Marlin is the Champions

I went for a swim today, after many procrastinations and excuses, I finally pulled my butt out of the bed and went down to the pull. Clear weather, no bleeding, no excuses of any sorts, having all the time but nothing to do to burn time, seems like some higher being up there finally wants be to go for a swim and burn the pork knuckle I had for lunch.

Because I didn't want to tie my hair up because I was too lazy, I dug out an old old swimming cap. Don't tell me to swim with my hair floating in the water, it's just so inconsiderate. I hate it hate it hate it when long hair people swim without tying their hair up. Their hair will drop and clog up the pool. So dirty. Also, on a personal level, swimming without tying my hair up will tangle my hair and creating a mess when I wash it. I'd need to spend half the day in the bathroom with tons of conditioner trying to untangle the entangled hair.

So I dug out my orange Eyeline swimming cap. I remember the day, albeit a bit woozy, when I bought this cap. I was about primary 5. I was with the parents. I needed to buy a cap for competitive training. I chose the orange one because I was in Marlin house. In the heydays, Marlin was the longtime champion and I was so proud to be a Marlin. Orange was our house colour. Wearing the orange cap was a sign of my loyalty. Actually during the swimming meets, all houses would give free (cheap) caps to their swimmers, but individual swimmers (the better ones) can use their own (better) caps for obvious reasons. But when using out own caps, the cheerleaders wouldn't be able to identify you as their house swimmers and can't really cheer for you. Or at least that was what selfish vain me thought because before every heats and finals, the cheerleaders would be given the race list and identify which lanes contain swimmers from their house.

I remember the previous meet, most good swimmers have caps in traditional colours like black and blue, blue is also the colour of another house, so there were always some mis-cheering. To let cheerleaders clearly identify me, I picked the orange cap. hehehe~ I can't believe I can still use the cap until today.

When I picked the orange cap, the daddie was bewildered. I remembered he asked me specifically why I chose this colour. There was a tone of disgust when he asked me that. It was only after I explained that my house colour was orange that he seemed relentent. I guess it is only people who've been the Britain, or go way back to the colonial era that fully understand the concept of houses since the house system is a typical British public school (public meaning private, damn the Brits man...)thingie. lol~

I remember at that time the daddie was saying that cap was made of silicon, he got the store assistant to show me the insides of the cap, it was textured for easy wear and easy removal but resistant to water pressure. And I remembered it cost a lot, about $14, I think, for one bloody swimming cap. But to be able to wear it more than a decade later, I think it was worth the money spent.

And to be able to hear people cheering for me when I swam, hehehe... It felt great. Okay, that vainity speaking. When in the pool swimming, I can't hear anything, can't hear people cheering for me at all. But when I wore that cap and stepped up the the podium receiving my throphy, I could hear the cheers. With my little bit of contribution, I aided my house to receive the house award at the end of the whole meet based on all the results of every level.

Those days at Chinese Swimming Club were indeed fun. Makes me kinda sad I'm so old now. I think next time when I'm rich and successful, I want to get a membership with the Chinese Swimming Club. A little for the sake of nostalgia...

Oh yea, I made 2km in about an hour today, a tad off my usual mark, but I think I swam enough to burn that fatty cripsy pork knuckle I had for lunch.