It's been a really busy week...mainly writing my report...and some other impt stuff...
I have also finally completed my Lifesaving 1,2,3 test...next would be Bronze Medallion course...wonder if I shld proceed with that or not..I'm getting really really busy now...sighz...
Anyway, I have been really busy rushing my report 'cos I'm gg for a backpacking trip to Vietnam and Cambodia with my housemates...tomorrow!!!
We r so unprepared...we just started packing tonite...lawyer Lim still at work at this moment!!! Oh well...
Guess it's time for me to sleep now...gotta go sch tom morning to settle some stuff...b4 I fly off in the afternoon...
Yippee...Vietnam, Cambodia...here I come!!!
Friday, June 30, 2006
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Wat's up?
Haven't posted for 8 days!!!
Anyway, I have just been busy as usual...
Nothing interesting to tell...
Just posting to fulfill IWA requirements...wahaha...
I did meet up with some of my pharmacy classmates last week...haven't met some of them since the last pre-reg training...even though these were my closer friends during our undergrad years...
We r the slackers in class...since we r more actively involved in extra-curricular activities...hehe...working life is sure different...everyone is just so busy...but I'm sure glad everyone was reponsive and made time to meet up again...
Oh ya...I also attended a fren's wedding...a fellow ASEAN scholar in JC and subsequently classmate in uni!!! Somehow we were never close though...
Luckily my housemate, Feei, our ASEAN-happenings-updater...hehe...kept us in the loop abt gatherings etc...
It was sure great to meet up with old hostelmates from JC...one appeared superbly "high" that day...wahaha...super entertaining...
Also had lame lunch on Sun..supposed to be with Vorlacks, Weiyi and Faith...but Faith had to "fly-kite" us...must get her to esprain y...hehe...
Vorlacks is flying off to China for a business trip again...so happening!!!
Oyster also gg China ard that time...IWA is so happening!!!
Anyway, that's abt all of the more interesting things that happened recently...
I'll be gg off to Vietnam for a backpacking trip with my housemates in 9 days time...
Next week I have a guest in the lab to learn some computer stuff...so I better get back to writing my PhD conversion report now :P
Anyway, I have just been busy as usual...
Nothing interesting to tell...
Just posting to fulfill IWA requirements...wahaha...
I did meet up with some of my pharmacy classmates last week...haven't met some of them since the last pre-reg training...even though these were my closer friends during our undergrad years...
We r the slackers in class...since we r more actively involved in extra-curricular activities...hehe...working life is sure different...everyone is just so busy...but I'm sure glad everyone was reponsive and made time to meet up again...
Oh ya...I also attended a fren's wedding...a fellow ASEAN scholar in JC and subsequently classmate in uni!!! Somehow we were never close though...
Luckily my housemate, Feei, our ASEAN-happenings-updater...hehe...kept us in the loop abt gatherings etc...
It was sure great to meet up with old hostelmates from JC...one appeared superbly "high" that day...wahaha...super entertaining...
Also had lame lunch on Sun..supposed to be with Vorlacks, Weiyi and Faith...but Faith had to "fly-kite" us...must get her to esprain y...hehe...
Vorlacks is flying off to China for a business trip again...so happening!!!
Oyster also gg China ard that time...IWA is so happening!!!
Anyway, that's abt all of the more interesting things that happened recently...
I'll be gg off to Vietnam for a backpacking trip with my housemates in 9 days time...
Next week I have a guest in the lab to learn some computer stuff...so I better get back to writing my PhD conversion report now :P
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Vulgaris
Stedmans.com Word of the Day for Monday, June 12, 2006
vulgaris
Ordinary; of the usual type
Interesting...
Did a search on the Concise Oxford Dictionary...and this is wat I found
vulgar
adj.
1 lacking sophistication or good taste.
> making explicit reference to sex or bodily functions.
2 dated characteristic of or belonging to ordinary people.
– DERIVATIVES vulgarity n. (pl. vulgarities). vulgarly adv.
– ORIGIN ME: from L. vulgaris, from vulgus ‘common people’.
So it's just a common word...pun intended :P
vulgaris
Ordinary; of the usual type
Interesting...
Did a search on the Concise Oxford Dictionary...and this is wat I found
vulgar
adj.
1 lacking sophistication or good taste.
> making explicit reference to sex or bodily functions.
2 dated characteristic of or belonging to ordinary people.
– DERIVATIVES vulgarity n. (pl. vulgarities). vulgarly adv.
– ORIGIN ME: from L. vulgaris, from vulgus ‘common people’.
So it's just a common word...pun intended :P
Sunday, June 11, 2006
The true value of volunteers
Interesting article from The Straits Times, June 5 2006
By Willie Cheng
'FREE Labour Wanted; Conditions Apply'. Occasionally, when working in the voluntary sector, the sign above pops up in my mind. Like the time I attended a volunteer briefing for an overseas mission several months ago: A volunteer manager started off by asking: 'Who would you say are our customers?'
His point was that the volunteers were not his customers, the beneficiaries were. Hence, his main job was to worry about those faraway beneficiaries of the mission ahead. Volunteers should just fall in line.
Apparently, he was peeved at feedback some volunteers had offered his board of directors to the effect that his organisation needed CRM (customer relationship management) - a term from the commercial world for how companies should value and treat people who contribute to the organisation's revenues.
The tone of the meeting was so bad ('Sorry, don't expect too much information or help from us for you in this strange land - after all, you had volunteered to go knowing the risks and uncertainties') that, at one point, a volunteer raised his hand to ask meekly to be treated as a 'secondary customer'. I was tempted but decided not to launch into a lesson on volunteer management at that very briefing.
In all fairness, the volunteer manager felt overwhelmed and could not answer all the questions thrown at him by this batch of spoilt-by-the-good-life Singaporean volunteers who were anxious about the unknown terrain ahead.
So what do you do with high-maintenance volunteers?
When this question was posed some years ago at an annual conference of the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC), Mr Robert Chew, one of the panellists, responded spontaneously: 'Why, just fire them, of course!' It was a typical response that Robert, a good friend and former partner of mine at Accenture, gave. After all, in the corporate world, when the cost of maintaining an employee outweighs the value he delivers, there is no business case for his continued employment. These two stories illustrate a common perception within and without the non-profit sector: that volunteers are nothing more than free labour. Non-profits simply use volunteers because they cannot afford to have paid labour do the same thing. Such a view underestimates the true value of volunteerism.
Two years ago the NVPC conducted a study to quantify the value of volunteerism in Singapore. We thought it was important to do so in a country driven largely by economic imperatives. The result was a bit disappointing. Volunteers in Singapore contributed the equivalent of S$746 million per annum of 'unpaid labour' at fair market value, which is less than 0.5 per cent of our national GDP. In contrast, the US' volunteer contribution equivalent was 2 per cent of its GDP and Australia's was 7 per cent.
However, the study also looked at costs, as opposed to economic value, that volunteers contributed in 24 volunteer host organisations (VHOs). Now, even though a VHO does not pay a volunteer any wages, there is a cost to recruiting and managing them. We measured the VIVA (value investment & value audit) ratio which is the dollar value of the voluntary work compared to the cost of investing in the volunteers. A ratio of 1:1 means the organisation breaks even.
The majority of VHOs had VIVA ratios that showed returns ranging from 6 per cent to over 480 per cent more than their cost of recruiting and managing volunteers. But two outliers, in particular, sparked strong debate within the study team. These VHOs had negative returns: That is, the cost of recruiting and managing volunteers exceeded the equivalent labour costs they contributed.
So, had the VHO known their true cost, would paid labour not have been better? Yes, from a purely economic standpoint, but not if you consider the broader aspects of what volunteerism means to non-profits and the community. Our debate led us to conclude that it was good to devote a section in the report to the non-economic value of volunteerism as well.
When you cut to the chase, it all boils down to engagement - engagement of the individual volunteer with the VHO and the community, and engagement of the VHO with the community.
Volunteers are rewarded beyond any monetary return for their services - otherwise they would not have volunteered. Often, they broaden their horizons and receive immense personal satisfaction from giving back to society.
For the VHOs, volunteers give them access to talent they can't afford or which is not otherwise available. However, beyond that, an engaged volunteer represents an extension of the VHO's personality itself into the very community it aspires to serve.
Several charities today are involved in the building of houses for tsunami victims. Many do so by sending funds raised while a few such as Habitat for Humanity, Mercy Relief and Singapore International Foundation engage volunteers from Singapore and other countries to go onsite to help build these new homes.
Volunteers who usually pay for their own cost of travel and accommodation are also asked to contribute to the costs of construction material, typically about S$1,000 per volunteer per week, depending on the location. It's a common contention by critics that the same money would go a lot further if it was spent on local labour, for not only could more houses be built, but the displaced could also be employed.
But ask any volunteer who has been on such a mission and you will be convinced about the value of such trips to build houses. The impact on volunteer attitude is never adequately captured in slide shows and fanciful brochures. Many volunteers I know leave a lot more than their work or money at the site: In a sense, they empty themselves of the earthly things that weigh us all down and they come back with a renewed sense of mission so they get involved in future projects more readily.
Moreover, the money a volunteer spends may not have been forthcoming in the first place without prior volunteering experience. But having gone before and been deeply engaged, they now give more of their time and money. This is borne out by the NVPC's recent philanthropic survey which found that volunteers tend to donate 63 per cent more than the average individual donor.
Volunteerism also develops the community spirit and encourages people from diverse backgrounds to bond with one another. Picture flag days without volunteers. Imagine the National Day Parade if the contingents and helpers were all paid. Think about a Standard Chartered Marathon if the 'runspirators' (people who cheer you along the way) were paid to do it.
In 2000, I went to my first Olympics in Sydney. To my surprise, I was met at the airport and driven to my lodging by a volunteer. I learnt that she was one of some 47,000 volunteers, mostly Australians, who had raised their hands for the simple joy of being part of a historic moment in her country's hosting of the Games.
She and the other volunteers we came into contact with during the trip were genuine and excellent ambassadors for Australia and the Olympic movement.
Such is the power of volunteerism for any community. Properly harnessed, volunteers are not solely free labour but the very soul of a free society.
The writer is chairman of the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre. This article appears in the May/June issue of SALT, an NVPC publication. The opinions expressed here are the author's alone
By Willie Cheng
'FREE Labour Wanted; Conditions Apply'. Occasionally, when working in the voluntary sector, the sign above pops up in my mind. Like the time I attended a volunteer briefing for an overseas mission several months ago: A volunteer manager started off by asking: 'Who would you say are our customers?'
His point was that the volunteers were not his customers, the beneficiaries were. Hence, his main job was to worry about those faraway beneficiaries of the mission ahead. Volunteers should just fall in line.
Apparently, he was peeved at feedback some volunteers had offered his board of directors to the effect that his organisation needed CRM (customer relationship management) - a term from the commercial world for how companies should value and treat people who contribute to the organisation's revenues.
The tone of the meeting was so bad ('Sorry, don't expect too much information or help from us for you in this strange land - after all, you had volunteered to go knowing the risks and uncertainties') that, at one point, a volunteer raised his hand to ask meekly to be treated as a 'secondary customer'. I was tempted but decided not to launch into a lesson on volunteer management at that very briefing.
In all fairness, the volunteer manager felt overwhelmed and could not answer all the questions thrown at him by this batch of spoilt-by-the-good-life Singaporean volunteers who were anxious about the unknown terrain ahead.
So what do you do with high-maintenance volunteers?
When this question was posed some years ago at an annual conference of the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC), Mr Robert Chew, one of the panellists, responded spontaneously: 'Why, just fire them, of course!' It was a typical response that Robert, a good friend and former partner of mine at Accenture, gave. After all, in the corporate world, when the cost of maintaining an employee outweighs the value he delivers, there is no business case for his continued employment. These two stories illustrate a common perception within and without the non-profit sector: that volunteers are nothing more than free labour. Non-profits simply use volunteers because they cannot afford to have paid labour do the same thing. Such a view underestimates the true value of volunteerism.
Two years ago the NVPC conducted a study to quantify the value of volunteerism in Singapore. We thought it was important to do so in a country driven largely by economic imperatives. The result was a bit disappointing. Volunteers in Singapore contributed the equivalent of S$746 million per annum of 'unpaid labour' at fair market value, which is less than 0.5 per cent of our national GDP. In contrast, the US' volunteer contribution equivalent was 2 per cent of its GDP and Australia's was 7 per cent.
However, the study also looked at costs, as opposed to economic value, that volunteers contributed in 24 volunteer host organisations (VHOs). Now, even though a VHO does not pay a volunteer any wages, there is a cost to recruiting and managing them. We measured the VIVA (value investment & value audit) ratio which is the dollar value of the voluntary work compared to the cost of investing in the volunteers. A ratio of 1:1 means the organisation breaks even.
The majority of VHOs had VIVA ratios that showed returns ranging from 6 per cent to over 480 per cent more than their cost of recruiting and managing volunteers. But two outliers, in particular, sparked strong debate within the study team. These VHOs had negative returns: That is, the cost of recruiting and managing volunteers exceeded the equivalent labour costs they contributed.
So, had the VHO known their true cost, would paid labour not have been better? Yes, from a purely economic standpoint, but not if you consider the broader aspects of what volunteerism means to non-profits and the community. Our debate led us to conclude that it was good to devote a section in the report to the non-economic value of volunteerism as well.
When you cut to the chase, it all boils down to engagement - engagement of the individual volunteer with the VHO and the community, and engagement of the VHO with the community.
Volunteers are rewarded beyond any monetary return for their services - otherwise they would not have volunteered. Often, they broaden their horizons and receive immense personal satisfaction from giving back to society.
For the VHOs, volunteers give them access to talent they can't afford or which is not otherwise available. However, beyond that, an engaged volunteer represents an extension of the VHO's personality itself into the very community it aspires to serve.
Several charities today are involved in the building of houses for tsunami victims. Many do so by sending funds raised while a few such as Habitat for Humanity, Mercy Relief and Singapore International Foundation engage volunteers from Singapore and other countries to go onsite to help build these new homes.
Volunteers who usually pay for their own cost of travel and accommodation are also asked to contribute to the costs of construction material, typically about S$1,000 per volunteer per week, depending on the location. It's a common contention by critics that the same money would go a lot further if it was spent on local labour, for not only could more houses be built, but the displaced could also be employed.
But ask any volunteer who has been on such a mission and you will be convinced about the value of such trips to build houses. The impact on volunteer attitude is never adequately captured in slide shows and fanciful brochures. Many volunteers I know leave a lot more than their work or money at the site: In a sense, they empty themselves of the earthly things that weigh us all down and they come back with a renewed sense of mission so they get involved in future projects more readily.
Moreover, the money a volunteer spends may not have been forthcoming in the first place without prior volunteering experience. But having gone before and been deeply engaged, they now give more of their time and money. This is borne out by the NVPC's recent philanthropic survey which found that volunteers tend to donate 63 per cent more than the average individual donor.
Volunteerism also develops the community spirit and encourages people from diverse backgrounds to bond with one another. Picture flag days without volunteers. Imagine the National Day Parade if the contingents and helpers were all paid. Think about a Standard Chartered Marathon if the 'runspirators' (people who cheer you along the way) were paid to do it.
In 2000, I went to my first Olympics in Sydney. To my surprise, I was met at the airport and driven to my lodging by a volunteer. I learnt that she was one of some 47,000 volunteers, mostly Australians, who had raised their hands for the simple joy of being part of a historic moment in her country's hosting of the Games.
She and the other volunteers we came into contact with during the trip were genuine and excellent ambassadors for Australia and the Olympic movement.
Such is the power of volunteerism for any community. Properly harnessed, volunteers are not solely free labour but the very soul of a free society.
The writer is chairman of the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre. This article appears in the May/June issue of SALT, an NVPC publication. The opinions expressed here are the author's alone
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Charity Swim Thank You Dinner
We had a thank you dinner after the charity swim...today...
Food was great!! Yummy!!
Hmm...but tom eating another 8 course meal again...feeling like a pig now :P
Anyway, some photos taken today...
My table... most of us din know each other b4 the dinner...but it turned out we have a lot of winners at this table!!!
From left...Tristan (the only guy that swam 15km!! and also raised the most fund..$19,000!!!), Sarah (1st above 40 yo female swimmer...she doesn't look like she's anywhere near 40 huh?), Hui Ping (3rd female swimmer), Reese, Logan, Shawn, Lily (think she's the first 5km female swimmer..but that's not a competitive event), me and Boon Long (2nd above 40 yo male swimmer...he's a sr consultant in SNEC!!!)
There was also Efren who was first for the male under 40 category at our table...
Hui Ping and I...we both still have our no. tattooed on our arms....she's M28, I'm M29 :D
Receiving the trophy from Trevor...founder of the Student Advisory Center!!
Goodies I've gotten from the charity swim ;)
Unfortunately we found out that this is the last charity swim...so glad I participated in it this year...
Not too sure wat's gg to happen next year...but according to Trevor...it's something interesting :D
Food was great!! Yummy!!
Hmm...but tom eating another 8 course meal again...feeling like a pig now :P
Anyway, some photos taken today...
My table... most of us din know each other b4 the dinner...but it turned out we have a lot of winners at this table!!!
From left...Tristan (the only guy that swam 15km!! and also raised the most fund..$19,000!!!), Sarah (1st above 40 yo female swimmer...she doesn't look like she's anywhere near 40 huh?), Hui Ping (3rd female swimmer), Reese, Logan, Shawn, Lily (think she's the first 5km female swimmer..but that's not a competitive event), me and Boon Long (2nd above 40 yo male swimmer...he's a sr consultant in SNEC!!!)
There was also Efren who was first for the male under 40 category at our table...
Hui Ping and I...we both still have our no. tattooed on our arms....she's M28, I'm M29 :D
Receiving the trophy from Trevor...founder of the Student Advisory Center!!
Goodies I've gotten from the charity swim ;)
Unfortunately we found out that this is the last charity swim...so glad I participated in it this year...
Not too sure wat's gg to happen next year...but according to Trevor...it's something interesting :D
Marathon Charity Swim Certificate
Hehe...check out the cert I got for the charity swim...cool huh?
The photo was really nicely taken :D
Monday, June 05, 2006
In the news...
Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 04 June 2006 1824 hrs
Long distance charity swim raises funds for youth outreach programmes
By Wong Siew Ying, Channel NewsAsia
Some 50 swimmers battled the waves off East Coast beach on Sunday morning - all in the name of charity.
They had signed up for the Marathon Charity Swim 2006 to raise funds for the Student Advisory Centre, which runs programmes to help runaway youths.
Among the participants was Parliamentary Secretary for Community Development Youth and Sports, Teo Ser Luck, who later flagged-off the event.
Now into its fourth year, the charity swim featured the longest distance sea swim in Singapore with participants attempting a 15-kilometre effort.
Others opted for the less daunting 5 and 10 kilometre swims.
Some $50,000 were raised through the event.
The money will go towards subsidising youth outreach and development programmes. - CNA/ch
Posted: 04 June 2006 1824 hrs
Long distance charity swim raises funds for youth outreach programmes
By Wong Siew Ying, Channel NewsAsia
Some 50 swimmers battled the waves off East Coast beach on Sunday morning - all in the name of charity.
They had signed up for the Marathon Charity Swim 2006 to raise funds for the Student Advisory Centre, which runs programmes to help runaway youths.
Among the participants was Parliamentary Secretary for Community Development Youth and Sports, Teo Ser Luck, who later flagged-off the event.
Now into its fourth year, the charity swim featured the longest distance sea swim in Singapore with participants attempting a 15-kilometre effort.
Others opted for the less daunting 5 and 10 kilometre swims.
Some $50,000 were raised through the event.
The money will go towards subsidising youth outreach and development programmes. - CNA/ch
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Marathon Charity Swim
This charity swim was GREAT!!!
Woke up at abt 7 plus...had bfast, cleared the bowels...then packed up and took a cab to ECP...was lazy :P
Could have taken 31 there...but still need to cross the road blah blah blah...I'm just too lazy for that :D
Anyway, I got to Pasta Fresca...the registration pt...pretty early...so hanged ard and ate a banana...as I waited for more and more ppl arrived...
Din know most of them (except Gary whom I've met at one of the trainings b4) but have seen many b4 in various other biathlon/triathlon/marathon events...it's always the same faces...hehe...
Made some new frens there...like Angie, Sarah, Shawn, Lily and Grace...I believe all from Trifam :D
Finally at almost 10am...I saw a familiar face...Jerry Wan...hehe...also from Trifam...who introduced me to Smallcircle...and we wondered who's Jellyfish...
Still no idea who's Jellyfish after the race :P
After that we took a group photo...
Can u find me?
Then we proceeded towards the place where the kayaks are...we were assigned to our personal kayakers there :D
My kayaker was Yeehan...a 3-star kayaker!!! Good good :D
A photo of me and Yeehan taken after the swim...
Then we swam out the sea where we waited for the GOH...Mr Teo Ser Luck..again...hehe to start us off...
He was swimming too...so he jumped off the boat after he started us off...
Mr Teo...so wat if u started later than us...u dun have to swim out and tread water b4 the start leh :P
Anyway, the first 2km was ok...even though it was against the current...still had quite a no. of ppl ard me so I know where I'm headed...and I was still fresh...
Took a break at the 2km mark...had some ORS and hammergel...
The next 2km was full of zig-zagging...partly 'cos most ppl have dispersed and I'm a bit tired liao...and we were still swimming against the current!!!
At times I wondered if I was moving as I look at the apartment blocks at Marine Parade...I can't seem to swim past them!!!
At the 4km mark...my kayaker suggested he kayak in front of me to keep me on course...that was a great help indeed...
I'm sure I'm still zig-zagging a bit at times...but much less...
My feet started to get a bit cold after the 4km mark (same thing happened after abt 3-4km swim during last year's NUS mass swim)...so I started kicking a bit more...
Got to the 5km U-turn mark after abt 2hrs...I overtook Angie as she took a break...then she overtook me again at the 6km mark where I took my break (break at every 2km :D)...
From there we took turns to overtake each other...
Finally when we reached the 9km mark...I started swimming a bit faster...I'm almost finishing!!!
After abt 3 hrs 20 mins...I finished my race!!! yippee!!
...greeted by Merey, Eng Wan and Reef...at the finishing pt...thanx for coming and bringing some energy gel along :D
I also found out I was the first 10km female competitor!!! double yippee!!!
Me, Yeehan, Merey and little Reef
Overall, I think the event was pretty well organized...esp considering it's handled mainly by a small group of ppl from SAC...
Swimming condition was great too...current was not too strong and it was only the first half of the race...the second half, we were gg along the current...
Also there were no jellyfish (except the one from Trifam :D)...and very very few sea bugs...got stung by more sea bugs during the recent S'pore Biathlon even though it was only a 1.5km swim :P
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have contributed generously to allow me to swim in this charity swim....
Also gotta thank Merey, Eng Wan and little Reef for coming down to support me :D
..and my kayaker, Yeehan...for guiding me, watching out for fishing lines and debris in the sea, and letting me hang on to the kayak and getting my gel and drinks for me during my breaks...thanx, dude :D
..and last but not least...SAC...for such a well organized charity event!!!
Oh ya..shall thank my twin for dinner at Kovan too...haha...took another twin photo :D
Woke up at abt 7 plus...had bfast, cleared the bowels...then packed up and took a cab to ECP...was lazy :P
Could have taken 31 there...but still need to cross the road blah blah blah...I'm just too lazy for that :D
Anyway, I got to Pasta Fresca...the registration pt...pretty early...so hanged ard and ate a banana...as I waited for more and more ppl arrived...
Din know most of them (except Gary whom I've met at one of the trainings b4) but have seen many b4 in various other biathlon/triathlon/marathon events...it's always the same faces...hehe...
Made some new frens there...like Angie, Sarah, Shawn, Lily and Grace...I believe all from Trifam :D
Finally at almost 10am...I saw a familiar face...Jerry Wan...hehe...also from Trifam...who introduced me to Smallcircle...and we wondered who's Jellyfish...
Still no idea who's Jellyfish after the race :P
After that we took a group photo...
Can u find me?
Then we proceeded towards the place where the kayaks are...we were assigned to our personal kayakers there :D
My kayaker was Yeehan...a 3-star kayaker!!! Good good :D
A photo of me and Yeehan taken after the swim...
Then we swam out the sea where we waited for the GOH...Mr Teo Ser Luck..again...hehe to start us off...
He was swimming too...so he jumped off the boat after he started us off...
Mr Teo...so wat if u started later than us...u dun have to swim out and tread water b4 the start leh :P
Anyway, the first 2km was ok...even though it was against the current...still had quite a no. of ppl ard me so I know where I'm headed...and I was still fresh...
Took a break at the 2km mark...had some ORS and hammergel...
The next 2km was full of zig-zagging...partly 'cos most ppl have dispersed and I'm a bit tired liao...and we were still swimming against the current!!!
At times I wondered if I was moving as I look at the apartment blocks at Marine Parade...I can't seem to swim past them!!!
At the 4km mark...my kayaker suggested he kayak in front of me to keep me on course...that was a great help indeed...
I'm sure I'm still zig-zagging a bit at times...but much less...
My feet started to get a bit cold after the 4km mark (same thing happened after abt 3-4km swim during last year's NUS mass swim)...so I started kicking a bit more...
Got to the 5km U-turn mark after abt 2hrs...I overtook Angie as she took a break...then she overtook me again at the 6km mark where I took my break (break at every 2km :D)...
From there we took turns to overtake each other...
Finally when we reached the 9km mark...I started swimming a bit faster...I'm almost finishing!!!
After abt 3 hrs 20 mins...I finished my race!!! yippee!!
...greeted by Merey, Eng Wan and Reef...at the finishing pt...thanx for coming and bringing some energy gel along :D
I also found out I was the first 10km female competitor!!! double yippee!!!
Me, Yeehan, Merey and little Reef
Overall, I think the event was pretty well organized...esp considering it's handled mainly by a small group of ppl from SAC...
Swimming condition was great too...current was not too strong and it was only the first half of the race...the second half, we were gg along the current...
Also there were no jellyfish (except the one from Trifam :D)...and very very few sea bugs...got stung by more sea bugs during the recent S'pore Biathlon even though it was only a 1.5km swim :P
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have contributed generously to allow me to swim in this charity swim....
Also gotta thank Merey, Eng Wan and little Reef for coming down to support me :D
..and my kayaker, Yeehan...for guiding me, watching out for fishing lines and debris in the sea, and letting me hang on to the kayak and getting my gel and drinks for me during my breaks...thanx, dude :D
..and last but not least...SAC...for such a well organized charity event!!!
Oh ya..shall thank my twin for dinner at Kovan too...haha...took another twin photo :D
Criminal M29
I'm branded criminal M29...wonder how long this one will last...
There are more tan lines...
If u see the photo of me taken with Yihan, my kayaker...there's an obvious tan line on the forehead...and a less obvious one ard the eyes :P
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Minutes of IWA (formerly WA) meetings
Somehow I was arrowed to post last nite's IWA first meeting minutes here...
A browse through our MSN history....I noticed this is the 3rd meeting we had...previous 2 was WA...so last nite's one is still IWA's first meeting...wahaha...
First WA meeting on 7 Apr 2006
Agenda: taboo words
Content: confidential*
Second WA meeting on 18 May 2006
Agenda: proposal to change to IWA, and, some secret
Content: confidential*
First IWA meeting on 31 May 2006
Agenda: overseas posting
Content: confidential*
Next meeting: 1 Jun 2006
Agenda: how to use BCC
*Content of each meeting is for the eyes of IWA (formerly WA) members only...
So IWA members are to check ur own MSN history :P
Wahahaha...I'm damn boliao!!!
A browse through our MSN history....I noticed this is the 3rd meeting we had...previous 2 was WA...so last nite's one is still IWA's first meeting...wahaha...
First WA meeting on 7 Apr 2006
Agenda: taboo words
Content: confidential*
Second WA meeting on 18 May 2006
Agenda: proposal to change to IWA, and, some secret
Content: confidential*
First IWA meeting on 31 May 2006
Agenda: overseas posting
Content: confidential*
Next meeting: 1 Jun 2006
Agenda: how to use BCC
*Content of each meeting is for the eyes of IWA (formerly WA) members only...
So IWA members are to check ur own MSN history :P
Wahahaha...I'm damn boliao!!!
Obnubilation
Stedmans.com Word of the Day for Thursday, June 1, 2006
obnubilation
A clouded mental state
Hmm...I would have a clouded mental state if someone were to say that word to me...
But then again...this word reminds me of a word from Friends..."nubbin"...related to Chandler Bing...hehe...
Friends freak out there...rem wat it means?
obnubilation
A clouded mental state
Hmm...I would have a clouded mental state if someone were to say that word to me...
But then again...this word reminds me of a word from Friends..."nubbin"...related to Chandler Bing...hehe...
Friends freak out there...rem wat it means?
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