Random Act Of Kindness

Vancouver. May 2016. Waiting for the green light at 10th Ave & Cambie. Both are bike lanes. Road dedicated to cyclist! How awesome is that? "Hey your backpack is opened," a lady cyclist startled me. I was about to undo my cleat before reaching to my backpack, without missing a beat she said, "Here let me help you." She came closer with her bike to me and zipped my back. When was the last time a stranger put a smile on you? When was the last time I put a smile on a stranger's face?

Back To Basic

Ketika saya nggak pusing soal pace atau waktu atau cadence atau heart zone atau aspek teknis lari lainnya. Ketika saya hanya fokus pada pola nafas dan belajar "mendengarkan" apa kata badan saya. Ketika saya kembali ke alasan kenapa saya begitu mencintai lari in the first place. I brake my own barrier. Yay, I'm free!

Better Not Bitter

He bought some butter

but he said, "This butter's bitter!

If I put it in my batter,

It will make my batter bitter."

So I bought some better butter,

better than the bitter butter he got,

and it made his batter better.

So it was me, myself & I

who made the batter better

Not bitter! 

Level Up

To be able to do what you love and love what you do. To be able to be true to who you are. To be able to find joy in the simplest things. To be able to see good in others. To be able to put yourself in others' shoes. To be able to laugh everyday in good company. I envy you Dena. Curiosity doesn't kill the cat, the cat has 9 lives because of its curiosity.

Proof Of Evidence

North Shore Triathlon. I was packing up my stuff in a transition area when I noticed a lady next to me took some pictures with her phone. I offered her assistance, "You want me to take picture of you and your bike?" "Oh no, thank you," she replied cheerfuly, "This is my girlfriend's spot and look how messy it is. Her stuff is all over the place. Just like at home. I'm showing this to everyone." She laughed. I offered her consolation, "Well at least she is being consistent. You have to give her credit for that." LOL

Hammock Time

I asked Dena to come with me to North Shore Triathlon in North Vancouver. I saw it as an opportunity to rub off a little tri bug on her. She saw it as an opportunity to hang out with her best friend Dee. She brought a hammock from home and hang it between two gorgeous tall trees near transition area. They slept, talked, munched and repeat in the hammock through the swim, the bike and the run leg. Okay, almost. They did wait for me at the finish line and gave me the biggest and warmest congratulatory hugs ever. I guess the apple fall far so far away from the tree when it comes to multisports & cats. :-)

Feel Like A Million Bucks

One cloudy and cold Monday Morning. North Shore Triathlon. As I was approaching the finish line a male announcer said over a loudspeaker, "And here comes another finisher. Let's welcome this young lady, number 382.... Dewi!" I ran even faster to the finish line with my hands up in the air. Not so much because I made it to the finish line but more because I was a young lady for a second. LOL. And then to top it off he continued, "... from Jakarta! She came all the way from Indonesia for this triathlon!" Woohoo! \(^_^)/

Every Dog Has Its Days

One lovely cloudy and windy Thursday afternoon. I was admiring Human Structures Vancouver, a galvanised steel sculpture by Jonathan Borofsky, in Hinge Park when this brown retriever dog came up to me, dropped a ball from its mouth in front of me and just sat there looking at me with his tongue out, gleaming eyes, and wagging tail. Oh Joy!

Mark My Words

One lovely cold Wednesday night. Over dinner I told Dena that bad things in life are unavoidable (and yes even people you love is capable of causing you pain). What people say about you or how people treat you are out of your control. The only thing in life that is in your control is how you react to bad circumstances. Bitter or Better? Later after we said goodbye and went our separate ways I found out that my bike's front light was stolen! God has a wicked sense of humour. I laughed out loud. Lesson learned indeed.

Tag Line

I've only been here for two weeks and I've had strangers converse with me more than I've had back home for a whole month. A sweet elderly man when I run, a guy in Starbuck, a young boy and girl in a park, a female swimmer in Hillcrest Aquatic Center, a very tall guy on a sidewalk, a classy lady and her daughter in an elevator, a man in a book store, an older man at a stop sign, a cyclist guy on a bike path, a lady and her dog in Granville and a middle age woman in a movie theatre. Vancouver. Connecting people.