Distance: 35 laps
Time: ~50 mins
Overall:
Great. Sun was quite light, and took the liberty to go for a slow and leisurely swim. Realised the trend that pool is usually empty at 12pm, which will then be populated by mostly guys at around 12.20 onwards. Nearly 12.50pm, the composition changes, with more ladies than men. In fact, when I left the pool, there was only 1 guy, as opposed to 5 gals. Will go and observe again soon to confirm hypothesis :P
Monday, October 20, 2008
Friday, October 10, 2008
Suntec to Vivo
Distance: 5.72km
Time: ~38 mins
Route: From Suntec to Vivocity
Overall: Very tiring. The knees were quite badly pounded by the track, running up and down. The terrain wasn't that great, and was running along the main road, filled with cars, trucks and alot of manure smell. Well, it was a new track, and after that felt good.
Oh ya, at the Vivocity 7-eleven, had tried to buy 100+ drinks using my ez-Link card, which the lady assured me that they accepted. So I got the drink, and as my friend was paying using her card, we started drinking...
Her card FAILED!!!! So nonchalently, I passed the counter lady (Jessie was her name) my own card to try, all the while convinced my friend's card was just an ordinary mishap.
Who knew? MY CARD FAILED AS WELL. All we brought from Suntec were our door passes and our ez-link cards to bus back to Suntec... So there we were, drinking drinks that we couldn't possibly pay. It was then that we realised this little-known fact: Apparently Ez-link cards with GIRO enablement are NOT able to be used to make retail purchases... I was blooming furious, while at the same time, exceedingly embarrassed!
And this Jessie was pressing us on how we were going to settle... Do you have ATM card? Do you have any friends here who could pay on your behalf...Oh manz, never felt so bad before! I even wondered if Jessie was going to call the police and arrest us for not paying for our stuff...
At our wits' end, a ray of hope emerged. Jessie offered this... She said, "Well, it wasn't so expensive the things you bought ($2.60), so why don't I pay for it first, and I take this $2.60 as the cost of making friends. When you next come back, (I recognise you anyway), just pay me back lor."
Such a nice person!! I guess kindness still exist. To actually offer to help strangers like that! I'm not sure that in the same situation, I would do the same for others...
Felt great after that... Good deeds make the recipients feel good, and also make the givers feel great as well... Perhaps it's time to start being kinder and gentler after all...
I must definitely go back soon to repay her ($-wise), but I also wonder if there's any way I could repay her (kindness).
Time: ~38 mins
Route: From Suntec to Vivocity
Overall: Very tiring. The knees were quite badly pounded by the track, running up and down. The terrain wasn't that great, and was running along the main road, filled with cars, trucks and alot of manure smell. Well, it was a new track, and after that felt good.
Oh ya, at the Vivocity 7-eleven, had tried to buy 100+ drinks using my ez-Link card, which the lady assured me that they accepted. So I got the drink, and as my friend was paying using her card, we started drinking...
Her card FAILED!!!! So nonchalently, I passed the counter lady (Jessie was her name) my own card to try, all the while convinced my friend's card was just an ordinary mishap.
Who knew? MY CARD FAILED AS WELL. All we brought from Suntec were our door passes and our ez-link cards to bus back to Suntec... So there we were, drinking drinks that we couldn't possibly pay. It was then that we realised this little-known fact: Apparently Ez-link cards with GIRO enablement are NOT able to be used to make retail purchases... I was blooming furious, while at the same time, exceedingly embarrassed!
And this Jessie was pressing us on how we were going to settle... Do you have ATM card? Do you have any friends here who could pay on your behalf...Oh manz, never felt so bad before! I even wondered if Jessie was going to call the police and arrest us for not paying for our stuff...
At our wits' end, a ray of hope emerged. Jessie offered this... She said, "Well, it wasn't so expensive the things you bought ($2.60), so why don't I pay for it first, and I take this $2.60 as the cost of making friends. When you next come back, (I recognise you anyway), just pay me back lor."
Such a nice person!! I guess kindness still exist. To actually offer to help strangers like that! I'm not sure that in the same situation, I would do the same for others...
Felt great after that... Good deeds make the recipients feel good, and also make the givers feel great as well... Perhaps it's time to start being kinder and gentler after all...
I must definitely go back soon to repay her ($-wise), but I also wonder if there's any way I could repay her (kindness).
Monday, October 06, 2008
Tired
Distance: ~5km
Time: ~ 36min
Rest: 45 min :P
Condition: Outdoors
Location: Running along East Coast Road
Overall:
Running outdoors is infinitely harder than running on the treadmill. There's alot more impact, alot of upslopes and downslopes, cars to avoid, intersections that hurts the momentum...
I'm just slower when I'm not dependent on a machine moving me... Gotta restart my outdoor running enough for Stanchart...
Time: ~ 36min
Rest: 45 min :P
Condition: Outdoors
Location: Running along East Coast Road
Overall:
Running outdoors is infinitely harder than running on the treadmill. There's alot more impact, alot of upslopes and downslopes, cars to avoid, intersections that hurts the momentum...
I'm just slower when I'm not dependent on a machine moving me... Gotta restart my outdoor running enough for Stanchart...
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Sunday morning jog.....
Distance: 10km
Time: 65min 40sec
Rest: 0 min
Feeling: Good!
Overall: Not out of breath. Breathing was controlled. Knees were ok, but a little cranky at the start and the end. Ankles were aching, the right one more than the left.
Hmmm, this is improving, not out of breath means that perhaps I can go a little faster, but don't want to aggravate the knees...
:)
Time: 65min 40sec
Rest: 0 min
Feeling: Good!
Overall: Not out of breath. Breathing was controlled. Knees were ok, but a little cranky at the start and the end. Ankles were aching, the right one more than the left.
Hmmm, this is improving, not out of breath means that perhaps I can go a little faster, but don't want to aggravate the knees...
:)
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Watch out....
People who are habitually late, or no-shows, please stay away.
I have grown tired of having 'friends' who keep showing up late, or keep missing appts, citing ridiculous reasons, like "I overslept", or "Sorry, last-min farewell drinks", or "My cat died", etc.
My time is precious too, as well as the resources I have invested into making the appt, sacrificing my opportunity costs, committing my friendship. And people just easily discard these things when they keep canceling/ being late on me. I would rather sit at home and watch my toenails grow, watch paint dry, then waste another second standing there waiting for you, or another beautiful sunday morning getting cancelled on and disrupting all my other plans.
I AM TIRED OF THIS.
If you cannot make it, say so in advance. Not wait till I check with you why you not around yet.
If you know you will be late, change the appt time EARLY enough to give me a chance to plan something else. Not when I'm down there waiting already for an half hour.
If you don't want to meet me, just say so. Not just push and push, or accept and cancel.
Either you value my friendship, or you don't. For those who obviously don't, please please screw off...
I have grown tired of having 'friends' who keep showing up late, or keep missing appts, citing ridiculous reasons, like "I overslept", or "Sorry, last-min farewell drinks", or "My cat died", etc.
My time is precious too, as well as the resources I have invested into making the appt, sacrificing my opportunity costs, committing my friendship. And people just easily discard these things when they keep canceling/ being late on me. I would rather sit at home and watch my toenails grow, watch paint dry, then waste another second standing there waiting for you, or another beautiful sunday morning getting cancelled on and disrupting all my other plans.
I AM TIRED OF THIS.
If you cannot make it, say so in advance. Not wait till I check with you why you not around yet.
If you know you will be late, change the appt time EARLY enough to give me a chance to plan something else. Not when I'm down there waiting already for an half hour.
If you don't want to meet me, just say so. Not just push and push, or accept and cancel.
Either you value my friendship, or you don't. For those who obviously don't, please please screw off...
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Singapore GP - 28 Sep 08
AMAZING RACE! All the thrills and spills! Just DAMN fantastic! It's certainly going to be the highlight of the Formula One championships from now onwards! Will post more later...
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
Diet Resolutions
Don'ts:
1) No fried food
2) No oily food
3) No chocolates
4) No ice-cream
5) No durians
6) No soft drinks
7) No alcohol
8) No rice
9) No buffets
10) No KFC
Dos:
1) Eat fruits for lunch (esp. grapefruit)
2) Exercise in some form or other daily
3) Run 3 times a week
4) Sleep at least 7 hours daily
5) Green tea daily
6) Drink a lot more water
7) Eat multiple small meals, but no snacking
8) Eat at home and go out less
9) Even if not lunching, make sure to walk around lots during lunch-time
10) Eat more protein, like fish, or chicken, and less carbs
1) No fried food
2) No oily food
3) No chocolates
4) No ice-cream
5) No durians
6) No soft drinks
7) No alcohol
8) No rice
9) No buffets
10) No KFC
Dos:
1) Eat fruits for lunch (esp. grapefruit)
2) Exercise in some form or other daily
3) Run 3 times a week
4) Sleep at least 7 hours daily
5) Green tea daily
6) Drink a lot more water
7) Eat multiple small meals, but no snacking
8) Eat at home and go out less
9) Even if not lunching, make sure to walk around lots during lunch-time
10) Eat more protein, like fish, or chicken, and less carbs
Current Weight Wagers...
1) If I lost enough weight to fit into my pink clubbing shirt, J will get me a Zara work shirt
2) If I lost 5 kg, WY will get me a Zara shirt
3) If I lost 10kg, I will get myself an Oakley Radar Path Asian Fit Sunglasses
4) If I lost 10kg and maintain for a year, WL will cut off his tonkers
5) If I ran the marathon in sub 5h30m, S will buy me 10 chicken wings
Anyone else wants to make bets with me?
2) If I lost 5 kg, WY will get me a Zara shirt
3) If I lost 10kg, I will get myself an Oakley Radar Path Asian Fit Sunglasses
4) If I lost 10kg and maintain for a year, WL will cut off his tonkers
5) If I ran the marathon in sub 5h30m, S will buy me 10 chicken wings
Anyone else wants to make bets with me?
Monday, September 15, 2008
September 15th, fresh beginnings...
Shall start to record down the training sessions from today onwards.
Distance: 6.58km
Time: 44mins
Rest stop: 5mins
Distance: 6.58km
Time: 44mins
Rest stop: 5mins
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Surprise drop in retail sales
http://www.thomsonfxhub.com/fxhub/forex-news-detail.jsf?newsId=18091&title=Singapore%20retail%20sales%20expected%20to%20slow%20in%20February%20as%20car%20sales%20drag
Can't seem to find a free copy of the Straits Times Article online. But here's some version of it elsewhere...
First thoughts: Economists are morons... Think they are all just wildly creating estimates for growth... I sincerely doubt that an economist can predict the economy better than a PSLE-educated weatherman. In fact, a weatherman can probably do it more flamboyantly, whooshing his arms around excitedly as he predicts the drop/increase in growth of the retail sector.
If an economist can't do a good job predicting the future, but is only good at reasoning the past, what use is he? Seriously, attribution is so easy; anyone who understands causality and can find a link between his supposed reason and his past outcome can be an economist...
Let me take a stab: Today's Papers:
Nonsense Statistics Number 1:
Article 1 : Retail sales dipped in February 2008, citing poor car sales.
Article 2: Hand Foot Mouth Disease hits the highest in Singapore ever in March 2008 with 1,000 cases. Super virulent strain Enterovirus71 pervasive this year but doctors don't know why.
Hah, simple wat... means that people in Singapore buying less cars in Feb = more walking and over-crowding on the streets in Feb & March = more interaction between people = more interaction of the HFMD infected = more infections + incubation period...
Don't believe, just look at the statistics... less cars, more HFMD cases
QED...
How to profit from it?
Be a car salesman. Tout cars as the best cure against HFMD. Prove it. Go down to all the childcare centres and set up car showrooms. Hire doctors and statisticians who are willing to assert that your statistic is correct. Get them to sell the 'scientific correlation' between cars and HFMD. Talk to Health Insurers and get them to subsidise cost of cars as part of medical prevention expenditure. Make it easy to buy a car. Put out national campaigns that shame parents who don't buy cars as ignorance, unloving parents. Earn big bucks! Sell your car business, expose the scam.
Oh ya, by the way, FIRE ALL ECONOMISTS... they are good-for-nothing morons who live off everyone else and produces nothing of value to society. Save their salaries to hire road sweepers. A road-sweeper is infinitely more useful than an economist.
Get rich, die evil...
Can't seem to find a free copy of the Straits Times Article online. But here's some version of it elsewhere...
First thoughts: Economists are morons... Think they are all just wildly creating estimates for growth... I sincerely doubt that an economist can predict the economy better than a PSLE-educated weatherman. In fact, a weatherman can probably do it more flamboyantly, whooshing his arms around excitedly as he predicts the drop/increase in growth of the retail sector.
If an economist can't do a good job predicting the future, but is only good at reasoning the past, what use is he? Seriously, attribution is so easy; anyone who understands causality and can find a link between his supposed reason and his past outcome can be an economist...
Let me take a stab: Today's Papers:
Nonsense Statistics Number 1:
Article 1 : Retail sales dipped in February 2008, citing poor car sales.
Article 2: Hand Foot Mouth Disease hits the highest in Singapore ever in March 2008 with 1,000 cases. Super virulent strain Enterovirus71 pervasive this year but doctors don't know why.
Hah, simple wat... means that people in Singapore buying less cars in Feb = more walking and over-crowding on the streets in Feb & March = more interaction between people = more interaction of the HFMD infected = more infections + incubation period...
Don't believe, just look at the statistics... less cars, more HFMD cases
QED...
How to profit from it?
Be a car salesman. Tout cars as the best cure against HFMD. Prove it. Go down to all the childcare centres and set up car showrooms. Hire doctors and statisticians who are willing to assert that your statistic is correct. Get them to sell the 'scientific correlation' between cars and HFMD. Talk to Health Insurers and get them to subsidise cost of cars as part of medical prevention expenditure. Make it easy to buy a car. Put out national campaigns that shame parents who don't buy cars as ignorance, unloving parents. Earn big bucks! Sell your car business, expose the scam.
Oh ya, by the way, FIRE ALL ECONOMISTS... they are good-for-nothing morons who live off everyone else and produces nothing of value to society. Save their salaries to hire road sweepers. A road-sweeper is infinitely more useful than an economist.
Get rich, die evil...
It's time to think creatively...
Perhaps I'm rather dissatisfied with work because it doesn't provide much of an opportunity for creative thinking... Everything is "template this, template that", so that there is a consistency, a uniformity, a conformity...
Well, until I am no longer there, there must be an alternative outlet for me. I believe this is what is driving me to the brink of insanity. I need someplace to output my juices, be it creative or not... Else I stagnate, and my brain will fizzle out, and life will get emptier and emptier...
I shall try something. It will just be an objective and thinking exercise, without consideration of the political correctness of the statement. I will, on a regular basis, look at articles in the papers/online, and identify one of them, and examine how one can possibly profit from it, be it by scrupulous means or not... The ideas can be outlandish, evil even, but it's not a reflection of my character, but a training of the mind... Will appreciate your comments on them...
Well, until I am no longer there, there must be an alternative outlet for me. I believe this is what is driving me to the brink of insanity. I need someplace to output my juices, be it creative or not... Else I stagnate, and my brain will fizzle out, and life will get emptier and emptier...
I shall try something. It will just be an objective and thinking exercise, without consideration of the political correctness of the statement. I will, on a regular basis, look at articles in the papers/online, and identify one of them, and examine how one can possibly profit from it, be it by scrupulous means or not... The ideas can be outlandish, evil even, but it's not a reflection of my character, but a training of the mind... Will appreciate your comments on them...
Monday, March 03, 2008
Priorities
One needs a mirror to know where he is,
One needs a trail to know where he was,
One needs a compass to know where he is going...
Have gone too damn long without those. The result: Lost, a feeling of hopelessness, a sense of aimlessness... of drifting along the river, pulled by the current... of helplessness, that everything is beyond my control...
No longer.
In the next few days, I shall identify my mirror, my trail and my compass... small steps to living my life, the way i envision it to be...
a better man.
One needs a trail to know where he was,
One needs a compass to know where he is going...
Have gone too damn long without those. The result: Lost, a feeling of hopelessness, a sense of aimlessness... of drifting along the river, pulled by the current... of helplessness, that everything is beyond my control...
No longer.
In the next few days, I shall identify my mirror, my trail and my compass... small steps to living my life, the way i envision it to be...
a better man.
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Saturday, February 16, 2008
The Wall
There comes a point in every race, could be the 5th mile, could be the 25th, but eventually, you are going to hit what every runner calls "The Wall". And when you do, you won't be able to breathe, or think, or even move, and all you want to do ... is give up.
That's the difference between getting a girl, and keeping a girl...
I run marathons, haha!
Run, Fat Boy, RUN!
That's the difference between getting a girl, and keeping a girl...
I run marathons, haha!
Run, Fat Boy, RUN!
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
What do you think?
I called this guy up today, and asked him if he had any stock available for two board games that I wanted to buy...
He said he'll check, and call me back later...
...
Call back he did, and told me that there were only one each of the two board games I requested, and he told me to "Come by tomorrow" if I really wanted it...
So I did... Fearing that they will run out of stock if I didn't tarry, I came down immediately. Then he told me that he didn't have it in stock, and actually he meant "Come by TOMORROW", instead of "Come BY tomorrow". Coz he will get the single leftover stock in tomorrow from his warehouse; he didn't have it at the store currently...
Sheesh... over the phone, I couldn't tell the difference. I thought he meant the latter...
Would you have thought the same???
He said he'll check, and call me back later...
...
Call back he did, and told me that there were only one each of the two board games I requested, and he told me to "Come by tomorrow" if I really wanted it...
So I did... Fearing that they will run out of stock if I didn't tarry, I came down immediately. Then he told me that he didn't have it in stock, and actually he meant "Come by TOMORROW", instead of "Come BY tomorrow". Coz he will get the single leftover stock in tomorrow from his warehouse; he didn't have it at the store currently...
Sheesh... over the phone, I couldn't tell the difference. I thought he meant the latter...
Would you have thought the same???
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Just Chillin'
The boom of an approaching plane...
Peering out the window, I can't seem to make it out... Though I can't see it, I know it's there... and it makes me calm.
Sitting back, the radio playing light jazzy tunes, gotta admit, life's been pretty decent to me. I don't get everything I want in life, but, who does anyway?
Everything in life simply gets better when you are not hankering desperately after some object of desire. Perhaps this is middle-age thinking, when the rashness of youth is replaced by a jaded acceptance... or is it called a tacit understanding...
I lean back on my chair, eyes closed, hands behind my head, stephanie singing a slow, low ballad, the song interspersed with the drone of the fan. No cares in the world, just a little "me time" before I head to bed. A grin, shoulders down, as i think about how the bedsheet is warming up under my feet...my own style of "meditative pose"...
I am happy...
Peering out the window, I can't seem to make it out... Though I can't see it, I know it's there... and it makes me calm.
Sitting back, the radio playing light jazzy tunes, gotta admit, life's been pretty decent to me. I don't get everything I want in life, but, who does anyway?
Everything in life simply gets better when you are not hankering desperately after some object of desire. Perhaps this is middle-age thinking, when the rashness of youth is replaced by a jaded acceptance... or is it called a tacit understanding...
I lean back on my chair, eyes closed, hands behind my head, stephanie singing a slow, low ballad, the song interspersed with the drone of the fan. No cares in the world, just a little "me time" before I head to bed. A grin, shoulders down, as i think about how the bedsheet is warming up under my feet...my own style of "meditative pose"...
I am happy...
Monday, December 31, 2007
2008 New Year Things to Do
- Lose Weight
- Drop 15 kg (1.5 kg / month)
- No late night pig-out sessions (No food after 9 pm)
- Personal Finance
- Set out & follow budget (Save first)
- Consider financial portfolio
- Work on Faults
- Live up to promises
- Not to be overly-critical of others
- Pick up New Skills
- Learn Salsa
- Digital Photography
- Management Consultancy
- Improve on Existing Skills / Achieve Certification
- Tennis (Regular Coaching Sessions)
- Diving (Certification for Advanced Open Water, Deep Diver)
- Attend Wine Appreciation Classes
- Pass CFA I
- Set up business website
- Exercise / Training Schedule
- Running - Twice Weekly (Thursday, Sunday)
- Swimming - Twice Weekly (Tuesday, Saturday)
- Tennis - Twice Weekly (Wednesday, Saturday)
- Blading - Weekly (Sunday)
- Badminton - Fortnightly (Wednesday)
- Squash - Monthly
- Races
- Singapore Biathlon 2008 (1 March) - Target: 1 hr 40 mins
- Singapore Bay Run / Army Half Marathon (TBC) - Target: 2 hrs 15 mins
- JP Morgan Chase 5.6km Corporate Run - Target: 30 mins
- Fuji Xerox Open Water 3km (TBC) - Target: 1 hr 10 mins
- Singapore Marathon 2008 (7 December) - Target: 5 hrs 30 mins
- Special Events
- Formula One Singapore Inaugural Race (28 September)
- Two overseas trips (Laos, Cambodia)
So This Is Christmas
(by John Lennon)
So this is Christmas
And what have you done?
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young.
A very Merry Christmas
And a Happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
And so this is Christmas
For weak and for strong
For rich and the poor ones
The road is so long
And so Happy Christmas
For black and for white
For yellow and red ones
Let's stop all the fight.
A very Merry Christmas
And a Happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
So this is Christmas
And what have you done?
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so Happy Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young.
A very Merry Christmas
And a Happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
War is over!
If you want it
War is over!
War is over, Now!
And what have you done?
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young.
A very Merry Christmas
And a Happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
And so this is Christmas
For weak and for strong
For rich and the poor ones
The road is so long
And so Happy Christmas
For black and for white
For yellow and red ones
Let's stop all the fight.
A very Merry Christmas
And a Happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
So this is Christmas
And what have you done?
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so Happy Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young.
A very Merry Christmas
And a Happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
War is over!
If you want it
War is over!
War is over, Now!
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Facing the Music...
It's time to face the facts, people.
When you're in it, you only accept the evidence that aids your case, and cheerfully ignore the growing pile of stuff that points otherwise...
You'd need someone else to shine the light for you, to tell you to accept the things that you have been unconsciously denying...
It's tough to accept... People can go through their entire existence pretending, living in webs of deceit... I've decided that I shan't be one of them...
When the facts pile up once or twice, it's a coincidence... three or four, it's a suspicious... five or six, it's a undeniable, inalienable truth...
It's ok, if I can do a marathon, I can accept this painful truth. I can move on. New year's coming, perfect time for a fresh start, new beginnings...
When you're in it, you only accept the evidence that aids your case, and cheerfully ignore the growing pile of stuff that points otherwise...
You'd need someone else to shine the light for you, to tell you to accept the things that you have been unconsciously denying...
It's tough to accept... People can go through their entire existence pretending, living in webs of deceit... I've decided that I shan't be one of them...
When the facts pile up once or twice, it's a coincidence... three or four, it's a suspicious... five or six, it's a undeniable, inalienable truth...
It's ok, if I can do a marathon, I can accept this painful truth. I can move on. New year's coming, perfect time for a fresh start, new beginnings...
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