Do you believe in luck? I had luck laughing in my face for the last two weeks. But I am blessed to believe that luck comes in good and bad, sometimes in between the bad, there are a lot of good stuff, and we miss them because we always think otherwise.
My first spate of bad luck came when I went back to Philippines last monday. After the funny escapade of the treadmill challenge for SCKLM at 1U, and the Pacesetters Night Run on May 23rd the same night, I was completely pooped and only made 8km the next day on Sunday. But I felt my momentum was back, so when I got back to lovely Manila on the monday after, I decided - I must go and run and get my rhythm back. So on the following day, Tuesday, I got off earlier, waited a good 30 mins for a taxi to the Fort (Fort Bonifacio, the hippie running ground).
I thought I wanted to do 10km, have a good dinner and head back, great way to start this trip to Philippines. 2km, my legs were sluggish, and I tripped and fell. Right smack in my face. My legs were ok, but my hands were clumsy or something, only my right hand managed to scrape the cement but the hit was right on my lip. The scrapes on my hand and lip was quite deep, but other than that I was actually ok. I was on the ground, touched my lip with my slightly bloody hand, and shocked myself to see blood!!! Two kind lengchai's helped me to the sidewalk to sit down, and I was immediately feeling the swollen bloody lip. They passed me a box of tissues from their car nearby and proceeded to continue chatting!!! Some pickup, dudes?? Damsel in distress also do not bother?? This damsel, after swabbing the wound and still seeing blood, decided to go to one of the car side mirrors nearby (maybe it was their car!) and check herself out in the mirror. Shit, I looked like a mess....
And so began this funny trek to the toilet to try to stop the bleeding from the lip - damn, those lips are the blood vessel zone... and then trying to go to the pharmacy with my mouth half covered with my hand, and like showing the lady over the counter quickly because i looked bad... she must've thought I was a domestic violence case - ah the husband beat you up?? well if the husband beat me up, I would'nt be going to a pharmacy near a mall, and also dressed in jogging shorts and all... but still the queue in the pharmacy stared at me big time.... and then I quickly grabbed some other disinfectant and got into a taxi, mumbling with my swollen lip and got back to the apartment.
When I got back into the apartment, I told the concierge at the front door, to get me a ice pack, and flashed my wound for him. He panicked!!! After all I was the notorious girl who got her hand injured in exploding hair dryer (see below last story footnote). The 5 men arrived less than 5 mins after I reached my apartment, and to my shock realised that the not bleeding lip looks worse as it was really swollen and the red blood clot was there.
The 5 men- one with a first aid box, one with a ice pack, one with a radio, one rang the door bell, and one tried to help me with my hand wound using betadine, but dare not touch me because I looked like I would scream once it stung me. What I did was grabbed the cotton from the man with betadine and pressed it against my hand (like a hero). I obviously could not speak for a few minutes in stinging pain. Ok, the wound was not that bad, but it was obviously painful. I chased them out after two minutes, and took the ice pack on my lip for a good 30 mins. That was probably the best call I did to myself, cause it helped to reduce the swollen lip.
Next day, Wednesday, I had to endure the nasty stares all over the place, did not eat anything at all except for milo, and with a straw. I also had to explain myself to the client whom I saw in the morning, and my colleagues later of the day. I also went to see the docter at the office clinic. The docter gave me some antibiotics and asked me to go back 7 days later!!! Geez, I thought this is going to be a long ugly episode trip...
The next day, when I just managed to be able to talk a bit more properly, I presented to a group of about 10+ very senior client people, almost all of them whispering what happened to me... and if this is not bad enough, during the lunch presentation, I could not eat lunch, so I drank water with a straw, and spilled the glass on my notebook!!! As though not suey enough.... and the notebook blinked blinked... but survived. But for the afternoon, it went bonkers because the mouse was short circuited. And me after the presentation, with a broken lip, and wet notebook, went to the toilet to blow dry the notebook... hilarious!
My excitement was not over yet... after all that, I endured daily drinking coffee on a straw and finally two days after that, I could not tahan and decided to go for more solid food. At the weekend, decided that I was going to get back to running and signed up for a race. Still with a bit of scab, I ran the 13km race, and then ambitiously tried to do the 1km loop 7 times for 20km - this was the same loop I had the accident!!!
So that sunday morning, after bad accident number 1, water on notebook accident number 2 and prelude accident number 0 (footnote), after running one lap, I stopped and pulled out my bib number thinking maybe I should wait for lucky draw... and guess what... "915" called the announcer, and it was my number!!! I ran to the stage, grabbed the prize from her, in triumph!!! I had good luck at last!!! (well it was only approx RM100 mizuno vouchers)....
And happy me, went home, to find I had stomach virus. This was ongoing and got worse over the weekend....
And guess what - the virus was due to the antibiotics. I postulated that, and got off the antibiotics yesterday, and voila, the virus was gone.
So there you go... do you believe in luck? My life has been hilarious!!!
But in any case, if I find that blue tooth thing, I will download the photos for all the sadistic Facebook fans / pals I have of my beautiful scarred face. Thank you all for your concern!
This was a mobile phone pic of myself in the mirror of my fall, with swollen and bleeding lip, blemishes.
