me blog de putt

Sunday 04 February 2006:
Played Futsal for the first time in my life (four games).

Sunday 11 February 2006:
Played Futsal for the second time in my life (two hours).

Sunday 18 February 2006:
Played Futsal for the third time in my life (two games).

Sunday 25 February 2006:
Played Futsal for the fourth time in my life... Not!

Decided to stopped playing futsal for at least two weeks beginning 25th in order to recuperate from playing too much futsal on the 11th. Almost couldn't walk nor sit down normally. Took me about four days before I could walk normally.

Since I felt normal by the 18th, I happily played again. Lasted only two games. Same injury. Right upper thigh. Hurt when I pressed. This time, took me only three days to get well. But I will not take chances so will rest myself until my thigh muscles goes back to normal. Hopefully, there are no long term side-effects. The next time I play, I'll play more gently. Physical age is catching up fast. Wisdom is a little slow...

I confess.
I did it.
I spent eleven hundred and zero sen today.
On my teeth.
Only.

But it wasn't vanity.
It was necessity.
I had endured pain.
Though not till the point of death.
But pain nevertheless.
For about seven days.

Brushing my teeth twice a day wasn't a problem.
Rinsing after that was.
One particular tooth had been exposed.
Totally.
Well, almost.
I had somehow brushed into my tooth.
Literally.
Could have been the toothbrushes.
When I was a teenager.
Hard bristles. Not medium or soft.
Even wore them out monthly.

I could see that my tooth had at least two layers.
The outermost layer.
White.
Almost white.
More like yellowish white.
Ivory white.
Whatever white.

Then there was red.
Or some darker coloured layer.
Not black.
Or blue.
But reddish.
Probably.

Anyway, I thank God that my immediate "boss" gave us the afternoon off. If not for this, I would have to press my cheek against that exposed tooth while rinsing until who knows when.

My immediate idea on how to spend the bonus was to lepak in KL until dinner.
Lowyat, to be exact. Yes, I confess I like window shopping. (What else did I not put on my website?)

As I drove out from the parking lot of Sunway College, I thought of getting my teeth done. God must have impressed this into my mind. If not, then I couldn't have thought of it. I decided to drive straight there instead of making a detour to my room to drop off my computer, digital camera and tripod. And to exchange my leather shoe for sports.

Dr Priscilla Chan, the dentist, my dentist friend from SU day, told me she had three appointed this afternoon. But when I arrived, I was the only one there. Not counting the nurses.

I asked for her, she came out, I told her she lost weight, she said no, I said she's beginning to look more like her mother, she asked when we last met, I said many years ago, she said when she was pregnant, I said no, blah blah blah.

I registered myself upon her instruction. Paid RM1. Wrote my contact information. Signed my teeth away - giving permission to Dr Chan to do as she pleased with my enamel.

Sat down in the dreaded chair for the first time in umpteen years. That's since 1985. Form one. She checked my teeth, mumbled some numbers with technical jargon to her handsome, well-built, masked assistant.

When she completed her visual examination, I told her she hadn't seen all. She only saw the inner side, not those covered by my lips. So she checked and said those will require quite major work.

Her assistant inserted two tubes into my mouth - one with water gushing out, and the other sucking the water out. She polished my stained teeth. Then cleaned my exposed teeth like she was cleaning a wall with a jet of water. It hurt when the water hit the sensitive parts. No pain, no gain?

Some kind of glue was squirted onto my exposed teeth followed by some kind of quick drying cement. After a few seconds, it hardened. She did some scraping to remove the excess plus smoothen the rough cement. She tells me it'll take a few brushings to polish it.

I had Old Town white coffee and chicken rendang for dinner. They didn't stain the cement. And yes, it still feels rough after brushing it once.

Positive experience at the hands of a good doctor makes you feel more comfortable enough to consider a second visit when necessary.

So, if you need a good and very affordable teeth job, go look for Dr Priscilla Chan at Pusat Kesihatan Komuniti Tanglin. Make sure you ask specifically for her. If not, then you will be at the mercy of the other dentist...

Played futsal for my very first time today. Managed to survive four rounds (with breaks in between, of course!) I played with the youth (boys) of Petaling Jaya Gospel Hall at FootyFutsal, Taman Bahagia, near Mien Tien Foodcourt. Each paid a reasonable RM6.

I was briefed that winners would play against winners, but somehow we played the same team throughout, with one or two different players. We had about twenty players divided into four teams of five each.

I'm probably the third oldest player, after Mr Tan Kim Fah and Mr Lee Wee Min. And It's great to have your church elders on the same turf as you. Since I had a good time, I'll try to go as often as I can.

If you haven't, then go try it. No team? No worries. They've got a Social Wednesday Night thingee at RM10 per person per entry. They'll randomly assign you a team. While you're there, look out for their three creative posters. (Or if you're too lazy or unadventurous, take a peek at two of them here

Q: Why did God give me a nail to go with my left thumb?

A: God knew I'll need it when I dice my garlic. So far, it has protected my thumb a few times from being the secret ingredient to my good cooking :p

My family, like most Chinese families, gather together every Chinese New Year. But, unlike most families, we have family games annually.

This year, we had rounders (plus a boomerang and a few frisbees), followed by bowling, then basketball and rounders again. At the final session of rounders, my team was fielding, meaning we pitch and try to catch the ball and strike out the other team. In the field, my duty was to guard first base.

The time came.
Our pitcher pitched.
Their hitter hit.
And I ran to second base!

I was puzzled when my team mates asked me what I was doing. Then suddenly I realised I wasn't concentrating hard enough on my duty. My standing position didn't help because I was poised to run. Embarassment set in. A cousin excused that I was trying to help cover second base. But the fact remains: I neglected my base by running away from it instead of being there, ready to receive a ball.

Though it's been a while since my last embarrassing moment (hmm, I wonder when and what that was?), I enjoyed that special moment because I rarely have these as I'm usually a spectator. My latest excuse for not taking part (hence eliminating any possible embarrassment) is that I'm taking pictures with my Canon Powershot S2 IS (digicam).

Later during the same game, everyone had extra fun at my expense because all laughed when I was reminded to remain at first base, not run away, and guard it. I did. And reminded myself of my duty as fielders.