Happy Halloween!

How was your Halloween weekend?

Mine was pretty hectic by my standard.  Ate quite a lot..as usual.

Fell in love with Affogato..

Affogato with Illy Coffee @ Kissaten Coffee & Restaurant

Loving Plan b more and more..good coffee, good food..

Asian Styled Soft Shell Crab Spaghetti

Braved the Friday thunderstorm and traffic jam to get to a far far away Setia Alam for a simple Diwali + Halloween gathering with old friends.

Surprise #1 : I didn't get lost!

Surprise #2 : I was the FIRST to arrive!  

It was a long long day.  Way past midnight, I was still driving around, showing some visitors from BKK around town.  Had supper at 1.30am at China Town,..burp~

Joined my bro and family the next day at the pool of Palace of Golden Horses.

Was drained by evening..not from swimming. But from looking after the kids!  

Sunday dinner was with sis n dad...

Salad, Oysters & Sahimi from Vogue Cafe, Renaissance Hotel

It was a buffet dinner.  Sis had some member discount.  I still had to pay RM55 for my share!  Well, some argue that it's good value since there are unlimited sashimi and fresh oysters.... but I don't really need to eat these, you know what I mean?  Well, it's for family bonding... I guess.

  

Oh boy..I'm so tired now.  A bit under the weather too~

This is Photography!

A few friends has asked me how serious I am in Photography..since I'm always the one most particular with angles and shots and whatever not.

Some had even asked me to take up serious photography.

In actual fact, I know nuts about the art of photography.  I do not own a DSLR (yet).  I only shoot with a Lumix LX3 and of course the Iphone4.  While I have 'expectations' when I shoot I'm just too lazy to learn and read up about the deeper technicalities about the art.  Lack of passion?  I only rely on my pair of eyes and heart.  My heart always skips a beat when I see a good photo.

Just like this one, a friend just shared in FB.  (Not sure who is the original photographer though).

In my humble view, photography is not only about shooting with a expensive and high powered camera and lenses. Just like every other thing in life, it's about chasing a goal, pursuing a goal and pursuing to achieve  what you believe in.  A good photographer 'chases' after a good picture regardless of how much hardship is required to get that picture e.g lying down, squeezing through a hole, climbing up a wall, etc.

A famous photographer from NatGeo said a photographer has to have very thick skin..be brave enough to do whatever it takes to take that picture.  He went on to tell stories of countless times he was scolded for taking photos in the streets, etc.

Here are a few shots from http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/ on Bangkok's current flooding situations.

THIS is photography!

http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011/10/bangkok-underwater/100178/

http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011/10/bangkok-underwater/100178/

Click onto the links to see more amazing pics.

Go here - http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/about.html - to find out more about this author/ photographer who beautifully combined his love in photography, storytelling and photojournalism!

I'm inspired!

Check out my 'portfolio' HERE =P

Diwali Day Out with The Dad

We had a break in the middle of the week.  How nice..

That's one of the beautiful things about living in Malaysia, we get holidays from all major festivals regardless of race =)

Yesterday was Deepavali, the beginning of the Hindu New Year.

We live in a multi-racial society, but that doesn't mean we also celebrate Deepavali (a.k.a. Diwali) eventhough we aren't Hindus.

Sometimes we get invitation from Hindu friends, I'm going to one on Friday night..but it's gonna be a combi of Deepavali + Halloween + Birthday (for 2 kids). Fun!

So...back to my Diwali day out.  It was one of my dad's very rare off day too..so I decided to do something with him. 

Anything...

His favourite destination has always been Kampar, his own home town and I do agree it's a great destination for good food. But..we've been there so MANY times... and I was a bit lazy to drive so far out of town.

So..I opted for somewhere nearer instead.  Rolled out of bed around 9am, checked the net for directions to Kampung Bukit Tinggi, and off we go :D

Kampung Bukit Tinggi is a very small town off the Karak Highway in Bentong.  We stumbled upon this town   quite some months back while we were exploring Janda Baik.  I was hoping to have brunch there and at the same time get the kaya puffs.  Wrote about them here too..too lazy to locate the link now.  Hee...

Steam Vermicelli with Village Chicken

We had brunch upon arrival at Foon Lock Restaurant.  Had the above with some vege for RM20.  Quite reasonable? 

Immediately after the meal, we walked up the slope to a coffee shop for coffee of course =D

So nice...

Local Coffee with Toasted Bread

Before leaving, Dad bought a Durian at one of the stalls!  He paid almost RM19 for a D24, slightly cheaper than KL apparently.

I decided to frive onwards towards Bentong town..since we were so nearby.   Didn't find anything interesting though.  Bought some snacks from road side stalls.  Dad bought another two Durians ..!

Got back to KL around 3pm..just in time for late lunch.  I stopped by Pan Heong near batu Caves..the place that serves the best Wat Tan Hor.  Again..I blogged about it before.. Sorry no link..running out of time.  Gotta run..!! 

Oh..dinner was DURIAN!

=D

RPMed

Been missing RPM since June.



Initially, I tried to go back the moment I felt think I'm strong enough. It was kind of a disaster. May have worsen the injury. Oops.

Totally stayed away since then.. so, it's been about four long months now and my waist line had been expanding since.

Made an attempt last week, went pretty well.  No major pains... skipped the aggressive parts though.  Felt some strain after the 6th of the 9 tracks, decided to stop.  I would say I did 50-60% of a full version.


Went again today.  I stayed till the end!  Well, I couldn't keep up during the 5th track that has many many many rounds of standing attacks, I stayed seated instead and kept pedalling to the rhythm.

The 7th track (mountain climbing) is the finale working track, normally is a killer, luckily the instructor's choice for today wasn't that strenuous.  I managed to keep up with about 90% =)

I think I'm getting there \o/

One day I'm gonna nail it...!


If only I'm this determined in other more important matters ...

Facebook is Not a Social Problem

Is Facebook a social problem? I "discussed" this topic - here - back in February this year.  Been eight months now, are you using Facebook less or more? Have you got bored with it?  

Just today, a friend (while tapping on her HTC) stated that she now has less to do and see on her Facebook page, hence, she only logs on a few times a week.

I still log on several times a day.  Maybe it's true that I really don't have a life??

Nah.. I still think Facebook is such a powerful social tool, IF used properly.

In fact, one who doesn't use FB may even risk being left out unintentionally.  "Out of sight out of mind" - that's what I've told some friends who asked why they were not informed or included in certain outings :D

Yesterday, for example, a friend who is into her 2nd month maternity leave decided to 'fb' about her being alone with the baby while the hubby travels. Sounds like a typical fb thing..? We see such updates every other day isn't it?

Well, it probably turned out to be the best thing she did for the day cos your's truly here (the fb junkie) saw the update and immediately whatsapp-ed to check if she's keen to join us for tea. Just a couple more messages, change of meet up point, by 4pm she was with us enjoying a well deserved me-time break.  Wonderful friends we are... but oops..we didn't remember that her birthday is just around the corner i.e Today!  Honestly, if not for the Fb wishes I saw this morning, I won't even know.   LOLOLOL.

As I'm typing away now..my fb ticker is very busy with all her tq replies to dozens of wall wishes ~
 
Separately,
On the eve of the raya break, I was meddling on an ex school mate's status post, it's my fb way of saying  "yo, how are you?"  After some trash talking, she asked when I can meet ..bla bla.. When I woke up the next morning, I 'remembered' that there is actually a small meet up with a small grouo that afternoon itself, so I extended a last minute invite to her..and she came!  And we had such a wonderful get together.  All because of Facebook. *heart*


How can Facebook be a social stigma??

Crossroad

I'm approaching a crossroad.   I had problems putting my thoughts and feelings into words..conveniently I googled the word CROSSROAD.

And conveniently, I stumbled upon this - http://blog.self-improvement-saga.com/2011/06/crossroads-in-life-turning-point/ - it depicts exactly how I feel right now.

Love the way this author put things into such a simple perspective.

Yes..I see many options..but do I go straight, left, right?  The easiest way out is to stay put..and dwell i.e. Not Doing Anything...and hoping that everything will just fall into place.

The author is damn right in pointed out these..


"when it’s time to make a move and you stand there doing nothing, you pretty much get run over. Instead of making things happen, doing nothing just lets them happen to you.  This sucks for so many reasons, but primarily because it is not living....


...Reaching a crossroad in life is never comfortable, but it’s also not the end of the road. It’s a time of uncertainty and challenge, which forces us out to the very edge.  It is here that we show what we’re made of.  And it is here that we are made anew".

I'm still pondering.  Trying my very best not to stay-put and ended up being run over.  Been taking baby steps last few days..each little step lightens the path.

I do believe that as long as I keep stepping forward there will be a path..it's not about whether it's gonna be bumpy path..it's about moving forward ..Living Life.

=)

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday

Monday, almost couldn't get out of bed due to weekend's overplaying and mild imsonia. Could've stayed in bed and moaned but I chose to dragged my ass out instead.  Felt much better after moving around and some back exercises.  Went to work, well, it ain't the best place I'd like to head to but..oh wth.  It turned out to be a rather good day.

Tuesday, morning was extremely lethargic.  Neither exercises nor breakfast helped.   Took chicken essence before leaving the house, had another breakfast at work and felt slightly bettter. lol.  Took a good lunch, felt much better.


Having a headache now...though.

Don't know what's happening..may be falling ill..

Nah...it's gonna be a good week! It's Wednesday!

..I like the later part of a week more :)

Here's something for you to ponder over :

“No yesterdays are ever wasted for those who give themselves to today.” -Brendan Francis

Hindsight can be torture. It’s always easy to identify after the fact what you think you should have done–what you should have said or how you should have acted.

It can seem imperative to look back critically when you surmise that you somehow misused yesterday, but regret in the present is far more wasteful than whatever went on in the past. You can’t possibly change what’s already happened, but you can learn from it to create what happens today.

How can you use the wisdom you’ve gained to make the most of this moment?...tinybuddha.com








Apa macam? How? 
I read it over and over a few times.  I think I got it finally..have you?

Badminton, Back, Beetle

I broke my badminton racquet today.  It's a very old racket given to me by a very old friend.  Finally, had to bid farewell.  Not buying a new one..cos I still have another one to break :P. May have over played.  Back's in pain now..

Hopefully it will be ok after a good sleep.

Oh, I think saved a Beetle.  It was a big green beetle.  It flew aimlessly into my room and was bumping into everything and everywhere. Finally landed on the floor.  It didn't move when I scooped it up with some paper...either fainted or faking dead. (If it's a cockroach I would have sprayed insecticide instead!)  Anyway, I tossed it out to the window and it stayed 'dead' on the roof for quite a long time.  It's gone now.

 alrite..hitting the sack now.  Ouch...

Parenthood

This was inspired by a conversation with a friend over the weekend.  She has a teenage daughter and a pre-teen daughter. We were talking about single life vs. married life..and eventually..parenthood.



I would like to dedicate this post to all my friends who are heading towards or those who just begun their Parenthood journey :)

Below..is Parenthood by her description.

Basically..what she meant was..it's no rosy journey being a parent.
In her words..

Once you become a parent, you cease as an individual.  There is no more me, myself and I.  It's all about the Family.  Your thoughts, actions, etc..must take into consideration The Family.


After 12 long years as a Mother...her description on Parenthood ..Motherhood in particular...is :

CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP...and then once in a while...you get an "Awww....they are so sweet..." then it's back to CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP....and then..you get another "Awww.....they are so worth it..." 


and it goes on and on and on....till God knows when...

Interesting eh?

Ups then down..

If you are wondering...rpm was alright.  Didn't kill myself.

Core was strong enough to take most pressure off the back.  I daren't do any standing climb though especially during track 5 and 7..the killer tracks.  Given that I've not done gone to any classes for almost four months, I would think I did pretty well.

Sigh..been down last few days.

A couple of events took place over the last 10 days.  Welcomed a surprise bundle into the family.  Slowly accepted and fell in love with him.  Then...he had to be taken back..abruptly.  Still not sure..if we can have him back.  Our hearts ache wondering about his well being.  Roller coaster indeed...ups and down of emotions.

Oh..by the way..have I mentioned that I need a new job...err..rather quickly...

Don't panic...I'm still quite cool about it or may be it's just so me..delayed reaction..or weighing options..??

To be discussed offline :-)

Tired of waiting..

I got tired of waiting... been patiently staying off RPM, patiently waiting for all pains to go off completely.... at the same time patiently growing side ways (unless my clothes had all shrunk!)

I doubt the pain and stiffness or whatever they are ...will ever go away completely.

Well..it did.  At least it seemed like so..for a few days after I completed the 16.8km km run cos everywhere else was hurting! Lol...

Some have asked about seeing the doctor again, well, sometimes in such cases..it's not as simple as "seeing a doctor".  It ain't as simple as a fever or a cold where the doctor can just prescribe some meds and voila..you recover in a few days.

As mentioned, the level of pain doesn't suggest a need for any surgery.
I can ask for an expensive scan which only confirms the condition or location of injury and nothing else.
Medication is expensive and is only for severe cases. I don't fall under that category.

Only way to recovery is consistent and continuous rehab.  For those who wish to get back to active sports, increase the frequency and intensity of rehab. That was the message from the doc..the last time I met him.  Nothing else.  No short cuts.   No other options.


.....I'm boring you isn't it?

Ok..rant over.

I'm going for RPM today!  At least for a while..."test ride"...

Mixed Traditions

Once upon a time.. a Chinese gal fell in love with a Finnish dude.
They eventually got married and guess what?

They just had a baby!

I was at the baby's full moon celebration recently.

It's Chinese tradition to prepare "red eggs" served with ginger during a baby's full moon.

These "angku kuih" is also another traditional delicacy used during Chinese prayers and occasions.

The pink ones in the background are 'fatt koh', yes another must have for Chinese during auspicious occassions.

And so...of course the main dish was Nasi Lemak..the ever famous Malaysian dish...which I didn't even bother to take a picture of :P

Because... I was more attracted to these other non Malaysian nor Chinese delicacies...!

Huge a chunk of cheese with cucumber and sausages.

Home made cake by dear Granny who came all the way from Finland.

There are a few others that I didn't manage to take though..silly me.

But here's a shot of my plate with almost all the delicacies...

Red egg with Ginger.

Angku kuih

Fruit salad - I think

Mashed potato

Fnnish pastries - hand made by granny!

Somewhere in the world..

This is a very meaningful song.  Somewhat powerful I would say,,.

Altiyan Childs - Somewhere In The World

Powered by mp3skull.com


Somewhere in the world, someone was leading the way...


In his span here on Earth, Jobs defined the computer as something more than a tool. He made it personal. He founded a company, was forced to leave it behind and brought it back from the edge of disaster on his return. It is now the most valuable in the world...http://thenextweb.com

I believe there is a place, where rich & poor can walk side by side, 

Somewhere in the world tonight...everything’s alright....



Rest in peace Steve Jobs..everything's gonna be alright now.

On the other hand....

Somewhere in the world tonight, someone’s holding their first child

  

And a very lucky child has found love for the first time, you will not be alone anymore...

Meanwhile, I find this very true and useful..

What it means to be Free by tiny buddha.

• When you choose to forgive instead of seeing the world through bitter eyes, you are free.
• When learn from your mistakes instead of letting them define or cripple you, you are free.
• When you love yourself regardless of what other people think, you are free.
• When you accept uncertainty instead of stressing about what you don’t know, you are free.
• When you embrace chaos, instead of struggling for control, you are free.
• When you recognize that we are all imperfect, and then resist the urge to fight that, you are free.
• When you choose to appreciate what you have instead of lamenting what you’ve lost, you are free.
• When you plant yourself in this moment, and do what you can to make the most of it, you are free.

I 'think' I can do most of it..but yet..I don't feel Free yet.

Religions and such

Sri Lanka is a very religious country.
We were told that Buddhism was originated from here and even the Chinese came here to study the history of Buddhism.

Alcohol and beef is not advisable is most public places.  If I'm not mistaken most of the local guides that we interacted with do not consume alcohol nor beef.

We did see some liquor shops in the streets though, the guide says the consumers are the less religious. mostly blue collar workers.

Locals performing prayers at Temple of Tooth Relic @ Kandy

Inside the Temple of Tooth Relic 

Outside the Temple of Tooth Relic 

Jetavanaramaya - the tallest structure in the ancient world.  Some says it is still the largest and tallest structure  on earth that is made from bricks 

I feel very peaceful here.

I was very impressed with the guide who took us around.  He speaks very well and knows alot of the history and the religion itself.  But when I asked if he is Buddhist, he said "I'm trying to be one"

So humble.

I'm a Buddhist supposedly but I don't have much in-depth knowledge about the religion and practice.  I only have one basic principle...do more good, do no harm, have a good heart.

The Sacred Sri Maha Bodhi - preserved and supported by golden structures

Normally, I don't pay much attention to tour guide stories..but some of the things that this guide said caught my attention.

For instance, he said that humans will only turn to religion for 5 main reasons -:

..for health
..for money
..when we are lonely
..during old age
..and lastly but very rarely to seek wisdom

Golden Dambulla Rock Cave Temple

After completing our laborious climb to Adam's Peak, Carine asked me if I will ever do it again.  The locals do it very often for religious purposes.  My answer to Carine was.."if I were to do it again, I'd want it to be for religious purpose - the 5th purpose that is"

Sleeping Buddha in the Rock Cave 

The guide also said another point that stuck on to my mind, can't remember in detailed...but the fact that I still cling on to it after five months says something isn't it?

So...he was saying..that when someone kneels down to pray to the Buddha...to be able to do it sincerely..one's mind has be free, let go of all thoughts..it should be just one self and Buddha.  No thinking about what's at home..who's behind you, what people may say about you, all the what ifs and what if not.

That's why ...I always say that I don't know how to pray. Cos I can't do that.

Deep ...huh?

There are many structures inside the cave

Have a nice day =)

Me, Adidas and NPE at KOTR 2011

Tried hard to sleep early the night before but I think I only dosed off around closed to midnight.

Alarm came on at 3.30am..I groaned : "grrr..why do I do this to myself?"

I rolled about, tended to my digital nations, city and empire, did some stretches and rolled out of bed around 4am.

Freshen up, put on the necessary gear, took a light breakie and left to pick up GLL.

Flag off was at 645am, it's safer to allocate more time for the 'unexpecteds' like road closure congestion, parking problems, getting lost, etc.

I braved Friday jam to grab this color :D

We got there smoothly without any problems.  Everyone was so early! The organisers emphasized to be there before 5am as some roads will be closed after the cut-off time.  

Overall, the event was very well organised.

Enough water for runners before, during and after the run.

Logistics were well planned and executed.

No major complaints so far.

Well..apparently many motorists were caught in massive jams along Federal Highway, LDP, Bangsar, etc.

Sorry :P 

Colors of Life on the NPE

Anyways..I believe the organisers kept to the schedule of re-opening the roads after 1030am.

Meaning..the slower runners will have to be 'swept' off the highway before they re-open the roads.  The bus that does this is called the Sweeper Bus! 

I was so worried that I will have to be swept off for being too slow :P

Above is to prove that I completed the race.  800m to go...boy..was I relieved!  

Reward for completing the full distance :)

How did I do?

Ok I guess..no major pains surprisingly.  Very surprisingly.  So..I'm satisfied :)

I was snail slow though...probably under the slowest group :D  The better ones like GLL clocked under 1.5 hours, I think.

Nah..I'm cool.  After all it's my first long distance after laying low for 4 months.

Oh...what was it like running on NPE?

GLL concluded that she doesn't like highways..too boring she says.

No wonder it was boring... it's One Straight Line :D

As for me, I'm just glad I did it.  No regrets.

I tried...

Well, I thought it's kind of cute when I saw fafa's trade nation has a 'children playground and stuff.

I never took the trouble to put in these stuff as they don't help much in earnings and points..

Then, I saw GLL had them too..aww..so cute, she placed the swing and see saw in the school compound.

So..I thought..why not I do the same!

How come my school compound ended up looking like a cemetery geh...

:(