I've never really been a sporty girl. Actually there was even a time when I didn't like sports at all ha ha ha ha ha ha...but I know the importance of exercising regularly and I do want to stay healthy as long as I can, so yesterday as usual hubby had his Wii exercise regime again, but this time at the end of it he played tennis, so I joined him and paired up with him against two other random players. It felt SO good to win and each time we won, we'd hug each other (sweaty bodies LOL!).
Then I told him, "Now I know how good it feels to win a team sport!"
I was never really that good at sports, either. I think the only thing I was good at was probably running, though I can't say that I do like running now. Back in Junior High School we had such a strict sports teacher that always always always told us to run lots of laps at the beginning of each sports lesson. It was so boring and I always had to be the leader (because I was the shortest, you see). They separated the guys from the girls. One time we were told to do a few more laps because the teacher thought that we were going too slow, so ever since then I always tried running a little faster because I didn't want us all to get punished, but ever since then the ones at the back kept on relaying messages to me to slow down ha ha ha ha ha ha ha...
In High School we didn't run as much as in Junior High and what was worse was that we didn't get any sports lesson at all during the last year, so I was in pretty bad shape at that time. I started becoming more interested in exercising again when I was at uni. I bought some used foreign sports magazines and I'd follow the exercises written there (remember that at that time the internet was still a new thing so it was still cheaper to buy used magazines) he he he...How time flies! Nowadays you can watch anything online and you can download so many things online.
glitter-graphics.com
Anyway, these days I'd exercise using some exercise videos and youtube videos (Taebo, Core Rythym, Belly Dancing, Zumba) and Wii. I'd choose different videos/programs according to my mood. In spring/summer I feel that I exercise more because there's more sunlight, but in winter I tend to get lazier and I really feel I need to push myself more to exercise in winter. However, I'm the type that prefers to exercise at home compared to going to the gym/running outside he he...
Are you good at sports? Are you the sporty type? Any fave type of sports? Do you like exercising outside/going to the gym?
A friend of mine recently wrote about HIIT in his blog. If you're thinking about slimming down, maybe you should read this post of his. I'm also trying to do this since I want to slim down a little bit before going back to Indo he he he he...
It doesn't take a long time to do HIIT, though it is a TOUGH exercise (runners may love this exercise). I can't even do it 5-6 times in a row yet, especially since I usually do it at the end of my Taebo sessions HA HA HA HA HA HA HA...but I'm trying to build up my stamina. ;-D
Curious about HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)? Go here:
1. Getting positive feedback from a French couple who came to the tourist info office to ask for some information. I felt SO useful back then HE HE HE HE HE...And I'm SO grateful for people who are very encouraging, since it's very essential, especially for someone who's doubting her abilities he he he...
2. Meeting a nice Finnish lady who was VERY interested in getting to know me. She asked me about so many things, which isn't "so Finnish" at all he he he...
3. Meeting another squirrel nearby (he was only about a metre away from me). SO CUTE!!! Too bad he was too fast, so I didn't have time to snap a pic with my mobile he he...
4. People who don't care about perfection and frills, esp. when it comes to my in-laws and hubby's family HE HE HE HE...No matter how bad or screwed up my baking is (last year there were some failed efforts in baking), they still eat it and they still say it tastes good HE HE HE HE HE HE HE...
5. Receiving a package I've been waiting for. I can't tell whom it is for, but I'm SOOOOOO excited about it HO HO HO HO HE HE HE HE HE HA HA HA HA HA HA HA...
6. Feeling that this second week of training is MUCH MUCH better than the first week. I've gotten to know more things, even though I still daren't pick up the phone as the callers are always Finnish and they speak Finnish he he he...
7. People who smile. I must say that it's ABSOLUTELY nice to receive a smile without any specific reason. :-)))) Plus it's also SO nice to get a smile back when you're smiling at someone he he he...
8. Finding some cute baby stuff for my brother's baby again at the Finnish auction site. I hope I'll win the bids HO HO HO HO HO HO HO...
9. Not experiencing too hot days here in Sodankylä, since we have no fans or air conditioner, so it's gonna be hell if it ever gets too hot he he...
10. Getting back in shape by doing Tae-bo regularly again. YEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS!!! It feels great, babbyyyyyy!!!! (esp. after too much eating during the car trip and my trousers were getting tight HA HA HA...)
11. Two of my best friends visited my Mom even though I'm not living in Bandung anymore. I LOVE the fact that they love visiting my Mom despite my absence he he he...THANK YOU, GIRLS!!!
12. Receiving SO MUCH support, kind words, and encouragement from my friends and blogger friends when I was down. What else do I need on earth? I'm such a BLESSED woman!!! So here's my wish for you:
I don't have much time to write or blog-hop, but I want to write an update on everything, so let me just write a list.
1. Yesterday I went to get my new residence permit and turned out that starting last year, the first residence permit extension was given for 4-year period. My first residence permit was only valid for a year and now the new one is valid until 2012. YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYY!!! ;-D
2. I've been suffering from acne breakout again ever since I stopped taking my birth control pills, so today I went out to the pharmacy to buy something. The pharmacist suggested Basiron AC, benzoyl peroxide. I sure DO hope it'll help my skin! If not, then I'll have to do something else as they start popping out here and there even more and more. URRRGGHHH!!!!!!
3. The snow has been melting again today and in some parts they're already gone. I've been wearing my trekking spikes since yesterday and I can say that they REALLY work, except inside buildings. The only trouble is taking them off inside buildings and putting them on again before I venture out he he he...But it's all GOOD. ;-D I LOVE those things!!!
And guess what? Finally spring is COMIIINNNGGGGGGGG to Sodankylä he he he...
4. Last night I laughed SO much so that my stomach muscles got SO sore. I almost couldn't stop laughing even though my jaws were hurting. Hubby just shook his head hi hi hi hi...Why did I laugh? I watched some VERY SILLY videos on youtube he he he he he he he...Boy, laughing that much made me feel SO YOUNG hi hi hi hi...
5. My nose is still a bit runny, but I've felt fit enough to do my Taebo sessions again, so that's VERY good, since I've been eating too much these days hi hi hi hi...Need to burn the extra calories!!! *wink*
Anyway, take good care, everybody! I can't wait for this weekenddddddddd!!! I'll blog-hop later when I have time, OK?
To my Brit friend MC, you're in my prayers. I wish you THE BEST in everything. I hope you can stay here in Sodankylä so that your boys can continue their studies here, but whatever happens, I'm crossing my fingers for youuuuuuuuuuuuuu...Life has many surprises. We'll see what life has in store for you after the course is done.
Hi again, everybody! I was SO glad that I woke up feeling MUCH better than last night. Arttu coined me again (he's becoming an expert in it HA HA HA) and I skipped my Taebo session in order to sleep more.
Remember I told you that our teacher had a headache yesterday? Right after lunch today, she looked awful. At around 1.30 pm, she told us that she needed to go to the doctor, so she told us to go home. It's unsure yet whether she can make it tomorrow or not, but she'll let one of us know via SMS and that person will spread the message to us.
Last night I asked Arttu to check on the cheapest tickets available for us. I told him that I found cheap tickets in October and November. At first he wanted to go earlier than that, but I said that I could only find very expensive tickets if we went to Indonesia for example in August. I don't want to go to Indo in September since it's the fasting month in Indonesia and there'll be traffic jam here and there. Plus Arttu will probably be confused when he hears people banging on some drums and walking around the neighbourhood at around 3.30 or 4 am to wake other people up to eat before they start their long fasting days.
Then he'll have to contact his boss to find out whether he can take some time off in October or not, because he's supposed to get his 3 weeks' holiday sometime this summer. We'll see how it goes, then.
Today I received an SMS from my brother. He said that Shen was currently 7 weeks' pregnant. That means that if there's no change in my arrival and departure dates, I'll be in Indonesia when she's 38-40 weeks' pregnant. That means there's a BIG chance that I'll be there for her delivery or to see the newborn baby he he he...I hope the baby won't linger too long inside her belly so that I can see him/her. My brother wants a daughter, but Shen doesn't mind whether it's a boy or a girl as long as the baby's perfectly healthy. ;-D
Well, my mother-in-law's birthday is also coming up (3 days before Arttu's b-day on March 20th). I haven't found her anything yet, but since there's a long holiday starting on the 21st, I'm planning to bake something for the two of them on March 20th, as we'll probably go to Kelujärvi on March 21st he he he...We'll see about that.
OK, now I'm going to blog-hop a bit and cook since I have no homework. But I'm going to study a bit afterward he he he...
"Let us rise up and be thankful; for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful."
Buddha
Since Valentine's Day has been too commercialized, let me just use the Finnish version of it as my post title he he he he...
Last night I tried putting my mobile on silent and as a result I missed my Taebo session, since the darn mobile didn't ring at all. As you all know, hubby bought me a new mobile as a X-mas gift and I had never put it on silent before. Why did I put it on silent during the night? Well, the other night a friend of mine in Indo sent me an SMS in the morning (around 3 am Finnish time), so we both jolted up and woke up for a few seconds because of that. Well, I don't think I'll ever put it on silent again after this morning. Or maybe I should read the guide book to find out how to customize it.
Anyway, this morning in class my Brit friend MC gave me a Valentine's Day postcard.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MC!!!
She picked the one with a picture of a CUTE cat, since she knows how crazy I am about cats HUA HA HA HA HA HA...The postcard is displayed proudly on my book shelf, right next to the card from Crystal and the postcard from Juliana RW. *grin*
When my class almost ended, I was thinking of buying some pepper steak from the supermarket and cooked them in the oven. However, when I checked the price, I changed my mind. 300 grams of pepper steak cost €8.50. I decided to buy some pepper steak from a nearby grill resto instead. After all, only by paying €10 I could get two portions of pepper steak complete with french fries and fresh salad on the side. I called hubby first to make sure if he wanted some and he said yes since he hadn't eaten anything during the day.
I arrived home at around 3.15 pm and couldn't hold back my hunger, so I ate right away. Hubby only came home at 4 pm and he ate right away. He finished it all. I still have half of it left he he he he...Then hubby thanked me and hugged me REAAAAAAAAAALLLLLL tight. Yummmmmyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy...
For dessert we had some chocolate pudding (he bought some from the supermarket yesterday - he bought the kind that I LIKED so much he he...). Then I told him that it was a cheap date and he agreed HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA...
Today has been a nice day, even though it's SO windy. And the period of darkness has been slightly shorter. I notice that in the mornings it gets light earlier and it gets dark a bit later than usual. ;-D
Okie dokie, gonna blog-hop some more and then do my homework. Tomorrow morning I have to wake up early to do my Taebo he he he he...HAAIIIYYAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!
P.S. Do you know that I've never received any flowers in my entire life? HE HE HE HE...Last year's Valentine's Day I bought myself some roses since I thought, "Well, I can buy myself some flowers if I want to, so why not? Let's make me happy!" And I didn't only make myself happy by buying some flowers. I also made Mom happy since she loved having 'em in our living room HA HA HA HA HA HA...
And here's one joke for you he he...
1. One of the BEST things in life: showering with hubby, or to be exact, he went in first, then he rubbed me with soap HUE HE HE HE...We were cuddling under the shower head since it was cold if we weren't under the shower. *grin*
2. Dragging myself out of bed at 6.15 am to exercise. It felt GOOD to jump-start my day for a sleepyhead girl like me. Plus I still keep my New Year's Resolution HE HE HE...
3. Getting FREE books from the course. If you know how much books cost here, you'll know how HAPPY I am!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4. Being able to speak up in class. Learning to speak up feels GOOD.
5. The first day on the course, I was tensed whenever the teacher asked me questions, but now I feel that I can begin to be FAR more relaxed. I don't mind too much even if I make mistakes. The most important thing is practising, not trying to be perfect.
6. Receiving some compliments from a cousin about my blog HE HE HE HE HE HE HE HE...
7. Bringing lunch: rice, chicken, spinach, and imported chili sauce that one of my friends sent me as a Christmas gift. I haven't found any chili sauce THAT tasty here (with a dash of shrimp paste taste), so I was really enjoying every bite of my lunch. YUMMYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
***** This happened last night, but it's SO touching so I HAVE to write it down. I asked my Brit friend MC to vote for me on the Diamond Contest, and she wrote something that made me speechless. It's one of the BEST compliments I've ever received in my life. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MC!!! Olet todella arvokas!!! Olet yhtä kaunis kuin sateenkaari.
