Running The Marathon

After running 5 marathons, 3 half-marathons and countless races of 10km, you tend not to take your body for granted. This is due to the simple fact that at 34 years old, you understand that it is no longer as simple as a 18-year-old army guy clearing his 2.4km or SOC. I mean, 16 years ago, I thought my body was indestructible. I would be smashing my body on the ground, firing my machine-gun one day, clearing 2.4km within 9 minutes the next morning and finishing my SOC in 8 minutes by the evening, with no adverse effects whatsoever. Then, came the age factor. The other day, I got a bad flu and fever for 3 days. When I recovered and went back to my gym workout, my body ached so much so that I thought I had disintegrated!

Back to the races. Many of my peers and friends can never understand why I put myself through these torturous regime of exercises and running mileage. "Aiya! Reservist also finish already, no more IPPT already mah! You very free hor, got so much time to run here, run there." Free? I have to sweep the floor, mop it, clear my son's toys, wash and hang up the laundry at home as my CCA, go to work every day, help in my church as a volunteer on Saturdays and go to church on Sundays. Not to mention bringing my son to his child care, working late to finish my report and buying durian for my wife (that's another story by itself...)Fundamentals, my dear Watson. It's all about managing your time. And discipline. It is a routine for me to wake up at 5am in the morning, go for my 10km run and gym workout before starting work. I'm not trying to say that I'm a much superior being than you, but it's all about passion. I love the feeling of being one in a sea of runners, with one focus at the starting line: To cross the finishing line.

And the process. As you subject your body to the training, many times it's very boring and tiring. Perseverance and hard-core determination are needed. Well, I guess this is one very important trait to possess in life. For many people, quitting is the easiest thing to do. I believe that champions are people who never quit! Keep on keeping on!

2006 marathon. After the 30km mark, my entire legs felt like 2 pieces of metal lead. Hardened, stiff and unbelievably heavy. The cramps came and left for the last 3 hours. Along East Coast beach, the people were cheering us on, but I was so exhausted and in pain. I was walking. I saw many fellow runners stopping at the medical post, receiving treatment and going back by the ambulances. I was very tempted to call on the paramedics and hitched a ride on the many medical vehicles that were on standby. "Come on, Andy! You can do it for teacher! Let's go! Don't stop! You can do it, Andy!" I turned my head to see a lady running along side a rather odd-looking boy. "Hmmph... Hmmph..." he grunted, as he ran on awkwardly. I didn't understand until I saw their bright yellow T-shirt. "In support of Special Education... Because I am special!" They ran past me, and a surge of energy and motivation arose within me. "Come on, Danny! Don't give up on me now, you hear! You will finish this race. That boy and his teacher didn't give up, and you will not quit this race!" I finished that marathon in 4 hours 25 minutes. I received education from a Special Education student and his teacher: Never Give Up!

2005 Half-marathon. At the last 2km mark, I was slowing down a lot as I climbed a slope. I could not really recall the location, but there was this army guy struggling along. "Come on, soldier! You don't quit on me at the last 2 click! Let's go!" I shouted at him. "Sir, my legs are very painful, in serious cramp," he gasped in between his breath. "You don't know anything about pain, soldier! They don't exist! You will race me to the finishing line, now!"I shouted back. We crossed the finishing line together and I hugged him. I don't even know him, have never met him before and have not seen him since, but at that moment, a bond like no other existed. There are no strangers, just friends we have not met. And these 2 new-found friends finished the race.

For every race that I run in, I always bring back with me a learning point or lesson. This is the reason why I will always continue to run. Life is a journey of lessons. We never stop learning.

Friends: The Trilogy

The next few minutes seemed like centuries. Our civics tutor [form teacher lah, but as u know, in JC, they tend to technicalise everything... Prefects are known as School Counsellors (who do they counsel anyway, their blazer and tie?... Class Monitors are known as Class Rep (what? an MC Hammer in class?) I bet they called our toilet cleaners Hygiene and Sanitary Specialists... anyway, back to our story... ] was informed, principal was notified, ambulance was activated, students were evacuated & I felt executed!

Everybody debated on how Thian Cheng got on top of the entire class and hall, and how he fell down (if u r lost, that means u've got to read my previous entries. This is the third instalment, or Trilogy of Friends, dude!). It seemed that everyone had their own theory, but only I alone knew the answer. The paramedics came and my friend was stretchered off with my form teacher accompanying him in the ambulance. I remained silent. That night, I dreamt of Judgement Day, and how I would be condemned... It was not a dream or nightmare, I reckoned it would be my portion. I was a killer! A murderer of my friend!

Newspaper across the nation would scream out:

"Man-slaughter! JC Boy kills friend in school!"

The next dawn, with legs as heavy as lead, I dragged them to school. After the flag raising ceremony, Mr Govindarasu (don't even try pronouncing it), our Principal, said something about students going into prohibited places in the school and abusing them, so much so that there was a case of a JC1 boy going into an air-con housing unit, and jumping off the roof of the lecture theatre. He also said that it was very fortunate that the boy only sustained a fractured hip bone. A fractured hip bone! So, friend was still alive! I didn't hear what else he said, but it was not important. Thian Cheng was alive! I did not kill him. Miss Liew, my form teacher! I had to talk to her to gather more details. She must know, because she followed him to the hospital.

"Alexandra Hospital, Ward XX, Bed XX (how do you expect me to remember the ward and bed number, it's almost 2 decades ago, man!). Anyway, he's ok. Had a small cut on his forehead, but he shattered his hip bone. Guess he would need two to three months to fully recover, with clutches and a lot of help. I did told him off though, he had no business going up the roof of the LT. He said that he was curious. Well, curiosity killed the cat, and he's lucky he wasn't killed!"said Ms Liew. Curious? Thian Cheng didn't even mention my name?

And so, the next few weeks saw me going in and out of Alexandra Hospital. As a visitor, I did more than that. I brought lecture notes, homework, worksheets, biscuits, food and drinks daily. I was eternally grateful to Thian Cheng for not even mentioning that it was me who locked him in, and I was determined to make whatever restitution to repay his kindness. Not only didn't he blame me, Thian Cheng said that it was his foolishness to try to 'escape' by going through the roof. Well, one thing's for sure: My friend brought the roof down, and I guess he pulled down my conscience as well

The X-ray of his hip bone resembled that of a jigsaw puzzle: totally shattered! As he slowly rebuilt back his life, I made it a point to be with him. His first steps using the clutch, going back to school, taking the bus... For three months, I carried his bag and held his ring folder, as he 'walked' in his clutches. Our friendship gelled together even stronger. After he recovery, I no longer made fun of him, I supported him. I no longer took him for granted, I appreciated him.

After our A Levels, we went our separate ways due to our National Service. A couple of years ago, I read in the newspaper that Mr Oei Thiam Seng was voted 'The Best Teacher' in a primary school! Way to go, Buddy!

Friends 2: The Story Continues...

And so, I was in college, misty-eyed for the first 3 months, as I struggled to live with my Wei Nan's demise (u've got to read my previous entry to follow my story, dude... :) Anyway, I did badly for my first year, just managed to squeeze pass my Promo by the skin of my teeth... Then, this geek appeared in my life...

Skinny, wearing a pair of big and brown spectacles, always carrying his green Umbro haversack (Man, how i miss carrying these Umbro haversacks, which we used to carry just by one side. Hey, it's not easy, you know, and you need technique for that, ok, if not it'll just slide off your shoulder as you run for the bus) and black, thick ring file was this bookworm. Of course, this time round I knew his name. Oei Thiam Seng, or Thian Cheng. The reason that I hooked up with him was due to the basic instinct of College Survival. Definitely not for physical protection. Yes, you guessed it... it was purely academic.

Econs (economics), Accounts, Management of Business, A Maths, C Maths, F Maths, XYZ Maths... whatever letter, whatever subject, you name it, he excelled in it! And so, I found myself with him in the library, studying! I knew I had to stay with him more than my Rugby or Gym buddies, because they didn't have The Sports School back then!

Anyway, it was fun hanging out with him because I'm always the one to make fun of him. I had him at my beck and call, and for some strange reason, despite all my 'bullying', he stuck with me, and I took him for granted until one day...

It was an ordinary day, full of lectures and tutorials. Lecture Theatre 1, or LT 1 was the mass lecture hall back in JJ then. Big and tall, and it was capable of holding 2 to 300 students at one go (Ok, ok i know... But 17 years ago, that was huge lah!) Anyway, some of my pals had this air-con housing unit above LT1 that was big enough to house 4 man and a mahjong table. It was an exclusive thing, as not many people know of this cove, where illegal pleasures of every sort took place there. But of course, membership has its priviledges. Feeling bored that day, I took Thian Cheng's hand and brought him to this cove, despite his unwillingness. Hey! Stop your imagination! I'm not gay lah!

So, we are standing outside this 'exclusive cave' and Thian Cheng was in awe! He had never known that such an oasis existed in campus. As soon as he went in, I shut the door and locked him in! As it was a one-way latch, my friend is caged in, with no way of escape!

I was laughing all the way, as I made my way down to LT1 for my lecture. Thian Cheng would have a bird's eye view of the entire LT from where he is. Man, he's the top student of the class today!

As I opened the door of the LT, it happened! First the sound of the ceiling crumbling, then a figure crashed out! 5 storeys! I tried to imagine that I was watching a movie of Jackie Chan jumping down from the roof, but he was no Jackie Chan! Like what lasted an eternity, he landed! On the steps, and then he tumbled down! Screams and chaos erupted in the hall! My jaws stayed open, in locked position. Blood, it was the blood. First, from his head, then it covered his face.

Friends...

"Friends"... a term we use very loosely. School mates, Uni friends, poly course mates, church mates, colleagues, neighbours, army platoon mates are just some of the people that fall into this category.

My earliest impression of a friend was a primary school mate. He was a few years older than me, bought food for me (I was still a Pri 1 freshie then), taught me how to catch grasshoppers and spiders and house them in matchboxes. I had the time of my life with him, as we hunted in the forested area at the back of our kampong school for prey to play. Before I knew it, the school was demolished to make way for a modernized Singapore and he disappeared from my life. His lanky body, fair skin and a loud laugh were the only attributes I remembered about him. I didn't even know his name. I always called him, "Big Brother" in Mandarin.

My next image of a friend came in the form of a big-sized, loud and funny guy in Pri 2 (I think...). He was a popular boy even before his first decade of existence. For some unknown reason, he liked to tease and make fun of me and I liked to be bullied by him. We made a great couple. More then the bullying, I found myself relating to him more and more. This time round, I made sure I knew his name in case he disappeared again. And so, Wei Nan and me had this friendship that lasted right through primary school into secondary education. I had less freedom because my father monitored my movement after school very closely, which I absolutely detested. Wei Nan, on the other hand, had more freedom and was more streetwise than me. Whenever I had the chance, he would bring me swimming along West Coast beach, which is now closed off. Well, we were very close, seeing each other grow up, from kid-hood right up to teen-hood. Exchanging papers during tests (he was very good in Chinese, while I 'specialised' in English), showing off our "stead", going for tea-dance (hey! don't laugh! That was the in-thing then, ok...) were just some of the many things we enjoyed doing together. It was not to be eternal, but I really thought that this friendship was. Until after the 'O' Levels, that as I left him to go study in JJC, we still stayed in contact as he enrolled in a Pre-U centre.

Events took a drastic turn . Very soon, I found myself visiting him in hospital every other day. I remembered very vividly, the Man in White said that it was cancer. First of the skin, then of the bone... It was beyond my comprehension, but when I saw my burly buddy reduced to an emaciated piece of skeleton, I understood. I cried and held his bony hands. I attended the wake 1 week later... Once more, my friend had left me. The difference was, this time round, I knew his name.

Birthdays!

Birthdays are sacred days, agree? Not that it's mine this month, but I've made a commitment to remember as many as I can (& trust me, the number's not impressive 'cos I've to make sure I remember my wife's!) So, to all my friends reading this blog, read on...

People make it a yearly ritual to strive and receive as many gifts and attention upon themselves on their sacred day as possible, and woe to those who disappoint them! This poor soul who happen to forget their sacred day shall be subjected to much gnashing of teeth!

After 34 birthdays, I'm not much the wiser than you, but I did learn a few things in the process. The most significant being: you cannot be responsible for somebody else's action, in this case it's mis-action, or inaction... whatever... you know what I mean? So, the next time your friend forgets your b-day, don't make it a d-day for them... By doing so, you not only lose that poor soul, you condemn him or her to a lifetime of damnation & you subject yourself to a lifetime of anger! Triple whammy!

The other day, Daniel (my 3.5 year-old son) came back from his child care centre one day, and very happily showed me a goody bag consisting of titbits, drinks and stationery. "Daddy, daddy! Today friend Grace bird-day. Friend give me present!" he proclaimed. What a mind-blowing concept! Friend bird-day and friend gave ME present! We should take a leaf out of these kids' book! Give your friends present when it's your birthday! & you know something, these kids read books of the very basic-est level at Nursery class. Maybe, just maybe, we should go back to reading Nursery books...

I'm still trying to comprehend this new concept, but in the meantime, I've spent my 34th birthday 2 months ago running 10km on Sentosa's beach, alone...

The Circle Of Life

It's called A Life Cycle...

The Mosquito has one consisting of 4 stages:
Egg, Larva, Pupa & the Adult stage.

The ever-present Cockroach has one in 3 stages:
Egg, Nymph & the Adult.

Well, this is mine. 3.5 years ago, I procreated one in the form of Daniel, and I must say that my junior has taught me more about LOVE than anybody else. For starters, I found out that having a Father's Heart is easier said than done. And you know what's the fun thing, even after 3.5 years, I've only just begun...

Genesis

Being born in the early 70s when the Americans were pulling out of Vietnam and the Middle East had just finished a 6-Day War, does put some perspective into your life. I never understood why manKIND would resort to such UNKIND acts towards each other.

As a child engaged in the growth process, my family didn't had much positive input upon me too. My mother and us (my 2 younger sisters and me) struggled against my father, and ultimately regained our state of freedom in the form of separation from him.

I understood that FREEDOM means that somebody has to make SACRIFICES... Wouldn't you agree?

My View

Well, what can i say...?

After being in existence on this planet for 1 score, 1 decade & 4 years, one does acquire some experience. The Good, the Bad & the Ugly...

I have no intention of sounding pessimistic, rather the reverse is true. I strive to achieve optimism in all that I perceive. Life is full of paradoxes, wouldn't you agree? For those of us who loves durians (by the way, I absolutely detest them), these 'delicious' Kings of Fruit are encased by thorny barriers to keep intruders out. Roses despite their beauty, have hindrances in the form of thorns. Success is often the result of many failures.

To love, one has to make sacrifices. The ultimate LOVE was demonstrated when the ultimate SACRIFICE was made!