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31 October 2007

Ducks


I was on the way back from ZhongShan when I got myself caught in a slow moving jam on the highway. So there I was sitting stuck in the car and twiddling my thumbs when this truck pulled alongside.

Ducks!

Good thing the car was air conditioned or I would have died from the smell of a hundred ducks and their poos up close.

And there I was staring at the ducks and them back at me.

Obviously, they are heading to be market and subsequently onto the dinner table.

Hmm, they all looked so serene and at peace just sitting there for the ride.

Ignorance or resignation?

- Voxeros

1. aloe left...
Wednesday, 31 October 2007 10:08 am
which reminds me of the expression "sitting ducks".... hmmm...


2. JayWalk left...
Wednesday, 31 October 2007 10:11 am :: 
Aloe: Indeed. Dead Duck too.


3. OLLie left...
Wednesday, 31 October 2007 6:22 pm :: http://ooohlah.lah.cc
I would say, resignation.
Poor ducks.
*craving for geylang bahru's lor ark*


4. JayWalk left...
Wednesday, 31 October 2007 7:12 pm :: 
Ollie: Why I wonder if the ducks know where they are headed. Then again, it is said that animals have that sixth sense ahead of their impending demise. It's debatable.


5. okiedokie left...
Thursday, 1 November 2007 4:54 pm
I know the following qns is stupid but: Can all ducks fly? I always thought ducks can fly (as compared to chicken) but a few wks ago, my mum told me farm ducks can't fly; only wild ducks can... is it true?


6. JayWalk left...
Thursday, 1 November 2007 7:07 pm :: 
okiedokie: My guess is that farm ducks can fly. However, as the name "farm ducks" suggest, these ducks are probably over weight and caged up since young i.e. no chance for them to develop the necessary muscles for flight.

I am not surprised if their wings are clipped as well.

30 October 2007

Sian XMM Episode XIV


I am sure most of everybody have been following the series Heroes closely. It came at a time when LOST was starting to get stale. Initially, when LOST came on air, we were like "Wow! This is something different!" but after 3 seasons of going nowhere, I am ready to ditch this series if Season 4 (returning 06 Feb 2008) continues to send everybody in circles.

So, it made no surprises when Heroes debuted last year and many people were hooked before the first commercial break even had a chance to screen (none for those *cough* downloaders *cough cough*).

It was like your TV version of X-Men except that the powers were less flamboyantly Hollywood and no dorky costumes either. If you ask me, I say the silly suits are the deal breaker that marks the line that clearly separate one side of the screen from the other i.e. removing the ridiculous outfits. These characters looked more realistic and thus it is easier to fantasise that perhaps, we could be one of them.

Naturally, amongst friends, we would often have this discussion as to which character in Heroes would you like to be i.e. what super power would you like to have.

Some say they want to be able to fly like Nathan Petrelli, others prefer to be the lovable Hiro Nakamura who is able to control time and travel through it.

Me? I like to be able to read minds coz I hate to deal with two-faced people with a hidden agenda. So I guess the character Matt Parkman would be my choice.

Then again, I may already have this power as I managed to score myself a drink from One-Leg girl just last week.

Don't believe?

Read on.

.
Session Start : Wed Oct 24 16:11:10 2007

(5:31 PM) JayWalk: secret blog. (Note: I was toying with the idea of  starting a secret blog)

(5:32 PM) One-Leg Girl: Secret BLOG?

(5:32 PM) JayWalk: some things can only talk about but cannot document. Incriminating leh.
(5:35 PM) JayWalk: of course if want to write. i have quite a lot.
(5:36 PM) JayWalk: but unfortunately
(5:36 PM) JayWalk: there are just too many closed minded people out there who would give me stick with their judgemental holier-than-thou crap. so think think. no worth it to put it down in print.


(5:37 PM) One-Leg Girl: Yeah just keep the memories lor

(5:37 PM) JayWalk: keep the checklist in the head can liao.

(5:37 PM) One-Leg Girl: hahahhahahaha

(5:38 PM) JayWalk: the head above the shoulder. thank you very much

(5:38 PM) One-Leg Girl: U goot
(5:38 PM) One-Leg Girl: before i can ask u say liaos

(5:38 PM) JayWalk: know what you thinking lah
(5:39 PM) JayWalk: we got 默契 lor

(5:39 PM) One-Leg Girl: Tell me what Am I THINKING now
(5:39 PM) One-Leg Girl: U get it correct I buy U a drink

(5:39 PM) JayWalk: you thinking that whatever my answer sure wrong one coz there is no way i can guess it lor.

(5:39 PM) One-Leg Girl: U goooood 
(5:40 PM) One-Leg Girl: U Damn Bloody Good

(5:40 PM) JayWalk:  drink!!!

(5:40 PM) One-Leg Girl: Hahahahahahahah

Session End : Wed Oct 24 18:10:10 2007
.

Acherly hor, come to think of it, I lagi better than this Matt Parkman leh. I can read minds through the internet wor! Dounch pray pray!

Image Credit: http://www.tv-reviewed.com

- Voxeros

1. One Leg Girl left...
Tuesday, 30 October 2007 8:07 am
Ai Seeeee ah.... Feature our conversation again.... I dont wanna talk to you on MSN liaos Like that where got Privacy?????


2. Gary left...
Tuesday, 30 October 2007 8:45 am
lol.. one-leg girl got pwn by you sia..


3. JayWalk left...
Tuesday, 30 October 2007 11:29 am :: http://jaywalk.blog-city.com
One Leg Girl: Aiyah... not like I tell people that One-Leg Girl is Debbie Koh what..... oops. :P

Gary: What can I say? It was my lucky day!


4. Gary left...
Tuesday, 30 October 2007 12:43 pm
i think i know who is it..


5. One Leg Girl left...
Tuesday, 30 October 2007 12:50 pm
Who who who??? Guess Guess who am i??? Already tell u liaos mah I am Debbie Koh..


6. JayWalk left...
Tuesday, 30 October 2007 2:47 pm :: 
One-Leg Girl & Gary: Get a room, will ya?!

29 October 2007

Sian XMM Episode XIII

Unllike past episodes, nobody got conned or tio pian this time. I am merely trying something different this time. However, before I say more, read the following dialogue with my GOOT FLEN, One-Leg Girl first.

.
Session Start : Wed Oct 24 16:11:10 2007

(5:55 PM) One-Leg Girl: XMM in my office say your blog very funny. But i think otherwise.
(5:55 PM) JayWalk: aiyah.... you party pooper you. can be a bit more supportive or not? who is this xmm?

(5:59 PM) One-Leg Girl: my staff. I caught her reading LBT 's blog.
(5:59 PM) One-Leg Girl: So i told her I intro u to my goot flen.
(5:59 PM) One-Leg Girl: What is so good about LBT. my friend is KAN PUAR CHOOT TENG Eh funny and yandao.

(6:00 PM) JayWalk: LBT= lim buay tor?

(6:01 PM) One-Leg Girl: yeah. anyway I intro XMM to read your blog hor.
(6:02 PM) One-Leg Girl: U must write chewren frenly post hor.

(6:02 PM) JayWalk: chewren friendly? how come?

(6:02 PM) One-Leg Girl: My that staff is only 20 leh. to me still chewren lor.

(6:02 PM) JayWalk: ... above 16 can liao lor....
(6:03 PM) JayWalk: bor rotan liao...... woo hoo.....

(6:03 PM) One-Leg Girl: See i intro Xmm read your blog. when u introing yandao to me.

(6:03 PM) JayWalk: on lah....
(6:03 PM) JayWalk: xmm got peekchure or not?

(6:03 PM) One-Leg Girl: u damn cheeko leh.

(6:03 PM) JayWalk: abuden?
(6:04 PM) JayWalk: you like wat type of yandao har?

(6:04 PM) One-Leg Girl: i got std one ok.

(6:04 PM) JayWalk: i need to set up customer profile for you.

(6:04 PM) One-Leg Girl: *rolls eyeballs*
(6:04 PM) One-Leg Girl: No need intro lah.

(6:05 PM) JayWalk: ok ok.... i be your wingman when we go out ok?
(6:06 PM) JayWalk: quick xmm what name? i can't always be calling her xmm right?

(6:06 PM) One-Leg Girl: Kauz.
(6:07 PM) One-Leg Girl: MAI BUAYA MY STAFF.
6:07 PM) JayWalk: can lah.... you my mamasan. i your wingman.

(6:07 PM) One-Leg Girl: I REPEAT MYSELF AGAIN. MAI BUAYA MY STAFF. I dun need u as wingman.

(6:07 PM) JayWalk: i can motivate them work hard hard for you leh....
(6:07 PM) JayWalk: hmm..... i wonder if this can turn into a blog entry.

(6:08 PM) One-Leg Girl: oei.

(6:08 PM) JayWalk: dun tell me. i do via blog. more challenging.

(6:09 PM) One-Leg Girl: DUN BUAYA MY STAFF LAH.
(6:09 PM) JayWalk: aiyoh.... sooooooooo protective...... ha.......

(6:09 PM) One-Leg Girl我知道错了!

Session End : Wed Oct 24 18:10:10 2007
.

So there, whoever you are and you know who you are, allow me to first welcome you to the blog and thank you for stopping by regularly. Glad to know that you had fun reading all this and wasting your brain away.

Here's the thing. I've made it a challenge to find out who you are. So drop me a note via the comments and/or add me at MSN at voxeros[at]hotmail[tok]com . Dounch shy hor! Lai lai! Add me!

Also, the secret password is One-Leg Girl's real name. Remember to mention the secret password hor!

p.s. One-Leg Girl is soooooooo gonne keel me. Hur hur hur.....

- Voxeros

1. One Leg Girl left...
Monday, 29 October 2007 9:04 am
U ARE SOOOO GOING TO DIE WHEN U COME BACK TO SINGAPORE!!!!!!


2. aloe left...
Monday, 29 October 2007 9:26 am :: http://www.xanga.com/aloeve
er... how is this considered a sian xmm session har?


3. Red Queen left...
Monday, 29 October 2007 10:04 am
Aloe: He wanna "Xian" As in get to know XMM as Xian in Hokkien got a few meanings lah.. U dunno this lao act cute uncle damn CHEEKO one meh...


4. Old Beng left...
Monday, 29 October 2007 10:13 am
This conversation is really darn funny, ha ha.


5. JayWalk left...
Monday, 29 October 2007 10:52 am :: 
One Leg Girl: But only after I finish the drink I won from you.

Aloe: Like I said earlier, this is different from the past episodes as Red Queen had so accurately pointed out.

Red Queen: Aiyah... tell you what. You show me a guy who is not cheeko and I will show you a guy who carries his family jewels in a preserve jar.

Old Beng: Heh heh... hope that help start your Monday for you. Hor seh bor? Long time no hear you liao.


6. aloe left...
Monday, 29 October 2007 11:48 am :: http://www.xanga.com/aloeve
yah la, he wanna sian but dun have a chance to do so yet ma. So still cannot be considered as an episode. Maybe should put as "Sian XMM Attempt Episode I" or "Attempt t o Sian XMM Episode I"!! =P *blee!!*


7. Red Queen left...
Monday, 29 October 2007 1:29 pm
Aloe: Aiyah he confident mah... what to do... Like u dunno this cheeko uncle eh pattern


8. JayWalk left...
Monday, 29 October 2007 2:26 pm :: 
Aloe: Aiyah.... can you be a bit more anal?? Mai arh ni geh gao lah......

Red Queen: Eh.... like you not cheeko hor? We both agreed that you are the boob version of me wor. Mai gar lim peh act blur hor!


9. Red Queen left...
Monday, 29 October 2007 3:07 pm
Eh.. When Have I been CHEEKO..??? Tell me??? U cheeko say u cheeko lah.. No need drag me into the water...


10. JayWalk left...
Monday, 29 October 2007 4:22 pm :: 
Red Queen: Same same sama sama lah....


11. Red Queen left...
Tuesday, 30 October 2007 11:09 am
Ok Ok i Cheeko ... I cheeko everyone but you.... Hahahahahahahahaha :P


12. JayWalk left...
Tuesday, 30 October 2007 2:48 pm :: 
Red Queen: No complaints there!

26 October 2007

Golfer's Elbow

Many would know by now that I have been playing golf for the longest time liao. 21 years to be exact and my golf has plateaued for the longest time as well. To rub salt in wound, my golf skills are already very "private limited" which would make that a rather low plateau if you can call that one at all. Maybe an elongated stump would have been more apt.

Earlier this year, I got into trouble when I tried to change my swing, only to end up with disastrous results. What's worse was that I couldn't get back to the old swing which to be honest, wasn't too shabby actually. I can hear my inner voice chiding "Geh gian lah! Itchy hand hor? Bor tai bor chee change swing. Now hong kan liao hor?"

I hate my inner voice for being right. Sigh.

It was so bad that when I was playing in Los Angeles back in July, the local Pro that I was playing with offered me a free lesson during the round as my game was too agonisingly painful to watch over 18 holes. I could have sworn that I saw the silhouette of the Pro creeping behind me, holding the golf club in the air like a samurai sword on several occasions. I wonder what that was all about.

Oh well. Guess I'll never know.

So anyway, I nevertheless carried on tweaking of my swing and I am happy to report that I got it back and much better than before. Perhaps it was worth the 9 months of agony.

Ok, so I play better golf, better distance and better accuracy as seen with 2 second runner-up finishes in the last 3 months. I guess the weights training at the gym also helped too.

Then problem come already. I started to get this pain on the left forearm just below the elbow and I have gotten this feeling before during my tennis days and back then it was tennis elbow. Well, now it's golfer's elbow this time. It has been going on for the last 3 weeks and initially the pain was manageable and I played through the pain. Sure, it was going to be sore after the game but pain kinda subsided in 3 or 4 days.

I suspect that due to the more aggressive new swing, I am hitting my shots harder and faster which probably translates to greater vibrations traveling up the club to the arm. (ihawk98: Not because of PCC hor! tmd... >.< )

Last Sunday was terrible as my game totally gave way, towards the end as my control went AWOL. Shots were wayward and distance became shorter than expected. The game ended badly for me and the sore feeling came right after I had my shower. Dinner time was weird as I tried to pour from a bottle. Imagine the motion of the arm with the thumb facing up as you grab the neck of the bottle to lift it off the table. Next motion is when you twist your arm to rotate the bottle to face down, thereby pouring the content out.
I couldn't do the twisting part. *sweat*

Last Tuesday was gym day and I was very apprehensive about weights training. Surprisingly, I didn't feel any discomfort and so I guess weights training can continue as per normal. Perhaps with better forearm strength I would be able to prevent reoccurring the injury again.

Wish me luck.

Image Credit: http://www.caringmedical.com
 
- Voxeros

1. Red Queen left...
Friday, 26 October 2007 11:26 am
Wah.. poor thing.. u need Yoko Yoko... Getting Old is like that one... ( how I know.. my mother told me :P)


2. JayWalk left...
Friday, 26 October 2007 4:41 pm :: 
Red Queen: Yoko Yoko, that thing really works, I have been using the very brand ever since I was a primary school kid.

25 October 2007

New Gym II


As we track back to my earlier entry of the new gym back in May 2007, I am sad to announced that the gym has gone belly up since last month.

Over the 5 months or so, it was obvious that the gym wasn't going to survive for long. For starters, I was probably the only active and regular user of the gym and that was including several peppered stints of absence as I was traveling and yet I am the most active user in their list. Sheesh. It started from a gym with 3 attendants nightly, to a dark locked gym with a notice pasted on the glass door that says "To use gym, call Mr Zhou at xxxx-xxx-xxxx". Call that number and a staff (presumably Mr Zhou but I could have sworn it was a different person everytime. Hmm... how come Mr Zhou today got neh neh one?) will show up within a few minutes to unlock the door for your access.

From May on, it was the summer months and the air-conditioning weren't in use which was probably their effort to cut costs. I don't really mind not having the air-conditioning considering the fact that the Singapore Sports Council gym at the ex-Kallang Stadium was of similar conditions. Besides, it is good to work a good sweat. No?

Perhaps, I should give myself a pat on the back for having the foresight to avoid buying their term membership. Instead, if you would recall, I opted to pay on a per-use basis. Then again, their term membership scheme was really stupid and whoever did the pricing obviously didn't put any brains into it. That is assuming that the idiot had brains to begin with.

Let me cite an example.

It costs RMB 20 per use while a 1-month term membership is RMB 600. That is RMB 20 x 30. Who goes to gym 30 days a month?? Stupid right? The rest of the membership tiers namely quarterly, half-yearly and annually were all priced on the same arithmetic. I supposed it takes an even greater moron to ACTUALLY buy the membership?

So anyway, after the gym had gone bust, I returned to the previous gym at the golf club when a friend asked me to check out another gym slightly down the street where he is a member.

I was impressed with the full range of machines even though they weren't spanking new. That's ok with me so long as they function properly. There are also trainers in attendance offering assistance at no charge unless you sign up for a personal training program. It's a split level gym with the weights and machines on the ground floor (picture above) and the cardio machines like treadmill, stationary bike, stair-master, ski-master etc. above and an aerobics studio next to it. Wednesdays are to be avoided as the bladdy place is over-crowded due to the yoga/pilates class. More women, you think? No. More men! Not for the yoga/pilates class either.

Go figure!

The only crying shame is the locker and shower area. It is in shambles. The shower door cannot be closed resulting in my ass in full glory of the steam room directly opposite. I seriously hope the "steam" in steam room has only got 1 meaning.

Still, the place beats the one at the golf club coz here got kaki to gym with and so I plonked down for a 50-times membership which I reckon I should use up within half a year, assuming a twice-a-week schedule.

Keeping fingers crossed that they don't go bust so fast and fixed the dang shower door! Dammit!

- Voxeros

1. Red Queen left...
Thursday, 25 October 2007 8:47 am
No wonder yesterday backside pain.....


2. JayWalk left...
Thursday, 25 October 2007 9:44 am :: 
Red Queen: Oi.... it's the exercise bike lah!!! >.<


3. Red Queen left...
Thursday, 25 October 2007 11:07 am
Orh.. if you say so....


4. JayWalk left...
Thursday, 25 October 2007 11:43 am :: 
Red Queen: Yeah. I say so. *hatching evil RQ plan on Monday*


5. Red Queen left...
Thursday, 25 October 2007 1:48 pm
Hatch lor... iScared.... ( yeah right) so far away what can u do to me.... Ask all your minions to TEH si me ah???


6. JayWalk left...
Thursday, 25 October 2007 4:03 pm :: 
Red Queen: Can ask the xmm around you to teh si you lor.


7. hitomi left...
Thursday, 25 October 2007 11:15 pm
!! O_o


8. JayWalk left...
Friday, 26 October 2007 7:36 am :: 
hitomi: You what happen? One eye big, one eye small? Come, I punch your eye to make it balance....

23 October 2007

Malaysian Astronaut Lost In Space


I was chuckling inside as I doodled the strip and was half thinking "OMG, the Malaysians are so going to invade us now!"

Then as I scoffed at the ludicrousness of doing a teh tarik in space and wondering how an experiment like that would benefit mankind (Cure HIV? End the Middle-Eastern conflict? Solve energy crisis?), I had an epiphany.

At least, it was Malaysian and unique to them. What do we have to call our own that we can do when we get up there one day?

er..... The Great Singapore Workout?

Come on fellow Singaporeans! Time to brain storm and put up your suggestions in my comments! The country needs you!

p.s. Pat pat on the seat before sitting down for take off not counted!

p.p.s. Also, I am glad that Shukor had landed safely back to Earth earlier yesterday. Congratulations.


- Voxeros

1. Winsor left...
Thursday, 25 October 2007 10:38 pm
What the? Teh Tarik in space? That's very dumb.
I think tarik the tummy in space even better for scientific human processing studies ar.. haha!


2. JayWalk left...
Saturday, 27 October 2007 9:32 pm :: 
Winsor: Well, that was one of the "experiments" mooted to be carried out while in space. That and playing "five stones'' as well as spinning traditional Malay tops

But wasted lah. Too bad Shukor never tried stepping outside to fly the layang...


3. SukorStupid left...
Monday, 29 October 2007 4:39 pm
Chey, the ********* is going up there as a passenger lah. The Ruskies would never give a ********* any responsibilities as he'ld probably crash the shuttle into the ISS


4. JayWalk left...
Monday, 29 October 2007 5:36 pm :: 
SukorStupid: Welcome to the blog. I do have to apologise for masking some of the things that you wrote in your comment, even though I am an advocate of free speech and expression (to a certain reasonable extend).

22 October 2007

Sian XMM Episode XII

This was supposed to be published last Monday but given the it was a comedic piece, it hardly seems appropriate to feature right after Farewell Auntie Lim which essentially is my way of an eulogy.

Anyway, the week of silence is over and it's time to move on. So without further ado, what better way than to open with another Sian XMM Episode?

Have fun.

.
JayWalk Says:

October 11th, 2007 at 13:48:10
 
I can see it in the headlines of all major papers now….

“FIRST MALAYSIAN ASTRONAUT LOST IN SPACE”

“Baikonur, Kazakhstan (JW) - It has been confirmed by launch HQ that Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor has disappeared. Despite the confined space of the spacecraft, team mates were not able to locate Shukor.

“It is as if he disappeared into thin air!” quipped fellow astronaut Peggy Whitson.

The last where anyone had seen Shukor was at the Quarantine Pod where he was overheard saying something about stepping outside for a smoke.

Investigations are still ongoing.”
.


It all started innocently when naeboo was writing about the first Malaysia space flight participant astronaut when I was goofing around by cheekily adding a news spoof in her comments section.

Anyway, I thought it was pretty funny (yeah.... I am laughing at my own joke. I am going loony...) that I decided to post it as a note on my facebook for all to have a laugh.

So up it goes without much thought when two hours later, my MSN chimed and Stockbroker Girl (identity changed for obvious protective reasons) got me all floored with her following dialogue.

To my defence against allegations by Aloe and Hitomi that I deliberately set it up to trap all the innocent XMMs, I plead not guilty. It was never my original intention but hey, what was I to do when a fish were to jump aboard your boat when you weren't even fishing in the first place?

Read on as I collect my 13th Episode of the Sian XMM Series.

.
Session Start : Thu Oct 11 15:42:10 2007
 
3:42:10 PM  Stockbroker Girl: are u sure he's really missing? O_O

3:43:23 PM  JayWalk: i hope you got the joke when you ask me that.

3:44:18 PM  Stockbroker Girl: HAHAHAHAHAHA
3:44:31 PM  Stockbroker Girl: i'm like..CAN'T BE bah in the confined space

3:45:01 PM  JayWalk: how you smoke in space?

3:45:40 PM  Stockbroker Girl: OH SHIT
3:45:44 PM  Stockbroker Girl: I DIDN'T READ THE SMOKING PART
3:45:44 PM  Stockbroker Girl: omg

Session Close : Thu Oct 11 16:29:15 200
.

Image Credit: http://www.space-travel.com

- Voxeros

1. naeboo left...
Monday, 29 October 2007 8:46 am
ahahaha.
how many ppl fell into the trap>?


2. ck4376 left...
Monday, 29 October 2007 8:55 am :: http://choongkeat.blogspot.com
Haha... smoking in space... good one. Prolly the cigarette acted like a thruster and threw him into Mars by now...

15 October 2007

Moment Of Silence

There will be no entries this week.

Blogging will resume next Monday.

Hope to have your understanding.

Thank you.

- Voxeros

1. aurore left...
Tuesday, 16 October 2007 8:44 pm :: http://aurore.vefblog.net
sincères condoleances, Jaywalk, bisous


2. JayWalk left...
Wednesday, 17 October 2007 2:38 pm :: 
Aurore: Thank you.

14 October 2007

Farewell Auntie Lim


Dear Uncle Lim,

I heard about auntie's passing this afternoon when Steven called from Singapore. I was pleasantly surprised to hear Steven's voice over the phone but was initially puzzled by the choked voice. I felt foolish chirping "Hor seh bor?" as my opening greet when I recognised his voice in the opening seconds. If only I knew what the phone call was all about before hand, I would have sounded less like an idiot under the circumstances.

It was sad to lose Auntie Lim but the years of fighting breast cancer and enduring chemotherapy, perhaps it is good that the whole ordeal is over. Auntie may from hereon be gone from our lives but she will always be remembered as the Lord has taken her to be by His side.

I remember Auntie Lim fondly for she was the closest to an aunt in Singapore, since most of my relatives are in Ta1wan and USA. Our families have a strong bond and quite a history together. Even my cousins Nick and Roy were classmates with your elder son Vincent. And then there is me. Steven and I spent 6 years of primary school as classmates, sharing the same ceiling fan. I have fond memories of your Mitsubishi Tredia as Auntie and you would pick us up from school everyday without fail. I also remember the ABBA songs piping from the car stereo as well as the mashed-up panadol, mixed in water for Steven's frequent headaches. Yes, we were well taken care of since young.

I also remember the house. The same house 30 years ago from when postal code was 2 digits, then 4, now 6. Your home phone number has always been etched inside my head where I could just recall it straight from my finger tips. Only thing is that I keep forgetting to add the 6 in front these days. I remember all the Milos and the Ribenas whenever I came over to visit. Even my command of the Teochew language originated from this house, despite not being one myself.

Auntie Lim had been an influence in the early parts of my life and a little part of who I am today is attributed to her guidance and upbringing of the two of us.

Steven and I are destined to be life-long friends for after going separate ways during secondary school and junior college days, who would have expected that we were to end up in the same camp, same brigade HQ, same company during our National Service days? To top it off, we worked in the same company after graduation and quit the same company at the same time.

Perhaps the funniest thing of all is while we all grew up into adults, Auntie Lim still fussed over us every step of the way.

I am writing this with the heaviest of emotions and I could have sworn I felt a tear drop inside my heart.

I am sure Vincent, Steven and their respective families would be able to cope well, but it is you, Uncle Lim, that I am most worried about. I hope that you will be strong in this time of grief and I know that it is especially hard for you as in my 30 years of knowing you, I have never seen you without Auntie Lim by your side. You are like the Siamese Twins of lovey dovey and the envy of everybody who knows you.

I pray that the Lord will keep an eye on you and the rest of the family and I thank the Lord that He has taken Auntie Lim home.

I must apologise that I will not be able to make it back in time for the cremation on Monday. Perhaps all that I can offer right now is a humble prayer that the Lord be with you and the family in this time of difficulty.

- Voxeros

12 October 2007

Budget Golf 101 Series - Part 5 of 5

Well, I supposed with the last entry (Part 4 of 5), all that a newbie golfer on a budget should know is more or less covered. Well, most of it. If there is any further questions, feel free to drop me a note and I will try my best to answer them or ask around for you.

Anyway, I did mention earlier about my bag and so I thought I share with everybody how I customised my own mix-and-match. Also to give everybody an idea, I will put a price tag next to it as best as I can.


1) The Bag. I got this when I was in San Jose last year. It is almost like a ritual for my dad and I that whenever we step ashore on US soil, we would make time to pop into golf stores like Edwin Watts or Golfsmith to see if we can pick up good bargains.

Anyway, I bought this golf bag in the San Jose branch of Golfsmith. It is a generic brand and won't be surprised if its Golfsmith's own house brand. At USD 39.00 (about SGD 59.00), I really don't care. It is a nylon bag and the quality is very good.


2) Driver - The Taylor-Made R540 XD (10.5 degrees) was picked up when I was in Atlanta. It was an Edwin Watts shop and I spotted this at the Pre-Owned (second-hand) section. The price? USD 100.00 (SGD 150). It just so happened that I was on the look out for a new driver as I using my dad's old Taylor-Made R580 on loan. For a brand new driver that typically cost between USD 400.00 to 700.00 (SGD 600 to 1050), depending on brand. I was thinking that for a hundred bucks, it would be a small risk if I were to buy the club and it didn't work out. As it turned out, the club played beautifully and I was one happy camper.
3) Fairway Woods (3, 5, 7) - I am using the Taylor-Made R580 fairway woods which were hand-me-downs from my dad. It was a complete set of driver + fairway woods but as mentioned earlier, the driver didn't quite work for me. Well, since I can't really put a price on something that I don't have to pay for, I shall price them at current second-hand rates on the market. A search on eBay shows that it's USD 75.00 (SGD 113) each for the 3 and 5-wood and USD 50.00 (SGD 75) for the 70-wood.


4) Irons - This set of Titleist DCI 822OS (4-iron to Sand Wedge) is actually a clone set. It was a gift from a business friend, whom initially I was hesitant to use. In my mind, I thought anything not original has got to be inferior. Still, I took it out to the greens for a test drive and was hooked ever since. I was wrong. The irons played superbly. It was definitely heavier due to the steel shaft (I was using graphite shaft before that) and my distance suffered immediately. However, what got me hooked was the stability, probably due to the heavier weight of the club as a result of the steel shaft, of my swing. It took me about 6 months to get back the distance that I had when I was using the graphite set (Callaway Big Bertha 1996 - which I got for SGD 500 in which is another story on its own. Will tell if there are people interested to hear. Let me know.) and another 6 months to exceed my original distance. I supposed the heavier irons also act as a weight trainer as I build up my swing strength. I am playing about 160 yards (144m) with a 7-iron and 120 yards (108m) with a sand wedge.

Again, this set was a gift and as such, can't put a price tag on it. Also, since this is a clone set, there aren't any second-hand clones out there (we can only be so cheap) and therefore, I will price this set at current first-hand clone set price.

I checked with the local golf shop here in Spitland and the price for a similar model (since mine is quite dated at present time) is RMB 650 which would convert to roughly SGD 130.


5) Loft Wedge - I got the RAM RS 64 degrees loft wedge which I bought for SGD 120 more than 10 years ago. I won't recommend this club if you are a beginner as it is a very difficult club to master but the satisfaction when you hit a good one is immense. The shot would be very dramatic as due to the 64 degree angle of the blade, the shot flies very very high into the sky and almost vertically when it descents, resulting in a backspin or at the very least a SIT i.e. the ball just sticks to the spot on the green where it lands. People would go WAH!! when you nailed it as if they were watching ESPN Golf Live! Problem with this club is that it is very difficult to master it for a fat shot (club head hits too much of the ground before striking the ball i.e. club head too low) would slice up a nice piece of turf cleanly and your ball travels a mere 1 yard away. Too thin and you topped the ball (club head too far from the ground resulting in the bottom edge of the club not able to get beneath the ball and strike it dead on i.e. the trajectory of the ball becomes horizontal more than vertical), sending the ball into oblivion and most likely incurring a penalty in the process. Probably would end up as one of those blooper scenes in Funniest Home Videos.


6) Putter - I got the Ping Craz-E H back in July for USD 129 (SGD 194) at a friend's pro shop in Los Angeles. A good discount considering the fact that Golfsmith was selling it at USD 149 (SGD 224) at that time. Before that I was using the Odyssey Rossie II (nicknamed Magic Putter) for over 10 years and I was so used to the feel and play of the putter that I was quite lost when my uncle took it.

Here's what happened. He got the Odyssey White Hot Rossie which technically is the same putter as mine except that his is the next generation model from mine. Problem was that his was 34" in length while mine is 33". He struggled with his club as he was a head shorter that I am and being the fillial nephew that I am, I offered to swap putter thinking that 1" inch difference won't really matter. Boy, was I wrong. For someone who has been using the same putter for more than 10 years. I was like a fish out of water. I over putted each and every time as the same swing now that it gives more power due to the length of the putter extending the arc of the swing.

Then again, it may just be an excuse for me to get the Ping Craz-E H for I have been cooing how beautifully it was crafted for the longest time. So as expected, my new putter is back to 33" in length and I played well with it....

... until the end of the honeymoon period.

Here's the thing about new golf clubs and why so many of them ended up in the second-hand shops. It's called the Honeymoon Period. For every new club, it would play sooooo wonderfully at the shop and bait you into the purchase. It will play superbly for the first couple of rounds and you find yourself patting your own back for a great find. After that, it is all downhill as your game starts to go wonky.

Next thing you know it, there will be a new model on the market and its launched is plastered over all the golf magazines and golf channels. Many of these folks would probably think of ditching the current still-new club and get some money back while they still can. It's the "For-a-few-dollars-more-from-the-sale-of-the-current-club,-I-can-buy-the-new-one" mantra  that is keeping the second-hand shops in business. As usual, the new club would feel fantastic at the shop which would be followed by the familiar "Ka-Ching" on the cash register. Rinse. Repeat.

Ok, so I exaggerated a bit but it is not totally untrue. I have see this phenomenon countless of times.

As for me, I am currently still working on the putter and yes, the honeymoon period expired. I managed to get my swing strength under control. Although both my earlier and present clubs weigh the same and are of the same length. I believe that the difference in the weight distribution of both club heads is throwing my game away. Anyway, I got that part of the problem licked and will be working on my aiming which is currently off too.

SO.

What is my final bill? Let's tally up and see.

ItemPrice (SGD)
Bag59
Driver150
3-Wood113
5-Wood 113
7-Wood75
Irons (4 to SW)130
Loft Wedge120
Putter194
Total954

As you can see, I managed to get a full set of clubs for under SGD 1000. Not a lot considering that I used my last set for more than 10 years which would work out to be less than SGD 100 per year. Still SGD 1000 may be a sizeable amount which is why I advocate the breaking down of the purchase. If you are a newbie, there is really no need to get out there to buy the woods when you won't be touching it for months until you achieve relative competency with the irons. So why fork out the money so early?

7) Expendables. I am referring to the balls, tees and the some odd barang barang (like umbrella, rain coat and a 15-footer telescopic ball retriever). For beginners, I strongly recommend buying used balls which are probably between SGD 0.70 to SGD 1.00 per ball, depending in your bargain prowess with the local jungle boy. As for the brands, I can't really recommend any as different people take to different balls differently.

Personal preference would be the Titleist Pro-V1 392, Precept U-Tri, Srixon Feel, Callaway (all models) and Pinnacle (all models and especially the Noodle). As for the other brands, I'd play it if it happens to be in my bag or when they are giving them out at tournaments. The only exception is Nike which just totally don't do very well for me. The core feels very hollow as compared to the Pro V1 which has a very dense core. I call the Nike (all models) ping pong balls as they have a tendency to fly all over the place and it doesn't go very far. Next time, you have a ping pong ball and a bat, whack the ping pong ball as hard and as far as you can and you will see a wayward flight and not very far. That's the feeling I get from playing Nike balls.

Ok, so this is the end of the series and I hope the information is useful. See you guys at the greens!

Image Credits: http://www.travelgolf.com; http://www.newgolfclubs.co.uk; http://valueguide.pga.com; http://www.24hdiscountgolf.co.uk

- Voxeros

1. kampongbabe left...
Monday, 15 October 2007 11:33 pm
hubby just bought a full set of golf clubs for his client. price tag? SGD3000+


2. JayWalk left...
Tuesday, 16 October 2007 12:59 am :: 
kampungbabe: That's about right for a set of new clubs and I supposed this is on company's expense account, one can be more chin chai with the purchase.


3. Lynn left...
Tuesday, 30 October 2007 10:33 pm
hi there!
i just completed my first 18 holes round at MBGC. and it was awful! like you mentioned, air balls, and *ahem* a near buggy accident ... hahaha

am looking at improving my fairway woods swing and getting an improved putter ... maybe a clone from shenzhen?

cheers!


4. JayWalk left...
Tuesday, 30 October 2007 11:12 pm :: 
Lynn: Hi Lynn! Welcome to the blog! Well... what can I say for virgins and their first time? Messy!

Anyway, the key is to keep playing and you will get better. Don't worry about how people look at your fumbling. We all understand what it's like to be a newbie and so don't feel embarrassed. We have all been down that path before.

My take on clones? Well, I would say that clones should be restricted to irons only which is what's in my bag presently if you recall my entry. Putter and Woods should be genuine as far as possible. I have personally tested (not to mention broke) quite a few clone woods from time to time and my verdict is that they are not up to par (no pun intended).

Better to stick to genuine clubs but like I said about breaking up the purchase, buy them in stages. Get the putter, then fairway woods, then driver.

Drop me a note or add me on MSN at voxeroshotmailcom . I am interested to know how you are progressing.

11 October 2007

Budget Golf 101 Series - Part 4 of 5

Now that you are done getting your necessary certifications, congratulations! You now can play any golf course in the world without restrictions.

Fifth - Fore! Ok once you have everything covered, it is down to the fairways to chase the little white ball. Majority of the golf courses in Singapore are private and unless you are already a member, it means paying a hefty guest fee which can chalk up to a pretty substantial amount at the end of the day, and specially so if you play weekends i.e. you work the usual 5 days like everybody else.

The reason why it was so expensive to play a game of golf back in the day, in Singapore was the obstacle of accessibility i.e. all, if not most, of the clubs (full 18-holes Par 72 courses) were private and the only public courses available were the Mickey Mouse courses (which I will explain shortly). Fortunately for us, we have come a long way since and have beautiful public courses available at an affordable rate, 20 years on.

Public Courses.

To me, I can split the public courses into 3 categories.

1) The Mickey Mouse courses. These are often 9 holes but because of the shorter than regulation length, they are normally rated below Par 36. Ok, so they may not be regulation courses and the scorecards are not admissible towards handicap calculation, it doesn't mean that you should up your nose away from it. Executive courses, as they are more glamourously called, can be useful especially for the beginners who are at the stage where they are ready to leave the range and hit the fairways but still a little short (in terms of proficiency) to play a decent game on the actual golf courses. Also, they are relatively cheaper than playing on actual courses especially when you are still at the hacking stages. These courses are also excellent training grounds to hone your short game.
  • Executive Golf Course - Mandai (Par 29).
  • SAFRA Executive Golf Course - Tanah Merah. The only Mickey Mouse course that uses Bermuda grass instead of Cow grass of the old days. Very beautiful and a particular interesting hole where you tee off from inside the bunker (Par 27).
  • Royal Tanglin Golf Course - Minden Road, in front of Australian High Commission. There was a news article many years back where a guy got bitten by a python in the ass (or nuts) while using the toilet there. Used to be a 7-hole course. Now 9 holes (Par 27).
  • Istana - A 3-hole course and you probably need to be related to Singapore's No.1 Prata Man in order to play there. And when you are the President himself, you probably be able to get away if you played a "5", tell everybody "I've got a 4!" and write down "3" on your scorecard. (Prata Egg 1, Kosong 1, Plaster 1).
2) The Half Courses. These are regulation length courses (Par 35/36) but only 9 holes which means that you would have to play the course twice to get the 18 holes. To add variation, these course either have 2 different tee boxes or 2 holes on the green to differentiate between Out 9 and In 9. Unfortunately, the only 2 public half courses in Singapore are gone.
  • Seletar Airbase Golf Club - Close shop liao. It's a pity as I felt that it was a very good course for the public.
  • Transview - Folkestone Road. Used to be the old Warren Golf Club before the latter moved to Choa Chu Kang. Also close shop liao.
3) The Real Deals. I am refering to public courses that offers the full 18 holes (Par 72). I would agree back in the 80s that golf is a rich man's sport as the single biggest expense of the game would be that of the membership fee. Today this barrier has been taken down as Singapore started up it's first regulation public course.
  • Marina Bay Golf Course - 18-hole links course i.e. a level plains course with not much trees. Beautiful place as you get to see the CBD skyline in the background. Night golf is possible for those who wishes to catch a game after work during the week.
  • Orchid Golf & Country Club - A beautiful 27-hole golf course located at Yishun. While it may be a member's club, it is technically still opened to the public as long as your are a NTUC Union Member, of which the union membership fee is nominal.
Private Courses

1) Singapore. We are looking at 5 figures (and even 6 for some) Singapore dollars when it comes to getting one of these babies. The only exception would be the SAFRA Resort And Country Golf Club where membership fees are in the 4 figures (good value for a membership with a golf course each at 2 different locations as well as a Mickey Mouse course next to the Tanah Merah course). The main reason is that the membership is a term membership i.e. there is a expiry date of say 10 years? I supposed there are various membership of different tenure and pricing will commensurate accordingly. Most, if not rest of the private club memberships are lifetime memberships where you can transfer the membership from generation to generation. While it seems to be a better deal in the long run, one has to consider the fact that there are many people out there that just cannot overcome then initial outlay. As such, a tenure membership at SAFRA is perhaps the more feasible option.

2. Overseas. There are the obvious Johor, Desaru, Batu Pahat and even Malacca (where you can go and come back within the same day) golf clubs where golf is cheaper than that of Singapore simply because of the weaker Ringgit and lower cost of living across the Straits. The downside is the distance to get there where you cannot do without a car. Playing in Malaysia is a whole day affair as you need to factor in the time taken to travel up and back. Next, we also have golf courses in Sebana, Batam and Bintan where you need to take the ferry from Tanah Merah Ferry terminal. Again, it takes up the entire day to play there due to the traveling time which may prompt many golfers to consider doing a resort weekender to justify the traveling hassle.

Sans the traveling (I recommend car-pooling), the good thing about playing in Malaysia is that the public courses are aplenty. Besides, it would be a good change of scenery if you were stuck in Singapore playing the same courses over and over again. Still, if you are in it for the long term, Malaysia club memberships may be worth taking a look at as good clubs like Pulai Springs Golf and Country Club can be acquired for as little as less than SGD 9,000 (well, that was the last I heard. Anyone care to verify?).

The good thing about a golf memberships, other than the obvious fact that it allows you to have access to the golf course, is also the fact that green fees would become nominal as guest fees are waived. Another benefit is that as you consistently submit your score cards, the club will maintain a player handicap index for you, that is recognised by PGA, to play at all the PGA-rated golf clubs in the world.

Image Credits: http://www.thebelamar.com; http://www.hickerphoto.com

... Last stop. Have a peek at what's in my bag right now.
- Voxeros

10 October 2007

Budget Golf 101 Series - Part 3 of 5

Ok. Once we are settled with the basic logistics, time to swing!

Fourth - PC and Handicap. I wrote about this as well in the SPUG Forum earlier this year.



.
Extracted from my post at SPUG Forum dated 04 Jun 2007

If you want to get up to speed in the fastest possible time, you need to hit the green fast. However, in order to do that, you need to get at least a Proficiency Certificate (PC) or a handicap of 24 or lower.

I think 10 lessons is a good number. However, if you wanna get the most out of it, here's where I recommend

1) Stretch out your lessons. Get in 2 driving range sessions of your own in between each lesson. e.g. Mon and Wed and your lesson is every Friday. If, like many for work reasons, you are not able to commit to such a hectic schedule or if you are not in a hurry to get up to speed, book your lessons further apart. It is a real waste of money if you have to use your lesson time for your own range practice.

Another thing you can do, is to arrive 1 hour earlier than your scheduled lesson. Drive a bucket of balls or two. That would get you suitably warmed up before your lesson as well. After your lesson, drive another bucket to go through what you have learned.

2) Next is to get your PC which is relatively easy. You should be familiar with etiquette by now. Dress appropriately for the test and that include golf shoes. Give a good impression and all the more easier to pass.

3) First time on the green is like a virgin. It is going to get messy. You will realise that the fairways is nothing like the range. The ball doesn't sit nicely on top of the grass and more often than not, neither are you standing on perfectly level ground. Also, unlike the range where you have 100 balls to get that one stroke right, you get only that one chance to get the ball out.

Don't worry if your score end up such a big number, you will lose count. We all did.

4) Stupid things are bound to happen. Air ball. clubs fly further than the ball. Ball end up behind you instead of ahead, etc. Don't worry about it. We have all done it. Sure, your friends will be laughing at you. That's only because they are forwarding the favour. Next time, you will have your own newbies to laugh at.

5) Submit your score cards whenever you play. Don't worry if you lose count. Do your best. Otherwise, just put down the hole as a 10*.

* By right, you are not supposed to do that as you have a duty to report accurate score. But what you going to do if you really lose count? Anyway, if you can play a hole of more than 10, your total score would probably be screwed and invalid for handicap calculation anyway. See point 6.

6) Score card will only be valid for handicap calculation if it is under 35 handicap i.e 107. Submit 10 (18 holes or 20 9-holes game) of the sub-107 score and you should be ready for your handicap test.

7) Don't be nervous during the test. You don't have to play exceptionally well to pass. Club captains or mgmt committee member or club pros will play a courtesy round with you and observing your etiquette, your knowledge of the rules as well as your knowledge of scoring. Where to apply what penalty etc. As long as you don't play a super disastrous round that would remind them of Mr Bean. You should be ok.

8) There are only 2 outcome to the test. Either you fail or you pass. If you pass, they will normally start you off with a handicap of 24. Some people are known to start off lower but those are usually refresher candidates i.e. they haven't been playing for a while and their handicap lapsed.

For some clubs like Warren Golf & Country Club, they have a in-between status. It is for those who didn't play too badly but not good enough to get a 24 handicap. These folks will get a handicap of 25. The significance of the 25 handicapper is that they are not allowed to play during prime time i.e. weekends (like a PC holder) but they no longer need to take another handicap test. All they need to do is to start submitting cards for the games that they play and as they improve, their handicap will be adjusted to 24 and below eventually.

9) You need to actively submit your cards in order to maintain your handicap. Otherwise, usually after 1 year of inactivity, your handicap will lapse and you may have to retake the handicap test. See point 8 wrt refresher candidates.

10) In most cases in Singapore, White tees are for men with handicaps up to 24. Blue tees are for men 18 and under. In Ch1na. Blue tees are for men 65 yrs old and below. White tees are for the old folks and women who beat you at arm wrestling.

Image Credit: http://www.realpointitaly.com
  
- Voxeros

09 October 2007

Budget Golf 101 Series - Part 2 of 5

... continuing from yesterday.
 
Third - Equipment. I am against the idea of a newbie buying a set of golf clubs right at the beginning. Different makes and models suits different players differently. For a newbie who has yet to develop his/her own game, it is not a good idea to buy a set of clubs and trying to adapt to it. Instead, one should establish his/her own game before selecting a set of clubs to best suit him/her.

So what do you do then? Simple. Borrow from friends. As long as you have golfer friends, there would be at least one of them who would just happen to have a spare set lying around. Yes, chances are, it would be a pretty old set of clubs but it shouldn't matter since your initial lessons are just to get your fundamental basics.

Equipment would just about the biggest part of investing in this game and I would recommend delaying this financial commitment to the very very last (or at the very least keep it as low for as long as possible) and I have 2 reasons for this:

.
Extracted from my post at SPUG Forum dated 01 Oct 2003

1) You may find out eventually that golf really is not your game. You didn't take it out because of the love of the sport but because of social/peer pressure. Therefore having less money out front makes it easier for you to exit the sport.

2) As you play, your game and stroke mature and stabilise. What may be a great set for you in the early stages may not be suitable later. So with a cheaper first set, it makes it easier to switch to the eventually set proper. That would be the time that you may consider buying first hand if your financials allow it.
.

Ok, so you've finally reach the stage where you want to get your own clubs.

At present, I only know of 2 places that deal with 2nd hand clubs. One is located on the second floor of Far East Shopping Centre (next to Hilton Hotel) and the other is at Kreta Ayer --> Creative Golf by Joe (Lum). Here's a tip when it comes to getting the best deal out of the second hand shops. If you were to step in for the first time, you would surely be disappointed by the selection range on the floor. There is a reason why they are out there on the floor and not moving. The good ones never remain in the shop for more than a week. Someone is bound to snap it up. You need to be that someone if you want to get a great deal out of it.

To get a great set at a great price, you need to go there pretty often. The rationale is that when you go there often enough, you are increasing your chance that you may be there when a great set just arrive and you would be there to make an offer to buy it on the spot before anyone even has the chance to hear about its arrival.

Also when you are there often enough, you would surely make friends with the proprietors, or in the Kreta Ayer context, Joe Lum himself. We golfers are a friendly bunch. Once these guys get to know you, you are what is known as a "first person that comes to mind" i.e. they will be keeping a lookout for you and as soon as one, that matches your requirement specifications, shows up and you would be among the first they'd be calling. So stand by your phone and cash ready on hand.

For the rest of you guys who have lagi more cash and would like to buy a set right away, what make or model to buy? Good question that only you and yourself can answer as it depends on what kind of swing/game/budget you possess. Sure, you can try a couple of swings and hit a couple of balls with it at the shop or the range but ask yourself if it is enough data to make that investment decision? For those who are established golfers, I am less worried as like myself, we are knowledgeable enough to know what type of clubs are best suited for us. It's the newbies that I must advise against hasty decisions. If you are taking lessons, ask your coach / pro to advise since they would be in the best position to make that recommendation. However, do note that some of these coaches / pros may make a commission from their recommendations, especially those at driving ranges with a pro-shop in it. Granted that their intention may not be 100% noble as a result of the money, their recommendations won't be too far from the most honest pick. So I say, let them earn that extra buck. Baby's gotta eat and goo nee hoon ain't free, you know?

Next, I may agree that buying the entire set (woods and irons together) may present a better deal but I do recommend, if you can help it, to break down the purchase. I don't see the need to spend all the money all at once. Just buy the irons first since you will be starting your basics with them.

You may even go 1 or 2 years of playing without the need to go for the woods as the longer clubs are harder to master. Thereafter, when it's time to buy the woods, there is also no need to buy all of them at one go. Buy the fairway woods first i.e. 3-wood, 5-wood and perhaps even 7-wood as well. Leave the driver to the very last as it is also the most expensive club in the entire bag.

Splitting up your purchase also allow you to mix and match your clubs without being tied down to a single make and model. Who knows? You may play well with with a set of Callaway X-14 irons, a set of Titleist 975 VJS fairway woods, an Odyssey Rossie II putter and a Cleveland Launcher 460 driver? However, if you were to buy the entire matching set, you are going to lose out of the freedom of customising your bag. Later on, I will devote an entry to let you have a glimpse of what's currently in my bag and how much it would take to set up my bag configuration. You may be surprised by the number.

And finally, we come to the controversial topic of clone clubs. These are imitation clubs to put it bluntly. They could be factory overruns (same factory as original equipment but not sold via official distribution channels) or simply fakes (generic clubs but with the branded sticker logos).

They are usually priced at a fraction of the real deal but some of you may have an ethical issue against counterfeits which I would totally respect that.

Still, contrary to popular belief, some of the better clone clubs actually play very well and so for those with a tighter budget, this may be an option worth considering.*

* I am not advocating that one should buy fake goods. This will have to be a purely personal decision on your part. I am in no position to advise you on this.

BALLS! Ok now that I got you attention at this point of a very long entry, here's the low down on these little white critters. For beginner's who are still at the range. There isn't really a need to buy balls at this point in time as the range balls are there for you to hit. On the flip side, it doesn't mean that you can take the range balls out of the driving range for personal use. Some golf clubs are known to suspend players if they are caught playing range balls. Range balls are strictly for the range. Period.

Anyway, it may be a good idea to have half a dozen for the practice greens.

For those beginners who are starting to go down to the fairways, do not buy brand new balls. Go for used balls cause you are not going to see for long before they disappear into the jungle or water. A good number to have in the bag for beginners is about 10 to 20.

* Image Credits: http://content.costco.com; http://www.abc-of-golf.com

... next up. Proficiency Certificate and Handicap.
- Voxeros

1. aloe left...
Tuesday, 9 October 2007 9:29 am
oo ooo ooo... it seems like what I did when I was young.... I used to pick up "lost" tennis balls so that my bros can use. LOL!!! I think you can do the same for golf too. Just keep a lookout for "lost" balls. =P


2. JayWalk left...
Tuesday, 9 October 2007 1:03 pm :: 
Aloe: It is kinda hard to lose a tennis ball considering how far the tennis ball and fly and how visible it is. Those balls you picked are probably abandoned ball i.e. are probably deflated to an extend that it is no longer playable.

Golf balls on the other hand is way more durable and chances are that you definitely lose it before the ball is totally unplayable.

In the US, the best time to pick golf balls are Mondays where the weekend is just over and there are balls everywhere.

I believed this is a cultural thing whereby Americans don't really look for their golf balls when their shot goes awry. They would simply take out a new one and play one.


3. aloe left...
Wednesday, 10 October 2007 9:29 am
er.. no leh... you just have to go outside the fence area. Some people are lazy to pick up balls that flies out of the fence area so you get to pick up balls that are relatively in good condition. Pick up deflated balls for what? =S Cannot play too mah! =(


4. JayWalk left...
Wednesday, 10 October 2007 10:11 am :: 
Aloe: Deflated not in the flat sense but that it no longer bounce as well as it used to be which would affect it playability, especially when you have a mix of old and new balls.

Slower balls, however, are better for beginner players.


5. Aloe left...
Wednesday, 10 October 2007 8:56 pm
ahhh.... i see... but we also saw relatively good balls among the mix.
well... it's a way of saving cost the environment too. Recycle!! LOL!


6. JayWalk left...
Thursday, 11 October 2007 9:29 am :: 
Aloe: Must be some rich neighbourhood that you are staying. I was have gone for the ball even if it is down the stinky longkang if (a) I was the idiot who hit it there or (b) some sibeh chiobu hit it there.


7. aloe left...
Thursday, 11 October 2007 10:17 am
no leh... they usually go to book some tennis court somewhere at some ulu sami area de...


8. JayWalk left...
Thursday, 11 October 2007 11:25 am :: 
Aloe: Correct lor. If too near then where got chance to rev their supercharged engines in the likes of Ferraris and Porsche and what-have-yous? :P

08 October 2007

Budget Golf 101 Series - Part 1 of 5

Writing about golf last week triggered a memory sometime back during one of my trips back home to Singapore. I was visiting a friend at his place when he eagerly dragged me to the garage to show off his latest set of clubs.

To start, it was an expensive brand loaded with the latest technological bells and whistles and the price tag was further bumped up with a custom-fitting session with a pro and all the video cameras and computer analysis thingamajits. I was floored when he told me the final price. Let's just say that the set of clubs was not in the low 4-figures.

So I asked how is he shooting on the fairway with this set of clubs.

"Oh, I am still at the driving range. I am getting about 100m with my 7-irons now." He said, as I was floored a second time.

Yes, golf may not be the cheapest game around, especially in Singapore but it is certainly not a game that would put you into financial hardship, that is, if you plan your money properly.

So, if you are not like this friend of mine who has money to throw around and you are interested to figure out how to get the most bang out of your buck, read on.

First - Your get up. Golf shoes and golf gloves are your basic necessities. Decent collared polo-Ts and pants/bermudas (belted, no elastic waistband and no jeans) are your basic requirements. Baseball caps or visors are optional since driving ranges, where you would start learning golf, are mostly indoors. The fierce looking David Duval Oakleys can wait. Don't go around spending every single dime before you even swing your first club. Besides, it is going to be lagi malu for you, if you dressed up fierce fierce and you..... air balled.

Second - Your Coach / Pro. Try to get a coach via friend's recommendation i.e. these coaches have been tried and tested. Do not stupid stupid just sign up for "package" then just straight away report for lesson. Instead, make an appointment with the coach and spend some time talking to him/her. There are the chatty types and there are the serious no-nonsense types that you thought perhaps he/she was from East Germany during the Cold War era (You hit a bad shot! You must be punished! Off to the Siberian front!). Get a feel (figuratively speaking, of course!) of this coach and see if you are able to work well with him/her. Those with a good rapport tend to learn faster and you can understand him/her better and he/she would be more motivated to teach you. Avoid the overly chatty one coz you are not paying him/her an hourly rate to gossip.

Spread out your lessons and there is no such thing as a crash course. I came across this one particular friend (who at that time was a total golf zero), some time back, who wanted to pencil in 10 lessons in the hope that he would be able to play in his company's corporate golf tournament (which was 30 days away) coz he bragged to his entire office that he was an avid golfer. Despite my nays, he stubbornly went ahead and plonked down the money for the crash course. As expected, he didn't show up for the tournament by feigning illness that day.

Here's the thing. It is one thing that this friend was stupid but my bigger beef was the integrity of the coach who agreed to take him on (and his money) and promised him golf proficiency at the end of the 10 lessons.

What bullshit!

Click here for Budget Golf Series - Part 2 of 5.

Image Credits:  http://europeforvisitors.com; http://www.eagleharboronline.com
- Voxeros

1. Cheryl Marie Cordeiro left...
Monday, 8 October 2007 6:20 am :: http://www.cherylmariecordeiro.com/blog/
I thought I'd say hello, even though I don't play golf. I find these pages an interesting read. Quite humorous to read too :-)


2. aloe left...
Monday, 8 October 2007 10:27 am
ahhh.... Cheryl, welcome to Jay's fan club. LOL!! =P
Golf.. er... not my area of interest unless you are talking abt socialising. It's the kind of - I'm not interested unless someone else (a friend) is ; or - I'm not interested unless there is a need to. =P


3. JayWalk left...
Monday, 8 October 2007 3:48 pm :: 
Cheryl: Welcome to the blog! Glad to know you enjoyed reading my crap. May cause permanent head damage. You have been warned!

Anyway, do read on as to what I have to say about golf. Who knows this would inspire you to take up the sport?

Aloe: No fan club lah..... aiyoh... see me so up. *blush*

07 October 2007

Budget Golf 101 Series - Prelude

It is really a misconception that golf is a game for the rich. Yes, granted that it does require a sum of money to start up but in the long run, the expenditure to enjoy this game really isn't that big.

Sure, it cost more than a game of ping pong or basketball or football... ok ok... maybe not football considering the amount of money the betting bookies make off with our monies. Damn you Inter Milan!! Damn you!!

Oh where was I? Oh yeah. Golf on a budget. Golf can be very expensive if one is foolish with his/her money. On the same token, golf expenses can be under control if managed properly.

So this entire week, I will be covering the various aspects of getting started on this game without costing an arm or a leg. All these are based on my personal experience and so I guess that there would be some points that may be disagreeable to some of you, if at all.

Do feel free to put them down in the comments.

Click here to proceed to Budget Golf Series - Part 1 of 5.
- Voxeros

05 October 2007

TV Shows




One of the problems with regards to living in Spitland is that the TV programs here suck monkey balls. (Maybe that explains the population size here. =P) Fortunately, there is the internet and thank the lucky stars for downloads via Torrent and Ed2ks.

For this I am lucky to be able to have TV shows from the US and UK to download and keep myself occupied in the evenings. I supposed since all these TV shows are mostly free-to-air via the major networks, the legality of these downloads are problem more grey than if one were to download a movie or software.

Anyway, as we enter the fall season of the year, new seasons of the various shows as well as new shows are starting to trickle in and that also in effect ended this year's crop of summer movie releases.

So here are the shows that I am following and I thought I share and recommend them to you.

  • Heroes (Season 2) - Mondays on NBC
  • How I Met Your Mother (Season 3) - Mondays on CBS
  • Two And A Half Men (Season 5) - Mondays on CBS
  • Kid Nation (Season 1) - Wednesdays on CBS
  • Til Death (Season 3) - Wednesdays on FOX
  • Ugly Betty (Season 2) -Thursdays on ABC
  • My Name Is Earl (Season 3) - Thursdays on NBC
  • Las Vegas (Season 5) - Fridays on NBC
  • Desperate Housewives (Season 4) - Sundays on ABC
  • Scrubs (Season 7) - Returning 25 Oct 2007 on NBC
  • Monk (Season 6) - Returning 18 Jan 2008 on USA
  • Psych (Season 2) - Returning 18 Jan 2008 on USA
  • Lost (Season 4) - Returning 06 Feb 2008 on ABC
  • Burn Notice (Season 2)  - Returning 19 May 2008 on USA
  • According To Jim - ABC recently just announced that they will be picking up Season 7 and as such, the screen date of the new season opener is yet to be confirmed.
  • George Lopez (Season 7) - Pending as the incumbent network ABC has yet to sign them up for a new season.
  • The New Adventures Of Old Christine (Season 3) - Also pending but the rumour mill has it that they will make it to the screens for another season at CBS. Season opener date to be announced.
 

Images credit: http://www.tv.com
- Voxeros

1. Kelly left...
Saturday, 6 October 2007 9:49 am :: http://kellchan.blogspot.com/
I'm into 24 now.


2. JayWalk left...
Saturday, 6 October 2007 10:28 am :: 
Kelly: 24. Good show but if you notice a trend in my selection, they tend to be shows with a dash of humour in it. The one show that I would like to single out for mention here is Lost which I am closed to ditching already. Unless the writers can start injecting new direction in the plot, this show is going nowhere.

Worse, there is no way to end it. Who knows, the network suits may just yank it off the air abruptly and guess what? Nobody would care.


3. hiaoauntie left...
Saturday, 6 October 2007 6:14 pm
boy, you sure do watch alot of tv....


4. JayWalk left...
Saturday, 6 October 2007 9:43 pm :: 
hiaoauntie: Well, it's not like I have any better to do in the evenings. Besides, you count the total length of time of the shows currently on air, you would realise that they add up to a mere 7 hours in total which would make it 1 hour per day on average. So tell me again, is this too much TV?


5. barffie left...
Saturday, 6 October 2007 10:13 pm
Desperate Housewives is erm... lame? Star World is a good channel as they pick good shows so far. Love My Name is Earl and How I Met Your Mother. Mandrake introduced me Heroes when it was into its 5th episode back then - and it's great until ... I don't know why but this superhero show seem to be very... *shrug* seen before?


6. Bellatrix Lestrange left...
Saturday, 6 October 2007 10:30 pm
Wah.... Watch so much TV, no scared brain will rot meh?? Kekekeke :P


7. alek left...
Sunday, 7 October 2007 6:24 am :: http://seriousnerd.wordpress.com
You should watch Arrested Development. It's a really good, humorous show. I'm a huge fan. Too bad it got canceled in its third season.


8. JayWalk left...
Sunday, 7 October 2007 9:44 am :: 
Barffie: I like the little subplots in the shows. That's the only thing that interests me and er.... Brie van der Kamp. *blush*

Speaking of lame, the first thing that came to mind was the character Susan Myers whose bumbling antics, if you ask me, is merely lame slapstick. Not funny.

As for the deja vu feeling when it comes to Heroes, perhaps "The Hall of Justice" would trigger a bell ringer? Yes, I believe that the deja vu feeling comes from the cartoon Superfriends where we have all these super heroes in one place, all with an unqiue set of special powers. Only difference is that in the cartoon, these characters don't try to kill each other.

Or perhaps you are referring to the X-Men where mutants with special powers mingle among the ordinary folks and these mutants are split into two opposing factions trying to eliminate one another?

Speaking of speaking people with special powers trying to kill each other, what about Harry Potter?

So there, that's your deja vu.


9. JayWalk left...
Sunday, 7 October 2007 9:49 am :: 
Bellatrix: Moderation is the keyword here and no, I don't think I watch too much TV and no, I don't think my brain will rot and yes. My brain rotted a long long time ago.

It's called National Service.

Alek: Welcome to the blog! I followed Arrested Development for like one and half season before I lost interest. I have always been a fan of Jason Bateman since the early days where he was in the sitcom "The Hogan Family" which was later renamed as "Valerie".

And yes, there is Portia de Rossi to oogle at. Hur hur hur.....


10. akk left...
Sunday, 7 October 2007 10:55 pm
psych nice meh? i watched one episode, very disappointing...i didn't think he was that psychic. but house and scrubs are good. numbers i also like.


11. JayWalk left...
Monday, 8 October 2007 1:52 am :: 
akk: I like Psych as it is very funny. He is not psychic at all which makes all the more hilarious.


12. aloe left...
Monday, 8 October 2007 10:22 am
i have no time to catch so many shows! *shrugs* ah well... It doesn't matter.... I guess the only one on your list that I'm following is Heroes. Las Vegas, Ugly Betty and Scrubs, only when I know and manage to catch it. :) I dun really like Lost, and I've not watched a single episode of it. I haven't heard of some of the others probably cos they are not shown in 5g lah... but I quite like CSI and try to catch it when I'm around or free-r.... heheh!


13. JayWalk left...
Monday, 8 October 2007 9:58 pm :: 
Aloe: Here's the thing about being in Spitland. You have a shit load of free time in the evenings. I rather be staying at home and watching TV then to be out there drinking at the KTVs with the fellow business people.

If you wanna watch Lost, I recommend watching the first season. It's not bad. Unfortunately the writers of the show seem to be going around in circles until it is starting to feel draggy.

I am going to watch the first episode when the new season opens. If it doesn't continue to interest me, I am going to drop it like I have done with CSI where after enough seasons, they all starting to look alike.


14. Ruok left...
Wednesday, 10 October 2007 9:56 am
Can help me get a few series when u come back? looking for BSG All Seasons, House Season 1&2 and Lost season 3.


15. JayWalk left...
Wednesday, 10 October 2007 10:15 am :: 
rouk: *cough* we go talk on *cough cough* MSN.