After a 2-month plus hiatus, I have returned to the blogosphere. Guess I had better start blogging after the numerous complaints I received from friends & "fans" (hehe ... I wish) that my blog has not been updated in ages.
Where to start when so much has happened? The world moved on ... and so did I.
Guess one of the key things I experienced during all these years of travel either backpacking for pleasure or 5-star travelling for work, one common thing remains. More times than not, I have been mistaken to be a citizen of a country other than my own!
During the heydays (in the 90s) when I used to backpack alone, I have always been mistaken for a Japanese. I could rationalise away that perhaps because in those days, one rarely find Asian ladies backpacking on their own except for Japanese ladies. One of the most funny/exasperating experience was in Bali. I got "hit" on so many times by the local "toyboys" as they thought I was a rich Japanese lady looking for sex. (I was warned beforehand that it is quite the thing for Japanese women to look for sex in Bali.)
Then there was this trip to South Africa where almost every caucasian or African that I met would wish me "Konbanwa". My friend insisted that because of my "Japanese" appearance, we had probably been overcharged for a lot of things. Till today, I place the entire blame on the red bandanna that I wore during my trip. Perhaps that made me look a little like a Japanese lady. *shrugs*
But then, I had to view myself slightly differently when on a business trip in Tokyo, an old lady stopped my Japanese colleague by the roadside (we were walking and chatting while on our way to the train station) and asked him what nationality am I. She said that at first she thought I was Japanese until she overheard our conversation in English. It seemed that no Japanese spoke English the way I do. So, I was mistaken for a Japanese by a Japanese. Hmmm ...
During my backpacking trip in New Zealand in 1999, I met and travelled with a group of Europeans on this "hop-on, hop-off" bus service. Although we met a lot of Japanese backpackers throughout our journey, I never befriended any of them due to language breakdown. They spoke no word of English. Neither do I ( speak a word of Japanese). In any case, my travelling European companions commented that if they were to close their eyes and listen to me speak, they would think that they were speaking to a European. Moi? With a European accent? Huh?
Recently, during my trip to Sikkim, India last month, I had another weirder experience. Sikkim is a state of India but is unlike the India we expect. It is located at the northeast of India, bordering Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet. Majority of the population is made up of Sherpa, Lepcha and Gorkha. Most of the population looked more Tibetan than Indians. In any case, one morning while I was out and about the mountains taking photographs, I was stopped by a man speaking in Nepali (or Hindi). He was looking in my general direction and I thought he was talking to someone behind me. When I looked behind, there was no one.
I said, "Are you talking to me? I'm sorry, I don't understand you."
And his reply, "Oh! I am sorry. I thought that you are a Darjeeling girl."
Me, a Darjeeling girl? Huh?
Then, just last week, I was in Bangkok for a meeting. The folks at the hotel and at the night market all thought that I was Thai and spoke to me in Thai until I kindly corrected them.
Am I a citizen of the world or what?
Now, this final experience take the cake. Upon my arrival at KLIA from Bangkok, and as I was walking out of the arrival hall, one of the taxi touts started hassling me. The first word out of his mouth was, "Konnichiwa! Taxi?" What??!!
On my homeground, with my own people, I am still mistaken for a citizen of another country!
Go figure!
Monday, November 12, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Who says US cornered the market on conspiracy theories?
Before I proceed with my post, allow me to set the context right ...
I am a fan of stories on political espionage and conspiracy theories. In my hey days (read teenage to young adult years), I would lock myself in my room for hours on end, voraciously devouring books by Robert Ludlum (The Parsifal Mosaic, The Materese Circle, The Acquitaine Progression, the Bourne trilogy: The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy & The Bourne Ultimatum, and many, many more) and Jeffrey Archer (A Matter of Honour, Honour Among Thieves).
These days, I'd rather sit in front of the idiot box or the silver screen and allow the story to unfold. It's a quicker process than reading the whole darn book; although watching takes the fun out of unravelling the mystery and the clues at every turn of the events. :) That was what kept me glued to the books previously. But then, I had more patience then. Talk about the MTV generation and having short attention span. Bet Cordy will agree that I have been vastly influenced by this generation.
I have digressed enough. Allow me to get on with my post. I came across this article "Malaysia's axis mysteriously shifting" on Asia Times Online and it got me thinking of all the possible conspiracy theories that could be built from this ... and then some. So I did some googling and voila! I found lots of stuff. True or false, ... guilty or innocent, ... I leave that to you to decide, my wise readers.
1. "... The 2004 proliferation case involving Scomi, a company owned by Abdullah's son Kamaluddin, which was allegedly involved in supplying dual-use technology to Libya's clandestine nuclear-weapons program. ..." Summary of the case and the outcome can be read here and here. The question is, IS there more here than meets the eye?
2. U.N Oil for Food Scandal. "New York - It began as a U.N. humanitarian aid program called "Oil-for-Food," but it ended up with Saddam Hussein (search) pocketing billions to become the biggest graft-generating machine ever and enriching some of America's most forceful opponents at the United Nations (search). ... " Read more here and here. And Malaysia's involvement in this? Read Raja Petra's account here.
3. The Altantunya Murder Trial. I confessed I haven't been following the trial but even a blind man could see that there is more here than meets the eye. Want to check out more premises for conspiracy theories? Read here. Although it was written almost two months ago, the blogger asked some interesting questions. Not enough to raise more flags? How about the following article written by Raja Petra.
It does make one pause and think, doesn't it? I remember an old idiom that goes, "there's no smoke without fire". Then again, a man is innocent until proven guilty.
Truth or lies? Guilt or innocence? Perhaps we will never know.
But these are surely great fodder for conspiracy theories. Time to write a book on one and earn millions. Perhaps be another Dan Brown in the making. All we need is one darn great book (ala Da Vinci Code) that creates enough interests and controversies that it becomes the talk-of-town. But make sure it's written under the "fiction" category so that you don't get sued (or hauled into ISA in this case).
Anyone up to the challenge of becoming the first Malaysian Dan Brown? :)
I am a fan of stories on political espionage and conspiracy theories. In my hey days (read teenage to young adult years), I would lock myself in my room for hours on end, voraciously devouring books by Robert Ludlum (The Parsifal Mosaic, The Materese Circle, The Acquitaine Progression, the Bourne trilogy: The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy & The Bourne Ultimatum, and many, many more) and Jeffrey Archer (A Matter of Honour, Honour Among Thieves).
These days, I'd rather sit in front of the idiot box or the silver screen and allow the story to unfold. It's a quicker process than reading the whole darn book; although watching takes the fun out of unravelling the mystery and the clues at every turn of the events. :) That was what kept me glued to the books previously. But then, I had more patience then. Talk about the MTV generation and having short attention span. Bet Cordy will agree that I have been vastly influenced by this generation.
I have digressed enough. Allow me to get on with my post. I came across this article "Malaysia's axis mysteriously shifting" on Asia Times Online and it got me thinking of all the possible conspiracy theories that could be built from this ... and then some. So I did some googling and voila! I found lots of stuff. True or false, ... guilty or innocent, ... I leave that to you to decide, my wise readers.
1. "... The 2004 proliferation case involving Scomi, a company owned by Abdullah's son Kamaluddin, which was allegedly involved in supplying dual-use technology to Libya's clandestine nuclear-weapons program. ..." Summary of the case and the outcome can be read here and here. The question is, IS there more here than meets the eye?
2. U.N Oil for Food Scandal. "New York - It began as a U.N. humanitarian aid program called "Oil-for-Food," but it ended up with Saddam Hussein (search) pocketing billions to become the biggest graft-generating machine ever and enriching some of America's most forceful opponents at the United Nations (search). ... " Read more here and here. And Malaysia's involvement in this? Read Raja Petra's account here.
3. The Altantunya Murder Trial. I confessed I haven't been following the trial but even a blind man could see that there is more here than meets the eye. Want to check out more premises for conspiracy theories? Read here. Although it was written almost two months ago, the blogger asked some interesting questions. Not enough to raise more flags? How about the following article written by Raja Petra.
It does make one pause and think, doesn't it? I remember an old idiom that goes, "there's no smoke without fire". Then again, a man is innocent until proven guilty.
Truth or lies? Guilt or innocence? Perhaps we will never know.
But these are surely great fodder for conspiracy theories. Time to write a book on one and earn millions. Perhaps be another Dan Brown in the making. All we need is one darn great book (ala Da Vinci Code) that creates enough interests and controversies that it becomes the talk-of-town. But make sure it's written under the "fiction" category so that you don't get sued (or hauled into ISA in this case).
Anyone up to the challenge of becoming the first Malaysian Dan Brown? :)
Saturday, August 25, 2007
50 years of Merdeka but what have we really learned?
Did you notice the recent spate of endless speeches from politicians (and the powers that be) and the frequent propaganda on TV, radio and print about how Malaysians are a tolerant society that lives in peace and harmony? Have you ever wondered how much truth is there in these statements? Are we really living in peace, harmony and racial tolerance? Have you ever questioned the sincerity of these statements? Are the people making such statements merely paying lip service?
Some of you might be laughing now. Questions like these are tantamount to asking oneself, "Is my mother a woman?"
Here are some recent statements made by our politicians:
An excerpt on the "keris issue" as written by Farish A. Noor:
" Former UMNO leader Mohamad Rahmat was among the first off the starting post when he uttered the dreaded A-word: “Don’t test the Malays, they know ‘amok’”. Melaka delegate Hasnoor Sidang Hussein added more blood to the feast when he bluntly stated that “UMNO is willing to risk lives and bathe in blood in defence of race and religion”. UMNO Youth Exco member Azimi Daim added that “when tension rises, the blood of Malay warriors will run in our veins”. (Prompting the obvious question: What happens when there is no tension? Whose blood is running in their veins then?) But the first prize for grandstanding has to go to Perlis delegate Hashim Suboh who directed his question to UMNO leader Hishamuddin Onn: “Datuk Hisham has unsheathed his keris, waved his keris, kissed his keris. We want to ask Datuk Hisham: when is he going to use it?” ... "
An excerpt from International Herald Tribune:
" Malaysia's prime minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, said Wednesday that frayed relations between the country's religious and racial groups had reached a "worrying" level and warned that the government would not hesitate to crack down to preserve peace between them. ... "
Does the above reflect a society living in peace, harmony and racial tolerance? Have we considered that statements made by certain powers that be could incite discontent which could potentially lead to violence? But that is another matter altogether and not the subject of this post.
As we approach our 50th year of Independence, instead of progressing in terms of tolerating each other, we seem to have digressed.
Why does it seem so easy for me to have close Malay friends in my younger days?
Why are so many issues and topics so sensitive these days, unlike say 15-20 years back?
Why is it that as the country progress, the fabric of unity within our society seem to disintegrate?
And as I ponder these questions, a few statements I overheard in recent months came to mind.
Quote:
"I pay ridiculous amount in taxes and they dare question my loyalty to the country?"
"I did not say I dislike my country. In fact, I love my country. I just dislike the people who rules her."
"Why is every issue about race and religion these days?"
"Loving something doesn't mean I agree with all their policies."
"Shhh! Don't say that so loudly. Walls have ears and you might end up under ISA detention."
Unquote.
As long as the powers that be continues to be an ostrich, discontent will continue to simmer. Whether this will erupt into a full blown conflagration will depend on how far the spark is left to linger and nurtured.
I came across this post while surfing, and I believe this young man said it best here.
Quote:
"We are reaching our 50th year of independence. But ask yourself, how far have we progressed socially? Do people have genuine friends from other races nowadays? Do people feel safe when they live as a minority in certain areas? What do people tell you if you get into a car accident at a kampung area?
If given a choice, would people of different races make the conscious effort to get together, other than for the purpose of politics?"
Unquote.
Check out the Southpark video clip on that blog. It's hilarious (that is if you have a sense of humour where these matters are concerned). But the clip, funny as it is, has quite a huge dose of truth in it.
One radio station has been zealously advertising and encouraging the good citizens of Malaysia to purchase a unity band. I laughed when I heard this over the airwaves. Do we believe that wearing a unity band would make us more tolerant? more united?
Something happened the other night that gave me some hope, however.
I was out having supper with a couple of friends. We were having a fine time jesting and poking fun at things ... when suddenly I realised I said "something" that might be taken the wrong way by my Malay friend.
Looking sheepish, I apologised, "I'm sorry, sometimes I forget that you are a Malay."
He replied, "It's ok. Sometimes I forget that you are a Chinese too."
We looked at each other and just grinned at our silliness. Now, that came from the heart. Nothing more was said. But yet, a subtle acknowledgement of friendship was made beyond racial boundaries.
Now, if only we could replicate this brief moment in time, a million times over, perhaps then there would be hope.
Happy 50th Merdeka to all.
Some of you might be laughing now. Questions like these are tantamount to asking oneself, "Is my mother a woman?"
Here are some recent statements made by our politicians:
An excerpt on the "keris issue" as written by Farish A. Noor:
" Former UMNO leader Mohamad Rahmat was among the first off the starting post when he uttered the dreaded A-word: “Don’t test the Malays, they know ‘amok’”. Melaka delegate Hasnoor Sidang Hussein added more blood to the feast when he bluntly stated that “UMNO is willing to risk lives and bathe in blood in defence of race and religion”. UMNO Youth Exco member Azimi Daim added that “when tension rises, the blood of Malay warriors will run in our veins”. (Prompting the obvious question: What happens when there is no tension? Whose blood is running in their veins then?) But the first prize for grandstanding has to go to Perlis delegate Hashim Suboh who directed his question to UMNO leader Hishamuddin Onn: “Datuk Hisham has unsheathed his keris, waved his keris, kissed his keris. We want to ask Datuk Hisham: when is he going to use it?” ... "
An excerpt from International Herald Tribune:
" Malaysia's prime minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, said Wednesday that frayed relations between the country's religious and racial groups had reached a "worrying" level and warned that the government would not hesitate to crack down to preserve peace between them. ... "
Does the above reflect a society living in peace, harmony and racial tolerance? Have we considered that statements made by certain powers that be could incite discontent which could potentially lead to violence? But that is another matter altogether and not the subject of this post.
As we approach our 50th year of Independence, instead of progressing in terms of tolerating each other, we seem to have digressed.
Why does it seem so easy for me to have close Malay friends in my younger days?
Why are so many issues and topics so sensitive these days, unlike say 15-20 years back?
Why is it that as the country progress, the fabric of unity within our society seem to disintegrate?
And as I ponder these questions, a few statements I overheard in recent months came to mind.
Quote:
"I pay ridiculous amount in taxes and they dare question my loyalty to the country?"
"I did not say I dislike my country. In fact, I love my country. I just dislike the people who rules her."
"Why is every issue about race and religion these days?"
"Loving something doesn't mean I agree with all their policies."
"Shhh! Don't say that so loudly. Walls have ears and you might end up under ISA detention."
Unquote.
As long as the powers that be continues to be an ostrich, discontent will continue to simmer. Whether this will erupt into a full blown conflagration will depend on how far the spark is left to linger and nurtured.
I came across this post while surfing, and I believe this young man said it best here.
Quote:
"We are reaching our 50th year of independence. But ask yourself, how far have we progressed socially? Do people have genuine friends from other races nowadays? Do people feel safe when they live as a minority in certain areas? What do people tell you if you get into a car accident at a kampung area?
If given a choice, would people of different races make the conscious effort to get together, other than for the purpose of politics?"
Unquote.
Check out the Southpark video clip on that blog. It's hilarious (that is if you have a sense of humour where these matters are concerned). But the clip, funny as it is, has quite a huge dose of truth in it.
One radio station has been zealously advertising and encouraging the good citizens of Malaysia to purchase a unity band. I laughed when I heard this over the airwaves. Do we believe that wearing a unity band would make us more tolerant? more united?
Something happened the other night that gave me some hope, however.
I was out having supper with a couple of friends. We were having a fine time jesting and poking fun at things ... when suddenly I realised I said "something" that might be taken the wrong way by my Malay friend.
Looking sheepish, I apologised, "I'm sorry, sometimes I forget that you are a Malay."
He replied, "It's ok. Sometimes I forget that you are a Chinese too."
We looked at each other and just grinned at our silliness. Now, that came from the heart. Nothing more was said. But yet, a subtle acknowledgement of friendship was made beyond racial boundaries.
Now, if only we could replicate this brief moment in time, a million times over, perhaps then there would be hope.
Happy 50th Merdeka to all.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Badminton - more, more, tell/show me more
Fresh from the BWF championships last weekend, we were pretty inspired last night at our weekly badminton game (despite Malaysia suffering heavy losses at the BWF). It was a great night. I had some good double matches and a particularly tough single match. I have not played singles with any of these guys before but was dragged into a match yesterday. It was particularly tiring and by the ninth point, I was "punctured" ~ out of breath & out of energy. I was sending easy shots out and giving weak returns. I was also running less so my opponent took the opportunity and came from behind to finish off the game. All in all, we got a lot of exercise done and I thought my back would ache like crazy today BUT all's well thus far. It ain't too bad after all.
In any case, the purpose of this blog is not to yak so much but to post pictures of the Proton-BWF World Championship 2007. After all, a picture says a thousand words. For those who can't get enough of it, feast on ...
Lin Dan @ the semis - man of the match
Bao Chunlai - the struggling opponent
Our "senior citizens" - putting up a fight
The crowd came in droves to support our "senior citizens"
A moment of respite (or not) with Rexy
More advice - how much trouble are we really in?
KKK - one half of the dethroned pair
Sony - the "giant" killer
Sony & Lin Dan @ the finals. The "giant" killer tried hard. The "man of the match" denied him the victory.
Lady badminton attire - how far we have come ...
Men Doubles Finals - the Koreans played below par, the Indonesians didn't give an inch.
In any case, the purpose of this blog is not to yak so much but to post pictures of the Proton-BWF World Championship 2007. After all, a picture says a thousand words. For those who can't get enough of it, feast on ...
Lin Dan @ the semis - man of the match
Bao Chunlai - the struggling opponent
Our "senior citizens" - putting up a fight
The crowd came in droves to support our "senior citizens"
A moment of respite (or not) with Rexy
More advice - how much trouble are we really in?
KKK - one half of the dethroned pair
Sony - the "giant" killer
Sony & Lin Dan @ the finals. The "giant" killer tried hard. The "man of the match" denied him the victory.
Lady badminton attire - how far we have come ...
Men Doubles Finals - the Koreans played below par, the Indonesians didn't give an inch.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Proton-BWF World Championships 2007
Venue: Stadium Putra – Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur
Period: August 13 – 19
My excitement over the World Championships this time round was understandable. After all, this would be my first time watching so many seeded players “live” as me and a couple of friends bought tickets for the semis and the finals matches. Prior to this, my first and last “live” badminton tournament was at the Commonwealth Games at Bukit Jalil. But that was totally different. No badminton tournament is complete without the presence of China and Indonesia.
Most memorable moments:
1. Lin Dan in action.
It was pure pleasure watching Lin Dan in action. Although I was rooting for the underdogs i.e. Bao Chunlai and Sony Dwi Kuncoro on both days, nothing could take away Lin Dan’s supremacy in the game.
During the semis, I felt that he was toying with Bao. Twice he dived for Bao’s shots and both times, he made a huge production of sprawling on the ground. But we knew it was faked as his eyes were not even looking at the shuttle. Besides, he stayed so much longer on the ground, posing for the cameras.
He was more serious when playing against Sony since he knew what was at stake. Despite Sony’s comeback in the second set, Lin Dan was clearly in a class of his own. He was simply too fast for Sony. His movements were fast and economical compared to Sony. It’s amazing how fast Lin Dan could get behind a shuttle for seemingly impossible shots and sent it back with careful, precise placements. Many a time Sony was left struggling to keep up with Lin Dan’s shots.
The way I look at it, no player could possibly beat Lin Dan on his good day. As a friend put it, “Lin Dan is the ‘Roger Federer’ of badminton.”
2. Men’s doubles semi final match between Korea and Japan.
Two young doubles players with lots of energy and the single objective to “kill the shuttle” as fast as possible. The game was so fast with smashes upon smashes, drives upon drives. It was a really exhilarating watch. Do not blink or you will miss the next point.
3. Baseline jumping smashes.
Dang! Can these players jump?! The final men’s doubles game between Markis Kido - Hendra Setiawan (Indonesia) and Jung Jae-sung - Lee Yong-dae (Korea) was unforgettable. They might be short but boy! can they jump?! What’s more, they can jump and smash from the baseline! That was what was missing from Choong Tan Fook – Lee Wan Wah’s game. They simply couldn’t jump and kill the shuttle.
4. Random comment from a spectator.
“I was shouting ‘Malaysia Boleh’ the other day and guess what. This Indonesian interrupted me and said, ‘Ya, Malaysia Boleh. Tapi Indonesia Lebih Boleh!’”
Eh, eh … ya tak ya jugak!
Major gripes and disappointments:
1. No live telecast of crucial matches on FTA (free to air)TV.
No live telecast for the quarterfinal matches between Koo Kien Keat - Tan Boon Heong and Shuichi Sakamoto - Shintaro Ikeda (Japan); and between Wong Mew Choo and Xie Xingfang (China). There was no delayed telecast of these matches either nor for the matches between Choong Tan Fook – Lee Wan Wah and Fu Haifeng – Cai Yun (China); and between Lee Chong Wei and Sony Dwi Kuncoro (Indonesia).
For a country that’s crazy over badminton and has world ranking players (although that’s debatable after this tournament), this oversight is unforgivable. Not everyone has Astro you know. Besides, if NTV7 can air the Football Champions Youth Cup Highlights, other FTA could at least show the Proton-BWF World Championships highlights.
Besides, not to be disrespectful, but how many TV stations are needed to air the live telecast of the 50 year Merdeka celebration? We can talk to death about a nation’s unity but if one wants to see unity in action, go to a badminton game and you will see Malaysians of all races rooting for one team, the Malaysian team! Now, that’s true unity!
2. Pea brain tournament organiser.
We paid good money for “what we thought were” great seats for the finals. We expected to watch the matches at centre court but some “smart aleck” decided to hold the matches at the other end of the stadium! Thus, the seats went to waste as we had to go to the higher levels (cheaper tickets with free seating) but closer to the court to watch the matches. Blardy hell! One wonders why the matches can’t be held on the centre court!
3. Selfish mentality of KL drivers.
Haphazard parking on non legitimate parking areas i.e. road shoulders, pavements, etc. whilst legitimate parking were available but located slightly further away. For the life of me, I could not understand the mentality of “supposedly educated” people. When they get behind the wheel, whatever good upbringing and education they received fly out of the window. Most act like “selfish b*****ds”!
4. Dismal performances.
Rexy was right when he slammed our shuttlers for failing to reach the world championship finals. This was our best chance with home ground support. Not only did our players NOT reach the finals, our hopefuls namely Lee Chong Wei and the Koo-Tan partnership did not even reach the semis! To add insult to injury, Lee had the cheek to blame chief coach Yap Kim Hock for his own failure to deliver. What happened to maturity, professionalism and taking blame of one’s own mistakes?
And THAT is my take on the Proton-BWF World Championships. May there be more interesting tournaments in future and hopefully, we (Malaysia) make it to the finals.
Period: August 13 – 19
My excitement over the World Championships this time round was understandable. After all, this would be my first time watching so many seeded players “live” as me and a couple of friends bought tickets for the semis and the finals matches. Prior to this, my first and last “live” badminton tournament was at the Commonwealth Games at Bukit Jalil. But that was totally different. No badminton tournament is complete without the presence of China and Indonesia.
Most memorable moments:
1. Lin Dan in action.
It was pure pleasure watching Lin Dan in action. Although I was rooting for the underdogs i.e. Bao Chunlai and Sony Dwi Kuncoro on both days, nothing could take away Lin Dan’s supremacy in the game.
During the semis, I felt that he was toying with Bao. Twice he dived for Bao’s shots and both times, he made a huge production of sprawling on the ground. But we knew it was faked as his eyes were not even looking at the shuttle. Besides, he stayed so much longer on the ground, posing for the cameras.
He was more serious when playing against Sony since he knew what was at stake. Despite Sony’s comeback in the second set, Lin Dan was clearly in a class of his own. He was simply too fast for Sony. His movements were fast and economical compared to Sony. It’s amazing how fast Lin Dan could get behind a shuttle for seemingly impossible shots and sent it back with careful, precise placements. Many a time Sony was left struggling to keep up with Lin Dan’s shots.
The way I look at it, no player could possibly beat Lin Dan on his good day. As a friend put it, “Lin Dan is the ‘Roger Federer’ of badminton.”
2. Men’s doubles semi final match between Korea and Japan.
Two young doubles players with lots of energy and the single objective to “kill the shuttle” as fast as possible. The game was so fast with smashes upon smashes, drives upon drives. It was a really exhilarating watch. Do not blink or you will miss the next point.
3. Baseline jumping smashes.
Dang! Can these players jump?! The final men’s doubles game between Markis Kido - Hendra Setiawan (Indonesia) and Jung Jae-sung - Lee Yong-dae (Korea) was unforgettable. They might be short but boy! can they jump?! What’s more, they can jump and smash from the baseline! That was what was missing from Choong Tan Fook – Lee Wan Wah’s game. They simply couldn’t jump and kill the shuttle.
4. Random comment from a spectator.
“I was shouting ‘Malaysia Boleh’ the other day and guess what. This Indonesian interrupted me and said, ‘Ya, Malaysia Boleh. Tapi Indonesia Lebih Boleh!’”
Eh, eh … ya tak ya jugak!
Major gripes and disappointments:
1. No live telecast of crucial matches on FTA (free to air)TV.
No live telecast for the quarterfinal matches between Koo Kien Keat - Tan Boon Heong and Shuichi Sakamoto - Shintaro Ikeda (Japan); and between Wong Mew Choo and Xie Xingfang (China). There was no delayed telecast of these matches either nor for the matches between Choong Tan Fook – Lee Wan Wah and Fu Haifeng – Cai Yun (China); and between Lee Chong Wei and Sony Dwi Kuncoro (Indonesia).
For a country that’s crazy over badminton and has world ranking players (although that’s debatable after this tournament), this oversight is unforgivable. Not everyone has Astro you know. Besides, if NTV7 can air the Football Champions Youth Cup Highlights, other FTA could at least show the Proton-BWF World Championships highlights.
Besides, not to be disrespectful, but how many TV stations are needed to air the live telecast of the 50 year Merdeka celebration? We can talk to death about a nation’s unity but if one wants to see unity in action, go to a badminton game and you will see Malaysians of all races rooting for one team, the Malaysian team! Now, that’s true unity!
2. Pea brain tournament organiser.
We paid good money for “what we thought were” great seats for the finals. We expected to watch the matches at centre court but some “smart aleck” decided to hold the matches at the other end of the stadium! Thus, the seats went to waste as we had to go to the higher levels (cheaper tickets with free seating) but closer to the court to watch the matches. Blardy hell! One wonders why the matches can’t be held on the centre court!
3. Selfish mentality of KL drivers.
Haphazard parking on non legitimate parking areas i.e. road shoulders, pavements, etc. whilst legitimate parking were available but located slightly further away. For the life of me, I could not understand the mentality of “supposedly educated” people. When they get behind the wheel, whatever good upbringing and education they received fly out of the window. Most act like “selfish b*****ds”!
4. Dismal performances.
Rexy was right when he slammed our shuttlers for failing to reach the world championship finals. This was our best chance with home ground support. Not only did our players NOT reach the finals, our hopefuls namely Lee Chong Wei and the Koo-Tan partnership did not even reach the semis! To add insult to injury, Lee had the cheek to blame chief coach Yap Kim Hock for his own failure to deliver. What happened to maturity, professionalism and taking blame of one’s own mistakes?
And THAT is my take on the Proton-BWF World Championships. May there be more interesting tournaments in future and hopefully, we (Malaysia) make it to the finals.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Tunku the Musical
Riiiiiinnngggg!!!!
"Leanne, are you in KL?"
"Yes. Wassup?"
"Would you be interested in watching Tunku the Musical tonight? I have two free tickets!"
"Yes! Yes! Yes!"
And that was how I ended up at KLPAC last Saturday, watching Tunku the Musical ~ on opening night, no less!
The Story - as I see it
Contrary to the title, Tunku did not make an appearance in the entire musical. The focus of the musical was on events that occurred during the reign of Tunku Abdul Rahman as first Prime Minister. The musical started off with the celebration of Independence, followed by the separation of Singapore from Malaysia, and culminated to the events on May the 13th 1969.
Interwoven within these key historical events was the story of Syed, an aide of Tunku, aptly played by Tony Eusoff. Syed was portrayed as an ambitious political aide and a racist to boot. He despised the Chinese so much that he disapproved of his son, Malik's romance with Fauzia, who was of Chinese descent but was adopted by a Malay laksa seller.
Syed was among the vocal supporters urging Tunku to kick out Singapore from Malaysia due to PAP's shenanigans. While Tunku believed that the country was big enough for everyone, Syed believed otherwise. The musical also implied that Syed was instrumental in sanctioning the riots of May the 13th, after DAP won the election. Despite all these, Syed had a deep, dark secret ~ his mistress was not of Malay descent.
Jumping into this cauldron of power, deception and dark exposé was Paul, a hardcore political journalist. The role was played with "glee" (I can't think of any other word to use except that) by Douglas Lim. It was a joy to watch Douglas unleashed himself in that role and at times, he reminded me of a young Robert Redford in his role in All the President's Men, except that Douglas was just more rotund. :) Paul was always at Syed's tail, chasing him for comments as events unfolded and playing the devil's advocate. Paul never let up on Syed ~ pushing and pushing and pushing him. One wonders if perhaps it was partly Paul's needling of Syed's failure to foresee DAP's success in the election that drove Syed to sanction the riot.
As the story unfolded, after the separation of Singapore from Malaysia, Syed pushed his son Malik to study law in UK, thus separating Malik from Fausia. His argument was that Malik was meant for better things than getting stuck with a Chinese girl. Malik went along with Dad's wish but promised Fauzia that he would return for her.
Events heated up while Malik was away. Elections came and Syed thought he had played his cards well enough to win. But alas! DAP won instead. The public has spoken. But Syed could not accept that. Syed could not fathom his loss. And as DAP prepared for their parade in the city, Syed prepared for his own "parade".
Meanwhile, Malik was due home during that period. Fausia waited anxiously for his return.
As DAP gathered in the streets to celebrate their victory, gangs gathered in the streets to vent their anger. There were riots on the streets. Houses were burnt down. It was total chaos. Amidst the confusion, Fausia was attacked and raped by a Malay gang. Malik appeared too late, only in time to find Fausia's battered body. As Malik held on to Fausia, a Chinese gang appeared, seeking vengeance. They saw Malik with Fausia's body and assumed the worst. The Chinese gang then attacked Malik and stabbed him.
Meanwhile, at the aftermath of the riot, Syed was back on the streets with a group of journalists. His attitude was almost condescending, superior. To him, such destruction was a lesson learnt. If the opposition wins, the people suffer. He carried that attitude until he came upon a body. To his horror and grief, it was Malik's.
The scene ended and we were brought forward to present day Malaysia.
The Review
Malaysia is brimming with talent which we should continue to grow and nurture. I confess that I did not know what to expect and I came out pleasantly surprised.
Much had been said about Tony and Douglas and their characters above. I would not want to sound like a broken record here. Just an additional thought ~ the two leads have great chemistry. Watching the interaction between Tony and Douglas on stage was a pleasure. Special mention has to be made with regards to the three lady leads; namely Doreen Tang (who played Fausia), Evelyn Toh (Cik Tan) and Maria Yasmin (Maria). Blessed with beautiful voices, each of them is perfect in her role. I enjoyed Zamil Idris' (Malik) baritone and was shocked to discover that he was one of the finalist for Malaysian Idol. One wonders why he did not win the competition! The rest of the cast held their own.
There was one particular scene that warrants a special mention ~ the rape of Fausia. Truly it was an uncomfortable scene for me to watch but it must have been more uncomfortable for the cast to act. The acrobatics for that scene must have been extremely taxing. And the amount of choreography that went into that should be applauded. Watching Fausia being flung all over made me dizzy. Kudos to Doreen, the Malay gang and the choreographer for making this work.
I love the music and lyrics. The fact that they could hold my attention for the entire duration and enabled me to write the story above, speaks volumes of the writers' talents. The tunes were catchy and the lyrics were able to tell the story well without the need for extra dialogue. Among my favourite tunes are "Front Page News", "With One Stroke of Your Pen" and "One Moment Ago". "Laksa" was a memorable piece as it brought home the thought that we are truly one nation. Our lives are so intertwined that we could no longer tell if laksa is malay or chinese food.
Since I know nothing much about dance and orchestra, all I can say is that everything jived. The dance choreography went well with the music. The dance elements flowed well with the story. And to my untrained ear, the orchestra sounded wonderful. :)
The staging was simple but effective. It was a clever move to show original footages of our little piece of history on the big screens, and to intertwine that with footages of the musical, shown in black and white. That added authenticity to the acts on stage. Also, the choice of wardrobe in bland colours ~ i.e. white, black, grey, etc ~ during the historical scenes, and in full technicolour for present day Malaysia worked well.
Bloops and blunders
I guess it is no surprise that the best laid plans of mice and men will fail when it comes to computers. They are such temperamental "electrical circuit boards" - the bits and the bytes, the RAM and the ROM! In the midst of the show after intermission, the screens showed "error" although the footages were still running. Some technician came to the rescue and luckily for the musical, the problem was resolved without a further hitch.
Here's my two cents worth of feedback. When showing the "dead body" of Malik, my advice is NOT to pan the camera too close to his body. We could clearly see that Malik was breathing. That kind of "killed" the grieving mood.
The Ending
I found the ending to be rather abrupt. The story had build us up for a climax ~ the rape of Fausia, the death of Malik, the discovery by Syed. Then ... nothing! The scene changed to present day Malaysia. That was truly anti climatic. I am not sure what could have been done at the end but I expected more. A closure for Syed perhaps?
However, THAT should not, in any way, reduce the wonderful performances in the musical. Kudos to Joe Hasham and his cast & crew for pulling all this together.
One thing else this musical has brought home to me besides its entertainment value is the interest to read more about that time period. How could we have lost our unity (witness the tongue-in-cheek song of "laksa") and forsake that for suspicion, self interest and destruction? With recent events coming to a head in the last two years, one wonders if we did indeed learn anything in the last 50 years of independence. The last song about being "colour blind" remains perhaps a wish? an ideal?
Go watch the musical, if you have yet to do so. Check out the following site for more information.
"Leanne, are you in KL?"
"Yes. Wassup?"
"Would you be interested in watching Tunku the Musical tonight? I have two free tickets!"
"Yes! Yes! Yes!"
And that was how I ended up at KLPAC last Saturday, watching Tunku the Musical ~ on opening night, no less!
The Story - as I see it
Contrary to the title, Tunku did not make an appearance in the entire musical. The focus of the musical was on events that occurred during the reign of Tunku Abdul Rahman as first Prime Minister. The musical started off with the celebration of Independence, followed by the separation of Singapore from Malaysia, and culminated to the events on May the 13th 1969.
Interwoven within these key historical events was the story of Syed, an aide of Tunku, aptly played by Tony Eusoff. Syed was portrayed as an ambitious political aide and a racist to boot. He despised the Chinese so much that he disapproved of his son, Malik's romance with Fauzia, who was of Chinese descent but was adopted by a Malay laksa seller.
Syed was among the vocal supporters urging Tunku to kick out Singapore from Malaysia due to PAP's shenanigans. While Tunku believed that the country was big enough for everyone, Syed believed otherwise. The musical also implied that Syed was instrumental in sanctioning the riots of May the 13th, after DAP won the election. Despite all these, Syed had a deep, dark secret ~ his mistress was not of Malay descent.
Jumping into this cauldron of power, deception and dark exposé was Paul, a hardcore political journalist. The role was played with "glee" (I can't think of any other word to use except that) by Douglas Lim. It was a joy to watch Douglas unleashed himself in that role and at times, he reminded me of a young Robert Redford in his role in All the President's Men, except that Douglas was just more rotund. :) Paul was always at Syed's tail, chasing him for comments as events unfolded and playing the devil's advocate. Paul never let up on Syed ~ pushing and pushing and pushing him. One wonders if perhaps it was partly Paul's needling of Syed's failure to foresee DAP's success in the election that drove Syed to sanction the riot.
As the story unfolded, after the separation of Singapore from Malaysia, Syed pushed his son Malik to study law in UK, thus separating Malik from Fausia. His argument was that Malik was meant for better things than getting stuck with a Chinese girl. Malik went along with Dad's wish but promised Fauzia that he would return for her.
Events heated up while Malik was away. Elections came and Syed thought he had played his cards well enough to win. But alas! DAP won instead. The public has spoken. But Syed could not accept that. Syed could not fathom his loss. And as DAP prepared for their parade in the city, Syed prepared for his own "parade".
Meanwhile, Malik was due home during that period. Fausia waited anxiously for his return.
As DAP gathered in the streets to celebrate their victory, gangs gathered in the streets to vent their anger. There were riots on the streets. Houses were burnt down. It was total chaos. Amidst the confusion, Fausia was attacked and raped by a Malay gang. Malik appeared too late, only in time to find Fausia's battered body. As Malik held on to Fausia, a Chinese gang appeared, seeking vengeance. They saw Malik with Fausia's body and assumed the worst. The Chinese gang then attacked Malik and stabbed him.
Meanwhile, at the aftermath of the riot, Syed was back on the streets with a group of journalists. His attitude was almost condescending, superior. To him, such destruction was a lesson learnt. If the opposition wins, the people suffer. He carried that attitude until he came upon a body. To his horror and grief, it was Malik's.
The scene ended and we were brought forward to present day Malaysia.
The Review
Malaysia is brimming with talent which we should continue to grow and nurture. I confess that I did not know what to expect and I came out pleasantly surprised.
Much had been said about Tony and Douglas and their characters above. I would not want to sound like a broken record here. Just an additional thought ~ the two leads have great chemistry. Watching the interaction between Tony and Douglas on stage was a pleasure. Special mention has to be made with regards to the three lady leads; namely Doreen Tang (who played Fausia), Evelyn Toh (Cik Tan) and Maria Yasmin (Maria). Blessed with beautiful voices, each of them is perfect in her role. I enjoyed Zamil Idris' (Malik) baritone and was shocked to discover that he was one of the finalist for Malaysian Idol. One wonders why he did not win the competition! The rest of the cast held their own.
There was one particular scene that warrants a special mention ~ the rape of Fausia. Truly it was an uncomfortable scene for me to watch but it must have been more uncomfortable for the cast to act. The acrobatics for that scene must have been extremely taxing. And the amount of choreography that went into that should be applauded. Watching Fausia being flung all over made me dizzy. Kudos to Doreen, the Malay gang and the choreographer for making this work.
I love the music and lyrics. The fact that they could hold my attention for the entire duration and enabled me to write the story above, speaks volumes of the writers' talents. The tunes were catchy and the lyrics were able to tell the story well without the need for extra dialogue. Among my favourite tunes are "Front Page News", "With One Stroke of Your Pen" and "One Moment Ago". "Laksa" was a memorable piece as it brought home the thought that we are truly one nation. Our lives are so intertwined that we could no longer tell if laksa is malay or chinese food.
Since I know nothing much about dance and orchestra, all I can say is that everything jived. The dance choreography went well with the music. The dance elements flowed well with the story. And to my untrained ear, the orchestra sounded wonderful. :)
The staging was simple but effective. It was a clever move to show original footages of our little piece of history on the big screens, and to intertwine that with footages of the musical, shown in black and white. That added authenticity to the acts on stage. Also, the choice of wardrobe in bland colours ~ i.e. white, black, grey, etc ~ during the historical scenes, and in full technicolour for present day Malaysia worked well.
Bloops and blunders
I guess it is no surprise that the best laid plans of mice and men will fail when it comes to computers. They are such temperamental "electrical circuit boards" - the bits and the bytes, the RAM and the ROM! In the midst of the show after intermission, the screens showed "error" although the footages were still running. Some technician came to the rescue and luckily for the musical, the problem was resolved without a further hitch.
Here's my two cents worth of feedback. When showing the "dead body" of Malik, my advice is NOT to pan the camera too close to his body. We could clearly see that Malik was breathing. That kind of "killed" the grieving mood.
The Ending
I found the ending to be rather abrupt. The story had build us up for a climax ~ the rape of Fausia, the death of Malik, the discovery by Syed. Then ... nothing! The scene changed to present day Malaysia. That was truly anti climatic. I am not sure what could have been done at the end but I expected more. A closure for Syed perhaps?
However, THAT should not, in any way, reduce the wonderful performances in the musical. Kudos to Joe Hasham and his cast & crew for pulling all this together.
One thing else this musical has brought home to me besides its entertainment value is the interest to read more about that time period. How could we have lost our unity (witness the tongue-in-cheek song of "laksa") and forsake that for suspicion, self interest and destruction? With recent events coming to a head in the last two years, one wonders if we did indeed learn anything in the last 50 years of independence. The last song about being "colour blind" remains perhaps a wish? an ideal?
Go watch the musical, if you have yet to do so. Check out the following site for more information.
Monday, August 06, 2007
Should bloggers join politics?
Yes, I have finally surfaced on the blogosphere. This news is just too disturbing to let it pass.
When I first heard the news that Jeff Ooi is joining DAP, my reaction was negative.
Why?
Because I felt a teensy weensy bit betrayed.
Because his voice would now no longer be an "impartial" voice of the people. He would no longer be a regular Joe ... like you and me.
(I am using the word "impartial" here rather losely as no matter who we are, we can never be totally "impartial" as we would somehow be influenced by our environment and upbringing.)
Because by crossing over to politics, his say would no longer be his opinion. Party politics will come into play.
And yes, I would assume there would be conflict of interest.
And yes, I believe there would be political agenda behind his words.
As a friend said during a conversation on this, "Jeff Ooi would no longer be credible."
If I had wanted to know what DAP thought, I would have read Lim Kit Siang's blog.
At least that is what both of us felt.
What about you? Do you think bloggers should join politics?
When I first heard the news that Jeff Ooi is joining DAP, my reaction was negative.
Why?
Because I felt a teensy weensy bit betrayed.
Because his voice would now no longer be an "impartial" voice of the people. He would no longer be a regular Joe ... like you and me.
(I am using the word "impartial" here rather losely as no matter who we are, we can never be totally "impartial" as we would somehow be influenced by our environment and upbringing.)
Because by crossing over to politics, his say would no longer be his opinion. Party politics will come into play.
And yes, I would assume there would be conflict of interest.
And yes, I believe there would be political agenda behind his words.
As a friend said during a conversation on this, "Jeff Ooi would no longer be credible."
If I had wanted to know what DAP thought, I would have read Lim Kit Siang's blog.
At least that is what both of us felt.
What about you? Do you think bloggers should join politics?
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Just Follow Law
If you are tired of watching comic superheroes, retro movies, American propaganda, Hong Kong slapstick, et. al., give this Singapore movie a shot.If you have spent years working in conglomerates or the civil service, you are sure to identify with some, if not most, of the corporate, political shenanigans in this movie.
And if you are being sucked into the quagmire of corporate or governmental bureaucracy, you will definitely feel for the characters in this movie.
Check out the movie review here. I'm sure you will love this.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
The Break ~ Mulu National Park
Finally I managed to take a much needed break at Mulu National Park. Didn't think my boss was too happy about that but ... how else to clear my accumulated 43 days of leave if I don't start clearing 1, 2 and 3 now? Besides, I don't think I was all that effective at work with all the "issues" hovering in my mind.
I digress. Back to Mulu National Park. The last time I went to Mulu was in 1994. Goodness! That sounds like a whole century ago ... :P I was supposed to climb the Pinnacles Trail then but alas! we were prevented from doing so by the forest ranger then due to heavy downpour at the mountains the night before.
This time round, I did not hold out much hope that I could climb the Pinnacles Trail. In fact, it was not in my original itinerary to Mulu as I had planned to do the show caves plus some adventure caving. Besides, I was wholly unfit due to my workload and I had more than a few trepidations about making the climb. After all, I am more than a decade older (although not a century :P). I had yet to recover from a knee injury sustained a couple of months back and my fear of heights resurfaced at the thought of doing vertical climbs on steel/aluminium ladders.
But my friends seemed to have more confidence in my fitness level than I. After a few feeble attempts to convince Val to do the caves only, I gave in. Truth be told, despite worry over my knee, it was also a matter of pride and challenge to complete the trail.
And boy! was I glad we did it, although I would never do it again!
As this was a budget trip, I figured that we could latch on to other individual travellers to hire a guide and share the boat fees. Thus, with day packs on our backs (we left our larger backpacks at the Mulu Headquarters), we set out for the 3 days Pinnacles Trail. Well, the trail to Pinnacles itself does not take 3 days.
Day 1 we took an hour's boat ride to the beginning of the trail to Camp 5. (Three hours if the water level is low and if we end up pushing the boat.)
Boat ride to Camp 5
From there, we made another 3-hour trek on flat land to Camp 5. Needless to say, we were feeling the toll of carrying our own backpack as the hours dragged on, especially with my weak knee and the muddy ground. Val swore that she will not carry her own backpack again! "Luxury trekking trip!" I could almost visualise the chant inside her head. :p We were pleasantly surprised when we arrived at Camp 5 because it was not just a campsite but a nice wooden building equipped with a very basic kitchen and clean public bathrooms for "he" and "she". Accomodations were also basic but decent and clean. Located next to a stream and amidst the tropical jungle and mountains, the surrounding area was really pretty.
Our humble accomodations @ Camp 5
But alas! by 3+pm, the sky suddenly opened up its heavens and started raining cats and dogs. My heart plummeted. Not again! I thought I'd never get to climb the Pinnacles Trail at this rate. It was still raining when we went to bed.
The morning dawned bright and dry on Day 2. What a surprise! Again, I was filled with trepidation at the thought of climbing vertical, steel ladders. The incline sloped immediately once we started on the trail. The first two half hours were tough. There was no "give" in the climb. We were trekking up at 60-70 deg incline for the first 2000 m. And it was up, up, up and up! Every time I thought I had overcome the toughest parts, I was proven wrong again. The trail just got tougher and tougher. At some point, I looked down the steep incline and wondered how I would manage the descent. But one barrier at a time, I thought. First, focus on the climb, then worry about the descent.
After the 2000 m mark, the trail flattened and I thought, "Gosh! Finally ... time to catch my breath and ease my wobbly legs." But not a few metres away, I came upon what looked like the end of the trail. By then, I had lost sight of the Belgian and Scandinavian folks who were slightly ahead of me earlier. And I could not see Val, our guide or any of the Singaporean and Canadian trekkers who were behind me.
Now what? Then I noticed the "red & white" paint (which marked the trail) on the rock surface beside me, and lo & behold! I caught sight of the vertical steel ladder indicating the start of the 400 m vertical climb. And beside the ladder, there was a signboard warning climbers not to climb that part of the trail after 11am as they might end up reaching ground level at nightfall on very treacherous trails.
Val and our guide arrived while I was still building up my courage to climb the blardy ladder. After coming so far, there was no way I would call it quits. Height phobia be damned! "What the mind can conceive, the mind can achieve." Blah blah blah .... "Alrighty! Time to move my butt instead of staring at the ladder," I thought.
From then onwards, it was kind of a blur for me. The vertical climb continued for the rest of the way. Sometimes, I could not even see where the trail led. Soon I lost sight of Val and the guide again. But I continued to climb. When I hit a snag or seemed to have lost my way, I looked for the "red & white" marks again. And always, it would lead on to more treacherous steel ladders or planks or crevices on rock surfaces or steel rings or ropes. It was endless. I did not allow myself time to stop for long and contemplate, as I feared I might lose my nerve once reality sank in.
After climbing almost an hour with no end in sight, I finally paused for a longer rest. Reality did sink in then. I had long ago lost sight and sound of any human. The eerie silence of the mountains began to seep in and suddenly it sank on me that I was totally alone in the mountains. Anything could have happened while I was climbing. Feeling lost and alone, doubts asailed me. I started calling out to Val, "On! On!" (that was our code in the jungle) but to no avail.
Suddenly I heard rustling above me. A caucasian head jutted out from above the huge mountain rock and one Hungarian appeared. They had set off much earlier that morning and reached the peak ahead of our group.
"Hello there!" The mat salleh called out.
"How far more to go?" I asked.
"Not far. You're very close ~ about five minutes away," was his reply. Then one by one his group (the Hungarians) clambered down from the rock.
Just when I thought everyone had descended, Bjorn ~ our new Scandanavian friend ~ called out to me from above, "Hey you! Not very far to go!"
I looked up and saw Bjorn making his way down, followed by June (his girlfriend) and Derrick (the fireman from Belgium) who were all part of our group.
"You guys on the way down so soon?" I asked.
"Yup. Nothing much there. Half hour is enough. We want to get down for a dip in the river," was his reply.
"What time did you guys reach?"
"About 5 past 10."
A look at my watch indicated that it was 10.30 am then. Hmmm ... not too bad. We were not that far behind.
Then I heard Val's voice from the back. Yay!! My troop was finally here. Hehehe ...
After everyone clambered down, we made our way up quickly with renewed energy. In a few short minutes, we arrived at the peak ~ tired and drenched with sweat, but very elated!
WE DID IT!!! And we were the first Asians to reach the peak that day! Woo Hoo!
At the peak and looking at the Pinnacles
And yet another look at the Pinnacles and the ladies who managed to reach the top! :D
OK. So it didn't look as impressive as we expected. But heck! this was still quite amazing. (That's what we kept telling ourselves.)
We did not linger though and started the descent at 11 am. The vertical downward climb was tough at first but we got the hang of it soon enough. Progress was slow but much easier (in hindsight) compared to the descent after the vertical part.
We "collected" Ing (one of the Singaporean ladies) at the last steel ladder (she did not make it to the top due to her weak knees) and continued our downward journey. The second phase of the descent was so much tougher. Walking down 60-70 deg incline was much worse than climbing down 80-90 deg incline!
I slipped and fell so many times that I lost count. Once again, I lost sight of Val, Ing and the guide. But I could not stop. I worried that if I do stop, I might not walk another step forward! By then, my legs were trembling so badly. Every step was pure agony. I was very careful in deciding which part of the ground to step on to prevent further slips.
However, I had collected numerous bruises by then. After one exceptionally nasty fall, I just sat on the ground and contemplated what idiocy had made me do this climb! :P
Despite the knee guard, my injured right knee felt bad. My good left knee started throbbing. I was placing way too much pressure on that leg. Goodness, I was physically falling apart! Drama a bit la! hehehe ...
In any case, it was an incredibly tough descent. But I wanted to get it over and done with fast! My aim was to reach camp and shelter before 3pm to avoid the downpour which had occured for 2 consecutive days at around those times. Lucky for all climbers, the dry weather held. I managed to arrive at 2.50 pm. It had taken me 3 hours 50 mins to descent.
Back at camp, I quickly gulped down cupfuls of water. Most of us were almost dehydrated as we tried to take minimal water up the climb to lighten our load. It seemed that poor Bjorn vomitted on the way down as he was very close to dehydration. Thank god for June who helped him along the way. Next on the agenda was food! Once I satisfied these basic needs, it was time to jump into the stream to cool off. Gosh! That was heavenly. By late eve, all the climbers had returned to the campsite. We were all vying for equal share of voice to talk about our experiences and to compare bruises.
Day 3 dawned and despite aching limbs, we had to make the three hour trek back to the river. Strangely enough, despite our tiredness and injuries, the trek back was much faster. We made it in 2 and the half hours. And it took us another hour by boat to reach camp.
Woo Hoo! Back to civilisation!
Despite the original plan of going adventure caving, our injured legs couldn't take in more abuse. Thus, we decided to rest and enjoy the Park going to show caves instead. Even so, the trails on wooden platform were quite a challenge. By then, I had also contracted allergy to something. I was scratching and scratching and scratching. As usual, hypochondriac Val also felt like scratching after watching me! Thank god for my ever ready supply of "minyak angin".
We took it real easy the next few days. We went to visit the Lang and Deer Caves. I love both caves as they were more interesting than the Wind and the Clearwater Caves (which we visited earlier on the way to the Pinnacles Trail). Lang Cave was the smallest but it was real pretty. Deer Cave was huge, smelly and different. But the sight of water falling amidst the dark interior, illuminated by streaks of sunlight at the mouth of the cave was incredible and beyond words. At the end of the walk, a most incredible sight greeted us. The sight was aptly called Garden of Eden.
We also went for the longest Canopy Walk (480m) which cost us 30 bucks. It was really not worth the money though. Our final morning, we went to Moonmilk Cave on our own. Although there was no entrance fee, it was really not worth the walk either ~ which included a climb of 425 steps (or so it said in the brochure).
What was worth waiting for was the swarm of bats hunting for food in the eve. We took the 3.8km walk to the Bat Observation area for two days in a row to catch this incredible natural phenomenon. The first eve was a disaster. No bats were in sight and we got caught in the downpour on our return trip.
On the second eve, we all waited in anticipation. 5pm came and went. Then 5.30pm and then it was almost 6pm. We thought it would be another "no show" eve. Suddenly, we noted activity at the mouth of the cave high above ground.
And then .... the most amazing sight! I have never seen anything like this before apart from the "whirlwind" barracudas at the Sipadan dive site.
Bats out on a hunt for food
Another look at the bats during dusk
For a photo travelogue of this trip, check out this link.
And there you have it! A wonderful break away. Granted, my troubles did not go away. But for those few days, different things took priorities in life other than work.
Mulu ~ I'll always treasure thee!
I digress. Back to Mulu National Park. The last time I went to Mulu was in 1994. Goodness! That sounds like a whole century ago ... :P I was supposed to climb the Pinnacles Trail then but alas! we were prevented from doing so by the forest ranger then due to heavy downpour at the mountains the night before.
This time round, I did not hold out much hope that I could climb the Pinnacles Trail. In fact, it was not in my original itinerary to Mulu as I had planned to do the show caves plus some adventure caving. Besides, I was wholly unfit due to my workload and I had more than a few trepidations about making the climb. After all, I am more than a decade older (although not a century :P). I had yet to recover from a knee injury sustained a couple of months back and my fear of heights resurfaced at the thought of doing vertical climbs on steel/aluminium ladders.
But my friends seemed to have more confidence in my fitness level than I. After a few feeble attempts to convince Val to do the caves only, I gave in. Truth be told, despite worry over my knee, it was also a matter of pride and challenge to complete the trail.
And boy! was I glad we did it, although I would never do it again!
As this was a budget trip, I figured that we could latch on to other individual travellers to hire a guide and share the boat fees. Thus, with day packs on our backs (we left our larger backpacks at the Mulu Headquarters), we set out for the 3 days Pinnacles Trail. Well, the trail to Pinnacles itself does not take 3 days.
Day 1 we took an hour's boat ride to the beginning of the trail to Camp 5. (Three hours if the water level is low and if we end up pushing the boat.)
Boat ride to Camp 5
From there, we made another 3-hour trek on flat land to Camp 5. Needless to say, we were feeling the toll of carrying our own backpack as the hours dragged on, especially with my weak knee and the muddy ground. Val swore that she will not carry her own backpack again! "Luxury trekking trip!" I could almost visualise the chant inside her head. :p We were pleasantly surprised when we arrived at Camp 5 because it was not just a campsite but a nice wooden building equipped with a very basic kitchen and clean public bathrooms for "he" and "she". Accomodations were also basic but decent and clean. Located next to a stream and amidst the tropical jungle and mountains, the surrounding area was really pretty.
Our humble accomodations @ Camp 5
But alas! by 3+pm, the sky suddenly opened up its heavens and started raining cats and dogs. My heart plummeted. Not again! I thought I'd never get to climb the Pinnacles Trail at this rate. It was still raining when we went to bed.
The morning dawned bright and dry on Day 2. What a surprise! Again, I was filled with trepidation at the thought of climbing vertical, steel ladders. The incline sloped immediately once we started on the trail. The first two half hours were tough. There was no "give" in the climb. We were trekking up at 60-70 deg incline for the first 2000 m. And it was up, up, up and up! Every time I thought I had overcome the toughest parts, I was proven wrong again. The trail just got tougher and tougher. At some point, I looked down the steep incline and wondered how I would manage the descent. But one barrier at a time, I thought. First, focus on the climb, then worry about the descent.
After the 2000 m mark, the trail flattened and I thought, "Gosh! Finally ... time to catch my breath and ease my wobbly legs." But not a few metres away, I came upon what looked like the end of the trail. By then, I had lost sight of the Belgian and Scandinavian folks who were slightly ahead of me earlier. And I could not see Val, our guide or any of the Singaporean and Canadian trekkers who were behind me.
Now what? Then I noticed the "red & white" paint (which marked the trail) on the rock surface beside me, and lo & behold! I caught sight of the vertical steel ladder indicating the start of the 400 m vertical climb. And beside the ladder, there was a signboard warning climbers not to climb that part of the trail after 11am as they might end up reaching ground level at nightfall on very treacherous trails.
Val and our guide arrived while I was still building up my courage to climb the blardy ladder. After coming so far, there was no way I would call it quits. Height phobia be damned! "What the mind can conceive, the mind can achieve." Blah blah blah .... "Alrighty! Time to move my butt instead of staring at the ladder," I thought.
From then onwards, it was kind of a blur for me. The vertical climb continued for the rest of the way. Sometimes, I could not even see where the trail led. Soon I lost sight of Val and the guide again. But I continued to climb. When I hit a snag or seemed to have lost my way, I looked for the "red & white" marks again. And always, it would lead on to more treacherous steel ladders or planks or crevices on rock surfaces or steel rings or ropes. It was endless. I did not allow myself time to stop for long and contemplate, as I feared I might lose my nerve once reality sank in.
After climbing almost an hour with no end in sight, I finally paused for a longer rest. Reality did sink in then. I had long ago lost sight and sound of any human. The eerie silence of the mountains began to seep in and suddenly it sank on me that I was totally alone in the mountains. Anything could have happened while I was climbing. Feeling lost and alone, doubts asailed me. I started calling out to Val, "On! On!" (that was our code in the jungle) but to no avail.
Suddenly I heard rustling above me. A caucasian head jutted out from above the huge mountain rock and one Hungarian appeared. They had set off much earlier that morning and reached the peak ahead of our group.
"Hello there!" The mat salleh called out.
"How far more to go?" I asked.
"Not far. You're very close ~ about five minutes away," was his reply. Then one by one his group (the Hungarians) clambered down from the rock.
Just when I thought everyone had descended, Bjorn ~ our new Scandanavian friend ~ called out to me from above, "Hey you! Not very far to go!"
I looked up and saw Bjorn making his way down, followed by June (his girlfriend) and Derrick (the fireman from Belgium) who were all part of our group.
"You guys on the way down so soon?" I asked.
"Yup. Nothing much there. Half hour is enough. We want to get down for a dip in the river," was his reply.
"What time did you guys reach?"
"About 5 past 10."
A look at my watch indicated that it was 10.30 am then. Hmmm ... not too bad. We were not that far behind.
Then I heard Val's voice from the back. Yay!! My troop was finally here. Hehehe ...
After everyone clambered down, we made our way up quickly with renewed energy. In a few short minutes, we arrived at the peak ~ tired and drenched with sweat, but very elated!
WE DID IT!!! And we were the first Asians to reach the peak that day! Woo Hoo!
At the peak and looking at the Pinnacles
And yet another look at the Pinnacles and the ladies who managed to reach the top! :D
OK. So it didn't look as impressive as we expected. But heck! this was still quite amazing. (That's what we kept telling ourselves.)
We did not linger though and started the descent at 11 am. The vertical downward climb was tough at first but we got the hang of it soon enough. Progress was slow but much easier (in hindsight) compared to the descent after the vertical part.
We "collected" Ing (one of the Singaporean ladies) at the last steel ladder (she did not make it to the top due to her weak knees) and continued our downward journey. The second phase of the descent was so much tougher. Walking down 60-70 deg incline was much worse than climbing down 80-90 deg incline!
I slipped and fell so many times that I lost count. Once again, I lost sight of Val, Ing and the guide. But I could not stop. I worried that if I do stop, I might not walk another step forward! By then, my legs were trembling so badly. Every step was pure agony. I was very careful in deciding which part of the ground to step on to prevent further slips.
However, I had collected numerous bruises by then. After one exceptionally nasty fall, I just sat on the ground and contemplated what idiocy had made me do this climb! :P
Despite the knee guard, my injured right knee felt bad. My good left knee started throbbing. I was placing way too much pressure on that leg. Goodness, I was physically falling apart! Drama a bit la! hehehe ...
In any case, it was an incredibly tough descent. But I wanted to get it over and done with fast! My aim was to reach camp and shelter before 3pm to avoid the downpour which had occured for 2 consecutive days at around those times. Lucky for all climbers, the dry weather held. I managed to arrive at 2.50 pm. It had taken me 3 hours 50 mins to descent.
Back at camp, I quickly gulped down cupfuls of water. Most of us were almost dehydrated as we tried to take minimal water up the climb to lighten our load. It seemed that poor Bjorn vomitted on the way down as he was very close to dehydration. Thank god for June who helped him along the way. Next on the agenda was food! Once I satisfied these basic needs, it was time to jump into the stream to cool off. Gosh! That was heavenly. By late eve, all the climbers had returned to the campsite. We were all vying for equal share of voice to talk about our experiences and to compare bruises.
Day 3 dawned and despite aching limbs, we had to make the three hour trek back to the river. Strangely enough, despite our tiredness and injuries, the trek back was much faster. We made it in 2 and the half hours. And it took us another hour by boat to reach camp.
Woo Hoo! Back to civilisation!
Despite the original plan of going adventure caving, our injured legs couldn't take in more abuse. Thus, we decided to rest and enjoy the Park going to show caves instead. Even so, the trails on wooden platform were quite a challenge. By then, I had also contracted allergy to something. I was scratching and scratching and scratching. As usual, hypochondriac Val also felt like scratching after watching me! Thank god for my ever ready supply of "minyak angin".
We took it real easy the next few days. We went to visit the Lang and Deer Caves. I love both caves as they were more interesting than the Wind and the Clearwater Caves (which we visited earlier on the way to the Pinnacles Trail). Lang Cave was the smallest but it was real pretty. Deer Cave was huge, smelly and different. But the sight of water falling amidst the dark interior, illuminated by streaks of sunlight at the mouth of the cave was incredible and beyond words. At the end of the walk, a most incredible sight greeted us. The sight was aptly called Garden of Eden.
We also went for the longest Canopy Walk (480m) which cost us 30 bucks. It was really not worth the money though. Our final morning, we went to Moonmilk Cave on our own. Although there was no entrance fee, it was really not worth the walk either ~ which included a climb of 425 steps (or so it said in the brochure).
What was worth waiting for was the swarm of bats hunting for food in the eve. We took the 3.8km walk to the Bat Observation area for two days in a row to catch this incredible natural phenomenon. The first eve was a disaster. No bats were in sight and we got caught in the downpour on our return trip.
On the second eve, we all waited in anticipation. 5pm came and went. Then 5.30pm and then it was almost 6pm. We thought it would be another "no show" eve. Suddenly, we noted activity at the mouth of the cave high above ground.
And then .... the most amazing sight! I have never seen anything like this before apart from the "whirlwind" barracudas at the Sipadan dive site.
Bats out on a hunt for food
Another look at the bats during dusk
For a photo travelogue of this trip, check out this link.
And there you have it! A wonderful break away. Granted, my troubles did not go away. But for those few days, different things took priorities in life other than work.
Mulu ~ I'll always treasure thee!
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Something gotta give soon!
I am ...
* mentally exhausted,
* physically drained,
* emotionally repressed.
My infrequent postings tell all.
Time ~ where has that all gone?
Work ~ how can something I enjoy turn into an endless nightmare?
Play ~ why does the thought of going out to workout or socialise fill me with reluctance?
Something gotta give soon!
Or I will go "crazy" ....
How does one deal with global managment that do not trust?
How does one deal with a management that insists on micro managing?
How does one deal with different bosses with different agendas? I feel like the proverbial "deer" that was caught in the middle of the fight between the elephants. (Gajah sama gajah berlawan, pelanduk mati di tengah-tengah!)
How does one deal with arrogant, a** s**kers whose main aim in life is to climb the corporate ladder by any means ~ fair and foul?
How does one deal with inconsiderate, jealous b****es/b******s whose sole purpose in life is to stab anyone and everyone in the back so that the said b****es/b******s will look good in the eyes of greater authority?
How does one deal with an environment where "fighting" internal battles is more exhausting than "fighting" competitors at the market place? Or perhaps there is just no time left to fight competitors after all the internal bickering.
How does one deal with endless processes and templates to be filled and ridiculous internal bureaucracy that is worthy of a GLC?
I am so tired. I feel like I am balancing on a very thin/ fine red line. Something gotta give soon!
Is there a light at the end of this tunnel? Or is this just my exhaustion speaking?
I am looking forward to the coming holidays. Perhaps I can put some perspective back into my life and the job I "used" to like.
Goodnight Malaysia whoever you are.
* mentally exhausted,
* physically drained,
* emotionally repressed.
My infrequent postings tell all.
Time ~ where has that all gone?
Work ~ how can something I enjoy turn into an endless nightmare?
Play ~ why does the thought of going out to workout or socialise fill me with reluctance?
Something gotta give soon!
Or I will go "crazy" ....
How does one deal with global managment that do not trust?
How does one deal with a management that insists on micro managing?
How does one deal with different bosses with different agendas? I feel like the proverbial "deer" that was caught in the middle of the fight between the elephants. (Gajah sama gajah berlawan, pelanduk mati di tengah-tengah!)
How does one deal with arrogant, a** s**kers whose main aim in life is to climb the corporate ladder by any means ~ fair and foul?
How does one deal with inconsiderate, jealous b****es/b******s whose sole purpose in life is to stab anyone and everyone in the back so that the said b****es/b******s will look good in the eyes of greater authority?
How does one deal with an environment where "fighting" internal battles is more exhausting than "fighting" competitors at the market place? Or perhaps there is just no time left to fight competitors after all the internal bickering.
How does one deal with endless processes and templates to be filled and ridiculous internal bureaucracy that is worthy of a GLC?
I am so tired. I feel like I am balancing on a very thin/ fine red line. Something gotta give soon!
Is there a light at the end of this tunnel? Or is this just my exhaustion speaking?
I am looking forward to the coming holidays. Perhaps I can put some perspective back into my life and the job I "used" to like.
Goodnight Malaysia whoever you are.
Friday, March 30, 2007
It’s a matter of Mind over Matter
Ever wondered that perhaps the things we think we could not do could actually be accomplished if only we put some positive thoughts behind them? And many a time our failure to do so is compounded by our own “defeatist” thoughts and the disapproval from the people we seek support and/or approval from i.e. our parents and society at large?It’s hard to fault our parents because they believe they have our best interest at heart. And it’s hard to fault society for its whimsies, for after all; we could ignore them and just get right on ahead with what we want to do.
Yet, how often are we caught within this mire of needing approval from our parents and society alike?
If you had asked me ten years ago if I could trek for more than ten consecutive days, 5-6 hours a day on the Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) trail, I would have said, “No. That is impossible.” I would never even dream of attempting such a feat.
Why? Well, because it never crossed my mind that I could. After all, the easiest and most effortless answer is No. I would most likely be the first person to volunteer to drink up the sight of the Himalayas from the “safe harbour” of Pokhara. Secondly, my parents would be most discouraging as they would be worried for my health and safety going to such a country. Thirdly, it was not the “thing to do” in society’s eyes as young ladies should be genteel and not go traipsing around third world countries on their own.
Isn’t it strange that we are so easily influenced by the need for others’ approval and support?
The longer I live and the more experiences I garner in life, I realise that we need to balance what we want to do against outside influences. We are our best judge as to our own capabilities and limitations. I have also learned that if we could break huge goals into smaller ones, slowly but surely we will be able to break one record at a time. And soon, we would hit the larger ones.
Interestingly enough, the things that I thought I could never do, I actually did after I hit 30. People say that with age, we should realise our mortality and therefore, taper off doing crazy stuff. My take on this is; it is when we realise our mortality that we should treasure our ability to do something. And just do it! Full speed ahead and damn the torpedoes!
Just last week, fresh from my personal victory in the 10km run, I made an attempt to run non-stop from start to end at the Kiara Hill trail within half an hour. For many people, it’s an easy feat. For me, I was never able to do so. Thus, on that fresh Sunday evening, I donned on my gear and then, it was me against the hill and against time. And … yes, this time, I did it! It was exhilarating! Next, perhaps a half marathon? Hmm ...
It’s truly a matter of Mind over Matter! And as the Adidas slogan goes, “Impossible is Nothing!” when you put your mind to it.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
KL International Marathon
Warning! Long post ahead. Read at your own "peril"!
Yup! It’s been that kind of week. Read “Damsel in Distress” if you have yet to do so.
Remember the blog Cardio! Cardio! Cardio!, where our Siau Club President (SCP) signed us up for the KL International Marathon? Thank God he registered most of us under the 10km category instead of the half or full marathon. Only SCP and Manny, the Hill Rabbit got the honours of registering for the half and full marathon respectively
Well 18th March, the D-Day, finally arrived. And six out of the 12 registered did not turn up! Notably, our SCP was missing. He had a last minute training. Sister Mary had a RPM class at 11.30am and PW had to attend a last minute company function at 8.00am. The rest were Derek, Shane didi and Ming (former SCP), who for various reasons, could not make it for the run either. That left Manny, Sir Kyle, Viv, LK, Val and yours truly to uphold the Siau Club flag on that fateful day.
Ok. I admit I slacked terribly in my training after our initial registration. In fact, I had absolutely no training at all except for a wee bit of cardio from my weekly badminton game and my off-and-on whenever-we-can-wake-up weekend trekking trips up Gasing Hill.
Thus, on Saturday (the day before the run), Val and I decided that we REALLY must make a valiant attempt at the race. So, off we went to the gym for my first and also last training for our first 10km outdoor run. I managed to do a 30 minute run on the treadmill but that would have to suffice. Both Val and I reckoned that if we could not run all the way during the race, we could at least walk. We could also rely on the miracle liquid drink (Power Gel) discovered by sister Mary during our adventure up Mount Kinabalu. She swore by that now and after witnessing the effect on her (she literally had a spurt of energy and zoomed ahead of us after taking the drink!), we decided we had nothing to lose using that stuff. Back to matters at hand, we figured that no matter what happened we must complete the race.
As Manny was the only one who signed up for the full marathon, he had to arrive at Dataran Merdeka at 3.30am for registration as his run would start at 4.00am, whilst the rest of us (the 10km category) were required to register at 6.30am as our run would start at 7.00am. Kyle volunteered to fetch Manny down whilst the rest of us would arrive later. We all thought that it was really sweet of Kyle to do so, as he not only had to wake up blardy early, he also had to wait a good three hours before his race began. I am not quite sure if I’d have done that for my best friends were I put to the test.
In any case, the ladies arrived in time for the race. There was no sign of Kyle but we expected as much, as the crowd was tremendous. We all brought our handphones with us and decided on a place to meet up after the race should we part during the race.
The gun went off and so did we. The initial 100 meters were slow going as we had to weave our way through the thick crowd. In any case, I felt a burst of energy (which was natural and had nothing to do with Power Gel! :p) and was itching to capitalise on that and cover as much ground as possible. But I was torn between staying at my friends’ pace and going off on my own. But after a couple of minutes, and with them sensing my “impatience”/”energy”, they urged me to go ahead.
Off I went! And it was exhilarating ~ overtaking participant after participant. I knew my burst of energy would deplete soon but my plan was to run 30 minutes without stopping, then take a five minute walk, and run the rest of the way! At the 20 minute mark, I was getting thirsty and my pace had slowed. I ran on, determined to hit the 30 minute mark before I gave in. Everything was a blur as I paced myself against time. Minutes ticked by slowly. My steps ate the ground slowly but surely. Yet no drink stops were in sight.
The moment the minute hand hit the 30 minute mark, I slowed down to a fast walking pace. Barely five minutes later, I spotted the drink stop. I grabbed two cups each of water and 100 Plus, and gulped them down one by one. With my thirst finally quenched, I started my run again. But this time, I couldn’t quite get back my running rhythm. I was running and walking and running and walking. At one point, my right calf muscle and instep were giving me a lot of problems. I could feel my muscle getting stiff but I needed to complete the race and preferably well within the time stipulated. My competitive spirit asked it. My pride demanded it.
A look at the watch and I noted that 50 minutes had lapsed and I was still on Jalan Sultan Ismail. I saw Sheraton Imperial and thought we were headed for the highway. My heart plummeted as I realised that there was no way in hell I could finish the race within the stipulated 1hour and 30 minutes if we took that route. I had no idea how many kilometres I had already covered. For a moment, I toyed with the idea of taking the Power Gel. But I decided against it as I felt I was close enough to complete without the added help. Besides, I wanted to complete the race on my own steam if I could.
I ran on, still determined. Suddenly, a participant stopped in the middle of the road and groaned. He had pulled his muscle quite badly. I watched in empathy as an official came to his aid. Fearing for my right leg, I continued my run but took care to slow down a bit more. I’d rather be slow than to end up not finishing the race due to muscle injury.
To my surprise and joy, the route took a left turn into Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman and on towards Dataran Merdeka! I was in with a chance. I picked up my pace and ran, hopped, walked all the way to the finishing line! I managed to finish in 1 hour and 10 minutes, and got a medal and certificate for the run in the process. That was way cool!
Val came in merely five minutes after me, whilst Viv and LK came in a mere five minutes after Val! We all made it within the stipulated time and I was mightily impressed that the ladies actually ran all the way. Hip Hip Hurray for all of them!
We then hunted for the boys. We sent them smses, but did not receive any reply. We called them to no avail as we only reached their voicemails. Half an hour later, we received a call from Kyle. It seemed that he ran the half marathon instead of the 10km run (taking over SCP’s place). We were all very impressed that he actually completed the race, … and in 2 hours and 35 minutes no less! That was blardy fantastic although I refused to tell Kyle then (just in case it went up to his head)! Hehehehe …
We had great fun during the run. But it went down hill from then on … from a planning perspective, that is. Is it a man thing not to plan ahead on where to meet after a race? Especially since one party did not have his handphone with him during the race and he ran a different distance from the other party? And the other party actually moved his car away from the original parking space where the first party knew he parked?
In any case, we thought we lost Hill Rabbit. We could not find him. We called him but remembered that his handphone was in Kyle’s car. We then called another fellow gym member who was running with him and had his handphone with him. Unfortunately, we reached his voicemail. I attempted to get the officials to make a missing person’s announcement but to no avail. Finally, we thought that Hill Rabbit would be resourceful enough to find his way home. The only thing was, he just had to wait for Kyle to find him to hand him his condo keys.
Next on the agenda was breakfast. We were famished and as Kyle did not think he could drive, I took over his car while LK went back for hers with the rest of the ladies. Enroute back to PJ, we received a call from the fellow gym member who was with Hill Rabbit but alas! Kyle’s phone went flat. (Why have a handphone if one doesn't plan to charge 'em batteries? grrr ...) Then we received a call from LK. The good news was, they found Hill Rabbit and friend. The bad news was, her car and several others, were blocked by two inconsiderate drivers who parked at both the entrance and exit of the parking area! It’s Murphy’s Law ~ everything that could go wrong went wrong!
In any case, Kyle and I decided to shower at my place first before meeting the rest at the restaurant ~ seeing as how it could take awhile as the authorities had just called a tow truck to tow ‘em cars away. Midway through the journey, I remembered my keys were in LK’s car! Dang! What did I just say about Murphy’s Law? Then I remembered Dad was in town and he had a spare set of my keys. I managed to catch hold of him, got the keys and then drove back to my place. Finally, something right came about!
We managed to get ourselves all cleaned up in no time at all. Then came the call from Hill Rabbit. He would leave first via public transport and would stop at the Kelana Jaya LRT station. We would then pick him up, pass him his keys and fetch him home. We then received another call from the ladies. They were finally on their way to the restaurant. Strangely enough, they arrived much earlier than Hill Rabbit. Kyle decided he would take Hill Rabbit home and forego breakfast with us, whilst I drove straight to the restaurant to meet the rest of the ladies!
What a dramatic end! Success! Chaos! Adventure! What else can we ask for? : )
A big thank you goes to SCP for registering the race for us and helping us get our T-shirts and running numbers despite not being able to go for the race himself in the end. Three cheers to SCP!
And three more cheers to all my running partners! You go girl! Boys included … : )
P.S. Just found the online published results. Kyle, you did it in 2:37:29 official time and 2:36:58 chip time. Check this link and look for Alex's full name. Way to go!!! Woo hoo!
Yup! It’s been that kind of week. Read “Damsel in Distress” if you have yet to do so.
Remember the blog Cardio! Cardio! Cardio!, where our Siau Club President (SCP) signed us up for the KL International Marathon? Thank God he registered most of us under the 10km category instead of the half or full marathon. Only SCP and Manny, the Hill Rabbit got the honours of registering for the half and full marathon respectively
Well 18th March, the D-Day, finally arrived. And six out of the 12 registered did not turn up! Notably, our SCP was missing. He had a last minute training. Sister Mary had a RPM class at 11.30am and PW had to attend a last minute company function at 8.00am. The rest were Derek, Shane didi and Ming (former SCP), who for various reasons, could not make it for the run either. That left Manny, Sir Kyle, Viv, LK, Val and yours truly to uphold the Siau Club flag on that fateful day.
Ok. I admit I slacked terribly in my training after our initial registration. In fact, I had absolutely no training at all except for a wee bit of cardio from my weekly badminton game and my off-and-on whenever-we-can-wake-up weekend trekking trips up Gasing Hill.
Thus, on Saturday (the day before the run), Val and I decided that we REALLY must make a valiant attempt at the race. So, off we went to the gym for my first and also last training for our first 10km outdoor run. I managed to do a 30 minute run on the treadmill but that would have to suffice. Both Val and I reckoned that if we could not run all the way during the race, we could at least walk. We could also rely on the miracle liquid drink (Power Gel) discovered by sister Mary during our adventure up Mount Kinabalu. She swore by that now and after witnessing the effect on her (she literally had a spurt of energy and zoomed ahead of us after taking the drink!), we decided we had nothing to lose using that stuff. Back to matters at hand, we figured that no matter what happened we must complete the race.
As Manny was the only one who signed up for the full marathon, he had to arrive at Dataran Merdeka at 3.30am for registration as his run would start at 4.00am, whilst the rest of us (the 10km category) were required to register at 6.30am as our run would start at 7.00am. Kyle volunteered to fetch Manny down whilst the rest of us would arrive later. We all thought that it was really sweet of Kyle to do so, as he not only had to wake up blardy early, he also had to wait a good three hours before his race began. I am not quite sure if I’d have done that for my best friends were I put to the test.
In any case, the ladies arrived in time for the race. There was no sign of Kyle but we expected as much, as the crowd was tremendous. We all brought our handphones with us and decided on a place to meet up after the race should we part during the race.
The gun went off and so did we. The initial 100 meters were slow going as we had to weave our way through the thick crowd. In any case, I felt a burst of energy (which was natural and had nothing to do with Power Gel! :p) and was itching to capitalise on that and cover as much ground as possible. But I was torn between staying at my friends’ pace and going off on my own. But after a couple of minutes, and with them sensing my “impatience”/”energy”, they urged me to go ahead.
Off I went! And it was exhilarating ~ overtaking participant after participant. I knew my burst of energy would deplete soon but my plan was to run 30 minutes without stopping, then take a five minute walk, and run the rest of the way! At the 20 minute mark, I was getting thirsty and my pace had slowed. I ran on, determined to hit the 30 minute mark before I gave in. Everything was a blur as I paced myself against time. Minutes ticked by slowly. My steps ate the ground slowly but surely. Yet no drink stops were in sight.
The moment the minute hand hit the 30 minute mark, I slowed down to a fast walking pace. Barely five minutes later, I spotted the drink stop. I grabbed two cups each of water and 100 Plus, and gulped them down one by one. With my thirst finally quenched, I started my run again. But this time, I couldn’t quite get back my running rhythm. I was running and walking and running and walking. At one point, my right calf muscle and instep were giving me a lot of problems. I could feel my muscle getting stiff but I needed to complete the race and preferably well within the time stipulated. My competitive spirit asked it. My pride demanded it.
A look at the watch and I noted that 50 minutes had lapsed and I was still on Jalan Sultan Ismail. I saw Sheraton Imperial and thought we were headed for the highway. My heart plummeted as I realised that there was no way in hell I could finish the race within the stipulated 1hour and 30 minutes if we took that route. I had no idea how many kilometres I had already covered. For a moment, I toyed with the idea of taking the Power Gel. But I decided against it as I felt I was close enough to complete without the added help. Besides, I wanted to complete the race on my own steam if I could.
I ran on, still determined. Suddenly, a participant stopped in the middle of the road and groaned. He had pulled his muscle quite badly. I watched in empathy as an official came to his aid. Fearing for my right leg, I continued my run but took care to slow down a bit more. I’d rather be slow than to end up not finishing the race due to muscle injury.
To my surprise and joy, the route took a left turn into Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman and on towards Dataran Merdeka! I was in with a chance. I picked up my pace and ran, hopped, walked all the way to the finishing line! I managed to finish in 1 hour and 10 minutes, and got a medal and certificate for the run in the process. That was way cool!
Val came in merely five minutes after me, whilst Viv and LK came in a mere five minutes after Val! We all made it within the stipulated time and I was mightily impressed that the ladies actually ran all the way. Hip Hip Hurray for all of them!
We then hunted for the boys. We sent them smses, but did not receive any reply. We called them to no avail as we only reached their voicemails. Half an hour later, we received a call from Kyle. It seemed that he ran the half marathon instead of the 10km run (taking over SCP’s place). We were all very impressed that he actually completed the race, … and in 2 hours and 35 minutes no less! That was blardy fantastic although I refused to tell Kyle then (just in case it went up to his head)! Hehehehe …
We had great fun during the run. But it went down hill from then on … from a planning perspective, that is. Is it a man thing not to plan ahead on where to meet after a race? Especially since one party did not have his handphone with him during the race and he ran a different distance from the other party? And the other party actually moved his car away from the original parking space where the first party knew he parked?
In any case, we thought we lost Hill Rabbit. We could not find him. We called him but remembered that his handphone was in Kyle’s car. We then called another fellow gym member who was running with him and had his handphone with him. Unfortunately, we reached his voicemail. I attempted to get the officials to make a missing person’s announcement but to no avail. Finally, we thought that Hill Rabbit would be resourceful enough to find his way home. The only thing was, he just had to wait for Kyle to find him to hand him his condo keys.
Next on the agenda was breakfast. We were famished and as Kyle did not think he could drive, I took over his car while LK went back for hers with the rest of the ladies. Enroute back to PJ, we received a call from the fellow gym member who was with Hill Rabbit but alas! Kyle’s phone went flat. (Why have a handphone if one doesn't plan to charge 'em batteries? grrr ...) Then we received a call from LK. The good news was, they found Hill Rabbit and friend. The bad news was, her car and several others, were blocked by two inconsiderate drivers who parked at both the entrance and exit of the parking area! It’s Murphy’s Law ~ everything that could go wrong went wrong!
In any case, Kyle and I decided to shower at my place first before meeting the rest at the restaurant ~ seeing as how it could take awhile as the authorities had just called a tow truck to tow ‘em cars away. Midway through the journey, I remembered my keys were in LK’s car! Dang! What did I just say about Murphy’s Law? Then I remembered Dad was in town and he had a spare set of my keys. I managed to catch hold of him, got the keys and then drove back to my place. Finally, something right came about!
We managed to get ourselves all cleaned up in no time at all. Then came the call from Hill Rabbit. He would leave first via public transport and would stop at the Kelana Jaya LRT station. We would then pick him up, pass him his keys and fetch him home. We then received another call from the ladies. They were finally on their way to the restaurant. Strangely enough, they arrived much earlier than Hill Rabbit. Kyle decided he would take Hill Rabbit home and forego breakfast with us, whilst I drove straight to the restaurant to meet the rest of the ladies!
What a dramatic end! Success! Chaos! Adventure! What else can we ask for? : )
A big thank you goes to SCP for registering the race for us and helping us get our T-shirts and running numbers despite not being able to go for the race himself in the end. Three cheers to SCP!
And three more cheers to all my running partners! You go girl! Boys included … : )
P.S. Just found the online published results. Kyle, you did it in 2:37:29 official time and 2:36:58 chip time. Check this link and look for Alex's full name. Way to go!!! Woo hoo!
Damsel in Distress
“Damsel in distress” is just not a term people would associate with me. Thank God!
But last Friday, I probably acted like one. And I’m not proud of it. But heck, I should cut myself some slack, shouldn’t I?
Anyway, I was all ready to go to work (as usual) but my car just won’t start. I turned the key, the lights came on, and the engine came to life but then sputtered and died. Yeah! Grrr … I turned the key again and this time the lights came on, I heard the “click” sound but then … nothing. My heart dropped.
“This is so NOT happening to me,” I thought.
But no matter how many tries I made, the engine just won’t start. My first thought was to call Dad. After all, he used to take care of all my car service needs. Unfortunately, all my attempts only got me through to his voicemail. I then tried calling my sister’s place in the hopes that he would be there, but no one picked up the phone.
“OK girl, you are now on your own,” I thought.
At this point, one would ask why I did not call AAM. Well, for the simple reason that this is a company car and it’s not registered with AAM. One would also further ask why I did not call the nearest mechanic. Well, the car is relatively new (barely two years old) and is still under warranty. In addition, it’s one of those continental contraptions ~ good to look at; complicated to work on with all the high-tech, advance, electronic gadgets ~ with limited authorised workshops around.
I digress. Anyway, I got down the car and tried to open the bonnet, in the hopes of finding a loose wire connection or something. OK. This might not seem like the brightest idea but several years ago, I was in a similar situation (but it was a different car, a Japanese one) except that the engine just went flat ~ no lights, no warning, nothing! I thought it was the battery but it turned out to be a loose wire connection then. Hence, the above attempt.
But alas! I found the latch to the bonnet but couldn’t unlatch it. Before one starts on any dumb blonde jokes (since I am neither dumb ~ I probably need more conviction after this incident ~ nor blonde!) and in my own defence, let me say that a Peugeot car latch is a bit different from the local or Japanese ones.
In desperation, I called my friend who owns a Peugeot to figure out how to unlatch the bonnet. In the midst of our conversation, I heard someone called to me. Neighbours! Help! Yes! Helpful neighbours! My heart lifted when I saw them walking towards my car. Gosh! Am I in need of help!
The hubby helped me figure out how to work the latch and voila! the bonnet was finally opened. They made a call to another neighbour (who is more into cars) to seek confirmation as to the car’s “ailment”. Yup! It was confirmed ~ all indications that the problem was the battery.
They then woke up another neighbour, borrowed his jump-start cables and his labour, and got my engine revving. Aww … the sweet sound of a revving engine was music to my ears! Never thought I’d say that! I managed to get my car to the workshop ~ got the battery changed and the car serviced. (Incidentally, I was just a little over the service period!)
In any case, I am incredibly grateful to my neighbours especially the wife who was late for work that day because of my car problem! I owe you one folks!
All I can say is:
Thank God for helpful neighbours!
Thank God for a helpful friend (who tried to help me through the mobile).
Thank God for Dad (who I finally got hold of and who fetched me from the workshop).
Lesson learnt:
I need to find an authorised workshop that does “house calls”. This means I’d have to hunt for another authorised Peugeot workshop just in case. Also, despite how busy I am or how difficult it is to get an appointment with the authorised workshop, I’d better ensure I get my car serviced way before due date. One never knows with these continental models.
There you go … one reluctant damsel in distress!
But last Friday, I probably acted like one. And I’m not proud of it. But heck, I should cut myself some slack, shouldn’t I?
Anyway, I was all ready to go to work (as usual) but my car just won’t start. I turned the key, the lights came on, and the engine came to life but then sputtered and died. Yeah! Grrr … I turned the key again and this time the lights came on, I heard the “click” sound but then … nothing. My heart dropped.
“This is so NOT happening to me,” I thought.
But no matter how many tries I made, the engine just won’t start. My first thought was to call Dad. After all, he used to take care of all my car service needs. Unfortunately, all my attempts only got me through to his voicemail. I then tried calling my sister’s place in the hopes that he would be there, but no one picked up the phone.
“OK girl, you are now on your own,” I thought.
At this point, one would ask why I did not call AAM. Well, for the simple reason that this is a company car and it’s not registered with AAM. One would also further ask why I did not call the nearest mechanic. Well, the car is relatively new (barely two years old) and is still under warranty. In addition, it’s one of those continental contraptions ~ good to look at; complicated to work on with all the high-tech, advance, electronic gadgets ~ with limited authorised workshops around.
I digress. Anyway, I got down the car and tried to open the bonnet, in the hopes of finding a loose wire connection or something. OK. This might not seem like the brightest idea but several years ago, I was in a similar situation (but it was a different car, a Japanese one) except that the engine just went flat ~ no lights, no warning, nothing! I thought it was the battery but it turned out to be a loose wire connection then. Hence, the above attempt.
But alas! I found the latch to the bonnet but couldn’t unlatch it. Before one starts on any dumb blonde jokes (since I am neither dumb ~ I probably need more conviction after this incident ~ nor blonde!) and in my own defence, let me say that a Peugeot car latch is a bit different from the local or Japanese ones.
In desperation, I called my friend who owns a Peugeot to figure out how to unlatch the bonnet. In the midst of our conversation, I heard someone called to me. Neighbours! Help! Yes! Helpful neighbours! My heart lifted when I saw them walking towards my car. Gosh! Am I in need of help!
The hubby helped me figure out how to work the latch and voila! the bonnet was finally opened. They made a call to another neighbour (who is more into cars) to seek confirmation as to the car’s “ailment”. Yup! It was confirmed ~ all indications that the problem was the battery.
They then woke up another neighbour, borrowed his jump-start cables and his labour, and got my engine revving. Aww … the sweet sound of a revving engine was music to my ears! Never thought I’d say that! I managed to get my car to the workshop ~ got the battery changed and the car serviced. (Incidentally, I was just a little over the service period!)
In any case, I am incredibly grateful to my neighbours especially the wife who was late for work that day because of my car problem! I owe you one folks!
All I can say is:
Thank God for helpful neighbours!
Thank God for a helpful friend (who tried to help me through the mobile).
Thank God for Dad (who I finally got hold of and who fetched me from the workshop).
Lesson learnt:
I need to find an authorised workshop that does “house calls”. This means I’d have to hunt for another authorised Peugeot workshop just in case. Also, despite how busy I am or how difficult it is to get an appointment with the authorised workshop, I’d better ensure I get my car serviced way before due date. One never knows with these continental models.
There you go … one reluctant damsel in distress!
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Lady, you still single? Here's why! :P
Now, we get to the crux of the matter. Only 0.0009% of available men are Mr. Right. Statistics does not lie. :p
Friday, March 09, 2007
International Women's Day
Do you know that 8th March marks the celebration of International Women's Day? No? Well, neither do I ... until I received several sms and emails yesterday, wishing me "Happy International Women's Day"! Everything seems like a cause for celebration these days. It's the darnest thing isn't it?
In any case, on further "investigation" (i.e. googling), I found the following site.
"International Women's Day is the story of ordinary women as makers of history; it is rooted in the centuries-old struggle of women to participate in society on an equal footing with men. In ancient Greece, Lysistrata initiated a sexual strike against men in order to end war; during the French Revolution, Parisian women calling for "liberty, equality, fraternity" marched on Versailles to demand women's suffrage."
I suppose we should celebrate 8th March then. After all, without these "sisters" of ours, we could still be living in the middle ages ... being seen only in the kitchen or the bedroom, being subservient to men, being repressed, etc, etc. While I am not into the "bra burning" feminist movement, I do believe in women's rights.
So, here's a big thank you to these "sisters" of ours who have made life a lot better for women today!
I'll leave you folks with an interesting email I received yesterday. While I do not fully subscribe to the language used, I am fully in agreement with the sentiments conveyed. Hehehe ... Do read on. These are classic one-liners! And my favourite ones are in BOLD! Phooeeyyy!
HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY!
---------------------------------
THINGS STRESSED WOMEN MAY SAY AT WORK :
1. Okay, okay! I take it back. Unfuck you.
2. You say I'm a bitch like it's a bad thing.
3. Well, this day was a total waste of make-up.
4. Well, aren't we a damn ray of sunshine?
5. Don't bother me, I'm living happily ever after.
6. Do I look like a people person?
7. This isn't an office. It's hell with fluorescent lighting.
8. I started out with nothing and I still have most of it left.
9. Therapy is expensive. Popping bubble wrap is cheap. You choose.
10. Why don't you try practicing random acts of intelligence and senseless acts of self-control?
11. I'm not crazy. I've been in a very bad mood for 30 years.
12. Sarcasm is just one more service I offer.
13. Do they ever shut up on your planet?
14. I'm not your type. I'm not inflatable.
15. Stress is when you wake up screaming and you realize you haven't gone to sleep yet!
16. Back off!! You're standing in my aura.
17. Don't worry. I forgot your name too.
18. I work 45 hours a week to be this poor.
19. Not all men are annoying. Some are dead.
20. Wait...I'm trying to imagine you with a personality.
21. Chaos, panic and disorder .. my work here is done.
22. Ambivalent? Well, yes and no.
23. You look like shit. Is that the style now?
24. Earth is full. Go home.
25. Aw, did I step on your poor little itty bitty ego?
26. I'm not tense, just terribly, terribly alert.
27. A hard-on doesn't count as personal growth.
28. You are depriving some village of an idiot.
29. If assholes could fly, this place would be an airport.
30. Look in my eyes . Do you see one ounce of give-a-shit?
In any case, on further "investigation" (i.e. googling), I found the following site.
"International Women's Day is the story of ordinary women as makers of history; it is rooted in the centuries-old struggle of women to participate in society on an equal footing with men. In ancient Greece, Lysistrata initiated a sexual strike against men in order to end war; during the French Revolution, Parisian women calling for "liberty, equality, fraternity" marched on Versailles to demand women's suffrage."
I suppose we should celebrate 8th March then. After all, without these "sisters" of ours, we could still be living in the middle ages ... being seen only in the kitchen or the bedroom, being subservient to men, being repressed, etc, etc. While I am not into the "bra burning" feminist movement, I do believe in women's rights.
So, here's a big thank you to these "sisters" of ours who have made life a lot better for women today!
I'll leave you folks with an interesting email I received yesterday. While I do not fully subscribe to the language used, I am fully in agreement with the sentiments conveyed. Hehehe ... Do read on. These are classic one-liners! And my favourite ones are in BOLD! Phooeeyyy!
HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY!
---------------------------------
THINGS STRESSED WOMEN MAY SAY AT WORK :
1. Okay, okay! I take it back. Unfuck you.
2. You say I'm a bitch like it's a bad thing.
3. Well, this day was a total waste of make-up.
4. Well, aren't we a damn ray of sunshine?
5. Don't bother me, I'm living happily ever after.
6. Do I look like a people person?
7. This isn't an office. It's hell with fluorescent lighting.
8. I started out with nothing and I still have most of it left.
9. Therapy is expensive. Popping bubble wrap is cheap. You choose.
10. Why don't you try practicing random acts of intelligence and senseless acts of self-control?
11. I'm not crazy. I've been in a very bad mood for 30 years.
12. Sarcasm is just one more service I offer.
13. Do they ever shut up on your planet?
14. I'm not your type. I'm not inflatable.
15. Stress is when you wake up screaming and you realize you haven't gone to sleep yet!
16. Back off!! You're standing in my aura.
17. Don't worry. I forgot your name too.
18. I work 45 hours a week to be this poor.
19. Not all men are annoying. Some are dead.
20. Wait...I'm trying to imagine you with a personality.
21. Chaos, panic and disorder .. my work here is done.
22. Ambivalent? Well, yes and no.
23. You look like shit. Is that the style now?
24. Earth is full. Go home.
25. Aw, did I step on your poor little itty bitty ego?
26. I'm not tense, just terribly, terribly alert.
27. A hard-on doesn't count as personal growth.
28. You are depriving some village of an idiot.
29. If assholes could fly, this place would be an airport.
30. Look in my eyes . Do you see one ounce of give-a-shit?
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Not again!
Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day are probably the worst days of a singleton’s life; especially for those who are over ripe for the pickings. I mean, if you want to find a day when people lay on the guilt about being single, well, these are the days!
It’s incredible really. The pointed questions asked, the numerous advices given, the never-ending and sometimes malicious teasing. And subtlety be damned! A colleague of mine even went as far as “reading” my “pat chi” to find out if marriage is in the cards for me. And to his glee (“his” mind you, not “mine”), it seemed that I would not be an “old maid” after all.
And here we, poor single sots, are put in the spotlight to defend our single status. My goodness! Why do we have to pander to society’s whims of how the cycle of life should be? Why should it be a cycle of birth, education, work, marriage, babies, retirement and death?
While I am sure a lot of these people mean well, I wonder if they ever thought of the feelings they might have hurt with their endless bout of queries. The questions ask sometimes make one feels less than he/she really is … as if not being attached or married means some sort of failure in life.
Is it any wonder why so many marriages fail these days? How many people hop on to the marriage bandwagon due to society’s pressure only to find out later that that is the worst mistake of their lives?
Heck! If finding a mate is so easy, any Tom, Dick and Harry (or Sissy, Sassy and Sally) would do! And while we are at that, does it mean if we can’t find a mate that fits, do we force fit ourselves to pander to society’s expectations? Marriage is already difficult enough. Would this not be a recipe for disaster?
Perhaps it is time for one to think before he/she speaks. Think of the impact of your words to a singleton. It’s not as if what you are saying is anything new. We have heard it all probably a zillion times before. If you can’t add anything new, and you can’t offer any real help, then isn’t discretion (or silence) the better part of valour?
Do give the singletons a break! Life and relationships are tough enough without the added pressure of getting married when one is not ready yet, not ready at all or might not ever be ready! Think of how hard you have to work at your marriage, at your relationship.
I stand at the gateway of life and wonder if that elusive mate even exists.
It’s incredible really. The pointed questions asked, the numerous advices given, the never-ending and sometimes malicious teasing. And subtlety be damned! A colleague of mine even went as far as “reading” my “pat chi” to find out if marriage is in the cards for me. And to his glee (“his” mind you, not “mine”), it seemed that I would not be an “old maid” after all.
And here we, poor single sots, are put in the spotlight to defend our single status. My goodness! Why do we have to pander to society’s whims of how the cycle of life should be? Why should it be a cycle of birth, education, work, marriage, babies, retirement and death?
While I am sure a lot of these people mean well, I wonder if they ever thought of the feelings they might have hurt with their endless bout of queries. The questions ask sometimes make one feels less than he/she really is … as if not being attached or married means some sort of failure in life.
Is it any wonder why so many marriages fail these days? How many people hop on to the marriage bandwagon due to society’s pressure only to find out later that that is the worst mistake of their lives?
Heck! If finding a mate is so easy, any Tom, Dick and Harry (or Sissy, Sassy and Sally) would do! And while we are at that, does it mean if we can’t find a mate that fits, do we force fit ourselves to pander to society’s expectations? Marriage is already difficult enough. Would this not be a recipe for disaster?
Perhaps it is time for one to think before he/she speaks. Think of the impact of your words to a singleton. It’s not as if what you are saying is anything new. We have heard it all probably a zillion times before. If you can’t add anything new, and you can’t offer any real help, then isn’t discretion (or silence) the better part of valour?
Do give the singletons a break! Life and relationships are tough enough without the added pressure of getting married when one is not ready yet, not ready at all or might not ever be ready! Think of how hard you have to work at your marriage, at your relationship.
I stand at the gateway of life and wonder if that elusive mate even exists.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Like any other day ... NOT
This has not been the best day of the year so far ... and it should coz it's my "ngau yat"or literally translated "cow's day" or the actual meaning Birthday! :p (Don't ask me why it's called "ngau yat" as my Chinese speaking friends have no idea either!)
Why has it been a bad day?
1. It took me blardy 30 minutes to get out of my condo this morning as the whole road turning into the LDP was stuck. Some idiots decided to ignore the red traffic light and the crossroad under the flyover was all messed up as cars were cutting in from every direction. Grrrrrr ...
2. Finally when I cleared that hurdle, I found that there was a massive jam going into town because some smart aleck decided to have a "raptai" for the city day parade which falls on 1st February. It took me blardy one and the half hours to reach office. Jam! Jam! Jam!
3. I am now having a blinding headache and all I want to do is go home and sleep.
4. I can't go home because I am supposed to be having my performance review today and my boss has yet to call me in.
5. I have a birthday dinner celebration at 8.30pm and I still have no idea if I can reach there on time due to point no. 4. If I don't get there on time, I might piss off my sister royally since she originally wanted to do it on 1st February but I insisted to have the dinner tonight. Sigh!
That's why it is not like any other day ... it's worse.
Now, on to happier thoughts. I am very touched and thankful to my friends and family.
Why?
1. I have been celebrating my "ngau yat" with friends and family since Saturday. There was the Saturday Shangri-la high-tea (thanks Mon), the Saturday Pangkor Fish house dinner (thanks L3), the Sunday Sunway condo joint dinner party (thanks siau gang and birthday boy Manny for doing the cooking) and the Monday The Ship dinner (thanks P1 & bro-in-law). And there's more to come in the next few days!!! :D
2. I have this funky new calendar on "365 Great Things About Getting Older", courtesy of the siau gang.
Today's great thing is: "There are only three ages for women in Hollywood - Babe, District Attorney, and Driving Miss Daisy. - Goldie Hawn"
Why is age always such a great bother for women? Why not men too? Bah!
3. A friend promised me a Balinese birthday massage at Puri Santhi. Yippee! (Thanks Val. Hehehe ...)
4. I received this really nice decorative candle from Tasmania. It's now in my display cabinet. (Thanks L3.) And a nice 5R photo frame for 3 pix in a row from IKEA. Just what I need to put up my Tanzania wild animal photos. (Thanks Mon.) And for all the other pressies that I have received and will be receiving soon (wink! wink! wink!), thanks folks, you're all so sweet. :D
5. I received many sms, email and messenger birthday wishes and also F2F (face to face) birthday wishes today. Thanks folks. I'm touched to be remembered. :)
Alrighty. Speech all done. Head feels better. But still no word from boss.
Back to work and the grindstone!
Cheerios!
Why has it been a bad day?
1. It took me blardy 30 minutes to get out of my condo this morning as the whole road turning into the LDP was stuck. Some idiots decided to ignore the red traffic light and the crossroad under the flyover was all messed up as cars were cutting in from every direction. Grrrrrr ...
2. Finally when I cleared that hurdle, I found that there was a massive jam going into town because some smart aleck decided to have a "raptai" for the city day parade which falls on 1st February. It took me blardy one and the half hours to reach office. Jam! Jam! Jam!
3. I am now having a blinding headache and all I want to do is go home and sleep.
4. I can't go home because I am supposed to be having my performance review today and my boss has yet to call me in.
5. I have a birthday dinner celebration at 8.30pm and I still have no idea if I can reach there on time due to point no. 4. If I don't get there on time, I might piss off my sister royally since she originally wanted to do it on 1st February but I insisted to have the dinner tonight. Sigh!
That's why it is not like any other day ... it's worse.
Now, on to happier thoughts. I am very touched and thankful to my friends and family.
Why?
1. I have been celebrating my "ngau yat" with friends and family since Saturday. There was the Saturday Shangri-la high-tea (thanks Mon), the Saturday Pangkor Fish house dinner (thanks L3), the Sunday Sunway condo joint dinner party (thanks siau gang and birthday boy Manny for doing the cooking) and the Monday The Ship dinner (thanks P1 & bro-in-law). And there's more to come in the next few days!!! :D
2. I have this funky new calendar on "365 Great Things About Getting Older", courtesy of the siau gang.
Today's great thing is: "There are only three ages for women in Hollywood - Babe, District Attorney, and Driving Miss Daisy. - Goldie Hawn"
Why is age always such a great bother for women? Why not men too? Bah!
3. A friend promised me a Balinese birthday massage at Puri Santhi. Yippee! (Thanks Val. Hehehe ...)
4. I received this really nice decorative candle from Tasmania. It's now in my display cabinet. (Thanks L3.) And a nice 5R photo frame for 3 pix in a row from IKEA. Just what I need to put up my Tanzania wild animal photos. (Thanks Mon.) And for all the other pressies that I have received and will be receiving soon (wink! wink! wink!), thanks folks, you're all so sweet. :D
5. I received many sms, email and messenger birthday wishes and also F2F (face to face) birthday wishes today. Thanks folks. I'm touched to be remembered. :)
Alrighty. Speech all done. Head feels better. But still no word from boss.
Back to work and the grindstone!
Cheerios!
Saturday, January 27, 2007
What messages are we conveying to the youths of today?
Bombarded by increasing commercialism and frivolity from the media and a progressively modern society that is more concern with the paper and $$$ chase, I have my fair share of concern over the younger/future generation. Witness blogs like Xiaxue, and reality shows like The Bachelor and The Swan. Note the popularity of Paris Hilton and her reality show, "The Simple Life". What messages are they leaving today's youths?
As if that's not enough, note the increasing number of slimming centres and plastic surgery clinics. Witness young girls who are stick thin and yet still go on diet. Listen to talks of plastic surgery for a nose or boob job as if that's an everyday occurance. It’s no wonder more and more kids grow up with a skewed view of the world.
I remember being approached by a college student in Sunway Pyramid more than a year back. She was doing a survey on what constitutes beauty and self confidence to a woman. As the survey progress, I realised that my answers to her questions were more personal than just a survey.
"Would you rather be pretty or smart?" "Is it easier to get ahead of life if you are pretty compared to being smart?" And so on and so forth.
I can't help but feel that she is trying to find her self worth. When the interview ended she commented, "Thank you. Just one last question and this has nothing to do with the survey. How do you get so confident and at ease with yourself?"
The sad thing is that there is absolutely nothing wrong with her. No, she is not gorgeous, but she is not ugly. She is neither stick thin, nor voluptuous. She is an average Jill who has a girl next door look. And she was struggling to find her self confidence and self worth amongst a society that is so preoccupied with external or physical beauty. It is tragic. What messages are we conveying to today's youths?
Perhaps Simple Plan sang it best in their song, "Crazy".
"Crazy"
Tell me what's wrong with society
When everywhere I look, I see
Young girls dying to be on TV
They won't stop till they've reached their dreams
Diet pills, surgery
Photoshopped pictures in magazines
Telling them how they should be
It doesn't make sense to me
(Is everybody going crazy?
Is anybody gonna save me?
Can anybody tell me what's going on?
Tell me what's going on?
If you open your eyes
You'll see that something is wrong) *
I guess things are not how they used to be
There's no more normal families
Parents act like enemies
Making kids feel like it's World War III
No one cares, no one's there
I guess we're all just too damn busy
And money's our first priority
It doesn't make sense to me
(Repeat * once)
Is everybody going crazy?
Is everybody going crazy?
Tell me what's wrong with society
When everywhere I look I see
Rich guys driving big SUVs
While kids are starving in the streets
No one cares
No one likes to share
I guess life's unfair
(Repeat * twice)
I don't envy growing up in today's world. The question is what can we do to help change that?
As if that's not enough, note the increasing number of slimming centres and plastic surgery clinics. Witness young girls who are stick thin and yet still go on diet. Listen to talks of plastic surgery for a nose or boob job as if that's an everyday occurance. It’s no wonder more and more kids grow up with a skewed view of the world.
I remember being approached by a college student in Sunway Pyramid more than a year back. She was doing a survey on what constitutes beauty and self confidence to a woman. As the survey progress, I realised that my answers to her questions were more personal than just a survey.
"Would you rather be pretty or smart?" "Is it easier to get ahead of life if you are pretty compared to being smart?" And so on and so forth.
I can't help but feel that she is trying to find her self worth. When the interview ended she commented, "Thank you. Just one last question and this has nothing to do with the survey. How do you get so confident and at ease with yourself?"
The sad thing is that there is absolutely nothing wrong with her. No, she is not gorgeous, but she is not ugly. She is neither stick thin, nor voluptuous. She is an average Jill who has a girl next door look. And she was struggling to find her self confidence and self worth amongst a society that is so preoccupied with external or physical beauty. It is tragic. What messages are we conveying to today's youths?
Perhaps Simple Plan sang it best in their song, "Crazy".
"Crazy"
Tell me what's wrong with society
When everywhere I look, I see
Young girls dying to be on TV
They won't stop till they've reached their dreams
Diet pills, surgery
Photoshopped pictures in magazines
Telling them how they should be
It doesn't make sense to me
(Is everybody going crazy?
Is anybody gonna save me?
Can anybody tell me what's going on?
Tell me what's going on?
If you open your eyes
You'll see that something is wrong) *
I guess things are not how they used to be
There's no more normal families
Parents act like enemies
Making kids feel like it's World War III
No one cares, no one's there
I guess we're all just too damn busy
And money's our first priority
It doesn't make sense to me
(Repeat * once)
Is everybody going crazy?
Is everybody going crazy?
Tell me what's wrong with society
When everywhere I look I see
Rich guys driving big SUVs
While kids are starving in the streets
No one cares
No one likes to share
I guess life's unfair
(Repeat * twice)
I don't envy growing up in today's world. The question is what can we do to help change that?
Cardio! Cardio! Cardio!
I believe I mentioned that the siau gang never do things half measure. Well, once again, I am proven right!
We have been told by the new Siau Club President, Alex (herein known as SCP) to bring along cash payment for en masse registration for the Kuala Lumpur International Marathon on 18th March 2007. Luckily, he did not put our names for the half marathon as per his earlier threat. Thank God for small mercies!
SCP will of course do the half marathon (as expected of every President although Ming escaped that during his tenure), while his cohort, Manny the “hill rabbit” ( :p ) will go for the full marathon. Having witness Manny’s speed and stamina during our Bukit Gasing treks (which he ran instead of trek) left me in no doubt that he would wing this one easily.
Now, the rest of the very fit men and ladies of the siau gang (who averagely work out at least three times a week) will have no sweat in completing the 10 km run in no time. Which leaves ME, the most unfit one who has not gone to a gym in eons (probably more than 3 months), to fend for myself. My only claim to exercise hall of fame is my weekly badminton game and my once in a blue moon weekend trek.
Dang! As 18th March is not that far off, I had to get back to the gym today. Despite being 15 minutes late for combat class, after 15 minutes of high impact cardio, I was out of breath. By the half hour mark, I can feel stitches at my side. Towards the end, after jumping and kicking around for only 45 minutes, I had muscle cramp on my foot. Gee wheeze! Talk about totally out of the fitness and stamina radar.
Nevertheless, the spirit was willing even though the flesh was weak! Really weak! I continued on at the treadmill and managed to run 2.6 km in 20 minutes! At this rate, I’d likely take an hour and a half (if lucky) to complete the 10 km run and I’ll be eating everyone’s dust. Oh boy! I certainly have a lot of work cut out for me.
My mantra for the next few weeks will be, “Think cardio. Think high impact cardio!”
Siau!
We have been told by the new Siau Club President, Alex (herein known as SCP) to bring along cash payment for en masse registration for the Kuala Lumpur International Marathon on 18th March 2007. Luckily, he did not put our names for the half marathon as per his earlier threat. Thank God for small mercies!
SCP will of course do the half marathon (as expected of every President although Ming escaped that during his tenure), while his cohort, Manny the “hill rabbit” ( :p ) will go for the full marathon. Having witness Manny’s speed and stamina during our Bukit Gasing treks (which he ran instead of trek) left me in no doubt that he would wing this one easily.
Now, the rest of the very fit men and ladies of the siau gang (who averagely work out at least three times a week) will have no sweat in completing the 10 km run in no time. Which leaves ME, the most unfit one who has not gone to a gym in eons (probably more than 3 months), to fend for myself. My only claim to exercise hall of fame is my weekly badminton game and my once in a blue moon weekend trek.
Dang! As 18th March is not that far off, I had to get back to the gym today. Despite being 15 minutes late for combat class, after 15 minutes of high impact cardio, I was out of breath. By the half hour mark, I can feel stitches at my side. Towards the end, after jumping and kicking around for only 45 minutes, I had muscle cramp on my foot. Gee wheeze! Talk about totally out of the fitness and stamina radar.
Nevertheless, the spirit was willing even though the flesh was weak! Really weak! I continued on at the treadmill and managed to run 2.6 km in 20 minutes! At this rate, I’d likely take an hour and a half (if lucky) to complete the 10 km run and I’ll be eating everyone’s dust. Oh boy! I certainly have a lot of work cut out for me.
My mantra for the next few weeks will be, “Think cardio. Think high impact cardio!”
Siau!
Friday, January 26, 2007
What is a Jew?
One of the things I miss most from varsity days is hanging out at the mamak and discussing/debating about anything under the sun. Curiously enough, I have rediscovered that with the badminton gang at our weekly Thursday night mamak session.
Random conversation.
Moi: "So what is a Jew? Is it a religion or a group of people?"
BK: "It refers to a group of people."
Moi: "Really? It's not a religion? You mean as a Chinese, I cannot become a Jew?"
BK: "I don't think so."
Moi: "So what religion are Jews? I mean is there a name to the religion?"
BK shrugged.
Moi: "Judaism perhaps?"
BK: "Isn't Judaism a religion for Judas followers?"
Moi: "Err .. I have no idea."
OK. So this converging of minds didn't really work out. But curiousity got the better of me and here are some facts.
According to Wikipedia:
Jews (Hebrew: יְהוּדִים, Yehudim; Yiddish: ייִדן, Yidn) are followers of Judaism or, more generally, members of the Jewish people (also known as the Jewish Nation, or the Children of Israel), an ethno-religious group descended from the ancient Israelites and from converts who joined their religion. The term also includes those who have undergone an officially recognized formal process of religious conversion to Judaism.
Judaism shares some of the characteristics of a nation, an ethnicity, a religion, and a culture, making the definition of who is a Jew vary slightly depending on whether a religious or national approach to identity is used. For discussions of the religious views on who is a Jew and how these views differ from each other, please see Who is a Jew?.
Generally, in modern secular usage, Jews include three groups:
1. people who practice Judaism and have a Jewish ethnic background (sometimes including those who do not have strictly matrilineal descent),
2. people without Jewish parents who have converted to Judaism; and
3. those Jews who, while not practicing Judaism as a religion, still identify themselves as Jewish by virtue of their family's Jewish descent and their own cultural and historical identification with the Jewish people.
Thus from the above definition I infer that I can become a Jew if I embrace Judaism.
Right?
Random conversation.
Moi: "So what is a Jew? Is it a religion or a group of people?"
BK: "It refers to a group of people."
Moi: "Really? It's not a religion? You mean as a Chinese, I cannot become a Jew?"
BK: "I don't think so."
Moi: "So what religion are Jews? I mean is there a name to the religion?"
BK shrugged.
Moi: "Judaism perhaps?"
BK: "Isn't Judaism a religion for Judas followers?"
Moi: "Err .. I have no idea."
OK. So this converging of minds didn't really work out. But curiousity got the better of me and here are some facts.
According to Wikipedia:
Jews (Hebrew: יְהוּדִים, Yehudim; Yiddish: ייִדן, Yidn) are followers of Judaism or, more generally, members of the Jewish people (also known as the Jewish Nation, or the Children of Israel), an ethno-religious group descended from the ancient Israelites and from converts who joined their religion. The term also includes those who have undergone an officially recognized formal process of religious conversion to Judaism.
Judaism shares some of the characteristics of a nation, an ethnicity, a religion, and a culture, making the definition of who is a Jew vary slightly depending on whether a religious or national approach to identity is used. For discussions of the religious views on who is a Jew and how these views differ from each other, please see Who is a Jew?.
Generally, in modern secular usage, Jews include three groups:
1. people who practice Judaism and have a Jewish ethnic background (sometimes including those who do not have strictly matrilineal descent),
2. people without Jewish parents who have converted to Judaism; and
3. those Jews who, while not practicing Judaism as a religion, still identify themselves as Jewish by virtue of their family's Jewish descent and their own cultural and historical identification with the Jewish people.
Thus from the above definition I infer that I can become a Jew if I embrace Judaism.
Right?
Monday, January 22, 2007
The Different faces of the Siau Gang
It was barely two years ago that this crazy group of gym goers got together and christianed ourselves "the siau gang". And like all friendships and relationships, we had our fair share of ups and downs. From 'impossible' cardio activities, juvenile antics, huge gastronomic get togethers, inappropriate conversational topics, ... to extreme disagreement and blow-ups, ... we have never really done things half measure. Frankly, I never expected the friendship to have such staying power. But thanks to a few folks in the group (you know who you are), the group prevailed in spite of our differences.
Recently a key member got hitched and everyone pitched in to "help". Whether we actually helped more than we confused the wedding couple was questionable ... and up to individual interpretation ... but we certainly had a jolly good time "helping out"! :) You can read the step by step naration of the events leading to the wedding from this site. But fair warning, whatever you read from the site is from the eyes and interpretation of the narator and may be exaggerated. :P
In any case, I finally got hold of the wedding photos tonight. While looking through some of the pictures taken during the wedding, I can't help but compare them to our previous pictures. Boy! We certainly look very different all decked up.
Thanks folks for all the fun and the craziness! Here's a walk down memory lane.
To Friendship!
Young, fresh and innocent-looking (taken at my place in early 2005)
The Gluttony (taken during potluck dinner at my place in 2005)
Coming of Age (taken during Alex's birthday in 2005)
Another round of gluttony (taken during New Year 2006 celebration)
All in the Siau Gang family (taken during Ming's "retrieve the bride" ceremony last week)
The Wedding Reception (taken during Ming's Wedding Dinner last week)
Siau Gang Chuen Kar Fook 14 Jan 2007
Recently a key member got hitched and everyone pitched in to "help". Whether we actually helped more than we confused the wedding couple was questionable ... and up to individual interpretation ... but we certainly had a jolly good time "helping out"! :) You can read the step by step naration of the events leading to the wedding from this site. But fair warning, whatever you read from the site is from the eyes and interpretation of the narator and may be exaggerated. :P
In any case, I finally got hold of the wedding photos tonight. While looking through some of the pictures taken during the wedding, I can't help but compare them to our previous pictures. Boy! We certainly look very different all decked up.
Thanks folks for all the fun and the craziness! Here's a walk down memory lane.
To Friendship!
Young, fresh and innocent-looking (taken at my place in early 2005)
The Gluttony (taken during potluck dinner at my place in 2005)
Coming of Age (taken during Alex's birthday in 2005)
Another round of gluttony (taken during New Year 2006 celebration)
All in the Siau Gang family (taken during Ming's "retrieve the bride" ceremony last week)
The Wedding Reception (taken during Ming's Wedding Dinner last week)
Siau Gang Chuen Kar Fook 14 Jan 2007
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Looking for American Idol Bloggers
Talk about the power of the World Wide Web or perhaps the power of search engines!
I received the following email today, inviting me to join the American Idol Bloggers as they "supposedly" came across my site while searching for bloggers who blog about American Idol.
I couldn't recall ever posting such a blog. I had to "google" the following "Leanne's Say"+"American Idol" to get to the page on my blog that mentioned American Idol.
Guess what?! It was in the following post on ... OLD MAN'S CLUB
I only had the following two lines stating the words "American Idol" ...
"Getting sick of watching American Idol on national TV? Need a dose of a little more excitement? "
"I’d rather spend Friday night watching the hunks in the gym having a go at the weights or watching the gorgeous “Ace” belting away on American Idol."
Hahaha ... Guess it doesn't take much to qualify as an American Idol Blogger!!!
Anyone interested? :)
I received the following email today, inviting me to join the American Idol Bloggers as they "supposedly" came across my site while searching for bloggers who blog about American Idol.
I couldn't recall ever posting such a blog. I had to "google" the following "Leanne's Say"+"American Idol" to get to the page on my blog that mentioned American Idol.
Guess what?! It was in the following post on ... OLD MAN'S CLUB
I only had the following two lines stating the words "American Idol" ...
"Getting sick of watching American Idol on national TV? Need a dose of a little more excitement? "
"I’d rather spend Friday night watching the hunks in the gym having a go at the weights or watching the gorgeous “Ace” belting away on American Idol."
Hahaha ... Guess it doesn't take much to qualify as an American Idol Blogger!!!
Anyone interested? :)
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Goodbye 2006, Hello 2007
A Happy Belated 2007 to all. Yes, it’s been a month since I last blogged. Busy at work, busy travelling, busy holidaying … yes to all that. At times, there was so much I wanted to express. At others, the mind was a veritable desert.
The change of calendar year came and went without much fanfare. I was in Surabaya with a friend but instead of celebrating the occasion (as we originally planned); we almost slept through the event (or non event) due to exhaustion. We were woken up by the sound of fireworks, rushed out of the backpackers in time to observe the final few seconds of 2006 slipping away.
I have not had much time to reflect on 2006 nor was I driven to make any new resolutions for 2007 since then. I realise that I should not view a change in calendar year to reflect upon what had occurred but to review events in my life by the blocks of time I have invested in them.
“Does the end justify the means? Is the ROI (Return on Investment) worthy of the time, effort and emotional sacrifice? Have I been so focussed on the results that I have forgotten to enjoy the journey? Have I been swayed to take the easier path instead of standing state fast in my beliefs? Have I played it safe for too many years?”
These are but a few thoughts that have been running through my head. More and more I wonder if the path of independence was the right one to take. If I do not lean on me, can I trust someone else (divine presence excluded) to lean on or to champion my cause? If I change that, am I changing the core of “who I am”?
Stephen Covey spoke of the three stages in life; when we first came into the world, we were dependent. Then when we grew to adulthood, we wanted independence. But along the path of life, we will recognise that we need to live interdependently. Perhaps it is time to let go of that independence, throw caution to the wind, and welcome interdependence into my life. It’s a big step for me, and I am not sure I am ready for that.
Well, goodbye 2006 and helloooo 2007.
The change of calendar year came and went without much fanfare. I was in Surabaya with a friend but instead of celebrating the occasion (as we originally planned); we almost slept through the event (or non event) due to exhaustion. We were woken up by the sound of fireworks, rushed out of the backpackers in time to observe the final few seconds of 2006 slipping away.
I have not had much time to reflect on 2006 nor was I driven to make any new resolutions for 2007 since then. I realise that I should not view a change in calendar year to reflect upon what had occurred but to review events in my life by the blocks of time I have invested in them.
“Does the end justify the means? Is the ROI (Return on Investment) worthy of the time, effort and emotional sacrifice? Have I been so focussed on the results that I have forgotten to enjoy the journey? Have I been swayed to take the easier path instead of standing state fast in my beliefs? Have I played it safe for too many years?”
These are but a few thoughts that have been running through my head. More and more I wonder if the path of independence was the right one to take. If I do not lean on me, can I trust someone else (divine presence excluded) to lean on or to champion my cause? If I change that, am I changing the core of “who I am”?
Stephen Covey spoke of the three stages in life; when we first came into the world, we were dependent. Then when we grew to adulthood, we wanted independence. But along the path of life, we will recognise that we need to live interdependently. Perhaps it is time to let go of that independence, throw caution to the wind, and welcome interdependence into my life. It’s a big step for me, and I am not sure I am ready for that.
Well, goodbye 2006 and helloooo 2007.
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