These days...

remind me of a period of time in JC2 and again in the 1st Semester of Uni year 1...

both involve training for wushu competition (either Nationals or Inter-school) which was
- intense to say the least; trainings at least 4 days in a week for a few months
- a real challenge to push oneself to the limit; imagine waking up everyday with muscle aches and trying to finish assignments upon reaching home at 10 plus at night after training
- the one period of time I felt so tired while doing my routine I wanted to scream to keep myself going
- the one time I saw a friend actually crawl off the carpet after finishing her routine (that would be annabelle)
- when I cried at how helpless I felt in being unable to improve to where I wanted to be

Yet it was during that intense period where
- I enjoyed slices of watermelon with the team almost after every single training session
- I actually better understood how much I could push myself
- I looked and felt really fit (yes the training did pay off)
- The team bonded and grew more like a family than anything else
- I saw people grow and improve at a remarkable pace
- I saw how passion and discipline makes things happen
- I understood that sometimes, it's not the final results that matters... it's more of the process and the people that stand out
- I realised that the least I can do is help my junior team mate be as good as she could be, and eventually to be better than me

interestingly, history (or at least the lessons) are repeating themselves in how things move these days...

but anyway, I guess it is clear that to me, Wushu is more than just a sport. It is about values, team spirit, discipline, passion, pushing oneself to the limit.

It is a way of life and I would not be who I am or where I am today if not for it...