Hello creatures and beings reading this blog of mine
It has well been a very long time again..........for me typing out words n words n words about myself and my life. Im hoping all are well. And i wonder any of my followers or whoever that visits my blog thinks i was dead. Anyway here to bring some highlights of whats been so far going on.
In brief of what has been going on with me is this :
Work like the usual. Been getting busier and busier with working world. My Aunt Joyce already told me ages ago how the working life and the working world would be like. She was dead spot on. Ever since my two previous colleagues left the company, its all now to me to handle whats left there is. I dont find this really enjoyable for the long run. Im hoping to have more guys to come in and help me out. I find it tough sometimes. And at times i am just so blur, so zombie like, so irrational, so desperate, and so lazy to be doing what im doing.
I dont know if a 23yr old diploma grad or a PhD grad would feel like me now. Most likely not. Im just hanging on to the Lord for renewed strength and sound mind (which i need plenty) from day to day. I've now split myself into many pieced to handle all of the work. Being a guy, we arent that great in multitasking. So i hope that in my not so perfect way of trying my best to multitask and in the event that i fail, i hope its not coz i was trying to be good at multitasking, but i simply wana do whats right in my current position with all that i only can manage and do at one time. God will aide me. Actually id be super happy if He can just handle it all for me.
Other news, sports. Erm.......this year i managed two races. The KOM Cameron Highlands back in October. 54km uphill all the way. My cousin joined with his little riding millage and freshly back on the bike after years of absence. Dad was support driver - and sporting my newly bought Saris Bones 2 rear bike rack. I love this rack for simplicity and practicality. I finished KOM in 3hours 10minutes. Not too bad. No cramps, no stopping, no bonking out. I thought i would need 4hours at least. I have not been biking since IS10. Wonders by God i guess. Dear cousin Lee finished 1 hour behind me. Commendable effort for being in his first race - going up a hill 54km long. Well done to him.
Then there was Powerman Malaysia 2010 last week. I didnt even train for this. All i did was a few rounds running around my housing area on the Tuesday before the race. Riding? Nah..........didnt have time to touch the bike. I was especially worried if my knee would act up and give me problems during the run. Being back in lovely hometown it was even easier for me to relax and wait to suffer in the race. Well somehow by Gods grace again, I finished (according to my timing on my watch) the Mens Sprint event (5.5km run - 32km bike - 5km run) in 2hours 10minutes. I thought id be way down in 2hrs 30mins. Well.........im just glad i crossed the line. Didnt even care who's infront or overtaking me. Actually i think i over took more riders on my bike lap - with my trustly not so aero not so light old school road bike. =P But this time i had near cramps all over the place. Was a good outing nonetheless.
Private life.......well............not so private. WYSIWIH. What you see is what is happening. No hidden stuffs. Lol.
Year end is almost here. So i dont know how long more will i be away from blogging this out. Everytime i get home its like the only energy i have left to do is bathe eat and sleep. Sometimes i skip bathe tonite and bathe the next morning. Im that drained. Yeah some older folks are more energetic than me. I dont see why i should be bothered. It means im lazy? Not fit? No motivation? Maybe. *shurgs*
What about my bicycle postings and spiritual matters posting?
Well i shall see if i have the time and the right ingredients to post. My brain easily shuts down now if i overheat it just a slight bit.
Which is why i shall pause my blogging for today at here. Heaven knows when the next post is coming out.
C ya all soon.
-The D-
21 November 2010
10 September 2010
Unexpected
I just got a really unexpected news. Its good in a way. But now i have like another thing to think abt. Gosh these things are pulling me apart.
Wonder whats up with Him? He moves and gives and prepares.
I have yet to walk on a broken road which His will is prepared for along the way. Maybe mine is a highway that i dont see anything but to walk by faith on.
Wonder whats up with Him? He moves and gives and prepares.
I have yet to walk on a broken road which His will is prepared for along the way. Maybe mine is a highway that i dont see anything but to walk by faith on.
01 September 2010
Inside and out
The hardest thing for me is to leave and be away from people and things I love and cherish and bond with. But looking at the other end of the spectrum is another good field of good things.
I have been asking and searching inside and out of myself. Day in day out. And no conclusion yet. Others want to be in my shoes while i want to be in others.
Its more than just a sacrifice. Its a long commitment. Luckily not a covenant.
*Sigh*
I have been asking and searching inside and out of myself. Day in day out. And no conclusion yet. Others want to be in my shoes while i want to be in others.
Its more than just a sacrifice. Its a long commitment. Luckily not a covenant.
*Sigh*
31 July 2010
Interstate 2010 : 30th April - 2nd May : Kuala Kangsar - Pulau Banding - Kota Bharu - Tasik Kenyir (Part 3
Yes 2 months overdue. Read or leave. Lol
DAY 3 - 2nd May
Another good nights sleep helped me recover and my legs kept just barely fresh for the last day of IS10. I got up at around 5.45am and did the usual rigmarole of preparing and packing and psyching myself up for the final 170km ride. Breakfast was heavy again today for me : Beans, eggs, sausages and nice cup of tea. Yong, Kumar, Nathan and Vince joined me at the table talking the morning gossip and news.
My goal today was to take a slow and easy ride into Tasik Kenyir. No worries as i survived yesterday in 10hours on the road, 7hours++ on the saddle to be exact. By 6.30am i was ready with my bike after getting it from the basement. Everyone queued up on the road side taking up 1 lane. Sorry to cars n motorbikes for the inconvenience. Its a once a while kinda thing =). You wont be seeing 350 riders again (not for a few years at least) in KB. Haha.
7am and flag off we go. The atmosphere today feels that of super slow and super enjoyment, unlike the past two days where it was more serious and erm.......should i say.......matter of life and death? The first 2-4km we were still navigating out of Kota Bharu town itself. I filmed and snapped shots on the fly which was really interesting. Lots of traffic lights we passed. And after the usual 10km, the marshals car flags us off. Well, erm i did miss going fast in the last two days, and also in the last 1 year (amazing but yes true). So i TRIED my best to get up with a few front peloton's to see how BAD i actually am. Lol. Stupid me yes indeed. I managed nearly 40kmh trying to catch the back end of the first peloton. A rider tailed me for almost 1km before he overtook me. He even gave me the sign to follow which i TRIED my absolute best to keep up but i was simply flat after that short effort. Now thats bad for me. If i was fitter i would have wanted to get up there. Well at least i helped him bridge the gap from second to first peloton. For now i just coasted and watched group......after group.........after group........after group..........and.........after group..........overtake me. Not interested and not capable this time round to follow anymore. I could hardly pace myself at 25kmh.
There was a little mishap with a rider and a motorcyclist in front. It seems the pak cik and mak cik on a motor bike carrying bags of groceries had a rub with a rider. No one injured but the groceries were on the road. Oh well....lost vege isnt costly as lost lives. Right? Oh yeah, the roads leading out of Kota Bharu, Kelantan all the way to the Terengganu border was pretty bad especially on the inner motorcycle lane. I spent nearly half the time riding on the car lane.....sometimes in the middle of the road. No choice or i risk one too many punctures.
At about KM30 a group of riders rested at the petrol station so i decided to give myself a break. Patrick was there too waiting. Then Vincent came in as well. Met some of the local riders who joined us for a while before heading separate ways. Learned that Kelantan alot of riders actually. Well it certainly changed my view of Kelantan state a tiny bit. Lol. Anyway after that short rest me and Vincent went out on the road again before the group. We were in a small town actually (cant remember the name) and was about to head out into open field roads before linking to the dual lane roads of Terengganu. Crossed the state arch and im in Terengganu for the first time. Technically i have been here while a tiny littl fetus but erm........i cant see hear nor ride at that time. Haha.
The wide motorcycle lane as a welcome to me. I could ride relaxed and easy. Vincent sort of got far away behind me. I dont know why. I just steadily pedaled against some fierce crosswinds and headwinds of this new land im on. For a very long stretch i was alone , as always. Few more riders pass me now and then. Local kids cheering also, and a couple of times they were on their bikes trying to chase or ride beside me. I just can afford a smile and a wave. Suddenly out of no where.......Vong Vong's group overtook me. And Vincent was in it! Hmm i was thinking should i follow or not? They were going at least 25-27kmh. After thinking i just said "Maybe for a while then drop off again". So ok, i latched on the rear end and shielded myself from the wind as much as possible. Trying to save energy, Haha. But soon the group decided to stop at a BHP petrol kiosk. I was glad for the stop, since we were around 80+km done. It was almost noon also.
Once again we ransacked the whole mini store of the kiosk, depriving it of water, 100Plus, bread and chocolates. Oh, and the lady selling jelly kelapa outside also probably had a windfall with almost all her stock gone. RM1 for one cup was well worth it. Ice cold jelly. So refreshing on a hot day like today. And to help the legs cool down........i stuffed ice in my lycras. One thing its tight so it holds the ice.......another is that the wind blows, making it colder. Lol. I think tat was the best feeling of the day.
After the much needed rest, the group gets going again. I tried to stick with the group.....and i didnt know a cameraman was behind me. But he took a photo of me (while im wearing the Yellow Jersey today) being dropped by the peloton. That was a slightly humiliating picture to be honest.........but no doubt funny looking at myself getting dumped. I was honestly not able to ride at 26-27kmh. Just 2kmh difference is alot to me now. Again i do crazy things when it comes to bike riding. =P
Vincent also got left by the group infront. We both went at our own slow pace. Until one point now he was too far infront of me till i cant see him. I didnt eat much at the station actually so after a short distance my tummy decided to make some noise. Now im frantically searching for a stall or a small shop to eat. I found a small rest stop by the side of the road with a couple of riders eating there. I dont know if Vincent has gone further but i decided to stop and eat anyway. Then he called to ask where am I. Turns out he is just opposite at the shops looking for food also. He pedaled over and joined me for lunch. Then also Jesster came in. Thought he wanted to eat with us........but turns out........he wanted to give up! He mounted his bike on the support car rack. Me and Vince were like........unexpected to see Jesster drop out. Haha. Its his choice, but i got him on cam.
After lunch and after about 100km done we got our asses moving on. Still 70km to go. We counted in our tired heads to try make 3 hours to Kenyir. Its about 12.30pm. So we hope to reach there by 3 or 4pm latest. Slowly we paced ourselves against the sun......the wind.........the cars..........the heat.............the exhaustion. Not easy ride today as well. After just 20km of riding from lunch we decided to stop again due to the extreme heat. This was like an oven on steroids. We stop at Petronas station. I went for another bath under the tap water. Not once........twice. A cold drink to cool the body. We both sat on the floor with our jerseys open.......and our mouths opened. Nearly on the brink of collapsing. A few local uncles talked to us about our crazy ride. I guess we make quite an impact in the kampungs eh? =)
So having sat down for 15 long minutes, we tried again for a push to the finish. I even took a video abt 2mins long just to show how SIEN (Boring) the route was.........and how punishing the weather is at the time. One critical junction lies ahead which is a right turn at the T-Junction. As i was nearing it i saw a car parked in the middle of the turn. Turns out an accident just occurred. Car and motorcycle. Nothing major from what i saw. Just a few shaken nerves. I just continued riding. There was already a group of people helping. Now im on another loooong lonely stretch heading towards kenyir. Surrounded by lots of oil palm estates. And NO shelter for a stop. Im at nearly 135km now. A bit more to go. Starting to struggle already. Heat saps out energy from you very fast. I was pedaling.....freewheeling......pedaling....freewheeling 90% of the time at this point. Nearly cant take it. Again now i was searching high and low far and wide for a place to rest. Almost none actually.....unless i detour into the estate.
Thankfully after a long search i found a small gazebo for the estate workers to rest. Took shelter in there while waiting for Vincent to come. He was pretty far behind. Nearly 8minutes off my rear. As soon as he came he asked to continue. I didnt mind........i already took my rest. And a couple of Cloud9's. I think those were the last two pieces in my pocket. About 30km to go. Expected 1hr 45 minutes to reach kenyir at slow pace. Moving again i counted each KM that passes by. I know if you did that it makes the whole journey seem longer and slower and more agonizing. Fact is it already is..........so im just going with the flow. I rather look at my moving meter than the empty road infront.
The last right turn and last 15km soon. Getting nearer to Kenyir. I could almost smell the lake. The road was under heavy repairs and development on both sides so riding on sand and eating dust had us to a crawl. Once thats over we were in hilly roads towards the lake. Hilly...........hmm.........i soon found out just how hilly this was. A few ups and downs so i thought well......its the last 10km......hantam all the way lar. Well little did i know that after the first few small climbs.........suddenly infront i see a steep climb. This was by anystandards......as steep as Genting Highlands and maybe as the Wall in last years Interstate. Another rider was infront taking a break with the support van. Vincent stopped as well. And I also decided to stop. First my legs are dead tired. Two, the road in the middle of the climb is full of potholes and sand and rough patches. I was wondering how the first groups of riders passed this area. So i decided to do (for the second time in my riding history) PUSH up the hill. Even pushing up wasnt as easy as you may think. Im wearing stiff shoes with cleats and my legs feel like jelly while my bike feels like it weighs a tonne. And the rough patched on the road didnt help either. Its so steep, the lorry from opposite had to crawl all the way down. Really.....it was crawling.
Once i got to the top, there were more riders taking a break. I was greeted by cheers and most importantly news from them that its the last 3km all the way down. So i thought........"OH really? Ok.......i know what to do." It was all downhill at the beginning.......2km left.............1km left.............and the last left turn into the Lake Kenyir recreation area. In front another BIG short climb. Im like since i got speed.........i just shoot up that hill with all my bull strength i have left. I did. I made to the top...........only to see........the road go down....and up again. You have got to be kidding me............I went down............and barely got up the other side. But once i got up i finally got a glimpse of the lake. Its huge. Its beautiful. It marks the end of my ride. I felt closure finally. I wasnt anywhere near the spa resort yet but.....i've come this far.Fitting end for this year's Interstate 2010 for me. I reached around 3.30pm and greeted by the cool lakeside breeze. Nice.
Now the resort is located in a special part of the lake...........with alot of ups and downs. Just as i thought my climbs were really really really really over.........wrong again..........one last climb up to the resort. And as i entered.....many of the earlier riders have already come in.....unpacking......changed clothes. I was looking for the luggage so i tot it was down at the car park. Well i found Yong and Patrick. They said its at the resort lobby........where? UP THERE *points up*. Haihhhzzzzz..........pedal up again..........Unknowingly this place uses buggy's to get around.....hilly like this sure need them lar. I recorded my last few meters to the resort lobby. Lol. Once i got there..........i finally finally finally have done Interstate 2010. Survived. In one piece. Plenty of mixed feelings. But for now, its over.
In total : Day 1 - 138km. Day 2 - 179km Day 2 - 162km = 479km done. Didnt hit the big 500 as i thought i will. But still more than last 2 Interstates. Total hours on the road is roughly 28hours. Riding time alone is 22hours approx. Average speed : 21kph.
As i recollect my thoughts and cool myself down, the scenes of this years Interstate goes down as one of the most scenic. Never been to such a place as this. Money well spent i say. For a 3day bike trip cum holiday.
I got my bags and put my bike in the storage area. Vincent came in shortly after that. Vongs group still lying on the floor relaxing and making lots of noises. Got my room keys and it looks like its me, patrick and vincent again tonite in the chalet. Got to my chalet and found it was really a nice simple retreat kinda setup.....with a sofa bed and balcony to match. Oh, and we are right on top of a deer enclosure. Got to see the deers walking about. Haha.
The afternoon was spent walking about the place.......took nice pictures.........rode the buggy......enjoyed the lake view....and the final night dinner was just nice to cap it all off. Food was good. Company was good too. Went back to bed early for the long trip back to KL the next day.
Day 4 - 3rd May
This morning i was supposed to wake up early to see the sun rise, well...........sleep was much better. Luckily i managed to get leave today. But still have to work tomorrow. Lol. Breakfast was typical western. Filled up again to max capacity to replace lost fuel for 3 straight days. The usual packing of bikes runs same as every year. This time just that PCC had to charter 5 buses to take us back to K.Kangsar. One bus goes straight to KL and one to Ipoh. The rest is to K.K. Some already left or will be leaving in their support cars. 9am sharp we left lake Kenyir. Saying good bye to this years Interstate and lots of memories, mostly painful ones. It took 8hours for the bus ride back to KK. Used back the same route as day 1 and day 2 as it was easiest and fastest. By the time we reached KK it was nearly 5pm. Another 2 1/2 hours drive with Vincent and we were back in KL by 8pm.
So thats the end (officially) of my report and experience in this years Interstate. Rumour has it : Next years IS will be reversed - Start outstation and end in KL. Interesting but will see how.
Anyway, till next Interstate, see you guys there again. I have shared all my photos in Facebook so you guys can go there to have a look. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=227815&id=579009324 http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=229553&id=579009324
Over and out.
DAY 3 - 2nd May
Another good nights sleep helped me recover and my legs kept just barely fresh for the last day of IS10. I got up at around 5.45am and did the usual rigmarole of preparing and packing and psyching myself up for the final 170km ride. Breakfast was heavy again today for me : Beans, eggs, sausages and nice cup of tea. Yong, Kumar, Nathan and Vince joined me at the table talking the morning gossip and news.
My goal today was to take a slow and easy ride into Tasik Kenyir. No worries as i survived yesterday in 10hours on the road, 7hours++ on the saddle to be exact. By 6.30am i was ready with my bike after getting it from the basement. Everyone queued up on the road side taking up 1 lane. Sorry to cars n motorbikes for the inconvenience. Its a once a while kinda thing =). You wont be seeing 350 riders again (not for a few years at least) in KB. Haha.
7am and flag off we go. The atmosphere today feels that of super slow and super enjoyment, unlike the past two days where it was more serious and erm.......should i say.......matter of life and death? The first 2-4km we were still navigating out of Kota Bharu town itself. I filmed and snapped shots on the fly which was really interesting. Lots of traffic lights we passed. And after the usual 10km, the marshals car flags us off. Well, erm i did miss going fast in the last two days, and also in the last 1 year (amazing but yes true). So i TRIED my best to get up with a few front peloton's to see how BAD i actually am. Lol. Stupid me yes indeed. I managed nearly 40kmh trying to catch the back end of the first peloton. A rider tailed me for almost 1km before he overtook me. He even gave me the sign to follow which i TRIED my absolute best to keep up but i was simply flat after that short effort. Now thats bad for me. If i was fitter i would have wanted to get up there. Well at least i helped him bridge the gap from second to first peloton. For now i just coasted and watched group......after group.........after group........after group..........and.........after group..........overtake me. Not interested and not capable this time round to follow anymore. I could hardly pace myself at 25kmh.
There was a little mishap with a rider and a motorcyclist in front. It seems the pak cik and mak cik on a motor bike carrying bags of groceries had a rub with a rider. No one injured but the groceries were on the road. Oh well....lost vege isnt costly as lost lives. Right? Oh yeah, the roads leading out of Kota Bharu, Kelantan all the way to the Terengganu border was pretty bad especially on the inner motorcycle lane. I spent nearly half the time riding on the car lane.....sometimes in the middle of the road. No choice or i risk one too many punctures.
At about KM30 a group of riders rested at the petrol station so i decided to give myself a break. Patrick was there too waiting. Then Vincent came in as well. Met some of the local riders who joined us for a while before heading separate ways. Learned that Kelantan alot of riders actually. Well it certainly changed my view of Kelantan state a tiny bit. Lol. Anyway after that short rest me and Vincent went out on the road again before the group. We were in a small town actually (cant remember the name) and was about to head out into open field roads before linking to the dual lane roads of Terengganu. Crossed the state arch and im in Terengganu for the first time. Technically i have been here while a tiny littl fetus but erm........i cant see hear nor ride at that time. Haha.
The wide motorcycle lane as a welcome to me. I could ride relaxed and easy. Vincent sort of got far away behind me. I dont know why. I just steadily pedaled against some fierce crosswinds and headwinds of this new land im on. For a very long stretch i was alone , as always. Few more riders pass me now and then. Local kids cheering also, and a couple of times they were on their bikes trying to chase or ride beside me. I just can afford a smile and a wave. Suddenly out of no where.......Vong Vong's group overtook me. And Vincent was in it! Hmm i was thinking should i follow or not? They were going at least 25-27kmh. After thinking i just said "Maybe for a while then drop off again". So ok, i latched on the rear end and shielded myself from the wind as much as possible. Trying to save energy, Haha. But soon the group decided to stop at a BHP petrol kiosk. I was glad for the stop, since we were around 80+km done. It was almost noon also.
Once again we ransacked the whole mini store of the kiosk, depriving it of water, 100Plus, bread and chocolates. Oh, and the lady selling jelly kelapa outside also probably had a windfall with almost all her stock gone. RM1 for one cup was well worth it. Ice cold jelly. So refreshing on a hot day like today. And to help the legs cool down........i stuffed ice in my lycras. One thing its tight so it holds the ice.......another is that the wind blows, making it colder. Lol. I think tat was the best feeling of the day.
After the much needed rest, the group gets going again. I tried to stick with the group.....and i didnt know a cameraman was behind me. But he took a photo of me (while im wearing the Yellow Jersey today) being dropped by the peloton. That was a slightly humiliating picture to be honest.........but no doubt funny looking at myself getting dumped. I was honestly not able to ride at 26-27kmh. Just 2kmh difference is alot to me now. Again i do crazy things when it comes to bike riding. =P
Vincent also got left by the group infront. We both went at our own slow pace. Until one point now he was too far infront of me till i cant see him. I didnt eat much at the station actually so after a short distance my tummy decided to make some noise. Now im frantically searching for a stall or a small shop to eat. I found a small rest stop by the side of the road with a couple of riders eating there. I dont know if Vincent has gone further but i decided to stop and eat anyway. Then he called to ask where am I. Turns out he is just opposite at the shops looking for food also. He pedaled over and joined me for lunch. Then also Jesster came in. Thought he wanted to eat with us........but turns out........he wanted to give up! He mounted his bike on the support car rack. Me and Vince were like........unexpected to see Jesster drop out. Haha. Its his choice, but i got him on cam.
After lunch and after about 100km done we got our asses moving on. Still 70km to go. We counted in our tired heads to try make 3 hours to Kenyir. Its about 12.30pm. So we hope to reach there by 3 or 4pm latest. Slowly we paced ourselves against the sun......the wind.........the cars..........the heat.............the exhaustion. Not easy ride today as well. After just 20km of riding from lunch we decided to stop again due to the extreme heat. This was like an oven on steroids. We stop at Petronas station. I went for another bath under the tap water. Not once........twice. A cold drink to cool the body. We both sat on the floor with our jerseys open.......and our mouths opened. Nearly on the brink of collapsing. A few local uncles talked to us about our crazy ride. I guess we make quite an impact in the kampungs eh? =)
So having sat down for 15 long minutes, we tried again for a push to the finish. I even took a video abt 2mins long just to show how SIEN (Boring) the route was.........and how punishing the weather is at the time. One critical junction lies ahead which is a right turn at the T-Junction. As i was nearing it i saw a car parked in the middle of the turn. Turns out an accident just occurred. Car and motorcycle. Nothing major from what i saw. Just a few shaken nerves. I just continued riding. There was already a group of people helping. Now im on another loooong lonely stretch heading towards kenyir. Surrounded by lots of oil palm estates. And NO shelter for a stop. Im at nearly 135km now. A bit more to go. Starting to struggle already. Heat saps out energy from you very fast. I was pedaling.....freewheeling......pedaling....freewheeling 90% of the time at this point. Nearly cant take it. Again now i was searching high and low far and wide for a place to rest. Almost none actually.....unless i detour into the estate.
Thankfully after a long search i found a small gazebo for the estate workers to rest. Took shelter in there while waiting for Vincent to come. He was pretty far behind. Nearly 8minutes off my rear. As soon as he came he asked to continue. I didnt mind........i already took my rest. And a couple of Cloud9's. I think those were the last two pieces in my pocket. About 30km to go. Expected 1hr 45 minutes to reach kenyir at slow pace. Moving again i counted each KM that passes by. I know if you did that it makes the whole journey seem longer and slower and more agonizing. Fact is it already is..........so im just going with the flow. I rather look at my moving meter than the empty road infront.
The last right turn and last 15km soon. Getting nearer to Kenyir. I could almost smell the lake. The road was under heavy repairs and development on both sides so riding on sand and eating dust had us to a crawl. Once thats over we were in hilly roads towards the lake. Hilly...........hmm.........i soon found out just how hilly this was. A few ups and downs so i thought well......its the last 10km......hantam all the way lar. Well little did i know that after the first few small climbs.........suddenly infront i see a steep climb. This was by anystandards......as steep as Genting Highlands and maybe as the Wall in last years Interstate. Another rider was infront taking a break with the support van. Vincent stopped as well. And I also decided to stop. First my legs are dead tired. Two, the road in the middle of the climb is full of potholes and sand and rough patches. I was wondering how the first groups of riders passed this area. So i decided to do (for the second time in my riding history) PUSH up the hill. Even pushing up wasnt as easy as you may think. Im wearing stiff shoes with cleats and my legs feel like jelly while my bike feels like it weighs a tonne. And the rough patched on the road didnt help either. Its so steep, the lorry from opposite had to crawl all the way down. Really.....it was crawling.
Once i got to the top, there were more riders taking a break. I was greeted by cheers and most importantly news from them that its the last 3km all the way down. So i thought........"OH really? Ok.......i know what to do." It was all downhill at the beginning.......2km left.............1km left.............and the last left turn into the Lake Kenyir recreation area. In front another BIG short climb. Im like since i got speed.........i just shoot up that hill with all my bull strength i have left. I did. I made to the top...........only to see........the road go down....and up again. You have got to be kidding me............I went down............and barely got up the other side. But once i got up i finally got a glimpse of the lake. Its huge. Its beautiful. It marks the end of my ride. I felt closure finally. I wasnt anywhere near the spa resort yet but.....i've come this far.Fitting end for this year's Interstate 2010 for me. I reached around 3.30pm and greeted by the cool lakeside breeze. Nice.
Now the resort is located in a special part of the lake...........with alot of ups and downs. Just as i thought my climbs were really really really really over.........wrong again..........one last climb up to the resort. And as i entered.....many of the earlier riders have already come in.....unpacking......changed clothes. I was looking for the luggage so i tot it was down at the car park. Well i found Yong and Patrick. They said its at the resort lobby........where? UP THERE *points up*. Haihhhzzzzz..........pedal up again..........Unknowingly this place uses buggy's to get around.....hilly like this sure need them lar. I recorded my last few meters to the resort lobby. Lol. Once i got there..........i finally finally finally have done Interstate 2010. Survived. In one piece. Plenty of mixed feelings. But for now, its over.
In total : Day 1 - 138km. Day 2 - 179km Day 2 - 162km = 479km done. Didnt hit the big 500 as i thought i will. But still more than last 2 Interstates. Total hours on the road is roughly 28hours. Riding time alone is 22hours approx. Average speed : 21kph.
As i recollect my thoughts and cool myself down, the scenes of this years Interstate goes down as one of the most scenic. Never been to such a place as this. Money well spent i say. For a 3day bike trip cum holiday.
I got my bags and put my bike in the storage area. Vincent came in shortly after that. Vongs group still lying on the floor relaxing and making lots of noises. Got my room keys and it looks like its me, patrick and vincent again tonite in the chalet. Got to my chalet and found it was really a nice simple retreat kinda setup.....with a sofa bed and balcony to match. Oh, and we are right on top of a deer enclosure. Got to see the deers walking about. Haha.
The afternoon was spent walking about the place.......took nice pictures.........rode the buggy......enjoyed the lake view....and the final night dinner was just nice to cap it all off. Food was good. Company was good too. Went back to bed early for the long trip back to KL the next day.
Day 4 - 3rd May
This morning i was supposed to wake up early to see the sun rise, well...........sleep was much better. Luckily i managed to get leave today. But still have to work tomorrow. Lol. Breakfast was typical western. Filled up again to max capacity to replace lost fuel for 3 straight days. The usual packing of bikes runs same as every year. This time just that PCC had to charter 5 buses to take us back to K.Kangsar. One bus goes straight to KL and one to Ipoh. The rest is to K.K. Some already left or will be leaving in their support cars. 9am sharp we left lake Kenyir. Saying good bye to this years Interstate and lots of memories, mostly painful ones. It took 8hours for the bus ride back to KK. Used back the same route as day 1 and day 2 as it was easiest and fastest. By the time we reached KK it was nearly 5pm. Another 2 1/2 hours drive with Vincent and we were back in KL by 8pm.
So thats the end (officially) of my report and experience in this years Interstate. Rumour has it : Next years IS will be reversed - Start outstation and end in KL. Interesting but will see how.
Anyway, till next Interstate, see you guys there again. I have shared all my photos in Facebook so you guys can go there to have a look. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=227815&id=579009324 http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=229553&id=579009324
Over and out.
26 May 2010
Interstate 2010 : 30th April - 2nd May : Kuala Kangsar - Pulau Banding - Kota Bharu - Tasik Kenyir (Part 2)
Okay after much delay here is the news for Day 2 IS10 from my saddle view.
Day 2 - 1st May
After the terrible ordeal i went through yesterday suffering like a whale out of water on the long slopes under the hot sun, i was thinking since last night whether i should ride today or not? I had 5 options to weigh : Ride the whole journey (and risk suffering again for Day 3 ride), ride first half of journey then up support car till end (To save my legs), ride last half of the journey to tunjuk i rode till the hotel ( =P ), ride first 1/4 go up support car and then ride again on last 1/4 (which sounds dumb), or dont ride at all.
I woke up at 5am to prepare for breakfast and ride flags off at 6.30am sharp for the 180km ahead of us. Long long day ahead for everyone, not just riders but support car drivers. So lots of thoughts were toying is my mind as i brushed my teeth, berak, kencing, change into my jersey, and even to the breakfast table i was still actually thinking wat is my plan for today.
Vincent was rather ok about riding todays long stage. Yong was also looking good. Kumar even more in the mood. I was dreading the first 35km climb at he beginning of the route. Early morning already have to climb. Not yet even fully awake. Finally i made a choice ( i dont know if its considered wise or not) which is : TO RIDE TODAY TILL I CANNOT RIDE ANYMORE. Hmmpph. Some philosophy i have adopted at this time where suffering always comes along. Okay so since i decided to ride, and prayerfully finish without having to call a support car to go up, I load my bags into the truck and my backpack into Patricks car. While waiting for the start of the ride i was actually doing a simply calculation to predict roughly what time i will reach Kota Bharu. IF i do the 35km hills at 10kmh that is roughly 3 hours gone. By 10am i should be on the downhill. And im left with 145km. IF i can do avg speed 20 on the rest of the journey, i should take 7 hours probably. So 10 hours. That would mean i will roughly touchdown at Kota Bharu by 5pm plus minus. I know some of you will tell me "Aiya just ride la why worry.". Hey, it pays to do some planning k? Lol. So i was trying to come to terms with myself that this will be a long tiring terrible 10 hour ride. That is IF nothing else goes wrong.
So 6.30am , time to ride. Organizers orders everyone to go down the slope and line up at the road side for a short briefing before letting us off on the longest single day ride i will ever do. We started as usual in a big bunch crossing the first Banding bridge that connects to Pulau Banding. Pulau Banding is actually a small piece of land (Previously must have been the peak of a hill, but now an island after the valley was damed) in the middle of the lake. So we need to cross two bridges, one more on the other end before crossing back to the mainland. And i didnt expect, km2 already started climbing. Zzzzz. No time to even spin and warm up the legs, already road pointing upwards.
At first he whole bunch manage to keep together steadily at 14kmh, but soon the line stretched longer....and longer.........and longer....................and longer. Soon riders were all over the road. I already said to myself i will pace and not give a cogset who overtakes me. Girl boy uncle aunty monkey whatever. Im saving my legs for 145km. Initially i paced pretty okay for the first few km at 13kmh. Legs still fresh i guess. But the longer it got the slower i got. 5km into the ride already cars and lorries started overtaking us as traffic grows. Well thank God for the overtaking lanes. We hogged all that lane. =P
Past 10km and its almost Genting Sempah distance. Still another 25km to go. Vincent was way behind at this point. He also will be taking his own pace up the hill. I pass riders, riders pass me. That was roughly the scene for the whole hillside. Vongs train even overtook me. Bahri in it. Looking good on his MadOne. Well i did feel slightly defeated on hills. It was my favourite part of riding. But not riding for so long, well, those were the days. Now i say this as if im old man already. Zzzz.
The mist suddenly came down. Clouding the hillside. It was a beautiful sight. Cool as well. My watch thermosensor recorded 25Celcius. Pretty cold, for me. I wasnt aware of the altitude but at this temperature usually its above 800 meters. Well slowly meter by meter i crept up the hill, until finally i reached the peak where there's a rest stop. Most of the riders stopped there to rest, load up water n food, take pics of the beautiful valley and mountains, take a pee coz its cold, and take group photos. Some just went on straight down. I stopped and found Yong and Patrick waiting and resting. Kumar was there also. Nathan came in later abit. I really enjoyed the view up here. Simply beautiful. My photos shows. =)
After some bread and water, Yong asked me to try some creatine for muscle recovery. I was like, hmmm, ok. 180km. Maybe would be good. I put some into my bottle of water and mix.NOW only i ask Yong "How much am i suppose to put in?". He was in shock and asked how much i put in? I cant remember coz i tilted the tin to put the creatin powder in. He was worried i put in too much. And if that happens i would bonk too quickly. Haha. But i think i put in abt 2 teaspoons. Well i double diluted with water and i think i should be fine.
Well that done and a visit to the loo (RM0.20,even up here), time to head down the hill, finally after 35km of slow climbing. The downhill was still nervous for me. I havent been downhilling for a while so im a bit not confident tackling the corners and partly coz i dont know this route. So i was careful at all times going down not more than 45kmh.I was surprised to catch Vincent infront of me. He didnt stop at the top of the climb and went straight on. His reason for not stopping? "I had enough water so i just continue". Ok fine then. After descending 35km or so we reached a place with some stalls to eat. Finally some nice solid food. Its about 11am now i think, this will be our last big meal before hitting the long way to Kota Bharu. Not much watering holes along the way it seems. So whack lots of food and water here to fill up my tanks.
After eating at the table i saw Alwin looking suspiciously at my bikes front end. I was wondering what he was up too. Last year he harassed my butt from behind. Now he is harassing my bike from the front. Weird fella. LOL. He seemed to be playing with my handlebar, and looks like he was playing with my meter. I dont know what the heck he was doing but i will have a look later. I walked over to the gang of them talking, Bahri, Bacin, Alwin all talking while i inspect my bike. Lo and behold i saw what was wrong : My speedometer was upside down. Now i knew what Al was up to. Haha. And he thought i didnt know. So i kindly asked him (as his punishment) to put the meter back to its original position for me. Serves him right i guess. Haha. He asked why didnt i cut the strap shorter to keep it tidy? I replied, "In case itchy hands like yours wants to do the same again, it will take longer for you to take out". Hahahahaha.But in the process of him doing that, he accidentally reset my meter to zero again. Zzzz. Now i have lost all data on distance, speed, average speed for the last 70km and 4hours of riding. Sien. Al said "Just add 70 to what ever distance u are at now." Zzzz......sometimes doing maths while riding isnt that fun. Lol
Anyway after the stop its time to continue the long road ahead. 145km left. From here on the roads were flat with small rolling hills and undulations. Nothing much to note about except the kampung life kind of feel most of the journey. It was getting hotter, my skin getting redder, and my butt getting more sore. I targeted to keep my pace at around 20-22kmh as this was the most comfortable pace i can bear without having too much lactic acid in my legs but constant enough to keep me going. The next 20km was alright. Wind started picking up. I was using my 39 x 23 gear most of the way. Not to light and not too heavy. Vincent and I were pretty much together. But off and on he would just increase pace and go ahead of me. I wasnt interested at all to follow anyone still. Many groups pass me like yesterday, but again i dont want to follow.
However, i later realized someone was following me. I was expecting him to overtake me soon but he kept following my pace. Well having company isnt bad. So i just looked back, acknowledged his company and let him follow my pace. He seemed alright so together we cycled in the hot windy 12noon sun. Then i got a phone call from Vincent saying he stopped over at a Caltex station. I was more than happy to stop along with him. I signaled to the rider behind and he agrees to stop along with me. Met Vincent and also Jesster at the station. We sat down and rested after the wind pounded us mercilessly. I got to know the rider tagging behind me. Mr Farid, whom i realized is actually friends with Bahri and Annie. So he expressed thanks for allowing him to follow me. I was all but glad he accompanied me. And i was aiming to go slow. With the hot day ahead i though i needed serious cool off. I got a can of Coke and ice cream and cold water. The guys stared at me.....yeah alot i know. But its hot. =)
Then i was also looking for water.......to cool down. I went to the side of the station, and i found a tap......and a small pail. Bath time! I drenched myself wet from top to toe, and it felt so refreshing. Even the guy with the high pressure hose washing the floor was more than kind enough to spray me with the water jet! Now thats having fun right there! The other 3 guys laughed at me seeing my antics. I thanked the guy, and went back to the bike soaked. And Vincent said "You will be dry in half an hour." Which sadly is true. Lol.After a much deserved rest, we continued journey to the east. For a while the 4 of us were pretty much together at slow pace. Then soon Jesster and Vince started going forwards on their own. Me and Mr. Farid kept same pace as before, and we had a master plan : To stop every 30km till the finish. Which if we do a rough calculation will take about 4+ hours to reach KB and stop for another 4 times or so. Sounded good. So we put the plan into motion.
Funny enough, till this point my legs still felt rather fresh. Must have been the creatine. Muscle recovery at work perhaps. Anyway i was strong enough to push on in the wind under the hot sun leading the way. Before we knew it we had about 60km to go. We stopped again around km130. Coz tat was where the next petrol station was. Till this point my legs still felt relatively fine. No signs of wanting to give in just yet. So fingers were crossed, and Mr Farid was doing well to follow my pace. Ok so we pushed on more. We crossed a small town (cant remember the name) where we were supposed to cross a set of rail tracks. Here things got a bit interesting.
We were at a stop light waiting to go green. As soon as it was green and I pushed off the bike, 10 meters later i heard this really loud scraping sound and vibration from my bike's front end. I knew it was something on my tires rubbing my brakes or maybe rubbing my fork. I thought it was mud or a piece of sticky paper. I was lazy to stop (amazingly) and have a look. Not until 200 meters later when the sound never ceased i decided to pull over and have a good look whats wrong. Mr Farid and I inspected carefully. Turns out............i ran over a patch of tar!! A big lump of tar with stones and sand sticking on my front tire! This was interesting indeed. And the tires are just new..........200+km old in fact. =(. So i had to take off the wheel and properly see......to my horror the inside of my carbon fork is badly scratched and full of tar also on the sides. My heart had no time to break into pieces. I just want to get this grime off my bike and continue riding.
I needed something to scraped off the thick tar. My tire level couldnt do much. I needed something hard and flat and sharp. As i looked around and behold on the road side i saw the perfect tool : A broken windshield wiper. Perfect! Its metal blade to hold the wiper was still there, hard and flat enough to scrape of the tar. In no time i picked it off the road, scraped as much tar off the tire as i can and in abt 5 minutes i manage to get enough off. Ingenuity on the road. Comes in handy always. =) Fixed my wheel and give it a test spin. Still there is some rub but much better than the drag i had. Now i have tar on my bike and on my hands but I will still ride on. With that ordeal over, the next 50+ km should be within our reach and i estimated we can be there by 5pm. Its already near 3pm. Hopefully we can achieve this target.
I personally wanted to go non stop till the end. But seeing the road conditions today plus the heavy headwinds now I am already starting to feel tired in the legs. The winds kept me down to 19kmh for a short period. I used my lowest gearing. Braving the winds, leading for Mr Farid. We were in shaded region for a while. And even a small group of riders caught us and followed us for a while, i think taking shelter from the strong winds. Then we reached the 20km to go mark. We started seeing more buildings, more traffic and more padi fields. Padi fields. My nightmare just started. Padi fields are full of : Guess? Wind. Argh the onslaught was just overwhelming. For 10 torturous kilometers the wind bashed us front to back and side to side. Riding was difficult. And with a narrow motorcycle lane and fast cars on the right, and the sun still up high, we were in a tight spot for a while. It was really desperate times and i thought the best would be to stop for a short while. But for miles and miles the padi fields never stopped. I was looking for a shaded area or a place of shelter. I scanned the far horizon for a small roof, a hut, a stall, a tree, whatever we can take as refuge. Luckily i manage to spot a bus stop. And i think I need this last rest, though its just 10km to go. I told Farid i will stop.
We stopped and i ate what are my last 2 bars of cloud9 for today. Drank up water with both my bottles now dry. But for 10km it will be sufficient. We have passed all the critical stages. The long overhaul from Banding is over. Now the final stretch is in sight. After 10 minutes, we decide to go for the final push to end the longest route of this Interstate. Slowly km by km we got nearer to KB town. 5km left and we are in the city. Navigating through Kota Bharu was interesting. Road works and detours almost everywhere. Oh and guess what, the McD team came behind us and decided to ride to the hotel together. We were abit lost with directions though we had tulips as the organizers said there are some changes to the route. Kindly one rider asked a pedestrian cyclist where is the hotel, and he gladly showed us. And amazingly, this fella cycled faster than most of us! On his crummy old mountain bike. And here are a group of 10+ cyclist made to look like tortoises, expensively equipped tortoises. No matter, we just did 178km. =P
And sign after sign by our dear organizers, we followed all the way to the Grand River View Hotel, Kota Bharu. Ending 180km, 10.5 hours, and a whole lot of butt sore. I was actually thrilled to complete today's ride and not died like i did yesterday. There was stark contrast between todays ride and yesterdays. Probably because it was lacking the hill + sun combo and i took things slow and easy. It all paid off. And I made it to the end in one piece. Better yet? We arrived at exactly 5pm in the evening. Spot on timing again. And not a moment too soon Vincent came up from behind, 10 minutes behind. Was glad to see him in one piece as well. I sat down to collect some air and rest my legs.......looking at them made me scared with the serious tan lines. Its like heaven and hell........one white one black. Goodness sake......
I got the room keys, me with Vince tonite in one room. Got our luggage and i noticed still quite a number of riders out on the road. About 30-40 perhaps? Well out of 300......i am one of the last end riders. No doubt this time. =P The room at this hotel was awesome. Much better than the economy class of last night. It was posh and it was sweet. And............i was still hyped actually. Dont know why but i was. Me and Vince took an early bath......and went walking around the place. Snapping pics. Talking to riders. Owh, and today our bikes are parked underground with 5 reserved car lots just for bikes. Now we feel like VIP's. Lol. The amount of money parked there and the guard has to watch over? 300 x RM7000 average = RM2 100 000. RM2.1million of bicycles there. Im one of em. ^^.
That night we had a really good dinner by the hotel (though some opt for more tastier outside food) a good briefing and a good day of no casualties again. Bravo. As soon dinner was over everyone (including me and Vince) wanted to buy some extra food and supplies for tonite and tomorrow. And there was only 1 sole 7Eleven just outside near the hotel. And we riders nearly swept the whole store clean of its supply of water, bread and whatever edible there is in there. Must have been a hard time for the cashier to process all of this. And for the store assistants to restock on the shelves.
I also saw one interesting thing : The parking rates in KB. 80cents for 1 hour, 40cents for 1/2 hour, 20cents for 1/4 hour 10cents for 1/8 hour. They really charge till the last minute eh? KLites if you think public parking here is expensive, think again.
That pretty much wraps up the day. I headed back to the hotel, wiped my bike and took a close look at my scratched fork. Cant be helped much so no point crying over it. Still can be ridden. After that it was hitting the bed, snacking abit and then sleeping till next morning. So here ends Day 2.
Day 2 - 1st May
After the terrible ordeal i went through yesterday suffering like a whale out of water on the long slopes under the hot sun, i was thinking since last night whether i should ride today or not? I had 5 options to weigh : Ride the whole journey (and risk suffering again for Day 3 ride), ride first half of journey then up support car till end (To save my legs), ride last half of the journey to tunjuk i rode till the hotel ( =P ), ride first 1/4 go up support car and then ride again on last 1/4 (which sounds dumb), or dont ride at all.
I woke up at 5am to prepare for breakfast and ride flags off at 6.30am sharp for the 180km ahead of us. Long long day ahead for everyone, not just riders but support car drivers. So lots of thoughts were toying is my mind as i brushed my teeth, berak, kencing, change into my jersey, and even to the breakfast table i was still actually thinking wat is my plan for today.
Vincent was rather ok about riding todays long stage. Yong was also looking good. Kumar even more in the mood. I was dreading the first 35km climb at he beginning of the route. Early morning already have to climb. Not yet even fully awake. Finally i made a choice ( i dont know if its considered wise or not) which is : TO RIDE TODAY TILL I CANNOT RIDE ANYMORE. Hmmpph. Some philosophy i have adopted at this time where suffering always comes along. Okay so since i decided to ride, and prayerfully finish without having to call a support car to go up, I load my bags into the truck and my backpack into Patricks car. While waiting for the start of the ride i was actually doing a simply calculation to predict roughly what time i will reach Kota Bharu. IF i do the 35km hills at 10kmh that is roughly 3 hours gone. By 10am i should be on the downhill. And im left with 145km. IF i can do avg speed 20 on the rest of the journey, i should take 7 hours probably. So 10 hours. That would mean i will roughly touchdown at Kota Bharu by 5pm plus minus. I know some of you will tell me "Aiya just ride la why worry.". Hey, it pays to do some planning k? Lol. So i was trying to come to terms with myself that this will be a long tiring terrible 10 hour ride. That is IF nothing else goes wrong.
So 6.30am , time to ride. Organizers orders everyone to go down the slope and line up at the road side for a short briefing before letting us off on the longest single day ride i will ever do. We started as usual in a big bunch crossing the first Banding bridge that connects to Pulau Banding. Pulau Banding is actually a small piece of land (Previously must have been the peak of a hill, but now an island after the valley was damed) in the middle of the lake. So we need to cross two bridges, one more on the other end before crossing back to the mainland. And i didnt expect, km2 already started climbing. Zzzzz. No time to even spin and warm up the legs, already road pointing upwards.
At first he whole bunch manage to keep together steadily at 14kmh, but soon the line stretched longer....and longer.........and longer....................and longer. Soon riders were all over the road. I already said to myself i will pace and not give a cogset who overtakes me. Girl boy uncle aunty monkey whatever. Im saving my legs for 145km. Initially i paced pretty okay for the first few km at 13kmh. Legs still fresh i guess. But the longer it got the slower i got. 5km into the ride already cars and lorries started overtaking us as traffic grows. Well thank God for the overtaking lanes. We hogged all that lane. =P
Past 10km and its almost Genting Sempah distance. Still another 25km to go. Vincent was way behind at this point. He also will be taking his own pace up the hill. I pass riders, riders pass me. That was roughly the scene for the whole hillside. Vongs train even overtook me. Bahri in it. Looking good on his MadOne. Well i did feel slightly defeated on hills. It was my favourite part of riding. But not riding for so long, well, those were the days. Now i say this as if im old man already. Zzzz.
The mist suddenly came down. Clouding the hillside. It was a beautiful sight. Cool as well. My watch thermosensor recorded 25Celcius. Pretty cold, for me. I wasnt aware of the altitude but at this temperature usually its above 800 meters. Well slowly meter by meter i crept up the hill, until finally i reached the peak where there's a rest stop. Most of the riders stopped there to rest, load up water n food, take pics of the beautiful valley and mountains, take a pee coz its cold, and take group photos. Some just went on straight down. I stopped and found Yong and Patrick waiting and resting. Kumar was there also. Nathan came in later abit. I really enjoyed the view up here. Simply beautiful. My photos shows. =)
After some bread and water, Yong asked me to try some creatine for muscle recovery. I was like, hmmm, ok. 180km. Maybe would be good. I put some into my bottle of water and mix.NOW only i ask Yong "How much am i suppose to put in?". He was in shock and asked how much i put in? I cant remember coz i tilted the tin to put the creatin powder in. He was worried i put in too much. And if that happens i would bonk too quickly. Haha. But i think i put in abt 2 teaspoons. Well i double diluted with water and i think i should be fine.
Well that done and a visit to the loo (RM0.20,even up here), time to head down the hill, finally after 35km of slow climbing. The downhill was still nervous for me. I havent been downhilling for a while so im a bit not confident tackling the corners and partly coz i dont know this route. So i was careful at all times going down not more than 45kmh.I was surprised to catch Vincent infront of me. He didnt stop at the top of the climb and went straight on. His reason for not stopping? "I had enough water so i just continue". Ok fine then. After descending 35km or so we reached a place with some stalls to eat. Finally some nice solid food. Its about 11am now i think, this will be our last big meal before hitting the long way to Kota Bharu. Not much watering holes along the way it seems. So whack lots of food and water here to fill up my tanks.
After eating at the table i saw Alwin looking suspiciously at my bikes front end. I was wondering what he was up too. Last year he harassed my butt from behind. Now he is harassing my bike from the front. Weird fella. LOL. He seemed to be playing with my handlebar, and looks like he was playing with my meter. I dont know what the heck he was doing but i will have a look later. I walked over to the gang of them talking, Bahri, Bacin, Alwin all talking while i inspect my bike. Lo and behold i saw what was wrong : My speedometer was upside down. Now i knew what Al was up to. Haha. And he thought i didnt know. So i kindly asked him (as his punishment) to put the meter back to its original position for me. Serves him right i guess. Haha. He asked why didnt i cut the strap shorter to keep it tidy? I replied, "In case itchy hands like yours wants to do the same again, it will take longer for you to take out". Hahahahaha.But in the process of him doing that, he accidentally reset my meter to zero again. Zzzz. Now i have lost all data on distance, speed, average speed for the last 70km and 4hours of riding. Sien. Al said "Just add 70 to what ever distance u are at now." Zzzz......sometimes doing maths while riding isnt that fun. Lol
Anyway after the stop its time to continue the long road ahead. 145km left. From here on the roads were flat with small rolling hills and undulations. Nothing much to note about except the kampung life kind of feel most of the journey. It was getting hotter, my skin getting redder, and my butt getting more sore. I targeted to keep my pace at around 20-22kmh as this was the most comfortable pace i can bear without having too much lactic acid in my legs but constant enough to keep me going. The next 20km was alright. Wind started picking up. I was using my 39 x 23 gear most of the way. Not to light and not too heavy. Vincent and I were pretty much together. But off and on he would just increase pace and go ahead of me. I wasnt interested at all to follow anyone still. Many groups pass me like yesterday, but again i dont want to follow.
However, i later realized someone was following me. I was expecting him to overtake me soon but he kept following my pace. Well having company isnt bad. So i just looked back, acknowledged his company and let him follow my pace. He seemed alright so together we cycled in the hot windy 12noon sun. Then i got a phone call from Vincent saying he stopped over at a Caltex station. I was more than happy to stop along with him. I signaled to the rider behind and he agrees to stop along with me. Met Vincent and also Jesster at the station. We sat down and rested after the wind pounded us mercilessly. I got to know the rider tagging behind me. Mr Farid, whom i realized is actually friends with Bahri and Annie. So he expressed thanks for allowing him to follow me. I was all but glad he accompanied me. And i was aiming to go slow. With the hot day ahead i though i needed serious cool off. I got a can of Coke and ice cream and cold water. The guys stared at me.....yeah alot i know. But its hot. =)
Then i was also looking for water.......to cool down. I went to the side of the station, and i found a tap......and a small pail. Bath time! I drenched myself wet from top to toe, and it felt so refreshing. Even the guy with the high pressure hose washing the floor was more than kind enough to spray me with the water jet! Now thats having fun right there! The other 3 guys laughed at me seeing my antics. I thanked the guy, and went back to the bike soaked. And Vincent said "You will be dry in half an hour." Which sadly is true. Lol.After a much deserved rest, we continued journey to the east. For a while the 4 of us were pretty much together at slow pace. Then soon Jesster and Vince started going forwards on their own. Me and Mr. Farid kept same pace as before, and we had a master plan : To stop every 30km till the finish. Which if we do a rough calculation will take about 4+ hours to reach KB and stop for another 4 times or so. Sounded good. So we put the plan into motion.
Funny enough, till this point my legs still felt rather fresh. Must have been the creatine. Muscle recovery at work perhaps. Anyway i was strong enough to push on in the wind under the hot sun leading the way. Before we knew it we had about 60km to go. We stopped again around km130. Coz tat was where the next petrol station was. Till this point my legs still felt relatively fine. No signs of wanting to give in just yet. So fingers were crossed, and Mr Farid was doing well to follow my pace. Ok so we pushed on more. We crossed a small town (cant remember the name) where we were supposed to cross a set of rail tracks. Here things got a bit interesting.
We were at a stop light waiting to go green. As soon as it was green and I pushed off the bike, 10 meters later i heard this really loud scraping sound and vibration from my bike's front end. I knew it was something on my tires rubbing my brakes or maybe rubbing my fork. I thought it was mud or a piece of sticky paper. I was lazy to stop (amazingly) and have a look. Not until 200 meters later when the sound never ceased i decided to pull over and have a good look whats wrong. Mr Farid and I inspected carefully. Turns out............i ran over a patch of tar!! A big lump of tar with stones and sand sticking on my front tire! This was interesting indeed. And the tires are just new..........200+km old in fact. =(. So i had to take off the wheel and properly see......to my horror the inside of my carbon fork is badly scratched and full of tar also on the sides. My heart had no time to break into pieces. I just want to get this grime off my bike and continue riding.
I needed something to scraped off the thick tar. My tire level couldnt do much. I needed something hard and flat and sharp. As i looked around and behold on the road side i saw the perfect tool : A broken windshield wiper. Perfect! Its metal blade to hold the wiper was still there, hard and flat enough to scrape of the tar. In no time i picked it off the road, scraped as much tar off the tire as i can and in abt 5 minutes i manage to get enough off. Ingenuity on the road. Comes in handy always. =) Fixed my wheel and give it a test spin. Still there is some rub but much better than the drag i had. Now i have tar on my bike and on my hands but I will still ride on. With that ordeal over, the next 50+ km should be within our reach and i estimated we can be there by 5pm. Its already near 3pm. Hopefully we can achieve this target.
I personally wanted to go non stop till the end. But seeing the road conditions today plus the heavy headwinds now I am already starting to feel tired in the legs. The winds kept me down to 19kmh for a short period. I used my lowest gearing. Braving the winds, leading for Mr Farid. We were in shaded region for a while. And even a small group of riders caught us and followed us for a while, i think taking shelter from the strong winds. Then we reached the 20km to go mark. We started seeing more buildings, more traffic and more padi fields. Padi fields. My nightmare just started. Padi fields are full of : Guess? Wind. Argh the onslaught was just overwhelming. For 10 torturous kilometers the wind bashed us front to back and side to side. Riding was difficult. And with a narrow motorcycle lane and fast cars on the right, and the sun still up high, we were in a tight spot for a while. It was really desperate times and i thought the best would be to stop for a short while. But for miles and miles the padi fields never stopped. I was looking for a shaded area or a place of shelter. I scanned the far horizon for a small roof, a hut, a stall, a tree, whatever we can take as refuge. Luckily i manage to spot a bus stop. And i think I need this last rest, though its just 10km to go. I told Farid i will stop.
We stopped and i ate what are my last 2 bars of cloud9 for today. Drank up water with both my bottles now dry. But for 10km it will be sufficient. We have passed all the critical stages. The long overhaul from Banding is over. Now the final stretch is in sight. After 10 minutes, we decide to go for the final push to end the longest route of this Interstate. Slowly km by km we got nearer to KB town. 5km left and we are in the city. Navigating through Kota Bharu was interesting. Road works and detours almost everywhere. Oh and guess what, the McD team came behind us and decided to ride to the hotel together. We were abit lost with directions though we had tulips as the organizers said there are some changes to the route. Kindly one rider asked a pedestrian cyclist where is the hotel, and he gladly showed us. And amazingly, this fella cycled faster than most of us! On his crummy old mountain bike. And here are a group of 10+ cyclist made to look like tortoises, expensively equipped tortoises. No matter, we just did 178km. =P
And sign after sign by our dear organizers, we followed all the way to the Grand River View Hotel, Kota Bharu. Ending 180km, 10.5 hours, and a whole lot of butt sore. I was actually thrilled to complete today's ride and not died like i did yesterday. There was stark contrast between todays ride and yesterdays. Probably because it was lacking the hill + sun combo and i took things slow and easy. It all paid off. And I made it to the end in one piece. Better yet? We arrived at exactly 5pm in the evening. Spot on timing again. And not a moment too soon Vincent came up from behind, 10 minutes behind. Was glad to see him in one piece as well. I sat down to collect some air and rest my legs.......looking at them made me scared with the serious tan lines. Its like heaven and hell........one white one black. Goodness sake......
I got the room keys, me with Vince tonite in one room. Got our luggage and i noticed still quite a number of riders out on the road. About 30-40 perhaps? Well out of 300......i am one of the last end riders. No doubt this time. =P The room at this hotel was awesome. Much better than the economy class of last night. It was posh and it was sweet. And............i was still hyped actually. Dont know why but i was. Me and Vince took an early bath......and went walking around the place. Snapping pics. Talking to riders. Owh, and today our bikes are parked underground with 5 reserved car lots just for bikes. Now we feel like VIP's. Lol. The amount of money parked there and the guard has to watch over? 300 x RM7000 average = RM2 100 000. RM2.1million of bicycles there. Im one of em. ^^.
That night we had a really good dinner by the hotel (though some opt for more tastier outside food) a good briefing and a good day of no casualties again. Bravo. As soon dinner was over everyone (including me and Vince) wanted to buy some extra food and supplies for tonite and tomorrow. And there was only 1 sole 7Eleven just outside near the hotel. And we riders nearly swept the whole store clean of its supply of water, bread and whatever edible there is in there. Must have been a hard time for the cashier to process all of this. And for the store assistants to restock on the shelves.
I also saw one interesting thing : The parking rates in KB. 80cents for 1 hour, 40cents for 1/2 hour, 20cents for 1/4 hour 10cents for 1/8 hour. They really charge till the last minute eh? KLites if you think public parking here is expensive, think again.
That pretty much wraps up the day. I headed back to the hotel, wiped my bike and took a close look at my scratched fork. Cant be helped much so no point crying over it. Still can be ridden. After that it was hitting the bed, snacking abit and then sleeping till next morning. So here ends Day 2.
05 May 2010
Interstate 2010 : 30th April - 2nd May : Kuala Kangsar - Pulau Banding - Kota Bharu - Tasik Kenyir (Part 1)
Yes yes i know a lot of people are waiting for my report of this years IS. Its my 3rd consecutive Interstate and im proud to be a part of this lovely wonderful challenging event with riders from all walks of life. First of all thank you to the organizers for making it possible. Smooth and well organized. Job well done. OK.....time for my part.
DAY 0 - 29th April
Day 0 starts out pretty much me having to do a small assignment for the company in the early morning. Though I am on leave but this was a small thing for me. I packed most of my stuff last night and i was just about ready to leave anytime. This time around Vincent Lim would be picking me up from my place and we will head over home (yes my home) for a pit stop before driving down early morning to KKangsar the next day. I had to rush to buy lots of water and food for the ride. Predicting that I will KO somehow somewhere i thought id better load up. So my choice for this years IS food list : 3 bottles of 1.5l mineral water, 2 bottles of 1.5l Excel isotonic drink (cheaper than 100Plus but works the same actually), 1 pack of Cloud9 (12pcs @ RM3.99) compared to buying PowerGel@RM6 per piece. I was on budget. =P And lastly 6 Gardenia bread buns @ RM0.60 per packet. Saving here i hope wont affect my road ride.
Vincent came over at 12.30pm just afte the short downpour. I did some bit of last minute packing, chucked the bike in his Innova, chucked my bag and stuffs together with his stuff and bike in there and soon we were off..........to lunch at the chicken rice stall 150 meters from my house. THEN only home =)
Havent been home since CNY and this is a short stop over, just one night. I wished it was the whole week while i was off. =P. Left KL at around 1.30pm and throughout he drive home me and Vince chatted all the way, while i guided him on the road. Reached home at about 4.30pm. Got down from the car and first thing i saw was his rear tire was flat. Now thats a start to worry. Mum and I assured him that this is Sitiawan, anything is reachable in 5-10 minutes and not like KL. Took him to the tyre shop just outside my house area and got the tyre patched for RM5. But Vince was still worried about a slow leak while we leave the car 3 days in K.Kangsar. I just kept reassuring him it would be fine.
Mum and I and my bro took Vince out o dinner to eat some nice seafood in Kg Cina. Its been a while since i ate here. Always love my home's own food. Later in the night met up with Albert and Yong and Patrick to hand over their IS riding stuff. And then i heard this from Albert : "Bro, im not riding IS." For a moment i thought yeah, stop bluffing. I know you must go this time. But he was dead serious. Excuse? Not been riding for 1 month. WHAT?! I haven been riding for almost a year! And thats with less than 10 times riding in 12 months. And here i go stupidly (again) on a 480km ride 3 days straight. I think i should be the one more worried than anyone else. But sad to say Albert really cant make it this year again......since he also just opened his new computer shop, it needs looking after. So another bad news before IS starts. Patrick and Yong came in fashionably late. So looks like it will be them 2 plus Kumar and Nathan (Who are already in Ipoh) who will represent Sitiawan riders.....oh and me as well. No Albert got no one to play with during the ride. =(
Anyway ride goes on. After a short yum cha session, we both head home to catch some sleep. We have to leave at 4am in order to reach K.Kangsar in time for loading. Ride starts at 7am. Though Vincent hit he sack at about 11.30am i stood up to watch some TV and to surf net for a while. Its home after all. When you are at home, do the things that should be done at home =).
DAY 1- 30th April
I KOed on the sofa from 12am till 3.30am. I didnt really sleep well. But time to get up and start loading and head to K.Kangsar. I still wish i can just stay home longer. OH well....next time maybe?
Vince and i got up, we took just 10 minutes to prepare wash up and load. It was nice seeing home again. By 4am we were waiting at Shell for Yong and Patrick. I gave Yong a morning call...JUST in case. So finally we rendevouz and we tailed all the way. Btw it rained just before i left he house. And it continued the entire journey from Sitiawan to K.Kangsar. Wow. Never seen that long a rain before. Driving in the wee hours in scary for Vince. He doesnt see well in the dark. But he managed to drive well. After weaving past the kampung roads in the dark we reach K.Kangsar at 5.30am. Way early. So we took things more relaxed knowing we have time.
The starting point was at the Perak Riverside Resort. Its really just beside the Perak river and just in front is the Kuala Kangsar Bridge. Most riders and support car drivers (esp from outstation) would have arrived yesterday to rest and sleep in for the night. Already 5.45am and a small bit of activity starts to be seen and heard amidst the light rain (still). Me and Vince ate butterscotch bread for breakfast. WE have been carbo loading since yesterday. The rain got lighter so by 6am we set up our bikes and prepared for the days ride. Soon the scene was abuzz with activity of 350++ people. Most of whom are riding. I see old riding buddies after a long abscense and i see lots of new faces. To some it will be their first Interstate and i can imagine how they feel just as i did ack in 2008. For some it will be another time of testing their endurance, enjoying good riding company, good food and more beautiful sceneries. And as with every Interstate, always without fail.......sore butts, sore legs, burnt skin and probably some regrets along the way.
Todays ride will be 140km to Pulau Banding right at the northern top part of Perak. 140km isnt toooo bad. But for me, im just ready for the worst : Going up the support car if i have to.
All luggage into the truck, my bike prepared to hit he road, the rider (me).....well....ride till i cant ride. Dont even want to think ride and reach by 1pm like previous years. No. This time round im taking things differently. Many of the riders still think im the good strong rider as previously been testified (Btw not self glorifying here, just as it is *wink*) and i will have no problems in the ride. Well.....once i reach the end of the ride i will be able to gauge myself.
Alright nearing 7am and everyone is almost ready. I did some catching up with old riding friends. Take in the atmosphere. Do last minute checks to my bike and just get on with it. Oh btw, i saw Yip at IS too, though he isnt doing IS with us, he is doing his own IS. For those of you who dont know, Yip is well know among the cycling + running community as a hardcore ultra iron man of a runner and cyclist. How? He cycled from KL to K.Kangsar yesterday in 12 hours. Today he will shoot straight to Kota Bharu on his own. From there on to Kuantan and then back to KL. His will be a 5 day 1224km journey on his own. And he loves doing this. But most important of all....he CAN do it. We all admire his strength and courage. Its like a miracle. Anyway he is still a friend and one respected man.
OK 7am! Organizers give one last briefing and just before we are all about to go, i hear this : "Psssssssssssttttttttttttt". Sound of a punctured tired. No not mine. LOL! Thank God. The lady beside me somehow got a puncture even before she starts to ride! I think she rolled over a sharp nail or something. Oh well, can be fixed in 5 minutes and she will be fine. Luckily her riding partner was there to help.
Flags off! Interstate 2010 is underway and with 480km in front of me, i will see how i do this time compared to previous years. Its only Day 1 and will have long km's to come. First 10km behind the marshalls car as always. Leading us out from K.Kangsar town into the open kampung roads. The rain stopped just before the start. Roads are slightly wet and everyone is taking slow. With 300+ riders, the line this time must have been really long. Just a simple calculation : if a 3 x 100 rider line is formed, and a bike will take up roughly 3-4 meters of space. Thats about a 400meter line. On the road that is really long. And it might have been over 600 meters at times given some slow riders stretch out the line longer. What a sight it must have been for the motorist.
This year also I will try something new : On the fly photography and video shoot while on the bike. Its new to me but i will try to get as many pics and vids as i can. If your not used to cycling with one hand or no hands on the bar and also balance while taking pics + aware of your surroundings + know when to shoot and when not to shoot , its best not to try this on the move on the bike. Most would stop. But i like to keep moving. So here goes. Wish me luck.
First 20km i felt alright. Still at a slow pace. 20-25kmh like that. Vincent and I made a pact to stay together as often as we can while going slow. We just want to survive the ride, thats all. Haha. At around 27km i was still with the Vong peloton and i saw from afar one guy come out from the bushes. I knew that was Alwin. And i was halfway filming the ride that time. Good opportunity! So i rode and caught up with him and Vincent. With camera rolling i asked "Pergi tandas eh? Hehe". He said dont have toilet around la, no choice. Then our friend on the recumbent bike chipped in "Tadak tandas, tepi jalan tandas pun boleh lah!". Lol. We all had a good laugh.
Fun vid no? =)
Well after that point (actually since KM17) it will be a straight path all the way to KM103. No turning at junctions or whatsoever. Its all go straight for the next 90km. Which is really daunting. Gosh. Anyway, its still early morning just after 8am, scenes all around are hills, small water ponds, low clouds, mist, the quiet kampung life. It was so nice. And there 300 cyclist and 20+ support cars come to make the place all hyped and happening. I just passed the 30km mark and already hungry. Tulips shows a watering hole at km31. Just in time. Saw that rest stop by the road. So me and Vince and the Vong peloton stopped for proper food. I downed nasi lemak ayam merah at 8+am in the morning. Like i care. I need it for the day ahead. Rested a while, and refilled water from Patrick in the support car. Yong went off earlier on his own. Another dental appointment i suppose?
After about 20mins rest me and Vince decide its time to move again. From here on till the tiny town of Gerik, the roads were pretty much flat and slight rolling. Smooth roads and a hot sun above our heads. Already my skin starts to turn red. I guess the only interesting things to see from now are the road signs, riders overtaking me, or just talkng to Vince. We reached Gerik town at around noon. We pit stopped at a Petronas to refill and rest. I think it was 100km at this point. More than halfway. I was like ok, still can carry on. Not too bad. But my legs are starting to feel fatigued. And i heard from the briefing, there is a climb at the end of the ride. Oh boy.......20km i heard. Crap.
This year i thing is also a year of teams. Lots wearing same team jerseys : KOTRT, Jelutong Riders, Team Bandung, McD, Cervelo, Caisse D'Epargne, and more i cant remember. Btw i got to try wearing my new RadioShack jersey. Its my first complete set matching jersey. Its not ori as i cant afford. But comfort and look wise, its good for the budget people. =) Thank you to Yasin for the jerseys you sell.
So after the tiny town of Gerik, there is just about 40km left to ride. Theoretically i should take 2 hours to reach at just 20kmh speed. Slow and steady. Its 1pm. So by 3 earliest i can reach. Latest? Well i was prepared to be 5pm if that last hill kills me. Vincent was like "3pm?! cannot la. 4 or 5 la". I said "4. Make it 4". Target of the day at least. So after that stop it is on to the final push. The sun is beating down, and i am sure i was among the rear end riders. Maybe the last 30 riders? Or less even maybe. Everyone was in big groups zooming in front. Many actually asked me to join their group. But i politely turned down. I know my limit this time and im not prepared at all to go 30kmh flat, so i aint going to get myself killed prematurely on the road. Ive still got the best of 300km for my legs to pedal (If they are going to be doing that far).
Meter shows at about km 110. And now the small rolling hills start to show their ugly face. Each time my bike pointed upwards just slightly, i will go from 20 to 10kmh in and instant. My legs really wasnt prepared to take the beating. And then i get his new sensation : Sleepiness on the bike!!! I was really about to doze off while on the ride. I think the 3 hours of sleep finally caught me. Oh God i hope i dont drop by the side of the road snoring. I was weaving in and out on those small climbs under the hot sun and my mind wasnt focused. And NOW i start feeling everything that I am supposed to feel. I tried eating my cloud9 to keep me awake, sipped water, tried talking to Vince (if only he wasnt that far in front or behind me).
Now i also start seeing these road signs very very often "LORONG MEMOTONG 300 METER DI HADAPAN". Translation : "Overtaking lane 300 meters ahead". Meaning? A climb is coming.......coz the left lane is for slow lorries.......or and extremely slow rider like me. Im like suffering under the 2pm sun, up 10kmh and at some places 6kmh on small hills, skin burnt as roast turkey, and im thinking already "CALL SUPPORT CAR. CALL PATRICK." This thought kept playing in my mind from this moment on. Darn annoying. Should i or should i not? I crept slowly up the hills. I saw my watch showing the air temperature in the area was at 38.0Celcius. It was THAT HOT on that hill and im moving slower than a sloth. And those signs keep popping up al the way. Everytime i enjoy the downhill part (however short it was sometimes), these signs make me cringe and almost made me give up. Well i did the next best thing : No, not call support car. I stopped to rest under the shade. My legs felt like jelly. Actually throughout he whole journey, i didnt event pant or breathe heavily. Just that my legs wont move. I sprayed water to cool the legs ; didnt work. Behind me while i rested, Vince came up to rest along side me. We just wanted out of the sun and stop climbing for a while.
I looked at him and said , "Come on, not far left to go. Slowly lah we tackle the hills." So we tried our best to get up these hills. Vincent was pumped enough so he left me alone. I didnt give a spare spokes about it. I will just ride at my pace until i can ride no more. 3pm already and with 20km to go. So near but seems so far. The Hillsun combo realy does kill. My legs burn with lactic acid and my mind still wanders to and for about flagging down a support car to take me to the finish. But every km than crept under me eventually led me to KM128.5. Here i stopped again and this time in the company of the Bukit Jelutong support car and their riders taking a break as well. And apparently one rider had a cramp so they were attending to his needs. He will be well taken care off. I thank God i dint cramp. Then as i was talking the guy said not more to go. I said "Yeah not more". Then he said "Dont worry, the worst is over. After this is downhill all the way.". WAIT a minute, all they way? Wow, thats the best news i have heard in the last 20km. All the way. I got pumped. And i was ready this time to make a dash for the finish.
So i rode on, knowing end is in sight, and its the last 10km. Always in a ride, the last 10km is psychologically the point where u are safe and you will finish albeit anything bad happens. But to us cyclist, this is a time we can sit up and worry less. SO i continued abit more of this darn hill climb, and then as it was said, the road pointed down. Yeah baby! I've been so waiting for this. Though my descent was tricky as in the hot afternoon it tends to be very windy. Lots of headwinds and side winds. Pushing me all over the road. Plus vehicles on my left made me have to navigate the downhill with caution. I dont want to crash. I kept braking in check and kept my cornering speed just enough to get through.
131km.....132km......133km.......134km......135km......at this point there was a small flat section so i burst through. 136km. 137km. And then i saw on my left.....a big wonderful lake. I wanted to take pics but going downhill, it isnt a smart idea. Then i saw on the right a small building on top a small slope with cars. Specifcally cars with bikes on the roof! Im here! At the finish...BUT.....i did say its a building on top of a slope. More climb. Ah wat the heck, final climb i will just bash up that hill. So i turned in and as i came around the bend the road pointed up towards the heavens. Im like, crap, but also like, dont give a dam. I pushed with all my last remaining effort up that short steep climb to what is todays stop point, Banding Lakeside Inn.
I reached the lobby and i saw Vincent there already. And i looked at my watch : 4pm. Perfect, my timing was spot on. And i told Vince , "I told you we can reach by 4pm" WE both smiled and high fived. Great feeling. But also another feeling is my legs are like the leaning tower of Pisa. They want to sit down and rest. I got my bags and stuff together and we headed to our room. This is a new inn as i can still see the new cement laid and all new interior. Sadly is a small inn so all the bikes are parked in and around the lobby area. Well, they didnt have this kind of event in mind, cant blame them.
And the inn is built such that all the rooms overlook the Banding lake. Really nice scenery and simple place to stay for the night. Group photo shoot was at 5.30pm so we all bathed and just enjoyed taking in the really calm lovely atmosphere. We are soooooo away from civilization. Dinner was at 6.30pm. Sadly this inn didnt know that 300 hungry cyclist requires 600 peoples portion of food or more. We are a bunch that just eats anything cooked. So some of us (including me) had nothing left by the time the first round of people went to take their food. I was left with rice + gravy + 3pcs of taufu. Thats it. So much for carbo loading for the 180km ride the next day. Spaghetti without sauce. Rice without dishes. Sad case to see. Oh well, we hope the next two days are worth our cyclig effort.
I got back to the room to rest and sleep after that. But i also was thinking, should i go full distance tomorrow? Of half? Ride first then up car? Or up car then ride last half? Tomorrows route is a first 35km climb , AGAIN. And then all the way flat 145km to Kota Bharu. That is scary. Will my legs be able to survive the climb? And if they do, survive 145km to Kota Bharu? I kept thinking about it till I dozed off eventually. Btw, Belinda Hu, gona visit your hometown =)
So that ends Day 1. I survived, just barely. It was a very hard day of riding. Shortest distance, but really hard ride. I was prepared for a hellish ride next. Anyway will see how.
*Part 2 for Day 2 coming later. Stay tuned =)*
DAY 0 - 29th April
Day 0 starts out pretty much me having to do a small assignment for the company in the early morning. Though I am on leave but this was a small thing for me. I packed most of my stuff last night and i was just about ready to leave anytime. This time around Vincent Lim would be picking me up from my place and we will head over home (yes my home) for a pit stop before driving down early morning to KKangsar the next day. I had to rush to buy lots of water and food for the ride. Predicting that I will KO somehow somewhere i thought id better load up. So my choice for this years IS food list : 3 bottles of 1.5l mineral water, 2 bottles of 1.5l Excel isotonic drink (cheaper than 100Plus but works the same actually), 1 pack of Cloud9 (12pcs @ RM3.99) compared to buying PowerGel@RM6 per piece. I was on budget. =P And lastly 6 Gardenia bread buns @ RM0.60 per packet. Saving here i hope wont affect my road ride.
Vincent came over at 12.30pm just afte the short downpour. I did some bit of last minute packing, chucked the bike in his Innova, chucked my bag and stuffs together with his stuff and bike in there and soon we were off..........to lunch at the chicken rice stall 150 meters from my house. THEN only home =)
Havent been home since CNY and this is a short stop over, just one night. I wished it was the whole week while i was off. =P. Left KL at around 1.30pm and throughout he drive home me and Vince chatted all the way, while i guided him on the road. Reached home at about 4.30pm. Got down from the car and first thing i saw was his rear tire was flat. Now thats a start to worry. Mum and I assured him that this is Sitiawan, anything is reachable in 5-10 minutes and not like KL. Took him to the tyre shop just outside my house area and got the tyre patched for RM5. But Vince was still worried about a slow leak while we leave the car 3 days in K.Kangsar. I just kept reassuring him it would be fine.
Mum and I and my bro took Vince out o dinner to eat some nice seafood in Kg Cina. Its been a while since i ate here. Always love my home's own food. Later in the night met up with Albert and Yong and Patrick to hand over their IS riding stuff. And then i heard this from Albert : "Bro, im not riding IS." For a moment i thought yeah, stop bluffing. I know you must go this time. But he was dead serious. Excuse? Not been riding for 1 month. WHAT?! I haven been riding for almost a year! And thats with less than 10 times riding in 12 months. And here i go stupidly (again) on a 480km ride 3 days straight. I think i should be the one more worried than anyone else. But sad to say Albert really cant make it this year again......since he also just opened his new computer shop, it needs looking after. So another bad news before IS starts. Patrick and Yong came in fashionably late. So looks like it will be them 2 plus Kumar and Nathan (Who are already in Ipoh) who will represent Sitiawan riders.....oh and me as well. No Albert got no one to play with during the ride. =(
Anyway ride goes on. After a short yum cha session, we both head home to catch some sleep. We have to leave at 4am in order to reach K.Kangsar in time for loading. Ride starts at 7am. Though Vincent hit he sack at about 11.30am i stood up to watch some TV and to surf net for a while. Its home after all. When you are at home, do the things that should be done at home =).
DAY 1- 30th April
I KOed on the sofa from 12am till 3.30am. I didnt really sleep well. But time to get up and start loading and head to K.Kangsar. I still wish i can just stay home longer. OH well....next time maybe?
Vince and i got up, we took just 10 minutes to prepare wash up and load. It was nice seeing home again. By 4am we were waiting at Shell for Yong and Patrick. I gave Yong a morning call...JUST in case. So finally we rendevouz and we tailed all the way. Btw it rained just before i left he house. And it continued the entire journey from Sitiawan to K.Kangsar. Wow. Never seen that long a rain before. Driving in the wee hours in scary for Vince. He doesnt see well in the dark. But he managed to drive well. After weaving past the kampung roads in the dark we reach K.Kangsar at 5.30am. Way early. So we took things more relaxed knowing we have time.
The starting point was at the Perak Riverside Resort. Its really just beside the Perak river and just in front is the Kuala Kangsar Bridge. Most riders and support car drivers (esp from outstation) would have arrived yesterday to rest and sleep in for the night. Already 5.45am and a small bit of activity starts to be seen and heard amidst the light rain (still). Me and Vince ate butterscotch bread for breakfast. WE have been carbo loading since yesterday. The rain got lighter so by 6am we set up our bikes and prepared for the days ride. Soon the scene was abuzz with activity of 350++ people. Most of whom are riding. I see old riding buddies after a long abscense and i see lots of new faces. To some it will be their first Interstate and i can imagine how they feel just as i did ack in 2008. For some it will be another time of testing their endurance, enjoying good riding company, good food and more beautiful sceneries. And as with every Interstate, always without fail.......sore butts, sore legs, burnt skin and probably some regrets along the way.
Todays ride will be 140km to Pulau Banding right at the northern top part of Perak. 140km isnt toooo bad. But for me, im just ready for the worst : Going up the support car if i have to.
All luggage into the truck, my bike prepared to hit he road, the rider (me).....well....ride till i cant ride. Dont even want to think ride and reach by 1pm like previous years. No. This time round im taking things differently. Many of the riders still think im the good strong rider as previously been testified (Btw not self glorifying here, just as it is *wink*) and i will have no problems in the ride. Well.....once i reach the end of the ride i will be able to gauge myself.
Alright nearing 7am and everyone is almost ready. I did some catching up with old riding friends. Take in the atmosphere. Do last minute checks to my bike and just get on with it. Oh btw, i saw Yip at IS too, though he isnt doing IS with us, he is doing his own IS. For those of you who dont know, Yip is well know among the cycling + running community as a hardcore ultra iron man of a runner and cyclist. How? He cycled from KL to K.Kangsar yesterday in 12 hours. Today he will shoot straight to Kota Bharu on his own. From there on to Kuantan and then back to KL. His will be a 5 day 1224km journey on his own. And he loves doing this. But most important of all....he CAN do it. We all admire his strength and courage. Its like a miracle. Anyway he is still a friend and one respected man.
OK 7am! Organizers give one last briefing and just before we are all about to go, i hear this : "Psssssssssssttttttttttttt". Sound of a punctured tired. No not mine. LOL! Thank God. The lady beside me somehow got a puncture even before she starts to ride! I think she rolled over a sharp nail or something. Oh well, can be fixed in 5 minutes and she will be fine. Luckily her riding partner was there to help.
Flags off! Interstate 2010 is underway and with 480km in front of me, i will see how i do this time compared to previous years. Its only Day 1 and will have long km's to come. First 10km behind the marshalls car as always. Leading us out from K.Kangsar town into the open kampung roads. The rain stopped just before the start. Roads are slightly wet and everyone is taking slow. With 300+ riders, the line this time must have been really long. Just a simple calculation : if a 3 x 100 rider line is formed, and a bike will take up roughly 3-4 meters of space. Thats about a 400meter line. On the road that is really long. And it might have been over 600 meters at times given some slow riders stretch out the line longer. What a sight it must have been for the motorist.
This year also I will try something new : On the fly photography and video shoot while on the bike. Its new to me but i will try to get as many pics and vids as i can. If your not used to cycling with one hand or no hands on the bar and also balance while taking pics + aware of your surroundings + know when to shoot and when not to shoot , its best not to try this on the move on the bike. Most would stop. But i like to keep moving. So here goes. Wish me luck.
First 20km i felt alright. Still at a slow pace. 20-25kmh like that. Vincent and I made a pact to stay together as often as we can while going slow. We just want to survive the ride, thats all. Haha. At around 27km i was still with the Vong peloton and i saw from afar one guy come out from the bushes. I knew that was Alwin. And i was halfway filming the ride that time. Good opportunity! So i rode and caught up with him and Vincent. With camera rolling i asked "Pergi tandas eh? Hehe". He said dont have toilet around la, no choice. Then our friend on the recumbent bike chipped in "Tadak tandas, tepi jalan tandas pun boleh lah!". Lol. We all had a good laugh.
Fun vid no? =)
Well after that point (actually since KM17) it will be a straight path all the way to KM103. No turning at junctions or whatsoever. Its all go straight for the next 90km. Which is really daunting. Gosh. Anyway, its still early morning just after 8am, scenes all around are hills, small water ponds, low clouds, mist, the quiet kampung life. It was so nice. And there 300 cyclist and 20+ support cars come to make the place all hyped and happening. I just passed the 30km mark and already hungry. Tulips shows a watering hole at km31. Just in time. Saw that rest stop by the road. So me and Vince and the Vong peloton stopped for proper food. I downed nasi lemak ayam merah at 8+am in the morning. Like i care. I need it for the day ahead. Rested a while, and refilled water from Patrick in the support car. Yong went off earlier on his own. Another dental appointment i suppose?
After about 20mins rest me and Vince decide its time to move again. From here on till the tiny town of Gerik, the roads were pretty much flat and slight rolling. Smooth roads and a hot sun above our heads. Already my skin starts to turn red. I guess the only interesting things to see from now are the road signs, riders overtaking me, or just talkng to Vince. We reached Gerik town at around noon. We pit stopped at a Petronas to refill and rest. I think it was 100km at this point. More than halfway. I was like ok, still can carry on. Not too bad. But my legs are starting to feel fatigued. And i heard from the briefing, there is a climb at the end of the ride. Oh boy.......20km i heard. Crap.
This year i thing is also a year of teams. Lots wearing same team jerseys : KOTRT, Jelutong Riders, Team Bandung, McD, Cervelo, Caisse D'Epargne, and more i cant remember. Btw i got to try wearing my new RadioShack jersey. Its my first complete set matching jersey. Its not ori as i cant afford. But comfort and look wise, its good for the budget people. =) Thank you to Yasin for the jerseys you sell.
So after the tiny town of Gerik, there is just about 40km left to ride. Theoretically i should take 2 hours to reach at just 20kmh speed. Slow and steady. Its 1pm. So by 3 earliest i can reach. Latest? Well i was prepared to be 5pm if that last hill kills me. Vincent was like "3pm?! cannot la. 4 or 5 la". I said "4. Make it 4". Target of the day at least. So after that stop it is on to the final push. The sun is beating down, and i am sure i was among the rear end riders. Maybe the last 30 riders? Or less even maybe. Everyone was in big groups zooming in front. Many actually asked me to join their group. But i politely turned down. I know my limit this time and im not prepared at all to go 30kmh flat, so i aint going to get myself killed prematurely on the road. Ive still got the best of 300km for my legs to pedal (If they are going to be doing that far).
Meter shows at about km 110. And now the small rolling hills start to show their ugly face. Each time my bike pointed upwards just slightly, i will go from 20 to 10kmh in and instant. My legs really wasnt prepared to take the beating. And then i get his new sensation : Sleepiness on the bike!!! I was really about to doze off while on the ride. I think the 3 hours of sleep finally caught me. Oh God i hope i dont drop by the side of the road snoring. I was weaving in and out on those small climbs under the hot sun and my mind wasnt focused. And NOW i start feeling everything that I am supposed to feel. I tried eating my cloud9 to keep me awake, sipped water, tried talking to Vince (if only he wasnt that far in front or behind me).
Now i also start seeing these road signs very very often "LORONG MEMOTONG 300 METER DI HADAPAN". Translation : "Overtaking lane 300 meters ahead". Meaning? A climb is coming.......coz the left lane is for slow lorries.......or and extremely slow rider like me. Im like suffering under the 2pm sun, up 10kmh and at some places 6kmh on small hills, skin burnt as roast turkey, and im thinking already "CALL SUPPORT CAR. CALL PATRICK." This thought kept playing in my mind from this moment on. Darn annoying. Should i or should i not? I crept slowly up the hills. I saw my watch showing the air temperature in the area was at 38.0Celcius. It was THAT HOT on that hill and im moving slower than a sloth. And those signs keep popping up al the way. Everytime i enjoy the downhill part (however short it was sometimes), these signs make me cringe and almost made me give up. Well i did the next best thing : No, not call support car. I stopped to rest under the shade. My legs felt like jelly. Actually throughout he whole journey, i didnt event pant or breathe heavily. Just that my legs wont move. I sprayed water to cool the legs ; didnt work. Behind me while i rested, Vince came up to rest along side me. We just wanted out of the sun and stop climbing for a while.
I looked at him and said , "Come on, not far left to go. Slowly lah we tackle the hills." So we tried our best to get up these hills. Vincent was pumped enough so he left me alone. I didnt give a spare spokes about it. I will just ride at my pace until i can ride no more. 3pm already and with 20km to go. So near but seems so far. The Hillsun combo realy does kill. My legs burn with lactic acid and my mind still wanders to and for about flagging down a support car to take me to the finish. But every km than crept under me eventually led me to KM128.5. Here i stopped again and this time in the company of the Bukit Jelutong support car and their riders taking a break as well. And apparently one rider had a cramp so they were attending to his needs. He will be well taken care off. I thank God i dint cramp. Then as i was talking the guy said not more to go. I said "Yeah not more". Then he said "Dont worry, the worst is over. After this is downhill all the way.". WAIT a minute, all they way? Wow, thats the best news i have heard in the last 20km. All the way. I got pumped. And i was ready this time to make a dash for the finish.
So i rode on, knowing end is in sight, and its the last 10km. Always in a ride, the last 10km is psychologically the point where u are safe and you will finish albeit anything bad happens. But to us cyclist, this is a time we can sit up and worry less. SO i continued abit more of this darn hill climb, and then as it was said, the road pointed down. Yeah baby! I've been so waiting for this. Though my descent was tricky as in the hot afternoon it tends to be very windy. Lots of headwinds and side winds. Pushing me all over the road. Plus vehicles on my left made me have to navigate the downhill with caution. I dont want to crash. I kept braking in check and kept my cornering speed just enough to get through.
131km.....132km......133km.......134km......135km......at this point there was a small flat section so i burst through. 136km. 137km. And then i saw on my left.....a big wonderful lake. I wanted to take pics but going downhill, it isnt a smart idea. Then i saw on the right a small building on top a small slope with cars. Specifcally cars with bikes on the roof! Im here! At the finish...BUT.....i did say its a building on top of a slope. More climb. Ah wat the heck, final climb i will just bash up that hill. So i turned in and as i came around the bend the road pointed up towards the heavens. Im like, crap, but also like, dont give a dam. I pushed with all my last remaining effort up that short steep climb to what is todays stop point, Banding Lakeside Inn.
I reached the lobby and i saw Vincent there already. And i looked at my watch : 4pm. Perfect, my timing was spot on. And i told Vince , "I told you we can reach by 4pm" WE both smiled and high fived. Great feeling. But also another feeling is my legs are like the leaning tower of Pisa. They want to sit down and rest. I got my bags and stuff together and we headed to our room. This is a new inn as i can still see the new cement laid and all new interior. Sadly is a small inn so all the bikes are parked in and around the lobby area. Well, they didnt have this kind of event in mind, cant blame them.
And the inn is built such that all the rooms overlook the Banding lake. Really nice scenery and simple place to stay for the night. Group photo shoot was at 5.30pm so we all bathed and just enjoyed taking in the really calm lovely atmosphere. We are soooooo away from civilization. Dinner was at 6.30pm. Sadly this inn didnt know that 300 hungry cyclist requires 600 peoples portion of food or more. We are a bunch that just eats anything cooked. So some of us (including me) had nothing left by the time the first round of people went to take their food. I was left with rice + gravy + 3pcs of taufu. Thats it. So much for carbo loading for the 180km ride the next day. Spaghetti without sauce. Rice without dishes. Sad case to see. Oh well, we hope the next two days are worth our cyclig effort.
I got back to the room to rest and sleep after that. But i also was thinking, should i go full distance tomorrow? Of half? Ride first then up car? Or up car then ride last half? Tomorrows route is a first 35km climb , AGAIN. And then all the way flat 145km to Kota Bharu. That is scary. Will my legs be able to survive the climb? And if they do, survive 145km to Kota Bharu? I kept thinking about it till I dozed off eventually. Btw, Belinda Hu, gona visit your hometown =)
So that ends Day 1. I survived, just barely. It was a very hard day of riding. Shortest distance, but really hard ride. I was prepared for a hellish ride next. Anyway will see how.
*Part 2 for Day 2 coming later. Stay tuned =)*
20 April 2010
In the light.
Hmmm okay i decided to blog this after somehow God pointed out to me that i should blog about this. Lol.
Erm i cant really remember if i have blogged this before or repeated many times, but oh well, its still for God's sake.
Its not a surprise many people have mistaken the Gospel. I mean already God said there will be those who will persecute the Gospel, will betray the Son of Man, will turn their backs on God, will rebel, will wander away, will sin, etc. So its pretty common that attacks frequently occur on God's people. But hardly any succeed in shaking our faith anchored in Christ the solid Rock =)
I have heard a lot of the time that there are Christians world wide who are "shoving" the Gospel down the throats of the unsaved non believers. Well, as harsh as it sounds, i cant deny that it does happen (and on their behalf if you feel offended or disgusted well.........no harm intended in the first place). Actually some might have just gone a little too far or misinterpreted the bible's meaning when God said "Go into the world and preach the good news". Preaching was just meant to be that. Preaching. Aka sharing. Not shoving. Tat would be less a message of conviction and more of intrusion and against the will. God said that we have a freewill to choose ; whether to believe in Him or not. The rest is entirely up to you.
I was a non believer for a substantial period of time. And that time i pretty much thought that religion was a very subjective thing. Can choose whatever u like to believe in. Well to put things this way, its like i can believe another lady or man to be my parents and not my current real ones, coz i strongly believe it. And we think that we are right in our beliefs. As long they treat me nice or all is smooth sailing why not. Truth is i already have my true parents so i shall not believe in any other ppl to be my parents.
If you ask me, did i feel religious with my previous belief? Not really. I didnt feel a love as such as God's love. Was I once apprehensive about God? Yes i was. But did people tried to shove to Gospel down my throat? Yes there were. But there must be a reason why these people are so adamant to tell me this bit of information. Why is Jesus Christ so important? I knew He died on a cross. He died for sins (sins of only Christians i thought). I did know He resurrected 3 days after He died (from reading the children's illustrated Bible). But thats abt it. What is the significance or the price of this wasnt really much a bother to me, not till when one fine day I started to get all the pieces together on my own. No one shoved the Good News down my throat. And no one preached a hard lecturing message to me begging on all fours to accept Christ as my Lord and Saviour. I decided that all on my own after and this is what I can conclude :
1) I knew Jesus died for sins of believers and non believers because He doesnt want us to be in hell and our souls destroyed forever with Satan. (Imagine dying and not existing afterwards)
2) I found purpose tat is higher than any other purpose.
3) God loves still to those saved and unsaved (though the unsaved may be unaware or ungrateful)
4) I experienced God's miracles which never happened before.
5) Even if my world falls apart, God doesnt fall apart.
6) I 100% know where im going to and im not afraid at all, not the slightest bit.
I guess the first Words of God ever etched in my mind was when i was 12 when my granduncle passed away. A fellow believer (which i shall see in heaven and have a lovely chat with him =) ) was John 11:25 - "I am the Ressurection and the Life, he who believes in me will live even though he dies. He who believes in me, shall not perish, but have everlasting life." These were profound to me at the time, but i had been pondering abt this meaning for a very long time. How can someone claim such a statement?
So was i brainwashed? No. If i was brainwashed, i wouldnt have the sanity to think straight. Signs i am not brainwashed : I still love my family very much. I still want a successful life. I still want to get married and have kids. I got lots of stuff i want to do in life. I love bikes, i like girls, i want more money, i want a beautiful wife, id like to just own any cool thing i can have.
With great respect to other religions, God isnt interested in a religion, He is just interested in us. He doesnt really care how many times we pray or bow or worship Him. He just wants a relationship with us as intimate as possible. He just seeks a heart to heart relation. He has first offered us His hand. He has knocked our doors. Up to us to accept and open the door. Well you can let Him in and stay without totally wanting to be friends with Him. Its totally fine, coz He knows first hand.
There is one fact to clear : Christians dont claim that the unbelievers will perish in hell. No, we didnt say/claim that or cook up that story. God said in the bible Himself . | Revelation 21:8 - "But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." God warned. Up to us to listen.
And this has always been a heated argument and debate : "If God was so all loving, why let us die and go to hell?" Answer : Some didnt go through the bible enough yet. God is all loving yes. But God is also a just Judge. God already told us a million times that if we dont behave (for our own good and our sakes), He will need to carry out punishment. It will have to be an unescapable punishment. Otherwise leniency would equal unfairness. God cannot go back on His Word He has established. Therefore there is only one : Death in hell with Satan (Just as Satan, formerly Gods mighty angel misbehaved, he too will be in hell forever when the final day comes). Not even angels escape slight punishment, what more us? But God, amid all that He has said............ He still (gracefully) gives us the choice to choose. But we will have to pay for our choice. Why give up heaven for hell? Final answer : God loves us, some of us just dont love and hate Him.Its not God wanting to punish the sinner. But He has to punish the sin inside the sinner as God does not tolerate sin the slightest. And that leaves Him no choice. God doesnt like punishing people, but many asked for it. That is when Jesus becomes the rescue plan to take place for the sins of sinners. He didnt die a misfortunate death. He lived to die for the eternity of those who wants to find a way to be saved from hell. And this is also another choice. He did the hard work. The rest is up to us.
Jesus lived and died. And lived again. If His resurrection was fake, then fine we lose and die a cold death into non existence. But IF He did live, I'd be on the safe side no matter what. A 50/50 chance is better than a 0/100 isnt it? But i dont believe out of chance. I believe out of experience. I share what is real and what is true.
So far, i have not heard stronger better more fantastic testimonies of changed lives, miracles, signs, wonders, revival, breakthrough, etc from anywhere else except those from those who love God and those who trust God. If there are I'd like to hear it soon =) If you ask why doesnt God bring miracles to the whole world and save us the trouble? Answer : How much will u appreciate the miracle of those who really need it, and those who just want to get it but dont really need it? If a bank wrote off a debtor owing RM2million and another who owes RM200, wouldnt the RM2million debtor really appreciate the pardon? But what about the RM200 debtor? If he had also RM2million cash in hand he wont regard the pardon much. Therefore God isnt just simply going to give miracles. Its not whether we deserve it or not. Its whether God see's that we would really appreciate what He has and will give. He doent want to spoil us or else we would soon treat Him as a vending machine. Truth be told : This is human nature.
So my sharing is nothing more than just telling the truth about why it is as such that we dont also want to see anyone we love not being in heaven when we finally get there. If i dont see you in heaven, its forever i wont see you or hear from you at all. Not even emails or MSN works anymore up there.
If i want to blame satan for causing alot of the misconception and confusion i have every right to do so. But if i want to blame God for not taking action about anything that seems to need a fix, i cant do that, coz God knows what He is doing. Satan doesnt coz he doesnt think before he leaps. But if i it is by our hardened heart and unwillingness to not listen, then that is beyond my control and will.
Ultimately, we will make decisions which may change our life for the next decade or more. But if that decision ultimately in the end brings good, and along the way some stony path slows down the pace, it is still worth the walk and the journey.
I am still as imperfect as every human on this planet. No one human can claim perfectness. Truth be told. But i am an imperfect human who found the perfect way to live life.
Cheers
Erm i cant really remember if i have blogged this before or repeated many times, but oh well, its still for God's sake.
Its not a surprise many people have mistaken the Gospel. I mean already God said there will be those who will persecute the Gospel, will betray the Son of Man, will turn their backs on God, will rebel, will wander away, will sin, etc. So its pretty common that attacks frequently occur on God's people. But hardly any succeed in shaking our faith anchored in Christ the solid Rock =)
I have heard a lot of the time that there are Christians world wide who are "shoving" the Gospel down the throats of the unsaved non believers. Well, as harsh as it sounds, i cant deny that it does happen (and on their behalf if you feel offended or disgusted well.........no harm intended in the first place). Actually some might have just gone a little too far or misinterpreted the bible's meaning when God said "Go into the world and preach the good news". Preaching was just meant to be that. Preaching. Aka sharing. Not shoving. Tat would be less a message of conviction and more of intrusion and against the will. God said that we have a freewill to choose ; whether to believe in Him or not. The rest is entirely up to you.
I was a non believer for a substantial period of time. And that time i pretty much thought that religion was a very subjective thing. Can choose whatever u like to believe in. Well to put things this way, its like i can believe another lady or man to be my parents and not my current real ones, coz i strongly believe it. And we think that we are right in our beliefs. As long they treat me nice or all is smooth sailing why not. Truth is i already have my true parents so i shall not believe in any other ppl to be my parents.
If you ask me, did i feel religious with my previous belief? Not really. I didnt feel a love as such as God's love. Was I once apprehensive about God? Yes i was. But did people tried to shove to Gospel down my throat? Yes there were. But there must be a reason why these people are so adamant to tell me this bit of information. Why is Jesus Christ so important? I knew He died on a cross. He died for sins (sins of only Christians i thought). I did know He resurrected 3 days after He died (from reading the children's illustrated Bible). But thats abt it. What is the significance or the price of this wasnt really much a bother to me, not till when one fine day I started to get all the pieces together on my own. No one shoved the Good News down my throat. And no one preached a hard lecturing message to me begging on all fours to accept Christ as my Lord and Saviour. I decided that all on my own after and this is what I can conclude :
1) I knew Jesus died for sins of believers and non believers because He doesnt want us to be in hell and our souls destroyed forever with Satan. (Imagine dying and not existing afterwards)
2) I found purpose tat is higher than any other purpose.
3) God loves still to those saved and unsaved (though the unsaved may be unaware or ungrateful)
4) I experienced God's miracles which never happened before.
5) Even if my world falls apart, God doesnt fall apart.
6) I 100% know where im going to and im not afraid at all, not the slightest bit.
I guess the first Words of God ever etched in my mind was when i was 12 when my granduncle passed away. A fellow believer (which i shall see in heaven and have a lovely chat with him =) ) was John 11:25 - "I am the Ressurection and the Life, he who believes in me will live even though he dies. He who believes in me, shall not perish, but have everlasting life." These were profound to me at the time, but i had been pondering abt this meaning for a very long time. How can someone claim such a statement?
So was i brainwashed? No. If i was brainwashed, i wouldnt have the sanity to think straight. Signs i am not brainwashed : I still love my family very much. I still want a successful life. I still want to get married and have kids. I got lots of stuff i want to do in life. I love bikes, i like girls, i want more money, i want a beautiful wife, id like to just own any cool thing i can have.
With great respect to other religions, God isnt interested in a religion, He is just interested in us. He doesnt really care how many times we pray or bow or worship Him. He just wants a relationship with us as intimate as possible. He just seeks a heart to heart relation. He has first offered us His hand. He has knocked our doors. Up to us to accept and open the door. Well you can let Him in and stay without totally wanting to be friends with Him. Its totally fine, coz He knows first hand.
There is one fact to clear : Christians dont claim that the unbelievers will perish in hell. No, we didnt say/claim that or cook up that story. God said in the bible Himself . | Revelation 21:8 - "But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." God warned. Up to us to listen.
And this has always been a heated argument and debate : "If God was so all loving, why let us die and go to hell?" Answer : Some didnt go through the bible enough yet. God is all loving yes. But God is also a just Judge. God already told us a million times that if we dont behave (for our own good and our sakes), He will need to carry out punishment. It will have to be an unescapable punishment. Otherwise leniency would equal unfairness. God cannot go back on His Word He has established. Therefore there is only one : Death in hell with Satan (Just as Satan, formerly Gods mighty angel misbehaved, he too will be in hell forever when the final day comes). Not even angels escape slight punishment, what more us? But God, amid all that He has said............ He still (gracefully) gives us the choice to choose. But we will have to pay for our choice. Why give up heaven for hell? Final answer : God loves us, some of us just dont love and hate Him.Its not God wanting to punish the sinner. But He has to punish the sin inside the sinner as God does not tolerate sin the slightest. And that leaves Him no choice. God doesnt like punishing people, but many asked for it. That is when Jesus becomes the rescue plan to take place for the sins of sinners. He didnt die a misfortunate death. He lived to die for the eternity of those who wants to find a way to be saved from hell. And this is also another choice. He did the hard work. The rest is up to us.
Jesus lived and died. And lived again. If His resurrection was fake, then fine we lose and die a cold death into non existence. But IF He did live, I'd be on the safe side no matter what. A 50/50 chance is better than a 0/100 isnt it? But i dont believe out of chance. I believe out of experience. I share what is real and what is true.
So far, i have not heard stronger better more fantastic testimonies of changed lives, miracles, signs, wonders, revival, breakthrough, etc from anywhere else except those from those who love God and those who trust God. If there are I'd like to hear it soon =) If you ask why doesnt God bring miracles to the whole world and save us the trouble? Answer : How much will u appreciate the miracle of those who really need it, and those who just want to get it but dont really need it? If a bank wrote off a debtor owing RM2million and another who owes RM200, wouldnt the RM2million debtor really appreciate the pardon? But what about the RM200 debtor? If he had also RM2million cash in hand he wont regard the pardon much. Therefore God isnt just simply going to give miracles. Its not whether we deserve it or not. Its whether God see's that we would really appreciate what He has and will give. He doent want to spoil us or else we would soon treat Him as a vending machine. Truth be told : This is human nature.
So my sharing is nothing more than just telling the truth about why it is as such that we dont also want to see anyone we love not being in heaven when we finally get there. If i dont see you in heaven, its forever i wont see you or hear from you at all. Not even emails or MSN works anymore up there.
If i want to blame satan for causing alot of the misconception and confusion i have every right to do so. But if i want to blame God for not taking action about anything that seems to need a fix, i cant do that, coz God knows what He is doing. Satan doesnt coz he doesnt think before he leaps. But if i it is by our hardened heart and unwillingness to not listen, then that is beyond my control and will.
Ultimately, we will make decisions which may change our life for the next decade or more. But if that decision ultimately in the end brings good, and along the way some stony path slows down the pace, it is still worth the walk and the journey.
I am still as imperfect as every human on this planet. No one human can claim perfectness. Truth be told. But i am an imperfect human who found the perfect way to live life.
Cheers
07 April 2010
Not the way i want to end my day 7/4/2010
Yes you will see this in Facebook as well. No mistake. I decided to shoot here instead of there coz the status box has limited character space.
I must re-iterate myself that i am a person (which u cant possibly change) who hates last minute changes to already set appointments/schedules/plannings/work/play etc. It really throws me off balance and i can easily get frustrated. (We all have our own pet peeves dont we?). When i plan something to do and its set with ready plan to be carried out in advance i shall see it till the day that is supposed to be carried out that NOTHING tries to shift it. I keep to my word as best as i can especially when it involves important things or other people.
I had almost half a day of nearly free time in the office doing nothing but fiddling around wit the new alarm system today which is just computer clicks and button pressing. Work ends at 6pm sharp. Now why did boss have to give me extra work to do when its chow time when he could have given me earlier?? Last minute. And if he wanted to give me....he could have at least told me in advance to prepare.
Now why am i upset? Maybe you guessed : I have an appointment after work. Yes. I was suppose to coach a new student at 7.30pm. And knowing KL this is a bad time to be doing things. Which is why i was ready to run out the door at 6pm sharp. OK FINE. So boss got me to do work. K nevermind. I will do it as fast as i can. What can be so tough just to print some AutoCAD drawings?
Fark this printing system that it chooses today of all days and of all times to have errors in printing and now i have to find out how to print 20 drawings in A3 size before i leave. Remember. KL. 6pm. 7.30pm. Not much time. And though its just from PJ to Subang...........this is PJ TO SUBANG here. Not Sitiawan to Seri Manjung. Its different. Cancle the appointment? No way.
And with this printing problem i have no choice to print out in A4 with one printer and then enlarge to A3 on the photocopy. 20 drawings. Each have to set page by page print settings..........why? Coz today the whole thing just seemed messed up when other times i have no problems. Yea..........shit happens at work. No surprise.
Its now 7pm and im still not done. I called to RE-Arrange to 8pm. Thank God my student was understanding enough. So now im rushing like mad to get the job done. And in the process i : Made countless printing blunders, not go to toilet when i have to coz i want to finish this first, had to think how to pass SJ jams. I didnt care i just printed out everything. Photocopy, chucked to my boss. And get the hell out by 7.30pm. Ok maybe i can be on time. WRONG
Housing area also got traffic jam. Ever hear that before? Yes im sure you have. Jam as in i moved 100 meters in 5 minutes. 8pm im still thinking. now its 7.45. Shit shit shit. And then my student calls. He cant make it as his car has mechanical failure. Im not breathing sigh of relief here. Im even more annoyed that he cant make it. IF it was done on schedule it probably will be fine. Now im in a jam, he is stuck in the middle of the road. So what do i get in the end? Cincai printing work for my boss, stuck in a jam in a housing area, my student in trouble himself, me not eating at all since lunch, my patience running low, my wasted planning, his wasted time. Shall i continue? So who's to blame? I dont blame God. Boss? I duno. Jam? I duno. Printer? I duno. Computer? I duno. Time? I duno. Myself? I duno.
Yeah now you all will be telling me chill chill take a chill pill, ask God for patience kindness gentleness self control, you will be telling me shit happens, you will be telling thats normal part of life, dont be so hard on yourself, and every other single consolidating assuring calming word from my fellow friends pastors and family members would be soon on the way here.
Im dedicated when i want to do the thing i love/like the most. And i dont think its an excuse to postpone appointments actually due to small reasons like office work overtime etc.
Fine then so after me making all this hoopla public to read and laugh or shake heads, you all might be asking me to do one thing : Suck it in, grow up and shut up. Maybe thats what i will do. If you hate this job tat makes u so pissed all the time then why not just quit. Maybe thats what i will do.
Bye
I must re-iterate myself that i am a person (which u cant possibly change) who hates last minute changes to already set appointments/schedules/plannings/work/play etc. It really throws me off balance and i can easily get frustrated. (We all have our own pet peeves dont we?). When i plan something to do and its set with ready plan to be carried out in advance i shall see it till the day that is supposed to be carried out that NOTHING tries to shift it. I keep to my word as best as i can especially when it involves important things or other people.
I had almost half a day of nearly free time in the office doing nothing but fiddling around wit the new alarm system today which is just computer clicks and button pressing. Work ends at 6pm sharp. Now why did boss have to give me extra work to do when its chow time when he could have given me earlier?? Last minute. And if he wanted to give me....he could have at least told me in advance to prepare.
Now why am i upset? Maybe you guessed : I have an appointment after work. Yes. I was suppose to coach a new student at 7.30pm. And knowing KL this is a bad time to be doing things. Which is why i was ready to run out the door at 6pm sharp. OK FINE. So boss got me to do work. K nevermind. I will do it as fast as i can. What can be so tough just to print some AutoCAD drawings?
Fark this printing system that it chooses today of all days and of all times to have errors in printing and now i have to find out how to print 20 drawings in A3 size before i leave. Remember. KL. 6pm. 7.30pm. Not much time. And though its just from PJ to Subang...........this is PJ TO SUBANG here. Not Sitiawan to Seri Manjung. Its different. Cancle the appointment? No way.
And with this printing problem i have no choice to print out in A4 with one printer and then enlarge to A3 on the photocopy. 20 drawings. Each have to set page by page print settings..........why? Coz today the whole thing just seemed messed up when other times i have no problems. Yea..........shit happens at work. No surprise.
Its now 7pm and im still not done. I called to RE-Arrange to 8pm. Thank God my student was understanding enough. So now im rushing like mad to get the job done. And in the process i : Made countless printing blunders, not go to toilet when i have to coz i want to finish this first, had to think how to pass SJ jams. I didnt care i just printed out everything. Photocopy, chucked to my boss. And get the hell out by 7.30pm. Ok maybe i can be on time. WRONG
Housing area also got traffic jam. Ever hear that before? Yes im sure you have. Jam as in i moved 100 meters in 5 minutes. 8pm im still thinking. now its 7.45. Shit shit shit. And then my student calls. He cant make it as his car has mechanical failure. Im not breathing sigh of relief here. Im even more annoyed that he cant make it. IF it was done on schedule it probably will be fine. Now im in a jam, he is stuck in the middle of the road. So what do i get in the end? Cincai printing work for my boss, stuck in a jam in a housing area, my student in trouble himself, me not eating at all since lunch, my patience running low, my wasted planning, his wasted time. Shall i continue? So who's to blame? I dont blame God. Boss? I duno. Jam? I duno. Printer? I duno. Computer? I duno. Time? I duno. Myself? I duno.
Yeah now you all will be telling me chill chill take a chill pill, ask God for patience kindness gentleness self control, you will be telling me shit happens, you will be telling thats normal part of life, dont be so hard on yourself, and every other single consolidating assuring calming word from my fellow friends pastors and family members would be soon on the way here.
Im dedicated when i want to do the thing i love/like the most. And i dont think its an excuse to postpone appointments actually due to small reasons like office work overtime etc.
Fine then so after me making all this hoopla public to read and laugh or shake heads, you all might be asking me to do one thing : Suck it in, grow up and shut up. Maybe thats what i will do. If you hate this job tat makes u so pissed all the time then why not just quit. Maybe thats what i will do.
Bye
01 April 2010
Point blank
No seriously.................
@#(^@#$)($(|#@(_!@|//*#/^&^/*#!/*!
Lot of rubbish is in my head...............
How have i changed recently?
@#(^@#$)($(|#@(_!@|//*#/^&^/*#!/*!
Lot of rubbish is in my head...............
How have i changed recently?
29 March 2010
2wenty 3hree
Yes hello again folks. So fast 1 month has gone since my last post again. I do miss posting lots and lots of posts.
Anyway abt 10 days ago was my 23rd bday. Yay. Im getting older. Happy Bday to me then. Also special thanks to all the duno how many tens or hundred people that wish me. And to the WHC Gang that made that special little letter for me. It was really really something i will cherish. Well i just hope the lipstick stays. Hahahaha.
So whats been up? Well.......mostly on my mind has been my days at the office. More and more things coming in. More work needs be done. Yet we are only so small. All i can say. Enough about office.
Interstate 2010 is a mere 30 days away and im feeling the nervousness now. Lol. Just replaced my old bar tape and old tires and old cable housing. Next should be the worn out chain.
I just got a new watch (yea yea bragging rights time) from Wangsa Walk yesterday. I take that as my bday present and a small treat for myself. A RM279 treat. @@. I gotta be careful with sales ppl nowdays. =P
Cool things abt this watch include a built in thermometer (Thermosensor), moon phase display, fish level indicator, world time, stopwatch, countdown timer, analog and digital face. All by Casio. Well i hope this guy lasts me another 5 years at least. Paid good money for it. Haha
Ok my eyes and brain are about to shut down at this point of time. Cant really think much to blog about, otherwise i might blog out rubbish and post it unknowingly. And i might get a few calls in the morning. Haha.
I hope to continue as soon as possible.
Nites for now.
Anyway abt 10 days ago was my 23rd bday. Yay. Im getting older. Happy Bday to me then. Also special thanks to all the duno how many tens or hundred people that wish me. And to the WHC Gang that made that special little letter for me. It was really really something i will cherish. Well i just hope the lipstick stays. Hahahaha.
So whats been up? Well.......mostly on my mind has been my days at the office. More and more things coming in. More work needs be done. Yet we are only so small. All i can say. Enough about office.
Interstate 2010 is a mere 30 days away and im feeling the nervousness now. Lol. Just replaced my old bar tape and old tires and old cable housing. Next should be the worn out chain.
I just got a new watch (yea yea bragging rights time) from Wangsa Walk yesterday. I take that as my bday present and a small treat for myself. A RM279 treat. @@. I gotta be careful with sales ppl nowdays. =P
Cool things abt this watch include a built in thermometer (Thermosensor), moon phase display, fish level indicator, world time, stopwatch, countdown timer, analog and digital face. All by Casio. Well i hope this guy lasts me another 5 years at least. Paid good money for it. Haha
Ok my eyes and brain are about to shut down at this point of time. Cant really think much to blog about, otherwise i might blog out rubbish and post it unknowingly. And i might get a few calls in the morning. Haha.
I hope to continue as soon as possible.
Nites for now.
27 February 2010
Updates about me.
Yeah hows everyone doing there?
I know I have pretty much disappeared from the net and maybe the world. Due to lots of factors. Sad factor after another. Anyway folks im still fine, kicking (maybe not as much as used to).
First of all the CNY break was really something i cherished and needed badly. A time to rest. A time to catch up with old old friends. Time to spend lazing at home with my family. Time to get away from work and the big city. I think this is the best CNY so far to date. Being my FIRST yes FIRST CNY back in Sitiawan. And it didnt disappoint me. With hour long fireworks display from all four corners of Sitiawan, Kg Koh and even Pangkor can be seen north south east west from my house. Beats Klang and KL i think in terms of size and number.
Reunion dinner with family was simple. But i like the moment. Mum's cooking, as always, remains no.1 still on my list no matter how many other foods on this planet i have tasted.
Also this is the first time i have met up with old schoolmates i have not seen for very long(some since i left school 6 years ago). I think me and Zhang Song had a blast back home going around house to house visiting them. Then the reunion dinner on Monday nite at KFC Lumut at first turned rather quite with just a handful coming out of the hundreds invited. But in the end (from FB photo proof) i think nearly 60 Year 2004 ACSians turned up to show some support (and face for cameras) thanks to Rene Ting's organizing. Meeting up with my old classmates was and has and will always be fun. I get to bully Tze Howe as always and talk stuff with the girls. Gah i miss home more now. T T
1 full weeks break and its back to the city starting work all over again.
I know i have been working only 4 months, now feels like 4 years to me. Zzzz. This job really now i see, unless it is properly and correctly managed, does pose problems to us employees having to do more (in fact too much) of what we are supposed to do. Multitasking is one thing, not all can multitask, its good to multitask, but some things just cannot be multitasked or risk getting "killed". Thats the current situation now i see at the office. It does get on my nerves sometimes. Sighs. Im recently bugged by a clients house which the darn alarm system is driving me almost to breaking point. Just one problem after another and never ending side effects. This past week i literally "stayed" at their house just solving this darn headache problem. You want a preview? This house has nearly 100+ alarm sensors devided to 16 Zones to be monitored. It just takes ONE sensor or ONE snapped cable in between to cause the zone to be not working. And this is in a newly renovated house with 70% furnishing already in and owners already living. And with just half an alarm system working, its not a good idea to be living here. But they have already moved in. Along with the 5 cats and 5 dogs. Im nearly at wits end to solve these darn headache problems in just one house. I wonder when can i ever finish this. Thing is im not the head of this project, bear that im still just a new employee, but my colleague Gun. But its fallen to me like its my project. Challenges. Yeah (thats how we grow in the work place and in life bla bla bla. Heard it seen it too many times).....go ahead at talk to me. I'll just give u a stare of fire trying to ask u to shut up while i still think of this problem nearly everyday and nite. Gun knows best how I feel. As much as i know how he feels.
Okay whats next....urm.
Interstate 2010 is confirmed (it seems from email) to be April 30-May 2 , K. Kangsar to Tasik Kenyir with rough total distance of 500km. Scary abit this time to me coz really........cycling has taken the back seat. Im not as active anymore. Ive missed alot of cycling. I want to get back in, but somehow always i cant find a way. Double sigh. Lots of doubts actually running in my mind whether or not can i finish 160 km (at least) everyday for 3 days straight. Im worried.
Just got email that my close cousin is getting married on Christmas Day this year. Congrats to her.
No internet for the past two weeks in my house and having to spend money almost everynite to CC. Zzzz....... I suspect the telephone junction box on the pole outside my house has been tampered with. From visual inspection, some of the telephone wires on the junction box have been ripped out. I suspect vandals. Coz i have inpected nearly all the other telephon poles i pass by and their cables are neatly tucked inside (CONNECTED LA THAT MEANS). Zzzz......now i have to chase Telekom. But being the busy me at work 5 days a week. Grrrr.......its hard. Call from office? Get screwed from boss. Call from site? Busy too much headache solving site problems till no time to call. Ask housemates? They themselves dont seem to be too bothered or in more sympathetic terms, not really able to ring up the telco company. Triple sighs. So yea, guess it right, im at CC now.
Lets see........any other..........
Hmm......
God, i feel like i havent been doing all that i can . Hmmm.......and sometimes i do feel that i havent been doing things i should be doing. Garhhhh........too many excuses and too many reasons but also equal amount of circumstances. How do i get around this? I know Your Word holds true as always and forever. So where have i gone wrong or what have i missed?
I'll end the nite here.
Not sure when i will blog again.
Till then, see you all.
I know I have pretty much disappeared from the net and maybe the world. Due to lots of factors. Sad factor after another. Anyway folks im still fine, kicking (maybe not as much as used to).
First of all the CNY break was really something i cherished and needed badly. A time to rest. A time to catch up with old old friends. Time to spend lazing at home with my family. Time to get away from work and the big city. I think this is the best CNY so far to date. Being my FIRST yes FIRST CNY back in Sitiawan. And it didnt disappoint me. With hour long fireworks display from all four corners of Sitiawan, Kg Koh and even Pangkor can be seen north south east west from my house. Beats Klang and KL i think in terms of size and number.
Reunion dinner with family was simple. But i like the moment. Mum's cooking, as always, remains no.1 still on my list no matter how many other foods on this planet i have tasted.
Also this is the first time i have met up with old schoolmates i have not seen for very long(some since i left school 6 years ago). I think me and Zhang Song had a blast back home going around house to house visiting them. Then the reunion dinner on Monday nite at KFC Lumut at first turned rather quite with just a handful coming out of the hundreds invited. But in the end (from FB photo proof) i think nearly 60 Year 2004 ACSians turned up to show some support (and face for cameras) thanks to Rene Ting's organizing. Meeting up with my old classmates was and has and will always be fun. I get to bully Tze Howe as always and talk stuff with the girls. Gah i miss home more now. T T
1 full weeks break and its back to the city starting work all over again.
I know i have been working only 4 months, now feels like 4 years to me. Zzzz. This job really now i see, unless it is properly and correctly managed, does pose problems to us employees having to do more (in fact too much) of what we are supposed to do. Multitasking is one thing, not all can multitask, its good to multitask, but some things just cannot be multitasked or risk getting "killed". Thats the current situation now i see at the office. It does get on my nerves sometimes. Sighs. Im recently bugged by a clients house which the darn alarm system is driving me almost to breaking point. Just one problem after another and never ending side effects. This past week i literally "stayed" at their house just solving this darn headache problem. You want a preview? This house has nearly 100+ alarm sensors devided to 16 Zones to be monitored. It just takes ONE sensor or ONE snapped cable in between to cause the zone to be not working. And this is in a newly renovated house with 70% furnishing already in and owners already living. And with just half an alarm system working, its not a good idea to be living here. But they have already moved in. Along with the 5 cats and 5 dogs. Im nearly at wits end to solve these darn headache problems in just one house. I wonder when can i ever finish this. Thing is im not the head of this project, bear that im still just a new employee, but my colleague Gun. But its fallen to me like its my project. Challenges. Yeah (thats how we grow in the work place and in life bla bla bla. Heard it seen it too many times).....go ahead at talk to me. I'll just give u a stare of fire trying to ask u to shut up while i still think of this problem nearly everyday and nite. Gun knows best how I feel. As much as i know how he feels.
Okay whats next....urm.
Interstate 2010 is confirmed (it seems from email) to be April 30-May 2 , K. Kangsar to Tasik Kenyir with rough total distance of 500km. Scary abit this time to me coz really........cycling has taken the back seat. Im not as active anymore. Ive missed alot of cycling. I want to get back in, but somehow always i cant find a way. Double sigh. Lots of doubts actually running in my mind whether or not can i finish 160 km (at least) everyday for 3 days straight. Im worried.
Just got email that my close cousin is getting married on Christmas Day this year. Congrats to her.
No internet for the past two weeks in my house and having to spend money almost everynite to CC. Zzzz....... I suspect the telephone junction box on the pole outside my house has been tampered with. From visual inspection, some of the telephone wires on the junction box have been ripped out. I suspect vandals. Coz i have inpected nearly all the other telephon poles i pass by and their cables are neatly tucked inside (CONNECTED LA THAT MEANS). Zzzz......now i have to chase Telekom. But being the busy me at work 5 days a week. Grrrr.......its hard. Call from office? Get screwed from boss. Call from site? Busy too much headache solving site problems till no time to call. Ask housemates? They themselves dont seem to be too bothered or in more sympathetic terms, not really able to ring up the telco company. Triple sighs. So yea, guess it right, im at CC now.
Lets see........any other..........
Hmm......
God, i feel like i havent been doing all that i can . Hmmm.......and sometimes i do feel that i havent been doing things i should be doing. Garhhhh........too many excuses and too many reasons but also equal amount of circumstances. How do i get around this? I know Your Word holds true as always and forever. So where have i gone wrong or what have i missed?
I'll end the nite here.
Not sure when i will blog again.
Till then, see you all.
11 February 2010
CNY
Yes yes i know its been one month since i last posted a blog post.
This job really robs my time to do anything i really want to. Oh well.
Anyway with the approaching Chinese New Year 2010 - Tiger Year, id like to take this opportunity to wish all readers of my blog and to all chinese celebrating world wide and to everyone else i cant mention.....
HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR 2010 and HAPPY HOLIDAYS.
Travel safe, have fun and be cool.
See ya'll after the one week break =)
Cheers and God Bless
This job really robs my time to do anything i really want to. Oh well.
Anyway with the approaching Chinese New Year 2010 - Tiger Year, id like to take this opportunity to wish all readers of my blog and to all chinese celebrating world wide and to everyone else i cant mention.....
HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR 2010 and HAPPY HOLIDAYS.
Travel safe, have fun and be cool.
See ya'll after the one week break =)
Cheers and God Bless
10 January 2010
Persecution
In light of the recent events that has befallen the Church, nearly anything that moves and breathes has been involved in this situation.
It is not so much of a concern who did this to the Church, but why. Be it politicians fault, be it vandals fault, be it George W Bush's fault, whose ever fault it is, they will answer to God in His presence when the day comes. But what reason sparks all of this? Jealousy, hatred, money, etc..... list can be very long though.
In the Bible, countless accounts of the Church being tarnished, persecuted, abused, threatened and nearly wiped out are recorded. Yet till today, the Church still lives on. No one has succeeded nor been able to wipe out the Church of God. Why? Simply because, God watches over His church. Church not the building, but His people. His beloved sons and daughters, heirs of His Kingdom.
Even God Himself was persecuted, when He Himself became as flesh to die for our sins. That alone being the ultimate form of persecution on any being, in this case, The Creator being persecuted by His own creation. Some may say that was a sad and dumb thing to be done. But it wasnt a dumb foolish act if you could resurrect and say "Im here again" right after being declared dead, mummified and burried for 3 days in a stone cave.
The devil hates the church. So much so he will do anything to stop it from progressing. He is after all the one who opposes God, the greatest enemy and accuser of the church. And he has never stopped doing that since he got kicked out of heaven for being too smart to overtake God's place.
So are all these persecutions and temptations part of his plans? Yes. Partially but for the most part his. Sometimes it is also out of human choice and human heart that is full of hatred that can trigger such actions and thoughts. Just that the devil is good at flaming the fire bigger. In this case, two negatives dont make a positive, it just makes double trouble.
So the whole of Malaysia goes hoo haa over this. But what has the Church been doing? Keeping quite? Being rock steady? Pray for the perpetrators to be arrested? Pray for peace? Cry over their losses?
Here are some encouraging, God assuring truths : -
—Jeremiah 20:11
—Matthew 5:10-12
—John 15:18-20
—Romans 8:35-39
—2 Corinthians 12:10
—2 Timothy 3:12
—1 Peter 4:12-14, 16
Christians have always been a prime target. Why?
Everyone targets something valuable, something big, something important. Something that they know has the potential, the power, the ability, the uniqueness, the difference, the goodness. That sums up all that makes up the Christian faith. And that also sums up the God, Yahweh, that we believe in.
Anyone can shake our church building. But no one can shake our faith.
For so as long God watches over His people, there is refuge and deliverance.
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. [a]
2 I will say [b] of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge-
10 then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."
-Psalm 91-
It is not so much of a concern who did this to the Church, but why. Be it politicians fault, be it vandals fault, be it George W Bush's fault, whose ever fault it is, they will answer to God in His presence when the day comes. But what reason sparks all of this? Jealousy, hatred, money, etc..... list can be very long though.
In the Bible, countless accounts of the Church being tarnished, persecuted, abused, threatened and nearly wiped out are recorded. Yet till today, the Church still lives on. No one has succeeded nor been able to wipe out the Church of God. Why? Simply because, God watches over His church. Church not the building, but His people. His beloved sons and daughters, heirs of His Kingdom.
Even God Himself was persecuted, when He Himself became as flesh to die for our sins. That alone being the ultimate form of persecution on any being, in this case, The Creator being persecuted by His own creation. Some may say that was a sad and dumb thing to be done. But it wasnt a dumb foolish act if you could resurrect and say "Im here again" right after being declared dead, mummified and burried for 3 days in a stone cave.
The devil hates the church. So much so he will do anything to stop it from progressing. He is after all the one who opposes God, the greatest enemy and accuser of the church. And he has never stopped doing that since he got kicked out of heaven for being too smart to overtake God's place.
So are all these persecutions and temptations part of his plans? Yes. Partially but for the most part his. Sometimes it is also out of human choice and human heart that is full of hatred that can trigger such actions and thoughts. Just that the devil is good at flaming the fire bigger. In this case, two negatives dont make a positive, it just makes double trouble.
So the whole of Malaysia goes hoo haa over this. But what has the Church been doing? Keeping quite? Being rock steady? Pray for the perpetrators to be arrested? Pray for peace? Cry over their losses?
Here are some encouraging, God assuring truths : -
But the Lord is with me as a dread warrior;
therefore my persecutors will stumble;
they will not overcome me.
They will be greatly shamed,
for they will not succeed.
Their eternal dishonor
will never be forgotten.
therefore my persecutors will stumble;
they will not overcome me.
They will be greatly shamed,
for they will not succeed.
Their eternal dishonor
will never be forgotten.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.
Christians have always been a prime target. Why?
Everyone targets something valuable, something big, something important. Something that they know has the potential, the power, the ability, the uniqueness, the difference, the goodness. That sums up all that makes up the Christian faith. And that also sums up the God, Yahweh, that we believe in.
Anyone can shake our church building. But no one can shake our faith.
For so as long God watches over His people, there is refuge and deliverance.
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. [a]
2 I will say [b] of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge-
10 then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."
-Psalm 91-
06 January 2010
Drive Damn It!
I have been driving around for quite a while now in KL. Im just 23 and most of u may think im inexperienced in steering behind the wheel of a 4 wheeled moving automobile. You can say my driving skills isnt that fantastic or my road knowledge isnt that good, moreover in the Big City with all the big fancy cars everywhere trying to kill the small fry.
But lets remember what we have learned back in the driving school. What happen to all that we have learned there? Where did it go to? From our angelic and behaved manners in the driving test or scoring 50/50 in the road code test, to utter ignorance and sheer dumbness on the open road.
I have observed for as long as im behind the wheel. My eyes dont just look at the front of my hood you know. I look at the whole road scene. Whats going on my left, right, front, back........even below and above. A competent driver should and MUST know whats going on all around the vehicle. And not just 3 feet around the bloody box..........but up to 300 - 500 meters ahead, 100 meters behind and 50 meters left right. Why some accidents happen? Drivers dont notice whats going on. Blind, oblivious, inattentive.
Road manners especially...where have they gone to? Remember the etiquette of giving way? Especially at exit ramps. The book does state we should give way alternately to exiting cars. But no, most drivers just barge on and not give a darn. Thats 1 car........if 10? 20? Thats why some jams are 10 minutes standstill. Mentality. Gone. People put signal lights is akin to asking "Please may i pass" on the roads. If you dont intend to let him pass at least dont till you are just a whisker away from scratching his side.
And what happened to KEEPING TO YOUR LANES? KEEP TO THE CORRECT LANE! You want to exit to the left ramp.......yet there they are on the far right lane trying to cut over 3 lanes. For one, you should know where you are headed. And if you know where you are heading you should have a clear track or plan of route. And if you know the route, then you should know which direction you are going. If thats the case, there should be no excuse for you to be Cutting Lanes like cutting meat with a blunt knife! You make things ugly.
Speed. Please people keep reasonable speed. I mean i drive an old Datsun Sunny 120Y ( One of the oldest of its kind). I keep most of the time to the middle lane which is mostly where 80-100kmh speeds are at. The far lane or fast lane on the outer right is 110 - 130 for fast drivers and the far left for slow drivers or lorries. But u know what i see always. Some drivers hogging the fast lane. 80kmh. And they wont MOVE aside. How ignorant is that? Cars are already overtaking on the left. And on the highways by right overtaking is supposed to be on the RIGHT. Well, "tidak apa la". Yeah.........RIGHT. Come on la.......sensible abit la. This is another stupid reason why jams happen. You got a slow lorry on the left. A slow car on the middle lane, and and equally slow car on the right lane. Jam la for sure! I drive along the Federal Highway and always when there is a jam its only two things : Slow driver or accident. And 99% its the former's case. Once i pass a certain point, there isnt any significant reason why a jam should happen. Its not a bottle neck (come one 3-4 lanes). Its not a construction site. Its not peak hours. Its not even raining. Silly. Please la use your mirrors and see whats going on behind. If u see a long line of cars behind yet no car at all infront it simply means you are SLOW and PLEASE MOVE OVER IMMEDIATELY. I even give way alot of times because i know im not that fast. But sometimes i get so frustrated at drivers who dont want to move away...... i will just flash or honk their eyes and ears off. Or give them stares when i overtake on the LEFT. I do that coz i have no choice and they wont move. Idiots.
Another annoying thing.........why so many take so darn long to move when the light goes green?! I mean NO other cars are crossing. Yet 90% of the time the light turns green the front car hasnt moved even after 3-5 secs. Which is darn precious for us at the back!!!! I mean realize la that when 3 other sides have moved, surely the next us. Just prepare 1st gear and move la. Most KLites use auto gearbox cars now, still that slow? Im not boasting im faster off the line at the lights with my old manual, but the faster i move off the faster ppl behind get to move as well, right or not? No one wants to be stuck at a light for more than 2 rounds. It gets plain ANNOYING after that. Seriously. I think im speaking truth and sense. Considerate please.
One dangerous thing : Sudden braking when there is absolutely no reason or harm to brake in the first place. I mean come one the road in front is clear. Roads are smooth, no cars.....travelling nicely at 90-100kmh. Yet suddenly driver in front brakes. FOR WHAT?! Avoid flies and mosquitoes? Theres an art of coasting/braking using gear. Which is less abrupt than pressing the brakes if u want to just rub off speed. You move yet you slow down a little, not a sudden brake and startle the drivers behind. That can cause accidents.
I dont know what else to say. Probably i have said all the major stuff that most Malaysian drivers need to adhere to. I honestly think that scoring 50/50 or having 30 years driving experience doesnt necessarily make you a good driver. A good driver goes by etiquette, reasoning and consideration. Its not your own road, its our road. So think about others too.
The question is not if you CAN drive, but do you know HOW to drive. Not as in operating the vehicle. But as in being responsible and thoughtful on the road.
But lets remember what we have learned back in the driving school. What happen to all that we have learned there? Where did it go to? From our angelic and behaved manners in the driving test or scoring 50/50 in the road code test, to utter ignorance and sheer dumbness on the open road.
I have observed for as long as im behind the wheel. My eyes dont just look at the front of my hood you know. I look at the whole road scene. Whats going on my left, right, front, back........even below and above. A competent driver should and MUST know whats going on all around the vehicle. And not just 3 feet around the bloody box..........but up to 300 - 500 meters ahead, 100 meters behind and 50 meters left right. Why some accidents happen? Drivers dont notice whats going on. Blind, oblivious, inattentive.
Road manners especially...where have they gone to? Remember the etiquette of giving way? Especially at exit ramps. The book does state we should give way alternately to exiting cars. But no, most drivers just barge on and not give a darn. Thats 1 car........if 10? 20? Thats why some jams are 10 minutes standstill. Mentality. Gone. People put signal lights is akin to asking "Please may i pass" on the roads. If you dont intend to let him pass at least dont till you are just a whisker away from scratching his side.
And what happened to KEEPING TO YOUR LANES? KEEP TO THE CORRECT LANE! You want to exit to the left ramp.......yet there they are on the far right lane trying to cut over 3 lanes. For one, you should know where you are headed. And if you know where you are heading you should have a clear track or plan of route. And if you know the route, then you should know which direction you are going. If thats the case, there should be no excuse for you to be Cutting Lanes like cutting meat with a blunt knife! You make things ugly.
Speed. Please people keep reasonable speed. I mean i drive an old Datsun Sunny 120Y ( One of the oldest of its kind). I keep most of the time to the middle lane which is mostly where 80-100kmh speeds are at. The far lane or fast lane on the outer right is 110 - 130 for fast drivers and the far left for slow drivers or lorries. But u know what i see always. Some drivers hogging the fast lane. 80kmh. And they wont MOVE aside. How ignorant is that? Cars are already overtaking on the left. And on the highways by right overtaking is supposed to be on the RIGHT. Well, "tidak apa la". Yeah.........RIGHT. Come on la.......sensible abit la. This is another stupid reason why jams happen. You got a slow lorry on the left. A slow car on the middle lane, and and equally slow car on the right lane. Jam la for sure! I drive along the Federal Highway and always when there is a jam its only two things : Slow driver or accident. And 99% its the former's case. Once i pass a certain point, there isnt any significant reason why a jam should happen. Its not a bottle neck (come one 3-4 lanes). Its not a construction site. Its not peak hours. Its not even raining. Silly. Please la use your mirrors and see whats going on behind. If u see a long line of cars behind yet no car at all infront it simply means you are SLOW and PLEASE MOVE OVER IMMEDIATELY. I even give way alot of times because i know im not that fast. But sometimes i get so frustrated at drivers who dont want to move away...... i will just flash or honk their eyes and ears off. Or give them stares when i overtake on the LEFT. I do that coz i have no choice and they wont move. Idiots.
Another annoying thing.........why so many take so darn long to move when the light goes green?! I mean NO other cars are crossing. Yet 90% of the time the light turns green the front car hasnt moved even after 3-5 secs. Which is darn precious for us at the back!!!! I mean realize la that when 3 other sides have moved, surely the next us. Just prepare 1st gear and move la. Most KLites use auto gearbox cars now, still that slow? Im not boasting im faster off the line at the lights with my old manual, but the faster i move off the faster ppl behind get to move as well, right or not? No one wants to be stuck at a light for more than 2 rounds. It gets plain ANNOYING after that. Seriously. I think im speaking truth and sense. Considerate please.
One dangerous thing : Sudden braking when there is absolutely no reason or harm to brake in the first place. I mean come one the road in front is clear. Roads are smooth, no cars.....travelling nicely at 90-100kmh. Yet suddenly driver in front brakes. FOR WHAT?! Avoid flies and mosquitoes? Theres an art of coasting/braking using gear. Which is less abrupt than pressing the brakes if u want to just rub off speed. You move yet you slow down a little, not a sudden brake and startle the drivers behind. That can cause accidents.
I dont know what else to say. Probably i have said all the major stuff that most Malaysian drivers need to adhere to. I honestly think that scoring 50/50 or having 30 years driving experience doesnt necessarily make you a good driver. A good driver goes by etiquette, reasoning and consideration. Its not your own road, its our road. So think about others too.
The question is not if you CAN drive, but do you know HOW to drive. Not as in operating the vehicle. But as in being responsible and thoughtful on the road.
02 January 2010
2.0.1.0.
Okay fine some folks wanted me to update my blog.......
First of all Happy 2010 New Year to everyone reading. I know i have been super low lying quiet for the most part. Ever since my job started i have been lazy to dish out a full fledged blog......and even a short post.
I dont know where to begin honestly in blogging for 2010.
Seeing back 2009, the end of the single digits for the 21st century, 10 years to Jan 1st 2000, it has been (im assuming for most people) a roller coaster ride. Twist n turns, ups and downs, fears and joys, screams and weeps, love and hates. Seeing where we have all come from and what we have been doing so far, there has always been a sense of passage, transition and leaving a mark in history. 2009 was well filled with all sorts of things from top to toe, A-Z and 1 to infinity, for me at least.
So what do i see, look forward, predict, plan, aim, target, dream, aspire, run for in 2010? Resolutions were never really what i do for every new year. Doesnt mean i dont have one, but instead of being tied down through out the whole one year on 1 resolution or 10 for that matter, i prefer to make a resolution that i enjoy more of the process, the journey, the involvement, the essence of it all, as compared to completing by the end of the time frame which most others do. And if one doesnt fulfill his/her resolution they consider it a failure. The finish line is there always, how we get there in what manner and what speed are the other variables dependent on ourselves. My finish line is at the end of my life time here. So ive got long long way to go.
Up till now ive considered myself a slow poke when it comes to doing certain things (albeit eating), but at other things i can be lightning fast. So whats next? Well in this year, i hope to take my time to find out more of my purposes in life, and find out more about what does it take to be an impact to others. This year will be my 23rd year walking the crust of the earth........i say that coz ive never breached beyond the 60km thick skin of our earth to the mantle. =P
I guess i gotta be more sensitive to others and be less of an @$$ sometimes. But removing my sarcasm and sense of humour and lameness might be a tall order. Not only that, it takes away ME.
Last year was a bad year for sports for me, with that nagging knee (which i will find out the cause soon the coming Thursday). Cycling was only brief. Badminton picked up however. But i do miss my old active life. And i think i want it back. Lifes a bore without action.
My work. Hmm. I aim to be the best at what i enjoy doing the most (hints).
This year also (somewhere along the way), i do hope to be able to put my guitaring skills to some Good Use. (hints).
TGFGBGMG - To God For God By God My God.
With hearts as one.
Darren
First of all Happy 2010 New Year to everyone reading. I know i have been super low lying quiet for the most part. Ever since my job started i have been lazy to dish out a full fledged blog......and even a short post.
I dont know where to begin honestly in blogging for 2010.
Seeing back 2009, the end of the single digits for the 21st century, 10 years to Jan 1st 2000, it has been (im assuming for most people) a roller coaster ride. Twist n turns, ups and downs, fears and joys, screams and weeps, love and hates. Seeing where we have all come from and what we have been doing so far, there has always been a sense of passage, transition and leaving a mark in history. 2009 was well filled with all sorts of things from top to toe, A-Z and 1 to infinity, for me at least.
So what do i see, look forward, predict, plan, aim, target, dream, aspire, run for in 2010? Resolutions were never really what i do for every new year. Doesnt mean i dont have one, but instead of being tied down through out the whole one year on 1 resolution or 10 for that matter, i prefer to make a resolution that i enjoy more of the process, the journey, the involvement, the essence of it all, as compared to completing by the end of the time frame which most others do. And if one doesnt fulfill his/her resolution they consider it a failure. The finish line is there always, how we get there in what manner and what speed are the other variables dependent on ourselves. My finish line is at the end of my life time here. So ive got long long way to go.
Up till now ive considered myself a slow poke when it comes to doing certain things (albeit eating), but at other things i can be lightning fast. So whats next? Well in this year, i hope to take my time to find out more of my purposes in life, and find out more about what does it take to be an impact to others. This year will be my 23rd year walking the crust of the earth........i say that coz ive never breached beyond the 60km thick skin of our earth to the mantle. =P
I guess i gotta be more sensitive to others and be less of an @$$ sometimes. But removing my sarcasm and sense of humour and lameness might be a tall order. Not only that, it takes away ME.
Last year was a bad year for sports for me, with that nagging knee (which i will find out the cause soon the coming Thursday). Cycling was only brief. Badminton picked up however. But i do miss my old active life. And i think i want it back. Lifes a bore without action.
My work. Hmm. I aim to be the best at what i enjoy doing the most (hints).
This year also (somewhere along the way), i do hope to be able to put my guitaring skills to some Good Use. (hints).
TGFGBGMG - To God For God By God My God.
With hearts as one.
Darren
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