Insanity Week 3

Ok, I am supposed to do another fit test today to see if I have improved. However, I was sick on Saturday and ended up skipping Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs. I decided to make it up by doing it today. Hence... no fit test. Haha... I think I am scared to see the results. I don't think I improved at all! This has been extremely tough and I have a mental argument with myself everyday whether I can continue. I had a quick look at the advanced videos that I am supposed to start in 3 weeks time. I don't think I can do it!!

Is it a failure if I repeat month 1 to try and build up some more stamina and then do month 2? Ah well... We'll see when the time comes.

Insanity!

I need to lose weight.

I have just started on the Insanity workout and on Day 2, I'm already hurting. I am not sure how I am going to keep going for the next 58 days but I have to keep going. Did my first fit test (number of repetitions done in a minute for a series of exercises) yesterday and here are my results:

Switch Kicks: 120

Power Jacks: 38

Power Knees: 67

Power Jumps: 16

Globe Jumps: 4

Suicide Jumps: 12

Push-up Jacks: 9

Low Plank Oblique: 37

I started off strong but I was almost crawling at the end. Hopefully I will see some improvement at the end of 60 days.

Wish me luck!

The Eagles are soaring...

Went for an Eagles concert last weekend was loved every moment of it... Can't get Desperado out of my head right now...

Desperado, why don't you come to your senses
You've been out ridin' fences,for so long - now.
Ohh you're a hard one.
I know that you've got your reasons.
These things that are pleasin'you
Can hurt you somehow.

Don't you draw the queen of diamonds boy
She'll beat you if she's able.
You know the queen of hearts is always your best bet.
Now it seems to me, some fine things
Have been laid upon your table.
But you only want the ones
That you can't get.

Desperado, Ohhhh you aint getting no younger.
Your pain and your hunger,
They're driving you home.
And freedom, ohh freedom.
Well that's just some people talking.
Your prison is walking through this world all alone.

Don't your feet get cold in the winter time?
The sky won't snow and the sun will shine.
It's hard to tell the night time from the day.
And you're losing all your highs and lows
aint it funny how the feeling goes
away...

Desperado,Why don't you come to your senses?
come down from your fences, open the gate.
It may be rainin', but there's a rainbow above you.
You better let somebody love you.(let sombody love you)
You better let somebody love you...ohhh..hooobefore it's too..oooo.. late.

Springtime and illnesses

Springtime is probably the worst time for me. Most people are usually happy for it to get warmer but I just get hit with very bad hayfever and all the crap that comes with it. My tonsils are super enlarged now and I have a perpetual sore throat for over a month. How annoying is that? It is usually times like this when I start thinking maybe it might be better to have my tonsils taken out. I have been reading about it online and I have heard so many horror stories about it. Wonder if it will really help me...

1.5 month hair update

Its been 1.5 months since I decided to grow out my hair and had a haircut at Orange just to trim the layers off my hair. Matt was pretty good (I am still loyal to Philip) and tried to give me some style. I was pretty happy with the results but was a bit apprehensive about maintaining the style. It was touch and go for a couple of weeks trying to sort out my hair products and the time needed to style my hair but I think I have gotten into the groove now.

So after 1.5 months, it still takes a little longer to style it in the morning but I am hoping that it will grow to a length where I can just tie it up and not have to style it at all!

I still need to go for regular trims and I think it is a ripoff that they charge you full price for cutting an inch off!!! Ah well... all for the sake of vanity.

Tze's special tour of London - revisited

I thought it would be good to revisit Tze's special tour of London and take new pictures of older me. We started out having a quick breakfast at Pret a Manger and then hopped onto the Metropolitan and Jubilee line to head into the city.

Got off at Green Park and head towards Buckingham Palace to see the Queen... or rather just the changing of the guards.

As it was constantly raining, they cancelled the changing of the guards and they marched on back to where they came from. Ah well...

Besides marching around, they also stand around. Poor sods... It must suck to have to stand like that in the rain and cold.

I tried it too... But at least I was smart enough to stand inside the booth and out of the rain! Go me!

Just in case you were wondering, I did NOT get arrested in London. Maybe next time...

This is my typical "British person" pose - equipped with an umbrella, jacket, scarf and stepping out of a phone booth... Actually, who uses the phone booth anymore? Everyone has a mobile phone!

Here's old Big Ben... It is actually the great bell of the clock but people usually extend it to refer to the clock or clock tower itself.

We walked pass Westminster Abbey too and Kevin helpfully pointed out that Princess Diana's funeral was held here.

We ended the tour in Trafalgar Square but this time, I didn't climb on the lions. It was all fenced up anyway in preparations for the NYE celebrations...

So... I don't think I look that much older, do I? Do I???

Renewing my love for scones with clotted cream and jam

I can go on and on about how much I love scones with clotted cream and jam. This is something I really miss about the UK. Ever since I went to the US, I dream about these little things and I finally got to have them again!!! On NYE, we drove up to Burford, The Cotswold and parked the car and head straight to Huffkins Tea Room. I was so excited at this point in time that I would have ordered everything on the menu if there weren't anyone to control me.

In the end, Tze and I shared a triple decker club sandwich that had chicken, bacon, and the works and it tasted so good! Why can't I ever make sandwiches this good? We shared a sandwich because we knew we had to save some space for the pièce de résistance - the scones!

It was a good thing I remembered that I like the fruit scones (with raisins) and not just the plain ones. So we managed to make sure we got the fruit scones. It was "gently warmed" as per advertised in the menu and my heart almost missed a beat when I saw it. Kevin knew he shouldn't get in between us and the scones so he opted for a bakewell tart.

So, step 1. Order the fruit scone with clotted cream and raspberry jam.
Step 2. Slather on the clotted cream generously. You can run 10 miles after this. Then, slather on the jam on top of the cream.
Step 3. EAT!

This is my satisfied face. It was just as good as I remembered it to be.

We ordered a lardy cake too but it didn't arrive and we were too full to have it by that time. We got one to-go so that we could try it. Tze told me it was just like a yummy cinnamon bun. Mmm...

I was on a "scone-high" after that. So satisfying!

My spur-of-the-moment London trip!

I didn't expect to be doing much during Christmas and NYE for 2009 but after an idea was put into my head, I bought a ticket to London to visit friends and family. I am glad I did. It was a refreshing break to just get out of the States for a while and enjoy the Christmas lights on Oxford Street and stroll down Carnaby Lane.

I enjoyed this trip so much because I wasn't in any rush for anything because I have been there before. I was also really happy to have met up with so many people and had lots of good food! As you know, good food = happy me. It rained quite a bit when I was there but then again, what else is new? What a wonderful end to the year....