This is Sunday…

 

Spent most of the weekend on my bicycle or at the movies. I have that aching lungs syndrome from all that exercise. It feels great!

Did plenty of proof-reading this weekend. Found alot of punctuation errors. Geez; what-was I thinking? On the bright side, they’re only text changes. So it’s rather quick; although remarkably tedious.

 

It’s almost the end of January. Does anyone else realise that?

I have resolutions…

 

Resolutions are, simply put, goals for the year.

 

Characteristically, resolutions are emobodiments of selfish hope and over-exaggrated ability. They are usually stated loudly to some friend, relative, spouse or unlucky wino. It is worth noting that resolutions tend to fall flat some time in the later half of the year. Many failed resolution-makers despair until Christmas (aided by the accompanying days off, booze and turkeys), when the slate gets wiped clean, and people get it into their heads to make those damn goals.

 

I have many failed 2007 resolutions: I’m definitely whale-ish; I’m still feckless; I am unsure about women; I haven’t gone to India yet. To be fair, things weren’t all that bad either. I have a rather enjoyable – although tough – job, I saw much of Singapore and have gotten published (my travel guidebook will be out by end of January! Woohoo!) in magazines and other stuff.

 

It’s 2008 (how quickly time flies!). And I’ve got a whole bunch of resolutions lined up for the next 48 weeks.

Here they are in no particular order:

 

• Look good naked. Yup, a Kevin Spacey rip-off which leads on to greater and better things (see second last bulletpoint).
• Write and publish books. So I’m a words-snob. Bite me. Tip: I foresee that tree-pulp reading material will be replaced by eBooks and portable handhelds (or my personal favourite – ‘Spider Jerusalem‘ glasses). A damn shame that the gargantuan book-making industry is taking too long to expire.
• Master the motorcycle. A 2007 hold-over from last Februrary. Note to self: Theory tests should studied a few days before going in for the test.
• Finish my charity editing for a Lao NGO. Another 2007 hold-over for Big Brother Mouse.
• Learn to press the right buttons on women. Sexist, yes, but I’m not getting any.   
• Do a ‘Motorcycle Diary’-like tour – once I get my motorcycle-diary license.

These resolutions are not as grandoise as my previous ones (Ahem. ‘Discover self’ was one of them). They are much more grounded, acheivable and plausible now. It must be the mellowing of spirit that comes with age.

Ah well, these are my resolutions for 2008.
What are yours, ladies and gentlemen?

Basketball again

 

From email: "This is the first basketball session of 2008. It’s been 13 years of weekend basketball."

 

We’ve played on the same hardwood courts for 13 years. We were close once.  We’d go out for dinner after basketball and trash-talk (boast). 

 

In the span of those years, people come and go. Faces leave for the longest time and suddenly pop back up. Take today, Bernard – skinny, remarkably fast guy – popped back up on court. He is still skinny and fast. Only now, he resembles the Asian version of Patrick Stewart; under the right lighting, of course.

 

It happens la.

 

It’s been 13 years. That’s plenty of time for people to change and for relationships settle down to a steady state. I’ve drifted away from this group. Now, I consider them basketball kakis – fun while b-balling, after which, it’s back to days as usual.

 

Still. 

 

The same thing. Every Saturday. For 13 years.

Now that’s just amazing.