On Doctors and Handstands..

Went to Chinatown with a capoeira friend yesterday, looking for a shinshe (Chinese doctor) to check my foot, since the nerve is still a bit painful after my last injury. Found a place in one of the malls, which was manned by two ladies.. Now, I've always believed that the only Chinese doctors that are of any good are 1) Male, and 2) Old, but since they had very pro-looking advertisements outside the shop (pics of acupuncture, moxa, etc etc) I thought I'll just give it a try.

As expected.. the lady who was going to massage me came from China and could not really speak English, and she kept asking me which part is painful while pressing around.. Communication was done by me cringing when she pressed something painful, so that was easy.. Then, she asked, how did I get the injury..

I tried to explain "the injury happened when I was practicing handstand for capoeira and landed on my toe" with body language (lots of finger action) but it failed miserably huhu.. So... I kinda cornered my capoeira friend into demonstrating a handstand right there and then in the Chinese clinic hahaha..
Me: (in chinese) "ok lady, look at my friend there.."
*Bom Garoto demonstrated a perfect handstand*
Me: (in chinese+body language) "so yeah, that's what I was doing, then I fell and my feet went like that..."
Chinese lady: "Ooooohhh..."

That gotta be the coolest thing she'd seen this week hahaha..

Aaaaaaanyway.. Out of the three target moves I really wanted to do since I joined capoeira, I'm still lousiest at handstand.. Yeah well, it's true what one of my instructor said: the human body is not made to stand on hands, so you need to practice, practice, practice. Am giving myself till end of September to master it.

Control. Balance. Power.
Capoeira!

First capoeira cordao!

The three juniors holding our first cord.. surrounded by beloved seniors ^^

I've gotten my first capoeira belt! =D Well I'm nowhere near being even a remotely good capoeirista, but as my mestre said: "You are now officially part of the Zambiacongo family." =)

Wow.. I can't believe I first joined capoeira only because the schedule fits my free time haha.. Throughout the four days of capoeira camp I was so inspired by Mestre Luizinho, by SMU and ITE Zambiacongo members... the movements, the flow, the music, the energy.. I've always thought capoeira is such a beautiful game, but I think I've just seen a whole new level of beauty and awesomeness to it!!

As always, talk is cheap.. this time, here's a video for everyone who thought capoeira is just a dance and there's not much of a fight aspect.. Enjoy!

Injury...

"He divines remedies against injuries, he knows how to turn serious accidents to his own advantage; whatever does not kill him makes him stronger. "
- Frederich Nietzsche

Hufh.. Trying to practice handstand last night and fell on my left knee and toe.. Juz came back from x-ray-ing it and thankfully just a sprain.

Still, it's a very irritating, saddening, maddening feeling to see people doing all kinds of things with their bodies and I'm stuck on the side watching.. I've always been a somewhat reckless person, so yeah injuries like this reminds me not to be so reckless, because it may well cause me my freedom.. Now that I love moving around so much, I love the way my body is getting stronger and more flexible, I love pushing the limits of what it can do and even loves having muscle fatigue on places I've never had muscle fatigue before.. I am so, very afraid of having all that taken away from me..

Yesterday when I fell on my knee, it was very painful in the beginning, and I was, like, "Please, God, not my knee.. I know sometimes I am more happy to go to capoeira training than to church.. but please, don't teach me a lesson this way..." while imagining all kinds of handicapped-for-life scenarios.. Classic run-to-God-when-there's-a-problem case.. but yeah, having my physical freedom compromised or taken away definitely ranks up there as one of my worst fears..

That said, you know somehow when you're doing something kinda dangerous you're sure that accidents will happen but you're not sure when, so you're just kind of holding yourself back when doing everything.. thinking "will it be this time? will it be when I'm doing this move?"

Well, in a way with this injury I feel like a kind of curse has been lifted hahaha.. And I won't have that kind of fear another time =D

Oh well, now I'll just hope I'll stop walking like a penguin sometimes soon..

Bits

"Funnily enough, that's the best word to describe.. Cunning with a conscience.."

"Yeah, it was so difficult to make appointment with my friend, he's like.. free but busy.."

"The real training starts AFTER training.."

"Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt"
- Shakespeare

High from capoeira roda.. Getting somewhat better at doing the moves and playing longer, which just means more adrenaline is pumped into my bloodstream each time.. ah well not complaining.. Where the axe calls, I go!

Not Giving Up Yet...

"Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever."
- Lance Armstrong

About three and a half months into capoeira now.. And frankly, I did not progress as much as I want to. Maybe I forget too easily where I was at, a total klutz that didn't even have any confidence on my athletic ability.. Seen from that perspective, I can say to myself, "Not bad, Shiela, you've certainly improved your strength, your flexibility, your stamina.."

But I'm surrounded by capoeiristas who are good, great, passionate, inspirational, that well, the only way to look is up.. And I can't help constantly feeling like a noob huhuhu.. At this stage I appreciate how difficult capoeira can actually be.. To listen to the music, move with the rhythm, maintaining the form while reading your partner's moves and responding, all at the same time..

Am still lousy at synchronising my movements with the music.
Am bad at low ground movements.
My kicking form is not always correct.
Cannot read partner's moves.
My senior just said I jinga like a robot huhuhu...

But..

I love capoeira to the point that I desperately desperately desperately want to be good at it..
For a lot of things in Life I'm content to just watch from the side and be awed by their beauty or coolness...

Not for this capoeira thing.. I want to be right smack in the middle of the roda translating my passion into graceful movements!

And so..

The journey is gonna be long, no kidding.. It's nevertheless a very fun journey, and I've convinced myself that I can only get better..

Axe capoeira!

"Most people are stronger than they know. They just forget to believe in it sometimes."
- taken from a CS friend's blog, M.V

A Moon, Some Friends, The Sea

Somehow, after capoeira mini-training and supper, I ended up agreeing to go and watch planes taking off near Changi boardwalk with three capo friends.. Besides, one of them was so kind to "tumpang" me on his motorbike.. Which was how we ended up chatting and staring at the sea until almost 4 A.M.. and well.. The orange moon, the stars and the sea wind created a perfect atmosphere to talk 'deep' things... so...

Me: *After elaborating on the bad points of staying in Singapore, and in turn got 'served' some bad points about Indonesia* "You know what, only in the last one year have I felt like I can be in Singapore, like this can be home instead of just a place of transit.. Though I'd still prefer not to stay.."

T: "Wow, only one year? How long have you been here?"

Me: "9 years.."

T, F & K: "Nah Shiela, you kena the LKY trap already! Oh no! Don't stay, why stay in Singapore.."

Me: "Hey! Don't talk! You know that capo and capo friends are major reasons why I stop thinking of Singapore as just a place of transit and start really enjoying my life here! I'm just glad I can find a group of Singaporeans I can click with!'

K: "Well, this guy's half-Filipino, this one's half-Jap, and I'm hardly Singaporean.. We really don't count..."

Me: "Uhm... ya hor... Aw shucks..."
__
That aside, despite usually thinking of Singapore as just your efficient but inhumanely sterile city, last night (and morning) was the first in a long, long time I felt that Singapore still holds some magic. You know, the kind of magic that makes you feel a place is quietly glowing, and you just want to stay calm, not wanting to disturb that beautiful quiet.. That magic abounds in Paris, so much so you can't escape it. In Hanoi, it was of a more down-to-earth, grittier variety, while in Singapore... well.. it's so rare that I learned to treasure the few places and people that makes me feel such magic..

OK we're veering into cheesy territory, forgive me.. Ah but, I'm glad to have found another little unusual piece of Singapore, and of course, glad for the company. It's always rather funny how people you've known for years remain acquaintances while some people you've met for just awhile become trusted friends.

To end the night, my friend "tumpang"-ed me all the way from Changi to Toa Payoh.. and hey it was such a great experience riding through deserted highways across half of Singapore haha..
The wind, the noise.. And it makes me happy how things and buildings that usually look familiar now just passed as a yellowish blur (dim road lighting, mind you).. I felt like I was in a different Singapore, one more calming, and interesting..

Hm.. I 'kena' the LKY trap, indeed...

Salmao...

Salmao means salmon in Portuguese.. so, what's with salmons, you ask?

The story goes, capoeiristas who have gone through their batizado ('baptism', or the first time they play with a mestre and is taken down in the roda) will get an apelido, a nickname, and it's usually the name of an animal. For example, some of my seniors are called Bat, Owl, Frog, Cat, Duck, Cheetah etc, in Portuguese. Few days ago, a capoeira senior told me, "Well, I'm not authorised to give out apelidos, but if I am, I've got one for you.."

..and it's Salmao! Hahaha.. Well no complaints since they're one of the most persevering animals around, but when I asked him if that's the reason for the apelido (I was telling him about my struggle in the studio, coming up with a new design each week and trying to persevere through it all..), he said, "You're supposed to fish it out for yourself. Pun intended.' Hmph.

Anyone wanna suggest their thoughts on similarities between me and salmons?

Last official capo training this semester... hiks..

Yesterday night was the last NUS Capoeira training this sem... so we had a long, long roda playing with all the graduating seniors, the exchange students going back to their country, and our members who are going for exchange, followed by full-fledged supper session talking nonsense haha...

Cliche as it is, in the middle of the long roda, while clapping, singing and watching the great game *The seniors' kicks were just fast and furious!! Aaaaa!!), I know I'm gonna sorely miss capo trainings.. Somehow it has become a habit that Mondays and Wednesdays I sweat it out with the capo gang,finished with supper cum "bonding".. Granted, there's still headquarters training on Fridays, but hey the axe (energy) is just not the same..

Gonna miss the graduating seniors.. As they go into the "dog-eat-dog" world (quoting the farewell speeches yesterday), we won't see them that often in the NUS roda.. These people who turned us from shy juniors watching the jogo (game) in awe from the sides, into budding capoeiristas who boldly and excitedly receive the kicks while delivering some of our own.. who very quickly embraced the juniors into the fun, easy-going circle that is NUS Capoeira..

Well, well, my friends would know that I am a bit wary of Singaporeans since getting to know quite some people who only come when they want help and are just too fiercely competitive.. so here's my mark of respect and admiration for NUS Capoeira: I love each and every Singaporean member in there hahahahaha... (of course the non-Sgs too!) There's just an easy-going-ness about them that I look forward to enjoying every training..

..or maybe that's the magic of capoeira...

That aside, at least with no more training I'm free to abuse my body for a week to keep up with submission demands.. Coffee and minimum sleep, hours sitting in front of Photoshop... here we go again...

Bye-bye, Capo.. Hello, Crit...

Capoeira continued..

Capoeira.. has made my life better in unexpected ways.. I'm surprised too at how positively it influenced me, especially since I just went into it spontaneously because the club schedule fits mine this semester. (It's proven once again that the decisions that made a lot of difference in my life are often made on a whim huhu...)

One thing is that, capoeira has calmed me down.. Literally, after each session my body feels tired in a contented way. What with the music, the camaraderie and the energy of the roda bringing me into a high, post-training I feel like I had just been shouting on top of my lungs to release some stress and so I voluntarily go into "quiet mode"...

It has calmed me down in a sort of mental-emotional way too.. My friends would know that I am a rather restless person, especially regarding staying in Singapore for too long haha.. Inside me there's a deep need to explore, discover new things, find the unusual.. Which I cannot satisfy in Singapore, but in a funny way, I find all that in capoeira for now.. Like, instead of discovering places I'm discovering things I can do with my body I've never had confidence to try before (bridge! and in the process of learning cartwheel and handstand hehe..). It's such a good channel for all my restless energy that this summer holiday, while waiting for the result of my internship application in Beijing, I'm really thinking I should just give up the internship and stay in Singapore to practice capoeira.. Creepy.. I even think that it's okay if I don't travel at all and just stay for 3 months in Singapore.. I tell you, anything that can change my "Singa-phobic" mindset this far is pure magic hahaha..

Capoeira.. makes me love my body haha.. Well, I've always believed in living healthy, eating nutritious food, exercise etc, but this is the first time I stick to a quite vigorous exercise routine for some time, and am so glad I did! The first few weeks, I can feel my arms toning up (the beginning of biceps! Yay!) so I'd just be narcissistically feeling my own arms several times in a day hahahahahaha.. Other side effects include firmer thighs and a rather flat stomach..But it might just be my imagination.. Seriously, though, one of my seniors was talking about body-builders who have such bulky, glistening muscles but can't even reach out far because the muscles are too tight.. and said, "Don't train your body based on what you want it to look like, but on what you want it to do." Wow such a change of mindset! I love my body because it allows me to do many things, and I hope this repertoire will continue to grow as I become a better capoeirista!

Capoeira.. empowers me.. Well I don't know if it's capoeira per-se or just the fact that I now exercise regularly, but the energy level I have is very, very useful for studio.. I've been having some rough weeks with my tutor and honestly it sucked out all my energy and optimism.. After a bit of roda (a kind of capoeira sparring) though, I'd feel a lot better and not so mentally drained.. Am very thankful that..

Ah, and of course it 'forces' me to take better care of myself.. Like, me being an archi student, the tendency is just to work work work especially when an idea grips me.. I'd work till 3, 4 AM then feel a bit dazed the next day.. Capo made me think twice about abusing my body that way because, hey, I cannot be dazed in the roda! Went to a training session with such a lack of focus once that when other people were kicking I was basically just turning around huhu.. So yeah, new habit, no late nights the day before capo practice, and it's great incentive to manage time haha..

Plus, I force myself to drink milk *Ewww... but necessary to build muscles what to do..*. Oh, and still regarding food.. Having regular exercise make meals more enjoyable.. It's a whole "I'm-rewarding-myself-cuz-I've-been-good" thing and I see nothing wrong with that.. Bimbo-ish as it sounds ,the freedom to eat what I want without fear of getting fat is SO liberating! And the first bite of food after rigorous training session is just.. Ahhhh....

Lastly, the best part of capoeira: fellow capoeiristas! Still wondering how come so many fun people conspire to all gather and join one CCA haha.. probably has to do with capoeira's Brazilian roots.. The people in the club are the ones that make me eager to go to each training session, and just brings a whole load of fun.. Capoeira is unique in this way because in the roda seniors and juniors will train together, no matter what level, and it bonds the whole club.. I still do solitary exercises like jogging and night swimming since it makes me relaxed before I sleep.. but for the ultimate high.. CAPOEIRA!

CAPOEIRA!

Ah, capoeira.. (For those who don't know what it is, go and find it on Wikipedia!)

Been coming to the NUS capoeira club for about 6 sessions now.. and love every minute of it! The irony is that I only thought of trying out capoeira because I read about it in a comic before, and the club schedule happens to fit mine..

Hm.. Even though I was so excited to write about it just now, I can't seem to start anywhere now hahaha.. But the mere fact that it's all at once an art, a dance, a game, a fight... The history of the game.. The music.. The energy.. The camaraderie.. Aaaaahhh I get high just thinking about the roda haha.. Roda is the the circle of people in which 2 in the middle will play capoeira and the rest will make music.. Even watching from the side is rather addictive! (As obviously I am at the lowest level of the ladder yet ;p )

Oh well, since I can't seem to write properly now, here are some videos just to show what capoeira is all about.. The first video is a 'light' glimpse to it - a scene from Ocean's 12. The actor who played the scene, Vincent Cassel, is an actual capoeira practitioner. The second is capoeira, Angola style, which means the game is played more slowly, with more emphasis on feints and planning ahead the moves. The third one is an actual capoeira roda, regional style, where the 'fight' aspect is more emphasised and the game is much more fast-paced.

After watching the videos, I think some people's reaction will be, "Waddahell was that??" At this point allow me to say that: capoeira rox!! And I'll try to explain why in the next few blogposts =D







Capoeira não sai da minha cabeça
Capoeira não sai do coração
Capoeira quem joga é mandingueiro
Capoeira é jogo de irmão

(Capoeira won’t go out of my head
Capoeira won’t go out of my heart
Capoeira who plays is a mandingueiro
Capoeira is a game of brothers)