every week i embark on an exciting task- planning my schedule for the week

It's a great logic test each time. Let me quote what i learnt in HA 101 on Public Administration.

Rational Comprehensive Approach (Harold D Lasswell)
A rational man/woman (1) can always make a decision when presented with a range of alt; (2) knows the probable consequences of choosing each alt; (3) ranks all alt in an order of preference; (4) always choose the highest-ranked alt; and (5) always makes the same decision each time the same alt are available.

and when that doesn't work, I use Incrementalism (Charles E. Lindblom)

•decision making through a series of limited, successive comparisons with a relatively narrow range of alternatives rather than a comprehensive range; it uses the status quo as the key point of reference for decision and focus on short term rather than LT effects

i know it's late, but i need to think this thru

weekend has been exciting, 4 trainings.

won the 10k timetrial, wasn't 100% though, but still it's my first proper 10k timetrial. did k2 with nanfeng today, quite fun (:

this afternoon's 10 x 500 rowed until gg. suppose to be 80, 90%. i was probably going at 90, 95%. was a painful trng but it's good trng.

overall training has been rather fragmented in terms of the pple i row with; so in a way glad that i'm not too affected as i usually row alone. world juniors, world champs, world db champs, and it's going to be ACC soon.

yea, i know as a country we're very far behind in terms of standard, heck, i've still got lots to catch up too. We once said canoeing is a sport for dreamers, and i'll do what it takes to make this dream come through. I'm not the best, but i'm improving towards being the best. so make it happen yea

"When I was 5 years old, my mom always told me that happiness was the
key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be
when I grew up. I wrote down "happy". They told me I didn't understand
the assignment and I told them they didn't understand life."

gg

this is freaking nerve-racking

i've just changed my module again

after convincing myself that economics stats is as good as it gets, I see a slot for public admin HA101. I eye it for awhile, not believing my eyes. Then i open up the STARS planner, and still watching that one slot suspiciously.

and suddenly i make a series of abrupt clicks with my mouse. DROPPED HE104B. confirm? YES CONFIRM LAH. ADD HA101. Confirm? YES YES!

and in 1s it was over.

now i have 2 exams on one day, but i'm on my way to a minor in public admin (:

and no sch on friday and i get off 1hr earlier on monday (instead of tue) YAY

people keep asking, so what are you going to do (as in work as) after you graduate?

thought i'll just post my thoughts

1. The so-called 'backup' plan is to work at SSC. It's a good and safe option. But probably not what i'm looking for if not i would have applied for their scholarship.
2. Go to NIE to train to be PE teacher. Possible. but definitely not my first choice
3. Work at Gryphon Sports Institute. Doing sports testing, nutrition, coaching etc. sounds good? Only one thing, it does not exist yet!
4. Ditto for the Singapore Sports Institute. I would prefer no.3 as i'll get to work with young people and yea, it's back at RJC (and did i mention it's next to macritchie (:
   
5. Set up a sports science centre. doing what? good question. Providing fitness solutions to people, and dabbling in some sports science research funded by whatever profits the former brings. Feasibility wise, i think this is the way to go, as more people realise the importance of lifestyle as a prevention to future health issues.
   

On a general note, knowing that a good diet, exercise etc is beneficial for you, but not actually doing it, simply means you don't know enough- don't know enough to be convinced of the benefits. I think this is the thing about Singaporeans with regards to their health.

hm... the sport industry is heating up. all the $$ flowing in. But strangely, that's precisely what i don't like about it. Sport is good, clean fun to me and well, i guess i don't like the idea of that tainted with money. of course i'm not talking about some non-profit thing here; i still need to eat. and train. and buy boat (: but excesses should be kept in check. and i'll rather sport for all and sport excellence then sport industry. But of course there must be a balance, I fully acknowledge that without sport industry there won't be funds for the others.

So there

ahh

and today, i did 30km at macritchie. 31k actually. 3h 23min. i never thought i'll make it; not my arms or upper body though, it's the sitting down that kills. this week most afternoons i rested, cos the abrasions were owning me. luckily today was just a very bad pain, but no abrasions yay.

exciting week ahead!

glad to be back training (:

water felt exceptionally good this morning (:

school's been cool

hm... just something random, life is really what you make out of it. So carpe diem, seize the day!

now to draw up my timetable for the week (:

school started (:

it has been fun (: i think my classmates are nice people, we're the ones who keep quiet in the LTs and arrive for lectures early... more than 15mins before class. More importantly, we all love sport

Yes, that's sport without an 's'. One thing we learnt in class, sports is a collection of well, sports, like basketball, track and field, swimming etc, while sport is a more global, all-encompassing concept.

The sports science classes have been a blast (: Both three hour lectures we had felt like an hour. In contrast, the bio module we were signed up for felt like 6 hours. haha. ok i haven't fixed my timetable because of the brilliant STARS system (that is making me see stars). Got a week to get it fixed.

Ah, and back to class. It has been a long time since i was thoroughly engaged throughout the whole lecture, not a dull moment (: and it's wonderful when the lecturer and people around you are guess what, talking about the things that you talk about! Like on Tuesday's sociology class, we got to 'interview' each other on questions like "Does sport run in your family?" "What do you hope to achieve in sport as a participant?" "What do you hope to achieve in other areas of sport?" "Are you a fan of any athlete/team?" "Do you watch sport on TV?" "Who is your role model in sport?" "Which is your favourite sport?" "Why is sport important to you?" "Why is sport important to Singapore?" I particularly like the last question as it links to nation building! interesting yea?

btw i wanted to list a few qns, and i managed to recall all 8 off hand!

then the management lect we had. For me a really good lecture is one where i get to give my opinion, have the opportunity to fire away questions at the lecturer, and one where i'm inspired enough to jot down not notes, but brilliant ideas that come across me. (and it helps if we're watching good videos where i'm similarly motivated to write down what strikes me) Probably the last time i felt like this was in rgs upper sec geog with mrs koh, and during the options period, in particular the philosophy course on democracy. So yea, it was cool (:

hm.. other miscellaneous things. the NIE library has the kind of books i want to read! Section GV= paradise of sport books. I've finished 5 books, including one of my course text. The new personal copy is sitting untouched (: I can get used to the canteen too, a bit dingy looking, but there's passable food and space. Also gotten used to walking around campus from admin blk to blk 5 and the library, but i will still try to avoid the 108 steps from blk 4 carpark to level 1. Campus is really big, i'll say i never got lost, just um.. had lots of fun exploring the northern spine acad blk looking for LTs.

Rushed down for training that day after ending class at 5.30pm. It is possible to train as much as i would like to, but for now i must have faith that the great conspiracy theory will work STARS for me.

Great things await, onward!

ndp

exciting (:

attended ms see tho's wedding (: was nice just gathering with the pe teachers again

today is national day (:

as part of my celebrations i went cycling (:

at 5.30am!

Testing out the GPS that belle lent me. But the bike handlebar was too small so the GPS couldn't stay at a good enough position for me to see it. anw it's pretty accurate, but the heart rate monitor didn't seem to work. Mr leong's going to lend me one of his five so that'll be quite fun

ok so on to the adventure

helmet check. Lights check. Gatorade check. House keys check. GPS check. and i'm off! took a nice cycle to guess where?

of course, macritchie!

was cycling rather conservatively in terms of speed. First quarter of the full journey did on gear 5, but eventually used gear 7 even for cruising. The terrain is ok, but some uphill parts were really treacherous, especially coming back. stopped to glance at the gps occassionally, and it was a pleasant surprise when it managed to record my top speed.

Lap 1 (to macritchie my home)
Time: 46mins
Distance: 12.5km
Avg speed: 16.2km/h
Top speed: 33.6km/h

Lap 2 (to my home, the real home)
Time: 49mins
Distance: 12.6km
Avg speed: 15.4km/h
Top speed: 36.3km/h

was kind of cool cycling early, but i think i'll start even earlier next time. It's safer as there are less cars around. hardly broke a sweat, very cool weather, in fact my hands were freezing. It's a liberating experience, on pedal power, at one with the surroundings and Nature. It's about survival instincts, about challenging limits... about liberation. and you know something? I go through that great experience every time i row (:

Since it's national day, an ode to Singapore.

I can't say how grateful I am to be Singaporean. We are 4 million out of 6.7 billion, how special is that? A very interesting article in the straits times got me pondering, about how our first August 9 was a day we dreaded, something that wasn't suppose to happen- when the merger broke down. I think as a nation we stand for resilience, for surviving against the odds, for being determined to succeed. From third world to first in 30 years- that's our Singapore Story. Too much to say here, go read about our story written in all the NDP songs. Perhaps nowadays it's cool to be well, cool about patriotism, but i proudly wear my heart on my sleeve- I love Singapore and for all that we stand for. If you work hard you will make it. Thank you to our forefathers for giving us this Singapore, and now it's our duty and honour to protect our homeland for our future generations.

and i know what i want to do for Singapore.

which brings me to my next point. Was looking at the training schedule and school timetable for next week. and i've lost count of the no. of times i thought- this is crazy. but make it happen yea. This will be the best challenge for me yet and i will seize the moment. With a dream, impossible is nothing.

Majulah Singapura

orientation ceremony was worth it, just for mr lee wung yew's speech. and the food, yea (: the waiting was rather long.

anw looks like i'm neither in NIE or NTU, but i'm in both! how interesting (: school is really huge, and i will have to relook at the battleplan. free access to all the sports equipment and facilities, plus the library has the kind of books i want to read (sports books lah), can't wait!

sunday got grand plans, i'm going to cycle to training (:

wheeeeeeeee

hi friends if you have time pls read this and help out

http://redsports.sg/2009/08/07/road-safety-cycling/

just do a quick survey on cycling yea (:

ahhh

anw

2k timetrial that day

10.07

and i know i can go much faster

went back to rj to collect the recommendation letter. was nice being back at the pe dept (:

wheee, orientation tmr. a prelude to the exciting schedule ahead (:

and my bro is setting off on a ship tmr for 6 weeks. life of an nsf oct in mids wing. (wow that's alot of acronyms)

training tmr (: and tmr, and tmr, and tmr... (:

What if you believe?

interesting

after training was going home as usual, then met someone at the bus stop, and what a great conversation it turned out to be.

"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one." ~ C.S. Lewis

I thought i was the only one. Then i found someone else who took a year off to paddle, in the hopes of making the national team. Started in JC, rowed k2. Came back knowing that we'll make the team somehow. Love the sport, love the fact that if you work really really hard you might get something. Long hours at macritchie. Endless mileage. Paddling alone. Learning how to balance in a k1, pretty much like learning to row all over again. Hung around the national team trying to pick up pointers. Eventually tag along with the team for training, though not yet in the team...

'and it's ok to be slow. it's ok. what is most important is that you are improving. It's when you stop improving, that's a problem. Then you have to dig deeper"

then we talked about a great teacher, coach and mentor that we never had the priviledge to know personally. What he did for the boys is real education yea. and yes, he helped me stabilise my boat during launching at round ubin.

"When you do your sprints... Remember, as tired as you get after a 100m all out run. YOU RUN FOR YOUR LIFE. You don't run and 'okay, i finish my work already what' NO! If you have never run for your life before in the past... alright... why not try it now. Although i hope for your sake in the future you don't need to run for your life... But if you need to, you have done it before. YOU RUN FOR YOUR LIFE, YOU PADDLE FOR YOUR LIFE. Understand that gentlemen? Do I make myself clear?... You see, all the sporting events that we have, they are all actually substitutes for MURDER, do you all know that? For WAR and MURDER, for WAR and KILLING...."

wow

2 x 500m time trial today. first race was ok, not expecting a very fast time so 2.16 was welcomed (: did staggered starts so i went 10s after the first boat, 15s before the k2, and a total of 30s before the k4. was pushing to catch the k1, but somehow for the first many many metres/buoys it seemed distant. then suddenly towards 200m i felt myself catching up. whoa then the k4 appeared out of nowhere.

second set, start was interrupted by the nj alumni boats crossing. and did with another k1 this time. start was determined to pull away quickly, then let the momentum carry through. I felt myself gaining quickly on the other boat, and i didn't want to let the k2 catch me so it was all instincts all the way. last 100m though think i got distracted by the k4 creeping up. thought the timing would be ok, but 2.11 is a nice surprise. I know i can go even faster.

the training was good, not just for the timings, but because the 500m felt like what a 500m should be. the lung-busting effort was exciting. looking forward to more training (:

it was also enjoyable training with the other senior women. It was fun and inspiring just hearing them banter, and the champions' mindset is admirable. "Not if, but must. MUST do. If you're going to give yourself options then it won't be 100%. Let's go (:"

school's going to start and the schedule might not be 100% conducive for training. anw thinking of getting a GPS/ heart rate monitor in the event i have to do program alone. (seniors going to world champs for 2 weeks plus) Also, maybe that would help me figure out the 2k timetrials.

2.11

What if you believe?