Showing posts with label Besties. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Besties. Show all posts
Goodbye 2015 and Hello 2016!
Because I'm boring and cannot think of a better title, I'm going to reuse the same one I used exactly one year ago. Haha!
So 2015...
was a fruitful year for me - especially so in terms of financial planning and career related areas.
WORK
It's my 3rd year and counting in this company and I foresee myself staying a few more years. My team went through some ups and downs this year, witnessing the departure of 2 analysts. We managed to hire one replacement before the year ends and I'm grateful for that - it's mad crazy without the 2 headcount.
Thanks to my wonderful bosses, I received more exposure this year - ranging from a cross-department training with the Finance team in Malaysia to fronting the team for a review in Australia all by myself. This helps to push myself out of the usual comfort zone and I had to hold my opinions in the boardroom. This year, I get to mentor the new hire as well.
In this aspect, I think I did fairly well for the year at work.
HEALTH AND FITNESS
I reckon I fare ALOT better in this area compared to 2014. I fell sick a grand total of two times in 2015 and that is a pretty good record for me. Cleaning up the diet probably helps a lot - with lesser processed food, limiting fried food to only once every 2 weeks and cutting back on sugary drinks. I could really do better in the sleep department though.
Maintaining my gym schedule does help as well. To ensure that I follow through my exercise regime, I usually plan them out 1 to 2 months in advance. But this also meant some of my social life were affected because I had to turn down last minute meetups.
Made an effort to visit my cousin more often at her skin clinic and get my eczema problem settled. I can safely say all that diligence paid off and even my old eczema scars are healing well.
I finally went for a dental appointment on the very last day of 2015 - not proud to admit that I haven't seen a dentist for the entire year. Gross!
All in all, this year made me realize that good health is never a given. Love and take care of body and in turn it will take care of you.
READING
I had the aim to finish 30 books in 2015 - failed terribly at it. I only managed to finish half that target. Totally blame it on mobile game apps on distracting me during commute instead of finishing my reading list.
This year my reading list was a little different from what I set out to read - which were mostly supposed to be entirely business finance based. I decided to have a more diverse reading list by introducing books relating to public speaking, emotions management and also workings of the brain.
Big thanks to my sister for subscribing to our national papers, now I make it a habit to read the papers daily and it certainly has helped me keep abreast of issues.
CLOSE FRIENDS AND FAMILY
2014 saw many of my close friends getting married, 2015 saw a lot of baby full month parties! Huifang had her baby boy Ethan, Shaun and Xinyi saw the arrival of baby Daniel, Lyna and her baby girl Maryann and my little cousin welcomed her second son.
My bro Yeow also got hitched this year. Happy year for all my friends!
I set out to be a better friend this year - I think I did okay. Mainly because none of my friends have disowned me yet. Haha!
I'm still not the patient sister or daughter I had envisioned myself to be so in this area I flopped terribly this year.
OTHER PERSONAL STUFF
Achieved my saving goal for the year!
In matters of the heart, J and I have grown in the relationship despite being apart for most of the year. He made a lot of effort to come back whenever he could and I really appreciate that. We also made some significant steps in our relationship, one of which being the application for a Build-To-Order flat this year :) There's another one which I will speak of at a later date.
TRAVEL
I traveled a fair bit for work in 2015 - going to Malaysia twice, China and also Australia. All were fruitful trips where I learned a lot. Looking forward to more of such opportunities in 2016!
All my personal travels this year were made to Shanghai where I had 2 separate weeks of wonderful time with the boy.
For 2016...
It's another year of goals setting and getting closer to dreams!
WORK
I had a conversation with my bosses before 2015 wrapped up, that I crave for more responsibilities such as fronting my own portfolio and having the opportunities to hold my own in meetings with the high management. They have supported the notion and is willing to open up those routes for me.
Definitely looking forward to 2016 where I can achieve that few milestones that I've set for myself!
HEALTH AND FITNESS
I am fairly pleased with my health status in 2015 with a perfect A health screening report (according to the GP at least) and no eczema flare-ups. The only thing I can't seem to quit is milk tea and I want to cut back on that in 2016 - instead of daily, I want to cut it to thrice a week.
2015's diet worked for me (no withdrawal syndromes thank goodness) and it shows that I can really live with lesser fried food. I shall continue that into 2016 as well.
Going to the gym 3 times a week in 2015 was a good habit to keep and I aim to maintain that in 2016.
READING
I didn't get to stick with my 2015 reading goals but I want to give it a try again. This year round besides the usual business and financial planning books, I want to venture into different genres.
This year, the target remains at 30 books.
CLOSE FRIENDS AND FAMILY
I realized as one gets older (big 30!), one starts to realize that it's more important that friends come in quality rather than quantity. 2015 was a year where I see myself getting closer to people who matters and that is something I am extremely grateful for. This year, I want to cherish those who matters.
Not the best child anyone ask for - with all that impatience and hot temper-ness. My parents are getting on in years and it's about time I wise up and stop being such a brat sometimes. This year, I want to manage my impatience towards my parents and be a more dutiful child.
OTHER PERSONAL STUFF
Financially, I hope to achieve yet another saving goal I set myself.
In matters of the heart, I can't wait for the boy to be back for good in June! Meanwhile, maybe I will aim not to throw tantrums at him too often hahahahaha.
TRAVEL
Work related travels are not up to me so I can't make a resolution on that.
On a personal level, I will be flying to China at least one more time before the boy returns. In view of my saving goal, that is likely to be the only travel plan for the year!
Shall end this post with a quote that I want to use as my driver for 2016
Onwards to an amazing 2016 everyone!
I had a conversation with my bosses before 2015 wrapped up, that I crave for more responsibilities such as fronting my own portfolio and having the opportunities to hold my own in meetings with the high management. They have supported the notion and is willing to open up those routes for me.
Definitely looking forward to 2016 where I can achieve that few milestones that I've set for myself!
HEALTH AND FITNESS
I am fairly pleased with my health status in 2015 with a perfect A health screening report (according to the GP at least) and no eczema flare-ups. The only thing I can't seem to quit is milk tea and I want to cut back on that in 2016 - instead of daily, I want to cut it to thrice a week.
2015's diet worked for me (no withdrawal syndromes thank goodness) and it shows that I can really live with lesser fried food. I shall continue that into 2016 as well.
Going to the gym 3 times a week in 2015 was a good habit to keep and I aim to maintain that in 2016.
READING
I didn't get to stick with my 2015 reading goals but I want to give it a try again. This year round besides the usual business and financial planning books, I want to venture into different genres.
This year, the target remains at 30 books.
CLOSE FRIENDS AND FAMILY
I realized as one gets older (big 30!), one starts to realize that it's more important that friends come in quality rather than quantity. 2015 was a year where I see myself getting closer to people who matters and that is something I am extremely grateful for. This year, I want to cherish those who matters.
Not the best child anyone ask for - with all that impatience and hot temper-ness. My parents are getting on in years and it's about time I wise up and stop being such a brat sometimes. This year, I want to manage my impatience towards my parents and be a more dutiful child.
OTHER PERSONAL STUFF
Financially, I hope to achieve yet another saving goal I set myself.
In matters of the heart, I can't wait for the boy to be back for good in June! Meanwhile, maybe I will aim not to throw tantrums at him too often hahahahaha.
TRAVEL
Work related travels are not up to me so I can't make a resolution on that.
On a personal level, I will be flying to China at least one more time before the boy returns. In view of my saving goal, that is likely to be the only travel plan for the year!
Shall end this post with a quote that I want to use as my driver for 2016
Onwards to an amazing 2016 everyone!
Goodbye 2014 and Hello 2015!
I've not been the best person in keeping this blog updated - and for the daily readers who still bothered to pop by every now and then, I thank you immensely for showering this friend/stranger some of your precious time :)
Since this is the first post of 2015, I'll make it a cliched one - one that wraps up the previous year and talks about the next.
has been a very ordinary but beautiful year for me. Ordinary because there was no exceptional feat I did in 2014 that makes me want to jump up high and fist pump myself. Beautiful because many things happened that still makes me smile with my heart warm.
WORK
I started 2014 with a promotion at work. I've had switched a few jobs almost every other year in the first 3 to 4 years of my working life. This meant I never stayed long enough to be promoted within the firm although I've always left with glowing appraisals from my then bosses. This promotion definitely meant something to me. Covering additional responsibilities has helped me grow over the last year and I'm definitely looking forward to more growth opportunities in the coming years.
HEALTH and FITNESS
I still failed terribly at taking care of my health although I vowed to clean up my eating habits and exercise regime at the start of 2014. I fell sick a grand total of 6 times this year - 2 of which took almost 3 weeks to recover. Not the best sign for someone still in her 20s (albeit late)! The year ended with me sick and yes I counted down to 2015 with a nasty cough and running nose.
Fortunately, I managed to maintain my exercise regime right till budget season - before it all fell apart.
READING
My reading goals died mid way through the year - not proud of it either. I would love to blame it on the harsh work schedules but who am I kidding when folks like Steve Jobs and Warren Buffett reads voraciously even in their demanding roles.
CLOSE FRIENDS and FAMILY
Since this is the first post of 2015, I'll make it a cliched one - one that wraps up the previous year and talks about the next.
So 2014....
has been a very ordinary but beautiful year for me. Ordinary because there was no exceptional feat I did in 2014 that makes me want to jump up high and fist pump myself. Beautiful because many things happened that still makes me smile with my heart warm.
WORK
I started 2014 with a promotion at work. I've had switched a few jobs almost every other year in the first 3 to 4 years of my working life. This meant I never stayed long enough to be promoted within the firm although I've always left with glowing appraisals from my then bosses. This promotion definitely meant something to me. Covering additional responsibilities has helped me grow over the last year and I'm definitely looking forward to more growth opportunities in the coming years.
HEALTH and FITNESS
I still failed terribly at taking care of my health although I vowed to clean up my eating habits and exercise regime at the start of 2014. I fell sick a grand total of 6 times this year - 2 of which took almost 3 weeks to recover. Not the best sign for someone still in her 20s (albeit late)! The year ended with me sick and yes I counted down to 2015 with a nasty cough and running nose.
Fortunately, I managed to maintain my exercise regime right till budget season - before it all fell apart.
READING
My reading goals died mid way through the year - not proud of it either. I would love to blame it on the harsh work schedules but who am I kidding when folks like Steve Jobs and Warren Buffett reads voraciously even in their demanding roles.
CLOSE FRIENDS and FAMILY
2014 witnessed the marriage of many of my close ones - Joyce to her life-long friend Vincent, Huifang to her high school sweetheart Jerly, Pamela to her partner in crime James, my cousin Danny to his favourite lady Sofie and my little cousin Xinjuan to her best friend since middle school.
I still did not become the good daughter and sister that I wanted to be - I still had my fair share of tempers and lost patience on my parents more times than I should.
OTHER PERSONAL STUFF
Thankfully, I kept to my saving goals. Probably a side product of getting closer to the big 30, I've become much more conscious of the insurance policies I buy (and what they cover). 2014 saw a surge in the number of meetings and emails exchange with my financial planner and I'm glad to say I closed off the year satisfied with my financial planning.
Attended a few finance classes this year and I'm glad to say there were so many great useful retirement planning advice I've taken away from the folks who were kind enough to share them.
Last and all, I met the new love of my life - albeit it's only 3 months old and he's far away in Shanghai for an 18-month long secondment, we are still doing fine.
TRAVELS
This year has been relatively mild (compared to my earlier career options) in travel, being only to Australia for work and Myanmar for leisure. Mild as they were, both were places that I've never been to until this year and both were beautiful in their own ways. I wished I traveled more on a personal/leisure basis but I have to keep an eye on my financial goals as well. Something has got to give sometimes I guess!
I still did not become the good daughter and sister that I wanted to be - I still had my fair share of tempers and lost patience on my parents more times than I should.
OTHER PERSONAL STUFF
Thankfully, I kept to my saving goals. Probably a side product of getting closer to the big 30, I've become much more conscious of the insurance policies I buy (and what they cover). 2014 saw a surge in the number of meetings and emails exchange with my financial planner and I'm glad to say I closed off the year satisfied with my financial planning.
Attended a few finance classes this year and I'm glad to say there were so many great useful retirement planning advice I've taken away from the folks who were kind enough to share them.
Last and all, I met the new love of my life - albeit it's only 3 months old and he's far away in Shanghai for an 18-month long secondment, we are still doing fine.
TRAVELS
This year has been relatively mild (compared to my earlier career options) in travel, being only to Australia for work and Myanmar for leisure. Mild as they were, both were places that I've never been to until this year and both were beautiful in their own ways. I wished I traveled more on a personal/leisure basis but I have to keep an eye on my financial goals as well. Something has got to give sometimes I guess!
For 2015...
It's always nice to start the new year knowing what you fell short of last year and why you need to improve this year :)
WORK
Now that I have spent exactly a year in my new (or not so new) role, I'm motivated to learn more and move on to the next level. The feedback session with my direct report late last year fueled my hunger to build necessary experiences and skill set in order to move up the ladder. I need to work harder this year to not let him, and most importantly, myself, down.
This year, I want to be able to manage junior staff better and be able to hold my opinions better in a boardroom.
HEALTH and FITNESS
2014 ended on a tough reminder to myself that health is so so important. Over the last one year I can feel my health deteriorate - frequent bouts of flu and a much longer time to recover. I came back from Myanmar with a deep chest cough that witnessed the come back of my asthma. I haven't had that since I was 15 years old! Determined to steer my health back on track, I've visited 2 sinsehs, 1 who has helped me with my eczema 4 years back and the other one recommended by a good friend of mine. Both commented that my diet and lifestyle need to change - more fresh food, no fried food and minimal late nights.
This year, I will clean up my diet (fried food free for the last 1 week and counting!) and be the obedient patient that my Chinese sinseh needs me to be. Exercise regime will resume when this bout of cough is over so my health and fitness level can be back on track. This body - will after all be the one and only place I have to live in - I might as well make it a good place to be.
READING
Since last year, I've kept my readings to strictly non-fiction books - mostly business and finance based. This trend is likely to be here to stay, especially with friends sending in lists of books to read from Business Insider, Inc. Com, Forbes and Stanford School of Business! I've kick started the year with Peter Lynch's Beating the Street. I'm only into the first chapter and I'm enjoying it so far.
This year, I aim to finish 30 books.
CLOSE FRIENDS and FAMILY
I've come to realized some of my close friends are afraid of asking me for favours because they were afraid I would be busy - when Huifang got married, she said it took her courage to ask me to be her emcee whereas I was exhilarated to be able to host her wedding with my (and also her) bestie, Wendy. She mentioned that she knew I was busy with work (mostly) and was afraid I would turn her down. Then it dawned to me, while I've always thought I was a great friend, I actually wasn't. I was always preoccupied with work and my dear friends have thought themselves as burdens sometimes if they were to reach out to me.
What a terrible friend I've been.
The same rings true for my parents - both of whom have always hesitated to trouble me because I was mostly impatient with their request for help relating to electronic gadgets and other administrative matters (both do not speak or read English).
What a terrible child I've been.
This year, I still want to be a more patient daughter and sister to my family. I want to be more generous with my parents - in both monetary terms and love. I also want to be a more understanding friend who can listen better and be there for my friends whenever they need me most.
OTHER PERSONAL STUFF
Financially, I want to be able to maintain my saving habits and reach my desired financial goals. I will be more disciplined and focused in driving and reaching these milestones.
In terms of relationships, I want to be a better girlfriend to J. He's been a great (and bigger) guy so far, coping well with my weird temper and always putting me first in his plans (be it now or future). Now that we are miles apart due to his 18-month secondment in Shanghai, I've learned to cherish time with him more. Although we video-chat every single night, it doesn't lessen the lack of his presence here in Singapore. I definitely still miss having meals with him just across the table or just holding his hand and walking down streets.
TRAVELS
I foresee slightly more personal travels to Shanghai this year just because J is now there and it's not possible that he flies back all the time. Had plans to hike Mount Rinjali in May but that is likely to clash with the original schedule that was set aside to visit J in Shanghai. Anyhow, we will work these timings out ;-)
And here's my favourite quote of the year to wrap up this post:
WORK
Now that I have spent exactly a year in my new (or not so new) role, I'm motivated to learn more and move on to the next level. The feedback session with my direct report late last year fueled my hunger to build necessary experiences and skill set in order to move up the ladder. I need to work harder this year to not let him, and most importantly, myself, down.
This year, I want to be able to manage junior staff better and be able to hold my opinions better in a boardroom.
HEALTH and FITNESS
2014 ended on a tough reminder to myself that health is so so important. Over the last one year I can feel my health deteriorate - frequent bouts of flu and a much longer time to recover. I came back from Myanmar with a deep chest cough that witnessed the come back of my asthma. I haven't had that since I was 15 years old! Determined to steer my health back on track, I've visited 2 sinsehs, 1 who has helped me with my eczema 4 years back and the other one recommended by a good friend of mine. Both commented that my diet and lifestyle need to change - more fresh food, no fried food and minimal late nights.
This year, I will clean up my diet (fried food free for the last 1 week and counting!) and be the obedient patient that my Chinese sinseh needs me to be. Exercise regime will resume when this bout of cough is over so my health and fitness level can be back on track. This body - will after all be the one and only place I have to live in - I might as well make it a good place to be.
READING
Since last year, I've kept my readings to strictly non-fiction books - mostly business and finance based. This trend is likely to be here to stay, especially with friends sending in lists of books to read from Business Insider, Inc. Com, Forbes and Stanford School of Business! I've kick started the year with Peter Lynch's Beating the Street. I'm only into the first chapter and I'm enjoying it so far.
This year, I aim to finish 30 books.
CLOSE FRIENDS and FAMILY
I've come to realized some of my close friends are afraid of asking me for favours because they were afraid I would be busy - when Huifang got married, she said it took her courage to ask me to be her emcee whereas I was exhilarated to be able to host her wedding with my (and also her) bestie, Wendy. She mentioned that she knew I was busy with work (mostly) and was afraid I would turn her down. Then it dawned to me, while I've always thought I was a great friend, I actually wasn't. I was always preoccupied with work and my dear friends have thought themselves as burdens sometimes if they were to reach out to me.
What a terrible friend I've been.
The same rings true for my parents - both of whom have always hesitated to trouble me because I was mostly impatient with their request for help relating to electronic gadgets and other administrative matters (both do not speak or read English).
What a terrible child I've been.
This year, I still want to be a more patient daughter and sister to my family. I want to be more generous with my parents - in both monetary terms and love. I also want to be a more understanding friend who can listen better and be there for my friends whenever they need me most.
OTHER PERSONAL STUFF
Financially, I want to be able to maintain my saving habits and reach my desired financial goals. I will be more disciplined and focused in driving and reaching these milestones.
In terms of relationships, I want to be a better girlfriend to J. He's been a great (and bigger) guy so far, coping well with my weird temper and always putting me first in his plans (be it now or future). Now that we are miles apart due to his 18-month secondment in Shanghai, I've learned to cherish time with him more. Although we video-chat every single night, it doesn't lessen the lack of his presence here in Singapore. I definitely still miss having meals with him just across the table or just holding his hand and walking down streets.
TRAVELS
I foresee slightly more personal travels to Shanghai this year just because J is now there and it's not possible that he flies back all the time. Had plans to hike Mount Rinjali in May but that is likely to clash with the original schedule that was set aside to visit J in Shanghai. Anyhow, we will work these timings out ;-)
And here's my favourite quote of the year to wrap up this post:
Don't wait for inspiration. Be the inspiration.
HELLO 2015! Wishing you all a great year ahead as well!
Mingalaba Myanmar!
Counting down to my flight to Myanmar in less than 12 hours!
Can't wait to take plenty of photos and I will be back to update all the backlogs I have :)
Meanwhile, for those who still makes the effort to drop by - have a great week ahead! :)
Can't wait to take plenty of photos and I will be back to update all the backlogs I have :)
Meanwhile, for those who still makes the effort to drop by - have a great week ahead! :)
Green Corridor Run 2014
This is my first time doing this run - and definitely will be my last.
It could really be a series of unfortunate events that led to this conclusion - all in all, I didn't enjoyed it at all. The flag off was at 9.20am (which is really late in my opinion) and skies were a little gloomy right before it begun.
Gloomy skies right in the direction of the starting line.
Phyllis was right in this one, it should really be called Brown Corridor instead. Hahaha
It could really be a series of unfortunate events that led to this conclusion - all in all, I didn't enjoyed it at all. The flag off was at 9.20am (which is really late in my opinion) and skies were a little gloomy right before it begun.
Gloomy skies right in the direction of the starting line.
It started drizzling about 1 km into the run and I thought that was all it's going to be - a drizzle. Man, was I wrong! By the 2km mark, it got heavier and begun pouring dinosaurs even before the 3km mark!
It was pouring so hard I had to keep wiping my face while I run to ensure that vision was still clear. Some gave up and waited under a bridge. Obviously, I joined them.
The shelter proved useless after a while as the winds were so strong and we were getting wet anyway. So we moved on.
These are some of the drier patches that we ran on and at the start everyone was careful not to run too fast lest we get mud on ourselves or worse, other runners.
Eventually as the rain got heavier and the trail muddier, we didn't really care anymore. Hahahaha. There were portions of the trail that were completely submerged and runners were just dashing through muddy waters with no definite understanding how deep some portions are. Quite a few were more than ankle-deep.
The rain soaked through my clothes and my mobile phone went kaput. In a bid to save it, I switched it off, dismantled it under the bridge and took out the battery. Dumped it into a bag full of uncooked rice for the next 7 hours when I got home. I'm so glad it's working now.
This is the first time I've been so drenched in a heavy downpour and I must say 3 hours (before, during and way after the race) being in the rain is a terrible feeling and my bones are aching all over now. Where's that ginger tea when I need one. Totally never doing this again.
Phyllis was right in this one, it should really be called Brown Corridor instead. Hahaha
Hidayah's wedding :)
Finally!
I can't believe time flew by so quickly. Her wedding was in the first 2 days of the September and now we are already on the last 2 days of said month.
The close knitted clique appeared on the day of as part of the bridesmaid troupe. Apparently, they can have as many bridesmaids groups as the bride wants! They could do 10 waves of gatecrashing with 10 groups of bridesmaids if they want!
It was mega fun and I'm extremely honoured Hidayah invited us to be part of it. The bargaining for money is done in Melayu (malay language) so Lyna did bulk of the work. And no one would dare to fight with a pregnant lady would they!
We all had to be dressed in kebayas and batik pieces. It was quite hot to be dressed in those although it didn't seem so!
Here's wishing you many many years of marital bliss my dear girl :)
I can't believe time flew by so quickly. Her wedding was in the first 2 days of the September and now we are already on the last 2 days of said month.
The close knitted clique appeared on the day of as part of the bridesmaid troupe. Apparently, they can have as many bridesmaids groups as the bride wants! They could do 10 waves of gatecrashing with 10 groups of bridesmaids if they want!
It was mega fun and I'm extremely honoured Hidayah invited us to be part of it. The bargaining for money is done in Melayu (malay language) so Lyna did bulk of the work. And no one would dare to fight with a pregnant lady would they!
We all had to be dressed in kebayas and batik pieces. It was quite hot to be dressed in those although it didn't seem so!
Here's wishing you many many years of marital bliss my dear girl :)
Mount Kinabalu Expedition
I will have to start writing about my climb to Mount Kinabalu before it gets too busy at work! Will be jetting off to China this coming Monday and will be out of town till end of the month.
Better get down to writing this post!
I've always wanted to climb Mount Kinabalu but never really found enough friends who wanted to do it. So when Sarah suggested it during our last class Christmas gathering, I jumped on it! :)
We booked our tour package via Amazing Borneo - I honestly can't remember the full cost but it took care of our lodgings/food/climb (excluding porter fees and other misc. costs) for the 4 days we were there.
This is our accommodation for the first night! It's located some 1,500metres of sea level and a short walk away from the Kinabalu Park Tourist Centre. It's nice and cozy with a huge fireplace, a size-able living room and comes with 3 bedrooms (2 rooms with twin beds and 1 with a queen size). There's no heater in the lodge but it comes with a stable source of hot water (just remember to switch the water heater on 30 minutes before shower)
They gave us so much food - 3 packs per person!
Do grab as much sleep as you can on the night before the first climb. It really makes a difference.
View from our lodge the next morning.
Highly advised to check the weather forecast at the tourist centre before the climb! It always help to be a little prepared (at least mentally).
The lodge provided packed lunch for us (additional weight though!)
My (non-biological) brothers!
Every climber is issued a Kinabalu Park tag - the flip side list your name, group number and date of climb. It is for identification purpose and has to be worn at all times.
All smiles before we start the journey!
That's our guide - Safrey Sumping! We found out eventually that he's a climbathon champion (!!) and one of the best guides any newbie climber could ever ask for :)
After gathering outside the Tourist Centre, you will be whisked off in a van to the starting point which is around 1,800 metres above sea level.
Obviously, we have no idea what brutal stuff we will be going through in a matter of minutes..
Just minutes through the gate, we were greeted by the Climbathon 2012 results board. The top climber is some Spanish dude by the name of Kilian Jornet. 2 hours and 11 minutes???
Madness.
There are 2 trails up to Laban Rata (which is the mid-lodge located at 3,200 metres off sea level). One is through the Timpohon Gate (which is slightly more intense with the quick elevation - 6km trail that brings you up an additional 1,400m in elevation) and another through Mersilau Trail which is a more scenic walk. Both routes eventually will merge at Layang-Layang, which is kilometres away from Laban Rata.
The map noted a rest hut (or Pondek) at every kilometre mark, it really didn't seem so bad. It's only a 6 kilometre trail! I've ran half-marathons, this wouldn't be so bad right?? I was so wrong.
The trail started off with a series of descending steps.
Guides usually double up as porters. The limit is 50kg per porter. So unless your team carries more than that amount of luggage, there's no need for an additional guide. Porter fees are at RM8 per kilogram of luggage, which isn't expensive in my opinion. If you want someone to carry you up, it's RM350 per kilometre. Safrey mentioned he once carried a 80kg man down the mountain because he broke his knee on the way up. :O
The first rest hut - it was relatively easy to reach this one as the first kilometre is still considerably easy and we were still brimming with energy. Every rest hut has a toilet (comes with a flush too!) and a water tank. The water is untreated so do bring along chlorine/purification tablets if you don't wish to carry 3litres of water for your climb.
You can find these little critters at the rest huts as well. They are probably conditioned by climbers over the years so they have no fear of humans. In fact, they can be quite shameless in asking for food. In my case, they blatantly took the banana off my hand when I was lowering it down.
These porters carry anything man.
The female guide of another team of Singaporeans. She was in slippers and climbed faster than all of us!
One thing I appreciate was the clear signage along the way - they have such signs every 500 metres. Sounds a little unnecessary? Not at all because every half a kilometre honestly felt like eternity!
Sitting around at the rest hut too long makes you cold, so it's advisable not to take too long a break. You would want to make it to the next stop as humanly fast as you can. That being said, do pace yourself. If you climb too fast, the altitude sickness will hit you hard before you even realize it. Don't lose your breath either. Due to the thin air, once you lose it, it's hard to get back on track.
That's the legend we met. He's the porter who was carrying 3 bags and still managed to be faster than us. He was always in front! It was inspiring, yet demoralizing at the same time.
This view was before we even hit the 2km mark and we already felt pretty near to the clouds!
That's NOT the summit behind us. Hahaha.
Weird plant bro found along the way.
As you can tell from the photos, I was getting paler as we climbed further up. Breathing became a chore as the air got thinner. We developed a "Paleness Index" for me and had frequent "O Breaks" also known as Oxygen Breaks. Hahaha.
Elevation got more intense as we climbed further. Just 500m on, we are 100m higher in elevation. As we moved further, the groups became wider and wider apart. We were most of the time alone, meeting the occasional climbers who were making their way down (they climbed the previous day).
Steps! Oh how I hate them.
It got more misty as we progressed on and weather became more unpredictable. It was hot, and then it was chilly. There was light showers and then the sun was out again.
I'm surprised we still had the strength to smile! Hahaha.
After around 4 hours, we made it to the 4km mark at Layang-Layang! There were a lot more climbers at this rest spot because it's where the Mersilau Trail and Timpohon Gate merges. It's a larger resting hut as well.
And it certainly came with larger squirrels and rats! They are the same size!
After Layang-Layang, we are only left with 2 kilometres to the lodge. It sounds like a short distance but it took us almost another 5 hours before we reached Laban Rata. The inclination was steeper and air was significantly thinner as well. Throw in the hard work we put in for the first 4 km, we were seriously exhausted.
To top it all off, it started to rain shortly after we left the rest hut. Thank god it was a light shower and didn't last very long.
There were lesser steps and more soil/rocks on the trail now.
Just 500 metres on, the elevation went up by another 150 metres. I could feel myself getting increasingly breathless and every step took herculean effort man.
That's bro trying to keep me awake. My body temperature was actually falling slowly and I didn't realize at all. Apparently all I kept saying was "I really want to sleep" and everytime I tried to doze off, one of them would wake me up.
It started to rain heavily in the last 1 km and I was slowing down significantly by then. I was cold, miserable, extremely tired and completely out of breath. The last 50 metres was a bit of a blur but apparently I was piggy-backed up by my guide because he realized my body temperature was a little too low when he took my gloves off.
View from Laban Rata taken by the bro while I was busy warming myself up by having a hot bath.
Everyone should aim to reach Laban Rata before 8pm or you will have no food to eat. Thankfully despite my snail speed, we managed to reach at around 5 plus pm. There are 2 types of accommodation available at Laban Rata: the private rooms or the common bunk beds.
Private rooms come in sizes that takes 2 or 6 people and they have attached bathrooms. These are the only rooms that have heated water and heater as well. But of course you can only have one at a time - you want the heater, you have to switch off the water heater and vice versa.
We were completely exhausted by the time we finished food and shower. I reckon most of us slept before 9pm. I collapsed into bed way earlier than the rest due to my bout of hypothermia and altitude sickness.
The second part of the climb - to the Summit - takes place in the wee hours of the morning. We were supposed to wake up at 2am, grab supper and be ready to climb by 2.30am. Bro suggested I don't do the Summit climb due to my condition the day before and he was worried it could get worse for me. But I did not crawl to 3,200metres off sea level to give up! I was feeling a lot better after a good night sleep and decided to proceed on with the climb.
All ready for the Summit! Do bring a headlight along for the climb because it's completely dark out there. It was around 4 degrees outside at the time of our climb.
Not a lot of pictures were taken during this climb (mainly because it was raining) but suffice to say it was definitely the most grueling part of the climb. The rocky path up the summit was unforgivably steep. At some points, the level of inclination was almost 80 degrees, with only a rope (and basically your strong hands) separating you between life and death.
The weather was a lot colder and the wind was brutal. Throw in the relentless rain and even thinner air, I had thoughts of giving up too many a times. I was shivering from cold throughout most of the climb (despite wearing thermal + 2 sweaters + ski jacket) and it near to impossible to stay focused. At certain points, I tried to distract myself by counting the number of breaths I take in between each step.
Towards the last 800 metres or so, I was practically taking a break every 5-6 steps. Or rather, I was collapsing. I had not even a single ounce of energy left in me. At that point, I fully understood why some people turned back even when they were so close to reaching the summit.
Thankfully for my amazing climb mates, they kept me going one step at a time :)
I collapsed from cold and altitude sickness about 50metres away from the peak.The guide stopped me from going any further as he deemed it too dangerous and mentioned the view is essentially the same.
GAH. So there goes my chance of taking photo with the famed board at 4,095m! Nonetheless, glad the rest of them made it there! :)
Look how shagged and cold everyone looked! (with exception to Phyllis and Shaun though).
We made our way down thereafter as it was freakishly cold and I was getting increasingly dizzy as well from the altitude.
The way down was a lot of pain as well although I must say it was a lot less stressful because we didn't have a time limit to hit! Hahaha. We met Uncle Ler, his friend and Vince (all from Singapore!) on the way down.
After we descended and made our final payment for porter's fees, we bid Safrey goodbye and got our certs! Although I miss the summit by around 50m, Safrey mentioned he admired my spirit and determination to climb despite hypothermia and 2 days of altitude sickness. Yay! Amazing Borneo was thoughtful enough to provide a folder for the certificate as well. From my knowledge, other agencies only provide the certificate.
I'm guarding this with my life man.
After bidding farewell to Uncle Ler, his friend and Vince, we headed off to our homestay place. It's a nice cozy 2-story house that faces the mountain.
We froze a little when we saw stairs. Hahaha.
We pretty much crashed right after dinner. It's nice to have warm water and heater again - and knowing you can sleep all you want through the night and not waking up in the wee hours to scale more heights.
It rained throughout the night, with winds howling right outside the window. Despite the less than desirable weather, we still woke up to an amazingggg view.
I could live here forever.
Due to the heavy downpour, our transport ran into a landslide and was severely delayed. By the time, we reached the airport, the plane has taken off without us! As direct flights back to Singapore was infrequent, we decided to fly back via Kuala Lumpur. It was such a stressful journey home, running across airports and ensuring we don't miss another flight!
You have no idea how relieved we were when we finally made it to the KL-SG flight.
Despite the random hiccups along the way, this trip has got to be one of the most memorable trips I had in recent years.
I had learnt a lot of things from this hike. When we were climbing up the mountain, we were exposed to the spirit of comradeship. Some of the climbers were complete strangers to us, but they never held back when assistance was needed. Uncle Ler who passed me his trekking stick and oxygen can because "You need it more than I do". He had knee problems himself but he did not hesitate at all in sharing the limited supplies he had. The Austrian guy who offered me his jacket, chocolates and water when I was all frozen up near the summit. The French couple who hugged me very tightly on my way down because I was shivering from cold. Vince (new found friend from Singapore!) who offered me a new pair of gloves and heat packs when mine was wet (and turned cold) from grabbing the wet ropes on the way up. Margaret, our homestay host, for preparing warm and delicious food for us. I loved how she shed light on now that we have surpassed ourselves physically and mentally to overcome a mountain, we can also strengthen ourselves spiritually to cross the hurdles in our lives. Last but not least, I'm immensely grateful for the wonderful climb mates I found in the form of my JC classmates! Not only were they completely patient with me at my snail speed points, they were also extremely motivating in the most trying times of the climb.
This trip has changed me and I hope this experience helps to make me a better person.
I can't wait to plan more trips with these folks already! :)
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