Hobbies, I think, are started out of interest. This one is probably started out of necessity.
Like many Singaporeans, we pay our way through rather than start from scratch and learn things the old fashion (ie hard) way. We have a space in the home that had a ton of potential. In fact, the space was one reason why we bought our home in the first place. It was unique and in a nice part of the house but on first glance, it had not been kept well. Seems the previous owner had haphazardly cobblered something together and it was not a job well done. There was some rudimentary landscaping but no attempt had been made to hide stuff.
We decided to turn it into a garden. And we laid down cash for it, getting someone to come in and have it done. Everything in land scarce Singapore is done upwards, instead of sideways; our garden is no different - it is a vertical garden.
Not long after the vertical garden was set up, some of the plants began to die. We have a few planter boxes at the sides as well and the plants there did not fare well too. To say we were annoyed would be putting it mildly; we had told the gardener-man the area did not enjoy direct sunlight (it was bright though) and that the area was humid - gardener-man even came for a recce to see for himself. He declared that as long as there was light (vs sunlight), everything would be fine. On the strength of his assessment, we had left him to select our plants for the garden. We specifically wanted flowers (to add colour) and a frangipani tree (to add, well, impact).
Gardener-man has since come back to replenish the plants that have died. They're not going so well too. There was no choice but for me to start looking into the garden myself. Gardening has never appealed to me but watching hard earned money being thrown away from neglect and negligence was far less enticing.
I spoke to P (our sis in-law) who told us to buy a book. I also learnt we were over watering and so the sprinkler system has now been shut off. It takes days for the soil to dry; yes, it's that damp in the garden. I bought insecticide, and quizzed the nursery lady who sold me the insecticide on the frequency of its use. To make sure I started off right, I cross-checked this knowledge checked with P. When you want to do something, I want to do it properly. Liquid fertilizer was bought to give food to the plants - never believe gardener-man when he said he had placed enough fertilizer to last for 4 months because on the second visit he conveniently forgot what he said and encouraged us to fertilize weekly!!
With the book, I took one big step today and bought plants which I think are suitable for our conditions. Came back, dug up the dying ixora and re-planted them with the plants I bought. Jamie got involved as well, happily scooping soil and in the end, he planted some seeds as well.
I've now acquired some rudimentary knowledge on gardening and am on my way to tending our own garden. New fertilizer, the type that encourages flowers to bloom was also just bought and insya-Allah, our garden will have flowers in a short time.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
(Did not run the) Orange Run 2010
We arrived KL Friday night, late - as we almost always invariably do. I need to get home from work before we even begin our journey and then there is always that drive back home to KL. It is a 4hr effort, (3hr plus if I travel really fast) if there is no traffic. Now that Nisa is living here, we drive together and this makes it even more bearable, enjoyable. It is a fact of modern living that we hardly spend time together and I am always grateful for the time the family is all together in the car. Jamie would chat incessantly until he nods off and then husband and wife would just talk and be together.
The next morning, I got up early and ran Bkt Kiara. Jamie was already up, notwithstanding he slept late last night. Jamie was so excited to be back and wanted to spend every waking minute playing with his cousins; he even knew enough that he was sacrificing sleep. We can only watch as he grows up and make choices.
The Kiara run went well, surprisingly. The flu bug seemed to have been despatched away and I really enjoyed the effort. There were walk breaks, no doubt, but this is all part of recovery and getting into racing shape again. But I am not 100% and don't think I will be for a while more. It'll not be impressive distances for sure, at least not in the next month or so.
So I was far from 100% coming into the Orange Run 2010. On the morning of the run itself, I could hardly crawl out of bed. I was aching slightly and still felt under the weather - its the bloody bug lingering within. Nisa wanted to go but I didn't. In the end, we gave this a miss. The miss is pretty significant, as the Orange Run was the race that opened our season last year and we both enjoyed it tremendously. It was the start of our racing and we both agreed to do this same event next year (and the next, and next).
I had read that we should treat races with respect. Whilst some take them as training efforts, and I think legitimately so in order to gauge fitness, there is the other school of thought that feels every race should be an all out effort. This school thinks that for those who choose to race, there should be 2 running lanes - those what walk should keep to the left and let those who race pass. I am inclined to this school of thought because it does get frustrating when people walk the route, taking up the entire route. Its part of the racing experience, more so when races are well participated. The truth is I rather see people out, having a good time and getting into a healthy state as well, then to see a zoo of elites racing and not being part of the experience.
The next morning, I got up early and ran Bkt Kiara. Jamie was already up, notwithstanding he slept late last night. Jamie was so excited to be back and wanted to spend every waking minute playing with his cousins; he even knew enough that he was sacrificing sleep. We can only watch as he grows up and make choices.
The Kiara run went well, surprisingly. The flu bug seemed to have been despatched away and I really enjoyed the effort. There were walk breaks, no doubt, but this is all part of recovery and getting into racing shape again. But I am not 100% and don't think I will be for a while more. It'll not be impressive distances for sure, at least not in the next month or so.
So I was far from 100% coming into the Orange Run 2010. On the morning of the run itself, I could hardly crawl out of bed. I was aching slightly and still felt under the weather - its the bloody bug lingering within. Nisa wanted to go but I didn't. In the end, we gave this a miss. The miss is pretty significant, as the Orange Run was the race that opened our season last year and we both enjoyed it tremendously. It was the start of our racing and we both agreed to do this same event next year (and the next, and next).
I had read that we should treat races with respect. Whilst some take them as training efforts, and I think legitimately so in order to gauge fitness, there is the other school of thought that feels every race should be an all out effort. This school thinks that for those who choose to race, there should be 2 running lanes - those what walk should keep to the left and let those who race pass. I am inclined to this school of thought because it does get frustrating when people walk the route, taking up the entire route. Its part of the racing experience, more so when races are well participated. The truth is I rather see people out, having a good time and getting into a healthy state as well, then to see a zoo of elites racing and not being part of the experience.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Feeling my way around (back)
This is a pretty resilient flu bug that landed on me. I went to see the doctor Monday, was on medical leave got 2 whole days and only went back to work yesterday. I'm not 100% yet but I'm recovered sufficiently. Now LHK, who sits immediately on the left in the office is ill and so is JC sitting opposite me.
I started running again last night, putting out tentative steps to feel my way around. It was a slow 6k effort, with a walk break in-between. There is the route that loops behind where I live, taking me into Bedok South and Chai Chee. I really dislike this route because the start is uninteresting, with a gentle incline that never fails to leave me winded. I take this route everytime when I want to punish myself a little, and later revelling in my little conquest of somthing I dislike. I took this route last night but did a small deviation to take out the opening incline. I came back feeling alive, well - as if the bug had been kicked out of my system.
I started running again last night, putting out tentative steps to feel my way around. It was a slow 6k effort, with a walk break in-between. There is the route that loops behind where I live, taking me into Bedok South and Chai Chee. I really dislike this route because the start is uninteresting, with a gentle incline that never fails to leave me winded. I take this route everytime when I want to punish myself a little, and later revelling in my little conquest of somthing I dislike. I took this route last night but did a small deviation to take out the opening incline. I came back feeling alive, well - as if the bug had been kicked out of my system.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Siemens run 2010
A few things went right for this but many went wrong. The fact that I'm sitting in the clinic waiting to see the doctor should be telling enough.
The race preparation went well. I ate properly, early and did not feel bloated with food. Also, I drank plenty right up to bedtime, and through the night so I was properly hydrated. No stomach problems in the morning pre-race and we got to Dataran Merdeka early enough to see the corral filled up. The announcer was counting down, we got there 10min before. Both Nisa and I went to the last one third of the corral. We wanted to squeeze in front because medals were limited but it was way too crowded - there were over 6000 runners in the event. I didn't think I would medal but there was hope anyway. The gun went off and it was downhill for me all the way.
Coming into the race, I had been seriously ill. It always starts with a running nose and a sore throat, with the phelgm stuck at the roof of my throat. The throat would start getting inflamed and it would then descend into flu. I know because this has occurred many times in the past - the last being prior to the Mizuno Wave Run 2009. By the time I ran Mizuno, the illness had gone away and I was hoping it would be the case this time.
I started well and by the 4k mark, I was on pace for a good one. In fact, all through going into Bukit Tunku, I was passing people. Coming out of Bukit Tunku, I could even see the start of the line of runners. Whilst I was doing well, the flu did not go away and I had difficulty breathing, and I was hurting. Reaching the 6k mark felt like having completed 10k. I was ready to stop and had started walking. I walked/jogged to the end, suffering sling the way. No wonder poor Jamie did not get a finisher's medal this time.
I did not like the route though. Coming out of Jln Parliament, we had to turn left and loop back. This was really demoralizing to see the end on sight but yet had to turn away.
Post race, I crashed out. The flu bug had hit full force and I couldn't get myself off the bed. Poor nisa did all the driving home.
The race preparation went well. I ate properly, early and did not feel bloated with food. Also, I drank plenty right up to bedtime, and through the night so I was properly hydrated. No stomach problems in the morning pre-race and we got to Dataran Merdeka early enough to see the corral filled up. The announcer was counting down, we got there 10min before. Both Nisa and I went to the last one third of the corral. We wanted to squeeze in front because medals were limited but it was way too crowded - there were over 6000 runners in the event. I didn't think I would medal but there was hope anyway. The gun went off and it was downhill for me all the way.
Coming into the race, I had been seriously ill. It always starts with a running nose and a sore throat, with the phelgm stuck at the roof of my throat. The throat would start getting inflamed and it would then descend into flu. I know because this has occurred many times in the past - the last being prior to the Mizuno Wave Run 2009. By the time I ran Mizuno, the illness had gone away and I was hoping it would be the case this time.
I started well and by the 4k mark, I was on pace for a good one. In fact, all through going into Bukit Tunku, I was passing people. Coming out of Bukit Tunku, I could even see the start of the line of runners. Whilst I was doing well, the flu did not go away and I had difficulty breathing, and I was hurting. Reaching the 6k mark felt like having completed 10k. I was ready to stop and had started walking. I walked/jogged to the end, suffering sling the way. No wonder poor Jamie did not get a finisher's medal this time.
I did not like the route though. Coming out of Jln Parliament, we had to turn left and loop back. This was really demoralizing to see the end on sight but yet had to turn away.
Post race, I crashed out. The flu bug had hit full force and I couldn't get myself off the bed. Poor nisa did all the driving home.
Friday, July 16, 2010
We're finally home
At about 4pm, Nisa and Jamie received their immigration passes to remain here and with that, any doubt (or risk) was removed; we're all able to stay and set up a home. This journey started many years before, at the cusp of our marriage where I went to the authorities to ask if permission would be granted for Nisa to live in Spore. She is after all, a foreigner. Equally importantly was that my son was to have a father by his side, so he turns out proper and adjusted. Things going awry happen right before my eyes.
The authorities I spoke with said it was not the policy to break a family apart. On that informal assurance, we built our entire dreams and hopes. A house was bought, the family relocated, Nisa left her job and Jamie went to school. We sat around a little before putting on our application. Typical of authorities the world over, they only tell you what submission documents are required but don't tell you the qualifying criteria. We had to go back to KL to get some, have them translated at the High Court and furnished them altogether. There was doubt whether Nisa and Jamie could return to spore with the documents but we somehow did. After the submission, we were told we would hear back within 24hrs; one day became two, and it became four. Apparently, there was a problem and when I went to see them, the authorities refused to tell me what it was, only speaking in their code.
Many rejections can be handled via financial expenditure or physical burden. If Jamie had to pay the foreigner's rate for school, then so be it. If we can't buy a house and need to walk up stairs to our flat, that's ok, even in the long run. As long as we're all home together. But if the passes were rejected, they leave Spore and what becomes of our lives? Something so simple as a pass brings such dire consequences.
Well, the passes were granted and we're finally home.
The authorities I spoke with said it was not the policy to break a family apart. On that informal assurance, we built our entire dreams and hopes. A house was bought, the family relocated, Nisa left her job and Jamie went to school. We sat around a little before putting on our application. Typical of authorities the world over, they only tell you what submission documents are required but don't tell you the qualifying criteria. We had to go back to KL to get some, have them translated at the High Court and furnished them altogether. There was doubt whether Nisa and Jamie could return to spore with the documents but we somehow did. After the submission, we were told we would hear back within 24hrs; one day became two, and it became four. Apparently, there was a problem and when I went to see them, the authorities refused to tell me what it was, only speaking in their code.
Many rejections can be handled via financial expenditure or physical burden. If Jamie had to pay the foreigner's rate for school, then so be it. If we can't buy a house and need to walk up stairs to our flat, that's ok, even in the long run. As long as we're all home together. But if the passes were rejected, they leave Spore and what becomes of our lives? Something so simple as a pass brings such dire consequences.
Well, the passes were granted and we're finally home.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Nice, soft, spongy shoes
I'm really fed up of my left feet hurting. Without any proper medical analysis, I am guessing the medial post is too hard. So much for wearing support shoes when now training for longer distances. It's true that people lose form as distances progress but the bloody medial post is really pushing my left feet outwards? Even the slight post / support found in the lunars are hurting me. I'm going back to neutral shoes.
And since we have the SCKLM NB discount voucher, I'm getting the 758s.
And since we have the SCKLM NB discount voucher, I'm getting the 758s.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Father and son
The outcome wasn't what we all wanted but the experience was priceless. This was the first occasion where I felt Jamie and I did something together, as father and son. Not to say we've never done anything, and that I lead a life where I neglect him - far from it, I remember almost every occasion I spent with him. I even remember I picked him up from school last Friday, and we were both happy to see one another.
Today was different, special. I went to see the security guard to have him turn on the outside lights on the pathway into our home. Jamie wanted up come along, whether to tarry his bedtime, I don't know. But he saw how I conducted myself with the guard. The guard was evasive and tried to shrug matters off. And when he was unable, he had to concede he did not know. Jamie took all this in, learning that honesty is prized beyond any worldly gain, that it was acceptable to concede ignorance because no one could know everything, and that forgivness is quick and more readily dispensed than imagined. He followed the guard and I all over the estate, into the switch room and through it all, took in everything. He held my hand throughout, not in anxiety or fear, but we were together in this episode. I had never felt closer to him than just.
As I lie next to him in bed, I had just kissed him goodnight - but he's long asleep, readying himself for school tomorrow.
Today was different, special. I went to see the security guard to have him turn on the outside lights on the pathway into our home. Jamie wanted up come along, whether to tarry his bedtime, I don't know. But he saw how I conducted myself with the guard. The guard was evasive and tried to shrug matters off. And when he was unable, he had to concede he did not know. Jamie took all this in, learning that honesty is prized beyond any worldly gain, that it was acceptable to concede ignorance because no one could know everything, and that forgivness is quick and more readily dispensed than imagined. He followed the guard and I all over the estate, into the switch room and through it all, took in everything. He held my hand throughout, not in anxiety or fear, but we were together in this episode. I had never felt closer to him than just.
As I lie next to him in bed, I had just kissed him goodnight - but he's long asleep, readying himself for school tomorrow.
Such is the state of my sport
My sport suffers from a lack of public following, not just in Spore but worldwide. In fact, the truly fast runners are not accredited, or even widely known because they are not regularly hyped. Those from the western world, with big shoe contracts and famous coaches, are regularly featured on the web and in magazines.
To the point that some up and coming kid (and this one really shows promise) coming in 9th in an international meet is featured. So what if he PR?? What about writing about the winner?? Its a bit like the camera showing Tiger all the time, even when he's not leadng. What about the leader and the eventual champion??
To the point that some up and coming kid (and this one really shows promise) coming in 9th in an international meet is featured. So what if he PR?? What about writing about the winner?? Its a bit like the camera showing Tiger all the time, even when he's not leadng. What about the leader and the eventual champion??
Where's the start of the race?
So much has happened I'm not even sure where to start. It's like registering for the race but on arrival, I just can't find the start - just loads of people milling around.
The bigger thing that happened was my persistent injury on my left foot. It's gotten worse. It used to be just an ache for a minute or so the moment I got out of bed in the morning but it's now turned into this full day ache everytime after some long run or so. It happened again thus morning, like it did for the last month or so. I tried taking a break from running after SCKLM 2010 but it didn't seem to help much. I wanted a break anyway because I was feeling burnt out by all the distance so it was nice to get away from running for a while. But the bloody injury persisted.
So much so to the point that I think the stability shoes that I am wearing are probably causing this ailment. I'm neutral, with low arches, but I thought stability would do me some good in going longer. It's not working though because in addition to the ache, I am now feeling the medial posts. I'm now thinking of neutral shoes and with the discount voucher from SCKLM, I'm thinking of the NB 758
The ache in my foot is also a physical manifestation of my frustration. No matter how clever a person is, some things must be taught, not learnt. I'm no slacker and I think my career proves it but if I do not know something, someone ought to take me aside and tell me. Sitting all by myself will not help me learn my new craft - if I sm unable to type, then I ought to be taught how to type; certaintly typing is not intellectual. But such is life and how I am tested everyday. Everything has a reason.
Coming back to running, I'm going to try my NB RT769 tomorrow. It a stability shoe but I can hardly feel the post. And I think I'll be on gravel so it will be softer. We've signed up for the Siemens run, as well as the Orange run, so July is a full schedule; but it's going to be a fun run for me. I don't think I'm quite up to chasing PRs these days.
The bigger thing that happened was my persistent injury on my left foot. It's gotten worse. It used to be just an ache for a minute or so the moment I got out of bed in the morning but it's now turned into this full day ache everytime after some long run or so. It happened again thus morning, like it did for the last month or so. I tried taking a break from running after SCKLM 2010 but it didn't seem to help much. I wanted a break anyway because I was feeling burnt out by all the distance so it was nice to get away from running for a while. But the bloody injury persisted.
So much so to the point that I think the stability shoes that I am wearing are probably causing this ailment. I'm neutral, with low arches, but I thought stability would do me some good in going longer. It's not working though because in addition to the ache, I am now feeling the medial posts. I'm now thinking of neutral shoes and with the discount voucher from SCKLM, I'm thinking of the NB 758
The ache in my foot is also a physical manifestation of my frustration. No matter how clever a person is, some things must be taught, not learnt. I'm no slacker and I think my career proves it but if I do not know something, someone ought to take me aside and tell me. Sitting all by myself will not help me learn my new craft - if I sm unable to type, then I ought to be taught how to type; certaintly typing is not intellectual. But such is life and how I am tested everyday. Everything has a reason.
Coming back to running, I'm going to try my NB RT769 tomorrow. It a stability shoe but I can hardly feel the post. And I think I'll be on gravel so it will be softer. We've signed up for the Siemens run, as well as the Orange run, so July is a full schedule; but it's going to be a fun run for me. I don't think I'm quite up to chasing PRs these days.
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