Goal

I always need something to look forward to. Be it a celebration, a holiday, a sporting event or just a casual dinner with friends. I like the anticipation. Come May 2012, I hope to be participating in the Singapore triathlon. My wedding industry and RTM colleagues, friends, cousins and I have managed to put together four relay teams for the event and we plan to register soon. Hopefully we're not too late and there are still spots left for us.

I do the swim leg and the Bali triathlon last June was my first foray into swimming in the sea. I enjoyed the camaradie with my teammates and fellow competitors, that is after I got over the initial apprehension about swimming in Jimbaran Bay! Since then, I've continued swimming regularly just to keep in shape. Now that we have plans for the next race, I've stepped up a gear in terms of training. I need to get my team off to a good start. In Bali, I raced with Richard and Lee Kuen. This time round, my partners will be Bunny and Lee Kuen. Our other three teams would comprise Chin Lai, Kok Ang and Ai Ling, Siew Yoong, Nigel and Katherine, as well as San, either Richard or Nabil and Soorya. We just need to sort out the biker for the last team and we'll be ready to register.

An event such as this provides me with a goal to work towards. It keeps me disciplined in terms of exercise. It keeps me motivated and energised. When I am doing laps in the pool and boredom starts to creep in, I think of the transition to my teammate for the bike leg and how well I need to start off the race. My friend Ray who does the half-ironman tells me that the sea in Changi is choppy. That's certainly another challenge to conquer.

Photo of Richard, Eileen, Lee Kuen and I after racing the Bali Triathlon.

Surprise Birthday Trip

I am always game for a surprise and it is pretty rewarding when the surprise comes good. My cousin Siew Yoong was celebrating a birthday and her hubby San had planned for some of us to show up in Bangkok to celebrate.

Siew Yoong and I practically grew up together during our childhood and we've remained close over the years, despite us living in different countries for the past two and a half decades or so. We were in fact competing against one another during the swim leg of the Bali Triathlon in June but there was no talk about this trip to Bangkok; I made sure that I would not be the one to let the cat out of the bag if it ever were to happen.

The long weekend in Bangkok was great. Good company, good food, group activities, some shopping, massages. I designed Siew Yoong a cocktail dress as a gift and was pleasantly surprised that it fit almost perfectly; for this I have to thank San for the size measurements he scoured from her closet. In return, I got a little surprise myself. Siew Yoong set me up for a session at Elemis Spa at The St. Regis Bangkok on the last night of our trip. Certainly a wonderful, relaxing way to end an enjoyable holiday. Thanks San for the invite and planning!

Photo shot at Erawan Tea Room in Bangkok, Thailand.

Countdown To Bali Triathlon

Here's a photo of Eileen, Richard and I the last time we were in Bali last October. This time round, we will have to take another photo, including Lee Kuen too, as the four of us will be participating in the Bali Triathlon this Sunday.

Team Journeys For Two @ Eileen, will be racing the Olympic Distance whereas Team weddingsmalaysia @ yours truly, Richard and Lee Kuen will be racing the Sprint Distance Relay. The event will be a first for Lee Kuen and I, and together with Richard, we just aim to enjoy the experience and complete the race. As for Eileen, well, let's just say she is ultra-competitive despite having fallen ill due to overtraining. Knowing her, she will still put up a good race. And to document it all, we are happy to have Shirley joining us on the trip and we've asked her to just snap away as she likes.

I am also particularly looking forward to the few days of R&R after the race. Good food, good company and pleasant surrounds, Bali is always a favourite of mine.

Photo shot in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia last year.

Birthday 2011

A friend, Celia from Spain, reminded me on Facebook that I was in Turkey last year for my birthday. We met on a tour to Aspendos, near Antalya, on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. I was supposed to be in Shanghai this time round but plans fell through. I suppose it is a blessing in disguise as I have another plan up my sleeve for next month. It's meant to be a surprise. So we shall wait and see.

I started today doing the morning news at RTM and then headed straight for a swim. Other than training for the swimming leg of the Bali Triathlon relay end of June, I am also working to be fit enough for a project involving my photographer friends Peter and Evelyn. The latter is another one of my self-motivation endeavours which for now shall remain private too. Next up was shopping for our Nepal trip in September with my cousin Lynette. Who would believe we could spend almost two hours just getting the basics. It is good that we are starting early. I gather I will need much preparation for this particular trip. I am not one who usually roughs it out on holiday, so it will certainly be an adventure. A nice dim sum lunch resolved our hunger pangs after the shopping.

A much needed nap later, Mum, Suk Harn and I headed out to Siang Lin's advanced birthday and thanksgiving party. It was great catching up with a number of friends whom I have not seen in quite a while, particularly those from the advertising industry. My birthday and Siang Lin's are only two days apart, and since today is actually my birthday, I got a cake and a song too, despite my telling her earlier that it was not necessary in view of the fact that the event was much more of a thanksgiving party on her behalf. All in all a pretty fab day I would say.

Photo of me enjoying a birthday lunch on a beautiful spring day in Istanbul last year.

Whatever

When travelling in a group, I try to adopt the 'whatever' attitude. Too many cooks spoil the broth as they say and as such, if I am not responsible for the itinerary, I normally just go with the flow.

Lately, for the past 2 years to be exact, I've taken a liking to travelling with Tjun Hong, Leticia, Debra, Richard and Eileen, good friends of mine who happen to be in the same industry in which I work. We share similar interests, a wicked sense of humour, good taste; we all love to spa, though Eileen would need some cajoling to join the rest of us.

I've done Bali with all of them, twice. I've done Phnom Penh with Eileen and Richard too. I look forward to more sojourns. No firm plans as yet ... after all, Leticia's and Tjun Hong's wedding celebrations ain't over yet, there's still the big party in KL on 23 October. A possibility would be June next year for the Bali Triathlon. No, I am not competing, but Eileen may be, and we'll be there to cheer her on ... an excuse for the rest of us to go eat, go spa and go shop, in the guise of being supportive friends!

Photo of Tjun Hong, Leticia, Eileen, Richard and I at Ibu Oka in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia.