One of the patients at the DC has passed away.
Apparently, it was a stroke, after a game of mahjong, last Thursday. Or maybe last Wednesday? Sounds like cluedo, eh.
It's awful that we only think of people more carefully after they're gone, but nothing else makes us pause and ponder the way death does. I wonder what his last moments were like, and I hope he had been having a good time. When I worked with him last Wednesday, he went through the exercises fairly ok, although he complained of pains - then again, he always did.
Today, the patient next to his spot joked that he'd migrated to Canada. He finally agreed to do some exercise, though, and I couldn't decide if he'd finally woken up to the need, or if he was actually sort of doing it out of remembrance for the chap who'd passed on. Another regular exerciser insisted he was too tired though, and slept through the session.
The other group mostly seemed ok, though. Almost all agreed to exercise today, except naughty Teddy Bear. We did have fun with the writing of air-letters though, and D started saying words beginning with each letter, whereupon TJA started singing, and Teddy Bear started singing, although he alternated between nursery rhymes and lewd hokkien songs.
I hope they live long and (fairly) healthy. I'm glad I've met them, and I'm glad I work with them.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
back to school
I'm absolutely pooped. Weekends are never about rest, they're always about doing all the things you didn't have time to do during the week.
So, Saturday was about fixing the floor in my bedroom, going for tuition, and heading back to alma mater for a look before they eventually tear down the building.
I figure I ought to note my thoughts down somewhere, before I forget. So.
I went with Jo, and predictably, we spent most of the time in the gym. It felt soooooooo darn good to walk on the mats again, and even to step on the beam. After a while, we jumped on the trampoline, and I was pretty upset because all I could do was the swivel hips - that was about it. I felt a great deal of fear, mainly because I could feel my spine and associated muscles protesting. But the endorphin rush was superb. And as I lay on the tram after jumping around, I looked up at the ceiling, and the familiarity of the position was incredibly comforting. Jo could still do somersaults and back flips - I could only wish I hadn't gone and murdered my knee and back.
After a bit, we headed over to the secondary block and watched the sun set at the rooftop garden. I never did this here while in school - we did watch the sun set a bit from the gym, though, given we were sometimes there till past six. However, it reminded me of the times when I was a kid in Jalan Chengam, climbing onto the garden wall for a better view of the setting sun, saying goodbye to the day, and being amazed by the colours in the sky.
We popped by the chapel, which had totally changed. That was where I'd run to before my exams - starting with PSLE - praying hard for God to let me remember all I'd learnt, so that by some miracle and grace, I would pass. And God has always been so kind to me. I used to come here too, to ponder over the complexities of life (from the viewpoint of a semi-melancholic teen). I don't remember much else now, apart from an ardent wish that I'd never existed in the first place.
As I went through the school, I was mentally retrieving all the varied memories I had at various places - my Pri 1 classroom, where I remember being very pleased on the first day of school. My P2 classroom - where I cried in the balcony coz my mother had been caning me like some insane woman. My P3 classroom - don't recall much, apart from day 1 when the teacher told us she was gonna be real fierce. P4 - don't recall much either. (see, no gym in P3 and P4 - school was equivalent to a passing dream) P5 - Mr. Chng and his paper aeroplanes. P6 - tough year because friends were getting weirder and we had a pseudo family in school, and I think I began remembering gym more than anything else.
Sec 1-4 - I think I lived in the gym. Even when I was physically in the classroom.
I guess ten years in a place... I think I will be quite sad to see it gone. Canteen - high ceilings - 6.45am - coffee - unfinished homework. Hall - thousands of girls singing hymns at mass - made me cry inside. Field - mornings - girls fainting at the back. Pianos everywhere. Wind chimes everywhere. Mirrors in every other corner. The pope versus Botticelli. Cattails in the science garden. Running races on the track. Jumping off steps and spraining ankles.
and the hours and hours and hours spent in the gym.
So, Saturday was about fixing the floor in my bedroom, going for tuition, and heading back to alma mater for a look before they eventually tear down the building.
I figure I ought to note my thoughts down somewhere, before I forget. So.
I went with Jo, and predictably, we spent most of the time in the gym. It felt soooooooo darn good to walk on the mats again, and even to step on the beam. After a while, we jumped on the trampoline, and I was pretty upset because all I could do was the swivel hips - that was about it. I felt a great deal of fear, mainly because I could feel my spine and associated muscles protesting. But the endorphin rush was superb. And as I lay on the tram after jumping around, I looked up at the ceiling, and the familiarity of the position was incredibly comforting. Jo could still do somersaults and back flips - I could only wish I hadn't gone and murdered my knee and back.
After a bit, we headed over to the secondary block and watched the sun set at the rooftop garden. I never did this here while in school - we did watch the sun set a bit from the gym, though, given we were sometimes there till past six. However, it reminded me of the times when I was a kid in Jalan Chengam, climbing onto the garden wall for a better view of the setting sun, saying goodbye to the day, and being amazed by the colours in the sky.
We popped by the chapel, which had totally changed. That was where I'd run to before my exams - starting with PSLE - praying hard for God to let me remember all I'd learnt, so that by some miracle and grace, I would pass. And God has always been so kind to me. I used to come here too, to ponder over the complexities of life (from the viewpoint of a semi-melancholic teen). I don't remember much else now, apart from an ardent wish that I'd never existed in the first place.
As I went through the school, I was mentally retrieving all the varied memories I had at various places - my Pri 1 classroom, where I remember being very pleased on the first day of school. My P2 classroom - where I cried in the balcony coz my mother had been caning me like some insane woman. My P3 classroom - don't recall much, apart from day 1 when the teacher told us she was gonna be real fierce. P4 - don't recall much either. (see, no gym in P3 and P4 - school was equivalent to a passing dream) P5 - Mr. Chng and his paper aeroplanes. P6 - tough year because friends were getting weirder and we had a pseudo family in school, and I think I began remembering gym more than anything else.
Sec 1-4 - I think I lived in the gym. Even when I was physically in the classroom.
I guess ten years in a place... I think I will be quite sad to see it gone. Canteen - high ceilings - 6.45am - coffee - unfinished homework. Hall - thousands of girls singing hymns at mass - made me cry inside. Field - mornings - girls fainting at the back. Pianos everywhere. Wind chimes everywhere. Mirrors in every other corner. The pope versus Botticelli. Cattails in the science garden. Running races on the track. Jumping off steps and spraining ankles.
and the hours and hours and hours spent in the gym.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Seacils
This was something I read off http://www.themediaslut.com
It's what Charles Rowe had to say regarding the seacils project.
There are gaps in my knowledge of exactly what happened, but I find it's simply disappointing to read a response like that (in red).
Lots of thoughts here... will prob try and post when I have more time.
Charles Rowe said, on June 24th, 2008 at 10:05 pm
As the creator the Seacil, and spending a considerable amount of time on the restoration of the marine environment using the environmental approved material of concrete (material that meets the IMO OSPAR ‘99 guidelines), I am proud to announce that the Singapore Polytechnic project at Labrador Park successfully rescued over 800 pieces of coral, grafting them onto the Seacils creating an underwater garden. This was a major success story particularly the setting up of two Seacils on a muddy seabed and the grafting of coral onto these Seacils. All and all, approximately 30 tons of artificial reefs were created of the 44 Seacils that were positioned in the deeper waters off of Labrador Park. There were some Seacil debris left that could be witnessed only on exceptionally low tides. But considering the successfully creation of the subsea garden, documented by underwater photographs, and the rescue of coral that would have been destroyed by the construction operations by the cofferdam, the Singapore Polytechnic should have received praised and not be slandered by a selected and uninformed few that had other priorities than the wellfare of the environment
It's what Charles Rowe had to say regarding the seacils project.
There are gaps in my knowledge of exactly what happened, but I find it's simply disappointing to read a response like that (in red).
Lots of thoughts here... will prob try and post when I have more time.
Charles Rowe said, on June 24th, 2008 at 10:05 pm
As the creator the Seacil, and spending a considerable amount of time on the restoration of the marine environment using the environmental approved material of concrete (material that meets the IMO OSPAR ‘99 guidelines), I am proud to announce that the Singapore Polytechnic project at Labrador Park successfully rescued over 800 pieces of coral, grafting them onto the Seacils creating an underwater garden. This was a major success story particularly the setting up of two Seacils on a muddy seabed and the grafting of coral onto these Seacils. All and all, approximately 30 tons of artificial reefs were created of the 44 Seacils that were positioned in the deeper waters off of Labrador Park. There were some Seacil debris left that could be witnessed only on exceptionally low tides. But considering the successfully creation of the subsea garden, documented by underwater photographs, and the rescue of coral that would have been destroyed by the construction operations by the cofferdam, the Singapore Polytechnic should have received praised and not be slandered by a selected and uninformed few that had other priorities than the wellfare of the environment
Monday, June 9, 2008
Saab City Duathlon 8 June 2008
In photo: Jeremy with his Pugsley, me, Kai and KelvinThe morning after the day before: my hip joints really hurt! My quads aren't feeling friendly, my hamstrings are grouchy and oddly, my hip flexors are loudest in protesting every movement.
I guess for lesser beings like me, a 'short' little duathlon is real physical trauma.
The whole thing wasn't too bad, actually. It felt good running the first 10k, which, for me, is something new. Thankfully, the morning was cool, and having people and buildings to look at was a nice change. I didn't strain too hard, and I felt ready for the ride.
Once on my bike, I literally felt JOY. The pleasure was real, rather intense, and unexpected. I was absolutely gleeful. I sped ahead, enjoying the speed - and then the first cramps hit me, in both calves. I prayed real hard for the pain to go away, and thank God, it did, within the next few km. Towards the end of the ride, my quads started cramping, but similarly, the pain dissipated after a bit.
The next 5km run was real pain though. Both quads were acting up in the beginning, and I could barely run. However, when I stopped and tried to walk, the cramps were worse, so I thought, heck it, and jogged on. And again, the cramps eventually, gradually, disappeared. Even the stitches in my tums went away. I couldn't go any faster though, so I just patiently plodded my way to the end. At the last stretch of about 1km, my legs felt like there was nothing much left in them, so I decided to do a walk-ten-steps thing every couple of hundred metres, which helped. Even managed to speed up for the last hundred m.
Personal breakthroughs from the training and the race:
I can run 10km in a training session - never would have thought I'd do this even two years ago. I used to train at 7km for a 10km event, and pat myself on the back. I really do not like running. Yuck.
I can run 15km in a day! Even if it wasn't done at one shot...
I can ride and jog through cramps - never knew this one.
Doing a duathlon without actually training for it is painful. Well, I could have guessed this. Lazy me.
And...
While completing the last 5k, I kept thinking, I'm amazed I can run, amazed I can ride. Amazed and grateful and thankful to God for giving me these gifts, and the ability to enjoy these things I do, and the freedom I have to do them. And amazed that my sore, still-recovering-from-sprain neck survived the whole thing. And of course, thankful I have a Kai to sign me up for these things, train with me, and enjoy the pleasure of doing them with me. Hugs for Kai!
Other things:
Jeremy's Pugsley, with its fat tyres, was a real jaw dropper. He even had photo requests after the race, heh.
Thanks to Frankie for the van! At 5.30am in the morning, and the poor man had diarrhoea.
Last point: the weather was beautiful - overcast, cloudy and cool. Excellent, perfect, awesome. =) happy, happy me.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
The FAITH Run
My prep for the City Duathlon has been awful.
Major sugar low put a stop to my first attempt to complete a once-through training, then a sprained neck put an end to my second attempt - at all training!
I can't believe it!
It's been a baaaaaad week. First, I catch a cold, then I lose my purse with all my credit cards, then I get a stooopid sprained neck. Not even from exercising - I got while trying to lie back down in bed. Was I being punished for desiring a few moments more of sleep? Hmmm.
Right now, the cold hasn't completely gone, and the neck still hurts. I haven't gotten back complete range of motion. So... ...
this Sunday's event is gonna be what I call my Faith Run. I guess I'll just do it. Slowly. Aiming for completion, even if I'm the last slow poke crawling in. Which is hard to be because I hate the feeling of holding everyone up - "where's that stupid last person ah? How come so long already still haven't come in yet? Wah, 30 minutes after the second last one leh! Quit already or not? Got DNF or not??" eeek.
So... as long as my neck stops hurting, I'll go. And pray very hard I have enough of whatever I need - desire, cheerful positivity blah blah - to bring me plodding through to the finish line.
Major sugar low put a stop to my first attempt to complete a once-through training, then a sprained neck put an end to my second attempt - at all training!
I can't believe it!
It's been a baaaaaad week. First, I catch a cold, then I lose my purse with all my credit cards, then I get a stooopid sprained neck. Not even from exercising - I got while trying to lie back down in bed. Was I being punished for desiring a few moments more of sleep? Hmmm.
Right now, the cold hasn't completely gone, and the neck still hurts. I haven't gotten back complete range of motion. So... ...
this Sunday's event is gonna be what I call my Faith Run. I guess I'll just do it. Slowly. Aiming for completion, even if I'm the last slow poke crawling in. Which is hard to be because I hate the feeling of holding everyone up - "where's that stupid last person ah? How come so long already still haven't come in yet? Wah, 30 minutes after the second last one leh! Quit already or not? Got DNF or not??" eeek.
So... as long as my neck stops hurting, I'll go. And pray very hard I have enough of whatever I need - desire, cheerful positivity blah blah - to bring me plodding through to the finish line.
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