Ironi

Semalam aku jumpa seorang lelaki kat di sebuah disko semasa operasi narkotik polis. Muka dia macam Cina, dengan rambut menggerbang ala Joe Flizzow; bertindik di bawah bibir dan berantai di leher. Dia seorang ‘bar tender’ di situ.

Sebab muka dia macam Cina, aku pun tegur dia dengan pelat Cina, macam kita biasa buat kalau jumpa member Cina.

Ironinya, dia pula tegur aku : “Tolong, you tak payah cakap pelat Cina dengan I. I Islam, tau. Melayu”.

Terdiam aku. Bukan terdiam sebab dia tegur aku. Tapi terdiam sebab...tak apa lah.

Baca lagi!

Sakit ke rehat?

Ketua Menteri Melaka, Datuk Seri Mohd. Ali Rustam buat gempar baru-baru ni. Tiba-tiba, mmasuk hospital tanpa sebab. Bila orang sibuk-sibuk tanya, katanya penat sangat kerja. Tapi itu pun bukan datang dari mulut dia sendiri. Orang tu cakap dia sihat, cuma nak rehat kat hospital.

Masuk lima hari dalam hospital, semua orang kalut tanya dia sakit apa. Masih lagi, orang kat hospital cakap dia penat, nak rehat. Aku pun hairan. Kalau nak rehat, apasal lepak kat hospital? Takkan tak ada tempat lain nak lepak? Bayangkanlah orang sakit pun tak sabar nak keluar hospital. Ini dia nak lepak dalam tu plak.

Akhirnya, lepas lapan hari lepak dalam hospital, barulah Ali nak keluar. Kata dia, dia demam teruk. Sampai 40 deg C. Tapi aku musykil, sebab ada benda yang macam tak kena. Kalau dia kata dia demam, apasal dua pakar urologi yang rawat dia? Macam la doktor lain tak ada dah kat situ.
Ali ni silap langkah sebenarnya. Patut dia terbang terus ke luar negara masa mula sakit dulu. Macam Pak Lah. Orang tua tu (pak lah) terbang ke Australia sebab nak buang sinus dia. lepas Dua jam, balik KL balik. Orang tak cari, media pun tak susah nak jadi stalker or menyamar jadi doktor kat hospital. Aku tak tipu, dua hari aku jadi stalker kat hospital tu. Rasa macam movie Hollywood plak. Baca lagi!

Selepas hujan...

Perhimpunan Agung UMNO baru saja habis. Macam-macam dapat kita tengok kat tv dan baca kat surat khabar. Ada orang kena hentam. Itu biasa dalam perhimpunan parti politik terbesar di Malaysia tu. Tapi yang menariknya, ada orang tak boleh kena hentam. Atau lebih tepat, ada orang tak kasi orang yang nak dihentam tu, kena hentam.

Mukhriz cakap Pak Lah tak ada isu baru yang dibangkitkan dalam ucapannya. Ada betulnya jugak. Balik-balik, "bekerja bersama saya, isu ekonomi orang Melayu". Tapi, apa yang dia dok buat mengenainya? Bukan nak jadi pembangkang, tapi tengok sendiri la. Tok-tok menteri ni dok bersuka ria kat belakang Pak Lah, sapu projek sini, sapu projek sana. Habis tu rakyat marhaen macam kita ni apa yang dapat?
Kemudian, dan-dan Mukhriz kena warning oleh orang-orang kuat Pak Lah. Ya la, mana boleh lawan tauke kan. Tapi kalau tauke silap macam mana?

Tapi yang nak jadi terkejutnya pasal nak buat Istana Negara yang baru tu. Katanya RM400 juta diperuntukkan. Istana baru? Nak buat apa? Bukannya boleh duit dengan istana tu. Katanya sebab dah tak cukup tempat nak buat majlis serba serbi. Lainlah kalau nak buat macam Dis#eyland, masuk ada entrance fee. Dah la pulak tu, jambatan kedua Pulau Pinang pun nak dibina jugak. Jambatan tu panjangnya 24 kilometer dan bernilai RM2.7 bilion. Tambahan pula, projek 'double tracking' yang terbantut perjalanannya tu hanya nak disiapkan separuh jalan. Ramai yang tak sedar kalau projek double tracking tu siap, dari Utara sampai Selatan, Singapura akan kehilangan sedikit kuasa perlabuhannya. Barangan boleh dihantar terus dari Utara ke Selatan tanpa perlu singgah di perlabuhan. Entahlah, mungkin ada udang di sebalik mee kut.

Pernah terdengar satu masa dulu: "Orang Melayu sekarang ni susah nak berpolitik berjuang nasib bangsa. Dulu, semuanya cikgu-cikgu; orang bijak pandai yang mahukan kemajuan bangsa. Sekarang ni banyak sangat kontraktor, orang bisnes yang tahunya nak cari untung saja."

Mana aku dengar, tak ingatlah. Tapi, sepanjang pengalaman jadi wartawan ni, macam betul saja. Baca lagi!

Saturday

Last Saturday, I remembered calling up one of my friend, Grunge, and it goes like this.

Me: Hello! Ko kat ner?

Grunge: Aku on the way nak balik Melawati ni. Apa cer?

Me: Aku nak ajak ko pegi amik anak dara orang la.

Grunge: Amik anak sedara orang? Afiq ke? (Afiq is my nephew)

Me: Anak sedara mendanya. Anak dara orang la.

Grunge: Pehal pulak ko nak amik anak dara orang?

Me: Aku nak tunang la dol. Ingat nak ajak ko meneman..

Grunge: Bila? Hari ni?

Me: Ahah. Lepas asar.

So the day had come and gone. After asar, my family went up BA to mengikat anak dara orang tu. Earlier that morning, sempat pegi servis kereta lagi. Then singgah pi beli sirih and bunga melur. Pastu, singgah beli lemang pulak. Nak jamu sedara mara yang datang membantu la katakan.

Then, maka seperti sedia maklum, berjanji Melayu la kami. Janjinya lepas asar. Tapi ada kelewatan sikit dikalangan yang datang nak membantu, maki semua orang pun lambat la…well like they say, better late than never!

So lepas dropping em all at THE house, I went down a kedai mamak nearby, ordered a Nescafe ais and picked up a newspaper, browising for anything that could keep my mind occupied.

But the truth is, I couldn’t. My mind was busy imagining what is happening at THE house. Wondering what is people talking about, wondering if there’s something wrong. But my moment of wondering is short lived. A few minutes later, I received a call. I am now officially engaged. Hahaha…Ini boleh masuk ‘The year that was’ ni.

Surely this is a milestone in my life. Something to reflect on, not just bask in the joy of it. Oh well…congratulations to me. I think I deserve a pat on my back. By me.

Baca lagi!

Ini kerja ke, jalan-jalan?

The title says it all....haahhaaa!! The pix below was at Perigi Hang Tuah, and below it, Pantai Puteri at Tg Kling.


Baca lagi!

Blogging from Melaka

Yours truly here is in Melaka. Working, mind you, not on some holiday trip sponsored by the company (yeah, you wish). For the rest of my two or three, or even more years of my life, I will be here in this acclaimed Historical City. I wonder how they call it city although some parts of the town doesn't look a bit like a city. Anyway, here I am.

Living in a different city is not a problem to me. I've been living outside my home in Ampang for the last 10 years. So, no problemo. My only concern is the work. We are really independent here. So far, at least. No bosses to maki hamun you everyday, although they can still do that through the phone.

A lot have to be done. A lot have to be bought. Arghh...there goes my money for 'specific' purposes flowing like a river....What to do, the house is empty and it has to be filled. Oh, I forgot
to tell you that me and my colleague the photo man rented this three-bedroom single storey house in Bukit Katil for 300 bucks a month. Damn cheapo! So we decided to be civilised and buy ourselves mattresses, kitchen cabinets and what not. Just to make it 'homely' I guess. The place is just about 10 minutes away from the office. Food? Melaka food is like anywhere you can find in KL lah. Tom Yam and stuff plus the occasional asam pedas, which proves to be famous here in Melaka. I have yet to try that one.

Cycling and running? God knows where I can do that. I have to look around to find THE place.

Oh well, Melaka pun Melaka lah. Baca lagi!

Ironman

The epitome of Ironman races has come again this year, in Kona Hawaii. Live coverage will be around 3 am tomorrow. As usual, I will be stuck on ironmanlive.com to watch it.

Plus, a Malaysian will racing there. Wong Ah Thiam. All the best En Wong. Baca lagi!

Its alive!

Finally my bike is ready. My bebola biru, blue thunder or whatever u may want to call it is ready to be ridden. Complete with 105 groupset. Yes. U heard me rite. 105 baru aa..bukan lama. Muahaha...eksen sikit. Well it has made me RM1,6** poorer, so bleh eksen la kan. Nanti aku post gambar...hehehe

The decision to cepat-cepat pasang the groupset was spurred by a bittersweet news i got. Im going to be transferred to Melaka. Yes, no more runs in Putrajaya, no more runs in Titiwangsa, no more crazy cycling to Ulu Langat. Arghhh...I dont mind being away from KL actually. Im quite used to it. I spent half of my life away from KL. The thing i cant stand is starting work all over again - at least i think so. Build contacts again, starting from zero.

Then, im going to hidup bujang over there. Manage a house again. Adoih. Malas nak pikir la. I just want to think all the claims im going to get. Thats a more soothing thought. hahah!

Anyway im up for it. I can handle it. Bring it on. Baca lagi!

What have you been missing?

Puasa dah masuk 12 hari, keje makin menimbun, perut dah membesar, kawan aku (Sabb) dah nak beranak..apa lagi?

Lama dah tak tulis kat sini. Mungkin sibuk sangat la. Memang sibuk pun.. The thing is, bukanya sibuk every minute pun. Ada time dia yang sibuk tu. Macam petang sikit ke, haa..mula la. Perut plak dah makin besar. Arghh...i hate myself. Dah la pulak tu, majlis bukak posa kat hotel almost everyday!

Last nite, was a saviour. Azwar organized a run--a nite run-- in putrajaya. Aku dengan semangat gabannya decided to join. Ya la...im in really bad shape man! There was bacin, asri, mary and jaja. except for azwar and bacin, the rest were new to me. But they were nice. Mary even bought me a gatorade i ordered (just bcoz tak sempat nak beli).

They wanted to run 10k, powerman route. Gila la, aku sure takleh ikut. So senyap-senyap, im planning to u turn sebelum PICC. hehehee.... At first, breathing was pretty heavy. Signs of me being unfit. I remembered dulu when i still tak tau jalan-jalan kat putrajaya, me n grunge would pusing sini-sana just to make our run longer there. Sekarang? cakap 5k pun dah mengah.
Anyway, as i planned, i made a u turn sebelum sampai PICC. Diorang sumer dah jerit, "oi nak pegi mana tu tank?" aku gelak je..hehehe... so berpatah balik la aku sorang2. Running alone makes u feel the run is much longer. I think its just psycho. Thats all.

I feel high again last nite, eventho today i had aches at most parts of my body, im satisfied. Baca lagi!

Blow dried

Well, in a normal working life of a person, one ought to get the hair drier treatment from their bosses.

I just had mine recently. It just a simple miscommunication, really. And the move behind it was political. Uh, how I hate politics. Dirty, filthy politics. And politicians. And those who are in their payrolls. Perhaps I'll get a memo from my boss soon. Who knows. Well, shit happens. We just learn how to dodge them.

Sometimes the blow drying can be a bit on the emotional spectrum. Where the criminal is petty, the punishment can sometime be over la sangat...tapi takpe. Biasa la. Nak idup. Kena la tahan. Baca lagi!

Harta Qarunnn

Yes, yours truly here went on a tresuer hunt - a personal first - from KL to Penang! The experience was awesome, apart from the snail rate driving of our driver, and the fact that our team was DQ'ed, we made it to Penang!

The hunt was organizedby MAHB specially to the medias, with RM80 for fuel. Huh, bodek la tu. We - four of us - started good in KL, where most of the Q's were answered. Then we move on towards Bidor. That was where it all began. The question was just difficult! We made a quick decision head to next destination.
Not long before, we were just too tired to solve the q's. Jawab jugak la tapi our mind was just too tired. I just want to get to Penang.

Next stop was Taiping. I studied there for a year, and this should be no problem for me, or so I thought. There, we only managed to answer 2 out of 5 q's! Such a bummer! Then we head straight to Penang where we only have 1 hour left before the cut-off time.

We arrived at the Penang International Airport just seconds before the cut-off time. And theres 3 more q's to answer at the airport. We skipped it. We went straight to the MAHB training centre - the finish line. And as we expected, we were not in the winners list. Oh well..

But I win. I win for I get to eat fresh ikan bakar and penang famous char kuew teow. Hahah..gluttony! We went scouring for food later that night and I was the guide. Hey, 6 years of life in Penang should entitle me to do so kan? hehe... We went ot makan ikan bakar near jabatan Marin. Wanted to go eat somewhere else better, but we were just too tired. Lepas makan dua ekor ikan bakar, i wanted to satisfy myself (hmm..) with char K. teow pulak. Siap beli bungkus besar tuu!

The trip was great, an escape for me actually. I wanted to go somewhere. Needed to. Boringlah.

Not forgetting, at the same time with my hunt, my triathlete friends were on their own hunt for glory in Desaru Triathlon and also Putrajaya Marathon. Well done! Baca lagi!

Aiyoh busy-nya!

Work has been very, very busy lately. From the 4, only 2 left including me to do the work. Yang lagi 2 pegi kursus. Arghh... I must claim my OT!

Went to a village sometime last Tuesday. Their houses, their lands are going to be taken by the authorities to make way for DUKE highway. So, its ok la kan. But no. They are supposed to rent from DBKL a flat, and re-new the rent contract every 3 years. So, there's no guarantee that they will have a roof over their head, right?

The culprit is some politicians hiding behind his Minister master. He claimed to the public that he, and all the villagers has agreed to move out to make way for the project. But the things is, he is not even in the joint comittee of the villagers! So, who's voice is he speaking out? I think, aa udang di sebalik mee.

Since the land is going to be taken by the developer, there will be some part of it that wont be affected by the project. So, maybe he can somehow purchase it or kawtim with Datuk Bandar and make his own development there. An apartment, perhaps? And siapa untung?

This is very unfair. I tried to help them, as far as possible. Of course, DBKL is just doing their job. They, most probably dont know jack about what happened behind the scenes.

Their story was published yesterday (Friday 11/8).
People of Kg Semarak, Kg Loke Yew and Kg Padang Tembak, hang on.

Baca lagi!

Not a good sign...

Wnet for a walk this morning, and the pain at my right knee suddenly, just tingles. Actually I think I got it injured during the football game in Pilah, when I landed awkwardly on the hard ground. The back of my right knee just snapped.
Now, when I press at a certain spot there, it hurts a bit. Feels like swollen. Damn.
I need your help, Mobic. Baca lagi!

PD Tri results!

Dengan bangganya mengumumkan, team aku dapat tempat ke-18 daripada 35 team, satu tangga di belakang Bacin.
Terima kasih kepada swimmer aku yang laju serta pelari yang berdesup. Tanpa anda, takdelah medal! Kih kih kih...
Eh medal tu kat sapa ek? Baca lagi!

Gatal nak main bola

It has been a long time since i played footie. Lama jugak la tak menyarung but Copa Mundial tu. At last, the time has come. Cucunda Yang Di-Pertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan ajak kitaorang main bola ngan diorang. In front of possibly hundreds of villagers in Kuala Pilah! Fulamakatak!

To cut the story short, kitaorang kena 6 bijik tanpa balas. MUahahah. But the best part was tackling one of the kerabats until they fall *bedebuk!* Dua kali pulak tu. Sampai the MC said: "Main jangan kasar sangat ah, ni tompek eden ni!"

After the game, head straight back to KL coz I offered Fahi to fetch him when he arrives from Kedah with bus. Time check: 730pm. Fahi should be arriving around 830. Traffic was gila babi from KP. The thing is i cant let him down kan. Dah janji. And plus, he is the kind of guy with big a heart. Mesti mau tolong punya. End up sempat amik dia. Well, what friends are for, right?

That match means I missed both Larian Utusan 10k and MMDS Putrajaya. I think if I were to take part in Putrajaya, mesti mati punya. Training tak cukup! Dah la race takleh drafting. Next target would be Powerman, Lumut. By that time, aku amik gak cuti , tak kira. Plus , boleh lepak Pangkor jap, like last year! Ehem..ehem..nak ikut? Baca lagi!

PD Tri..again!

Me, Bacin n JB gang with Azhar

It was a wonderful, albeit full satisfaction, experience. I did not race in the individual event due to lack of training. Kerja bagai nak rak, training apa! So, end up i cycled for a group set up by Azhar the mat salleh celup. Semua geng JB.

So to cut the story short, my kayuh was great! Not THAT great la, tapi ok la compared to my own expectations. Aku ingat, I can do it withing 2 hrs laa...sekali 1hr 26m!! Just 9 minutes behind Bacin yang cuba 'menyerap' kehebatan Steph! Hahaha... Ekceli, bacin potong aku somewhere after 30k of the cycling leg. Aku silap pi draft orang slow. Cilakak btul. And most of the time, i was drafting in a pack. Aku rasa that contribute to kepoweran aku mengayuh kali ini. Hahaha!!

I got a medal, and it has become a gift. Life is sweet.

Me n Bacin
(photo from KC)

Baca lagi!

The rise of...

...consumerism! Tesco Ampang just opened last Saturday. It was full to the brim with people!! What i cant understand is why people flock there? Do they get free toilet rolls by just walking in? I mean, c'mon, its just another Tesco!!

And to add up to the misery of people surrounding the area, massive traffic jams are predicted every weekend at MRR2 near there due to slow trafic flow towards Tesco parking lots. Aiyoh, looks like samy vellu have to make another flyover on top of the existing road la to avoid gridlock. But no tolls la mr samy!
Hmm...apa yang best sangat Tesco ni? Baca lagi!

Haywire

After WC (world cup, not water closet ah) I got back right away to working mornings. Oh man! Why am I whining? Because I only work in the evening during the whole WC month. So, I dont have time to adjust my sleep! ZzzZZZzzz.... And now despite the fact I have to be in the office around 10, with my late nights (just cant help it, I love it!) and all...

Now after work, a few of my collegues and not to mention bosses will strip off everything we are in the office, and transform into Misbun and co. Hahah..Badminton! It has been ages since I picked up a racket. I even bought a cap ayam racket (at rm50, even a Yonex is cap ayam) to play! Which reminds me of my younger days, when dad would be home at 5 and play badminton with us at the porch. We had this two steel (read:heavy) rackets to play with. Then somewhere along the way, I got a new Yonex, which I think is expensive that time, as a gift. I dunno whether its for my good grades or for my birthday. I think I'm gonna re-wrap its grip later today. Hahahah!! <== poyo je, macam terer! Baca lagi!

I saw myself today...

As I stepped inside a bookstore today, I was halted by a sight.
I saw myself, a six year-old me, sitting on the floor; oblivious to the world; immensely concentrating on the book in hand.
The boy was reading Archie.
I used to do that when I was a kid.
Almost everytime, anywhere I can find a book.
I loved Dandy. He's got a kinda huge, weird looking chin.
The mamak at my nearby magazine store used to shoo me away if I was reading for too long.

"Sorry aa, takbleh baca lama-lama"

How wonderful it is to be kids...
No need to put in overtimes;
No need to put up with idiots;
No need to calculate how much money you should have in the bank to survive 'till end of month.

Hmm... Baca lagi!

Tummy timble tumble tots

Actually i had another thing written for this post. But it was so wretched that i had to put it in my other blog.

It was a great meeting. The guys were all hyped up watching Portugal vs England and the girls, were busy discussing about which team had the most beautiful jersey and which player was a hottie. Actually it was a meeting of celebrations. We had an early celebration for Ayang's birthday and her upcoming baby (in about two months). So, berpesta lah we all (although me not entirely, due to some outside reasons) with Lemon Cheesecake, laksa johor, potato pie and not forgetting the super delicious Haagen D ice cream! Can see photos here.
Stayed there until i saw Brazil fell to their knees, and I have a group ride at 7am! I tot boleh bangun la, then hampeh. I have to sleep in the car instead Ngantuk giler. Sorry guys, again I have let u down. Habis la reputasi aku. Lagipun belum adjust time tido lagi la. Susah woo.

*******

Baca lagi!

Beautiful noise

What is the purpose of my life? Why am I here? There must be a reason thats conceivable to the mind. A reason, perhaps to justify my being.

Ah, what is that beautiful noise I hear outside? It's the children playing. They, on the other hand doesnt have to ponder much about their reason for living. They just go about doing anything their beautiful infant mind could think about. Imagination. Yes! It's their imagination. Children can imagine lots of things that adults consider foolish: a flying car, an ice cream machine that never runs out, and even flying human beings. Yet, adults thought about realising some of the imagination through science. Human beings are made to think. Cows aren't .

Yes, I am made to think. What is right, and not. What is good and bad.

I must think. Baca lagi!

Jelajah Perancis akan bermula!

List of main favourites for the 93rd Tour de France which begins here Saturday:

Ivan Basso (ITA) CSC
Basso, who won the Giro in June with the biggest margin in 42 years (over nine minutes), finished runner-up behind Arsmtrong last year, was third the year before and has already won the white jersey for the race’s best rider aged under 25 years old. Basso is not a pure climber, nor a pure time trialler - events which are crucial to success in the race - but excels in both. His powerful CSC team could prove decisive when it comes to setting the pace in the crucial mountains stages, and could give him the edge over Jan Ullrich.

Jan Ullrich (GER) T-Mobile
Germany’s 1997 winner has been chasing an elusive second victory since he decided not to compete in 1999, the year in which Lance Armstrong scored the first of his seven straight wins. Ullrich came close in 2003’s dramatic edition and, by the time Armstrong retired last year, the 32-year-old German had come runner-up an impressive five times, three times behind the American. A knee injury delayed Ullrich’s start to the season but he recently built on the form gained on the Tour of Italy by winning the Tour of Switzerland. And Ullrich will be the man to beat in the race’s two long time trials over 50km.

Floyd Landis (USA) Phonak
A former rider with Lance Armstrong’s US Postal team, Landis has emerged as a team leader in his own right since joining the Swiss outfit. He believes he can win the Tour de France and, despite limiting his racing days to focus exactly on that goal, at the start of the season his time trialling was on fire. Also good in the mountains, Landis perhaps lacks the team backing to be able to threaten the anticipated dominance of CSC - and a top five finish, after last year’s ninth place, would not be brushed aside.

Alejandro Valverde (ESP)
Spain’s next ’big thing’, Valverde must be getting tired of being compared to the legendary Miguel Indurain - however there’s no denying a talent that makes him his country’s main contender. Valverde beat Armstrong in the 10th stage to Courchevel in the French Alps last year, the first mountain stage of the race, to claim a memorable victory on a race debut which ended early when he injured his knee. He has already shown his one-day form this season by winning the Fleche Wallonne and the more prestigious Liege-Bastogne-Liege classic. On his second Tour, the tactically astute and tough 26-year-old will be hoping for key stage wins that could boost his chances in the general classification.

Alexandre Vinokourov (KAZ) Astana-Wurth
’Vino’, as the talented Kazakhstani is affectionately known, is a real contender for the yellow jersey having come third place in 2003 when riding for T-Mobile alongside Jan Ullrich. However it remains to be seen if the polemic surrounding his newly-named team (formerly Liberty), which has been plagued by claims of blood doping in recent weeks, will upset his plans to take advantage of Armstrong’s absence. Vinokourov has, like some of the main contenders, had a quiet season so far. But he is an all-rounder who, while still lacking in the time trial, can climb well. He can also stage daring victory raids miles from the finish line.

Aku rasa: Ivan Basso dapat la. Team CSC power jugak. Baca lagi!

Chicken Foldover

"What if your first love was your last?" - then you'll die heartbroken

"It stays with you to the end." - stay away from me u crazy woman!

"The one that got away." - try, or thou shalt not know

"The one you can never forget." - first cut is the deepest

"Love that never leaves." - it never does, but people do

"Does friendship end where love begins?" - does it have to?

"What happens when you fall in love with a friend?" - shit happens

"Everyone has a first love story to tell." - indeed, they do

Well, the above are some of Yasmin's probable tagline for her new movie, Mukhsin. Although, it kinda give me a smack on the face, though.

*****

A friend with a crazy problem came looking for my counsel just as I was about to have some shut eye. But me being a good friend, went out to meet her. Lagipun its just 10pm.
Apparently she wants to ask me to go with her and work overseas.
Gilo apo. I guessed that this meeting was not about that actually. My guess was spot on. She was having that 'crazy obsession' again. She is obsessed with something--someone-- that couldnt be hers.
I gave her a slap on the face. Nah, I wish i could. My advice was simple, and any sane person wouldve said the same.

******

Finally got to workout. Stamina macam siut. Nemind. I have time after WC. Saw tis dude in RPM class. I just watched from outside je. He is sooo poyo. Clad in Colnago bike shorts and Nalini jersey. But his seat is just too high. Takkan dia tak tau adjust kut? Or dia memang poyo, all dressed up just to show off. Blearghh. People. Baca lagi!

OMG

Flab, chubby, corpulent, fleshy, full, gross, obese, overweight, plump, portly, pudgy, roly-poly, rotund, round, tubby

Basically what I want to say is, I have been skipping my precious sweating time for the last two weeks.

OMG I feel fat. No, I look fat, at the belly, at least. More fat cells are starting to accumulate around that region. Oh, that should be the least of my problems.

The major problem is: July is looming fast. MMDS is looming fast. I, yours truly is in no condition to race. Bleargh.

Solution(s): Stop by the gym on the way back (around 6am) OR stop by the gym before coming to work (which means I have to sacrifice my slumber time).

Verdict: Belasah! Janji habis! (quote Zailan) Baca lagi!

Copa Mundial

Its the season to rejoice. World Cup is back! And I'm being loaned to sports desk for the whole month!!! Yahoooo!

Quote from a friend: "Cilaka kau, dibayar gaji untuk tengok bola."

Haha...sort of la. Not exactly just watching. Ada la kerjanya.

My favourite would be Brazil to win it. But I do hope that Argentina might, just might, give Brazil a run for their money. England? Strong squad but...not too convincing.

Since I have become the unrecognised pundit tis month, I have to clock in at 6pm, and clock out at 6am. So what happens to my training?

Er...tak boleh jadi. Kena jugak buat sesuatu. Kalau tak boroi perut nanti. Ada sebulan lagi sebelum MMDS Putrajaya. Harap dapat complete-kan bike baru before that. Tinggal lagi wheels, saddle, groupset, bartape, carbon fork, carbon seatpost....aiyarkk. Banyak wooo.

I read somewhere ada orang nak jual gruppo 105 10-speed for RM1600, without hubs. OK ke? Baca lagi!

Sure or not?

The Sukma is nearing its end. The event from which many great athletes—Watson Nyambek, Nazmizan Mohd, duh—were born has garnered a lot of interest from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, as well as from the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM).

Interest? Why would they suddenly be interested in the games? It is largely because the quality of the athletes have declined—gravely I presumed.

Reports have shown that results and timings for most events have been mediocre. Err, wasn’t that the case for most of the time?

My question is, why now? Why now you have realized that our Games have not been producing great talents to supply us with medals and honour at international level?

Then, comes the question of whether Sukma is still relevant. Is it? Some quarters are saying that Cari Champion is enough and spending about RM20 million for Sukma is just a waste. Personally, I think Sukma is still relevant. Even it does not produce great talents. You see, sport should be and is regarded as a lifestyle for some. For regular jocks like me to be in the ‘lampu minyak tanah’ limelight—compared to a floodlight—for a while, it is relevant.

Sukma shouldn’t be the only stage to cari champions. There should be other ways in doing it. And, lest we forget, we also have MSSM and MASUM to unearth rare talents. Unless, MSSM and MASUM are not opening their eyes wide enough.

And oh, I just got myself a new pair of Brooks. Haha. Baca lagi!

Jom lari wei!

LARIAN 10K UTUSAN BANGI

30 JULAI 2006

KOMPLEKS SRI UTUSAN, BANDAR BARU BANGI

YURAN: RM 10 AJE, unless u 'golongan istimewa'

DAPAT MEDAL WEH! unless boleh beat itu Arulthevar, then dapat duit la.

siapa nak borang boleh inform aku. tapi aku tak masuk la sebab nak join MMDS. heheh.

kepada Sabb, bleh suruh Amir lari this one pulak after PJ Half.

to donut girl, u pun boleh start lari-lari nih. Baca lagi!

Oh my...

What a week it was. Tired. Not tired from doing rides or runs--which I did none-- but from pile and pile and more pile of work.

When the hell am I going to get ready for July?? Tak sempat nih.

Now my nose a kinda runny. Sign of not enuff rest. Or I like to think so.

So today is Saturday. My day off. What shall I do?

Laze around on my ass. Coz tommorow is a day off as well. Yahuu.

Time for a long ride. Maybe to Tg Malim.

Hey, donut girl, where's ur donuts? hahaa....

Gang Projectz, how r u guys holding up? Baca lagi!

Hot!

Maya Karin is sooooo hot! I saw her last nite in the show Ratu Sehari. Not that I am about to meet mine in the near future, but I sorta flipped to that channel coz there not much interesting stuff to watch last nite.

Btw, Sabbs photographer for her wedding (Adan) was featured in the show. Some talent those bunch of people. Certainly will look for them when my time comes.


******
Everybody went to PD last weekend! Azwar went there for a reunion. Geng projek went there for picnic. Me? Stuck in da office. Duh.

Azwar cycled his way to PD. Gee..I wish to do that soon.

As for geng projek, I heard they had lotsa fun despite arriving late. Well, there will be some other time, I hope.

And to you who silently read this, go easy on the donuts. Hehe... Baca lagi!

ITB

No that aint some sort of institution that you can join in. Its not even the name of a new tech gadget either. Its the the motherload of pain that has been bugging me after I run.

Iliotibial band syndrom. Its the ligamen that runs right down from your butt to your shin. When it comes down to the knee, it becomes narrow and some rubbing with the bone can occur. And that equals nagging pain.

Yesterday after my very short distance run (4k, duh!) my ITB started acting up again. Darn. Its just 4k!! Not even 10!!! I left the gym half limping coz it hurts.

Today, everytime I start to walk I stretch my ITB just to ease the pain. It helps luckily.

My guess is that there's some scar tissue there that keeps rubbing against the bone. Scar tissue. Remedy? Cortisone injection. Ahh...i heard it weakens the knee. Aduh...

I hate this pain!! Baca lagi!

I'm at it again

After almost a week of rest n recovery from Langkawi, I was cycling again yesterday.

It was a nite ride in Putrajaya. Alone.

The weather compromised with me. It was cool (it was pouring a while back) but there were no signs its gonna rain.

Ahh...solitude. A good 30-40k I guess. I just need to get it out of my system.

Best bit: I outran a Kelisa at the traffic light right to the next traffic light. Haha. Im just making myself feeling good here. Wait till I get my hands on that 'Bebola Biru'. Maybe I can outrun a Putra. Baca lagi!

Tribute to my shoe

I lost my shoe at the Island of Eagles. Not that it was stolen but, its life ended there. In the thick mud of Tuba beach.

The most memorable thing was, I was running around with only one shoe with its sole intact. The other one, kaput midway the race. Stuck in the mud at the beach while pulling the kayak to sea. But the race goes on.

Race? What race?

We ran,

did this......




and this..









and after more running....



Adventure race is crazy. Not as taxing (it could be) as a triathlon but, definitely fun. Baca lagi!

I suffered...

...but this one is for Wan Adriana Zahra. May you lead a healthy life.

After 10k of running, 45k of cycling and another 5k of running to cap it, now I am left with aches and soreness for the next few days. Haha. Endorphines can make you go crazy. Baca lagi!

Feels like making love....

Baby, when I think about you,
I think about love...
Baca lagi!

Crash into me...

Whenever you climb a hill, you will surely reach the top, right? Otherwise it wont be called climbing then.
Im about to reach the top of a hill. But I reckon the view is not that all pretty.

What do I have to do? Well, maybe I should just stop climbing and save myself from the perils of watching the view or, be a fool and go to the top, and roll myself downhill like a ball, hoping that the rocks, splinters and what-not wont my hurt my body, then crash to the ground. Pick myself up, and attempt to climb another hill.

Maybe I should do that.

It is a consolation to the wretched to have companions in misery - Publilius Syrus, 1st century BC.

Sarah McLachlan - Angel (Live)

Baca lagi!

How hard it is?

How hard it is?

A friend once said, "...mat rempit pun dapat".

But, again, it is a tough game to play. A lot of perseverance should be taken into.
Understanding.
Determination.
Humbleness.
Passion.
Longing.
Want.

Its like Bukit Ampang-Hulu Langat: its hard but worth every drop of sweat. Baca lagi!

Lari, lari, lari!!

Di Menggatal, Sabah, 62 pendatang tanpa izin (PATI) melarikan diri dari Pusat Tahanan Sementara (PTS) Menggatal minggu lepas. Di Pokok Sena, Kedah, 24 pelatih Asrama Pokok Sena yang menempatkan tahanan sementara pesalah juvana berjaya melarikan diri dari asrama. Di Sepang, Terminal Penerbangan Tambang Murah (LCCT) dengan mudahnya dibolosi orang awam yang masuk hingga ke pintu kapal terbang.

Semua perkara ini membabitkan kawalan keselamatan yang disifatkan rakyat Malaysia sebagai yang ‘terselamat’ di rantau ini. Selamatkah? Siapa yang kata kita paling selamat? Mungkin kita rasa selamat sebab tak banyak kejadian pengganas atau rusuhan yang berlaku di negara kita. Tapi itu bukannya ukuran betapa selamat kawalan keselamatan kita.

Dalam kejadian di Menggatal, sejumlah 73 PATI telah bertindak memecahkan dinding bangunan pusat tahanan tersebut. Disebabkan itu, 50 anggota Pasukan Gerak Am (PGA) telah ‘dikejarkan’ ke tempat kejadian. Bagaimana pun, 62 PATI tetap terlepas.

50 sahaja berbanding 73? Ini bermakna, setiap anggota PGA perlu mangawal 1.46 orang PATI atau dengan kata lain, memang tak cukup tangan lah.

OK lah, disebabkan yang lari itu pun PATI, bukannya banduan ganas, maka ‘tak kisah’ sangatlah. Agaknya cabinet pun tak kecoh benda ni berbanding isu baju Rais Yatim.

Oh ya, sebelum aku lupa, orang gaji Datuk Nazri pun minggu lepas dah ‘lari’ dengan habuan beratus ribu RM. Entah-entah, yang kena tangkap tu scapegoat polis je. Hanya untuk tunjukkan yang polis buat kerja. Siapa tahu? Hanya polis dan kerajaan.

Kita ke Pokok Sena pula. Pelatih asrama yang lari itu dikatakan telah meloloskan diri melalui satu lubang yang dikorek berdekatan pagar keselamatan asrama tersebut.

Masa bersekolah asrama dulu, pernah juga korek lubang kat pagar sebab nak keluar malam. Tapi itu sekolah biasa. Dekat Pokok Sena tu asrama khusus untuk mereka yang sedang menunggu perbicaraan kes juvana. Pendek kata, mereka tu banduan lah juga.

Kalau kawalan keselamatan di asrama itu ketat seperti sepatutnya, kes ini tak akan berlaku. Pak guard yang ada pun entahkan dua orang sahaja satu syif. Tak tahu lah pula.

Yang di LCCT lagi menarik. Menarik sebab aku sendiri yang pergi. Tapi kawan aku yang masuk dalam. Sampai tayar kapal terbang lah katanya. Bukannya susah nak masuk. Pergi pintu ketibaan, masuk dengan buat muka selamba. Pak guard (Polis Bantuan) yang ada cuma tengok sahaja.

Yang kelakarnya, lepas keluar dalam suratkhabar baru nak perketatkan kawalan. Bayangkan kalau ada orang masuk dengan selamba; melepasi kawalan keselamatan, dan meletakkan bom dalam kapal terbang atau seumpanya. Tak ke jadi isu besar? Bukan setakat suratkhabar tempatan, silap-silap The New York Times pun nak cover!

Ini semua sikap ‘lengai’ pihak yang patut jaga keselamatan. Kalau semua yang terbabit dengan kawalan keselamatan, baik polis, askar mahupun pak guard sekali pun, mempunyai sikap begini, tak hairan la Al-Qaeda buat port kat Malaysia.

Baca lagi!

Humans, not lab rats.

Picked up The Constant Gardener at the local DVD peddler.

I was left in tears by the time the end credits roll.

No, I'm no sissy. But the film potrayed an inhumane act of people using helpless, innocent people in Africa as lab rats for the sake of money. Sedih.

*******

Suddenly I have this urge to refer, explore, and increase my knowledge. I loved it when I aimlessly visited the Uni library back then. I will flip the pages of a book or journal that caught my eye. Hehe, Im not that studious type pun, but I just like to read about anything that is interesting to me. And, I only went to the library during siang hari je. Tak pun masa berdating. Hahaha.

"Rujuk, rujuk dan rujuk". That's what Mansor Ahmad Saman said to us while we were his students. An old sage he is, eh? I took his advice to heart. Baca lagi!

Waa so young wan!

I was surprised to hear that kids nowadays get into standard 1 at the ripe age of 6.

Heck, even I didn't know about this. Well over lunch today, my mom did mention something about the sending of my nephew to kindergarden. Suddenly she mentioned that their parents havent registered him to any of the schools nearby. Wow, that another thing I dont know. You have to register your kids like 2 years early beofre sending them to school.

So kids going to school at the age of 6. This means that kids a getting smarter and brighter every year. But sadly, the syllabus havent changed that much. OK, maybe it has changed but on the pretext of letting sudents learn what they want to learn it has not.

Just imagine at the age of 16, they will finish SPM. That if, they dont jump classes during primary school. Then, after 3-4 years at university (plus 1 and half year at matrix) they graduate. Age: 21. Then, they enter the job market. Man, these group of people need to be very, very special and talented and not to mention, having damn good grades to be able to enter the ever-challenging job market.

Even as we speak today, many employees are complaining that fresh grads arent 'suitable' enough to hold a position equal to their qualification. They say that 'lack of experience and on-the-job skills' as the culprit.

Well what do you know, come next 10 years, you might be interviewing a bunch of kids for a proffessional job. Baca lagi!

I wanna...

...eat some nice, juicy steak tonight;
drink some virgin margarita;
play some monopoly, or even pictionary;
be merry with them guys;
and you.

******

MMDS 1 is looming around the corner. Come 23rd April, all da supastars in Malaysia will be present to vie for the most mmds points. Too bad there are only 2 series for this year leading up to powerman. Takpe ill be 'prepared' this time.


Shit, i to have to wake up in another hour... Baca lagi!

I'm a...

I’m a triathlete! That is exactly what was printed on the back of a triathlon t-shirt. But I’m not going to talk about how the shirt printer made a mistake or whatnot, I just miss the feeling of the event. The butterflies before the race. The sleepless night before it added with gusts of wind from Selat Melaka (I seriously thought it’s going to be a storm that night). I miss racing.

******

Went to ‘visit’ some ol’ friends at FF yesterday. They still remember me. Even the janitor does. Lots of new faces. But seeing ol faces brings back good memories. Even though a short one, its sweet. Listened to some gossips about what happened to who. Amy did fill me in on that. That cute Penang lass is now at The Curve. Wait till the end of the month.

*****

Finally, I got to meet Juj! I’ve known her for like ages – close to 10 years – but we’ve never met. Crazy. How did I know her ah? Yes, the faithful internet. At that time mIRC was the ‘in’ thing to do. I remember being caught sneaking out from school to go to a cybercafe. Hahah.

Neway, she had a rather unsual kind of relationship – which I wont disclose here – with her BF that to me, is a movie material. Okay la, drama swasta material. That, if I can come up with the scripts. But, the way you survived the “short, sweet and excruciating” relationship was, amazing. I couldnt be in your shoes anytime. Hands down.

She told me almost everything while we downed the pizza and cesars salad. I told her once, I downed a cesar salad and a plate of pasta in a single sitting at CPK. She couldnt believe me. Of coz I did. That was AFTER i ran 13 laps KLCC park. Equivalant to almost 17k. At that time (2004) I was preparing for my maiden half-marathon. So it’s considered hebat la for me. Hahaa. Neway, u go gurl!

Baca lagi!

Blardy keyboard

Darn. My blardy old keyboard acted up on me. But i dont think its the keyboard. Most probably its motherboard problem. Shit. Now I have to type using that orang cacat thingy (windows on-screen keyboard). Im typing slow as snail. Lucky im typing this from another location.

Arghhhh..weeks and weeks of no physical activity! This is blardy getting on my nerves. Must do something bout it. I dont want to be a weekend warrior though. MUST DO SOMETHING.
Gym maybe? Hmmm..still thinking over it.

Tak nak ketinggalan jauh. Azwar dah boleh main kejar mengejar with his group. Ajeep got a new Kuota bike. I can grab his bike if the price is right. But, that one nanti dulu. Then the time comes, sambar.

******

Eus, jangan makan apple pie McD banyak sangat. Gemuk tau. Hahaha.. Baca lagi!

contengan

Some grafitti i found while in bangsar. The voice of rakyat. Momentary freedom of speech, before its painted over.
Sometimes i wonder, siapa yg buat all these?


Baca lagi!

Something's gotta give

Teruk ni. Cant rely on weekends just to break a sweat. But then, how?

Kim got 22nd for Triathlon in Commonwealth Games. Ok la. First try. Plus, She was racing with top names like Emma Snowsill and that Luxford.

#######

Supposed to get some ice cream yesterday, but that someone had something going on so, no ice cream. Instead, F n F dropped by. Went out for lunch at spender, then proceed with movie at Midvalley. Huh, dekat sangat. T'was V for Vendetta. If you like the arts of the Wachowski bros. then you'll like this one coz its their work together (again) with Joel Silver. The story? Its about people power. No government is powerful without its people.

People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.

Topple the government? Unless its a totalitarian one, then we shouldn't. But the movie also highlights the age-old issue of the role of media in the government. They dont fabricate stories. They just tell the mass what they are being told : the lies from politicians. Sounds very familiar, eh?

Zainuddin Maidin had lambasted the 'pop journalism' culture which emphasized on sensational, sensitivities and globalisation issues. Come on la, thats a pile of crap. Unless he reads Bacaria or Warta Perdana.

OK, tell me if this is something sensational or politically challenging: A couple were suspicious of having sex in a government office after work. Her panties was left behind on the meeting room chair.
ps: I know this happened.

Imagine the impact if one were to publish this story. That particular department is going to get hell from the PM and the opposition party. But sex sells, dont they? Baca lagi!

Tired

Tired. Legs are tired from too much walking.
Tummy is tired from too much eating.
I bet my eyes are getting sharper everyday from squinting too much to see 'some details somewhere.'
So I decided to start half of my day today at home.
Mind you, 3 minutes after I'm off my bed, I'm already sitting in front of the pc. And it was 10 am.

No time for slackers. Bob Woodward was only 9 month in the job with Washington Post when he unearthed the Watergate scandal with Carl Bernstein. He was still wearing neckties at that time.
As for me, I will do it from anywhere, anytime.
Gotta make some calls. Baca lagi!

Jalan-jalan KL

Buskers entertaining people coming from LRT station to KLCC. Hardly people realise that somebody is playing music in the tunnel. They look away as if their money will be robbed by these guys...















If these walls could talk... surely there'll be lots of stories to tell. These walls belongs to Pudu Prison which was closed in October 1996. Now, it awaits to be turned into a commercial area. Another predator of the consumers.















You only need a stool, a basket and tongs. This kid sells karipap at Masjid Jamek LRT. Hang in there kid, I've been there. Baca lagi!

Sons of bitches

My cat Jerry died last nite. Severely mutilated by no less than 10 stray dogs. I could do nothing at that moment for I was in the loo. Damn dogs.

Jerry has been with us since 1993/94. She'll be the one who bising banyak during meal time.
Arghh...cilaka punya anjing. Im gonna wait for you tonite with a blade tied to a stick and Im gonna slash em all. Bitches. Baca lagi!

Pablo Neruda

Where did I hear his name, this Pablo Neruda? Ah yes, in the movie Il Postino. It was a lovely movie, not the mainstream kind though. I faintly remember the story. Its about a boy who the only job he knows is fishsing, but he doesnt want to. So he became a mailman. He eventually got to know Neruda who's visiting there and he learnt from him. Then theres some love story between the boy and a girl. And so on.

Hmm..bila nak tengok citer best lagi ni? Lets check what's playing in cinemas now...aiyoh, Garasi and Main-main Cinta je? Citer omputeh tak payah cakapla. Tapi citer Melayu berkualiti takde ke bulan ni? Setakat nak tengok Misha Omar kat silverscreen tak payah, hari-hari boleh tengok. Bukan yang real la tapi kembar seiras. You know who you are. Hahah..

******

Ayang's housewarming party was great. She had some tahlil and all (which I missed) prior the bbq and a great round of Pictionary. Best gilak! I teamed up with ayang coz my gewe kontrak wasnt around (pity her, she was feeling sick) and we won! Aku jadi tukang teka most of the time and ayang was a great drawer. Tak la cun pun, but descriptive. Thats the key to the game. Sabb, bila nak main lagi?? Lupa nak amik gambar how ayang drew 'The Silence of The Lambs'. Klakar giler. Theres a picture of a man putting a finger to his mouth and a lamb that had pointed ears that looked more like a cat. Hahaha... tapi kita menang kan?? I cant stop laughing remembering that.... Baca lagi!

These digits dont lie

...and so does the sunburn on my arms. The incredible me went almost 99km up bukit Ampang-Hulu Langat right until Semenyih Dam and back. Actually I overshot the rendevous point by some 2-3km. Terlajak bai!

Ok let me remember how painful the ordeal was...

Azwar, Ajeep bon-bon and I started at Ampang Point around 8 am. Few minutes later, found myself climbing the painful bukit Ampang-Hulu Langat. As always, I'm left behind la. What do you expect, basikal besi maaa! Approximately 1 km into the climb, aku sudah koyak. Stopped for a while for some nyawa. Then continued for another km or so. And then Azwar backtracked. Continued uphill right until habis climb section. At that time, meter baru nak masuk 10km. Gila tak?

Sampai Hulu Langat bt 14, Toing joined us. The terrain was undulating with few 'good' climbs right until bt 18. Then came the majestic view of Semenyih Dam.

With the view, came a series of long gradual climb. Azwar was kind enough to backtrack almost 10 times during the course for me. Besarrr hati Azwar. Dah, puji sesikit cukup. Kembang bontot plak.

Lepas Semenyih Dam, aku ternampak satu rest/recreational area penuh ngan bas sekolah and all. But I didnt see any of the guys. Aku pun kayuh la selow selow. Sekali dah masuk hutan getah mana ntah. Sekali tgk belakang, Azwar dok panggil aku. Hah! Terlajak! Nasib baik tak sampai Johor. At that time , cramps was setting in my quads. Giler sakit like I've never felt before.

After recovering with nasik lemak, we set off back. I said to myself, "I'm gonna just finish this". The meter was 45-ish km at that time. So kayuh lah aku dengan selow and steady nyer untuk mengelakkan cramps. Because kalau cramp teruk, dah takleh kayuh. Kalau takleh kayuh, tak boleh balik la. Then how now brown cow?

All the way back to bt 14 was ok but the cramps are creeping in slowly whenever theres a climb. Even the slightest climb pun dah terasa. Babi betul la. Inilah padah tak mengamalkan latihan berterusan. Then we stopped for air tebu and ayaq nyok.

After air tebu, continued back our journey. To my surprise, another gilababi cramp attacked. Tersadai aku dekat bus stand tepi jalan tu. Urut-urut. Stretch sikit. Rasa dah ok sikit, aku sambung. Makcik dua orang yang tunggu bas tu dok tengok je aku.

Sampai kat masjid bt 14 tu, diorang dah tunggu. Aku cakap, rasa cam takleh panjat je nih. But Ajeep n Azwar kept encouraging me. So, jalan je la.

Baru lima minit panjat, cramp giler. Berhenti. Aku amik keputusan, tolak basikal. Dalam kepala hotak aku, aku nak je tahan lori and tumpang sampai Ampang. Tapi aku pikir, tak Ironman la camni. Hahahah! So menolak basikal la aku sejauh 2-3km. Sampailah Azwar backtrack. Tukar basikal dengan dia. Cuba kayuh gak. Tak sampai seminit, cramp balikkkk. Cilakak. So aku pun tolak la basikal dia tu. So adds up, aku tolak basikal dalam 5 km ada kut.

Dah lepas bukit tu, time turun baru boleh aku ride balik. Sampai Ampang dekat Kosas, aku telah tergolek bodoh kat traffic light. (Nota: Ini amalan biasa bagi mereka yang berbasikal di kawasan traffic light. Ajeep pun penah kena kut, hihihii) Sebenarnya lampu aku nak hijau dah, tetiba ada motor keluar dari wrong way. Menggelabah la aku nak unclip pedal. Dush! Tergolek. To add salt to injury, kena pulak cramp on the spot. Aduh saliha.

Sampai Ampang Point pukul 3-ish. Badan dah hitam. Dalam kepala nak makan nasi ayam and then dip into an ice bath. Malam plak ada gathering kat rumah Ayang+Ubie. Pergh... Baca lagi!

Sucking up some sambal belacan

Funny how some people hate those who would do them good. As though its so repulsive. They loathe the faintest idea that this person would do them good.

Remember your most hated teacher back at school? I remember my ustaz at school. He was like - oh my GOD - so mean that he carries rotan 80% of the time I saw him. And of course I got whacked once in a while lah. But because of him, I think, Im a bit better in mengaji.

Some quarters might say its like a father teaching his children lah. Straight as a ruler, but deep down inside, its love. But that's children. What happens when we deal with intelligent, grown-up people? Well, I would say that there could be repercussion. Even at school we could always scratch the side of the teacher's car so ugly, that the teacher had to change cars with his/her wife.

But then again, they want us to do good. Maybe, just maybe we think or feel that his/her ways are not suitable to our sissy ass. But the objective remains the same. They want us to do good. Just like sambal belacan, its hot but its its good. So suck it up. Baca lagi!

Akal pendek

Its amazing how full of hasad dengki some Melayu can be. Without knowing anything about another person, they can easily say, or assign bad labels to other people. The hell, like they own this world! Even our DPM, Najib also said that Melayu masih banyak sikap hasad dengki. No wonder we Melayu cannot compete with them Chinese in business. Orang Melayu kalau nampak Melayu lain maju sikit, dah nak sabotaj. Bagi jampi, santau la, basically all dengki stuffs. How on earth we can maju?

I'm not saying I'm the anti-Melayu now, but this is reality. Melayu will never go anywhere with hasad dengki. Why cant we have 'I scratch your back, and you scratch mine' mentality? You cannot be the uber businessman without help from others. You cannot wear the yellow jersey without the help of your team mates. You cannot be the damn best worker in the office with hasad dengki as your arsenal.

To those with hasad dengki, PISS OFF YOU PRICK!

******

I would like to convey my gratitiude to Melli of Real Betis for his gracious own goals (2) against Barca las nite. Hahahahaha... hopefully you wont get shot in the head when you got home. Baca lagi!

Klakar bangang

Some funny stuff picked up from Tri-Geek Dreams (I hope you dont mind, Kahuna!).

You might be a single triathlete if you are:

1. You have ever decided to give up dating for a month or more to save money for more race registrations. ==>wow, I think I might do this in the future!

2. You've explained the differences between road bike geometry and tri bike geometry on the first date. ==>for sure you will bore her to death.

3. You've worn bike shorts to work under your dress clothes because you were out of clean undies (and you didn't feel the least bit uncomfortable). ==>Azwar has worn his running shoes to work before, can it count?

4. You've considered making a donation at a sperm or egg bank in order to get closer to your ideal race weight (and you would use the money to buy more Powergel packets). ==>if only we have sperm banks here, ada ke?

5. The "3rd date" means it is time for the other person to show their commitment to you by signing up for a sprint.==>if only I can find awek triathlete!!.

****@@@****

On another note, we are having a mini duathlon this coming 26th @ Putrajaya. Just a bunch of guys/gals who frequents pipot.com la. tu je. And there will be some pot luck breakfast afterwards. Sounds like fun. I hope I can make it. Ye la I am the one who proposed the bike route! Come to think of it, this group activity sounds pretty much fun. Maybe nanti boleh buat bike jersey souvenir ke, baseball cap ke, you know commemorative stuff. Who knows. Baca lagi!

Thingamajig

A girl told me I look like 23 yrs young. Haha! Mudo remajo pakcik rupanya!!

Rahsia: makan ulam dengan sambal belacan selalu.

*******

KL hujan pepetang skang ni. If only I can go to gym... I think my cycling would improve tremendously if I were to go cycle in the gym. Alangkah indah...

Right knee still hurts. I think ligamen problem la. Yesterday I ran for cover from the rain, suddenly the knee kinda locked. Arghhhh!! Sakit la buduuh!!! So how now brown cow?

Promised a friend some ice cream and a walk. Hmm...bila ah? Baca lagi!

Giving the finger to the big bad green lorry

I felt like I was in a high speed chase. But the only thing is, a lorry was chasing me. I mean a big ass 24-wheeler. Why? Coz I gave him the finger.

It all happened when I was cruising in the middle lane along KESAS to a friend's house. I saw the lorry cruising at the left lane (it was a 3-lane hiway). Then suddenly, without any indications, that sonofabitch suddenly moved into my lane; just missing me by few inches that I had to slow down. Bodoh. Bagi la signal dulu.

I dengan angry nya overtook him. Gave him a honk. He honk me back. Kimak. I opened my window, and behold, the finger! *shiny, sparkling effect*

I exited at Puchong, heading towards my destination. To my surprise, he followed me! Bastardo. I quickly turned into a housing estate. He slowed down at the junction, waiting to see where I'm going. Huh, apa lagi, pusing-pusing dalam housing tu la! Until I found another exit from the taman. Phew, I lost him.

Well lepas ni, I'm gonna have a concealed weapon under my seat. Kalau nak mati pun, at least biar ada fight. But the crux of the matter, bagi la signal sebelum tukar lane. Abih kalo gaduh, nko yang mati instead aku, camna? Tak ke rugi....

#@#@#@#@#@#

This morning aku pegi Putrajaya for a ride on my newly setup bike. Phewng!! A bit late la, around 9am. But it was overcast all along my 1:45:xx ride(I was hoping to get some tan!). The route? A new route for Pipothlon this coming March. It was easy, with only 1 big hill to climb. The rest was fairly flat. Distance was about 37km. I just went there for an easy ride. Since my right knee was hurting from Tuesday's run, so how to tekan? About my knee, I think its a case of too much too soon. Tu la, nak sangat lari jauh-jauh. Beware, after a lay-off, you have to re-train your sendi-sendi to endure the pounding. I hope its nothing serious. Baca lagi!

Wahlau!

OK. My 'iron' bike aka basikal kicap has been given a new breath of life. Well, its actually me that's gonna have few more breath after riding it. As I said before, new wheelset, new groupset and even a new bar tape!

The thing is, I almost got myself an Ultegra FD for me kicap. But luckily the tauke didnt have any that support triple chainring. Nasib baik. Kalau tak, ada jugak esteemed brand kat bike aku. Neway, Ultegra tu pun model 2004 kut. Nampak lama semacam jek. Well I sorta have to change another FD coz the one Ajeep ( yo I still owe you 50!) gave me, the clamp was bigger than my seat tube. So... I put another Shimano kokak one la...

Back to breathing issue. I got a gut feeling that my bike setup is waaaay lighter than the old one. How light? I dunno la. Never timbang it before and no plans to do it now. Suffice it to say 'ada perbezaan'. No Samy Vellu stuff here ah. I mean, I grab a hold of the old crankset and it was berat macam besi. Memang besi pun! And the new one is like aluminium. Sendiri kira la.

Enough said la. Apart from changing a new seatpost and saddle to prevent me from being sterile at a young age (ehem, oh, it moves), my training bike is complete. Lepas ni, simpan duit beli Cannondale yea!

Oh, and on another note, dont buy anything Danish. Thank you. Baca lagi!

Fakta menarik

I found this somewhere in the net while searching what the hell is Cro-Moly.

"Specifically, 4130 steel - an alloy steel - which is commonly known in the bike industry as chrome-moly, contains the following alloying agents: 0.28- to 0.33-percent carbon, 0.4- to" 0.6-percent manganese, 0.8- to 1.1-percent cromium, 0.15- to 0.25-percent molybdenum, 0.04-percent phosphorous, 0.04-percent sulfur, and 0.2- to 0.35-percent silicon. The other 95-plus percent is made up of good old-fashioned iron. Now, there are hundreds of kinds of steel, but 4130 finds its way into bike frames because, among other attributes, of its weldability, formability, strength, ductility and toughness. (Many low-buck frames are made with 1020 steel, which is called plain carbon steel, and has significantly lower strength than the chromium-molybdenum steels.)"

Now that what my bike is made of. Just slightly better than basikal 7-up kampung tu. Hahah!
Neway, basikal aku belum siap tranfer enjin lagi. Should be ready by tomorrow. Baca lagi!

Surreal, but nice.

Sabb bersama seorang artis.

Let me laugh three big times before I start. Kah kah kah!

Believe it or not, I, the unmistakenmably-never-followed-Muzik-muzik person, went to Juara Lagu 20, front row seat. Red carpet entrance lagu tu!

Sabb and hubby Amir.

After burger sepah and a big-ass milo ais, I still cant believe it. Thanks to Sabb and Amir, dapat tengok Mawi live. NOT! I told Sabb that I would fall asleep when Mawi sings. Well, too many gorgeous babes and cleavages to ogle at to fall asleep there.

**********

Earlier that morning, Grunge, Alan and I went for a crazy -- at least for me-- run to Hartamas. Why crazy? Eh halo, aku tak pernah lari since lepas Titiwangsa tri (which I didnt participated, sadly) and suddenly wanted to do a 30k? Well my intention initially was to run at my own lembu pace till the group -- Azwar, Bacin and co.-- turned back.

Made it till Masjid Wilayah when we met the group turning back. So how far was that? A good 12-13k? I donno really coz no watch and did not learn to read the sun for time. Lantaklah. All I know is that I could feel the endorphines streaming thru my blood.
A good sign. I think I still got it in me. Baca lagi!

Finally, ek!

All was over and done with. Malas aku nak tulis all the nitty-gritty but suffice it to say that, from the quirky groom during nikah to the reception, it was a bravo!

Lots of good news during the wedding, but nobody stole nobody's thunder.


Dua hari in a row makan nasi briyani. Perut aku pun dah macam periuk briyani dah.
And not forgetting the 'mis-timed' Dr Azwan who thought the reception was at night. Melepas sangat. Dr Adnan was there too. Dr Azwan said, "I am 'lost' with the new students, unlike my former students (us la tu!)". Never occured to me we were that influential...

Well after this, the gang will be an extended one. More fun!

Our table marker, boleh?

Baca lagi!

It's time to start living again

I stole the title from a junk email that was sent to me. Regardless of its irrelevant contents, I guess the title somehow applies to me. (Oi I dont need Viagra to live again la!)

Got myself a bike jersey (never had one before), a new pedal, new bike shoe, in the process of acquiring a new grouppo (not new la, secondhand jer); wheels, and last but not least, a new ..... Great.

Just perfect. I'm gonna do my first ride of the year tomorrow. Giler jauh ketinggalan from the rest of the group.

Im going to train the best I can.
Im going to show up at races.
Im going to be in a certain shape-- maybe good maybe not.
I will try to add ice cream and pizza to my training.

Sofian will do Ironman Langkawi this 26 Feb. Pity I cant go volunteer or even watch. Maybe I can if I get a sponsored day-trip flight ticket. Wish. So good luck bro. All Ironmen/women inspires me. Baca lagi!

Ampun Tuanku!

Susah ada anak raja kat rumah ni. Dari pagi sampai ke petang, semua tapak kaki anak raja mendarat di alas dengan sutera emas. Itu pun nak suruh orang lain buat keje dia, gi sana gi sini? Lemak. Kereta dah beli. Komputer dah beli. 2 lagi. Tak cukup pc nak laptop plak. Belajar tanak kat luar KL. Sebab takde Zouk, kot. Itu pun nak suruh orang buat itu, ini?

Kalau dah takde sapa esok, sapa nak cuci punggung kau?

In a thick Geordie accent I am saying to you, "Fuck-off!"

Bila aku nak berambus ni. Baca lagi!

Why ?

Why? Why do people who train hard day and night, exert themselves during a gruelling race, be hard done by something like brain tumor? Something like Lou Gehrig? Something like cystic fibrosis? Something like, dead sick?

Why all of that hard work wasted because of some illness?

Maybe its God’s way telling human that nobody is invincible.

I dunno. It just seem unfair to me.

I know of a person who was diagnosed with brain tumor. He said he hadnt much time left. Thing is, I raced with him once. Maybe more. But I vividly remember him during PD Tri. I was at the back of the pack during the swim. Then, he came from behind to me and asked if I’m ok. "Are you ok, Fitri?." I was struggling to float at that time. I said, “Don’t worry, I’m ok”. He swam on. I never caught him on the bike. Then, 2km into the run, I caught up with him.

You see, he is the kind that enjoys the active life. Trekking, running, tri and many more that I maybe not aware of. Read up his blog and you’ll see.

Funny guy la. Once I saw him race at the Poweman last year, he was selamber slowing his pace just to be running behind this one hot chic when he can easily overtook her.

Anyway, I hope you got your wish of doing an Ironman someday soon. I’ll try to wait for you at the finish line, Terence. Baca lagi!

Bodoh bangang pundek

Engkau ni bodoh la. Kalau tak tinggal kotak rokok kosong bersepah atas meja orang tak boleh ke? Apa, engkau ingat aku ni orang gaji engkau?
Tak lama esok 'telor' engkau pun ko tinggal merata-rata. Baca lagi!

Axe rock

Killer melodies.
Dramatic intros.
Super killer solo guitar.
Multiple riffs of solo.
Ass kicking drum beats.
Music that have soul in it.

All that is rock man. Cant never get enough of it. Not just some lame ass one-tune band-ees that churn out almost the same drumbeat and riff every album (read: Offspring).

Deep Purple, Whitesnake, Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zep, Frank Zappa, Pink Floyd (this one is psychedelic), Metallica (pre Load era), Aerosmith, Iron Maiden. Heck, even Tenacious D rocks.  

We have (or had) Sweet Charity, Lefhanded, Search, Wings, Crossfire, and dozens more.

Most of the names above are history. Some of em might be even dead. But is there no continuity? No more ‘rock kangkang’ follower? No more kids jamming Taming Sari by Wings? I bet you would get a surprised look from people outside the studio if you jam to that tune. “Lagu apa tuh?”, they would say.

It might not be cool to wear hotpants or tight jeans anymore, like The Darkness. But arent any local band out there following their musical footstep? Or the mind of every kids today is filled with MTV-material music like hip-hop and nu-age? I came across a disturbing fact from a Korn video that they opted to use hip-hop artist in their music video because traditional rock music video arent getting much airwaves. I am not surprised. Turn on MTV, and you’ll see lots of booty-shaking being done.

By the way, Oasis is coming to, yes, our neighbour Singapore. Malaysia tak rock, tak payah singgah.

And to the fickle minded law enforcer, layan rock and wearing black doesn’t mean we are worshipping the devil.

I have to be careful after this. I don’t wanna be caught while listening to Black Sabbath. Baca lagi!

Bottoms up!

(Virgin) Margarita

0.5oz Lemon juice
0.5oz Orange juice
1.5oz Sour Mix

Rub lime on the rim of glass. Dip it in salt to coat it.
Mix Lemon juice, orange juice and Sour Mix in a tumbler with some ice. Shake it until bubbly.
Pour into glass filled with ice.

Sour Mix recipe:

2.5 cups sugar
2 cups water
2 cups Lime juice (the mix should taste a bit tart. So adjust the lime/sugar ratio to your taste)
1 egg white

Make a syrup mix from the sugar and water. When cool, add Lime juice and egg white. Shake well. Refrigerate.

Drink responsibly! Baca lagi!

I'm no Superman

What is it with Johor women? Not that there's anything wrong with them, but im just curious. Especially when it comes to religion. On many accounts, I have come upon women from Johor (JB to be specific) that claim they are religously sound, yet they broke some of the simplest rule of it. Not that they killed or commit adultery, but still, defiance to the same laws that applies to everbody else. And this is just my personal observation. I am not lashing out at anybody here.

Example no. 1

Zainah Anwar, Executive Director of Sisters in Islam. At the young age of 51, this fiesty, single, women activist hails from JB. She said : “I know about Islam. I am from Johor, I went to sekolah agama when I was a girl, read Mutaal Badrin.”

How about that? Mutaal Badrin is a compulsary reading if you go to sekolah agama in JB, if Im not mistaken. I have tried reading it. Aint easy I tell you. But, count me out ‘coz im still jahil.

She went to the famous Sultan Ibrahim Girls School.

Example no.2

My sister-in-law. An esteemed architect by her standards, she too is from JB. As a mother and wife, her non-apparent traits of both has somewhat contradict to her upbringing. Heck, she even went to umrah when nobody in this household ever did. A bright star, but fades way too quickly.

She received her secondary education at Muzaffar Syah, Melaka where water could be scarce. Hence, showering probably not a routine activity. Hehe.

Example no. 3

My ex-girlfriend. She too, went to SIGS. Just like Miss Zainah. Well, im not going to talk much about her, ‘coz she might be reading this. Plus, I don’t have bad things to say ‘bout her. And, she too read Mutaal Badrin.

So what is the connection between the three of them? Maybe a lot. But I will just point one. None of them, abide the simple rule of covering up. Not their bodies. But their hair. Isnt that the simplest thing to do? If it’s the simplest thing to do, it might as well the simplest thing to not do.

But one woman stands out, and its Zainah. For crying out loud, you are the head of an organisation that fight for women rights. Muslim women rights. And yet, you are like that. Im not saying that you are on the wrong side of the river. Probably if I ask you why you don’t wear a jilbab, you might have a 1,000 answers that can render me speechless.

Liberal. Maybe that’s the word. So if liberal, than we can go out to clubs, party and all, and be back just in time for Subuh, right?

Baca lagi!

Smelly

Smell of sweat, motobike fumes and 'lok-lok' sauce, mixed together to form a distinct aroma of the New Year. The sight of huundreds of thousand people taking over the road; looking like a street mob in action, making it hard to move. Though it was raining earlier, the rain somehow 'conspired' with them organisers of concerts, rave parties,fireworks and what not to stop the rain and give way. Shuck. I was hoping the rain would get heavier, so there's no parties/concerts/fireworks so I can get on my own way. But, them organisers prevail, and KL was buzzing with activity. But most of them, endured traffic jams, and petulant smelly people just to watch the city hall waste some few thousand ringgit on foreworks, and leave.What a weird country this is. I am bereft of words to describe it. Baca lagi!