First 20 Days

Aside from having a 20 day old baby, I'm also a 20 day old father. Already after 20 days I have new respect for fathers in general.

Most of what is happening is more or less expected, being well read and prepared before Sophie's arrival. But there is a part that goes unprepared.

Basically at this point, nothing much else matters other than the family. I knew that family was always No. 1 on my list of priorities but I never  expected it to be such a distant first.

After 20 days, I am just filled with the overwhelming knowledge that I have such a direct influence in a person's life. So is there pressure? No not at all, actually it's a sense of priceless privilege! I am priviledged to be a growing father to Sophie.

As she grows, I grow. How great is that!

M growing

Back to Work

Today is my first day back to work since Sophie’s arrival. I was not looking forward to it but at the end of the day, I am glad there were just a few challenges and His protection and His hand has been on my team while I was away. So there were a few issues to deal with.

However, the work and the issues were not at all on my mind. I kept thinking about what’s happening at home. How is the wife doing without me? Is she ok? Is she lonely (aside from her cuz, mum and CL)? My many WhatsApp messages must have either irritated her or shown her that I left my mind at home.

And of course the wonderment of what is my little girl doing. Is she sleeping? Is she awake? Is she smiling? Gosh the call to head home has never been stronger. Never realised I could miss 2 people so much. Right now, I am just waiting for that sweet spot time of 6.30pm when the traffic is not that crazy to blow this pop stand.

Oh well I expected this to happen honestly and fills me with such joy to head home so much more than before to my 2 girls!

Oh look at the time! Ciao!

M Leaving

New Life, New Banner

“Life as you know it will cease to exist” so said a friend of mine, in a rather negative way. Your freedom will be a thing of the past, your level of responsibility will increase dramatically, you will become more and more tired and you will lose more hair, if not it will get greyer like mine, he continued to expound.

QN: So has life changed?

ANS: For sure, now it is more full than it was previously. I have more to look forward to each day, previously I looked forward to spending time with the wife, now I can look forward to time with wife and Sophie.

QN: Do you have less freedom?

ANS: Do not really think so considering I am homely guy. Perhaps this question is more pertinent for the wife. LOL!

QN:Has your level of responsibility gone up?

ANS: For sure it has but I think it has gone up in a good “Circle of Life” kinda way.

QN: Are you tired

ANS: Yes I am, I explained that I am so tired that to compare it would be like my Army Jungle Training in Brunei but, I am super overflowingly overjoyed by the tiredness.

QN: Hair Loss or Grey Hair?

ANS: Ok hair loss started way before Sophie’s arrival and to be honest it fine with me, as for grey, the wife finds the few grey hairs that I have very sexy. So bring it on!

M loving every minute

PS: If you have not noticed I have a new banner? Nice?

Isn’t She Lovely

Yes I know I have been extremely late since my last short message that the much anticipated Mojo (now renamed as Sophie) has arrived. Since her arrival, I have been jubilant, sleep deprived and in utter amazement that the wife and me could have produced something so beautiful.

Here are some more pictures of our bundle of joy

 

For the birth story please head to the wife’s blog.

M over the moon

Birth Announcement – Sophie

Maji & Maju.

She's Here!

Super Mom pushed out Sophie Dorett at 11:30pm, while Dad took pictures! Baby is doing well and Mum is resting. She took her time but she's worth the wait!

M in Love

Mojo Update

So we are now in the delivery suite. It's happening folks! Mojo is on
her way out.

Mum is at 4cm and Praise the Lord! the pain is minimal. Contractions
come in the way of backaches. This is of course after Prostin pill
inserted over 8 hours ago. Gynae was expecting her to be in more pain
but she isn't! My super trooper!

Doc has suggested to start the drip so as to expedite the process. So
all in all Mum is doing well. She's as cool as Mojo!

As for me, I just doing silly things. Trying to take my blood pressure
with the machine, inhaling Oxygen in a hope to have a high. Hahahaha
well that me always up to something funny, so not as cool as my two
girls!

Anyhow I think our motto for the moment is "Go with the flow and
glow!" so that's what we are doing.

Mojo is coming!

Mojo Update

We are now 3 days overdue. I was hoping she would come out on the 6th and share her birthday with her old man but I guess she's got her own plans.

So tomorrow is the scheduled induce date but, the wife and I have our apprehension. Should we force it or let nature take it's course? Let's see what the doctor says.

All I know is that we have an ultra cool customer in the making here. She's calm and contented amidst all the excitement! There are so many people waiting on her and eager to hear the good news. My Facebook wall has never been this busy!

Here I was thinking a few posts ago that I was robbed off the excitement and anticipation. Well folks, I'm getting it in buckets now! I think I just need to chill out and go with the flow and glow!

M trying to be like Mojo

Mojo Update

Still no Mojo as yet. Tomorrow the 4th Dec is our EDD so it now all about the waiting. The wife was having some back pains but they were not really contractions as yet. She is still 1CM dilated. I stayed home with her today because she was in a bit of pain. Pain relief came about by her walking. She is much better now.

The last I saw she was doing yoga!! Amazing Woman!! If there is no news over the weekend Monday morning next week we will be inducing!

So its just a matter of time till Mojo is born!!

M excited!

Ready?

In all stages of life, from the first date, to the marriage proposal, to the actual wedding day and now for us the birth of our first child; Can anyone ever confidently say that they are ready? Although the time frame associated in bring a life into the world is normally 9 months, I believe that the preparation for this event starts much earlier. Each life experience that we have accumulated from the time we are able to be coherent prepares us for the next. As such, I believe that it’s not just 9 months preparation but I believe that for me it has been 35 years.

As mentioned in my previous post work has been getting me down more so from the fact that I felt robbed from the special anticipation one feels when their first born is about to come into the world.

I am happy to report that that work “distraction” is gone and now I can “enjoy” that butterfly feeling of anticipation. And to all who have never had children before it is really an awesome feeling.

Its hard to describe the feeling, as little comes close. I did not feel this excited on my wedding day, nor on the day that I proposed. My first date does not really come close either and so I can basically conclude that this is going to be one of the biggest and most exciting events in my life.

I feel really blessed to be able to share this impending event with all of you!

M happy to be blogging

Maternity Shoot

You knew it was coming. We have been trying to take as many pictures as possible to commemorate the various stages of pregnancy. From the growing belly to random shots here and there. But what we never got down to doing was a purposeful photo shoot aimed at taking the wife in all her glory.

So before it was too late we headed to Lower Pierce one morning to take some pics. Here are the results after some editing.

 

 

M glad to be along for the ride!

Things that Move Me

There are quite a number of things that move me, meaning that either sends me into a deep meaningful reflection or complete rage (ok lah, not rage but anger). Such has been the case last week. Due to some dramas at work, I have been on a roller coaster of emotions.

This situation at work has made me angry but more so disappointed that such a thing could have happened. I shall not expand on it, but take it from me the circumstances were not pleasant. However the thing that has really really upset me is that this work issue has got my mind so preoccupied that I am unable to fully enjoy the last few days I have with my wife before Mojo comes.

I imagined to have that airy feeling of butterflies in the stomach but at the same time that uncontrollable eagerness of what is come. Its like going for that insane rollercoaster ride that you have always wanted to be on for so long and best of all to be on it with the one you love the most. However in my case, while standing in line to get on, my mind is someplace else as both of us stand there in silence, waiting for the event to take place. I feel somewhat robbed of that emotion.

I know we can control how we feel but sometimes our emotions and feelings just get the better of us. However, I know that when I see that most anticipated face, everything will melt away and what is truly important will be all that matters.

This morning I read something profound from The One Thing, that moved me and my emotional state one step closer to where I should and want to be. It a verse from Deuteronomy 28:4 which I have personalised. It goes like this:

Blessed shall be the fruit of MY body, the produce of MY ground and the increase of MY herds, the increase of MY cattle and the offspring of MY flocks.

M better now!

Mojo Update

A quick Mojo update: We are one day from Mojo month and the wife is in “early labor” already (perhaps that is not the exact term but you get the idea). No, the baby is not coming just yet, but according to our gynae on Sat morning she is 1CM dilated. So folks any time now!

There were a few false alarms, which was good as it served as dry runs for the actual event. I now have almost military precision in terms of what to do when I receive the call from the wife to tell me “Mojo is coming!”

M in anticipation

Essential Reading

 

This has been what I have been reading over the past few weeks; it’s The First Year from the What to Expect series. It has been quite a revelation as the book is well written and very easy to understand. It is very very detailed and I like to read books which leave very little to the imagination. I would recommend it to anyone who is going to be a first time parent.

 

M almost there

Baby Engineering Part 2

Since the baby preparation phase is more or less over with the resolution of the preverbal spanner (will talk about details and God’s super favour for this topic in another post), we are now moving to handling issues when Mojo comes. One of the goals of some parents will be to be so insync with their little ones that at the sound of their cries they will know exactly what’s up. To state the obvious, babies do not talk, they cry, but are all cries are the same? Can we decode their cries to understand what is up with the little fella?

Apparently studies have been done which actually show that baby’s cries can be discerned and the exact problem pinpointed (to 95% accuracy) using the following factors:

• Crying Power
• Crying Frequency
• Crying Intervals

Enter the Why Cry Baby Analyzer; which claims to with 90% accuracy be able to “decode” a baby’s cry within 20 seconds to display the following image to show if baby is Hungry, Bored, Annoyed, Sleepy or Stressed, as per the Chart of Tranquility, shown below.

 

 

 

 

It all sounds a bit loopy to be honest but then again we could be on to something, considering that this technology is based on over 6 years of research and clinical testing. So I started on some research and basically found nothing in the way of user reviews. There are numerous sites, talking about the product which contains the same press release information but can it be trusted? Am I willing to shell out USD$ 75 to get this contraption?

So more searching, and guess what? Remember the time I said I love my iPhone, well it is one of those “I love my iPhone” times. A company called Biloop came up with something called a Cry Translator, it too claims to do the same thing that the Why Cry Baby Analyzer does, only difference its an application that runs on the iPhone!! Now how cool is that!! It identifies the cries in 3-5 seconds and it boast the accuracy of 95%! The clincher is that it cost only USD$10 through the App Store.

But before you rush out and purchase this App, read the reviews! Yes there are 8 reviews and out of them, only 2 are positive the rest say that this App is “a waste of money”. Talk about anti climax.

So in conclusion, do these things work? Who knows? Perhaps they are complete hype or just tech companies preying on the desperation of tired and weary parents. But coming back to the first point and the intended goal which is “parents who want to be insync with their little ones”. In order to be insync with anything, there will be a period of learning or “getting insync” this time can vary and results also might vary but it does take time and patience. All I know is that whenever Mojo cries I will smile (at least I will try) to myself in memory of this post!

M Smiling to Myself.

Spanner in the works

We are about 3-4 weeks away from Mojo’s delivery. Aside from all the planning and “project management” work that went into getting ourselves ready for her delivery, one of the first things, not to mention one of the most critical things, we tied down was our Confinement Lady.

A confinement lady (CL) is like a postpartum doula, who is meant to help with mother’s recovery after childbirth as well provide basic childcare so that mother can fully recover. We had ours booked I think almost in June or July because we knew that we would have not much help considering the wife is from out of town. 

So last Thursday, our confirmed CL, threw us a super curve ball and backed out on us. I was not really surprised because she had been stalling on a few things but to completely back out is downright irresponsible especially to do it so close to the time when delivery in impending. So now, there is an additional crease to iron out. The wife was peeved to say the least. Read her thoughts here.

After numerous phone calls to different people and countless numbers of friends helping out, I have to say that we are blessed to have found quite a few options even at such a late stage that we have the liberty to choose the one that is right for us. But it is hard as we have to decide based on a short phone conversation. We would have preferred direct recommendations of friends but they have already been booked, so we are relying on recommendations’ recommendations. As the dust settled, we have narrowed the field down and we need to speak to a few more before we tie details down with our decided CL.

I take comfort from the fact that, the wife and I are no strangers to last minute scrambles resulting in success. Our wedding for instance, we started planning a particular wedding for about 6 -8 months and then with around 3 months to the wedding day we decided to change all our previously plans to go in a different direction altogether. It could have been a disaster but it was a resounding success! So it shall be with our new CL. She shall be 10 times better than the one who has pulled out and if anything it is her loss that she will not be able to meet our Mojo!

M Expectant 

Picture from www.birthinglove.co.uk

Duh Moment

As most of you know I work in a software company and I have been doing software in the region of about 12 years. So I consider myself pretty tech and web savvy, or so I believed. Well read on.

I love comments, and I love to leave comments on thought provoking sites and blogs but, whenever I leave comments I never get any response from the blog owners. Well I do but its usually me having to go back to that particular blog post to check it out.

Then I discovered the “Notify me of follow-up comments via email.'’ checkbox at the bottom of the comment box. This signifies the first part of the Duh Moment. So now I intentionally click the checkbox hoping for email follow ups. But there was nothing. I even get a “Comment Subscription Confirmation” email to say that I will indeed get email notifications if there are follow up comments. But still nothing.

Now comes the second part of the Duh Moment. Whenever I get these “Comment Subscription Confirmation” emails, I just delete them without reading them. For the blog savvy folks you are already getting my “Duh-ness”.

Today I was in a long meeting so I got one of these emails and decided to read it. And there plain as day it said:

“To confirm all future notifications for this post, click this link:”

So now for all my blogger friends who have left follow up comments or questions and not received any response, a big big sorry. I will not be doing that any longer. Also some of you might have noticed responses to older posts. Well you’ll know why now.

M embarrassed

It has been confirmed

For those who are connected to me on Facebook, you’d probably seen my “It has been confirmed” status update. So some of my friends who knew that we were preggers started asking me if it was a girl or boy.

Well as most of you know that has been confirmed a while ago to be a little girl! So what has been confirmed?

Yeap we have decided on a name. We have been toying with a couple of names which have stuck since our initial brainstorm. But after yesterday in church, I quietly said to myself subconsciously that if the name is mentioned during the service that will be the confirmation. So guess what, the name was mentioned and we both looked at each other and we knew.

So as per my previous post have we met the criteria?

• Something exotic – Well, its not that common but exotic might be too far a stretch.
• No space age or new age – Nice big CHECK on that.
• Perhaps French – Yes its French
• Something that will not be made fun off – I doubt this name will be made fun off, oh well its a rite of passage anyways.
• Something biblical – Nice big CHECK on that one too, well not really a name in the Bible but the meaning has biblical significance
• Something strong yet gentle – I have to YES to this point. It’s feminine yet strong.

So what is it? It shall be revealed in due course. Now we just need to formulate the full name.

M pleased

One Month Out

As the date draws nearer, the activities get heightened. We have almost had all things delivered. Cot was delivered today and the wife just told me to complete the hospital bag packing and place them in the car. Might sound a little kiasu at this stage but who knows, better to be prepared.

So as all the logistics gets sorted and all the necessary equipment gets readied, how are we doing? Well for me personally, I can’t wait to meet the little fella at the same time there is a small apprehension as to whether I can measure up. Of course there is absolutely no way to prepare for what is coming but, all I know it is going to fun, tiring I am sure, but fun. I do not expect to be perfect but I eventually will be perfect for Mojo.

As for my Maju, she is just getting more and more tired and she’s having difficultly moving around. The spirit is high, that I can see but of course the body is trying to keep up. She gave me an early birthday surprise considering that she’ll be in the midst of confinement when it comes along. She is always so sweet and thoughtful, if it was me I will be completely oblivious and unprepared.

She gave me a homemade voucher to “redeem” a new iMac!! Its amazing!! She being a techno-blur went and did all the research and found out all the necessary details. But she was sadly a little disappointed when I said that it is something I do not need nor do I want at this point as I am pretty happy with my PC. It was a good thing she did go out not buy one. We made a few trips to the MacShop to have a looksy but never put an order down as I did not have the peace to get one. So now, I am on the lookout for something that I would like as a present. Any suggestions?

How blessed am I?

M super abundantly blessed

Off the beaten path

I am supremely surprised that since the days when I was last physically active things have changed so much. It has been really revelatory about all the new things that I can get up to. Recently a colleague of mine participated in a truly interesting event. It was The North Face 100. What it is, is a 100 KM race across Singapore running mainly through off road and trails.

Ok before I go on, do not get me wrong in thinking that I have ideas or plan to try or attempt such a race. I am not going to neither will I try because I know what I can do. But what intrigued me the most was to know the route of this race. I was delighted to find so many interesting trails for me to discover just like my Kent Ridge discovery.

 

So instead of trying to do the whole 100KM, I thought of splitting it up into more manageable chunks. Here is one part (basically Part 4 of 6)that I might be trying in the near future. The last time I walked this part of Singapore was back in my scouting days in SJI, and I think I was Sec 1, which was in 1987. Yikes!!

Oh well, we all have to restart somewhere, even it is 22 years in the making. Just putting down these numbers is making my tummy cringe in places where cobwebs are.

So this is Part of 4 of 6, I have already completed Part 1 and 2 during the first part of my Epic Weekend.

I aim to complete it all before the year end.

M on a mission!

Trail Running

Today I did something I have not done in almost 17 years! Gosh has it been that long? It was 1992 when I last went trail running something I sort of fell into as I was leading people on hikes as part of our school’s Outdoor Activities Club. Whenever, I got lost I would ask the group to stay and I would run ahead to make sure we were on the right track. So basically it running in the jungle via a trail or path made by previous hikers.

It is a really good work out because you need to be very alert and aware of your surroundings and terrain to make sure you are putting your feet onto stable ground. Most of all, it is extremely empowering and exciting! Make you feel in so much control and in a way makes me feel one with my surroundings and the trail itself.

I found a really great trail last Friday. It is actually the Kent Ridge Mountain Bike Trail, which I attempted with my bike. I found the trail really tough going with a bike. I spent most of the time off the bike pushing it up steep inclines and down steep and slippery paths. I thought to myself whoever can ride this without getting off their bikes must be a crazed expert. Even pushing the bike, the workout was intense and I was drenched with sweat. Then it dawned, perhaps I should ignore, the “Mountain Bike only” signs and run it.

So today I did it, and that empowered feeling came back as the adrenaline took over. I surprised myself with the speed I was getting during some stretches considering my large “curvy” frame. So here’s the route and some pictures thanks to MotionX-GPS Sport. Its not a long route under 3 KM but the terrain is tough and makes for a good 40 minute workout!

 

M with the trees.

We Ride Again

Have I mentioned that I love my iPhone? I must have just can’t remember where, oh well (big grin). Found another brilliant App on the iPhone called MotionX-GPS Sport. Using GPS signals it gives data for hiking treks, bike rides, walks, run, etc. Its pretty cool and I have been using it for a while to log down information for my bike rides and occasional hikes.

After figuring out some not so mind blowing logistics, I have figured out a way to make more use of my bike. So today I went for a short but pretty grueling ride, filled with lots of up slopes, stairs and narrow roads with heavy vehicles. Here’s some data:

Date:	21-Oct-2009 7:50 am
Distance:	9.73 kilometers
Elapsed Time:	52:21.5
Avg Speed:	11.1 km/h
Max Speed:	38.9 km/h
Avg Pace:	05' 23" per km
Min Altitude:	31 m
Max Altitude:	131 m

Start Time:	2009-10-20T23:50:01Z
Start Location:
Latitude:	1.288312º N
Longitude:	103.790915º E

End Time:	2009-10-21T00:42:23Z
End Location:
Latitude:	1.288336º N
Longitude:	103.790796º E

Here’s the overall route:

 Far better cry from the getting lost ride in March, geez man that was almost 6 months ago. Honestly if you look closely you will realise that I did get lost here and there. Oh well. By the way, other than the data, the map was logged via MotionX-GPS as well. Pretty cool!

M Riding Again

Life’s Funny Moments

 

 

Among the myriad of pictures that I take, once in a while I have a silly image that makes me laugh.

Here’s one. A few weekends ago, the wife got herself water baptised, it was rather special as our church was conducting a mass baptism at the beach. It was a truly awesome event.

So I was along with my camera and among the many pictures I got, this one made me laugh.

 

M Tickled.

New Neighbours

I believe that good neighbours are a key to happy home. So when we moved in to our current home we were both really happy to have friendly and helpful neighbours. Of course, as time went by we realised that our area was full of foreign workers due to large dormitories nearby. Worse was the fact, we saw how some houses in our estate got rented out to foreign workers who would just make a complete mess and basically took the joy out of coming home for the people they were living next to. I have nothing against foreign workers to be honest and I normally make friends with them but the problem is that they squeeze too many of them into one house. A house which should normally house 6 people max. was home to around 20-25 workers. Not a pretty site.

So we prayed, not just for us but for the workers as well that they be moved to decent accommodation and eventually, all the foreign workers including the ones not so close to our house moved out. PTL! So when John our super helpful neighbour said he was moving out a little fear crept into us. He had said it before in the past but never moved out. So when a few days later we saw big trucks hauling his stuff out and property agents showing new tenants the house; more fear crept in and with Mojo on the way, we didn’t want “undesirable” neighbours moving in.

All the while I kept declaring that we will have some pretty awesome people moving in. After John had moved out completely, I met very briefly our new neighbours. A Eurasian couple who looked like decent folk. As they moved in and we got to know them better in I realised again how great our God is.

Our new neighbours are a friendly young couple who have 3 young kids. Get this; they run a event company which is mainly geared for doing children events and parties! The husband is a trained clown, magician, entertainer and emcee. What made me smile more, was the fact that his wife, told me that her daughter saw Maju preggers and got really excited about seeing a little baby soon!

M Blessed

The Proposal

Three years ago on this day, the wife and I were on holiday in Perth, Australia. After a nice dinner at The Other Side of the Moon, we decided to take a drive to the nearby Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse. It was a chilly, windy night as we drove up Cape Naturaliste Road in Dunsborough in our Nissan Pulsar licensed as TSR 901.

We spent around 5 minutes outside mainly because it was so windy, chilly and not to mention pitch black dark. As she was about to get into the car to head back, I told her to wait and rather nervously got down on one knee and popped the question. Lit by only the interior light of our rented Pulsar and revolving beam of light from the lighthouse, I produced the ring and after calling me “crazy” a few times, she said Yes!! It was 10pm.

As fiancé and fiancée, we drove back to Bunker Bay Resort, and adjourned to the lobby bar. I had a Bombay Gin and Tonic while she had a white wine, as we sat looking at the ring. Eventually we headed back to Room 613, and polished off a Flying Fish Cove 2005 Semillon Sauvignon Blanc. As we slept that night, we knew our lives changed that day!

Picture of The Proposal (1872)by William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905)

M Reminiscing

 

 

Another Great Weekend!

This weekend in Singapore was F1 weekend! In case you are not of this planet, F1 is Formula One. So as a long time fan of the sport my tickets were ready and I was ready for this event that I have been waiting for all year!

So here are some random images I took of this great weekend as well as some random thoughts.

 

MRT was my main mode of transportation to the track. It was so easy to get there for the station just 5 mins from my house. Upon reaching the track and getting myself on the stands, I was greeted to view of our city beautifully lit.

Its funny that although I drive past this place almost everyday, I get to appreciate my beautiful country more when she is inundated with foreigners and tourists marveling at what we have on offer. Like a child who has lost interest in a toy, to have that interest renewed when another finds it new!

But doesn’t she look great! If that was not enough enter these awesome 200 mile a hour machines that literally light up and resonate across the whole city!

I was tickled by the number of amateur photographer wannabes. With amazing camera setups and awesomely expensive lenses to capture the cars in all their glory. All I had was my iPhone and this was what I managed. It was pretty good considering the rest, with their fabulous setups, were left with just an empty road as the cars were too fast. The cars did look great under those lights.

One thing though, although we are here to see these mean machines in action, what I love is the atmosphere and the variety of people. All ages, sizes and color it was just great to see people enjoying themselves so much, well the 3rd guy in this series I must say had great ear plugs.

Typical diet for the weekend, not great I admit as I am having some tummy problems now. Oh well, the best part of the Singapore GP is the fact that it is a night race! Which makes it supremely unique. So rather than the entire weekend being a waste I was extremely productive during the day time. I visited 2 Infant Care centers for Mojo, got my Dad’s car fixed, attended a birthday party at Botanical Gardens with an awesome cake and I even got to go to Church and get super blessed!!! It was at the Indoor Stadium this weekend because of the F1! Here’s a picture of just one of the things we did in church!! Yeah those are giant inflated basketballs you see.

So as the dust settles and this awesome weekend comes to an end. As the winner’s champagne is popped and our great city is restored back to normalcy. My thoughts turned me to what Pastor said on Sunday about Restoration; He asked us to ask God to have the things taken away from us restored. Where it is promised in His word that He will restore not just what we lost but many fold of what was lost.

I found myself counting the many blessings, instead, that He has granted on my life and only remembering a few things that have been taken away which were not of great significance. Only to leave me with a great sense of appreciation of this greatly blessed in this life that I have!

M GBHFDL

Epic Weekend

My weekend was relatively interesting. It was not filled with the usual hunt for baby gear, we took a break from that this weekend. Not that we agreed beforehand but it just sort of happened. Over a game of pool in the office (yes there is a pool table in my office), I chance heard a bunch of guys who were planning to go on a hike/trek/walk and they asked me if I was interested in joining them. I agreed enthusiastically, because it was a route that I have not been in over 10 years.

After a not so leisurely pace we covered a distance of 11.6 KM in under 3 hours, with a relative elevation span of 0 –109 M. I had a great time and spending that time outdoor was something I have not done in such a long time and I was completely happy after that albeit, a little tired.

 

 

Eager to “keep the pace” up, since it was a long weekend, I decided to put my bike which has been sitting there for a while to good use. A bike ride was in order, so bright and early on Monday morning, I set out at 7.20am to cover 16 KMs. Managed this in under an hour, yes I know it is a long time but hey we all got to start somewhere.

If there is one thing I love above cycling and trekking, it’s the ability to go to place that no one has been before and I doubt that many people have ever been to these parts of Singapore or know that these islands, Pulau Punggol Barat and Pulau Punggol Timor that is, are accessible or even exist.

 

All in all it was an EPIC weekend!! All pictures and geodata was captured via the iPhone. I wonder what is my next adventure will be.

 

M Looking for Ideas

New Moon

I usually read my favourite blogs through Google Reader and it allows me to keep track of new posts without actually having to go to the actual sites. So today I found a post called “New Moon Goodness” from Outside the Lines, a blog that I RSS. So without looking at the source of the post I opened a new tab to be read later.

Of course reading the post title I started to think it was from another blog that I follow called “Tua Lobang - Singapore” which is an excellent blog to follow if you are in Singapore as it posts about all the great deals, sales, free giveaways, etc in Singapore. So I envisioned this to be the subject of the post:

 

Yes New Moon Abalone and their range of canned Chinese products. But it was actually the latest New Moon Theatrical Trailer from the Twilight series, if you are interested in watching the trailer please follow the link above to.

Dunno why but it made me laugh quite hysterically when the realization of what it actually was set in.

M Tickled