Where are you?
My friends and I are in bad shape
Severe indecision
At a loss
For words and direction

Turn left or right
Give in or give up
I can’t see the light at the other end

Does it matter?
Are we seeing more than we should
are we in the wrong boat

Where are you God?
Are you near or far?
I am not even sure if I am reaching out.

h

Seriously thinking of getting a personal gadget to organise my routine, and reward myself.

A Sunday tea session with Ennie and Szel was refreshing in the midst of a stressful weekend passive call ‘marathon’.

So much has changed. And so much progress.

Someone is getting married next year, shopping for wedding bands,

Someone is getting engaged,

Someone is due to give birth anytime soon,

Someone is changing girlfriend,

Someone is organising his second leg of wedding ceremony,

Someone is still stuck with his current job,

Someone is still looking for something,

Someone has fallen in love with a puppy,

Hmm…

Are we moving forward, or just moving in circles ?

Forward, I hope !

Hello! It has been a long time since I felt excited to update my blog. Well, for this time, it is because I have just successfully completed my first ever road race – the Ipoh International Run.

My first time running a 10km ( no walking at all !). The events that follow:-

1. When I woke up at 5 am, it started raining! My mom gave me a discouraging look, but hey, the running freaks are going anyway, so I must show face too!

2. Traffic jam at the stadium entrance. I have to park a few hundred metres away, and walk under the rain. My precious shoes are already wet. ( Jun Ai’s Adidas Merumo – I’m bringing them out for road running. My new Brooks will stay indoors)

precious shoes needs to dry !

3. So many schoolkids, and I was lost under the rain for 15 minutes until I find my registration booth. The officials are quite blur, guarding gates and entrances unnecessarily and not giving enough information.

4. The run was fun and wet. Cursed the shoelaces for failing me twice, breaking my momentum, but good run overall. I still have power left at the last km and sprinted to the finishing line. Done it in 65 minutes.

5. And no one received us. No certificate? Everyone near me asked. There was a long line at the booth in front. I want my drink and my certificate.

6. “Oh, only the first 200 get the certificate“ the tired official for D category said.

“But your website says certificate for those who finish within 80 minutes. Honour your promise! Give me something to remember la! I’m not asking for medal” I argued.

7. Another running uncle near me commented – “What you expect, DBI-style organisation”

8. 15 minutes later, some people walked out with new stacks of certificates, and I ashamedly joined the mad rush for a cert.

Everyone wanted a piece of this

Conclusion:

1. Woohoo!!!  I could finish 10km! And I should participate in more road-running in the future. Half-marathon in 2 years’ time.

2. Majlis Bandaraya Ipoh should be congratulated for organising an international level road race.

3. But MBI must improve their level of organising. This time, it is quite a flop. From registration to collection, to pre-race, intra-race, and post-race. Lots of things to bitch about. So guys, please improve!!!! Every finisher deserve a certificate.

Wet T-shirt: must get a proper bib next time

Thank you, Pui San for suggesting the run!

relevant posts on the same event:-

i) cilipadi doctor: 1 year later

ii) pee-ass: Wet Wet wet flat flat flat

1. 1.Why is it named Swine Flu?

It all probably began in Mexico and parts of US in which humans have fallen ill to a strain of Swine Influenza A virus (H1N1 strain) in mid March and early April. Just like the bird flu, this means that the swine flu virus has managed to change its structure to invade the human immune system.

2. 2.Why is it such a big deal?

Because this is mutated strain ( a combination of human influenza viral strain, swine influenza viral strain and bird influenza viral strain) is something the human body is not familiar with, thus the natural immune system in us will take some time to develop antibodies against this virus to give a good fight before the virus cause too much damage.

As of now, with the flu virus being able to infect from human to human, the spread is feared to be too massive to contain, and too fast for the body to develop

3. 3.Is it treatable?

So far news and experts have reported that confirmed cases have responded well to Tamiflu(Oseltamivir) and Relenza(Zanamivir). However, this virus is resistant to amantadine and rimantadine.

4. 4.How does it transmit?

Airborne infection – from saliva droplets, from aerosol generated from the airway.

Which means if you are less than 6 metres from an infected person, you are a close contact and should be checked.

5. 5.Is Malaysia in danger?

Because of the availability of air travel, no region is safe as proclaimed by the WHO. It has also been increased to Level Four alert which means this flu virus is transmitted from human-to-human contact without any animal vectors which makes it even easier. As even Asian countries like South Korea and Thailand has reported suspected cases – we can certainly say that Malaysia is in danger just like all other countries. We cannot rule out that there are no people who are currently in Malaysia who had contracted the virus while visiting Mexico, New Zealand, US or Canada.

6. 6.What are the signs and symptoms?

It begins just like a common influenza virus illness – with fever, respiratory symptoms like sore throat, cough, and running nose. It could also cause lethargy, muscle ache and body ache. Without proper treatment – it could progress to severe pneumonia which can be fatal.

7. 7.Can I eat pork like normal?

Yes. Cooked pork no longer contain the virus.

8. 8.What can I do?

First of all, if you are not feeling well and having cough and cold, fever, go see a doctor. This is especially important if you had travel to outside the country the past two weeks, and not just in Mexico or US. Cough and sneeze responsibly without infecting others. Maintain high level of hygiene i.e handwashing, etc.

9. 9.This piece of information may not be entirely accurate as it is based on personal understanding from the currently available resources and information. Sources: WHO, CNN, Malaysiakini.

1010. Is there hope? I personally think it is. With good political leadership, community and international co-operation and sound public health management, i think the world can triumph over the swine flu scare without allowing it to progress to a global epidemic.

Talentime – it affected me a great deal. It was not a perfect movie. But it does get to you. Yasmin and Pete, and the gang are really awesome.

The movie above is made for the Singapore government. Brilliant.

“We welcome all questions on this matter. In fact, we could have gained more when we were professional businessmen — before we became state representatives.

“I was a millionaire before this, when I was a professional engineer. You can check my bank account.

“I drove eight cars — three were Mercedes Benzs and I had a BMW too.”

Nizar added that after he became the Mentri Besar, his salary barely touched RM15,000 a month.

“Before this, I could have earned at least RM40,000 a month. Plus, I only spent a few hours in the office once a week.

“As Menteri Besar, I worked from 7am to about 2am. But we were willing to relinquish all these pleasures of life because this is not what life is all about,” he said.

Slumdog millionaire has been called poverty porn, derided for using the word dog in the title (a slur in Indian society) or apparently referring to slum dwellers as dogs. Court cases have been filed to try and force the film to be banned or to have its title changed. Social activist groups and political parties have organized protests and demonstrations for portraying the seedy underbelly of Asian society.

Slumdog has also received about a billion Oscars and at the least given two impoverished “slumdogs” a fighting chance for a meaningful life. Ironically, one of the central protests against the movie is that its storyline of a Slumdog winning a million Rupees and winning the heart of the woman he loves is too fantastical and demeans the struggle of the real slum dwellers. What part of sending the two real life Slumdog child actors to school and giving them a trust fund did you not understand? Hollywood made reality thus proving that the movie is not fantastical, just improbable.

Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately (depends on your point of view), all that is irrelevant. As in countless epic stories before it, Slumdog is not about places and events, it is not about Indian slums or jealous game show hosts, it’s about people.

Slumdog is about good people, bad people, selfish people, victimized people, compassionate people and people who hate. It is also about how people are born and how they change through life, about how they make decisions and how those choices affect themselves and those around them. At the end of the day Slumdog is about the power of hope, endurance and the triumph of compassion over cruelty.

So yes, to a leather couch sitting donut munching western audience, Slumdog is a kick in the ego that shocks you out of your privileged life and just for a few days makes you realize how lucky you are to live in a rich western society. And yes, to an India society that protects its pride and honor above and beyond reason, Slumdog is an insult, a deliberate slur against the nation of India. But both of these reactions just demonstrate that people would rather react to the most superficial and immediate content of the movie rather than see the underlying and somewhat deeper meaning.

So which Slumdog are you? Are you Jamal, who gives of himself without expecting anything in return, is compassionate and willing to follow his heart and his love? To have endurance and who is not willing to give up or compromise his values for personal gains? Who values friendships and relationships and the wellbeing of others? Or are you Jamal’s older brother who is self centered, willing to use others for his own gains. Willing to commit random violence without respect or conscience? Are you the blinded child singer who despite the violence committed against him is not bitter, who accepts without self pity what has been done to him and what he must do to survive? Are you the game show host who jealously and selfishly guards his reputation as the first and only Slumdog Millionaire, willing to cause others to fail to protect his pride and position? Are you the girl who is destined by her beauty and poverty to be one of life’s victims, used and controlled by those with power?
The characters in Slumdog represent the spectrum of behavior and emotion that is humanity. They are no different from thousands of similar movie characters in countless movies. Jamal could easily be Oliver Twist, Luke Skywalker or Frodo Baggins. Jamal’s brother is the Artful Dodger, Darth Vader or Sméagol, take your pick. Sadly almost everyone misses the point of these characters and how they relate to themselves. No one protested over the Star Wars movies because they happen in a galaxy “far far away”. But the underlying characters, the interplay of characters and the cataclysmic fight and victory of compassion over hatred is almost identical. Jamal’s brother gives in to hatred, lets aggression and anger make him strong, but in the end the unwavering example of compassion that Jamal represents brings him home and he is able to redeem himself at the cost of his own life. Close your eyes, listen to the final 15 minutes of The Return of the Jedi and you won’t be able to tell the difference between Slumdog and Star Wars.

So what’s all the fuss about? The fuss is because a Mumbai police officer who last week beat the crap out of a kid in jail doesn’t like looking at himself on the big screen. The fuss is about the businessman who tossed a coin at a blind singer and convinced himself that he had just done some charity. The fuss is about thousands of slum dwellers who feel hopeless, disenfranchised and forgotten while middle class India buys Toyotas. The fuss is about politicians who are more interested in nepotism than in working to improve the lives of those less fortunate than themselves. The fuss is because most of us realize that we fall far short of the character that Jamal portrays. The fuss is because we see an orphaned child, with no education, no guidance and no chance in life portray more selflessness, kindness and compassion that we ever have despite our privileged upbringing.

The fuss is because the movie embarrasses us!

But it’s easier to react with ego and pride. To call it poverty porn or an insult to Indian society than to look at ourselves with any sort of honesty. Isn’t it?

An excerpt from Siang Lin’s note in Facebook

A district MO is just like an ordinary fan of many sports activities: he couldn’t bend it like beckham, but when beckham is not keen to play for the Galaxy, the MO has to replace him as right wing. he couldn’t fly like michael jordan, but when michael is not keen to play for the Bulls, the MO has to replace him as a guard. he couldn’t smash like Lee Chong Wei, but when Lee is not keen to play for the Thomas Cup, the MO has to go out and face Lin Dan. he couldn’t serve like Roger Federer, but when Roger is not keen to play in France, the mo has to handle Nadal. he couldn’t speed like Michael Schumacher, but when the drivers are overloaded with non-stop long haul escorts, he drives ambulance back! sometimes he won, sometimes he lost.

sometimes he wonders:

can beckham play tennis?

can Lee Chong Wei play soccer?

can jordan play badminton?

can Roger play basketball?