On 20 December 2016, my best friend, Karen, invited me to her new house to spend some time together. I was super excited to meet my best friends after a busy long year. Eco Sanctuary, a large and beautiful condominium, attracted my attention with the Bird Swing Pavilion. There was a shallow pool beside a swing with metal chains. We figured that 3 people could squeeze on the swing at the same time, so we took turns pushing each other and very cautiously avoiding falling into the waterway beside the sidewalk. The fun turned exciting when one of us decided to risk standing up on the swing. It felt like we were going to fly through the air and land face straight in the shallow pool. After spending about an hour on the swing, we finally proceeded to Karen's unit and ate a light lunch cooked by Karen's talented mother. Since we love to chat, we wasted a lot of time on talking and laughing. Then, we finally finished changing in our swimsuits and headed for the largest pool in Eco Sanctuary, Lap Pool. The weather was perfect for swimming, so we quickly jumped into the butterfly wing-shaped pool. All four of us were taught by the only swimmer some basic skills before playing lots of games we used to play. When we were still neighbors, we often spent time with each other; playing running games on sunny days and card games on rainy days. It was like just old times, but this was the first time we have ever swum together. We would play I Have Never Ever while relaxing at the Jacuzzi or improvise our own version of Broken Telephone. I loved playing Charades! the most because everyone follows the actor underwater to guess the correct keyword. In water, the difficulty level is raised as we have to sustain a consistent breathing rate. Then, we would come out of the water and gibberish starts flowing out. It was entertaining to hear how unrelated the guesses were. We also held mini competitions to see which seeker could find and swim to the hidden object the fastest. We had a whale of a time and didn't want to get out of the pool until the water became freezing cold. This gathering helped us build a long-lasting friendship, but it was still sad when the time came for us to part. I'd look forward to the next event, where exercising with best friends is the best for bonding relationships.
My father has close friends whom he met through an online game. It's amazing how people of different generations get to know each other online, since my father is already 44, while his friends haven't reached their thirties. To my sister and I, they were like caring big brothers and sisters. Occasionally, they plan group outings and invite us to join them. Last year we went to Bintan to celebrate Christmas! The weather was not ideal as it rained continually, forcing us to cancel the traditional barbecue party on Christmas eve. Fortunately, they thought of indoor barbecue, so we could still enjoy our vacation. After the sumptuous meal, we played games with poker cards until midnight, with the leftover food as punishment for those who lost the game. The next day, we planned to go to Bintan Water Sports, but it rained again, so of course, we had to cancel it. Luckily, they displayed optimism, because as we were waiting for our shuttle bus to pick us up, they were playing a game of open numbers, whereby the forfeits were to run around a tree in the rain or cause a splash in a mud-water puddle. The big brothers and sisters joked that we were there to play water games, which "really were water games". After what felt like an eternity, the shuttle bus finally came. Back at our villa, my sister and I were not satisfied with the rain and the cancellation of plans, as we had been looking forward to it for a long time, me especially the Water Walking Ball. Thus, they brought us to a gigantic pool with different sections, and we played Captain's Ball in the water. It was a fresh experience; definitely exhausting due to all the water resistance, but also memorable. The last day, we ended off with a water bomb fight, missing Bintan already even before we checked out of Bintan Lagoon Resort. What an enjoyable Christmas!
Back in Singapore, we also went to the rink in Jcube to ice skate. This time, however, was just a birthday of a member's cousin, therefore my family only met 3 people. As soon as we put on our rented skates, we rushed eagerly into the rink. My sister and I know how to skate, so it was not a problem for us, but I saw the others to balance themselves on ice, my mother not even having courage to try. Hence, seizing the opportunity that there was an unoccupied seal aid around, I grabbed it and handed it to my father. He suggested I let him sit on the seal and push him around the rink, so I did just that and had lots of fun. Personally, I thought the seal was really handy because I exerted most of my body's pressure on it, thus eliminating the fear of falling on the rough ice. The four adults took turns sitting on the seal and pushing each other, while my sister and I skated together. I like ice skating because usually doing sports would result in lots of perspiration, but ice skating is done in an air-conditioned area, which makes it much cooler. In addition, I'm able to glide on ice which makes me feel light weighted and agile. I enjoyed my time, especially with the blaring pop music and colorful dancing lights. After two hours of exercise, we were all proud of ourselves to have persevered on and made the best out of the limited 2 hours even when we were exhausted. Ice skating is indeed not only a sport which brings joy, but also strengthens our values.
Lastly, my family goes to the stadium every weekend for jogging. I would always encourage myself to run six rounds on the 3rd lane to better prepare myself for the upcoming NAPFA test. However, I admit that my stamina isn't good, so speed gets affected when I try to run longer distances. Even so, I love running because of all the benefits it has given me. Personally, running is the simplest form of exercise. No new skills to master, no equipment to buy—just get out there and run. In addition, it is the perfect cardiovascular exercise to burn calories, so I can lose some weight while training for my NAPFA test. In Science, running is known to release endorphins in the brain. Endorphins act as a natural "drug" that make a person more energetic, more awake and happier. The endorphins can kick in during a run, after a workout or both, and are generally referred to as a "runner's high". Running is even used by mental health experts to help treat clinical depression and other psychological disorders such as drug and alcohol addiction. As you can see, exercising is not only good for our health, it is also good for our minds. I found out that in 1 hour, exercising on a stationary bike has been proven three times more effective at reducing anxiety than resting for 1 hour. Running, a single sport, yet so many benefits for our health.
I had a blast during my holiday, why not have some fun yourself too? Try out some of these activities today, I'd guarantee you lots of laughter, especially when joy is shared with your beloved friends and family!
My best friends
My father's group of friends
