inclement weather

back when i was working in kindergolf, one of my tasks was to inform parents of outdoor students, that golf course lessons were to be postponed due to inclement weather. rainy weather means rest time for me in the centre. i was happy whenever that occasion arose. never did i stop to think of how the parents or children would have felt. now i know. the disappointment, the anger and then the back up plans.

ever since last month, i have lost count of the number of times that training sessions and soccer matches have been cancelled or postponed. i remember the first time i was with Mau. training had to be cancelled because the field was closed for repairs. we train at the open field at NUS. so, it is not ours, therefore we don't know if it is available for use until we reach there. i was quite angry then, for awhile. and then me and Mau headed home.

yesterday, it was raining heavily and lightning crashed at around 3pm. at around 6pm, it reduced to a drizzle. Mau was sceptical training would go on. i asked Yanti, and she assured that it will still go on. hesitant, i board the train towards NUS. after only about 15 minutes being in the train, she sent me a message saying that the field was closed. surprise surprise. NOT.

next station was Botanic Gardens. without thinking, i alighted. i thought i remembered somebody telling me that the park closes at 7pm. glanced at my watched, it read 7.17pm. went up the escalator anyway, turned right to the direction of the park. surprisingly, the gates were opened. entered and went to the notice board of some sorts, tried to figure out the map and also memorise the different timings at the different gates. somehow, i had a hard time comprehending the numbers and images. at the point of time there was a couple walking out of the park and one other man reading the notice board. he looked like tourist and was just as clueless as me. hung around there and waited for more people to walk in, assuring me that the park was still open. the 'exhibit park' nearest to that gate was the Trellis Park. that was where the creepers and the climbers were. these plants grow around bigger taller trees and also tall metal structures. this means that the rest of the park was blocked and i could not see what is inside. there was an argument going on in my head, debating if i should head in or not. thinking of who to call if i was to be really trapped inside.

after a good session of deliberating alone, i walked towards the brightly lit Trellis Park. there was a winding path and it sloped slightly upwards. from where i was, i could see a pond. i remembered according to the map, it was a lake. hah. lake! there was still light and there were a couple of people sitting on picnic mats around the lake. i deemed it was safe and went towards that direction. cocked my head back trying to lock the image of the path i took from the gate. saw ripples in the water, from where i was i could not tell what animal it was. the setting sun didnt help as i squinted my eyes. i thought it was someone's puppy wading in the pond. upon nearer inspection it was a flock of ducks. they looked quite adorable and i took a shot. the nearest bench was occupied with a couple chatting away. settled for a bench under a tree. i stomped my feet, thinking that i will scare any insects or lizards resting on the bench. took out my book to read but it got too dark. then, i decided to blog on my phone.

by then i was convinced that the place did not close at 7pm. the people on the picnic mats moved into the lit shelters and continued their fun. there were plenty of joggers and lots of workers going through the park to go home. spent a good 45 minutes blogging (previous post) from my phone. juice on my phone was depleting so i had to wrap that up. figured out how to head back home. decided that i will walk down to adam road to bus back. retraced my steps towards the gate, but somehow took a wrong turn and i was near a construction site. calmed myself down and got my bearings right again and went the correct way. before i left, saw a brightly lit bench in the Trellis Park, my legs brought me there and i took out my book to finish it.

finally finished 'This Is Paradise - My North Korean Childhood' by Hyok Kang. put that away and took a swig from my bottle of water. walked down Cluny Road and noticed a chic looking bakery. simple deco, no sales person in sight, just pretty cupcakes displayed. i was peering through the glass looking at the different flavours, thinking if i should fork out money to satisfy my sweet tooth. decided against it when i remembered that the very reason i was there was due to the cancellation of a soccer training. the irony, if i ate those sinful cakes.

walked the orange glowed side road all the way to adam road. no, it is not far, it took me only ten minutes. soon enough, a packed 855 came and i stood all the way back to yishun. walked briskly home, in time for dinner. was not in the mood for any more starch so i devoured the dried oyster dish ibu cooked. (i had sushi buffet earlier yesterday with Aloy and Christine) after the meal, i washed up and went straight to bed. i guess because i walked a lot, it didnt take much to fall asleep.