Currently Listening The Singles By Basement Jaxx You Don't Know Me see related

The Fan Dance - SAS Selection Hike

I finished work early on Friday, and after packing my bergan I set off for Hay on Wye near Hereford.  Turns out that most of Gloucestershire was flooded, so after some bizarre tom-tom routes (and four and a half hours) I reached the campsite.

I pitched my tent and set off to explore Hay-on-Wye (TOWN ON BOOKS!) which was pretty quite, and very picturesque.

I went to bed early, and woke up with a cold.  Which was nice.

I arrived at the Storey Arms Centre at 7am, and after giving my bergan weight some serious second thoughts, I set off anyway.  My bergan weighed 45kgs, which you can really feel going up hills.

After the first quarter of an hour, I was regretting my bergan weight already, the first ascent was mental, and although it didn't look steep from the bottom you could really feel it.  I didn't feel tired, but catching my breath was hard.  Several times I questioned what I was doing.  The view is fairly standard all the way up to the top, but after you crest the first peak, the view opens up to all over the Beacons.

A series of peaks followed, until you start a huge descend and then a gradual rise to the last peak, but this time my muscles were burning, and I was nearing the three hour point.  I didn't want to run down the hills because I didn't know how much energy I'd have left, and I knew I had to come back the way I came, so I was trying to pace myself.

After the last descent, all I wanted to do was sleep.  Three and a half hours, and I really didn't fancy walking for the same amount of time back.  I made the mistake of taking my boots off and looking at the backs of my feet.  I should have waited until the end because I felt every step after that.

I ran down all the hills on the way back.  I wanted to run up them, but the weight on my back wouldn't allow my legs to lift up at speed.  The stone and sand tracks aren't fun running down, especially the last one.  The initial ascent that had taken me 40 mins, took me 7 to run down.  I zigzagged through a group of seven girls, who were videoing each other.  They screamed after me "We'll film you all the way down!" 

Thanks ladies, I wasn't planning on running all the way down but now I have too now.

I actually though I was going to die a couple of times.  I lost my footing and images of snow-ploughing (with my bergan using me as a sled) crept into my mind.  How I regained my footing and continued is beyond me.  Running down the gassed slope is even more dangerous, if the ground had given way you can twist your ankle or worse.  So I had to hope that I could turn my back in time if I fell, and land on my bergan. 

I reached the bottom, ploughing through the small river to the gate, which, although refreshed me at first, made me wet up to my knees, which then annoyed me for the last 5 min dash to my car.

2 and a half hours back.  I'd shaved an hour off running down the hills.

The scense of achievement was amazing.  I consider myself fairly fit, but to only be an hour and a half off selection time elevated me.

Although receiving severe weather warnings, I decided the Vitara could take it, and then drove through perfect sunshine back to London.

I spent the drive back slowly bringing myself down.  I realised I could shave say another half an hour or so off the time by running downhill, maybe an hour tops.  But I'd have to run uphill to get anywhere near selection time, and that's what makes the difference between a good level of fitness, and what's required for Special Forces.

The only way to really train for that is to do weight-bearing uphill workouts, so guess what I'm going to be doing after I return from deployment.

I'm still pleased with my effort though, and next time I'll know the route and where I can make time up.  I had a lot of respect for the British Special Forces before, and its increased two-fold now that I can see the difference and the extra effort they have to put in.

Photo's of the walk are on facebook.

Currently Listening Panic Prevention By Jamie T see related

Shiela goes out with her mate Stella.......

Started working through the first of my Exploring the English Language chapters entitled ‘English Voices’ it’s an introduction to English the world over.  I’m actually quite excited about this course now.  It’s compulsory for my degree and diploma, and I thought it was going to be a rubbish year.  But the first chapter was amazing and I really enjoyed it.  Chapter 2 is about how English began as a language, and I’ll start that tomorrow, it’s been a long time since I was excited about studying, previously it’s just been a means to move forward, even with languages or the Creative Writing course last year, although I enjoyed it, it still had a purpose.  This course is actually genuinely interesting to me. 

Watched The Ice Harvest and Black Dahlia, both of which were average, not what I expected really.  I am respecting Josh more and more as an actor though, probably fuelled by Sin City.

It all kicked off on Saturday night, and I had to ninja someone to remove a glass from their hand (taking some lemonade in the eyes in the process) before I dragged them out the door by their neck.  The CCTV didn’t show much, which was upsetting as I would have liked to have studied it. 

Pei Hsuan and I looked at a flat last night, and it was truly amazing, a proper bachelor pad, but it was at the tip of our price range, and if we rented it, we’d save absolutely no money.  But we would be able to play 4 player Wii-Tennis in the front room, which would be awesome.

And our cougar could live there happily.

Currently Gaming Red Steel By Ubisoft see related

And for my next trick....

Well, once again I’ve already failed to update my blog as often as I’d like.  January has been a funny month though.  I’ve failed to do a lot of things already.

I aimed to study Mandarin for at least twenty mins a day, so far I’ve managed about an hour all month.

I aimed to work on my fitness, I’m still training on Wednesday nights and I train with my class on Sundays.  But I wanted to get back to the stage I was at before my instructor’s course, where I was training for at least three hours both days of the weekend.  My general fitness is maintained, but I really want to push the boat out this year.

I also aimed to write more, but all I’ve done so far this month is write a large collection of notes.

In my defence though, I haven’t exactly had much of a routine. 

The first two weeks of the year were fairly standard after I started back at work on the 3^rd.  Training on Wednesday nights, working Friday and Saturday nights and my class on Sundays. 

Then I took a week off in which I went to Game On at the Science Museum with Pei Hsuan.  I went to an exhibition of the same name in 2002 at the Barbican Arts centre, which was infinitely bigger than this years.  She loved it though, and played on all the cute games she loves.  I played on four-player Halo and Smash Brothers.  Then we had a quick go on some racing game on a PS3, which although was hard to get used too, looked amazing.  Then we played Wii tennis. 

I came back to Oxford on Tuesday and Wednesday that week and blitzed the top level of my room, and listed a load of rubbish on eBay, a third of which sold.  And while I was in Oxford, my bloody Wii arrived (they were on sale on Amazon for all of 15 mins and I got one).  I did then have to travel to the Argos in Camden to get another bloody controller; they appear more elusive than the consoles themselves.

I completed Red Steel this week, amazing game; really really wish it was longer. 

I received the course materials for my next year of OU work, and I’ve started that already, so I’ll be training/working/working/instructing/course work until October now.

I’ve booked a skiing holiday with the military in March, one weeks ski instruction plus flights and accommodation in South Germany / Austria for £100, which is nice.

Pei Hsuan and I decided that after seeing Talladega Nights, that we both want a cougar.

Crank, Secuestro Express, Requiem from the Darkness, and Jamie T – Panic Prevention all rock. 

And I’ve started talking more to Shannon, my brother from Singapore.  We’re both endeavouring to keep in touch much more than the last year.

And wedding plans are moving forward.

Currently Reading Witch Killer (Warhammer Novels (Paperback)) By C. L. Werner see related

2006 in (extreme) brief and 2007......

Well, 2006 wasn’t as high octane as 2005 was, but I’m happy with what I achieved and where I’m headed now.

One of the resounding achievements of 2006 was that my girlfriend went back to Taiwan for three months (April to June) to sort out her visa, and upon her return nothing had changed in our relationship, it was still as perfect as when she left.  We fitted back into each others lives comfortably and haven’t looked back.

I achieved a Grade 2 pass in the Creative Writing module for my degree.  I jumped straight into a second level course, ignoring advice to begin at the first level and achieved a high standard.  This year my course counts for my degree and my diploma, so my aim is to achieve a distinction.

I started back at an operational unit in May, and I’m sad to say that it felt good.  I thought I’d put away the side of me that craves the unknown and excitement, but the change in job has made me happy.

I passed my Level 2 Commando Krav Maga instructors course, and I now teach a class on Sunday’s in Greenford.  I aim to start a class on camp this year.

And, I got engaged on December 19^th.

So, after the dust has settled on last year, what are my aims for 2007? 

The biggest feature of 2007 is that I’m going to Iraq for four months in September, which shaves off a good portion at the end of my year.

I start my next Open University year in Feb and will finish around Sep/Oct.  I want to achieve a distinction. 

I failed in my task to learn Mandarin to a decent level.  So this year I will endeavour to correct that.  The class I took wasn’t exactly the best, and the tutor didn’t push or inspire me, so this year I hope to do it myself.

I also failed to get my writing back on track, and work on my website in any way.  I hope this year to update my website will all of my previous material and begin work properly on my current idea for a novel. 

I aim to get my relationships with some friends that have been neglected back on track, not purely by myself, but I appear to have lost touch with quite a few of my friends last year, although I have made several new close friends.

I’m getting married in May, I’ll spend the next few months working and planning towards that, and I hope to provide a happy, secure and satisfied life for my future wife.  I also very much want to have children with her.

I didn’t achieve any of my holiday’s last year.  This year we’re planning smaller.  A trip to Taiwan to see her family (pre or post wedding).  A trip to Vietnam (honeymoon).  I’ve already paid for a weeks skiing trip on the German/Austrian border in March.  And we want to do a small tour of Scotland, so I can show her the private school I went too, and the school I should have gone to in Edinburgh. 

I still also need to finish sorting all the shit I own out, I moved a lot of rubbish with me and I desperately need to go through it all and sell it on ebay.

Currently Watching Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance By Kang-ho Song, Ha-kyun Shin, Du-na Bae, Ji-Eun Lim, Bo-bae Han, Se-dong Kim, Dae-yeon Lee, Kwang-rok Oh, Seung-beom Ryu, Gyu-su Jeong, Kan-hie Lee, Jae-yeong Jeong, Seung-wan Ryoo see related

Evening

Over the next few days (weeks/months) I’ll be putting on here my world famous ‘Buda’s 2006 in brief’ as well as my goals/plans for 2007, so I won’t update you much on what’s happen since my last post in this one. 

I spent New Year at my friend’s bar, with the close friends I’ve made this year and my fiancée.  She left at about 2, and I returned home at 7, after having a glass of Dom Pérignon and a half of Carling (what I hope to be my only drinks this year, but I know I’ll have copious amounts of alcohol poured down me at my stag night/weekend) after the customers had left at 5.

We then spent all day in bed, only getting up to visit the bathroom and collect food (which I handily purchased the day before). 

We watched Sympathy for Mr Vengeance (a truly truly amazing revenge film), Mean Girls (one of the few chick flicks I don’t mind watching), Nacho Libre (Jack Black’s best – “Those eggs were a lie Steven….A LIE!”) and two episodes of Series 3 of the Shield.  We filled the gaps with talking, me reading comics and playing Medal of Honour: Heroes (PSP) while she continued with her new found hobby of sudoku.

She was back at work on the 2^nd, so I returned home to sort out the two weeks worth of rubbish I had accumulated whilst staying at her house.  I went home via Reading, to change the ring I bought her (I had originally guessed at a J, and was then proved wrong by the man who measured her and said she needed an L, and was then proved right when I bought an L and it was then too loose).  To my delight though, the ring shop was closed, so I have to go back again today.  I did however purchase Untold Legends 2 (PSP) for £15, which is a bargain. 

I then spent the rest of the day washing my clothes, tidying my room and updating my website with information on my Commando Krav Maga classes (www.StealthBuda.co.uk).

And that brings us to today.  It’s 6:50am, and I’m in work in twenty-five mins, so I better get dressed and go meet the transport. 

So I hope you all had a good Christmas and a great New Year.

Stay safe.