weight

Everyday except for Sundays I go to the gym and work out about 2 hours total. It is my leisure, habit and addiction. Yes, I am a gym rat and feel nervous if I skipped it. But, those who know me in person should be aware that I am no buff, but rather a skinny.. or lean. I would like to get a bit bigger, but it isn't easy.

Recently, I have shed about 9 pounds that is about 4 kilos. When my weight was at its highest, it was 184 lbs (84kg) but now I weigh around 176lbs (80kg). This year has been quite experimental because I've tried various methods to control my weight. After changing the gym to the current one, I met a new trainer and he's taught me a lot of things e.g. workout routines, regimen and so forth and it has been very helpful. Gradually, I've gained more power to control my weight by eating healthy and working out more efficiently.

The most important thing that I've gleaned is that eating snacks at night was the primary reason that I could not lose weight before. I love chips and after workout, I'd run to the the convenient store next to my house and grab a bag of chips. Not anymore. As time went by, I've lost fat around my waist and now can see some of my pacs. It is quite amazing. Now the pants that used to fit are kind of loose.. I've lost about 2 inches around my waist. Above all, that I don't snack at work or drink has always been conducive.

At the same time, my overall physique has been reduced to a certain proportion. My pants when worn are bit loose. and I DO NOT like it. So, now I've shed some fat, it is time for me to gain some pure muscles .. or intake some low GI food to carb up for. More pasta? More fruit? More whole meal bread? More tuna? More meat??

Now I somewhat understand the feeling that when fat people lose a great deal of weight and hold their pants in the picture with a big smile in their faces. Well, not exactly tantamount, but a bit similar. but a little bit more of muscles... ah.. am I getting addicted.. or getting paranoid..or obsessing??????????

i am all right

Except for you (reading this) and very close friends of mine, no one knows about the mishap. And I am not a big fan of televising my personal accounts on FB like many people.

At least one thing that kept me going is my work. I am insanely busy at work so no time to squander by chatting online or checking on others facebook updates that have nothing to do with me. This will blow over for sure.

This weekend, I might need to work.. otherwise, I would go home and celebrate my folk's 28th anniversary and go down to Busan to participate my colleague's wedding. I don't know what is going to happen.

I am looking forward this December. I will treat myself by giving me a two week along vacation and going somewhere. I was thinking of Japan but since it was nuked.. I am having a second thought. My dad's going to retire at the end of the year so my family might take a trip to somewhere together. And most of all, I am going back to my job at the end of this year. My sabbath is going to end soon.

Overall, albeit a lot going on,
I am all right.

The door has been closed-

That's what she said.
It is really time for me to move on. I have closure.

Weekend

What did I do this past weekend? It was full of sports events. Nope, it did not involve any actual play, but watching baseball games, soccer games and F1 series was major part of it. I was either sitting on my sofa or lying in my bed munching some snacks the whole weekend. Pretty mundane, but I enjoyed being lazy this weekend. Sometimes, it is good to meet friends on the weekends, drink, eat and have a good time. But, more of than not, it is also time and energy consuming. And as a person who prefers to hang out with only a handful of people, I'd rather have an alone time when I feel it is necessary. Yes, the weather was beautiful and I had an itch for some outdoorsy activities, but not this weekend. Maybe some other time.

Hmm. what else? Oh, yes, I finally met my ex. The past couple of days, I have been drawing up a whole rationale as to why I would like to meet her and what to tell her. "Do I sound clingy and desperate? Do I sound like I mean it?" Many thoughts went through my head, but eventually, I managed to tell my ex what I wanted to say.

We met and, well, the first couple minutes was, of course, awkward. She wasn't really smiling and whatnot. But after we got our drinks (we met at a Starbucks), we started to catch up and talked about a little bit of this and that. Then, finally, the moment of truth has come.

I think I was calm and honest. I did not say what I did not mean to say. She intermittently interrupted me while I was speaking, but I managed to continue and finished my story. Then, she asked me a couple of questions as to my story. And I answered them. No big deal.

As I anticipated, she did not know to say. I did not expect anything in the first place. But, it was clear that she did not expect me to say anything I said. At any rate, we ended up deviating from the main topic and talked about each other a bit. And I realized that she got out of a relationship about a month and a half ago.

After two hours, we walked out of the building together and parted our ways. No hugging or anything similar, but just awkward good byes- Where is this going to lead us? I don't know. I laid out what I needed to say. If she is interested, well, that's great. If she isn't, well, I guess I can finally move on and have closure. Either way, I am very much glad and relieved. But somehow, I failed to go to bed easily as I usually do. It was probably because I took a nap about two hours earlier, but also because I kept thinking about the girl and the conversation.

What happened so far

I thought when I started this blog, I would write everyday no matter what happens. Fail. Without further ado, let me narrate my life of past couple of weeks.

1. Back to the office
After the whole sheik coming to town deal, now I am back at the office and it is boring as well. I have literally no work to do. Most of time, I surf on the web, talk to my friends online. It is very unproductive and fruitless. This is so because well, my boss has been hold off on the work I have been doing due to the budgetary issues. The project I have been working on costs around 30,000 dollars. However, since the prospect for next year's budget is dire, he would like to have it carried over to next year so that we can save some money. Therefore, I haven't really made any progress on the project.
Luckily, the boss persuaded the ceo into continuing the project. Ergo, as of yesterday, I've resumed my project. I am very much glad since I don't need to let on I am working while I wasn't.

2. Training
As soon as I made my come back from the field, I signed up for a training. I did so, because a) I wanted to dodge what we call "work trip" and b)stop being bored to death at my desk. Accordingly, I sifted through the yearly training schedule at this organization where my original workplace is located. It is close from home and I get to see my colleagues..

Then, I spotted a course called "How to enhance middle management competencies" tailored for those about to become a manager. Technically, this course would not be a good fit to me since I only have three year long experience. And yet, having seen and worked with different types of bosses and leaders, I thought I would register and learn something based on my own experience.
And I did.

The training itself, I'd say, very poorly organized. It was a three day long course, but everyday there was a different guest speaker. Thus, different teaching style, different content. There were about 20 people from the region with diverse background. I happened to pair up with these three guys in the manufacturing industry. They were all older than me and had more experience than I did, so I thought I would learn something from them.

The main content of the training was lecture, team-building and discussions. It was all right. The most important thing I've gleaned is how important it is to be a good listener. Frankly, when I first signed up, I thought I would learn some kills.. first hand experience. But I ended up learning something different.. something worthwhile; how to communicate with subordinates, how to coach, and how to solve problems. What lies under them is you need to be a good communicator; be sympathetic, listen well, kill the need to react instantaneously to the person you are talking to and so forth.

In order for me to apply my knowledge to the reality, I've talked to people around me and observed something. That is, they all die to speak someone about something. My trainer, my mother, my dad, my friends....everyone basically. Once I say "Hey, how are you doing? What's new?", they would say something back to me. Normally, this would be followed by an awkward pause. But, I learned that I need to give them "space" A leeway that allows them to feel comfortable and continue their speaking. And it worked. Through this, I managed to engage in a more meaningful conversation with them. Usually, I tend to lean away or just babble on about something, but I was patient and bide my time. This was a very interesting experience and I plan on doing this.

3. Reconnecting with my ex
Craigslist is the website I go to often to entertain myself. And that is where I met my ex about a year ago. And last week, I got reconnected with her, through Craigslist.

There was a very interesting thread on CL and upon reading it, I thought it was her. Well, of course, there were some clues in the writing that hinting towards the possibility. But I wasn't quite sure because, well, there were also discrepancies between the person who wrote it and the person I used to know before. Yes, I haven't spoken with her since the break up last year.

And I very cautiously contacted her under a random email in order not to reveal myself. Why? This is so because when breaking up, I told her not to contact me and that I would not so. And yet, I was somewhat reaching out to her. I broke my own principles.

And yet, she sorta figured it out due to my silliness. And we got reconnected.. or not quite yet. We swapped a couple of email so far and that was it. There was some new information about her though. Where is this going? Nowhere probably. Probably.

The Sheik of Sharjah coming to Town (Part III)

Saturday Sep 17th

Today's schedule was supposed to be succinct. First, around 12:30pm at the hotel there is a farewell luncheon which will be followed by the sheik's visitation to Nam June Paik Art Center.

In the morning, I donned a suit and headed to the gym for a quick workout. Fortunately, in spite of the crazy schedule and working outside, I have managed to work out everyday mainly due to the fact that the gym is literally right next to the gym just like my home. I don't like skipping the gym. Yes, I am a gym rat.

The luncheon was very poorly organized. In the first place, the venue was the outside terrace where the sun was beating down upon everyone. And they all were perspiring like a pig. The place was well decorated with a small fountain and spacious. But you just don't put a gala or any kind of food-related event outside unless it is seamlessly prepared. But this one wasn't. The servers kept running inside and outside grabbing fans to stifle the heat, parasols to cover the sun beating down on the sheik and other vips. Even the UAE guys were complaining. I felt embarrassed a bit. That was probably the longest 2 hours past couple days.

After the luncheon, everyone was ready to go to the art center. In the same van, with the media crew, I headed out. Again, the motorcade ushered the sheik and his subordinates to the art center. And this is how it went. How awesome-

Then, the media crew wanted to go to the same traditional market that the Dutch consultant visited. The reporter bought a whole lot of some anime character toys for his three boys. Also, he and the cameraman purchased a couple of pieces of ceramics. They liked to haggle, but the owner was persistent. After an hour, we all came back to the hotel. It was around 7pm and I was exhausted. I called it a day, came home, jumped in a shower, had some food and watch my favorite tv show. That's more I like it. But, I was told that I needed to send to the sheik tomorrow morning at Incheon Airport. Sigh.. gotta get up 7 on a Sunday morning. Grrr

Sunday Sep 18th

Getting up 6:40 am on a Sunday morning is no fun. But I had to. So, I got up, jumped in my suit and headed to the hotel. The sheik and some of his minions were ready to leave for China. So, after a little bit of hustle and bustle we all headed to the Incheon Airport.

However, this time it was different. I was in the motorcade. And this was very surreal and awesome. Grant it, it was early Sunday morning, ergo no traffic to beat. Still wherever we go the police would give us the green lights so that we can just pass through. And the cars on the highway all steered clear of the motorcade. VERY VERY AWESOME.

But, it was very stupid of me not to bring my camera with me when I left home. SIGH...so no footage or pics...

Anyhow, the motorcade parked at the vip lot. And the sheik passed through directly to the gate. The airport took care of it. No security or whatsoever. And this was where I said goodbyes to the media crew. Afterwards, I came back to the hotel, hopped on my bicycle and came home. For the remaining of Sunday, I was off. One more day tomorrow. But it is supposed to be casual; sightseeing in Seoul then again to the airport to see off the performance team.

Monday Sep 19th
It has been almost 10 days since my last appearance at the office, so it was a bit awkward to see my colleagues and say hello. But I had no time to feel it any long because I needed to go to the hotel and get ready to head up to Seoul. The guys showed up and everyone was ready to leave. But this time, I drove a company SUV whilst the rest was in a bus..

Well, the plan was, there was a well-known calligrapher tagging alone the whole time. He went wherever the sheik did and did some calligraphy for the local. At the museum, at the university, locals would hand out their names in English, then the calligrapher would write them in Arabic in a nice piece of paper. It was nice.

Oh yes, the plan was, the calligrapher had an interview with this producer at KBS in the afternoon. So whilst the performance team and the calligrapher were touring in Seoul, I would be standing by near them. When it is around 1pm, I pick him up and take him to KBS, then bring him back to Seoul so that we can join the gang and continue the sightseeing


So I managed to drive up to Seoul, but there was no where to park the car. Well, there were many places, but they were all expensive. And this company would not reimburse the parking fare. This is why I miss my old job to which I am going back at the end of this year. So, I literally was hovering around Seoul. Then, it was around lunch time so I parked near a Lotteria, rushed to the place, placed a to-go food, grabbed it, went to pee (which I have been holding a while) and jumped back in the car. phew.. While driving in Seoul, I was eating. It was precarious.

Finally, I picked up the guy and drove to KBS. After jumping through some hoops, I met with the producer and her colleagues. I thought the offices at KBS would be all neat and nice. But they weren't. No cubicles.. no fancy computers and what not. I felt bad for them to some degree. Anyhow, I accompanied them and went into a radio booth for the recording. It was a very interesting experience.

Afterwards, the calligrapher was hungry and so we went to this sandwich place near KBS. He was kind enough to buy me some sandwiches. And we stared to have a very interesting conversation over many issues e.g. parenting, the us and Koreans.. It was possible because a) he is a very smart person and b) he was trained in Harvard before and thus speaks excellent English. I would never forget the conversation he and I had that day.

Finally, I took him back to Seoul for sightseeing. There again, he and I walked around different places and engaged in a conversation. In spite of the cultural difference, the age different (he was almost 50 with 2 kids), we became friends.

And it was time to go to Incheon Airport. It took a while for the gang to process their luggage. I don't know exactly what occurred. It was already past 8pm and I was so ready to go back to Suwon and get some rest. I have been driving all day.

Then, there was a window of 10 mins before they passed the security point. So, I asked the calligrapher to write my name in calligraphy. He was kind enough to do it and this is how my name is written and the footage where he was doing it:)




Now, it was time to say good bye. While they were queuing up, I shook everyone's hands and said good bye. It was a heck of a ride the past 5 days. I met great people and learned a lot. This is probably the best memory I will have during my time this year. Inshallah!!!

The Sheik of Sharjah coming to Town (Part I)

This is a summary of the visitation of the shiek of Sharjah, UAE from Sep 14th to Sep 19th. During this time, I had an opportunity to meet with interesting people, exchange ideas with them and open myself to another culture. It was truly an amazing experience. So, here it goes.

Wednesday, Sep 14th
After the 4 day Chuseok weekend, my body was not ready to go back to work. But what can you do? Nevertheless, I was a bit excited to go back to work because I wasn't going back to the office, but to the field. They put me in charge of taking care of some of the group from U.A.E visiting Suwon and other places in the region. And I am supposed to be charge until 19th. So yay.

I got up and went to the best hotel in the region, which is only 5 mins away from my place. Then, I met with other coworkers of mine from other departments. They told me that I am going to usher the art consultant to the shiek. It was actually the consultant and his wife. They were from Holland and very nice to talk with.

In the morning, in a van reserved for them, we went to the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art so that the consultants would inspect the exhibition that display about 100 artworks recently delivered from UAE. The consultant was in charge of how the pieces were displayed in the best way in which people can appreciate them most. The inspection per se was quite all right. The consultant wasn't really giving the curator in charge a hard time.

After that, we came back to the hotel. Then, they asked me to take them to a traditional market. So I did. There, I showed them around and explained things. The wife bought an ajumma visor She loved it. Then, she bought a Hanbok shirt for herself. I took them to the Hanbok place whose owner I know very well. Of course, we haggled a bit and the wife was quite content with the price and the product.

By the time I came back to the hotel, it was around 6pm to punch out. Then, I went to the gym to get my muscles pumped up. It was a long day, but quite eventful and fun.




Thursday, Sep 15th

Knowing what is going to happen or who I am going to accompany with, I again went straight to the hotel. And last night, the sheik Sultan bin Mohamed Al=Qasimi and his subordinates arrived and so did the press group. Originally, I was supposed to have a lot of face time with the press, but since they were still jet-legged from the trip, they were taking a whole day off at the hotel. Instead, some of the coworkers asked me to accompany the UAE traditional performance group (16 guys).

First, we gathered in the lobby and headed to KBS to throw a performance. There was a wide open area next to the entrance to the building and that's where they were going to perform. It was about lunch time so everyone was excited to see a great turn-out. But there wasn't, unluckily.
Many people passed out on their way out to lunch, but not many actually bothered to stop and appreciate the gig. Nevertheless, the guys did their best and put on a very good show. It was my first time to see them do their thing. It was very impressive. In particular, I admired the fact that even without a lot of audience, they enjoyed themselves to a great extent.

Next, it was after lunch and thus they, well, everyone was hungry. And I suggested we go to "Dubai" restaurant in Itaewon to treat Hala food for the gang. We were welcomed by some Arabic speaking owners and clerks. The gang seemed to enjoy both their company and the food. The Koreans also tried their delicacy. I had curried two pieces of chicken breast coupled with onions and cabbage and it was delicious. After eating, everyone was tired and decided to go back to the hotel.

Finally, as the last schedule, the team was ready to put on another show downtown in Suwon. We picked this alley where there are many bars and restaurants. At some point, we were a bit concerned because the gang might not like the setting due to alcohol consumption and all that. So, I asked the head of the team and he said, "No problem. We did this in Europe and they loved it. They(Europeans) were drinking and dancing with us. No problem!" When the show kicked off, people stared at us like they have never seen anything like this before, which is probably true. Then, they did not really mind us and kept on drinking and eating while enjoying the show. Thankfully, some of the bystanders were brave enough to join the crew and relished the performance.

Utterly worn out, both the gang and the Korean were dying to go home and rest and we did around 10pm. It was such a long day-