The Ups and Downs of This Journey we call Life

Hip Hip Hooray!!! Justifiedformen.com Rocks!!

2009-01-10T08:13:00.003+08:00

There's a new online retail site for the trendy urban male who is constantly on the look out for the latest 'in' fashion wear... I'm just going to keep this update short, do stop by and have a browse through Justified For Men at www.justifiedformen.com. Not only do you get attractive, good value stuff there, all items sold are meticulously check for defects before onward dispatch to the customers and there's also a *free delivery service (please check with the team for areas of coverage on that)

The best part is that in view of the coming Chinese New Year celebrations and Justified For Men turning a month old, there's a promotion going on for all purchases.. So do check it out before items you've been fawning over are no longer there... Justified For Men indeed brings a new dawn to men's fashion... ;)

A Blue Monday - Perhaps not??

2008-06-03T21:25:00.002+08:00

Well, I guess this is another update to the Boonster's blog, I can already hear some of you saying finally...

After the running around a few weeks back coordinating logistics for the company's participation in the WCIT 2008 here in Kuala Lumpur, I decided to take Monday off, basically to have a bit of a lie in to catch up on lost sleep. Somehow, things don't always have a habit of working out the way you originally intended it to.

What eventually happened was that I had to make a run to the JPJ office in Wangsa Maju, as one of the cars in the family is nearly as old as I am, most of the space in the registration card had been filled. Went to the Customer Service counter and asked for assistance, since this was my first time encountering this situation... I was pleasantly surprised by the efficient-ness of the service levels there. Got the form from the friendly guy there, went upstairs to another room which does registration stuff (Folks, this is where you would go to get your new car registration numbers... while I was there, tenders were opening for WRM registrations which should hit the roads towards the end of the month.)

Waited for a short while, less than 20 minutes, for the counters in front of us to process the 20-odd people that were in front of me. Approached the counter when my turn was called, the lady was pleasant and courteous indeed. Took the old registration card along with a form and a copy of the IC, in less than 5 minutes I received the brand spanking new registration card. The bonus here is that I need not go back to the ground floor to get the road tax, unbeknownst to me, that can be done here as well. After the exchange of RM800, I received the roadtax for the car. I was a happy bunny ;)

Did some errands for another friend later that day. And eventually headed to the gym. I'm guilty, Your Honour... Haven't been going for classes as much as I used too. Though no complaints on the physique, I've always wanted to ensure that I don't put on the pounds that I've worked so hard to loose.

So.... In anticipation of the coming Fitness First Miracle 2008 event on 21 June 2008, me and some friends have been trying to get into shape (read previous blog entry, though that seemed to look like an eating outing :p) and it was decided on Monday that we should do a follow-up pre-event drill. Since I was at home, it only made sense for me and another friend to go to the Fitness First at Menara Manulife in Damansara Heights. First on the list was a bodypump class which was at 4:45pm. This Les Mills' programme is certainly one of my pet classes, the other two being, Body Balance and RPM. I've had some tough classes in my time with the gym, but this one really takes the cake... Towards the end of the class after numerous sets and reps of working through the muscle groups, I was sore on my upper torso.

As if this wasn't enough, the RPM Challenge class that followed at 6:45 that evening was no better. Somewhere along the line, I feel that my stamina is not like what it used to be. Thankfully the instructor chose his track songs well, which made the hour long class pass slightly faster, without any of us asking the ubiquitous 'Are we there yet? :p' After the final stretches and cooling down, as I came off the bike I could sense that my legs were almost in a jelly-like state.

It's no better today as I can't reach for things placed on higher shelves etc and when squatting can feel the muscles tightening up. Again folks, its not a complaint, just a reminder to get in shape and to work that body into a lean, mean defined machine :D:D:D I for one certainly felt good despite the 'hard' effort put into the sessions, Bring 'em on, is what I would like to say now...

Cheerio for now folks...

'twas destined to be a healthy weekend... NOT!! Food Glorious Food instead

2008-05-12T12:17:00.002+08:00

Well, I guess The Boonster's blog is now reawakening from its long slumber, at last hehehehe...

The weekends have always been something that I look forward to more than anything else on the calendar.. Most people, including yours truly, would make it the time to catch up with family, loved ones, friends, outdoor activities, gym and the like..

The plan this past weekend was to hit the gym at least once, that we certainly did, and a double whammy too... For the gym freaks, a double dose of Body Pump and RPM had was on the books.

A prelude to what happened before the gym session... Since it was Mothers' Day weekend, healthy amounts of food were gorged the evening before and on Sunday morning I had this dogged determination to wake up early to finish chores around the house for my dear mother and get brekkie for everyone. Soooo, ladies and gents, this is where the part about Food Glorious Food starts ;)

I set upon the journey for morning grub... Went to the Imbi area to pick up some Pork Ball Noodles and Nasi Lemak, both of which are truly scrumptious. Also wanted to pick up some of the famous See Kee Curry puffs' but the stalll across the road wasn't open, so picked up some Siew Pau which had just been freshly baked, smelt and tasted good. Next, wandered across to Chinatown to pick up the said curry puffs. Must say that I do love a good curry puff :D

The end result of all the food bought was enough to feed an entire army :LOL: Dropped off the food at home and when to see J and C who were joining me for the gym session. One of the main reasons for the takeaway was to have saved some time and do more at the gym. Breakfast at J's was quickly done and rested for a short while before going to downtown KL.

J had a hankering to go to Charn Kee located along Jalan Alor for their Dry Curry Noodles (available only on Sundays), this was something I introduced to him a few weeks back. This was also C's first visit there, and she seemed intrigued by it after both our rave reviews. I guess having eaten a bit before this sort of mixed the taste buds.

It was indeed off to the gym after this... Got into KLCC and walked over to Menara Maxis where the Fitness First outlet is located. Didn't bargain to run into a 'mini' version of the Hindraf demos that happened a while ago. Still precautionary barriers and police (FRU included) were all there. Thankful that we were all early for gym so there were no delays. Got changed and stepped into the Body Pump class, love the way it just works the muscles in your body and 'hardens' them up by the end of class. First timers can expect some sore muscles for the few couple of sessions after which they would be quite addicted to it ;)

After the hour long class, we decided to chill for a bit waiting for the next class, RPM at 2:00pm since we had worked hard through the class. 'Booked' our spots prior to class, when we came back to class after that, bumped into our long-time buddies, JZ and SS, both of whom were surprised to see the three of us there. Certainly made for an interesting class.. JZ was seated where the fan and AC controls of the room were situated, didn't really noticed that the AC wasn't switched on till the mirrors fogged up. Must have gotten to J as well as the instructor, W, who asked JZ to immediately to switch on the AC! Poor J was finding it quite a challenge to get through the class due to the stuffiness and I was in a similar position too, heavily breathing to get as much of O2 into the body.

By the time we were all showered and done at the gym, it was close to 3:30pm, no where I could think off except for Soo Kee Char Siu in Jalan Ampang, was just going there to try our luck. Luck seemed to be on our side... Ordered some Char Siu, Roast Pork, some vegetables and a soup. The Char Siu was excellent as usual, one shouldn't bother asking for lean Char Siu here coz it will taste like cardboard.

Truly this felt like a roadtrip day, going all over to do stuff, gym and eat... Next stop was Chinatown, haven't been there for more than a year since my German friend came to KL. Was packed to the gillls with people from all over. It's always an amazing experience walking throught his part of the city, the sights and sounds of people going on with their daily activities..

After the trek through Chinatown, it was off to Pandan Jaya for some Steamed Fish done in Thai style (it's a corner shop restaurant, the name escapes me now :p), a serve of marmite Chicken and some local veg dish (Paku shoots). In all, such a great way to spend the weekend, couldn't ask for better company to do it with and enjoy the camaraderie of friends. Can't wait to repeat it at some point of time in future. After all, life is short, we should all kick back and chill if only for a short period.

Have a great week ahead folks!

ps. Pardon the lack of photos, got too caught up in the moment and didn't have time to snap
any...

All Hands on Deck :D:D:D

2007-08-30T06:27:00.000+08:00

Hey there folks...

Well, Kuala Lumpur or KL as its affectionately known has recently been awash with sailors hailing from the USS Kitty Hawk.. Certainly a welcome sight from the usual scenes around the KLCC area where I work at...

Me and my best buddy certainly had a good time looking at buffed up and cute hotties... Shameless indeed.. :p

Something about men in uniform that makes us all weak knee'd :D:D:D

Bali... and its aftermath...

2007-08-26T21:08:00.000+08:00

Well folks, this has taken a fair amount of time to put up no thanks to my busy schedule lately, both at work and personal life. Folks, have a gander at the fun that we had in Bali. This also happened to be the first time I flew on Air Asia, it's ok and surprised that our flights were on schedule bothways. Anyhow, I just love Bali and perhaps hope to retire there someday. An air of calm seems to engulf you the moment you get off the plane, ever since my first trip last year, i've been addicted to this isle. Anyway folks, pics below...

Me, with Eric and Joyce having our first meal at Warung Made's at one of the side roads of Kuta. Enjoyed the meal..

Our quaint, rustic Ida Hotel in the heart of Kuta, the pool is perfect for lazing around on those hot, sunny days.

Our first stop was to a Kopi Bali factory, on further exploration by the intrepid gang, we found various captions of the locals rendered from ground coffee, interesting stuff eh... We somehow felt 'pressured' to buy the coffee since the took the time to explain, the poor tour guide never knew what hit him after Booker gave him a piece of her mind :) Serves him right for not listening to our simple request.

One of our stops at a silverware factory, I found this nicely carved door and had to get a pic taken.
Seems that most houses in Bali are built on alignment to the 4 points of the compass.

One can only enter a temple once suitably garbed in a sarong... Pity the colour was a bit off, that shade of blue doesn't agree with me :p

Another shot of the gang at the Temple.

A shot of Mount Batur, was a very misty day and the camera couldn't focus onto the surroundings there. As luck would have it, we feel victim to another tourist trap, courtesy of the bumbling tour guide...
60,000 rupiah for a lunch buffet which would have been better spent elsewhere...

A shot from the van with us surrounded with ladies balancing trays of grub and offerings to deities at the temple as it was one of the lunar festivals.
Finally made it to the renowned Tanah Lot, also one of the stops in the inaugural Amazing Race Asia.
Another shot of the temple in Tanah Lot, managed to get across as the tide was low, couldn't enter as we were not 'saronged'

Enjoying our exploration of Tanah Lot, pic below, Booker capturing me in a pensive pose, nice reflection... :D

Sunset at Tanah Lot, fantastic views...

The Bali Memorial for the bomblast victims.. Thankfully the tourists seem to be coming back to Bali.
Who could complain when sunnies only cost the equivalent of RM6...
The yummiest Manggo lassi ever, surrounded by avocado juice and strawberry shake.
All freshly squeezed, better than anything I can find in KL...
Sunset at Kuta Beach, me with Booker.... Pic below, anothe nice sunset at Kuta.
Look at the clear waters, I don't normally see my own feet at beaches in Malaysia, this was just amazing :D

The evening before we came home, we splurged on rather decent Japanese nosh, suddenly everyone developed the typical Japanese syndrome of cameratitis, sudden onset of rapid snapshots on digital cameras. Never have more flashes gone off within a 5 minute period. The people around us must have wondered if we were 'mad' paparazzis taking shots of celebs :p
After Oriental dining, we decided to go try this joint out, it was enroute back to the hotel...
As you may already have guessed, this eaterie is based on the movie Forrest Gump.. The following signs on the table have a very important task to perform... Normally, you'd stick the sign as follows..
This is when you want to order your food, drinks, dessert or even ask for the bill.. Of course both of these signs come with accompaniment of the staff shouting,... you guessed it Stop Forrest Stop or Run Forrest Run (at the top of their lungs I might add!)

Hehehehe.... These are shots of Booker trying on various Kebayas and Sarongs... All nice :D

Lo and Behold the stall next to where Booker was trying on her kebayas was this place selling wood carvings of urm.... you get the picture don't you :D:D:D:D:D:D!!

All this talk of Babi Guling nearly came nought, luckily the girls managed to find or rather sniff out that the famed Ibu Oka Babi Guling in Ubud was actually opened for business, at their own home no less,and by golly the crowd was fantastic! Eric and Marcus grinning like Cheshire Cats once we all managed to get a place to sit under the shade and waiting for the Babi Guling...

Trying iout the Sepia mode on my cam, Marcus and the girls...
Yummylicious Babi Guling, why can't we get this here in KL :(
The amount of Babi Guling that we polished off...
It's all Lurve Booker hunny... :D:D:D
That's just a small sample of the stuff we bought, more hidden under the platform where we were seated..

If we do head back to Ibu Oka's then we'd know if she ever raised prices... Heheheh!
The signpost outside the Ubud Market where we did a lot of shopping and sharpened our bargaining skills.. :D
Me in front of the market...
Another shot of me from a different angle...
The Girls can't get enuf of... oh well you get the picture LOL!!!

On the return trip from Bali, aboard AK905.
The seat on the plane just wouldn't recline no matter how hard I pushed that darned button. SO much for proper aircraft maintenance, perhaps I should write a note to an ex-colleague who now works there.

Well folks, hope you enjoyed the photoblog of the Bali trip. Somehow, life got a bit more challenging when I returned home on the personal front. The person whom I thought wanted to be a part of my life suddenly went cold. Perhaps it's good that we remain friends and that I learnt my lesson now rather than later. As I belief in the transitionary phases of life, the ups and downs no less... Something interesting could very well be happening and perhaps I may just take my time and explore things further before making any decisions. Mighty pleased to find out that I still have what it takes... :D:D Stay tuned folks!

The Light Rail Transit System in Kuala Lumpur - What Morons!

2007-08-07T01:02:00.000+08:00

This topic has been a pet peeve of mine ever since I started work in the city. I used to take the train to and from work religiously, supposedly to save on my travel time if I drive to the office. However of late, the reverse seems more appropriate as witnessed by me this morning.

I was dropped of by my significant other at the Bangsar LRT station around 815am, I decided that should be just perfect... However upon reaching the train platform, queues of people were already lining up. To make matters worse the train didn't seem to adhere to the 3 minute peak hour duration. As a result, as soon as people cleared onto the waiting train, more people queued from behind resulting in things being back to square one. Not only that the RapidKL staff were deployed to ensure each train was suitably overloaded with people by cramming everyone into the last remaining square inch..

Have made a promise to myself that on days I don't drive, I will catch a cab instead, similar duration to reach my office and less hassle. People from RapidKL, you suck BIGTIME!!! How long does it take for you people to extend more trains to your service. ANother case of first class facility with third world mentality...

Gym Instructors...

2007-08-01T09:35:00.000+08:00

I've been fairly active at the gym the past couple of weeks... Going into the various Group Exercise classes on offer at Fitness First Malaysia, I now have a sense of respect for the various instructors..

Majority of the classes that I go to have excellent instructors and am rather close to them and regularly hang out with them too. Through all this one learns that the instructors are human too and they are more concerned about each individuals wellbeing to what you may think.

Classes are scheduled at all times of the day, it's the early morning and late evening classes that make me feel for the instructors. One can't help but truly feel their passsion that makes them get up early in the morning and stay late for the classes in the evening and this keeps them going through the next day and so forth..

A recent research reported that people that participate in Group Exercise feel better about themselves, perhaps it's the interaction of the participants with the instructor and vice versa that holds the key to why this is so.. I for one certainly can vouch for this observation. Sometimes classes are really a riot when the instructor misses a cue, but it's all good and taken in stride.

Here's a toast to all the Group Exercise Instructors, my babe included for having this inexhaustible passion to continue teaching the various programmes on offer. Certainly makes life a more interesting proposition. People who say otherwise don't know what they are missing out on... Have a great day people! :D:D

Hazards of being a Cabbie...

2007-07-31T10:23:00.000+08:00

As my car is being used by my dad for the next couple of days.. I decided to catch a cab to work this morning... Little did I realise the drama that would unfold barely a few minutes from my house.

A motorcyclist who did an illegal turn against the flow of traffic, in my case, the cab I was in swerved and jammed on his brakes to avoid this little pest of an insect... In the rush of things, I only noticed that he didn't put on his helmet and both me and the cabbie didn't note down his registration number..

As mentioned, when the cabbie jammed on his brakes, there was another bike at the back of the cab, he saw what was happening but obviously couldn't stop in time due to the short distance between him and the cab.

I had half expected a screaming match to ensue as they pulled to the side of the road to talk things through with the motorcyclist that hit the cab from the rear... In all common sense, I don't blame him, the pest was the one who started the whole chain reaction of things and should be the one who should be faulted. The pest just ran off away from the scene of the accident.

The cabbie came across as one of the more 'generous' cabbies around... He just asked the fella for RM50 to sort out the bumper clip that holds the rear bumper of his Iswara cab. I just hope that the motorcyclist lives up to his end of the bargain in promising to pay for his share of costs.

I was quite impressed in how things were handled... All very civil unlike some uncouth louts that I've crossed paths with before this. It's similar to my very first accident.. I actually wrote off a Wira Aeroback by hitting the rear end and because it was parked in front of a tree, as the car moved forward from me hitting the rear, the front end got hit as well from the impact of the accident. I was scared shitless and when the owner came out, he was more concerned on my well-being rather than his car.. :Touch wood: my one and only major accident till now, hope to keep that record.. Guardian angels welcome to look over my shoulder and help me keep to my safe record.

Well, Have a 'safe' day ahead folks :D

The Proton Experience...

2007-07-30T23:46:00.000+08:00

It started off as a very exciting day today... the anticipation of going to the Proton Platinum showroom at Mutiara Damansara with my significant other to pick up the Liquid Orange 1.6 Highline version of the Satria Neo that was ordered nearly a month or so back. Was actually rather surprised that it took such a long time for the car to be delivered... Seems that production for the new Proton sedan which will probably replace the Wira in due time, is ramping up.. Hence the delay in getting a manual highline... Auto's however are a different story as every dealer I've checked with seems to have some ready stock...

Upon arriving at the dealership, the salesperson was taking his time to make sure that he explained every feature of the car before handing the keys over and sending us on our way. Two thumbs up for him taking his time explaining things as though we were first time car owners.

However upon closer inspection of the car... a couple of faults were discovered...

- a light scratch mark on the left side rear quarter panel which seemed to have escaped their attention

- a kerbed rim, on the rear right tyre.
(Was quite peeved on this actually, wanted them to replace this on the spot but sanity prevailed and this should be sorted by the 1000km service in a couple of weeks time)

- a piece of ill-fitting plastic trim on the sides of the dashboard.
(What do they need, magnifying glasses??)

Seems that the sales advisor hadn't counted on us being a couple of 'impromtu' quality inspectors, going through the car with a fine tooth comb..

Anyway, impressions of the Neo have been rather positive as it feels rather sporty and handles well, something which I thank the fellas at Lotus for fettling the ride and handling of the car.

On the mechanical side, the engine feels very smooth and doesn't seem to be as lethargic as the auto version is. As the sales person was going through the car, we found out that the car had only done 30kms so it still is reasonably 'tight'. It should improve as the miles or rather kilometers roll on.. With a 0-100kmh time of 11.5 seconds and a top speed of 190kmh, the 1.6 litre Neo is not fast but it is quick. Besides, with traffic conditions and legal limitations in Malaysia, the performance figures are more than adequate.

The 1.6 engine produces 112PS (111bhp) at 6,000rpm and 148Nm (109 lb ft) at 4,000rpm The same collaborative engines and transmission can also be found in the Gen-2 but for the Satria, they have been tweaked for better low to medium acceleration and flexibility.

If emissions and frugality are important to you, it is better to go for the 1.6 manual. Official figures are posted as; 27.9mpg (urban), 61.4mpg (extra-urban) and 42.8mpg for the combined cycle. The car is fairly 'Green' too with 157g/km CO2.

Going through the web i found some interesting information on the Neo, it's been engineered to be a very safe car engineered with high-tensile steel to score high points in the NCAP car safety assessment. Have a look below..

Proton makes full use of its sister company’s technical know-how and it shows. Lotus had a hand in the design, ride-quality systems and engines and a whole arm in the handling set-up. The result is a car that is as surprising as it is stunning. Certainly a better car overall than the previous Wira's or even the Perdana set-ups.

The King and my poor lil' toe

2007-07-22T14:12:00.001+08:00

Hi Folks!

As usual the weekends are packed with the fun activities... Caught up with the gang - Marcus, Swee, Kelvin and his girlfriend for a taste of culture in the form of Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical 'The King & I". I for one was certainly keen to see if there was any difference between this production and the one I watched at Her Majesty's Theatre in Sydney more than 10 years ago..

I must say that it is one of the better productions that have come to Malaysia. Set in the year 1862, this dramatic and uplifting tale brings us a story of an English widow, Anna Leonowens, and her young son, Louis arriving at the Royal Palace in Bangkok, the capital of Siam. Anna, having been summoned by the King to serve as tutor to his many children and wives eventually is asked by the King to assist in having his perception of a barbarian by the West, be altered. All of us had a hoot of a time, courtesy of the King's antics and the 'clash' between the East and West. Anyone who hasn't seen it should really catch it while they can... The production of the musical here in Kuala Lumpur ends 26 July 2007.

You might be curious as to why I'm also talking about my lil' toe... Somehow, I got 'inspired' to spring clean my room clearing up whatever cobwebs and unwanted stuff in my room, whilst carrying out an old set of speakers one of the tweeters fell smack right in the middle toe of my left foot.. I've put it on ice for quite a while now, don't know if it's fractured or not... Still can bend albeit, with a slight bruised sensation as you can see from the pic below.. :p Oh well, another battle scar to add to the cap I suppose.

Well, at least I've now got my room in ship shape with nary a speck of dust.. An accomplishment to behold off :D:D:D At least it kept me out of more mischief this bleary weekend, rain, rain and more rain... Guess it's something to be thankful for, unless one likes to see KL blanketed under a thick cover of haze, smog or whatever u may call it... At least when I head to KLCC to catch Die Hard 4.0 I'll be breathing better too... ;)

That's all for now folks! Have a great week ahead!!

Flickr

2007-07-19T13:31:00.001+08:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

The Swiss Garden Stories

2007-07-16T11:38:00.000+08:00

Ladies and Gents..

Since too many photos were taken of the company outing, I decided on a photo blog to make things sweet and short ;)

For those that just joined in to read the blog, the past weekend I was away from Kuala Lumpur, on a trip to Cherating with the office colleagues for a weekend retreat.

The Swiss Garden Resort in Kuantan.. These are the sea view rooms. Enjoyed the breeze from the South China Sea on my first night there... The AC in the room was a bit lacking, so decided to leave the balcony door open.. Nice super cool refreshing wind that went on and on through the night.
Certain things Mother Nature still does best ;)

Our daily breakfast venue, looks good from the photo doesn't it.. Service could have been a touch better but when you're in good company and having a marvelous time, one just has to
go with the laid-back nature of life here.

Deckchairs just above the beach where I spent a fair amount of time trying my darndest to get a tan...
All I ended up with was being redder than a lobster, thankfully it went away by the next morning or people will look at me strangely wondering if I had one drink too many :p

Evening shot of the beach area..

Spent the most amount of time here in and around the pool area.. Literally from sun-up to sun-down the whole day was spend lazing about and swimming and honing my water polo skills..
What a life indeed... Eat, Sleep, Activities and Drink.... :0

These couple of shots show me going through the impromptu 'team-building' session that we organised..
Great fun... All the gym work has paid off well, my upper body strength got me through the slithering down the pole bit below... Had a good laugh as some colleagues did it as though they were pole dancing...

Me and my colleague from HR.. Background is one of the 'official' photographers of this outing..

A stroll through the beach and having a good laugh at the antics of the fellas having a go at each other...

As the guys were one man short.. I was summoned to take part in the tug-of-war... A good attempt for a newbie.. HAhahahaha!!

Pull with all your might, you wankers :D:D:D
Pic below: What happens when people start laughing and loose concentration... :bummer:

The scene at the hotel lobby after all of us completed check-out formalities.. Nice decor in the lobby, pseudo-Balinese I guess.. Even better that we had buntings all over the hotel, much to a competitors' chagrin... They were a bigger group but didn't feel as special... :D:D:D

Our first stop just outside Kuantan, was at this shop.. Specialising in local goods, you could pick up salted fish, anchovies, dried shrimp all at a very decent price and the snacks I bought were just yummy!!The return leg of the journey started out this way, with nice driving conditions, however, half way through the journeythe heavens open their doors and let loose every single drop of rain.. Good for keeping the haze at bay, but when you're driving at high speeds on the high way, you have to be careful and look out for anything that could happen... Last count i did, there were for separate accidents in various sections of the highway. Thankfully we were spared such ordeals. Kudos to the bus driver... Skillful fellas...

Well folks, a short chronological snippet into the happenings over the weekend.. See you soon ;)

Friday the 13th and its effects

2007-07-16T01:51:00.000+08:00

Hi folks...

Due to some rather unforeseen circumstances, I had to arrange for a flight to Kuantan last Friday, which happened to be an infamous Friday the 13th... I somehow had a gut feeling that things on that day won't be in my favour.. As it turns out it turned out to be very true... Upon my check-in at KL Sentral, the MAS counter staff told me that my flight to Kuantan had been retimed to 7:40pm instead of 5:10pm as per the regular flight schedule.

After taking the Express Rail Link to KLIA, I decided to catch up with my ex-colleague at the Pan Pacific KLIA, having coffee and chatting over the latest updates between the both of us whiled away some of the time that I thought I had till 7:00pm, decided to go to the counter one more time to see if there were further updates.. I was flabbergasted when the staff told me that the flight had been further delayed until 9:00pm and the worst part was that they couldn't confirm if the flight was actually going to take off at this new timing. A very big BOO to the Management of MAS for not being able to arrange other alternatives...

It was a nightmare, just imagine you arriving at the airport and upon checking the details at the information board, realise that almost all domestic flights were delayed. truly worried and luckily my boss was very sympathetic towards the whole situation.. This fiasco meant that I had to skip having dinner with my bosses and colleagues, and to make up for not eating with them, I went into the MAS Golden Lounge where a myriad of passengers looked rather lost... Their flights had also been delayed and some of them were in a rush to catch their onward connecting flights.. Having been in that situation before, I could relate to that.

I was ever so thankful that I bought Business Class tickets, though it's only a short trip I could still enjoy the lounge facilities at the Airport This also meant that I didn't have to fork out anything extra food, drinks and snacks.. Moreover, if i had to buy anything that would have cost me more $$$.

Fast forward a couple of hours later, we were all excited when finally the ground staff announced that the flight to Kuantan is now ready for boarding.. I was a bit sceptical about the whole thing and true enough as we were all strapped into the seat, the Captain of the plane told us that an RMAF helicopter went down around 9:35am on Friday. I thought to myself that the missing helicopter could have also been the cause for the delay in almost all daily flights.. According to this mornings weekend newspapers, the helicopter mysteriously just after 10 minutes out of the old airport in Sg Besi. Search parties are still being deployed for the search, certainly hoping that all 6 of them on the helicopter will be found soon...

In short, things never seem to go your way on a Friday the 13th... So all of you beware of this in future... More updates coming soon...

Up and Down Indeed!

2007-07-11T00:53:00.000+08:00

Hiya Folks..

After visiting my aunt in hospital a couple of days ago, it dawned on me that I've been holding something back for quite a while.. I've been having this lump at the back near my spine which I've always thought nothing of it...

I;m now scheduled for a procedure to remove the lump and should be back to my normal self within the next couple of weeks.. As cancer seems to be afflicting more and more members of the family, the doctor wanted to do it ASAP but I've been running around with assignments from the office and juggling around stuff that need tending too at home. Though he doesn't think the lump is serious he's taking the precaution of doing a biopsy on the specimen, just in case.

So i'm now on schedule for the cut in about two weeks from now, which fits in nicely just after my trip to Cherating this weekend and before the trip to Bali with the gang in mid-August, not forgetting my pilgrimage to Sydney which is now overdue... I so need a break :p

Just what I needed, spending more time in a hospital :p

Crazy weekend!

2007-07-08T15:39:00.000+08:00

Hope you most of you had a good fun weekend...

I had a mini reunion with my classmates yesterday evening.. Some whom I've not seen since leaving school... Had a pretty decent dinner at Chilli's, our usual hangout in Bangsar.. Followed by a pit-stop at another eatery called Kava, also in Bangsar.. As this place was run by an acquaintance of my friend, we were given a bit of prefential treatment, ordered our jug of sangria, the best so far in this part of the world anyway... and followed up with two complimentary servings sinfully delicious chocolate mud cake.. like totally out of this world on the scale of being ever so yummy..

That was the good part of the evening... The next bit, I was quite hesitant in joining the rest of the blokes and gals.. Reason being was that they had decided to rendezvous with other friends in Bar Savanh along the Asian Heritage Row of Kuala Lumpur.. I somehow had a gut feeling that I wouldn't enjoy the place much..

On the way there, we witnessed a multiple car pile-up just before the corner leading to the Parliament House in Kay-ell... To compound things further, traffic was a bitch around the city, at that time of the evening around 11.30pm. I would have thought it my shortcut way to the city would be a safe bet, unfortunately I was not so lucky and was held up for quite a while for a journey that would normally take less than 15 minutes from where I stay in Bangsar..

Anyway, back to our venue, Bar Savanh.. thankfully the queue to get in was rather short. We managed to avoid paying cover charge, but bought a bottle of Skyy Vodka Vanilla for the princely sum of RM345. Got in, secured our place and was chilling to the songs that were belting out courtesy of the DJ.. All the fun was a bit shortlived for the next 30 minutes after our arrival... Either some poor sod had threw up onto the fuse box or something similar to that effect.. We were virtually in darkness for a short period of time, then the AC regained power.. party lights and music and power supply for their cash registers, chillers and beer taps took a considerable amount of time before it could be sorted out... Boo to the management for not taking precautionary steps to avoid such occurances..

We were even contemplating leaving the joint for another but the rest were either too crowded or hot... Not something that I would like to get myself into... It was also around this point of time that my classmate and best friend from Sydney sort of opened up to me mentioning that he had been through a rough time. I was tasked with lending my ears and just listening to whatever he wanted to say and give some advice as well. This was my sensitive side at work I guess, though at times I felt like I wanted to bang my head against a brick wall, though I didn't show it

A classmate had told him of the rough patch that I had been through when I broke up with an ex towards the end of last year.. That person had an attitude indeed, being possesive to a point where I felt rather 'scared', after dating for a while, I decided that enough was enough and left the relationship that we had. Can't really say I'm sorry but rather begone and vanish from my life. I told him like I told myself at that point of time, things happen for a reason, one should not dwell on the past but rather look forward to what the future has to offer and seize the day! This has since become a philosophy that i'm a firm believer of. Nothing to loose I say :D

Certainly thankful for the group of friends that I have and regularly hang out with... They provide me with an outlet to de-stress and stay human.

Well folks, have a great week ahead!

Live Earth 7.07.07

2007-07-07T07:30:00.000+08:00

Hi everyone...

Not that I'm a fan of just cutting and pasting to update my blog...

Happy 7.07.07... It's Live Earth Day!! And how often do you get a chance to see triple 7's in the calendar, only like once in a century, so we should be so lucky...

Well, although I join in this celebration of our dear planet Earth. I believe the environmental responsibilities that each one of us can play should not only be limited to today, it should be a continuous 365 day of the year. Guess certain people just like to live with the hype, but certainly happy to note that I and a few friends are the exception and try be as environmentally responsible as possible.

After all, who would want to see the climate that we currently enjoy descend into extremes of hot and cold with unpredictable rain and wave patterns. Such is the fragility of life and I for one certainly wouldn't like the human race to be obliterated in such manner.

Well, on this special day, try to do something that would benefit the environment. I know I will...

Have a great weekend people!

A screenshot from the Live Earth website:

Live Earth is a 24-hour, 7-continent concert series taking place on 7/7/07 that will bring together more than 100 music artists and 2 billion people to trigger a global movement to solve the climate crisis.

Live Earth will reach this worldwide audience through an unprecedented global media architecture covering all media platforms - TV, radio, Internet and wireless channels.

Live Earth marks the beginning of a multi-year campaign led by the Alliance for Climate Protection, The Climate Group and other international organizations to drive individuals, corporations and governments to take action to solve global warming. Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore is the Chair of the Alliance and Partner of Live Earth.

Live Earth was founded by Kevin Wall, the Worldwide Executive Producer of Live 8, an event that brought together one of the largest audiences in history to combat poverty. Wall formed a partnership with Al Gore and the Alliance for Climate Protection to ensure that Live Earth inspires behavioral changes long after 7/7/07.

Live Earth will stage official concerts at Giants Stadium in New York; Wembley Stadium in London; Aussie Stadium in Sydney; Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro; the Coca-Cola Dome in Johannesburg; Makuhari Messe in Tokyo; the Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai; and HSH Nordbank Arena in Hamburg.

Live Earth concerts will be broadcast to a live worldwide audience by MSN at www.LiveEarth.MSN.com.

With support from the U.S. Green Building Council, creators of the LEED Green Building Rating System, Live Earth will implement new Green Event Guidelines. All Live Earth venues will be designed and constructed by a team of sustainability engineers who will address the environmental and energy management challenges of each concert site, as well as the operations of sponsors, partners and other Live Earth affiliates. Each venue will not only be designed to maintain a minimum environmental impact, but will showcase the latest state-of-the-art energy efficiency, on-site power generation, and sustainable facilities management practices.

Live Earth is a project of the SOS campaign , which is using a powerful multimedia platform - films, television, radio, Internet, books, wireless and others - to move people to combat the climate crisis.

I'm Feeling Good....

2007-07-04T10:44:00.000+08:00

Hi y'all!!

It has been a crazy period for me of late, being over-stretched both at home and at work... No joy there I can tell you that. I certainly am blessed for having close dear friends whom having been there to listen to my rants and frustrations in general.. Certainly makes me feel a whole lot better too... :D

The other reason to be happy about is that I recently rejoined Fitness First after a brief hiatus. I'm pretty pleased with the package that I'm getting too, and for the same amount of wait I paid previously, I'm now a Passport Gold member. Mighty please I must say, saves me from bringing towels along to the gym.

The one thing that I look forward to is going for the Group Exercise classes, of late I've been rather addicted to the classes and have been going almost on a daily basis... My favourites at the moment are Body Pump, Body Balance and RPM.

I just love Body Pump, keeps me feeling 'pumped' and works on the essential muscle groups that ultimately would lead to a leaner me... Yaayy... I so don't want to stay at 26% body fat. I'm slowly rediscovering the joys of Body Balance too, after attending a few classes with the new release and am totally enjoying it.. Getting me more flexible and balanced at the same time. RPM, my old favourite... Always wondered what it mean till one day, my 'nutty' friend explained that it's short for Raw Power in Motion... Raw power indeed... It's a given that I always work up a 'tidal' wave of sweat everytime I go for his class. Other RPM instructors don't seem to have as much of that effect on me, wonder why... Also one of the reasons behind my switch back to Fitness First. I had initially struggled with the new RPM release, a couple of occasions I couldn't even finish the class, but after going through several lessons over the past couple of months, I finally nailed the track down..

Tried out Body Jam last night... My first attempt so I didn't really get into it much, just following the moves of the class. Nick, one of the instructors at SPK commented that I did fairly well for a first-timer.. I was a bit embarassed as I missed several moves through the class. Felt like putting a paper bag over my head and just running out :P At least I had a good time throughout the class... Like I was in a disco or something like that, only much more healthier without the smoke or drinks being served :)

As I get more seasoned with the new gym surroundings, I'm also getting more interested in other GX classes.. Let's see what happens further down the road...

Crazy, Moronic and Pathetic Drivers!

2007-07-01T22:45:00.000+08:00

Well, I started my weekend and a very enjoyable note, only to have it spoilt by certain drivers as described on the above title of this post.

Had just returned from the hospital in Subang Jaya and decided to stop by at the usual neighbourhood mall to stock up on groceries and other essential stuff..

As I was loading stuff into the boot a lady came up to me asking if I was on my way out, to which I replied probably another 15 minutes. I also noticed a youngish female in a Perdana V6 with her car pointing in the wrong direction. This was obviously impeding the flow of traffic, thought maybe she didn't know the car park of the mall itself, then realised that the lady whom asked me for my space was either her aunt or mum wanting to book the spot for her, hence the reason why she asked me if i was leaving earlier.

I soon realised that she was holding two spots... Another one for another kid in a Lexus RX350, the worse case of 'kopi' lesen or paying obsene amounts of $$$ to secure a pass in the drivers test. He couldn't reverse into a car park space that would have been sufficient for a Hummer H2, truly felt as thought I should have thumped the driver for being so 'blur'..

The term 'kiasu' comes to my mind right now, would have let the old lady go for one car park space, but two?!?!? come on people...

On a lighter note... Watched Transformers over the past weekend too, great show.. Wouldn't mind catching it another time.. Perhaps not as late at night. Well people... Great having you around... Have a fantabulous week ahead!

What a weekend...

2007-06-27T20:00:00.000+08:00

Hi again people...

Pardon the lapse of updates, have been over-stretched both at work and with family matters.

In spite of that, still managed to squeeze in some 'fun' time over the last weekend..

Friday night was spent with my parents and friends at the Selangor Turf Club's 110th Annual Dinner. (Didn't know they've been around for such a long time) This was quite memorable too as it was my inaugural outing for an event organised by the Turf Club. Was accompanied by a very good friend of mine. On the invite, the theme of the dinner was Black and Gold, As I only had Black and more black, decided to just garb up in my suit and black and silver Armani tie. Haven't worn a tie in nearly a year, feels restrictive initially, then after a while I guess your body just adapts to it.

As the venue of the annual dinner changes from year to year, previously held in mighty fine places, was a bit surprised that they chose to have it at the Berjaya Times Square Hotel... Might look impressively big from the outside but inside certainly doesn't impress. Unless they are going for the modern minimalist look which somehow is at odds with the furniture scheme that they have chosen.

Saturday was another party night... Was invited to a friends birthday party.. Had to rush to the mall closest to where I stay to get a pink t-shirt as that was the theme... It's beyond me why I don't have a pink shirt, perhaps that can be explained in another blog :p

Here's a couple of pics taken from the party.. Great fun, Great company and fantastic drinks.. What more can a guy ask for...

Joyce fixing me a drink

Who would have thought whiskey and green tea makes such a yummy drink :D

The pink parade at party Central!! (and in order of colour intensity too)

And to end the weekend on the perfect note, I received an invite to the launch of the new Ducati 1098 here in Malaysia. The folks at Naza sure know how to parteee... :D, the launch venue was at the Loft Upstairs, located at the Asian Heritage Row in KL. Half on the journey to the Loft, realised that I had left my camera at home.. Nevertheless, some great shots of the event did emerge...

The Ducati 1098s ladies and gentlemen, prices start around the RM140k to RM160k range... I've been told that the allocation of four 1098's for Malaysia has been swiftly taken up. Me and some of the bike forummers in discussion... The other reason why I was there was to catch up on the Nickle & Dime MotoGP at Donington Park.. Have always been a Ducati fan (to some of my mates chagrin) and Casey Stoner makes it look so easy indeed..

Quite an eventful weekend all in all... Had a very good laugh on morning when I read a message that one of the bikers mentioned that their coffee tasted so much better in the exclusive Ducati 1098 mug... Too which I replied, perhaps the 'octane' rating has been increased :D:D:D That certainly made a dreary Monday more enjoyable...

It's nearly the weekend and nothing much planned. Just catching up with the latest movie to hit town... Transformers... Hope it lives up to its hype. Certainly been disappointed with quite a few movies of late.

My apartment...

2007-06-19T18:43:00.000+08:00

As an owner of an apartment in a highly sought after location, I've received many calls for rental or even to sell off the unit.. I've now come to a decision that I should rent it out.. Firstly, helps pays the bills and enables me to look for a new car, something I haven't done in the last 8 years. Have been 'roughing' it out in the family hand me down, if using my dad's pride and joy can be considered a hand me down...

Anyway, the apartment is a studio unit in Damansara Perdana, the Penchala Tunnel makes it so easy for residents there to get into the city. The only conundrum I have now is whether I should fully furnish the unit or just do the bare necessities (air-cond, fan, heater and lights), from what I gather, difference between these two options work out to roughly RM300 per month., ie. semi-furnished @ RM750 - RM800 and fully furnished @ RM950 - 1050. Perhaps more enlightened folks can 'advise' me on this..

I've checked my surrounding neighbours and some off the units are already occupied, and they seem like decent people too.. Before I rush off for my workout at the gym, the gang reminded me that they want to do a horse-warming at the unit... Might be a tad small but we shall see how things go... Decisions, decisions, decisions.... oh well, watch this space...

Doing the things we enjoy...

2007-06-15T00:01:00.000+08:00

You never achieve real success unless you like what you are doing. ~ Dale Carnegie ~

You know something... It's quite funny sometimes when we look back on what we've achieved in our lives'.. I've always been rather content with what I get in life, quite the laissez f'aire attitude when it comes to the important stuff. But I've now come to release that in order to push yourself beyond the norm, one must do two things, do what you enjoy and ensure you don't get bitten in the you know where, as the journey of life has a habit of doing just that.

In a challenge to myself, I've started making enquiries about getting my bike riding license sorted out.. You see, the Ozzie license that I had expired a while back, so it's back to school for me at least in the bike sense of things anyway. Helpful friends quickly mentioned that there's a driving or rather riding school just beside the Armada Hotel in PJ, currently offering promotions of up to 50% off their normal rates. I'm certainly grabbing the bulls horns' and going ahead. Dunno if they classify me as a born again biker.. rode a fair bit in OZ and since coming back to KL haven't riden since.

That's just one more to come along on the journey of life very soon. And this is also a shout-out to the gang of people that I normally hang around with (you know who you are!), I'm truly honoured to meet all of you, without which life would not be as colourful as I see it to be.

ps. Stay tuned for updates on the bike license episode.. (sounds like tv innit :D)

Hello's and Goodbye's

2007-06-13T22:53:00.000+08:00

I guess it's now the season of moving on... on to new jobs and better prospects too as one should hope for. Out of the group of friends that I usually chill with, at least three have moved on to greener pastures and another two more waiting to reel in the hook to land the new job. For those that have moved on, Congratulations may your new position serve to enhance your chosen career. For those of you still looking, don't give up hope, it could just be round the corner.

I on the other hand am quite happy where I am currently, but who knows in a year or two things may change, if the promotions and increments don't come. A colleague that I work closely with has been very close to throwing in the towel.. but has been sweet-talked by all his colleagues to stay on for a while more, seems that winds of change are a-brewing.

Anyhow, one of my favourite bloggers are now on a 17 day hiatus from blogging, but I guess amongst his 'fans' money is being put on the table to see how far he can go without blogging.. As it is, he blogs on a daily basis, so he will no doubt suffer withdrawal symptoms..

Well, time for me to hit the sack, high on medication for my sore back, I'm going to have wonderful dreams in bed.... :) Good night!

The Ups and Downs indeed...

2007-06-12T23:03:00.000+08:00

Certainly has been another crazy day, managed to sort out a media interview for my boss for a programme that will make its debut in December this year. Looking forward to that though. That was the up bit...

The down bit... Just came out from the doctors' clinic, had to be given a jab as I may have sprained my back in my haste to start yoga classes after a long pause. So people, please limber up and warm up through stretches before attempting not only yoga but the myriad of classes available at your local gym. I was a bit stubborn and waited a couple of days but the pain sort of became worse after this evenings class, so rushed to the clinic to be checked out by the doctor.

At least I have the weekend to look forward to, even if its a couple of days away. Perhaps a trip to the masseur is in order as I've not visited one for quite a while now. A friend even has his regular masseur make house calls (nothing seedy, just honest stuff) at a reasonable price..

Oh well, better get some zzzz's now, the medication is starting to kick in.... Have a great day ahead!

The BMW 3 Series Convertible that Could Save your Life!

2007-06-11T22:10:00.000+08:00

For guys that have been in sticky situations ;)

Common Courtesy and Discipline - Where is it these days??

2007-06-11T01:21:00.000+08:00

Of late, I've been noticing a worrying trend.. One that almost all of you would have heard off too, I guess. If you haven't, let me just run through this anyway. The days of the younger generation respecting their elders and treating each other with common courtesy is slowly drawing to a close.. that is if nothing is done about it.

Picture this, in a premiere high-end mall in the city, parents with 3 kids in tow.. yelling and screaming their guts out. Not only is it distracting the shoppers but shows that the kids haven't been brought up well. Quite certain that my parents would have had given a couple of strokes of the 'rotan' or a good telling off. The next prime example is how kids behave in a car, as witnessed by me and a very good buddy of mine over the past weekend when we were on the way up to Genting Highlands.. Scenario: Parents seated at front.. three 'hooligans' frolicking and playing about in a moving car and in a couple of instances throwing out litter onto the road.Well, it doesn't take a genius to tell you or them (if they had their brains screwed on properly) that in an accident, the kids at the back would indeed become deadly projectiles and could very well be killed in an accident. No surprise here, since the enforcement of rear safetybelt usage is virtually non-existent. Back in the days when I was a kid (sounding very old aren't I) kids travelling in a car were expected to sit down and behave instead of becoming like monkeys jumping about.. Oh well, one can still hope for things to improve.

On another note, had the perfect weekend with friends and a quick getaway to Genting for the Jazz festival, watching the MotoGP race where Casey Stoner probably rode the race of his life to win against rival Valentino Rossi and ending up with the French Open which saw Rafael Nadal becoming the 2nd person to win the tournament 3 times running. Good stuff indeed, oh well back to the crazy work week ahead.. Have a great one y'all!

Yoga and Pilates... Do guys get it?

2007-06-08T13:32:00.001+08:00

After a long conversation with a very good buddy of mine recently. I finally decided to take up the challenge of entering the yoga as well as the pilates classes at the gym that I frequent in Hartamas.

Whilst I have been doing every other exercise routine under the sun to ensure that I don't get back the 'flab' that I had lost, these two particular workouts have always been the last choice for me when it comes to gym workouts.

As it is now, after the sessions that I've attended, especially the Hatha Yoga class last night. The resulting after effects... I'm quite sore all over, a testament that even though with my regular workouts, muscles were not being worked out to their maximum capabilities...

Had a quick lunch at KLCC and went looking around for some liniment to soothe the aches... Guess with more regular classes, I should be more limber.. Ever the enthusiast, I even took the monthly schedule so that I know what's happening next.. Stay tuned to see how things progress over the next couple of month..

Have a good weekend people!

Of Gyms and PT's...

2007-06-07T02:21:00.001+08:00

It's coming up to that time of year where I have to make a decision as to which gym I will choose for my regular workouts. These days it has been a fantastic destressing and releasing whatever tensions you may have had through your work day. Conversation from the marketing department at True Fitness is rather hilarious... Example below:

TF Guy: Er... Good morning, could i speak to Mr Chew please?
Me: Yes, this is Mr Chew speaking, how may I help you?
TF Guy: Er.. Mr Chew, from our records it shows that you membership with us is due to expire
at the end of next month.
Me: Yeah so...
TF Guy: We've got some promotional packages which we think you are well suited for.
Me: How much does this cost me? And do I have to sign up for another 2 years?
TF Guy: Why don't you just give a call before you come for you next workout, we can discuss this further. My name's Larry and I can be contacted at 012-xxxxxxx
Me: Ok, thanks.

Obviously, they are now in a mega-marketing mode as they can leverage on the opening of their latest gym at Jaya33 in Petaling Jaya, supposed to be the largest True Fitness gym in Malaysia and even comes with a 30 metre swimming pool. Before all the launch hype and knowing certain other factors, I was ever so gung ho to continue and perhaps pay a couple of extra bucks per month to enjoy their 'passport' facility, however that is now not enough to tempt me to continue my membership with them.

Especially more so, with my favourite RPM instructor (nut you know who you are :D) leaving the TF establishment at the end of this month sort of made the decision a wee bit easier for me. After all, whilst TF is considered newer, it's Fitness First has been around longer and has more gyms in Malaysia and the rest of the world, something not to be sneezed at..

Now, just need to unfreeze my membership there and all's set. After the recent 1 month hiatus from the gym due to a bronchitis attack, I've been working extra hard to ensure that I loose the 'gains' during the period of inactivity. Though not much, makes me feel a bit pudgy and built up more muscle mass and tone up further.. Irony of this all was that just before the down time, I was getting into the swing of things and looking rather buffed if I may say so myself. First day of going back to the gym, I could hardly lift the weights that I had trained at and had to start 'small weights' again... So embarassing... Oh well, salut and a toast to the future, with a hope that by December we shall see improvements to myself.

Well, the start of another is just beginning people.. Make the most of your day and have a great one!

The Boonster - A Born Again Biker?

2007-06-06T07:56:00.003+08:00

Hmm... It certainly has been on the mind of late people.... Probably need to take another crash course in advanced riding skills.. I know some off you will probably say that it's like riding a bicycle, once you get the hang of it, it will be stuck with you for the rest of your life. Couldn't agree more, except that I didn't convert my Australian Bike and Driving License into the local equivalent...

This of course has since expired, perhaps I can get it renewed when I head Down Under in September, anyone of you has a clue on this, assistance certainly welcomed. For those that didn't know, I started off riding a 'small' Kwak ZZR250 then progressed onto more challenging bikes as the years went on, last bike I rode in OZ before coming back to KL was the Ducati Monster 900, it's such an iconic bike that just draws attention to itself and its owner of course :) Thankfully the 'Duke' that I had was fairly reliable and so long as the maintenance schedule was followed as per factory recommendation I had no issues with it. To be honest the only 'problem' during my ownership of the bike was a flat battery, which was subsequently traced to some faulty wiring. After changing the wiring loom, the 'duke' was a happy camper once again.

Being the 'kiasu' Duke owner, I had matching Ducati leathers which were made by the renowned bike gear brand, Dainese. Unfortunately, the photo of me and the bike went sayonara when my PC got struck by lightning just before CNY this year and I can't even upload any photo at the moment as I suspect that there maybe a bug with blogger... GRRR, perhaps I shall upload later in the evening..

Met a fellow biker buddy a few nights ago... Over our meal of banana leaf rice and chapati at Nirvana in Bangsar, he encouraged me to get back in biking.. Cheap bikes abound it seems, I somehow agree, but probably after I get my apartment sorted as that has been where a huge sum of time and money has been invested on. I for one certainly miss the long rides on the twisties and exploring new places on two wheels, something about which is just so 'humbling' and overwhelms the senses.

Well, further updates on this soon... In the meantime, I've to prepare for the start of my workday.. Wish I could stay home... it's raining! :sigh:

The Value of A Friendship

2007-06-05T01:04:00.000+08:00

The language of Friendship is not words, but meanings. It is an intelligence above language.
— Henry David Thoreau

Was sort off scratching my head on what my next blog topic should be on then it dawned on me that I should write something on friends and lasting friendships.

Off late, have been witness to some friend whom have had to either end friendship with their friends. Some were recent friends and some were like childhood friends etc.. Well, you get the drift don't you...

Well, friendship as much like being in a relationship has worked wonders for me.. Without which I wouldn't have met wonderful people like Eric, Marcus, Su Ann, Catherine and Edmund... this list could go on and on but decided to keep it short and simple.. To those of you whom are not in this list don't fret as you are in my list too, just that if I put everyones' name in I'm pretty sure that blogger will come after me.. :p

It just amazes me to no end at all that people that you think you know are the ones that somehow sting you with scathing criticism in whatever you do. Whereas, the ones that stay in the distance are the ones that see you for who you are and tell you things like it is, no sugar coating whatsoever, straight to the point..

In this new century, The World Wide web has made it so much easier to find friends in parts of the planet that we've never been to.. and still get acquainted with them. Just shows how small we are compared to the greater scheme of things.

A wise friend once said, To make friendships work, it takes two to tango. Much like a one hand clap makes no noise. I don't think I would be able to last too long in a one-way friendship... It would just be too taxing and probably kill me... not literally of course... I guess the piscean trait in me makes me value my friends dearly. I'm sure those that know me would agree on that fact.

Anyhow, gotta scoot off into bed, it's nearly 2am and I've an early day at work tomorrow. Don't think I've any spare time to blog so might as well make use of spare time to create a blog... Comments are welcome...

Greetings and Salutations!

2007-06-04T09:56:00.000+08:00

Hi there people...

My 'virgin' blog on blogspot... Had to put something in as people thought I had no better stuff to write about... More coming your way real soon... Just chill and be a little patient :p After all, good things come to people who wait....

By order..

The Boonster