7 KM of Torture: Spartan Race 2016

     Most people know the Spartans from the movie 300 or other period Greek shows. Not many know that the Spartans were a cruel people by today's standards. From birth, soldiers came to the house to determine the baby's strength. It was bathed in wine instead of water, and if found wanting, the baby was left on the hillside or taken away to be made a slave. It is no surprise that Reebok chose to name this race after the Spartans. I don't know what possessed me, but I decided I needed to achieve something challenging this year. Hence I signed up for the race.

     I didn't really put much thought into preparing for it. It was the usual weights training once a week and night-time runs. It wasn't much but I'd be the worse for wear without it. The Spartan Race not only tests one's fitness, it also gives you an idea of how mentally resilient you are. One of the first obstacles is to carry a super heavy concrete ball across a certain distance. I believe it was meant to sap us of our strength. I could barely lift it, eventhough I train with weights regularly. I was almost winded. The other obstacle that I found more irritating than difficult, was going under a series of ropes - I believe it was designed to snag up tall people like me. More challenging were the series of walls. I managed to clear all but the highest, having sprained my neck a little on the middle one. Other than that, it was just a matter of grinding your teeth and soldiering on. It reminded me of my "hike" in Cinque Terre (you can check out the pics in my earliest post), just a few notches harder.

     I wonder who told us that the Spartan Sprint (contrary to how it sounds) was a 5km race. In the end we found out that it was 7km. The last 2km were the longest I've ever had. In the end, thank God, I managed to complete it with only a few bruises, scratches and a slightly stiff neck. Don't believe the TV ads where participants tell you that "anyone can do it". Yes, anyone can do it, if you don't mind falling out halfway (which was what happened to one of our team-mates). This event is something that I had to achieve at least once in my life (probably the only time). The feeling of fulfillment on completing the Spartan Race is something that you have to experience for yourself.

Last BIG Date before the BIG DATE - Shakespeare in the Park: SRT's Romeo and Juliet

     It has been quite some time since the wifey and I went on a "proper" date. As her due date was nearing, we decided to take the opportunity to attend this year's Shakespeare in the Park. We had our first experience many years ago and at that time we wondered how the people in the front row got to enjoy their plush seats and VIP treatment. This time, we found out the answer; all thanks to Audi.

     Those who have attended past performances would be familiar with the long snaking queue that winds itself round Fort Canning Park, prior to the opening of the entrance. This time we were fortunate to be able to join the queue for Audi Prestige members, which took us right to the entrance. The wifey was very impressed with the Audi service staff, when they offered her a chair, seeing that she was pregnant. Not wanting to be stomped for being too "atas" she declined. It wasn't long before we were allowed through the entrance. First stop, the Audi pavilion.

Audi Pavilion

canapes

     

     We plonked ourselves in front of the huge air-conditioners and proceeded to help ourselves to the canapes and drinks. Wine, Champagne, soft drinks, free-flow throughout the night. When we had our fill, we were ushered to our seats - those same plush backings on carpeted "mats" that we so envied many years ago. It wasn't long before our picnic basket arrived.

Sandwiches  (smoke salmon and turkey and brie) and brownies from ABC, a bottle of wine,
wine glasses, Garrett popcorn, bottles of water, quill and "parchment" for our feedback etc

     I was just commenting to the wifey that we forgot to bring along mosquito repellent. Lo and behold, we found anti-insect patches in the basket. There was also wet napkins and even mini-electric fans that could be operated by plugging into our handphones. Audi really thought of everything.

Mightily impressed with the glass and bottle
holders that can be inserted into the grass.

Mobilephone operated fan

     Before long, the sky turned dark and the lights came on. It was time for the performance. I must admit that SRT did an excellent job with their interpretation of Romeo and Juliet. The set and movement of the actors were also very well thought out. It was an obvious departure from Leonardo DeCaprio's 1996 movie version as well as the 1968 version which I saw in Junior College (No! I wasn't in JC in 1968. I wasn't even born then!). DeCaprio was a suave, passionate Romeo. SRT's Romeo was a childish brat (in my opinion) that made me want to slap him in the head. Contrary to what most people think, Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" is NOT the ultimate love story. How can it be true love when one "falls" in love, gets married, and swears to be together, all in one day; and having just been moping around because of another unrequited relationship the day before (Romeo for Rosalind)? Nevertheless, it was an excellent production. Kudos to SRT. And thanks to Audi for making it all the more enjoyable.

     Having said that, the most important factor in making the event as enjoyable as it was, was of course, the company. I probably won't be attending this play if not for the wifey. She said that this was Shiloh's first experience with Shakespeare. I prefer to think of it as the Big Date before Shiloh's Big Date.

AIA 2015 Convention - Zurich 2 (Swiss Day Out: Mount Titlis)

Engelberg: overcast yet still beautiful

    The weather had turned chilly. It was no mistake when we were warned that Switzerland could cycle through the four seasons in a day. The first order of the day was to be herded up coaches to the little town of Engelberg. Although named "Angel Mountain" for its apparent beauty, the weather afforded little of this that day. The sky was overcast and a light rain had began to fall. We cowered together amidst the cold and rain in an open field for the mandatory group photo (imagine over one thousand people cramped together into one photo). This was also to be our staging ground before ascending Mount Titlis. Needless to say, we had to ascend the mountain in batches. I must admit that the organizers were extremely thoughtful. Each of us was given a "goodie bag" which contained a scarf, beanie and gloves. The wait was made all the more palatable by the entertainment of traditional Swiss folk activities that we could take part in.

    It wasn't long before it was our turn to ascend the mountain. Our first stop, lunch. Thereafter it was three more cable-car rides before we reached the summit. The weather was pretty unforgiving. The wind howled and the snow fell. Thanks to the beanie and our gloves, we could keep relatively warm.

At one point we had to cross a suspension bridge. If not for the thick mist that covered the mountainside, I'm sure a lot of us would not have dared to make it across. Imagine looking down to a sheer drop of thousands of feet.

Extremely proud of the wifey who made it across all by herself (I had gone on ahead to see if there's any alternate way, only to find that she had made the crossing on her own, just when I was about to return to fetch her).

AIA 2015 Convention - Zurich 3 (Lucerne, Convention Dinner and Zurich itself)

    The rest of the AIA Convention consisted of a day tour to Lucerne and the annual Convention dinner. I won't belabour you with all the details. Here's a summary in pictures...

Lucerne:

At the famous "Lion Monument" which commemorates the sacrifice of the Swiss
mercenaries who defended the French King Louis XVI in the August 1792 insurrection.

Lucerne's Benedictine Monastery

Lucerne is filled with building boasting of art.

What trip to Lucerne is complete without an iconic picture of the Chapel Bridge?

Convention Dinner:

    Where in Zurich can one host one thousand over people to dinner? The answer: no where. This year's dinner was hosted in a farm (yes a literal farm, with animals and and fruit plantation) an hour's drive from the city.

Pre-dinner activities: Crossbow shooting

BBQing our own sausages

 Zurich town:

     Stroll... eat... pose for photos... stroll... eat... post for photos...