogel's honey crumbed cereal. I got up at about 5 in the morning, hearing the drunken laughter of my flatmates as they stagger home from a night out in town. I'd lain in bed a little longer, just to catch a little more sleep. I drifted in and out of sleep, watching the sun rise in intermittently through my half closed eyelids. At 7.30 am my alarm rang, and I finally got out of bed. On the way to the bathroom, I saw her room door ajar, and she was sleeping, still clothed in her party dress, and in full make up. She heard, and opened her eyes, so I said "Hey, I heard u coming back. How was it?" In reply, she murmured in a slur "wegothomeat5....". I said "Ok, go to sleep, then". And she nodded and fell back to sleep, while I closed her door for her, just smiling to myself. Thank God I had not followed them out last night.

8.32 am. Cereal bowl's empty now. I caught a waft of a fragrance off my sweatshirt. His fragrance. He came over last night. Just to chat and have ice cream with me. I was already in my pyjama pants. It was nice, hanging out as friends. I think he's very nice when he's just a friend. He stayed for about an hour, had 3 scoops of ice cream, then hugged me and left. But his fragrance lingered on. And it was strangely comforting.

8.36 am. I need to cook dinner tonight for the French. I'm cooking chicken curry and chapati. Then, I'm baking chocolate cheesecake for dessert. I know, I rock ;) I need to get more ingredients though.

8.40 am. I commented on a photo of a friend of yours on Facebook. She replied, so I replied her this morning. Then it struck me that it was probably going to show up in your feed, if you do notice it. That made me worry for about a nanosecond. And then I figured you probably wouldn't be the least bit affected. Still, I wonder how you're doing.

8.43 am. I should get off.

People you meet along the way.

In life, (this is where I start to sound like I have lived a 100 years), we meet a lot of people along the way. For some of us, this is one of life's simple pleasures, for others, they beg to differ. To me, I've always kinda belonged to the first group. I enjoy meeting new faces, and talking about new things, and building friendships with people I find interesting. I am not a complete Barney the Dinosaur, where I actively go right up to someone and go "Hey! I'm Karen, and you are?" with a big grin plastered on my face. But I generally have no difficulty starting a conversation with a stranger if I felt compelled to.

Which is why I love being a personal trainer so much. I have met and formed some pretty neat friendships with some of my clients over here that I almost never ever dread going to work. And if i did, it was probably due to the fact that I've an assignment due soon or an exam to study for which I know could use the time I am at work, but in all honesty, I'd really much rather be at work than anywhere else in that situation.

So, the point of my extremely long winded and pathetic attempt at being philosophical introduction is, Nancy Hala. Nancy is one of my PT clients. She is one of the nicest, kindest, sweetest ladies I have ever met in my life. Seeing her again every time I come back from my Summer Break is usually the highlight of my being back to work. I started training her when I started working for Configure way back in July 2008. I saw her every week, and when she's not training one-on-one with me, she'd join my Fierce Fit classes, or my circuit classes. When I was training her, we work hard, but we share a lot of things with each other too. And I've seen her progress over the years. I've seen her shed the weight she wanted to lose, and saw the new clothes she bought for herself, and now she just looks amazing! She's basically glowing every time I see her now, it's so rewarding for me =)

This was back in 2008. When I get a picture with her now I will put it up.

And I just found out today, that she is moving to Australia. She's moving in June, because of a new job. And even though I am also leaving for good after her, just the thought of how our chapter is coming to an end kinda saddens me. I am very very pleased to have met Nancy. :) Definitely one of those I will truly miss when we bid farewell.

Halfway through, but nonethericher.

Week 6 of the Semester ended, and I am now at the start of my mid-term break. So yes, halfway through!

I've had quite a week. Busy with uni work as usual, but school aside, I encountered some events which gave me reason to think a little more. I think I try to lead a life that I think sounds cool and carefree, but in reality, I am quite rigid in my perceptions and I often find myself going back to what I find is comfortable and close to home. But, in saying that, saying goodbye to someone is never easy. And although it was brief and short-lived, I wouldn't say they were completely moments sans emotion. I guess for me, there are always strings attached.

I went out last night with the flatmates, hoping to re-enact the events of the Irish Pub night I had 2 weeks ago, because that was pretty fun. But it took all of the big bright flash of a hidden speed camera on the way to town to dampen my spirits for the next few hours. Everything didn't seem as fun after that. I thought the singer was pretty average, and the energy levels weren't quite there. I thought the pint I had tasted boring. I thought the crowd were kinda creepy, with a strange Italian man dancing with his mobile phone in his hand and secretly snapping photos of us behind him without realising his phone has a flash. I thought I heard "500 Miles" been sung 4 times last night. And overall, I just wasn't feeling it. To top it off, when I got back to the car, there was another ticket sitting on my wipers, for a parking fine, for "failing to produce evidence of parking payment". Sigh. Survival tip in Auckland city. ALWAYS CHECK THE PARKING METERS. And blimmin' 60 kph down the hill is speeding, to them.My car's a Toyota btw.
But there's an upside to my week! =) I joined Girls On Top, a running group which does 2 hour runs every second Thursday night. Last Thursday saw me running up through knee high grass, and bush whacking through forest reserves and everything at night! It was cold, and pretty brutal, but I loved it! Yesterday, I took part in a women's tri relay with Rozelle and Erin and we came in 1st place! And I was the fastest girl on the run! woohoo! And this morning, despite last night, I got up and went for a training session with Stan the army man. And it was epic! I think if I kept this up, I'm gonna be a lean mean machine soon!

Team Configure!

I'm not sure how I'm going to spend my 2 week break, aside from finishing my 2 lab reports, 1 math assignment, and study for 2 mid term exams coming up after the break. Oh and continuing my data processing for biomechanics in the lab. and working the extra hours at the gym. But I think I shall begin with chillaxing today. El cheapo. No money to go out anymore. =\

Wistful.

I'm sitting on my bed with my laptop on my lap. It feels good to be able to do this. I got my laptop a new China made battery, so now it can be charged up and will last for about 3 hours without me having to plug it in again. :D

I've had a crazy week last week. But it ended pretty well with the Tongariro Crossing to cap it off. If there's anything I truly love it would be hiking through mountains. I was completely at ease when I was doing the hike. It's like I left all my troubles behind in Auckland, and I went there feeling light as a feather.Today was full on. I left the house at 8 am, came back briefly at 12 for lunch, then I had to go off again, and I didn't get back till after 8 pm from work. Here's what I had for lunch. :) English spinach stirfried with garlic, and a chives omelette. Greens were from Lily's garden.
So right now I'm just bumming. Because my brain's fried, and I'm feeling rather wistful. I know it's my last semester, and I am very close to the light at the end of the tunnel. I know that I've only got 6 more academic weeks till I complete my degree. I know I can do this. But oh my God, I am so so so sick of it. I am so tired of everything! I long for the day I finish SO BADLY. There's still so much work to do! Yes the end is near, but there are still so many hurdles to cross, so many hills to climb!

If this were a spin class, I'm at the second last track, the one before the BIG POWER TRACK.
If this were a marathon, I'm doing my final 10 k in Kuala Lumpur, with that silly detour at the end of the race.

I. will. get. there.

Procrastinate some more!

I never learn. Have I ever told you I never learn?

Perhaps it is because I don't want to.

It is 1.5 hours past the time I'd like to be in bed by. I have submitted 1 Medsci lab report, tidied up 1 Sportsci logbook, submitted 1 Math assignment, and is 50% through 1 Exercise Physiology lab report due on Friday. Oh, and I have a Math mid term test tomorrow, which I honestly don't think I'm going to study for. And I need to see my supervisor on Friday morning. And I have a lab tomorrow morning. And I have a FULL ON day tomorrow ALL the way till 7.30 pm thanks to stupid Math test. AND I still need to pack for Tongariro which I am leaving for at 6.30 pm on Friday.

Oh, and I'm going out for dinner tomorrow night.

Sweet. I know I could've avoided ALL of this if I had only managed my time properly. BUT. Like I said. I never learn. I have tried countless of times to sit down and start my reports sooner but something. always. gets. in. my. way.

hm.

It's so easy to forget I'm a student

I have been having a lot of fun these days in Auckland. I really let myself go out and hang loose these days, which is both thrilling and worrying.

I swear it is so easy to forget I am a student. I have been doing like 40 hour weeks at uni, and that is excluding the reports, assignments, readings, and exams I have to do outside of class times. Plus I still work. Plus I have a much more interesting social life this year. So once again I am gonna say, I really do not have enough hours in a day!

But since I am already procrastinating as I am typing this right now, let me just recount my weekend.

I worked on Saturday, like I do every Saturday. I took a spin class with one of my own compilations. Erin and Elise tried it out for 20 minutes, then they had to go, but they said they liked it! I have regular participants in my spin classes now, which is extremely motivating. I feel sooooo good being at the front of the studio, looking at my members busting their butts off. :D

At night I decided to join my flatmates for a night out in town! I don't usually do this. And you all know about me and night time joints in town. We don't go very well. But I've been a lot more open to a lot more things since I've been back here, adopting the whole this-is-my-last-few-months-in-new-zealand spirit. (once again, I don't know whether that's a good thing or not). So I drove the girls out to O'Hagans, an Irish pub on the Viaduct. And you know what I completely enjoyed myself. I think live classic rock + no smoke + older age group (late 20s, early 30s) + awesome beer makes going out uber fun. Malaysia should definitely start banning smoking in bars.We went into 2 Irish pubs last night, and I met some pretty interesting people. I met a gorgeous Argentinian man, who spoke very enchanting Spanish. haha...and I met a nice Kiwi bloke who gave me a bouquet of plastic roses. And I met a funny Irish man who became kinda creepy when he came to close to me. But yeah, I danced very freely, in my jeans and jersey, and flat shoes. I sang along to all the songs because I knew every word of it, and I danced! =) Really, Malaysia should also start having more live music bars. With no smoke. And good beer.

When we wanted to go back to the car, one of my friends somehow chatted up one of these Night Riders (they cycle a rickshaw to bring u to your car/apartment in the city) and got him to take us all to my car. That crazy bunny (He had bunny ears) didn't want to bring us all the way to my car, but stopped us midway. I made him get off the bike, where I took over and rode all of us a block down to my car. HAHA, that was my moment of the night, I reckon. Then I drove my 2 very drunk flatmates home at close to 2 am. It was hilarious! I think watching drunk people are quite funny. =)I woke up at 7 am this morning, feeling buzzed and ready to go. So I ran down to Waiatarua Reserve and ran illegally in the 1st Run Auckland race. I did a pretty good time too! I think from now on I will have beer the night before any race. Preferably Belgian/Irish beer. =)

And I had brunch with some friends after the run. Which was really good too.

So yes, life has been pretty blissful. Save the fact that I now have to take on 2 lab reports and review some Math lectures. *boo*

Owell. 8 more weeks of class. 2 more weeks of exams. Yes, I can!

semana cuatro terminado.

Done with 4 weeks of uni now. Seriously, time is sprinting away in a flash. I've more or less gotten myself a little more into the rhythm of things, adjusting my body to less feeding times in a day, and no afternoon naps. I've started to sleep earlier at night so I wake up as refreshed as possible to last me through the day.

I haven't had time to run much, only managing about 2 a week, which is pathetic. But with the hectic schedule I've managed to lose 3 kilos since I left Malaysia about 5 weeks ago. That's pretty amazing. If I say I'm not happy about it, I'd be lying :D It feels good to see the lines defining my abs once again. heh.

Just a couple of random stuffs. My trusty Timex Watch broke yesterday, to my heart's disappointment. I almost gasped in shock when my watch just fell to the ground out of the blue. I had no idea it was breaking at all. And it was just silly timing because just last weekend I was at a warehouse clearance and they were selling Timex IM watches for $59. But then I kept thinking just 6 months ago I had the battery changed for $45 (because it had to be pressure tested) and so I figured this watch would last me another year or so. Owell. Time for a new one, me thinks! :)

And so I subscribe to a few deal/voucher sites which sends me deals every day in my inbox. I'm glad I dont have compulsive impulses to buy everything, but I do find a number of awesome deals and score some really good stuff sometimes. The other day 1-day was having their $11 Bag of Crap day, whereby you pay $11 for a surprise something that will cost at least $11. And I got a Swiss Ball!! I was very pleased with what I got. :D Now I can make my flatmates exercise at home! haha...
2 more weeks and it'll be mid term break. That's really soon. Then after that I have 6 weeks left of academics. And then 2 weeks of exams. And then a whole lotta FUN with Lyn and Rosie!!

I have 106 days before I go home for good. I'm SO excited!