The Trifecta: Part III - 100010101100

FINAL POST TONIGHT, wow it's almost 1am, I guess not only am I making up for 3 months of not blogging, I might also not blog for another 3 months! In fact I don't really know what I have to say anymore...it's late, so maybe I'll come back to this post. If you read the title perhaps you can guess what it was supposed to be about. I'll give you 5 seconds. 5...4....3...2...1.....0. Yeah? Yeah...it was supposed to be the thing that gives me money in my life, programming. I'm going to leave it for another day folks! (By another day I probably mean month).

The Trifecta: Part II - Cardiovascular Activity

Welcome to Part II of this ridiculously long blog tonight! Lot's to get off my chest, so here goes!

I've been doing quite a lot of running these past couple of months, and I thought I'd document my progress here because well, it'd be interesting when I look back at this in a few months and hope I've improved! I can only predict my progress from the first 3 months but I'd say it all adds up to something like this!

All progress starting from Metro City Phase II Entrance and ending at Po Lam MTR Station.

Month 1: May - Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground. 2 kms + 2 kms. 4 kms total.

Month 2: June - Tseung Kwan O MTR Station. 3kms + 3 kms. 6 kms in total.

Month 3: July - Tiu Keng Leng MTR Station. 8 kms in total. Non-Stop.

Month 4: August - Slightly beyond Tiu Keng Leng MTR Station, and past Hang Hau MTR Station on the way back. At this point I had essentially worked out my exact path.

Month 5: September - Ran up 3 flights of stairs to cap off the end of each run.

Month 6: October - Extended the Hang Hau MTR Station run by approximately 500 meters. Total now 9.6km.

So I've ALMOST reached 10kms now, which took me 48 minutes tonight. My goal is that once I run the UNICEF Charity 10km run at the end of Novemeber, I'll hopefully be looking to push my runs to 15 kms. It's only a dream for now but then maybe in a year I can be looking at a half marathon distance! Quite unlikely however, given the little time I have to run, but I finished running tonight at 11.30pm, so I guess whats another hour right? I should also try increasing from my 2 times a week to 3 times...but I say that now I actually don't think I have enough motivation for that.

Safe to say I'm probably the fittest I've been for a long time, long may it continue!

The Trifecta: Part I - All Blacks, RWC Champions

So I'm in a rare mood for some intense blogging, so while I'm still in the mood I'm going to begin a 3 part post to make up for the 3 month neglect of this blog. Here goes!

Well what can I say huh, first and foremost congratulations to the All Blacks. 24 years is a long time to wait to be the champions again of our national sport. I wasn't born in 87 when the ABs first did it, I wasn't even in New Zealand yet in 1991, and 1995 was a heartbreak story I only learnt as I grew older. If you readers don't mind, I'm going to go down memory lane a little here to reminiscence on all my past experiences of the All Blacks. Hold on, it really is going to be a long story. I warned you.

My first experience of any rugby was in 1999 when I was still in Primary School when the All Blacks played France in the RWC Semi-Finals. Before this, my only connection with the ABs was the fact that we were taught the Haka over and over again (which is awesome, because the words are still stuck in my head to this day). I vividly remember our PE teacher taking our class to the library to watch the Semi Final live (or maybe it was a replay, who knew back in the day), and still remember the anguish on his face when we lost that game. I wasn't a full blown supporter after that, but I sure was from 2000 onwards, as I began to follow anything rugby that I could find on TV and Teletext (yes I'm sure you all remember Teletext). From the all-conquering Crusaders in the Super 12 (wasn't even 14, let alone 15), to the undefeated Auckland team in the NPC, I was watching rugby every weekend back when they were still free on air on TV3. The one game that truly got me hooked into the All Blacks however wasn't actually a win...but a loss.

New Zealand vs Australia, back when Australia was still a powerhouse in rugby union. Captained by the retiring John Eels and led by halfback George Gregan, Australia were a serious threat at the turn of the millennium. The All Blacks were relying on our greats such as first five Andrew Merhtens, halfback Justin Marshall, fullback Christian Cullen, winger Jonah Lomu and Doug Howlett and many more All Black greats. If I remember correctly it was a Bledisloe Cup game, and Australia hadn't relinquished the Cup in a very long time. In one of the most nerve wrecking game of rugby I've seen even to this day, the ABs battled back from a seemingly hopeless position to almost snatch victory, only for Anton Oliver to bomb the line-out at the death right next to the Australian touchline. Despite the loss that's when I became a true fan of the ABs, the Men in Black who never gave up gave more than they could give after 80+ exasperating minutes.

Roll on 2003 and by that time Carlos Spencer was the new face of first five eigth, with his famous "Banana Kick". Coached by John Mitchell the hopes were obviously high as usual at the World Cup, however we fell to the home team and in fact were well beaten...by Australia. This began a new era of All Blacks rugby with a number of senior All Blacks retiring, and ushered in several new All Blacks who everyone come to know: Daniel Carter and Richie McCaw. I still remember sitting in my new house watching that Semi-Final by myself (did no one watch the rugby back then or something) and looked on dejected as the All Blacks simply couldn't match the Wallabies. Though joy fell the next week when England ( or rather Jonny Wilkinson) knocked them over to claim their maiden World Cup.

Throughout the years between 2003 and 2007, the All Blacks were simply undefeatable. However the strategy implemented by new coach Graham Henry was sparking controversy, dividing the nation of rugby fans. Henry's masterminded plan was the Rotation Policy, whereby selecting a huge squad for the tours such as the Grand Slam tour and Tri Nations, he was able to change a side almost entirely every game. The up side of this was to keep everyone fresh and not fatigued, whereas the down side was that players didn't get to gel and was simply to stop-start for some fans liking. In addition, it got to a point where the question was asked: "Which is our strongest team?" and nobody knew the answer. In any case, the All Blacks achieved their first Grand Slam in some time by defeating all the Northern Hemisphere teams, and walked into the 2007 Rugby World Cup with massive confidence. We all knew what happened when we met our favourite team in the knockouts again, France.

That morning was truly forgettable, making the effort of waking up at some ungodly time of 5am or something, the nation witnessed our worst and most embarrassing cup defeat yet. The rotation policy had failed miserably, with the All Blacks seemingly not playing to their potential as individuals, nor as a team. The faces of a distraught Dan Carter and other All Blacks on the bench as the full time siren sounded were hard to bear...but it was even harder when realization kicked in that it would be 4 years later before our chance came again. I still remember making the trip to Church that Sunday morning, and the pastors exact words in his joke: "I suppose more people were praying in France than in New Zealand this morning!". Maybe so pastor..maybe so. But the aftermath was brutal, Graham Henry's head was called to turn, with Robbie Deans the favourite to take over the All Blacks position. Deans was a man who had led the Crusaders to countless Super 12/14 titles in his career, and looked certain to takeover the ABs coaching staff. Surprisingly to many rugby fans dismay, Graham Henry was retained as coach, and perhaps as an "up-yours" gesture to the NZRU, Robbie Deans then accepted the head coaching job of the Wallabies. The next chapter of the All Blacks had just begun.

I was going to write a whole section of the Graham Henry vs Robbie Deans saga but then I saw the time and I still wanted to get through my other blogs...so I'll cut to the end quicker! Anyway, throughout 2007 to 2011 Graham Henry held the sword over Robbie Deans, winning almost every single one of the All Blacks vs Wallabies encounters, proving many critics they may have not been so correct afterall. However, all these wins would be fruitless if they could not achieve their one and only goal, to win the Rugby World Cup. I stopped watching the rugby this year (simply because I couldn't) and didn't see the rise of several players. But the ones I was most excited about were still Zac Guiflord, Israel Dagg and Aaron Cruden. Simply because I remember seeing Guilford and Dagg breaking out onto the local scene for Hawkes Bay, while Cruden was making headlines at the age of 20 for a Manawatu team that had so little to cheer about. I remember thinking how exciting they well, but even back then I didn't really think they would make the All Blacks so soon. Simply put, the ABs headed into 2011 full of confidence. The team was stacked with the "world's bests" in many positions, especially Dan Carter, Richie McCaw, Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith. Not to mention the former Bulldogs Rugby League star Sonny Bill Williams, who was probably the most super of super-subs I had really ever seen. The rest, ladies and gentlemen, is history.

So not being in New Zealand to celebrate with everyone truly hurt, it might sound stupid but seeing everyones happy Facebook updates and their photos made me extremely jealous. In the end however it doesn't matter does it? The ABs are 2 time RWC Champions, and the third time will come sooner, rather than later. Congratulations again ABs!

The 168th Day

I think the term "hectic" would be an understatement to describe the lifestyle in Hong Kong. Part of me wants to just roll around in the green and lush grass or lie with my eyes closed on the beach in New Zealand, while the other part of me actually enjoys this twisted way of life, like some sick addiction I can't get rid of.

To give you an idea of what I mean by "hectic", I think I'll just describe a day in the life of Gary Monkey. Day starts off quite normal, with a 7am wake up time, and taking me 1 hour 15 minutes to get to work. I'll get to work at 9am, and leave work at the earliest at 7pm. Yes that's a mandatory 1 hour overtime (I say mandatory because I really do have shit to do). 1 hour is also actually piss nothing for overtime in HK, I've got it pretty lucky. But take note of the fact this overtime is worth nothing. $0. Yes you're working for free here. So anyway, say I leave work at 7pm, I'll get home at around 8 - 8.15pm. Then I'll eat say from 8.30pm to..I don't know around 9 to 9.15pm, and chill for about 15 minutes talking to my parents until 9.30pm. Now here's where the fun begins. On a bad day (which seems to be everyday for the past 2 - 3 weeks), I have to take work home because that's how goddamn tight the deadlines are. Yet, my determination in keeping up my new hobby in running means I generally have to do that twice or three times a week too. If i run, I'll run from about 9.45pm to 11pm. Then I get back, shower, and start working. Sleeping at about I don't know 2am. Rinse and repeat my days. On a good day, I might get 2 hours a night to either watch a drama, play some games or chat. Either way I've realized 6 hours sleep is more than enough to get me through the day, what a change from back in the day where I'd kill myself over anything less than 7.

So when I had a 3 day weekend the other day and had almost "nothing" to do, and when I say "nothing" I mean I actually had time to do "something", my mind was obviously confused. This is why I say it's as if I've almost got addicted to this perverted and disgusting way of life...like I NEED something to do. What happened to when I just drove in my Integra to a nearby beach and just sat there, clearing my thoughts. I need some time to chill....really chill. I think a holiday would do me good...somewhere to take me away from the stress. In a perfect world, I'd be able to be as busy as I am in Hong Kong, but at any time escape to the peace and quiet of NZ...

In a Perfect World...

The Serenity

6 months huh? I think it's been exactly half a year now since I officially left NZ with my life belongings on December 8th..(ish!?), and what a 6 months it's been! To keep a potentially long blog short, I'll just describe a few seconds of thoughts I had today.

I was just finishing up my run back at the garden in my complex, and went over to the playground to have a few stretches. I've always thought the night lights in HK were beautiful...and tonight was no different. As I was just looking up at the sky and reflecting on my life...the song Eyes on Me played on my iPod. For some reason, staring into the night sky and listening to that song triggered a flood of memories, I don't know why. But if there's a one word description of how I felt at the time...

Serenity.

A feeling I so often felt in NZ but so rare now. Watching the sunset on a mountain...listening to the waves by a beach...or just lying on the grass staring at the sky. I miss the feeling, when will be the next time I get to experience it again?

The Collection

Ha, I was just putting some photos on my computer when I realized something ironic! Anyone who's seen my photos collection knows I have a ridiculous amount of photos put into separate folders for separate days, but I also have a folder called "Friends" which I put random assortment of photos. So I made a folder called 2011, and upon uploading my new photos realized NONE OF THESE NEW PHOTOS HAVE ANY FRIENDS IN THEM. IT'S JUST ME. Cam-whoring it everywhere I go. ALL GOOD.

Time sure flies! Already into my 4th week at work...well what can I say, seems like I'm learning a lot but at the same time feel like I'm learning it so slow :( Moved away a little from the higher levels of PC Programming and got a serious taste of embedded programming on MCU's...it was hard :( Ah well, today went back to programming some encryption key licenses stuff...sounds fancy but most of the work has already been done :P

Thought I'd upload some photos here but figured I'd do it on Facebook soon anyway...so ah well! Went to a wedding last week which was alright~ didn't really remember the last Asian wedding I went to! I even played mahjong with my relatives...and obviously got my ass handed to me XD but it was good fun :)

Not much more to say....oh except I think my supervisors doing interviews tomorrow. With Indians. I hope one gets a job.

The New Beginning

[WARNING! Prepare for stupidly long blog entry...]

Seems like it's been an age since I went on Facebook and swapped around my Hometown and Currently Living information, and even longer since I've actually been in New Zealand. I'll get it out of the way now at the very start of this blog, and all I gotta say is that I miss the hell out of everyone. A lot of the times when I'm just mindlessly riding public transport, I find myself thinking about many memories, and the one thing I probably miss the most out of everything is the sound of everyone laughing. Memories I will never forget....and I hope the sound will be exactly the same when I come back for Graduation!

Now anyway....what the hell have I been doing for the past month?? The answer is...really not much! I mean when you come to Hong Kong for a visit, you always felt like there was a billion things to do. The shopping malls, how everything opens till 10pm at the earliest, and all the food there is to eat. But when you actually LIVE here...it suddenly feels like there isn't all that much to do considering you've got all the time you need to shop and eat. Not to say I've done much of either....but I'm in such no rush that I think I should really get onto it! So what HAVE I bought? Let's see...

Hehe similar I know....but I love them soooo much , especially the blue and golds...I only wear them on weekends and not my go to work shoes :P I also have a pair of new Nikes I bought in M..M..Malaysia, but they've been relegated to Gym shoes cause they got destroyed on the

Big Men Trip :P

Hello Westlife: GREATEST HITS CD, that was something stupid like $10 NZD when it was on special. Finally bought my first G.E.M CD too :D OH way too many plans to buy more CDs, but as I said I got all the time in the world...I

plan to buy a few from every months wage so I don't overdo myself :P Next on the list though obviously....adding to the Bon Jovi collection! Plus get the rest of those G.E.M CDs...among other random stuff XD.

Yes yes I joined the HTC Desire club which I'm sure has been RATHER prevalent over back in Auckland :P Gotta say, this thing is what saves me from over boredom when going to work these days. Rape the poor guys batteries every morning...playing those stupid addicting games. I did start trying to develop programs on it though! It seems like lots of Java...and way too much thinking for when I get home tired after a long day :( Ah well, at least I got a program that says Hello MEN onto it :)

You guys probably knew I bought an S95 when I was in HK with the rest of the crew, but did you know I own TWO? Yes that's right, two S95's. Unfortunately the left one (...or is the right one) was actually Charles', when he had the misfortune of having to require me to take it to warranty

:( Either way! S95 takes beautiful photos for the lazy

people who don't have DSLR's :P Not that I've had too many opportunities to take much :(

Okay the list can go on...so I'll just ignore the rest because it's getting way too long! So I had my first ever Chinese New Year week in Hong Kong...and I gotta say it is INTENSE. Visiting relatives...people everywhere (yes even more than during Christmas/New Years), and generally just receiving a shitload of red pockets. Apparently I didn't even get that much, but here's what I did get...

I actually...haven't even opened them yet LOL...it's probably some kind of superstition that it's bad if I open them too late or something...but I find it highly amusing with them stacked like that! I'll start opening them when all my cash is gone (which is...really, really soon). Met family members that I never had before, good stuff it was indeed!

So the last thing I've got left to say? Well my first official full time job! It's a small to moderate sized c

ompany I say, that pretty much install wireless automated lighting/air conditioning (you know..like mood lighting...etc) in houses and big hotels! What the heck do I get to do? A LOT of embedded systems programming in C#...which I'm getting rather thoroughly trained to do at the moment! Hopefully move on to bigger and better things in the future, but stoked I got an opportunity just to start things off! Pity they ALL smoke though, think I'm gonna start smelling like them. Oh and they didn't have a computer ready, so they went (with me) to buy me a new boss one. I think the main thing was that I got a 22" LED screen...it's nicer than the one I have at home.

So looks like I just blogged about a months worth of stuff! Maybe I'll keep it shorter and more frequent next time...maybe! Missing you all, can't for graduation!