• Current Affairs

    Circuit Breaker v2.0

    May 14, 2021

    And we are back to Circuit Breaker v2.0, more than a year after the first one. The Government is not calling it Circuit Breaker though, they are calling it Phase 2 – Heightened Alert.

    We all see it coming back beginning of April, well except the Government, when the daily imported cases keep increasing. But the Government refused to ban the flights from those high risk countries (actually just one). This is the consequence.

    How many more Circuit Breakers that we need to go through before the Government becomes more proactive?

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  • Ramblings,  Travel

    Travel Blues

    March 1, 2021

    It has been more than a year since this COVID19 pandemic started. The last time I flew was to Tokyo towards the end of 2019 and first day of 2020. Since then, I am stuck in Singapore. While the country is one of the best country to be stuck in during this pandemic, it is small, and there is really nothing much to see or do.

    The Government did try to encourage ‘domestic’ travels by giving the SingaporeRediscover Vouchers to us, but for a small country like Singapore, and have lived here my entire life, I have seen them all.

    I did try to see if having a staycation in Singapore might lessen the travel blues by staying a few nights at Ritz Carlton. It helped, for a while. I guess it probably also did not help by watching travel related programs on TV, like the wonderful BBC series Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby, which introduces amazing hotels with some of the best views and comfort, the Fuji TV series Hangin Around with No Plan, which provided me with a list of places to go in Tokyo.

    Hopefully with the vaccine now being rolled out gradually, there is a chance that I will be able to travel again soon. In the meantime, I am creating all these wonderful lists of places to visit.

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  • Ramblings,  Travel

    Vacation Memories

    May 15, 2020

    One of the reasons I maintained this site is to document all the vacations that I took. However, the initial posts about the vacations were too time consuming and tedious, and after a while, I lost interest.

    Lately I realised I could not remember some of the details of these vacations even with photos. Perhaps I should document them again somehow, though done differently. Perhaps a video, or some other way that is easier, and less time consuming.

    A video seems to be interesting.

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  • Health

    Why Do We Run

    April 28, 2020

    Due to the COVID19, all races have been cancelled, not just in Singapore, but worldwide.

    At the same time, I noticed a few of the runners that I followed on Strava, who used to cover higher mileage monthly than me, have substantially reduced their mileage and number of runs. Obviously for them without any races to train for, there is no need to keep pushing, or perhaps they decided it is time for their bodies to take a rest during this period.

    As for me, I am still following the rough plan that I have set out. Hit at least 200km monthly, and try to increase the total distance compared to last month. I have mostly stopped running races before this period anyway, for it was getting boring with the same routes, and the increasing prices of the running events. Besides, from the very beginning till now, my motivation to run is to stay healthy and lose weight. At my age, I am not going to win any events, nor I am going to beat most runners, who are half my age.

    Still, I am quietly hoping I can complete either my first full marathon or ultramarathon this year. If not, at least I have a healthier and leaner body out of it.

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  • Happenings,  Travel

    Daily Memories

    April 27, 2020

    Facebook has this feature ‘Memories’ where they show you the various posts on this day number of years ago.

    End of April happened to be the period where most travels were done. I usually take advantage of the public holidays around this period (Good Friday, Labour Day, Vesak Day) to go traveling.

    So 1 year ago, on this day, I was in Switzerland, bidding farewell to Zermatt:

    27th April 2019, Zermatt, Switzerland

    2 years ago, on this day, I was in Lake Windemere, Lake District, on the way to London by train:

    27th April 2018, Lake Windemere, Lake District

    4 years ago, on this day, I was in Otaru, Hokkaido, where I finally get to see the sakura:

    27th April 2016, Otaru, Hokkaido

    This quarantine measures forcing us to stay at home really make me think that we took for granted the freedom to move, the freedom to travel to see the world.

    Can’t wait when we can travel again.

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  • Travel

    This Wanderlust Thing

    May 26, 2018

    What is this wanderlust thing that makes one want to travel again and again? To see new sights, experience new places, new food, new culture? Recharges one mentally and emotionally? Sometimes I wonder if this endless cycle of working just to save enough money to travel is a good thing.

     

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  • Health

    Stronger

    December 3, 2017

    Saw this SCMS signboard along my running route :

     

    It doesn’t get easier. You just get stronger.

     

    So true. The pain during the run does not disappear. I just get better at enduring it.

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  • Health

    Satisfaction

    November 14, 2017

    There is a lot of satisfaction when you managed to put in some running consistently for weeks without injuries, and it starts to pay off. Average pace is getting faster, and to top it off, getting a PB during one of the training runs.

    I need to remind myself this everytime I am lacking in motivation to go for a run.

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