Athletic Chamber ; the Science behind our athlete's success. Guess who built these equipment ?

Installation in Doha Aspire hospital May 2017. 

QRA International has a flagship product which we will be making a global presentation in 2024. The athletic chamber is the 'secret weapon' for many Western sports associations for the longest time.

Many athletes have been using chamber technology to condition their bodies to get maximal performance for up to 2 weeks after use. This is testament to Singapore's fine performance of its track, sailing, and high jump athletes in the current Asian Games held in Hangzhou China.  

Now,with 2 chambers sold in Singapore (2015 and 2016) plus another 2 sold in Qatar and Australia respectively QRA is ready to 'let fly' the athletic chamber to the sporting world.

 

Levelling of the Floor at Aspire Doha 

Essentially the chamber is just a controlled environmental room. The limits of the controlled environment of the chamber is determined by the limits in which our world's environment. However, since there are no ultra marathons in -40 C in Kamchatka or Siberia, there is no need to control the temperature to -40 C. Most chambers which we design reach lows of 0C or -20 C. 

The highest temperature reached is +50 C which can be reached in desert climates like the Sahara and Gobi deserts. 

Temperature Range (Athletic Chamber) : 0  C to +50 C

Humidity levels are typically from 20% to 95% (Singapore's humidity is easily 70 - 80% most times of the year). The humidity in the chamber is controlled using steam generation (100%) and a cooling coil to reduce the RH by condensation. Rather overuse of power, but it generates the necessary humidity nonetheless. 

Therefore Relative Humidity : 20 - 95%

For elite athletes and conditioned athletes to train inside the chamber, QRA employs the use of Amine scrubbers which typically 'catch' the CO2 molecules from the air passing through and 'cleaning' the air to be pumped back into the room by this method. Human beings emit a lot of CO2 out into the atmosphere and a surprising fact if that many people die in enclosed spaces due to Carbon Dioxide poisoning rather than Oxygen deprivation or too low levels of oxygen when they are trapped in an enclosed space (say a closed mine, or skiiers in a crevice).

CO2 : less than 2000 parts per million per m3 of air.   

In summary, QRA INTERNATIONAL can provide the following : 

Walk- In Athletic Chamber for up to 10 people 

Size : 6 m x 6 m x 3 m 

Temperature Range : 0 to 50 C

Temperature Control : +/- 3 C 

Humidity Range          : 20 - 95%

Humidity Control         : +/- 5%

CO2 Control               : less than 2000 ppm per m3 of air inside chamber after 1 hour of intensive use.

Contact us Now for a detailed Discussion and No obligations Quote 

Email : qrasales@qra.com.sg

Website : www.qra.com.sg

Burma Social 30 Sept 2023

Earth House Restaurant Thong Lor 9

Situated in a Bungalow off Sukhimvit 53, Thonglor Soi 9 is a gem of a restaurant serving purely vegetarian fare, Mediterranean style. I had a full day of rest after 2 busy days in Bangkok from 12 - 14th September, so this place was a lovely treat for me. Its about a 15 minute walk from my serviced apartments in Soi 14 in Ekkamai. 

The address is as shown in the picture below and one thing I noticed when I stepped in was that the place was in total harmony with greenery and the trees around it. Look at the restaurant inside, there are plenty of green living plants along all the walls. When I stepped outside into the courtyard and headed to the bathroom, the open courtyard stood under the Banyan tree and was something out of a movie. 

Address of the Earth House. It is situated off Sukhumvit 53 and Along Thonglor 9, so the 112 / 2 I guess is that there are 2 houses in the Unit 112  

So without much further ado, I decided to try the avocado toast. There were 3 slices of sourdough bread and the avocado paste was done very nicely. See the picture below. It was really tasty and there were really fresh sides of lettuce and cherry tomatoes which made my meal delightful. I also had an Americano coffee to complement my breakfast. 

Beautiful Courtyard for any event 

There are a few faithful clients who patronise this and they appear to be the international tourists and some your urban Gen Z types whose 'office' is their laptops and mobile phones. All the power to them for this new way of working across any time zone, culture, and language.

Will I venture again to this oasis of calm ? The answer is obvious. 

Video showing the Chill Place in all its morning glory 

 Mushroom Risotto 

Cheap, Clean and Tranquil Service Apartments in Ekkamai Bangkok

Reading a Book on Speeches by Famous People in the Balcony overlooking greenery. A luxury afforded only to a few places in the heart of Bangkok 

In the suburbs of Bangkok there lies this gem of a service apartment. Called Nice Residences,it is located in Ekkamai Soi 14, off Ekkamai Road. I pay a minimal price of THB 1000 or  S$ 40 (US$ 30) per night to get the following below :

a) Large (180 ft2) clean room with balcony facing to 2 huge private bungalows.

b) Unfettered morning charm awakened by the sounds of birds chirping outside

c) Airconditioning

Happiness in the morning ; Nothing beats a nice coffee and a book in the quiet environs of a nearby country. 

d) Beautiful balcony to do soul replenishment and quiet reading.

I bought this gem of a book called "Speeches that Changed the World" from a 2nd hand bookstore at the nearby Don Don Donki building)

e) Ensuite bathroom with WC and bathtub.

 

An amazing deal in a central location which I am happy to say is my go to place when I need to refocus and recharge.

I am here with 2 colleagues to attend the Biomedical show at BITEC and seek

a) distributorship 

b) new agents or potential partners for business.

Do give it a try ; its only S$40 and what can go wrong at that price ?

 

Tips my Mentor Taught Me.

We all need Mentors who have seen it all and (ideally) 10 to 15 years our senior to guide us through life's unchartered waters. Its better to take advice from an old sea dog captain who may have retired from helming his cargo ship days than from depending on your experience, gut instinct, or what your star sign may say (Sagittarius is mine).

Here are tips from the very successful friend of whose picture is here, and whose name I shall not reveal. He retired early at age 54 and has never looked back on wanting to stay on in a highly stressed, though very high paying career as a banker. He was the CEO of a major multinational bank in a nearby Asian country. He spends his time, doing hobbies he enjoys, and meeting friends and his extended family (his daughters are both married and living outside of Singapore). 

     REAL LIFE TIPS

1.Always read the fine print in any thing 

  A product , a contract,  an NDA, a guarantor in any loan or financial 

  transaction

  If you have doubts, don't sign. 

2.Watch what the person does - not what he says 

3. What is NOT said is more important that what is said 99% of time. 

4. If its too good to be true, it probably is.

5.Always be on time for appointments.

   If you think you are stretched for time to meet that person on a particular day, reschedule. Do not waste his and your precious time fuming about a possible no show. 

6. Never brag about expensive possessions. 

   They belong only to those who earned money the hard way for them and look good only for a while. A top level S Class Mercedes at the end of the day is just a big car, but requires lots of money to purchase and to maintain. Be Humble.

7. One unlucky break and you are wiped out

Financially, reputationally and even health can go overnight from seemingly healthy to (say) you have just 6 months to live.

8. Black Swans Do Exist - and when they bite, all heall breaks loose.

Finally, the big downer, you can do well in anything for decades, (running a 

business, have a lucky streak in gambling, flipping properties, assets 

enhancement etc) - there will be a time when the PERFECT STORM hits, 

and if you are in the game. You WILL be wiped out.

9. Be Humble. 

10. Greed is real Bad.

 Gordon Gecko, in the film Wall Street ended up in jail.....

    

Don't be greedy, earn a little (or more than a little) and...

 10. Exit Early  

Enjoy what you have struggled for while you are still striving for that one last hurrah.  Its a contradiction, but you deserve the small fruits that come your way to incentivise yourself to climb higher for the best fruits.

Finally a Bonus.

 11. Life's too short to die with millions in the bank and while you worked a                 lifetime to earn it, you have hardly had any time to enjoy it. Spend Some 

12. Live a Little 

Go for the year end holidays (I have had over 20 with my family to date). We thoroughly enjoyed those getaways first when the kids were babies (first in 1996, and young children 1997 -  2009, next when they were early to mid teens (2008 - 2012). From 2014, it was duo holidays just my wife and I (in total 6 - all in Europe and all at least 2 weeks long).  

13. Pay it Forward

Give to charity and the needy.  Money, your experience and Time.

There is No Time like the Present 

Nemo Mortalium Omnibus Horis Sapit.

No Human has all the Wisdom of the World. 

Back to Drone Flying for some Exercise

4 Sept 23 Drone Practice. 

After a  hiatus of almost 9 months, I am back at the hobby I picked up last year, drone flying. The sight of flying a small aircraft and controlling something in the air had always had a fascination for me since I was in Primary school.

I remember years back, while staying in Adis Road, I was one of those very fortunate boys whose Dad doted on me. I had a petrol engine small plane (Spitfire I believe) and I dared not to fly it as playing with highly flammable things well, were very dangerous.

My then friend Percy Henry (he has now since migrated to Adelaide Australia) opted to fly it and we went to the nearby park to take the maiden flight. We flipped the propeller and the engine roared into life. Percy then managed to get the plane to speed on the grass patch and the plane rose high, almost vertically. AND THEN it fell headlong into the ground and literally crashed (no burning).

The end of my aeromodelling days and love for plane model flying !

My dream is to fly larger drones and take better videos in the future for (hoprfully) future holidays.

 

Best Advice from someone ; My advice (if I may be so bold as to advise on anything)

 With friends and business associates, Timothy Lee and Tom Gan

I read on Quora recently, someone answered this question, 

"What is or was the best advice anyone has given you ?"

He replied  "Well, if you do something, make sure you do it damn well !".

I have taken this advice and applied it to my small business (20 years of existence with its ups and downs, sometimes there are hard struggles and sometimes there is  just pure adrenalin rush). Here is my advice on starting a business and when you should exit. 

    Small Business Owner's Manual 

1. Find a Niche and Aim to Dominate that Niche.

2. Stay Focussed and Work Very Hard. 

3. Defeats are temporary ; pick yourself up, learn from the mistakes and move on, however painful that may be. If it is too big a burden to carry on - admit defeat,close the business and take the time to heal. Its only a business. 

4. The boss's mindset must change and ride the technology revolution.

5. Now it is digital payment, ChatGPT and AI. How to use these to my advantage ?

6. Evolve ; the business world  is ever changing - the business owner's mind many a times is stuck in the 90s or early 2000s 

7. Pick good people and give them a purpose ; they will help you grow to the next 2 to 3 levels.

8. When the time comes to say, thats it ; sell. At a good price. When the profits are good and the outlook is rosy. 

8. Sell when the sun is shining and the sky is blue. Rather sell when you have options than when you have none or are pushed to the limit.