Tuesday
January 18 '05
i wanted to get myself a nice cup of slurpee. so i took a long walk to the friendly neighbourhood 7-11 decked in my adidas streetball sleeveless tee and nike shorts. BIG mistake. it was a very windy and cold night. so by the time i got to 7-11 i was pretty much frozen up throughout. hold the brain freeze i thought. so i got myself my favourite Bundaberg ginger beer. perfect.
it's like the seven stars are all aligned together tonight. im feeling on top of things. i've got myself a nice cup of drink. parent's are not home. im on my favourite comfy chair on the computer. there isn't much people talking to me online. ocean's 12 beautiful soundtrack is set on repeat mode on my winamp. i've just played bball in the morning.
seems like the perfect time for a really long post. on something that i've been wanting to write about.
the passion of my life. something that has not left me for more than 3 months. this little round thing that never fails to captivate my heart and soul. leave me wanting for more. brought me so much tears and joy. laughter and pain. memories of the glorious past.
been playing basketball since the age of 10. so counting this year... it's been 8 years playing the sport. that's almost half my life spent chasing this hoop dream of mine. many times i've wondered if all this is worth it. the logical side of mine echoes what my father tells me. that it's impossible for any asian to play in the NBA. let alone any singaporean. well Mr Yao Ming has already proven him wrong on that point. so perhaps i can prove the second one wrong? laughs.
so anyway. i wanted to blog abt how i've progressed as a player. and what are the major games i've played... that's why it's a very long post.. and rather arduos task. but one of the stars just decided to go orbitting around saturn i.e. dad returned home and is nagging at me. so i'll leave it hanging here and continue some other day.
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picking this up on 20th january 2005 @ 23:12
ask any other sportsmen who truly loves their respective sport, their mind can never truly rule out what the heart desires. who would want to risk breaking their neck or dislocating their ankle while engaging in sporting activities that would make those courtside spectators cringe at the near misses. is it for the adrenalin rush? that shot of drug that would make one go on a instant high? that ego boost when you explode over a player's head for a impossible dunk? the bragging rights to being the most accurate 3-point shooter.
i asked myself. is that it?
i don't think so. the stuffs that i most want to blog about are memories of the games i played. games i won and of course games that i end up on the losing side. it's about the experience. the learning process. no one is a born winner. even the greatest player MJ himself has lost games. let alone me.
i guess it's easier for me to say all these when i can look back in retrospect, with a mature and educated mind. if it was in primary school. my memories would probably consist of the prideful boasts and neglecting the losing part. nobody wants to lose. but we all lose somehow. in someway. in sometimes.
nyps - the fundamental years
people always say that the fundamentals are the most important aspect of basketball. of course, one can always point out that in the NBA, athleticism and agility are one of the most sought after attributes in a player. fundamentals it seems, are strictly part of the ancient period of the NBA. well we can't say that fundamentals just dont appeal anymore. take a good hard look at the difference between today's game and the good old days of NBA. it's an exception, but it's true, the old is definitely more beautiful. NBA reeks of commercialism and boast a pretty screwed up management. then again, we cannot really blame them for being in a transitional period where stars that's supposed to carry the league end up in brawls or just fade into the background. for that im glad The Big Fundamental Tim Duncan and The Big Ticket Kevin Garnett are still putting up stellar performances.
it was in primary school where i learnt my fundamentals. and im glad that i have a coach who is excellent at teaching basic ball handling and shooting skills. most trainings were spent interacting with the ball and learning how to control it like it's part of our body. the ball is supposed to be your wife. it must never leave you. so that's probably why with my freakish tall height i was a point guard. that position usually someone with a lower centre of gravity so as to be lightning fast and quick off the dribble. but thankfully i trained hard to achieve a decent ball control and assumed the quarterback position of the team.
then again i didnt remember myself being much of a leader. being really young and brash, i was pretty much a dennis rodman temper wise. i would be what ppl call a solo player. someone who takes the ball to the hoop himself and who would shoot the ball instead of passing. it's something i couldnt help. im just that passionate for the sport and i'd do anything to put what i've learn into action. perhaps passing the rock wasn't really my forte, and i'll never be a jason kidd or steve nash. i'm just the one who likes to score. then again, that was in primary school...
to be continued
Sunday
January 16 '05
no there's no terrorist threat!!! nor the plane im on crashing into oblivion. it's my favourite rock band wu yue tian!
they were invited to this alive concert 2005 organised by the holland-btpanjang grc. it was held at this open field near my house and lucky me got to take some really nice photos of them! my virgin experience at a live mayday performance. and it's free! lucky me. :P
Tuesday
January 11 '05
i seem to have forgotten what my sec1 squash coach told me. no chilli before a game or training. i can't really be bothered with him. i wasted one year of my life with that
work is mundane. period. my only recreation comes from tuesday's training at chong ghee and of course sunday's church. hanging out with the usual gang will be stalled for the time being as xingru goes to chiong sua.
very very evil schemes are in the minds of me and kelvin. beware the evil empire. lol
i have a sudden acquired taste for fish burgers.
i don't think im cut out for working life. im a natural born slacker.
in addition to my tuesday and sunday recreation. various activities has been integrated into my workdays during worktime. these includes the who-can-slack-the-longest-without-getting-caught game, throwing paper balls into a basket 4 level high. verbal banter with bird (he always lose). winningeleven 7 at bird's house has also became an afterwork activity.
i realised that my mind is unusually inactive owing to the menial stuff i do. maybe i'll turn into something like matilda. imagine all that brain power gone to waste. now you know why i play with paper balls during work.
basketball training beckons. the passion for that sport hasnt waned abit.
Sunday
January 9 '05
sporting excellence?
Thursday
January 6 '05
today at about 5:49am i had an epiphany. the only true friends i have. are all alcoholics.
nah. actually. the revelation i received was that. i don't have much friends. okay this is not a whiny lamenting post on how pathetic my social life is. it's just this sudden realization that many ppl could pick you out from a crowd in town(for me this is very frrequent). yet never pick up a witty remark or snide reference to some jerk-ass politician. granted i do make wild and totally offhand references to anything and everything. there are some who do get it. see like ur lost now right? den go read someone else's blog and not mine. cos i could write a million words to convey something i want to say. but ur only gonna take it at surface value. so what's the point?
i really appreciate ppl who go beyond the amount of zeros i have in my bank account. those who go beyond the initial awe of a spetecular real estate, instead admiring a neatly and uniquely decorated bedroom. beyond smart conversations and verbal banter. those that saw my heart. who i truly am. or at least a very big part of what i am.
my big brother kelvin is no doubt a connoisseur of good drinks and epicure who can whip up a good simple meal. a master debator and a cunning linguist(kidding). i saw him as someone who GOT IT. the one who explained many fundamental concepts of Christianity. the one that encouraged me to keep thirsting for more of God's word and to know Him more. but above all that, he saw beyond the thick glasses of a nerdy looking giraffe with really bad dress sense and coupled with outdated hair. till now i still thought kelvin is one who never discriminates because of race, religion, height, weight, looks and clothes(no matter how much we people watch and his fugly comments)
kelvin till now is perhaps one i can say understand myself as much as myself.
then of course we have the B4s(bx,ben,bird and the bastard) endless drinking/eating session and late night mahjongs were organised by these group that i refer to as my best friends. it was their light sleeping from the vodka shots that inspired this moment of epiphany. truly these must be a group of really special individuals in my life that has gone through and enormous amount of shit in my life. needless to say, we have always enjoyed a good laugh whenever we meet and will continue to do so despite ben being posted to the red berets.
7 vodka shots later. a can of red bull. and a cheap coffee cream bun. this is my stools. my verbal diarhoea. got it? i dont think so.
so why don't we just drop the pretense? if bye is needed to be said. please say it now.
why say you would always remember me. but take me for granted when im there for you.
why say that you are a true friend indeed. when you don't even respect my inviduality.
why say that we would definitely meet up. share those big dreams. take me on cloud nine. and then drop me from a thousand feet by backstabbing me. if you'd actually like a girl i like. please tell me damnit! am i one to forgo a friendship for a crush?
why tell a lie to make me feel better at that moment. but never mean to help run the distance?
why say that you'd love me forever?
when forever is not yours to promise,
when what we have on earth is merely a mist in this eternal life,
when i mean that i'd love you for as long as i live.
im nothing without Christ. im slowly to grasp that concept.
i could have everything in the world but without Christ im still empty handed
it took very long to register the reality of that. but im glad i did.
so now. im leaving the past behind. moving on. sorry i can't be that north star. but God is telling me to move on. perhaps i was really a fool to have waited for you this year.
i don't need to be attached. i am more than happy with God and the friends He has blessed me with.
don't get why?
try.
if not.
bye.