Greetings from Malaysia…
Weather here is hot and humid – I really don’t like being hot and sweaty all the time and wonder if I will ever get used to it. This is a view from our room. The lake used to be a valley and about 30-40 years ago a dam was built and the entire valley was filled with water. I was told that it’s about 400 feet deep and there are parts of the lake where the tops of trees are still showing. My brother who came here to visit years ago said that before the highways were built, there were elephants, buffalos and other wildlife swimming in the lake, plus lots of monkeys. Alas, with tourism they have been driven deeper in the forest. The mountainous areas are the protected Belum rainforest, which is older than the Amazon. This lake is about two hours’ drive from Ipoh, my hometown.
My time helping out at the local university hospital in Kuala Lumpur went well and was made more fun with my team members Tracey and Kelly assisting me. I believe it was a good experience for both of them to work in a non-U.S. setting. The Physios here are very receptive and were very interactive.
My last few days visiting were spent in Ipoh. The highlight whenever I visit here is seeing my former badminton coaches who had a tremendous influence in my formative teen years. I credit one in particular as being instrumental in helping me analyze and dissect movement at such a young age, which is now my area of interest. Master Teik Swee is now in his mid-70s and was so happy when I told him how his careful coaching helped shape my career. I was already a state champion when he started to coach me, but he felt that my footwork and strokes would not carry me to the national level. So he rebuilt my foundation and changed my footwork and strokes, an arduous and painful process for me.
After about six months of “re-programming” and refining of my movement skills, I became the national junior champion, and later on to the national team for the World games. My strokes and footwork were changed completely with increased speed and power. That’s why I believe that "re-programming" is possible with the right and precise guidance, and with lots of focused practice.
My time helping out at the local university hospital in Kuala Lumpur went well and was made more fun with my team members Tracey and Kelly assisting me. I believe it was a good experience for both of them to work in a non-U.S. setting. The Physios here are very receptive and were very interactive.
My last few days visiting were spent in Ipoh. The highlight whenever I visit here is seeing my former badminton coaches who had a tremendous influence in my formative teen years. I credit one in particular as being instrumental in helping me analyze and dissect movement at such a young age, which is now my area of interest. Master Teik Swee is now in his mid-70s and was so happy when I told him how his careful coaching helped shape my career. I was already a state champion when he started to coach me, but he felt that my footwork and strokes would not carry me to the national level. So he rebuilt my foundation and changed my footwork and strokes, an arduous and painful process for me.
After about six months of “re-programming” and refining of my movement skills, I became the national junior champion, and later on to the national team for the World games. My strokes and footwork were changed completely with increased speed and power. That’s why I believe that "re-programming" is possible with the right and precise guidance, and with lots of focused practice.
Take care,
Clare
Clare
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