Pickleball anyone?

Hi all:

After a nice shower, it is refeshing. Was tired after 5 games of pickle ball this evening.
Started playing at 7 pm and last game ended at 9.50 pm.
For those who dun know about pickleball, here is a short introducton:

1. Play indoor using the badminton court. Single and double boundary lines like badminton.
2. Scoring by using the 15-points badminton game; serve to score.
3. Lower badminton net to tennis level; with a 1/2 inch dip in the centre.
4. Use wooden bat like table tennis but much bigger and stronger.
5. The ball is made of plastic with holes; a bit like sepak takraw.
6. First to reach 15 wins the games. :) :)
7. Service must cross the service line.
8. Non-volley zone is between the service line and the net.
9. Bat must be below waist during service.
10. Then when the ball comes, hit it as hard as possible. :0
11. You can only smash when standing before the service line ( non-volley zone)
12. Top spin is an advantage. Under-cut is also recommended.
13. After the service, the ball msut bounced at least once in your side of the court before hitting the ball. After that, you can hit the ball in mid-air or after one bounce. You lose the point if the ball bounced twice within your side of the court.

Confusing? You bet. I was whacked 15-0 during my very first game. Dun know how to serve and and alway hit the ball before it bounced once during the first return. But now...hee hee. I am much better and hitting the ball well. Still lot to learn on positioning and placing; especially lobbing the ball. The court is too small. At least I dun lose 15-0.

If you have a chance, play this game and you will like it. And you can play it rain or shine.

Sweet dream...

Benson Bird Foong

Sunday past, Monday blue

Can I greet all with a good morning?

Time flies. It's another week gone and school holiday is here.
Ka Kit got to go back to shcool for 2 days of supplementary lessons.
Ivfen as usual returns to school for tennis lessons.
Ka Yee.. hmmm where is she? The usual spot, I guess. Oh.. right.. on the bed, snoring away and still in dreamland.

Today my wife is going ot get those set of test kits which help to detect colon cancer. It costs only $10 and if you are a senior citizen, it is free. See.. I told you that old man can get free thing lor. dun believe?

Yesterday my son and I went to Harbour Front to vist Big for the first time. You dun know what is Big? Well, they advertise Big and the place is real big. Huge if I may expand the space. From electrical items, furniture, elecronic, mobile phones, car accessories to household utensils, you name it, they got it.
I saw one Plasma TV that costs only S$2399; and it is 42 inches. Salesman claimed that the screen is manufactured in Korea ( home of the palsma screen) and the TV is made in China. Beside it, is another LCD TV also from China and costs the same. I am not into plasma and LCD TV, but I wonder why the same price? Can anyone enlighten me on the difference? I may switch to this cheap brand as it comes with 2 years agent guarantee. Worth trying or not?
Or should I wait for any promotion to trade-off my current 43 inch projection TV since World Cup is on the way?

Decision, decision, decision... life is full of s**t decision. Not as though my life depends on it... or is it ? It never cross my mind that I will miss this year world cup in June. And it is during the school vacation. After this soccer mega event, I think I will hang up my boots ... oops.. I mean cancel my cable TV. Reason? save cost ( bullshit lah)... Actually it's my twins PSLE and the major soccer games are over. So to give up cable does not put me in cold turkey. And importantly, it makes my wife at ease. Smart move,uh? I will be a good daddyand a considerate hubby.... hoorray !

Time to stop. BTW, Arsenal beats Liverpool 2-1, the second Henry's goal was a result of a sloppy back pass from Pool's captain, Steve Gerald. What a shame!
Man Utd kept a tight hold of second place with a 2-0 win over New Castle.
Charlton 2, Boro 1.

Have a good week.

Benson Bird Foong

Sunday night

Good evening to all:

It's nice to feel good after a full stomach. My, my..... my weight is now over by 2 kgs. Haven't start controlling myself since Chinese New Year. Last night BBQ topped it all. 5 chicken wings, countless sticks of satays, 1 ketaput, 3 O-tah, about 8 fishballs, some sting rays, many cups of orange juice, 8 to 10 prawns... so how to reduce wieght?

Things went well last night. Weather perfect. Pool is not crowded. Kids played to their usual limited ( no tired, no goodbye.) One funny things happen though.

My youngest brother, Kong ( actually he no young, he is 41) fell into the pool while trying to show off his fancy tricks on frisbees. See... there were these group of young girls ( not ladies) at the pool, so he try to twist the frisbee with his fingers and ... da da da ta... he slipped and fell into the pool. All wallet, mobile phone, bermudas and shirt went diving. And we all laugh and clap no stop. Man... how embrassing.. if our father is there, he will be banished to the far end of this country for disgracing the family. Luckily dad came later.

Yes... can't stop adding a bit on EPL. Last nite was a fruitful nite with Bolton and Everton winning. But last grasp thunderbolt by Gallas broke Spur heart. Anyway I did not bet on this game. It was exciting nevertheless even though I watched only the last 10 minutes. ( remember I was at the BBQ pit? ).

tonite: Man Utd verus New Castle. Likely to be a hgh score. Think it will be 2-2. So makan 1 ball and buy big. Charlton v Boro? Scoreless draw. Arsenal v pool? I think this game will be contrary to belif: minimum 3 goals, with Arsenal winning by 2-1.
So what are you waitign for? Grap that chair, beer in hand and peanuts all the way( Hey make sure that the peanuts are not from the $600,000 stock... you can't afford it)

Have fun and be ready for Monday blues.

Cheers.....
Benson Bird Foong

BBQ here we come !!

Hi I am back... stay man left and colelct my $$$ ... $$$

Satay count : right.
Ketuput count : right.
Orange juice and cold water: enough.
Ice...yes ice... : prepared.
Chicken wings... seasoned.
Sting rays: got stinged already. Wife chilli sauce ichi-ban.
Sausages ... unpacked. and poked with stick... I love poking.. i mean poking fun ...what do you think I like to poke? huh?
O-tah: counted and wrapping-leaves are in good condition.. ha ha
Noodles; already finished frying.. veggy alot since we got so much meat already.
Portable lamps: ready to plugged in.
Cooler box to keep food fresh and to keep way the flies before we tackle them: cleaned
Trolley to transport the food: cleaned and ready to roll !
Soap and cloth: settled.

Booked table-tennis room ; done. I love teh internet booking. No need to go to the office.

Stomach check: all emptied. Ready to burn at the pit and tehn burn inside the stomach...

Her ewe come....... charge ah..............ah........

Bird Benson Bird

Saturday.. what a day... EPL day ...

Hi.. its Saturday!!! I work only half day.... yipee...
Work is going smooth for this week. And as I posted last week, very busy.
Busy means got work... got work means got job ... got job means got money...
You know .. $$$$ ? We need it. More or less.. the basic for some, the goals of many.

This afternoon my whole family ( parents, bro s & sis) will be at my place ( BBQ pit, actually) to roast away all the satays, chicken wings, O-tah, sausages, fishballs and guess what....sting rays with special chiili paste of my wife. To top it up, we are going to whallop the jelly and tit-bits. Orange juice is the order of the evening as far as drinks are concern. may be a little beer. Thou shall not teach kids to drink. Hey... no smoking too... excet that from the BBQ pit.

Kids have invited a few close friends to join in the fun. They called it: After C.A. de-stress. What? de-stress? I have not heard of stress even when I am in secondary 4. They are just in primary 6... oh my my ... Time changes.

Oops... satay man is at the door now to delivery the few hundreds sticks which will be buried in the stomachs of all... hmmm ketuput too... the Malay rice for those who don't know.

Got to go and count the sticks... or should I?
Life is full of questions..... blah blah blah...

PS: Tell you quietly, I am going to sneak back into the house in-between burning to watch EPL. Tell me who can resist Chelsea verus Spur? Not me ! And it is about Champion League next year. More so... it is a London derby... sure got someone send off. May be Essen. Chelsea got player sent off during the game with Barcelona. So... die die must watch ... even bit by bit.
Or may be watch a little. So I will be busy volunteering to pick those items that are forgotten at the pit. That little bottle of chilli sauce... may be even tissue paper.

Will let you know whether I survive a second yellow card.... BTW second yellow means a straight Red... meaning cold turkey for 3 matches.... arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggghhhh ...

Bird

D-Day for the twins

I am writing as a stressful father. The C.A. results from my twins are not getting any better. Life is so stressssssful. I think I have to create something to cheer the twins and to cheer my wife and I. Anyone got any suggestion?
Tonite is Champion league football, Liverpool, AC Milan, Bayer Munich, Arsenal, R Madrid, Lyon, PSV Edhivon, Benfica... who will win to go through the semi-final? Tell me quick so that I can place a small bet for a few dollars gain. Can use to buy durian for stress relieve.

Work at the heat treatment plant is busy which is good for me. I hope that we will be kept buzzzy for a long time. And of course no mistake.

My the other job at Thailand is also started to pick up after a slow last month; thanks to our hardworking team at Sin Thai. And pls pray that the political situation in Thailand will be peacefully dilutes.

This Sat at Bukit Timah Pri Sch, Alumni Association wil l be organising a science for parents. Hope that this will help the parents with teh kids science work.

Got to go and bring twins to Maths tution. Arrrggggghh..
And hopefully have a peace of mind.

Benson Bird Foong

EPL soccer verus homework

Hello folks. I'm back.
Watching football, kana scolding.
LALALALALALA
DADADADADADA

Watch soccer oso cannot. B'cos I came home from Thailand at 8.30 pm and start watching the first EPl Chelsea v W Bromich at 8.55 pm. Lose $$ and got scolding oso. Not a good Sat.
Kids not doing hoemwork regularly so I oso ganna marked.
May be I should oso pretend to be sick...
Yellow-carded on Sat. May be Red card on Sunday. So got ot skip the late game between Spur and Blackburn. I dun think she will understand that this is a very important game fo rboth teams as it means Champion League football enxt season which brigns in many $$$$.

Sigh sigh sigh
got to go... kids doing Maths and Eng hoemwork and I got to watch them carefully before the red card flashes at me...

Chow and have a good week ahead.

Bird Benson