A family wedding : Sep-18

Always a good time to catch up during a family wedding, this time blessings goes to Shiqing and Ada, Chunmei.

Finally met my swimming target this year: Sep-18

I had been consistently swimming for a few years now, every time 20 laps, and tried to maintain at least twice a week.  My average timing ranges around 28 to 30 minutes each session.  Earlier this year, I set a personal objective to improve to less than 26mins by end of the year. I watched many YouTube videos, consult friends and then practice to improve myself. On 17-Sep, I finally made it thru a few things like  a good pull thru’ and a 4 strokes breathing. So happy!

My last dental surgery : Sep-18

After deciding to embark on the journey to get my missing 'teeth' fixed earlier this year, I had finally completed my 6th and last dental implant surgery, this time implanting 3 screws to my top left jaw.  Each experience was painful but I am sure that they will be rewarding when all my implants are in place coming December. :-)

Shape Run, I Finally Made It : Aug-2018

The only mass run I’ve ever participated in was the annual Stanchart run with Victor many many years ago. Although the experience was rather pleasant, somehow I still don’t like the idea of paying to wake up so early on a Sunday morning, travel to a place to squeeze with thousands others juz to begin a run. 

Nevertheless, when Sharon jio Kristie, Huili & me to join the Shape run last year, I got pretty excited and actually looked forward to the company of my buddies!! Especially since all of us had left PD and hardly had a chance to get together. In fact we were all so charged up on the run that we even trained on our own and together!!

I met Betty as I was jogging in Punggol Park!

We met to train at Hougang Stadium!!

Despite my anticipation, I did not make it last year as my right foot was in serious pain from plantar fasciitis; I could barely walk in ease, let alone run! In fact I even made my virgin visit to a podiatrist 3 weeks before the run, before going back countless times to a chinese sinseh all in the hope of being able to recover in time to join my buddies for the Shape run!! But guess it was not meant to be, my foot did not recover and on the weekend of the run, it was so bad that I didn’t even dare to attend the run to walk as I was afraid that my injury would become permanent!! 

😢

Each visit, I was given anti-inflammation pills ..

.. and told to return on alternate days to steam my foot over a herbal concoction.

Thus I could only drool over their pictures and their sharing of fun & laughter.. ) :

This year’s Shape run was also held in August. In fact when we were notified to register for this year’s run, I was glad that it would not coincide with our Soka Youth Summit, but I got hesitant when I realized it’s a zadankai Sunday.. Sharon was the first to say she would go for the Shape run regardless. Kristie shared from experience that the run would end rather early and even if we were to go for breakfast after our run, we should be able to return home before noon! Even my SNCO practice on a zadankai Sunday would end at 12 and I would still need to travel home from jurong thereafter.. Shape run on zadankai Sunday sounded manageable after all! Hence we all registered and even jio Susan to join us this year!! (:(:

Between registration and the run itself, Huili went Japan for a leaders kenshukai in July and did a sharing session at Kristie’s kaikan juz for us!!

Huili personalized and wrote us each a bookmark !!

Our happy faces upon receiving Huili’s bookmarks !!

Finally our Shape run was here.. 

We met at Hougang MRT platform to go Shape run together!!

Golden hour outside Stadium MRT station.

After alighting at Stadium MRT, we need to walk over to the flag-off point. Gotta pose a pic at the beautiful Tanjong Rui Suspension Bridge!!


More and more ladies in the same pink singlet.. nearer & nearer to the flag-off point!!

Our running shoes!! Heard this is one must-take pic before each run!! 😄😄


We were pretty far from the front of the flag-off.. but who cares! We were there to have fun!! 😄😄


The race has been flagged off but we’re still walking to the Start point! See how tall my buddy is...🤩


Yaayy!! See our medals? We finished our 5km run & walk!!


Our girly finisher medals for a ladies’ run!!


Sharon treated all of us to a well-deserved breakfast!! ❤️❤️

**********

Prior to the run, I actually felt my left knee and left foot acting up.  I was so afraid that I would also be unable to take part in this year’s run too, that I totally refrained from jogging.. Even when Victor wanted to do evening jogs, I told him I could only walk!! 

Guess it paid off and I got to savor the joys of doing the Shape run with my buddies!!❤️❤️

On how I fare for the run, I was one of the first 200 who came in & given a cold wet towel for my sweat!!

End August, i was sent an url link to check my run time.. not bad at all, 5km in 33mins!! 😄😄

My first dragon dance experience and competition : Aug-18

Earlier this year, Adrian asked me if I could helped out in their coming dragon dance competition.  As I was rather free then and also without any dragon dancing experience, I agreed that I would help out in the percussion.  However later in May, Adrian persuaded me to try out dragon dancing instead, just for the fun and so I agreed.

We started practicing in June, twice a week and then increased to three times a week when nearer the competition.  It was a wonderful experience to participate in this competition, the teamwork, the spirit and the friendship.

Our team age ranged from 15 to 59 years old and there was a female member too.  On the actual day, we steadily did well to secure a silver medal and only 0.12 points to gold!