Mother’s Day 2012

Yes, the day has come around once again.

The day everyone brings their mum out for a meal, buy them flowers, buy them gifts. Tell them you love them, kiss them, hug them.

Personally, I would prefer to do that everyday. Don’t you think?

After all they have done for you?

I think it’s a damn good idea!

Happy Mother’s Day to all mummy’s out there! We love you and respect each and every one of you for all you have done.  Especially to MY mum, (Who definitely had to put up with a lot bringing me up.  I love you mum.)

You Never Forget Your First

Just the other day, I got invited to play in a curtain raiser for an S-League match and while we were getting ready, some of the guys and I started talking about our boots and when we got our first pair, what brand it was, and how.  Well, after reading Miyagi’s post, I decided to share my story about my first pair of football boots…..

Ever since I was a kid, I had always been interested in football.

For as far back as I can remember, I always wanted to get out and have a kickabout with the boys.  Somehow, I never got good enough to get into the team.  That never stopped me from bugging my parents to get me a pair of football boots because there was a church football competition happening and I HAD to have a pair of boots.

My folks always “teased” me by making me walk past this shop near Bedok Interchange that sold football boots and there was this one pair that always caught my eye.  On hindsight, it must have been tough for them to see their son wanting that pair of boots so much (when he’s not that good anyway, he’s going to outgrow the boots in a flash of an eye, and it cost about $50 if I remember correctly).

After a while, I gave up bugging them for it and sort of gave up the dream of ever owning my own pair of football boots.  Until….. my birthday came rolling around.

I still remember the day, we were at my grandparents house in Toa Payoh, everyone was there, my parents, my sister, uncles, aunties and cousins and we had a cake and all.  Then, my dad hands me my present.  I knew in an instant what it was.  The unmistakable shape of a shoe box!  Could it be?  I was quite sure I knew what it was, and yet, I was afraid to open it for fear that I was wrong.  I didn’t want to open it.  I was excited, yet, I was scared I was going to be disappointed.  After some urging from my cousins, I opened my present, and there it was.  That pair of football boots, that up till that day, I had only dreamt of owning.

I was estatic!  There were no words that could describe my feelings when I unboxed the boots and tried them on in the middle of hall of my grandparents house.  I really couldn’t wait for the following weekend to come (that was when the first game was going to be played).

Now, the boots didn’t last very long, I think it lasted only for the duration of the competition, which allowed me to wear it a total of 6 times before I actually outgrew them and had to give them away.  I don’t remember what happened from then until now, but you know what?  Try asking any guy who plays football and most of them will always remember their first pair of boots.

Some other things do last…… like memories……

When This Whole Is Getting You Down

All you need to do is to pack up and just…..

Go Fishing.

Even if it just means catching little fellas like this… it’s the fun, the company and the experience.

New Hobby

The title says it all.  I have a new hobby.

I just decided one day, that since everyone was saying how easy it was to learn things off the internet, I’d put that theory to the test.

I had absolutely no idea what I was going to try so I just looked around… First choice to come along was to learn the guitar.  I did muck around with it before, tried to self-teach myself some years back, but still, once the harder chords came along, I gave up.  Then I thought, hmmm, how about the ukelele…. four strings, seems easy enough…. same problem. That lasted about 2 months.

Now, somehow, I came across some learn to draw manga videos.  Thought to myself, “hey! I did art in school, maybe, just maybe I could pull this off!”  So, I bought a sketchbook, some pencils, an eraser and a pencil sharpener and off I went.

I have been doing it for about 6 months now and still enjoying it.  I love the challenge of following the video and then coming up with characters of my own.  It’s actually quite fun.  So maybe, the theory is quite true, you CAN learn a new hobby on the internet.  All I can say is…. never be afraid to try, and should you not succeed, then at least you can say to yourself “at least I tried”.  That’s actually a lot better than not knowing if you would have succeeded or not.

So here are some of my favorite pieces…. Enjoy!

Run Forest Run

I have not been around here for some time and I think I just had to kick myself up the backside to get myself in gear once again.

I finally took part in my first race in like forever because if my memory serves me well, my last race was in August last year… the Adidas King of the Road.  Subsequently, my bum knee has been keeping me from taking part in any runs/races.

I signed up for the 2XU Compression Run last Sunday not feeling 100% but did it anyway after some coaxing from Mel. (I was about to be a DNS)

Met up with some friends with whom I had signed up the race with and I must say, it turned out to be a rather pleasant run.  I managed to complete my 10km with my knee holding up the whole way.  Which is good thing if you ask me.  My timing turned out to be a bit of a disappointment but maybe if I just accepted the fact that I have not been running much and I had a bum knee (which all sound like excuses to me) It was ok.

Now, the reason why I decided to write a blog post about this was because, one thing I noticed on the run, while it was very encouraging to see a lot of people who were running that day, from what I gathered, not many knew a lot about race running etiquette.

One basic rule when running is, if you are not one of those top runners who speed off at the sound of the gun, and if you are getting tired and have decided to slow down, it would be great if you could do the rest of the runners coming up behind you a huge favour and move to the left.  You see, running is like driving, if for whatever reason you need to slow down, move to left and try not to hog the “overtaking” lane.

The second thing I noticed was that many people running that day seemed to have forgotten that there were another 2000+ people who signed up for the race.  If you have/need to get rid of some unwanted spit or phlegm, or if you need to wipe off and fling off that bit of sweat off your brow, please make sure there is no one just behind you, not many people like to be showered with your bodily fluids.

Now, the last thing that bugged me just a little bit was the fact that during the run, there were at least 3 people who ran past me (yes, I was that slow) that “sideswiped” me.  Which brings me back to my driving anology.  If you are going to overtake someone, make sure you have enough space to move into, because, if you don’t, you will “sideswipe” them.  In a car, it would be an accident.  In running, it will be an unpleasant coming together of sweaty bodies.  Now, I don’t know about you, while we cannot help perspiring during a race, I would rather not share/rub my bodily fluids onto another person, and neither would I appreciate someone doing the same unto me.

So yeah, for all you budding runners out there…. go out, get fit, and have fun completing your first race or your 100th race (I always take each race as my first) but remember these few tips I left behind.

Who knows, maybe I’ll see you on the course some day….

 

A Sudden Burst of Inspiration

I’ve said it again and again, I’ve promised again and again….

and yet, I have not kept to my word at trying to keep this blog up to date.

I am trying once again because, yes! I’ve had a sudden burst of inspiration.  So, before it diminishes once again, I have decided to squeeze in a few long, loooooong overdue updates.

Stay tuned.

Go Rocket Man Go!

Mel and I were recently given the opportunity to attend the Singapore Airlines International Cup and Krisflyer International Sprint at the Singapore Turf Club.

I myself, have never been to the new Turf club, let alone watch a horse race live.

I mean, you’ve heard about it, seen pictures, watched documentaries, watched movies, about it, but never seen it live. So, you could imagine my excitement when this opportunity came up.

When we finally got there, the atmosphere was almost electric.  You could feel the anticipation of the punters, especially when the race was going on and everyone was shouting and cheering.  Phew! I am getting goosebumps just re-living the image in my mind.

We were ushered to the Marquee, where we were served drinks, food in an air-conditioned hall.  TV screens lined the back wall where you could keep tabs on the races coming up, watch the race itself, and even see who will be racing.  But, if you want to catch the action live, you could head out to the open air area, and actually watch the horses thunder past you about a hundred meters away from you.

The race starts and I'm hoping that my selection wins...

Come on Flying Fulton (No. 9)!!!

Yes!!!! Flying Fulton wins!!!!!

After grabbing some food and drinks and watching the next race, we were brought down to see the introduction of the jockeys who were riding in the next race and thereafter to see the horses being paraded.   Owners, VIPs, guests, as well as public from the gallery get to see the horses just before they race as they are walked around the parade ring.  You could tell that these horses were ready and raring to go.

The jockeys being introduced to the crowd.

Man! I look like a giant next to the jockeys. Guess which profession I will never join.

Then there was a mad rush because everyone was trying to get in a last minute wager for the race.  After that,  it was back to the front gallery to watch the race unfold.

The race starts, there’s mad cheering, we watch the screen, then try to catch of the glimpse of the horses, can’t see them cos they’re too far, then it’s back to the screen, the crowd cheers get louder, the horses come round the corner, you hear the thundering of the hooves get louder and louder, the cheering gets louder too, the horses thunder past you, the crowd is going crazy and there is a winner!  Rocketman wins the Krisflyer International Sprint!!!  Rocketman was a pre-race favourite and he lived up to his reputation.

Rocket Man's owner. Too happy for words.

Straight after the race, was the prize presentation and we got to witness that first hand.  The joy and elation was evident on the owners face and tears filled his eyes.  He was one happy man!

We then made our way back to the Marquee to enjoy the rest of the evening.

All in all, I had a really great time at the races and look forward to the next time I get to see the beautiful horses thunder down the final furlong.

…. Oh! Before I forget, if you do happen to want to put a small wager on the races, please remember to do it responsibly. 

How Cool Is This?!

I recently had the opportunity to try out a brand new pair of running shoes from Adidas…

These shoes are cool, both figuratively and literally!

How many of you have actually complained that running in our hot, humid weather actually caused your poor feet to suffer?  Well, not anymore!  I am always on the lookout for shoes that help keep my feet cool and comfortable and have come across a couple of them like the adizeroes

and one of my personal favs… the F50 runner.

Now, I get these beauties, and I think I am a convert!  They come in an array of vibrant colors to choose from, but these are my choice….

The Adidas Climacool Ride features 360 degree ventilation, reduces in-shoe moisture by 20%, reduces foot temperature by 12%, and the unique sole construction ensures that there is full foot flexibility as well as full length cushioning. (psst! it is also miCoach compatible!)

The cool-ness level for this shoe is off the charts I tell you!  Even the videos about the Adidas Climacool Ride are extremely cool, so cool that I decided to do one myself.  Check it out!

3 Years and Counting…

Mel and I just celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary and what a ride it has been.

I guess it’s true, the wedding itself was the just the beginning. After that, you just have to go along for the ride.  You have no idea what is around the corner.  There will be ups and downs, good times, bad times, and definitely loads of surprises along the way.

I am just so very thankful that my partner in this ride is one of the best partners a guy could ask for.

She is a gift to me and I am the luckiest guy around to have her as a partner.  She is there to help me when I am down and I will definitely be there to support her whenever she needs me.  We still have loads to learn about each other but we are slowly getting there.  No rush for that cos we have our whole lives ahead of us for that.

Corny as this may be, but while writing this blog post, I can only hear one song ringing in my head and one particular line keeps going on repeat… “lucky I’m love with my best friend, lucky to have been where I have been…”

I am excited because I really do not know what is in store for us but you can be sure about one thing, we will face it hand in hand, together.

Happy Anniversary Sweets!

I feel the need

…. the need to blog.

I know that I always say I would update, but never do.

Maybe cos I have so many thoughts in my head but when I want to finally put it down, I get muddled up just thinking about what I want to write and give up.

I have a whole new respect for those of you who can churn out blog posts (that make sense, mind you) almost everyday or every other day.

I am trying to churn something out right now…. really I am….

Tell you what, I’ll come out with something really soon. Promise!