wheeeeee

lots of thoughts, but can't seem to put them across. what's another 2 weeks compared to the 2.5 years i've waited?

wheeeeee

An unexpected surprise (: exciting!

Women's K1 10,000m race (:

wheeeeeeeeee

feeling excited for National Canoeing Championships

K1 200, 500, 1k and 10k!

wheeeeeeee

wheeeeeee

"we came to Harvard wanting to change the world, but we all end up in Wall Street" from a random ny? article. the higher purpose of our work will justify the costs of education

went back to rgs today, it's a nice feeling every time i go back, like returning home. they've got vacancies for maths relief teacher in august when uni starts, haha, so probably i'm one of the few free enough to go. talk with the sec4s was interesting, been quite used to interacting with jc students. Think some of them scared us for being too pragmatic, others scared us for lack of ambition, haha.

i think mrs chew is super cool (: she's one person who really believes in her job and she reminded us that work must have a higher purpose. also, it's always encouraging to hear people who support your big plans. on a random note, i have immense respect for the more senior teachers staying on at rgs to 'hold the fort', it's them who have played a pivotal role in shaping us (:

training's been good (: i know this is a strange time to be clocking mileage, but nothing's too strange in the grand scheme of things. mental strength. yesterday, went to playground, and i got this incredible feeling... i felt pullup number 18 coming (: haha, but today didn't feel it, haha. today tested bursting, and amazingly the burst was and felt good (: wheeeeee

lots to think about

my first real day at home

wheeeeeee, slept in and finally woke up at 8.20am! exciting (:

mission accomplished, finally found the regata manufacturer website (: wheeeeeeeee

wheeeeeeee

wheeeeee

6 days of training plus dragonboat today (: moving closer towards the plan, this is just the warmup

went early for a run today. Ran around the kallang basin area in the light drizzle, liberating (:

half a year to do more fun and exciting things (:

auntie delia is leaving after her contract ends, that means housework time! haha, finally will have to cook and clean and do household stuff (: wheeeeee, get to chop the tree on my own, wash car, and lug the newspapers for the karang guni man to buy!

was talking to dad over lunch about random stuff, came to the topic of my job plan over the next 6 months. haha, he supports my toysrus overnight work yay (: hm.. for the record don't think i'll want to give tuition, cos mainly i don't believe in it, takes the fun out of learning. Read last week's article about 97/100 kids have tuition? dad says it's exploiting people's psychological state, interesting.

training next week and dragonboat race! wheeeeeee, got a grand plan to train early on saturday morning, then be at bedok by 9.30am (:

wheeeeeeee

today's a happy training day

had a good row, nice feel (: Partly psychological i think, after shifting my seat back, somehow less water gets into the boat and stroke feels better. Easy but not easy row (: Felt exhausted but pleased after training. Mended my boat with epoxy, now it's looking much nicer and hopefully more water tight.

Nationals open coming up, not aiming for spectacular results, just going to work on it. Looking at the timings i know i need to put in more effort to get faster faster (no typo there) Exploring my options now, for a start, it's normal training program vs solo training. Normal training program is fun for the competition while solo training forces me to focus. No talking no distractions just have a good row, which is what i think works best for me. After a while, i'll probably need decent boats to pace/push me, planning my next move now. Along the lines of:

• do odd jobs, maybe delivery/dispatch rider, work at food stall, cleaner, esplanade window cleaner, and i can't wait for orchard road christmas decorations! If anyone got lobangs please let me know. Mainly for fun and excitement (not to mention some $$), and to put my survival instincts to the test!
• Get my license so i can start driving myself to and from training at the hours i like. I think i shall call my battle plan 300.
  
• register as individual member, find a way to train with NUS and start my battle plan proper after national open.

know something? Unknowingly, it's been almost a year since nationals 2007. To be honest the past year has been tough, but that's how i chose it to be. The days are long but the months are short.

“Really it come down to your philosophy. Do you want to play it safe and be good or do you want to take a chance and be great?” Jimmy Johnson

World of WarCraft: Lord of the Clans by Christie Golden

Doomhammer was silent again for a time. Finally, he said, "I have kept to myself these many years, since the final, ignominious defeat. I know what they say about me. I am a hermit, a coward, afraid to show my face. Do you know what I have scorned the company of others until this night, Thrall?"

Thrall silently shook his head.

"Because i needed to be by myself, to analyse what had happened. To think. To remind myself who I was, who we were as a people. From time to time, I would do as I have done this night. I would venture forth to the campfires, accept their hospitality, listen to their experiences, and learn." He paused.

just went for a run, 8km, felt good. Didn't look at my watch throughout the run. Start 6.20pm. End 7.16pm.

Come 8th july, going to be working from 6.30pm-5am at toys'r'us, wheeeeee (:

once in a lifetime

Survival Instincts

back from Yong Yap in one piece (:

went with ODAC on their June Ex to Yong Yap, Cameron Highlands, 9-15th June. Trekking expedition up to the summit, 2168m.

The most exciting part of the trip for me was yes, survival. The great outdoors were a nice change from city living. Looking back, this expedition was indeed a relaxing break from racing. Quite pleased with myself in terms of prep and execution.

Apart from tent, carried all my food water clothes and equipment for 4 days 3 nights in my back pack. Just slightly over 11kg i think, haha, like my boat (:

Food was challenging, i planned mine by caloric intake, lots of muesli bars, nuts, dried mango, raisin bread, apples, pasta, chicken soup, potatoes, ovaltine powder, maoam sweets and 40g of happy food: koala bear biscuit! Food pack came up to 3.5 kg. Water at max was 1.8kg. Drank straight from the river, nice and cooling, like cold water from the fridge

Equipment wise, carried sleeping mat, sleeping bag, mess tin, stove and gas canister, passport and $$ in waterproof pouch, random swiss army knife, duct tape! (which saved me later on), old school flat running shoes, lighter, utensils, toilet paper and luxury item, a foldable chair!

haha, clothing was exciting cos at the summit, it was EIGHT degree celsius! Plus wind chill factor, it's zero. Super cold, wearing two t-shirts, shorts, track pants, socks, windbreaker, sleeping bag and mat and tent, still freezing.

Averaged 6.5 hours of trekking each day in the tropical rainforest terrain. Climbing up was easy for me, coming down was real man. According to our guide who pioneered this route back in 1996, Yong Yap is one of the toughest mountains cos it's especially steep towards the summit. Plus we did river crossing which was super exciting! Some rivers came to waist level, and were really fast flowing. Not much wildlife, save for some cute mice at the summit, but ggxx there were monstrous insects! The millipede thingy alone is confirm more than 15cm long and half an inch wide. Lots of bees, mosquitoes, sandflies and horseflies, which only started attacking me on the 2nd day. you've read superhero comics? Those imba big dragonfly man or something like that? Got stung by a jungle wasp and it looked exactly like that!

Overall it was a good ex with the Odacians and the teachers. The guide had an interesting theory about the energy flowing in Yong Yap. It's a granite mountain at the confluence of two rivers, so there's some sort of strong magnetic field. Like the book i read before, about advancing up the energy levels. Throughout the long hours of trekking, didn't think much cos the trek required lots of focus. Just trekked and lived the experience, taking it in. When we weren't trekking and pre/post trek, had time to read the giving tree and little prince, thanks to mr leong. learnt alot of talking to the teachers.

haha, it's strange how things came together. 15 years ago in 1993, mr leong brought mr tan, who was then a relief teacher, to Krobu with the odacians and the same guide mr gan. and this year it's my turn to go (: kinda feels like some star wars master and apprentice thing, interesting (:

so back to training (:

Posted by eugene:

first things seem impossible. then it becomes difficult. then it is done.

impossible, difficult then done. how many times have we talked about wanting to do the impossible? how many batches have been called the dream team? how many teams have been said to be stronger than ever? we have been called all those at one time or the other, have dreamed the impossible at one point or the other. but how many times have we really put our minds together to doing it?

today, i want us to think about something very simple:

team.

together as a team, we will carry each other's dreams, we fight till the end for each other, for the people we love so much. every sacrifice will be worth it when the fight is over. when the last man crosses the finishing line and the last medal given out, we will stand tall as giants. together as a team, we will do the impossible.

people say winning is everything and it is true. people don't remember the way you row a race. they only remember who wins the race. they don't remember how close it was; only who won. but those people are not the people you know. they are not your friends. they are not your teammates. they are not your family. they are not the people that you love or love you. to those people winning is everything; but to everyone else

fighting is everything.

we come from a proud heritage. canoeing has been in raffles since the 1980s. not every single batch wins, but every single batch keeps on fighting. this is why we still stand today. when we row, we don't represent just ourselves, we represent each and every one of the batches that have gone before us and that will come after us. the sweet victory may not come in our batch or the next batch or even for tens of batches but if we keep fighting there will be a day where raffles will be crowned champions and there will be a time where we will win and keep winning. and when that time comes, not only will that batch be glorified but every single batch before that them be glorified. this is our history. this is who we are. we are Raffles Canoeing - fighters till the end. if we give up the fight today, we will lose our chance to rise from the ashes and grab glory.

when we go out there on 8th july and row our races for raffles. i want you to remember that you are carrying the dreams and hopes of not just yourself but of every single Raffles Canoeist that was, is and is to come. it is not easy but we will be there for each other. we will become each other's pillar of support. we will fight till the end together.

"we will be like ducks.

when the storm comes and thunder roars, ducks stick together."

- Mighty Ducks

so, lets prepare ourselves for one last chance at glory guys. lets grit our teeth and pull each other through till the very end. lets put in the 100% strength into every single stroke, cm, inch for each other. lets not give up but fight on for each other.

i ask you now, if you are willing to step up and put your heart onto the line for the person standing beside you, for the person rowing in front or behind or beside you, join me and let us fight the best fight ever and it shall be forever remembered that we, the batch of 2008, never gave up and stood up against giants and became champions.

WE WANT TO WIN

back to training (: strangely i feel rapid improvement after coming back from bintan (: I'm getting It back... in a k1 this time (: yes, my right to win

lots of stuff, couple of things to run through each day, good, keeps life exciting (:

sat training, then returned library books, borrowed more books, driving
sunday dragonboat
mon training, waterfest 'dry!' run (water polo super fun), and i passed my final theory test! whe, driving test in september
tue training, back to school to collect stove + sleeping mat and paid mr tan

plans for tomorrow: go for a light run, training, southern ridges walk, team manager's mtg at night

good to hear people mostly settled down for uni and courses.

who do i row for?