Xmas and Boxing day walking

Xmas was spent eating steamboat at home first, then playing Nintendo Switch at Eric's in the afternoon and I got introduced to so many games lol. But it still wasn't tempting enough for me to buy one. A PS5, maybe. And then we had wine connection and sake. Not bad for a public holiday.

Boxing Day was spent at Wei Ling's with the xmas tree gift exchange and I got a diffuser as a gift lol. I didn't want to join coz I don't know what to get and I didn't want anything as well. I mean there are things I want to get, like Iphone 12 Pro or PS5 or a flight to Japan that sort of thing. 

After the kids went back we went for a walk around Merlion park to see the lights and ate at Brewerks. Sigh, I think we ate more calories than we burn. She has no determination to walk more. 

To think of it, I always felt guilty when I went overseas because one, no gym and two, all day eating. But I fail to consider that I do lotsa cardio when I go overseas. I remember I lost weight when I came back from Jordan. One day in Petra we walked 25km. And we only ate 2 meals a day. 

In Japan, I snowboard from 9.30 to 5.30pm - 7 hours of sports with 1 hour rest. That's extreme cardio for 2-3 days. And when I go to Tokyo I walk 10am to 10pm everyday, about 16.5km a day. 

That is crazy no wonder I feel so tired everyday in Japan haha it's so easy to walk around in the winter season. But I also ate a lot in Japan including sweets and stuff so I guess I shouldn't feel so guilty after all.

WW84

After waking up with a hangover at 1pm, I had cereal for breakfast/lunch and got reminded I have a movie with Eric at 7pm. 

I hate hangovers and the best way to get rid of a hangover is to go to the gym. So I went for the 2pm session with a headache and viola! By 4pm my hangover was cleared, showered, feeling fresh and heading to Orchard.

I was quite excited because it had been a while since my last super hero movie and the first WW had been great. Ok the movie started great, but lost a bit along the way. The final fighting scene was not bad as well. There are a lot of loopholes in the storyline and like why would her friends be so normal about her wearing her WW costume?? And also there's no direction in where the characters are going or what they gonna do. It's weird, and how they resolved the whole thing is so weird too. 

However I still enjoyed the movie, Gal is super pretty but her clothes were too modern. Her costume looks great though. The action scenes were great and it felt like spiderman because she was swinging with her lasso all around. Not a great movie (like Marvel) but ok not bad movie.

Then we went to eat german burgers and some beer at Gabby's workplace but we weren't sitting around Gabby. 

Jewel

Last Friday I went to Changi Airport for the first time since January and that's also my virgin visit to Jewel.

Yes I know, I won't go to Changi without any agenda since it's so far away, let alone to Jewel. It's just another mall/tourist attraction to me. But there was a egg-hatching game on ishopchangi and the first 100 participants who finds all the QR codes around Changi airport gets 6000points, which is equals to $30. It's worth it. So I texted Viv coz we were supposed to go on walks and so random, she said ok.

I actually took a half day (sick leave coz I'm sick of working) and then travelled 1.5hours to Changi Airport. So firstly we went to clear he 2 QR codes in T4, followed by T3, T1 and then Jewel. We spent about 1.5hrs and we managed to complete everything by 4pm, and walked around 5km, which is faster/shorter than I thought. There were quite a lot of people considering it's a weekday afternoon but it was school holidays and the airport was filled with activities. And then I went into Jewel for the first time.

Wow I was blown away. I have seen many people posted pictures of the waterfall in Jewel but didn't understand the hype - it's breathtaking when you see it in real. It's unbelievably beautiful and pictures doesn't do it justice. I am so proud to have Jewel in our airport lol. The Xmas tree and night lights were so awesome!

Anyway we walked around, had coffee at Hoshino, had Korean food at Kko Kko Nara, and then went shopping for a bit. She wanted to come my place for G&T so we went NTUC (yes there's a NTUC Finest there) to buy tonic and soda and some snacks. Then bought eclairs, and grabbed to my place.

We started with the bottles that I had, the Chase grapefruit one, then opened my British rose, Shiraz and Lavender. 4 bottles opened that night and we sorta went crazy. I love all my bottles and I just ordered another Orange gin which is going to be delivered soon. 

Honestly we drank too much but I still remember what we talked about and I thought that she was invading my privacy for a bit, and it ended in a slightly awkward note about being invited for Jarren's dinner. Oh wells. She left at 5am.

The next day I found out that 6000 points will be credited into my ishopchangi account. Woohoo! More gin!

Stop spending

Ok I need to stop spending money.

I suspect I'm revenge spending because I couldn't get the white sneakers on Carousell. And also all the 11.11, 12.12 sale and the coming year end sale and the surplus in my annual budget. I already have enough shoes!!! I need to save money for next year's trip to Japan for all my gundam stuff. 

Honestly if I were to shop physically I wouldn't even buy anything, and that includes the white sneakers. Online shopping just makes it easier to get everything. I know my size, the pictures looks nice, click click click, buy. 

Ok no more Caroubuying!!!

12.12 shoes this year

It is nearing the end of 2020 and I realised I haven't bought any shoes this year. Just last year I already bought 4 pairs in the first 2 months, running shoes in Sep for IPPT and ETQ sneakers at the end of the year. That's a total of 6 pairs and it seems like I have to buy a pair of expensive leather sneakers every year. 

I actually thought of buying that pair of white leather sneakers from Carousell but it was sold last week (DAYM). It's fated not to be mine and I shall look for other shoes. Then I went to hunt for my fav Asics and there is a 25% sale on the website. 

This pair of Gel Lyte 3 is on sale, and adding 25% off it's only $64. The design was inspired by the Shibuya Crossing and named Modern Tokyo. BUY. And also I bought another pair of spare gym shoes for $35 after discount. Kaching! 2 pairs of sneakers for less than $100 and free delivery to my house. I believe these are the cheapest Asics I have bought. I hope I'm not impulse buying. 

To think of it, I only liked the carousell white sneakers because it's cheap and it's quality, not because it's comfortable. The quality and design looks good but I guess it didn't justify the price, even if it's discounted. It would be another pair of uncomfortable, high maintenance, never-bring-overseas and wear-4-times-a-year shoes, like my Prada. At least I can wear my Asics everyday and overseas.

In additon to these shoes, I also bought some alcohol during the 1212 sale: A pack of 4 Strong Zero (since we can't go Japan yet) and Seville Orange gin which I heard is pretty yummy. 

I seriously have too many bottles of gin and pair of shoes. But there's never enough of both right. I hope there are more sales. How about that Ronnie Fieg x Asics?

Xmas tree

Last weekend I went over to cousin's place again to settle some of her carousell items and also accompany them for Xmas tree shopping at the nursery at Thomson.

It's the first time I've been Xmas tree shopping - I thought just order online and they will deliver to you but my cousin said we have to choose the right tree. I always love the smell of pine and fir and so nostalgic. It reminds me of when I was trekking in the forests in California or walking around in New Zealand. Most trees were already sold - so surprising, so in the end we chose a 6-7ft noble fir tree. It was $257 + $40 for disposal so probably like more than $300 overall. We went to peach garden for dinner after that, her treat hehehe.

Yesterday I went over again, and then the kids came over to help decorate the tree. So nice and the kids were having so much fun. Oh she did a Japanese Sukiyaki dinner which was awesome. 

The unveiling of the tree

Maybe I'll get a small tree next time. Or not. haha it's so hard to maintain. You have to put ice water every morning in the tree stand and sweep the fir every morning. Such work. Yea probably a fake tree will do.

December eatings

11.11 sale brought out the spending momentum in me, I just kept shopping and shopping. Even on carousell. And also I kept wanting to eat out on weekends. 

Like last weekend was at PS, after collecting my aunt's bag, Eric and I went to this cool hipster Vietnamese restaurant, and then we went shopping at Muji, Daiso and Donki - the next best alternative to shopping in Japan. As usual, spent loads at Don Don Donki buying food. 

And last Sat I finally met the 2 ladies with the babies. Reika is preggie and LJ with Baby Caleb. And we had pancakes woohoo.

Caleb is so cuteee and he kept leaning his head towards me. Am I a daddy now?

A crushing defeat by the machine

I was so nervous last night I couldn't fall asleep. The stress and the expectations were too high, ever since last year. 

This normal I woke up and didn't manage to sleep again after logging in, and I kept thinking about it the whole morning. I checked my carousell and found out that that pair of white sneakers that I have eyeing  was sold! I WAS DEVASTATED. Actually it was kinda my fault. I didn't want to buy it in the first place since June but now somebody snatched it first and it wasn't available anymore. Argh. It's fine. I have a pair of white sneakers that I seldom wear and I am not buying uncomfortable sneaker again. And my ETQ hasn't arrived yet and I need another pair of trainers, not sneakers.

 After everyone was out of the house, I began my preparation.

3.00pm - Shower

3.30pm - Drink protein shake

4.00pm - Eat my banana bread with peanut butter and change to running attire

4.30pm - Drink a can of red bull and leave the house

Arriving at KC, the staff verified my name and surprise! He was one of the staff who worked at my gym and we recognized each other hahaha what a coincidence. So glad I had a friend there. Anyway there were around 20 pax taking the test which is a far cry from the usual 40-50.

First stop - push ups. I maxed that out easily. The vibration were confusing but ok.

Second stop - sit ups. I usually do sit-ups first coz I always have a grudge with the machine and it will determine how I must perform for the rest of the test, but this time I had no choice. The machine really had a grudge with me. I was defeated by the machine. I was clearly touching my knees and the trainer could visually see it but the machine just didn't register. It counted 33. This was the weakest link.

I had no motivation to run the 6 rounds anymore but I didn't want to waste my time there so might as well train. I had to get 13:00 to get Silver, which wasn't hard for me. The second round I was feeling rather breathless already. I think I'm just not used to running on concrete, and also the air in the carpark was too still. After the third round I began to slow down quite substantially and by the fifth round my timing was 10.48. I was quite out of breath already by the fifth round. I walked for a few seconds and then dashed for 300m. 12.56 - same timing as my treadmill. 

Ok I got Silver - $300. Something to be proud of? Meh. It's personal pride. I think I got too complacent since I got Gold last year, I didn't train well enough to get Gold this time round. I need to do my sit-ups properly and train my running on concrete. I shall try again next month before my cycle ends.

PS: If I don't feel lazy.