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Quantum Leap: A tale of tennis

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The metamorphosis of frove and the thoughts of a millionaire mind

Quantum Leap: A tale of tennis

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Theorizing that one could time travel within his own lifetime, Doctor Sam Beckett led an elite group of scientists into the desert to develop a top secret project known as “Quantum Leap”. Pressured to prove his theories or lose funding, Dr. Beckett prematurely stepped into the Project Accelerator, and vanished... He awoke to find himself trapped in the past, suffering from partial amnesia and facing a mirror image that was not his own. Fortunately, contact with his own time was maintained through brain wave transmissions with Al, the Project Observer who appeared in the form of a hologram that only Dr. Beckett can see and hear. Trapped in the past, Dr. Beckett finds himself leaping from life to life, putting things right that once went wrong, and hoping each time that his next leap will be the leap home.

And I'm feeling like Dr Sam Beckett today, as I found myself leaping into the body of an entrepreneur who met a doctor and his two friends for tennis at “The Pine”, Stevens Road, at 8am in the morning. Unlike Sam, who knew 7 modern languages including English, Japanese, French, Spanish and German, but not Italian or Hebrew and 4 dead ones (he can read Egyptian hieroglyphics), I know only 3 human languages, several dialects of one language, and at least between 5 to 7 computer languages. After not playing tennis for between 5 to 7 years, I've totally forgotten how to play it and the mechanics of the game.

Desmond, Ken, Shimeng(?) (or Hon/Hong as he called himself, when I asked him how to spell his name) and myself played tennis until around 9.20am. As I partnered with each of them, I watched their cue of where they're standing, and tried to play it by the ear. Desmond and Ken were both friendly, while Shimeng was more reserved, when I asked him what he did, he said that he did some reports and clerical work. While on our way to the restroom to bathe, Shimeng dropped a Forbes magazine. Hmm... Since when do clerks read Forbes magazines and go for one day briefing in a one day reservice? I bet Bill Gates and Warren Buffett must be clerks doing reports and clerical work too. And when Shimeng asked me how I knew Ken, I told him I had met Ken when I was first doing research a few years ago.

We adjoured to Newton for breakfast, and I had coffee, while Desmond had some noodles for $4 and Shimeng had some noodles for $3. He half finished it, and when Ken came subsequently, Ken ordered two plates of chicken rice for himself and Shimeng, and shared a plate of chicken with Shimeng, and me. During the breakfast, we chatted, and when Desmond asked me what I specialised in, I gave a short chuckle(?). Even I find it hard myself to tell people what I specialise in. How many people would believe that I can do systems administration, database optimization, network troubleshooting, setup, software development among others?

I parted with them at about 10.30am, as I rushed home for my weekly installment of “My Fair Princess”. While leaving, Ken again invited me to join them next week.

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