Tuesday, June 10, 2014

My Bubble: Is Blogging Still An In-Thing Today?

I just don't know where all my time has gone.  It seemed to have flown so quickly and it has been closed to 6 months since I posted any entries except yesterday. It's like a yo-yo cycle this past year ... picking up and then missing in action again and picking up again.

Lots have happened along this time but I just didn't find the time to write the entries.  Instead, Facebooking seems to have taken over since it is a much quicker self-expression with an equally quick respond from friends and followers.

By the way, out of curiosity ...  is blogging still an in-thing today?

For now,  just to bring my blog up to speed a little ... let's see what I've actively updated in my Facebook in the past 6 months that have unintentionally been left out here:-

1.   6 months' ago I chanced upon an income-generating opportunity.  Wasn't looking for one since I was contented with my ghostwriting pursuits.  It was a curiosity and I've been sucked in since.  I am now a virtual assistant for a growing overseas company that outsources its work to suitable candidates from my country.  I am enjoying a steady income stream without having to leave home and it only takes 4-5 hours of my weekdays.

2.  Lo kong and I were in Macau and Hong Kong again in last December as he had signed up for the Macau International Marathon.  It was a leisurely trip taking in the early spirit of Christmas although lo kong had to huff and puff hard to complete the marathon right on the dot of the qualifying time.   Thankfully he managed to get the finisher medal.

A day after the marathon, we were in Hong Kong and took the opportunity to visit Lantau Island which we had missed on several occasions due to closures.  We also revisited Victoria Peak to catch the sunset.

3.  I was in Tokyo in February.  We had booked out tickets much earlier as lo kong had hoped for another opportunity to run in the Tokyo Marathon.  Although the balloting was unsuccessful, we enjoyed the holiday anyway, exploring 140km north of Tokyo to Nikko, a city in the mountains of the Tochigi Perfecture in Japan.

As it was winter, the cold was pretty unforgiving but we still managed to visit the lavishly decorated shrines dating back to 1600, the Kegon Waterfall  and a trip up to Lake Chuzenji and Yumoto Onzen.  This trip gave an added experience of lodging in a Ryokan, a traditional inn called Rindou No Le where the service can be considered at par to a 5-star hotel.  For an extra charge, we were served a hearty Japanese breakfast that saved us the money and time to even think about lunch.  I'll share my album for this trip another time.

On hindsight, we would have covered more grounds if it had been a trip in the spring time or autumn.  Maybe another trip to Nikko in the near future.

Back home, apart from housework, training takes up the other half of my day.  I had signed up for a century ride in June which I did not start last year due to hand injury and an ultra-trail marathon in August which I did not complete last year.  Now that I have completed the century ride successfully, the training continues for my ultra-trail marathon that's catching up very fast.

I'll pop in with my next entry when time permits.  Hopefully it won't be another 6 months!


Wednesday, June 4, 2014

My Bubble: Sweet Revenge!

For the past 2 weeks I had felt the stress building.  I snapped at my lo kong and son easily.  Last week I started increasing the intake of food that were normally taboo to my diabetic diet and the guilt made the stress worse.  But I needed to carbo-load for energy! 

Over the weekend with butterflies fluttering inside, I finally faced the challenge that was causing me so much stress. Months of training is going to be put to the test! 

With the highest mileage ever achieved so far at 107km, I took 7hrs 15mins to take home the Kuantan Century Ride finisher medal.  I just could not believe it!  I rode 160km! A revenge proudly fulfilled! 

Now I can finally strike out a overdue wish from my half-centurion birthday wishlist.