OTG updates

Show encrypted text

Monday morning blues

This morning I woke up and did my first PCN to East Coast park run.  Took it nice and easy and as is my usual style, prayed for and got a few red lights for me to stop and catch my breath a little.

I'm only out running cos I have this half marathon race plus Mount Kinabalu hike that I'm totally unprepared for and gasp!, it's this Saturday!

Why o why o why o why do I do these things to myself....

It doesn't rain, it pours

To add to my life's woes, I met with a really stupid accident at the car park beside NTUC Marine Parade.  I only needed a quick place to stash the car to run into Parkway Parade to grab a dozen cupcakes.  Clearly I made a wrong choice of car parks.  Now I have this gash along Roar's side bumper.  Sorry Roar.

People reading this, please, it's a car park, not a grand prix track.  Can't you even wait 10secs for me to back into a parking space?  I do not appreciate the inconvenience, more so the extra $$ to fix poor Roar.

Life sucks.  I sat at mass ultra moody, listing my shit list to God.  Oh help me please!

The lazy bones diary day 1

Should I wake up early to run - so I won't die at the Borneo marathon, OR, do I wake up early to go boulder at Kinetic - so my upper body doesn't deteriorate to point of climbing 5a grades only.

:(

Today's reading on Feast of Saint Mark

1 Peter  5:5-14

Beloved: Clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for:  God opposes the proud but bestows favor on the humble.

So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.  Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you.

Be sober and vigilant.  Your opponent the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your brothers and sisters throughout the world undergo the same sufferings.  The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ Jesus will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little.  To him be dominion forever. Amen.

I write you this briefly through Silvanus, whom I consider a faithful brother, exhorting you and testifying that this is the true grace of God.  Remain firm in it.  The chosen one at Babylon sends you greeting, as does Mark, my son.  Greet one another with a loving kiss.  Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

Shopping in Seven11

It's the Taiwan-ness in me.  I still browse the shelves of a 7-11 even though it sucks here in Singapore.  I don't know why I do...

Mental note to self : dive gear I should acquire for next dive trip

Talking out loud to self.  If and when a next dive trip materializes, I need these :

1. Snorkel - mine's kaput/broke.  Considering it's more than 10 years old, I got good amortization out of it.

2. Surface marker aka sausage.  I have been wanting to get one forever.  I think it's a safety must.  It scares me that we often surface without one - thankfully we have been lucky.  

Difficult times

Show encrypted text

Heinous - terror at the Boston marathon

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2013/04/the-meaning-of-the-boston-marathon.html

An awesome read.

I stand with all indignant runners around the world, praying in solidarity for the victims, that God will grant Bostonians and all affected the courage/grace/strength to overcome.

Pope Francis Names Advisory Panel at Vatican

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/14/world/europe/pope-francis-names-advisory-panel-at-vatican.html?smid=pl-share

Hammerhead diving!

Our last big dive trip was the Similans (off Andaman sea) dive trip in 2011 - we were rewarded with a 45min dance with a big white manta ray.

The same group plus an elephant regrouped this month for some hammerhead shark diving at Layang Layang (off Borneo).  We were rewarded on our second dive with hammerhead shark viewing!  Everyone absolutely ecstatic.

What's left on my to-see list for scuba diving before I retire?  Whale shark, or any whale!

I leave my photos to speak for the fantastic dive trip with the pelagics : manta ray, marble ray, turtles, huge schools of tuna, jacks, baraccudas and of cos the hammerhead sharks.

Small selection
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151381683143157.1073741825.645738156&type=3

All photos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8062670@N07/sets/72157633222274519/

I didn't know that Layang Layang was part of the disputed Spratly Islands until Alfred told me.  Sure am glad no one shot at me when I ran on the naval base part of the landing strip that is closed to public.

Hilarious Catholic humour

Ok I lifted this from a FB post, but it's hilarious!

AMEN: The only part of a prayer that everyone knows.

BULLETIN: Your receipt for attending Mass.

CHOIR: A group of people whose singing allows the rest of the Parish to lip-sync.

HOLY WATER: A liquid whose chemical formula is H2OLY.

HYMN: A song of praise usually sung in a key three octaves higher than that of the congregation's range.

RECESSIONAL HYMN: The last song at Mass often sung a little more quietly since most of the people have already left.

KYRIE ELEISON: The only Greek words that most Catholics can recognize besides 'baklava'.

PEW: a medieval torture device still found in Catholic churches.

USHERS: The only people in the parish who don't know the seating capacity of a pew.

PROCESSION: The ceremonial formation at the beginning of Mass consisting of altar servers, the celebrant and late parishioners looking for seats.

RECESSIONAL: The ceremonial procession at the conclusion of Mass led by parishioners trying to beat the crowd to the parking lot

Perks of Running Solo or Social - from Runners World

Perks of Running Solo or Social

There are perks to running with others—and alone. How to get the best of both worlds.

By

Jen A. Miller

Published

February 11, 2013

As a runner you know that a program that incorporates various distances, paces, and surfaces helps you perform your best. What you may not realize is that the same holds true with the company you keep—or don't keep—on the run. Whether you'd rather gab away the miles with pals or be alone in your own thoughts, runners who are strictly social butterflies or lone rangers are at a disadvantage. "Being set in an introverted or extroverted running pattern can limit your experiences and prevent you from growing as a runner," says Michelle P. Maidenberg, Ph.D., M.P.H., a psychotherapist who works with athletes. Mixing things up and seeking out—or passing up—companionship can make you a more balanced runner.

SOLO PRACTICE
Between chirping cell phones, pinging e-mails, chatty coworkers, and rowdy kids, it can be tough finding moments of peace and quiet in your day. Running alone can allow you to hit the mute button on the world (especially if you leave the gadgets behind) and take full advantage of exercise's stress-busting benefits. "Running alone can be a meditative experience where you get to really think and concentrate or completely clear your mind and zone out," Maidenberg says.

There are performance benefits as well. When you're on your own, you can pay better attention to your form, breathing, and pace, says Brendan Cournane, a Chicago-based running coach. "It's easy to choose to run with a group at a casual pace, but doing that all the time can keep you from reaching your running potential," he says. "And if you always run with a group that's too fast, it can push you into doing more than you should." Running by yourself is especially important if you're coming back from injury and need to listen to your body to avoid another setback.

Also, solo training makes you self-sufficient for race day: You'll feel comfortable finding—and sticking to—a pace on your own without relying on a partner, and you'll get practice recognizing when your body needs hydration and fuel.

GROUP LOVE
One of the biggest gifts running partners give you is accountability: It's hard getting up at 5 a.m. to run, especially if it's raining and you stayed up late watching Leno or The Daily Show. But if you know that a buddy is waiting for you, you'll have extra motivation to climb out of bed, Cournane says. And it works on the run, too: A partner can keep you from slipping off pace or cutting a run short.

This positive peer pressure even works on a subconscious level—thanks to a concept called "social facilitation," says Cindra Kamphoff, Ph.D., a sports psychology consultant at Your Runner's Edge. It was first discovered with cyclists—they had faster times when racing against someone else versus doing a time trial on their own. The same holds true with runners. "When you run with others, you tend to give more effort," she says. "You get caught up in the pace, and you might not recognize how fast you're going."

Pairing up can also encourage you to branch out. "You learn more about how other people train and what they're doing, and it can inspire you to do something different," Kamphoff says. "It can open up your mind to trying new distances, races, or types of workouts."

Many beginners are solo runners, says Cournane, because they feel overwhelmed or intimidated by running with others. He suggests dipping your toe into the running community by pairing up with just one other person. Before you go, talk about your goals, especially pace. If your friend is faster, schedule your running date for a day he'll be doing an easy, recovery day. That way you can enjoy the run without worrying about keeping up or holding him back.

THE RIGHT BALANCE
With so many advantages to solo and group running, it's smart to do both. A loner might want to pair up with a slightly faster friend for speedwork or join others for company on long runs. And a social runner could split off from her relaxed group in order to do a quality workout designed for her individual goals.

That's what Kamphoff did when preparing for September's Omaha Marathon. Although she prefers to log miles with her running group, she did solo runs in order to work on her mental game. "You have to practice letting go of the inner chatter that can get in the way of what you want to accomplish," she says. "And that's something you have to do on your own." On race day, Kamphoff was able to reframe her negative thoughts. She won the women's division in 3:05.http://www.runnersworld.com/running-tips/perks-running-solo-or-social

Sore thumb

As I was telling friends, my car is the only red car in a carpark full of black/white/silver cars.  People passing by, just need a glance to tell if I were in or out.  Sigh.

I need to be more inconspicuous like Bob the sheepdog.

Easter Mass

Matty had his picnic birthday party at the Botanic Gardens early in the morning.  He got to run around, play with bubbles, eat lots of junk food and get different people to carry him (cooler than running in the mid day heat himself!).  His birthday cake was from an expensive yuppie shop called The Patisserie, his parents chose a delicious cake with a road in cream and we topped it up with a real toy train (Thomas and Friends of cos).  I chose Charlie cos he's a nice pretty purple train.  Cake shop lady snootily told me that the cake is soft, do not put the train on for too long.   So after we sang the birthday song, we started to take photos with some urgency, "hurry hurry, Charlie is sinking!".

We met up for Easter mass and dinner together in the evening.  It was great, all of us sitting at mass together.  Even if Matty had to bring all his trains along.  During the entire mass, Matty squirmed back and forth along the pew we were at, sat on floor, sat on our kneeling pews, played with his trains (alas metal trains on wooden pews does make some noise), dropped some prayer books and at one point had to be taken out when he cried loudly after we said no to his insistent "play with godma's phoooone!". But, he was in his Father's house on Easter Sunday celebrating Jesus reigns!  Alleluia!

The funniest moment was when Michy muttered to Matty to behave in order that he not put off people from having more kids, that the 6.9 will be all foreigners and he's single-handedly responsible.

Or it could be Matty going up to communion with his left palm stuck out just like all of us yet did not receive communion.  He pointed back indignantly, "I want!".

Happy second birthday Matty!

Happy Easter Triduum, Matty!

With Maundy Thursday (today), we begin this year's Easter Triduum.  And Matty's 2nd birthday is on Easter Tuesday.

So to be prepared, I have bought little trains for Matty's birthday - both Thomas & Chuggington trains and later tonight be prepared to spend some time at holy hour/adoration at Holy Family church tonight.

Wishing all Catholics a blessed Easter Triduum and everyone else, happy long weekend!

Pebble Watch

http://getpebble.com/

Where do I get one?

Abu and Sentosa

Abu was my first belayer in Taiwan.  From the days of walking into a gym full of climbers I do not know and approaching the safest looking dude so I can excise my climbing demons.  Last week, he drops me a Facebook message out of the blue and very last minute that he's visiting Singapore.  I canceled all my Sat plans.  Why?  Because I believe in 饮水思源! Funnily enough, I am always tour guide!  I'm tour guide to Singaporeans while living in Taiwan, now I am tour guide to Taiwanese and US folks!  I don't see any of my friends/peers do this - except perhaps entertain business associates.  The difference is, I pay out of my own pocket! Definitely no expense account to claim from.  (I usually will offer to pay since I am host).

First I stopped by Glory to buy some local tarts/rolls as a welcome gift and then pick him up from his hotel in MBS.  I chose to park the car and take the cable car over to Sentosa since it is Abu's first time in Singapore.  At the ticketing counter for cable car tickets, Abu insisted on paying.  Very gallantly he says he will cover the day's expenses.  Even my offer to go dutch was rejected.  Certainly very rare, most people will simply let me pay.

We went to the Underwater World first.  I explained to him the recent controversial decision to purchase dolphins.  And we hatched a plan to each grab a pink dolphin to freedom.  Underwater World surprised me.  Lots of sharks and rays and rare fish like sea horses, sea dragons... I went all the way to Similan Islands to see ONE leopard shark on day 4 of diving - there are many leopard sharks in Underwater World.   Even a guitarfish that I first thought was guitar shark (it is a ray).  I caused a mini pandemonium walking backwards on the moving travellator following the guitarfish, yelling "guitar shark"!  All divers should visit Underwater World.  Only we appreciate the rare species there!

We skipped lunch on fears that if we ate then went for iFly, we will puke over ourselves.  iFly was an absolute blast.  I wonder why I have not heard anyone rave about it before.  So I shall.  Everyone should!  Yes, it's expensive but so exhilarating.  I agree with their humorous ads - no ugly big fat jumpmaster strapped to your back, no risks of poor packing of your parachute, no need to throw yourself out of a plane.  Haha...

This is one of the few hosting days where I actually enjoyed myself and yet did not burn a small hole in my pocket.

Clockwise from top right :

Nautilus, weedy sea dragon, guitar fish, pink dolphin, iFly, more pink dolphins, leopard shark, leafy sea dragon, 2 huge spider crabs, horned moray eel

Kinetics Gym

Since I moved over to the eastern part of Singapore, the closest climbing facility to me would be Kinetics gym in Paya Lebar.  I know I've been talking about this place for a long while, but I finally visited last night.

I didn't go under the best of circumstances :
1. was meant to climb at Yishun, but Jo canceled on me at 6:30pm citing rain.  I was already in Thomson Road and it was dry as a bone.
2. Michy had taken Matty to play at Changi Airport, so I can't go to dinner with family.
3. Traffic in the north is just horrendous and I got a little lost trying to navigate back to the east.

I wasn't upset at the late cancellation, rather, I was upset because I was already half way there.  Rush hour  evening traffic is not pleasant, that round-about scenic route in bumper to bumper traffic becomes a test of patience.

So I entered Kinetics gym with a stomach-full of frustration.  Yes, it is a really tiny gym so it feels very crowded easily.  Yet, the routes are nice, and the climbers quick to offer betas or their fave routes and ask you to try.  I didn't manage to try all the V1 to V2 routes, it was too crowded and after an hour, I was ready to die.

I will be back.

How to shop in a bookstore

How to shop in a bookstore.  Model : Matty Cheng.
Step 1 - always take a basket. 
Step 2 - stationery esp colorful pens always warrant a 2nd look. 
Step 3 - basket gets heavy as it fills up, push if you must. 
Step 4 - when done, always double check you have enough Thomas the train DVDs. 
Step 5 - find a giant spoon to rest in, shopping can be tiring business.