Outdoor wednesday: Running for a cause

I have never been a good sports person.  I told my friend Sarawakiana, I usually came last in most of the events I took part in.  The word, " hard luck", remains in the niche of my brain, came from the house captain when he was with me when as a 13 year old, I failed to clear the bar of the junior girls high jump. But I was always willing and available. So, I was chosen in many events and sports to make up the number..

I celebrated my 50th with a big bang. I ran the 1/4 Marathon with my girlfriend L. Both of us had not run much, but we persevere, woke up every morning and trained. The reward and icing on the cake was going at 4 am in a taxi and finishing our race with the world greats from Kenya, Ethipioa and Tanzania in the Singapore Marathon in 2005. I gloated with pride. As the saying goes, Pride goes before a fall, I hardly ran again. The water enginner was persuading me to run, saying I mustn't " rest on my laurels"

A woman who trained at the Staff Club gym asked if I was running for any one.

"Huh?"

She said she ran for the Salvation Army, and with my popularity on  campus, I could have garnered a lot of sponsors. She invited me to join her team. Then I left Singapore to return to New Zealand.

I got involved with Sands actively, and heard from another Sand's mum in Australia had her friends running for Sands. I shared this with my previous running partner L, and she fully supported me to train for the1/2 marathon.  She would encourage me online as she is now in USA. I told a running colleague and she encouraged me. 

However, age, inertia, laziness and weak pelvic floor muscles led  me running for only 1 kilometer a couple of times. A far cry from the 20 km I was aiming for. secretly.  

 Once a year, Auckland runs a charity run, Round the Bays run. That year, inertia made me ashamed. The husband and son went, people ran in the rain. I ran with my fingers taking photos. The next year, I walked.

I did go for an arduous "trekking" once, to train for a healthy life style.

Of late, my very good friend K I knew in Singapore told me she was aiming to walk the marathon. She invited me to join her, and we still have 2 years to train. Walking is "doable."  if I can overcome my laziness and practise. K is already walking 3 hours a day, and I am parking my backside infront of the computer. and let my finger do the walking. Ahhhh!

Reading this news from rare Genes Project, makes my legs itchy again.  Those of you in UK, please support. In fact, you don't have to be from UK. The world is so small with the cyber highway.

Global Genes Project and Fund

Wowza - from BBC - Sister runs equivalent of "10 marathons in 10 days" for her 14 year old sister (Hailey Okines) who has rapid and fatal aging disorder called Progeria - Progeria Research Foundation

So touching and inspirational! ❤ and "share" if you think so too!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-17720214

Sister's 10 marathons in 10 days

www.bbc.co.uk

The sister of a 14-year-old girl with a rare ageing condition completes her challenge to run 10 marathons in 10 days.




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Save the World: Monday is washing day

When I was young, I grew up in Sibu, Sarawak in Borneo. I went to Methodist school where we had a lot of missionaries from UK and USA. One of the songs they taught us was: Monday is washing day. Tues is something........ What puzzled me most was why just Monday?

In Borneo, everyday was washing day,
1; it was very humid, and clothes reek of sweat and if you don't wash them daily, you get mould.
2: in the 60s, families were very big, my family was bigger than the norm, Mum and Dad had 9 kids. Can you imagine if all the dirty laundry was left to Monday, what a ginomous chore it would be. Dirty laundry is soaked over night in a big tub of soapy water, we helped Mum scrub them on the wooden washing board, then we wringed it over another tub of running clean water. Finally we hand wrung as dry as we could before we hung to out to dry on the lines. We didn't have the energy, and sometimes with big items like towels and sheets, two of us would hold each end and wrung it that way. Sometimes, one of us would drop one and the the effort is wasted.
3: One day, when my youngest sister G was born, it was a glorious day. Dad decided it was too much for Mum to do all the laundry, ( we used cloth nappies) and cleaning the house. Bless him, he employed a Malay washer woman. This woman came and did the laundry, ironing and cleaning the house. That washerwoman was the best since sliced bread. Unfortunately, it didn't last long.
4: Mum decided that it was too much on our family budget. Mum did the washing chores during the week days. My sister M and I did it on the weekends. By then, my two older sisters had left home for their college training. When they came home during their holidays, they did the washing. The family would remember the younger siblings thought the two oldest sisters were our new washerwomen. ( You can't blame them, when the baby was born, the sisters had left home.)

With that background, despite having lived in Canada and New Zealand for most of my adult life, I still do my laundry when ever I can, hoping the sun will be shining. It rains a lot here, and the weather can change quickly. If it is really shining, I do my laundry during a week day, and hope it is not going to rain before I come home. If not, I try to do it on a Saturday. If it rains on a Saturday, then I do it on a Sunday. Today, I did iton a Monday.

I try to hang my laundry on my rotary clothes line, the laundry is seldom 100% dry because Auckland is very humid. At the end of the day, I put them in my hot water cupboard.  I try not to use the drier, if I can help it. But in winter, when it rains everyday, I make my life less stressful by using the drier.

If anyone of you remember the Monday is washing day, besides these two versions, I shall love to see the lyrics.

There seem to be a number of variants of this traditional children's song, which is used to teach days of the week by means of music and repetition. Some versions use different foods for different days. The Scaffold's version drew on the traditional North of England words based partly on daily activities, partly on food.
The verses were:
Today's Monday, today's Monday
Monday is washing day
Is ev'rybody happy?
You bet your life we are.
Today's Tuesday, today's Tuesday
Tuesday's soup,
Monday is washing day
Is ev'rybody happy?
You bet your life we are.
etc.
Wednesday's roast beef
Thursday's shepherds pie
Friday's fish
Saturday's payday
Sunday's church
As each day is added, the previous days are repeated in reverse order until all 7 days of the week have been covered.
Today's Sunday, today's Sunday
Sunday's church
Saturday's payday
Friday's fish
Thursday's shepherds pie
Wednesday's roast beef
Tuesday's soup,
Monday is washing day
Is ev'rybody happy?
You bet your life we are.

Monday: Wash Day
Tuesday: Ironing Day
Wednesday: Sewing Day
Thursday: Market Day
Friday: Cleaning Day
Saturday: Baking Day
Sunday: Day of Rest


http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com/ 

To Love Somebody

 

In November 2010, Robin Gibbs and the Pointer Sisters came to New Zealand and the water engineer and I went to vector arena to enjoy his birthday. The Bee Gees were one of his favourite bands when he was growing up. Our daughter gave us the tickets to watch his performance which may well be his last here in New Zealand.

Yesterday, the TV announced that Robin was in a coma.

The legendary musician was diagnosed with liver cancer last year, and underwent a life-saving procedure for a blocked intestine, which was the same condition that led to the tragic death of his twin brother Maurice eight years ago.

The water engineer is not a lovey dovey type of person, in fact I had been complaining, but when I read the following, I emailed it to him and my siblings and nieces and nephews yesterday.
 

By Words of Wisdom

When someone loves you they dont have to say it, you can tell by the way they treat you...!

- Words of Wisdom
After almost 35 years, someone tells me from Facebook..
 I am not going to complain that "you don't send me flowers anymore."
Ann
Here is a Bee Gees' song that the water engineer likes to sing.

http://youtu.be/N42bYLoaZho

To Love Somebody lyrics
Songwriters: Barry Gibb;Robin Gibb



There's a light, a certain kind of light that never shone on me
I want my life to lived with you, lived with you
There's a way everybody say to do each and every little thing
But what does it bring if I ain't got you, ain't got? Baby

You don't know what it's like, baby
You don't know what it's like
To love somebody, to love somebody
The way I love you

In my parade, I see your face again, I know my frame of mind
You ain't got to be so blind and I'm blind, so, so, so very blind
[ From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/b/bee-gees-lyrics/to-love-somebody-lyrics.html ]
I'm a man, can't you see what I am? I live and breathe for you
But what good does it do if I ain't got you, ain't got? Baby

You don't know what it's like, baby
You don't know what it's like
To love somebody, to love somebody
The way I love you

You don't know what it's like, baby
You don't know what it's like
To love somebody, to love somebody
The way I love you

You don't know what it's like
You don't know what it's like
You don't know what it's like
To love somebody, to love somebody



http://sundaystills.wordpress.com/http://sundaystills.wordpress.com/
 

Sunday stills: Reflections




http://thursdaythemesong.blogspot.com/

Yes, no flowers, but he takes me to places I have learn to love to go.

http://hootin--anni.blogspot.com/o

photohunt: Home

These apartments, 7A and 31A at Nanyang View, at Nanyang Technological University were home to us for 16 years in Singapore.


Home is not just the premises, but the people who live in there, and the people who come to visit. We opened our house, including friends we met at the Jurong Bird Park. These couple came from New York, and the mum-daughter pair from Japan. After 7/11, I often wonder how they (American couple) were.



We lived up on top of a hill. Once I was gardening at the slope here.


































We lived here for 20 months while the Nanyang View Apartments were renovated. It is 4 storeys high with another storey inside the apartment. There was no elevators and this was where my friends joke that I got my sexy calves.

In Singapore, there is dengue fever. The university estate office schedule thermal fogging twice a week to try curb the spread of the mosquito. Thermal fogging creates a smoke, in which the chemical is added, it expands throughout an air space, filling it, and works its way into cracks and crevices which will leave no residue on surfaces and deposits the pesticide to places where conventional spray treatments cannot.
Thermal Fogging acts like a ‘flusher’ to all kinds of insects. It will disturb them from their hiding places and make them leave the building ,

We were grateful we lived on the upper level, the fog don't get into my apartment as much than my friends apartments in the lower level.




My parents home in Australia was full of babies and toddler's pitter-patter.


My dad was a civil servant, and the head of a regional office. These were the houses in the past were built for an English colonial master. They had servant quarters either downstairs or joined to the main house. Very reminiscent of the BBC TV Series, Upstairs and Downstairs.






































My holiday home when I go to Australia. It belongs to my brother Joseph.


http://gattina-keyholepictures.blogspot.co.nz/2011/11/list-of-photo-hunting-themes.html

http://gattina-keyholepictures.blogspot.co.nz/

Friday My Town Shoot Out : Historic

Motat, The Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) is a museum located in Western Springs, Auckland, New Zealand.

MOTAT opened in 1964 and is the largest museum of transport, technology and social history in New Zealand, housing a number of outstanding collections. Encompassing 40 acres, on two sites, it presents a fascinating and informative record of many of the technological developments that have helped shape New Zealand. Major collections include Road Transport, Early Auckland, Primary Industries, Medical and Dental and Pioneers of Aviation. MOTAT is also proud to have a working Tram Section, and a large aviation collection including a Lancaster bomber and a Solent flying boat.

It shows Auckland in the 1880s, the tram still works as a tourist attraction.


Friday My Town Shoot Out for 2/10: Historic
They say, "Everything has a history."
Share a little of the history of your town this week.








link to Mr Linky at the Friday shoot out link below.
http://mytownshootout.blogspot.com

Thursday Challenge: Silly Playing

These are archives photos, but have never been posted. See the silly face when I have to exert myself playing this silly play. The kid is now 15 years old, and I could never play with him this way now, nor can I do the upside down move. The other day, he told me he had abs, and tried to carry me.

Sadly, there are some mothers, including myself, who don't get to play with some of their children. This is because there are some ghosts like SIDS, still births, miscarriages and other horrible diseases had stolen their babies away.




I am using the analogy of this Elephant Ear plants as SIDS. If you happen to brush against this plant, or ingest it, it will make you very sick and very itchy. Some parts of plants are poisonous. They cause tongue and stomach irritation that can cause itching, swelling, and difficulty swallowing. Almost all genus and species of the family Aracea contain calcium oxylate crystals. Think of it as tiny shards of glass. or fiberglass.



I first came to know SIDS, Sudden Infant deaths and it became very real to me when two colleagues (spouses) came to ask me for special compassionate leave. Their daughter just rang. Her new baby just died.

She had taken him to a routine baby check up. Had a coffee before she came home. Put him to bed and went to the kichen. The next thing she knew, baby won't wake up and had died. Though they pacify her that he had SIDS and it was no fault of hers, her own finger pointed back at her. She always regreted that cup of coffee. What if she didn't?

Recently, I befriend Megan Lee through the most unusual circumstances. When I found out the tragedies in her life, I had to thank God that I only lost Andrew. Megan lost 2 boys to SIDS and two to miscarriages.

Megan posted on her Facebook page: Help. Please. Those who know me well, know that this is a cause, dearly close to my heart and soul. Help if you can. xxxx
Spring for SIDS
springforsids.org
Put a Spring in your Step … add a little Sunshine to your heart and Spring for SIDS by wearing your favorite Spring outfit and your SIDS sticker.

Her friend Cynthia Ohrns-burkhow added:
04/20/12. I want to share her two boys pass away in loving memory. If you want to donate come to

http://www.springforsids.org/teams look up CVW Angels 4.
It would mean the world if you guys come and support:

At the beginning of this year, I met L. at a seminar. I introduced myself as a bereaved mum. She whispered to me that she too, was one. Taken by SIDS, what was more cruel was it became a police case.

God brought these two women to me at the most unusual circumstances, to mutually comfort each other.

SILLY (Smile, Faces, Laughing, Playing, Things,...)

Thursday Challenge is a place for photographic fun and learning.

http://www.spunwithtears.com/thursday.html

My World/Outdoor Wed: Volcanoes in Auckland

Amaryllis (pronounced /ˌæməˈrɪlɨs/[1]) is a small genus of flowering bulbs, with two species. The common name "naked lady" stems from the plant's pattern of flowering when the foliage has died down.



This is the crater of Mt Eden. We often walk up the volcanoes and take friends up there. The Crater is very big, and is a Sacred area. Visitors are asked to respect this and asked not to climb over the barriers and climb down the slopes.


One year, I went there with a New Zealand friend. To my surprise, 1/8 of the slope was covered with flowering lilies. My friend told me that in this country they are called Naked Ladies. When they are blooming, their leaves dry up and hence they called called as such. I was wondering, why only that patch of the crater has the Lilies.

We sat down to appreciate the flowers and the view of Auckland. Being mothers, we talked about the pink lilies are like mums, they suffer and almost die at child birth, and being resilient, they pop up again the next year and bloom beautifully.

In my heart, I was thinking, how many mothers feel naked with empty arms when their babies don't survive. So each year, at this time, when I see the Naked Ladies, I think of all my sisters, who like me, didn't get to take their babies home. Because their babies have gone ahead of them. Something unnatural against the rule of Nature. You don't bury your child. It should be your child burying you.

On Sunday, I watched the science writer Adam Wishart 23 Week Babies: The Price of Life (BBC2), which dealt with a similar dilemma and an even more harrowing subject.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2011/mar/09/23-week-babies-tv-review When I watch such documentary, no one talks, Because Mum is somewhere else. Mum is teleported to National Women's Hospital and in a time machine to 22 years ago. I was told Andrew was a worst case scenario and he was dying. I didn't have to make the horrible decision to pulling the plug. We were at peace when we accepted the doctors' advice to let nature take it's place. But I pity all the parents who were left to make that decision.

I facebooked my new friends I had made at Sands, mums who had lost their babies. One told me she lost 3, and little did I know, that it was the anniversary of one of them on Tuesday. I am sure she would have cried buckets. I did.

I wrote in my book, "Diary of a bereaved Mum," The day when Andrew was due. Andrew was born 3 weeks early. I was sitting at the corner of his ICU cot, and staring at him. I was staring at him, and wondered why he came early. I had the irrational thinking," Shove him back! Shove him back! He will be born normal."

The due date of a deceased baby is extra hard for a bereaved mum. What if he/she never came early, but on the date he/she was supposed to come, would he/she be a bouncy baby like all babies should be?

This post is for S and all other Sands mums.
We often walk up the volcanoes and take friends up there. The most prominent is an island Rangitoto which is at the harbour.

Rangitoto was formed by a series of eruptions between 600 and 700 years ago. I have been there, and it is so young that the sea ward side of it is still barren volcanic rocks. The land facing side has scrubs.

http://www.gns.cri.nz/what/earthact/volcanoes/nzvolcanoes/aucklandprint.htm

The volcanic formations within the Auckland region have developed within the last 140 000 years. Volcanoes are a conspicuous feature of the Auckland city landscape. In some cases their form is emphasised by their preservation as reserves and parks, while in others they have been quarried to meet the city’s demand for building materials. Within a radius of about 20km centred on Auckland city there are 49 discrete volcanoes; this is the area referred to as the Auckland volcanic field.

The area covered by each volcanic centre is generally localised (less than a kilometre across) and the total volume of erupted material is small. However, five of the volcanoes (Mt Mangere, One Tree Hill, Three Kings, Mt Eden and Mt Wellington) are of medium size. The largest, Rangitoto, is an exceptionally large volcano for the field, representing 59% of the total volume of erupted material. It is significant that the five medium-sized eruptions occurred between 20,000 to 10,000 years ago and that the largest eruption was only about 600 years ago.





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