Kids dash #SCSM2017

It's 2 December and the day of the Kid's Dash! The children skipped this run for 3 years, since their first / previous experience in 2014. Look at how teeny J was then!


This year, the t-shirts finally fit them both (I got them the same size) and being the seasoned racers they are, we left for their run with not just bibs on, but game faces too!

Roads were so packed. We strolled to our start point.

It was manic madness! There was no scheduled starts despite the organiser's best intents and by the time we got through, it was a mishmash of everyone who signed up for the run. It was a good mix of children running with parents / sans parents though, and I wonder if the kids will be fine to do so independently next time. After squeezing through crowds and crowds, we waited in the holding area.

Superhero and Princess

SCSM 2017!

One with my princess

Team boy - the hanging bunting's kinda cute

By the time it was our turn to get into the real start pen, the skies were dark.

Finally, we can see the start line.

Her nervous face

His excited face (he has been raving about wanting
to "run on the road" since forever before!)

The children made it to the front of our pen's starting line and it was so amusing to see them all excited/nervous/raring to go. J even wanted to do a proper runner's start (akin in a race on the tracks) and we had to tell him to chill. The husband and I devised a plan for him to race after J as he would be super quick, and me to run after K.


When the bell went off, the kids all DASHED! K really surprised us as she totally took off! They were so super speedy that I lost K for the first 50m of the race. I was able to catch sight of the husband then traced J in front of him speedily; and at some point we switched roles quickly for me to trail J and him to race after K. Phew, I felt all giddy from the stress of being cramped with the crowds, sticking close to the family and taking off so suddenly. I managed to snap some video of J doing what he does best, hi-fiving people for encouragement/fun; he picked this up from our past experiences at races and he does so love to do it. I think he just loves jazzing it up and passing on the love. What an extrovert.


The kids felt accomplished after the race and I made it a deal that they received their very own medals! Then just before we stepped out of the race zone for dinner, we had to take this family shot.

With my champions, on the roads, Xmas season - life is good!

The kids were on such a high after, recounting their race over and over; us giggling over their antics and moments that made them laugh/excited/annoyed.


They also enjoyed drinking H20 ("after exercise can drink this u'noe!") as they felt entitled to it. Ha! So adorbs. As always, it is such a pleasure and joy introducing the children to the fun dash. They are already so used to playing with devices that I am thrilled that they still seek joy in wanting to partake in such runs/outdoor physical activities. It will be impossible to limit/not have them play with devices, but I hope that the husband and I act as good role models for them to at least still appreciate and yearn for outdoor play.


This ends the race that they were looking forward to, and they did so well! I'm so proud of my little champs!

Dinner date

Sometimes, life throws you random lemons and people get grumpy. I am totally grumpy Queen, but let's just say that we all learn to be adults and move on with it. So on this night, the husband and I randomly found a spot to eat a very hearty meal.

Meat.

Happy that we managed to end the night nicely.

My man, on a beautiful night

Next time, we eat buffet ok?

Sophistication (ok, not really)

When you are stuck with work late into the night but needed to get home to have dinner because 10pm already and was hungry; you make your way home with work.


Then try to find ways to make the night better by giving yourself a treat; but because working so did not want to get your fingers dirty.

This happens.

Ended up sleeping only at 1+am. So tired!

Day 5 - our last full day in Osaka, shopping and having ramen at midnight

It was Sunday, 18 Jun and Father's Day! On the home-front, the children were well taken care of at a staycation planned by their Godpa, so it was nice that they spent it with him on this timely weekend.


The husband and I woke up with no agenda, except of course to eat, so we washed up and headed to fill our tummies. We headed towards Uniqlo - when in Japan, one must! - so we headed to the major mall a short stroll away from our apartment.


By this day, we finally were more familiar with the route from the train station to our apartment. To say that it's complicated is not true, but to say it's a breeze isn't either. The underground tunnels all look the same and as we didn't know Japanese or all directions, it did get slightly confusing. It was a lot easier on ground as we could identify big buildings and major landmarks. I guess it took us 4 days to be more aware of the directions.


Ferris wheel was one of a major landmark that we used to orientate ourselves

We headed to the basement of the major Osaka Mall (right above the underground Osaka Train Station) where as expected, there were major food stalls and options. We settled on this particular one called Top Chefs as it looked popular.

In the queue

They served fusion type of noodles in big, white shallow bowls that made the food look extra pretty. We had one serve of noodles each, plus a salad that I liked but the husband didn't (there was runny egg within - what not to love!). I had a standard tempura udon noodle and the husband opted for their signature dish, a mentaiko based one that was swimming in rich broth.

Our counter seats with lunch served

The pretty and tasty salad

Post lunch, we strolled through the mall browsing then attacked Uniqlo. It was sale period so we topped up on basics at a steal! The husband and I split up for a bit after and in that time, I went to get a strawberry shortcake. All the cakes and pastries on display always looked so good, I could not leave Japan without having one.
 



Yay

It was about 5pm at this time, and we'd given up the idea of an evening run. So why not have ramen and beer then?
 

Why not, indeed.

We had extra char siu and gyoza with the meal, finished off with dessert (my cake). BURP.

Back to our apartment with the tiny door... for a nap.

It was such a lazy time where we rested the next two hours. Without hunger to motivate us, we just lazed in the apartment. The husband took a short nap while I packed - we were due to leave the next day and I needed to sort out our shopping into our one luggage.


It was about 8ish when we were ready to head out and as it was our last night in Osaka, we made the decision to go to where it would be bustly with activity - back at Dotonburi. This time, we took a train there.


There were so many restaurants that we were truly spoilt for choice. Besides not knowing what we wanted to eat, the bigger challenge was if the food would be good. Every place pretty much looked authentic that it was really hard sometimes. I remember walking up and down a stretch and tossing options before we finally picked one that said "niao" on the outside. That literally means 'bird' but we figured it'd be fowl.. and we were spot on. In fact, everything on the menu was chicken and every possible part of the chicken!
 

You'd be surprised how much one can order just based on a
purely chicken menu!

Happy faces, post dinner

We strolled along Dotonburi, and just soaked in the sights, sounds and atmosphere. It was still so crowded despite it being late and a Sunday night. Truly, everyone must/loves to eat and I guess everyone also thought like us, to want to be in the thick of things.

Giant gyozas

Stopped for a snack - beers and ebi tempura

Giant dragon (popular ramen, no we did not try)

At this point, we'd walked by this particular ramen shop several times and it always, always had a queue. Since we were not hungry, and we had time, we decided to join the queue for this gotta-be-amazing ramen.

Cannot believe we're queueing for ramen! This was the start of
our queue which was outside the building

Forty minutes in, we had made it into the building and this was the queue behind us

Finally, after an hour, we made it! By this time, it was already just past midnight and I was close to being sleepy. Everything was actually running pretty quickly by clockwork, so it's really just the large number of people that caused the wait. We were led to a long bar table that was segmented into little booths. It felt strange! You filled in the details of your noodles into the card and passed it to the faceless staff moving around behind the wall. It was queer because they served everything through the hole, so we could see bodies but not any faces.

Waiting for our noodles

Verdict? The noodles tasted pretty amazing. Considering we were so tired, it was so late, we were not super hungry (not been for days), the taste of the noodles was still pretty awesome! The husband and I shared a bowl though, so perhaps that made it even better. I reckon it would have been overkill to have one bowl each. While I cannot believe we queued, I think it was not a bad wait after all to have such yummy noodles. Belatedly, we learnt that the place was called Ichiran, and they had branches in other states within Japan; so that means it increases the chances of us having this ramen again if we ever visit Japan, not necessarily Osaka only! Hooray.


Post ramen, we strolled about - being the tourist centre, some shops were still open and yes, there were also people still shopping. The husband and I called it quits as we had nothing left to buy and so we took a cab back.


That night, we attempted to pack more before crashing. We'd worked out a time to retrace our route back to Kansai Airport, to make our way out of Osaka.


Good night, Osaka. Ichiran FTW!


Read about days 1, 2, 3 and 4 here.

A lovely, tasty lunch

The chef-husband strikes...

Chicken (tapau), boiled egg (Japanese half-cooked style, yum),
and cold soba (omg this was amazing)

A simple affair that really made me so happy cos it tasted amazing! Thus, why it deserves an entry of its own. That same evening, we hit the beach for a run (and play) and it was so tasty I had to tell the husband again how lovely it was!

My running journey - personal best achievement

Before the year closes, I will finally get my ass down to updating my personal best record that took place 24 September, 2016.

It was a team relay (approx. 10.2km x 4 runners to form the distance of a marathon) and one that I was approached to form a team for, three times. I rejected to be part of the initial sign-up because (a) it seemed too far ahead to commit to  a race on a weekend (b) it was at night time and I do not prefer to run at night (c) I had lost motivation to run any races at all this year.

I was then approached to replace a colleague who could not make it, but they found someone who could commit before me. When I was approached a third time, I guess things were meant to be and so it happened.

Truth is, I did not prepare for the run but one cannot deny the hard work that the body is used to through a period of time, and oh boy, did I surprise myself when I broke my personal best time of 10km!

Statistics of the day

Group results

The weather was hot and looping 2x on the same circuit is so un-fun. I think the mind was not too strong that day because I was walking at parts, but still happy to have set a record.

Part credit must be given to the husband, because his parting words to me when he dropped me off at the race was 'try for less than 1 hour'. I guess it really was up to me and I truly did it. HOORAY!

I didn't run, I flew!

Yummy snack

Tasty, toasty avocado. Yum.

Saturday funday

I made some changes to our Saturday schedule, so that our afternoons are now freed up. This makes our day a lot more relaxed, as there is no need to rush from Point A to home for a nap, to rush to Point B. It sounds a lot more tiring and energy-sapping than it sounds, and for those who need to shuttle children, will truly understand.
<Special mention to my beloved Dad who plays a major role in this change!>


So, with this change, I have time to just let it be with no need to rush. So last Saturday, the boy could pick his preferred lunch venue and off we went after his class. Thankfully, there was no queue, and it was a nice, albeit indulgent, lunch for us both.



小笼包王子

For the record, he had some noodles (I had most of it), and EIGHT 小笼包s. He really, really loves them! After lunch, we took public transport back home and had time to laze about. I had to attend a run in the evening, and decided to bring the kids along for play because it was at a right time slot.


The husband dropped us off at the Sports Hub and off we went. We spent some time gathered while I met with my colleagues, whom I was doing the run with. I was really a substitute runner, and honestly, despite my initial reluctance, the run turned out to be pretty fun. While I went off to prepare and run, the children were with good company.

New friends + water play

They also met superdog

Team LEGO runners!

So the way the run works, is that it's relay style with a team of 4 and each runner completes 10.3km to finish a full marathon collectively.


A colleague snapped the below pic and it looks so beautiful. It was definitely way hotter than what this looked like when I was actually running, between 6-7pm, but I made it. Phew.

Magical hour

I'll share more of my run achievements in a separate post, but it was my best time clocked for 10km, so a Personal Best for me - hooray! The children joined me in the stadium after my run and I spent an hour or so hanging out at the event site engaging in activities with them.

But first, let's take a picture.

We met Ironman on stilts

This looked more fun than it was - because the children did not meet the
minimum height criteria to join it

Thankfully, we found an activity that the children could partake in. This is a circuit where they
had to hop, do push-ups, jump over hurdles, do sit-ups then dash to the finish line.

JUMP!

It was about 8pm after we were done mucking around, and by this point, I was so ready to sit down (I was literally bouncing around having fun with them). I settled easily on fast food (it was not crowded) and after re-fuelling, we took the MRT back home. It turned out to be less painless than expected as the trains were swift and I did not have to stress about road closures/locating taxis at that hour. We made it home within an hour, so it worked out very well.


That night, the children collapsed to bed pretty quickly after all that fanfare. It was a super fruitful Saturday!

Regaining my running mojo - about my exercise regime

With our new morning routine that started in July, my exercise regime has gone awry. My free window period that used to take place every morning (between 0545-0700) has changed. I realise that I crave routine and with the changes, it is slightly disconcerting.


The result of the consistent exercising every day from Jan - May this year, is that I became super toned, and also super thin. I had not realised that, until the regime broke and now that I am 3-4kg heavier.


What's new, is how I am exercising now. My options are:
1) Ending work early and going back for a workout.
While this has happened on a few occasions, where I fit in a run before dinner, the act of rushing home just to work out then rush the night routine (of putting the kids to sleep) - is sometimes daunting (also known as, I get lazy). It is also a challenge to slip out of home once I see the munchkins as they start talking to me etc etc...


2) Fitting in a workout before work
By the time I send K to school and come to the office, it is about 0745. I have tried to Kayla to finish the workout by 0830, in time to wash-up and be ready for work by 0900. In that same time, I can practise yoga.


3) Running to the office
This works brilliant as it combines me working out and making my way to work. It works best when I pre-plan my wardrobe and have an outfit to change into when at work, and it is great for days that I need to start my day earlier. The route is a nice, easy one cutting through Orchard Road and works great in the early hours of the morning.


4) Running home from the office
I have tried this on a handful of occasions from my previous offices, and yesterday, I did it for the first time from this premise. It felt pretty good honestly, and though my body is protesting slightly at the long run (been so slack), it is still an effective way in using my time, fitting in a workout and forcing me to go the distance.

11.9km

5) Exercising on the weekend
I try to work out at least once on the weekend, whether at home, out for a run, or at the gym. So far, so good - except that my routine on Saturday (my regular visits to the gym) is going to change soon. So let's see how that unfolds.


The husband made a comment recently that it is not only applicable to specific people who may be required to be fit in their role at work. Exercising regularly is a lifestyle and I believe that if we make some effort, it should be something that we do for ourselves - whatever your motivation is. It has been several years since I started my lifestyle of exercising regularly and it's amazing how much it impacts my daily life. I get grumpy when I don't exercise, I feel sluggish when I am not active. I feel not as happy with myself (and my body) even if there is absolutely nothing wrong with me. The benefits of exercising totally outweighs any reason to not exercise and I am glad that the husband is a constant motivation for me to keep active, not forgetting us wanting to play lead examples to the children.


I'm definitely in good spirits today after the run yesterday, and now if I can control my gluttony more... I can be even healthier than what I am right now :P

Friday night detox

The husband went out. The children were put to bed. My poison for the night was my new book and - yes, my latest addiction - Jenny's cookies.

 

Ahh, this maketh a good Friday evening

 

Since Chinese New Year, when I purchased a tin of cookies; followed by 2 tins that the mother brought back from Hong Kong, I had been on a roll with these cookies! They are pretty addictive, honestly and I think that they cannot be good for you. I have a need to have a couple (ok, maybe more like at least 4 each time) nearly every single night; but heck it. They taste heavenly!

 

I'm glad or maybe not, that I have finished all of these cookies in my home. Until next time...

 

CNY celebrations at LEGO office

HUAT AH

 

On the 8th day of Lunar New Year, the office invited some adorable lions to dance in our office.

 

Picking 'qing'

 

Finale

 

Lucky numbers, anyone?

Honestly, the highlight was the food (surprise surprise). Feasting is so under-rated and it's so legitimate to indulge when it's celebratory! And also because yusheng is only an annual occurance, I truly enjoy it when it rolls around over Lunar New Year. The mixed fusion of flavours, the crunchy 'golden nuggets' in the form of crackers, the salmon/abalone/smoked duck (all different variants of the 'yu') - I love it! Especially so, when it looks like this:

#Ilovemyjob

You can't really see the scale from the picture, but that was formed across two tables and it was pretty huge! Am thankful that the company created this festive lunch session for us to have yet another reason to laugh, mingle and huat away!

Random

 

This little girl has discovered dressing up. She thinks it's cute.

PS: I suspect it may have something to do with the fact that in her new primary school class, there is a girl of a similar name Katelyn. This girl wears glasses.

Last Sunday afternoon. (You can't really see from the picture but I was
hanging on my own accord! Not leaning against the wall!)

 

This boy's other obsesssion, playing pool

I hadn't run much in December last year, but as you can tell, after
coming home from Korea, I basically started to run yesterday. What's not seen
in this record is that I started running at 5.45am.

PS: This is a new trial I am testing to see if I may use my time in the morning more efficiently. In between sending the girl and boy, I go for a run. In other news, I went to bed last night at 9.30pm not caring if the kids went to bed too cos I was dog tired (they did, for the record).