back home.

Hello, i'm finally back home. It's been a long exciting week of international competition. The weather there is really cold (16-20) on some days, nice and warm on some and very wet and windy on others. I did my best there, and I've finally seen what the real world of sports is like. The guys are "real men", the women are...well...err...damn...big...also. Bigger than me, stronger than me, faster than me, fitter than me. Scary.

Ok...anyway like i was saying we tried our best. Results i think most people expected, we occupied the bottom 2 placings most of the time.

K1 500: 1.53.345 (heats), 1.55.475 (semis)

K2 1000: 3.38.796(heats)-(PB)

K2 500: 1.44.926(heats)

Even though we didn't make the k2 semis which was our aim, we did do a PB for k2 1000m making it an official record. The k2 500 was a weird one. 1st out of the blocks and led for 10secs before the rest just totally destroyed us. K2 1000 we fought with VEN all the way, losing only at the ending 50m. K1 500 i was lucky enough to make the semi finals with 36 boats out of 39 remaining. I'm super grateful just to get into the semis acutally. I started out too hard and didn't leave enough to finish strong like the heats. I have learnt quite alot throught this race and hopefully will be able to do better some other time.

The speed of the leaders are just amazing. I had the privilege to race right beside the hungarians for the k2 1000 and South africa in the k2 500. When they start out of the starting blocks, they just blasted their way to the front and if you have seen the timings on the net, their split timing is crazy fast. Not only that, they hold that starting speed all the way to the end, with a slower rotation than the start when they go into maintainance.

Hopefully, I'll get to go for more races like this and hopefully i will at least be on the average line by then. Thanks again for the support people. We will perservere. This is our resolve.

compare this guy with me(he's not the biggest)

last post before i leave.

Wah i'm here again since i can't post tmr before i leave. I'm too excited lah, leaving tomorrow and need some place to dump all the emotions. NCC is over! we've a new national record for k2 500m now which was set by ryan/bill at 1.38. Congrats! to the both of you. I'm praying hard for the nominations to get through with that time.

Met samuel and jori too. Jori is still the same, not much changes. Sam seems ok yet i constantly sense sorrow luring in him. I can't say i know exactly what he's feeling but if you need to talk, we're always around. Stay strong man. Take care.

I finally have my scf jacket, given joseph(big) the photos, collected my attire, collected the spray covers, paddle bags, started packing somewhat, still trying to finish my work before i leave though. Eh juniors T1 at 845pm ah!!! hope to see you guys there before we go :) I'll go early just to walk around the airport. And yes, juniors! I think it's time i step down as junior captain. Someone else has to take over soon. We should elect when we're back!!!This is the climax of the year, let's give them a run for their money!

Good bye & No Regrets!

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God, guide me through my trials,
give me strength to move on,
give me direction and purpose,
Your will is absolute,
and though somethings I will never be able to comprehend,
I leave everything in your hands.

National Champions!!!

Lucas, today we are national champions! Hahaha. It's the best race I've ever had, at least that's what i think! The day started in an interesting manner, meeting Clarence and Weili in the heats with 1 direct final slot. I reached mac abit earlier today just to soak up the atmosphere. Then coach did something unexpected, asking me and weili to play cards with him. I drew a 4 diamond. It's heavens will i guess. It decided things and the fight will be the finals where everything is all fair. I understand where he's coming from and i have no problem with it. It just means slightly more water time. Very interesting methods, it removes the dilenma of the coach and the paddlers don't have to kamikaze each other. First time experiencing this. Semis was pretty normal. Coach told us to dare to go longer. So we tried. Things went well.

Everything then came down to the finals. Coach said he didn't dare to predict the results. Our boats were just very evenly matched over 1000m. Lucas showed me today that I still have lots to learn as a sportsman. His visuals of scenarios and how to react is quite accurate.

"As iron sharpens iron,

so one man sharpens another."

-Proverbs 27:17

We started well, led and lost the lead at 250m. clarence and weili proceeded to pull away through the middle 500. We were on the verge of giving up quite afew times. But we trusted the plan to help us finish strongly and we did. Lucas was pushing all the way and he's amazing. He can last forever. Kudos to lucas, couldn't have done it without him constantly pushing me in trainings.

The times aren't super special or anything but today's race was a really mental one. I was shifting between giving up and trusting the plan to the end. Reasoning to myelf that just that little more would do. Just that little more. Today we showed our resolve. I don't think many will understand what i'm feeling but this is a very special race to me. It stands out from the others in many ways and i won't forget this anytime soon.

pon school?

2nd of 3 events starts tomorrow morning and ends in the afternoon at 4. I just saw the start list and it's gonna be interesting heats and finals with the fastest K2 pairing of 2006. They barely lost to vietnam at the china world cup. Lucas, the first of the real test starts tommorrow. Lining up right besides them in the heats with only one direct final slot available.

aiyo.

Missed quite abit of lessons this week when my training plan started to take shape. Econs teacher screw me, maths teacher was understanding but i don't want to piss her off. Train in the morning the whole week and then try to chiong to school and being very very late most of the time. Teacher slowing down lessons for me also...

I'm sorry class, please understand.

Departing on monday night at 1045pm. Come see us off :P Flying KLM to amsterdam for 13hrs. transit there for 2hrs before taking the next flight which is 1.5 hrs long over to prague. Think it's gonna be torturously long and luckily we won't have much jet lag flying backwards in the time zones. Returning on the 30th. This time transit in Paris. Much jet lag expected.

So many things to do. I haven't packed. Need to get the spray covers, paddle bags, collect racing attire, change euros. Exciting! Anyone knows what prague's famous for? I'll try bring some stuff back home. Of course the main thing is the championships. Whatever happens, we will do our best.

Time to sleep and rest for tomorrow's races. Goodluck & godbless.
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So many times,
It ends in awkward silence

more pics !

This quite cute hahaha.

k2k2k2!

Our rivals

AC forever!

Feng & Jimmy

Our 1st A divion Canoeing medal

...

ACS-ACJC: our hearts, our hopes, our aims are one.

schools nats

Some photos from the national school's. When i get more i'll upload them. Also found this from somewhere else. School nationals 2005.

Samuel Lim and Samuel Wong k1 500m final.

Transit will be in Paris!!!!!!

:)

School's nats

Today concludes 3 days of competition. It's a rough few days, hot sunny tuesday, wet cold wednesday and windy windy thursday. Many boats suffering the problem of direction and the sudden huge decrease in the number of bouys. Quite afew DQs due to lane drifting. It's amazing how people change in 3 months. People get faster, people get stronger.

It's the first competition held at bedok reservoir and the conditions are really rough as compared to macritchie and i admit i did have my problems there as well. Tuesday's heats was a nonsense race. Wednesday's semis were alot better and today? Today was a true show of self destruction at the starting line. Maybe it's stress, maybe it's conditions, but mainly i think i'm not mature enough as a paddler to be able to bring out my full potential when it really really matters. I am not a samuel....i lack the "On demand" performance. False started once today and it really made me go into safety first mode. The reckless nature required just disappeared after the first warning.But i'm still happy i made it through relatively well. 1 step at a time, things will find their way somehow. AC did well as a team too.

C division- Silver
B division- Gold
A division- Bronze

Guys you really did well. Congrats.

Now that the school's nationals are over, people are going to start to break away now, going into full time mugger mode. Some faces i wish i could meet, some i know only by name. All the best in whatever you do.

To ACS (I), it's been a wonderful 6 years serving this team. From my sec1 T1 1000m semi knockout in kallang to what i am now, you people have seen me all the way. Mr ismail, Mr see, mr lim 1 and mr lim 2, mr chin the new teachers incharge i haven't really gotten to know, my super uber juniors i see ever so seldom. The seniors i meet every once in a while. You mean the world to me.

Lucas and wengngai, I'll be REALLY leaving this time. I think you people also see me until sian already, the A division belongs to you guys now. Keep it safe, make it strong. The effort put in will grow and it will eventually show. And you people better not be playing cards all the time or i'll screw you when i return. Especially clifton!

Next up! National Canoe Championships k2 1000 @ the very safe sheltered Macritchie! It's not over just yet!

The start of the end.

It's the start of the end of this year's races. It's straining and painful but i believe it will come to something good in the end. And if i could choose to do it all over again. I stick with what i said before. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Tomorrow's will be the heats at a very unfamiliar bedok reservoir. Everything is just strange and alien there. Hopefully we can adapt well. It's a good test though. Continued having training at Mac even though the boats are at bedok and it feels so good there. So sheltered and secure. It's a typical singapore situation.

Well, that's all i've to say. Good luck & godspeed.

-Ziqiang

Tommy Emmanuel - Angelina

yi,woo,fats, and even lui learning this. No surprise, it's beautiful.

olympic dreams

I got tommorrow off from school!! Woooo! Okay, no big deal because i don't have to sit for geog or music. HAHAHA Yi, woo, fats and ame all must go school :P Still must chiong maths for the "last" paper on friday. Have to make up Maths 1 and Lit 2 some other time because of food poisoning again last thursday-monday. Must be that pear i had after dinner.

Moving boats will be friday evening at 7pm. Gonna move to school first to meet up with the other half of the crew that left for kallang a few weeks back before we tow everything to bedok on sat morning at one shot. It's a weird plan, but we have our reasons.

Also attended the closing ceremony of the National Stadium. After afew kallang waves and a long "legends" soccer match, we finally get to see the aussies. Then just when things start getting nice with the shots on target, they grab all of us and place us at gate 2 and we missed 2 goals. Took the opportunity to take photo with our ONLY olympic medallist. See his forearms are still bigger than mine! I think he can lift me up and throw me away without breaking sweat :D

Did the march pass in the dark which was quite weird but nemind. The view is amazing from the ground when the stadium is fully packed. The continuous roars, the random flickering lights of cameras, the booming music from the speakers and of course waving the little singapore flag. It's an amazing feeling. After that we had time to just walk around the stadium and take some pictures.

Pictures like this show how freaking tall lucas is. And see the small flags? I waved it until my hand tired hahaha. Lucas went around sticking extra flags in people's pockets without tell them too!!! We saved ryan from this evil lucas. Sneaky sneaky...

Oh yeah, me and fats went for the giant yankee on the last week of hols before catching jeremy monteiro's concert. We shared one but he got pwned by it 1/4 of the way. So i happily finished it for him with assistance from tim :D Never felt so happy after a meal before. The burger is a monster of a meal. Lucky we shared it.

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Should've waited alittle longer, bad timing on my part