My Knee Hurts

I had a 5km run this morning.

Tried to run about 10km later in the evening. Ended up walking after the 5km mark.

My knee hurts on the postero-lateral aspect especially on flexion of the knee. I think its my iliotibial band being really sore. Sigh. Looks like I got to lay off the running a little.

The Serengeti

There is a place on Earth where it is still the morning of life and the great herds still run free

This line echoed round the hall while images of the great African plain appeared in front of our eyes. I rubbed my eyes.... and confirmed what I saw, or was I there?

Fran and I dropped by the Omnimax Theatre at the Singapore Science Centre after a long hiatus. The last show we watched there was Journey of Man by Cirque du Soleil.

What did we catch? The IMAX movie: The Serengeti caught our eye with an ad in the newspapers. This is the official synopsis

James Earl Jones narrates this stunning, award-winning IMAX film that explores the natural beauty and timeless cycles of Africa's Serengeti plains. The highlight is a spectacle that few humans have witnessed--the great migration--during which 2 million wildebeests, zebras and antelope travel over 500 miles across the plains.

With the promise of such a spectacle, how can we miss such a show? This was also a good opportunity for us to relive our trip to Kenya and Tanzania in 2005/2006. We had a short 3 day Safari after our climb to Mount Kilimanjaro. The Serengeti plains, Ngorongoro Crater and Olduvai Gorge were just some of the places we visited and was also mentioned in the movie.



Director: George Casey

Writers: George Casey
Mose Richards

Release: 1994

Runtime: 40 min

Try it....you will be stunned and awed at the spectacle of life.

Ancient Words

There are songs which have a pleasant tune and may even be catchy enough for you to hum along to. And then there are those that entice you to look at the words that accompany the tune. These words mean so much and each time you meditate on the words, you gain so much...

I first heard this this during my Rite of Christian Initiation (RCIA) class during the presentation of the Bible to the inquirers. Take some time to mull over what it says.

Enjoy

Ancient Words

Holy words long preserved
For our walk in this world,
They resound with god's own heart
Oh, let the ancient words impart.

Words of life, words of hope
Give us strength, help us cope
In this world, where e'er we roam
Ancient words will guide us home.

Chorus:
Ancient words ever true
Changing me, and changing you.
We have come with open hearts
Oh let the ancient words impart.

Holy words of our faith
Handed down to this age.
Came to us through sacrifice
Oh heed the faithful words of christ.

Holy words long preserved
For our walk in this world.
They resound with god's own heart
Oh let the ancient words impart.

Chorus x4

We have come with open hearts
Oh let the ancient words impart.

C to C Roll

I started off my rolls with this particular version. The C-C action made me feel it was easier to get myself up. However, I personally found that I was using a little too much force to get myself righted up in the kayak.

However, this is relatively easy to grasp and learn as someone starting out to learn your rolls.

the lonely planet story

This is a good to read book if you are one of the faithful Lonely Planet users in your travels. If you use t he others like Fodors or A Rough Guide, then you may be less inclined to do so.

This is The story as told by the founders of the Lonely Planet about how a newly married couple, adventurously backpacked across Asia to land in Australia with 27 cents between them. With such a financial situation, most would have thrown in the towel to settle on a more stable lifestyle.

The following description on how they had to live almost hand to mouth, scrimp and save to ensure some semblance of financial security yet having the dream to put their love for travelling and adventure to good use and put effort into an idea, yet untested.

The second half then goes on to detail the role of the travel writers and the relations between the work produced and the company as it grew from a small set up into a global office and a force to be reckoned with in the travel publishing business.

the lonely planet story
Tony and Maureen Wheeler
Published 2005
Periplus Editions
ISBN-13: 978-0-7946-0478-3

An Overview of the Kayak Roll

I stumbled upon a few very instructive videos with regards to the kayak roll or 'Eskimo' roll as most people would know it by.

In my opinion here, the explanation is lucid and demonstration effective. The theory presented is sound and it makes you feel the need to jump into a pool to try what has just been presented.

For those who are into paddle sports... just a teaser for you all. Enjoy!

Wisper

Sounds like an advertisement for women's sanitary napkins. Rest assured, this is not about it!

I have decided on my kayak. After making tentative inquiries with dealers and evaluating both the features of the kayak as well as the depth of my pocket. I have finally come to a conclusion.

Having said that, it was by no means easy coming to the decision. The main difficulties were with the kayak itself. A host of questions had to be answered: hard shell vs foldable; length; model/brand were all considerations. The one which caught my eye the most were the Feathercraft boats, due to their portability and consistent reviews of seaworthiness. Fears of tracking and speed compared to their hard shell counterparts were slowly but surely dispelled by the many favourable reports for the foldables. After all, the physics was sound. The oft cited weakness in the foldable structure may actually act to absorb more of the wave energy thrown at the boat, allowing it to cope better with choppy sea states.

Feathercraft has a few models available. Earlier one, I had my eye on the Khatsalano, a greenland styled kayak. However, the price made the boat quite out of reach and if you noticed, it has been a while since I've revisited the issue of owning my own boat.

Here is where the Wisper comes in. It is a cross between the Khat and one of their other models. It maintains the Greenland style characteristics but in a slightly shorter package with a wider beam.

The most important thing...is the freedom the craft will allow. Paddling anytime, anywhere and being to camp out to explore the remote reaches of our island home. The possibilities are endless. I just cannot wait. Await the next post when I announce its arrival. Now I need a name for her....suggestions?

Dinner tonight

I had a nice home cooked meal tonight. The spread was good and the smell coming from the kitchen after my run was enough to make my stomach rumble in anticipation.

Soup:
Cream of Mushroom

Main:
Grilled Ribeye Steak

Sides:
Baked potato
Steamed corn with butter
Steamed carrot
Sauteed mushroom

and topped of with COKE!!!

The steak was tender and just rightly medium rare... the baked potato was nice with the bacon bits and sour cream but the one that really takes the cake was the steamed carrots. Amazingly soft and sweet, just the way I like it.

My fascination with soft carrots started when I first tasted carrots in New Zealand. We signed up for a traditional Hangi during our stay in Rotorua. A Hangi is the traditional meal of the Maori with food cooked in the traditional style of shoving food in a hole in the ground heated by hot coals.

Now I have a Singaporean version... Thanks Fran

What is this For?

Just what is this thing for?



I have finally found it ...rather Fran found it for me.

This is the little brush used to apply shaving cream to the face before a shave. The last time we saw this was in a pharmacy in Paris and it was priced at about 20 euros. This one was bought at the very affordable price of SGD 2

Why the obsession with this brush? Because I think it is very quaint to use a piece of equipment like this and since I have little facial hair, I do not have to use it during my shaving. Therefore, it is going to be used to clean and dust my photographic and electronic equipment. The bristles are stiff enough to get at dust in odd corners yet soft enough not to scratch or damage delicate equipment.

What a find.....

Mountain Feet

My new boots are here!

I have just test run my mountaineering boots which arrived in Singapore last Saturday. After much deliberation, I decided on a pair of Koflach Arctis Expe plastic mountaineering boots.

Due to my upcoming trip to Elbrus, Russia ... I started thinking about getting my own pair of plastic boots after having a not so pleasant experience with renting boots from the agency.. However, the price was definitely a prohibitive factor coupled with the fact that I will not climb more than 1-2 times a year on snow and ice. After speaking to more people, I finally made the decision to do so to ensure the best possible experience and also as an investment for my interest in mountaineering.

So why a Koflach? Simply because it is plastic and this particular model is rated for the lowest temperature by any manufacturer. Also, the bright yellow colour of the boot is irresistible.

Here is a write up on the boots and the specifications:

The warmest boot made. We designed the Arctis Expe to conquer serious expeditions outside the lower 48.

It's also a great choice for technical ice climbing and general mountaineering.

Through Y-Technology, the lower part of the shell provides rock-solid stability with step-in crampons, while the upper part of the shell flexes nicely for hiking.

Expedition: Excellent
Vertical Ice: Excellent
Hiking: Very Good

Size: U.S. 5.5-13
Weight: 2,490g (U.S. size 9)
Hinge: Vario
Sole: Vibram
Lacing: Steel Ball
Shell: Y-Technology (dual density)

I bought the boot from REI and costs SGD 524.90

After a session of stair climbing to test run the boots, the review of the boots is a resounding GREAT! My initial fears that the size will not accurate were unfounded as the US 8 fitted snugly with a thin inner sock and wool outer sock. Though stiff, the dual density plastic offered flexibility and a greater degree of ankle movement without causing too much discomfort.

I can't wait to test it out in the snow and I think it will go very well with a pair of crampons....sigh more money.

Happy 1st Month Joelle

My niece celebrated her 1st month amongst many friends and family yesterday, 8 April 07.

This is what we got our dear niece



This was from a very nice UK company which sells really cute and educational stuff. Check out their range of stuff.

Check elc out

Check out photos of her ... here

5th Landy Improvement

The latest in the line of Miss Daisy improvements...

A spanking new Safety Devices Land Rover Roofrack installed on 4 April 2007.

This was a day after I got a call from Nam Seng informing me that the roof rack had reached our shores. Therefore, after mulling about it for a day or tow, decided to take a look at it and finally make a decision. One of the most difficult things to resolve was the fact that after installation, Miss Daisy may not fit into our own multi-storey carpark.

The rack was big, black and a beauty...even in the box. It was sleek and it was the original Land Rover G4 roof rack. The lower, sleeker profile boasts minimal addition to the overall height of the vehicle. RIchard assured us that after adding the roof rack, 2.15m carparks should pose no difficulty.

Installation was a breeze, the rack fitting easily onto the rain gutter and clamping it down to the vehicle with rubber clamps. All in all, it too about 30-45 minutes to fit and secure the rack to Miss Daisy. The weight was surprisingly light and it could not have weighed more than 20kg.

The only drawback was the price which was quite hefty at $2400. Considering that the rack would have cost about 600 pounds and taking into account conversion rates and shipping charges, I felt it was a fair price albeit a little steep.

Land Rover Defender Expedition Roof Rack
LR 004101
SGD 2400

PS: I still park in my own carpark

See how Miss Daisy looks with the rack.














This was how she looked without the rack.......



See My Flickr for more photos.

Dive Pulau Aur 30 Mar - 1 Apr 2007

Just came back from a weekend of underwater adventure. It is almost an annual pilgrimage to the underwater realm since my last dive was last in April 06 in Thailand. I was fortunate to be invited for this trip by David and gang, otherwise I would not have found the time or energy to plan a trip for myself.

It has been an interval of 8 years since last dived at the Aur region. The last time was in 1999 when I did my Open water certification. That trip, we stayed on Pulau Dayang, just a channel width away.

So our merry gang of 5: Myself, David, Teck Hwee, Kian Tak and Ruifang assembled at The Riverwalk Building on 30 March at 1900 hrs. The dive company this occasion was Friendly Waters Seasports. It was a PADI certified dive centre. There were a few groups gathered that night, some recreational while others were on a rescue diver course.

After some brief administrative details, we were on our way north once again. We arrived at the jetty at Tanjong Leman at about 2330 hrs. We boarded the Samudera Quest for the painfully slow ride to Aur. Arrival at Divers’ Lodge was at 0430 hrs. The boat moored at a floating platform that doubled up at a charging station and a sampan ferry service was required to get to Lodge.

Accomodation was comfortable with Teck Hwee, David and I sharing a room. There was a double decker bed which proved adequate for the three of us. The condition of the room was clean but bare. Small gaps in the wooden floorboard enabled us to see through below. Tak and Ruifang took the adjacent room. Each chalet had 2 rooms and the chalets were scattered on the face of the slope that rose steeply from the water’s edge. Wooden paths and staircases connected the different chalets from the dining area and dive centre.

In all, we had a total of 5 dives. 3 on 31st and 2 on 1st April morning. On the first day, the weather took a turn for the worse during the surface interval after the 3rd dive. Being lazy and not wanting to brave the cold and wetness, we opted to skip the night dive in exchange for a nice warm bath and clean dry clothes. The next morning’s dawn dive was at the unearthly hour of 0700 hrs. The skies too opened after the morning dive and the 2nd dive of the day started off with a whole boat of half clothed divers, huddling and shivering on the boat enroute to the dive site.

Overall, the food was good with a BBQ dinner on the first night. It was a pity the rain came and dampened the festive mood and all of us had to rush to get our food out of the wet rain. Food and drink was always available between dives and always much appreciated, especially the piping hot maggi noodles on day 1.

The difference between this and the other trips I’ve been on? I got myself an underwater housing for the digital camera and therefore, you will be able to at least share in the view of the world underwater.

See here for dive photos.

In all, a satisfying and good trip. as discussed, a dive every 4-6 months will be a good interval for us who are not fanatics, but still wish to keep in touch with a sport that opens a whole new world to us. Till the next dive!

My Mum's Cuisine

Dinner tonight was at My Mum's Cuisine. This was chanced upon while scouting around the basement of Paragon for a suitable dinner spot.

What struck was the Peranakan type decor with oldne mosaic tiles lining the outlet. Another thing that caught my eye was the three chicken hanging in the display. Suddenly, pangs of hunger struck. I grabbed the wife and whisked her into the restaurant.

While humble and olden looking, the prices of the dishes was anything but humble. Though not exorbitant, it was not quite the price one would expect to pay for the fare offered. The menus showed semblances of a Peranakan menu but closer inspection revealed otherwise. There was quite a wide selection of food but I settled for a Fried Seafood Tang Hoon($8) while Fran picked the Fried Bee Hoon with Soft Shell Crab ($15). We actually wanted the Sayur Lodeh but it was unavailable so we settle for a sambal kang kong ($6) and a bowl of double boiled watercress soup ($5).

The portions served was not generous but adequate and surprisingly filling. Taste was good and therefore made the price of the meal a lot more palatable. One would be inclined to come back again but having more people would allow us to order more of the a la carte dishes.

If you are keen, here is the locale

Paragon Orchard
#B1 - 42/43
+65 6734 5990