Shape Run 2009 at Raffles Boulevard.

Reporting the carnage in my mind…

Before the race started:

7:00 AM      Why are there still so many participants milling about all over the world? We’re supposed to gather at the start point by 6:45 am. Some people are still having coffee in Starbucks.

7:01 AM      Queuing up at 5 km waiting point, near the front. So many girls in pink. But I don’t see 8,000 people.

7:10 AM      Hahaha. Someone is wearing Standard Chartered Marathon tee from last year.

7:15 AM      I need to pee.

7:16 AM      I already peed three times in the last 30 minutes! Stupid bladder.

7:17 AM      That giant bowl of milk (with cereal) and that glass of water were taken at 5 am. Why does my body produce so much water by itself? I hate hate hate my bladder.

7:20 AM      STOMACH ACHE!!! DAMN YOU CEREAL. DAMN YOU WATER.

7:30 AM      Can they start already???!!! DJ talk so much in front but it’s all muffled. Can’t hear a thing. 10 km participants pushing through every 10 seconds to get to the front. Irritating.

7:35 AM      Zzz… Need to pee. Need to toilet. I hate Shape Run. I hate latecomers. I hate Singapore events for never starting on time.

7:40 AM      Finally 10km flag off! Relief! Why is everyone clapping? Flag off also must clap? Never mind just clap cos it’s kinda cool.

7:45 AM      5 km people allowed to run up to official starting line to queue up and wait some more. Some 10 km people have just arrived and are hurriedly joining the race. Siao lah, so late.

7:50 AM      DJ, stop talking so much, flag us off already before my bladder explodes.

7:55 AM      FINALLY. I DON’T BELIEVE THEY ARE LETTING US START.

Photo taken after run.

During the race:

00 MINS      The feeling of starting a run is amazing. The feeling of starting an organised run, everyone wearing the same top, having the same mind and purpose, is actually quite awesome. IN LOVE!

01 MIN      FEELS GREAT RUNNING ON AN EMPTY ROAD IN THE EARLY MORNING!

01 MIN      Okay okay don’t get carried away. Slow down, don’t get burnt out.

02 MINS      Die. Feel tired already. See lah, so kan cheong for what. Sloooooooooooow doooooooown. Negative split. Catch up later.

03 MINS      Damn I am so out of shape.

04 MINS      Bladder full, check. Desperately need bowel evacuation, check. Period started today, check. Haven’t run in a month, check.

05 MINS      Stop being negative! Just run your best. You’re not competing. Don’t need to break any records. Just finish the race.

06 MINS      Aaaarrghh people overtaking me. And I am already FREAKING TIRED AND WHEEZING.

07 MINS      Shhh, shhh… don’t care them. You’re not competing. You’re not breaking records. Just finish the race. Try and achieve your average training timing (33 minutes). Okay okay, give you +5 minutes since you’re not feeling well and you haven’t trained in a while.

08 MINS      What did I get myself into again? Why do I always torture myself like that? I hate running. I don’t ever want to join a race again!

09 MINS      I feel like I’ve run 5 km already. But I’m sure if I asked someone now, they’d say it’s only 1 km. I hate running. But I know that after I finish, I will love running again. WHAT THE FFFFFFFFFFFFF IS WRONG WITH ME?

09 MINS      I’m glad I’m only running 5 km. I WILL NEVER EVER RUN MORE THAN 5 km for races!!!!

10 MINS      Mind over matter, com’on. Remember how you’re always so confident that you can endure physical challenges and exceed your limits? Remember you believe how it’s possible to ignore all pain and discomfort and just focus on the objective?

11 MINS      Shuddup. I only believe all that when my body is at rest and my heart is not trying to jump out of my chest.

12 MINS      Remember… after a run, you always regret not pushing yourself harder while you’re at it?

13 MINS      Shuddup. I’m a nincompoop. I wish I’d studied the map more carefully. I don’t even know how far I’ve come and how far more to go. How to negative split like that?

14 MINS      It’s only a 30-minute race, don’t be a ninny. Just burst through it and then you can rest and pee and shit. There is plenty of time to run leisurely at your happy snail’s pace at other times. When it’s not a race.

15 MINS      I’m not even racing lah! I just want to finish at a decent timing. So why get so stressed out? Just run lor.

15 MINS      No no no… cannot slack. It’s an achievement thing. It’s a pride thing. Must at least maintain personal record.

16 MINS      This looks like a halfway mark since we’re making a big U-Turn. TIME TO PICK UP PACE!

16 MINS      WTF? Only halfway? I’m done already! I dowan to run already. People are overtaking me!! *cry*

17 MINS      Pick up the pace pick up the pace, if not you’ll go slower and slower and you will finish at 50 minutes and then you will regret it for the rest of your life! See see, so many people stop and walk. Your turn to overtake!!

18 MINS      Okay visualise a horse galloping. My legs are horse legs.

19 MINS      I think I feel a little stronger. I don’t feel my heart trying to jump out of my skin. I don’t feel my puny human legs crying for mercy. I’m all horse legs! I am a horse galloping with ease!

19 MINS      But I still can’t make myself go faster. Why?

20 MINS      Fuck the horse legs. My lungs are bursting.

21 MINS      WHERE IS THE DAMN FINISHING LINE!

22 MINS      Dammit, I really can’t pick up the pace. It’s all I can do to continue putting one foot in front of another. Negative split my ass.

23 MINS      MIND OVER MATTER!!!! Just suffer a few more minutes and then it’ll be done and you’ll be proud of yourself! COME ON! FASTER QUICK!! GOOOOO!!!!

24 MINS      Shuddup! You’re not the one who feels like you’re going to spontaneously combust. Weakly. Cos there is no more energy left to make a big bang.

25 MINS      I CAN SEE THE STARTING LINE! IS THAT THE FINISHING LINE ALSO?? DAMN WHY DIDN’T I MEMORISE THE ROUTE MAP?!?!??! Faster faster go gogo go legs go faster!

26 MINS      Dammit, legs. Why aren’t you going faster? We are finishing!!! Grrrr!

27 MINS      WHY IS THE FINISHING LINE NOT AT THE STARTING LINE?!?! KENA CHEATED WAH LAU!!! ARRRGGGGH. COM’ON IT MUST BE NEAR. JUST DO A BURST NOW AND IT”LL ALL BE OVER!

27 MINS      NOOOO…! CANNOT BURST! THERE IS NO MORE BURST LEFT IN ME. I HAVE NO MORE BREATH NO MORE STRENGTH NO MORE NOTHING. I AM DYING.

28 MINS      OMG IS THAT THE FINISHING LINE? So many people crowding at the sides here, taking photos. OMG OMG QUICK go faster don’t malu.

28 MINS      NO MORE STRENGTH LAH CANNOT. Can lah can can can go go go! CANNOT LAH. Can! Just one last burst! Only 50 metres DUH!! Come ON!

28 MINS      I see the finishing line! I see the clock! Hooray! OMG I am finishing under 30 minutes? It’s a miracle! Quick! Gogogogo before the clock reaches 30 minutes!

28 MINS      Arrrrrgh dying dying dying dying dying.

29 MINS      YESSSSSSS! I DID IT!!!!! WHEEEOOOOOT! SEE I TOLD YOU YOU WON’T DIE!

29 MINS      SHUDDUP, I FEEL LIKE DYING NOW.

29 MINS      Eh, why they wait 10 seconds to beep my timing chip? Cheat me 10 seconds!

Finisher bracelet:

Awww… isn’t that sweet and heartwarming?

I love running (again).

I am really pleased with my timing because I broke my record from two months ago.

I pushed past the line at around 29:05 today. I think my best timing two months ago was about 31 minutes. I had totally expected to clock 40 minutes today, due to all the unfortunate circumstances.

I guess this is why people continue with endurance sports, even though they hate it and they hate themselves during the moments when the going gets tough. Because finishing is fun.

And organised races are cool. We get tons of junk to take home.

I remember hating myself all the way through the race. I remember the pain and the torment. But I think I will forget again by the time the next race sign-up rolls around.

On the way to Orchard Road for a shoot. I’m nicely made up and wearing a pretty dress.

In a cab.

Five minutes into the ride, the taxi driver mumbles something in a friendly tone. I can’t hear clearly so I get him to repeat.

He says, in Mandarin, “Play music for you. If not it’s boring.”

His cab doesn’t have a stereo. He’s playing music off some tiny portable device. Can’to see what it is.

It’s one of those sentimental boyband songs.

The taxi driver continues saying, in an almost shy, conspiratorial tone, “Let you go dating in a good mood.”

In the midst of a dizzying week!

Besides frantically practising for my student concert, trying to iron out as many kinks as possible in my drum grooves, I also have tons of appointments.

Like, everyone wants me THIS WEEK and no week else.

I have meetings, events, shoots, interviews and birthday parties, on top of my gym classes, band concert and Shape Run 09. And, of course, blogging.

Three pairs of hands trying to figure out how to unwrap the protective sheet around our birthday cake.

Busy all the way till Sunday. Sorry for the lack of GGFs for three weeks. Regular service should be resuming next week!

I AM PERFORMING ON SUNDAY!! Stressed! Still making mistakes at today’s rehearsal. Ack.

Me and my band girls! I only met Jocelyn (guitarist) one month ago and Cheryl (vocalist) two weeks ago. We’ve only had, like, three short rehearsals together, due to some unfortunate circumstances.

But it’s a lot of fun (if you minus all the stress).

I think we should be able to sound coherent on Sunday. Come and support our event, okay?

This Sunday, 6pm – 9pm, at The Crazy Elephant. I still don’t know what time we’re on, though.

Above: Fugene, our band director, also Jocelyn’s guitar instructor.

I camwhored in a hotel toilet yesterday. Was at Carlton Hotel for a business lunch.

I needed to decide whether to tuck my hair behind my ears or let it down for a photoshoot I was going for later in the day.

So I took photos to help me. Sometimes, photographs show you things you don’t see in the mirror.

I decided to go with tucking behind ears cos I think it makes me look friendlier.

Then, on my way to the MRT station, with the stupid wind blowing my hair everywhichway, I changed my mind and decided to go with loose hair. So I removed my hair pin.

Anyway, my outfit yesterday didn’t really go well with neat hair.

Being vain is such a chore!

Cabwhoring.

I mean, seriously, I wish I didn’t care about my looks so much. But if I don’t care about it, other people will. And I’m loathe to let others do what I can do myself, because I know I can do it better.

I know you don’t really understand that, but never mind. It makes me more enigmatic if you don’t understand me all the time.

I had this for dinner on Wednesday night:

I was dining alone. I know you think I’m a very sad person for having to dine alone. But I love dining alone in a quiet restaurant.

It’s so peaceful. I can do my favourite thing — eat and read. I really think there’s nothing more enjoyable in the world than eating and reading!

I also really wanted to try these mini oriental burgers. This was at a Chinese eatery in Iluma. I can’t remember the name of the restaurant because it’s some obiang Chinese name.

But I will go back again and take more photos and remember the name cos the food is yummy! The above meal cost me $15. Quite reasonable!

Well, happy Friday, everyone! You all love Fridays but I hate Fridays.

I have TGIF envy.

A few days ago, we brought Elyxia to Udders, a popular ice cream franchise in Singapore.

Elyxia comes back to Singapore (from Hong Kong) every few months and we always bring her to all our newly-discovered eating places to stuff her silly.

Anyway, this was the second time we visited Udders.

After I got my ice cream (self-service), which was served in a disposable paper container, I walked out to the table where my friends were.

I asked everyone, “Did our ice cream come in paper cups the last time?”

Almost everyone said, “Yes!” without hesitation.

The last time we went to Udders was three weeks ago.

I said, “Funny, I have an impression that it was a plate or something.”

Minou said, “I remember our two scoops were more side by side than stacked on each other.”

Everyone else said, “Is it?”

CLUB MORTE, YOU ARE ALL SUPER BLUR! (Including me lah, okay?) (Except Elyxia, who is exempt from judgement this time.)

I went home and dug into my photo archives. Here are the photos of the ice cream I took three weeks back.

Our ice cream came in a proper dish!!!

Everyone’s memory CMI!!! Hahaha.

By the way, the above ice cream flavours are Mao Shan Wang Durian and Rum Rum Raisin. Best combination ever.

The alcohol content in Udders’ alcoholic ice cream is substantial enough to make Unker Kell red in the face. That’s how potent it is.

Very good ice cream, with all kinds of flavours from classic to crazy. Great service, too. You can stand there and try all the flavours before deciding on which to buy and the staff won’t get impatient. (The people queueing up behind you might get impatient, though.)

There’s also this giant blackboard with tons of suggested flavours and people can vote on them. All kinds of crazy options there, like vegemite and kimchi (WTF).

Anyway, I wonder what’s up with the paper cups on our second trip. I enjoyed eating my ice cream off a proper dish the first time.

Click here for Udders outlets.

I’m performing at The Crazy Elephant this Sunday!

Come and watch me!

If not, nobody will be watching me, since nobody but drummers look at drummers.

Especially if the band has a chio vocalist.

Actually, on second thoughts, don’t look at me. I’m very unprepared and very stressed about it, even though I’m only performing two songs.

I haven’t started learning the second song yet!!

Well, if you have some time, just come and enjoy our student concert. There will be over 10 bands, each playing about two songs. And try not to pick on my mistakes!

It’s free admission but you’ll have to buy your own drinks, just like in any regular pub.

The Music Lab Student Showcase
Sunday, July 19, 6pm – 9pm
@ The Crazy Elephant
Clarke Quay, 3E River Valley Road,
#01-03/04, Singapore 179024

OMG I have no idea what to wear.

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Worm food

In a bid to halt an imminent cough I could feel coming, I bought Vitamin C capsules last week.

I wasn’t prepared for what greeted me inside the box, so I plurk-tweeted it.

Of course, everyone wanted to see pictures.

I’m surprised no one has seen it before. I have this impression that everyone takes Vitamin C pills because so many people advised me to take it when I was sick.

I guess people normally take chewable or effervescent tablets. I prefer time-release capsules because they’re kinder on my gastric.

So, here’s the promised picture!

The first thing that came to mind when I saw this: Trays of icky worms you see in bird shops and aquariums. The brown stuff in the capsules look like the brown stuff that the worms crawl around in. Hence, worm food. Although I don’t know what worms actually eat.

Nevertheless, it feels weird eating this.

But it must work because the cough never came. And my sore throat didn’t develop into full-blown flu even though I ate durians on Saturday and potent durian ice cream on Sunday.

I’m feeling almost 100% now!

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Copulating flies

Actually, the Club Morte guys used a cruder word to describe what you’re seeing in this picture below. I just don’t want to say it here.

Okay, I have no idea what is going on here. I just took the guys’ word for it that the flies were copulating.

(Bigger photo coming up. Don’t read on if you don’t like seeing insects close up.)

We saw these at an organic farm in Malaysia last Saturday. I’ll talk more about the trip another time!

The flies were very co-operative, allowing us to go really close to take photos. The funny thing was that they didn’t move at all in the few minutes we spent photographing and examining them.

Someone said they must be dead but they don’t look dead to me.

Here’s the close-up!

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What do you think?

I wonder what’s that white blob between the two flies.