pirapong's Xanga

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:56:30 GMT

This team is not a team anymore. I say this with a lot of sadness and disappointment. There is no combined willed, no more co-operation, no more love for the sport. Its more like a club, where people come and go, where opinions are contrary to the captains. sigh.. this has been bothering me as the season progresses.

It's not easy to run a team. Unlike individual sports like track and field, canoeing or tennis, we have so much more stakeholders to answer to. Just to conduct one training, you have to answer to a whole lot of issues- coach, sports officer, juniors, seniors, coxwain, numbers, timing, school timetable and worse, the weather. Without one of each, its almost impossible to have a session.

You have to balance out all the options and the interests involved, which many people do not see. Now i understand how the ex-captains felt. I wished I was more proactive when i was junior. Sadly as we progress, many have their opinions. No longer are we one in mind. Yea sure, we all want to win the PM cup but along the way how do we do this?

First it was the new kayaking programme, now it's the fragmentation of the seniors...

As for the current team situation...I always believed that democracy ends when the captain is elected. If you have an opinion or interest or agenda or feel so strongly over certain issues, you should have already stepped up to run the team. But once you have chosen the people, there shouldn't be dissenting voices. trust and commitment is important. At the end of the day if u don't believe in your captain and work with him, then we will never win anything. I know I have said before the importance of diversity and accepting it. I still do. I said it in the context of human nature and character. While we must learn to accept each other differences/habits/characters, they must also learn how to conform to certain team standards in order for the team to function effectively.

As for me, I have chosen those path and i will gladly stick to it for the rest of the season. my commitment is sealed as I look forward to help bring back the cup for the team. I love the team, i love the sport better.

I have no where to note this down, so i guess its just here

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:51:06 GMT

Lee Kuan Yew once said in 1956.

“Repression, Sir is a habit that grows. I am told it is like making love-it is always easier the second time! The first time there may be pangs of conscience, a sense of guilt. But once embarked on this course with constant repetition you get more and more brazen in the attack. All you have to do is to dissolve organizations and societies and banish and detain the key political workers in these societies. Then miraculously everything is tranquil on the surface. Then an intimidated press and the government-controlled radio together can regularly sing your praises, and slowly and steadily the people are made to forget the evil things that have already been done, or if these things are referred to again they’re conveniently distorted and distorted with impunity, because there will be no opposition to contradict.”

I have no where to note this down, so i guess its just here

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:45:46 GMT

Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:23:34 GMT

argh! sometimes time is moving so quickly and so many things to do that i wished i can just ignore everyone and everything else and do what is in front of me. there is so much business to attend to do that i have left out so many personal stuff.

my apologies to friends and love ones for all that i m missing and neglected! i really do miss connecting with all my friends.

blank

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 09:08:23 GMT

This week.. or rather the academic semester has come to an end rather badly. Well, my grades for various assignment sucked and the impeding exams means that I must work doubly hard. it sucks even more considering that I am doing 1 less module than my other classmates. Sigh. I feel rather jaded about SPLAT! but still happy to contribute whatever I can. And somewhere somehow a part of life is going change and I might just lose a love one. The only thing that probably went well this week was that I clocked a decent timing for my run despite my fitness.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 02:05:39 GMT

I was discussing with some people what type of captain I would be if I were one and I would probably be very rational and pragmatic. I would create a boat line-up simply to win. My focus would be on the product. I don't care if the person comes for training 3/5 times or can't run 400m under 1.20, if he can row well, I am taking him. Hahaa but thats hypothetical.

In any case, the truth is out and my speculation is wrong. Indeed, I was not chosen because the captain deemed me to be not that strong. Sigh. Guess only strong enough for the mens open but not IVP.

So right now, I am just gonna focus on 2 things: strength and stroke. Forget about the attendance. Forget about the runs. So what if I always hit the above average timing for running? People who hardly run are also in the boat line-up. Sure, I know the importance of cardio for racing but other than keeping up my stamina and cardio, I gonna hit the weights.

I was wrong also, on closer examination, there is one junior on the right side and the rest seniors. Weird why the junior was there. I could have been. weird decision but alas.

Now's the time to kick some ass and row the shit out of the men's open.

stuff... and stuff

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:20:28 GMT

I realised I only blog nowadays when its stuff concerning dragonboat. Well, considering how much time I have sacrificed for it, I supposed its would also spur me enough to get down my lazy ass to start updating this dusty blog.

In anycase, the IVP line up for MR500 (next week at bedok reservoir) was announced and I am seriously, seriously shocked at my omission. Its been one year already. I was not surprised last year when I was not in for obvious reasons but this time its different. I have improved, stronger, better stroke but alas, not inside the IVP (even as some juniors did made it). sigh. I am waiting to ask the captain about the decision this weekend, since it has been bugging me since Thurs.

Excuses, reasons keep running thru my mind as I justify their decision and also my own objection. I am definitely not the slowest runner in the boat, or the weakest- that I can safely say. My stroke cannot be the worse also. So I have no idea why I was not included. The ONLY reason I can think of and possibly accept is the weight issue. Not many people know this but when you select a line up for the boat, you have balance 10 men on each side. So I thought: the reason why I could not be in the line up is possibly due to weight management. My inclusion would have made the right side lighter.

I dunno, but thats my speculation. I just have to wait for the real answer.

Why is this so important and bothering me? Obviously... I spent 1 1/2 years of my time training up for this. How long more must I wait to get into the IVP team? 2 years? 3 years or perhaps even til my honours year then I am good enough? If I am unfit, tell me. Where I go wrong, I need to know so I cant correct it now and change!

Neither am I am questioning the captain's decision. He has his reasons I am sure. I just need to know why.

In any case, this has been a relaxing and enjoyable semester for school work as I take on only 4 modules and all of which I like. So far, so good. I am really aiming for the best CAP ever. Must not be complacent like last semseter. On a better note, I scored for my mid term which is the best mid terms ever! (I have a tendency of screwing up mid-terms) I am looking get a decent score for today's 2nd mid term as well.

On a personal note, I am beginning to love academia more and more. I can so totally imagine myself as a professor! geek alert! But who cares, brains are sexy.

2009

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:50:41 GMT

Ok shoot me. The last time I updated this was last year and look at the banner above! Its still National Day 2008!

Anyway briefly, my last semester results sucked so much that my CAP drop. Sigh, thats for being complacent. It was my cap puller sem but turn out the opposite way. Well my strategy this sem would be taking 1 less modules then the usual student, hopefully i can concentrate with lesser modules, plus I've got the PM cup this sem, so i suppose it won't hurt to devote a little more time to training. As I always and still believe, this being our second year is also our important year as its essentially our very own race.

Speaking of dragonboating, training has been tough. I guess I did improve from year 1 generally. I am a slow bloomer and I generally take a slower path in improving... i think. After today's gym, it hit me quite drastically that my juniors are catching up or have already surpass me in lifting weights. i feel shitty of coz. whats wrong? No one can accuse me of not working hard. I can honestly say I work hard when I have to and did my bit. Obviously, why would anyone join the team if they dun want to work hard? So I wonder.. what's wrong? Maybe I just take a longer time? But oh well, 4 days straight of gym work is taking its toil. Lets see if my rowing improves... since thats all that really matters.

Oh other matters, I have taken an increased role in my social work endeavors. No longer just designing for SPLAT! I have signaled my commitments to the project. Anyway SPLAT! is a project initaited by a group of volunteers to help promote public education and remove social stigma around ex youth offenders and help youth-at-risk get back on track in society. For more info please visit www.splattt.org

Thats for now. I am sian of writing again. hah

quick update

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:03:58 GMT

i've been really lazy updating this blog. well anyway, well i am in the mood, let me quickly jot down stuff I can remember.

1- went for a talk on pulic policy and entreprenuership by MP Inderjit Singh. was not bad and an eye-opener. it was at held at Bt Timah campus which is gorgeous as it is situated in the old Raffles College and all that colonial architecture! I love historical buildings! its like our own mini version of Yale, or Harvard or Oxford. NUS at kent ridge is so boring because its made up of like faded 80s style building. Maybe in a hundred years time, it will look historical (if it still stands, at the rate SG demolishes its buildings -_-)

2- last friday i went to the KR forum where they got Vivian Balakrishnan to speak. it was like reunion as it was the 2nd time i am hearing him speak! the last time was in an NE forum in poly where i made a blunder of myself during Q&A and rambled like an idiot. I did it again -_- only this time, at least i spoke properly and had a proper question, though not very insightful or press-worthy sorts. i like vivian, he's like one of us. local medicine graduate. student union president and all, and now.. a worthy minister.

3- i am really trying very hard to save money. I hope i have enough moolah for a dec trip to Australia! Yes, gonna leave almost after my exams and be gone for the month to look for my beat. =)

4- the middle button in my ipod was depressed down and it was stuck. its still functional but i have press even deeper and harder. argh. i sent it to repair, of coz it has no warranty and apparently apple don't do partial repair. they either replace it (if under warranty) or u pay for a replacement. obviously my 2 year old ipod is not under warranty and so i had to pay. but its an old model so they will replace it with a refurbished set. i paid $108 under the batter replacement scheme. well come to think of it, it was quite worth it considering a new ipod nano would cost more and i still get lesser than the 30gb i currently have. plus my old ipod's screen is super scratched. the new one looks almost brand new! and weeee!

5- then i sent in my macbook which horrendously split at the edges! apple workmanship is getting worse. well at least its warrantied, so i am gonna spam the warranty while it last!

pirapong's Xanga

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

I have no where to note this down, so i guess its just here

I have no where to note this down, so i guess its just here

Tuesday, September 08, 2009

blank

Sunday, March 22, 2009

stuff... and stuff

More than a sporting problem.

2009

quick update