Nine Songs

Baby Can I Hold,
Everything,
Exodus,
Hangin' By a Moment,
How's It Gonna Be,
If You're Gone

Six mp3 songs played by my phone while I try, my mind willing and my body struggling so damn hard, to do shadow boxing. By the end of the second song, sweat began to ooze out of my body (perhaps of heat and hard exercise combined). By the third song, I began to struggle with my breathing. By the fourth, I am already bathing in my own sweat and I can hardly catch my breath. By the fifth, it was a mental struggle "You can do it.. You can do it..", my body wants stop, my mind pushing it to its limits. By the sixth, it was "just finish the song.. finish it." And so I did and it was just my stubborn will to complete my daily cardiovascular training - shadow boxing.

Left jab, right straight. Jab, jab, straight. Left uppercut, right uppercut. Left jab, right uppercut. Move your feet, let go of the jab. Weave, don't let your invisible opponent catch you, move your head. Stalk, jab.. Repeat randomly until fully exhausted.

Half naked and facing a mirror, sometimes moving around to simulate a true sparring match. It was a pure struggle, cut the fats, trim the belly. Foolish. Fantastic.

The seventh song, Quasimodo, I rest for a while and study how much belly fats I still have to loose while I childishly enjoy the water coming out of the faucet. Water is my best friend by the seventh.

I do two sets of push ups when The Russian Futurists began to play. The first set with 30 counts and the second with only 20 as my arms already feeling the pains of a hard work out.

By the ninth song, Vindicated, I was doing my abdominal exercises. Whew, I was barely able to lift my body off the floor afterwards.

Baby Can I Hold was starting to be repeated when I washed and changed clothes.

It was a fine day as I retire to bed. Seven weeks almost complete (the first few weeks wherein I was only able to complete two songs of shadow boxing), ten more weeks left of rigorous exercise. I will not shave my beard till the final training day. ;)

The Old Snail

Every night, I jog my way back to Robertson Quay Hotel. It's a lot easier to push myself at these times rather than wake up early in the morning before the sun shows up.

Interestingly enough, I got to talk to an old snail every time I pass along Alexandra road. She's too slow of course, and I only manage to say a few sentences to her before I completely pass her by.

Monday night, I almost stepped at her. My mind was too occupied and it was flying somewhere else. I lost focus on where my feet were landing until the old snail got my attention.

"You kutchi-kutchi little thing, you shouldn't be on the sidewalk, you'll be crushed in no time." I picked her up and placed her on the grass far away from the side walk.

"Bye bye, I'm so hungry I couldn't talk to you more, I'll see you tomorrow." And then I jogged my way to the hotel.

Tuesday night, I saw the snail again, about half a kilometer away from yesterday.

"You're good ma'am. Keep walking."

And she answered, "Yeah, Yeah.. You bet. How are you? You're mood seem to be lighter now than yesterday..", she remarked.

"Pressure kept on piling up till the point where I exploded. I knew it was coming, I just didn't think it will be that frustrating. I slammed my luggage bag to the floor, It was late Saturday night, and it woke everybody in the house up. At that time, I couldn't explain to anyone what and how I felt, I just felt terrible." And then I passed her by.

The following day, she was only a few feet from the last time I saw her.

"Why? What's the matter? Are you sick?," I asked.

"You of course. Why did you do that? Slam your bag to the floor? Are you always like that?."

I stopped jogging, sat down on the grass, caught my breath and told her "I don't know. I was just so frustrated."

"And how could you be so frustrated young man?"

"Let's put it this way, I kinda expected things to happen.. they did not.. and then I just saw myself in a bad mood."

"Things like that happen.. I mean, most of the time.. Life is too unpredictable for you to expect."

"It's not like that ma'am. I planned carefully. I wasn't hoping, I was in control.."

"Yeah.. that's nice.. planning. But you could only plan as much.. couldn't you?"

"Maybe.. I don't know.. But I figured out, expectations led me to frustrations.. And so I'm better now.. I figured I just have to do what I need to do.. Have a good day and probably things will go in my favor.. someday I hope. That's probably the reason I can smile.."

"It's funny how you depend on hope now.. I'll see you tomorrow young man."

I got up, smiled at her and started to jog again.

Thursday, I decided not to jog. I think I'll easily burn out if I jog everyday, I needed some rest. I missed the old snail though. She's like my grandmother, they always have something to say.

Friday, I caught up with her again. She's now a lot farther away from the very first time I saw her.

"It's nice to see you again my lady, how are you?."

"I'm finally here. I'm glad I saw you today. Take a seat (Her eyes pointing to the soft green grass to my left)."

"This is where all that walk is for ma'am?," I asked smiling, hoping to make her feel good about all the walking she's done.

"Yeah. This is it as far as you see me. I'm so tired now but it's all worth it, I'll be crossing the opposite road starting tomorrow and it'll be a long and far journey. Listen son, you just keep on going.. promise me that. You'll be frustrated again, sooner or later.. I might not be there for you no more.. but listen, You just keep on going."

"Thank you.," that's the only words I could utter.

Weekends came, I stayed at the hotel cause it's been raining hard the past few days.
I still jog every night. I miss the old snail. I'll probably won't see her again.