Jesus Generation

Tribute to my badminton coach and mentor : Mr Charlie Wong aka Unc Wong

2011-08-16T01:31:00.002+08:00

When i was a primary school kid, one of the first sports i picked up was badminton. My dad played. My mum used to play aeons ago. I had a certain love for this sport the moment i picked up the racket. The idea of keeping the shuttlecock of the ground with the racket seemed challenging to me. Then the idea of hitting the shuttle to another person and not let him hit back to you seemed even more interesting.Thats how i started to pick up this sport.

I sparred with my dad initially. Played by the roadside in front of our house. I even painted the court lines on the road! =P Then i started to follow him to the courts with the uncles and their children. I got to know these kids, and i played with them. Just one tiny problem. They were way, way better than me. Everytime i played against them, i was on the losing side. That made me in a way sad, disappointed and disbelief in myself that im not cut out to be a good player. Just maybe recreational.

That lasted till my first year in secondary school at age 13. And i got to know of the intra-school badminton competition. I joined, I lost as usual. I felt bad again. And out of the blue, this friend of mine which i have come to know Johnny Ong Jenn Uei, sort of spotted me, and asked if i wanted to train under a coach. He gave me contacts, and just told me to come on Sunday, 4pm at the nearby hall. Mr Wong. I said fine give it a shot.It was a shot that changed my life i suppose.

For RM5per 2hour session every sundays 4-6pm, there is no sweeter deal than this for young beginners and noobs like me. All i wanted to learn was hit good shots and thats abt it. Never thought of anything else. That all changed when i came into training sessions with Uncle Wong's so called "local academy". Sitiawan is small town and i think this was the only training I ever knew tat existed here. My first Sunday was really nearly horrific. We have to run 4 rounds round a 3-court sized hall with 20other kids + 10 other adults training together. And then do all those stretchings. Then footwork drills. Shuttle drills. It was also my first time seeing shuttles used by the box loads! my goodness. We havent started playing games yet.

Everyone was treated equal. Given the same training. At the same time. With the help of his wife, Auntie Lai Yoong, and daughter, Sue Lynn, it soon dawned upon me that its not going to be easy. But try only. If i cant stand it i'll just stop. I could never hit the shuttle from baseline to basline previously. And that was the first and most tiring stroke for me. I just whacked n hit hard till its far as it can go. Leong Ze Dong had much easier task to hit back to me. I was just a new entry to the group, and i dont know why was i placed in the A group (Supposedly the elite group). I only realized after i see that C group are tiny tods and B group were primary schools kids. I guess older = elite. Serving back to baseline was my other significant weakness. No matter how hard i hit, it wont fly far or high or deep. Then theres the backhand, it just doesnt click. And there was my movement, I was slow and erratic. And after 1hour of training is done, its 1hour of game time.

I had a horrid time playing with these adults. Anyone partners me would lose by miles. So there goes another demoralizing reality check : How long will it take me to get up to that level. I still remember the best player in the whole squad that time was a guy named Chun Leong. He was district player so, can say he;s good. No one can beat him. He has a younger brother, Chun Lim. really tiny guy. younger than me. But loveable to play with.

My first day of training was over, and i thought i was over as well. Overspent. I was dripping in sweat. Panting like a dog. Legs as mushy as marshmallows. Training does hurt. But doesnt kill. The next and following sundays.........and the sundays beyond after. I attended faithfully, diligently, nearly without fail. Coz i still had this thought : Till i can hit well, i wont stop. So i did week after week. Month after month. Year after year. Under Coach Wong's wings to say. Ive been in school competitions. District level competitions. Badminton clinics.

Even my SPM and PMR years, while others were busy with their noses in their books on sunday afternoon, i was on court training even if i had paper the next day. I never wanted to miss improving myself on court. And every step of the way, coach wong was there to guide. He had tools from skipping ropes, wooden rackets, fishing poles, etc.

Soon i developed a habit on court while training : While others were busy and if i had free time, i would be walking around, practising my swings, skipping or jumping training agility n movement, doing funny tricks with the shuttle. I never wanted to sit still n do nothing when i can do something. It carries till today. I will walk into an empty court and practise whatever i want to, be it simple or tough, i still practise.

Unc Wong was always so relaxed and so calm conducting the training. His trademark is always chewing sweets/gum while training us and that looked kinda cute. :') Then he would sit on the chair in such a relaxed mode he was like a fluffy teddy bear enjoying the way we play and fumbled and tumbled and triumphed. And he'd laugh about it almost every time. Id sometimes sneak over to Aunty Wongs side with the kids occasionally to just say "Hi" since im at the far court most of the time.

Lots of players came in and went away. I would say i was about the only guy in the senior court who stayed for 5 years. Some left after 1 year, some on and off appears. And even till i left Sitiawan for college, when i was back on weekends, my racket followed me just for sundays. When i came back, i always helped train the little kids. Now my turn to be coach after all the years. There were alot of things Unc Wong couldnt coach me, and i understand that because he is just a simple basics coach. His only advice was play more. And he was very well right.

Play more varies experience. And it drives to try more stuff never tried in training. But what was important was, under coach wong, i managed to grasp the basics. The very fundamentals of the game. I dint not turn out to be the best player, but i turned into a much better player. The rest was up to me on how to build up upon that foundation. And this solid foundation came from a very soft spoken, passionate and loving man.

There was an impact. With an impact, something is imparted. What was imparted was important to me to grow as a player. And Unc Wong imparted this to me : Always try and keep trying. And that helped shaped my mentality. One can only get this from a good mentor. Good mentors leave behind a legacy, something to follow, something to continue on. So i shall continue to be a player who keeps trying to play better. And i shall teach those in the same way he taught me. Gentle , approachable and passionate about the sport.

I never really got a true honest opportunity to say Thank You to Uncle Wong, until i heard the news today.

My only hope is I be able to hit a few strokes with him up there.

Uncle Wong, Thank You. :)
Much love, fond memories, gratitude and fun.

PCC Interstate 2011 (Raub - Cameron Highlands - Bukit Merah - Damai Laut) - Part 3

2011-06-16T23:34:00.002+08:00

30th April - Day 3
Finally its the last day of IS2011. I had a really good sound sleep last night. Couldnt have come in handy for a last solid push to Damai Laut. Since today was a late flag off at about 8.30am, things were taken really relaxed. Unlike previous Interstates where the last day's morning is usually still as tense as the first day.

I got up around 7am. Brush, wash, pack. SoP. Unfortunately no breakfast is served by the resort this morning. The two buns i bought from cameron highlands did come well in handy also. There was not really a shop around that sells breakfast around this part of the resort. =S . Quickly we said goodbye to the nice cozy room and geared up for out last 110km ride today, one of the shortest "stage" of Interstate Ive ridden so far.

Got down and already activity was buzzing , with the sun up and shining brightly to warm up everyone. Really good day to ride. Dumped our bags into the truck, took out the bikes from bike storage and just waited for the start, soaking in the last moments in Bukit Merah. The last time i was where when i was in Standard 6 for end of year school trip. Thats 12 years ago. Lots of guys taking last big group photos. Met a nice young lady called Naely. Nice girl, photographer. And she took some of our pics. =)

The theme this year for IS seems to be Big Teams. Nearly everyone that came were part of some group/team with their own jersey representing each other. Theres teams like P2K, KOTRT (which are yearly participants), and then Trek Livestrong, Magnum, Rolling Spiders, La Squandra Le Tua, BJCC, Penang Island. Its like only a few of us are sort of "individual" or "paired" riders. Well it doesnt matter, im here just to ride 480km of pure adventure, not to dress up. Everyone had a good time taking photos (and being taking secretly without notice).

8.30am, the sun is up nearly full blast, and the marshal's car rolls out to lead 350 odd riders out of Bukit Merah to nearby Damai Laut. I still cant believe how near this part of Perak is to Damai Laut. And Damai Laut is just 20 from home. Awww.........i wished they put the finish in Lumut or Teluk Batik or Teluk Rubiah. Then i can cycle home easy peasy. So close yet so far. Came all the way south just 2 days ago, now im up here. Wild adventure.

The lead out car took us through what i call really nice scenery and kampung roads for the first 5km. Lots of locals probably unaware a huge movement was about to be heading their way. Probably never seen such a big bunch of colourful cyclist on their turf. Its a Sunday yet the locals still come out and do lots of chores, visiting neighbours, the kids playing on the field. A fellow rider came up beside me with his buddy and greeted me. I dont know them personally, but they called based on my bike tag.

"Good morning Darren!"
"Yeap, morning guys!"
"Thats a pretty big ass crank you got there!"
*Looks down at my 54T Dura Ace crank*
"Owh, haha. Yeah. I forgot to change the crank before i came here. =P"

Pretty soon we were directed onto tarmac. And pretty soon, almost instantly, everyone broke apart as the speed went up. I was looking around for my cousin. We planned to just ride out today at a slow pace like 20kmh. Should take us 5hours to reach Damai Laut, so ETA was approx 1pm or so. However, everyone was so "into" it that large pelotons formed almost along the entire stretch of the road, probably 1km. I was hanging onto a small peloton going 30kmh. And then suddenly the peloton broke up and everyone started going for groups in front. And groups behind kept overtaking. Crazy enough the speeds went up to 35kmh soon enough. At one point 37kmh. I guess everyone wanted to finish fast. I looked back and was surprised to see my cousing latching on to my rear wheel. Guess he made it after all to keep up with the fast pace.

This went for about 8-10km or so. Then the road turned off into a smaller road.......which became smaller........and smaller............................and smaller..........................................and soon really tiny. Just enough for 2 1/2 riders abreast at one point. This was REALY SUPER ulu typical Malaysian village style kind of environment. Theres nothing in between nature, simple life.........and............POTHOLES............with our bikes. The road was just like that of Paris-Roubaix. Everyone's fears are punctures and endos. Which sadly a rider went down and was by the roadside with aid from other riders and support vehicles. He looked dazed but ok i suppose.

Then there was a cross bar for limiting cars to go further. Lucky us cyclist can duck down underneath and escape. I bet its going to cause a massive traffic jam later on when the other cars come along this road. Who says jams are only limited to KL? By this time its like 30-40km traveled. I was wondering how long more we have to cycle through patchy roads like this. Thankfully not too long, as in front of me, was a main road. Ahhh finally some tarmac again. And one thing i know for sure..........ITS FLAT ALL THE WAY. As i got on the main road, signs keep pointing to Damai Laut and Pantai Remis. No one (even without tulips) should get lost from this point onwards. And honestly i didnt really bother to look at my tulips that much.

After a short 5km stretch were some shops where i found my cousin resting with the front group. I think it was just about 9+am. Very fast since the starting part was fast paced riding. I said to my cousin that im going to take it really easy from here till Pantai Remis. Arriving too early we might have to wait for the hotel rooms to be ready. Might as well take our time. Even other riders are taking their time.

A short drink and back on the bike. From here on till about 75km the road is winding, quite, through plantations and smooth. Its like strolling through the park on a Sunday morning. Me and my cousin took turns leading each other at 23-25kmh. Its not really a suffering ride today. And the sun wast too hot either. Just nice. All i did was just watch my meter as the km tick away slowly. And for a very long time it was just us 2 guys alone on the road, with the occasional support car buzzing by. And a few riders passing us on and off.

We got to a small bus stop where some riders were taking a break just at km70. More than halfway done. Naely was there too, taking pics and supporting the riders. Offered us some banana's and water which was nice of her. Another 10minutes and we were off. Soon afterwards we had reached the main road connecting Pantai Remis to Taiping, which is the old road before the highway was built. Beside was a malay stall , so we decided to stop here to refuel. Its like about 11.30am so its still very early, having covered already 80km. The last 30km will be very fast so we really just took things slow. Heck, even the nasi goreng ayam i ordered took 20 minutes to arrive when the stall just had a few riders eating there.

As we were eating, peloton after peloton after peloton after peloton after peloton passed by, really raising my concerns that we might be last. And i didnt know there were that many riders behind us. I bet they be making a grand entrance to Pantai Remis just 12km down the road. But i also thought that they might be eating there since the food choices there are more. For the past 60km or so theres not really a solid place to eat other that Pantai Remis itself. Few might just push on straight to the Swiss Garden resort but not all id guess. Done eating my rice and I said its time to go. 12noon already. By 1.30pm we should be in Swiss Garden. Just as we are about to mount up, another peloton came from behind (I wonder where did they all go). We stuck with this peloton until Pantai Remis town, which they then stopped to eat. And just as i guessed, lots of riders were almost everywhere taking their lunch. Well, we wont be joining a big peloton finish thats for sure, but it doesnt matter. From here till Swiss Garden, its pretty much the finishing straight. I know this road. Ive cycled here. Since the days I was in ACS secondary school i've been through this way. I know what the roads are like (albeit any changes in between then and now). I could ride home too if i wanted.

From Pantai Remis (km92) till Damai Laut, just 18 odd km's to go. I can safely say we have done IS11. Theres nothing here now that can make me and my cousin say we cant finish. Its like an impossibility unless Armageddon decides to come now. Otherwise, its in the books. The last 15km on the main road was really all about reflecting my past 3 days. How i still managed to come here is a miracle. How i managed to cycle till this point is also a miracle. The suffering, the cold, the pain, the heat, the distance, the hills, the scenery. My 4th consecutive Interstate was definitely something different than all other Interstates i have participated.

KM105, the right hand turn into the small road leading to Damai Laut. I gave a premature congratulatory handshake to my cousin for successfully completing his inaugural Interstate PCC Ride, with me, with drama, and with flying colours. I would say he was the fitter of us. Based on how he did the past 470km of riding, as opposed to me. =P

The familiar road to Damai Laut, one which i have not cycled in a very very long time since my move to KL. The road looks the same. Nothing much has changed. The feeling is just as good as being home. I am afterall in my territory. The last 2km sign board pointing to the resort. And before we can get a glimpse of the resort entrance, there is however a final test which i know all the while. Its a small 7% climb uphill. Its very short at about 100meters. To me this climb was already conquered long time ago, so im here to just say Hi after a long while. I can see the riders infront and behind struggle up this little hill. But the reward at the end is like a gateway to heaven. My cousin and I cycled up the hill, side by side, dancing on the pedals and on the very top right away we can see the main entrance to Swiss Garden resort. Lots of cheers around, claps. The photographers were busy on the hillside taking pics and cheering riders. Finally we have reached to resort. Finally it is done. Just an extra mile into the resort proper, and there we have it..........

Interstate 2011 (Raub - Cameron Highlands - Bukit Merah - Damai Laut) - Done!

I felt like i had just finish cycling around the world for some reason. Probably there was the feeling of coming home that made it all the more special this year. And what more together with my cousin brother to help lighten things up. Many riders came in one by one after us. I think we were again in the middle of the pack today. Its like 1.30pm. We were dead on time.

However, rooms were NOT on time. We actually waited like 2 hours for the rooms to be ready before we can check in. So for 2hours we were kind of like lost lazy tired cyclists lingering around with no where to go. The long wait finally ended and luckily our room was in the main resort. Some had to stay in the chalets which required travel by van. We checked in to what was really a 5star resort room. The ID was really nice. Superb furnishing. The toilet and dressing area was really cool.

Just as we checked in, we went out to the pool to take a chill out. Honestly i think this is my first time in a 5 Star resort. I did feel like a tourist for the first time, on my own home ground, which may seem weird to you. The pool dip lasted for just 30 mins as im more eager to take a proper shower and go for dinner. Plus the weather suddenly looked like its going to rain with dark clouds and strong winds suddenly coming in.

The final night's dinner was special with a tribute to the late PK Yeoh who recently passed away while riding. His son Chin Hoe did come on the Interstate but as a support. We were all very touched at his courage to still come down, probably thats what his father would have wanted to do. Mae didnt join in, which is understandable as it may invoke strong emotions throughout the whole 3 days. A minutes silence was observed in memory of PK. Ive had the honor to ride with him........on all 3 previous Interstates. RIP.

And with the final dinner, curtains drew closed. Until next year where the road will take us, and where we will end up, its a proper end to this years 3day cyclefest for pain junkies and bike addicts. The night surely was far from over for alot of the guys and girls. For me and my cousin, early retirement to the room was more of our liking. Tomorow is an equally long day for me. You will see why in a minute. For the final night, its lights out IS2011.

May 1st - Day 4
Its the day of departure back to KL. Many riders i believe are on their own transport. Some from Ipoh and Singapore probably left last night already. There were some riders from East Malaysia who left for KLIA earlier in the morning. Some might extend their stay longer.

For us, its heading back to the city (me) and the jungle (my cousin - Balikpapan, Kalimantan). Breakfast at 7am was a full buffet of western and local food. Its hard to resist eating everything that is on the table. Sadly my stomach is only that big. If i were an elephant, id probably be one happy jumping elephant seeing the sight of the food.

Organizer said the bus will depart back to KL at 8.30. The rain didnt help at all. It was pouring. Dismantling the bikes and wrapping them in plastic was anoter SoP. Some guys however brought their bike luggage. Hmm. I might consider one of these in the future. Saves the hassle of everything we are doing now.. Taking out seatposts, pedals, wheels, etc. Just to pack them on the bus. This year, there was only 1 sole bus heading back to KL. And just about 22 of us riders. I was surprised that 330 other ppl had their own transport.
And on the bus this time with us, was...............................(If Clarence and Bahri are reading this)...............Raja the Interviewer.

That alone struck fear in all of us, because we knew what he was capable of. I told my cousin the long story and history of Raja. Along with help from Jesster. The poor targets this year was two of the Singaporean riders and the guy who be sitting next to him on the bus. The rest of us had our own partners or we sendiri pandai2 jaga our own backside lar. The whole bus ride from Damai Laut to KL was really..........tense + funny.

From Damai Laut, passing Sitiawan, taking the old road to Sungkai before turning into the PLUS highway to KL and on to Raub again. A long 6 hour journey. By the time we got back to Raub, it was about 3.30pm. And then we had to go back to KL again another 1hours drive. Finally its really over for good. Another set of painful and fun memories from this years Interstate. Its back to daily routine life.

My day however is farrrrrr from over. Once i get back to KL, i am officially without a house to stay. I am supposed to move out from my current house in Wangsa Maju to USJ to live with my brother. But the landlord says theres a tenant wanting to move in quick. So its no choice that i have to move all my stuff by tonight at best. Thankfully i have moved about 30% of my stuff to USJ earlier in the month. Those which I dont need to use are the first to be moved.

My cousin and I reached KL at around 5ish. Also, now i am with out a car still. The Datsun is still not ready from the JB breakdown. And the Saga is still in finishing process just after the flood bath. The only way is i borrow my dads Myvi to move the stuff. And he has already borrowed a friends car to be spare. Cousin dropped me at Puchong where i met my dad n bro. I took the Myvi while dad n bro took my bike and luggage back to the USJ apartment which is to be my next house of stay. I was actually unprepared to move in this quick, but circumstances made me have to adjust. Thank God its a public holiday brought forward today. I took the car straight back to Wangsa Maju, to my current house and packed up as much as I can. I wanted to move all out by tonight by hook or by crook, even if it meant multiple trips.

I got back, packed up all my stuffs in boxes and plastic bags. And amazingly i loaded all my stuff in the Myvi except my small table, mattress, chair and book shelf. The rest of my stuff was squeezed into the Myvi. Trip No1. I got back to USJ apartment approx 10at night after eating dinner. Unloaded all my stuff with my brother and dad's help. And then, i went back for trip2. Crazy yes i know, but i rather get it all done now. Trip 2 i also manage to squeeze the mattress, table, chair and bookshelf into the Myvi, Not bad for a car this small. Finally.................and for the last time also (maybe for now at least) i leave Wangsa Maju no longer as a permanent resident there. USJ will be my new neighbourhood, playground and cycling route? But i still will attend WHC on the weekends. =) So its more or less i travel far up to Setapak on weekends and nearer to office on weekdays. Before this its the opposite way around.

I got everything done and settled nearly 2am in the morning. Including fixing up my pc, table, mattress and wardrobe.

Finally i am settled. A really really good rest is needed after this. Btw, Deric my brother starts college in TOC already. So soon i'm being his daily chauffeur. =P

So with that............concludes this years PCC Interstate 2011 from my eyes report.

Hope to see everyone again next year and make my 5th consecutive a good one.

Till then, ride safe. And see ya'll really soon.

~The End~

PCC Intersate 2011 (Raub - Cameron Highlands - Bukit Merah - Damai Laut) - Part 2

2011-06-05T23:48:00.000+08:00

30th April - Day 2
After a really sound sleep during the cold cold night, my alarm rang at 5.30am. Time to start the 2nd day of IS2011. Unlike previous Interstates, my legs felt much better this morning after day 1. Normally my legs be sore after day 1. Probably its because i wasnt pushing that hard yesterday.

My feet meet the cold cold cement floor *brrrrr*. Brushing and washing up in the toilet, it was even more cold. The water was cold. The air was cold. The floor was cold. Everything was cold. Even my jersey in my bag grew cold throughout the night. Dayum. We were all up by 5.45am. Me, cousin, Alwin and Shakhir. Alwin looked so cute the way he sleeps. Just felt like pinching him. Lol. Sounds gay right?

I dressed in my newly bought jersey set from Yasin. First time i will be wearing bibs. One thing for sure i know, peeing will be a problem. The bibs are so high up my waist and the shoulder straps does limit how much i can pull down. But anyway, new experiences are meant to be experienced. So, what the hell then. Packed up all my stuff and headed down with my bike n bag. Breakfast was simple mix of fried rice, eggs, fried kuey teow. And once again, chefs underestimated how much we eat (even for breakfast). Re-loading of the food was kinda sluggish. But we cant complain much can we? Its after all just a simple 3star hotel.

Today is the longest single day ride i will face (195km). I was estimating at least a 10hour ride today. Like usual I always plan my ride ahead and the pace i intend to ride. Cousin was pretty much agreeable to ride slow and enjoy. So thats that, just needed to get ready to ride.

Waiting outside in the early morning of 6.15am in the freezing (really freezing 20 Celcius temperature) wasnt really pleasent. Especially when we are still waiting for people to return roomkeys. How hard can it be to just return roomkeys? That we waited for 30 minutes till 6.45am before we can start riding. By the way, we realized (me and my cousin) than going downhill this early in the morning might be chilly. I tried looking for newspapers (its a good wind breaker and body warmer) to stuff in our jersey. Otherwise we be shivering on the way down to Simpang Pulai. Too bad, all newspapers ran out. Luckily though, i have a backup plan. I brought along two waste paper bags (those really thin ones). I gave one to my cousin to wear. I put it in my jersey just wrapping the front portion of my chest as a wind shield. My cousin however...........did this

Well being an engineer himself, he just re-engineered the garbage bag to fit around him like this. Not bad eh?

Some of the riders getting ready. Some in wind breakers. Not so fair. =P

Loading on the truck.

These two bikes gona have a long ride today.........

After a lengthy delay with Christina shouting at the top of her lungs to get people to return the room keys, we finally can move off. First 16km of the route from start goes uphill. Zzzx. So early , so cold already legs have to start hard work. Even just cycling a slow 14kmh uphill, its still cold as the artic. The platic bag did help a little. But my arms and legs were still cold in the wind. Worst is when there are small downhill parts. Going down with cold wind blowing. I just wanted to get over this section so badly. Just cant bear the cold anymore. Id be happier cursing in hot weather than cursing in cold weather. At least i can pronounce the words with out stuttering.

I just took my own sweet time up the slopes. Some sections were kinda steep. But once we got out to the main highway road and turn down towards Simpang Pulai, it was fun fun fun fast fast fast pace down all the way. My cousin was a bit far in front so i did not see him for some time until just after the strawberry farms. The pace down Camerons was constantly at 40-45kmh. My first time going down Camerons (though its a highway) I was rather cautious as I am not familiar with the road. I wouldnt know where each pothole or hump and bump was. Riding up KOM the few months before was a different side of the road.

By the time i hit the descent it was about 8++am. I figured we can reach down by 9.30am as its a long 50km down. Going to be pretty back breaking. My cousin and I followed the Trek Livestrong group almost from start to end all the way. Was fun following them together. Lots of riders keep overtaking one another (in a safe and orderly fashion) which helped enhance the experience. The wind was cold still. Thankful for the garbage bag on my chest now. Broke the wind nicely. By the time we hit the last 10km of the downhill (based on my meters readings) the sun came out full force, and i could feel the heat once again. How i have missed the heat for.........erm............since...............when i was still in JB. I didnt see the sun whole of yesterday.

Passed the quarry and was finally on flat roads. I hoped there wasnt going to be anymore uphills. Ive had it already. It was getting hot, so i took off the garbage bag and kept in my jersey pocket. Thank you bag. =) We stopped at a petrol station to fill water and pee. We were still thinking whether to eat here or somewhere further up. Just 1km to the traffic lights junction to turn right and then in 5km we will be in Ipoh. cant believe im this far up. Ive actually passed my hometown (probably somewhere while i was suffering up the cold mountain yesterday). I told my cousin lets eat further up. In the end we just stopped at a simple malay shop to eat rice. The sun was up full blast. Time was about 10am. We have done 75km already. So TECHNICALLY we have to realy cycle 120km only. Well.....not too bad i say. 55km was free downhill. Our benefit at least. Me and my calculator head again made some ETA's to Bukit Merah. At 20kmh we will reach by 5pm roughly. At 30kmh probably 4pm be possible. So i thought it will be a smooth flat ride with some sunburns to the Lake Town resort. No biggie right?

So after a nice rest, 10.30am we departed. First time will be cycling through Ipoh town. Well not exactly the town itself. Just the outskirts. We will pass Tambun and Sg Siput. Subsequently to K. Kangsar outskirts and Taiping outskirts. When we pushed off, we saw the recumbent cyclist infront of us. I was like, "This is it. We will follow his pace all the way.". He was going a smooth 25kmh. I thought this was just nice to go all the way. I didnt mind who else wanted to overtake us. Then suddenly out of nowhere, more riders started to join us. The group of us 4 suddenly grew to about 8 riders. Just following the recumbent.

At a traffic light while waiting, a garbage truck was beside us with all the workers on board, and were wondering where we were from and where we are going. When we told them, the worker was stunned, from the looks on their faces. Lol. They asked "Tarak penat kah?" (Isnt it tiring in Bahasa). Well we just told them IT HELL IS. But we're used to it. And we love it. Crazy right? Even they got speechless.

After the set of lights, turning right, we said bye to the garbage truck and its stunned crewman. And what stunned us later was a long train of 40+ riders snook up from behind us. If not mistaken it was led by Master Vong Vong Vong. Going at 35kmh. I was tempted to follow, but this early in the ride i thought better not. I was just still keen to stick with the recumbent. It took like 1/2 minute for the long train to finish overtaking us. Unfortunately , the recumbent rider wanted a break so we were on our own soon after. Just two of us cousins. The earlier riders somehow stuck to the long train.

We pedaled slow and easy into Tambun, then going up through Sg Siput. We passed the Lafarge Cement factory. The biggest landmark in Sg Siput. We took a short break under one of the overhead conveyor belts. Need some rest after 30km. I decided that we would rest at each 30km intervals (which is a good idea to recover). The sun was beating down hard but not too hard. The road from here to Taiping was pretty much town roads. I wasnt really suffering much as i paces properly. Leisurely riding style.

After we entered into Kuala Kangsar, we stopped at a junction for some water.........coconut water to be exact. Refreshing cold coconut water on a hot day like this was like heaven. Then we continued some more heading towards Taiping side. I think this was around 150km or so traveled. Nothing eventful. That is until i started to see the PLUS highway on my left. Was cool to be cycling beside the North-South Expressway. What soon became uncool was that i have to cycled beside this expressway.........and go up a long 3km hill. From far it didnt look steep. Boy.........when I hit up that slope.......it was just as bad as going up Camerons yesterday. And its like I have to do it again. Dayum. I said i didnt want climbs anymore. Gahhhh...... i climbed up that hill freakishly slow......like 9-10kmh kinda slow. A rider infront was already sitting on the rails taking a ciggie power break. Behind me another cyclist was following in the distance. Further up my cousin seemed to be conquering the hill like Lance Armstrong. I took like 10 minutes to get up this little hill. Little was an understatement. Many thoughts rushed into my head "Stop. Get down. Push. Walk". Well I will let my will power decide when to call it quits. My thighs were burning. And it didnt help when the road was bloody uneven. My will power prevailed and got me to the peak with huffing and puffing. I hope the downhill part was long enough for me to catch a breather, just incase another hill is on the other side.

Luckily it was down flat to the bottom. I caught my cousin in front slowing down. I saw lots of rain clouds behind me suddenly. So i though of cycling fast for a while. I got up to speed to 30kmh. And passed my cousin. And........he followed me. We did that for about 10km before stopping at a petrol station where other riders were also taking a rest. Quite a big group. Shakhir was there also. I also realized.....its now roughly 3pm and we havent eaten any solid food since 10.30am back at Simpang Pulai. Just my snacks of Could9 along the way. Too busy cycling i guess till we didnt really feel hungry. Since i was there i ate quite abit and drank lots of water and 100Plus. Then my cousin starts to get funny again............with this............

Is this how he will do Interstate 2012???? If he does, God bless him.

I took a short splash of water in the toilet to cool down afterwards before continuing our last 30km of the days ride. We left together with a small group of riders going at about 30-33kmh. I suddenly felt the temptation to follow their pace since we are short distance from the finish. So i told my cousin "Lets follow". So we did. And we followed the pace led by this young rider from Singapore. Riding a really nice Look 659. We did 30kmh average all the way without stopping till we saw the last 5km to go. When we hit that mark we all pretty much sat up and relaxed. The last 25km went by so fast i didnt even realize. I was just busy trying to keep pace with the riders and not lose the draft.

Then suddenly on the entrance to the Lake Town resort, lots of the support car drivers told us to gear down....and enjoy the terribly bad hill. I was like............"What hill?". Then infront i saw what was like a dragon out from the sea. Tall............long.....................scary.........................steeeeeep.............................I shouted my ass off at the sight of that hill. I geared down immediately and prepared to ride my legs off. Its much steeper than yesterday, the few months before and since i can remember. Its as bad as Genting Highlands. Now its here. The SG rider that led us went up like really fast. I wasnt too bothered. Cousin went up slightly ahead. Wasnt bothered. I just couldnt be bothered if I had to get off the bike and push up.

My legs pumped up that monster of a hill slowly. Its a 5-9kmh hill kinda steep. Really steep. Gave all thats left in the tank. My lungs are just about to burst. My thighs are just as hot as chicken wings. Sweat dripping out the front of my helmet. I see couple of riders whom were in front now sitting down by the side gathering their breath or some pushing up. I persevered up trying not to get off. Just a little bit more and Im there. The last huff at the peak was greeted by a nice overview of the Lake Town resort and the lake. Just as nice as Tasik Kenyir last year. Then on the way down was just the slow roll-in into the Resort.

Finally Day 2 mission accomplished. We made it by 4.30pm which is good time. And from the deck of unclaimed ID tags and amount of luggage still unclaimed, we were in the middle of the bunch today, compared to yesterday where we were near tail-enders. A not so suffering day though it was long. Glad to finish nicely.

Grabbed the luggage , stored the bike in the bike storage area, went up to our service apartment. Nice room. Much nicer than yesterdays room. Shower and TV. Mini fridge. The dinner was a nice assortment of food. Buffet style as it should be. After that the usual rigmarole of briefings, announcements, lost and founds. Then its bye bye good night see you tomorrow on the last day! So fast its the end of Day 2. My cousin and i took a short walk after dinner before heading back to the room.

Funnily i wasnt sleepy yet as i should be after a long hard day of riding. Instead i watched this show on the TV which as a Jay Chou movie. Not like im his big fan or watch his movies often. But the plot was (you chinese watching movie buffs might know but i dont) JC is a music college student who falls in love with a supposedly ex-student from the past who came to the future by playing a secret piano piece. In real only he can see her but others cannot see her as the spell was only the first guy to see her after she plays the piece can. Kind of like a to and fro love story. Well tragically the plot then reveals she died back in time due to asthma as she left her inhaler at home. And JC played the secret piano piece to go back in time to be with her. And well.............im lazy to elaborate more. Lol.

Long story short, i saw tat movie till 12am till the end and then went to sleep. Next morning we ride at 8am so we can sleep later. So its lights out on Day 2.

-End Part 2-

PCC Interstate 2011 (Raub - Cameron Highlands - Bukit Merah - Damai Laut) - Part 1

2011-05-22T00:34:00.000+08:00

For the 4th consecutive year I have joined the PCC Interstate Cycling Ride and every year is a new experience. This year was no different as many things happened before, during and after the ride itself. This is the 2011 IS story coverage from myself. Btw, this year's IS I will be joined by my dear cousin brother Lee Chun Seong. First time joining Interstate. Enjoy the read. =)

28th April - Day 0
I have been in JB for outstation work since Tuesday (26/4) and i was hoping to get back to KL in time to prepare for the long haul of the Interstate. I tried my very best to get back by Wednesday, giving me a 1 day break to rest. But to my disappointment (and worst fears) I had to come back today, at night some more. I finished site work at 7pm. Driving my old Datsun 4 hours back to KL, i will reach only earliest by 11pm, with insufficient sleep. Plus I didnt eat the whole day due to the busy work load.

At 7pm i left JB. Somehow I had a weird feeling since my trip down to JB. For some odd reason, I didnt feel good about the return trip if I am going back on a Thursday nite, just mere hours before IS11.

For 2 hours on the PLUS highway I was driving steadily. Its around 9pm, I had just passed Yong Peng. I still have 190km to go. Only roughly 110km traveled. I usually drive with the radio off. Its coz I am really lazy to tune the channels while driving. And because of this, I am so familiar with the sounds of the car while driving. Every squeak, whistle, hum, etc. But today..........I heard a different sound. Something distinct. Which was persistent, consistently present for a long time. A weird tune of the car which i have never heard before. I paid more attention to this new sound, a rare hum.

As i drove longer, the hum got steadily louder, more pronounced, saying that SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT with the car. Tires? I hope so coz i can change to the spare. Engine? Dear Lord please not! Im in the middle of the highway at night with no where near any bail out spots.

But the noise forced me to stop the car by the highway side. I had to take a look. With the engine running, emergency lights on, I got out and took a look. Tires were fine. But the sound, to my horror came from under the hood. I popped open the hood. With my flashlight i shone on the engine. And what caught my eyes made my heart sank. The radiator fan was wobbling. I immediately shut off the engine. With my hands, i could shake the fan. To my logical sense, the bearings must have worn down. There were bits of metal behind the fan shaft.

My worst nightmare. Im on the open highway, hundreds of KM from the start point Raub, which I must be there by 5.30am latest. Clock is ticking. I have just 8 hours left. My mind now is in desperation and deep prayer : "CAN I GET OUT IN TIME?"

I called dad and cousin about my predicament. I was advised to drive slow and see if by some magical force, be able to make it back to KL slowly. I started the car, the noise of the wobbling fan is now much louder. And i drove for just 1km, the noise was unbearably loud. I could feel some of the vibrations from the fan. I had to stop. And when i stopped, i got out again, looked under the hood with the flash light. Now to my further horror. Water had leaked out from the water pump. The bearings were visibly gone. And not the fan is in no way able to turn anymore. So i thought " This is it. I am not making it this year. Cousin Lee will have to go without me. I shall be stuck here till God knows when.". All the worst possibilities ran through my mind. And I was almost certainly sure I cannot make it. With that aside, my next mission was just to get back to KL no matter how.

9.45pm now. Called dad to tell the bad news. He was also shocked i suppose. Just a couple of weeks ago the Saga was caught in a flood. Now the Datsun and me are stranded. In the middle of the dark-far-away-from KL-North-South Highway. Talk about drama eh? There was nothing much i can do. My last resort was the PLUS Ronda assistance. I called and to swift response, a patrol truck came in 20 minutes. I was glad to see help. But now there is a new predicament. The truck is towing another car. It cannot tow two cars. My car had to wait to be towed. I constantly kept in contact with dad about the situation.

I was given this choice : Either i sit there waiting till the come next round (Which is God knows when) or I leave the car by the highway side, and follow them where they will drop me off at the next toll exit, Pagoh (some 30km away). Its 10+pm. I had to think quick what to do. Finally. i just grabbed whatever essentials i have (clothing, personal stuff etc). I left all work material and tools in the car. Locked it up. And hopped on the truck. I told Seong not to wait for me. Go to IS without me if I cant make it. And he replied.....

"I wont go without you...."

I prayed that i will go with him. But it all depends on how soon i can get back. I have some bit of hope now because I am moving somewhere. But from the toll, where will my next ride be? Bus? Taxi? At this hour? Finally dad called. He said "You wait at the toll there. I will come to fetch you."

That triggered some fighting spirit in me that now I think i CAN make it. I cant help but feel so grateful and thankful to my dad. He's been really just like a hero. Sacrifice. All i can say is im thankful to have such a dad. With the truck driving slow at 40kmh towing another car behind with passengers, all I could do is just sit back and close my eyes. I wished that when i opened them this was all just a bad dream. IS hasnt even started, and already here I am in another "adventure" of my own. I did some calculations in my mind : If dad and I meet up at the Pagoh toll exit by 12am and we can reach back to KL by 2am, technically there is still time to make if for Interstate. I planned and budgeted a 2 hour drive to Raub with my cousin. It will be very close. I closed my eyes but couldnt really sleep. All this sequence of events made me more wide awake than a night owl.

After a slow one hour drive, I had been dropped off at the Pagoh toll. Its about 11.15pm now. My car is way back there alone. Dad is somewhere on the way. Im here sitting and waiting. I watch as the flying termites in their hundred fly around the neon street lamp. And a group of Mat-Kereta's just chilling out with their cars (oddly in the toll area) with some music banging away. I just slumped on the wall next to a water dispenser. Waiting...........waiting...........waiting............... Alright so to kill time i played Angry Birds on my phone. I still couldnt sleep. Plus im hungry. I havent showered.

I was glad though that i have already packed 90% of my stuff for IS the week before. Somehow a gut feeling told me then to just pack first and put it to one side. About half an hour later, dad called. He's reaching soon. I could almost feel the relief, letting go all the nerves i had just for the past 2 hours. Enough is enough for one night. Seeing dad's car exiting the toll gates, all my worries had substantially subsided. Now I my only though is to get back to KL. I was so relieved to see my dad. He looks obviously tired. I was also equally as tired. But there's no time to waste. Its already 12am. I told dad I will drive back. He hadnt eaten too. I gave him some of my buns and water. With 140km to KL, i drove at 120kmh. Pretty sure i can make it in 1 1/2 hours time. Refilled petrol, and i did not even touch the brakes on the way to KL. Along the way the talk in the car wasnt much abt the stranded troubled Datsun. More on general things. Kept me wide awake.

At last at 1.30am, I have reached the Kajang toll exit. Dad's asleep. I drove straight to cousins house in Puchong where he will be my driver to Raub. Dad had to drive all the way back to Klang. Now the worst ordeal is over................with a million thanks to God.

29th April - Day 1
That was Day 0. Now its Day 1 , 1.30am. I am still not out of the woods yet. I have no sleep, not really any food, no bath, and no idea how on earth am I going to cycle the first day route (145km. Raub - Cameron Highlands). I was pretty sure i might suffer the whole way up.

As soon dad left, I took a breather in cousin Lee's house. I still tried to sleep but cant. Ended chatting with cousin till 2+am. Then we started preparing to head over to my place in Setapak to pick up my luggage for IS and my bike. From Puchong to Setapak, the heavens opened like never before. Heavy rain. Till my house doorstep it was still heavy. I just spent 30 mins to pack up the bike, grabbed my luggage and make sure I had what i needed for the ride. By 3am, we finally shot off to Raub. In my cousin's words "Insterstate, here we come!". Yeah, just hours ago I thought i would never hear this statement.

The drive from Raub to Bentong was wet wet wet most of the way. Along the Karak Highway it was wet too. I just traveled from all the way south and now im half way up the peninsular already. Still cant sleep in the car. Im going to be like a zombie at the start point. To our surprise we reached Raub by 4.30am. We found where the start point would be. But now my stomach was very very hungry. It has been growling for hours. But I couldnt stop to eat until Im settled down in Raub first. Thank God there was a 7-Eleven in Raub. Both of us went there and had 2 cup noodles each as a morning breakfast. For me it was my first meal in 1 1/2 days.

Now my cousin is starting to say "What have i got myself into?". This is the same question i have at every interstate. Lol. Welcome to the club bro. =)

Refueled (sort of), so we head to the start point to set up the bikes and do the necessaries. 5.00am and I guess we were the earliest fellas around. By 5.30am activity had picked up with riders coming in/waking up. Saw familiar faces. Saw new faces. Hear the same old voice of James and Christina over the speakers, with blaring music in the wee hours in this small town. Both me and cousin just sat there waiting for 6.30am to come and off we ride. Funnily enough, just 10 minutes before start he had to visit the loo. I guess nerves got that far down to him eh? Came back in like 5 minutes. So i guess we are all more or less ready to ride. Im just prepared to come in last for today. Ive done calculations that if we can just do the first 50km flat route in 2 hours, then the remaining 9 hours up 90km at avg speed of 10 or 12kmh, we might survive up Camerons in time for the 5.30pm group photo. Thats all for today's goal. Its just mere survival up the slopes.

Mr Lee Chun Seong aka my cousin

The start point - Raub Rest House

Activity buzzing at this early hour in the morning

OK so here I am, having just ended a perilous day. And about to start another one. Looking back it seemed impossible. Looking forward it seems impossible too (with my giving state of mind, body, spirit and soul). Its amazing im still wide awake till now.

At 6.45am we have Flag Off for the 2011 Interstate. As usual, 10km lead out by marshal's car. Then its all on our own. I had no mood to stick with any pelotons. I was just wanting to go slow at my own pace with my cousin. The morning was rather cloudy, cool temperatures. In the blink of an eye, lots of riders disappeared in front and behind me. For the next 20-30km I did not see any big pelotons. Just small groups or individuals overtaking us once a while. We caught some slower riders as well.

After 1hour of cycling my eyes are still wide open. My legs feels OK for now. Going just at 25kmh speed. Passing through some small plantation roads. With nice view of the surrounding mountains and trees. Greeted and cheered by a few local children.

Open roads along the country side

Some quieter roads in the kampung side

Back to open roads again. Notice the rain ahead?

The first 50km was done reasonably fast. In about 2 hours we reached the first watering hole. We had to go through a little bit of rain before we got here. So we were pretty much still wet from the shower. Finally i could sit down and eat some real food. Good old nasi with kari ayam. Just what might help me for the next 90 km because there isnt going to be any food till the top of Camerons. I called dad just to see how is the arrangement for the Datsun to be towed back to KL. RM800 bucks to tow from the highway to KL. Oh well, nothing much we can do for a cheaper price to get it back to KL. Rather than sending it to some far out mechanic shop who might just do "a little more extra service" than what is required. And then charges a bomb for it.

OK so i have re-fueled re-carbo-loaded with something solid finally in 16 hours or so. I hope it will be enough to sustain to the top of Camerons. Ive got 6 Cloud9 bars in my jersey pocket and a bun. 2 bottles of water. Thats it. No powergels. No powerbars. Oh and did i mention cousin Lee bought like 15 gels and 4 powerbars? Gila la this guy.

10.30am sharp we decided it be best to start moving again. A long uphill climb ahead. The bad thing abt resting and then getting back cycling (on a cold cloudy day) is.....well........its FREAKING cold after u start back. With sweat and rain still havent evaporated. And the cool wind blowing against me, I was literally shivering for 3km. This was when i wished the sun was scorching hot, or had at least a wind breaker. But no. Just one layer of my jersey. Thats it. The feeling is like being in an air con room 24 Celcius, soaked wet and the fan blowing at you at speed 2. You will agree with me its not a pleasant feeling. OF COURSE you cant agree with me because highly likely you wont try this crazy stunt. Same cant be said for the other 300+ riders today. =P

KM52 : Climbing starts. So the slow creepy crawling pace uphill begins. This might be a killer. Literally. Apart from the really beautiful scenery of the cool cloudy mountain and hillside with clouds and mist falling upon the trees, the journey up was one that seems like a never ending winding slow torture ride.

The first 10km was alright for me. The steepness of this climb is slightly more than Genting Sempah, abt equal to Perez climb in Bt 18. Just its super long. Way longer than KOM we did last October. Steadily pushing my 27gear at rear, i get kinda demoralized sometimes riders pushing up 23/25 and going faster than my 12-14kmh pace. Cousin had compact cranks. =P This is what happens when i dont listen to Don's advice. Hahahaha.

The best ( i should say unpleasant) part of the uphill ride is that there are alot of places where the road winds up and then turns 150-180 degrees back, just enough where one can see from a distance the road going up and goes longer into the mountains. This kind of view gave me mostly another round of demoralizing thoughts. "Arghh thats another climb. It looks long. It looks painful". By now my thighs are already starting to hurt. Im not panting or breathing hard. Very shallow breathing. But the legs just struggle to push every single pedal stroke. I struggled badly honestly. And to make shame to myself, my cousin was cycling faster, further and better than me. He was always in front like 300-500 meters. Couple of times he is out of my sight. Darn it. And I was supposed to be the more seasoned rider. Pffft yeah right my legs dont say so.

Climbing slow with painful thighs is one thing bad enough since the start. Until the rain came again, it just made things worse. Well the rain wasnt that bad, it was only bad when the wind started to blow. Now its like im in a chiller with the fan blowing at speed 4. Garh. Im shouting in bone piercing cold weather. Rain water dripping down the front of my helmet. My shoes are flooded. I am wondering is this going to be all the way to the top?
For about 30odd minutes i endured a full blast of cold wet Cameron Highlands weather. I see support car keep buzzing around supporting riders in front and back. Now i see riders only once every 20 or 30 minutes. And im wondering how far down the field am I? The front group must be at least 1hr ahead of me.

I kept looking at my watch to see what the air temperature was. It hovered around 22-24 Celcius. Its like around 12pm and its this cold. How i miss the hot sun. We've covered more than half distance by this time. 20+km in 2 hours. Thats slow. 70+km to go in 5 hours. It seemed like a mathematical error to make it by 5.00pm like this. Ringlet is like roughly 50km away still. Tanah Rata is at KM130. Then the last 15km uphill to Brinchang where we end in Star Regency Hotel. Every meter up this forsaken mountain hurts. There was a point i was pedaling at 9kmh or so. I just lost all drive and effort to push up any faster. I wish i had a bigger rear cog.

Somehow, after the long slow creep up, we reached the farm village of Ringlet. Finally i see something different other than hills, clouds and rain water. The farm town is just full of these old pick up jeeps buzzing up and down fetching produce. I wonder where all these jeeps came from. Seems like this is the only place in Malaysia where almost every household owns one of these. Its roughly 2pm already and we needed to eat again. Quite a number of riders ate here in Ringlet town itself. But my cousin thought it be better to go up abit more to another side of town called Tringkap. Just one problem is that there's this pretty big hill to go over to the other side. My legs have been hurting for hours now.

A simple meal of fried rice was all we had. Nothing much to eat since its 2+pm. People also about to close shop for the day. And here are a bunch of cyclist making hell for themselves. 3pm and we are off to complete the final 17km of Day 1. Cant believe i actually survived this long. Critical junction KM131 has passed. Cousin Lee said that after this its pretty much flat once we get into the Habu area. I was looking forward to some flats. Not before we go uphill abit more. Torturing was never this long in my life.

Now at this point my right knee was aching from all the climbing. My toes are nearly numb from the hard pushing. From Habu to Tanah Merah it is just about 10km. So i started counting down the KM with the time left on the clock. We have about slightly less than 2 hours before group photo. 3++pm. We passed a lake (Yes a lake at this altitude). Looked like a giant pool of teh tarik to me. Going steady slow at 10-12kmh. Now for some reason i thought the total distance was 145km. Actually its 148km. From meter reading 131 means i have 14km to go. Not far. But now that i have realized theres an extra 3km, 3km seems like eternity on these slopes.

We were on the most winding part of the climb just before the big tea plantation of Tanah Merah. But for the past 20 minutes of so (despite the rest, lunch and slow pace) my legs really really could not take it anymore. I had to stop. Get down. And push. So much was the pain, i said "I think i might just push all the way.....all 10km from here at this point at 5kmh. Screw the photo shoot. I just want to reach the hotel. I walked with my bike........and a supportive cousin riding behind me (STILL looking in better shape than me). I keep telling him to go first and dont wait. For a good 400 meters i walked UP the slope, cars buzzing by, wearing my cleated shoes (I dont care if i wear down the cleats as i have spares). Walking up was just as tiring , just not as painful.So close we are now to the finish point. Just seemed so far to me now.

However, after a while of walking I somehow felt slightly ok to continue riding. Heck i ride at 9kmh is still faster than 5. So i hopped back on the bike and continued my slow crawl. I passed the tea plantation. Lots of eople (and a few riders) having afternoon tea. My afternoon tea is the sweat dripping into my mouth. Another 5 grueling kilometers, so we have touched 145km. 3 more km, and its just abt 4.30pm. Looks like i think we can make it, some how miraculously. Passing the small town of Tanah Merah with buildings on slopes and surrounded by mountains was a nice view to welcome after all the torture. Then we were on the final stretch.
The last left hand turn. Oddly we were wondering where is that left hand turn. We dont see a Star Regency hotel sign nor a PCC arrow sign. Well by faith, we just turned left at 148km, which went into some kind of small back road, leading to some apartments, and we were frantically looking out for cyclists, support cars, bikes on roof or a hotel with lots of jerseys hanging out the window so we know that we are on the right track. At last, we saw what we wanted to see , the finish hotel for Day 1. But i also saw something i didnt want to see : ANOTHER STEEP CLIMB to the hotel. Grrrrrr...........I gave one last push from my already battered legs. And i nearly ran out of breath but as i unclipped and set foot down on the hotel entrance, I gave a big high-5 to my cousin and we just cant believe we finally made it just in time.

I saw the luggage bags from the truck, not many left. Means we are among the rear end riders. Doesnt matter. We're here now. Legs paining, body cold , bike all dirty but hearts are happy..We grabbed our bags, got our room keys and found out our room mates for tonite are Shakhir and Alwin (!!!!!). Two jokers with us. Haha.

Getting into the room was nice. Apartment style. Shower. TV. Couch. Just nice to relax. We all unpacked , washed bikes and got ready for the photo shoot. Dinner was at 6.30pm. Shakhir somehow managed to take the hot shower. But when it came to my turn, the heater wasnt working. Now i have to take an ice cold shower in and already ice cold place. ><""""" And the floor was like ice. Tiles. Garrrhhh. I HATE COLD.

After dinner, went to buy some food for Day 3's breakfast as it was mentioned no breakfast on day 3 morning. Hmm. Wonder why. And there was a pasar malam too just opposite the hotel. But i was clad only in the PCC thin shirt and short pants. I wasnt too keen to stay outside in the cold like this. And somehow it didnt cross my mind that Camerons is cold , so i didnt bring long pants. I went to bed at 8.45 - With two layers of shirt on me and a towel + blanket. Yes i hate the cold that much. I cant wait to get down from this place tomorrow.

-End Part 1-

Update for 2011

2011-03-27T21:04:00.000+08:00

Greetings dear readers. My last post was November 2010 last year. Its March 2011 now. Some updates abt myself and my life. Just a quick short post for now.

December 2010

Cousin sister Lee Yoke Cheng got married. She is the 3rd relative in my family line (both from dad n mums side combined) to get married.......first to get married from my mums side. Congrats and happy marriage. Now waiting for the little kids to come along. =

Christmas was skipped coz cousins wedding was on that day itself. Christmas wedding. =P

January 2011

Came into 2011 prepared for a busier year than last year. Now i have the heavier burden to carry in work. Its not easy and at times i feel like i wanna just throw everything on the floor and stomp it to bits.

Registered for IS2011 early this year coz what happened last year could happen again...........a sign up frenzy that could fill all 350 seats in less than 2 weeks.

February 2011

Watched the last stage of LTdL in dataran merdeka for the first time live. Felt the atmosphere was really exciting with all the media crew, people, security officers and the racers and bikes. Had good eye washing session =), Even more exciting was on the same day was the company's off day for CNY. 2 days early leave. So right after the bike race i went home with dad to be with family and spent a nice long simple CNY in Sitiawan. One of the best CNY's i had due to its simplicity and relaxed nature. I got kinda tired of visiting.

Work kept piling on me. Lucky new guy came in so now its 3 engineers again. But 3 engineers still isnt enough to meet our work load in my view. Its still as tight as before. I have been traveling to JB often also due to the site work there.

PCC Interstate 2011 closed registration after 2 weeks. See........i told you so. This year however, my dear cousin brother Lee Chun Seong will join the 3 day grueling ride from Raub - Camerons - Tanah Merah - Damai Laut from April 29 - May 1. Welcome on the wagon of pain bro. =P

March 2011

Yeah it was my birthday month. I took leave on 18th and 21st as my birthday break while D-Day 19th was a saturday. Long break for me. =P

Birthday exercise was the JJB Badminton competition on 18th. Nobody want to partner me in doubles so i joined singles event. I was pretty sure i be out on the 1st round. True enough. Just not fit enough to play. I played doubles for far too long. =P

Birthday day was celebrated with close mates of church. Nice dinner they took me to. Just happy for the occasion. =)

26th March (yesterday) is a black day in cycling for me and my circle of cyclists as a fellow friend and rider PKYeoh was tragically killed while riding on the MEX highway at KM14 from Bkt Jalil heading towards Putrajaya. He was catching up with front group when a car rammed him from behind, killing him on the spot due to severe head injuries. News and reports + photos at the scene gave a grim reminder to many of us in the cycling community how much we love cycling yet its still a danger anywhere no matter how prepared and careful we are. But having said that, we still pay our tribute and respect to our fallen rider. The huge response in tribute, respect and encouragement to the family just shows how much he is loved by all.

I got this sad news while i was attending the CIDB course in KL at 10.30am from my close riding friend Bahri Aris. I just came back from JB 4am the previous night and i was still dead tired. I would be having a long day ahead with church activity in the afternoon till 8pm. To receive this news set the low and gloomy tone for the rest of the day. It even still carried abit into Sunday (today).

I have had the privilege to ride with the late PKYeoh on some rides like PCC Interstate 2008, 2009 and 2010 and on a few sunday rides with the PCC group. He was a nice man, with wife and son also avid riders. I saw him as the cheer bringer to the friends around him. I remember him sitting on the table surrounded by other cyclist gossiping laughing and chatting at the end of each Interstate day. In the end, he left doing what he loved most.

Tribute to PCC Cyclist PK Yeoh.

The late PK Yeoh

-Updates end-

Updates 21/11/2010

2010-11-21T14:33:00.000+08:00

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-

Unexpected

2010-09-10T19:36:00.000+08:00

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.

Inside and out

2010-09-01T23:07:00.000+08:00

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*

Interstate 2010 : 30th April - 2nd May : Kuala Kangsar - Pulau Banding - Kota Bharu - Tasik Kenyir (Part 3

2010-07-31T12:45:00.002+08:00

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.

Interstate 2010 : 30th April - 2nd May : Kuala Kangsar - Pulau Banding - Kota Bharu - Tasik Kenyir (Part 2)

2010-05-26T02:06:00.001+08:00

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.

Interstate 2010 : 30th April - 2nd May : Kuala Kangsar - Pulau Banding - Kota Bharu - Tasik Kenyir (Part 1)

2010-05-05T23:15:00.002+08:00

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 =)*

In the light.

2010-04-20T01:12:00.002+08:00

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

Not the way i want to end my day 7/4/2010

2010-04-07T21:06:00.003+08:00

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

Point blank

2010-04-01T22:04:00.000+08:00

No seriously.................

@#(^@#$)($(|#@(_!@|//*#/^&^/*#!/*!

Lot of rubbish is in my head...............

How have i changed recently?

2wenty 3hree

2010-03-29T00:02:00.000+08:00

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.

Updates about me.

2010-02-27T01:00:00.000+08:00

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.

CNY

2010-02-11T02:10:00.000+08:00

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

Persecution

2010-01-10T19:41:00.001+08:00

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 : -

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.

—Jeremiah 20:11

“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.

—Matthew 5:10-12

“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.

—John 15:18-20

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.”

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.

—Romans 8:35-39

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.

—2 Corinthians 12:10

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

—2 Timothy 3:12

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.

—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-

Drive Damn It!

2010-01-06T00:41:00.000+08:00

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.

2.0.1.0.

2010-01-02T11:15:00.000+08:00

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

Till now i realize.......

2009-12-10T00:30:00.000+08:00

Goodness me i cant believe its been more than 1 month from my last post and i feel that i just posted the last post only yesterday (what a cliche).

But seriously.......work has its toll on the working ppl. Now i realize this. I literally almost have no time for myself even. So is that the ultimate sacrifice every working adult must pay? I disagree honestly. Into my current job, it has been a learning experience no doubt. But the past one month has really been a whole month of deep thought : "Is this really what i want to do?"

A mechanical engineer like me doing an IT + E&E engineer's job is like fish out of water. But this fish has to stay alive an learn how to breathe somehow. But its a rough time for the fish. Amphibians have the last laugh i guess.

Job happiness, job motivation, job fulfillment. All these i see key to an employee's tenure in a company. I guess my rating for each of the category is well below 30%. I just dont see it as my career or my life for that matter. Id even probably be happier selling my home made hotdogs by the road side. So what now? Change? Stay on? Stay on and force to be the fish out of water and keep being miserable or hop back into the sea? Or should i say hop into ANOTHER sea. A different sea.

In a life now where everyone is running this long tiring tight squeezing crushing rat race to survive, only those at the very highest position in the hierarchy will survive. My current job has only taken my to one type of place in particular : Rich people's houses. And its not just rich.........its filthy rich people. But i didnt feel envious nor do i dream of such luxury. Its just not that practical to me to live in a 4 storey house with a lift. Or a house with complicated yet always problematic automated light switching and bothersome networkings. Ive learned, wealth isnt wat i want. Its LIFE that i want. And life is not just confined to a 9-6 job or sitting in a bungalow with 70+ alarm sensors and 10 cctv's monitoring just one house. Thats like the ultimate show of insecurity.....or rather the obsessiveness of security. After working and seeing all this myself, i rather live life simple but full of colour, rather than complicated but monochrome.

Does my job promise security? Nope. Do i promise myself security? nope. God does. He promised. If He went back on His word id be dead meat by now. A goner.

Passion to one may to others seem as a sacrifice because they do not share the same feeling for the same subject.

And i intend to live life with passion.

Work

2009-11-03T19:44:00.000+08:00

Hiya readers of my blog. I do apologize for the 1 1/2 month quiteness. I've been up to lots of stuff with church and mainly my job.

Yes folks im already working. Which explains the quiet few weeks. Just started 1 1/2 weeks ago. So looks like im in a new chapter of life now. God bless the works of my hands in my job and may i receive the abundance that awaits me.

Cycling has taken a stop as well. Couldnt find the time as lots of clashes with my schedule when i wanted to cycle. Sienz. I do miss my riding and my ride buddies. Its been a long while.

This weekend is Powerman Manjung. And also i intend to go back home after a 5 month away period. Miss my old bed and the sofa. I've been so occupied till its that long im away.

I do hope to blog more often despite my increased responsibilities and commitments.

Above all, God bless you all.
C ya peeps soon.

Four walls but not a box

2009-09-19T22:29:00.000+08:00

Im referring to church here. Yes that big four walled building (some with spires and a bell tower or a huge cross on the roof). Most people think that the church is in reference to the building structure. Most will think that church is the only place we go to pray and meet God. Some people would think God lives in the church besides in heaven. Most people think that Christians spend 2 hours on Sunday morning in church praying and listen to boring talks by the pastor. Most people think that Christians need a church building to worship God. Most people think that the church always gets donations. And the list goes on.

But i would like to clear the myth.....and the statements all above.......are all......inaccurate to popular belief.

The church is actually in reference to the people gathered to worship God. That is the church. The building just houses and shields us from the elements.

Church is not the only place Christians meet God. God is everywhere. Omnipresent. He doesnt not need to stay in a church building. In the Bible, God says that His Holy Spirit lives in us and we are His temple. He will be with us till the end of the age. Meaning, He is just right beside us wherever we go! We can talk/pray/sing/worship God anywhere anytime anyhow. If there isnt a proper church building so be it. God never said a church building must be built first before we can come to worship Him. He says to just worship Him with all our heart, soul and strength and to worship Him in spirit and in truth.

So the next time people ask what is a church, its the people, not the building.

The Naked Christian

2009-09-15T02:45:00.004+08:00

Many still ask me what is the meaning of "Christian". Well basically it means a follower and believer of Jesus Christ, Son of God.

Many ask me what is "Christianity" all about? Well its basically all about God's relationship and love with the believers of Jesus Christ.

So as Christians, what actually is going on out there? What goes on in the church? What is the daily life of a Christian? Are Christians actually really holy people? Are they the more favoured? More smart? More rich? More poor? More conservative? More energetic? More nosy(kepoh)? More lame? More diverse?

It seems that the Christian is one of the most observed person, constantly under the spotlight. Makes you wonder why, doesn't it?

Many say that the Christian is a fake lying hypocrite. Many also say they are great people. And some say, they are just.......well........normal people with nothing significant. Again makes you wonder, who actually are the real Christians? The one that goes to church every Sunday with out fail? The one who reads the Bible and completes it round after round? The one who prays the hardest longest sweetest most profound prayers? The one who is the pastor of a church? The Pope?

Want to know? Bet you do.

I can tell all of you that Christians (including myself) are after all......... just humans. You know what humans are right? They breath, eat, sleep, play, etc. Thats us.

Humans arent perfect in every sense : No human has a perfectly symmetrical body shape, perfect teeth, perfect temperament, perfect psychology, perfect language, perfect speech etc you get the idea. Thats us.

Humans can break rules. Thats us.
Humans can think as if they are king. Thats us.
Humans can think like idiots. Thats us.
Humans mess up, BIG time. Thats us.

In conclusion, Christians are still humans. We arent perfect at all.

So are Christians holy? No. We arent
Are Christians always good hearted. No not always.
Are Christians immune from sin and temptation? Never
Are Christians the best role models. It really depends.
Are Christians creepy? They can be.

The myth that the more a Christian goes to church on Sunday, the more holy the more God loves him/her is totally busted. It is not the case. A Christian who prays longer louder may not be the best of the lot. A Christian who reads the Bible more is a committed Christian. Half of the story, he/she is just committed to reading.

The world tends to think Christians are clothed with all sorts of good stuff. Well im here to strip naked in front of you and let you all see the real true Christian.

I am not the best Christian i think there is out there. Im not the most committed in my church. I am not at all perfectly superly holy. I do have a load of negativity. And i do have a load of positivity. I havent even finished reading the whole bible if it is pleasing for you to know. I have sinned countless times. I havent done anything evil yet. Am i truly 100% focused on God everyday? No. Do i really pray with all my heart and soul? Not always. Have i cursed and swore? Sure i have. Am i lame? Indeed. Doubtful? At times. A jerk? Maybe, maybe not. Broken the law? Yes. Lied? Yes. Steal? Not yet. Immoral thoughts? Yeps. Judged others? Countable.

But amidst all of this, and speaking on behalf of every other Christian, not all these are God given or created.

If you want to argue God created humans , yes that is right. Did God give us a mind soul and spirit? Yes. He gave good values etc? Yes.

But He did not give or put in us all these negative bad values. God is good. Therefore impossible He will create these wrong values. These wrong values comes only from one source : Sin. And the first man, Adam, chose sin. So did Eve. So therefore, it is inherited into the human race that every human will have sin and the ability to sin. Proof? Kids lie when u didnt even teach them to lie. They instinctively know how to lie. Thats sin in them and us, Christians or non alike.

So is it our problem to deal with? Yes absolutely. Its our responsibility. By right. But do all Christians take this responsibility? No. Simply because we are human, once again, with different levels of thought. But is it an excuse? No.

It is wrong to generalize Christians as bad people just because some of them are rotten to the ground, but its also inaccurate to say all Christians are good because you met one really great Christian.

So will all Christians be able to manage and follow all that Jesus Christ has said? No. But are we trying to follow? Sure hell we are trying. Are all Christians close to God? No. But God is never far from them. The one reason Jesus came was because non of us are actually perfect. If God demanded a perfect person, a perfect Christian, to come to Him, none would ever qualify, because we are humans. What God looks really at is the real naked Christian inside, the heart.

Jesus came for the sinners, not for the perfect. A doctor is for the sick. A lawyer for the defenseless, a president for the leaderless, a lighthouse for the lost, a way for the undecided, a companion for the lonely, a love for the unloved. These are all a summary of that the lead roles Jesus takes to take care of us (the rest of the human population, Christian or not).

That is why, a naked Christian would rejoice no matter what the circumstances is and show really who he/she is inside.

Now, Christians arent that different from anyone else, are they?

A Good Message by a Good Messenger

2009-08-27T16:22:00.002+08:00

Lets take a rest from cycling. Hope you are all opened ears and opened heart to listen to what this man has to say. It may well just be something new for you today =)

-Billy Graham-

Bicycles 101 : Bike Breakdown

2009-08-25T03:51:00.004+08:00

So in this part of my series, i will get down and dirty (not in an immoral sense mind you) on the make up of a bike in as detail as it can get. It may or may not go down to the bearings. Something many consider a nightmare.

So lets start off from the big picture, and we will cut it into a few pieces for easy digestion.

Bicycles in general can be broken down to 4 main parts of their construction. Below is a road bike taken as an example. The coloured boxes indicates where the break takes place :

Black : Wheels
Red : Frame
Blue : Groupset/Built kit
Green : Cockpit

So if all these parts were to be taken apart and laid out on the ground it would look like this :

The groupset

The Frame

The wheels

The cockpit

The cockpit is made up of a few seperate parts such as below :

The saddle

The handlebar
The headset
The stem

So all these parts will make up a road bike. For a mountain bike, its slightly different.

Green : Wheels
Blue : Groupset/Build kit
Black : Cockpit
Red : Frame
Orange : Front + rear suspension

A mountain bike has an extra important part, the suspension. Without it going off road would be less comfortable or even to severe discomfort.

The frame + rear suspension

Front suspension fork

The groupset

The wheels

And after these major parts, minor parts like tires, cables, water cages, pedals etc will be fitted on as well. But i will explain from most prominent to the least.

Dont worry if you still cant figure out how or where the items fit together. It will be explained later on as well.

So this short post is just to show you how a bicycle can be stripped down to its bare essentials.

-End Series VI-

Bicycles 101 : The Bike Explained (Part 4)

2009-08-22T16:59:00.010+08:00

Road/Racing Bikes
The road/racing bicycle has been around since the early 1900's. In 1903 the Le Tour de France (literally means "The Tour of France") started as a race around the country side to see who can finish the huge loop the first and fastest. That tradition still continues....106 years on, with the road bike.

The first TdF race with the road bike.

The present pro level racing bike.

Unlike their mountain bike counterparts, the road bike just stays on flat tarmac roads, no rocks, grass that sort of kind. The open road is where they belong.

The pic above is an upclose and labeled road bike, particular to most races and recreational riders.

1. Headset
2. Stem
3. Handlebar
4. Brake and shifter unit
5. Shifter paddle
6. Top tube
7. Head tube
8. Down tube
9. Seat tube
10. Seat stay
11. Chain stay
12. Fork
13. Chain
14. Crankset
15. Cassette
16. Front deraileur
17. Rear deraileur
18. Tire
19. Rim
20. Spokes
21. Seat clamp
22. Seat post
23. Saddle mount
24. Saddle
25. Front brake caliper
26. Rear brake caliper
27. Bottle cage
28. Wheel lock skewers
29. Clipless pedals
30. Bottom bracket

The main purpose of a road bike is simple : Speed.

For speed to be achieved, especially with the human power involved, there are tons of things to consider. Road bikes have no suspension at all. Its too much weight. Aerodynamics is quite important to cut the wind and go fast, but not as crucial as weight. Anywhere possible to be light, it will be made till so. Parts on road bikes are the lightest in the world. Yet not sacrificing strength and durability. So a rider wont be dragging too much weight up a hill or losing speed and wasting energy while sprinting to the finish line.

A road/racing bike frame nowadays are either aluminium, titanium, magnesium or carbon fiber. These are the ideal lightweight materials. But a popular choice now is carbon fiber. Aluminium is the average and widely used material on lower cost bikes. Titanium is expensive so its rarely used as a material for a frame. Magnesium debuted once as a frame material manufactured by Pinarello on one of their bikes, the Dogma FP back in 2006. Due to high costs it has been discontinued.

The frame is in essence the basic trapezoid shape. Very simple shape, but from this shape, complex designs and curves are often incorporated to suit the handling characteristics of the frame : either stiff or supple frames. Again no suspension. Since its on flat roads, suspension is not needed at all. No disc brakes as it affects weight and aerodynamics. Everything is slim on this bike as possible. The handle bars are called drop bars because it allows the rider to drop to a lower position to go faster aerodynamically.

Wheels used are typical light weight wheels. Each wheel set (thats 2 wheels front and back) usually weigh 2kg or less. The lightest can be at 990grams per pair. These wheels exhibit a high thick rim profile to cut air like a knife. This makes going fast easier. Tires are also very thin. If a mountain bike tire was 2.0inches in width, the road bike will be around 20-23mm in width....thats just 2cm. What this does is it reduces rolling resistance, and makes easier to cycle and maneuver. And also......well.....weight savings and aerodynamic purposes too. Alot of my friends think my roadbike has no tires. It does. Lol.

Gearing on a road bike typically is 18 or 20 speed. With 2 gear selections on the crankset in front, and 9 or 10 at the rear cassette. Older models may be as low as 16 0r 14 for really old models. That means a 2x7 or 2x8 config. The latest ones have 2x10 = 20 speed , and the latest one introduced by Italian company Campagnolo which gives 22 speed, 2x11. Gearings on roadbikes are comparatively less than MTB because riders need only really high or intermediate gear ratios to go fast. And another reason.......guess? Save weight.

So how light is a roadbike? Well, average weights are 9kg to 10kg on standard bikes. The cheaper ones may weigh 12kg. Thats almost as light as a XC mountain bike. But moving to the intermediate level, the weight will go as low as 8.0-8.5kg. And at the pro level, the minimum allowed weight is 6.8kg as determined by the International Cycling Union (UCI). Of course, there are bikes which do go lower, as low as 5.8kg, its illegal to race, but legal for normal road rides.

Prices for road bikes? Well in Malaysia budget ones with basic Shimano 18speed gearings are often at the RM2000 range. Going up from here......depending on model, make, parts included, and material of frames........be ready to dish out RM45000 if your really a hardcore fanatic. Buying a cars worth bicycle? Well......you'll be surprised lots of cyclist in Malaysia do just that. This makes cycling a really expensive sport. So be proud if you like cycling and bicycles. Like me!

Time Trial(TT)/Triathlon(Tri) bikes
To further branch out from road bikes, we have the TT/Tri bike. These are very specific purposed bikes and like the DH bikes earlier, there are not meant for everyday normal riding.

TT bikes are build for the reason they are named : Time. Their purpose is to fight against the clock. With the rider on board, this bike is aimed to be faster than the road bike to challenge the clock times with other riders to see who does a short ride (usually a mile or several miles) in the fastest time ALONE. For a road bike you would be riding in a group or a peloton together. On a TT bike, your on your own. And even if it is a team TT event, your down to just 9 cyclist.

BMC Tine Machine

So what i have shown above is a TT/Tri bike. It is usable for both the Triathlon and Time trial competitions. Whats different about this bike compared to a road bike is :-

A. Arm rest
B. TT/Tri bars with gear shifter at the end
C. Brake lever
D. Wide flat top tube for added stiffness and aerodynamics
E. Big wide front section with integrated steering
F. Near vertical seat tube with a wide flat profile
G. Large wide flat cross section down tube for aerodynamics. Includes internal cable routing
H. One piece carbon fiber crank for aerodynamics
I. Smaller gear ratios for high speed
J. Solid multi panel carbon disc rear wheel for aerodynamics
K. Wide narrow fork blades for aerodynamics
L. High profile front rims for aerodynamics
M.Wide flat seatpost to aid aerodynamics
N. Wide seat and chain stays for added stiffness

So as you can see, the modifications and differences are taylor made for aerodynamics 80% of the time. Whatever that can aid in going fast and cutting the air better, it will be incorporated into the bike.

The TT bars allows the rider to bend down low in a crouched position while his hands rest on the arm rests and holds the bars throughout the ride. This position is no where comfortable but trained riders will get used to it as long they can ride faster.

This is more comfortable of a position on the road bike........

As compared to the TT postition.

On the frame, the sections may look big and huge from the side, but from the front, they are as thin as a knife blade, able to slice through air with ease. But like all physics law, big surface area does pose a problem if the wind blows from the side. Plus you have a huge solid piece wheel at the back.

2 problems arise from this :-
i) In windy conditions with crosswinds, the bike will be unstable unless the rider is strong to hold the bike in a straight line. Severe crosswinds can push a normal rider off by a few inches, what more a larger surface area TT bike?

ii) With so big pieces, especially the frame and rear wheel, the bike is extremely stiff. Stiff till you will feel every bit of road vibration, down to the tiniest holes and imperfections. The ride is uncomfortable therefore not suitable as a daily ride in the park.

Gearing is normally very high with a very small gear ratio. Means the difference between one gear and the next is hardly noticeable. To ride this bike, a rider has to be a powerful rider. The energy produced is enough to light a few light bulbs. And the speed in which these riders maintain, not sprint, but maintain over the entire ride is a constant 45-50kmh. On human power alone.

However, these bikes are not light to say the least. A TT bike can weight at about 7.8 to 8.5kg. It doesnt have to be light to go fast since aerodynamics compensates this.

The cost for these fast bike? Think RM10000 to RM30000++.

Track bike
In the Olympics you will see this bike spinning round and round in the velodrome. Riders wearing tight skin suits and alien helmets fighting for gold. The bikes that will carry them there are called track bikes.

The basic frame shape is similar to the TT bike. The main 2 differences is just this :-

i)It has NO brakes
ii) It has only ONE FIXED gear

Yeap no brakes. So how does the rider want to stop incase in an emergency or he has done his round? Here is the logic. You are racing for gold and glory. You have to take a risk to make sure you surpass your opponent on the line, no matter the cost. So stopping is not an option, not needed. So if the rider is going to fall, well, fall fighting for glory then. Right?

The other reason is aerodynamics and weight again. This bike is stripped bare to minimize weight and let the power of the rider push every last ounce of bike to the line. Because the race is in a closed environment, its even more crucial to be faster than your opponent since its on a fair turf, unlike the open road where you have lots of factors and tactics to play with.

So how to stop? This bike comes with a single gear, and in the rear wheel mechanism, it DOEST NOT allow the rider to freewheel and back pedal. Freewheel means when you have pedaled hard and want to rest while letting the bike coast, u just stop pedaling and the bike still moves. Occasionally you back pedal to stretch the legs too.

On a track bike you cannot do that because the mechanism is fixed. Its a one way pedal forward with no stopping. The only way to stop is either u crash and fall, or once the rider has passed the line, he will still continue pedaling but gradually slowing down and apply some resistance to the forward pedal motion as the bike slows. So he will be pedaling for a while before its safe to come to a complete stop. If lets say he stops pedaling suddenly in the middle of his 65kmh effort, 3 things can happen :-

i) His bike will skid and crash
ii) His bike flips forward as the momentum going forward is still being carried
iii) Hurt his legs

So track bikes are strictly competition only unless u want to show off out on the streets. There are recreational riders riding these single gear fixed bikes, but not as high standards as the track bike. These so called Fixies have their own culture in the bicycle and cycling world, but often overlooked.

Cost of one bike : RM-Very High- *Note : The bike of World Champion rider Theo Bos (Netherlands) cost a whopping $1million in research and development. The bike is the Koga bike shown above.

And so ends The Bike Explained part.

Next we will move into more details about the frame, frame material, frame designs & functions and later on components and component designs and functions.

-End Series V-

Bicycles 101 : The Bike Explained (Part 3)

2009-08-22T05:26:00.007+08:00

So we have seen the XC bike. Now for the rest of the bikes.

The next two categories of bicycles are actually almost the same. The main difference though is in the built of the frame and the amount of suspension travel.

Trail bike.

2009 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR

Giant NRS Carbon

All Mountain bike

2009 Santa Cruz Bullit

Mountain Cycles San Andreas

So as you can see and read the descriptions above, the Specialized and Giant are trail bikes. Typical riders will take this bike through the bushes, some small back lands, beside streams and edges of forests to get some off road fun. With a rear suspension, life becomes easier and more comfortable when going through the rough stuff. In Malaysia its the typical rubber and oil palm estates. Or more adventurous will go to FRIM in Sg Buloh or Mont Kiara.

A good rear and front suspension of about 5-6 inches responds well to bumps and absorbs all the shock. Frame is built to handle the stresses and strains of the extra pounding. Complete bikes weigh in at 25lbs , 12.5kg which is quite light. 26-28lbs is a normal range depending on parts again.

The All Mountain (AM) bike is a more adventurous bike. Just as the Santa Cruz Bullit and the Mountain Cycle San Andreas shows a more aggressive look. You can take these further deeper into the forest where logs, tree trunks, rocks, boulders and 2-5 feet drops (drops as in the trail just drops beneath you) are your friends. This bike allows you to go almost anywhere without a problem of worrying whats around the next corner. A really long front and rear suspension prepares you for nasty trails. A larger disc brake gives more bite and power to stop when needed the most.

Frame is built with bigger tubing for greater durability, strength and survivability. Frames of this sort tend to start to grow heavy with as much as 4-6kgs on the frame alone. So a total bike would weigh in the region of 30-35lbs or roughly 15-18kg. Weight isnt a concern anymore at this stage.

This bike can and is brave enough to handle Taman Negara if ridden into. Provided the rider is brave enough in the first place.

Prices for trail bikes range from (selling in Malaysia) RM5000 to RM10000+ depending on model and make.

Dirt Jump
Well this isnt really a mountain bike ridden out in the outback or in the amazon. Dirt jump (DJ) bikes are usually and only used to do some stunt jumps on specially man made dirt ramps. So hence the term dirt jumping. These guys are on the flip side of life.....literally. The love jumping turning and twisting in the air. Some have done the 360 in air. Typical frames have a verysloping top tube and low seat to enable you to execute stunts without much problem.

Kona DJ bike.

Freeride and Downhill Bikes.
Now we get to the hardcore stuff in the mountain bike world. Prepare to drop your jaws....

2009 Giant Glory DH

2009 Yeti 303 DH

2009 Santa Cruz V10

2008 Trk Session 88 DH

2009 Specialized Demo 9 DH

As you can see from the 5 very different models and makes of the downhill and free ride bikes, they all share almost the same common features. Downhill and free ride bikes are meant for one thing only..........severe punishment. These are the bikes you point down a hill and just go straight down not caring whats infront of you. Just go and knock your brains out from the ride.

Free ride bikes are the bigger brothers to AM bikes yet the DH bikes are the most biggest bad ass bikes of the lot. And if i may say, in the cycling world. No bike has been where these guys have been to.

FR and DH bikes have super huge frame work. Super long suspension. Front forks alone are 200mm in travel and rear travel is up to 9inches. This give you plenty of room to hit what ever thats on the trail. Monster 2.75inch tires are the norm here. You will need lots of traction and grip in mud, sand, moss, or any dead thing. Mad ones use 3.0inches. Which is almost a motorbike sized tire. Going downhill, gearing isnt much a need. So the front deraileur is often take out leaving the back deraileur and cassette. These bikes have chain guides (which is the case/rollers around the frong crank) to avoid the chain coming off due to the hard bumps and knocks which can easily derail a chain.

Oh yes, and this bike is not meant at all for normal road riding. Simply because the geometry of the frame is at such low angles, it only works best when pointed down a hill. So when you ride on normal roads you are literally sitting back (if you notice in all the pics, the seats are tilted back). This is because once the bike points down, the seat becomes flat again and in a position of an upright bike. When in this position all handling kicks in like a smooth upright. Steering this bike on flat road would be difficult. And if all these havent killed you yet, the weight of the bike will.
These beasts weigh at 35-40lbs, nearly 20kgs. Again weight is not an issue once ur going down a hill. The one thing really bad about these bikes is that they are so heavy........its useless to cycle up a hill. So actually.........all DH riders would push their bikes up the hill and ride down. They love it with all their heart i suppose.

A DH bike is suppose to be able to survive any obstacle. Thats why manufacturers and companies have the liberty to go big and bad on frames. But the rear suspension linkage systems (as you can see) can be very very complex from frame to frame. Each with their own handling characteristics. With their own technology and design, its hard to tell which is the best. It all boils down to your choice and preference. The choice material for frames here is aluminium. Any other is either too expensive, too fragile, or too heavy.

A DH bike is not cheap by any measure. RM15000 is a rough minimum you would spend on a brand new DH machine. The pro levels may rise to RM25000++.

So here ends the mountain bike section. The road/racing bike section will continue soon.

-End Part IV-

Bicycles 101 : The Bike Explained (Part 2)

2009-08-22T03:35:00.009+08:00

Mountain Bike
Alright, the category that is most identified with the bicycle yet its one of the most complex categories. Simply because for the mountain bike family, there are a branch of another 6 different types of mountain bikes for different purposes (mainly off-road mountain biking). If your thinking of the RM200 - RM400 bikes in the local bike shop, those i feel more belonged to the commute section. Coz there is not really much you can do with those "mountain bikes" on the off-roads, let alone.........a mountain!! When i say off roads i mean including rocks, ruts, trees, holes, drops, cliff sides, and everything in between.

Let me branch out the 6 sub groups for mountain bikes :-
1)Cross country (XC) bikes
2)Trail bikes
3)All mountain (AM) bikes
4)Dirt Jump (DJ) bikes
5)Freeride (FR) bikes
6)Downhill (DH) bikes

*Note : I will use examples of bikes of today with as much clarity and detail as possible. I will include label of parts. But functions of parts will be explained in another post. This is just to get you familiar with what you will see and *if you're lucky* touch. And also i will use this first bike as a model to introduce the various parts of the modern bike which actually is almost same throughout the rest of the series. Will specify and clarify in more detail from post to post.

Cross country bikes (XC).
Suspect No.1

2009 Specialized Stumpjumper

So here is our first main suspect. This is one of the top end bikes from Specialized bicycles. Equipped with one of the best parts money can buy, yet lets focus on the bike. Click image to view larger with labels. The reason i dont label the part straight away is due to space constraints.

So in order of numeration (Plus also an anti-clockwise rotation starting with no.1) the parts are as follows: -

Handlebar
Brake and shifter pod/unit
Stem
Headset
Frame (Toptube)
Seatpost
Saddle
Saddle mount
Seatpost clamp/collar
Frame (Seat stays)
Spokes
Cassette
Rear deraileur
Rim
Tyre
Frame (Chainstay)
Chain
Bottom bracket
Crank (Consists of the crank arm and chain rings)
Clipless pedals
Disc brake calipers
Disc rotors
Front skewers
Front suspension
Cables
Frame (Head tube)
Frame (Down tube)
Frame (Seat tube)
Front deraileur
Water bottle cage mounts
Bottom bracket

Quite a long list but not to fret. Most of the parts i label here are pretty standard on all bicycles and uses the same name/label/reference.

So what you see now is pretty clear. Its not a really complicated thing right? Not as many "parts" as a handphone or PDA might have in the menu.

So why is this bike called a typical cross country(XC) bike?

Cross country bikes are designed with a 2 key areas in mind : -
a) Lightweight
b) Race ready

Factors like this would mean that the bike would use as light parts as possible and it usually forgoes a rear suspension which would add significant weight. Bikes without a rear suspension are referred to as hardtails (HT), simply coz the read end or "tail" of the bike is solid and stiff and therefore, hard! A really good XC bike could weight as little as 9kg or 10kg which is abt 22lbs. Top end bikes can be as low as 8kg. So to be light the parts and frame needs to be light as well. Lightweight has only a few advantages but mostly opted by professional racers : It makes hill climbing or bike hiking easier if necessary, uses less energy to get/keep the bike moving, saves some hassle incase of a mechanical breakdown.

Most XC bikes will come with a suspension travel (meaning how much the suspension moves) between 80mm - 100mm. Thats the amount of movement the suspension fork allows. In mountain biking 80mm is really little and 100 just barely enough to survive the harsh hard courses, but adding a longer travel fork will result in a weight penalty.

The frame or body of the XC bike is built very simple, but simple doesnt mean simple either. The modern XC frame can be built in many forms or flows according to the many leading manufacturers study, research, development, and technology. So there alot of variety out there in the shops. An XC frame will be built light, weight shaved in unnecessary areas, and stiff as possible to allow riders to put all power to the drive train and to the wheels. Materials of frames can vary from carbon fiber to aluminium to titanium. Of the 3, carbon fiber is the lightest and titanium is the most expensive. Aluminium fills in both worlds, not too light but not too $$$. Discussions on materials will be followed in posts to come.

In essence a XC bike is meant only to be ridden on light off roads. If it is ridden over rough terrain it could potentially be an uncomfortable ride and a frame breaking experience.

Tire wise, some may use a 1.95" tire (whic means the width of the tire is 1.95 inches) or a 2.0" or 2.1". Its up to the rider. Wider tires have more grip, but more weight and slightly slower steering reaction. Thinner tires have better rolling ease, light, and more agile in handling. Its just a matter of preference.

As for gearing, mountain bikes in general would use the new 27 speed configuration, meaning 3 selectable gears in front and 9 selectable at the back. 3x9=27. More elaboration soon.

Disc brakes used to be rejected by XC bikers due to its heavy weight as well over the lighter yet also powerful V-Brakes. The V-brakes were much much lighter yet they still lose out in terms of stopping power to discs. And with rim brakes, if conditions get wet, braking is almost lost by 50%. With discs there is no problem due to the powerful brake calipers which are now almost all hydraulic systems. So the V-brake is slowly beeing phased out but still fitted to average bikes to reduce cost.

Shimano's flagship XTR V-brake

So the the XC bike - Light, short suspension, light off road trails and terrain. Though with this, the price of XC bikes are not cheap despite their simplicity......if any part of a bike's weight were to go down, automatically the price will go up. You can get a RM1000 XC bike or a RM10000 XC bike. Depends on you.

-End Series III-

Bicycles 101 : The Bike Explained (Part 1)

2009-08-22T01:49:00.005+08:00

Now i shall attempt *note attempt* to explain in a bit more detail about the bikes that are around us.

To begin first, I would categorized bicycles into 5 main branches : Kids bike, commute bike, recumbent bike, road bike and mountain bike. The latter 2 of the category would be the most profound but fun yet technical to explain and its also a main part of the series.

And in this part i will only explain the first 3. Coz the last 2 will have their own independent posts. This is due to their wide and complex nature in the wild......oooops, i should say....road/trails.

Kids bike
Yeah those tiny bikes with 4 wheels. No explanation needed here i suppose. They are just around to get the kids started on cycling!

Commute bike
These are the bikes i would call majority bikes used in the world around.

From the classic design

To the slightly more modern design

These are in essence built for one thing : Getting from point A to B ONLY. Theres nothing fancy, no gears even. Simple brakes, wheels, a nice fat comfy seat and probably a basket if your lucky. Countries like China, Holland use these to get around to work and transport stuff. Nothing more than that coz the bike is built just as a simple daily use.

Recumbents
Okay this is one of the more unique bicycles out there. Its still a bike coz it fits the definition of a bicycle. Just that its form is different.
Now you wana ask how on earth does one cycle this thing? I know, at first glance it was intimidating to me as well. So why is there such a design? And what are the advantages and disadvantages of this bike?

Pro's :-
1)Comfort - Due to the seating position of this bike with full back and butt support, this bike is actually more comfortable than any other bike. Also because of the seated position, it generally helps for ppl with backache or neck ache. You dont have to bend the back and strain your neck so much.

2)Pedaling dynamics - The way the legs pedals this bike is in a lateral plane, instead of a vertical plane. So you are actually not having a push-and-lift effort on the pedals, but a push-relax-push. You dont need to lift your legs, hence it does save some energy there.

3)Variety - These bikes are mostly custom built to riders specifications so there is alot of choices the rider can pick to make his own bike. Unlike pre-factory made bikes.

4)Safety - In terms of safety in a fall/accident sense, this bike is safe due to the very low center of gravity and rider position. So if a rider does fall.....his head and body is not more than 1 meter from the ground. Its just like tumbling sideways. Compared to a normal upright bike where the head is a good 1.5 meters above the ground. And this bike doesnt go very fast to begin with.

5)Rider vision - Because you are sitting upright, you are constantly looking ahead, always on the lookout for the road hazards.

6)Wheelbase - Very long and stable.

Cons : -
1)Safety - Now because this bike is so low, tall vehicles or vehicles with a high front end might have trouble seeing the bike and rider.

2)Turning radius : This bike has a very big turning circle, so steering a corner or a U-Turn would pose a challenge at times.

3)Speed - Slow as a tortoise on the road most of the time, and if there is a hill, its another problem to pedal up it.

4)Balance - Well since this bike is long, it can be really heavy, and this bike doesnt really do well with a push off-and-start pedal action to get it going. Requires lots of balance and steering technique to manoeuvre.

5)Position - Though its a comfy bike to ride, it doesnt really allow you to switch positions much at all. Unlike the uprights where you can stand, stretch, lift arms, bend etc incase you need to loosen a few muscles.

6)Price - It aint cheap too you know......depending on what and how you custom make it.

So the recumbent is a nice unique bike to ride. Even some use it as a touring bike to travel the country. Being more of a relax travel bike, since there are tricycle versions of this, it maybe worth a try if you get bored of the normal uprights. As for Malaysian's there are a handful of recumbents here, just not too sure if its actually street legal here. And where to get it? I also dont know. Haha.

-End Series II-

Bicycles 101 : The Bike

2009-08-22T00:30:00.006+08:00

Well it just occurred to me that I have not done a post on bicycles and cycling as a general sport. So thought i come up with a series of posts concerning this sport that i love (asides badminton).
So as a start, I shall start from A and work my way to Z. Btw I'll try to make it as interesting as possible. =P

Bicycles 101 : The Bike

In the world, the bicycle is arguably the next best if not healthiest mode of transport (asides your legs). Its origins from the 19th century till now has been a fantastic one. From wooden frames and wheels, to now high tech carbon fiber and titanium.

Basically I will talk about the modern bicycle as it is relavent to us. But first, show you some primitive bicycles and let you wonder abit how these ppl actually ride them. Respect i tell you!

The first bicycle (arguably)- Dates 1820

The next improvisation.....

The famous penny-farthing

The slightly more modernized bicycle.

Ok so now everyone knows that a bicycle has two wheels, two pedals, a frame, a seat and a handle with brakes. Quite clear right? Not that tough to imagine a bicycle. Now lets take it a little more forward in time.

Your ordinary market bike aka pasar bike

The BMX bike

The recumbent bicycle

The mountain bike

The road/racing bike

The time trial(TT)/triathlon bike

The track bike

To all the cyclist, I must have treated you to some vintage history and also modern bike porn yah? Hahaha.

So as you all can see, the bike definitely has evolved tremendously. In form, function and application. Also it has changed drastically in appearance with huge sex appeal (sworn by many cyclist i've known) now days. XD

Anyone horny yet? =P

So i have introduced you to the bicycle as visual as possible on what it looks like. Soon we will get up close and personal with a few of these guys. Frankly i know some of you will be puzzled why it looks weird with all the shapes and sizes, but dont worry, i will get there soon. But as a warning, bicycles are evolving on a daily basis (especially at the very top level) so lots of stuff to be considered in the next posts.

So what is the bicycle again? A two wheeled bipedal vehicle without an engine, using the power of a human as the drive source.

-End Series I-

Dinner

2009-08-18T19:12:00.002+08:00

Todays dinner..........ikan pari bakar + sambal belacan ladies fingers

Lifesucks (Part 2)

2009-08-17T05:24:00.004+08:00

Therapy sucks. Well i'll agree 50% on this coz it is really dependable on situation. Lol. But i find therapy not really needed. Physical therapy maybe yes at times. Mental therapy? I just need God. Lol. If there was no God, my mental state would be in shambles by now.

TV sucks. Lol. I learned there are people like him through the TV and also PC. Surprised he didnt say PC sucks. Biased? He SUCKS definately.

I think hes a Nazi, tho he lives in Seattle.

People are stupid.........so only him not stupid? Well he did generalize that the human race is one f**ked up generation of evolved primates

If you ask people why they do the things they do in life, they will give you sensible
sounding reasons which seem to explain their decisions. We like to believe that we
exercise sound judgement, especially in the important decisions of our lives.

I think that this is rarely true. I think that standard operating procedure for human
decision making is to do what feels right to you at the time, and then to give logical
sounding justifications for what you were already going to do anyway, whether you had
justifications or not.

But people are looking at this based on their feelings. Marijuana feels like a drug to
them. It's illegal, isn't it? Alcohol feels like a fun beverage. It's legal, and socially
acceptable, so it feels ok, so it must be ok.

All of this is illogical and stupid, and typically human. And I could give countless other
examples of this, but I'm sure you can think these up yourself. Just look at how people
behave in terms of politics and religion.

And, I think that when you see ridiculous and idiotic behavior and decision making in
other people(or in yourself), you have to consider it to be the inevitable result of the
nature of the human psyche.

"The only way to comprehend what mathematicians mean by Infinity is to contemplate
the extent of human stupidity." - Voltaire

He does have a small point in this. Yes sometimes we humans tend to follow our feelings, based on situation and in the best interests of people. But thats where most people stop at. Then of course some of their decisions sucks or politely saying, "poor in choice". Abortion and smoking pot were the egs he used to illustrate how this two choice than exist and is taken by the person, which he calls are stupid. Of course i wil agree taking drugs and abortion is a bad idea. No doubt, but then he cannot blame one small portion of the jigsaw just because it doesnt seem to fit right or is the wrong piece. Like i said earlier, God gives u a choice. And He wants us to choose the right choices. Drugs and abortion is not one of them. But then God says he gives freewill. He respects freewill because that is what differentiats humans from monkeys and cats. They cant excercise their freewill. To vote, to choose what to eat, to ring the hotel counter for extra pillow. God sees us more than just humans (with stupidity sometimes). He see's us as a significant piece of His puzzle. Only thing is we choose where to move and fit.

His quote on Voltaire is commendable. Yes the human stupidity may well reach an infinite amount. But get this, the love of God, the forgiveness of God, the grace of God (in as much as he will/may disagree with me) is also infinite. Countered.

Drugs suck. Well he got that absolutely right. Drugs (as in abuse) is foolish. But drugs used in medicine, well if he dont like it just shut up.

Misc : In here he states his unbelief in Jesus Christ as the only begotten Son of God and is not impressed with what He has done. Well for this i think all he needs is a light touch of God's hand.

His conclusion is :

Maybe life sucks because we're all really just big brained primates who were meant to
be living in small tribal groups hunting and gathering food, and our pain is the natural
result of our living in an unnatural environment.

Maybe life sucks because we haven't turned our lives over to Jesus or Allah or Yahweh
or whoever the One True God happens to be.

Maybe life sucks because we all have chemical imbalances in our brains.

The first proposition implies that the answer to life's problems is to abandon
technology. This was put forth recently by the Unabomber, and before that by the
Khmer Rouge of Cambodia.

The second is claimed by hundreds of different groups of religious fundamentalists, all
of which disagree on the identity and nature of this One True God.

The third is put forth by psychiatrists.

I'm not sure which of the above groups is worse, but given their accomplishments or
lack thereof, I highly doubt they have any answers for us.

So, I don't know the ultimate cause of, or the solution to, life's problems. I don't know
how to end this with any helpful advice or words of wisdom. If you think you do, email
me and let me know.

Well, all i can say is, he has missed out a number of key areas in life. If he is blinded by satan then i think he needs to suck out those crap in his heart. Ultimately he cant even find a solution to what all the complaints he has said. Kinda hypocritical an a little misguided. He/she seriously definitely has issues to deal with.

But still..........may God bless this man/lady's soul.

-End-

Lifesucks (Part 1)

2009-08-17T04:26:00.003+08:00

Hmm......I just got off a website on the net (not going to state) about someone who created a webpage and literally the theme of it and contents were, well, about how life sucks. And the contents were as follows :

The Big Lie
God Does Not Love You
Therapy Sucks
Television Sucks
People Are Stupid
Drugs Sucks
Misc
Conclusion

Well............i just glanced through........and i found that this chap.........has one sucky life to say. LOL.

He had lots of arguments and objections to well.......life in itself and in essence. I think he just wants to die. Dear God, i hope not. I rather see him saved first, even he WAS to die 1 minute after he believes in God. I dont know if it did happen coz the last update was in 2006. Anything can happen..........hopefully something good.

*italics* are quotes from his site......and frankly.......i dont think he even cares.....since he calls humans sucky, so i suck too? XD.

One of the things he argued is that life is not what it seems. That its all false connections, The problems of life are all symptoms of the same cause. Im just wondering, what connections has he ever make to make such a statement? And the problems of life do at times exhibit symptoms of the same cause, but not all of it.

You've been told what life is supposed to be about. Well, yes its true we were "SUPPOSEDLY" told how life should be lived, i mean to survive and live. I wonder how he survived and lived? Must be a really miserable life to be in his shoes. But we are also told what life is really about.........all in the Bible. Well this person hates Biblical stuff and Godly talk..........but since hes not here, well im free to write in response to him. The one thing he did miss out is the Purpose of life. Not just focusing on the apparent reason to live, but on the solid purpose to live in the first place. And survival, running the rat race, breeding, gaining money, getting a PhD isnt top on the list at all.

Let's assume, for a moment, that there is a God. We may not know the nature of God, or
which religion comes closest to the truth, but we can be sure of one thing:

God does not love you.

Look at all the cruelty and misery in the world, which God does nothing to stop. Right now,
as you are reading this, there are children in various places around the world being raped
and tortured. Most of us would risk our lives, give up our lives, to save them if we could.
God stands by and does nothing. God has abandoned these children, and clearly does not
love them. God does not love you, either.

There are some religions which claim that "God's love is a different kind of love", which is
supposed to explain and justify what appears to be God's divine indifference. This is total
bullshit. If I claim that I love my neighbor, and then set his house on fire and shoot him in
the head, anyone can see that my "love" is not love at all.

Another fallacy along these lines is the statement that, "God doesn't give us more than we
can handle in life". This is a ridiculous statement. Go to a mental institution, go to the ward
for those who are seriously disturbed, and you'll see people who just sit and rock back and
forth all day, staring off into space, or screaming at nonexistant terrors. God has given
them more than they could handle, and now they're totally broken.

So you have no loving God watching over you, making sure you get what you need. You
don't get what you need in life, you don't get what you want, you don't get what you
deserve. You get what you get.

Well in whole he just says God doesnt care. Well if God didnt care, he would probably have no internet to blog out his frustrations. =P
Okay so a very hot debatable topic. If God cared why is there suffering. Again i think ive blogged this before, the root of it all is sin. The consequence of sin is death. Period. And if still people are ignorant and keep sinning, how can not death and destruction follow suit? Even the devil wants to kill steal and destroy lives. Thats his job. I bet he didnt know this. Coz he never mentioned satan at all. A Satanist? Defending Satan?

If God just wipes out all the sin and bad things in this earth, how will we be viewing God? As a God that takes instructions from us? As a God who does whatever we ask for? As a God that is to serve our needs? Or is it THE OTHER WAY ROUND? He hasnt got this tho. If God did all the work for us, we wud take it for granted. And btw, God is a God of Stewardship and Relationship. He does not want half hearted and half working people. He does not want a dead 2 way master and slave relationship. He wants genuine love relationship like a father and child.

Now then why doesnt God go and tell these poor souls abt Himself instead? Well, why are u still stitting there reading this post and not go to the poor country to tell? Why not him? If he said it so loud that God is not doing anything, well then he might just better get moving over there to make things even, to justify himself. To prove he is better than God. I wonder if he did any at all?
I bet he hasnt met Heidi Baker yet. Wish he did and saw all the churches that are being planted and growing as I type. Now thats something.

The other arguement is that God wont give us more than we can handle. Thats true. If not how did you and I get here this far in life? We handled. AS much we can afford to. Now those poor souls in mental hospital probably MISHANDLED their life. It might have been even less of a hassle than some of us. But if they mishandled it...........even the best can fall. God gave you and I a freewill how to handle our lives. In the Book of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes in the bible, it all talks about wisdom, being good stewards, learning from others, submitting to God. And Jesus said that submit all your worries your burdens to Me, and i will give you rest. So, whats the big deal? There isnt a reason to blame and said nobody didnt give a warning or a manual to go tru life. Its there. Just, sadly, they didnt manage to get to it in time.

Obviously someone didnt do enough research. I mean if these mental patients read these few words first of Jesus about handing over their burdens, i think i can guarantee they wont end up there.

Get what you need and dont get what you want or deserve. You get what you get. Well, again in the bible it talks about not needing to worry about tomorrow, what we will eat, what we will wear. It is actually telling us to not worry about what we should must or will get!!!! Its just saying relax and God will provide. Sometimes we dont deserve some of the things we get. And we certainly may get what we didnt initially want but find that we could use it. Its all about Gods grace and mercy. We dont deserve at all yet God still gives. No question. God provides.

To be continued............

Love Overrated

2009-08-17T02:58:00.002+08:00

I suddenly just feel like blogging ALOT. I know some of u will get bored so i will be a bit more initiative today (add some pics etc). I wonder how many posts i can go? In one night XD.

I've seen it alot in MSN and just about everywhere really. The sweetest words any couple can mutter utter recite regurgitate reiterate restate repeat release re.......ah u get me.......tell.

"iloveyouforever"

I mean no im not crucifying everyone who says this......but from my view.

IF i have a girlfriend (prayerfully hope so), and every single day every single hour every single Facebook second, she keeps telling me "iloveyouforever" or "iloveyou", honestly, i will get sick and bored and tired of it after a while. So you say i have no feelings, no love at all? You can try that, guarantee you will feel the same as me. Even just a "Hello" by someone........ever ur own classmate......u see him/her everyday, and u get the same greeting "Hello". Everyday. You will eventually think........"Cant this idoit say something else?" Or at least for once just a wave will do?

You and I are no different. We maybe different on a number of levels, but no different in essence. We were not created to be so mundane. And we are not called to be so romantic either. Today in church i heard the message preached by Pastor Jason , and this phrase stood out , : "Created for significance, called for obedience."

Yes saying "iloveyou" to your loved one is significant and partly being obedient. U want more significant maybe get an aeroplane and write it in the sky. Or text day after day after day for 30 days to mark your 1st monthniversary. But is it all there is to it? Well yes i know some couples get it there by now. And some go "Yea yea we know its not all that lovey dovey stuff"

So what is?

Buying presents? Expensive dinner treats? Simple walk in the park/beach alone together? Missing/thinking of him/her all the time? Constant communication? Well treated? Signifacant other things?

Its fair to say you cannot compare Godly love with parental love with relationship love with friendship love. None are at par level for sure. How do we express love in each of these areas?

Friends well, just being who you are and treating your friends, being there for them, support. care, etc. All this does keep friendship.

Relationships, well, more tricky. Certainly more effort. More attention. More care.

Parental. I can tell from my own family that parental love is pretty much undevided/unbroken tho sometimes it seems so.

Godly love. This is the only love i know which is inseperable once connected. No matter where you go, how far off planet you are, God still knows and sees whats up with you.

Now lets compare these 4 for a while. Friends dont say "iloveyou" everyday to each other. Parents do say "iloveyou" often to the kids but not always. And now how many of you tell God everyday every second "iloveyou"? Well even if you want to tell Him, He knows you are trying, but He also knows you need a break to do other things. All God see's is the heart and you dont really need to say it out a million times. But i see all the time couples make so much effort out of saying "iloveyou" in every possible way.form,shape,size,language,grammar,tense,vocab,phrase,conjunction,expression,etc......

If i were on the receiving end i might get a little fed up. Seriously does it have to be always? Well here is one flaw of the human being i have exposed : We HAVE a limit. As much u want to deny, we do. And one of those limits is tolerance. You can be VERY tolerant but still never 100% tolerant. Be VERY patient but not 100% patient. Bubbles gona burst the bigger you blow.

See it all makes sense doesnt it? You blow too much helium in a balloon (Hoping it will go sky high), but too much and it will burst if you dont know when to stop. You can keep pumping in lovely words, your partner may well burst one day. And that can be just the underlying tick off if so happen that day things go wrong.

Then all these words come out one by one "You say you love me always, everyday all the time? DO YOU REALLY MEAN IT?". "Yes of course la!! What nonsense you talking? ILOVEYOU!!". "No i dont think so! Say everyday, but sometimes, sometimes you ignore me. Nvr reply msg". "Haiyo those times i was busy la. But i really love you!!". "No la if you love me you will always reply and talk to me". "Hey dont talk so childish la ok?!". "You are the one childish la."

See? Its possible. And i dont doubt it has happened before. Saying too much of a good thing can backfire. It makes a room for doubt and a reference point to attack if left undefended/unjustified.
Sometimes we dont do things right. We are afterall imperfect beings. Yet if we try to be too perfect aka being smart, we can land ourselves in hot soup. If we put a facade or display something worth of perfection, the level of expectancy on the other partner can be very high and if there is a dip in the relationship, theres always something to blame.

Well hell, you may just really mean it, but in your defence you got one angry bull with an unstable head and probably he has a few points too. (No pun intended)

I mean yeah arguing is normal in couples. But it should not be an excuse to start one.

So in my conclusion (I dont know how well this post is coz its 4am in the morning now) the word "iloveyou" Should be sparringly used as if it were your only last few (well hundred la if you want) golden bullets. I mean tell the person you love when you really really mean it and he/she feels deserved to be told. Your not firing bullets to make holes in his/her heart. Your doing so to signal to him/her how much you care and appreciate.

I would end by saying, Love is not built on mere words or actions. Its built upon the foundations set by God. Yes God again why? Coz i just said, Gods love is the only love inseperable once connected. Build on that, and you build the right foundation.

The reason God wants us to love is because He is love, and He created us to be like Him – to love. The only reason we’re able to love is because God loves us: “Love comes from God … because God is love” (1 John 4:7-8 NIV).

If you cant really love God, you cant really love others. And if you cant learn to love God, you wont be able to experience and have love in youre heart. If you dont have love, you cant love others. If you cant love others, what is the point? If you have Gods love and you love God first then you will be able to love others exceedingly greater than you can. That is the point.

-End-
GBU

Broga revisited

2009-08-09T14:48:00.004+08:00

Its been a while since i last updated a ride. Its because i wasnt on any. Since Interstate 09 in May till now August, i have not done a long hard ride. Mostly due to lots of other priorities i had to sort out and put first. So as of yesterday, 3 months of no long hard ride. I felt really odd being back on the bike after so long.

Days ago some I heard of numerous rides this weekend. Theres rides to Genting, Bentong, Broga, etc. Then it was just a matter of picking which ride on which day. So weighing all my options, i decided (amazingly) to do the Classic Broga loop with my old Way2Ride friends. I have no preperation at all prior. Just decided to just go and ride. I think to many cyclist, what I did was either crazy, stupid, or some has said respectful. So Classic Broga it is. 136km of hard flats and hard hills. If you all read my first Broga post, which was the Reversed loop, we ride the hills and climbs first and the flats in the end. Now its the opposite.

Ride Day/D-Day (8/8/09)

I woke up at 5.30am (yes very early) and i began with lot of things in my mind. Firstly i didnt have money to take with. I forgot my wallet was dry as a desert. No2, should i just ride half or dont ride and go back to sleep? Will i be in time to finish the whole ride to make it for Bible Seminar at 5pm and the practise at 4pm? Ergh......never felt so disillusioned on a morning ride.

I kinda "forced" myself on the bike and got rolling to the start point in Bt 18 (a good 30km away). Yes i rode there from Wangsa Maju at 5.50am in the morning along the MRR2 and up the Ampang Viewpoint Hill at 6.30am which was almost pitch black with my tiny light. Dun ask. Just call me crazy. I really wish and think that bank ATM's should opperate 24hours, COZ PEOPLE WHO ARE EARLY LIKE ME MAY NEED MONEY IN THE MORNING!!!!! zzzz ==" T______T
Stupid.......

I reached Bt18 7am on the dot. And not everyone has reached yet. Delay delay delay. We only got riding at 7.50am. Now im worried coz if i do the whole ride, i may not be in time for the Bible Seminar. Urgh........more worries in my head now. Should i do the full ride? Again i asked myself.
I mean seeing all my buddies there was great. Love riding with them. But.........always its a question if im able, should i should i not?

So after about 30km of riding, pass Tekala and nearing Semenyih (btw my meter registers 60 already coz from house to start line was 30km as well), I was thinking to make a U turn and go home. I better do it now before its too late. Somehow, i did not. Not because I really wanted to finish the ride. I just dont know why i didnt. I was already beginning to feel the 3month absence from the bike in my legs. The guys were going steady at 33-35kmh. I was stuggling at 25-28kmh. I felt really bad by now. I might as well just u-turn home. I think i kept thinking abt this so much that i didnt realize i already passed Semenyih town and was heading to Broga already. 70km done. The guys were far in front. I lost sight of the main group. Azahari@Axy tried to wait for me. Coz we two are the slowest, but I was definately the slowest today.

Luckily they stopped at Broga town for a drink. My legs have yet to clear the lactic acid build up. I downed a can of 100Plus like water. Oh yes, and because i have no money at all......Thank You Axy for the days food bills. Will repay you soon.

We were off in about 5 minutes. Once again i started slow. The guys just zoomed away on the long empty village roads. With already 70+km (Or the proper ride is 40+km), next will be the twin peak climbs near Lenggong. Very short and very steep. When i reached it, none of the riders were in sight. I thought I can at least see them on the hilltop or something. But none. I began climbing, with lots of thoughts again in my mind. I knew I wasnt at my best. I knew I was going to suffer. But i didnt expect what i was going to think about doing this climb.

This one prominent thought played in my mind the whole ride, esp during the climb :

"MAYBE I SHOULD RETIRE/TAKE A SABBATICAL FROM CYCLING".

Yes you heard me right. Tat was what i wanted to do. I mean i've hadnt much time to spend on the bike. I felt really lousy. I was almost certain on this decision. Maybe i'll do something else like get a telescope, get another guitar, get a new PC or something. Sell off my bike. How much should i sell it for?

Errrgh. 5 LONG minutes passed before i ended the first climb. Then came the second. Then finally i got over to the other side where the guys were eating at a small side stall. Rest is what i want badly. Once again Thank You Axy for the RM10. Had a simple bite. THen helped Axy change a tube with a very stubborn Verdestein tire. Pro tires, but pro skill needed to take it out.

After this stop soon again just 1km ahead of the road was Bukit Tangga, the 5km climb up the hillside. Not really steep but long. Everyone went at snails pace, no one more snail-er than me i guess. But then Rashid dropped. So i wasnt last this time at least. I felt slightly better now, maybe coz i ate something. Climbing up steadily and safely crossed the top after about 20 minutes. Going down was fun, but a bit scary. My frame still exhibits flex under heavy braking and hard cornering. Even so, somehow i manage to reach 70kmh going down the hill.

Another 15km we were in Kuala Kelawang. Not too far from finish line actually. Meter already registers 115km (85 for actual trip). So just another 50km. It was already 1.20pm. I was hoping to reach the carpark and have Axy drive me home in time for practise. I calculated an estimate time to finish, 20 minutes to reach the last climb up Perez, 1hour for Perez itself, 10 minutes down Perez and 20 minutes to the carpark. About 2hours all in all. Shit. Im going to cut this really close. Practice is at 4pm. Even if i get to the carpark at 3.20, dressing down, loading, driving back to Wangsa Maju from Ampang........this is going to be a very very tight timing. I had to do this as fast as i can.

I was 80% drained by now. Burnt as hell. Kind of regret i joined the ride. Picked a hell of a day to ride. Waited for Rashid to come while we all stopped at Petronas to drink n cool down.

The last longest climb of the day just 10km away.........a 13km climb. Arghh.......God, i cried out, please help me pass this. I cant take it anymore. by about 1.3o we were on the move again. Me and Axy went ahead first.....battling strong head winds......yet we maintained 30+kmh fighting. Soon the fast guys will catch us. As we were just about to hit the climb, 3 of them overtook us. Another 2 were behind. Then we started the long agonizing climb up Perez. Climbing from the opposite side is less torturous. Even Genting Sempah is a piece of cake. Perez is different....what more from the K.Kelawang side. Short steep sections everywhere. I was hoping the peak of the climb comes soon. Everytime I see what "looks" like the final peak, turns out to be more winding climbs. My pace was never more than 10kmh, except on the few down sections.

Every push down on the pedals was really agonizing. It felt like eternity doing this, meter after meter. I constantly thought of flagging down a motorist and just tumpang (either holding the vehicle, or hop on it) till the peak. Yet I just didnt have the energy to even look back and stop to do so. If i stop......continuing would be even harder. ARgh.......more regrets, more anguish, more suffering to go. Alwin overtook me.........but much later i saw him resting at the side, he kinda bonked already. I asked him roughly how long to go? He says "About 8km"........ "Shit!" I said....... "Maybe you shouldnt have asked" as Al chuckled.......

8 more?!?! I really really really am nuts am I? How else crazy would anyone do what im doing today? I must be dumb or getting even more retarded. Corner after corner, breath after breath, meter after meter, pedal stroke after pedal stroke, car after car........i finally........FINALLY made to the top of Perez. The 3 guys were already waiting at the top, 2 more came minutes after me. Another 2 have cramped at the bottom.......so they requested support car assistance as soon we get back to the car park.

Right, now my main concern is time to get back home. Its already 3.00pm. Ive used 1.5 hours to do the last 25km. Now i need to do the next 20km in half an hour. I raced down Perez in just 10 minutes, as predicted, and on the final 10km stretch i pushed all my last effort energy. I was actually 100% drained. Somehow i tapped into my reserves. Probably going to hit the Red Zone soon. Chempedak smell was all over the place. Darn........hungry as well. Anyway i wanted to race ahead so that i dont lose out much time if others overtook me.

Without much problems, i reached the carpark finally at about 3.20pm. Finally thats it. Its over. The torturing ride is finished. I've completed my adventure of craziness. My estimate was correct. Now the rest was still behind me. So now i had to wait. 3.30 Axy made it back. I texted Pastor Jason to tell I will be late by 15 minutes. Now that was my estimate.

So with little time to spare, Axy and me made the dash home. Getting caught in the jam in MRR2 is always one of amazement and frustration. Coz the jam is caused by.............NOTHING. Duno what kind of KL drivers we have nowadays. I wanted to get back so badly in time. But the jam delayed us till 4.20. 4.30 i finally reach my doorstep, and i knew i had to hurry.........I thanked Axy really with a grateful heart. But i was really tired. Yet i have to serve for Bible Seminar. Thank God there were ppl to help me set up PA and stuff. I zoomed into my room, made a splash and dash bath, all dressed and out the door to church in 8 minutes. Time now is 4.45. Im really really going to cut this close before worship starts. Finally made it to church in time. Just with enough heads up on whats going on and just do the PA on the fly for the rest of the evening. *Phew*.

I will never (hopefully) do something this stupid again. Its tiring and dangerous.

Whens my next ride? I really dont know.......

Food for thought

2009-08-06T17:38:00.002+08:00

This is literally my thought on foods that i eat and foods i DONT eat. Lol. Too free so tot i just blabber abt it.

Foods I DONT eat!!

All clamshells (Including cockles[kerang aka siham], lala, mussels, oyster, siput sedut, escargot, etc)
Animal brains, liver,heart,kidney,lungs,intestines,nose,ears,mouth,lips,tongue
Other human beings

Foods I yet to eat :

Cow testicles and penis
Bugs
Exotic animals
Sheeps eye

Foods I eat :

The rest thats in the world......

Ehem Cough Cough........

2009-08-03T00:43:00.003+08:00

I wonder if this will get me fired.....but i think its nothing wrong to share a few things that most of us generally tend to think about.

"What I look for in a girl/guy". Lol......

Yeah i know. Lame topic as it may seem. So if u dont wana read it fine......*shoo shoo*

I was just contemplating abit about my life and well.......we being humans will come to a point where we think of our erm, our future other half. The person of our dreams. Mr/Ms Right. Not wrong la and almost every Tom Dick Harry Mary Jane Susie will think of this. So what do i particularly look for in a nice young lady to hopefully be a life long companion? Hmm......*thinks seriously hard*.......... Heres a rough list : -

First of all a girl/lady after God's heart above all else. Not my heart first, but God's first. If she cant be able to love God all out, what more love me and my family all out?
She is a disciple of Christ and loves following after Him =)
Has a heart like God : Loving, Faithful, Kind, Gentle, Merciful, Forgiving
*got stuck for a while*...... Independant in doing things around
Would have an understanding ear to listen to my problems and share opinions and exchange views in a mature manner.
Hopefully is pretty.......of course =)
Humble and simple yet lively and fun to communicate with
Would provide me the support when i need it, and in turn I support her when she needs it
A good testimony to others
Has good self esteem and confidence and self control
Wise
Loves healthy living (No : smoking, drugs, etc, Yes : Sports, exercise, games etc)
Age : Well.....typically +- 3 is my range. =P
Has a sense of humour *wink*

*cant think anymore*

Well thats all i can really seriously think off. The minor ones i left out cause i dont wana make a super long list and sound like a dead perfectionist. The thing is i might not get a person with more than 5 of the above together, let alone all.........so it really is by God's plan whom is my special one.

Now it doesnt mean i JUST leave it all to God. Well for the most part yes. But also we need to work for it someway. Faith without works is dead so the Bible says. True indeed. We still need to work for it, coz thats what God has said in the very beginning. We will have to toil and labour hard to earn, as long we are here on earth.

To me, and i guess every Christian brother out there, the first 3 criteria i listed would be an extrenly really important aspect to have. Simply because it will not work out well if the couple both are not equally yoked, or i should say, having an unequal belief system. Its a pretty sensitive issue so i wont deal much with it. For clarifications can ask me if u need it =).

Anyway....its just MY list........not God's list. I bet His list would be super duper long. XD

Why did my sandcastle collapse?

2009-08-02T23:12:00.005+08:00

Remember those times when your parents and relatives went to the beach together? Ahh....fun times aint it? Your mom dad and relatives with you and your cousins, brothers and sisters playing on the beach on a nice weekend morning. Nice waters (well by Malaysian standards it aint that nice la.......but still.........we go anyway), nice sand, lovely atmosphere. I remember the times my dad, brother and I used to go to Teluk Batik or Lumut together 7.30am on Sunday mornings. Miss those times.

Remember when we all built the sandcastles? Those were fun aint it? Actually i preferred to make Volcanoes........at least 1 - 1.5 feet tall......tallest was close to 2 feet high. Anyway, we might have made sandcastles that look superb like this...........

And then one big wave comes and ends up like this...........

Then we cry over it and grumble at the waves for demolishing our castle.

How come we never thought of making a rockcastle? Well i guess because it would have been tough, right? But if a rock was put up against a wave.......highly unlikely it will budge......what else crumble.

I watched the movie Gladiator, and one of the lines of Marcus Aurelius , Emperor of Rome was, "I had a dream. A dream of Rome. A dream so fragile, that you can only whisper it. Anything more than a whisper and it will vanish".

What im referring to is that life is really that fragile. Whatever we build our lives upon : Studies, jobs, friends, family, companies, investments, politicians, cars, bikes, girls, boys.....etc. All these are very fragile indeed. Proof? You can break all these.........either break the object, break the law, break the promise or worst still, break the heart. And the best part of all, almost everyone still wants to build their foundations from these things one way or another to step forward in life. Now thats a plan to start out with. Honestly, nothing wrong with planning our lives. It shows good maturity and character.

Like the old saying, if you fail, get up and try again. True indeed.

But what if (*Im not cursing anyone here*) it wasnt you that fell down, but the whole castle you were staying in collapsed. You've just lost your entire life. Or if not the majority or at least a portion of it. Any human being would feel utterly devastated. If not, then that person either has a mental problem or just dont have a heart at all.

Building anything on sand.......to ANY engineer and scientist.........is a BAD BAD idea. Especially if you are building a tall building, or any building for that matter. We need solid rock. Thats what the pilings are for, to give a firm foundation. If your life is built around something volatile like say.......money..........thats like the worst foundation to build on. Coz IF something goes wrong, man, thats one sad sight.

So what is the best life foundation material?

Of course i will say its definately Jesus Christ. Lol.

Simply because He has said that He is The Way, The Truth and The Life. If there is Life in Him, there isnt any life anywhere else. Life not meaning as in we live eat and breathe. But life as in we get all that is life and living our lives 100% with security.

In the bible it talks about building your house on a rock, a firm foundation. Come on, your house aint built on quicksand for heavens sake........and the bible said that Jesus is that rock, The Firm Foundation. And even if the seas roared, the winds blew and the ground shook, a house built on solid rock is......well......Solid! A wise person would think of that.

But some will argue........well why not i build my life 20% money + 20% career + 20% girls/guys 20% my own stuff + 20% God. I got all dont I? No you dont. U nearly havent got enough.

If u sum the actual thing up.......its 80% world uncertainty + 20% God certainty. Or in another illustration 80% insecurity + 20% security. ONLY 20%. Now........which engineer will take a 80% risk and build a house or condo on soil that is 80% sand and 20% rock? Thats a poor choice. Any engineer will get fired for doing that.

Choose 100% rock la of course! Even kids will know it. So the best way is building our lives 100% in God with God and for God. Jesus is that Rock we all need.

Some of you may not be convinced that Jesus is 100% Rock. Well its fine with me. I respect all your views and ideas. But when it comes to a point in time, you will see this scenario for sure. No human escapes it. I've been there so i can relate.

But those of you who have or wish to choose Jesus Christ as a Life Foundation, congradulations. Your taking the first step to a Life built with 100% Quality 100% Security 100% Guarentee. But like i said earlier in the post.......building a solid foundation wont be easy.........but with God and His grace, anything is possible.

Phillipians 4 :13 - "I can do anything through Jesus Christ who gives me strength"

Be Blessed
C ya.

Singapore 2009

2009-08-01T22:17:00.006+08:00

Finally after 22 years......i get to say that ive been to another country. I wouldnt say ive gone overseas. But still at least i stepped on another soil.

Singapore

Now i know many of you guys say that Singapore is nothing, so near can take Air Asia and be there in 30 minutes. Well still, its a first for me so...........SHUT UP! Lol!

Anyway, i was there for just one night. Followed my dad for official matters which i shall not disclose. First time ever seeing my very own passport was cool. Traveling to SG was rather erm......Nice.

We took a bus there (coz my dad wants to see how its like taking a bus there). We took the Nice bus company. Which was really........very.......nice!

This is the bus we took.........NICE leh?!

The service was really excellent. I would give it a 4.9/5 star rating. The 0.1 i would give if the ticket price could be a tad lower. RM88 one way KL - SG and return is SDG55 SG-KL. Well, once a while and for try sake. We get free food, individual tv screens, and host treatment. Seats were really comfy. Drivers were really smooth.

From KL to SG is really ntg but trees and highway so no point bogging abt that.

Reaching the Malaysian and SG immigration checkpoints was new to me. With all the inspections and all. Experience of travel just got better. Crossing the Causeway across the Johor Straits was nice. Tho a little hazy. I think i could see far off Sumatra. Lol.

We left KL at 9.15 and reached our destined hotel around 2.50pm. By right it should be a 5 hour journey....but some passengers had issues at the rest stop and at customs check. Made my dad and a few other passengers a little pissed off.

We stayed at the Copthorne Orchid Hotel along Dunearn Road. Man now i have to register SG roads in my head. A nice 3 star hotel with room rates for double bed from as low as SDG149++. See im promoting for them =P. Anyway ive stayed in quite a few hotels and all have their own features. This hotel was like any 3 star hotel. Nice and comfy and simple. Basically rested upon arrival. Then dads old friend , Unc Wong, came to take us out to dinner at Newton Circus. A nice food hawker center with lots of food. Only thing i didnt find were mamak stalls!! But the waiters n waitresses there definitely are like our Malaysian mamak guys.... "Boss come sit sit! We have nice food! Come see see!" Very intimidating indeed

What Newton Circus Hawker center look like

So with a hefty heavy dinner (considering both weight and $$$) literally tireness and sleepiness set upon us. Went back to watch some TV then KO-ed till next morning. Dad settled his business at the bank in Chulia Street and then had breakfast nearby Market Street. We took cab all the while coz wanted to see how nice it is in a cab. The MRT stations were a little far from us, and dad cant walk too much too. Last destination of the day was the famous Orchard Road. Shopping malls a plenty. Tourists esp the Ang Moh are everywhere. Stopped at Tangs and walked till almost halfway to the end of the Road exploring the area. By then it was already 11.20 and we head back to our hotel. Checked out and took the 1pm bus back home. We reached KL at exactly 6pm even in the jam.

Overnited at Klang at grandma's house before returning to Wangsa Maju this morning.

Simple experience nontheless eye opening to see another nation and its people.

But still

I Love Malaysia.

*Peace*

Mr Spammer

2009-07-25T00:05:00.002+08:00

It appears MR Spammer wants to spam all round my blog.

Well, Mr spammer welcome to spam as much as u like.

Coz frankly, i dont mind. Please. Spam at your pleasure if u will. I love company. But ur looking at the wrong place for Lin Foong.

Enjoy.

Bye Bye.
God Bless You
Yours Sincerely
D.C.

Why should I let you in?

2009-07-22T15:31:00.005+08:00

A couple of Christians were out evangelizing, and they came across a man at his house. Upon seeing them, the man knew what was coming. He quickly ran inside the house and shut the door. But the two Christians knew that there was a chance to talk to this man. They went in and politely knocked the door.

"Sir would you like to have a chat with us? Could you open the door for us, please?"
"NO! Please go away. I know what you wana say. And i DONT believe in God at all. He doesn't exist.I am an atheist."
"But sir, how can you really be 100% sure there is no God? I mean what is your evidence?"
"I dont need to give evidence! He is not REAL. Now go away!"

"Alright alright sir, we will. But just a ponder for you, lets say IF God does exist, and you die an arrive at the gates of heaven, He will ask you 'WHY SHOULD I LET YOU INTO MY HEAVEN?' You might want to give it some thought "

"Why??!?! WHY SHOULDN'T HE LET ME IN?"

"Well sir, you closed the door on us. And we politely knocked so that we hope you would let us into your house. Why should you not let us in?

"WHY SHOULD I?! This is my house and i tell you EXACTLY where to go!"

"Exactly sir. God would tell you the same thing if you went to heaven and want to get in."

The man was shocked. And he kept silent for a moment.

"Alright. FINE. You win. But i still dont believe there is a God. I dont need to know there is a God or not."

"But sir, HOW sure are you there isnt a God that exists? Based on what evidence? Can you really be sure a God doesnt exist? I mean look at all the evidence that points to something of a creation thats exists rather than an accident by chance"

"Alright MAYBE He does exist. But i dont believe in Him and i dont think He even cares for me."

"Ah sir, so you acknowledge His existence?"

"Well yea sort of."

"But how do you know He doesnt even care for your life? You havent even asked Him if He does care. All this while you have been rejecting Him. How would you expect Him to care if you keep saying No to Him? Its very simple logic sir"

"OK. I may not know Him well enough. I may not know if He really cares for me or not. But what has that got to do with me and my own life?"

"Sir, it has EVERYTHING to do with your life."

"So what are you trying to say?"

"Well sir we just want to say that, you should let us in for a chat and some coffee."

Looking for an answer?

2009-07-19T02:25:00.003+08:00

Most people in life are looking for something. They want to find out every possible thing there is this universe can answer to their questions. They seek high and low, far and wide. Then keep searching and searching for that answer to plug the leaking hole in their spirits curiosity. Any method from black magic to science. So thats how most of our lives are spent. Using all our mind, soul, energy, spirit just to find a difficult answer to a simple question. And sometimes till the day we die, we wont find it. What a waste. And sometimes we keep finding that it makes us shift our focus away from reality. It drives us mad to an extent. We often end up frustrated.

However, some have already found the answer(s) before even the question is popped. And with this answer, their hearts were settled down for as far as their lives lasted without having to search for another answer. This one answer solves all questions and problems. These people, because they have the answer, goes through life easier with fulfillment and satisfaction. No regrets. The amazing thing is this answer was not found by them, but the answer FOUND them. This answer has given life, hope, dreams, signs, miracles and wonders. This answer is a Big key to life.

Guess what is the answer?

=)

Squire Test

2009-07-17T05:24:00.003+08:00

Man......the vid n audio synch is really bad. duno why.

BTW apologies for the poor quality. Had to compromise if not file size wud be huge.

But overall an ok test considering its my first attempt to record and Youtube it.

^^

I Thought I Lost You - Miley Cyrus and John Travolta

2009-07-14T03:42:00.003+08:00

A pretty good song. Enjoy =)

Ah Beng joke

2009-07-12T23:47:00.003+08:00

This was something i thought of....duno if this joke exists or is it going to be funny. Just trying out =D

One day Ah Beng went to take his driving license course. He went through the first 6 hour lecture without much problem. Occasionally yawn here n there. During the lecture he heard the instructor say this....

Instructor : "When at traffic lights, when see green means what?"
Students : "Go"
Instructor : "Good, now what about orange?"
Students : "Ready to stop, but if already speeding tak apa.....just jalan."
Instructor : "Alright. So red you all should know right?"
Students : "Red means stop"
Instructor : "Alright alright, good good. As long its red, stop. Now......bla bla bla"

So as the lecture completed, Ah Beng went to take the theory test.

He scored perfect 50/50 in record of 5 minutes.

Then later performed the first practical test, drive and stop up the hill, side parking and 3 point turning. Excellent, flawless and wonderful.

Now for the road test.....

He got in the car with the Road Department officer. They went out to the open road.
Ah Beng did well. Obeyed every sign, went not too fast not too slow. Change gears and braking were spot on. Didnt even "mati enjin" (engine died).

He came to one left turn traffic light. IT was red so he stop. When it was green he continued turning left. Now he came to a large 2 lane cross junction traffic light. This was abit more complex. He has to turn right and he patiently waits for the lights to turn green so he can move.

The lights go green......so he gets the car moving. He turns right......and as he was turning.....

Suddenly......*SKREEEETCCHHHH*....... he emergency brakes in the middle of the cross junction. Engine stalled, and cars honking everywhere, and obviously the officer was furious and lashed out at Ah Beng.

Officer : "WHY YOU STOP HERE?!?!?! THERE SHOW GREEN SO JALAN LA!!! YOU WANT DIE AH?"
Ah Beng : (points at the traffic light in front of him) "Sir, here this traffic light in front is red la.....so i stop la. Not right ah? My instructor say as long i see red, must stop."
Officer : ?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

-The end-

Kosong

2009-07-08T22:28:00.000+08:00

What to blog about ah?

The King of Pop

2009-06-27T23:09:00.003+08:00

Well this is a tiny tribute to The King of Pop himself.

I remember the first music video i saw from him was Black or White. I think that was when i was in kindergarten or primary. But his kind of music, with soul energy and full of beats and rhythms caught my ears. And i enjoyed listening to most of his songs ever since. Moonwalks, high pitch screams, the Glove, military suits, curly hair, smooth dances. Attributes of Jackson that will go down in history as one of the best performing artists' of all time.

The one thing that stands out is that his music is still as current and as relevant till today as it was since the 70's when "ABC 123" and "I Want You Back" kicked off a world wide craze. It just never dies. Not being biased or critical but the music industry has yet to see music that can survive and STILL be alive in 3 decades. We can have great singers, but can we have great singers AND smash hit songs? I personally dont see any current music produced by any artist which can have the same impact in 30-40 years time. Maybe we need another reincarnation of the young Jackson 5 to see talent that is an almost similar MJ style.

Till then, Michael Jackson is still the King of Pop. The Most Successful Entertainer of All Time.

Sadly my kids wont be able to see him alive. Just show them vids of him. But i think they will like it. =)

Condolences to the Jackson family
Tribute to the King of Pop
Legend
1958-2009

About time

2009-06-07T03:29:00.004+08:00

Yes its about time i blogged. Well cause its 3.30am and i am not sleepy yet in my cozy home. =)

I just read this "LOVE IS SUGAR SWEET".

It got me thinking, if that was the case, all the couples in love/married must be having diabetes type 2 by now. Kidding.

In all seriousness, to say love is sugar sweet puts a really thick layer of coating on the real image and "taste" of love. I know now why so many get it so wrong about this meaningful four letter word. They didnt get the real meaning. Thats why.

I want to dare anyone of us here, reading this blog of mine, does anyone of us REALLY know what love is? Does any of us know HOW to REALLY love someone? You gotta really come clean of yourself and seek deep down in the heart. If it was me, id honestly say no. I dont know. Its not because im not attached/hooked/married yet. That be the lamest excuse. Its also an excuse to say because one is in a relationship one knows how and what love really IS. It be same as, i dont know how to sleep because i dont have a bed or i know how to sleep because i have a bed. Not and excuse or a reason.

I think love has been really over-coated by lots of Korean/HK/Japanese/Western drama and also those forwarded emails that contain story after story of heart-wrenching teary heart tearing stories of love marriage and etc. Its really sad that this gets so easily into our minds. Its very easy coz we seem to need the REALISM in these stories. But in the process we are getting the WRONG kind of reality. NOT ALL you see and read are true. Thats why people say often "The sky is blue and the roses are pink when love is around".

Lets just wake up and smell ourselves for a while.

Lets take a walk back in time a bit to our mom's womb, where we came from. That was love right there. Not the process. But the existence, the product, the outcome. Us. We were because of love. But it wasnt all sweet and rosy pink. Ask your parents what love is. It was just getting us up and big and happy at the expense of theirs. There is some EXPENSE. That dont usually go well with most of us.

Just a few days ago, dad talked to me about really serious life issues. Life planning, my inheritance, his life plans, his past, his regrets. He poured onto me the life he had lived for the past 57 years. I nearly teared on the spot. He gave me something valuable time and time again. Not my pocket money, but love. I saw in his face the 57 years as he talked to me. I looked at him dead in the eye. I saw blood, sweat and tears. His greying hair, his older looking face, his back problem. He talked how even though we were in "cukup cukup makan" or Just Enough To Survive life, he did all the best he can to save up enough money for me and my bro for studies. He barely took a single cent each month. I only KNEW exactly what was going on in our family financially for the past 20 years at this very point. And then i looked at myself. I was his proud son no matter what, as long i did my best as long i lived an honorable value clean righteous life. I did. And the more i saw that this was all because of the real love my parents have been pouring out.

And his love paid off, praise God. God rewards those who have run the race, faithful to their commitment. Now I can say we are financially better off, at least. 5 years ago dad cudnt even afford to treat us to anything more than KFC or McD or PizzaHut. Now he has the liberty to ask me, when ever we go out together, "What do you want to eat?". That sentence to 90% of us is taken for granted. We get to choose. To my dad its a reward for all the hard work of 30 years, what he could not ask before, what he could not enjoy before. My dad loves tasting new food. But for many years he had to skip it. To me its even more meaningful. We didnt even want to get Streamyx up till late last year. We have never really had a life MOST of you all now are living so wonderfully. Its a good thing for you all. But lets not forget where it all came from. Love of sacrifice.

My dad told me "There is a big difference between NEEDS and WANTS". "And it can be very dangerous with the WANTS we want". "Occasionally its ok, but not on a regular basis". I kept thinking about my stuff, that actually wasnt paid with my own money. It was either indirectly from my parents or relatives. None actually was ever really mine. So should i thank my parents. Yes. Definitely. My bike, my PC, my shirts, my tickets, my whatever-that-has-made-me-happy most of the time was a direct result from my parents. If they havent paid for my college fees and bring me to KL, i wouldnt have met 50% of you all now. If my parents havent put me in school, i wouldnt have met the other 50% of you now.

It all has one origin, love. And it didnt come cheap and easy. Im not saying love is always hard. But im saying love has a more deeper significant than JUST being sweet to the taste.

There is a big difference of "Being in love" and "Staying in love". The latter is always the hardest. All married couples will have the same agreement. The former is always the easiest, in every way. Easy to crumble and easy to go far. So those who are already bf/gf? I pray u all made right decisions based on really solid reasons and after much consultation.

When i see the whole picture, from every angle that i've seen time and again, i see that love isnt sugar sweet after all. But it doesnt mean it is bitter and sour. I dont see love as the one where happiness shows. I see it in the PRODUCT, OUTCOME, EXISTENCE because of love. Which is basically what happens next after you poured out so much love. Not because your holding love in your hands. Love is the petrol. You hold it in your hands, it will evaporate. Many people are holding love like that.

Like my dad, he uses the love as his petrol, to drive his engine which is his heart to keep my family alive. Only NOW i see a small aspect of love.

The one thing Jesus is different is that He IS that Love. He is that petrol that drives. Which is why I find my strength and my power in Him always. Jesus is one Love that never evaporates. Coz its already said He is The Beginning and The End, Alpha and Omega, First and Last, Author and Finisher. Jesus showed love wasnt sugar sweet. But He showed that when you use love correctly, you will see the fruits of love, sweeter than anything.

I believe my parents does see it now. Both their sons are growing big, smart and doing well. We are beginning to have our own lives. When they are gone, we are to continue what they have started, pouring out love. Jesus also poured out His love, Himself for us.

I also dont mean to say love will mean more tears and grief. It does happen sometimes. But my parents wud have had that as well in the course of their marriage. Would that mean they stop pouring out love? No. They kept going. We all need love. But love doenst grow on trees. It has to come from somewhere. Many say its from our hearts. True. But where does our heart connect to to get that love?

Answer : Love <--- Heart <--- Spirit <--- Jesus <--- God

Many stop at the heart, but not see whats before the heart, the spirit. But the spirit has to originate from somewhere. God is the One Spirit who can give this to us.

Now that is why some dont understand love. Because they dont understand that God is Love and He gave Love (Jesus) to us. In love there will need to be Giving and Sharing, and at times no Taking. The real Love is when one knows Jesus Christ personally, and then shares it with others, not because of the sweet tingling feelings we get, but purely because, we all need love whether we deserve it or not. Thats what God has been trying to tell us. He wants to give us Love whether we are rich or poor, smart or dumb, sick or healthy, gay or lesbian, master or slave, ruler or servant, sinner or righteous. He wants us to know Him, know Love first hand on a real scale. Many times we tell ourselves "I need love more than others" rather than saying "There are others who need as much if not more love than i do". Love not in hugs and kisses or holding hands or chocos n flowers. But love as in giving the entire heart, soul, mind and strength to see a change in someones life, to make another life more meaningful, thats more worth to live, to care for the uncared and love the unloved.

This I will say is Love.

"Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." - John 15:13

God Bless

Run - Hillsongs

2009-06-07T00:57:00.000+08:00

From the 2008 album This Is Our God.

Enjoy and God Bless =)

Busy Bee

2009-06-03T02:24:00.002+08:00

Hey loyal and faithful readers of my blog....

1000 apologies for not having any updates. Im currently in the midst of some reshuffling of sorts. And plus the fact i've shifted to a new house with no internet makes my online life down pretty much most of the time. Hopefully to be back online ASAP. Now all i can do is watch from the sidelines on all the action (cybercafe).

Anyway love you all and miss u all much.

Church Camp 2009

2009-05-19T00:06:00.002+08:00

Something i will always cherish for the rest of my life..... =)

Interstate 2009 Seremban – Gemas – Gunung Ledang – Melaka

2009-05-07T11:09:00.001+08:00

Hello everyone! Probably some of you have been waiting for this post of my experience for this years Interstate Ride by PCC. No doubt theres a lot to talk/share for this round of 3 days all out ride and I think it wont disappoint you all. So enjoy my story if you don’t mind the length of this post. Pics btw will be posted later on as it is being processed.

Day 0 (April 30th)
Having just finished my last exam paper in the morning, now I can look forward to IS09. I had lots of time to pack and think what to bring along. I brought mostly what I brought last year, but somehow my heart told me to bring along the black duct tape. Hmm. I wonder why. So I just chucked it into the list. Finally getting sorted by 10pm. Now all I had to do was wait for Adrian to come pick me up. I must really thank him a lot for being kind enough to give me a ride to the start point in Seremban. We’ve made arrangements and discussions about a month earlier. But finalized it on Tuesday night during the pre-ride briefing/number collection. Really thanks lots to you Adrian. =)

Day 1 (May 1st)
OK. Big day is here. I just waited on my bed for Adrian to arrive. We planned to leave from KL at 3.30am so that we take a slow drive down to Klana Resort in Seremban where the flag off will be. Adrian arrived spot on time, and we packed and racked all our gear in his little Kancil and drove straight to Seremban. Adrian is really a nice guy in person, and this is only our second meeting. Haha. Facebook does wonders sometimes, doesn’t it?

We had nice solid conversations along the way. And before we knew it, we were in Seremban, wayyyyyy ahead of time. We arrived at abt 5am. With 2 hours to spare before kick off. So, apa lagi? Pegi makan la! (We went to eat roti canai). Being my first time to Seremban, it reminds me of Ipoh coz of the one way roads. Nice town actually. We managed to find Klana resort and got all our stuff n bikes prepped up. Most riders came in last night and slept over in the hotel. Some others arrived just after us. First time I will be riding my Look for 3 straight days, so its going to be interesting seeing its performance. Ride starts at 7am and by 6am activity was buzzing all around the resort. The cool bikes are out, the cool bikers are out, the cool babes are out. My legs were cool too. Its been 3 weeks since my last ride. Yes, haven’t ridden in 3 weeks due to my exams. And the last 2-3 months my riding was really really irregular. I was prepared to suffer all the way for the next 3 days, and maybe go up support car if I have to. All I can pray is God sustain me during this 3 hellish days. Weather forecast was wet for 3 days. Maybe that be better coz it will slow down the pace a little so that I can follow. XD

Adrian was busy prepping his bike as there were some technical issues. Met Vincent Lim in person finally after only communicating tru Facebook. Told you Facebook isn’t that bad after all. Meeting two new brothers in Christ is a good thing indeed =)

I tested out my bike after 3 weeks of not touching it. My ass tried to get used to the saddle again. And I was hoping there will be no technical issues. I also hoped that my messed up biological clock doesn’t affect my ride. For 3 weeks I’ve been sleeping in the day and awake in the night. The last thing I want is falling asleep at the handlebars doing 40kmh.

Loaded my luggage into the luggage truck and now waited for the start proper. Among the friends I see this year were Clarence who is joining his 2nd Interstate after last years participation with me. Jon wasn’t here, banyak alasan till cant make it this year. Bahri my good friend is making his debut Interstate. And he looks excited indeed. Alwin Rahman also was here for his debut. He was the one who gave me a lift back home to Powerman in November. Many other people like Mac, Adeline, Joanne, Lim, the usual suspects were in this year. A total of 198 participants are here today, including support car drivers.

Finally 7am. Chief marshal cars got ready to lead us out. After another short briefing by Ivan Chan (President of PCC) and James Bak, we got underway to our first day of riding. I don’t know to feel happy or feel nervous. Todays distance is 134km to the little town of Gemas. Wonder whats coming ahead today for me. Hope it isn’t something I will regret.

We exited Seremban town, lead by the chief marshal car for the first 10km. After that it was all on our own. I started near the front trying to follow the first peloton. I tried to push and catch up but they instantly went to 40kmh. Err….sorry guys, cant follow you this time around. And Lim (who rides for LeTua team in TdL this year) brought his Scott Spark fullsus mountain bike with 2.1” tires. And he was FAST. =.= Malu nye….. that MTB beats most of the roadies.

The road was basically nice and flat and smooth. The first 29km was okay for me. I already made up in my mind to take my own sweet time this year. Im not going to push nor am I going to bother following a peloton I cant keep up with. Constantly checking my tulips for the directions and I soon got to a nice kampung road. And this road eerily reminds me of last years first day Interstate. It had the same cow dung smell, the same kind of orchards. Then I got caught by Elaine Boey’s little group along with Boon Foo. I rode just behind them for a while. And THEN………I saw infront. Our first climb. And it was ALMOST the same as last years Bukit Putus. Gosh, why so nostalgic? Anyway, we all puffed up this steep hill. I stood on the pedals pushing hard. And just as I thought we were reaching the summit, coz it seem flat ahead with a few support cars waiting, suddenly around the next right hand corner, the most monster climb ive ever seen in my life. It’s a monster when 90% of the cyclists were pushing their bikes up.

I was thinking, “Shit!” Why did I stand up and push so early. Now im in deep shit myself. Well that’s my luck I guess. Im on my 39x27 gear, the lightest gear. And I STILL had a major problem pedaling up! I could feel my lungs and heart wanting to burst. And for the first time in my cycling life, I got down the bike, and pushed the rest of the way up. Yes. That’s right. Shocking, no? Well I haven’t been training so not surprising anyway. Some of the more powerful riders rode up, inch by inch. Vong Vong came from behind pedaling slowly. Even Hsing Ling pedaled up. I looked up front and behind. Almost everyone was pushing their bikes up this monster hill. This hill was much much steeper than Genting’s notorious final 4km. MUCH harder. Its like really going up a vertical wall. And pushing up wasn’t easy as well. Some riders were snaking up.(Termed as such because they would ride in S directions like a snake. Reason is to ride as flat as possible across the gradient, not straight up it, though this means u travel more distance. Now WHY didn’t I think of that previously….)

I got to the top, with much huffing and puffing. Some rested at the top catching their breath. I decided to just sit on my bike and coast the way down the other side. At least im on the move. That hill really killed me for the rest of the ride. And this was just only the first 40+km. We haven’t got half way yet! The roads were winding and lonely. I was alone for a while not seeing any riders in front or behind me. Later a few over took me. And then as I was slowly pedaling, suddenly something poked my ass! I almost jumped out of the bike. I turned and it was Alwin. And he was laughing so hard seeing my reaction. I wanted to curse and swear at him. But I was tired so I made a few death threats instead. He accompanied me for a while. Then 4 more other riders caught us and drafted behind us. We cruised for a while at abt 30kmh. Before long I got tired again and I told them to go on. From this point on I was practically alone for the rest of the journey. No one followed me nor could I follow those who passed me. There was a nice food stop at abt 52km but I went on coz I wasn’t really hungry. Many riders stopped there though.

And now with abt 50++ km done in about 3 hours, the sun began to beat down on me. The next 30km of roads were really flat open roads with some undulations. The hot sun sapped energy from me as each passing km went by. I constantly looked at my meter. And psychologically that made me more tired having thinking I still got to cycle at least another 70 80km. Many times I was riding below 25kmh. Which is SLOW. Sometimes 18-20kmh. My thighs were already hurting. The little undulations in the road may seem tiny to the strong riders, but to my legs they were like mountains. Sometimes I even cycle at 11kmh up those tiny things. Sigh. So much for suffering. I was already burnt on my skin. And my ass wasn’t any better. Many times I got up to relieve it. Then when it sat back down on the saddle, I had to find the exact same spot it sat before. =.= Picky ass.

I really needed to go to the toilet badly. And what most cyclist would do is simply stop by the road side and pee. Well, erm, I wanted a nice spot to pee. And for 20 km I couldn’t find one. Yes I know, JUST STOP AND PEE! Im a little conservative. Lol. Finally at abt 85km I found a nice malay stall with some food. I was hungry and needed to refill water. AND pee. After satisfying myself, I continued on. A few groups passed as I was eating. Then I saw Ivan and Annie taking a break by the side. Well it was a tough day.

At 91km I saw Vong’s group stop for water. Well they waved at me so I thought, stop again lor. Haha. I was happy to stop every few km. And I wanted to get 100Plus to drink anyway. Everyone was looking beat down. And I got my refreshing 100Plus. Sat on the little stool. Then I looked at my shoes. And to my horror, THE SOLE SPLITTED!!!! OMG!!! I didn’t realize it the whole time! It was fine in the morning. Its like a crocodile yawning now! I showed to the guys and they were all amazed to see it. And immediately they commented “You are too powderful la……” (Actually want to say powerful but put it comically). Well, Vong suggested I get superglue right away, and I did. Luckily the shop we stopped at got sell. I got a tube and quickly glued my shoe. I hope I can last till the end. NOW I was wondering if my shoes can handle another two days. So much for my 5 year old pair of cycling shoes. My one and only. Time for a new pair I guess >< I guess they split when I was climbing the monster hill coz it took lots of pulling on the shoes. =P No wonder I felt weird when I pedaled for the last 60km! =.= Zha dao…… This is ONLY day 1.

After our stop we continued on. I could only follow Vong’s train for a while before I dropped again. Really no form at all to even keep up at 28kmh. Even Ivan dropped. Well we are almost done with 40km to go so I will take it slow. Even I pedal at 20kmh I will reach at most in 2 hours. Its only about 11.45am. Hotel rooms will be ready by 2pm so take my time lor. Finally I touched the 100km mark. And then 110km went by. 120km also went by slowly. At 125km I got tired again and I decided to stop under some trees for a while. Its only 10km more. A very looong 10km it will be. Slow and agonizing. After about 5 minutes rest I made my final push to Gemas. After about 20 minutes I finally reach Gemas and the Tropicana Hotel. *phew*. 134km in 5hours 50minutes excluding stoppage time. Not too bad. I arrived at about 1.30pm. All burnt from the sun, and my legs were really flat out of energy. Gemas is a really small town. So our accommodation had to be split. Some stayed at the Gemas Rest House while some at Tropicana. I stayed at the rest house. Didn’t care if it was a run down place, I wanted a bed to rest on.

A very grueling first day. And once we all got together for the photo shoot, we all talked about the first day’s ride. Lots and lots of stories going about here and there. And then Vong came to me abt my shoes, and he suggested I use duct tape to tape it up. AHA! Just when I was thinking why I brought the black duct tape along. Thank God! Adrian and co came in at about 5pm as they rode really slow. Maybe I would have been better off following them. The dinner was nice. Not the best but like everyone knows, im not a picky eater. As long got food, I makan. After the dinner + briefing for day 2 , I went out with Bahri, Clarence , Mac n Adeline for a drink. Then came back and first thing was to tape up my shoes. Used a generous amount of tape to make sure it doenst come off again. The super glue did hold it in place well. Then after that it was time to sleep. I had two roommates, Kevin and Dennis. Interesting people I must say. Day 1 done. Time for rest. And the magic deep heat from Indonesia was really burning my thighs! Btw, Don Chan our road marshal said that today was the 2nd toughest day. Hmm…….that aint good.

Day 2 (May 2nd)

Got up at about 5.30am for breakfast. Ate fried rice at Tropicana. Then geared up for day 2 of riding. Todays distance is 126km, 8km less than yesterday. Our stop today is Gunung Ledang, the famous mountain as depicted in Malay literature. My legs felt fine. Today also I just want to survive the day. As long I reach the Gunung Ledang Resort I will be happy. Today I wore my TdF Yellow Jersey to show some color. Hehe. I was the only one wearing the yellow this year. Last year we did have one guy wear it. Now its my turn.

Ride kicked off at 7am as usual, following the chief marshal car for the first 10km. Today I managed to keep up with Vong’s train for the first 30km. We were actually in Johor as soon we exited Gemas. First time being in Johor. Today we passed a lot of little towns. And lots of flyovers and main roads. We came into Segamat fairly fast in our group of 15-20 riders. The thing abt Segamat is this. LOTS of traffic lights. We stopped about 6 times in the space of 5km. That was good in a way, coz get to rest for abt 70seconds at each stop. Hehehehe. Today Bahri said he would be driving the support car. So we saw him often along the way waiting to support riders.

After we exited Segamat, we were out in the suburbs and the roads had lots of medium rolling hills. And then I couldn’t keep up with the group. Actually I could have followed and catch the KOTRT group ahead. The KOTRT (Knights Of The Round Table) are from Penang up north. They had a team of abt 10 came to ride this year. Anyways I left Vong’s train and slowly went up the rolling hills at my own pace. I didn’t want to burn out again like yesterday , so better I reserve my strength. Behind I saw Adeline and Mac closing in. So I waited a while and followed them. Then we arrived at the critical junction which will take us into a rubber plantation at 49km. It’s a small tarmac road just enough for a car. The road was really nice and shady and cool. Feels like classic off road trails just that its paved. A few ups but manageable using momentum from the downhill. Saw Clarence stop to help with a flat tire of another rider.

After a short 3km trough the shady estate, suddenly I turned behind to check, and I saw Bahri riding again! He waved at me in such a manner that I wanted to whack him nicely. But I shook my ass at him instead. I asked him what happened, so he said Patrick cannot tahan anymore so he went up support car and drove. Well Bahri was more than happy to cycle. But having start 49km later his meter wasn’t in synch with the tulips. He has to stick with me now or he will get lost. Actually there were plenty of signage so even u didn’t have tulips, you will be fine. Its just preferable to have backup. We came to a junction with some shops and everyone stopped there. We joined along to eat and refill. I had my morning bath there too……I think it was only about 9am and already we did 50km. Today was quite fast paced.

After that short rest me and Bahri rode slowly together enjoying the scenery along the way. We came into Labis town together with Team Mayhem from Australia, where also lots of riders stopped to eat. We weren’t so hungry so we pressed ahead on our own.

After Labis town, the roads were also pretty flat, lonely with plantations on each side, and mountains on the far end of the horizon. It is a very nice cycling road actually, if there were not so many cars. I told Bahri I needed to go to toilet. And THIS TIME, I wasn’t hesitant to just stop by the road side and pee. Luckily I had some bushes to hide abit from. Yay, I was peeing out in the open with cars passing by. Up ahead Vong’s group stopped coz of a puncture. They were ok so we continued anyway.

Before long we made good progress and reached 90km. We were now looking for a place to stop and rest and eat. We found a petrol station so we decided to stop there. A few riders were there as well. Then shortly Vong’s group came. Not bad catching up with us. Took a good 15 minute rest. Up till now my legs were relatively OK but still not really in any shape to go fast. As soon as we left I once again tried to hang on to Vong’s group, but then my legs couldn’t take it anymore so I let them go. Bahri went on with them. So here I am all alone again. Well its another 30+km so it wont be for too long. My ass again………..hurts.

From KM100 the road was super hilly! Lots and lots of rolling hills. One after another. There were at least 10 of them, 1 hill per km. zzzzz. This was really really tough on my legs. I went at a snails pace up each hill. Sometimes I even saw 7kmh on my meter. That bad. I even saw some of the riders stop by the road side to have their power sticks, aka cigarettes. Oh well, just hang on and pedal as best I can. And if that wasn’t enough, after this section of rolling hills, came the section of small undulations + heavy traffic + head winds. =.= A few thoughts of regret started to fill my head…… Well sometimes I wonder why am I so stupid and crazy to do this thing. I think if a video camera were to record my face at this point, I might look like a zombie just pedaling the bike.

The final 10km was another tough one and I crept slowly. I manage to catch one rider infront who was also pedaling as slow as me but I didn’t want to overtake him. Just follow his pace a few meters behind. To my delight after much suffering, I saw the final right hand turn into the Gunung Ledang Resort. It’s a waterfall vacation spot actually with some chalets and rooms. Lots of people vacationed there as it was the weekend.

Finally got to the finish point in good time. About 5 hours 30 minutes of riding. Todays weather luckily was fair and I didn’t get roasted. But still no rain. The weather prediction seems wrong. It was still early but many riders have already arrived. Its like about 1pm only. Got my bags and went to my room. Funny enough, my roommate today is Alwin. This is going to be interesting……. Adrian had to be driven in by support car later in the afternoon coz too far behind time.

Since we were early, me and Al decided to dip in the pool for a while to cool off. A few other riders were in there as well so we joined along. Our half naked bodies showing all our tan lines in the pool. Now I know why the two girls at the other end were staring at us. Probably they haven’t seen so much contrast on the human skin in their lives. As we were dipping and settling in, one guy decided to play water polo. We got a ball, but we only had 5 people. We kept ‘ajaking’ others but all didn’t want. Then I came up with this idea. Why not we do penalty shoot out. Their eyes immediately sparkled. So we took turns being the keeper and the err……shooter. And no one can score a goal. THEN another guy suggested, why not we splash water at the keeper to add some difficulty. Well, the first person managed to block, only because the splash was like rain drops. When it came to my turn, I got a snow barrage. I couldn’t see clear and the shooter scored a goal. They all laughed, and I said not fair coz I got more water than the previous guy. Then when Alwin and Daniel came we all splashed so hard at them they even can block the ball. Hahahaha. =P

After 30 minutes or so we got tired and got out. Me and Al went back to bathe then we went to one of the stalls to eat. After that a nice nap. At about 6.30pm I got up for dinner. I was a little groggy still as I walked to the dinner hall. Then I saw a table where PK Yeoh and a whole bunch called me to sit down immediately. They were laughing, for what I don’t exactly know. They sort of wanted to interview me abt something.

Finally its regarding a few ‘SPECIAL’ people in our Interstate. Ehem, this is one of those off the bike tales where it just gets funnier the more we talk about it. The subjects we talked about were referred as No 1 and No 2. Now, Bahri and Clarence had the most luck to encounter No 1. And I didn’t know I already encountered No 2. Lol. As we talked and Bahri shared his hilarious story, we all couldn’t help but make lots of jokes and talk lots abt these interesting subjects, esp No1. Now for safety reasons I shall not mention here. If u are interested to know, ask me in person. XD. The quote of the day is “I can tell u what happened in 20 minutes in 2 hours.” Hahahahaha. They kept saying that they sacrificed a lot for the entire Interstate. And we owed them. LOL! I can see why…….

After dinner, most of the riders went into the bike storage area to check and tune their bikes. Also my chance to do the same thing to my bike. And at the same time got to see some bike porn. Lol. I noticed there were only a handful of Pinarello’s this year. Less than 5. Last year we had like 10. But lots of BMC, Specialized, Scott, Cervelo, Merida, Look and Trek. I didn’t even see Bianchi, Giant, Orbea, Willier, Cannondale, BH. There were only 2 Colnago’s. Well, at least Im the proud owner of a Look so, hehe, part of the majority too. Wakakakaka. Saw some really cool wheel sets, esp lots of Zipps, Campy’s, Lightweight and Reynolds. No one seemed to use the Mavic Cosmic. In fact I think none at all. There was a Zipp 808 on a Cervelo SLC. That was Daniel Lim’s bike. *drool drool*

And then Lynn came over asked my about some bike stuff. She’s Joanne’s friend, quite a cute character too and just met at the briefing. She really needs to change bike coz currently she uses a Trek 2100 size 50 traditional frame. And for her 150cm height, that’s a wrong AND HEAVY frame to be riding. But shes pretty strong for her size. Salute her. =)

After much googoogaga over the bikes, I went to join PK’s table again for another round of erm, story telling. Then it came to say goodnight to Bahri. Yeah, GOOD night. Lol. What happened later was hilarious. Too hilarious to tell here. =)

I too went to my room to rest n try to sleep. Well I turned on the TV to see if there was anything nice to see. Watched James Bond till 12am then slept. Final day is just around the corner. So fast 2 days of Interstate has gone. Well im just as eager to finish it.

Day 3 (May 3rd)

Yes! Last day of Interstate. And I plan to take today’s 102km slow and easy. Nothing to rush about. We started at 7.30am since it’s a short distance. Leaving the Resort we went out into the open roads with some drizzle. Finally a wet day? Nope. For a while only. Today , being the final day, I tried once again to follow the first peloton. I had to do some overtaking though on the outside lane. And I got a small warning but well, who hasn’t eh? Well my 40kmh effort didn’t last much though. These guys were just too tough for me.

Mac was suppose to drive support car today. But then when I saw him overtake me , I saw Alwin in the car! I was thinking why is Al in the car when he rode this morning from start line. Its either bike problem or leg problem. Hmm….I wanted to find out later.

I dropped back and let many more riders over take me. After 14km the right turn that leads to the little town of Nyalas was a little bit undulating as well. But its more of open kampung roads. Nice and quiet. I passed the little village of Nyalas. Many locals were out standing in front of their house to see us. I guess after the first 2 groups went by, they waited for more. Lots of kids waved at me. Shouting at me. And I just waved back.

PK’s group caught me. Razali , Bahri, Chin Hoe, Clarence, and a few more others were in here. And I guess they wanted to have fun today being the last day. So lots of attacks came. Well it was so tempting not to resist, so I joined along. Attack after attack. Then I managed to pull away for a while with Clarence on my wheel at 48kmh. Fun. Then we all basically reached the first stop at km 50. A nice row of food stalls. Many stopped there. We stopped almost 30 minutes. And it was only about 9am. Another fast paced day. I saw Al and Mac and I quickly asked Al whats wrong. He said his shifter cable snapped and didn’t have spare cable. Well I did, just that it is in the luggage truck on the way to Melaka. So that’s Al’s Interstate. Early end for him. But I think he’s even happy to sit in the car and see others suffering.

I left together with PK’s group coz usually PK’s group takes things relatively easy. Even so sometimes I felt like leaving the group and go alone again. Well today I tried to hang on. I was still OK and my legs haven’t reached their max limit yet. Though the sores are there. And the ass just keeps killing me. We went through more undulations. And then it was a flat stretch after leaving most of civilization behind. At 67km we stopped coz someone needed water. We took a nice rest under the bus stop. Lynn and Vincent Lim came up from behind after they split from the group. Then CC Wong also came up with Roger. And they even had time for their powersticks. Lol.

Continued our journey soon after. I went ahead for a while. Then some small rolling hills greeted me but today my legs felt pretty good. I managed to handle them at abt 20kmh. And it sort of got real good to me how my legs felt. Then I saw this long winding flat stretch of road in front of me. My legs felt good, so I thought lets see what I can do here. I got into a TT position and rode steady 35-38kmh for the next 5km or so before I let off the gas. Roger caught behind me and the PK train was just behind me too. At abt 80km we saw Daniel Lim’s dad by the side of the road with his bike on the ground. His tire exploded and needed help. So we stopped to wait for support cars to pass by. Thankfully a few came to our aid and one of them had a spare tire. Changed in like 5 minutes and we were off again together slowly. Just 20km to go. And then JUST before the 83km right turn, Chin Hoe hit a pot hole and had a flat, so………stop again lor. Everyone was happy coz we stop so often. Haha. Flat fixed and we took it slow.

Headed towards Bandar Melaka. We soon reached Bandar Hilir Melaka which was at about KM93 and then guess what? We stopped again! For water and food! This day was the most stops I did through out the entire Interstate. Day 1 I stopped 3 times, and Day 2 I stopped 2 times. Today already 5! Well, happy bikers we all were.

Then Terry came in with two other riders, one of them has already bonked and hit the wall pretty badly. When a cyclist hits the wall its pretty bad and can get dangerous. Dehydrated and overheat are main causes. Severe fatigue also is another cause. We keep cooling him down and tell him to drink water. I poured a good amount of water on him to cool him off. Luckily its just a short ride to the Baba House Hotel from here. Terry had to push him much of the way after this.

We were underway ourselves. 95km done. 7 more to go! I was about to reach this traffic light in front when I saw 2 motorcyclists rode rather close to each other. I thought they were friends playing around, but soon I realize it was a fight. Obviously the solo ride was not happy with the other ride with a pillion. They even exchanged kicks and nearly crashed. I quickly laid off the pace and rode a good 15 meters behind, watching as drama unfolded. I hope nothing bad happens. At the traffic light they went separately, luckily. Even PK’s group saw what happened behind. I was a little nervous as well at that time.

Well that being over, we all just wanted to reach the hotel! Now we were all told that Day 1 was the 2nd toughest and Day 2 was the 3rd toughest. Today the toughest? But it didn’t seem tough at all since 0km till now. That was until after we passed the Melaka Prison and up the Bridge to Masjid Tanah. The headwinds were FANTASTIC. My bike kept going side ways the entire time. Up the bridge was even worse, its like a hurricane up there. So bad were the winds we dragged at 20kmh. Going up a bridge with wind pushing you back down is hard. Thank God it wasn’t head winds for 100km. That be really my day.

We followed all the signs and at last, we reached the Baba House Hotel. The Interstate has ended officially for me. We did the 102km in just a little over 4 hours. We all shook hands. I congratulated Bahri on completing his first Interstate. Vincent Lim also. We were all smiles. I thank God I made it this far. Checking my meter, my total trip distance was 366km. Its 100km less than last year, but still a tough ride. With out wasting much time, everyone wanted to go eat, and suggested cendol. Well, after all the hard work, we deserve some sugar don’t we? We went to the famous Donald and Lily stall just 100 meters from out Hotel. The Baba House is actually just located behind Jonker Street and near to the Clock tower and A Famosa fort. Tonight we are definitely going to party! And the weather predictions were out the window, no rain at all for 3 days. Never bother to trust the weather man anyway these days.

Adrian’s slow group came in at abt 3.30pm. I happen to be at the hotel balcony when they came in. And they were also happy to have done the Interstate in one solid piece. There was a tandem with a guy and his young (approx 12 year old) daughter. I think she rode the whole journey too. Not bad at all, a new star in the making. And the high fives broke out everywhere.

My second Interstate completed in succession. I didn’t have to go up the support car. I nearly wanted to give up, but I didn’t. That’s will power I suppose. Some might say Im strong. But I will reserve all the praise to God for sustaining me these 3 days. The final dinner we were treated to Melaka dishes and it was nice. Melaka people love hot spicy food. Lol. And as every dinner we had the past 3 days, there were photo presentations of the days ride’s. My face came up a few times.

After the dinner me and Adrian and co went out to Jonker Street for a walk. Ate the local satay celup which was interesting. Then had the local ice kacang. This was way different than KL one coz they put really lots of “stuff” in the ice kacang. Nice. After some walking about we went back to the hotel and I wanted to sleep. Just watched some shows on TV before I turned off the lights.

Day 4 (May 4th)

Got up at 7.30am for breakfast. Nice western breakfast. Then Adrian and me n the gang went out to A Famosa for pictures and a walk. Then I tried the famous Melaka chicken rice balls. The rice is rolled up like balls. And it tastes really nice.

Today also I got to know that a few guys (namely Vong, Elaine Wong and Adli Dahlan) will be riding back to Klana resort in Seremban. Salute them man. Though its abt 80km ride, I wasn’t interested to follow at all. I’ve had enough already. They left at about 8.45am. So hopefully will get to see them in Klana together.

I got back to the hotel at 9.30 and packed my bags and bike. The bus will pick us at 11am so we all were busy packing. 2 buses came at 11.20 and by 11.50 we were on the way back to Klana Resort, Seremban. About 30 of us took the bust home. Most riders went back the night before or early in the morning. In the bus were some interesting conversations, Japanese fetish for used ladies underwear and nude public baths. Hmm, made the ride home interesting. Hsing Ling was also in the bus. She was supposed to ride back to Klana but decided not to. Had to handle the other 3 fella’s luggage instead. Reached Klana Resort at about 1.20pm. And just the right timing, Vong, Elaine and Adli arrived together. They even got warning from the traffic police for riding too fast. Zzzz. Now that’s something new. Well after unloading all the bikes and bags we all headed home. Adrian sent me home. I got home by 3.30pm. I basically just chucked my bike and bags one side and had a loooong sleep. I was really really tired.

Even as of today (May 5th) lm still feeling the tiredness. Well the butt sore is gone but the thighs are still a little tender. And of course, I get the lovely tan lines as a permanent souvenir. Washed my bike this morning and now I look forward to more rest. Btw thanks to Interstate for helping me reset my biological clock back to somewhat normal. At least I get to sleep in the night and wake in the morning.

As for the technical review on my bike, I find that carbon frames are indeed comfortable on long rides. I didn’t really get tired due to road vibrations. Mostly was due to my under preparation. But all was smooth with out any hiccups. However, this frame, as I have mentioned, does have substantial amount of flex in the chainstay area. I noticed that I needed to put in a bit of effort to sprint and get up to speed. Maybe high profile rims would help. Going down medium hills wasn’t much of a problem. Well, now I know at least what I should be looking for in my next bike, which will be like another 5 years away at the very very least. =P. The ’08 Mavic Aksium wheels were good and stiff. Nice handling. My new Wireless Cateye meter worked flawlessly. Oh and my shoe’s managed to hold together till the end, thankfully. Really going shoe hunting after this and need to save up on $$$. Many riders also asked me to refurbish my paint work. Well it is really in dire need of a face lift. But doing airbrush work costs a bomb. Doing it at the car spray shop would be cheap but not as good in quality and they mostly wont do decals in detail. =( . And I found a few nicks in the paint work, probably from the fall my bike had on day 1 when I parked in on the fence. =(( Oh well…….

So there you have it, my 2009 Interstate. Its nothing short of pure suffering for me but I managed to complete it, even though I didn’t train at all for it. Also I once again would like to really say a big thank you to Adrian for the carpool and everything else. God Bless ya bro! =)

As for next year, I will see if I am able to join once again. Maybe be a support car driver this time after doing twice as a rider. =P Till next years Interstate, see you there and then!
Cherio.

Playing badminton with lemons =)

2009-04-06T02:47:00.004+08:00

Life loves us so much it wants to let us take away something. Something we wont forget, hopefully, forever. It is either something good. Or , bad. Its easy to take the good, but how u take the bad along with you?

I just got into lots of recent experiences where life seemed to literally fire cannonballs of lemons to everyone I see around me. Im no exception as well. So in all this chaos and uncertainty, insecurity, doubt, hurt, etc........what should we do?

I love badminton alot. Ive been playing it since i was like 10 years old. And with my dad, i was always at his mercy of shots. Those days when i was young, inexperienced with my racket, i dont know exactly how to handle my dads shots. Its like suddenly i thought a soft slow shot will come, suddenly he whips a fast backhand smash at me. Not 1 2 or 3 times. At least 30 of them. Now i know he was training me (and at times i do get frustrated not able to return the shot). But i WANT to return the shot PROPERLY and with EQUAL venom and PURPOSE. What should i do? The obvious answer : TRAINING. After somany years at the receiving end, i think it was time i did something about it. I had to ACT.

I always used to react by simply TRYING to hit the shuttle back (with my low skill level) but often either I :

1) Miss the shuttle
2) Hit wrong direction
3) Hit back tak cukup kuat
4) KENA hit by the shuttle
5) Just move out of the way

All this had one root cause, i was simply REACTING to the shot. Not ACTING to counter it and turn the situation around. In essence, i was unprepared.

After good training for abt 5 years (this is a once a week training plus playing games in between) and till now as present, I can firmly say I am now ABLE to ACT on any shot I want. Now playing with my dad its no longer me reacting to his shots, but rather me acting to get back at him. With my wisdom, my knowledge, my abilities, my skill all from which based upon hours of training. And I am now much much better at playing a solid decent tactical game.

In life it applies exactly the same. You need to tackle life tactfully. Not by merely REACTING to the situation at hand, but ACTING appropriately as best as possible that benefits you. In the game of badminton, it doesnt matter what happens to the opponent. If he initiated an attack, and u managed to control and defend well, its your advantage. You can control the game BETTER. You might even win. You just need some training!

Countless times we are let down by those close to us. We be nice and all, but others are plain mean and superly not understanding. Some even cant see pass the cornea of their eyes. Hypocrites. Judgemental. Hot tempered. You-get-in-the-firing-line-innocently. We deal with lots of issues everyday. Then what do we do? Retaliate? React and right away figth back blindly? Since he is cruel, i be cruel too? He wont apologize, so I wont as well? He ignores me, so i ignore him?

Thats the FIRST ReaCtioN everyone will do. Its usually what comes first to the mind. We let out our full blown barage of attacks and replies. @#^!!!!%$*^*@$^(* we all usually say. Perfect thank you gift.

There must be an equal solution(s) to all this. And fortunately there are many solutions to handle our dissappointments, differences, disagreements. One of them is being meek.

Meekness is a great asset. Now in contrast to popular modern culture, being meek doesn mean being quite, kept to ownself, submissive or retreat. Meekness if properly understood means "Power under control" - as used to describe how wild horses full of energy are tamed to be of better use for their master. This also means u control yourself and your "power" to control the situation.

We all must agree this : Life isnt perfect. Not even God said that we will not face any problems at all (Christians and non alike!) Some people cant live up to our expectations. And we cannot possibly please everyone. There are pitfalls in everyone. So the best solution is simply learn and TRAIN ourselves to love and be gentle, tender heart and teachable. Not pointing fingers at others sins/inequities. Not laughing at others failures. Not bursting out in anger. Not lashing someone with a whip and a sword. Not engulfed in flames of fury. And sometimes we have to admit we can POSSIBLY be wrong due to our own actions. In short : Control yourself as best as you can.

A great test of maturity is how one can handle irritating, disagreeable, contradictory, argumentative, quarrelsome people. I am aware NOT ALL can do it. But it has to start somewhere. Or else how are you going to ACT upon the situation? Will you be in control? If you dont train to control yourself , your actions be going way out the window. If u said "He/she is making me mad/angry/upset!" , it simply shows that you have already let your feelings come under control/influence by other people. Remember, the control is yours. No one can dictate how you control your own emotions and feelings.

In badminton you are not supposed to let your opponent dictate the way you play until you fall into his trap. Do not let him make you play the shots he wants you to play. And then when you lose, you blame him yet not examine yourself. Get your play right first!

Heres one useful tip. If the situation gets out of control, dont let our emotions and actions get out of control as well. Dont start a nuclear war when already half the world is gone.

If you take the time to study the REAL essence of it all, it its purely out of love. Why again i emphasize love? Simply because if the purpose wasnt love, it be a total waste of our time to even bother relating with anyone.

God never ever set a standard for us to reach. If that happened we be the most bottom of that level. An impossibility to reach. A simple example for all of us : Who can undoubtly say he/she has never sinned in their life time? If you dare to answer yes , you should not be reading this nor should you be here on earth anyway. Want a much more simpler task : Love everyone equally. Can we ever love anyone 100% equally? No. We cant even reach perfection to love ourselves 100% what more those around us. But this is the amazing thing, God can love us 100% and we just need to accept it. All we need to do in return is love back God as we are. And in the same way, we love those around us as we are.

So life isnt a difficult place once you grasp the understanding of what love CAN do. The key to overcome anything has always been something out of love.

Meekness is a power controlled by love.

"Blessed are the meek for they shall be in control of the earth." Matthew 5:5

Wedding Bells =)

2009-03-28T23:21:00.005+08:00

Today was a huge day for WHC in terms of the "size" of the event. Non other than Pastor Jason Wong and Pastor Jadeline Lee's wedding day.

Past few days were really sleepless and tiring for many of those involve in just making sure the wedding runs smoothly, including myself. You could say i held one of the most responsible tasks : Song playback. Well if i screwed up the march in song i would have killed the atmosphere.

Anyway the wedding was nothing short of beautiful. From the time Jade walked into the hall for the wedding ceremony (to huge applause) till the final tea ceremony, everything was just wonderful. Yes few things not perfect but its not a major deal. We made it happen. The message by Pastor Lim (Jason's uncle) was inspiring. Basically was about a testimony involving John 3:16 from the bible. The most famous verse in the Bible. =) He even candidly said that now the Triple J relationship is in motion - Jason Jadeline Jesus. J3. Lol.

Jason looked stunning in his 2 piece white suit which goes excellent with his type of character. Jade's simple yet elegant wedding dress complements her wonderfully. To me they both hold a special place in my heart. I was once Jadeline's cell member and section member. Now im Jason's cell and section member. It has been a blessing indeed to be under their guidance and care and to share lots of fun stuff with them over the years I've been in WHC (3 years).

Photo takings a plenty by our very own WHC photography gang , Dawson Chrysler and Wei Jie. It was also a time where i caught up with some old-havent-seen-in-a-long-time faces, especially Isaac Lee. Its been like a year almost since i last saw him before leaving for his job training stint in Tioman. I was so happy to see him. Yes a little chubby but still the same Isaac ive grown to love and respect. Miss this guy who used to be my cell leader. Great fellowship always with him. Happy to see faces like Gary, Satesh, Thomas, Princeton, Lau who are my very own section members. They kinda went "missing" for some time.

Glad to see Canny Har there as well. Havent seen her in 1+ years as well. Only recently started Facebook-ing with her. Everyone basically looks faboulous today. Girls were elegant and guys were on their best. The relatives of the bride and groom were many as well. 60 odd i guess.

Oooo yes! Got to see Pastor Kenneth and Pastor Sharon with little Sofia too! Since they moved to Penang i havent seen them. They really have lost weight. But with God's providence they will get through. Ps Sharon even remembers she still wants to KickMyButt. Zzzz......but I love her still =)

Ps Dennis from Singapore who was speaker at last years WHC Church Camp came all the way here the nite before. With his family. Many pastors and people from outside came too just to see Jason and Jade.

Andrew Tan (yes the Malaysian Idol finalist, who is Jason's close friend since school) gave a really short lovely speech. Shared his experience when they were little and how they have grown together, both as pastors children and both as good friends serving God with all their hearts. Andrew even performed a song with Jason later to dedicate it to the new bride. And for the first time Jason had the jitters singing to just one person, not a whole congregation. XD , Cute.

Pastor David and Pastor Gloria (Jason's parents) were all smiles for the whole day......proud parents since their first son is now a grown man able to take responsibility and make the covenant of a married life.

The newly weds will head for a 5 day honeymoon to Phuket this week, so all the best of fun and romance to them.

The end of one chapter gives opportunity to start another. Their lives are now heading towards more special things and more new things.

My prayers for them is that God upholds their marriage in peace, love, faith and hope. Nothing seperates them for God has said nothing can separate what He has joined together. I pray for lots of wisdom, favour, understanding, opportunities, blessings and strength to be upon them. And may the light and love of God shine in them and through them to others as well. Amen.

Now...........we wait for......... Jason and Jadeline Jr's. ^^

Boy Girl Relationship - Is God in the picture too?

2009-03-13T23:35:00.009+08:00

This was from the seminar in which Pastor Gloria Wong talked about regarding boy/girl relationships from her own experience and also the Word of God. Material is based from the outline and also the understanding in which she has give to all who attended. Before i proceed I would like to clarify that I am not trying to spiritualize this BGR topic but it is as with reference to God's very own Words. The things presented are very general as its too big a topic to talk about (let alone blog about). I will hereby blog from my personal understanding as i heard the preaching.

Alrite.....may i have a show of hands (if any), anyone single? Anyone married? Anyone in a relationship? Whoever raised their hands, this is all for you. =)

Firstly lets get this straight : MOST of us are single and available yes? And we sort of have this inner calling to get hitched one day. Meaning we need to find someone to fill that gap. But some others however choose to stay single. They dont seem to have that desire to find a life partner. As we go on we will see more details. So lets start with the very BASIC of questions first :

1. WHAT and WHOM to seek?
In 1 Corinthians 7:27 in the Bible, this part talks about "seeking". If u are married thats good. Then dont seek to get out of it. But if you are single, dont SEEK to find a wife. In this context "seek" meaning run after. We should not run after marriage OR run after to catch a girl like a lion would chase a zebra.

We have desires and feelings to find a life partner (gf, wife) and that is normal, healthy feelings for every human. BUT dont rush. At all costs. Why?

Turn to Adam in the Bible and u will read that he did NOT run after Eve. Eve came when he was sleeping (ea Relaxed). God provided Adam a helper and wife without Adam having to lift a finger.But does that mean we all go to sleep and not do anything? Waiting for God to just drop a wife on us? NO as well.
Proverbs 18:22 says those who can find a wife is a good thing and obtains favour from God.

But you see the word FIND here in context means not searching. Rather, it means DISCOVER along the path of your life. You dont focus so much on the searching and get all tired coz of one perfect girl/guy u trying to locate with your poorly built internal radar. But when u are walking along the path of life, along the way you will discover many potential people sometimes by the most surprising of ways. And better still, IF you were doing the things of God and you found someone along the way, thats great.

Single life is actually a special time when u can give your whole entire self and being without any distractions to God. Seriously. But that doesnt mean when u are hooked with someone you should pay less attention to God. No.

NOTE 1 : Before you ask God for someone to take care for, firstly take care of God Himself. Meaning love and serve Him. Loving God increases ones ability and capacity to love people, especially those closest to us. Also if you cannot learn to love God who created us, how are we going to love the people He also created?

NOTE 2 : Do not seek contentment in a love relationship. Get contented with God first. Give all your struggles (sexual, relational, emotional, feelings) to Him first and let Him check those things in His list. He will provide those u gave Him back to you in a right way.

NOTE 3 : Do not get into a relationship just because u feel lonely, u need someone who understands you, peer pressure, or pure desperation. Love relationships are not the key to inner contentment. Having the love of Jesus is. Why? Simply because no possible human can possibly satisfy all the needs of another soul. If you cannot attain contentment as a single individual, you will never reach in in a relationship and even in marriage.

Only God can fill the deepest longings of the human heart.

2. WHAT to DO while waiting?
i)Commit to personal growth
I find this very practical indeed. Since we are still waiting n got nothing better to do, why not try to make ourselves ready before others so that when the right one comes along, we are in the RIGHT zone to handle. And people who commit to personal growth will live by God's Word and seek a godly lifestyle. Who wouldnt want someone who is truly essentially good as a whole being? I can tell you this as much : MEN/GUYS should live a correct good Godly life if you really want to be ablle to attract the opposite sex. Vice versa as well. A good example would be ready to admit mistakes, be humble, be honest and truthful, willing to receive and give help, seeking God's help for change etc. These are just basic things men n women SHOULD have always.

ii)Develope healthy self-esteem
A person with low self-esteem gleans a sense of worth from people they are with. They want attention and often will resent or get jealous when their mate is interacting with another person. Therefore they try to get attention and love in order to feel secure and feel needed. But always they will feel insecure very easily. Eg : Girls, when ur BF talks to another girl. How would you feel?
On the other hand, a person with high self-esteem loves others because they are secure about themselves and can love and be loved very easily. This is when the person realized that it is God's love that is far more important than anything else. Simply because God IS Love and Life springs forth from those who genuinely loves.

iii) Develope positive attitudes on life
Your not going to grumble and rant , self pitty, regret about mistakes u've made in the past are you? Come on. Put the past behind. A good sense of humour is a good positive attitude. Not judging others and not being too critical. And dont hold others responsible for your own happiness as if they owe it to you! No one owes us love. But we always owe to love others as ourselves.

iv) Be mature, truthful and responsible
Let yourself be able to handle things with FULL responsibility. Taking care of yourself is a good way to learn how to be responsible for yourself. And maturity will follow suit. Maturity doesnt really come with age these days. You can be a 40yr old baby. However u can be a 20yr old man. Maturity comes with the ACCEPTANCE of responsibility. Which is why i will say this again, most young relationships (under 18yrs old) are NOT suitable to be continued simply because the amount of responsibilities are too much to bear at this stage in life. Anything can happen. It takes time.

Also ask yourself : Do I respect other's feelings? Do I do the right things that im supposed to do (eg study and work)? Do I avail and take responsibility rather than make lame excuses? Am I truthful?

Aspire to be someone whose actions match your words. Even if its a small action, matching it word for word makes people see that you are able to hold responsibility and be trustful. And it clears alot of misunderstanding. Also please put all your egos and pride aside. This is not the place nor the time to be someone you are not.

3. Good Dating Philosophy Ideas
i) Keep your motives in check
You have to be real honest and ask yourself these few questions : "Why do i want to date this guy/girl?", "Are my motives selfish or loving?", "Is it just coz im lonely and i want company?" , "I want to prove that i can go out with the best looking person?" , "I want a free meal and gifts always?". Ultimately please ask yourself , "WOULD GOD AGREE WITH THIS GOAL?"

Honestly if u seek for a perfect wonderful has-it-all-in-my-checklist girl/guy, do you think for one minute, that if you are not up to his/her standard, you really think he/she wana go out with you? Surely they will want to find an even better or same quality person. No? Its just not right to ask something like that. Be humble, and have a right mind.

ii)Dont date for the sake of dating!
Your purpose to date is not to impress or feel good. Dont feel pressurize to date and DONT pressurize others to date as well! Men, guys when you are alone with a girl eating together u may think its a normal meal kinda thing, but she MAY think otherwise! So be careful. Please let your intentions be known. If its just socializing and fellowship, do go in a group.

iii) Date those who have Jesus at the center of their lives
Well this may be most applicable to bros n sis in Christ. Simply coz in 2 Corinthians 6:14 it says do not be unequally burdened for what has lawlessness have to do with righteousness and what has light have to do with darkness. Now I am absolutely not putting any unbeliever down. But the central core of it is that it is quite impractical to have two people of two totally different beliefs to date each other (Let alone get married). I can testify that with my own family but not here and not now. Will you compromise God for the sake of a girls/guys heart? Has God ever compromised to love you? So beware when being romantically involved as there are possibilties of your walk with God cut shorter. You must be able to know, "Is this relationship helping me know and grow closer to God? Or otherwise?" , "Is it distracting me or encouraging me spiritually?"

iv) Give up your rights to sex n marriage
Yes you heard me, give them up. But to God of course. Let God take control of your sex life and marriage. Guys we are guys. We know what we go tru everyday. Im one of you, okay? No matter how hard we try, its very tiring. Giving it to God and let Him take the control puts our hearts and emotions at rest at least. Girls same as well. We give all our appetite to God and He will give us the fulfillment back in a good proper way.

The one reason why premaritial sex is so prevalent nowdays is because couples in a relationship dont submit to God. Dont get me wrong, sex is good and healthy and intended by God as a fullfillment between MARRIED couples. Only married couples should enjoy sex as it is the only feeling in the world that brings us intimately closer to our spouses. It is suppose to be special that no one else has it. Random free meaningless sex just takes away that privilege and spice of love.

v) Take your time to develope non romantic relationships
Like i said earlier, take your time to discover the many potential people around you. Dont rush and dont be worried that the one that u like may be robbed or taken away. If you rush to get/find that perfect person your going to be dissapointed.

If it has happened its ok. God will help u find a suitable one for you. He is afterall the Creator. Friendships should come first. Coz then u will see and discover the good and bad sides of a person in a less akward and more relaxed way. Be available to friendship but keep urself purely for your spouse ONLY. Guys and girls, its okay to have more friends of the opposite sex.

vi) Determine to please God in all your relationships
When u can please God with your relationships with others, automatically others will be pleased with you as well, plus blessings flow for all parties.

vii) Get your life straightened out as much as possible first
If you cant handle and iron out all those things which make u tumble and always emo in life, how would you expect to handle the even more unironed out things in a relationship. Out of the pan and into the fire. Seek God for healing and renewal and restoration from all past hurts and sins.

When u have managed to iron out as much of your life and be right with God and be right with yourself and others, you can be able to tackle most other things. Being prepared is important. Of course no one can be 100% ready for anything, but thats why God is best included in the picture to help. Dont be surprised there will be a line of girls lining up (or vice versa) when ones life is truly on the right track and according to God's guidance.

Finally,

4. SUGGESTED Dating progression
Step 1
Be honest to yourself if u have romantic feeligns or intentions. Dont hide from yourself and others by claiming to be "just friends".

Step 2
When u realize step 1, seek God FIRST! Submit all your feelings, love resume's, etc to Him and let Him check your homework. Do not wait till u two are tangled in the relationship and too involved to hear a clear NO from Him if He wants to speak to you that way. It is best to get a proper guidance from God's Word on relationships first.

Step 3
Always have Jesus at the centre of your life. He gave it all for us first. Stop being an emotional prostitute (Falling in love with everyone you date). Always keep emotions in check with God.

Step 4
Communicate or let someone higher than you know of your feelings and intentions. For Christians do consult your cell leaders, church elders, pastors etc for clarity and guidance. They will be glad to help and cover you in prayer. For others u may approach someone who is already married or in a good solid long term relationship. Christian relationships are often a good place to start coz chances are they followed most of what I said in this blog.

Another reason is coz a higher rank or third party person can help you to keep things in objective perception. Once ur in a relationship, somehow the ability to see things objectively is blurred a little. Sharing with others also brings the relationship into light where everyone can help out, instead of being in the dark and directionless and preventing from temptations+confusions. Do not be shy about the relationship. We need all the help we can get especially if it comes to a life partner =)

After the 4 steps above are done, ONLY then proceed to step 5.

Step 5.
Communicate/Tell/talk with the person about your romantic feelings to him/her.

Yes, this is by right the last step. Though many will take this as the first step to do, sadly. Doesnt anyone remember , "Save the best for last"?.

Ask God for the right timing to tell/express your feelings. Be careful not to frighten the person. By right men should lead the way and innitiate. And therefore dont drag your feet into it nor dont be too serious as well and make it sound like the world is ending. Be clear and always be relaxed about the whole thing. God is in control. Communicate unselfishly and wisely. Dont use God's name as an excuse that you two are meant to be together. God gave a freewill to choose and decide. The most He can do is give you signs and signals.

Guys also please do give the choice and liberty to the lady to opt out of the relationship if she doesnt feel like being in it. If it is really God's intention for this relationship to go on, you can always count on Him to help. If its not, why go into deeper unnecessary trouble?

Be respectful to one another and always keep the relationship well defined. Reveal and talk constantly about the progress and direction on the relationship as time goes by. When to get married? Careers? Children? Etc. Always keep them updated with one another to eliminate and prevent feelings of doubt and insecurity.

Lastly I would like to mention, should any of you want to be single for the rest of your lives, it is also a good thing. But dont let it be out of fear or hatred or other negative motives that u dont want to be in a relationship with another person. The main reason should be that u are all out ONLY for God and to be purely for Him. You dont want to be distracted or tied down so that u can further expand His kingdom and do His works. God did say blessed is he who is single but also blessed is he who has a wife. So its all good in the end.

With that the seminar ends. I tried my best to depict as much as talked by Ps Gloria, but its just too much. I had to shorten this down, but essentials are in here to check on BGR's should any of you feel like getting into or progressing further.

So the answer to the heading, should God be in the picture too on your courtship/date/wedding? Yes with a capital Y. For certain of course.

May this bring more understanding and clarity to all.
God Bless You

Always - Hillsongs

2009-03-11T23:58:00.000+08:00

Forgiveness - Luna Halo

2009-03-11T23:10:00.001+08:00

It felt like rain
That fell again
Down on me
It felt like rain
That touched my face
And I can't believe it
Like rain
I can't believe it
No I can't believe it

The things You said
Seem to find their way back into my head
And I regret my ways
You never left
Remind me once again so I won't forget
You're never far away

It felt like rain
That said again
That it's okay
Pale like white
I close my eyes
'Cause I can't believe it

I can't believe it
The way You forgive me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttJQY9WWbZk

But what about Evil?

2009-03-05T02:11:00.002+08:00

Many will ask me, "If God is Love, why in the world does he let evil enter at all?". The more extreme notion would be "God created love AND evil at the same time".

Here is what is fundamentally known and already declared affirmatively by God Himself:
God is Love. Yes.

Here is the expression of Gods love :
He gives YOU the choice(freewill) to love and live.

Here is the reason :
If God created humans like robots to ONLY obey and love, that is not authentic relationship and true affection and love. It is love by force and by law, therefore nullifying the former statement God is Love.

What does this do? :
Humans that choose to love grow stronger and closer to God. They experience an authentic relationship. Those who choose the opposite (evil) will not experience God's love. Rejection. The byproduct is suffering.

Where does evil come in? :
Because God allowed freewill, He allows love. But He must also ACCEPT THE FACT if He does so, He must be aware that some might choose evil. And because He already said He is love, He has to respect the choice. Therefore it has to be allowed. Love in essence is also based on respect. If God didnt give us the choice to choose, we would not be able to fully have OUR OWN capacity to choose and experience love.

Essentially, Evil doesnt exist just like that. Evil simply means not choosing love. Evil was not created. It is the lack of love. As similar to heat and cold. Cold is the absence of heat. Cold did not exist just like that. It is the cause of the lack of heat. Evil in the same way is the lack or absence of love.

Having said all of this, God DID say evil will be punished. Evil will not last forever. God does not hate the person doing evil. He just hates evil. God does not hate sinners. He hates sin.

Ultimately the choice was ours.

We just chose.

God waited for our answer.

God and Suffering

2009-03-05T00:44:00.002+08:00

Todays world view of God as the all loving all mighty all saving Hero and Defender of the poor and helpless seems to have , if not, totally is questionable by all accounts. If God was here and He existed, why are there so many children dying in Darfur? Why the wars and political uprising? To some they say God is not fair. To some God doesnt exist because if He did, there shouldnt be suffering. Right?

One day, a customer walks into a barber shop. Gets his regular cut. And the customer and barber starts having a conversation, which eventually points to talking about God and world suffering. The barber then says , "God doesnt exist. If he did, abandoned children wouldnt be on the streets. The beggars would not be on the streets. Violence and racism would end. But it hasnt. They are getting worse. Definately God does not exist."

The customer politely just listens and not make a response. Just listening tentively.

After he's done, the customer walks off with his new hair cut. As soon as he walks out the front door he sees and old beggar, with long messy hair, unkempt beard and large moustache.

The customer walks back in and tells to the barber, "You know, barbers dont exist at all. They dont. Because if they did exist, there wouldnt be people like beggars with long messy hair or with long untidy beards."

The barber replies , "Ah......thats because they didnt come to me in the first place."

Do you see where this is pointing? Its not God didnt exist. Just that we didnt go to Him. Just as simple as there would be no suffering if someone actually started to approach God first to find a fix.

To 100% deny God means to 100% know Everything in this universe. Because to declare a universal negative, you must be universally knowledgable. Absolute. Can we ever say that we know even 10% of the unseen universe? Or even 1%? Something beyond the knowledge that we know? Can we really declare a guaranteed yet unknown doubtful universal negative as oppose to accept what is an affirmative existing universal positive? Basically to know God exists you dont need to know everything. You either just have to know Him personally or be aware of the evidence that establishes His existence. To know God DOESNT exist is the exact opposite.

The Universe is a wonderful thing. How it got here is either by two ways, Creation or a really fantastic accident. Why?

Matter + Energy + Information (With Intent and Purpose) = Concept and Design (creation)
Matter + Energy + Time + Random Chance = Apparent design and Complexity (incredible accident)

To say that there was nothing before the Universe existed, not even the first proton, electron and quarks is like saying there was no Thomas Edison before the light bulb. Nothing cannot beget something since there is nothing to work with in the first place. IT had to start from something with someone behind the scenes.

Stones

2009-02-19T23:39:00.003+08:00

Im 101% sure that none of us has never had stones in our lives. Well some may have had boulders. The more serious ones have mountains to climb. Burdens.

Burdens are gonna be part of our lives till we leave this earth. And that is some really long times to have stones clinging to our butts every time we walk and drag our feet getting about life. And lets not despise those who seem not to have burdens at all. Actually we all do. Just that some dont realize the burden simple because its small and negligible. There are good burdens and bad burdens. Good burdens like always caring for others and constant support of loved ones is alright. Coz these burdens do not tie one down to the ground till he/she can move an inch.

Few of my biggest burdens include my financial status of my family, pursuing my education, dreadful exams, my relationship with others, finding a GF, keeping my family in one piece......ok ok i think i overshot a FEW to MANY. So u see.........even i have my own burdens dragging me all over the place.

Others? Well i can see some have emotional burdens (anger, hatred, prejudice, mockery, insult, heart broken etc) , some have material burdens, some have........gosh......just burdens everywhere.

Sometimes we cant just seem to be able to escape. Actually we cant. Burdens just keep on coming. Its like someone bus all these burdens all over us.

Some love to just dwell and sink in these burdens.......literally. I would say it isnt healthy at all....and it definately isnt going to bring them anywhere except nowhere or backwards. Probably even drown. With a stone attached to your feet and thrown into the sea......your gona drown good. And even if your stupid (no insult intended), your logical mind will tell you to try and RELEASE your burden and kick FREE to safety. At least your try to swim up to get a breath of fresh air. Thats whats happening to humans all over the world. We are drowning from our burdens and trying to get air but its always so hard coz the burden is always greater tying us down.

Even a donkey with stuff on its back wana let go. Even a dog with on a leash would wana let go. If animals with the basic instinct to live knows how to let burdens go, what us humans with the intelligence greatest in this solar system? Why are we still clinging to our burdens? Or should i say, why some of us keep ADDING burdens to ourselves? Its really getting out of hand.

I mean we can let go our burdens to anyone we want. Problem is.....will the people we let go to be trustful enough that he/she wont drop the boulder clumsily back on us again? Time and again it is very obvious we cant simply let go 100% to anyone. And definately not any human. Why? If i gave u everyday a stone to carry.......after 100 days.......can u still carry all those stones and not drop it? Humans were never meant to carry such load. Never. We have to accept the fact we are limited. If not we will just be kidding ourselves. Lying to ourselves. The phrase "Yes we can" is purely motivational. We shud be asking "Yes we can, but in who?"

If I were to say "Just let it go"...... sounds wayyyy to easy right? The fact is it is THAT easy.

If I said i knew of a way.....would you wana try it after other ways failed?

If I said that someone that I know wants to take away all our burdens just because he just wants to set us free..... would you give it up?

If I said that there is no other pre requirement, no questions asked, no qualification..... just give your burdens away......would you do so?

I met someone by the name of Jesus Christ not too long ago. His name is pretty cool, awesome in someways coz His name literally means "The Saviour".

One of His most favourite stuff to do is carry peoples burdens away FOR them. In His words of comfort "All those who are burdened and troubled come to Me , give all your burdens to Me and I will give you rest" - Matthew 11:28 . Its interesting to note He said "All who are". Meaning you, me, my parents, your parents, my friends, your friends, the beggars, the sinful, the unworthy, the sick, the poor, the President of the United States. All.

Jesus is the only one who transgresses communities, races, traditions, societies, cultures and laws to just come and ask this simple thing from us : Give Him our burdens when we are tired of it.

So i say this to you my dear friends. If you have already reached your most troubled life and burdened till you are drowning, the good news is Jesus has already prepared His arms and back to take your burdens.

He carried the sins of the world. He can carry your burdens.

He doesnt ask anything in return.

He just hopes you will visit Him more often and tell Him about your burdens.

I've given mine to Him. How about you? =)

God Bless
=)

Interstate 2009

2009-01-31T22:43:00.003+08:00

Yes folks its back! And sooner than expected. The PCC Interstate 2009 Ride is back this year. Starting from May 1 - 3. Compare to last years route where we headed east to Kuantan, this year we go south.

The routes are Seremban - Gemas - Gunung Ledang - Melaka.

Seems like a more scenic route than last years hellish empty plains. Heard there will be climbs too.
Cant wait to get registered. Do hope all plans go smoothly. =)

3 days of riding for fun and pain.

Long live Interstate!

Gong Xi Fa Cai

2009-01-25T01:25:00.002+08:00

Wishing all bloggers, friends, foes a very happy holidays and Happy Chinese New Year 2009!

~Ox Rocx~

=)

He is LORD

2009-01-18T23:11:00.004+08:00

"For I am the LORD, that is My name, My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to idols and carved images." ~ Isaiah 42:8

"I, even I, am the LORD and besides Me there is no other saviour. I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed and there was no foreign god among you ; therefore you are My witnesses. Says the LORD , I am God. Indeed before the day was, I am He. And there is no one who can deliver out of My hand ; I work and who will reverse it?" ~ Isaiah 43:11-13

"I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My one sake; And will not remember your sins." ~ Isaiah 43:25

"I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God. Who can proclaim as I do?" ~ Isaiah 44:6b - 7a

Stronger

2009-01-09T02:06:00.002+08:00

Sometimes people seem to always fall and fail in life. When they try to keep holding on to their money. Their family. Spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, best friend, property, share markets, investments, policies, education, doctors, equipment, technology, vehicles, pets, food etc etc.

Like all things on this earth, nothing is ever 100% reliable. Even ourself. A good example is telling urself to wake up at 10am and waking up 5 minutes later. Or telling ourself not to overspend or not to think of negative things. But somehow we do it in the end. That is how unreliable we are.

We hold on to the wrong things sometimes. But you know what I will do?

I'll just hang on to God. Simply because, He is stronger. =)

Hang On To You - by Delirious?

And I'll hang on to you
'Cos you're stronger and you keep me from falling
And you brighten the world with your beauty
Keep me closer I'm calling

Looking out like a little child
Holding tight when it all gets wild

And I'll hang on to you
Nothing in this world will see me through
Only you
And I'll hang on to you
Everyday I live, I give to You

And your love it is true
I feel stronger and I'm happy to know you
'Cos you shine like the sun and you're brighter
Than the darkness that's falling

Nothing in this world could ever take your place
Happiness is found in your holy face
In your warm embrace