Month of May 2026

In a span of few months, I had to deal with recurrent shoe related issues. Once, walking in the CBD area towards a meeting, the right sole came off midway and became like a diver flipper as I limped back to car. Fortunately, there was a pair of semi formal shoes in the boot that I could change into before hurrying back to the appointment. Another time happened when I was jogging and that sports pair suffered the same fate. Again, I could drag myself slowly back home, enduring some curious looks along the path. In total, I counted five pairs of shoes that either had soles which came off or already lost its grip. These averaged around five years of usage so have reached the end of functional lifespan. However, there was a pair of working shoe that I had great affinity. It was bought at a Japanese outlet during a trip because it had a nice brown tan and more importantly, cheap. Over time, I realized it was quite versatile for different occasions, lightweight and fitted very comfortably. I remember the store seller saying it was made of full pig skin leather and true enough, lasted so many years without peeling. It was a pity to discard so I decided to try to save it by bringing to Mister Minit. The quote was $60 which I checked was reasonable. Four days later, I got them back and have worn a few times. As for the rest of the damaged shoes, I tried to find recycling options but nothing came up. They are still sitting in the storeroom waiting to be disposed.

As of the January post this year, I had to manage the load on my knee by walking and running less. More time was spent in the gym to improve back and core muscle group. During this period, the issue seemed to have gone away although there were slight aches as I increased the weights and repetitions in the hope of gaining more strength. Feeling more confident, I accepted a friend's invitation to play five-a-side futsal with a group of casual players. The first two times, the aches returned and cleared after three days, without any cold/hot compression or other treatment. I thought this was a good sign of improvement. Then on the third time, it became noticeably worse as I couldn't walk properly. It's back to the drawing board and more stretches required. Looks like I'm still not ready after all.

Tip: The Grand Spring Premium Grain, first of its kind crafted Baijiu from Singapore, smooth and non spicy, will be a hit