Back from a long break

I know I haven't blogged for a long time. And Chris has been bugging me to blog. Alright, this one's for Chris then. I do enjoy blogging but it's just that I have been really busy and tired since the start of this year. And when I finally do have time to spare, I end up just collapsing in bed or staring at the computer screen watching Henin play for the umpteenth time. I do need (and appreciate) a reminder every now and then because sometimes I just forget that blogging is a fun way to relax. So today marks the end of physics SPA, having completed Skill A. It went well although I don't see the point in having such an exam at all if you know what I mean. Quite relieved that I won't have to bother about SPA anymore.

During civics, our class finally decided on the design for our class T-shirt. I have to say though that I'm disappointed. After waiting for more than one year, our class T-shirt is going to display superior artistic quality. The design is that of a stick-man! Each one of us is going to have a different stick-man (customised design). I'm impressed. I wonder how old we are, maybe 10. The worst thing is that the class waited so long to have this shirt, like since the middle of last year. I don't see why Francis can't get our class to pay for the shirt. If Aston can get us to pay for class fund, then why can't Francis get everyone to pay for the shirt? Based on the time we've left, I don't think it's worth to have a class shirt anymore (much less one with stick-man as the design). I was suggesting to Francis, "I think the design should be that of an old man." I don't know, by the time the shirt is ready I think the cows would have died. Well, I can only make the best out of the shirt, by wasting my time designing my stick-man. Maybe I can design one holding a tennis racket. Hahaha. I'm also pissed with my tennis coach but I shan't illustrate anymore unpleasant stuff in this post.

Mighty Henin wins a total of 10 titles this year! This post is dedicated to her. =)

It has been long since I blogged about tennis and the WTA season this year has just ended. Justine Henin won the final tournament of the year which is the Sony Ericsson Championships. This is undoubtedly her best year, with a total of 10 titles under her belt and not forgetting retaining the World No. 1 ranking for 90 weeks and counting. In my latest tennis post, she won the Roger's Cup. This post will cover her remaining victories of the year.

After winning the Roger's Cup in Toronto, Justine Henin won the US Open which she claimed to be probably the best win of the year. She was in superb form throughout the entire tournament, defeating both Serena (7-6, 6-1) and Venus Williams (7-6, 6-4) consecutively in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively. She took the title after trouncing Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1, 6-3.

Next, Henin won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. She defeated Tatiana Golovin 2-6, 6-2, 6-1 in the finals and won a Porsche.

Henin was stretched in the semi-finals of the Zurich Open by in-form Nicole Vaidisova. She lost the first set but broke back in the second and third sets, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Henin went on to defeat Tatiana Golovin in the final 6-4, 6-4.

Henin's final title of the year was the Madrid Masters, a rather prestigious tournament. All the matches were a breeze for her except the final match against Maria Sharapova who was in her top form after a long break due to a shoulder injury. Sharapova played better in the first set, but Henin managed to turn things around in the second set and took the third set easily. Final score: 5-7, 7-5, 6-3. This is the second time in a row Henin has won the Madrid Masters.

What an incredible season it has been for Henin!

PW is finally over!

Well, what can I say? The oral presentation was pretty good. I think my group handled the Q&A quite well. And of course with the numerous practices we went through, our presentation was rather good. I'm just happy it's all over.



The class chalet was really boring. The gloomy weather wasn't helping either. I think my class is full of gaming addicts who simply don't mind spending all day in the chalet playing Xbox. Oh well. I actually got sick of it on the second day so I didn't want to go back there at night after I finished settling some stuff at home. The first day was the most interesting day if you can even call it interesting. It was so exciting that I nearly fell asleep. Basically they played Xbox most of the time and I joined in for a few games so that I wouldn't be deemed as a spoilsport. At night they rented a dvd so we did manage to watch a show. But that was all! Ridiculous. I mean I'm not trying to be mean or what but really these people are freaking boring. You see, a class chalet doesn't have to be like a tour of Singapore or what not. It doesn't have to be like hiking, sightseeing, climbing the mountain, or scuba diving. It's not so much about how brilliant the activities are, but rather whether there is a variety of them. For my class, they practically spent all the time playing two stupid games on the Xbox! Can you believe it?! For the class chalets that I have attended in the past, apart from the usual barbeque, we got to ride bicycles, catch a movie in the cinema, bowl, play card games, go to Escape theme park, etc. Granted, these are not fascinating at all, but at least there is a variety of activities so that our minds wouldn't zone out. Mind you they were fun. And what did my class do this time? Nothing! Zilch man. Apart from the bbq and the Xbox, there wasn't anything else. In order for a chalet to be fun, there has got to be a flow of activities. Doesn't have to be a lot either, but at least there must be some movement, and not staring at the bloody screen and jamming the buttons like zombies. And the fact is, they don't realise it. They do feel bored but they don't give a shit. Nobody gives a shit! Ya, it's boring but so what? We ain't doing nothin but who cares? Then another thing is they are not open to ideas. Not one bit. Me: "Hey want to play tennis?" Someone: "Don't want lah." Me: "Do you want to cycle?" Someone: "Not now right." Me: "Wanna watch a movie?" Someone: " But there's nothing nice to watch." Oh f*** it man! What is wrong with these people?! Some of them do feel bored but they just don't want to do something different; they rather tag along with the majority. I'm not saying they can't play Xbox, but for heaven's sake not the whole day right! If I were to play tennis the whole day and if I had the power to force these people to accompany me, I bet they wouldn't be able to take it either. That's what I'm trying to say. They didn't even spare a thought for me. Just because the games appeal to them doesn't mean they interest me. Furthermore I'm not against it. I just want some variety. That's all. I guess I'm disappointed. I know I don't share the same interests as these guys. I do hope I have a group of people in my class who shares the same interests as me, then it wouldn't be so miserable. There just happens to be this huge group in class (girls and guys) who enjoy all these virtual games. And its like when they talk about it I don't understand what they're talking about. Then when I talk about tennis to Hwee Geok (who follows the game) and they happen to be around me, they'll say, "Tennis again..." or "urghh...". To hell with them! You can talk about your f***ing computer game but I can't talk about my tennis! That day I was in the library with them and they spent the whole time talking about computer games. Simply superb!

Pw and more pw!

It's been such a long time since I last blogged. Needless to say, it's because of that irritating pw. After the 5th of November (next Monday), I'll be free again, at least for some time that is. Till then, blogging will be placed on the side bench. I don't know, it seems that everybody hates pw. To think of it, 50% of the conflicts that arise in my class are actually related to pw. You can imagine how much trouble pw causes. Without it, our lives would be considerably easier. The reason why pw can wreck havoc in a seemingly bonded class is very simple. If there were no pw, we wouldn't have to really work together as a team to produce something at the end. The fact is the kind of interaction involved among people (the very nature in which projects are carried out) and the shared workload and what not often bring out and highlight our true colours. In other words, pw kind of showcases the negative aspects of people's characters, which wouldn't have been emphasised under normal circumstances. We are more or less placed in the limelight, where group members scrutinise one another's actions. Moreover, in pw there are bound to be miscommunication and these can turn out pretty ugly. I guess pw does involve unnecessary negative emotions. Well, we're all looking at the big picture though - it's an 'A' Level exam. If there's one thing we have to learn from pw, it's got to be looking forward and not giving up, even if we're faced with fierce and unpleasant tussles with our group members. After a quarrel with an unreasonable member, we forget about it and when the next meeting arrives, we just pretend as if nothing ever happened. Sounds controlled? That's the way it is - we're controlling for our sake.

I don't want to grow old

Thinking back, I just realised how time flies. In no time, I'll be in the army and after which, the university. And soon, I'll be just like my father. It's scary when you think about the future, with endless possibilities ahead of you. How I wish life can just freeze at this point in time. I'm happy now; I don't want to grow old. I like it just as it is. But of course time doesn't freeze. Unfortunately. I can't imagine the fact that I'll be on my own when I start working. There seems to be this sense of loneliness and emptiness that awaits me when it's my turn to face the world. I guess I'm worried. I'm not being paranoid though. I mean this was a reality check for me. All these while, people have been talking about their aspirations and what not, but fail to realise that it's not going to be as smooth a journey as they think. I'm not saying it's wrong to dream and think big. What I'm saying is that sometimes, when you spend a few minutes thinking about the future, you start to see that it's pretty much ambiguous. In other words, there is uncertainty, anything could happen at all. Oh well, life's like that. I'll just have to do my part and hope for the best. I guess that's what we all have to do.

Justine Henin claims 6th Title of the Year (Rogers Cup)

On 19 August (one day after my birthday), Justine Henin took the Rogers Cup, defeating Jelena Jankovic 7-6, 7-5. It was a struggle but Henin managed to come out on top. Jankovic started out better leading 4-1 in the first set but Henin broke back and took the match in two sets. A nice birthday present for me. =) I like Henin's outfit. She looks good in red.

Back to blogging

To all my friends: sorry for not blogging for such a long time; I was really too busy. At a particular point in time on the week of my birthday, I actually forgot that it was going to be my birthday. Can you believe it?! Just shows how busy I was. Now at least I can breathe a little. So birthday's over, I got my new racket - a Wilson nCode nFury =) I really like it! When I used it the first time, I couldn't get used to the feel but by the second time, I got used to it. What can I say but it feels great! And it's a beauty. Instead of describing how it looks like, I shall show you a picture.


Such a nice shade of blue. Hahaha. My father's taste is never to be doubted. Thank you daddy! Oh and thank you Angel for your wonderful birthday card!

(P.S. my racket looks like Henin's racket except that it's blue.)

Wonder if she's doing fine

I'm worried for Yj. =( I don't know, she seems to have problems getting along with her class. And it's affecting her, I can feel it, I don't need her to tell me that. But it's difficult for me to advise her because I'm not in her class, as such I can't really access the situation. But one thing I can do is to encourage her and be a listening ear. She feels that she is not accepted, in fact she feels ostracised. Then I asked her why she is ostracised because I don't see why people should spontaneously ostracise her for no rhyme or reason. It must have been something she did. She told me she tends to be annoying when friendly and would say a lot of nonsense that might irritate people. Perhaps she should rethink about doing what she usually does to people whom she's not close to. And it'd help if she tones down that ego. Having said that, it's impossible to please everyone, but at least get a couple of buddies. Right now she seems to have no friend within the class or at least that's how she feels. I think she should learn to appreciate her classmates because maybe they don't feel her warmth. In everything you do, if you show your sincerity and let them know that you really appreciate them, I'm sure they'll see your motive as genuine even though you are being yourself. If there is warmth within you, it will radiate from you and spread to those around you. No matter how it comes out, whether fierce, stern, cheeky, jumpy, anxious, etc, it will still be felt. It's not so much about how loud you are; there are quiet people who are just as kind. So why not show them what you're worth. If there is someone whom you find particularly difficult to get along with, you may want to reflect if it is worth your effort to rebuild this relationship. What is most important is that it cannot be the case where if this person hates you then the whole class hates you. You must find some buddies within the class for support or else life is going to be very miserable. Anyway, when you feel down, just remember that you have buddies outside of class! =)

No Form

Monday's training was atrocious! I was suffering from a complete lack of form. Kept hitting the ball out, judgement was screwed. I either took the ball too near or too far away from me, making me look awkward and unstable. Shit! I hate these kind of trainings. I was really clumsy at the net too. The coach criticised me for being too stiff. Thanks man. The more balls I hit the more discouraged I became, I mean it's always the case when you keep making mistakes. Chris experienced the same problem as me during soccer training on Monday. I think it's partly due to the stress and of course a lack of practice on my part. I was seriously considering asking my father not to buy me a new tennis racket for my birthday which is coming soon. He had no idea what to buy for me so he asked me and I had requested for a Wilson tennis racket. But what's the use if I can't even play properly. It's not cheap you know, probably about 150 bucks. One more training to decide. Daryl, if you can't play properly next Monday, you can forget about the tennis racket! I'm just frustrated! I mean it's like I could play so well last week. Why the inconsistency? Arghh!!!