My 鼠-per CNY Day 1

1st CNY in a long long time that I recall I am not celebrating with the larger family unit and friends.
Nonetheless, it is a new experience here having a pretty quiet one in AD, but yet at the same time, reminded of love and kinship thru' all the texts and social media posts.

And certainly, super touched that ZH and Zeal paid a visit to my mummy. She must have been so happy to see the both of them. 远亲不如近邻。How true it is. How true and how grateful I am, to have such lovely friends.


And leading up to CNY here, we ate chinese food of course. Can't miss the steamboat, and also, a nice CNY reunion dinner. For me, this CNY break really felt more like a good long weekend. And last week, I was so pleasantly surprised that the coming Monday is a PH!. :))


Feasting, feasting. More feasts. And it is a black top - cappy season for me right now. Haha. :-D I have 3 nice caps. Two with XCs imprinted and 1 Adidas one. Of course if you add running and sports caps, then I have more.

I had a very intentional CNY Day 1 yesterday. I have been waking up very early these days. Like 6am? I wonder if it is because I am now more used to waking up earlier for zoom meetings, or maybe I sleep earlier in the night. But because I woke up so early, it felt like I have a 鼠-perbly long day ahead, and I brought K out to a newer place for him to explore.

This is the stadium near my place, maybe about a ten-minute very leisurely stroll away, and where it comes alive once in a while, with FIFA and with major events. Apart from such events, it is usually very very very quiet. There are some offices and gyms housed within but because it is Sat, it would be very quiet as no one works on Saturdays.



Kenji was so happy. After I scanned the surroundings super carefully, I let him run a little. At one point, he went under the turnstile and stood like he was on top of the whole world.


I was thinking if I should just get myself pass these turnstiles too - haha, and join him to peer at the world.

I am sure K so enjoyed himself - looking out to the rest of the world from his shiba lens, and me, the photographer keenly snapping multiple pictures of his curiosity and his poses.

Called out to him several times to "let's go!" and he just totally disregarded me. That Shiba smugness, shiba insolence and attitude. :)) Love this trait of his.

And then, I did my usual weekend workouts - a run outdoors and the stepper indoors, and it was just a nice happy time for me. It's still cold and windy here, but at least, as per usual, the gym is warm and nice. :))

I remember that one year, I wrote about how God is so good, and that every year, it seems like the CNY is a restart, a second chance to restart. So while missing the numerous visitations here, I listened to Dr AR Bernard - and the sermon reminded me of the intentionality and clarity of decisions, and not to be ambiguous or careless. I also marie-kondo-ed my work desktop, read and caught up with the news, watched some episodes of a cultish korean drama (Save me - and it's quite good!) and had 2 good meals. Discussed too the whole concept of purpose and responsibilities in my own brain and with zeal... and so time just passed by like this. Sounds like an awful lot done on CNY Day 1.

The close of the day was a little unwelcomed though. Steve fell ill and was down with fever and stomach upset. The temp rose to 38++ and he had to be on sick leave today. With this c-virus thingy, and while there is yet no case in the UAE, it's super unwelcomed. The Sars experience was scary, and if the various reports were true, then these wildlife markets really should be taken down firmly. And it's very cruel too - for the animals and workers working there alike.

And to be safe, I slept in the living room thru' the night - that regenerative sofa.
It was regenerative enough (oura ring gave me a crown and a score of 87) but I think I need massage again. :) I woke up at 6am again, and found K snuggled with me, on my feet, leaving me with some feet numbness.


The 6am feel in Abu Dhabi, with Huawei pro feature on, to bring some luminance. See K curled up. If he takes that space, you can imagine I must have pretty curled up too. :-D

I am the Weekend Workout Warrior

Some levels of excitement while watching Liverpool alone right now since Steve is working the night shift. And stealing some time during half time to blog a little. Why does the weekend always just fly by as well?

Since I am watching Liverpool and I'd just finished a tennis session, I thought - I'd write about me being the Weekend Workout Warrior (WWW). :-D

And this is a core part of how I de-stress and de-clutter my mind.
Was I tired? You bet. But I just like the "body-on-fire" feel.

And this morning was very very nice. I "anyhow run". Went to this more unbeaten path, and it was quite beautiful. I had to brace some levels of cold and wind until I reached sunshine. But when my body got warmed up, it was all good. :)


很美吧。:)

Step by step, step by step. Kenneth ever asked me before why I don't log my runs. I just don't. I'd tried runkeeper until they sent me junk stuff. I just enjoy the run and now that I have my oura ring, these are the steps for the past 2 days. :-D


On Sat - with a nice track run (maybe 15 - 16 rounds, some exchanges with the running coach, and then a 30-min stepper in the gym.


And today - an hour's run - the "anyhow run", followed by a 30-min cool-down walk on the treadmill and some arm tones, and that last min tennis lesson with Omar's free slot.

******
It is so exciting to watch Liverpool. Already so so many chances in the start of this 2nd half. So good and so much teamwork and slick passes. And also so much frustration that there were so many misses... and that obvious hand ball?!

******

I started reading Ben Mezrich's book on The Accidental Billionaire, and took a short cut and went to Wikipedia to read more about the whole story and dispute.
See - and when I went to cook fish last evening, Kenji just curled up at my seat. This is his favourite place on the sofa, and erm, it is also mine. :-D

So cute - that face. :))

******
The match is getting very very exciting. Heart popped out a few times. Man U also had some good chances. I think writing keeps my heartbeat a little more still, rather than watch all the way. Heart attack, as always.

******
And CNY is just 1 week away. There is not much CNY feel here, but perhaps it is because I never really went to the mall or dubai. I read that there are already quite some festivities in Dubai. Nonetheless, we did a chinese lunch at Shangri La today. Dim Sum and a nice lunch buffet.


This is the first year since we came here that I am not back for reunion dinner or for CNY Day 1. I do miss the CNY feel a little and wonder how it is like in SG right now? Have seen on social media feeds some lou heis, some gatherings, the robinson's chinese banner misses, etc... but nevermind, at least we will still be in time for some CNY gatherings since there are 15 days to celebrate CNY.

*******
Another 12 - 15 mins max to go. It's heart-attack several times. And... 2 more substitutions for Liverpool side. C'mon.... Another 10 mins to go.

Time seems so long suddenly.
Max - another 10 minutes to go.
Max - another 7 minutes to go?
3 minutes to go.

GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A superb long pass by Allison, to Mo Salah, and GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*******
This must be one of the longest time I have taken to write a post... so so exciting.
What a wonderful way to end the Sunday evening. :))))

It's gonna be another great week ahead. :-D

感謝です

The close of the day, I am just very thankful for the week that has passed.
Read a super beautiful post on leadership - introspective, being, soul-searching. See: https://avc.com/2020/01/the-crucible-of-leadership/

This week must have had wings, or supersonic jets. I don't know how I was just thinking about the beginning of the week, and now it's end Friday. I am actually quite charged up at work, and am very glad to be working across multiple teams and doing projects with different ones, both internally and externally.

And some people - you are just thankful for, they bring joy into the workplace and the projects.
While others - zap the energy away and do not spark joy.
Maybe, that's why the crucible of leadership reflection resonates so much. And it's not even talking about the different ones. It is talking about me. Start from me.

I am thankful for this last work chat I had with a new colleague today. It's a nice connection. I never really worked much with him before, but the conversations were encouraging and real. And that lankiness and the very engineering and logical way of phrasing matters or explanations are quirky to me, and very refreshing. He said that he's operational and does not connect the dots or have ideas as fast as I do. I said that I like his thoughtfulness and logical reasoning, and his language flair. And that's why all the parts of the body need to work together to make the unit whole, despite all the unique personas and characteristics.

I was glad I made him laugh towards the end of the conversation. He too, brought encouragement to my soul. Pessimist or otherwise, we all only seek to try our best at work. And we try failing forward sometimes. In the midst, we all want to celebrate success and growth, and to cheer each other on to do better.

And so.... I am brought back to the very present now. Steve is in the tower, and I am home with Kenji, listening to Hillsong worship. So very nice. So love a quiet and cosy Friday night, especially in the pretty cold weather. :)

I am thankful that the ponding incident last week didn't cause too much harm to the house. Sure, I had to wake up at 3am to settle the mess, and had a taste of slight helplessness and tried to imagine what it would be like against a real tsunami or flood. I cannot imagine.
And I am thankful that while Steve got stuck in the thunderstorm aftermath, he, and the trusty Honda, made it back home unscathed.


I am thankful that work was enjoyable and learning was great, except that maybe I still have outstanding pieces at this point in time.

I am thankful for Robert and Monique, for a good fellowship last night over Tacos and Margaritas. I said that this is a once-a-year gathering for the 4 of us together. And I laughed, because it's quite funny that we all did dress up a little, just to eat with each other.



I am thankful for all the texts that came in, from SK, Lauren and my bestest friends. And that goodbye text from Wilson at the airport. Feels like he is a papa, to some extent. Sometimes, these texts and liners just brings much warmth to the soul.

I am thankful for the gym. It's one of the warmest places here I can find. It's just too cold and windy outside. I am thankful it will be workout weekend tmr and Sunday. :))

I am thankful for Omar; he always makes me laugh and he loves Kenji. :)) He said that he has the fastest reaction amongst all the coaches, and I said - beware of Kenji.



I am thankful for Kenji... his silly antics, his multiple poses, and then, that sitting just by my side, resting against my feet. :))

I am thankful for Steve. This one, needs no description. :)

And so, I am a little tired this week. But yet, feeling happy, knowing that it's been fruitful and I've done my best. And finally, thankful for God's word. Live Well 2020.

Lord , you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure.  The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.  I will praise the Lord , who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.  I keep my eyes always on the Lord . With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.  Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure,  because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay.  You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Psalms 16:5‭-‬11 NIV

Huge K love

I love Kenji, and this week, his presence is so real to me.

A few nights, I couldn't find him anywhere.... it turns out that there's a new cosy hideout for him... :)) So so funny and adorable. Sometimes, his bushy tail sticks out. And because he doesn't respond when he doesn't feel like (so shiba smugness), it's even more exhilarating for both him and us, to find him finally.


ふふふ。ふふふ。どんな意味ですか？？？

And then, see how he's been sleeping. This is just at my desk. I looked down and there he was. Sometimes, he snores. Ha ha. Totally no 仪态。

Dogs that sleep in this manner are supposed to be totally assured and happy that no harm will come their way. Typically they sleep the other way. That allows a faster way of escape, or for attack if being threatened.

And this one - haha haha, I took it as I had a stretch from work, and called out to him. He was caught unawares, on the sofa.


That Face. 😁😁😁

And every night, he has such good dinner. 3 out of 5 nights this week, he had cooked salmon, and 1 out of 5, meat + carrot + potatoes. Only 1 night, he had plain dry kibbles (guess whose turn was it to feed him that night?!)


It really looks delicious right.  美味しいいいいい。😋


In fact, I eat the same thing, just that mine has pepper and salt added to it. Looks good? Ha ha ha. :-D

ケンジのことが大大好きです！

今週は仕事が頑張ってきました。いつの間にかもう金曜日です！😮
今週私もちょっと困難であるけど　笑顔で一所懸命に。明日も週末です。ほんとに感謝です。😚😊

On a roll!

Hahaha, I can't believe myself. On a roll to write and reflect.
4th post since start of 2020.

Today was awesome.
Did a lecture for a group of students from the Dubai Awecademy, and delivered it with Tat Suan remotely. It was kinda fun. Technology really enables, and brings people together.

These kids are from all over the world, living in Dubai, and are working on MVPs, spending their weekend learning about AI, automation, computational thinking.

Thankful for the opportunity to share about Singapore, and about the Future of Work and Living. And also about some of the Chinese New Economy Firms.


And super great that Tat Suan could join me on this together!

Was Fun. :)

And this morning, we met Charlie at Tennis.
The Charlie Charm caused me to stop tennis for a while, to play with him and hug him.
He's a British Bulldog, 4-month old, so so so cute, and so manja. Just wants to cuddle and roll-over. I came back with the charlie smell and Kenji was so interested in this new smell. :-D


Award-winning shot by XC. Hahaha - look at Charlie's face, and also Ernest's beautiful smile.


Equally award-winning - candid and natural. By Ernest. :-D

Saturday 4th day into 2020 - a good and restful one. It will be a fishy dinner, but not before some shiok massage. :-D

Day 3 into 2020 with work and ipman

Today, was a bit tough. Especially towards the close of the day, when a raw and sensitive patch was provoked. And I know it's no one's fault and responsibility apart from mine. I somehow would need to own this particular area and work at it to be better and braver. It's gotto be my own journey. 😔

Nonetheless I can still thank God. The start to 2020 was one with some levels of energy. It's 11 months to the happiest time of the year (Dec). And Dec will have its time again. But for Jan, it does seem like full steam and fire ahead for now. I wonder how I'll be able to manage but somehow, I know I will be able to. どうしても できるだけ頑張りたい。

And I had a wonderful end-of-week treat. Been looking forward to ipman and it's been one of my favorite shows. 就是喜欢看和欣赏有正义感的人,有理想, 有价值观的人。而且就是打得太帅了。I fell in love with the whole character a decade ago, the spirit of martial arts and defense-for-righteousness and good, and was so filled w anticipation to watch the show.

And it was good.
Just that.... The show was dubbed in English and subtitles were Arabic. That, was pretty funny at times and I was trying to switch and imagine it in Chinese. At one part, the shifu was introducing many other shifus, and the english translation was so funny - the praying mantis kungfu... laugh die me.

Spot the Arabic subtitles. 😁

And at times I literally covered my eyes and peeped thru my sweater, because some fight scenes was just too vicious, cruel and so heart-wrenching. But the ipman story always ends well. In the end, it's always him 打十个, or defeat the haughty and proud guys who look down on the Chinese or Chinese kung-fu. This theme is a constant thru out the ipman movies and while predictable, the movies are still good and pack many good punches.

I just love the way emotions are portrayed thru that piercing and direct, very serious look. Love it. Power, and power only emitted. So soulful and so deep. The 眼神。and the familiar ipman movie music. (photo credit to one of the scenes in the movie from Mr Google.)

And so my Day 3 2020 passed by as it should have. As we ended the day in Cheesecake Factory, it was nice for a change to be amongst the many eating and hanging out late, and looking forward to the weekend. Yas Mall was really bustling with life. We really seldom come out this late or hang out like that, so tonight was a nice date night for a change.

Thankful for a good first Fri of 2020.😊

Live Well

This year, I actually just want to live well.

I am entering 2020 feeling thankful, and so grateful, and on a high. The last few weeks of 2019 have been wonderful, and tonight, as photos and videos and new year greetings bombard me on the phone, I am reminded that we can all live well; He has done great things for me, and His blessings and love have already been so extravagantly poured out unto us.

It's no coincidence that this December has been so special. I have been sharing some thoughts with close friends, and tonight, it's come together nicely. 

- May I live in His path of life, and laugh more, learn more, live more, love more. (Psalms 16:11)

- May I always turn to Him regardless - He is my Wonderful Counselor, my Mighty God, my Everlasting Father, my Prince of Peace. His zeal accomplishes. (Isa 9:6-7)

- May my soul and life magnify the Lord in 2020, in all that I am and do. May I magnify His Love, His Presence, His goodness. (Luke 1:46-49)

And there's actually a song that I've been recently listening to that brings together the above 3. 

It is a song most sung during Christmas - Chris Tomlin's My Soul Magnifies the Lord, and it is such a beautiful song. (https://youtu.be/HHzevDE3xhU) 

All these pictures are places that I am familiar and enchanted by in 2019. 

The first is a beachfront near my place in AD - whole rows and lines of trees that remain throughout the seasons, and may I grow like that with much life and strength. 

May I laugh more, be more joyful, be spontaneous, enjoy His creation and always be amazed - just like how I felt much life in the desert sand 1 week ago. 

And when I am unsure, uncertain, and when there seems to be mist and fog over my eyes (just 2 days back my place was shrouded in heavy fog), may I always turn to my Abba Father - He will be my counsellor and guide, the mighty one, the one who fills my heart with peace. In Him, I will rest and breathe. Just like the setting sun and the close of day (whenever I run at MR), in Him, all has been done for me and I can rest knowing He is in control and I am His beloved. 

May I live well in 2020. May my life magnify God's Love, Presence and Goodness in 2020.