A Ridiculously FUN Afternoon

May 3, 2014. The day was hot. Sun was out, no clouds in the sky, no breeze. At the Orange County Great Park Irvine, hundreds of people swarmed the flat empty scape. Music filled the air, you can smell the excitement and of course, the delectable fragrance off the grill from the food trucks.  The ROC Irvine commenced today! ROC as in Ridiculous Obstacle Challenge.

And that was where we were today. 12 obstacles, ranging from doable to ridiculous dotted the course. Some of the obstacles are ridiculously hard. Almost impossible, like jumping on top of 3 inflatable balls across two platforms. Injuries are to be expected. Fortunately, our team only suffered minor ones.

I started feeling hungry by the time we were walking towards the ninth obstacle. OH man... I couldn't wait to cross the last obstacle and check out the food trucks!!

We got water sprayed, bubbled, swinging from ropes, jumping across obstacles, hanging on monkey bars, got clobbered by swinging balls into cold water, then slid head down to the finish line ... it was fun! I would have double-back to do the last slide again had my stomach not calling me to hurry and get food :)

A nice peace and quiet afternoon on a hot day like today was a sweet idea. But once in a while when an event like this is available, go out. Get some friends to join and do it together with you. It is an experience you will remember and it would strengthen the bond of friendship, as a team won't leave a member behind.

We finally got to eat!

Information on ROC: http://www.rocrace.com
ROC on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ROCrace

#roc #fitnessfriendshipfun #teamwork

Live Life Happy - 100 Happy Days Challenge

When I started this yesterday and shared this on Facebook, several people told me that it was impossible for them. Well, come to think of it, if by 100 happy days means you will be cruising the days with a smile on your face, or grinning the whole day then, of course it's unrealistic. In fact, that would be down right creepy!! And I would have nothing to do with you. Delete you from Facebook friends. Block you, and delete your numbers..... Just kidding :)  That is extreme :p

Anyway, living a happy life doesn't mean that you will have no negative emotions like stress, sadness, anger in your daily life. There is no way around those negative energy. It is life and many things are beyond our control. That said, how we react to the negativity around us especially when we got affected, and how we handle our own emotions is within our power. I am not going to lie and say that if someone cut me off on a freeway I would just smile and wave at that car. Dude, I'd probably *censor* and give a *censor* kind of wave. BUT, would that ruin my happy day? Would I let that drag me down? That, my friends, is the question and to me, what the challenge is all about.

Following this seemingly outrageous challenge for 100 days is actually an exercise for our emotion. Can you bounce back from a negative feeling to a neutral even positive one? How fast can you do that? Granted we are not built with a switch. There will be process in between and this challenge is going to help you focus your thoughts and mind towards the right direction, which is up - "up" being a direction we associate with positive energy, thoughts, feeling.

I will give you an example which actually had just happened. I woke up feeling dead tired, got up from the wrong side of the bed, hit my toes on the way to the bathroom, missed my facial appointment, burned my breakfast, forgot to cover the blender when hit "start"....  How do I feel? Like *censor* censor* *censor* !! Right??? I mean, wouldn't you? And only on the second day of the challenge nonetheless. Then a friend texted me and asked me if I'd join her at the gym.

Option A. I could simply brush her off and say "nah, don't feel like it. I have hell of a day to start!"  In short, I could wallow in my gloom and doom day and holed up in the room hoping nothing bad would fall on my head.  But I took a moment, and option B, I answered YES! I was still dragging my ass while getting ready, but I kept thinking of the feeling I'd get after the workout.

When I arrived at the gym, I hit the car bumper on the curb.... -___-;;;; Oh *censor*.  Moving on, I walked inside the gym, smiled at my friend, which felt like I had a 5 pounders on each corners of my lips, then started focusing on my workout. In no time, I felt better. Inadvertently I thought about how lucky I was to be able to do this. Despite the crappy morning, I arrived safely at the gym, got to work on getting myself fitter, stronger and healthier. And that makes me happy. BOOM! Right, THERE. So you see, yes, I am happy.   

Crappy day should never define you and how you live your days. You can be 365 days happy every year. 

The point I want to make is there is always something that we all can be thankful, feel blessed and be happy about. And that spark or sparks are there. We often forget about them, overlooked them, ignored them. I am not going to draw examples for you, because you know you and your lives better than I do. But I bet you that yes, you have something in your live that you can use to bring yourself up.

Hm... now that song plays in my head, "Happy" by Pharrell Williams. And now I smile again :)  

You don't have to sign up for the challenge, you can simply do it on your own. A challenge is set up to keep us accountable and focus. It is human psychology that if there is no goal, we tend to wander. The official website to sign up is here: http://www.100happydays.com
Now go live life happy :)

#Livelifehappy #feelblessed #100happydays

If you haven't met yourself yet, find you, then BE YOU.

In the past, I tried so hard to fit into this image of how a young woman supposed to look like and to act according to Asian fashion and pop magazines. Down from the shape and color of the toenails, the way she stands (poses), style of clothes, how to put on the make up and hair style. What a painful experience now that I'm looking back! Forget the image of a woman toting a designer handbag, flowing silk scarf, dainty hands with fingernails all painted perfect, hair puffed up in soft curls framing the face just right, lip gloss always shimmery and luscious, mascara that doesn't run, and fashion up to the tee. .....*inhale-exhale* Uh-uh. NOPE.

I ain't that kinda gal. Most of the time you will see my hair straight and matted, silky wet .... from sweat! The bags I carry around typically either a gymbag or drawstring giveaway bag from a race I ran. 90% of my laundry consists of workout clothes. My make up kit is so few I can count them with 1 hand. And unlike what Sex in the City portrayed not all women piled up designer shoes and sandals like she owns a museum. The logo on my bras is a swoosh, not a VS. My nails, what nails? They are trimmed short and neat. If not they would get chipped and cracked. 

What I'm saying is, at some point in life, you have to recognize who you are. Find confident in knowing that nothing is wrong in being yourselves. Conformity is for lemmings. Being unique is what makes you stand out as individual. Being comfortable in your own skin is what makes you shine among others.

Simply put, I didn't know who I was for half of my life. I tried to be like others. Looking up at images the mass media keep feeding the public as my guide.... man, I was a sucker. Finding myself was not easy. I got burned to the ground before I finally see who I really am, sweeping away the ashes my true self was intact and revealed. Building on the new self discovery is another journey. One that I feel will continue to evolve.

So, not being hypocritical, I do own several designer handbags, which are waiting for the rare occasions for them to come out. My workout clothes have been upgraded in terms of price and quality, from 3 for $10 to a better one for $30 each. Capris ain't cheap either, not if you want to get one that last you a while and won't rip when you squat for the hundredth times. Regardless, my style, persist. I stay who I am. In recognizing myself, I realized that I could never be the women shown in the Asian magazines I used to stare for hours. On the other hand, I can be ME and improve on my own self.

Who to say that you can't be stylish in the workout clothes, am I right or am I right? :)

A Sappy Christmas Story that's Good for the Soul

I'm usually not this mushy.... Oh who am I kidding.  I may look tough in my Combat shorts and huge grappling gloves, which makes me look like Mickey Mouse ... not really a tough personification of a fighter come to think of it..., but get back to the first thought, I may (try) look tough, but give me a sappy songs or touching pictures or stories, and I would bawl.  In particular, when listening to Elvis' Blue Christmas and around Christmas time.  The first reminds me of my Dad, who passed away in 2008, and the second reminds me of how many Christmas I have spent without him and all those years I took it for granted. Now that he's gone, all I could do was reminisced the time I spent Christmas with him and my whole family, which I sadly now think it would be when I was in Junior High, or was it even earlier than that.

I remember a much older Christmas time when we still lived in the old grandma's house. It never snowed in Jakarta and there was no real Christmas tree there. So we made do with cotton balls, a lot of them, and decorated our plastic tree. I remembered staring at the blinking multi colored lights.  I was too little then to help my parents set up the tree.

After I came to US, there was no more Christmas where I would be together with my Dad. I was always in US, him in Jakarta.  We would only talked on the phone and told each other Merry Christmas.

Was I too young to care and too self centered? Perhaps. Nowadays when I hear Elvis' singing Blue Christmas, I heard him in my head singing the song instead, making his voice like Elvis. And it brought tears to my eyes. Not tears of joy, because I miss him and I regret the time I have lost.  I know I can only move on from here and cherish the family I still have. And spending the moments with them with pleasure and gladness. 

In his passing my Dad taught me this last lesson, to not take those who love me and those I love for granted.  I only live one life in which time keeps moving forward, use it to cherish family and loved ones. And most important, be happy.

Merry Christmas, Dad. Merry Christmas, Oma. Merry Christmas, everyone <3 Peace <3

We're Singing, Dancing and Running in the Rain!

Last Saturday despite crappy weather, some of us laced our shoes, wore tutus, blinking hat and headed out to the beach at 6:00 in the morning. Christmas was not until 18 more days yet we thought it was never too early to celebrate the season with a .... different kind of activity. So there we were, in the morning drizzle that at times turned into light rain, pacing the pavement with hundreds of people mostly dressed in red and whites with bells or candy cane socks, antlers, and santa outfit.  It was the 36th Annual Santa Monica - Venice Christmas Run. 

Sharing Purple Yam and
Nutella Cream Cheese Toast

First time running in the rain, I might have over-prepared. But who cares!! I'm a newbie! Poncho made out of cut out garbage bag, brought that silver foil space blanket, snacks and food in the car, coffee (although it was cold by the time we were done running ... still good tho!), blanket and towel waiting in the car, sandals, change of clothes.  Let me put this down for the record: I love my CRV with limo tinted window, privacy in the car is almost guaranteed. Not that people would be looking in as they scrambled away to their own car in the rain anyway, so Elise and I changed in the car and warmed ourselves up real nice after the race. 

No one's spirit was dampened by the rain. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves regardless of wetness and cold. Being here with friends, amidst the rain, sweat, and cold, I feel blessed.  I wasn't there to simply bust my knees on the pavement, heck most definitely not for the cold morning air! 

This was not about medals, not about personal record. If you ask me why I do this, here is my answer: 

In this run and any other run that I have done or will participate in, I am there to be with friends, to connect people or be connected, make new friends, to bond, and to strengthen friendships. 

If I were just there for the medal or PR, I'd be going home empty. But when a group of friends doing this together, it transformed into something beautiful - even though it may rain or storm, a memorable day and we all would go home with a full heart.  (.....and empty stomach! Hence we always have a celebration brunch together :) )

Here's to close 2013. I look forward to 2014 and more fun ahead.

Find me on Facebook and check out the rest of the photos from this event!