Swim The World (STW) - Learning that Makes a Difference.

My Shaun TiTi and I learn swimming at Swim The World (STW), UCSI University, Taman Connaught. STW has two branches, Swim The World at Taman Connaught and Splash the World, Bandar Mahkota Cheras. I understand that the Bandar Mahkota Cheras branch not only provides swimming lessons, but also lessons for babies. The pool is smaller, but it is a heated pool. Perfect for babies and younger children.

I wish to share my experience in this swimming club. I have experienced another swimming club, but have settled for STW as I am very comfortable there.

STW has good dedicated teachers.

The senior coach, Coach Ronald is very good in teaching with a variety of teaching methods, tailoring to the uniqueness of each student. I know this because Shaun Shaun TiTi and I had different learning stages with him. He made each student comfortable in learning at our own pace. I had a bad experience previously with a different coach, and it really shattered my swimming confidence. I refused to learn swimming. I certainly wished I did not need to learn to swim. Shaun Shaun was so fearful of water at the beginning. I still remember him hugging Coach Ronald like a koala bear, refusing to enter his head into the water. Coach Ronald was very patient with him, rewarding him for the little achievements he made. Coach was also able to push us to our limits without us even knowing it, or realising it. He knows our strengths, he knows our weaknesses. With his constant encouragements, Shaun Shaun and I were able to continue our lessons, and strive to do better.

Coach Ronald is not the only good coach that I had experience. Coach Kai was also good but a little more stern. He is great with kids who requires a more strict teaching method. Having said that, he too is able to tailor his teaching methods to the student's character. Both Shaun Shaun and I do not suit a strict and stern coach. We needed a coach who could insert a little fun into our lessons. Coach Kai was also able to make my lessons fun as well. I guess the coaches in this swimming club seem to be able to understand their swimmers, and are able to switch their teaching methods to motivate and make swimming fun, yet effective.

I had the opportunity to also experience a lady coach, Coach Zahra. She taught the Advance Class for a few months. However, she was then reassigned to build up the lessons at the new branch at Bandar Mahkota Cheras. I was very sad to hear the news when she left. With a short period of time teaching us, she has helped us improve our swimming endurance. Even through she has gone to teach in another branch, she was still supporting the advance team indirectly. She would send encouraging texts to the Advance Group WhatsApp.

As a child and student, we have to be quick in adapting into lessons we attend. The coaches at STW makes a whole lot of difference in shorting our adaptation period. They also have apparatus to assist them in making their lessons fun. These are normally used for younger students. Swimming lessons are meant to be enjoyable and fun.

I am grateful to to be a student in STW. Now that I have advanced to the elite team of the club, I am experiencing new things day by day. I am learning the meaning of focus, discipline and endurance. I am learning the meaning of working as a team, and supporting each other, especially when one is weak. As the coach emphasized in one of our advance training lesson, if a member is swimming with the wrong technique, we are responsible to correct him/her. We are responsible for each other. We have to back each other up and support each other. This is why STW makes a great club to be in.

MILO / PRAKL AGE GROUP SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIP 2016

I participated in PRAKL this year, representing my swimming club, Swim The World (STW). It was a great time of fun with my coach and friends. It provides a platform for me to gain more experience in competitive swimming. I may not be the best to win anything, but I am still proud to be able to participate and improve myself in every competition that I have participated in. It promotes great teamwork within our swimming club. Friendships will also blossom in time.

With my friend and coach

Our relay team.

Belated Post - New Year's Eve

My Ah Ku and Ah Kim were so generous to give our Homefellowship a treat by renting a Penthouse downtown for New Year's eve celebration. It was a great time of togetherness. I have always enjoyed my time with all the Kor Kors and Cheh Chehs in the Homefellowship. I enjoyed playing a card game called Bang! with them all night till 3a.m.

This is probably the last time I can celebrate with them because almost all of them have left to another church, forming another new group. I hope I get the opportunity to have more celebrations in the future.

My farewell post to 2015

I have not posted anything since end of last year. The year 2015 ended very well for me. God has been good and gracious. The most joyful part of being a student was that I did well in my studies academically and I am also part of the school's worship team to play the piano. It was an honour for me to play the keyboard during the school's Speech Day last year. I pray that God will continue to grow my talent in the area of music. I was also very proud to see my younger brother Shaun TiTi to received two awards with me. He certainly worked hard for it too.

My Shaun TiTi

In addition to that, Shaun TiTi and I also received a Kumon Award for excelling in maths. We were doing worksheets 5 years ahead from our age group. I was also honoured to be selected as a Moderator for a session, and received RM250 MPH vouchers as a moderator. It was certainly an auspicious occasion for us at JW Marriot.

God was certainly faithful to see us through. I know that He will continue to be faithful to see me through.

I bid 2015 farewell and now that I am in 2016, I know that there will be lots of work for me. It will be a challenging year as I start serving in church on the keys. I pray that God will use me to do His work. I pray that I am able to manage my time well, as I am very active in my swimming training now. I pray that I am able to excel in swimming as well. I have participated recently in 2 swim competitions over the past month, and I pray that through these exposures, I am able to be a better swimmer.

God bless.

Yummy Spaghetti

I started having an interest in cooking. My Ah Mah likes to watch Korean Cooking Shows in Channel 601 HyppTV. I would always join her because I enjoy watching that particular channel too. I personally like to eat spaghetti. I attempted to cook spaghetti one evening, and it turned out well.

National Short Course Competition

I was happy that our Swimming Club had sent a few of us to participate in the National Short Course Competition organised by ASUM in conjunction to the National Sports Day.

It was a great exposure for me. I was very pleased with my swimming results, as I manage to significantly break my own personal timing.

It was also a stressful time for me. I really wanted to swim well for the competition and to add on to my stress, my school final exam was just round the corner. I thank God that He preserved me and gave me strength to do well in my swim competition and in my final exams.

Our team from STW, with our Senior Coach

My classmate in school,
from a different swimming club (IBSC).

Friends from STW and IBSC

Putrajaya Aquathlon 2105w

Last month, I participated in the Putrajaya Aquathlon 2015. I was under the category of 10-12 years old boys event. I was required to swim 200m and run 2km. It was a great experience, an experience I would cherish.

Swimming 200m was not difficult for me. As an advance swimmer, I am used to swimming 200m. However, running 2km was not easy. I did not have much stamina to race after swimming 200m. It was easy to complete the race, but difficult to complete with a top 10 position. 

Through this event, I also learnt that most of us who are first timers took a long time to transition from swimming to running. As soon as we completed our swimming, we were expected to run to a transition point to change. Before the event, we had already placed our belongings in a basket assigned to us individually. I had to remove my googles and cap. I had to then wipe myself dry to wear my t-shirt and wear my shoes. To save time, I wore my shoes without socks. I took awhile to wear my shoes as my feet were still a little wet. Once I was ready, I had to set off to run 2km.

I enjoyed myself and was glad to have been able to participate in this event. I hope there would be such an event next year. I hope to do better next year.

Getting ready to swim. No proper lanes for us to swim

After my swim, running to my transition point

Just finished changing at the transition point.
Running out to start my 2km run

My 2km run

Finished the race with my pool friends.
All with a participation medal.

English Presentation in School

Recently I had to do a final English presentation for the year. Every month, we would have our listening and speaking assessment in school. Most of the time, we are asked to do an individual, or a group presentation for our English assessment. All my presentations have been good. My previous presentation was probably the best. I partnered with a friend and we did a promotional presentation on a swimwear called Funky Trunks. I sang a promotional song during the presentation too.

The swimwear we were wearing was called
Funky Trunks.

This is my classmate. We are swim buddies
although we train in different swimming
clubs.

For the final English presentation, I announced to the class that my final presentation would be of a more serious topic. I narrated the Story of God's Creation. I wanted to thank and honour God for the fruitful year in school. God has blessed me tremendously. So, I wanted my presentation to be biblical.

It was a little harder to prepare for the presentation. I needed visual aids. Fortunately Mami helped me with some ideas. I had Shaun Shaun TiTi to help me in making the visual aids. He is certainly more artistic than I am.

These were all the visual aids we prepared.

We used cardboard the most in our visual aids. We prepared:
1. The black round earth which represents darkness, and orange sun behind which represents light.
2. Clouds and waters, and separating them...made the sky.
3. Sun, moon and stars.
4. Living creatures
5. A man - Adam

When I remove the waters, it becomes dry ground. This particular
visual aid was made by Shaun Shaun TiTi.

Praise God my presentation went well. My teacher and friends gave good comments and my teacher's final words were "Keep it up!"

Morning Music

I love to sing at home. I may not sing a song but may hum to a certain tune. Otherwise, I would just make noises which sounds like music.

This is my trademark at home. Despite Mami calling me noisy, my noise and music still fills the house with joyful laughter.

Music is very much part of my life. What would I do without music.

No More ....

Last month was my last lessons for my Basic Swim group class at Bandar Tun Razak swimming pool. I am in a way happy and sad. Happy because I can now concentrate on my advance classes in the UCSI pool which I go about 4 times a week. Sad because I really like Coach Zoey. She is good and nice. I enjoyed her swim lessons and my cousin Ashley Cheh Cheh is in the same class. Unfortunately Coach Zoey no longer wants to teach the basic group class.

Life goes on. I want to still pursue swimming and I am hoping to be good in it.

Making Music Wherever I Am

I love music. I love singing. I may not be extremely good in singing but I can still sing in perfect pitch. I can harmonise a song well. My vocal range may not be very wide though.

I sing at home very often. I sing in the shower. I sing when I am in a good mood. I sometimes sing while doing homework. I love to take a common tune and add my own lyrics. I can be quite creative with words.

Recently a classmate and I had to do a promotional presentation for English Listening and Speaking assessment. As we were both swimmers, we decided to promote a swimwear called Funky Trunks. We prepared attractive visual art materials for the presentation. For the closing of the presentation, I presented a song entitled "Do you want a Funky Trunk?" The song was catchy and everyone loved the song. They enjoyed our presentation too.

Singing brings lots of joy and laughter to our family at home. Our whole family can sing. Shaun TiTi can sing very well too. Noone is tone deaf in the family... eer.. except for my Ah Mah.

Church Family Day 2015

Our church had a Family Day a few months back. It was organised jointly by Young People and Children Ministry. As Mami is a Children Ministry teacher, she was automatically in the committee who had to organise the event. It was held in our school hall.

I was very happy as I was part of the organising committee for the event. I helped in giving ideas on the games prepared. I helped with the preparations for the hall decoration. Finally, I was proud to be in co-MC for the event with my Kai Yeh.

Family Day turned out good, and we enjoyed ourselves very much.

The Organising Committee

As Busy As A Bee

I have been busy busy busy since last month. I don't know what I have been busy with, but I know I have been busy because this blog was not updated more than a month.

Last month was the month of May. Looking back, I can't recall why I was busy. All I remember was that there was much to do in school. Teachers were rushing to complete some lessons and there were lots of assessments held. One thing I remember very clearly was the projects that I was busy with. I had individual and group projects for English, Science, History, Mandarin, practically most of my subjects. I was glad that Mami helped me alot in reminding me and scheduling my time for my projects. She rushed me to complete my projects as fast as I could because many projects were running concurrently. I had to quickly complete one after another. Mami did not want me to work on multiple projects at the same time. Praise God. All my projects were completed way before the due date.

Other than that, I do not remember what I was busy with. All I remember was that Mami would always ask Shaun Shaun TiTi and I to call Mah Mah and Yeh Yeh in Ipoh to chat with them. However, Shaun Shaun TiTi and I would be so distracted, we ended up forgetting to do so. So, Mah Mah and Yeh Yeh, if you are reading this post, please forgive us. I do not know why we were so distracted. I guess we were always rushing to complete our work, hoping that we can switch on the TV earlier. We didn't want to cut short our TV time. We are sorry.

There were other events that made Shaun Shaun and I busy but I shall share with you in another post.

God bless you.

My 10th Birthday

I am officially 10 years old. It was a simple celebration at home, but I was touched as I felt special on that day.

My Ah Mah and Kakak prepared food and some simple home deco for my birthday. We have never had anything like this before. It was a last minute idea by Ah Mah to blow some balloons and write a birthday greeting with a highlighter on a big piece of paper.

I am really blessed. Mami had posted on Facebook about my birthday, reminding me of how blessed I am. I pray that I will be a blessing to others around me too.

Thank you God for all that you have blessed me with.

Birthday juice from Swimming Coach

Yamaha Electone Concour Winner 2014

Shaun Shaun Titi and I had the opportunity to see the performance of the winner to Yamaha Electone Concour 2014 last weekend. His stage name is Dion from Indonesia. I was amazed and fascinated with how he performed all his songs. I was just so in awe. I was so glad to have had the opportunity to take a personal photo with him. I pray that I will be able to play the electone like him. He is not only good in his technical skills, but he presented his songs in an amazingly creative manner. 

My Latest Magazine - Asian Geographic Junior

Mami bought this new magazine from Cold Storage, Gardens recently. It is called the Asian Geographic Junior. I have read two latest issues and I find it very interesting. The magazine is full of good educational facts, exposing me to general knowledge around Asia. If you are looking for a new magazine to read, do give it a try. Believe me... it is worth while reading it. I shall not tell you more, and let you discover it on your own.

Aqua Zumba

As an advanced student in my Swimming Club, I get to attend Aqua Zumba once a week for free. My coach had introduced Aqua Zumba as part of our physical exercise. It seems that 1 minute of exercise in water is equivalent to 3 minutes of exercise on land.

I find it fun to dance in the pool. We dance in the pool with cool, loud music. The steps seems easy to follow, but believe me... it can be very tiring.

My First Day of School Holiday

I did not have an interesting day, considering it was school holiday. I always wished that school holiday would really be a HOLIDAY. But, unfortunately not. If you want to know what I did, check out what my Shaun Shaun TiTi wrote here. What he did, was what I did too :(

Mixed Feelings for English Week 2015

Some of you would have read Shaun Shaun TiTi's blog on English Week. He expressed how happy he was with the prizes he obtained for English Week. He practically won in every event. I am proud of him, especially in his storytelling competition.

I have mixed feelings because there was an event which my partner and I was hoping to win. We had a poster designing competition. There were a few idioms given and we had to design a poster from the idiom we selected. We worked in pairs. My partner and I chose the idiom, "Practice Makes Perfect". We felt that our poster design was eye catching and nice. All our classmates praised our design too. However, we did not win any prize from this event.

Nevertheless, there were two more events. I won 1st prize for the Essay Writing competition and Boggle game. As what Shaun Shaun said, we are grateful to Dadi and Mami because we had the opportunity to practice playing boggle during the Chinese New Year holidays on their handphones.

I am still very grateful to have won for the essay and boggle competition. It was all good for me. God was certainly good to Shaun Shaun and I. We thank God for His grace, favour and mercies upon our lives.

Recycling! Recycling! Recycling!

I love to collect things which Mami disposes and reuse them to make something. I know that Mami doesn't like the idea because she tells me that most of the items I made were not useful, and they ended up in the bin anyway. I can make the silliest thing, but still find it nice. My Shaun Shaun TiTi calls me a rubbish collector. He too tells me it is a waste of time. However, I am still motivated to continue. Perhaps one day I will be able to make something useful.

My latest "invention" which I found useful was my home slippers. Mami challenged me to wear it at home to see if it was really "useful". I wore it but didn't feel comfortable with it. So, I guess I failed. Or perhaps I will one day redesign it to make it more comfortable, when I can get suitable materials to add padding to my slippers.