Jace 'n' Place

I was so surprised and glad to find Skateline School putting their easy-to-learn blading tutorials on a YouTube channel. This is really useful for a beginner, e.g. noobies like me! I really enjoyed myself when I was enrolled for the basic level 1 and 2 classes last year, my best buddy there being a young Korean kid (aka 김성진 no.2.. lol). Now I can actually use the clips to review what I have learned so far before moving on to level 3 (kind of rusty now.. Marcus, Aaron, Daniel, pls get me out for blading!!!!). You can go direct to the channel itself, or browse through the nifty moves that I have organized based on Skateline's own "Learn-To-Skate Program" booklet format:

Learn-To-Skate Program (ICP Standard)

Level 1:

• Stride 1
• Heel Stop (I bought a pair of blades without heel brakes, hence I shunned using heel brakes to stop initially. Never did I know that it is in fact very important, especially for slopes, after going through the lessons. This is also my main reason for failing my first ever evaluation..ㅠㅠ ! Learn well.)
• A-Frame Turn (The very first basic turn to learn and you can then turn everywhere!)
• Scooter (Important to familiarize placing your weight on one foot.)
• Swizzle (Looks easy but watch your balance.. it is easy to fall backwards doing this! Bend your knees for better thrust and balance.)

Level 2:

• Stride 2
• 1-Foot Balance (Another very important aspect to master.)
• Toe Roll (Fun to try, luckily not tested during evaluation.. lol)
• Heel Stop 2
• Scooter Turn
• Parallel Turn (I like this turn, it is so smooth. Maybe the hip is the trick.)
• Simple Slalom (my instructor told me ppl can fail this 8 times in a row.. his stern advice: no body rotation!)

Level 3:

• Stride 3 (My first lesson in level 3? Speed skating? *ahh* looks difficult!)
• Spin Stop
• Forward Cross-over (Nice move.. always wanting to learn this.)
• T-Stop (*hehe* I had secretly started training on this using the sloping overhead bridge at East Coast.. many horrifying experiences to share though! Maybe I should wait until proper lessons start...)

Level 4:

• Backwards Swizzle
• Backward Stopping
• Backward Skating (Cool!)
• Mohawk Turn
• 2-Foot Transition
• Backward Power-slide

Level 5:

• Lunge Turn (Marcus seems to know this instinctively!)
• Lunge Stop
• 1-Foot Slalom
• Heel-Stop 3
• Forward Power-slide
• Backward Cross-over

Level 6:

• Forward Criss-cross
• Backward Criss-cross
• Three Turn
• Edge Stop

Anyway, nothing beats having someone qualified to guide you along, and through my experience with Skateline's group of dedicated instructors, I find them to be pleasant and *overly* enthusiastic to impact knowledge, not forgetting the feel-good environment for all beginners during classes. The fun thing about inline skating is that there are so many interesting moves that I can gradually pick up as my skill improves (but I just can't do Aaron's Eagle move *sianz*) , as opposed to my first impression then as a leisure activity plus *lazy* way to exercise from one end of East Coast to another. I'm thinking of going for level 3 class this Saturday, anyone joining me? =p

Age doesn't matter so don't be shy to learn! For more information, check out the Learn-To-Skate Program by Skateline now!

➸ Other useful downloads...

Skateline Tutorials (in video format): Level 1-3 4-6 Intermediate Skate Backward Viewable in Nokia Phones 1-4 5-7 Skating Guides: Skate Rockering pdf Skate Backward pdf Slalom FAQs pdf Slalom Progression Chart (by SGSkaters): Level 1-2 3 4 5-7 Interesting Clips*: Tricks by Universkate zip The Chinese MSTeam zip Paris Slalom World Cup zip Shanghai Slalom Open zip IFSA Slide Contest zip The Clopinettes' Gang zip and more... * use winzip if cannot uncompress file in this section.

I laughed myself silly along with this little bundle of joy! This is seriously not a laughing matter not for the faint-hearted!

Imagine a pride of sly gangsters ambushing some really blur passersby, out sprang a jaw-dropping robber challenging the gangsters to a tug-of-war, while the young victim's comrades reunite to bring forth the world's greatest rescue act *my gang is bigger than yours*! Never in my life have I witnessed such incredible wonders of nature..

For more real wicked videos, check out YouTube's award winners for 2007! Woah... =P

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How to spend a very romantic day on the 29th of February? Watch "The Leap Years" with your dearest of course! And then promise to keep each other company on the next leap year *sweet*! This is simply just what Marcus did, and his review of the movie is equally saccharine and telling...

Quote

Interestingly, today is the 8th leap year that I have experienced in my life so far :P and I did not really pay much attention to this date previously. However, I decided to mark today to be a little bit more memorable as I will be spending the first leap year with my special one, our first leap year together. The significance here for me will be the rare occurrence of the date, once every 4 years. And due to historical tradition, this date can also be associated with romance and touching moments. I already had this thought in mind during the day and after watching the movie The Leap Years, it really further reinforce my belief.

The movie had a predictable plot, a simple cast and nice soundtrack from Corrine May. However the selling points of this movie for me are really none of the things mentioned above but more of the heart-warming n touching scenes, sweet quotes n union and sad partings. The soul of this movie centered on this couple making a promise to meet on every Feb 29. A promise that sets the stage for heart piercing decision to be made, romantic n memorable stories to be told. I was first attracted to this movie by the background music of the movie trailer which never failed to bring a sparkle to my eye whenever and wherever I hear it.

After doing some search, I discovered the music was actually composed by a Japanese musician; Ryuichi Sakamoto titled Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence. A simple story with underlying love messages for you to take away if you ponder long enough. A resolute mentality towards holding your own dream and courage to plunge into a dream believing that your true love is there waiting for you, just like the way you are waiting...

`·.¸¸.☁‧: Read more @ Marcus's blog :‧☁,.¸¸.·´

You can also read other interesting reviews at Marina's Bloggariffic (very, very nice pics), Memoirs of a Geri (nice quotes) and Call Me Uray (her 3 stars worth). I have been *persuading* Shimin to go ahead to watch it with her beau before the movie run ends *hurry.. book now*! If you find it dragging a bit, just close your eyes and listen to Corrinne May whenever her songs enter the scenes, that will justify the ticket price too. =p

And about the nice OST by Corrinne May (mostly) as recommended by Marcus, you have to believe him:

• Scars (Stronger For Life)
• Love Song For Number 1
• I'm All About You
• Baby Girl
• Little Superhero Girl
• The Birthday Song
• Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
• Strings Version
• Vocal Version (with David Sylvian)

listen ... and enjoy ^^

Note:

The soundtrack music used in "The Leap Years" cinematic trailer is an adaptation of Ryuichi Sakamoto's "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence". It was re-arranged by Robert WS, a composer commissioned by Raintree Pictures solely for the trailer. Composer Ricky Ho, who composed the main movie soundtrack, is not in any way associated with the trailer, as stated on his website on 1st March, 2008.

Possibly due to some unforeseen  issues, the trailer music has not been released to the public as a full single at the present time.

The original version of the 1983 soundtrack for the movie "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence", the strings version, as well as the vocal version with lyrics by English musician David Sylvian, are included in this collection.

Last but not least, thanks to itsallen for the songs!

The ever-likeable Professor Lim Siow Yong wishes his students a great *mugging* month ahead! I miss going to his tutorials some time back; he is really good in interacting with us and is an extremely warmly person to boot! =p

He reminded (yet again!), "Maybe I have sent this before….GOOD to read again. Really must concentrate on study now….."

"The happiest people in the world are not those who have no problems, but those who learn to live with things that are less than perfect."

* A group of graduates, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor.

* Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

* Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to  the coffee.

* When all the students had a cup of coffee, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the simple and cheap ones.

* While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.

* Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee.

* In most cases, it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink.

* What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups... Then you began eyeing each other's cups.

* Now consider this:

• Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups.
• They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live.
• Sometimes, by concentrating on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us. Enjoy your coffee!

* The happiest people don't have the best of everything..

* They just make the best of everything.

• Live simply.
• Love generously.
• Care deeply.
• Speak kindly.
• Leave the rest to God.

* You are the miracle, my friend;

* Your life either shines a light OR casts a shadow!

* Shine a light & Enjoy the Coffee!!!

"Live every day with enjoyment..... we don't know what tomorrow will give".

Regards

Siow Yong

Hypothetically, if you knew that you were going to die and you had one last lecture, what would you say to your students? Randy Pausch (more about him), a professor of Carnegie Mellon University and a married father of 3 young children, has terminal stage pancreatic cancer and had just given his one last lecture to his students.

If there are times when you find it hard to go on in life, you might be inspired by the candor of his presentation to live your life to the fullest, to realize your dreams, to give joy to others and to help others along to realize their dreams too:

Click here for smoother stream  "Time Management" by Randy Pausch (subtitled version)

As a rejoinder, you can read a summary by Wilfrid over here as well. This is easily the best lecture that I have ever *attended*! Do come in and listen too.

An amazing story of Moko the dolphin, quintessence of nature that has captivated me ever since I was a child!

Most days Moko the bottlenose dolphin swims playfully with humans at a New Zealand beach. But this week, it seems, Moko found his mojo.

Witnesses described Wednesday how they saw the dolphin swim up to two stranded whales and guide them to safety.

Before Moko arrived, rescue workers had been working for more than an hour to get two pygmy sperm whales, a mother and her calf, back out to sea after they were stranded Monday off Mahia Beach, New Zealand Conservation Department worker Malcolm Smith said.

But Smith said the whales restranded themselves four times on a sandbar slightly out to sea from the beach, about 300 miles (500 kilometers) northeast of the capital, Wellington.

It was looking likely they would have to be euthanized to prevent a prolonged death, he said.

"They kept getting disorientated and stranding again," said Smith, who was among the rescuers. "They obviously couldn't find their way back past (the sandbar) to the sea."

Then along came Moko, who approached the whales and appeared to lead them as they swam 200 yards (180 meters) along the beach and through a channel out to the open sea.

"Moko just came flying through the water and pushed in between us and the whales," Juanita Symes, another rescuer, told the Associated Press. "She got them to head toward the hill, where the channel is. It was an amazing experience."

Anton van Helden, a marine mammals expert at New Zealand's national museum, Te Papa Tongarewa, said the reports of Moko's rescue were "fantastic" but believable because dolphins have "a great capacity for altruistic activities."

There's evidence of dolphins protecting people lost at sea, and the swimmers are known for their playfulness with other animals.

"But it's the first time I've heard of an inter-species refloating technique. I think that's wonderful," said van Helden, who was not involved in the rescue but spoke afterward to Smith.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed (unless on a blog?).

See here (video) for more...

I remembered the good old days when I would read finished all the books available on nature, animals and insects in the Marine Parade National Library and had to wait longingly for new releases. Just want to show you a couple of pictures of one of my favourite mammals, the Narwhal, or "unicorn" whale:

At times, a male Narwhal may even have 2 tusks, although such instances are rare. The sociable and ever-smiling Beluga whales are also another of my favourites, the scene of a baby Beluga stranded on the shore helplessly as the family waited in anxiety was a really distressing sight: =(

Beluga Whale Stranded (National Geographic): When a baby beluga whale gets stranded on the shore, there's nothing its mother and pod can do but wait.

The doom and gloom for the last few months finally lifted for all Liverpool fans, and chasing all doomsayers and critics away for some needed breathing space for Rafa and Co. A heart-warming report that I saw in The New Paper recently, the camaraderie is a joy to behold as Gerrard presented the match ball to the hat-trick hero followed by a warm embrace as the Kop roared its approval.

Torres es magnífico!

By David Lee (TNP)

It is always nice to relive the wonderful actions of the last 3 matches again, and the goal against Inter at the San Siro was simply brilliant! What more can I say; Torres and Gerrard's expressions said it all! Wow!

watch

"The Spaniard's movement, control and finish were an object lesson in centre forward play at its finest, and the combination of all three of the striker's main arts produced a moment which Torres will, quite rightly, cherish for ever." (Liverpool Echo)

Get the full match torrents before the seeding ends, highlights from the fan sites listed, or direct from the official LFC TV:

• Premiership: Liverpool vs West Ham (