Monday, February 27, 2012

That Impromptu Clubbing Session

They played every song that I wanted to hear, and then some! No time was wasted. Music was tasted, on top of cranberry vodka and a tequila shot.

I haven't been dancing for months but the night before, the stars aligned and the company was fine. I was actually feeling a tad down and had a race the next day. The alternative to staying at home to mope was to get out and have a good time. So I did.

I partied with an old friend who was feeling a little down too. I've known him for almost half a decade but I think we've never hung out like this before! We also mingled with relatively new friends who were younger and fresher... Yes thinking about it now they make me feel old. They had a great vibe about them - so much energy and so much cheer. I was there, arms around friends, throbbing lights in my face and floating in music that made me so happy I could die.

Time passed quickly and a couple of hours later, both of us stumbled out of the club. The real delight was having someone to share a cab home with!

It was magic. With that, all our troubles melted into the dark.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Men's Health Urbanathlon 2012

Took part in my first Urbanathlon last Sunday! 9 obstacles, 14km. Here goes:

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Wall Street - I was initially quite worried about this obstacle but it turned out to be relatively easy. Derek and I didn't really know how to train for it and did a few silly exercises, pulling ourselves up on random walls/bars. It's easier than the low wall in SOC, but maybe because of the weight I was carrying.

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Barriers to Entry - Slightly more challenging. We were full of energy when we approached this so we went at it as quickly as we could. Climbed over and went under, over, under...

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Quantum Leap - This was rather similar to the obstacle before, but it's slightly higher. After having ran a considerable inclined distance up Fort Canning, I could feel the ache in my thighs as I pushed myself over the barricades. Intense.

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Monkey Business - This was rather funny as we've never done it before so we went at it with all our arms' strength! I don't know where you can practise getting across monkey bars the wrong way. Super fun. Enjoyed using upper body strength after exhausting my legs.

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Frame Works - This is kind of like a metal jungle playground. Had to balance a little and at some parts there were less platforms and you had to be rather alert, balancing on the poles while pulling yourself through the obstacle. This was interesting because by then I was a small bit tired from all the running. Close to 9km by that time I think!

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The Network - Also reminded me of a kid's playground, in the most awesome way. Didn't have any trouble with this one. Scrambled and stretched my limbs out across the net and just went for it. Coming down was a little harder and I was at the centre part where it was less taut but I tightened my grip and made quick work of it.

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Corporate Ladder - This was a huge challenge for everyone but I did better than expected. Nearing the end it was all about stamina, a runner's race. Climbing stairs is relatively simple but really draining. I attacked this one with great rigor. I knew that the faster I finished it the easier it would be. It required great concentration, especially on the way down. The view was amazing too!

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Tyred Out - It was another one of those obstacles where you had to keep your balance in check and use your arms and legs to get yourself through it. I had fun with this one too!

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Down & Dirty - This was possibly the most anticipated obstacle - most hyped even! I planned to throw my shoes away after having done this (which I did). It was quite a downer, however, when we had to stand in the queue for a rather long time just to do this obstacle. While waiting, one of the athletes in the mud container threw mud at the rest of us, all in good fun. But we lost quite a lot of momentum here even though it was thrilling splashing in the mud and having to heave oneself through.

And after the race:

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Paid quite a lot for this and must say that it's worth every cent! There won't be anything like this till the next Urbanathlon and there's a great sense of satisfaction upon completing this race. In a long distance run, usually my brain shuts off towards the end - I can only tell myself to breathe and to maintain my stride. With this, however, I'm constantly challenged to get through the obstacles that come my way.

I will be taking part in it again next year.

This race gave me great motivation and preparing for it was half the fun! All thanks to Firus and Derek who trained with me consistently, from long distance runs to static stuff, we made every session count. It's amazing to have completed the race and I'm really proud that we did it together.

A huge thank you to Men's Health and Run Society for the photos.

Next up: U Run this Sunday!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

The Narrator

There's something about the buildings, not newly painted nor shiny, even a little torn but there's a lot of grit. Character. Of entrepreneurship, of hard work. Businesses from nowhere, a fruit stall, a food stall. Sometimes there are kids rolling around playing in the sand, kids who have never touched an electronic gaming device, but they seem satisfied and really really happy. The people here living in the moment. I don't know if it's the fact that they don't have things to compare themselves to, while Singapore itself is, dare I say, one of the most modern and advance cities in the world. The contrast is so steep. We're constantly aspiring trying to save for a bigger house, a bigger car, with both eyes set on career progression. These people live from day to day. Then there's the concept of space... Which I think crowds hamper the mind's ability to be at ease and to relax.

So we escaped, the group of us, and found peace in fireworks, dinner, mahjong, literature, and most importantly, each other's company.


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It's dark. It's humid. The air is still, it feels like I can't breathe. My chest is tight. it's dark, not dark enough that I can't see, but dark enough to make it uncomfortable to read. The lights, painful white fluorescent, not harsh, but hurts to look at. The tiny tv is in the corner playing some generic science fiction movie, with men and big muscles, like these two muscle men sitting in a corner, with their ipad out and watching shows. Just that they were dressed in beach wear and the men on tv were dressed for war. I'm sitting beside the aisle, with music playing in my ears, just enough to distract me from the slightly unpleasant rumbling of e motor of the boat. I hope to reach land soon but I've no idea where we are. It's dark outside and the only way I could judge our speed was by the sound of the waves crashing against the ferry's body.

The engine came to a stop. The crashing of waves diminished. We arrive. Finally. Back home.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Whitney Houston

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Whitney's body of work goes back to before I was born. Needless to say, I'm not that familiar with her, except for the most important of songs - I Will Always Love You and I Wanna Dance With Somebody.

I started listening to music late in '97 and it was only in '98 that I witnessed the triumph of the massive single taken off The Prince of Egypt soundtrack - When You Believe. I liked the song but I was 11 then and I was even more unappreciative of ballads than I am now. Although given that it was more of an anthem than a ballad, I did enjoy it a hell lot.

Then came Heartbreak Hotel, It's Not Right But It's Okay and My Love Is Your Love - smooth, rich RnB. The Greatest Hits was released in 2000, which brought about the release of Could I Have This Kiss Forever with Enrique Iglesias, which I thought was nice but bland; and If I Told You That. IITYT, produced by Darkchild, was modern and sexier with its beats. Combined with the constant playful tinkering of ivories, George Michael and Whitney had great chemistry in the duet - harmonising, teasing, playing off each other, going at each other... It was beautiful, beautiful piece of work.

According to wikipedia, there were releases from the Just Whitney era but I have no recollection of any of the singles. Fast forward to 2009, I Look To You and Million Dollar Bill were released. I remember being glad that she was back, even discussing with friends on facebook and hoping that she'd get on track. I was at the clubs and they were playing her songs. We partied and sang.

When I found out about her death this morning, I didn't feel anything. I don't think anybody could have said they were surprised. She's been on a downward spiral for quite awhile now. So when night fell, I went on youtube and listened to the songs that were familiar to me. I was shocked at what I felt next - the beautiful, beautiful voice came through my earphones and my heart sank with the realisation that she... was gone.

Monday, February 06, 2012

Social Media Overdose

I must confess that I'm overwhelmed by social media. I'm not consumed by it because I know I can live without it. Just that I'm caught up with it. I'm on Twitter all the time and it keeps me connected. I like how I am without it, but I like how I am when I'm on it! I seem to know much more than I would. And facebook as well, though that's to a lesser extent.

Also, I do feel an obligation to reply people on various platforms and even in my earnestness to do so, I still miss out on messages here and there.

But today I learned that I need the quiet. I need to get away from it all. I need to stop multi-tasking. Social media is all about what's happening now. More often than not it values immediacy over content, skimpy headlines over depth. I need to let my brain take in one idea at a time. And then shut it off when I feel like I need a break.

I do appreciate this sense of being super-engaged, speed-reading, thinking through many things at once. But I don't know if it's part of growing older, or maybe the fact that it's supposedly more sensible, or that maybe I'm tired and I can't engage in this hyper mode any longer.

For my sanity, I'll shut off more often. Decrease the frequency. Breathe. Pick up more magazines. Look out the bus window, think my own thoughts. Daydream.

And relax. The pressure to know more is on all the time, at work, at school, during travels. It take conscious effort to do the right thing at the right time.

Thursday, February 02, 2012

Fighting Fit

I'm the fittest I've ever been since I ORD-ed.

I haven't tested it out. I'm sure my results would be the same if I were to take my IPPT. But I feel stronger. It wasn't the same as when I went to the gym for a year. I did grow in size then, although not noticeably. And I don't think I'll never step into the gym again.

It's just that now, I'm more interested in making a fitness a lifestyle. Pumping iron in an air-conditioned environment doesn't appeal to me that much any more. I'd rather be outdoors. I enjoy running because of the cardio effects - I always feel more pumped up after a run. Really deep breathing, a clear mind, the pulse of my heartbeat in my veins. I enjoy doing some small static exercises after that - chin-ups, push-ups, crunches. Going back to basics, being more functional, more agile and training my body to handle its own weight.

So yes, my fitness is the best the best that its been in years. I've been more consistent in my exercise sessions. I've been consistently pushing myself.

And as for my physique, that's still questionable. Youth is a miracle drug, something you can't get back. But with that comes a bit of maturity, knowing that how I look is not as important as the fact that I'll be able to climb a mountain when I need to.

It's nice being a little old.

Right Direction

January kicked off 2012 beautifully. I didn't make hardcore resolutions to follow, but I made a couple of mental notes. I wanted to relax more. I wanted to exercise more. I wanted to focus on my work. I wanted to keep in close contact with my friends. I wanted to be a better person. I wanted to go on adventures. I wanted to be more spontaneous. I wanted to be happy.

And in general, I think I've got all of that locked down. New aspirations guided the formation of new habits. The new focus on new goals excited me. Being surrounded by inspiring people is quite exciting. Being surrounded by so much love from friends and family alike - amazing.

This is going to be a year of adventure and discovery. I've always wanted to do that, but this time I'm going to put my money and my time where my mouth is.

I've also done more reading, weaned away from reading about fashion to the environment, to things going on around in the world. The packaging is good but I've got to take in one step further and have depth. What do I stand for?

Music, exercise and nature are the three big themes this year. Haven't been too big on the music front, but I'll catch up when the music industry wakes up from its snooze-fest. Exercise - signed up for lots of runs as of now. Urbanathlon, Sun Down and a few U-Sports runs. Nature - just came back from Bintan and there's definitely going to be more, even if it's exploring Singapore.

I'm glad the year started off well. A good direction set in place for the rest of the year.