9th January 2008
Badminton training started that day.
I learned new skills, or rather, proper versions of my old badminton strokes. I discovered that with proper strokes, I need less brute force and use up less energy. I learned how to lob, do forehand lifts and backhand lifts.
I then played an 11 point game with a girl who was a regular trainee at the training academy who was very serious and practically shaking with anxiety. Her anxiety caused her strokes to be inaccurate and lost her many valuable points as she fumbled here and there.
I, on the other hand, had learned the three proper strokes that I had yet to master. The rest were homemade. When I started to play, I tried and failed to utilise the new strokes. After the first three points, I gave up all dignity and started playing my own way. My final score was 10.
After that, my brother and I went for what our mother thought was cooling down. The exercises were supposed to help you avoid getting muscle injuries after the training. We hopped, did push ups, duck-walked and many other weird and strenuous exercises. It seemed my mother was mistaken. It was actually stamina training!
If you have ever have gone through one of these trainings, you might have found yourself out of breath, shaking in the legs and perhaps gasping for water with no strength even to open a bottle cap. I couldn't even get through it all due to my asthma history.
That was the first day of my badminton training. I look forward to more training.
Except the part where they train your stamina.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Superglue
The Youth Impact Camp 2007 was held somewhere in the jungles of Melaka. Although most of us dreaded climbing about 50 steps every time we had to get to our dorms, the clean and stylish facilities, the mouth watering food served daily and the many playful, tame and cute puppies and dogs that kept us company, more than made up for it.
The camp was titled Superglue and its objective was to teach us unity. When we finally got there after a long ride in a bus, we were given nifty booklets and then briefed on the camp rules, told who our team members would be and so on. One of the more "interesting" rules of this camp was that in order to retrieve a lost belonging from the camp commander, Rachel, you had to go through the sacred rite of holding the belonging in both your hands and solemnly promise that you would not lose it again.
This particular camp proved to be a physically active one. Most of the activities required a lot of running around here and there. We were blindfolded, put through heat and cold, forced to trek in the night, had water balloons thrown at us and the lot. Praise God, no one got injured, unlike last year.
Some of the more interesting games involved venturing into an eerie run down structure simply to find a letter. Another required us to build a human pyramid of at least 10 people just to reach a banana. We had nine people on the ground and one on top. In another station we were all blindfolded and one of us purposely got left behind by the facilitators while the ones who didn’t were told the parable of the lost sheep. One of our facilitators retrieved the lost member of course. Another station involved doing 19 mathematical equations and adding them all up together. My group’s first answer turned out to be more that three times bigger than the correct one. However, we were so determined to finish the equations that we had to be forced to proceed to the next station.
The worship sessions were also spiritually awakening. However, during the first part of the camp I could hardly hear God at all. It wasn't until I chose to give something up that I could hear him clearly. I then was able to worship freely and really connect with Him. I think God really spoke to us at this camp. The devotions were pretty eye opening as we talked about the body of Christ and how each one of us is special. The reason we have to be united is so each one of us can play a part with our talents and gifts with Jesus as the cornerstone.
During my term as one of the leaders of team Brue Corrour (No this isn't a typo error), I have learned a valuable lesson. I was active for the first day but on the second and third I completely left it all up to the other leader, Krystal. I felt useless and unable to do anything. Our team was far into the losing end. I simply gave up. Things seemed hopeless.
However…
In one session God told me that perhaps winning wasn't that important. The real prize was the lessons we would all learn from being in a team. When I looked back I saw that it was not so much my inability to lead that caused me to fall but the inability to persevere. So during the last devotion, I confessed that my inactivity had probably contributed to the reason we were losing and vowed to do more from then on. So on the fourth day I took charge and gave my best. Even if we did ultimately lose, I could take it graciously. We got to know each other, friendships were built, talents shone, and we appreciated one another. We were united and took back so much. And this was the light that shone through the darkness.
Of course, the camp finally had to end... ever heard of a camp that didn't? :D I learned a lot. In fact, I learned so much that words fail to express my sense of victory, a thing that does not happen often.
Thank you Lord.
The camp was titled Superglue and its objective was to teach us unity. When we finally got there after a long ride in a bus, we were given nifty booklets and then briefed on the camp rules, told who our team members would be and so on. One of the more "interesting" rules of this camp was that in order to retrieve a lost belonging from the camp commander, Rachel, you had to go through the sacred rite of holding the belonging in both your hands and solemnly promise that you would not lose it again.
This particular camp proved to be a physically active one. Most of the activities required a lot of running around here and there. We were blindfolded, put through heat and cold, forced to trek in the night, had water balloons thrown at us and the lot. Praise God, no one got injured, unlike last year.
Some of the more interesting games involved venturing into an eerie run down structure simply to find a letter. Another required us to build a human pyramid of at least 10 people just to reach a banana. We had nine people on the ground and one on top. In another station we were all blindfolded and one of us purposely got left behind by the facilitators while the ones who didn’t were told the parable of the lost sheep. One of our facilitators retrieved the lost member of course. Another station involved doing 19 mathematical equations and adding them all up together. My group’s first answer turned out to be more that three times bigger than the correct one. However, we were so determined to finish the equations that we had to be forced to proceed to the next station.
The worship sessions were also spiritually awakening. However, during the first part of the camp I could hardly hear God at all. It wasn't until I chose to give something up that I could hear him clearly. I then was able to worship freely and really connect with Him. I think God really spoke to us at this camp. The devotions were pretty eye opening as we talked about the body of Christ and how each one of us is special. The reason we have to be united is so each one of us can play a part with our talents and gifts with Jesus as the cornerstone.
During my term as one of the leaders of team Brue Corrour (No this isn't a typo error), I have learned a valuable lesson. I was active for the first day but on the second and third I completely left it all up to the other leader, Krystal. I felt useless and unable to do anything. Our team was far into the losing end. I simply gave up. Things seemed hopeless.
However…
In one session God told me that perhaps winning wasn't that important. The real prize was the lessons we would all learn from being in a team. When I looked back I saw that it was not so much my inability to lead that caused me to fall but the inability to persevere. So during the last devotion, I confessed that my inactivity had probably contributed to the reason we were losing and vowed to do more from then on. So on the fourth day I took charge and gave my best. Even if we did ultimately lose, I could take it graciously. We got to know each other, friendships were built, talents shone, and we appreciated one another. We were united and took back so much. And this was the light that shone through the darkness.
Of course, the camp finally had to end... ever heard of a camp that didn't? :D I learned a lot. In fact, I learned so much that words fail to express my sense of victory, a thing that does not happen often.
Thank you Lord.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Friday, November 30, 2007
A soft prayer
I was attending my church prayer meeting on the 28-11-2007.
When it came to prayer time, we were all divided into groups. It being one of my first few times in a church prayer meet, I admit that I had reservations about praying aloud. Nevertheless, I told myself that I must find the 'courage'...
Finally, I plucked up the courage to pray aloud just as someone in my group finished praying. I launched into prayer... However, I noticed someone looking at me. Then, the person seated next to me kindly told me that someone else was already praying.
'What? Really? I don't hear anything', I thought, a little embarassed. I listened more keenly and lo and behold... a soft voice floated from the opposite end of the circle I was in. O.o' I could actually hear much better the voices of people praying in other groups.
The other person probably started praying while I was plucking up the courage to pray aloud. Good grief... I shall have to listen carefully before I start praying aloud, next time. XD
When it came to prayer time, we were all divided into groups. It being one of my first few times in a church prayer meet, I admit that I had reservations about praying aloud. Nevertheless, I told myself that I must find the 'courage'...
Finally, I plucked up the courage to pray aloud just as someone in my group finished praying. I launched into prayer... However, I noticed someone looking at me. Then, the person seated next to me kindly told me that someone else was already praying.
'What? Really? I don't hear anything', I thought, a little embarassed. I listened more keenly and lo and behold... a soft voice floated from the opposite end of the circle I was in. O.o' I could actually hear much better the voices of people praying in other groups.
The other person probably started praying while I was plucking up the courage to pray aloud. Good grief... I shall have to listen carefully before I start praying aloud, next time. XD
Monday, November 12, 2007
November 10th, 2007
Yes. It was the day when 40 000 or more Malaysians of all races marched in the streets of KL, turning them into seas of yellow. The people of Malaysia walked and many cried out, "Democracy". Like Joshua did with his priests and people, Malaysians were crying out, to bring down the walls - of silence that have for so long surrounded Malaysia!
Hundreds of police and the FRU were deployed, chemical laced water was blasted, tear gas was fired. It was war! Not the kind where crude weapons are fired (Well... actually... erm... well it wasn't the marchers that used them *cough cough*).
It was not for the freedom of the slaves but freedom of democracy!
In fact, it was so massive a rally and march that my friends and I coming from Subang Jaya got stuck in a bad traffic jam as soon as we tried to use the Federal Highway on the way to our Youth Group meeting in PJ Section 13. We had to turn back and return home. I felt ecstatic (not that I didn't like my Youth Group). But the march was really working!
DEMOCRACY!!!
Hundreds of police and the FRU were deployed, chemical laced water was blasted, tear gas was fired. It was war! Not the kind where crude weapons are fired (Well... actually... erm... well it wasn't the marchers that used them *cough cough*).
It was not for the freedom of the slaves but freedom of democracy!
In fact, it was so massive a rally and march that my friends and I coming from Subang Jaya got stuck in a bad traffic jam as soon as we tried to use the Federal Highway on the way to our Youth Group meeting in PJ Section 13. We had to turn back and return home. I felt ecstatic (not that I didn't like my Youth Group). But the march was really working!
DEMOCRACY!!!
Sunday, November 11, 2007
A random thought
Have you ever seen your parents (or found yourself) overeating just so that the food does not "go to waste?". Honestly, overfilling yourself with food isn't my idea of 'saving'. No, you won't be saving any money whether you eat it or not, but you WILL grow fat if you do. Sad... =.=
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