Spiderman & Clumsy Gecko In S'pore

We checked out Climb Asia (bouldering place in a 2-storey old shophouse @ Rangoon Road) on Monday and signed up as lifetime members (S$20 each + S$6 for use of the facility). CLIMB ASIA... the nondescript shophouse with 2 of its resident "climbers": It was a coincidence to meet my ex-colleague there who gave us some pointers on bouldering skills.

At first, I thought bouldering will be easy judging from the big pieces of handholds and footholds. But when I tried to climb the walls (some overhanging ones, straight-up walls), i realised that the handholds aren't that easy to hold... very technical stuff and I learnt quite abit from my ex-colleague and also from the falls. Here's me attempting to boulder, from the easy straights to the overhangs: D bouldered really well, and attempted to do the extremely low overhang on our 2nd visit... albeit lots of brute strength and aching muscles thereafter:

D & I will be going there again after this. I think we are really crazy over this sport... in fact, we are so crazy that we have bought climbing mags & books, a chalk bag (with a chalk ball) and I intend to buy a better pair of shoes, one which is smaller and more flexible than the Bufo Weapon I bought couple of weeks back.

I am so interested in getting the handholds and training boards (saw some on the Internet) and we talked about fixing these next time when we are back home. The apartment in HK is rented, so we can't do anything to it. Sigh.

The other day before the Toshi "died", I saw these handholds/footholds which are letters of the alphabet and numbers. Told D that if we have a kid and we fixed those alphabet & numbers handholds/footholds on our wall, I could use them to test my kid... Picture this:

Scenario 1:

Mum: "Ok, spell 'Perseverance'"

Son/Daughter will have to climb up the wall and spell the letters by touching each of them.

Scenario 2:

Mum: "What is 3 x 5 + 20 to the power of 10?"

Son/Daughter will have to work up the answer and climb the wall to touch the numbers.

D thinks I am mad...

Computer/Notebook Withdrawal Syndrome

Day 2: Our Toshi has indeed "died" on us...

D tried to salvage it by booting it up from the XP Pro Installation disks but it seems like the Toshi can't even read its hard disk. Serious problem... Sigh. D suspects the problem lies in the hard disk and its motherboard connectivity.

Now, we are in an Internet Cafe @ City Hall, $1.50 for 30 minutes is pretty cheap. Had wanted to e-file our dreaded taxes, but realise that I forgotten to take D's IR8A form. I reckon we will have to do that on another day.

Our lives and technology are so closely knitted together, such that without the computer, it seemed like a huge part of us is missing. This is not very healthy actually, but I suppose technology and the Internet are necessary evils. We can't live without it, but we are in a way controlled by it.

There are days when I face the computer/notebook more often than the telly. During working hours, D and I will use msn to chat and this may exceed the number of times we actually talk face-to-face.

The Net is used as a way to find information, make reservations, file taxes and pay bills, search for bus routes etc.

Technology easily creeps into our lives and we are so amazed by it... the gadgets, the ease, the convenience. Each time some new product appears, we will be so enthralled by it. But now, I am not sure if it is such a good thing afterall...

"A Series Of Unfortunate Events"

Drats, our Toshi has failed us again... for the 3rd time. It was working fine for the past week and a half, after I collected it from the shop when it konked out on us the 2nd time. And it was still working yesterday afternoon.

But last night, when D switched it on, the "Blue Screen Of Death" appeared. We couldn't even get it to boot up on Safe Mode... I told D that the problem could be due to the XP Home Edition.

D and I went to Sim Lim to purchase a DVD-Combo drive so that D could rectify the problem in the office. But it seems like the Toshi is still down.

Found out that none of the shops in Sim Lim sells external DVD-RW Combo Drives that can be powered via 2 USB ports, unlike the computer malls in HK.

Darn Toshi

Realised we are both so dependent on the computer/notebook and the Internet.

D can't recharge his Blackberry via USB; I can't update my blog regularly; the photos we had taken the past few days are in the Toshi; we can't check our emails regularly...

Just our "luck" and coincidence to have a defective set... but our confidence in this Toshi has dwindled. Now it is not a matter of how long the darn set can last, but whether it can even work...

Sigh.

Back Home - Pig Out Days

D and I practically pigged out these past two days, on the pretext of taking D's Brit colleague out to taste the wonderful local dishes. Here's a rundown of the stuff we ate: 25th Mar 2005 Fri Dinner @ Lau Pat Sat (No photos... I forgot 'cos I was just too caught up with the food that I missed) 1. Chilli Crab with Mantou (steamed white buns to soak up the gravy) (S$31) 2. Honey Chicken Wings (S$6) 3. Spicy Stingray (S$12) 4. Sambal Kang Kong (S$5) 5. Satay - 10 sticks of chicken, 10 sticks of mutton, 2 ketupat & loads of onions and cucumber (S$20)

6. Two jugs of Tiger beer (S$31) 26th Mar 2005 Sat Dinner @ Newton Food Centre Supper @ Bishan Kopitiam Check out the menu & photo collage below: Dinner: 1. Black Pepper Crabs (S$50) 2. Tiger Prawns (S$30) 3. Oyster Omelette (S$5) 4. Roti John (S$3) 5. Fruit Juices (S$12)

Supper: 1. Kway Chap (around S$18 for 6 persons) - Flat rice noodles with sides of pigs' internal organs (e.g. intestines, kidneys, livers etc), pork belly, tau pok (made of soyabean), hard boiled eggs and salted vegetables 2. Indian Rojak (S$5) These past 2 days & nights, we had drinks (beer and wine) in different places: Next Page @ Muhd Sultan, Brewerkz, Barcelona (winebar - see pic collage below) and Harry's. It's just been 2 nights, and we had partied quite a bit... been fun so far but tired out since we only got home around 3 am each morning. Think I am much too old for this kinda partying. I took this photo of D and his colleague while we were all chilling out at Barcelona, enjoying 2 bottles of Laboure-Roi Morgan 2001, recommended by D's colleague, and waiting for the band to play their next set.

My Favourite and Cheap Breakfast, Lunch, Snack & Supper...

Ya Kun Teh & Kaya Toast:

We had drinks at Ice Cold Beer on Emerald Hill... in fact, D & I realised that we had taken some of our wedding photos outside the pub Both of us were astounded by the huge Hoegarden glass as compared to our 1-pint Boddingtons.

Jetkite

I hate flying, but I am intrigued by planes and its technology. I hate taking-off and the descent, but I enjoy controlling these using the flight simulator games. I hate turbulence and the continuous rumble of the engines, but I enjoy watching aerial acrobats and the crescendo of flying fighter jets that pass overhead. I love to travel, even though I hate to be on the plane, whether it's an hour's flight or 14 hours.

D & I decided to fly by Jetstar Asia as we wanted to try another budget airline and to save money. Instead of the 'tunnel' which leads the passengers from the gate to the plane, we were shuttled to the waiting plane on a airport bus. It was quite an experience, and I thought it was a blast to have a little tour of the airport from a different view... the runway.

The bus zipped pass other planes and we saw our silver bird standing at a distance, all alone, far away from the terminal and other planes. I imagined the plane to be a Gulfstream, my private jet, waiting for me. But then again, it felt weird that the plane is all by itself.... nothing wrong I hoped.

Later in the evening, we chanced upon these psychedaelic radio-control kites flying at a distance. It so happened that our friend, who designed and made our wedding rings, was there and to our surprise, he has decided to stop his jewellery business to pursue his interest... radio-control kite flying.

We had a blast watching these whimsical things zipping by, hovering like a heli, flying through hoops and hitting targets, rising high up into the stars like UFOs. I had seen our friend flew these things a couple of years back, and had thought about owning one of these kites.

The next day, we went to his shop at Riverside Point (www.goflykite.com), spent some time learning to use the radio-control unit while playing the flight simulator and checking out the stuff in the shop. Once again, I am so interested in getting one of these flying things, but where in the world can I fly it in land-scarced HK.... sigh.

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Of Spiderman & Clumsy Gecko - Episode 4

Have you ever had to go for an assessment, knowing full well you don't have to study for it and that you will definitely pass... no matter how big a boo boo you make.

Well, last night was that kind of ASSessment where I made those 3 letters looked good. In a way, I was upset that the course is coming to an end, but I suppose D and I could always climb on our own. I have already thought of doing that once a week, especially since I am quite the slow learner who needs regular practice.

Found out that Ah John/Jun is really Ah Jun, and he was our examiner... surprise!!! We did our usual stretching exercises and warm up by climbing and falling off the easy walls a couple of times.

I had plans to be the first to do the assessment, so that it will be R&R the rest of the time. While up on that same wall that I had problems with the previous lesson (See Episode 3), I had to call out "Tension" twice to rest my aching arms. Anyway, finally I made it to the top, fell off the wall and descended to the ground. Next, I was assessed as the Belayer which I did fine.

Everyone did the same things - climb, fall and belay, except all climbed that darn wall smoothly.

After the assessment, Ah Jun showed us how to use the Gri-Gri Belay device, which is easier and smoother to use than the "manual" Figure 8/ATC. The Gri-Gri also has a safety lever which will lock the rope in place, especially if the climber falls. We had a go at climbing using the Gri-Gri and soon I realised that it is not made for left-handers like me.

When we used Figure 8/ATC, I could use my left hand as the brake hand to belay. But when given the Gri-Gri, I suddenly felt awkward and didn't know what to do. I asked Ah Jun if there is a left-hand Gri-Gri, and "no" was the answer. So I had to re-learn everything.

Darn, why is the world made for right-handers?

Later that night, D tried to search for left-hand Gri-Gris on the Net, but couldn't find any... So all left-handers are "forced" to use the other side?!?

I tried to climb this new section of the wall, but as usual, the mind is willing but the legs, especially the darn right leg, refused to push the body upwards. And being the competitive person I am, I feel miserable knowing that others can do it but I can't. Never mind, I will conquer that stupid wall, and this other stupid wall some day... except the climbing walls in YMCA will be undergoing renovation in another couple of weeks and so, I will never be able to climb those darn walls.

Realised I am always favouring my left... will look for the footholds on my left, grab the hand holds on my left...

Ah Jun asked us to have dinner together after the class and we trotted to this Chinese eatery across the streets for some typical cantonese cuisine... 4 assorted dishes and soup. Good food tho'. I had taken some photos of this interesting feature attached to each table, but somehow the photos weren't saved.

It's basically a toilet roll holder that is attached to the side of the table. So instead of serviettes or napkins, customers will just pull out some toilet paper from the holder. Very interesting...

One thing I must mention is Ah Jun suggested to us that he can plan for another 11-hour session at one of the public climbing walls, so that we can have the SCAHK certification (besides the YMCA one), as he is also an SCAHK instructor. Apparently, the SCAHK basic climbing course is the same as the one we attended, but to climb at the public walls, we need the SCAHK certification. I suppose the climbing certification here in HK needs to be more streamlined, instead of having 2 different ones.

D and I are going back to S'pore tomorrow and we have plans to do some climbing or bouldering later next week.

Ah Kun Roti & Casuarina Cheese Prata

These past 2 days, I have been most inefficient at work. When you find yourself looking at the time at 9am each day, you know you are in for a LONG day. But then again, I am thankful for this "honeymoon" work now, given that I had worked terribly hard last year, and 3/4 of that year was done without D by my side. Gee, how did I manage to survive that? Miss my almost daily dose of Ya Kun Roti and the opportunity to have cheese prata at Casuarina Road (Upper Thomson). The coffee in HK just doesn't taste as nice as those I drink back home, although the milk tea in HK is really good. Another 2 more days before D and I make our way back home to S'pore for the Easter break... ah, I am suffering from my Ya Kun Roti withdrawal... sigh.

Hong Kong Bouldering Competition 2005

D and I went to watch some expert bouldering after lunch. This competition is a collaboration between the HK & China Sports Climbing Associations and was held at a shopping mall (Plaza Hollywood @ Diamond Hill). The competition actually started on Saturday with different categories, from the youths to the adults, male and female. We caught the Open Category late afternoon and were impressed with the participants' skills. I told D that I will train hard and will take part in a competition like this by 35. D looked at me speechless, and rolled his eyes. The walls were being prepared by assistants, who had to fix the hand holds onto specific parts of the wall. Some of the walls only had like 5 or 6 holds ,and I wondered how the climbers would get from one end to the other. The starting and finishing points were denoted by blue tape, while yellow tape was used to highlight one or two hand holds, which were compulsory for the climbers to use when bouldering. Overhanging Wall: Sharing Hand & Foot Holds: The skills I saw were amazing and it's not just brute strength but the techniques that make a difference. I have a long way to go with this sport....

Of Spiderman & Clumsy Gecko - Episode 3

I'm typing this entry with sore and aching triceps, hands that feel stiff and shoulders that are feeling tender... but I quite like this sore and tender feeling. Call me psycho, but this kinda pain is something I relish. It's the obvious sign of having done something beyond what I think I am capable of; the sort of pain that gives me the high that I can't get anywhere else. I had read somewhere that exercise releases some kinda chemicals which can be likened to what nicotine or drugs do. On Wednesday, Ah John/Jun had told us, ominously, that exciting things would come our way on Saturday 19 March. We found out what it was... Falling off the wall. The idea is accidents do occur, grips do slip and strength does fail, so we have to learn how to fall with style and still prevent injuries. Besides those terms such as "Climbing", "Tension" and "Lowdown", we learnt one more today - "Fall". We need to first learn to let go, hands, legs and most importantly, our innate need to exercise control over everything we do. After shouting "Fall", we need to back away from the wall, hands and all, drop a couple of metres and trust that the Belayer will halt the incoming deadweight. On hearing "Fall", the Belayer would also be thrown forward as the Climber falls and need to halt the fall by using the leg(s) to prop oneself up against the wall. Here's the list of stuff D & I did today: 1. Stretching & Warm-ups: Besides the usual isolated warm-ups, Ah John/Jun made us do some bouldering on the tougher wall. 2. Climbing, Belay & Fall - At The Tougher Wall: Before the climb, all smiles: Pre-climb checks by Climber (Me) & Belayer (Alison) - We are trusting one another by the hour 'cos we take turn to climb and belay one another: The Climb: Still Climbing... Finally At The Top: I had a huge problem at the middle portion of the climb (photos not included), as I just couldn't find the strength in my right leg to push myself up. My forearms, fingers and shoulders were burning up at that time and I so felt like giving up but Ah John/Jun didn't allow that. I had to call out "Tension" a couple of times to take a break. On retrospect, I had started the climb much too left and the ideal footholds and grips were more on the right. Also I held on much too long while deciding what would be my next step, and I couldn't find the strength to stretch, push or pull. BUT, I had done a better and smoother job the first time when I climbed that wall. In fact, I didn't have this much problem. The Lowdown After The Fall: The Lowdown is my favourite part of the climb 'cos I like to jump off the wall as I descend, something like abseiling... I imagine myself as one of the SWAT while doing that. D did the climb well, for someone in his mid 30s, I reckon his athleticism is still quite good. Very proud of him. D Near The Top: As The Belayer: Ah John/Jun (on D's left holding the rope) is tall and lean, the right physique for a climber. I suppose it will be tough for a beefed-up bodybuilder to push/pull all that weight up the wall... can't imagine Arnie doing that. Alison and I exchanged mobile numbers, and plan to climb regularly and practice. Afterall, we trust one another when it comes to belaying. I had taken some videos on my 7610 on the climb and fall today, and need to figure out how to convert the nokia video format to either the windows media format or quicktime... Final lesson next Wed and that will also be the assessment, which will be a climb, belay and the difficult Fall on that toughie wall. The one thing I learnt abt the Fall is that it is quite easy when you are falling but most difficult to let go of the handgrips before the Fall. I mean who likes to fall right, especially if you are like about 5 metres off the ground. Lots of thoughts will run in your head: "Will the rope hold?", "Will the Belayer hold the rope in time?", "What if I can't hold my bladder when I fall?"... It's our nature to be in control and want to control the fall by holding the handgrips or the rope, but all these are dangerous as I may hit the wall hard or cut badly. It can be such an irony that keeping control may be the one thing that hurt or even kill us.

New Notebook

D & I had decided to purchase another notebook... this time a smaller one than the Built-To-Order (BTO) one which D bought late last year.

Picture below shows our tech gear: (From Left to Right) 1. Toshiba Protege R150 (Centrino 1.0GHz, 12" Display, slightly less than 1kg) - Our new toy

2. DIY PC Desktop with LCD screen

3. BTO notebook (Golden Retriever wallpaper, desktop-replacement, wireless technology but darn heavy)

The Toshiba Protege R150 is cheaper in HK than back home in S'pore, at least S$500 cheaper. We had originally wanted to get the new Fujitsu 7110, but it was just too expensive.

The Toshi gave us some problems earlier; we had to return the notebook twice to the shop. The first time was on the 2nd day after we bought it and it was due to some hardware problems that couldn't be fixed. So we got a new replacement.

However last sunday, the Toshi konked out on us again when we tried to use its wireless tech in Pacific Coffee at Times Square, and D had to take it to the shop once more. I collected it a few days back and it seemed like there was a virus attack on its BIOS.

We are currently monitoring our Toshi, so far so good... thank God for a 10-day free exchange and a 3-yr local & worldwide warranty. So we are not so upset about its crankiness, probably coincidence that we gotten 2 defective ones.

Of Spiderman And Clumsy Gecko - Episode 2

Sigh, D & I didn't wear our new climbing shoes today as Ah John/Jun said that we would not be climbing much for this lesson. So I was in my other Nikes (better fit) while D was in his Zara suedes.

We started the 2nd lesson with simple stretching exercises, and later some simple climbing. I couldn't seem to get my Figure 8 knot to look like one at first, and D tried to help me but was shushed by Ah John/Jun.

After the simple stuff, we were introduced to some Belay devices namely the carabiners, Figure of 8 and ATC.

During this time, we had to huddle close together as the walls were getting crowded as lots of climbers practised their techniques for the coming competition. Most were guys and just 2-3 girls.

Later, D commented that none of the female climbers was cute-looking (Am I included in that group?!?) and didn't belay any guys.

Found out what those markings and numbers mean on the mountaineering/sports climbing carabiners: "KN 28" means the carabiner can support the force of up to 28 kilo-newtons; "<--> 7" means a horizontal force of up to 7 KN and a symbol that looks like the letter "G" followed by "8" means if the carabiner is not screwed properly, it can only support a force of 8 KN.

Next, Ah John/Jun demostrated the proper Belay technique a couple of times before we tried it. I paired up with the other girl (Name: Alison; used to stay in NZ for 10 yrs before returning to work in HK as a property consultant) and took turns to belay and climb. The same goes for D and the other guy (Name: Jeffrey; the rest unknown).

Well, at first it was quite tough to trust a stranger who is holding the rope that will prevent you from crashing onto the ground. Alison and I took awhile to get used to the Belay technique and also to one another. The last time I belayed her, Alison told me that she felt safe and I guess, that was a compliment.

Can't wait for the 3rd session this coming Saturday. I was glad that D managed to make it for the lesson last evening ... answered prayers.

Before we left, Ah John/Jun had said that exciting things will be coming our way on Saturday... hmmm, I wonder what. Sounds ominous.

D is currently hesitant about me belaying him, as he feels that being the clumsy one in this family, I may not react quick enough if he does slip off the wall. Aren't we suppose to trust each other, for better and for worse? Sigh...

New Sports Climbing Gear

D & I were at Mongkok last night to buy a pair of climbing shoes each. I had done some research on the kind of shoes which will be good for beginners like us, yet cheap enough. There is this shop called in Mongkok called RC Outfitters which seems to be well-stocked with camping and climbing gear. My kind of shop really... not that I do any camping but I am always intrigued by the interesting stuff in these shops.

I chose the cheaper Bufo Weapon (HK$200 - a real bargain) which D paid for.

And D bought the more expensive but so cool-looking Evolv Defy (20% Discount and sold for HK$460).

We have also signed up as members of RC Outfitters (since we spent more than $200) and are entitled to future discounts. Apparently if we accumulate more than HK$1K, we will be the VIP members... possibly even bigger discounts. Maybe we will invest in our own harnesses ;) Later this evening, I will be attending the 2nd lesson at YMCA, and hoping that D will be able to join me. Not quite sure if he can get out of work, but I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Will have to practise my Cantonese later at night after the course when I take the cab back... I hope that the cab driver will understand my pronunciation and take me home to the correct place.

Of Spiderman & Clumsy Gecko - Episode 1

This is the 1st of 4 instalments of the "Spiderman & Clumsy Gecko", a slightly unanimated view into the ups and definitely downs of the Sports Climbing course D & I are attending for the next 2 weeks. No prizes for guessing who the Spiderman and Clumsy Gecko could be...

Here's how things went yesterday evening, 12th March 1845h - 2145h @ YMCA Tsim Sha Tsui.

We were first introduced to the instructor, whose name according to D is "Ah John" but I thought it sounded more like "Ah Jun". Anyway, he is definitely younger than the both of us, nice eyes and quite lean. Besides the both of us, another couple has also joined the class who were incidentally late.

Ah John/Jun (must remember to take photo of him the next time) briefly described to us what we were getting ourselves into. We are basically doing the elementary class, and on the 4th lesson, there will be an assessment. If we survive till then and clear the assessment, we will be able to climb and belay people at the indoor climbing facilities. And if we train/practice for a few months, we will be able to go for the Lead Climbing course.

During the 1st hr, we did bouldering from left to right using a series of different techniques. At first, I was a wee bit too kan cheong (Hokkien for "excited" and if my bro was around, he would have called me "Kan Cheong Spider" 'cos spiders will scurry around quite quickly) and moved too fast before making sure my footholds were stable enough.

Later, Ah John/Jun upped the Bouldering technical level by:

1. Using only 1 foothold per section of the wall (there are 4 parts on that wall) and one foot must kinda jumped off the foothold before the other foot stands on it. So at any one time, only 1 foothold can be used.

This I did very badly, 'cos I kept slipping off the darn footholds even though we were just inches above the ground. So embarassing. By the way, I must add that the course doesn't provide us with proper climbing shoes and I was in my Nikes which are too big.

D, on the other hand, is a natural with this sort of sports and he did well even in his New Balance.

D said that I couldn't coordinate my movements... but I believed it was due to the fact that my Nikes were slipping off the footholds and I couldn't feel the footholds through the thick sole.

2. Using only 1 hand grip per section of the wall so both hands would have to share the chosen hand grip while the legs are given free rein to move.

Again, I kept slipping and was so tempted to kick off my shoes. Even Ah John/Jun said my shoes are too big and suggested that I choose one of those discarded climbing shoes in the box. Well, I had no choice 'cos I hate to look like a fool when the other girl was able to boulder so nicely. Even D said that she is a natural... #%*& and he is right.

So I chose the least smelly climbing shoes (these, according to Ah John/Jun, are discarded by more experienced climbers who use the facility) and thought "Gee, I had better climb better now 'cos if I still slipped, it's not the shoes but the climber."

We went on to learn how to wear the harness and tie knots so that we will not fall off the wall and kill whoever is below. I can't say I am a fast learner, I tend to do better with practice, so knots weren't exactly fun in the beginning.

All of us took turns to climb the wall with Ah John/Jun as the belayer. We each took one section of the wall and it was later when D realised that his section was actually the toughest.

Just before the first climb, we had our first Vocabulary lesson and learnt the 4 important words:

1. "Check" - that the climber's and belayer's equipment are properly secured

2. "Climbing" - climber says this to the belayer just before the actual climb

3. "Tension" - climber shouts this from the top of the wall so that the belayer will secure the rope in preparation for the descent

4. "Low Down" - climber backs into an L-position and "walk" down the wall when belayer is ready for the descent

All of us did fine for the first climb which was still the flat portion of the wall. At least I now learnt to take my time and secured my footholds before taking the next step.

And of course, Ah John/Jun had to up the technical level and told us to climb all the way to the top, which is fine except there is this bit that juts out of the wall near the top.

I was fine until I reached the protruding section. To get over the edge, I had to reach for the handgrip further the top and push myself over the edge. But my darn right leg just couldn't bend and swing over the darn edge. On retrospect, it is most likely I hadn't gotten a stable grip yet and my legs were like so far apart. And although I wore my tough Columbia pants, there was this fear that the possible split in the nether zones could become a reality.

So I slipped but the harness held me up and I gave another try which was a success.

D's section was tougher because unlike ours, he had only 3 footholds on that protruding section whereas we had at least 4. Ah John/Jun shouted to him to reach for the foothold on my section which required D to really stretch for it. But as usual, D did it well and didn't slip. By the way, no one slipped except me, even the other girl didn't. Sigh.

Finally we swopped sections and to make my bruised ego feel better, I went ahead with D's section. I realised I can be so darn competitive and just want to prove to everyone that I can do the darn thing.

While waiting for the rest to complete, I planned my route mentally. When it was my turn, again, I started off fine but once I reached the protruding portion, I realised I can't reach the handgrip over the edge and I only had 3 footholds to manipulate. I couldn't do the same thing as D 'cos my legs are too short and I was spending too long hanging on the hand grips which caused major fatigue. I made the mistake of leaning back into my harness and it was too difficult to pull myself back against the wall.

Ah John/Jun kept shouting for me to stick close to the wall but I just couldn't hold on anymore, so I slipped (AGAIN!!!). I tried again just below the edge and used the smaller footholds on my right to push myself up so as to reach that hand grip. That's the hand grip which I needed to swing my legs over the edge. Once I got them over, I had to just slap the top out of frustration and relief before shouting "Tension" to Ah John/Jun.

That was one difficult section which I am glad I managed to do even though I had to redo the climb at the upper section.

After the lesson, D & I went to feed ourselves at the nearest Starbucks with pies, puffs and lattes. Anyway, my biceps are kinda aching now as I typed this... but I can't wait for the next session, although not so much the stinky climbing shoes I will be wearing till the end of the course. Miss my flexible Adidas that are sitting pretty in S'pore... must remember to bring them back at the end of the month.

Norah Jones Concert 11th Mar Friday

It's the weekend... I was practically "switched off" after school at 3pm. Each of us has a small whiteboard that hung on the fabric wall of our workstation and I had written "11/3 Norah Jones Concert 8 pm" on it. This is something that I am looking forward to; everyday when I looked at the whiteboard, it makes me feel happy. Actually, D and I had booked the tickets a tad bit too late... the most expensive tics were all sold out and we had to settle on the mid-priced ones. We were still much too far away from the stage, but D put it in perspective for me... "We are going there to listen to her music, anyway, she doesn't dance or prance around like Britney Spears... she will be seated mostly at her piano right?!?" D rationaled. So, we booked the tics which I paid for from my first paycheck... it's always good to be back at work. Here are some photos I took of Norah Jones (with my 7610) projected onto the nearest screen. It was a great night... totally enjoyed her singing and music. Norah Jones really sounded great, almost like her recordings (the sound engineers are really good) Her band (incidentally called The Handsome Band which is made up of 2 guitaritsts, 1 bassist and a drummer, all looking not exactly that handsome leh) was amazing too. She didn't exactly steal the show, but gave due respect and stage presence to each of the band members to be creative in their parts. The concert was held at HKCEC (Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre - see photo below of the amazing view outside the hall) and was in one of the many halls in this huge centre). The hall is huge but it isn't like our Durian Esplanade back in S'pore.... more like those exhibition halls in Suntec City. D & I arrived at our seats early and waited for the concert to start. Two things irritated me during the wait. 1. People were late and the concert only began around 8.10pm. People were still streaming in even after the 4th song which at one point, Norah asked "Are we all here yet?" and later commented that "You all come in so quietly". 2. There is the darn counter that sold food (hotdogs and drinks) throughout the concert, and we were seated very near the counter. People would walk towards the counter and queue up to buy food during the entire concert. "Hello!!! Are you here to eat or listen to Norah Jones?!? Do that at home with her CD playing instead." It doesn't make sense to me why the organisers allow this, 'cos this isn't like some outdoor concert where you could have your picnic and watch the show. Anyway, Norah and her band came back for the encore and we were all on our feet during the 3 songs.

Sick & Sore

Woke up this morning, had my usual cuppa and felt the world crashing down on me... my tummy had act up again!!! It had been like this since last wednesday, everything would be fine and dandy but I would have to zip into the toilet asap to face the major battle of the morning.

I wouldn't want to go into the details of my daily heave and push... but it was really bad this morning. I just felt like sh** after the entire ordeal, and not to mention, terribly sore in both my tummy area and the nether zone. I called in sick, had a major debate whether I should go to school, but reckoned that I needed the rest.

Slept till 1230 today and woke up to another beautiful sunny day. I had called the clinic to check if the doctor (with whom D's co. and my school have some tie-up for free consultation) was in. But I had moved my butt a little too late and missed his slot at the clinic. As of now, I had just completed some admin stuff for school and emailed to the respective people and waiting for 4.30pm before I make another call to check if the doc is back.

Had gotten word from D just a while ago that the Sports Climbing class that starts tomorrow is cancelled due to insufficient enrolment. Sigh... but we are put into the next class that will be on Saturdays and Wednesdays... first lesson this Sat. Great!!! I had tried Sports Climbing before, but didn't quite make it to the top. Still, it was a great experience except that it is really tiring for the novice.

Tummy so far has been quite docile and good... hope this lasts. Now to make that call to the doc.

Long Time No Write...

It's been weeks since my last blog entry. So here's a brief write-up: 1. School reopened on the 21st Feb after the Chinese New Year break. Received my timetable on the 20th Feb afternoon and couldn't quite prepare much since I had no books, no idea what the pupils are like and not much time to get ready. 2. Mainly teach Social Studies to P1, P2, P3 and P5; PE to two P4 classes and Math to 3 P6 pupils (Math Support Class). Basically, pupils have been generally fine. 3. Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays - Try to leave school by 3.30pm (school ends @ 3pm) 4. Tuesdays - Staff Contact Time (3.30-4pm) followed by Department/Committee meetings till 5pm 5. Wednesdays - House Practice (3-4.30pm) and this will go on till 23rd Mar. I have been made the House Mistress... View from the school: 6. Dinners are prepared by yours truly on at least 3 days of the week, simple but edible stuff. 7. Taking up Sports Climbing lessons with David... 1st lesson starting this coming Tuesday and it will go on for another 2 weeks. 8. Chilling out at home most of the time, if not we will be out gallivanting on the streets checking out the latest food joints or our next notebook. Night out @ Wan Chai: Beautiful day at Tsim Tsia Tsui (finally, clear blue skies after weeks of fog, smog and overcast skies): 9. Norah Jones Concert this coming Friday night... absolutely can't wait for it. 10. Will be returning home at the end of the month for about a week. Hope it will not be too hot as I have enjoyed the low/cool temperatures these past 2 months.