hey beautiful!

Water

Light

Life

How?

Who?

Why?

you.

i just want to post this

Stop. Look. Remember.
2005 is slipping away

" How did i even convince you guys that this was going to be fun?"

this is how we looked most of the time.
Terrain for most parts of the climb
The Team. They can smile because we're going downhill
Bodies thrown in all direction.Team Building@ its best
the elusive peak

It's been 10 days since we got back. I think i really miss the training sessions. So does my growing tummy. I ran 6km with kevin from my place to Punggol Jetty. After Ophir, i feel anything is quite possible. I even agreed to do the half marathon in 06 with kev, bernard, winz and david. There's this wonderful feeling after a run. Was quite worried when my left knee gave way this morning. The right one's bruised from volleyball with the SPE gang.

Back to Ophir. It was tiring, especially during the initial phase. I felt that nothing we did during training could prepare us for those first 15 hellish minutes. At one of the restpoints, i said," How did i even convince you guys that this was going to be fun?"

I think i was a little disappointed at not making the summit. A little only. I thought the CP4 with all the streams could be quite fun. It actually came true. We camped there hoping to make the 2nd ascent@ 3am, but the rain came at 1am. I didn't see too much disappointment then. Most were trying to just gain some leg space in the tent. I was just glad the rain didn't seep in.

Climbing Mt Ophir is like revisiting the NS days. Especially the camping bit. It was deja vu to see people using eye power, 5 fellows trying to tell 1 guy how to do something, the chao keng one, the one with high self-preservation index, the whiner and the guy who would ask people to pass him the jack knife when it's faster if he gets it himself.I'm guilty at many points too. Been there, done that.

But there are those who show OCS potential: The Do-ers, the ones who take instructions and echo them down. Those who break out from stonning and actually try to find something to do. Those who know how to follow. Those who bath last, eat last, talk last, but do first. Herein lies the joy of camping with youths.

We might try again. Not everyone i'm quite sure. It was fun lah. But for some, once will be enough.

the day i drove to Mt Ophir

My favourite mountain-Mt Ophir.
Some people think i'm into the spur-of-the-moment type of activities, but this is new.
Even to me.
I realised that my team could be groping in the dark at 2 am on Sat in a dusty bus terminal@ Segamat, so the idea to go recce Segamat was born!
And since we were going there, i brought Tatong, Emmie and Eunice to see the foot of THE mountain.

"HARH?You mean it's not a hill?"
"Why does the song say the mountain trembles when i'm the one shaking?"

Emmie was quite farny freaking out in the car after catching glimpses of Ophir from afar.
We were trying to take some pic from her little samsung phone. Will upload if i get them.

Got a little lost trying to find the highway in JB, but after tat, it was a great drive, total of abt 440km in M'sia today.I was hitting 150km/h at some point and i was glad my Jimny was traded in. Peugeot say they're the"Drive of Your Life". They're quite right.

We visited the Rangers Office to sound out our intentions this Friday and found that the prices went up. You can probably now make a living working as a Ophir Ranger. We then walked all the way to the concrete staircase and by then,my shirt was soaked.

I was quite keen to rush back and catch the BKT in JB.(hence i was awake and drove at 150) The girls had other appts at 7 and the jam would build up at abt 5. The BKT was great and i think they enjoyed it. It was a good day. Any BKT day is a good day.

We then headed to Giant to buy makan for our trip. Grocery shopping is fun. Working wif a tight budget is more fun. Seeing Emmie get all stressed out over $$ and cents was even better!

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We have been training and i think i should put this down so i can remember it better.
We did 2 hikes, one, a 30km endurance walk from Chong Pang to Lim Chu Kang jetty. 7 hrs worth of pain. Some were losing it by the 5th hour.
The other was going up and down Bt Timah Hill .The terrain was pretty similiar and i think some of the team got a little nervous. We ended at Macritiche and did the "giving up your rights" makan session.
Subsequent trainings were at Yishun. Travelling was an issue and we didn't have much time.
We did the jogging track near the industrial park 3 times. It's 5.6km, 2.8 km each way. Fantastic run! i'm going back there again if got kaki!
Then we've been climbing the slopes of the the hill next to the mosque. 8X was the worst.
Then, there's the block next to the mosque. 13 storeys. That's pretty fun too.
Yesterday(last training), we did piggybacks and wheelbarrows. Painful. I'm still hurting.

But i don't think i'm overdoing it. Ophir IS going to be a challenge. The humidity alone will kill.
We're all a little stronger and i think team 2 is fitter than team 1(02). But i'm not sure abt the mental strength yet. Will find out on Sat evening. Rachel did a few tshirt designs(above) and they're really cute.

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Sorry i've been away for so long. 3 weeks of reservist!! I can't write much, thanks to mr miyagi. I didn't sleep much, and that really messed up my bio-clock. And took away my inspiration to write.I can't write anymore. And don't ask me what i do in the army, cos i'll probably tell you, and then i'll have to kill you!! hehehehee

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Youth camp(BYG Camp) is over. The energy is scary man! The worship was unprecedented. many felt liberated to dance and my shirt was soaked at the end. Good fun and i think all had a good time. The bonding was great!


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"Ophir- Where else can i go?"