393; Project Speedway - Velocity Redesigned
How surreal. 2 days, 3 days, 4 days ... 1 month, 2 month then 3 months ... have all gone by in a flash. Like what William says, it has been 5 weeks since he sprained his ankle, and if I were to tell you, it has been 3 months since my toe YL was over. Been through a lot together, spending all weekends in the month of May chionging on the roads, sleepless, drenched, wet, smelly, putting our butts and legs and arms to the test, on the roads of Singapore. Then you realise that Singapore isn't that small an island after all. When I close my eyes, all I can see are two wheels, two yellow lines, blinkers blinking away, and 34th pedalling away. Then I realise what an amazing batch we are. We're going to have our name in Singapore Book of Records 2009 in the next issue, for organising the largest overnight cycling of supposed 100km (80km for some) in Singapore, with 314 people on the road. But we can all safely say that it's been more to it than just setting a record with impressive numbers. I don't know what it has been, but a lot have been really about friendship, growth and love. Making new friends, building your confidence on road, and loving every single thing you did although it has robbed you of sleep, time and energy. Hearing to Weichang, receiving his trademark smses that are nicely paragraphed and having him "HELLLOOOOO-ing" at you when you are not listening has become a norm for the past 1 months of intensive planning. And yesterday, I felt so proud of everybody - 34th 35th Alex Jingjie Chia Ern November Kenn and even myself. =)
Friday
Last minute work session at Tiong Bahru CC, which has a very comfortable conference room. Chionged out last minute packing of goodie bags, sorting out of certs, packing of logistics. Ended only at about 11.30pm, and THANK YOU WILLIAM for sending me home in your very ADVANCED vehicle. >< hahahahahha. Reached home at 12am, and slacked around online with fellow Awake Comm, till I crashed on my bed at about 1 plus.
Saturday
Tried VERY hard to sleep till at least until 11am, but excitement and anxiety forced me awake at about 9plus in the morning. Left house about 1, and met Kanzy at tb mrt at 1.30pm, walked to TBCC to reach at 1.40pm. At 2pm, I was already feeling sleepy. Did more packing - slotting sponsor lists into goodie bags, sorting out shirts into the trash bags, and lots of other stuff which i cannot remember. Loaded the stuff into the lorry and it was already past 4.30pm by then. Sat on the lorry with Charlton and Kanzy with the grapes the ice-box and 19 trash bags. Reached ECP at 5 plus ... very very late. Reached there and unloaded stuff, bought dinner (imba 21 sets of meltz and 21 sets of zinger meals and collecting all ezlink cards possible and having the chance to peek at their photos HAHA) ... at 6pm, i really really really wanted to sleep. Ate dinner, and one bite of zinger into my dinner, we were asked to get onto squeeze on the lorries to make our way to bike shop. Chaos here and there, clipboards safety briefings and team names left at Big Splash, late for meeting up with groups, ETC ETC ETC any problems you can possibly think of. Met up with November GREAT THANKS TO KENN for helping out as I was giving out clipboards that Alex transported from Big Splash. ya da ya da ... and then we got our bikes. Programme started quite late but flag-off started on time. THE GODS ANSWERED OUR PRAYERS AND DIDN'T RAIN although we felt droplets a few hours before. November's flag-off was at 11pm. and along MB Road, my greatest fears came through. Chain got stuck ... on MY BIKE, and I had to fix it myself, with Wei Sheng's help for bike testing HAHA. Okay so I recognised all the landmarks and managed to survive town area and survive vivo and safely led November to garden macs with zero injuries. =)
The stretch from ridout to gombak was pretty smooth, so there isn't much to recount about. Just that we managed to catch up with lotsa teams like India Juliet Lemma Golf ... all of us taking turns to overtake each other due to unforeseen circumstances. Then the instructors kinda mass decided whether or not we should break off and settled that we will see what time we reach dunearn road and then only decide. Turned out that all groups there took short route haha. Many hiccups from gombak onwards. we had to stop about 3 times during the 2 upslopes cos of bike problems. and before turning to east ave 4, MY BIKE CHAIN GOT STUCK AGAIN after I crashed into Shi Huan. Fixed it again in the end. =) Anyway, wasn't that sure of the break-off route, lost kenn sheila and jiaying at orchard, ... and managed to tag along behind Romeo with Pei Yit leading. =) Many great thanks. By then the sky was BRIGHT. First time cycling till the skies were bright. And it was just this whole line of cyclists along Nicoll Highway cycling it looked quite impressive from where I was. Apparently, cos we were moving quite slowly cos of the heavy traffic. FINALLY reached ECP at about 7.40am, where I heaved my huge sigh of relief because my team is SAFE AND SOUND. Kenn had been a great sweeper, and i shan't discredit myself as a pointman for being able to lead 17 people throughout the hike. save for the break-off route. :P
Sunday
Bike Hike 09 ended with a huge success. Took loads of batch pictures, ... and some other .. pictures. the sun was really hot my eyes felt like they were burning so I hitched a ride from Khai together with Wei Chang and Jing Jie to tbcc, ... to do more saigang. but we had free air con free ride so it was good. And Khai and Alex were telling us the funny things that happened during the hike and the way they re-enacted the scenes were pretty hilarious to keep weichang jingjie and myself awake. Then Khai very kindly sent me home, because he stays at the block behind mine. Alright. This ends my post on bikehike.
Massive thanks to everybody. ESPECIALLY TO BIKEHIKE COMM AND ALEX. =)
enough said.
[edit]
I have awesome friends.
[- Jiajun -] ogahbloxx. says:
fern's bday next friday how!
[WHOA<34] zhenrui; says:
ya lifern how
[charlton] give me wings says:
you want ____?
[- Jiajun -] ogahbloxx. says:
can we just pretend we forgot?