A delightful creation!
While it ranks a close second behind The Cars on snoozermeter, I suppose Ratatouille went down better on the palate of the majority audience. Pixar has once again dished out another delectable treat for my senses and Anton Ego's final critic left a mixed aftertaste ... and a little perspective ...
"In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that, in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new."
From the day I picked up squash, the sport had already been termed "a dying sport". And that was even when we still managed to win medals in SEA Games and even Asian Games, producing better results than other sports which did not bag anything. However the reporters just seemed to take delight in highlighting the slide in performance when compared against the heydays of squash.
And as a result of this "thrive on negative criticism, which was fun to write and to read", squash gained a reputation which I think it definitely did not deserve. But a judgment repeated over time by a reputed few slowly became a fact, the truth to be echoed by the masses ...
Perhaps it is time someone should step out to reexamine this statement which I had heard being passed as a matter-of-fact on countless occasions. Let's risk something and look at this decline of squash and of sports in Singapore with some fresh, clear, well-seasoned perspective.
"In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau’s famous motto: Anyone can cook. But I realize that only now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere. It is difficult to imagine more humble origins than those of the genius now cooking at Gusteau’s, who is, in this critic’s opinion, nothing less than the finest chef in France. I will be returning to Gusteau’s soon, hungry for more."
Anyone can play squash, run a marathon etc ... But not everyone can become a great athlete. It takes someone extraordinary, someone with that hunger to attain the highest standard of performance, someone with that big heart to pursue a worthy ambition.
Yet this great athlete can come from anywhere.
Even from this small island Singapore. They walk amongst us ...
Yes, even with our small population. Because we can.
With some fresh perspective.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2007
Yes! I completed my first half-marathon today in
Somehow, we made the decision to run the half-marathon this year. The target was to complete the race. And I guess that provided more motivation to our Sunday sessions and drew positive energy. The group has also since grown and morphed to consist of runners, walkers, totoro, permalas and her dinosaurs …
Saturday, November 17, 2007
A few good chickens
Posted in appreciation of the friends whom I can always laugh with ...
And one more specially for Michelle ...
Sunday, November 04, 2007
What am I playing for?
The most valuable lessons in life come through opening yourself to experiences that teach you about living, loving, coping, and pursuing your dreams. Sport is one endeavour that provides this opportunity. Athletes who take the mental game seriously leave their sport carrying with them what is ultimately most important of all: skills for living a higher quality of life.
Many people have asked me what I am playing for. Why bother doing what I am doing?
I have asked myself the same questions. Many times …
We want not only to live but to have something to live for. For me, this means to pursue excellence through sport.
I had been tossing thoughts in my head for sometime and when I finally felt ready to put them down on paper, I happened to dig out “In Pursuit of Excellence: How to win in Sport and Life through Mental Training” by Terry Orlick, PhD from one corner of my bookshelf. He has very clearly articulated most of what I intend to express. So taking the easier option, enjoy his Chapter 1: Personal Meaning …
Exploring Our Limits
My personal experiences as a competitive athlete have been rich ones, bringing memorable highs that remain with me. Some involved achieving personal goals; others involved close human relationships; still others involved the sheer joy of being absorbed in the experience. I reached one of my achievement highs when I first did a quadruple twisting back somersault on the trampoline. Some people were impressed. Others might say, “So what? Who cares if you can spin your body in the air four times before landing? What difference does it make?”
It may not make any difference to anyone else, but it made a difference to me. It felt great to accomplish something that required a commitment to extending my personal limits. Over a period of about 8 years, it began to happen bit by bit … half twist … full … double … triple … three and a half … three and three quarters … quadruple! I remember an excitement rushing through my body … a satisfaction at having explored my potential in one small, seemingly meaningless but personally meaningful, area of existence. I had stretched my personal limits.
The desire to do your personal best, to excel, to attain the highest standards of performance, to be supreme in your chosen field is a worthy human ambition, which can lead to increasingly high standards, personal growth, and personal meaning. If none of us were concerned with the quality of our contributions, our work, our creations, products, our services, our society would make a marked turn for the worse. Yet high levels of achievement and the pursuit of excellence in any field do not come easily. The trail is hard and steep. There are numerous obstacles to overcome and barriers to push aside. Becoming a highly skilled person in any field – sport, art, medicine, science, writing, teaching, or parenting – demands commitment and sacrifice.
The greatest barriers in our pursuit of excellence are psychological barriers that we impose upon ourselves, sometimes unknowingly. My failure to even attempt a quintuple somersault is a good example. Somehow I had come to believe that it was impossible. Perhaps it was like the 4-minutes mile. At one time that too was viewed as an impossible barrier … until it was broken by one man … and then almost immediately by a host of others. It wasn’t the physical makeup of the runners that changed; it was their belief in what was possible. As your beliefs about limits change, the limits themselves change.
While traveling through Southeast Asia I had the opportunity to see barefoot men walking across hot beds of coal. Those glowing embers generated incredible heat, yet the walkers emerged unblistered and unscarred. Is this unbelievable feat within the capacity of normal human beings? How many of us will ever call upon this capacity? How many of us even believe that it is possible? Therein lie our limits. The firewalkers are made of the same flesh and blood as you and I; it is their belief that is different. Therein lies their strength. Belief gives birth to reality.
Exploring Ourselves
Since I retired from active competition, my personal sport-related highs have come primarily through outdoor experiences … running, canoeing, cross-country skiing. I have never formally trained or competed in these activities, yet they offer an abundance of meaningful experiences.
One winter night, the sky was clear, the moon was full, the night air crisp. The snow sparkled like dancing crystals under the moonlight. It was a majestic evening as we set out to ski up the mountain trail to a small log chalet nestled among the tress. At the chalet we made a fire, had some wine and a bit of stew, and joked a little, then we headed back down the mountain. As I skied down I became one with the mountain, not knowing where it ended and where I started. I was so close to it, hugging it and feeling it hug me, as I flowed along that narrow snow-packed trail. I moved into shadows and out of shadows as the moonlight darted through the trees. I was totally absorbed in the experience. It was novel, challenging, sensual, fun, exciting, physically demanding – a meaningful trip with nature … a peak experience, the kind that makes it great to be alive.
Sports provides ample opportunity to free ourselves for short periods to enjoy pleasure and excitement not readily available elsewhere in society. In sport we can live out our quest for excitement, personal control, or risk by deliberately accepting challenges that we then attempt to meet. We like to feel competent and capable of directing our own lives; this is one of the reasons that we seek out challenges both within and outside of sport. Great satisfaction comes from the actual experience of becoming competent and feeling in control.
The continual process of seeking out and meeting challenges that are within our capacity (not too easy but not totally out of reach either) is the heart of human motivation. People are looking for “delicious uncertainty”, challenges that present a difficulty but that also are potentially within control. What is delicious for me may not be for you. We each seek our own level.
As a white-water canoeist I discovered that the challenge of running a river is not a conflict between human and nature, it is a melding together of the two. You do not conquer the river, you experience it. The calculated risk, the momentary sense of meaning, and the intensity of the experience let you emerge exhilarated and somehow better. It is a quest for self-fulfillment rather than a quest for victory over others or over the river. Many sports can be viewed in the same way. Each experience or exploration can lead to enlightenment and discovery. There is no way to fail to experience the experience, and experiencing becomes the goal. The experience may lead to improved performance, self-discovery, personal satisfaction, and greater awareness, or it may simply be interesting in its own right.
This became clear while I paddled down the legendary South Nahanni River in the Canadian Northwest Territories. No one else can ever totally understand what that river meant to me. So it is with the river of sport and life. No two people perceive things in the same way, even at the same instant. Each view is unique, each experience separate, each course different and irreplaceable … and so it should be.
Answering life’s challenges in our own way is what provides personal meaning to each of us. A failure to respond to those challenges leads to hopeless abandonment in the prime of life. In many prisoner-of-war camps, those who lacked the awareness of a meaning worth living for abandoned their will to live and curled up and died. Those who knew that a task or purpose awaited them survived the most incredible horrors and hardships. Suffering ceased to be suffering the moment it found meaning. Viktor Frankl (1968), a young doctor who survived the horrors of imprisonment in a death camp, discovered through his experience that “striving to find meaning in one’s life is the primary motivational force in man”. It literally made the difference between life and death.
Although meaning for each of us is unique and subject to change, it seems to flow most readily when we are striving toward some goal that we find worthy or feel is worthy of us. We can experience meaning by committing ourselves to certain goals, ideals, or values; by experiencing someone or something of value to us, by creating something; by choosing to do something for others, with others, or by ourselves that we deem worthwhile. Sports is a wonderful medium for providing a sense of purpose and a sense of continuous challenge, as well as a range of intensity and emotion that is difficult to experience elsewhere. It can be a rich and meaningful encounter if we approach it on our own terms. There are few contexts where we have such close contact with other people, with nature, and with ourselves as we have in sport. Sport offers numerous opportunities for personal growth and for stretching the limits of human potential, both physically and psychologically.
Personal excellence is a contest with yourself to draw on the natural reserves within your own mind and body, to develop capabilities to the utmost. The true challenge lies in personal growth, enjoying the pursuit of your goals and in living the various areas of your life.
Each of us begins at a different departure point, mentally, physically, and with respect to the support we are given. Make the best of the talents you’ve been given and the situations you face – no matter how limited or unlimited they may be. Your quest for personal excellence requires making the most of what you have – whatever that may be.
It may not make any difference to anyone else, but it made a difference to me. It felt great to accomplish something that required a commitment to extending my personal limits. Over a period of about 8 years, it began to happen bit by bit … half twist … full … double … triple … three and a half … three and three quarters … quadruple! I remember an excitement rushing through my body … a satisfaction at having explored my potential in one small, seemingly meaningless but personally meaningful, area of existence. I had stretched my personal limits.
The desire to do your personal best, to excel, to attain the highest standards of performance, to be supreme in your chosen field is a worthy human ambition, which can lead to increasingly high standards, personal growth, and personal meaning. If none of us were concerned with the quality of our contributions, our work, our creations, products, our services, our society would make a marked turn for the worse. Yet high levels of achievement and the pursuit of excellence in any field do not come easily. The trail is hard and steep. There are numerous obstacles to overcome and barriers to push aside. Becoming a highly skilled person in any field – sport, art, medicine, science, writing, teaching, or parenting – demands commitment and sacrifice.
The greatest barriers in our pursuit of excellence are psychological barriers that we impose upon ourselves, sometimes unknowingly. My failure to even attempt a quintuple somersault is a good example. Somehow I had come to believe that it was impossible. Perhaps it was like the 4-minutes mile. At one time that too was viewed as an impossible barrier … until it was broken by one man … and then almost immediately by a host of others. It wasn’t the physical makeup of the runners that changed; it was their belief in what was possible. As your beliefs about limits change, the limits themselves change.
While traveling through Southeast Asia I had the opportunity to see barefoot men walking across hot beds of coal. Those glowing embers generated incredible heat, yet the walkers emerged unblistered and unscarred. Is this unbelievable feat within the capacity of normal human beings? How many of us will ever call upon this capacity? How many of us even believe that it is possible? Therein lie our limits. The firewalkers are made of the same flesh and blood as you and I; it is their belief that is different. Therein lies their strength. Belief gives birth to reality.
Exploring Ourselves
Since I retired from active competition, my personal sport-related highs have come primarily through outdoor experiences … running, canoeing, cross-country skiing. I have never formally trained or competed in these activities, yet they offer an abundance of meaningful experiences.
One winter night, the sky was clear, the moon was full, the night air crisp. The snow sparkled like dancing crystals under the moonlight. It was a majestic evening as we set out to ski up the mountain trail to a small log chalet nestled among the tress. At the chalet we made a fire, had some wine and a bit of stew, and joked a little, then we headed back down the mountain. As I skied down I became one with the mountain, not knowing where it ended and where I started. I was so close to it, hugging it and feeling it hug me, as I flowed along that narrow snow-packed trail. I moved into shadows and out of shadows as the moonlight darted through the trees. I was totally absorbed in the experience. It was novel, challenging, sensual, fun, exciting, physically demanding – a meaningful trip with nature … a peak experience, the kind that makes it great to be alive.
Sports provides ample opportunity to free ourselves for short periods to enjoy pleasure and excitement not readily available elsewhere in society. In sport we can live out our quest for excitement, personal control, or risk by deliberately accepting challenges that we then attempt to meet. We like to feel competent and capable of directing our own lives; this is one of the reasons that we seek out challenges both within and outside of sport. Great satisfaction comes from the actual experience of becoming competent and feeling in control.
The continual process of seeking out and meeting challenges that are within our capacity (not too easy but not totally out of reach either) is the heart of human motivation. People are looking for “delicious uncertainty”, challenges that present a difficulty but that also are potentially within control. What is delicious for me may not be for you. We each seek our own level.
As a white-water canoeist I discovered that the challenge of running a river is not a conflict between human and nature, it is a melding together of the two. You do not conquer the river, you experience it. The calculated risk, the momentary sense of meaning, and the intensity of the experience let you emerge exhilarated and somehow better. It is a quest for self-fulfillment rather than a quest for victory over others or over the river. Many sports can be viewed in the same way. Each experience or exploration can lead to enlightenment and discovery. There is no way to fail to experience the experience, and experiencing becomes the goal. The experience may lead to improved performance, self-discovery, personal satisfaction, and greater awareness, or it may simply be interesting in its own right.
This became clear while I paddled down the legendary South Nahanni River in the Canadian Northwest Territories. No one else can ever totally understand what that river meant to me. So it is with the river of sport and life. No two people perceive things in the same way, even at the same instant. Each view is unique, each experience separate, each course different and irreplaceable … and so it should be.
Answering life’s challenges in our own way is what provides personal meaning to each of us. A failure to respond to those challenges leads to hopeless abandonment in the prime of life. In many prisoner-of-war camps, those who lacked the awareness of a meaning worth living for abandoned their will to live and curled up and died. Those who knew that a task or purpose awaited them survived the most incredible horrors and hardships. Suffering ceased to be suffering the moment it found meaning. Viktor Frankl (1968), a young doctor who survived the horrors of imprisonment in a death camp, discovered through his experience that “striving to find meaning in one’s life is the primary motivational force in man”. It literally made the difference between life and death.
Although meaning for each of us is unique and subject to change, it seems to flow most readily when we are striving toward some goal that we find worthy or feel is worthy of us. We can experience meaning by committing ourselves to certain goals, ideals, or values; by experiencing someone or something of value to us, by creating something; by choosing to do something for others, with others, or by ourselves that we deem worthwhile. Sports is a wonderful medium for providing a sense of purpose and a sense of continuous challenge, as well as a range of intensity and emotion that is difficult to experience elsewhere. It can be a rich and meaningful encounter if we approach it on our own terms. There are few contexts where we have such close contact with other people, with nature, and with ourselves as we have in sport. Sport offers numerous opportunities for personal growth and for stretching the limits of human potential, both physically and psychologically.
Personal excellence is a contest with yourself to draw on the natural reserves within your own mind and body, to develop capabilities to the utmost. The true challenge lies in personal growth, enjoying the pursuit of your goals and in living the various areas of your life.
Each of us begins at a different departure point, mentally, physically, and with respect to the support we are given. Make the best of the talents you’ve been given and the situations you face – no matter how limited or unlimited they may be. Your quest for personal excellence requires making the most of what you have – whatever that may be.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
The Harbours from Before: Leaving for another Phoenician trading station
I started my recount about one and a half years ago and with the posts on my undergraduate days, I suppose I can now close this chapter which captures my experiences from the time I started squash to the time I started this blog.
I reiterate the reasons behind this series of posts …
1) I just want something to write about.
2) I hope that in reflecting my past experiences, I can take a deeper look into why I started on this journey and thus find strength to continue ...
3) I believe I have a story to tell. Nope, I am not a jaded traveller whom has seen it all. I am simply a young Singaporean who faces similiar issues as most students/teenagers/young adults out there. By sharing my experience, I hope to find like-minded people who can walk the path with me as well as motivate some to walk on.
4) I picked up squash in 1994, more than 12 years ago. It has given me some of my happiest and saddest moments. I would like to capture it while I feel it is important to.
And perhaps by writing some of the things down, I can finally let go of the baggage. I have left those memories somewhere and need not carry them with me anymore.
The experiences however have deeply contributed to my growth, built my character and influenced my views and beliefs. Sports has indeed taught me a lot.
Well, I continue my voyage … knowing arrival is my predestination.
I reiterate the reasons behind this series of posts …
1) I just want something to write about.
2) I hope that in reflecting my past experiences, I can take a deeper look into why I started on this journey and thus find strength to continue ...
3) I believe I have a story to tell. Nope, I am not a jaded traveller whom has seen it all. I am simply a young Singaporean who faces similiar issues as most students/teenagers/young adults out there. By sharing my experience, I hope to find like-minded people who can walk the path with me as well as motivate some to walk on.
4) I picked up squash in 1994, more than 12 years ago. It has given me some of my happiest and saddest moments. I would like to capture it while I feel it is important to.
And perhaps by writing some of the things down, I can finally let go of the baggage. I have left those memories somewhere and need not carry them with me anymore.
The experiences however have deeply contributed to my growth, built my character and influenced my views and beliefs. Sports has indeed taught me a lot.
Well, I continue my voyage … knowing arrival is my predestination.
-------------------------------------------
Ithaka
Setting out on the voyage to Ithaka
You must pray the way be long,
Full of adventures and experiences.
The Laistrygonians, and the Kyklopes,
Angry Poseidon, don't be afraid of them:
You will never find such things on your way.
If only your thoughts be high, and a select
Emotion touch your spirit and your body.
The Laistrygonians, the Kyklopes,
Poseidon raging - you will never meet them,
Unless you carry them with you in your soul,
If your soul does not raise them up before you.
You must pray that the way be long;
Many be the summer mornings
When with what pleasure, with what delight
You enter harbours never seen before;
At Phoenician trading stations you must stop,
And must acquire good merchandise,
Mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
And sensuous perfumes of every kind;
As much as you can get of the sensuous perfumes;
You must go to many cities of Egypt,
To learn and still to learn from those who know.
You must always have Ithaka in your mind,
Arrival there is your predestination.
But do not hurry the journey at all.
Better that it should last many years;
Be quite old when you anchor at the island,
Rich with all you have gained on the way,
Not expecting Ithaka to give you riches.
Ithaka has given you your lovely journey.
Without Ithaka you would not have set out.
Ithaka has no more to give you now.
Poor though you find it, Ithaka has not cheated you.
Wise as you have become, with all your experience,
You will have understood the meaning of an Ithaka.
Setting out on the voyage to Ithaka
You must pray the way be long,
Full of adventures and experiences.
The Laistrygonians, and the Kyklopes,
Angry Poseidon, don't be afraid of them:
You will never find such things on your way.
If only your thoughts be high, and a select
Emotion touch your spirit and your body.
The Laistrygonians, the Kyklopes,
Poseidon raging - you will never meet them,
Unless you carry them with you in your soul,
If your soul does not raise them up before you.
You must pray that the way be long;
Many be the summer mornings
When with what pleasure, with what delight
You enter harbours never seen before;
At Phoenician trading stations you must stop,
And must acquire good merchandise,
Mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
And sensuous perfumes of every kind;
As much as you can get of the sensuous perfumes;
You must go to many cities of Egypt,
To learn and still to learn from those who know.
You must always have Ithaka in your mind,
Arrival there is your predestination.
But do not hurry the journey at all.
Better that it should last many years;
Be quite old when you anchor at the island,
Rich with all you have gained on the way,
Not expecting Ithaka to give you riches.
Ithaka has given you your lovely journey.
Without Ithaka you would not have set out.
Ithaka has no more to give you now.
Poor though you find it, Ithaka has not cheated you.
Wise as you have become, with all your experience,
You will have understood the meaning of an Ithaka.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
More videos for viewing pleasure
Just three more videos I have to put up.
This one is on cross-campus. One would think a video on cross-campus would be kind of monotonous but this guy did a great job. I like the song for its meaningful lyrics and catchy tune. It’s one of the songs that I would put on repeat mode on my iTunes.
The next two videos show that Temasek may not always be the winner. Things do not always go our way. But we will always come back again.
And despite the odds, we will always put up a good fight and keep the spirit high. Sou!
This one is on cross-campus. One would think a video on cross-campus would be kind of monotonous but this guy did a great job. I like the song for its meaningful lyrics and catchy tune. It’s one of the songs that I would put on repeat mode on my iTunes.
The next two videos show that Temasek may not always be the winner. Things do not always go our way. But we will always come back again.
And despite the odds, we will always put up a good fight and keep the spirit high. Sou!
Monday, October 15, 2007
The Harbours from Before: IHG Handball
My favourite IHG game is handball. I suppose it was because everyone started without background, learnt the sport from scratch and slowly came together to enjoy the game.
It was the sport whereby the result would much depend on the true strength of the team. There wasn’t any national player or varsity player that could be brought specially into any particular hall to swing the outcome.
Temasek had always been strong in handball given our pool of athletes from various other sports, especially basketball and netball. In Year 1, we won with Jean and Lixiang being the main scorers. In Year 2, even though they had graduated, the team remained pretty strong. However we screwed up somehow and did not even make it through to the semis. It was very upsetting.
In Year 3, I finally made the main team. Well, compared to the basketballers and netballers, my footwork was never as nifty and passing as swift. However I worked on my defense and made the effort to be one of the most accurate shooters. It was like aiming for the nick … Every ball I shot, I would aim for one of the 4 corners and after many trainings, I suppose my shooting naturally got sharper. With that, I earned my keep as the right winger, the position with the smallest shooting angle for a right-hander.
But in Year 3, we lost to Kent Ridge in the finals by 1 goal. 5-6.
And in the following year, we again lost to Kent Ridge in the finals by 1 goal. I felt that familiar heartache when I read the report in Philly.
In Year 5, we finally won that handball gold that slipped through our fingers for the last 3 years. I am very proud of the team that I played with, especially Yuhan, Yolanda, Haili, Candice, Huilin and Weiling.
It was the sport whereby the result would much depend on the true strength of the team. There wasn’t any national player or varsity player that could be brought specially into any particular hall to swing the outcome.
Temasek had always been strong in handball given our pool of athletes from various other sports, especially basketball and netball. In Year 1, we won with Jean and Lixiang being the main scorers. In Year 2, even though they had graduated, the team remained pretty strong. However we screwed up somehow and did not even make it through to the semis. It was very upsetting.
In Year 3, I finally made the main team. Well, compared to the basketballers and netballers, my footwork was never as nifty and passing as swift. However I worked on my defense and made the effort to be one of the most accurate shooters. It was like aiming for the nick … Every ball I shot, I would aim for one of the 4 corners and after many trainings, I suppose my shooting naturally got sharper. With that, I earned my keep as the right winger, the position with the smallest shooting angle for a right-hander.
But in Year 3, we lost to Kent Ridge in the finals by 1 goal. 5-6.
And in the following year, we again lost to Kent Ridge in the finals by 1 goal. I felt that familiar heartache when I read the report in Philly.
In Year 5, we finally won that handball gold that slipped through our fingers for the last 3 years. I am very proud of the team that I played with, especially Yuhan, Yolanda, Haili, Candice, Huilin and Weiling.
It was not the actual winning that still touched my soul. It was the journey we took together as we worked towards the common goal. That strong desire to bring home the gold.
I remember on the day of the finals, I was in my room suppressing the prematch jitters and trying to focus on my thesis. Suddenly I got a sms from Haili saying that she was getting excited and nervous about the match and could not concentrate on her work. And immediately I got smses from Yuhan and Yolanda from their classrooms expressing the same thing. I replied “Me too! But let’s just breathe …”. That was followed by a string of messages as we encouraged each other and affirmed that we were going to play a smashing game that night.
That was our final year, our last chance at the gold. It was such moments that connected and bonded the team, and made the difference.
p/s: guys, i just thought about that beautiful cross we did that day. The cross so swift and smooth that we created that huge gap. we did not manage to score but gosh, it was one cool set-up ... =) ... haha ...
I remember on the day of the finals, I was in my room suppressing the prematch jitters and trying to focus on my thesis. Suddenly I got a sms from Haili saying that she was getting excited and nervous about the match and could not concentrate on her work. And immediately I got smses from Yuhan and Yolanda from their classrooms expressing the same thing. I replied “Me too! But let’s just breathe …”. That was followed by a string of messages as we encouraged each other and affirmed that we were going to play a smashing game that night.
That was our final year, our last chance at the gold. It was such moments that connected and bonded the team, and made the difference.
p/s: guys, i just thought about that beautiful cross we did that day. The cross so swift and smooth that we created that huge gap. we did not manage to score but gosh, it was one cool set-up ... =) ... haha ...
The Harbours from Before: Temasek Hall
I have to touch on hall life before I close the chapter here. It would otherwise feel kind of incomplete.
Yup, I stayed in Temasek Hall for 4 years. I went back in my 5th year even though my batch mates had all graduated and left. It was a great place to be at and as the hall anthem goes "proud of this hall we call our own, Some call it hostel, We call it home".
Given my schedule, I was never a true blue hostelite. My hallmates would go for suppers at 2 am, sleep at 4 am after their committee meetings and wake up at noon ... I could not ... I did not participate in many of the hall activities either. However I still felt very much for this community. For me, it was largely to due to the Inter-Hall Games (IHG) whereby strong camaraderie was fostered through trainings, heartaches and triumphs. IHG typically starts in Jan each year and lasts 5 to 6 weeks. And the bulk of the trainings would occur during the Nov/Dec holidays.
I enjoyed playing in IHG. It gave me the opportunity to pick up other sports, such as handball, basketball, netball, badminton and touch rugby. I wished I had time for games like soccer, softball and volleyball.
There was something about playing for Temasek.
I fought along side with people whom I lived with. Chaps who knocked on my door during the Dec holidays trying desperately to gather the team for 8 o’clock training. Kind souls who shared their bread as we waited for the internal shuttle to SRC. Neighbours who I had seen in their most un-glam state when they woke up with their hair disheveled and I had heard screaming when there was a lizard in their rooms.
And when I played, there would always be Temasekians at the sideline cheering the team on. The support could be immense and that could certainly drive one to fight despite the odds. That sort of feeling I had not felt elsewhere. Not in my years of playing for RGS or RJC or NUS …
Perhaps the clip below could better bring across that feeling. It shows the culmination of sweat, blood & tears put into each IHG. Some of those who played 6 to 8 sports would have trained 3, 4 sessions under the sun each day for the past months to make it happen.
Yup, I stayed in Temasek Hall for 4 years. I went back in my 5th year even though my batch mates had all graduated and left. It was a great place to be at and as the hall anthem goes "proud of this hall we call our own, Some call it hostel, We call it home".
Given my schedule, I was never a true blue hostelite. My hallmates would go for suppers at 2 am, sleep at 4 am after their committee meetings and wake up at noon ... I could not ... I did not participate in many of the hall activities either. However I still felt very much for this community. For me, it was largely to due to the Inter-Hall Games (IHG) whereby strong camaraderie was fostered through trainings, heartaches and triumphs. IHG typically starts in Jan each year and lasts 5 to 6 weeks. And the bulk of the trainings would occur during the Nov/Dec holidays.
I enjoyed playing in IHG. It gave me the opportunity to pick up other sports, such as handball, basketball, netball, badminton and touch rugby. I wished I had time for games like soccer, softball and volleyball.
There was something about playing for Temasek.
I fought along side with people whom I lived with. Chaps who knocked on my door during the Dec holidays trying desperately to gather the team for 8 o’clock training. Kind souls who shared their bread as we waited for the internal shuttle to SRC. Neighbours who I had seen in their most un-glam state when they woke up with their hair disheveled and I had heard screaming when there was a lizard in their rooms.
And when I played, there would always be Temasekians at the sideline cheering the team on. The support could be immense and that could certainly drive one to fight despite the odds. That sort of feeling I had not felt elsewhere. Not in my years of playing for RGS or RJC or NUS …
Perhaps the clip below could better bring across that feeling. It shows the culmination of sweat, blood & tears put into each IHG. Some of those who played 6 to 8 sports would have trained 3, 4 sessions under the sun each day for the past months to make it happen.
ps: pardon the quality of the clip. it has been highly compressed.
The Harbours from Before: Undergraduate Days Part III
Almost immediately upon my return, I was put up at Shangri-La for a few days as a participant of the Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition in which my team emerged first runner-up. The morning after we checked out, I met Ansari at Bishan Junction 8. I did not communicate much with him the year I was in Philly. And so that morning, I found out that the group had stopped playing squash. He was not keen to coach anymore as well.
As IHG approached, I finally picked up my racket and played a couple of times a week. I broached the topic with Ansari on a few occasions, and yah, I put my foot down and said I wanted to give it another go. We would build it up slowly again.
Well … but I had made that choice. I stuck to it. I would get off track but I would get back again … and again … and again …
Things could only smoothen out.
Lightning McQueen: Okay. Here we go. Focus. Speed. I am speed. One winner. 42 losers. I eat losers for breakfast. Breakfast? Maybe I should have had breakfast? Brekkie could be good for me. No no no. Focus. Speed. Faster than fast, quicker than quick. I am Lightning.The Harbours from Before: Undergraduate Days Part II
yah, after putting in so much time and effort, sometimes I felt I was getting nowhere. We trained independently on our own with no support from the squash association or the sports council. We relied entirely on our own resources. While I was amongst the top few women players in Singapore, I was never considered a National player as I did not attend National training. I certainly did not care to be labeled as one. But the lack of transparency in the system irked me. There was hardly any local tournaments for senior players. There was no ladder system to establish a fair ranking of players in Singapore. And there was no open selections to choose the best to represent the country in international tournaments.
Since we are a meritocratic society, I would think there should be a fair system to establish the top players in Singapore, those who deserve the resources and those who should represent the State. But no. I know of some real lousy players who were under “national training” and actually represented Singapore just because they were favourites of a couple of coaches in favourable positions.
Such things just took energy and spirit away from the pursuit …
In early 2003, I stumbled upon the NOC program. The successful applicant would spend one year in the States (it had since then expanded to include more locations) working in a start-up company while studying part-time in the partner university. The program was very attractive and having chosen not to pursue an overseas education previously, I could not help but wonder what the experience would have been like. Plus, I wanted a break.
Before going to US, I was leading a very disciplined and focused life. A typical day when in university would involve waking up by 7 am, doing my quiet time, packing breakfast from the com hall, training at Temasek Club, going for classes, training again in the evening and returning to hall only around 10 pm. I would then grab a shower, have my packed dinner which had been hanging on my door, do some work and hit the bed by midnight. I was directed and driven by a strong intent.
B
I spent my last weekend in US alone at Lake George, New York.
I decided to continue the journey as a true Ithakan.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
The Harbours from Before: Undergraduate Days Part I
I wanted very much to get it back and decided that the best way forward was to continue training under Ansari in Singapore. As such, I ended up spending 5 years in NUS pursuing a Mechanical Engineering degree. The first 3 years were spent playing competitive squash, the fourth in Philadelphia under the NUS Overseas Colleges (NOC) program and the fifth trying to figure what really mattered.
Let me start with the first 3 years …
Those were enjoyable times. Studies wise, I maintained a certain level of flexibility in my schedule, attending classes and doing tutorials only when I felt it was useful to. I did not have to face any pressure from the school, kept to my own pace and knew just enough to take the final examinations.
Squash wise, of course I faced the usual ups and downs. Some days were fantastic! I felt world-class. Some days were really bad … I would play real lousy. On hindsight, though it did not feel that way then, things were actually going on well.
Belinda Foo came in our lives somewhere along the line. Ex-national squash player, mother of three, a musician by profession and currently a triathlete. She was one great personality and certainly a superb training partner. To accommodate her work schedule, we started training in the mornings. This was on top of the regular sessions we already had on almost every weekday evenings and Sunday afternoons. Twice or thrice a week, we would play for an hour or so starting from 8 am at Temasek Club. She would then drop me back in school for the 10 o’clock lecture in which I would inevitably fall asleep. And therefore sometimes I would rather go for mee soto at Clementi instead. ;-)
Wah Siew, Belinda and I played as a team in the Ladies’ Premier in 2002 and 2003 and also the Men’s C Grade in 2003. While we did not win, we did not do too badly either. Looking back, it was good fun. Some of the matches were excellent.
Yup, the dream team. haha ... ;-)
And it was during the league back in mid-2003 that I played my last matches with Nur and Vicki, who were then No 2 and 3 in Singapore. I can’t remember the matches but I know I lost to one in four games and the other in five after a close fight. In terms of fitness and skill, we were comparable. I only lacked that bit of confidence. Just that little bit more. I felt I was almost there.
But perhaps this set of results came a little too late …
I left for the States on 30 Aug 2003 … only to return one year later to find that everyone had stopped playing ...
Now I really look forward to competing again ...
Let me start with the first 3 years …
Those were enjoyable times. Studies wise, I maintained a certain level of flexibility in my schedule, attending classes and doing tutorials only when I felt it was useful to. I did not have to face any pressure from the school, kept to my own pace and knew just enough to take the final examinations.
Squash wise, of course I faced the usual ups and downs. Some days were fantastic! I felt world-class. Some days were really bad … I would play real lousy. On hindsight, though it did not feel that way then, things were actually going on well.
Belinda Foo came in our lives somewhere along the line. Ex-national squash player, mother of three, a musician by profession and currently a triathlete. She was one great personality and certainly a superb training partner. To accommodate her work schedule, we started training in the mornings. This was on top of the regular sessions we already had on almost every weekday evenings and Sunday afternoons. Twice or thrice a week, we would play for an hour or so starting from 8 am at Temasek Club. She would then drop me back in school for the 10 o’clock lecture in which I would inevitably fall asleep. And therefore sometimes I would rather go for mee soto at Clementi instead. ;-)
Wah Siew, Belinda and I played as a team in the Ladies’ Premier in 2002 and 2003 and also the Men’s C Grade in 2003. While we did not win, we did not do too badly either. Looking back, it was good fun. Some of the matches were excellent.
Yup, the dream team. haha ... ;-)And it was during the league back in mid-2003 that I played my last matches with Nur and Vicki, who were then No 2 and 3 in Singapore. I can’t remember the matches but I know I lost to one in four games and the other in five after a close fight. In terms of fitness and skill, we were comparable. I only lacked that bit of confidence. Just that little bit more. I felt I was almost there.
But perhaps this set of results came a little too late …
I left for the States on 30 Aug 2003 … only to return one year later to find that everyone had stopped playing ...
Now I really look forward to competing again ...
Friday, October 12, 2007
First Video Post
Video Uploading has been out of draft for some time now and I have on many occasions tried putting up a video.
One more try after converting to mpeg today.
Kudos to Veron for my favourite ihg squash video. =)
One more try after converting to mpeg today.
Kudos to Veron for my favourite ihg squash video. =)
Thursday, August 30, 2007
What can Sweden teach Singapore?
We did a crazy thing yesterday. I reached Siew's place at
And today I made my second appearance at
How true …
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Reporter XXX strikes again
For those who have read the previous post ... Yup, Wah Siew said so herself! See her comments in bold. Haha ...
But jokes aside ... It was such aspiring seniors that movitated me to train hard and set my sights high.
From the very 1st edition of our Squash newsletter "STRIKE" that was published sometime July/August 1996 ...
Interview with Tan Wah Siew
Tan Wah Siew, an ex-RGS girl (now studying in RJC), proved herself in the recent Milo Nationals by beating National representatives Jasmine Tiw and Caroline Baptista, emerging first runners-up in the U19 Girls' Open Championships. All these successes are result of her hard work for the past 4 years.
Reporter XXX catches up with Tan Wah Siew, the player who "used to be average" and invites her to share her secrets of success ...
XXX: Hi, Wah Siew. How's life?
TWS: (pondering) It's okay.
XXX: (devilish grin) Ready for the interview?
TWS: (with her big eyes staring suspiciously at me) So what are you up to?
XXX: Nothing much. Just a few questions. So what made you join squash when you were Sec 1?
TWS: I decided that entering RGS was going to change the rest of my life. I wanted to play a sport because I did not get the chance to do that in primary school. I guess I chose squash because it was an indoor sport: I could play rain or shine.
XXX: (in a more serious tone) Have you regretted your decision?
TWS: I have definitely not regretted it. Playing squash has made me a more disciplined person and I have learnt that facing up to our fears is the best way to overcome them. I am learning new things every single day. It has been extremely fulfilling and I have thoroughly enjoyed myself for the last 4 years.
XXX: How good were you when you first started?
TWS: Frankly, I was quite terrible. I think I could barely hit the ball when I just started playing. Ball sense and talent were certainly not things you would have connected me with.
XXX: (Could not believe my ears. Who could image this excellent player being lousy?) What drove you to work so hard?
But jokes aside ... It was such aspiring seniors that movitated me to train hard and set my sights high.
It is a pity that this respected senior, compatible training partner and worthy opponent is currently not playing ... Well, I remain optimistic though ... =)
____________________________________________________________
From the very 1st edition of our Squash newsletter "STRIKE" that was published sometime July/August 1996 ...
Interview with Tan Wah Siew
Tan Wah Siew, an ex-RGS girl (now studying in RJC), proved herself in the recent Milo Nationals by beating National representatives Jasmine Tiw and Caroline Baptista, emerging first runners-up in the U19 Girls' Open Championships. All these successes are result of her hard work for the past 4 years.
Reporter XXX catches up with Tan Wah Siew, the player who "used to be average" and invites her to share her secrets of success ...
XXX: Hi, Wah Siew. How's life?
TWS: (pondering) It's okay.
XXX: (devilish grin) Ready for the interview?
TWS: (with her big eyes staring suspiciously at me) So what are you up to?
XXX: Nothing much. Just a few questions. So what made you join squash when you were Sec 1?
TWS: I decided that entering RGS was going to change the rest of my life. I wanted to play a sport because I did not get the chance to do that in primary school. I guess I chose squash because it was an indoor sport: I could play rain or shine.
XXX: (in a more serious tone) Have you regretted your decision?
TWS: I have definitely not regretted it. Playing squash has made me a more disciplined person and I have learnt that facing up to our fears is the best way to overcome them. I am learning new things every single day. It has been extremely fulfilling and I have thoroughly enjoyed myself for the last 4 years.
XXX: How good were you when you first started?
TWS: Frankly, I was quite terrible. I think I could barely hit the ball when I just started playing. Ball sense and talent were certainly not things you would have connected me with.
XXX: (Could not believe my ears. Who could image this excellent player being lousy?) What drove you to work so hard?
TWS: It was the desire to be an extremely good player. Quite a few of us were training hard in Sec 2 and 3 and so we spurred each other on. I did not know exactly what to do to achieve my goal at first, so I just trained as hard as I could. Right now, with Ansari’s help, training has become more defined.
XXX: What has squash done to you?
TWS: Squash has made me a better person. I have learnt to withstand pain during training and to compete and fight no matter what the odds are. I have also learnt, to a certain extent, to break out of my own limitations and to set myself free so that I can perform.
XXX: (eyes wide open and jaws dropping, bewildered at the profound answer. On regaining my composure) Has training affected your studies?
TWS: Training has not affected my studies. If anything, training has taught me to manage my time better so that I can train, do my work and get enough sleep. This only proves that the Singaporean belief that people who play sports cannot do well on their studies is not true.
XXX: (That is very true. Wah Siew obtained good results for her “O” level examinations last year.) What do you wish to achieve in the coming years?
TWS: (without any hesitation) I want to represent the
XXX: (Getting quite bored with such ‘cheem’ stuff and deciding to ask something more related to myself.) How do you think seniors and juniors should treat each other?
TWS: The seniors should be ever willing to help the juniors while the juniors should respect the seniors. The team should be spirited and both seniors and juniors should spur one another onto greater heights.
XXX: (sigh! Another of those answers. Suddenly something popped into my mind. Feeling quite excited and flashing my ever-so-innocent smile) I was told by ABC that you have never “fallen in love”. How do you manage to keep your mind on squash and refrain from guys for so long?
TWS: I love the sport.
XXX: (disappointed look. I was expecting some kind of interesting answer. Looking at the time, I decided to ask the final question.) What do you have to say to us juniors out there?
TWS: (deep in thought) Move in the direction of your dreams, whatever they may be, for you may meet with unexpected success in the coming hours.
XXX: (wow, totally impressed and inspired. But my hands are now aching due to the vigourous jotting down of the answers.) That is all I have, Wah Siew. Thanks for answering my questions.
TWS: (smilingly) It’s my pleasure.
We shook hands (mine still in pain, of course) and went our separate ways.
Signing off
Reporter XXX
Musings: When the lights went off
Nicol David was recently in town for the inaugural Women’s CIMB Singapore Masters. That sparked off conversations on the match which Wah Siew had against Nicol David in the Asian Squash Junior Circuit Grand Final way back in November 1998. Wah Siew was leading 8-6 in the first game when there was a power trip. After the lights came on, the match took a different turn. That was probably the closest anyone had gone to take a game off Nicol David that year. Nicol went on to win the World Junior title in 1999 and repeated the feat in 2000.
We can only imagine what could have happened if the lights had not gone off. Maybe Wah Siew would have maintained her focus and momentum to win the first game. Who knows … But even reaching 8 points against Nicol was no trivial task. Wah Siew demonstrated the level of performance one is capable of. This is a good testament of the potential of our local athletes to perform and compete at international levels.
And we know it is not about talent. No offence intended but Wah Siew was never considered a sporting talent. But yet, Wah Siew reached a certain “zone” in that first game to give Nicol a good fight. That required a certain amount of work and she sure would need a lot more hard work to be able to maintain that level of performance for the entire match. So perhaps we should be asking ourselves how we could sustain and repeat that high level of performance. How could we best structure our system to bring about that desired result?
However we have been accustomed to a barrage of excuses (to be linked to the 7 myths) that explain away our failings in the sporting arena. It is time to tear apart these myths and see clearly the real issues impeding our athletes. Let us solve the fundamental issues. Let us be excited about the possibilities. There is so much that we can achieve as an individual, and together as a Nation.
Aren’t we a city of possibilities? Each individual Singaporean should be truly empowered with that knowledge.
Monday, August 13, 2007
A little prayer
I was very touched when Anna gave me the “amulet” this morning … and when I finally decided on its permanent location in my car, I felt a deep sense of blessing.
That reminded me to give thanks for what I have at this moment. And be grateful for the perfect Now.
Lightning McQueen: Okay, you got me out here. Where are we going?
Sally: I don't know.
That reminded me to give thanks for what I have at this moment. And be grateful for the perfect Now.
Lightning McQueen: Okay, you got me out here. Where are we going?
Sally: I don't know.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
The Harbours from Before: JC Life
I cannot and perhaps do not want to remember much about JC life.
I was still on the path of recovery … I continued to train hard, determined to climb back up the ladder which I had slipped from. The moments of clarity sustained my spirit and kept me hungry to come back. Guess it was something I had to go through, though I may have taken more time than I should have.
I suppose JC life did not make the path easier. There was great pressure in school where everybody seemed to be so anxious to do well. Conversations always revolved around tutorials, common tests, S-papers, overseas universities, scholarships etc … I detested it. I refused to engage in the milieu …
I was hardly awake in class and never quite kept up with my tutorials. I relied heavily on the notes and tutorials handed down to me from Weiting. Tutorial questions were still the same and on a few occasions, I actually handed up her work as mine. I kept away from school as much as possible and I was lucky to have a lenient class teacher who accepted many similar-sounding excuse letters endorsed by my very understanding mum.
I felt that too much focus was put into preparing us for the ‘A’ levels. Right after the first few months in JC1, we were constantly reminded of the impending examinations. We were constantly told that it would not be easy and we had to work hard for good results. Common tests were always made difficult so that half of the level could barely pass and the teachers would leverage on that to emphasize the need to study harder, or else we would not get our ‘A’s. That made many people very stressed.
I don’t know … I studied as much as I could with the time I had … I could more or less understand the basic concepts though I usually scored ‘O’s, ‘E’s and ‘F’s for my tests, especially for Further Maths. Yes, maybe there were some really bright students that needed extra challenging questions. And yes, maybe there was a need to differentiate the really good, good and average students. But there was no need to scare the majority of students and tell them that they were in risk of not doing well for the A levels when they did badly in a test that was set many times harder than the final examinations.
I remember this scene pretty well. I was in the lecture theatre listening to a particular Chemistry teacher who was flashing statistics of our prelim results. He was also comparing our results against the ‘A’ level results of the previous batch where about 80% scored an A. The 80% percentile for our batch scored a D in the prelim exam. I think I got a D too … Instead of encouraging us, he warned that we should not think such a high percentage would always score an A and those with Cs and below better pull up their socks and study harder. I think I sniggered at that remark but some of my classmates only got more stressed …
And I also remember walking out of the examination hall after one of the Chemistry papers wondering if I could have scored full marks for that paper.
Come on … 2 years of my life spent studying for an exam. An exam that could have been breezed through but instead made to seem so difficult. There was so much unnecessary pressure and fear. We could have been happier students.
It was as if failing to get 4 ‘A’s (and 2 distinctions) would cost one a bright future. In JC1, people scrambled to apply for S-papers, and in JC2 overseas universities …
I don’t know … on one hand, I felt some amount of pressure … on the other, I felt damn sick of the entire situation. In the end, I made no applications of any sort until I got my results. Then I sent in one application to NUS stating just that one course I wanted to take. I did not even bother to fill up the rest of the choices. However I made the effort to apply for a scholarship for financial reasons and I did get one.
Oh well, JC still leaves a distaste in my mouth … I guess I rather not think about it.
I was still on the path of recovery … I continued to train hard, determined to climb back up the ladder which I had slipped from. The moments of clarity sustained my spirit and kept me hungry to come back. Guess it was something I had to go through, though I may have taken more time than I should have.
I suppose JC life did not make the path easier. There was great pressure in school where everybody seemed to be so anxious to do well. Conversations always revolved around tutorials, common tests, S-papers, overseas universities, scholarships etc … I detested it. I refused to engage in the milieu …
I was hardly awake in class and never quite kept up with my tutorials. I relied heavily on the notes and tutorials handed down to me from Weiting. Tutorial questions were still the same and on a few occasions, I actually handed up her work as mine. I kept away from school as much as possible and I was lucky to have a lenient class teacher who accepted many similar-sounding excuse letters endorsed by my very understanding mum.
I felt that too much focus was put into preparing us for the ‘A’ levels. Right after the first few months in JC1, we were constantly reminded of the impending examinations. We were constantly told that it would not be easy and we had to work hard for good results. Common tests were always made difficult so that half of the level could barely pass and the teachers would leverage on that to emphasize the need to study harder, or else we would not get our ‘A’s. That made many people very stressed.
I don’t know … I studied as much as I could with the time I had … I could more or less understand the basic concepts though I usually scored ‘O’s, ‘E’s and ‘F’s for my tests, especially for Further Maths. Yes, maybe there were some really bright students that needed extra challenging questions. And yes, maybe there was a need to differentiate the really good, good and average students. But there was no need to scare the majority of students and tell them that they were in risk of not doing well for the A levels when they did badly in a test that was set many times harder than the final examinations.
I remember this scene pretty well. I was in the lecture theatre listening to a particular Chemistry teacher who was flashing statistics of our prelim results. He was also comparing our results against the ‘A’ level results of the previous batch where about 80% scored an A. The 80% percentile for our batch scored a D in the prelim exam. I think I got a D too … Instead of encouraging us, he warned that we should not think such a high percentage would always score an A and those with Cs and below better pull up their socks and study harder. I think I sniggered at that remark but some of my classmates only got more stressed …
And I also remember walking out of the examination hall after one of the Chemistry papers wondering if I could have scored full marks for that paper.
Come on … 2 years of my life spent studying for an exam. An exam that could have been breezed through but instead made to seem so difficult. There was so much unnecessary pressure and fear. We could have been happier students.
It was as if failing to get 4 ‘A’s (and 2 distinctions) would cost one a bright future. In JC1, people scrambled to apply for S-papers, and in JC2 overseas universities …
I don’t know … on one hand, I felt some amount of pressure … on the other, I felt damn sick of the entire situation. In the end, I made no applications of any sort until I got my results. Then I sent in one application to NUS stating just that one course I wanted to take. I did not even bother to fill up the rest of the choices. However I made the effort to apply for a scholarship for financial reasons and I did get one.
Oh well, JC still leaves a distaste in my mouth … I guess I rather not think about it.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Day 12
I went down to Flynn Park yesterday evening. I received a very warm welcome from the same old gang ... Jerry, Uncle Tong, Uncle Patrick, Fat Joe, Skinny Joe and a few others ... I have not seen them for more than 4 years. Gosh, time flies ...
They still have been playing regularly and I am glad to be able to make it down finally, despite the minor car accident earlier that morning. I played with Jerry and Robert, someone I have seen for the first time. Jerry still pushes everything front with that excellent touch and Robert hits the ball real hard. I lost 2 games to them both and for the second, the score was 8-9 and 8-10 respectively. Got there but could not complete it.
Now I will be there every Thursday ... I look forward to my games with these people. And better still, I got a new training partner in Robert. He is keen to train too. =) That is certainly good news, given the departure of Meng Ooi ...
Yah, talking about Meng Ooi, it has to go down into records that he did not show up last Tuesday for the final game with me! *scrowl*
They still have been playing regularly and I am glad to be able to make it down finally, despite the minor car accident earlier that morning. I played with Jerry and Robert, someone I have seen for the first time. Jerry still pushes everything front with that excellent touch and Robert hits the ball real hard. I lost 2 games to them both and for the second, the score was 8-9 and 8-10 respectively. Got there but could not complete it.
Now I will be there every Thursday ... I look forward to my games with these people. And better still, I got a new training partner in Robert. He is keen to train too. =) That is certainly good news, given the departure of Meng Ooi ...
Yah, talking about Meng Ooi, it has to go down into records that he did not show up last Tuesday for the final game with me! *scrowl*
Monday, July 09, 2007
Day 1
The toughest thing has been and I believe, will continue to be focusing the mind and staying in the Now. There is a constant internal chatter that takes my attention away from the game. I have to tighten my thoughts.
And thus I make a commitment to myself to be happy, conscious and as much as possible be in the Now.
And today being Day 1, I woke up at 6:45 am, did sun salutation, IT band stretching and heart centre meditation.
It was a good start to the day and around lunch time, I received a call to say I was one of the lucky 12 to have been balloted a NDP ticket. Quite some luck and I should be getting the second one soon. Hahaha ...
And thus I make a commitment to myself to be happy, conscious and as much as possible be in the Now.
And today being Day 1, I woke up at 6:45 am, did sun salutation, IT band stretching and heart centre meditation.
It was a good start to the day and around lunch time, I received a call to say I was one of the lucky 12 to have been balloted a NDP ticket. Quite some luck and I should be getting the second one soon. Hahaha ...
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Musings: Handball or Tchoukball
We lost the handball semi-finals to KR Almuni that Saturday morning. On top of the usual glue marks on my sweat-soaked jersey, I had a slight cut on my palm and abrasion on my knee. I was sprawled on the court on several occasions. And one time I may not have fallen if only my kind opponent had just held on to me. Though exhausted, I felt good. I had fun. I enjoyed having spent that Saturday morning under the blazing sun with 7 of my team mates fighting it out on the handball court.
... KESAMET ...
As we sat around discussing the match thereafter, Ms Tang started telling us about this new game her school had just introduced. The game is supposedly similar to handball except that there is no physical contact and interception of the ball allowed. One point is scored when one player shoots the ball onto this rebound frame placed at each end of the court. The defending team can only prevent the goal by catching the rebound ball before it falls onto court again.
Later on, I found out the game is called tchoukball, something invented by Swiss Physician Dr. Hermann Brandt in 1970s. He believed that “the objective of human physical activities is not to make champions, but rather to help construct a harmonious society". He intended tchoukball to be a tool to bring peace between teams, from the simplest most friendly encounter to the most competitive international fixture. The true ethos of tchoukball was supposed to be that of “A Sport for All”, a spirit that Dr Hermann Brandt felt was sadly lost in many of today's contemporary sports.
Isn’t sports meant to be a tool to bring out the best of oneself? And that expression comes with pushing one’s limit against oneself as well as competing creatively against the strongest opponents within a defined set of boundaries. While becoming a champion is not the means to an end, shouldn’t it be the goal that any serious athlete should aim for? To strive for excellence, to be the best.
Can’t most sports be played by all? Isn’t it just a matter of which level the players themselves want to take it at? I wonder what exactly this “A Sport for All” spirit means.
I also wonder if I will ever find myself playing this “very intense, extremely fast and skillful sport which allows individuals to express themselves as part of a team”.
A game that I would not face any resistance or opposition since no interception or physical contact is allowed. Is that any reflective of life? Sometimes, part of the fun and experience comes from the tussling one has to go through.
A game that I have no means of defense except to depend heavily on lady luck to bring the trajectory of the ball to cross the spot where I happen to be squatting low. Isn’t it human nature to put up a fight when attacked? Does it really promote peace and harmony amongst the teams when I just stand there and allow my opponents to make an attack?
A game that I could so easily score since the rebound frame is unguarded and forbidden zone only a semi-circle 3 m in radius. Where does the true challenge lie? In handball for example, one has to put the ball past a keeper from outside a forbidden zone of 6 m in radius. And often it is exhilarating to be flying in from outside the semi-circle, hanging in mid-air for that spilt second while aiming for the best corner to put the ball past the keeper. That is intense, fast and requires much skill.
Well, I guess I will stick to handball, a game I feel is as genuine a team sport and totally unique ... just like most other team sports ... A game which I will continue to enjoy expressing my individual self as part of the team …
... KESAMET ...As we sat around discussing the match thereafter, Ms Tang started telling us about this new game her school had just introduced. The game is supposedly similar to handball except that there is no physical contact and interception of the ball allowed. One point is scored when one player shoots the ball onto this rebound frame placed at each end of the court. The defending team can only prevent the goal by catching the rebound ball before it falls onto court again.
Later on, I found out the game is called tchoukball, something invented by Swiss Physician Dr. Hermann Brandt in 1970s. He believed that “the objective of human physical activities is not to make champions, but rather to help construct a harmonious society". He intended tchoukball to be a tool to bring peace between teams, from the simplest most friendly encounter to the most competitive international fixture. The true ethos of tchoukball was supposed to be that of “A Sport for All”, a spirit that Dr Hermann Brandt felt was sadly lost in many of today's contemporary sports.
Isn’t sports meant to be a tool to bring out the best of oneself? And that expression comes with pushing one’s limit against oneself as well as competing creatively against the strongest opponents within a defined set of boundaries. While becoming a champion is not the means to an end, shouldn’t it be the goal that any serious athlete should aim for? To strive for excellence, to be the best.
Can’t most sports be played by all? Isn’t it just a matter of which level the players themselves want to take it at? I wonder what exactly this “A Sport for All” spirit means.
I also wonder if I will ever find myself playing this “very intense, extremely fast and skillful sport which allows individuals to express themselves as part of a team”.
A game that I would not face any resistance or opposition since no interception or physical contact is allowed. Is that any reflective of life? Sometimes, part of the fun and experience comes from the tussling one has to go through.
A game that I have no means of defense except to depend heavily on lady luck to bring the trajectory of the ball to cross the spot where I happen to be squatting low. Isn’t it human nature to put up a fight when attacked? Does it really promote peace and harmony amongst the teams when I just stand there and allow my opponents to make an attack?
A game that I could so easily score since the rebound frame is unguarded and forbidden zone only a semi-circle 3 m in radius. Where does the true challenge lie? In handball for example, one has to put the ball past a keeper from outside a forbidden zone of 6 m in radius. And often it is exhilarating to be flying in from outside the semi-circle, hanging in mid-air for that spilt second while aiming for the best corner to put the ball past the keeper. That is intense, fast and requires much skill.
Well, I guess I will stick to handball, a game I feel is as genuine a team sport and totally unique ... just like most other team sports ... A game which I will continue to enjoy expressing my individual self as part of the team …
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Musings: After sending off version 15
Yah, I assessed my office mail a little while ago and read this farewell note from a close colleague who just tendered on Friday.
I imagined how I would feel when it comes to my turn. Afterall, it would be my first resignation. Almost 2 years into the job, I cannot say I am loving it any more than when I first started. But I know I would leave with a certain sense of sadness. Due to the people factor …
Yet, the squash court beckons.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Post Match Ramblings 200307
Played a best-of-5 match with Meng Ooi today and I lost 2-3 (10-8, 3-9, 7-9, 9-7, 6-9). The game ended with some fluke shot from him. Haha.
I enjoyed myself. I was hitting relatively tight shots and moving quite smoothly. I found myself volleying and attacking loose shots more often now. My efforts in badminton seemed to be paying off. However I was not competent in directing my volleys. Quite a number of shots either hit the tin or came out loose. I need to be able to place my volleys much better.
I was watching my balance quite a bit. I had the habit of moving off the T before the opponent hit. Resulted in quite a number of rallies lost, especially when he pushed the ball front off my service. I also tended to be unbalanced when going in for the front shots. Rushing. That unbalance caused delay in returning to the T and a brief moment of attention lapse. If Meng Ooi were to attack the return, I would have problems getting to the ball.
I played well in patches. For short periods, I was focused and really into the game. Then my thoughts would start drifting and suddenly I would realised that I had lost quite a few points. The gaps in attention definitely need to be shortened and eventually eliminated. Well, these gaps are also the reason why I am unable to type a full match report now. I can only recall snippets of the game. Too much of the time I was just not there.
Well, that intense but relaxed focus ... I am slowly building it up. And enjoying the process. =)
I enjoyed myself. I was hitting relatively tight shots and moving quite smoothly. I found myself volleying and attacking loose shots more often now. My efforts in badminton seemed to be paying off. However I was not competent in directing my volleys. Quite a number of shots either hit the tin or came out loose. I need to be able to place my volleys much better.
I was watching my balance quite a bit. I had the habit of moving off the T before the opponent hit. Resulted in quite a number of rallies lost, especially when he pushed the ball front off my service. I also tended to be unbalanced when going in for the front shots. Rushing. That unbalance caused delay in returning to the T and a brief moment of attention lapse. If Meng Ooi were to attack the return, I would have problems getting to the ball.
I played well in patches. For short periods, I was focused and really into the game. Then my thoughts would start drifting and suddenly I would realised that I had lost quite a few points. The gaps in attention definitely need to be shortened and eventually eliminated. Well, these gaps are also the reason why I am unable to type a full match report now. I can only recall snippets of the game. Too much of the time I was just not there.
Well, that intense but relaxed focus ... I am slowly building it up. And enjoying the process. =)
Sunday, March 04, 2007
相逢
It was sometime in August 1998 that I received the folder from Yee-leng. We were hardly seeing each other then, all busy with JC life. Then I took a step back to reflect on certain things and subsequently wrote this essay during Chinese class. While I have to admit the essay is not quite original with several phrases taken from “溪水长流”, this is the essay I am most proud of. Simply because I wrote it with my friends in mind.
Our Dreams Part 1
Our Dreams Part 2
yes, the days where we had our fantasies ...
Due to the decreasing proficiency in the language, I struggled for hours to type in the essay … so please enjoy your read.
手里拿着一杯鸡尾酒，我在人群中徘徊， 见了熟人便打个招呼， 并交谈起来。 有时也因朋友的介绍而与素味平生的同行人士谈上两句。身为生意人，少不了交际应酬，而这样的宴会已成为我生活的一部分.
忽然，我感到一股疲劳，想离开这繁杂的大厅。我便独自走向泳池的另一端，找个无人的角落坐下来， 一个人静一静。 我厌倦这日忙夜忙， 奔波劳累的生活。 我讨厌商业界里所存在的明争暗斗，勾心斗角，尔虞我诈。有时我不知身边的人是友还是敌， 不知能信任谁。我想放弃这社会阶级的攀爬，放弃所有一切，并远离这个地方，到没人认识我的角落过无拘无束的生活。 可惜我没勇气违抗父亲，只好听他的话在他的公司办事，继续他的事业。我被一切邦了下来，失去了自由， 找不回自我.
辽望着夜空里的星星，一颗颗闪烁不定的星星，我觉得它们很孤独，孤伶伶的站岗在漆黑广阔无际的天边，有如我一人在社会里挣扎求存。 我那孤单的心情又有谁会了解呢？
忽然幽幽的琴声侵扰了夜里的宁静，打断了我的思路。啊！这熟悉的曲子 。。。 是他吗？不可能！我不由自主地向大厅走去。走着， 走着，我如走入时光隧道， 回返从前 。。。
那时年纪还轻，我满腔热忱，充满希望与梦想，而这一切唯有他能听得懂。我们俩是莫逆之交，非常了解对方。每当我失意的时候，他会尽量安慰我， 逗我开心，解我烦忧。我们每休息时间都到个小角落谈天说地， 向对方透露深藏心里的心事，并想象他日的路途。
"我想当个探险家，探索没有人去过的地方。我要到世界每一个角落探知所有一切。那我就能过着无拘无束的生活，并能攀高山越峻岭，过着多姿多彩的日子。想一想我会去到的地方 ...”
他笑了笑便认真地说：“我要做个伟大的音乐家。千千万万的人将会来观赏我的演奏会。我现在已能感受到那时热烈的掌声 ...”
可惜天下没有不散之宴席。 中四年终考后， 我们走上了自己的路。别离的时候，他轻拍我的肩，对我说：“朋友，不要太惆怅。这首歌是我写给你的，希望你会好好保留。而你送我的口琴，我会永远带在身边。” 说着，他拿出口琴，将那首歌吹奏，琴声幽幽 ...
他到澳洲留学，而我留在这里继续我的学业。起初，我们还有写信保持联络。可是，时间不饶人，也不为我们停留，很快地，我们被卷入忙碌的生活中。渐渐地，我们失去了联络。失去了这位知己，我沉静了许多，总把心事藏在心里。 我也不再做梦，不再谈梦，并把梦想抛在脑后，只做个乖孩子，听随父亲的意思 。。。
一位身穿大衣的音乐家在我眼前出现。他从口袋里拿出小小口琴，吹奏了起来，而忘了周围的人，忘了等着为他伴奏的同事们。歌曲牵动了我的心弦，鼻子一酸，眼泪夺眶而出，像细雨一样，籁籁地流下来， 再次点燃了心中那追梦的一把火。
______________________________________________
Our Dreams Part 1
Our Dreams Part 2yes, the days where we had our fantasies ...
A little poem ...
As I have mentioned previously, Yee-leng has great artistic flair. She gave me an entire file full of scrap pieces of paper with scribbling of her work one day in JC1. This poem was found in the file and I just thought of posting it.
| As I sit here | Tomorrow awaits us, | Our hearts are linked, | |
| With my thoughts aflow | With the turning of this | By a human emotion, | |
| & my spirit at peace | Mighty sphere. | By the peace of the night | |
| The quietness of the night | A new turn of events, | With the upper world | |
| Soothes my soul. | More challenges ahead. | As witness. | |
| God is watching over me | Be it good or bad, | But the day we part, | |
| From the havens above | It all lies above. | With things yet undone, | |
| Thoughts and worries are but | In the next part | Of dreams unfulfilled, | |
| Specks of stars in | Of the sky, | Will come. | |
| The distance: | Of our life, | The wound will bleed, | |
| Shrouded in the blanket | Under the veil of | The tears will fall, | |
| Of the unseeing, | Mystery. | But blood will clot | |
| Of the closed eyes. | Like the knocking of | & the fullest lake will dry. | |
| My mind travels across | A stranger on the door; | The link of time passes us by, | |
| The countless miles | As the game of | The bond is broken, | |
| To a little place called home | Chance proceeds, | A wall is built, | |
| In my heart. | Paths intertwine. | Close to me you | |
| Where my sister sits | Friendships form. | May be, | |
| In the same solitary silence | A brief elapse of memory | But our spirits will fly | |
| At her desk | & a blank appears, | A different direction | |
| Penning a letter to me. | With the parting of lands. | Willful, lost, wondering | |
| Outside her window, | It is but a past, | & ignorant. | |
| The same starry nightsky, | Lasting now, | I cherish every moment | |
| The same thoughts, | But not forever. | Of this night. | |
| The same peace. | Today, | I thank God I’ve | |
| | You'll be here with me | Known you. | |
| | Waiting to be fulfilled | I pray for the | |
| | | One day we shall | |
| | | With acceptance. |
This file is one of the greatest gift I have ever received.
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