Paintball: My Passion and My Lifestyle.

Many been asking me lately about the current 'hot' issue that involves our paintball community.  Players, operators, pro shop owners...it feels as if everyone is walking on eggshells.

Whilst most of you realized that I kept things to myself, not because I don't care.  But because I see there is not necessary for me to join in jumping up and down and causes more panic than it already has.  Much thanks to those who already shared what to do during these dark moments for all of us, at least some of us can breathe a little, for now.

I was checking on my Facebook photos and realized that apart from food photos (LOL!), there are more paintball related photos in my album, or whatever I been tagged in more than anything else.  And yes, I do admit that 80% of the people in my friend list are involved with paintball, one way or another.  

Friends that I made through the years (maybe some haters in between?), places I went...this sport has took me places, and each time I came back, I bring home new experiences, new friends and strengthen the old friendships. 

Just a tiny collection of photos that I manage to find...

My bittersweet memories - some makes me happy, some makes me sad.  I meet some people, I lose some people.  

This sport, despite with the wrong perspective from the public as 'violent, undisciplined, expensive' activity, I found myself the opposite.  

I had my share of laughter, tears and sweat...and my hardwork to come to who I am today.  I brushed off the 'You can't' into 'Yes, I can and I am proving to you that you are wrong.'.  I ignore the 'you should quit' and do more to keep them shut up.  

Paintball made me see the right and wrong people in my life.  What I gain, and what I lost.  

It comes with paint, mud and bruises. Those days of travelling long hours on road, or flying to places just to play paintball or just be there to support whenever can, or be in the field as a referee...the time, the money spent...the family I left behind for that weekend of adrenaline rush and missing some family occassions - weddings, gatherings, birthdays; the non-paintball friends that will never understand how I can stand with the bruises around my arms, legs, my neck...the funny stare from the public who thought it was something else, and the time that I am unable to spend with them.  Facing some sceptics who thought a lady can't stand long in the heat in the field - that's something I got used of.  

But it also comes with satisfaction that I managed to get through those tiring moments, the time where it tested endurance, patience and to deal with stress should things didn't come my way.  

For each tournament ended, I learn something new, I gain something new.  

Paintball is not just a sport.  It's something that already has been part of me for years now.  It's my lifestyle.  Take this away from me, then it means part of me will be taken away too.

Safe the sport.  We aren't criminals.  We are just a bunch of people who loves to play paintball.

Pain, paint, paint~!

I think I kena paintball overdose syndrome.  

May, June and last weekend, July is my almost non-stop paintball activities almost every weekends.  Every person that I met also remarked that they seen me in few different places in short span of time based on my updated activities in Facebook.  

Ramadhan came and it's a relief to me.  Really relieved because at least I can rest from traveling for events or running the local events for a while.  

So, in case you were wondering,  I was in KK last month for the Sabah Paintball League, then a week or so later, I touched down Kuching for the Kuching Cup 3 vs 3.

Us....Splatz1 Katz

Borneo ladies rock the field!

With another all ladies team, the SuperGrass - which gathers up players from Sarawak and Brunei

Carole from Kuching (center, white top with pink headband), Lulu from Brunei (right, black top with colorful headband), Nia from Kuching (left, red shirt), Daff from Kuching (back left, blue top), Yours truly with purple headwrap, Arry from Sabah (next to me, red headwrap) and Joanne (behind Lulu).

Can you spot me in the video? Hehehehe~

Anyway, after Kuching, a week after that I sail off to Labuan as the head referee for Labuan Pusatko Open 2013.  

 Though tiring, but our accomodation was arranged at Papaya's Beach Lodge...

All the tiredness just fades away with the peace and quiet environment here...

Who says only grown ups plays paintball?  This 3 siblings are no more than 15 years of age, they stole the attention away from the Open division players and guess what, their team won GOLD for Rookie category!

Happy winners....Team United Paintballers (a team consists of players from Sandakan, KK and KL) with Team Crazie Darkside (Sarawak, KL & Brunei) all smiles with their winning trophy.  2 days of hardwork finally paid off!

one for the album with Labuan referees and Team Crazie Darkside...

you guys are bullies! LOL~

Barely a day I arrived from Labuan, an unexpected job came in.  A referee friend of mine, Vicky asked me if I can help out for the Sandakan 3 vs 3 Challenge that very same weekend.  So, 4 days after that...yours truly flew to Sandakan...

 Oh yeah...travelling in style! =p

I salute this uncle for enduring the sun and rain to be in the field with us.

He is also a paintball player but this time around, he asked if he can get inside to be a paintball ref.

Honestly, I am a little concerned since I never worked with referees whom are 20 years older than me, and kept reminding him that if he can't go on, I would understand, but he finished the tournament anyway and still in good spirits!

If this is not putting the younger players in shame, I don't know what will.  

 A gift from Vicky, all the way from Japan!

Thank you!!!!!! 

 Me and Vicky, with the Sandakan Referees

Teams that came all the way from Kota Kinabalu, Tawau and Sandakan respectively.

Well...last weekend's Sandakan trip is to end the half year of paintball season for me in 2013.  Now that Ramadhan is here, I can take this opportunity to rest, and yes, will be travelling again in a week or so...but this time, it's nothing about paintball (well, almost) hehehehehe~  

I can't wait to meet up with some friends.

Till then, see you in next post!

Last weekend's training...

2 tournament's down....and this weekend, will be in Kuching for another.

Am still trying to get everything sorted out and yeah...honestly, I feel nervous!  We had our final drill and training last weekend, and thankfully, Ari happened to be in KK all the way from Brunei and helped us along with our training.

Thank you ya...for helping us a lot!

Getting these guys to help us out too...Kenchy, Simon and Sean...

Preparing our markers and everything, while Ari looks on.

...and at the end of the day...post mortem and all....

We all had fun! 

So...yeah, hope that we are well prepared for coming tournament this weekend....Splatz1 Katz will make her first debut in Kuching! Wish us luck!

Splatz1 Katz will be going to Kuching this weekend.

Arry, yours truly and Joanne

More Paint, Bruises Coming...

Seems like there will be an almost back to back tournaments I am going to get involved with.  Seriously...I didn't realise it until I was checking on the calendar to mark the tournament days to realised that.

So...what do I had in my schedule for weeks to come?

CAP3 Event this saturday...(25/05/2013)

 

Sabah Paintball League Cup (Round 2) next week... (01/06/2013 - 02/06/2013)

Not long after that...Kuching Cup 3 vs 3 (15/06/2013 - 16/06/2013)

and...soon after...

PusatKo Paintball Open 2013 Labuan (29/06/2013 - 30/06/2013)

So...there will be more paint, more bruises, more sunburns...hopefully, losing more weight!  

hahahaha...!!!

Between the 2 Jerseys.

So it's done. 
After waiting, training for months, jitters, butterflies in my tummy no longer. 

It was one fine evening in 2012 when my brother, Miguel blurted out about bringing the team to play for a paintball tournament in Taiwan in 2013.  As a 'dormant' team member for Splatz1, I coyly told my brother that I don't mind tagging along, perhaps if I could assist at the Dye booth or do something to make myself useful, or if I got lucky, I might get a spot to become a field ref, as what I always been doing in tournaments.

"Why don't you play with the team this time?" he asked.  I was like, "Seriously?"
"Well, if you wish to play, you gotta start training."

The following weekend, there I was in the field, for the first time since became a paintball marshal for 4,5 years (?), I trained as a player.

It wasn't easy, and I am determined not to be treated any different from other players.  Since most of the team members are not in town due to other commitments, I trained with other players from other teams.  Paintball friends who knew that I had started training gave lots of tips and advice. 

 I admit that along the years, though I do play paintball on certain occasions (but never on the competitive speedball game), I am somewhat a spoil bear.  Why I said so?  I always have someone to do things for me.  Whenever I am going to play, for our annual Nexus wargame for example, I had the boys prepared marker for me.  Harness with pods, all filled and ready.  After each round, I had someone to refill the gas for yours truly.  No batteries, I get someone to replaced it for me.  It's all changed the day I started my training - I got to do things myself and to be responsible with my own equipments.  What kind of shooting mode I wanna use for that particular day? My brother showed the manual book and asked me to follow the instruction step by step.  So yeah, no more anyone to do things for me unless I can't fix it.

Days, weeks, months goes by.  So there I was, finally packed and ready to Taiwan.  A week before the tournament date, I was all jitters and butterflies.  I kept telling myself: "What if I failed the team?  What if I screwed up during the game?  What if...what if...what if..."  I kept on wondering why I even agree to play?  Why I wanted to step out from my comfort zone, just doing that I already knew and not to bother doing something else?  I wanted to pull out.  Lots of other things just make me feel wanted to just quit.  I was on the edge of breaking down.  Nothing seems right.  I want out.  It wasn't until a paintball friend told me this, "If you play because other people ask you so, QUIT.  If you play for any reasons other than playing because you wanted to play, QUIT.  You'll be only wasting the time of the people who spend time to train you."

Now..that feels like someone slapping my face for a wake up call.  And it works.

I did went with the team anyway.  Didn't to play as much as I am concentrating helping out the team in the paddock most of the time (there's just 7 of us in the line up), side coached for our players at the dorito side, collecting pods, cleaning them up and checking on game schedule before going for the next rounds. 

Viewing myself as the player, now that's a different vision altogether.  There are bound to have bad calls as such, and now I truly understand how it feels.  There are moments you just wish that the paint check could have been done earlier, frustration and all...set aside the marshal identity, I am a player. 

When it came my turn to play, mind is blank altogether.  All that I heard is voices around the field, paintballs flying around and there I was behind the bunker, doing my best to take down my opponent...I got hit anyway, put my hand on head and humbly walked out.  Got myself cleaned, everything refilled and get on for the 2nd round... and the cycle goes until the end of the game. Then the tournament ended, and it's all over.

As we spent few more days in Taiwan after the tournament, I spent my time reflecting the tournament, it's impact on me and how it has given me a brand new experience in my paintball life.  I used to be that someone outside the bunker, watching where the paintballs hit and pull the players out if they were eliminated.  This time around, I was the person behind the bunkers. It's fun, great and awesome!

So returning back to KK, am going to become a player now and leave marshaling for good?  I don't think so.  It truly helped me see from both sides' views - and it motivates me to become a better marshal in the future. Will this be my first and last speedball tournament as a player?  Nope.  I choose to continue my training and looking forward to learn more from more players.

My great thanks to everyone who has been motivating me, helping me with all those tips and tricks in the field, those who patiently trained me, my team mates - Splatz1 especially my brother Miguel Ronne for giving me the chance to experience all these; from marshaling till playing...I wouldn't be who am I today without him. =)

I know that I still have a long way to go to be on the same par with the team members.  I might be slow, but I am a work in progress. =)

Between these 2 jerseys:  I will wear whichever that is required for me for that particular tournament.  Either way, you will still see me:  either I made the call, or being called out. 

See you in the field!

Sneak Peek: Taiwan Trip

Still sorting out photos for the blog!  

Anyway, here's a little sneak peek during my trip in Taiwan:

Proudly bringing our state and country flags with us.  A photo before we fly from KKIA Terminal 2.

Arrived in Taipei!

 Waited for almost 20 minutes in the cold for our bus outside the airport.

It's 14 degrees out there...the wind and all.  We're Malaysians and not used to the cold...

 Behind me is the tournament field in Taitung.

New experiences, new friends. =)

 Photo with the team in Taitung during the player's party.

 In one of the night markets in Taipei.

Street performer acting as a cat~ =p

This beautiful white dog caught my attention.

Was speaking to the owner asking for her permission to touch her dog.

ps:  That dog is 8 years old.

Saw a man with some beautiful dogs including this Collie.

She is one of the strays which was rescued and then trained as theraphy dogs

for the elderly and sick children.

Till the next post! =)

Where Paintball Takes Me: Sandakan

I am sorry that I had been slacking a lot in my blog lately.  

Just want to let you all know (if you still reading my blog), that I am still alive, healthy and doing well.  =)

Anyway, recently I went to Sandakan to support their first paintball tournament for their district - the Sandakan 3 vs 3 men challenge with Team Mawas from KK.  It's quite a long journey, about 400km plus from KK.  

Woke up early and waited for Eri & Azie to pick me up at 8am, we dropped by at Ciko's and then headed to Tuaran for breakfast at Sofian's mother's little canteen while waiting.  Man arrived shortly. We're supposed to leave with Muss and Sofian but the guys got things to settled so only 5 of us leaving early.  Runny arrived Sandakan earlier than us by flight, Sharma already waiting in Sandakan and Hazeeq was due to arrive in the evening.  It was already almost 9:30am when we left.

It was quite an adventure and though it's kinda tiring, but the company of great friends makes the journey enjoyable.  We stopped in Telupid for lunch and continued our journey, every once in a while dozed off and woke up again.  (Thankfully I am not having too much sugar, else will be getting hyperactive in the car and risked me getting dropped off in the middle of nowhere =p).  Weather is favorable along the way, just a little drizzle when we finally reached Bandar Indah, Sandakan at about 5pm.  Checked into Hotel Indah, went for walk the field. 

I let the photos below tell you how my days spent...

I managed to spare a little time to meet up with an old friend...whom I haven't meet for almost 10 years...

Nice to see you again, Jojon! =)

And yes...I have been busy especially on weekends.  For someone who is going to play on a competitive level after becoming a referee for so long...(and I am going to tell about it soon!)...it is not easy.  It's a whole new different level between playing and being a referee.  So, I get into the field with whomever came to train, else I am content just to run around on my own.

 

That's about it, I guess..from the first day Chinese New Year holidays, I am in the field, still in the field and hoping that at least I can improve to play a bit.  Well...I might be slow in improving, but I am a work in progress.  I am truly grateful for everyone around that never stopped encouraging me, those patiently training me, teams who allowed me to train with you all.  I am thankful for being there for me. =)

Well, till the next post!  =)