LIFE IS GREAT

Newton New Year Challenge 2012

2012-01-03T13:17:00.001+08:00

This is my first race for 2012:The Newton Challenge 2012.This is the second time they are organising this run.The first run was in 2010 and I could only remember it was very hot on race day and there were many hills and slopes.

++Clockwise:Myself,Yee,Lau,Lim and wife,Heng,Teng,Uu Ban,Francis and Steve.Photo taken at Lim's house on New Year Eve.It was a small gathering for the S2 runners and also a carbo loading session for most of us who are running the Newton 25km New Year Challenge.

After the "makan" session at Lim's house and watching Manchester United losing to a bottom club (hooray!!....sorry guys,I am not a MU fan),I tried to get some sleep.My sleep was interrupted by frequent New Year wishes SMS from friends and my neighbours welcoming the new year with fireworks.However I still managed to get about 3 hours of sleep.

Woke up at 2:45am and left my home for Kuala Lumpur at 3:45am while my whole family was still sleeping.Must be crazy doing this on the 1st day of 2012.Or passion??

++Photo by Tey who always turn up at running events to give support to runners.Thanks a lot!

This year turn out wasn't that great judging from the crowd of runners,probably due to New Year.I started the run together with Steve,Lim,Lau and Eric.Teng and Francis were standing in front...the elites.

Immediately after the start,Lim and Eric surged ahead.I couldn't see them but only managed to get a glimpse of Lau.I wondered why they were running so fast?Were they running fast or was it me that was slow?After some reflection,I think it was me and the lack of training.

The initial strategy was to follow Eric "quietly" from the back,keeping the distance to about 50 metres.However Eric was too fast from the start and I ended up with my plan B--to follow Lau.This strategy of quietly/secretly follow a better trained running friend will at least ensure me finishing in a decent time as proven in previous runs like Malakoff 12km.

++Photo taken near the ending of the run.I was surprised to see Uu Ban who came to support us by snapping pictures for S2 runners .He was with Teng cheering me near the finishing line.Thanks Uu Ban.

However I think Lau did noticed me trailing him when we make U turns along the route.It is a normal nature of runners wanting to be better than their friends.So it was not surprised to see Lau started to pick up momentum after each U turn.I was trying hard to keep him within my sight but I finally gave up as the distance between us grew wider.

Most of us improved on our finishing time compared to previous year.I think the good weather this year do help.

++From L-R:Lim,myself,Lau,Francis and Alice.Photo taken while waiting for Heng.He was supposed to follow me back to Seremban.Later we discovered that he finished the run late because he wasn't feeling well.

The group finishing time :

1)Francis 1h 52m

2)Teng 2h 09m

3)Eric 2h16m

4)Lim 2h 23m

5)Lau 2h 27m

6)Myself 2h 28m

7)Heng 2h 46m

8)Steve 2h 48m

9)Alice 1h 10m for 12km

++The finishing medal...simple but without mentioning of the distance.I presumed the organiser gave out the same medals for the 25km and the 12km category.

Conclusion:

1)Challenging route with many hills and slopes.

2)Most water station are without isotonic drinks.

3)No distance markers throughout the route.Very bad!!!Seems like the organiser has never learn from past experiences and feedback from runners.Not all runners have GPS watch.

4)No goodies bag after the run!??Only got a bottle of mineral water immediately after finishing.

5)The organiser did a good job by starting the run at an earlier time to avoid the late morning heat.Last year many runners were "roasted" by the extreme heat.

Malakoff 12Km-Last Race for 2011

2011-12-30T17:36:00.000+08:00

I kept on delaying writing on this Malakoff 12km run which was held in Bukit Kiara Equestrian & Country Resort,Kuala Lumpur on 18th December 2011.

Finally,I decided to sacrifice some of my personal time to complete writing on this run before my next run which is The Newton 25km Run on New Year Day.

Lau,Heng,Teng and myself took part in this run.This is the first time I am taking part in Malakoff and I heard it was a tough run with many hills and slopes.

Immediately after the start,we have to run on a long steep slope before coming into Jalan Beringin where we have to do 2 rounds and finally back to the Bukit Kiara Equestrian Resort.

It was a short run but quite challenging because of many slopes along the route.

++Group photo after the run with our goodies bag.I met my former university roommate whom I have not seen since graduation after the run..Dr.Choo (the guy with green T shirt on the extreme right of this picture).He is now a successful cardiologist in Sime Darby Medical Center.++

Overall...it was a very well organised run.Everything was in an orderly manner from the finishing point up to collecting our medal,goodies bag and post run breakfast.

Will make an effort to take part again next year.

Christmas Hope

2011-12-26T22:38:00.000+08:00

SIB Seremban Combined Christmas Celebration 25th December 2011.

When we look around us,sometimes it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the seeming hopelessness of everything that is happening.However Christmas gives us every reason to remain HOPEFUL!

++ Christmas message by Ps.Steven Lee and Ps David Goh.

JESUS WAS BORN ON CHRISTMAS TO BRING US HOPE.

The angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those with whom he is pleased!"Luke 2:10-11,13-14

Jesus said "God's spirit is upon me, because He has chosen me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight for the blind, to set free the oppressed,and announce that the time has come when the Lord will save his people"Luke 4:18-19

++ One of the performances on Christmas Day.Both my daughters took part in this dance.

JESUS GIVES US HOPE FOR TODAY,TOMORROW AND FOREVER

Who,then,can separate us from the love of Christ?Can trouble do it, or hardship or persecution or hunger or poverty or danger or death?No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us!For I am certain that nothing can separate us from his love: neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers or powers, neither the present nor the future, neither the world above nor the world below-there is nothing in all creation that will be able to separate us from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35,37-39

JESUS OFFERS HOPE FOR YOU

Jesus said,"I have come in order that you might have life-life in all its fullness."John 10:10

Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2011

2011-12-08T02:18:00.003+08:00

S2 Runners:Lau,Lim,Teng,Heng,Teh and Francis.
Friends:Liau (Melaka),Chai (Shanghai).

Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2011 edition-a race which we promised not to take part in one year ago because we don't like running among the packed marathoners.This year there were 20,000 full marathoners!However we broke our promise and signed up for this 2011 edition.

Immediately after landed in Changi Airport,we went for our breakfast in the airport terminal before taking the MRT to Marina Bay to collect our running packs. Met up with Chai and Francis at Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Marina Bay Sands.

Race pack collection was fast except for some issue of incorrect vest size.I got my XL size vest but the rest didn't got the choice.Heng was extremely upset and decided to complain.He queued up to speak to the person in charge and yet he did not managed to get his vest size.At least he managed to voice out his dissatisfaction to the organiser.I wonder if the organiser do listen.

**Expo:plenty to see and to buy.We bought Asics running shoes.

This year we stayed in a budget hotel:the South East Asia Hotel in Bugis which is not far away from The Padang.Personally I don't like the location of this hotel and its surrounding which looks very "complicated".The old lady Chinese receptionist was not friendly.She don't greet you and the way she speaks was very rude.I wonder how this hotel can survive with this kind of staff.

When she saw me sitting in front of the reception while waiting for Lau,she called out at me..
Old lady:"Hello!!...hello!!...you waiting for who?"

When I inquired why it took so long for us to check in:
Old lady:"Room not ready.You want fast,you go up and ask the cleaner to hurry up!"

When I look in the room with such a small antique TV and the air conditioner with nonadjustable settings plus the attitude of the receptionist ,I will not recommend this hotel to my friends in the future.

Went out in the afternoon to explore Singapore:to the Casino in Marina Bay,Orchard Road for the Christmas light up and carbo loading session sponsored by Chai.

Woke up at 3:00am on Sunday morning.Surprisingly I managed to get 4 hours of sleep,probably because I was not too worry about the outcome of this run.Not much of pre-race stress.

We took the MRT to Orchard Station.There were many runners using the MRT too.On arrival in Orchard we headed to the baggage deposit area and were surprised to see such a long queue.Lau,Teng and I were separated from the rest of the group.We managed to deposit our bags after waiting for about 20 minutes.

By the time we reached the starting point,it was fully packed with runners.It was difficult to enter to the waiting area through the proper entrance.We decided to join other runners by climbing through the road barricades.

Race started at 5:00am.Lau and I were together for the first 3km before I lost him in the massive crowd.At the beginning,certain part of the road was very narrow where only one lane was opened for runners.We have to walk for a short distance near the Maxwell food court area as it was too congested to run.

I had a comfortable run for the first few km as it was very slow.Caught up with the 5:30 hour pacer at 6km mark and subsequently overtook the 5:15 hour pacer at 8km mark.

**The 5:15 hour pacers running through East Coast Park.Picture taken by Tey.I did not bring my camera but managed to get some pictures using my hand phone.

As I wasn't going for any PB target,I took it easy and maintained my usual slow LSD pace of 6:30 to 7:00min/km.There was no urge to catch up with any of the S2 runners.I was running my own race with my own target to finish it within 5 hours or at worst 5.5 hours.

**Saw the "power rangers"runners in ECP.I wonder how they can run in this full body costume.Must be very hot and not easy.

I caught up with Teh at the U turn in the East Coast Park.Had a brief chat with him.On the way out of ECP,I started to feel the effect from my lack of training.I started to feel tired and hungry despite swallowing 4 packets of Powergel.It was only 29 km into the run.

At the 30km mark,my pace started to slow and I gave in by starting to walk in between run.I tried not to walk for too long.

At 33km mark,somewhere near a construction site,I was very surprised to see Teng sitting by the road side.He told me his legs cramped.I asked him to walk and persuaded him to join me for a slow run but he declined.He was the one whom most of us expect to perform well in this run.Maybe he caved in to our pressure and expectation.

I was still in my run walk mode when I caught up with Liau at 35km.He was walking too!!When I caught a glimpse of him running strong behind the 4:30H pacers in ECP,I knew he will be hitting a PB.Too bad for him as his legs cramped too after 30km.

When I saw the 35km mark,I told myself not to walk too much....Only 7km more!!Shouldn't be difficult...just imagine the usual easy run from my house to S2 Park....don't give in....jog,jog all the way...don't walk!! It was about 4 hours in the run.Not bad!!I was just trying to motivate myself.

However my legs refused to run.I felt both my legs were "heavy".I had the similar feeling during my first few marathons and I am having it again.This was all due to lack of training.I joined the 10km crowd walking throughout the Shreares Bridge.Last year I complained that the 10km crowd was blocking the marathoners but this year I was among them blocking other runners by walking along the narrow bridge.Sorry guys...my legs refused to listen.Ha..ha..ha..

At 40km mark,I was still in my walk run mode....more of walking than running.That was embarrassing!!Finally at the last 1km,I forced myself to do a slow run when approaching the finishing line.Must looked good in front of the cheering crowds and the photographers.Ha..ha..ha..

**But the finishing picture didn't turned out to be nice.Look at my tired face and the posture.

My finishing time was 4h 55min 16 sec (chip time).Feel satisfied with my result as I was aiming for a 5 hour finishing.

**Together with Liau waiting for the rest of our group at The Padang.Can't see any of them so Liau,Lim and myself walked back to our hotel.

Overall we don't perform well in this race except for Francis.

Results:

1)Francis 3h 32min....good timing.His strategy was just to run at his LSD pace!

2)Lim 4h 52min...expected to perform better as he was training regularly and was following a training schedule.Don't worry Lim....try again in Borneo.

3)Heng 4h 53min...didn't walk at all throughout the race.Tough guy!

4)Myself 4h 55min...OK lah.What else to expect if one don't train properly.No easy way/short cut in life.

5)KK Liau 5h 02 min...if not for the cramps,this run might be his PB.

6)Teh 5h 16min...very good.He didn't do any long runs.Occasionally on Sunday,he ran for about 10km.Other days,busy with his business.

7)Teng 5h 40min...must be very disappointed.His first oversea run.Sub 4h will come soon for him.

8)Lau 5h 40min..few seconds behind Teng.They ran together for the last few km.Lau..Don't give up!He always declared he won't run any more marathons after each poor finishing.Don't worry...we all knew he will continue running.Ha..ha..ha..

Teng has already decided to return next year for a "revenge".Others have not decide but I am very sure I won't be returning for the 2012 edition due to another important commitment.

Overall it was a good run.The medal was nice.The finisher T looks almost the same every year.The was adequate water in all the water stations.Plenty of gels and bananas.

**Plenty of "unwanted gels".I don't like the taste.Almost vomiting after tasting it at the first gel station-about 23km mark.

The only let down was the crowd and the unavailability of requested vest and finisher T size.

"However we can't fully blame the crowd for slowing us down at the last few kilometres if ourselves are tired and can't run well.We can blame the crowd if we are still have plenty of energy to surge ahead but was unable to run because of the crowd."These words of wisdom from Yee when I spoken to him after our poor performance in SCSM.

See you again in Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2013....yes,it will be 2013 for me.I hope so.

New Zealand Trip-Day 8

2011-12-02T06:23:00.001+08:00

Day 8-today is our last day in New Zealand.Yeah...we are going home!At least I am looking forward to go back to Malaysia as I have some many things waiting for me at home while my wife and children are more keen to stay on.

We had about 6 hours before our afternoon flight back to Kuala Lumpur and we planned to have a good breakfast before leaving New Zealand.

I read about a place which claimed to have the best coffee in town – and maybe in all of Canterbury region in the lonely planet book and the place is in Lyttelton outskirt of Christchurch which was about 25 minutes drive from Christchurch city.

We drove all the way in the early morning to look for the best coffee in town but couldn't find the place despite using my GPS.Finally,I asked a local and she pointed to me a destroyed building (the picture above).That's where the famous Lyttelton Roasting Company once operated before the earthquake.It was total destroyed and has since been abandoned.The local suggested we try another coffee shop nearby operated by two youngsters.The coffee was just so so,nothing great but expensive.

After breakfast we drove around Lyttelton and took some pictures of the port and ships.Lyttelton is a port village that proudly proclaims itself as the gateway to Christchurch, has been devastated by the 6.3 magnitude earthquake that struck New Zealand's second largest city.Every second building on the town's main street has been severely damaged.

Then we made our way back to our motel,packed and check out before heading to the airport.

The last place we visited before flying home was the Antarctic Centre which is very near to the Christchurch Airport:http://www.iceberg.co.nz/ . The building looks very big from the outside but there are not many attractions in there.One only needs about 2 hours to complete the whole attractions.The Hagglund Ride (a rough ride in an amphibious vehicle which took us through some rough terrain and water) ,the Antarctic Storm Room (below) and the 4D Show (on penguins and Antarctic exploration) are recommended.

Freezing cold.....In the ice room where one can feel the real temperatures and winds of Antarctica, -30 degrees Celsius.We were the first to exit from the room.Just can't stand the cold,my fingers were numb and I decided not to wait until the end.(supposed to be a 10 minutes experience of Antarctica storm).

Finally...it was the end of our trip.We drove for about 1600km during our trip.I have never drive for such a distance in my life but driving in New Zealand wasn't stressful at all.Almost everyone followed the speed limit and I found most the the drivers are very courteous.They don't honked at you,they gave way to other motorists and they obeyed the laws.The speed limit in town/city areas is 50km/hour while the highways is 100km/h.I found it was difficult to drive at 50km/h and many times,I exceeded the speed limit.Luckily my GPS warned me to slow down.

We returned the car to Apex Car Rental:http://www.apexrentals.co.nz/default.aspx .They provided a shuttle service to send us back to the airport.Their service is good,the car is almost brand new and their rate is reasonable compared to others.I will definitely use them again if I will to visit New Zealand again.

This was a very enjoyable trip for the whole family.We have lots of fun in such a short period.I wished we have more time to spend.New Zealand is a very big country and one needs to take a much longer holidays to slowly explore it.

With this trip,we finally concluded our "holiday marathons" for the year 2011.We have visited Shanghai,Seoul,Mulu National Park and New Zealand during each school breaks in 2011.

Last but not least....Thank God for everything that went smoothly throughout our trip.I have no complaints except for the unfavourable currency exchange which makes visiting New Zealand an expensive affair.

We shall return in the future....maybe in 3 years?

New Zealand Trip-Day 7

2011-12-01T10:02:00.000+08:00

Day 7-our last day in Queenstown and we are flying to Christchurch in the afternoon.

This picture was taken at 7:09am and the sun was already up and bright.The moon was still visible in this picture.Got my family off to Queenstown Garden which situated about 300 metres from our motel.It was a nice peaceful garden along side the lake.Good place to snap pictures of the lake !!

My children admiring the ducks.I wonder if these ducks can survive in public lakes or gardens in Malaysia.I am sure these ducks will end up on someone's dinner table.
There were lovely, amazing trees and flowers. The view across the lake was great and one can walk in it - if he/she can bear the very cold water!

The last place we visited before flying out was the Queenstown gondola ride to the peak.http://www.skyline.co.nz/queenstown/

The Ledge Bungy at the top of Queenstown gondola.It comes equipped with a 'runway' to launch you out 400 metres over Queenstown.

The views from the viewing deck were very impressive.We could see the whole of Queenstown and its surrounding lakes.

Reading the code of conduct before riding the Luge...once is never enough!!My children went three times and yet asking for more!

My children loves riding this...

A beautiful clear blue skied day. Such a spectacular view. There were a few paragliders hanging around.Hope one day I can ride this...less stressful than doing a bungee jump.

Riding the Luge...once is not enough!http://www.skyline.co.nz/queenstown/luge/

**View during our fight from Queenstown to Christchurch using Air New Zealand.**

After spending the whole morning at the Queenstown gondola,we drove to Queenstown Airport to return our car and to catch a flight to Christchurch.http://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/home

It was very easy to return our rented car.Just park it at a designated spot in Queenstown Airport parking area and drop off the key at the Apex Car Rental booth inside the airport.They didn't even check my car when I return the key.The wasn't any damage to the car except slight dented front rim and a very dirty interior because my children ate inside the car.

A last minute decision:we decided to rent a car when we arrived in Christchurch.So I made a booking at the Apex Car Rental in Queenstown Airport and told them I will collect the car in two hours on arrival in Christchurch.

This was where we stayed during our last night in New Zealand..The City Central Motel Apartment.They have nice big apartments but sad to say,they have the worst view of all the places I have stayed for the past few days.The view from my apartment was the badly destroyed buildings from earthquake.http://www.citycentral.co.nz/index.htm

***Christchurch gondola-closed after the earthquake.This place has been totally abandoned.Not a single soul there when we drove by.

We had 24 hours to spend in Christchurch before our flight back to Malaysia.The caretaker of the motel told me there wasn't much to do in Christchurch."Go bring your children to run around in the park".I told her we have done that earlier.

Then I told her I intended to venture out from Christchurch to see the surrounding towns.She said most of these town has been badly damaged by the earthquake.What?I thought only Christchurch city center was destroyed.I was wrong!!

We drove off to Sumner,a small town at the outskirt of Christchurch.Sumner has been hard hit by the earthquake.The areas on top and at the bottom of the cliffs have either crumbled, with houses crashing down the cliff or have been hit by huge rocks
.
They put rows of large containers along the road as a barricade against falling rocks or soil.The whole town was dead quiet.We found a local shop selling fish and chips operated by a young Chinese couple.We went in to have our dinner...the least we can do to help stimulate the local economy.

New Zealand Trip-Day 6

2011-11-30T07:42:00.000+08:00

Day 6-it is almost the end of our trip.We have seen the famous and frequently mentioned Milford Sound.Now it is time for us to go back to Queenstown.

The house which we rented in Te Anau.My wife was preparing breakfast.

Posing in front of the main office after checking out.We like this place very much.
After that we went to Manapouri which is a small town 20 minutes drive away from Te Anau. It is the gateway to both Doubtful Sound and Dusky Sound.It is also the starting point for many local walking tracks.This place is very much quieter than Milford Sound.

Scenery on the returning journey to Queentown.Sheep..

Colourful plants and trees..

Sad..sad...encounters.Seen many road kills along New Zealand roads.Many animals were killed by speeding vehicles.

Stopping next to a beautiful lake...

Another nice scenery...

Encounter another problem on our way back to Queenstown.The GPS was not functioning.I called the car rental hotline and they suggested I bring the GPS to their Queenstown office for checking.The staff was helpful.She just exchange the GPS without asking much.

The view of a main road in Queenstown.It is busier here compared to any other town which we have passed through.Queenstown is very much alive!!while Christchurch is "dead" .

http://www.bungy.co.nz/kawarau-bungy-centre/kawarau-bungy

Visited the famous bungy jumping site in Queenstown..The Kawarau Bridge Bungy - home to the original 43 metre Bungy Jump.

I did not dared to jump...I don't think my heart can take it.However there were many others lining up waiting to jump.Crazy...risking the life,giving tremendous amount of stress to self and on top of these,have to pay NZD 180 per jump.The one who dared to take the challenge and successfully jump will be given a T-shirt and a certificate.Reminds me of full marathon finisher T and certificate.Ha..ha..ha..

Found out that bungee jumping can cause different kinds of injuries and occasionally accidents do happen.

***Bungee jumping injuries may be divided into those that occur secondary to equipment mishap or tragic accident, and those that occur regardless of safety measures. In the first instance, injury can happen if the safety harness fails, the cord elasticity is miscalculated, or the cord is not properly connected to the jump platform

Injuries that occur despite safety measures generally relate to the abrupt rise in upper body intravascular pressure during bungee cord recoil. Eyesight damage is the most frequently reported complication.Impaired eyesight secondary to retinal haemorrhage may be transient or take several weeks to resolve. Whiplash injuries may occur as the jumper is jolted on the bungee cord and in at least one case, this has led to quadriplegia secondary to a broken neck. Very serious injury can also occur if the jumper's neck or body gets entangled in the cord.More recently, carotid artery dissection leading to a type of stroke after bungee jumping has also been described.All of these injuries have occurred in fit and healthy people in their twenties and thirties. Bungee jumping has also been shown to increase stress and decrease immune function.***

Later that day we drove to Glenorchy which is famous for its horse rides and the making of the movie :Lord of the Rings.Glenorchy is a small settlement at the northern end of Lake Wakatipu in New Zealand's south Island. It is approximately 45 kilometres by road Queenstown.

The facts:

Glenorchy is a popular tourist spot, close to many tramping tracks. It lies near the borders of Mount Aspiring National Park and Fiordland National Park. The local scenery received worldwide attention when it was used as one of the settings in the first of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films. The scene where Boromir was slain and leant near a tree, Lothlórien and Orthanc were a few that were shot in Paradise. Vertical Limit and X-Men Origins: Wolverine and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian were also filmed in the area.

New Zealand Trip-Day 5

2011-11-29T07:21:00.001+08:00

Day 5-another good bright sunny day in Te Anau.We woke up early because we plan to drive to Milford Sound by 7:30am in order to avoid those buses heading in the same direction.

Milford Sound:

"Over one million people visit Fiordland every year and Milford Sound is one of their favourite destinations. A part of UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is no wonder that Milford Sound was described by Rudyard Kipling as the 'eighth wonder of the world'."

The Milford Road is a stunning alpine drive.One needs to allow plenty of time to make the drive through this steep and windy highway.There are many viewing points and short walking opportunities en route which provide opportunities to get out of the car to admire the spectacular scenery and the sheer scale of the landscape.

Total distance from Te Anau to Milford Sound and back is 240km and it will takes about 2 hours to drive non stop one way.There are no fuel stations along the way until Milford Sound.

Proper flush toilet stops can be found at Knobs Flat, The Divide and Milford Sound.

There is no cell phone coverage between Te Anau and Milford Sound.According to the information provided:Telephone services are available at Knobs Flat (card phone), Homer Tunnel (satellite phone for emergency use only) and Milford Sound (card phone).We have our first scare with our rented car about 25km from Milford Sound when we smell something burning while we were travelling down hill.We stopped at the nearest rest area and discovered that one of the car rim was dented and there was a burning smell from the front tyre.I was feeling panic and was trying to figure out ways to look for help.Then I decided to take the risk to drive up to Milford Sound before I call the car rental emergency help line.

***Another beautiful scenic view along the State Highway 94 which is one of the highest and most scenic state highways in New Zealand. The highest part of the road is at 940 metres above sea level. Posing in front of the Homer Tunnel while waiting for our turn to cross this tunnel.The road leading to this tunnel-before and after the tunnel is very steep and winding.I suspected my car rim might have knocked onto some rocks which I was not aware of.

We came across this aggressive bird during one of our stops.This bird is not afraid of humans and it is fierce.This bird tried to "force open"my car door by biting on the car rubber!!

The info on this bird:

"The Kea (pronounced /ˈkeɪ.ə/; Māori: [kɛ.a]) (Nestor notabilis) is a large species of parrot. (family Strigopidae) found in forested and alpine regions of the South Island of New Zealand. About 48 centimetres (19 in) long, it is mostly olive-green with a brilliant orange under its wings and has a large narrow curved grey-brown upper beak. The Kea is the world's only alpine parrot. Its omnivorous diet includes carrion but consists mainly of roots, leaves, berries, nectar, and insects.

The Kea's notorious urge to explore and manipulate makes this bird a pest for residents and an attraction for tourists. Called "the clown of the mountains", it will investigate backpacks, boots or even cars, often causing damage or flying off with smaller items."

**Playing along a small stream on our way up to the Homer Tunnel.

***One of the stops along the Milford Road is The Chasm...massive rock formation and great water falls.
We took 3 hours to reach Milford Sound from Te Anau because of the frequent stops along the way.
***Inside this cruise terminal building waiting for our departure.Surprisingly there wasn't many people in Milford Sound,not like what described in travel websites or books.

http://www.southerndiscoveries.co.nz/

We took the 3 hours long Discover More Cruise which also provides us a buffet lunch which was good,delicious and filling.There was also unlimited serving of coffee and tea throughout the trip.

***The Milford Deep Underwater Observatory which claimed to be the only floating underwater observatory in New Zealand.It was refurbished and re-launched in January 2010 with striking new information panels where one can learn the natural history, geology and environment of Milford Sound.There is a 10m underwater viewing chamber with a 360-degree views of the marine life which I find to be nothing special.

**Seals lying on the rocks.This was the only wildlife encounter during our 3 hours cruise in Milford Sound.

***Our ship getting near to a waterfall...We enjoyed the majestic surroundings and natural beauty of the Milford Sound including the wildlife , waterfalls and snow capped mountains.

On our way back from Milford Sound,we stopped by Lake Gunn as my son was very eager to try out his new fishing rod.The water was clear and we can see fish swimming close to us but unfortunately my son was unable to hook anyone of them.

My son was frustrated and he insisted to continue fishing at a river mouth in Te Anau.This location was provided by the owner of Stu Fish Shop.Despite spending another hour here,he still unable to get any fish.Arghh.....!!

We were out for almost 14 hours today.It was so nice to have a long day time during spring and summer.

We had a great trip to Milford Sound and the trip/cruise was definitely worth the time and money.

New Zealand Trip-Day 4

2011-11-28T07:51:00.001+08:00

Day 4,Sunday-Woke up to a beautiful bright sunny morning in Queenstown.When I switched on the TV,I was surprised to see there was a live telecast of Sunday church service.Maybe I live too long in Malaysia until I got use to live telecast from mosque but not from a church.

The view of the nearby hill from my hotel room.Hotel:http://www.shotoverlodge.co.nz/ .As usual,we checked out early since we have a long drive to Te Anau,the getaway to Milford Sound.

On our way to Te Anau,we passed by the small town of Garston.Garston is New Zealand's most inland village with a population of only 106. It is located on the main tourist route between Queenstown and Milford and Doubtful Sounds, in the picturesque Upper Mataura Valley of the Southern Lakes district.

**My son peeping through the shop window...he just can't wait to go in and explore all the fishing gadgets.**

My son was looking forward to visit this shop after he discovered a brochure on this fishing shop in Queenstown.When we arrived in Athol, a small town in Southland, New Zealand located 55 km south of Queenstown, half way between Lumsden and Kingston,the shop was closed.The owner went out to teach students fishing.The shop website:http://www.stusflyshop.com/
Since my son was so eager to see what was inside the shop,we decided to wait for the owner to return from fishing.We waited for almost an hour under a tree.There wasn't much to explore in a small town like Athol.

Finally,the owner appeared and he was very helpful and friendly.My son bought a fishing rod and 2 artificial baits from him.He even suggested to us the locations for fishing in Te Anau region by providing us with a free map and a free children fishing licence.My son was so happy.

Our house for the next 2 nights in Te Anau.This is a big and well equipped house.From outside this house looks like every other common house but interior it was almost all furnished with nice woods.There is a small garden,a car garage,satellite TV,heater for the whole house etc.We have the whole place for ourselves!!http://www.greatlakes.co.nz/index.php

The TeAnau main street..a very quiet town.A nice place to be for a few days or holidays but I think I will get mad if I were to stay for a long period in such a town.

Te Anau as described by a website:

"The township sits on the edge of Lake Te Anau, lying on the border of Fiordland National Park and Te Wahipounamu World Heritage Area. Te Anau is the town that connects Queenstown to Milford Sound by road. 2 hours drive from Queenstown, the famously scenic Milford Sound begins in the centre of Te Anau.

Two of New Zealand’s great walks also start at the lake. The world renowned Milford Track starts at its northern tip, while the popular Kepler Track starts and ends at the lake’s south end, within walking distance from Te Anau town centre. The tracks offer a sense of freedom and inspiration to rival any in the world.

Lake Te Anau is the largest lake in the South Island and largest in the country by water volume getting to depths of over 400m.The lake sprawls at the feet of high rugged mountains, and during the summer the hot dry weather encourages water skiing, swimming, fishing and kayaking on the lake. During the winter, days are crisp and clear with frosty mornings and sunny days."

Went to the local office of Southern Discoveries to book my Milford Sound cruise and the trip to Te Anau Glowworm Caves. .This is a must to do itinerary for many who travel to Te Anau.There is also Internet kiosk available here for NZD1/10 minutes use.

"Described by Rudyard Kipling as the eighth Wonder of the World – and more recently voted the number one spot in New Zealand by Kiwi's and visitors alike – Milford Sound’s deep icy waters, sheer rock faces, glacial hanging valleys, thick native forest and local wildlife are best seen by boat."

The boat bringing us across the lake to the Te Anau Glowworm Caves.It was a beautiful cruise across the lake before we drop off at a briefing center.

A short briefing by our guide on the do's and don'ts before entering the cave.Then there was a short walk into the cave which was somewhat not exciting.I think Mulu Caves walk is even better.Then we sit in a boat for 5-10 mins in mostly darkness and look up for the glow worms which in few little cluster groups.Not many of them.

After the cave,the guide recommended us a short nature walk.Nothing much.Just a path across the jungle.Wasted our time walking and by the time we were back to the briefing center,all the coffee and refreshment were finished.We were rushed off to the waiting boat to go back to Te Anau.

Conclusion:AVOID!!Not worth the expensive entrance fees.It is nothing like what they shown on the websites or the promotional brochures.Beware...you have been warned.
http://www.realjourneys.co.nz/Main/GlowwormCaves/

It was 8:30 pm when we reached Te Anau town.It was still bright but there wasn't many people around.We went for dinner at a local pizza shop.

Look forward to Milford Sound tomorrow...

Nike We Run KL 10K

2011-11-27T17:45:00.000+08:00

Event;Nike We Run KL 10K
Place:Padang Merbok,Kuala Lumpur
Date:Sunday 27 Nov 2011,7:00am

I managed to register for this run immediately after running The King of The Road a few weeks ago.However Teng and Heng did not managed to register in time as the registration was closed very much earlier due to popular demand.

Initially I wasn't very keen to run at this race as there is no finishing medal and I thought running timing chips will not be used too.I was wrong as I did not bother to find out about this Nike event.Everything from collecting the race pack,information and route of the run was handled by Lau and Steve.

I just drove both of them to the Padang Merbok and run......

and I have no regret waking up so early today and joining Lau/Steve for this short 10km run.

***Immediately after finishing,plenty of mineral bottle drinks,bananas and a free Nike shoe shaped USB for all runners.***

It was a flat route,maybe a mild slope or two.No killing hills as intially thought.However there were many runners all dressed up in the red Nike T-shirts.From far,we all looked like colonies of small red ants.A very beautiful scene but too bad,I did not bring my camera.

***"Red ants"...in Padang Merbok taken after the run.The time printed on the picture is wrong as I did not set the time on my old hand phone.Nowadays I usually carried my old hand phone during run as I am afraid of losing my new handset...after the bad experience in Seremban Half Marathon***

Steve wanted to "pia"from the start and he found his way to the front of the crowd while Lau and me stayed somewhere in the middle of the crowd.It took us almost 3 minutes to get to the starting line after the race has started.This reminds me of the same situation during the starting of the full marathon event in Singapore Marathon.

***Runners hanging around the road leading to the finishing line.There were still many runners returning as we were walking back to our car.***

Lau intended to run at his marathon pace of 6min/km and I just followed him as I have not been running for some time.My plan was just to take it easy and see if my legs can still take it after such a long rest from running.

Lau and I ran together from the start until the end.We crossed the finishing line together.Hopefully I can find of a photo of us crossing the finishing line together .

The results of S2 runners:

Uu Ban 49 minutes

Steve 54 minutes

Lau and myself 58minutes 42 seconds

***The only gift after the run...a nice beautiful cutely shaped Nike shoe USB.I like this.Runners also get a nice red Nike T-shirt and a plastic Nike tumbler given out earlier in the race pack.***

Generally it was a well organised run.

Good points:

Plenty of drinks stations;4 stations for a 10km route.

Post run:Plenty of bananas,free ice creams,drinks and entertainment.

Bad points:

Human congestion!!At certain points,hardly can run.Can only do slow jog as it was too crowded with so many runners running on one lane of the road.Have to watch out for runners in front to avoid colliding into them and have to pay attention to moving cars on the next lane.Bad!!Bad!!Bad!!

Suggestion:

Organiser should close the whole road throughout the entire route in the future.Remember...there are ten thousands runners!Half a lane is definitely not enough space for all of us to run.

New Zealand Trip-Day 3

2011-11-26T07:21:00.001+08:00

It was a wet morning on our day 3 in NZ.It has been raining since last night.We decided to check out earlier to get away from the rain.

After discussing with the caretaker of my motel,we decided to go to Queenstown instead of Mount Cook.The lady told us it was not worth the time to drive up to Mount Cook in a bad raining weather.Nothing much can be seen during bad weather.

On our way out of Lake Tekapo,we diverted to visit a Salmon Farm.http://www.mtcookalpinesalmon.com/Home.aspx

But the farm was closed one month for maintenance!!So there was no farm tour available.We just snapped some pictures and continue our journey.

"This unique farm has evolved from the first salmon farm in the world to operate in a hydro-electric canal system. Located on the Tekapo canal, the farm produces over 100 tonnes each year of high quality Chinook salmon - principally for export. Pristine water from Lake Tekapo and a pollution free environment mean no chemicals or antibiotics are required.

Visitors to the farm can have a self-guided tour of a production raft, and feed the fish."

A common view in New Zealand...many sheeps and cows.Occasionally we can see deers.The farms are usually located by the road side.

Today we drove from Lake Tekapo to Twizel,Omarama then south to Cromwell.

The Fruit Sculpture located adjacent to The Mall and State Highway. This was erected by a local service club and has become the symbol for Cromwell.Many tourists stop by to take pictures with this huge structure.

"Cromwell is strategically located as a holiday centre for the whole of Central Otago.Located at the shores of Lake Dunstan,about 55km to Wanaka and 62km to Queenstown."

Shotover jet ride at the outskirt of Queenstown.We went to have a look but did not ride.http://www.shotoverjet.com/

Just before reaching Queenstown,we visited Arrowtown.http://www.arrowtown.com/

Nothing much here except for some shopping.The town is beautifully designed and well planned.

This is our hotel in Queenstown,the Shotover lodge.Nice place with beautiful view of surrounding mountains.http://www.shotoverlodge.co.nz/

After settling down in our hotel rooms,we went off to explore Queenstown and the Lake Wakatipu.

There are so many activities to choose.One do not need to book in advance before arrival.The are plenty of spaces for every trip and activities.Do not believe those tour operators and websites who wanted you to commit earlier by paying up.

To quote:
"Our region is renowned for our incredible adventure activities and spectacular outdoor terrain. You could try skiing, snowboarding, bungee jumping, paragliding, jet boating, sky diving and more! Or, if you want something a little more relaxed, you can choose from numerous family activities,nature experiences,tours and beauty spas. Apart from our winter sports, nearly all activities can be enjoyed all year round - Queenstown's a four season resort with distinct and beautiful seasons"

One of the popular and busiest outlet in Queenstown is this burger outlet.Out of curiosity,we decided to give it a try.Click on this link to know more of this popular outlet in Queenstown: http://www.fergburger.com/fullscreen.html

This page takes time to load...so be patient.

Nice big burger but expensive!!Price range from NZD 10-20 per burger.Spent almost RM150/family just to eat burgers.

We decided to try the jet boat along Kawarau River: http://www.kjet.co.nz/ .It was an exciting and thrilling ride.My children had a great time and they were pestering me to go for a second ride.Second ride??No way!!Its all about money...money and money.

After the thrilling ride,I wonder if this ride is really safe.I decided to search for more info after I came back to Malaysia.I was right!!There were accidents..

Sept 2008-A Chinese tourist was found underneath the boat about 90 minutes after the Kawarau Jet boat flipped on the Shotover River after it collided with a sandbar.

July 1981- Five people die when jet boats from Helijet and Goldstream collide just above the Arrow Junction.

May 1996- An Alpine Jet boat hits rocks on the Kawarau River, putting five passengers and the driver in hospital.

December 1997- Eleven people escape serious injury when a Kawarau Jet boat flips on the Shotover.

March 1998- Twelve people are injured when a Dart River Safaris jet boat hits a rock.

November 1998- Four people are injured in a Helijet accident on the Kawarau River.

November 1999- One man dies and 11 are injured when a Shotover Jet hits a rock face.

June 2000- Two people are injured when a Skippers Canyon jet boat hits a bank on the Shotover River.

March 2003- A jet boat collides with a Dart Wilderness Adventures jet boat on the Dart River; no-one is seriously injured.

Spent the rest of the evening after our thrilling ride by going around Queenstown.The town is not very big and one can cover most of the important places on foot.

New Zealand Trip-Day 2

2011-11-25T08:10:00.000+08:00

Today is our second day in NZ and we are very eager to see what is there beyond the earth quake damaged city of Christchurch.We checked out from our motel at 8:00am and set my GPS to Lake Tekapo.

There are 2 ways to go to Lake Tekapo.The fastest and easiest way is using the highway and the more adventurous way is using the Inland Scenic Route.The care taker of the motel suggested me to choose the second option where one can see more of the country:On one side, serene pastures and fields; on the other side, the rock solid beauty of New Zealand''s longest, highest mountain range.

So I decided to drive along the Inland Scenic Route 72 from Christchurch to Geraldine before turning up to Lake Tekapo.

Route Summary:
Inland Scenic Route 72 journeys from Amberley, north of Christchurch, to the farming centre of Oxford. The route continues along the foot of the alps to Mount Hutt, Canterbury''s premier ski field. Mount Somers is next, for a hike in the mountains. Then it''s over the Rangitata River to Geraldine, where you can link to State Highway 1 or head inland to Mount Cook.

One of the small town which we passed through along the Inland Scenic Route 72.Most of these small towns are very quite with only few shops and we hardly see any people!!

"Darfield is a town in the Selwyn District of the South Island of New Zealand. It is located 35 kilometres west from the outskirts of Christchurch, New Zealand on State Highway 73 (The great Alpine highway) and the town is on the Midland railway line, route of the famous TranzAlpine train service. Its population (2001 census) is 1,362.

Darfield is the main town between Christchurch and the West Coast, New Zealand.

Darfield lies in the Malvern district's arable and pastoral farming area. It is a gateway to the scenic Waimakariri and Rakaia Rivers and the Southern Alps, and is also a popular lift-off place for hot air ballooning."

We were captivated by the beautiful breathtaking scenery along the route.I decided to switch off my GPS and just followed the sign board showing Inland Scenic Route 72 which I presumed will lead me to Geraldine as shown on the map.However I was wrong!After 3 hours of driving and enjoying the country side scenery,I noticed that I was lost some where in NZ.

I stopped and asked a local who told me that I was way off from my intended destination.I was heading north instead of south.I was in Amberley,north of Christchurch.The local suggested I use the highway to south which is easier and faster.

Feeling a bit panic and blaming myself for being too confident,I switched on my GPS again which lead me to the highway and all the way to Lake Tekapo with few stops in between for toilet breaks and foods.

From that moment onwards,I have never switch off my GPS again.Although we were 3 hours behind our schedule,we did managed to enjoy the scenery and the drive along the Inland Scenic Route.

We arrived at Lake Tekapo at 3:00pm and we saw a big beautiful blue lake in front of our motel.

Beautiful view of Lake Tekapo taken from my motel room:http://www.laketekapo.com/ .It is so simple to check into a motel in NZ,they did not asked for any documents/passports or identifications.I just mention that I have a booking under my name,they checked their computer and then just passed me the keys.

"Lake Tekapo located in the Mackenzie Basin at the base of the Southern Alps boasts the breath-taking scenery of the lake and surrounding mountains.The unique, turquoise coloured lake water of Tekapo is the result of ancient glacier ice crushing mountain rock on its journey from the slopes of the Southern Alps to the rivers of the massive valleys that deliver the melted ice to the lake. The crushed rock produces a fine, flour-like powder that remains suspended in the water and, when reflecting light, produces the pale blue colour for which Lake Tekapo is renowned. Lake Tekapo is fed by two major glacial run-offs and 6 rivers. The lake is 32 km long and 120 meters deep at its deepest part."

The Church of the Good Sherperd which is within the walking distance from our motel.It is just a small building beside the beautiful lake but the scenery is breathtaking.

"A New Zealand icon is situated on the lake shore — The Church of the Good Shepherd. It is a tiny, unassuming church that possesses the most heavenly of views. Directly behind the altar is a large window that looks over the lake and mountains. The church is built of lakeside rock and its interior is in keeping with its simplicity. This church is a "must" to visit, giving tourists the opportunity to refresh their views on the meaning of life. Also next to the church is a bronze sculpture of a dog commemorating the working collie dogs that helped to settle the high country."

There are many activities to choose from during our stay in Lake Tekapo but it all involves money..lots of money since the exchange rate is NZ1 dollar=RM2.55.There are boating and water-based activities such as water-skiing, wake boarding, swimming and fishing.Others are mountain biking, horse trekking, golfing and walking.

For our short stay,I choose to visit Mount John to learn more about astronomy.http://www.newzealandsky.com/earthandsky/.

We paid NZD 340 for the trip which can be booked from the Earth and Sky office near our motel.The trip was supposed to start at 10:00pm but it was cancelled at the last minute due to rain!Feeling disappointed, we went back to sleep.

Looking forward to Queenstown...

New Zealand Trip-Day 1

2011-11-24T17:05:00.003+08:00

Finally after almost a year since I booked the promotion priced air ticket to New Zealand,my family is flying off to New Zealand.It was a long flight to Christchurch.It took us almost 10 hours but we slept most of the time on board as it was a midnight flight from LCCT.

On approaching Christchurch,we were greeted by beautiful scenery of ice capped mountains and big green flat lands.

Everything went smoothly from baggage collection and clearing the immigration.The authority is very strict on what items passengers can bring into NZ.Our bags were re scan again before we were allowed out into the arrival hall .

Waiting for the pick up service by Apex Car Rental.The Apex main office is located about 10 minutes drive away from the airport so those who rented their cars will be ferried to their office to collect the cars.This is a disadvantage unless one is to rent from some other company which have their base in the airport itself.However the pick up service is quite on time,we just waited for about 10 minutes.

Sign board showing various car rental companies operating in Christchurch. After getting our car-a Toyota Corolla ,we drove to our motel which is located about 500 metre from the Apex car rental office.Our first night in NZ is in the Airport Lodge Motel: http://www.airportlodge.co.nz/

It was about 6:00pm when we finally settled down in our motel.We decided to have a brief tour of Christchurch.With the GPS provided by Apex car rental ,we drove out to the city center which is like a ghost town.The main part of the city center has been barricaded and cars are not allowed in.We saw many buildings destroyed by the earthquake and the process of tearing down some building and clearing the mess is still going on.

***"The earthquake caused widespread damage across Christchurch, especially in the central city and eastern suburbs, with damage exacerbated by buildings and infrastructure already being weakened by the 4 September 2010 earthquake and its aftershocks.

In total, 181 people were killed in the earthquake,making the earthquake the second-deadliest natural disaster recorded in New Zealand with nationals from more than 20 countries among the victims." ***

The effect of earthquake is still shown all around Christchurch.Certain part of the roads are not even and have been patched up many times.One will not expect to find this kind of road condition in an advance country like NZ.The locals are complaining of the slow pace of re building Christchurch.
There wasn't much to visit in Christchurch in the evening.The sun was still shining bright at 7:30pm.We drove around looking at destroyed buildings while looking for a place to have our dinner.Then we found a nice big park in Christchurch and saw many people running...training for marathon??

***"Hagley Park has been at the heart of Christchurch since the 1850s and is today the most significant central city park. It offers a diverse range of entertainment and recreational facilities close to the city centre.

It is renowned for its extensive area of 165 hectares (407 acres), its wide-open spaces and mature woodlands. The park is a major sporting and cultural focal point with netball courts, a golf course, soccer and rugby pitches.

The park is divided into North and South Hagley Parks, divided by Riccarton Avenue. Cycle tracks and pathways go through and around the park allowing you to enter and exit around its perimeter.

For running enthusiasts the North Hagley perimeter is 4.5km whilst the South Hagley perimeter 3.7km. There is a 17-station fitness circuit along the perimeter track of North Hagley Park."***

We were out in the city until 9:00pm local time.We were still fresh and eager to explore but everything was very quiet at night.We drove back to our motel to watch TV as we just can't sleep.It was only 4:00pm in Malaysia.How to sleep?

Looking forward to venture away from Christchurch tomorrow...

Let It Be.

2011-11-23T10:34:00.001+08:00

I received an email from the Singapore Marathon organizer with a link to the You Tube showing the route for the coming marathon.It is also a similar kind of video produce by the KL Marathon organizer recently.

It is good to have a look at the video especially for the first timer who is going to take part in Singapore Marathon due in about 10 days.

For the past few weeks,I was busy with my assignments and travel to New Zealand with my while my friends were busy training for the Penang and Singapore Marathon.I hardly run nowadays,just blame this on my over packed schedule.Over committed in life.

My friend Teng did very well in PBIM with a personal best time of 4h 08min,something which none of us would expect.Now he has gain the respect from the whole of the S2 runners.Surprising Heng did well too with a time of 4h 39m,much better than his usual 5H+ finishing time for full marathon.However Lau didn't perform up to expectation as his run was marred by stomachache and vomiting during the run.

With just 10 days to go before Singapore Marathon,it is just too late to train.I have not been running for the past 2 weeks and with previous low weekly mileage of 10-15km/week and with only one long run of 30km on Deepavali Day......

The main question is "Can I finish this coming Singapore Marathon within 5 hours??"
I really wish I can but I am mentally prepared a finishing time up to 5h 30min in case I needed to walk during the race.

so...just Let It Be,whatever the finishing time is.

PJ Half Marathon

2011-10-31T23:57:00.001+08:00

I did not take part in this run but the rest of my group-Lim,Lau,Heng and Teng went for the run.Their participation was decided at the last minute.Initially non of our group members were interested in this run.For whatever reasons,Lim decided to run and requested Lau to help him to collect the running bibs.This created some interest in Lau and eventually Teng and Heng joined too.

I am currently having a very tight working schedule and have to balance up my weekends for running and working.I decided not to join as my weekends are fully occupied until the end of this year.

I was working on the race day and at 9:35am the first SMS came in from Lim informing me of the group results.It was nice to be kept up to date even I did not take part in the run.Everyone did well.

Lau got his PB.CONGRATULATIONS!his time was 1:53.Looks like all his frequent training has produced some good results.

Lim 1:58.His "mission" to "beat"Lau was a failure.In our frequent daily email exchange among us,Lim described Lau as the person to "beat" at this moment as Lau is at his best form.

Teng 1:59.A PB too.There is plenty of room for improvement in Teng as he is still new to running and he is still young.

Heng 2:0?.Heng is past his prime time.Currently he is running for fun only.Doesn't really train.

Well done guys!!

Keep running and maintain the friendly competitive spirit!!

Putrajaya Night Marathon 2011

2011-10-18T15:00:00.000+08:00

Event:Putrajaya Night Marathon

Place:Putrajaya

Date:15th Oct 2011

Time:8:00pm

Continuing my story from the previous post......

Steve came to pick me up from my house before joining the rest of S2 runners in Acacia.We were late.I presumed Heng and Teng were getting restless as they need to be in Putrajaya earlier for their 42km event.

Just after exiting Seremban toll,we were caught in a long traffic jam due to two road accidents along the Seremban-KL Highway.Later we lost "our way" in Putrajaya due to a missed turning.Once we found the location of the event,we were unable to look for a parking place.It was almost 7:30pm and I am sure Heng and Teng were definitely started to panic.Teng parked his car by a road side while we continue to look for a proper parking lot.

I did not managed to speak to Heng or Teng as they were in a hurry to be at the starting line before 8:00pm.Steve,Lau and myself were running the half marathon which only start at 8:20pm.

We walked to the event venue,did some short warm up,went for a toilet break and bought myself a pair of Brooks running shoes.

Our half marathon event was at 8:20pm.We were together at the starting line.Immediately after the start,Lau surged ahead as he was planning to do a PB.I was running slowly due to some stomach discomfort probably due to consuming too much of 100Plus and Power bar.

The route is generally flat with few up slopes which it manageable.The organizer did well by providing adequate water stations,bananas,water melons,cheering groups with drums,men in superheros costumes cheering runners-I saw Superman,Incredible Hulk,Batman encouraging runners.There were also music stations along the route.Very good!!

Everything seems perfect for runners on that day but not for me.Personally I think the weather was a bit too hot and humid since I used to spend most of my time in an air conditioned room.My mind was not set to concentrate on running.The incident that happened 3 hours earlier keep on flashing back in my mind while I was running.It was like a "brainstorming,flash back session" playing inside my mind throughout the run.I was like looking for answers to why the guy wanted to fight with me,what if I do this or that,what should I do in the future if this recurs etc.....a lot of if,how,why and unanswerable questions.

I knew it was not my day to finish with a good results.I decided just to run at my usual LSD pace throughout the race.It wasn't very taxing to my body.The pace was comfortable.

The results (unofficial):

1)Teng 4h 57min FM

2)Heng 5h 22min FM

3)Lau 2h 4min HM He did very well but he wasn't satisfied since he did not achieve his PB.I think it was a bit difficult to do PB in such a hot humid condition.

4)Steve 2h 16min HM He did very well too!!He has improved a lot.Must have been his "secret"training sessions.He trained mostly by himself nowadays due to his busy schedule.

5)Myself 2h 13min 37sec HM

Overall it was a very well organized race.The organizer did make an effort to provide more for runners.Once I cross the finishing line,I was given a medal,a pack of foods(banana,bun and kueh),a bottle of mineral water and a nice bright red finisher T shirt.Everything was in order.Good!!

The only "setback" was the very small distance marker along the route.It was a piece of dark paper sticked on to a big white board.Maybe next time the organiser should provide a bigger,easier to see distance marker.

The official results:

http://www.putrajayanightmarathon2011.com/?page_id=1079

3 Hours Before PNM 2011

2011-10-16T05:03:00.004+08:00

What a lousy day!!!I was getting ready to go to Putrajaya Night Marathon when I received a phone call from my wife informing me that she was involved in an accident near our house.Immediately I rushed to the scene which was about 5 minutes from my house.

When I arrived at the accident scene,I tried to make a U turn to get across to the other side of the road.However a car at the back of me honked at me and the driver was very angry at me for slowing down to make an U turn.He claimed that my action almost cause his car to collide with my car.This man was very rude..he was cursing and showing his middle finger to me.I was trying reason with him but he won't listen.He was cursing and started to challenge me for a fight.I was angry too.I too cursed him with the F words.

He was really angry.He seems not satisfied since I refused to fight with him.He went back to his car,re parked it at the road side and started to come back to me.I was trying to call for the tow truck,my insurance man and the police while this man continue to curse me in front of everyone.He was provoking me for a fight.This man is a pain in the ass!!!

The lorry driver who knocked into my Perdana was very quiet and polite.He told me that he can't brake in time at the traffic light.

Knowing this man was getting more aggressive,I apologised to him.I said "I am sorry and lets settle this.I don't want to fight."He calmed down after I apologised.Then he too apologised for being rude.What pissed me off was what he said:

"I am a vegetarian.I am a man of peace.I don't like to fight"

Immediately I told him "What you said doesn't reflect by your action.The first thing that came out from your mouth was the F word and the middle finger sign."

He then tried to reason with me why he use the F word,why he showed his middle finger to me.I just told him to forget it.I got other more urgent matters to settle at that moment.He just drove off.

That reminds me of another incident last month.An African student came to see me with an injury to his forearm.It was a deep cut and I advised him to seek treatment in hospital.He refused and he wanted me to treat him.So I spent the next half an hour cleaning and suturing his wound while many other patients were waiting outside my room.

After finishing the treatment and after getting his medications,he told my staffs that he has no money.He came into my consultation room and said he can't pay since has no money.

What pissed me off was the way he talked to me.

"Doc...are you a Christian?I am a Christan.Christian don't lie.You trust me.I will pay you tomorrow."

Since there were many other patients outside,I wouldn't want to talk too much with this African.I told him that I believe him and he will come back tomorrow.

However he did not return until today.

What really annoyed me is the attitude of certain people who tried to portray themselves as the goody,holy and sin free kind of person but their action did not reflect what they want to portray.These are the hypocrites!!They are bringing shame to others..."vegetarian....man of peace...Christians don't lie".

Back to the accident:Thank God no one was hurt.My wife and my 2 girls who were coming back from church were not injured.The car was badly damaged.The car can't moved after the accident.

I was emotionally angry with the man who was trying to pick up a fight with me.At one point,I wasn't sure if I wanted to go to Putrajaya for the run.Steve,Heng,Teng and Lau were waiting at Acacia.Finally we left Seremban at 6:15 pm...15 minutes late from our schedule.

Adidas King of The Road

2011-10-04T06:54:00.000+08:00

Event:Adidas King of The Road
Place:Sunway Pyramid/New Pantai Expressway
Date:2/10/2011
Time:6:45am
Distance:16.8km

**Picture taken outside the Sunway Hotel before the race.We were waiting for the race to start.Front row:L-R:Lau,Uu Ban,Teng.Back Row:L-R:Steve,Heng and myself.

I am glad that I took part in this race.Initially I wasn't sure since I needed to change my working schedule and I was having problems retrieving Heng's registration.The plan was to allow Heng to run using my bibs if I was unable to get any positive reply from Hivelocity Singapore.Finally Hivelocity managed to find Heng's race registration but his allocated vest size was wrong.He was given a L size vest for his S size frame.He did grumble about it.

We were early on Sunday morning.Lau decided to leave Seremban early to avoid some road closure ahead of the race.When we arrived at 5:30am,we met up with Uu Ban and his group in front of Sunway Hotel before headed to the starting point.

There was a big crowd,mostly young runners:teenagers or those in 20s.I couldn't see many "uncles or aunties".Probably we are the seniors on that day.

The race start at 6:45am.I was with the S2 runners at the starting line (except for Heng who like to go off by himself).We were joined by Eric,who at usual was very humble and modest of his running ability.

The route was a complete circle along the New Pantai Expressway.It was a slow start for me while the rest of S2 runners surged ahead.As I gathered my running momentum after the first water station at 3km mark,I increased my pace.Then I overtook Lau and was tailing Eric.Met up with Liau (from Melaka) and had a brief chat with him about previous night English Premier League football results.

The whole route was generally flat except for a few slopes of fly over.Nothing much to see along the route.The were adequate water stations and distance markers along the way.

The weather was nice on Sunday.I overtook Eric somewhere along the way(can't remember exactly) and I knew he was trailing me closely.Finally he overtook me at the last water station,at he 15km mark.I tried to increase my pace to keep up with him but I could not.He was speeding ahead.That guy (Eric) can really run!!

It was a short run and it ended after 90 minutes of running.I finished with a time of 1h 30 min 53 sec (from my own stop watch reading).The results for the rest of the group(unofficial):

1)Uu Ban:1h 28m.Very good results despite running River Jungle Marathon one week earlier.

2)Eric:1h 30m.Very good results despite his age.

3)Lau:1h 35m

4)Teng:1h 40m

5)Steve:1h 45m

6)Heng:1h 50m

***Picture taken using my old Sony Ericsson's hand phone while waiting for the rest of the S2 runners.Ever since I lost my camera/hand phone during Seremban Half Marathon,I decided not to bring my camera and any new hand phone for any run.I noticed many runners were using their latest touch screen model hand phone to snap pictures after the run.I was undecided if I wanted to take out my old hand phone....feeling kind of shy and inferior carrying this old model hand phone.When I asked a runner to snap a picture of me using my hand phone,he took some time to do it."Uncle,cannot lah.....press this button ah?".I feel so old when they call me uncle!Carrying around this old model hand phone even make me feel older.Ha..ha..ha...

Good points of the run:

1)Nice bright Adidas Running vest.

2)Nice finisher medal.

3)Plenty of bananas and drinks after the run.

4)Adequate water stations and distance markers along the route.

Personally I think the organiser did a good job this year.It was a fun and memorable run for me and for the S2 group members too, especially Lau.He was so "fired up"after the run...and he decided to sign up for the coming Nike 10km Run and the Malakoff 12km Run!!

Hivelocity Singapore...Lousy!

2011-09-29T21:40:00.000+08:00

Poor customer service!!This goes to Hivelocity Singapore.I couldn't find Heng's registration for this weekend Adidas King of The Road race despite looking all over my email,going through my previous months credit card statement just to make sure that I have indeed pay up for Heng.

So,I email to Hivelocity last Friday as instructed in their FAQs page on the Adidas KOTR website.I was expecting a fast reply from them as I have always believe Singaporeans are disciplined and have good working culture.

However I waited until Tuesday (2 days ago) and yet no news from them.Heng was getting worried.Lau who is going to collect our running race packs today was becoming "restless".

I decided to ask my sister in Singapore to phone Hivelocity just to settle the matter.The case of missing confirmation letter was finally settled just with a phone call.Heng's registration is in their system but it did not show up when I tried to retrieve it from their website.

The issue here is....please read and answer all emails especially so if you (Hivelocity) asked us to email you for help.Don't sleep on your job!

This is from their FAQs page:

13.What should I do if I do not receive my race confirmation slip after registration and payment?
Registrants may go to this link to view their confirmation slip and registration details: https://register.hivelocity.com.sg/adidasKOTRMY2011_competitor.php. Alternatively, registrants may send their personal details (Name, NRIC/ Passport No. and Mobile No) to service@hivelocity.com.sg.

However I do have three good encounters today.

The first was a very prompt reply from an Australian College regarding my applications.I email them at 7:10am today before I went off for a short 5km run.When I reached home,I saw their reply email.That was super fast!!I am very happy.

The second positive encounter was at JPJ Seremban.I did not expect renewing a driving licence for my wife and getting it translated to English (as I am going for a holiday in New Zealand) only took less than 30 minutes.The lady at the counter was so polite,she even call me "sir".She even re laminated my old driving licence without me asking.This is a superb service from a government department. Never really expect this kind of service.

The third positive encounter was from the honest Acacia (the place where we use to start our weekend long runs) security guards.Last Sunday I dropped my driving licence at Acacia just before we started on our "long run"(did not really complete the run as it started to rain heavily).The guard who found my wet driving licence decided to keep it in the guard house.They returned it to me today.I was so grateful so I bought them some fruits.In fact they can just ignored an old wet driving licence on the road.They can just throw it away but they did not.

One bad experience but three happy good encounters.

Hope for a good run this Sunday:Adidas King of The Road.

Mulu Trip

2011-09-11T17:52:00.000+08:00

During the recent MerdekaRaya Celebration,I took my family for a short trip to Mulu.It was also a trip back to Miri to visit my in laws.I have been to Mulu about 17 years ago during my initial posting to Sarawak.

A brief summary of Mulu National Park:

Important both for its high biodiversity and for its karst features.(Karst is a geologic formation shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble bedrock, usually carbonate rock such as limestone or dolomite). Gunung Mulu National Park, on the island of Borneo in the State of Sarawak, is the most studied tropical karst area in the world. The 52,864-ha park contains seventeen vegetation zones, exhibiting some 3,500 species of vascular plants. Its palm species are exceptionally rich, with 109 species in twenty genera noted. The park is dominated by Gunung Mulu, a 2,377 m-high sandstone pinnacle (the picture above). At least 295 km of explored caves provide a spectacular sight and are home to millions of cave swiftlets and bats. The Sarawak Chamber, 600 m by 415 m and 80 m high, is the largest known cave chamber in the world.

Mulu National Park is gazetted as an UNESCO World Heritage site and in order to qualified,it has to meet at least one of the ten criteria set by UNESCO.Mulu met 4 criteria listed:

vii.to contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance;

viii.to be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth's history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features;

ix.to be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals;

x.to contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation.

We stayed at The Royal Mulu Resort which is about 2.8km from the Mulu Airport.It is a nice resort in the middle of the jungle.It is well equip with water,electricity,television with Astro,Internet lines,swimming pool like those usual 4-5 stars hotels in Peninsular Malaysia.

There is not much activity at night except for the traditional performances during dinner.Then it will be back in our rooms watching Astro.For those more adventurous,there are night trips and trekking.

The motorboat going through a shallow area of a river where the guide has to come down to push the boat.I still remember my previous trip 17 years ago where my friends and I came out from the boat and help pushed it through some shallow rapids.It was fun getting wet in the process.This time,I just sat in the boat and let the guide to do all the works.

We visited the Penan settlement at Batu Bungah which is located at the midstream of Merlinau River.Here a group of usually nomadic Penan has settled down with the help of the Sarawak government.Tourists are brought here to see the settlement and also to help the Penan by buying their handicrafts.

We visited the Deer Cave,Clear water Cave,Lang Cave and Wind Cave.It wasn't difficult to explore these caves as there is a walking pathway leading into these caves.However there are plenty of walking and steps to climb.

There are rules when entering the caves.One is not allowed to touch any cave formation,not to eat,drink or smoke in these caves,not to throw rubbish,not to shine bright lights at bats.We must move quietly along the marked pathways and not allow to stray away in the caves.Camera tripods are not allow in the caves.

Playing in cold clear water flowing out from the Clear water Cave.My children having a great time trying to catch small fish.There are plenty of fish in the river-mostly small ones.We managed to catch one small fish using a plastic bag.

My son trying his luck fishing at a small river next to Mulu Resort.There are plenty of fish and one can see the small fish swimming near to the side of the river but catching them is not a easy task.

Overall it was an enjoyable family trip.There are not many obvious changes to the caves compared to 17 years ago.However during this trip, the accomodation is very nice and comfortable compared to the homestay I used 17 years ago.

Football and Running

2011-09-02T17:00:00.000+08:00

I just came back from the Land of the Hornbills.This posting is a bit late.Last Saturday,my fellow runner Lim wrote in The Star newspaper on English Premier League weekly game predictions.Lim who is good at running is also a good writer.He usually update us on the weekly EPL games and the latest news on football.Currently he is also the leader of our group in term of the highest points obtained in the online fantasy EPL game.

Below is the extract of his write up:

Manchester United 2 Arsenal 0

This is definitely the match of the week! Arsenal’s abysmal start to the EPL season will continue and I don’t expect them to score against Manchester United, who are likely to retain the young centreback pairing of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones.

Arsene Wenger should be relieved, at least temporarily, after guiding the Gunners through to the group stage of Champion League competition.

The scoreline will very much depend on Arsenal centreback Thomas Vermaelen’s performance. If he can match the pace and movement of Wayne Rooney, the damage could be minimised.

Tottenham 1 Manchester City 2

Manchester City have enjoyed a flying start to the new season, and will want to prove that they are serious title contenders after splashing the cash to assemble this expensive squad.

City have scored seven goals in just two games and those goals are equally distributed between strikers and midfielders. Manager Roberto Mancini said the best has yet to come from new hotshot Sergio Aguero.

As long as Manchester City don’t make silly defensive mistakes like in their previous game, they should win this game.

Tottenham, on the other hand, are still very much unsettled. Their first game against Everton at home was postponed due to riots in North London. This was followed by the demoralising defeat at Old Trafford on Monday.

Liverpool 2 Bolton 0

Liverpool recorded their first away win at Arsenal in 11 years last weekend. This will definitely boost team morale and spirit. There was a clean sheet as well.

I expect Kenny Dalglish to start with all the three midfielders he signed during the summer – Charlie Adam, Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing.

Liverpool defenders need to be wary of Kevin Davies and Ivan Klasnic, who have formed a lethal partnership in attack for Bolton.

Dr Lim Tee Kiap is a private paediatrician who has been a die-hard Liverpool fan since 1983. He is dreaming of watching the Merseyside derby from the stands at Anfield one day and singing “You’ll Never Walk Alone” with the Kop

The link:
http://football.thestar.com.my/story.asp?file=/2011/8/27/football_latest/9370900&sec=football_latest

Can They Perform Better??!!

2011-08-22T17:15:00.004+08:00

One of the things I hated most is dealing with government departments.I will always try not to come into contact with them.However sometimes we just unable to avoid them.

Today is another frustrating day when coming to deal with government departments.I needed a letter from this department in order for me to apply for xxxxx.Only this department can issue this letter.I think it is a simple procedure as they have all my information and with a few clicks on the computer, I am sure they will have all my details ready.Then in a matter of few minutes I am sure they can just print out the letter as it has been set in a particular standard format.

However,life is not so straight forward.I am in a hurry to get this letter but the people involved in issuing it are not in the same mode as me.

I faxed them my request using their standard requesting form at noon today.It stated in their website that I will be notified once my application has been received.No news from them and after a few hours I decided to call them.

Miss X who received my call said the person in charge is not around (a very common answer).Please call back later.I asked her to check if they have received my fax,she said she will check for me later (another commonly used answer).Do you believe her?I will not.So I insisted that she check for me immediately.She went off for few minutes and return to the phone informing me that they can't find my fax.Aiyoo......this is what I don't like about government departments.Missing files and documents!!

She asked me to fax in again and to call back immediately after faxing to check if the fax has gone through.Without delay,I faxed to them and within 5 minutes I call them again.

Ring..ring...ring.....and no one answer the phone.It was only 4:50pm and all the staffs are not picking up the phone.

I have no choice but to call them again tomorrow.Don't be surprised if they tell me that they still have not received my second fax.I wonder if anyone is working now as many are already in holiday moods.This euphoric holiday mood is expected to last for another month.So be prepared for slow response until next month,hopefully.It is just frustrating.....

London Marathon 2012

2011-08-13T23:21:00.000+08:00

Today is the start of another new season for the English Premier League and I was invited to play in an online league in the Fantasy Premier League.Suddenly it struck my mind that the ballot result for the London Marathon will be out very soon...about 2 months from now.

How do we (the S2 running group) get involved in London Marathon?

It all started in April with an email from Steve to the S2 group of runners informing us that the ballot for 2012 London Marathon has started.Everyone of us signed up immediately either that we are all very keen to run London Marathon or because we are "kiasu".However I heard that it is very difficult to secure a place to run in London Marathon.So,being 'kiasu" myself,I just submitted my application.Will I go if I got a place?I have never think of that until I spoken to Heng.Heng and Teng were not interested because of the cost involved.Only then it struck my mind that in order to run London Marathon,one has to spend quite a lot of money.

As a rough estimate if one is going to London Marathon:

1)Flight ticket with budget airline AirAsia KL-Gatwick return RM3000.00

2)Hotel accommodation: about RM600/night which is the 2/3 stars hotel.The better hotel near to the starting point like Ibis,Holiday Inn and Novotel can easily cost above RM1000/night.Most likely will spend about 5-7 days which will include some sight seeing trips around London.RM600 x 5 days=RM3000

4)Food: 4 times a day X 10 Pound=40 pound/day x 5 days x RM5 (estimate exchange rate of 1 Pound to RM5)=RM1000.I wonder if this will be enough unless one decided to control spending too much on foods and drinks.Eg:McDonald meal cost 5 pound/meal;fish and chips price from 6 pound/meal;meal in a cafe from 7 pound/meal.

5)Transportation: cost of using London tube 4 pound per way.

6)Expenses for traveling and sight seeing,entrance fees,transportation,buying souvenirs etc for 5 days:about 600 pounds or 120 pounds/day=RM3000

Total cost will come to about RM10,000!! which not inclusive of loss of daily income when not working.

RM10K+ to run a marathon.Worth it?It's all depend on one's passion or how addicted is a person for running.Passion or addicts?Just to quote my friend Liau:

"A hobby, no matter how healthy is it in nature, will not be a wholesome activity anymore if you are engaged too much into it. When you are ignoring your family, friends and career for such activity, then it is not a hobby anymore. It is an addiction." Maybe just to rephrase his words to fit them better in term of money:if one is to spend too much time and money into an activity,it is more likely an addiction.Right or wrong?Definitely debatable.

I still remember during those period when I was crazy for Arowana fish,I was willing to pay few thousand ringgit for a small Arowana fry.Crazy?

The London Marathon link:
http://www.virginlondonmarathon.com/

This is their email:

Dear fyc,

Thank you for entering the overseas ballot for the 2012 Virgin London Marathon

We'll let you know in early October 2011 if you've secured a place.

If you're selected in the ballot we'll also contact you asking for your entry fee payment of £65.
If you need to contact us between now and October, for example if your contact details change, please call us on +44 (0)20 7902 0200 and quote your reference number xxxxxxx.

One really important thing...
Please don't enter the overseas ballot more than once as this could result in all your entries being cancelled.

Entry being cancelled??Ha..ha..ha....Currently I am not keen to participate in this London Marathon and I have decided not to attend even if I successfully got a place to run.Just couldn't find the time and unable to afford taking too many days off from work.

Update..

2011-08-03T20:12:00.000+08:00

Finally...it is all settled.It has been almost 10 days since my car was broken into during the Seremban Half Marathon.Initially I thought there wasn't any signs of break in.My friends and relatives were all curious how can it happen without a trace.They were speculating the thieves might be using a "master key".I wonder what is a master key?Do master key really exist?

The next day when I was feeling better,calm and relatively free after my father's birthday celebration,I decided to do a detail inspection of my car under the bright day light.I discovered there was a slight damage to my front passenger car door lock.On further checking,the lock was damaged.I cannot insert my car key into the key hole.Then I knew how the thief has managed to get into my car.

Then came further bad news...I need to replace the car lock.The original set costs most one thousand per piece.I decided to go for the cheaper alternative...getting the second hand version which only cost me RM180 but came in a different colour.I have to spend another RM30 just to repaint the car handle.More expenses!!

I think I am the most unlucky runner on that day...lost money,camera,hand phone,have to repair my car lock,respray the car handle and not to mention the amount of time wasted going around having the car lock repair.

I also received an email from one Mr.Andrew who suffered the similar fate as me during the Seremban Half Marathon.His email:

Dear Mr. Foo,

Good Afternoon! I just read your blog about yesterday running event. I think the car burglars were celebrating big day in yesterday event. Why?

I and my friend also participated in the Seremban Half Marathon yesterday. Unfortunately, we are having same fate with you. Our car has been broken in by car burglars and we lost one handphone and one Marathon T-Shirt.

I heard from my friend, these people got a team and always target like this type of event. i hope that the organizer and policemen can patrolling as frequent as possible at car parking area during the running period.

We also do not leave any valuable things inside our car in future.

We cannot do anything just prevent only but GOD will punish them!

HAVE A NICE DAY.

~Andrew

I think we have to be extra careful in the future.These thieves are getting bolder.Last weekend I came to know many cars were broken into during the Men Shape Run in Putrajaya.

RUNNERS...JUST BE EXTRA CAREFUL IN THE FUTURE.

Will you bet on the 7% chance of success?

2011-07-31T16:21:00.004+08:00

Sometimes we wanted to do something in life which we were unable to achieve when we are younger due to various reasons.When I was younger,I always wanted to run a marathon.I saw my brother in law,that's Heng brother who frequently participate in many marathons event in the 1990s.I was impressed by his ability to complete a 42km run.Then I decided to take up the challenge myself 2 years ago.Now,I can confidently declared that I can complete a marathon in an average decent time.Then came the urge to try something more difficult...the ultra marathon.

It is the same when coming to keeping myself updated in my daily works.Two years ago,I decided to update my knowledge by joining a Diploma course.It benefited me a lot as I found out there are quite a lot of changes and new development in my field compared to many years ago.As usual,human being are always never satisfied with whatever they have.They always wanted more.

After completed the diploma course I am eligible to join the ATP(advance training programme) with the final aim of obtaining a recognised post graduate degree .Being a bit kiasu and sceptical of my own ability,I decided to attend the introductory presentation of this ATP in Kuala Lumpur this weekend.

To my surprise,many of my friends from the previous batch of the diploma course did not attend.Most of them are guys.Those attended are mostly female.What happen to the guys?Too lazy?Frighten?Currently,guys only make up of 25% of this intake.Why are the guys shying away?I am not sure...

After spending 2 days in Kuala Lumpur,I am still unsure if I really wanted to continue with this programme.Luckily I have not hand in the payment for this course which come to a few thousand ringgit.

The main stumbling block for me is the low self confident.I think I cannot blame myself for this self doubt feeling especially so when I look back at the past passing rate for this exam which really make me feel very uneasy.The passing rate has been around 30% for Part 1 and of this 30% who passed the Part 1,only about 50% of them pass the Part 2.One needs to pass both Part 1 and Part 2 in order to get this post graduate degree.So assuming this statistics remains,from my current batch of 45 students,only about 15 will get through the Part 1 and later only 7 of them will obtain the post graduate recognition.Eventually only about 7% of us will passed.Will you take a risk if you know there is only 7% chance of success?

However this low passing rate did not deter many from joining this programme.Few Singaporean even travel to Kuala Lumpur to enroll.Why are they so enthusiastic?What are their driving factors?During the ice breaking session among candidates,I gathered that one of the main factors for many to take up this ATP is to fulfil their requirement to migrate and work in Australia.This degreee is recognised in Australia,Canada and Hong Kong.

So what is my driving force??I can't find any yet.I foresee more stress and less free time for myself in the future if I will to continue on with this programme.

Still wondering if I should hand in my check this week.....

Seremban Half Marathon 2011-An Expensive Run.

2011-07-24T23:55:00.001+08:00

Event:Seremban Half Marathon
Place:MPS Padang Seremban
Date;24/7/2011
Time:6:45am

This is my third year taking part in this Seremban Half Marathon.The venue is very near my house and it only took me about 10 minutes to reach it.I couldn't find a parking space in front of the Padang and decided to park my car near Lucky Plaza,just in front of the Ambank.

Met up with the rest of the S2 running buddies at the starting point.We were chatting happily when we heard the gun sound.The run has started.There was no count down.Caught off guard,I did not set my watch but just run off with the crowd.Lim sprinted fast ahead.I can't see the rest of the group.

It is the same old route as last year.The initial route along Jalan Rahang was flat.The first climb was near the Carrerfour hypermarket towards Forrest Height.I kept my distance behind Lim.Eric came up and we chatted for a while.

It was a comfortable run.The weather was good.It was cloudy and not too hot.My plan was to follow Lim as I knew I will be able to finish below 2 hours if I can keep up with him.He has targeted a sub 2h finish for this run.He has a GPS watch while I mistaken set my watch at the beginning of the run.

Teng came up at Jalan Jelebu and we were running together until nearing to Taman Warisan Puteri when I decided to break away from Lim and Teng.I was still feeling good and comfortable with my pace.It was all the way towards the finishing line without looking back.However I was unable to overtake Eric who was about 50 metres in front of me.

***Thanks Uu Ban for this photo taken with his RM18k+ camera as I was running toward the finishing line.***

The results,unofficial as there wasn't any timing chip provided.Time given are based on own watch timing.The distance is slightly short of 21km.The actual distance is 20.36km (lim's GPS),20.4KM (lau's GPS).
Eric:1h 50m
Myself:1h 51m..slight improvement compared to last year.
Lim:1h 52m...another PB!Congratulations.
Teng:1h 55m
Lau:1h 56m
Heng:2h
Chai:2h17m

The senior ladies from our group managed to get some prizes in the 10km event.I heard they were in 5th,9th and 11th positions.Congratulations to them.

***From L-R:Lim,Teng,Heng,myself,Lau,Chai.Photo taken by Uu Ban after our run.***

Today's run also turned out to be a family outing for Lim,Lau and Chai's family.Lim's family turn out to give him moral support and also to snap photos for us at the Padang.Lau and Chai's children also took part in the run.It is good to see Chai who is based in Shanghai came back to support Seremban Half Marathon.

Immediately after crossing the finishing line and after collecting my lucky draw prize of 4 cans of Gatorade,I went off to my car to get my camera in order to snap some pictures for my blog.However I couldn't locate my hand phone and camera in my bag which I placed in my car bonnet.

I thought I must have forgotten to bring them this morning.So I went back to the Padang to meet up with the rest of the group.

Later when I arrived home,I searched my house for my hand phone and camera but I still couldn't locate them.When I was unpacking my bag and I took a look inside my wallet,I discovered that all my money was gone!!However my IC,driving licence and credit cards are still there.

Immediately I knew someone might have stolen the money together with my camera and hand phone.I tried calling my hand phone but it was switched off.I was really angry then.Someone stolen my 600+ringgit Sony Erricson hand phone,my 600+Olympus digital camera and my cash money about 200+ringgit.Total loss about RM1500!and there isn't any sign of break in.

I went to Seremban 2 police station at noon to make a police report.The officer told me there was another similar case today which happened to a car parked at Wisma Persekutuan.I was curious how a person can just open up my car and took off my things without any signs of forced break in.I decided to ask the officer on duty.

Policeman:"Penjenayah sekarang banyak pandai,bukan saja kereta encik mereka boleh pecah masuk,kereta ronda polis pun mereka pecah masuk"

Myself:?????(speechless...)

Because of this incidence,my mood was bad throughout the day despite me running relatively well today.I was satisfied with my running result.Today is also my father 81st birthday celebration and we are doing it in a big scale in a restaurant.Somehow this bad experience has affected my celebration mood.

Conclusion of the 24th Seremban Half Marathon:

-well organised.

-too many student participants.

-maybe the organiser can change the finishing medal design in the future.It has been the same for many years.But make sure it continue to be made from pewter.I like the quality of the medal.

In the future,I will be extra careful and I am not going to keep my gadgets in my car.This has been an expensive Seremban Half Marathon to me.

Time to get a new hand phone and to start re collecting all my contacts phone numbers!

Interview In The Star Newspaper

2011-07-22T16:46:00.004+08:00

A brief story on our running group appeared in The Star newspaper today.

The link:http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2011/7/22/central/9132513&sec=central

Friday July 22, 2011
Experienced quartet ready for challenge
By CHITRA S. NATHAN
metro@thestar.com.my

RUNNING marathons may not be everyone’s cup of tea but for a group of friends in Seremban, the experience is a challenging and rewarding one.

Although Foo Yuen Cheng, 44, Lim Tee Kiap, 41, Lau Thien Cheong, 50 and Uu Ban Leong, 47, have only been running seriously for just a few years, running has become a passion and they look forward to participating in events to not only improve their personal bests but also for the joy of it.

Foo, a doctor, said he started running two years ago just to stay in shape but as his fitness improved, he found himself looking forward to more runs.

“Though I was active in sports during my schooldays, it was not easy to run long distances when I first started but I kept at it and gradually improved.

“I’ve participated in a few marathons now including the recent Standard Chartered Kuala Lumpur run and we’re training for our next big run which will be in December,” he said when met after one early morning running session recently.

His friend Lim, a paediatrician, said he wakes up at 5am for his morning runs on weekdays for a headstart for the day.

“We try to run together whenever possible but if we cannot due to our schedules, we run on our own. That’s the beauty of running, you can do it by yourself. The important thing is to never exert yourself and listen to your body,” he said.

The Star photographer Uu is the newest addition to the group, having joined them recently after he was posted to the newspaper’s Seremban bureau.

“I was quite active in football and badminton but had to take a break after a sports injury.

“I began to gain weight during that time and decided to start running to shed the pounds. It worked and I got hooked on it,” he said.

The oldest of the group, Lau, is an accountant based in Kuala Lumpur and runs with his friends during weekends or whenever he is back in his hometown.

“I began running for health reasons but now, I run for the joy of it.

“When I started out, I couldn’t even run three kilometres continuously but I’ve come a long way since and have participated in several marathons,” he said.

Foo, Lim and Lau will be participating in the upcoming Seremban Half Marathon on Sunday.

Foo said he was looking forward to the SHM because the 21km run was a part of their marathon training.

“We’re aiming to clock under two hours. I did 1:55 the last time and I’m hoping to improve my timing but that is not all that matters.

“The Seremban Half is an opportunity for us to meet other runners and gain more experience in preparation for our next marathon,” he said.

Unfortunately, Uu will be unable to join his new running buddies as he has been assigned to cover the event as The Star is the media sponsor.

However, he had a few tips to offer first-time runners especially students taking part in the 10km run.

“With just a few days to go before the SHM, there is little time left for participants to train for the event.

“Instead, runners should use the last couple of days before the run to relax in preparation of the race,” he said.

He said runners should wake up early on the day of the run, have a light breakfast and get to the venue on time to do warm up exercises before the race proper.

“If this is your first time, don’t try to sprint ahead like the runners in front. Find a suitable pace and enjoy the run.

“Keep yourself hydrated with water or isotonic drinks at the water stations and wear seasoned running shoes as new ones may not be comfortable,” he said.

SHM organising committee vice chairman Datuk Loh Kim Heong said the 24th edition of the run is set to be the largest in the event’s history.

“Over 9,700 participants have already signed up and entries are still coming in.

“The numbers keep increasing every year attesting to the run’s popularity. We received overwhelming support from schools and school children make up almost 75% of the participants,” he said.

S2 Group and Seremban Half Marathon

2011-07-20T19:32:00.000+08:00

***The race pack which can be collected immediately from the Seremban Half Marathon office after paying RM15 for the registration***

Four more days to Seremban Half Marathon and as usual most of the S2 group runners are taking part in either 10km 0r the 21km category.Unofficially this is a must attend event for all the S2 runners because it is held in our own hometown-Seremban.

Few of the senior ladies in our group are potential winners and I can presumed they will go all out during the ladies 10km run.The rest of the group especially the guys will be running for fun or with individual target in mind like Lim who is going for his sub-2 hour target in half marathon.

The ones missing this year will be Steve and Francis.They have advance ahead from the rest of the group and will be doing their first triathlon in Port Dickson this weekend which involving running,cycling and swimming while most of us are still "stuck" with running.

So..hopefully the rest of our group will take up new challenges in the future either running a longer distance like Sundown 100km (ha..ha..ha...they know I am trying to persuade them again),joining the KL Towerthon,Mount Kinabalu Climbathon or join Francis and Steve in triathlon.

BERSIH or KOTOR?

2011-07-13T13:24:00.003+08:00

Bersih or Kotor?Betul or Salah?For the past week after the Bersih rally there have been many discussions on Bersih,on how the government handle the issue and on claims of police brutality.

I was at home last Saturday afternoon following the development of Bersih rally on line.I have to admit that I am not the type who will attend this type of rally or any demonstration because of fear and I don't believe in violence.There is a total change in me as I grow older.Wisdom?Ha..ha..ha...

I personally support what Bersih is fighting for but I don't support their rally or street demonstration.I guess that is the only way for them to get attention and to put their message across to the government.

Actually I should restrain myself from taking sides and commenting too much about Bersih rally on Facebook as I found out some of my friends who have different views can easily get offended.Everyone is entitled to his own opinion,right?

Here is an article written by my former schoolmate who is also journalist ,Andrew Sia.He was at the Bersih rally last Saturday.He is a strong supporter of Bersih.

The link is:
http://tehtarikkk.multiply.com/journal/item/1/10_Reasons_Why_Shopperholics_Should_Support_Bersih

However I decided to paste the whole article here:

“Ala, kacau-la this Bersih, the whole KL was jammed and I could not go for the 1Malaysia Mega Sale!” cries out you, the Shopperholic.

And TV and newspapers tell you that Bersih caused "billions" in economic losses because the Burmese and Nepalese foreign workers downtown could not hang out at the KotaRaya shopping complex.

No, no, I mean, because the police blocked all roads and nobody, especially you, could go out and buy your RM12,000 Gucci handbag…

But wait a minute. Why are these shops and stalls in downtown KL doing such good business DURING Bersih?

Just look a little deeper beyond the sales promotion and hype of "1Malaysia goood, Bersih baaad" and you may actually have 10 good reasons to support Bersih.

1) Your ringgit is worth 2.4 times less than the Singapore dollar. Why?

Here you are, suffering and sweating to fight the crowds at sales, just to get a bigger discount.

But yet, your money is worth 2.4 times less than that bloody little country which has almost ZERO natural resources. Not fair! It's we Malaysians who have tons of petroleum wealth!

In 1965, one ringgit was equal to one Sing dollar. What the hell has happened since then? Corruption?

Now when Singaporeans come here, they are like birds - we can hear their distinctive chirping: “cheap, cheap, cheap…”.

Baaargher, by right, we should be the ones walking in Megamall like that, where everyday is like sales day!

Now that the leaders have seen how big the Bersih crowd was, maybe they will be a bit more scared of the people's demands? A bit less corrupt?

Maybe in ten years time, we will see RM1.50 = S$1 ??? Then we can really shop like mad, right?
2) Bersih didn’t close MidValley Megamall, the police did.

For certain politicians, Bersih was like Japan’s Fukushima nuclear reactor. The radiation of having an intelligent debate about the nation’s future would cause brain cancer...

That’s why, even though Bersih was being held in downtown KL on Saturday, they decided to blockade Megamall, which was far away.

In fact, days before Bersih, they even blocked roads on the other side of the world at Subang Jaya and elsewhere.

Why? Just so that you shopperholics can scold Bersih for trying to save you from overspending on shopping for one day.

The police also wanted you to blame Bersih for making you discover how you can have a great time at home (maybe by taking a walk in the park, watching a DVD or, God forbid, helping mom cook dinner) without having to spend much money at all.

3) But you were smarter, you shopped at Sunway Pyramid, the Curve and Jusco Wangsa Maju.

But of course, you were smarter than that. You had already anticipated the blocked roads. You hate staying at home to spend quality family time. Oh I’m sorry, quality family time can only be done at the shopping mall.

OK, so you decided to do your shopping at other places like Sunway Pyramid, the Curve, Jusco Balakong, Jusco Kepong or Jusco wherever… so whatever money lost by Megamall was gained by shopping centres elsewhere.

The police could order Sogo and Pertama Complex in downtown KL to shut down but who the hell goes to such places anyway? Well, as long as we are spending the money in Malaysia right? Rather than a certain Chief Minister who invests in luxury houses overseas while his people lack roads and electricity.

4) Actualleee… no need to close roads and shopping centres right?

Exactly. Why on earth DID the police order the shops in KL Sentral to close down?

Because Anwar Ibrahim and Ambiga were walking there? Maybe the police were scared that they would commit khalwat, so they decided to shoot them several times with tear gas so that they would cry out in pain, rather than cry out in illicit pleasure…

The Bersih folks downtown were peaceful, disciplined and friendly. They sang Negaraku. Complete strangers of all races spoke with and helped each other. Some even brought their children - they came for a non-violent protest.

People just wanted to gather in Stadium Merdeka, wear their yellow T-shirts, sing some songs and shout their slogans. They asked for just two hours, from 2pm to 4pm.

Itu saja…After all, they are just silly idealists who don't know how "fair" our elections are. So why did the police order the shopping malls to close down?

Oh ya, because they found somebody throwing a bag filled with parangs behind some flower pots at The Ship restaurant, Pertama Complex, FOUR days before? And inside the bag, there were a few yellow Bersih T-shirts!

Wow, how stupid they are putting the bag in such a public place. Maybe there was even a note saying: "Ambiga wuz here...with Osama"

5) Bersih should have been a Mega Sales Carnival

The Lai Foong coffeeshop downtown remained open even as remnants of tear gas hung in the air inside, stinging my eyes. Yet people like me still went there to eat the famous beef noodles. Business was roaring!

In fact, if the government was smart, they could have made Bersih part of the 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival!

Think about it. 50,000 people came despite the blocked roads, the threats by the police etc etc. If they had allowed it to go on peacefully, 100,000 or maybe 150,000 people would have come.

And after singing and shouting, they also need to makan and minum right? Rows of stalls could have been set up at Stadium Merdeka, just like at Batu Caves during Thaipusam.

What a huge economic boost!

6) Bersih should have been a Visit Malaysia Year event

Bersih’s call for fair and clean elections “tarnished” the nation’s image, claim certain politicians.

But the same politicians were warning that silat fellas were coming to reconquer Malacca from the Portuguese while Perkasa has been whacking foreigners (all those who arrived in Malaysia after 1511 that is).

All these threats of violence from silat and Perkasa have made Malaysia’s name more “fragrant” worldwide, I am sure.

But you know what was funny? The real foreigners came and joined Bersih! As you know, downtown KL has lots of Mat Salleh backpackers staying there, and many came out to see the REAL Malaysia in action. It’s just like how Ian Wright does not like to go to the over priced tourist traps, he wants to see the action on da streets man!

7) Downtown KL is a foreigners city on weekends.

That’s right. Certain leaders have been blaring non-stop about how Bersih jeopardised sales for the Indian kaki lima news vendors in downtown KL.

But I wonder when was the last time a Minister went to Petaling Street to buy a newspaper, or a fake Rolex? As for ordinary Malaysians, we go to the pasar malams nearer our homes.

KL’s Old Town ain’t what it used to be because Malaysians now live in the suburbs. The UDA Ocean shopping centre downtown had to close down and places like The Curve and Sunway Pyramid are where the real sales action is happening.

The main people in downtown KL on a weekend (when the offices are closed) are our dear foreign workers. I have tried the Burmese and Nepalese restaurants there – they are delicious.

What surprises me is that our leaders have suddenly become very concerned about what foreign workers eat and buy.

8) Bersih - an economic stimulus program?

The way TV has been going on and on, you would think that Bersih has caused the economic collapse of Malaysia.

But think about this: 100,000 yellow T-shirts at RM20 each, wow, that works out to RM2 million in turnover, not bad for a day’s sales event yeah? Too bad some Minister declared the T-shirts illegal.

And because of all the threats from the government to turn Beijing, I mean KL, into The Forbidden City, thousands of people came into town one night earlier. Hey, that’s a lot of money being spent on hotel rooms.

What about all the money spent by outstation people who purposely came to KL for this historic event? And all the newspaper sales generated by the excitement of the news? And the free publicity for Malaysia in worldwide media?

If only the government had allowed it to be a peaceful event, think about the economic boost generated by 100,000 or more people ...

9) At least they won’t raise the price of petrol now.

As a shopperholic, you know that once they raise the price of petrol, the prices of everything else will shoot up.

When former PM Badawi raised it to RM2.70, the price of Milo Ais at the mamak shop went up to RM1.80. Now that petrol is at RM1.90, do you see the price coming back down? Not a fat chance!

Thanks to the 50,000 brave people who risked arrest and tear gas at Bersih, do you think the government will dare raise the price of petrol any more?

No, they will cancel building some palace project some where and use the money to continue subsidising petrol – well, at least till the next elections.

10) One Saturday’s shopping in exchange for a better future?

Even if you don’t agree with the nine reasons above, here’s the final question: Can you, Dear Shopperholic, not sacrifice two or three hours of shopping out of 365 x 24 hours for Malaysia’s long term future? During sales, you spend one hour circling MidValley Megamall to find parking anyway...

Or is shopping such a Religion which demands daily devotion?

The main threat to our future well-being and prosperity is not some idealistic people in yellow T-shirts calling for fair democracy. The main threat is the billions of ringgit being wasted on submarines that cannot even submerge, stadiums in Terengganu that collapsed (what if it had fallen when the Agong was there?) and… I am sure you can fill in your own list.

The Minister Idris Jala showed lots of statistics, warning that Malaysia would become bankrupt in five years, before he claimed he was "misquoted".

This is YOUR money which you have paid in taxes. It should benefit you, rather than some politician’s millionaire cronies.

But why should they care about you, if they are “voted” into power by 30 “supernatural” voters “living” in a house, while everyone in this world can see there is only one old grandmother living there?

These kinds of cases have been highlighted by people like Lim Kit Siang for decades! But the Elections Commissions seems strangely deaf. Only the voices of 50,000 people on the streets is loud enough.

Do you think the people who went for Bersih like being tear gassed, arrested and man-handled by the police? No they went to demand that the voices and votes of ordinary people will count.

Even if you can afford to splash RM12,000 for a Gucci bag, and all this doesn’t matter to you, please think about your children’s (and other people's children's) futures. And the future of our nation.

Your children don’t have to migrate to Singapore, Australia or America to enjoy a higher standard of living. If things are done right in Malaysia, this can be a far richer and greater country. That, ultimately, is what Bersih is about

Thanks Andrew for the article.

The next time,if one has to attend an illegal rally/demonstration and refused to disperse as order by the police....please don't cry out POLICE BRUTALITY if he/she got injured by tear gas, chemical spray,fall in the process of running away or resisting police arrest.

Crazy Prank Calls!!

2011-07-08T14:09:00.000+08:00

For the past one week I have been receiving many missed calls on my hand phone.The caller did not make any attempt to talk to me.He/she will stop calling just after one or two rings.The calls usually come in the middle of night or early morning from 12 midnight to 4.00am.One night, he/she can call up to 20 times!!Crazy....!!

Usually I will not return calls to any unfamiliar phone numbers.I will set my hand phone to silent mode at night before I go to sleep.So,whoever prank caller is,he/she did not disturb my sleep.I couldn't be bothered.Let he/she continues calling until one day he/she will get tired.

So who is the mysterious person with the number 016-6380312??

Standard Chartered KL Marathon-SCKLM 2011

2011-06-27T23:23:00.001+08:00

Standard Chartered KL Marathon
Dataran Merdeka
26th June 2011 , 5:00am

This is the 3rd year I am running in this Standard Chartered KL Marathon and for a change,my three kids are joining me too.They are taking part in the kids dash.

***Running bibs of myself and my 3 kids.Have to go to Bukit Jalil to collect the kids bibs as the organizer did not provide courier service for kids dash.The bibs collection was very fast and smooth.Not many runners were there on Saturday afternoon.***

We decided to stay in KL the night before the race because I wouldn't want to drive very early in the morning with my family tagging along.We put up in The Starpoint Hotel in Jalan Masjid India.The hotel is situated in a very crowded place and it took us almost one hour to reach it from Jalan Pahang because of the massive Saturday afternoon traffic jam and the night market around the hotel.

Good points of the hotel:
Located very near to the starting/finishing point of SCKLM.
Cheap rate with basic facilities

Bad points of the hotel:
Situated in a crowded and dirty area of KL.
Full of budget tourists especially from India.Noisy tourists talking and banging the door rooms even up to midnight.
Can't find any Chinese foods around this area.Plenty of Malay and Indian food outlets.

***The day before the run,I went over to Dataran Merdeka and saw many workers busy preparing for the event.Taken some pictures.***

RACE DAY

Lim,Liau and myself walked to Dataran Merdeka at 4:30am.We couldn't find the rest of the S2 runners.Lau,Heng and Teng drove from Seremban.

The run started at 5:00am.Lim was with me from the beginning of the run.I saw Uu Ban near the KL railway station and he was eagerly overtaking many runners.

I wasn't in the right mood to run during the first 10 km.My stomach was fulled with water,breakfast and a bar of Powerbar.The weather was hot.I was hoping for rain as predicted by online weather forecast.Where was the rain??Then my right shoulder was aching.My both calves were sore,my lower limbs felt weak.I felt like walking after running for few kilometers.I knew this was due to negative input into my mind which leads to more negative manifestation.I couldn't be giving up at the start of the run??!!

***Picture of me taken by Steve.He was not running as he has to attend a wedding dinner the night before but he volunteered to take picture of runners passing through the 36km marking at Bukit Tunku.***
Steve has posted almost 1000 pictures of SCKLM in his Facebook.The link is http://www.facebook.com/steveyap?sk=photos.Go and search for your running photos.

The break through came after the 12km water station where they provided sponge.It was so nice and cooling to sponge my body and my face.It was like a "waking splash" on my sleepy mind.Suddenly I feel fresh again and finally I got back my running rhythm.By then Lim has overtaken me and he was far ahead.I couldn't see him.I knew I must be more focus on my run and must blocked off all the negative thoughts.

As the day got brighter and hotter,I make sure I sponge myself at every water station.At 26km,I caught up with Uu Ban.He has slowed down.Lim was still with me.He was either in front of me or was following closely from behind.It was a bit stressful running with someone you know.Neither one of us wanted to give up.We were like "chasing each other".Ha..ha..ha..

***After the run...my kids were looking at my injured right foot.A blood filled blister over my right big toe.

Occasionally during my run,my thoughts go to my children.I was wondering if they can cope with the kid dash,if my son can finish the run and worry if any bad things happen to them.

Since I have done this marathon route previously,I roughly know what to expect along the way.I was saving some energy for the final push near Bukit Tunku.I took my last Power gel at 34km mark and was focusing to "break away"from Lim during the uphill route.At the same time,I
was looking out for Steve who volunteered to take pictures of us.

After conquering the 39km,I knew the ending point was near.I was getting ready to increase my pace for the last 3km.Suddenly Lim came from behind and he caught me by surprise!Still going strong and following closely.I told him to go ahead and reminded him of a final short slope to conquer ahead.From that moment,I increased my pace and did not look back.I was looking forward to see my family who was waiting for me near the ending point.

To my disappointment,my family wasn't at the finishing line to snap pictures of me since my wife was having some problems collecting the kids' finisher certificate.What a waste!!I was hoping my kids were able to see their father completing a marathon-"the moment of glory".Never mind....there always be another time.

***My kids...not in the mood to pose for pictures probably having the first timer anxiety.Parents can accompanied their children during the run which is good!However there was some confusion after the run when it came to collecting the finisher certificate.My wife was pushed from the 5km fun run booth to the 10km booth and vice versa just to collect my son 3km finisher certificate.Unable to tolerate it after 30 minutes of waiting in a long queue and with the 3 kids grumbling of tiredness,hot weather and hungry,my wife threatened to make a complaint.Eventually a volunteer gave her a certificate.So much of trouble for an unnamed certificate.***

***Kids zone...nothing much except for the inflatable slide.Organizer of SC Singapore Marathon has much more to offer for the kids.My kids spent only 10 minutes in the kids zone.Maybe next year the organizer can have a more variety of games for the children in the kid zone.***

***The finisher medal...not very special in my personal opinion.The same goes to the finisher T.Can't expect so much for just RM60 registration fee.***

Overall quite happy with my result which is 13 minutes better compared to last year.

Generally the organization of this marathon has improved over the past year.This year there was adequate water at all the water stations.Bananas was given out at the 16km point and power gel was given at 30km.

Post run,there wasn't any queue to collect the medal and finisher T.Everything was smooth and fast.However I can't comment on baggage collection as I did not deposit my bag this year after the bad experience of having to wait for almost one hour just to get my bag last year.

Suggestion for next year edition:

1)To start the full marathon at an earlier time if possible.Running under the hot sun is not fun.This is my personal opinion as others may take running under hot difficult situation as part of the marathon challenge.

2)More activities for the kids and family members who are waiting for runners to finish the run.Kids get bored easily and they need variety of exciting and stimulating games to keep them occupied.I remember my kids were so engrossed at last year Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon kids zone and they were there up to 12 noon.

3)Better pacers.Saw a pacer who abandoned his "pacing job" as he can't cope.His friends were far ahead of him.Some pacers ran too fast ahead of their intended time.I wonder do they really make use of their Timex watch?

4)More cheering groups along the route.Didn't see many people cheering runners but can sense that many motorist were annoyed by the traffic jam caused by the road closure.I have an unpleasant encounter with a middle age Chinese man along Jalan Ipoh who sarcastically asked in Cantonese: "Running for fun?Go home and sleep!!"

The official results:
Francis:3h 24m 6s very good result but he still said it is only so..so...

Myself :4h 23m 2s very happy...no complaints.
Lim :4h 23m 24s another PB!!CONGRATULATION!
Uu Ban:4h 46m 47s heard that he started out too fast.
Lau :4h 58m 36s heard that he had stomach discomfort.
Heng :5h 1m 13s no feedback from him yet.
Teng :5h 5m 26s he was very disappointed with his result.Suffered from stomach discomfort after taken 7 pieces of Gardenia bread before the run!

WELL DONE SCKLM !!see you guys again next year.

Countdown to Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2011

2011-06-21T13:47:00.001+08:00

5 More Days to Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2011........!!

I was very excited when the courier man came and delivered my Standard Chartered KL Marathon race pack last week.This race pack doesn't contained many items.The only freebies is a small towel.The NB running vest is green in colour.I don't like the colour and the material.

This will be my third year running in SCKLM and I still get nervous thinking about this weekend race.I worry if I may not finish the run,poor finishing time compared to last year,the hot weather especially after 8:00am and almost everything!!Why??It is because I am bringing my family along with me this year.There are so many things to think of when it involved the family members.

But what I worry most will be my son who is taking part in the 3km run for the first time.He is overweight and not an active person so I decided to enroll him just to encourage him to exercise.However he did not train much....actually almost nil!Last week I tried pushing him to do a slow run around City Park (a 3 loops around the lake=3km) but he can't even run half of the loop.Eventually he ended up doing a slow walk around the lake and it took him 35 minutes to complete 3 loops.I think my 80 years old father can walk faster than him.

My 2 daughters are better.The elder daughter is also overweight but she managed to finished 1 km run around the lake.My youngest 6 years ago girl is the fittest among them.She can run faster and longer.

So my strategy for my kids will be... go slow since they can't run fast.I afraid they will overexert themselves and something bad may happen to them.I keep telling them there is no medal and prize for their category.Either you come in first or last,you will only get a certificate.

My wife will be watching over my son during the run,meaning she has to run/walk along with him throughout the route.My in laws will be watching over my 2 daughters who are running the 950metres route.Over protective parents??!!Maybe..

My target finishing time for this year SCKLM?maybe 4:45 minutes+/-15 minutes.If able to finish with 4h:30m will be consider good for me especially so when I don't do much running/training.4h 45 m will be so..so.. and anything above 5 hours is a total failure!

To all participants...all the best,enjoy your run and try your very best.

To my fellow friends who are running the 100km Sundown ultra marathon in Singapore this weekend especially YS...good luck,don't give up and try your best.I really respect you guys for the determination and the bravery in conquering this 100km route.

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T21:45:00.003+08:00

Happy Father's Day to all fathers!!

Father's Day card from my youngest child....

Father's Day card from my 2nd child.....

Father's Day card from my son.....

Holiday Trip To Seoul,Korea-Conclusion

2011-06-15T17:44:00.000+08:00

This will be my last post for 'Holiday Trip To Seoul Korea' and I am going to give some encouragement to anyone who wanted to visit Seoul to do it on his own instead of taking tour package.

Going on your own is definitely better as you can visit more places at your own pace,visit places which are of interest to you,eat whatever you wish and practically you are free to do what you want.The only good thing about taking a tour package to Seoul...probably you will get to stay in a better quality hotel which is much expensive if you will to book it on your own.But...you are going for a holiday and you will spend most of your time outside,roaming the city instead of sleeping in the hotel room.

A brief guide if you want to travel on your own to Seoul.

1)Accommodation:for cheap reasonable hotel.

http://innostel.visitseoul.net/en/web/Info/about/AboutInno.asp

2)Travelling around Seoul using the subway.Very easy.The whole city is well connected by subway.

http://www.smrt.co.kr/english_smrt/index.jsp

3)Places of interests and travel itinerary.

http://visitseoul.net/en/index.do?_method=main

http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/index.kto

4)The website if you are interested in going to Nami Island.

http://www.namisum.com/

5)A very useful tool.Go through this and you will find it much easier to roam around Seoul.This can also be found at Seoul subway where a big touch screen is available for anyone to use.Remember to try and click on the robot icon where it will bring you to see the "real picture"of buildings and its surrounding in Seoul.

http://local.daum.net/map/index.jsp?nil_profile=title&nil_src=local

6)Read through all the posting In this forum...all about Korea.You can even post some questions and I am sure some travel "expert" will try to help you.

http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/1780940

By going through these few websites in detail,I am sure anyone can visit Seoul or Korea on his own.Easy right?I did it and I am sure anyone can do it too.

Holiday Trip To Seoul,Korea-Day 6

2011-06-14T10:32:00.000+08:00

Day 6,our last day in Seoul and the weather was cloudy with scattered rain.Our flight was schedule at 11:00pm at night and we had to check out from our hotel by 12 noon.So I decided to do something light before going to airport in the afternoon.We went to a war museum and a shopping mall.

***Near the entrance of the War Museum is a row of boards with long list of name of those American soldiers who died fighting in the Korean War.The phrase of top of the board:

"Our nation mourns her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met"
Source:The Monument of Korean War Veterans Memorial,Washington DC

There are various records of the war and soldiers who devoted their life for the country have been collected,preserved,studied and exhibited here.Going through the museum is like going through the history again.It is so sad to see why nations go to war and how people suffered as the result of war.

There are 6 indoor exhibition rooms and an outdoor exhibition area of military equipment.The indoor rooms are the memorial hall,the war history room,the Korean war room,the expeditionary forces room,the ROK (Republic of Korea) armed forces room,the large &defense industries equipment room.

*** Just after the main entrance,a prominent exhibit is part of the torpedo used in the sinking of a South Korean warship by the North Korean recently***

The facts:
The ROKS Cheonan sinking occurred on 26 March 2010, when the Cheonan, a South Korean Navy ship carrying 104 personnel, sank off the country's west coast near Baengnyeong Island in the Yellow Sea, killing 46 seamen. A South Korean-led official investigation carried out by a team of international experts from South Korea, United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Sweden presented a summary of its investigation on 20 May 2010, concluding that the warship had been sunk by a North Korean torpedo fired by a midget submarine.

***The dead South Korean navy officers.Such a pity to see so many young innocent looking South Korean soldiers died in this attack***

On 20 May the South Korean led investigation group released a summary of their report in which they concluded that the sinking of the warship was in fact the result of a North Korean torpedo attack, commenting that "The evidence points overwhelmingly to the conclusion that the torpedo was fired by a North Korean submarine." The inquiry also alleged that a group of small submarines, escorted by a support ship, departed from a North Korean naval base a few days before the sinking.The specific weapon used was alleged to be a North Korean manufactured CHT-02D torpedo, of which substantial parts were recovered.

***Visitors can try the shooting stimulation game.There is another room which show 3D stimulator of F15 fighter jet.We tried to enter but the staff who can't speak English were trying hard to tell us something...either we need to register first or don't know what.In the end we gave up and continue with our tour of this war museum.***

***The hardware display located outside of the building consists of warplanes,tanks and even ships.Most are old models probably used during the Korean War***

It was already noon when we took the subway to Coex shopping Mall which is located far away at another end of Seoul City.The travel duration was about 40 minutes from our hotel to the shopping mall using the subway.

Why travel so far away to a shopping mall?It was all for the aquarium and also Coex Mall was frequently mentioned in Korea travel sites.

The facts of COEX:

This vast underground maze of a mall is a top shopping and entertainment attraction that incorporates food courts, a department store, four hotels, the COEX Convention Centre, World Trade Centre and much more.

The COEX Aquarium is the largest in Seoul, with thousands of fish and other sea creatures in 90 tanks. You can see live coral, sharks, turtles, rays and evil-looking piranhas swimming around in large tanks. Exquisite small creatures such as pulsating jellyfish, glass fish and sea horses are also on display. Feeding takes place daily (sharks at 1.30pm).

The small Kimchi Museum sings the praises of pickled, peppery cabbage and its wondrous health benefits. The museum is almost impossible to find – go down the steps near the 7-Eleven convenience store.

The 17-screen Megabox is always buzzing. If you’re more into reading, Bandi & Luni’s has English books (section B1) and magazines (section A1), while next door Evan Records has CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs and listening posts.

The Hyundai Department Store Food Court has something for everyone at reasonable prices, which means it’s always super-busy.

COEX aquarium: The largest aquarium featuring 3,00 tons of water and 650 kinds of living things that number 40,000.The concept of Edutainment (education +entertainment) combining play,learning and resting together.Admission is 17 500 won for adult and 11000 won for children.Personally I found this aquarium not as great as our KLCC Aquaria.There were not many big tanks of aquariums.It only takes about 1.5 hours to finish seeing the whole place slowly.

***My son trying the 3D computer games in COEX.

***This flying saucer shape gadget is given to customers after they order their foods.When the gadget buzz or light up then the customers know that their foods are ready for collection.***

On our last day in Seoul,we decided to try the Korean version of fast food burger-the Kraze Burger.It was nice and delicious but a bit pricey.All the burgers are from 7300-9300 won. There's also some steak burger for 18000 won. Fries start from 4200 won!!!

The facts of Kraze Burgers:

The burger section of the menu offers 11 varieties of the beef burger. Checking for something crazy like the K.Basic Burger (for children) comes with strawberry jam. The other burgers all looked like gourmet versions of the American classic. The menu is annotated with various helpful captions such as "Kids"; "Hot"; or "Best".

Keeping in mind its valued customers,Kraze provides healthy and natural food. Kraze patties are made daily with one of the finest and fresh ingredients. Kraze has its own bakery which maintains the texture and freshness. Here the chefs after numerous amounts of research and testing have developed Kraze's sauce.

The service is efficient. It is one of the best burgers in Korea with good sauce, decent meat, and the right amount of vegetables. The crinkle cut fries are also a nice touch.
There is a whole non-burger section of the menu. Kraze Burger is competing in the gourmet beef burger market, for people who just want a better version of what they already eat.

We rushed back to our hotel from COEX,a trip that took us 40 minutes and discovered that the Innostel free shuttle car to Incheon Airport was waiting for us.I have booked for the 6:00pm trip but they arrived much earlier.Since it was a free trip and not wanting to make the driver waited too long for us,we just hopped onto the car with all our luggage.The trip to airport took us almost one hour since the road was busy after office hour.The driver even paid for the toll which was 10,000 won per way.

Since we were early,we took our sweet time to have our dinner in Incheon Airport.After checking in and clearing the immigration,we spent our time surfing Internet until it was time to board the plane.

I slept throughout the flight back to KL.We arrived at LCCT 45 minutes ahead of schedule at 4:30am!!I wonder how the pilot fly the plane...so fast?

Overall the trip has been fun.Korea is a nice and beautiful country.

Next oversea trip:to New Zealand,end of the year.

Holiday Trip To Seoul,Korea-Day 5

2011-06-13T12:53:00.000+08:00

Day 5 in Seoul.The weather was cloudy with occasional drizzle.Temperature about 25 celcius.Today I brought my kids to Everland,a theme park outskirt of Seoul.There are many ways to go to Everland and I opted for the easy way...using the shuttle service provided by Doesung Tour.The bus departed from Korean Press Center near City Hall Station at 9:30am and cost 10,000won per person for 2 way trip.The bus goes directly to Everland.

***The entrance to Everland.It was Tuesday and there wasn't many people going to the theme park***

The facts:
Everland Resort, is a theme park in Yongin, a city in Gyeonggi-do province, South Korea.It is South Korea's largest theme park. With 8.6 million visitors, Everland ranked tenth in the world for amusement park attendance in 2007. Along with its main attractions, Everland also includes a zoo and a water park known as Caribbean Bay. Everland is operated by Samsung Everland, which is a subsidiary of the Samsung Group.

Everland amusement park in Seoul has different time schedules. The park between Monday and Thursday remains open from 9:30 in the morning to 10 at night. On Friday and Saturday however, Everland entertains visitors from 9:30 in the morning to 11 at night. On Sunday this theme park opens its door at 9 am and calls it a day at 10 pm.

***I admired those who are so daring to try this roller coaster named T Express.I only able to admire the ride from far away.I am too timid to try it and I afraid my heart will not able to stand the stress from this ride....signs of ageing!!***

The T Express, debuted in 2006, is the first wooden roller coaster and the largest of any kind in South Korea. The T Express is the 6th longest wooden coaster in the world at 5,838 feet long. It is also the steepest, with the first drop inclined at 77 degrees. Its name comes from the logo of conglomerate SK Corporation's SK Telecom service.

The facts of T Express:
Characteristics & Records of T Express, South Korea's first wooden roller coaster
World's steepest wooden roller coaster (77 degrees)
Drop : 57m (7th in the world)
Attraction time : 3min 00sec (the longest in Asia, 7th in the world)
Air time : 12 times (the most air times in South Korea)
Altitude : 56m (the highest in Asia, 3rd in the world)
Maximum Speed : 104km/h (the fastest in Asia, 8th in the world)
[+] Gravity Force : 4.5g
[-] Gravity Force : -1.2g

***The parade across Everland that started at 2:00pm.There were not many people on that day so I don't need to rush to the road side for a good view.In fact I took this while having a snack at a restaurant nearby.***

The Four Seasons Garden of Everland is decorated with beautiful flowers arranged in a French garden style. Surrounded by Holland-style architecture, the gardens are the stage for seasonal flower festivals (tulips from April to June, lilies from July to August, and chrysanthemums from September to October), laser shows, and musical fountain shows.

***A section of Everland fully planted and decorated with flowers.Ladies like this section.However for me,Everland is more for kids.I have passed the age to enjoy most of the rides.Some of the rides are too scary and some are just for kids.***

***Rose garden -the whole area is fill up with roses,most of them are real roses except for few very big decorations where artificial roses are used.***

The Zoo Topia section of the park is the where guests can find the ever-popular Safari World and Herbivore Safari. In safari world white tigers, tigers, lions, and bears roam around freely, providing guests with an up-close look at these amazing creatures. In Herbivore Safari, visitors can even feed some of their favorite animals like elephants, giraffes, camels, and ostriches.

***The standing bear waiting for his food..thrown by the bus driver.

The shuttle bus departed from Everland at 6:30pm.It was raining then and everyone of us was very tired after spending the whole day in the theme park.We have a quick nap during the one hour drive back to Seoul.

The bus stopped at Dongdaemun Station and we decided to have dinner here and later explore this fashion district.The clothes sold here are not as cheap as claimed.

***Clothes..everywhere.Shoppers are spoilt for choices.One needs to spend many hours here if they are serious in buying.Just too many choices!

The facts:
Dongdaemun Market, Seoul is located in Dongdaemun-gu of Seoul. The market has emerged as the premier establishment of wholesale and retail market and is considered to be the shopping kingdom of Seoul. The market of Dongdaemun is home to 50,000 wholesalers, 30,000 stores and 20 shopping malls. Dongdaemun Market, Seoul is the destination where retailers from different parts of the nation flock to and do some great business.

There is a co-existence of large shopping malls like Designers Club, Freya Town, Doosan Tower, Migliore and old market places such as Dong Pyonghwa Market, Shin Pyeonghwa Market and Pyeonghwa Market. This co-existence of the modern shopping destinations alongside the traditional ones makes Dongdaemun Market, Seoul one of the leading shopping destinations not only in the city but also in the entire nation.

Dongdaemun Market, Seoul turns all the livelier during the nights. The tourists and foreigners flock to the Dongdaemun Market to get into a shopping spree. The shopping ground is full of hordes of shoppers. The bright neon lights and some lively music playing amid the wide hallways of Seoul's Dongdaemun Market make shopping a fun thing to indulge in.

It was a wet evening and after buying few pieces of dress,we decided to go back to our hotel.

End of day 5.Tomorrow...last day in Seoul.

Holiday Trip To Seoul,Korea-Day 4

2011-06-10T11:02:00.000+08:00

It was Monday and the weather was cool and cloudy with temperature of about 23 celcius.We left the hotel earlier as we have to catch a shuttle bus to Nami Island from the Tapgol Park before 9:00am.We were caught in the Monday early morning rush in Seoul subway.The trains were packed like sardine and for the first time we were pushed hard into the train.I shouted at them but they couldn't be bothered especially the older generation of uncles and aunties whom I find to be a bit rude compared to the younger generations.These uncles and aunties are probably less educated.

Nami Island (Namiseom, 남이섬) is a Korean island on the river Bukhan (Bukhangang, 복한강) on the border between Gyeonggi-do and Gangwon-do.It is about one hour and a half drive from Seoul. This place is very popular among Koreans and can be seen in most Korean dramas especially in romantic scenes where the boy declares his love to the girl.

***Ferry bringing tourists across the river to Nami Island.There is another way for the brave one to cross the river-by gliding through from one end to another by hanging on to a cable stretch across the river.There is a shuttle bus that goes directly from Insadong to Namiseom for 13,000 KRW round-trip which I personally think is the most convenient way to get to Nami Island for tourists compared to by conventional bus or train.***
The island is small but quite beautiful and is a perfect place to relax while spending the afternoon walking around the beautiful scenery.A board warning tourists of the wild ostriches on the island.Later I found out that the ostriches were kept fenced up in a large space and not roaming freely as expected.
***A very special observation on the island is the freely available of books and comics in the public places even in the toilets.It is so surprised to see the books are well kept and no one steals them.I don't think these books can "survived" in Malaysia.Either Malaysians will steal them or tear away the pages and worst case--sell the books to the old newspaper man!!***

***A exact spot on Nami Island where they filmed the first kiss between actor Bae Yong Joon and Choi Ji-woo in the drama Winter Sonata.

Thanks mainly to Hallyu or Korean wave where the popularity of Korean pop culture has spread around the world,many tourists are coming to Korea.In particular the legendary success of the hit television drama “Winter Sonata,” which was partly filmed on Nami Island has made it a prominent popular tourist destination.This island is covered with more than 300 species of trees. Many tourists came to appreciate its serene and idyllic setting and to walk amid the same scenes as in the drama Winter Sonata.

***Beautifully decorated shop.The colourful toys are mini ostrich toys.Foods on the island is a bit pricey,for sure since it is a tourist spot***

***A board map of Nami Island showing various places of interest.The island is not very big and one can just walk around the whole island in 3 hours.Even 3 of my children can do it.***

***Another scenic spot on the island***

***There is a room displaying many old pictures taken during the filming of Winter Sonata and scene from the drama.This drama really helps to promote this place.***

***For those who is not fit and can't walk,there are various types of bicycle for rent-for single person,couple or even for family.Now they even have the battery operated scooter.***

***Chalets for rent with a nice beautiful view of the river.A good place to spend some quiet romantic time with the love one.***

For those who want to enjoy nature in an idyllic setting, the highlight of the island is the many tree-lined paths that all lead to the central square's restaurants and shops. The birch tree lined path is better known among drama lovers as the path where Bae and Choi rode a bicycle on their date. You will also see the fragrant pine tree path and spectacular tunnel of tall meta-sequoia trees.

***A popular spot for tourists to take pictures.There are many nice spots for photography but the great scenic spots are concentrated around the central square. Picnic benches are also scattered about the island, making it an ideal place for a family outing.***

***Another beautiful scenery on the island.You have to be there to really appreciate the surrounding.***

***Ha..ha..ha...this is me posing with the statue of the main characters in the drama Winter Sonata.This is a very popular spot for tourist to take photos, so have to wait for one's turn.***

***Scenery of Nami Island during autumn as shown in a photo exhibition held on the island during my visit.There were many photographs on display and for sale.Looks like it is better to visit during autumn where one can see colourful leaves***

We were at Nami Island until 4:00pm.The shuttle service back to Seoul city center took another one hour.By then we were getting hungry.We went on to explore Myeongdong which claimed to be one of the most expensive shopping districts (in term of floorspace rent) in the world.There are many hotels, restaurants, cinemas, theaters, and historical sites in this area.It was estimated that about 2 million people pass through this area everyday.Except for early morning and late night delivery hours, the main street and most of the alleys are blocked off for pedestrians to roam freely without being hindered by traffic.

***Even guys use cosmetics in Korea.A very good way to do business as one can see there are many advertisements promoting cosmetics for men.Probably the female market is getting saturated.***

The facts:
Myeongdong is one of Seoul’s main shopping districts featuring mid-to-high priced retail stores and international brand outlets, including Lacoste, Polo Ralph Lauren, Forever 21, Bulgari, Louis Vuitton and Nature Republic. It is a particularly popular area for young people and tourists as a center for fashion and sight-seeing.Several large shopping centers and department stores are in the district including Lotte Department Store, Shinsegae Department Store, Migliore, M Plaza, and Noon Square.
Seoul's financial hub is divided between here and Yeouido where the Korea Stock Exchange is located. Major insurance, securities, financial services companies, and investment firms with headquarters in Myeongdong include Citibank, SK Corporation, Kookmin Bank, Korea Exchange Bank, Lone Star Funds, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, AIG Korea Insurance, Hana Bank, and HSBC. The Bank of Korea is also in the vicinity.
Other notable landmarks in Myeongdong include the Chinese Embassy, YWCA headquarters, UNESCO Hall, Myeongdong Theater, and the oldest Catholic cathedral in Korea, Myeongdong Cathedral.

***This plate of snails cost me 10,000 won!!My son wanted to try it so I have no choice but to buy it for him from a street hawker in Myeongdong.I don't like this***

We spent the whole evening in Myeongdong.My wife had a great time shopping especially for cosmetics while myself spent most of my time watching people!

End of day 4 and the children were looking forward to the next day-A visit to Everland.

Holiday Trip To Seoul,Korea-Day 3

2011-06-09T23:15:00.001+08:00

Day 3 in Seoul.Today's weather was sunny and hot.Temperature was 31 Celsius.We visited the
Namsangol Hanok Village which is located in the Pil-dong area on the skirt of Namsan (Mt.). It is a mini folk village consisting of a number of traditional Korean-style houses. More specifically, there is a traditional garden with a pavilion, a pond and 5 traditional Hanok, including the home of Lady Yoon, the Queen Sunjeonghyo.

***The entrance to Namsangol Hanok Village.There is no entrance fee ***

The facts:
Namsangol Hanok Village displays various household goods and furniture arranged in accordance with the times of which they were a part. Visitors can thus get a glimpse of the lifestyle of powerful scholars in the Joseon period. The traditional craft hall here exhibits souvenirs and a variety of works by master craftsmen, designated as intangible cultural treasures. The traditional garden in the village is adorned with native trees that grow in Namsan, a valley where the water flows naturally, a pavilion and a pond. Buried in the innermost region of the village is Time Capsule Plaza, where a capsule containing 600 items representing Seoul and life in Seoul is buried 15 meters underground. Namsangol Hanok Village is an excellent place where visitors can experience various Korean traditional cultural fare such as plays and dance performances as well as folk games.

***The general layout of the whole area of Namsangol Hanok Village as display on a board***

At Namsangol Hanok Village, visitors can not only learn about the architecture of Hanoks but also about their architectural orientation, structural layout, and furniture arrangement styles popular during the Joseon period. Various pottery works, craftworks, and traditional musical instruments, like Gayageum (12-string harp) and Geomungo (6-string zither), can be found at the Traditional Craftwork Museum.

***The guide who took us around the Hanok Village.He can speaks good English.His service is free and the complete tour of the whole village will take about 2.5 hours.I told him that I just needed a brief tour but it still took me one hour***

***The guide was very detail in his explanations on the history,the structures and various aspects of Namsangol Hanok Village***

The weather was getting hotter and my children were getting restless so we decided to stop our tour of the village at 11.00am.

After the Hanok Village we took the subway to Noryangjin which is across the Han River to visit the fish market.My son was very excited as he likes fish

The facts:

The fish market mainly sells fish items on wholesale. This market remains open twenty four hours a day. An entire floor is devoted to auctioning of fish which remains especially crowded in the wee hours of the morning. The auction starts from 1 at night and continues till 6 in the evening. However fishes are sold to retail buyers too. The retail sales at Seoul's Noryangjin Fish Market start from 3 in the morning and continue till 9 at night. The retailers work all seven days a week but the wholesale market remains closed on every Sunday and during public holidays.

Noryangjin Fish Market is Seoul does not only sell raw fishes. The market houses more than a dozen restaurants that expectedly serve some of the best sea foods in South Korea. Housing an agricultural section, this market sells all kinds of vegetables too.

However when we were there at noon,almost all the restaurants were empty.Many waitress were seen standing outside trying to lure customers into their restaurants.Funny?Why no customers?Maybe it was too expensive or the foods were not good.We spent a quick half an hour in the fish market since we don't like the wet and "fishy smell"of the surrounding.We snapped quite a lot of pictures too.

One of the big hypermarket in Seoul is the Lotte Mart which has many branches in Seoul.We visited the Seoul Station branch of Lotte Mart which is located in one of Korea’s major transportation hubs. Seoul Station is home to the KTX (Korea’s high-speed railway) and many trains, buses, and subway lines also meet here so as expected there were packed with many people.

At night,we took the Seoul City Tour Bus for a night tour of Seoul City.The tickets can be bought at the Seoul City Tour Bus counter opposite Seoul Metropolitan Police Station,near the Dongdaemun Duty Free shop.The 2 storey bus trip cost 10,000 won per person.

The facts:

The Seoul City Tour Bus is actually a deluxe shuttle bus service with pre-recorded site explanations in five languages available on a headset at every seat. The bus doesn't wait at any one stop, but comes around at regular intervals. The longer tour, running about two and a half hours, is the Day Tour, which covers nearly all of Seoul north of the Hangang(River), which is where many of the best sites are located. The shorter Seoul City Palace Tour is what its name suggests, but includes stops at Namsan(Mt.) and Insa-dong, which are essential to any trip to Korea. With a single ride ticket, passengers may ride the full length of the route once, and with an also reasonably priced one-day pass, may get on and off at anywhere at leisure all day long.

The link:
http://en.seoulcitybus.com/

My comments on Seoul City Tour Bus-the 2 storey night route:

Not worth the money.Do not try this!!

The bus will go around Seoul for about one hour and we were supposed to listen to the commentary via a headset.There were a few languages for us to select.The bus did not stop at the tourist areas so there were no opportunity to take pictures.The bus inner environment was quite comfortable and after being up whole day,most of us were very tired.We ended up sleeping in the bus.I too noticed many other tourists were sleeping.There was no tour guide on the bus and tourists couldn't ask any questions if they have any doubts.

After the quick nap on the bus,we proceeded to Namdaemun Night market for sight seeing before headed back to hotel.

End of day 3.We were looking forward for day 4-The Winter Sonata Story.