CEASE

I DECLARE.

STRICTLY NO MORE ENTERTAINMENT UNTIL THE END OF EXAMS.

PERIOD.

Akiby and MAF and Korea

So once again we got champion for SP Chess Challenge.

Or is it called SP Open now? Or Battle of the Wits? Whatever.

Our team won most of the rounds without any problems. Except the round against SP Team A. If Xiaojuhua had lost that game the result would be hard to say.

This competition was also a good chance for me to test out my new toy, the Akiby.

It's the EOS 7d which I bought in Japan long ago. I bought it in Akihabara, that's why I call it Akiby.

It's much harder to use than the previous one. The controls are almost the same, but the settings can vary a lot, hence it's hard to manipulate.

So far I'm still using the AV mode a lot.

I need to learn how to start using the manual mode.

I need to learn how to evaluate the correct settings in different situations by my eyes.

And also, how to compose better.

My friend told me post-editting is very important. But I think it's something which is very hard to learn.

I guess I'll touch on it when I have the time.

Yesterday was Mid-Autumn Festival.

I almost forgot about it until Lin Xi told me on Saturday that they were going HwaChong for MAF.

Had dinner with my parents yesterday at home.

MAF reminds me of friends.

It also reminded me something I seemed to have forgotten.

Perhaps I've been too engrossed in my own stuff.

Last time I used to organise gatherings a lot, but ever since the last holiday, not much.

This is quite a sad thing... Maybe I should've used this MAF to organise a small gathering.

Nowadays I'm losing motivation and determination to do stuff.

It's like I'm... tired.

But nobody cares... Life still carries on.

And I still have to fulfill my duties.

To study.

So, in the end, I still decided to go for the tournament in Korea.

Yes, I will miss school.

But I think it's a rare chance.

What if I don't get selected next year?

What if they don't hold it next year?

It's also a good opportunity for me to gain more experience.

What I need now is more experience.

That's what I lack most.

That's why I'm still weak in many areas.

I lack playing serious games.

Therefore, I chose to go.

Of course, I need to be prepared to face the consequences.

Which is much less time to study.

I suddenly realised I have 3 CAs coming up next week.

This week there are also many activities.

I need to start studying right away.

NOW.

SAF and Tickets and Form

Not much studying was done this week.

I was quite frustrated over many things.

One being receiving a letter from the SAF, asking me to report to NSCC for a charge.

Because I didn't clear my IPPT/RT in time.

Huh??

Ok, I don't even want to talk about this anymore. This is so ridiculous.

Luckily, I managed to contact my unit about this, and this kind lady said she will get them to withdraw the charge, and I won't need to report anymore.

And also the good thing is I would not need to do RT anymore. I just need to complete my IPPT before my next birthday.

Another thing is about air tickets.

Air tickets to Japan, air tickets to Korea, air tickets to Thailand...

So many air tickets to worry about...

Especially the one to Thailand and to Korea. Because Thai U-Go and KPMC are just after one another, this is the first time I'm travelling from a foreign country to another foreign country, so I'm not sure what it would be like.

Should I get 3 one way air ticket, or should I get 2 round trip tickets?

And just today I received a email saying that I can join another competition after the KPMC.

It's also held in Korea, and there is prize money involved.

Should I go for it?

If I go, I'll be missing whole 2 weeks of lesson...

Is it worth it?

But then, I'm already gone for 10 days, so another 3 days doesn't matter much...?

I guess I'll discuss this with Mikyung tomorrow.

She will most probably ask me to go though.

Third thing is my off-form-ness.

I still think I'm off-form.

Even though I beat Wei Ran and Xiaojuhua to get selected for the Thai U-Go, my game against Li Chao was very bad.

I didn't have any clear chance from the start.

Just played another tourney game against him today. It was also very bad.

I was leading at middle game, but at one point I played a gote move, and he managed to get more than 20 points in the centre because of that.

I still had time... Why didn't I think properly?

That's the bad thing about thinking ahead... If you already have the move in mind, you tend to play it and not rethink about it.

If I didn't think about it, I would definitely not play there and end up gote.

Haiz... So in the end it's still my own problem.

And the byo-yomi problem. I'm still very weak at byo-yomi.

The Thai U-Go, and the KPMC are all 30 seconds byo yomi.

I must try to do something before that.

One person on KGS actually gave me some advice. He said I should get enough sleep and exercise. Only then will my brain function well.

Yes, of course I agree. But it's just difficult for me to sleep at night... All these years of not sleeping early has made it almost impossible...

But then, that's not an excuse!

Working hard always come with sacrifice.

And I definitely think I should sacrifice some of my playing time.

Only by putting 100% effort, can the impossible be achieved.

Yes, I will do it!

Anybody wondered why studies is not in my list of things to worry about?

Well, I'm also wondering about that.

Library

Instead of staying at home, I decided to go to library to mug today.

The result? I wouldn't say it's much more effective. Only slightly better than at home.

Why? Because I don't have my annoying laptop beside me, which is my main distraction.

My iPhy is also good enough to be a distraction, but it is not as strong as my Asy.

I can look at my Asy all day if I'm at home, but if I'm in the library, I would be slightly motivated to study and stop looking at my iPhy eventually.

That's the slight difference.

I really miss the days I spent in Beijing.

Those days were so carefree. Playing Go and other stuff everyday.

But holidays don't last forever. And they have already ended 4 weeks ago.

Reality is harsh. But you have to face it.

A cup of coffee really works. It drove most of the laziness away and brought me some determination.

I hope this determination will grow, and last me through the semester.

And I will visit the library more often now.

You know what? It closes at 9.30 pm!

Today's Tsumego:

White to kill.

What's the best white can get?

Attacking on the 2nd Line

From a professional game. Iyama Yuta (White) VS Kono Rin.

Black wanted to live inside white's moyo by playing at A, but white immediately played at 70!

An amazing move.

I never knew this group could be attacked this way.

If I played this kind of move I definitely would be scolded by my teachers.

Normal moves I would consider are maybe C9 or B13.

I think Iyama found this move the most effective.

I think he's really a prodigy.

I'm already officially his fan. :)

Moving onto last day of the long weekend.

Today is Hari Raya? Omg I didn't realise.

No wonder so many people stayed at home to facebook instead of going to school.

Selection for Thai U-Go this year is held this weekend.

I really hope all the NTU guys could go, even though it's quite hard to achieve.

After losing to Xiaojuhua by time, I realised I really must buck up on my time management.

Let's see how it goes in this selection...

Today's Tsumego

White to live.

The usual problem made slightly more difficult and much more interesting.

Time to Update

I just realised that I haven't updated this blog for sooo long!!

It's almost becoming non-existent...

Year 2 Sem 2 has started, and is already moving onto its 4th week.

Before I start intensive mugging, I think I should update about my Beijing trip this time.

On the whole, I would say the trip was really fruitful. Even though there weren't many strong players, and there was only one guy whom I lost to other than the professionals, I have to say I learnt a lot. I learnt how the pros think, how they play, and most importantly, I learnt my weaknesses.

One of my main weakness is learning to play fast. One of the teachers, Peter said that if I play a game without time limit, I will play well, but if there's limited time then I have trouble playing. If I play 10 second Go with them I think they can give me 3 handi.

That's a problem I always had. Not being able to read fast enough. I always use up too much time in competitions and end up losing. In WAGC this year, I was also leading in many games but in the end lost due to Byo-yomi. What I tried to do was to reduce my thinking time in easier situations and use more of opponent's time, but that's not easy to achieve. I always end up using time at the wrong place. Time management, is really important.

But then, thinking about it, that's just making up for my weakness. I'm not solving the root of the problem, which is not being able to read fast. I can do tsumego, but sometimes it takes very long. I think being able to play fast like a pro really requires vigorous training. All the shapes are already etched in their mind, and hence they just need to find the first and read for a few seconds and decide where to play. It's amazing.

I know that I will never learn to read as fast as them, but I can at least try. Now that I know my weakness, I'll start working hard on it, other than thinking of ways to make up for it. Many people say playing on the internet is detrimental, but I think since many people play fast game on the internet, it is a good place to train my byo-yomi skills. Last time I was scared of losing hence I didn't play a lot. But now I know that I need to play. I need more experience, so that I can learn.

Of course there are other parts which I need to work on, such as fuseki, middle game, and yose. Actually that's everything, lol. My another weakness is attacking. I am always unable to attack opponent's group effectively and end up losing. Everytime when I'm required to attack or kill I always don't know how to play. Therefore from now onwards I will try to play more messy games so that I can learn how to attack.

And yose. I have trouble counting territory everytime, and if it's a close game I always count wrongly. Sometimes I think I'm winning, but in the end I lose by 1.5 points or more. That's quite a serious problem. Because if I knew I was losing, then I should've tried harder to win instead of playing normally. The teacher told me they always do a rough estimate within 20 seconds. And it is often done through comparison. That's one thing I need to learn. And of course, calculating the value of each yose and finding out the best sequence. I also need to train on that.

I think that's about all I want to say. Will update more next time.

By the way, Singapore has a new President now!

P.S.

Since this blog is called "Easy Go", I think I should post something related to Go everytime. Hence I will post a Tsumego in every post. They are all taken from my facebook page.

Tsumego of the day:

White to live.

100%

I don't know why I haven't updated for so long.

I think it's becoming a bad habit of mine.

And there's so much spam!! ------>>

Anyway, I think I'd better update before I fly off again...



World Amateur 2011 is over.

The result was far worse than I expected.

When somebody interviewed me on the first day, I said I was aiming for at least 6 wins.

Bulls**t.

I didn't even know how difficult it was to get 6 wins.

And I just said that without any determination.

In the end? Only 4 wins.

And the worse thing is, all my opponents are those that I should've won.

I'm not saying I'm definitely stronger than them. I'm just talking about the games.

Almost all the games I lost I was leading at one point. But one stupid mistake and the lead is gone.

And I only realised that I was losing until near the end.

What am I becoming?

Someone who just plays for fun and doesn't care about win or lose?

Someone who just randomly places stones on the board?

Getting this result made me very upset.

However, being upset doesn't solve any problems.

I had to make a decision: Give Up? Or Continue?


After much hesitation, I decided that I would

Continue.

I would continue to put in my best effort to learn Go for another two years.

BEST EFFORT.

If within these two years, I still do not get any decent results in international tournament, then I will give up, and just be a Happy-Go-Player.

Somebody told me, that if I just aim to get into top 10, I will never get champion.

Maybe that's why I got such lousy results.

I didn't aim high enough. I wasn't preparing to give my best from the start.

I didn't put in enough effort to prepare.

I overestimated myself.

From now on, I will acknowledge the fact that I am weak.

And since I am weak, I must put in more effort to study.

Play every game seriously.

Never play a move without thinking.

Through this Beijing Trip, I will build up my 100% determination, and 100% concentration, to continue this tough path.

And of course, 100% courage.

Jump and Body and World Amateur

Finally, the day is here.

For me to take my RT-IPPT.

However, to my huge disappointment, I failed again...

There goes my plan of passing my IPPT before my Japan trip.

And I have to call up the NS Call Centre to extend my RT cycle because I'm not able to complete in time.

All because of the stupid Standing Broad Jump.

I passed it last time, why did I fail it this time!!??

Maybe it was due to a wrong choice... I shouldn't have left it to the last... I should have done it first...

Yeah, that was the losing move.

Now I don't know what's going to happen.

I'm just waiting for my unit to call me.

It's impossible for me to complete the remaining RT sessions within these few months.

Let's just hope I don't get charged...

I know I've said this so many times.

But really... something is wrong with my body.

I can feel it.

I can feel something going on inside my body.

Just that I don't know what it is exactly.

Puberty?

I sure hope so.

Flying off to Japan for World Amateur really soon.

Sorry for not uploading so many of the photos...

I'll get them settled either in Japan or after I come back.

I don't really think I'll do well this time.

My Go really sucks recently.

I don't know my level drop until where already.

If I can play every game seriously and enjoy them, I'm happy enough.

I wish myself good luck.

The Battle

Starts.

And I'm MORE unprepared than usual.

Mug

Zen is in the process of mugging.

Please do not disturb.

Please disturb, however, if you discover he's not mugging.

Please also disturb him in the morning so that he'll wake up.

Please also celebrate together with him when his exam ends.

Because he may only enjoy the happiness for a while.

Before the results come.

Exam, Knife and Love

Had my last CA for FE1007 today.

Screwed it up.

Maths is supposed to be fun.

But careless mistakes always ruin the fun.

I forgot to do a simple step, and just sat there for 15 minutes without knowing how to start the question.

How stupid can I get?

I have another speech and Korean listening test coming up.

After that it's the finals.

I look forward to the life after exams.

Only if I'm in the mood to enjoy it, though.

I was going to draft my speech before I sleep.

But two things caught my attention.

One is the news of an NTU student attempting suicide today.

Apparently she was found with knife inside her head.

KNIFE INSIDE HEAD??

That's like some horror movie.

Now she's in the hospital.

I wonder what caused her to try to die in such a gruesome way...

Stress?

I don't know...

But I hope people can treasure their lives more...

You only get to live once...

Another thing was Miaojing's updates on her birthday event.

Sadly, I have been so busy mugging that I forgot about her birthday.

Apparently I haven't been checking facebook recently.

I don't know why but I'm just bad at remembering people's birthdays.

And names.

The only thing I'm good at remembering are faces.

Anyway, so she shared some pics taken during her birthday party.

Apparently her bf had given her a very huge surprise.

And she was touched.

Yeah, it was just like a scenario that I thought would only happen in a love drama.

If I were a girl, I'd be touched too.

Not to mean anything, but she really became very beautiful after finding a bf.

So it's true that women get prettier when they are in love.

I feel happy for her finding the right guy.

At the same time, I'm also a bit envious, despite me being a guy.

I don't think I would be able to do to someone I like what her bf did.

Thinking about it made me a bit sad.

Once again, congrats!

And happy belated birthday!

Soy Sauce

Ok, sorry.

I take back what I said in my previous post.

I think I am a very bad guy.

So bad that sometimes I'm totally disgusted by what's in my mind.

Yes I'm a very dangerous person.

Come near me if you dare.

Nothing much to update nowadays.

Just still busy mugging as usual.

Next week is the last week before exams.

Doomsday is coming soon.

Yeah, I know I'm totally doomed already.

But thinking that way won't help.

So it's better to spend more time mugging.

Do as much as I can.

I find it quite ironic that I need HMK1 Korean Language, which I intended to S/U, to help me pull up my grades now. That's the module I'm doing best so far...

Played another day with pink stones at HwaChong.

Somehow I got champion.

But the Go I played was utterly bad.

One game I was leading by a huge amount, but in the end I screwed up and had to resort to winning by time.

I hated it.

The game I played with Yifei today also.

I was winning but made a move without even thinking.

In the end almost lost.

I'm not happy with almost 80% of all recent games I play.

Another off form period for Sadaharu?

I don't know.

And I don't really have time to worry about this now.

Good and Bad

Sometimes.

I think I am a good guy.

Just that.

It may not be a good thing.

Only less than 1 month left to END of my exams. And I'm still busy catching up on all those I've missed.

All the Z monsters and King Laziness seem to be attacking me at the same time.

Will I make it?

Last sem was very bad. I seriously don't want this sem to be worse.

It's time for me to put my mugging mode to full throttle.

For that I will need to reduce my distractions.

Reduce my entertainment.

Just for this month.

If somebody finds me slacking, or playing too much, please scold me.

Please punch me.

Hit me, kick me.

I'm serious.

1 month.

Let me achieve God-Mode!!

Random Updates

Just thought I'd post some random updates on my life since I hadn't been blogging for so long.

Got first for pair go.

Yay.

Ok, yeah there weren't many participants, but I'm still quite happy.

And pair go is quite fun, because there are many more possibilities than just playing alone.

I hope they will still hold the international pair go competition this year, so that I can participate.

Next thing.

My CAs.

I think I've screwed up almost all my CAs.

Especially MoM.

For that I didn't know how to do the question totally.

And for almost all my modules I'm lagging behind by a lot.

Except maybe Korean.

What to do?

Final exam in 1 month's time.

I really really really REALLY need to buck up.

Seriously.

And my sleep cycle.

I'm starting to sleep too much again.

So much that I will think it's a waste to sleep the next day.

I know it can't go on like this but sometimes it's hard to control.

Sometimes I just can't sleep.

Sometimes I just can't wake up.

And I had a 17 year old tell me I don't have enough willpower.

Yes maybe.

That's true.

I also think so.

I need more willpower.

I mean I need to generate more willpower.

やるき。

Good thing is that I recently discovered a good way to wake up.

Still in the midst of testing it out.

Hopefully it works.

The KBOX we went after pair go.

It was very crazy.

Crazy House Chuah.

Crazy and fun night.

However, I think next time we need to set some ground rules.

1. Each person can only put 1 song at a time. DON'T put soooo many songs that we can't even sing finish.

2. Only one person should be singing at a time, except for those songs that require two persons. Wouldn't it sound nicer that way? And it's also a form of respect for the person singing.

3. PLEASE DO NOT SHOUT INTO THE MIKE.

Yup, other than the stuff mentioned above, it was still quite fun~

22nd

I'm 22 years' old now.

I have two 2's, and yet I'm still a 1.

But that doesn't feel so important right now.

This year's birthday was kind of... gloomy.

I didn't even have the mood to hold a birthday party like last year.

I didn't even invite my friends to my house.

Because, I feel that, so many people are suffering out there, how can I be so selfish as to enjoy myself?

Yes I really felt that way.

Tsunami, earthquake, Nuclear Leaks, disaster after disaster...

I'm glad my friends and their families are alright, but there are many people still suffering.

Death toll increases day by day.

Nuclear problem still not settled and many people still living in fears.

Many people can't even find the bodies of their loved ones.

Tell me, how can I enjoy my birthday in such a situation?

Thanks everyone for all the birthday wishes.

But I really can't say that this year's birthday was a happy one.

I really really hope that all these will be over soon.

Pray for Japan.

Tokyo 2011

I'll just skip the introductions and briefly write about my trip this time in chronological order.

2011.02.28 Day 1

Reached Tokyo at around 8 am in the morning. The announcement said that it was 6°C, which really scared me. I didn't even dare to walk out of the airport. The cold wind from outside prevented me from even going near the doors.

I needed to wait for Wang Zhuo and Zhao Wei from China, who will be reaching in the afternoon, before making our way to the hotel. So I just walked around, bought Shonen Jump and Magazine, sat down to read, and took some rest. It was then that I realised that things like Shonen Jump was one of the cheapest things I can find in Japan. Amazing.

Food at airport was not cheap. Some 900 yen for a soba plus small bowl of rice. But it was very delicious. It made me realise that I've not been eating delicious stuff for very long. It was also the first time I ate soba contained in soup. Kitsune Soba. Yummy~

Wang Zhuo and Zhao Wei arrived at around 2 pm. I was so worried that I missed them because their plane arrived quite early but they were still not coming out. Luckily I managed to see them. I was able to recognise Wang Zhuo with one look, but as for Zhao Wei, he didn't look like a guy who play weiqi and get champion. I've heard about him before, but... Maybe he was just too skinny...

Getting to the hotel was easier than last year. The information counter gave me clear directions on how to get to Ginza. It took us about one hour plus to get there. Ah, back to this expensive place again. I think if not for this competition, I wouldn't even think about stepping into Ginza.

As far as I can remember, the room was kind of smaller than last year's. Other than the bed and table, there was almost no more space. I'm guessing this year the organisers don't have enough money to go around, so they chose a cheaper hotel? But well at least there's still internet connection, and as long as I have a place to sleep I'm content.

Opening ceremony started at 6pm. I was glad that I saw many familiar faces, and all started calling me kazuki. They also recognised Zhao Wei, the champion 2 years ago, immediately. Among the other players there were also some I've seen before, such as Yang Po Chun and Pan Ning from Taiwan. I've seen Yang Po Chun not long ago in the Thai U-Go, while Pan Ning I've seen her during the Asian Amateur Baduk Championship in 2007. The representative of Japan were also the same people. The world is small indeed.

The day ended with self introduction by everyone and interactions among the players and organisers. I was surprised that the Korean representative, Ham Young Woo, could speak Chinese. My Korean was still too lousy to be able to talk to a Korean. The Korean female player could only speak Korean and a bit of Japanese, so I had difficulty talking to her. I definitely must learn my Korean well after I go back.

2011.03.01 Day 2

Start of competitions.

As usual, I didn't manage to wake up for breakfast.

But that's not important.

Competition venue was the same as last year. Ginza Internet Forum. I still don't know why it's called internet forum though. It's a very nice, cosy place. It was so warm inside that it made me forget about the cold wind blowing outside. Miranti, the player from Indonesia, said that it's still very cold inside the room. We were all kind of shocked.

My opponent for the first round was Sekine Reiko from Japan. She's the Female Oza of last year, and the year before. And according to Zhao Wei, 2 years ago she was also the representative. It shows how strong she is. It seems that she also trained in Korean dojo for about 3 months. I think I also should do that sometimes, and I can practise my Korean there as well.

The game started with a joseki I had forgotten. I thought for sometime but still didn't make the correct move. Luckily she also didn't make the correct move and the game was able to continue. I made some problem moves in mid-game and was quite dangerous, but due to byo-yomi she made some serious mistakes, and as a result I was able to win in the end.

Lunch was bento, which was same as last year. It never fail to amaze me how delicious these bentos can be. I don't think I can find such bentos in Singapore.

My opponent for the next round was Song Yeseui from Korea. Sadly I could only do a bit of self-introduction in Korean. The game started out quite normal, but nearing mid-game I started to make mistakes, and my groups were all very weak. In the end I was unable to withstand her fierce attacks, and lost. No offence but it's amazing how such a cute person can play so well.

Another thing to take note is that Zhao Wei and Ham Youngwoo, two persons who should be fighting for champion, met in the second round. It was totally unexpected for both of them. After a fierce fight, Ham Youngwoo managed to win. Zhao Wei seemed extremely unhappy, and kept replaying the game over and over. It also made me see what the 'champion' level is like.

Night time was free time as usual. Me and the two players from Taiwan and Zhang Yue from US went to a nearby Ramen shop. They used machines to take orders instead of verbally. More effective? Well at least it saves them the effort to write down each person's order manually.

Because I didn't get to eat ramen the last time I came, I just ordered the ramen that looked the most special and with most ingredients. It was very yummy! Much better than the ramen you can find in high class restaurants in Singapore! Japan is indeed a place with great food everywhere.

2011.03.02 Day 3

With the help of Wang Zhuo, I managed to wake up for breakfast. Breakfast at our hotel was simple, just like a full course, the waiter served us each dish one by one. The variety was not as great as last year though, but we could have chosen to go to the other hotel for a buffet breakfast. Too bad even until the last day I didn't manage to eat the buffet.

My first opponent for the day was Wang Zhuo... again. Last year we met in the first round, and this year we are playing again. And then I realised that for the first three rounds I had been playing the female players from the 3 strongest countries, Japan, Korea and China. Is it good or bad luck? I don't know...

This game again started out normal. I was black but I didn't play the same fuseki as last year because I lost that game. However in mid-game I was too eager to start a fight even when white is thick. In the end I didn't gain anything from the fight and ended up with a weak group in the middle. There was nothing much to be played after that.

Second game of the day was against Zhang Yue from US. I thought then that maybe this year I will end up only winning one round... Because Zhang Yue used to aim to be a pro in China, and is quite strong. However it seems like he has been out of touch, and played many problem moves since the beginning. I was also dangerous for one moment, but he made a severe mistake in mid-game, and I was able to win the game.

And that was the end. In the last round, Song and Ham, both from Korea, met each other. It was the champion deciding match. Ham managed to win in mid-game. Song seemed quite upset, because as a result of losing the game she got 4th. Yang Po Chun from Taiwan was 2nd, while Wang Zhuo was 3rd.

I always think that 4 games is a bit too little for a competition. But considering that there are only 16 players, and they have limited resources, I guess it's still reasonable.

After the award presentation, it was the much awaited drinking party. Sadly, Wang Zhuo, Zhao Wei, and Song didn't join the party. This year the place was smaller than last year, but nevertheless it was still very fun. The japanese players were trying very hard to get Ham drunk, but Ham seemed very strong in drinking as well. Even after drinking so much he could still stand up straight. Dirty words and jokes flew all over the place, and there was laughter everywhere. I really enjoy this kind of parties. I should've let go of myself, and allow myself to go crazy together with the rest. Hmm maybe I didn't drink enough =p

After the drinking party there was still the second party. We went to the same place as last year for Karaoke. Personally I didn't sing enough but all the weird and crazy dances really made me laugh. These people really know how to have fun!

There was one person who lost consciousness and kept vomiting though. I wonder if she's alright now.

2011.03.03 Day 4

After a night of crazy dancing and singing, day 4 was the day for sightseeing. Of course not as fun as drinking, but it was necessary. We went to the National Park (I don't know how to call that place). It was sort of like an imperial palace. Nothing much to see there actually. Just nice scenery. And a very big Sakura tree! A very nice to place to take group photo.

After lunch we went to a shrine nearby. I drew lots there, and it came out 大吉, which is the best one can get. It was 恋みくじ (lots that will tell how your love life goes) actually, so I was a bit happy. But as for how it will turn out in real life, I'm not sure.

In the afternoon we went to the Nihon Kiin, and it was free time from then onwards. This year I didn't buy as many books as last year, because last year I bought so many that I had difficulty carrying them home. I only bought two fans and some small books.

Even though it was free time it seemed like everybody didn't know where to go. So basically we dispersed into two teams. One visiting a dojo nearby, and another going Karaoke. I of course joined the dojo group, because I have never seen a dojo in Japan before. It was quite a small place, somewhere I wouldn't expect a dojo to be. The goban also seemed very old, and when we reached there was nobody there but a girl playing out professional games.

There, we got a professional player, Mr Ohashi, 5p, to review Ham's game. He seemed to be on good terms with Ham, and very actively gave opinions. A very small kid, who was a student of the dojo, also joined in the discussion. From the opinions he gave, I could see that he was very strong.

After that we went to join the rest in Karaoke and dinner. It was more like another drinking party rather than dinner though. We played many drinking games, including the I Love You game. Just like one of the staff said, there was no boundary at all in drinking games. =)

After that we split into two groups again. One going back hotel, and the other going for second party. I of course joined the second party group. We made our way to another Karaoke place, and stayed there until 5 am. At around 3 am nobody was actually singing already, and some were playing Go, me included. Mr Ohashi also gave some tsumegos for us to solve. It was a fun and crazy night~

2011.03.04 Day 5 (Last Day)

The last day.

The day we had to leave.

On this day I reached the hotel at around 6 am. Slept for a while and woke at 10 am to pack my stuff. We had to check out at 11 am.

The staff was waiting for us at the hotel lobby. They passed us our Kifu collections, which includes some of our photos printed out. It was a very elaborate job. I like it very much. After taking a group photo with them, it was time to leave.

Me, Zhao Wei and Wang Zhuo's flight was at 7.30 in the evening, so we went to Akihabara to take a walk before making our way to the airport. We reached the airport quite late, so I didn't really have time to buy many things.

I have to say, the trip this time was much more fun than last year. I think it's mainly because I was able converse more with everyone, especially with the staff in Japanese. And all the staff were calling me by my Japanese name, Kazuki, so I felt that I'm recognised. I don't think many people can understand my feelings, but I really felt happy. =D

There are some regrets though, one of them being the fact that I was still only able to win 2 games out of 4. Yes my opponents were strong, but that doesn't mean I don't stand a chance and I should lose. The difference between me and people like Zhao Wei is still quite huge, and I must strive to close this difference. I hope by next year, this gap would have closed by a little.

Yeah, I definitely hope to come again next year =D

Oza and WAGC

I actually got selected for WAGC this year.

I think luck played a great part. Players like Jc and Yuxiang didn't even join the selection.

But still, I'm still quite happy, as it's the first time I'm going for this competition.

It's held in end of May, right after my exams.

I will definitely do my best.

But first, I must deal with this Student Oza.

I was intending to do at least better than last year, which means win more than 2 games.

But after seeing so many strong faces, I found out that it's quite hard to achieve...

So I guess I can only do my best.

I'm glad, though, that there are many familiar faces.

I think this year's gonna be quite fun again~

In Memory of Mr Yeo

One of the people who has been working for Singapore Weiqi Association for a very very long time, has just passed away.

It was due to a heart attack.

Many of us were shocked.

I went to his wake yesterday.

I can still remember his laughter, his smiles that he always carries around.

I still can't believe they are gone.

I'm not really that close to him, but he was the Team Leader for 2006 Go Goodwill Tournament. He brought many Hwa Chong 'kids', including me, to Thailand.

At times he was fierce and strict, but overall he's a very nice person to get along with. He managed to take care of us 'naughty kids' quite well.

His unique loud laughter is something I will never forget.

I heard from Yuri that he was a very helpful and friendly person, and was very nice to her.

He has also contributed a lot to the Singapore Weiqi Association.

The last time I saw him, he was still holding his Samsung Galaxy Tab, 'fighting' with the iPad happily.

But, all of a sudden, he's just gone like that.

Life is just like this. You never know what's going to happen next.

That's why you should treasure every moment. Every second.

Look at people around you. Smile to them more. Treat them nicer.

When you wait until you can't see them anymore, it will be too late.

Rest in peace, Siao Tian Uncle.

Lazy Saturday

The whole of today was sort of spent lazing around...

I'm very sure I woke up at around 8 am. I looked at my alarm clock, realized it's going to ring soon, so I switched the alarm off, and continued sleeping... Wow, I'm surprised that I could actually do that... Amazing...

Haiz my days have not been very productive... The very first CA coming soon, and I'm lagging behind by quite a lot in studies... I'm still not totally familiar with Korean vowels and consonants yet... (What's the difference between 가 and 카??)

Went to SWA today to teach my students. Then one of my students say he forgot and never came... What kind of attitude is this?? I came all the way to Bugis and you say you forgot???

I'm not taking control of myself... My laptop is controlling me... Yeah and my bed... I need to take back ownership!!

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Sleep, Sleep, Sleep

Sleep.

This word.

Has troubled me so much over the years.

I don't know why.

Some people can sleep so well.

By the way this picture on the left doesn't reflect the total number of hours I slept.

Some people can function so well after sleeping so little.

Some people can wake up even just after sleeping for one hour.

I can't even wake up sometimes after sleeping for 6 hours.

It happened again this morning.

Yesterday I was really tired so I slept at 12am.

Then this morning I didn't even hear the alarm clock ring.

I didn't hear at all.

Usually when it rings it's so loud I want to switch it off immediately.

But it just couldn't wake me up.

Yes I didn't sleep at all the previous day.

But does it mean the next day I need to sleep so much??

14 hours straight??

Many times this sleep thing will just screw up my schedule.

It's screwing up my life now.

How I wish we don't need to sleep at all.