Hello, I blog!
I share all my sporadic and toilet thoughts in here, because I am random like that.
Cycling is awesome
I cycled a total of about 14 kilometres today – from Still Road South to the eastern end of East Coast Park (near NSRCC) and back (map). This excludes some additional scenic exploration detours along the way.
Long evening shadows.
I’m pretty pleased, because I haven’t properly cycled in aeons. Additionally, didn’t quite realize that I could last all the way – usually my heart goes bonkers after a while – but it held out! (;
Invigorating, it was. The sky was a clear blue, and I witnessed a pretty awesome sunset.
Should definitely do this more often.
Love-hate relationship with the ‘Type A’ me
On many counts, I am exceptionally pleased that I have a Type A personality.
People with Type A personalities are known to be go-getters, and are seriously driven for success. Unfortunately, they can also come across as being highly-competitive – although it is an apparent necessity in today’s fast-paced world. They have extremely high tolerances for stress and pressure, which puts them one leg up above the rest because they are able to press on much longer.
But, it is also no secret that Type A people can end up being highly unhappy people (since they are very rarely satisfied). Plus, although it may seem at first that Type A people are pretty invincible against crumbling under stress and pressure – when they eventually do give in, they fall. Very hard.
The first time I discovered I have a Type A personality was way back in 2005. However, I did another online quiz out of curiosity and that seems to have changed.
Type A Personality test – my results.
Now, I am somewhere in the middle – or so the above quiz says. But I do see many signs of the Type A personality I’ve mentioned so much about manifesting like whoa on a day to day basis, particularly the past three weeks.
Most dominant is my attitude towards work. I set expectations on what I want to accomplish and complete by the end of each day, and I do everything within my means to meet those expectations, or even exceed them if possible. Assuming that I sought to complete tasks A, B and C by the end of the day, completing what I had set out to do puts my mind at ease – although I am largely indifferent or just a little bit happy. Doing all that, including tasks D and E will give me inexplicable pleasure.
But.
If I complete only tasks A and B and miss out C, I torture myself mentally. Not consciously, though – it happens without me realizing it. But seriously, dude – when I bash myself up mentally, I really mean a good, solid mental bashing.
It doesn’t help that I also have generally high expectations about myself on top of work. So, if I happen to miss the mark on any particular day, hoo boy! It doesn’t matter about environmental factors, or if anything major had happened in recent days that caused me to miss the mark. If I miss the mark, I miss the mark. (And generally, I pretty much pride myself in being able to get things done despite it all.)
Recently, I am falling short of my own expectations way too much. I have leftover tasks at the end of quite a number of days which accumulates, leaving my to-do list seemingly never-ending. I admit, loads of stuff have been happening lately (mostly health-related), but I don’t like to use it as a reason and pretty much chucked it out of the window as an excuse.
As a result, I’ve been mentally bashing myself up like crazy. Feeling as if I’m letting other people down only forms part of the reason. The most part is because I disappointed myself.
It’s damn bloody unhealthy, I know. But it’s difficult to stop.
My mind has been trained to think this way for the longest time, and old habits die hard.
It is amazing how I allow me to feel so bad about myself even without even receiving a telling-to. (And I know at this point, most of my closest friends who are reading this will be nodding their heads in agreement.)
If the above sounds seriously wacko to you and you are a Type-A personality, then I must say something is seriously wrong (with me, that is). If you have ways on preventing your Type-A alter-ego from taking you over, please share … because I think I seriously need it at the moment!
Wanderlust strikes again
Back in Singapore in familial surroundings, I was totally devoid of that sense of wanderlust that took over during that one month in Vancouver. Perhaps it is the hot weather – now that I am back home, swimming in the humid air of quite possibly the world’s largest sauna, I am missing Vancouver’s cool temperature terribly.
But after lazing around (battling jet-lag, I suppose) for quite a while, I felt this strange urge to be up and about again. Singapore has its fair share of scenic spots – although incomparable with Vancouver’s snow mountains, glaciers and what-have-yous – but at least, it’s something.
I started off with East Coast Park, since it is nearest to where I live. (I intend to explore Southern Ridges and Little Gui Lin å°æ¡‚æž— next.)
Enjoying the wind at Bedok Jetty, East Coast Park.
So I hopped aboard a squeaky bright yellow mountain bike rented from one of them bike kiosks at East Coast Park and set on my way on a late Sunday afternoon, weaving in and out among flocks and flocks of families, kids and dating couples.
Methinks my biking skills were fairly rusty (like the bike I was riding on), considering how I had a little trouble maintaining my balance near the beginning. Also, I nearly crashed into a couple of young Malay boys – one of whom shot me a look of death – at one point. My fault. I was daydreaming.
Oh, hello!
Since I was cycling at my own leisure time (sans the competitiveness that naturally follows when a group of friends cycle together), I could also stop at any scenic spot at my own will to take photos, admire the view and enjoy the breeze.
One thing about the seabreeze in Singapore is that it leaves you feeling all sticky afterwards. Erps. Stupid humidity. But at least it cools me down anyhow. I’d prefer nice, fresh but sticky seabreeze than suffocating in still air.
Bedok jetty.
Stopped to purchase a huge cup of sugarcane juice (sugar boost!) mid-way and subsequently wobbled on the bike thereafter, trying to balance the juice and the bike at the same time. (Riding a bike with an attached basket does not work – the juice always threatens to fall over even when wedged against your other belongings in the basket.)
Made a couple of stops around the Bedok Jetty area (see picture above) and finally, at the 360° Cable-Ski Park to people-watch before riding back towards the west-end of East Coast Park to return the bike and head home.
I always loved people-watching at the 360° Cable-Ski Park.
Cable-skier against the sunset.
First of all, you have the cable-skiers strutting their stuff – occasionally showing off when they know there are people watching. Second, you have the gawking passers-by. Third, you have the occasional picnicking couple on mats along the grassy areas surrounding the lagoon indulging in the occasional PDA (which also seems to correspond with increased wipe-out rates from the cable-skiers).
Finally, you have the fellow photographers. Like this one.
Fellow photographer at work.
As it turns out, fellow photographers can sometimes turn into unwitting models for other photographers. This fellow was apparently, reviewing his previous snapshots taken from his spot on the edge of the lagoon – although from my angle, he looks like an introspective, emo-esque individual contemplating suicide next to the lagoon. (Uh, oops.)
I miss cycling, and I hope to make this a weekly affair.
And I’ll arm myself with my camera, of course.
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