I live in Malaysia and am starting to appreciate jazz but I have a difficult time tracking down the music that I love (Currently collecting Lee Rittenour and Ramsey Lewis, among others).
It is very frustrating to find that elusive album by an artist, especially if it is not some pop-driven, mass-marketing, brain-dead piece of work. After my normal supplier closed shop four years ago, I was forced to switch to Tower Records; Now, they tell me they no longer do special order to help me get the music that I want, which means......Hello, Amazon.com!
I haven't switched to online music downloads because most of the music is not portable (hence, cannot download) unto my peripherals, hence my reluctance to spend money on them. Would rather just get my hands on the album.
Just wish that there was an easier way to make music more accessible to the masses. The current claims by the industry standardbearers is full of crap.
Friday, July 28, 2006
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
On sore muscles and achiness
When i first started my weightlifting sessions, I had achy and sore muscles about 24/7 in the first two weeks.
After the Penang/Bangkok hiatus, coming back to it almost made it me regret taking it up since it was worse.
But now into the second week, I find none of the achiness or soreness in my muscles anymore even if I skip practice for 2-3 days.
Can anyone give me an explanation?
After the Penang/Bangkok hiatus, coming back to it almost made it me regret taking it up since it was worse.
But now into the second week, I find none of the achiness or soreness in my muscles anymore even if I skip practice for 2-3 days.
Can anyone give me an explanation?
Workout for the 26th
Nothing much,
did Clean & Jerk, started out at 40kgs (3 reps).
upgraded to 50kgs and banged out 2 sets of 3 reps each.
Did another 3 more sets of with 60kgs.
Coach moved me over to the pull.
Still have some issues with my technique and timing.
Anyway, did about 60kgs and pulled 2 sets (usual reps) before hiking up to 70kgs on the last set.
On the back squat.
I did 1 set (6 reps) at 50kgs,
repeated the set at 60kgs,
The next 2 sets (3 reps) were done at 70kgs.
Then at 75kgs, I did another 2 sets (2 reps).
Final test, 80kgs.
Down, up (with coach's help) return weight to stand, dismantle it. (Next time, I will make it)
did Clean & Jerk, started out at 40kgs (3 reps).
upgraded to 50kgs and banged out 2 sets of 3 reps each.
Did another 3 more sets of with 60kgs.
Coach moved me over to the pull.
Still have some issues with my technique and timing.
Anyway, did about 60kgs and pulled 2 sets (usual reps) before hiking up to 70kgs on the last set.
On the back squat.
I did 1 set (6 reps) at 50kgs,
repeated the set at 60kgs,
The next 2 sets (3 reps) were done at 70kgs.
Then at 75kgs, I did another 2 sets (2 reps).
Final test, 80kgs.
Down, up (with coach's help) return weight to stand, dismantle it. (Next time, I will make it)
Competition is good
Coach's daughter and newcomer got into a clean & jerk competition, egged on by all the veterans.
Since the former was such a slacker and was very complacent in her progress, one improvement from the newcomer got her to take her work practice seriously.
Basically, coach has always been having a headache getting his daughter to try the lifts at higher weights, she has always been mucking around at 35-40kgs for both snatch and clean & jerk.
So yesterday, while she was just lifting 40kgs for clean & jerk, the newcomer managed to lift 35kgs on her first attempt.
Quick glance over, and somehow the green 10kgs weights were transmuted into yellow 15kgs ones, making it a total of 45kgs.
She nails her first lift, but then they started mirroring each other.
When one makes the lift, the other will also nail it.
One fails, they both fail.
Might be interesting to have a synchronized weightlifting competition for girls :P
Since the former was such a slacker and was very complacent in her progress, one improvement from the newcomer got her to take her work practice seriously.
Basically, coach has always been having a headache getting his daughter to try the lifts at higher weights, she has always been mucking around at 35-40kgs for both snatch and clean & jerk.
So yesterday, while she was just lifting 40kgs for clean & jerk, the newcomer managed to lift 35kgs on her first attempt.
Quick glance over, and somehow the green 10kgs weights were transmuted into yellow 15kgs ones, making it a total of 45kgs.
She nails her first lift, but then they started mirroring each other.
When one makes the lift, the other will also nail it.
One fails, they both fail.
Might be interesting to have a synchronized weightlifting competition for girls :P
Cock-Ups
Was driving to work today, took the usual route and parked at the traffic light waiting for it to turn green.
Some idiot of a traffic police shows up and releases the traffic coming from the opposite side of the junction. Guess what?
There was no other traffic police at the previous junction behind me, so the vehicles piled up, slowing down both the other roads (including mine). And the policeman immediately starts talking into his radio clip by his shoulder. Took another 3 minutes before the traffic cleared up and he resumed normal traffic.
Hope he learnt his lesson because I really got screwed this time
Some idiot of a traffic police shows up and releases the traffic coming from the opposite side of the junction. Guess what?
There was no other traffic police at the previous junction behind me, so the vehicles piled up, slowing down both the other roads (including mine). And the policeman immediately starts talking into his radio clip by his shoulder. Took another 3 minutes before the traffic cleared up and he resumed normal traffic.
Hope he learnt his lesson because I really got screwed this time
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Probably need a quick change of clothes
And I will be back at work within the next 3 hours (inclusive of 1 hour nap).
Note to self: I don't know how Nigel does it, but I am beginning to get the hang of it.
Note to self: I don't know how Nigel does it, but I am beginning to get the hang of it.
The Trip to Singapore Nationals
(Have an irritating mosquito around my computer and I forgot that I don't have any insect repellant. So hoping right now that it is not an AEDES sub-species)
Anyway, was invited to TD the Singapore Nationals.
So I tried out the new luxury bus service from Konsortium.
Pretty comfy (double decker, wide seats),
pretty fast (no midpoint rest stop, total travel time 3 hours to JB, according to my watch),
pretty pitiful that I cannot buy a return ticket (Going back by Transnasional, who claim to have upgraded their fleet. We shall see if it is true later)
So arrived in Larkin approximately 3.40am.
Got leftover supper for breakfast while waiting for 1st commuter bus.
Okay SJE at 4.15am for just RM2.40
Board it and breeze through Malaysian immigration checkpoint.
Board same bus and head to the Singapore immigration.
Get off bus and walk straight into ten lines (and counting) of Malaysian and mainly PRC tourist (who were taking forever to get immigration clearance).
Fill out immigration form and went queue hoping (this one shorter, nope that one shorter. Should I gamble on this one opening in the next five minutes or sticking with my slow ploddy one?). Ended up second on a newly opened queue after six attempts. (I got clearance around 5.30am)
Went downstairs, missed my bus. Board the replacement and sat all the way to Bugis (I forgot that Queen Street is near Bugis, was hoping to get off somewhere else like Toa Payoh, Kranji, etc)
Anyway, walk 500m to Bugis MRT station and braved the early morning rush (It was 6am at this point) and managed to arrive at the AMK station 20 minutes later (or 17 minutes if SMRT wants to quibble about their efficiency).
Proceed to cheese Andy and Cheah off about tournament venue and travel options before I realized that the only reliable info I have is the only Scrabbler who has to journey from the farthest reaches of Singapore to play in this competition, ie Boon Lay, hence I called Yen Nee.
Lucky for me that she has all the details, so I managed to make my bus trip in time (to get some savings on the transfer thingy)
Arrived at "the Serangoon (CC)" around 6.45am. Procceed to get completely bored and have breakfast for the next 2 hours.
Thank god Wilson came to open the hall early so that I can discover that Windows 98 doesn't recognize Thumb drives (wow! technology is so obsolete!)
Anyway, even installing it with CD doesn't work.
Andy arrives early enough to troubleshoot all the wordjudge program while I get Wilson to set up a third computer for pairings (and Andy to set up the pairing program).
Thank god only Div A in the morning (at least they have been trained).
Everything went swimmingly in the morning (and I chatted up a wonderful assistant by the name of Serenella, or Seren for abbreviation)
Div B were supposed to report in at 12noon, (I expect quite a few were assuming I would start play at 1pm)
Hurhurhur, I told them to go have lunch and announce that they would start at 12.40pm while I go and have lunch with Div A. Jobeth and EWOK turned up to help, Yes!
So gave Div B their 5 games quota for Day 1 and they wanted more (greedy people, cheah should make them play 21 games next year in two days)
Div A was a headache because I had to schedule 9 games into, but it was pretty interesting to see Goh Jiang Pern running away with it on Day 1 (since he is also the defending champion).
Went for dinner and some miscommunication ended up increasing the cost of dinner (when several people opted out of Chi-Chiak) while Tony, Ricky and I dug into tofu, veggies, chicken and pork that was so tasty it convinced two others to join in (nothing beats watching people drool at what you eat)
Overnight at the Wees was wonderful while watching family antics (they may beg to differ) in between snippets of conversations.
Day Two started out late (probably because I forgot to 'personally' inform Tony that I need to be there early enough to set up the venue and I didn't know that he has going to chauffer three other people, excluding Hubert and Me)
Anyway, was lucky that Cheah was briefed on the new layout of the hall, made it much easier to coralled, erm......actually herd the Div C players between briefing area and playing tables.
Since I wanted silence, I was quite lucky to have printout of the pairings to be posted within 5 minutes of receiving the last result slip.
One problem though, somehow all the divisions became odd today (I blame Div C on Cheah, Div B on Aloysious, Div A on Li Wei's tummy)
Anyway, Jobeth and EWOK both skipped out on me but I still have my trusty Seren to batten down the hatches and Karthik showed up more to observe Div A and Div B rather than run Div C (as I was more incline to sit at my computer today to speed up data entry and pairings rather than run around the tournament venue troubleshooting)
And Ricky went off to get a new haircut and I wanted so much to rub his scalp (stingy tabards was charging S$5 a rub and neglects that I am a poor Malaysian thanks to the exchange 'daylight robbery' rate)
Anyway, Div B was a foregone conclusion, Div C was full of many many comedies of error (In Round 5, I had to reconstruct a game that was disturbed because someone sneezed so hard that the tiles flew off the racks and board in the last 15 minutes before the round ended.) and Div A was so full of drama (I particularly like Cheah's quote: 'it's a conspiracy, I tell you.')
So dinner was on the winner and back-to-back champion, Goh Jiang Pern. And it ended up being Andy's favorite food, Chicken rice since most of the restaurants in Novena were under renovation (and Andy complained about eating Chicken rice for the fourth consecutive time in two days. It's your choice! Andy! Or more correctly, Your Habit!)
Cheah drove me off to catch my commuter bus back across the causeway. Having timed it, I think I can stay until 10pm if my bus leaves at midnight, but that will be for the next trip.
I had fun (screwing as many people as I could but I will not reveal any details), hope you all had fun (not at each other's expenses)
Anyway, was invited to TD the Singapore Nationals.
So I tried out the new luxury bus service from Konsortium.
Pretty comfy (double decker, wide seats),
pretty fast (no midpoint rest stop, total travel time 3 hours to JB, according to my watch),
pretty pitiful that I cannot buy a return ticket (Going back by Transnasional, who claim to have upgraded their fleet. We shall see if it is true later)
So arrived in Larkin approximately 3.40am.
Got leftover supper for breakfast while waiting for 1st commuter bus.
Okay SJE at 4.15am for just RM2.40
Board it and breeze through Malaysian immigration checkpoint.
Board same bus and head to the Singapore immigration.
Get off bus and walk straight into ten lines (and counting) of Malaysian and mainly PRC tourist (who were taking forever to get immigration clearance).
Fill out immigration form and went queue hoping (this one shorter, nope that one shorter. Should I gamble on this one opening in the next five minutes or sticking with my slow ploddy one?). Ended up second on a newly opened queue after six attempts. (I got clearance around 5.30am)
Went downstairs, missed my bus. Board the replacement and sat all the way to Bugis (I forgot that Queen Street is near Bugis, was hoping to get off somewhere else like Toa Payoh, Kranji, etc)
Anyway, walk 500m to Bugis MRT station and braved the early morning rush (It was 6am at this point) and managed to arrive at the AMK station 20 minutes later (or 17 minutes if SMRT wants to quibble about their efficiency).
Proceed to cheese Andy and Cheah off about tournament venue and travel options before I realized that the only reliable info I have is the only Scrabbler who has to journey from the farthest reaches of Singapore to play in this competition, ie Boon Lay, hence I called Yen Nee.
Lucky for me that she has all the details, so I managed to make my bus trip in time (to get some savings on the transfer thingy)
Arrived at "the Serangoon (CC)" around 6.45am. Procceed to get completely bored and have breakfast for the next 2 hours.
Thank god Wilson came to open the hall early so that I can discover that Windows 98 doesn't recognize Thumb drives (wow! technology is so obsolete!)
Anyway, even installing it with CD doesn't work.
Andy arrives early enough to troubleshoot all the wordjudge program while I get Wilson to set up a third computer for pairings (and Andy to set up the pairing program).
Thank god only Div A in the morning (at least they have been trained).
Everything went swimmingly in the morning (and I chatted up a wonderful assistant by the name of Serenella, or Seren for abbreviation)
Div B were supposed to report in at 12noon, (I expect quite a few were assuming I would start play at 1pm)
Hurhurhur, I told them to go have lunch and announce that they would start at 12.40pm while I go and have lunch with Div A. Jobeth and EWOK turned up to help, Yes!
So gave Div B their 5 games quota for Day 1 and they wanted more (greedy people, cheah should make them play 21 games next year in two days)
Div A was a headache because I had to schedule 9 games into, but it was pretty interesting to see Goh Jiang Pern running away with it on Day 1 (since he is also the defending champion).
Went for dinner and some miscommunication ended up increasing the cost of dinner (when several people opted out of Chi-Chiak) while Tony, Ricky and I dug into tofu, veggies, chicken and pork that was so tasty it convinced two others to join in (nothing beats watching people drool at what you eat)
Overnight at the Wees was wonderful while watching family antics (they may beg to differ) in between snippets of conversations.
Day Two started out late (probably because I forgot to 'personally' inform Tony that I need to be there early enough to set up the venue and I didn't know that he has going to chauffer three other people, excluding Hubert and Me)
Anyway, was lucky that Cheah was briefed on the new layout of the hall, made it much easier to coralled, erm......actually herd the Div C players between briefing area and playing tables.
Since I wanted silence, I was quite lucky to have printout of the pairings to be posted within 5 minutes of receiving the last result slip.
One problem though, somehow all the divisions became odd today (I blame Div C on Cheah, Div B on Aloysious, Div A on Li Wei's tummy)
Anyway, Jobeth and EWOK both skipped out on me but I still have my trusty Seren to batten down the hatches and Karthik showed up more to observe Div A and Div B rather than run Div C (as I was more incline to sit at my computer today to speed up data entry and pairings rather than run around the tournament venue troubleshooting)
And Ricky went off to get a new haircut and I wanted so much to rub his scalp (stingy tabards was charging S$5 a rub and neglects that I am a poor Malaysian thanks to the exchange 'daylight robbery' rate)
Anyway, Div B was a foregone conclusion, Div C was full of many many comedies of error (In Round 5, I had to reconstruct a game that was disturbed because someone sneezed so hard that the tiles flew off the racks and board in the last 15 minutes before the round ended.) and Div A was so full of drama (I particularly like Cheah's quote: 'it's a conspiracy, I tell you.')
So dinner was on the winner and back-to-back champion, Goh Jiang Pern. And it ended up being Andy's favorite food, Chicken rice since most of the restaurants in Novena were under renovation (and Andy complained about eating Chicken rice for the fourth consecutive time in two days. It's your choice! Andy! Or more correctly, Your Habit!)
Cheah drove me off to catch my commuter bus back across the causeway. Having timed it, I think I can stay until 10pm if my bus leaves at midnight, but that will be for the next trip.
I had fun (screwing as many people as I could but I will not reveal any details), hope you all had fun (not at each other's expenses)
Friday, July 21, 2006
The Gym Session before the bus trip
At least I had the decency to shower and change before the trip.
Anyway, coach was late today because his water seeped into his engine (although the flood was only 1 foot deep), so I did the Snatch.
First 2 sets (6 reps each) were done using the 20kgs barbell.
Another 10kgs and I did 3 more sets (4 reps this time) before I tried the weight that I have a 3% chance of success --- 40kgs.
So got first one (100%)
miss second one (50%)
got third one (67%)
and fourth one (75%) (coach also arrived at this time)
then miss fifth, sixth and seventh (45%) (hhhmmmm, do I see a trend?)
Got the eighth one (50% again)
and missed the last one (38%)
Anyway, did some pulling, snatch-style
So 40kgs was loaded for 3 sets (3 reps from starting point and 3 quick ones immediately following the last rep)
Think I loaded another 10kgs and did another 2 sets (same reps as above).
So moving on to something I haven't touched in weeks, Front Squat.
So 40kgs was very very easy even at 6 reps for 2 sets.
Added another 10kgs and procceed to bang out 3 reps on the 1st set but only 2 on the next set.
Last attempt was 60kgs.
Down, uuuupppppp........threw the bar away (PHEW!)
That's all for now.
Anyway, coach was late today because his water seeped into his engine (although the flood was only 1 foot deep), so I did the Snatch.
First 2 sets (6 reps each) were done using the 20kgs barbell.
Another 10kgs and I did 3 more sets (4 reps this time) before I tried the weight that I have a 3% chance of success --- 40kgs.
So got first one (100%)
miss second one (50%)
got third one (67%)
and fourth one (75%) (coach also arrived at this time)
then miss fifth, sixth and seventh (45%) (hhhmmmm, do I see a trend?)
Got the eighth one (50% again)
and missed the last one (38%)
Anyway, did some pulling, snatch-style
So 40kgs was loaded for 3 sets (3 reps from starting point and 3 quick ones immediately following the last rep)
Think I loaded another 10kgs and did another 2 sets (same reps as above).
So moving on to something I haven't touched in weeks, Front Squat.
So 40kgs was very very easy even at 6 reps for 2 sets.
Added another 10kgs and procceed to bang out 3 reps on the 1st set but only 2 on the next set.
Last attempt was 60kgs.
Down, uuuupppppp........threw the bar away (PHEW!)
That's all for now.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
First gym sessions in two days
No juniors today, they have all gone to Korea for the Asian Championships.
Apparently there are two categories in the Juniors, which I have never even heard off.
The first batch that left already are competing in the Junior Men/Women category, competitors must be under age of 20; while the second batch leaving in 3 days time is competing in the Boys/Girls category, where you must be below 16 years of age.
And no, there are no competition for those under 12 years old. (Sorry but something to do with growing up first).
Another point of interest, 3 Sir Lankan (or is that Ceylonese) weightlifters in town for two days with their manager (Yes they will be coming back tomorrow). One of them looks like a distant cousin of their favorite spin bowler, Mulitharanan (did I get the spelling right? whatever)
Started out with the clean and jerk.
20kgs barbell: 4 sets of 4 reps each.
Then I added another 10kgs and did about 2 sets of 3 reps each before my coach advise me to slow down to 2 reps. I did another 3 sets and we upgraded the whole load to 40kgs.
I did another 5 sets (1 rep) before adding another 10kgs to make it 50kgs.
Another 5 sets (1 rep), no problems.
For the last 3 sets, we just added another 5 kgs just to see if I can break my personal best.
And I did!
Okay then we did the pull, about 3 reps per set with 3 lights ones at the end following the last pull.
We maintained the 55kgs barbell earlier from the Clean & Jerk and I did 2 sets before we upgraded it to 65 kgs for another 2 sets.
Last 2 sets were done on a 70kgs barbell.
After questioning my fatigue, coach moved me straight unto back squat.
So I tested out 50kgs and did 1 set of 8 reps while coach wasn't looking. He came back and told me to cut it on my 5th reps (and I confessed I did 8 reps on the last set)
So he upped the weights to 60kgs.
I managed 3 sets of 3 reps each and the coach immediately added another 10kgs to the barbell (actually he ordered, I added).
So I did another 3 sets of 2 reps each (broke my personal best as well) before coach tried out 75kgs for one last rep.
I went down but the way uuuuuupppppp was a real sssssttttrrrruuuuuggggggggglllllleeeeeee (and that is even with coach helping lighten the barbell off my shoulders). Somehow the weight managed to tip to the left.
So end of gym. Can't wait to see what tomorrow has in store.
Apparently there are two categories in the Juniors, which I have never even heard off.
The first batch that left already are competing in the Junior Men/Women category, competitors must be under age of 20; while the second batch leaving in 3 days time is competing in the Boys/Girls category, where you must be below 16 years of age.
And no, there are no competition for those under 12 years old. (Sorry but something to do with growing up first).
Another point of interest, 3 Sir Lankan (or is that Ceylonese) weightlifters in town for two days with their manager (Yes they will be coming back tomorrow). One of them looks like a distant cousin of their favorite spin bowler, Mulitharanan (did I get the spelling right? whatever)
Started out with the clean and jerk.
20kgs barbell: 4 sets of 4 reps each.
Then I added another 10kgs and did about 2 sets of 3 reps each before my coach advise me to slow down to 2 reps. I did another 3 sets and we upgraded the whole load to 40kgs.
I did another 5 sets (1 rep) before adding another 10kgs to make it 50kgs.
Another 5 sets (1 rep), no problems.
For the last 3 sets, we just added another 5 kgs just to see if I can break my personal best.
And I did!
Okay then we did the pull, about 3 reps per set with 3 lights ones at the end following the last pull.
We maintained the 55kgs barbell earlier from the Clean & Jerk and I did 2 sets before we upgraded it to 65 kgs for another 2 sets.
Last 2 sets were done on a 70kgs barbell.
After questioning my fatigue, coach moved me straight unto back squat.
So I tested out 50kgs and did 1 set of 8 reps while coach wasn't looking. He came back and told me to cut it on my 5th reps (and I confessed I did 8 reps on the last set)
So he upped the weights to 60kgs.
I managed 3 sets of 3 reps each and the coach immediately added another 10kgs to the barbell (actually he ordered, I added).
So I did another 3 sets of 2 reps each (broke my personal best as well) before coach tried out 75kgs for one last rep.
I went down but the way uuuuuupppppp was a real sssssttttrrrruuuuuggggggggglllllleeeeeee (and that is even with coach helping lighten the barbell off my shoulders). Somehow the weight managed to tip to the left.
So end of gym. Can't wait to see what tomorrow has in store.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
I have not gone back to the gym for two days now
So that means today is a must go, but I fear for my aching muscles (much better now, thank you!)
Still reading up on the Italian scandal-judgement-repercussion, no signs that AC Milan will be selling KAKA to Chelsea (that will show them that money can't buy everyone, including Ronaldinho, Gerrard, Gattuso, etc)
Still reading up on the Italian scandal-judgement-repercussion, no signs that AC Milan will be selling KAKA to Chelsea (that will show them that money can't buy everyone, including Ronaldinho, Gerrard, Gattuso, etc)
I am boring
If you know of any interesting Scrabbler blogs out there, drop me a link now because I have been trawling through most Scrabble blogs and they are boring as hell, not to mention that 40% of them are actually spammers which makes it even worse at times...
Just the other day in Bangkok during King Cup, Nigel Richards says I write my column like a football commentary (Guilty as Charged)
Just the other day in Bangkok during King Cup, Nigel Richards says I write my column like a football commentary (Guilty as Charged)
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Bought my bus ticket down for Singapore
Hope to beat the Causeway rush on Saturday but no promise.
Btw, that gym post below was for yesterday's session.
I think I have to give today a miss to rest my aching back and hips and thighs and .......
Anyway, will still have to come to Singapore on August 10th to attend a friend's registration ceremony to his uni-sweetheart.
Btw, that gym post below was for yesterday's session.
I think I have to give today a miss to rest my aching back and hips and thighs and .......
Anyway, will still have to come to Singapore on August 10th to attend a friend's registration ceremony to his uni-sweetheart.
1st day back at the gym
Didn't see some regular faces, but most of the juniors were there outdoing each other along with some new juniors as well.
Started out with warm-ups and good morning exercises.
Had to wait about 30 minutes before the juniors cleared the room.
Did the snatch with the 15kgs barbell,
started out well with the 1st set of 12 reps,
but when I started out on the second set, it fell apart from there when I stumbled on the 3rd rep and the bar fell on my right foot.
So I took a break and resumed. Managed to finished 6 reps in the 3rd set and retired before my hips buckled.
Increased the weights by another 10kgs and I stumbled again on the 4th reps, this time the barbell hitting my left foot right above the ankle.
Did one more set of 6 reps before my coach moved me to the Clean & Jerk.
So started out with the same weight (25kgs) for the Clean and Jerk, did about 2 sets of 2 reps before managing a 3rd rep in the 3rd set.
I then walked over to the opposite platform and loaded a 20kgs barbell with 10kgs and started using that.
My coach came back and watch me complete one set with 3 reps before telling me to add another 10kgs to the barbell.
I missed the 2nd rep in the 1st set but caught the others quite smoothly. I no longer feel any pain on my palms and I still have to learn to push my elbows forward and catch the bar on my collarbone.
2 more sets and I set up the stands for my back squat.
I banged out 8 reps on my first 2 sets with the 40kgs barbell before adding another 10kgs.
At 50 kgs, I manged 6 reps each in the remaining 4 sets before calling it a day.
Sat around kibbitzing my coach's daughter clean and jerk with whoever was left in the gym at that time.
Started out with warm-ups and good morning exercises.
Had to wait about 30 minutes before the juniors cleared the room.
Did the snatch with the 15kgs barbell,
started out well with the 1st set of 12 reps,
but when I started out on the second set, it fell apart from there when I stumbled on the 3rd rep and the bar fell on my right foot.
So I took a break and resumed. Managed to finished 6 reps in the 3rd set and retired before my hips buckled.
Increased the weights by another 10kgs and I stumbled again on the 4th reps, this time the barbell hitting my left foot right above the ankle.
Did one more set of 6 reps before my coach moved me to the Clean & Jerk.
So started out with the same weight (25kgs) for the Clean and Jerk, did about 2 sets of 2 reps before managing a 3rd rep in the 3rd set.
I then walked over to the opposite platform and loaded a 20kgs barbell with 10kgs and started using that.
My coach came back and watch me complete one set with 3 reps before telling me to add another 10kgs to the barbell.
I missed the 2nd rep in the 1st set but caught the others quite smoothly. I no longer feel any pain on my palms and I still have to learn to push my elbows forward and catch the bar on my collarbone.
2 more sets and I set up the stands for my back squat.
I banged out 8 reps on my first 2 sets with the 40kgs barbell before adding another 10kgs.
At 50 kgs, I manged 6 reps each in the remaining 4 sets before calling it a day.
Sat around kibbitzing my coach's daughter clean and jerk with whoever was left in the gym at that time.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
The blackhole of a blog
The only reason why I am writing this is out of frustration when 1 in 5 of my post to my blogs doesn't get published and the contents irrecoverable.
I don't what is the fault behind this,
be it server communication problems
(most of my posts disappear while waiting for them to be uploaded and I also get a lot of error messages from the blogspot server now and again while typing my posts),
formatting problems
(posts have been sucked into the blackhole whether or not i used the blog icon on my google toolbar or the form from my blog homepage),
etc but I want to see how many people have experienced the same problem as me (albeit even if not on my level of frequency)
I don't what is the fault behind this,
be it server communication problems
(most of my posts disappear while waiting for them to be uploaded and I also get a lot of error messages from the blogspot server now and again while typing my posts),
formatting problems
(posts have been sucked into the blackhole whether or not i used the blog icon on my google toolbar or the form from my blog homepage),
etc but I want to see how many people have experienced the same problem as me (albeit even if not on my level of frequency)
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Causeway Scrabble Challenge has been announced
At last,
which got me wondering...
Which 30 players would you like to see play in the Premier division in the Causeway Scrabble Challenge? (remember to pick only 5 players each from Australia, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand)
Just post your answer in my comment blog
which got me wondering...
Which 30 players would you like to see play in the Premier division in the Causeway Scrabble Challenge? (remember to pick only 5 players each from Australia, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand)
Just post your answer in my comment blog
Sunday, July 09, 2006
The World Cup party in Bukit Bintang is just getting started
Went down to scout around one hour earlier while shopping for some things. Now safely snuggled back into the office finishing some overdue paperwork before I join the crowd.
Anyway, most of the setup was done in the afternoon (mobile toilettes, etc) but i will attempt to describe what it looks like.
The setup is pretty sparse. Several rigs have been raised along Bukit Bintang, only every other one carries a multiple-LCD displays. At least the France and Italy booth were correctly placed where they should be --- just outside the building where I am working. So quick chat with the promoters and I walk off with plenty of goodies.
At one end of Bukit Bintang, we have our good old Giant LCD screen, which Maxis outfitted with a billboard size football backdrop that fits the football displayed on the screen from time to time.
Pretty smart of Hotlink and Maxis to grab Bukit Bintang so soon.
I am probably hearing Flipsyde 'some local hip-hop act channelling the wrong pitch over the buzz of my office equipment and computer. I heard that they will be bringing in the 'Crazy Frog' later on.
Anyway, nothing is even happening at KLCC. Go BB!!! We rule at every party.
Anyway, most of the setup was done in the afternoon (mobile toilettes, etc) but i will attempt to describe what it looks like.
The setup is pretty sparse. Several rigs have been raised along Bukit Bintang, only every other one carries a multiple-LCD displays. At least the France and Italy booth were correctly placed where they should be --- just outside the building where I am working. So quick chat with the promoters and I walk off with plenty of goodies.
At one end of Bukit Bintang, we have our good old Giant LCD screen, which Maxis outfitted with a billboard size football backdrop that fits the football displayed on the screen from time to time.
Pretty smart of Hotlink and Maxis to grab Bukit Bintang so soon.
I am probably hearing Flipsyde 'some local hip-hop act channelling the wrong pitch over the buzz of my office equipment and computer. I heard that they will be bringing in the 'Crazy Frog' later on.
Anyway, nothing is even happening at KLCC. Go BB!!! We rule at every party.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
King Cup epilogue
Back home and been through the polyclinic for the usual post-travel check-up.
Day 1: 5-0, + 298 (4th place)
Slight improvement over last year. The only major difference was that I avoid Nigel Richards this year (actually delayed it until Round 6, so kena sic!) while I met him in Round 5 last years hence the 4-1, +100, 14th place finishing on Day 1.
Beat: Prakash, Odette, Chatchawin, Akegapun, Marut
Day 2: 3-5, - 160 (22nd place)
one extra game, one extra win. I delayed the matchup with Nigel and Atiruth so ouch! And the follow up just had to be a table filled with my cab mates: Andy, Aaron and Alpha. Being the non-A male on that table, I lost to Andy and Aaron to drop even further. Then I hit the speed demon, called Alastair Richards. Lucky for me, his last rack was FJLSX and I stuck him with the FX to overcome a 42 points deficit. The horrible thing was that he left me with two minutes to figure out the endgame. Then I lost to Daniel Srichawala after he hit me with FUrMENTY which I had never seen before (apparently it also has an angram....BAH!). So sit down for rematch with Marut, nuff said, he lost again (why doesn't this happen to me more often). Another game with Thien T and I settled the day with a so-so record.
Last year was also iffy: 2-5, - 121, 38th place
Day 3: 5-2, + 134 (10th place)
Whee, I love charging up the standings. Wish everyday was like Day 1 and Day 3.
so started out with stupid losses to Apirat and Sompong. Then John Lam gave away his game to me. Then I picked up wins over Michael Tang, Apirat (rematch!), Marlon Prudencio (a bingo-bango-bongo looks nice) before finishing off Nawapadol S (thanks to a 122 point ZEROING thru his WALKER).
I also did well last year going 5-3, + 20 (26th place) They key now being my positioning.
Day 4: 1-6, - 296 (40th place)
Why me! Why me! This is so freaking unfair. Even last year wasn't so bad when I maintained. I don't need anymore meltdown like this in my life. Not after Penang Open.
So down I go to Jakkrit, Tony, Marlon, Karen Richards, Chatchawin, Arun Methaseth before I salvaged a game from Ishtiaq Chishty.
I just wish that I could replicate last year's Day 4 where I went 4-3, + 28, 24 position. (Even that would have given me 6th hypothetically)
AAARGH!
Well, there's causeway anyway later this year and King Cup next year.
Day 1: 5-0, + 298 (4th place)
Slight improvement over last year. The only major difference was that I avoid Nigel Richards this year (actually delayed it until Round 6, so kena sic!) while I met him in Round 5 last years hence the 4-1, +100, 14th place finishing on Day 1.
Beat: Prakash, Odette, Chatchawin, Akegapun, Marut
Day 2: 3-5, - 160 (22nd place)
one extra game, one extra win. I delayed the matchup with Nigel and Atiruth so ouch! And the follow up just had to be a table filled with my cab mates: Andy, Aaron and Alpha. Being the non-A male on that table, I lost to Andy and Aaron to drop even further. Then I hit the speed demon, called Alastair Richards. Lucky for me, his last rack was FJLSX and I stuck him with the FX to overcome a 42 points deficit. The horrible thing was that he left me with two minutes to figure out the endgame. Then I lost to Daniel Srichawala after he hit me with FUrMENTY which I had never seen before (apparently it also has an angram....BAH!). So sit down for rematch with Marut, nuff said, he lost again (why doesn't this happen to me more often). Another game with Thien T and I settled the day with a so-so record.
Last year was also iffy: 2-5, - 121, 38th place
Day 3: 5-2, + 134 (10th place)
Whee, I love charging up the standings. Wish everyday was like Day 1 and Day 3.
so started out with stupid losses to Apirat and Sompong. Then John Lam gave away his game to me. Then I picked up wins over Michael Tang, Apirat (rematch!), Marlon Prudencio (a bingo-bango-bongo looks nice) before finishing off Nawapadol S (thanks to a 122 point ZEROING thru his WALKER).
I also did well last year going 5-3, + 20 (26th place) They key now being my positioning.
Day 4: 1-6, - 296 (40th place)
Why me! Why me! This is so freaking unfair. Even last year wasn't so bad when I maintained. I don't need anymore meltdown like this in my life. Not after Penang Open.
So down I go to Jakkrit, Tony, Marlon, Karen Richards, Chatchawin, Arun Methaseth before I salvaged a game from Ishtiaq Chishty.
I just wish that I could replicate last year's Day 4 where I went 4-3, + 28, 24 position. (Even that would have given me 6th hypothetically)
AAARGH!
Well, there's causeway anyway later this year and King Cup next year.
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