Tennis Elbow

I played tennis again yesterday, singles this time. After having not played the game for like half a year or so, I was in a rather bad shape. Not to mention after the few days of thunderstorms, it was such a hot day yesterday, and the sun was streaming down without any mercy, making me feel even more lethargic. Needless to say, my arm and legs are aching now!

As always, I ended up picking up balls more than actually serving. Plus the racquet I was using is not the right one, so I was not able to maneuvre the tennis balls over the net. One thing I notice about tennis games is that when the ball gets hit, it either goes over the net or it does not.

The ball can go anywhere, over the net and gets served back, or over the net and bounces onto the ground, or just hit the net and bounces to the ground. The ball goes whichever direction the server serves. So if the person is a good server, it tends to be bounced back and forth, and if the person is a mediocre player, the ball then goes all directions.

Which makes me think we are in control of our own destinies. Just like how one can control a tennis ball (and even a squash ball). It only depends on how one plays. So I guess one's destiny is in one's hands; it only depends on how one plays!

A Mid-Autumn Night's Dream

When I was young, I used to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival at my maternal grandmother's place. We kids would take our dinner, some moon cakes, then go out into the garden to play with lanterns. The lanterns ranged from big to small, colourful to plain.

I remember we had to compete who would get the biggest and most colourful lantern. It was on a first-come-first-serve basis, so being the slow eater I am, I always end up with the leftover lanterns. :-(

But those were fun days. We stopped doing that when my two cousins passed away one after another. Then my uncle decided to knock down the house and build a new one in its place, so they moved out for a few years. After that, we grew up and became too old to play with lanterns anymore.

My favourite type of moon cakes is the green pandan flavoured skin with pure lotus, no egg yolks. Somehow I dislike egg yolks in my moon cake. I know most people prefer yolks in their moon cakes, but to me, I dislike yolks per se. Even when I eat hard-boiled eggs or bull's eye, not to mention sunny-side up, I always take just the egg whites and leave the yolks.

When I was in secondary school, I started having a fantasy for Mid-Autumn day. It had been my dream on the night itself, take a stroll along the beach with a special someone. We would then sit on a breakwater or the sand, eating moon cakes and moon-gazing.

We would just sit and enjoy each other's company, looking at the moon, not saying a word. At times, just keeping quiet and being there with each other is more enjoyable than talking to each other. A couple need not talk to each other every second of the day, what matters is they enjoy each other's company no matter what they do.

Alas, my dream had not come true. The guys I used to date all find it a waste of time doing that. They rather stay home or do other things. In any case, they do not treat the Lantern Festival as such a big deal, whereas I was brought up to honour such festivals.

When I said this to the guy I am currently seeing, he found the idea nice and interesting. We did talk about doing that, but then other things cropped up. We had dinner, played tennis (singles this time), then ate moon cake while drinking tea with one of his flat mates. So we never did manage to go moon-gazing.

But that does not matter. What matters is we spent time with each other. We had a good tennis session, a fun time eating moon cakes, drinking tea and interacting with his flat mate. One can have fun anywhere, anytime, doing anything, as long as it is with a person that matters. But a pity not many people can understand this concept.

Tennis Doubles

I played tennis again last night, doubles this time. I think I must be really weak, or else I did not warm up enough. Even though we were playing doubles and I was hardly catching or serving the balls, I ended up with muscle ache in my thigh and arm, which the latter is still sore now.

We played for about two hours. He can really run! He was running to catch the ball most of the time. How strong his stamina is! How I wish I can be as strong and full of stamina, to keep going even after two hours!

Apparently, the tennis session is going to be a routine thing, where a few of us gather together to exercise. Good idea! It is time I seriously do some sports on a regular basis, and since I can do what I like, why not? Hopefully the session will always be doubles, so it will not be too hectic!

A Tennis Game At Last!

Finally my voice is about 90% recovered! I sound more normal now, not as husky as the past few days. And I have almost stopped coughing! Which is a big relief, as the way I was coughing last night, I thought I could have contracted pneumonia or something.

Anyway, I played tennis again, after a long long time. I would not even say it is a game, as it lasted only half hour or so, and we were picking up balls more than actually serving. If I was not coughing so badly or did not contract a slight cramp in my thigh, the game would have lasted much longer, at least an hour. The poor guy, deprived of a longer game. Must make it up to him and have a fuller session when I am fully recovered.

What surprises me is that I can still serve. I have not played a single tennis game for the past five years or so, yet I can still serve relatively well. Not that good of course, but better than I thought already, as initially I thought the ball would not even go over the net. Perhaps it is due to the racquet I was using, the Ladies Beginner's Power Serve racquet.

Now that I may be playing tennis more often, I have to start shopping for a new racquet, as the one I had was given to my brother who used it to its last days. Of course it will be the Ladies Beginner's Power Serve racquet for me all the way! While about it, I may as well get a pair of new running or court shoes too, as the pair I had followed me to the Mediterranean and United Kingdom and back, and now they had to be disposed of.

A Tennis Player, Of Sorts

I am going for my first Squash lesson tonight. And I have no idea what the game is about save that it will be in an indoor court, the ball is hit towards the wall and will bounce back very fast, so my reflexes will have to be really quick.

I hope it will not be a disaster like my first tennis class. I took up Beginner's Tennis twice, and Intermediate once, but since I have not played for a while, I wonder if I am still able to serve the ball?

My first tennis course was a disaster. I am not sure whether it is because I am really clumsy, or my instructor did not do a good job. It was a beginner's class, so I was a real beginner. I had no idea how to even hold the racquet properly, let alone throw the ball!

The rest of those in the class seemed to have a little background, since they know how to serve properly and hold the racquet in the fore hand position. Thus I was like the odd one out, since the rest of them were able to team up and started playing doubles.

The coach asked why was it I had no tennis background. If I had, I would not be taking the class, would I? Why would it be called a Beginner's Tennis class if those taking the class know how to play tennis?

So I was made to hit the ball against the wall until I could bounce the ball off my racquet. She did not even tell me how to hit properly, just bouncing my ball on my racquet. She concentrated on the rest in the class and totally neglected me. So for eight weeks, all I did was to bounce the ball back and forth from my racquet to the wall.

The worst thing was that even the rest of the class ostracised me. They were allowed breaks in between but not me. Once when the ball accidentally bounced off my racquet and rolled towards a lady's foot, she kicked up a big fuss and scolded me for not aiming the ball properly! Was it not enough that I was already left out in the class, and then had to subject myself to such treatment?

I was so glad the class ended! The next class I took I made sure it was under another coach. This time the coach was really good! She showed me the right way to hold a racquet and to bounce the ball, and even told me the racquet I had (which belonged to my first brother) was not suitable for me as it was too heavy, thus I would not be able to serve properly.

She recommended me to get a beginner's lady's power serve racquet, then she said she had a second-hand racquet to spare and asked if I would be interested. After that, she told me that we could arrive in the court half an hour earlier so she could let me practice my serves.

And I really learnt a lot under her. I managed to learn how to serve, toss, the fore hand, backhand, playing doubles. That is what I call a real instructor. In the first place, could my first coach not know that my racquet was not suitable?

Hopefully my Squash coach tonight would be like my second tennis instructor, someone patient, dedicated and made sure his students are able to learn the game.