DUGONG DOWN UNDER AGAIN

Sydney Australia -> that's where I'm holed up this week. This time round, I brought my girls along with me to the land down under. It was nice to get away from the everyday heat for a week but boy was it cold when we landed on Tuesday morning -> 10degrees, even the blubber around my waist was shivering.

Thought it would be nice to spend some time with my girls especially when it's Li-Anne's birthday this weekend and also, we took a trip during "Terelle's 2nd Trimester" so as an impartial father, I have to do the same for "Thane's 2nd Trimester" :)

Met up with Jason (the Sydney 'Beng') and Miranda last night for dinner, we had amazing stuff at the Bungalow8 restaurant down by the King Street Wharf.

Check this out -> AUD$21 for all-you-can-eat mussels the WHOLE NIGHT! Mr Gung-Ho = me was aiming to devour 4-to-5 pots at least......the first green curry pot was excellent...succullent, fat mussels....second pot was laksa flavor......same succullent fat mussels as well. By then I was up to my neck in mussel meat, I must have had a years supply, there was no way on earth I could have stuck my fork into another one. Must be an Asian thing but I was just ready to down a packet of instant noodle at that stage!!

Marathon Dugong Gaining Ground

July 22nd 2007 : the first time I've ever voluntarily attended a running event -> in fact paid $20 to subject myself to 10km of torturous running on a beautiful Sunday morning. Thats the MIZUNO Wave Run. It was my virgin attempt at a long distance running event and I'd say I came out none the worse.

It wasnt' smooth sailing the entire 1+ hour, especially around the 7km mark when I was ovetaken by a huge lady dressed in a skin tight sweatsuit. I didn't let her get too far ahead before my pride took over and I almost blew my lungs out in the event. The cool weather from the early morning rain helped a hell lot....and to think that an hour before the run, Daniel the "lung-less man" who is my good-running buddy, was contemplating not turning up. Only the lure of the goodie bag convinced him to make the trip down to Bedok Reservoir with me....nah...I'm kidding, he's the well-seasoned runner whereas I'm only the wannabe Kenyan runner.

Now on hindsight, it was rather pleasant and strangely addictive...i may be weird but at age 31, I've somehow found a liking for running. Oh well, I've set a target to do the 21km run in December this year....a couple more 10-12km runs between now and then, some dark tanning lotion should be enough to make me "that Kenyan runner" who will finish on the podium in December!

Oh, I rewarded myself with a brand new pair of Asics trainers - I'm telling you, these are the best built running shoes on this planet...ok i'm a little bias but you've really gotta try out one of these babies.

HAPPY NATIONAL DAY SINGAPORE!

Ok i'm back and this time hopefully, I'll be staying for a while....staying referring to more consistent postings on my blog.

What better way to unofficially re-start my blog but to write about National Day. Ok, don't slam me for sounding patriotic but I like National Day, more so this year cause we got tickets to the Parade Preview last week. Well, in previous years, I just really liked the public holiday. But it was really nice that this year, Terelle attended her very first National Day Parade, and so did daddy.

It was great, honestly...it was close to amazing. Giant floating stage, military display with planes, boats etc...the mass participation, the remote control kites...it was all just great. But nothing really beats the last part of the parade when the everyone was singing the national anthem (well maybe 75% of them were lip synching) but it's the thought that counts. It's at that point when the full sense of pride courses through your body and sends that tingling feeling all the way up to your head. And for the record, I sang through every one of those national day songs at the end (the retro ones which were written in the early 90s -> those were the best!!)

I love this country -> not so much for the horrible taxi drivers, kiasu practices, inconsiderate people who never gives up their seats on the MRT to my pregnant wife...but I make it a personal choice to see beyond these things.

For an unnatural Singaporean (I wasn't born here), I appreciate every blessing that this country provides for me and my family. It certainly beats the rampant murders, rapes, armed robberies, corruption and biased-ness in my 'home' country.

Many things to be thankful for, among them, the efficiency of this country, the fair-ness in opportunity for everyone and most importantly, I can go to work everyday, knowing that my wife and children are safe wherever they are and in watever they are doing.

I love this country -> enough to give 2.5 years of my life to the military service when I was 18 and another 2 weeks every year in reservist training since I was 21.

Happy Birthday Singapore -> there probably isn't another country in this world where I would want to raise my children.

However, retirement is another story.............................Switzerland, here I come!