Happy Year of the Ox!

Gong Xi Fa Cai

Have I Lost It?

It's the eve of CNY and I have a relisation. I think I've lost it as a blogger.. :(

I don't know whether it's to do with other distractions - like Facebook's Pet Society, or that I have lost the passion for writing, or I've just have no inspiration to blog altogether because my life is getting so mundane..

I really don't know..

I think the only thing I could do is just to leave it and spare all the torture of incoherent boring ranting of nothing significance at all..

Sigh..

Well, it 's CNY after all.. So, to those of us who are celebrating the new year of the Ox, Jess' 2 Js wishes you Gong Xi Fa Cai and and a blessed year ahead..

Hope to see you soon..

My Italiano lesson

Have been so into other stuff on the Net that I've almost forgotten about my blog!!

Anyway, there ain't much interesting things to blog about..except to say I just had my very first Italian lesson today! :)

Ya.. I was toying with the idea of learning Italian ever since I started taking vocal class, as many of the songs I learn are Italian arias. Then as my teacher confirmed that I would be taking my vocal exam in the middle of this year, I thought it's timely that I should really learn Italian!

Of course the main reason is that it would help me in pronouncing the lyrics, and I also want to know the basics of reading and understanding the language - of course at a very errr.. basic level! But on top of that, Italian is probably the second European language I like - the first, being French, which I did take up beginners French more than 10 years and passed my beginners exam but then almost gave it all back to the teacher! Ok, that's another story altogether..

I found my Italian teacher from the Internet! Ya, there was this language school site and she's looked like the more reputable and reliable one. So I shot her an email in early December and she replied. And then we communicated on email and finally met up last Thursday. She turned out to be a young, pretty and sweet lady. yes, she's Italian married to a Brit who works here..

I went to her condo today for our class and met an even more hyper-active dog than Jelly! Her one-year-old Dachshund was so fond of me that he kept jumping on me even though he spent most of the time devouring a huge bone! Poor thing he is kept confined to the small condo unit but Giovanna (my teacher) and her husband are moving soon to a bungalow - mainly for the sake of the dog.

So how was the lesson? Well, it aint too bad but not too easy either. But I think definitely not half as bad as French and I like pronouncing it! ;) Still there is much grammar and propositions that i need to learn and remember.. We covered almost the whole chapter of the book, and there's a little bit of homework too.

I must say I'm enjoying this new language learning as well as my singing very much.. I think i should spend more time pursuing them than idling on the Internet playing Pet Society especially!

Can't believe it's only about 10 days more to Chinese New Year! Haven't really felt the festive mood or rather the whole celebration is rather subdued this time.. Oh well..

Donnie The Man!

Pardon the pun. Thing is, I haven't watched a Chinese movie I like for quite some time - but now I can say Ip Man and Donnie Yen rocks!

So it's a martial arts biopic based on the life of Yip Man, Bruce Lee's first `sifu. It's hard to believe that the real Yip Man was really THAT cool. I mean, Donnie's portrayal of the kung-fu master is unbeatable, and completely invincible!

Well, fiction or not, I would say Ip Man is a good movie - one that balances the gripping drama and the awesome action. Oh boy, the way Donnie Yen executed his `Wing Chun' martial art was simply superb and thrilling to watch! Yes, there was quite some violent and brutal parts (the movie is rated 18SG) but I would watch again just for the martial art alone!

The other characters in the movie was also pretty well casted. Trust them to find actors with real martial art background, which no doubt made the whole fighting that much exciting to watch.

I read an online review which was pretty well written but a little critical. It was interesting to read what writer said about Donnie Yen's real character is quite the opposite of the humble Yip Man he portrays. I don't know what Donnie Yen is like in real life but indeed, the martial art master's character is one that is pretty intriguing.

Well, I would definitely recommend this movie - and yes, you need to watch it on big screen for that real `ooomp!!'

Ah, and now I have become a Donnie Yen fan! He rocks!!

FAT! leave me alone!!

Cruel reality besieged me as I entered the 3rd day of new year.

Finally I took the long-overdue act and courage to step on the weighing scale and take out the measuring tape. I screamed and my heart sank - I am now at my FATTEST ever!! (sorry am not going to divulge my vital statistics here..)

But am I supposed to be surprised? Considering the way I pigged out in the second half of last year? I had given up dieting altogether and just let myself go.. you see, to me it's such torment to go on diet.. and with gritting suffering effort, the rewards comes slow. On top of having a slow metabolism rate, it doesn't help that a medication I'm on makes it easy to put on weight and hard to lose. So really, it just came to this stage that I felt it's not worth the effort.. most because I simply LOVE to eat!!

And now.. I am suffering the consequences of my stupid and wanton decision. My clothes especially pants and shorts are hard to buckle and I just dread to look at a full-length mirror anymore, especially when I am naked..

So what I to do? I remember exactly this time last year when i saw my ugly bulges in the mirror in my gym, I decided to do something about it. I embarked on a `slimming program' using supplements to help. Alas, it only lasted just over a month or so.. At this stage, I am very tempted to go for professional help. To be honest, although I know this is not the solution in long run, but from experience in the past, i have only been able to successfully lose weight when I joined a slimming centre. And yes, that was not to be permanent. But I really feel I can't do this on my own. Dieting alone, with my own effort is not going to bring me far..

On the other hand, if I were to sign up for slimming treatments, the considerations are more than just the cost. Yes, money is the main factor, but TIME is also another. I would need to spend (read: waste) many hours a week at least to be at the machines. And it's also no miracles - on top of that, I HAVE to go on a diet as well. Just that when you commit yourself to something - especially that with a fees - you will be more disciplined. And without the help of those hi-tech machines, dieting alone is VERY VERY difficult (for me at least) to lose weight..

I realise that I have this problem. It may be psychological but I been on a binge-eating spree in the last month or two especially. I dont' know what caused it. But I just crave for food or snack all the time! This is especially so during the wee hours in the morning when I watched TV. I had to look for some food to munch on, even I was not hungry. I could have exercise some will power to control the urge but somehow I just let it be..

So I was doomed I know.. :(

Today, after coming face-to-face of my weight and figure predicament, I told myself the least I could do now to rectify the deterioration is to start watching my diet. I must cut down the among of food intake and not to snack in between meals. My appetite and my stomach had been increased so much that now I must make it shrink again. So what if I feel a bit hungry.. I must just endure it.. or could I?

This ranting is getting too pathetic. I must think of an action plan and execute it right away. So far, there are only two plausible solutions. Could I be so firm and determined to really go on a strict diet (I know all the theories on healthy dieting) and go back to regular exercise to lose weight? Or I must face the fact that this might just be hopeless and I really do need professional help!??

ARGHH!! I really don't know.. God help me!! :((