But really, I would prefer their warm feet next to mine.

Because some feet don’t wear shoes.

Or their prints too sublime.

Small soles can sometimes leave the biggest prints!

看着这位女士停留在地下走道中站了很久，身影孤凝，引起我把这一幕拍下来的冲动。觉了她垂头弯颈，想必是响应手机的呼招，为回复简讯而懊恼。

这景幕虽然只有她一人，但墙瓦中复制了另一个她。她低头，影子不扬眉；她起足，瓦中寡立即步随。It’s like having a best friend in the world wall!

影子，其实只是在反映着肉体的动作。但人与人相处的时候，往往只在意影子的作为，忽略了造影人的心机。。。越靠近影子，就越远离造影人的内心世界。The closer we get to the reflection, the further apart we are from the source.

I am born with what science has yet to diagnose as Tarzanitis (Jane-o-philia for female equivalent). Symptoms include an impulse to hug trees, irrepressible urge to photograph nature, and an ’unhealthy’ concern for the welfare of animals.

However, in the hyper-urbanised Singapore, our encounters of nature are rather limited. So to cure my Tarzanitis, I grew up with pets of all shapes and sizes… from guppies to fighting fish to discus to bloated goldfish; from pond shrimps to frogs (hatched from tadpoles) to red-eared sliders; from mum-repelling white mice to hamsters to rabbits (at one time, I had eight of them); from Pomeranian (called Mini) to Poodle (Jack) to Dachshund (Lucky) and my current two princesses, Joy (Miniature Pinscher) and Jack Russell (Rainbow); and not forgetting the kitten and a bird (can’t remember the species) I rescued and kept for a while before letting them go unwillingly.

In my latest fancy for a pet, I was contemplating something more exotic. Something furry with eight legs… the Mexican Red Knee Tarantula. So I started Googling if they are sold in Singapore but instead, got slapped with the Agri-Food & Veterinary of Singapore (AVA)’s list of prohibited pets. Tarantulas are a no-no here.

I was rather disappointed but went on to browse the other links captured by the search and discovered ACRES (Animal Concerns Research & Education Society).

ACRES rescues the wildlife of Singapore as well as abandoned exotic pets to nurse them back to health for release back into their habitats or provide them with a shelter.

I’ve never heard of ACRES and after reading about the work they do, I was very curious to find out more. So I emailed ACRES to ask for a visit to its facility as it is closed to public and walk-in visits. But I got more than I asked for… I was invited to go on a wildlife rescue mission with the ACRES team!

Would they end up rescuing me instead?

The Rescues

When I think about wildlife, the first images that come to mind are the dusty Afrian safaris grazed by herds of predators and preys . Stray cats lounging at HDB void decks, pigeons tip-toeing housing crevices, and that occasional rat making a dash on the pavement don’t count.

But to ACRES, they are equally cherished. A life is a life, be it fully sustained by nature or well-fed by humans.

In action : Charlene, Director of Wildlife Rescue, carefully handles a distressed Javan Myna who had gotten glue on its feathers and unable to fly.

For dogs, cats and all critters furry and cute, there’s the SPCA and Cat Welfare Society. But for the less common animals who find themselves in sticky situations or kept illegally as pets, they have no one to champion their welfare. Thankfully, there’s ACRES.

It doesn’t matter if the animal is the common Rock Pigeon, Myna, monitor lizard or a dangerous cobra, ACRES operate on the principle of respect and value of all sentinent lives.

Don’t worry, you’re in good hands.

Angry Bird… Now we know where Rovio got its inspiration from! The Myna was cleaned to remove the glue and released back to the wild.

It was a privilege to observe the rescue officers at work as I gained a higher level of sensitivity to the small creatures that share our living space. More than just rescuing the animals, the ACRES team take the opportunity to educate the public about proper care for injured animals and organisations to contact for picking up strays.

Apparently, the AVA is the last place to call if you encounter a stray cat or dog as the agency will usually put the captured animals to sleep.

While Charlene shared rescue tips with the gentleman who contained the distressed Myna, Lester documented the rescue.

But before work here was done, he received another call for another rescue. ACRES receives an average of 140 calls per month.

The second call was to pick up a cobra that had wandered into a car rental garage. For safety reasons, I wasn’t allowed to photograph the contained cobra. I was surprised Singapore has cobras!

The Facility

After a morning following Charlene and Lester on a couple of rescues, Juliana and I arrived at ACRES’ base. We’d rented a car for the weekend to come on this expedition and we felt so Indiana Jonesy riding in a metal horse to explore Singapore’s ‘outback’ where ACRES calls home!

After a wrong turn, we finally GPS-ed our way our destination.

ACRES office and ACRES Wildlfe Rescue Centre (AWRC) : 91 Jalan Lekar, Singapore 698917.

Currently, the premise houses an education centre, an office unit (shared by nine full-time staff), and a treatment and recovery annexe (AWRC). ACRES was supposed to have a permanent shelter for displaced animals but construction was disrupted due to toxic materials used by the builder they engaged.

Out of respect for animals, the centre is vegetarian although it doesn’t require staff to be vegetarian. We packed tuna sandwiches for lunch but was told that we should consume them before entering ACRES. The meat exception is for feeds given to carnivorous animals.

We felt the love for animals the moment we stepped in through the gentle ways staff treats the stray dogs adopted by ACRES. Kalai, the Wildlife Rescue Officer who let us in used to be a graphic designer but gave up his job due to office politics and found his calling amongst the straightforwardness of animals.

Her name is Mocca and she’s known to brew trouble with a habit of nibbling at strangers. Luckily we seem to be on her good books and didn’t get a taste of her jaws.

The Sanctuary

While most trapped animals are rescused and released back to the wild immediately, the badly injured ones are brought back to the centre for treatments and care till they can be released. ACRES Wildlife Rescue Centre was opened in 2009 and has saved over 2,700 animals so far. The centre currently houses about 90 residents.

To visit the containment area, I had to follow a protocol of wrappnig up my hair and shoes to avoid leaving contagious debris that may infect recuperating animals. How’s this look for the cover of Vogue?

There’s a strict no-handling unless necessary policy here that applies not just to visitors but ACRES staff as well. This is to reduce stress to the animals.

What I found really amusing were the names given to the animals and staff are expected to know all of them! Tom, Dick and Harry and NSL are 4 Star Tortoises rescued from abandonment.

Star Tortoises come from India and are an endangered species. Because of their beautiful shells, they are popular in the illegal pet trade. While the swollen nodes on this Star’s shell may look interesting, it is actually a deformity. Pyramiding on Star’s can be caused by a variety of reasons such as an overtly high protein diet, insufficient sunlight or poor living conditions.

The ‘furnitures’ of their enclosures are rearranged constantly to provide the Stars with challenges to exercise them and simulate the changing terrains in their natural habitat.

The Stars are also given artificial sunlight for their biological manufacture of vitamin D.

One of the Snake-Neck Turtles at AWRC. It looks rather phallic when it’s head is extended fully.

Another of my fave forbidden pet is the Green Iguana.

This Green Iguana is called 10-10-10 because it was rescued on the 10th of October at 10 o’clock! It’s poised and beauty sure scored a perfect 10 with me.

Very sick animals are separated from the recuperating ones in another part of the centre. Kinda like the ICU for animals.

A Snapping Turtle getting treatment for a puncture on the underside of the shell. Animals feel pain like we do.

Wow, an injection to the shell? This is an eye-opener.

Food preparation for the animals.

The house of cure for Singapore’s wildlife and rescued exotic pets.

Tasks and observations of the health of animals are charted on this board so that staff can administer the best care.

Although I was somewhat disappointed at not being able to have a hands-on interaction with the animals, I totally understand why leaving the animals alone is the best thing we can do for them. Many of the rescued Star Tortoises are awaiting transportation and release back in India, a process that can take a few years as paperwork and approvals crawl at a pace slower than the Testudine residents.

Seeing how the animals are being regarded, I’m heartened that they have a fighting chance at survival and saw how irresponsible pet ownership can cause so much pain to the animals, who suffer helplessly in silence.

The Education

The most sprightly and colourful space at ACRES is the education centre, where school groups can learn more about the illegal pet trade and animal abuses.

From preschoolers to older kids, the education centre invites children on an interactive learning journey of animal equality.

Exposed! Panels after panels expose the cruelty exacted on animals from product testing to entertainment.

Captive animals used for photography at zoos and small-time attractions are often drugged and ill-treated to deliberate control. I don’t know about you, but I sure don’t want to be a living puppet.

Traditional medicines and folk remedies are also one of the biggest contributions to continued animal abuse such as Bear bile extraction. Bear bile is believed to have potent medicinal qualities (though not scientifically verified) and extraction requires the bears to be housed in crush cages that limit their movements and provide easy access to their abdomens. Their stomachs are cut open or metal tubes inserted permanently to milk bile fro them. This could last for 10 to 12 years of the bear’s life until it no longer produces bile and is killed for its meat, fur and paws.

I didn’t read every poster of information because there are just too many, showing just how widespread and varied in form animal abuses are.

Stop this fishy business. Shark’s fin being the most prized part, fishermen typically slice the fins off while the shark is still alive and throw the definned fish back into the ocean. Unable to swim and hunt, the shark sinks to the bottom and slowly dies of starvation in a week. Every year, approximately 73 million sharks are killed. Being a slow breeding species, over 180 species of sharks are now considered endangered.

A small, unmanned gift shop at ACRES retails these t-shirts at S$20 each. Bought this Go Veg tee as well as the Sharks Fin one to support the causes. I’m contemplating to go vegetarian for better health.

The Beginning

Having witnessed the TLC given to the animals, I can’t help feeling a deep sense of respect for the devotion ACRES’ staff and volunteers have for the work they do.

Presently, ACRES has 9 full-time staff running its operations. As a not-for-profit organisation, ACRES depends wholly on public donations to continue their mission. To support ACRES, click here. Donations are tax deductible. Volunteers are also needed so if you love animals but don’t have time to keep pets, why not shower your care on ACRES’ rescued animals?

Not all animals make suitable pets.

For making this blog post possible, I would like to thank the staff of ACRES who allowed me a rare insight into their work and learn about the plight of animals abused for our entertainment and as a food source.

Although the visit has come to an end, my awareness that Singapore has wildlife, knowledge about the illegal pet trade as well as the cruelty animals endure to feed us have just been awakened.

And my Tarzanitis has finally found a cure.

Spontaneity ruled Good Friday 2013 as Siow Har or I made an unplanned trip to Pengerang. It was 3 years ago (also on Good Friday) that we first discovered the Malaysian coastal town famous for its lobster dishes and had wanted to revisit ever since.

Although we’ve been to Pengerang before, what we intended to do this time round bordered on madness. We wanted to cycle from Sungai Rengit (the chief township in Pengerang) to Desaru, which is 30km away, and back. Total distance : 60km.

The distance we decided to cover may be a yawn to seasoned cyclists but for leisure paddlers like us who don’t own a bike and cycled only when the moon turned blue, 60km is a killer.

But we did it anyway without worrying thinking too much into or understanding fully what that amount of cycling can do to us. We learnt the hard (and long) way that long-distance cycling is not something to be spontaneous about but requires careful research, more so than regular holiday sightseeing.

Packed for an adventure of the unexpected. Our Pengerang trip began with an hour’s bumboat ride from Singapore Changi Point Ferry Terminal to Tanjung Pengelih Ferry Terminal. The bumboat’s retro imprints felt like time had stood still.

We didn’t reach our destination, missing by about another 5-6km, but it was a personal feat nonetheless. Our return cycling tour covered a total distance of about 50km and we took 7 hours due to the many photo stops we made along the way.

That’s the great thing about being the masters of our own journey, we had control over when to stop and were able to explore many places off the usual tourist track. And also discovered parts of our bodies we never knew existed if not for the strains and cramps we endured under such an extreme physical expedition.

I will post up more info, tips and details about the experience later over at Explore Life Lah!. For now, this post will capture snapshots from the rustic-scenic ride and beautiful encounters along the way!

Leaping with energy on reaching Sungai Rengit, the chief township of Pengerang, This photo was taken in front of a small sea-facing Chinese temple off the main road.

Rode warrior! Golden wheat fields and an unbroken chain of balmy coconut trees accompanied our ride on the right while to the left, sand quarrying had defaced mother nature.

Small girl with big bag against a long road and monster trucks. I take my hats off to Siow Har who completed the rigorous trip carrying a backpack that could’ve easily weighed 10kg. We were given a lot of dust facials as cars and industrial vehicles whipped up clouds of smog as they passed us by.

Saw 2 abandoned godowns and decided to check them out. Glad we did because the aura of neglect made for a splendid bask on camera.

Relishing a chance to get upclose with the padi fields carpeting Pergerang’s countryside.

Siow Har fell off her bike and while we checked for injuries (thankfully it was just a bruise), we also surveyed the surrounding burnt field and saw these dandelions ready to seed. I’ve never seen a dandelion in the wild before.

Statuesque trees lined our route with numerous picturesque moments.

Every so often while travelling in a car or coach, such beautiful sceneries sweep past in the blink of an eye. Riding a bike, I am able to savour nature at my own pace and retain its beauty in my SD card.

When we first rode past this scene, it was high tide. On our way back, the waters have receded and revealed a web of mangroves that led to a single treeling rising above the waves.

Took a rest stop at Punggai Beach and hiding in the shade to cool off my badly burnt knees and shin. My chicken legs are proof that I hardly cycle.

We didn’t reach the more popular and touristy Desaru Beach but we found our spot on the quieter Punggai Beach about 15km away. It is not about settling for the next best thing, but appreciating where we’ve arrived at for getting anywhere required a lot of effort. Often, we’re too focused on arriving at our goal and missed being grateful for the minor successes along the way.

There were 3 things against us on the road trip – the scorching sun, state of mind and our bodies. The heat was relentless and coming face-to-face with a long winding road that stretches endlessly into the horizon was a test on determination. I’ve wanted to turn back a couple of times but pressed on. Not looking ahead and just focusing on my front wheel helped keep the mind from being overwhelmed. But alas, the body has its limits. Our legs were cramping so badly, especially after conquering a slope, to the point that I can feel every part of my leg muscles. Thank goodness we had Tiger Balm!

This was the last point we got to before turning back. Desaru should be under 10km away but it was already 4pm and we were worried that our ride back may coincide with nightfall. We didn’t want to risk being roadkill as the country roads lacked street lamps. After this shot, we cycled the 24km back to Sungai Rengit. *Pant*

Pointing to where we cycled to on a map at Tanjung Pengelih Ferry Terminal. Sungai Rengit is at the lower tip of the light green map and Desaru is where the figure of a swimmer is above my finger.

It had been one tough ride from Sungai Rengit but an awesome adventure! Will definitely attempt it again and make it to Desaru the next time!

In anticipation of Formula One 2013 season’s grand prix at Monaco, Johnnie Walker revved up the pre-race excitement with another premium edition of its Circuit Nights party. Held at Avalon, the VIP event thrilled fans and partygoers with a spectacular line-up of superstar DJs and a chance to luxe it up at Monaco!

Walk this way for a night of partying in style with the Striding Man!

Avalon rises out of Marina Bay’s waterfront as the only club-on-water in Singapore.

Juliana turned into Drooliana in the presence of the suave captains.

Inside Avalon before the crowd filled in.

In conjunction with the Monaco grand prix, Johnnie Walker is running an exclusive contest that will send 4 fans on a trip of a lifetime to experience the race in person! Details on how to enter this contest at the end of the post.

My favourite way to savour Johnnie Walker is on the rocks. What’s yours?

My aromatic Johnnie Walker nectar blooming in a glass.

Gold is the way to go!

Caught up with a friend and made some new ones. They are fans who won invitations to the invite-only party on Johnny Walker Singapore’s Facebook page.

DJs Denzel Park from Australia turning on the heat with progressive beats.

DJ Helena got the dancefloor moving to her hypnotic grooving.

I hope they didn’t catch a chill.

The dancing girls above inspired Juliana.

Johnnie Walker packed Avalon with a huge crowd.

Firing up the night with a mega dose of Johnnie Walker’s award-winning whisky.

Would you like to go on a luxury trip to Monaco to live it up at the grand prix in person? I do!

The party is only an opener to the real F1 circuit experience in Monaco. Johnnie Walker Singapore is offering fans a chance to win a VIP trip to Monaco worth $80,000!

The lucky winners (2 winners + 1 friend each) will arrive in Monaco in style by helicopter and soak in the thrills of the iconic street race from onboard a private yacht, before meeting the Vodafone Mercedes McLaren F1 team.

All you need to do is purchase a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label or Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve from March to end of April 2013 and it will include an unique Gold Pass code.  Key the codes on the app on Johnnie Walker Singapore Facebook page.

Bottles with the Gold Pass are available throughout Singapore at all leading clubs, pubs, bars, hotels and supermarkets. The more bottles you purchase, the higher the chances of winning! Good luck!

Structures materializing from nothingness, a flower unfolding its petals through the night, a butterfly’s metamorphosis from pupa to adult stage, the sky changing its hues while the sun rises and sets… where it is not feasible to run a video camera for a long period of time to capture these defining moments, there’s time-lapse photography.

I’ve always found this photographic technique fascinating for the photo-video it produces but have never found the motivation to try it until a stay at the beautiful Gaya Island Resort. Located on Pulau Gaya, the largest of 5 islets sitting off the northwestern coast of Kota Kinabalu City, the resort’s hillside villas offer a jaw-dropping view overlooking the South China Sea with the horizon rimmed by Kinabalu’s mountainous range. This awe-inspiring setting was the perfect muse to coax my first attempt at time-lapse photography because I wanted my first time to be special!

In this post, I’ll share my experience and tips on time-lapsing a sunrise in the hope that the information will be useful for anyone attempting this technique for the first time.

Equipment and Necessities :

- DSLR camera (ensure that your battery is fully charged)

- Tripod

- Cable release or remote control

- Torch light, drinking water, towel and insect repellent (if photographing close to nature)

Time-lapse photography involves 2 steps… The first step is acquiring the images and the second step is combining the photos to form a video clip.

Step 1 : Acquiring the Images

Before embarking on a time-lapse photography session, always find out what time is sunrise at the locale you are shooting and be there an hour early to recce, set up equipment and frame the shot. In Singapore, I am used to daybreak happening at around 6.15am but at Kota Kinabalu, the sky starts brightening from 5.30am!

4:30am. It’s pitch black during the wee hours so a torchlight is essential for knowing you are putting all the parts in the right places.

As it was very dark, it was hard to frame the scene and get the horizon straight. I used the city lights in the distance to gauge and frame my shot.

Camera Settings :

- Switch the camera’s lens focus to Manual and set it to infinity

- Use Aperture (‘A’) mode for the shoot and set F-number to 16 (F16)

- Set ISO to the minimal (the lowest for my DSLR is 200)

- Turn on remote control shooting mode (if you use a cable release to control your shutter, this step is not necessary)

- Switch on your patience if your DSLR doesn’t come with a built-in interval timer like Nikon D7000 (I’m using Nikon D90 so I stood by my camera the whole time to click the remote control to shoot)

My time-lapse photos were taken from Gaya Island Resort’s Kinabalu Villa number 852 from 5:00am to 7:00am.

5:41am. Witnessing the arrival of dawn is truly magical. The highest peak in the distance is Mount Kinabalu. Awesome!

Pano view of the scene in front of me at daybreak.

Timing the Time-Lapse Intervals

Math and I are eternal enemies so my mind went into screensaver mode the instant I tried understanding how to calculate my number of shots. Basically, you have to first determine how long you want your time-lapse video to be and decide on how many shots you want per second of your video.

For example, if I want a 10-second video with 24 photos per second, I’ll have to shoot 240 images. Shooting from 5 – 7am (7,200 seconds), the interval between my shots would be 30 seconds. Which means I’ll take 1 photo and 30 seconds later, take another. The shots continue until I reach 240 shots.

That’s a lot of calculating to do!

So I simplify. I just made it a point to take a shot every 15 seconds from 5-7am. It didn’t matter how many photos I got, I just combined them all into the time-lapse video. I wasn’t concerned with how long the video lasted either. I ended up with about 365 shots and a sunrise segment that lasted 38 seconds on the video at the end of this post.

6:17am. The fiery disc popped out from the mountainous horizon.

I had it easy with this time-lapse shoot as the location was at the balcony of our villa. During the 2-hour shooting process, a Macaque Monkey came to visit and 2 Oriental Piped Hornbills flew by while countless birds serenaded the dawn. The entire experience was pure magic!

Such a sense of accomplishment for not sleeping in and miss the rare opportunity to time-lapse this incredibly scenic sunrise.

Step 2 : Creating a Time-Lapse Video

After capturing all the images, the next challenge is to combine them all into a video. There are quite a few options with Lightroom providing a pain-free way to do the job, but since I don’t have that program, I went with Photoshop to batch process the photos for a lower resolution and Windows Movie Maker to string the shots into a video.

It is necessary to batch process the photos first to shrink their file sizes before importing them into Windows Movie Maker to cut down on processing time. In Windows Movie Maker, I set the animation duration between photos to 0.07 seconds, add in a title, music, ending message and voila! I have my first time-lapse video! Hope you’ll enjoy it…

A mysterious package marked “Top AFL Secret” arrived at my doorstep this afternoon. Could Nestlé have mistaken me for Tom Cruise or David Duchovny?

The red label made the parcel even more intriguing. What secret does it hold? Will it self-destruct in 5 minutes?

The truth is in there. Love the simple yet eye-catching packaging that came with a balloon floating above the box.

There’s even a docket customized with my photo taken during Songkran in April this year! How very apt that this pic was chosen to fit the secret spy/agent theme. This shows the effort undertaken by the sender in researching my background.

But the photo was only a prelude to the amount of trouble Nestlé went through to know the person they are sending the package to. I was so tickled and amused by the Bio section that I was laughing from beginning to end. This is the first time I received something from a brandowner with this level of creativity and thoughtfulness to launch a campaign. By going the extra mile to know its customers, no wonder Nestlé is at the top of the food chain.

*Drum roll…* Ta-da! The contents inside the box. It was another surprise as I was expecting the parcel to be a food hamper of the company’s household brandnames such Kit Kat, Milo, NESCAFE and Maggi noodles among others. But no! It’s a call for a holistic approach to health and nutrition through the T.A.G. principle in order to enjoy an Appetite for Life (AFL).

Enjoy an Appetite for Life (love the double meaning in the phrase) is Nestlé’s latest campaign to reinforce its promise to deliver good food and a good life to Singaporeans by reminding us that sound nutrition, an active lifestyle and connecting with people around us are tenets to great health and overall wellness.

The 3 items in the box each represented the T.A.G. principle to enduring health. ‘T’ is for Togetherness where sharing a good meal or snack with friends and love ones strengthens our communal bonds and social ties. The t-shirt sent to me were size ‘S’ instead of the often over-sized ‘M’ or worst still, ‘L’ sizes that I’ve been given for events. Either my preference for tight tees is very obvious or Nestlé and its PR company once again showed how meticulous they are in knowing their target audience.

‘A’ is for Activity to keep the body and mind in good shape through exercise and continuous learning. Based on my ‘Agent Profile’, I’ve been assigned the mission of completing an activity, which is to spend an adrenalin-pumping day at Adventure Cove Waterpark! Nestlé must’ve known that I haven’t been to this theme park and marked this as my mission. Fantastic!

‘G’ is for Goodness and a shoutout to eat well to ensure we get adequate nutrients. Eating well is more than just about having fresh, nourishing food but eating everything in moderation. There is no such thing as a good or bad food but a good or bad diet! It is okay to indulge in an occasional chocolate or ice-cream, but balance is the key.

Not that I’m a big-time blogger or social media blockbuster but amongst the campaign launches I’ve had the privilege to be included in so far, ’Appetite for Life‘ has to be one of the most interesting and fun in terms of concept, mechanisms, copywriting and execution. I think it’s a great case study in marketing via social media engagement.

Normally, I prefer not to announce commercial promotions on this blog because I would like to keep things I talk about heartfelt and grounded in direct personal experiences. Afterall, this blog is not a classifieds listing. But I really enjoyed and appreciate the creativity and attention to details in this marketing exercise. So here’s what the good folks at Nestlé has in store for Singapore netizens and shoppers these coming months…

GIVE-A-BASKET, SURPRISE GOODIES & PREMIUM GIFTS!

In conjunction with Appetite for Life, Nestlé has launched a ‘Give-a-basket‘ campaign where you can send colleagues, friends, love ones and even strangers virtual baskets of Togetherness, Activity, or Goodness and you or your sendee get to win a real basket packed with Nestlé products weekly!

To take part, simply LIKE Nestlé Singapore Facebook page and click on ‘Appetite for Life’ to start sending baskets of delights from now till 31 October 2013!

What’s more, in the month of June 2013, shoppers of Nestlé products at Giant or Sheng Siong outlets islandwide stand to win Nestlé goodies baskets at any time of the day!

And from now till July 2013, every S$25 purchase of Nestlé products at NTUC FairPrice, Cold Storage, Giant and Sheng Siong entitles shoppers to exclusive premium gifts such as food warmers and glass bowl sets.

If there is any good reason to enjoy an Appetite for Life, the time is now!

No need to search for that elusive Rapunzel to let down her hair. I satisfied (and survived) my lust for thrills at SAFRA Yishun’s towering 18m abseil challenge and many more!

In the not too distant past, I could hardly sit still and had an insatiable appetite for the kind of adventures and thrills mama wouldn’t approve of. Rollercoaster rides?… No problem. Skydiving?… Where do I sign up? Bungee Jumping?… The higher the better!

Then age happened. I’m 39 by the way. And suddenly, I get mild acrophobia just by staring down my HDB window on the 15th floor. Where I used to be a daredevil, I now have a distaste for heights and anything that could raise the heart rate beyond a yawn. To rub salt into the wound, my fitness level declined and my muscles are melting faster than I could feed them with albumin. Plus, I’ve been inflicted with a chronic neck problem since late last year.

But being older doesn’t need to mean leading a poorer quality of life. A lot of how we feel and look has to do with metabolism. The slower the metabolism, the less zest we have. The good news is, we can re-program our metabolism to behave younger through sound nutrition and certain exercises.

I’ve resolute to switch on my metabolic rate again for a long time, maybe not back to when I was 18 but at least 28 *haha*, but work and frequent travels constantly thwart my plans. Thankfully, I’ve made it as SAFRA’s partner in fitness for the next 12 months and I’m excited to start reclaiming my health through facilities and possibly personal training (PT) sessions at its various clubhouses built specially for NSmen!

As I embark on this journey to rehabilitate bodily aches, improve muscle tone and reignite my passion for physical adventure, I’ll share highlights and fitness tips along the way as well as progress updates in achieving my ideal physique (I have a secret desire to be like Schwarzenegger. Whoops. I said it. It’s no secret now… haha) should I go on PT.

I am determined to succeed in delivering the promise of better health for my body and mind.

Have you made your promise to live better?

Action hero or pai kiah? There aren’t many places in Singapore where we can legally pose with a gun. This is one such place. Read on to find out exactly where you can have your Terminator / Rambo / Lara Croft moment…

As I opened the door and entered the clubhouse, a sweet whiff of cotton candy greeted me and momentarily distracted my gaze from the horde at the reception. Is the circus in town?

Well, something like that. But the performers are you at…

Oh what fun! For a small fee, members and guests get to clown it out at a funky photo booth, get caricatured, take on heart-stopping ‘stunts’ at the adventure zone, hone marksmanship at an indoor shooting range and much more!

The one-day only open house of SAFRA Yishun Country Club was packed with people for good reason. Most of the activities such as rock climbing, Canopy Challenge Walk and Indoor Air Weapon Range were opened to public specially during the open house.

On normal days, one needs to be a member of the various sports and shooting clubs and pay equipment rental fees before access to those facilities is granted. So a SAFRA open house is definitely an event not to be missed to sample all the fun and adventure!

Monkeying around with existing friends and newfound ones. What a great place to foster friendship and connect!

Here’s a good reason to laugh at ourselves…

… through the comical interpretations by a caricaturist. The queue was rather long so I didn’t get mine drawn.

The main draw for me at the open house was the chance for a shootout at the Indoor Air Weapons Range.

Anyone above 13 years of age got a chance to take out the bull’s-eye. Showing off your bon bon is a bonus.

One job I won’t be able to do is an assassin. My aims with a F-16 rifle were usually off the mark during my army training days. I haven’t held a gun in a long time. I wonder how I would fare at this 10m air weapons range.

Pellets used for the shoot. Each shooter is given a target sheet and 6 bullets for every trial.

After a short briefing on safety measures and how to take aim, I tested my marksmanship after almost 18 years!

Not too bad! At least I managed to punch all 6 bullets within the black spot. Phew… the shooting range was great fun!

Moving on from the indoor range, the next thrill sits atop a hill at SAFRA Yishun Country Club.

I attempted this 25m wall on a previous visit to SAFRA Yishun but I couldn’t conquer it. Perhaps one day I will.

Spotted : Spiderman. Check out this guy’s traps and deltoids!

It’s no child’s play. Well, in this case, it is. Kids and first-time climbers can try the easier walls before attempting the more challenging ‘adult’ walls.

In addition to rock climbing, the Adventure Sports Centre houses 2 sets of obstacle courses that will definitely get the adrenalin pumping at maximum capacity. Not for the faint hearted. Pictured here is the Cargo Net Bridge.

Cirque du Soliel? Almost. Called the Elvis Walk, this challenge requires adventurers to hold on to dangling braids while negotiating a narrow rope-path suspended amongst a canopy of trees. I think my legs would turn to jelly.

Spotted : Fly trapped in a spider web. The obstacle courses are definitely no walk in the park and stretches not just one’s fitness, but guts.

I had a really good time during the open house and wished it wasn’t just for one day. Other SAFRA clubs will be holding open houses at different times of the year so keep a lookout and join in the fun with friends and family!

View from my bedroom window… Looks like Genting, smells like Qingming. The bad smog is choking my fitness regime but there’s a way to fight back with some healthy fogging. Wait, is there such a thing as a healthy fog? Why yes, there is!

As the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) climbed to the unhealthy range and prompted the National Environment Agency (NEA) to issue a warning against strenuous activities outdoors, my friends who keep fit by jogging and swimming lamented that the haze smothered their wellness not just through bad air quality, but by suffocating their exercise plans as well.

The solution, well, is to move the workouts indoors to a gym as air-conditioners filter out smog particles and foul smell. Unless of course if the gym is open-air, then quah quah quah…

Treadmills, steppers, striders, and stationary bikes, SAFRA’s EnergyOne gyms provide continuity to one’s cardio regime come rain, haze or heatwave.

While any air-conditioned gym would do to weather-proof your workout, there’s an advantage with working out at SAFRA EnergyOne gyms… they come with steamrooms. The heat in steamrooms do more than just relax the muscles and improve circulation after a workout session, but are believed to help respiratory functions, an especially useful benefit during hazy days.

Now, I’m no expert on steamrooms nor have I verified any study that purports the health benefits of steaming, but this I know… I always feel great and relaxed after spending 10 minutes as a siew mai.

Good fog… The history of steamrooms can be traced to the steam baths of the ancient Romans and Greeks. Since then, indoor steaming has travelled the world and evolved into many forms such as Turkish hammans, Russian banjas, and the modern steamrooms.

But there’s more to just feeling good after a steam. Wet heat, according to some studies, may improve overall respiratory health and combat conditions such as asthma, sinustitis and coughing, all ailments that are exacerbated by our annual haze crisis.

Steaming also coats our nostrils with moisture and prolong mucus activity along our nasal passage. The extra wetness is useful during hazy days to stick and trap smog particles and turn them into pi sai (booger), thereby reducing the amount of airborne dirt from entering our lungs.

Other benefits of using a steamroom include :

- Detoxification : Under high heat, the body sweats to draw heat away from core organs as a way of protecting them. During perspiration, wastes such as dirt, dead skin cells, and debris are expelled from the skin.

- Eliminate Infections : When our bodies are infected with viruses, the immune system work to kill the invaders by raising our body’s temperature since these pathogens cannot survive in temperatures higher than normal body heat. That’s why we develop fevers. Based on that theory, raising the body’s temperature artificially through steaming could deplete the population of certain viruses within our bodies and let our immune system mop up the rest.

Sounds like I can be a salesman for steamrooms doesn’t it? LOL. As mentioned, I’m not a qualified authority on the health benefits of steamrooms so I need to disclaim that the information provided were gathered online.

Steamrooms are not cures, but could complement an overall battle plan against the haze. When using heated rooms (especially saunas), always be mindful of dehydration and consult your doctor to determine suitability should you be suffering from chronic conditions such as hypertension, blood pressure anomalies, etc or is pregnant.

Although I love summer, I can’t wait for the haze season to pass. Meanwhile, I’ll continue to keep up my exercise regime and exchange the bad smog, with inhaling the good fog!

Here’s a tip when using the steamroom… bring along an aromatherapy oil (eg. lavender or bergamot so that it is not offensive to other users) and dap a few drops on the towel for a more relaxing steam as the fragrance infuses with the mist.

Happy breathing!

Farting is a natural physiological occurrence. It is the way our bodies get rid of unwanted gas build up in the system as intended by nature.

But let’s say you are sharing a lift with some other people and you uncontrollably let rip. Do you feel a certain amount of embarrassment and apologise for the stench, or do you chide the people for fanning their noses and holding their breaths?

Any decent human being who’s civilised would of course feel a degree of guilt for having caused others an inconvenience, even if it is because of nature. Unfortunately, progression in humanity has not eliminated barbarians amongst us.

Farts, also don’t necessarily come out of the ass…

Source : http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/indonesia-chides/717798.html

And snubbing our offer to help saying that S$1 million is too little? 趁火打劫!

I had a date with my future body today. I’m embarking on a 6 months personal training program with SAFRA EnergyOne gym starting from 1 July and today, I met my torturer trainer for the first time…

Our first meet and greet took place at SAFRA Toa Payoh EnergyOne gym where most of my training sessions will be carried out. However, we will also be working out at the 4 other EnergyOne outlets throughout Singapore to spice up the routines.

As I made my way to the meeting, trepidation overtook me. While I look forward to the health benefits and physical improvements personal training can bring, I’m apprehensive about my ability to succeed, to achieve my dream physique.

Will I be able to take the grueling training now that I am older and have multiple injuries as well as health sirens? Do I have the determination to stick to the 3-times-a-week routine and watch my diet 24/7? What if I fail?

These, and many more doubts about my capabilities swarmed my mind. I may look rather fit and to some extend, even muscular in my photos, but they are all a matter of knowing when to flex, what to suck in, and where the stud angles are. In reality, my health is a wreck and I am big and small in all the wrong places.

Can my EnergyOne Fitness Instructor turn a fragile piece of glass like me into a marble-chiseled strongman?

Hello Haswandi Hasmoon (alias Wandi)! He is the Fitness Instructor who will be coaching me towards my goal. I like his name because there are two ‘has’ in it! I’m filled with the ‘can do’ spirit just by looking at his nametag!

Looking for a personal trainer is rather like searching for a bed. You have to feel comfortable with the person you are going to work with for the long haul; one who is going to know your body as well as you do.

Our first meeting wasn’t a training session but for us to find out more about each other. This being my first time working with a trainer, I don’t want it to be just someone assigned by the gym, a person I have no confidence in, and have to live with it. Neither do I want Wandi to be stuck with a trainee he doesn’t enjoy working with.

So I shared stuff about myself while ‘interviewing’ him to understand his background and more importantly, to get a feel of his personality and training philosophy so that I know this piece of glass is in good hands.

With certifications in Strength & Conditioning and the National Coaching Accreditation Programme (NCAP), Wandi has more than 12 years of fitness coaching experience working with the Singapore Sports Council, schools and individual clients. He’s also an expert in the Malay martial art of Silat!

Wandi is more than qualified as a trainer with his various accreditations and vast experience so my mind was at ease. Now for the evaluation on personality compatibility… He’s perfect!

My initial impression was that he’s a no-nonsense kind of guy, but as we got better acquainted, I noticed that he smiles a lot and has a very unassuming, easy-going disposition. I can also feel that he sincerely wants to help me achieve my goal of looking and feeling Fabulous by 40 (which is next year! Yikes!)!

I feel very comfortable and happy to have him as my trainer and I think he’s okay with having me as a client so we got down to plan our workout schedule in no time. We set our first session to be on 1 July 2013 with a weigh in and measurements taken to establish the baseline. I have a feeling I would loathe those numbers!

“If they [clients] get no satisfaction from my session, I feel guilty,” Wandi shared with me on his training philosophy.

To me, holding himself accountable and responsible for his clients’ achievements is an iron-clad guarantee that results are definite when training with him. And he doesn’t wait for his clients to tell him if they are satisfied or not. He constantly assess their physical states throughout the gym sessions and adjust intensity or introduce exercises to make sure clients feel their muscles burn while maintaining correct training posture. Safety is paramount.

During the chat, I felt that Wandi demonstrated active listening and understood my physical concerns. He’s now charged with the dual tasks of fixing my health and helping me develop a bigger + muscular + sculpted body.

While talking to him, those questions and fears I had earlier swirled at the back of my mind. I didn’t share those concerns with him but through our conversation, I heard my answers. He assured me that personal training is not to be feared and workout sessions should be “stress-free, educational, and results-oriented”. What a relief!

With my fears neutralised, I now look forward to the start of my training sessions with Wandi. I think they are going to be a lot of fun… and filled with happy pain too!

If you’re thinking about starting a regular fitness program or need that extra help to break through your bodybuilding plateau, why not consider taking up a personal training with SAFRA? There’s currently a promotional offer of S$120 (excl. prevailing taxes) for 3 sessions at EnergyOne. That’s only S$40 per 1-hour session! It’s a really good deal considering that many private gyms and freelance trainers charge from S$65 onwards per session (I know because I’ve been shopping around).

So kickstart your fitness plan today and join me to look and feel fabulous by our next birthday!

Following my first attempt at time-lapse photography of a sunrise over Mount Kinabalu, I tried the technique again but with a sunset this time.

A click of the camera’s remote control every 10 seconds for 2 hours resulted in this…

While compiling the over 400 shots into the above video, I noticed flickering caused by certain photos being brighter than the rest in the series. As I shot in Aperture-priority (Av) mode to tackle the vastly changing lighting conditions, the camera automatically adjusts exposure length and flickering occurred when some photos got a longer exposure time that caused them to be brighter.

While there are a couple of ways to minimize time-lapse flicker when shooting a sunset such as using a specialized post-processing software or playing a game of guess-the-settings with manual shooting mode, I find it easier to just remove the ‘offending’ photos during compilation. I simply deleted the bright photos that seemed odd in the sequence.

Time-lapse purists may condemn me for cheating but this method is much easier and the gaps in the time-lapse left by the missing photos are hardly noticeable!

Here are my camera settings to shoot this time-lapse sunset over Taichung (shot on location at Rollin Leisure Farm 若茵休闲农场）:

- Camera lens in Manual Focus (MF) and set to infinity

- Shoot in Aperture-priority (Av) at F13

- ISO at 200

- Turn on camera’s remote control mode (or use a cable release)

Perched 1,100m above sea level on the face of a mountain, Rollin Leisure Farm offers a spectacular aerial view of Taichung city and is the best spot to catch a bewitching sunset. Between fall and winter (September – February), a blanket of fog hangs over the valley basin to create the magical natural wonder known as the sea of clouds. Instant heaven!

I hope this sharing of experience gave you a simple and quick alternative method to solve time-lapse flicker. Happy shooting!

Usually, I would give others the benefit of the doubt because I’m adamant that good is the prevailing nature of humanity.

But at times, I doubt that my giving them the benefit of the doubt is benefitting them at all.

By giving a benefit of doubt, we are essentially finding an excuse for a person’s misdemeanor misbehaviour. My mum is excellent at this. To the point that I think she chose compassion as a way to relief herself from critical thinking. Accepting things at face value and explaining away a person’s flaws through “empathy” is digging your own grave. And the grave for the other person too.

If something is clearly not right or abnormal to the point that it is an inconvenience to yourself, stop finding excuses to rationalize and accept that person’s behavior. Life’s too short to be somebody else’s puppet or plaything.

When you feel that the other delights in your misery, it’s a clear sign that that person is mentally maladjusted, even to the brink of being a psychopath!

My mum, God bless her soul for always seeing the noble cause behind every dubious intention, is both blessed and cursed by being an easy prey of emotions. Personally, I think that by feeding what the other person don’t want to come to terms with about themselves is not helping them. Your concessions of the other’s personality / character further traps that person in his / her comfort zone.

So of late, I’d rather make an assumption than to invest in the benefit of doubt. People may have good intentions, but these intentions birth subconscious expectations that yearn fulfillment. Whether the other party is aware or willing to admit or not, there are no free lunches in this world. There’s a subtle difference to cross from the idiom of “benefit of the doubt” to being an idiot of a character cult.

The first step in starting any weight training regimen is to establish a baseline. Numbers don’t lie, so the best way to ascertain results is to take before and after measurements. My weigh-in and measurements were supposed to be taken on 1 July but my trainer Wandi was down with flu so we started my quest to be Fab by 40 officially on 4 Jul, American’s Independence Day! I think it is a good omen.

Unfortunately, the weighing scale and body fat analyser didn’t think so. The numbers they showed me were bad news!

Came to SAFRA Jurong to take my measurements as the EnergyOne gym here has a body fat analyser.

In order to track the effectiveness of personal training, we took a comprehensive set of measurements from weight to waist to body fat and running the metrics around my chest, biceps, thighs and calves. It was the first time I knew the size of my body parts… except that which shall not be named here. LOL.

So what are my numbers from top to bottom, outside and in?

Taking my weight on a balance scale. These scales are usually preferred by the medical profession over spring (aka bathroom scale) or digital scale for their reliability to provide accurate readings. Spring scales need frequent calibration as the spring mechanism loses its sensitivity over time and microchips in digital scales could malfunction and tell an elephant it has the weight of a feather.

The moment of (ugly) truth. My weight is 70.6kg! The last time I weighed myself about 3 months ago, I was 68kg. The extra kilos must’ve been from my recent spike in travel-linked gluttony.

I’ve put on almost 3 kilos in just a few short months but because my weight was taken by different scales between the last measurement and this one, I’m taking today’s reading with a pinch of salt.

Next, we measured my body fat via bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Body fat is the amount of fat inside the body and organs so even a very skinny person can have a high amount of body fat.

My body fat is a staggering 26.4%!!! That’s in the very high range for men! I totally wasn’t prepared for this revelation. I redid the analysis 2 more times, and even got Wandi to do it to make sure the machine isn’t spoilt. I’ve done this body fat analytic test about 10 years ago and if I recall correctly, my reading back then was 15%.

Although this is a wake-up call, the accuracy of BIA is rather unstable as many factors such as water and food intake prior to measurement can impact a reading greatly. I had a bowl of seafood soup and rice an hour before coming for the measurements so maybe that affected my readings. Okay, I admit, I’m looking for excuses to make myself feel better about this awfully unbelieveable percentage!

Following the machines, we used the good ‘ol measuring tape to size up my chest, biceps, thighs and calves. These measurements are my baseline and hopefully, no, I MUST, increase muscle size and shrink my waist (34 inches! *gasp*)! Time to turn on the beast mode at the gym!!!

Small molehill compared to Arnold’s mountains. My body is showing and feeling the effects of age but I’m not going to go down without a fight!

The above photo of my physique is a shadow of my former bod with a visible loss in bulk, tone and definitions. But if you think all this talk about personal training and bodybuilding is an exercise of vanity, well, it is not. I’m anxious to pack on the muscles because as we age, we lose muscle mass.

How my bod looked in 2006 (age 32). Not magazine-cover worthy, but compared to my current state, it’s much leaner with better muscle tone. This shall be my target to reach and exceed with SAFRA EnergyOne’s personal training! But I achieve it in 6 months?

Research suggests that we start losing muscle mass from as early as in our mid-twenties; losing about 1 – 2% every year up to 50% over our lifetime. This age-related muscle loss is known as Sarcopenia and the rate of loss accelerates after 50. With the loss of muscles, we’ll lose strength to the point that daily activities such as getting up from a chair or climbing a flight of stairs may be hampered.

Strength training has been found to be effective in slowing down the onset of sarcopenia or may even reverse the effects. So building a muscular body is like constantly adding money to a bank account. You’ll never run out of funds no matter how many withdrawals you make. The more muscular you are, the longer you can enjoy doing the things you love!

Check with EnergyOne on how you can start building a more muscular body!

Disclaimer : Information presented in this blog post has been gathered from publications and expert sources online. The opinions expressed here do not represent medical advice. Before starting any rigourous exercise regimen, consult your doctor for suitability.

For most part of my childhood years, I grew up with the nickname “Miao Che Kia” (Hokkien for “Mouse Boy”) because I was so skinny, my head looked huge in comparison to my body and my face was pointy from the lack of meat. Adults decided I resembled Jerry Mouse.

Photo circa 1980 (age 6). Because of my big head, small body and protruding face, I was nicknamed “Mouse Boy”. My parents even thought it funny to give me a stuffed Jerry Mouse as a joke. I don’t really look like a mouse, do I?

The curse of the chopsticks followed me from my boyhood through to my teenage years. But my skeletal frame wasn’t the worse of my fate. I was also a geek with a displaced fashion sense.

Photo circa 1990 (age 16). If you’re done laughing at my super sexy pose, may I interest you that I weighed a studly 47kg then. No matter how much I ate, I hardly gained any weight.

Photo circa 1993 (age 19). Fed up with always being a scrawny geek, I picked up my first dumbbell and embarked on every teenage boy’s dream to be a jock or hunk.

Photo circa 2004 (age 30). I started gymming with SAFRA gyms during my army days and for the next 12 years, I tried hard to macho up. But I didn’t go very far with no proper guidance in training. This photo was taken in the changing room of SAFRA Toa Payoh. I managed to pack on some flesh, but my bod was still far from my ideal.

Photo taken in July 2008 (age 34). Frustrated with not getting anywhere near my ideal physique, which is to be popping with muscles, I trained with a gym buddy for a while and saw some improvements in muscle tone and size. My weight ballooned to 65kg but my arms continued to be the hardest to bulk.

Photo taken on 4 July 2013 (age 39) during my weigh-in before I begin personal training with SAFRA EnergyOne. Starting at age 19 to 39, almost 20 years at the gym but I never reached where I wanted to be with my physique. And time is running out. With age, my metabolism is slower, vitality lower and I’m at the brink of giving up the dream of ever owning my dream bod.
It used to be that it is hard for me to gain weight. Now, it is hard for me to lose it. I used to eat 3 bowls of rice at every meal and still barely pack on an ounce. Now, I smell food only I put on weight.

Looking at all these photos of myself through the years, I can’t help but feel I’ve lost the best years of my life to achieve the body I have in my head because I didn’t have professional guidance and someone to train me correctly.

So as to not waste any more time, I’ve embarked on a 6-month personal training engagement with SAFRA EnergyOne to reignite my dwindling enthusiasm in getting the best bod of my life!

But I’ve never had personal training before. Can my bag of old bones survive the ‘torture’?

Lesson 1 – What Matters is Quality, Not Quantity

After the weigh-in and establishing my baseline measurements, I had my first personal training at SAFRA Jurong. Although it was opened in 2009, I’ve never been to the clubhouse since it is a long way from home (it took me almost 1.5 hours to get here).

Silvan-inspired, SAFRA Jurong clubhouse sits amongst lush greenery right next to a park (to the left of this photo) that seem to attract some rather unusual birds. Saw what looked like a Chinese Egret grazing a small field and the blue of a Common Kingfisher darting into a tree.

The façade with leaf-vein fracture patterns broke the boring norm of floor-to-ceiling glass walls.

A funhouse for the kids at the entrance of SAFRA Jurong extends a cheerful welcome into the club.

Lots of climbing green, water features and a stretch of sail-like shelters provided my senses with the chance for an escapade.

As I was rushing to be on time for my training session with Wandi, I didn’t explore much of SAFRA Jurong except for a quick browse of the pool.

It must be so tough being a lifeguard staring at the glistening water all-day and cannot take a dip. Then again, we don’t want a lifeguard to be swimming because that means someone is in trouble!

The EnergyOne gym at SAFRA Jurong is located at level 2. I thought I walked into an Olympics arena with the coloured rings on the ceiling.

1st floor of the gym is where all the action is while the upper level has a line up of treadmills for IPPT.

View of the reception cubicle with a collection of treadmills, stationary bikes and machine weights from the upper deck.

The cardio cum machine weights section is very spacious but the free weights area felt rather cramp.

I couldn’t wait to start breaking my first sweat with personal training, but Wandi reined in my eagerness. “You need to warm up the body to the training,” Wandi said. But I’m not a novice gymmer, I’ve been picking up weights since I was 19!

Wandi gave me an assuring smile and reminded me that when I was 19, I didn’t suffer from neck and lower back pain as well as a whole lot of other physical ailments that come with aging. So instead of lifting the metal plates straightaway, his started me off with bodyweight training. If you’re new to weight training, start exercising with your bodyweight first to condition your muscles. Exercises that utilizes bodyweight include push-ups, pull-ups, dips, free squats, and sit-ups.

The first exercise was 6 sets of 5 parallel hand pull-ups. Pull-up is my most loathed exercise of all. To make me feel better, Wandi matched me for the total of 30 reps. If not for him helping me, I don’t think I can pull pass 2 reps.

The pull-ups almost killed me but this next station is something I’m no stranger to… dips. We did 6 sets of 5 reps as well. Doing the dips wasn’t too much of a challenge but the Wandi way is to control the muscles and do the reps slowly. I felt more of my muscles working in the few reps than the 20 or 30 reps at one go that I’ve been doing previously.

Our last exercise was overhead shoulder press because my shoulder muscles are under developed. We did 6 sets of 5 reps too with an empty bar to get the body system going and Wandi showed me the proper technique to lift the bar without not aggravating my neck condition.

I was prepared for torture but I didn’t break a sweat during our first training. “If this is personal training, it’s chicken feed,” I thought to myself. I’ve had much harder workouts training on my own.

But the next day, my back and biceps ached like crazy! Now I realized that it is not how long or heavy we train, but how much the muscles are engaged in every rep that matters. It is the quality of each rep that is done without cheating and in good form that yields the most results.

The pain felt good. And I want more.

As my personal training sessions with SAFRA EnergyOne starts shifting into high gear, I begin to feel the limitations of a stamina deficit. Breath recovery in-between sets lasts an ice age and my fortitude to tahan the lactic burn is in the pits.

As we engage in strenuous exercises, lactic acid builds up in the muscles and causes a burning sensation (known as lactic acidosis). This condition is caused by muscles receiving too little oxygen when being worked and one of the ways to minimize lactic acidosis is to increase oxygen flow to the muscles through regular cardiovascular activities such as jogging, cycling and swimming.

Having a spin at SAFRA Toa Payoh’s EnergyOne gym has the added advantage of looking out to a beautiful pool. For the purpose of strength training, adjust the bicycle’s seat such that it is lower than the handle bar. This way, your legs won’t be extended fully during each downward paddle and that keeps the quadriceps constantly engaged. It also works the lower abs at the same time. Hopefully I can wave goodbye to my chicken legs and get ripped abs soon!

Hence, the better our endurance, the less pain our muscles will feel during workouts; which means we can lift longer and heavier! Being able to lift heavier weights more frequently equates to bigger muscles so don’t neglect the importance of improving endurance while bodybuilding.

So in a bid to spice up my fitness routine and increase my endurance, I went on a long distance cycling trip over the weekend to add a little adventure. The bicycle tour starts from Sungai Rengit (a seaside village in the Johorian township of Pengerang) all the way to Desaru and back. A total distance of about 70km!

I attempted this cycling ‘feat’ earlier in March but failed to reach Desaru (you can read about it here) and I’ve been itching to try it again ever since. So for 2 days, I left the gym behind for the great outdoors and pushed the limits of my endurance and will.

But will I succeed in reaching my intended destination this time round?

After an hour’s bumboat ride from Changi Point Ferry Terminal, we arrived at Pengerang via Tanjong Pengelih Ferry Terminal. I’m ready to conquer the seemingly endless road from Sungai Rengit to Desaru!

Car fuels up with petrol, bicycle fuels up with Red Bull! Love the newly launched reduced sugar Red Bull as it has the same flavor but not so sweet.

The long ride cuts through the countryside lined with acres upon acres of plantations. There’s something meditative about facing the endless road with just my thoughts. That is until I come to an upslope. Then the tranquil frame of mind becomes clogged with swear words. But the tiresome uphill paddles provide a really good workout to pump those legs… It’s a love-hate thing.

Although traffic is sparse, a moment’s carelessness can be fatal. Stationary cycling in a gym doesn’t feel so boring after all.

My ride was entertained by a changing backdrop of the scenic countryside.

One of the rewards on the road trip was close encounters with animals we have to pay money to see back in Singapore.

I was thrilled to come across these two ponies grazing by the road side. This fella even allowed me to pet its snout! I shall name it Seabiscuit! LOL.

Then there was this docile cow at a small fishing village along the coast. It must feel that I’m such a 牛sance following it around with my phone camera. Heh heh.

The great thing with a bicycle tour is that I can stop wherever that catches my eye and whenever I want. Discovered this interesting gallery of rocks at Batu Layar while exploring a trail off the beaten track.

Finally, after almost 5 hours of cycling, I made it to Desaru this time! This beach is in front of Desaru Damai Beach Resort where I spent a night before cycling back to Sungai Rengit the next day. The hotel room cost RM130 a night but it felt ready to fall apart.

Mission accomplished! The cycling duration took much longer than expected and by the end of it, my legs felt like jelly. However, this second attempt didn’t feel as draining as the first. Maybe the gym sessions with Wandi are helping!

Endurance is one of the key indicators of one’s fitness level and cycling is a great way to build it up. Outdoor cycling is not as monotonous as doing laps in a pool and has a lower impact on the knees and ankles compared to running.

If you’re taking part in a marathon such as the upcoming Singapore Bay Run & Army Half Marathon, cycling is a good complement in training for the run. Cycling is low impact so it doesn’t place too much stress on the joints if you haven’t been running for a while. It also helps to strengthen muscles surrounding the knees, which supports  ligaments in that area and minimize injuries during prolonged running.

After conquering 70km, I look forward to go further and perhaps even tour another country on bicycle! That will take quite a bit of research and planning. For now, I’ll train up with my favourite stationary bike at EnergyOne Toa Payoh!

Getting fit need not be boring. With a sense of adventure and making your body work during your next holiday, you just might arrive at your destination stronger than before!

Related Posts :

A Cycling Tour from Sungai Rengit to Desaru (March 2013)

2nd Attempt at Bicycle Tour from Sungai Rengit to Desaru (July 2013)

Dropped by Hua Hin, Thailand, for a short escapade last week and although my bod wasn’t beach ready, I found a lifesaver at the local night market…

For 250bht (bargained from 279bht), I became an instant hunk… and hung too in front of Hua Hin Hilton Hotel!

When you cannot make it, fake it… until it becomes real. Heh heh.

What if washboard pecs and abs can happen instantly without sweating buckets in the gym? To me, it is not about wearing a nice bod, having rippling muscles and all but the ultimate reward of a healthier physiological system in earning those solid humps through regular bodybuilding exercises (provided the gains are not drugs-induced).

Oh-la-la… if only my real buns look that good in G-string, I would clap with my butt cheeks instead of hands!

I was in Hua Hin and Bangkok for about a week and vacations usually disrupt an exercise routine. Wandi was supposed to devised a set of strength training exercises for me to do in the hotel room but he was still recovering from a flu and took medical leave so I didn’t get to have a personal training session before I leave.

But instead of relying on somebody else and letting the holiday be an excuse to skive, I worked on my stamina and endurance by jogging on the beach.

It wasn’t easy fighting the drowsiness and sightseeing plans to make time for exercise. It was so much easier to sleep in than wake up to burn at the hotel’s gym or a jog. That’s when the t-shirt became a motivation rather than just a piece of hilarious fashion. I want that bod printed on it. Front and back.

Since I tend to overeat on vacations (I think I’m not the only one), jogging on the beach is a great cardio workout to melt those excess calories. Compared to jogging on a treadmill, stadium or paved trails, running on the beach definitely presented more challenges for the body due to the uneven ground and shifting sand.

Jogging on the beach works the calf, shin and thigh muscles harder than the aforementioned running surfaces and it also strengthens the rotary tendons and tissues around the ankle to tackle challenging terrains.

If you’re training for a marathon such as the Singapore Bay Run & Army Half Marathon, consider incorporating jogging sessions on the beach to build up your leg muscles to run longer and go further during the race!

The other day, I was having breakfast at a hawker centre near my home. I was seated next to an old couple. As the morning sun peeped through, it shined into the wife’s face. Her husband immediately got up and asked his wife to switch seats with him.

The wife said, “But you will be in the sun.”

Husband replied, “I am sun-proof.”

If the wife’s heart hasn’t melted, mine had. Felt so wonderful to witness this little act of love.

So I finished my hot bowl of noodles at double speed to let them move to my table which doesn’t require sun-proofing. I hope I’ll find that someone who I will gladly sun-proof for one day )

But the wife snuffed out any flicker of romance. Instead of thanking her husband for the selfless act with adoring words, she asked the following…

“Sun-proof like you put on sunscreen with very high SPF?”

I was mortified.

Unable to control myself after hearing such an eloquent articulation of affection, I stole a glance over my left shoulder to make sure the woman wasn’t a robot. I regretted the curiousity of my eyes. The woman was playing Candy Crush on her mobile phone the whole time she was talking to her husband!

Noodles almost splattered out of my nostrils.

I felt such a sense of injustice for the husband but he simply replied, “No SPF, just sun-proof.” He smiled even though his wife wasn’t looking at him.

Love, it’s the best all-weather protection.