“Live life to the fullest”, is one very cliche-ish phrase I’d say. But even so, isn’t that the basic point of all this?

I don’t think I’ve ever been tagged as one who does that ever. Does my name come up immediately when you think of that? Probably not. Yet, thinking back, it doesn’t seem like I’ve backed down from a lot of [physical] challenges. I go on roller-coaster rides. I’ve gotten myself drunk. Even my fear of heights has not deterred me (even if it has brought me a few embarassing but memorable moments!).

A decade or so into adulthood, that phrase has become a lot more meaningful to me. But at this age, a lot more complications come into play. I can’t be as carefree anymore as I could be before… what with having my own family now and having to think about “insurance” anywhere I go. And for some reason, there is an inherent fear I feel now when I try something new or even something which I haven’t done in a long time.

I try to overcome that fear with any new thing that I do but its still there underneath the surface. Case in point was when I went snowboarding last week during our “Winter Holiday.”

I’ve always liked giving myself a challenge. And after coming here to Oz, I suddenly feel like I can try and start on anything ’cause its never too late (like when I heard of a few folks here who started Karate and got their black belts way past their 30s). I’ve tried skiing before and this time, I tried snowboarding. Not that I didn’t like skiing but more for want of something new.

I’ve heard a lot of people say how really hard snowboarding can be the first time (after all, it is still considered an Extreme Sport). I probably didn’t fully grasp that previously because I remembered how hard skiing was for me the first time, too. But after having done snowboarding, I can confidently say that doing it the first time is nowhere near how skiing was. My muscles soreness for about 5 days after can attest to that!

My first-time snowboarding had me falling over countless times but I don’t think I ever had it in me to just give up. I kept on going and tried to understand and feel where my body was going wrong. I also stacked (fell pretty badly it hurt) quite a few times. I had near misses to my wrist breaking or my ankle getting twisted. Then there was this one really bad fall when I couldn’t control my speed and the impact of my fall got my tight binnie and hood off my head (plus a really sore bum, of course). I actually thought I was going to pass out after that one. Most of those times, my inherent fear overcame me. But when I learned to let go of the fear and actually relaxed, that was when I was able to snowboard better and gain control. Kind of ironic, I’d say.

After all that happened, I got the usual “I-told-you-so” from who-else-but and I started asking myself if I should feel guilty having tried it and went through that risk. Was I being an irresponsible parent when I did that? Was I not “allowed” to do it because of possible negative consequences? The truth is, I actually enjoyed myself and if I had more time and my body didn’t know how to give up, I’d probably keep going at it! And when that bad fall comes to mind, I don’t try to think of the what-if but that its all part of the learning process. I’m really glad I EXPERIENCED snowboarding because now I can re-live the feelings during that time… plus the various levels of fun I got after all the pain. It was that kind of experience I can’t wait to do again (that is, as long as I can keep up this zest and courage to pursue things).

Some people may apply different degrees to how best or how appropriate it would be to live life to the fullest. I would agree that snowboarding is on the extreme side but you’ve got to try one now and again, right? When I told a co-worker that I tried snowboarding during my recent holiday, his remark was that I’m ambitious. Now, that’s one word I’m pretty sure is me. It takes me “places” so why shouldn’t I be?

Noun

1.

folie – (psychiatry) a psychological disorder of thought or emotion; a more neutral term than mental illness

I promised myself I’d start indulging in the “Arts” last year… go to concerts and the theatre because I simply love going to them. Why deprive myself when I live in such an amazing city, right?! Due to our family situation last year, it didn’t become possible until now. So when Kylie Minogue’s Aphrodite Les Folies tour went on pre-sale, I immediately jumped on it and got myself and Danica some really good tickets.

Since we came here to Oz, I believe this is the second time Kylie’s done a world tour and I didn’t want to pass up the chance this time. I knew her concert was going to be really great because I’ve watched one of her previous ones on VCD (no less!) before and I was absolutely mesmerized. The girl knew how to throw a concert. And it was with that mindset and huge expectations that I went with Dani to her concert last Wednesday.

And my, was I (and probably everyone else, too) totally blown away! Kylie’s latest album was called “Aphrodite” and with all the press I’ve seen of it, I already expected the concert would have a Greek mythology feel to it. I was right! But they took it to an entirely new level… the stage, the dancers/acrobats, the costumes, the lights, the music, the stage projection, the stage effects, the production equipments… everything! What did they have? (1) Great stage projections/videos on the backdrop of the stage (2) Human harps (3) Great stage props, including a chariot (4) Amazing costumes, as in all-out-think-as-if-you’re on Mt Olympus, that are as diva as ever (5) Flying contraptions (6) Acrobats on ropes (7) Amazing dancers, with Kylie and her back-up singers in on the choreography, too (she ain’t one of those singers who just stand during their concert!) (8) Moving stage plus the wrap-around stage that lets Kylie get close to the audience, AND (9) BEST OF ALL, the oh-so-HOT-HOT dancers!

Those Row A Lower Level tickets were absolutely, totally, un-freakin-believably worth it. Kylie Minogue was such a great entertainer. I won’t hesitate to watch her ever again.

P.S. The concert also started on time and ended right on cue… as in from 9pm to 11pm on the dot.

My girls are at primary school age already so the new experiences they have every day is so different from when they were just toddlers. It is now more on the challenges they face with their peers, their learning struggles (if any) and the normal pettiness at the playground.

For Dani’s birthday, we fancied going back to the IceHouse and get the girls to have some fun with ice skating. This is the second time we’ve been there and the second time for Deni on real skates. Because she didn’t take lessons like her older sister did years ago, it seems she had to re-learn how to ice skate again.

Luckily, the center had those skate guides we could rent to aid in learning. We did the same during the first time we were there and as expected, Deni eventually learned how to skate on her own after about half an hour on it.

But my… although I knew or expected what was going to happen… the joy of seeing Deni take to her own was like when I first watched her walk on her two feet. It was that elated feeling you get as a parent, which was totally unexplainable!

Even if my girls are “big” now, I’m glad I still get to experience these moments.

More than one and a half years since I started my fitness journey, where am I now?

My fitness journey from May to Nov 2009 was very full on. It followed the same pattern as I’ve described before, when I was doing back-to-back Les Mills classes twice a week. Even if I was doing 4 classes a week then, I didn’t see drastic changes with my body. The repetitions in Body Pump did help tone my muscles, Body Balance helped elongate my muscles, and improve my core strength and flexibility, while Body Attack helped with my aerobic fitness. But even with all that work, it was still a long and arduous journey. I thought I’d be able to get into the proper rhythm in these classes after about a month or so but no, it was very much a struggle in November as it was in May, especially with my heart. My body wasn’t what I thought it was anymore. Tsk, tsk. I guess I learned my lesson after ignoring my fitness for almost 8 years.

I hit a lull period after that and didn’t start again until Feb 2010. This time I went to a different fitness center but a more convenient one (since it’s at the same place where my daughters started their dancing lessons). From then until about Nov 2010, I only went to about two 1-hour classes a week which always consisted of Group Power and Zumba, and sometimes I tried one of the other classes available. It was only since Nov 2010 that I seem to have put in a lot more commitment to my fitness with trying to come at least 3 times a week and trying out the varied workouts (knowing I was paying for a weekly membership helped with pushing myself to come!).

I only realized during the second half of my journey how my fitness and strength has improved. More than that, it doesn’t seem to slide back anymore during the times I’m not able to consistently come to class (i.e., when I’m sick or there’s a work thing). I’m not sure why but in addition to the usual choreographed classes that I’ve been doing, I’ve also started coming to X-Trainer and Legs, Tums & Bums classes. They are varied workouts given by the instructor that’s almost like having a personal trainer but there’s more than one of you training (like being on The Biggest Loser!). Because the instructor pushes us, I guess I push myself as well… thereby, gaining strides more.

Joyce (my instructor) took my body, weight and strength measurements in Dec 2010 and then I just had my latest one done today. I was on the Fit category for Body Fat % then and I’m still on it now (slight lower by .1%). There hasn’t been much difference with the figures then and now (which I’m totally okay with since I don’t think I can lose that much anymore, anyway; and since I’m not doing Group Power lately, I ain’t building too much muscle, too). If anything, the big improvement would only be around my strength. I struggled with 10 push-ups (knees down) then but I was able to get to 20 today (knees down, still) with not much struggle. High five! (I think I’m going to try to go for the Body Fat % level for Athletes from today…)

All in all, I’m pretty content with where my body is at now though I know I still have a long way to go.  But at least I feel like my heart muscle has caught up and I experience a lot less dizzy spells after training hard. That way, I know and I can be confident in saying I can do more now than I could before (like not being half-a-second late anymore in Zumba!).

All these work is helping alleviate a few of my ongoing health issues, giving me a lot more energy day-to-day, giving me the work-life balance I’ve been craving for so long, and best of all, I’m loving the body I got! Now, why won’t you want to try that? No pain, no gain baby! But I can tell you this, it is so so worth it!

Year 2011 started with a blast with the Australian Open. I’ve always been a fan of tennis and it is probably one of the few sports that I actually couch-potato on. Because I like it a lot, that may be why D&D caught on it as well. Last year, the two started their respective tennis lessons, too. For fun, of course! But you never know if they do want to become pro someday…

For the first time ever, Tennis Australia held a “Kids’ Tennis Day at the Rod Laver Arena forecourts, which are the same courts that the world’s best tennis players play on during the Australian Open. Best of all, it was free! Denise has done 2 terms of Peewee tennis lessons last year (i.e., half courts where small kids start) while Danica had coaching the entire year. So it was with confidence that they tackled the courts. (And as it seems, so did a hundred other kids!)

But that wasn’t all of it. Danica joined a 3-day tennis holiday clinic during the summer which was on the

first week of the Australian Open. The second day of the clinic was specifically a trip to the Australian Open itself and watch games at Rod Laver Arena. When I booked her into the clinic in Dec. 2010, I was lucky enough to secure “parent-escort” tickets through the clinic organiser. And so it became our first time to watch at Rod Laver (even if it was just for Day 2 and Round 2 of the Australian Open)!

I’m happy that I’m able to provide these opportunities to my daughters as they are growing up. It allows them to explore what they are capable of and gives them learning activities outside of school. I think my Paulinian education has rubbed off on me too much in developing well-rounded persons in my daughters. But isn’t that part of what being a parent is for?