HEAVY METAL

This T-shirt ROCKS..

51.28min

"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength nor skill.. but rather a lack of will"

Today's run was a journey of exorcising negativity and weakness from my flesh.. I began the run thinking that I'd do the normal.. but somehow something cried out in me- that if I just did the routine, I wouldn't be achieving anything..

"Citius, Altius, Fortius"- the olympic motto, "Faster, Higher, Stronger"

I finally understand what it means to be an athlete.. and maybe moreso, a fighter.. from the first breath to our last moment, we're constantly fighting, against sin, against disease, against others.. but the true meaning of a fighter is that we fight our inner self everyday.. taking negativity and crushing it.. and whilst we may not be victorious everyday, the most important thing in life isn't to have triumphed, but to have struggled; it isn't to have victory, but to have strive.. and even if we don't win today, as long as we never give up the fight.. we will be much better off from whence we first started.

Today I clocked 10km in 51.28min, 8.22 min faster than my usual timing.. its a significant milestone in my journey to the marathon.. extrapolating from this, if I endure approximately double the distance, I would have covered the half marathon (21.1km) in 1hr 48min..

I ask all your indulgence to allow me to put up this entry even tho it may sound like boasting.. I promised myself that I must finish the run to tell this story.. first to show myself that I needn't the negativity of others to heed.. as long as I believe in myself, put my heart mind and soul into it, I will achieve..

And to those who struggle, demoralised or weary.. I would appeal to you to hold on.. just as you are about to give up, tell yourself to hold on a little while longer.. and before you know it, the race, your race, whatever it may be, will be over.. To those who are weary, I will be with you physically if it allows, if not I will be with you in spirit... Because I know if I can do it, most certainly you can too..

Last and most importantly.. to give thanks to my source of strength.. the Omnipotent One... and as the TRUE ACS motto goes:

=To God be the Glory=

"Man shall not live by bread alone.."

No one said anything about the soup part.. I'd be dammed if 'twere jus bread by itself..

Soup de 'la Bread Bowl

Methods and Materials:

1x Crusty bread roll

1x Campbel soup (soup of choice)

Corriander

1.Preheat the oven to 200'C

2.Carve off the top of the bread roll and core out the bread filling

3.Carefully examine cavity and plug potential gaps with the filling

4.Pour soup into cavity slowly (levels will drop because the bread will absorb it)

5.Keep topping up the soup till the levels stay

6.Place in oven and bake for 10-15 min

7.Remove and sprinke some corriander on the soup

8. Serve and make it sound like it took alot of effort.

Results:

Tasty yummy meal which saves on washing- unless you can eat ceramics

Discussion:

Goes best with cream based soups and clam chowder, alternately a tomato based soup would probably be just as good. Should try doing the bowl with sourdough bread.

WTF

As rude as it may sound, This is my latest technological advancement in baking. I present to you,

WTF (Wonderful Tasting Fudge)

Methods and Materials

1x Betty Crockers Chocolate Fudge Brownie mix

2x eggs

60g butter

Chocolate Chips

Marsh Mallows

1. Beat the eggs with 1/3 cup of water

2. Slowly put in mixture and mix with butter till consistent

3.Add in generous proportions of chocolate chips

4. Mix in with the marshmallows

5. Bake for 25min

6. Remove and cool for 5 min

7. Throw into the freezer for 45min-1hr (Flash Freeze step)

8. Serve to your skinny friends with your decorations of thickened creme

Results:

Friends love you, and are a whopping 2000kJ more prosperous. So you can relax abit on your guilty conscience and exercise regime

Discussion:

More effort has to put into the presentation because the marshmallows melt and precipitate out causing a yellowish spongiform appearance on the surface of the fudge brownie. Nevertheless they are critical to the consistency and chewiness of the brownie

~Bon Appetite~

Bunker Buster

Tues 11th September 2007, A day which might have shed light onto my future. Woke up that morn, went to the gym for my workout, came back home, washed up and sat down to read some research papers for my article over breakfast. Then suddenly it hit me- INSPIRATION.. suddenly words in the papers seem to strike me and pull out other words and diagrams from my head- I put down my breakfast on my table and ran to my comp to type out the idea which I had. Initially abit hesitant about it- I thought to myself "surely someone else might have thought of it"

I didn't want to feel jaded after that. But I just decided to type out my idea in an email to my lab demonstrator-Dr Tom Karagiannis. I scribbled down on paper the implications and complications of the matter.. and left for driving class. The next thing I knew, I got a call from the lab.. Tom (my lab demonstrator) was on the line and his first words were:

"Kenneth, do not, DO NOT reveal this idea to anyone.. it is brilliant"

I couldn't concentrate for the rest of the day and let alone the week- I went home and continued working on the idea, developing ideas and troubleshooting. From that concieved my first most feasible scientific idea which I shall only mention as the Bunker Buster project. I'm not at liberty to reveal further details of the project. Because if I told you, I might have to shoot myself..

Its almost like a dream come true.. I might finally get a technology patent under my name for the first time in my life at 20 years old. We're intending to work to patent it in Australia first and then go international. I hope and I believe that it will revolutionize the way science is and moreover, inspire other younger and budding scientists to think beyond the textbook and outside the box..

Quite a good start for a rookie scientist... I'll start by publishing articles into scientific journals and magazines, co-publishing them with Tom and one day.. hopefully, move up into the arena where the ace scientists play. But as of now, Bunker Buster is still in its drawing board stage and its still confidential.

$5.00 Meal

"Good scientists must be good cooks"- Dr Matt Perugini

Thus to aspire to the pinnacle of scientific being and achievement, I have endeavoured to produce a good dish- to show that scientists are actually quite attractive cos they can cook :)- the last point being rather random..

Surf n' Turf

A Juicy Red Wine Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Succulent Herb and Chilli Spiced Marinara and Boiled Boring Vegetables(Yuck)

The artistic/Lydia eye view of my creation.

Data Analysis:

Total cost: $5.00

Nutrition: Up to Bing to analyze..

Expression on your face after you eat it: PRICELESS

OC(FC)2

Jonathan Lai, B.Archi, M.Archi, FM, FIFA2006, etc.

Pray that Kay Weng doesn't do the Haka later.. Oh please God.. PLEASE!!

Yan Yan Yan getting high(is it a coincidence she studies pharmacy?)


Now we establish Yan Yan's relationship to the rest of the girls.. no wonder they all get high together..

Datok sent off the pitch because he couldn't tell the diff between red and blue

Zhi Kai and I looking busy.. talk about good defence :)

Me looking very VERYYY busy.. and trying to look stressed out/serious too..


Ok la this one REALLY busy..

Song Ai, the great visionary(she has a vison for tomorrow).. posing with an inspirational look.. dreamlarge.edu.au

At least she feel paiseh after that..

UNLIKE SOMEONE.. no names will be mentioned.. like Wan Ling.. *cough cough*

AIYAHH VERY PRETTY LAAAAAA.. CAMERA GOINT TO SPOIL ALREADY LAH!

Trying to be friendly

Da Team (ps. Jon Yu saw a YU-F-O when the shot was taken)

Eh I think this is the wrong dance for the wrong sport...

Library Nerds

I'm in the library and I didn't bring stuff to study before the lab. Surrounded by a whole bunch of nerds, I've decided to be non-conformist and type my blog so as to mock these nerds.. :P untill they see the picture of my astrocyte.. hahahaa :P

In Brownless Library

There are so many nerds here

I write a haiku

I'm just waiting for time to pass before my 6hr lab. I should get some sleep and adequate rest before the game 2mr.

Borrowed Anatomy for Beginners from Nick and I really think its a good way to lose weight- I lost all appetite to eat after that.. They disected a fresh cadaver/corpse that hadn't been preserved on the spot to show the various muscles of the body. It was really sick and gross.. And they moved on to the nervous system when they cut open the person's skull to remove the brain and the whole spinal cord from the vertebrate. Important lesson- the brain has the consistency of JELLY.. seriously.. a fresh brain is soft and wobbly just like a sumo's fats or a bowl of Jell-0.. the organ that has the power to manipulate the whole human body- is still so fragile and vulnerable.. and uh.. wobbly?

But its truly amazing.. the architecture of the human body.. its just amazing and phenomenal..

Anyway class time.. back to more sample staining and microscopy work. bleahh..

Casting Crowns of Clay

This Road

All heavy laden acquainted with sorrow

May Christ in our marrow carry us home

From alabaster come blessings of laughter

A fragrance of passion and joy from the truth

Grant the unbroken tears ever flowing

From hearts of contrition only for You

May sin never hold true that love never broke through

For God's mercy holds us and we are His own

This road that we travel may it be the straight and narrow

God, give us peace and grace from You, all the day

Shelter with fire, our voices we raise still higher

God, give us peace and grace from You, all the day through

-Jars of Clay

Voice of Truth

Oh what I would do to have

The kind of faith it takes

To climb out of this boat I'm in

Onto the crashing waves

To step out of my comfort zone

Into the realm of the unknown where Jesus is

And He's holding out His hand

But the waves are calling out my name

And they laugh at me

Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed

The waves they keep on telling me

Time and time again. "Boy, you'll never win!"

"You'll never win!"

Chorus:

But the voice of truth tells me a different story

The voice of truth says, "Do not be afraid!"

The voice of truth says, "This is for My glory"

Out of all the voices calling out to me

I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

Oh what I would do to have

The kind of strength it takes to stand before a giant

With just a sling and a stone

Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors

Shaking in their armor

Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand

But the giant's calling out my name And he laughs at me

Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed

The giant keeps on telling me

Time and time again. "Boy you'll never win!"

"You'll never win!"

Chorus:

But the voice of truth tells me a different story

The voice of truth says, "Do not be afraid!"

The voice of truth says, "This is for My glory"

Out of all the voices calling out to me

I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

But the stone was just the right size

To put the giant on the ground

And the waves they don't seem so high

From on top of them lookin' down

I will soar with the wings of eagles

When I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus

Singing over me

-Casting Crowns

In Me

If you ask me to leap out of my boat on the crashing waves

If you ask me to go preach to a lost world that Jesus saves

I'll go but I cannot go alone

Cause I know I'm nothing on my own

But the power of Christ in me makes me strong

Makes me strong

Cause when I'm weak, You make me strong

When I'm blind, You shine Your light on me

Cause I'll never get by living on my own ability

How refreshing to know You don't need me

How amazing to find that You want me

So I'll stand on Your truth, and I'll fight with Your strength

Until you being the victory, by the power of Christ in me

If you ask me to run

And carry Your light into foreign land

If you ask me to fight

Deliver Your people from satan's hand

I'll go but I cannot go alone

Cause I know I'm nothing on my own

But the power of Christ in me makes me strong

Makes me strong

To reach out with Your hands

To learn through Your eyes

To love with the love of a savior

To feel with your Your heart

And to think with Your mind

I'd give my last breath for Your glory

-Casting Crowns

These 3 songs appealed very strongly to me.. to remind me once again what life's troubles are all about.. songs to remind me to that tho I may have a tiny pebble of human strength and skill, but with that tiny pebble, I will trust not my own understanding, but higher power to guide my pebble. Reminds me that whatever I do is for His glory and not my own..

I shouldnt feel inadequate or insecure about my pebble.. because under the right hands- in God's hands, it can take down giants..

Justice

An exerpt from Plato's The Republic: Polemarchus argues with Socrates that Justice is giving a man his due, Socrates however brings examples to show that that view is inadequate, the argument being that a just man benefits his friend and harms his enemies (giving a man his due)

Socrates: " But must we not then say of a man that if harmed he bcomes worse by the standards of human excellence?"
Polemarchus: "Certainly"
"But is not justice human excellence?"
"It surely must be"
"So men if harmed must become more unjust"
"So it would seem"
"Well, musicians will hardly use their skill to make their pupils unmusical, or riding masters to make their pupils bad horsemen"
"Hardly"
"Then will just men use their justice to make others unjust? or in short, will good men use their goodness to make others bad?"
"That cannot be so"
"For it is not the function of heat to cool things, but of its opposite" (ie. heat to heat things)
"Yes"
"Nor the function of dryness to wet things, but of its opposite"
"True"
" Well then, is it not the function of the good man to do harm but of his opposite."
"Clearly"
"But is not the just man good?"
"Of course"
"Then, Polemarchus,is not the function of the just man to harm either his friends or anyone else, but of his opposite, the unjust man?"
"What you say seems perfectly true, Socrates"
"So it wasn't a wise man who said that justice is to give every man his due, if he meant by it was that the just man should harm his enemies and help his friends. This is simply not true: for as we have seem, it is never right to harm anyone at any time"

Plato, The Republic 355b-355e

I felt this argument was quite long winded but yes- it showed the reason( from a very secular, humanistic view) why a we shouldn't harm anyone- I did not include the arguments leading up to this exerpt but this struck me the most.. justice isn't giving a person what he deserves- it is n inadequate view.. and that a just person should never harm others and benefit all..

"Not enough" were the words of Juliana.. with regards to my marathon training regimen.. "it doesnt cut it" I should never let myself get comfortable.. I need to be pushing myself harder.. I trust her- she represents Singapore for the triathalon.. It hurts.. my knees and ankles do.. Song Ai, Lydia and Sheik Yan all say I'm staring to walk with a limp- I did not notice it.. but I know my feet are sore. Yet.. I can't give up.. "Injury is part and parcel of an athlete's life.." yes I guess that's true... if you're not getting injured at a constant rate, you're not even training at all.. I know something deep inside me wants to finish the race well.. even tho it hurts, it'll pay off someday.. I've augmented my regimen to include a new intensity training slot: 2x 400m sprints + 6x 200m sprints (jog inbetween). And to increase my endurance intervals from 10km/5km
on alternate days to 15/10km on alternate.

I did my intensity training at the track today for the first time- it felt so good yet.. felt totally wasted after that. And I'll have to wake up to a brand new day for my endurance training tomorrow.. eating vegetables and fruits have taken on a new start.. and all seems to be going ok. I just need to learn how to push myself harder and further- there is nothing more imperative than victory, more convincing than success.. I never was born an athlete- it wasn't my natural disposition to be endowed with a lean figure.. but I will never believe that I was just born that way- the power is in me to change myself.. slowly and surely I will get there.