This marks my 400th career WordPress entry. I’ve written on a diverse range of subjects. Love and loss. Basketball and movies. Tennis and Netflix. The annual New Year’s post. The changing weather in Sydney. Poetry samples. Book reviews and story excerpts. Food and education. Personal vignettes and top ten lists. My different collections. The occasional foray into politics. Menulog, DoorDash and my other favourite brands. In basketball, I’d be a 3-and-D player. In tennis, a jack of all surfaces. On film, a versatile actor.

I’ve passed ten thousand cumulative views and have nearly three hundred followers. I wish I could write more book reviews, get more reading done. Recently, I’ve channeled my efforts into poetry. Though I’ve only posted one of them, there are more on the cards. In the past month alone, I’ve completed four poems, all of em at least sixty lines. The lengthiest is 200 lines, an extrapolation of my prom verses.

In case you’re wondering, here are a few comparable milestones. Only one NRL player has reached 400 matches. His name? Cameron Smith. He’s widely regarded as the finest hooker ever. Smith suited up for Melbourne and captained Queensland. In short, we Sydney fans hate him.

The NBA

In the NBA, the premiere hoops league, only four players have ever notched up a quadruple double. The latter means garnering double figures in the five major statistical categories. For the uninitiated, this refers to points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. Chicago Bulls Nate Thurmond became the first to do so, in 1974. Other big men such as Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson followed. Former Spurs guard, Alvin Robertson, is the only non-centre to achieve this astounding feat. Robinson was the last cager to pull this off, in 1994. Since the, a few have flirted with the mark. Tim Duncan was most obvious, when he had an 8-8-8-8 stat line in the Finals. However, he couldn’t finish the job. He did bring his people to the Promised Land.

Instead of quadruple-doubles, five by fives have been more common. As this suggests, it involves getting five each of the aforementioned stats. Even borderline All-Stars have been able to norm these numbers.

Still in hoops, there’s this rarity called the four point play. This occurs when a three point shooter is fouled while making his attempt. If he converts the ensuing free throw, he completes the four pointer. Owing to his long, decorated career, Jamal Crawford is the all time leader in four pointers. By far the most famous four point play is Larry Johnson during the 99 playoffs. It was actually a bad call as Johnson took another step before launching the triple. I guess being the home team worked in New York’s favour.

Gettysburg

Another notable use of the number is in Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. The famous speech begins with ‘Fourscore and seven years ago….’

As juniors, we had to remember all 272 words and recite it before the class. Four score means eighty years. From my understanding, Lincoln was a great orator. His words were simple but that didn’t deduct from his eloquence. In school, I was a plus speaker. From freshman till senior year, I always brought my A game.

As a writer

It took me over four years to level up as a writer. In the Chinese school, my work was sloppy and full of typos and inaccuracies. A few weeks after transferring to a Catholic school, my output was greatly improved.

Four hundred pages is a good length for a Michael Connelly thriller. Almost all his books are rated highly, especially the Harry Bosch and Mickey Haller series. 300 pages is not detailed enough and five hundred is just okay but pushing it. Four hundred is the sweet spot.

At one point, I’ve penned a manuscript that was almost 400 pages long. It was a novel set in the UK. I had done a few drafts. However, I abandoned the project as it wasn’t very marketable. For my next fiction output, I’ve talked about making a novella. Either that or a play. At uni, I studied some of the finest playwrights, from Eugene O’Neill to Tom Stoppard, Jean Genet to Henrik Ibsen. I got to know a new play every week.

Finding a way to win

It’s been an eventful ride. I reposted my earlier work way back in 2013. Restarted my journey in 2016. Since that August, I’ve soldiered on and have never looked back. Whether battling a cold or tackling adverse weather, I always find a way to keep this online journal. The times and clothes may have changed but my spirit remains. Here’s hoping for another ten thousand views and yes, a further four hundred hearty posts.