The point of that personal anecdote? Today (Dec 2016), we began another type of treatment for ww, where instead of relying on the tamoxifen, we were gonna use a new drug that would not only suppress the estrogen production but also eliminate those hiding in her fats (~10%), and this involved inducing menopause in her via an injection called zolodex. With the rather painful transdermal injection today, our chances of having a second child quietly went away, and like the sun setting, I always knew this day was coming although the certainty of it now really hits home. Of course we could always stop the injections but being pregnant also means hormonal surges which are what her cancer cells feed upon. I would not want to risk losing ww again, and resign myself to my only beautiful girl with a heart of gold.
Friday, 30 December 2016
The ability to produce
When it was time to neuter Jeanie, I hesitated because I felt I was tampering with my doggie friend's body without her permission, so much so that when she came back from the back a little lethargic from the anesthetic used, I looked into her eyes and saw the sadness in them. No anger nor resentment towards me, but I remember the look of those eyes til this day as I mentally asked myself on her behalf "why did you take away my gift to reproduce?" And til this day I still have no answer aside from the standard answers about dogs in heat yadda yadda.
Friday, 16 December 2016
What to do when you're not expecting
Thanks to ww's illness, she cannot get pregnant in the 5 years after her treatment, mainly because her tumour is progesterone positive, i.e. it feeds on progesterone, and being pregnant would result in elevated levels of hormones including progesterone.
At the start, we both accepted the news stoically, as we made the decisions on the course of her treatment as best as we could, and this included taking out one of her Fallopian tubes and freezing it, with the hope that in time, we can have it put back and restored to working order (sounds mechanical, i know, that's the best way i could put it). Good news is whatever age we were then, her frozen tube would be at the age she froze it.
Despite these efforts, part of us, or at least part of me, was resigned to having just the one light of our lives. Both of us really wanted more than one child, and while i could comfort ww whenever she teared up at the thought of missing out on more children, i did feel a deep void of disappointment inside whenever the subject was mentioned. This was often, since when asking about one's wellbeing and family, and inevitable question arose "so when is number 2?". Having to put up a smile and say one is enough has been well practiced, but the inner turmoil that i was forced to put aside after is a painful burden. Other strange thoughts from ww included the random "will you leave me to look for another, one that could bear you more children?" which although preposterous is understandable from her perspective and i tried to allay her misplaced fears (i have not heard it since so i guess i managed to =) ). Hard to explain to her that I love her with all of me and would have it no other way.
Update (Dec 2016): the doctor informed us that being pregnant will always be dangerous for WW, as the surge of hormones would threaten a recurrence. That's that then.
At the start, we both accepted the news stoically, as we made the decisions on the course of her treatment as best as we could, and this included taking out one of her Fallopian tubes and freezing it, with the hope that in time, we can have it put back and restored to working order (sounds mechanical, i know, that's the best way i could put it). Good news is whatever age we were then, her frozen tube would be at the age she froze it.
Despite these efforts, part of us, or at least part of me, was resigned to having just the one light of our lives. Both of us really wanted more than one child, and while i could comfort ww whenever she teared up at the thought of missing out on more children, i did feel a deep void of disappointment inside whenever the subject was mentioned. This was often, since when asking about one's wellbeing and family, and inevitable question arose "so when is number 2?". Having to put up a smile and say one is enough has been well practiced, but the inner turmoil that i was forced to put aside after is a painful burden. Other strange thoughts from ww included the random "will you leave me to look for another, one that could bear you more children?" which although preposterous is understandable from her perspective and i tried to allay her misplaced fears (i have not heard it since so i guess i managed to =) ). Hard to explain to her that I love her with all of me and would have it no other way.
Update (Dec 2016): the doctor informed us that being pregnant will always be dangerous for WW, as the surge of hormones would threaten a recurrence. That's that then.
Tuesday, 30 August 2016
Beating the offside trap
Small group for training last night, so it made for a tiring circuit training session. The match itself was truncated to a half-pitch but it got weird when we started playing the offside rule (even past the halfway line? wtf?) so much so that on attack, we'd all stack up in midfield so as not to spring the offside but have a high defensive line to catch them offside if we lost the ball.
I did score one by beating the offside trap when i caught the eye of the coach with the ball and started running towards the line, bursting through to collect the high pass and volleying it into the goal. J was back from injury so that was a welcome sight!
I did score one by beating the offside trap when i caught the eye of the coach with the ball and started running towards the line, bursting through to collect the high pass and volleying it into the goal. J was back from injury so that was a welcome sight!
Wednesday, 10 August 2016
Small game
Due to a public holiday the next day, there were only 10 of us at training, but no matter, we had fun nonetheless. I missed the warmup rondos as i was late, but was soon made panting with a 1v1 dribbling drill, which was passing followed by defending the ball upon command. Some shooting drills followed but i played in goal 'cos i was pooped! The match was carried out with small goalposts, and i mostly stuck to defending, although the one time i moved forward, i managed to pounce on a loose backpass and chipped the keeper (coach K) =). Also managed to find a runner on our right wing with a long ball that hit him on the head LOL! Not many lessons to take away this time, due to my poor fitness and limited ball time, but still enjoyable.
Tuesday, 19 July 2016
Training our reaction time
Another day, another training session, ho hum. LOL
After the warm up rondos, we were split into two groups with each having an opposite pair facing them 2m away, then depending on the group name called, that group would have to run 20m away from the opposing player. Other variations included sitting down with the hands in the air, and lying down facing each other. If caught the player would have to do ten pushups, and it was interesting to see how much difference 2m could make, aside from the reaction times. Then we had an attacker/defender drill with the defender sitting down facing the attacker with the ball. I managed to defend for each of my turns and kept a clean sheet while scoring two while on attack, both on my left foot (far post), maybe the keeper didn't expect that. =)
The match was fairly even with the usual suspects playing at the back (was made to play central defender by coach I) and our attack was decent. We managed to press the other side quite effectively such that our defence didn't have much to do (yay!). I ended the practice on penalties, which was interesting because pretty much everyone scored. I guess we are all getting better.
Stayed injury free, although with all that sprinting the muscles were achey the next day. =)
After the warm up rondos, we were split into two groups with each having an opposite pair facing them 2m away, then depending on the group name called, that group would have to run 20m away from the opposing player. Other variations included sitting down with the hands in the air, and lying down facing each other. If caught the player would have to do ten pushups, and it was interesting to see how much difference 2m could make, aside from the reaction times. Then we had an attacker/defender drill with the defender sitting down facing the attacker with the ball. I managed to defend for each of my turns and kept a clean sheet while scoring two while on attack, both on my left foot (far post), maybe the keeper didn't expect that. =)
The match was fairly even with the usual suspects playing at the back (was made to play central defender by coach I) and our attack was decent. We managed to press the other side quite effectively such that our defence didn't have much to do (yay!). I ended the practice on penalties, which was interesting because pretty much everyone scored. I guess we are all getting better.
Stayed injury free, although with all that sprinting the muscles were achey the next day. =)
Tuesday, 12 July 2016
Whiny whiny wah wah
Winston Churchill once said jaw jaw is better than war war, but what if the other side does not want to listen?
In the arbitration over the South China Sea, the Permanent Court of Arbitration said there was no evidence that China had historically exercised exclusive control over the waters or resources. In response, China called the ruling "ill-founded" and says it will not be bound by it. Which was strange since they had signed up to UNCLOS. The prepared statement by the Chinese ambassador has already been issued: https://euobserver.com/stakeholders/134304, where they had the gall to say that
"The long established principle of “Ex injuria jus non oritur”, i.e. legal right or entitlement cannot arise from an unlawful act, sets out that the UNCLOS does not allow initiation of Arbitration as in the Philippines’ case."
I would say that clearly the unlawful act in this case is their occupation of the claimed islands, the reclamation of land around the islands, the construction of permanent structures on the islands, and the enforcement of an exclusive zone around the islands (even sinking fishing vessels that sail into those waters).
One usual method of conflict resolution is to try to see thing from the other side's point of view, but what if that point of view is so skewed and so unjustifiable that no sense can be made of it, what does one do then? This seems to mirror a particular situation in my life. Ha! Various parties have tried to engage Big Red on the issue, and their response to date has been to ignore and pretend everyone does not exist. (still curiously accurate!) This is a dangerous play, plus the rhetoric that accompanies the various claims and constructions is sure to escalate the situation that really just needs cool heads and logical sense to sort out. However both are in short supply and we may yet see another conflict in my lifetime. =( Will there be any other parties that are going to jump in and make use of the muddied waters to catch fish? Russia (the original big red) would be the wildcard here and it seems unlikely that China feels so emboldened to go on this quest for island alone, so it would be interesting to see how are the bannermen behind house China. We must not empower and embolden them in any way possible, although i would not go as far as to suggest trade sanctions. Remember the big F-off ASEAN got from China? Massive egg on the face then.
In the arbitration over the South China Sea, the Permanent Court of Arbitration said there was no evidence that China had historically exercised exclusive control over the waters or resources. In response, China called the ruling "ill-founded" and says it will not be bound by it. Which was strange since they had signed up to UNCLOS. The prepared statement by the Chinese ambassador has already been issued: https://euobserver.com/stakeholders/134304, where they had the gall to say that
"The long established principle of “Ex injuria jus non oritur”, i.e. legal right or entitlement cannot arise from an unlawful act, sets out that the UNCLOS does not allow initiation of Arbitration as in the Philippines’ case."
I would say that clearly the unlawful act in this case is their occupation of the claimed islands, the reclamation of land around the islands, the construction of permanent structures on the islands, and the enforcement of an exclusive zone around the islands (even sinking fishing vessels that sail into those waters).
One usual method of conflict resolution is to try to see thing from the other side's point of view, but what if that point of view is so skewed and so unjustifiable that no sense can be made of it, what does one do then? This seems to mirror a particular situation in my life. Ha! Various parties have tried to engage Big Red on the issue, and their response to date has been to ignore and pretend everyone does not exist. (still curiously accurate!) This is a dangerous play, plus the rhetoric that accompanies the various claims and constructions is sure to escalate the situation that really just needs cool heads and logical sense to sort out. However both are in short supply and we may yet see another conflict in my lifetime. =( Will there be any other parties that are going to jump in and make use of the muddied waters to catch fish? Russia (the original big red) would be the wildcard here and it seems unlikely that China feels so emboldened to go on this quest for island alone, so it would be interesting to see how are the bannermen behind house China. We must not empower and embolden them in any way possible, although i would not go as far as to suggest trade sanctions. Remember the big F-off ASEAN got from China? Massive egg on the face then.
Friday, 8 July 2016
Registration anticlimax
The Offspring is going to be of school going age next year, so to kick off the process, we start with registration for primary school. According to past years news, this can be a hectic stressful time, with parents fighting for places, jostling for seats, and begging, cajoling, or volunteering, just to secure a spot for their child to study in a particular school.
We are fortunate since the wifely person's alumni is nearby (on the way to work actually) and is a decent school. So we braced ourselves for the mad rush and steeled our nerves for a tough time. This especially after our attempts to secure a place at a renowned kindergarten failed spectacularly a couple of years back, which upon hindsight was not a bad thing since that kindy was a little out of the way (up the slope from the main road and mrt) and the pressure to perform might be overwhelming. Instead, we have seen the offspring grow into a confident, well-spoken and kind young lady, although she seems to be struggling these days with focusing on completing her task at hand, but i digress.
We tried to wake up early and head to the primary school for registration at 8am, however we discovered that we needed to make copies of our documents so had to go to her kindy to do so (backup plan being the copier shop somewhere on campus), so we dropped her off at the kindy at the same time and only reached the primary school at 9am. Kinda surprised by the lack of cars jamming up the place, and we even manged to secure a nice place to park. The process was pretty much a breeze with the collection of alumni letter and registration done in a single spot and before we knew it, we were out of there in ten minutes. Took the opportunity to look around the school and the girls seemed bright eyed and full of life, and generally had a vibrant feel about the place. I do hope she does well here, without feeling too stressed about schoolwork. Later, we found out that there were more than a hundred places available for us and 50 were taken, which kinda meant the place managed to process 39 people before us in the space of an hour?!? All in all quite a fuss free affair, which may have been due to a lower number of babies born that year, so we're all happy. =)
We are fortunate since the wifely person's alumni is nearby (on the way to work actually) and is a decent school. So we braced ourselves for the mad rush and steeled our nerves for a tough time. This especially after our attempts to secure a place at a renowned kindergarten failed spectacularly a couple of years back, which upon hindsight was not a bad thing since that kindy was a little out of the way (up the slope from the main road and mrt) and the pressure to perform might be overwhelming. Instead, we have seen the offspring grow into a confident, well-spoken and kind young lady, although she seems to be struggling these days with focusing on completing her task at hand, but i digress.
We tried to wake up early and head to the primary school for registration at 8am, however we discovered that we needed to make copies of our documents so had to go to her kindy to do so (backup plan being the copier shop somewhere on campus), so we dropped her off at the kindy at the same time and only reached the primary school at 9am. Kinda surprised by the lack of cars jamming up the place, and we even manged to secure a nice place to park. The process was pretty much a breeze with the collection of alumni letter and registration done in a single spot and before we knew it, we were out of there in ten minutes. Took the opportunity to look around the school and the girls seemed bright eyed and full of life, and generally had a vibrant feel about the place. I do hope she does well here, without feeling too stressed about schoolwork. Later, we found out that there were more than a hundred places available for us and 50 were taken, which kinda meant the place managed to process 39 people before us in the space of an hour?!? All in all quite a fuss free affair, which may have been due to a lower number of babies born that year, so we're all happy. =)
Tuesday, 5 July 2016
Reaction to the action
Although i was feeling alittle under the weather, decided to go for training early in the week, just in case i had something on midweek, and it was a good thing too since head coach Ivan was there. =)
After warm ups, we had some technical 2 person drills with volleys, headers and ball control, i happened to be paired up with Ivan since J was late. So embarrassing with my ao-tak ball control while his ball control was impeccable and almost perfect, no matter how badly i threw the ball to him. That's what you get for devoting your life to soccer i guess. =)
We also had a reaction drill where two players faced each other and ran to their respective directions upon command "left" or "right", which sounded simple enough until the commands started getting complicated with colours, numbers and months being associated with the direction to run, even mathematical equations.
The match itself was a little one-sided as it was evident that neither side had good defenders so both had really large gaps to pass and run into, although the young speedsters were on the other side with J (who played CD). I tried but it was really difficult to keep having to track the breakaway runner as we transitioned from attack to defence, and this led to quite a few goals from them. We only managed to peg one back from careful possession, and despite trying very hard to retain possession, we just could not convert this into chances. We did move the ball around well enough until certain players got the ball and would hog it like a dragon guarding it gold, not sharing with fellow players. Quite sad that after all the training, the same errors in decision making are still occurring and this was highlighted by Ivan during our warmdown debrief. He also mentioned that he was happy with my decision making skills, especially when i moved into attack since i managed to pick out the easy passes that really stretched his defence (he was in goal), so that was nice. I really should play to my strengths and stick to attack but i lack the stamina to keep moving around to press effectively. LOL
After warm ups, we had some technical 2 person drills with volleys, headers and ball control, i happened to be paired up with Ivan since J was late. So embarrassing with my ao-tak ball control while his ball control was impeccable and almost perfect, no matter how badly i threw the ball to him. That's what you get for devoting your life to soccer i guess. =)
We also had a reaction drill where two players faced each other and ran to their respective directions upon command "left" or "right", which sounded simple enough until the commands started getting complicated with colours, numbers and months being associated with the direction to run, even mathematical equations.
The match itself was a little one-sided as it was evident that neither side had good defenders so both had really large gaps to pass and run into, although the young speedsters were on the other side with J (who played CD). I tried but it was really difficult to keep having to track the breakaway runner as we transitioned from attack to defence, and this led to quite a few goals from them. We only managed to peg one back from careful possession, and despite trying very hard to retain possession, we just could not convert this into chances. We did move the ball around well enough until certain players got the ball and would hog it like a dragon guarding it gold, not sharing with fellow players. Quite sad that after all the training, the same errors in decision making are still occurring and this was highlighted by Ivan during our warmdown debrief. He also mentioned that he was happy with my decision making skills, especially when i moved into attack since i managed to pick out the easy passes that really stretched his defence (he was in goal), so that was nice. I really should play to my strengths and stick to attack but i lack the stamina to keep moving around to press effectively. LOL
Tuesday, 21 June 2016
Injury and cramps
Had one of the worst sessions to date, as i struggled with my hip/thigh injury and somehow was quite lost on the pitch. There is a persistent twinge in my right thigh to hip and it didn't help that i collided with a striker while attempting to win the ball.
After warm up rondos (where i was clattered into in a late challenge), we had circuit training where i never thought i would be so out of breath, practically wheezing as we went through the six stations, which included a shuttle run and shoot station. I put my first three shots to the keeper (who was stationary) and then managed to slide one in the bottom corner.
The match itself was 8v8 and it was tough since my legs were wobbly and the injury seemed to be hampering me to going full steam. Played mostly in defense in a team of more static players while the other side had all the speedsters, but the inbalance was cancelled out by Igor in our team, who has really quick reaction time such that all he needs is one touch and he's through or pass the defender. Wonderful to see in action and i had to jump out of his way a couple of times. On the way back, my legs finally cramped, but strangely the muscle spasms were only in the cord of muscles on the inner thigh. I guess i didn't warm up my groin properly? Best bit was i was still on the way home in the car, zooming along the expressway when it happened and i considered pulling over but decided to tough it out til i got home (where i tumbled out of the car and crawled on all fours to the door lol). The music playing on the radio may have helped because it was playing Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer" lol
Tuesday, 14 June 2016
Out of puff
Was again feeling out of it because feeling unwell, but decided to go for training on a Monday anyways, in the hope that some exercise would do me good.
After the first set, i was thinking that this was too much exercise, and hoped that my body can take it! Was so out of puff that when we did the 1v1 exercise, i couldn't sprint for the ball, although i still managed to score =)
The match was interesting because we had 7v7 in half the pitch, which meant (strangely) a lot of space to run. I was playing in defence, but kept finding the space to run which meant i ended up in attack. Mixed bag in terms of my defending because i managed to win the ball a couple of times in 1v1 (take that young 'un!) even switching from defence to attack in a blink, robbing the ball and threading a through pass for our runners. There were quite a few times when i plain ran out of puff, especially after running up to attack (missed two long range open goals), and even jogging back was an effort. Paying for it today with all the aches and pains!
Just to make things more interesting, i went for a second training session this week (wife and offspring are away sampling the food and entertainment in NY), and my right leg felt off from the get go. My calf seemed to be on the verge of cramping, even though i had only just started my warm up run, and my thighs felt very tight. There was also a twinge in the hips everytime i stopped or turned. Ouch. Still it was good to go as Ivan was there so it was great to catch up again. Turns out he's heading out for a holiday soon.
After warm up rondo, we had circuit training again with Coach I (again!?!) which was 6 stations of alternating ball and non-ball exercises. Needless to say i was exhausted and even had to skip some of the rounds in the last exercises. Thanks to Ivan, who explained that after such a tough exercise we would skip the possession/shooting drill, we went straight into the 11 aside match and he even played in goal so that none of us would have to. =)
J played up front while i was paired in central defence with a rather large guy who was deceptively fast, either that or his anticipation of the ball was good and movement to cover was early. Either way, our defence managed a clean sheet, and this was also due to good midfield harrying and our strikers pressing, so much so that their pass in the final third was often astray. I was channeling my inner Sakho as i cleared any crosses that came in, mopped up all loose balls, and muscled the opposition attack off the ball or at least enough to throw them off the shot. Ivan was kind enough to tell me afterwards that he felt safe when i am in central defence, because i tackled only when i needed to, which was crucial after the other side decided passes weren't working and tried to carry the ball in. It led to quite a few one v one situations and our defence triumphed. I hope people learn that unless you are Messi or Ronaldo, there is no winning in these situations when you have the ball. Even if you manage to get through, there will be a defender to mop it up, so it is just obstacle after obstacle with the situation getting more fuzzy the amount of radar updates fall drastically. Apparently it looked to Ivan that I was always in control of the situation, never letting whatever they threw at me overwhelm me. =) J scored a beauty of a goal as he ripped their defence to shreds with good runs and excellent sense of space. Balls were played, either by him or our strong midfield, into space with no defenders and we really stretched them out. Aside from him, our midfield also had good forays into the box, so all in all a good game for us as we won 2-0.
After the first set, i was thinking that this was too much exercise, and hoped that my body can take it! Was so out of puff that when we did the 1v1 exercise, i couldn't sprint for the ball, although i still managed to score =)
The match was interesting because we had 7v7 in half the pitch, which meant (strangely) a lot of space to run. I was playing in defence, but kept finding the space to run which meant i ended up in attack. Mixed bag in terms of my defending because i managed to win the ball a couple of times in 1v1 (take that young 'un!) even switching from defence to attack in a blink, robbing the ball and threading a through pass for our runners. There were quite a few times when i plain ran out of puff, especially after running up to attack (missed two long range open goals), and even jogging back was an effort. Paying for it today with all the aches and pains!
Just to make things more interesting, i went for a second training session this week (wife and offspring are away sampling the food and entertainment in NY), and my right leg felt off from the get go. My calf seemed to be on the verge of cramping, even though i had only just started my warm up run, and my thighs felt very tight. There was also a twinge in the hips everytime i stopped or turned. Ouch. Still it was good to go as Ivan was there so it was great to catch up again. Turns out he's heading out for a holiday soon.
After warm up rondo, we had circuit training again with Coach I (again!?!) which was 6 stations of alternating ball and non-ball exercises. Needless to say i was exhausted and even had to skip some of the rounds in the last exercises. Thanks to Ivan, who explained that after such a tough exercise we would skip the possession/shooting drill, we went straight into the 11 aside match and he even played in goal so that none of us would have to. =)
J played up front while i was paired in central defence with a rather large guy who was deceptively fast, either that or his anticipation of the ball was good and movement to cover was early. Either way, our defence managed a clean sheet, and this was also due to good midfield harrying and our strikers pressing, so much so that their pass in the final third was often astray. I was channeling my inner Sakho as i cleared any crosses that came in, mopped up all loose balls, and muscled the opposition attack off the ball or at least enough to throw them off the shot. Ivan was kind enough to tell me afterwards that he felt safe when i am in central defence, because i tackled only when i needed to, which was crucial after the other side decided passes weren't working and tried to carry the ball in. It led to quite a few one v one situations and our defence triumphed. I hope people learn that unless you are Messi or Ronaldo, there is no winning in these situations when you have the ball. Even if you manage to get through, there will be a defender to mop it up, so it is just obstacle after obstacle with the situation getting more fuzzy the amount of radar updates fall drastically. Apparently it looked to Ivan that I was always in control of the situation, never letting whatever they threw at me overwhelm me. =) J scored a beauty of a goal as he ripped their defence to shreds with good runs and excellent sense of space. Balls were played, either by him or our strong midfield, into space with no defenders and we really stretched them out. Aside from him, our midfield also had good forays into the box, so all in all a good game for us as we won 2-0.
Thursday, 9 June 2016
Adding up the points
Another day another training session. Actually wasn't feeling too hot because of a bad bout of food poisoning the day before, but decided to go for training to try to shake of the lethargy, which worked. =)
Training wasn't easy though, with one of Coach I's infamous circuit training with 6 stations that really tested the muscles, specially the thigh (jumping) and calves (sprinting), with some stations even incorporating both! I managed to last up til the last station before collapsing after 2 rounds and didn't complete the third and fourth ones lol.
Even worse was to come! It was a 3v2 situation and i started on the defenders side and was run knackered by the pace of these youngsters. Funnily enough, i was the only defender to score, after pouncing on a loose ball and running it through the gates. My turn with the attackers was more uneventful although i managed to send a great diagonal through pass only for my left attacker to sky the shot. In this drill it was crucial for the guy in the center to remain at the center to control play and provide options, as opposed to running in because the guy with the ball on the flank is unable to track and pass. I actually disagree with this, and prefer to pass and move but i see merits in this approach.
The match itself was tiring, and i was really tired out by this point of time (that sprint to score really did me in) and played in defense. J was on the other side but on the other flank, so we didn't meet except for one incident where i was the keeper and he was racing through. Managed to get there to knock the ball away though (i think he stopped sprinting anyways). Even managed a nice control and turn to pass the ball which elicited a "good play" from the coaches, because i had received the ball from the keeper with my back to the oncoming tackler, and switched play out wide with outside boot sending him the wrong way, then passing onto my left wing (who promptly lost in by running out of play *facepalm*). Most of the time i managed to win the ball and then play my way out of defense, so those were nice little plus points for me. Also managed some last minute tackles against the usual speedsters, which then got some "good tackle!" from my teammates. Getting harder to keep up with these guys though, maybe i just have to build up my stamina.
Training wasn't easy though, with one of Coach I's infamous circuit training with 6 stations that really tested the muscles, specially the thigh (jumping) and calves (sprinting), with some stations even incorporating both! I managed to last up til the last station before collapsing after 2 rounds and didn't complete the third and fourth ones lol.
Even worse was to come! It was a 3v2 situation and i started on the defenders side and was run knackered by the pace of these youngsters. Funnily enough, i was the only defender to score, after pouncing on a loose ball and running it through the gates. My turn with the attackers was more uneventful although i managed to send a great diagonal through pass only for my left attacker to sky the shot. In this drill it was crucial for the guy in the center to remain at the center to control play and provide options, as opposed to running in because the guy with the ball on the flank is unable to track and pass. I actually disagree with this, and prefer to pass and move but i see merits in this approach.
The match itself was tiring, and i was really tired out by this point of time (that sprint to score really did me in) and played in defense. J was on the other side but on the other flank, so we didn't meet except for one incident where i was the keeper and he was racing through. Managed to get there to knock the ball away though (i think he stopped sprinting anyways). Even managed a nice control and turn to pass the ball which elicited a "good play" from the coaches, because i had received the ball from the keeper with my back to the oncoming tackler, and switched play out wide with outside boot sending him the wrong way, then passing onto my left wing (who promptly lost in by running out of play *facepalm*). Most of the time i managed to win the ball and then play my way out of defense, so those were nice little plus points for me. Also managed some last minute tackles against the usual speedsters, which then got some "good tackle!" from my teammates. Getting harder to keep up with these guys though, maybe i just have to build up my stamina.
Monday, 6 June 2016
testing times
As part of her music education, the offspring had to go through an examination at the end of her two year course, which at the tender age of 6, meant that this was her first of many to come, be it music or not. The amount of stress at we parents experienced was palpable though, and to be honest, being a musician myself, i knew that constant practice is key, yet with our busy schedules it can be difficult to implement on our young offspring. She did her best though, practicing regularly in the weeks leading up to the examination, and even though she had a few stumbles in the test, the examiner seemed pleased with her performance and enthusiasm. There was a point of amusement during the test when both her teacher (who was in there guiding her) and the examiner were exclaiming to each other how cute she looked. Offspring then had the chutzpah to tell everyone she passed her test, when we will only get the results in the mail a couple of weeks later.
Friday, 13 May 2016
Car rental in New Zealand
We recently had the chance to holiday in New Zealand's beautiful South Island with the family in tow, and in looking for a car rental company, i had the choice between my usual Hertz (or Avis) or a smaller local company. For a change, i thought that it'd be nice to support the latter, especially after the earthquakes. The wifely person also did her part in what limited shopping opportunities there were in Christchurch. The downside to this is that smaller companies tend to be more problematic should any issues arise, and the following is an example which happened to me:
We got into a fender bender which left a scar/scratch with a dent in the driver's side door. It occured because as we were approaching a one-laned bridge, the car in front did not leave sufficient room (he had assumed wrongly that he had right of way), thus oncoming traffic could not squeeze through. Thus he had to reverse, but in doing so, he failed to check his blind spot and speed, and backed into my door at an angle. This was done despite my repeating honking to let him know i was behind. Then he sped off after the traffic had cleared. We made a police report at the nearest police station and gave a description of the car (dark blue early model Nissan Skyline) together with its rego. I also called the car rental company and spoke to the owner, who advised that we make the police report.
Returning the car, he charged us the full excess amount even though it was clear that the damage would not amount to half of that by my estimate. And when he communicated to his the quotation from his panel beater, it was less than a third of the full excess amount. We decided to file the insurance claim anyways, in the scant offchance that the insurance company could locate the other party.
We got into a fender bender which left a scar/scratch with a dent in the driver's side door. It occured because as we were approaching a one-laned bridge, the car in front did not leave sufficient room (he had assumed wrongly that he had right of way), thus oncoming traffic could not squeeze through. Thus he had to reverse, but in doing so, he failed to check his blind spot and speed, and backed into my door at an angle. This was done despite my repeating honking to let him know i was behind. Then he sped off after the traffic had cleared. We made a police report at the nearest police station and gave a description of the car (dark blue early model Nissan Skyline) together with its rego. I also called the car rental company and spoke to the owner, who advised that we make the police report.
Returning the car, he charged us the full excess amount even though it was clear that the damage would not amount to half of that by my estimate. And when he communicated to his the quotation from his panel beater, it was less than a third of the full excess amount. We decided to file the insurance claim anyways, in the scant offchance that the insurance company could locate the other party.
Tuesday, 3 May 2016
laboured training
Thanks to the labour day holiday, i managed to go for soccer training on a Monday, especially since the offspring and wifely person was hanging out with Ms E, leaving J free to attend soccer training with me.
We only had 10 people for training, so we got to do quite a bit of exercises with coach Rafa. After a quick warm up, we started with the interval training which was standard slaloms and ball-based skills. Interesting rondo variations with an extra blank slot for players to move into after they play a pass, which meant for hijinks as people forgot to move or were caught in a move. Another variation was the players holding hands, which made for very quick one touch passes as well as some silky skills to get the ball past the monkey. Then we did one v one in the centre circle with Rafa being neutral and scoring is by stopping the ball in a small square marked by cones. Got paired up against a speedster, so it was really tiring but i managed to maintain a clean sheet against him, and even managed to score a goal, thanks to ghosting in behind him (he doesn't defend well) with a one-two with Rafa, short sprint with the ball and stopped it on the box. =)
Then we had another one v one, with defender and striker passing until the striker (with back towards goal) decides to take the ball through a set of cones while the defender goes through another set of cones and striker tries to score against a keeper. As the distance for the defender to cover is more, invariably the striker scores although the point is that the specter of the incoming defender looms on the striker's mind. Managed to score and then managed to defend cleanly.
Still one more drill, which was to flick the ball to Rafa's hands before receiving the high ball, chesting the volleying the ball, one bounce max. After a few goes, we tried to end the exercise on a goal, and after drawing a blank, i managed to do it within one bounce, as the ball wobbled and dipped into the top right hand corner. Wow.
The match itself was more even 7 v 7 with a coach in each team and we had Rafa. =) I played in defence and was pretty much busy from start to end, since the other team had speedsters. I even got caught out by one of them and a goal resulted, but then we were 4-1 up anyways. The goals we scored included a beauty from J, as i hit a diagonal high pass and J headed it in by changing the direction, leaving the keeper stranded. Lovely. Also scored one which was actually a cross to J (again). Overall a pretty good training session.
We only had 10 people for training, so we got to do quite a bit of exercises with coach Rafa. After a quick warm up, we started with the interval training which was standard slaloms and ball-based skills. Interesting rondo variations with an extra blank slot for players to move into after they play a pass, which meant for hijinks as people forgot to move or were caught in a move. Another variation was the players holding hands, which made for very quick one touch passes as well as some silky skills to get the ball past the monkey. Then we did one v one in the centre circle with Rafa being neutral and scoring is by stopping the ball in a small square marked by cones. Got paired up against a speedster, so it was really tiring but i managed to maintain a clean sheet against him, and even managed to score a goal, thanks to ghosting in behind him (he doesn't defend well) with a one-two with Rafa, short sprint with the ball and stopped it on the box. =)
Then we had another one v one, with defender and striker passing until the striker (with back towards goal) decides to take the ball through a set of cones while the defender goes through another set of cones and striker tries to score against a keeper. As the distance for the defender to cover is more, invariably the striker scores although the point is that the specter of the incoming defender looms on the striker's mind. Managed to score and then managed to defend cleanly.
Still one more drill, which was to flick the ball to Rafa's hands before receiving the high ball, chesting the volleying the ball, one bounce max. After a few goes, we tried to end the exercise on a goal, and after drawing a blank, i managed to do it within one bounce, as the ball wobbled and dipped into the top right hand corner. Wow.
The match itself was more even 7 v 7 with a coach in each team and we had Rafa. =) I played in defence and was pretty much busy from start to end, since the other team had speedsters. I even got caught out by one of them and a goal resulted, but then we were 4-1 up anyways. The goals we scored included a beauty from J, as i hit a diagonal high pass and J headed it in by changing the direction, leaving the keeper stranded. Lovely. Also scored one which was actually a cross to J (again). Overall a pretty good training session.
Thursday, 21 April 2016
All about Chemistry
Another training session today and it was good to see some familiar faces coaching us again, which also came with familiar training exercises. =)
While we were doing the two teamed monkey in the middle, both teams struggled to string 8 passes beyond 2 defenders and the coach tried to correct certain behavior, yet people still missed the easy pass, putting themselves and their teammates under unnecessary pressure by playing a fancy or difficult pass instead of the easy option. The basics of "control and pass" seemed to have disappeared as this was the first competitive exercise after the interval training and the shooting drills. One such offender took offence at (yet another) poorly weighted pass as i threw up my hands in despair at having to lunge for a 50-50 ball when there was only 1 defender. The amazing remark he made was "you (me) have to run to win the pass" which showed a poor understanding of the exercise and of soccer in general. 7 v 1 and you can't make a good pass?
Afterwards he tried to explain himself saying he had his own team and that all of us lacked chemistry. I, for one, didn't know that one went around playing soccer, much less soccer training, in order to search for chemistry. Luckily, coach was on hand to explain to him that in order for people of different ability to play, we all have to revert to basics and do them well. I could not be bothered to say more because it is evident this guy is so full of himself and wants to show of how crap he actually is. LOL
The match itself was interesting as i started in goal before moving up to central defender (J was on the other side), and then moving up further to attacking midfield. I only managed a clearing run with the ball and other than that, i did nothing of note. Our team had some youngsters who did most or all of the running, as well as the shooting and scoring. I need to get fitter! Lol
Here you go, Chemistry for your viewing pleasure. =)
While we were doing the two teamed monkey in the middle, both teams struggled to string 8 passes beyond 2 defenders and the coach tried to correct certain behavior, yet people still missed the easy pass, putting themselves and their teammates under unnecessary pressure by playing a fancy or difficult pass instead of the easy option. The basics of "control and pass" seemed to have disappeared as this was the first competitive exercise after the interval training and the shooting drills. One such offender took offence at (yet another) poorly weighted pass as i threw up my hands in despair at having to lunge for a 50-50 ball when there was only 1 defender. The amazing remark he made was "you (me) have to run to win the pass" which showed a poor understanding of the exercise and of soccer in general. 7 v 1 and you can't make a good pass?
Afterwards he tried to explain himself saying he had his own team and that all of us lacked chemistry. I, for one, didn't know that one went around playing soccer, much less soccer training, in order to search for chemistry. Luckily, coach was on hand to explain to him that in order for people of different ability to play, we all have to revert to basics and do them well. I could not be bothered to say more because it is evident this guy is so full of himself and wants to show of how crap he actually is. LOL
The match itself was interesting as i started in goal before moving up to central defender (J was on the other side), and then moving up further to attacking midfield. I only managed a clearing run with the ball and other than that, i did nothing of note. Our team had some youngsters who did most or all of the running, as well as the shooting and scoring. I need to get fitter! Lol
Here you go, Chemistry for your viewing pleasure. =)
Thursday, 14 April 2016
Circuit training
We have come to both dread and be excited about interval training during our sessions. The coach has many exercises in mind and by picking and choosing, we (or our bodies) are forced to adapt to the various exercises. Thus although it can be tiring, it feels like a good kind of tired, and along the way we improve our skills, stamina, technique and strength. Last night's interval training was the toughest so far, as it was one long circuit comprising hopping station, wide slalom run, shuttle run, then a short jog and sprint, followed by the grounded rope ladder (stepping in and out), round another cone and taking a shot, followed by slalom between the poles, another hopping station and another shot at goal. Some of the outcomes were quite hilarious as the knees buckled and legs gave way at the second ball leading to some wonky shots. The muscles were screaming for a break by the time I hit the first shot and the hops and turns really wore me out. And we were supposed to do 5-6 rounds of this, but i was done after three rounds. LOL
We went straight into the match after this and J was playing striker on the other team, while i was at right back. I had an understanding centreback who encouraged an overlap run, so i did so until i ran out of steam. We did have quite a few good moments and usually outnumbered them in transition, but somehow we could only score a goal (headed from a corner) and we should have put away a few more. The ball was also travelling pretty quickly (more than usual) as it had rained before the sessions. I did have a few good passes, included a dinked ball over the defender to reach my right wing, it was not too high such that the defender could recover, and not too low such that he could intercept, and it landed at the right wing's feet. How's that!
We went straight into the match after this and J was playing striker on the other team, while i was at right back. I had an understanding centreback who encouraged an overlap run, so i did so until i ran out of steam. We did have quite a few good moments and usually outnumbered them in transition, but somehow we could only score a goal (headed from a corner) and we should have put away a few more. The ball was also travelling pretty quickly (more than usual) as it had rained before the sessions. I did have a few good passes, included a dinked ball over the defender to reach my right wing, it was not too high such that the defender could recover, and not too low such that he could intercept, and it landed at the right wing's feet. How's that!
Tuesday, 5 April 2016
Forgettable training
Had to shift sessions to accommodate work, so it was interesting to play with a different group although there were some familiar faces (and familiar flaws).
Managed to get there on time and make it for the warm up rondo, which was tighter than usual thanks to the smaller square. I did manage a left footed ole when the defender came charging across. =) Interval training was tough and we were panting quite a bit by the time we hit the third of five stations.
Possession and shooting drills were good, although thanks to the venue not having nets behind the goalposts, i ended up picking quite a few balls after ballooning my shot. I did have two decent shots before that placed well over the keeper. The match itself was a abit of a washout for the first 10 minutes as we let in five goals with no answer. The fact was our team was disjointed and could not string passes past the midfield. I did have a few good runs up the pitch, with one of them being called for offside, and it was nice to see the coach's mantra in action, i.e. if you want the ball, run into space. Which when attacking a high defensive line means you start running before the line to catch the attention of the one on the ball, so that when the pass is sprung you hit the line at speed. Also managed a good one two pass down the right which resulted in a goal (we finally pulled a few goals back in the last 10 minutes). Also had a collision with a midfielder that resulted in my foot smacking his shin pad rather loudly when i tried to clear the ball. Poor chap must have thought something was broken from the sound. I think i would have broken my foot before anything happened to his shin though, good thing for the shin pads. =) Irony was, this was a rare session where i wasn't wearing my shin pads. LOL
I usually don't single out teammates for criticism, but this one clown last night was really quite a piece of work. I noticed that he only plays as a forward, and likes to bark orders at everyone on the pitch, which is fine if you're trying to encourage your teammates, but not when you are criticizing everything they do. The best bit is, he isn't even a decent footballer as he lacks the ability to play in a team, does not have the ball skills to do the needful, lack the awareness and vision to make the pass, and runs at a pace more akin to overweight goalkeepers rather than pacy forwards. Quote of the night came from him though, because he remarked to another player after the match "sometimes good players like us play in losing teams". It is this sheer arrogance and lack of self awareness that really grates my nerves. Funny thing was he once remarked that in secondary school, his teacher said he should not play soccer, and that now he is proving his teacher wrong in training. Sorry dude, your teacher was right, you can't play soccer to save you life. Soccer is more than just about scoring goals and winning games. It is also about teamwork, hard work and having fun, which are three things missing from him.
I usually don't single out teammates for criticism, but this one clown last night was really quite a piece of work. I noticed that he only plays as a forward, and likes to bark orders at everyone on the pitch, which is fine if you're trying to encourage your teammates, but not when you are criticizing everything they do. The best bit is, he isn't even a decent footballer as he lacks the ability to play in a team, does not have the ball skills to do the needful, lack the awareness and vision to make the pass, and runs at a pace more akin to overweight goalkeepers rather than pacy forwards. Quote of the night came from him though, because he remarked to another player after the match "sometimes good players like us play in losing teams". It is this sheer arrogance and lack of self awareness that really grates my nerves. Funny thing was he once remarked that in secondary school, his teacher said he should not play soccer, and that now he is proving his teacher wrong in training. Sorry dude, your teacher was right, you can't play soccer to save you life. Soccer is more than just about scoring goals and winning games. It is also about teamwork, hard work and having fun, which are three things missing from him.
Thursday, 31 March 2016
Boring cough
A close friend remarked that I had been coughing for some time, although i noted that it is only when i drink teh tarik that it happens. During training last night, i noticed that i cough quite a bit during training too, and end up having to stretch my lungs and chest a bit in order to keep breathing. It felt like the cough was trying to explode out of my chest lol. I don't think it is that serious yet but will monitor.
Back to soccer training, another tough interval training session with 6 stations this time. Drills were quite fun with 3v2 (attackers on knees, defenders lying down) and 3v2 with goalie. Managed to defend quite well even though defenders were outnumbered as I won 2 out of the 3 encounters, with the odd one managing to make a pass but shooting wide. The match itself was a mismatch, and we ended up having both coaches on our team because of how weak we were. Even our stronger players reverted to selfish mode and it was such a dysfunctional team that seemed to want to go against all that we have been taught. I do note that these matches often produce better passing and movement (at least for the first ten minutes) if we do possession drills before that. I did have a foray into the box with the ball, managing to dribble past 3 before sliding the ball to my striker to score, although that was pretty much my only notable contribution to the rather lopsided (mis)match. Oh, and i did play a great high through pass to the flank for my winger to cut and miss his shot. lol
Back to soccer training, another tough interval training session with 6 stations this time. Drills were quite fun with 3v2 (attackers on knees, defenders lying down) and 3v2 with goalie. Managed to defend quite well even though defenders were outnumbered as I won 2 out of the 3 encounters, with the odd one managing to make a pass but shooting wide. The match itself was a mismatch, and we ended up having both coaches on our team because of how weak we were. Even our stronger players reverted to selfish mode and it was such a dysfunctional team that seemed to want to go against all that we have been taught. I do note that these matches often produce better passing and movement (at least for the first ten minutes) if we do possession drills before that. I did have a foray into the box with the ball, managing to dribble past 3 before sliding the ball to my striker to score, although that was pretty much my only notable contribution to the rather lopsided (mis)match. Oh, and i did play a great high through pass to the flank for my winger to cut and miss his shot. lol
Monday, 28 March 2016
Training after a break
Took a break from soccer for almost 2 months, thanks to a combination of work, illness and a holiday in Europe, so tried to take it easy in the session when i returned. Nothing much happened in that session and we had 4 teams playing 7v7 so it was a good workout. Managed to lay off a final pass for a tap in, which was nice. J nearly scored with a rocket from way out that just whizzed past the post and hit the inner post (which made me think it was a goal, but it wasn't lol).
The following week's session was a lot tougher, not because J wasn't around to cover the defence, but due to the combination of a tough circuit training session and lazy players. There were 5 stations in the circuit training and boy was it intense! Possession and shooting drills next, which was quite fun, especially the shooting, which was 2v2 and a keeper. Defender sends the ball over for the Attackers to start, and the addition of 2 neutrals down the flanks later added to the spice. The defenders could also score via dribbling the ball between a set of cones in the corners. I paired up with a young DM player who had a good shooting foot although his passing was limited, but that's ok because i could do that. As defenders, we cleared our lines well, and i scored in each of the 3 encounters i got. =) As attackers, we scored in all 3 encounters as well, because he ran the lines well and i managed to slide the ball with just enough pace for him to get on and shoot. For the last shot, the goalkeeper managed to block it but it fell to me so i tapped it in. =)
Match was good although we lost by an odd goal. We had good possession and managed to create quite a few chances although none were converted thanks to poor decision making, including a 5 v 1 breakaway and the winger chose to shoot from a tight angle. *facepalm*
Friday, 15 January 2016
Good news bad news
Another tough training session, after warm up, we had a "complete the cross" drill, with the coaches sending in the crosses. I couldn't convert any of them first time and this would feature later. Then it was on to circuit training with four stages of varying degrees of difficulty, the most difficult of which was running a zig-zag shuttle run touching cones on the ground while jumping to head the ball back to the coach on one side of the run. My legs felt like deadweight when i finished this station, and i still had to do the slalom course. Was bushed by the time we hit the match, and the coaches decided to play a longer match (no crunches)!
J and S took centreback positions and they did well, covering each other and moving quickly to cut off any threat. I had wanted to take rightback but someone took it, similarly for leftback. We had a really good central midfielder (defense/offence) who combined very well with another malay chap who was also good at holding and spreading the ball. We had young wingers on each flank with the ability to run all night (just lacking the foresight to make that final pass or shoot decision), so i was forced up front, based on the proviso that i would hold the ball up for the runners to run on to.
The first half we dominated, with each attack coming from different directions and runners, and passes being incisive and through. Their defence was pretty static, so all we had to do was make a second pass inside their box to draw them out of position. Out of the chances we created, i ran on to one through pass and drew out the keeper so i squared the ball, only for my rightwing to fluff it past the post. Towards the end of the half, i played a one-two with a midfielder, and thankfully he saw me run through so he threaded it and just turned and shot with my left foot. The ball floated over the oncoming keeper and went in at the far right post, hitting the inside of the side netting.
The second half was more even, as our guys did less passing and more running, so more turnovers. I managed a couple of shots on goal from corners, but blazed them all over. Then our rightwing got a break (ball bounced and stayed in from a long clearance and he chased) and sent a great cross over, which i should have headed (maybe diving) but instead i tried to volley it but mistimed it only to send it straight up and into the keeper's arms. Was ribbed about that miss later LOL, and in the end it didn't matter because the score stayed 1-0. =)
J and S took centreback positions and they did well, covering each other and moving quickly to cut off any threat. I had wanted to take rightback but someone took it, similarly for leftback. We had a really good central midfielder (defense/offence) who combined very well with another malay chap who was also good at holding and spreading the ball. We had young wingers on each flank with the ability to run all night (just lacking the foresight to make that final pass or shoot decision), so i was forced up front, based on the proviso that i would hold the ball up for the runners to run on to.
The first half we dominated, with each attack coming from different directions and runners, and passes being incisive and through. Their defence was pretty static, so all we had to do was make a second pass inside their box to draw them out of position. Out of the chances we created, i ran on to one through pass and drew out the keeper so i squared the ball, only for my rightwing to fluff it past the post. Towards the end of the half, i played a one-two with a midfielder, and thankfully he saw me run through so he threaded it and just turned and shot with my left foot. The ball floated over the oncoming keeper and went in at the far right post, hitting the inside of the side netting.
The second half was more even, as our guys did less passing and more running, so more turnovers. I managed a couple of shots on goal from corners, but blazed them all over. Then our rightwing got a break (ball bounced and stayed in from a long clearance and he chased) and sent a great cross over, which i should have headed (maybe diving) but instead i tried to volley it but mistimed it only to send it straight up and into the keeper's arms. Was ribbed about that miss later LOL, and in the end it didn't matter because the score stayed 1-0. =)
Thursday, 7 January 2016
Good training session
First training after the holiday break and the coaches were tough! After the warm up, we did circuit training soccer style, between the 3 stations of dribbling (slalom, figure 8 and figure 4) and 1 station of shooting (also with feet drills before) and we also did a drill involving throw in with a thrower, a defender and a striker, and variations on returning the ball. The latter drill was quite interesting and it is difficult to defend a throw in, especially when it is training and i don't really want to get physical with my nice team mates. Some other groups (like the one J was in) was not so kind and was even told off to the extent of "if you do that in a match it is an automatic yellow card".
The match itself was good although J and I were in different teams. Started off at rightback and managed a few overlapping runs (even encouraged by the coach to keep running on lol) and won a corner, from which i sent it in for a tap in, chalk one assist! My team had a stronger midfield with an attacking and a defending pair that locked down the midfield such that J's team couldn't get past the second pass. After a stint at centreback with lots of panicky moments, i took my turn in goal although i didn't have to do much, save for one cross which i cut off midair. Good session for me with little positive points adding up. =)
The match itself was good although J and I were in different teams. Started off at rightback and managed a few overlapping runs (even encouraged by the coach to keep running on lol) and won a corner, from which i sent it in for a tap in, chalk one assist! My team had a stronger midfield with an attacking and a defending pair that locked down the midfield such that J's team couldn't get past the second pass. After a stint at centreback with lots of panicky moments, i took my turn in goal although i didn't have to do much, save for one cross which i cut off midair. Good session for me with little positive points adding up. =)
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