Win some...lose some...

I, like most of you readers, met lots of people through out our lives. Some of these people have become acquaintances and some developed into friends. In those circle of friends, some have moved into our lives even deeper and become close friends. In the "best friend" category, some people do have it and some don't. I once asked an acquaintance of mine about the "best friend" concept. She shook her head and tells me she doesn't believe in the "best of friends" concept. I understand and accept and after all, there is nothing wrong with believing or disbelieving that concept.

A slight difference in substance in knowing made the distinction between a stranger and an acquaintance; personal information. For me, I would declare a person is an acquaintance if that person knows who I am in person and pretty much general information and nothing more AND I know that person in pretty much the same manner. I would NOT call that person an acquaintance IF I know that person and general information but that person doesn’t even knows my name. It is like Obama/Clinton and me situation. I know everything that is able to know from the internet about that person but he/she knows squat about me.

The closer layer of my life would be friends. These are the people that I care up to a certain level and share with (share my laughs, my joy, my intelligence (artificial if you ask me personally and some of my personal life). Sometimes I wish I could share more stuff with these people and would consider them as close friends. Unfortunately (or is it fortunately) you have to be careful with your friends (hence the phrase “choose your friends carefully).

Though sometimes it may not be intentional, I may have left the people from my "Friends" group out from my “Closer Friends” group. Most of the time, I feel bad. Most of the time I feel that I am the one suppose to call them, establish a better relationship and etc. Feel like I’m letting them down somewhat. But I never do it intentionally. Yes, I do admit that I screw up in some friendships. I am not proud of that. Sometimes I just wish I could turn back the clock but reality strikes in and we just have to move on. To those friends, I only wish for your forgiveness. I screw up, not you. Off hand, there are three that I could clearly remember. The others, I can’t or didn’t realize it. I’m sorry once again.

Well I guess the next category of “closer group of friends” is self explanatory. Almost anything, everything could be shared in this group of friends. The only thing is (for me per se) is that I talk certain topics more intimately to one than the other. I glad that I still have some of these group of friends who laughed with me, shares my pipe dreams, my lame jokes, serious matters and whatnots. It is to these groups that I fear that I would lose the most. I fear of losing my friends in the “Friends” category too but I fear of losing “Closer Friends” category even more.

What fears me most are those friends in the “Best of friends” category. These people I would even sell my kidney for them (just don’t push me into doing it okay guys). These people know who I am referring to.

However, no matter what category of friendship the friends are in (except for “Strangers” and “Acquaintances”), I always try to help them. As much as I can and the limits of which depends on the request but I always try. That is a promise I give.

Anyway, I’m getting all "emo" now after reading what I’ve wrote and so I’ll be signing off for now.

Brian Chew over and out.

Badminton...my game

Badminton has been top of my favourite sport ever since I watched on the television when I was a kid. I'd also participated in one or two competitions where I was a champ for my category and my group (was a kid then, about 8 or 9 years of age). Now, with YouTube I am able to watch the matches that I had missed. The ones that I keep watching over and over again was the doubles match between Malaysia and China (Tan Boon Heong & Koo Kien Keat versus Cai Yun & Fu HaiFeng) in the All England Badminton Open Championships in 2007.

Badminton in Malaysia has been a local favourite sport for quite a while. It has always been the top three favourite (and Malaysian players (either of doubles or singles category) are often the top three in the world too. Sadly, football is the favourite sport (most talked about, most highlighted and irony is Malaysian football team is nowhere near the top 100 (last I checked was down to about 170th in the world's ranking). Here we have people playing the sport everyday in the game halls, the parks, at home and players representing Malaysia is among the best in the world and yet football is the one that is the main sport of conversation.

I hung my badminton racquet when I picked up yet another racquet game; tennis. It was the "in" sport at that time. I guess I was amazed at how Boris Becker won the Wimbledon as the youngest player to do so (record still stands till today), at the age of 17.

I never picked up a badminton racquet again not until I was working....about 18 years later. It was more like a group event but I enjoyed it once again. The second love for badminton stirred once again in my heart. I began to play a bit more earnestly and felt good. Though I know I lost all my skills and started from scratch again, I truely enjoy playing badminton again. Soon after I had started, I had to stop. A little over a year later, my badminton buddies weren't interested anymore. Various reasons include cost, lost of interest and futsal (indoor football) became increasingly popular.

So I hung my racquet once more. My waist-line grew. Then I found another group a couple of years later and I was thrilled once more. I found a group that I could fit in. Previously, I hung around the badminton courts around my area but to join a ready-formed group is quite tough. Most players are friends and acquaintances. It would be tough for a stranger to join. I am good but not that good and to join in a wrong group could leave a bitter taste in your mouth.

If the group is too good, and if I did join in, then the group would be disappointed if I am not up to their standard of playing. This means, out of courtasy, they need to reduce their standard of play just to allow me to fit in or they would ask me to leave. Most of these players are badminton enthusiasts that push themselves to their limit every single time they step on the court and with the years of playing in such a mental condition, they have developed their skills and have an uncanny playing instinct. Though their method/strokes of playing is unorthodox or just plain wrong, their years of experience allows them to give a good fight in some situations. These players only loses to thos with proper training and with some years of competition experiences.

Most players with competition experiences and/or proper training wouldn't allow the enthusiasts to play with them. They belong to a different league altogether. It is not discrimination per se but it would also be pointless if anyone else with lesser ability to join in to play with them. Any lesser player would find it difficult to keep up the morale after finding it out the hard-way. I played with these players before and was very demoralizing. I felt these players gave a few points away to me just to let me have a bit of dignity of not losing completely. I thank them for the few meager points given.

Then there's the other group. The lets-play-for-fun group. I do not mind joining these groups at all. In fact, I often give the points or give easy shots in most games I played with them. However, there is a huge drawback. You will find your skills have stunted and/or degrading. I once played with these group for a while (about half-a-year) and was invited to play with the other more skillful group, I had a terribly hard time coping with their shots. It is not that the players are good but more like I was bad.

Somehow I manage to find a group that is more to my liking. At least I could give my best and feel good without losing too much or in some occassions I even win a round or two. So now I am happy with it. Then I sometimes would go and play with yet another group that asked me to join them. This second group is more of "lets-play-for-fun" group. So I usually take it lightly. I feel bad at times because I feel that it is very lob-sided; I usually would win if I am not careful. When I play with this group, I often give easy shots for the players to return (sometimes I do admit that I can be over confident and still lose). Most of the time I don't play to my fullest but at least I got to play with them. For that I am happy.