3 years in NUS. The very last semester. A countdown of 3 months. 2 more months with Jupitans.
Tonight's the combined team gathering for floorball guys and girls, in conjunction with the IVP season's debrief. As much as floorball is the first and only team-sport in my life, it has made a difference. As much as I had despaired during the downs of floorball, as much as I lamented about my mistake joining a team sport - when it comes to the end, all it leaves are memories, laughter, tears and friendships. That was what I took home, what I learnt from my one and only stint in playing as a team.
Playing in Jupitans will be a fond memory to me, because I know I will carry on in individual sports in future, simply because I have only myself to challenge. Competing with others who are so much more talented at a same sport will kill me mentally sooner or later if I continue this way. Yet as tonight marks one of the more formal "good-bye"s we will say to one another, the sense of belonging stays and leaves a page of colourful experiences in my mind.
Only a group of people will know how that feels. For I certainly know how difficult it is to feel part of a team when one is an individual pitting against himself (and others, unknowingly/knowingly) in the arena. Both sides, I have felt.
Graduation strikes me, hard and deep, as I made my "speech" to the floorball teams. Everywhere I go I'm reminded that I'm stepping out into the working world soon. So many people I have talked to - they cannot wait to graduate - why hate school so much when you have your entire life to work? A student's life can never be replaced once graduated - no more late nights, no more free-days, no more team bonding, no more hard-core trainings, no more putting 100% of your time into doing what you always loved to do. No more of that.
"I didn't know you're graduating this semester. So fast." Indeed.
Saturday, January 27, 2007Tonight's the combined team gathering for floorball guys and girls, in conjunction with the IVP season's debrief. As much as floorball is the first and only team-sport in my life, it has made a difference. As much as I had despaired during the downs of floorball, as much as I lamented about my mistake joining a team sport - when it comes to the end, all it leaves are memories, laughter, tears and friendships. That was what I took home, what I learnt from my one and only stint in playing as a team.
Playing in Jupitans will be a fond memory to me, because I know I will carry on in individual sports in future, simply because I have only myself to challenge. Competing with others who are so much more talented at a same sport will kill me mentally sooner or later if I continue this way. Yet as tonight marks one of the more formal "good-bye"s we will say to one another, the sense of belonging stays and leaves a page of colourful experiences in my mind.
Only a group of people will know how that feels. For I certainly know how difficult it is to feel part of a team when one is an individual pitting against himself (and others, unknowingly/knowingly) in the arena. Both sides, I have felt.
Graduation strikes me, hard and deep, as I made my "speech" to the floorball teams. Everywhere I go I'm reminded that I'm stepping out into the working world soon. So many people I have talked to - they cannot wait to graduate - why hate school so much when you have your entire life to work? A student's life can never be replaced once graduated - no more late nights, no more free-days, no more team bonding, no more hard-core trainings, no more putting 100% of your time into doing what you always loved to do. No more of that.
"I didn't know you're graduating this semester. So fast." Indeed.
And my inspiration..
Riding is about a feeling.
Riding is about a feeling.
It’s about gliding through the air.
Its about holding the grab longer than you think you should.
It’s about landing in the flats.
It’s about landing perfectly on the downside of the second wake.
It’s about doing simple tricks that just have a flow and feel good to do.
It’s about doing super tech tricks that have so much going on.
It’s about that moment you feel you have defied laws of physics and beat gravity.
It’s about getting back on the water after a long injury has kept you away from the lake.
It’s about riding at first light.
It’s about throwing your buddy the iron fist after he hits a new trick.
It’s bout leaning on your toe side edge in complete glass and seeing your reflection.
It’s about getting on the water when the fog is still covering the lake and riding in the clouds.
It’s about being super cold when you first hop in the water and then get back in the boat burning up.
It’s about that feeling you get when you approach the wake for a new trick.
It’s about pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.
It’s about increasing the size of your comfort zone.
It’s about the smell of new bindings.
Its about having the perfect set with dry hair at the end.
It’s about taking the last set of the day and riding through the sunset.
-Shaun Belmont Murray
Funny how since I started writing for Streetdirectory, I have ceased to update my blog as often as I used to do. Despite so many happenings, so many things in my life, so many things I want to comment about as I stroll along the streets - my brain seems to be maximising its short-term memory to the maximum. I forget half the things I thought about as I amble past my day, my incessant bitchin' has been lost to the wind and walls, my happiness remains as only a feeling of satisfaction within myself.
Then again, I haven't been feeling exactly satisfied lately. I'm getting unsure of my progress in wakeboarding and wonder if I'm merely embarking on another one of those "expensive temporary pursuits" in my life. I have taken 3 years to grow in floorball yet I know I am never gonna be that good. Perhaps the ego within is crying to be let out, to finally boast of something she is really really good at doing.
Like piano. But even now, it gets difficult to impress.
As 22 years of age approaches (rather quickly), jaded will best describe whatever I am feeling now. School is taking me away from all the stuff I want to do..it's taking up too much of my countdown to graduation. I have no wish to walk along with newly-made friends down my personal path of life - it has become an emotional drain. I lose myself in my food reviews, chatting with PR managers from various restaurants and hotels, in writing, in travelling on buses.
A darker side of myself has begun to surface after having ran away from it for so long. 2 relationships of "It wasn't really your fault; I'm just the one having problems" proved themselves true. As much as I want to lash out and say, its your bloody fault for not being able to adapt yourself to my life, you're too sticky you're too clingy, if you can't keep up just drop and go - of course, the root of them all simply lies in my cynicism, and the lack of love within me. Perhaps till this problem of mine is solved, I had best be left alone to my own devices, but ironically that will plunge me into a downward spiral of my own cynicism.
On a lighter note, I had the pleasure of reviewing Ricciotti, an Italian restaurant at China Square Central. They have really good looking staff - the chef at China Square's Ricciotti was funny and good-looking and he cooks greaaattttt stuff. This waiter at Riverwalk's Ricciotti (yes there are two branches) has got the most deep set Asian eyes ever, boy..do they only employ good looking people?
More Italian food coming up next week. I'm loving my job.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007Then again, I haven't been feeling exactly satisfied lately. I'm getting unsure of my progress in wakeboarding and wonder if I'm merely embarking on another one of those "expensive temporary pursuits" in my life. I have taken 3 years to grow in floorball yet I know I am never gonna be that good. Perhaps the ego within is crying to be let out, to finally boast of something she is really really good at doing.
Like piano. But even now, it gets difficult to impress.
As 22 years of age approaches (rather quickly), jaded will best describe whatever I am feeling now. School is taking me away from all the stuff I want to do..it's taking up too much of my countdown to graduation. I have no wish to walk along with newly-made friends down my personal path of life - it has become an emotional drain. I lose myself in my food reviews, chatting with PR managers from various restaurants and hotels, in writing, in travelling on buses.
A darker side of myself has begun to surface after having ran away from it for so long. 2 relationships of "It wasn't really your fault; I'm just the one having problems" proved themselves true. As much as I want to lash out and say, its your bloody fault for not being able to adapt yourself to my life, you're too sticky you're too clingy, if you can't keep up just drop and go - of course, the root of them all simply lies in my cynicism, and the lack of love within me. Perhaps till this problem of mine is solved, I had best be left alone to my own devices, but ironically that will plunge me into a downward spiral of my own cynicism.
On a lighter note, I had the pleasure of reviewing Ricciotti, an Italian restaurant at China Square Central. They have really good looking staff - the chef at China Square's Ricciotti was funny and good-looking and he cooks greaaattttt stuff. This waiter at Riverwalk's Ricciotti (yes there are two branches) has got the most deep set Asian eyes ever, boy..do they only employ good looking people?
More Italian food coming up next week. I'm loving my job.
Catch up.
That's all I have in my mind for now. I bought a Liquid Force Angel - nearly an impulse decision because I haven't tried it out yet, and am still wondering whether I'm up to it.
I have a love-hate relationship with my self-competitiveness. Sure, it propels me to improve a rate faster than the normal average, yet it stops me from advancing the next level up when I reach a plateau. And its happening right now. I've mastered a one-wake jump faster than most people, but I'm stuck. Watching him ride and progress at exponential rate gives me added pressure to keep up, considering he started 3 months before me. I have a target, and its him.
You know how during a long-distance run, you aim to catch up with the person in front of you? Exact same concept. Just that I'm trying my best to stop falling behind.
Ride, damn it, I want to ride.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007That's all I have in my mind for now. I bought a Liquid Force Angel - nearly an impulse decision because I haven't tried it out yet, and am still wondering whether I'm up to it.
I have a love-hate relationship with my self-competitiveness. Sure, it propels me to improve a rate faster than the normal average, yet it stops me from advancing the next level up when I reach a plateau. And its happening right now. I've mastered a one-wake jump faster than most people, but I'm stuck. Watching him ride and progress at exponential rate gives me added pressure to keep up, considering he started 3 months before me. I have a target, and its him.
You know how during a long-distance run, you aim to catch up with the person in front of you? Exact same concept. Just that I'm trying my best to stop falling behind.
Ride, damn it, I want to ride.
You know how Vivocity is huge to the average Singaporean. Given the vast area it occupies, with a million shops tucked neatly into each of its 9-10 branches (I didn't really count), I headed there about 4 times and probably only saw a quarter of Vivo.
Then, on Friday, I conquered Vivocity. From 3pm to 9pm I combed Vivo with Darren, till both of us agreed upon dinner. Even then, hunting for the damn food court took another 15 minutes.
Here are the pictures of us photowhoring at Vivo:
The outdoor scenery was too great to simply walk by without including pictures (of ourselves too). And here are the indoor ones, simply of me and some random pair of ugly board-shorts discovered in Giant. Well, if you think they are really pretty, they cost a mere $4.90 a pair. Cheap and good. Get 'em and look as cool as I do.
One can't forget Giant supermarket when paying a visit there, can they? To my dearest Mel, the above picture of Milos (and more Milo) is for you. Specially from yours truly.
As much as I wish to continue blogging about that wonderful but tiring day, my two boys (turned men) beckon. Riley and Wiley are back in my room. I haven't seen them in the longest time ever and they have really grown, both in size and good looks. *beams*
On a side note, 2007 has got off a really good start. And I hope its here to stay.
Tuesday, January 02, 2007Then, on Friday, I conquered Vivocity. From 3pm to 9pm I combed Vivo with Darren, till both of us agreed upon dinner. Even then, hunting for the damn food court took another 15 minutes.
Here are the pictures of us photowhoring at Vivo:
The outdoor scenery was too great to simply walk by without including pictures (of ourselves too). And here are the indoor ones, simply of me and some random pair of ugly board-shorts discovered in Giant. Well, if you think they are really pretty, they cost a mere $4.90 a pair. Cheap and good. Get 'em and look as cool as I do.
One can't forget Giant supermarket when paying a visit there, can they? To my dearest Mel, the above picture of Milos (and more Milo) is for you. Specially from yours truly.
As much as I wish to continue blogging about that wonderful but tiring day, my two boys (turned men) beckon. Riley and Wiley are back in my room. I haven't seen them in the longest time ever and they have really grown, both in size and good looks. *beams*
On a side note, 2007 has got off a really good start. And I hope its here to stay.
Christmas and the New Year was spent nursing one hell of a cough and a marathon-savy nose. Of course, I was at St James Power Station (PowerHouse) to cover an OhGenki annual party on Saturday night as well. The event was a tad bit quiet and that left me worrying about what to write for my article.
Hey, but at least I'm churning out articles successfully on top of my food reviews. Its nice to have a job I love doing (yes Astri, I sense your envy haha - but thank you for that encouragement!) and at the same time, get to improve my (not so fantastic) writing skills. I get to taste cuisines of all sorts, I get to go places, I get to know people - who could complain, really?
I got to visit St James Power Station (free), and that place was, well, spectacular. Peppermint Place (did I get that right?) looked like my kind of chill-out place, with hammocks, wooden swings in the open-air area. Strewen with pebbles and wooden planks as the flooring..it was so tempting to drop my assignment that night and jump onto the hammock. PowerHouse was not a bad place, stage-like setting with suspended spotlights and speakers, with huge spans of wire-mesh as a ceiling, plenty of high-chairs to perch on, ample sitting area at bar counters. I quite liked the power-station concept..everything there was "raw" and unpolished, like strips of metal and wooden poles as part of the deco. The DJs played House and Trance for the night, hrm. House music was good but damn, not the trance..I would have preferred a better sort, but then again, good trance in Singapore is hard to find.
The latter part of 2006 has left me raw and bruised, but here's a toast to 2007 being a better year. It might just be a busy one to start with, but I will want it to be one without regrets, since it will be last few months of official schooling before I enter the corporate world. It is hard to believe that 15 years of formal education in Singapore will have flown by just like that. No more flexible timings, no more sleeping in, no more time to pursue sports as how I do now.
New Year resolutions?
Rediscover music. Rekindle my love for music. I've dwelt too long in the sports scene, it is time to equalize both worlds, because I know I will never be as good as those who have started from young.
Find reasons to love wakeboarding with a vengeance. 'nuff said, aint' it? You guys think its too expensive to pick up, but wait till you all start jumping. That, is an addiction despite stiff knees. Ha-ha.
Let my mum feel what she has done for me the past 21 (going on 22) years was really worth it.
That should be about it. Happy 2007, everyone. :)
Hey, but at least I'm churning out articles successfully on top of my food reviews. Its nice to have a job I love doing (yes Astri, I sense your envy haha - but thank you for that encouragement!) and at the same time, get to improve my (not so fantastic) writing skills. I get to taste cuisines of all sorts, I get to go places, I get to know people - who could complain, really?
I got to visit St James Power Station (free), and that place was, well, spectacular. Peppermint Place (did I get that right?) looked like my kind of chill-out place, with hammocks, wooden swings in the open-air area. Strewen with pebbles and wooden planks as the flooring..it was so tempting to drop my assignment that night and jump onto the hammock. PowerHouse was not a bad place, stage-like setting with suspended spotlights and speakers, with huge spans of wire-mesh as a ceiling, plenty of high-chairs to perch on, ample sitting area at bar counters. I quite liked the power-station concept..everything there was "raw" and unpolished, like strips of metal and wooden poles as part of the deco. The DJs played House and Trance for the night, hrm. House music was good but damn, not the trance..I would have preferred a better sort, but then again, good trance in Singapore is hard to find.
The latter part of 2006 has left me raw and bruised, but here's a toast to 2007 being a better year. It might just be a busy one to start with, but I will want it to be one without regrets, since it will be last few months of official schooling before I enter the corporate world. It is hard to believe that 15 years of formal education in Singapore will have flown by just like that. No more flexible timings, no more sleeping in, no more time to pursue sports as how I do now.
New Year resolutions?
Rediscover music. Rekindle my love for music. I've dwelt too long in the sports scene, it is time to equalize both worlds, because I know I will never be as good as those who have started from young.
Find reasons to love wakeboarding with a vengeance. 'nuff said, aint' it? You guys think its too expensive to pick up, but wait till you all start jumping. That, is an addiction despite stiff knees. Ha-ha.
Let my mum feel what she has done for me the past 21 (going on 22) years was really worth it.
That should be about it. Happy 2007, everyone. :)