Super duper uber tired. I joined Kapi for fitness today, after my normal day of six hours tennis and fitness. I thought it would be an hour, hour half long session. It turned out to be a two hour ordeal of explosive exercises, running, weights and more running. One of the antics I was asked to engage in (I really shouldn't call it antics) was to do a head stand. Yikes! Kapi's style expects a quick catch-on from the athlete. He repeats the exercises once, yes, only ONCE and you have to catch on and replicate it quickly. If you can't, he will repeat it one more time, but by that time, you're embarrassed enough for not being as quick or apt. Pressure, some. Admittedly. For the head stands, for example, he demonstrated it once ("Lace your fingers, hold your head between your palms, square your elbows, and push up!") and left me to it. Wah lau stress man. I tried once, but ended up tumbling (rather unglamorously) over a pile of stretch mats nearby. Sigh. Pick up. Focus, try again. I managed to do it on my second try. Now it's a matter of doing it again, without any wall support.

Needless to say, I was flat out after the whole day. But it wasn't the end of things yet. Every Wednesday the Academy takes us out on a trip to the supermarketto get our weekly supplies. Because of the session with Kapi, I had to shower, have a pronto dinner and then catch the Academy bus to Carrefour. On the ride there, I was so tired I didn't even want to lift arms. Only just close my eyes.

I bought:
EUR 1,35 A bunch of Delmonte bananas

EUR 4,96 Two big cartons of eggs (30 pieces each) Dad would be so proud! He loves eggs :)

EUR 0,55 5L bottle of mineral water

EUR 0,65 Carrefour isotonic drink

EUR 13,95 A small tub of isotonic powder (like Gatorade)

EUR 0,85 200g pack of salted pumpkin seeds (I just munched a few. Very salty!)

EUR 0,59 200g pack of salted peanuts (I expect this to be just as salty...)

EUR 1,35 1.5l bottle of orange juice. Couldn't resist lah.

EUR 1,31 Pack of green grapes

EUR 0,80 400g pack of Carrefour digestive biscuits (I hope these taste good...)

EUR 1,95 Carrefour soap bars, 4 in a pack

EUR 1,00 Green cotton top on sale

EUR 1,00 Blue cotton top on sale

TOTAL: EUR 30,01

On the ride back I apparently annoyed a blonde-hair-blue-eyed boy on the bus. I was one of the last to get on--and he was sitting right in front, hogging two seats with his groceries and his bum, while everyone else was squashed like sardines on their small seats. Unimpressed, (I was struggling with two big cartons of eggs, come on!) I stopped right in front of him and pointedly asked if I could sit down. The girl sitting across the small aisle raised her eyebrows and shrugged her shoulders as he gruffly got up, making no pains to show he was pissed for being asked to move.

For the next two minutes, I sat next to him, scowling about his attitude and how I was in the right, he was so inconsiderate, blah blah blah. Obviously, I wasn't too happy either, but something inside somehow felt bad for feeling annoyed too (strange, isn't it?). I ended up forcing myself to talk to him with the "Hi, what's your name? Where are you from?" routine. I did mean the questions, but what I meant more to do was to let him know I wasn't intentionally being a pain. I come with peace la, I just needed a seat! Turns out the conversation went really well--he was surprisingly friendly once past the icy cold exterior. 16 year old Russian boy, 3 years at the Academy, curious about, but equally looking forward to College.

We ended up talking about a college education for most of the trip back. Surprisingly, he started off the topic after I told him I'd just finished Uni. He asked a lot of questions, and I could tell, was genuinely interested in the intricacies of the entire experience. In many ways, it really was nice sharing how I felt a University really moulds you into a fuller person in every sense of the word. It expands your mind, your thoughts, your interactions and experiences. He listened with his eyes, his ears, obviously hungry to hear, taste, absorb more--and I was surprised at his eagerness. Tennis Academy aside, how often do we meet people enthusiastic about going to University? Not many in my books. And so, as he asked more, I shrugged and shared more. Introduced more ideas to him, drew more worlds in the semi-darkness as the bus trundled along, past sweeping highway lights and the constant glow of faraway factories, misty in the horizon. I kept on pushing boundaries, recounting experiences, and he kept on keeping on. It's slightly ironic that it took four years of University to expand this young mind's borders in a single bus ride conversation. But what a privilege! As we alighted, I smiled to myself.

Wasn't half that bad a ride back, after all.