"I Climbed the Tallest Mountain in Hong Kong Saturday, You?"

A person's nickname can tell a lot about who they are. Sometimes it arises from a shorter version of the full name. Sometimes it comes from a funny incident. Sometimes it comes from yO face.

I've had a couple of nicknames my twenty one year of life. There's "notorious B.I.G.," the one my cousin gave me after seeing my baby pictures. There's the ubiquitous "janjann," short for my full name. I only like it when close friends call me that. There's the affectionate "Clumsy," the not so affectionate "Klutz," the self-entitled "Dinosaur" and so on and so forth.

I can now add another one to the list: "Athlete." Bestowed upon me by my cousin Cissy, I earned this title because I am, apparently, the only one in the family who actually exercises. I like to lace up my tennis shoes once in awhile. I like to stretch. I like to frequent the gym. I like to hike and stuff.

Tai Mo Shan provided just the trail for Val, Jeff and I. It was a foggy day but our sing-alongs, constant jokes and crazy picture-taking skills brightened the day up a whole lot.

Besides the dreaded speedy cars zooming past us every once in awhile, the only other danger we really encountered on our trek were of the moo-ing kind.

And as usual, nature provided the greatest sights that can soothe any sore eyes.

I can't get over the change that came over me this past year. I still remember when I came to Hong Kong two years ago and my friend Heidi was also in town. She called and asked if I wanted to hike the highest mountain on the island with her and my first reaction was, "are you crazy? In this heat? Hiking? I wouldn't even walk across the street if I could help it!"

True, it is a whole 10 degrees celcius cooler now than that summer but I've also become fond of walking, jogging, hiking. I like appreciating nature and breathing in fresh air and huffing and puffing and sweating every once in awhile. And I think my body appreciates me for my change of heart as well. Thank God for that!