Running grade

I completed a half marathon today at Tunbridge Wells, a royal city in Kent. My time was 1hr 38mins, two minutes short of smashing my previous personal best.

A few years ago, The World Association of Veteran Athletics published an Open Class Standards which grade runners' performance based on finishing time and age. The method it was developed and linked to age and finishing time is unknown, but it is an interesting way to gauge performance against our peers.

For example, the winner of today's race finished in 1hr 4mins. Rather impressive, one must admit. His performance grade was 92.84%.

Mine was 58.74%. With two minutes shaved to bring the time down to my PB, that would only improve the grade marginally to 61.8%. If a university grading system is applied here, that's a grade C.

Pendulum beauty

One of the wonders of Physics.

All Relative

In October last year I cursed the weather should decline to early teen temperatures. This signaled the end of swimming in the open water for 2011. What's even more miserable was that dark days were setting in.

I complained when I returned from KL end of January this year because the weather dropped to 2 deg C. I had to wear a beanie hat to stop my ears from falling off. I wished the temperature was at early teens.

Last week temperatures fell further to -6deg C. While running out to Hyde Park my butt almost fell off my body from frost bite. My 2xu tights made little difference to a cold like this. I wished the temperature was above freezing, 2 deg C would've been lovely!

This evening the temperature stayed at 6 deg C, I wished it will be this high for the next few weeks. Now I'll be so grateful if the weather can be in early teens again.

Big Freeze

A few status messages in FB have been going on about the weather.

In the UK, we're at -3 to -6 deg C now. In London, the temperature is milder at -2 deg C. The wind made it exceptionally cold! We call it the "big freeze".

In Paris, the temperature has plunged to below -8 degC. They call it "grand froid" which means intense cold.

In Hong Kong where many of my friends are doing the marathon this weekend, the weather is down to mid-teens. They said it's "very cold".

Regardless of how one perceives cold or where the grumbles come from, an unusual weather pattern is currently sweeping across Europe and East Asia, and making everyone in these continents feel colder than they would normally experience in a winter.

Since living in the UK, I have begun to relate more and more to the saying, "there's no bad weather, just bad clothing". At least it's made me more accepting of the weather and kept me from talking much about it.

(I just did!)

"Cibai" Gaffe

"Cibai, cost me £61 to renew my passport"

Those were the words in BC's FB status that got him into big trouble. BC bowed to pressure and deleted them because a preacher (I hope BC wasn't trying to be sarcastic by calling him that) from Malaysia who happened to be his "friend" reprimanded him in public. The preacher commented, "B, watch your words, you're a Christian!"

I winced in disgust reading the comment.

It's this type of person who encourages the stereotyping of Christians. That they are infallible. That their sin will encourage the sinning of other sinners.

It's this type of person who thinks only Christians have the moral high ground. What if another person of a different faith uses the same words as BC? I guess it's alright for him then, because he's doomed for not becoming a Christian anyway. Really?

It would be impertinent for me to think about the preacher as hypocrite. Christians, like other homo sapiens on this planet are not allowed to express their feelings with words of their choice. Only biblical words I suppose.

We live in an imperfect world. When we judge others, we run into the danger of thinking ourselves as righteous. More worryingly is not knowing where to stop. What's the next inappropriate word after cibai? Stupid dumb-dumb? Or even uttering the word "bloody" would get a Christian lynched next time by Mr Righteous Preacher's court of law? Tell me what Christian is that and I'll stay a million miles away from this freak.

"Cibai" is Hokkien for "cunt". It is rude, unprofessional and ungentlemanly. That's about it. If I had to reprimand BC I would probably go along these lines and in a private message. BC may have younger "friends" who see him as role model, that I would consider what he said as understandably inappropriate. But that's about it.

The Christianity I grew up in teaches me to do good to others as they would to me. It teaches me as an imperfect human to be always forgiving, loving and charitable to another human being. On that note, I wonder what we Christians think about embarrassing another Christian brother in public. Isn't that rude, unprofessional, ungentlemanly and inappropriate too?

You tell me.