Monday, August 1, 2022

Tried and tested — 3 platforms you can consider when beginning your virtual run journey

As mentioned in my previous article about how I got started with virtual runs, I have tried various platforms since 2018 which can range from the event providers to those offering a list of events you can sign up for. Of course, what works for me may not be to your liking so do consider the pros and cons based on my experience with them before choosing the platform which would likely suit your needs.

For those who may be considering your options before taking your first step, do note that the platforms mentioned below may not ship the race/run entitlements to your location and that shipping charges will vary according to your delivery address. As such, it is recommended that you check the FAQs and conditions before signing up.

Without further ado, let’s get started!

42Race

42Race was the very first virtual run platform I used back in 2018. Other than it being featured in the article I read on this topic, the fact that it was based in Singapore, offered free shipping of its medals to local addresses and the race cost being SGD 9.90 each were the reasons why I decided to give this a shot. Since this was unchartered territory for me then, I had to find a platform which was relatively risk-free especially as I was worried about whether the medals would be delivered properly or the race charges would get too high due to foreign currency conversion rate fluctuations.

To get started, you can download the app either from Google Play or App Store and sign up for an account. Depending on the type of virtual event you sign up for, the upload method for your activities will differ.

When I first started, there were only virtual run events but as of now, there are also cycling and walking events. Running and cycling events are distance-based while walking events are steps-based. Most of the events organised in the past were designed by 42Race itself and either featured various themes like Chinese zodiac signs, astrological signs, round-the-world tours or were on key occasions within the year like Chinese New Year, Christmas, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Mid-Autumn Festival. If you signed up before a particular deadline, you could get your name engraved on the medal for free. I do not know if this engraving service is still applicable now considering that I haven’t signed up for a paid race in the past year. Delivery of the race premiums within Singapore is generally free unless otherwise stated. For other locations, you will have to check the app for more details. 

Nowadays, there is a lot more variation in the types of events organised. There are those in partnership with sport-related companies such as Pocari Sweat and Asics, with shopping centres like Suntec City and Changi City Point that are actually geolocation games where you have to scan QR codes to complete missions and with charitable organisations, universities and government bodies.

For a distance-based running event, you can link the following apps to 42Race so that the distances can be uploaded automatically to your activity. Although the events are termed as “running” ones, you can also upload walking activities and they will count towards the accumulated distance for the event:

  • Adidas Runtastic
  • Apple Fitness
  • Endomondo
  • Fitbit
  • Garmin Connect
  • MapMyRun
  • MiFit
  • Nike Running Club
  • Runkeeper
  • Strava

For a distance-based cycling event, only Garmin Connect, Map My Ride, Runtastic and Strava can be used to clock the distances and upload to the app.

For a steps-based walking event, only Apple Health for iOS and Google Fit for Android can be used. As such, I have to connect my Garmin Connect to Google Fit through an app like Health Sync so that my steps can be uploaded automatically.

Actually, when I first started on 42Race, my biggest grouse was that it did not acknowledge the distances clocked on my Fitbit and I had to use Strava instead. And since there wasn’t any automatic syncing, I had to do a screenshot of my activity and upload that manually to the app which honestly speaking, was a big hassle. 

For now, the idea of “automatic” doesn’t really seem so based on my experience thus far. In my case, I get prompted to upload my walking and running activity from Garmin to the 42Race app so I have to do a couple of additional clicks to complete the process manually. On the other hand, the steps clocked from Garmin and sent to Google Fit do get synced automatically once I refresh the app.

One thing I’ve noticed is that, the race costs have gone up — which is perfectly normal as inflation sets in over the years and the quality of the medals has somewhat improved. And to be fair, some of these races which are charging anything from SGD 10 to SGD 30 or more, do have premiums other than the medals. Personally, I don’t need the race T-shirts nor the sports water bottles so I tend to skip such events which are more expensive.

On the other hand, the number of free events where you don’t have to fork out anything and get a digital medal in return has increased. As such, if you don’t want or need to have a physical medal but still wish to take part in a virtual run or the cost is a concern (especially if you are doing multiple events), these free events will be ideal for you.

The platform is generally easy to use, save for the occasional hiccup when it keeps logging me out. The process of signing up for events and registering my activities is also pretty straightforward. However, there was a period of time when I stopped using this platform for a while because I was really frustrated with the quality of the medals. One particular episode was that the engraving on the medals were either misaligned or incorrect and it took a while before the issue was sorted out. No doubt there was no cost incurred on my part because shipping was free, it was quite frustrating to sort out the issue. 

Since I sign up mostly for the free races these days, I don’t know how things are now with regard to the quality of the medals and delivery process. However, I think that the premiums directly issued by the organisations and companies are generally fine.


Spacebib

Spacebib, just like 42Race, was established in 2016 and based in Singapore. As I was looking for other platforms to sign up for virtual runs, I came across this and was likewise attracted to it because of the fact that there’s free shipping in Singapore and the prices seemed reasonable then, albeit slightly more expensive than 42Race at times.

There are in-house themes designed by Spacebib as well as collaboration races with some organisations or for special occasions. There is actually no auto syncing as far as I am aware since I always have to upload my Strava activity screenshots to the platform. You can either use the website or the apps which can be downloaded from App Store or Google Play. Compared to 42Race, the type of apps you can use to capture your run or walk activity is more varied as described in Spacebib’s FAQ:

Free running apps can be downloaded at the Google Play and Apple App Store. Some recommended apps are MapMyRun, Runkeeper, Strava, Runtastic, Nike Run Club etc. As each app or tracker is different, a rule of thumb is that as long as your screenshot did capture the distance clocked and duration of your activity, it’s sufficient. GPS map is not mandatory.

One important thing to note is that the race prices will change with time so if you are the type who signs up as soon as an event is announced, you will get to sign up at the lowest entry rate. However, I sometimes do need to deliberate over whether I can make it during the race period or if there is any issue which may affect my ability to complete the distance. Unsurprisingly, this meant that I had to give up on some races which I was initially interested in because the prices went beyond what I was willing to pay.

Generally, the delivery process and the quality of the medals are quite satisfactory based on my experience so far. However, do note that for some events, they will only send the medals after the entire race has finished. As such, even if you complete the virtual run way before the deadline, you might have to wait for a while to get your premiums. On the other hand, items like race T-shirts are delivered before the race in some situations so you can wear them when clocking your distance for that event.

There was only once when I was not so happy about the medal for a particular race from Spacebib but that was actually my fault. I was expecting a “medal” but what came was a small coin-sized medal. That was when I went to check the dimensions of the medal and realised that it was smaller than what I usually got from other virtual runs. That experience made me wise up and since then, I always made sure that I checked the medal details before signing up for any event. Regardless of which platform you use, I would recommend that you check the details on the race premiums so that you know what exactly you are paying for and can manage your expectations.

In the past year or so, I haven’t participated much in Spacebib’s races since the Lunar New Year race earlier in Feb. With inflation in all aspects of life, it is understandable that the costs of the races will go up correspondingly but some being as expensive as more than SGD 30 per event is a big deterrent for me. Even for a no-frills option of getting a completion medal only, it will be at least SGD 15 or so. Considering the number of races I sign up for, I really do have to be quite discerning over which runs to sign up for.

Sometimes, the issue lies in finding a suitable option to sign up for e.g. the World Online Marathon Tour for Toronto & Vienna, there is no bundle option to get both medals only. When this happens, I just give up on the race. If you are fine with the prices and like the race premiums offered, Spacebib would be good because of its delivery process and quality of its merchandise. However, do be mindful of when you sign up so as to get the best deal and select the appropriate option to get what you want.


The Conqueror Virtual Challenges / My Virtual Mission

New Zealand-based The Conqueror Challenges is a platform which I started using since June 2020. In case you may be confused, the name My Virtual Mission tends to appear when you search for The Conqueror so please let me explain the relationship between the two. 

The Conqueror is the company which organises the virtual challenges while My Virtual Mission is the platform where you submit your accumulated distance-based activities to the challenges and it also allows you to create your own or corporate distance-based challenge which can serve as motivation for employees, friends and family members to get active together. In the past, you would have to sign up for challenges on The Conqueror and upload your activities through My Virtual Mission. Now, there is an easier way out where you can just make use of The Conqueror’s app (App Store / Google Play) to do both the sign-up and automatic uploading of distances for your challenges. However, if you prefer to upload your distances on a computer, you will have to use the My Virtual Mission website. And as mentioned on their website, here are the apps and devices you can connect to for automatic uploading of your activities.

You can log distances using two methods: 1) Manually — Either on the web or via our iPhone and Android apps. Select your exercise type, add a distance and boom, you’re done. You can add a screenshot of your tracker if you wish but it is not required. 2) Automatically — Via the range of apps and devices that we connect with. Currently, we support: Apple Watch, Apple Health, Garmin, Fitbit, Adidas Running, Strava, Map My Run, Map My Ride, Map My Walk, Runkeeper.

There are some unique characteristics of this platform which caters to people of all ages and fitness levels:

  • The ability to decide on how long you want to do this virtual run for — although the distance is usually preset except for the annual challenges which you can decide on at the beginning of the year, you can decide on the number of days needed to complete the entire distance depending on factors such as your schedule, fitness level and type of activity. For example, if an event is more than 1,000km and you are walking the entire distance, chances are that you would need more days to complete this as compared to someone who is cycling. Likewise, if you can only walk 1 or 2 km a day, you would need a longer time period to stretch out the distance and make it achievable. Even if you find that you are unlikely to reach the target by the preset number of days for whatever reason, you can still extend it as you wish. This may not be possible for the annual challenge though which runs on a calendar year basis.
  • Non-distance-based activities can also be included — this is something probably relatively unheard of since most virtual run events require the distance, time spent or even a screenshot of your complete route to count as activities which qualify to be counted towards the target. For those who engage in exercises which are non-distance-based such as yoga and cross fit, you can include these into the event by using the conversion chart on their website. In places where the weather can get too hot or cold for outdoor activities, this will come in handy as steps clocked while walking around in your house or doing housework would still be counted as your activities.
  • Team entries — if an event’s distance is way too much for you to handle on your own, you can get friends and families to join you in achieving the target together. Each of you would have to sign up separately for your individual medals/merchandise but whatever the group has chalked up will be added together and counted towards one distance goal. And I’m speaking from experience because I signed up for the 4,000km-long Pacific Crest Trail challenge and after 504 days, I am still 240km-shy of the goal!
  • Merchandise galore — besides the usual T-shirts and vests for events, there are also mobile phone cases, mugs and even their unique hexagonal medal hangers for you to display the results of your hard work.
  • Supportive virtual runners community — The Conqueror Community on Facebook can be a real morale booster. This is especially when you are having difficulty trying to reach your target or when the people around you try to discourage you by saying things like virtual runs are not real like physical marathons or that people are not doing the real work to get their medals. Hearing the stories of one another on their own fitness journeys and getting advice on how to stay active despite challenges like fitness, illness or injuries can be pretty inspiring and useful. As for the discouragement and negativity from people around you who might not see the value of virtual runs, being aware that you are not alone on your pursuit of fitness on your own terms is very assuring and liberating.

As I mentioned above, signing up with a foreign platform was something I wasn’t prepared to do due to various reasons. However, the experience I’ve had with The Conqueror so far has been amazing. Not only are the medals well-designed and of a high quality, features such as being able to see your actual location through Google Maps based on your completed distance so far lend a sense of reality to the virtual run as if you are physically there. Postcards sent virtually from designated landmarks help you to know more about the places you’ve “passed”. Last but not least, you can also do your part for the environment by reaching preset milestones that will allow you to choose planting a tree or stopping plastic bottles from entering the ocean.

As for the things you have to take note of, I would say that the cost and delivery time are what you have to consider. Given the quality of the medals and the overseas delivery, the cost per event is definitely pricier than the other Singapore-based platforms I am using. Coupled with the foreign exchange fluctuations, I do need to be more selective about the events to sign up for. In order to get the best deal, you should sign up for the challenges within the same week that they are announced since the prices will be at a discount. Sometimes, there are discount codes and promotions as well. And if you are just keen on the medals, make sure you select the correct option as the other choices come with premiums like the T-shirts and vests.

As for the delivery time, depending on where you are located and if there is a delay in shipping at your local postal services, it can take a bit of time for your items to reach you. Generally, if it’s not within the festive season, the medals will reach me in about 2–3 weeks after they are sent out from the US (as per the shipping label). There have been fellow runners who remark that the delivery time can take longer than this in some parts of Europe or the US though so do manage your expectations accordingly. Nonetheless, if it’s been more than a month since the notification about the shipment was sent to you, there is no harm contacting The Conqueror to see how they can help.

Now that you’ve read about these platforms, how about checking them out to see if any of them suits you? The hardest part in doing something is getting started so I hope that you find something which can help you begin your fitness journey for the sake of your health on your own terms.

Sunday, July 24, 2022

The thing about virtual runs and how it may just be your answer to staying active

How I came to know about virtual runs was nothing short of destiny.

One day in 2018, I happened to read this article from The Straits Times which talked about virtual runs. For a start, I had never even heard of this term so I was intrigued by this concept of being able to do something like this — “walk” a marathon at my own time and pace without jostling with others at the break of dawn and yet earn a medal at the end of it.

Back then in school, I was pretty active in leisure sports although I wouldn’t count myself as fit. As working life and other commitments started to take centrestage, it was difficult to stay active in a sedentary office job which came with the need to clock overtime late into the night on a frequent basis. Subsequently, with a number of health scares and injuries, it further limited my ability to do the sports I used to enjoy especially those which were intense and high-impact on the legs and joints. Moreover, certain sports like badminton and tennis required me to book a court or find someone to play with but these facilities were either fully booked or only available at odd timings and I couldn’t always find someone to join me at the last minute.

As such, when I read about virtual runs, this was like the perfect solution for me. Although the term says “run”, you can actually walk briskly or take a stroll at snail pace as long as you complete the required distance which can range from as little as several kilometres, a half or full marathon to even hundreds and thousands of kilometres. Some races have a fixed period which you need to clock the distances by while some allow you to set your race period and there are no limits to the number of times you can submit your distances to meet the requirement. What this means is e.g. for a distance of 42.195km, a person can do it all at one go as a full marathon but another can break this up into 10 or 20 times and still complete the virtual run. 

And since this is something I can do at my own time and pace, I don’t have to be conscious about lagging behind others as compared to joining a real race involving many people. For someone who doesn’t like to be in crowds or prefer exercising alone, there is nothing as ideal as this. 

The medal at the end of each virtual race is something to look forward to as well. Over the years, the quality and aesthetic appeal of these medals have improved by leaps and bounds, albeit with a corresponding increase in prices. Last but not least, virtual runs are generally cheaper than a physical race so with the same amount of money for a physical race, you can do multiple ones virtually. 

And so, I embarked on my journey of virtual runs in October 2018.

This was my very first virtual run medal from the Great Barrier Reef Marathon Virtual Run 2018 organised by 42Race. Since I was trying this new concept for the first time, I wanted to see how it worked and if there were any issues. As for the reason why I chose to go with 42Race, since it was based in Singapore — there was no delivery fee required to receive my medal by post, I didn’t have to worry about foreign exchange rates as compared to signing up with overseas portals or the likelihood of losing my medal in the post. The fact that the race only cost $9.90 then was also a big draw.

However, before you jump into the world of virtual runs, it might be best to take note of the following:

1. Is the distance to be clocked at one go? Or can it be accumulated through multiple attempts?

When I first started on virtual runs, this was more of an issue for shorter distances i.e. 5km and below. If you are the type who can’t clock such long distances at one go, you might want to avoid those which expect you to do so and go for those which allow multiple attempts to chalk up the required distance.

Nowadays, this is not so much of an issue since shorter distance virtual runs also allow multiple attempts. Nonetheless, do read the terms carefully or else you might end up walking for nothing since uncompleted runs will not entitle you to the medal or completion gifts.

2. Time period & date of the virtual run

Especially for themed, branded and special occasion virtual runs, this is something you need to be careful about. For example, if it’s a virtual version of a physical marathon, chances are it will be held on the same day or around the same period as the physical event. Likewise, if it’s a Christmas-themed virtual run, it will definitely happen on Christmas Day itself with a few days before and after it. If you anticipate that you can’t clock the distance during specific periods because you are away on holiday or will be busy with something, you might want to consider skipping that race.

Likewise, some virtual runs take place over specific dates or set a completion deadline so the same rationale applies — if you can’t make it on those dates, don’t do it. However, there are some virtual runs these days which allow you to sign up anytime and finish it by a preset deadline decided by you so this gives you the flexibility in case anything happens during the race period e.g. illness or injury. If you are making good progress, you can even go ahead to finish the race earlier than planned! 

Signing up for the correct distance is definitely something to keep in mind when considering the dates and race period. If the distance you have in mind seems unachievable within the preset time period, there is no harm in opting for a shorter distance. In most situations, the same medal will be given (albeit with different distance engravings) anyway. However, in some races, the medal type and colour might be different for various distances so you would also need to consider this.

3. Check your race entitlements before signing up

When I first started, the options for race entitlements were largely restricted to medal-only or medal + race T-shirt/vest. Since I don’t need so many T-shirts, I usually go for the cheapest option i.e. medal-only. Nowadays, there are a lot more choices e.g. sports water bottles, commemorative coins, vouchers and bags but these additional things do come with a price. As such, when signing up for any race, be sure to select the correct option so that you don’t get saddled with a lot of stuff which you don’t want and end up paying more than you intend to. 

Upon receipt of your race entitlements, be sure to check that they are in order and not defective. There was a period of time when I kept getting medals with the wrong distance or name engravings, the engravings were so faint that they couldn’t be seen or the medals were cracked or movable parts were broken. The companies would usually have a return policy for defective items but there was once when I got really upset because the second medal sent to me was still defective and it took the third time before the vendor got it right.

If the dimensions of the medal or size of the T-shirt/vest are provided, be sure to check these thoroughly as well. There was once when I got a “medal” which turned out to be the size of a coin but there was nothing indicated on the website that it was this small. As such, I felt a bit cheated by that and ever since then, I would scrutinise the dimensions of the medals for subsequent virtual runs. What is portrayed in photos may not be what you get in the end so it’s good to pay attention to this aspect and manage expectations.

4. Choose the right virtual runs

Since there are so many types of virtual runs out there for you to choose from, factors such as distance, time required, cost and the aesthetic appeal of a medal are things you should consider when selecting which run to sign up for. When I first got into virtual runs, I think I must have been too excited and signed up for virtually everything I came across. In less than a year, I had accumulated more than 50 medals. Much as I enjoyed doing the virtual runs, the downside was that I had so many medals which I didn’t have the space to hang up and display. At last count, I have close to 140 medals now and they are all lying in my storage boxes, waiting to be displayed some day.

As such, go easy from the start and pick the ones that you really like rather than trying to do everything that’s available out there. This will definitely save you a lot of money and space at home in the long run. In fact, if you don’t really want the medals, there are some free virtual runs which come with e-badges or e-medals so you can opt for those instead.

Next up, I will do a feature on the virtual run portals which I’ve used before so hopefully, it will help you decide on which to choose according to your preferences and physical condition. Till then, see you!

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

Light chiffon cakes from Patisserie La Famille Atelier Fraicheur (Hong Kong)

I haven't been to Hong Kong in years so it was a nice thing to be back for a short work trip and extended vacation after that. Although most people would be loading up on the usual dim sum, roast meats, cha chan teng fare or Cantonese dishes while in Hong Kong, I made a conscious effort to try different types of cuisines since the city has a lot to offer in terms of variety. To the extent that I was asked - how can you say that you were in HK when you ate so little of the dim sum / roast meat / cha chan teng food? ^__^

One interesting thing I noticed is that, there are lots of nice bakeries and cafes with very Instagrammable desserts which taste good too. I certainly don't enjoy eating food which look nice but don't taste as delicious. And that's good news for someone like me who started to acquire a sweet tooth only when I became a adult. Perhaps it was the stress of working life which made desserts an appealing option for unwinding.

This bakery with a French name may give you the impression that it's some fanciful European brand but it actually hails from Tai Hang, a neighbourhood near to Causeway Bay and is relatively young i.e. founded in 2014. Goes to show that there are also hidden gems even among the local and homegrown brands. There are currently 5 branches at Causeway Bay, ifc Mall on the Hong Kong Island side and Harbour City, Langham Place and Wonderful Worlds of Whampoa on the Kowloon side.

I happened to walk past the ifc Mall branch and was tempted by the visually-appealing cakes in the display. You may be slightly intimidated by the fact that they sell only whole cakes but the smallest size light chiffon cakes here are small enough to be finished by one person (maybe need to split over two days for small eaters). As I was there when they were about to close, there weren't that many options left which probably suggests that their business must be pretty good. Note though that there are different sizes on offer so the bigger ones are definitely more suited for sharing. Depending on the flavours, prices would differ accordingly.

After deliberating for a while, I chose the matcha flavour as shown in this photo which had the right amount of moisture and still maintained its lightness. The chocolate pieces on top went well with the matcha flavour as well. This is probably one of the "lighter" flavours because from their website, there are much "richer" options with lots of cream and fruits on top so you can choose whatever suits your tastes. It's just too bad that this is something which I couldn't bring home so I guess I can only try the other flavours when I visit Hong Kong again. Note that there aren't any dine-in spaces so the only way is to bring this home or to your hotel room to indulge your tastebuds without feeling overloaded at the end.

Monday, June 3, 2019

Inspirations from TVN variety show "Korean Hostel in Spain / 스페인 하숙"

It's been a long time since I last posted.  Somehow, this has become a standard starting phrase over the years whenever I "restart" my blog. Sometimes, I find myself in a slump where I just can't continue with something.

Long story short, I had many things I wanted to write about but somehow, I never finished them. I don't know whether it was just plain laziness, fatigue, writer's block or whatever it may be but I just couldn't finish what I started. And there you have it, a "dormant" personal blog which should have been far easier to maintain than my other "main blog" that is way more time-consuming to update.

What made me decide to pen something again was this Korean variety show from tvN called "Korean Hostel in Spain / 스페인 하숙". I have been a faithful follower of Na Young-seok PD's shows since "2 days 1 night" which unfortunately has gone through lots of ups and downs and is currently in limbo. Ever since Na PD crossed over to tvN, he and his team have churned out many entertaining shows, some seemingly really mundane (Three Meals A Day) or silly (like New Journey to the West) but turns out to be really interesting for some unfathomable reason. I have to admit, he and his team have that Midas touch to attract viewers although there was only one show which I couldn't finish i.e. "Little Cabin in the Woods" (too slow for me) and I haven't had the chance to watch "Trivia".

The premise of this show is very simple - the original cast members from Three Meals A Day: Fishing Village i.e. Cha Seung-won and Yoo Hae-jin head to Villafranca del Bierzo in Spain where they operate a Korean hostel for the pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago. Joining them is Bae Jung-nam, a model-actor, who is tasked to help Cha-jumma to cook for the pilgrims by doing chores, marketing and dishwashing. If you've seen Three Meals a Day featuring Cha-jumma before, you know that you will get hungry seeing all the delicious food he dishes out to the pilgrims. I was always craving for Korean food after each episode.

On the other hand, Yoo is in charge of facilities, maintenance and handling registration, check-ins and outs for the pilgrims. Along the way, he opens a "business" called Ikeyo (a pun on Ikea) which comes up with 14 different items under various product ranges such as Ikeyo Security, Ikeyo Life and Ikeyo Electric. This man can create virtually anything with just plywood, a hammer, saw, drill and nails! Along the way, he even gets one of the staff members to become his sole employee (Section Chief Park) and another to be his intern.

Come to think of it, every episode is quite similar in the sense that it always starts with the trio waiting for the pilgrims to come calling on their doorstep (because reservations at hostels are not allowed), they then cook dinner and breakfast the following day for the pilgrims, go about their chores after sending their guests off and repeat the same thing all over again. There was a day when they had as many as 11 guests but the last day saw no one showing up. However, what makes this show interesting is more than just the humour, the interactions between the trio, the mouthwatering Korean food and the ingenious creations of Ikeyo.

The show never projects itself as some kind of "sentimental chicken soup for the soul" or hardsells the notion that you have to go on some pilgrimage route like the Camino de Santiago in order to improve your life or solve the problems you are facing or do some soul-searching. What struck me most was how everyone had different reasons for going on the pilgrimage and often, the most difficult thing is getting started. It takes a lot of courage to take that first step on this 800km journey alone. Even if people do start off in groups or make friends along the way, there are bound to be sections on the route when you are on your own. People walk at different paces and sometimes can walk more on one day and maybe lesser on another depending on your condition. As such, it is probably difficult to expect someone to be by your side all the time on this journey. Isn't this reflective of how the journey of life is? The people in your lives come and go and ultimately, you have to be able to live with yourself and spend time listening to that voice within you. However, we are all so busy with our lives that we hardly have time to sit down, think and reflect on what we really want.

Many people go on this journey as a form of soul-searching and to spend time with themselves as they try to seek answers to the questions in their lives. Many of them are young people but you also have people in their 50s, 60s or even 70s doing this route even more than once. There was this lady from Korea who is in her 50s or 60s (can't remember the actual age), suffered an injury and could no longer play the piano which was her livelihood. As she reflected on her life story, the others felt sad for her but she chose to take it positively as a chance to take time off her work and do something she wanted to do. It's hard to be so positive and try something seemingly so daunting at that age. Although it is not a given that you may find a solution to the problems you have even after reaching Santiago but to many, this experience of going on this pilgrimage has probably helped them to come to terms with things and find a way out of the situations they are in.

This resonated with me quite a lot as I watched this show. My fears and worries seem to have increased as I get older. If it was the younger me, I would have dared to do a lot more without actually worrying about the outcome. Looking back now, the old me was rash but courageous but I liked who I was. It was also really satisfying to be able to achieve things which seemed impossible in the beginning.

As I grow older though, the maturity and experience gained along the way do impede my willingness to step out of my comfort zone and do the things I want to do. There is a lot more to lose. There are more consequences to bear. And there are some conditions which have changed now e.g. health condition which make it not suitable for me to do certain things. I suppose this is probably the price of growing up. You gain some, you lose some.

Of course, it doesn't mean that just by watching this show, I will be aiming to embark on this Camino de Santiago anytime soon. I don't think I can handle 800km for a start and even if I can, I might need to take a long time to finish this route. However, a shorter route on a less challenging course somewhere else might be workable. I think I have to start doing some research before actually taking that first step but I like the idea of spending some time walking to a destination and thinking about what really matters to me.

That aside, I think what the show reminded me of was how I used to be more courageous to attempt the unknown. I probably lost my guts along the way as I became more and more jaded and discouraged by many things which happened after I left school. Seeing how all these people with their own stories, achievements and setbacks embark on their solo journeys, it has given a gentle push on my back to start doing something I want before I keep regretting the things I should have done but did not do.

And who knew that you could be inspired in this way by a variety show like this? I guess it's a worthwhile investment with a decent return from spending 11 weeks on this show. ^__^

Thursday, January 11, 2018

Reflections on the 68th Kouhaku Utagassen 2017

Watching Kouhaku used to be a very difficult thing in the past. Back in the days when I didn't have access to the NHK Premium channel, I could only wait for the local channel to show a much delayed broadcast of the programme. Japanese music shows were hardly seen on local TV as well. And it was not a guarantee each year that this would be shown. The first time I watched this programme was the 48th edition (1997) and I could still remember how I kept playing back the portions of my favourite acts repeatedly on my video tape. Those were the days when it was tough being a J-ent fan and time really flies by when you realise that it's already the 20th year that I'm watching this.

Fast forward to now, watching the Kouhaku has become much easier thanks to my cable TV subscription. However, the Kouhaku has lost much of its shine as being a must-see and premium music show to end the year not just in Japan and overseas. Honestly, speaking, I think that there is no single reason because it's a mix of factors affecting one another. Having to commit most of your New Year's Eve evening to a programme where you only appear for 5 minutes max compared to earning a lot more and using your time in a more flexible manner by holding your own countdown concert or choosing to take a break, for those big names who no longer need this kind of acknowledgement or accreditation, they wouldn't need to seek Kouhaku appearances anymore. The vacated slots are sometimes taken up by rather questionable choices where their names are hardly known by the general public. In the past, qualifying for a Kouhaku appearance means you made it big during that year. Nowadays, it is not necessarily the case. The cutting down on the enka slots could also have alienated the older audience and turned them off. Last but not least, there are a lot more choices these days when it comes to other TV programmes or alternative sources of entertainment on New Year's Eve. When the Kouhaku doesn't offer what viewers want to see, this will then be reflected in the TV ratings. Every year, without fail, the media has a field day making noise about how low the ratings have sunk.

Frankly speaking, I can see that the latest edition had made some interesting changes in the way the content was presented so in a way, that's commendable. For example, the opening sequence features a CG-made song and dance segment with Shibuya and its nearby sights in the background involving all the singers and the hosts (yes, you can see Arimura Kasumi dancing for a short while) which is a welcome deviation from the prim and proper introduction to kick off the programme. Just spare me from that kind of boring skits like what happened in 2016 involving Tamori and Matsuko Deluxe. Those skits in between songs featuring Uchimura Teruyoshi were also not my cup of tea but thankfully, there is the fast-forward button for such moments.

These are probably baby steps in revamping the programme but it's still better than nothing. However, the crux of the programme is probably to make it more inclusive for audiences of all ages and put in more effort to make sure that the performances are exclusive. There are so many music programmes which put out special editions at the end of the year so if you can see the artistes performing the same songs in other programmes, there is truly no incentive to watch the same thing on Kouhaku. And yes, the song choice should be something to consider as well because I really don't want to hear the same song many years in a row even if I may like it. The thing about it being a New Year's Eve programme probably means that there are some restrictions on the types of songs to be selected (nothing negative or controversial) but still, you don't have to sing the same song over and over again. For example, I love TOKIO but I really don't want to hear "Ambitious Japan" every year if there's nothing different from your past performances other than the costumes you are wearing.

Here is a list of the performances which I enjoyed from this edition of the Kouhaku so do feel free to share your thoughts on your own favourites:

"Yoo, soko no wakai no" by Takehara Pistol
My first time hearing Takehara's song was when I watched "Byplayers" as his song "Forever Young" was used as the ending theme. Later on, when I saw Eita's CM for Sumitomo Life Insurance, that was when I first heard this song which Takehara performed on the Kouhaku. Actually, the performance was very no-frills with Takehara wearing a simple T-shirt, jeans and sneakers with his guitar only but it was a very powerful performance thanks to his husky vocals and the meaningful lyrics which is like a call-out to the youngsters out there. This goes to show that you don't necessarily need a lot of aesthetics to make a performance memorable.

"Fukyouwaon" by Keyakizaka46
Among the huge number of girl groups out there, I find Keyzakizaka46 rather different even though they have the same producer as AKB48. It seems like cuteness or sexiness is a missing trait from their image and the content of their songs seem on the serious side which is quite uncharacteristic of girl groups these days. I watched the PV of this song before and was struck by how intense the dance sequence was but I never expected them to go all out on Kouhaku as well with so much power. It was a pretty impressive performance which stood out among the girl groups.

Unfortunately, this indirectly caused the group to be in the news for the wrong reasons because they had a collaboration segment with Uchimura soon after their own performance where they had to sing a portion of this song again. No wonder three of its members collapsed or were about to collapse at the end of that segment. Some people were pretty insensitive to make remarks online blaming the members for their poor physical fitness and that a professional shouldn't be like this weak but they should try singing and dancing to that sequence with that same amount of intensity twice in a row and see if they can stand up properly after that.

"TOKYO GIRL" by Perfume
When this song first came out as the theme song for "Tokyo Tarareba Musume", it didn't leave much of an impression on me. In line with the theme of the song, it was a great idea to put the trio on the rooftop heliport of a building with the night scene of Tokyo as the backdrop. In addition, the use of the light beams, not only on the triangular stage but also from some of the surrounding buildings shooting towards the sky, made it look like the entire city was their stage so it was a great boost to their performance in an aesthetic sense. And of course, seeing these ladies sing and dance in the frigid cold weather in their thin costumes and high heels was a sight to behold especially since it always baffles me as to how they can manage to do all those dances with those heels when I find it so uncomfortable just to walk in the same type of shoes.

"Non Fiction" by Hirai Ken
If you've watched "Chiisana Kyojin", you would probably have heard this before. Just like Takehara's performance, this is another no-frills example of the song being strong enough to leave an impression. As this song was written specially for the drama, it was no wonder that images of the drama came back to me as I listened to this song. Such is the power of a theme song to a drama and vice versa. The only baffling thing was why Hirai had to hold that large bouquet of flowers which was somewhat of an distraction for me since there was nothing much he was doing with it other than to raise it up and down during his performance.

"Kiyoshi no Zundokobushi" by Hikawa Kiyoshi
Yes, this is an enka. ^__^
Actually, I should credit Kouhaku for introducing me to the world of enka. I don't really consider myself a fan of enka but there are indeed some nice songs to be discovered in this genre. Then again, the first time I heard this song was in the anime "Hachimitsu to Clover" when Morita Shinobu was performing his own rendition with the name Kiyoshi changed to Shinobu. Boy, that was such a hillarious version of this song! Of course, hearing it directly from the original singer was nice but I just can't shake off my impression of the Shinobu version while hearing the Kiyoshi version.

"Wakai Hiroba" by Kuwata Keisuke
I didn't follow "Hiyokko" during its run and had never heard this song in full until this performance which made me love this song at first "hearing". Kuwata's music really has the power to fascinate and entertain while being meaningful or close to heart. The performance was at Southern All Stars' concert rather than from NHK Hall but it was a perfect note to end the year with, thanks to the good vibes from the joyous and lighthearted atmosphere.

"Hero" by Amuro Namie
This being Amuro's last appearance on Kouhaku before she goes into retirement later this year, all eyes were on her literally. The design of the stage (location undisclosed though) was quite simple with a white colour scheme but the simplicity coupled with the skillful manipulation of the lighting and her image left a strong impression on me. It's been years since I came into contact with Amuro's music and I can still remember listening to her "Sweet 19 Blues" album every day on my Discman, alternating with SPEED's "White Love". That clip reflecting on her history before this performance brought back lots of memories as well. It was a befitting finale to Amuro's long and illustrious career although it is a pity that she won't appear on Kouhaku anymore (at least in the foreseeable future, assuming she doesn't come out of retirement).

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Sometimes, things deserve a second chance - Marutama Ramen (Liang Court)

I have to admit, I am someone who has no patience when it comes to queuing for food. Especially when I am hungry.

This was probably why I swore off Marutama Ramen when I first tried it years ago. Back then, it saw very long queues at its The Central outlet and I was invited to go along and check it out. I think the long queuing time affected me to a certain extent so my expectations were heightened at the same time as I expected something good enough to justify the time investment. Unfortunately, what I tasted then was really not to my satisfaction. It could also be partly due to the fact that during that era, most of the pioneer entrants in the ramen market here were featuring tonkotsu-based soups which was comparatively richer than the chicken-based soup from Marutama so I wasn't used to the difference in taste. Since then, I didn't go back to Marutama anymore.

What made me decide to give it a second chance this time was yet again hunger. This time, I wanted something filling and yet not as rich as the usual tonkotsu-based ramen. I deliberated for a while and was about to give up when I saw the less-than-flattering pictures of the food outside the restaurant. Surely, something can be done to make the pictures a bit more appetising, clearer and brighter to entice the customers? Then again, I was too tired and hungry to search further and decided to give it a try, the first time after so many years.

To my surprise, the standard Marutama Ramen was satisfying in many regards. The soup was rich and flavourful but not overwhelming. There was also a lot of spring onions which I liked and the seaweed soaked up the flavours of the broth which I attribute to the fact that it was already shredded into pieces compared to many other versions where the seaweed came in its original form of sheets. Not a bad idea after all. The noodles were springy and went well with the broth but the chashu was oilier than I liked. For a price of $13, I thought that the portion and quality was well worth every dollar.

Gyoza is usually a standard accompaniment to my ramen so it was natural for me to do the same this time. Unfortunately, the pan-fried gyoza was not so satisfying because the skin should be crispier. The filling also needs to be more flavourful. Next time, I'll have to try the water boiled version and see if it will be any better.

Besides the food, there is something about this branch of Marutama which had helped to make the dining experience more pleasant. The nice BGM blend of Japanese enka and old Japanese songs gives a nostalgic feel amidst the wooden-based decor. It was a surprise to hear Takeuchi Mariya's "Camouflage" for the first time in years. Honestly, there are times when I dine at Japanese restaurants but the BGM can be quite jarring on the ears e.g. they play song covers not by the original singers or the music is so noisy that it makes it difficult to hold decent conversations. A small thing like BGM may seem insignificant but it is actually important in enhancing the dining atmosphere.

Frankly speaking, there are very few instances when I actually give something a second chance like this. Maybe it's because people tend to be unwilling to change their views of things once they have developed a negative first impression. Other than having a largely satisfying meal, I guess this episode has reminded me that there are times when I need to give things another try. It may jolly well turn out to be better than expected and open up new options which I had previously ruled out.

Monday, October 30, 2017

The unpredictable nature of life - Lamenting the demise of Kim Joo-hyuk

I thought that my eyes were playing tricks on me when I read the headline.

"Kim Joo-hyuk passes away due to car accident"

How could it be? So sudden, so unexpected and so saddening.

It was just yesterday when I watched the latest episode of 1n2d on KBS World when they were giving out awards to the members, past and present, and their guests in conjunction with the 10th anniversary celebration. And they were just teasing him endlessly and referring to him affectionately by his nickname of Gutaeng Hyeong which was born out of his stint on this show. It feels like you are seeing this person right in front of you one day and the next, he's gone. Forever.

Details of his car accident are still pretty sketchy especially since his agency hasn't said much yet other than they are trying to confirm the news. However, with so many news reports on this case since the accident took place 4.30pm KST, I think that there is little likelihood that this is fake news. The agency wouldn't have let this spread like wildfire if this was untrue.

My first encounter with Gutaeng Hyeong wasn't actually through 1n2d. Years ago, I happened to come across his 2008 drama "Terroir" while channel-surfing on cable TV. Although I didn't finish watching that drama, my impression of him (partly due to his image there) was that he was suave and cool. However, I haven't seen any of his other works although he was well-known as an actor.

Of course, 1n2d showed that my initial impression of him was wrong. This show is "notorious" for unveiling the true self of whoever appears on it and that's part of the show's charm because it is such raw fun to see the cast shed their images and have fun. Although Gutaeng Hyeong was clumsy and fumbling his way through most of the time, he made an impact with his endearing nature. In particular, there was an episode when he went to the places where his parents visited in their youth and that was really moving to see him retrace their footsteps.

I know life is unpredictable. I've had people near me who just passed away all of a sudden without a chance for me to say a proper goodbye. That really hurts a lot. Even though I may not know Gutaeng Hyeong personally, it just feels sad to see someone you know, even from a distance, go away forever in such a manner. I can imagine that it must be worse for those who know him personally especially his family and girlfriend.

Suddenly, it just makes me feel that my own troubles don't seem to be that big anymore. Of course, they are still serious issues to me. Nonetheless, in the face of death and eternal separation, they probably seem so much less important. I keep reminding myself not to let the negative things in life bring me down and try to embrace each day with a positive mindset. It's easier said than done, really.

However, I really don't need to see another example of such sudden loss around me.

And I really should be counting my blessings for each day I am alive to do what I want to do.

Thursday, August 3, 2017

Review of "Piece of Peace World Heritage Exhibit Built With Lego Brick"

Lego bricks have always been fascinating to me especially when I see art works made of these tiny building blocks of various shapes, sizes and colours. When I was a child, I didn't have the luxury of playing with Lego but I always marveled at the wide array of things which could be created using these building blocks. Back in 2013 when I attended Nathan Sawaya's exhibition at ArtScience Museum, I was so awed by his creativity and the amazing forms which these Lego bricks could take on but while playing with the bricks made available to the visitors, I realised that I wasn't very imaginative and talented in this type of 3D building. As such, I didn't have the inclination to go and buy Lego and explore the world of building things.

The "Piece of Peace" exhibition which is currently taking place at the Singapore Fort Canning Arts Centre, combines Lego with the theme of UNESCO World Heritage sites whereby these well-known places, structures or buildings are recreated using Lego blocks. Apparently, the exhibition has been touring around the world since it began at Japan in 2003 so this is a first for Singapore to be included as part of the tour. Most of the exhibits are displayed on the 2nd floor of the building while Level 1 features creations with local influences by Singaporeans, a play zone for children and a platform featuring Lego figures of various local iconic places and buildings.

With regard to the exhibits, I think that most of them were quite detailed and close to how the "real thing" looks like. However, the lighting in the exhibition hall wasn't that ideal because the angle from which the lights were shone and the strong brightness created white-washed effects which made the colour of the exhibits look paler than they should be. As such, when taking photos of such exhibits, the colours didn't turn out to be vibrant at times and there were some shadows caused by the strong lighting which made it difficult to observe the details. It was also annoying to see reflections and shadows of people or even myself projected onto the glass panels so I had to keep finding a suitable angle to take photos without these unwelcome distractions. As such, the lighting could be improved to showcase these exhibits in a better manner.

Despite this undesirable hiccup, I thought it was fun trying to identify the UNESCO Heritage sites through these Lego figures. Some of them were really easy to guess since they look so similar to the actual building or structure but some took a bit of thinking e.g. the Machu Picchu exhibit. Perhaps it was the colour of the blocks used which made it more difficult to tell at a glance e.g. the Great Wall of China exhibit.

Another thought after viewing this exhibition was that, there are still many places in the world that I would love to visit but haven't had the chance to yet. The world is really bigger than you think it is and there are so many beautiful things and places to discover. Rather than get hung up over those upsetting and petty things in life, I need to remind myself constantly that there is more to do and experience. I think this emotional boost came in at an opportune time when I was feeling really upset over some things recently. And I really should spend more time on doing the things that truly make me happy rather than waste it on those things which don't deserve my attention.

For those who are interested to attend this exhibition, here are some tips for you:

- Tickets can be bought online here so you can avoid the queues especially if you are going on a weekend.

- Weekday tickets are cheaper than those on weekends. However, if you have a Passion Card, you can get at least a 10% discount while the discount goes up to 15% if you buy at least three tickets.

- Frankly speaking, the venue is not that accessible because it's quite a walk up Fort Canning. Walking in the afternoon sun was a no-no for me and I didn't know about the shuttle bus service beforehand so I resorted to using Grab from the nearest MRT station since there was a discount promotion. For those taking public transport, you can take their free shuttle buses from Plaza Singapura or Raffles City Shopping Centre (the taxi stand facing Chijmes). The schedule of the bus service can be found here.

Before I end this post, here are the photos of the exhibits which I liked. If you have been to this exhibition, do share with me what are your favourites!


Haw Pha Bang in Luang Prabang, Laos


Wat Sorasak in Sukhothai, Thailand


Changnyongmun Gate at Hwaseong Fortress, South Korea


Itsukushima Shrine in Hiroshima, Japan


Taj Mahal in India


Shuri Castle in Okinawa, Japan


Roskilde Cathedral in Denmark


The Colosseum in Rome, Italy


Eiffel Tower in Paris, France


Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey


Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain


Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, Russia


Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey in London, United Kingdom


Signature items in our local breakfast - this was pretty cute!


The iconic buildings in Singapore made of white Lego blocks

Sunday, July 30, 2017

New tendon specialty restaurant in town - Shitamachi Tendon Akimitsu (Plaza Singapura)

I'm usually not the type to head to the newest places even if I do know about them mainly because I simply hate to queue for a long time no matter how appealing something may be to me. In other words, I have no patience and interest in wasting time in queues. As such, I tend to wait till the hype dies down before checking out new places such as restaurants or food shops e.g. Bake Cheese Tart.

Coming across Shitamachi Tendon Akimitsu (下町天丼秋光) was a coincidence. I happened to be at Plaza Singapura to do something and was walking around when I saw this new shop on the 4th floor of the previous Atrium@Orchard wing. Apparently, this is a tendon specialty restaurant which has been around since 1889 and is located at Asakusa in Tokyo. For those who are interested in checking this out when travelling in Tokyo, here are the address and contact details on their official website. Akimitsu has been expanding overseas since 2016 and they can be found in Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Philippines, Australia (Melbourne) and Canada (Toronto) which is opening in October. Apparently, the Singapore branch is less than a month old since it only opened in mid July.

Although I do like to eat tendon, I don't eat it often mainly because of the composition of the tempura items provided. For example, Tendon Itsuki has one thing which I really dislike i.e. chicken breast meat which tends to be dry and rough to eat. And it doesn't help that the bar counter seating there is really uncomfortable and I always get a not-so-nice smell on my clothes after I leave the place. That's why it's always a struggle for me whenever my friends want to go there. At some other places where I've been to, vegetables such as eggplant or eggs are added so whenever I see things in the menu which I don't like or eat, I tend to avoid ordering the tendon. I don't really What attracted me to try Akimitsu was the fact that they had an all-prawn tendon with none of the things I dislike and I was keen to find out if they are really as good as reputed. It also helped that the layout of the shop would probably not result in the customers smelling bad after eating there (the kitchen is sealed off with glass panels, there was a fair bit of ventilation and the shop space was wide enough without making me feel uncomfortable about sitting too close to the table next to me.

On the tables, you can see the two pickles containers which contains beansprouts and cabbages. Personally, I prefer the beansprouts version which tasted more seasoned to me while the other version seemed a little bland. Perhaps it needed more time for the flavours to seep into the vegetables. For those who need more of the tendon sauce, you can have your fill as there is a bottle of it on every table.

In the menu, there are four choices of tendon i.e. signature tendon which contains prawns, white fish, egg, seaweed and assorted vegetables, ebi tendon which is the prawns-only version, vegetable tendon which contains assorted vegetables and the kakiage tendon. All these sets come with miso soup and chawanmushi. Alternatively, you may vote for the teishoku versions of mixed tempura, ebi or vegetable where the rice and sauce is served separately. Those who like chasuke should be happy with the kakiage tencha version (tendon chasuke) where you pour the dashi over the kakiage don.

I ordered the ebi tendon set which slightly surprised me because I wasn't expecting to see as many as 6 prawns in the bowl. The price of the tendon was the most expensive among the four types of tendon while the bowl's size was a bit smaller than I thought so in that sense, it was pricier compared to similar versions from other places. The good thing was, the aroma of the tendon was very inviting when the dish was served. I also liked the fact that the batter covering the prawns was on the thin side because some tempura batter versions I tried before tend to be too dense or overpower the taste and affect the texture of the ingredients within. The downside to having the batter so thin is that you probably can't take your own sweet time to take photos of this beautiful dish as the tempura will cool down pretty quickly and you may find the batter flaking off as you pick up the tempura with your chopsticks. The prawns were rather large and tasted really juicy and fresh. When eaten with the rice and tendon sauce, the combined taste was heavenly. If there was only one thing which I may complain about, that would be wanting more rice to go with the tempura. Nonetheless, I guess this portion size is just nice for most people so for bigger eaters like me, you may find yourself running out of rice when you still have quite a few pieces of the tempura left. You may wish to order other items like edamame, cold tofu or baby octopus or opt for a dessert to round up your meal to make it more satisfying.


Currently, there is a promotion going on where you can get a free matcha ice-cream puff as per the photo on the right or a bottle of Ito-en green tea if you "like" Akimitsu's Facebook page. The catch is that you have to dine in between 2pm and 5pm on weekdays.

On the whole, I was happy with my unexpected discovery but can't help but worry if the shop's location may not be in its favour since it's on a higher floor and not as visible than those on the lower floors due to the foot traffic. Nonetheless, if you do a quick search on the Internet, it seems like the more prominent food bloggers have already been there and written some good stuff about this place so it will probably help to boost the shop's popularity. Moreover, I haven't seen how the shop's crowds are like during weekends so it may be that you have to queue for a while during those days. Last but not least, if the food is good and prices are reasonable, I'm sure that there will be many repeat customers which will surely bode well for this restaurant. I for one would like to go back and try the ebi tendon again and this time, with the spicier version of the tendon sauce since I had the original version this time.