Happy2... hahahaha....
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
A Good Change...
Happy2... hahahaha....
Another Dream...
While we were having hotel breakfast in Bali, a "bule" tourist passed by. Shirtless, wearing boardshorts, and carrying surfboard, I was swooning... and perhaps drooling.
And when we were at Tanah Lot, a local guy walked towards the sea and surfed there. I was like oh my gosh who wants to surf here? The beach was covered with reef bank and rocks which can hurt people. But yet there he was, surfing.
It reminds me of the old time dream. I want to be a surfer! Hahaha... I know... I am poisoned by those cool advertisement pictures of surfer, big waves, bright sun and blue sea. But gosh those pictures are so beautiful.
Since I was a kid, surfers are inspiration. I am always attracted to those "cool" surfer brands such as: Billabong, Rip Curl, QuikSilver, etc.
I started learn to swim because I wanted lean swimmer body (like those surfers) , but now I end up with bus-like body. Huhuhu I don't know why. But on the positive side, I am quite confident with swimming, and i learn to love water. And now I am learning to love water outside the swimming pool.
Next year am I going back to open water swimming? Hmm let's see...
I love those short films "I surf because..." published by Billabong. Notice that nobody gives clear answer about why they surf. Perhaps I will say I want learn to surf because Andy Irons inspires me to.
Are we too old to pursue another dream? I dunno...
But Bali ignites something long buried inside. Perhaps I should apply permanent residency to that island.
And when we were at Tanah Lot, a local guy walked towards the sea and surfed there. I was like oh my gosh who wants to surf here? The beach was covered with reef bank and rocks which can hurt people. But yet there he was, surfing.
It reminds me of the old time dream. I want to be a surfer! Hahaha... I know... I am poisoned by those cool advertisement pictures of surfer, big waves, bright sun and blue sea. But gosh those pictures are so beautiful.
Since I was a kid, surfers are inspiration. I am always attracted to those "cool" surfer brands such as: Billabong, Rip Curl, QuikSilver, etc.
I started learn to swim because I wanted lean swimmer body (like those surfers) , but now I end up with bus-like body. Huhuhu I don't know why. But on the positive side, I am quite confident with swimming, and i learn to love water. And now I am learning to love water outside the swimming pool.
Next year am I going back to open water swimming? Hmm let's see...
I love those short films "I surf because..." published by Billabong. Notice that nobody gives clear answer about why they surf. Perhaps I will say I want learn to surf because Andy Irons inspires me to.
Are we too old to pursue another dream? I dunno...
But Bali ignites something long buried inside. Perhaps I should apply permanent residency to that island.
Friday, July 06, 2012
About Humility
I always remember this parable from Gospel of Luke:
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Luke 18:9-14 (NIV)
You might be a righteous person who is following every commandments in Bible to the letters. But attitude is the most important thing, for God that I believe in sees thing differently from what human see.
To exalt a sinner over a righteous person.... what an amazing God indeed!
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Luke 18:9-14 (NIV)
You might be a righteous person who is following every commandments in Bible to the letters. But attitude is the most important thing, for God that I believe in sees thing differently from what human see.
To exalt a sinner over a righteous person.... what an amazing God indeed!
Wednesday, July 04, 2012
Pink Dot 2012
I was there! Exhausted from dragon boat festival in the morning until afternoon, I forced my lazy arse to walk down to Hong Lim Park (it is just two blocks away).
Since I couldn't take pictures on the dragon boat festival, this time my intention was to turn on my "tourist mode" and act tourist-y. I arrived at around 6:30 pm, and at that point Hong Lim park was already a sea of pink coloured people.
A nice lady handed me the run down of the event. This year theme song was "True Colors" by Cindi Lauper. I find it a nice heart-warming nostalgic song:
...
It's hard to take courage
In a world full of people
You can lose sight of it all
And the darkness inside you
Can make you feel so small
But I see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors
True colors are beautiful,
Like a rainbow
...
As I walked around, I noticed something. I started to recognize some of the people there! Guy that I saw in the gym, my yoga instructor, lady that appeared on last year Pink Dot's video, the photographer, the hunky Fridae founder, etc. Oh my, the park is really small!
And what really grabbed my attention was the community tents. I just realised there are so many LGBT community groups in Singapore.
"Queer Book and Movie Club" and "Pelangi Pride Center" are my point of interests. Both offer access to LGBT related literature and sometimes alternative movies screening which always sparks my curiousity (okay I am a geek here). Perhaps I should approach them more.
As an observer, same with last year, my impression is: oh my God...this world is really changing, and it changes fast!
When I was a kid, I read about how "abnormal" LGBT people is. Stories depicted in Intisari, sexology column on magazines (yes..yes I read something that I shouldn't read at that age), newspaper, etc. Also what my parents voiced out about LGBT: "abnormal", and how it doesn't conform with Asian values, that they only belong to the west.
But now this is Asia, and values do change. I don't think we learn homosexuality from the west, we only learn the courage to open our mouths and express our idea, something that heterosexuals also have done long time ago. I really like the fact that now people can easily communicate and form group to support one and another.
Is it a good change? Honestly I don't know. But to observe the change is an excitement.
Honestly again, I feel proud to be there. To witness a group of people slowly change the stigma. Only in Indonesia a temple can be built overnight, but for the rest of the world, unluckily, it will take gradual and arduous process.
For me the song "True Colors" applies to us all. For whatever is your colour, don't be afraid to show it to the world. I'm still learning how to do it :).
At the end, I smiled that day, while my legs were killing me.
Since I couldn't take pictures on the dragon boat festival, this time my intention was to turn on my "tourist mode" and act tourist-y. I arrived at around 6:30 pm, and at that point Hong Lim park was already a sea of pink coloured people.
A nice lady handed me the run down of the event. This year theme song was "True Colors" by Cindi Lauper. I find it a nice heart-warming nostalgic song:
...
It's hard to take courage
In a world full of people
You can lose sight of it all
And the darkness inside you
Can make you feel so small
But I see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors
True colors are beautiful,
Like a rainbow
...
As I walked around, I noticed something. I started to recognize some of the people there! Guy that I saw in the gym, my yoga instructor, lady that appeared on last year Pink Dot's video, the photographer, the hunky Fridae founder, etc. Oh my, the park is really small!
And what really grabbed my attention was the community tents. I just realised there are so many LGBT community groups in Singapore.
"Queer Book and Movie Club" and "Pelangi Pride Center" are my point of interests. Both offer access to LGBT related literature and sometimes alternative movies screening which always sparks my curiousity (okay I am a geek here). Perhaps I should approach them more.
As an observer, same with last year, my impression is: oh my God...this world is really changing, and it changes fast!
When I was a kid, I read about how "abnormal" LGBT people is. Stories depicted in Intisari, sexology column on magazines (yes..yes I read something that I shouldn't read at that age), newspaper, etc. Also what my parents voiced out about LGBT: "abnormal", and how it doesn't conform with Asian values, that they only belong to the west.
But now this is Asia, and values do change. I don't think we learn homosexuality from the west, we only learn the courage to open our mouths and express our idea, something that heterosexuals also have done long time ago. I really like the fact that now people can easily communicate and form group to support one and another.
Is it a good change? Honestly I don't know. But to observe the change is an excitement.
Honestly again, I feel proud to be there. To witness a group of people slowly change the stigma. Only in Indonesia a temple can be built overnight, but for the rest of the world, unluckily, it will take gradual and arduous process.
For me the song "True Colors" applies to us all. For whatever is your colour, don't be afraid to show it to the world. I'm still learning how to do it :).
At the end, I smiled that day, while my legs were killing me.
Monday, July 02, 2012
1!
Number of dragon boat competition that I've participated in!
and also the first time i've participated in the festivals listed on yoursingapore.com!
Please note the word "fittest" ahemm....totally isn't me. Other people will row gallantly and valiantly, but if by chance on that day you noticed an almost die paddler...ah that must be me.
800 m on DBS Regatta light boat, and sudden jump in pace was like 5 mins running in hell.
However against all expectations, we managed to reach the semi finals! We failed in our heats, but qualified for repenchage. Managed to be the second in our repenchage (only by difference of 10 miliseconds with the third), thus qualified for the second repenchage. If we passed this last repenchage, we would go directly to the finals.
We didn't aim for the finals, and realistically speaking our timing history is never good enough to compete in the finals. So without all expectation we rowed our last set with relaxed composure. However the boat seemed happier, morale seemed higher, people had more strength to response for calls and the last charge. With this relaxed composure we didn't finish last on our last repenchage, only 3-4 secs difference with our best timing of the day.
Our team on the land reported that on one point we managed to be the first, and if we maintained it, we would glide into final. But oh well...we had different goal on that day.
In total, against the expectation that we only paddled for one round and then go home, we paddled for three rounds, and I was in the boat for those three rounds :(.
From the first time holding paddle on April to this point, I am considered myself given privilege by the team to sit on the competition boat. I am not a good paddler and can be considered the weakest person on the boat (but at the same time I am also the newest guy on the team). Yet not many people on the team can sustain paddling for 800 m in racing pace. On the race coach kept yelling at me, taping my shoulder and poking me with paddle.
Looking back, it seemed I dunno... weird. From the first trial out of curiosity to this very point. But i am glad that I end up with this team. It is not the best team, because for sure the best team will not take me, but this is the team that willing to take people with any backgrounds and grow from there. We set our goal, we did our training, and we did our best.
Perhaps.....in one a zillionth chance.... could it be also that I make new friends?
For the second season, hmmm... I am more willing to see people who couldn't participate in this SDBF to paddle in the next competition: Singapore River Regatta. It is going to be 200 m event, so people who are weaker in stamina surely can join in. I am not a sprinter, more to a long distance-er.
So for the moment, I am enjoying the break, and two weeks later we will begin "paddles up!" for the next season.
Please note the word "fittest" ahemm....totally isn't me. Other people will row gallantly and valiantly, but if by chance on that day you noticed an almost die paddler...ah that must be me.
800 m on DBS Regatta light boat, and sudden jump in pace was like 5 mins running in hell.
However against all expectations, we managed to reach the semi finals! We failed in our heats, but qualified for repenchage. Managed to be the second in our repenchage (only by difference of 10 miliseconds with the third), thus qualified for the second repenchage. If we passed this last repenchage, we would go directly to the finals.
We didn't aim for the finals, and realistically speaking our timing history is never good enough to compete in the finals. So without all expectation we rowed our last set with relaxed composure. However the boat seemed happier, morale seemed higher, people had more strength to response for calls and the last charge. With this relaxed composure we didn't finish last on our last repenchage, only 3-4 secs difference with our best timing of the day.
Our team on the land reported that on one point we managed to be the first, and if we maintained it, we would glide into final. But oh well...we had different goal on that day.
In total, against the expectation that we only paddled for one round and then go home, we paddled for three rounds, and I was in the boat for those three rounds :(.
From the first time holding paddle on April to this point, I am considered myself given privilege by the team to sit on the competition boat. I am not a good paddler and can be considered the weakest person on the boat (but at the same time I am also the newest guy on the team). Yet not many people on the team can sustain paddling for 800 m in racing pace. On the race coach kept yelling at me, taping my shoulder and poking me with paddle.
Looking back, it seemed I dunno... weird. From the first trial out of curiosity to this very point. But i am glad that I end up with this team. It is not the best team, because for sure the best team will not take me, but this is the team that willing to take people with any backgrounds and grow from there. We set our goal, we did our training, and we did our best.
Perhaps.....in one a zillionth chance.... could it be also that I make new friends?
For the second season, hmmm... I am more willing to see people who couldn't participate in this SDBF to paddle in the next competition: Singapore River Regatta. It is going to be 200 m event, so people who are weaker in stamina surely can join in. I am not a sprinter, more to a long distance-er.
So for the moment, I am enjoying the break, and two weeks later we will begin "paddles up!" for the next season.
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