28/5 (Wed): Sitting in on Regulus' training

Guess who was in Japan and wrangled a visit to Regulus' training?

Watching a Japanese cheerleading team train was really an eye opener. From the get-go, the members seemed to enjoy training so much, even the warm ups. I was impressed by the efficiency and the discipline. When they were given a water break, they did only that - drink water and come right back to the hall. Nobody had to go to the toilet to yank the stragglers back to training, and throughout the two hours there was no time at all at which someone just stood around doing nothing. They took initiative, and even the members who aren't in the first team were practising their tumbling and girl-basing at the side. In addition, there was a girl who'd sprained her ankle at the previous training. She only asked to be excused from some warm ups that would hurt her ankle more, but during the run through for the routine she gave it her all, doing all her stunts. And mind you, she was involved in so many stunts as she was the top flyer. That's rather unconceivable in Singapore, really. For the slightest injury the flyers don't come to trainings at all, or if they do they're virtually useless. I guess that shows how much the different in passion and motivation is. Needless to say, I was very, very impressed. They absolutely blew me away in every way!

30/5 (Fri): bumming around

It only made me realise just how poor I am at guiding people around Tokyo, because I really don't know what there is to do/see here, apart from eat and shop! Sure, there have been places that I've been to and enjoyed, but they don't seem major enough to warrant a trip there by tourists. I don't know, it makes me feel incompetent. Then again, in my own defense, it is not my ambition to be a tour guide!

31/5 (Sat): Cheerleading Asia International Open

The first major cheerleading competition that I've attended live! To me it was a once in a lifetime opportunity, so I forked out a bit more money and got an arena seat. The downside was that we had a side view, and the front would've been so much better! However, one thing I have to say is that it was absolutely thrilling to be so near to the action, and be able to watch cheerleading routines for so many hours! Having said that... I have to admit that after a while it got a little bit boring because there was a seemingly endless supply of teams, and the stunts and ways of mounting were the same after a while. Sure their movements are sharp and all, but it would've been nice to see more variations. I get the impression that in US and other Western countries, while the final pyramid might be the same (eg swedish fall), their ways of mounting are very different, which makes it a treat to watch. In any case, I enjoyed myself! And it was pretty cool having participants from my own country! :D

It's been a while since I was so overwhelmed with cheerleading related stuff - catching up with my cheerleader friends, watching cheerleaders perform... It made me happy! At the same time it made me eager to do some stunts as well. I was feeling all enthusiastic about it, until Yoon Jeong gave me a reality check. "First you'll have to return to being 45kg."

Ouch.