I Have Dual Personalities

My Iphone 4 had been 'naked' ever since I bought it about 1.5 years ago. It never had a bumper nor screen protector..as I've mentioned here before..it's such a handsome product..why cover it up with bumpers and fancy covers.  

Only male friends will agree to this ..ahem.

Well, I do have a pouch/ sleeve to protect it from keys and stuff in the bag or when I put it on table tops, etc.  I've dropped it a few times..thankfully with the pouch in tact..so it survived with some chipped corners :P

I'm also very particular about pouches that I use for it.  

An ex colleague who sat next to me once said that I have excessive male hormones due to my working style and some of my habits .. .

The above is quite a valid proof..

I've been using something that looks like the black one in the picture.  Cost about RM20-30+ , the cheaper it is, the shorter the life span.  I was happy when I saw this in an FB page HERE.  It looks durable, smart, more importantly it's black, hence, practical.  Can use for a long time without having to worry about it looking too dirty.

But then I saw the other cute pink one.  Awww..

That's the feminine part of me at work :D

Simply un-practical, unreasonable, impulsive.

I bought both...

Why Not.

Sometimes I abused the phrase "Why Not" ... 

or..to be more exact "Since I'm here, Why Not."

It's been a some time since I ate in Toast & Roast, one of my favourite lunch spot.  It has the one of the best Hakka Mee and Char Siew.

I went there alone on Saturday.

A normal person will probably just settle for the single bowl of noodles with a drink but I was thinkingt.. since I'm here..the char siew is normally good..and I don't come often nowadays, Why Not?

Hakka Mee with Minced Pork, bits of Fried Fish Skin  with additional Char Siew and White Coffee RM9.80

Then, on Sunday, I drove alllll the wayyyy to Fahrenheit 88 to check if I can get an Iphone case that I wanted (yes, I can g out of the way to get things that I really want). Unfortunately it was out of stock.

So..since I'm there.. I walked over to Lot 10 Hutong for food.

As usual, I'd go for another of my favourite, the Soong Kee Beef Noodles.

And since I was there..Why Not I have the yummy Campbell Popiah too?  It's really the best popiah I've ever eaten and I don't come here often...

Soong Kee Beef Noodles RM6.90 plus famous Campbell Popiah RM2.65

Then I had my coffee craving...and I saw Pacific Coffee at Fahrenheit 88.  I've been wanting to try their coffee and I know I can get 30% off with a PBB credit card.

So..Why Not!

Hazel Nut Latte RM8+ after 30% discount with PBB card, it's quite good by the way, no need to go to Starbucks

Charity via Earndit

I've blogged about how I linked my and Runkeeper app and Foursquare check-ins to the gym  to Earndit.

In case you missed it, or you didn't get what I was trying to say ... my Foursquare account is linked to my Earndit account, each time I check in to a gym or when I record a running activity on Runkeeper:  I earned Points.  These points can be used to redeem items, vouchers, discounts from participatin Earndit partners.


Each check in at the gym fetches 15 points.  I had about 2000 over points, no cost attached - Just Sweat :)

NOW..we can opt to donate our points for charity purposes, how brilliant is that!

Don't believe? Go HERE 

Who says all this checking in and mobile apps are of no use?

In just a few clicks..

I'm happy to annouce that I've contributed to a month of healthcare to 100 families in Guatemala - Go HERE to read about it.


500 points is worth about 33 gym visits  :P  That's around 23,000 total calories burnt assuming each BODYCOMBAT class burns about 700 calories.  The official Les Mills site (HERE) states that each class burns about 737 calories on average :)

What's your Passion?

Re: http://tinybuddha.com/blog/what-we-really-need-to-be-happy/


“The real measure of your wealth is how much you’d be worth if you lost all your money.”


I really wonder how true this is.  I think we know very well that money doesn't bring true friends.  But the fact is that we live in a materialistic and somewhat selfish world.  Its foolish to expect everyone to be a saint.  Human being humans we all have faults and imperfections.  That's why there is only one Mahatma Gandhi and one Aung San Suu Kyi in this world.


At the end of the day, we cannot control what others think and do.  What's important is within us, deep inside.


The writer (see link above) also says...


"Now in a perfect world we wouldn’t need money and we could all be on our merry life’s journey striving to chase down our passions. But unfortunately our world is not a utopia and money is something we do need."

I struggled trying to get the conclusion the writer was trying to get at.  In the end I realised..it's actually what all of us are facing... The questions that we all have in our heads.. 


...do I like my job?
.. what else can I do?
.. I have a family to support, I can't live my job..
..what else is there to life other than going to work and coming home?




And there is no one straightforward answer, unfortunately.  Like I said, not easy at all to be as great as someone in the likes of Aung San Suu Kyi who sacrificed her own life and love...for her beliefs and passion to her country.


Sacrifice it is.  Nothing comes free.  No one good thing will fall from the sky.  (May be those who strike a huge lottery prize before will disagree to this :D).


Anyway..the writer ended the piece with these:

But the most important lesson out of this was not how to be happily frugal. It was that pursuing your passion, however frustrating, however challenging, is ultimately the key to happiness.

Muster up the courage, take the leap, and be prepared to throw all those things you don’t really “need” away.

It’s time we start looking at our entire lives as purposeful, passion-filled journeys—not opportunities to collect as many possessions as we can to distract ourselves.

I like the last sentence :)


Past mid-life, I'm still searching for a Passion though... 

Why Still Fat?

Dad : Dinner now?

Me :  I'll eat when I come back

Dad : Where you going?

Me : Exercise

Dad : Always exercise but still so fat

http://alltheragefaces.com/

Time does heal...

I put my dog to rest yesterday morning.

I've dealt with death and losses enough times, including my own mom.  Recently with the kittens followed by the sudden disappearance of the elder cats. When Phoebe was hit by a severe case of tick infestation, I suspected that she may not live long.  She has been losing weight, aging and had skin complications, etc.  The vet was positive though since she was still eating.

Her condition took a bad turn when I saw her in the morning.  She couldn't even hold and control her head.  I knew it's time to let her go. I petted her several times..told her that it's alright to go.  It took her quite long.  It was a painful wait.   I thought I was ready.  My dad helped to prepare a place to bury her.  I broke down....when I saw the hole.  I didn't think I will, but I did.  It was even more traumatizing when I had to place her in there. I totally lost it.

I wasn't sure how I was going to get through the day or even the rest of my life when all I kept thinking about was how she looked like it when I placed her in there.  This is probably why they created coffins.  To prevent us from this traumatizing sight.


Time does heal.  The first few hours was bad. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't talk to anyone so I just stayed at home...wondering if there was more I could do.  May be I should have brought her to the vet  one more time, etc.  Conveniently, I turned to the internet...reading up on related topics..


...how to cope with pet loss
..how to cope with feeling of guilt after a pet loss
..how to know if its time to let a pet go..


That's when I stumbled upon The Rainbow Bridge, it made me feel better.

When I felt ready, I picked myself up to go over to my sis but she wasn't around..so I went to have lunch alone.  Came back, did some work.  Evening, stopped over at my sis again before heading to the gym.

Had a bit of problem falling asleep..but I did eventually.

And there..I got past the day.


I just have to keep pushing away unhappy thoughts and instead think about how happy she is now at the Rainbow Bridge.


Will I get another dog?  As of yesterday..it was a No.

As of yesterday...I didn't want to have any attachments, feeling to anything or anyone since it's so painful to lose something, someone that you love.
That's a dangerous state to fall into..I think that's where depression comes in.


As of today,...it's a Maybe.  May be I 'll take in a cute little house dog....one day.  Once an animal lover..always be an animal lover.

The Rainbow Bridge

Taken from : http://www.drsfostersmith.com

"There is a bridge connecting Heaven and Earth. It is called the Rainbow Bridge because of its many colors. Just this side of the Rainbow Bridge there is a land of meadows, hills and valleys with lush green grass.

When a beloved pet dies, the pet goes to this place. There is always food and water and warm spring weather. All the animals who have been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.

The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. 

Her bright eyes are intent; her eager body begins to quiver. 

Suddenly she begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, her legs carrying her faster and faster. You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion.

The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together, never again to be separated."

See also a beautiful video HERE

RIP Phoebe

Dragonfly with CoffeeinLOve

Coffee in Love was one of my preferred coffee joint, they used to be uniquely located inside a plant nursery off Jalan Sri Hartamas.  I was lucky enough to catch them just a couple months before they ceased operations.

No fret..they are back....in style~

Think Tattoo..and.... Coffee.

Hard to marry the two right?  I know.. I had to ask "is this a cafe" before I stepped in during my first visit?

Now branded as Dragonfly/ CofeeinLOve, it's located in Publika, Level UG (near GNC, same level as the food court).

It's currently the one and only with such concept in Malaysia - Tattoo/Cafe i.e. a cafe within a tattoo parlor.

Read more about this cool concept HERE. Facebook page HERE

Unfortunately, I didn't take any photos of the tattoo 'chamber'.  But you can check it out  HERE

As for coffee, it's still GOOD.  Check out the cream crackers.  Only from Penang..I heard.

I don't mind stopping by again for a good cuppa.  Not too sure about the tattoo though.

  

PJ Dawn 2012 - Post Event

All that had happened at the Energiser Race in 2011 was an excellent learning for all events managers and marketing brands too.  Everyone saw and heard about how the event turned out to be a total failure but the event owner, Energiser was quick to react, bit the bullet and immediately took control the post event mess.  I'm sure it was a long painful process

A senior person in the organisation stepped out and issued an official statement, even organised a short meet up cum jogging session at the park.  Human beings are generally well natured, with such good and sincere gestures, the participants were quick to forgive and forget.

Energiser Night Race 2012 came back with a bang,  in the same venue.  There were some hiccups..but it was all good.  Much much better than the previous year.


PJ Dawn came and went.

It was a much smaller scale event.  Heard that the crowd turn out was much less than expected.  There were a couple of complaints e.g. no isotonic drinks, post run F&B were not enough for everyone, finisher tee weren't enough, many who qualified claimed that they were not aware of the finisher tee, etc.  Comparatively, these were minor hiccups.  I wasn't quite bothered since it's over and done with.  Moreover, it wasn't a branded event in the likes of Energiser, Nike, Adidas.

But..as with many other runners..we expected some sort of follow up and closure.  Many, many questions have been raised at the official facebook page that they have been using actively to communicate with runners before the event.

..the official results, the e-cert, when can we download?
..are they going to send the finisher tee to those who didn't get them?
..we could see our official timing and ranking but it doesn't mean anything we have no info on the total no. of runners per category

That's all we need to know....as a closure.

It has been six days.  Replies from the admin had been nothing but slow and cold.  In fact there hasn't been any reply in the last 20 hours.

Whatever problem they are facing internally, they should at least have the courtesy to inform us.  Keeping silent and leaving us in the dark will only make the matter worse.  After all, they are planning to host Putrajaya Dawn 2013..there's a reputation to upkeep here...if there's any left.


There is a Chinese saying that says:
"If you're at the wrong - must admit, and stand still to take the beating/punishment"

RM50

I spent about RM50 grocery shopping this morning on the following:

One whole chicken RM6+
A can of tuna RM4+
Sanitary products RM10+
Tomatoes, potatoes RM3+
A medium sized Chlorox RM7
Dried Noodle RM3+
Spaghetti RM?
SCS butter RM9+


I used the following for today's lunch:
1/5 of the pack of spaghetti
One tomato
About 1/2 can of the tuna
About a teaspoon of butter
A dash of milk
A piece of cheese

I made chicken soup for dinner with the following:
About half the chicken
2 tomatoes
1 potato
1 onion


Comparatively, I'd spend the following on a typical day out let's say on a Friday evening for movie and dinner :
Coffee RM8
Snacks/desserts  RM15
Dinner RM20-30
Movie RM15
Parking RM6

Hmmm...and I used to wonder why my parents never took us out when we were poor.  And how the heck they managed to save enough money to buy a house eventually.

Is Bersih 3.0 a conspiracy?

My stand remains..irregardless..

..use of tear gas against a jam-packed crowd of normal civilians
..unexplained force used by 'police'..5 against one, 10 against one, and of all the videos that I saw..none fought back...


CANNOT. BE. RIGHT.




I'm not even tagging this post under Political Views.

It's nothing political.  It's a VIEW from a human being, a Malaysian citizen, an observer...and I was there before the chaos started, we were really peaceful.

PJ Dawn 2012 - Done!

THE plan was to leave home around 2ish, latest 2.30am so that we have sufficient time to find our way in case of road blocks, searching for car park space, etc.  Which means,  we should be in bed around 7.30pm  in order to get at least 6 hrs sleep, 

8pm:

I was still waiting for dinner :s

I texted ML to ask if she was in bed, she just got home, on her way home, her training ran late was in discussions and had farewell dinner with the bosses and such. 

SH decided to skip the run at the last minute due to 'health' reasons.

10.30pm:

I just got home from dinner!

ML who couldn't sleep, asked if we should still go...I said..Let's go la..for Morning walk :D

As I was getting ready to go to my bedroom, my dad said this to me:

"faster go sleep, if not u will be running alone at the last in tomorrow's morning run, bad people will catch you!"

11.00pm:

Tried to doze off.

1.00am:

Phone alarm came on. Snooze it..

1.15am:

I got up to properly shut down the laptop after a qucik look at FB and CItyville.  Found out that another friend will be running too.  And she only got home from Russell Peters at midnight!

I shut down the laptop, went back to sleep, excuse was..I don't need an hour to reach Stadium Kelana Jaya ler.

1.50am:

Dragged myself up and left the house around 2:20am.  

Got to destination safely at 3am, met up with ML.  

Flagged off was on schedule at 4am.

And so...we ran...

The route was so much more easier than ENR's.  I don't remember any slope.  Weather was somewhat breezy.  

I jogged alongside ML for aorunf 30 mins before I slowed down and as always..she moved on steadily like an energiser bunny.

Knees, ankle, back felt "delicate" although overall..aches and pains were very much less. So..I had to be very careful with every step little step.  Stamina wise not up to mark yet..had to stop quite abit to recover.  

In fact, I felt like a jello at the 6km water station.  Was hoping for some 100plus or any isotonic supply but there wasn't any!

Fortunately, ML gave me a packet of power gel.  Taking power gel for 12km run..haha..but it really did help.

Sigh..how am I gonna run 21km in September at the Taiping International?!

I'm revisiting my average speed on Runkeeper / Sportypal which I only started using in 2011 onwards:

21km at ENR 2011: 5.90 km/h / 10.17 min/km

- that was the fittest time of my life but I didn't give a 100% effort :/

5km at Shape Night run 2011 : 7.10 km/h  / 8.45 min/km

- 1st run after the back injury :(

16.8km at Adidas KOTR 2011 : 5.69 km/h / 10.54 min/km

10km at Nike We run KL 2011 : 7.34 km/h / 8.17 min/km

15.5km at ENR 2012 : 6.51 km/h / 9.21 min / km

12km at PJ Dawn : 7.30km/h / 8.21 min / km

Hmm..looks like I'm slowly getting back on track..?

Too bad I wasn't using an Iphone in 2010, so I don't have 2010 records in those apps.

Let's check the old postings here!   Great..I did a summary HERE

Looks like my best time in 2010 was at SCKLM (7.7 min/km) and Nike 10.10.10 (7.8 min/km)

Hmm..so I'm getting there..I think...

Ok..till the next run..here's the medal for PJ Dawn.  Not too bad looking.

Oh..by the way, my dear bunny friend got into top 100, 75th placing to be exact and qualified for this tee.

Awesome!

"Carbonara" Linguine with Roast Pork

Looks good eh?

Tasted good too :P

100% self invented without referring to any recipe book.

Stir fry left-over roast pork with garlic

Cook linguine separately

Add in some salt, olive oil, cheese, pepper onto linguine

Mix with roast pork in the pot under low heat, add in some milk bit by bit until it looks like carbonara :D

I was going to quit drawing but then..

The game's getting a bit boring..I was going to quit it...but then..check this out..my 7 yr old nephew managed to guess this right!  So clever hor? He had been playing with us from his mother's phone.

And then..he drew me this :D

How to Live Well by zenhabits

Taken from zenhabits

‘Begin at once to live, and count each separate day as a separate life.’ ~Seneca

Post written by Leo Babauta.

I’m not a rich man, nor do I fly around the world and drink champagne with famous people in exotic locales, nor do I own a sports car or SUV or a yacht.

And yet, I’m very happy.

Much happier than seven years ago when I ate fried foods and sweets all time time and felt unhealthy and overweight, when I watched television and was out of shape, when I shopped a lot and was in debt, when I worked a job that paid fairly well and had no time for myself or my loved ones.

How have I accomplished this? With small tricks. The truth is, you don’t need a lot to live well — you just need the right mindset.

Here’s what I’ve learned about living well on little:

1. You need very little to be happy. Some simple plant food, modest shelter, a couple changes of clothes, a good book, a notebook, some meaningful work, and some loved ones.
2. Want little, and you are not poor. You can have a lot of money and possessions, but if you always want more, you are poorer than the guy who has little and wants nothing.
3. Focus on the present. Stop worrying about the future and holding onto the past. How much of your day is spent thinking about things other than where you are and what you’re doing, physically, at this moment? How often are we living as opposed to stuck thinking about other things? Live now and you live fully.
4. Be happy with what you have and where you are. Too often we want to be somewhere else, doing something else, with other people than whoever we’re with right now, getting things other than what we already have. But where we are is great! Who we’re with (including just ourselves) is already perfect. What we have is enough. What we’re doing already is amazing.
5. Be grateful for the small pleasures in life. Berries, a square of dark chocolate, tea — simple pleasures that are so much better than rich desserts, sugary drinks, fried foods if you learn to enjoy them fully. A good book borrowed from the library, a walk with a loved one in the park, the fine exertion of a short hard workout, the crazy things your child says, the smile of a stranger, walking barefoot on grass, a moment of quiet as the morning wakens and the world still rests. These little pleasures are living well, without needing much.
6. Be driven by joy and not fear. People are driven by the fear of missing out, or the fear of change, or the fear of losing something. These are not good reasons to do things. Instead, do things because they give you or others joy. Let your work be driven not because you need to support a lifestyle and are afraid of changing it, but by the joy of doing something creative, meaningful, valuable.
7. Practice compassion. Compassion for others creates loving, rewarding relationships. Compassion for yourself means forgiving yourself for past mistakes, treating yourself well (including eating well and exercising), loving yourself as you are.
8. Forget about productivity and numbers. They matter not at all. If you are driven to do things to reach certain numbers (goals), you have probably lost sight of what’s important. If you are striving to be productive, you are filling your days with things just to be productive, which is a waste of a day. This day is a gift, and shouldn’t be crammed with every possible thing — spend time enjoying it and what you’re doing.

It's going to be 5 months

How time flies.
I've gone into the fifth month being 'unemployed'.  And yeah..I'm still surviving :P

I'm happy. Yupe..I can conclude that I've been happy despite having a relatively less stable flow of income.  Gone are the days where I only have to clock in and out of work every weekday and ta daa there will be a pay check every single month.  I'd be lying if I'd say that I don't worry at all about finances.

So far so good...nothing spectacular, but enough to maintain my somewhat comfortable lifestyle, for now.  I don't hope for a booming  business, I'd be happy if I can break even i.e. just enough for me to cover the necessities and some of life's little luxuries., well, I don't mind a little bit more so I can start planning for holidays :D  I had to turn down Jenny's invitation to go to India : /

It's too risky to spend unnecessary as I can't even see what it's gonna be like after June.

Well, everything comes with a price.

I still can't tell for sure if this is a right path and where will this path lead me to....but one thing I know for sure is I wake up everyday feeling somewhat happy. If only I have zero financial commitments, then I can live like this, happily ever after.  Wishful thinking :D

So..how does thing work out in our little complicated life?

If..we take up a job, we get paid fairly well, we don't have to worry about not having enough for monthly pay outs,etc.  If unlucky, which most of us are, we end up working 10-12 hours a day on stress mounting responsibilities. Higher post, higher pay but more stress.  And then we lose out on other things in life, we don't eat regularly, we don't sleep enough....

Is there a good paying job with 'not so much stress' I wonder.


I don't have much stress now.   Occasionally, yes..when there are deadlines and when things don't turn out the way I want them to.. in fact I've worked some late nights over some weekends last month. But it's nothing compared to what some of my friends are going through in the office.  And of course..there are 'stress' that come in a other ways like thinking about whether..I will make enough bla bla bla bla..


Ohh.... sometimes I wonder what is life all about.  We learn and study as told by our parents.  Then we come out to the society to work.  Everyone works for someone..so that businesses and economy keeps growing.  Some of us get married and have our own children.  Then we work hard to make sure out children get the best in life.  And then our children grow up and..they come out and work...

Is that life?

What do you want in life?

My personal motto has always been Life is an Enjoyment or Life is a Journey.  So..may be I shouldn't ponder too much...just walk the path...and enjoy the journey.

Source: busylivingpretty.onsugar.com via WSL on Pinterest

"Bersih" has a new meaning ..

BERSIH is originally a Malay word.

It simply means CLEAN.

But you won't find the real meaning that easily, thanks to Bersih 2.0 a coalition of NGOs seeking free and fair electoral system in Malaysia.

Try these experiments..

1. Google for "bersih"..I got this : 

2. I was determined to get the real meaning of the word, so I typed  "bersih mean..  " and I got this :D

3.  Being stubborn..I force-typed BERSIH MEANING and..ta daa..

I was already cracking up at this stage :D :D

Still not giving up...I searched for a translation site....

From translation.babylon.com/

Bersih in English

Bersih, which means "clean" in Malay, is a coalition of Malaysian opposition political parties and NGOs with the stated aim of reforming the electoral process in Malaysia. Specifically, they demand the following reforms:

The use of permanent ink to ensure that voters may only vote once

A clean out of the electoral rolls to remove entries that are no longer valid such as deceased people.

The abolition of postal votes on the basis that they are easily abused.

Perhaps most importantly, Bersih demands that all candidates and political parties have equal access to print and broadcast media.

Omigosh !

BERSIH!

PJ Dawn 2012 : Happening Soon!

Ooopps...it's happening next Sunday!

I don't feel like I've fully recovered from ENR yet .. ya..it's taking too long...duh...something's not right....signs of age catching up? prolonged injuries? body condition?

Really...I feel different nowadays.  Gone are the days where I can workout daily.  Now, I'd need at least a day to recover after just a class at the gym.  Sad~

What the heck..not a professionally trained athlete anyway, I'll just take it easy.  It's only 12km.  Will stroll and complete within 2 hr - the official cut off time.

So..It's called PJ DAWN - meaning the races finishes when the daylight begins.  Check out the schedule..LOL.  Basically, it means no sleep or sleep very early and arrive at site around 2am or 3am depending on category. 

(sh*t..what was I thinking??)

Note road closure information, if you are around Fed Hi-way, Jalan Lapangan Subang, etc.  See below:

Road closure

1. Beginning 1am – 5.30am: From Federal Highway turning into Jalan Lapangan Terbang Subang.
2. *after 5.30am, exit to Glenmarie & Subang toll back to Sprint Highway is open.
4. From 1.30am – 6.30am, Jalan Lapangan Terbang Saujana Subang interchange will be closed

Road Diversion

1. From 1am – 7.30am, Subang toll exit to Kelana Glomac from Shell gas station to LDP.

Monitered Roads

1. Monitor roads during race from Subang toll exit Saujana Subang towards Subang airport.
2. Ara Damansara area: Car keeps left; runners keep right.

For more info, go to : http://www.pjdawn.com

This is what I meant

Is this necessary, Mr IGP? Or whoever that gave the orders..




Can you hear the calls for help, women crying in fear, sounds of people choking, voices of stronger ones who kept reminding everyone to keep calm and not to push...


Thank God these people remained calm and were not one bit selfish like our dear politicians.

This. is. UNITY.

Cut those 1Malaysia crap please.

I wonder, if a tear gas cannister is dropped in the parliament...will our leaders remain this calm and help each other out of the situation in this manner?

P/S:
Do spend some time reading this - When 70 & 80 year old people march… written by an old lady who was on-site and yes..she and hubby was trapped in the whole chaos..tear gassed and all.