of rope, metal & sweat

Just wanna share with you my two "purrs" for today. It happened during my morning CrossFit workout, when I discovered that (1) I've improved my rope-climbing skills as compared to my debut attempts last week, and (2) I managed to pull out some decent overhead squats using a 15kg (empty) barbell after my first-ever couple of tries today.

Sweet!  :)

I'm getting the hang of it, yay!

Okay lah for my first-day attempt...

wise words

... now get off your behind and WORK THAT BODY!
*pics courtesy of Gibson's Daily Running Quotes and Running Faith

bubble bubble

I've caught the bubble bug. Yup, ever since I had some Cookies n' Cream ice-blended with Pearl drink at Java Jazz earlier this month (I had THREE in just 36 hours!), I've been craving constantly for those chewy black bubbles!

Here in Singapore, I'm in the search for the best glass of bubble drink (the best for my tastebuds, anyways.) Tried a version using Chocolate Milk from Gong Cha Plaza Singapura (can't remember the price exactly but my guesstimation is $3+), but found the pearl tapioca to be somewhat unpleasant tasting after a while.

The object of my obsession 

Then, by chance I discovered Kopi With Pearl ($3) at the Asian food court at Lucky Plaza, where I frequently go to enjoy halal Indonesian grub. A no-frills stall, the coffee is the kind that is handmade hot by a Chinese uncle using condensed milk, before adding it into a glass with bubbles and topped with ice. I'm not much of a coffee drinker so the fact that I fantasize about this one is really kind of a big deal.

If you prefer an ice-blended version, all you gotta do is go up two floors and look for a tiny shop called Cool Express. They make various flavors of pearl drinks and even offer daily specials at just $1 per glass. Being an Oreo lover meant that I went for their Cookies n' Cream. Gotta say that the first time I had this it was the "Flavor of The Day," which meant it was pre-prepared and didn't taste so good. But yesterday, I paid the usual price of $2.50, had it made on-the-spot and was delighted to find that it tasted very similar to the one I had at Java Jazz. Yummo.

And last but definitely not least, there is Chatime. My ex-roomie, Tania, insists that their pearl tapioca is the most delish. After much deliberation (I walked past the stall four times before finally giving in to temptation), I decided to try their Hazelnut Chocolate Milk Tea with Pearls ($3.80) with 30% sweetness and less ice. All I can say is thank goodness it's not too close to my place, or else I'd be in big, big trouble!

So there you have it. My verdict on some of the bubble drinks available in Singapore. I know this review isn't complete what with me leaving out places such as Each A Cup, I Love Taimei, and best-seller KOI, but I really gotta put a halt on this now before it gets too convenient for this bubble nut to get a cup anywhere...

doing my bit for charity

I am in the midst of preparing for my next 42K race at the BMO Vancouver Marathon on May 6th, and would love to again dedicate each and every step to Mama Africa and her children as I did at the NYC Marathon in November.

Why? Because there is nothing sweeter than crossing the finishing line knowing that it was all in the name of charity  :)

If you're like me and have always wanted to do something to heal the world, then this is the perfect chance. You see, EVERY PENNY collected will go towards Shoe4Africa's star effort at the moment:

BUILDING THE VERY FIRST PUBLIC CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL IN ELDORET, KENYA.


Please kindly visit my personal Shoe4Africa fundraising page for more info. I hope you will help me help the children of Africa  ;)

Team Shoe4Africa at our NYC 2011 pasta party  :)
L-R: Toby Tanser (CEO & Founder of Shoe4Africa),
Sally Kipyego (World Championships 10,000m Silver medallist
from Summer 2011 and holder of various running titles),
Anthony Edwards (Dr Mark Greene of 'ER' fame), and yours truly!

OMC!

I fell in love with Sprinkles way back in the summer of 2008 when I had my first-ever taste of Red Velvet from their Beverly Hills outlet. It was truly love at first bite!  ;)

So you can imagine how bonkers I was upon finding out about the Sprinkles Cupcake ATM, the world's first automat which dispenses Sprinkles's pretty, heavenly cakes 24 hours a day.

The Huffington Post reported, "Sprinkles engineer Vineet Chaplot was on hand for the machine's launch [on March 6th] to make sure everything was going smoothly. He pointed out that behind the automat's bright metal grates, you could see 600 freshly-made, individually boxed cupcakes ready for the day."

Oh my CUPCAKES! This is genius, I tell you!!! What I wouldn't give for those yummy Sprinkles Red Velvets right now. I wonder how much it would cost to franchise the Sprinkles Cupcake ATM in Singapore or KL...

~*~

My sweet, sweet memories with Sprinkles...

Right before finding true love at Sprinkles Beverly Hills. The queue was half an hour long, btw!

Sprinkles Beverly Hills (July 2008)

Sprinkles NYC (November 2011, first visit)

"Heaven... I'm in heaven."

Boxed love: Vanilla, Dark Chocolate, and two Red Velvets mmm

Dedication is rushing to Sprinkles NYC for a second visit 
with hardly any spare time left before having to leave for JFK