Boat repairs part 2

I returned almost a week later to find that the epoxy at the seat repair site is still a little sticky - JB said my mix of the epoxy resin was probably not ideal. But nothing to do about it la, and I think it holds up pretty well, so I went ahead to work on it.


The scary part was to drill a hole blindly and hope that it matches the other one on the wings that extends down from the coaming. The whole thing was actually quite tough to drill through, and I had an initial false start when I went for the wrong site to drill. I shift further down, finally got a hole, squeezed in the screw and started wriggling it around forceful in the hope of connecting through to the other hole. I missed by a bit! No choice but to enlarge the hole on one side so that the screw will go in straight. After all the effort, the whole thing look reassuringly solid.


Then, time to reveal the epoxy work at the bow. I ripped away all the masking tape, and found out that the plastic sheet was firmly epoxied to the entire area. Some epoxy have flowed down and coagulated in rivulets at the bumper, and I chipped away the brittle plastic bits where there were air pockets beneath.


After some filing down of the protruding rough bits, it looks like this. Not very pretty, but that's of no concern. Test piloting on friday!

Boat repairs

The repairs started on thursday evening, and continued on till Friday. First thing - the bow crack. I cut out a piece of carbon-kevlar cloth, spread epoxy over the area and plastered the cloth over. Another layer of epoxy goes over it after that.


There was a nice glistering layer of epoxy smoothened out over the patch, and it looked really nice. But then I was told that it is necessary to tape down a plastic sheet over the patch, so as to press down on the patch and squeeze out all the bubbles under the epoxy.

That was quite a disaster - the plastic sheet could not conform to the curvature of the area and couldn't lie flat on it, despite making slits into the sheet and trying to make them layer over each other. I tried pulling the different sides of the sheet and quickly taping them down, trying to make it taut.


It looks terrible, but what the heck. It's gonna be covered with black tape after I'm done with it.

Next, back to the seat. Having used a finely meshed carbon paste to glue back to the broken piece, I wrapped a layer of the cloth over it in a bid to strengthen it.


The last I checked yesterday morning, the whole area was thick with repair material, and feels solid. Gonna drill a hole in it tonight and bolt it back to the sides. Wish me luck!

Looking for a paddle exchange!

Someone in the US just put up his 215cm Werner Ikelos bent shaft paddle on eBay for sale - the exact same one as mine! The starting price for the bidding is high as expected, $365USD; if I convert it to SGD at a rate of $1USD to $1.5SGD, it will be around $550; the price I quoted to uncle Charles!

At least that auction validates the price that I put on this premium paddle, and I am not even offering it up for auction. Now, I'm just waiting for someone to put up a 205cm version of the same paddle so that I can snap it up! I still prefer using shorter paddles from my playboating and polo playing experiences, and my aggressive strokes don't work well with a longer paddle like my 215, not optimal, in any case.

Carbon paddles are so beautiful to behold...I can admire the fibres' weave pattern endlessly...

Silence

One good thing about invigilating exams is that for once, I can be in a classroom full of students and hear only the sound of the fans whirling. Ah...such silence. Educationists will tell you that a quiet classroom can mean unengaged students, but still it's a (beginning) teacher's dream.

And I think kids these days really need a good dose of silence in their life. There's so much noise and activity in their lives everyday, and I feel that most of them will be frustrated by a sudden powerlessness in the face of mute silence. It will be a whole new experience for them, to have nothing to entertain them except for the surrounding scenery, where they can only meditate and ponder on their own thoughts.

I recall the times I spend in Nepal, when I walk through the vast natural landscape for days, often hearing nothing but the murmuring of the wind. And everyday, I wake up to continue the same routine of hiking, undisturbed by thoughts of unread emails, phone calls not received, work not done. That was really really liberating, and I was perfectly happy with that.

If they can't take time out to think assert their own personality and straighten out their thoughts about their own lives, how can they be confident individuals? I wish I can give them an experience that rivals mine; there's no way they will ever be the same again if they can learn to talk to themselves and be happy with that conversation.

The sea is calling to me...

A series of incidents had opened my heart to the call of the sea these 2 days. Out of no reason, an old paddling kaki asked if I would consider selling my prized Werner paddle, and that got me thinking of possibly replacing it with a new one of a shorter (and preferred) length. Then Roland asked me if I wanted to go for 4 star refresher course next year; unfortunately, teachers have no leave to take, and I don't want to go for a course where I can't respect the instructors.

But anyway, that got me looking out for paddles and boats online when I was supposed to be doing work in school. I wonder if I can get a good deal on my kayak now with the local dealer, seeing that the USD is dropping to record lows. Can I? Can I?

And I am reminded of my new tent that I have yet used out in the wilderness. And my MSR hydration pack spigot tap and shower hose, and my backpack raincover, and lots more. I should go somewhere! Anywhere...

My poor boat....

...Just suffered from a bump below the front bumper. Actually it could have happened much earlier, just that I discovered it only last week when I tore off the tapes securing the bumper and discovered it. I must have got it from charging for the first ball in matches, or any one of the numerous dogfights that I engage in with opposing defenders.


A closer look reveals that parts of the epoxy layer had been chipped away from the collisions, and fine stress fracture lines radiating outwards from the epicenter of the impact.


Yesterday, I went down to NTU just to peel away the epoxy layer so that I can prepare to paste a new layer of material above it. Without a grinder, I had to use a small knife from a multi-tool to pick at the sides and chip it away one bit at a time - torturous!


A closer look at the job - what you are looking at are the layers of broad Kevlar tapes that makes up the entire boat.


Without the epoxy at hand, I had to resume work another time. Then I took out the screws at the side of my seat, as I noticed a crack by the holes. My goodness, it wasn't a crack at all - the entire chunk around the screw came off, where I previously repaired it!


Ok...Now that's much trickier to repair. Sigh, I'll see what I can do...

Anxiety

I'm in the midst of invigilating the English paper for my class right now, literally. They are still writing at this moment, and in a few minutes' time I will have to go do my shift till their paper ends.

And I am damn kan cheong about how they will do for it. The paper I set was quite hard, and I only realised that after looking through this sec 3NT assessment book I bought from Popular. Too late. But then again the HOD and VP had given their nods to the paper, so I assume it is still possible for them to fare well.

Ultimately I really hope that they can do well, and show me that I did managed to teach them something for the past 15 weeks, because I don't think I did a good job of it.

Looking through appearances

Regrettably, I got to know my Principal and Vice-Principal better through recent events, and I don't like what I see behind the facade.

I was in consultation with my HOD regarding my work review yesterday. Apparently, impressions left behind from 2 past lesson observations clouded the VP's judgment so much that she rated me unreasonably for a few 'intangible qualities', which is not objective and totally unrelated to the conclusions she had drawn then.

For example, she believed that where 'subject mastery' is concerned, I am deemed to be at a 'developing' stage still as I did not exhibit good classroom management skills (which I beg to differ actually). These 2 qualities have totally no bearing on each other, and I was so agitated about it that I told my HOD my version of things, to the extent that eventually she conceded and moved me up a grade there.

But the damage is done. It is a personal affront for me to have to defend my personal qualities against others' words, because I live by my strong principles and I am honest about myself. So that's how a work review is like. You rate yourself lower and they concur with you. You rate yourself higher and you will be asked to defend yourself. It is insulting to me that my HOD gave me a pop quiz about PE related issues, in that way trying to show me that I am not as good as I said I am. I had expected her to be better than this, but I don't hold it against her. It's the VP's words versus mine.

Today, I submitted an MC to the Principal, and she goes: "I am very concerned about your high MC rate, and I am seriously monitoring it...". I was stunned - hello, this is my first MC from a clinic! Previously I was on hospitalisation leave for 5 days, and can that be helped? She went on: "For a young officer, I don't expect that from you...normal MC rates are like 5 days a year...you have a long career ahead of you...you better take care...".

I was so hopping mad then. Teachers aren't allowed to question students' MCs or even letters, and here we teachers are treated like malingers when we take MCs. I insistently told her what I told, and even held her back to explain to her that I have no issues with work or my personal life whatsoever to get MCs for day offs. But she deserve harsher words really, and I now see how much she really cares for her staffs.

I'll monitor the situation and see how I fit into this place...if not, it's bye bye in 2 years' time.

A storm!

After blading at ECP in the morning yesterday, Karen and I changed out of the blades into slippers and walked over to Subway for lunch. As we finished lunch, we walked back out to the beach front towards the carpark, when we saw a water sprout off the coast!


I hurriedly whipped out my phone camera and stood there filming the movement of the sprout, enduring the lashing wind and rain as it approaches. People were running away in droves when it neared the beach a distance away, and there was a white screen at the beach when the sprout died.

Then a second one appeared! It formed much nearer to the beach then the first one, and approached menacingly. Eventually it reached the front of a breakwater, and went up even further, whipping up sand within itself. The whole force crashed through the trees and I saw a branch dropped, before the force dissipates and it died. By that time, I was quite battered by the raindrops and we quickly ran back to the car.

Awesome!

My new toy!

It was a tough choice, but finally, I settled on getting this a few hours ago. It's a 1/100 Strike Gundam IWSP (integrated Weapons Strike Pack) model.


Can't wait to build it!

Toys!

I was walking around with Karen looking at toys yesterday because she's getting something for her nephew, and I was so tempted to get a few myself! All those adult issues have screwed my brain so much that a sudden visit to the toy shop made me want to rediscover the joy of putting things together and creating nice toys just for the fun of it.

First it was a clear version of a 'Freedom' Gundam model that I saw on display in Isetan - a beauty! I used to do models with my old pal William at his home during my secondary school days, and 2 of my models are still with him I think. We used to talk about finding time to resurrect them together, and maybe it's time to do so by getting new ones to play with!

Then...Legoland! I recently bought a few mini magnetic figures for my metal cabinet in the office, and it was a joy to see them everyday. I bought a set with an imperial storm trooper, a Y-wing fighter and a AT-ST driver to add to my collection of 9 knights.

And there's so much items there that drives me wild. I want a ferrari! They have several models but this is the sleekest one.

A ferris wheel which Karen prefers - it is driven by a motor that actually makes it go round! Did I mention too that it can be transformed into a crane or a bridge that can be lifted, all with the same parts?

And there's this gorgeous chess set with really nice figures, sold in a set with a chess board. Now, both of us agree that it is a beauty, but we don't play chess! Nonetheless, we are now seriously toying with the thought of getting it to decorate our future place as a display.

With all these beautiful toys, I had to go online and check out the Lego website to see what other amazing stuff they have, and I did discover some really cool models. How about the classic X-Wing fighter? I saw it when it was sold a few years back, and had regretted not buying it before it disappeared, though it was a big sum of money for me to part with for a toy then.

The Imperial Star Destroyer! I saw that in the shops too previously, and it was like, twice the price of the X-Wing. I saw the real model at a friend's place a long time ago, and it was amazing. Can I buy it now?

Finally, the Millennium Falcon! The largest lego set ever produced for the market! With 5195 pieces in the set, and spanning almost 90cm when completed, this is out of the world man. Comes with a certificate too!

$500USD each, anyone?

Nurturing the whole child

Marking my students' papers is an exercise that shows up both parties' inadequacies. On my side, I often know what's right and wrong, but I have no idea how I can communicate that difference to the kids. This happens frequently when we deal with sentence structures - I cannot explain why some parts of the sentence have to go in front and others behind, except that that's how English works.

Which brings me to this conclusion: the worst thing for a kid to do is to avoid reading and start watching the TV or playing the computer games early. Without an intuitive ability to use the language, they will be crippled throughout their lives. You need language to impart education, so a poor grasp of the language limits not only learning ability, but the entire imaginative world of the individual, if you believe wittgenstein.

So. To teach the kids, I either have to explain to them the technicalities of English grammer rules, or insist that they somehow know it intuitively. Of course, the latter option is the more painless one, but none of my kids have the will or interest to pick up reading again. Then how? Jialat lah. They catch no ball I also boh pian.

So please, if you people out there ever have kids, don't shower them with toys or let them watch TV. Read to them when they are young, then make them read to themselves, all the way till adulthood. Force it on them if you have to, it doesn't matter. For once they seen the language being used properly often enough, there is no way they can get it wrong in the future. And you would have given them the best thing they can ever get.

Lazy sunday

Woke up really late just now, past 1pm, and I have been feeling like crap now. Sleeping too much makes your muscles sore and limbs tired; I should have set the alarm, but I didn't expect myself to sleep for so long past my usual waking hours.

Trying to mark a report writing test now, with terrible language errors every other script that I come across, doesn't exactly make things better.

This is the only year when I didn't look forward expectantly to the arrival of the mooncake festival, for the chance to gobble down those sweet cakes all month long. They don't make it like they used to. Mooncakes now have anorexic layers of the fragrant baked crusts, and are only choked full of the sickly sweet paste.

My favourite yam paste crispy skin mooncake with yolks is hardly found anywhere, and the only one that I tried was too sweet, with the paste the same texture as those white lotus etc paste and not of the rough grainy texture that it should have. Disappointing. Anyone have any good recommendations of good 'traditional' mooncakes to share, before the season ends?

I am still yearning...

...for a Feathercraft Khatsalano. Perhaps I can only do kayak touring twice a year at best if I ever own one, but still, it gives me the chance to dream of daring explorations.

Roland once messaged me after watching a screening of "This is the Sea": "Eh, we must buy our own kayaks la. We cannot stop halfway like this." I agree; up till today I still keep that SMS in my phone as a reminder.

Thoughts of a dry brain in a dry season

I just realised that though I love to teach the Sec 1s PE still for next year, I am not cut out to teach a low-ability class for English like what I am doing now. Since I took them, almost everything I planned for them is too difficult for them to handle. Everyday, the first class I used the lesson materials on will give me feedback about the ways in which they find challenging, and I have to help the kids out in the second class. Though they are mostly guilty of intellectual sloth, I do think my work for them is the main reason for its non-completion.

And quietly I am feeling stagnant about everything I do. I used to lead an exciting life. I scoured the internet for challenging reads and expanded the horizons of my literary knowledge then; now I search all around for the easier English work for my classes. I used to plan enrichment activities for myself, and pick up varied skills by myself. Now I only do routine things week in and out.

What is there to move me and inspire me? Holidays are only a rest breaks now and not personal learning journeys like in the past, they can't give me satisfaction, and that's probably why I am so much more nonchalant about them.

I hope I don't take to retail therapy to spice up my life...

The inner life

Just a thought -

• Do people who are more angsty or who stores up more problems within themselves generally considered to have a deeper 'inner life', compared to someone who is more carefree and happy-go-lucky?
• Do introverts tend to be thought of as having a richer 'inner life' compared to extroverts who show their hearts on their sleeves?

It seems strange to me that the term 'inner life' seems to have a slightly positive connotation, to mean that someone has depth of character, when frequently they are applied to introverts or people with emotional problems. As if the happy extroverts out there are all somewhat shallow. Not generalising anything here, just my own perception of some word definitions here.

Not sure why this popped up in my mind too. Anyway, writing about anything else is much preferably than for me to spell out the tedious tasks I do each day.

Another weekend to come and go...

I was called back to school this morning to conduct a remedial class in comprehension, and when I got there, I was told by my HOD that I am to observe a more senior teacher teach first before handling next saturday's session. That other teacher actually wanted me to teach instead because she always had confidence in my language teaching skills, having supervised me for a term. So anyway, I was sitting there for more than an hour in the room, wondering why the hell I need to be there.

The week came and went by in a flash. The last few days, I was so busy attending meetings etc after lessons that there was no time at all to settle down and get down to the 'important' task of planning lessons for next week. Really, providing good lessons is really down at the bottom of the to-do list of most teachers, what with all the silly paperwork one has to cope with. So I must use my weekend to plan something out, and the thought troubles me so much that I feel like skipping my badminton training and not turn up for a wedding dinner that I already promised to attend.

Also, there is much dissonance between the teaching style that NIE/PESS advocates and what school management wants out of PE teachers. I buy into the lecture-correct style of discipline but the school obviously prefer the disciplinarian approach. My VP said that during my lesson observation teaching wushu to the class lined up in rows, the non-participation of the kids behind could result in accidents and injuries and may lead to investigations if that happens, no joke. I'm so convinced they will start bashing each other on the head if they don't do their horse-stance diligently with me.


Just to end off on a positive note - on Friday I followed the normal technical group that went for this 'junior chef' enrichment course, and saw them in action baking pastries of all sorts. It was really refreshing to see them all engaging in something enthusiastically for once, and I wish I can make this happen in my English class. One of the girls wanted me to help her knead balls of grated coconut, and I could only produce a ball by the time she's done with everything; nice to see that they are able to teach me for a change. Don't take it the wrong way, but I felt so much love for the kids at that moment, seeing them so happy.

Now, when can I start planning wonderful activities such as these...

At least die playing!

Read this!

Brits 'dying not to do exercise'

Lack of exercise increases the risk of heart disease and cancer

Most UK adults are so unwilling to exercise that not even the threat of an early death is enough to get them off the sofa, a survey suggests.

Only 38% of people questioned by YouGov said they would do more exercise if their life depended on it.

And British Heart Foundation figures show only a third of people manage to do enough exercise to achieve the minimum recommended amount.

Experts warned inactivity is dangerous even in those who are a healthy weight.

Among the 2,100 people surveyed, brisk walking was found to be the favourite way of getting exercise - before dancing, swimming or going to the gym.

Physical activity and obesity are two different risk factors so even if you're lean, if you're inactive you increase your risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease Dr David Haslam, National Obesity Forum

However, only 4% said they found exercise fun.

A greater inspiration was exercising to change body shape, particularly among women and young adults.

Almost a third of 18 to 24-year-olds reported they would do more exercise if they saw an unflattering photo of themselves or were told they looked fat.

Other less predictable forms of motivation to work out included fancying someone at the gym.

But only 13% of men and 7% of women said keeping a healthy heart was their main motivator.

Excuses for not exercising were found to be always close at hand - from not having enough time to the one in seven who blame bad weather for not doing enough physical activity.

Deadly serious

The British Heart Foundation, which is launching a campaign to encourage people to up their heart rate for 30 minutes a day, says that someone dies every 15 minutes as a direct result of physical inactivity.

Dr Mike Knapton, director of prevention and care at the BHF, said it was a "deadly serious" problem.

"With our busy lifestyles and labour-saving devices we've stopped getting the exercise our bodies desperately need.

"For many people, exercise has become an ugly word, something to avoid at all costs - but you'd be amazed how easy it is to up the tempo of your heartbeat.

"Just 30 minutes a day will do you and your heart the world of good."

The government recommends a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity five times a week.

Dr David Haslam, clinical director of the National Obesity Forum, said it made for depressing reading but confirmed what had been shown in clinical trials, where even those who had a heart attack did not change their lifestyles.

"Children instinctively exercise when left to their own devices, but they don't because they're stopped from doing that by the school curriculum and parents scared of child abductors and murderers lurking on every corner.

"So, if it doesn't become a habit, you're not going to work hard to go against the tide and introduce it as an adult."

He added that exercise could be incorporated into everyday life.

"Physical activity and obesity are two different risk factors, so even if you're lean, if you're inactive you increase your risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease," he said.

Know most of the readers here are active people like myself, do keep it up! Saying that you lack time for exercise is super lame. Think of it as buying time for the future, because sports can help you take less MCs, save you trips to the psychiatrist from stress-related reasons, prevent you from getting fractures easily, and can potentially save you from the dialysis machine or the operation table. Women get osteoporosis easily without exercise, and men beer bellies which have a direct causal link to cardiovascular diseases (think it indicates fat around organs).

Go out and have fun!

Responsible parenting

My day was quite spoilt early in the morning when I tried to get this kid to take out the numerous earsticks on his earlobe and the lip stud out, the little rascal refused to listen to me, wouldn't talk or listen, and just dodged me all the way till he managed to worm back into class. There's nothing I can do if I don't want to start manhandling him, so I had to let him go, and I felt very irritated by my powerlessness.

Later in the day, I went in to take charge of my 3NT classes, who are taking courses in image consultancy or animation. The notorious few sprout nonsense in response to questions, made noise, then finally arranged a few chairs and went to sleep when no one paid any attention to them.

Parents (and all you would-be parents) really should make sure that they have loads of time to properly nurture their child everyday before deciding to have kids. Day in and out I am appalled by the character of these youths without guidance, loud and empty vassals without much useful knowledge, clueless about their direction in life, really feeling shy and inferior but faking bravery and confidence with those stupid antics everyday. It is not their fault that they did not have the proper guidance to do the right things in life. Why did their parents neglect to school them properly in moral lessons? Why did they bring their kids into the world?

Right now, I don't see myself going to have a kid for the next 5 years, and if I stretch that to the next 10 years, I'm probably going to stay that way after marriage. It's not that I am afraid my future kids will turn out this way. I just don't see why kids should come into the picture after marriage, seemingly only to satisfy the demands of a primitive natural impulse.

Winding down

Things are going slow right now, a good respite from my normal hectic routine. It's not that there's no work, but that I have the leeway to slow down in churning out stuff right now. My 3NT classes have this week long enrichment modules so I don't have to plan lessons for them this week. Got to produce something for them to work on next week though, in addition to silly things like writing a useless report, planning the year end activity for Odac, and working on my work target setting exercise.

I just got the schooling schedule for next year, and that has me looking forward to future holidays even though 2008 haven't started ha. I'll be going Bangkok for a week or so in December, and the rest of the time will be spent locally doing work most probably. Adults need lots of money to do a few things and I have become pretty thrifty; big holidays is equated with lots of money spent too, and so I haven't been thinking about them for a long while.

Been busy going for canoe polo after work religiously these few weeks, even though it is just for to train the new batch of players. The pathetic bronze medal did managed to make me more motivated than ever to improve on my personal skills. It's good to have something to distract me from the stress of work.

Work life is so boring. My blog is growing boring too.