"My weekends start early. I usually wake up at 7.30am so that I can begin gongfu training at 9am. Training takes place at Bishan Park on Saturdays and at the Singapore Botanic Gardens on Sundays.

I am with a school called Singapore Kung Fu and each class has about 20 people and lasts for about two hours.

I picked up martial arts six months ago as a way to reconnect with nature.

During the past two years, I have devoted most of my time to the Cat Welfare Society, but it affected my health a little. I suffered from chronic neck and shoulder problems and spine misalignment.

Other than cat rescue, running an organisation is a very desk-bound job, with plenty of administrative work.

Since the society has gotten on its feet, with hired help and more partnerships, I have been trying to get out and about a little more. I have always wanted to learn gongfu to reconnect with my cultural roots as it is such an intricate part of Chinese culture.

I am a fan of drama series such as Heaven Dragon (2003) and The Legend Of The Condor Heroes (2008), which feature gongfu.

These shows never grow old as they keep getting remade, which shows just how popular they are.

Gongfu training is quite traditional. We use small flower pots as dumbbells and wield bamboo poles as weapons to build wrist strength. It does not require professional gym equipment, but gets creative with everyday items.

Also, I enjoy building up my fitness and strength. The lessons teach combat and self-defence which could come in handy.

Apart from that, I also enjoy visiting parks, such as HortPark and Mount Faber Park. At Mount Faber, I feel alive, and part of the reason, I think, is because the air quality there is great.

I also hang out with my friends, who are all nature lovers, on weekends. We avoid malls because we hate crowds and at commercial places, you tend to see the same cookie-cutter names and brands everywhere.

Instead, we try to find interesting spots to hang out at, usually in parks or park connectors in the heartland.

The Sengkang park connector is great as it has plenty of open spaces, and the rooftop gardens on Housing Board flats and carparks there are also very beautiful.

We check out the hawker food in the area we are in. I prefer vegetables to meat, so the best choice for me is economical rice - I eat more vegetables, with a soup on the side.

On weekends, I am always on the lookout for walking tours, especially those with a heritage bent.

Over the Chinese New Year holidays, I went on a trail in Balestier. I have also been to Bukit Brown Cemetery for walks and to Johor Baru, where we explored the Chinatown area.

I try to make my weekends as fruitful as possible."

Kezia Toh

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