God's words...

Feeling relatively crappy for the past few days. Post competition thing i guess. So many things are just not going well in my life at the moment and somedays i just feel like shutting out everything. I have set my bar very high. Dr. P.Tieh gave a devotion this morning and it coincidently had the message not to give up in such times.

He talked about how God would take 60 years to create an oak tree and 6 hours to create a mushroom. One takes longer time to create compared to the other. The mushroom however just needs a little pinch of the fingers to be removed from the ground. The oak tree needs machines to dig out its deep searching roots before it can be pulled out. The machines, and fingers symbolise the troubles that push us to breaking point. How easily they are removed from the ground on the other hand represent how much we can actually take. He also mentioned how our reactions to trouble show characther which I totally agree with. I look at myself at this point and just feel so inadequte. The way i deal with unideal situations are not extremely good. There's a long way of moulding for me before i can become a person with strong characther.

He continued on to say that there are many talents and ingenious minds out there, but thsoe who really make it big are those who perservere.God is at work with our lives and it may take a long time. But though the journey may be long, 10, 20, 30 years...to create a strong mind, strong body, strong unwavering characther...those who perservere will see the fruits of their labour. May I be granted with the strength to carry on perservering and may my characther be moulding into one that is steady as rock.

off day.

Got today off. I realised I was so focused on reflecting on my race i forgot to do something. Well...i'll like to say a big thank you to the people who cheered me on during the race. It kept me going and fighting for that elusive gold. I can't really remember exactly everyone especially the portage parts where my brain just goes blank and i just grab my boat and run. But special thanks to jonan and partner who was with me during parts of the race and of course joshua lim for swapping the senior race with me due to miscommunication. Saved me a whole bit...the people whom i attempted to ride but super failure...and everyone else who went to watch the races. Its good for the sport, hope it continues.

:]

Well...gotta do my extended essay...the teachers are chasing me for it ready
...crap...

Post marathon reflections

Well...came in second if you didn't know. Not a very good result for me actually. But I believe God is fair. I have to say my alertness and decision making this marathon was much much better than Ubin one and i'm rowing my first official k1 race too.

Started out real good, led till the first portage when sam chin was riding irene. managed to fight him down the portage and regain lead for another 3.5km. Then around the next turn I just couldnt move my boat for some reason. Directioning was real bad, heavy water...i suspect i caught something but just whack on. By the next portage he's too far already.

But i set my mind to catch him. Sprinted every 30s-1min...But cannot catch ar...he's riding well...
His tactics are good...his riding is really good!!!! I guess i'm still quite tactically naive in marathons. i don't hold the wash as well as him. But i didnt manage to find many k2's to attempt hooking on anyway.

Basically...he just outrowed me lah.
Back to basics for me. I've got alot more to learn and improve on...

Marathon

Tomorrow I race,
There's been pain, miscommunication, and sacrifices made just to get me into this race.
In God I place my strength.
And with God with me...who shall I fear...
May I not seek the praise of Man,

But paddle purely for passion.

To God Be the Glory,
The Best Is Yet To Be.

2 days

2 more days to marathon and im trying to figure out how to do my portage. Never done one before...and have never even seen what seletar looks like. tricky tricky....
Tmr will be moving the boats over to seletar and maybe row there for a short while before going home to rest. If it rains on race day that's another problem. I havent prepared for wet weather...or big waves... maybe i'll go find a spray cover tmr and stick some makeshift wave cutter at the front too. But i dun really think its necessary.
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random stuff of friday:

oldest person in the world is 114 years old!!!! My goodness

AC Canoe design!!!

Tmr is friday!!!! Can't describe how much i love fridays.... :]
My CAS canoe shirt design project is finally finally seeing the light. Thank you Mr brian khoo for the hardwork doing the drawing during philosophy hahahahahaha. Looks great. Now i just need to finish the front and its ready to be sent for printing. Gotta love art...

Once i get the front done we'll be set for printing and sales will begin... comments pls!!!!

Canoe.

Just read through mr samuel lim's posts on his canoeing life. Makes me wanna evaluate myself when i train. Like he said he's not the strongest, fittest but his mental strength is probably only rivalled by khairul and jun yi. I don't have that will power in me neither do i have the strength, the fitness, the size. All i can do is hold the water with my paddle. Apart from that i have no idea what the heck i row with. But it's because i know i'm lacking in these areas that makes me wanna push harder for it. Even if i have failed afew times here and there...marathons...sprints...

It's amazing what samuel did last year. In sprints but the marathons as well. And not only that...he's a student like everyone of us. The pressure, the stress of having to get the grades and of course leaving for home after training at 730-800 everyday. He's been my benchmark since dunno when actually...since the T1 days where he'll trash me sh!tless. Somethings just don't change after so many years eh? hahaha...

The saturday timetrial gave me the feeling again. Suddenly i feel like i can take the world down. The just whack feeling. Timing is not fantastic or anything though. Also saw this pic of this huge swedish junior from 2005 junior champs...Must fight them this year. Just need to cut 2 more seconds of the first 250m and 10 secs from the next...i'll be in good shape. The second 250 is the problem....

Talk is easy...need to up the fitness training to push my upper limit further. Nutrition, trainings, rest... i'm lucky my year actually addresses these areas. No more excuses from me...I must keep pushing.

Time trial.other stuff

Did 2 sets in the morning before everyone came down to train. I went down today with a relatively good mentality to fight to the end and it pulled me through somewhat. Split into groups of 3 with not much rest inbetween the 2 sets of timing because the schools were starting to stream onto the water. Particularily liked the first set. Had a fantastic first 275 and going strong till about 325. Then the body starts to feel the straining. Started having doubts whether i could hold the speed till the end but i managed to pull and drag my weight there somehow. 2nd 250 was way too slow today or timings will be lower. Have to work on the 2nd half of the race now. First half is relatively ok now. The last 50 the boat just sank back into the water and my legs wont move anymore. I've to address the thighs problem and maybe trim the boat alittle to the front. Also have to keep the confidence in my abilities nearing the 400 mark. Not stroking efficiently at the end too...

Still got many areas to improve and many tactics to learn about and execute. I've got 7 months to get to my aim.
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Went to eat with jori and ryan and the improved yun loong :] When we went to buy some drinks one of the employees just suddenly come up to us and ask us show him handphones saying that some lady recognised us and we took her phone (petty thief)...

Show him we didnt take anything then he made some calls "sorry...wrong person' and run away.... Went to clarify things with him later and it seems he found the phone somewhere else.

weird day.

Time trial

Timetrial change day to tmr..........
I'm gonna die of stress ready lah......

Save me...............................

stresssssssssss

Stress ah...!!!!!!!!!
So many stuff to hand in,marathon and guess what? another timetrial. SICC timetrial on sunday with seniors. I dont have the confidence i should be feeling at the current moment. Stressness.Don't even know which boat to use for marathon. Think i'll take the blue and yellow hybrid with the nice footstrap so my feet dun end up like last december with all the cuts, bruises and white tape to cover all the wounds. Look like street fighter like that hahahahaha. Today PE is crazy. exercises are...mimic mudskipper... lizard...spider....catching........CATCHING!!!! WHAT!
At least its better than just sitting around and listening to people talk.
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I thought my dad's camera was big. Zhong jie's one is like telescope lah!!!! rich man's toys...cannot fight. There's a saying there's 2 kinds of rich people. New rich and old rich. New rich will spend but are mindful on what they spend on so they might go for lower quality stuff that costs quite abit. Old rich just spend. They spend for quality.

James Morrison- If The Rain Must Fall

lazy to type so i'll just post a song. Raining like siao again and mac is flooding again....can't train... John legend coming to singapore...anyone wants to go watch?

time for good news.

Got my chinese results back. grade 7!!!! now that leaves 33 more points to my 40. Must start sourcing a possible uni soon.

Canoeing is going ok...not too fantastic at times but my upper limit for short sprints is moving lower. Getting more power though it isnt enough yet. Just have to work on consistency now not forgetting to do some fitness stuff. Water is real heavy because they drain all of it out! But it simulates the real international race course standards so im not complaining. I'm just not used to the timing getting so slow. Have to build up the power to force my way through the heavy water. In tosko's words..."The real men work very easy.....you not so strong....struggle struggle..urrrgggh... .. .. .. ." Taking part in the marathon at seletar res. 22km in k1...damn scary...so long! Never do before in k1...omg...Gonna try to perform well for once. Think i'll use white.SICC timetrial is a week after that. Very busy...must keep the momentum going.

EE experiment done almost finished, tok first draft done, econs done now just got practs to complete then can slack. Feel happy with all that quite behind me now.I heard the new yr 5 orientation quite fun. NOT FAIR! Mine was like crap. And the SAC freaking lot of people everyday...eat the same food for half a decade ready...sian ah. At least i can be happy with the free chinese periods i have from now on.

:]

Last year in ACS. Gonna make it memorable.
waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...my dad got this huge ass camera!!! can take nice photos!!! mwahahahahaha nice huge lens!!!

Amen.

From likai:

"The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever."

In John 14: 2 Jesus says "In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."
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Sadness comes with loving. But don't shy away because you are afraid to be hurt. It is part and parcel of life. We will move on. We will remember. We will all meet again someday.

Amen.

AAAaaahhhhhhh......

I'm quite down right now. Went for outing with seniors and realised Li kai was missing. I've been wondering what happened to him recently...haven't heard from him since we visited mr see's house. Then the news came. I'm so freaking sad. I really wished someone would have told me that he has left us on the 2nd of november 2006. I consider him one of the people i'm more open too. One of my treasured friends. ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!

I pray his family is doing well. His sis is in the school now. I'll try find out who she is. Have to take care of her for him. Its the most i can do.

Treasure life.
Thanks Likai for all you have done for me.

Tok

Stuck with tok again. Cant think of a second arguement that links to the programme. After that i still need a third before i can end of the first draft. Doing my EE experiment after school tmr. Hopefully things will go well.

School's been pretty ok for the past 2 days. Getting into the groove slowly. This year must study hard. All my chinese free periods must do maths. Think the results for chinese coming out tmr. Praying for full points then can concentrate on other things. Think the junior worlds are going to clash with my prelims. School might not let me go but i want to! Mid year must do so fantastically that they will let me go with a smiling faces.

who am i kidding...
help me!!!!!!!!!!

:/

It's a new year! :]

New year! New day! what a wonderful world.
Had the craziest new year celebrations ever. cycled 50km,fished, shack man but felt damn good. Derwin was the man of the day with his crazy moves, spot on comedy one liners and hokkien curses. Didnt sleep the whole night. Spent yesterday sleeping away :]

Ok, my aims are up and so is my resolutions for the new year.

1. Must be more onz and open this year.
2. Must study hard and do all my homework. 40pts!!!good uni, skip NS. everything good :]
3. Must stay in touch with the people i know and meet others.
4. Must get to semis and further in the world junior canoeing.
5. Must mind my language.
6. Must be optimistic
7. Must use my piano more.
8. Stop watching tv so much
9. Must learn some new skill whatever it is.
10. Erm...The best is yet to be.

K...might be abit hard. Actually very but nemind...just whack. Aim for the heavens and i'll reach the sky at least which isn't too bad.

Good year everyone.

Keep your heads up! :]