Everyday is sports day

I remember someone who meant something to me at that time, ask me "does everyday need to be sports day?"

Ironically, it's where I am today. 

Monday - Macritchie trail run then play badminton
Tuesday / Thursday / Saturday - Climbing
Sunday - Cycle East Coast

Leaving me only Wednesday nights for now since I still have the PLT meetings to run and Friday nights to recover

Whew!

The day my neglected/forgotten faith collided with my world

I've been back in Singapore some 3 months now, but have not gotten around to thinking/working towards rejoining ministry nor meeting up with Sister Lily.

I did however, sign up for a retreat over Deepavali after receiving a very timely email from Diana Koh.  Plan was to use that as an opener.

But God has His own plans, on His own schedule.

After lunch time mass at Novena, I bumped into Gwen.  She was really warm and excited plus a little annoyed that I didn't tell her I was back for good!  Wanted to throw me back into my old ministry again!  She kept repeating, we need young people, even after I leaned closer to say I ain't that young no more! 

While talking to Gwen, I spotted Sister Lily.  Very unexpected that she would attend Novena church lunch time mass - since it is so far away from her place of home/work.

I promised Sister Lily I'll come by her home so we can catch up and talk.  And promised Gwen that yes, I will catch up with her as well - as for returning to Cafe, well, let me think and consider about that.

Nike City 10K race results

This year's Nike race pits our northern neighbours versus us.  Interesting.

Naturally Singapore won overall.
http://nikerunning.nike.com/nikeos/p/nikeplus/en_SG/plus/#//challenges/detail/538217368

Also my 2nd race since back on home soil.  I am glad to help contribute my 10k worth of sweat towards Singapore.  And am glad to run faster, making up for the slow race at the Sheares bridge.
http://www.nikecity10ksingapore.com/tools/results/index.php

Majulah Singapura!

For we walk by faith, not by sight!

From One Way Jesus :
You are the way, the truth and the life.
We live by faith and not by sight. 

Was feeling a little down, a little unhappy again.  As I drove out to lunch, I reminded myself of my blessings and it took me a while to list it all down.  I am comforted.

On the drive home, this song played loud. 

A good reminder that while I may not see His path for me, there is no need for anxiety, but to walk by faith in Him.

Need a job...

Need a job... and soon.  Time's running out...

The link between earthquakes and volcano eruptions

The scientists have been saying this, without conclusive reasoning, but with statistical info, that earthquakes seem to trigger volcano eruptions.

But a 7.7-magnitude undersea quake epicentered off to the south of Sumatra, the remote Mentawai Islands followed by the eruption of the nearby Mount Merapi.

Sadly, the earthquake also caused surge as high as 10 feet and advanced as far as 2,000 feet inland on Mentawai Islands. 

I hope Singapore will reach out to help the Indonesians.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/27/world/asia/27indo.html?ref=world

A small part of me was hoping the tsunamis will douse the forest fires in Sumatra, producing smoke and haze into the air affecting neighbouring Malaysia and us.  A quick check of the hotspots charts shows the rainforest fires are too north and too inland.  But of cos right... Sigh...
http://www.weather.gov.sg/wip/web/ASMC/Haze_Information/Regional_Haze_Map

Bladeless fan

I hear there are KIRF versions available for US$50... Hmm...

http://gizmodo.com/5385011/how-dysons-blade+less-fan-works

And it ships finally...

My last product before I left HP shipped finally. 

Hmm...

http://www.gadgetglass.com/896/windows-7-powered-hp-slate-500-is-now-official-price-and-background/

How to die over a weekend

I wanted to climb bad, had arranged with SB and Moo to go climb after breakfast. 

But I couldn't say no to my old friends.  So I stayed to play badminton/ping-pong with them.

It was 4 hours of badminton with mad-cap/hardcore people who do not just hit the shuttlecock back, they WHACK it.  Just hearing the piak-piak sounds makes you cringe inwardly.  Thankfully they were really nice to me.  Against each other, they really WHACK it. 

Tired?  You can take a break from badminton with ping pong against a ping-pong machine.  It spits balls and you try your darnest to return the balls.  Every couple of minutes, you need to stop the machine cos the badminton players will start yelling when your errant balls all over the floor starts to roll over to where they are.  As you pick up balls, you need to sing Derek's son's song - pick up balls, pick up balls... my fair lady!

Great fun.  I am glad I stayed.

Sunday was truly choc-a-block, full day of activities.  I ran the Nike City 10k race then rushed to mass.  Towards the end of mass, all expectant mothers were asked to stand for a special praying over and during the prayer, church bells toll!   Hmmm... I like to think my little godson is made for big things in life!
We then had lunch on mom cos she lost the bet :) After lunch, I played with Kino for a bit (he's so cute when he's been playing in the rain and is all semi-wet).  Drove mom back in time to catch her weekend afternoon Korean TV hour.  Next stop - Vivi's prawn noodle party.  By the time I arrived, the vultures had had their fill : some had 4 bowls, others even tabao-ing 2 tingkats.  2nd lunch for me!  And washed it down with 3 bowls of soup.  Possibly the best prawn noodles in the world.  All natural and freshness.  I barely itched!  I didn't even need to anti-histamine myself that night. 

Ah, but the day is not yet over!  Drove back home, nap 15mins, back out to cycle with the gang.  I kept with the peloton up and down the slopes of Loyang, through sheer grit.  But died on the return ride to the carpark.  From 30km/h to 28, then 24, finally it was between 20 to 21km/h as I rolled into the carpark.  Pengsan!

Great weekend, I cannot ask for more when there is God, family, good friends, great food and lots of fun sporting activities.  I can die contented now. 

NParks tree pruning

NParks has been busy pruning tree branches ahead of the monsoon season.  As you can see, they've been erring on the side of caution, think they chop too much off.  Trees look positively botak now.



Bad air again :(

The Indonesians are at it again - slashing and burning the rain forests.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1088052/1/.html

PSI is now 80, creeping towards the unhealthy mark...

Egos

While washing my cup this morning in the pantry, this lady next to me asks if I were a runner. 

Ego inflated, must be my toned calves and my athletic gait - I think to myself.

I reply her, sometimes, why?

She gestures at my Timex watch.

-__-

Another weekend in KL, another set of swollen fingers

Jo/Muk had arranged to take a bus up to KL again to climb.  It sounded great on paper : Aeroline bus, staying in the heart of KL city, the hardcore group together again...

But things started to unravel even before we set off : Derek was in another of his moments, he was driving up with Corinna.  Jo stubbed her toe so bad, losing a toenail and had to bail on the trip.  Viv was all emotional, stressed over OBS and job applications.

This time, there was less camaraderie (in fact felt like almost 0), a lot of solo moments.  Which is a huge departure from how it used to be. 

So I focused instead on climbing.  I know I used to climb pretty hard with Derek as well - but somehow this trip's toil on my fingers is bad - I know what Michy will say : 老了!

Feel like taking the afternoon off to sleep.

Chilean miners are free

I can't imagine surviving 4miles underground for 69 days.  Thankfully they were safely rescued. 

Job offers - 0 ; annoying calls from insurance agencies - 5

I keep getting calls from insurance agencies asking if I am still looking for a job, I answer yes.  And then they will ask if I am interested in being a financial consultant.  Sorry, it's a no. 

As good as it gets?

I'm touched by
- a few ex-colleagues for their efforts at playing job placement agents
- being able to eat fantastic chappati/naans anytime and with great companionships
- being able to go to mass almost everyday (even though I only manage perhaps 2/3 week day masses a week)
- madcap & competitive kakis who will race me to the car at all costs...
- a very comforting Michelle who will chat with me over MSN daily even though I'm no longer in Taiwan. 

Perhaps this is as good as it'll get... I am glad.

Macritchie trail running

I've been running at Macritchie for a long time now.  I've ran there through good times and bad.  With my ex-bf, with friends...  It's just that in the last 4 years or so, I've grown accustomed to running alone (and my IPod). 

My point is :
- I'm familiar with Macritchie - even with the newly spruced up carpark and the no longer free parking :(
- Running alone, you listen to your body better.

Yesterday I ran with Ms Hardcore at Macritchie.  She doesn't slow down at the downhills, she just tears down.  It took quite a lot of effort (run harder at the uphills) in order to catch her.  Then we ran the last bit together, and out of trail onto road. 

At the last slope before the carpark, I attacked her (figuring that 1, she's tired from the sound of her heavy footsteps and 2, she probably wasn't aware of that last slope, surely feel demotivated on seeing it).  But to my surprise, she had more in her, she ran faster! 

In short, it was a sprint to the car.  And I won.  And yes, it hurt doing so, bringing back memories of our hardcore past.  Nice...

Speed demon

Anyone who knows me knows I do not drive fast.  I'm not limited by engine capacity, I'm held back by my mental capacity for speed (or rather, the lack of it).

Since I started driving and working in Motorola, I've received 2 warning letters from the traffic police on excessive speed.  Where are they hiding!  Grr...

That's it.  I'm taking PIE/CTE from tomorrow.  I can't risk the $130 + 4 demerit points.

On leaving at 4pm from work

Starting this week, I have started to leave at 4pm, if there are no more loose ends to tie up.  Since I have night conference calls to take, might as well leave early.

Yesterday afternoon, things had wound down enough to leave at 4pm again.  And I had sent out the agenda for my PLT meeting on Tuesday, so nothing much left after lunch to do.

I left at 4pm with Viv and we went to attack the muddy trails of Macritchie reservoir.  My 2nd this week and Viv's first ever trail run (yes, I questioned her Singaporean-ness, she has never ran at Macritchie?!!).

As we left Motorola, Viv noticed a few police outriders, some VIP she commented.  Then we noticed there were people lining the streets gawking.  So, I did what was most natural - put my shortsighted glasses on.  Next thing we saw this gun carriage go by...  I assumed it was LKY's wife's (what is her name? who cares?) funeral cortege going by.  Much later that night, watching the late night news confirmed that yes, her cortege went by Upper Thomson Road and that she was given the honour of a gun carriage for the final ride to Mandai crematorium.

I'm a little on the fence with regards to her contributions to Singapore.  LKY - yes for sure, undeniable.  But his wife?  The late Ong Teng Cheong didn't even receive that honour and his contributions to nation building are unquestionable.

Sigh.. politics. 

Back to more interesting matters - Viv and her first time at Macritchie.  Her natural running pace is faster than mine, so she'll run, then slow down when she is unsure of the path to wait for me.  At the turnaround point, we chose to run the boardwalk so she can get a view of how beautiful the reservoir is (and I get to run on level ground instead of the hilly trail).  Once on the boardwalk, level and easy, she flew ahead.  Suddenly she appeared running back to me.  When she approached, she said "monkey!".  All 1.53m of Viv cowered behind me, afraid of the monkey troup sitting on the boardwalk nonchalantly picking their fur.  Once we cleared the monkey danger, she flew ahead again easily....  I really doubt her Singaporean-ness, she has not seen monkeys?!!

Back at the car, she said to me, 'Oh you mean that was trail running?'.  That's what happens when you spend too many years overseas.

Of Tuesdays, conference calls and climbing

I left Viv in the lurch (potentially no belayer), Zi slogging at her desk to return home and then at 7pm I received an SMS to say I did not need to attend the 9pm conference call?

The good news is, from next week onwards, Tuesdays are gonna be climbing nights again!

It's like that Pet Shop Boys song, goes something like, now I can climb all Tuesday nights, forever... how am I gonna get through, how am I gonna get through?

Sigh... I need a job! *whine*

It's 9.38pm and I'm in the office...

I scheduled a conf call for 10.30pm Monday evening since I had a dinner date with my girlfriends.

But one of the members had a time clash and requested that I pull in the conf call to 9.30pm.

So I eat with my girlfriends nervously, left at 9pm, returned to the office (it's nearer than home).  Came in, sat down and saw that one of the key members did not accept the call.  I dial his mobile and he's not answering.  Then I postpone the call to tomorrow, since Mike's presence is very important.

Bah... this is not fun at all.  What am I doing to myself, Felicia Cheng?

Recounting a dream

I woke up Sunday morning remembering my strange dream.

I dreamt I lost 1 side of my Crocs slippers at what seems like a rockclimbing area.

I asked a lot of people to help me find.  But people though nice, made tokens efforts, most produced an obviously wrong slipper then went away.  There were maids, some were my friends, others strangers...

In the meantime, I'm walking around barefoot, holding the 1 side of the slipper I still had...

Finally I woke up, still missing the slipper.

So this morning, I googled what it would mean :
To dream that your one of your shoes has been lost or stolen could denote you will have a loss, but will gain in some other pursuit.

Linked to the job situation is my guess.

I survived!

It's pretty strange :
1. yesterday's first reading at mass was on perserverance.  On Job praising God even though his friends blamed his bad luck on him!  So much for lousy friends.
2. I learned a new word - 自强不息.

I survived the rerun of the M11 checkpoint which prompted me to quit in the first place.  It strangely went through smoothly.

Guess the pressure's off now.

Last night's climb session was good.  The whole gang was there, and when that happens, it is more talk and laugh then actual climb.  Got arm-twisted to join a 50km walk in December, along with 5 other mad people. 

Let's Take A Walk 2010

www.letstakeawalk.sg

Poor injured Yili also offered me her place in the year end Standard Chartered.  Her impending surgery means she'll be on crutches for a while, so guess I get to run the half-marathon after all!  She did however, asked me to please run faster and not to ruin her good name.  Duh! 

The week is starting to turn good.  Thank you Lord!