To Have And To Hold

“...to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as we both shall live.”

I’m always touched by the moment when the bride and groom exchanged their wedding vows; I always get very emotional and my eyes will be filled with tears of joy. when two souls meet and fall in love, to be there for each other always, to share each other’s life, it’s just so beautiful...

an old pal of mine got married last saturday. he is one of the longest friend I had, we used to chat on the phone til late, we shared everything with one another. we are the best of friends. I’m really happy for him that he finally tied the knot with his long time girlfriend.

on 15 december 2007, another friend of mine is getting married too. this time, among the tears of joy, there will also be a few drops of regret and sadness...

Sunrise, Sunset

sunrise

every morning on my way to work, through the big wide window panes of the mrt, the sun rises bright orange from afar. i closed my eyes, and for a brief moment, i feel myself in the mountains, catching the spectacular sunrise...

like riding a bicycle, you peddle hard to gain enough speed to enjoy a few seconds of cruising, relax & feel the wind on your face, before you've got to start peddling hard again...

sunset

it's the third evening in a row that i've watched the beautiful sunset from my work station.

for a few minutes or so, all the tiredness and frustrations from the day's work magically dissolved; all that is left is the golden glow and warmth from the setting sun's rays that transforms into a gentle smile across my face...

lovely is the sunset... even more charming it will be, if only it's by the sea or up in the mountains...

Wet, Wet, WET!!!

B2W - 4

it's my 4th attempt biking to work, 1st using a road bike. the previous attempts were on my good old trusted KHS.

distance: 28.15 km
max speed: 36.5 km/h
average speed: 25.8 km/h
time taken: 1.05.20 hrs

i wasn't going fast at all, neither was i pushing hard. in fact, the initial 10km was tough, my legs were pumped. going further west, head winds were strong and peddling furious could only get me going at 25km/h... at some places, i was even blown slightly off course...

WET, WET, WET

this is probably the heaviest rain i've cycle in after osim.many people were concerned. "were you caught in the rain?", "what did you do when it rained?", "you've got a raincoat?" my reply seemed to surprise them. "just continue to cycle" i said.

what is the reason stopping people from going out in the rain? safety is definitely one good reason but probably also the last of concerns on people's mind. so why don't people like to get wet?

there are plenty of water sports abound, so it cant be the the state of being wet. we often see children playing happily in the outdoor fountains, having a splashing good time with the water. how often do we see adults doing that?

or is it having to get out of one's comfort zone? especially when it's cold and wet outside, it always feels nice and comfortable to be snugging under the cosy blankets or sipping a hot cup of tea or coffee. who will like to go out in the rain?

or perhaps it's the state of mind. frankly, i don't like to be wet, partially wet to be exact. i don't lke to be wet when i'm supposed to be dry. so part of me will be resisting the wetness and that creates an uncomfortable and miserable feeling. however, it's a different story altogether to be thoroughly wet. you can't get any wetter, so you are able to let go and enjoy being wet and appreciate being wet.

probably also because i know that a nice hot shower and hot milo will be waiting for me...

CYCLING

cycling can be quite a solitary thingy, especially in the rain. it's just you, the road and the raindrops. it's a good time for reflections too. somehow, i enjoy cycling in the rain. i like the feel of raindrops on my face, so cool and refreshing. i like to see the fall of the water from out of the sky, they looked especially pretty against the glow of the lights. sometimes, the cold can also freezes your mind and help to crystallize out your thoughts.

perhaps i needed to clear my mind. perhaps i needed to be alone...

it's always nice to meet fellow cyclists when you are going solo. for the first time, i met two other roadies on their way to work. one said "hi" before he overtook me and turned off into pioneer road. his sling bag strapped across his back looked waterproof. the other was from a competitor's company along the coast and had a puncture earlier. he just got back into cycling after his baby's birth.

on a heavy rainy morning, i thought i was the only one crazy one...

PS.SGV5339S

haha.. tha's the number plate of the car that "stalked" me in tuas. a champagne coloured toyota. he was stopped in the middle of left lane with his hazards lights on. i thought it might be a concerned colleague waiting to ask me if i needed a lift. i cycled past him and nope, not a familiar face. i cycled on and shortly after, he appeared again and followed me all the way. managed to shake him off at the junction turning into my company.

interesting things always happen when i cycle... :)