South Africa, Rocklands, 22 July-25 Aug 2010

alrights, finally found some time to write about Rocklands!!!get ready....

i decided pictures indeed speak a thousand words, so i will be using pictures to talk about my trip. these selected pictures pretty much sums up my adventures in Rocklands.

this is where our laundry is hung up. as long as you can find 2 boulders, hang up a ratchet and there you go, a steady makeshift laundry line!

this is our bouldercave, where we cook,eat,watch movies on the laptop. it is a source of protection against the cold winds that blow early in the morning and late at nights, and keeps the rain out too=)only problem is, it is about 1M in height, so it can be rather break-breaking to walk in and out of this cave. jay and i developed backaches from moving ard in the cave.ha

Yes, this is Rocklands, where Bouldering and Sportclimbing is offered=) i was fooled by this sign, it was put at the entrance to many different crags. the bigger crag was known as "THE ROADSIDE". i happily thought the boulders were just nxt to the roadside, little did i know, that it was nearly an hour walk from the ROADSIDE, into the boulders.sigh. this signboard is a guage of an hour's walk into the bouldering area.

Natural streams of cold running water!perfect for COLD WATER TREATMENT!and as drinking water, and water to wash our hands. basically, for anything.haha. and i didnt get a stomach upset from drinking the water.

 

Visited Muizenberg, a small town just at the coast of South Africa, small in size, but big in beauty=)

                                              

Stayed at this campsite en-route to the Kgalagadi Transfontier park- Safari

we didnt bother bringing our tent from out camp at Rocklands, so we just put our boulderpads on the floor and slept on our sleeping bags. coolest night out ever!in the wild=)

Awfully cute ground squirrels that were extremely tame and spoilt by humans.tsk tsk.

our safari guide taking out a huge rifle." just in case".where we were on the prowl for lions, cheetahs, etc.

my favourite breakfast! bread with banana,jam and peanut butter!helps you send all of your projects for the day=)

fresh barracudas for sale at Muizenberg.

awesome line called "the Rhino", 7b+. tried it, cldnt finish it. will be back for it.

first time bouldering in the dark!with headlamps.pretty cool experience!

sending JOHN DENVER,7A. took me 2 sessions. finishing it was rewarding coz i got to see paul robinson too=)hahaha. ok. but seriously, finishing the project was my aim. Seeing Paul Robinson at the same boulder was just a bonus.

trying MINKI, 7B, definitely a different style from Dirty lies, also 7B, knee jams was a pretty new move to me in natural, going back to finish it too!

My "room" for 1 month.

 

new things i learnt in this trip

1. Spotters- the importance of having one when bouldering. Growing up in an indoor climbing environment, we are pretty much on our own whenever we climb, because we have mattresses to fall on. but once outside, on the natural boulder, all we have is probably a 72"x36"x4.75" safety pad to rely on? and as we progress higher or traverse across the boulder, we definitely need someone to spot and move the mattress for us. Spotting is not just ensuring the person lands safely onto the pad, but looking out for possible angles the person can fall at and being ready for the fall anytime. Learnt alot from jay about spotting.

2. Food- i found myself almost hungry 24/7. the Hike, the cold weather and climbing made me hungry quicker than usual. Even though i wasnt perspiring due to the cold weather, i found myself getting real hungy after a short hike. always be prepared to have food in your bag when you plan to stay at 1 climbing crag the whole day. 

3. working on a project- it is my 2nd bouldering trip, but it can almost be considered a first because my first time bouldering in Hampi, well...i didnt exactly climb hard. i didnt push myself. but in Rocklands, i was introduced to the concept of working on a project ( line/ problem). i hardly worked on any projects while climbing in Singapore. but in Rocklands, there were certain problems that i cldnt send in 1 day, and had to keep going back to work on it. i was drawn to the beauty of the problem and the moves involved. Bouldering, unknown to our bodies, actually sucks alot of energy out without you feeling tired. and so, even when you feel ready, the minute you get back onto the boulder, you feel tired almost immediately. hence, i had to go back to work on it. sometimes, that particular session would be just working on parts of the problem, and other sessions would be attempting to link all of the different parts up. it felt alittle irritating and disappointing when i felt so ready to send the problem in that session, only to realise there was no way i cld finish it, coz i was dead tired at the end of the day. but it is definitely rewarding to finally finish it. and with all the encouragement from all the climbers working on the same problem. definitely cant do without them too=)

4. dont give up- this is one thing that was extremely applicable to me. there were a number of problems where i kept on falling at the same move, which was probably my crux for the problem. there were times when i felt like giving up and moving onto another problem because the moves seem impossible by my standards. but jay,weida and peter told me not to give up and that the move is very possible. for Dirty lies, a project which took me 3 sessions to finish, i was stuck at the same crux for 3 whole sessions. only managed to get past the crux without starting from the beginning once. and that was it. decided to go for the whole problem from the beginning. but i found myself another crux, which was getting to the first crux i encountered. and so my last session was spent working on linking the moves up. it was not easy, i really felt like giving up. but i was so glad i didnt, because at my final attempt, i managed to send it. and the minute i sent it, i looked back at my previous sessions and heaved a huge sigh of relief and wondered how i managed to get out of it. it was the same for the other problems. 

noticed a pattern in my ability to send problems

- 7a: at least 2 sessions

- 7b: at least 3 sessions

-7c: at least 4 sessions.

with this experience, i now know how long it takes me to send a particular grade.haha. this would most probably serve as a guide for my future bouldering trips.

Totally enjoyed this trip because i got to climb and push myself way past my expected limit. thanks to Jay, Weida and peter. Made a lot of new friends from all over the world. Definitely going back again!so many unfinished business=)

Lost in Transit: Sri Lanka and Dubai

21 july 2010

Left Singapore on 21 July 2010, Arrived in Bandarahaire Airport ( Sri lanka). Due to be in transit for 8 hours before heading to Dubai for another transit to finally reach Cape Town.

I arrived a tired and sleepy person, looking forward to sleeping on a nice bed. Looked around the airport for hotel bookings, and found the cheapest room, no air con, fan only, but it cost $50USD!!!i would have felt like an idiot if I were to sleep on a bed that cost $50USD for 4 hours! So I decided to wait till my next flight, in the airport. I first ventured out of arrival only to see Sri lanka’s very poorly lighted streets with swarms of people hanging outside the airport. Being an only girl, I decided it was much safer to go back into the airport to wait.

I wanted to buy food but found that the airport only accepted US dollars or Rupees. “Good job fel”. I had failed to check what currency was available in this airport. They did not even buy Singapore dollars, so there I was, 8 hours without food or money. Thankfully, there was a water dispenser, and I still had some raisins I brought from Singapore. And so I sat on Bandarahaire’s Airport departure “lounge”, which consisted of hard plastic chairs and tried to snooze abit. But got worried about my baggage. At that point, I totally disliked traveling alone. Even making a trip to the washroom meant I had to carry all my bags around.

Finally got onto the plane to DUBAI!!!!!!the minute the air stewardesses served snacks, I grabbed it and opened it almost immediately and chowed down the whole packet in less than a min. it felt good to have food going into my mouth.haha

Dubai

Arrived at Dubai International Airport. Was welcomed with a beautiful airport, with Rolex clocks all around!haha. departure and arrival display screens were aplenty, as many as you would see in an electronic store selling flatscreens!

I realized I had 24 hours of transit in Dubai and yes, I needed a place to stay. No way was I going to stay in the airport for 24 hours. Tried the transit hotel and 1 room cost 400usd/night!mad. so I decided to go out of the airport. Found myself a small room in Dream Palace Hotel for about $50usd/night, just 15 mins drive from the airport. Paid for it at the airport hotel booking booth and made my way out.

OUTSIDE DUBAI AIRPORT

Was greeted with an extremely warm blast of air and dust. Nothing like I had expected. I was indoors for the past 2 days and the minute I got out of the airport, I could hardly breathe. I felt like I was in a sauna, hot and “steamy” ( dusty in Dubai). Quickly got into the taxi and arrived at my hotel. Dubai was really hot, it was summer and temperatures were reported to be almost 40 degrees Celsius in mid day!!!!worse than Singapore! its not humid, but rather, HOT AND DRY. The cars in Dubai were all covered with a thick layer of brownish dust, I guess it doesn’t pay to clean your cars in a desert land. Haha.

Stayed in a hotel for the first time ALONE, bought snacks from the supermarket for dinner as I didn’t want to spend too much money in Dubai. My money is reserved for Rocklands!

Boarded the plane to Cape Town the next day.FINALLY.

Cape Town

Arrived late afternoon, excitedly waited for Jay, Wei da and Peter to pick me up. Got into the car and off I went to our camp site in Rocklands! More updates on Rocklands coming up soon. i need a break from typing=p

BOO BOO BOO BOO BOO.

Dear Felicia, 

As mentioned in our tele-conversation, since you are unable to complete your placement on time, we would have to impose a penalty of 10 marks for late submission of your portfolio, which should only be handed in after completing 400 hours of placement, and not any time earlier. We are not in favour that students submit their portfolios without finishing 400 hours placement, since it is required of students to only submit portfolios 2 weeks upon placement completion. Hence, please note that if you are finishing your placement on 30/8/10, you would have to submit your work by 13/9, 4 pm to Ms Lim Shan Shan at the General Office.  

Also, please give considerable thoughts towards your work with clients, especially how you intend to continue and terminate your work at the agency after your trip. This is because it is important for you to develop this aspect of professionalism in your work as a Social Work student.  

Thanks.

Regards

( teacher)

i cannot believe they are so INFLEXIBLE. sigh.

A weekend of Crazy driving, Good music, Fantastic company!!!

Started off our journey after the heavy downpour in Singapore. Vincent and Jack rotated driving down the north- south highway. They drove well, minimum speed 140km/hr.hahaha
Genting
Got kinda lost in Kl onwards, GPS wasn’t working too good. It was laggy and so whenever we needed to make a turn, the GPS would only inform us after we missed the turn.haha. we dreaded hearing the sound which indicated we were off route. But thankfully, Vincent and Jack managed to get back on the right track. We were so happy when we saw the signboard to “genting highlands”.



Reached the bottom of Genting, Zhao Xiu took over the wheel!!=) ( not over take!haha) it was dark and misty and it started drizzling. Believe it or not, it was my 2nd time sitting in na car driving up to Genting. My first time was with my family but at that time, I was too young to look at how windy the road was. And yes. That night was the first time experiencing the drive up and being able to look at the road. I tell you, it was no easy feat driving up, countless bends, many sharp turns and did I mention it was dark,misty and wet?haha.yea.but zhao xiu was super good!she managed to drive all of us up safely=) reached First World Hotel really tired from the ride from Singapore. Hurriedly checked in. Zhao Xiu conked out on the bed while V, Jack and myself changed to go to the Casino!!yay.

Casino: it was my first time entering one, I can finally enter the casino legally and gamble too. My first time was when I took part in the Asian Indoor Games in Macau 2007. We just went into the Casino for fun, walked 1 round and went out because we weren’t really supposed to enter. I was still underaged that time.hahaha. being a noob, I followed V and Jack. V sat himself down comfortably at the table playing dices. It looked pretty easy. I observed for awhile. Finger started to get itchy to place a bet but I wanted to observe more first. How people place their bets strategically.

I next followed Jack to the baccarat tables and learnt a lil on how they bet as well. I decided to try it out. Bet 50rm on the banker for the 1st time. And I won!haha.but the 2nd round I bet 50 again, I lost. So I decided to stop playing. Wasn’t feeling lucky. So with my original 50rm, I decided to join V at the Dice table. Changed into playing chips and started playing. Won abit here and lost abit, and at the end, I ended up with 50rm xtra!=) I told myself I would stop playing once I won double. So happy me returned back to the hotel with 50rm richer. Didn’t want to be too greedy and lose everything in the end.

Had a bit of sleep. Was woken up by some stupid drilling from the floor above us, even though I clearly remember our 13 floor was the highest alr.haha.and at 7am, there were kids shouting down the hallway. Don’t the tourists in genting wake up late!?!?!?

Managed to get out of bed, we showered and had brunch at Kenny Rogers. Took our one and only theme ride: Space Coasters, 12 rm. The ride was really short and jerky. It wasn’t very fun because it was awfully cold and the gradient of the drops and turns were too soft. Not scary at all. Just very jerky. But nvm, we had enough of rides for the day. Our aim wasn’t the thempark anw.

 

Bukit Tinggi

This was our next destination, this time I took the wheel!weee..it was my first time driving in msia, and I was given the honour of driving down genting.haha.vincent belted up, so did everyone=( and I began the drive down. It was a very good experience because you hardly get such windy roads to play around with in Singapore and not forgetting the steepness as well. Vincent taught me a lil here and there on handling the vehicle when navigating sharp turns. Still not very good at it because he felt nauseous after the drive down. I felt so bad.haha.but I will get better with more practice!=)

Got to bukit tinggi in no time, we didn’t get lost!yay! again, it was another windy and steep road up, but this time it was a 2 way lane, meaning 1 lane up 1 lane down. It was more difficult because whenever I took a corner, I couldn’t really see if there was a car coming the other way. So had to negotiate the turn slowly. Didn’t want to hit an oncoming vehicle. But it was fun. The road is really good for drifting man.but dangerous la.=p

 

French Bakery at Bukit Tinggi

Got to the top of bukit tinggi. We were greeted with a beautiful sight! Bukit Tinggi is a French- themed village and the whole setting gave a nostalgic and rustic feeling when we got off the car. It was gorgeous. The buildings were tastefully designed to look like French houses and it felt peaceful. Walked around, took plenty of pictures. Visited the Japanese village as well. But after a while, we all got bored, decided to drive down to KL for dinner.haha. it was a long drive, a bit of jam. Went to find Carrefour to stock up on food and BOOZE!hahaha.had a quick dinner and grocery shopping and drove back to our hotel in Bukit Tinggi.

Party time began at 11plus. Our room was big enough, we had a living room, kitchen and bedroom. So our drinking session started. We had beer and red wine and lotsa chips. Played many stupid games that made us more stupid with alcohol in our bodies.haha.but it was a very fun and crazy night. I never drank so much in my life before. That night was the first. And im glad we were in the hotel and not in some club.All of us slept really soundly that night after drinking.

 

Woke up, packed up and drove down to Melaka for lunch and shopping before heading back home. There was a torrential downpour on the highway to meleka and we saw 3 accidents on our way. It was scary and I was really thankful we were not involved in any. Encountered jams along the way coz of the rain, and it being Sunday. Zhao Xiu was still on the prowl for A& W since Saturday.haha.we couldn’t find any while in Kl, but we didn’t give up. Jack was driving now and we had to stop in front coz we were in the wrong lane. Zhao xiu looked up and called to our attention. Right beside us were the 2 golden words in red and brown. A&W!!!hahaha.we were so excited and it was really funny because Jack had driven into the “parking lot” at the side of the road. Imagine we never stopped there, we would have not found the A&W shop so soon. Had our lunch there. Everyone was happy and we were soon on our way to Meleka to shop!!

Ohyea, we encountered a scary incident on our way to Meleka. Vincent was turning out of the parking lot when he didn’t see a white car coming really close to us. The driver horned really loudly but we didn’t hit each other. Thank God. He stopped infront of us. Got out of the car looking really pissed. Banged out window and shouted at Vincent. V apologized and the guy shouted:” what you doing!penalty 100!” we were shocked. Why the hell do we need to pay him money when no accident happened? I think he saw that it was a Singaporean car he decided to take advantage. He told us to drive to the front and talk. we decided to ignore him and quickly drove off towards the left lane. The car high- beamed and horned once again coz we were “running away” from him.haha. lucky there were a few cars that went behind us and so we lost him. We all heaved a sigh of relief when we were back on the highway and the car was nowhere near.

Reached Makota shopping mall and did abit of shopping. Managed to get a few tops and bought cakes from SECRET RECIPE!happiest. bought durian cheese cake, choco banana, hazelnut cheese and some new creation: Strawberry marshmallow cheesecake. It was cheap and good!!!

 

Dinner in JB: paper wrapped chicken!!!yummy and other dishes as well. Full once again, we started driving back to Singapore. It was another horrible jam at the checkpoint, but again, we made it out of msia safe and sound!!

Totally enjoyed this trip: EAT EAT EAT.PLAY PLAY PLA.DRINK DRINK DRINK. Cant wait to make another one with them soon=)

Rocklands Bouldering...

Rocklands 09 from Princess on Vimeo.

1 Goal accomplished!

Rockmaster 2010! probably the 1 boulder comp i will never forget!=)

This weekend started off w me attending the Ignite Conference concert at Bartley Christian Church. Dont know why, but felt an urge to attend the night concert with germaine and the youths from JG. the concert started with an opening magician act for entertainment. interesting how the magician uses "magic" to share the gospel. i guess in all that you do, you can always share the gospel, "the message is the same simple one, just the methods used"=) ( something which the pastor mentioned) During the worship, i clearly felt God's presence. It didnt come immediately when the songs started, it came halfway during a particular song which i didnt know. it was a new song, but something stirred within my heart, a very warm and peaceful feeling that i hadnt felt for a long time as i hadnt been attending church for the past 2 months i think? Stopped attending ever since my mum went into the hospital. weekends had to be spent visiting her; and the longer i stayed away from church, the harder it felt to come back. I dont know why, but i know i will go back soon.

Saturday:

Made up my mind to not wear my "qualifying pants" for this year's Rockmaster. You see, every year, for every comp, i have been wearing this particular pair of nike tights for every comp. Dont ask me why, but it so happens to be my favourite, probably coz this was my first pair of climbing pants i bought when i was in JC1=)haha.yes, you can count how old my pants is, i am 22 this year. and im still wearing it. NIKE rocks for its lasting material. I decided to enter the qualifiers and aim to get into finals not using my pants, but relying totally on God to give me strength. And yes, it was indeed rewarding when i chose to rely on God and not on some stupid pants or myself totally to get thru the comp. managed a 4th placing for my qualifying. i remember doing route 3, falling off at the 2nd last tile on my first attempt. there was only 1 min left. i decided to give it another go. AND IT WAS WORTH IT=) i was shocked, i managed a heel hook on my lousy madrock heels to get the ending tile.haha.but almost peeled off alr, coz the heel too soft.

oh yea, was a little disappointed with the time management for Rockmaster. we were told to come down to register at 10am and have our event started at 12. but when we arrived. the Under 16 catagory was just starting. guess what, our registration got pushed back to 3plus. and we only got to climb at ard 6pm.gosh.i could have worked from 10-12pm at CA.( had to rush to find a replacement coz i was afraid i wouldnt make it for my event).grrr.nvm.big lesson learnt here. hopefully for the organisers of Rockmaster as well=)i guess, every comp we learn how to deal with different issues. i still rmb, Boulderactive, we had the issue of being too loud and cheer-ry at Orchard Central. management wasnt too happy abt it. nxt time, find a venue that appreciates our event and cheers and crowd- drawing ability.ha.


thats me tryin to get a dyno.looks like i got it right=)

and the 2nd pic is my end on route 3=)so glad i made a 2nd attempt, was rewarded with an end=)


SUnday:
Finals: got to marina barrage early in the morning on Sunday at 9am to test the final routes out. got there late, only to see most of the guys and girls tryin the routes out alr. immediately hopped onto the 2nd route. regretted not warming up properly coz i immediately felt tired after holding the first few tiles.haha. it was a good work out though. didnt get to finish any routes during the try outs. was beginning to worry alr coz everyone was doing so well as they were trying the routes. when it was over, jud,haroz and liting went to my hse to have lunch and rest before gg back to watch the other events. we all took a siesta. too tired alr.

went back ard 2plus to watch inter men and women finals. and then it was my event. Open Women Finals.  had another 4 min of observation and started off. Said another quick prayer to God asking for strength and for Him to help me out during the comp.

1st route: during the trials, i couldnt even get to the mono tile, i wanted to give up on this route coz i tried it a million times earlier. when i went up, i managed to get to the mono with ease, happy, i moved on, only to fall at the big pinch. i decided that was it. enough.rest. i wanted to prepare myself for the 2nd route which i felt i needed more strength for that.

2nd route: during the trials, i couldnt move on from the round sloper to the purple side pull. that was my fear for this route. but again, when i started off, i got to the sloper again, my fears came back.but i told myself to give it my best jump. and i got it!=) a lil surprised, i told myself to move on. and yes, fell at the 3rd last tile. but i was happy coz i went past my supposed "crux".

3rd route: again, during the trials, i couldnt get past the big orange fin. told myself to give it all. since it was my last route alr. and i started climbing. reached the tile below the orange fin, decided to give it one good try and pulled myself up. and yes!i felt the good part of the fin.haha.during the trials i didnt even get to touch it, so i didnt know how good it was. almost to the end alr. didnt think of heel hooking to end. so i tried to throw for the ledge.bad move. ( i later found out i had to hook to end, it helped alot. looks like i gota work on my heel hooking!)

at the end, i managed to get 3rd!i was pleased with the fact that i went further during the comp then the try-out in the morning. i was glad i didnt give up or let my fears get the better of me. Never expected to get top 3 for an open women's catagory before, although it was one of my goals written for 2010( it was just an aim for myself to train harder), but i didnt expect it to be so fast!of course i am happy, very grateful to all who came and supported me and marisa for videoing me and the other photographers!=)you are deeply appreciated! nice end for the boulder season.

Once More.

hmm.nothing exciting happened recently.

ok.maybe just 1. my mum found out about my bike=(had been riding for about 2 weeks, until one day.on that fateful dat, i came home after climbing. jumped into the shower, and just changed into my home clothes and was towelling my hair when my mum opened up a letter from the TRAFFIC POLICE DEPARTMENT. i knew this was it. Jack had sms-ed me earlier that our traffic police summons was sent to our house alr. ( we both parked our bikes on the pavements outside city square during the pumpfest week. only to get fined.$70 man!!!heartpain).and yes, i digressed alil.she opened up the letter infront of me and asked me why i got a fine.i told her i parked illegally. my heart was racing like mad by this time. her eyes scanned the letter till it reached the header:" Vehicle Type: MOTORCYCLE". she turned and looked at me."how come its a motorbike? you bought a bike" ( by now, her eyes widened like a fishball).i quietly said "yes. i just bought". the next few minutes went by in a blur.she went bersek and shouted for my dad:"papa!!ah girl bought a bike!"

my dad stormed in and scolded me almost immediately. i just saw down and explained to them why i bought a bike.blah blah.my mum didnt listen to any of it. she just kept shaking her head.NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO. and that was the end of my riding career. it was short lived.but i enjoyed every moment of it. ok.except the time my bike couldnt start and had to be push- started. i will never forget the times vincent,jack,jay,weida,zaki helped me to push start my bike.Thank you so much guys. i dont know what i could have done without your help.=p

ok la.now that my parents know abt my bike, i can openly put on my blog and facebook alr.haha.in a sense it was a blessing in disguise?or a huge sigh of relief?coz i can ride occassionally without worrying abt getting caught by my parents.its a Honda XR125L for all those who are wondering what it is. Its a scrambler, and i fell in love with it the min i rode on it. its so easy to handle!just imagine a mountain bike with an engine?=)oh yes, i removed the "pornstar" sticker alr.haha.totally wasnt my image=p

and so now, i am left all alone.no more boyfriend ( i am referring to my bike arh.haha.its a male)but i have managed to ride it on a few occassions with good excuses.my mum seems to be releasing her tenterhooks.and it may be a good sign i can carry on riding after all?=)hmmm.

im halfway into my placement at the Boys Home. my supervisor has been on leave for the past week. i did really little.planned a lil here and there for my upcoming program, tried to do my assignment.yes.facebooked alot as usual.

Started reading "Training for Climbing" by Eric J.Horst. (kindly loaned to me from Jay). Its a good book!i recommend for all the new climbers, and even climbers who have been climbing, but are still seeking ways to get stronger, its not all about climbing and strength. Learn about how to maximise your mental focus as well!

very soon, most of my friends will be leaving for their climbing trips around the world. one group to Krabi, one group to Hongkong and Chine, and another group is in New Zealand alr.So happy for them. Soon i will be embarking on mine!Rocklands!( once again, i CANNOT WAIT).

Level 2 FINALLY.

Spent my weekend on 5,6 june attending my long awaited level 2 course. did it with jud,marissa,shaoting,chuanming and jia wei.haha.great bunch of people to do the course with. wouldnt trade them for anyone else=)it was easy helping each other whenever we needed help because we all knew each other from nus climbing. i cant imagine doing it with a bunch of strangers.haha.Jay was our instructor. he was really patient in going through the steps of multi-pitching, prussiking, top-outs. totally enjoyed prussiking, although it was one of the hardest.haha. and yes,not forgetting having to lead fall and doing dynamic belaying!

it was really tough having to fall knowing fully well that your hands are on 2 fat and juicy jugs, the hardest part is telling your hands to let go and knowing you will get a fall, big big fall. the 1st fall was the hardest. after that, my heart got a little stronger alr.haha. jud was the bravest, she did the first lead fall without much hesitation. i took like 1 min plus?haha.belayed my heaviest climber so far, jia wei.haha.hes not fat, just tall.Big Friendly Giant. my ankles took a hard hit as i flew to the well.but no worries. was able handle him.=)can handle him means can handle any weight alr when belaying.haha

i am a super visual learner, and not only that. i need to experience it to learn. realised this while learning how to prussik upwards, in the event you never got the ropes on its equal length to abseil down. i bungled up the whole thing on my first try.haha.perspired a pool on my part. but managed to get it right the 2nd time. Super grateful to Jay.so patient.haha. and yes, i made alot of stupid mistakes in tying my ropes and knots.=p but now i can tie a double fisherman's knot, reef knot, clove hitch perfectly!YAY!=) at least now i know a few more knots, better than just tying a dead knot.haha.

thanks to the people whom i took level 2 with as well. they all helped me along the way.i always have to learn the hard way. getting scolded and experiencing how its like to do it wrongly and then getting it right.


and yes, i am proud to say i finally have level 2!!!waited almost 4 years for it?haha.managed to take my level 1 in JC1 and that was it. started lead climbing and falling and multi pitching at krabi all without level 2. i feel so much more confident now coz i know how to do it.instead of relying on someone to teach me=)

did some great climbing after the course, we all had some energy to burn off. tried plenty of routes. totally tired my body out today. cant wait to drop dead on my bed later on.

had dinner at Sunset way today. dessert at Daily Scoops after that. it was one happening weekend which i will never forget=)

cant wait to multi pitch again and lead climb!=)and boulder too.

and i dont like mondays=(the weekend came and went in a blink of an eye.sigh.

long time no write.

HO HO HO. its been long. my last post was during my birthday?haha.more than 1 month ago. and since i am in my office now. rotting, why not catch up on whats been happening in my life?=)here goes.

Life at the Singapore Boys Home
here's what i do normally

1. Breakfast at my table
2. answer a big nature call= SHIT
3. Facebook
4. Facebook ( + snacks)
5. Facebook. (ok, i am just kidding, not too many times though.haha.)
6. Do some readings.
7. Facebook.
8. Lunch
9. Readings
10. Facebook
11. Home Sweet Home

oh, new updates, i have gotten 3 boys as my casework over the next few weeks.yay!finally, something meaningful. cant wait to meet them.

PumpFest 2010
We had a world cup route setter, Tonde Katiyo ( France). He brought with him a wealth of experience from route setting in World Cups. i was pretty excited and looking forward to world cup like routes. Thinking they were gona be do-able. Alas, i was wrong. haha.the routes were extremely technical, totally not my kind of routes that i normally do. i barely got past 3/4 of the wall. my weakness? being unable to think on the wall. it wasnt just about strength, it was about working out the sequences which i suck at. NOW I HAVE BEEN REAFFIRMED that i need to train my brain to think faster when i am on the wall. allez fel=)Looking forward to Rockmaster.haha.

New Love
My new "guy" is Ashton. He is white, he is ruggard and sporty, he enjoys getting dirty. and i love riding him=)

Mummy
My mum is now back home, recuperating and going for her chemo sessions. Thank you to all who have been praying for her and have been giving me moral support=)i totally needed you guys. and Praise the Lord, he has given me good grades ( in my opinion) for my exams, considering that was the time most of the problems started. countless hospital visits, having to take care of the household while my mum was not around, etc. HE gave me strength and for that i am so thankful! God did not forsake me during this period.

Happy Belated Birthday to ME...

turned 22 on 7 april. no big deal. realised this is an ugly number, theres no way i can turn the numbers around to trick people. like if i was 21 last year.i can jokingly say i am 12, and people know how old i am exactly.ha. 22. no chance.

no cake this year.no candle to blow this year.

I am just thankful i can wake up to another day.

Dear God, i pray that you will bring healing to my mum. In Jesus name, AMEN.

Happy Birthday Lee Hui Mei Germaine!

Celebrated Germaine's birthday last night. rachel,ivan,myself and germz had dinner at Al Dente Trattoria!(Esplanada).














Met ivan and rachel first before making our way down.the birthday girl was late. we were so hungry, we ordered a $10 pizza first. Sausage and Artichokes pizza!(i had never quite tasted an artichoke before, and it tasted really good!it has the texture similar to mushrooms, chewy and meaty taste.)


 Sausage and Artichoke Pizza $10






















 A very flushed and red germaine, she walked at her fastest speed from her school to find us.


when Germaine finally arrived, we had already placed our order. i decided to be daring and go with the Wagyu Beef with Lasagne!( mind you, this is the first time i am ordering beef on my own. i never like the smell of beef, especially when it is sliced or minced, i can only handle beef cuts like sirloin steak, tenderloin, but even so, in small amounts. i decided to give this wagyu beef a try because i know its one of the best.) guess what, when it came, i almost fainted. it was minced waygu beef with lasagne. i was utterly disappointed. so was ivan. he ordered wagyu pasta. and germaine said it looked like "mee hoon kuey", with their thick slices of pasta and minced meat all over with tomato sauce. tsk tsk. both of us ate our meal bitterly. Rachel and germaine were smart. they ordered Foie Gras with Parma Ham Risotto!=)took 1 bite of the foie gras and fell in love with it at once. the risotto was even better!every bit of the rice was filled with the savoury sauce!

i totally hated my dish. the minced beef smell was overpowering for my nose to handle. Rachel offered to trade dishes with me. it was really sweet of her. thus, i enjoyed half of the risotto with half of the foie gras!happy fel.















Wagyu Beef with Lasagne and buffalo mozzerella cheese $24















Foie Gras with Parma Ham Risotto $24

Waygu Beef with Pasta $24

Once again, blessed birthday Germaine!heres to 13 years of friendship, having gone through so much.tears and joy.you have simply been a blessing to me!love you=)

Looking forward to Rocklands!!

 i know its only March now, but in about 112 days, i will be halfway across the world, to South Africa-Rocklands!to do some climbing!weee-

i really cannot wait.thats why must put up some links related to Rocklands, so i can come back to this page and read it when i am free. (i dont know why i cannot post videos up.someone, pls help me!)

Rocklands Boulders

Climbing Topo in Rocklands

Bouldering video in a Safari-Rocklands

South Africa-Rocklands bouldering video

somehow, these videos remind me of my bouldering trip to India-Hampi last dec.hahaha.

A day of shopping alone. ROCKS.

hokays, went for church service as usual today. caught up with germaine alot.hahaha.i really miss talking to u babe.and Rachel as well!we need to catch up.thats why GERMAINE LEE,pls keep your wed free.pang seh your project mates k!hahaha.

did retail therapy on my own at Ion Orchard today after lunch.haha.i dont know the reason for my retail therapy, but i used up the northface vouchers jia hua and wayne sold me.shiok. bought a pair of gloves and baselayer top, preparing for my Rocklands trip!(cant wait.seriously)

visited the THREESIXTY MARKETPLACE at level 4 in Ion..never knew this level existed until i read some food article promoting the biscuit with cheese in it.haha.cool.the supermarket sold really interesting food that you wont get to see in your normal NTUC, Cold storage, etc. but yes, the price is double as well. bought some pringles flavoured Mozerella at $4.15!!!for a normal canister.tried a little just now. not too bad.not fantastic though. Finally found this cheese biscuit the article was raving about. bought it, ate it. felt a little happy that i finally found it. felt even happier that i will not waste money buying it again.haha.the taste was pretty normal. the review mentioned something about the cheese melting in your mouth...blah blah.bullcrap.i didnt taste any of that sort.but at least i gave it a try!=)

did facial when i came home. signed up for some package. $300 for 10 sessions. i went for the trial, it was a painless black head removal procedure. so i couldnt wait to go for it again.coz my previous beautician did the extraction with the most pain i ever encountered in my life. thought this would be different.

LIAR.i teared just as much during the extraction process today. the beautician even said i had high pain tolerance. that coz i want i paid for it alr, dont wana stop the process.haha.and i just imagine the results.smooth skin.haha.that gave me motivation to bite through the pain.but i cannot imagine having to go thru it another 9 times more.God, pls give me higher pain tolerance!=)

ankle getting better by the day.PRAISE THE LORD for my speedy recovery. can jog a little.but not too much.maybe jog 1m?haha.but it still feels tired and sore after a day of walking. soon soon!i will be able to climb like i used to!

received a very wierd call at 3.30am last thursday. the guy on the phone sounded alot like a friend of mine.i thought it was him. he was whispering the whole time.saying wierd stuff u say to a loved one.i shant elaborate here. the conversation ended very abruptly and i am still spooked out by it.coz my friend said he wasnt the one who called.WHO WAS IT?

the very much sought after cheese biscuit.A disappointment it was.

some of the Jitz Bitz i bought during the Crocs sale!=)

random is the in-thing!

FRIDAY 26 MARCH!-one of my most random day yet.haha

7.30am: left my house to TAMPINES, supposed to meet jud, edwin, chuan ming.we were on our way to the CROCS sale at expo!















9am: we reached expo, to see the queue at least 100m long!it may seem short to sprinters, but for a person whos ankle still aint so strong, the 20-30min queue was bad enough.haha

9.30am: we finally got to enter the CROCS HEAVEN.alas. it was not to be, it was a disappointing use of space in hall 6A, the sides were set up to sell the shoes. i only found 2 sections to my liking! the W8 shoes section and the Jitz Bitz section.bought 2 pairs of crocs. each $25!bought a cute funny little jitz bitz. with alot of fur.haha.something different from the plastic ones sold in the shop. spent a total of $55!=)

10.30am: made our way to Burger King at Simei to have breakfast. bought the croissan' wich meal. couldnt finish my hashbrown as usual.

12.00pm: reached The Cathy, watched "WHEN IN ROME". random decision to catch a movie. chuanming was the most cool for that day. he was to watch "when in rome", and another movie at night which i cant rmb the title.=(


















3pm: had lunch at Plaza Singapura, PASTAMANIA!student discount 2-5pm was on. got 30% off my pasta!=)yummy savings.


4pm: we got some 1-for-1 ice cream sundae deal from our crocs goodie bag, headed up for dessert aft lunch. ordered a sundae each for us. "died from gelat-ness"

































4.30pm: shu hui bought a pair of gorgeous crocs, new design!claimed it worked wonders for her knee. (dont bluff. you just want new shoes!)hahaha.actually, i also felt like getting.but had spent a bomb for the day alr=(

5pm: shu hui and daryl came down!after her appointment for her knee at tan tock seng hospital. we walked to Orchard Central to see North Face stuff.

6pm: walked to 313 somerset. shu hui,jud,me did some therapeutic window shopping at Forever 21 before we gave up on walking altogether.

that ended my day. was out for almost 12 hours, and walking half the time.my legs feel dead.

gona be attending some boy's camp 2ml for my social work project.aha.hope the boys dont give me too much problem.NIGHT WORLD!

Ankle update...

ok, here are some pictures of my ugly ankle that has been like that for the past week.haha.but thank God it is getting better=)

had a great 2 weeks of slacking. havent been to school for almost 2 weeks now. over boulderactive and my stupid ankle.feels kinda nostalgic goin back to school today.

set my alarm to wake up at 9am!early for me already!ahaha.but ended up awaking at 9.30.but oh wells.it is a good start to trying to set up a good habit of waking up early, sleeping early.i hope i can maintain this all the way=)im a lil tired of sleeping late and waking up almost in the afternoon.waste of time.So Allez Fel!=)

i want to climb!

Its been a long time......

pardon for the lack of updates.been too lazy to do so.=)

so many things have happened in my life since my last post in January!gosh.lets see...went through a pretty rough patch in my relationship. but i think ive come out of it stronger!Thanks to the support of many of my dear friends. indeed, it was in such tough times that i see who my real friends are. those who stay behind and support and encourage me and not make things worse by conjuring up stories and rumours that are yet to be verified. But thank God as well, for giving me the strength to go through this tribulation. I think ive gotten closer to my God during this period.=)

and yes, the last 2 bouldering competitions!firstly, Gravicle!managed to get 5th for qualifying but ended up 7th for finals.hahaha.made a few mistakes like not being able to commit to the end move, etc. but yes, i have learnt and moved on=)

Boulderactive 2010!our very own Nus organised event!learnt alot setting routes and testing routes out. and for the actual comp itself....i couldnt believe i managed to get into the finals.because i injured myself at my 4th route. sprained my ankle pretty badly and bawled like a little kid. there must have been a dozen helping hands during that time.haha.THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH=)

was brought to Alexandra Hospital for an Xray. Doctor cannot tell what happened because there was too much swelling. sooooo.i have another appointment on 1st April!cant wait to find out what happened to my ankle. as of now. i can walk. BUT. my ankle is pretty swollen and bruised. looking very much like a DEAD FOOT with each passing day.=(

thanks to Kenneth and Chuanming who accompanied me to the hospital on that sad Saturday evening. they stayed throughout. and of course to Jay for lending us the car to drive me down. and thank you to all who have wished me well on my recovery and for the "F1" team who so efficiently carried me out of the accident area.haha.

i hope this is the last time i have to sit on a wheel chair.COMFORTABLE but extremely restraining=(

i cannot wait to climb again. each time i review my old climbing videos, i feel more and more psych to go out and climb. i've never felt so much passion burning in me to climb. probably coz of my injury that makes me unable to climb even though i want to climb. but on the bright side. this is giving me time to let my fingers recover as well=)blessing in disguise perhaps.

Blessed by Climb Asia=)

hello blog, i am going to KL for 2 days tomorrow, joining a few of the Dinos from NUS and some from NTU to batu caves to climb=)yay.its my first time climbing in Batu Caves apart from Ipoh and CAmp 5. kinda excited yet a little apprehensive. Oh Well, lets just see how it goes.

next up!i am really thankful!!=)received a bonus from Climb Asia, $100 gift voucher for my work assignments in 2009!i was really surprised. and at a very apt timing too.i had reserved a pair of La Sportiva Slingshot trail shoes a few weeks ago, wanted it pretty badly coz i didnt have proper trekking shoes. my crocs failed me in INDIA, kept stepping into thorns. i didnt buy it that time coz no money.was saving up for it. and TODAY!i had the voucher!so not only was my shoe free, i managed to buy a few other items too=)yay!sooo happy!hope the shoe works well on any terrain!=)
ok.im off to pack my bag!back in 2days=)