Saturday, August 23, 2008
Withdrawal Symptoms
Withdrawal symptoms is already kicking in when swimming ended last sunday... but I am slightly relieved because it's really awfully painful to wake up at 10am every morning to catch my Phelps in action... I only wake up so early for him!
Anyway, there is nothing for me to blog about. Been watching athletics here and here, along with diving and rhythmic gymnastics. Usain Bolt is crazy... and I have caught the commentator saying "The Lightning Bolt Usain Bolt" which is really lame. And seeing Tyson Gay crashing out in 100m semis is unbelieveable. Anyway, rhythmic gymnastics is really cool! I am lucky to be able to catch it on cable because channel 5 doesn't show it.. Have been neglecting the rest of my stuff as usual. My timetable only includes going to school and coming back home to watch olympics and just olympics! But I promised myself that I will start everything once olympics is over...
By the way, this is the cover of Sports Illustrated. The mighty Michael Phelps is on cover with his 8 medals (before he even return to US, which means it is shot in Beijing!)... this cover is trying to copy the Mark Spitz's cover when he won his 7 olympics gold medals donkey years ago.... It's a wonder how he doesn't bend forward with the weight of those 8 golds! Lol! But it's a great cover! Anything that has him bare-chested... Despite the recent craze has been Usain Bolt, I still think Phelps is the man of this Games but I am biased =D
Will blog soon again.
Cheerios.
Monday, August 18, 2008
More Phelps and Sports
What does Michael Phelps think of Michael Phelps?
I can't help it. I delibrately woke up a a little earlier than usual today to buy Straits Times because I know that that there will definitely be a report on Phelps' achievements. Maybe I should consider buying these few days because I think the report about his achievements should not last a day... Anyway, to get on with it, after buying ST, I went to get the free My Paper and Today paper for the same reason. Then, when I got home, I saw Newpaper and on a spur of moment I went to get it! So all papers in the picture are today (aug 14, 2008) papers...
Phelps, after looking bewildered and said that that was the first question that he has no answer to, blurted out, "The talent that I have, the drive that I have, the want to succeed. The excitement about the sport. I'm fortunate to have every quality that I have. And I wouldn't trade it in." Article link click here.
LOL. I know my blog is Phelps-infested these days, but I can't stop talking about him. I'm turning crazy!
LOL. I know my blog is Phelps-infested these days, but I can't stop talking about him. I'm turning crazy!
Anyway, I went crazy over newspapers today...
I can't help it. I delibrately woke up a a little earlier than usual today to buy Straits Times because I know that that there will definitely be a report on Phelps' achievements. Maybe I should consider buying these few days because I think the report about his achievements should not last a day... Anyway, to get on with it, after buying ST, I went to get the free My Paper and Today paper for the same reason. Then, when I got home, I saw Newpaper and on a spur of moment I went to get it! So all papers in the picture are today (aug 14, 2008) papers...
Wah, 4 papers in total. I dun think I have went on such a newspaper craze for a long time... And guess what? When I got home, I threw away all the sections of the ST except the sports section. LOL...
I know that Singapore's table tennis has achieved something that has eluded us for 48 years and I should be blogging about it. But after that nail biting semis, I kinda of expected that silver medal (China is just too strong collectively!) and so I was feeling that the hoo ha has gone down a little. However, Phelps looked so close a couple of times in failing his goal. And to me, my 4 years of support in him erupted another wave of emotions after that feat.
He has achieved what has been previously dubbed as "impossible". Even my idol Ian Thorpe said before that he can't win 8 golds. I have never been so happy about my Thorpe being wrong in his words!
I hope Phelps doesn't retire so soon. It will be a great loss to the swimming circle if he does. Hope he will be at London 4 years time!
Anyway, I was searching for something a month ago in my room where I found a box file hidden in a corner on top of one of my book shelves....
And when I opened it up, guess what I found?
Newspaper clippings of swimming from the last games!
4 years old of newspaper clippings! I didn't know I still had it! I was entirely shocked! (Btw, that first article you saw in the file was a more recent clipping. I just put it in before taking the picture.)
4 years ago, I remembered I was so entirely caught up in swimming (stayed to 3am in the morning to watch swimming. And mind you, I was in JC2 at that time whereby school starts at like 7.30am in the morning, so sleeping at 3am on a schoolday is no joke) that I started to cut out articles about Thorpe and Phelps because I really love them and kept them at some place which I forgot. I wanna keep some part of the Games with me... Now then I know where I had kept them all the time...
I was entirely crazy over swimming then!
I am entirely crazy over swimming now!
And my favourite is this article.
Sorry arh, dunno when the article is published. Only know it's in 2004 in ST called Clash to be the New Pool God... it's one of those articles trying to analyse whether Thorpe or Phelps is better. Like this article because it's one of those analytical articles and not those reports reporting how this this person won the race.
And my second favourite article...
For this article, I know when it's published (because it's a full 2 page article) ! It's on Aug 22, 2004 ST. It's not an article on swimming per se, but it's about different body shapes and physique for different types of athletes. I only posted the part where they were talking about swimmers. And they mentioned swimmers are tall people with long limbs (and I feel that it may hinted that swimmers have short legs... lol...)
And my favourite article for this Games is titled "Sharing Phelps' dream of a perfect score" by Rohit Brijnath (ST, Aug 18, 2008, Monday) whereby he said this about Phelps' talent.
"Maybe, we will never know, I don't want to know. Because something so extraordinary, so beautiful, should just be enjoyed not completely understood. If a genius could be explained, it would take some of the mystery out of it. It would make it seem common. It seems fitting that forever we will look back at Michael Phelps and asked: How?"
I dunno why, but I love the way he said about Phelps. He makes Phelps seems like a surreal human... btw, I read somewhere that Phelps is going to be in Beijing till Aug 21 before returning to USA. I am a little disappointed actually because I was hoping that he will stay until the closing ceremony whereby some kind of acknowledgement will be given to him at one point of the ceremony and applause to be given to him by all the athletes and audience present because what he has achieved will stay for many years to come...
And now, I am going to cut up rest of the articles of Phelps that I have in this games and keep them in the same file! Hopefully can squeeze them in cause the file is a little full... Will post the picture of all the articles for this Games when I am done with them.
Actually, I don't know why I want to post this up. Maybe inwardly I am trying to show that I really like Michael Phelps (and Ian Thorpe) and supported him for years and not someone who jumps on a bandwagon when it's hot.
Been trying to record the commentary of one of Phelps' race to put it as my message tone but I can't get it right le... it's always too soft. Anyone knows how to help me??
I know my craze in sports is unexplainable... even I myself can't explain it. I suck at sports, I can't catch a ball without it hitting my face first, I was never good in NAFA, and I can't swim to save my life (literally). But so far, I love watching soccer, tennis, swimming, gymnastics and figure skating. I dun believe that my love for them is anywhere near fake, because of the amount of research I have done to familarise myself with the sport, to know the rules and to know a fantastic athlete when I see one. I dunno what draws me, but perhaps it's the rush of emotions, the joy of the athletes and the occassion, an unexplainable passion for people who wants to challenge mother nature and themselves to push themselves higher. Maybe one day, I should work in the IOC to push the Games further... or somewhere in the sports industry whereby I know I will be passionate in.
Sighz, now I do not know what spurs me to type that previous paragraph. I do not know whether I am trying to prove a point, to prove myself right or to prove others wrong. All I know is something drove me to type that at one breath.
Ah... anyway, I missed the chance of going to Beijing to watch the games... Winter Games Vancouver 2010 will be my next target. Adeline and I briefly talked about going there to watch it, but it's a far target because the whole trip is going to easily cost me a couple of thousands. Shall wait and see...
Ok, I think I better stop. This post is getting way too long...
Cheerios.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
8 golds!!
8 golds medals... what can you say against such greatness??
*heart heart heart heart heart* him!
He is the greatest olympian and one of the best swimmers EVER. He has every reason to smile like that...
Who wants to be a Phelpsian like me??
A picture of him holding his 8 gold medals from 400m individual medley, 4 x 100m freestyle relay, 200m freestyle, 200m butterfly, 4 x 200m freestyle relay, 200m individual medley, 100m butterfly and the 4x100-meter medley relaySaturday, August 16, 2008
Left Entirely Breathless
I am so addicted to Olympics that I dun even watch anything else these days. And I dun want to do any work at all.... Phelps had done it again for his 100m butterfly!! By 0.01 second! That race really totally truly left me breathless! 7th Gold! I truly believe he can go for the 8th! Go Phelps! *heart* you! (video link)
And yesterday I watched the women's artistic all round gymnastics and that left me entirely breathless as well.. I am not very familiar with gymnastics names, but I thought Nastia Liukin (in pink) and Shawn Johnson (in red) would have a close fight. Their floor routine were amazing! (video link)
Rah! I am so wishing that I am in Beijing to watch these days RIGHT NOW... I will not miss anything. Maybe really should start thinking about saving money for London in 2012? But it's really going to be expensive!
Sighz. Who ask me to be such a big sports fan (but a bad sports person...)...
Cheers.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
The Greatest Olympian
I can't help not to talk about him.... he is the main reason why I can wake up early to watch swimming without complaints.
Michael Phelps won his 10th and 11th gold medal today, making him the athlete that won the most number of gold medals of all time.
HE IS AMAZING!
And I like the title some articles are giving to him...
THE GREATEST OLYMPIAN OF ALL TIME
And the way he started off the 4x200m freestyle relay is crazy! Shaving off 2 secs off the world record pace...
Btw, I heard the commentor said during the 100m free semi-final that 9 out of 10 fastest 100m freestyle swimmers are in the semi-final and the only one missing is the 3rd fastest which is Phelps.. lol. Shows how great a swimmer he is!
So the events left for him are:
1. 200 m individual medley
2. 100 m butterfly
3. 4 x 100 m medley relay
And the last swimming event will happen this sunday... I am so getting the withdrawal sympthoms then!!!
Btw, I was just thinking, lucky I am still in school this sem. Or else I am going to die knowing that I am struck at work and unable to watch swimming in the morning! (at least now I can watch them on my free days... =D)
And I wish that he can teach me how to swim because I know that I will finally learn how to when he teaches me =D =D =D =D =D
Ok, better get to bed now. Tml contractors are coming to my kitchen for renovation early in the morning which will make me unable to sleep...
Link for picture
Link for picture
Monday, August 11, 2008
2 DOWN, 6 MORE TO GO
I AM A PHELPSIAN IN THIS OLYMPICS... (sorry Ian, you lost your chance for my support for this games...)
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE HIM!!
PHELPS! You are an idiot if you don't know who the hell he is...
Ok... I think I just declared my love for him loud and clear....
What a great finish for this morning's 4x100 freestyle relay. Love it!!
So what is left for his events...
1. 200 m freestyle
2. 4 x 200 m freestyle relay
3. 200 m butterfly
4. 200 m individual medley
5. 100 m butterfly
6. 4 x 100 m medley relay
Shall remain glued to my tv until the games is over.... then I think I will have withdrawal symptoms. Haha...
Anyway, was trying to look for that 4x100m free video on youtube to post (cannot find =( ) but I found something else interesting! A short interview leading up to Beijing and another video of him TRYING TO SPEAK CHINESE! That video is hilarious! Haha!
Btw, today is the first day of school... and Irene and I felt extremely old... -_-''' Horrible. It's like all gin-nas around me lah! Oh well, it's my last sem (with 2 s/u left...), so shall enjoy my time as a full time student for a couple more months...
Aiya, I am extremely lazy to blog now. Shall do it on a later date...
Cheerios.
Picture Link
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE HIM!!
PHELPS! You are an idiot if you don't know who the hell he is...
Ok... I think I just declared my love for him loud and clear....
What a great finish for this morning's 4x100 freestyle relay. Love it!!
So what is left for his events...
1. 200 m freestyle
2. 4 x 200 m freestyle relay
3. 200 m butterfly
4. 200 m individual medley
5. 100 m butterfly
6. 4 x 100 m medley relay
Shall remain glued to my tv until the games is over.... then I think I will have withdrawal symptoms. Haha...
Anyway, was trying to look for that 4x100m free video on youtube to post (cannot find =( ) but I found something else interesting! A short interview leading up to Beijing and another video of him TRYING TO SPEAK CHINESE! That video is hilarious! Haha!
Btw, today is the first day of school... and Irene and I felt extremely old... -_-''' Horrible. It's like all gin-nas around me lah! Oh well, it's my last sem (with 2 s/u left...), so shall enjoy my time as a full time student for a couple more months...
Aiya, I am extremely lazy to blog now. Shall do it on a later date...
Cheerios.
Picture Link
Monday, August 04, 2008
SINGfest in detail
Ok in detail now... Should be an extremely long post.... can skip to the end if you just want pictures.
Me and Adeline missed Stacie Orrico's performance because we were late.. The queue to enter was way too damn long (the entrance was way inside and the queue was almost reaching the carpark). It's so long that the organisers don't even have take to tear the tickets at the entrance lah! They just took it!! And dumb me never take a picture of the ticket and pick out the numbers for my mum to buy 4D... *dumb me* When we reached there, it's about 4pm and the sun is blasting hot lah... (my arms have two different shades now) Me and Adeline stood at the last row of the standing crowd while the people behind us sat on grass mats and our asses also kenna the sun... Wah liao...
Watched Jamie Scott, who is REALLY REALLY good. It's just too bad that he is not getting the fame he should be getting. I love his song called When Will I See Your Face Again (it's on my blog btw) and it's great to hear him sing live. Then when One Republic came out, the crowd really grew. And everyone is belting out Apologise and Stop and Stare... it's ridiculous! Then it's Panic at the Disco. The lead singer got teased the crowd a little when he sang a little Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up.... lol. And they damn suay cause at one point the lead singer's mike was spoilt and there were no sound... and he just kept singing away. At first I thought it's because of the famous theory "The Show Must Go On" but after that song then realised that he really didn't know about it cause he was wearing ear monitors! Quite suay lah but at least it's not during those monster hits such as Nine in the Afternoon or else people sure shout about it one.
Then after that the artists that played after Panic were damn lucky cause the sun finally went down! Those artists that played in the sun were damn suay lah cos although the stage has a cover above, the sun still hits them! Jamie Scott even asked "Is it this hot all the time? Because this is ridiculous. I am drinking hot water which was cold __ mins ago." Cannot remember the time lah... Haha... get those not as famous artists to suffer the sun...
Before Mraz and after Panic, Adeline and I pushed forward into the crowd (for her sake lah. I was perfectly happy at my spot actually) Turn out that there were many people who LOVE HIM because there were a lot of people! And there were a couple who were drunk and almost fought with a Malay... (bad idea to serve beer there actually) And I was in an extremely uncomfortable most pit whereby there were too many sweaty people in the same area. But his performance was good! Very interactive and interesting... and he sang my favourite song Butterfly!
Then got some fashion show while we moved backwards and away from the crowd (it's really too horrible to stand at where we were standing for 4 more hours) and had a quick dinner with the snacks we brought and I head to the toliet (which was super long queue and stinky cause it's those portable ones) and I missed Rick Astley's Together Forever! Poor him man. Wrong target audience lah. Most people in the audience are coming not for him lah (although I did meet a woman who's in front of me during the toliet queue who came just for him...)And he tried his best to get the crowd moving. But I think there is a minor group of people that came for him lah. There is someone who threw him a tee-shirt (and he actually politely said 'thank you' to that person!!) and someone threw him a purple lacy BRA... (??!!!) LOL. The only song I sang along is Never Gonna Give You Up (lol!) But he is damn dumb also lah. He wore a BLACK SUIT WITH BLACK SHIRT AND BLACK TIE. In this weather??!! It's too freaking hot lah! No wonder he was sweating like a pig...
Then it's PCD!! But at that moment I kinda regreted moving a little too far back cos there were too many tall people in front of me to shoot nice pictures. Makes me a bit regret that I don't have Jul's 10x optical zoom camera to take pictures and record videos in... But their performance was damn hot! They even have fans in front of them to blow their hair like Mariah... And then it's Alicia Keys! Fantastic vocals man... must really hear her sing before you understand what does it means by great vocals. Her voice can be heard CLEARLY over the VERY loud music! And even her band and backup singers (who each have their individuals short solos) were fantastic!
So in conclusion
Favourite performances:
1. Alicia Keys (Like her vocals and her artistry in combining her act together even though it gets a little boring in the middle...)
2. PCD tied with Jason Mraz (Sorry adeline, but I really like PCD enough to tie with Mraz. PCD really know how to put up a performance, while Mraz interactive act and great songs is very nice. And I am loving Jason Mraz more and more. If PCD and Mraz is going to have a concert, I will go and watch them!)
Hated:
Did not hate any performance. Anything live will sound fantastic unless you really really cannot sing... and the atmosphere is good enough. So what I hate is...
1. The weather. It's stupid to have outdoor concerts at 3pm in the afternoon.... sorry lah, call me high maintenance girl or what, but it's really awful!
2. The toliets. There is no running water from the tap when I went there before Astley's performance. And it's stuffy and stinky... but I guess this problem will not be solved unless someone invented better portable toliets.
3. The merchandise. Nothing fantastic.
4. The super duper long sound checks and set up... the people should be more efficient leh. That was why the acts were delayed so so so so much... (Alicia was supposed to sing at 10pm but I think she starts at about 11pm)
For the next time...
1. Wear covered shoes for outdoor standing concerts. Best is those comfy shoes that you can stand for 8 hours. I was smart enough to do so, but those wearing slippers were kena stepped on the entire time. Haha!
2. Big sunglasses. I dun have one, and now I have the right mind to have one.
3. Cap for sun protection. Lucky Nicole gave me one on my birthday and that saves me a lot...
4. Shorts. I wore tight jeans, and although I folded the ends up to 3/4, it's still way way way too hot in them.
5. Waist pouch or pants with big pockets. It's to put your camera, phone and wallet in (basically those expensive stuff) At least all these things are within your reach when you need them. Lucky my jeans pockets can take in camera and phone and a little money but not the wallet.
6. Lotsa water. The water is expensive there.
7. Diapers, if you want to hold your pee in =D
That's it!
Wah, finished commenting on the concert le. Told you guys that it would be long. Btw, it is said that there is a possibility that Universal artists such as Mariah Carey and Bon Jovi may be brought to Singfest in years to come. Wah!
Ok, pictures and videos time. This takes freaking long time to upload ok... Note that most of Alicia Keys and PCD videos only last half song because my arms were simply too tired to hold up for the whole song lah... and some pictures are really blurry because I couldn't take really clear pictures. But I am going to post them anyway, to let you figure out... Btw, some of the pictures are with Adeline, so when I got them, I will post them again.
And btw, all the pictures and videos were taken from my own camera. 
The fan that kept me alive yesterday... or else it's gonna to be too hot!
My Singfest wristband... no tickets to shoot so shoot this...
Jamie Scott - When Will I See Your Face Again
One Republic - Stop and Stare
One Republic - Apologise
Panic at the Disco - Lying is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off
Jason Mraz - Dynamo of Volition
Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give Me Up
PCD - When I Grow Up
Alicia Keys - Karma
Cheerios!
Aftermath from SINGfest
Wah... damn tired now lah. Just waiting for my hair to dry before I go to bed... Reached home at about 1.10 midnight. Concert ended at about 12..30mn.
Wah... my feet really hurt right now... Stood from 3pm and had only a short break of sitting down at about 7.30pm... and shoulders/ arms ached from trying to take picture above people's heads. Kena a sun tan cos we were standing in the sun at 3pm.... not to mention no proper dinner and toliets...
But it's worth it! See so many acts and have fun. Heart Heart Heart Pussycat Dolls, Jason Mraz and Alicia Keys... So cheap to get so many acts! Happy...
Will post the videos and pictures tml. I am too tired.
Cheerios.
Wah... my feet really hurt right now... Stood from 3pm and had only a short break of sitting down at about 7.30pm... and shoulders/ arms ached from trying to take picture above people's heads. Kena a sun tan cos we were standing in the sun at 3pm.... not to mention no proper dinner and toliets...
But it's worth it! See so many acts and have fun. Heart Heart Heart Pussycat Dolls, Jason Mraz and Alicia Keys... So cheap to get so many acts! Happy...
Will post the videos and pictures tml. I am too tired.
Cheerios.
Saturday, August 02, 2008
Samples
I got another 5 samples from Clarins yesterday, making my samples from that brand embarrassing HUGE...
I did not mean to turn out like that, but I like that brand because it is primarily made of plant extracts and it's mild to skin. And recently I went to their counter WITHOUT any intention to get samples and turned out that the SAs there are super nice enough to give me without me asking. Plus, Clarins encourage sampling. (And btw, there should be a lot more. 2 eye cream sachets are not in the picture...)
LOL, and I have a sizeable number of Lancome samples as well...
There is a perfectly sensible reason behind this. My mum is a member of Lancome (thanks to Zoe many years back), and we always are able to get samples like this from them. They are bigger size than usual sample sizes actually if you notice carefully...
Dun judge me ok. I know it is a little kiasu to get samples (huiteng is always asking me not to) but I believe that if I want to buy, I must try out the product first right? What if the product is not suitable for my skin?? I spent way too much money on my face to risk that...
And believe me when I said I really want to buy. I bet some of my friends are laughing right now...
Oh well. Lol.
Btw, was telling Jul about something stupid. I always noticed this bus poster whenever I was at Tampines bus interchange on my way to work last week, and I noticed this mistake.
Look at the names on the poster. Brandan Fraser name near Jet Li and Jet Li's name near Brandan Fraser. How STUPID is that? And how come no one notice that mistake?? Cannot be purposely put there right???
The printing company for this poster is damn not efficient lah...
Anyway, I am going to SINGfest tml! Lol!!!
Cheers.
