Are you ready?

The floods down under have screwed up a lot of people and their homes. And my holiday plans to go visit again this year.

Normally at this time, there would only be bush fires. Summer emits unbearable heat down in Aussie land, and I could never survive a full summer over there. This year, the rains poured down hard on them, immensing their very homes in hordes of water. It is hard to believe, that they actually have a law, where people are not allowed to wash their cars with hoses during summer time, in order to save water. I had a friend who was scolded in the public toilet once, for washing her hands, longer than she rightfullly needed.

Unfortunately, we sometimes need to face events like this, to remind us how lucky we are, to live in a country without natural disasters. We do not need to worry about our houses being lost through earthquakes, rebuilding the homes that have been destroyed by floods, losing our dear ones to tsunamis, etc.

In our country, people worry about the ability to own a car with high COE prices, being able to send their 2-year-old children to classes, when iphones will be in stock again in Singtel...

It is perhaps also this mindset where we would be painfully unprepared should a disaster strike us. A man-made disaster that is. How we would scramble and lose ourselves in panic! We always see the anti-terrorism videos in MRT stations, but how many stopped to watch the video and remind themselves that this could very well happen one day.

I just hope we'll all be ready when disaster strikes.

Men can be so funny sometimes

I was searching online for a free software to download and this ad popped up and led me to a new website. It's an adult friend finder website. Something caught my eye (a video) so i decided to explore it.

I have to say, the things men say to get attention, can be so hilarious and entertaining.


The ones who can't wait...

"God has sent me baby! Let's Connect."

"Do you want to sex now??????"

Zero points for the English. Although, I know grammar is not what people in the website are looking for.


The ones who tries to hide their intention to have sex only ...

"I am ez going and I am looking for chat, discreet, noti & fun times with like-minded female.
I understand that most ladies require good chemistry so i am not rushing into things.
If a simple meet up for coffee/drinks/meal or movie sounds good to you, then why don't just drop me a line."

"I think my wishes here are the same as any others: to get to know sensible, sane people and chat first, get to know each other as friends/acquaintances, maybe meet up for coffee, etc....and if anything else happens after that, than its a bonus. If not, its OK too....no bad feelings. All done without stress, rush or pushiness."

Yeah right.


The ones with the huge egos ... (but probably without the huge equipment).

"Love doing oral a lot and fuck well in all positions for hours together."

Sounds like an advertisement.


The ones who probably won't get laid ...

"hmmm... don't know what to say. Just want to have some sex."

WTF?? And you seriously expect to get some response from this?


There is another group of people who would put up pictures of their crotch or worse, their nipples to attract the opposite sex. Why in the world would women respond just by seeing this? If you go stark naked, at least some women might appreciate either your openness, your build (or the lack of it) or simply just by the size of your accessory.

Anyway, had a bit of entertainment reading these intros for a while. Need to get to bed. Am falling sick.

Heartbroken

I got up early this morning to prepare for our big dragon boat race, the Singapore River Regatta. As I was on my way to WY's place to pick him up, I got a call to tell me that my dog has passed away.

When i looked at him before i left my home, he looked so peaceful, as if he was sleeping.

Anyway, I was torn between going to the race and going back home to take one last look at my beloved baby. Being the team manager, i felt that it was important for me to be there, to keep things in order, and not to disrupt the morale of the team. WY made the decision for me, when he started suggesting people who can come down at last minute to take my place. In the end, I went home.

Stroked him, cuddled him, and sent him off to be cremated. You can say I cried buckets.

5 years ago, I lost someone I love. And it has happened again.

I miss my baby already.

Finding back myself

I was asked to write an article on dragon boating, my feelings and such, for the sport and team for a monthly newsletter that would be sent to a few functions without my class of business.

I came up with something and the person in charge came to me and said my article was boring. He lost interest at the 2nd paragraph and felt the whole article was too corporate. I agreed.

He asked me if I want to redo it which I did, and I put in more personal feelings and what I really wanted to say in the article. I realised I have been corporatised and couldn't write anymore in my own style. This must not go on. I must not lose myself. I must not become what the company wants me to become.

Anyway, below is the article which I did.

=================================

"True enjoyment comes from activity of the mind and exercise of the body; the two are united."

~Alexander von Humboldt

I have always been a restless person and thus always seeking to release the energy through sports. I played squash (and nearly lost a tooth), did kickboxing (and got scratched bad by amateur boxers), picked up roller-blading (which nearly cost me my hip), exhibited clumsy moves in hip hop dance classes, etc. Despite the obstacles that have always stood in my way, engaging in sports is never a chore because I’ve always enjoyed what I was doing and I love the sweat (and endorphins) that come with it. I have never participated much in team sports in school so when the first dragon boat clinic was held, I jumped at the chance. Of course, the rumour of yummy-looking males in the dragon boat arena added to the motivation. I have to say I am somewhat disappointed with the ugly truth (pun unintended), yet even so, I have never once, looked back.

During the initial sessions, I always go home with a very sore body but feeling somewhat satisfied. Secretly, I think many people do enjoy a certain amount of pain, but they just refused to admit it. Anyway, if I say that getting too much sun and potentially ending up with lopsided arm muscles hadn't crossed my mind, I'd be lying. As a female (and one who hides under an umbrella even when walking to purple house for lunch), these are legitimate concerns. But just like the idea of running a full 42km marathon sounds daunting, we know the satisfaction is invaluable.

As time passed, I started to look forward to the training sessions and the anticipation plus adrenaline rush of going to races kept me motivated. I love the competitiveness of the sport and the exhilaration of kicking the butt out of another team (especially other oil majors).

A new dragon boat jersey = $26
A carbon fiber paddle = $300
The expression on your competitor’s faces (when they lost by a mere 0.02 seconds)? Priceless.

Priceless also because we don’t see this often enough.

But our egos do not suffer any damage because we have been conditioned in the exact same manner to not feel badly about losing and there is always a next time. And a next time. And a next time.

We all know exercising brings health benefits. That keeping fit and healthy now is far greater than popping pills when I'm old. One of the big plus of dragon boating is the amount of shouting we have to do during training to breathe properly, release energy and spur each other on. I can’t recall the number of times when I get my team mates to shout out, as a form of venting their exasperation, as if they were shouting at the bosses who breathed down their necks, spouses who refuse to flush the toilet, or the stupid kid who beat you to the last seat on the train. It really is a great way to release the pent-up energy and what better way to do it, than on a Saturday morning, in a boat filled with 9 other people, doing the exact same thing?

Similar to running, dragon boating trains endurance for the body and mind. Pushing myself further than I think I can brings a tremendous sense of accomplishment. Here in the team, I have teammates (actually, just one teammate) who would offer me his S$400 IPPT gold award if I can outrun him. Where else, apart from this team, can I find such supportive teammates?! I almost went to church to thank God for the incredible good fortune bestowed upon me. Just for your info, said teammate completed a 2.4km in 9 minutes and 45 seconds while I am only a mere 7 minutes and 18 seconds behind. Which I believe he knew.

Being part of the dragon boat team has also given me valuable things besides fitness - I have found new friends whose company I totally enjoy and share camaraderie with. We had gotten so close in fact, that it was perfectly natural for the girls to ask the guys about my size for a sports bra which was the present of my recent birthday. Because of our passion for the sport, we spent a lot of time talking about how we can get better at it. It's built a bond for us so strong, that we would want to spend more time with each other, other than just being in the boat. Apart from our usual Saturday breakfasts, we’ve done numerous lunches and dinners, exchanged Christmas presents, shared rooms on a trip, shared gossips, and shared bathtubs. I have to say, finding a new group of good friends with a zest for life and sports from the workplace, is something that I had never quite expected.

I may have made it sound simple to keep up with a sport (or more than one, for that matter) despite being in operations, but it really is not that difficult. Sure, you’d need some re-scheduling around but allocating an hour for sports every other day is still somewhat manageable. The most difficult part is getting started. But once you did, you'd be surprised how easy it actually is. If you're someone who has always thought of exercising but has also been putting the idea off because "things are always coming up at the last minute" or "I can always start next week", do not hesitate anymore. Place a measuring tape on your table to keep track of your expanding waist line or better still, put a weighing machine right by the snack table to remind yourself of the need to start. Alternatively, choose a less cruel method like setting up a workout day with a co-worker who cannot handle rain checks (like me) and rid yourself of the excuses once and for all. Other than getting your work-life balance, picking up a new sport may bring you more satisfaction and fulfillment than you can imagine.

Bonding

One month ago, I went on a 3 nights trip to Bali with my fellow dragonboat team mates. Few months back, when I wanted to start planning for this trip, I had suggested Australia. It could be due to my previous experience, but I luuvvv Australia. I love the courtesy, the open cafes, the sunshine during winter, the autumn breeze, etc etc. Somehow, it went out of the girls' budget (apparently $2k is too much money to spend on a trip. wtf?!) and they decided that we should go Bali instead.

I have been to Bali, but it wasn't the most pleasant trip then. The person I went with was kind of dissatisfied with just my company and was commenting the whole time, "I wish our friends are here." So you can guess I didn't like Bali very much. I rejected the Bali idea but finally succumbed to their whining and pestering. And I would say, that it was a great decision made.

The Bali trip was supposed to be a trip for 4, stay in a nice villa, where we just lay on the beach chairs by the private pool, get massages, manicures and pedicures, DVD watching, etc. It was meant to be a true R & R trip.

As the news spread, many more got interested in the trip, and we ended up going in a group of 9. It was like back to the good, old school days where life is a lot more carefree. This trip turned out to be one of the best trips I ever had. We had fun from the airport to the plane, joked and laughed our way through Indonesian custom clearance, oohs and aahs at the beautiful villa with 4 bedrooms and a private pool, made fun of the guys who had to share beds with each other, admire the girls' collection of bikinis, soaked in a giant tub together, rafted through a pretty long stretch of treacherous river, surfed till sunburnt with abrasions on the knees (I was the clever one who opted out of surfing =P), got our massages and finally did all kinds of stupid stunts in the pool.

As I get older, a lot of fun that came from friends being all crazy and imaginative, kind of died down. Most people just matured, and didn't talk or behave the way they used to. More than once (I think), i have blogged about how friends seemed to have changed, and the conversational topics just aren't as interesting anymore. It depressed me a little, but i reckoned that had to do with the growing up. It is something I have to accept.

Now, I hang out with a bunch of 20+ to 30 year olds, and they still talked about being attached or single, their passions, their wanting to try many things, financial planning for retirement while also planning the next trip, etc etc. They dont talk so much about children (except other people's children), public vs private housing, CPF, etc etc. They talked about events going around the globe and not just in their homes. They talked about business strategies not restricted by international boundaries. They seemed to have this zest for life, which I so adore.

I had actually found new friends, whom I had gotten pretty close to, from dragon boating. It's something that I had never expected. Because of our passion for the sport, we spent a lot of time talking about how we can get better at it. It's built a bond for us so strong, that I'm pretty certain even if I were to leave the team for whatever reasons, the friendship is here to stay.

=)

Strange Dream

I had a dream the other night that I was pregnant and was going into labour. But my tummy was still very small and it didn't seem possible that a full-grown baby was inside me. I was already in the hospital then, looking for a nurse and there appeared none in sight.

Suddenly, one nurse approached me and said she would help me deliver and take care of me thereafter, but I must pay her. Somehow in my dreams, I wouldn't usually question strange things, as they appeared to be normal then. I think I hired the said nurse.

But what I remembered most from the dream, were the thoughts that were going through my mind. I was wondering if I had quit smoking at all, and if I hadn't, would my baby turn out to be a freak or born with down syndrome or something. And it really bothered me then. Everytime someone asked me, what I would do if I get pregnant since im a smoker, and i would reply i believe in the greatness of a mother's love. Should I get pregnant, no matter how heavy a smoker I am, I would stop smoking right away, for the baby's sake. Thus, the confusion in my dream.

Then, i went into labour and true enough, a full grown baby came out of me. It was a boy.

I had always hope my first kid would be a boy. So that I can teach him to love his younger siblings and not bully them, the way I was bullied when I was young.

Anyway, just for the record, I'm not pregnant. And won't be for a while.

I have too many things to do

Our dragon boat Captain decided to pursue his career elsewhere and has tendered his resignation. His duties of "bao sua bao hai" have been passed down to me.

On one hand, I love the challenge of motivating the team and helping to build the strength of the team, numbers wise. On the other hand, I think I will be very, very tired this year. A number of oncoming projects (work wise) are heading my way.

Meanwhile, i am still doing a lot of meddling with people's lives like introducing single girlfriends to single (or divorced) boyfriends, forcing people to lose weight cos they're really fat (and single), telling people they should get insurance in case they get hit by cars driven by mad drivers, etc.

I am also very proud to say, from Nov till now, I have lost 4 kilos, 2 inches and 5% fat percentage.

And I'm going for more =)

Wish me luck!