Jan 2007
KWN Malaysian visit Dinner
27/01/07 00:00 Filed in: Work
I
categorize this entry under "Work" because even
though it's dinner at Swissotel Merchant Court's
Ellenborough Market Cafe. Its dinner sponsored by
Panasonic Asia.
We (the KWN boys, KCP and I) were very fortunate to have free lunch today (Pizza Hut) and dinner at a posh restaurant. Dinner was excellent.
But before that we had this welcoming ceremony to do make them feel at home in the school. I had to give a keynote presentation on what the Multimedia club is all about. Bummer.
Anyway lunch was good. Pizza Hut was delivered to the school. There was plenty to go a round. Well there were 3 extra boxes and some garlic bread left. I took a box of pizza back to the staff room and shared it with the colleagues.
Dinner was excellent. Again, KCP and I took this opportunity to eat as much as we like.
The Sashimi was good, salmon and tuna was fresh. Had it with wasabi. Damn good. The durian puree was creamy and delicious. It was really funny to see the reaction of the Japanese bosses from Panasonic Asia not able to take in the durian. They said the smell was just too overpowering.
Good thing we agreed to run the next day.
I was damn bloated after the dinner.
We (the KWN boys, KCP and I) were very fortunate to have free lunch today (Pizza Hut) and dinner at a posh restaurant. Dinner was excellent.
But before that we had this welcoming ceremony to do make them feel at home in the school. I had to give a keynote presentation on what the Multimedia club is all about. Bummer.
Anyway lunch was good. Pizza Hut was delivered to the school. There was plenty to go a round. Well there were 3 extra boxes and some garlic bread left. I took a box of pizza back to the staff room and shared it with the colleagues.
Dinner was excellent. Again, KCP and I took this opportunity to eat as much as we like.
The Sashimi was good, salmon and tuna was fresh. Had it with wasabi. Damn good. The durian puree was creamy and delicious. It was really funny to see the reaction of the Japanese bosses from Panasonic Asia not able to take in the durian. They said the smell was just too overpowering.
Good thing we agreed to run the next day.
I was damn bloated after the dinner.
|
15 km complete. Finally.
21/01/07 10:39 Filed in: Running
So I completed
the 15km run.
I sound rather nonchalant. Well that's because it didn't go the way I would have liked it to.
The supposed 15km run turned into a 15 km walk/run midway through. The journey was wrought with difficulty. Most of it is because of a bad stomach ache.
I started the run at 4.53am. After the 13th round, I had to stop over to the toilet. That didn't help much. The root cause of the stomach ache was probably because I needed to eject out waste. But it failed to launch. Great.
Throughout the run, there was so much discomfort I thought of just quitting.
But I went on ahead.
At the 31st round, (now that's 12.4km) I felt motivated and thought to myself 7 more rounds to go. That's just like running the final 2.4km. I pressed on.
My stomach keeps giving me problems. I had to stop and walk. The feeling was terrible.
I walked the last 3 rounds.
Damn it!!!
I think this is most probably due to the hot stuff I had for dinner. And that was consumed at about 10pm. I slept at 1130pm.
Well, another lesson learnt. No late dinner and no hot spicy stuff if I am to have running routine the following morning.
It really killed my motivation just now.
Any way. This 15km I'll still put it up on the charts.
I just took a look at the charts. I chalked up 41.3km. That's like a marathon!
Excellent!!
I sound rather nonchalant. Well that's because it didn't go the way I would have liked it to.
The supposed 15km run turned into a 15 km walk/run midway through. The journey was wrought with difficulty. Most of it is because of a bad stomach ache.
I started the run at 4.53am. After the 13th round, I had to stop over to the toilet. That didn't help much. The root cause of the stomach ache was probably because I needed to eject out waste. But it failed to launch. Great.
Throughout the run, there was so much discomfort I thought of just quitting.
But I went on ahead.
At the 31st round, (now that's 12.4km) I felt motivated and thought to myself 7 more rounds to go. That's just like running the final 2.4km. I pressed on.
My stomach keeps giving me problems. I had to stop and walk. The feeling was terrible.
I walked the last 3 rounds.
Damn it!!!
I think this is most probably due to the hot stuff I had for dinner. And that was consumed at about 10pm. I slept at 1130pm.
Well, another lesson learnt. No late dinner and no hot spicy stuff if I am to have running routine the following morning.
It really killed my motivation just now.
Any way. This 15km I'll still put it up on the charts.
I just took a look at the charts. I chalked up 41.3km. That's like a marathon!
Excellent!!
Track my running Progress
10/01/07 14:41 Filed in: Running
| I am contemplating in getting this little
gadget: The Nike+ iPod Sport Kit. I am already
using my iPod nano (everywhere I go actually, not
just) for running. So the thought of having the
Nike+ iPod Sport Kit came to mind again. Should I
get it?
If I were to get it, I would need to get the Nike+ shoes then. Fortunately, the Nike+ shoes are available in Singapore. Except that the Sport kit are not sold in Apple's online store (last I checked). Its really tempting. Imagine having "personal trainer" who will inform you of how you're doing through a voice over into your ears while you're listening to music and lapping up the miles at the same time. Isn't that cool? On top of that, you could sync the data of your runs back into the Mac or PC and you can analyze and plan your next workout schedule and intensity. Brilliant! But first, the shoes. That's a separate cost altogether. Hmm, I think a less expensive solution would be to get a shoe pouch and slot the sport kit into it. Not sure if there are any issues regarding inaccurate tracking of your runs or calculating or sensing the distance covered. |
|
Learning moment...
06/01/07 14:30 Filed in: Personal
Was having
dinner yesterday at Swensen's. Was with Chong Peng
and his wife.
Was talking about goals and suddenly I brought up the idea o chalking up miles of running for the year.
Told them I'd try to run 15km the next morning.
Hahahaha... they thought I'm crazy. I think I agree!
But I think it would be fun as well as inspiring if you were to list down after every run; the total miles you ran, and then totaled them up for the year.
I've just created a page just for this. I think there is no better time to start this than right now, considering its the start of the new year of 2007.
Track my Runs
Picked up CP at 645am, reached the stadium at 655am.
His target is to complete 3.4km today.
I started running at 7:04am.
I ended my run at 845am.
total number of rounds: 31
total distance: 12.4km
That's 2.6km short of what I wanted to achieve.
I realised I depended on my iPod too much when I run. I lost my motivation when I have difficulty switching to the next music track because the iPod was not fully charged yesterday night. I thought it could last throughout my targeted run of 38 rounds (15km).
I underestimated.
After completing the 30th round...I walked!
Then CP came up running next to me urging me to carry on.
I ran.
And thus completed 31 rounds.
Fell short of 7 rounds.
Damn. 7 more rounds I would have completed my 15km target.
But this is a learning moment for me. I realised that to achieve a goal, you have to set realistic goals. And achieve little goals that will lead you to the ultimate goal.
Well. Next round, I'll make that a reality. And I'll make sure my iPod is fully charged!
Was talking about goals and suddenly I brought up the idea o chalking up miles of running for the year.
Told them I'd try to run 15km the next morning.
Hahahaha... they thought I'm crazy. I think I agree!
But I think it would be fun as well as inspiring if you were to list down after every run; the total miles you ran, and then totaled them up for the year.
I've just created a page just for this. I think there is no better time to start this than right now, considering its the start of the new year of 2007.
Track my Runs
Picked up CP at 645am, reached the stadium at 655am.
His target is to complete 3.4km today.
I started running at 7:04am.
I ended my run at 845am.
total number of rounds: 31
total distance: 12.4km
That's 2.6km short of what I wanted to achieve.
I realised I depended on my iPod too much when I run. I lost my motivation when I have difficulty switching to the next music track because the iPod was not fully charged yesterday night. I thought it could last throughout my targeted run of 38 rounds (15km).
I underestimated.
After completing the 30th round...I walked!
Then CP came up running next to me urging me to carry on.
I ran.
And thus completed 31 rounds.
Fell short of 7 rounds.
Damn. 7 more rounds I would have completed my 15km target.
But this is a learning moment for me. I realised that to achieve a goal, you have to set realistic goals. And achieve little goals that will lead you to the ultimate goal.
Well. Next round, I'll make that a reality. And I'll make sure my iPod is fully charged!
I want a lot of what you got...
03/01/07 13:50 Filed in: Personal
I feel I
have to put this entry in.
Was listening to U2's "original of the species" and it didn't strike me until a few weeks ago.
Part the lyrics goes like this : "...I want a lot of what you got, and I want nothing that you're not..."
I understand now.
Acceptance. Accept your possible life partner for who they are. If your heart says he/she is the one, accept them for who they are, good or bad. Don't expect anything that they are not.
Because after a long time you have been with that person, you should already know what he/she is capable of, able to offer.
After you know how they are like, you should be happy with who your life partner is.
For good or bad.
Was listening to U2's "original of the species" and it didn't strike me until a few weeks ago.
Part the lyrics goes like this : "...I want a lot of what you got, and I want nothing that you're not..."
I understand now.
Acceptance. Accept your possible life partner for who they are. If your heart says he/she is the one, accept them for who they are, good or bad. Don't expect anything that they are not.
Because after a long time you have been with that person, you should already know what he/she is capable of, able to offer.
After you know how they are like, you should be happy with who your life partner is.
For good or bad.
Feels like in another country!
03/01/07 13:44 Filed in: Personal
Strangest
photo ever! Hahahaha.
The thing is, this is taken in Singapore Botanical Gardens. Not in Cambodia or Thailand!
Was at Botanical Gardens yesterday afternoon for a little picnic. Was a good break and also to rest my legs. Damn my knees hurt.
More photos of Botanical Gardens in the photos sections
The thing is, this is taken in Singapore Botanical Gardens. Not in Cambodia or Thailand!
Was at Botanical Gardens yesterday afternoon for a little picnic. Was a good break and also to rest my legs. Damn my knees hurt.
More photos of Botanical Gardens in the photos sections
What does success mean to me?
02/01/07 23:53 Filed in: Personal
I've been a
wanderer. I kept asking myself where I am headed.
Frankly speaking. I haven't a clue.
Am I lost?
Maybe. But everyone, no matter how clueless they are, have goals they wish to accomplish.
And that leads to another question — What constitutes a successful person?
Is it determined by the amount of wealth you are able to accumulate? Or add the factor of time to that — how fast you are able to amass wealth before you're 40 years old maybe. Or how much good you do to the people around you? Or how you affect the people around you positively. Or maybe how good you do academically, leading you to a well paid job and guaranteeing you of a rosy future.
Success mean differently to different people.
What does success mean to me?
Am I successful?
I don't know.
I went through the usual "safe" route — Study hard, get a good job, and live life comfortably.
That was not to be. After graduation, or rather months before graduation, it dawned on most of my peers that finding jobs for us graduates prove to be a trying time. Everyone of us had seen how trying it was for our seniors.
As for me, I knew this would happen. Did I prepare for it? No. Hahahaha
Heck. By the time I graduate, I refuse to look for a job.
I must have been really crazy at that point in time to start my own firm with my university buddy.
Both of us acknowledge and respect each other's strength in design, drawing, animation and programming.
Without much help and experience, we ventured forward. We started a business partnership, dealing in designing and animation. We played by ear.
It proved to be an enriching experience. We learned first hand how hard it is to survive on our own out there.
I learnt a great deal.
After that, I left. Started my own venture. Had my own ideals and goals. I became an independent software developer. One-man show really. I created a game for pocket PC. Did the artwork, programming, "packaging", marketing, publicity, setting up the online web store, liaising with the bigger online merchant to expand the number of channels my game can be sold at, and then maintaining a client base and taking care of them.
I learnt and earned so much more from this venture. Invaluable experience. The interesting part is, I deal with customers from all over the world.
After that I created a short animation clip for a television series.
Damn. That is another experience also. Not that creating an animation is hard and all. The bad experience is dealing with people form the media. It is so damn hard to get them to pay you. Worse part is you have delivered the work to them, and they dilly dally on giving you your dues.
Well, that pissed me off. Couldn't take it anymore till I sued them.
After that I went to teach computer software to students in government schools. And then I got introduced into robotics! Dealt with LEGO robotics, learnt about the RCX and simple programming using the MindStorm platform. Met good colleagues along the way.
And now I teach Biology. In a government school.
Biology. A wonderful subject. And the wonderful thing about biology is that no system is predictable. Even though we have deciphered how most of the biological systems work, if some part of our body fails, there is no telling why exactly it fails.
What else would I go into in the future?
Life indeed is a journey.
And most of the time, I go on a journey least prepared. Taking with me what I need to survive. I travel light. Whatever I need I will get it along the way. I think this attitude has spilled over to how I lead my life.
Simple, spontaneous, take each day as it comes.
Do I ever plan?
Of course I do. But most of the time, plans get thwarted, rendered obsolete by unforeseen circumstances, and then discarded. But new plans get drawn up. Always plan.
But my philosophy in life is always to travel light. If you have excess baggage, (those which you think you need, but later turns out you never got around to use it) it will be hard to be mobile, to be agile, to adapt, to change direction when you need to. It will bog you down and tire you easily.
Travel light. Always.
Am I lost?
Maybe. But everyone, no matter how clueless they are, have goals they wish to accomplish.
And that leads to another question — What constitutes a successful person?
Is it determined by the amount of wealth you are able to accumulate? Or add the factor of time to that — how fast you are able to amass wealth before you're 40 years old maybe. Or how much good you do to the people around you? Or how you affect the people around you positively. Or maybe how good you do academically, leading you to a well paid job and guaranteeing you of a rosy future.
Success mean differently to different people.
What does success mean to me?
Am I successful?
I don't know.
I went through the usual "safe" route — Study hard, get a good job, and live life comfortably.
That was not to be. After graduation, or rather months before graduation, it dawned on most of my peers that finding jobs for us graduates prove to be a trying time. Everyone of us had seen how trying it was for our seniors.
As for me, I knew this would happen. Did I prepare for it? No. Hahahaha
Heck. By the time I graduate, I refuse to look for a job.
I must have been really crazy at that point in time to start my own firm with my university buddy.
Both of us acknowledge and respect each other's strength in design, drawing, animation and programming.
Without much help and experience, we ventured forward. We started a business partnership, dealing in designing and animation. We played by ear.
It proved to be an enriching experience. We learned first hand how hard it is to survive on our own out there.
I learnt a great deal.
After that, I left. Started my own venture. Had my own ideals and goals. I became an independent software developer. One-man show really. I created a game for pocket PC. Did the artwork, programming, "packaging", marketing, publicity, setting up the online web store, liaising with the bigger online merchant to expand the number of channels my game can be sold at, and then maintaining a client base and taking care of them.
I learnt and earned so much more from this venture. Invaluable experience. The interesting part is, I deal with customers from all over the world.
After that I created a short animation clip for a television series.
Damn. That is another experience also. Not that creating an animation is hard and all. The bad experience is dealing with people form the media. It is so damn hard to get them to pay you. Worse part is you have delivered the work to them, and they dilly dally on giving you your dues.
Well, that pissed me off. Couldn't take it anymore till I sued them.
After that I went to teach computer software to students in government schools. And then I got introduced into robotics! Dealt with LEGO robotics, learnt about the RCX and simple programming using the MindStorm platform. Met good colleagues along the way.
And now I teach Biology. In a government school.
Biology. A wonderful subject. And the wonderful thing about biology is that no system is predictable. Even though we have deciphered how most of the biological systems work, if some part of our body fails, there is no telling why exactly it fails.
What else would I go into in the future?
Life indeed is a journey.
And most of the time, I go on a journey least prepared. Taking with me what I need to survive. I travel light. Whatever I need I will get it along the way. I think this attitude has spilled over to how I lead my life.
Simple, spontaneous, take each day as it comes.
Do I ever plan?
Of course I do. But most of the time, plans get thwarted, rendered obsolete by unforeseen circumstances, and then discarded. But new plans get drawn up. Always plan.
But my philosophy in life is always to travel light. If you have excess baggage, (those which you think you need, but later turns out you never got around to use it) it will be hard to be mobile, to be agile, to adapt, to change direction when you need to. It will bog you down and tire you easily.
Travel light. Always.
A good start to the new Year 2007
01/01/07 11:32 Filed in: Personal
Woke up
early this morning at 7am. Well, not as early as I
used to wake up (4.30am) but that's alright.
Got up, wash up, and drove to Hougang Stadium.
This time my goal is simple. Complete what I aim to achieve this morning — a 10km jog.
took me a damn long time. 1 hour 20 minutes. but the feeling after I completed it was
ECSTATIC!!
But damn, my right ankle acted up again. All through out the run. But persist I did.
Completed the number of sit-ups and pull ups I wanted to do.
I feel great.
The feeling of being able to go through the whole thing to achieve it and COMPLETE what I have started is simply ECSTATIC.
Big smile on my face after completing the jog just now. I could not contain how I felt inside.
This will be a good year.
What I learnt from all this, is that if I want something, I've got to go out and get it.
No one's going to hand it you that easily.
I've got to believe I can do it.
And believe I did.
Amazing feeling.
This will be the start of an amazing year.
Got up, wash up, and drove to Hougang Stadium.
This time my goal is simple. Complete what I aim to achieve this morning — a 10km jog.
took me a damn long time. 1 hour 20 minutes. but the feeling after I completed it was
ECSTATIC!!
But damn, my right ankle acted up again. All through out the run. But persist I did.
Completed the number of sit-ups and pull ups I wanted to do.
I feel great.
The feeling of being able to go through the whole thing to achieve it and COMPLETE what I have started is simply ECSTATIC.
Big smile on my face after completing the jog just now. I could not contain how I felt inside.
This will be a good year.
What I learnt from all this, is that if I want something, I've got to go out and get it.
No one's going to hand it you that easily.
I've got to believe I can do it.
And believe I did.
Amazing feeling.
This will be the start of an amazing year.