Life is Kay

"You can’t build a reputation on something you are going to do"

[versaversa]

[lifeiskay]

Bright colours and wildlife makes me happy :)

[the-originaltrackie-deactivated]

Anything I’ve ever attempted, I was willing to fail. You can’t always win, but don’t be afraid of making decisions. You can’t be paralyzed by a fear of failure or you will never push yourself. You keep pushing because you believe in yourself and in your vision and you know that it is the right thing to do, and success will come. So don’t be afraid to fail.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Day 2 (via theoriginaltrackie)

[lifeiskay]

TGF: Kayaking and Stand Up Paddling (SUP)

Been away for a while, but finally a new post!  This weekend a couple  friends and I decided we really wanted to do something outdoor-sy since its SUMMER. This was also a much needed break as I'm currently on an internship that requires me to be indoors for 9+ hours a day. Gotta get that daily vitamin D dosage ~ know what I'm saying! So we've been reading up that SUP & its yoga counterpart have been gaining a bit of recognition here in HK so we thought we'd try it out for ourselves.

What: Sea Kayaking and Stand Up Paddling (SUP) When: Saturday 9th August 2014 Where: Stanley Main Beach

Chai Wan MTR (Exit C) and take the minibus 16X to Stanley Market.OR

Exchange Square in Central --> Bus 6A, 6X, 66A or 260 to Stanley Market

How: Simply make your way over from the main bus terminus (outdoors) to Stanley Main's Beach. This should take approx. 5 minutes. Once you get to the beach, you should see a rental area where you can find surfboards, kayaks and windsurfing equipment. The beach is sectioned off into two main areas with the first for people who want to lounge around on the beach and the other area is for those engaging in water sports. It should be the first stall and you'll find a sign describing the prices of rental depending on what you want and the duration.  Personally, I found the price to be quite reasonable: 

1 hour Kayak (one/two person) or SUP - HKD$60

3 hours Kayak (one/two person) or SUP - HKD$100

...Especially since we may have underestimated how long it will take to return to shore since we went so far out that we were probably half an hour late on returning our boards (woops!) and the man was kind enough not to charge us overtime.

We rented a two person kayak and two paddle boards for the four of us and swapped between the various equipment in the water. Most of us opted to try paddling on our knees first since there were quite a few waves and standing up was definitely a bit of challenge. Hong Kong, unfortunately, is also home to some of the most polluted of waters so we could not even tell how deep the water was (in contrast to my holiday in Hawaii where it was clear, blue and super shallow).

Bear in mind, this is just for rental and there really was no instruction on how to actually stand up paddle board, so if you're not a confident swimmer or feel uncomfortable not knowing what you're doing, this may not be for you. 

Obviously not me and found on yours truly, Tumblr - HK waters are not that blue. Now, kids, don't copy me as it probably wasn't the safest idea especially since I went without a life jacket too, but after getting a better feel of the board and balance, I thought I'd give SUP a run for its money by attempting some core/yoga work. It was relatively succesful and I really enjoyed pushing myself by attempting the cobra, downward facing dog and pushups on the board. I really did have a good time since you had to engage your core a lot more on the unstable waters :). Paddling does take forever though, so a large chunk of our time was spent just paddling back to shore.  Finally, what's great about going to Stanley is that there is a great vibe with cute cafes and restaurants close to the waters, which is the perfect place to eat and unwind after all your activities. To be honest, a large motivator for us to paddle quickly back was to have a large coconut when we got back xD I'd definitely recommend making this a day activity with family/friends if you're in the Hong Kong heat and want to find a new, different way to keep active :) Note: There is another beach that is less crowded in Stanley called St.Stephan's Beach, which is a 10 min walk from Stanley Market and is very popular with windsurfers and kayakers - however, you are required to undertake a training session or have a prior certification if you want to go there. 

[symphonyofawesomeness]

[lifeiskay]

Hawaii: Day 1, Waikiki (06/06/2014)

Left my laptop behind, had my bags packed and was ready to head to Hawaii (via Tokyo) with my Chai Tea Latte at hand. We pretty much spent the whole day traveling since our flight from HKG-->NRT (Tokyo) was delayed due to technical issues, which was a 3.5 hour journey, followed by a 6.5 hour flight from NRT--> HNL (Honolulu). 

Nevertheless, we made it safely and I was nothing but excited to see what Oahu had installed for us. After all this was the place where many only envision as a place they'd dream of going, a 'paradise' or fantasy rather, captured by the hearts of honeymooners and lovers. Not to mention, that I am a huge fan of the Hawaii 5-O remake, so that gave me all the more reason to want to see the place myself. 

...And of course, an obligatory photo after finding a Five-O Bar and Lounge in the heart of Waikiki. Having arrived early at 9am with minimal rest, we decided to take it easy by exploring the area of Waikiki before settling down at the beach to watch the sunset and a firework show in the evening.

Waikiki is the main downtown area of Honolulu that was flooded with tourists. Every street corner was filled with your typical all American retail shops as well as their local ABC store selling your stereotypical Hawaiian souvenirs. The Beach Walk was particularly lively, with a very resort-y kind of feel. Yet, I was quite surprised that you could still find various homeless people and drunks on the streets despite how developed the area was for tourists. I remember one particular pair of drunks that had definitely passed out, with a sign that said "reasons why we need to have beer and that donations are most welcome", which gave me a good laugh.

Other places we visited during the day were of course Waikiki Beach as well as the gorgeous green area of Fort Derussy Beach Park. And here are just a few more photos from that day!

Shall continue writing more about my Hawaiian adventure soon, but thats pretty much it for now and day one. So until next time, K

[ivy-garber]

[lifeiskay]

Waves, sun and sand 🌊

[lifeiskay]

Just got back from Oahu in Hawaii and just had the most amazing time being out surrounded by nature's beauty. Having grown up in the city, it was honestly so refreshing to be able to see that much greenery and reminded me of just how vast our natural landscapes can be and just how much our lil' planet has to offer. Appreciating mother nature's work right now! Will be uploading a few of my favorite photos soon. 

[lifeiskay]

Years and years of happiness only make us realize how lucky we are to have friends that have shared and made that happiness a reality.

Robert E. Frederick

[bicuspid-blog]

[realmly-deactivated20160124]

❥the inner realms ॐ☯☮

[its-a-living]

[lifeiskay]

Upcoming Trips [SUMMER EDITION]:  6th-12th June: Oahu, Hawaii 15th-22nd June: Chiang Mai and Bangkok, Thailand

[lifeiskay]

If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can totally transform a million realities

Maya Angelou.  

[lovemy-hippielife]

phsycodellia | via Tumblr on We Heart It.

[scorpiobunnie]

[josifbailey]

Sunrise by Kwanchai Khammuean via 500px.

[lifeiskay]

If you’re looking for the word that means caring about someone beyond all rationality and wanting them to have everything they want no matter how much it destroys you, it’s love. And when you love someone you just, you…you don’t stop, ever. Even when people roll their eyes, and call you crazy. Even then. Especially then. You just– you don’t give up.

Ted, HIMYM

[militaryfit-bombshell-deactivat]

[lifeiskay]

Leg Day: Workout #1 (07/05/2014)

Like most girls, I have always had a bit of anxiety and embarrassment for wanting to start weight training but I am so glad to finally have mustered up the courage to really start pushing myself to learn more and quite literally, 'raise the bar'.

Starting weight training for me personally was mostly due to a lack of satisfaction in terms of my regular workouts that typically involved only my own bodyweight. I felt like I could go harder, push myself further beyond my limits and ultimately, see a larger progression I guess you could say. With that said, I thought I would record down today's leg workout:

Warm Up: Always good to start off with some Cardio (treadmill, elliptical, cycling). This will increase your heart rate and help circulate blood to all your muscles, ligaments and tendons, which in turn will help reduce injuries.

Mild jog on the treadmill today for about 5 minutes. 

Stretches: Hip Flexor Stretch --> Quadricep Stretch --> Side Lunge Stretch ~ for about 10 seconds each

15 x Air Squats (aka bodyweight)

Barbell Squats: This is where the fun begins. Also, bear in mind that this is only the start of my fitness journey so I am going light. (e.g. 1x10 = 1 set, 10 reps)

1x10 40lbs Squats - Barbell ONLY no additional weights (18kg)

1x10 51lbs Squats - Barbell w/ Tight Collar [18+ (2x2.5kg) = 23kg]

1x 8 73lbs Squats - Barbell w/Tight Collar + 5kg plates per side (33kg) These acts as a further warm up to get used to the positioning, hence only one set each. Take 1.5minute rest breaks in between sets.

4x6 80lbs Squats - Barbell w/Tight Collar + 5kgs + 1.5kgs per side (36kg)  --

Additionally, attempted 2x15 51lbs Semi Squats (do not go as deep below the knee, focusing on pushing yourself up)

Smith Machine Lunges:

2x15 22lbs Lunges - 5kg plates per side

2x15 22lbs Lunges on alternative leading leg 

[Alternatively] Leg Press Machine:

2x 60lbs Leg Press

Cool Down:

Cardio: Rowing Machine for 5 minutes

Core work:1min Forward Plank --> 30s Waist Whittlers --> 30s Side Plank (left) --> 30s Side Plank (right)

Abs: Regular sit ups, bicycle crunches, leg raises

Simple static stretches