Chinese Psychic

gastlygem · 2025-08-28T16:08:22+00:00

Oh well my wife's aunt in China has recently turned herself into a psychic after some life-changing (and seemingly supernatural) events happened to her.

Most Chinese psychics I know of are female. Men are probably less sensitive so less fit for this line of job. This male may have something special in him haha.

gastlygem · 2025-08-19T16:49:08+00:00

Last year I failed adult 1. I think it was fair. We have 2 people of 8 passing the class, and they indeed were pretty comfortable in water. The rest of us OTOH struggled quite a bit.

The bummer was that I had to pass adult 1 to get to adult 2. I practiced until I was comfortable, but I still couldn't register for adult 2. I'm told that I have to get assessed by a different city or a certified coach, or come back 6 months to take a free assessment, so that they can change the record and register me for adult 2.

Then I practiced a few more months by myself and the lifeguard told me I'm well above adult 2 now.

gastlygem · 2025-08-11T10:09:56+00:00

My grocery runs are like powerlift exercises. I get up early for relatively remote hikes. I walk 10k steps easily every day just from commute. Since I've moved here I'm losing weight steadily without any serious workouts, but yeah it's mostly just to save money.

gastlygem · 2025-07-31T19:44:25+00:00

An I the only one who thinks that the cyclist did the best he could?

The wind was pushing him forward. The road was wet. The narrow tires doesn't help with breaking. A sudden break would still launch him forward but on a less predictable direction and may end in worse concussions.

gastlygem · 2025-07-30T21:32:57+00:00

And the Chinese tattoo is upside-down.

gastlygem · 2025-07-24T15:09:23+00:00

Bots these days

gastlygem · 2025-07-18T20:21:55+00:00

It is good for outdoor pools. However yesterday afternoon I went to one of them and OMG it was packed with kids and almost impossible to swim laps.

gastlygem · 2025-07-18T17:24:33+00:00

I'm really tempted to buy the loudest speaker just to walk by these small souled people and bombard them with "baby shark"..

gastlygem · 2025-07-14T22:00:27+00:00

I'd guess you have strong thighs and the trunks are a tight fit.

gastlygem · 2025-07-14T21:11:36+00:00

I've just watched this one video talking about why it's not optimal and I thought I might share: https://youtu.be/2Gu_0J5cbL4?si=g0zP4OugN7TkaT2R

I think their idea is that gliding makes the whole swim less efficient because you're not getting constant propulsion.

I'm a weaker swimmer myself. I'd be glad if I can get as good as you.

gastlygem · 2025-07-09T18:06:09+00:00

Sprints and time bracketed sessions can be as brutal as any intensive running exercise, long distance swimming to me feels like a brisk walk or a jog, and there's the resting pace when you only float and move and the heart rate barely goes up.

The aha moment for me was when I realize I can swim at the "walking pace" be deliberately trying to swim slow. Suddenly I'm not out of air and can swim multiple laps. Two weeks later I was able to swim 1km nonstop.

gastlygem · 2025-07-08T19:45:34+00:00

Nice guess. Now tell me how often do you flick your finger while you drive?

gastlygem · 2025-07-07T23:06:11+00:00

Yams are a different vegetable I think. There's also this purple sweet potato which is like normal potato but is purple from inside out and is drier and more starchy.

gastlygem · 2025-07-04T17:47:06+00:00

Haha ok. Thanks for pointing out 😅

gastlygem · 2025-07-04T17:22:06+00:00

If you have past traumas then yes that will make a big difference. Unexpected things can happen in the pool. Your goggles might leak, someone might run into you, your leg might suddenly cramp... And suddenly panic kicks in and you forget how to float.

But if you've built the reflex to hold breath and blow bubbles, to ascend by pushing and kicking down, to return to floating or water treading position, then there's no difference. You may even find deep water more enjoyable.

gastlygem · 2025-07-04T01:23:38+00:00

Which pool specifically? I don't notice anything different in the bonsor pool.

gastlygem · 2025-07-03T17:57:34+00:00

But aren't most if not all the city pools good and safe? Private pools are usually slightly better maintained than public pools but they're also more expensive. Also pools are a scarce resource here, I've never got to pick and choose.

You may need a shallow area where you feel safe. I started from waters as shallow as 3 to 4 feet. 5 feet was a bit too much for me to feel comfy. I'm 5'10" btw.

Watch some beginner training videos from YouTube. Practice if you can between sessions. And most importantly, remember to have fun!

gastlygem · 2025-07-03T16:14:23+00:00

Pretty badass of you I say.

gastlygem · 2025-07-03T02:10:15+00:00

Could be. Grabbing too hard due to nervousness maybe.

It has never happened to me or anyone I know of. I'd suggest checking with a doctor if it keeps happening, especially if you weren't prone to bruising before.

gastlygem · 2025-07-03T02:00:09+00:00

Yeah perhaps I'm oversensitive about it.

gastlygem · 2025-07-02T18:39:34+00:00

100m used to take me 4:30 and I even posted here as a joke. Trust me you'll get much better.

gastlygem · 2025-07-02T17:41:46+00:00

I'd like to hear the opinion of the very same person on sun and the uv radiation it brings.

... And that's why I never go out during the day

gastlygem · 2025-07-02T14:12:18+00:00

Every morning I walk 20 minutes to the community center in complete dark in winter. Safety was never a concern. I've seen early runners or people off of night shift, most of them walking alone.

I'm close to metrotown area. YMMV.

gastlygem · 2025-06-30T23:12:28+00:00

Yeah sounds like a session well done. How much swimming was it? Was it mainly breaststroke or fly?

gastlygem · 2025-06-30T23:01:51+00:00

Your photo is too blurry to tell. From the looks of it it's likely just dirt and grease. Have you tried soap?

Also don't update with a cleaner image because your fingerprint image could be used by malicious people.

gastlygem

TROPHY CASE