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Ms Bai is amazing cos being true to her history and literature roots, she manages to find quotes like the following. It doesn’t hurt she’s one heck of a rower as well, so she understands… possibly more so than other people, what rowing in a team is all about.

She quotes from Friday Night Lights:
“Being perfect is not about that scoreboard out there. It’s not about winning. It’s about you and your relationship with yourself, your family and your friends. Being perfect is about being able to look your friends in the eye and know that you didn’t let them down because you told them the truth. And that truth is you did everything you could. There wasn’t one more thing you could’ve done. Can you live in that moment as best you can, with clear eyes, and love in your heart, with joy in your heart? If you can do that gentleman - you’re perfect.”

I read it and I was pretty much speechless for a bit. I guess that’s how it is, isn’t it? At the end of the day, we don’t know if we’re gonna make it or fail terribly. We don’t know if all the trainings have been worth it and if they translate to some kind of tangible results in the end. We don’t know if something or everything will screw up on race day (CHOY!!) or if other teams will screw up and benefit us.

What we do know, is that we pretty much have the power to make things happen. At the very least, we have it in us to make us proud of ourselves and proud of the team. It'll be a very new experince for many rowers and it'll be stressful for everyone alike. But let's just keep calm and know that we always have each other at the end of the day. Do it for the team if not anything else.

There is a chance we won’t make it, but at the same time, there is a very good chance we just might. So why not think positive? We’ve had that much training behind us, the weekends under the merciless kallang sun, the endless discussions about the race, the displeasure with some people (and being able to put that aside and just row as a team when we need to), that never-ending 9km set(!), the shaft rowing(!), the disappointments, the self-doubts, the endless correction of strokes, the excitement, the worrying and now it’s finally here. I’d say let’s all give it our best shot and come what may. We’ll be perfect in each others’ eyes anyway. You’re all already perfect in my eyes at least. =)

Go CCWA! Do or die, now or never!

@ 8:37 PM

the birthday loot! (and my messy bed) =)!

so many pink things! i just realised =) loves!

@ 12:47 PM

but i guess the entries wont be complete without this very special group of people i've gotten so very close to over the last 6 months. it may seem like a short time and i dun know how we did it, but i cannot imagine a moment in the past half a yr without you guys. I've learnt so much from you all, about being true to friends, about handling problems, about looking out for one another, about being true to yourselves and the people around you, about being serious and committed when the time calls for it and about giving unconditional love and support...

"being with the guys the last couple of months has taught me so much. i've learnt that it's okie to care and to be concerned about others. i've learnt that it's okie and perfectly right to take the initiative to initiate a phone call, msn conversation or a simple hello cos it CAN make someday's day a little better. i've learnt that there can be so much love going around if only we bothered enough to show them."

It's funny how i've known these things all my life, but have never really practised or seen it manifested in my own actions until i saw it in you guys. you all never fail to make me feel happy and loved and u dun know how much i appreciate you all for that. =) i love u all deep deep too and come what may, let's hang on to what we have now ya.

thank you loads for celebrating my birthday for me, for the wonderful presents which i so adore, the *ahem* magazine cover from far far away, for the self made card and the lovely balloon (which i love cos i AM a princess, i dun care!) for planning, for coming down from work/2 exhausting days at sentosa/school/taking half day off and for just being there. It may seem like the most natural thing for you to do, but trust me, it means the world to me.

so, here's to more crazy nights clubbing *hehe*, ktv, mahjong, sit and nua @ breko, sit and nua anywhere, training, lunches, camwhoring and anything/everything else. i heart you all deep deep. really =)

@ 12:13 PM

Remember i said there are friends whom i've had for close to eternity? sec 3 deserves a whole entry to himself. =)

Sec 3 is the one I need to give special mention to simply cos he’s my bestest friend in the whole wide world. It’s mind-boggling to me how he can pick up the phone and call at 3.15am and just somehow KNOW that I would still be awake to pick up his call. If that’s not a sign of a very very close friendship, I don’t know what ia. =) I think we’ve seen each other through a lot… his breakups, my lack of breakups, school and life in general. We talk about everything, and that in itself is saying a lot, cos if you know me, I dun just talk about everything with everyone. He knows me when I’m happy, sad, angry, whinny or just plain grouchy. He’s possibly everything a friend can ask for. =) thanks for coming back early. in case u really didn't know, i really appreciated it. AND the perfume! loving it! =) to never-ending 8 year cycles! =P

muahahaha... pretending to be shy! =)

@ 12:12 PM

I have always thought I was a very fortunate and blessed little girl (I know I’m 22, stop reminding me der!). I’ve always been surrounded by good friends, an ever-supportive family and good people in general who have never stabbed me in the back, always lent a helping hand and who are always supportive of my decisions and actions. Even if they were not always approving, they would still show their affection and encouragement in little ways.

It’s funny how my parents nag and nag and nag me about burning my weekends rowing, complain that my room looks like a dump, and then buy me endless bottles of moisturizer, sunblock, and now shades (that I absolutely adore) AND ask me when am I gonna bring a medal home… =) That to me, is unconditionally love and i love them even more for that.

new shades!

I never really knew if my gang of gals liked me rowing (granted, it’s my life and all) but I knew they would always be there for me when they gave me my grey owl last year. No need for words or anything at all. Thank you for calling back, for wishing me online and for remembering even though u all are so faaaar away. =) i loves u all...





It’s amazing that I have met so many groups of friends along the way and I am always thankful that some of us have been friends for so so long now. These are people who will pester me to meet up ever so often only to have me cancel on them 2 days before, people who dun judge me, give me love and support almost unconditionally and are just there when I need them. I owe all of u a big one.



Then there are the people whom I should be spending time with in redang now. They gave me a fantastic 5 months in Vancouver and I’m totally kicking myself for not being able to go, but I promise we’ll meet up when u guys come back. =) then u can get me all jealous with your pretty photos and nonsensical stories…



And then there are people whom you would be amazed at, cos u never ever remember to wish them in time, and they do it promptly year after year. To you all, I love u all too. I promise to remember =) the aso farmland cake was to-die-for. i loved it. =)

fresh chocolate-milk cake. FSWL!!!

Then there are people whom you’ve been friends with for close to eternity. Think primary 4. Primary 4 was someone I’ve loved for the longest time and we still keep in contact now. I used to pour coke on him in primary school for goodness sake. =) He’s still an amazingly capable guy and I know we’ll hang onto this friendship for a really long time.

then, there is my team. Going back to rowing was possibly one of the best decisions i made last year. the team has brought me so much joy, and so many memories. Of course, there were the occasional heartaches and tough decisions that i couldn't understand but there was also lots of laughter and happiness that more than made up for it. thank you for your lovely presents, the thoughts and just for remembering, cos that meant the most to me. i'm already using the earphones (they are fantastic!). i'll wear the gorgeous sports bra on sat, shower with that huge brush and oh-so-sweet strawberry scrub and use the pretty pink towel after that. loves all! =)

my team =)

@ 11:58 AM

WEILI helped me change the font size so u all wun die reading this! =) lurvvvvvves! thankew you alot! =P

@ 7:51 AM

it's up! yes, i got your very massive hints everyone... eevvvvvvvveryone!

haha... but i need a bigger font size, need a place for people to leave comments and just need to tweak it in general la. *nudges der... =P*

in the meantime, just look at the pretty pic okie. it's soooooo pwretty.

oh, use the 4 diamond thingies at the side okie. the tagboard's hidden somewhere there i think. =P

@ 10:20 AM

everyone loves me! =)

grandma made me my fav sambal kangkong and prawnies even though i was super duper late for dinner (cos of very exciting IT Fair, where my 2 ah di's splurged on very pweety mp3 players).

ma lurvvvvvves are gonna celebrate my birthday with me (and we're going ktv-ing!!) =) loves. loads.

and everyone else who is not in town for my birthday will come back with huge/gigantic/pretty presents for me (you all will, right? *smiles sweetly*) hahaha

i'm just happy la...


on a very separate note... i read one of the old posts i wrote on the exact same date last yr and this is what it said...

"Rowing was really fun today. Every 5 mins you row gets you 5 mins of rest. By the 6th set, i think we were all dead... but we held on somehow, to finish that set. I think that's why i lurve rowing. =) No one stops till we're done, and having said that, there is nothing we can't do. =) i love."

2 weeks after that, i wrote this...

"i'm having a lot of fun with dragonboat as well. somehow, when u know you're preparing for a race, EVERYONE gets all serious and focused. It makes the team bond a lot better and a lot faster. It's really heartening when people actually talk about "A Family A Team". woohoo =) i think it's great that we're gonna be training twice a week now. TWICE the fun, laughter, pain but ultimate joy. =)"

i'm slowly feeling it again, i can sense adrian's excitement when he was coxing my boat and he was screaming his guts out for the last set of shaft rowing to the pink buoy... i sensed my own excitement when i coxed (and cut everyone's lane and ate everyone's glide) for the last set.

we're not there yet, nowhere near where we should be... but lets keep some faith ya. i have faith in us. i really do. we all should too, k?

Labels: w

@ 8:31 AM

my dad was randomly commenting on how hot the sun has been lately and how burnt i look and he promptly out-of-nowhere proceeded to order beer from the little coffeeshop drinks stall where we were having dinner to "cool the system down".

i dunnoe about u, but i thought it was quite funny cos we have never done this before. father and daughter guzzling beer like some old uncles sitting at the kopitiam yakking the night away. my mum was so very amused too but she refused to be part of the beer gang.



random things about my life la... haha

and yes, i know i still havent changed my blogskin... =p all things in their own time k... (i'm just lazy)

on a separate note... work's (still) going well (surprisingly - i expect to have made some really big mistake and get screwed really badly already but no...). learning new things everyday (sounds so primary school-ish) and still having loads of fun...

ANYWAY... if you guys pass by any Old Chang Kee outlets, just keep a lookout for the poster and flyers on "If There're Seasons...". That's my main project at work now so I was gushing like a kid when i finally saw the posters and flyers up. granted, i didnt do the graphics/layout/design or anything vaguely connected to the creative of the artwork, but i did have a teeny weeny part in the massive distribution of the collaterals. SO I"M VERY EXCITED! haha. do pick it up... and if u like mandarin musicals, liang wen foo's massive array of familiar songs, a fantastic script or george chan (like me)... then GO BUY TICKETS! Early Bird discount started 1st June so go go go get your tickets. They are selling better than expected =) GO GO NOW NOW NOW! =) i promise it won't disappoint...

click here...
http://www.sistic.com.sg/cms/events/index.html?content=890
www.iftherereseasons.com

@ 9:55 AM

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