Flesh & fitness through Facebook

We're almost at the end of winter here and normally this time of the year would make me feel excited about being able to wear more revealing clothes but with the lock down and the general feeling of doom and gloom, there will be none of it this spring. Some good news though, Melbourne's new COVID-19 cases were down to double digits for the first time yesterday since the start of the second wave which means the strict Stage 4 lock down and mandatory mask-wearing are both working their magic. 

People who know me will know that I'm a person of simple needs and in this depressing period, all I ask for other than staying employed is the ability to dine out again, visit my Mum (i.e. no travel restrictions) and for gyms to re-open. Talking about gyms, as expected, with only a resistance band and body weight at my disposal, muscle-growth has somewhat ceased. All I'm doing now is to try my best to maintain what I have.

I started the "Through Facebook" posts almost half a year ago to re-live those fond memories of my home which all seem so far away now. This last post of the series features flesh and fitness which I hope will delight people who do read my blog (I often wonder if there's anyone who takes notice of my posts). These pictures also serve to remind me that I can always get back to that state if I put in the effort (but the gyms have to be open!). 

I really miss everything I've posted in this series and look forward to experiencing them all over again when this pandemic craziness ends. I wish all of you well and that you continue to stay safe and healthy.

Mandatory first gym selfie back home. Somehow the humidity managed to seep through the air conditioning. I never used to sweat so much in Australian gyms! #StickyButHot #ToplessSelfieSoon

What better way to usher in the new year than a long early morning jog to sweat all the bad things of 2019 away? #WetAndHotNow #Happy2020

An empty gym already made my day, and then I see the pool with this view. Man, why haven't I discovered this branch sooner? #GymNowPoolLater

I didn't expect myself to spend more than 3 hours in the gym but when it's such a nice one, you've gotta do it all and be prepared, I'll be in you again same time next week! #FullWeightsRoutine #TreadmillRun #Swim #SteamRoom

Talk about beautiful skylines and even more beautiful company!

The view from Lazarus Island. #PerfectDay

Nude @ Lazarus. Roy and Garry, we miss you! #BeingFree #BestFeelingInTheWorld #FacebookPleaseDontBanMe

Need to chill in aircon after a day toasting nude in the sun and so we've opted for cheap off-peak karaoke. #StillHot

My first time here and I must say I'm impressed!

OK, gym routines finished for this week and so I can finally pig out for my KL trip starting tomorrow! #IGymToEat #AreTheseTooSkimpyAndTightAsGymAttire

No lunch after a full weights-plus-cardio workout and straight for my "topless KTV" recording session. #HappyWithTheResults #ButColdAndHungry #VideoScreenGrab

Back to the grind after 3 days of excess. #WorkItOrLoseIt

Guess who got his red packet already? Happy Lunar New Year of the to all! Huat ah! #除夕#鼠年快乐

7% body fat, 88% muscles, metabolic age 15 years younger than my real age, full marks on BMR (basal metabolic rate) and have an overall "slim muscular" rating. Not bad for an old man!

So which one suits me the best? #PartyHarness #WearingSomethingButItsLikeWearingNothing

Getting my tan line at a near-empty public pool. What do you think of the result? #IKnowTheDangersButWhatTheHeck

Musical journey (120)

It seems like my blog posts these days are a running update of the COVID-19 crisis and it'd be interesting to look back at these posts when this is all over to see how well I coped. So in the name of updates, Melbourne went into Stage 4 lockdown on 2nd August i.e. you can only go out for essential reasons and there's also a nightly curfew between 8pm to 5am. I rarely venture out at night during normal times anyway let alone during a pandemic so that doesn't really affect me. 

One gripe I have is I didn't manage to get a haircut before the 6-week lockdown so it'll surely not look pretty come 13th September. Also, seeing that I've completed "Ghost of Tsushima" yesterday, I really need another thing to keep me occupied. I hope my impulse online purchase of an LED face mask on the same day I finished the game won't mean that online shopping is the thing that will fill the gap!

On the work front, I managed to manoeuvre myself out of a project that I know will be very stressful due to unreasonable client requirements and poor project management. Although I'm very happy with that move, the flip side is a possible work vacuum when my existing project winds down. I'll know the end date of the job I'm currently leading next week and then I'll be the first to ask my boss to put me in the queue for more work. Importantly, I hope the company restructuring that's taking place now will not hinder this.

OK, I'm done with updates. Now it's time for this month's musical post which is a Mandarin piece I penned called "自私" or "Selfishness". Through this song I want to emphasise that "unconditional love" is a myth, which is something that I've felt for years. Nothing in this world happens without a reason and that includes love. 

Be it giving or receiving love, it's always done to satiate a need or to fill a void and hence these acts are selfish. The closest to unconditional love in my opinion would be a parent's love for his or her child. It's almost unconditional but if you delve deeper, you'll realise it's still conditional. Try using the "five whys" approach on this i.e. repeatedly ask why and you'll very likely get to the root of the issue within five whys. Let me know how you go!

[自私]

词  /  曲 : 锦泉

爱一个人是种自私的游戏
像饮食寝居的需要， 像呼吸
最初与最终都想着满足自己
只不过是场捉迷藏
觅寻想被爱的人而已

被一个人爱是种自私的玩意
不是欲望而是需要， 是不得已
月出至月落盲目地粉妆自己
只不过是场歌舞剧
哭过笑过后就没关系

一个个自私作祟的心跳里
凝聚着爱情伟大的推动力
剥掉他们的心灵，只要有个躯体
人就能爱到底
终于领略到爱的真谛
但是否能共白头， 生死不离不弃
这问题你我他们都回答不起


[Selfishness]

Loving someone is nothing but a selfish game
Just like the need to eat, drink, sleep, live and breathe
From start to end, we are merely trying to satisfy ourselves
It's like hide and seek
Looking for someone who wants to be loved

Being loved by someone is nothing but a trick
Not a want but a need, and no one has a choice
From night to day we blindly make ourselves up
It's like theatre
After a cry and a laugh, we all move on

Every heartbeat haunted by selfishness
Coalesces into this mighty motivation behind love
Peel away the heart and soul
As long as there is a body
Humans will be able to love till the end
And that is the final appreciation of its true meaning
But whether or not we can grow old together
And stay together through life and death
Alas no one has the answer to that question