Eventful week

Last Friday, I stayed over at Collin's place with his HK and Scottish friend, Yvonne and Walter. Very personable and warm-hearted and no wonder Yvonne and Collin hit it off very well since 2001. Collin met her at Cali in HK and that was how friendship was started between them. The next day, we got up real early and Yvonne wanted to wake me up. But she was worried that I was stark naked so she asked Walter to wake me up. I was not in buff and I dun sleep in buff.

Then Collin returned from his class and he looked a bit wreary. Poor him. Then we drove all together to Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal to catch 45-minute ferry to Batam. After we cleared the immigration, we got onto the ferry. Yvonne was quite apprehensive as she had a food poisoning in HK and she feared to vomit again on the choppy boat.

In 45 minutes' time, we arrived at Batam and it was quite rustic and idyllic there. We took our stuff and there was a van waiting for us. Collin had booked Turi Beach Resort which is Bali-themed villa minus maldive-like sea. We parked our stuff in 433 ROOM and then we rested for a while. I taught Yvonne simple steps of Samba and Rhumba cos my mom used to teach me when I was very young. I only knew the basic steps and rhymth. Then we got out of the villa and ambled down the slope to eat at the Indonesian restaurant.

Not bad but the rice was a bit hard to masticate and then we went off to the nearby kelong which was outrigged at around 50 metres away from the coastline. We sauntered leisurely under the gloomy sky and Collin kept on nagging at me that I was a real JINX to bring bad weather here..hee..

Then we decided to take a dip in swimming pool and we swam for 2 hours. Though our skin does not receive any sun treatment, we enjoyed ourselves and we finally showered before I left Turi Resort.

The next day, I woke up late at 5am and my father cabbed me down to Padang. It was so packed that I had to compete space and air for breathing. I searched for Kim and David frantically around the registration area and found them. Left with 1 minute, I frantically packed all my stuff into my bag and handed it to the bag deposit counter and rushed upstair to the flag off point. David and I were at outside Esplanade entrance which was more than stone's throw. It was already started but there were so many participants there, causing a massive human jam. It was like a Newspaper Walk, walking from Tuas to Changi Airport! Finmally we cleared the flag off point in 20 minutes. I ran from Shenton Way and then turned right to Benjamin Shereas Bridge. It was a slight uphill road which was manageable and then u would be greeted by famous Singapore skyline and I saw Collin's apartment at Tanjong Rhu. Wondering Collin was still sleeping at Turic Beach Resort while I was running hard....Quite an opposite!

Then after 2 hours, I almost arrived at the finish point and cleared it in 2 hours++. Phew..finished the AHM but I was not feeling too well. I went over to the bag deposit to collect my stuff and I forgot to bring extra dry shirt. Coupled with sudden drizzle and cold morning wind, I shivered non-stop and went over to the bus-stop. I felt not so well. I just sat down, dazing into the space. Around an hour passed, the rain had abated slightly and I was so hungry. I left the bus-stop to scavenge for food. Then I bought a packet of nasi-lemak but i noticed that my appetite was not very good. Collin sms-ed me to ask me how my run was and he told me that he would swim to work out while 2 companions would go for rejuvenating massages.

I ate little nasi-lemak which was not my usual self even though I was very famished. I sms-ed Jane where she was and she told me that she was on the way. Even the sky was clearing, i was shivering and I decided to buy dri-fit shirt from nearby booth. I told Jane to meet me at the tentage outside Esplanade cos I was a bit sleepy. I left Padang and walked over to Esplanade and slept under the tentage. It was uncomfortable sleeping there but I was used to it given my past experiences of sleeping on the cold and hard makeshift bed in Nepal.

Jane came over to me and we chatted for a while. I told her that I wanted to buy panadol cos I was feeling quite flushed and heaty. We chatted a bit in Esplanade Lib and then we walked together to Kallang Sea sports for our dragon boat session. With my sore leg muscles, I walked even more slowly and told Jane to go ahead without me. I would join her later. Along the way, I noticed myself I was not feeling so good especially my abdominal area. I ignored it and then finally reached there.

Jane told me that those participants suffered from diarrhoea and asked me whether I suffered from diarrhoea. I said NO but I felt my stomach was not feeling well. Anyway, we started our warming up exercise and pushed the boat out of the storage area. Junhong, my coach, asked me to sit in front since the other blind rowers were not here. Junhong noticed that I was not feeling well and asked me whether I was well. I told him I was all right and we started our training. For the first few rounds of trainin, I was fine and thereafter, i felt more nauseous. I felt like throwing up like a pregnant lady on the choppy boat, threatening to make the water yellow. We would row on the vomit-infested sea. Gross! I told Junhong that I was not feeling well and requested to sit at the back. It continued without me but I felt terrible. It was like having the cork being plugged into my oesophagus.

After the training, i decided to leave the team early and thought of seeing doctor early. I asked Ya Nee to accompany to collect her bag and along the way, I suddenly threw up. Because there was nothing left in my stomach, it was very painful process to throw up with my hand clutching my shirt with my shrill cry in response to my acute chest pain. The passer-by would mistake me for having cardiac arrest! I fell onto the ground and tried to breathe normally. My breathing was laborious and I cringed my back to try to sooth my chest pain. The boy from boat saw me and tried to pat on my back. Then I lied on my back and I suddenly felt dizzy.

After 10 minutes which seemed to be endless, I felt all right and could walk normally. Ya Nee was worried about me and I told her I was all right. I smiled weakly and resumed my walking back to the bag storage area.

Then I showered quickly and went to the canteen to eat light food. Then I rested for hours and Jane came over.

After rest, I felt much better though I felt groggy. And later on, we met Collin and others for dinner before heading home. It was such a hearty dinner.