A Mind of My Own

I went to Sengkang Swimming Complex last month. This is a long delayed post. Oh my. Well, DD wanted to go swimming, so, we went to this newly opened pool. It was raining heavily from 9am. I was so antsy as it may mean that I won’t have the chance to take a look around the new complex!

Thankfully, the Sun God decided that he had to take over and the sun shined from 11.30am onwards. On weekday, it is a good place to be with since the pools won’t be too crowded until you can’t do a thing despite paying the entry fees just to get in.

Indoor pool for swimming and teaching.

Kids playpool. Most of them love to play with the water pipes.

A round pool that I don’t understand what its purpose is. Yet.

The water slides. Way smaller than in Wild Wild Wet and other pools where space is bigger.

What I noticed is that the lifeguards were very busy with people who run around despite the floors being slippery, mothers who attempt to let their kids with arm floats or belly floats go into the adult pools, adults attempting to step upon the kids slides, etc.

My lifeguard friend said it is because of serious accidents that have occurred in other places, kids running despite being told not to and ended up with gashes on faces, some with bones seen after getting deep cuts even when told not to do dangerous stunts and more.

Overall, the swimming pool slides are for fun, thus, use common sense. If the recommended usage of the given float is pasted on the boards all over the pool, use. You don’t want to be sent to the hospital just because you didn’t listen.

Image via Wikipedia

It is now day 10 of my Lasik after operation. The vision is now crystal clear. I do have to avoid looking at close objects for too long, such as reading and sitting in front of the computer for too long. There is no point spending more than $2,000 only to go back to short-sightedness, isn’t it?

However, there are risks involved. No one said it was ever 100% guaranteed. Let’s be realistic here. It’s an operation. Any operation has risks involved. Even a liver transplant has risk involved. I have avoided crowded places on the first day.

I have avoided rubbing my eyes for 10 days. I have avoided letting tap water fall onto my eyes for 10 days, nearly. I have used the eye drops at every hour and drinking the eye drops as I simply have to use up the Refresh drops or it’ll be a ways. Not drink literally as the eye drops just flow to the back of my throat. When you cry, your nose will have some build up, right?

The Good

• Clear vision upon waking up.
• Snorkling or diving is great.
• White water rafting great too, you don’t have to worry about your glasses being tossed away during the trip down river.
• Take a break from being in front of the computer.

The Bad

• You need to wash your hair at the hair salon for 2 weeks.
• Your face is dirty half the time as no water can touch your eyes during the healing period.
• Night vision problems for a few months. Halos and star bursts affect those who drive at night.
• Itchy eyelids can’t be scratched for 2 weeks. You don’t want to displace or have wrinkles in the flap.
• Dry eyes reported for some people.
• No running, jogging, soccer, any contact sports for a month.

All these negatives will go away. Just bear with the cumbersome for 2 weeks and wait for the halos to go away. I’m hoping to be able to wash my face and hair properly soon. A few more days to go.

Men tend to love sports like rugby and soccer. Every time the screen shows up a group of men racing with each other for the ball, the men go wild. They start to give instructions via the television to the players that they should look out for this guy behind him, that guy on the right, the one on the left and more.

The most exciting among them could be the rugby game. It’s a game where 2 teams race each other to get the highest possible points. Europe’s rugby is different from American’s rugby in terms of costumes for the game. I’m saying it as my point of view.

American rugby tend to look violent to me as they go all out to hit the opponents down with some ending up with torn ligaments or broken ankle. You can find fansites about rugby, the game fixtures, schedules, tournaments and championships. You can also find out sports news where they give all the vital details of the players besides their joined dates.

Anyone who love sports would want their beds to have sports theme. Sports Bedding provide you the comfort and design that you like. With surfing dudes, hot roaring motorbikes, football, soccer, snowboards and race car themes, you’ll be spoilt for choice.

[via Vision Bedding]

With Christmas coming and I’m running out of ideas what sort of gift to get for DD, but I’m sure DD would be very happy with this Lamborghini bed spread. It’s unique and should be standing out from others. Besides, having your very own sports theme bedding make you stand out from the rest of those bed spreads that are either plain, striped or using repeated patterns that are not to your liking. Vision Bedding provides true life photos on the bed sheets and they are vibrant which is a contrast to the traditional bedsheets you can find in the stores.

This Christmas, get a sports bedding for your loved ones or friends.

We’re all concerned about our weights. We’ll do anything, anything, to get rid of that baby fat in the face, flabby arms otherwise known as bat wings and the spare tire in the middle. While some commit themselves to exercises, others crash diet or go for that surgery. Remember Extreme Makeover? All the blood and cuts and markers on the face and body. I shudder to think of all those extreme measures.

However, while exercise and a balanced diet have worked for most people, there are some people who can’t seem to shake off that pesky thing called fat. It’s not healthy to be obese, you can’t buy those clothes in boutiques and the sales people would say, sorry, we only have XL, size 21 or 36 inch jeans left. One of the options is to go for Tampa lap band surgery. Journey Lite will provide personalised care and attention while providing the least invasive surgery.

This surgery is provided for the severely obese patients who want to regain their health and the highly skilled surgeons will help them with it.

[This is a sponsored post.]

Fancy a holiday that is special and secluded from the crowded urban area? Think Mexico Vacations. Staying at Azul Blue in Riviera Maya will let you forget all the worries and frustrations you have faced at work. With a butler at your disposal to prepare the luggage and bath, all you have to do is to enjoy the view from the luxury suite facing Mexican Caribbean sea.

Sumptuous gourmet can be enjoyed at El Dorado Seaside Suites which is adult oriented. With international, authentic Mexican and Pan Asia cuisine to choose from, you’ll be spoilt for choice besides enjoying the Jacuzzi suite.

Families with young kids need not despair, Azul Beach Hotel Resort will be able to provide what your babies and young children need, cribs, milk heaters and kid-sized bathrobes so as not to make them feel left out. Parents who are health conscious need not worry about the food. Low carbohydrates menus are provided too. The children can have fun at the Kids’ Activity Center and playing with water sports that don’t need any engines.

[This is a sponsored post.]

Having met a wanker / flasher / pervert, I wanted to know on how to get help in such a situation. While I’ll never know why such people need sexual reprieve from showing off their willies / penis / wee wee in public, I know that they’ll never stop.

One of the ways is to take a photo of that guy. Holla Back New York! accepts submissions of encounters and the photos of the culprits via email. One can rest assured that this doesn’t just happen in Singapore. I regret that there wasn’t enough time to snap one of the pervert I met.

Here’s what you can do when you meet a pervert.

• Most non-violent offenders are seeking sexual kicks by upsetting or shocking you rather than physically harming you.
• Men who rub against women in crowds should be dealt with forcefully and with strong eye contact. Say in a firm voice: “Don’t touch me again, or I’ll call the police.”
• Discourage men who expose themselves by ignoring them, moving away or being coolly disparaging. Such individuals are rarely violent.

In the lift

If he dares to come into the lift when you are alone, try to get out of the lift. Get your handphone ready to call the police and prepare to shout “RAPE!”, “MOLEST!” and whatever words that will arouse people’s attention to help you.

Can’t get out of the lift? Get to the buttons and press the alarm button. Kick his groin hard the 1st time so that you can start on his Adam’s apple with the 2nd hit. After that, with whatever objects like umbrella or bag you have on hand, whack him with it hard. Each time, shouting “Si Molester! Si Bian Tai!” (死色狼! 死变态!) or whatever words that is internationally known to let the rest of the world know that you are in danger.

Be fierce in such situation. Make as much noise as you can like screaming or shouting. They will try to get away when under attack. Memorise his facial features such as moles, ears, nose, eyes, hair, clothes, tattoos, etc.

During the attack, give it all you got because you want to hurt him so that DNA or any sort of identification can be used to find him in case he gets away.

Final Words

The important thing do to when you meet such weirdos or perverts, say something. Taking up self defence or martial arts isn’t that bad if it helps you to use them when the attacker tries to overwhelm to you.

I had a long day. Went swimming with DD and a full dinner to replace what was lost in Swensons. What a waste of the exercise. It was already quite late when I saw a dick. An erection. Obviously, this guy had been masturbating and wanted an audience. I must install some camera to take photographs automatically without me having to lift a finger.

Unfortunately, DD was too tired after today’s workout, he could have given the guy a punch of a lifetime if he were with me. This guy ran away when my father and I got close to him during our search.

What I didn’t do was to catch up to them and screamed “MOLEST!”. Too tired after the swim and half ran, half brisk walked towards that Indian-ish looking guy. After the chase, DD advised me to make a police report. Well, my dad went with me and we spent 35 minutes there. Will have to do a photo-fit when the artist is available. I sure hope to remember his face. I shall describe him here just in case anyone meet him.

Build: Slim

Complexion: Dark

Age: 20s

Height: around 1.68m

Clothes: Last seen wearing maroon long sleeved shirt tucked out with a pair of blue jeans

Eyes: big

Hair: short, curly

Face: thin, longish with a sharp chin

That’s all I can remember from the brief glimpse through the lift window when he appeared with his erection after the lift door had closed. He had the cheek to stare at me. Waiting for my reaction. Yea, I wanted to kick his balls.

During my stay at Hard Rock Hotel Bali, I noticed that a lot of Americans, British, Australians and other western countries love to stay there. My best guess is that it’s just 5 minutes walk to the Kuta beach. The huge waves are great for practicing the surfing skills, no, not surfing the net. DD wanted to learn but didn’t want to leave me alone on the beach because of the aggressive sellers at the beach. We ended up walking along the sandy beach while getting tan from the hot sun.

The beach wasn’t crowded. Could be due to the aftermath of the bomb and the fact that it was weekday. The staff at Hard Rock were very friendly and helpful. The spa with the foot massage was great. I wished we had the cash to take on the full package though. The foot massage made me very relaxed. During the day, we walked about the streets and had a back massage.

Their aggressiveness in selling their wares turn me off though. I prefer to look through the stuff before deciding to buy without any pressure. No wonder I bought one T-shirt back for this trip. Quite a lot of foreigners rented the bikes and cars to get around. There was this guy in front of the hotel whom DD wanted to negotiate with but the guy didn’t speak English. A duck and a chicken were trying to communicate situation. Hence, we didn’t explore the larger part of Kuta.

The toilets are a lot cleaner there, it seemed. Strange, how come only Changi Airport’s toilets were good enough to compare with all their toilets? My Kuta experience was good. Except, I wanted to visit the Bird Park and the zoo but never got the chance. Next time, I will go.

As usual, the taxi drivers were aggressive, more aggressive than those in Bangkok. They were using their horns every minute. The people even prepared a lot of lucky draw tickets for us. DD won the 1st prize of A$100, a 7 nights stay or other options at Risata Hotel. This hotel does not seem to exist. I have done a quick check online. If anyone has the information, do leave a comment here. Since they didn’t give the prize immediately, DD made the decision to walk away despite the man’s excitement at us winning the 1st prize. This scam has been going for some time. So, watch out for such people pushing the free lucky draw tickets in your faces.

One thing though, the aircon was very cold in Hard Rock.

DD bought 2 tickets from U Movies. The movie was Surf’s Up that I wanted to watch the other time. This outdoor screening event was organised by NTUC because U Movies is celebrating its 2nd anniversary. We were late in entering but the space was not fully filled up yet. I thought kiasu people would have choped the best spots by then. Since there were still good spots for placing the mat, we got one good position. Once settled down, I started taking note of the game stalls and food and beverages. The sun was out which I thought was a good sign. Boy, was I wrong.

DD went to get the drinks. I noticed the balloons. It was about 40 minutes later that another group arrived to place their mats in front of us. It was a big group. With a girl of about 8 years old. As with custom, kids are often given free balloons, she was no exception. The screen was on the left while the stage for lucky draw and launch of the U Wellness was on the right. A bright yellow balloon was tied up blocking one part of the stage. Great. Just. Great.

When it was around 6pm, a grandmother arrived and they placed a chair right in front of DD. His spot was a great spot for watching to movie, so they let her sit there in the chair. Thankfully, they didn’t stay for the movie. They left when the movie was in for 15 minutes. Basically, I was thinking that the people were there for the lucky draw and not for the movie. At around 8.45pm, some drops of rain fell upon us. Everyone started packing except for a handful who simply opened their umbrellas and continued watching. Our main concern was the lightning.

So, we hid under the shelter of the games stalls. After a while, DD went to check on the weather, the rain had stopped and we placed our mat in another spot that was nearer the screen. The one thing that stood out was the technical glitches. The salsa band was good but when the keyboard player played a certain key, the speakers had this loud tone that sounded like bass that was played awfully wrong. They had to stop mid-way and the salsa dancers were stunned. After a while, they tried again, the awful sound was still heard but less loudly.

There was the performances by the acrobats, aerobics, yoga, salsa dance and magic show by Kiki Tay. There were discounts and free massages from Spa @ Aranda, Cover Looks and Plush. It felt like family day. Maybe next time, I should get my family to attend such events.

All these time, the emcee and the music were blasting loudly. The whole event started at 4pm and ended at 9.30pm. Most of the people left after the lucky draw. Perhaps, the dragging part was the performances? I’m not saying they were lousy just that the time to wait for the show was too long. Ultimately, we didn’t win anything from the lucky draw. There was this number that was just 10 numbers before us and the person won something.

When the movie was playing into the last 15 minutes, the technical glitch monster struck again, this time, no sound. The uncle stopped it immediately to fix it. I was starting to wonder if it was a mistake to stay for the movie. However, we still stayed and watched till the end. While the female penguin was cute, so do the baby penguins, the lead, Cody, wasn’t cute. Except when he was standing next to his bigger sized brother.

The movie felt odd because it was done interview style which disrupted the flow, I felt. In addition, there were some scenes where it was dark and we could see nothing despite the night sky. Maybe they could have dimmed the stalls’ lights. Overall, the movie was not that great. Thankful that we didn’t watch at the cinema for more than $3.

At the end of this event, I wish that such events banned balloons because they block other people’s view of the stage and screen. Organisers, please, please, please, DON’T ever give out balloons. On the other hand, I might just bring something sharp and poke all those balloons. No wait, I can use scotch tape and attempt to detach from the balloon and the balloon will fly away. Or I can just cut off the string and it’ll fly away. Evil, sia.

Lazy to upload the photos. Will upload them once I get round to editing them to smaller bite sizes.

Update: More of the photos can be found at Flickr.