Happy birthday, Por Por. =)
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Run Auckland #1
I really like the number bibs. I feel like its more of a super huge name tag rather than a race number.I ran the first leg of Run Auckland today. It was just nearby at the Waiatarua Reserve. It went pretty well. I did 52:49 for 10.06km. Which is a 5:15 pace according to Buckeye.
So that was alright. Yin and Ahmed both won spot prizes. Yin won a $200 voucher for Brooks! Jealous! I so wanted that. Ahmed won a 2XU visor. I was a little low on luck. But owell, 5 more races! =)
Saturday, March 27, 2010
measure of life
525, 600 minutes. If you watched Rent, you'd know that that is the number of minutes in one year.
The life of a person really is fragile. There really is no telling when life will end for anyone. Although we are frequently reminded to value our lives, to make full use of what we've been given, and to love like there won't be a tomorrow, it's shocking how often we forget to do just so. Everyone is guilty of taking life for granted.
A lecturer of mine had passed away 2 nights ago. He was out with a couple of other professors, cycling in the evening, when he met with an accident. One that cost him his life.
I don't know him very well. I see him 2 times a week, an hour each time, and I've only had 4 weeks of uni so far. My first impression of him was he was extremely monotonous, and his class was one of the classes I had trouble staying awake in. He was a little on the serious side, didn't joke much. But I can tell, that in that head of his was a wealth of knowledge, and from the way he carried out his lectures, I know that he really wanted to impart some of it to his students. He enjoyed teaching, I reckon, because he was really passionate about the subject. I had a couple of friends who were planning to go on a project supervised by him as their post graduate thesis study. I'm not sure what he was researching on, but I know he had to look for volunteers to cycle for 6 hours straight, or to exhaustion. Haha...tough luck looking for those.
So even though I don't know him on a personal basis, his loss is very much felt by me. Simply because he lost his life doing what he probably loved to do - cycling. Like all other fallen athletes, I feel a deep sadness when I learn of their demise, because such spirit and enthusiasm about fitness and sports is what the world needs a little more of.
My deepest condolences are with his family and friends, especially his 3 young children and his partner.
The life of a person really is fragile. There really is no telling when life will end for anyone. Although we are frequently reminded to value our lives, to make full use of what we've been given, and to love like there won't be a tomorrow, it's shocking how often we forget to do just so. Everyone is guilty of taking life for granted.
A lecturer of mine had passed away 2 nights ago. He was out with a couple of other professors, cycling in the evening, when he met with an accident. One that cost him his life.
I don't know him very well. I see him 2 times a week, an hour each time, and I've only had 4 weeks of uni so far. My first impression of him was he was extremely monotonous, and his class was one of the classes I had trouble staying awake in. He was a little on the serious side, didn't joke much. But I can tell, that in that head of his was a wealth of knowledge, and from the way he carried out his lectures, I know that he really wanted to impart some of it to his students. He enjoyed teaching, I reckon, because he was really passionate about the subject. I had a couple of friends who were planning to go on a project supervised by him as their post graduate thesis study. I'm not sure what he was researching on, but I know he had to look for volunteers to cycle for 6 hours straight, or to exhaustion. Haha...tough luck looking for those.
So even though I don't know him on a personal basis, his loss is very much felt by me. Simply because he lost his life doing what he probably loved to do - cycling. Like all other fallen athletes, I feel a deep sadness when I learn of their demise, because such spirit and enthusiasm about fitness and sports is what the world needs a little more of.
My deepest condolences are with his family and friends, especially his 3 young children and his partner.
Friday, March 26, 2010
romanticism
i sometimes think Disney spoiled me. i grew up loving the perfect fairytale, praying that my Prince Charming exists, imagining my own happily ever after.
almost everyone who have had the chance to talk to me a little more would know that i am a hopeless romantic - as hopeless as you can get. i may try to be a tough girl, but i'm a sucker for romantic fools. love notes, surprise presents, romantic getaways, handmade stuff, home cooked dinners, star gazing, moonlight admiring, fireworks, Ferris wheels, unplanned holidays - i could go on forever.
the silliest thing is i can think of a billion ways to be romantic. i have a pretty good idea of what romantic is. very often i find myself just thinking, if i slipped him a chapter of a book i really liked, maybe he'd go and read it and make that happen. or if he overheard someone on the street saying something i always say, he'd think of me and smile, and send me a text telling me what just happened. or if he rummages through his room one day, and finds something i gave to him a long time ago, and decides to wear it out and tell the next person who compliments "Yeah she got it for me." or maybe one night after hanging out with the boys with some booze and all, he gets home, stares at his room, and suddenly wishes he could talk to me. and he'd call me in the middle of the night, well aware that i'd be sleeping, but he'd want to hear my voice anyhow.
because i think i do these things. i'm built that way, maybe. and also coz i somehow know a couple of pretty romantic guy friends who shower their girlfriends with so much love and spontaneity. but yea, i realise because i can think of such crazy romantic ideas, it's very easy to fall short of my expectations.
i actually had this conversation with D sometime ago. about how guys seem to be the sweetest things on earth when they're hot on their pursuit, and probably the first few months to a year of the relationship. but after a while the fire kinda dies, and i don't know if all girls think like me, but i actually wonder "What happened?". His debate was that after a year, wouldn't you want something that is more stable, less hoo-ha, but more grounded, someone you can count on?
i dont know. if you were that crazy over her when you first saw her, shouldn't u still be that crazy over her 2, 5, 10 years down the road? i'd like to think so anyway. shouldn't the sight of her laughing, her eyes wide with surprise, her blushing cheeks still give you a sense of satisfaction? and it doesnt mean that the crazier the things u do for her, the less stable, less responsible you become.
some guys think being romantic requires a lot of money. what they don't know is that the greatest romantics, i reckon anyway, are the ones who don't even need to spend a dime and can still make their women feel like they fell in love for the first time all over again. like seriously, say you've just gone out on a date, he sends you home, few days later, rummaging through your handbag you find a small note in his handwriting which says "Hey". nothing else. fills your heart with warmth, i tell ya.
i still keep that note in my handbag, by the way. and right up till now i still accidentally come across it sometimes. the effect it has on me never fails. =)
yes, he was once the Prince Charming i had dreamed of for a very long time. he'd lift me up so high sometimes i forget to come back down. and i think he still is...sometimes...when he decides to be =). it usually takes the last 48 or so hours before flying off to ignite the romantic in him again. but glad to know it is still there, accessible when he wants to.
i've never been in any serious relationship before this, so i don't know how the general curve goes. but i'm pretty confident i'm not the only one who wishes the line never plateaus....
almost everyone who have had the chance to talk to me a little more would know that i am a hopeless romantic - as hopeless as you can get. i may try to be a tough girl, but i'm a sucker for romantic fools. love notes, surprise presents, romantic getaways, handmade stuff, home cooked dinners, star gazing, moonlight admiring, fireworks, Ferris wheels, unplanned holidays - i could go on forever.
the silliest thing is i can think of a billion ways to be romantic. i have a pretty good idea of what romantic is. very often i find myself just thinking, if i slipped him a chapter of a book i really liked, maybe he'd go and read it and make that happen. or if he overheard someone on the street saying something i always say, he'd think of me and smile, and send me a text telling me what just happened. or if he rummages through his room one day, and finds something i gave to him a long time ago, and decides to wear it out and tell the next person who compliments "Yeah she got it for me." or maybe one night after hanging out with the boys with some booze and all, he gets home, stares at his room, and suddenly wishes he could talk to me. and he'd call me in the middle of the night, well aware that i'd be sleeping, but he'd want to hear my voice anyhow.
because i think i do these things. i'm built that way, maybe. and also coz i somehow know a couple of pretty romantic guy friends who shower their girlfriends with so much love and spontaneity. but yea, i realise because i can think of such crazy romantic ideas, it's very easy to fall short of my expectations.
i actually had this conversation with D sometime ago. about how guys seem to be the sweetest things on earth when they're hot on their pursuit, and probably the first few months to a year of the relationship. but after a while the fire kinda dies, and i don't know if all girls think like me, but i actually wonder "What happened?". His debate was that after a year, wouldn't you want something that is more stable, less hoo-ha, but more grounded, someone you can count on?
i dont know. if you were that crazy over her when you first saw her, shouldn't u still be that crazy over her 2, 5, 10 years down the road? i'd like to think so anyway. shouldn't the sight of her laughing, her eyes wide with surprise, her blushing cheeks still give you a sense of satisfaction? and it doesnt mean that the crazier the things u do for her, the less stable, less responsible you become.
some guys think being romantic requires a lot of money. what they don't know is that the greatest romantics, i reckon anyway, are the ones who don't even need to spend a dime and can still make their women feel like they fell in love for the first time all over again. like seriously, say you've just gone out on a date, he sends you home, few days later, rummaging through your handbag you find a small note in his handwriting which says "Hey". nothing else. fills your heart with warmth, i tell ya.
i still keep that note in my handbag, by the way. and right up till now i still accidentally come across it sometimes. the effect it has on me never fails. =)
yes, he was once the Prince Charming i had dreamed of for a very long time. he'd lift me up so high sometimes i forget to come back down. and i think he still is...sometimes...when he decides to be =). it usually takes the last 48 or so hours before flying off to ignite the romantic in him again. but glad to know it is still there, accessible when he wants to.
i've never been in any serious relationship before this, so i don't know how the general curve goes. but i'm pretty confident i'm not the only one who wishes the line never plateaus....
semana cuatro
Done with 4 weeks. only one more to go before the Easter break kick starts. And then 7 weeks more of class before finals. I'm coping much better now, no more unimaginable homesickness, no more pangs of loneliness, no more waking up disappointed that I am in this quiet quiet town.
things that have happened:
1. I bought a car. Yes I did. And she is gorgeous! I got her for $2000. She is a 1995 Nissan Pulsar. I haven't named her yet, but Ruth said I gotta let a name come to me as I drive it, and nothing has come to me yet, so..*shrug*.
2. I signed up for belly dancing lessons at uni. I have 8 weeks of lessons, and I've already done 2. It's been pretty fun so far, because I signed up with Erin and we quite enjoy it. I was surprised to learn that one side of my hip (right) can't rotate as well as the other side. But I can do piston hips (the jerky side to side shakes) and I am working towards the Beyonce booty shake. =)
3. I love biomechanics. I think I've found my calling in the world of Sport Science. heh. =)
things that have happened:
1. I bought a car. Yes I did. And she is gorgeous! I got her for $2000. She is a 1995 Nissan Pulsar. I haven't named her yet, but Ruth said I gotta let a name come to me as I drive it, and nothing has come to me yet, so..*shrug*.
2. I signed up for belly dancing lessons at uni. I have 8 weeks of lessons, and I've already done 2. It's been pretty fun so far, because I signed up with Erin and we quite enjoy it. I was surprised to learn that one side of my hip (right) can't rotate as well as the other side. But I can do piston hips (the jerky side to side shakes) and I am working towards the Beyonce booty shake. =)3. I love biomechanics. I think I've found my calling in the world of Sport Science. heh. =)
Saturday, March 20, 2010
death by ball.
Most of you would know that I am deathly afraid of balls. It's not funny, stop laughing.
I am afraid of the kind you throw, kick, catch, dribble, pass. I don't know when, why, or how I adopted the phobia of balls, but when i am put on the spot with the presence of a ball, i almost always freak out.
And being a Sport and Exercise Science Major, I have trouble coming to terms with this silly phobia of mine. Why should I be afraid of it? It's a darn ball. It's supposed to be fun. I'm supposed to "own" it.
A good lot of my friends here in Auckland happen to be friends I met though Shermayne and they all play netball. And they all are familiar with this stupid old phobia of mine due to me pushing the panic button a year ago at one of their games.
I told myself I will one day grab this bull by its horns and embrace it. It's not a hard sport. I don't think my technical skills are that bad. I definitely would have the stamina for it. And I have been trying.
Today I went onto the course again. Was playing Center. The moment the game started, I was running up and down the court. But I had an uneasy feeling. I realised that instead of wishing for the ball to come to me, I was wishing and praying with all my might that the ball would not come to me. And when you wish and pray that hard, needless to say the ball came right to me. In fact, the ball slipped out of the opponent's hands and rolled to my feet. You know what I did?
I. just. stood. there.
It was the most embarrassing moment ever. I froze. I saw the ball. I heard the yells from everyone around me. And I just couldn't bring myself to pick the ball up! It was crazy! I wanted to RUN. AWAY. i immediately said sorry profusely to everyone. I kept saying I didn't want to play anymore. But the game went on and I spent the next 5 minutes avoiding everything - ball AND people, opponents AND teammates. ARGHHHH!
I hate myself for it. I know it's not a phobia of the object being a ball. I'm afraid of losing face. I'm afraid of messing up, of embarrassing myself. I'm afraid of hurting others and hurting myself. I hated being the only person on that court who didn't know the rules of the game. I hated that people come after me when I get the ball. I hated that people EXPECT me to get the ball. I hated having to decide who best to pass the ball on to next in a fraction of a second. I hated having to DECIDE what to do with the ball. It was all just too much pressure!
Maybe that's why I prefer racing so much. Because nobody runs/cycles/swims/kayaks towards me. Everyone's just going in the same direction, towards a common destination. I'm so not a team player. =(
I want to be able to play netball, football, any type of sport and game really.
Looks like I'll just have to try again next time. sigh.
I am afraid of the kind you throw, kick, catch, dribble, pass. I don't know when, why, or how I adopted the phobia of balls, but when i am put on the spot with the presence of a ball, i almost always freak out.
And being a Sport and Exercise Science Major, I have trouble coming to terms with this silly phobia of mine. Why should I be afraid of it? It's a darn ball. It's supposed to be fun. I'm supposed to "own" it.
A good lot of my friends here in Auckland happen to be friends I met though Shermayne and they all play netball. And they all are familiar with this stupid old phobia of mine due to me pushing the panic button a year ago at one of their games.
I told myself I will one day grab this bull by its horns and embrace it. It's not a hard sport. I don't think my technical skills are that bad. I definitely would have the stamina for it. And I have been trying.
Today I went onto the course again. Was playing Center. The moment the game started, I was running up and down the court. But I had an uneasy feeling. I realised that instead of wishing for the ball to come to me, I was wishing and praying with all my might that the ball would not come to me. And when you wish and pray that hard, needless to say the ball came right to me. In fact, the ball slipped out of the opponent's hands and rolled to my feet. You know what I did?
I. just. stood. there.
It was the most embarrassing moment ever. I froze. I saw the ball. I heard the yells from everyone around me. And I just couldn't bring myself to pick the ball up! It was crazy! I wanted to RUN. AWAY. i immediately said sorry profusely to everyone. I kept saying I didn't want to play anymore. But the game went on and I spent the next 5 minutes avoiding everything - ball AND people, opponents AND teammates. ARGHHHH!
I hate myself for it. I know it's not a phobia of the object being a ball. I'm afraid of losing face. I'm afraid of messing up, of embarrassing myself. I'm afraid of hurting others and hurting myself. I hated being the only person on that court who didn't know the rules of the game. I hated that people come after me when I get the ball. I hated that people EXPECT me to get the ball. I hated having to decide who best to pass the ball on to next in a fraction of a second. I hated having to DECIDE what to do with the ball. It was all just too much pressure!
Maybe that's why I prefer racing so much. Because nobody runs/cycles/swims/kayaks towards me. Everyone's just going in the same direction, towards a common destination. I'm so not a team player. =(
I want to be able to play netball, football, any type of sport and game really.
Looks like I'll just have to try again next time. sigh.
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