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!

New adventures; 家

12 October is - in the words of my kids - the birthday of our new home #2.

The huat crew

My adorable children

This marks a new journey of our lives where we build a new home for us. OMG so exciting!

Day 2: Sapporo Fish Market, Chocolate Biscuit Factory, Whiskey Factory, Otaru

The husband, the sister and I woke up to meet for a run. Especially after our we-make-gluttons-look-ungreedy-dinner yesterday, it was truly time to try to balance our intake-versus-output. It definitely took some effort, but up we got and off we went.


I expected the weather to be colder, and was happy I managed to wear my new Nike long-sleeved top that I got just the day before; but it turned out to be really sunny and hot with no winds and it turned out to be pretty dry. The route was also quite boring as we ran on tarmac and pebbled walkways. The most interesting thing was observing Japanese homes.. they are somewhat similar yet not. Quite odd. We managed to clock 6km and it was also this morning that the sister educated me that the Nike app on the phone does not require internet to work. GASP.


After the run, we split up and washed up and the husband and I were (surprise surprise) last to meet at the lobby. The sister and her busband made good of their waiting time by doing coffee run! Yay to fellow coffee-lovers! With our coffees in hand, we headed back to the Sapporo market for breakfast. We decided that there was ample places we could visit to fuel ourselves with unnecessarily amounts of raw fish and Japanese goodness.

Happy cup

Enroute to breakfast

This time, both cars parked at the same place and we crossed the street to the other side to venture our options. Again, we were distracted by melons and snacks... but we still made it to this random restaurant picked.

Mmmmmm

MMmmmmmmm

Truly, the food tasted as good as it looked. I always have a good time eating with the husband because he tends to order a lot (yay) and we are greedy like that. Abundance is blessing! Burp.

Heading to our vehicles post-breakfast

Next stop, the white-chocolate-biscuit-factory. The husband and I have been before, but we were happy to go again with the family. Especially so with the children, as there were activities that they could engage in.

Dunno why this fountain is a photo opp but it is!

Observing the factory food-chain

We looked through glass panels to observe how the cookies were made through the machinery, like clockwork. It was quite fascinating to watch. Even better when we also got a cookie to eat. We paid for this cookie-decorating activity, look how happy the kids are.

All cleaned up and ready to start!

Hard at work

Look at the serious face

Chocolate is for decorating... and eating

With their final products

Family shot. Happy Halloween at Shiroi Koibito Parks!

While we accompanied the children, the rest of the family went to explore the rest of the factory. There was a giant mart with different types of cookies; and soft-serve. We enjoyed the cool winds, lovely weather and ice-cream and chilled for a bit.

yummm.

Family

After the factory that entertained the children, we headed to our next destination - a factory for adults; a whisky factory. The drive was quite long.... and thankfully the kid managed to nap some.

Sight for sore eyes

We drove by the sea and it was beautiful!

Beautiful ocean driv

After an hour+, we arrived.

Nikka Whisky

This was definitely a highlight - anything that involves tasting (cookies then alcohol) was perfect for our little group. There were conducted tours which were not exactly helpful for us because they were conducted in Japanese only, so we opted for the free-and-easy-browse about. Honestly, I missed a whole chunk of this because I just did not truly understand how it was done. Some grain, some processing, some casks... some output. Ha!



Cheers to whisky!

The highlight was definitely the tasting session! Every adult of drinking age was allowed to test-taste 3 different samplers of whisky.

Receiving our samplers

1, 2, 3.

Who's the happy boy!

Although I was not a fan of whisky, I still enjoyed drinking these! The husband and B were probably the happiest because they actually like the drink and were going on about how 'smooth' or 'fragrant' or... whatever. I just enjoyed the alcohol in the afternoon giving me a healthy buzz... ah, gotta love the holiday life (no, I am not alcoholic).

Besides the free tasters, there was also a drinking bar where you could pay to taste more exquisite whisky. The husband caved after hearing how awesome it was from the B who tried a rich-drink from the bar. So back we went to the club to taste more whisky.

Whisky club (its darkness made it seem even more bespoke)

Happiness

The special whisky

I took a sip of the husband's and while I do not appreciate whisky, I must say it was still very enjoyable. It was also very strong. After inhaling happiness, we headed back to the gift shop and this was one time the husband was quick to pick up his wares.

Shopping suited for the man

By this stage, we had not had proper lunch. Everyone had been snacking in bits and bobs through the car rides with accompanying snacks while tasting whisky (for the record, the children had water and apple juice. Responsible adults we are.) We decided not to stop anywhere because we still had a relatively long drive to Otaru, the nearby town. So, off we went.

The sister had planned for a canal ride and even though I know it is an attraction, I decided to give it a miss. I'm susceptible to vertigo and I did not want to risk suffering from it so early on the trip. The husband opted to accompany me. We bade them farewell as they went off for the boat ride, but not after we hunted down some street softserve. Eating ice-cream in cool weather is the best thing ever!

Boat ride in the canal into the sunset

Meanwhile, the husband and I decided to look for proper food. He was determined to locate good ramen (him and his ramen!) so we went. The first place we located was closed - boo. Undeterred, we continued to search until we chanced upon this shop that... was empty. I was a bit hesitant if it would be good but after walking till sunset, I was just ready to sit down.

Turned out to be a pretty good choice!

Finally, food!

Rich, tasty broth. So good.

It felt really nice and chill to have hot ramen in cold weather. Truly such a nice feeling. The husband and I had time to spare so we ate slowly, unwound before heading back to the canal-side to wait for the family. I must mention here that even though it was quite chilly, there were these men who were dressed in tiny shorts and kimono tops whose jobs were to pull rickshaws. And they ran with passengers in them! It was quite a sight and I did not take any pics, but let's just say that it was kinda like our Singaporean-type of trishaw (except pulled by men on legs and not bicycle), plus these men were young and very fit. It kinda seemed like they themselves were a kind of an attraction, how bizarre.

After we met with the family, we introduced them to the stretch of shops we saw and they opted to have ramen at this tiny hole-in-the-wall. It sat a total of 6 people at full capacity. How quaint.

I had to take a pic from the outside because there was no space!

The reco turned out to be very, very well-received. After the cool cruise, the family was very happy to tuck into a hot bowl of soupy noodles. YUM. We headed back to our vehicles which were conveniently parked next to the mart and as always, topped up our personal pantry stash to gear up for our nightly party. 

Snack basket - never turn up to another's room empty handed





It was our last night in Hokkaido so the kids got to stay up too





We never stop eating

Just like that, we have come to the end of our days in Hokkaido. Was it amazing? YAS. Did we eat a lot? YAS. Did everyone have a good time? YAS.

Though the getting to Hokkaido was quite rough, the full days we spent was nice that we all got to unwind and get right into the holiday mode. The sister was lamenting that she usually takes a while, but I thought it was quite easy for me to ease right into it because we were altogether, talking and laughing all day long; we did not restrict our activities or diet, just doing what we wanted to do or had planned to.

Our nightly routine of holding an in-house party in each room also organically became the norm and that was another precious moment that I'll hold dear to my heart - it allowed the adults to just hang and chill, and it is definitely something we cannot take for granted because we seldom have this leisurely time/opportunity to do so at home.

I definitely went to bed with a full heart (and tummy).

Read about Day 1 and how we travelled many miles to get to Hokkaido from Singapore.



Achievement unlocked - PB for 5km!

In September 2016, I did my last registered race as a last-minute filler for someone who dropped out. It turned out to be a pretty fun and engaging day where both the kids and I got to play in different forms. That day also turned out to be a day I smashed my Personal Best (PB) to run 10km within 60minutes.
Since then, I've still been running on/off as part of my regular fitness journey, and I have actually achieved some interesting statistics successfully, on the treadmill:
2.4km within 13minutes
5km within 30minutes (29+)
10km within 60minutes (59+)
Last Saturday (19 Aug), I turned up for yet another race that I did not sign up for. Seems like I'm becoming a filler! Haha.


What happened was, 2 days before Saturday, a colleague asked if I could help fill a spot for a 5km run. The full race was a half marathon of 21.1km, and it's run ekiden style between 4 runners like a relay. I was a bit uncertain initially because I was lazy, but given that I was free, I just said yes in the end.
I'm glad I did because this bunch of Filipinos were raising funds and awareness for a good cause - special needs for Filipino children. Since I run anyway, it was really easy for me to help them out.


Come Saturday race day, I indulged in carbs and food (ok, also because greedy haha) and after bidding the kids goodbye as they were sent to class, I continued to make my way to the race track. It was so sunny (ugh) but I had to do what I had to do. I actually made it earlier than expected and managed to join in a group picture before official flag-off.

With some of the fellow runners

After not being in an official run for a while, it did feel rather exciting to be in the fanfare. I was gifted the purple UA tee for my participation so I guess that's a mini score. Hah! I was runner 2, and I am glad I made it early enough to identify 2 complete strangers (runner 1) to get the sash from and (runner 3) to pass the sash to. It felt pretty exciting to be part of a race and perhaps it may be more fun if it had been with friends.
I remained focused on completing the race and fulfilling my part... and hoorah! I surpassed my own expectations of setting my personal best record!

5km in 25.3!

I completed the whole race in about 32minutes, including walking after I'd done my sash handover, but from the above which I tracked with my run app, I am pretty chuffed with my timing. I struggled with a stitch for 2 km, from the 2-4km mark (ugh) but I pushed on. My overall average pace for the run was about 5'40".
After cooling down for a bit, I bade farewell to this bunch of people and headed to the office nearby for a shower. I was feeling so pumped that I stopped and requested for a stranger to take a pic for me.

Yay!

Day 8: Goodbye Seoul, goodbye holiday

After sleeping pretty late as we were packing, the husband and I woke up as scheduled. We had worked out the time we needed to take the bus to get to the airport in time for check-in and our flights.


Breakfast was coffee around the corner, and a simple restaurant two doors down from the hotel.

I had to re-order the dumplings. Yum.

There was some last minute things to get (vitamins for my dad), so the husband and I split up. I headed to get what I needed, and I decided to make a pit-stop for Bake tarts.

Yummy.

We packed up all our stuff, and made it to the bus-stop to wait for our ride.

His and hers.

We were on different flights, so the husband checked in first, while I hung around and waited for him to head in.

Saying goodbye in Seoul

After he went in, I passed time by going to the toilet, walking about slowly, and finally, the check-in counters were open for my flight. I tried to head in to meet the husband at his gate before he flew off, but I did not make it in time.


When I eventually walked to his gate, I only saw his plane on tarmac. I decided to walk about more, given that I'd be confined on flight for the next few hours. But first, lunch.

When in KR, must eat kimchi stew. YUM.

Though I was nearly at the end of my threshold for Korean food, I still made it a point to finish off my last meal with it. After all, I wouldn't have this 'authentic' food anymore after this day. So I did.
I ate alone slowly, soaking in the busy buzz at the airport. I walked up and down the airport from gate to gate, and got some loose change after re-claiming back some tax money. As a final treat (omg, so greedy!), I had a soft serve.


Finally, it was time to board and I did. SQ FTW!


I arrived back in Singapore on schedule and to my delight, the husband and waited for me at the airport so we could go home together. That touched me as I'd expected to be going home alone. Hooray.


When we got home, the kids were up and we managed to give cuddles before we sent them to bed and continued unpacking.


It had truly been an eventful week and I felt so thankful to have had this opportunity to spend this time with the husband. It's been a while since we did a non-beach-holiday; and despite the initial horrors of this holiday happening out of the blue, it definitely worked out in the end.


Thank you, dear husband for the amazing week together. I think it's always good for us to reconnect one-to-one; essentially really, for our self-sanity and to strengthen our partnership. I am reminded that I still love you very much and will always love to travel and do anything/something/nothing with you, always.