Can't See Can Tee?

Hit the driving range this morning, bored the daylight out of me and got distracted by this golfer in front. 


He was consistently hitting the sweetest sweet spot annoying everybody and I soon came to realise - he's blind!

Yes.  Blind as in visually impaired and can't see.

I am blind too, I mean, 1) I can't see the words on his t-shirt until much later.  2) I kept miss hitting the ball.  I MUST be blind!

He has this coach next to him who, prior to his every stroke, assisted in describing distance, direction and helped with club head alignment behind the ball.  From this point, the man was pretty much on his own.


This person in front couldn't see, yet he was hitting perfect shots. 

The person behind him can see, yet hers was all over the place. 

A valuable lesson learnt today - golf IS for anyone who wishes to play.  

When there's a will, there's a way.   

I Love Golf. I Love It Not. Love It. Not

I sometimes wonder how much I actually love playing golf - a game which essentially means focusing to wack a white ball into a 3-inch hole using different sticks!  And then repeat 18 times of that, which easily takes up half a day. 

For the numerous sports I have endured, I think it is safe to conclude I loathe golf.  There's nothing more depressing than playing a terrible round of golf in which you were really excited about. 

The harder I wanted to hit good shots and shoot for lower scores, the worse I played.  The problem was, no matter what method or gimmick you tried, no matter how much money you spent on clubs and lessons, no matter how much you practised, you still missed a shot or two at worse, sliced and hooked at best!   

Most frustrating.

And yet do you know what frustrates me even more?  It is the fact that I don't want to give up! 

Reason being: I just can't quite get myself to accept I am never going to be good at hitting a tiny ball and see it flying in the air over a long stretch of field, calling penalties on myself every now and then, before it finally goes into a hole!

Even typing this out makes this sports sound like something ridiculous.  There you go...an entire post devoted to the hatred of golf!

I know this is reading more like a whiny diary entry than one of my normal blogs but I have a feeling every golfer has been here before.  I just need to get it out of my head, it probably wont repeat.

Getting A Taste Of Muay Thai Kickboxing

In the quest of searching for an interesting exercise to add to my ever-expanding list comes the latest addition of Kick-boxing!


I was told kickboxing workouts are one of the most enjoyable types of exercise for people like me who absolutely think the gym isn't for them.  It’s also meant to be one of the most intense and effective calorie-burning workouts one can possibly do. 


Sounds so good that I actually have been looking forward to today, couldn't wait to give it a go. 

After an hour of punching, jabbing and kicking the focus pads, another amazing benefit I discovered out of all the bruises that came with it, is that it is quite an outstanding way to work off some stress after a long day in a positive way.

Not too sure about fat burning in the process, but my shins are sure burning red.


I am feeling great though.  Highly recommended.  Can't wait for the next combat.  Now, who's with me? 

Treadmills

I have disliked them because you literally go nowhere and see nothing, and yeah, you are able to read off how much of your heart rate has been elevated or how many kcal you have burnt running on that revolving belt, but honestly nothing beats heading outdoor if you have a choice.

While doing some brisk walking on one right now, I felt my life has been a bit like a treadmill workout.  Specifically, it feels like the “interval” workout setting where you have those 3 dots of an easy effort followed by 5 dots of a higher intensity effort.

The reason I headed to the gym this morning was because I felt I was going all-out, cranking away, trying to be productive throughout the week.  Only to find myself resembling a lab rat on a treadmill, been extremely busy up on those 5 dots of the high intensity effort, but then, not at all productive.

People...For once, the readings on a treadmill, however, did make me feel good about myself.  I felt relaxed and contented walking at a comfortable pace on the 2 dots of the lower intensity level.

Soon enough though, I am against the 5 dots of a high intensity effort again so, gotta run now!

Missed & Gained

I missed the chance to meet two of my favourite actors/actresses - Hugh Grant and Catherine Zeta-Jones in Mission Hill's celebrity golfing tournament yesterday.  The two were among 20 professional golfers, 20 celebrities and 120 amateurs who took part in the Star Trophy on Hainan Island, China.


Just when I was sourly sobering, reading all the nitty gritty details from its happenings in the news, I was given FREE admission tickets to tour around UBS Hong Kong Open later this month!  I can't believe it!  UBS has really elevated the event for everyone inside and outside the ropes, and the tournament has become a very important one in many players' calendars.

How lucky can I be?  Terribly looking forward to that. 

This is Rory McIlroy finishing at second place last year at the Opens.

What's The Odds of 18 Over For A Pro?

A shocking title for all golfers out there:  The world’s No. 1 player looked woefully beaten as he topped his career-worst at Firestone, shooting a 77, and finished at +18!

“Shooting 18-over par is not fun,” Woods said. 

“I don’t see how it can be fun shooting 18 over.”

Exactly.  He came a dismal second last and this was amateur stuff!

May be it's time to hand over the reign and there goes the end to the Tiger era.

Swing Instead Of Hit

Not been touching my clubs for a while and can't believe they have been idled for about 2 years now!  Lucky they didn't get rusty!

I decided it is probably time to recall some muscle memories before they are really lost in space, so there I went for some practice.

For me, the worst part of playing golf, by far, has always been hitting the ball.  A friend reminded me I should concentrate on my swing, not the hit.  

Bam!  I can feel the momentum's coming back.  What a shame to waste those great shots on the practice tee!

Introducing The Octopus Oracle!

Hey German football fans out there, you could be in a minor shock when you heard the world's renowned psychic octopus "Paul" picked Spain to beat Germany in the World Cup for a berth to the finals this Wednesday!

For your information, he has been spot on in his last 5 predictions on the German team at the World Cup, wins over Australia, Ghana, England and Argentina as well as Serbia's victory over Germany.

I do hope this eight-legged Oracle's correct!   

Read more from here. 

England's Going Home

Felt terrible wearing this jersey after the match.  Kept thinking how players of the quality of Gerrard, Rooney and Terry could come out so flat!

I miss David Beckham's right foot.  At the very least, England could have used his superior passing ability to deliver a decent cross or two.

England's just not going home.  They are returning to the homeland with their tails tucked between their legs in disgrace!

 

Good Omen

 

It doesn't get much better than pulling on an all red kit for the sixth time in their history and won Slovenia tonight.

England improved dramatically to get the win they needed to guarantee qualification.  They were desperate to make amends, but I think it has to be the lucky red.  

Go Three Lions - I will be wearing red to be with you all along in Round 2, facing the Germans next this Sunday.

A Lego Tribute To R.Green's Whammy

Yes...Watching this clip can't help but inflict pain from Robert Green's blunder during England's first World Cup match against U.S.A.

Green made one mistake - a huge mistake, but then he also made one great save in the second half, so...let's stop blaming him and enjoy some fantastic animations here!

What Are The Odds?

The FIFA World Cup thus far, is providing me with an eclectic array of opportunities to lose as much money as humanly possible.

Like many, I have been rather sensationally predicting the blindingly obvious, relying on statistics to tell me history will repeat itself. 

As soon as the Spaniards lost 0:1 to the Swiss tonight, I am changing my tactics: I am going for the dark horse and the teams that emerge to prominence. 

I am saying, none of the above teams in this photo here will remain in the quarter-finals and...9/2 on North Korea conceding the most goals in the whole tournament - sounds like a very reasonable bet.

A story of victory in every jersey

I want to steal a quote from Roman bard Horace (65 BC to 8 BC), a great shirt is nothing but "poetry without words".

   

Did you know you can find 5 stars on the badge of Brazil's jersey; 4 on the Italians; 3 on the Germans; 2 on Argentinians and 1 on both the England squad and France's team?  

The number of stars indicates the number of times they have won the FIFA World Cup tournament. 

Every team needs a jersey with a story and if you are interested, here's the true value of the German national team jersey (from Adidas' website).

Cry For Argentina?

Spain is presently the 9-2 favourites to win the World Cup.  Brazil is second at 4.7-1, Argentina third at 6-1 with England next at 13-2.

While my whole family is crying for Argentina, I do hope the bookmakers got the odds right on England and that they are as strong a contender as the market suggests.  

I think the chilly South African evenings will definitely add wind to the back of the England team, where baking heat had cost them at previous World Cups...so  

GO England GO!!

Which team would you cry for?

King of Clay

What did Roger Federer say last month after losing to Rafael Nadal in the Madrid final, that the clay season would be determined in Paris?


“I am in Paris. I won in Paris. I’m very lucky, and I was very fortunate in life to have had the opportunity of experiencing all this at the age of 24. Never in my wildest dream would I have dreamt of such beautiful presents. Life was very kind to me.”

Well, it’s been determined very emotionally yesterday. 

He cares more about winning tournaments than about what the computer thinks of him.


Having said that, Nadal is indeed...the most acclaimed King of Clay!

A Genteel Pastime

Did you know Hong Kong has now attained the highest horse-racing turnover in the world?   I have no idea since when the game has creeped into one of my family's Sunday pastimes too.

Picking our favourite horses could not get any easier these days.  My father often places his at the Jockey Club's fully computerized betting terminals, I'd choose to do so at my finger tips online and my uncle always prefer the human touch and so he places his bet using a dedicated hotline.

Not only have we got differing channels to place bets, it's funny how we almost never end up with the same pick in each race.  So it is only typical that we each have to look out for a different Jockey Silk at the finishing line: be it squares, lines, circles or star.

I personally think nothing sets our home abuzz in the weekend quite like the thrill of watching horse-racing; with the unity made possible by the colour divergence in the horse racing apparel!

Goodbye City Golf

With the approval of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, cranes are seen at the site on day 2 shut down of the golf club. 

Well, the government and the precious land can't wait, but my golf?  Surely.   

Goodbye to the closest driving range from my home.  Guess it will be a while till I pick up my golf again.

A Lesson on Anger Management

Last Sunday:

In the match against Manchester City, C. Ronaldo stood on the touchline pouting like a diva, snatched a tracksuit top from an assistant and fling it on the ground after he was substituted 60 minutes into United's 2-0 victory.

I asked myself - what's wrong with this Portuguese winger? You don't deserve my love!



3 days later today:

Gerrald snatched the footballer of the year from him this year.

C. Ronaldo could have been the first footballer in history to get the award in 3 consecutive years, but Whoops-a-daisy, he absolutely ruined it and deservedly so!

London's 8-minute Slot

While Beijing relied on vast numbers of participants to impress audiences in the Beijing Olympic Games, London used fame and pop culture in their 8-minute slot to fusion into the closing ceremony - heralding the start of the four-year countdown to theirs.

The child of London gave a football to David Beckham, who then kicked the ball to those Great Britain athletes gathered in the stadium.

Honestly, I had no idea what that meant in that instance.

I then searched online just now and found out this actually symbolized the power of sports to unite the world and the importance of sports for young people, a central theme of the London 2012 Games.

Was it only me? Did you guys get that, cuz I didn't quite.

See You in London!

The entire nation looked forward to this moment for years - The defending Olympic champion lining up to run the 110-metre hurdles at the Beijing Games.

Liu Xiang made it to the lanes, but pulled out at the last minute. I'd think no one other than himself would be more desperate.

Well, we can only wish him well and see him back in shape in London in 4 years time.