Forever Young?

Finally decided to get myself really organised.
I would rather convince myself that my absent-mindedness is due to stress rather than the "escalating numbers".
I've made a decision to get some little gadgets to make my life abit more organised.
Of cos , with the severe budget constraint and self-imposed cost cutting measures, already had something cheaper, smaller and yet served its purpose in mind...

yeah, "organised", in the sense that i dont keep getting the wrong dates/time for my appointments, and only realising it the very last minute..
Still sourcing for the "best price", hopefully good news arrived soon...

Then again, dont know I should feel flattered or disappointed for a passing remarks from a sales person.

Went to enquire abt the price of the gadget (read: smartphone), the guy asked a harmless question:
"Getting one for your wife?"
Ok..., should i be flattered, that I looked 'mature' enuff to be a husband of some lady, and a good hubby to buy a (ok, not so expensive) phone for his wifey?

Or Should i interpret it that I looked old enuff to be a married man....?

A consolation though, he didnt say, "Getting one for your children?"
That would really mean i looked real 'obsolete' to be handling such 'smart-phone' ?

Forever Young - Forever Young

RBS Dragonboat Team - The waters we tread [2008]

It started with MR500, when the teanwas still very much ABN Amro.
That's when teh first medal(or rather "plate") was clinched for the very first competitive event of the year.
A Plate Champion.
That sets a very good pitch for the year.

Then came SDBF (June) race, The ladies went on to secured a Bronze.
That's the first Race under the combined Team (RBS & ABN), in the Name of RBS.
An up & coming Team for sure...

"Perserverance, Trust , Synchro , Strength , Endurance"

One Team, One Goal, One Spirit


Then in July, The team is geared for the Corporate Challenge.
CCG 08, with a Splendid result and showdown.
They are Medal Hungry now.
Exiting from a race without a medal would be a disappointment.
So the team's aim is to garnered Medals for every race...
The men's Clinched the Gold, the Mixed brought home a Bronze.

"This is ten percent luck,

twenty percent skill

Fifteen percent concentrated power of will

Five percent pleasure,

fifty percent pain

And a hundred percent reason to remember the name!"

Sync, Speed, Focus, Power

In SAVA Spint (sept 08), They are up again, this time, 2 Bronze.
so close (to silver) yet so far...

They wanted more....

Regatta was their last bet.
Final showdown, a "show-hand" thingy.
Lady luck wasn't on their side anymore.
The only race in the season they went back, yep, empty handed. They were potential competitors, but, they could have exhausted all their luck early in the year.
They could only managed a few finalists.

"Some days are meant to be remembered,

Those days we rise above the stars"

"Thought that we were stronger.

All we do is linger.

Slipping through my fingers"

2009, They will be back. In more than one competitive arena.
NO Longer just the corporate category.
This Team is taking on the Open Inter-business/Club/ Association.
They gonna take back what they left behind in Regatta 08.

旋律

Somethings been bothering me every new year..
Sounds morbid, but if anyone realise, like I do for the many many years...
每当快要过农历年的时候，白事就很普篇。
是不是往往在做closing for the 农历financial year, 下面也要交report?

所以，就在每当要过年时，都会有这些不吉利，又无法控制的事情发生？
还以为今年例外。因为，这几年来，每当逢年，就至少会有两件白事在我neighbnourhood。
今年，不例外。。。
而且，还是我们熟悉的邻居。
不过，因为华人传统的忌讳，如果家里有拜神，特别是“天公”就不能在这个时候去吊唁。。。
hmm... Even if teh deceased has a good social network of frens, only the families members would be there.
比较“pang tang” 的人是不会出现的。。。

----------------------------------

Ok....., its 大年除夕，must be more positive!!

Though Have to start work on 初一，my new year spirit still not dampened.

Went Blading in teh morning, cos i can't seem to sleep past 10am ANYMORE...!!! (even when i turned in like 1am??)

Thought ECP will be like a ghost town, but i forgot teh fact that the main "population" making up ECP crowd Don't celebrate CNY.

So, it turns out its so damn crowded lor....

Checked out form teh owner of a bike shop casually, and suddenly, 一个很要不得的念头浮现了, while having short Q&A with teh owner of the shop..

So tempted t get a Road bike lor!!

Its one of teh cheaper i haved asked so far, and abt $1.1K!! Got my size one available somemore!!

Then again, 1.1k leh!! i think 我还不舍得花这笔钱在一辆脚踏车。。。

不过，不是普通的脚踏车咯！还是觉得值得的！

Then again, $$$ is the main issue....

*sigh*... my mind is tellign me "YES", but my pocket is telling me "NO"....

$1K... I can use that to pimp my car .. can add my long desired "body armour" to my little car...

hmmmm......

anyway, "modification " to commence in Feb....

Time for Dinner...!团圆饭！

Only Human

Darn.. I know this was a very very old show..
In fact, caught it before over a year ago.
非常让人联想到生命多可贵。
Something can strike you just so suddenly without any ryhme or reasons, and taks away everything from your life..

Based on a true story, its really heart wrenching watching this 11-episode drama series..

Guess I am gonna watched it all over again.

“跌倒了有什么关系，还可以站起来”

诱惑，欲望

诱惑与欲望

一对天设地造的必杀嵇

谁能不被动摇


诱惑的街

醒醒吧！

已经很烦了咯。
一而再，再而三，你不烦我都烦。。
还不够明显吗？还不放弃？佩服。。。
还是是我疑心太重？

总而言之，就是不同的世界的人了咯！
所谓，道不同不相为谋。
不需要太强求啦！
每个人都有选择的权利。 不是你的，就不是你的。
等久都不会有的啦。。。

只会令人更反感。不。是超反感！
不，是极度的反感！


林晓培 \ 烦

"不懂" 还是 ‘记得’？

Same same, but different.

一个说“不懂”，
另一个说她还“记得”
Interesting....

damn shag today.
but I am loving it.
its being ages since I had 2 sports training in one day.
so shag that I am blogging on my cost sofa,using itouch.
lazy to the extent I don't wanna sit in front of my pc.

"reseving" as much energy as possible, cos still got one mor programme for the night!
Clubbing time later....! Hope wouldn't fell asleep half-way...

Looking forward to tmrw full day of "nuah-ing"...

*tired*

Rise to the Occasion

Though I managed to move out of a Mine-field not long ago.

And indeed, despite moving on, I have still hit another Mine-field in disguise.

Well, now the whole industry has turned into an Active mine-field..
The one i got on, just had a mine went off.
I wasn't hurt (fortunately), but the mine that went off was so close...
so close, I felt threatened. . .

Nowhere is safe.
Where is the the real greener pasture?
Would i get to see it beofore it blows off on me?

rise to the ocasion

Songs and Life

Don't know if this is unique to me only...

Some songs, when you heard it at a certaiin juncture, it kinda "takes you back" to the time when you first heard it.
Or to that time when this song left the deepest impression on you.
Where you associate in your mind, imagery and situation to that song.

That particular song kinda marks the "theme song" for that moment in time...

The below reminds me of Tokyo, in the hotel room during one of my work trip.
Remembered i kept playing this song when i just got to hear about it.
It kinda suits the weatehr then, cool winter turned spring period..
The cool and brightly litted streets of tokyo. People's pace slowed down...

亲爱的那不是爱情
Then on TV recently, caught this song that leave very deep impression too.
Very nice song, though quite dated far back, but the imagery during that period was still clear in my mind.

Still remained as one of my favourite song , though the memories may not be that pleasant.

Safra Beach Vball Competition

Though was out in the qualifying, but had a great deal of fun and elatively satified with teh performance.

Maybe its a pity that in most Vball matches, only 1 team from each pool gets into the quarters/semis and thereon.
Its really Luck and skills.
every points counts.

Still, the second set was the best fight.
Against a team of local intl Beach Vball professionals, we still managed a 12 -15, with a 2 points lead in the middle before losing steam.

Damn shocked when you get to block down their powerful spikes, one after another.
So shiok to see the opponent 'helpless' expression..
Still, we lost.

Better chances next time...
Passion re-kindled...
=)

Osteopath Vs Physiotherapist?

My worst fear has descended.

7 years ago, I first got a good "view' of this sports on Star Sports via SCV channel.
That was when i was properly 'introduced' to this then-unpopular sports in local context..
I read my way thru one year about this game/sports.
Trust me, even in kinokuniya, and local libraries, i have read /browse thru all the available books on it. (in fact, there is no more than 20 different books on this sports..)
Maybe that explains why it was never popular even worldwide.
And how not-complicated this game could get.

1 year plus of 'formal' coaching from experience coaches and players, before i started venturing out to learn the ropes, hoping to get more exposure.

Could still remember the time when i was at my peak..
That was about 2 years ago.
That was after i took a couple of months break ( in my 'down-nest') trying to figure out how best to improve.
Because my performance has plateau, at a very ordinary level.
I started thinking back on small little advices that past players, spikers and coaches advises....
I realised the magic words...

Tried it, and I peaked.
That was my most triumphant days.
I remembered doing 超手 over the opponent blockers.
I remembered i was fed the balls to help the team score.
I remembered 2 blockers were activated to block my spikes.
I remembered when the spikes went off the opponents hand.
I remembered the high % rate of successful Attacks.

Thereafter, something came along, and my priority was divided.
2 years later on fateful day, a half-past-six warm up before a spike ends it all...
That sharp pain, which i thought would go away, never did.
Which I never even thought would be classified as a sports injury.
It did.
Realised its not a joke when that happens on the very first spike every week...

Even today...
This confirms my worst fear.
An injury on my right delts.
i.e., upon contact of the ball, the sharp pain lowers the power to less than 50%.
Unless i am ready to forsake anymore spikes for the rest of the day..

I told myself in my "down-est" period before, that my worst fear was never able to play this game/sports again.That would be one of my life's worst regret.
I didnt want to let the 7 years of training go down the drain becos of a 'sports injury"
I didnt want the passion to pursue to end with a stupid mistake.
I want to have many more 7 years of peak.

I thought it was all over.
I thought I only had 3 choices..

1.) Switch to be a permanent setter

2,) Train my left hand to be the main spiking arm

3.) Exit from this game altogether

Option 2 is not easy... even more so for a right hander. can take years to have it match the equivalent of the master-hand.

Option 3 will not be consider unless there is no other options.

Option 1 seems more feasible.
But I want to know the game fully, I want to excel in all areas.

Been an All-rounder is the aim of this sports.
Thats why Dig-Set-Spike is widely known by anyone who knows this game.

Today, everything *MIGHT" changed. (for the better)

I tried an Osteopath.
Its gruelling.
its really "crak", "crak" crak" throughout.
My arms were really twisted in all angles possible. Pulled, jerked, bent, tap, etc...
Fortunately, I think my threshold of pain is still relatively high...
First time in my life, i experienced so many "craks", "craks" 'craks" over my body.
20 mins of that, its even better than any full body massage.
Suddenly, my arms turned jelly. As though they have be disjoint.
Just one word from the sin-seh.
"好了，回去了"
He meant the 筋 or some nerve has been re-adjusted back.
Which in the context of physiotherapist, they will quote you some bombastic scientific muscle grp name or body structure and say its been over-strained, torn, etc, that you need to under go many many hours of physios and operation to cut here and there and sew it back to get in in place..
The cost of all that trouble?
few Ks...
and many many man-hours.
Thereafter, you wont be back to original (thanks to the ops). and you have to rest like months for the wounds to heal...

Compared to 20 mins of twisting (real) pains and $25 bucks.
I prefer the latter.
Immediately i raised and swing my arms, i felt like it recovered 80%.
Just need couple of days of rest and not straining that part, I could jolly well go back into the game with the spikes...
I hope it really works wonder after a good night sleep...

Trust me, an Osteopath is really painful... You really hear and FEEL your bones or whatever muscles/筋脉 been mercilessly pulled and stretched.
But you feel the after-effect almost instantneously..
I wouldnt want to describe the procedure...
I swear to myself, I wouldnt want to go back again for this torturing twisting for no obviouos reason......
But I think the 师傅 is really skillful...
He identified my sports and injury without me telling him more than where it hurts.

Btw, if anyone is interested to get a plaguing injury/sprain that some top earning pysio has diagnose as "soley opreations" cured, why not try this if you think you can with-stand some level of pain..
P.s., its easy to "cure" one as soon as it was detected, rather than on that has dragged on for years....

He's located in a dark caustrophobic Medical hall shop-front in Upper Cross street. Blk 531, #01-41
He treats patients on the corridor, not inside rooms. he is not afraid his patient's screaming and awful expression will scare off potential customers.
Be warned, he has a little bit of attitude.. just alittle in some aspect... overall, very freindly...

Was told of a better osteopath in Clementi West, with less pain, but didnt open so late... so have to settle for this...

I still wanna spike...

Those were the Days

Volleyball Forever

I loved this video, and even more for the game...
Those were the days..

indeed..

If anybody didnt realised, in the Singapore sporting arena, There is National Water-polo Team, There is a National Team for Soccer, There is N-Team for Dragon Boat, there is N-Team for Bowling, N-Team for Badminton, N-team for Netball, many many more...

But there has been no N-Team for Men's Volleyball since 1995.
"排球处低潮"
"主将纷腿，实力剪大半"
There is still the Women's Team though.

There is definitely no lack of strong Men's players, but just so hard to form a N-Team.
Not because these people has no passion to pursue.
Of cos, in Singapore, pursuing a sports as a pofession can't earn u big bucks, unless you are in the "bias" sports, that gives you tens of thousands of dollars, or those that sponsors you thousands of dollars for 22 people after 1 ball.

Something lower cost in terms of maintenance is been stinged on.
Compared to upkeeping 1 hectare of grass and feeding 22 people and one ball, isn't it more economical to maintain and 6 x 9 metres indoor court with 12 men and a ball?

If you see just the U19 standard, I dare say its better than other U19 sports that comprises 22 men and a ball or many ladies and a ball. It is no less boring, and definitely won't take up 90 mins of your time before you see only 1 or 2 spectacular, adrenaline pumping actions.
Then why not gives these potential medalist a go to pursue something?

You have matches for 22 men and a ball held on weekends and telecast "Live", but you hold 12 men and a ball games on weekdays in some ulu, hard to access schools with limited accessibility.

And, you make publicity so limited, that only people in this particular arena who bother to asked and search high and low before they can figure out any events date and schedules.
Of cos you will see less than half the grand-stand filled.

These lots are one of those who played the sports, not for glory, not for the thousand dollars sponsorships, not clamouring for the chance to earn a living just by hitting balls.
But for the passion and the love of the sports.
Why aren't they given the much needed support and publicity?
If anyone has teh chance to catch a real match in teh INter-constituency or even the INter-schools national Championship, I bet you wont doze off at your seats in the semi-finals matches..
Watch this URL if anyone is keened to have a taste of "every minute of action-sports for the tournaments.
TIPS* catch at least the semis for secondary level and higher. Be awed...

http://www.vas.org.sg
*sigh*....
Is it already a forgotten sports?
The President of VAS (FYI, VAS = Volleyball Association of Singapore, if people are more familiar with the de-facto FAS...), has intention since 6 months ago to established a Youth N-team.. is it forth-coming?

"Volleyball body to form national squads with youngsters who will be eligible for 2010 event"
Hopefully, this will come true...

If there's any regret for me, it would be not getting acquainted with this game much much earlier...

Can You hear me?

OK, Think I am slow.
Slow in receptive to music probably...

Only recently then "took notice" of this song, and it's damn nice lor...
Its like maybe half a year old?

Why didnt I heard it in the clubs?
Or rather, is this what I have been missing out from the clubbing scene?
Maybe it's just me, hardly stepped into clubs for the past (years?)

I wont mind this song playing over, and over, and over again on the dance floor...
Turn up the volume please......
(aahh... gives me another inspiration for any next video liao....)

Someday

Someday - Sugar Ray

Had this feeling of a fresh grad starting my new job tmrw.

A strange kind of feeling.
Machiam first time going to work in the CBD area during the "rush' hour..
New place, new envt, new colleagues, new role.
Maybe I will sleep early tonight.

Not difficult after a whole afternoon of Beach vball.
felt so tired, but shiok to just lie in bed and sleep... Zzzz.....

Tmrw marks the start of my 5th "annivesary" since I entered the work force.
Time flies.
Slightly less than 5 years ago, was still enjoying the Hostel life.
Care-free, fun-filled and activities packed (minus the mugginig periods and tutorials..)

Well, at least I did achieved what i had wanted since the sch days..
Working in the concrete Jungle in the Banking industry. Deck out in shirt and pants, 穿梭在上班族的人群中。

Mundane life , some might say. But its been satisfactory.

Tmrw will be a new chapter in life...

Someday, when my life has passed me by,
I look around and I wonder why..

Hello & Goodbye

听不到 - 五月天

The day is drawing near...
Anticipation, uncertainty, faced with a brand new alien environment.

Gonna be a fresh start all over again.
No more comfort zone, time to pick up the learning curve from the very beginning again...

wonder if I can really dragged myself out of bed before 8am everyday....
Somethign i havent done it for the past 2 years. (at least not more than 10 times over the 730 over days)

I could vaguely remember the mornign bus jam, MRT rush, morning rush of the CBD.
hmm... reality soon, in 2 days time...
At least, I managed to "train" myself to wake up by 10am recently..
Still a couple of hours to shed to hit that 8am bio-clock...

Hope its a change for the better.

Goodbye to weekdays afternoon swim, hello to damn crowded after-office hours gym.
Goodbye to off-peak smooth traffic, hello to Blood-thirsty-sucking Every-Road-Pay.

Then again, HELLO to FRIDAY night. Hello to dinner (and maybe booze) after work...
HELLO to the Morning sun...!

Attention Vs Temptation

Fly Away - 梁静茹

Why do I attarct the wrong attention.
I didn't seek to attract any either..
Just a harmless good intention causes a stir.

Rather have no attantion and live a low profile life.

------------------

Temptation is a scary thing.

It rules mind over body.
It lets not the head nor the heart decides.

I hate temptations.
Yet, its so hard to resist...

---------------------

I fell in love with the New Mac Book.

Loved at first sight...

Melaka!

This is where to go for great tasting FOOD!!!


Must Visit for Simple Nyonya Food in a Nyonya setting! N0. 88 along Jonnker Street



what's "Strawberry" in Chinese?

保温 - 邱意淋

Fireworks captured on 1st Jan 2009.
1 of many reasons why I loved myy house...
Of cos, and my Canon Powershot SX10

View of Vivo City Fireworks



View of Marina Bay


Post dated Photo from 2008 - Boiler Room (26th dec 08)
"Chance meet-up" with Terence, Oscar, Issac, Amos @ Boiler Room

who says DBoaters have no life?

What a night!

It's been at least a year since i last seriously went clubbing.
I.e. Drink, Dance, drink, take pictues, Drink, Dance, cam-whoring, take pictures, dance, drink, cam-whoring, etc...

Great music, and great Company at Boiler room on a Boxing day.

And who says Dboaters have no life?
There's life above water lor....

The United SG Dragons (U.S.D)
And on satuday, its the long-awaited gathering with the grp whom we stayed under 1 roof for 3 long years...
NO Thanks to my "abnormal" working shifts, now I can finally meet up with this gang again.... *looking forward*...

Happ X'mas 2008

So what have I did for This christmas Eve on 2008?

No Sumptuous X'mas Eve Dinner, no caroling tunes, no window shopping or X'mas party on this fateful day, but I lovedthe day.

Woke up in the afternoon on X'mas Eve at 130pm, in the cosy bed, with light drrizzles that brings down the atmosphere temprature to a cool 20 odd degrees celsius..
Driizzles and drizzles, followed by a late lunch before heading to the gym.
by the time I'm home, just nice for dinner, and a little cuddling in bed with my pillow , still with that cool , cool tempreature outside..
Shiook..
Thats the best weather to stay indoors man..

Could just jolly well go to bed, before the urge for Red-Tea Longon dessert pops up in my msn conversation with Nic.
That was like ages (ok, just months) since i had that dessert-of-the-century lor..

Off o Changi V to meet nic for Red-Tea Longan and of cos, not giving the chance to missed the infamous Nasi Lemak...

Hmm.. Changi V, always gives me that nostalgic feeling. Alway slike the shophouses there.
No matter how long I looked, the things they sell, their shopfront, never fails to bring me back to the good old days in the 80s...

Ok, thats my X'mas eve.
Damn simple, damn boring, but I think that was a very very slow-pace and relax day that i loved to spend.
Not to mentioned the perfect weather....

Take a bow

Today, or rather, yesterday, marks the last day of my stay with RBS.

That same kinda feeling 2yrs 4 months back when i left BTMU.

Didnt really felt much before that last day.
And when that final moment arrives, that moment when you sent out the last email, the last time where you gonna shut down the applications at the end of day.
Knewing that it would be the last time you will come into such proximity with this Desktop, this workstation for the last time.

Especially teh colleagues whom you've work seriously, laughed at jokes, and sprouting nonsense to spice up the mundane "desk-bound" job.

All that will change, and change forthe better or worst? It's anybody's guess.

Do really feel sad to leave a Team of co-workers for the past 2 years , from the very first day when teh functions were brought over.
Its been a journey of fun. laughter, slogging, frustration and cursing and swearing.
But nevertheless, all things comes to an end. be it Good or bad.

Staying in teh comfort zone for too long is not really healthy either.
If opportunity comes knocking by, I know its not time for hesistation.
Afterall, chances don't come y often.
No Venture, no gain.

Looking forward to the new roles, yet concerned about the new environment.

Me, Huishi, Cathy

Take a Bow - Madonna