Ling's Birthday : Oct-18

Ling's birthday falls on a Sunday this year, and because of that, we managed to celebrate 3 times in a day and cut 3 cakes!  I guess it must be very satisfying day for my dearest 老婆.

Crown installed! Top right... : Oct-18

Ten months, 3 surgeries, 2 impression taking and 2 crown installation, I finally had my right molar restored!  It was a wonderful feeling to be able to eat with molar again, although they were "artificial"...

A visit to Grace's family in Nagano : Oct-18

During my Japan business trip in October, I managed to arranged a visit to Grace and family in Nagano.  My initial plan was to visit them just on that Friday evening and then I would set off to Sado Island on Saturday morning and stayed there for two nights.  I had even booked a car in Sado Island and all ready and excited to see the island where Nichiren was exiled to.

Friday finally arrived, but in that morning, my team member told me that a typhoon would be heading towards Sado Island and hit there on Saturday.  She had advised me to cancel my trip there as I might not be able to go or come back if the infrastructure was affected.  Without a doubt, I was disappointed as I had been planning this for a while, and the bad news came at such last minute.  Moreover, if I had to cancel this, I would need to find another place to spend my long weekend (following Monday was a public holiday).  Nevertheless, I cancelled the idea to Sado, not willing to take unnecessary risk.  Jokingly, I also requested my Japanese colleagues to suggest an alternate place for me to spend my time.  After querying about Grace's address, they proposed a place called Karuizawa where there were nice waterfall and volcano.  I took up their suggestion without much hesitation and booked a hotel there.  In that evening, I started my 'journey' to Sakudaira in Nagano, where Grace, Misaki and Aoi-san picked me up at the train station and we had dinner together.

Dinner with Grace and Family

I spent a night at Grace's place, sleeping in Yasu's room.  Next morning I took a walk around Grace's neighbourhood before setting off to explore around the place.  We made a brief stop at a kaikan in Nagano, then headed to Grace's in-laws place.  Along the way, we also visited some apple farms and a kind farmer even offered me a Fuji apple! Towards noon, Aoi-san and his brother 'activated' their motorcycles and kindly 'usher' us to visit the famous Karuizawa waterfall, Kusatsu Onsen area and also the Karuizawa volcano.

Kaikan in Nagano

Apple farm

Aoi-san and his brother motorcycles

After resting a night in my hotel, I took a train to Grace place the next morning to experience a brand new experience, harvesting the rice in the padi field!  Grace's in-law had about 10 plots of padi fields and they only harvested them once a year, so I was very lucky to play a small part in the harvest this year.  The experience was fantastic although a bit tiring for me, I also came to appreciate and treasure every grain during this harvest.

Taking a short break during the harvest

Thus, I did not manage to visit Sado Island this time, I thought I had gained something even more priceless, a good gathering with Grace's family and a good experience in the rice harvest.  I had also learnt that it was not necessary to be too disappointed when things did not turn out the way you wanted, because something greater maybe awaiting, so applicable in our life, isn't it?

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!! 😄😄