Kids

Had fun yesterday in m'sia at my cousins' house. Chinese New Year (for me at least) used to be going over there to pay respect to my elders and try to avoid talking to people. I am sure most youths can understand how boring it is to keep talking about what school you are studying and how you are coping with school work. Especially when I was much introverted by nature.

But nowadays with the birth of a lot of children, it was 2 last year, double the amount this year. I actually commented at one point that there are suddenly a lot of children. When you have 2 babies and two young kids who just cannot keep still, thats a lot of work. I became like a kid myself, running around with them, climbing upstairs and down (I don't know why they like to do that), getting them to hit my brother who was sleeping etc. But I still do not dare to carry the babies, for fear of me being too "violent" and knowing that I do not really have a way with kids.

I am the youngest of my generation. My cousins sort of watched me grow up. Now they have children. And I am about to watch them grow up as well.

I guess that the number of kids in the family can only increase? Will my old and tattered body sustain me to last next year's chinese new year playing with them? We will see.

Coward

I have a problem.

I know I should face the problem.

I think I know the solution to the problem.

But I am afraid of failure.

I choose to avoid the problem.

I am a coward.

Happy Lunar New Year!!!

Happy New Year to everyone and to myself! Yup this festive season have been not bad for me, starting from yesterday.

Finally won my first match I coach. An important victory. One which is vital in keeping our hopes for qualification alive. 2 more matches left, which have to be won. I think I used every trick I have in my "book", from intimidation of opponents to raising of own players' morale. Left the match with a coarse voice but victory is still sweet.

Met up with some pri sch classmates for a "reunion dinner" after that. Happened to be py's birthday as well, we bought a cake for him and specially went to the restaurant to leave it there as the rest of them waited to gathered. But too bad the ploy was spoilt when the manager of the restaurant reminded the waiters serving us that we have a cake in the fridge, right in front of all of us. We were like "oh my god" with some vulgarities spitting as well, in our mind (of course). Proceeded to have our dinner and talk some rubbish before going for a mahjong session at hw's house. Went back in the middle of the midnight after sending annie home.

When I reached home I realised my knees were hurting. Probably with all the standing in the day and all the walking at night. Add that to my back aching in the day just before meeting up for dinner, I guess my body is not really in good shape. But its ok, for its quite worth it on the day.

As for the CNY season, I guess this is the tentative plans.

Eve: Reunion dinner with family.

1st Day: Church in the morning, dinner with my aunt (my father's sister) at night.

2nd and 3rd day: Visiting my relative in Malaysia.

Friday: Mahjong with my ex teammates? Provided we have enough players and time?

Saturday: Meet up with my ex teammates at jh's house? Or gathering at yw's house for my JC classmates?

Sounds like nothing much right? It had almost been the same over the past few years. At least there is not so much of having to smile at relatives who I am not really that familiar with.

Three Losses

The equation is now very simple. I lost three games. I need to win the remaining three games. If there is no upsets from the other matches involving other teams, I will qualify for the nationals still. If I do not qualify, I will most probably be out of job.

Hey... Life is so simple.

Old, aching and happy

I originally wanted to write this entry yesterday but when your whole body is aching and your hands shake when you take a pair of chopsticks, there is nothing better than getting some sleep to relieve the fatigue.

Gathered some of my ex-teammates to have a friendly with RH which hw is playing for. Managed to gather just enough guys in jq, tat, paul, lj, xd and me. Play about 5 or 6 sets, with jh, who is also in rh, playing for us in 2 of those sets. My conclusion from all the playing yesterday is that I am no longer fit to be a player, in terms of both mental and physical. I was there more or less to simply help out with RH in the preparation of IHG and have some playing time with the lads.

It was sometime back with I could play for 3 hours without feeling any significant aching in my body. Now, the effect is immediate.

Yes, I am old.

Losing again?

Been online for the past 2 hours doing practically nothing. Do not feel like studying, neither is it time to sleep yet. Most of my mine is occupied by the kids' match tommorrow, which is likely to be another defeat. Add that to the Monday defeat, it is going to be only 4 matches left which we can salvage anything this year.

Am I going to suffer the agony of bringing my 2nd team to defeat? Is it me or is it the school? Who can I blame this time round other than myself? It is really becoming a scary thought at knowing that most likely this team will not progress into the national stage.

So my track record is going to be proven. A losing coach. Am I still going to try for another year? I hope so. I cannot admit defeat like that.

There is still some fight left in me. Hope the kids do not disappoint me tommorrow... It is actually today.

There is something for me to prove.

Friday the thirteen

I did not realised yesterday was friday the thirteen until someone mentioned it late at night, when it was about to pass. The even more scarier thing was that yesterday night it was a full moon? So maybe we should expect werewolf or were-rabbits to appeal? In any case, it was not really a supposedly unlucky day for me, it just turn out to be pretty long.

Woke up to my brother's chatting with my mother in the middle of the night. The kind of noise level he was projecting his voice, anyone would have woken up. Waited for them to finally get tired and go to sleep before I had the whole living room to myself and time for some studying. But here comes the first unlucky thing (if you want to consider it so), I on my TV and it was "liang zhu", or butterfly lovers. An interesting show, so there goes one hour. The next hour came "pi li huo", which is a long Taiwan serial which I was watching when I was still NSF. But since I only started watching the show then more towards the ending of the whole serial, I found it interesting to watch the repeat which was a much more earlier episode. So there goes my next hour. I went back and caught some sleep after that. No studying done.

Just before I left for school, I asked my brother to borrow me my thumbdrive, (it sounds weird, it is my thumbdrive) (and here is the second) and he told me he lost it. Another search attempt only suceeded in me wasting my time and breadth on him. So I had to buy another thumbdrive for him, this time the cheapest on the shelf.

Reached school at eleven plus and wanted to print some notes. So I promptly downloaded the stuff and tried to print it from the printing room. To my astonishment (here comes the third), there was an error with my cashcard. I tried to print again after my lectures end at 4 but again it was another futile attempt. So I still have not got my notes printed.

The lectures today was all right, perhaps the more important thing was hearing the fixtures of my kids in between the lectures from Ms Toh. I got the sequence I wanted, the first 2 match against the stronger teams in the division which is all right even if we lose, then try to win the rest. It is one piece of news I wanted. But perhaps in a way, it also means I have to skip a certain number of lectures (number four) as all the matches falls on Mon or Fri, which will certainly clash with my lectures.

Went to watch RH vs KR after selling my soci textbook online and a short dinner with Lj. But an interesting thing to go with it. Hw was the one who wanted me to go and see his match and provide some advice during the game. So he called me when the match was supposed to start and I was at Lj's hall room (Eusoff) with him taking his stuff. Hw was like "Huh? You're playing for Eusoff?" Kind of remark when I told him I was at Eusoff at that time.

Watch the 2 games, RH vs KR and EU vs SH, both teams (here is number five) I support (because my junoir or ex teammates are there) lost. But it was all quite expected. The audience lineup was quite interesting though, with me managing to get Xd down for Lj's debut as libero, a ex hc junoir of me, a chs snr (not volleyball) who I got to know through the volleyball senoirs and an ex hc class mate of mine who was there to support her bf (KR). Spend more time talking to the latter as she was the only one all alone there and who knows nuts about volleyball.

Here comes number six. After the matches I rushed to queensway with Xd to pick up the jerseys for my kids. Kept going on the wrong roads and spent quite some time before finally reaching the place just in time before the shop closes. The return journey was reasonably smooth though.

Went back to Eusoff (Clarification: I do not live in hall) to do some service for Lj to practice his first balls. It feels really awkward for someone wearing jeans and slippers to appear out of no one and start to serve underhand floaters? But since my new year resolution is to be a good person, I will try to accede to people's request if it is within my ability.

Supper, which was after lj finally is done with his training, makes the start of the new day!

Tomorrow is another day.

My cousin's wedding

My cousin got married on the last weekend. She held two seperate church ceremonies and banquet in JB and somewhere near KL where his husband lives as the two place is really quite far. I only went for the one in JB as I was afraid I could not be on time for Monday's lesson, although I really wished I could be present because she was really close to me. She's something like an elder sister to me. I used to go over her house quite frequently during my younger days to just stay over for the holidays, and she will be talking to me, taking me to places, teaching me games. But as we grew older, she had to study and work, I had my own trainings and work to do, so went over lesser and lesser. But my respect for her remains no lesser. From young she almost single handedly took care of the entire household. Her mother left her father. (I am not sure if they divorce. I never asked anyone.) She is also the youngest among her siblings and the only female. So she was like taking care of the household chores, took care of her grandparents (until they passed away) and studying also. Mind you, she have a degree. She is really my idea of a perfect women, hardworking, filial, can handle household chores and work equally well. I sort of wanted to cry at the church but was busy clicking away with the camera. I'm sure she'll be a wonderful wife.

Have a blissful marriage!!!

2006

It is time for my yearly new year resolutions. I already forgot what I made for 2005, apart from two points which I did not acheive and will continue to list it here.

1: To be a better man.
2. To sleep 16 hours a day.
3. To be able to focus on studying thoughout the semester and not let my coaching interfere with my studying.
4. To make quick and decisive decisions.

We do not have to really acheive the new year resolutions right?
Then why make them in the first place?
Hmm...

Recap 2005

Time for me to note down what happened in general in the year that just gone past. Nothing exciting? Think so.

Jan-Feb: Participated in the interformation volleyball. Lost all games. Suffered my worst defeat I was ever involved in thoughout my life. 2-25, 1-25.

May: Became an adult. Received a armour's colour award for playing in the interformation games. Started my current coaching job.

June: ORD. Start of two months of civilian life before plunging back being a student.

July: Started work as a sales assistant at G2000.

Aug: Became a student. Left G2000.

Nov: First major examination in 3 years.

Nothing exciting? Yah. At least nothing really went too wrong.