Tibet trip update

I have been doing lots of sports over the past 3 weeks to get in shape for the upcoming Tibet trip. We are leaving in 10 days to Lhasa already, so it is now really coming closer. I am looking very much forward to it, although to be honest I am also a bit scared. The distance, altitude and expected cold weather high up in the Himalaya are not going to make it an easy ride. But I am glad we made the decision to go. Some things you just have to do, and as most people who know me will probably confirm, I like a challenge.

There will actually be four people riding. Not just Gary and me, but also a reporter from Shanghai TV and now my dad also decided to join. My father is always in a pretty good shape, and although he did not train much specifically for the trip, I think he is likely the one who arrives first on the top of the mountain passes.

Not only did I do a lot of sports (over 1 hour per day on average), but I also live a much healthier life. I still put in as many hours at work, but I eat a healthy diet (no french fries or fast food, but mainly rice, noodles and vegetables) and I completely stopped drinking alcohol a few weeks ago. Well, almost completely. I had one beer during a dinner with Gary and Kaiser Kuo last week, and one with Gary this Thursday because we had something to celebrate. And tonight will probably be the first Tudou party that I will clearly remember the next day 🙂

I feel great actually, I sleep much better and feel I have even more energy at work. I am in a better shape than many years before. And I automatically lost quite some weight as well. I got some suits tailor made a few weeks ago, but the pants are suddenly all one or two inches too wide.

In fifteen minutes Gary and I are off to Sheshan to do some bike riding. One of the Tudou VC’s will join us, so I am looking forward to test how his shape is. He should be pretty jetlagged, because he just arrived from Boston with a long delay (his plane had to make an emergency landing). He therefore even missed our “Friday the 13th” board meeting yesterday, but at least he is in time for our big party tonight :-). And I just heard that one of China’s most famous bloggers Keso is also gonna join us to Sheshan, so it’s going to be a fun afternoon.