Today was the last day of me taking antibiotics. The five-day course has came to it's end. I took the last two pills just before leaving the house for work in the morning. And I hope no more pills again for a long time. I can't actually remember the last time I had any medication for being ill. Actually I think last winter I had Beechams Powder to eradicate cold-like symptoms (sore throat, slight cough etc). Guess this year I was not quick enough in taking action against the symptoms and they took over. Haha! So after taking this course of antibiotics, I do feel lots better. At least I managed to return to work for the second day today. There were moments when coughing got in the way, like during my second lesson and I was teaching the Left Reverse manoeuvre for the first time to a pupil and had to talk lots to explain everything. The itchiness of throat with the weakness of lung and feeling of breathlessness made me cough more than a few times. =( Again, always covered up and followed up "pardon me!".
The coughing also irritated me after work. Even when I was talking to Oz when we were hanging out, at the shopping centre, at Hollister, at the cinema and during dinner. =( I am really glad Oz didn't mind, and glad that I can be myself, although it was embarrassing speaking half a sentence and stopping halfway to cough! Haha! It was good to catch up with Oz. Enjoyed "Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol" and then had nice dinner at Nando's, the second attempt at getting our chicken. The first branch we discovered was CLOSED because the ovens was broken down! Haha! Gosh!! I'm glad we got to the Xscape branch with an hour to eat before closing time. Lol!
And tomorrow it will be time for the gym!! Looking forward to it. Yesterday's gym session was my first visit in over a week and was a pretty lethargic experience and disappointing. I still don't feel my lunges are at 100% capacity yet with the occasional shortness of breath when gasping for air, the nose being runny and the need to cough when throat feels tickled. Had to refrain from coughing as much as I could cos it would not leave a good impression coughing so much in front other gym users especially when we all share equipment etc. Anyway, I really wanna fight these germs and bugs and really want my focus back tomorrow!!
These days inbetween Christmas and New Year are the strange days for different people. Some are still on holiday mode. Some are back to work. Even those who are back to work are on holiday mode! Haha! So I hope everyone is enjoying this very relaxed period of the calendar. Once New Year comes and passes, everything will be "back to normal" and then we'll slowly forget these "happy days". But at least we will have lots of new things to look forward to, lots of hopes and dreams to realise, lots of targets to meet =)
Showing posts with label Films. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Films. Show all posts
28 December 2011
24 December 2011
Christmas 2011: Christmas Eve!!
Currently busy watching "Young Bruce Lee"... brb
Young Bruce Lee was very good. It was uploaded on Youtube through eleven parts and I watched it all. Mum was tired from work so only managed to stay awake until the sixth part and then fell asleep. I guess she'll have to catch up next time. Haha!
Well Christmas even was pretty boring to be honest. I was not well enough to work not go to the gym. So was pretty gutted I missed out on the 90-Minute Body Attack class which Cat and Iain went to. So sad! =( I could not string 3-4 sentences without coughing like crazy. Really felt like something was tickling the walls of my throat resulting in coughing fit. If that was only talking, then think of how much coughing would result from rapid breathing in response to face paced exercising! And also, how much coughing from talking lots during the driving lessons. =( As a result I had to cancel my two lessons as well.
Spent more time in bed. Slept till midday before getting up for brunch, medication, then went online, did devotionals, listened to more worship songs on Youtube and then burned an MP3 cd for the car. It wasn't until after dinner in the evening that I suggested to mum that we watch the Young Bruce Lee movie. She was a little reluctant at first because she said she was uber tired from work cos McDonald's so was uber packed due to the last day of shopping for most people and they was crazy rush to town to get those presents.
Before we knew it, it was midnight and Christmas arrived. We greet each other a Merry Christmas and I went on to tidy up the computer to TV set up as I had linked it up for the movie. Think I got to bed about 1AM after being on Facebook and reading lots of different, yet the same, updates full of Christmas wishes. Haha! Will be a long day ahead for Christmas Day. Church service then dinner at Aaron Sam's place. =)
Young Bruce Lee was very good. It was uploaded on Youtube through eleven parts and I watched it all. Mum was tired from work so only managed to stay awake until the sixth part and then fell asleep. I guess she'll have to catch up next time. Haha!
Well Christmas even was pretty boring to be honest. I was not well enough to work not go to the gym. So was pretty gutted I missed out on the 90-Minute Body Attack class which Cat and Iain went to. So sad! =( I could not string 3-4 sentences without coughing like crazy. Really felt like something was tickling the walls of my throat resulting in coughing fit. If that was only talking, then think of how much coughing would result from rapid breathing in response to face paced exercising! And also, how much coughing from talking lots during the driving lessons. =( As a result I had to cancel my two lessons as well.
Spent more time in bed. Slept till midday before getting up for brunch, medication, then went online, did devotionals, listened to more worship songs on Youtube and then burned an MP3 cd for the car. It wasn't until after dinner in the evening that I suggested to mum that we watch the Young Bruce Lee movie. She was a little reluctant at first because she said she was uber tired from work cos McDonald's so was uber packed due to the last day of shopping for most people and they was crazy rush to town to get those presents.
Before we knew it, it was midnight and Christmas arrived. We greet each other a Merry Christmas and I went on to tidy up the computer to TV set up as I had linked it up for the movie. Think I got to bed about 1AM after being on Facebook and reading lots of different, yet the same, updates full of Christmas wishes. Haha! Will be a long day ahead for Christmas Day. Church service then dinner at Aaron Sam's place. =)
13 April 2011
Must get back on track!
It's funny how something as simple as a text message received after a long day off work can really brighten up your day, even though it's quite dark outside. Haha! Finished work at 9pm last night with a deep sigh of relief. The last two lessons of the day were very tough and really pushed me, but I thank God for sustaining me throughout. Only the day before did a second pupil pass in the new car, of which I am very delighted and owe all thanksgiving to God for His grace. One must not get complacent, boastful or arrogant. Every good thing comes from the Lord (James 1:17), the same with text messages and positive stuff =)
Need to get myself sorted out man. Been doing sooo many hours since the start of April. This week I am on the road for 54hrs inclusive of breaks and stuff and sometimes I feel it is consuming up all my time, all of my life. The late finishes (averaging 8pm-9pm) means I cannot get to bed early enough next morning to get up for the gym and so it has been quite frustrating when I sleep in, but I know my body needs it. I cannot start my lesson earlier either, again, because of the late finishes. I must set aside at least two nights of the week where I finish around 6pm. Most likely gonna be a mid week (Wednesday) and definitely a Saturday as well.
Haven't been to the cinema in ages either. Only been once in March to see "The Lincoln Lawyer". Definitely not getting my money's worth from last month's subscription. There are three more movies I want to watch this month, besides "Scream 4" with a buddy. They are "Source Code", "Limitless" and later on "Fast & Furious 5" (which I thought was originally titled 'Fast Five'). Really hope I can catch these movies before they disappear off the big screen.
I've decided to take my birthday off work. Have already booked a full body massage and a wax at the Men's Store. Will be a different therapist doing the massage this time as Stephanie will be on holiday. Ah well, at least I'll still get a pamper session and chillax.
Also this morning I called Greens and spoke to Ally. I want to restart personal training sessions again. These half-hearted attempts of mine really frustrate me. I'm really falling behind in my fitness goals and this truly sucks. So I will discuss with Ally what I want and we will agree goals on the consultation meeting next Wednesday morning 7am! Boo-yaa!! =D
Need to get myself sorted out man. Been doing sooo many hours since the start of April. This week I am on the road for 54hrs inclusive of breaks and stuff and sometimes I feel it is consuming up all my time, all of my life. The late finishes (averaging 8pm-9pm) means I cannot get to bed early enough next morning to get up for the gym and so it has been quite frustrating when I sleep in, but I know my body needs it. I cannot start my lesson earlier either, again, because of the late finishes. I must set aside at least two nights of the week where I finish around 6pm. Most likely gonna be a mid week (Wednesday) and definitely a Saturday as well.
Haven't been to the cinema in ages either. Only been once in March to see "The Lincoln Lawyer". Definitely not getting my money's worth from last month's subscription. There are three more movies I want to watch this month, besides "Scream 4" with a buddy. They are "Source Code", "Limitless" and later on "Fast & Furious 5" (which I thought was originally titled 'Fast Five'). Really hope I can catch these movies before they disappear off the big screen.
I've decided to take my birthday off work. Have already booked a full body massage and a wax at the Men's Store. Will be a different therapist doing the massage this time as Stephanie will be on holiday. Ah well, at least I'll still get a pamper session and chillax.
Also this morning I called Greens and spoke to Ally. I want to restart personal training sessions again. These half-hearted attempts of mine really frustrate me. I'm really falling behind in my fitness goals and this truly sucks. So I will discuss with Ally what I want and we will agree goals on the consultation meeting next Wednesday morning 7am! Boo-yaa!! =D
11 February 2011
Washed away...?
I wish sins could be washed away with my shower an hour ago. I wish troubles could be washed away down the drain pipe as well. I wish worries and uncertainties would vanish along with the condensation in the bathroom. But they don't disappear as quickly as we'd like.
The first driving lesson of this morning was very taxing. This was pupil's first lesson after two weeks of missing out. A middle-aged Chinese wifey who needs the lesson in all Cantonese. She's tiny. From the start we had difficulties in getting her to push the clutch pedal fully down, so we use a booster seat for her back to push her lower half further forward to help her wee legs. That's not an issue. We did a recap of the previous lesson and the important MSPSL steps we take to do anything. That is, we check our mirrors, decide if we need a signal, position our car, make sure the speed and gears match and then look into the new road that we're going in to. The theory sounded fine and were both in agreeance with it. The problem started when we started the car and her wee left foot had difficulty finding the biting point yet again. We had this problem few lessons back but by now she should be ok with it. Fine, I changed cars few weeks back but she shouldn't be that bad. After a few starts and stops she managed to get the biting point accurately but taking like aaaaages! I couldn't even rush her cos didn't want to make her panic. A few times we parked by the road side and the car was going slower but still travelled too fast for a stop. Upon checking her out again I realised she was not fully pressing the clutch down when stopping at the kerb and the car was moving at the biting point. I reminded her the clutch is always the one you press to the floor and the response was "Oh is it?" as if we hadn't covered it EVER! So I said, "Yeah, I've been doing that since day one" and smiled. Inside I was screaaaaaming!!! What the heck!! The whole lesson went on pretty shoddy and I caught her yawning a few times. Her usual lesson time is 1-3pm but had to be earlier time of 10:30am this morning due to a driving test. So I guess she had another excuse that she didn't have enough sleep. Sigh!! I find my patience really tested with Cantonese lessons. I cannot express myself or explain things as well in Cantonese as I can in English. So telling people off I get all flustered trying to flick through my Chinese dictionary in my head finding the right words. Argh!!! I guess I am not very patient after all. This job has confirmed that...
Just Go With It
This evening I went to watch Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston's movie "Just Go With It" and was hoping to be cheered up cos I've been feeling crap this passed week with so many things happening, unnecessary phone calls, unncessary meet ups, unnecessary stress and of course my recovering shoulder, which I can confirm is all 99% restored!! However, I have yet to go back to the gym cos I kept sleeping in on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday cos I've been up dealing with stuff, thinking, blogging and praying. It's very frustrating indeed but I hope next week will give me yet another chance to start afresh and to refocus on myself and doing the things that help make me feel happier. The gym is my pride and joy and I have to get back into it =)
So this movie did cheer me up a wee bit, aye. It had some funny parts in it that literally made me laugh loudly and I was not ashamed of it although I was sitting on my own in a packed Screen 9 which was full of couples all over the joint. Couples and groups of wee kids that'd shout stuff occasionally. Lol! The movie plot was about a doctor who used to sleep around with girls after pretending he was married to a really abusive wife. Until one day he found a girl whom he really liked and didn't have the ring on, but she found the ring in his pocket and went mad. He then had to spin a story that was he was in the middle of a divorce from this "wife" and enlisted the help of his work assistant/secretary to pretend to be the wife. And there the movie starts off, lie after lie, lies to cover other lies and in the end he discovers who he really loved. Kinda cliche but kinda different too. It was nice and made me think about stuff. Sometimes the shiny young hot blonde ain't the answer to everything. Haha!!
The first driving lesson of this morning was very taxing. This was pupil's first lesson after two weeks of missing out. A middle-aged Chinese wifey who needs the lesson in all Cantonese. She's tiny. From the start we had difficulties in getting her to push the clutch pedal fully down, so we use a booster seat for her back to push her lower half further forward to help her wee legs. That's not an issue. We did a recap of the previous lesson and the important MSPSL steps we take to do anything. That is, we check our mirrors, decide if we need a signal, position our car, make sure the speed and gears match and then look into the new road that we're going in to. The theory sounded fine and were both in agreeance with it. The problem started when we started the car and her wee left foot had difficulty finding the biting point yet again. We had this problem few lessons back but by now she should be ok with it. Fine, I changed cars few weeks back but she shouldn't be that bad. After a few starts and stops she managed to get the biting point accurately but taking like aaaaages! I couldn't even rush her cos didn't want to make her panic. A few times we parked by the road side and the car was going slower but still travelled too fast for a stop. Upon checking her out again I realised she was not fully pressing the clutch down when stopping at the kerb and the car was moving at the biting point. I reminded her the clutch is always the one you press to the floor and the response was "Oh is it?" as if we hadn't covered it EVER! So I said, "Yeah, I've been doing that since day one" and smiled. Inside I was screaaaaaming!!! What the heck!! The whole lesson went on pretty shoddy and I caught her yawning a few times. Her usual lesson time is 1-3pm but had to be earlier time of 10:30am this morning due to a driving test. So I guess she had another excuse that she didn't have enough sleep. Sigh!! I find my patience really tested with Cantonese lessons. I cannot express myself or explain things as well in Cantonese as I can in English. So telling people off I get all flustered trying to flick through my Chinese dictionary in my head finding the right words. Argh!!! I guess I am not very patient after all. This job has confirmed that...
Just Go With It
This evening I went to watch Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston's movie "Just Go With It" and was hoping to be cheered up cos I've been feeling crap this passed week with so many things happening, unnecessary phone calls, unncessary meet ups, unnecessary stress and of course my recovering shoulder, which I can confirm is all 99% restored!! However, I have yet to go back to the gym cos I kept sleeping in on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday cos I've been up dealing with stuff, thinking, blogging and praying. It's very frustrating indeed but I hope next week will give me yet another chance to start afresh and to refocus on myself and doing the things that help make me feel happier. The gym is my pride and joy and I have to get back into it =)
So this movie did cheer me up a wee bit, aye. It had some funny parts in it that literally made me laugh loudly and I was not ashamed of it although I was sitting on my own in a packed Screen 9 which was full of couples all over the joint. Couples and groups of wee kids that'd shout stuff occasionally. Lol! The movie plot was about a doctor who used to sleep around with girls after pretending he was married to a really abusive wife. Until one day he found a girl whom he really liked and didn't have the ring on, but she found the ring in his pocket and went mad. He then had to spin a story that was he was in the middle of a divorce from this "wife" and enlisted the help of his work assistant/secretary to pretend to be the wife. And there the movie starts off, lie after lie, lies to cover other lies and in the end he discovers who he really loved. Kinda cliche but kinda different too. It was nice and made me think about stuff. Sometimes the shiny young hot blonde ain't the answer to everything. Haha!!
13 November 2009
Last weekend of freedom!
Yes, this is my last weekend to enjoy myself, relax before I go down to Leicester for my AA induction and come back with my new tuition car. So what will I be doing this weekend?
Tonight after work I will go for a few farewell drinks with my boss who is leaving for Australia. Then I'll be going to watch the latest disaster movie "2012" at 8pm. Man, I can't believe this will be my first visit to Cineworld since 21st October when I went to see "Couples Retreat". Almost four weeks ago man! That's disgraceful! I usually average once a week. In October I saw six movies. In August, ten movies. So I'm definitely NOT getting my money's worth this month. Reason for this? I've spent so much time on preparing for driving tuition: reading books, publications, talking to instructors. As well as attending church meetings etc. I have no more social life. No more time of leisure and it's sooo sad! Really! This morning I woke up and I asked myself WHY I have to be so busy? WHY have I not been to the gym? WHY can I not get to lie in in the mornings? WHY do I have to get up early again tomorrow? WHY WHY WHY? Yeah, you can tell I was a bit peeved off this morning. Things have settled down a bit, for now.
But seriously. This ain't easy man. I have so many things to read: finish off Instructional "Techniques and Practices" as well as reading new magazines that the Driving Instructor Association has sent me as part of their welcome pack for joining. Need to check driving instructor websites to keep myself updated with changes to the instructor world. Need to familiarise myself with test routes and areas of teaching, especially in Springburn area and the south side. I am familiar with east end with, Baillieston test area and I know enough of the west end, Anniesland test area to get me started teaching there. But south side I have no idea where to go and what to do where, and that's gonna be embarrassing! I only have one south side pupil for now, which is good. So will have to discuss with them what to do. Let's learn together! Lol! Joking aside, Saturday morning I will have to wake up early and go driving around two test centres and follow my printed out test routes from the DSA website, in hope of remembering where I should go to teach pupils in Anniesland and in Springburn. I'll start with Springburn as that is nearer my house. And nearer Costco. So after spending the morning in that area, I will pop into Costco for lunch then drive to Anniesland for an afternoon session, BEFORE going to Edinburgh church Coffee Night for 6pm. So you can imagine, by the end of the night I'm gonna be knackered. I don't hope to get back from Edinburgh that late. Event should finish 9:30pm and then there's the 45mins drive. No - I don't speed anymore. Need to watch what I'm doing as my career would be on the line!
Sunday... Sunday morning I think I will sleep in a little bit. Till 9am or something? That's considered late for me! How pitiful eh? Will probably get some reading done and might get to do some exercises at home. Won't go to the gym as I'll need more time for that and I am helping out with transport of PA equipment this Sunday as well, so will have to be at church for 12:45pm. I will be assisting Sunday School class during service. After service there will be a PA and Worship Team technical training session which I arranged, between 3:30pm-4:00pm. Then I will have Specsavers opticians appointment at 4:20pm!! Only around 5pm will I be free!!! But again, I don't know what I will do with that free time? Meet up with people from church and hang out for a bit? Do some more reading in my favourite Starbucks Borders till closing time of 7:30pm? Go home and make Japanese jelly for mum? Catch up on Flashforward online before the next episode comes out? The gym will close at 5:30pm. Argh!!
Then there's Monday, my second-last full day at work. I will finish at 5pm and then will be free. Then again, the above questions will come out? How do I spend my last free time?! More reading? Go to the gym? Go home to chill? (waste of time in my opinion) Or go to Tesco to buy food for Tuesday's trip to Leicester? I'll be taking the 1000hrs train from Glasgow Central on Tuesday, so I will need to pack on Monday night as well. I will bring my laptop down with me, not really for work, but so I can upload any pictures that I take and also update my blogs with what's happening. The AA have given me two night's stay in Hothorpe Hall as opposed to the standard one night stay, due to the fact that the course starts 10:30am on Wednesday morning and I would not make it down from Glasgow in time on Wednesday. However, for Tuesday night, only the room is provided. I'll have to provide my own dinner! Ooh! Maybe I will learn hunting and gathering skills and capture my own dinner! Or maybe roadkill! Maybe English rabbit will taste different from the Scottish lemon-baked rabbit I once had in Skye! ;-)
Anyway, yes... this weekend is gonna be busy busy and as long as it does not rain, it should be ok. If rain comes along, then my my, it's gonna be sooo bad!!
Here's the link to the conference hall where I will stay and attend the AA induction:
http://www.hothorpe.co.uk
(5397)
Tonight after work I will go for a few farewell drinks with my boss who is leaving for Australia. Then I'll be going to watch the latest disaster movie "2012" at 8pm. Man, I can't believe this will be my first visit to Cineworld since 21st October when I went to see "Couples Retreat". Almost four weeks ago man! That's disgraceful! I usually average once a week. In October I saw six movies. In August, ten movies. So I'm definitely NOT getting my money's worth this month. Reason for this? I've spent so much time on preparing for driving tuition: reading books, publications, talking to instructors. As well as attending church meetings etc. I have no more social life. No more time of leisure and it's sooo sad! Really! This morning I woke up and I asked myself WHY I have to be so busy? WHY have I not been to the gym? WHY can I not get to lie in in the mornings? WHY do I have to get up early again tomorrow? WHY WHY WHY? Yeah, you can tell I was a bit peeved off this morning. Things have settled down a bit, for now.
But seriously. This ain't easy man. I have so many things to read: finish off Instructional "Techniques and Practices" as well as reading new magazines that the Driving Instructor Association has sent me as part of their welcome pack for joining. Need to check driving instructor websites to keep myself updated with changes to the instructor world. Need to familiarise myself with test routes and areas of teaching, especially in Springburn area and the south side. I am familiar with east end with, Baillieston test area and I know enough of the west end, Anniesland test area to get me started teaching there. But south side I have no idea where to go and what to do where, and that's gonna be embarrassing! I only have one south side pupil for now, which is good. So will have to discuss with them what to do. Let's learn together! Lol! Joking aside, Saturday morning I will have to wake up early and go driving around two test centres and follow my printed out test routes from the DSA website, in hope of remembering where I should go to teach pupils in Anniesland and in Springburn. I'll start with Springburn as that is nearer my house. And nearer Costco. So after spending the morning in that area, I will pop into Costco for lunch then drive to Anniesland for an afternoon session, BEFORE going to Edinburgh church Coffee Night for 6pm. So you can imagine, by the end of the night I'm gonna be knackered. I don't hope to get back from Edinburgh that late. Event should finish 9:30pm and then there's the 45mins drive. No - I don't speed anymore. Need to watch what I'm doing as my career would be on the line!
Sunday... Sunday morning I think I will sleep in a little bit. Till 9am or something? That's considered late for me! How pitiful eh? Will probably get some reading done and might get to do some exercises at home. Won't go to the gym as I'll need more time for that and I am helping out with transport of PA equipment this Sunday as well, so will have to be at church for 12:45pm. I will be assisting Sunday School class during service. After service there will be a PA and Worship Team technical training session which I arranged, between 3:30pm-4:00pm. Then I will have Specsavers opticians appointment at 4:20pm!! Only around 5pm will I be free!!! But again, I don't know what I will do with that free time? Meet up with people from church and hang out for a bit? Do some more reading in my favourite Starbucks Borders till closing time of 7:30pm? Go home and make Japanese jelly for mum? Catch up on Flashforward online before the next episode comes out? The gym will close at 5:30pm. Argh!!
Then there's Monday, my second-last full day at work. I will finish at 5pm and then will be free. Then again, the above questions will come out? How do I spend my last free time?! More reading? Go to the gym? Go home to chill? (waste of time in my opinion) Or go to Tesco to buy food for Tuesday's trip to Leicester? I'll be taking the 1000hrs train from Glasgow Central on Tuesday, so I will need to pack on Monday night as well. I will bring my laptop down with me, not really for work, but so I can upload any pictures that I take and also update my blogs with what's happening. The AA have given me two night's stay in Hothorpe Hall as opposed to the standard one night stay, due to the fact that the course starts 10:30am on Wednesday morning and I would not make it down from Glasgow in time on Wednesday. However, for Tuesday night, only the room is provided. I'll have to provide my own dinner! Ooh! Maybe I will learn hunting and gathering skills and capture my own dinner! Or maybe roadkill! Maybe English rabbit will taste different from the Scottish lemon-baked rabbit I once had in Skye! ;-)
Anyway, yes... this weekend is gonna be busy busy and as long as it does not rain, it should be ok. If rain comes along, then my my, it's gonna be sooo bad!!
Here's the link to the conference hall where I will stay and attend the AA induction:
http://www.hothorpe.co.uk
(5397)
29 September 2009
Still busy!
A week since my last blogpost. Was hoping to blog before this but have been too busy. So what have I been up to...?
Wednesday 23rd Sept
Went to prayer meeting in the evening. We prayed with Gordon / Wei Yao's cell group before they started. Two more people showed interest in taking driving lessons :) Then I went to the gym. Late session this was. Arrived at 8:30pm.
Thursday 24th Sept
Last day of work before being off for five days. Settled all paperwork and all tasks up to date. Went to the gym and worked on chest and back.
Friday 25th Sept
Annual leave: Went to Lloyds TSB to set up a business account. Midway through filling in my details the manager asked me if I had some sort of business plan, giving an estimate of annual turnover etc. I said no. I didn't know I needed one to be honest. Main reason being I thought taking a franchise with AA would be more "secure" than starting my own business from scratch etc. However, I left the bank with the manager's card and some brochures. Took Elaam out for a driving lesson in dual control car from Arnold Clark, then went to town. Was SOO hungry near the end of shopping I could have eaten a horse!! =P Had Starbucks coffee break: crepe and a latte, then later takeaway dinner from Asia Style and watched "Pan's Labyrinth". Interesting film and I'm glad I've finally watched it =)
Saturday 26th Sept
Stayed in in the morning reading about business accounts and the Driving Instructor Association. Then got myself a planner/ scheduler thing from WH Smith. Whilst at it I took a look at some bodybuilding magazines for inspiration for my October workout plan. In the afternoon I went out to meet Robert to give him some driving instructor practice. He told me booked his final examination on 29th October. Evening, went out for dinner with family and close buddies. A thanksgiving dinner for passing of my exam. Matt was there too :)
Sunday 27th Sept
Nicholas Tan expressed interest in taking driving lessons with me :) After church I came home to reformat my laptop and set up my new Sat Nav: Tomtom One IQ Routes. Updated maps, new features on it and not to forget the all important speed/ traffic camera alerts ;-)
Monday 28th Sept
Annual leave: Downloaded a few game demos for PS3 including Fifa 10, PES 2010, NBA 2010 etc. Hooked up with oldest schoolfriend, Bobby. Went for lunch at Costco then back up to my place to hang for a few hours. Was good to catch up, updating each other with latest news as well as talk about old times :) In the evening I went to watch "Dorian Gray" at the cinema. Film was horrible. Not like scary as such, but just a very odd plot and I didn't think it ended well. Just not what I expected. Nothing to do with vampires or half-lives or making a deal with the devil etc. And so much sexual content in it. Sigh...!
Tuesday 29th Sept
Annual leave: last day of leave. Had to make use of my time. Morning I spent at home reading up on HMRC self-assessment information, knowing more about what to expect to fill in at the important dates of 31st Jan and 31st Oct of each year etc. (Oh yes, I applied for a business account with Alliance and Leicester yesterday morning. Should hear back within five working days :)) Got my PIN for self-assessment through Government Gateway too. Oh I checked out my previous buddy, Ann's revamped website as well. Remember the woman I trained with back in June/July time? Here's her site, in case you're interested: http://www.annhughesdrivingschool.co.uk/index.html
Got some inspiration from her site about special offers I could give once I'm officially teaching. But then again, I might be bound by some AA rules. We'll see. Obviously, Chinese people will be treated with special care la! ;-) Then I went out for a drive to visit some DSA driving test centres with my new Sat Nav. Went to the one furthest away - Dumbarton. What a drive! I doubt I'd be teaching at or around that area anyway, but have it in my Tomtom anyway. The four main Glasgow DSA test centres are: Baillieston (east), Springburn (east), Anniesland (west) and Shieldhall (south). I think these test centres should keep me busy enough :) I went to the gym afterwards. Gym was really busy today for some strange reason. The cardio suite was roasting as well. Air con must have been off or something. I had never been so relieved to step into the strength suite! Seeing it being so busy made me consider joining another gym. Maybe paying £5 more each month to get improved quality and quantity of facilities. Hmm...
Things yet to be done:
Keep all receipts for purchases (on-going)
Sort out bank accounts (halfway)
Open business accounts (halfway)
Join D.I.A. (awaiting application)
Read up on Pass Plus
Read up on licensing laws (foreign / provisional / UK)
Learn test routes (on-going)
Inform HMRC of self employment
(4935)
Wednesday 23rd Sept
Went to prayer meeting in the evening. We prayed with Gordon / Wei Yao's cell group before they started. Two more people showed interest in taking driving lessons :) Then I went to the gym. Late session this was. Arrived at 8:30pm.
Thursday 24th Sept
Last day of work before being off for five days. Settled all paperwork and all tasks up to date. Went to the gym and worked on chest and back.
Friday 25th Sept
Annual leave: Went to Lloyds TSB to set up a business account. Midway through filling in my details the manager asked me if I had some sort of business plan, giving an estimate of annual turnover etc. I said no. I didn't know I needed one to be honest. Main reason being I thought taking a franchise with AA would be more "secure" than starting my own business from scratch etc. However, I left the bank with the manager's card and some brochures. Took Elaam out for a driving lesson in dual control car from Arnold Clark, then went to town. Was SOO hungry near the end of shopping I could have eaten a horse!! =P Had Starbucks coffee break: crepe and a latte, then later takeaway dinner from Asia Style and watched "Pan's Labyrinth". Interesting film and I'm glad I've finally watched it =)
Saturday 26th Sept
Stayed in in the morning reading about business accounts and the Driving Instructor Association. Then got myself a planner/ scheduler thing from WH Smith. Whilst at it I took a look at some bodybuilding magazines for inspiration for my October workout plan. In the afternoon I went out to meet Robert to give him some driving instructor practice. He told me booked his final examination on 29th October. Evening, went out for dinner with family and close buddies. A thanksgiving dinner for passing of my exam. Matt was there too :)
Sunday 27th Sept
Nicholas Tan expressed interest in taking driving lessons with me :) After church I came home to reformat my laptop and set up my new Sat Nav: Tomtom One IQ Routes. Updated maps, new features on it and not to forget the all important speed/ traffic camera alerts ;-)
Monday 28th Sept
Annual leave: Downloaded a few game demos for PS3 including Fifa 10, PES 2010, NBA 2010 etc. Hooked up with oldest schoolfriend, Bobby. Went for lunch at Costco then back up to my place to hang for a few hours. Was good to catch up, updating each other with latest news as well as talk about old times :) In the evening I went to watch "Dorian Gray" at the cinema. Film was horrible. Not like scary as such, but just a very odd plot and I didn't think it ended well. Just not what I expected. Nothing to do with vampires or half-lives or making a deal with the devil etc. And so much sexual content in it. Sigh...!
Tuesday 29th Sept
Annual leave: last day of leave. Had to make use of my time. Morning I spent at home reading up on HMRC self-assessment information, knowing more about what to expect to fill in at the important dates of 31st Jan and 31st Oct of each year etc. (Oh yes, I applied for a business account with Alliance and Leicester yesterday morning. Should hear back within five working days :)) Got my PIN for self-assessment through Government Gateway too. Oh I checked out my previous buddy, Ann's revamped website as well. Remember the woman I trained with back in June/July time? Here's her site, in case you're interested: http://www.annhughesdrivingschool.co.uk/index.html
Got some inspiration from her site about special offers I could give once I'm officially teaching. But then again, I might be bound by some AA rules. We'll see. Obviously, Chinese people will be treated with special care la! ;-) Then I went out for a drive to visit some DSA driving test centres with my new Sat Nav. Went to the one furthest away - Dumbarton. What a drive! I doubt I'd be teaching at or around that area anyway, but have it in my Tomtom anyway. The four main Glasgow DSA test centres are: Baillieston (east), Springburn (east), Anniesland (west) and Shieldhall (south). I think these test centres should keep me busy enough :) I went to the gym afterwards. Gym was really busy today for some strange reason. The cardio suite was roasting as well. Air con must have been off or something. I had never been so relieved to step into the strength suite! Seeing it being so busy made me consider joining another gym. Maybe paying £5 more each month to get improved quality and quantity of facilities. Hmm...
Things yet to be done:
Keep all receipts for purchases (on-going)
Sort out bank accounts (halfway)
Open business accounts (halfway)
Join D.I.A. (awaiting application)
Read up on Pass Plus
Read up on licensing laws (foreign / provisional / UK)
Learn test routes (on-going)
Inform HMRC of self employment
(4935)
26 June 2009
Drained
This week has gone past very quickly indeed. I feel like I've not had much down time to chill out and just totally relax.
Monday was work then met with Ann for AA trainingTuesday was work then went to the gym (my only visit this week!!)Wednesday was work then met with Ann for AA trainingThursday was work them met with Ann for AA trainingAnd today - guess what I'll be doing? Meet Ann for AA training again!
Our training sessions have been productive and has helped us develop a stronger awareness of the areas that we need to work on, and via constructive criticism we can correct each other and learn from the other person's mistakes as well. However, it is not as easy as sitting in someone's car watching them drive. No. What we do is, we meet for two hours at a time, doing role playing. The first hour we spend in my car: I drive, she teaches. The hour is split into two 30mins parts according to the preset tests which we will get on the day of our final test. The first half hour we teach a subject from scratch, e.g. Turn In The Road manoeuvre and treat the pupil as a pure learner, watching and dictating every move they make and catching out any faults they do, explaining the dangers of their faults and correcting them. The second half hour the role of the examiner changes to someone who is at test ready standard or who already holds a full license. This time, we go through a topic with a different approach. Instead of teaching them everything from scratch, you just use questioning and answering to help determine what they need help with. You let them drive on and watch their every move again, picking up any areas that they might need advice on. We have to be careful not to over instruct here as we are not required to teach anything from scratch, the driver should already know how to do it. But if they do commit a fault, esp a potentially dangerous one like coasting around a corner, we have to pull them up and teach them then. This is done in an hour and then we swap cars and swap roles for another hour.
So that might sound fun, but it is mentally draining. When we do our practicing, the 'instructor' has to watch every move the 'pupil' makes. The 'pupil' has to remember exactly what faults they have commited and keep doing them until they are identified by the 'instructor' and listen to their analysis and how to correct it. Once the fault is corrected the 'pupil' cannot commit the fault again within that half-hour. Although we meet at 6:30pm at weekday evening, we don't ever finish 8:30pm sharp. We average between 8:45pm-9pm due to traffic on the way back or getting sidetracked as we discuss various aspects of the test and note down any questions we may have in order to ask our trainer Ronnie. Starting last night though, we have begun to use my phone's timer to countdown the 30mins we have for each phase. So once time is up we have to summarise and end there, then move onto the next phase. That way we have to perform under time pressure, which will give us a feel of what the final test will be like. It's not gonna be easy I tell you.
Life right now is all about work - drive - sleep. Work - drive - sleep. I don't even have time to read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I don't even have time for Playstation 3. And the worse thing is I don't even have time for the gym!! I've shifted my ideal 3-visits-a-week to 2 visits at best, or like last time, one visit in eight days!! That's horrible!! Really! I'm thinking to myself, it's only for a short time. And as Elaam encourged me, this is like the final lap in a long race. That it will be tough, but I've to press on. =) I will press on, aye. Though it's quite mundane right now, I know I am going through it for the greater good. That each time I finish meeting, I come a step closer to qualifying as a driving instructor. Once I am fully qualified, I will not have to sit these sort of tests again. Qualified instructors do get inspected every so often, but that is during a lesson so there is less time pressure and by then I will have developed much better teaching skills as well.
I am looking forward to this weekend. I'm not gonna touch any driving stuff in those two days. Instead, tomorrow I'm going to go to the gym for a long session, maybe finish off in the steam room and sauna. Then watch a movie after lunch. Possibly, "Year One". I hope to finish off my Sunday School lesson tonight, but if I can't do it tonight, then that will be on my Saturday night agenda. Sheesh... can't even fully relax I tell ya. But if I can force myself to finish the Sunday School lesson tonight before sleeping, then I could go to a sister's place for dinner. I've declined for now due to Sunday School, but will try and go cos it would be nice to chillax with my maties. On Sunday I may go to the gym again before church, then help out in Sunday School and teach the middle class. Then after that I think I'll watch "Blood: the Last Vampire" in the evening. We'll see about that. Nothing's confirmed yet, besides Sunday School of course...and ironing!!
God bless! :)
(3654)
Monday was work then met with Ann for AA trainingTuesday was work then went to the gym (my only visit this week!!)Wednesday was work then met with Ann for AA trainingThursday was work them met with Ann for AA trainingAnd today - guess what I'll be doing? Meet Ann for AA training again!
Our training sessions have been productive and has helped us develop a stronger awareness of the areas that we need to work on, and via constructive criticism we can correct each other and learn from the other person's mistakes as well. However, it is not as easy as sitting in someone's car watching them drive. No. What we do is, we meet for two hours at a time, doing role playing. The first hour we spend in my car: I drive, she teaches. The hour is split into two 30mins parts according to the preset tests which we will get on the day of our final test. The first half hour we teach a subject from scratch, e.g. Turn In The Road manoeuvre and treat the pupil as a pure learner, watching and dictating every move they make and catching out any faults they do, explaining the dangers of their faults and correcting them. The second half hour the role of the examiner changes to someone who is at test ready standard or who already holds a full license. This time, we go through a topic with a different approach. Instead of teaching them everything from scratch, you just use questioning and answering to help determine what they need help with. You let them drive on and watch their every move again, picking up any areas that they might need advice on. We have to be careful not to over instruct here as we are not required to teach anything from scratch, the driver should already know how to do it. But if they do commit a fault, esp a potentially dangerous one like coasting around a corner, we have to pull them up and teach them then. This is done in an hour and then we swap cars and swap roles for another hour.
So that might sound fun, but it is mentally draining. When we do our practicing, the 'instructor' has to watch every move the 'pupil' makes. The 'pupil' has to remember exactly what faults they have commited and keep doing them until they are identified by the 'instructor' and listen to their analysis and how to correct it. Once the fault is corrected the 'pupil' cannot commit the fault again within that half-hour. Although we meet at 6:30pm at weekday evening, we don't ever finish 8:30pm sharp. We average between 8:45pm-9pm due to traffic on the way back or getting sidetracked as we discuss various aspects of the test and note down any questions we may have in order to ask our trainer Ronnie. Starting last night though, we have begun to use my phone's timer to countdown the 30mins we have for each phase. So once time is up we have to summarise and end there, then move onto the next phase. That way we have to perform under time pressure, which will give us a feel of what the final test will be like. It's not gonna be easy I tell you.
Life right now is all about work - drive - sleep. Work - drive - sleep. I don't even have time to read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I don't even have time for Playstation 3. And the worse thing is I don't even have time for the gym!! I've shifted my ideal 3-visits-a-week to 2 visits at best, or like last time, one visit in eight days!! That's horrible!! Really! I'm thinking to myself, it's only for a short time. And as Elaam encourged me, this is like the final lap in a long race. That it will be tough, but I've to press on. =) I will press on, aye. Though it's quite mundane right now, I know I am going through it for the greater good. That each time I finish meeting, I come a step closer to qualifying as a driving instructor. Once I am fully qualified, I will not have to sit these sort of tests again. Qualified instructors do get inspected every so often, but that is during a lesson so there is less time pressure and by then I will have developed much better teaching skills as well.
I am looking forward to this weekend. I'm not gonna touch any driving stuff in those two days. Instead, tomorrow I'm going to go to the gym for a long session, maybe finish off in the steam room and sauna. Then watch a movie after lunch. Possibly, "Year One". I hope to finish off my Sunday School lesson tonight, but if I can't do it tonight, then that will be on my Saturday night agenda. Sheesh... can't even fully relax I tell ya. But if I can force myself to finish the Sunday School lesson tonight before sleeping, then I could go to a sister's place for dinner. I've declined for now due to Sunday School, but will try and go cos it would be nice to chillax with my maties. On Sunday I may go to the gym again before church, then help out in Sunday School and teach the middle class. Then after that I think I'll watch "Blood: the Last Vampire" in the evening. We'll see about that. Nothing's confirmed yet, besides Sunday School of course...and ironing!!
God bless! :)
(3654)
20 June 2009
Transformation
My day today...
Woke up 08:40am, just moments before my alarm went off at 08:45am. Checked and replied to my Facebook messages (all from my Elaam!! :D). Had breakfast - two slices of Warburton's thick white bread, toasted and spread with peanut butter, and 500ml of my protein shake. Breakfast couldn't be filling as I had the gym after an hour or so. As soon as I finished breakfast I started packing my gym stuff. Took my time with it as I wanted to let the breakfast digest. I left the house at 09:45am and drove to Cineworld to get two tickets for 'Transformers 2'. I parked outside the cinema on the single yellow line with my hazard lights on. Being 10am the queue wasn't very long, only had 4 people in front of me, served by 2 open counters. I got an Unlimited ticket and an adult ticket for Alan. An adult ticket at the weekends is now £7!! £7!! That's crazy!! Watch any two movies in the same month and you would have exceeded the monthly fee for the Unlimited card! Lol! Then I drove to the gym, knowing our tickets for 4:10pm showing was secured and there was no need to queue later in the afternoon.
At the gym I ran for 45mins walked for 5mins. In the 50mins I covered 7.72km on 0.5 degree incline and burning 717kcals. Immense!! Felt so good after it! Then I did stretching and worked on my abs, ending with the plank and side planks. I'll need to look further into the plank exercises, cos the ones I did today tired out my arms and shoulders more than my midriff. Haha! Then I went through to the weights room and tried out the new regime I mentioned in my previous post.
Wide-grip pull up: x8
Behind-neck pull up: x5
Dumbbell press: One set with 27.5kg, Two sets with 30kg
Dumbbell flyers: One set with 20kg, then Two sets with 22.5kg (could only manage 5 reps in last set)
Seated compound row: One set 200lbs, Two sets 215lbs
Arnold press + Front deltoid raise + Side deltoid raise + Rear deltoid raise: All at 8 reps with 12.5kg dumbbells
Dumbbell curls: One set at 17.5kg, then two sets at 20kg
Weighted side exercise: Two x 10 reps with 25kg disk
Reverse barbell curls: One set 15kg, Two sets 17.5kg
Tricep dips: Two sets of 12 dips
Seated tricep extensions: One set at 35kg
To relax at the end of my workout I went down to the steam room and sauna and spent about half an hour there chilling out before going back up for a shower. Skin felt really nice, and still does! :)
I went home to have lunch: a 'zhong' (rice parcel) with some pork char siu and some vegetables, then drove out to meet Alan at Chinatown carpark and we walked to Cineworld to meet William for 'Transformers 2'. The 4:10pm showing was in Screen 3 and it was near full in this busy Saturday. The movie was good. The sound effects in the screen was very good. However, there seemed to be an issue with the audio in the film. Whenever there was dialogue, sound would only come out from the front so we had to strain out ears sometimes to make out what they were saying. After the movie we discussed it and thought maybe the audio was fine, but the special effects was on louder than normal, which could have made audio sound weird. Overall a good movie, although I dozed off in the middle as I was tired from the gym, but also cos it was a little bit long. :P
I came home to have dinner: 1.5 bowls of rice, some pieces of smoked haddock, a few mini chicken kievs and the main dish of beef with baby corn and sugar snaps. Lots of protein from the beef and vitamins and minerals from the veg. Rice provided carbs as well. Mini chicken kievs I tried to avoid because it was oven food and had cheese filling, but had some for the chicken. Smoked haddock is good as it has protein and fish oils :)
(3508)
Woke up 08:40am, just moments before my alarm went off at 08:45am. Checked and replied to my Facebook messages (all from my Elaam!! :D). Had breakfast - two slices of Warburton's thick white bread, toasted and spread with peanut butter, and 500ml of my protein shake. Breakfast couldn't be filling as I had the gym after an hour or so. As soon as I finished breakfast I started packing my gym stuff. Took my time with it as I wanted to let the breakfast digest. I left the house at 09:45am and drove to Cineworld to get two tickets for 'Transformers 2'. I parked outside the cinema on the single yellow line with my hazard lights on. Being 10am the queue wasn't very long, only had 4 people in front of me, served by 2 open counters. I got an Unlimited ticket and an adult ticket for Alan. An adult ticket at the weekends is now £7!! £7!! That's crazy!! Watch any two movies in the same month and you would have exceeded the monthly fee for the Unlimited card! Lol! Then I drove to the gym, knowing our tickets for 4:10pm showing was secured and there was no need to queue later in the afternoon.
At the gym I ran for 45mins walked for 5mins. In the 50mins I covered 7.72km on 0.5 degree incline and burning 717kcals. Immense!! Felt so good after it! Then I did stretching and worked on my abs, ending with the plank and side planks. I'll need to look further into the plank exercises, cos the ones I did today tired out my arms and shoulders more than my midriff. Haha! Then I went through to the weights room and tried out the new regime I mentioned in my previous post.
Wide-grip pull up: x8
Behind-neck pull up: x5
Dumbbell press: One set with 27.5kg, Two sets with 30kg
Dumbbell flyers: One set with 20kg, then Two sets with 22.5kg (could only manage 5 reps in last set)
Seated compound row: One set 200lbs, Two sets 215lbs
Arnold press + Front deltoid raise + Side deltoid raise + Rear deltoid raise: All at 8 reps with 12.5kg dumbbells
Dumbbell curls: One set at 17.5kg, then two sets at 20kg
Weighted side exercise: Two x 10 reps with 25kg disk
Reverse barbell curls: One set 15kg, Two sets 17.5kg
Tricep dips: Two sets of 12 dips
Seated tricep extensions: One set at 35kg
To relax at the end of my workout I went down to the steam room and sauna and spent about half an hour there chilling out before going back up for a shower. Skin felt really nice, and still does! :)
I went home to have lunch: a 'zhong' (rice parcel) with some pork char siu and some vegetables, then drove out to meet Alan at Chinatown carpark and we walked to Cineworld to meet William for 'Transformers 2'. The 4:10pm showing was in Screen 3 and it was near full in this busy Saturday. The movie was good. The sound effects in the screen was very good. However, there seemed to be an issue with the audio in the film. Whenever there was dialogue, sound would only come out from the front so we had to strain out ears sometimes to make out what they were saying. After the movie we discussed it and thought maybe the audio was fine, but the special effects was on louder than normal, which could have made audio sound weird. Overall a good movie, although I dozed off in the middle as I was tired from the gym, but also cos it was a little bit long. :P
I came home to have dinner: 1.5 bowls of rice, some pieces of smoked haddock, a few mini chicken kievs and the main dish of beef with baby corn and sugar snaps. Lots of protein from the beef and vitamins and minerals from the veg. Rice provided carbs as well. Mini chicken kievs I tried to avoid because it was oven food and had cheese filling, but had some for the chicken. Smoked haddock is good as it has protein and fish oils :)
(3508)
16 June 2009
"Star Trek"
I'm am on annual leave from work today, tomorrow and Thursday. Thought I'd take some time off to coincide with mum's few days off as well so we can spend some time together and also help her with job-hunting.
So this morning I woke up at the slightly later than workday time of 7:30am, but felt too tired to get up, so slept in for fifteen mins. Had breakfast and packed for the gym. I didn't get into the gym till just after 9am because all the free parking spaces close to the gym were taken so I ended up parking at Athole Gardens and walking over the mighty incline of Great George Street.
Treadmill 20mins
Rowing machine 10mins
Abs x240 reps between 7 different exercises
Standard pull ups x8
Behind the neck pull ups x5
Incline dumbbell press 25kg 3x8
Decline dumbbell press 20kg 2x8
Reverse barbell curls 5kg x10
Bit rushed for time so I just left it at that.
Showered and went home for quick lunch before going out to meet Ann. We practiced Pedestrian Crossing with Use of Signals. I was more confident with it today and managed to control the lesson quite well as well as managing to identify the faults she intentionally made. After the practice I went to my local library to prepare for my next practice session, but unfortunately the study room was closed for a meeting, so I just drove home to do some work, but ended up eating fruits, drinking tea and eating Malay cake. Then mum came home with more cakes and I ended up eating half of a taro bun which mum bought from the Chinese bakery near Matthew's Cash & Carry. At 4:30pm I knew I could not finish my preparation so I got ready for going out to watch "Star Trek" at Cineworld.
"Star Trek", first released in UK on 8th May but I had not watched it as I was never a "Star Trek" fan on the tv. However, today I had a choice of this or "Angels & Demons", "The Hangover" and "Finding Eric" and decided to give "Star Trek" a chance since it was a Recommended film in Cineworld. The film was good, but I don't think as great as some reviews have. I think it would mean a lot more to the 'Trekkies' who have been fans since the television days, as it plays as a prequel to the very start introducing the characters like Captain Kirk, Spock and Montgomery Scott, whom I finally understand who the phrase "Beam me up, Scotty!" is directed to. The film is a sci-fi, but does not 'hit the spot' for me as the "Star Wars" films do. Maybe because it has less battle scenes and more dialogue. It is not short of special effects or course, and is one film I will expect to look and sound amazing on blu-ray. But...nah... I'd rather watch a Star Wars film again any day :)
I came home after the film to have dinner with mum and then after I washed up, went online to blog. I am going to re-read the "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" book after I publish this, because the film is coming out in UK on 15th July and I wanna refresh myself of the storyline before I catch this long-awaited instalment into the wonderful collection :D
So this morning I woke up at the slightly later than workday time of 7:30am, but felt too tired to get up, so slept in for fifteen mins. Had breakfast and packed for the gym. I didn't get into the gym till just after 9am because all the free parking spaces close to the gym were taken so I ended up parking at Athole Gardens and walking over the mighty incline of Great George Street.
Treadmill 20mins
Rowing machine 10mins
Abs x240 reps between 7 different exercises
Standard pull ups x8
Behind the neck pull ups x5
Incline dumbbell press 25kg 3x8
Decline dumbbell press 20kg 2x8
Reverse barbell curls 5kg x10
Bit rushed for time so I just left it at that.
Showered and went home for quick lunch before going out to meet Ann. We practiced Pedestrian Crossing with Use of Signals. I was more confident with it today and managed to control the lesson quite well as well as managing to identify the faults she intentionally made. After the practice I went to my local library to prepare for my next practice session, but unfortunately the study room was closed for a meeting, so I just drove home to do some work, but ended up eating fruits, drinking tea and eating Malay cake. Then mum came home with more cakes and I ended up eating half of a taro bun which mum bought from the Chinese bakery near Matthew's Cash & Carry. At 4:30pm I knew I could not finish my preparation so I got ready for going out to watch "Star Trek" at Cineworld.
"Star Trek", first released in UK on 8th May but I had not watched it as I was never a "Star Trek" fan on the tv. However, today I had a choice of this or "Angels & Demons", "The Hangover" and "Finding Eric" and decided to give "Star Trek" a chance since it was a Recommended film in Cineworld. The film was good, but I don't think as great as some reviews have. I think it would mean a lot more to the 'Trekkies' who have been fans since the television days, as it plays as a prequel to the very start introducing the characters like Captain Kirk, Spock and Montgomery Scott, whom I finally understand who the phrase "Beam me up, Scotty!" is directed to. The film is a sci-fi, but does not 'hit the spot' for me as the "Star Wars" films do. Maybe because it has less battle scenes and more dialogue. It is not short of special effects or course, and is one film I will expect to look and sound amazing on blu-ray. But...nah... I'd rather watch a Star Wars film again any day :)
I came home after the film to have dinner with mum and then after I washed up, went online to blog. I am going to re-read the "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" book after I publish this, because the film is coming out in UK on 15th July and I wanna refresh myself of the storyline before I catch this long-awaited instalment into the wonderful collection :D
04 March 2009
Change needed
It's not easy working, studying and gymming. Has anybody else ever tried working a day in the office 08:30am-5pm, then studying in the library 6pm-8pm followed by the gum between 8pm-10pm? I have been doing that every Tuesday and Thursday since January...and it SUCKS!!
My recent bright idea of a change or experiment in March, was indeed my body's cry out for something else in life. Something to bring excitement. The past two months have gone by almost in auto-pilot: mainly around work, study, gym, work, study, gym, church, cinema, party, work, study, gym... (you get the picture!). If it weren't for Elaam coming into my life, it would be very boring I tell ya. She has brought the fun back into me and we have spent quality time together, providing each other with words of encouragement, prayers of support, great food and love. I thank God for it all. =)
However, this morning at work, in my boredom (yes, it was really really quiet work today!!) I was thinking that I really need to sort out my weekly schedules out. Ideally I do not want to study then gym then go home to have dinner after 10pm!! It's stupid! I don't even like eating after 10pm, but because I come back from the gym around 10:30pm on Tuesday and Thursday nights I must eat after my workout. Need to stock up in protein and carbohydrates. Then, with a full stomach I look at the time, and it usually just leaves me with 45mins before my ideal bedtime of midnight. I don't want to sleep with a full stomach. Besides avoiding stored calories turning into fat, I also feel uncomfortable lying down with a stomach full of food. =/
So what alternatives do I have? Well ideally I'd like to try gymming, eating then studying. That way I know my food will definitely have time to digest whilst I exercise my brain. However, what library opens past 8pm? I am no longer a student so I can't get into university libraries. Even if I can get in, the idea of using someone else's matric card to get through the turnstiles still makes me a little weary. And I don't like borrowing people's stuff cos I like freedom to use the card anytime/ day I want and that is not a viable option. People have exams as well so will also need to study. So... no library to go to after gym and dinner. What's else?
I have decided NOT to do the two things in any one day. That is, after work on a week day, I will only either go to the gym or go to the library. There should be no real need to study and gym, cramming everything in like that. It takes too much time and I only have 7 hours between finishing work and sleeping at midnight. I do need time to chill, really. I have resorted to spread my activities out over the week instead.
Here's what I do in a typical week (outwith work): Library, Gym, Cinema, Church, Time with Elaam. I am not sure how I'm going to spread these things out. But I know I'd like to keep Sunday free from these activities. I want Sunday to be a day of rest. To not think about work (I don't anyway!) or studying or even going to the gym. I want Sundays 'off' to just chillax. To go to church, possibly serve, feed from Jesus then to socialise with brothers and sisters in Christ, see Elaam or go home. That's it. I don't want anything strenuous on a Sunday. Even when I work as a driving instructor, I plan to take Sundays off. :)
So that's Sunday out of the way... what about the rest of the week?
With the exception of Mitchell Library, the rest of the City Council libraries open till 8pm on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. (Mitchell incudes a Wednesday). All other days they close at 5pm, so that is ruled out. We can confirm Mondays, Tuesday and Thursdays are the best days to study after work, right?
The gym opens till 10:30pm week days and till 5:30pm weekends. But I don't want to look at the late closing time as I'd want to have left the gym well before 10pm. Ideally around 8-8:30pm!
Orange Wednesdays happen once a week. That's when I enjoy a movie with Elaam. We have watched six movies at the cinema so far and our seventh one, Gran Torino, will be tonight!! =D I don't want to give up going to the cinema.
If I gym Monday, Wednesday, Friday, I could possibly study Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday(?!)... erm, nah! Don't think I'd like to study on a Sat! I'd rather gym! Also, another reason why I would not want to set up gym on Mondays and Fridays is because those are the bank holiday days and the gym would find any excuse to close early on like mid-term, Easter, Christmas etc. They always seem to affect the Fridays and Mondays - that sucks! So it's a safer option to choose Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday to gym.
Ok, that's it!! Monday: study, Tuesday: gym, Wednesday: study and Orange Wednesday, Thursday: gym, Friday: study (but where? - everywhere shuts at 5pm!), Saturday: gym, Sunday: chillax! There! Sorted...I think! Only leaves me with how I can study on a Friday if no libraries are open. The only option is to consider Western Infirmary library. But! Hm... not too sure about that. Maybe time spent with my AA Instructor, Ronnie, is also classed as studying because after all, it is AA-related. So I'll either have my AA training on Fridays after work or Saturday mornings. We'll see about that.
Yes, so after all this, I think I have found a new schedule for my life as of next Monday! I will study after work from 6pm till roughy 8pm, if it rolls over then ok, if not, then I'll get dinner at home or with Elaam. (Did I ever mention Elaam is a great cook?) Finishing studying or gym early will mean I will not be sleeping with a full stomach anymore and I will hope to be in bed for midnight every night, waking up at 7am on weekdays. :)
Thanks for reading!! =P
My recent bright idea of a change or experiment in March, was indeed my body's cry out for something else in life. Something to bring excitement. The past two months have gone by almost in auto-pilot: mainly around work, study, gym, work, study, gym, church, cinema, party, work, study, gym... (you get the picture!). If it weren't for Elaam coming into my life, it would be very boring I tell ya. She has brought the fun back into me and we have spent quality time together, providing each other with words of encouragement, prayers of support, great food and love. I thank God for it all. =)
However, this morning at work, in my boredom (yes, it was really really quiet work today!!) I was thinking that I really need to sort out my weekly schedules out. Ideally I do not want to study then gym then go home to have dinner after 10pm!! It's stupid! I don't even like eating after 10pm, but because I come back from the gym around 10:30pm on Tuesday and Thursday nights I must eat after my workout. Need to stock up in protein and carbohydrates. Then, with a full stomach I look at the time, and it usually just leaves me with 45mins before my ideal bedtime of midnight. I don't want to sleep with a full stomach. Besides avoiding stored calories turning into fat, I also feel uncomfortable lying down with a stomach full of food. =/
So what alternatives do I have? Well ideally I'd like to try gymming, eating then studying. That way I know my food will definitely have time to digest whilst I exercise my brain. However, what library opens past 8pm? I am no longer a student so I can't get into university libraries. Even if I can get in, the idea of using someone else's matric card to get through the turnstiles still makes me a little weary. And I don't like borrowing people's stuff cos I like freedom to use the card anytime/ day I want and that is not a viable option. People have exams as well so will also need to study. So... no library to go to after gym and dinner. What's else?
I have decided NOT to do the two things in any one day. That is, after work on a week day, I will only either go to the gym or go to the library. There should be no real need to study and gym, cramming everything in like that. It takes too much time and I only have 7 hours between finishing work and sleeping at midnight. I do need time to chill, really. I have resorted to spread my activities out over the week instead.
Here's what I do in a typical week (outwith work): Library, Gym, Cinema, Church, Time with Elaam. I am not sure how I'm going to spread these things out. But I know I'd like to keep Sunday free from these activities. I want Sunday to be a day of rest. To not think about work (I don't anyway!) or studying or even going to the gym. I want Sundays 'off' to just chillax. To go to church, possibly serve, feed from Jesus then to socialise with brothers and sisters in Christ, see Elaam or go home. That's it. I don't want anything strenuous on a Sunday. Even when I work as a driving instructor, I plan to take Sundays off. :)
So that's Sunday out of the way... what about the rest of the week?
With the exception of Mitchell Library, the rest of the City Council libraries open till 8pm on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. (Mitchell incudes a Wednesday). All other days they close at 5pm, so that is ruled out. We can confirm Mondays, Tuesday and Thursdays are the best days to study after work, right?
The gym opens till 10:30pm week days and till 5:30pm weekends. But I don't want to look at the late closing time as I'd want to have left the gym well before 10pm. Ideally around 8-8:30pm!
Orange Wednesdays happen once a week. That's when I enjoy a movie with Elaam. We have watched six movies at the cinema so far and our seventh one, Gran Torino, will be tonight!! =D I don't want to give up going to the cinema.
If I gym Monday, Wednesday, Friday, I could possibly study Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday(?!)... erm, nah! Don't think I'd like to study on a Sat! I'd rather gym! Also, another reason why I would not want to set up gym on Mondays and Fridays is because those are the bank holiday days and the gym would find any excuse to close early on like mid-term, Easter, Christmas etc. They always seem to affect the Fridays and Mondays - that sucks! So it's a safer option to choose Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday to gym.
Ok, that's it!! Monday: study, Tuesday: gym, Wednesday: study and Orange Wednesday, Thursday: gym, Friday: study (but where? - everywhere shuts at 5pm!), Saturday: gym, Sunday: chillax! There! Sorted...I think! Only leaves me with how I can study on a Friday if no libraries are open. The only option is to consider Western Infirmary library. But! Hm... not too sure about that. Maybe time spent with my AA Instructor, Ronnie, is also classed as studying because after all, it is AA-related. So I'll either have my AA training on Fridays after work or Saturday mornings. We'll see about that.
Yes, so after all this, I think I have found a new schedule for my life as of next Monday! I will study after work from 6pm till roughy 8pm, if it rolls over then ok, if not, then I'll get dinner at home or with Elaam. (Did I ever mention Elaam is a great cook?) Finishing studying or gym early will mean I will not be sleeping with a full stomach anymore and I will hope to be in bed for midnight every night, waking up at 7am on weekdays. :)
Thanks for reading!! =P
02 January 2009
Eventful start
Hogmanay at Ming's new flat.
Finished work at 3pm on Hogmanay, went home to rest and change before going out to meet Oswald for dinner at Rumours and movie at Cineworld. I had Lemongrass pork chops with rice for the first time. Was quite nice. Oz tried some and liked it too. Was good to catch up a bit but time was kinda short as we had to catch 'Australia' at 1900hrs. The film was a bit long really. I knew it would be more Pearl Harbour (love story) than Moulin Rouge (musical), but although the story was made interesting with history on the life of the aborigines in Australia during war times, it was just a bit too long. A big shout out to Yeun Wah (元華) for his comedic lines as Nicole Kidman's butler. He spoke Cantonese as well! Haha!
Dropped Oz off home, picked up Mel and Nicholas and a tv and went over to Ming's flat for the birthday surprise for Vic. There was no tv at the flat, so we looked at our mobile phones for the time to countdown. The fireworks we saw outside the window confirmed we had entered into 2009!! Yay!! After a moment of sharing our hopes and dreams for the year and praying for each other we headed home. In my car I took Mel, Nic, Vic, Roxane and Snoopy.
New Year's at Chung household.
James' family invited my family over for dinner at Kilmarnock. I met James' cousin Stephen who is a qualified and working driving instructor. Spoke to him about my career plans etc. He reckoned I should work as an independent driving school instead of taking a franchise. This would depend on the capital of course. We exchanged numbers and I will contact him to discuss more once I get this upcoming test out of the way. Dinner at pretty early at 4pm. There was sooo much food on the table I didn't know where to start and I definitely could not finish. There was entertainment in the forms of Nintendo DS, PS2 Singstar, playing cards, the internet, Chinese karaoke (adults only! lol!) and continous supply for food and drink: juice, pepsi, chocolates, Chinese cakes, noodles and not to forget Jessica's birthday cake which was huuuuge and very yummy! =9 I don't think I have continuously eaten so much in one day before. Haha! After eating noodles at 2300hrs I really had to call it a night and drove back to Glasgow as I had an early start the next day.
[p.s. mum sang karaoke for the first time EVER!! tonight. Teresa Teng's Moonlight Represents My Heart]
Friday 2nd Jan with Ming (annual leave)
Woke up at 8am and met up with Ming to hire a van from Enterprise at 9am. Would usually have been given a Ford Transit, but they didn't have any available at the time so they gave me a Vauxhall Vivaro, which was an automatic. Have never driven an automatic before. The thought of not really being in control of the car's speed and gears was a little daunting and exciting at the same time. However, a prayer before we set off was all that was needed to help me see the 'shift stick' had an A/M option, which I assumed allowed me to switch it to semi-manual. So instead of just using brake and gas all day I got to control the six gears (yes, SIX gears!!) by pushing the shift stick to + to go up a gear and - to go down a gear. Even tried out the full automatic function as well before handing the van back in the afternoon. So we covered quite a lot of Kilmarnock in our day out: Ming's house, Morrison's Comet, Curry's. Then over to IKEA, then Ming's flat to offload, then Comet in Parkhead area, pick up Nic, back to Ming's and then back to Enterprise by 2:30pm!
Headed straight to worship practice with Dilane and Kerry at 3pm. Felt quite tired by the end of the night. Went to bed hoping I would get Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 for my PS3 the next morning, as Royal Mail in Scotland were still on New Year's holiday...
01 January 2009
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to all my readers. I hope everyone had a good time welcoming the new year, no matter if you spent it yourself, or with friends, with family or even slept through it - welcome to 2009! =D
As I prayed with a few brothers and sisters after the stroke the midnight, I gave thanks to God for bringing us through the past year. A year of ups and downs. We should be grateful for the good stuff He gave us, the happy times. And not to forget be grateful to God for helping us through the bad times too, the dire times of worry, of negativity or sense of doom. No matter what we have gone through, God had always been there and always will be there. He is the same yesterday, today and forevermore! =)
So on this cheerful note: let me jot down my hopes/ dreams/ aspirations for the year 2009. Last night when we went round the table sharing our hopes and dreams, my answers were:
'to progress with career whether it's in driving instruction or not. and to save up for buy a house.'
So allow me to elaborate on these points, but back in the main areas of my life which are important to me, as written down in the prelude post.
Career - I want to get this advanced test taken, over and done with soon so I can progress with my third module in driving instruction. Learning to teach people. It is my desire to be a driving instructor. Having been through the rollercoaster ride with my previous test attempts, I have learnt to submit everything to God. I trust that He has a plan for me, in driving instruction or in another area altogether.
Love - I would like to explore the possibilities of developing something nice with a special someone. We need to keep God involved in this, guiding us, speaking to us individually and whilst we pray together. Patience is the key to this. The matters of the heart is not something to play about with.
Property - I want to work hard and save hard towards a good deposit to go towards a property of my own. Though the house prices have dropped due to the credit crunch, it is also the credit crunch which has pushed up the banks' demand for a higher amount of deposit to be paid. Ideally I'd like to get something in 2010 and will start looking at the housing market as the year goes on. But if God provides something before then, I am willing to accept.
Health - I will continue with gym workouts, training and building muscle and power. I want to be content with what I have at the same time.
Family - The pressures of being the man of the house, and the son of the family does get to me sometimes. But I thank God for helping me through all these years. He will be the same this year too. I hope our family unit will continue to grow stronger together with Christ as the head of our household.
Films - Yes, this is one area I want to make a change in. After watching 'Zack & Miri Make a Porno' a few weeks ago I was appalled at the graphic nature of certain scenes. I felt very uncomfortable watching such scenes. As I grow closer to God, I shall be more aware of my movie choices and avoid situations where I may grieve the Holy Spirit in me. May my eyes be clean for God this year and beyond!
World events - This is less personal, but I hope there are no more wars, bombings, air strikes, floods, credit crunches. That we are all able to appreciate each other for what we're worth and see each and everyone as Jesus would see us. If we all value each other's lives we would not be hurting each other so much.
Ok, I'm gonna get ready to make lunch soon. Will be heading over to Kilmarnock with family to have dinner with James' family. Have not been there since Christmas a good few years ago, so this should be great fun as we've all grown up so much now. Victoria was only 8 the last time we were there, so she recalls. Hehe! Peace out!
As I prayed with a few brothers and sisters after the stroke the midnight, I gave thanks to God for bringing us through the past year. A year of ups and downs. We should be grateful for the good stuff He gave us, the happy times. And not to forget be grateful to God for helping us through the bad times too, the dire times of worry, of negativity or sense of doom. No matter what we have gone through, God had always been there and always will be there. He is the same yesterday, today and forevermore! =)
So on this cheerful note: let me jot down my hopes/ dreams/ aspirations for the year 2009. Last night when we went round the table sharing our hopes and dreams, my answers were:
'to progress with career whether it's in driving instruction or not. and to save up for buy a house.'
So allow me to elaborate on these points, but back in the main areas of my life which are important to me, as written down in the prelude post.
Career - I want to get this advanced test taken, over and done with soon so I can progress with my third module in driving instruction. Learning to teach people. It is my desire to be a driving instructor. Having been through the rollercoaster ride with my previous test attempts, I have learnt to submit everything to God. I trust that He has a plan for me, in driving instruction or in another area altogether.
Love - I would like to explore the possibilities of developing something nice with a special someone. We need to keep God involved in this, guiding us, speaking to us individually and whilst we pray together. Patience is the key to this. The matters of the heart is not something to play about with.
Property - I want to work hard and save hard towards a good deposit to go towards a property of my own. Though the house prices have dropped due to the credit crunch, it is also the credit crunch which has pushed up the banks' demand for a higher amount of deposit to be paid. Ideally I'd like to get something in 2010 and will start looking at the housing market as the year goes on. But if God provides something before then, I am willing to accept.
Health - I will continue with gym workouts, training and building muscle and power. I want to be content with what I have at the same time.
Family - The pressures of being the man of the house, and the son of the family does get to me sometimes. But I thank God for helping me through all these years. He will be the same this year too. I hope our family unit will continue to grow stronger together with Christ as the head of our household.
Films - Yes, this is one area I want to make a change in. After watching 'Zack & Miri Make a Porno' a few weeks ago I was appalled at the graphic nature of certain scenes. I felt very uncomfortable watching such scenes. As I grow closer to God, I shall be more aware of my movie choices and avoid situations where I may grieve the Holy Spirit in me. May my eyes be clean for God this year and beyond!
World events - This is less personal, but I hope there are no more wars, bombings, air strikes, floods, credit crunches. That we are all able to appreciate each other for what we're worth and see each and everyone as Jesus would see us. If we all value each other's lives we would not be hurting each other so much.
Ok, I'm gonna get ready to make lunch soon. Will be heading over to Kilmarnock with family to have dinner with James' family. Have not been there since Christmas a good few years ago, so this should be great fun as we've all grown up so much now. Victoria was only 8 the last time we were there, so she recalls. Hehe! Peace out!
29 December 2008
Christmas Days
Has been a few days since I lost posted. In fact, it was Christmas Eve and I didn't get the chance to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! So I hope everyone had a blessed time at Christmas getting some good presents and spending quality time with your family or closest friends, celebrating the true meaning of Christmas which is Jesus coming to Earth as a baby. What a story! What a Man! :)
As usual the last four of holidays have gone by so quickly. And here I am back in the office at Desk 50. Typing up on my journal in the second half of my lunch break. The in-between-Christmas-and-New-Year time gives a weird feeling. We are at work, yet it does not feel as 'serious' as it usually does. You know certain work you do will not really be effective until after 5th January when everything returns to 'normal'. But you still have to work, whilst many other people are chilling out at home, watching crap daytime tv (haha!), playing games, at the carnival, checking out the sales etc. Work has been busy this morning, surprisingly. My counterpart, David, is off until 2nd Jan so I'll be dealing with most of the stuff myself for today, tomorrow and Wed. But fortunately I have taken annual leave on 2nd Jan so will have another long weekend! Yay!! Let's see if I remember what I've been up to in the days off.
Christmas Day: Got up around 0830hrs to put the turkey joint into the oven to cook and went back to bed. Got up again at 1030hrs Cat decorated the kitchen table with red tablecloth, wine glasses and fruit bowl and Christmas lights, and hung some baubles around the door ways etc. The Christmas feel started stirring, but unfortunately there was no snow this year. Booo... We took a family pic before having lunch, then I put on Mamma Mia! dvd for mum and Cat to watch whilst I washed up. I joined in with the ABBA fever after bringing in hot apple pie with custard for dessert. Mum really enjoyed 'Mamma Mia!' She said she thought about buying the dvd a few days ago, but didn't when the price in ASDA store was different from price ASDA advertised on TV. But Cat then borrowed it from Elaine in youth group as a surprise for mum, so that was amazing and we thank God for providing! :) After 'Mamma Mia!' I played a bit of PS3 and then went online. When it was close to dinner time we didn't feel like eating as we were so stuffed from lunch. So decided to have tea and biscuits whilst watching a Stephen Chow comedy called 'Love is Love'. The film was more of a drama than a comedy, telling of a couple's relationship as they had gone from being poor to being rich and the troubles that came along with it etc. My mind was constantly thinking of sleeping and also of watching 'Iron Man' on blu-ray which would have been the alternative. [So as of yet, I have not watched 'Iron Man' or '300' on blu-ray on my PS3. Anybody interested in watching with me? Hehe!] Went to bed at 2300hrs to prepare for the early rise for Boxing Day Sale!!!
Boxing Day: Woke up at 06:10hrs, had something to eat, met up with Charlotte Tai for the Next Boxing Day Sale. I parked at Buchanan Bus Station and walked to Next. This is our third consequetive year going for the sales at this early time. It has become a 'tradition' now. Though this year Alfred Tan was back in Singapore and Aaron Goh was still working his night shift, Charlotte and I had to go to keep the tradition going. We are hardcore bargain hunters. Lol! Went to Ming's new place to do some painting and cleaning. Then came home for dinner and watched TVB with mummy.
Saturday 27th December: Went out to Forge Shopping Centre then Glasgow Fort Shopping Centre to look for Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 but came back empty-handed. Went shopping with Ming for stuff for his new flat, then walked to town to Zavvi, Gamestation and HMV for Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 again, but found it at £29.97 the cheapest. Still £5 over my budget, so decided I'd get it online instead. Walked home. The journey from George Square to my house took 25mins the last time I walked it, in the summer I think. It took 30mins this time as my bag was much heavier and I didn't want to walk to fast cos I hate getting hot and sweaty after stepping inside. Had dinner, (Cat's roast beef, potatoes and Yorkshire pudding) then watched more TVB with mummy.
Sunday 28th December: Went to the gym and worked on shoulders, legs and abs. Felt very sluggish and slow this particular morning. Spent more time sitting and resting than actually doing anything. Squats really tired my legs out. Couldn't complete three sets of dumbbell lunges later. Had lunch in the gym carpark before going to Glasgow Chinese Christian Church for the 39th anniversary and baptism service. Caleb and Dilane were baptised from the English Ministry, amongst the 8 brothers and sisters. After the service I had some food before going to cinema to watch 'Yes Man'. 'Yes Man' was a bit better than the last Jim Carrey movie I saw, which was 'Fun with Dick and Jane'. That was dire. This one was a little funnier but wasn't great. Nothing that original about it and also had a sexual scene in it involving an elderly woman. Sigh... After the film I dropped a few folk off then headed home for dinner. Chatted on the phone for a while :) Had work the next morning (today), so could only watch one episode of TVB's 'Love Exchange' later before hitting the hay.
As usual the last four of holidays have gone by so quickly. And here I am back in the office at Desk 50. Typing up on my journal in the second half of my lunch break. The in-between-Christmas-and-New-Year time gives a weird feeling. We are at work, yet it does not feel as 'serious' as it usually does. You know certain work you do will not really be effective until after 5th January when everything returns to 'normal'. But you still have to work, whilst many other people are chilling out at home, watching crap daytime tv (haha!), playing games, at the carnival, checking out the sales etc. Work has been busy this morning, surprisingly. My counterpart, David, is off until 2nd Jan so I'll be dealing with most of the stuff myself for today, tomorrow and Wed. But fortunately I have taken annual leave on 2nd Jan so will have another long weekend! Yay!! Let's see if I remember what I've been up to in the days off.
Christmas Day: Got up around 0830hrs to put the turkey joint into the oven to cook and went back to bed. Got up again at 1030hrs Cat decorated the kitchen table with red tablecloth, wine glasses and fruit bowl and Christmas lights, and hung some baubles around the door ways etc. The Christmas feel started stirring, but unfortunately there was no snow this year. Booo... We took a family pic before having lunch, then I put on Mamma Mia! dvd for mum and Cat to watch whilst I washed up. I joined in with the ABBA fever after bringing in hot apple pie with custard for dessert. Mum really enjoyed 'Mamma Mia!' She said she thought about buying the dvd a few days ago, but didn't when the price in ASDA store was different from price ASDA advertised on TV. But Cat then borrowed it from Elaine in youth group as a surprise for mum, so that was amazing and we thank God for providing! :) After 'Mamma Mia!' I played a bit of PS3 and then went online. When it was close to dinner time we didn't feel like eating as we were so stuffed from lunch. So decided to have tea and biscuits whilst watching a Stephen Chow comedy called 'Love is Love'. The film was more of a drama than a comedy, telling of a couple's relationship as they had gone from being poor to being rich and the troubles that came along with it etc. My mind was constantly thinking of sleeping and also of watching 'Iron Man' on blu-ray which would have been the alternative. [So as of yet, I have not watched 'Iron Man' or '300' on blu-ray on my PS3. Anybody interested in watching with me? Hehe!] Went to bed at 2300hrs to prepare for the early rise for Boxing Day Sale!!!
Boxing Day: Woke up at 06:10hrs, had something to eat, met up with Charlotte Tai for the Next Boxing Day Sale. I parked at Buchanan Bus Station and walked to Next. This is our third consequetive year going for the sales at this early time. It has become a 'tradition' now. Though this year Alfred Tan was back in Singapore and Aaron Goh was still working his night shift, Charlotte and I had to go to keep the tradition going. We are hardcore bargain hunters. Lol! Went to Ming's new place to do some painting and cleaning. Then came home for dinner and watched TVB with mummy.
Saturday 27th December: Went out to Forge Shopping Centre then Glasgow Fort Shopping Centre to look for Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 but came back empty-handed. Went shopping with Ming for stuff for his new flat, then walked to town to Zavvi, Gamestation and HMV for Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 again, but found it at £29.97 the cheapest. Still £5 over my budget, so decided I'd get it online instead. Walked home. The journey from George Square to my house took 25mins the last time I walked it, in the summer I think. It took 30mins this time as my bag was much heavier and I didn't want to walk to fast cos I hate getting hot and sweaty after stepping inside. Had dinner, (Cat's roast beef, potatoes and Yorkshire pudding) then watched more TVB with mummy.
Sunday 28th December: Went to the gym and worked on shoulders, legs and abs. Felt very sluggish and slow this particular morning. Spent more time sitting and resting than actually doing anything. Squats really tired my legs out. Couldn't complete three sets of dumbbell lunges later. Had lunch in the gym carpark before going to Glasgow Chinese Christian Church for the 39th anniversary and baptism service. Caleb and Dilane were baptised from the English Ministry, amongst the 8 brothers and sisters. After the service I had some food before going to cinema to watch 'Yes Man'. 'Yes Man' was a bit better than the last Jim Carrey movie I saw, which was 'Fun with Dick and Jane'. That was dire. This one was a little funnier but wasn't great. Nothing that original about it and also had a sexual scene in it involving an elderly woman. Sigh... After the film I dropped a few folk off then headed home for dinner. Chatted on the phone for a while :) Had work the next morning (today), so could only watch one episode of TVB's 'Love Exchange' later before hitting the hay.
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