I'll be taking my national membership exam for Phi Sigma Pi in a while, wish me luck! Induction's on Wednesday, and barring any unusual circumstances all the Beta Alpha initiates should become Brothers. It will be awesome. I've got a pretty tough job on my plate for next year, as I will be 5k co-chairperson with another guy from Beta Alpha (the Pi holds an annual 5k run/walk at the Arb to raise funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation), and since this year's 5k was a roaring success we've got a challenge awaiting us if we want to top that! But Phi Sigma Pi has been amazing so far - initiation has been a blast, and as much as I had my doubts about joining a frat earlier this year I'm so glad I did.

This Easter weekend was lovely and I'm happy that I've rediscovered just what Christ's sacrifice on the cross means to me. Ever since I returned to pondering on the word of God and attending church and praying (and not just being a Sunday Christian, or Easter/ Christmas Christian, for that matter), God has blessed me so abundantly over and above what I could ever possibly fathom. And it's also so much easier to see the good in the bad - for instance, I could complain about the fact that it's crunch time right now, with papers and finals and crazy things like that, or I could wonder why God placed certain obstacles in my path that appear to be insurmountable and so, so enormous setbacks - but I know there is a reason for everything He has ordained and I can only put my faith in that knowledge.

There was a particular message from General Conference last week which really spoke to my heart. I thought it was plainly amazing and it couldn't have come at a better time. I've included it here -

***
It's True, Isn't It? Then What Else Matters?
Elder Neil L. Andersen Of the Presidency of the Seventy
Our conviction of the Savior and His latter-day work becomes the powerful lens through which we judge all else.
I take as my subject today something President Hinckley said in general conference in April of 1973.
I had just returned home from my mission. So much seemed ahead of me. Would I be able to consistently make the right choices throughout my life?
Then-Elder Gordon B. Hinckley spoke of meeting a young naval officer from Asia. The officer had not been a Christian, but during training in the United States, he had learned about the Church and was baptized. He was now preparing to return to his native land.
President Hinckley asked the officer: "Your people are not Christians. What will happen when you return home a Christian, and, more particularly, a Mormon Christian?"
The officer's face clouded, and he replied: "My family will be disappointed. . . . As for my future and my career, all opportunity may be foreclosed against me."
President Hinckley asked, "Are you willing to pay so great a price for the gospel?"
With his dark eyes moistened by tears, he answered with a question: "It's true, isn't it?"
President Hinckley responded, "Yes, it is true."
To which the officer replied, "Then what else matters?"
Through the years, I have reflected on these words: "It's true, isn't it? Then what else matters?" These questions have helped me put difficult issues in proper perspective.
The cause in which we are laboring is true. We respect the beliefs of our friends and neighbors. We are all sons and daughters of God. We can learn much from other men and women of faith and goodness, as President Faust taught us so well.
Yet we know that Jesus is the Christ. He is resurrected. In our day, through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the priesthood of God has been restored. We have the gift of the Holy Ghost. The Book of Mormon is what we claim it to be. The promises of the temple are certain. The Lord Himself has declared the unique and singular mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to be "a light to the world" and "a messenger . . . to prepare the way before [Him]" even as "the gospel roll[s] forth unto the ends of the earth."
It's true, isn't it? Then what else matters?
Of course, for all of us, there are other things that matter. When I heard President Hinckley's talk as a 21-year-old, I needed to be serious about my studies; I needed employment to keep me in school; somehow I had to figure out how to convince a special young lady that she should take a chance on me; and I enjoyed other worthy activities.
How do we find our way through the many things that matter? We simplify and purify our perspective. Some things are evil and must be avoided; some things are nice; some things are important; and some things are absolutely essential. The Savior said, "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."
Faith is not only a feeling; it is a decision. With prayer, study, obedience, and covenants, we build and fortify our faith. Our conviction of the Savior and His latter-day work becomes the powerful lens through which we judge all else. Then, as we find ourselves in the crucible of life, as Elder Oaks explained, we have the strength to take the right course.
President Hinckley said it this way: "When [an individual] is motivated by great and powerful convictions of truth, then he disciplines himself, not because of demands made by the Church but because of the knowledge within his heart."
Are we sufficiently motivated by "great and powerful convictions of truth"? Do our choices reflect this motivation? Are we becoming who we want to become?
It's true, isn't it? Then what else matters?
We know what is right. A few years ago my wife, Kathy, was with our grandchildren while their parents were away. Our four-year-old grandson gave his little brother a strong push. After consoling the crying child, she turned to the four-year-old and thoughtfully asked, "Why would you push your little brother?" He looked at his grandmother and responded, "Mimi, I'm sorry. I lost my CTR ring, and I cannot choose the right." We need to be careful because excuses can impede our progress.
"Great and powerful convictions of truth" are found in the hearts of Latter-day Saints in nations across the world. This strength of faith carries the work of the kingdom forward.
Many years ago my wife and I stood by a courageous sister in France as her husband, still in his 30s, passed through the veil. The responsibility to righteously teach and guide her four young children alone seemed overwhelming. Yet 16 years later, her three sons have returned from missions, and her daughter is sealed in the temple.
I know a brother in Brazil who joined the Church as a 16-year-old, the only member in his family. When it was time for his mission, his parents objected. He heard nothing from them during his mission and returned home to his bishop's house. The story, however, has a happy ending as he now has a beautiful family, works as a dental surgeon, and his parents wish he could interest his brothers in the Church.
I know a brother in a Latin American country who, after his baptism, determined he would not only be honest in his tithing but would also fully pay his taxes, something his competitors did not do. The Lord blessed him for his honesty.
Many sacrifices are quietly accomplished: returned missionaries not delaying the responsibility of finding their eternal companion; righteous women desiring children and investing their lives in rearing them in love and truth; families carefully restricting the media and Internet influences that would tarnish their spirits; husbands and wives finding more time to be in the temple together.
Children can also develop this lens of faith. I recently met youth in Seoul, Korea, who, because of a rigorous school schedule, do not arrive home until very late each night yet attend early-morning seminary at 6:00 a.m. five days a week. I know an eight-year-old baseball player, a star of the team, who on his own explained to his coach that he could not participate in the final playoff game because it was to be held on Sunday.
Many of the quiet acts of deep faith are known only to God. But they are recorded in heaven.
It's true, isn't it? Then what else matters?
The Savior said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
I testify that it is true and that it does matter. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
***

***
It's amazing what meditating on scripture can do for you. I have some favorites, particularly in 2 Nephi.

20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.
- 2 Nephi 31:20 (BOM)

3 But I, Nephi, have written what I have written, and I esteem it as of great worth, and especially unto my people. For I pray continually for them by day, and mine eyes water my pillow by night, because of them; and I cry unto my God in faith, and I know that he will hear my cry.
4 And I know that the Lord God will consecrate my prayers for the gain of my people. And the words which I have written in weakness will be made strong unto them; for it persuadeth them to do good; it maketh known unto them of their fathers; and it speaketh of Jesus, and persuadeth them to believe in him, and to endure to the end, which is life eternal.
- 2 Nephi 33:3-4 (BOM)

A verse of encouragement from Doctrine and Covenants also aids greatly.

24 Search diligently, pray always, and be believing, and all things shall work together for your good.
- D & C 90:24

And that verse naturally evokes this well-known one from Romans:

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
- Romans 8:28 (NT)
***

***
24And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
25And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.
26And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
27And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
28And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
29And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.
30And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
***
Genesis 32:24-30

ok so today has been a good day because I've been accepted into the University of Michigan Mortar Board Honor Society! whoopee the past few weeks have panned out very nicely for me. Finally getting my training back on track with a new Kurt Kinetic Road Machine bike trainer, just as the weather's becoming nicer and closer to something resembling moderately decent springtime temperatures. Must start running and lifting again. Haven't lifted in about 2 weeks, not good.

But next week will be a killer week because my assignment schedule looks like this:
Monday: POLSCI 389 6-page paper on peasantry, Mao, and development in China due
Wednesday: POLSCI 389 20-page first draft on political participation and the potential for liberal democracy in Singapore due
Thursday: BIOLOGY 118 3rd exam
Friday: POLSCI 481 10-12 page literature review for Honors thesis prospectus due

So basically I think I won't need to sleep at all next week. And of course there's still Phi Sigma Pi things to be done and events to attend as well as Mortar Board meetings... and classes, as usual. Sheesh I think I had better get started tomorrow if I intend to prevent myself from lapsing into insanity.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
- James 1:17 (KJV)

I was delighted to learn yesterday that I'd been accepted into the Accelerated Masters Level Program which will allow me to start on my first year of graduate-level study in Public Policy while concurrently completing my final year of undergraduate work. The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy is ranked 3rd in the nation for Public Policy Analysis (after UC Berkeley and Harvard's Kennedy School of Government), and 8th overall in the USA for Public Policy Studies- and so it will be an excellent place for me to continue my education in public affairs. I really thank God for this wonderful opportunity since Masters' degree options are quite limited (in US schools, most social science graduate degrees require 2 or more years of study after graduating with a Bachelor's degree- my next options were to apply to Columbia or Northwestern's Medill for a one-year degree in political journalism, had I not been accepted to the Ford School). So the Accelerated track will allow me to finish both degrees in 4 years which is perfect. I hope to get an opportunity someday to do a doctorate in Political Science, but that will probably be quite a long way from now since Polsci graduate degrees take anywhere between 4-6 years to complete.

Yesterday was full of pleasant surprises- I received an invitation to the Honors Convocation and was also notified that I had been recognized as a James B. Angell Scholar for three consecutive terms and had also received University Honors. I entirely appreciate any accolade which can be added to my resume, ha ha.

And I also managed to register my car today (a 2002 black Ford Escape XLT SUV, shared with Wilson Liu) at the Secretary of State. And I just couldn't resist- I had to get a personalized license plate, since you can't get one of those in SG, and here it is!


Yeah I know, it's very nice. Ha ha.

And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.
- Ether 12:27 (BOM)

5 days in the beautiful Santa Ynez valley of California, triathlon training, great company, wonderful food, breathtaking scenery and balmy weather- could I ever ask for more? Spring break looks to be a wonderful time! I reached Santa Barbara today after having to take a later flight due to nothing less than my own folly. For some reason I thought the flight was boarding at 1.30 pm and leaving at 2.05 pm, and only realized at 1.35 pm that it had left at 1.05 pm and was touching down in SBA at 2.05 pm. But thanks to some lovely folks at the LAX airport I managed to get a seat on the next flight out to SBA (in a propeller SAAB aircraft complete with one flight attendant, no less) and reached there to find my bag and bike case safe and sound (those had come on the earlier flight which I was supposed to be on).

We started the camp with a 4.3 mile run on rolling hills winding through and around the perimeter of a couple vineyards, and I realized how terribly unfit I was when I started panting up a terribly steep hill that never seemed to end. And there were two of those in quick succession. But I think it will all be good in the end. Put my sweet Felt S22 bike together and I'm looking forward to getting a chance to ride it after such a long wait- it will be great to get to do that in the beautiful valleys of Solvang. I'm staying at this quaint inn called the Meadowlark Inn and enjoying myself thoroughly- it's rustic and there are a total of nine pillows on my bed. For the life of me I can't figure out why they'd ever think anyone would need nine pillows all at once, because they pretty much take up the entire bed. I guess it's better than not having any, though.

On a separate note, when I was on my way back on the run just now, I saw a familiar-looking type of steeple from afar and as I approached the inn my hunch was confirmed- I must say, God never ceases to amaze me with the signs He introduces into my life to assuage my misgivings and fuel my growing conviction that perhaps this is true after all. It is just so incredible, the way He works.

***

33 O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness! O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine enemies! Wilt thou make my path straight before me! Wilt thou not place a stumbling block in my way - but that thou wouldst clear my way before me, and hedge not up my way, but the ways of mine enemy.

34 O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm.

35 Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God. Amen.

- 2 Nephi 4:33-35

***

7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
-Matthew 7:7-8 (KJV)

Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous.

It’s undeniable that we should be together
It’s unbelievable, how I used to say that I’d fall never
The basis is need to know
If you just don’t know how I feel
Then let me show you that now I’m for real
If all the things in time, time will reveal

One, you’re like a dream come true
Two, just wanna be with you
Three, girl it’s plain to see
That you’re the only one for me, and
Four, repeat steps one through three
Five, make you fall in love with me
If ever I believe my work is done
Then I’ll start back at one

It’s so incredible, the way things work themselves out
And all emotional, once you know what it’s all about, hey
And undesirable, for us to be apart
I never would’ve made it very far
’Cause you know you got the keys to my heart
’Cause...

Say farewell to the dark of night
I see the coming of the sun
I feel like a little child, whose life has just begun
You came and breathed new life into this lonely heart of mine
You threw out the lifeline
Just in the nick of time

Brian McKnight Back At One

Doing a quick post before I get back into completing my preliminary bibliography for my thesis work! This blog is so dead. It appears like my resolutions to update never seem to transpire. The perennial excuse being, that, after all, I always already have too much on my plate. So anyhow, I'll just grab whatever opportunity I have to fill this site with some of my ramblings about how life has been so far. The semester is looking to be an awesome one, albeit busy. 3 POLSCI classes, all honors-level (challenging, no doubt, but I find them to be some of the best courses I've ever taken, with excellent faculty), a biology class and a chemistry course to fulfill my natural science requirements. Biology 118 is perhaps the... well, I won't call it slackest, but you know what I mean. I am entirely disinterested in Chem 105- I can't even remember the name of the course, that's how bad it is- it's something to do with atmospheric and oceanic systems. Lots of equations, lots of flashbacks to physical geog in RJC- I think the 2 years' worth of phygeog never really sunk into my head. But it'll be okay. As long as I get my credit for it in the end.

I rushed (that basically means, in formal terms, apply for a fraternity/ sorority in the Greek society language) Phi Sigma Pi, a co-ed Honors Frat last week and over the weekend. Last Tuesday there was a "Meet-the-Brothers" event, something akin to a speed-dating event where all the (rushees? rushers? I don't know) were paired up and would move from table to table, manned by brothers (all members of the frat are brothers, even if they're girls- I like the sound of that), where they'd be pummelled with questions left right and center. Basically the goal of rush events are for the brothers to decide who they want to invite into the frat, because after all the rush events and interviews are over, they usually have a chapter meeting and vote on who to elect to join the frat. Anyway that was great fun and I don't think I'd ever met so many people in the course of half an hour (we had two minutes at each table, so it was a whirlwind). On Sunday I attended another rush event, which was a Teach for America session where we packed backpacks to send to children in New Orleans, in places which had been devastated by Hurricane Katrina. On this note, I really appreciate how Phi Sigma Pi (the Pi from now on) does so much good work in organising community events and other things that benefit the larger society, on top of being a social organisation where cool and like-minded people can hang out. I guess that's what drove me to rush in the first place. We had interviews on Sunday, which didn't really faze me considering the tons of interviews I've been through in the course of my young life (HAHA)- in fact, I really enjoyed myself and I hope I didn't blabber too much rubbish either.

So anyway I got a bid to join the Pi yesterday night and that was pretty awesome. Out of the 40-odd people who rushed, they accepted 16 new initiates- and we're now the Alpha Delta pledge class! And I finally got to paint the Rock (that's a huge chunk of, well, rock- don't ask me what kind, remember I don't know shit about physical geog- located prominently somewhere just off Central Campus), which is commonly painted by frats/ sororities/ student organisations. Everyone keeps painting it over and over until no one's actually quite certain what the size of the original rock is, seeing that it's layered with a gazillion coats of paint. Bloody cold night, temperature about 20 below freezing, but still pretty awesome! Photos will follow shortly, Blogger is being a nasty little prick by not letting me upload anything right now. Anyway, back to work!

Okay I finally uploaded them (manually, gah.) Presenting... the Rock!


And the Alpha Delta Pledge Class of Phi Sigma Pi!

ICF k1 200m sprint

now tell me, is this sweet or what?

Presenting to you...

The World's Biggest Fart. Chew Ching Wei Dennis.

Oh-kay! I haven't felt so pumped in a while now! Going back to Singapore tomorrow for winter break, which makes me unbelievably happy, even if it's only for fifteen days! I finally ended exams today with my fifth final, which I initially thought would be an absolutely horrendous two hours because I felt dangerously unprepared, but it turned out to be pretty decent. And as luck would have it, I decided to try checking Wolverine Access to see if any of my grades had been posted online yet. And I got an even better surprise when it turned out that the result for my first final had been posted, and I received an A+ for POLSCI 354: Govts and Politics of SEA! Okay this is really making me feel a lot better, the past few days have been a whirlwind of non-stop studying and exams and just about little time for anything else- I only managed to get in 45min of spinning on Mon and Wed and some weights today after my final, can't wait to get back to SG when I can hole myself up in the gym all day! Whooooooopee. Holidays!

falling hard and fast


***
Mine, immaculate dream
Made breath and skin
I've been waiting for you
Signed, with a home tattoo
Happy birthday to you was created for you

Can't ever keep from falling apart
At the seams
Can I believe you're taking my heart
To pieces

Oh, it'll take a little time
Might take a little crime
To come undone now

We'll try to stay blind
To the hope and fear outside
Hey child, stay wilder than the wind
And blow me in to cry

Who do you need
Who do you love
When you come undone

Words, playing me deja vu
Like a radio tune
I swear I've heard before
Chill, is it something real
Or the magic I'm feeding off your fingers

Can't ever keep from falling apart
At the seams
Can I believe you're taking my heart
To pieces

Lost, in a snow filled sky
We'll make it alright
To come undone
Now
***

On my way to see my friends
Who lived a couple blocks away from me
As I walked through the subway
It must have been about quarter past three
In front of me
Stood a beautiful honey with a beautiful body
She asked me for the time
I said it'd cost her her name
A six digit number
And a date with me tomorrow at nine

Did she decline? No
Didn't she mind? I don't think so
Was it for real? Damn sure
What was the deal? A pretty girl aged 24
So was she keen? She couldn't wait
Cinnamon queen? Let me update
What did she say? She said she'd love to rendezvous

She asked me what we were gonna do
Said we'd start with a bottle of moet for two

Monday
Took her for a drink on Tuesday
We were making love by Wednesday
And on Thursday & Friday & Saturday
We chilled on Sunday
I met this girl on Monday
Took her for a drink on Tuesday
We were making love by Wednesday
And on Thursday & Friday & Saturday
We chilled on Sunday

Nine was the time
Cos I'll be getting mine
And she was looking fine
Smooth talker
She told me
She'd love to unfold me all night long
Ooh I loved the way she kicked it
From the front to back she flipped
(back she flipped it, ooh the way she kicked it)
And I oh oh I yeah
Hope that she'd care
Cos I'm a man who'll always be there

Ooh yeah
I'm not a man to play around baby
Ooh yeah
Cos a one night stand isn't really fair
From the first impression girl hmm you don't seem to be like that
Cos there's no need to chat for there'll be plenty for that
From the subway to my home
Endless ringing of my phone
When you feeling all alone
All you gotta do
Is just call me
Call me

***
Craig David - Seven Days

First off, congrats to all the people I know who participated in last Sunday's Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon! Regardless of whether you did the 10k, sampled a taste of long distances with the 21k, or went all out and completed the 42k- having finished the race is a wonderful accomplishment in itself. I heard the weather was actually quite conducive for running, cloudy skies and not too warm. I will have to try the Singapore Marathon one day, but probably not any time soon because it doesn't coincide with any of my term breaks. Meanwhile I'll just pursue my marathon-running in the USA!

"You pass out before you die". I took this quote off the Facebook profile of my teammate/ coach for the Michigan Powerlifting Club. Isn't it true? Okay, maybe it's kind of perverse, but it really makes a whole lot of sense when you're a few steps away from the barbell and all psyched to perform your lift. Powerlifting and triathlons/ marathons are worlds apart- not just due to perhaps the most obvious reason that the former is a strength/ explosive power sport while the latter two are endurance sports. In powerlifting you only have one shot. You either make it or you don't, and it all comes down to the matter of a few seconds once you grasp the barbell with your chalked grip. Marathons and triathlons are different. You have to apportion your energy and reserve over the distance, which can be almost too much to fathom. Both are painful- powerlifing; through the excruciating few seconds when you utilize just about every ounce of will and every muscle fiber to perform the lift, endurance events; the mental anguish and prolonged agony that accompanies the fatigue caused by lactic acid buildup. Most people would find it odd to pursue both of these sports, perhaps citing the incongruity of training fast-twitch muscle fibers through powerlifting, while simultaneously building endurance with slow and sustained efforts. But I guess at this current point in time it's still possible for me to do both- after all, life is short and I don't want to regret not having tried something I'd have loved to. And if anything, the speed and power gained from powerlifting definitely have a discernible impact on helping me with regards to my endurance pursuits. Even for endurance sports, long and slow is definitely not the way to go all the time- I find speed intervals and varying resistance levels absolutely crucial to the performance function.

On another note, I think winter has finally arrived for good in Ann Arbor after a series of false alarms. The ground outside is covered in about an inch or two of snow. Drats. I'm not much of a winter person because it's, well, cold, and it's nearly impossible to run outside when there's ice blanketing the ground or heavy snowfall which restricts visibility. I managed to go for a run before the snowfall started today, though, and so I'm quite glad I worked that into my schedule. The early-morning thrice-a-week erg sessions with my teammate from the novice crew team last year are working out splendidly. Today we both admitted to each other that there was probably no way we would either have left our beds if we hadn't had the obligation to each other to meet at 0630 hours to row. And that's why I'm thankful for accountability and great friends like her who are similarly motivated, because it just adds to the meaning I derive from doing such things. And I'm slowly rediscovering my mojo for erging, which is great since it's probably one of the most beneficial forms of exercise, and proper form and technique ranks up there as one of the most important and valued things I took away from my year in Michigan Rowing. Especially since erging is only really useful when you know how to do it right- I've seen countless numbers of people get tangled up in themselves by moving the wrong body parts at wrong times, and it kind of prevents them from deriving any sort of benefit from the workout. Anyway I don't even suppose I did it entirely right myself before I was actually taught the step-by-step fundamentals. It's not easy, but it's pretty worth learning and knowing.

Okay time to get some work done!

***
Psalm 138
Of David.

1 I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart;
before the "gods" I will sing your praise.

2 I will bow down toward your holy temple
and will praise your name
for your love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things
your name and your word.

3 When I called, you answered me;
you made me bold and stouthearted.

4 May all the kings of the earth praise you, O LORD,
when they hear the words of your mouth.

5 May they sing of the ways of the LORD,
for the glory of the LORD is great.

6 Though the LORD is on high, he looks upon the lowly,
but the proud he knows from afar.

7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes,
with your right hand you save me.

8 The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
your love, O LORD, endures forever—
do not abandon the works of your hands.
***

***
In Christ alone
I place my trust
And find my glory in the power of the Cross

In every victory
Let it be said of me
My source of strength
My source of hope
Is Christ alone
***

I spent Thanksgiving day in New Jersey with my flatmate and novice crew teammate, Sydney, as well as her family. The ten-hour drive to her relatives' place took us through the flat farmlands of Ohio and the Allegheny mountains of Pennsylvania. I don't really appreciate long periods of time cooped up in a moving vehicle, but at least Syd's family had a Durango which meant that it wasn't as cramped as a normal sedan would have been. Thanksgiving was fantastic, as usual- all the eating can't be a bad thing, right? Roast turkey (flesh of dead bird, as Syd's father put it, albeit in a rather unsavoury manner), mashed potatoes, two kinds of sweet potatoes -unabashed glee-, stuffing, Waldorf salad drenched in whipped cream and mayonnaise (a true artery-blocker), rolls and gravy. Cheesecake, pecan, and pumpkin pie with ice cream for dessert. This is an awesome tradition.

We spent the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday, in New York City. It was a 40-minute train ride from New Jersey to Penn Station in downtown Manhattan, pretty uneventful- the train passes under the Hudson River en route to Manhattan. Everyone was out in full force on the streets of downtown NYC, perhaps in attempt to walk off the pounds gained from stuffing their faces the nights before, and probably more due to the fact that it was Black Friday, when there are crazy markdowns and sales in just about every store in the US. We visited the famed department store, Macy's- I found it fascinating how there were wooden escalators in many parts of the building, opposed to the steel ones we see everywhere else. God, was it crowded. I had to emerge to the streets for air after a bit. I'm really not a fan of big crowds, the shoving and such. And I didn't really have much in mind to buy, anyway. The rest of the day saw us roaming Times Square, Bryant Park where there was a quaint art fair, and later Central Park where we got a taste of the ghetto hip-hop culture, thanks to a couple of talented breakdancers who were busking there. In the evening we went down to Greenwich Village for dinner and passed by the NYU campus- I'm so thankful I didn't pick NYU over UMich, it reminds me of SMU, only even more dreary-looking, and I really don't think I'd thrive in a city campus. Where's the greenery? Where's the open spaces? And to top it off, NYU's a Div III school in the NCAA- man I'd take the Big Ten and Div I intercollegiate sports any time.

On Saturday we stopped by Princeton University before leaving New Jersey. Now, that campus is simply amazing- it's basically just all Law Quad-esque buildings, splendid architecture and great photo opportunities. Suits the profile of an esteemed educational institution.

Time really flies after Thanksgiving- the end of term is rapidly approaching, to think classes end in 2 weeks and then it's finals time! Not particularly looking forward to that, though. Oh well. My online enrollment appointment for next semester's classes is later this afternoon- taking three Political Science classes (to think, after next semester I'll only need 5 more credits of Polsci, or 2 classes, to graduate with my bachelor's degree!), an Econ class just in case I decide to take Econ 401 during Spring and somehow squeeze a BA in Econ into my 3 years here (anyway Econ classes are a great cognate for Polsci), and a Biology class about AIDS and other health crises, to fulfill my natural science requirement. 17 credits, as has been the norm for the past 2 terms. I'm pretty happy that I got accepted into the Honors program for Political Science, which means that I'll be spending my senior year writing an Honors thesis on a topic of my choice, in conjunction with a faculty advisor. Tentatively I'll be focusing on the SEA region, probably in the area of security challenges or the economy. Tough, but I think it'll be rewarding, ultimately.

Just started running again on Sunday after taking a whole month off, tried the Arb route. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, and yesterday Syd asked if I wanted to go for a "canter" (haha!) in the Arb. It turned out to be more of a "gallop", and it was even better than Sunday's run by myself, I hope I find my mojo for running again pretty soon. On a side note, I've just started erging (rowing on the ergometer) again, will be erging three times a week at 6.30 am with one of the novice rowers, my teammate from last year. I resumed erging just last week after a couple months off, working out with the varsity rowers since they didn't have organized practice during the Thanksgiving week. Surprisingly my times were not as bad as I had imagined they would be after such a prolonged time away from the dratted erg. I think I will have to stand by my assertion that erging is, beyond any shred of doubt, the superior activity when it comes to cardio. It's a non-impact exercise, dramatically reducing the chances of injury, you can do it indoors at any time, it doesn't require any form of power supply besides 2 AA batteries for the monitor, you work all the major (and minor, come to think about it) muscle groups of the body, it really brings your heart rate up for a sustained period of time if you're doing it right, you can train both explosiveness and endurance by changing the flywheel setting, and it's a machine that possesses the ability to let you get in an extremely good workout even if you are short in time. Awesome stuff.

Okay I suppose I ought to get ready for class now. Hopefully I'll have more chances to blog again!

just another day and then I'll hold you tight

My life will never be the same
'Cause girl, you came and changed
The way I walk, the way I talk
Now I cannot explain
These things I feel for you
But girl you know it's true
So stay with me, fulfill my dreams
I'll be all you need

It feels so right
I've searched for the perfect love all my life
It feels like
I have finally found a perfect love this time

You rocked my world, you know you did
And everything I own I give
The rarest love, who'd think I'd find
Someone like you to call mine
You rocked my world, you know you did
And everything I own I give
The rarest love, who'd think I'd find
Someone like you to call mine

In time, I knew that love would bring
Such happiness to me
I tried to keep my sanity
I've waited patiently
And, girl, you know it seems
My life is so complete
A love that's true, because of you
Keep doing what you do

It feels so right
I've searched for the perfect love all my life
Who'd think I'd find
Such a perfect love that's awesomely so right

Michael Jackson You Rock My World

Chris Lieto's sweet Trek bike at 2006 Vineman Ironman 70.3
This is where you wanna be: first to T2.

Thursdays are rest days which means that I get to kick back and generally be lazy before things return to full swing. The notion of a "rest day" has always been somewhat alien to me, but after reading literature from various sources that rest and recovery should be perceived as part of, not a departure from, a training program, I've decided that Thursday will be my de facto rest day for the winter off-season. Actually after you get past that awful mental hurdle of the crazy conviction that your fitness will plummet after not doing anything relatively taxing for a day, it starts to feel quite good. But of course that stupid fear always occupies the back of my mind, which is why I have yet to go more than a day without working out.

It's also a good time to start planning for the year ahead, working my races into my schedule, counting backwards to determine the start of my proper training program, and factoring in preparatory races along the way. Right now it's the off-season and so training volume ought to be reduced to around 70-80% of training season amounts, and intensity scaled back slightly, but not too much or you'll just undo all the gains over the past year. I really need to check out Ann Arbor Masters Swimming, just that I hate being overtaken in the pool by portly old men who look unimpressive on land but are surprisingly speedy in the water. Now, that is a real bummer for me, because swimming is my weakest link (having learnt freestyle for the first time only this summer), and it's probably the most frustrating out of the three components of triathlon because it's considerably far more skills-based than either cycling or running. I should really get over to the Masters swim sessions or I'll just become a very "fit, slow swimmer", according to an article I read which says that skills and technique are far more important than volume when it comes to swimming, and you can be really fit and swim bloody slow due to great shortcomings in efficiency. Shit, I don't want to be fit and slow.

Okay I've got a driving lesson in about ten minutes' time. Driving is amazing, need my license soon so races in the vicinity will be far more accessible!

It's the start of November and that just about marks the halfway point of the fall term, Thanksgiving's coming and the weather's beginning to show the first signs of turning dreary. In fact I hope the cold stays away as long as possible- I'll really miss fall weather when it entirely disappears! But I don't think it'll remain much longer, the trees have already shed most of their leaves and it's already snowed twice here.

This term has been great so far. The classes I'm taking are pretty interesting, but some are definitely not easy to score in, like one of my political science classes titled "Modeling Political Processes", which is crazy abstract and fundamentally mathematical and therefore not exactly my cup of tea. Though it is intriguing.

I thought I'd have a difficult time adjusting to life without rowing, but in fact the transition has been surprisingly painless and I actually relish my newfound freedom in scheduling my own training and workouts, rather than be restricted to a team schedule. Honestly I think my not rowing this year turned out really well, because I've got far more flexibility especially when it comes to planning my new and subsequent goals. I've come to another phase in my life where I think it's time to shift my focus to other areas and sporting goals. I don't think I could go back to kayaking or rowing or even dragonboating anymore, somehow I just don't feel the affinity for those sports anymore. Though they were a huge and fundamentally important portion of my life for a substantial period of time- but I don't think they are sports which are compatible with my ideals and dreams anymore, so it's time to move on. Though I'd love to paddle a K2 any time for fun, or perhaps dragonboat for SAFSA just for kicks, they're no longer the mainstays of my sporting life.

I think this year marked my gradual shift towards more individual sporting goals. I guess it all started on a whim really, by signing up for the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, which I ran 2 weeks ago on the cold, rainy, blustery morning of October 22nd. I don't think I had much of an idea of what I was getting into when I first signed up, it was more of a I-figure-I-can-somehow-plod-through-26.2-miles-given-that-we-did-12-km-runs-in-OCS sort of thing. And I've never been much of a endurance runner, which most of you can testify to. In fact, that is an understatement in itself. Haha. Anyway somehow I just grew into running and cross-training in the form of cycling, erging and swimming helped tons too, and the 10k runs and army half-marathon during summer break in Singapore were good primers for Chicago.

Chicago was an awesome first marathon for me, hands down. The atmosphere was electric and apparently it's one of the marathons with the best sideshows. Everyone says that the only goal you should have for your virgin marathon attempt is just to finish. I had no doubts I'd finish (how could I ever let myself down?) but a nagging twinge in my right calf forced me to re-evaluate my initial hopes of running 4:00 hours. No choice but to dose myself with ibuprofen on race day and hope to goodness nothing bad would happen. Thank God, I had a superb run and managed to come in at 3:59:15 which surpassed my expectations (even when injury-free), and I'm definitely going to run more marathons in the future, and hope they only go better from now on!

I've charted new goals for the coming year and I am forced to admit that they are, beyond a shred of a doubt, ambitious ones. Well, but I suppose nothing's impossible, given that only 8 months ago a marathon looked like the pinnacle of madness. It'll be a tough road ahead, though- in terms of nature of training- since I'll have to pick up new skills and then hone them.

***
I can only imagine what it will be like
When I walk by your side
I can only imagine what my eyes will see
When your face is before me
I can only imagine

Surrounded by your glory
What will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus
Or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence
Or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah
Will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine
I can only imagine

I can only imagine when that day comes
And I find myself standing in the Son
I can only imagine when all I will do
Is forever, forever worship you
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
***