J.J. Pedersen let’s go see the world
Friday was a public holiday because our Muslim friends were celebrating the end of Ramadan and the whole of Singapore got time off thanks to this. And day off = extra training for all the jittery bugs who have a date with the desert in less than 3 weeks!
Total tally over 4 days: 101km with a 7kg backpack. I hit the trail, pounded on concrete, and shuffled on sand. And I’ve got to say – I am quite proud. This is a far cry from the girl who back in December last year couldn’t comfortably run 5km.
The downside is that I am turning into a zebra:
Kids, learn from this: sunblock is your friend.
Nothing is uncooler than having a watch tanline so clear you can just scribble 1 to 12 onto your wrist to create the illusion of wearing a watch.
Also realised a long-time dream of going back to my alma mater for the Mid Autumn Festival (“MAF”) bash as an alum. It’s a marquee event for the school and truly one of the best ways to experience the “Hwa Chong fah-mily”. You see alumni who graduated 18 years ago coming back with kids in tow to catch the light up ceremony. Mass dance also a spectacle – made all the funnier because we no longer have to subject ourselves to such hoolabaloo and simply have to grab friends, grab a good spot, look, point, and laugh.
A huge thank you to the councillors for the TREMENDOUS job. You lot always make MAF so special.
To think that all the lanterns here were made by students O_o
Other fantastic happenings over the weekend included:
1. Meet up with Trish and Vanessa
A small part of the Singapore contingent says hi to the rest of Sahara Race 2010! Also ran into Cole and Anders and have been in touch with Ross. Funny how none of the people mentioned here are actually from the same country. This tiny island country sure packs an international punch.
2. Anders!
Because a friend who’s crazy enough to sign up for Sahara Race 2010 with less than 3 weeks to go deserves a shout out all on his own. Don’t worry, folks. He’s crazy but not suicidal. Anders came in 4th place at the 250km Gobi March in June and is one of those rare souls who can just about roll out of bed and do a 250km desert race, all the while breaking every rule in the “how to survive a desert race” manual. This guy’s a machine. In the event of Apocalypse, he will outlive the cockroaches.
3. Fooood
Clocking mileage is important but food will still be king. Even better if food involves the Nautilus Project. They somehow create this mirage that you’ve stepped onto a cruise ship bound for the Mediterranean and the customer service is so consistently fabulous. If only every restaurant in town had a team like that.
The messier the food, the better the taste…?
And then on the opposite end of the world, there was this guy:
Thank you for making the final of the US Open at last with your brand of tennis that no one else can quite play. Now go and have a whopping good match with Djokovic that will have people talking for ages.
This weekend was so much fun. Why does Monday always have to come around to be the party pooper?
