May 2009: Awful did:
+ Yoga 12 times
+ Muay Thai 5 times
+ Ran 4 times, total 20 km (?)

Awful also purchases 2 padded Nike sports bra (upon the ‘request’ of Siew), 2 Everlast shorts and loads of FBT nonsense.

I spent the entire day bitching to darling Dyeedyee. She is a total gem.

Today I managed to jump back to plank from forward bend in Hot Flow. I was pleasantly surprised. The unassuming process of my body being stronger and toner as I practice more and more yoga thrills me whenever I sneak a peek at the mirror and notice my ‘cut’ arms or I am able to do a pose previously unattempted.

It is hard getting used to not talking to you. But I will be able to deal with this void. Work is work after all.

Dizzy is enamored and I am so pleased and so excited and so happy!

Mambo again tomorrow! I will be wearing my new Blondie Tee.

I found this Yoga Studio in Paris from La Coquette.

The place looks so serene and perfect to do yoga. The doorway has a rustic, country side feel to it and the yoga studio has a skylight. Imagine doing yoga with the sunlight streaming in from above. Or staying in a pose while the raindrops splatter on the glass above you. I wonder how it is like to practice yoga there.

I went for Hot Hour after work. Oh well, technically after five thirty but not before heading back to the office to do a spot of work. Peak is obviously here.

I was moved to the first row right smack in front of the mirror by the cute instructor. The third row was all taken up but she wanted to move the first timers to the back so they could follow what was going on in the class. Guess who was in the third row and guess who she recognised?

I grabbed my towels (yes, more than 2 towels) and water bottle. Choosing my spot next to an ang moh girl, I almost immediately regretted by decision. The mirror was right in front of us and all I saw during the class was her. Working out next to a damn chio ang moh girl who was like taller than me and much much skinnier than me definitely did nothing for my ego. Her thighs did not even barely meet when we put our feet together. Although working out is definitely supposed to be good for the soul and perhaps even the body, somehow being in the same room as almost models wearing skin tight clothes could seriously screw with one’s mind. Especially when one is prone to scarfing down nachos and chips after dinner every night.

I went for yoga three times last week and played tennis with Sam, Hsing and Jeryl. On the exercise front, I guess I am doing well. Though I have not played tennis since last August and my strokes are totally lost. I got five blisters on my right hand. Sam asked why I did not bring my glove. It is a laugh, sometimes I wear a golf glove to play tennis. As long as I do not get blisters. The weather was brilliant, it was cloudy overhead and then it began to drizzle.

I had lunch with Sam at KFC at Bukit Panjang, then we went to Daily Scoop at Sunset Way. We had nutty macadamia (yum!), lychee martini and chendol (er..). Catching up is always a treat, especially when we have not seen each other in some time. That is something I have always taken for granted, especially living in hall when my friends were only a few steps away.

But the other stuff on my plate is overwhelming and some really distasteful. I am so so so so tired of everything.

Hot hour with the cute instructor again. Turns out she is from Montreal. Went with Miyuki and Ping. It was Ping’s first time during Hot, rather brave attempt.

I am tired and sweated buckets. But I enjoy it. Maybe not so much when I am doing it. But enough. And I like to think that it calms me down while working my body and hopefully the good sleep that has eluded me for so long will return.

I have been in a lousy mood for the longest time. A combination of the arriving peak and Chiam leaving and I really do not know what else is up. I know I should not depend on retail therapy but it is very tempting when it is lunch time and Seow keeps on repeating she needs to get CNY clothes for the 15 days of CNY.

Miyuji and I got our Pure Yoga member cards today. We have gone to hot yoga for two times and this morning, we went for the 0930 hours hot hour. The instructor was a Scandinavian woman, blond and petite and very pretty. She spoke in a lilting melody and her class almost killed me. She looks like a doll, albeit a doll with tatoos. Sometimes I wonder whether some people are destined to be those that people watch instead of being a people watcher.

So far, it has been a good experience, especially trying to dodge the call of Lululemon yoga outfits.

I just signed up at Pure Yoga yesterday. I went for two trial classes. One Hatha was bad. The following Power was good. It is not as taxing and tough as the ones that I am used to at Kryoga, especially Yvette’s classes. But the new place that the other Kryoga teachers are teaching at is in CBD but not that near to be a walking distance away. The other place that Yvetter is teaching at is really far too pricey for me. Afterall, I am not one of those ladies of leisure. And my one time experience at True Yoga with Miyuki was quite tragic.

I just need a place to do yoga, somewhere not packed like a wet market. After all, yoga should be practised in a zen like place. Plus, they stock Lululemon clothes at Pure Yoga.

Am looking forward to begin doing yoga more regularly again. Hopefully, it will lift me up from the funk I have been in this few weeks.

Is it incredibly vain to get a SGD 95 towel for yoga? It is after all skidless and comes in many colours. But then, it does cost more than my mat.

In other news, I found out there is a Lululemon in Sydney. I would go to visit it just for the name. Seow said today that she would name her new dog Lulu. Yes, she is getting a dog for her dog. Her dog will have her own pet dog. Incredible. I do love the way Seow’s mind works. She is such a doll.

This morning was sun salutation 3. Which means that at the ending of the class, before the shiok ‘lying down and sleeping part’, the instructor Yvette, told us that we are going to do the Headstand.

I can do the shoulder stand. But head stand? Might as well ask me to do a handstand. So I just wanted to watch the other people doing and of course not do anything. But of course dear Yvette came over to help me so under her watchful eyes and helpful arms, I had to try to do the headstand.


(Picture from the Yoga Journal)

So I put my head near my arms and kicked up my legs because I knew she would hold them up for me and struggled. She kept on saying ‘Tighten your stomach’. I tried to. For like 2 seconds. Of course I gave up in the end. Haha. Lousy abs.

The best thing is that the lady on the mat next to me couls do the headstand all by herself and like in the picture above.

*Awful strives to do the headstand.*