Since the start of the season, I was quite happy to see Allison and Laura back in the competition.  You might say, I’m hoping that both of them will be the two finalists for this season.  However, since Laura was booted off last week, I’m rooting for Allison.  My reasons?

• Great Spokesperson:  As part of the prizes for winning this cycle is to be a guest correspondent for Extra, Allison’s professional demeanor, intelligent speech and witty remarks led her to win two mini-challenge in public speaking.  Lisa is too wild and a bit loud-mouthed while Angelea seems nervous and emotional that she will just sprout something stupid.
• Unique Features:  Everyone loves her wide-saucer eyes except when it tears under the sun.  She doesn’t need to be wild to be remembered, her looks alone makes her stand out.  Moreover, her pictures are high fashion which is needed for Vogue Italia.  As for Lisa, she projects as too old and Angelea is not striking and a bit rough on the edges.
• Great Cover Girl:  Of all three, she has the freshest look.  She has this quality which Cover Girl users can relate.  Her market is more young adults and teens if she wants too.  She needs to pump up her personality like Laura then she can be a shoo-in for winning.
• Experience:  As a photographer, she knows what the people want.  As an artist, she knows what looks good.  Her music video has taste and doesn’t need to be hyped up to be recognized.

Well.. I hope they will be enough.  Also, if she walks as she did way back in Season 12, she really has a good chance of winning.  I can’t wait to watch it!

Real Steel is based on the short story “Steel” written by Richard Matheson in 1956.  The story was staged in the year 2020, where human boxing is obsolete and were replaced by robots.  Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman) is a former boxer who travels around the robotic boxing circuit with his robot, Ambush.  At a rural fair, Ambush was set to fight against Black Thunder, who happens to be a bull.  After making a bet of $20,000 against the promoter, Ricky, Ambush was ambushed by Black Thunder and ultimately destroyed after a moment of cockiness by its handler.  Charlie ran away but not before he was informed that his ex-girlfriend passed away and left him with his eleven year old son, Max (Dakota Goyo).

Broke and with no robot, he headed to court to initially hand over the custody of Max to his aunt Debra (Hope Davis) and uncle Marvin (James Rebhorn).  Upon seeing the rich Marvin, he made a deal with him for $100,000 for the full custody of his son.  With an initial amount of $50,000 handed to him, he was able to purchase a former robotic boxing champ, Noisy Boy.  Heading out with Max to an illegal boxing circuit run by his friend Finn (Anthony Mackie), he demanded to fight against the headliner Midas.  As he was overconfident with Noisy Boy’s capabilities but without learning the manual on how to control the robot, Midas thoroughly trounced Noisy Boy and left him without a functioning robot once more.

On their way back to his friend Bailey (Evangeline Lilly), they stopped over a junkyard to loot some parts or robot to build.  After Max’s harrowing slide, Charlie left Max digging out the robot which “saved” him.  Charlie did not believe in the robot, Atom, as he thinks is too old.  However, after being patched up and gone through a small fight and won, Charlie slowly warmed over the robot with Max’s help.  They gained popularity by being the kid who danced with the robot before the fight and winning against better opponents.  When they were invited to a league match against Twin Cities, they were noticed by the group who handles the undefeated league champion, Zeus.  They gave an offer of $200,000 for the robot which Max instantly turned down.  They won the fight against Twin Cities and Max confidently challenged Zeus’ camp to have both of them fight in the near future. 

The fight happened and on they went looking like David against Goliath.  The odds are against them but after 5 rounds of boxing, Atom trounced Zeus but lost due to the judges decision.  Even though they loss, Atom became known as the “People’s Champion”.

Verdict: 4 out of 5.  Mainly the only thing that is 2020 are the robots.  The rest are still 1990s.  Also, I was a bit turned off by the overconfidence of both Max and Charlie.

Pacquiao vs Marquez Match

So, should I compare the match of Atom vs Zeus to Pacquiao vs Marquez? I didn’t really watched it but Pacquiao is the Zeus in this match while Marquez is Atom.  After 12 rounds of boxing, the judges decided that Pacquiao won the match.  Mixed reactions were seen on Facebook and people were actually saying that there should be a rematch or it should be a draw.  In any case, it was a good fight, win or lose they gave their all.  If you think your bet should win, then he already won because you believed in him and he did his best.

Location

Kyoto Hana Hostel is located at 229 Azeku-dori St., Kogawa-cho, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto.  A quick 10 minutes walk from the JR Kyoto train station.  Once you exit the train station on the Kyoto Tower side, head towards the street (Karasuma-dori) on the right of the Kyoto Tower hotel.  Head straight till you reach the first major intersection (Shichijo-dori) with a Lawson supermarket in the corner.  Turn right on Shichijo-dori and walk straight till you reach the first alley with an “AU” mobile phone store in the corner.  Turn left at the “AU” corner and you’ll see the Kyoto Hana Hostel sign.

In the vicinity, Isetan and Porta at the train station, Starbucks & McDonalds at Kyoto Tower, Higashi Hoganji Temple, Lawson Convenience store and several vending machines.

Rooms & Amenities

The hotel has 3 floors with different types of accommodations (dormitory, single room, twin room, double room, triple room, group or family room).  The rooms can either be Japanese style or bunk beds.  Dormitories can be 8-bed mixed, 6-bed female or 4-bed mixed.  The group or family rooms can accommodate 3, 4 or 5 people.   Depending on your preference, you can opt for shared bathroom or private bathroom.

Standard room furnishings are as follows:

• Free wifi connection
• Ethernet outlet for internet connection
• Air-conditioning
• Bed-light
• Small table
• Small LCD TV (Ensuite rooms)
• Hair Dryer, Body Soap, Shampoo (Ensuite rooms)

Hotel amenities that you can avail or use are as follows:

• Kitchen
• Living room with TV
• Free use of common PC
• Common locker
• Laundry room (Washer: JPY 200/load, Dryer: JPY 100/15 min)
• Bicycle rental (JPY 500/day)
• Game boards

Standard Rates Per Person (as at 31 Oct 2011)

• 8-bed mixed dormitory:  JPY2,500
• 6-bed female dormitory:  JPY 2,500
• 4-bed mixed dormitory:  JPY 2,800
• Double ensuite Japanese:  JPY 3,400
• Single Japanese: JPY 3,900
• Single ensuite Japanese:  JPY 3,900 to 4,900
• Twin and Triple Japanese:  JPY 3,000
• Twin ensuite Japanese: JPY 3,400
• Triple ensuite Japanese: JPY 3,200
• 4-person bunk beds:  JPY 2,800
• 3-person bunk beds:  JPY 3,000
• 5-person deluxe ensuite: JPY 3,200
• 4-person deluxe ensuite: JPY 3,400
• 3-person deluxe ensuite: JPY 3,600

Hostel Stay Experience

I’m glad that the directions provided by the hostel were quite clear and easy to understand.  We didn’t get lost finding our way.  Since we arrived before their check-in time, we left our luggage in their luggage room and relaxed a bit in their common room.  Since the hostel is similar to a ryokan, shoes are not allowed beyond the lobby.  Everyone must leave their shoes in the shoe cabinet and wear the slippers provided. 

Check-in was a breeze and a deposit of JPY 1,000 is required for the key.  No towels are provided so you either bring one or rent one for JPY 70.  Smoking is not permitted inside and a code is provided for the door which will be locked after 10pm.  After we got our key, we had to carry our luggage all the way up to our room.  No elevators available so it’s a bit difficult. 

The room provided has a small hallway with the main room, toilet and bathrooms.  The main room was a bit cramped that both our luggage cannot fit in it especially after you set up your bed.  Take note, you have to set up your bed using the instructions provided. The bed is not too soft nor too hard that I was able to get a good sleep.  Getting drinking water is a pain as you have to go all the way to the ground floor’s kitchen. 

Overall, our stay in the hostel was ok.  It was quite an experience especially setting up your bed.  It was a shame that we weren’t able to stay longer and attend the different activities they have for their guests.  The location is perfect and the staff are quite helpful on the bus routes and places to go.  If you’re after for cheap accommodations, I would suggest you consider staying at this place.

Contact Information:

• Phone:  075-371-3577 (Domestic) / +81-75-371-3577 (Overseas)
• Website:  http://kyoto.hanahostel.com
• Address:  229 Azeku-dori, Kogawa-cho, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto

(Photos from the web)

The “Look”

The Omron Pedometer HJ-113 is a step-up from the HJ-112 model. They removed the system reset button in the front and placed it in the back with the only option to reset it is by using a pin. In any case, the pedometer itself comes in red/silver color (China) or black/blue color (US). It is 1.3 cm thick, 4.5 cm width and 6.4 cm height. The front of the pedometer includes the screen, setting button (left), mode button (middle) and memory button (right). At the back is the system reset button, battery and the strap connector.

The “Features”

The Omron Pedometer HJ-113 has the following features:

• Dual-axis acceleration sensor which can count steps even if the pedometer is placed horizontally or vertically
• Counts step accurately and quietly when placed in the hip
• Calculates calories burned
• Stores 7-day information in memory
• Resets automatically at midnight

The “Experience”

I have been using this pedometer for almost two weeks now and I like the 7 day memory function and the accuracy of the steps it counted. I like the four different modes it offer which includes the number of steps, number of aerobics steps, calories burned and distance walked. The number of aerobics steps only triggers if I’ve been exercising or walking for more than 10 minutes straight.

The clip and the strap are sturdy enough that I just clip it on my waistband and put the pedometer in my pocket. My only frustration is not on the product itself but the calories I’m burning. I’ve hit 10,000 steps on certain days but the number of calories burned is a far cry from the 500 calories that I’m aiming for. With 10,000 steps, I’m just burning approximately 172 kcal. I don’t know what I should do to get the number of calories up but I hope I can make some adjustments to burn more calories just by walking.

Verdict: 4 out of 5. Mainly because the button descriptions are in Chinese. If you want to get started on the 10,000 steps to health program, I would highly recommend that you purchase this pedometer.

Fleet and Seating Arrangement

The ANA Wings fleet is composed of Bombardier Dash 8 Q300, Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 and Boeing 737-500.  For my Nagoya to Tokyo leg, our aircraft was a Bombardier Dash 8 Q300.  It was like stepping back into the early years of flying where the aircraft propeller is exposed in the open in the wings of the aircraft.  It makes me wonder if I’m in Japan or not when I saw it.  The seats are 2-2.

For my Tokyo to Nagoya leg, the aircraft I flew with was a Boeing 737-500.  I can’t recall the seating arrangement but I think it was a 2-3-2.  Now this plane is more normal.

Services

There was no in-flight entertainment for both legs of the trip.  Food was non-existent unless you purchase it.  They offered a free glass of either water, juice or soda to sooth your throat. 

Their flight attendants were pretty with a serene smile and approachable face.  They have duty free items onboard including a limited edition Starbucks tumbler with a carry-on for JPY 3,000.  The tumbler can only be bought on ANA flights. 

One of the most memorable things in this flight was the announcement when we encountered a turbulence.  It was kinda funny and I wished that I was able to record it.  The announcement was something like “The aircraft is currently experiencing some turbulence.  Please remain seated with your seatbelt fastened.  The aircraft can handle this turbulence.”   I’m like are you trying to scare, reassure or joking?  It was a bit scary on the Bombardier but quite normal with the Boeing.  The announcement for both is quite similar.

Check-in

From Nagoya to Tokyo, there was an ANA lady who was holding a sign when I arrived at the terminal.  When I approached her, she just informed me to proceed to immigration, claim my luggage and check-in.  I was like, OK and run.  At the check-in counter, check-in was a breeze and the boarding pass look like a ticket with a square barcode. 

From Tokyo to Nagoya, I’m grateful that they were able to check-in my luggage all the way to Beijing.  They were also apologetic that they weren’t able to provide me with a boarding pass from Nagoya to Beijing.  They advised me to check-in in Nagoya to claim my boarding pass.

Reflecting back on my trip, I should have just taken the train rather than fly to Tokyo as it took me the same number of hours to reach the hotel.  Immigration procedures were done in Nagoya.

Verdict:  4 out of 5 for Budget Airlines.  I will just consider them as a budget airline else the verdict will be 2.5 out of 5 due to lack of things to do in the aircraft and non-existence of food.  Customer service was great and the people are always smiling. 

(Photo from ANA Wings website)

On my recent travel to Japan, I opted for a connecting flight via Nagoya due to budget constraints.  After weeks of searching cheap airfares online, I booked with expedia.au for an Etihad Airways & ANA Wings flights to Tokyo.  On this post, I will be reviewing my flight from Beijing to Nagoya and Nagoya to Beijing on Etihad Airways Economy class.  Let’s see if they’re really deserving as number 6 in Skytrax’ Top 10 World Best Airlines.

Check-in

Web check-in is available 24 hours to 2 hours before your flight.  A print out of the boarding pass is required for Bag Drop at the airport.  In case you weren’t able to avail of the web check-in, you can proceed directly to the check-in counter at Terminal 3. 

As it was the start of the seven-day holiday, the place was packed and check-in was a crawl.  I was not worried about losing a seat as I already pre-selected it when I purchased my ticket and I was travelling alone.  Actually, I was hoping to be the last one to check-in and be bumped to business class.  Instead, when I arrived at the counter, I was given the option to fly ANA in the afternoon or be seated in the exit rows.  I opted for the exit row and was informed that I have to pick up my luggage at Nagoya airport, proceed through customs and immigration, and check-in for my flight to Narita.  I was like “WHAT!”  Expedia said I will be checked-through to Narita.  I didn’t enjoy my flight much due to the stress of making the connection in a span of an hour.

For my return flight, as ANA graciously checked-through my luggage to Beijing, I only had to check-in and get my boarding pass in Nagoya.  When I arrived at Nagoya at 605pm, the check-in counter for my 940pm flight was still close.  The check-in attendant advised me to stand in line and wait for it to open.  I opted to shop instead and check-in afterwards.  When I decided to check-in, the line was already quite long as it was a full flight.  Luckily, when I asked one of their officers that my luggage was already checked-in and I just need a boarding pass, he led me to a different line where there’s only one person ahead of me.

Seating arrangement

The aircraft which Etihad Airways use on their flights to and from Beijing are Airbus A330-200.  The seating arrangement in economy class is 2-4-2.  It suits perfectly my slim built but a little more leg room would be preferred.  Also, the location of the life vest (a quarter of your leg space underneath your seat to the right) is a little bit off and a bit uncomfortable to place your feet underneath your seat. 

In-flight Entertainment

I’m so in love with their in-flight entertainment.  Even though my flight is less than 3 hours, we have our own 10.4 inch touch screen TV with movie on-demand, interactive games, and music.  The movie selection ranges from the latest release to all-time favorites from American, European and Asian countries.  Power sockets are available to charge your laptops, phones and ipods. 

It would be great though to have the earphones already available on the seat pocket in front of you when you have your seat.

Food

A menu will be provided before take-off to choose between ala carte or set meal.  The ala carte has two main dishes to choose from while the set meal was Japanese in nature.  The positive side with Etihad Airways are the utensils provided.  They are not plastic ones but silverware so eating something hard won’t be a problem. 

For my Beijing to Nagoya leg, I love the Japanese set provided which has breaded pork with rice, bread, salad and dessert.  The memorable item was the main dish.  The downside was since the attendant was rattled, she didn’t refill the drinks even after repeated request.  Not everyone was given a menu.

For the Nagoya to Beijing leg, I was provided the menu and chose the ala carte dish.  The ala carte dish I chose was the pasta.  The dish was forgettable and bland.  The positive side of the meal was the mango pudding dessert.  I was actually thinking of asking my seatmate for her pudding as she didn’t touch it.

Service

For my Beijing to Nagoya leg, service was a 2.5 out of 5.  Check-in was a pain, the flight attendant was overwhelmed by the number of passengers and a bit forgetful.

For the Nagoya to Beijing leg, one of the flight attendants was quite memorable as her facial expression comes out as annoyed even if she had a smile on her face.  She asked for my boarding pass even if I told her my seat number and insist that I must show it to her even if the person in front of me wasn’t asked.  She grouped me as Chinese even if I asked for an arrival card.  She really made my birthday bad because of her attitude. 

Loyalty Program

Etihad Airways has its own loyalty program which they are slowly building with partnerships with ANA, Virgin Atlantic, Malaysia Airlines, Air New Zealand, Alitalia, American Airlines and some smaller airlines.  It would be nice if they join Star Alliance or OneWorld for easy increment of miles.

Verdict:  4 out of 5.  Their in-flight entertainment really rocks!  I’m not sure if I can take home the blanket but the attendant on the Beijing to Nagoya leg said we could, so I took mine home.  They need to improve on service and loyalty programme.

15^th Anniversary Merchandise

To celebrate their 15 years in Japan, 15^th anniversary thank you mugs, tumblers and magnets were released on October 1, 2011. A set of 5 magnets (photo on upper right) with the new logo, pastry, frappuccino, mug and a pike place roast coffee bean bag were sold for JPY 1,600. They were sold out so fast that by 4^th of October, I wasn’t able to buy additional magnets any longer.

For the mugs, they released two designs: kibou and connect.  Each mug retails for JPY 1,500.  The kibou mug has a blue star design on one side,half of the new logo design on the other side and Starbucks wording on the handle.  The connect mug has the number 15 in yellow color on one side, new logo design on the other side and the Starbucks wording on the handle.  They can still be purchased in some shops when I left Japan on October 7.

For the tumblers, they released four designs: concord 15, kansha hearts, connect and kibou.  The concord 15 tumbler (picture to the right) is a stainless steel tumbler in gold color with the 15th anniversary logo in front and Starbucks and logo at the back.  This tumbler retails at JPY 3,600.  Pretty pricey but very elegant looking. 

The kansha hearts (picture to the left) tumbler comes in two sizes (12 oz and 16 oz).  The design of the tumbler has the word thank you, red thread design, two tone backdrop in gold and silver and the 15th anniversary logo.  The 16oz tumbler retails at JPY 1,500 while the 12 oz tumbler retails at JPY 1,400.

The connect tumbler has a blue backdrop and lid with blue stars and a 3/4 new Starbucks logo near the base.  This tumbler retails at JPY 1,500 and represents hope.  A quite popular tumbler as it quickly sold out.

The kibou tumbler has gold backdrop and red lid.  The design is made up of yellow stars, red hearts and a 3/4 new Starbucks logo near the base.  This tumbler retails at JPY 1,500. 

Starbucks Japan Cards

For Starbucks card collectors, Japan cards must be loaded with a minimum of JPY 1,000 and maximum amount of JPY 30,000 before you can get one for free.  The amount in the card can be used for 3 years.  There are city specific cards, mini cards, global design cards and Japan limited cards.

Global design cards (new logo, coffee aroma, party, espresso shot):

The city specific cards follows the design of the tumbler or mug of that city.  You can normally purchase it only at the Starbucks shop of that city.  Cities in Japan with a city specific card are Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Yokohama, Okinawa and Nagoya. 

The mini cards has a small hole on the upper left hand corner of the card to insert a string to act as a keychain.  I was lucky to get an old design of the frappuccino cards and the brown muffin card.

The Japan limited card for Autumn is the terrace card (photo: above right).

Other merchandise

Starbucks Japan are usually known as the Starbucks with very artistic designs for their merchandise.  They still don’t have the global icon mugs or tumblers (except for Sapporo).  Other merchandise which they have are Starbucks cloth bag (JPY 1,800), coaster (JPY 200), mobile phone strap (JPY 880) and 3oz demi in brown and white of this year’s mermaid mug (JPY 650 each). 

A limited edition tumbler with tumbler holder was also released only on ANA flights.  The tumbler holder can hold your tumbler and some VIA packets.  This tumbler retails at JPY 3,000.

If you want to have a look more of their merchandise, the Japanese Starbucks website is a trove of information.  Apparently, the Christmas merchandise will be released in Nov 2. 

(Photos taken from Starbucks Japan website)

Price

Getting a gym membership means it will cost money.  In Beijing, gym membership averages at RMB 2500-3500 (PHP 17500-24500) a year for a low to mid-end gym.  This includes unlimited gym use, attend classes that they have, sauna, locker rooms and shower.

If you join a gym membership in a hotel, it will go up to twice or thrice for a year’s membership.  If I do join with a low to mid-end gym, I should be diligent enough to go there at least 3 times a week to make the most out of what I pay.

Location

Do I want the gym to be close to the office or close to home?  If it’s close to the office, I can attend the lunch time classes or do some treadmill after work.  I just have to carry my gym bag with me to work and hope that my schedule won’t be hectic that I can attend the lunch time classes. 

If it’s close to home, I could head to the gym on the weekend and change clothes before hitting the gym after work.  I will miss the classes though as most of the time they’re just right after office hours.

Classes

I don’t like the mundane.  I really would like to have some variety.  Thus, attending classes in a gym is more to my liking than doing a set of exercise by myself.  Most gym in Beijing offer free classes in Pilates, Yoga, Belly dancing, Spinning, Step exercise, Capoeira and Latin dances.  The only problem with these classes are people come in and out that it’s hard to master them.

Swimming Pool

If the gym has a pool and it’s on the cheap side, then you’re lucky.  I would really like to get back to swimming as it’s good exercise but the gym near my place with a pool charges RMB 70 per session or RMB 7500 a year membership fee.  I’m contemplating if I just pay per session and go with another gym for my other days of workout.

Fear of the Future

If I get a year’s membership, I’m afraid that I won’t be able to maximize what I paid for.  My plans in Beijing for the future are still hazy that I don’t know what’s happening in the next year or so.

I’m also afraid that since this concept is new to me, I would be eager in the beginning but will lose interest after a few months.  Moreover, if my work really eats up my time, I won’t be able to go to the gym any longer.

There you have it.  What do you think?  Should I get a gym membership or not?  Help me decide please!

During the June holidays, I bought myself online a toaster oven.  The first thing I did was re-heat the leftover lasagna.  It was heavenly!  Over the past couple of months, I’ve been roasting chicken wings.  Recently though, I ventured towards boneless and skinless chicken breasts.  I’ve searched online for recipes and I love the outcome of this recipe from www.familyoven.com

Herbed Chicken Breast

Ingredients

• 2-3  Boneless and skinless Chicken Breast
• 1/3  cup olive oil
• 1     tsp Oregano
• 1     tsp Thyme
• 1     tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper
• 1     tsp Salt
• 1     tsp ground Italian seasoning mix (optional)
• 2-3 thin slices of lemon (optional)

Instructions:

1. Defrost chicken breasts in fridge overnight.
2. Cover with foil a 9×9 pan.
3. Place breasts on the pan as flat as possible and cover liberally with spices on both sides.
4. Pour oil over breasts and shake the pan to coat the breasts without washing the spices off.
5. Set cold toaster oven to bake setting, 350F / 178C, timer at 35 minutes.
6. Place breasts inside and wait for 35 minutes.  (I flipped the breasts over after 15 minutes)
7. Remove the breasts, cut the thickest part to make sure it’s cooked.

So.. this was easy and it taste yummy.  Made me want to cook some more but I’m watching my diet.  My spice cabinet is gaining more spices!  I love to mix other spices sometimes.  Don’t do this for 40 minutes, it will turn dry.

Enjoy.. maybe you could share some other recipes that taste good using a toaster oven.  It can be pastries or dishes.

Photos to follow.

Weights

In the first quarter of the year, I bought myself a pair of 2 lb weights.  Since doing cardio exercise will just burn fats and not do anything to sculpt your muscles, weight training is needed to supplement it. 

After getting tips from a friend who regularly works out, I’m slowly building up my weights training every other day.  I didn’t realize there are too many muscles on my arms alone that need their own set.  When I reach 10 sets of the 5 different motions I’m currently doing, I will upgrade my 2 lb to a 2.5 or 3 lb.   My goal is not to be superwoman. (Hehehehe!)

Jump Rope

This little girl schoolyard activity is a good way to burn calories.  I remember playing this game with my friends and competing with them as to how many turns we can do without tripping ourselves.  Maybe that’s the reason why I’m so thin when I was in school. 

Now, I’m trying to reminisce this game and usually do it once a week together with my weights training.  I’m doing 5 minutes right now with a break of 10 seconds every 1-1/2 minutes.  My goal in the end is to reach 15 minutes of jump rope a week.

Crunches

Crunches is a pain if you really want to make something happen to your abs.  Right now, I’m doing 30 repetitions every morning.  I think I need to try and push myself up more so that I can feel it hurting my tummy.  This one is one of my preferred exercise as I don’t need to leave the bed to do it.  Hehehe!

Running

I need to start running even it’s just once a week.  My boyfriend already provided a carry-on pack for my phone so that I can strap it on my arms when I run.  The shoes and outfit are already gathering dust in my cabinet.  The weather is perfect for running so what other excuse can I think of to run?  Let’s see where I can include it on.  I really need to get my stamina up as I still easily tire. 

Climbing Stairs

My best type of exercise.  I’m now going up and down 10 floors in the building at work after one of my bathroom breaks.  It’s an excuse to do an impromptu inspection and burn those calories from the snacks I’m eating.

Taebo

I’ve tried yoga but it ain’t for me.  I hate that I can’t do the moves so I went to the next best thing.  Taebo.  Back in 2006, I tried doing this and had fun after an hour’s session in the gym.  Two weeks ago, I tried doing it again but after 10 minutes into the workout, I’m already tired and panting.  Moreover, my muscles were sore for 4 days.  I’d probably do it again when I find the link to download the 10 minute workout Billy suggested.

Heyrobics

A Swedish invention which combines strength, running, cardio and agility to train the body for maximum health and mobility.  I’m going to try it out this weekend at Chaoyang Park.  Hopefully, it would be a good alternative to Taebo.

So.. that’s my workout plan and I’m hoping to be able to continue doing it to achieve my goal of a flat tummy.  Of course, it’s not just all workout but I’m slowly changing my eating habits as well.