“Falling comes easy to all of us, but falling properly is an art. If you train yourself to avoid the natural impulse to stick your hand out, you have a chance to tuck your shoulder in and roll. The force of landing is spread rather than concentrated on one small spot. This is the drill you can practice at home with couch cushions mattresses, whatever. I'd recommend doing it about every six months, just to keep the feel."

“Bicycling is a big part of the future. It has to be. There's something wrong with a society that drives a car to work out in a gym."

There's THREE ways to ride a bike. With strength from your legs, with stamina from your lungs and with soul from your heart.

Ranting

Alright. Just returned from Faber, as part of my every other day routine.

Great day today. Very great day. En route to South Buona Vista road, there's a taxi stuck behind my bike waiting to get to the AYE. I did the most sensible thing and danced up that climb. At the peak, we exchanged glances, he raised up his right hand and gave me a thumbs up. :)

Then it was the climb to South Buona Vista, and I was trying to cut right but none of the cars wanted to give way. Then, finally, a friendly honk from a Toyota Vios with the police livery and the driver gestured me to move in in front of him. (For those of you who didn't get it, a police car slowed down and allowed me to move my bike ahead of him)

Then it was Faber, and I saw the same guy jogging up Faber. Descended, and turned back home via Alexandra Road and Commonwealth Ave. I was generally pleased with the ride, until I saw the condition of my bike.

Amount of soot and dirt collected on the seat tube.

Same thing on the stays.

Alright. As much as I love riding, I would really love cleaner roads.

- I want vehicles to have cleaner emissions

- I want gas guzzlers to be taxed

- I want a quota on the number of cars on the road

- I want the COE to be based on emission rather than engine capacity

- I want smoother roads

- I want public transport to be given priority

- I want Singapore to lead in green engines(smart idling, fuel efficiency, so on and so forth)

- I want Singapore to be a Garden City, not just a city with Gardens

-I want the people to care about the environment.

__________________________________________

Side topic, I know a lot of drivers keep on stressing the point that bicycles don't pay road tax, thus and therefore they don't belong on the road. But, then again, road tax is used for road maintenance, and how much damage can a bicycle cause to the road? We weigh less then a ton, we don't do burnouts on the road, and when we crash, we can pick up the pieces of our bikes. END OF ARGUMENT

Next, drivers are always complaining why cyclist cannot use the pavement. First and foremost, it is illegal, and secondly,

ROAD GOT THREE BLOODY LANES, WHY YOU CANNOT USE THE OTHER TWO?! STUPID OR WAD?! DUNNOE WAD'S CALLED A STEERING WHEEL UH?!

Yea. END OF ARGUMENT

Again

Just returned from Faber.

Spectacular view while climbing. Spectacular sound while descending. I love climbs. I love climbs. I love climbs. As a matter of fact, after Faber, I climbed Alexandra Road and Queensway Road just for the kicks on the way home. As usual, shot down a can of red bull before I got my wings.

Museums

Museum für Kunsthandwerk

Museum Abteiberg

Kunstsammlung Nordrhin-Westfalen

Splash and Dash

Alrite. 3 weeks into the holiday. And I'm generally pleased with progress.

Have been cycling.

Have been reading.

Have been doing CAD and Photoshop

Haven't start on 3d Max.

Ok, nevermind. One last week for me to work before enjoying 2 weeks of holidays! So yea, holiday plans are in order I assume. Friday midnight/night movie. Catching clash of the titans, hopefully in 2d. Then a long awaited ride to East Coast on Sunday, and then, no plans after that. Ouh, should start planning. 14 days. Hmmm, can do a lot of stuff. Can start retiring my road bike for awhile, until I can get my academic life in order.

Have been shooting down red bull before my rides. Gives the extra boost. I think. I don't really know if it helps, but it's all about the mentality. If I think it helps, it helps. And what goes well with red bull?

A red merc!

And. Breve Hot Chocolate! (but really, dun try drinking red bull with hot choco.)

AND! Have you guys ever realized, after Monday and Tuesday, the calender says W T F ?

Err?

Eh, bro, you joking right?

You ride three to four times a week. Now you're riding carbon.

But what surprises me is your description.

"Very comfortable and stable even at 30+km/h"

What speed you cruising at?!?! Of course stable la. 30+ km/h only... -.-. Road bikes are stable well beyond 70km/h. Still got wireless cyclo-computer some more. Aiyoh.

Some people, seriously don't deserve to ride some bikes. But oh well. Money talks.

Oh god

What happened here?

Oh my. Oh well. Yea, got this from some blog which updates me via twitter.

Talking about twitter. Wow, it's quite cool.

ok, and remember how I said Glen was a nice guy on twitter? I take it back. I take it all back.

Oasis is tweeting during their concerts, so you know what exactly they're playing and how the crowd is reacting and stuff.

Lance Armstrong tweets very often about his training regime and his upcoming races.

The rest of the people, like Demi, Taylor Swift, John Mayer, just tweets about whatever is going on.

Rained on my parade.

Honestly. Rain sucks.

My day started out with the usual morning wake up sms. And then, once I got rid of that irritant, I continued with my daily life. Turned up the radio and tuned in to the AM Jam, prepared breakfast and powered up my computer. Glen, then logged in at 8.40, and yes, he's late for work. Again. Yet, he's proud of it. I am appalled by such bravery.Anyway, I finished fixing and cleaning Wynn's bike, to give it to Leslie.

Yea, a rudimentary bike, but, very practical. I rode that, with the basket all the way to CCK. Of course, the least I was expecting was a "Thank You". But, instead, the only words that I could clearly remember despite retrieving, fixing, cleaning and sending the bike over, was 'What a faggot'. Oh well. Typical Leslie.

And then, I took a bus home. The bus, was URGH. Vibrating like crazy. Not the most comfortable of buses I guess.

I did reach home eventually, pulled out my bike, and heavens doors open wide and the lord blessed us with water dropping down from the sky. For those of you who didn't get it, it rained. So yea, went to catch a few winks and woke up again at 8pm, and went along the predefined route.

Ok, getting to Changi was smooth.

If I had a better camera, then you guys would be able to see the majestic SIA 777 come in for a B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L touch down. Yes, that was the reason why I dragged my 64kg ass all the way out to Changi. Just to watch these magnificent piece of engineering perfection touch down on the WORLD'S BEST AIRPORT. (ahhh, proud to be a Singaporean).

Getting out of East Coast was another breeze. A MTB overtook me, and I was more then happy to stay on his back.

Yeap. After that, getting through town was another breeze, got a draft courtesy to SBS Bus Service number 131. A little to dangerous to take a snapshot while drafting something that big.

West Coast Highway, killed me. AAAARRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH. There's so much construction work going on. The Circle line, and some cable works, entrance to Sentosa. Uneven tarmac was slamming on the bike at 37km/h which in turn slammed my balls and forced me down to a crawling speed of 27km/h. And I just couldn't recover after that. I wasn't riding after that, I was merely sitting on the bike.

So, dear Transport Minister, I urge you to fix West Coast Highway for the convenience of vehicles that do not come with pneumatic suspensions. Think about it, it'll only cost a few billion dollars, but, putting smiles on the faces of so many commuters, doesn't if just create that warm fuzzy feeling in your heart?

YA RITE.

I WISH.

I'll just find another route.

But thanks for pretending to care. Appreciated.

Afternoon Ride

Yay! Finally rode in the afternoon!

Felt good. Drafting behind countless amounts of trucks, just zipping my way across West Coast Highway until finally reaching Mount Faber. Had a hell of a climb, descended and drafted my way all the way home again.

And when I was stuck at traffic, I pulled out my phone, and Twitted. AHAHAH! Yes, damn fun being able to twit from my mobile. Of course, reached home in record time. Now cycling to Faber feels like walking over to the next block.

Got a hell of a draft up Clementi Road. It was a dump truck, and it was pulling me at 40km/h, and then it had to slow down up the hill, and I was stuck behind it's tail. Cool. Thanks for the draft dude. Appreciated. Yes, I was like a pussy sticking behind a truck, but it requires balls to follow inches behind a 10-tonne truck. (exaggeration)

Next ride, hopefully on Friday, where I would ride to Changi, complete one lap of the TT circuit, an hopefully get a draft back home. Only complain however, is the roads.

IT'S NOT SMOOTH!

Ahhhh, like hell it's irritating. Can't get the power down. And yes, now that I'm rested, I'm surprisingly able to pull 37km/h again. Maybe it's because it's in the afternoon, relatively lower humidity? So lesser air molecules, so lesser resistance? LOL. Sounds nerdy, doesn't even make sense.

And yes, with all these excitement, I haven't been reading. AHHH! I'm backlogging on books. AH! Then the competition and site visit is next week. Then school is going to start. Then I have to finish my holiday projects. Then I have to fix Leslie's bike. Then I, ARGH. ARGH. ARGH. That's just a lot of stuff to do.

WHAT?! COME ON!?

Are you kidding me?

The results are out, and no, I'm not very happy. What the hell man. Ok, ADS, HTA, MAT and ES, well, I deserve it I guess. Not competitive enough, too busy trying to solve other's people problem, too busy trying to be like Lance Armstrong. And yea, I deserve that. Ok, fine. Fair.

But ITP, is a B. WHAT?! COME ON. I worked my fingers to the bone, for that?! YES.

Life is so unfair.

I just hate feeling so useless, when I can't do anything. This is just shit. Especially when I think about how easily other people got the ITP grade. I don't know what the hell is going on. But oh well, minor setback, looks like I'll have to come into Year 3 strong, very strong.

Shouldn't even go around helping people, what the shit. I missed an air show this year pulling strings for somebody else. Damn, it's time to take care of ME for a change.

I wonder if you know...

I wonder if people know what lyrics they are listening to..

"Let's have some fun this beat is sick, I wanna ride on your DISCO STICK... I'm educated in sex, yes. And now I want it bad, want it bad."

~Love Game/Lady Gaga

"I want your psycho, your VERTICAL STICK"

~Bad Romance/Lady Gaga

"Boys trying to touch my junk"

~Tik Tok/Ke$ha

"Just turn around boy, let me hit that... Just show me where your dick at.. I wanna be naked, and you're wasted... I'm never laying the bitch."

~Blah Blah Blah/Ke$ha

"Imma be on top, never stop... Imma be fucking her.. Imma be a bank loaning out semen."

~Imma be/The Black Eyed Peas

"Have it your way, foreplay.. Imma touch you in all the right areas."

~Carry Out/Timbaland ft. Justing Timberlake

"I like when you tell me kiss me there... I like when you tell me move it there"

~Rude Boy/Rihanna

Yea, that's just some lyrics, that, well, are just disturbing. But, I can't really be a judge either, I listen to some weird songs as well. (Check out Home by Dream Theater, skip to 7:56). So yea, just wondering if people knew what exactly they were listening to.

Death. Part I

Am I dead yet?

I'm just tired. Out of juice.

1am-3am = Cycling, South Bouna Vista>Mount Faber>Lasalle>Bukit Timah Road>Commonwealth Ave.

9.30am-1pm = Basketball. And I was running for almost the whole time

1pm-7pm = Sleep. Finally, long day

11pm-2am = Cycling, Half Island.

Yes, I'm dead. I'm having cramps in so many places. And the McSpicy I ate is really acting up. Urgh.

_________________________

However! On a lighter side! I created a twitter account! YAY!

Now I can follow people like Taylor, Demi, Lance, Liam, Noel and a few of my friends.

YAY!

Green House

This, by far, is my favorite.

The Z6 House. What a name huh?

Anyway, BCA-CDL Green Sparks competition site visit coming up. Yes, frankly speaking I am a little worried about the current attitude of the team. Let's be honest here, I run on schedules, and when I don't get people coming on time, or when I don't know the progress of things, I freak out.

My weakness is that I have to be in control, that's the reason why I'm in this team. Hopefully this team works. I know I've said that there's a different between a team of strong people, and a strong team. But currently, right now, I'm starting to eat my words.

Please surprise me.

Organize meetings, tell me ideas, tell me to the face that you're ready to take this project on. Let me know you have been doing your own personal research. Let me know that you see the problems in this projects. Surprise me with all these stuff. Come on.

The only way a team functions is if all it's members pull together.. If a few people does all the pulling, then they'll get tired and unhappy. And if a team cannot work together, then they cannot work at all.

Yea, surprise me.

WHEE!

Ahahaha. Fun fun fun fun fun.

Fun fun fun fun fun.

Alice in Wonderland, not a very good movie by the way.

Had a violent struggle taken place?
There was every sign that lead there
Witness found a switchblade on the ground
Was the victim unaware?
They continued to investigate
They found a note in the killer's pocket
It could have been a suicide letter
Maybe he had lost her love

_______________________________________

Scorpio is probably the most feared and yet the most revered sign of the zodiac. Most Scorpios would not hurt a fly for they are as gentle, caring, and generous as they can be hard, cruel, and mean. It really depends how they are treated.This is a sign which demands respect and usually gets it. Scorpions are highly sensitive, emotional creators who are so easily hurt that they cannot bear to show their feelings for fear of being ridiculed.Scorpios develop from an early age the ability to control such outer expressions of emotion, and remain dry-eyed. Scorpios do not forgive easily, if even at all, and are capable of holding a grudge for the rest of their lives. Scorpio subjects are hardworking, generous, and very determined. Once they begin a task, they will be dedicated to finishing it.They can become obsessively devoted to a person, a cause, or a project.


Scorpio - Scorpio Compatibility

This double combination of emotions strengthen strong feelings, desires, emotions and passions which both have. So with great desire and purpose they can achieve great things. If not, violent clashes are likely.There is a touch of both the saint and the devil in this combination or union. When two Scorpios get together, they do not beat about the bush. On some enchanted evening, these two will be strangers across a crowded room one minute and off to the nearest bedroom the next,(ahaha, wtf rite, really rite?!) leaving a cloud of steam behind them.They both need extremes of emotion, magical mysteries and inescapable intensity.The energy they emanate may be hidden from sight, but it will be bubbling under the surface, ready to well up and cause a commotion at any moment. They'll protect each other as only fixed signs can do, but the moment one of them betrays the other's trust, then all hell breaks out. Once they've paired up, the Scorpio couple will be hell-bent on holding their relationship together, no matter what calamity comes along. Scorpios are sensationally superstitious and both of these kissing cousins believe in destiny.They will feel that they were destined for each other and that their love was written in the stars.

I cannot be bothered.

This post should be 'Luck. Part IV'

But honestly, GOD, if you're reading this, stop playing games. It's not funny.

You know, if you're trying to send me a message, you can reach me via e-mail or mobile phone. If you're not used to technology, you can send me the 'Invitation to Hell' via snail mail.

Honestly, if you don't like me, then just say it. You don't have to make so much effort in trying to kill me. GOSH.

______________________________

Ok, I've just finish listening to 'Scenes From A Memory' by Dream Theater.

Yupp. It's a 'concept album'. So basically, it's like telling a story, through the song. Each song transits smoothly to the next. The whole story, took well over and hour to be told.

It's a damn sick story. The ending, is, ARGH! WTF! WAD?!?! ARE YOU SERIOUS.

But it was definitely a good one hour of musical delight.

And a hell of a story. Seriously, it could beat 'Avatar : The Blue Indian Nonsense' storyline wise. If someone directed it into a movie, damn, it'll be sick. Very Sick.

___________________________

And! I've became a nerd today!

I was so thrilled by the fact that I can borrow UNLIMITED amounts of book from the SP Library during the SCHOOL HOLIDAYS! YAY!

However, someone else have also had the same idea. Some books are on loan. DAMN.

And I'm SECOND on hold.... Means somebody else wanted that book as well. DAMN DAMN.

Oh well, I'll go read on some other stuff.

Luck. Part III

I should change my name to 'The Boy Who Lived'

Honestly man, in the three weeks I've been out cycling, the Lord All Mighty has tried thrice to take my life.

Today was by far the scariest near collision.

I was at Bukit Timah Road, just past the Newton Food Centre. Yeap, it's the roundabout. I checked to see if there were cars coming in from the right, there wasn't. So I proceeded on the roundabout, checked on my left, and there was a taxi spearing down towards the round about. I gestured for him to hold.

He didn't even bother to look. Thanks la brother.

The Yellow Hyundai also proceeded on the roundabout.

We were on a collision course.

I slammed to the right, hard, very hard right.

The Hyundai slammed his brakes, hard, so hard he skidded.

Ya, fucking Hyundai, what fake ABS and Traction control?! Your freaking car skidded. ABS = Anti-Lock Braking System, means the wheels don't lock up, so the car won't skid, and come to a stop faster.

Yea, as I was making my desperation bank to the right, the car was in a skid a headed right to me.

I started shouting, 'WOAH WOAH WOAH WOAH!! GOD... COME ON'

And the all mighty lord turned the wheel.

Ya rite. Who the hell am I kidding. I think he's the guy trying to kill me.

Yea, no collision. Very close though.

Of course I apologize dramatically after that incident, although I don't think it's fully my fault, he should have waited for me to clear before even proceeding to the round about.

Yea, the rest of the night was uneventful.

So, lesson learnt.

1 - Hyundai's ABS don't work. Don't buy the car solely because you think it's safe.

2 - Lesson number one might not be correct, so check with Hyundai on the efficiency of their braking system.

3 - The lord is a persistent guy

________________________________

Why was it so scary? Because I could not attempt the brakes and this time it was with a speeding car.

So, proves the point that despite all your preparation, shit happens.

_______________________________

I was at the library earlier this morning. WA LAO. Cannot find the book. nb.

And the eliser system was mocking me la, the book status is 'available'.

And I can't find it on the shelves.

Nevermind, shall go again later. Need to find it this time round. That book, will help in the BCA-CDL Green Sparks competition.

Talking about that competition, I see my team members not informing me about their personal progress, so maybe they would surprise me when we meet. Hopefully.

Or maybe the Lord has something in store for this.

Ow

Ouch man. Ah. My chest is hurting. It's almost 2 days already. Why isn't it recovering?

And what is wrong with the weather? Losing motivation to cycle out. It's so wet.

Not the Best of Days

Ok, let's start of with something cheerful.

Cycling. ^^V

Strength training this week. I've been climbing for this week. Don't feel like I'm improving, maybe should push for speed instead of just pushing for constant power during the climbs. It's a tricky thing to learn, a lot to juggle between the balance of speed and power during a climb. Gear ratios, cadence, when you should be standing and when you should be sitting. But sadly, there's not much terrain here, so I'm climbing for like three mins, maximum, and then that's it. I'm in a descent.

Oh well. Today, Sunday, found another road cyclist on the way home. From far, he looked like he was travelling with some speed. I caught up surprisingly with ease and found out he was only pulling 27. What the hell, looked damn fast la. Stopped at a light, pulled away, and omg, his acceleration was taking ages. Were like 50m away from the light and he's still struggling at 23.

A few tips la bro.

1 - Shift down before you stop. It helps you accelerate a hell lot faster. And starting at a higher gear will use more strength and damage your knee cartilages.

2 - Cruise at a comfortable cadence. Trust me on this. Too many revs and you'll run out of stamina, too little revs and you're going to run out of power.

3 - Shift. You paid for your gears, I recommend you use them. I realize, as I was drafting behind, the guy was stuck at the highest gear. Well, judging by the speed, I think the technique is all wrong. The highest gear is capable of reaching well over 70km/h. Never wait for the power to come in on your gears, it never will. So yea, shift man. shift.

4 - Large chain rings are not for climbs. Seriously. It's impossible. When trying to keep the speed up while managing the amount of effort, the large chain ring should only be use if you're Lance Armstrong. Honestly, the smaller chain ring will allow for the most efficient amount of power to be placed down on the wheels. Ahaha, try it out.

5 - Check this out for inspiration. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlUPjlLFzm0&feature=related

6 - Believe. Quoted from Lance Armstrong. "The last thing I’ll say to the people that don’t believe in cycling, the cynics, the skeptics, I’m sorry for your loss. I’m sorry you can’t dream big, and I’m sorry you don’t believe in miracles." But yea, that's from a champion, doesn't apply to people like us though.

___________________________________

Alrite. I've been getting agitated very easily lately.

Not stringing in the best of days I guess.

I need some time to cool off.

Honestly.

No idea how that is going to work out with me needing to report to school on Monday.

Really. Not the best of days.

And please be thankful if I'm ignoring you. You won't like me when I'm pissed. Seriously.

________________________________

Rite cool.

Looking forward to Tuesday. :)

It was so peaceful.

Woke up to another perfect day today.

(I realize I always say that don't I? Maybe I'm just excited to see your face!)

So anyway, finish reading another book. Oh god was it boring. It was the history and the new direction for contemporary architecture. My oh my, was it full of theories. But anyway, a few buildings worth highlighting, not so much of their historical value, but I feel they are somehow, different.

The Mobius House. Worth studying the internal spaces.

Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston.

InterActiveCorp Building, New York.

Sino-Italian Ecological, Beijing

Yeap. That's it for now. I need to go to the library later, and then meet up with you. I love this relationship. I love you.

________________________________________

Had soccer just now. Surprisingly, the court was empty.

My full apologies guys. I was really expecting people. Nevermind, two weeks time and we'll have an epic game of soccer.

By the way, first time I took a bus at night. In a long long long long long time.

I enjoyed the journey. Which is surprising. It was calm. Like freakishly calm. So! Anyone want to go out at night then I can take a bus home? Really, long time since I sat on a bus, and a very long time since I took one at night.

Went to NUH. It's a long story. But yea, that's where I took the bus to.

And who said Singapore was an expensive country? It's only a $1 fine.

__________________________________

Wah, and I'm trying to organize my files. Wa lao, so many pictures, put in so many folders still very hard to sort. And wa lao, must rename it one by one. Damn sian.

After that, have to organize the videos and the music files. DIE LA.

Rite, so anyway, an average week I guess. But my Saturdays are always cheerful. :)

Im just...

... Disappointed.

Very very disappointed.

I've made a huge mistake.

I left the very thing that could have been the very thing I needed.

I'm sorry to myself.

I didn't let things play out.

I interfered.

I messed up.

I suck at this.

This is what happens when you use your trust as judgment.

I'm wrong, he's right. again.

Good Game la.

Fucked up.

Damn fucked up.

Hopefully soccer will turn things around.

It has to.

It just has to.

Glide slope

Today. I have to admit. Must be my lucky day.

I woke up in the morning, with a big smile on my face. Turned on the radio and tuned it to 98.7 fm and the Am Jam was on.

Usual thing, prepared breakfast, took a shower. Sat down, read a book. Waiting for 11.40am where I can move off and supposedly meet the Singapore Polytechnic Canoe Captain for lunch. (yes! I'm friends with SP Canoe Captain. Wow!)

I cycled to school listening to 'Let's fall in LOVE again' playing on repeat, and was generally pleased with the pace of the ride. I arrived at 11:50 and Leslie, surprisingly, reached only 3 mins after me. Yes guys, a round of applause please, for Leslie.

So there we were, at T11a, scanning all the toilets to see if Jia Hong was busy cleaning them for his ITP. He wasnt, so we waited for TWENTY minutes at level 4. Leslie even got desperate and started asking around if anybody knew a 'Jia Hong'.

Surprisingly enough, nobody did.

So, we called, and called. And he finally picked up to deliver the news that he COULD NOT make it for lunch as he HAD A LOT OF WORK TO DO. Oh well. Dishearted, we wanted to move off. But we wanted to check the third storey of the CLS block to see if he's around.

The door, was by access card only. Again, dishearted, we decided to move off.

BUT

I had to pee.

And pee I did.

After we came out of the toilet, we headed towards the staircase.

And 'WHAT THE FUCK?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!'

There he was, standing at the restricted access door.

His face, was in complete shock.

He didnt have work to do. He just wanted to eat lunch with someone else.

Utter rejection.

Jia Hong, you have proved to us your powers by leaving Wynn, Glen and Leslie to have your sudden family dinner on Saturday. And who can deny your powers when you rejected me and Leslie, IN THE FACE, on that very fateful Tuesday.

Jia Hong. You are my Idol.

_________________________________________

Rite, so, I've just finish a few architecture books. Not going to say the title though, you guys can find that out for yourself. But, two interesting buildings to look at.

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/nlann/4022043602/.. all rights reserves goes to him)

The DBS Tower in Singapore. Hey, it's more interesting then it looks.

And, another conceptual building.

http://www.emporis.com/application/?nav=building&lng=3&id=102960

Yea. Shouldn't elaborate more. Since some people might not get it anyway.

__________________________________________

AND! I've finish the sections for my make believe house! I have the plans and elevation, but, they're not so interesting.

SO! I'll hopefully have the presentation panels up by next month or something? Then I can hopefully explain the concept, structure, so on and so forth. Fun sia. Doing work, without the pressure.

______________________________________

Alright. So. There was only one way, to end off my day. With a ride.

RIDE!

RIDE!!

hehehehehehe.

Wanted to train on strength this week. Decided to climb Faber. ^^V

Started out GREAT! Had a slight tailwind. And was pushing 35km/h with ease. Very very quickly got to Faber.

Getting up Faber however, was a different story. Like all climbs, it's slow and painful. And despite my best efforts to attack the hill at the foot. (by attack, I mean to mount a sprint/climb) I still found myself dancing desperately on the pedals painfully crawling at a mere 16km/h up.

It felt pathetic. Faber is quite a challenge. Unlike most hills in Singapore, the only time when Faber levels out is when you're nearing the peak. So, you climb painfully. Either that, or you climb slowly. I'll chose pain. (it wasnt really painful la, 16km/h onli, could have pushed myself further).

After peaking though, the fun began. Descend. The turns and the grip was just spectacular. I felt at total ease hurling myself down at 40+km/h. Even overtook 2 cars during the descend. However, there was a moment.

42km/h and it was a sweeping left turn. I slammed the bike in like I usually do without lowering the speed, and oh my, it wasn't turning as sharply as I thought. My gaze was fixed at the kerb which I though I was going to slam. In desperation, I tapped the brakes, and oh my, it barely made it. The bike was on the brick path before I could pull it level. Oh well. Life is short.

Live fast. Die Young.

After that, made a turn home. As I was approaching West Coast Highway, nearing Haw Par Villa, I saw a group of container trucks in front, and I thought, 'How would it feel like to draft one of them?'

Opportunity came. They stopped at the red light. I caught up, went for my bottle but all the water has been used for the climb up Faber. Alright then, waited for the lights to turn green, let them pass me.

I was on a gear that was a tad bit too high. I failed to match the acceleration of those heavy machines. It took some effort, and a hell lot of determination. I sprinted.

38km/h.... 44km/h.... 49km/h... 56km/h... 58km/h...

I'm not a sprinter. But when I looked up, and noticed that I was reeling the truck in. I was motivated. I was all fired up. I held 58 and soon, I was drafting a massive container truck.

How does it feel to go 54km/h without any resistance?

Heavenly.

The truck maintained 54km/h and I was right there, behind it. Oh man. OH MAN. Ok, imagine that moment that you're ejaculating, imagine if you held that moment for 2 minutes. That was how it felt. That was how it felt. 2 freaking minutes at 54km/h. No amount of dreaming can prepare you for that. It was so calm. Nothing was blowing in your face. Nothing.

Of course, my father would take away my bike if he knew about this. But really. OH MAN. That just made my night. Or at least I thought it did.

After I pulled out from the slipstream, I was a few kilometers from home, only had the Clementi Ave 2 flyover to overcome. There I was, finding myself in a familiar spot, climbing up, and then, a truck patiently waited behind.

Being ever so courteous, I mounted a short attack to clear his path, signaled to him with a gesture and as he passed me, he look at me, gave me a thumbs up and drove off. Oh my. What a way to end my night. What a way.

I'm happy.

___________________________________

I can do better.

Hey! A Level results came out.

Congratulations guys. Two years of hard work, last minute mugging and sheer luck have produced, well, quite some decent results. Yea. Good job guys. Good job. Bottoms up!

Yea. What else can I say?

Well done guys.

____________________

So, somehow right, I changed back to my old Samsung phone. The light blue clam-shelled phone. I powered it up and my old wallpaper loaded.

It was like a walk down memory lane.

All the old messages we still preserved in the phone. All those nights we stayed up text-ing sweet nothings to each other. And they were still there, in the phone, all the messages were precisely four minutes apart.

Then, I went to the drafts, and started reading all the messages that I never did have the time or will to press 'send'.

There was even a song I wrote. But I never got a chance to play it. To you.

The song 'Keep the Dream Alive' by Oasis, we've always said it needed a better second verse.

Then you came and you turned my life around

And when you left, I was on the ground

Every night I scream your name

Everytime I feel the pain

You are my dream,

but now my dream has failed.

Down the road, I was looking for a sign

There you were, and I felt so alive

Every night I'll hold you close

You and me we're both alone

You're my answer and I won't let you go

...

Then there's more, but I really don't think it's appropriate. Not at the stage of life that we're both in anyway.

I just feel asleep rewinding the moments. And when i woke up, I just wanted to slide back in to that dream. I didn't want to change anything, it was perfect, I just wanted to watch it go by, again, and again, and again.

The familiar sms then rang. I flipped it open, and it wasn't your name.

Why would it be?

This is reality.

________________________________

But I can't help thinking. I deserve so much better. In terms of everything

The respect I should be getting.

The friends who I hang out with.

The life I'm living.

I don't know. I just can't help to stop and think how much better I would progress if I had the best equipment and the best environment to maneuver and grow in.

Yes. I am complaining.

I think, may sound arrogant, but I find that some things, and some people are just dragging me down. Nothing more than a dead-weight that I have to live with. Nothing more than a distraction. Nothing more, than nothing.

It's time to be a little more selective I guess. It's rare, then when I go out with people, I get to do the things that I really want to do. And it's those rare few people who do things that I want to do and they don't mind doing it, it's those rare few people, only those few people who I should really keep close.

All my life I'm fine with anything, guess there's a limit to that.

I think, I don't know. I think I just deserve better, especially now.

Eh! This is so Cute!

Really. This is really cute!


Looks like a normal full size amp rite?! It's NOT!!! Ahahahah!

Transform any of the VOX amPlug headphone amps into a tabletop mini-stack amp!

Introducing the new amPlug Cabinet – a dedicated monitor speaker that makes playing guitar even more fun.

The amPlug series of guitar headphone amplifiers offer a great way to enjoy serious guitar/bass amp sound whenever and wherever you practice. Each amPlug offers an amazing level of sound quality; far beyond what one might expect from a unit of this size. Combined with play-anywhere convenience and solid good looks, the amPlug series have quickly become best-sellers, and continue to attract legions of users. It goes without saying that because the amPlug is headphone amp, you can hear the sound only through headphones. We know there are probably times when you'd like to share your amPlug sound, and that's where this new product comes in! Using the amPlug Cabinet, you can quickly convert any amPlug into tabletop mini-stack. Connection is easy; just insert the amPlug unit into the amPlug Cabinet, and plug the dedicated cable from the amPlug cabinet into the amPlug. With its retro VOX design, the amPlug Cabinet creates an imposing miniature amp stack that is both attractive, and enjoyably incongruous. Equipped with a 3" VOX speaker and 0.7 Watts of power, the amPlug Cabinet is compatible with all amPlug models, so you can use a variety of amPlugs with a single amPlug Cabinet.

VOX amPlug Cabinet Specificaitons

• Output Power: 0.7W
• Speaker: VOX Original 3" x 1
• Power supply: 9V battery (6F22, 6LF22/6LR61) or AC adapter (sold separately)
• Current consumption:55 mA
• Battery life:
  With alkaline batteries: approximately 10 hours,
  With zinc-carbon batteries: approximately 3 hours
• Dimensions (W x D x H): 96 x 56 x 103 mm/ 3.78 x 2.20 x 4.06 inches
• Weight: 296 g (without battery)/ 0.65 lbs
• Included items: 9V zinc-carbon battery (6F22)
• Option (sold separately):9V AC adapter

*Specifications and features are subject to change without notice.

Ahaha, yea. Feel like buying. But dunnoe also. I think those clip on types more effective.

So anyway, yea, new orders. Not cycling anytime soon.

Man, the things I do to keep you happy. You should be thankful. Not everyday a guy who plays guitar, rides a roadie, happens to be in Architecture, seems to like the outdoors and bothers putting up with your nonsense, comes by and literally sweeps you off your feet.

I'm just saying.

I like you.

But you already know that.

Luck. Part II

I never learn my lesson huh?

Alright. It's Wednesday and I was out cycling again as planned.

A shaky start.

A flat tire as I left my house. I changed the tube, pumped it up and rode to Caltex to pump it up to maximum allowable PSI.

Then, again, I was on the road listening to "We'll be a dream" playing on repeat.

I guess it was a smooth ride, usual business, paddle hard stay safe kinda thing. Hit the city again, did my prestigious U-Turn, rode back and told myself to be extra careful.

I was.

Another truck driver however, wasn't.

There I was pulling my own ass down West Coast Highway, and I saw a truck wanting to turn into the Wholesale Centre along the road. Being alert and ever so courteous, I signal with a hand gesture asking him to hold while I prepare to sprint and clear the road.

I thought he saw and understood the gesture. I stood up, push way hard on the pedals and the bike began to pick up speed.

Unfortunately however, the truck did the same thing.

WHAT THE FUCK. It only took the BOTH of us a few seconds to slam HARD on the brakes. But it felt like eternity for both of us to stop. I'm assuming his truck wasn't equipped with Anti-Lock Braking System. I watch his front wheels lock up and skid for a few centimeters. (yea, he was moving quite slowly, errr, duhh, it's a truck accelerating, wad do u expect?)

I slammed hard as well. What a mistake. The rear wheels locked up and the front wheel was so nervous under that immediate braking.

AGAIN. Another close shave. The SINGAPOREAN driver looked genuinely stunned. And I don't blame him. I shared the same look.

(yes, it was a singaporean. But it doesn't really matter what country you come from, it just matters on the INDIVIDUAL driving style. It should be a crime to generalize. Yes, this is a personal message.)

AGAIN. Thankful to be alive. Stunned as usual.

AGAIN. I urge all drivers to be a little more careful?

I totally understand. It's five in the morning, you're feeling groggy. You probably just woke up. But heyy, again, I'm very sure you don't want to hit me as much as I don't want to hit you.

____________________

So, after I reached home, cleaned a few stains on the bike. I have to admit, I'm generally pleased with the ride today.

Reached home, checked my phone and sms-es were just waiting to greet me.

Yea guys, it's impossible to reach me after 10pm by the way. I'll be asleep, but fortunately, I'll be awake around 4am on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. Tuesdays and Thurdays I should be up by 7am but my phone will be on at 4am without fail.

Badminton for today is cancelled. Which is good I guess, leaves me more room to recover for soccer later.

And! I've finished reading one of the books I borrowed. It's titled, 'Integrated Design in Contemporary Architecture' by 'Kiel Moe'.

Interesting book. It basically deals with how the design, from the mass, to the layout, to the facade, how every single element in the highlighted buildings were chosen to answer the social call for a greener and more sustainable building.

If I was to pick one building feature in the book, I would have to pick the Museum Of Contemporary Art. Why? Guess you guys will have to read the book to find out.
The renders they publish in the book looks 10 times better then the actual building. Sadly.

But, again. I strongly suggest you guys read this book, and maybe take a look at this particular building, the interior spaces are more stunning then the exterior facade.

Yes. This is the first time I'm recommending a book.

_______________

Right, so anyway, thanks for reading my blog. I guess I'll get back to life now.

Luck.

Ok. Cycling. Is. Dangerous.

Alright, so how did I arrive to this conclusion. It all began with me thinking about my future. Where would I end up 7 years from now? Will I have a job? Will I be married? Will I have a daughter? Will I finally have that car I've been aiming for? Will I finally be riding a Madone? Will I even be alive?

To set my goals, I googled up the Indicative Grade Profiles for the National University of Singapore and the Nanyang Technological University. Oh my, was I in for a shock.

NUS IGP
NTU IGP

What the hell. Architecture needs a GPA of 3.40. Civil Engineering needs a GPA of 3.51! Communication Studies, which would be my desperate choice, still needs a GPA of 3.40. Are you kidding?! That is almost perfection right there.

Right. So after I found out what I needed to aim for, I set a timetable for the holidays, to somehow try and push myself to work harder.

So far, my attitude has been "That will do".

Everything, as long as it looked presentable and neat would have passed in my books. Maybe it's time for a change. Maybe I can put in that tiny bit more effort and reach that stage of perfection.

And there it was. To me, what seemed like a perfect balance between life, passion and work.

And today started out great. I was on my bike, slamming in 35km/h right before the headwind came blowing in. But I shifted and could somehow hang on to 30km/h. I reached the city, pulled a huge U-Turn with a great big smile on my face, went on the hoods and was back up to 35km/h with the tailwind.

The ride was perfect, the bike is sounding like how a bike is suppose to sound. I'm building up revs like how a cyclist should be building up revs. Everything seemed like a commercial, until I reached West Coast Park.

I was reaching out for my bottle at the intersection of West Coast Highway and West Coast Link, waiting for the turn light to be illuminated. The light turned yellow and I had to quickly place my bottle back before I could even get a sip.

The turn light illuminated and I started rolling.

And then.

'BEEP'. A malaysian trucked, ran the red light from the opposing direction and cleared inches away from my front wheel.

WHAT THE FUCK MAN

YOU COULD HAVE KILLED ME

Which part of 'STOP THE FUCK AT A FUCKING RED LIGHT' didn't you understand?!

knn. ccb. nb. What were you trying to do?! You're on a fucking truck. I'm on pieces of aluminum welded together. At that speed, man, I wouldn't like to imagine what happened if we traded paint.

Really. Be patient. There could be other 19 year olds riding around. They're still young. They still have dreams. They still have a future to fight for.

And no. I'm not going to bullshit about how skilled I was in avoiding the truck. As a matter of fact, my last minute swerve to clear the truck was more by luck then judgment.

And no. This is not the first time this kinda shit has happened.

And no. You'll never get used to the feeling.

But fuck. I feel damn lucky. Somehow, I'm still sitting here blogging instead of laying on the road covered in blood.

Yes. I'm damn thankful. And Yes, I'm still quite shaken. But man.

Drivers seriously need to be more careful and attentive.

Yes. So. Cycling, is dangerous. PERIOD.