Run London

With THE running event just less than a week away..this blog is dedicated to all those participating in the Singapore Marathon 2005..



15th October 2005

Reached Hyde Park at 230pm to attend a briefing for the Run London event..it's sorta the equivalent of the Nike Real Run in Sg (think it's no more? become NB Run?)

I saw the publicity posters sometime back & went to surf the website..was debating if i should actually participate in the event(pay 35 pounds) or be a helper(be paid 60 pounds).. eventually decided to try my luck & register as a helper .. & if i didn't get recruited, i'll just turn around & sign up as a participant..

In the end, i did get selected..so here i am at Hyde Park..waiting for the briefing..

I reckoned there were no more than 80 pple there..quite few, given the scale of the event..the briefing took less than 5 mins..the intro was done by some rep from Nike...'I have only 2 points - it's "Ni-key", not "Nike" and it's not a "tick" but a "Swoosh"' Short & sweet.

Then we were briefed by our section leaders..i was in the water station unit..for most of u, u would know wat it's all about..so i shan't go into lorsor details..

We were then told to collect our event t-shirt..& the OIC was blur enuf to distribute bottoms to us(only road marshalls needed to wear the track pants)..so i'm now the happy owner of a pair of Nike track pants :)

Anyway, i realised the reporting time was 730am..& it was quite impossible for me to reach on time cos the earliest tube from my place is 645am on Sundays(yes, i can memorise all the tube timings heart ever since i started working at TP) & it takes me at least an hour to get to the venue..contemplating if i should bunk in a nite with JM, an ex-sec schmate staying in the vicinity..turned out she's in New York on business but her bf was taking part in the run..so qiao..in any case, i spoke to my section leader & he was cool about me reporting at 7.45am..problem settled.



16th October 2005

Took the first tube out to central london today..the weather seems quite good today..as usual, i can see the sunrise on my tube journey..this is the main reason why i dun hate getting up early here..nothing beats a splendid sunrise to start ur day..

Reported at my designated area..then went to collect my breakfast..sounds familiar to some of u? Yeah..breakfast is packed for us just like the way it's done back in Sg..the only diff? Instead of cha bee hoon, it's tuna mayo baguette : ) Oh, there's an apple as well..hmm..why is it tat we never gave out fruits at mass events? Do Sporeans not like fruits?

Together with the rest of my unit pple, we walked over to the drinks station which is at the 5km mark..there's only 1 drink pt since it's only a 10km run..soon after, we started work..opening bottles & bottles & bottles of mineral water..& lining them up on the tables..we were given gloves to wear to prevent RSI..but despite wearing them, i actually still got blisters from opening the bottle caps : /

According to the organisers, we're expecting some 20,000 runners this morning..there were 3 run waves for the day..9.30, 10.30 & 11.30..tat's the good thing about running in temperate countries..imagine running at 11.30am in Sg..i won't be surprised if there's more pple at the medical tent than the souvenir tent..

The sun was shining down gently..& i could just feel slightest hint of a breeze..the grass was 'green oil oil'(lu you you)& u could see squirrels running freely on the field..every now & then, the birds can also be heard chirping in the background..quite niao yu hua xiang..this is almost the perfect condition to run in..pity my SSC folks are not here..they would have enjoyed it..

Baaaee...there's the first wave..first to run past us was Paula Radcliffe(she's the regining world marathon champion)..apparently, she's going for the world record(but failed lah)..then came EVERYONE else..i may have done countless sports events before but this is my first time actually handling out drinks for runners..my section leader was also encouraging us to encourage the runners..machiam 'runspirators'..was soaked at the end of it by all the splashing but it's quite fun lah..heh..

By 12-ish noon..the event was almost over..helped to clear the area a bit..then went to sign out..& since i'm there, i just strolled about in the park..huge park(it has to be, if u can have a 10km run inside the park)..found a nice spot & had a little picnic(yes, i packed my lunch before i came out..i pack my lunch everywhere these days)

Maybe it's the nice weather..or the pay(at 60pounds for 5 hours, it's more than double of wat i earn in TP) or maybe it's simply the feeling of being involved in sports..my mood was pretty good tat day..




more pics of Run London can be found at http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=tthjh81.ac7tjp9t&x=0&y=-nqiqkc

6th Months' Anniversary

Hmm..dunno, dun feel..6mths liao..quite a milestone..

6 mths = Half a year = 365/2 = 182.5 days

6 mths = 24 weeks = 168 days

So is 182.5 = 168?! Think i'm going mad..

Brrr....

Getting really cold these few days..dropping to minus at night..instead of dew, can see frost liao...bbbrrrr......

A review of my 2 months in TP

Things I liked about working in the park


The colleagues
Or at least most of them lah..met quite a diverse group of people..some of my closer frens are from Jamaica, Zimbawe & South Africa, to name a few..


The working hours
Minus the travelling time tat is..the park generally opens from 10am – 5pm..which means we report to work about 930am & finishes about 5-ish..tat’s really not too bad..if I didn’t have to spend 3 hrs getting there & back..


The free rides
Yes, u do get free rides on & off..esp on quiet days when there can be no guests for 20 mins..wat better way to wake u up when u’re getting sleepy..but it’s a pity I din get to try all the rides before I left..


The work atmosphere
Generally..afterall, it’s a theme park..there are some crazy days when we would pretend to have all gone home by switching off all the lights & hiding after we sent the last train off the platform..then the poor riders would be locked in their seats when they’re back(the operator has to unlock the seats manually thru the controls) or we would get the whole train to sing happy birthday(to anyone &/or no one in particular)



The brainless work
Haha..bimbo or not(if I qualify to be one)..it’s really quite a brainless job..& cos I dun really feel any responsibility for it, i can simply bochap & not turn up for for the day..like wat I did when I went for a 4 days trip to u-know-where..



Things I disliked about the park


The pay
£5 per hour is peanuts..with 20% going to taxes & another 5% to National Income..i’m left with..peanut shells..


The corked up system
Dunno how they sort out the staff stuff..there can be days when we’re terribly shorthanded..and there can be days when we have 10 pple on a ride(when u need only a min of 3 to operate)..& the ‘extras’ will be sent to clean the park..or even sent home..



Stupid/irritating guests
How do u answer when a guest ask u ‘Is this ride scary?’ or ‘Am I going to die on this ride?’


Also, the ride tat I work on..the seats are such tat ur legs are suspended in the air & when u go round checking their safety straps, chances tat u’ll get kicked by one of the guests are 3 out of 5 times..



The (very short)breaks
We have 2 breaks each day..the first is a 30 mins lunch break(which can be as early as 1030am) & the second is usually 3 hrs after the first one(about 2ish pm) is a 15mins tea break..we’re also given 5 mins ‘walking time’ to get to the canteen from our ride area..


Most of u would know I survive on a 2hr feed..which means I need to eat every break..most of u would also know tat I’m not a fast walker..in fact, it takes me 8 mins to walk to the canteen(1 way) from the furthest ride..effectively, tat leaves me wif 12 mins left of my break..so I always end up gobbling down my sandwich(wat else)..no good for my digestive system..


The reason why the ang mohs can survive on such short breaks is they have chips for lunch & choc bars for tea..u dun need much time for tat, do u?

Some changes are taking place in my life..

Wat are they? Yi yan nan jing..i'll blog about them in time to come..

PC Down again..

: (

School Hols+Halloween Weekend=Disaster

It was another day of mayhem in the park today.. One of my colleagues actually got punched by one of the guests..i didn’t actually witness the incident but heard she(yes, it’s a ‘she’) got punched by ‘ah beng’ for asking him to queue up..hmm..reminds me of a granny-slapping incident..*o*

Aiyo..these ang mohs..they are really in the mood for halloween..imagine walking around the park after dark & someone appears in front of you wearing one of those scary masks..ren xia ren, xia si ren..

And the mess left behind 20,000 guests is no joke..imagine an event site after a mass event..multiply tat by 3(ang mohs are generally dirtier) & u’ll get the idea..think I’ve cleaned more litter in this week than I’ve ever cleaned in my house in the past 20 years..

For the past 10 days or so, I’ve been having all my meals outside..breakfast on the train there, lunch & afternoon tea in the park & dinner on the train back..& I usually pack my meals..so u can imagine the amount of food I bring with me each day..4 meals..i’m essentially carrying a picnic basket around..

This also means to say I haven’t had hot food for these 10 days..cos all I’ve been having are sandwiches(sandwiches are cold, toasts are hot)..it’s not so much tat I mind eating sandwiches..they’ve quite a bit of sandwich fillings here..from the usual egg mayo to coronation chicken(chicken bits + raisins + peaches in curry)..but for those who know me well enuf..i’m always very particular about my diet..& I just dun think sandwiches alone can provide a balanced diet..

I usually catch the same train as a few of my colleagues..so I’ll be like seeing them from 8 in the morning when we catch the train till 9-ish at night when we go our separate ways at the train station..hmm..kinda reminds me of the ‘good ole days’ of mass events..



P.S. A string of emails from some ex-classmates reminded me tat it’s Deepavali(Divali in London) & Hari Raya(‘Id in London) back in Sg..totally forgot about these occasions..this week to me, is Halloween week..from the many pumpkins hanging all over the place & people walking around in funny costumes..apparently, some people really came trick or treating at our door the other nite but I wasn’t back yet..still at work..sigh..

I wish i could turn back the clock..

In case u dun realise it..i was (trying to)sing the song by Johnny Hates Jazz n years ago.. :Þ

Anyway, wat I’m trying to say is..time was literally turned back when UK summer time officially ended on Sunday..this means tat UK is back on GMT again..this is actually my first experience at ‘adjusting the clock’..basically at 12midnite on Sun, the clock goes back 1 hr to be 11pm Sat nite..

Actually I prefer the old time..cos now it means the sky starts getting dark at 5-ish pm, instead of 6-ish pm..although it also means I need not scramble for my oyster card(aka ezlink in Sg) in the dark when I take the tube in the morning..i dun really mind it cos I get to see the sunrise at about 730am when I’m on the way to work..

Come to think of it..UK also damn one kind one..the rest of western europe are all on GMT+1 time, only UK is on GMT..& while everyone else on this side of the continent drives on the right, the Brits drive on the left..

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As for my ear..a visit to the hospital today(realised I spent all my off days visiting clinics/hospitals or rather.. I plan my off days according to my doc appts *.*) revealed tat it’s starting to heal(yay!)..& guess wat was the doctor’s advice to me? Try to get more sunshine..it would be easy as pie if it’s Sg he was talking about..but we’re looking at London wor..& getting ‘some sun’ is no easy feat, given the tempermental weather..



P.S. As I’m blogging away..there’re fireworks outside now..apparently, there’re a few designated days for people to ‘put’ fireworks(wat is the correct verb ah? display?) Quite pretty..