Bike, Bake and babies

From Couch to Ironman in 20 months.....

2011-09-20T09:46:00.001+08:00

http://www.nomeatathlete.com/couch-to-ironman/

Iron Lady Ambiga Sreenevasan

2011-08-20T10:05:00.001+08:00

Re-post to my blog

Subject: Iron Lady Ambiga Sreenevasan

Photos on Datuk Ambiga and an appended article mainly on her -- a good presentation & worth reading. Recently she was in the limelight when she led the "Bersih" march in KL at a great personal risk. Indeed a woman of courage!

SSR

THE PHOTO THAT NEVER MADE IT TO OUR LOCAL MEDIA HIGHLIGHT

US first lady Michelle Obama (right) and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hand Ambiga the Secretary of State's Award for International Women of Courage, on 11 March 2009

DATUK Ambiga Sreenevasan's reference point for how aware Malaysians are about issues is the taxi driver. The respected lawyer and former Malaysian Bar president is no stranger to being scolded by taxi drivers while she is dressed up in her courtroom garb.
"'Aiya, this judiciary, can buy,' one told me," Ambiga says. "They are very critical, and are very clear on what is right and wrong."

The Malaysian taxi driver is one of her gauges of public awareness, and the senior lawyer is convinced that nobody should underestimate the Malaysian public's understanding of issues. Indeed, Ambiga's seen quite a lot in her own life. The Nut Graph talked to her on 26 May 2009 at her office in Kuala Lumpur about growing up through 13 May 1969, watching the 1988 judicial crisis unfold, and the changing attitudes of Malaysians.

We are all pendatangs. Where are you from?
My father was born and bred in Malaysia. My mother was from South India, and my father married her and brought her to Malaysia.
My paternal grandfather was also from South India. I think it was a question of looking for opportunities, for him. He was an assistant commissioner for labour.
My parents have three children. I was born in Seremban, on 13 November 1956; my father, who was a doctor, was posted there.
My father, Datuk Dr G Sreenevasan, was one of our pioneer urologists. He was the main person behind the Institute of Urology and Nephrology in Hospital Kuala Lumpur. I remember him spending longs days and nights planning this.

Ambiga's father and the staff of the Institute of Urology Nephrology on his retirement from government service at the age of 52 (Courtesy of Ambiga Sreenevasan)

Growing up, I remember that my father was very inspired by Tunku Abdul Rahman, and his call for all races to unite. My father had many opportunities abroad, but he decided to stay here; he wanted to build something up in Malaysia. And he did.
All my father's friends and colleagues were like that. Those people who lived through independence really had the spirit of nationalism in them. The drive that they had — unfortunately we've lost that now. Comparing them with Malaysians today, I understand when people of that generation tell me: you don't know what it is to want to build up our country.

What was school like?
I went to Convent Bukit Nenas from Form One to Upper Six. I remember that my friends and I had a strong sense of "Malaysianism".
This was after 1969. It's true that 13 May destroyed a lot of trust. But then there was the Rukunegara, which we all had to learn — seemingly real attempts to bring people together. We were happy to strengthen our command of Bahasa (Malaysia), for example.
It felt as if — in my school, at least, where the student body was mixed — there was a coming together of the races. It was a healing period.

Let's backtrack. What was 13 May like?
I was 13 at the time. On the day it happened, we got a message from the school authorities: Go home early. My mother came to pick me up.

Well, we lived in Kampung Baru, at the time. On Jalan Putra — now Jalan Raja Muda 1. This was not far from the then-Selangor menteri besar's home. We were there because it was close to the General Hospital, so it was easy for my father to get to work. Ours was the last house on the row. My father was overseas at the time, so it was just mother and us children, my uncle and aunt, and the household cook.
At 6pm we saw people running past, wearing headbands. Soon after, we heard screams. Later, there were cars being burnt in the field. The house behind us was burnt. We were always safe, though. I don't know why. Maybe it was because we had lived there so long, so everyone knew us. Or maybe it was because we were Indian [Malaysian].
When my father got back, about a week after 13 May, he helped out at the hospital, treating people with injuries. He said: "I read about the riots, but I never imagined it would be this bad."
It was bad. We had never before seen anything like that. For a long time after, whenever I heard fireworks going off, I would feel nervous.

What was university like?
When I went to university in the UK, my horizons expanded and I learnt about freedom of thought and speech — and what these concepts meant in real terms. When I visited the Bar there, I saw how a functioning democracy operated. This time was a very important part in moulding my views on human rights and fundamental freedoms.
I came back and joined the Malaysian Bar in 1982. It was a wonderful organisation, even then. Being a young lawyer, I remember being petrified to appear before people like Tan Sri Eusoffe Abdoolcader — he would chew you up if you didn't know your brief. He was so respected because he knew your brief, and the law, and was of the highest integrity and intellect.

In fact, I'd appeared before all the judges who were later suspended in the judicial crisis.
What was it like, being a young lawyer during the 1988 judicial crisis?
It was a real shock to the system. Our first three prime ministers never touched the judiciary; probably this was because they were lawyers themselves. Our judiciary was a very respected institution.
I remember, as the tribunals were in progress, a group of us lawyers sitting at the back of the courtroom and watching. To see these men, who had so much self-respect, to be treated in that shabby way — we couldn't believe it.
I remember going home and bursting into tears. It was like someone demolishing your house while you're standing in it.
Things are getting better since those dark times. But, ultimately, when it comes to the judiciary, it is up to the judges themselves to act courageously, now.

When did you become aware about race?

Race was always there. We were always aware of it, but it wasn't as divisive as it is today. The New Economic Policy worked quite well, initially.
Then the abuses started: the enrichment of a few at the expense of the many who actually needed it. And these few became arrogant. Playing the race card suited them, because it solidified their positions.
I think, very frankly, that politicians are responsible for bringing so much racism into our society. I think it suited the politicians to play on our differences instead of what unites us.
But the arrogance that grew with this has been rejected by the people. I'm talking about the March 2008 elections. What we saw was a rejection of racist rhetoric. People were fed up. Previously, the 13 May bogey used to work — but that's not working any more.

Where do you think we are going, now?
I like to think of Malaysian history as being divided into three phases.

The initial years, during my father's time, when there was this nationalistic feeling, this drive to show the world that we could be an independent and united nation.
Then a long period, during which things became more divisive. A time when we appeared to have economic prosperity, but also had so much corruption and racism.
And now, a third phase: the push for change.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but a lot of young Malaysians now feel no connection with 13 May. They don't come from that past. There is a disconnect between the youth, and old politics.
My father's generation adored Tunku. I don't know whether we will get that feeling again. But you need this generation saying: the world has moved on, so let me move on, too.

R Gopal Ayer, Ambiga's grandfather (Courtesy of Ambiga Sreenevasan)

11 March 2009
Remarks by Clinton on International Women of Courage Awards
State Department honors eight extraordinary women from around the world

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
March 11, 2009
REMARKS
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
2009 International Women of Courage Awards
March 11, 2009
Benjamin Franklin Room
Washington, D.C.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, this is such an exciting occasion, and there were so many people who wanted to come today, but unfortunately, there is a limit to how many people we can let into this magnificent room. So there are people watching on closed-circuit TV all over this building, and beyond.
And it is my pleasure to welcome you to the State Department to celebrate International Women's Day with a very special event and a very special guest. The event is the International Women of Courage Awards, and in a minute, you will meet these remarkable women and learn more about their lives and their work. And I am especially delighted to thank one person in particular whose presence here means a great deal to all of us – our First Lady, Michelle Obama. (Applause.)
Now, I know a little bit about the role that – (laughter) – Michelle Obama is filling now. And I have to say that in a very short time, she has, through her grace and her wisdom, become an inspiration to women an d girls not only in the United States, but around the world. And it is so fitting that she would join us here at the State Department to celebrate the achievements of other extraordinary women, and to show her commitment to supporting women and girls around the globe.
She understands, as we all do here at the State Department, that the status of women and girls is a key indicator of whether or not progress is possible in a society. And so I am very grateful to her and to President Obama, who earlier today announced the creation of the White House Interagency Council on Women and Girls. That will – (applause). That office will help us collaborate across every department and agency in our government.
President Obama has also designated an ambassador-at-large to consolidate our work on women's global issues here at the State Department. Now, this is a position that has never existed before, and I am very pleased that someone you all know, if you have ever worked on women's issues – know and appreciate a longtime colleague and friend, Melanne Verveer, who's been nominated to fill that post. (Applause.)
And I also want to thank Ambassador Susan Rice and our excellent U.S. delegation to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, which is in the middle of its annual meetings now, for the work that they are doing and for the engagement that they demonstrate.
Today, we're focusing on the International Women of Courage Awards. It's a fairly new tradition here at the State Department, but it's already become a cherished institution. For the past three years, our embassies have sent us stories of extraordinary women who work every day, often against great odds to advance the rights of all human beings to fulfill their God-given potential. Today, we recognize eight of those women. Each is one of a kind, but together they represent countless women and men who strive daily for justice and opportunity in every country and on every continent, usually without recognition or reward.
And I want to say a special word about someone who could not join us, who we honor today – Reem Al Numery, who was forced to marry her older cousin when she was just 12 years old. She is now fighting to obtain a divorce for herself and end child marriage in Yemen. She was not able to be here, but we honor her strength and we pledge our support to end child marriage everywhere, once and for all. (Applause.)
We also express our solidarity with women whose governments have forbidden them from joining us, especially Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been kept under house arrest in Burma for most of the past two decades, but continues to be a beacon of hope and strength to people around the world. Her example has been especially important to other women in Burma who have been imprisoned for their political beliefs, driven into exile, or subjected to sexual violence by the military.
Our honorees and the hundreds of millions of women they represent not only deserve our respect, they deserve our full support. When we talk about human rights, what I think of are faces like these. What I am committed to is doing everything in my power as Secretary of State to further the work on the ground in countries like those represented here to make changes in peoples' lives. That doesn't happen always in the halls of government. It happens day to day in the towns and cities, the villages and countryside where the work of human rights goes on.
We simply cannot solve the global problems confronting us, from a worldwide financial crisis to the risks of climate change to chronic hunger, disease, and poverty that sap the energies and talents of hundreds of millions of people when half the world's population is left behind. The rights of women – really, of all people – are at the core of these challenges, and human rights will always be central to our foreign policy.
Earlier today I met with Foreign Minister Yang of China and conveyed to him, as I do in my meetings with all other leaders, that it is our view in the Obama Administration that every nation seeking to lead in the international community must not only live by, but help shape the global rules that will determine whether people do enjoy the rights to live freely and participate fully. The peace, prosperity and progress that we know are best served and best serve human beings come when there is freedom to speak out, to worship, to go to school, enjoy access to health care, live and work with dignity.
The United States is grounded in these ideals, and our foreign policy must be guided by them. Indeed, our own country must continually strive to live up to these ideals ourselves. Not only does smart power require us to demand more of ourselves when it comes to human rights, but to express those views to others and to actually assist those who are on the frontlines of human rights struggles everywhere.
It is important that we focus on human rights because I know what inspiration it has given to me over many years. The people I have met, they have constantly reminded me of how much work lies ahead if we are to be the world of peace, prosperity and progress that we all seek.
I've met a lot of people, particularly women, who have risked their lives – from women being oppressed by the Taliban in Afghanistan, to mothers seeking to end the violence in Northern Ireland, to citizens working for freedom of religion in Uzbekistan, and NGOs struggling to build civil society in Slovakia, to grassroots advocates working to end human trafficking in Asia and Africa, and local women in India and Bangladesh, Chile, Nicaragua, Vietnam and many other places who are leading movements for economic independence and empowerment.
These personal experiences have informed my work. And I will continue to fight for human rights as Secretary of State in traditional and especially non-traditional ways and venues.
All of you gathered here represent the kind of broad coalition that we need – business leaders, NGO leaders, ambassadors, experts, people from every corner of our government, citizens who are moved and touched by the stories of courage that we will be hearing some more of today.
And it is exciting that we have now in our own country someone who is standing up for the best of America, a woman who understands the multiple roles that women play during the course of our lives, and fulfills each one with grace. An example of leadership, service, and strength. It is my great pleasure and honor to introduce the First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama. (Applause.)
(The First Lady makes remarks.)
(Applause.)
SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you so much, Mrs. Obama, and it's exciting to have your leadership and example for not only girls and women in our country, but those around the world.
Now, we're going to start with the extraordinary women who we honor today. The first woman, Wazhma Frogh, from Afghanistan, is being recognized for her courageous efforts to combat sexual and domestic violence and child and marital rape throughout Afghanistan, despite facing dangerous conditions. She has come a long way, and we stand in solidarity with her and the people of Afghanistan. (Applause.)
Next, from Guatemala, Norma Cruz. We are recognizing her for her unyielding efforts to end the culture of impunity surrounding the murder and other forms of violence against women in Guatemala. At great risk to her personal safety, Norma Cruz has been outspoken and extraordinarily brave, and we are honored to have her with us today. Norma Cruz. (Applause.)
Suaad Allami, from Iraq. I told Suaad when we were waiting to come out how pleased I was to see her, and how grateful we are for the progress that we've seen, but we know how much more needs to be done in her country. And we honor her for bravely promoting the legal rights, the health, the social well-being and the economic and political empowerment of women in Iraq, despite threats to her own safety. Thank you so much, Suaad. (Applause.)
Veronika Marchenko, from Russia. We honor her for her stalwart leadership in seeking justice for the families of bereaved service members, young men conscripted into the Russian Army. For her commitment to seeking the truth and in promoting improved human rights conditions for those who serve in the Russian army, and being a networking presence to bring together those who served and their families to find answers to so many of the questions that no one had ever, ever bothered to answer before. Thank you so much. (Applause.)
Our next honoree is from Uzbekistan, Mutabar Tadjibayeva, for her courage, her conviction, her perseverance in promoting human rights, the rule of law, and good governance in Uzbekistan, and for standing up for justice at great personal risk. Mutabar is someone who has been in prison for quite some time, and she still has a big smile on her face, and I salute her courage and her persistence. (Applause.)
From Niger, Hadizatou Mani. Hadizatou is such an inspiring person. Enslaved by being sold at a very young age, she never gave up on herself or on her deep reservoir of human dignity. When she finally escaped from slavery, she didn't forget those who were still enslaved. For her inspiring courage in successfully challenging an entrenched system of caste-based slavery, and securing a legal precedent that will help countless others seek freedom and justice, we honor and salute her. (Applause.)
You know, before I introduce our final honoree, who will respond on behalf of all of the honorees, I just want to say that over the course of many years of doing human rights work, and particularly on behalf of girls and women, I'm sometimes asked, well, do ceremonies like this really matter; is that just not something, you know, that you do and it's a nice feeling, and then you go back to wherever you came from?
I know that these kinds of recognitions and moments of honor by both governments and NGOs and other institutions and individuals are extremely important. They provide a recognition of an individual's struggle and courage that stands for so much more. They provide a degree of awareness about the problems that the individual is fighting to remedy. They serve notice on governments that the first and highest duty is for every government to protect the human rights of every individual within that jurisdiction. And they provide a degree of protection.
And so I salute those in the State Department who have recognized the importance of this and kept it going, and we are proud to continue that tradition.
Our final speaker, Ambiga Sreenevasan, has a remarkable record of accomplishment in Malaysia. She has pursued judicial reform and good governance, she has stood up for religious tolerance, and she has been a resolute advocate of women's equality and their full political participation. She is someone who is not only working in her own country, but whose influence is felt beyond the borders of Malaysia. And it is a great honor to recognize her and invite her to the podium. (Applause.)
MS. SREENEVASAN: The First Lady Mrs. Obama, Madame Secretary Hillary Clinton, ladies and gentlemen, I am humbled to be in the company of seven extraordinary women receiving this award for courage, and I am deeply honored to now speak on their behalf and on mine.
We accept this award in all humility, remembering that we have been fortunate in being singled out from among countless courageous women in our countries who are dedicated to the cause of equality and justice.
It is also timely for us to remember all the women in other conflict-ridden territories, like Palestine and other countries, who have to show courage every single day in their struggle to survive and to keep their families together.
Each of us fights causes that promote equality and justice, and by presenting us with this award you honor those causes and all the people who work tirelessly for them with unflinching dedication.
This award will help to bring to the international stage our voices and our advocacy on these important issues. This occasion gives us an opportunity to reflect on the importance of the rule of law in promoting the rights of women around the world. When the rule of law is upheld, equality is upheld, the cause of justice is upheld, and human rights are upheld.
Today, we are witnessing a struggle for the souls of our nations, taking place between the forces of the old and the forces of change. We see our commitment to the rule of law, fundamental liberties, and the independence of our institutions being tested. The strength of our nations will depend on how well they withstand this test.
There are those who claim that democracy is a Western concept and is unsuitable elsewhere. There are yet others who perpetrate injustices behind a veneer of democracy. We say that democracy is universal, and a true democracy and the rule of law will prevail when the collective voices of the people are raised in its support.
On my part, I have for the past two years had the privilege to lead and serve the Malaysian Bar, a professional organization consisting of approximately 13,000 lawyers. History will bear testament to the fact that the Malaysian Bar has always been true to its first article of faith, to uphold the cause of justice without regard to its own interests or that of its members uninfluenced by fear or favor. In a sense, I was merely stepping into the shoes of the many other brave leaders of the bar who came before me, whereas many of the awardees today are pioneers in their struggle for justice.
This award has given us the opportunity which we would not otherwise have had, to share our stories, our successes, our failures, to reach out across our borders and to establish a base upon which we can build a meaningful network of support. These stories must be told in all our countries. By this experience, we are both enriched and enraged; enriched by what we have shared, and enraged that so many of our sisters endure intimidation and suffering in their countries. Nevertheless, ours is a message of hope that something has been achieved, despite the odds.
Martin Luther King said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." This means that although we may come from different walks of life, our struggle is common. And each success is a success for all, just as each failure is a failure for all. When we unite on a human rights platform, whether domestically or internationally, above politics and political alliances, we create more enduring partnerships and relationships. When we pursue freedom and empowerment for others, we reaffirm and protect our own.
In my interaction with the other awardees present here today, it was evident that the passion we feel for our causes is driven by the love of our homelands and our people. That, in turn, drives our passion for what is right and what is just. Our people deserve nothing less. We all believe in striving for ideals that are– if I may borrow the words – self-evident; namely, the ideals of truth, justice, goodness, and universal love and understanding. Our stories are a testament to the universality of these ideals.
We are truly and deeply honored by this award, more so, when it comes from you, Madame Secretary, yourself a woman of courage, who has inspired women around the world to reach great heights. Your untiring efforts in championing women's rights worldwide are well known. Your immortal words that, "Human rights are women's rights, and women's rights are human rights," resonate with all of us here.
We would also like to express our deep admiration for the First Lady Mrs. Obama, and we would also like to express our appreciation for your sharing this moment with us. Madame Secretary, on behalf of all the awardees, I thank you. And we accept the honor with humility and pride. Thank you. (Applause.)
SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you. These women of courage will serve to remind us every day as we do our work in this venerable building – here we are in the Benjamin Franklin Room, and I'm about to invite you to join our reception in the Thomas Jefferson Room – that our own country has a lot to live up to. But we derive inspiration from those who are struggling so hard just to realize the basic rights that we sometimes take for granted. And it is our responsibility not only to continue to do what we must here at home to realize the dream that America represents, but to use our talents and our abilities and resources to help others as well.
It is such a great privilege to be here with all of you, to be the Secretary of State at this moment of history in an administration represented by Mrs. Obama today, led by President Obama, who means so much already to so many around the world. Now, it's our job to realize the promise that that represents. Thank you all very much. (Applause.)

Morning breakfast at McD Subang

2011-06-23T08:51:00.001+08:00

A sample of the society is here.

group of college student on the way to class, retiree after his morning walk, couple of office worker on the way to the office, some business meeting, housewife with her kids still holding a bottle, few laptop catching up with work, fb update or skyping. Another retiree working on his suduko.

This is a nice and relaxing place to have breakfast. Healthy? maybe not.

But I do love their coffee.

This sucks....

2011-04-14T05:14:00.001+08:00

Due to entirely my fault, the lack of focus and the lack of knowledge and due diligence, and the lack of professionalism, i let many people down and caused so much trouble.

a lot of self reflection and regret, can't sleep the whole night.....

self confidence at the all time low and my professional reputation down the drain...

terrible feeling. Head will roll....soon....

Running wish list

2011-02-06T11:56:00.001+08:00

Thanks to running scientist who publish a whole list of 2011 Marathon in Asia and Australia, here is my wish list.

http://runningscientist.blogspot.com/2011/01/2011-marathons-in-asia-and-australia.html

Registered
1. Borneo International Marathon - 1/May/2011
2. Singapore Sundown Marathon - 28/May/2011
3. Standard Chartered Kuala Lumpur Marathon - 26/June/2011

Wish
1. City to Surf Marathon, Perth, Australia - 28/Aug/2011
http://citytosurf.activ.asn.au/

2. Chiangmai Marathon, Chiang Mai, Thailand - 25/Dec/2011
http://www.chiangmaimarathon.com/

Deja vu

2011-01-14T21:39:00.001+08:00

Same thing happen in Dec'2006. Happened again today.

Brilliant.

But the best thing about having unexpected holiday is that I can truely relax. For about 2 days. Then I will get restless and itchy to do something.

Last time this happen, I borrowed brother's bicycle and cycle around house after quitting cycling for almost 15 years. Now i have 2 bicycle and done thousands of KM.

This time, what should I do? not sure. probably get my swimming improved and possibly get TRX personal training done.

4 weeks of free time. Oh boy!!!

Memory of 2010

2010-12-30T22:19:00.002+08:00

As a wannabe runner, I resumed my exercise after getting clearance from the doctor since the bike related injury that broke my right scapula. Almost 1 year ago 9/dec/2009.

That was about Feb'2010. The first ever running event was sort of a bandit run at Energizer 10K event. Never in my life that I ran more than 8k before the race. I can still remember that I tried to chase down Miss Jewel to say hi when I saw her overtook me, what a futile effort. Haha. No medal for that event, I didn't bother to queue up to get it. Didn't know anybody then except Boon which we got separated half way.

The most memorable half marathon will have to be Standard Chartered KL marathon. That was by far the most enjoyable run, felt really good during the run and can feel that I can go on and on and on. Something just click during the run. Breathing was regular, no cramp, perfect weather, plenty of water station and nice route.

The most suffering run will have to be the Singapore Newton 30k run, also my first ever outside Klang Valley and outside Malaysia run. Needed that to build up the mileage towards the full marathon. Got sucked into the face paced runners at the first loop and burned out at around 13k, and then it was run walk till the end. Not an enjoyable event, but learned the most about running preparation and strategy.

The longest sporting event will have to be the Ipoh Century ride. 168km of pedaling. It should be an enjoyable ride with some tough hill climbs, but due to the lack of training and the lost of confidence since the bike accident, I was really suffered during the hill climb. But I finished it, which to me is one of the biggest achievement of 2010.

The longest run ever for 2010 will be the Penang Bridge International Marathon, 42.195km of running. After more than 1 month, I am still amazed about finishing the run. Considering how out of shape i was in the first 40 years of my life, still out of shape now :)

Overall, my journey to completing the first full marathon was considered well planned, the mileage gradually got increased, and that helped in getting me to the finish line.

Moving forward to 2011, return to cycling, get into the pool more, and run smarter, not more.

I miss Genting Sempah, i miss FRIM. :)

Felt healthier is the best result. All the medal, certificate cannot replace that.

My 2011 weekly training schedule

2010-12-22T23:06:00.001+08:00

Sunday : Morning Cycling (outdoor) or LSD run or Brick (7m30/km)

Monday : Evening RPM challenge (manulife)

Tuesday : Morning BodyPump Class (manulife).

Wednesday : Morning speed run treadmill at gym (5m/km)

Thursday : Evening swimming

Friday : Morning Hill run (8min/km) at Bukit Damansara

Saturday : Rest day and/or stretching

Tentative plan. Need more thinking about it.

why am i an atheist?

2010-12-20T15:36:00.001+08:00

Why don't I believe in God? No, no no, why do YOU believe in God? Surely the burden of proof is on the believer. You started all this. If I came up to you and said, "Why don't you believe I can fly?" You'd say, "Why would I?" I'd reply, "Because it's a matter of faith". If I then said, "Prove I can't fly. Prove I can't fly see, see, you can't prove it can you?" You'd probably either walk away, call security or throw me out of the window and shout, ''F—ing fly then you lunatic."

- Ricky Gervais

Great quote

2010-11-24T22:08:00.001+08:00

"Coming to work with a sense of urgency about what we are doing. I mean, even if it seems like a simple task kind of day-to-day basis, getting it done is the thing that lays the groundwork for everyone else to do the other things that they are doing that it all adds up to something huge." Mark Z.

Borrowed from Run Kooky Run blog at http://run-kooky-run.blogspot.com/2010/11/work-wednesday.html

PBIM 2010 Result

2010-11-24T14:12:00.001+08:00

No point talking about how happy, unhappy, satisfied, pissed off with the result. It is over, moving forward.

So, result is out, pretty fast.

C Category Result : Full Marathon Men Veteran

Placing in the category : 371/422 (Bottom 13% of the age group, ouch!!)

Placing overall : 890/1067 (Bottom 16% of all men. double ouch!!)

Official Time : 6h12m14s

Net time : 6h11m5s

Garmin time : 6h11m7s (very close, i am impress)

And now, the weird distance marker timing by the organizer

3.7km : 28m50s

18.7km : 2h27m47s

21.1km : 2h52m31s

33km : 4h44m38s

37.8km : 5h29m51s

According to my Garmin and in the bracket are the pace that i should follow to get 5h30m, looks like i still need more training on endurance and speed. around 20k is the time that i lost the pacer and my pace slacking.

5k : 36m58s (39m06s)

10k : 1h15m22s (1h18m12s)

15k : 1h55m25s (1h57m18s)

20k : 2h39m20s (2h36m24s)

25k : 3h25m28s (3h15m31s)

30k : 4h11m52s (3h54m37s)

35k : 5h0m30s (4h33m43s)

40k : 5h49m12s (5h12m49s)

What is good?

1. I ran most of the time, very brief walk at the water station

2. No cramp, probably enough of hydration and salt

3. Giving out water bottle (just nice to drop a nuun tablet in)

4. Enough fueled, took 1 Gu gel 15 minutes before the run and then 1 every 1 hour. The last one almost make me puke

What is bad?

1. No banana by the time i hit the u-turn at the Jelutong highway

2. Not enough water station at the Jelutong highway, despite of the feedback during the runner session briefing at Crystal Crown.

3. What happen to corn starch cup? I tot i can get some extra nutrient :)

4. Traffic control for the fun run

Targeting 5h15m for my next FM. when leh huh?

My home made pace band

2010-10-26T22:37:00.001+08:00

A valuable advice from a much better runner also called Khoo.

I made this and will be wearing this during my run to meditate on during the long and numbing run.

http://www.marathonguide.com/fitnesscalcs/PaceBandCreator.cfm

5h30m, some consider very slow, but hey, I am not competing with you. I am trying to get to the finishing line.

This is my planned pace for PBIM

2010-10-26T11:22:00.001+08:00

Did some magic on the excel spreadsheet (I still hate Micrisoft).

Here is the plan.

First quarter: 7m30s pace

Second quarter : 7m40s pace

Third quarter : 7m50s pace

Last quarter : 8m pace

Check point for every 5km

5km : 37m

10km : 1h15m

15km : 1h53m

20km : 2h31m

25km : 3h10m

30km : 3h50m

35km : 4h30m

40km : 5h10m

FM : <5h30m

Guess not :)

DiGi iPhone 4 Real

2010-09-27T09:44:00.001+08:00

First and foremost, the flexibility, I can start low and upgrade as the need arises. Which is so much better than other option.

By migrating my current Celcom subscription to Digi, it will save at least RM100/month.

And the zero interest easy payment plan will be very popular among the people.

But the main reason I love Digi iPhone 4 plan is the transparency. Nothing is hidden and the consumer knows what he/she is getting. Even the exist clause is included in the T&C.

DiGi iPhone 4 Play

2010-09-25T18:24:00.001+08:00

Since I love to experiment in cooking, if I ever get a free iPhone from Digi, I will first install apps Epicurious so that I can download all the fantastic recipe and use the iPhone at the kitchen to cook fantastic meals for the family.

The apps is based on a popular website that has been the primary source of recipe and tips for many people and I am glad this site has been ported to the iPhone apps.

DiGi iPhone 4 Me

2010-09-24T14:42:00.014+08:00

Ever since my sister show my lovely daughter Megan the games loaded in her iPhone 3G, Megan has been nagging me to get an iPhone so that she can play with the games in the phone.

I think for being a fantastic daughter and for recently scoring 100% for her Chinese spelling test, she deserve that.

So, I want an iPhone 4 from Digi.

Please give me one.

Ipoh Century Ride 2010 - Ride report

2010-08-20T16:23:00.001+08:00

3 weeks after the Century Ride. Thinking I should be writing the experience down before I forget and sign up for next year. Slap me!!!

Me, Boon and Alan, 3 brave souls decided to take part in this year's Century ride with minimum training and preparation. Especially for me, my longest ride before the century weekend was 76km from GS to Bentong Shell. that is 90km short of the century distance. No respect of the distance. Also not too many mileage with the clip. Mistake #1.

Last minute, actually, 1 week before the ride, wife decided not the bring the family along to Ipoh, so, decided not to stay the night before the ride at Ipoh, instead drive up from KL Sunday early morning. So, had about 4-5 hours of sleep, woke up at 2.30am Sunday morning, had a quick bite, have a sit down, and hit the road to Bukit Kinding, Tanjung Rambutan after pickup Alan. Both of us were lack of sleep and felt tired. Mistake #2.

Arrived the starting line 1 hour before the ride, the buzzing of activities at the site, everyone were getting their bike ready, pumping air to the tyre, loading the back pocket with energy bars and etc. I was getting nervous then knowing that this is it, no turning back.Was hoping to visit to toilet for another sit down, but heard of a long queue at the toilet and decided not to go. There are always petrol stations on the way. Had a powerbar and loading the rest of the power gel to the Camelbag. Decided to use camelbag as I am not too comfortable with drinking from bottle while riding. Finish off the bottle of Mountain Dew before lock the car and head to the starting line.

Decided that I will stick to the end of the pack since I am not going to be fast and not going to be good to join peloton. After the "NegaraKu" and a brilliant short speech by the politician, we were wave off with a 5km rolling start. 5KM? I got tired already at 5km mark. :)

The first 20-30km was pleasant, I was taking it slowly, enjoying the scenery without realizing that it is actually a race. And since it is still cool and fresh muscle, I should have push a little harder to cover some distance before it get hot and depletion of energy. Mistake #3.

By the time I reached the first set of hills, I was ready to tackle them. Push hard and grind to climb the hills with minimum 22km/h speed. Pushed little too hard and burned the quads at the last hills and had to come off the bike and hike the bike. Which is a shame. saw Maryam and Boon riding pass. Boon was fast since he suffered his first puncture at the first few KM of the ride.

The hills just come and come and come. By the time I arrived at the mid point, I was within "cutoff time" that Boon told us, 11am. I got in with about 15minutes to spare. I was happy about it and refilled my camelback with water, had a donut and a powergel before pushing off.

This is when the suffering began. From the 100km mark onward, the voice in my head begging for me to give up was so strong. Too painful, too hot, saddle sore, hungry, thirsty, boring, all kind of excuses. That lasted for about 40km, deep down inside, I was hoping that I got stopped by the organizer for being too slow and take me away from the misery. Every time the bus pass me, I was hoping it will stop and got dragged on to the bus. :)

But I push on, at the second last water station, which didn't come any earlier as I ran out of water way before, load up with water and 100+, had the last powergel and push on for the last 40km. Maybe I had a rest, some water and knowing I got only 40km left on the ride, I gain the confidence that I can actually finish the ride.

So, the entire mindset changed, now I was telling myself, if they want to stop my ride and get me on the bus, I already had the speech for them, "f**k you!!! I am going to finish it!!!" :)

The last 40km was long and tough and damn boring. I was practically alone for most of the journey. Occasionally saw another 1-2 rider, overtaking them or got overtaken, was ask to tag along (draft) behind a pair of rider which make it more interesting, not really the drafting part, which I suck at, but chasing the pair and ride together with others, that took away the boredom.

Well, here is where the embarrassing moment happen. At the traffic light, it turned red when I was approaching it. At the exact moment, both legs got cramps and I just lost balanced and fell in front of all the car at the light. Those drivers and passengers in the cars will have plenty of story to tell when they got home.

Ride on approaching the finishing line, just like in the running race, I saw many riders with their bike secured on the car and going home while I still had about 5km to go. Motivating? demotivating? You tell me.

At the finishing line, I had no feeling at all, happy, sad, ecstatic? Nothing. Just glad I did this, without injury.

Doing it again next year? possibly, but need training. Lots and lots of them.

One side effect from this ride, I lost confidence in climbing. Now I have fear even going up GS. Which is a pity.

I still have the tan line to show. :)

I FINISHED 168KM of bike ride!!!! YAY!!!!

MAMILs!!!!

2010-08-18T21:21:00.001+08:00

This is so true. I want a specialized S-Works Roubaix SL2 DA. Hahaha

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-10965608#story_continues_1

"Man continues to look at bib shorts and decides they will help conceal his 36-inch waist. "

Hahahaha

Best Companies to work for

2010-07-29T09:21:00.001+08:00

Summary of what make them so great.

1. high quality child care

2. health insurance coverage

3. unlimited sick days

4. medical center and paid by company

5. free fitness center

6. Swimming pools

7. library

8. summer camp for children

9. No lay off or closing office during recession

10. increase 401(K) matching

11. stock option exchange program

12. 20% of time on project of their choosing

13. collaboration and openness

14. stock options on hire

15. baseball games

16. surfing lessons

17, kayaking tours, white water rafting, bonfires, bowling

18. volunteering opportunities

19. motivating message about the state of business

From here.

A ride on GCE

2010-07-17T22:04:00.001+08:00

Finally managed to find a weekend to join the BJ (Bukit Jelutong) cyclist on their regular saturday ride on GCE.

This is the 4th or 5th time that I ride with the clipless. I am still very fearful of it and constant worry about falling over. Heard from a commentator during the broadcast of TdF yesterday that a TdF winner fell over the other day on a training ride.

That did not make it less worrying, it actually make it worst. That actually tell me that I will never get used to it.

Back to the ride, it was enjoyable, riding among the high end bikes with expensive groupset and the wheels. I tried to take it easy and just enjoy the ride. First few KM was tough because of the cold muscle, but it got better after that.

Overall a nice ride, safe because it was on bike lane most of the time and no drain cover like those in Kesas. I still slow down a lot when going into the tunnel. The fear will never leave me, I supposed.

I will definitely join this guys for saturday ride in the future.

Total distance is about 32KM.

A brand new web services for runners and photographers

2010-07-06T15:57:00.001+08:00

This idea appeared when I was running the Pacesetter 15K run at Padang Merbok. During the run, i saw many photographers on the route and I know they took pictures. I am just wondering how can I get the picture from them.

And talked to some photographers, they also have a question on how to sell/give those picture to the runners.

Hence this website was created.

SnapnTrades

We provide a market place for runners and photographers. We have a database of events entered in the system and will be providing registered user to add the event as well.

After an organized run, can be local or international run, photographer can upload their pictures to the site (resize to smaller for easier upload) and the runners can go to the website to search for their picture with the bib number.

Viola. Linking the supply to the demand.

SCKLM'2010 result and picture

2010-06-30T13:43:00.001+08:00

Am I happy with the time? Oh yes. Can it be better? I sure hope so.

Call me crazy

2010-06-29T10:00:00.001+08:00

Still having some ache on the knees from SCKLM, just signed up Newton 30K run in Singapore. Yes, I am crazy

Standard Chartered KL Marathon 27/June/2010

2010-06-29T09:14:00.001+08:00

Even though this is the second half marathon I participated in, I was pretty anxious for the few days before the run. All due to lack of training and the lower back ache that I was under since friday.

The first HM was done 3 weeks before at Setia ECO. No pressure at that time since I treat it as an LSD preparation for SCKLM. After Setia ECO run, I only did 2x weekend run of about 10K and 2x weekday run of about 6-8k each. The entire week leading to SCKLM was just chilling at home, except 1 RPM class with Lilian at FF.

Alarm woke me up after 3 hours of sleep at 3am. Planned to wake up early to make sure I am relax and not rushing. Try to sit down for couple of time, but not really successful. Had a peanut butter sandwiches and a bottle of Gatorade as breakfast. The night before, I pack all the stuff in the SCKLM bag and left it at the door. So, it was pretty relax. No mad rush to find stuff.

Left the house at 3.45am, with a can of mountain dew with me and drove towards KL. Still figuring our where is the best place to park and finally decided to head towards tugu.

FMVs are gathering around the fountain opposite the flag pole, I went to say hi to June and then leave them alone. I need to just sit down and relax without creating too much excitement. Enjoy the remaining of the mountain dew with the complimentary powerbar while waiting for the starting gun of the FM.

Bump into FF BodyPump instructor Jackson. Second time in the race, first was Setia ECO. He will run almost all half marathon except Singapore standard chartered full. Heavy rain few minutes before the start of FM and every runner gathering at "kandang" getting soaked while supported running around looking for shelters.

Too much excitement for me, I turned on the iPOD to "Blah Blah Taxi" and just find a corner to hide while people watch.

At around 6am, I move towards the kandang and get some warm up done while turn up the volume for PodRunner podcast to get myself psyche up for the run. Until then, I was very worried about my lower back pain and mentally prepared to bonk at KM3. Hamstring were tight and painful.

When the gun goes, I just slowly walk towards to mat and start slow jog to follow the huge crowd. When I started running, then it felt better and the pain go away. KM by KM it go and passing many major sights of KL, the KTM train station, muzuem, KL sentral, brickfield, federal highway, Jalan Loke Yew, Cheras, Jalan Tun razak, Bukit Bintang, passing Pavillion, Raja Chulan, Weld, Beach Club, KLCC, towards Raja Laut and back to Dataran Merdeka.

On the way, bump into the guy i met at the running kit pickup queue. He just finished the great ocean road marathon in Victoria, Australia.

Also have a short chat with Margie, the RPM instructor at MBF FF. Also saw Swee, the BodyBalance instructor at FF as well.

The route was beautiful, the weather fantastic, the volunteer did a great job, plenty of water even up to KM20, I make sure I drink at every station and had powergel at KM11 and KM17. Skip the banana though, never try that during training, not taking the risk of stomach ache, which I heard someone was suffering from it.

I was surprisingly happy about how painless the run was, breathing was easy, no much pain on the legs and stomach. Possibly due to the well rested legs and nice cool weather. I won't say it was easy, but I felt much much better compare to the Setia ECO run, even though I was 2 minutes longer in SCKLM.

At KM20, iPOD ran out of playlist and don't bother to select another song, try to absorb the atmosphere, also watching 10K runners merging into the route with us. Saw a flasher dropping his sarong at Raja Laut, as suspected, only weirdo hang around there.

Well, I finish my second half marathon, in a month. Cool leh.....

Still asking myself, what did I do differently that make this run easier relative to Setia ECO. Carbo loading, pasta/rice meals prior to the run, load up with energy drink (for the salt) 1-2 days before the run. Positive mind for the run. Proper time to take the powergel. What else?

PS : My condolence to the family of Lim, he runner who pass away after collapsed during his 10K run.

Registered Event Confirmation of Triathlon Malaysia

2010-06-11T19:06:00.001+08:00

yay.....Oh boy.....

---------- Forwarded message ----------

Dear Swee-Chuan Khoo

We've confirm your registration with Triathlon Malaysia. This is your registration details:

Newton 25km / 12km Challenge Kuala Lumpur [Click to View]

Registration Info

Name	Khoo Swee Chuan
Reference No	tri4c1033b8095f2
Registration Status	Confirmed
Entity	Individual
Race Category	25km - Men Jr Veteran (40 - 49 years) Run
Payment Method	Credit Card
Price	RM 60.00

Newton 25km/12km Challenge Kuala Lumpur - Registered for 25k

2010-06-10T16:03:00.001+08:00

Oh boy....

Siemen run 2010 - 10KM registered

2010-06-10T08:53:00.001+08:00

Good advice to get out of the doghouse

2010-06-08T21:23:00.001+08:00

Tell them what you are going to do,

tell them that you are doing it,

and tell them you got it done

NB Pacesetter 15K run on 16/May

2010-05-17T09:18:00.001+08:00

Well, another milestone as I mentioned in my FB page. I done the 15K, barely.

Signed up this run as part of my training for the full marathon end of the year. Need to gradually build on my mileage, developing endurance and pushing the body.

The week that leading to the run was slacking, Only managed to put in a 6km run twice at the gym. The entire family was sick and I was hoping I won't get it before the race, and as luck was on my side, I got the sore throat 1 day before the run.

Didn't get enough sleep saturday night too since the little one was crying most of the time. Up at 4am, make some oat meal for breakfast and couple of hard boiled eggs, a good sit down later. Left the house at around 5am and drive towards Padang Merbuk, a little too early, but was thinking to get there early, get a good parking spot and just absorb the atmosphere.

Didn't feel nervous at all. Meet Boon and his friend Elaine, joke around till the start of the run.

And following the tradition of the pacesetter run, hills after hills. It was a really tough run. I was doing ok till about 6km and then started to feel uncomfortable.

Push on till the first water station and took the opportunity to walk while down 2 glass of water. After that I will run on flat and down hill and will try to pick up pace during up hill.

At about 8km if where I turn on my iPOD and start playing some good running music to keep me entertain.

My time for yesterday run was terrible, but I am glad I did it and still below my estimated time of 2 hours, just by couple of seconds.

Bib number : 3010 (Men Junior Veteran)

Split time : 54m35.48s

Total time : 1h58m13.37s

Position in age group : 185/214

Position by gender : 865

Position overall : 1101

Let's compare to the same age group

Fastest : 49m49.06s

Slowest : 2s29m15.01s

I should target 1h45m for my future 15k run.

But it was awesome. I really glad I did it.

Now move training.

Are you healthy?

2010-05-12T08:59:00.000+08:00

Article from LiveStrong

HR
The WHtR is calculated by dividing waist size by height, and takes gender into account. As an example, a male with a 32 inch waist who is 5'10" (70 inches) would divide 32 by 70, to get a WHtR of 45.7 percent.

WOMEN
• Ratio less than 35: Abnormally Slim to Underweight
• Ratio 35 to 42: Extremely Slim
• Ratio 42 to 46: Healthy
• Ratio 46 to 49: Healthy
• Ratio 49 to 54: Overweight
• Ratio 54 to 58: Seriously Overweight
• Ratio over 58: Highly Obese

MEN
• Ratio less than 35: Abnormally Slim to Underweight
• Ratio 35 to 43: Extremely slim
• Ratio 43 to 46: Healthy
• Ratio 46 to 53: Healthy, Normal Weight
• Ratio 53 to 58: Overweight
• Ratio 58 to 63: Extremely Overweight/Obese
• Ratio over 63: Highly Obese

Inspired by David Lebovitz's roast chicken

2010-04-09T23:49:00.001+08:00

A fastastic recipe from David Lebovitz inspired me to make this in one of the weekend, while mom was in town.

Recipe is from here. The picture above show my version. without the parsley.

Roast Chicken with Caramelized Shallots
Serves 4 to 6

Adapted from French Farmhouse Cookbook (Workman) by Susan Herrmann Loomis

I use a whole chicken cut into eight pieces; two legs, two thighs, and I cut each breast piece in half, crosswise, keeping the wings attached. You could also just use eight of your favorite chicken pieces.

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
4 large shallots, peeled and minced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
One whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
one generous handful of coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF (220ºC).

2. In a large baking dish, one which will hold all the chicken pieces in a single layer, mix the olive oil, vinegar, soy sauce, shallots, and some salt and pepper.

3. Toss the chicken in the mixture, so they're completely coated with the shallots. Turn the chicken pieces so they are all skin side up.

4. Roast the chicken for about twenty minutes, until it starts to brown on top. Turn the pieces of chicken over. Scrape any juices and shallots over the chicken that may be clinging to the pan, and bake for another twenty minutes, or until the pieces of chicken are cooked through and the shallots are well-caramelized.

5. Remove from oven and toss in the chopped parsley, then serve.

This is it. The route for SC Half Marathon.

2010-04-08T13:16:00.001+08:00

Time to kick start the training

RPM 46

2010-04-07T11:44:00.001+08:00

Attended the class with the newly released RPM 46.

RPM 46

01. Cosmic Girl – Jamiroquai
02. I Gotta Feeling – TransNoise
03. My Life Would Suck Without You (Bass Force Remix) – Kelly Clarkson
04. Home – Paul van Dyk feat. Johnny McDaid
05. The Pretender – InTheWind
06. Sincere For You feat. Kirsty Hawkshaw (Radio Mix) – Lange
07. Evacuate The Dancefloor (DJ KTW Remix) - Studio88
08. Don't Know What To Do – Dane Rumble
09. No Air duet with Chris Brown – Jordin Sparks featuring Chris Brown

I am so ashamed by the PM

2010-04-07T10:33:00.001+08:00

I am so ashamed. He is the leader of the country and speak without thinking. Please resigned.

"I am a Malay but I am comfortable being a Malay in a Malaysian society" - Prime Minister of Malaysia

Tuesday morning jog

2010-04-06T11:44:00.002+08:00

determined to get the mileage this morning after a lazy monday due to rain and mild sore throat.

Woke up at 6am, sneak out of the room so not to wake up Ashlee. Drank a glass of water and hit the road.

Did a loop with u-turn at 3km distance from house to PutraHeight.

Tried to pick up the pace when running but still watching the breathing and posture. The pace is tougher then usual but manageable.

Time is 37m25s. Not bad, but Target is 36min. Will try again.

Felt good for forcing myself to get up and run this morning.

Saturday "interstate" morning ride (3/April/2010)

2010-04-05T15:56:00.001+08:00

Saturday morning. Woke up hungry, made a small bowl of oat meal and left house after saying good bye to Megan.

Got to Kajang toll by 6.45am. Good time. but miss the turning to get coffee at McD at the highway. No coffee before the ride, fearing the worst. :)

The party arrived at the RV point slightly late, quickly setup the bike and managed to starting rolling at 8am sharp, I will prefer to start at 7am.

The entire route starts from Semenyih sentral bus station go up to the highway towards Seremban and turn off at Manting towards Lenggeng and Broga, had a meal stop at some nasi lemak place (I will prefer something better) and heads back to the car.

Total distance is about 54km, took about 3.5hours because of some waiting for MTB rider.

I had a close call when foot slip off the pedal when pushing hard going up a small hill. really need to consider getting a right pedal and shoe.

IT was a hot hot morning. The picture will show how hot and un-ready i was to put on some sun-block. Lesson learned.

After the ride, rush home to take a quick shower before heading to F1 qualifying.

How to put on weight

2010-04-01T11:20:00.001+08:00

Copied from here.

20 ounce bottle of soda = 250 calories, 16 tsps sugar
- One per day for one year = potential weight gain: 26 lbs.
20 ounce bottle sweetened tea = 210 calories, 14.5 tsps sugar
- One per day for one year = potential weight gain: 22 lbs.
12 ounce can of soda = 150-180 calories, 8-10 tsps sugar
- One a day for one year = potential weight gain:16-19 lbs.

A busy Saturday (27/March/2010)

2010-03-31T10:41:00.001+08:00

Saturday morning, woke up at 5am, after a late TT with some new friends.

After couple of peanut butter sandwiches, a small bowl of oat meal, hit the road with Ee, drove from USJ to Gombak OAH for the usual ride up to Genting Sempah.

This time, only 4 of us be riding. Me, Ee, Chai and Indran. Everything is ok, except due to the lack of sleep and lack of energy, didn't felt that good, but still match the previous time of 1h5m from OAH to the mechanic shop near Genting Sempah.

Got home around Noon after a heavy brunch of TeoChew BKT. Excellent way to recover and carbo load.

Took a nap with Ashlee and try to recover and rest.

At 7pm, drove to Cyberjaya for Energizer Night Race. I didn't registered for the event, but a colleague has an extra bib, I was thinking, why not. Even though I still have jelly knees after the ride in the morning. But I wanted to experience running in the race environment, absorb the atmosphere.

9pm, the race begins. First 1km was a little uncomfortable as my muscle was tired and cold. Yeah, I am such a beginners, no warm up at all. After that, I was getting into the mood and just keep putting one leg in front of another. The KM starts to get by (BTW, bad signage, can't tell the distance covered for 10k runner). Bumped into some friends and chat a little. I was determine to make sure I got back before the cut off time of 90 minutes, easy feat for some, but I am glad I able to complete within the time.

Final time on my watch : 73m25s.

Not bad for me. 6 months ago, I need 2 stops to do 1km run.

Next race : 25/April/2010 NST-MPSJ 10k run.

OAH to GS ride on saturday

2010-03-16T10:56:00.000+08:00

After almost 3 full months without riding, took the Trek up to OAH with bunch of office and riding friends to Genting Sempah mechanic shop. Round trip of about 30km, more of less.

Didn't suffer much except the 1km between 37-38KM from Bentong (the milestone is a good marker), when one see 38km to Bengong milestone, prepare to grind, hard!!!

Anyway, good to be back on the saddle. Already plan for the next visit this 27/March and maybe u-turn at the air-panas on the way to Bentong.

Foot in mouth #1 : Datuk Ahmad Husni Mohd Hanadzlah

2010-03-08T14:19:00.001+08:00

"Kalau orang Cina di Pulau Pinang buli kita, kita lawan balik orang Cina"

- Second Finance Minister Datuk Ahmad Husni Mohd Hanadzlah

From LKS blog

Please email me if you see more. I plan to collect all of them and remind the voter in the next general election, knowing that Malaysian voters have short memory.

Lose lose situation

2010-02-22T23:19:00.001+08:00

About this ridiculous trial of our opposition leader. What outcome will the govt want?

Guilty, send him to jail, more people will vote for PR, more seat in parliament will go to opposition. You may become opposition.

Not guilty, release him, more people will vote for PR because it just prove that the govt was wrong in the first place. . That will be the end of BN.

How come we have leaders who know how to dig hole deeper for themselves?

Hire some good PR consultant, who has no link with the political party and do something. Or maybe, don't do anything. whatever :)

Memo from Jonathan. "Sun is a brand, Oracle is the company"

2010-02-11T09:10:00.001+08:00

Believe it or not, it's been more than nine months since Oracle first announced their intent to acquire Sun in April, 2009. And the 'interim' period has been tough on everyone–on our employees, and our partners and customers. Thankfully, that interim period is coming to an end, with regulatory approval from the European Union issued today, and only a few hurdles remaining–before Oracle formally expands beyond software to become the world's most important systems company.

Even though we're not quite across the finish line, I wanted to leave you with a few final thoughts.

All in all, it's been an honor and privilege to work together. In my more than twenty years in the industry, the last thirteen at Sun, I've had a chance to work with and around an enormous diversity of companies, from every sector you can imagine. I can say with conviction that Sun's people have always stood apart as the brightest, most passionate, and most inspiring. I've never had a bad day in my thirteen years for one very basic reason–I've always been surrounded by the best and brightest individuals I've ever come across. That's been an honor and privilege, for which I'm enormously thankful.

Technology from Sun, alongside our employees and partners, have changed the world. We've opened markets, elections and economies. We've helped build the world's most important and valuable businesses. We've played a key role in discovering new drugs, in bringing education and healthcare to those in need, and supplying the world with an incredible spectrum of entertainment, from smartphones to social networking. I doubt any company has had such a significant influence over the way we see or experience the world. I once told Scott McNealy he was the Henry Ford of the technology industry, making remarkable innovations accessible to anyone, and creating an immense number of jobs around the globe for those that made use of them. I can't begin to tell you how proud I am of my association with that cause and the people behind it, and the value we created for ourselves and those that exploited our innovations.

I also know we've had more than our share of very tough challenges. Amidst the toughest market and customer situations imaginable, I'm proud we've always acted with integrity, with a sense for what's right, and not simply what's expedient. Over the years, I've heard time and again, from those inside and outside the company, "I like and I trust Sun."

Building that good will is something to which you've all contributed. And you have every right to be very proud of it.

Make no mistake, it's been an enormous asset.

So, to the sales and SE teams across the world who continually give their all to bring the numbers home–thank you for the trust you've built with customers, and the results you've delivered. I hope you're prepared to have the wind at your back, you deserve it.

To the service professionals who every day build, maintain and run the world's most important data centers–thank you for your excellence and discipline, 7×24.

To the professionals who run the functions and processes that are the company's spinal column–thank you, we'd be paralyzed without you.

And lastly – to the engineers and marketers who've fostered a perpetual belief that innovation creates its own opportunity – thank you. You're right. Innovation does create its own opportunity. Like Oracle, we're an engineering company in our heart and soul, our potential together is limitless.

Now many of you know that I came to Sun when a company I helped to found was acquired in 1996. I've also led, and been a part of many, many acquisitions at Sun, both large and small. From those experiences, I've learned one very clear lesson–the single most important driver of a successful acquisition are the people involved–and how committed they are to the new owner's mission.

And the most effective mechanism I've seen for driving that commitment begins with a simple, but emotionally difficult step.

Upon change in control, every employee needs to emotionally resign from Sun. Go home, light a candle, and let go of the expectations and assumptions that defined Sun as a workplace. Honor and remember them, but let them go.

For those that ultimately won't become a part of Oracle, this will be the first step in a new adventure. Sun has a tremendous reputation across the planet, well beyond Silicon Valley. It's a great brand to have on your resume. We're known as self-starters, capable of ethically managing through complexity and change, for delivering when called upon, and for inventing and building the future. With the world economy stabilizing, I'm very confident you'll land on your feet. You're a talented, tenacious group, and there's always opportunity for great people.

For those that have roles at Oracle, may you start with a clean slate, ready to take on the myriad opportunities ahead. With the same passion and tenacity for Oracle's success that you've had for Sun's, and a renewed sense of energy around executing on a far broader mission. There is no doubt in my mind you, and Oracle, will be remarkably successful, beyond the market's wildest expectations. But it's important you come to work thinking, "Sun is a brand, Oracle's my company." Don't look for ways to preserve or dwell in "how we used to do things." Look for ways to help customers, grow the market, and improve Oracle's performance.

Sun is a brand, Oracle is your company.

And to that end, with nine months of getting to know them, I've found Oracle to be truly remarkable, led by remarkable people. From Larry on down, they understand the enormity of the opportunity before them, and they're more than prepared to execute on it – across the board. I've seen their commitment and focus, now they need yours. I'm confident you'll give it the 10,000% effort it deserves–and we'll all see the end result.

So thank you, again, for the privilege and honor of working together. The internet's made the world a far smaller place–so I'm sure we'll be bumping into one another.

Go Oracle!

Jonathan

Don't be fool by the $6 hair cut

2010-02-08T14:49:00.001+08:00

A local small town barber noticed a discount/chain $6 hair cutting salon going in across the street from his shop. He started losing business so he went to a local banker friend for advice. After a few hours of dialog with the friend, he returned and put a new sign in his store window. 'We fix $6 haircuts.'

Wise man speaks

2010-02-02T14:10:00.001+08:00

One should not honor only one's own religion and condemn other religions. Instead, one should honor other religions for various reasons. By so doing one helps one's own religion to grow and also renders service to the religions of others. In acting otherwise one digs the grave of one's own religion and harms other religions as well. Someone who honors his own religion and condemns other religions may do so out of devotion to his religion, thinking, 'I will glorify my religion'; but his actions injure his own religion more gravely. Concord is good. Let all listen and be willing to listen to the doctrines professed by others

-- Goenka
29 August 2000 in the United Nations General Assembly Hall to the participants of the Millennium World Peace Summit

3 little mantras

2010-02-01T08:54:00.001+08:00

It's not about me, it's about the role. It's not about me, it's about the role.
The fun stuff that comes with my job doesn't belong to me. The fun stuff that comes with my job doesn't belong to me.
This, too, shall pass. This, too, shall pass.

Last email from Scott McNealy

2010-01-29T09:16:00.001+08:00

A maverick himself. So proud to serve under him for almost 6 years. Great leader and motivator. Honor to able to meet him and shake him hand. So much happen when I was with Sun. Meeting great friends, learning fantastic skills, and going places. I will miss Sun.

Subject: Thanks for a great 28 years
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:46:16 -0800
From: Scott McNealy <Scott.McNealy@Sun.COM>
To: allsun@sun.com

Gang,

When I interviewed many of you for employment at Sun over the years, one commitment often made was that things will change above, below, and around you faster than any place you have ever been. Looks like this was one area we exceeded plan for 28 years. While it was never the primary vision to be acquired by Oracle, it was always an interesting option. And this huge event is upon us now. Let's all embrace it with all of the enthusiasm and class and talent that we have to offer.

This combination has the potential to put Sun, its people, and its technology at the center of yet another industry and game changing inflection point. The opportunity is well documented and articulated by Larry and the Oracle folks. Not much I can add on this score. This is a very powerful merger. And way better than some of the alternatives we were facing.

So what do I say to all of you now this is happening?

It turns out that one simple message to the large and diverse Sun community is actually quite hard to craft. Even for a big mouth who is always ready with a clever quip. The community includes our resellers and customers, our current and former employees, their friends and families who supported our employees on their mission to change the industry, our investors, our supply and service partners, students and educators, and even our competitors with whom we often collaborated.

But let me try. Though nothing I could write comes close to matching the unbelievably strong and positive emotions I have for you all. See, I never was able to master dispassion. I truly loved starting, running, and living Sun. And the last four years have not been without serious withdrawal. And the EU approval rocked me more than it should have.

So, to be honest, this is not a note this founder wants to write. Sun in my mind should have been the great and surviving consolidator. But I love the market economy and capitalism more than I love my company. And I sure "hope" America regains its love affair with capitalism. And except for the auto industry, financial industry, health care, and some other places (I digress), the invisible hand is doing its thing quite efficiently. So I am more than willing to accept this outcome. And my hat is off to one of the greatest capitalists I have ever met, Larry Ellison. He will do well with the assets that Sun brings to Oracle.

What we did right and wrong at Sun over the years might make for interesting reading. However, I am not a book writer. I am a husband, father of four, and a builder and leader of people who want to make a difference.

But spare me a bit of nostalgia. Not of the mistakes we made, and lord knows I made a ton. But of the things we did right and well.

First and foremost, Sun innovated like crazy. We took it to the limit (see Eagles). And though we did not monetize our inventions as well as we could have, few companies have the track record in R&D that we had over the last 28 years. This made working at Sun really cool. Thanks to all of you inventors and risk takers who changed how we live.

Sun cared about its customers. Even more than we cared about our own company at times. We looked at our customer's mission as more important than ours. Maybe we should have asked for more revenue in return, but our employees were always ready to help first. I love this about Sun which I guess makes me a good capitalist if not a great capitalist.

Sun did not cheat, lie, or break the rule of law or decency. While we enjoyed breaking the rules of conventional wisdom and archaic business practice and for sure loved to win in the market, we did so with a solid reputation for integrity. Nearly three decades of competing without a notable incident of our folks going off course morally or legally. Not all executives and big companies are bad. Really. There are good companies out there. Special thanks to all of my employees for this. I never had to hide the newspaper in shame from my children.

Sun was a financial success. We paid billions in taxes, salaries, purchases, leases, training, and even lawyers and accountants for devastatingly cumbersome SOX and legal compliance (oops, more classic digression). Long term and smart investors made billions in SUNW. And our customers generated revenue and savings using our equipment in countless ways. Many employees started families, bought homes and put them through school while working at Sun. Our revenues over 28 years exceeded $200B. Few companies make it to the F200. We did. Nice.

Sun employees had way more fun than any other company. By far. From our dress code ("You must!") to beer busts to our April Fools pranks to SunRise to our quiet enjoyment at night of a long hard well done day of work, no company enjoyed "work" more than Sun. Thanks to all of our employees past and present for making Sun such a blast.

I could go on for a long time reminiscing about the good and great stuff we did at Sun, but just allow me one last one. We shared. Not the greatest attribute for a capitalist. But one I could not change and was not willing to change about Sun while I was in charge. We shared in the success of Sun with our resellers. With our employees through stock options, SunShare, beer busts, and the like (for as long as Congress would allow) and through our efforts to keep as many of them on board for as long as possible during the inevitable down cycles. With our partners through the Java Community Process, through our open source collaborations, and licensing strategies. With our customers through our commitments to low barriers to exit. Sun was never just about us. It was about we. And that may be a bit of the reason we are where we are today.

But I have few regrets (see Sinatra's "My Way") and will always look back at Sun and its gang with only pride. Enormous pride. You are the best this industry ever had though few outside of Sun recognized it. And what we are about will live on in Sparc, Solaris, Java, our products, and our spirit. Well past everyone's recollections of what we did together. I will never forget though.

Oracle is getting a crown jewel of the technology industry. They will do great things with Sun. Do your best to support them and keep the Sun spirit alive and well in the industry. Our children will be better for it.

Thanks for the off the charts support to everyone who ever carried a Sun badge, used our products, or helped our company through the years.

And thanks to my wonderful wife, Susan, who gave this desperado (see Eagles) a chance to choose the Queen of Hearts before it was too late. Someday, hopefully, you will all get to see or meet her and my other life's works named Maverick, Dakota, Colt and Scout. If you do, perhaps you will understand why I stepped back from the CEO role four years ago. And why I feel like the luckiest guy in the whole world.

My best to all of you, and remember:

Kick butt and have fun!

Scott

Thoughts of the day

2010-01-29T09:01:00.000+08:00

My car got scratched on purpose by someone. there is a suspect, but no proof.

Anyway, i had about 5 seconds of anger and then I just think, it is done. Nothing I can do.

Today I read about this in a website. I am glad I didn't stay angry and worst, seek revenge.

Let other people off the hook. They didn't mean harm, and even if they did, it hurt them more than it hurt you. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and rise even taller. Don't use anyone as your excuse to shirk your responsibility to live a bigger life. Victimhood is not a badge of honor. Overcoming adversity is. Use success and joy as your barometer. And march on.

Om.

Not so poverty Aglio e Olio

2010-01-11T08:50:00.001+08:00

Thought of making seafood marinara. Found out that we ran out of tomato sauce. So, I improvised and make a seafood aglio olio.

clean the prawn and squid. Fry the chopped garlic in olive oil in slow heat, to infuse the oil. after couple of minutes, turn up the fire and thrown in the seafood. Season. when the seafood are cooked, add in the pasta and add some mixed herb.

It was pretty good. Nice if I have parsley and Parmesan cheese.

Stupid parent

2010-01-07T07:50:00.000+08:00

Amazing to think that there are parent/adult still think that the earth is only 6000 years old. From FailLog

"Note: Just to let you it is not that we don't believe in things like that, it is just misleading when you talk about it being billions of years old, when we all know that the world is only about 6,000 years old. So why would I pay so that you can misslead my children, your world is just a revolving(?), ours has a start and an end. God created the world. He created animals and man all in the same week. It was also Adam who named all the animals, they will do the essay 'Rock and Minerals' but it might not be 5 pages long, and about billions of years, it will be according to the Bible."

Tips for making cookies

2010-01-06T11:09:00.001+08:00

I have been searching for so long about this. Finally, thanks to BakingBites. I found it.

If you want chewy cookies, add melted butter. Butter is 20 percent water. Melting helps water in butter mix with flour to form gluten.
More gluten will make for a chewier cookie, just as it will make for a chewier bread. Keep in mind that you're introducing extra liquid with a substitution like this one, and the cookies may be thinner than you'd like unless you add more dry ingredients or less liquid.

If you want thin, candy-like cookies, add more sugar. Sugar becomes fluid in the oven and helps cookies spread.
A little extra sugar will also help you get a crisp edge on a cookie. Caramelized sugar does not always survive well in the open air. Too much sugar and your cookies will be thin and chewy, not crisp, although they should still taste great. An airtight container will help preserve their fresh-from-the oven texture.

If you want cakey cookies, add more eggs. Yolks make cookies rich, and whites cause cookies to puff and dry out.
The same warning about too much liquid can apply to this. Too much egg and you'll have cookies that have an eggy flavor to them and a spongy texture. It's best to start with small additions, maybe one yolk or white at a time

If you want an open, coarse crumb and craggy top, add baking soda. Baking soda reacts quickly with acidic ingredients (such as brown sugar) to create lots of gas bubbles. If you want a fine, tight crumb and smooth top, add baking powder. Baking powder works slowly and allows for an even rise.
Leavenings interact heavily with the other ingredients in a cookie, so a small amount of baking powder or baking soda added may not make much of a difference. A cookie that is already tending towards cakiness, for instance, will be more likely to have a smooth top than a craggy one. You may want to try two batches at once when experimenting with leavenings so you can easily track your progress.

Fantastic lecture on how bad sugar is

2010-01-05T09:13:00.002+08:00

Everyone should watch this and get informed. Educate your family member.

My riding plan for this year

2010-01-04T15:50:00.002+08:00

Ok. Here is the plan. I will want to cover the first 6 stage of Tour de Langkawi. Large map here.

Stage 1 - Kota Bharu - Kuala Berang (174.5km)
Stage 2 - Kuala Terengganu - Chukai (182.9km)
Stage 3 - Pekan, Pahang - Mersing, Johor (144km)
Stage 4 - Mersing, Johor - Parit Sulong, Johor (163.5km)
Stage 5 - Muar, Johor - Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan (140.3km)
Stage 6 - Putrajaya, WP - Genting Highlands (103.9km)
Stage 7 - Kuala Kubu Baru - Dataran Merdeka (loop x6) (92.8km)

Stage 1, 2 & 3 can be done in one extended weekend.

Stage 4 & 5 can be done in one extended weekend.

Stage 6 will be challenging.

Not sure how interesting is stage 7.

Any taker? Who want to join me? Need logistic, support car and etc.

Probably after May.

Lemon baked pasta

2010-01-04T14:26:00.001+08:00

Found out I have a tub of sour cream in the fridge while planning for lunch yesterday. And some lemon as well.

Decided to use all these ingredient and make PioneerWoman's baked lemon pasta. Since I have a craving of something lemon for a while, even though I should not be eating pasta (am in a low low carb diet). Here is the recipe.

I don't have parsley and parmesan cheese at home. So, not exactly the same as PW's cooking. And I may need to reduce on the lemon since the wife think is a bit too sour. Megan's also think so, but she did finished her portion.

I think I need to plant parsley at the herb project.

Bike accident on Kesas highway

2009-12-16T11:58:00.002+08:00

Hey, it has been a week since my fall on Kesas highway, while riding with Chai.

Due to my own mistake and carelessness, the front tire of the bike went into the drain cover, causing the bike to flip and me landed on my back, with big impact, landed on my right back shoulder and broke the right scapula.

Chai drove me to SDMC. Get into the emergency room. Nice nurse took care of me. Gave me a shot of pain killer. Not that I was complaining about the pain, but it was good.

Took couple of X-Ray and confirmed by the doctor on duty that the right scapula was broken. Doctor advised to stay overnight for observation and wait for the doctor for further diagnosis.

Had another stronger jab of pain killer and passed out. Still wearing the bike short and shirt.

Discharged the following day, doctor wants to know if I can stand the pain with just the pain killer pill instead of the jab.

Well, 3 weeks before I can drive (I think i will drive earlier than that) and 12 weeks of full recovery.

Fortunately I still can type.

I consider myself lucky that no major injury. What if shoulder bone, hip and worst, skull fracture. That will be bad.

Anyway, training put on hold. But will not abandon.

Tuesday dinner

2009-12-09T15:24:00.001+08:00

Yesterday was wife's gym day. So, need to get home early after pick up Megan.

Went to Old Town coffee cafe in Taipan for dinner, but after scanning the menu, nothing there that I can order without carbo.

Decided to head home remembered that I got some chicken breast in the freezer.

Defrost the breast, slice into half, marinate with salt and pepper. At the same time, defrost green peas. Chopped up a yellow onion and a garlic.

Cover the breast with some olive oil and fried it on the grill. At another pot, fried the onion, garlic and green peas.

At the end, here is the product. High protein and low carbo. Instead of ketchup or chili sauce, I put Dijon mustard on top, zero calories. :)

Perfect dinner. 3 more portion of chicken breast at home. Same style, variation will be the vegetables.

Weekend ride

2009-12-07T10:56:00.005+08:00

What an interesting weekend.

Saturday, me, Ee and some colleague of mine went riding at FRIM. 2 of them are new to FRIM. The weather was good to us, the only morning that has no rain, not until we are in the car on the way home.

The usual trail was done without much suffering. For the newbie, time to get used to the terrain, the trail and their new bike. All went well.

At our usual rest stop, we decided to take Steroid hill. It was really tough, for me, at least. My MRH (maximum heart rate) went up to 99%. Way above the lactic acid zone. It was really steep, slippery and challenging. I got down and push couple of times. Took a rest on the top, didn't go up to the heli-pad. The way down was pretty scary, steep as well. Took my time, ride at the speed that is within my control.

Muscle ache, but tons of fun. Picture above was taken after the downhill from Steroid. Saw a guy just fly down from the slope. Amazing.

The next morning, thought of doing a long recovery ride to flush out the acid from the leg, took my RB and ride on Kesas. From my home, went to LDP via Puchong, get towards Kesas. It was drizzling already at 6.45am. Thought of turning into USJ from Kesas, but there was no rain at the exit, decided to go forward towards Klang.

The ride was very nice. On the bike lane, felt safe. Just need to give way to motorbike. U-turn at the junction to Jalan Kebun because of the rain, and go back home via the Kesas exit at USJ. Need to go home to bring Megan out for breakfast and shopping at the wet market. Only covered 48km.

Next time will ride forward and u-turn at Sri Petaling. That will get me above 60km.

Excellent weekend. Felt good. No major pain. Lots of fun. I am happy.

Riding on Kesas highway

2009-11-30T11:43:00.001+08:00

Been traveling on Kesas highways for years, always see some rider on the motor lane.

Sunday morning, start from my house at 6.45am. Took the LDP and exit to Kesas towards Sri Petaling. Made a u-turn (or rather, n-turn according to Megan) at the traffic light at Endah Parade and back on Kesas towards Klang. Exit to Puchong and back home.

Total distance is 36km, average speed of 28km/h. Took a small break at Petronas for 100+. Didn't take any water from my bottles.

Met a group of about 10 with mixture of MTB and RB.

Minor incident, almost falls because didn't notice the small hump on the bike lane, and also a dog chase. Nice almost flat road. No challenging climb.

987kcal burned. Sweet. Felt great. Not too tiring, maybe because is <40km.

Will definitely do it again, probably every Sunday morning. But will not exit at Puchong, but go straight towards shah-alam to get up to 60+km. Nothing less the 60km now for my usual RB ride. That is a promise.

Climbing Gunung Merapi

2009-11-20T09:01:00.001+08:00

Wow, didn't know we can climb the mountain. Was there to visit the site, was pretty scary to walk on the hardened lava. But making a trip to trek up the mountain will be very cool.

http://eatfirstthinklater.blogspot.com/2009/11/climbing-mount-merapi.html

Definitely something I will plan to do.

Megan annual concert

2009-11-16T13:59:00.001+08:00

She plays leopard in the jungle.

The play is "Wizard of Oz"

Damn it....slacking

2009-11-11T17:08:00.001+08:00

BodyPump class cancelled this morning. Just my luck, possibly my last class in MBF before office move to Bangsar. No chance to say farewell to all the nice girls in the class.

Anyway, since I was there in the morning, did some mileage on the treadmill.

Was running before the class, heard about the cancellation, start getting slack and stop at 1km run and then walk around. Did couple of push up and abs exercise before resume for another run. 10m of 1.5km run.

Then slacking again, did another round of push up and abs exercise before climb up the treadmill for another 2km run.

I can't get myself to run for 5km non-stop on the treadmill.

I need some major kick at the rear. Damn it.

Arrrggggghhhhhh...

Dukethon 22/November

2009-11-10T21:03:00.001+08:00

Interesting, 5km run. May want to join. See how.

http://www.duke.com.my/media/dukethon.html

Is there a cow in our life that need to die?

2009-11-06T11:22:00.001+08:00

This is an interesting article from my RSS FEED. I think all of us should read it.

Once Upon a Cow by Camilo Cruz, is a story about our own personal cows. The beginning parable is about a teacher and a student who journey to a small town, the teacher telling the student to look for the poorest home where they would seek refuge for the night.

The two men stopped in front of the most dilapidated little shack they had ever set eyes on.

The structure, at the point of collapse, belonged, without a doubt to the poorest of families. The walls stood as if only by a miracle, threatening at any moment to come tumbling down. Water filtered through an improvised roof, and all kinds of rubbish against the walls of the house.

The teacher and the student were invited to stay the night in the small home. A father, mother, four children and two grandparents, thin bodies, ragged clothes, sad faces and bowed heads left no doubt that indigence had taken root deep within them.

Curiously enough, the family had a most unusual possession. They owned a cow.

The animal was not much to look at, but the family's everyday life and activities seemed to revolve around it.

Feed the cow.
Make sure the cow's had enough water.
Tie the cow up tight.
Don't forget to take the cow out to pasture.
Milk the cow.

You could say the cow played a prominent role within the family, although the little milk she produced was barely enough to keep them alive. It was the only thing that kept them from complete and utter misery.

The next morning, the two travelers set off to continue their journey. The elder teacher whispered, "The time has come for you to learn the lesson that brought us to this dismal place." The teacher walked slowly toward the cow, slipped a dagger from the sheath he carried.

The student watched in disbelief as the teacher sliced through the cow's throat in one swift movement. The fatal wound caused the animal to drop silently to the ground.

The story continues one year later when the teacher and student return to the home. They find the family flourishing and learn the story of how the death of the cow caused the change in their fortune.

We all have cows that need to die.

Build your self confidence like a leader

2009-11-02T15:14:00.001+08:00

Great advice from Marshall Goldsmith

1. Don't worry about being perfect. There are never right or wrong answers to complex business decisions. The best that you can do as a leader is to gather all of the information that you can (in a timely manner), do a cost-benefit analysis of potential options, use your best judgment — and then go for it.

2. Learn to live with failure. Great salespeople are the ones who get rejected the most often. They just ask for the order more than the other salespeople. You are going to make mistakes. You are human. Learn from these mistakes and move on.

3. After you make the final decision — commit! Don't continually second-guess yourself. Great leaders communicate with a sense of belief in what they are doing and with positive expectations toward the achievement of their vision.

4. Show courage on the outside — even if you don't always feel it on the inside. Everyone is afraid sometimes. If you are a leader, your direct reports will read your every expression. If you show a lack of courage, you will begin to damage your direct reports' self-confidence.

5. Find happiness and contentment in your work. Life is short. My extensive research indicates that we are all going to die anyway. Do your best. Follow your heart. When you win, celebrate. When you lose, just start over the next day.

Terry Fox Run 2009

2009-11-02T08:39:00.001+08:00

Got back home after midnight of Saturday, attended a wedding dinner, but started with beers at the hotel bar, and also adjourned with the beer at the same bar. Had about couple of hours of sleep before the alarm tell me is 5.30am.

Woke up, get the family ready to leave house at 7am to go to Lake Garden for the 2009 Terry Fox run.

This is the first time I took part in this event.

I planned to run the 5km while the rest of the family do the family fun run.

Didn't manage to run from the beginning as the path was too narrow and with too many people. I just walked briskly on the track until I got enough space on the track to start running. Bumped into an old colleague and friend and chat for couple of minutes before pushing on. Caught up with the wife and mom on the way.

It was a pretty fun run. The is the first time that I actually run among the crowd, since many many years ago. Still need to train much more and much harder to able to run beyond 10K.

About 40+ days to Malakoff run of 12KM.

Running log : 27/Oct/2009

2009-10-27T10:21:00.001+08:00

Tossing and turning at 5am. Snooze waiting for 5.30am alarm to get ready for a run outside the house.

This time, after advice from my colleague, try to pick up the speed and do sprinting when possible.

Managed to shave about 4 minutes from my previous run. It was tough, very very uncomfortable and tiring. Almost throw up at the end of the run.

But this is far better compare to 1 month ago when I started running. This is definitely an improvement. I am happy about the process.

5km : 30m26s

Brilliant!!!!

Saturday morning OAH to GS ride

2009-10-26T07:47:00.002+08:00

Saturday morning, managed to get 2 of my colleagues and Ee to wake up at 5+am and get ready to ride from Orang Asli Hospital to Genting Sempah. Distance of 32km on return trip. Nice hills to cover. First 16km are mostly uphill with the return journey mostly downhill. What a reward for the grinding going up.

Took me about 1 hour (excluding the stops waiting for the gang), will like to reduce that to 50 minutes next time.

Both of them love the ride and already planned for the next one.

Will do it once a month. Hopefully.

Sunday afternoon, forced myself to go to IOI for RPM class, Ken was the instructor, replacing Alvin. Really felt the tiredness of the legs, but it was good, flush out the acid, keep the momentum going.

Will see if I have the strength to go to today evening RPM class.

Wonder when is my rest day?

Weekend is coming close

2009-10-23T14:17:00.001+08:00

Today is the rest day. Been doing some sort of exercise daily for the last 4-5 days. Need a rest, before the ride tomorrow.

Let's see

Saturday 60km ride

Sunday RPM class

Monday RPM class

Tuesday 5km run

Wednesday Bodypump class

Thursday 5km Run

I think I deserved a rest day :)

24/Oct/2009 : Riding from Hospital Orang asli, Jalan Gombak to Genting Sempah. Total distance will be about 32KM, that will take less than 2 hours.

Maybe will attempt to make a coffee cake tomorrow, taking the recipe from PioneedWoman. Here.

Sunday maybe will bring the family to the mall. Haven't done this for ages.

Have a good weekend. Picture of the saturday morning ride will be posted soon.

T-Mobile Sidekick issue

2009-10-20T20:59:00.001+08:00

This problems reminds me of the problem Sun Microsystems experience with eBay.

This need to be handle properly, even though one vendor may not be totally responsible for the cause of the problem. it does not mean it cannot benefit from handling the "crisis" as a partner of the customer.

Sun's top executive actually had conference call with eBay everyday, i.e Scott McNealy actually sit in the call. And Sun sent a team of expert on site to help eBay fixing their problem. I think from that experience, Sun gain the trust of eBay and also other large enterprise customer.

Well, learn from this.

Running log : 20/Oct/2009

2009-10-20T10:51:00.001+08:00

Did RPM #44 last night at IOI, instructor was Fong. 3rd sessions after the release, was getting used to it now. Only suffered in track 7, really enjoyed track 6, the speed track and track 5, the interval training track. Not a fan of the song selection.

Still suffer from the ache from the Saturday morning ride and the RPM last night, went out to run this morning at 6am.

5km : 35m20s.

Not a great time, actually been slacking. But need mileage on the leg. Suffered a little bit.

Next official run on 1/November for Terry Fox.

Gym log : 16/Oct/2009

2009-10-16T15:05:00.001+08:00

Get into the gym early. Did a 1.5km run before the RPM class.

RPM release 44 is tough. Knees were shaking after the class. Track 6 and 7 was pretty nice. Getting to enjoy it a little more. Hopefully get to like all after some time.

After the class, felt like do some running, did another 1+km run. Just to get the feel of running after some cycling.

Felt good.

Tomorrow will do 60km around Putrajaya outer ring. If the weather hold.

RPM and BodyPump Sizzler

2009-10-15T07:51:00.001+08:00

Coolness. Taken from here.

RPM 45 Sizzler

RPM™ 45 is all about creating awareness of how to use resistance. Show your class how much resistance to use, how to find it, what it feels like and what the benefits are. Also coach your class to ride fast – find the working load and ride the beat! Set off on the open road to the uplifting classic Life Is A Highway. Your heart rate will pick up in Track 2 with three fast sprints and one small climb.

Use this track to find the right working load. Listen to the lyrics in Track 4! Take a leap of faith and close your eyes when you hit the fast sprints to All On Our Own by New Zealand band Midnight Youth. Power equals force times speed. The more resistance you use, the further distance you are going to travel and the more calories you're going to burn. So switch on to power up! Track 5 is all about razor-sharp attacks. Don't be fooled by the fun nature of The Prodigy's Piranha – this is intense and you will be challenged! Quadruple resistance turns and Standing Attacks will push your heart rate through the roof. Speed is the focus for Track 6. Gradually increase your leg speed to this iconic RPM™ track – Bruised Water by Chicane featuring Natasha Bedingfield. Switch from speed to strength in Track 7. Look out for the heavy Power Climbs!
Recover to The Man Who Can't Be Moved from Irish band The Script. Let the heartbeat drop before stretching and lengthening your muscles to Adele's beautiful Chasing Pavements.

BODYPUMP 72 Sizzler

BODYPUMP® 72 is all about making your class stronger,faster. How? By focusing on Bottom Halves and Partial Range movements, the rest phase is eliminated and the muscles are kept under tension for longer. Look forward to a challenging workout and an overall strength blast where active recovery is your only break! Brace your abs and prepare for more Bottom Halves than you bargained for in the Squats Track. Kelly Clarkson will motivate you to keep going with her huge hit I Do Not Hook Up. New Zealand's own Dane Rumble sings Track 3 – Always Be There. Bottom Halves and Slow Bottom Halves will put your chest muscles under tension for a little bit longer than usual. Ouch! The good news is this will give you results faster. The Triceps Track is sweet like Sugar! Again, Bottom Halves are the name of the game.

Challenge yourself and go a bit heavier than normal in the rocky and upbeat Biceps Track. The Bicep Row returns, attacking your guns from a different direction. It's back to the legs in the intense Track 7. The Lunges stick with the theme of the release – you guessed it – lots of Bottom Halves that will push up your heart and burn calories. The
Shoulders Track is a tribute to the legend that is Michael Jackson – make sure you watch the DVD for this one! The range of motion in the Singles has been shortened to ¾ Range. Grit your teeth and hang on! Ciara and Justin Timberlake will take you through the Abdominals Track with Love Sex Magic. The mix of deep, lower abdominals work and the Walking Hover will chisel your six-pack and at the same time strengthen your core.

Sunday morning ride at Putrajaya

2009-10-12T10:31:00.001+08:00

Initial plan was to do one loop of the Putrajaya 70.3 bike route. But due to the weather, it was cut short and exist the loop at Alamanda on way to the car.

Need to start getting 40+km 3-4 times a week in preparation for Putrajaya Triathlon relay.

Running log : 4/Oct/2009

2009-10-07T11:05:00.001+08:00

Sunday 4/oct : 5km run : 36m39s

Tuesday 6/oct : 5km run : 34m42s

Target : 6-8km until end november

Interesting traveling web site

2009-10-05T21:00:00.001+08:00

http://www.yongo.biz/frame.htm

Anyone interested in going to Tibet next year 2/may?

Or eastern europe? Slovakia, Poland and Czek?

Running log : 2/Oct/2009

2009-10-02T13:54:00.001+08:00

Very close now.

Today's log : 4.8km in 34m27s.

I am very happy with the timing. Now I will focus on extend couple of hundred meters and then then increase the speed.

Well done!!! :)

Running log : 1/Oct/2009

2009-10-01T08:44:00.001+08:00

After 1 week not running, determine to resume the training and got the alarm to wake me up at 5.45am. Muscle still a little sore from Wednesday morning 1.5km run and the BodyPump class.

Run from my house to 7-Eleven at PutraHeight. Estimated distance of about 4km.

Amazingly, I was feeling good for the entire distance, took 1-2 minutes of rest at the u-turn point. I was thinking of doing the 5km, but decided to pace myself.

Total distance : 4km
Time : 30m1s

Great. Estimated by mid of October I will be on 5km.

Well done!!!

3 Ways to Be a Loving Parent

2009-10-01T08:24:00.001+08:00

Interesting read from Livestrong.com

1. Practice Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement encourages good behavior and discourages bad behavior while building self-esteem and confidence in children. How you communicate with your child partially shapes how he sees himself. Children who receive only criticism from their parents can develop negative self-images. On the other hand, children who consistently receive positive reinforcement become more self-assured. Reinforce good behavior consistently, even when it's expected. If your daughter did her chores without being asked, tell her how proud you are that she acted responsibly. Reward large accomplishments, such as making the honor roll. Don't, however, reward your children for ordinary achievements.

Disciplining a child can teach the difference between right from wrong, one of the most loving things you can do. Positive reinforcement can modify bad behavior by expressing your awareness of the child's feelings and desires, setting clear limits, looking for ways to compromise and allowing the child to express dissatisfaction. When condemning bad behavior, focus on the behavior, not on the child. Start a reprimand with reinforcement, and then follow by criticizing the act. For example, you could say, "You are a smart boy, but you acted irresponsibly when you didn't do your homework."

2. Listen Actively

Listening intently to your child is an act of love. Children who know that their parents care about their thoughts and feelings feel more secure and valued. However, listening actively requires more than just sitting quietly while your kids talk. Reflect what your kids say back to them, ask relevant questions and show empathy to indicate that you are really listening.

Help your child come up with their own solutions. Encouraging your kids to brainstorm different options to resolve their problems shows that you are engaged in what they care about while teaching critical problem-solving skills and independent thinking. Resisting the urge to tell a child what to do and helping him discover it on his own pays dividends in the end.

3. Learn How to Apologize

Children usually learn best by example. To teach your kid how to take responsibility for her actions, it's important to apologize to her whenever you are wrong. Kids need to learn that no one is perfect, not even their parents. Apologizing to your kids shows them that you are fallible and teaches lessons about forgiveness. A good apology should clarify what you did wrong, express remorse without making excuses and ask for forgiveness. Apologies show children that you love them and value their feelings towards you.

Time to register for a proper run

2009-09-23T13:43:00.002+08:00

This is it. I will register for this year's Malakoff run. I need to push myself to train harder. The problem is that it is 1 week after Putrajaya Triathlon.

http://www.malakoffrun.com.my/

1)	DATE:	20 December 2009 (Sunday)
2)	VENUE:	Start/Finish – Bukit Kiara Equestrian & Country Resort
3)	TIME:	7.00 am for the 12km and 7.15am for the 6km
4)	ORGANIZERS:	Pacesetters Athletic Club, Malaysia

I need to do it in 45 minutes. That is the target I will be training for. 35 minutes...

Go go go....

Running log : 23/Sept/2009

2009-09-23T09:23:00.001+08:00

Was early in the gym. Not open. The person in charge maybe suffering from hangover. :)

Since already there, not wasting time waiting for the guy to open the gym, decided to run around Jalan Sultan Ismail towards Raja Chulan and turn into Jalan Pinang back to the gym.

Total distance on the road : 1.4km in 9m4s.

Back to the gym and get on the treadmill to continue the run.

Total distance on the treadmill : 1.6km in 10m

Total : 3km in 19m4s.

Followed by BodyPump Class.

Cool

Running log : 20 & 21 Sept/2009

2009-09-21T15:35:00.001+08:00

After a good rest day on saturday. Need to continue with the run training.

20/Sept (Sunday) : 3.2km - 21m46s

21/Sept (Monday) : 3.4km - 23m25s

Well, progressing..

At RMIT MBA graduation, Nikko Hotel. KL.

2009-09-18T12:26:00.000+08:00

Finally. After 1 year. A closure.

Thoughts of the day

2009-09-17T13:30:00.001+08:00

Make an island of yourself,
make yourself your refuge;
there is no other refuge.
Make Dhamma your island,
make Dhamma your refuge;
there is no other refuge.

Running outdoor

2009-09-17T09:24:00.001+08:00

6am. Alarm buzzed. Look at the weather outside. No sign of run. Great.

Changed, had a glass of water and went outside.

From my house to the traffic light at Putra Height is about 1.4km. Round trip is 2.8km. It is tougher then treadmill because of the small incline. On treadmill, the incline was set to 0%.

Did the round trip, 2.8km in 18m19s (excluding 2 mini stop time). I am happy with the time, of cos it can be better. But small progress. Last time I actually run on the road was decades ago.

The return trip (mostly down hill) was actually enjoyable.

Will planned to a weekly run, gradually adding the distance till I can get to 5km.

Fantastic.

gym log : 16/Sept/2009

2009-09-16T08:58:00.001+08:00

Was planning to run 2.4km this morning before the BodyPump class. But was slightly late because I was making a detour to the bank.

Can only spare 5 minutes before I need to go in to setup the equipment for the class.

Did 5 minutes of run on the treadmill at 10.5km/h. Feel comfortable on it. Get ~900m distance. Not great, but have to take that due to time constraint.

Added more weight compare to usual during the BodyPump class. Need to get out of the comfort zone. Feels good.

Running log : 15/Sept/2009 (3.2km in 19m20s)

2009-09-15T14:19:00.001+08:00

Woke up at 5.30am. Finish off an email that I need to send to boss. Hope it went well.

Planned to run from my house to PutraHeight, total distance of about 3km. But it was drizzling.

So, quickly pack my gym bag, kiss Megan goodbye and rush to gym.

Run on treadmill and focused on running without paying too much attention to the meter.

Run 3.2km in 19m20s. Not bad, for my standard. For someone who can't run 1km 3-4 weeks ago.

I am happy. Another 1.8km and it will be 5km. Imagine that.

Picture from my Genting Sempah ride couple of weekend ago.

2009-09-14T14:57:00.001+08:00

Thanks to Ee for the picture.

September 11

2009-09-11T17:15:00.002+08:00

I was told by someone who run 15 full Marathon in 18 months. To train for running, bad idea to do it on a treadmill in the gym. Why? the stop button is too tempting. I have to spend a lot of brain power and will power to debate with myself about why I don't press the stop button.

Running on the road is good, because you don't have a stop button. Whatever distance you travel, you still need to travel back home/car.

In that note, I am going to a morning run tomorrow. I think the loop from my house to PutraHeight is about 3km. Will measure it tonight when driving home.

Have a great weekend everyone...

Running log : 10/Sept/2009

2009-09-10T08:44:00.001+08:00

Didn't planned to run today. Woke up at 5.30am to feed Ashlee. Done by 6am. Too late to go back to sleep, too early to go to office.

Thought of either go to Pelita to have couple of roti banjil with eggs and a book I am reading now, or go to gym and run.

Decided that it will be better to run.

Didn't do well this morning. Struggling after 2km. Maybe lack of energy. Was hungry since 10pm last night.

2.4km : 14 minutes 45 seconds at 10km/h

While showering, thinking why can't I do another 400m. Just 400m, right?

Anyway, all good. baby steps. Good progress.

Running log : 9/Sept/2009

2009-09-09T09:16:00.002+08:00

Had a run before the BodyPump class.

Improvement again from the previous run.

2.4km : 14m30s, 10 seconds faster than before. (I am in the fair category).

That will be the baseline, I will aim to have this time moving forward.

This is good. I am happy with the progress. Everything on schedule.

Tuesday morning run

2009-09-08T09:13:00.001+08:00

Had a good rest day on monday. After the saturday morning ride and sunday afternoon RPM class, my body was demanding a rest.

Hit the gym this morning for my 3 times a week run.

Managed to get up to 2.8km this time. Legs were tired, running out of breath a little. Not sure about the heart rate. Note to self, bring HRM next time.

The time I did this morning was good. Slight improvement from previous run.

2.4km : 14m40s (shaved 14seconds from previous run)

2.8km : 17m18s

I am happy. I ran 2.8km!!!!

almost perfect sunday

2009-09-07T08:01:00.001+08:00

Woke up later than usual. No full american breakfast on the dining table, or else it will be a perfect sunday. Had coco-crunch with milk for breakfast.

The rest of the family went to a friend house for the day.

I was home alone. Perfect time to catch up with the new TV sci-fi series that I heard so much about.

12noon, lunch is a bowl of instant noodle with loads of frozen mixed vegetables and eggs for protein.

2pm, hit the gym and run a short distance on the treadmill.
3pm, RPM class, Kelvin's last day as an instructor, he is flying to UK for further study.

5pm, took at traditional thai full body massage at Thai Odessy.

6pm, TGIF dinner, BBQ chicken salad (don't order this) and a pint of guinness, with the family.

10pm, sleep.

Orang Asli Hospital to Genting Sempah and back

2009-09-05T14:45:00.001+08:00

Woke up at 5am. Took some oatmeal and couple of eggs. Got coffee from McCafe before pick up Ee.

Drove all the way to Orang asli Hospital at Gombak for the ride to Genting Sempah.

Couple of groups already setting up by the time we got there.

The ride from OAH to Genting Sempah was very nice. Uphill all the way, but not too steep, with the right gear, it was actually enjoyable. I did it on a MTB with slick tyre.

Reached Genting Sempah McD in about 1h40m. Which is not really a good time, but my purpose is to enjoy the ride.

Had a big glass of coke light and a sausage McMuffin. Weird though, McD there ran out of fries.

The initial part of the return trip was painful, the uphill was horrible, regret not taking Boon's advice, u-turn at the car workshop. Both thigh were burning while going up the slope, and had to get down and push at the last 10-20m. Just can't take it. Heart rate went up to 93% of my MHR.

After that, it was downhill most of the time. Pretty enjoyable, cooling, less vehicle.

Overall, enjoyed the climbing. Will definitely do it again.

Some data from my computer.

Exe time : 2h10m50s
Max HR : 93%
Average HR : 74%
In zone : 1h41m20s
Kcal : 1319
Distance : 35.9km
Average speed L 16.5km/h
Max speed : 47.9km/h
Average cadence : 64
Max cadence : 116

Planned to do this route once every 4-5 weeks. Good exercise.

5KM running plan

2009-09-04T14:57:00.001+08:00

Here it is. I am at week 1. boohoohooo..

Anyway, that is the plan. Will keep update here on the progress.

Is there any 5K run race in November?

Sub 15 minutes for 2.4km

2009-09-04T08:22:00.001+08:00

Hit the gym this morning.

Able to shaved off about 30seconds from my run time on Wednesday.

2.4km in 14m54s.

25 seconds faster and I will be in fair category. Imagine that!!!

Watch this space. That will happen in before October...

Great!!!

Night out at Sid's Pub

2009-09-03T08:27:00.001+08:00

Spent couple of hours with old friends, and a new one at Sid's TTDI. To unwind.

The crowd was mainly gwai-lo. But good atmosphere, drink was good. Overall, good evening.

Had 5 pints of Guinness, 3 pints of Heineken, 1 pint of Strongbow, pigs in blanket, chicken wings and fried sausage among 4 people

Had 4 pints myself. Should have stop at 2. Go Arthur!!!!

Slight hangover this morning. Good stuff.

Sid's Pub Sdn Bhd

34, Lorong Rahim Kajai 14,

Taman Tun Dr Ismail,

60000 Kuala Lumpur,

Tel : 603-7727-7437

I ran 2.4km

2009-09-02T09:06:00.001+08:00

After the 1.6km run on treadmill yesterday, I was motivated to run again since I was pretty comfortable while running.

This morning. reached the gym 20 minutes before the start of BodyPump class. Thought why not do a 2.4km run to measure my endurance level. Check out my previous post about it here.

So, i did 2.4km run this morning. Awesome.....Last time I run above 2km was years ago. Sad to say. I think because of the cycling, it help in building the stamina and giving me the confidence.

The time was really bad, I did it in 15m23s. With the first 1.5km only at 8.5km/h speed and gradually increase to 9.5km/h at the last couple of hundred meter. And the best part is that I think I can still continue, but have to stop to join the BP class.

When I posted the endurance test blog, I have two hurdles, one is to actually finished the 2.4km run, and second is to be at very poor level. I cross two hurdle today, and targeting 14m30s to reach the fair endurance level by this month.

Awesome...I ran 2.4km..... Guinness tonight.....on me....all are welcome...all 2 of you :)

Awesome!!!!!!

5 reasons that I need a vacation

2009-09-01T08:22:00.001+08:00

According to the blog from John Baldoni.

1. Break from the routine - freshen your attitude

2. Reconnect with the family - good for them, good for u

3. Get in touch with self - kick back and think

4. Let your mind ruminate - think, again

5. Smell the roses - sit and reflect

The key word? Think......

Ran for 1.6KM

2009-09-01T08:16:00.001+08:00

Don't laugh, I haven't been running for ages.

This morning, woke up to feed the little one at 5.30am, she is not cooperating. Put her back down to the bed, pack my bag and hit the gym.

Run on the treadmill for 1.6km, timed myself, took me 9m59s.

I know this is not exactly a good time. But I am happy with it. Maybe tomorrow I will run the 2.4km to check my fitness level before the bodypump class.

Target is to able to run 4.8km 3 times a week for the next 2 weeks.

I can do it!!!

Starting to run

2009-08-25T13:45:00.002+08:00

OK. Need to start run training.

First, need to measure my fitness level, or the lack of fitness.

1. Walk as fast as possible, 4 laps (1.6km) and time myself

2. Run 6 laps (2.4km) and time myself.

For my age, here should be the benchmark (from here)

Very poor : 15m41s
Poor : 14m30s - 15m40s
Fair : 13m15s - 14m29s
Good : 11m45s - 13m14s
Excellent : 9m31s - 11m44s
Superior : <9m30s

My guess, i will be at OMG very poor level, maybe 20minutes? Will update.

Good saturday morning ride in Putrajaya

2009-08-24T08:15:00.001+08:00

Woke up at 6am on saturday morning. My usual ritual. Had couple of peanut butter sandwiches and drove to Putrajaya, stop by the Petronas for some water and 100+.

Did the putrajaya outer ring with additional route thrown in to extend 10% of the distance as wanted. The additional route was to go straight instead of turn right into PICC, did a u-turn (include a climb) and back to Persiaran Selatan and take the first left to PICC. One more climb up the PICC and then back to the car at the PM office. This add another 4-5KM in the loop, i.e the 10%.

Here is the stats

Distance : 45.5km

Average HR : 82%

kcal : 1421

Max speed : 50.7 km/h

Average speed : 25.0 km/h

Ride time : 1h49min

A bit disappointed on the average speed, as the target was 29km/h. But will continue to work towards that.

Is the first day of fasting month, only saw 2 other cyclist on Persiaran Selatan on opposite direction.

Muscle sore for the next day, skipped Sunday 3pm RPM in IOI.