Volleyball 2014

I supposed volleyball is a game which can be considered a game I picked up seriously in adulthood. I have always enjoyed games. Over the years, I actually became quite good in the game. Being a badminton player and also endowed with good arm strength gave me an advantage of powerful serves. It used to be the only thing I could contribute to the team. I would go in for the service and be promptly replaced after that. But even then, service was more of brute strength without the finesse of control.

But over the years too, due to the encouragement and support of friends I improved. My friends put up with my very basic skills and tolerated the mistakes I made in the game. Not wanting to disappoint them, I bought a ball and dug against the wall. And there was one year when guidance from a young friend honed my digging skills. I continued to improve.

The teachers have their own sporting event and that became my bench mark. I took part as and when I could. There were some years when we participated and other years when we would just not. One thing though, coming together was always nice. Over the years too, I learned many lessons of life from there. Some of us have been playing together for a long time. Friendships grew.

I think it is probable that many find it hard to imagine why a bunch of ladies, ranging from 24 to 50 plus; in this age where we seem to do everything we can to keep our skin blemish free, go under the hot 3.30 afternoon sun, disregarding the tan which will definitely occur to play an outdoor game of volleyball. The same group too would brave the evening thunderstorm and resume play after the rain had stopped. Or dealing with the bruises, cuts and muscular pains during and after the game. Many of our spouses just cannot understand why we 'torture' ourselves too.

Yet for the many of us who are reaching our 50s, we have been pleasantly surprised by what we still find ourselves able to do. And that is why I believe sports is good. It builds resilience. It teaches a thing or two about life. It enables us to allow the kid in us to come out and play. In a game like volleyball, it is about being a team player too. No one player should be jaded. We cover and bear each other's mistakes. We encourage and pick each other up. We play the roles assigned to our best ability. And learn to grit our teeth and plod on when the going gets tough.... together. And we learn to take the mistakes one member makes as a team.

I think many of us, as we grow older, we tend to have a mindset how we should 'behave', that we should behave our age.... We should not. Mindsets should not be static. Retesting old limits, setting new ones and testing them... All these are good for us, regardless of our age. It keeps us young in the mind and heart. It teaches us a thing or two about being flexible and malleable. It is actually lifelong learning at its best.

One week being out of school has its merits too. I think schools should encourage teachers to continue to be involved in 'co-curricular' activities too. It makes us better teachers cos staying just within the walls of a classroom sometimes is sterile too. Academic prowess is mainly theory with no practice. It puts ideas into our heads with no practice. And sometimes it makes us behave as though as we know everything. We don't.

I am glad I still can play. I am playing my best volleyball. I am learning new skills which I never imagined possible. My friend says the same too. Ageing is no excuse for not learning.... There will no doubt be physical limitations which only the young can break but there are always new things for each of us too.

We won but the highlights of this season... I met up with a young lady I used to carry when she was a toddler. Her mother was one of the people who watched out for me as a rookie teacher. She is my equal now. Leya, as she is fondly known to us.... Without volleyball, it would not have been possible to reconnect. Another highlight... I can still pack power in my serve. I served a couple of aces which made a difference to the outcome. Plus, I can finally feel the game. My team mates no longer need to cover my mistakes. I can hold my own.... and cover my team mates too. But the best of it all remain this... the people I met. The stories and struggles that some have gone through, of grit and resilience, they remain the most priceless.

 

PBS..

A while ago when the MOE proposed that exams be abolished and be replaced with the PBS (School Based Assessment, I thought it was a good idea. Almost a year on, am not so sure any more. The Form 1s are not supposed to have any exams and I think it might not be the best thing for them. The class assessment somehow isn't quite the same. Teenagers ought to get used to being challenged... and I think PBS doesn't quite do that. There is no real sense of achievement attached to it.

I am beginning to feel that it's UPSR which should have been abolished and not the PMR. Teenagers are not like younger kids. They need to be pushed. Not having exams at primary level might be better cos it removes the pressure of scoring 'As'. It gives teachers more breathing room to inculcate the love for learning; although we need really good teachers to do that.

I think many parents might be waking up to a nightmare of sorts when their kids get to Form 5. Cos that's when they're going to find out how inadequate their kids are.

Assessments are good. It's just that after looking at how everyone has been rushing through them this year has made me realise that the teachers seem more concerned about making sure the evidence that the assessments have been carried out are there. After all, when audit is carried out, that would be how they measure the running of the PBS.

The preliminary National Education Blueprint has noted that only 50% of the lessons delivered are not done in an effective manner. I've been wondering what constitutes 'effective' the last couple of weeks. Information is readily available. The Internet made sure of that. Lessons come into our homes. There are just so many resources out there these days and they're quite readily available. All you need is an internet line and an attitude.

I have been on Coursera for 2 weeks. In 2 weeks I learned a lot. An email from Prof Jeremy Aldeman to the course participants made me realise something... he wrote that someone had approached him and commented that the videos were not as engaging as attending his lectures in person. Today, that remark was reinforced to me in my English class.

I teach this Form 4 class where majority of the boys are well-known for their ability to doze off or just not pay attention. But this morning, somehow, my lesson with them drifted into history. I incorporated History into my English lesson and I used one sentence as the starter... All roads lead to Rome. An interesting Q&A ensued after I managed to get the students to see the implications of roads leading to a single point... And we wandered into entertainment, gladiator fights to the death, our spa as compared to the Roman bath houses....and of course the glory of the Roman Empire. Today became one of those rare days when I had everyone's full attention. Every single one of them!!! And the reason was simple. They felt engaged. That's what is required of teachers these days... the ability to engage students and make them see the relevance of learning something.

PBS or School Based Assessment is supposed to make learning more meaningful. It's supposed to keep track of individual student's progress; so that no kid gets left behind. Assessments, graded according to bands are keyed into an online portal under the NKRA initiative are supposed to enable parents and teachers to keep track of the progress. It sounds good on paper...Well, it's been a few months we've had this thing running and most of what I've been seeing is this mad rush to make up for evidence for lessons taught early of the year; about 5 months worth of them. So what many teachers have been doing is they give out sheets of papers for students to do so that they can key in the grades. And much of everything else has suffered as a result. Paper evidence, not real teaching (or learning) is the key preoccupation now.

The existing system is mired with the usual problems. The ranking and reward systems, labelling of schools, etc, etc have all created this mad chase for them. Education becomes performance based; just that it's not the individual student's. Statistics becomes of utmost importance. We chase those because every percentage point means a position gained or lost. And rewards are based on those statistics. Statistics are not supposed to lie but these days I think we've discovered creative statistics so that we can paint a picture of success.

It's just one of so many things that have gone wrong in our midst... skewed system as a result of skewed practices stemming from skewed values. We are totally skewed!!!

Highs and Lows...

One day of highs and lows... rushed down to Lubuk Merbau; this qualifies as a far flung place in this part of the country. The Thai border is just a couple of miles away. The road was undulating and winding, lonely at most of the stretches and flanked by rubber estates all the way. You get more cows as companions than people as you traverse through this part of interior Kedah. And here too, one has to look out for these bovines who wander onto the roads as though they own them. You might not survive a headlong crash with them. In our early days in Baling, we'd hear of headlong crashes between vehicles and cows. Very often the two-legged creature suffered more serious injuries.

Got there only to find out that our team had lost their first game. But hey! Felda Lubuk Merbau has a very nice futsal cum volleyball court. The court actually feels cushiony... 8) We had another game coming in the afternoon and we won! LOL! Apparently I was the pembawa semangat... not that I played very well. This time around, I only went for one practice due to the hectic schedule that I currently am in. However, during the game, in trying to save a ball, I sprained my hand... I've a blue back as a trophy on my palm now.... but it'll recover.

But winning isn't everything, though it adds to the fun. Half the fun is the discovery that you can still do those moves! ... jump, spike, deliver a whooper of a service, make a dramatic save..... At our age, many things are beginning to feel like bonus rounds. In recent weeks, I've been reminded that our lives can change overnight!

Got the opportunity to spend some time and see old friends. And with a long journey to and fro, there wasn't much else to do except talk. You're reminded of the ties shared. You share moments over food, frustrations and furores! 8) Everyone is too busy to spare moments these days... we're all too caught up with our own lives, problems, etc, etc... sometimes it's good to be reminded that the ties are still there....

While I was there, I received a SMS that a church member of ours is back home, end stage CA. After I got home, I got a call that some were going to visit him. So I went and sat there for a while. It's depressing to be reminded that this mortal body has to suffer as we approach the last leg of our journey. Life is like a brief candle... There've been more deaths of people I know in the past 6 months than I can remember; a constant reminder that the line I am in is getting shorter...

I wished I had taken my camera but in my rush from one end of the state to the other, I forgot many things. We used to drive along those stretches of road many years ago, Other Half and I. Been over 15 years and the rural setting is still as idyllic as it was. So there... one more for the memory album (minus the photos).

And the icing on the cake for the day... to have goodies sent over to the house. Home made beef stew with mashed potatoes and garlic bread. The sight of them is making my stomach growl even though dinner was just an hour ago... so I shall wait for my Other Half to dig in together.... our supper! In thanksgiving for friends who make our days cheerier!

Getting back into the game...

Am thinking of giving it a miss this year... but my old team mates persuaded me to just go and dig a few balls. I g(c)ave(d) in. So I went and served, 'aunty-spiked', set a couple of balls. The brief volleyball season is back!!!!!

A year has passed since our last game. And even though I am relatively fit, a 'laid-off' game still pose some pain. You need constant contact to be on top of things. Else you'll just rust. But if you have a good foundation and the determination, it's easier to get back to it if the time lapse is not too great. And determination rules.... cos without it, even though you have the skill, you can't last. Anyway, it still hurts to get back into the game!

Got up this morning with some mild bruising and a backache.... not that sort that agonizes but enough to nag and cause discomfort each time I move certain body parts.

I don't know what keeps us going back.... fifty-ish and forty-ish almost half the team. And we're still able to match the 'youngsters' if not better them. Occasionally floored by births (us ladies and maternity breaks!) some of us have kept going back over the years... perhaps this might help to redefine the word 'addiction'... I don't know. Or this could be one of those little things that allow us not to get bored, lethargic and disengaged with our own lives????

Anyway, it's nice to let it out in the open court. We can scream and yell... in delight, glee and even frustration. Kinda nice to be able to just lepas steam. More often than never, as we grow older, we are all expected to be more composed and dignified... act your age kinda thing.

I am not sure whether I'll go for the competition... I know my team mates would want me to... harried existence that I lead at the moment. But it's good and nice to do something that is off the radar screen every now and then... akin to stop and smell the roses thingy.

Goodbye World Cup 2010.. And the winner is....

....... Paul the Octopus!!!!

End of a month of football fever... if you can call it a fever. It used to quite a number of my classmates would catch the 'fever'. My best friend and I would even curi-curi call each other at night on football nights without our parents' knowledge. And we'd stay awake to watch the game just so that we can share the excitement the next morning at school.... that was so long ago.

Enter my classes this past month... I'd have a few sleepy heads in class. But it wouldn't be football that they stayed up for. They'd be some but the numbers are few. So where once, we might catch forty winks in class because of football, these days kids are all sleepy in class but not because of football. And actually very few of them have caught the football fever. I find my peers (the adults) more into the WC than the kids.

How to best remember this edition? Nope! Not Messi, Kaka, Drogba or about 'em footballers showing off their bodies (with as little as possible. These days, it's a lot of showing as much flesh as possible). But unfortunately they're not as hot as the living oracles!!!!... Paul the sotong, and the wannabes; Mani the parakeet and Pauline the female octopus.

This morning as I walked up the stairs to the office to sign in, my student who was hoping that the Netherlands would win said we lost. My reply to him was... "Yup! The sotong won!" Guess you can call this another form of football gila-ness. LOL! And that's how I'll remember this World Cup!

And oh yes! The ongoing Malaysian Badminton Open... I think it got totally eclipsed by the WC, plus the fact that the field (minus many of the top players) is as predictable as the rising and setting of the sun. And it had no Paul or Mani or Pauline or whatever form of living oracles to spice it up!

Holland vs Spain 2010

Paul, the sotong wielded its oracle power and dealt a blow to the German psyche even before the game began... and the sotong was proven right again! LOL! But Paul better beware too, I supposed. Football betting is everywhere! With an oracle like Paul, won't the bookies want to make sushi or paella out of it?

Holland vs Spain... David vs Goliath kind of game. A small country of 16 million against a country of 46 million. But both are rich. Holland is small country with harsh conditions, it being lowland. The Dutch are survivors, having to constantly keep the water out of their living spaces. But that has not stopped them from prospering. It's percapita is easily 7 times more than Malaysia's. Think Holland, think windmills, tulips and Dutch Lady 8)... they are a very successful agricultural nation. The funny thing is the Dutch did not expect to make it to the finals... they had to find a new hotel for the final week! LOL!

Spain is one of the richest countries in the world. When I think of Spain I always think of bull fights, matadors....Pamplona, the running of the bulls, where (foolish) young men get gored in the streets of Pamplona! Spain has a rich history, Roman Empire, Reconquista and the famed Spanish galleons which prowled the seven seas during the age of imperialism. When I think of them, the image is one of aggressors. But the team should be good; European Champion... many of their players play together in the same team in the Spanish league. Home grown talents who remain at home.... how not to click?

Football may be a game for all... but those who make it to the pinnacle of this game still come from the moneyed places. You still need to have $$$ to develop and draw real talent. Even most of Brazil's talented players play in Europe... where the money is.

I'll be rooting for the small guy this round... the Netherlands. I hope they win. Three appearances in the finals... third time lucky, I hope. Spain goes in as favourite to win... here's one for the small guys (gals)! 8)

World Cup 2010

It's coming to an end and I've yet to catch a full game on TV. My football fever is kinda luke-warm this time but it doesn't mean that I am not into it. Hard to find 90 minutes to spare. Thank God for live scores on the Net. My kind of football watching (or any other games) is mainly keeping score keeping via the Net. LOL!

Netherlands is in! I actually got up to check the result at 4 a.m., with a little nudge from the storm (had a big storm early this morning)! Digest this! A country of 6 million can send team to the finals of the most watched tournament in the world. We have almost 5 times the number of people!!! And our football team is in the doldrums! So much for Malaysia Boleh!

Tonight it'll be either Germany or Spain. I'm rooting for Germany. My favs, Brazil and England didn't get as far as I would have hoped. But the most interesting I found was France. Made up highly paid and talented players, jaded but just didn't measure up. Professional yet not.

Add that to a coach who didn't seem to care and seemed out of touch with the real situation. Some say he was vindictive, some say he showed favoritism.. but whatever it is, the result showed all. France had a shameful exit from the World Cup because they imploded from within. The coach behaved like a proverbial ostrich with its head stuck in the sand, oblivious to many facts. In life too, sometimes we surround ourselves with 'ostrich-people'; people who never paint us the real picture but root us on with the sort of things we want to hear for reasons known to them.

So this edition of World Cup is coming to an end. The passing of time has made me realized that (yup!) there is nothing new under the sun! Things in this world seem to share similar intricacies in their workings one way or the other. The lessons are more or less the same too though situations differ. Sports, work, relationships... they seem to move on this similar cause and effect line.

Tennis...

Tennis was my last hols' project.... But the lack of 'kaki' as well as a tight schedule has put the game on shelf since CNY. Add that to the more than unusually hot weather of the last 2 months, I found myself moving into the gym more, apart from the occasional squash which I still play... sheltered from the elements! 8)

But then my 'coach' called me up yesterday and asked whether I was still game to play.

I said yes! 8) Beggars can't be choosers! And for every extra coaching that I get, I count it a bonus! Originally there were 7-8 of us. And 8 lessons were slated for us by Sydney. But he continued to make sure we didn't lose interest beyond the 8 lessons. But even before the 8 lessons were up, there were only 4, and soon the number dwindled to 3. Yesterday, it was only me. But I got a really good workout today... actually feel lenguh for a change. Have not felt this tired after a game for a long time. Better stamina means I don't get tired much these days... even my low BP problem has not plagued me for some time. And for the first time in my life, I actually can run a couple of hundred metres without feeling as though the air has been sucked out from my lungs. Never been much of runner even though I'm a games person.

The club tennis courts are undergoing renovations. 6 of the hard courts have been resurfaced. The one above will be an artificial grass court. It's not quite completed yet. Was told that each of those artificial turf cost 70K! But they are supposed to last around 15 years. That compared to the hard court which was only 17K. I am told that the grass court is very nice to play on... but I'll have to wait till I'm good enough to play on them.

Bales of artificial grass. These seems to be the leftovers.... but I wouldn't know. Anyway, I had almost an hour of tennis on a one to one basis. Been a while... and I enjoyed the workout. And Sydney tells me once the courts are laid, he'll try to arrange for me to fit into one of the groups.

Artificial grass on real grass. The former is more expensive than the latter. What did I learn today? For the people who do things out of love for something they believe in or like or even committed to, they make our days feel blessed. And as the Captain of the Tennis Section, I've to tabik Sydney for his commitment to make sure us minnows who show interest get the encouragement and his time..... For that, I am grateful, thankful.

Grilled, Baked...... Sports Day!

... that's how I feel tonight. Each year, prolonged exposure to the sun seem to turn me into a heat generating moving blob of protoplasm. Sports Day! This year the directive to us from up there is to change the name to Kejohanan Balapan & Padang (Track and Field). We used to just call it Kejohanan Olahraga (Sports).

Name change or no... if things are not properly done, they remain just a name change. The way we do things are slowly changing. These days, it's not about doing things the right way. It's more about doing it for the sake of doing. So, you get lines on the track being measured just with the feet instead of a measuring tape. I wonder how you can get the same measurement using your steps 4 times in a row. You get a lot of things done the agak-agak way. Sports is a science of precision, I thought. But it is not uncommon to see students doing the relay races without really knowing how to pass their batons correctly. You get events carried out over a period of days yet still find an athlete having to run more than one middle distance race in one morning.

Sports! It's a good thing for kids. You see those who otherwise don't shine much academically having their day on the field. They too get their moment of attention. But school administrations run sports as something to memenuhi syarat (fulfill a requirement). There are talented kids but their co-curriculum talents get buried deep under the curriculum chase. I think we operate on the premise of one type of intelligence now. Howard Gardner's proposal of multiple intelligences don't hold water in Bolehland.

Anyway, I'm glad for this event to be over... though I know once this is over, the next thing that will come our way would be all those extra classes. I'll rant about that another time.

Son is on his Easter break from NS, after just one week. His camp seems to have an okay camp commandant. At least from his first impression, they're trying to implement 1Malaysia, give fair chance to the kids to lead, etc. At another camp at Perlis it seems only Malays will (can) be appointed as group leaders, at the behest of the instructors. So, if I am one of the non-Malay kids attending my PLKN in such an environment, I'd probably be scarred and hate those people..... this is still racial Malaysia. You are 'doomed' by your race!.... at this supposedly emancipated time. We're no better than many of the scums of the world. I'd rant on this later.....

Sports To Be Made Compulsory

Reported in The Star. Will we be able to pull this one off? Sports has been in the doldrums for so many years. Do we even have enough teachers to pull it off? Every teacher is supposed to be a PE teacher but I hardly see teachers in sports outfit at school these days. And PE lessons have been reduced to mainly football for boys (at my work place)... don't know about the girls cos I hardly get to see them play in the field. Once in a while perhaps hear music for aerobics. PE lessons are often 'free periods'. Free to do anything else except PE.

And it doesn't help when lady teachers themselves keep harping on the girls' attire or 'beat' them down verbally for the slightest sign of body showing. Girls are often made to feel ashamed of their bodies. They too give the impression that they feel girls are the cause of evils committed by men! In the end, the girls take a beating in their confidence. So is it no wonder that women have to be caned because they indulge in illicit sex and get pregnant. I thought it takes two to make a baby.

I think it's a good move to give sports its rightful place again. Sports provide an outlet for these energetic young. They provide opportunities for synergistic interactions and kairos moments; teacher-student, student-student and even teacher-teacher, in and beyond the walls of the school. And these help to instill respect, fair-play, discipline, commitment, etc in each kid. Learning at play... most effective.

Not every student is academically inclined. Sports will provide an alternative for such students to excel. But the overemphasis on academic achievements brought a death knell to sports. It became the sacrificial subject in the early years of such emphasis. In the last decade, it has deteriorated to its present stage.

The MOE is in the right direction in making sports compulsory. But it is also not consistent in sending out signals. This year alone, funding for MSSM has been cut from RM6 million to a mere RM1.5 million. In the process, many games and athletic events have been axed. I shall not speculate on the whys except, it seems to indicate that the plundering of our nation has finally affected the basic essential needed to build a dynamic and competitive society.

And the selection of teachers. Used to be one of the criteria they would look for in a teacher-to-be would be their sports abilities. These days, most of them don't play any games. Many even look unhealthy. So, how do we move when the 'movers and shakers' don't even play a game well? Are we going to start importing sports teachers from other countries as well?

Sports...What Do They Actually Want?

This is supposed the time of the year when Sports Day is being carried out... that was until a sudden directive from the Education Department yesterday to postpone it to May; even though some schools have carried it out. (See how insignificant sports is these days, this is only the 6th week of schooling and for some, the sports season is already over) Apparently some of them had gone for a study tour in Australia, and were impressed by how sports is run there... the details given to us are sketchy.

Anyway, we've been told to push our sports later so as to give more time for students to get trained. That is so us, now. Instant reaction without much thought. Sports is dead in most schools, except for sports school like BJSS.

Picture this... sports practice. Students are warned that if they don't come, punishment will be meted; i.e. run round the field, caning, fines, etc. So, students show up. They are asked to run round the field once and sent home. That is how some sports practices are run now. And some teachers go for practice in their stilettos with attires to match.... looking ridiculously out of place. There are now very few teachers who were once athletes themselves during their school days.

And it's appalling how few teachers actually know how to teach proper techniques of throws, jumps, even baton passing! This despite PE being a core subject at teachers' trainee courses.

Once upon a time, they used to take in those with sports inclination for the teaching profession. Then they switch policies and took in those who had no where to go... And when the teaching profession got a boost of 'better' service terms, the teaching courses suddenly became quite difficult to get in universities. However, years of emphasis of cramming to score at the expense of games and other co-curricular activities took its toll... Not forgetting too the teaching profession generally is no longer appealing for those who are more talented...

In my last few years, I've come across trainee teachers who sit in the classes and teach, sleep with their saliva drooling down in the staff room, etc, etc.. There are still some exceptional ones but these are generally far and few.

So Sports Day to be delayed so as to give students more time to be trained.... I think it can be a good thing. But the system is too rife with the shortcomings of our own doing to have it actually work.

And the biggest joke is probably this.... the MOE has slashed more than RM4.5 million from the annual MSSM budget. This year we're only given RM1.5 million for the running of games and sports. Last year's budget was RM6 million! You can read more here and here. Many games and sports events are being cancelled! And the biggest joke is even squash has also been axed. We've the World No.1 women player, Nicol David and it is being axed. LOL! Most of the Under-15 events are also in the same situation. Talk about training the next gen of athletes, or even a holistic education...

As a friend of ours was saying... sometimes it's hard to justify why our kids need to go to school when they feel they don't need to. School sometimes seems to do the harm that it's supposed to overcome in the first place... we continue to be dumbed down by poor leadership, planning, double standards, lopsided assessments, excessive paperwork.... and increasingly, uninspiring people.

Fitness Craze...

...another fun stuff from the Ipod - upping our fitness level. They have these apps which keep reminding you the calories taken and lost through the various activities. And keeping tab becomes kinda educational and fun.

Add that to the flavour of the day on TV, The Biggest Loser series, and the fact that gyms are starting to sprout all over Alor Setar (and probably the whole world), I think the fitness craze is in. But games and some gym workouts have been keeping me 'gainfully' occupied during this round of Son's exam. It gave me something to do yet no need to wander too far away. Other Half has caught the fitness craze too. LOL!

And our gal finally can swim the length of the pool after two weeks of being 'squashed' for stamina at the squash court. 8) Other Half was saying maybe this one will transform our kid into a tougher kid for a change. Real physical games are good for kids. Not only they get to work out a good sweat but also good that they become good in something else other than the world of academia, which incidentally I feel is too much head knowledge with little apps. Majority of our kids play games on the computer. The exam has just ended for my boy and already he's started the computer games.

We have improved this hols, stemming from the fact that we play 3-4 times a week now. Even shopping trips don't seem so tiring on the legs now but that doesn't mean I've turned into a shopaholic. Shopping is still something I do out of necessity. But it's nice to see everyone in the family playing together. Not too bad of a holiday also in a way.

My tennis is also progressing fine though I still can't seem to get the stroke quite right. Needs more work. But I told myself when I signed up that I would keep an open mind about the game. And surprisingly, by doing so, I've actually found that it can be enjoyable. Of course having an encouraging coach and friends help a lot too. Played my 'first' game last week. Two against one and we, the newbies lost! LOL!

So, yup.. the fitness craze sort of set in this hols. And I'd say we're better for it. Days pass by faster and the time seems to fly by even faster. And I'm too tired to be bothered by the mundane as a result.

One thing I realize is this though.. I feel good challenging myself to learn (or master) a new skill. I still feel the wonderment and amazement that I can still do certain shots or improve on certain skills. And today too, I had my first golf swing... 2 swings actually. LOL! Siva's charity!

Games With The Wall...

I actually enjoy the wall games. What are wall games? Basically you can hit a ball to the wall and it bounces back to you... LOL! And these are my 'wall games'. And they have been a source of blessings and release for me!

Volleyball was my first 'wall game' (my version anyway) that I played in earnest. This was a couple of years ago. I used to do my digging with the wall in the afternoons to improve my skills. Plus because I was terrible at it, 15 minutes would work out a good sweat. It laid the foundation to a better game control for me! Recently I lost that ball I used to dig against the wall during our tournament. I was touched when my team mate bought me a ball as a replacement lately... My wall game has also given me the opportunity to see the thoughtfulness and generosity of a friend.... 8)

And then squash! Another wall game. You can play it alone or with a partner. But lately, we've been playing quite a bit of it... just hitting the tiny black rubber ball into the wall and keeping it in play for as long as possible. Quite, quite fun too. And the best part is, it takes around 30 minutes per session. Son is now getting the upper hand over his dad! The advantage of youth! But dad is fighting back... he's putting in more effort into honing the basic skills! LOL! Am trying to get my gal to play... my mission for this hols! She's progressing.... from just picking balls to finally hitting the wall. She can do a volley of more than 10 now, after about 2 weeks!

Then there is also tennis... started some weeks back but stopped for a while due to the volleyball season. But found that I can enjoy hitting the ball at the wall too... ha! ha! Not good at this game yet but hope I'll get somewhere with it....

So, wall games... just me and the wall... and walls don't make poor line calls, dump you at its whims, basically like a friend who lends a listening ear sometimes and passes no comments. However, walls can also be very unexciting but sometimes that's what might be needed.

Still.. wall games. I've discovered that at some points it can provide calming and settling effects.

Exercise...

.. was reading about exercise and its effects. Anyway, these are some of the interesting stuff that I learned. No exercise is not good for us. Guess everyone knows that.

3 groups of mice. First group was allowed a sedentary life. The second was made to 'jog' leisurely for about half an hour and the 3rd group gets marathon runner training, a 2-hour run; daily. Then all the mice were exposed to a flu virus. Guess which group had the most mice dropping dead like flies?

The group that had most survivors was of course the 2nd group. But this is where things start to get interesting. In the first group slightly more than 50% of the mice succumbed to the flu virus. In the second group an amazing 88% survived the flu onslaught. But the surprise is in the 3rd group - the die-hard exercise freaks. More than 70% kaput from the flu virus. Looks like the more and harder you exercise, the lower your immunity becomes and the more likely you are to succumb to infections or take a longer time to heal. Too much exercise apparently lowers one's immunity if this study is taken seriously.

The next surprising thing... brawn equals to not-so-smart guy; kinda like Big Moose from Archie. Gym workouts on the muscle does not seem to make you any smarter. You still have to go for those more endurance type ones, those that make you pant and puff. Cos when you do the latter, your brain gets a higher dose of oxygen and other stuff and that is supposed to help increase your cognitive abilities. How's that? LOL! But all these data are just research. There are many things which we still don't understand... I just read today that jumping up and down (despite it being on the high impact type of exercise) is good for the bones...

One more for the memory box...

This is another memory for my memory box... 8)

Played 3 games in one weekend - and came out tops in all 3! I don't think I'll equal this ever. Too many variables have to fall in the right places... look at how brown we've all become. LOL! It's going to take months to lose that 'browness'... if you look at the shadow line in the pic below, that's how crazy we were - played in the 11.00++ a.m. sun!

Played some of my best volleyball in recent years... and it felt good knowing that I can still improve. Teamwork is something I truly enjoy in volleyball. It's not possible to win on one person's skills only... we need to work together, etc. I used to be the player they'd cover. Three years ago, the chances of me sending the ball where I want it to go would be based more on chance than skill. Today, it's the other way round. In part because my team mates were willing to accommodate me and also because I was determined. I had friends who patiently did the digging with me through the years.... until I can hold my own game. This year, their patience finally paid off... 8) And it's been many years....

Life is like that.. every inch of progress that we carve for ourselves, it's got to come from us first... ask and it will be given you, seek and you will find, knock and it will be open unto you... that's from Matthew 7:7. Notice, at every step of the way, we've got to act. Ask, seek, knock - they're all verbs; action words. A verb is one of the basic building blocks in a sentence.... In life, we need to be proactive; ask, seek, knock for guidance, truth, possibilities, etc, etc.... for those values that become the basic building blocks in our lives.

We had fun stuffing ourselves full too with good food. This was at PJ 5 Utara in Jitra. The kaeng som (sweet, sour, spicy) fish is absolutely good so everyone says. My personal favourite is the fried tanghoon with medium sized prawns. Their coconut jelly is very good also.

Oh ya! I was siao enough to play 2 games in the PSKPPK - badminton being the other. But the scheduling was kind. Though my first game is badminton, somehow life's lessons from volleyball has made the game more meaningful. Those moments we share on the court - they are priceless! How you depend on others and they on you and you just have to learn to trust each other's instinct; not blame each other for a spike into the net or a ball sent out... you just plod on together, encouraging and supporting each other. Sama-sama menang and kalah oso! That's what we get when we have a group of like-minded people together. I truly appreciate that. Life is kinda like that too, huh?

Then Mr. Wong (I think that's his name) called me up a couple of days ago to remind me of the squash tournament at the Club. Since he was so nice to remind me and rearranged my time, I said okay. So, after a short shopping trip out with Shin Hui, I went home, took my 40 winks and was off again. There were only 3 participants in the ladies' section! And I won! LOL! I played with one of the men though, and at least I won't be the worst player in the men's pool either.

So, 3 games, 3 winners' medals.... really one for the memory box. And I am a few shades darker. But probably the most priceless are the bridges of friendship that we built and got strengthened.... cos year in and year out, I'd see new and familiar faces from different teams from the different districts. Old familiarity gets reacquainted again... kinda nice! Foes in the court, friends outside.....

The beginning of another volleyball season...

.... ah, even if it's only until the end of the month (for this round that is). This is for the inter-district level. So there we were a bunch of ladies ranging from the youthful twenties to the 'aunty' forties and 'grandma' fifties; and oh ya! the forgotten-thirties, out in the court trying to recapture yet again what's left of our ability to squat, jump and bend. Volleyball here we come. Already as I type this, my arms are actually tingling with a little pain... from the digs that I did yesterday. And a faint mark of blue black has appeared. This always happens on the first day of volleyball.

Many of us have become good friends over the years that we've played together. And we've been coming together even though we keep telling ourselves that it's going to be our final year. It's not something that is easy to describe but to have everyone coming together despite the commitments we each have. Either we are all crazy or there is this indescribable feeling that you get from the camaraderie or we're all just suckers for the adrenaline highs from the games. Or it could just be the simple fact that it feels good that we can still dig a few balls, do some 'aunty-spikes', set new limits for ourselves.

For every opportunity that I (and my friends too, I believe) can still play, it is a blessing. Some of us are not so young anymore. Our lives run on a rather rigid routine. All of us have families. Some have grown up kids, others have young ones, yet there are those who just about to start out in their lives and still those who are plodding on. But we come together, and for a couple of hours a couple of times a week for the next 2 weeks; and we holler, play and banter as we go through the drills and games. Occasionally we'll even have disagreements, mutterings but by and by they will be forgotten and forgiven; and we'll move on.

We might even get sun burnt a little and have our hands bruised or even suffer abrasions, but I think we still won't trade it for the manicured and pedicured thingy.... the fact that we still show up at the courts. Life is so sterile and artificial in the latter, where everything is nipped and tucked away. So, here's a toast to us all.... LOL!

My First Tennis Lesson

I finally went for proper tennis lessons yesterday. It's the last major racket game that I do not play. I thought I might as well pick up another skill, learn something new and meet some new people... over the pulpit on Sunday, the speaker stressed on the importance of learning new skills. I guess that should apply here. Cos in learning new things if slows down the process of being to set in our ways, being overly comfortable with our habits so much so that we refuse to change.

My first experience in tennis was over 20 years ago.... Mr. Song How Ting took me to the SRC for a go... I didn't pursue it. My balls all terbang flat... landing way out of the courts. In tennis, picking balls is enough to make you not want to go back. Balls are supposed to curve downwards. Mine flew in a straight path until gravity pulled it down. Anyway, tennis was not a game for the masses as there weren't many community courts available back then.

Opportunity presented itself this time when the Club offered free tennis lessons. How are you going to find one group of beginners to begin with you? And a coach some more who will patiently show you the right techniques? Everyone picks ball together with you... You are not alone! LOL!

I think I did quite okay. Hit more balls over the net than into it. I could hit my backhand with one hand.. in fact my back hand felt better than my forehand. I guess my badminton basics had a great deal to do with it. Footwork shouldn't be too much of a problem. The control of the ball is. You can hit a shuttlecock as hard as you can, but it won't go too far. Hit a tennis ball hard with no control, it can fly over the fence! It's a different feel altogether.

But I enjoyed myself. Met some new people.... old and young! Didn't work out as much sweat as much as I had hoped but I shall try to go hit the wall and work on my strokes.... Oh ya! My elbow hurts a little now... with volleyball season starting... I hope it holds...

Of Aunties, Uncles and Volleyball....

On Thursday, a friend called me up and said she had read about some volleyball tournament during the weekend. She had called up to ask whether we could take part even though it was past the closing date. And oh ya! Did I forget to mention that she said we were a ladies' team. She was told that they could accommodate us and the teams can be a mix of men and ladies.

So she proceeded to get the players. I was the first to say okay. But I felt it might be difficult to get the minimum 6 as there was so little time. The matches were to be held the following morning. Then again, with a bunch of die hards like us, we managed to get 5 and 2 spouses. 8)

This was yesterday! When Kim and I got there, this sign was hanging at the gate. Oops! Young Malaysians... I think we hardly qualify. The oldest among us is past her 50s. The youngest is just shy of 40, with the rest of us all sporting the figure 4 ahead of the next number. But oh well! We could still be young at heart! LOL!

It was raining as I changed into my shoes... well, outdoor volleyball, rain or shine, the game continues... unless it rains cats and dogs! And we were 'siao' enough to brave the rain.

Then the next bomb shell... the rest of the teams were all guys... with teams made up of young guys from the Kolej Perubatan and school kids. We took comfort that there were 2 teams made up of senior men... Calling our team "Out-of-the-Line' in Mandarin, we were really standing out like sore thumbs in a field of the XX-es.

But then, since we were already there, we thought we might as well carry on. Waited for more than 2 hours for our games... the rain came, went, came... followed by the sun... interesting weather you could say.

We finally played... the first team we played were school kids... they looked like 15-17 year-olds. How can a bunch of aunties and uncles compete against young and lithe kids??? But we were still foolhardy... even though we knew we were like a herd of cows waiting to be slaughtered.... BTW, look at No. 8 play. Aunties also can do that!

In we went... and played... expecting to lose.. but we played our best. The youths must have been quite confident.. after all, the net was set at the guys' level which meant that we were kinda short in front of it. Spiking was out of the question... not that we were that great spikers! But after a few points, the kids were looking kinda jaded cos these aunties with the help of the two heroes were able to return ball for ball... we ding-donged throughout the game.

Everyone expected us to be easy meat... we lost... 19-21, 18-21! But looking at the score, I think they must have felt really bad. Later we played another game with a group of men too.. oldies like us.. we lost too. But considering we were a bunch of aunties (and 2 men), with a total age of 300 years for 7 players... being able to hold out against the stronger sex was a good feeling.

On a weekend which saw us braving the rain, forgoing the usual Friday stuff that we do for a crazy swing at our youth... it wasn't too bad. Years from now, I guess most of us will look back and remember this, one, crazy weekend, of pitting ourselves against all odds and coming out of it not too badly scathed! LOL!

Badminton...

Badminton has always been my favourite game. Started playing it in earnest in Std 5. Dad was the one who got me interested. I played with him on the road outside the house in the evenings. I liked the game so much that I would pester him at every opportunity. Despite his busy schedule, he made the time. Got me good racquets too despite us not having much to spare. Even took me to play with him and his friends sometimes in the evenings. I used to be kinda pleased and proud to play with the adults.

Then as I grew into my teens I started to have my own group of friends. My kaki(s) were mostly boys. I'd save and scrooge for 'badminton money' - to pay for the court and shuttlecocks. Many mornings during my Form One and Form Two days were spent with badminton. I supposed it also kept me out of mischief. Mom always knew where I would be.... the badminton hall near my house. We didn't have a proper coach except during proper practice at school during badminton season. We learned from our own mistakes. I always played with boys... so I became better. Same in life... you want to be better, seek out the ones better than you. Then your bar is moved upwards and you in turn move upward too.

And because of badminton, Bro and I would get up at 6.30 a.m. and play during the hols. Lil bro used to tag along sometimes. I would be the only girl. Badminton courts those days were mostly outdoor and they were free. Indoor courts cost money. So, if we wanted to play longer it was either start early in the morning or play till late evening. The latter was more difficult as there was a curfew set at 7 p.m. by Mom. So we played in the mornings. It would last till 9.00 a.m. the latest as the sun would be beating down on us by then. Because of that too, my bros and I are closer to each other... cos we were playmates even during our teens... 8)

My most memorable game??? I was 15; played against the Under-18 state champion. I almost beat her after a gruelling game in the finals of one of the Open tournaments. Was asked whether I would be interested to go further... Dad said no. Studies was more important. So, that was it! I was okay with it too as I saw no future in the game. Moreover, I had other activities that were more appealing like MYF and the school band.

But I continued playing for fun... made many good friends out of it. Beat many guys too! LOL! That was a bit difficult for them to swallow but they always rose again to beat me. It's a guy thing not to lose to a gal! Another memorable game; I was in Form 2. The school coach asked me to play against the U-18 boys reserve... I beat him! LOL! He had to bear the brunt of his friends' teasings for a long time. But he bounced back a couple of months later and beat me squarely! How's that for inspiration!

However, the guys always treated me as one of them. Those were good and fun days. I continued playing in uni. I participated in the inter-uni games at national and also regional levels. It allowed me to travel a little and meet different people from different places... opened my eyes and mind a bit to a different sorts of experience.

I'm still playing it now... and most of my kaki(s) are still guys. But these days, for everyday that I can play, I am thankful for the opportunity cos the body starts to ache more now that age is catching up. My last tournament was last year when I played singles against a 25 year old. I lost after a good fight... but it also reminded me that my days are numbered. But it has been good...

Kids should pick up a physical game and not be glued to the computer all the time. Physical games involves physical contact; it's a more real wyswyg thing compared to the cyber interaction that young people are so attuned to these days cos wys (what you see) may not be wyg (what you get). Moreover, social skills are lost without the wys in person thing. My two sen this morning.

Pokok Sena Hill has a new shelter!

I've got to hand it to the HASH people... we haven't gone hiking for 3 weeks and last Saturday, we went. My lil gal is now quite fast... went all the way up without stopping. She is slowly feeling more confident of her footing. But this time, we were literally chased up by hungry mozzies! Good thing we brought anti-mozzie repellant along. But that didn't keep them away for long. Anyway, a pleasant surprise awaited us up there.....

The building materials were carried by hand up there to build this, no mean feat. Some Bangladeshis were hired to do the work. Made of hardwood (I presume they have taken the termites into considerations) the hut provides a nice shelter should the rains hit us while on our way up! And that happens a lot during the wet season. Die hard hikers are there rain or shine! So cheers to those kind souls who built this to share this with everyone who goes up the hill!

And cos of that, now we have a nice place to sit up there... should we be able to stand the mosquitoes' attack. It's rainy season now and the latex cups have also become mozzies breeding cups. So many hungry mosquitoes... so few food sources...