17th-19th Oct: Eventful weekend! Part 1- Wushu ITE invit 08

17th Fri:

Met up with Andy at night for dinner and Kopi and at the same time try out his new nitecore toys. He's been on a torchlight buying binge lately just like me 2 years ago. Funny. Dun see him buying so many torchlights when he was a full blown flashaholic. It's not due to too much $$$ too, cos reservist and marriage made him cancel months of photography assignments.

Initially intended to go Seletar for the light testing but ended up at Punggol jetty area as it was nearer. The usual dark fishing and couple spot is now lined with HID flood lights!!! Oh my god... what is the govt thinking again?? The coastline is now lit like daytime! What the hell are they looking for? The escaped terrorist they so blur to let loose is long gone and that coast is always filled with fisherman anyway. There are way worse security threat areas I can think of in a flash. Unless we are in an iminent threat of war by our northern neighbour, these are wasted lumens and wattage. People go there usually to relax and get away from all the stress and bustle of the city. A little darkness can be soothing at times. And it's getting rarer by the minute in Singapo*e.

Dooolaan with the place, we went to the OBS jetty coast. It's better there. We spotted 2 half naked bangalah in their sarong doing some sort of praying ritual at the shore. Yes, it ain't that DARK yet. We still can see them.. HEeh.... I noticed that the water is very clear, so clear that I spotted a pair of matting horseshoe crab in the water. Given that the proximity of all the heavy industries at Port Pasir Gudang, I would expect the water here to be more filthy. Also spotted a few flower crabs in the water which has the amazing ability to dig itself into the sand for camoflauge in a split second. Blink and you will miss the process!

18th Sat:
Woke up damn tired after last night's long travel to punggol and back, not to mentioned reach home real late after the coastline ramble. Meeting up Jimmy at 730am at the tea garden MacDonalds. The place is as serene as I remember it with slight changes to the nursery area at the back of the garden. The pond is now under renovation. The atmosphere inside the Mac is still unchanged since I was a new towner. But too bad the price of Mac isn't. Kaoz. The price of my fav Hashbrown is now double since I last ate here! I wonder who else remember the atmosphere of this place when it was still a Kentucky Fried Chicken joint. I do!

Jimmy was late but that ain't surprising. They say those who stay nearest to the meet up pt will always be late. Set off for Jurong Entertainment Centre for photoarchiving.

This is yet another place which I frequent back in sec sch. Just found out 2 days back that it will be closed for a year for some major revamp. Not surprisingly since it is quite a old shopping centre and the only thing that has keep it going is because it is the only cinema in the area and 1 of 2 ice skating rink in Singapore. But all that is going to change in a couple of years when Big Box opens opposite to it. So a faclift is definitely a must. Yeah I do feel sad that yet another childhood place is gonna change. That's why I'm here today. To freeze everything in digital format.
Most of the major shops are also closed. Like the cinema, skating rink, and K-box is another 2 days. Too bad I din find out in time to photoarchive the skating area. It is the most significant area for me. Filled with good and bad memories and the place where I tore my posterior cruciate ligament and gave me my "movable" knee. Most of the shops are still closed as we are too early. But that is the way I would like. No disturbances with less people. Or so I thought. Was warned twice by a security guard(inside) and a capital land employee(outside) that picture taking was not allowed. Crap.
Well I dun mind I have enuf pics for archiving already so will not linger around too long.
(Latest update: Heard that Capital Land has shelved the plans for the renovation till much later. Maybe cos of the econs crisis? Dunno dun care)


After all that, went to meet Peilei at ITE Macpherson. It was Wushu ITE invitational 08. Something of an IVP for Wushu. Now that Polytechnics and Universities have been kicked out of xiao ji sai (interschools). IVP will have a greater role for these institutes. The event is very different from the Nationals. For one, the schedule of the comp is actually on time!!! Hahah! The atmosphere is also more "civilised" and quiet. Peilei was late as she assume the schedule will be like the Nationals. hehe..

It's good that Jimmy came along too. My Njd juniors need more exposure to the various forms of martial arts around the world. It's an eye opener for him.
All of the taolus competed are the run of the mill types. Nothing new here. But I haven seen tong bei quan in awhile.
Was surprised that KEVII wushu was also here! I thought that a single Uni can only send 1 team? Was also surprised that since KE was here why Baby never inform us or come support? Maybe she is on call. But later I found that she was pissed off with something about the club. Oh well.
Borrowed the AF 12-24mm F/4 and AF 80-200mm F/2.8 from Andy the night before. Even wide open at F2.8, the lighting of the hall was abyssmal. It's worse than Toa payoh sports hall!
Had to set to ISO 1000 before I can get anything decent. The pics were dark and noisy as hell. Had to edit them so much that printing them is not an option. Well at least on screen they dun look that bad. Pic spamming time! Click to enlarge if cannot see clearly. Either that or check if your contacts shifted to somewhere of your eyes liao! Heheheheh...... :p

Girls from NP wushu. The tall one in pink is Marcus' s fren. I asked the wrong one that day. So paiseh! heh!

This guy from NP actually had 2 biao yan fu! Din recognise it's the same person until I saw this 2 pics! The xu bu ("low" cat stance in Njd terms) looks exactly the same!
NP Wushu group event. The prob about wearing the same colour as the di tang is that you will not stand out.


Drunken Fist performed by some guy. Good effort but no one can really do a convincing one nowadays. Somehow I'm too used to seeing Quan ge's version.

A competitor from RP doing Shuang Dao. Saw him at Nationals before I think. He's good.

Pu Dao taolu.

Jiujie bian (9 section whip). That reminds me. My jiujie bian is rusting(both skill and weapon). Gotta polish it up! After seeing Song En's bian, no local person's bian can ever impress again.

SP Wushu's overused group routine. It is good nontheless but just see too many times liao.

RP's dui lian. Intensity is good. But too bad they are up against the legendary SP team.

Very nice duilian from SP as usual. Just that the spearing of the head section lacks originality.

Competitors from NUS wushu.

Keng Yong with his Dao and Qiang Routine.

Joshua with his San Jie Gun.



KE only competed in the all girls group routine. Wonder what happened to the guys? And the coach also never came to support. They performed extremely well but was over shadowed by SP girls as usual. ITE girls' routine was also very entertaining. Some portion of KE's routine has some left overs flavours from Song En's choreography days.

Even have a Taichi portion. To be expected since some of these girls are from Taichi anyway.

Final pose with Sharon at the top being as flexible as ever.


Combined group photo of NUS and KEVII wushu! Rare photo nowadays. Some might get this comment.


NUS group pose on stage with the chuan tong bing qi in the back.

In the end, the top 3 number of medals goes to SP, NP and RP.

After the comp, 13 of us went to Cathay to see the movie Burn After Reading, a somewhat smart yet absurb comedy. Brad Pitt's acting was great as usual. We actually went into the cinema carrying all sort of wushu weapons. Dunno how they actually managed to store such a long staff at the seat! Halfway through the show, Joshua's French(!) gf ,who was overseas, sms another member's(also watching the show) hp to reach him! And the gf supposedly dun even know this member! ....and the show was partly about spouses cheating on each other! hahah!