Parrying

Today, for fencing, we watched a no. of videos of fencing competitions. Well, was informed that half of the world champions are left-handers! Hopefully I can be outstanding too. :)

Anyway, after the videos, we learnt a bit of parrying. There's this 6, 4, 7, 8 number system in parrying. Don't ask me how it's done, but had difficulty trying to remembering the numbers & associating them to the actions. Must we remember the numbers? Can the action just occur spontaneously? Hence, trying to say the numbering & do the action caused me to be slower.

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Have been contemplating if I should continue fencing or archery after this 8 weeks of lessons. Well, fencing will let me work out more, but need stamina & speed. Wonder if I can achieve that.

New project, new excitement

I've just been included in a big project as an extended team member which means a new interest! And it's something I'm passionate about.

I'm involved in a heritage campaign, where Singapore heritage is part of my passion. Finally, I'm doing something more meaningful since a long time and I can be excited about something, with people who really take this aspect seriously! Well, the part I'm doing (as an extended team member) is not exactly the exciting part (which is basically my current not-so professional job scope), but I feel happy just to be part of the project, something different from my day-to-day work, or rather, in a new setting.

After all, I think only passion is driving me on in my area, not to mention my desire to develop other professional skills eventually.

The change in me

I think that working life has made me more skeptical of people.

In the past, I was convinced that no matter how "atrocious" a person was, there must be something good in him/her. I even advised my friend(s) that always look at the strengths of your friends, and this will make the weaknesses lesser and more acceptable.

Nowadays, somehow seeing the people around me (not all though), I will always jump to the negative side of the person in question, and convincing myself the person is not that bad is not that easy anymore.

And I complain a lot more now.

Have I changed? Or is reality biting at me? Or is my faith is not strong enough? Am I getting really selfish?

"Battle" wound

Talking about gentlemanly behaviour, let's talk about the gentleman sport, fencing.

I sustained my first injury...and it's not by the weapon (sword)!


We were practising the importance of priority in foil sparring (you need to show your priority to get your point), hence the instructor gave us gloves to try to hit each other's shoulders (got to partner someone) with the gloves. Priority means showing that you're the one who attacked first.
I managed 2 hits/points with this person, but got this wound after I scored 1 of the points; after I hit, she did a flick of the glove (reflex action) resulting in this welt (probably from the velcro).
Fortunately, it didn't hit my face.

Anyway, I scored the victory. :)

Hope for Singapore's men

There's yet hope for Singaporean men for being gentlemanly (sorry, so far I don't have a good impression of them, given their "performance" on public transport especially, and around).

Yesterday, after a meeting, I went to HQ to do some remote accessing of my email before my fencing class. I was carrying my handbag & a big bulky plastic bag (with my shoes & exercise attire) and digging for my access card to open the main door of the office. Unexpectedly, a colleague working there (he was walking towards the door from behind) said, "Don't worry about it, I'll use my access card (or did he say I'll open it?)".
Think I was caught off-guard (& maybe surprised by this act - this shows my poor impression of Singaporean men/male colleagues), hence I only said "oh, thanks". After that, owing to my poor reaction at that point, I felt I should have turned & smiled at him to say thanks again (now I'm the ungracious one). Too late now.

Hopefully, we'll see more of such people around.

Forbidden City

Went to watch Forbidden City: Portrait of an Empress last night. It was very good! The music (although some parts sounded familiar...similar tunes in other SRT productions, I guess), the storyline, the cast were good. I found myself relating to the show, evoking many emotions as the story developed. The atrocities of the ang mohs (ok, I don't have anything against them...more because of the history), the internal conflicts of power, the possible misunderstandings. Not that I'm very well versed in China's history, but from the show, if Prince Tun & Cixi had worked together from the beginning, they would have been a powerful force as their characters are similar; one driven by love for the empire/country, the other driven by love for her family; the never giving up, etc.
The show also saw how people only wanted to see & hear what they wanted to see & hear, and the possible effects of unethical journalism.

Definitely worth a watch.

technorati tags: Forbidden City, Kit Chan, Cixi

Am I a professional?

I feel I'm not really a librarian but more like a liaison officer. What I'm doing is more of coordinating the flow of things & little of selection and the like.

I want to do cataloguing! I want to do proper collection development! I don't find myself picking up professional skills & even if I go for courses, I don't get to apply or practise them!


Technorati tags: cataloguing, collection development

Left-handed, right-eyed

I discovered at my 2nd archery class yesterday that I have a right master eye, which means I can aim better with my right eye than my left eye. But i'm left-handed, which theoretically, I should aim with my left eye! So am contemplating if I should continue using the bow for left-handers or change to a right-handed bow. If I use the left-handed bow, I would have to train my left eye to focus. If otherwise, I would need to train my right arm to draw the string.

Hmm...

Fencing workshop

Yes! Today I had my 1st fencing class! It was cool! Not to mention the instructor was not bad-looking...haha... :P Anyway, he had actually won 2 bronze medals at the SEA Games.

It's another recreation activity arranged by my organisation. This time it was taught by a instructor from the Blade Club. We were taught some theory, and some footwork. Basically, you've got to keep your body straight, your feet in a L-shape position, your arms lifted & to keep your legs bent. Being the first day, our bodies were not tuned to this yet, so I'm expecting some aches tomorrow. This will be a good workout for my thighs man. And probably a more toned body! However, we will only get suited up on the last lesson, which is 7 weeks later!

What we'll be using is the foil (which is the weapon lah). This is sort of like the "beginner's" weapon I think. The other 2 types are the épée (pronounced "epp-pay") & the sabre. There are different sparring rules for each weapon.

Next week, we'll still practise on the footwork & doing thrusting. Think I will need to get a pair of track shoes.


Technorati tags: Fencing (sports), SEA games

Dose of Sports

Yesterday, I started my 8-week archery course. It was actually arranged by my organisation as part of some staff recreation initiative, so the committee arranged for instructors from the Kebun Baru Archery Club to teach us.

The 1st lesson was more like a refresher course for me. I'd actually did a one-day course back in JC when I was in my JC's ODAC (yup, some of my peers can't really visualise me as part of that ECA now...haha...don't look the outdoor or adventurous kind). Of course, being the only left-hander at the course, I got to use the same bow almost throughout.

Anyway, it was quite fun. At least I hit the board all the time & not letting the arrow whizz over it & hit the wall behind. However, wasn't quite good at aiming, think the closest I ever got to the bull's eye was the the 3rd ring. Anyway, I couldn't adjust the sight, & I guess there was a parallax error from my end, so ...
Well, the instructor said he will start teaching us how to do targeting next week...how to offset (???) and after that, how to adjust the sight. Hope I'll do better next week!

Did I tell you I'm starting fencing tomorrow? ;P


Technorati tag: archery, Kebun Baru Archery Club