SCORE Cupid Run 2016

Ola to all you lovey-dovey people.

This Valentine's Day, instead of doing the conventional dinner and movie date, why not slip on your running kicks and run hand-in-hand along the Glass Slipper Trail at Kepong Metropolitan Park! 

It's a perfectly healthy and romantic way to spend time together in an all-natural setting without the hassle of having to plan much. No, seriously. You just need to sign up, pay and just turn up with your partner. 

Kyoto Marathon 2016: Race Preparation Jitters

I kicked off the first day of 2016 with a 9km run starting and ending at Padang Merbok before joining up with the Kuala Lumpur New Year 2016 run for a 10km (it was actually 11.2km) race around the city center. You see, I was training for my first ever marathon, the Kyoto Marathon set to take place on 21 February.

Why I picked a marathon with a 6 hours cut off time, I have no idea.
Why I picked a marathon with cutoff points, I have no idea.
Why I picked a marathon set in winter, I too have no idea.
But I do know that I love Japan and running my first marathon in Japan is the dream.

By a stroke of beginner's luck, I won the lottery for the Kyoto draw. Not by a stroke of beginner's luck, my mum won the lottery too. I saw it as an encouraging sign from the Powers That Be. Then I recalled I have never ran further than 21km in my life. I also remembered that running is not my forte. I would sooner swim through an ice-cold river and climb up a rope than run. Running a marathon was going to be my toughest challenge both physically and mentally. Oh boy...

2015 Kautim. What Next?

Words cannot describe what 2015 was to me. Exhausting - physically, mentally, financially. Liberating - physically, mentally, financially not quite. Once again, I got to travel, I got to race and I got fitter. Much fitter but no less fatter.... T_T 

In spite of its many ups and downs, I find myself mostly looking back fondly on the ups. Despite having two trips cancelled, it was good year in terms of personal achievements. Even though I didn't conquer Mount Kinabalu, I did scaled Japan's highest mountain. I may not have gone to Korea, but I did get to enjoy two separate short weekends in Australia with my friends and a long week there with my sister in two cities for three race events. Madness I tell ya!

If I were to list down my 2015 achievements and memorable moments, this is it:

Spartan Trifecta Delta: Apa Tu?

My teammate spotted the image of what seemed to be a Triple or Quadruple Trifecta Holder on the international Spartan social media and shared it with the team. This apparently was a leaked image from Spartan.

source: http://blog.mudrunfun.com/

I must admit it was a pretty cool swag to the existing Trifecta wedges and tray. There were talks of a possible Triple Trifecta next year but of course, then someone pointed out it was probably a marketing ploy by Spartan. 

I agree and somewhat disagree. Yes, it was probably another Spartan marketing ploy but a triple Trifecta would be too on the point and too straightforward and knowing Spartan Race, it was anything but straightforward. 

Tokyo 2015 - Day 3: Harajuku & Akihabara

"Welcome home, My Princess and My Master!" was the greeting my friends and I received from the cheerful maids of @home maid cafe. This was the start of my first maid cafe experience or as the Japanese would say...Meido kafe or meido kissa.

It was quite literally an otaku's day out as we had a full day ahead of us with a guided tour in Akihabara scheduled in the afternoon and a trip to Artnia, the official Square Enix cafe. We started the morning sipping on a cup of coffee while watching the Shibuya crossing from the iconic Starbucks Shibuya.

Getting a window seat at this Starbucks was hard but we got one nonetheless and it was pretty peaceful. The only downside of going so early was that the crowd crossing wasn't that spectacular. On the plus side, Japan has super cute public buses.

Viper 2Four 2015: 24 Hours Event Checklist

Viper 2Four was an event that required not just preparation of the body but also of the things that will be out there with you for all 24 plus hours. Even though we were allowed to leave the camp zone and the race site, it was just better to be prepared to avoid wasting precious time that could be used resting or running the course.

So here is my team's checklist for Viper 2Four:

Tokyo 2015: Artnia Square Enix cafe

Square Enix's cafe Artnia was at the top of my 'Must visit' list in Tokyo. Having button smashed and trashed my Playstation 2 controllers while playing the Kingdom Heart and Final Fantasy games throughout my high school days, Artnia was the closest thing to Narnia for me (hahaha, see what I did there...)

Artnia actually stands for art, area and near, describing the company's intentions to be near their fans through their merchandises.

The cafe is located right next to the Square Enix Headquarters in Tokyo and directly behind the Higashi-Shinjuku station. Its unique egg-shape was unmistakable and easily recognisable from the street. Almost immediately visitors can make out the imposing silhouette of Sephiroth of Final Fantasy 7 at the window display before entering the cafe.

3 Poh Kong pieces I want for 2016

Marilyn Monroe once sang that 'diamonds are a girl's bestfriend'. So did Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge.

Heeding the words of these iconic performers, Poh Kong has created beautifully curated jewellery pieces that would make you the talk of the town with Tranz by Poh Kong and the Angel Diamond collection which looks as elegant as it sounds. 

I am usually not one for the huge statement accessories as I find them too loud and over the top. With the designs of the new collection, I can add subtle touches to my daily OOTD be it for casual wear or office attire. And especially with Chinese New Year just around the corner, it's a good time to look at ways to add a hint of elegance and grace to the red outfit. (And also to make all those kepoh aunties jelly...)

Tokyo 2015 - Day 2: Tokyo Imperial Palace and Ichiran Shibuya

After a scrumptious lunch at Daikokuya Tempura restaurant lunch in Asakusa near the Sensoji temple, we boarded the train along the Asakusa line to the Tokyo Imperial Palace. At this point, DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) from Mount Fuji has set in and I was walking and climbing up and down stairs funny. Why I decided to join the free Imperial Palace walking tour a day after descending a mountain is beyond me.

Oh and in case you didn't catch that, the Tokyo Imperial Palace walking tour was free of charge. All you need to do is book your slot on the official website three months in advance, print out the confirmation slip and arrive at least 30 minutes before the indicated time at the Kikyo-mon Gate. Why 30 minutes?

Star Wars Goodies from GSC to be won

Just when you thought their exclusive Star Wars combo was exciting, GSC (Golden Screen Cinemas) is offering more Star Wars: The Force Awakens limited merchandise worth more than RM20,000 in total that you simply must not miss, especially if you are a fan of the Dark Side!

GSC contest!
From 17-30 December, Malaysia's leading exhibitor is taking their Star Wars: The Force Awakens to a whole new level with an exclusive 14-day giveaway. What are they giving away, you ask?