Trip to Malacca

I went up to Malacca with my school football team for the past few days. The trip was as great as expected. Fully paid for holiday in the name of work, of course there is a give and take, with responsibilities of taking care of students.

The boys did themselves credit by playing their best against better opposition. I'm sure they'll get somewhere in the Nationals.

I spent my last tired awake moments at night watching HK dramas (undubbed!) on channel 7. (Jing Yan Yi Qiang).

I also spent a lot of time talking to people not of my age group and not of my language. The people I spoke most often to are in their 40s. (Coach and the tour guide). People at that age I find, work very hard, and yet are down to earth. More importantly, they take it easy when they deal with relationships with other people. Not that they are superficial, but they don't expect a lot from others and hold things against others.

Which I find is something acquired over years of experience.

Coach is very good at making witty humour befitting of his age. E.g. "Player X, you kept on insisting that you are not offside in that incident, we will take a look at the video after the game."

The fact was we didn't bring any video cam for the trip.

Peck Choo (the tour guide) is a street smart woman. She is very friendly and sincere to others, someone who fits my impression of a typical warm-hearted malaysian. She knows about lots of things. From politics to agriculture, there was never a dull moment talking to her. The anger in her when she talked about the fools in power, the uneccesary reclaiming of the sea off Klebang (which is near her home btw). The sparkle in her eyes when she talked about how bats pollinate rubber trees, and fresh water prawns hang out together with crocodiles in river muar. The sadness when she talked about her lost uncle due to the 2nd world war and the fear of fighting the communists. Her favourite phrase whenever she is upset with another person was:

"Send them into the malaysian jungle and see how they survive." Esp for tai tais who live in a world of their own. haha.

The two flowers (pretty girls) at the hotel reception were exceptionally nice to me. I seem to find them smile more demurely at me whenever I speak to them. The other one who couldn't speak English looked down most of the time when I was talking to her.

Should had told her that I like her and bring her over to Singapore. haha.

Before we returned to Singapore we went to a local products shop in JB. There was some interesting drink with Tongkat Ali inside. The salesgirl actually told me I might need it. haha.

Will try to take things easy from now on. Just as what Choo said.

"Malacca is a small town. People here are very simple and trusting. "

Shouldn't all people on Earth try to live like Choo and the Malaccans that she described?

Runner's High

I used to think I was happy from running because I liked the feeling of fatigue and sweating. I felt happier if I could ran to the seaside because there is a sense of accomplishment of getting there. (ECP mac not very near to my house). Moreover I kinda liked the scenary and the place.

Then I stumbled upon a scientific explanatino for all these. Enjoy.

"Most people claim that runners high is a feeling of invincibility and superior performance that can be brought on by certain environmental surroundings. Environmental stimuli affects everybody in positive and negative ways. Divers swimming in clear, warm water seem to experience pleasant sensations, while those in dark, cold water seem to encounter panic, fear, anxiety, and depression.5 These feelings can also be associated with running. When running on a beautiful, sunny day in a place where the scenery pleases the runner, he or she is more likely to experience happiness or even a high, versus when running on a cold, rainy day, along dark, unknown scenery. When a runner is able to take in the scenery that is around them and almost become one with it, then the run will be enhanced. One runner, Jamie Hurley, wrote that "I feel wonderful and have no desire to hide it. I look around me and can breathe in the fullness of my natural surroundings - the trees, the dirt, the birds, the little critters, the sun, the terrain, the wind". When looking at the different aspects of runner's high, the environmental surroundings play an important role."

Don't understand? Nevermind. Everything can be explained in two simple words,

Runner's High.