7-Day Yoga Challenge : Day 8

The 7th yoga class in my 7-day challenge was led by an off-duty elite military officer. Or seems like it. She's gruesome. I even noticed the hot guy (who thankfully kept his t-shirt on this time) taking neutral positions during some of the challenging poses. But I made it through. To celebrate this achievement, I decided to go for the 8th day.

The day also marks several other accomplishments, one of them is finishing "Dave Barry's Complete Guide to Guys". As I have shared earlier, the book is an enlightment to guys' behavior, including why they have no brain control when faced with barren women's chest. Here's an excerpt accompanied by a diagram which explains division of guy's brainpower in front of a topless woman. 

The book also talks about guys' inherent brain lapse, which led me to another accomplishment that I did.

April 7 : During my post in Lao, a colleague from Bangkok office, Meghan, left the charger of her new Samsung camera in her hotel room in Vientiane. I promised to collect and drop it at the Lao office. Someone from Bangkok will come in June and bring the charger back Meghan.

It was the last days before Lao New Year holiday and the last days of my posting - mad rush period. 

April 12 : I managed to cycle my way to the hotel under the hellish sun of April 12, right before I jumped on the bus for a new year trip in the province. The hotel kept a Samsung charger from room 1209 but for a Thai male guest named Sean. Meghan is a Canadian girl. And the hotel staff can't find the correct item for me.  

 Meghan managed to track the charger from Bangkok while I was in the province. And I promised to collect it upon my return to Vientiane, which also my last 2 days in the country. 

April 20 : My right feet was injured so I got Frederic to drive me to the hotel and collect the charger. I had a long list of errands and appointments before my departure and never made it to the UN office to drop the charger.

April 22: On the day of my departure to Singapore, I asked Frederic for a favor to drop the charger at UN office. Which he responded by pretending to snore.

May 3: I checked whether he managed to drop the charger. He said he forgot to tell me that he went to UN office the week before. But as the security said there's no Meghan Cooper in the entire building (obviously), he brought the charger back with him. UN guards probably won't accept it either. So I asked him to return and attention the charger to a local staff. I didn't follow up afer that. That was a mistake.

June 18 : I got a message from my colleague in Lao, asking if I left Meghan's charger in the office. Meghan's colleague who was in Vientiane at that time wanted to bring it back for her. I confidently responded, "Yes, it should be in the office". Then I quickly checked with Frederic who, then, seated in my living room in Singapore.  "Did you drop the camera cord?"....Answer : "Oh No! I totally forgot about that".

June 27 : Meghan is moving to Australia for a new post. I got her new address in Canberra and do the overdue - sending the travelling camera charger, which was found tucked in one corner of Frederic's backpack, to its righful owner. When I dropped the package in the mail box, I felt a sense of accomplishment. and relief. 

Moral of the story is, guys don't just have A brain lapse. They forgot that they forgot. I should ask Dave Barry to look into this.

Meghan, this baby is coming home to you!

7-Day Yoga Challenge : Day 6

One more day to go. But something came up today that disrupted my "balance" so I may need to extend the challenge a little bit longer - to "stay centered and aligned myself". Speaking like a true yogi.

Talking about alignment, I think I've strained my left back muscle during a floating cobra position..if there is such position. As a result, I have called on the certified office's masseuse aunty, who doubles as the general manager, to work on my back muscles. She diagnosed my problem. Apparently the ache around my scapula area comes from a very stiff shoulder..."Scapu what?"

Anyhoos, Mel skillfully worked on the targeted areas, pressing her fingers and elbows on my scaputhingy, left shoulder and the back of my head. It really suppled me up. I Like.

The interns wanted to have a go at my certified office's masseuse aunty. I shooed them away.

Look at her classic concentration.

 

7-Day Yoga Challenge : Day 5

My body was crying and begging to stay right where it was when the alarm went off at 5.50am. So I told my body, "It's okay. You don't have to do something that you don't want to do. We can just skip the 7 am class and go during lunch time instead."

Lunch time was slightly more crowded than 7am class. I found a hairy guy (a different one) sitting on my favorite spot. NO! It's the second mat from the exit where I can feel the breeze when the instructor intermittently open the door but still pretty central to see yourself in the mirror.

So I planted my self in the nearest mat to the exit. Along came in a good looking guy who seated himself behind me, slightly to my right where I can see him clearly in the mirror. I quietly pleaded "No, don't sit there. You gonna ruin my concentration. I know my weakness." Then, as if ignoring my silent plea, he took off his t-shirt revealing broad shoulders complemented by toned abs and biceps. DARN IT. It's going to be a challenging class.

Just like a sweaty hairy guy is an unwelcome distraction, I find a hot guy is a bigger challenge for any balancing positions.

Nope, Cameron is not in my yoga class today.

           

7-Day Yoga Challenge : Day 4

Waking up at 6am, yoga class, 20 km cycling, social drinks and clubbing are too much for a day when you're on a physical challenge. or any day for that matter.

So when you have to get up the next day and get in this position within the first 60 seconds of class...I started to wonder what have I gotten myself into.

 

I have the habit of signing up for classes based on the schedule rather than the type of yoga the classes offer. And not knowing the type of yoga the classes offer.Classic Camilla. 

So today was hot flow yoga class. Pretty challenging but me likey. 

Mental note: never choose a mat behind a hairy guy. A sweaty, dripping hairy guy with singlet and boxer in front of you is an unsightly distraction when you have to concentrate and do this.

7-day Yoga Challenge : Day 3

What happen if you are up and about by 6am on a Saturday:

- You sleep-walk to the train station, walk into a fire hydrant and hurt your rib cage :(

Bad fire hydrant!!

- You notice someone in the train was staring at you, and when you stare back you realize he was sleeping with his eyes open. creepy.

- You forgot to take spare underwear for change from the laundry line. Oh man.
- The best past is when you arrive at the yoga studio and realize there is no 7am class on Saturdays. It starts at 9am.  :'( 

But at least I came to an insightful chapter of Dave Barry's book: "The Biological Nature of Guys:Important Scientific Reasons Why They Act Like Jerks". The first paragraph is quite profound.Picture below.

True Story.

I want to meet Dave Barry. And come back to the yoga studio for my 3rd day of challenge.

7 Days Yoga Challenge - Day 2

I made it.

Sleeping early to wake up on time was a big challenge. Plus I woke remembering I haven't hang my laundry to dry from the night before. C*ap. I'm running out of clean undies.

Today is a Hot Hatha session and felt a bit easier. But my back bend was not as flexible as it should have. Gotta flex those muscles often. 

Plus on my way to and from the class, I get to read more of the book I found lying around in my office building for the past week. Its titled "Dave Barry's Complete Guide to Guys".

The back cover line goes like this:

For thousands of years,women have asked themselves:what is the deal with guys,anyway? What are they thinking? The answer, of course,is: virtually nothing.

Hmmm...interesting.



Then the USA Today review goes like this:

Whether you're a guy - or attempting to share a bathroom with one - Barry has some wacky words of wisdom for you.

This book speaks to me.

So whoever left the book in the office, excuse me, but I'm keeping the book for the next few days and will retun it when I'm done.



7 days yoga challenge: Day 1

I am being physically ambitious this week by committing myself to a 7 am yoga class for 7 consecutive days. Why? Because I haven't put myself in a strict exercise regime since I got back from Lao. Life has been a whirlwind since.

I can't remember when was the last time I've stepped on MRT station at 6:18am. Or if I ever. Everyone in the train looked dead.

Paya Lebar MRT 6:18am

Hom yoga studio is located at Boat Quay. So for the first time I saw the quiet side of Raffles Place.

Raffles Place 6:38am

The class was packed with other ambitious yogis who arrived at their mats by 6.45am for the Hot Yoga session.

I managed to stay in the class through out with one child pose-break halfway through the session because I felt lightheaded.

Let's see what second day brings.