MH370

On early Saturday morning, news of a missing Malaysian Airlines plane shocked the nation and very soon, the world. Flight MH370 lost contact with air traffic control about couple of hours after midnight on it's way to Beijing, China. 48 hours have passed since then and yet, still no clear indication of what could happened to this plane.

I do not know anyone directly who is on this flight but going through news feed on social media, there are some of my friends who are directly connected to either passengers or crew members on the flight. My thoughts go out to the families and friends affected. I cannot imagine what they are going through at the moment. I can only keep on praying that the people on the flight are safe.

Taken from Pray for MH370 Facebook page

There had been bits and pieces of information emerging, adding to the mystery and many confounding theories of what could have happened. But I choose not to speculate and urge many to do the same. Instead focus your thoughts and prayers for the safety of the passengers and crew members of flight MH370.

Life can be so uncertain and fragile. A distant relative of mine passed away a few hours before news of this missing flight. He was not suffering from any illness, so his passing was a shock to his family and friends. I pray that he rests in peace and for his family and friends to be strong to get through this difficult.

Things like this really put things into perspective and shows how sometimes, the things I fret about can be really petty and in the end of the day, not worth getting stressed about at all.

My Pocket Net

A good friend of mine has started this business in Malaysia and I'm doing a small favour in spreading the word. This service in short, is a portable wifi device that you can rent to connect to your phone or your laptop or your tablet. It is perfect for travellers or tourists visiting Malaysia. We all use the internet these days and most of us, including myself can't live without it. Of course, you can use the roaming service on your smart phone but be prepared to pay a hefty bill later, as quite often our telco providers surprise us with ridiculous charges even for minimal data usage for whatsapp messages etc.

Picture taken from www.mypocketnet.com

How it works? With 4 simple steps, you can enjoy convenient internet service during your stay in Malaysia.

Step 1 - Registration. Register with myPocketnet as a new user.

Step 2 - Booking. Choose your rental period, data plan, delivery location (home, hotel, office) and pay online.

Step 3 - Receive and connect. Once you have received the device, turn it on and connect.

Step 4 - Return. Return the device at myPocketnet drop box located at the airport within 24 hours at the end of the rental period.

How simple is that? I especially like the convenience of having the device delivered to you and being able to drop it off at the airport before you leave. Drop boxes are located at Kuala Lumpur International Airport main terminal and KLIA Low Cost Carrier Terminal.

And the service is reasonably priced as well. Here's a comparison of how much it costs against an estimate of international roaming charges from telco providers from the following countries.

Provider	Cost	Data
myPocketnet	USD 10	100MB
Australia	USD 15	10MB
United States	USD 30	120MB
United Kingdom	USD 8	10MB

For more information, go to www.mypocketnet.com

A sad day for the running community

The Malaysian running community was shocked the sudden passing of a top veteran female runner last week. Cheah Meei Meei who recently won the Perhentian Island Challenge the previous weekend passed away on Thursday with the cause of death yet to be confirmed. Scepticemia, typhoid and leptospirosis were some of the possible causes being mentioned. One thing for sure, there were many participants of the Perhentian Island Challenge who had food poisoning from the race. I hope the race organizers do a detailed investigation into this.

Photo of Sin Chew newspaper article taken from Tey Eng Tiong's Facebook page 

May you rest in peace, Cheah Meei Meei. My deepest sympathy and condolences out to her family and closest friends. I wish them the strength to get through this difficult time.

Worth more than gold

In my previous post, I've missed out the fact that last night was the Olympic badminton final match between Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei and China's Lin Dan. As the badminton is not being shown in Australia (unless you have Foxtel), it somehow slipped my mind. It was the only realistic chance of Malaysia bagging it's first ever Olympic gold medal. However, it did not pan out that way and the hunt continues.

Chong Wei lost in an agonizingly close defeat that took 3 sets of 21-15, 10-21, 19-21 in a battle of 79 minutes. He was clearly heartbroken and the picture of him - courtesy of The Star holding back his tears at the medal presentation says it all. This would definitely be his last Olympic games, and it seem unlikely that we would be able to produce another badminton champion within the next 4 years to take on the mighty China giants.

But what touched me was the floodgates of support and backing from Malaysians from Facebook, Twitter and any social media possible. We were all behind Chong Wei. Put aside our racial, cultural and political differences. It doesn't matter that he didn't win the gold medal. Chong Wei has reunited the whole nation. And that is worth more than gold.

Dato' Lee, I'm proud of you. And I'm sure the whole nation is too.

28.04.12

...the day I chose to ride to in the hills, followed by an afternoon swim session.

...the day I updated my Facebook status about how well my ride went, whilst my Facebook homepage were flooded by updates of something else.

...the day that was pinned in my Facebook of an event that I replied maybe to attending, but didn't in the end.

...the day when all these happened, in a place I call home.

Photos taken from Kevin Loh's Facebook page

Bersih 3.0 rally, where people back home rallied for a clean election and a clean government (Bersih means clean in Malay). There was a gathering in Perth as well on the same day at the Malaysian embassy, but like I said I chose to go swimming instead.

To be honest, despite being very Malaysian at heart, I think I'm somewhat sheltered to happenings at home. But I am indeed proud of my fellow Malaysians for standing up for what they feel so strongly about. No, I won't put up any pictures or videos of people getting hurt during the protest, or any clips of some riots which got out of hand and somehow turned violent.

That's not the purpose of the rally. Sure things got out of hand, and without any in-depth knowledge I won't take sides or point fingers at anyone to take the blame. The rally united Malaysians from different races and different backgrounds, and I'm pretty sure the government got the message. Whether or not it translates to any changes, no one knows for sure. But the message was sent.

The world is not an evil place because of those who do evil, but rather because of those who sit back and let it happen - Albert Einstein

Life

This week, however is not all is bliss and joy. A close friend of ours had her grandmother passing away of old age. Reading what my friend wrote about her, she sounds like an amazing lady and there would be many wonderful memories to be remembered by.

And then a prominent figure in the cycling and running scene in Malaysia, passed away after collapsing during his morning run. Affectionately known as TSB, short for Tuan Senang Besar (Le Big Easy) because of his size was an advocate to raise awareness amongst Malaysians about cycling and running, and how things can be improved for cyclists, runners and motorists who share the roads.

I do now know my friend's grandmother or TSB personally. But they are both great people and their passing has touched me in some way. Their deaths will be mourned, but their lives will also be celebrated on how they have touched others, in one way or another.

Rest in peace...

Disconnected

We have exceeded our internet limit for the month. Will be on blogging hiatus for another week. Catch up then!

The gloved one

As we all now know, the tragic news about the death of Michael Jackson hit us just before the weekend. I was quite a Michael Jackson fan since I was a kid. I grew up to many of his songs. Smooth Criminal was my favourite.

My dad recalled vividly that when I was a child, at pasar malam, as the cassette tape sellers played his songs out loud on the radio, I used to dance up and down, along the congested pasar malam street. Trying to mimick his moves (though not very successfully).

And in high school, we staged many dances and plays based on his songs. I remember performing the following at our Leo Club installation. I also tried to mimick his moves then. This time slightly more successful. But there can only be ONE Michael Jackson.



Long live the King of Pop!

B-R-I-C-K solo

My gym membership expired about more than a week ago. I decided not to renew it. Thought that I needed more REAL cycling practice (and not spinning on the gym bikes). Also, as body toning is not any of the three legs in triathlons, I guess I can give the weights a bit of rest. Besides, I can always use the gym at the swim pool for FREE after my swim session.

I realised that I'm still very prone to getting leg cramps during the run leg after the bike in races. Need to train up the legs to get used to running after a bike ride. So I thought... why not make my Sunday (which used to be my gym day) a B-R-I-C-K day!

The plan was to do an approximately 60km bike ride followed by a 6km run. And I'm glad to say that after doing it for about 4 occasions now, my times are dropping! Well... it also got to do with the fact that I'm getting more familiar with the route... so I get lost less (even until now, I still miss a turn or TWO!) Been able to clock from 24kph to 25kph and now, 27kph average for the bike (a bit slower than race pace lah because cycling on bike paths and also less motivation when cycling alone) and from 4:25 per km to 4:22 per km and now, 4:17 per km average for the run.

Also, lately my usual 10km runs are done under 43 minutes (4:17 per km average), WOOHOO! Yes, half ironman training is going swell... and I haven't scheduled in a weekly 20km run yet. That would have to wait after all the sprint and Olympic distance races. Wouldn't want to slow down on my speed, would I?

I tried following a bike shop group ride with TBE about 2 weeks ago. I was of the impression that they do about 30kph average for a 50km ride... so, a pace that I can keep up with. BUT, obviously the website hasn't been updated as 15km into the ride, these guys were clocking about 40kph and they didn't seem like they were slowing down! I was left behind alone and had to slowly find my way back. Plus, they didn't really seem like a friendly bunch... so I guess I'll stick to my solo rides. Sigh, the cultural barrier between the Australians and us, Asians is something I have yet to break through.

********

The results from yesterday's general elections back home are out! (And I don't get to vote because I'm overseas!)

Our ruling government party has only won a SHOCKING simple majority of just over 1/2 of the parliamentary seats and not 2/3 as how it has been for the past decades. Looks like the rakyat have voiced their dissatisfaction of the government and it is time to change!

But with losing key states to the opposition parties, including my own hometown, Selangor... I ponder if the opposition is actually ready to take on this task.

This is going to be interesting...

Free n fun

The previous post highlighted my freedom from my CA exam yesterday. Jessica Simpson and Colin Powell were certainly NOT what I expected. Nicholas Tse actually has the same chinese name as I.

The CA exam was alright. I think because they have stuffed up the module so badly, they made the exam easier than everyone expected. This means most people should be able to pass but it may be harder to get a merit (top 5%).

Tried Domino's meat pie pizza for lunch to celebrate (I consider eating a whole pizza on my own celebrating hahhah). Verdict: NOT NICE. Pies and pizzas just don't go together. It had the pastry of the pie on top. The minced meat and green peas were in between the pastry and the pizza crust. It could be because mine wasn't done properly... as the onions were raw. Otherwise, would taste okay but still a bit weird.

My friend Marc treated us to Spiderman 3 yesterday... La Premiere (something like our Gold Class in Malaysia). The experience was indeed something different... having the lounge outside with free soft drink/coffee and pop corn refills. The seats were BIG... not very intimate for the couples *wink*.

The movie itself was... fun. It was entertaining but a bit predictable ala comic book style. Some parts were a bit draggy. I personally liked the 1st one best. But thanks, Marc! I really enjoyed the movie and I hope you would enjoy your Eye Toy!

Back to work today after 7 day break. This would be hard...

When I have nothing to do...

Doodling do...

When I was young, I always had an interest in art (as in drawing... and not photoshop, you new-age techy people!). I enrolled in art classes when I was 10 and had been going for those lessons until I was 17. I actually wanted to become a graphics designer or an architect... but nearing my later teens, as I took art as a subject in SPM, my interest in art faded... and art was just a subject that could help me get an extra grade. I no longer had the passion... drawing only to 'answer' the exam question.

Anyway, I never regretted taking the art lessons. I had won prizes in several art competitions thanks to them. I still believe I have a bit of artistic views in me, that made me look at things in a more interesting way. So here's a tiny tribute to my art teacher... he has actually seen me grow from the little kid in primary school to the adolescent teenager in the end of my high school days. Mr Nick Loong... he always drove a yellow Fiat Coupe. I sat in his car a few times, and he'll VROOM VROOM... Not sure whether he's still driving the same car. The ladies in my family think he's very good looking. I remember the first day I went for class, and my lil' sis (who should only be 7 then) was charmed by his good looks and wanted to enrol too! He should be nearing 40s now... wonder whether he's still not married hahah.

Just so to clarify that I did not randomly suddenly think of my art teacher... here's a news article that came out in The Star today... that brought me back the memories... I wish Mr Nick all the best!

Intro...

After having visited several blogs during my free time, namely, sister's, girlfriend's, close friends', not-so-close friends', I have been greatly influenced to start one of my own. Also because I was bored lah. Hopefully this stays and I would be able to commit to this.

Anyway, story of my life, a senior accountant working in KPMG Perth for the 3rd year running. Nope, I don't have a permanent establishment here in Perth. But certain crossroads in my life have brought me here ... and I can't say that I can complain at all.

Life has been good to me, most if not all have been falling into place. This may sound show-off or anti-religious to some, but I believe that a person's outcome in life is mostly affected by his/her attitude. I mean, put it this way, when you generally have a good outlook on things, most things won't bother you, and you would generally have good life all the way, ala my blog title. BUT don't get me wrong, I am thankful to God for life so far. I attribute all the good things that have happened to me to him. Confused? Let me put this in a different analogy, if your friend bakes you a cake, which isn't too bad but not too great either, and you criticize him/her like mad... you can say goodbye to cakes! But if you kept an open mind, thought how nice your friend was, there would be more cakes to come, and with more practice, the cakes would taste better in time to come. Okay, enough nonsense already. Otherwise this new blog of mine would remain unvisited.

My interests (and obsession)... triathlon. Which was another reason why I decided to start this blog anyway. After reading numerous race reports from sis, sis's friends, sis's acquantances, sis's stalkers :P I kind of feel left out, not having to share my side of the story too. Former school swimmer in my teens (not good enough to get pass state level :P) , took up running as endurance came naturally with the arduous swimming training. Still suck at the bike though, but slowly improving. My weekly routine consist of Monday, Wednesday, Friday =8.5k run; Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday =swim session with UWA squad, averaging 3.5k per session; and Sunday =4 hours in the gym, comprising of weight classes and bike spinning. Yeah, some triathlete I am... I can't even get myself out in the windy weather of Perth riding on a REAL bike.

Here's the most yeng picture I can find. Sorry, it is a bit small (I'm shy). Originally plan to load it onto my profile, but after several failed attempts and having deleted my blog numerous times (I thought I had to delete my blog to reset my profile. IT whiz, I'm not!), the only place I could put it up is here. Yup, feedback from experienced bloggers most welcomed!

So here's to a new year, new blog and hopefully it would be around for quite some time. Did I mention I have difficulties committing to anything long term (apart from my wonderful relationship with my girlfriend. Hehheh, don't worry, hon)? That's why I don't play computer games that involves strategy. Only like those fight-fight ones that give you cheap thrills. Then again, can't remember the last time I played a computer game.