'of Xses and Zhses

How the Tiguan Got Its Name

2012-02-12T09:21:00.000Z

How the Tiguan Got Its Name

The story Volkswagen wants us to believe is that "the people" wanted Tiguan, a blend of the German words for tiger (Tiger) and iguana (Leguan). (It's pronounced TEE-gwan.) After all, VW is using "The people want..." as a unifying tagline for all its models, no doubt to emphasize that Volkswagen means "people's car." For the Tiguan, a compact SUV introduced for the 2009 model year, the tagline is "The people want to play, but they want to play nice." (Works best when you imagine it spoken with a German accent.)

VW did in fact team up with AutoBild, publishers of German auto magazines, to sponsor a naming contest in which 350,000 readers cast votes. However, readers didn't suggest the names; they merely voted for names developed by VW's internal marketing group, according to this Dutch fan site. Other names on the ballot included Namib, Rockton, Samun, and Nanuk.

(I am so disappointed Nanuk didn't win. Just think: an ad campaign in which Robin Williams reprises Mork--nanuk-nanuk--and the opportunity for Marin County residents to call their vehicles Nanuk of the North Bay.)

The Dutch site quotes Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard, VW brand management chairman: "This unique event is demonstrative of how Volkswagen is opening up: we made a clear appeal to the market -- potential buyers could help choose the name Tiguan. The positive reaction shows that this is the right approach."

Auto-industry and branding veterans have been more skeptical. Naming agency Igor International sneered: "[I]t is obvious to us that VW stacked the deck, subverted democracy, and got the name they wanted all along. Be careful what you wish for." Senior editor Ed Hellwig of the automobile site Edmunds called Tiguan a "ridiculous name." Motor Trend's Greg N. Brown wrote, "Though the rationale behind melding two animals into one nameplate escapes us (anything both furry and scaly is kind of creepy), the Tiguan is so appealing that its quirky name shouldn't deter shoppers[.]" The Dutch fan site says Tiguan "continues a tradition of utterly confusing names."

To that last point: really? Past VW model names in North America have fallen into three general categories: Smallish, Sorta Cute Animals (Beetle, Rabbit, Fox); Blowin' in the Wind (Golf is German for "gulf," as in "gulfstream"; Passat means "trade wind"; Jetta means "jet stream"); and Miscellaneous Weirdness That Probably Sounds Dandy in Deutsch. In the third category we find Tiguan as well as Sharan (from a Persian word meaning "carrier of kings"), Touran (from tour + Sharan), and Touareg (from the name of a nomadic North African tribe).

Most of those names are distinctive and unconfusing, if a bit strange to American ears accustomed to automobile names that evoke romantic places or large, threatening animals. Touran, Touareg, and Tiguan do invite confusion. Although it's not unusual for carmakers to bestow alliterative names on their products (Ford Fairlane, Focus, Fiesta; Dodge Dakota, Dart, Dynasty, Durango), it's much more challenging to keep them straight when the names are exotic, invented, or meaningless.

As for the tiger-iguana synthesis, I'm 50-50. Sure, I want a tiger in my tank, but a large, coldblooded lizard that stops moving when the temperature falls? Not so much.

The battle for Lisbon’s best pastry

2012-01-16T14:08:00.001Z

Share this pageFacebookTwitterSharePrintInPortugal Food & Drink 13 January 2012 | By Karina Martinez-Carter

On the streets winding up, down and around the seven hills that comprise Lisbon, and in town plazas throughout the country, the pastelaria or confeitaria (pastry shop) is a mainstay of the Portuguese neighbourhood.

Pastelarias in Portugal stay busy throughout the day as customers pop in to purchase boxes of pastries, or pause for a bit to savour baked morsels and coffee. Rows of flaky, palm-sized pastries fill window displays in stacked pans. The golden-brown confections complement the colour scheme of typical Portuguese architecture: from the burnt orange roofs to the clean white buildings to decorative hues that resemble the colour of butter.

Rather than using elaborate toppings or mouldings, the Portuguese keep their baked goods simple. Each type of pastry varies only slightly from the next, and they often come topped or filled with a sweet, gooey custard. The fundamental ingredient is the egg yolk, which is used in as many ways as possible.

The archetypal Portuguese pastry is the pastel de nata, a custard tart with hints of lemon, cinnamon and vanilla, often sprinkled with powdered sugar and easily consumed in a few bites. It resembles a tiny pie, and the baked, creamy egg custard is cupped in the centre. Throughout the country, the pastel de nata is so adored that discussions about which shop makes the best often become enlivened debates.

Many believe that this sacred Portuguese pastry is found in its most heavenly form at the Antiga Confeitaria de Belem (commonly known as the Pastéis de Belém), located west of downtown Lisbon. It is believed that the first-ever version of this dessert was baked in the same spot more than 200 years ago by nuns at the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, which adjoins the pastry shop. Nuns are credited with creating many of the country’s pastries, and some say the egg yolk became a central ingredient in Portuguese baking because the nuns used so many egg whites to starch their attire.

Pastéis de Belém has been in operation since 1837, and the same, closely guarded recipe has been followed since that very first year. A few “master confectioners” are the only ones who know the art, and they concoct batches of the confection within the confines of a “secret” room in the shop. It is the most-frequented pastry shop in the whole of Portugal, but it is not just tourists who bring the volume of traffic. Locals also know it as the best spot for their most beloved pastries.

Those on a tight schedule order their pastries to take away from the dapper, bow-tied staff behind the counter. Others eat at a table in one of the cafe’s multiple seating areas, adorned with painted blue and white tiles, just steps from the Belem Tower -- a monument from which numerous Portuguese expeditions have set sail.

Lisbon’s kingly Pastelaria Versailles (Avenida da Republica 15 A, 351-21-354-63-40) is a young cafe in comparison, dating back to 1932, but many claim Versailles’ pastel de nata rivals the recipe found at Pastéis de Belém. The sign outside, written in a fanciful script, foretells the baroque-style interior, marked with rich woods, ornate mirrors and staffed with smartly dressed waiters. The cafe is a National Heritage site and is one of the most famous cafes in the country, though its location slightly north of the city discourages tourists from making it for a breakfast or teatime pastry. Other favourites on offer include croissants stuffed with custard orpudim flã (a Portuguese flan).

Pre-dating the Pastéis de Belém, Confeitaria Nacional opened in the capital city in 1829 and once served as the Portuguese monarchy’s official bakery, supplying the family with their daily choice of sweets. The traditional Bolo Rei fruitcake is a house specialty and a must for Portuguese Christmas tables. Though the Bolo Rei is originally a French recipe, the Confeitaria was the first to introduce it to Portugal and the bakery has adopted the dessert as their own. The bakery also sets out favourites such as queijadas de Sintra, a pastry that originated in Sintra, a town 30 minutes northwest of Lisbon, and features a sweet, light cheese in addition to many of the same ingredients as the pastel de nata. Like many pastry shops in Portugal, it is family-owned.

Every cloud has a silver lining...

2010-07-01T16:14:00.006Z

To whom this may concern,

1. My name is xxx, a current medical student from Cardiff University. I have been offered a Foundation Year 1 job with Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor from July 2010 - August 2011

2. Regretfully, due to commitments with my sponsors in Malaysia, I have been unsuccessful in obtaining a leave of stay to commence my foundation year 1 post here. Hence I am unable to take up the aforementioned position.

3. I do sincerely apologise for all the inconveniences caused by this last-minute decline. I believe I would have very much enjoyed working in the above posting next year if not for this unfortunate turn of events.

4. I would like to thank you all for your grace consideration and kind assistance in presenting me with this wonderful opportunity to work here. I hope that sometime in the future I would have another chance to gain some working experience here as well.

Thanks again for your consideration. My sincerest apologies for this short notice.

Kind regards
xxx

HARI INI DALAM SEJARAH. 29 June 2010: Cardiff Medical Graduates

2010-06-30T00:38:00.002Z

A Mediterranean Summer in the Welsh backyard

2010-06-28T17:07:00.003Z

One small step for a 3.5L man!

2010-06-12T00:19:00.003Z

KM70, Cemaes Bay, Anglesey 2010

D-G: Revamp medical courses

2010-06-07T23:55:00.002Z

Tuesday June 8, 2010

D-G: Revamp medical courses

KUALA LUMPUR: There is an urgent need to revamp the medical curriculum in local universities to make it more relevant to the country’s health sector, says health ministry’s director-general Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said.

At present, he said, what was being offered was insufficient for young doctors to function effectively.

This view was derived from a number of interviews he had conducted with primary healthcare specialists.

Another concern, he said, was about technology being used as a “substitute” for the human touch.

“Doctors do not examine patients the way they used to and they substitute it with technology,” he said.

Dr Mohd Ismail was also concerned with the mushrooming of medical schools which was beyond the jurisdiction of the Health Ministry.

“My advice to doctors and specialists in the face of this challenge is to train these young doctors,” he said.

In an interview published in the latest issue of MMA’s newsletter, he also said the Government would revise the fees charged by private hospitals and clinics.

“The exorbitant fees charged by private hospitals has been brought to my attention many times. The current schedule drawn by the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) is not as comprehensive as it should be.

“As such, I have made it a point to call for a meeting soon with MMA to develop a comprehensive fee schedule that is acceptable to all,” he said.

He reminded doctors that they picked the profession not just to make profits but to help the sick. — Bernama

A loss of an icon

2010-05-29T21:28:00.002Z

I received an email from Francis regarding Ngae's passing recently. Not one who is an 'active' PACM member admittedly, the name didn’t quite ring a bell initially as I do not know him personally. Francis did mention last September about a runner who made a wonderful recovery from a brain surgery: I never thought it would have been him, as I've admired this one particular runner, who actively competes in the various local running scene, barefooted and always with a big smile on his face! I must admit that he's overtaken me one too many times throughout the years- I am really amazed by his sheer determination in even completing marathons as such! I'm sure many will miss this great icon for he has many wonderful years ahead still. If you are able to read this sir, I wish you a good journey ahead. My deepest condolences to his family and cherished ones.

Wan's Column - Farewell to our Friend, Ngae Koh Hieng

A Sudden Unexpected Event
I have been writing the Wan True Pacesetter’s Tale column since the May 2005 issue. In these 5 years, I have never missed a deadline with the editor. Usually, I could submit my article a few days before the deadline. Somehow this time, I was lethargic and procrastinated in writing. I did have a subject in mind; which is “ Changing Trends in Races and Race Management” I was sort of busy for the last ten days; getting involved as a facilitator for the Advance Sports Management Course for the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM), helping out in drafting a portion of the Strategic Plan for OCM 2011-15, watching the Thomas and Uber Cup series, volunteering for the New Balance Pacesetters 15km and driving over to Kuala Kubu Bahru and Rasa to watch my third daughter, Karen playing in the MSSS U/18 Inter-district basketball.

On the morning of the Footloose deadline, 15 May 2010, I texted Michael Gan, our editor and requested for an extension in the deadline. He instantly called me back and told me to take my time. I never knew it was fated that I need to write a farewell message to my friend, Ngae Koh Hieng who passed away suddenly on 15 May 2010.

Ngae after the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2007 at the hotel lobby

Ngae with Chai Weng Moon, Wan and Clara after the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2007 at the hotel lobby

That afternoon, after coming back from the route marshal briefing on the New Balance Pacesetters 15km, I was glued to the TV, watching the high definition broadcast by Astro on the Uber Cup Finals between China and Korea. Chong Ting Chow, our fellow Pacesetters member who missed the route marshal briefing in the morning came to my house to find out about his duty the next morning. We watched the game together and got very excited when Korea turned the table on the Chinese with a deserving 3-1 victory. While we were still excited over the game at about 6pm, my hand phone rang and Dr Tan Tah Ming was at the other end of the line. I heard his solemn voice “ Wan….I got bad news for you…..” Dr Tan went on to tell me that he was going to the mortuary to make the identification. Over the next one hour, several telephone calls exchanged with Bruce Wun, Jason Thiang, Chai Weng Moon, Chua Keng Huat , Lim Meng Lock and Lok Chan Chuen. I requested my friends to hold the news first while waiting for Dr Tan to make the identification and if true, make a successful communication with the family before notifying Ngae’s friends. By 9pm, the news was confirmed and the words went out to friends and well wishers.

Taken at the Imbi Palace Restaurant during his last lunch with us on his 56th Birthday. Standing L-R: Chua Keng Huat, Wan, Dr Tan, Lim Meng Lock, Bruce Wun. Seated L-R: Chai Weng Moon, Ngae, Jason Thiang

Taken at Old Town Cafe after our August 2009 lunch. L-R: Dr Tan, Lim Meng Lock, Wan, Ngae, Bruce, Chai

That night, I stayed home with the FA Cup Finals between Chelsea and Portsmouth on but I was not really watching. I went to sleep early as I need to be up by 4.45am to be on route marshal duty for the New Balance Pacesetters 15km at the 5km mark. As Chai, Dr Tan and Bruce have signed up for the NB 15K, we decided to meet at 10am at Dewi’s Corner after the run to talk over the matter. Prior to the end of the NB 15K at 8.30am, I received a text from Ngae’s hand phone, a message sent by his wife Pin Pin notifying me of Ngae’s departure and that she was making arrangement to claim his body from the mortuary. During our breakfast, we decided that we could only wait for the next text from Pin Pin on the funeral arrangements. Later in the day at 2.10pm while I was watching the Thomas Cup Finals between China and Indonesia, I received another text from Pin Pin notifying me of the funeral details. I forwarded the message to all my contacts in my hand phone that I think know Ngae.

At South Sea Restaurant, November 2009

At Imbi Food Village, December 2009 during Dr Tan's Birthday

Our Time Together
I knew Ngae back in 2003 about the time he joined PACM when I was still the president. As I used to do my morning runs at Bukit Aman Car-park prior to going to work in the city centre, I got to know some individuals who run in the morning and many of them became members of PACM. This small group of members was personally serviced by me when it comes to membership renewal or event registration. Besides Ngae, they are Dr Tan Tah Ming, Chai Weng Moon, Patrick Ng, Chua Keng Huat, Bruce Wun, Lawrence Lee and Lim Meng Lock. We used to chit-chat after our morning run before hitting the shower. This went on for a few years as we got to know one another better, we started going for some runs outstation; Ipoh, Bidor, Kuantan and Singapore. By the end of 2005, we decided that we should have a regular lunch together after celebrating Dr Tan Tah Ming’s birthday. Our first regular lunch place is the Imbi Food Village where we have our favorite roast goose. Later, we started to have our Saturday lunch on a monthly basis with Chai as the organizer with places recommended by Chua who has a very good idea of where to eat. We share many running stories during these lunches and most of the time our Saturday lunches end at 4pm.

Ngae and Dr Tan with their families at KL Sentral prior to their departure for the Sahara Marathon

Taken at an eatery behind the Peninsula Hotel on the eve of the Standard Chartered Marathon 2007

We listened passionately about Ngae and Dr Tan’s plan for the Sahara Desert that they did in 2007. Those of you who missed that article could look it up in the Footloose (June 2007 issue) or if you have junked the hard copy, visit this link. At times, we even adjourn for coffee at the local café after lunch. The last of such lunches we manage to get Ngae to come was during his 56th birthday, we celebrated it together with him on 9th January 2010 at Imbi Palace (see picture). I recall walking with him to Australia Cake House at Imbi Road to buy him a birthday cake, he insisted that we don’t need a plastic bag as it is more environmental friendly. After that, our February, March and April lunch was without him as he is unable to come. Up to 3 weeks ago, he called me and sounded positive, talking about joining us for the May 2010 lunch which he never made it……….

Inducted into the Power Team Elite

Ngae has been a regular contributor to the Footloose. After his first brain operation in April 2009, he wrote a revealing article about himself (June 2009 Footloose), about his early life growing up in Sarawak. He also discussed extensively about his experience in barefoot running. Those of you who are interested could read it from the Footloose. I see if I could get the soft copy to be uploaded to my website.

Run In Memory of Ngae Koh Hieng on 23 May 2010
My group feel very lost as this happened so suddenly. I don’t really know what to do or how to react. After the funeral on 18 May 2010, we went for a late lunch that afternoon at SS2. Those who were working never have the mood to go back to office. We stayed put in SS2, have several drinks till 8pm that night. Prior to the funeral, I suggested to the group that we hold a run in memory of Ngae the coming Sunday and it was agreed. I requested Francis Cheng to help me print 150 souvenir bibs for the event. I created an event on the Facebook and after two days, I have 102 registered guests. I do not think I want to hold this article to write about the run but would leave it to someone else who may wish to write about it.

Compilation of Postings from Facebook and Blogs
I have read through the many postings on Facebook and some blogs about him, the description is very similar; an icon of our sports (running and triathlon), always smiling, friendly and very helpful to newer practitioners of the sports. Here are some of the selected postings;

"On Saturday 15th May 2010 Ngae Koh Hieng left us for hopefully a better place. He will be so dearly missed by just about everyone that ever met him. Always (and I mean ALWAYS) smiling, always optimistic, always positive and always supportive, sometimes cheeky and more often than not loud. He was the type of guy that was usually the centre of attention but only because people were drawn to him and his magnetic personality. You always felt better for an evening, a few words or just a passing greeting on a run with Ngae.

I was shattered when I heard the news and still am. I felt like one of my closest friends had been torn away from me. Then I got to thinking that Ngae was such a warm and welcoming person that probably most people who were acquainted with him had similar feelings of loss. He's not a person that people will simply feel sad about losing and forget easily. His passing will leave a huge gaping hole in the running and triathlon community of Malaysia, he will be deeply missed by hundreds and hundreds of people.

My Mum once said to me that people never really die and leave us so long as someone still remembers them - Ngae is going to live on in our hearts and minds for a long long time.
I hear there will be an impromptu memorial run this Sunday morning at Lake Gardens. Everyone will do their usual run i.e. double hill, Sri Hartamas but there will be a minutes silence at 6:29am and then everyone will do their run in honour of Ngae. I will be doing the Bintan Triathlon (assuming I'm well enough, if not I'll be at Lake Gardens for sure).

I'll be doing the race in honour of Ngae. Disco Dave will be there too - we will have our own minutes silence. I will swim, bike and run with him in my mind & heart but I will not mourn his loss but rather celebrate his life, I will do my best to wear his trademark smile from start to finish. He was an inspiration, an icon, a role model - they don't come any better than Ngae. We love you buddy, you will be missed but not forgotten.

My all time favourite multi-sport photo - they say a picture speaks a thousand words."

Posted by Simon Cross

"Though I do not know you, I have seen your smiling face many times running the Lake Garden - Petronas route. May you continue Running in Peace in the clouds above us. Am sure you will find a way to run wherever you are." – Angelyn Liew

"This morning, when I was manning the 1st water station during the 15KM, I saw 2 ladies wearing sarong to run, they told me is a memory for a running friend who passed away yesterday. Then I receive a SMS from Mr Wan the about tragic news of Mr Ngae. May God blessed his soul. "– Phylis Loke

"WHAT ?! I am very shocked to hear about his passing ... thanks Elaine for sending me this ... My husband and I had the honor to have breakfast with him at PJ State after his Gasing Hill run (barefoot + sarong) and listen to him chatting about his brain surgery and ICU, and hospital experience ... and he jumped back to ...running (his passion) just weeks after that major operation ... that memorable breakfast ... was 1 year ago ... And now, he's ..... I am so sad ...
Mr. Ngae is the most optimistic, cheerful and daring person that I met ... He gave us hope, laughter and cheer ... I am 4 weeks into delivering to my 2nd baby ... and will be attending a full day course on that Sunday... what the heck, I'll skip whatever I was suppose to do and just for Mr. Ngae, I'll be running pushing my toddler baby (19 months) and carrying the 34weeks old 2nd baby in my stomach ... for HE, he's the symbol of courage, and always "forward looking" guy that lived life to the FULLEST" ! – Evanna Low

"Run like butterfly, be free".... quote by late Uncle Ngae" – MC Foong

"My mum and I will be there for the run. I can't remember when I first met him but he came to my late dad's wake in his sarong and that made me smile. He would encourage me to run barefoot when I complained about my knee pain. The last time I spoke to him was earlier this year and he was telling me how he didn't fear de...ath. He said it was just a part of the journey in life. My condolences to his family." – Yin Boey

"I will be running Copenhagen Marathon on the 23 May, I will run in memory of him from Copenhagen." – Henry Wong

"The first impression Ngae gave was a memorable one.. he saw a half bonked runner(he was on his second lap, I guess).. as he passed by, he tapped me on the shoulders and said, "sikit lagi mau sampai"... I looked up and saw a barefooted, bold headed guy overtake me.. he was smiling and waving at other runners.. It was all smiles and joy surrounding him.. I tried to keep up with him, just to share the glow he brings.. I shall miss your presence on the tri/run scene.. rest well, runner.." – Azly Anwar

"I was thinking about you a lot over the weekend. Remembering a time way back when when you chatted with this newbie runner, encouraged him to no end and eventually became his good friend. Thank you for inspiring me to be the runner I am today. And always armed with a wicked sense of humour. I remember you telling me on...ce during a particularly tough race that US BLADIES have got to stick together no matter how tough the going got. You paced with me although you were clearly the stronger runner and could have ran on ahead. And that got me to the finish line. I will miss you my dear friend. May you now rest in peace. Free from all the pain." – Lawrence Leong

"Our Brothers & Sisters of the Legal Fraternity shall mourn the loss of a Legal Eagle. Our Racers & Friends of Triathlon & Ironman shall live up to your Spirit. Auld Lang Syne to you, my Learned friend." – Raymond Tan

"I am glad & honored to have known u in my life. Thank You so much for all ur inspiration, dedication, cheerfulness towards sports. I shall always remember u my dear friend." – Elaine Wong Kar Yan

"Thank you for inspiring us with your modesty and determination. Thank you for simply for being a friend to us. We will miss you much. May your soul find rest, peace and comfort.... – John Wai Mun
huge smile, sarong with powerbar logo and barefoot -. A personality larger than life - bet you're smiling down at us right now..".- Nurina Van Oostrum Abdullah

"Life is not about how long one lives but rather how many souls you touched along the way.. Ur encouragement, determination n humbleness will be remembered, run along to heaven even if it's in sarong n bare foot. Ur body has left but the fighting spirit is in every soul that you touched .".- Adeline Lee

"Bro Ed Ngae,you are a humble n loving person-GOD loves u so much bro." I am the resurrection n life.Those who believe in me will live, even though they die;n those who live n believe in me will never die."( John 11:25 ).Amen!" – Moses Sinnappen

"U r such an inspiration to many, ur positive attitude, ur fighting spirit, ur camradarie n most of all, to me, ur humbleness. I will miss u, dear fren" –Mahizzan Mohd Fadzil

"How can we forget your humbleness, joy and laughter that you shared with us. I think it is only befitting that we pay tribute to this great man when we run in Sundown Marathon later this month. Every step that I take in the Sundown Marathon is dedicated to you. RIP, Ngae." – Loke Shu Sun

"RIP Ngae, you'll always be remembered and thanks for saying hello, for sharing many humbling stories on those short encounters when you decided to join us in the back of the pack. You've been an inspiration." – Haza Zean

“Running may not add years to your life but it definitely add life to your years” – Jim Fixx.

Wan Yew Leong
15 May 2008
wanyewleong@gmail.com

Stairs or Escalator? Take the fun option!

2010-05-29T19:23:00.000Z

2010-05-25T21:13:00.010Z

Is it a sacrifice worth making, when you've been pulling all the stops into hopefully getting a kind exemption from the august body, but the thought that all the work will only come to naught always lingers..

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

29 May 2010:

To live in the moment or to to live for the future? Short term vs long term gains?

The everyday perception that everything is nice and dandy is quite a skewed belief as I really don't know first hand what's it like in the latter option: the righteous one.

And I don't want to do a runner, like what simon says (with his suspiciously glaring stare, already casting persistent question marks over other colleagues). Principally it is wrong. I can't fault the system as I've benefited from it till now handsomely. I don't know what the future holds but if you can't beat the system, you've got to join it- if you're pete however, this doesn't apply!

But I think they'll be genuinely surprised by what they see or hear two months down the road... I've been trying to be as non-judgemental and honest to portray a fair picture of the situation, but certain pertaining issues which I feel as inappropriate and worthwhile clarifying, I'm never afraid to stoke fire where needed. I'm sorry but certain things has to be said. No scheming off hard earned tax-payers money, less one is willing to return the whole investment ploughed in- the contract, if it stands as it is, is farcical and is a harbinger for blatant abuse - a thought of which truly disappoints and saddens me. Ask cly and sy, and they'll tell you what the privies, the other end of our 'priviledged' spectrum, actually feel about the indiscretion.

The numerous outdoor pursuits with relatively flexible working hours is so tempting; plans have been made for various activities through the year - that might need a couple of reality checks- i'm so sorry guys, but you might need to do the snowdon race with gar in the lead instead!

And my apprehension towards an eastern working culture - it feels to me as my form of escapism, always taking the easier way out. I feel I've been too complacent and comfortable in the safe bubble here, a challenge is definitely a good way to lead me back to the yesteryears of hard work, strong self discipline and continuous strive for achievement, a drive somewhat tapering with the years spent in the cold... ie becoming a bummer, as what CKK and JH always banter about! Thoughts and more such thoughts takes up a lot of valuable glucose which could do with a diversion towards healthier activities, like cooking and online shopping! Ultimately it is my decision.

I would like to think I am quite adaptable, yet risk-averse!

I've been trying to arrange 'job-swaps' with the chaps here, but to no avail!

I definitely need to bring down my brick wall.

More importantly, let me not loose sight of the finishing line!

* I am still eyeing the infinito athena though ^^

John Lewis advert Billy Joel's She's Always a Woman Fyfe Dangerfield cover

2010-05-08T23:40:00.001Z

Interbike 2009 Bianchi - C2C Infinito, carbon fiber, nanotechnology road bike

2010-04-29T00:05:00.001Z

GURU Photon world's lightest production frame

2010-04-28T23:15:00.001Z

I am Malaysian first

2010-04-05T22:04:00.000Z

I am proud to call myself Malaysian first and Chinese second. And if I were to tell other Chinese Malaysians that, I don't think they will shun me.

By Kee Thuan Chye

Even if they do, so be it. Let them. If they are so narrow-minded as not to see the beauty of calling oneself Malaysian first, I don't want to have anything to do with them.

I have two children to whom I have given Malaysian names, i.e. Malay, Indian and Chinese names. It is my contribution to Bangsa Malaysia. Their identity cards bear their full names.

In both cases, their Malay name comes first. And that is the name my wife and I call them by. We call our daughter Soraya and our son Jebat. To us, Malay names are also Malaysian names, and our children are Malaysian. We have no hang-ups about it.

Now, why can't this be the norm in this beautiful, rich, multi-racial nation - a nation that is beautiful and rich because of its many races and cultures? Why must we separate ourselves into divisive categories? Why can't we take the inclusive approach, consider each of our fellow citizens as being part of a whole, as part of us instead of as the Other?

Why is it so hard for someone no less than the deputy prime minister of this country to acknowledge that he is Malaysian first and Malay second? Why does he give the excuse that if he were to do so, he would be shunned by the Malays? How does he know for sure? Why does he presume the negative? Why would they shun him?

He is a leader of the country. Should he not instead be leading by example? For all we know, if he were to actually declare himself Malaysian first and Malay second, he might find others doing the same – and they may well be not just Malays but people of other races as well. Why does he fear to lead and instead prefer to take the safe and untested route? Why does he even take the exclusive line and say, “I am a Malay first”?

The basic function of leadership is taking the first step before anyone else, isn't it? Especially if it's a step in the right direction, towards the noble purpose of bringing the people closer together. It may be a risky step to take but if it's the right one, morally and logically, who can judge you harshly?

PM waffles in interview

Walk the talk, leaders. Do what's right, not what's politically expedient. Why does the prime minister defend the deputy prime minister for saying he is Malay first? Why does the prime minister himself not say he is Malaysian first and Malay second when the TV station Al Jazeera put the question to him?

Granted, the Al Jazeera interviewer didn't pose the question sharply. Instead of saying to the PM, “Let me then just ask you, are you a Malay first and a Malaysian second?”, she should have asked, “Would you say you are a Malaysian first and a Malay second?” That would have been to-the-point.

He would not have been able to wriggle his way out by saying, “Well technically, if we talk about the Constitution, I am a Malay but I'm comfortable being a Malay in a Malaysian society ...” He wasn't actually answering the question. And the interviewer wasn't on-the-ball enough to pin him down.

Perhaps someone else should now pose the proper question to the PM so we can see how he responds. I would be disappointed if he waffled again. He is, after all, the man with the 1Malaysia slogan, the one that aims to unite all Malaysians. If he can't walk the talk, how much credibility can we give the 1Malaysia concept? In fact, if he can't walk the talk, how much trust can we give the PM?

At the end of the day, will it only be left to ordinary citizens like me to declare ourselves Malaysian first and whatever our race is, second? I'm sure there are many others out there – ordinary citizens – who will make that declaration with readiness and sincerity. Perhaps if our leaders won't take the lead, we ordinary citizens should do it, ironic as it may sound. Perhaps we should show our leaders how to walk the talk. Why not?

Let's band together and exercise our right, our power, as the rakyat. Let's show Malaysia – and the world – that if our leaders will not take the lead, we the people will take up that responsibility. We will not be doing anything wrong. In fact, we will be doing what is good for our country. We will be bringing about the real 1Malaysia.

How about it? I am a Malaysian first and a Chinese second. What about you?

Amazing starlings, Aberyswyth

2010-03-27T23:46:00.001Z

Azizul strikes silver

2010-03-27T01:05:00.002Z

Saturday March 27, 2010

By LIM TEIK HUAT

PETALING JAYA: Cyclist Azizul Hasni Awang stood tall among the giants of track sprinting after bagging a World Championships silver medal in keirin at the Ballerup Super Arena in Copenhagen on Thursday night.

The 22-year-old had already created a piece of sporting history for the country when he became the first-ever Malaysian to qualify for the top-six final but he took his amazing run one step further by keeping pace with reigning Olympic champion Chris Hoy and defending champion Maximilian Levy of Germany at the front.

Hoy, 12 years older than Azizul and a triple gold medallist at the Beijing Olympics, needed to draw on his experience to secure Britain’s first gold medal in the world meet with a late surge at the finish line.

Azizul pushed hard throughout the eight-lap race and was rewarded when he nudged ahead of Levy for a prized silver.

It was a strong line-up for the final with last year’s silver and bronze medallists – Dutchman Teun Mulder and Frenchman Francois Pervis – finishing fourth and fifth respectively. New Zealand’s Sam Webster rounded up the field.

Malaysia's Azizulhasni Awang, displays his silver medal for the Men's Kerin at the World Track Cycling Championships in the Ballerup Arena, Copenhagen, Denmark, Thursday, March 25, 2010. Britain's Chris Hoy won the race. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Azizul reached the final after finishing second behind Hoy in his second round heat, which also comprised Webster, Shane Perkins of Australia, Michael Seidenbecher of Germany and Asai Kota of Japan.

The top three from the two second round heats advanced to the final.

Azizul started strongly in the first round by winning a seven-man heat that included Mulder, Seidenbecher, Greece’s Christos Volkakis, Simon Van Velthooven of New Zealand, Adam Ptacnik of the Czech Republic and Kazunari Watanabe of Japan.

Malaysia’s other entry, Josiah Ng, was disqualified from his heat for obstructing Hoy.

Top three: Chris Hoy (right) crossing the finish line followed by Azizul Hasni Awang and Maximilian Levy in the men’s keirin final during the World Track Cycling Championships in Copenhagen on Thursday. — Reuters

The re-start saw Hoy coming in first ahead of Perkins as automatic qualifiers for the second round.

Having narrowly missed out on last year’s final after finishing fourth in the second round heat, Azizul was determined not to fall behind this time.

“I made my move early to jostle for the front positions. It was a delight to be racing with Hoy, who was already competing before I even took up cycling,” said the delighted Azizul, a World Cup winner from Copenhagen, yesterday.

“This silver medal is my second after taking my first in the 200m sprint in Poland last year and it means a lot as I wanted to prove my commitment is still the same although I am now married.”

Azizul will start the 200m sprint with renewed confidence and, together with Josiah, will be looking to make it past the qualifying rounds.

March 26, 2010
Sir Chris Hoy roars to keirin title and tenth World Championship title
British rider Chris Hoy jubilates after he won the Keirin event as part of the UCI World Track Cycling Championships

Even when you have won three gold medals at a single Olympics and been made a knight of the realm, there is something in that old saying about reacting to a setback by taking a deep breath, dusting yourself down and getting straight back on your bike again.

Sir Chris Hoy was subjected to some rough treatment in the keirin, being knocked off his bike in the first round, then elbowed out of the way as the final had to be restarted.

In both cases, Hoy was bristling with anger, but channelled his emotions to his advantage, sprinting home to a thrilling victory to pick up Great Britain’s first gold medal of these World Championships, his tenth world title in all.

After his heroics in Beijing, Hoy’s astonishing speed has become the stuff of legend, but in the keirin, a notoriously physical event - Hoy suffered a serious hip injury in the keirin here thirteen months ago - plenty of strength is required as well.
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Once the pace-setting motorbike, has pulled off the track with 2 1/2 laps to go, the six riders are thrown into a desperate scramble for position before sprinting for the finish.

Hoy had settled into second place behind the derny, then hit the front with just over a lap to go. He remained in control until the very end, when he was almost caught by Azizulhasni Awang, from Malaysia, but Hoy had half a wheel to spare.

After his mechanical mishap the previous evening, when his right pedal cracked just before the team sprint, and an injury that forced him to miss the World Championships last year, this was a particularly sweet victory, especially given the uncompromising tactics employed by his rivals.

In this respect, Hoy knows that he is a victim of his own success. “If you keep on winning they’re going to look for different ways to beat you,” he said. “I’ve managed to hang on out of physical strength there. But it’s not as if I can’t hold my own, I can still give as good as I get.” At the start of the first round in the afternoon, Hoy was knocked off his bike by Josiah Ng, the Malaysian, who cut across him from the outside. Ng was disqualified and Hoy, given an uninterrupted ride, won his first and second round races. In the final, he soon felt the elbows digging into his ribcage once again, as Awang attempted to muscle his way past at the start. The race was restarted, Awang survived, but Hoy duly exacted his revenge.

“I didn’t enjoy being dumped on my backside, that was a bit out of order,” he said.

“It did make me angry, but that’s an emotion you try to keep in check. I didn’t want to let the red mist descend and lose the plot. I wanted to stay focused and stick to the game plan, and I did that in the end.” Despite the iconic status that he acquired in Beijng, Hoy is aware that he must keep improving if he is to come close to emulating his haul of medals in London in two years’ time. He turned 34 on Tuesday, but his performance last night demonstrated that injury has not eaten into his speed and that he remains the man to catch. On Sunday, he will be looking for an eleventh world title in the individual sprint.

“All the time people will be studying the videos, looking at how I ride,” he said. It’s so far, so good, but I don’t expect it to be an easy path to London.”

Racism- the ugly truth

2010-03-25T00:12:00.005Z

I think racism is clearly demonstrated by the 'general banter' here which the locals seem to enjoy doing, taking the mickey out of foreign doctors in particular.

Firstly, to Argie-Bargie for insulting the malaysian staff grade which I reckon has done a tremendous job covering for the two very 'challenging' consultants (argie-bargie went on-and-on till suddenly all went hushed when one another realised he is a MALAYSIAN!), and next regarding this huge gentleman whom i'm attached for the fortnight, not commenting on his work ethics but more so his burly and 'snotty' demenour. If you turn the discussion around instead, I think the programme director's role first as a teacher, and next as a leader amongst all other clinicians is highly questionable, judging from the spate of insensitive comments which he's subjected my fellow countryman to in the recent week, and for poor choice of word usage, claiming that 'you get idiots for being taught by idiot teachers' during a grand-round meeting- which sparked a huge row with another senior clinician. This place is just a warzone of egos.. No wonder the previous PD quitted his position, to concentrate purely on the practice rather than management.

Mind you, if there were'nt any foreign doctor working here, I don't think this hospital would be where it is today. Ask the foreign docs, what sacrifices they had to make for coming over here to serve your community? One even has a 5 month old child in england, and only commutes back every other weekend if he's not on-call- pity and admire the man seriously for his determination for going all out so far, for the sake of providing a decent future for his child and family.
Ask any local if they were to ever want to work here and you'll get a resounding NO!

Would you?

Dishonest practice

2010-03-13T15:40:00.002Z

Tampering of bills without going through the proper channel/procedure is tantamount to a white-collared crime. Thou who is responsible for this better rectify it, else ...

Syaitain nak menang ni!

2010-03-11T13:24:00.002Z

-zamawi-

LEA- final comments

2010-02-20T01:01:00.002Z

Thought of giving my last few cents of worth towards the end of the block- but too much honesty may be perceived as a person-targetting exercise, which I would like to do, and I do do, openly. Maybe this will be an overkill- therefore better for public viewing. Hopefully, third time lucky. It's terribly watered down now..

LEA: Other comments:

'I have initially explained more on the presentations etc. However thinking back of the need to comply to the school’s assessment needs and what nots, that had to be scaled down as well. On hindsight, I feel that might be slightly counter-productive as having an LEA should ideally serve as a learning reflection resource for students which would aid in their future revision/consolidation. Or not it should not have been termed LEA in the first place, better to be 'i want you to LEA my way!' It should be accessible and flexible enough, targeted to what a student wants to get out of it.'

More LEA complains... it ain't gonna be the last of it!

2010-02-18T21:16:00.007Z

REFLECTION ON THIS EVENT
As I said before, there has been mixed reviews of physiotherapist so far, but now, having observed them working their magic, I realize that physiotherapist play an integral role in complementing the medical aspect of treatment. According to NHSCareers, physiotherapy is a healthcare profession which sees human movements as central to the health and wellbeing of individuals. In general, concentrate on problems that affect muscles, bones, the heart, circulation and lungs. The range of services provided includes manual therapy, therapeutic exercises, application of electri-physical modalities, hydrotherapy and acupuncture (for musculoskeletal complains). They help people to improve their ability to use parts of the body that have been affected by disease or injury, keeping joints mobile and strengthening surrounding muscles, therefore allowing many to live more independently. Some physiotherapist may have to work outside the normal working hours of 9-5 and during weekends, especially those in the sport and leisure sector.
Given another chance, I would have enjoyed spending more time with the physios early on in our medical education as it is embarrassing that only until now that I’ve managed to have an opportunity with them!
In the future event whereby medical treatment might not suffice for a musculoskeletal presentation, I would be more than willing to refer a patient to the physios for the necessary therapy. I think their contribution to general healthcare is somewhat still under-appreciated.

---> Fella said that this is controversial. Can't always compare 'us' vs 'them'. But, isnt this my own reflection? Can there be a 'right' and 'wrong' reflection'?? You can't even be honest with comments there days. Med school is forcing us to think one - dimensional!
----
Not as if that we are not learning anything at all everyday - else what do we students do when we get back? Learn on what we saw! Now with this unnecessary duplication of work, how are we going to get more productive work done?
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and this was the email to eportfolio for their toothless system!!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To whom this may concern,

I feel that the LEA template is a bit difficult to work with, especially with the system always crashing and its inability to take text from MSWord directly (tables/diagrams).

Other problmes encountered:

1. Interface is poorly structured. Once you click on 'edit post' --> maximize view : most times it gets lost in the screen. and one therefore can save the document. This has happened time and again. Using other computers instead, it even does not appear (the maximise view option) in the web browser (explorer)

2. System logs off by itself. Dont know if it's peculiar to me or not, but it does that every now and again.Again, whilst on different computers and internet connections too.

I feel that the school should make the learning input experience more seamless by ensuring ease and stability of system before launching it- it is frustrating indeed having worked your way through the document for it to only then say that it’s unsavable at the last minute. Worse is that, you can’t even log in the system once it ‘hangs’! I’ve been trying my best to log into the system the whole night to no avail. And this has not been the first time anyway. I finally had to resort to provide my GP Tutor the word copy instead- whichc defeats the purpose of having an eportfolio in the first place. Even during the DSSM period, both my consultants werent able to log in to the invites- i had to manually print off those write ups for them!

I hope this teething problmes, as trivial as it may sound to you, could be sorted asap. It is not that we are not supportive of the online shift of assesment, but having an assesment/eportfolio tool which is not user friendly is stifling all the other task which you expect us to achieve. More constructive time could be spent on consolidating clinical skills rather than wasted on fiddling around with some dodgy implementation!

--> Updates: Such a pain the tutor was: Meskipun tuan besar mengakui betapa payahnya hasil keringat yang telah dicurahkan buat beberapa malam sebelumnya, namun tuan besar secara tidak langsung masih sekeras-kerasnya ingin lea-lea sedemikian saya mengikut tanggapan tetap nya, termasuk refleksi-refleksi saya! Masakan saya tidak dibenarkan untuk berfikiran sendiri! Memang tiada belas kasihan langsung! Baik jadi robot sahaja!

LEAs- note to self

2010-02-15T21:17:00.003Z

Turns out that constructive criticisms are not welcomed, even in community medicine practice! Well, so i shall stick to boring clinical cases then..
Additional paperwork (even for med students!) is a waste of time, when more teaching sessions could instead be spent on consolidating essential clinical skills, the bread and butter of medicine (not writing good/great reports!)

Billy's 2010: One to watch

2010-02-14T21:41:00.003Z

I'm starting to get excited about the new drift season kicking off. There's some really good looking events planned for this year here in the UK, and the car I've got my eye on for this season is Tony's KE70.

It was kicking ass at events and practice days for last year or so with a 20v under the bonnet. But the boys went back to the spanners over the winter and it's re-emerged with a new heart in the shape of a F20C!

A lot of fine work has gone into this cars build from the very beginning, with attention spent in all the right places.

Just look how much bloody lock it has!

With this years BDC licensing day already under his belt Tony is all set to be chasing down and scaring the crap out of all the bigger toys that will be out to play. I can't wait to see it in action. Good luck for the season Tony! You're already winning on cool points.

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p/s: Any seats available for a co-driver? :P

the national anthem

2010-02-11T22:53:00.007Z

I do notice time and again, even at sporting events, ceremonies, and a more recent one- an ys steddfod celebration in a local high school nearby - seems to bring out much warmth and full-hearted singing from the crowd, be it parents or the children, when the national anthem comes into play. I don't know if this is peculiar to the welsh only (who are very proud to be Cymraeg and not seasneg, mind you) but we seem a bit 'inhibited' or insipid when it comes to displaying our affection through this simple yet profound act of nationalism. Well, at least i wasn't the only one scratching my head, having another fellow-countryman along side who also seemed baffled and at the same time , amazed by their displayed solidarity, makes a non-coincidental two curious minds. Maybe, the indifference and apathy is a sign of the underlying greater social and political malaise afflicting our current society. . which as bananas-in-pajamas always say, 'are you thinking what i'm thinking?'.

One for the LEA... if this makes the grade

2010-02-04T21:25:00.003Z

One patient today, said that,
"..I've worked in the hospital before a long time ago, and i've seen many of you go through the system then and you were all so nice and caring and thoughtful of us oldies here, but it's when you become a doctor, and even higher then you start forgetting about the patients. I know patients are the worst people to deal with- we are always whining and miserable when we come by and meet you- I really don't envy your job, to be honest. But do bear in mind that we are all humans here who need a little time off yourself from the many many patients you encounter through the day: we come with all sorts of problems no doubt; we all do truly appreciate if a doctor spends a mere extra few minutes finding out what our main concerns are, really, and not focused on the disease itself... you students tend to do that (the former) a lot, I notice. Which is good. Always remember not to loose your human touch once you are a doctor, young man.."

She was so ever polite this 67 year old lady, even with her grossly inflammed and painful right knee due to osteoarthritis (which ironically wasn't severe enough for a knee-replacement). She did'nt want to upset 'her regular GP' as she felt it was best if she were to see the orthopaedics but she didn't want to say it outwardly to the doctor, worrying that it may offend him, thinking that his opinion was'nt the best she could've had: I told her why not i then take it up to him and see what he says? In the balance of what's best for her, I told him in the end. I thought she was fine with it. But her profound words made me think of how many doctors become disillusioned after working for the system for couple of years, putting up with all those targets, QoFs and other political implementations, when it was the noble intention of serving the patients needs which originally signifies a docs' community niche.

Battle of the brawns

2010-02-01T21:54:00.002Z

Doc Hisham Salleh
This is my race report for the Ironman Langkawi 2006.

Background:
Triathlon is a sport which consists of 3 discipline which includes swimming, biking and running. The normal olympic distance consists of a 1.5km swim which is usually done in a lake or in the ocean, followed by 40km of road biking around a race course and finally ending with a 10km run.In malaysia there is a religous following of pros who do it for the money, kids who take part because its fun, weekend warrior amateurs who just want to prove that their still not over the hill yet and the average Joe like me.I have seen kids as young as 8 in the races (though in the shorter sprint races) to the veterans like my friends Patsy the 69 year old grandmother and Francis my 72 year old friend. You see people from all walks of life be it students, profesionals like lawyers, pilots, engineers, business people, rich people with expensive bikes, overweight people who insist on wearing the triathlon suits with their bulges protruding, guys with scantily clad girlfriends, mothers with husband and kids looking bored at the sidelines..... 31 year old karaoke loving average Joe doctor like me among others.
The completion of a triathlon is a sense of accomplishment for most, however for some there is always the challenge of going the extra mile, going for the ultimate goal.... the Ironman Triathlon.

Historical background:
Like a lot of silly things in life, it all started after a few rounds of drinks.In 1978 (If I remember correctly) a US naval officer John Collins based in Hawaii was debating with his chums who was the fittest athlete ever. Some say it was Eddie Mercx ( a multiple tour de France champion- Before Lance Armstrong, Mercx was god to the cycling buff), others claim it was the swimmer and others say the marathon runner. Despite the free flowing drinks, Collins and friends could not come to a conclusion. He formulated a challenge. He surmised it was possible to tie a well known local event of Waikiki open water swim, with a perimeter bike ride of the island and the Honolulu marathon. He also suggested to call the winner...an Ironman.In february of that year 15 individuals including Collins raced in what was to become a future cult following.....The Ironman Triathlon. Over the years the Ironman Triathlon has grown to include venues all over the world, from Hungary, UK and France in Europe, To Perth, Lake Taupo New Zealand, to a few cities in the US and Canada and even Asian destinations like Korea and Japan. 2006 is the seventh edition of Ironman Langkawi.
The race has been standardised and is now managed and run by the World Triathlon Corporation with prize money being offered to the Pros and for the amateurs (age grouper as they call it) the chance to compete in the Ironman World Championships in Kona Hawaii, to some the holy grail of Triathlon. Usually 2 to 3 places or slots are offered to the top 3 finishers in each age group category, in each race around the world.

SWIM 3.6Km (2.4 miles)
BIKE 180.2Km (112 miles)
RUN 42.2Km (26.2 miles) marathon

Thats the challenge that I had accepted to take on roughly 6 months ago in attempting to complete the course in the cut off time of 17hours. 26 February2006 became a much awaited landmark.
I have done a few Olympic distance Triathlons before, entered a few adventure races, ran the marathon,biked 220km with my OP and KOP's(kawan OP) friends from KL to Lumut, swam 2km open water in Desaru at last year's Half Ironman race, abseiled 16 storeys down Berjaya Times Square in last years AXN KL race and a few other gila things ...so why not do the Ironman? And since we are lucky to have the race in our own backyard (homeground), the cost, transportation and preparation was a little bit easier. Imagine the Mat Sallehs who fly half way around the world after training like mad for a year, spends a small fortune in accomodation and food,acclimatise a week to the local weather and terrain and finally ended up getting sick in a hospital far away from home. So for us to have an event here was a great blessing actually.
So why not? yeah, why not? that has been the reply for me and my Lite and Easy Gang whenever a race or event or challenge pops up. So it was with this Gung Ho Kamikaze attitude that me, my friend Steve(canadian bear) and Zabil (Mas pilot) signed up for the race last year not knowing what to expect. A few Lite and Easy members pulled out due to personal reasons.

Training:
Training? In reality I really didnt have a specific training regime, nor did I have any diet regime (Im 52kg BMI of 20-thats borderline cachexic) that I followed. I know many people spend absolute long hours and time and money in researching the best ways to train and trying to implement it. Things like endurance training, weight training, race tapering, lactic acid threshold was greek to me (and still is!) as I read about stories from Ironman finishers, winners, wannabes,Triathlon websites, conversation with friends and the lot. Life went along just fine with no drastic changes in life style. The usual routine of running 5 to 7 km once or twice a week, swim once a week, bike once a week on Thursday nite in Putrajaya continued without stepping up a gear.The weekend was as usual filled with mountain biking, lite and easy road rides, terribly non hard core rock climbing at Batu Caves....the usual stuff. Oh yeah, sometimes I do have to work on weekends if Im On call at the hospital...duhh!! resulting in me missing my fun.In between we continued participating in runs, races and other events thats happening arround.Swimming has always been my weakest link, having "learnt" how to swim barely a year ago and attempting the Kenyir Triathlon (with 1.5km swim in it) only a few weeks after learning how to swim.I came out of the water 3rd last then, with me, Patsy and Francis fighting for the rear honour. I have never been able to improve much since then and have always relied on my mediocre biking and running to help. So to attempt 3.8km of open water was a real challenge for me. The longest that I have done was 2km in Desaru. Im not a fan of swimming especially at sea though I've gone diving before. My choice of style was breast stroke with speed options of slow, and extra slow. My weekly excursions at the Kelana Jaya pool doesnt seem to have made any impact. Not surprising really when at times I have to 'tuang' the swim due to work, and also when most swim sessions was spent on 'cuci mata' at the pool. So when February 2006 came and all i could manage was 2.5km, I started to have second doubts. I frantically became a bit more regular at the pool in order to complete the 3.8km swim in the cut off time of 2hours 20mins as per the rules. By mid February I finally managed 4km in the pool in slightly over 2 hours. I felt ecstatic! Normally due to the sea water buoyancy, and absence of any stoppages for laps, swimming in the ocean is a bit faster. I found this out in Port Dickson where I came at a blistering pace of 45minutes for 1.5km. The top guys complete it in 20 minutes. (I was 5th last out of the water in PD). I felt confident of completing the 3.8km swim in less than 2hrs 20min.
Biking: I have never been a fan of road racing, Im more of a mountain biker. But for the Ironman, a bit of racing mentality has to adopted. I had always assumed that my cheap road bike could bring me along for 180km, but how fast? The rule states that you should finish biking after 10and a half hours from the start of the race. With my estimation that my swim would take 2 hours, that gave me 8and half hours.I planned to do it in 8 thus giving me more time for the run. 7 hours left for the marathon....hmmm I think I could do it if I took it easy and paced myself well.
Running: As stated earlier, I have completed the marathon so there is no doubt that I could run it, but after 3.8km swim and a hard 180km bike ride? Usually the butt hurts like mad by then and what about my energy reserves? I have been known to 'bonk' after a longish bike ride. Perhaps being small and petite with no body fat and less muscle mass makes my Glycogen reserve inadequate to maintain such long distance. The 220km ride to Lumut was a fine example where I basically 'lost it' after the 150km mark. Despite riding then at such a slow pace, touring mode as bikers call it, I felt quite low on energy and felt sick then. To counter this, I started to force myself to eat more often during long rides. The food of choice for athletes on the go would be Power bars and gels and electrolyte drinks. I however remained loyal to the roti canai and nescafe o at the bike rides consumed at stops and breaks along the ride. I have been criticised by friends for not looking after my hydration and carbohydrate intake thus explaining my 'small tank" situation. I should be more diligent in what i eat and drink more before and during rides. Somehow that line of management doesnt seem to be compatible with me. I do exercise for fun. If it gets serious and get complicated by rules regarding diet and such, the fun I think is taken away. I have never had any control at all of what i eat. I eat anything that I fancy. Someone warned me that that may be my downfall. It could be. But it all became irrelevant as the date approached nearer. Work constraints and trouble with the purchase of my new house along with some other events made my last minute preparation go hay wire. Too late now. It was time to go.
Some people prepare for a race like its all out war with plannings, race day simulation etc . Some people are too ignorant, not knowing what to bring, where to go and register, what to to etc etc.Some depend on friends to handle their gear. Some bring their loved ones. Well for me its a bit of all of the above. Im not much of a 'gear head' with my cheap road bike and all but I did make the effort to get my bike pre serviced and packed by the bike shop a few days pre departure. I left the logistical affairs to Steve ie: flight bookings and such. And I did have my so called support crew in Azmar and Karoline my Lite and Easy gang. We were to fly in on the Thursday week of the race, register and do other pre race stuff Friday and Saturday. Race Sunday 26/2/2006 from 0700hrs and hopefully end by 0000hrs 27/2/2006 (monday). Fly back to KL on 28/2/2006. Zabil as usual brought his whole family with lovely wife azah, daughter Aiman and Fauziah the maid. Very big support crew. Azmar flew on Friday to Penang and did his solo bike touring from Penang to Kuala Kedah 160km plus I think and took the ferry to Langkawi to join us.(another long story on its own). Karoline flew in Saturday evening. I had great company

Thursday: I woke up expecting everything would go smoothly before my 2pm flight. Everything became haywire! I for once sent my daughter Farah to school as I was on leave that day. She's usually a lovely well behaved girl but sensing that I was going away started crying and not letting go of me at the kingergarden gates. She had to be pulled away by her teachers. I then received a call from the hospital and I had to rush to the hospital for some things that need to be done. Rushed back home to go to the bank and rushed to my parents house for some errands. My mum chose the exact moment to have an allergic skin reaction and being the only fool in the family who chose to do medicine and not law, I had to go out again and get her some medicines. Then rushed back to fetch Farah. I thought it was over, then Wendy called. She was already in Langkawi and apparently left a wheel rim and a pair of gloves at the bike shop in Taman Tun. "Would u mind bringing them along pleaseee" Frantic calls and smsing and finally had Steve pick them up. But my bike box was already full and packed by then, so I had no choice but to carry the rims with me on board! Steve asked what would he get in return for helping out the'chick'. I told him that he can watch.
Friday: Me and Steve got our bikes set up and went riding. What was meant to be a lite and easy reconaissance ride turned out to be a 90km torture in the hot blazing sun! We toured the course and explored parts of the island. Generally had fun but I think we over did it a bit I. I felt a bit of pain in my calf and Steve got sunburnt. What a way to start your Ironman week! It is recommended that you arrive a week early to acclamatise and prepare but we only arrived 2 days before. A lot of things need to be done. Register, medical check up, payment, gear check. Oh yes, did I tell you how much I had to pay as entry fee? RM 760 or USD340 for foreigners as race fee which most normal people would say a high price to pay for pain in return. A lot of pain may I say. I had to register for Steve so that he gets the local price. " Steve Lee 36 -40 category...hmmm "Im paying for my chinese friend who is yet to arrive from KL" as I bluffed my way at the registeration counter.

Checking in:
The first thing that impressed me upon arriving was the abundance of well toned and fit looking bodies around me in the race hotel lobby. This was definitely not the usual Triathlon where you see average, overweight people minggling around with the Pros. Almost everyone there had done multiple Triathlons with I suspect minimum of fuss. You can see from the T shirts worn that these guys are no fool. Ironman California Finisher. New York Marathon. Boston Marathon. Kona Ironman Finisher.....and the list goes on showing the impressive resume these triathletes have. Another thing that impressed was the gear that these people have brought. Some of the bikes have names that I have never even heard off, with high end components and all the latest gadgetry. Me and Steve was really out of place. There we were a short thin guy and an overweight Mat salleh mixing with the elite. When we lined up at the racing registration, the girl at the counter asked frankly in surprise I would presume "Are you here for the race?" No, Im here for the free buffet. I wanted to reply, but decided against it. " First attempt sir? " she asked with a wide grin.
The medical check up was next. They measure your pulse, BP, Height, weight and finally the tired doctor pretended to listen to your lungs. Weight 52kg. "what? " asked the nurse and they rechecked my weight as if it was of national security. My pulse was also a bit tacycardic (high) since we just came back from riding. The Chinese doctor who was almost asleep earlier immediately payed extra attention to me. I dont know if it was courtesy to another doctor or perhaps he was just plain worried about me.Anyhow Steve's weight of 100kg also caused a stir. It was official, we won the award for most average, lightest and heaviest triathlete.
Race briefing was next. It was given by Ross, a sunburnt heavily accented aussie dude. The rules went on and on.I found that the technicality was a bit too much. Most people there understood though what was going on. Even Ross knew what the questions were before the question was even completed. " I know what you mean" he often intercepts in the midddle of each question. "Yeah dude" I hissed under my breath " You know what they mean but not me!" In the end the briefing was barely required for the regulars, but was a nightmare for average amateurs like me. Back in the room I had to reread the 10page rule book. One section attracted my eye on finishing, "You are advised to make sure that you are able to stand up unaided, eat without vomitting and being giddy after the race before leaving......" I sure dont want that to happen to me.

That's a big swimming pool you have there!

We went to the jetty to view the swim course. It was a point to point swim on a 950 metres long course marked by buoys. Do it 4 times or 2 loops and you have 3.8km. Easy. As of my usual pre race practice, I began to make friends with the rescue people, just in case you know. Since the race was the next day, I just swam for 500metres to get used to the water. The water then was calm but very murky. You cant see beyond 5 metres in the water.That worried me a bit. well too late now.We checked in our bikes at the transition area and did a final gear check.
After that me and Azmar went around town to have a look around. Out of a sudden I met OP Azudin who was there to visit his daughter studying in the local MRSM.He wished me well and promised to be at the race tomorrow. By the way OP Azudin has now become more of an active cyclist. He has progressed to being able to ride 40km on his mountain bike. Quite a feat if you take that he has only started to bike a few months. I also received calls and SMSs from fellow OPs, some I know some I dont,all wishing me luck. How on earth did they know Im attempting this event? Apparently OP Stupes posted it on the mailing list and also on his blog site. I felt like a star. I hope I wont let my fans down.
The night we had a heavy dinner and again met OP Azudin.Tried to sleep early but was too excited.
Woke up 0400hrs raceday and headed down for breakfast. Must eat! I reminded myself repetedly.Went back to the room to see Karoline still asleep. Final gear check and stretch.....Yawn. The pain in my calf was still there! I hope it wont get worse. I gave Azmar my wife's number just in case. People do get sick and land in hospital during and after Ironman races. In fact there has been reported cases of death...thats another story. I felt nauseated after the full breakfast and vomitted out my breakfast. Not a good omen. But I did feel better after that.
Race: The jetty was well lit with music blazing. All the Pros were stretching and hovering around. Final bike check. Final visit to the toilet. A short dip in the water for a quick warm up. The water was warm but it was still dark at this point. The race was postponed to 0730hrs because of this. I couldnt see a thing. "Athletes on the pontoon...!" came the anouncement. I guess that's me.
0730: BANG! and we were off. I started at the back of the pack. No use getting kicked in the face. After a few minutes the non swimmers were separated from the main pack. I was in the middle of the rear end fighters. Francis was ahead of me...Duhh! Swam faster and got into a good rhytmn. Somehow I noticed it was a bit more choppy today. Since it was dark and I couldnt see, I wasnt worried. 35 minutes to reach the first lap. Oh no! I should have covered that in less than 30 minutes. Turned around for the next 950 metres. Kept a steady pace.I had to avoid some fellow strugglers and continued on. It was halfway during the second lap that I got lapped by the PROs. Not to worry, this was expected. The PROs are usually well behaved in a way that they would swim away from the buoy to avoid the slower guys. It was the main group that I was worried about. They basically clambered on top of you and kicked you in the face. Bloody hell Give way la! Reached the u turn 20 minutes. It sure was faster. Later on I was told that it was high tide and swimming away from the jetty was against current and back with it. The return leg was easier but we got blinded by the rising sun. I could not see the bouy! I went off course and was finally stopped by a kayak. "That way sir" he pointed. I craned my neck to see that I had gone adrift almost 50 metres away! Shit! This happened during the 2nd loop though and I wasnt worried since I was on time to complete the swim in 1 hour 50 min. By now I was feeling good but felt like the waves were higher.The sea got choppier than ever. My 50kg lean athletic body was tossed about like a pancake. I could not see where I was going. Then the inevitable happened. I got sea sick. I felt nauseated. my vision was blurred. I hang on to a bouy to check my goggles, no they were fine. Oh dear. 1Hr 35min and I was at 3.2km. Almost there. Dont screw up boy! I swam slowly to the next bouy. Out of a sudden I felt my bowels giving up on me. The retching and the acidic smell was familiar. Vomitus, here they come! My vomit came out like an angry volcano. The vomitus thankfully went away from my face with the water. I stopped and struggled for air, with my head bobbing up and down. In a concerted unison,as I struggled up for air my vomit was washed with the tide all over my face. Aduiii! Shit!
I wanted to laugh but it wasnt funny.
I wanted to shout and curse but was out of air.
I wanted to cry but my eyes were dry from dehydration.
Here I was the Ironman wannabe, struggling in the middle of the ocean.I clang on to the bouy as if my life depended on it. My race has ended.
A kayak appeared and the marshall asked me if I was in trouble. "Am i last?" I asked. "No uncle, many more behind you" said the girl. (I think it was a girl). Dah la muntah, kena panggil pakcik pulak tu....!
I held on there for a few minutes, trying to think.I know my preparation was adequate, I know I could do it. But I also know that I have a lovely wife, my daughters Farah and Yasmin waiting for my safe return. My parents. My Gang. Images of the pakcik that had a recurrence of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (cancer nose)that I had just a few days spoke to flashed trough my mind.
Deciding to quit is the most difficult thing to do in any situation, but here it was easy. I was just too sick to continue. By now there was a waterjet ski with 2 Fire Dept officials near me.
Unlike the pakcik with cancer, I had another day to live.
The fireman asked if I could pull myself up onto the jetski. Off course I can! Watch out for the step, sir...and with a heave ho effort I missed my step and landed face flat in the water! The fireman got his hand out and with a single pull I was on the jetski. Aduhh...malunya! I was transferred to the officials boat where they told me the news that I had already knew. I was disqualified (DQ)."A participant will be disqualified if he or she requires medical or non medical assistance at any time in the race" This was the first time I was DQed from a race. I have had a few DNF (did not finish) before, but this was a first. We stayed on and I saw a few people behind me struggling past. The current was really strong now. I could sense that there would be a lot of DNFs and was a bit cheered by the fact. But I also felt pity for them, after all the effort and time spent. I felt pity for myself too. I have ended my race very early on. I felt angry. Back at the shore, I was greeted by azmar, Karoline and OP Azudin. I could tell that Azmar was worried sick not seeing me arriving. At the 2hr 20 mark , all the swimmers left was picked up by rescue boats. By now I was already down and out. Out of a sudden,with a rush of blood to the head, I approached the race swim director, a chinese guy named Wong. "Sir, I want to continue with the race..".With a grin on his face, " No sir, you are disqualified and CANNOT continue with the race". I wanted to give him the finger but walked away. My 3 fans gathered around me to console me and as usual OP Azudin remained as optimistic as ever "Hang masuk diam diam kat belakang mana depa tau doc...go go!" With that I sneaked in the back door of the tent and collected my gear and changed. Some of the junior officials in the tent knew what I was up to and quietly gave me the thumbs up. I met this guy Soon whom I later found out to be a Mas pilot, who DNFed due to cramps. Lets do it buddy.Yeah! Lets! We walked slowly to our bikes as if nothing happened. The bike racks was almost empty now. I pretented to walk the bike to the hotel but instead headed to the start line. Mr Wong was looking from far, but I swear I could see the grin from the corner of his mouth. At approximately 11am,3 and half hours after the start of the race, Soon and I left for the "unofficial" bike leg of our respective Ironman race.
I felt good! I was on my bike and speeding on. Reached a comfortable tempo and cadence. Just as we were passing the hotel where the crowd was gathered at the U turn for the bike and run leg, the MC my friend Razlan saw us..".From MAlaysiaaaa Dr Hisyam Salleh!!" The crowd went wild. Obviously they realised that I was LAST!

Definitely not in front!

The biking leg consists of 3 rounds on a 60km loop. The loop went 30km away from Kuah toward the Northern part of the island heading in a NorthWesterly direction on a generally flat road,and headed back to the start. The weather was HOT and sunny.It must have been 38 to 40deg C out there. I pedalled on. The calf pain was gone. A quick mental calculation and I realised that I had to complete the course before 1800hr. Bike in 7 hours .I've never gone fast that far ever. Second doubts began to creep in. I was at least 70 km behind the leaders and 30 to 40km behind the main pack. If I pushed myself, I may be able to reach home by 6pm but could I run after that? Haiyaa.
At the 20km mark I was lapped by the PROs. That meant that I was way way behind. From then onwards I was being overtaken repeatedly by fast guys. But I was also overtaking some people on my own. Some people who pushed themselves too hard on the swim and too hard on the bikes were now slowing down. I felt better.Then I saw Steve on the other side of the road. We exchanged news and I found that he was on his 2nd lap! That meant the PROs were on their last! At this point some people were already stopping and vommiting by the road side. I felt sorry for them, but i knew exactly how they feel. Then I saw Zabil on his Specialised S bike. He was in trouble. Normally hunched down in the aerobar position, he was upright and not looking too good. I knew if I pushed hard I might be able to catch up in the run.I felt optimistic again. The race was lined with aid station every 10km. They gave out bananas, water, sports drink and the likes. I set my timer to beep every 8 mins to remind me to drink. I dont want to bonk now that I have gone this far. I also kept a close watch on the speedometer on my bike. I had earlier planned on an average speed of 27km/h to enable me in reaching 180km in 7 hours. For the first lap my speed was 30 to 32km/h. Much to my amusement, it went down drastically at the second lap to 25km/h. The weather was taking its toll on everyone. I was taking on board litres of fluids and countless bananas and still dehydration set in. I could feel that the muscle was not responding to my commands anymore. I did manage to stop 3 times to pee, twice in the mobile toilet and once open air roadside. Dark coloured urine, meaning that the kidneys was preserving water by concentrating urine by reabsorbing it more via the loops of Henle and Collecting ducts.(structures in the kidneys). I was thinking about medical cases to gauge if I could think straight. Hypoglycemia (lack of sugar in blood) causes you to lose focus and sometimes you make silly mistakes like forgetting to drink, pushing too hard etc..or worse still crash! Each time I passed the transition, I would be greeted by Razlan "From Subang Jaya Malayyssiaaaaa Doc Hisyam!!" Not only was I carrying the malaysian hopes but now the whole of Subang Jaya was counting on me. Sigh.

From Subang Jaya.....! Doc!(Razlan)

By the third lap, the course was almost empty with majority of people already running.It was 330pm and I had 60km to go. 25km/h. Thats all man. On normal days I could do that with ease, not today though. I was slowing down like a tourist enjoying the sights. My Gluteus maximus(butt) was sore. My left Quadriceps (thigh) was feeling like its been bitten by ants. And worse of all I could not feel my private parts. This happens to cyclist when they sit on the saddle too long. The compression on the sit bone (ischial tuberosity) somehow blocks the arterial circulation to the penile and scrotum region. This is componded further by compression of the IlioInguanal Nerve which supplies that area. You feel numb and that thing aint there anymore. However its temporary though. I dont have to take Viagra after the race. For most of the last lap I was accompanied by a marshall riding on a motor bike. Talked a bit to distract me from the pain with my marshall encik Samsudin. Samsudin is a maintainence crew from UUM Sintok. Apparently he has been coming every year to volunteer in the races. He has seen it all, people vomitting, collapsing even those throwing their bikes in the drain. He says he is still amazed to see people like me going on despite the struggle. He can understand the Pros, they do it for the money but average Joes like me? For a 5ringgit's worth of finisher's Medal? I found it difficult to explain to him. Maybe another day, cik Din as I called him.
The last 19km was the hardest. I just could not maintain any cadence and rhytmn at all.I was really slow and 6pm was approaching.Cik Din became from a marshall to a fan who cheered me on. Even when Azmar offered me water from his rented motorbike, Din said it was Ok. Its not that Im going to win and go to Kona anyway. I had to stand up most of the time to wriggle away the accumulated lactic acid in my legs. As I neared the end, I began to feel a bit better and was looking forward to the run. A marathon in 6hours in my state was impossible, but azmar urged me to carry on. "Do your own race la doc" . With that I realised that I was only in the race for 9 hours! I swam almost 2 hours and started biking at 11am. That meant I was still in the 9th hour of racing....unofficially. Unofficially my race should end at 2am! I was resolute then. Rain or shine Im going to go the whole distance! F*%K the finisher's medal and Certificate. This is my own challenge.
As I hobbled across the bike finish at 1810hrs I could hear Mazlan announcing at the finish line "your an Ironman!!" as he greets the finishers. I sneaked again into the tent and was thinking aloud, someone out there has finished and here I am about to run a marathon. Ha Ha Ha! I burst out laughing. The girls assisting me in the tent was worried. Uncle ni sakit ke? I changed to my running gear. My old running T shirt and my OPA rugby shorts donated by OP Bandit because he cant fit into them anymore and my trustworthy adidas was to be my last gear for the day. I hobbled out of the tent and started the marathon. No one cheered as people were at the finisher's line mostly now. The run basically went trough the same biking route with the U turn at Km 5. 4 loops will do it, thats all.
Normally in a marathon, my knee starts to hurt at the 30km mark. Today it was km 2! Bloody hell! Why am I dumb enough to endure this? I could just stop now and go to my hotel room. Being the Dumb ass that I am, I soldiered on. The race course was littered with people walking, lying by the road side with ambulance screaming up and down. A lot of unhappy people. At Km 8, I caught up with Zabil. He was at the roadside with the medical crew putting ice all over him. He was in bad shape. "Cramps all over my body la doc" he said, the dissapointment evident in his voice. Poor guy, he had trained so hard. I felt his pulse and it was galloping. He was red all over. I knew it was over. He requires an IV line. "Can you give me something for the pain doc?". Yeah I could. I asked the medical assistant(MA) if they had Voltaren Injections (Diclofenac Na) which I offered to administer to Zabil. The MA said yes but he need to call the doctor first. Ok you do that. Meanwhile Zabil sensing that he was slowing me down told me to continue. " Okay bro, I'll run till the U turn and give you the injections..." I told the MA to set up an IV line for Zabil and that I will be back. I hobbled on. By the time I reached the U turn and heading back I could hear the siren blazing and Zabil was off. I hope the MA did what I told them to. As I ran, I observed the many faces that passed. Some of anguish knowing they were about to DNF, some smiling knowing they were going to make it. It was already dark now and we were given flourescent sticks to carry during the run. The local people came out in force now that the heat is out of the way. Go Go Ironman! I felt like a star.
Encountered Steve a few times as we passed each other. He was going to make it Im sure. I told him I will finish at 2 am and he grinned . Go Doc! At the turning point of the 2nd lap, I was stopped by Ross.He was carrying a piece of paper which I suspect had the list of DNFs and DQs. In his thick aussie slang he told me that I was disqualified and shouldnt be on the road. The conversation went something like this.

Ross: I strongly advise you sir to get off the course, you are disqualified. You have a long way to go. You are not going to make it before the cut off. Just give up.
Me: I know what you mean.
Ross: You will hamper and obstruct other people and endangering others.
Me: I know what you mean.....But Im not stopping.
Ross:Then you will be doing it at your own risk! Please take off your race number. You are out of the race! You are not in the race anymore
Me:I know what you mean.
With that I took off my number and gave it to him. I wanted to throw it at him but decided against it. I continued on.
Ross: And we wont let you cross the finishers line. You will be barred from the finisher's area!
Shit! He really wants to have the last word! Go to hell! I screamed to myself.
I had been running for the last 20km now and my knees were really starting to hurt. I began to walk.It was 2200hrs. 22km till my "unofficial" cut off time of 0200hrs. That meant 5km/hr. Slightly faster than walking pace off 3-4km/hr. I was going to make it despite of old man Ross. I decided to skip the finishing line to avoid any trouble. I dont have anything to prove to that loser and the entire Triathlon Coorporation. I am an ironman on my own right! No, I was just joking. I felt so mad, yet so low being humiliated like that. I really didnt care now. I was hurting bad. Azmar, who later on in the week was attempting his first half marathon at the KL International Marathon 21K race, saw me struggling and decided to accompany me. A bit of training la doc. I told him it was a walkathon now. He insisted to come along. In hind sight, Im glad he followed me. I was one of the only few people on the course after 11pm. Most of the runners had already finished or wisely quit. Those on the course had their loved oned accompanying on bikes. My 'loved one " was Azmar. We talked and I thank him for the support he gave me. Meanwhile Karoline accompanied Steve on his last 5km and he crossed the finish an official Ironman. Well done man! 14hr45min
I told Azmar how to run his first half marathon. Also encouraged him to enter the A Famosa Triathlon the following week. In my mind i was also trying to figure out how I would be running the KL marathon less than a week from now. It was already Monday. Would my wife want to come along to the A Famosa Triathlon 2 weeks from now? You can call me crazy, but there I was DQed from a race and planning for the next one already. Not enough pain ke doc?

The water stations were being closed down now. But they still gave me water to drink. After 0030hrs they were gone though. It was only me, Azmar and a few others who refused to be taken off the course by Ross. I noticed no one was wearing race numbers by now. The streets were now empty. At the last stretch home we were looking around to see if there were any food stalls still open. Luckily Karoline had bought something for me and Azmar to eat. Another loved one.
My wife called me asking if i was safe in the hotel room. I said no and that i was still on the road and expecting to finish at 2am. I could almost hear her laughing her guts out back in USJ." Dont worry dear, to me you are an Ironman", with that I think she went to bed smiling.
Me and Azmar hobbled into the hotel lobby to be greeted by Karoline. It was 145am. The sleepy girl at the reception looked at me with wide eyes. I was expecting her to announce loudly: "You are An Ironman!! Welcome home".
Instead all that she could muster was, "room number, sir?".
I was in a bad state.16hr 45mins "unofficially".
Am I an Ironman?

PS:Technically Im a DQed non Ironman. But to me the whole experience was amazing. I have reached my very limits and even gone beyond. The feeling of satisfaction completing the course can never be summed up with a finisher's medal or a lousy certificate. The sense of accomplishment is what motivates me to outdo myself. I hope my story will encourage my friends to follow suit . Just go out there and outdo yourself! You will be amazed at what you can achieve. See you at this week's marathon!
Cheers.Warm Regards.

OP Doc Hisyam
A87-91

Since then, a lot of my friends began to train for races. Azmar and Karoline did their Ironmans this year along with so many others. Im an optimist. I believe that nothing is beyond reach if you try hard enough. I also enjoy motivating my friends to outdo themselves. I hope this story will do the same to you too.

Bianchi celebrate 125th anniversary

2010-01-29T22:06:00.002Z

By: Susan Westemeyer

Italian firm look back at proud history of success

Bianchi bikes are turning 125 years old in 2010, but as the firm points out, it is not just about a bike. “Bianchi is a way of life, a way to move, a way of racing,” stated the company, as they prepare to mark the significant milestone throughout this year.

Edoardo Bianchi established his firm in the Via Nirone in Milan in 1885, and Bianchi still produce bikes at their factory in Treviglio. Over the years it has been associated with famous names including Fausto Coppi, Felice Gimondi, Moreno Argentin, Gianni Bugno and Marco Pantani.

On the road, the firm can count 12 Giro d'Italia, three Tour de France and 19 Milano-Sanremo victories amongst a long list of results achieved aboard their products.

Bianchi are best be known for the distinct “Celeste” shade of blue used on all their bikes, but they are also marked by a very high quality of material, technology and workmanship.

The technical qualities are only one aspect, though. “Another area of Bianchi's strength is the passion of all of the people who have been associated with Bianchi over the past years and until today,” said Bianchi CEO Bob Ippolito. “Success begins with great people and we must recognise all of the people past and present who have made Bianchi a truly unique and powerful name in cycling."

The firm was bought in 1997 by Cycleurope A.B. Group, the Swedish company of the Grimaldi group, owned by Italian-Swedish millionaire Salvatore Grimaldi. “Bianchi is one of the finest bicycle brands in the world with a fantastic history. 50 years have gone by since Coppi passed away in 1960. It is now 125 years since Edoardo Bianchi founded the F.I.V.E. Bianchi company. I have been the very proud owner of Bianchi for 13 years, and I will continue to invest in Bianchi for a bright future development,” Grimaldi said.

The firm has sponsored or co-sponsored many teams over the years. It was the man sponsor of Team Bianchi featuring Jan Ullrich in 2003, and co-sponsored Liquigas in 2005 and 2006. This year it sponsors the Italian Professional Continental team Flaminia.

Bianchi is also active in mountain biking, and has sponsored its own team since 1991. It is owner and supplier to the TX Active-Bianchi MTB team. The company can claim the men's cross-country gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics, through Julien Absalon, and 10 World Championships in it's off-road record.

President of the TX Active-Bianchi MTB team is Felice Gimondi, who rode Bianchi bikes on his way to becoming only the second rider to win all three Grand Tours. “I remember when Bianchi management gave me the chance to ride for such a prestigious name and wear the legendary Bianco-Celeste jersey. I was a child and I was very excited. Bianchi won my heart and that’s why I’ve spent my life in the name of Bianchi's passion.”

Bridging the Gap..

2010-01-29T22:05:00.000Z

Wayne Rooney's last-minute winner sends United to Wembley

2010-01-28T00:25:00.001Z

Manchester United 3 Manchester City 1 (United win 4-3 on agg)

YEAHH!

2010-01-26T22:36:00.002Z

Eric Moo: I begged my wife

Eric Moo felt very lonely after moving to China in 2006. But he eventually convinced his wife and family to move to Beijing to live with him.

--> many of his songs (i think) has been sung time and again by various artists- never realised it was him whom it all originated from! Malaysia Boleh!

KNNCCB

2010-01-23T23:26:00.003Z

Question: So I haven 't seen you in a while!

Answer: It's the placements that's why..

Question: How come you don't come to church one?

Answer: (!!)

CHINESE = CHURCH???

Health: Does cycling make you infertile?

2010-01-19T23:19:00.003Z

Campagnalo Athena 11sp

V sweet bike- with the ride2work scheme:very tempting..

By Rob Kemp, Cycling Plus

'Long-distance cycling may seriously damage fertility,’ said The Scotsman. ‘Fertility goes downhill for endurance cyclists,’ reported the Press Association. ‘Cycling saddles men with dodgy sperm,’ decried The Sun.

In time for the start of the 2009 Tour de France, the health editors of the British press warned once again that mankind was cycling towards a childless oblivion.

These latest stories were based upon research presented to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, carried out by Professor Diana Vaamonde at the University of Cordoba Medical School, Spain.

However, this study isn’t the ﬁrst to look into the issue of how the saddle affects our sperm. Back in 1997, Dr Irwin Goldstein, an impotence specialist at Boston University, released data suggesting that saddle-soreness was pretty much a precursor to infertility. Since then, the reporting of such studies has followed a well-worn path.

And so, once again, cyclists have been warned that time in the saddle could reduce their sperm count, even though the results of the Cordoba study came not speciﬁcally from cyclists, but from 15 elite male triathletes.

Admittedly, triathletes do a lot of cycling, but in the case of this small, very elite sample, they’d been training nine times a week for at least eight years. Crucially, it’s this volume and intensity of exercise that the study’s data suggests could be the major cause of misshapen sperm – not simply cycling too much.

“Not only was the sample group not made up solely of cyclists, but when the story was reported, the links to Lycra and the temperature of the testicles were brought up once again,” says Dr Allan Pacey, a senior lecturer in andrology at the University of Shefﬁeld. “And yet there remains no solid scientiﬁc data to suggest that cycling in close-ﬁtting garments is a cause of infertility in men.”

Iron men?

In the study, the triathletes tested were found to have less than 10 percent of normal looking sperm (most fertile men have around 15-20 percent). Then Vaamonde’s team broke down the athletes' training schedules and looked at the sperm of those who cycled over 300km a week, discovering a further drop to four percent.

Yet Vaamonde’s study wasn’t able to ﬁnd a reason for this. Instead, the report speculated that it could be due to irritation and compression caused by friction of the testes against the saddle, or tight clothing, which raises the temperature around the testes.

However, she also maintained that reactive oxygen species – small molecules that are a natural byproduct of very high-end exertions – could play a signiﬁcant part. These molecules react to the ‘stress’ the body undergoes during endurance sports in a way that can damage cell structures and alter the shape of sperm.

Dr Pacey insists that cyclists need not be alarmed by these results, maintaining that the link between cycling and infertility should be treated with caution. “In the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s through to the ’60s, cycling was much more common,” says Pacey, “and yet the real concerns over the fall in fertility among men have only come about in the last couple of decades.”

Instead, he suggests that a combination of factors may be to blame: “The fact that these particular athletes are pushing themselves to physical extremes may have a lot more inﬂuence on their sperm count than cycling does. When the body is under extreme duress – when you’re seriously ill, say – such ‘luxuries’ as sperm production get shut down by the body as blood and oxygen are focused on the key survival organs.”

So, does that mean that all but the ultra cyclists, those clocking up over 300km a week, are in the clear?

The shock factor

No, not quite. Pacey adds a caveat to his ﬁndings, citing a study from 1999 by Ferdinand Frauscher, from the department of uroradiology at University Hospital, Innsbruck. Frauscher discovered, through scrotal ultrasounds, that up to 96 percent of heavy-duty mountain bikers – those in the saddle for 12 hours a week or more – showed irregularities including swelling, cysts and even benign tumours.

According to Dr David Ralph, a consultant urogenital surgeon at the London Clinic, the trauma experienced by many rough terrain cyclists’ nether regions should be a matter for concern for us all. “Mountain biking can shock the testicles and even compress some of the nerves, leading to cysts and twisted veins," he says. "While this shouldn’t directly link to fertility problems, cyclists should take action to avoid increasing the trauma.”

Dr Ralph advocates the use of saddles with anatomically designed cutouts in them and insists that cyclists should avoid slamming on the brakes. “Without doubt,” he said, “the chief cause of infertility and erectile dysfunctional problems in men these days stems from a lack of exercise and failure to engage in the kind of cardiovascular training that cycling certainly provides.”

So for the sake of your sperm, carry on cycling.

I'm too sexy for my saddle

Dr Ralph is not the only expert to recommend cycling as a way to improve sexual function. Researchers from the Lancisi Heart Institute in Ancona, Italy, found that cycling helped counter the erection-hindering side effects of medication on male heart patients.

Meanwhile, the University of California found that men who engaged in regular cardiovascular-based exercise programmes recorded a 30 percent rise in the frequency of sex with their partners.

It seems that saddle choice has a large role to play. US policemen who switched to no-nose cycle saddles recorded ‘signiﬁcant’ improvements in erectile function, according to research from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in Cincinnati.

You win some, you loose some

2010-01-14T21:27:00.006Z

I guess you win some battles, you loose some.
Little petty things should not bother one too much, it's the greater tangible items which are of more concern!
As long as one enjoys and makes the most of the situation, I think it's a worthwhile sacrifice.
Heck, having heavy snowfall which necessitates a mandatory stay-at-home can be fun too!

Point taken, big guy!

"Yang dikejar tak dapat, yang dikendong keciciran"

Egypt

2010-01-07T00:19:00.001Z

Tolerance

2010-01-05T20:36:00.007Z

Tolerance.

Another few more months

It's just one of those idiosyncracies in life

It's my choice- no one to blame for

Maybe, I'll appreciate more what i've got all these while when it's no more around,

But for now, i'm tolerating. Always have been.

If you are sensitive enough, you can tell..

Dillemas of life

2009-12-22T00:05:00.003Z

1. There's always 2 sides of a story- similar to a fair, two-sided coin. One must always give the benefit of the doubt to the 'agrieved' party. Furthermore, if the 'non-guilty' has a partner to back up the facts- one must be even more circumspect of the evidence as to not be biased by self-favoured preferences.

2. Accidents happen for a reason. No point worrying about the possible bad-outcome tomorrow, as even if it happens, would your worry make things any better? No. More constructive time and sleeping-time may be invested in preparing for any possible outcomes, come what may, and preparing oneself to make that one crucial decision of whether to abide the superior's advice. Having numerous discussions with too many may be counter productive as well- unnecessary fear may be multiplied; but having a select few of dependables would hopefully ensure a well-informed decision is made.

Bali 2009

Gadoh (2009): A Malaysian short-film by Namron

2009-11-22T00:34:00.004Z

I think, sometimes, some people just need to be themselves and not 'overdo' things, especially when the others 'in-know' are around- it's not a mere game of impressing or giving the appearance that all's fine and dandy and that i'm a 'team-player', team-contributor etc : i am not impressed at all. In fact, it's a pity that for all that's being done and taught all these while ( I hope..), all that's managed to be picked up is merely a charade of industriousness.

On a separate note, the movie below: Gadoh 2009: is a stunning portrayal of what goes on in the Malaysian youth mind these days- to be fair, I can understand how those thoughts are formulated by certain parties, but one has to always bear in mind that it is also how the other party feels- you need to to tango, literally.

Synopsis
Gadoh tells a story of a group of teenagers who fought each other along racial lines; a cycle of hatred and violence further escalated by their environment and school system.

What was to be a quick resolution to improve the school’s bad image, was taken as an opportunity for one teacher who believed that real change was possible. She ropes in the help of an old friend and reluctant maverick theater activist for this arduous task.

Is there hope amidst the cycle of discrimination that surrounds us?

Watch Gadoh for their story, and what it may very well tell us about ourselves.

Movie Info:
Duration: 70 mins
Director: Brenda Danker, Namron
Producer: Anna Har
Production Company: Big Pictures Productions
Supported by Pusat KOMAS
Starring: Namron, Nicholas Liew Davis, Zahiril Adzim, Amerul Affendi and Maya Tan Abdullah
Language: Bahasa Malaysia with English/BM subtitles
Poster design by: Alexdrina Chong, Lucid Design Collaborative Studio

Yasmin’s ad bags top prize

2009-11-01T23:03:00.001Z

Sunday November 1, 2009

PETALING JAYA: A TV commercial entitled Funeral, directed by the late Yasmin Ahmad, won one of the two highest awards at the 2009 Kancil Awards.

The three-minute film, commissioned by Singapore’s Community Development, Youth and Sports Ministry to promote marriage, clinched the Golden Kancil prize in the film category at Malaysia’s premier advertising awards show on Friday night.

It shows a woman addressing the people at her husband’s funeral, saying that she hoped her three children would also find life partners who were as “beautifully imperfect” as her husband.

“Somehow, Leo Burnett Advertising (the agency in which Yasmin was executive creative director) got the right strategy using a funeral to promote marriage.

“It inspired a lot of people around the world,” said the ministry’s communications and international relations division director Richard Tan Kok Tong.

Leo Burnett/Arc Worldwide Malaysia chief executive officer Tan Kien Eng said viewership of the advertisement on YouTube was 2.5 million so far.

He said Yasmin crafted the script and directed the commercial.

“I would say that Yasmin’s style created a benchmark for the industry, even as far back as 15 years ago. It is about humanity, not about winning an award.

“It is about touching and engaging people,” he added.

Leo Burnett also grabbed the Agency of the Year award. Besides the Golden Kancil, it racked up a gold, two silvers and seven bronze at the ceremony organised by the Association of Accredited Adverti-sing Agents Malaysia.

The other Golden Kancil winner of the night was IF Interactive Sdn Bhd for its digital installation at the National Art Gallery entitled Seconds Away, done for the Kuala Lumpur Design Week 2009.

Doc's sympathy after medical exam error

2009-10-12T02:21:00.003Z

Doc’s sympathy after medical exam error

Aug 21 2009 by Madeleine Brindley, South Wales Echo

A LEADING medic today expressed sympathy for a junior doctor wrongly told that she had passed her exams.

The young woman, who has not been named, had been working at Llandough Hospital when it emerged that she was not qualified as a doctor.

Cardiff University had wrongly told her and three other junior doctors, who were working in Swansea, Llanelli and Haverfordwest, that they had passed their final exams.

But when a fifth student appealed after he failed the module, the blunder came to light.

Dr Ian Lane, medical director of Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust, said a review into patient care has been launched.

The General Medical Council has ordered Cardiff University to investigate the mistake.

The university has blamed a clerical error and said it “recognises and regrets the resulting circumstances”.

Dr Lane said: “Cardiff University recently informed us of an administrative error in the exam results of foundation year one junior doctor appointed to the University Hospital, Llandough.

“As a result, unfortunately we had no choice but to relieve her of her duties.

“While the doctor was working in the trust she was supervised by senior members of staff.

“Clinical decisions and any prescribing would have been under the direction of the supervising consultant.

“We are reviewing the cases of appropriate patients but have no reason to express any concerns. I offer her my sympathy and encouragement to continue with her medical career.”

It is understood that the quartet can appeal, but if their results stand they must re-sit their final year of medical school before they can qualify as doctors.

No decision has yet been made on who will meet the costs of this.

Conservative shadow health minister Andrew RT Davies said: “Every effort must be made to discover how this error occurred and to reassure patients that their care and safety was not put at risk.

“We need to have confidence in the system and assurances that similar mistakes will not be repeated.”

And Dr Richard Lewis, Welsh secretary of the British Medical Association, said: “This really is an awful situation that these four young people are currently faced with and it’s very difficult to imagine how they must be feeling right now.

“We will be seeking answers as to how such a fundamental error occurred and what changes will be made to make sure such serious mistakes are not repeated.

“However, at this moment in time, the key focus of our efforts is to ensure that those involved receive all the support we can provide.”

A spokeswoman for the General Medical Council said: “We will be asking [Cardiff Medical School] to investigate the incident and to demonstrate to the GMC that they will take appropriate action to prevent a reoccurrence. We have spoken to each of the students affected to explain that we will have to remove their names from the medical register, we will refund their registration fee in full.”

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Nothing new I guess- it's been blunders one after another eversince we sat for our first exams. And the various mismanagements.. the list goes on so long!

Best of Bangor: Summer'09

2009-08-12T04:54:00.002Z

Crab Banter

2009-07-24T22:51:00.001Z

One fine evening in the land across Puffin Island, Anglesey.... or as they call that place, Penmon...

Lisbon: hostel capital of the world

2009-06-29T23:12:00.003Z

From Times Online

April 29, 2009

The Portuguese capital can lay claim to having the world's best hostels. They're more like boutique hotels than bunkhouses, says Ginny McGrath

Ginny McGrath

When 800,000 backpackers and budget travellers voted for their favourite hostels around the world, there was one clear winner: Lisbon.

The Portuguese capital is home to three of the top ten hostels in the Hostelworld.com awards, including the eventual winner, Travellers House. Second in the listings was Rossio Hotel and third was Lisbon Lounge.

It's not the first plaudit for the city's budget bolt holes - Lisbon Lounge was one of the ten top-rated boutique hostels in Europe according to users of the rival hostel booking website, HostelBookers.com. And sister property Lisbon Living Lounge featured in The Sunday Times pick of Europe's best boutique hostels.

Sounds like a fix? We thought so too - so I went to Lisbon to see for myself, and took a video camera with me (watch my film above).

I checked out three of the city's best hostels, including Hostelworld winner, Travellers House, Hostelbookers favourite Lisbon Lounge, and The Sunday Times' pick, Living Lounge.

I have to admit, I haven't stayed in a hostel since 1997. Six months of bunk beds and shower queues, including a low point in Cairns when 50 of us were herded into a school gym and fumigated for bed bugs, ensured I never wanted to stay in one again.

Much has changed since then - I visited YHA's London Central hostel last year and was blown away by the trendy decor, comfortable bed-bug free beds, and internet cafe. When that property didn't feature in Hostelworld's top ten, I know the Lisbon properties had to be something special.

And they were. First, all three hostels are central, and I mean right in the heart of Baixa, the elegant central district of pedestrianised, mosaic streets sandwiched between two of the city's seven hills.

Second, they're clean, trendy, and wired up with internet access. Every one had a notice board advertising services like cheap city tours, Portuguese food and drink evenings and quiz nights.

Where Travellers House had a more quirky, informal feel, Lisbon Lounge and Living Lounge were a little more modern. The latter has 23 rooms, individually designed by Portuguese artists, while at Lisbon Lounge the breakfast and internet is free.

Hostelworld.com editor, Colm Hanratty says of his website's top-rated Europe hostel, "Traveller’s House is exactly that – a house run by travellers for travellers. The guys who run it are backpackers themselves so they know exactly what other backpackers are looking for."

Hanratty says Lisbon's hostels stand out for their cleanliness, locations, free wifi and breakfast, and adds: "what I think really separates them from the rest of the world’s hostels is the attention to decor in the hostels. Some are retro, some are boutique, while others are quite modern."

The have also impressed David Smith, chief operating officer at HostelBookers. He says of the award-winning hostels: “It’s fantastic that three excellent boutique hostels have opened up in Lisbon to cater to the kind of young, contemporary independent travellers who want to see this city.

"Lisbon truly defines what modern budget travel is all about; cheap accommodation doesn’t mean going without style and comfort.”

p/s: I reckon Porto's hostel too, are world-class as the Oporto Poet's Hostel II was voted #7 on Hostelbooker's Worldwide Hostels of the Year 2005!

Prince Charles, Harrison Ford and Dalai Lama save rainforests on YouTube

2009-05-06T21:48:00.003Z

From The Times

May 6, 2009

Valentine Low

It was a day of firsts yesterday for the Prince of Wales. He released his first YouTube video, an unremarkable event for most people but a momentous occasion for a Prince who still prefers the fountain pen to the e-mail. And, for the first and possibly last time in his life, he played second fiddle to a frog.

The video, which is aimed at boosting awareness of the plight of the rainforests, is a compendium of as many celebrities as it is possible to cram into one 90-second clip. As well as the Prince himself, and the Princes William and Harry, there are cameo appearances by Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Pele and the Dalai Lama.

But the star of the show is the frog. Fat, green, belchy and blessed with comic timing, the frog manages to steal the scene in every appearance it makes. Which, given that it is the product of computer-generated imagery, should probably not come as a surprise.

The video, which also features the comedian Robin Williams and singer Joss Stone, was released last night on a number of websites, including MySpace, in what Paddy Harverson, the Prince’s spokesman, described as a “unprecedented” move.

Mr Harverson did not really have to point that out. One does not need to be a royal expert to know that Prince Charles has not made many videos before in which he offers his views on deforestation and climate change while a frog sits on the sofa next to him.

The symbolism is not exactly subtle; frogs are among the best recognised inhabitants of the rainforests, and there is a rich seam of literary tradition linking princes and frogs. In this version, however, the frog remains unkissed.

The video is an imaginative move for a figure whose fogeyish tendencies often make him appear the enemy of anything modern. Not only has he made the video, he has released it with software that allows viewers to make their own version, complete with frog, Prince and self — “mash-ups,” as the Prince’s team referred to them, a trifle self-consciously.

“The Prince is not necessarily someone who is a regular user of the internet,” Mr Harverson said. “But he understands the power of the internet.”

The frog was created by Framestore, the Oscar-winning creators of the bear Iorek Byrnison in The Golden Compass, while the website was created by Blue State Digital, the internet consultancy behind the web component of Barack Obama’s election campaign.

In a webcast put out last night, the Prince said that the internet provided the opportunity for “global determination for change on a vitally important issue”.

Urging people to demonstrate their support by signing up to the website www.rainforestSOS.org, he added: “Our aim, with your help, is to build an online community to call, from the bottom up, for urgent action to protect the rainforests, without which we will most certainly lose the battle against catastrophic climate change.”

To make the video the Prince called in favours from people who are either friends of his or of his sons — a group that includes Robin Williams, Joss Stone and the Dalai Lama — or well-known conservationists, such as Harrison Ford. Or, as he describes himself on the film, “actor, conservationist ... friend of frogs”.

The video is the latest step in the Prince’s long-running campaign — now his primary passion, according to Clarence House — to draw attention to the destruction of the world’s rainforests and the effect it is having on climate change. Last month the Prince’s Rainforests Project released a report calling for emergency funding for rainforest nations so that they can bring a halt to deforestation.

The UN summit on climate change in Copenhagen may come up with a long-term solution, he says, but before then action is needed to solve the short-term crisis.

The film can be watched by logging on to YouTube, MySpace or www.rainforestSOS.org. Alternatively viewers can text SOS and their e-mail address to 60777.

No more monkeying around!

2009-04-22T23:53:00.002Z

GET READY FOR ACTION!

Ho lang vs Phai kia

2009-04-09T15:33:00.005Z

..... finds it very khang-khor tho lui from lang kaki siou-paht eh..
Anh-chua mui pun to-beh siau ho-seh ho-seh, tiang kha-teng lang khau-peh! Thau-heen eh. Lui eh su see chin-nia khang-khor, lang see kio 'sensitive'.

umm si tey chit-tau liao, kui na pai liao pun, ka ki pun eh-hiao seong-la, tou-beh kha bing-paik, tiok boh? Men tan wa mui-mui-mui, kha ba-lu kong chut. Mia see peng you, ta-pi leh, cho sa-lah pun bo kong so-li eh? Cho wa see beh khang-khor nia... Wa see chin niah khau-peh chit-khuan eh su..

Lang see chin cheh khuan.. Khua la, kha-tua eh su ah-pai, lang eh khuan see khua eh-tiok eh, seh ka-si tua-su, ka-leow pun tam-pok tam-pok penn tua liao!

Wa pun tong-kim oak chit-leh mee-kia: wa pun mai kong so-li na-si bo cho sa-lah la. Yes, i know, why want to kong so-li na-si bo sa-lah right? Diffuse tension, not always, am always not really confrontational by nature, but now i feel being honest is a better way forward. No point hiding behind a veil of apology, makes ownself shouldering the blame for bollocks. No point at all. Though sometimes the fler involved then already has a pre-set notion of what actually went wrong, so no matter how many times you or the other party apologises and tries put forward the truth, it's to no avail, really. But the decision has been made nevertheless. You can't undo things that happen in the past, So heck. Learn-ing is the only way forward. Never slice up anything when you are not asked to.

There you go. Bit of a dilemma before the easter break! 5++ more weeks of "compulsary selective time utilisation".

Saya sokong Gareth Bale!

2009-04-06T01:45:00.001Z

Adik comel pun sokong Gareth Bale?

Tale of 2 pheasants

2009-03-24T17:27:00.012Z

No no..this is not my picture..

Phai-seh. Only got this to show. See in a distance, whilst trying my best to not frighten it, pedal and focusing the camera simultaneously.

Saw them 2 pheasants scampering across the road in some off beaten track not too far away. Of course, I tried giving chase, you can never believe that them birds can run as fast as those lizards you see on discovery channel gliding across the water like being chased by anjing gila! Somemore can fly one, see beh khuai leh!

What crossed my mind first was: is the pheasant hunting season on now?
Gonna read up in anticipation on how to cook a pheasant. Yummy!

Cinelli vs Bianchi

2009-03-23T23:04:00.017Z

Cinelli Pro Best of (Super Record/Bora) '09

Cinelli Man Machine '09

Bianchi 928 Ho.C Carbon SL Super Record '09

Bianchi 928 C2C Carbon Veloce Bike '09

Bianchi 928 C2C Carbon Centaur '09

Both with typical Italian flair and legendry in road-racing history: I personally prefer the bold design/color scheme of Cinelli, more in-the-face sort of 'look, i'm quick you know', whilst the Bianchi feels more understated, contented with providing the rider an uneventful delivery of power and precision with utmost comfort for distance riding. Aesthetics wise, Cinelli trumps, but there's still the Cubes, Orbeas, Carvelos and Colnagos. .. malaysians tend to opt for either one of the big C's~ bet-cha my big B can chase the daylight out of them too! Prolly need to change the cranks sometime couple years down the road, not it's be a struggle with speed, and up hill too... erm....too soon still la. better train more, in these good weather. No sleeping like a piggy too much! You ask them dudes in Rhyl then, first thing they will bring out is that, ' oh, so you know that fler, he tends to nap loads in the evenings aye?' OoihHH! Damn paiseh-la...

On a separate note, been reading this dude's inspirational story of chasing one ironman one after another: somewhere in between he brought up a story of a well-endowed man with chubby love handles, who literally started from scratch, MTB'ing along jalan damansara/hartamas (somewhere there-la..), and now a regular kaki with cycling and such, even completing the Desaru-Trialthon, i mean it's pretty amazing. If one can set one's mind to something, i'm sure one will always find ways to overcome any obstacles along the way. Ditto with school work too. And swimming. And keeping MYSELF away from the keyboard from the schedule-disrupting internet addiction! :p

Adventures on Bianchi so far:
Bianchi's total mileage till now: 233km. Had my first puncture today. More so a self inflicted misfortune. Pump malfunction. Broke the tip of the air inlet tube. Lesson learnt: always loosen the bolt slightly downwards before applying the the pump nozzle. And keep it steady, as swaying will snap the already fragile head. Gears and brakes need a bit of alignment. Wires are starting to loosen up a bit, which is normal after the initial rides- that's what the shop said. Otherwise, all systems go.

Ah. Also, I know that people always say 'no pain no gain', but try saying this to a woman deep in labour- Sure get tight slap one! Maybe 2 tight slaps, one for you, and another to her partner, who may be supporting you alongside as well! Better to watch from afar, keep still and say.... "keep going, keep going, push push push.... and a bit more... That's it, excellent job!" ...and then the baby pops out, just like smarties coming out from the tube. If only it were to be so easy..

Rafidah: No more hugs for Shahrizat

2009-03-16T00:02:00.006Z

Read on further to the end of this Star article, then you'll come by a quirky quote by the once-upon-a-time Iron-fist lady of Malaysia,

"I got so upset when friends told me that when they kirim salam on my behalf, they are asked, “salam isi atau salam kosong” (meaning, do the greetings come with something or nothing). It’s so sad that it should lead to that. If it’s about campaign expenses, that’s different. But to put money in an envelope, that is money politics, it is wrong".

Very nicely phrased! Got me laughing in stitches~

Finally!

2009-03-06T02:40:00.003Z

Lust and pride: the vices dividing the sexes

2009-02-22T20:22:00.004Z

India Knight: The Sunday Times

February 22, 2009

Men and women sin in very different ways, according to Monsignor Wojciech Giertych, personal theologian to Pope Benedict XVI and the papal household. There is “no sexual equality when it comes to sin”, Giertych wrote last week in L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper.

His views were formed by his own experience of the confessional and were supported by an analysis of confessional data carried out by 95-year-old Roberto Busa, an impressively tech-savvy Jesuit priest who has also carried out a computerised study of the works of St Thomas Aquinas.

The seven deadly sins are: lust, gluttony, avarice, sloth, anger, envy and pride (as opposed to chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patience, kindness and humility). Last year, however, the Vatican suggested these might be supplemented with some new sins particularly relevant to the modern age – namely genetic modification, human experimentation, polluting the environment, social injustice, causing poverty, financial gluttony and the taking or selling of drugs (I’m not really seeing how smoking a doobie offends the Lord in a way comparable to deliberately causing poverty, but anyway . . . ).

According to Busa and Giertych’s Vatican-endorsed findings, if you’re a man, then your number one sin is lust, followed by gluttony – and then sloth, since by that point you’re probably too sated, in both senses, to move.

If you’re a woman, the prime sin is pride, followed by envy and then anger, which, I must say, doesn’t paint a very attractive picture. No wonder men sit around eating a lot and watching porn.

Dorothy L Sayers once cleverly observed that the sins ought to be subdivided into the disreputable-but-warm-hearted (lust, anger, gluttony) and the respectable-but-cold-hearted (envy, sloth, avarice, pride) – cold-hearted because they are sins of the spirit rather than the flesh and respectable because they can masquerade as virtues.

I expect the list ranking our sins would have looked very different 30 or 40 years ago. Would lust have topped the men’s list when advertising still tended to feature fully-clothed “housewives” trying to put together simple and nutritious meals and access to porn involved an embarrassing, furtive trip to the newsagent? In 2009 it’s hardly surprising that lust should occupy the number one slot in the male mind: sex seems to saturate every aspect of their lives.

If a man had been asked 40 years ago in the confessional to list every single time the old sap had risen during the course of a day, he might have mentioned two or three instances. Today, to catalogue every twinge properly, he’d probably be in there for hours. Still, at least men do tend to confess to lust, which means they presumably feel bad about getting the horn at random things, such as advertisements for chocolate.

I am interested in the fact that avarice comes second to bottom in the list of sins that women confess to and bottom in the list of men’s. Like lust, avarice is practically a universal: everyone walks around wanting stuff they don’t have and not properly appreciating what they do have. Unlike lust, this isn’t generally felt to be a bad or particularly reprehensible thing, unless it applies to bankers and bonuses.

The cracked.com website last week published a widely circulated article entitled “Five things you think will make you happy (but won’t)”, the five things being, in reverse order: fame (the website links teenagers’ hunger for fame to being starved of attention by absent or “emotionally distant” parents); wealth (“Nigerians are happier with their lives than the people of any other country. The average Nigerian makes $300 a year”); beauty (too much “counterfeit flattery” just because you’re hot, same self-esteem problems as the plain); genius (which makes you lonely and possibly mentally ill); and power (which turns you “into an asshole” and possibly a sociopath).

The thoughts of this funny and irreverent website on the subject of human delusion echo the Vatican’s confessional findings almost to the letter, which you must admit is rather interesting. As Giertych said: “Diverse cultural contexts generate diverse habits – but human nature remains the same.”

In a gripping essay published a couple of weeks ago (available online), Mary Eberstadt, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution, ponders on the significance of the fact that, for the first time in history, westerners have access to practically all the food and sex they want.

She describes the “chasm in attitude” that separates us from our ancestors when it comes to these two fundamentals, which “have historically been subject in all civilisations to rules both formal and informal” in order to avoid things such as sexual aggression, disease, “what used to be called home-wrecking” and so on.

Those rules are gone. You don’t have to fear getting pregnant; you don’t have to expose yourself to disease; there is little stigma attached to multiple partners; and mechanised farming, pesticides and genetically modified foods have ensured that almost everyone in the West can eat until they’re stuffed. To paraphrase and simplify wildly: Eberstadt concludes that food is the new sex – the place where taboos, obsessions, rules, quirks and fetishes now go to roost.

Anyone who has eyes in their head, or who’s had awkward dinner guests with wheat “issues”, can see that this is true. And the male side of the Vatican’s sin list rather suggests that men are, as per Eberstadt, completely beached by their own appetites.

In fact, the list provides a useful insight into the fundamental differences between the sexes today: men eat and shag and then worry about it; women preen and resent, with a little envy and crossness chucked in, and don’t especially like themselves for it either. The “vice divide” identified by the Vatican echoes the societal changes of the past few decades in an unexpectedly modern way – and what initially seems like an entertaining little titbit provides a perfect snapshot of male and female unease.

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True or not true?

Absinthe

2009-02-18T00:40:00.000Z

Well, the ladies tried it,
.
.
.
and a boy-

but us 3 others stood clear.
Pilsner is ok, but this is an altogether unknown entity.

I always seemed to have associated absinthe with some sort of horrible green liquid that does strange things to your eyes (green fairies?). Might be a misconception, judging from the lack of tangible side-effects amongst the ladies. Not even a hint of tipsyness- steady people these ladies were!

Anyway, the Czech Republic and Spain are the only two places that legally sell Absinthe in Europe. If you want the real stuff (that supposedly made Van Gogh cut off his own ear) cough up the extra money for a bottle containing wormwood. The color should be a foggy green.

The Czech Republic is the only country still producing absinthe, so when you visit it is a must. It isn't the strongest alcohol made (that would be ever-clear), but it is up there at 70% alcohol by volume. It is an odd green color, but doesn't really taste much. You mainly feel a burn when you swallow (this, I don't know. You got to try to find out). Be sure to have it the traditional way by burning a spoon full of sugar and mixing it in.

:: Have a local show you how--->

Essentially, if you have one or two (and once you get past the overwhelming urge to gag) you're night will be fantastic and your head will be a beautiful place.

Drink it properly. Dip in a spoonful of sugar, light the spoon and allow the sugar to drip into the glass to set the Absinthe alight. Stir... blow out the fire and down it in one go. You should be able to feel it travel along the journey to your stomach.

Our most-accomodating alcohol dealer aknowledged that the scorpion absinthe may have some 'neurotoxic effect', in the smattering english he could muster! No. Them ladies didn't know bout it till later! No-la, they took the non-scorpion version-la.

Verdict: Drinking is inadvisable, but getting a souvenir bottle is always acceptable!

Passing conversation in one absinthe shop....

2009-02-17T23:40:00.001Z

1. Sir, sir. Could you make us some absinthe for 4 please? Kasi 'kau-kau' wan ok! (OMG. Later how to climb Petrin Hill wei.. ah..nvm. b'lakang kira-la! )

2. Yes Ma'am. Lemme see what we've got here... (these ladies ah, seriously want to see fairies is it?)

3. Hmmm...sure or not, can drink wan this stuff?? Why camera-man dowan to drink wan.. must be some sort of trick man... (he's hiding something I don't know..)

4. Lemme show you. I pour tis absynthe first, the put sugar cube. Light it up then. See! Magic! ...

5. ...then kasi give it a good long stir. There you go, ma'am.

6. Dear#1: Dear, you try first for me please?
BossDear: Wei! Why me la? You go first la! (hand dances in air around ears)

7. Eh, eh! Not bad ley. Sweet lor. (Strange.. how come no effect one? f'ler cheat me is it?)

8. Want somemore is it? NO PROBLEM! But must pay-ah!

9. So now you guys ready to try or not? :P

cooking a fantastic 'Acar'

2009-01-03T00:57:00.006Z

Isn't it simply delicious?

Marriage

2009-01-02T23:18:00.001Z

Marriage- it's when your partner is now fondly referred to as your ex-girlfriend :D~

Happy New '09 Year

2009-01-01T13:10:00.001Z

2008-12-29T14:53:00.003Z

Happiness!

'Thang-Chek'

2008-12-21T14:58:00.002Z

2008-12-19T02:34:00.007Z

Happy Birthday to Someone Special!

It's Hard to Beat the System

2008-12-18T00:17:00.003Z

'..And what the young can do is first find their voice and then use it'

Thursday December 18, 2008

A WRITER'S LIFE BY DINA ZAMAN

We prematurely write off people as failures on the flimsiest whim. But a straight As student does not necessarily possess the right humanistic values.

ONE thing that piqued me at the UOX event in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, last Saturday was who were those kids who came to while away a few hours dancing to live bands and hanging out with their friends?

It was a young, lively and energetic crowd. They wore sunnies, tight skinny jeans and displayed a nonchalance only the young can carry off. They were cool, they were young and they were having fun. But after that, what? Who are they at home and in school?

I will not dare assume that these kids are the urban poor and academic failures.

They could be all-star students for all I know, but in that sea of young faces, I wondered who’d have a future and who’d be doomed, not just through his or her failure at school, but because of the external factors surrounding him or her, such as poverty, not belonging to a family well connected to the powers that be, for instance. Not being at the right place at the right time, nor talented or pretty enough.

I am not going to say that they are of the wrong ethnic make-up, because I know many bumi kids, who are in the same shoes as their non-bumi peers, who did not get the opportunities they deserved. They’re are the NEP Invisibles, the kids who slipped through the cracks.

In Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers, he observed: “… because we so profoundly personalise success, we miss opportunities to lift others onto the top rung. We make rules that frustrate achievement. We prematurely write off people as failures.

“We are too much in awe of those who succeed and far too dismissive of those who fail. And, most of all, we become passive. We overlook just how large a role we all play — and by ‘we’ I mean society — in determining who makes it and who doesn’t.”

He detailed how the Canadian Junior League hockey teams select their players. A high percentage of the boys picked to be players are born in the first three months of the year.

As Gladwell said, it has nothing to do with the moon and stars.

In Canada the eligibility cut-off date is Jan 1. If a potential player turns 10 on Jan 2, he may have to play with someone else who does not turn 10 until the end of the year.

So you can have potential stellar hockey players in Canada, and other countries who have similar selection processes in other sports like football but who are not born at the right time and do not meet the selection dates.

We’re talking about the vanquishing of budding hockey/soccer stars, simply because they were born at the wrong time.

Now what happens next? The selectors stream these young players, who then are privileged to have differentiated experiences.

In a simulated environment, coaches tell you that you are great, the world belongs to you, all you need to do is train and focus, and all the good in the world will belong to you. It is not difficult to believe you are the best, you deserve the best.

Even if one of the selected players is slightly less able than the others, in such a simulated superior environment, he runs a mean streak. He will be afforded that because he has the supporting environment to back him up.

Now what of other young boys who may be as talented and have the capabilities to be world class hockey players, but do not make the cut simply because they were born in the wrong month?

They don’t make the grade. As simple as that. Now, apply this to Malaysia.

Smart kids of a certain ethnic make-up qualify to enter residential schools, which also afford superior experiences. Equally intelligent children of wealthy means go to overseas boarding schools. Whether they will be the next Bill Gates is debatable, but these children are advantaged.

What happens to a Malaysian child who may not be as intelligent as his above mentioned peers, but possesses talents and capabilities which may surpass them? Very few will cut it.

We Asians pride ourselves on how academically and professionally superior we are; we hustle, study hard, just so to be among the ranks of those who have arrived.

These are the values that we, young and old, see that must be acquired. Rare is that parent who is content to leave a child to muddle about in life, pleased with the little he has.

You can be industrious, pious, but what values do you have? And what confidence do you have? Is it a confidence that is superficial, handed down by our parents, and you do not dare go against the rules?

A straight As student does not necessarily mean he or she will have the right humanistic values.

If you had read the Star Business last Saturday, you would have come across P. Gunasegaram’s essay on how to be successful in Malaysia. For a kid who has no connections, no looks or wealth and the smarts, everything will seem too bleak.

Parents and teachers have their hands tied; the authorities juggle amidst war-cries that the system has failed every student in the country.

Academics and intellectuals go to forums and write important essays on the de-construction of the education system, which will be talked about for awhile, and then forgotten.

We need less rhetoric. We need effective and proven solutions. Then perhaps, these kids will not end up as Mat Rempits or as disenfranchised teens slouching about the corner.

And what the young can do is first find their voice and then use it.

Teaser

2008-12-07T17:38:00.002Z

'... at least five houseman suffer from depressive illness every month..' [theStar]

2008-12-01T00:16:00.003Z

The DG of Health seems to attribute the increasing mental health issues to their 'inefficient selection process'. Wouldn't you think that it might instead be the questionable demands/working conditions that housemen in general are grossly subjected when they dutifully return to serve the health needs of our society? Why all this blaming everytime when a 'critical' piece of news emerge, and not look into whether the system might just be the contributory factor?

Sunday November 30, 2008

At Least five doctors to suffer from mental woes every month

By M. Krishnamoorthy

KUALA LUMPUR: Every month, at least five doctors are found to be suffering from mental illnesses, director-general of health Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said.

He said these doctors were either psychotic or neurotic but still managed to get into medical schools because these schools were not screening students meticulously enough.

“When the doctors complete their two-year housemanship and their applications are submitted for registration with the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC), they fail to get registered.

“Their supervisors do not certify them as fit to be registered because of indiscipline and poor attitude arising from mental health problems.

“The mental cases range from psychotic to neurotic. Psychotic cases include delusions and hallucinations, and neurotic behaviour includes anxiety, fear and anger due to the competitive environment,” said Dr Ismail.

These medical graduates, totalling about 60 cases a year, are unable to cope with their housemanship as they may have been pressured by their parents to take up medicine.

Dr Ismail said it was disheartening to note this emerging trend due to an inefficient selection process, adding that the mental cases were referred to the Medical Review Panel (MRP).

Since many of these graduates have spent a lot of money on their medical education, the MRP may extend their housemanship and at the same time send them for psychiatric treatment.

“In the event they are assigned to work, they will be thoroughly supervised and counselled by experts and given light duties until their mental condition improves.

“I am not so sure whether we can identify those with attitude problems during an interview unless such problems are obvious,” Dr Ismail said at a forum on Training Future Doctors: Have we got it right?”

About 2,000 medical doctors are registered annually from 21 local medical schools and 400 recognised schools overseas.

Different medical schools around the world have different selection criteria for their students, Dr Ismail said.

However, he said that the ministry was also planning some form of examination to check their attitude, knowledge and experience after they complete their final examination.

Most of the mentally ill students, he said, could have undergone pressure and depression while studying and faced difficulty in coping in a hospital environment.

The other weakness was a lack of proficiency in the English language.

Higher Education director-general Prof Datuk Dr Radin Umar Radin Sohadi said the ministry was currently reviewing universities’ curricula to ensure high standards in medical education and training for doctors.

“Uppermost on our minds will be the safety and well-being of patients,” he said.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

...and the following response-cum-justification by the same author 2 days later:-

Monday December 1, 2008

Many medical students suffer from depression

KUALA LUMPUR: Many Malaysian medical students overseas who take examinations in a foreign language suffer from depression when they return.

Physicians for Peace and Social Responsibility (PPSR) vice-president Datuk Dr Abdul Hamid Abdul Kadir said that large numbers of young Malaysians were being trained in foreign medical schools in Indonesia, Russia, India, Poland, Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

At a forum on Saturday organised by the PPSR, it was highlighted that at least five such houseman are found to suffer from mental illnesses every month.

“These countries have varied systems of medical training and different types of patient care, based on the emphasis of the country. As a result, many of the students who go there undergo a culture shock,” said Dr Abdul Hamid.

“Coming from different universities, backgrounds and experiences, they have difficulty relating and working, especially the weaker students,” he said, adding that there had been a sudden sprouting of many public and private medical schools.

While the schools have increased, however, the number of teaching hospitals have not.

Dr Abdul Hamid said that although there was an increasing demand for doctors, the standards and quality of patient care should not be compromised.

“These are the major concerns which the country’s healthcare and medical educational planners have to constantly bear in mind so that the value systems governing the training of our doctors are never lost sight of in the short term and the long term.”

Transplants Transforming Lives

2008-11-26T01:10:00.006Z

An inspiring true story of this very determined and optimistic lady in our year. And to be able to survive all this to tell her tale today, it's just simply amazing. You are the ultimate survivor, Allison!

gair rhydd speaks to Cardiff medic, Allison John, about her record-breaking four organ transplants...

I’m now 30 years old and I was born with Cystic Fibrosis. The main problem with Cystic Fibrosis is that it causes progressive damage to the lungs. However, about 10% get liver disease too, and unfortunately I was one of them. By the time I was 15 my liver was cirrhosed and I needed a liver transplant.

I sat 11 GCSEs while at the same time waiting 18 months for the call to say that there was finally a liver available for me. I found out after the operation that if the organ hadn’t become available when it did, I would have had between 3 days and 3 weeks left to live.

The liver transplant was a success but the general anaesthesia during the lengthy operation had done further damage to my lungs. Two years after the initial liver transplant, I received a new heart and a new pair of lungs. As my original heart was unharmed, I was able to donate my heart to someone else who needed it for a Domino transplant.

Having recovered, I returned to University to finish my first degree in Neuroscience at Cardiff University, graduating with a 2:1 with honours. I then went on to study Medicine at Cardiff University, School of Medicine. About half way through my fourth year I had to leave due to kidney failure and had to start haemodialysis three times a week.

I was on dialysis for fifteen months before receiving a kidney donated by my father in December 2006. They initially refused to offer me a kidney transplant, regarding it as too risky for me to have a general anaesthetic, as it would have meant a lifetime of dialysis. I had to give up my medical studies, as I was too ill.

After six months of persuasion the doctors agreed to my suggestion of having the kidney transplant under a spinal/epidural anaesthesia which meant I would be awake whilst they inserted the new kidney. I chatted away and listened to my iPod during the operation! Going against doctors’ advice was a big risk, but life is all about risks. Thankfully, it was a success and I was out of hospital in three days.

After the transplant I became more and more involved with the charity Kidney Wales Foundation, before eventually becoming an ambassador for the charity. I led a successful campaign last year for five months called the ‘People Like Us’ campaign run by Kidney Wales.

The campaign had four key aims, one being very close to my heart – to increase the number of people on the organ donor register and introduce legislation for presumed consent.

The campaign secured a £100,000 grant from the Welsh Assembly Goverment to promote and increase awareness of Organ Donation. Using this funding, the Tell a Loved One campaign was set up.

In September this year, I resumed my medical studies at Cardiff University. I’ve been back for almost three months now and I’m really enjoying it. I’m still very passionate about organ donation – without those families making that difficult decision of donating their loved ones’ organs and people making the effort to register as an organ donor, I wouldn’t be here today.

After my transplant, I found out that my liver came from an eleven year-old girl who died horse-riding and helped to save seven people by donating her organs. I wrote a letter of thanks to the family after the operation, expressing my gratitude and explaining that the liver meant that I was able to return to University and live my life.

About a year later I received a letter from the family explaining that it had helped them so much to know that those who had received the organs now had a future because of their little girl. They also said that it had confirmed that they’d made the right decision by donating her organs. I also keep in touch with the gentleman who has my heart. He’s doing well and my family and I have been to stay with him and his family twice and they’ve also visited me here in Wales.

I would advise anyone who’s currently waiting for an organ transplant to always remain positive and focused. It’s easy to lose hope but I’m a firm believer in positive thinking. It’s worked for me anyhow. Waiting for a transplant is hard; those waiting for a kidney can at least take solace in the thought that they can have renal replacement therapy or dialysis until a suitable kidney is found. With a heart, lungs or a liver, there is an automatic time limit imposed on your life.

I’ve lost many friends on the waiting list for a transplant and losing them was awful. I remember whenever the phone went late at night or in the middle of the night I’d always get my hopes up that an organ was available. When you can see your time is running out, you become so desperate that you start hoping around Christmas, Easter or bank holidays that this could be your chance, as there’s often more accidents around that time. Unfortunately someone has to die before you get that chance of a transplant, except for live donation which is only performed with kidneys.

I’ve always been an ambitious person and have succeeded at most things I’ve wanted to do, even if some of them took longer to accomplish than it would have for people without Cystic Fibrosis. Having gone through so much, I’m probably a stronger, more determined person and I also think I’m more focused upon achieving what I want out of life.

I’ve recently just come back from London after winning Cosmopolitan magazine’s Ultimate Survivor award, which was presented to me by Vernon Kay. Looking on the positive side, I would never have had that opportunity to meet him without going through all my transplants!

I think that organ donation is something which hasn’t directly affected most people, neither do they know anyone who’s waiting for or has received a transplant. This results in the majority of the public being unaware of the severity of the situation. When asked, nearly 90% of Wales claimed to support organ donation yet only 27% are on the Organ Donor Register.

We all live busy lives and it is something many haven’t got round to doing or haven’t thought about. That’s why its so important to raise awareness of the issue through real life stories on TV, radio and newspapers highlighting the positive effects that a transplant has and the dramatic change it can have on a person’s life and their family. What people don’t realise is just how likely they are to need a donated organ at some point in their lives, whether it be a kidney or a heart.

After months of listening to evidence from different groups, much deliberation and trips to Spain, the Assembly’s Health, Well-being and Local Government committee recently rejected the idea of presumed consent. The committee decided that switching the rules around would be a “distraction” from efforts to encourage more people to sign up.

Its report also suggested that public opinion was not ready to make the switch. It’s about time that we saw better leadership on this issue. For the report to conclude that presumed consent is not seen as a priority at this time is like telling a family that their loved one’s life is not seen as a priority.

While the committee says that now is not the time to introduce presumed consent, our campaign supporters are left thinking ‘when will be the correct time?’ Is it really necessary for more people to die whilst the health committee deliberates further?

I think it is an issue that hasn’t had enough time or money spent on it in Wales until last year when the Health Minister, Edwina Hart AM started listening to our plea during the ‘People Like Us’ campaign.

The Minster and the Welsh assembly are keenly working with charities to raise awareness of the issue of Organ Donation. The Tell a Loved One Campaign is a unique campaign with 9 different charities working together with the Welsh Assembly to increase the number of people on the register.

We’ve been fortunate too that many Welsh celebrities such as Colin Jackson, James Hook and Max Boyce came onboard to help spread the word and make a very successful TV advert to highlight the problem.

The Minister’s response to the health committee pointed out that the report did not reflect the range of different views on the question. In short, that the health committee had ducked the issue. I’m pleased we have a Minister who has the strength to move forward in these issues.

From my experience, though many students tend to be quite clued up on organ donations and its benefits, there is still a long way to go. Talking to my fellow medics, many of them are still unaware of the benefits of transplantation and have not thought about being an organ donor. Kidney Wales are currently looking to set up a campaign team within the University to help raise awareness of the shortage of people on the Organ Donor Register.

The Labour Students are already onboard and we are hoping to set up a sign-up station and a public debate on presumed consent at the university during early December. Kidney Wales are currently trying to get more students involved with the campaign, so hopefully reading real stories like mine will inspire people to register.

It literally takes a couple of minutes to do and, of course, please discuss it with your nearest and dearest as they can still overturn your decision.

Signing up to donate is free, simple and only takes a few minutes. Either visit donatewales.org or text ‘GIVE’ to 64118.

"...always remain positive and focused. It’s easy to lose hope but I’m a firm believer in positive thinking.."

-Alison John-

Yasmin Ahmad's multi-award winner Merdeka Advert 07

2008-05-06T01:21:00.001Z

...and the accompanying Star article:
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/6/nation/21159830&sec=nation

FIAT 500 Abarth: even my door loves it!

2008-01-23T22:42:00.000Z

The all-new retro-modern FIAT 500 Abarth, courtesy of Top Gear (actually, Clarkson's imagination I reckon)...

.. and in it's classic form (captured in Geneva)..

..with it's cute back-portion showing here...

...and another similar model perhaps? (captured in Brussels' atomium)..

...even my door loves it!!

*hints: notice little curry-puff below vehicle*

Happy 2008! Goodbye Christmas (oops- 2007)!

2008-01-01T02:10:00.000Z

Winter Warmers

2007-12-23T01:50:00.000Z

Old Trafford- winter, day before ManUtd vs Everton:
light-based grass warmers employed to keep the turf sufficiently lighted and warm. No wonder ticket prices have been majestically soaring yearly!

A tribute to our combative captain, Gary Neville

Dim Sum

2007-12-23T01:23:00.000Z

Forget about Tai-Wu: nothing is 'tai' about their serving anyway. I would strongly recommend one to pop over to Pearl City Restaurant in Chinatown. More generous portions, smaller setting with friendlier staff (also apparently one of the fellas speaks Hokkien), and its bowls are not laced with soap water*

Pictures are of servings in Pearl City:

steamed tripe in ginger and spring onion

deep-fried custard balls

.... and not forgetting, the men themselves!

Field Trip 2- Manchester revisited

2007-12-23T00:28:00.000Z

Christmas market with a gigantic santa acting as the 'prosperity figure' for traders.

trinklets aplenty!

German-styled sizzling bratwurst with matchingly-attired staff
*p/s: many thanks to beetee for the kindmost hospitality:P
however, i still think that Tai Wu definitely caused my tummy-ache!

Field trip 1- Bath revisited

2007-12-09T23:52:00.000Z

*click to view a larger image

Medicinæ Baccalaureus et Baccalaureus Chirurgiæ = MBBCh

2007-09-04T23:24:00.001Z

My grand-uncle made a snide passing comment the other day with regards to the meaning to my degree! Bamboozled painfully! Well, being the lazy person and care-what-not attitude of mine, it striked me how ignorant i could be some times (most of the time) that I myself did'nt even know the actual meaning of the course which i'm enrolled in. Shame on me. And I still managed to convince people that i'm a 3rd year medical student! Embarrassing.

So, well, after trawling through the www, FINALLY (hmmph!), I've managed to come up with this trivia:

1. Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, a translation of its latin equivalent (above), may be abbreviated as 'MBBChir, MBBCh, MBChB, BMBS, MBBS'; all denoting a degree in medicine and surgery.

2. These degrees are not offered in the United States, Canada and other countries. In the United States a medical student typically completes a bachelor's degree (not necessarily in science) during which they take courses meeting pre-medical requirements before pursuing a medical doctorate.

3. The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, meanwhile, awards 3 degrees- MB BCh BAO, due to its previous historic legislation on having a final obstetrics examination.

4. Most Asian universties prefer 'MBBS', notably Singapore, Malaysia, India, Myanmar, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

5. All medical schools in Wales award MB BCh!

Well, what about that!

-excerpts lifted off wikipedia-

Best of wishes to my brother!

2007-08-27T07:16:00.000Z

Dearest Xiang Li,

I hope you have indeed reached your destination safely. I'm confident that you would have managed to wiggle your way through the hustle and bustle of travelling, made yourself all comfy along the way and finally settled into your abode of the next couple of years, all by yourself. Am glad that you too, have been blessed with a similar opportunity to enrich your mind and soul from a different perspective, liberated from the stereotypical educational methodologies deeply ingrained in us throughout the years.

The world is your oyster! Live your dreams, and enjoy your youth while there's still time! (That applies to me too!). Travel, and see the world; that's what i preach to everyone- see culture, do all the craziest of things which you can only dream of, learn to take responsibilities for all your actions, and more importantly, living life the way you always envisioned it to be, especially now that you possess all the more independance over decision-making and self-interest seeking!

I feel that somewhat or another, I may have unintentionally overshadowed your achievements all this while by being the first of the lot at home, of which I am humbly sorry, yet I have every inch of faith in you that eventually, you too shall emerge with guns blazing to impose your own mark and scale even greater heights! Keep up the fantastic work so far, and keep fit too ok! And my favourite: 'Eat well!'

Looking forward to hearing tales of wonder from you on your sojourn!

I am proud of you, my bro!

Best wishes,
Your koko.

*p/s: Oi! Remember to get me my eastpak ok!:P

Days when you have nothing else better to do..

2007-03-06T23:43:00.000Z

...or you DO, only you choose NOT to do anything!

-"Music and Lyrics" - The movie
Way back into love -Demo version: The soundtrack

Guys and dolls alike should all try watching this movie, seriously! For me, the simply simple story line and sweet chemistry between Drew and Grant makes a great watch with the LilGirl. The OST's 'demo version' definitely trumps his duet part with Haley Bennett at the end of the movie. Take my word for that. Her vocals were definitely limited and wanting; seems as though she was just trying to win a shouting competition!

I particularly enjoy the "hip-o-bang-bang" butt-shaking groove which Hugh does time and again while performing his '80's Hit - POP! Goes My Heart! Well heck, you may even see Hugh hypothetically topping the chart hits with a fan-base rivalling Pussycat Dolls.

A must-see when you have nothing else better to do!

:a message to a fellow friend: and to me as well...

2007-01-21T18:46:00.000Z

We both gotta haf to pull thru this shit*
Sometimes, somethings are mere blips in life; blips make us all the more hardy...
We've come this far in life together already, what's in a smear or thorn or a piece of fcking dogshit* in retrospect to an amputated leg or even mental spasticity.. or even the neverending sufferings on Earth, rite?
Count our blessings, keep our spirits high;
with every fluctuations there's always the peaks and throughs,
May the dips spur us further to cherish the good times,
to make up for the losses,
and to strive hard and enjoy as always!
The thrills of peaks dares us to dream beyond one's supposed limit;
Always make the most out of whatever limited resources we have, and yea....never chew off more than you can as well:~
& yes, of course, never ever loose one's composure!
Imagine that happening in the OT!

~take care~

Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol

2007-01-20T14:03:00.001Z

Back from a mini-blogging hiatus:-

Best song of the year! *me thinks*
Been trying to get my hands on the title of this piece of composition eversince I 1st heard it over at capuccino's in October'06.
So well, peeps, sit down n enjoy!

* the lady is preoccupied with reading BloGs today....*
-must keep her interest going with new posting(s)-

2006-12-19T00:01:00.000Z

~Happy Birthday darling!~

-warmest wishes from the BoY-

: Gwent Series X-Country in BatH:

2006-11-18T23:40:00.000Z

Satu lagi hari minggu di perantauan. Another weekend spent without studying; at least got myself fitter though, i think! This was only the 2nd time ever where i competed under the uni's banner for a xcountry event. And i would say the experience is an eye-opener as to how much i lack in the fitness department! NOthing can be taken for granted man. You feel that you are fit enough
after doing the marathon, and you laid off serious running for 3 weeks..yet you still expect your body to perform in a tip-top condition as before. Well, it's all bullsh*t man. One can never sustain a previous level of competitiveness without actually keeping in continuous good shape. That's what i found out here....mem-paiseh-kan sahaja:

If im not mistaken, i completed this 10.2km undulating course in about 49 mins, a new personal best again, though my shoelaces got untied twice in all,which sort of disrupted my rhythm. The ang-mohs all outran and outpaced me like hunting dogs being let loose by their master! Seriously, we had to complete 4 rounds of the track, which by then i was literally lapped by the front-runners at lap 3 already, one after another! But it was still alrite, cos by then I managed to cheer on a fellow uni runner who eventually got 13th position overall in the men's open category ( i think yours truly was 279 out of 350 runners, thereby didn't contribute any points to Cardiff Uni , yet again...sighz*)
But it was good fun though! Met a fellow medic who i didnt know existed in class as well who did the London Marathon just last year, got to know this random Asian-origin fella who quitted smoking just 4 months back- and now he's running DAILY to prevent his addiction from kicking in again, another German who does triathlons, as in serious running-cycling-swimming! Makes you feel small with the sheer abundance of talent/level of achievements which sprinkles round the university commmunity!

Nevertheless, will definitely try to buck up with increased training hopefully, as the next run in the series will be in Bristol, just 2 weeks from now.... hopefully i won't be just anohter passenger on the car! Badminton-ing, sqaush-ing and swimming is not a substitute for running. Have to try brave the early sunsets

and sheer evening laziness (lead-legs) for the runs, esp the ones organised by the team. Later perceived as bit anti-social leh...which i think i am to a certain extent this year though.
-An attempt to remember-

: on learning to say NO! :

2006-11-17T15:17:00.000Z

Somehow or another, I should learn how not to say yes to everything. Should say NO if certain favours demanded bugs me. Fact-I'm inherently an evil person living in a sheep's skin. Should'nt have a sense of guilt if i feel it's the right thing to do, such as in these instances:

1. Should have said NO to the warden who lives across the street comes by and asks you to cover his shift for 45 mins, but he then tells security that i'll (me) be on call for an hour instead...not that i have anything else important to do though: It's just the way he barges right in and expects you to fill in for him. Oh, and they say he seems quite dodgy. One doesn't need to agree to everything, don't have to do something unwillingly...later get old faster only -one wise lad- :

2. Should have said NO to the EuroLottery Lotto (eventhough its just 1$), eventhough my housemates pestered me like its the end of the world if i don't: Musn't succumb to peer-pressure, no matter how small an amount could be...as i've never been lucky, ever, in such circumstances. And with that money I can still buy loads of bourbon biscuits! The winning number:02 06 12 22 32 33 36; and my number was 04 06 10 12 19 21.... and i need-ed to match at least 3 digits from the pool. As hard as i try to keep my fingers crossed, them lady luck always seem to desert me in such instances. Nia seng:

3. Should have said NO when I was asked to lend my ricecooker... due to that, the beloved pui-thang (rice-pot literally..) got 6 bloody scratches...by some rat(s)* in this house.. The one item which has sustained me well throughout my 1st year here...2nd year going too. Still waiting for them to ask for permission to use my tefal-frying pan ( the baby of my spartan cooking armory):

4. Should have said NO to watching Grey's Anatomy, though not daily (they are really addictive)...but still religiously trying to complete the series with whatever free time i have. And the worst thing is that my own neuroanatomy project assignments are piling up by the week, and I've only completed 1 so far...with the last dissection scheduled for next week, and the finale-exam in the 1st week of January right after christmas break! Die liao- of lack of serious initiative and self-discipline:

5. Said NO to the rat* js now; yet again: The inhabitants here seem to think that i'm the person in charge of the upkeep/weelbeing of the house. Apparently the heater is not working, told me that the whole house has'nt showered today... the rat* even had the gall to ask me to contact security with my walkie-talkie to report the complain. Harlo, you think reporting faults in the house is within my scope of duty as well? It's a weekend man. The rat* previously even complained bout the 'unstable' internet connection, thus asked if I could most kindly connect a wire from the port through my window all the way outside, upstairs to his computer! I was like..wtf.. provide you connection already somore want to make my life difficult. Now, we sort of like reached a compromise to put the router just by the window-side, mouthwatering-ly tempting to passing thiefs. If only it goes missing, then we all know who to blame then.... feel like pissing on this rat*-like-Ah-Cha, a pain in the ar*s eversince we met:

But then again, I also have to learn how to accept NO too,

But then again, I also need someone to sayang me, sometimes,
well... most of the time :

-NO + NO does not give one a YES!-

Owh well....

2006-11-11T23:19:00.000Z

Well, we can't generalise this 'new-finding' aint we? Neither can we refute the discovery at times too rite? Wonder-ing when scientists will locate the yang of this element; pretty soon perhaps?

Women.
-You can't live with them, but you can't make do without them either-

Oh well...

:a random weekend trip to BaTH:

2006-11-07T20:57:00.000Z

Really unlike me man this year. Me weekends have been preoccupied with random stuff ( mostly unplanned), work load though isn't that heavy, but still it's been pilling like never before. With the advent of nil courseworks (maybe 1/2..) and nil short assesments, there has'nt been any serious effort in completing my neverending task(s); warden duty-ing hasn't been that bad... I even managed to sneak time-off for sunday roast while on duty. Thankfully, ColumRoaders are all very non-trouble makers and understanding fellas! Nasib-nasib...

Caroline's cousin came over for a week, and boy, we were sort of like pity da fella cos he wasn't brought properly around Cardiff due to our studies commitments etc. A random trip suggestion to Bath was tossed, and i immediately jumped at the idea of joining day trip. The morning proceeded on a gloomy note as weather was pretty unspectacular...winds n drizzle were aplently. Nevertheless, we were set on another random round of exploration irregardless of the weather's emo-ing. The queer thing is that whenever anyone travels with me, it always rains. Go figure out why. Jinxed. Blek.

Reached Bath very excitedly. Was what I expected from the pictures; Roman archtecture, a breathe of fresh air compared to the dull british homes/structures of unspectacular bricks- pale pastel colours. The whole town seems so touristy, with bywalkers all lugging a backpack and a map at arms length. After the Amsterdam trip, me lost my interest in picture taking, but suddenly the camerawhore in me got resurrected! A bit the poyol in some pictures, but we were all very gung-ho in snapping away as much as possible with whatever limited time we had. After spending $8.50(bloody pounds!) , 2 hours& loads of snapshots in the Roman Bath, which supposedly showcased a journey through history of the day-to-day life of ancient Rome, we then took a hasty walk through the city centre, which was littered with numerous quaint trinklet shops and a mumble-jumble of interesting eateries; we paused awhile at the Cadbury shop to purchase some fudge (a famous product of Bath- as recommended by one Ms J), which i were to regret later as SanFransiscoFudgeFactory , just on the similar alley as SallyLunn's bun shop (which we later stopped for lunch) ,actually made even more mouthwatering delectables, at similar price too! So don't be too hasty like me alrite!

Managed a couple of interesting shots at the Circle, Royal Crescent, Pulteney Bridge, the statue outside the Bath City Church ( a good place to practise mouth-catching squirting water) and of course, which town does'nt have it's Central Market?

We finally adjourned for lunch with a sumptious serving of SallyLunn's famous buns (courtesy of Caroline), topped with special gently-buttererd clotted cream coupled with a generous scoop of Tiptree jam, which we guys (and Vincent) dabbed with our toasted sanwich snacks of gammon ham/smoked bacon with cheddar cheese.... the gluttony of rich cheese and jam made a wonderfully rewarding closure to a brief yet relaxing day-out.

Had to rush home for warden-ing duties and a badminton appointment later, but t'was a great weekend to boot! More updates on random weekend travels coming soon! So keep a lookout k :P

:Caerdydd Marathon 2006: Another milestone:

2006-10-15T19:38:00.000Z

The statistics:
Time recorded: 04:11:10 hours
21km split time: 02:04 hours
Position: Overall 709/1243
Men's Senior 390/549

(click here for the full results)

*Race report shall come soon. Currently aching like hell. A round of thanks once again to all who made this a very successful run! Greatly appreciated*

: Of being colum9-sed & attempting the Caerdydd Marathon:

2006-10-14T23:28:00.000Z

Joined the mamak gang at the colum9-sed house for my first time, and boy, now do i know why the ladies are always complaining of not being vigilant weight controllers! Gotcha! But it was great fun eating (a 'lil) and keeping myself from being too thoughtfully preoccupied with the impending marathon next morning...

For the record, this would be also my first time ever attempting a full marathon; everyone thinks i'm bonkers, but hey, it's actually a fantastic experience to actually knowing one's physical limits and from there you use that as your yardstick for further crazy attempts in the future! Belum cuba, belum tahu! Rite?

As you can see in the topmost picture, bananas has been my best friend for the past 3 weeks or so. It's pottasium content is supposed to prevent one from getting cramps after long runs. Been taking that fruit supplement daily. May bring some for tomorrow as well, just in case. 2nd picture shows a banana-flavoured PowerBar & a PowerGel; the former, taken before the run packs 25 grams of complex carbs supplying nearly 240 calories to deliver sustained energy level while the latter feeds "fast fuel" to the body during intense exercise. Will be taking that along , hoping to consume it at the 30km mark. If I don't pengsan by then yet.

Oh, and I do have a weird feeling that the number 1157 will be making someone rich, if she/he makes a serious effort to place a bet on it on Magnum or even Da-Ma-Cai. *ps: don't tell anyone k: & if you do strike the jackpot, p/s don't forget my share ya !*winks*
That's my official running number, so do check my positioning on the following day's papers. Will also be another large number i reckon.

The white circular plastic thing in the last picture is actually the ChampionChip, where you tie it onto your shoelaces and it's supposed to record your splits at various checkpoints in the race. A pretty nifty device to keep track of all runners. And it's a Holland product! Interesting souvenier to boot.

Ok then, i think that's all for now. It's exactly 8 hours to flag-off time. Been stuffing myself with loads of rice past 2 days. Gonna have to load myself with more food in the morning; 2 eggs, 4 slices of bread and some really thick hot chocolate would hopefully suffice... but i still have a hunch that tummy growls will kick in probably at the 25km mark though....
Rest is good. Sleep is even better. May this attempt spur me on for more marathons in the future!
~~Thanks for the support guys and dolls! Hope i don't dissapoint any of you all yah!~~

::This is HotelWarden signing out from ColumRoad!::

My room:: Another cetak-rompak posting ::

2006-10-11T12:56:00.000Z

Ha hA.This posting can be said to be inspired by fellow Colum-roaders saudara WeiKang and saudari ShuLi too. I think i remembered posting up some room visuals last year as well. Ditto 2006. This year no more small room. Upgraded a bit.Well, kind of larger than while living at Senghennydd then. The downside is it's facing the mainroad, and I can't open my window as i always do, as people may just nick whatever they want from my humble window. Nevertheless am enjoying my new-found space freedom. Gotta get used to cars whizzing past by at 7am and people returning from clubbing at 1am. But it's really near to the Biosciences. No complaints about that. Give and take too.

As you can see too, maybe it's time to ditch the Sinbad duvet cover for a polka-dot bed warmer. Feels more homey. And comfortable. And don't worry, i'll be more hygienic this year too. If you know what im saying. ::There's also stalks of lavender which I replenish often, as according to Rose, my designated 'granny' where I'm based, it's supposed to help me to a good-night's sleep. Really need that sometimes. Been 'stoning' in class nowadays. Literally.

2006-10-11T12:53:00.000Z

View from my room door. A wider centrespace for visitors. Oh, and i ditched the halogen 'fireplace' heater for more proper one this time. Cold.

The still-bare noticeboard. Any willing interior decorators?

The Euro currency poster.

My workstation. Drawers could have been larger though. Me got a new bike too! And the signature IKEA PS fangst storage drop-down basket.

The bottom window is tinted. No view. Though as you can see, the top overlooks Aberconway residences and Julian Hodge building. A pretty buzy road indeed. Especially every 5 minutes by the hour in the morning where you witness the mass migration of human beings to their respective classes. Cuci mata.*grins*

My worldly posessions; another angle of the bike. It's actually a ladies' one. Sigh. And its lock cost more than it....BOO! bike was free though :P

Colum Road during lunch hour. So, this is my humble shack for the year! Door is always open whenever you guys wanna come for chocolates. :)

::temper management::

2006-10-09T21:49:00.000Z

The one thing I've learnt so far is that there always has to be some give and take in any situation. The world is physically designed and rhetorically described as round whereby whatever goes around comes around eventually. There's never a one way thing in any relationship, be it on a friendship platform or even moreso in a working environment. Especially while at work. And that your workmate is the person whom you will be dealing with on a daily basis. *Ouch. There's no point coming out firing someone from all cylinders, trying to question other's sincerity or circumstancially going all out to embarass someone, knowingly or unwittingly, only for her or him to approach you later to clarify up tangled matters which in fact should be have been crystal clear if one did'nt jump the trigger too fast. Indeed, being overly in-the-face-character, blunt and unmincing may be inappropriate sometimes, well actually most of the time. I've faced the brunt from my many well-documented cases of recklessness; may the past not repeat itself. Not this year. Also, learning to have faith in others making independant decisions may take awhile too. It's not too difficult, just that maybe i'm overly cautious ( to put it in a nicer way), or is it paranoia?; I always seem to want to have my hands in all decision-making actions, I mean, I have to. Literally. And it beats me too. A disease in the name of Insecurity perhaps? Trusting, not? These ugly habits need early intervention before it reverts to a full blown chronic disorder. Still not too late though. Hopefully. And this is what sets the tone for the Year 2 MBBCH course, continuing one's journey of self-discovery, controlled recklessness and acts of unexplained randomness, while not forgetting nicking one's life security floormat (the degree of course!) at the end of the day. A round of toast to the new semester! ^^

"No point burning bridges when we can still be friends"
-one wise angel-

Yummy Yummy Malaysian delectables!

2006-08-12T16:23:00.000Z

From Top LHS clockwise:
Pek chai thau kueh (white carrot cake), wan tan mee, tau-yu-bak (gramp's speciality) , some native Penang fruit (seems to be a cross between mangosteen and langsat, which was tad too sour to my liking), O-chien (fried oysters), Kayu Nasi Kandar curries ( the authentic penang branch), good 'ole banana leaf rice (Mohana's masterpiece), random bread and mee-ku (literally means floured-tortoise)
Centre: Chim (mangrove crabs)

Ain't we lucky? :P

2006-08-12T16:21:00.000Z

From Top LHS clockwise:
Currypuffs-cekodok (mashed banana deep fried balls)-chiu chu kueh (tapioca cake)-kuih talam; the famous Ipoh steam chicken with fried bean sprouts (courtesy of our fantastic tourguide-cum-hostess, Yvonne); Ipoh white coffee; durians!; mom's finely textured jeu-hu-char (fried cuttlefish and shredded turnips); muar-chee seller (white rice-flour cakes sprinkled with finely grounded nuts and sugar); THE famous Swatow Lane's ais kacang; keh-khar-char-tau-yu (fried chicken feet with black sauce: only charmander appreciates it!)~ I, whack anything & everything! Any food is always welcomed!
Centre:
dim-sum: i can't remember what's what already*munch*crunch* slurp*lick* BUrrRPP!!!!!
But all i know how to say is it's see-beh-tu-lan- hor -chiak!!

Oh, and my camera is back in business!

Penang Bridge International Marathon 2006

2006-08-04T03:55:00.000Z

An adventure of sorts! As they said, if you set your minds and hearts to something real bad no matter what, the insurmountable nevertheless can still be scaled! Impossible is nothing. Though there's always a price to pay for overestimating one's ability! Blisters (running without socks that's why) and lasting muscle sores is the price you pay for not packing properly and also insufficient training. I mean, literally! *careless* But hey, i did it this time around in 2:02 hours, well off my previous mark of 1:50hrs (though i have a feeling that the distance declared felt more like 23km! Cheats!) , though at the same time ruining my spanking new NB 235 race trainers. But twas an effort worth mentioning considering putting in only 4 weeks of running from a zero-clocked mileage lifestyle before. Running on a bridge is a totally different experience. I was actually getting bored with the usual loop around Jalan Langgak Tunku in KL (why can't the FTAAA be more ceative with their road selection?); this track is indeed a breathe of fresh air with the morning breeze sweeping gently, sometimes strongly across your face now and then, especially once you are at the mid-point of the bridge. The funny thing was that, on reaching the mainland side of the bridge, the air smelled more stinky; pollution from Kulim and BM folks perhaps? *hehe* And am most glad to finish it in one piece!

Organisation wise, sad to say the 1st aiders and Penang Amatuer Atheletics Association were pretty poor. 2 out of 5 stars. Getting all panicky without a wrap around my feet, i approached some of them (1st aiders), well, to borrow their socks of course! Alas , none were willing to kindly lend me a single pair! None! No sympathy whatsoever! *Nevermind*. Race was going to begin adi anyhow. So no choice-la, have to pia all the way. At the starting point , most of us did'nt realise the race was actually flagged off already until we were like 1km away from the startin point! Wasted bout 7 mins there. *Sheesh*. And because of their very 'tame' gunshot launch (was there any in the 1st place?), on reaching the sponging stations (2), all the sponges had ran out! And only 3 out of the 4 water stations had any liquid left when i reached!I was'nt THAT slow though. Reason was they had no more plastic cups! Damn dumb! And so they resorted to give runners whole 1 litre mineral bottled water to drink! Can you believe that?!

Haih, 'people' nowadays...

May the spirit of pia be with all, always!

Next stop: Cardiff Full Marathon!

Week #4 & 5

2006-07-27T05:13:00.000Z

Countdown to Penang Bridge Half Marathon: 30th July

Monday: Badminton
Thursday: Cave crawling
Saturday: Badminton
Sunday: Part hill, part flats

Tuesday: Breached another psychological 1 hour mark!
Wednesday: approx 9km warmdown
Thursday: Badminton

-Nevertheless, i am still a sucker at racket games, that's for sure!!-

Verdict: The signs are pointing towards a really testing event. I reckon I could possibly pull through till the 15km mark, beyond that it's all gonna be mind over sore joints and lead-laden legs. Body seems to be rejecting morning runs, & daily recovery is taking longer than expected. Old age perhaps? Or is it just lack of will? 3 more days'; a mere taster of what's to come in October!
-Oh, & it'll be 22 instead of 21k! Shucks!-

Week #3

2006-07-16T19:43:00.000Z

Countdown to Penang Bridge Half Marathon: 30th July

Monday: 30 mins light
Tuesday: 33 mins, 12 rounds of high intensity; wheeling
Wednesday: light run
Thursday: speed interspersed with light run; badminton
Friday: chill
Saturday: chill
Sunday: forced hill training; breached the psychological 50 mins mark since a very long time!

Verdict: 2 more weeks only! Progress!

Week #2

2006-07-09T14:37:00.000Z

Countdown to Penang Bridge Half Marathon: 30th July

Monday: morning blitz, evening 30 mins - progress!
Tuesday: 15 mins nia... blame it on meeting the couple-kawan :(
Wednesday: chilling
Thursday: 40 mins mid-low intencity
Friday: 35 mins mid-high intencity
Saturday: walking the hill, swimming
Sunday: hill training: 33 mins high intensity

Verdict: consistency returning, though exactly 3 weeks from now only; still loads to catch up

Seagulls & Cod by the sea

2006-07-02T16:45:00.000Z

"Of fishing in the sea, and not be too distracted by the birds in the sky"

-If only fishes were less choosy over their bait, unlike the seagulls which were so gullible over the fried cod fish :P

-no pun intended

2006-06-30T14:36:00.001Z

Yay Yay! I passed!! Let's bring on year 2! :P

Week #1

2006-06-27T07:21:00.000Z

Countdown to Penang Bridge Half Marathon: 30th July

Monday: 15 mins , with loads of panting
Tuesday: 20 mins of slog
Wednesday:
Thursday: Wheeling (with interruptions) & badminton
Friday: Chilling; recovery after surgery
Saturday: 20 mins continuous wheeling
Sunday: Defying gravity with 2/3 usual contribution in the hills; nevertheless a great wake up call!; wheeling

Verdict: Needing more full-hearted effort. Extreme heat and humidity, coupled with the ungodly-houred world cup matches has derailed original schedule. Geez. Adaptation n acclimatisation is taking longer than expected. Must buck up!

Tenby, Pembrokeshire: beach #3

2006-06-27T04:48:00.000Z

2006-06-27T04:43:00.000Z

::pictures courtesy of Alan, JuaNNie & Wun Hwei::

Swansea, & all the way to Gower: beach #2

2006-06-27T04:38:00.000Z

2006-06-27T04:27:00.000Z

::pictures contributed by Alan & JuaNNie::

2006-06-27T04:23:00.000Z

The sweet smell of hOmE ~.~

2006-06-17T01:04:00.000Z

Sentimental, random feelings and thoughts, sadness, sense of belonging, relief, cursings, gung-ho-ness, jiwang, don-da hei aseous?, not yet drunk, but acting drunk!

Reminiscing about the past 9 months in the west-north sector of planet earth seems so surreal. Things have revolved so fast; it felt that it was just yesterday when i arrived at the airport, leaving the comfort of home, friends and relatives which have been a mainstay of my previous chapter of life . Putting everything on stake for a complete switch to a full-fledged university experience. Leaving on a jet plane to a land far, far away where the dragon and Giggs reign supreme. And i remembered it was just a few weeks back then when i was hankering for the exams to be over... now that the results are out (though still awaiting the verdict for a further 2, barring any mishaps), 2nd year beckons; the wait to get home which seemed an eternity is now exactly a week away only! And today is D-day where i shall be shifting out of J-10-1 (always seem to land the 1st room though) , fronted by a 3 tiered shelf, a real, proper closet of my own to store my junk (never had that in my home) , flanked by a right-hand-sided window overlooking some wonderful greenery, sprinkled with loads of chicks during summertime! Though home here is bliss, but going home is indeed shang-ri-la! Wowweeee! 1st thing i would do is to have loads of roti canais! TV all day long! Cheap cinemas! Mamak-king all night out! And running , running, running like there's no other running day! No more drinking for awhile though :P
Will definitely get bored once the euphoria sets in ( im giving myself 3 weeks the most), but there's just hell of things to catch up! And the break is gonna be the time when you reflect on what you have achieved so far, what you have been taught but never seems to imprint itself permanently, how wonderful silver linings may still shine through however dark a cloud may be, what you hope could have been but never would be, how surprising sometimes one could really let loose and be a child one never remembered all over again, the time where celebrations and palpatations are all part and parcel of the full 1st year medical school experience, how the thrill of shopping and obtaining the best deal (which leads to further best deals) can really take one around on a mini witchhunt with severe financial implications, and how a guy can actually accumulate junk even more than the ladies! Heck, can't believe that i'm here in the 1st place! Never in my faintest thoughts that i would chance on an adventure so far away just for the sake of education. And that was 1st year! Still hoping to come through in a single piece, eventually emerging as a man-in-white with the stethoscope who straightens the wellbeing of others! Hmm, and start earning $ $ ^^.

Till 2nd year, hopefully :P
Cheers to all who made this happen!

-Hak cipta terpelihara LiempehH-