Post Race-thoughts

Different Teams....

...but for the same passion

Thought No. 1
It really feels different when you are up against in the same race with your frens representing different Teams.
Definitely not one of jealousy nor"conflict of interest".
Be it that we used to/still train under the same team, or friends acquainted off the DB arena, amd competitors on the water.
Giving that sincere pat of encouragement and congratulatiosn to one another after the race ended,while minutes ago on the same water, we were breathing down each other's neck trying our best to bring one another down.

Friendship conquers all, even amidst those comeptitive spirits that filled the air.
We may be racing for different teams (or even up against one another), but that's altogether for the spirit of the sports. Freindship and comradeship never deteriorates amidst them all.



Thought No. 2
You may be a nobody in a team, but what the sports count is team spirits and passion for the game. you may not be valued in one team given teh limitations, but you could make a significant difference in another.
Its more than physical strength and brawn in this game. Its the spirit of competitivness that brings out the marvel in this sports.
You have made the right choice to switch, a switch to a team where you find out the true spirits of comeptitive races.
Races where you never failed to give your hundred-and-one.





Thought No. 3
Its not just about beating the boat beside us, trying to get ahead regardless of placing, but rather, racing against the race-leaders, keeping one another in pace and finally crossing that finishing line with a sense of doubt of whose 1st, 2nd or 3rd..

That's the kind of race experience thats truly worth all the sundays and saturdays.

After so long, I realised how it really felt to be in a true race..., when you are breathing down one anothers' neck for that race-leader position...

It's time to break from the stagnant level we are at , and up the physical trg intensity. We have made our First-ever appearance as a combined team with a bang, and that is definitely not gonna lose steam..

It's gonna just picked up from here there-on.. HP, here we come.....!

June Race 08: an experience never before

Day 1
"Jubilant of Triumph"
The joy and excitement the Team experienced after teh triumphant over the many corporate Giants.
Seeing the results of endless hard-10s and "tyre-towing" under the afternoon weekend sun paid off.
The solid leads in starts re-affirmed those trg techniques really worked. Not once, not twice, but all the time.
Our greatest enemy has turned from "Charging" to "Maintenance".

Boat B performance was above average. Against 2 petroleum giants , whom surprisingly didnt engage the use of their "V-power" or "Synergy 8000".
Probably becos of the increase in petrol prices recently, one has down-graded to Formula 95 and the other just Synergy 5000 due to cost cutting measures?
That probably gave us the winning edge?

"Anguish of Defeat"
Boat A wasn't so lucky though.
Surrounded by 2 teams of giant corporate PC provider, meaning they can "program" anything to their own likings, including race results? lol
The "fashion apparels" team didn't ffare that badly, driving down the message that they can not only sells, but "delivery" provided...

The 20 crew mixed open Championship was a great experience for us.
Alongside the studious uni undergrads (i think they trained harder than they studied... lol), and peolpe from down-under, we were glad we could stillbreathe down their neck thorughtout the 800m course. But the fact is, our "head" didnt managed to squeeze into the finsihing line before the younger students...

Day 2
"Jubilant of Triumph"
The gals team heats and finals took place on the same day.
With an awesome starts that put the gals leading was really an advantage.
Breathing down their neck was the petroleum team (read: Exxonmobil) ,but i think they forgot to top up full tank before the race, and have to shift down-gear midway through.
Probably the "marketers" (Mg & G aka Naga) or rather the media industry has an edge over the banks.. Quietly they stealth from behind (from 3rd placing initially!) and hit the finishing line just a second ahead at the last 50m!
All hope's not lost, as the gals still get into the finals as a hot favourite.
But then, this time faced with that big computer giant that can "program" anything, it was like a breeze for the latter right from the start.
So it was clearly a fight for the second spot with the "Media ladies" once again...
Alas, it was clear the media has the upper hand over the bank and garnered the silver piece of metal.

"Anguish of Defeat"
The guys Semis were full of adrnalin and "true racing experience".
Thanks to the great coaching techniques (and it works!), we managed to pulled off the start as a leading boat for the first 100m, throwing behind the red coloured local bank and the green UK-based bank far behind.
Hitting a side-by-side pacing scenario with the media team once again, ( i think they are really out to give the banks a run for their money), effortlessly breathing down our necks again.. (but really, we got no money, stop chasing us!!).
Reluctance to give way, it was clearly a fight for 1st and 2nd placing for the next 650m. you hard-10, i speed up, you speed up, i hard-10. Still, they were just too powerful for us to play the catching-up game. It was a really great "pacing" race between the 2...
Talk about the poer of media...
Amidst all this chasing game, the group of health freaks (read Fitness & Health Institute Pte Ltd) just crept up to take a 0.36s lead into the finishing line before us... WTF.....

Hello Laksa, Curry, Sushi!

Finally its the end of June race 2008
Mixed feelings of Joy and disappointment (too strong a word?)

Also, that marks the "temporary" end of my "no-spicy-food, no-coconut-milk (read curry) diet" in prep for race days...
I can go indulge in Laksa with lotsa sea-hum, sashimi and curry chicken noodles!
And yes, my first "snack" right after sunday's race is Chirashi Sushi Don!
However, that is gonna be short-lived for 1 week... thereafter its back to that "strict" diet of carb loading, no-spicy, no coconut milk, watch-what-you-eat regime..
CCG in 2 weeks time...

Didnt realise actually such simple discipline could have a direct and evident correlationship to performance level.

There exist stronger meaning to races to me nowadays...something you can hardly put into words, given my limited vocab, but the kind of feeling is just priceless and indescribable.

Carb Load,Carb Load...

The amt of calories intake i required per week, base on height , weight and estimated level of activities I am undertaking each week.
Thats about double of what is required to "Maintain" my weight, 3 times that to lose weight...
its an arduos task topped with high in-borne metabolism.The envy of many "marie-france-figures" wannabes, but a uphill task for hard-gainers like yours truly to reverse the effect....

It's been carb loading for the week.. eat, eat , eat and non-stop eating, with of cos, the "right' thing.

tmrw's the day.
1 year on, that same venuw, the same race, but a different group of team-mates altogether.
Would it be a better outcome this time round...?
I'm ready to give my all for this race,
No regrets..

...

Stones taught me to fly

Love, it taught me to lie

Life, it taught me to die

So it's not hard to fall

When you float like a cannonball

Full Lyrics

Huat Arh!

weeeee....!
Just as i concluded my post, hours later, my "prayers" were answered, 'partially'..

Reall kena 4D! thanks to my Slow Underpowered Vehicle..
But hor the amount is so minimal. cos its the IBET system...
hmm.. only enuff to cover 5% of the total cost of the GPS... lol

Since i didnt say strike BIG Prize for 4D....
well, its still considered a "win" mah... Considering i bought 4D less than 5 times all these years...

Now I know why people religiously went to the betting station every week before every Wed, Sat and Sun buying that ray of hope. It's so addictive...!

Find your way home..

Suddenly this sound rings in my mind...
Especially the first verse.... some implications i reckon...


Yesterday, nearly subject myself to extravagant spending, and a victim of impulse buying behaviour..
Closed to "throwing" half a thousand out of my bank account for this little wonderful technology..
A Portabl GPS navigating system, more commonly used in cars...

Garmin NUVIwas so tempted to make the deal, until something in the head stopped me...
"shop around first...!" and testing it on the spot, doesn't really impressed me much though, cos it's like failing to locate satelittes!! Supposed to be touted as one of the top brands in GPS system, but it failed to impress me leh....

However, still very very much like to get one of these to add on to my little Slow Underpowered Vehicle.
Not that you can get lost in this little island without a map, but more for the additional features it offers.
Estimated Time of arrival to destinations,
All possible routes with accurate ETA
Speed camera warnings and some even ERP gantries identifier before you drive! Wonder if they oinclude teh ERP charges, like in the case of japan, where their GPS system calculate the total toll charges even before you set off.!

Hmm.. gonna find a reason for myself to spurlge on this equipment, so that at least it's justifiable.. Eg, birthday? too far.. X'mas... still long...
hmm.... maybe 4D??

Snacks Vs LOUSY Corp Communication Skills

I'm shocked myself...
that's my office waste-bin by my table.
Supposed to be a "paper waste-basket"..
But turned out to be a snack wrappers waste basket...
My Triumph for the day...
- 2 small packs of Lay's potato chips,,
- 1 twirl Chocolate,
- 2 packs of Chrysanthemum white tea,
- 2 slices of Gardenia Raisin bread,
- couple of chips Ahoy cookies (wrappers buried underneath).

Think that's about the norm of my snacking quantity in the office... (daily)
I wonder if the cleaner comes in the next day will start pondering.., " this guy come to work or come to snack one...?"

Personally , I think when I snack and work, seems more productive though... but, what kind of logic...

On a side note,
am getting that sense of Job insecurity now...
All thanks to a prticular high managemnet personnel that hails from the Ldn office, giving a "spectacular" speech to address the floor of "slaves" like us slogging our butts off for someone who doesn't deserve it.
I seriously think this guy desparately needs to unde-rgo a through and thorugh form of "effective Corporate Communication Skills" course, coupled with "Extreme EQ powered-up" crash-course.
Even a hearing impaired person can get that sacarsm AND the implications that "go look for a job elsewhere if you want security".

Thanks man for the wake up call.

I hope you live to regret what you have brought across to over 100 staffs and counting, intentionally or unintentionally.
The cost of ineffective communication.
Just hope you don't come near me in your walk-ard session.
At least I know on that fateful day when i throw my letter out, that's definitely a main reason for it....!

ERP everywhere

kaoz... win already lor...

At first annouce Road tax will be cut in July, so people save like 100 plus for road tax per six month year (15% off)..

Then Garment announce now ERP charge to increase (Also in July!) between $0.50 - $2.00

So, with normal primary school kids mathematical knowledge, you do the maths, and wa-la!

You Know our garment is very very very clever one.....

simple maths... ERP increase say ,avg by $1.00.

die die everyday must go to work, weekend go out, so everyday you hear "beep", "beep" .

Extra $1.00 everyday.. (assuming you ONLY go past 1 gantry per day!)

Additional cost for 6 months = 180days X $1.00 = $180 extra..

No wonder rates of ERP card thefts are so high..

because ERP card storage is getting more and more valuable...

Best .....

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/cna/20080618/tap-354705-231650b.html

會呼吸的痛

Random song of the day...

Keeps ringing in my ear..
First time heard it, was "so-so"
Then listen to it again...., as always, sad love songs by 梁静茹 never fails to touch me.
kind of paint a picture of another sad love story...

Chorus Only:

會呼吸的痛
想念是会呼吸的痛
它活在我身上所有角落
哼你爱的歌会痛
看你的信会痛
连沉默也痛

遗憾是会呼吸的痛
它流在血液中来回滚动
后悔不贴心会痛
恨不懂你会痛
想见不能见最痛

Full Version


well,
seeing this ease any kindof pain...

Break the Ice!

Kaoz... today's sun is merciless...

dam dehydrated and shagged out after teh 2 trg sesson...
some more from 12 - 2 and 4-6...
stil damn hot and burnign at 4-6...

really 佩服those school tams who can like train 3-4 times a week plus land trainings...
they realy deserved the glory...

Searching for the "G-Spot"

I sucks at manual transmission gear-box.

Not to mention having the luxury of Auto transimisson for the past 2.5 years, and a 4 years departure since the last time i manipulate a Manual gear vehicle, which was during the driving test...

Well, what to do, never-ending rising petrol cost ( and still set to rise further) is the main "culprit' for my current "suffering"...

Hopefully in days to come, i can really "find" the 'G-spot' of my dear snowy terios so that it don' die on me on the road when i hit the wrong spot...

P.s. short -term memory dont help with manual gear when you forgot the last gear you were in when aceleratiing... that's a double poison...

Better luck bah.....

好高兴，好兴奋！

This week has been "torturous" for me..
The kind of feeling when you can't keep somethings off your mind whenever its not pre-occupied.

Infact, this week's where I see myself having the least hours of sleep..
6hrs on avg (ok, some people dont get up to 6hrs, but i usually sleep at least 8 hrs or more.. hahaa)

Not becos I wanted to force myself out of bed, but the feeling of anxiety, anticipation, and the "ever-looking forward" kind of feeling, where I can't wait to wake up to each morning (as soone as possible), 等待着那台手机所能传来得好消息。

And Today, my week-long "agony" has finally come to an end.
It has transformed into Jubilant.
This call makes a difference to my day and definitely a great and hectic start to my weekend ahead. Not to mention mylife thereafter.

For better or worse....

I'm GONNA fetch my "BABY" back in an hour time from now..!!

I didn't felt so "high" the last time on my first thousand dollars asset (or maybe i forgotten how i felt then)

This time, the 期盼的心情 is even stronger.

I am in a fabulously, fantastically high mood today...

4 个字能以形容：喜悦万分

Japan picture entourage

伍家辉 - 虽然我愿意
Some of my random favourite 'takes' in Japan for this backpack trip..

Amazing wonders a Digital camera can do to a picture different takes "Divine Lots" A bad lot for me though.. hmm... (read from right down to left)

The practise in Japan is to tie bad lots to this structure located around the temple, so that you don't bring these bad fortune with you. Instead, if its a good lot, you will keep it with you.

Bamboo forest - machiam 十面埋伏。。。

Kids always makes the best subject ina picture. not to mention cute little ones.. hahaa

Awesome food presentation for a street stall

This is the REAL thing lor...

Hokkaido Street

Music box melody just along the street.. thats why they say Hokkaido is romantic...

under-prepared

4 am and i'm still up.
Well, not surprisingly, since its only abt 1 hour plus since i left the work-station. which is teh norm for the past 1yr 20 mths.

After the 1 week hiatus, am getting that sense of paranoid and "so many things NEEDS to be done, but so little time" kinda syndrome.

Paranoid becos I felt to be lagging alot for the past 1 week plus.
Its only 2 more weeks to the 'D-day' at Bedok reservoir, but i felt so "under-prepared".
Just felt i needed more than the 2 weeks, and more than the remaining 4 training session to 'gear up'.
I don't wish to disappoint, and I long to share the joy.

I need to work even harder from now...

Style meet Substance - IXY 25 IS

Guess what...
So far, I think the best bargain and satisfied shopping item i got in Japn is the below Digi Cam.

Known as Canon Digital IXUS 85 IS outside Japan, its the 'improved' version for the Ixus 70 /75..

So glad whn i saw S'pore retail at $529, and I managed to get it in Japan for $309
Wah!!!! And the Japan Version name I think sounds better..
Canon Digital IXY 25 IS.

Hmm... tmrw going to check out the next extravagant gadget that I planned to get here...
Its goona be the GPS system for my new "babe"...
Its supposed to be cheaper here too..
Wished me luck

hmm.. i fore-see eating bread for the next couple of months liao.... =(
Singapore Version
Japan Version
p.s. even the physical looks nicer for the Japan Set.. hahahaa... self-full-filing prophecy

再等。。。

Since Thursday, this thought has been always on my mind...

My little "小白" which i can't wait to see and touch...
arrggh...
Waiting is an agony....

Pre-occupied Mind...

Day 2 in Kyoto, and I got a pleasant phone call from Singapore..
Hahaa.. something Ihave been waiting for for the past 1 month!
The good news that i secured my COE at $14K!
Means a "paper gain" of about $4k!!
Which more importantly, means I get to bring home my "Snow White" very very soon.....!
Haha..
suddenly got so distracted from travelling.. wished i could fly back immediately to settle all the admin stuffs.. lol..

Then also, been checking my mails on my lappy (yep, i bring along a lappy, cos from previous experience, its a necessity to cary a lappy with u in Jap, expecially when back packing)
And the mails always put a smile to my face and have been very encouraging..
The exchange of info/admins/communication that leads up to the building of 'THE' team.
Am glad at the involvement and committment shown by people who cares.
Another strong pull factor that i wished I could be back in S'pore real soon!!

Well, but a third factor though not a really pleasant "pull" factor, revolves around my work..
*sigh*, becos of a delayed system launched next week, and I'm supposed to be the 'guru' for the system should the team hit any obstacles..
Wished Icould be back soon, to help resolve any issues (hopefuly no ssues!) and let us all get off work early every night after this system introduction!
1:30 Am latest possibly..?? hahaa

Ok, something less dampening and to put my mind "right on track" for now....
More photos of the beautiful Hokkaido!
**Photos of below are all from Sony Ericsson T650i 3.2 mega-pixel camera phone**

A vry cosy hostel in Hokkaido. its like a cosy little home..
Hostel interior

part of teh living room..

How can miss sushi and seafood in Hokkaido!!

Natural Spring Water!

Thats what Hokkaido is famous for!

Salmon Roe Don!*squish* *squish* *squish*

Lake Toya

Flowers blooming!

More photos 'akan datang' in my Face-book....

I Love Japan!

Hokkaido- Otaru

Picure shall do the talking...
Enjoyng it .... haha

The infamous toilet bowl in Japan.

Caught! sleeping overnight at Haneda airport lobby for next morn flight..
Welcome to Otaru in Hokkaido! The coast line to Otaru

He is "Otaru". Town named after him....
Mixed Architecture of Japanese and a touch of European

Signature symbol of a Music-box shop. Music box melody is heard along this street! 极浪漫一下哦。。。