My inability to rest

Throughout my exams, I just couldn't wait for them to finish so that I could have time to "do nothing". Sure enough, that day came, and the day after exams I did nothing. During that day I realised that there was no way I would be able to do the same for two and a half months.

Although I didn't clock it at the time, I have never been able to perform unproductive tasks for long periods of time. I feel guilty. Unbelievably guilty that I'm not using that time wisely at all. I have to find something productive to do, even if it means I suffer for the sake of it. A great example has just occurred this past week. Having been on back-to-back holidays, finished last Friday, I was down to play cricket all day Saturday. I desperately wanted a rest but decided that I would "rest while asleep" and went to play. I didn't go out with friends on Saturday, claiming that I "needed rest" whilst I planned a bike ride the next day with a friend. All of this has left me a little tired today, but I've been to play tennis because there's no way I could sit on the sofa for the day.

It takes a lot of mental strength to be able to "do nothing".

Oli
Twitter: @Chowerz

The friends you keep forever

So I'm back from the Lake District and, naturally, I was thinking again...here's what I thought about today:

Many people come and go in life. You'll meet new faces that may contribute to your life, either positively, negatively or both. No matter their effect on you, some people you may see for only a minute, or even a few seconds, and there are others who may hang around for a lifetime. However, there are only a handful that you will share endless moments of joy with, dotted with occasional mishaps, but will ultimately remain in touch with each other after all you've been through together.

As I found out today, sometimes we'll never say to each other, or to anyone we meet, that we're good friends. I don't believe in a 'best' friend - if you're my friend, you're a good one, because we wouldn't be friends if you weren't. It may be a gesture, an adventure, an experience or a facial expression that tells you everything you need to know. Today, for me, it was a slight pause, the making of eye contact, before laughing and throwing our arms around each other. Nothing more needed to be said.

I hope you're as lucky to have some people in your life as I have.

Oli
Twitter: @Chowerz

It's not the best photo but it's all I've got:

A Small Confession...

Missed yesterday because of a severe lack of Internet connection. Today, we enjoyed gorge walking, getting extremely wet in the process. We're off out for an Indian to celebrate the end of our stay here. I did prepare a blog last night, so here it is:

Last night, for some reason, I decided to look back on our monstrous walk that missed the "coveted Roman Road" (see Monday's blog). I realised that on our massive uphill climb, we turned left too early (this I knew at the time) and were only 150m from the Roman Road, which would have eliminated any struggles we had on the return leg. Why I made this decision can be explained by a number of factors, but I am not willing to go into detail at this moment in time. Harry, Shieuerz, my dad and my brother were "DISGUSTED" (dad's text to me), and Harry, politely, only called me a "scumbag".

Other things that happened today: I took the mickey out of my dad's receding hairline, which almost cost me the country's best fish and chips. Shieuerz took 20 minutes to make the letter 'T' out of four wooden blocks, to his own embarrassment only. And we visited a circle of stones that had no historic significance compared to Stonehenge, where I duly won "Best Picture" for my original indie snap (see below).

Unlucky Shieuerz, competition restarts tomorrow.

Oli

Twitter: @Chowerz

Bomb It!

The phrase "bomb it" was used three times in our 16km walk from hell yesterday. Only once did it work. Today, a casual tennis workout was the beneficiary of a 6km "bomb".

Picture it: we've done 5km in two and a half hours, and we have another 6km to go, needing to get back to camp to play tennis at 5pm. The "DofE effect" was in full flow as a few members set the pace half a kilometre ahead of the others. At 2km/hour, the ATP Tour Event at Park Foot would be missed. So 4 of us decided we would "bomb" the last 6km to the cars, bring two of them back and cut the second leg to just 3km in an hour and fifteen minutes for the other five members. With some ultra-aggressive walking and some running, we managed to cover the 6km in an hour and fifteen minutes with a minor navigation error, and drove the cars to our meet up point with Taylor Swift's 'Blank Space' lighting up the Lake District.

Highlights:

 - covering a huge distance to save the day for 5 of us

 - echoing shouts through the mountains

 - a waterfall that is incomparable to Niagara Falls

 - destroying Andrew Chow's enthusiastic serve-and-volley game with some gorgeous lob shots 

Again, no Peggrets from today, even if my legs are collapsing beneath me.

Oli

Twitter: @Chowerz

Oops

Oops. This blog's a bit late. Harry and Shieuerz came up to the Lakes and I showed them, my brother and my dad the planned afternoon route which got a positive response. It turned out my "15km, 1.5km climb and fully flat along the top" team talk was a slight underestimation.

We struggled through the first kilometre to which my dad said "that's the climb isn't it?" How wrong. 5 hours later, having climbed almost 500m in 1.5km and got lost nowhere near the coveted Roman Road, we stumbled back into the lodge and spilled the horror show to our waiting family.

Above: Andrew Chow 'struggling' halfway up the 'steep uphill' 

Since we've had a BBQ, drank some beer and are playing Uno, only Imy pointed out that I hadn't blogged. So here it is. Harry has just won a game despite Shieuerz calling 'Uno' "like 20 times".

No Peggrets from today though.

Oli

Twitter: @Chowerz

Fundamental Motor Skills

This blog is a little late simply because we've done very little today. With the Men's Wimbledon Final the highlight of the day, we took a short trip to Penrith and returned in time for the tennis. It was not until the rain break that my brother, my cousin and I went to kick a ball and throw a Nerfball that a decent thought came to mind.

As learnt from PE GCSE (one of the only useful things learnt from it) there are six fundamental motor skills: running, throwing, catching, hitting, jumping and kicking. If I remember rightly, these skills are developed quite early in life, well before adulthood. I've been wondering whether they can be developed later in life, maybe post-16 age? There are different skills that are ever-improving, such as concentration or communication, but the basic motor skills are a different kettle of fish. It is very difficult to change them after a certain period of life, which is unfortunate for those who decide to take up certain physical activity later in life.

If the motor skills are solely developed early in life, it's my opinion that every child should develop all of these skills to their maximum potential. Obviously genetics may be a limiting factor, but these skills are essential to life. Being deficient means being left behind; not fitting in. It's tough on those of lesser ability and I wish more could be done to improve these skills throughout life.

Feel free to leave me with your opinion below - it is openly welcomed.

Oli

Twitter: @Chowerz

Participation in Sport

My dad may have been the happiest member of the Chow family last night after Federer beat Murray but there can be no complaints - Federer played as well as I've ever seen him play and Murray fans can have no complaints.

Today we've been on a long Lakes walk with some great views, as well as a scone on the way back, plus some local beer.

The main point of this blog is to tell you about my second article that was published on The Opinion Panel last night. I was talking to my friend, Calum, about how they wanted sports articles and how I was thinking about the continued decline in sports participation. Coincidentally he was thinking likewise about swimming, so last Friday we set up a Skype call, had a chat, and the transcript is below:

http://www.opinionpanel.co.uk/2015/07/10/interview-with-a-sportsman-about-the-declining-participation-in-sport/

Hope you enjoy the article!

Oli

Twitter: @Chowerz

Lakesss

It's been a long 24 hours. Getting home from Spain with around 4 hours' sleep in the bag meant I was extremely sluggish in packing for The Lakes. It was nice to get back and see the family, especially to tell them everything about the trip.

Having cooked breakfast for my dad's birthday, I took the wheel of my mum's car and drove exceptionally to The Lakes, if I do say so myself. I'm now watching Wimbledon in the hopes that the campsite's big screen will be the place to be for a Murray victory on Sunday afternoon.

I've also been writing another article for The Opinion Panel for the last week and it should be up soon. I'll be linking it tomorrow.

Here's to a great week in The Lakes!

Oli

Twitter: @Chowerz

Reliving Spain

I think this morning's coach journey that lasted just under 3 hours starting at 5:05am was the most tortuous of my life. I'm writing this on the plane having spent 85 minutes extra waiting on the plane due to aeroplane-related issues. Who'd have thought the plane journey would be more frustrating than the coach?

I think now's a fitting time to revisit the last 4 days. Put simply, it's been great. A few highlights for me were the coastal walk with some stunning views, the most chilled pedalo hour ever and having a cocktail atop a cliff. Thankfully only one of us will be leaving with 'Peggrets'. Other nicknames have also been developed for various reasons throughout the trip:

Oli 'Mother' Chow for taking care of everything on the trip.

Archie 'Shots My Round' Batra for ordering the Jäger but himself throwing up afterwards.

Stephen 'Flamingo' Balfour for his body-contorting reaction to entering the cold seawater.

Jack 'Peggrets' Pegg for regretting almost every choice he has made on the trip (although we're genuinely sorry about the iPhone).

Will "How Much Money Are You Taking?' Shieu for his persistence in knowing how much money people would be taking out with them.

Harry 'Budapest' Vogt for being unable to resist singing George Ezra's hit song all the time and subsequently poisoning our brains with the song.

Here's to many more eventful things to come lads!

Oli

Twitter: @Chowerz

Coming Home!

Our last full day in Spain. With plenty of desire to keep up-to-date with the day's sporting action (Wimbledon and The Ashes), a 'more chilled' day was planned, as if we haven't been chilling enough on this trip! We left the hotel at 12pm and Harry predicted England to be one down in 5 mins...we returned to the disappointing yet amusing news that Lyrh had been dismissed very early indeed.

Believe it or not, we skipped siesta and instead went 'shopping' in the heat, forgetting that half the shops were in siesta mode too! Too bad that when we made the beach not long after, the sun was gone and we had a bit of cloud for the first time. We returned to the hotel after a short sea session and are getting ready for our 5:15am pick up tomorrow morning.

Here's to a safe journey home.

Oli

Twitter: @Chowerz

Oh, What A Night! (July, 2015)

Went to a lovely Spanish restaurant for dinner to celebrate Balf's birthday yesterday. Really nice fish and sangria. Again, I'd put pictures on if it didn't take forever.

We then went to a bar and almost completely took over the music playlist, requesting way too many songs and generally embarrassing ourselves without a care in the world. Clearly the guy who requested Jäegers yet ended up throwing up will be having a lighter night tonight (only 5 beers and two glasses of sangria Archie).

4 of us embarked on a stunning coastal walk (would love to post pictures) and managed to avoid the eagle-eyed waiter outside a pizzeria, desperate to entice us to an Italian restaurant in Spain.

One day more here!

Oli

Twitter: @Chowerz

More Spanish Adventures

Believe it or not, the 6 of us made breakfast this morning, albeit the last 20 minutes of it from 9:25 to 9:45. I think that's an unbelievable achievement for a group of 18 year old lads on a holiday in Spain, where the norm is to spend half the day sleeping. I guess the travelling from 4am yesterday took its toll.

We went for a nice little walk up to the castle/lighthouse structure to the right of our beach and indulged in some cocktails. In typical Asian fashion, Mr Shieu turned bright red and we gave him the usual stick. Some great sea and coastline views capped it off. A beach trip was always on the cards and some questionable dance moves were thrown by someone (myself) on a rock out in the sea. Not to mention Mr Balfour's comical reaction to the cold water usurping his body (oh, and Happy Birthday Balf).

And mum and dad, we're still alive and well :)

Oli

Twitter: @Chowerz

P.S. I've tried to post a couple of photos but it's taking way too long :(

Viva España

This morning myself and 5 friends flew out to Spain to enjoy a few days in the sun. Needless to say the 3:30am wake up and total travel time nearing 5 hours was tiring, resulting in a rather sedate beach trip with an extended siesta.

Unfortunately our saving grace of Wi-Fi requires payment bar a 15 minute free trial that I'm using to write this. As late 20th century children we're naturally disappointed with not being able to update ourselves with the social media world (although we are genuinely concerned about letting our parents know we're OK). So mum and dad, we're OK and everything has been fine bar a couple of comical airport scenes.

Hopefully I'll be able to keep blogging - we'll take the minor financial hit to keep in touch with our nearest and dearest.

Oli

Twitter: @Chowerz

We Don't Like Cricket, We Love It

Cricket, cricket, cricket. An unbelievable game of high intensity, high co-ordination and plenty of...banter. Quite simply, there is no better way of wasting away your summer days than spending 8 hours basking in the sunshine at a picturesque cricket ground.

"Why play cricket?" you may ask. Good question. Great for social interaction and one of the only games that endorses a heavy post-match drink, there is almost no end to the social opportunities. Oh, and it's a sport. Yes, cricket is a sport. If you think about it, it's an interval game with very short intervals. Add in the unforgiving intensity of amateur club cricket and you have the formula for a proper summer's workout. What more can you ask for?

And if you're keen on watching cricket this summer, there's no shortage of action. The Aussies are over for The Ashes, with England looking to avenge their humiliating whitewash Down Under last winter. I'm backing England to edge this series though, with Captain Cook back in form, James Anderson looking as threatening as ever and the fresh optimism brought by a breed of new players. Hopefully we can pull off what would be an extraordinary win.

Oli

Twitter: @Chowerz

The Best Days of Summer Are Back

Hi!

If you can't tell already, summer is well under way. The sun is out, temperatures are soaring in early July and the most telling point is that...the tennis at Wimbledon is in full swing. Some of my favourite memories from every school year have been strolling home in the sunshine, pulling an ice lolly from the freezer and preparing myself to watch the latest day's entertainment at SW19. It's fair to say that Wimbledon is unmatched by any other tennis event in the sporting calendar, and we're lucky to have it right on our doorstep.

Since Federer broke onto the scene, there has been no shortage of masterclasses from arguably the game's greatest ever player. Factor in that Nadal and Djokovic have two Wimbledon titles each and you have one of the most exciting and closely-fought eras of sport in history. Oh, and there's just the small matter of our own Andy Murray, giving the British public something to cheer about in the game and far exceeding Tim Henman's best grand slam achievements (semi-finals at the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open). Murray has had an unbelievable 2015 so far and looks in better shape than when he won Wimbledon in 2013. I'd be backing him to at least make the final this year.

More from the British corner, where James Ward has reached the third round at a grand slam for the first time in his career, simultaneously breaking into the world's top 100, a great achievement for someone who puts so much into his game. On the women's side, Heather Watson faces a monster of a battle this afternoon against Serena Williams, but can do the nation proud with a defiant performance irrespective of the result. Finally, Laura Robson's return to the game following injury means we can look forward to plenty more from the women's game.

I'm certainly looking forward to more cracking sport until the men's final a week on Sunday. A strong showing from the Brits can do no harm for the nation whatsoever, and can maybe get more involved with the game.

Oli
Twitter: @Chowerz

How spoilt are we?

Hi!

Second day, second blog. In February this year, I had a spontaneous thought about comparing our lives in the present day to when my parents were growing up. This led to me writing an article that I sent in to The Opinion Panel Community in late May, and it's up on their website now! Link is here:

http://www.opinionpanel.co.uk/2015/07/02/how-spoilt-are-we/

Please leave any feedback you want - every comment is appreciated! And follow me on Twitter, @Chowerz.

Oli

Hello and Welcome!

Hi!

I'd like to welcome you to my new blog! After just under two weeks since finishing A-levels I am bored already. Blogging will give me something to do over summer but I feel as though over the last couple of years my life has really kickstarted and there are so many experiences awaiting me in the near future. In my eyes it's a great opportunity to share my memories and experiences with others and keep a record for myself.

My blogs will consist of some regular updates with what's going on in my life - be it football, cricket, music or anything else that is vaguely interesting. Every now and again I'll have a crazy brainstorm, most probably at 4am on the way back from a night out in Manchester, at which point I'll get home and write down my thoughts before I forget them all. These will make for blogs that are closely related to my optimistic and idealistic attitudes towards life - although you have a right to disagree!

In the meantime, you can follow me on Twitter (@Chowerz or https://twitter.com/Chowerz) - please be aware that I use Twitter purely for fun and my tweets will be taking the mickey out of something or someone, more often than not myself!

As ever, I'm looking forward to what's to come.

Oli