Being Mervs

Delay to Sipadan Post

2009-10-18T20:45:00.006+08:00

Hi all. I'm back from my trip to Sipadan. However, the update I promised is on hold for now because I'm busy picking up a new skill - Photoshop.

So far, here's what I've picked up.
Give me a week or so and I'll tell you all about my wonderful vacation, complete with photographs. Cheers!

Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort

2009-09-13T16:52:00.008+08:00

So far I've only accomplished one dive trip this year - Tioman back in May. It's kind of disappointing yet with the way things are going, it couldn't be helped.

At least nothing's coming between me and my next dive trip. On 7th October 2009, we're scheduled to fly to Tawau, Sabah, where we'll be picked up and driven to the small seaside town of Semporna. From there, it's a quick boat ride down south to Kapalai where I'll be spending a good 4 days in paradise!

There's only one resort on Kapalai island - which is technically just a sand bar. Note the satellite image courtesy of google maps.

View Larger Map

That's the resort we'll be based at during our stay. During this time, apart from the diving, Robert & Grace will also be taking the opportunity to capture some pictures in paradise for the pre-wedding photo album. Trust me when I say the pictures are going to turn out gorgeous.

And if you think that's the highlight, think again. Both of them are getting pretty hyped up to trash the dress. We're going to be putting Soon Yean's underwater photography skills to the test. I will of course be down there with them just for the heck of it.

I'll have to stop here for now... but I promise there will be one very long post, if not multiple posts when we come back.

I can't wait. I can't wait!

Off Road

2009-08-24T22:29:00.005+08:00

For the lack of inspiration, updates are rare. But here's something worth penning down - yesterday's riding at Bukit Kiara.

I've been talking to Kennie over the last couple of weeks on training for a triathlon. If you've followed my ramblings, you know I'm keen but have been putting it off all this while. Well, Kennie's already started his training and has even completed his first full marathon. Now's he's all hyped up about biking.

As we both only have mountain bikes to begin with, we went along with his idea to take a ride to Bukit Kiara yesterday afternoon. The ride from home to Taman Tun was a good warm up... which left me without enough energy to get myself up the hill. Wound up pushing the bike instead.

Then came the bright idea of going off road. If you didn't know, Kiara hill is full of off road bike trails. What we didn't realize was that it's really easy to get lost if you're not familiar with those part of the woods because it's so FULL of off road bike trails. Naturally, don't expect to find any sign boards in there.

Kennie's ability to ride far exceeds mine and he was well ahead of me going up the hill in the jungle. I lost him within the first 10 minutes of entering the jungle. As I prodded along hoping to catch up to him round the next bend, and the next turn, and the next slope, no sign of him.

To make things worse, I was being swarmed by mosquitoes, much like my last experience in that same jungle some 2 years back when I first got my bike. Again I was lost. And every time I lost balance and fell off the bike, I was just as quick to jump back on to avoid having any mozzies land on my exposed arms and legs. Didn't even get a chance to stop for a drink, let alone pick up the phone to call Kennie. But then again what was I going to do? Pick up the phone to ask for directions??

"Um yea, landmarks... I see trees... mosquitoes... dirt... mud... more trees. So which way should I go again? A left at the next tree... right! Oh which tree would that be again?"

Naturally, the lost got... er... LOST-ER! I was pushing my bike along in the woods for well over an hour trying to find a convenient exit to a tarmac road, but to no avail. I finally chanced upon an opening, at which end I could see a I nice tall condominium. Sadly, I was standing at the top of a cliff which towered 10m over the road below. Wandered around a bit more before finally finding a path which led out to that God-sent road.

Lo and behold, I was in front of Kiaramas Ayuria. No idea where that was. First instinct was to drink water. Then call Kennie. He had no idea where Kiaramas Ayuria either. Worse still, the poor chap was even more lost than me.

Anyway, turns out Kiaramas is in Mont' Kiara / Desa Sri Hartamas area - a good half hour away by road to where I first started out. Sure it would have been nearer to go back through the woods but I knew better.

Finally rode back to the guard house at the bottom of Bukit Kiara where we began. Waited there another half hour before Kennie finally found his way out of the jungle, at the Equestrian Club. Took him a bit to reach me. He showed up all muddy. LOL! Apparently he wanted to wait for me early along the trail, but the mosquitoes just wouldn't have that and chased him all the way.

Well, this experience has taught me to stick to the road. More biking to come!

Underwater Bubble Rings

2009-08-07T15:35:00.000+08:00

Check out the video. Awesome stuff. I want to have a go at that the next time I'm in the water!

Ageing

2009-08-06T13:03:00.002+08:00

I celebrated my 27th almost a month ago and forgot create a post about it. I cannot begin to stress enough how important it is to blog about one's birthday. I'm secretly hoping that this applies to everyone and not just only me.

During the week of my birthday this year, I started to wonder what I did for my birthday last year. I couldn't remember.

I ask my girlfriend but she ended up relating my surprise birthday-do from 2007 instead. And I thought I had a bad memory.

So I resorted to asking my two closest buddies. One of them went with the 2007 story. S2pit! The other one had the decency to admit that he can't remember.

Alas, even my blog has no post on my birthday in 2008. So here I am, making sure that what I did for my birthday in 2009 is recorded, although a bit late. :)

9 July Lunch - Bought lunch for AccuCap at Decanter in D'sara Heights.

9 July dinner - Birthday dinner with Mom, Dad & Joanne at home. Mom cooked, and Joanne tapau-ed some additional dishes from the nearby restaurant. The was a cake too, and a photo of me without a shirt on.

10 July - Happy hour with Lee & co. Went to this place called "Parking" in Kota Damansara - not so happening. We hopped on to After-5 at Damansara Perdana. Lots of beer! Kenny failed to get Yen's number.

11 July Dinner - Joanne organized a surprise dinner with my dearest group of friends. Steamboat in Sunway. Those present: Mervyn, Joanne, Elizabeth, Yen, Jessie, Robert, Grace, Soon Yean, June, Chee How, Wei Wei, Jason, Tomo, Chow Phang.

11 July After Dinner - 69 Bistro in Damansara Perdana (right next to After-5). Cake cutting.

And yes... I did figure out what I did for 2008 birthday - nothing special. The closest thing to a celebration we had was Jo's house warming in Damansara Perdana. But it wasn't actually to celebrate my birthday. Just a pot-luck get-together.

So my dear friends, let me re-cap by saying - LOG YOUR BIRTHDAYS... even if you did nothing special. Coz with each additional candle on the cake the ability to remember the event fades.

Men's Health Night Run 09

2009-07-27T15:53:00.006+08:00

Long story short - I completed my first >10km running event.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/malaysia/putrajaya/595124854344947533"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;07/26/2009 Shape Men Health Run 2009&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/find-run/malaysia/putrajaya"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Runs in Putrajaya, Malaysia&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;
It was also my first proper running event because the 5km Fun Run at KL Marathon was botched (read previous post).

Heck, even on a normal day I barely manage to finish a 5km training run. So completing this 11.5km is something I'm quite happy about.

According to Robert who paced with me all the way, we completed the course in 1hr 21mins. That's an average speed of 8.5kmph - not bad at all for my first time. But I'm sure Robert would have done it in about an hour had he gone on his own.Nonetheless, his encouragement and the added pressure of not wanting him to be too slow because of me kept me going. When we saw the "4km To Go" hoarding I was all ready to give up. But it just wouldn't do Robert justice if I did so I pressed on and completed the entire run. Moral of the story - running with a buddy can go a long way.
All in all I didn't really prepare myself that well. Though I have been running short distances regularly for 2 months now, I didn't bother much with the pre-run regime. Didn't pay too much attention to keeping myself properly hydrated and I wasn't well-rested either. I only had 1 meal on the day of the run and I even went out for happy hour the night before, leaving me with diarrhea throughout the day of the run.

Must be good next time. Mizuno Wave Run on 25 Oct 2009.

Of Late

2009-07-05T22:01:00.004+08:00

It's been a busy period for me, thus the lack of updates. Here are a few just for the record.

Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2009
It was my first running event. I signed up for the 5km fun run just to try it out. Truth be told I really enjoyed the running as I prepared weeks before the event. So much so that I looked forward to finishing work on time just to go home to do my usual 3.3km round the neighborhood.

The 5km event itself was a disappointment. I was at the back of the group of I don't know how many people at the start of the run. If I had to guess, 5000 maybe? It really sucked that I wanted to run but couldn't because everyone around me just began by walking. Had to slowly weave my way through the hordes of people. This alone is enough reason for me to want to try the 10km. Hopefully people actually run!

What's more, the route wasn't clearly marked and someone in front decided to take a wrong turn, with the whole group following. We wound up back at the start only 3km on. Didn't get to run the full 5km.

Next run - Men's Health Run '09 on 25/Jul. I signed up for the 11.5km just for kicks. Have to start improving my stamina immediately.

Work at Desaru
Reason I've been so tied up with work these past couple of weeks is because I've been heavily involved in one of my company's projects to supply IT hardware for Lotus Group's new resort in Desaru, Johor.

Bulk of the work was in the planning and coordinating of the delivery of goods. The past 3 days was spent on-site setting up their over-spec-ed server and office PC's. It was a lot of waiting around as the office was barely ready for our arrival, but good fun just the same.

MIDE 2009
I was in a big hurry to finish up at Desaru so that I would have my Sunday free to visit the Malaysia International Dive Expo at PWTC. Today's their final day. I had only one intent which was to find good rates for our upcoming dive trip to Sipadan. It's a big crowd of 14 people so I wanted to make sure we got some good rates.

Funny thing is that this time I was surrounded by dive gear left, right and center, all on promotion, but I wasn't at all tempted to purchase anything. I guess I've already spent more than necessary and own all the equipment I really need to enjoy a good dive. The only money spent this round was RM25 for a stainless steel pointer, since I have a fair eye at spotting stuff underwater.

Quick check based on one of my previous post More Diving...
To-do list before next trip:
- Tusa Passage due for service.
- Atomic Aquatics B2 due for annual check.
- Suunto Mosquito 3 bars battery left and quite unstable - buy battery replacement just in case.
- Lubricate wheels and zips for bag.
- Clean & lubricate torchlight o-rings.
- Buy motion sickness pills. CHECKED
- Buy metal rod. CHECKED
- Check new Atomic subframe ARC mask for fogging, bring extra toothpaste if necessary. CHECKED

We've decided to drop plans to dive over Merdeka weekend as we're once again reminded that we don't have bottomless wallets.

Still 3.3

2009-06-19T13:49:00.003+08:00

The KL Marathon is right round the corner. 28 June is a mere 9 days away. Can't say my training has been going very well. Even with running 2-3 times a week, I'm still at the point of collapse after a mere 3.3km round the neighbourhood. Wish I started training earlier.

Oh well, no point crying over spilt milk. It's not like I won't be able to finish the 5km. Just that it'll probably take a bit longer than I hoped.

Funny thing... belly is growing. Sighhhh....

Run 20090609

2009-06-10T12:00:00.002+08:00

Yesterday's run was a bit better than my last run. Same route, but I managed to complete the entire route at a consistent non-walking pace. And I shaved 3 minutes off the time. On top of that, I didn't come to work this morning with aching leg muscles. The 2 storey climb up the staircase didn't feel any different from any other time I climb the stairs.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/malaysia/petaling-jaya/849124443356766700"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;3.3km Route&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/find-run/malaysia/petaling-jaya"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Runs in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Thank you Unkaleong for introducing me to mapmyrun.com. It's a pretty cool site. If you're a fitness junkie you should check it out.

Running Around

2009-06-08T11:10:00.003+08:00

I didn't get to run over the weekend. Not sure if it's any consolation, but I did run around a great deal instead.

T'was Teong & Beth's wedding weekend. Friday night dinner at Beth's house; Saturday morning running from the bride's house to the dim sum shop, then to the groom's house, then back to the bride's house, then back to the grooms house, then back home for a quick nap, then down to KL Convex for work-related matters, then a quick dash to Sime Darby Convex for the wedding dinner reception and lots of photos, then to meet Jim on work-related matters, before finally heading home.

Congrats to Mr & Mrs Koh Yew Teong. A lovely couple indeed, and a wedding affair to remember. Highlights were many - including the bride's sister Kimberley's flash animation which was rather cute; And also the father of the groom's most impressive and unique speech.

Mr Koh addressed the crowd with his son and new daughter-in-law's love story, filled with songs which he sang remarkably well. The 4 or 5 songs he sang made his speech not unlike a musical, and it left both bride & groom in tears. What a touching experience it must have been for the both of them.

Sunday was less hectic, but hectic nonetheless. As you can imagine, Saturday's affairs left both Jo & I exhausted and we only got out of bed at 11am on Sunday. I had made prior arrangements for 17 of us to attend U-maiya's weekend lunch buffet at 11.30am. If you're wondering why so many people, the lunch was a get together of some of Jo's closest friends to celebrate her birthday, which is today. Happy Birthday dear!

Lunch was fantastic with U-maiya's food as delicious as ever. RM55.20net per person might sound like a lot to pay for a meal, but I cannot deny the fact that the amount, variety and quality of the food is unbeatable.Even the bride and groom after a hectic wedding day before, managed to join us for lunch. We're all big fans of U-maiya's buffet.

After lunch we headed to D'sara Perdana for a while before heading home. A quick nap later, I was off to D'sara Perdana again for an evening meeting with some business associates to discuss our upcoming plans. Without realizing it, 2.5 hrs past and I was already due to be down at KL Convex again. Not even enough time for dinner. Upon meeting my client down in KL, he said we still have time so I mentioned that I'd run over to Suria KLCC for a quick bite before returning. Moments later, I instead found myself sitting down to eat at the buffet setup for the event's secretariat. Such wonderful hosts these people are.

After my second buffet of the day, it was a 3 hour wait for their big boss to passby during his pre-event walk-around. A 30-second glance from the hall's large doors and then he was off again. Reminds me of a theme park ride, only worse. At least in Disneyland you wait 30 minutes for 30 seconds of fun. Here, it was 3 hours for 30 seconds of nothing.

Oh well, such is work. And now that the weekend is over, what do you know? Back to work. I want my weekend back!

Run 20090604

2009-06-04T20:08:00.002+08:00

The route I charted for today's run was recalculated to be 3.3km, approximately. I finished it in 25 minutes. Wasn't able to keep a consistent pace throughout the course. Slowed down to a brisk walk for about 100m when I hit the slight incline half way through.

Oh well, I've decided to stick to this route for now. At least till I can finish it within 20 minutes before rerouting.

Running

2009-06-03T10:54:00.004+08:00

Not sure if I've mentioned here before, but I've registered to run in the Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2009 to be held on 28 of June.

No, I'm not doing the full marathon. 42km is a bit too much for someone who only runs 1km on a treadmill at the gym for warm ups. But they're having a 5km fun run at the KL Marathon so I figured why the hell not.

Got started with my first round-the-neighborhood run yesterday. This was the trail I took.
Robert, who's an avid runner, and will be running the full 42km in KL Marathon, advised me to start off and see if I can do a full 20 minute run without stopping. Well, I managed the above route in 20 minutes. Approximately 2.5km covered, so I guess I was pacing myself at a mere 7.5kmph. A little bit disappointing considering I normally run at 11kmph on the treadmill.

Truth be told, I don't remember the last time I ran 2.5km. And my legs were quite sore after last night's run.

Anyway, I've only got under 4 weeks to get myself running 5km. So let's up the ante. Tomorrow's route shall be...
If Google is correct, this route is about 3.5km. Wish me luck!

All Packed

2009-05-28T16:22:00.003+08:00

I finally got around to packing up all my dive gear properly and putting it all away - wetsuits & BC hung nicely in the cupboard; everything else packed neatly in the dive bag.

No, I didn't leave everything in a mess this past month. They were mostly all in their place except for a few items, such as my new mask which I left with Dragonet for some serious defogging maintenance. Only just collected it yesterday.

So, as I was saying, everything's all packed away nicely already... at least until the next trip. If all goes well, that would be to Redang over the Merdeka weekend. God forbid it will be crowded, but with everyone running low on finances and annual leave we don't have much choice.

Seems like everyone has already saved up their annual leave for our 5-day trip to Sipadan in October. Can't wait really! As it stands, there are 13 of us who have already bought our airtickets. More are welcome. We're now waiting for some good offers to surface during the upcoming Malaysia International Dive Expo (MIDE) 3-5 July 2009. Hopefully they throw promotions which will bring the price of a 5d4n diving package below RM2k.

Can't wait can't wait!

Wandering

2009-05-27T11:02:00.002+08:00

I find myself idling a little lately, and it's not because of a lack of things to do. If I were my own therapist, which I usually am, my diagnosis is that I'm failing to keep myself properly occupied.

The whole problem with having idle time is that my mind starts to wander. I'm somewhat incapable of just shutting down and stoning... I bet most of you are very much the same.

Don't get me wrong, I know some of the most brilliant thoughts ever, sprout when we idle (some people call it meditation, I call it idling). However, when I'm left idling, the thoughts which pop into my head tend to lack positivity these days. That tends to result in a sudden mood swing which leaves me feeling depressed and lacking energy and motivation after.

Chocolates help, for a while. Sex helps, for a while. Working out helps too, for a while. So far I haven't found any lasting remedies to the repeated state of depression. However, I believe if I improve on my routine, I can prevent myself from even going there. As they say - prevention is better than cure.

There are 3 states I tend to find myself in:-

Productively occupied
Unoccupied
Unproductively occupied

While number 2 is bad, I think number 3 is the worst - "No future"! Especially when we're in denial and keep trying to convince ourselves that what we're doing is entirely necessary. Such a sad and sorry state. I'm only judging myself here - do not take offense.

Right now, I just have to focus on handing myself productive tasks, and then completing them one by one to the best of my ability. The rest should fall in place.

New Phone

2009-05-18T23:45:00.003+08:00

Today I went to work with my usual Sony Ericsson Z610 in my pocket. I returned home with my Sony Ericsson Z610 plus a brand new Samsung M610.
It's a simple phone without all the fancy nonsense I used to pay so much good money for. However, it does have just about everything I require to use as a secondary phone, housing my new company Digi corporate line. The phone came free from Digi.

Like I said, it ain't much, but it does look pretty neat. Much like my old Samsung SGH-D500, and later on SGH-D600 which is now in the hands of my brother.

I came home this evening proudly with new phone in hand and guess what I find?
My dad's boss gave him a brand new iPhone 16GB. Killjoy doesn't even begin to describe it!

Tioman Underwater Pics

2009-05-10T22:58:00.004+08:00

Hey ho! Soon Yean's underwater pictures are now available on Facebook. If you're not able to view them in Facebook, here are a few to tickle your fancy.

That's me holding on to my surface marker during our 3 minutes safety stop.

Terra batfish

Devilfish

Some crab playing hide-n-seek

Salang's resident moray under the jetty

Peeping hermit

Nudibranch orgy

Another nudibranch... nice colors.

Nudibranch with eggs

Another moray

Nemo!

Mr Turtle

Got to admit that Soon Yean's photography is starting to look really good. Very soon we'll be looking at his photos being published in magazines!

More Diving

2009-05-10T00:45:00.003+08:00

It's only been a week since we got back from diving. And here we're already almost done planning our next dive trip - Merdeka weekend at Redang. It's going to be super duper crowded at Pasir Panjang, but I think we'll have a blast if there's a beach party to count down to Merdeka.

To-do list before next trip:
- Tusa Passage due for service.
- Atomic Aquatics B2 due for annual check.
- Suunto Mosquito 3 bars battery left and quite unstable - buy battery replacement just in case.
- Lubricate wheels and zips for bag.
- Clean & lubricate torchlight o-rings.
- Buy motion sickness pills.
- Buy metal rod.
- Check new Atomic subframe ARC mask for fogging, bring extra toothpaste if necessary.

And slightly over a month after Merdeka dive, we're off to dive at Mabul, Kapalai & Sipadan! Can't wait can't wait!

Salang @ Tioman - 1-3 May 2009

2009-05-07T09:34:00.004+08:00

This trip was a long wait since my last dive in August last year. The trip to Tioman was for 4 Open Water Diver students and 3 Advanced Open Water Diver students to get certified... and also 3 leisure divers to get themselves wet. :) I logged dive# 29-33 over the weekend.

It was quite a bargain as we managed to squeeze 10 people into 2 rooms, each person only paying about RM66 for the 2 nights. There was also the RM70 return ferry transfer from Tanjung Gemuk. Normally ferries to Tioman depart from Mersing. But the holiday rush prompted some operators to have additional ferry services go between Tg Gemuk - Tioman.

We dived with Fisherman Dive Centre, located right next to Salang Indah Resort. Leisure divers paid RM80/dive, assuming we had our own equipment. It was RM90/dive inclusive of full set of rental equipment.

The staff at Fisherman were generally friendly towards us. Affian, their resident divemaster was very accommodating and helpful. But I heard from the students that their instructors were very strict and fierce with them in the water. I guess they take their work quite seriously. No fault there.

Overall, diving was good. The poor visibility on most dives didn't deter us much even though Soon Yean and I lost the group twice on the same dive. I even got lost on my own on one of the dives. Training as well as instinct led me to search underwater for a minute and then surface to see if maybe my buddy or divemaster surfaced to look for me. They didn't. I also couldn't spot their bubble trail so I swam back to the boat where the boatman suggested that instead of wasting the rest of the dive, I should dive near the boat for another 20mins or so.

That was a fair recommendation so I went down again solo, keeping to the shallower reefs and circling the boat. Diving alone is very leisurely. There was no need to rush just to keep up with the group so I could actually just take my time to scour the reef for interesting marine life. It was there which I spotted a small yellow eel swimming between some staghorn coral, a blue spotted ray, and some other stuff we'd usually miss while trying to keep with a large group. I see why some people prefer diving in small groups, or with just their buddy.

I know I promised pictures but I forgot to bring my camera with me to Tioman. Waiting for Soon Yean to touch up the pictures we took underwater, then I'll post some here.

Atomic Aquatics

2009-04-30T03:35:00.007+08:00

I just bought myself a brand-spanking-new mask & snorkel from Atomic Aquatics. I'm not exactly sure why though. For kicks I guess... I don't know.

Upon arriving home and going through my gear, I realize that I've actually got quite a number of items from Atomic Aquatics.

When I first started diving, right down to my first pool session, I've been diving with the Red/Black Subframe mask. An awesome mask from every aspect, except that it fogs up quite easily when I neglect to apply antifog.

At the very same time, I also invested in a pair of Atomic Aquatics Splitfins, red in color of course. Very hefty investment, but worth every sen paid because the performace is nothing short of impressive.

When I finally saved up enough to get myself a regulator, reading various reviews around just naturally pointed me to the brand of choice for my regulator. Choosing between their titanium (T2) and brass (B2) versions was difficult but in the end I settled for the more economical one - the B2.

At the same time, the local Atomic Aquatics dealer was throwing a promotion for the regulator, offering a hefty discount on it. If that wasn't already enough of a reason to make the purchase, they even threw in the safe seconds (SS1) unit as part of the package. What a bargain I tell you!

Today, I came home with what I'd like to think of as an upgrade. Their Subframe mask with Anti Reflective Coating (ARC)...

Paired with their SV1 snorkel.

My snorkel is actually clear & black in color, but I couldn't find a picture available online.

Got admit, it didn't come cheap even after a generous discount from my regular dive centre.

All in all, Atomic Aquatics has lined up a very nice range diving equipment. They look good and perform well beyond expectations. Though their pricing is almost always higher, the premium quality you get from these guys just makes it all worth while.

Any Updates?

2009-04-28T02:45:00.002+08:00

Just got a comment asking for updates. Didn't realize there are still people coming here. I'm sorry if you've been coming back time and time again hoping that an update will miraculously appear. It was never my intention to disappoint.

Anyway, I'm off to Tioman to dive this weekend. Promise you some updates when I get back. Pictures will be included... cross my heart!

Quacking Ducks

2009-01-20T10:17:00.002+08:00

Have you heard the Digi ad on radio lately? There's the sound of duck quacking, followed by 3 echoes of the quack.

If you're familiar with the Internet, you've probably received forwarded emails listing some strange "facts", like...
Pigs cannot look up towards the sky.
It is physically impossible to lick your elbow.

One of the statements I remember distinctly was that a duck's quack does not echo. As this wasn't the first time I was hearing such a claim, I thought it was true.

Getting back to the Digi, if a duck's quack does not echo, that would mean that Digi's advertising was politically incorrect? Right?

Wrong. It seems Digi's advertising arm is as good as ever. Apparently a duck's quack does produce an echo. Read here.

With that settled... back to work.

Unfit

2009-01-14T10:13:00.003+08:00

Yesterday was my third and final session of PushMore's foundation course. The three 1hr-session course is aimed at beginners who are unfamiliar with the exercises which make up PushMore's Workout of the Day (WOD).

The first session covered simple body weight exercises which are commonly used for warming up... skipping, squats, pushups, pullups, stretches, situps, etc. Honestly, at my fitness level, their recommended warmup exhausts me already. And that's before I even start the WOD

During the second session, we practiced what we learnt during the first session and then went into more technical stuff, like working with dumbbells and kettlebells.

Yesterday's session we went through again everything we've learnt so far, and did some advanced kettlebell exercises. It was really insightful getting a lesson from Jonathan, who appeared on the front cover of December's issue of Men's Health Malaysia, and regularly contributes articles to the magazine.

All said and done, this experience has thought me one thing - I'm so unfit. The first session left me sore all around the chest, shoulders and back, mainly due to the pushups and pullups. The second session left me with sore thighs, due to the numerous squats & pushpresses we did. The third and final session leaves me with an extremely sore back... kettlebell swings, KB cleans, KB highpulls, KB snatch. I have now confirmed my long time suspicions of having an extremely weak lower back. Even bending over the sink to wash my face this morning was excruciating.

What an experience indeed. I'm so looking forward to continuing at PushMore. Everyone there is so friendly and it's quite a nice environment. The best part of all has got to be the WOD. Something new to look forward to everyday. Awesome!

Will probably begin my membership there when they reopen after the weeklong CNY break. In the mean time, will be doing their recommended warmup regularly. Also lacking terribly on the stamina part. Haih...

Back!

2009-01-09T16:31:00.003+08:00

Did you miss me? LOL!

We all get caught up sometimes. But here's me saying I'm going to resume blogging, from time to time.

I'd like to wish everyone a Happy New Year!

I haven't found the time or the inspiration to recap 2008 yet... but here's what I'm looking forward to in 2009, in no particular order.

1. I want to dive! Tentatively planned for Tioman in mid May and Sipadan from 7-11 Oct. Hopefully one more trip will find its way into 2009 too.

2. Pushmore! I'm just getting myself started at Pushmore. It's a lot of fun... and I seem to get a kick out of going home sore each time. Let's see what 1 year with Pushmore does to me. Will take a before and after photo for comparison at the end of 2009. Possibly some updates on performance from time to time as well.

3. Photography... more and more people I know seem to be going into photography. The interest is catching on. Truth be told, my knowledge on the subject is limited. I only know how to use point and shoot.... which I literally use as point and shoot. I'm determined to do some reading and practice with the point & shoot in manual mode, if it even has one. Maybe later on I'll move into DSLR. I find the Nikon D90 quite attractive. Will post pictures now and then.

4. My love life with Jo is as good as ever. Almost two years already. Though we have our ups and downs like everyone else, we get through it nonetheless. All in all things are good and I'm looking forward to yet another great year with her this 2009.

5. The company's performance was appaling during the 3rd quarter of 2008 and there wasn't much doubt that it was going to be the company's worst year ever. 4th quarter proved us wrong and business just boomed contrary to the economic situation. 2008 has turned into the company's best year ever. So proud of us! Look ahead, I like to think that we're on a roll and that we're heading for even greener pastures.

6. Making some personal changes. I'm in the habit of waking up at the last minute, taking a quick shower, getting dressed and zooming out of the house. I think this year I'm going to make a conscious effort to wake up earlier... say 7am-7.30am on a daily basis. If it's not a Pushmore day, I'll sit down with mom & dad to read the morning paper. I've always admired how they manage to do so morning after morning.

7. Personal finances. If you've known me for long, you'll know that I'm not one who's very good at managing personal finances. Quick to make money, but quicker to spend it. Tough. From what I gather, the lack of a financial goal is what's lacking. So for 2009, I'm committing to putting a financial plan together and working towards it. It'll be a pleasant change to see a 5 digit balance in my savings account by the end of the year.

So that's me officially kicking off 2009's resolutions. Wish me luck. I wish all of you the same. Cheers to 2009!

Dive No. 28

2008-09-02T10:07:00.002+08:00

My 2nd dive of 2008 Merdeka day at Paku Kecil, Redang. I haven't logged dives online for a long time, but this one I just have to. Jellyfish!

It wasn't till 10 minutes into the dive when I came across the first jellyfish. I admired it a little and swam along. Soon after, a few more started showing up around the reef. Had to push my dive guide down a little because he was about to put his head right into the tentacles of a jellyfish floating right above him. *phew*

Before even realizing it, we were surrounded by jellyfish. Forget many... it was an entire armada. Apparently it's jellyfish season over there... mainly because of the lack of underwater currents. Can't say I wasn't warned, but I only had time for 2 dives and I really didn't want to waste the opportunity.

For the record, the field of jellyfish in Pixar's Finding Nemo wasn't accurately represented. After watching the cartoon, I thought that jelly fish all swam in one direction, with their heads upright... kind of like mushrooms. Well, the jellyfish armada I had the misfortune of swimming through seemed to be heading in multiple directions, with tentacles stringing all over the place.

Suffice to say, it was impossible to pay attention to anything other than avoiding jellyfish. I was beginning to think that it would take a miracle to complete the dive without either of us being stung.

I guess I was blessed with a miracle afterall. Although it wasn't much of a dive and I didn't get to truly enjoy the dive, this was certainly one dive to remember!

Looking Good

2008-08-12T09:40:00.003+08:00

As my boss so bluntly puts it, I'm being a fa-hai right now. In the office but doing other stuff like updating my blog while doing work.

Have you surfed Facebook or Friendster much lately? I'm linked up with so many friends it's hard to keep track even with the use of these two sites. Many of these people are from my past, back in high school, primary school, some even date back to when we were toddling - family friends I mean. Don't keep in touch all that much anymore.

Sometimes I get random updates through the two F-sites, and I must say it's quite interesting to see how people change... at least on the outside. Honestly, I have no clue how most of these people have grown inside since I was last 'connected' with them. But judging from the looks of some of the photos uploaded, people do change.

I still remember some of these people looking all nerdy and shit, in their uniforms back in the day. Look at them now. The guys have grown... looking smart and sleek. The gals, some of them can make any man's jaw drop... hot as hell. The funny thing is I don't remember these people looking like that back then.

Haha... change - inevitable!

080808

2008-08-08T17:41:00.002+08:00

Nothing oh-so-important to blog about at the moment because time is not my best friend right now. Nonetheless, I wanted to post something today simply because of the significant date. Very himbo I know. Laugh at me!

In any case, here's something from chiewgirl's multiply which I chanced upon while surfing randomly. Hope she doesn't mind. I'm sure many of us could use some advice in this area of life... I know I do.
________________________
ANNIVERSARIES
Always celebrate! Whether it's the 1st or the 50th, each year together is a triumph.

APPRECIATION
Let each other know how much you appreciate each other. You may already know but hearing it from each other is always better.

BEST FRIENDS
Be best friends preferably before being boyfriend-girlfriend. Take time to know each other so the relationship will be a deep one. Tell each other about your crushes, dreams and problems. Make sure he/she is your best friend before getting engaged. The strong bond of friendship will help you both survive tough times.

BOND
Make it a point to spend time together often but leave room for each other. Also spend time alone w/ each other, so that at the end of the day you could both share your experiences. This way, you stay interesting with your partner.

COMPLIMENTS
Always compliment each other. This will prevent feelings of resentment & thinking that one is being taken for granted.

DATE
Keep doings things that you both enjoy, do them together. Make time & continue to date to keep the romance - look good, smell good to maintain physical attraction

DIFFERENCES
Celebrate differences. Never force your ideologies down each other's throat. Give up trying to turn your partner into you. Accept differences, appreciate them.

FIGHTS
Fight w/the aim to resolve the issue. Don't outdo each other. The longer you extend the fight. The more chances that you'll say something hurtful that you don't really mean. As mad as you were w/ your partner, he/she is still the person who laughs at your jokes & thinks you're hot. Hear each other out, don't dig up old issues. Choose your battles. Make sure the fight will be worth it & that something will change in the relationship as a result of the fight.

FLAWS
Know that the perfect person does not exist. Know that just as there are things that you love about him/her, there will be things that will make you go crazy. We are only human with our own flaws.

FUN
Have fun together! This means keeping the fun & spontaneity that was there in the early days. Allow yourselves to get silly. Being able to make each other laugh & see the lighter, crazier, absurd side is the best way to get through all the differences in personalities, adjustments in lifestyle & opposing viewpoints.

GOALS
Make sure you have similar goals. It would be difficult to keep your bond intact if your views are complete opposite.

GRUDGES
Quit tabulating grudges. Let it off. Discuss it, then trash it, don't recycle it.

KEEPING IT HOT
Keep it hot by traveling to diff. places together. A new setting will do wonders. Always have skin contact - be it holding hands, a massage or just plain leg rubbing.

HONESTY
Don't lie or hide things. The problem will only get bigger.

KNOW EACH OTHER
Learn each other's interest. It really keeps the conversation flowing!

HUG
A hug can be far better more intimate than a kiss.

IDENTITY
Don't lose your personality - that's why he/she fell in love w/you. Have separate interest & activities to keep your individual, & to be able to contribute more to the relationship.

INDEPENDENCE
Having your own income means you're the boss in your life.

IN-LAWS
Make rooms for the in-laws.

INTENTIONS
Wish each other well. Don't wish each other worst

ISSUES
Speak up about the awkward stuff now, like money & sex. The earlier, the better.

LISTEN
Listen, listen, listen. Hear each other out especially during arguments.

LOOK GOOD
Mind your appearance! Stay fit & healthy for each other.

LOVE
It all boils down to your love, chemistry & respect for each other.

MEMORIES
Remind each other of the old days. Do something that you used to do for each other before. It may even be corny but it made you two together. Experience new things together- from dining into a new restaurant to experiencing street food together to exploring to new places. It's the little surprises that make great memories.

MIND READING
No matter how long you've been together, do not think that you can read each other's mind.

NEEDS
Be good to yourself, then be good to your partner. That's what love is all about. Think about your partner. Will it make him/her happy? Will she/he enjoy it? Consider each other's feelings. Be very attentive & sensitive to each other's needs, physically & emotionally, that way your partner learns to do the same for you. Never take your partner for granted.

PRIORITIES
If one says it's important, then it is! Prioritize each other among other things!

SPACE
Give each other space. Have your boy's night out. If you can't trust each other with this, then don't get married.

SORRY
Say sorry when you're wrong.

SURPRISES
No matter how long you've known each other, be open to surprises, both good or bad.

TEAMWORK
Think for two & always work as a team. Consult each other before making a decision because everything will always affect both of you. Strengthen couple power. In many ways, we have to decide based on what is best for the relationship in favor of our individual selves.

SUPPORT
Support each other's dream. Be willing to follow your passions, support your partner in his/her decisions & create new ones together. Two heads are better than one.

TALK
Tell each other's stories. Life goes by so fast & its easy to see how easily couple can grow apart. Whenever something funny, scary, exciting or juicy happened to you or to someone you know, tell each other about it & have your partner do the same. Keep each other in the loop of life.

Hair Cut

2008-07-23T23:38:00.002+08:00

After out-growing the whole Indian barber phase, which was a period of over 20 years, I started patronizing Thomas & Guys in SS2 when I first decided to give my hair a bit more attention cos I was starting work.

I had a go at different stylists each time I went back for the first couple of months until I found one who seemed to really know what she was doing. Not that the others were bad, but Yen seemed to know what I wanted. I suppose it's my fault for not being the kind who would point out the latest hairstyle a model/celebrity was parading around in a magazine and have the stylist Xerox it onto my head. I kind of just do the whole barber deal... you know... "short, neat, a bit spikey at the top... wanna look smart and clean... blah blah blah". Well, Yen actually manages to figure out all my blabbering and leaves me with something to my liking.

After some time she gained enough of my trust for me to say "go ahead and do what you think will suit me". I'm always pleased with the outcome.

The other thing I look forward to when I go for my monthly cut is the wash. I thoroughly enjoy it when the trainee that does my wash puts in the extra effort to give my scalp a nice thorough massage. It's the perfect end to a long work day. The only thing better than that would be sex!

A few months ago I walked into Thomas & Guys to find that Yen had been transferred down to their KL outlet. She didn't even tell me. I was disappointed. And I had to put up with trying to find a new stylist. 4 cuts and 4 stylists later, I still didn't find one I preferred, and I'd always leave with a decent cut which would grow out of shape within 2 weeks. As much as I liked spending time at the place, I didn't fancy paying RM30+ so frequently. Therefore I generally like to have a cut which won't grow out of shape within a month.

Today, 3 weeks since my last visit, I dragged myself back there because I just couldn't stand looking at the mess in the mirror. When I walked through the door, all the available stylists looked at me and one asked who I'd like to work on my hair today. My usual answer - "anybody la".

I sat down for the pre-cut hair wash... another new trainee washing my hair. He wasn't good. At ALL! The massage didn't leave much of an impact. He didn't even wrap the towel tight around my head as I walked from the sink back to my seat. It's not easy balancing a loose towel over my head while walking. So disappointing.

As I sat back down, I was informed that Yen was back and that she'd like to do my hair for me. To think that they'd even have to ask my permission. I guess they could tell when my face lit up. I was all smiles when I saw her. A sight for sore eyes.

I made a few complaints about how my hair kept growing out of place too quickly while she happily cleaned up the mess.

I'm told that she's now back in SS2 branch teaching in the academy until 6pm before she comes down to her customers. Good 'ol bubbly Yen. Glad to have her back.

Note to self - go after 6pm!

Happy Birthday

2008-07-18T18:07:00.003+08:00

This here post is for no one other than MUAH! Nothing implied, but I do believe I'm special enough to deserve a little bit of attention from myself.

Anyway... my birthday was just over a week ago. 9 July to be precise. Due to it falling on a Wednesday, and given my current workload, I decided to do nothing special... which later on turned out to be a bad idea.

Due to my lack of plans, I got so carried away at work that I got to work before 9am that day, and didn't head home till 2am the next morning. And I didn't even head home because I was tired, nor had I finished all my work. I headed home because I hadn't yet packed my bags for my 7.30am flight.

Yep, I was going on holiday barely a month into starting work. I blame bad planning. All these plans were made far in advance thinking that I'd still be my own boss when the time comes and taking time off is entirely at my own discretion.

Fortunately for me, my bosses gave me the go-ahead since everything was already planned out and paid for. So I guess if there was any form of birthday celebration for myself this year, it was the diving and snorkeling I did over in Perhentian Island.

p/s: got my brand spanking new Atomic Aquatics B2 regulator, fully assembled with Atomic Aquatics SS1 safe seconds inflator and Tusa Platina pressure gauge. Not the setup I originally wanted, but still my pride and joy! My scuba gear is now complete. Anything I buy from here on out is completely optional. Whooopie!

********************************************************
A big thank you to Jo for spending so many hours in the office just to teman me on my birthday.
Thank you to everyone who wished me, on that day, in advance, and belated too. Your calls, emails, smses, facebook msgs all mean a lot. :o)
Thank you to the buddies who had dinner together at Jo & Yen's place over the weekend - it was a great get-together, even though it wasn't specifically to celebrate anything.
Thank you to Soon Yean and the rest of you for the lovely present which I now have framed up and hanging on my office desk...

Confession

2008-07-18T17:52:00.003+08:00

Oooh... last post was over a month ago. So paiseh!

I apologise, but the truth is unavoidable. As much as I'd like to, I won't be able to update quite as often as I like anymore. As some of you may already know, while many others are still in the dark, I have recently gone back into employment.

Herbalife was great and all but I always found myself too free during 9am-5pm... too much bumming around left me feeling very unproductive.

Coincidentally, some people very close to me were facing unavoidable business expansion and needed to grow the team with people they can trust. I was at the top of the list. After numerous approaches, I finally gave in thinking that I can hold a full time job whilst still doing Herbalife part time.

Unfortunately, as exciting as work is, there's just so much of it. So much so that I'm working 14-17 hour work days. Even when I bring work home over the weekend it's tough to walk back in on a Monday without having to still do work from the week before.

Nonetheless, the job still excites me... and we're now at a place where the only direction to head is forward. That's quite a pleasant thought!

Corporate

2008-06-14T01:46:00.002+08:00

As I unwittingly take a sneak peak back into the world of business, I am reminded of my disliking towards corporate politics and shoe-polishing. Alas, that is how the world spins.

Employed vs Self-employed

2008-06-10T13:24:00.003+08:00

In terms of work experience, I've been contributing to the economy since way back during my schooling days. Having a mother who runs a recruitment agency really has its perks when it came to finding vacation work. From short 1 or 2-day stints up to 2 or 3-month long temporary work, I always got great opportunities come my way, with above average paychecks as well.

On my own account, I also had an offer for permanent employment even before graduating... from a company who was willing to pay me more than I was asking. I spent 2 years with them before venturing out into the world of self-employment. It has been nearly a year since making that bold move and it's an entirely different world.

You could probably make your own comparison, but here's my take on it.

I miss the routine of walking into the office every morning and greeting my fellow colleagues. I miss have company for lunch regardless of whether or not I have a sales call. It was also a joy looking forward to company trips or annual dinners. Now looking back on the past, I realize being accountable to a boss has its advantages as well. Not to mention having a guaranteed paycheck and various allowances and expense claims.

On the other hand, I like the flexibility of being self-employed. Having the freedom to schedule my work around my family and friends instead of vice versa. I like being able to plan adhoc holidays as and when I like, assuming budget permits. I like not having to report to an idiotic boss. I like that there's no limit to how much I earn as it depends solely on how much I'm willing to work.

After experiencing both employment and self-employment, there's only one thing left to try... and it's not unemployment. I would really like to find something that combines all the benefits of employment and self-employment. Anyone got any ideas?

Fishing My Way To Made Of Honour

2008-06-04T15:11:00.003+08:00

Trying some nuffnang contest.

Laughter

2008-05-16T17:20:00.002+08:00

I bet somewhere in the world they use this guy as an evil method to torture prisoners in the darkest of dungeons.

Gold Coast - Day 3 (Tuesday)

2008-05-15T23:41:00.009+08:00

The only plan for the day was to visit Sea World. AUD5.40 bought us a ticket aboard the bus, valid for the entire day. It was barely a 10 minute ride from Cavill Ave and the driver was friendly.
Here's a picture of me in my totally mismatched outfit. I just wanted to feel comfortable. Didn't realize it would turn out to be such a fashion disaster.

Activities at the Sea World included the Seal Detectives show, Wipe-Out Water Ski show, SOS 4D Movie, and the Imagine Dolphin show which was really the highlight of my day. I can't help but feel impressed by the relationship forged between each dolphin and trainer. Truly remarkable!

There's a Sesame Street Beach and show for the kiddies who visit the theme park.

We also got to see penguins, sharks, polar bears, pelicans and ride Sea World's Skyway and Australia's first monorail. These pint-sized penguins only measured about a foot tall. Cute buggers!

Mom & dad on the Skyway.

Like with any theme park, there are also theme park rides for the young and old.
Though I didn't get on any of the rides, I managed to catch Jo & Adeline in action here... sort of. Those are their hands raised up high as they came down the slide with a huge splash.

AUD66 is quite a steep price for tickets to a theme park, but I must say that it's good knowing that the money generated from visitors is put towards research, conservation and rescue efforts.

Next time I make a trip to Sea World, I'd like to be a part of their Animal Adventure program, and maybe even a helicopter tour. Alas, all that costs a lot of money... especially more when we come from a country whose currency is much weaker.

Gold Coast - Day 2 (Monday)

2008-05-12T11:44:00.007+08:00

Here's the sunrise view from our 2 bedroom apartment on the 27th floor of Condor Apartments, which cost about AUD160 per night for the 5 of us.The sun rises at about 6am here. It's seriously hard not to wake up when your room is so brightly lit and there's no "off" switch. Our first morning on holiday and we were already up at 4am M'sian time!

Spent the morning hunting for a supermarket so that we could get some groceries for the apartment. Unfortunately, as it was Labor Day, all the supermarkets were closed. We had to settle for temporary supplies from 7-11. Very expensive!

This is the Clock Hotel in town.We also took the opportunity to run about and get a feel of the place. As Gold Coast's economy is built mainly on tourism, there were many tourist information outlets scattered throughout Surfers Paradise. An easy way to identify one is to notice the racks and racks of brochures of sights and things to do. They run as a tour agent and can give you pretty good rates.

We stumbled on one at Chevron Renaissance which offered us the theme park Escape Pass for AUD100 instead of the published AUD105 price. That gave us entry to two theme parks (normally AUD66 per park). I highly recommend getting your theme park tickets this way. Can save a lot! We also arranged for a day tour of some of the sights around Gold Coast through the same tour agent.
This little bin (slightly bigger than a soda can) for cigarette butts can be found attached to the street curbs. It's obvious that they're particular about cleanliness.

On a public holiday like this, I was not surprised to see the huge crowds at the beach. I like that they have surf rescue patrolling the beaches and life guard towers every few hundred meters. Looked like something out of Baywatch. They also have designated areas for swimming away from the surfers set up by the life guard on duty. These areas are marked by little flags sticking out of the sand, as seen in the above picture.

Having taken my rescue diver course recently, I know for a fact that surf rescue is a huge job indeed.

The afternoon was spent catching up on sleep. Sunset came around a quarter past 5pm. And after that, the place gets really quiet. It was a far cry from the crowded streets the night before.

Gold Coast - Day 1 (Sunday)

2008-05-11T09:18:00.003+08:00

Our flight was delayed by 45mins, not the fault of AirAsia. One of the passengers had a problem with immigration and it wasn't apparent till everyone was aboard the plan. Due to wind conditions in our favor, we arrived at Coolangatta Airport on time.

Gavin Bolam of Gold Coast Direct Charters was waiting at the airport for us with my name written across a piece of cardboard. First time that has ever happened. The journey from the airport up to our accommodation at Condor Apartments in Surfers Paradise took about half an hour. Gavin was really helpful with info & tips about Gold Coast. Transfer for 5 people was AUD45, no stops, friendly service. I think that's good value for money.

By the time we got our apartment key and put our luggage down, it was already close to 10pm. A quick stroll down the road was Cavill Avenue, the central area of Surfers. At this hour, food is scarce but alcohol unlimited. Strangely, the crowd kept growing. Turns out they celebrate their Labor day on the 5th of May so it was a party night. Boy, when they get drunk, they get obscenely rowdy... men and women alike.

Hungry Jacks (the equivalent of Burger King back home) was still open, although extremely understaffed. From what I could tell, there were only 2 staff serving and 2 staff in the kitchen preparing food. That's not enough to cater to the 20 people in queue, let alone clean the mess off the tables and mop up the soda covered floor. A combo meal there costs about AUD7-AUD9, depending on what you order. Can't say it tasted fantastic either. Maybe it was because of the climate - 16 deg celcius, everything gets cold pretty fast.

Marriage Proposal

2008-05-01T23:00:00.001+08:00

My buddy Chee How just got engaged!!! The proposal has been on his mind for some time now. Strangely, he only asked Soon Yean, Robert and I to help out just 4 days before the proposal.

With Soon Yean on the guitar, we rocked (poor choice of words) to the tune of Barry Manilow's "Can't Smile Without You". Of all places - Sunway Medical Centre. And Mrs.Wong-to-be wasn't even on duty that day. Go figure!

I think it was a good plan nonetheless. The four boys all dressed up, with a tune, a bouquet of white lilies, a diamond ring, and a man on his knee making a proposal of a lifetime.

She accepted.

Can't believe one of us is already tying the knot... so fast. Then again, it's about time!!! Was beginning to wonder if we were all just gay and using our girlfriends as a cover up! Hahah!

Well congratulations Chee How! Looking forward to helping you put the wedding together.

p.s. video and pics are not available at time of this posting.

Gym

2008-04-30T12:55:00.003+08:00

Today is the last day of April. It also marks an entire month without a gym membership. In these 30 days, I have only ever exercised on my own 3 or 4 times as opposed to the 10-12 gym visits every month previously - shame on me.

Truth be told, there are lots of body weight exercises out there one can do without gym facilities. Yet for some reason, I find myself lacking the will to do it.

Tomorrow, I'm returning to the gym. Hope to rebuild the 3kgs of muscle mass I've lost within the next month. And given that I'm still in pretty good shape, I'm confident that I'll have my 6 pack in order by the end of 10 weeks.

The Origins of Golf

2008-04-23T17:40:00.000+08:00

A little golfing humor from Robin Williams

Earth Day 2008

2008-04-22T22:33:00.003+08:00

This post is dedicated to our planet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djP-c7d_Oeo

Herbalife Malaysia Supervisor Academy 2008

2008-04-22T08:59:00.003+08:00

This past weekend was spent at JW Marriot with about 800 other active Herbalife distributors from all over Malaysia who qualified to attend this special event.

Check this out - in no other company can I ever imagine to find the kind of energy and excitement produced here. That's PASSION! It is indeed special to have this kind of passion for the work we do... and get paid mighty well for it too!

On a separate note, I was really impressed by the fact that Jo and I were out from 8am on Saturday morning till Sunday 3am (itchy backside went clubbing sommore), and then again from 7.30am till 8.30pm back at the Herbalife event in KL.

Here's the kicker - we had little trouble staying awake throughout the 10-hour training, and even came back more energised than ever before. If I had to guess, that was only possible because of the products we're on, and the energy and excitement in the hall.

In my previous job, I would have dreaded a weekend of training after a week of work. I'm sure many of you who are employed feel the same. That's what makes this company so special!

Gosh I love what I do!

2008 Century Ride

2008-04-17T15:47:00.004+08:00

I just got a call with information that Herbalife might be sponsoring the 2008 Century Ride organized by Kelab Roadrunners Ipoh (KRI). And it seems they're looking for distributors to ride for Team Herbalife. My cycling up to now has been minimal, but it sounds exciting.

I've never done more than a 40km ride before, let alone ride at a competitive level. Yet I somehow find myself seriously considering the 160km Century Ride. 100 miles... I must be mad. On the other hand, I think it would be an interesting experience to at least make a serious attempt - meaning to complete it within 10hrs 30mins.

With 3 months to train for the event, I think it's doable. And it would make for a great story, not to mention build up my confidence for the triathlon I'm hoping to one day complete.

Life

2008-04-17T01:19:00.001+08:00

Diving with Bubbles @ Perhentian Island

2008-04-15T15:59:00.003+08:00

The recent weekend was an amazing one. Saturday, Sunday & Monday were spent at Perhentian Island with my favourie people. And with them around, it's always a blast!

To add to the excitement, Robert, Grace and Jo finally visited the spectacular underwater world. They're now fully qualified PADI Open Water Divers. Congratulations guys! Pity Soon Yean & I didn't get to dive with them, but I'm sure our next trip will be even better.

Soon Yean, Pei Yin & I are now qualified PADI Rescue Divers. Though, I think I speak for all of us when I say that knowing what to do is one thing... actually doing it is another. My confidence in handling an diving emergency isn't strong. I think I could do with a bit more practice before actually helping out in any rescue effort. Fortunately, diving accidents are rare and can usually be avoided.

I think the best thing that came out of doing the PADI Rescue Diver course is that I now have a greater awareness on the do's and don'ts, the consequences of not following those do's and don'ts as well as how to handle an emergency resulting from not keeping to those do's and don'ts. That in itself is a huge improvement to my previous ignorance.

We did 5 leisure dives this trip. Apart from the slight discomfort in my ears from not being able equalize properly on the first dive, and my mask fogging up on the first and last dive, everything was real fun. I especially enjoyed the final dive which was a night dive. Our initial worries of not getting to see much was nothing. We saw so many amazing nocturnal creatures come alive during that dive. It was just a matter of knowing where to look, and a bit of luck. Pictures will come once Pei Yin & Soon Yean upload what they captured.

On the fourth dive, I made a last minute descent to retrieve a compass one of the other divers dropped as they climbed back onto the boat. During the search, I caught a glimpse of a gorgeous sea snake. This was my first ever first-hand encounter with a sea snake underwater so understandably, I couldn't recognise which species. And because I was down there with another objective - to find the lost compass, I didn't think to pay attention to the snakes features and check later. The worst thing was that I couldn't even find the compass which was lost to the sea. I kept the search short since I went down alone... didn't want the others to get worried. Turns out, the compass wasn't even working anyway. Go figure!

Apart from the long drive home, all in all it was a good trip. Great dives, great meals, great sights, great weather, great company. What more can I ask for?!

How Fast Do You Type?

2008-04-09T08:54:00.003+08:00

Here's something I came across. I've always wondered how fast I typed.

75 words

Speaking

2008-04-08T09:25:00.003+08:00

This post is dedicated to my new ambition, which is to become a motivational speaker and one day speak on an massive stage in front of an international crowd, and have them leave a little wiser than when they arrived. Allow me to share how this came about.

It was a darrrrk and storrrmy night... in a land far far away... (just kidding).

Seriously, after taking 2 weeks off to hunt for a clue on a potential career for myself, I went through some really great books and audio tapes which taught me how to identify something good for myself. I discovered that I have a passion for talking.

I remember in kindergarten, I was so chatty the teacher put sellotape across my mouth to keep me quiet. And as a I looked through the remarks in my student report cards from my younger days, one comment which consistently appeared was that I was an "outspoken child". That passion for talking has grown quite a bit. Now I don't just want to talk... I want to talk on stage!

I'm not saying that I'm always eager to get up on stage and talk to a huge crowd of people I don't know. Truth be told, I do get the jitters whenever I have to speak to people through a microphone. I get stage fright too, like many other people out there.

My first time ever on stage was a complete disaster - 11 years of age, taking part in a storytelling contest back in primary school. My preparation was good and I knew my story relatively well. Unfortunately, once up there, I barely got past the introduction when my brain froze. Not only did I not know what to say next, I was so nervous I forgot what I had already said. I stood there on stage in front of a hall of 500-600 other students and teachers for what seemed like an eternity. It was a nightmare.

When I finally came to my senses, I was just so embarrassed and eager to run off stage that I just pieced together a rough ending to my story, anything which came off the top of my head, a sentence at a time. LOL! barely an introduction and then a pathetic dash for the ending. My story had a head and 2 feet... no body - like M&M's mascot. Suffice to say, I didn't win anything in that competition.

For most people, an experience like that would have been enough to turn a little fear into an all-out phobia. Strange that I somehow managed to find myself on stage again in secondary school, and pulling off a half decent job this time.

Today, whenever I'm put to the task of public speaking on stage, I generally brush off the nervousness within the first 2 minutes of being up there. So I believe I'm off to a good start already.

Now it's just a matter of gaining more skills and refining them. And of course to work on a plan which will ultimately qualify me to have people willing to pay thousands of dollars and fly thousands of miles just to attend one of my talks.

Then the question arises... "Are people going to pay thousands of dollars and fly thousands of miles just to listen to me talk nonsense?" Of course not. I'll need to have something good to share with them. And thus I'm setting off on my quest for personal development in hope that I will realize my ambition before I'm old and grey.

It's a big ambition, but a good one nonetheless. I'm excited!

Lost In Life

2008-04-03T13:09:00.005+08:00

Through my younger days, the topic of ambition always came up. "What do you want to be when you grow up?" was the common question. I really had no clue, but I forced myself to think... lawyer, doctor, fireman, pilot, accountant... you know, the common professions. Not that it was really my ambition, but I went with whatever came to mind to "appease the gods" or in my case, my parents and kindergarten teachers.

10 years later as I finished high school and applied for college, and university after that, I still had barely a clue. Thus my lack of enthusiasm through the years. After graduating with a Bachelor's Degree of Arts majoring in accounting & finance, I still didn't know what I wanted to do with myself.

Picture that... 25 years of living life without direction. Unbelievable, but true.

I've spent the past 2-3 weeks focusing on soul searching. I have finally decided on a greater goal in life... my ambition. Read more about it in my next post.

Reminiscing

2008-04-01T15:22:00.002+08:00

I've been cleaning my room over the past couple of days. Not that it's really that messy, but I just haven't been entirely focused. Today as I went through more of the older stuff which I previously had stored away in a huge box under my table, I came across my year books from secondary school and Taylor's College.

It was nice to look through the pictures and articles of activities in the days past. I remember many faces, but few names. There were also faces which weren't familiar at all. Some classmate I was huh? In case by chance any of them are looking up old classmates, here's the list of where I've been.

1987-1988: Tadika Eu Ee SS2
1989: SRJK(C) Puay Chai - 1C
1990: SRJK(C) Puay Chai - 2C
1991: SRJK(C) Puay Chai - 3C
1992: SRJK(C) Puay Chai - 4C
1993: SRJK(C) Puay Chai - 5C
1994: SRJK(C) Puay Chai - 6C
1995: SMK Sultan Abdul Samad PJ - Peralihan 5 (P5)
1996: SMK Sultan Abdul Samad PJ - 1 Hormat (1H)
1997: SMK Sultan Abdul Samad PJ - 2 Damai (2D)
1998: SMK Sultan Abdul Samad PJ - 3 Adil (3A)
1999: SMK Sultan Abdul Samad PJ - 4 Ehsan (4E)
2000: SMK Sultan Abdul Samad PJ - 5 Ehsan (5E)
2001: Taylors College SJ South Australian Matriculation (SAM) - Legal Studies 2 (L2)
2002: Help Institute Diploma In Business Studies (DipBus)
2003-2006: Help Institute BA (Hons) Accounting & Finance (BAAF)

After looking through the year books, I moved on to looking at some of the old greeting cards and letters I had received through post. Trust me, I'm not much of a sentimental guy. I don't usually keep gifts, notes, letters, cards or other souvenirs given to me. I do appreciate it, I just don't keep it.

So I was going through some of the stuff which I kept and I noticed one thing they mostly had in common - postage stamps. I've been keeping these cards and letters mainly because they were posted to me. Meaning even though we had the convenience of email, the sender actually felt that I was worth the trouble of putting their thoughts into writing, finding an envelop, affixing a stamp and mailing it off. I guess that made a difference to me, and why I kept them.

Su Ling, Shona, Yin Tse, Charity, Huey Lim, Cherie, Jane. Thank you for thinking that I was worth a postage stamp or two.

Once, I even received a handsome tie together with one of the cards in my mailbox. Thanks Shonz!

I haven't been in touch with most of these people though I'd much like to. I will continue to hang on to these souvenirs of the past.

First Time Rock Climbing

2008-03-31T16:30:00.002+08:00

Rock climbing has never been one of the things on my to do list. Though I've been invited to go with some friends time and time again, I just was never motivated enough. No one had infected me with enough excitement to want to give it a shot. Not till last Sunday.

While it was not on my list, it has been on Jo's list for a long time already. She just kept putting it off. When a good friend of hers invited her along for his weekly affair, she couldn't pass up the chance. She invited me along too. I understood the sport as an activity you do in pairs. So I figured I might as well go check it out in case she's ever in need of a buddy to go with her. Besides, I'm still living by the motto of trying anything once.

It cost us each RM38, including admission, gear rental and a basic course. We were taught the most basic things about climbing and belaying. Tying the knots to the harness was simple enough but we both had a bit of trouble with belaying. It's not that complicated but we're just not used to the motions. Time and practice will definitely help.

After some guidance from the instructor, we were left to handle ourselves. We got a bit bored of the easy routes and decided to move around a bit. As I gradually attempted tougher routes, my arms exponentially lost strength. And there I was thinking of working out at the gym before rock climbing. It's a jolly good thing I didn't.

3 hours later, I was so exhausted and sore all over I just wanted to go home, shower, eat and sleep. Yet I didn't leave the same person as when I got there. I had now accomplished something new, and was excited to return another day fresh to attempt the tougher routes once again... especially those I failed to finish.

If you don't mind climbing with a beginner, feel free to invite me the next time you go climbing.

Samsonite Out-Liners Connection

2008-03-30T19:54:00.005+08:00

It's been an interesting weekend. Went and bought myself a laptop backpack - Samsonite Out Liner Connection. Best RM270 I spent in a long time.

Convenient, functional, sturdy, spacious... just what I had in mind.

Though it was quite a chore finding it and making my purchase, I'm glad I finally have something convenient to carry my load around.

I got the black one.

Come back later for an update on my first time rock climbing

Getting Back On Track

2008-03-28T17:01:00.002+08:00

Didn't realize that it's already been 3 months since my last post. I apologise.

Have you ever been so "caught up"? That's what happened to me. Unfortunately, I was caught up with the wrong things. I was caught up with being unproductive. Day after day I was waking up later and later, feeling less and less excited about starting the day. It was a vicous cycle of doing nothing important, things which didn't excite me. I was sinking into depression. The most disastrous part of it all was that I hid it so well that not only did the closest people in my lives not notice, even I didn't notice.

Then things changed. I started to take notice of the change in feelings. How could I feel so shitty when just a couple of months back I was the happy go lucky guy I've always been. I knew I needed to work on myself, but I had no idea where to start, nor what to do. It was also then when people around began to notice that things weren't quite right with me. Alas, it didn't help.

The one person I was willing to consult was away in Chiangmai without any sign of when he would be returning. Finally, last Sunday I met him and we talked a bit. I explained my lack of motivation and how I was feeling so down lately. The response he gave me didn't really press the right buttons, and I felt no different at the end of the conversation. However, he did do one thing right. He gave me an assignment.

Together with Anthony Robbins Personal Power 2 CDs, he gave me instructions to wake up early every morning, take a shower, dress nice, have a hot cup of tea and listen to 1 CD every day before starting the day, over the next 30 days.

At first it sounded a little bit excessive to me. However I was compelled to oblige because I was desperate to feel differently. Anything was worth a shot.

He then continued by asking me if I would do as he instructed, and take it seriously. I had my doubts about doing that for 30 days but really, what choice did I have. I said yes.

He didn't stop there. He pulled out a pen and a piece of blank paper for me. He told me to write down exactly what I will do for the next 30 days, as a commitment to him, as well as to myself.

Now I knew he was getting serious. And so, I wrote down something like this, signed it, and gave it to him for keeping.

"I, Mervyn Tan, promise to wake up every morning, shower, have a hot cup of tea, and listen to the Anthony Robbins CDs by 8am. I will complete the daily assignments given by Anthony Robbins accordingly, and I will report back to Bjorn with what I learnt from that day's lesson. I will do so for the next 30 days until the program is complete"

Just as I handed the letter back to Bjorn, he emphasized how important it was for me to do exactly as I had commited, or he would be seriously disappointed and would lose his trust in me.

I don't know if he knew how much value I place on trust, but he pushed the right button alright. The next morning, and every morning since then, I have woken up and done accordingly. Truth be told, what I have been doing these past couple of days has truly lifted my spirits. I'm actively getting more and more things done and it feels great. People around me have noticed the change too.

I have also finally sat down to draw up a life mission for myself. Nothing fancy, but I think it'll serve as a decent guide while I chart my course through life. I'm penning it down here so I can reflect on it from time to time. I also hope that others may be inspired to do the same and live their lives with purpose and passion.

Mervyn's Mission

I commit to continuous learning and inspiring others with the knowledge and experience gained.
I will live with passion, surrounding myself with my family and dearest friends.
I will constantly seek new ways to challenge myself, setting new goals regularly and achieving them.
I will afford the time & money freedom required to enable me to travel the world at will.

2008 Resolutions - 12 Books Of 2008

2008-01-03T16:37:00.000+08:00

After all the partying to usher off 2007 and welcome in 2008, it is only fair that I sit come up with my list of resolutions for this year. Truth be told, I didn't have much of a chance to sum up last year's resolutions and see where I stand, nor have I put a great deal of thought into my goals for 2008. But I have to start somewhere, so here's my first resolution of 2008 - one book a month.

I have never been much of a book person, but I was recently introduced to my first book in a very long time - How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be, by Jack Canfield. Jo spent somewhere between 15-30mins promoting this book to me like crazy after she read it at Borders in Berjaya Time Square. The next day I sent her out to get it for me - RM39.90.

I have since read through about a quarter of the book and I find it very inspiring. I will give you my two cents worth once I'm done with it, but I am impressed so far and have every intention of putting what I learn into action.

I'm eager to finish this book so that I can get to my next read - Screw It, Let's Do It (Expanded) by Richard Branson which I received for Christmas.

2007: The Year That Was

2007-12-30T23:48:00.000+08:00

Today marks the final day of 2007.

I started the year by getting a gym membership which many doubted my ability to stick to. Glad to say I managed to stick to it even until today, although not as frequent as I initially thought. I still go 2-3 times a week nonetheless and I enjoy each session thoroughly.

I have gained the 5kgs I first set out after. More than that, I've actually gained a total of 7kgs. I've also grown my waist size from 23 inches to a healthy 30. I fit most of my clothes much better now and have even outgrown some. For a change, some of the clothes I receive as gifts don't fit because they're too small instead. Quite refreshing for someone who always received comments like "Did you lose weight again?!"

I've finally moved on with my career, now in something totally new - nutrition and weight management. Strange that an accounting and finance graduate with a couple of years in the plastics industry would do something like this because as you can see, there's a great deal of "relevance".

Along the way, where I least expected to find love, I did. Close to 9 months later, we've learnt so much about each other and grown not only as a couple, but as individuals too.

I have also completed my PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certification with SY & Pei Yin, our new dive buddy.

I stood at the peak of Mount Kinabalu and caught the sunrise. A formidable challenge, but conquered nonetheless.

I also welcome a new member into my family - Sophie, a 5 year old cross labrador. We took her in just 2 days ago but she's settling in fine and is a wonderful addition to our household.

Those are the highlights of the year. Next up, my goals and targets for 2008. I can't wait I simply can't wait!

Seasons Greetings

2007-12-26T10:26:00.000+08:00

Wow, an entire month went by without a single post. I'm ashamed. I'm sorry.

Anyway, let's not ruin the Christmas cheer. I want to wish everyone who's still coming back to BeingMervs a joyous Christmas and a wonderful New Year.

It was a quiet Christmas celebration at this year's Christmas gathering. Smaller crowd but same old familiar faces, with a couple of new acquaintances. An evening of Taboo, PS2, Mahjong, Twister, Boggle and Win-Lose-Or-Draw kept us busy right till the wee hours of the morning, and even up till sunrise for some of us.

The abundance of liquor went almost untouched but when you've been up for the last 24 hours, behaviour is no different than when you've had one glass too many. Have you ever been exhausted to the point of behaving deliriously and the simplest things would make you laugh uncontrolably? Well, that was how I welcomed Christmas this year.

I wonder how I'll be welcoming the New Year... hmm...

Stay tuned for a recap of 2007!

Update

2007-11-27T10:40:00.000+08:00

Sincerest apologies for being tardy with the updates. This whole own-business thingy really keeps the unemployed busy. You know the saying - "You can't get fired, but you can go broke" and I seriously do not want to go broke.

Life after employment got a lot more complicated. But what I realize is that it has also become a lot more fulfilling. I guess that's why humans just love making life complicated. Hahaha!

I recently attended the Herbalife SEA Supervisor Academy 2007, a congregation of 3500 of Herbalife's top distributors from India, Taiwan, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, and of course Malaysia. It was right here in our very own backyard, Putrajaya, so I did what it took to get myself qualified, with a little encouragement and a lot of assistance from my team of course.

The experience was worth the sacrifice. And I also realize that all my sacrifices in Herbalife thus far have been worthwhile. So it's safe to assume that all future sacrifices for this business I call my own should be worthwhile too.

If only I could lend you my eyes, to allow you to see what I have had such great fortune to see.

If you're looking to make some part time income helping people lose weight through good nutrition, feel free to email me at mervyn@earnmyworth.com. The money is good, but what's even better is the satisfaction of helping someone change their life for the better. Cheers to that!

My Ecstacy

2007-11-12T15:55:00.000+08:00

We all have a couple of things that give us absolute pleasure. Apart from the usual orgasm which I'm sure crossed the minds of many of you, I'm referring to having a moment of pure joy of a different kind.

What do you look forward to? What gets your adrenalin pumping? What gets you high?

For me, it comes as a part of my passion for diving. On any dive trip, I always look forward to the very first dive, the very first breath of air from the tank which fills my lungs as my head drops below the surface of the water, off to another adventure. It is in that moment that my entire body relaxes, and all the worries from my reality fade to nothingness. It's that first breath of air underwater which truly marks the start of my vacation. It gives me a renewed sense of freedom to be me. It brings me 'home'.

This one moment is unique for me on every dive trip, and I do not feel it again on any of the other subsequent dives on that trip. But after a long dose of reality, when I finally find the opportunity to go on another dive trip, that first breath underwater is my ecstacy.

I miss my ecstacy.

Satomi's Visit

2007-10-31T17:05:00.000+08:00

Today marks the last day of little miss Satomi's 5 day visit to KL.

A bit about this hot young lady from Japan. She's fair, 5'6" tall, slim, in her mid twenties, and flies with JAL as a stewardess. Her last visit to Malaysia was 5 years ago with the Lions Youth Exchange Programme and she had the fortune of being hosted by Jo. After some months of persuading, Jo finally convinced Satomi to visit KL once again.

She arrived around 6pm last Friday and this is roughly what kept us all busy the past couple of days.

Friday - Pickup at KLIA at 6.00pm. Dinner with Jo's family and then to SY's place for finger food, drinks, and a bit of mahjong

Saturday - Lunch at Ikea. Shopping at The Curve's weekend Bazaar. Seafood for dinner at PJ Seafood Restaurant near Tropicana. KaiTzer's Halloween party in USJ14.

Sunday - LoShiFun for Lunch at Mama's Kitchen in Taman Tun. 1957 Hati Malaya at GSC 1 Utama. Taichow at Mei Yen Restaurant in Paramount Garden. KTZ SS2 for her favourite Mango Loh.

Monday - Bella Italia SS2 for lunch. Batu Caves after the afternoon rain. Left her with some other friends who took her for dinner at Kim Gary's in Sunway. Met up again at SkyBar at Traders Hotel KL.

Tueday - DimSum treat at Loong Seng SS2, compliments of Chee How. KLCC to get tickets for the Petronas Twin Towers Sky Bridge. Visit to Herbalife KL Headquarters (we still have to work). Back to KLCC for the Sky Bridge tour. Met Jessie at Pavillion who took Satomi to StarHill for dinner and then to the Loft at Asian Heritage Row for drinks till late.

Wednesday - Brunch at Carcosa Sri Negara. Spa at Curve. Dinner at Jo's place. Back to KLIA for 11.05pm flight.

That pretty much sums up her happening vacation. Sure hope she enjoyed herself.

The reason for this post is that it has been such a busy weekend that I can barely remember the events and order in which they took place. It would be nice to have a little journal to keep record so we know where not to take her on her next visit, hopefully next April when she joins us for diving.

Making A Difference

2007-10-24T00:59:00.000+08:00

"...i also want to thank my very good friend Mervyn Tan Gooi Hup, my confidante and newly appointed life coach of mine, who has inspired me to reach beyond my means, and myself, to transcend beyond what i was seemingly capable of, to truly come to know the power from within me. see, he somehow got me moving from where i was, the place i was in, to come out of my self induced disadvantaged disposition at this point in time. i can tell him anything, and he has anwers for me, godly don't you think? but of course he aint one though, even if seemingly. he miraculously got me to get out of my own prison, and to be a better version of myself, nonetheless, the tagline Fitness First has gone for. i haven't stopped since. i'm moving and moving."

When someone says something like that, I can't help but feel a great sense of purpose in life. At least my presence is affecting some people in a positive way. That's nice to know.

"Life coach"?!?!

Tag, I'm What?

2007-10-20T13:37:00.000+08:00

Hey ho... another one of those bugs going around again. I just got tagged by UnkaLeong, again!

4 Jobs I have had in my life :-
Data Entry Clerk
Administrative Clerk - Human Resources
Operations Assistant - Plastic Resins
Personal Weight Management Coach

4 Places I have lived:-
PJ SS2/41
PJ SS2/28
PJ Sec19/4
PJ SS2/54

4 Countries I have been to on vacation:-
Singapore
Thailand
Indonesia
Australia

4 of my Favourite Foods:-
Char Koay Teow
Cendol
Bakuteh
KFC

4 Places I would rather be right now:-
Underwater
On my bike
On the beach
Out closing a sale

4 Friends I’m going to tag:-
Joanne
MichQ
Daniel
Ivan

Triathlon

2007-10-16T09:52:00.000+08:00

In the recent review of Q3 here, I felt that somehow I don't have very much to look forward to in the coming months and that I'll need to dream up a few more.

I've come up with something which will take a lot more than a quarter of a year to accomplish, but I'll have to start somewhere. Why not here and now?!

Triathlon - a combination of three athletic sports - swimming, cycling & running. Although I am able to swim, cycle and run, so far I can't do any of them long distance, let alone consecutively. But I trust that with some training I should be able to complete the course and become the first triathlete in my family.

There are many variations of triathlons with their differences being in the distances. I'm aiming to complete the Olympic-distance triathlon with a race distance of 1.5km swimming followed by 40km of cycling and completed with a 10km run. That's a great deal of distance to cover but I'm sure I'll succeed with the right guidance.

There's also the "sprint" version of the triathlon which is basically the same as the Olympic-distance triathlon divided by half. 750m swimming, 20km cycling and a 5km run. At the moment, I'm probably able to complete all the different segments individually, but not consecutively. I'll probably use the sprint-distances for training.

I hope to complete my first Olympic-distance triathlon before I hit 30. Lots of time! Know anyone who's willing to coach an untrained person for free?

Riding Two Wheels

2007-10-09T20:06:00.000+08:00

There's been a lot of hype about getting a mountain bike and going off-trail with UnkaLeong & Soon Yean, since even before UnkaLeong returned from his 3-year stint in Bangkok. Upon his return, we went browsing for bikes because neither of us were equiped. SY was the first to put down a deposit for his bike, to be collected sometime mid October. After extensive due diligence, UnkaLeong too found a bike he so liked.

As for me, part of the past month has been spent bouncing around from website to website and shop to shop in search of a mountain bike to call my own. I've sealed the deal yesterday in a place far far away from home - Bukit Rimau.

In the course of deciding on which to buy, I have learnt many things about choosing the right mountain bike, from UnkaLeong & some of the sales assistants at the numerous shops.

For starters, choose a frame that suits your riding. Riding style will determine which type of frame to get - full suspension or hardtail. I've never riden a full suspension bike before so I figured it'll be easier, and a whole lot cheaper, to go with the hardtail.

Then you'll have to decide on the frame size. The taller you are, the bigger the frame, although I'm not sure why. There must be some physics to the whole thing which is beyond me.

I also learnt about groupsets. The brakes, the gears, the accessories, and a bunch of other stuff. Some people recommend going all out and getting something hi-end right from the get go because you really save a lot in the long run. Whereas there are others who believe that you should start with the basics and slowly take the time to figure out what you need and upgrade from there on out.

After a bit of deliberation with myself, I concluded that I shall start basic and work my way up as I go along... for 2 reasons:
1. I want to be able to feel the relative difference between the lo-end and the hi-end. If I start off with a 10k bike, I will never appreciate what I have.
2. I just started my own business so income right now is relatively unstable. Better to hold back on the spending for the time being.

So, based on that, I decided that I should spend a little bit more to get a nice strong frame, and the rest can slowly be upgraded as I go along. Long story short, this is roughly what I brought home with me in the trunk of my car.

DiamondBack Topanga Comp XC with a nice chilli red skin.
Zoom 550 suspension fork
Shimano Deore LX (dual control levers, front & rear derailleurs)
TekTro front & rear disc brakes
Truvativ Isoflow 3-speed crank
9-speed cassette
Kenda Koyote 26" wheels
All the above cost me RM1,500
I am no expert, but here's my take on it. The frame is really light, but it looks strong enough and I don't do crazy shit like doing a 3ft drop anyway. The bike is pretty heavy for a small chap such as myself, I suspect due to the front fork. I'll look into having it changed later.

As for the Deore LX derailleurs, 3X9 should equal 27 speeds in total. But I find that I really only get 25 due to the width of the 9-speed cassette. At the two ends of the spectrum, the chain starts scraping away at the front derailleur and the ride becomes less smooth so I avoid it entirely. Maybe there are some adjustments I can make if ever there's anyone willing to share their knowledge with me.

Also, the dual control lever for the front crank is awkwardly positioned. Dual control levers are heck nifty devices, but I can't seem to comfortably engage the front derailleur into hi with the flick of my fingers. I have to literally nudge the damn thing into gear otherwise the chain just kicks back into medium.

Well that's about all the complaints I got. I do enjoy the overall ride of the bike and I love every minute on the bike, even the uphill climb at Bukit Kiara which I failed to complete. Hey, the problem is not the bike, it's my legs!

Oh yea, just for the record, I also got a bunch of accessories together with my bike for about RM300 extra - Raleigh helmet, Raleigh handpump & a spare tube (I have had a bad experience with a puncture before), bar-ends, Topeak Comp130 cycling computer, CatEye rear light, Azonic bike gloves. They threw in a bottle cage & bottle for free.

Since getting the bike, I've done about 40km. Sore legs and a sore butt, but I'm all smiles.

Lose Weight Today

2007-10-08T23:50:00.000+08:00

Early this year, while on a mission to gain a substantial amount of weight just so that the people around me would stop saying "Mervyn, did you lose weight again?", I got more than I bargained for. I started learning about nutrition and how many of today's leading causes of deaths are due to poor nutrition.

I also found out that much of Malaysia's population's health problems can also be attributed to being overweight, a side effect of poor nutrition. In case you didn't know, obesity increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, stroke, high blood pressure, migraines and many more.

And the simplest of cures for obesity - better nutrition, a lot of water, and a healthier lifestyle. I learnt so much in the recent months that I've decided to start helping people improve their health through some great nutrition products and simple coaching.

My girlfriend has since lost 4kgs and she's complaining about having to buy new clothes because she lost 4 inches round her waist.

Another friend of mine lost 7kgs without even doing any exercise. He's had a huge boost in energy and has also had to go shopping for new trousers.

As for myself, well, I've gained 7kgs since my last medical checkup where the doctor was really concerned about how thin my waistline was. I now fit my clothes better and no one complains about how thin I look anymore.

If you're overweight, underweight, or have some other health problems related to poor nutrition, allow me to help you. Just send me an email at mervyn@earnmyworth.com and let me show you a simple, healthy way to improve your condition.

There's also a business opportunity if you're in need of some extra ca$h- Earn Your Worth

2007: Review of Q3

2007-10-03T19:20:00.000+08:00

I didn't even realize the 3rd Quarter of 2007 is up, until I finally had the chance to sit down and browse through blogs and notice people mention it. Oh well, it's that time of the year again - reviews!

Since July, I've turned 25. My gal and my bestest buddies threw me a great surprise with the rest of the fellas waiting at a nearby chill-out joint. That was the first time I've ever had a surprise birthday do. Means a great deal!

I've conquered Mt Kinabalu. The whole sense of achievement came with a bit of delay. And although right after returning from the mountain we agreed that we'd never do it again, I'm starting to reconsider. It was a lot of effort, but effort does pay off - life lesson learnt.Adeline, Ivan, Joanne and I threw mom and dad a really nice anniversary dinner at a mighty fine restaurant with all the relatives present. It cost us a bomb because the bill was only split two ways - my damage was equivalent to an entire month's salary. But it was truly worth it to see mom & dad smiling the whole evening.

Jo & I baked a cake for Rob's 30th and the cake fetched lots of compliments. That reminds me, I still have a lot of unused ingredients. I should get back to baking before they expire.
I have since moved on with my career. Well actually, it's a complete change in careers. I used to play a bit of a customer service role. Now customer service, coaching, training and learning are all a huge part of what I do. So exciting!

In moving on, I've spent a bit of dad's money in setting up a small home office for myself. That, coupled with the brand-spanking-new awesome-looking extra large 19" Samsung LCD monitor I received as my farewell gift from my colleagues, it is a true joy sitting at home working my business online. Thanks guys!
Regretfully, I was unable to participate in Dragonet's Project Aware due to the changing of careers. But I'm sure the sacrifices I make today will pay off tomorrow and I'm indeed looking forward to it.

As you can see from my previous post, I ended the quarter with a great start to my new career. Had I not canceled the dive trip, I would have missed that opportunity. "Everything happens for a reason" has never been more true for me.

Well that's the recap. Here's what I'm looking forward to in the coming and final quarter of 2007...
- getting my mountain bike and go riding with UnkaLeong & SY. (Others welcome, please leave comment)
- Helping 10-20 people lose weight and get healthier through education and a change in habits.
- Put more effort into achieving my 6-pack since I really slacked in the last 90 days.

Gee, recently I've been preaching to my friends about the importance of setting up things to look forward to, I forgot about my own. Three items in 3 months? That just doesn't cut it. I'm going to do more dreaming and will come back and update again.

Kickstart

2007-09-29T20:17:00.000+08:00

My new career as a Herbalife Independent Distributor is kicking off very well. It has been 4 days since I've gone full time, and in that period I have spoken to a good number of people with regards to the products as well as the business opportunity.

Yesterday while at the office with some of the amazing people I work with, I learn to make calls to people who have surfed our website and left a note indicating that they're interested in the business opportunity. One call I made to a bubbly young Malay lady was as bad as it could get, simply because the conversation started off with her asking me if I spoke Malay and I gullibly said yes.

It's not that I don't speak Malay, but the thing is that I'm very much more used to speaking about our business in English, no doubt. Translating the content into Malay off-hand made me very nervous and I kept fumbling with my words. My task was to make some light conversation and give some brief business facts to find out if she's serious. If she was serious, I was to invite her to meet me and then I'll give her a broader view of what we do to see if she would like to get started with Herbalife.

As I said, no one could have fumbled that introduction worse than me. At the end of the conversation, she asked me how come I kept stuttering. I froze as I thought my shortcoming had been put on the table to be criticised. I simply admitted to the fact that my Malay isn't as good as it should be, and politely apologised. This sweet young thing laughed it off and told me, in Malay of course - "don't worry la, just talk as though we're friends, can right?!"

What a great attitude! Just the type of person I'm seeking to work with in Herbalife. As Bjorn so wisely once put it - "Sometimes you just can't give the wrong presentation to the right person. And you also can't give the right presentation to the wrong person."

She's the right person alright! Today she showed up early at our predetermined appointment with her husband, a nice chap who speaks fluent English with a hint of Malay accent. I could tell he was quite business-minded as well, but this business opportunity was more for her to occupy herself while he works on his own stint as a government contractor.

And so we went on with what I thought would only be a 30 minute discussion, but it dragged on to close to 3 hours even though the husband was already late for another appointment. The couple was just so excited about what Bjorn and I were sharing with them that they had so many questions and they were so eager to throw possibilities onto the table for discussion.

In the end, they walked away still very much excited after he purchased some products to try on himself; and she walked off happily as a newly signed up Herbalife Distributor in Mervyn's team.

As for me, meeting this delightful couple has really given me a boost in confidence that this new found career is definitely what I want to be doing.

Cheers to that, and hooray for them! My mission now is see her succeed alongside Joanne & I in this wonderful business we call Herbalife.

Farewell

2007-09-26T09:49:00.000+08:00

And so it ends... my career in the plastics trading industry has been put to rest. Yesterday, 25th of September 2007 was my last day at the office. It was a busy day indeed.

I spent quite a bit of time clearing out my desk and drawers. Some of the things of which had been collecting since I first joined in April 2005. As with all my other clean-ups, I just threw everything which had no immediate value. Straight forward enough. LOL!

My manager Desmond packed nasi lemak for all of us, while I supplied the chendol from the not-too-far bicycle stall in Taman Tun. There was also KFC served a bit later because there wasn't enough nasi lemak to go around.

Shortly after lunch, I was pleasantly surprised with my farewell present - a brand new Swatch watch. Looks pretty neat. Casual. I like it.

Almost immediately after they handed me the watch in a Swatch plastic bag, my colleague Iriese says there's more, but I have to go to the other end of the office to collect it myself. First thing which crossed my mind - "takkan give me bicycle?" because I've recently been joking so much with them about having to cycle instead of driving around, to save on spending of course.

This is what I found in a Carrefour plastic bag hiding in the corner. OMFG! They bought me a 19" Samsung SyncMaster LCD monitor. My face totally lit up with joy and I was all smiles for the rest of the day.

So out with the old...

...in with the new!
It's so f*cking cool man! (Please excuse the language.)

I'm so completely enjoying the extra space it's giving me. And I completely love the extra viewable area. Upgrading from a 17" to a 19" monitor is close to heavenly. And have you ever heard people brag about the colour and contrast and resolution on Samsung monitors? IT'S ALL THAT AND MORE!!!!

The one thing I like most about this LCD is the aesthetics. Totally sexy, and fits right in with the rest of my setup.

Oh, and if you noticed the webcam sitting on top of the monitor, I bought that 2 weeks ago - Microsoft LifeCam VX-6000. It set my dad back RM280. Yea, he's paying for it whether he likes it or not because he and mom are getting so much pleasure from being able to make video calls with Ivan in Bristol.

Life is good. Hahaha!

Okay back to the topic. So I'm done with the last career, time to start my new one. I've already got my website set up - you can check it out here. I'm looking to grow my business, of course, so feel free to forward it along to anyone you know who might be interested in making a change in their lives, or people looking for an extra RM1,000-RM2,000 income per month just part-time.

Mount Kinabalu

2007-09-20T15:59:00.000+08:00

Because Soon Yean finally published a post on our Mount Kinabalu trip and Robert linked him, I decided that I wanted to be better. I’m going to do both, publish a post AND link to Soon Yean’s post! Call it kiasu-ism at its best, or worst. *Bwuek*

I must start off by apologizing for taking THIS long to update. Lack of motivation – it’s everyone’s fault except my own.

Anyway, as some of you know, plans for our Mount Kinabalu expedition were underway as early as January this year. If you’re planning such a trip for yourself too, we strongly recommend confirming your travel dates early. I understand from Robert (who made most of the arrangements – thanks buddy!), you can’t climb Mt Kinabalu if you don’t have your accommodation arrangements at Laban Rata confirmed before hand. And of course there’s no Genting Highlands Resorts up there so the rooms are snapped up pretty quickly. You can make your bookings as far as 6 months in advance, and I recommend you do so. More info available here.

Moving along…

Nearing the actual dates, we tried to get our act together by getting in shape. Actually it was just 2 or 3 miserable attempts at Bukit Gasing and Bukit Kiara. Now that I’ve been to the top of Mount Kinabalu and back, my advice to anyone else is forget the bukit-bukit (hills) you find in your area. If you’re serious about getting your body (read legs) ready for the climb, walk stairs! I shit you not. Build up your leg muscles by climbing or descending staircases EVERYDAY! Much of the hike up to Laban Rata is stair-like.

Also, if you’re thinking of packing light, that’s a great idea. But just in case you have extras to carry, like your girlfriend’s backpack when she gets tired, I also recommend you work on your back. Try doing the staircase exercise with a 5 to 10 kilo backpack. If you attempt my suggested exercise and fail (your leg/back muscles give way) do one of the following two:
a) train more
b) cancel your trip

This was our travel itinerary, which you can follow or maybe even enhance to suit your interests. The actual hike up and down the mountain will take a full 2 days and 1 night. We added an extra two nights just so that we wouldn’t have to rush – total 4 days 3 nights in Kinabalu.

Day 1 - fly into Kota Kinabalu. They have a small cozy international airport there so it’s possible to fly in from other countries, although I don’t know the routes. Of course we flew in from KL.

From there, you’ll need to find your way to Kinabalu park. There are a number of ways to do this, i.e. bus, taxi, on foot (highly not recommended). Or you can do what we did – rent a car. A 1,500cc Proton Wira cost us RM90/day, petrol not included). We were a group of 4 so it was ideal. Having a rental allowed us the flexibility to stop by in KK town (10mins from airport) to get Robert, have a meal and do some last minute shopping for essentials.

We didn’t spend too much time in KK before continuing our journey to Kinabalu Park. The journey is very much like driving from KL to Genting Highlands… nothing much spectacular. It got very misty at one part of our journey that we could barely see a few meters in front of the car. Soon Yean did quite well with Grace as his navigator. We stopped along the way to stretch our legs and buy bananas at the roadside stalls.

Trivia – bananas, chocolates and nuts are great sources of energy. I recommend Snickers® - high in both chocolate and nuts. If they ever come up with a banana+nut-filled version of Snickers®… hmmm….

It wasn’t much later when we found ourselves at the Kinabalu Park headquarters. This is where some of the numerous Kinabalu Park lodges are located. People generally check-in for a night before starting their Summit trail hike at Timpohon gate early the next morning. However, our group’s plan was to hike Mesilau trail. Mesilau trail is a longer, more scenic route. After about 6.5km it joins up with Summit trail’s 4.5km mark (approximate) near the Layang-layang rest hut. Mesilau Trail steps are smaller than the huge ones at the early stages of Summit Trail, so it’s somewhat easier to climb at the expense of distance and time.

Soon after we reached Mesilau Nature Resort and checking in, we were sitting down for a nice dinner at the restaurant. To be honest, I was not expecting very much. Pricing in their menu is like much of the mountain, a bit steep. It’s on par with any esteemed café in town. They also have the ambience and setting to go with it so I was not disappointed. The real surprise was that the food was actually really good. The four of us went back to our rooms with happy tummies. Kudos to the chef and staff!

We took the shared hostel known as Bishop’s Head Hostel. There are a number of rooms there with each room housing 3 double-decker beds – so it sleeps six people. We had it to ourselves as there weren’t many travelers climbing from Mesilau on the weekday. Temperature at this altitude is already at the lower end of 20’s, and higher end of 10’s at night. I would have liked to oversleep the next morning but the excitement of the climb didn’t permit it.

We packed a set lunch each from the restaurant, which included tuna or egg sandwich, bananas, chicken wing, a hard-boiled egg and a bottle of mineral water. We had some of the sandwiches for breakfast.

Unsure of how our bodies would be affected by the climb and the altitude, we decided to head out early – 8am. We were the first group to leave on the trail. I truly truly truly hated being in the front because there were lots and lots of transparent spider webs hanging across the trail and I kept walking my face into them. After that experience, I am strongly against being the first to walk the trail in the morning.

We went a slow but steady pace and it took 9 hours for us to get from Mesilau Nature Resort to Laban Rata, arriving shortly past 5pm. Some of the things I noticed, worth mentioning, you should look out for…
- Kipuyut bridge which hangs over a beautiful stream with a spectacular waterfall to one side and the rest of the steady stream to the other.
- Watch as the scene of the forest around you transforms from something so normal, so familiar, into something right out of a Harry Potter movie, with low trees and thick fogs.
- Look through the gaps between the trees when you hit the top of hill ranges. Don’t miss the picturesque view of the valleys and low lands below. Where the weather is good, you may even see as far as the South China Sea in the distant horizon.
- Observe the detail of Summit Trail… I strongly suspect that much of it is actually a waterfall which has had its water diverted off the route so that we can safely traverse it.
- The view from above the clouds is heaven-like, and blinding at the same time.
- It was rainy pretty much the entire time so the wilderness was quiet. But rain or shine, the squirrels and rats which camp at each of rest huts are adorable. You’ll just fall right in love with them and start giving them food you brought for yourself. Heck, you might even snatch food from your friends to feed the animals. And notice how they get bigger/fatter the higher up you climb.

At Laban Rata, the mess hall is full of life with many a climber sitting around with a hot drink or warm food, sharing stories of their climb to this point and their expectations of the next stage. This is where you’ll find expensive yet lousy food, but still appreciate it. This is also where I bought my very own pair of Kampung Adidas as my pair of RockPort hiking shoes gave way to the abuse on the way up. RM14 for 2 pieces of rubber and a pair of black shoelaces. Best money I’ve ever spent… serious!

Temperature at this altitude was about 9 degrees Celsius and once again the view was astounding. Our beds were waiting for us at Gunting Lagadan hut, another 10 minutes hike away. The gate to the next and infinitely more perilous stage of the climb is also here. The rooms had double-decker beds as well, sleeping 4 in each room, perfect for our group.

We sat around for a bit complaining about the sore backs and feet and then got to preparations for the next stage. I believe it was barely 8pm when we put out the lights. Early indeed, but if the next phase was to begin at 2.30am, 8pm wasn’t early enough.

I don’t know why we did it, but we really didn’t have to… set our alarms that is. At 2am the noise from climbers getting ready in the hallways is loud enough to wake the dead (given that we slept like the dead). We left most of the non-essentials there in our room and climbed the rest of the way with just warm clothes on our back, a raincoat, camera, torchlight, water, and some light snacks. All that fits into a nice fat hip pouch. The huge backpack you hiked up with can be left in the room because the biggest item in there (read your warm clothing) is already on your back.

At 2.30am, it was still dark and stormy and our guide didn’t care much for letting us out there so soon. 15 minutes later we were off. I was a bit concerned about reaching the peak on time. Sunrise was scheduled at 6.05am and no amount of complaining in the world could ever postpone that event. As you can imagine, the scenery up there – pitch black. Apart from the light coming from our foreheads pointed at the ground 3 feet in front of us, we couldn’t see anything else. It was just step after step after step after step.

The winds got stronger as we passed well above the trees and there was nothing left to shield us from the burning cold winds except our clothes. My advice: wear 2 layers of climate control material beneath your hooded jacket and use weather proof gloves and shoes. Turning around and looking into the distant, I noticed it was a cloudless dark sky. We could see the lights from the small towns below and even that which was shining all the way from Kota Kinabalu. Breathtaking view!

I like our guide Morris even though I don’t know how to spell his name. He was very encouraging all the way through. He kept our pace and made sure we reached the peak on time.

5.50am, our destination finally reached us – Low’s Peak, 4,092 meters above sea level, the highest peak on the mountain . It was still pitch black except for the lights coming from the torches of the other climbers. We all took turns gathering around the peak for photos. That was the most horrible photo experience I’ve ever had. It was just too cold to smile. When I tried holding the camera, the thick, wet gardening gloves I wore made it impossible for me to press the buttons on the camera. And when I removed the gloves, my fingers were too stiff and shaky to operate the camera properly. Dumbfounding!

I truly regret reaching the peak so early. A 15 minute wait for the sunrise at that altitude, in that weather, is like an eternity in hell (if hell were to freeze over). It wasn’t long before Low’s Peak got too crowded and so we moved downwards to put some of the rocks between us and the wind. That helped little, but it was still appreciated.

As the sun came up the veil of shadow was lifted from the lands below, revealing the most magnificent sights I have ever laid eyes on. The closest thing to it I’ve ever seen before was only on TV, and it was still nowhere near the real thing. The view was… it was… I give up… it just cannot be defined with my limited vocabulary. Just get up there yourself and you will see what I mean.

No time to reflect on our achievements. I was too eager to get back down to warmer temperature. At that time, even 10 degrees Celsius seemed warm to me. That’s colder than any office air-conditioning system would give you. But I would still have preferred it to the near freezing temperatures at the summit.

As we slowly made our way back down the summit, we could finally breathe in the enormity of the mountain. With light, the dark and beastly mountain had transformed into a vast and beautiful rocky landscape. The trickling water from early showers made each and every rock glisten with shimmery light.

To the end of the highest rock plateau in Malaysia, we could now see how treacherous our climb up was. Had we noticed it any earlier, we would probably had taken even more care when coming up. Some might have even given up before making that climb had it been visible. But now that we were up there, the only way to go was down.

And so we took it a foot at a time, with one hand on the rope, and another hand on the rock for balance, and a third invisible hand hanging on to friends for support… knowing that someone will be quick enough to reach us before we fall if we slipped. I strongly believe that that is the bond the four of us built on this trip to conquer Mount Kinabalu. To know that if any of us trips, there will be others quick to catch us before we hit the ground. I now have more trust in them than ever before.

It took as long to get back to the Gunting Lagadan hut as it did to get from there to the summit. We made it back there just before 9.30am and collapsed in bed. Checkout was to be at 11am so that gave us close to an hour’s rest. Our final stage – descending. The weather was still wet with light showers here and there. We were so fed up with having to keep putting on and taking off our ponchos that we just left it on till the last bit.

The first part of the descent was quick and fluent. But I didn’t realize how quick my legs would yield to the constant downhill pace. Barely halfway through, our entire group was down to a slow and steady pace once again. As we went below the clouds, the familiar forest we saw just the day before reappeared once again. With each step, the trees grew taller and taller. Making our way down, the stair-like trail was becoming a nightmare for our legs and minds. At each corner we turn, we would be greeted by more stairs.

4.5 hours later, we made it to Timpohon gate, the start/end of Summit Trail. I was so relieved that it was finally over. A 10 minute van-ride away was once again Kinabalu Park Headquarters where we picked up our certificates and our car. I volunteered to drive the journey back to Kota Kinabalu since the others seemed to be no better off than I.

We had pre-booked a hotel in town for that evening. As we got back into town we began to speculate about the hotel and its layout – “I sure hope the hotel has a lift because I don’t think I can climb anymore stairs”! Hilarious bunch we are. Due to budget constraints, all 4 of us shared the 2 single beds in the small room. We were out cold by 9.30pm.

The next day was a relaxing one at the nearby mall – CenterPoint for a massage (canceled because it was too expensive), and also the Filipino market to pick up some souvenirs. Our flight back to KL was delayed slightly and when we got back to Soon Yean’s apartment, we found Grace’s car battery dead. But that’s another story altogether.

For those of you who are looking to try Mt Kinabalu, the following sites have helped me gather invaluable information.
http://www.mount-kinabalu-borneo.com/
http://www.angelfire.com/wi3/huaying1/sabah.html

Also, consider making a stop at the nearby Poring Hotsprings after your climb, before returning to town.

And please take good care on such a trip. Any attempt to climb Mount Kinabalu or any other mountain of this caliber is no laughing matter. Lives have been lost (even on Mt Kinabalu) on the account of recklessness and poor planning so please prepare yourselves well, both physically and psychologically.

Trivia: The fastest anyone has made it from Timpohon to Summit and back to Timpohon - below 3hrs - mad people!

If you’ve read all the way up to this point, I take my hat off to you. Please leave a message. Thank you!

My Personality - ENTP

2007-09-18T11:29:00.000+08:00

I just took a personality test at MyPersonality.Info

ENTP, as described by PersonalityPage...

As an ENTP, your primary mode of living is focused externally, where you take things in primarily via your intuition. Your secondary mode is internal, where you deal with things rationally and logically.

With Extraverted Intuition dominating their personality, the ENTP's primary interest in life is understanding the world that they live in. They are constantly absorbing ideas and images about the situations they are presented in their lives. Using their intuition to process this information, they are usually extremely quick and accurate in their ability to size up a situation. With the exception of their ENFP cousin, the ENTP has a deeper understanding of their environment than any of the other types.

This ability to intuitively understand people and situations puts the ENTP at a distinct advantage in their lives. They generally understand things quickly and with great depth. Accordingly, they are quite flexible and adapt well to a wide range of tasks. They are good at most anything that interests them. As they grow and further develop their intuitive abilities and insights, they become very aware of possibilities, and this makes them quite resourceful when solving problems.

ENTPs are idea people. Their perceptive abilities cause them to see possibilities everywhere. They get excited and enthusiastic about their ideas, and are able to spread their enthusiasm to others. In this way, they get the support that they need to fulfill their visions.

ENTPs are less interested in developing plans of actions or making decisions than they are in generating possibilities and ideas. Following through on the implementation of an idea is usually a chore to the ENTP. For some ENTPs, this results in the habit of never finishing what they start. The ENTP who has not developed their Thinking process will have problems with jumping enthusiastically from idea to idea, without following through on their plans. The ENTP needs to take care to think through their ideas fully in order to take advantage of them.

The ENTP's auxiliary process of Introverted Thinking drives their decision making process. Although the ENTP is more interested in absorbing information than in making decisions, they are quite rational and logical in reaching conclusions. When they apply Thinking to their Intuitive perceptions, the outcome can be very powerful indeed. A well-developed ENTP is extremely visionary, inventive, and enterprising.

ENTPs are fluent conversationalists, mentally quick, and enjoy verbal sparring with others. They love to debate issues, and may even switch sides sometimes just for the love of the debate. When they express their underlying principles, however, they may feel awkward and speak abruptly and intensely.

The ENTP personality type is sometimes referred to the "Lawyer" type. The ENTP "lawyer" quickly and accurately understands a situation, and objectively and logically acts upon the situation. Their Thinking side makes their actions and decisions based on an objective list of rules or laws. If the ENTP was defending someone who had actually committed a crime, they are likely to take advantage of quirks in the law that will get their client off the hook. If they were to actually win the case, they would see their actions as completely fair and proper to the situation, because their actions were lawful. The guilt or innocence of their client would not be as relevant. If this type of reasoning goes uncompletely unchecked by the ENTP, it could result in a character that is perceived by others as unethical or even dishonest. The ENTP, who does not naturally consider the more personal or human element in decision making, should take care to notice the subjective, personal side of situations. This is a potential problem are for ENTPs. Although their logical abilities lend strength and purpose to the ENTP, they may also isolate them from their feelings and from other people.

The least developed area for the ENTP is the Sensing-Feeling arena. If the Sensing areas are neglected, the ENTP may tend to not take care of details in their life. If the Feeling part of themself is neglected, the ENTP may not value other people's input enough, or may become overly harsh and aggressive.

Under stress, the ENTP may lose their ability to generate possibilities, and become obsessed with minor details. These details may seem to be extremely important to the ENTP, but in reality are usually not important to the big picture.

In general, ENTPs are upbeat visionaries. They highly value knowledge, and spend much of their lives seeking a higher understanding. They live in the world of possibilities, and become excited about concepts, challenges and difficulties. When presented with a problem, they're good at improvising and quickly come up with a creative solution. Creative, clever, curious, and theoretical, ENTPs have a broad range of possibilities in their lives.

Wake Me Up When It's Over

2007-09-14T12:25:00.003+08:00

I just took a glance at my organizer. Bloody hell… I’m all booked out for the next 5 days.

Friday 6pm – Meet Jo & Jess down in KL for Haagen-Dazs.
Friday 8pm – Herbalife training @ KL
Friday 10pm – Clubbing @ Poppy
Saturday 10am – Grocery shopping for KLU barbecue
Saturday 2.30pm – Shake party @ Menara MPL
Saturday 4.30pm – Gym
Saturday 6pm – KLU barbecue
Saturday 10.30pm – Zetuan’s B’day barbecue (or what’s left of it)
Sunday 9am – wash 3 cars (maybe 4) and other housekeeping
Sunday 11am – Shopping for a webcam and suit
Sunday 7pm – KG’s wedding reception @ Equatorial
Monday 8.30am – nothing @ office
Monday 5.30pm – Meet Lynn and/or Gym
Monday 8pm – TangLung party @ Kelana
Tuesday 8.30am – nothing @ office
Tuesday 2pm – Chairman’s Club Tour @ Shangri-La
Tuesday 9pm – Nutrition Club proposal presentation @ D’sara Perdana

If I turn down any invitations for Wednesday, please be understanding. Show some compassion. Thank you!

EyeMaze

2007-09-12T16:09:00.000+08:00

I came across a pretty neat site with simple games, about a year back. Very simple Flash games, but entertaining nonetheless. I’ve always been a sucker for puzzle games.

Recently I came back to this site and found a whole lot more games in their list. I’ve been spending a bit of time working out the solutions to the puzzle games.

For those of you who’ve given up, here’s the walkthrough for some of the games I’ve completed, just to help you along. Skip the rest of this post if you want to try it out first.

I will add walkthroughs to the others as I complete them.

Grow Ver.1
Drop each item over the “Grow” word in this order:
1. House
2. Tree
3. Castle
4. Water
5. Tower
6. Rock
7. Treasure Chest
8. Stairs
Watch the story unfold.

Grow Ver.2
It goes in accordingly…
1. Cone
2. Cube
3. Paper
4. Cylinder
5. Hole
6. Ball
The ending is pretty damn cool!

Chronon Ver.0
Basically you have to free the yellow guy who's trapped in the cage in the middle of the house before the master comes back at 19.00. The concept of this game is to move things around the house at different times of the day. Not the most simple of games because you can actually move back and forth between times to change different objects, which will then lead to different outcomes.

For me the toughest part to figure out was the clock. It’s one of the most important items in the game. The clock only ticks when it’s hanging on the wall. And because it’s a cuckoo clock, certain things will pop up when the clock shows a certain time of day.
12 o’clock – key to unlock chest
1 o’clock – egg
7 o’clock – lit candle

Here’s my walkthrough to get you to 100/100.

To unlock the chest…
Timeline: 12.25
Put the wreath in the fireplace.
Hang the clock on the wall (it shows 9.30).
Timeline: 14.55
The clock has been ticking for 2.5hrs, therefore now it shows 1 o’clock. The key appears.
Click on the key to unlock the chest. 9.45 will now appear in your timeline at the top.

To get the egg…
Timeline: 6.15
Hang the clock on the wall (it shows 9.30).
Timeline: 9.45
The clock strikes 1 and the egg appears on top of the clock, like the key. Click on the egg to move it to the fireplace with all the other cake ingredients.

To hatch the monster egg…
Timeline: 6.15
Move the wreath to the table
Move the monster egg onto the wreath
Open the curtains
Timeline: 9.05
The monster egg hatches

To send the winged monster up the chimney to fetch milk…
Timeline: 9.05
Move the shelf from the fireplace to the wall
Tie the rope to the winged monster
Give the empty bottle (left side) to the monster.
Timeline: 9.45
Monster has collected milk in bottle and fruit in tail. Click on the rope at the fireplace to reel him back in before the rain comes.

To get the firewood under the cage…
Timeline: 6.15
The clock is on the wall showing 9.30
Timeline: 9.05
The clock is on the wall showing 12.20
Click on the clock’s tail to make it straight
Timeline: 9.45
The clock strikes 1, and the cage is raised.
Move the wood off the floor to the shelf above the window.

Like it or not, it rains and the open chimney causes a flood. To dry the floor…
Timeline: 12.25
Take the fruit from the winged monster and put it under the table.
Tie the rope to the fruit.
Timeline: 14.55
The brown monster dug a hole through the floor to get the fruit. The water drains out.
The cage collapses under the weight of the growing winged monster, and the bars open up for the yellow guy to get out.
The rope is in place for the yellow guy to escape from the house.

If you’ve gotten this far, you’ve met the mission of the game – to help the yellow guy escape. Go to timeline 19.00 and see how it turns out. However, you will not get 100/100 score. Read on if you want to continue… I’m going to teach you to bake a cake.

To start the fire…
Timeline: 12.25
Move the round bottle (filled with water) from the stand on the right to the stand on the left.
Put the bottle of milk in the stand on the right.
Give the mirror to the winged monster – it’s quite vain.
Make sure the hatch above is open.
Timeline: 14.55
The sun comes out and the light is directed through the roof, via the mirror, to the wreath and it catches fire.
Move the burning wreath to the fire place.
Put the fire wood on top of the burning wreath.
Replace the shelf in the fireplace.

To prepare the cake for baking…
Timeline: 14.55
Put the baking tray onto the table
Add the necessary ingredients. Different ingredients bring different endings.
Here’s a list of ingredients available: butter, sugar, egg, flour, poison, water, milk. (I recommend you try different recipes to see the different outcomes. It’s quite interesting.)
Timeline: 18.10
Move the baking pan to the fireplace. The fireplace should be nice and hot by now.
Timeline: 19.00
The cake is baked. The master is back.

Still haven’t gotten the desired outcome?
Try only these ingredients for the cake – butter, sugar, egg, flour and milk.
Timeline: 19.00
A delicious cake is served. All the characters are in the house sharing the cake.

Still didn’t get 100/100?
The room is too dark.

To get the candle out of the clock, you have to get the clock to strike 7 when timeline is 19.00...
Timeline: 14.55
The clock hanging on the wall should show 6.10.
Stop it from ticking by taking it off the wall and putting it on the shelf.
Timeline: 18.10
Put the clock back onto the wall to get it ticking as normal.
Timeline: 19.00
Perfect scene, perfect score!

***if you added poison to the recipe to bake, yellow guy will be on the roof, winged monster will be kicked out, master will turn to stone, and the brown monster will still be biting on the rope.

Cake Pics

2007-09-09T20:48:00.000+08:00

Ask and you shall receive. This post is in response to Nigel's request related to one of my previous posts - "My Cake Experience"

Test cake: Didn't complete the decorating because it was really late.

Choc chip cake stuffed with marshmellow & chocolate buttercream filling

Final product: Simple and from the heart

Sorry I don't have more pictures worthy of posting. I was so caught up with the cake that I didn't have time to document the process.

Random Thought: Life is Fantastic!

2007-09-06T11:25:00.000+08:00

While playing confidant to an old flame, I made an interesting realization about life. Some of you may know this already, but I know that there are still many who don’t.

Direction and purpose… both in life are very important. To have something to work towards or look forward to, that is really vital to stay psychologically healthy, to be happy.

What drives you? Think about it! Do you have a 10-year plan? A 5-year plan? A 1-year plan? And just as important as having goals, I find that we also need to have things to look forward to. That overdue vacation with a loved one or dear friend; a special occasion or event; buying something that excites you; an anticipated exciting change in life, it all counts!

The above is what makes the difference between saying “life sucks” or “life is just ok” and being able to say “life is fantastic”. Are you truly enjoying your time here? Or are you just living it a day at a time. That choice is in your hands and really, you can choose to do something about it!

In unrelated news: Funny thing happened today. Our President is down from Japan having a meeting with all the managers. Rumor has it we’re involved in a buy-over. And we’re not the buyers. If this rumor is true, a serious change in things around here can be expected. I wonder how that would affect me if I stayed on. Would I have adjusted well to the change of bosses and maybe even working culture? Or maybe they’d retrench me and pay me off. That would have been nice. Alas, my departure from this company is already confirmed and I guess I’ll never know. Still, I have no regrets and am eager to move on to greener pastures.

Counting Down

2007-09-05T16:57:00.000+08:00

As the days run by and I get just that much closer to my last day of service here at NMM, the boredom grows exponentially. Although I clock in at 8.30 sharp and clock out 5.00pm on the dot daily, I still feel more mentally exhausted than when I used to O.T. till late night. It’s the lack of interesting activity I tell you.

I am actually doing what I can to delay the numerous tasks of the handover process just so that I still retain some work to do while waiting it out (Kiasu about having no work… not exactly the best kind of kiasu-ism).

Even with today coming to a close, I still have 14 more working days to suffer. I’m also still entitled to 3 more days of annual leave. The initial idea was to run off the leave on the last 3 days of service, thereby bringing the end just a little be closer. That plan has had to be scrapped.

My boss just told me that our exec is putting together a farewell lunch in my name, to be held on the 25th, so I have to work till then. Looking on the bright side of it, he also mentioned that after speaking to our GM, he’s gotten approval for the company to pay me off for any unused leave. That works for me since I really could use all the money I can get.

So, 14 working days… and counting…

In the mean time, any ideas on what I can do with my time in the office without it being too obvious that I’m not working?

LCD Monitors for Not-So-Dumb Dummies

2007-08-30T12:29:00.000+08:00

As mentioned earlier, I am looking to make a few more changes to my PC setup. One of which is to upgrade my current Samsung SyncMaster 793DF CRT monitor to a 19” LCD monitor. I’m going to share a summary of the advice I picked up on the Internet on how to pick an LCD monitor. Let’s get right down to it!

Just like many decisions for change in life, first ask yourself “why”? My reason for changing my monitor is that the current 17” CRT monitor eats up a third of the available space on my 4-foot desk. Aesthetic value is also a common reason for people to change their monitors because LCD monitors these days can make even an old junk PC look state-of-the-art.

Budget is always a concern when making a good purchase decision. “You get what you pay for" comes to mind. Don’t expect anything too fancy if you’re trying to save every penny. At the same time, spending a bomb isn’t always best either if you have no use for the features which come with your break-budget LCD monitor. So, first things first, why have we decided to buy an LCD monitor?

Your choice of LCD should be very much based on your reason for change and/or purpose of use. Take for instance gamers/graphic designers will prefer a monitor with sharp, clear, vivid colors, and smooth imaging – something high-end per se. The average PC user running simple office programs or internet browsers or chat programs will not require anything fancy from their monitor. You probably wouldn’t even notice the difference in quality without somebody pointing it out.

Let’s get technical. Here are some of the lingo you might come across when speaking to a sales person, or while browsing the specifications.

Monitor size
The most common variations in size at the moment are 17”, 19”, 20” and 22”. This is a measure of the viewable area calculated diagonally across the screen. Of course the bigger they get, the more you pay.

Widescreen or not
This is really up to you. From what I gather, widescreen improves the experience of watching movies – you don’t get the horizontal black stripes across the top and bottom of the screen. Also, you get a much better view when you open 2 programs/documents to view side by side (if you ever have to). Widescreen monitors generally cost more than normal monitors of the same size & features, although I have no idea why.

Pitch
The distance between the centers of two adjacent pixels. The smaller the pitch, the sharper the image. They’re all below 0.3mm these days.

Resolution & aspect ratio
LCD monitors come with the option of setting your display to different resolutions. What you should be more concerned with, when making the purchase, is “native resolution”, which is the optimum resolution of the LCD monitor. “1,600 X 1,200”, “1,280 X 1,024”, “1,280 X 960”, “1,024 X 768” describes the resolution. The aspect ratio is simply a ratio of the width to height of the screen, expressed as “4:3”, or “5:4”. A detailed explanation on this may not mean much and might just confuse you further. So to keep it simple, just make sure the monitor’s native resolution and aspect ratio match. I.e. monitors with a native resolution of 1,280 X 1,024 should have an aspect ratio of 5:4. And monitors with a native resolution of 1,280 X 960 must have a corresponding aspect ratio of 4:3.

Curious to know what happens if you pick one with a native resolution which does not correspond to the aspect ratio? Try to picture this - perfect circles you draw on screen will print out oval-shaped. Perfect squares will appear rectangular on paper. Pictures of people may look taller/fatter (stretched) on screen than they are in real life. If you still don’t get the picture, don’t stretch yourself out (pun intended).

Response time
Lately most LCD monitors come with response times of 5ms or 2ms. That’s the time it takes for a pixel to change from color to color. Let’s face it - technology is so advanced now that the difference in speed is minimal. In case you didn’t notice, ms = milliseconds… how many of us are able to tell the absolute difference between 2ms and 5ms? Get my point? Let’s skip the technicalities of this. But it’s still good to know that in theory, 2ms is faster than 5ms, therefore, 2ms is better than 5ms. *eye-rolling* Whatever!

Input Type
You’ll come to find LCDs available on the market come with analog or digital (DVI) inputs. There are also those which come with both. It’s better to do a check before making your purchase. What you first need to know is whether or not your current PC graphics card supports DVI. If it does not, make sure your LCD monitor is analog capable. My advice though, is to pick a monitor which supports both analog and DVI because DVI quality is much better. Even if you don’t want to upgrade your graphics card now, you might decide to upgrade later. And when the time comes, at least your gorgeous LCD monitor is already DVI compatible with your awesome new graphics card.

Brightness
Measured in cd/m2, a.k.a. nits, most monitors average 250nits. I’ve seen a few go up to 300nits. In this case, more is better.

Contrast
500:1, 750:1, 800:1, 1000:1, 2000:1, 3000:1... Higher is supposedly better because it shows the intensity difference between the brightest bright and darkest dark. It seems the methods of this measure are not standard across the board among the manufacturers. Therefore comparing figures on spec sheets aren’t very reliable. My advice, if contrast is really that important to you, is to check out the demo units on display at the shops.

Viewing angle
You’ll see measurements like these (horizontal/vertical): 140˚/140˚, 160˚/160˚, 178˚/178˚. I cannot imagine how you’ll be looking at your screen from an angle of 178˚, but if higher is better, then go for it! No… seriously, unless you’re having your family and your extended family and all their friends too trying to see the screen from all around you, you’re not going to need viewing angles of 178˚/178˚. But do try to keep it to at least 160˚/160˚... you never know.

Warranty
3 years… no less! Manufacturers who offer more years in warranty generally only do so because of their confidence in the quality and durability of their product. As I mentioned at the beginning, “you get what you pay for”. 3 months to 1 year only? Don’t even go there!

Do ask for more details on the warranty. Some warranties, although for 3 years, only cover certain aspects of your monitor and exclude some things like the backlight which tends to have a relatively high failure rate. There are also more comprehensive warranties which cover everything for the entire duration of the warranty. I was told Samsung offers 3-year full warranty on some of their monitors, if not all. Other more reputable LCD monitor manufacturers – ViewSonic & LG (I haven’t studied their warranties yet).

After making your purchase, do a quick check for stuck pixels on the screen. Load up a blank white page and check the screen inch by inch to see if there are any black dots (pixels which don’t light up). Then repeat with a blank black screen and see if any pixels stay lit. If it’s just a couple scattered in the far corners, don’t worry about it. But if it’s an entire cluster, send it right back to the dealer and complain their ears off.

Other features
Height and tilt adjustable LCD monitors are also available on the market. You can even find some widescreen monitors which swivel 90˚. I.e. change from landscape to portrait view. Some even come with built in speakers, although not very good quality speakers.

Aesthetics
To be very frank with you, after looking at so many different models from different manufactures, I’ve found that while their specifications do vary, they’re not so bold and obvious that you can easily decide on one over the other. So when it comes down to this, I’ll just come right out and say go for the one which looks more eye-pleasing to you. Seriously, when using a computer, your eyes should be looking at the monitor, not your fingers as you tap away on the keyboard. If you’re going to spend so much time looking at your monitor, it might as well be a very pretty one!

Pricing
I shall refrain from commenting on this due to the ever-changing prices at stores. But you can expect to spend anywhere around RM600-RM800 for a decent LCD monitor.

Postscript: Please try to remember that I am not an expert in this field. Everything said above is just a matter of my personal opinion based on information I dug up on the Internet. Feel free to leave a comment calling me an idiot for putting up anything which is not true and I will have it amended.

My PC

2007-08-29T09:40:00.000+08:00

In the recent weeks, I have been spending quite a bit of time, money and energy reorganizing my work space at home. I have moved all the related furniture around to give me a better feel of a home office.

I am certainly most proud of my current PC setup. The CPU I personally built from scratch early last year comes with the following…
- Intel Pentium 4 2.8Ghz processor
- Kingston 1GB RAM
- 2 HDD (160GB new + 40GB old)
- Samsung Combo Drive
- ATI Radeon 256MB Graphics Accelerator AGP
- Sound Blaster
- An awesome looking glossy black Tsunami ATX casing

Ok, I know it’s not all that much to shout about since it’s already been that there for a year and a half. But really, it gives me enough processing power to do just about anything I want to do on my PC. I’m still running Windows XP which is pretty stable. I haven’t yet tried Vista so I don’t know if my hardware will match up to it.

I’ve also got my Aztech WiFi router with built-in modem. The transmission is strong and stable enough that downloads on Ivan’s laptop from any other room in the house are as fast as downloads on my PC via the network cable.

My HP iPaq docking station is also perpetually hooked up to the PC. There’s also a set of Altec Lansing headphones which puts out awesome sound & music quality.

Newer additions to my arsenal include 2 new printers – a mono Samsung 3-in-1 (LaserJet + scanner + copier) and an Epson Inkjet color printer. I also recently got a new Microsoft desktop keyboard + mouse combination and brand spanking new Sonic Gear 2Go white portable multimedia speakers (matches my Samsung Pendant).

Apart from the extra 1GB RAM I hope to include soon, there are only 2 more things I feel very strongly about adding to my setup. The first is a designated webcam which my family will use to keep in touch with Ivan once he leaves for UK next weekend. And the second is a 19” LCD monitor to replace the current 17” Samsung flat screen CRT because it takes up so much desk space.

My next post will share some of the information I picked up while doing research online regarding LCD monitors. So if you’re thinking of upgrading and don’t know what all the mambo jumbo is about, do visit BeingMervs again soon.

Scrabulous!

2007-08-24T09:34:00.000+08:00

I’ve got to say, Scrabble is a damn fun game. I’m building words I never even knew existed!

I generally like to play to my opponents’ levels. I have the patience to build short, simple words when I play with people who build short, simple words. Likewise when someone proves they’re up to the challenge, I like to give them my best – defense; offense; building 2 words ahead of the game; damage control to my rack; etc. It’s a little like chess, but a lot more creative really.

If you’re like me and you like word games, log on to Facebook. You can add an application called Scrabulous and play Scrabble with your friends. Search for gooihup[at]hotmail[dot]com and drop me a message. I’ll be happy to play with anyone who asks.

Alternatively you can go to the Scrabulous website and play with random Scrabaholics from all over the world, free of charge.

Random Thought: Cool Trick

2007-08-20T15:15:00.000+08:00

You guys have seriously got to try this...
1. Load up a webpage (any site) with lots of pictures. Suggestions: Google Images, or even your Friendster Friends list. As long as it has pictures this will work.
2. Cut and paste the following text into the address bar, replacing the original URL.
3. Hit [ENTER]

javascript:R=0; x1=.1; y1=.05; x2=.25; y2=.24; x3=1.6; y3=.24; x4=300; y4=200; x5=300; y5=200; DI= document.images; DIL=DI.length; function A(){for(i=0; i<DIL; i++){DIS=DI[ i ].style; DIS.position='absolute'; DIS.left=Math.sin(R*x1+i*x2+x3)*x4+x5; DIS.top=Math.cos(R*y1+i*y2+y3)*y4+y5}R++}setInterval('A()',5 ); void(0)

Don't worry, it's no virus. Everything goes back to normal when you load the page up with its orginal URL again. It works with Windows Internet Explorer but I don't know about other browsers.

Post#100: My Cake Experience

2007-08-20T12:13:00.000+08:00

This is my 100th published post here on BeingMervs, after slightly over a year. Didn't think I'd have the consistency to get this far when I first began. I surprise myself sometimes.

Okay… so this is how the story unfolded.

I skipped Friday evening’s usual gym session in order to make my way to the highly recommended baking supplies shop in Taman Megah. I was definitely not misinformed. You can get practically anything related to baking there. Seriously no joke!

Jo was running a bit late so we met up there. She was surprised to find that I did not have a shopping list. She got skeptical when she asked what we needed and I simply replied let’s just walk around and see. I had a rough idea on what I wanted to make and I kind of pulled recipes from all over the Internet. The problem was I could not make up my mind so I decided to just go with the usual cake ingredients – flour, butter, eggs, chocolate chips, icing sugar, etc.

It was a last minute decision to bake a test-cake in advance, just in case. So I got started that evening itself. Due to lack of supplies (I thought we had some stuff at home, apparently not), I ended up running out to the nearby supermarket for more supplies. As I was doing a quick run around, I noticed my favorite marshmallows sitting on the shelf and couldn’t help but pick up a pack to munch on back home. It wasn’t much later that it became an ingredient in Robert’s cake… another one of those spontaneous things.

Anyway, I finally made up my mind on the how the cake should be. The vision I had in my mind was something like this – chocolate chip butter cake; round 9-inch double-layered; chocolate butter cream filling with a layer of marshmallows in between; white butter cream frosting all over; hardened shiny chocolate glaze over the top with that dripping-down-the-sides effect; and of course the words “Happy Birthday Robert” on top.

The test-cake… something went wrong with the first process of the 2 layers of cake itself. Upon removal from the oven, I found that one layer had gotten very holey beneath the surface, like the cake developed air pockets while baking. And the sides were kind of hard… crusted but not burnt. Not exactly what I expected. Too bad it was too late to do anything.

The marshmallows went on easy enough, except for the slicing part… they’re so sticky on the inside. The chocolate butter cream filling wound up too watery, which was a good thing because it just flowed right down into the crevices of the bottom layer of the cake. Yet it was still thick enough to not make the cake soggy and drip out the sides. I have to admit that got me worried.

The butter cream frosting recipe I pulled off the net had an extremely high icing sugar content but I figured since it was just a test cake, I should just go with the recipe and see how it comes out. The texture was good… soft enough to spread all over the cake, and it hardened well in the refrigerator. I had neither the butter nor the tools to do any more icing & the chocolate glaze so I called it quits there… 1.30am the next morning.

The tasting when I woke up in the morning went alright. Dad and I each had a slice. The test cake was a little hard to cut through right out of the fridge. Dad found the icing too sweet, and the cake texture was a little harder than he would have liked, but still good. I agreed on both accounts. His suggestions were to use less icing sugar, and to mix the batter in one direction only for a longer period of time. My dad is a wise man.

After a quick run to the cake supplies shop in Taman Megah again, I began work on the real thing. The process was pretty much the same, but the baker was just a little bit wiser. I baked each layer of the cake individually and they both turned out perfectly identical. The sides weren’t crusty as before, and both layers didn’t have holes. I was thankful and could only pray that I didn’t fuck up the next few processes.

The chocolate butter cream filling was perfect this time. All I had to do was use a whole lot less milk. I sort of over killed with the milk the night before which led to the whole liquidy texture. It spread over the marshmallows and cake so well I couldn’t resist picking more marshmallows out of the bag and dipping them into the cream for a bite.

The top layer of the cake went right on perfectly and there was this interesting burger-like look… a bit large though. The icing process called for some changes. I greatly reduced the amount of icing sugar in the recipe, but also added the balance icing cream from the night before. End result was still sweet, but not as sweet as before. Jo had a fun time coating the cake in its snowy white frosting. The cake was starting to look presentable, thank goodness.

I left my vision of the complete cake with Jo and let her take over for the decoration portion. She played around with the chocolate glaze a little and decided to drip it across the entire top of the cake. It turned out beautifully. She added some cherries she picked out of a can of cocktail fruits as deco. And the final touches of the words in print were done. I liked the fact that it wasn’t the cursive-styled fonts they usually do at cake shops when writing “Happy Birthday So & So”. We went with the amateur look and printed “Happy B’day Robert” in pinkish icing. That really gave the cake a personal touch. With that done, the cake went back into the fridge for another round of cooling to harden the chocolate glaze and icing.

We were ready just in time for dinner, which was well deserved since I missed lunch being all tied up with the baking. Everyone agreed to delay the cake cutting to much later since we were overfed at dinner. With so much cream in the cake, I didn’t dare serve it after dinner anyway.

We wound up having the cake’s candles lit shortly past 11pm at Chee How’s place. Chee How’s mom was quite impressed just looking at the cake, saying we were very talented. I can’t imagine why. She insisted the same after trying a slice. I still cannot imagine why. She also complimented the fact that I didn’t use eggs for the frosting & icing because that would have made it hard to preserve the cake for more than 2 to 3 days. To be honest, I didn’t even know that people use eggs for icing cream. I just went with the first frosting recipe I came across.

After all said and done, it turned out good enough for people to split and tapau the unfinished portion. They mostly claimed they liked the cake but it’s really hard to accept a compliment as the truth when it comes from friends.

I’m just pleased no one called up to say they’re down with diarrhea or food poisoning. *phew*

The overall cost – 12 hours of work for 2 cakes, about RM140 spent, lots of leftover ingredients. I’ll probably try my hand at it again pretty soon.

Cakes!

2007-08-17T10:38:00.000+08:00

Ahhh… another day at the office with little to do. With my departure announced and handover activities underway, I am slowly left with less and less to do. By my estimates, handover will likely be completed before the end of this month. That leaves the entire September with absolutely nothing to do. Bummer!

In the recent days I’ve been kept company by my newest best friend – the Internet. With bouncing interests, I look up something new every day. Different themes covered so far include fitness, Herbalife, various known nutritional foods, diving, videos, daily news, etc.

I think I shall proceed with a different theme every day. Today’s theme – baking. Yeah, you didn’t misread that. We’ve had very little experience so far with the RM1.6K oven we have built into the kitchen cabinets. I figure if it cost my parents that much, I might as well put it to good use. Jo & I will be baking a cake (hopefully a nice one) for one of my bestest buddies – Robbie!

Quick interruption to announce – Robert turns 30 this Sunday. Old fart! *cue sinister laugh* Anyway, Happy Birthday man! Love you enough to bake you a cake so you better eat it, even if it kills you!

Back to the research on baking cakes. I’ve spent most of my morning so far looking up interesting cake recipes. The resources I’ve come across are fascinating. From the infinite ingredients and recipes, to step-by-step guides, and even tips & tricks and advice on substituting ingredients, there seems to be just no end to it. I’m going to have to continue my research and read up cake decorating too.

I just hope I don’t end up killing the 15-odd people who have the misfortune of being the quality & safety officers tomorrow night. Hmm… come to think of it, if the cake doesn’t kill them, my foot-long parang will if they even dare think a rotten comment. Same fate for those who refuse to try.

I appreciate advice on where to hide the bodies. Please leave comment.

Rescue Me!

2007-08-15T13:41:00.000+08:00

It's been a while since I blogged about diving. No doubt I am still as passionate about it as ever. The problem is that I have to put aside my desire to dive for the time being in order to focus more on developing some means which will allow me to dive whenever & wherever I want in the future.

Earlier plans to join Dragonet's Project Aware at the end of September will be dropped since it's around the same time I draw my last salary. Thrifty is the key here.

Nonetheless, the passion remains. I have a strong desire to develop my diving career further. The following chart shows the different courses offered by PADI.

(click on the flowchart to find out more about each course)

My current certification level is Advanced Open Water Diver. I am hoping to get to Divemaster sometime in the near future. Next course of progression will be Rescue Diver, targeted to be completed in April or May next year.

Yea... rescue diver. Sounds over-glorified. I probably wouldn't even be able to rescue my own ass if shit were to happen. But I figure the knowledge and experience gained may one day make a difference between life and death.

In any case, I will first have do the pre-requisite - Emergency First Response... basically a 1 day comprehensive course on first aid. I'm eager to accomplish this before the year comes to a close. Can't wait! Can't wait!

Ahh... the excitement of being a diver. Can you feel it?

Random Thought: Moving On

2007-08-13T16:15:00.000+08:00

It is done. After a short discussion with my boss and a lengthy interrogation by my GM last Monday, followed by a few days of waiting for my boss to inform me how soon I can leave, I submitted my letter of resignation to my GM last Friday.

25 September 2007 will be my last day employed at NMM. That’s approximately 1.5 months notice, more than my statutory requirement but I figure I don’t dread this job that much to have to leave immediately. Besides, at least I’ll still get a full month’s pay. The only sad part is that it means I’ll have to suffer an extra 2 weeks of doing close to nothing in the office.

Looking on the bright side, I have already started the ball rolling on my next business endeavor. My plans are falling into place and I am wasting no time with putting everything into action. I have little over a month to get myself prepared and adjusted to my new, longer (but more flexible) working hours. It will be an entirely different thing for me and definitely a great deal more challenging. It scares me a little, and yet I am so much looking forward to it. I am comforted by the thought that as long as I do my part, I will not fail.

Success is a road I must walk with my own two feet. I am grateful to have family & friends as guides, to point me in the right direction and keep me from getting lost. And I have my buddies Attitude & Determination to get me there!

Toilet-train Your Cat

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

I remember being the child who always came home with all sorts of weird creatures & critters, driving my mom & dad up the wall. Seriously... from the garden - worms, spiders, grasshoppers, birds; from the drain - tadpoles, frogs, fishes; from the streets - kittens, puppies, etc. Yea, I've always been fascinated by nature.

My parents mostly never allowed me to keep any of what I brought home. Apart from my childhood asthma, it was just too much hassle to feed and care for any pets. I especially remember there was once I was allowed to keep a stray kitten I brought back from primary school. It was amusing to see the dread on my parents' faces each time they could smell kitten poo. We'd end up turning the house upside down to locate it. I was forced to put kitty up for adoption within a week. If only we had known any better.

Those of you who have cats/kittens trained to use the cat litter, here's an interesting read for training your cat to use the toilet. Pity there's nothing in there about teaching your cat to flush.

http://www.karawynn.net/mishacat/toilet.html

I wonder if the same works for live-in house dogs.

Making Decisions

2007-08-06T13:49:00.000+08:00

Sometimes it doesn't matter which side of the fence you get off on. The important thing is to get off the fence. You cannot make progress without making decisions.

And thus, I shall not sit on the fence any longer. I've made my decision. As with many of the recent forks in my path, I am opting to go down the road which looks more challenging.

Bring it on!

Random Thought: Quitting

2007-08-01T17:00:00.000+08:00

Quit (http://thesaurus.com/):
Abdicate, blow, book, bow out, check out, chuck, cut out, decamp, depart, desert, drop, drop out, evacuate, exit, forsake, get off, give up, go, leave, leave flat, leave hanging, pullout, push off, relinquish, renounce, resign, retire, surrender, take off, throw over, vacate, withdraw, yield.

I certainly feel like it.

Powerful Dreams

2007-07-31T15:19:00.000+08:00

Powerful dreams become magnets to pull you into the future. -Jim Rohn-

If you want to get anywhere in life, you'd better be having powerful dreams and start setting strong goals.

Here's a thought to help us all along our ways to wherever we want to get in life - "Why?"

What's your why? What's your reason for doing what you did yesterday, what you're doing today, and what you'll be doing tomorrow? If you have a strong why, you'll go places!

Start thinking. Start dreaming!

Plant The Seed

2007-07-23T16:54:00.000+08:00

Less than 24 hours till our Kinabalu adventure begins. Are you excited? I sure am!

My first Herbalife Extravaganza experience… truly U.N.B.E.L.I.E.V.A.B.L.E.!

The Herbalife Asia Pacific Extravaganza 2007 was held last weekend in Singapore. What’s the event about you ask? Allow me to share my experience with you, in my own words.

Let’s start with my “why”. My reasons were really simple - curiosity. How could one event, which happens every year, get this wonderful bunch of positively crazy people so excited? Why were they promoting it like crazy? Why were people from all over the world flying thousands of miles to be a part of it? What was it about this event that could make grown men cry? Long story short, I wanted to find out first hand what these people were so excited about.

And so I bought my ticket and went. And now I have seen it for myself. Now I know. Now I understand.

However, there’s no way I can communicate the impact an event of this caliber has on a participant. It is simply something you have to experience for yourself. And you can believe me on this, you will return the same as I have – changed.

Things I learnt this last weekend:

Life is not designed to give us what we need. But it is designed to give us what we deserve. So when you expect something in your life, be sure that you deserve it.

A man approached a gardener and complimented – “God & you have grown a magnificent garden”. To which the gardener thought for a moment and agreed that without the sunshine and the rain given by God, this magnificent garden just could not have been. Then the gardener replied to the man “Yes, but you should have seen the garden when God had it all to himself”.

Lesson to those who are religious: It is God’s doing that makes a tiny seed grow into a wondrous tree. But it’s your job to plant the seed first. If you want the tree, make sure you deserve the tree. Plant the seed!

16,000+ people with the same purpose, under one roof – hard to imagine. Seeing 16,000+ people with the same purpose, under one roof – hard to believe. And the energy - indescribable.

The most important thing I’ve learnt is that even the craziest dreams do come through. Plant the seed! Dream it. Do it.

A Bad Day

2007-07-20T19:33:00.000+08:00

I was out visiting customers in the company Wira on Monday. Some guy driving a small truck ran into me from behind. Shit I didn’t see it coming so didn’t get a chance to brace myself. The safety belt + inertia effect from impact caused my neck to whiplash, and it’s pretty sore even now, 4 days later. Had the senses knocked right out of me. Struggled to move the car to the side of the road and sat on the curb for a moment to gather myself.

The culprit even had the cheek to say that I was at fault for braking. WTF?!?!?! So instead of braking to a halt, I should just ram the car in front of me, like he did? Super-$oH@i betul! The next couple of hours were spent at the SJ police station waiting for one of the sergeants to get to my case. Boy was it crowded that day. Guess I wasn’t the only one having a bad day.

By the time I was through it was already 6pm. I rushed back to office to find that everyone had already locked up and left. The problem here was that my office keys were attached to my house keys in my own car; and my car keys were in my desk drawer in the office. Imagine that - big problem! The manager whose car I crashed was kind enough to drive me home. Waited in the porch till mom returned with her set of house keys.

After settling the KEYS issue and getting my car back, I went to SY’s place for a night dip in the pool with SY & Robert. We only managed to do 5 laps before the drizzle arrived. Since it was still early, we headed to the shower room and spent some time in the sauna. Here’s where it gets interesting. AP (read Attitude Problem) boys in the sauna... of course AP things were bound to happen. “Low, medium or high?”. To which we answered “Low first”. And so Robert added a bit of water to that watcha-call-it thingy and we could almost immediately feel the heat increase, but only for a brief moment.

The next round, we went medium, filling a little more water into the bucket and pouring it in. Gosh were we feeling the intensity of the heat. I couldn’t tell if the water droplets forming on my semi naked body were from the steam or my sweat. I believe the temperature rose high enough to give us a heat stroke. But Robert just wouldn’t let us off easily, threatening to label “Chicken Shit” to the first person who bails out.

Of course we stayed and continued challenging each other to take it to the next level – high! I vaguely remember anything after SY added a shit load of water. What I do remember is the burning sensation all over. The air was so hot and humid that we could feel the burn inside our throats with every breath we took. Robert was the first to bail out. CHICKEN SHIT! Hahahaha!

Today I’m sick because of that nonsense we pulled.... right before I leave for Singapore tonight, and my Mt Kinabalu climb next Tuesday. God bless me!

Cookies

2007-07-20T11:31:00.000+08:00

Here's an interesting story I got through forwarded emails...

A young lady was waiting for her flight in the boarding room of a big airport. As she would need to wait many hours, she decided to buy a book to spend her time. She also bought a packet of cookies.

She sat down in an armchair in the VIP room of the airport to rest and read in peace. Beside the armchair where the packet of cookies lay, a man sat down in the next seat, opened his magazine and started reading.

When she took out the first cookie, the man took one also. She felt irritated but said nothing. She just thought: “What nerve! If I was in the mood I would punch him for daring!”

For each cookie she took, the man took one too. This was infuriating her but she didn’t want to cause a scene.

When only one cookie remained, she thought: “Ah… what will he do now?”

Then the man taking the last cookie divided it into half, giving her one half.

Ah! That was too much! She was much too angry now. In a huff, she took her book, her things and stormed to board the plane.

When she sat down in her seat inside the plane, she looked into her purse to take out her eyeglasses and to her surprise, her packet of cookies was there, untouched, unopened.

She felt so ashamed. She realized that she was wrong. She had forgotten that her cookies were kept in her purse.

The man had divided his cookies with her without feeling angered or bitter, while she had been very angry thinking that she was dividing her cookies with him. And now there was neither the chance to explain herself nor to apologize.

Important lesson: Cookies are evil creatures which escaped from the gates of hell to our world to cause havoc and misunderstanding. Stay away from them!

Hiking @ Gasing

2007-07-17T12:26:00.001+08:00

Soon Yean and I spent Sunday morning hiking Gasing Hill in PJ. The initial plan to start at 7.30am failed, as expected. We only reached the entrance at 8.45am.

The place was more crowded than I remember it to be. People of all ages were there for their walk, and it seemed like they were mostly seasoned patrons of the hill, confidently choosing their preferred route at each fork in the trail. Soon Yean and I were as lost as any first-timer would be. With no directions, each time we hit a fork in the trail we would simply pick the one which looks tougher since our goal was to improve our endurance.

I was an idiot for coming in my Japanese-style beach slippers. I was thinking I want to get my feet wet at the stream. We didn’t find a place convenient for wetting my feet. Slippers for hiking – a definite NO-NO!

It was really nice to greet and be greeted “Good morning” with a smile each time we passed fellow hikers. That really adds to the experience. I’m sure you know it’s quite hard to find such stranger-to-stranger courtesy here in Malaysia.

I must admit two things.
1) Soon Yean was able to keep up with me without water or rest for the duration of our hike. He even managed to step up the pace as we jogged the quiet part of the uphill-downhill trail. And he did not complain. I am impressed and I’m looking forward to reach the top of Kinabalu with him.

2) I’ve come to realize that I’m not as prepared for Kinabalu as I thought I was. The uphill-downhill-uphill-downhill pattern really pushed my endurance. It took a great deal of effort to maintain my ‘brisk walk’ pace as we climbed the steep and uneven hill. It took just as much effort to maintain a steady pace as we raced down just as uneven slopes pulled by gravity.

Our 1h15m journey was quite enough challenge to knock me out cold that Sunday morning. I slept the rest of the morning and even missed lunch. I expect our Kinabalu challenge to be at a much slower pace. However, we will have added weight on our backs. It’s hard to imagine how things will go as we make this highly anticipated journey to the highest peak in Malaysia.

Random Thought: Wii

2007-07-12T12:00:00.000+08:00

I’ve come across the term “Wii” a number of times before. Today as I was once again distracted from work, I decided to look it up.

Talk about new-age gaming. Gone are the days when we used to play Super Mario Brothers on 1st generation Nintendo game consoles, sitting on the floor right in front of the TV with the legs crossed.

So who’s going to be the first among my wonderful friends to buy a Wii? I don’t mind being a victim of your endless gloating, if you let me try it out.

Reaching The Top

2007-07-11T11:25:00.000+08:00

This post is dedicated to Soon Yean

I recently learnt that success starts with a dream. When coupled with direction, the dream becomes a vision. Sprinkle in lots of determination and anyone can make their visions come true.

To be on top of the world with my closest buddies – that’s the dream which has become my vision. We’ll be climbing Mt Kinabalu in 2 weeks time. The peak is 4.1km above sea level, so as you can imagine, it's going to be a challenge for us.

3 of the 4 setting out on this challenge are in pretty good shape and I have no doubt that we’ll reach the top. But if 4 really great friends set out on this journey, I want to be at the top with all of them by my side. I want to say we did it, and we did it together. As Lilo & Stitch so put it – “…no one gets left behind”.

Yea, I’m talking about Soon Yean. He’s not in the best shape possible and I’m worried that it’ll be a lot more challenging for him to conquer the mountain. Two weeks isn’t quite enough time for him to improve his weight, strength and stamina, especially with his working schedule. However, here’s a guy who has many great things working in his favor. He’s got more than enough brains and character to make up for what he lacks in physique. That I do not doubt. If anyone can get to the top of Mount Kinabalu on just sheer determination, I know Soon Yean can.

So here’s my humble request to all BeingMervs’ dearest readers – help me help him. He has already acknowledged his current health and fitness level (read here). We need to get his spirits up. Visit his blog and leave him some words of encouragement. Flood his blog with comments if you think it’ll help.

If we fail to get his body in any better shape in the next two weeks, at least he will have enough mental energy and motivation to get to the top with the rest of us.

Quarter Century Surprise

2007-07-09T12:02:00.000+08:00

It’s official. Mervs turns a quarter century old today. Here’s how it was celebrated.

As mentioned in the last post, it was going to be a very busy weekend. And having my birthday fall on a Monday, I didn’t think it was convenient at all to plan any sort of celebration and that at the very most, it’ll be dinner with either family or friends tonight. Boy was I ever wrong.

On Saturday I was scheduled to accompany Joanne for her friends’ wedding (congratulations to Sherman & Kristy). It was an interesting wedding dinner held at Sime Darby Convention Center at Bukit Kiara. They even had a lion dance troupe performing. Unfortunately, due to certain unforeseen circumstances (unforeseen by me only actually), I did not get a chance to meet the bride and groom to congratulate them.

What I mean by “unforeseen circumstances” – Joanne schemingly asked me to go down to the car park to pick up a paper bag of stuff for the bride’s sister. Of course being me, off I went without a second thought to it. The instructions – brown paper bag in the trunk of the car.

As I got down to the car, my mind was distracted by the sight of a scratch on the very recently sprayed bumper. Unknown to me, I was about to be jumped by a bunch of friendlies hiding between some of the other parked cars.

I opened the boot and the first thing I saw was a chocolate cake sitting there with the unlit candle in it. Duh me… it still didn’t hit me as my eyes scanned the car for the brown paper bag I was supposed to fetch for Joanne. Suddenly Robert, Soon Yean, Zetuan and 2 Elaines jumped up from hiding yelling “Surprise!!! Happy Birthday!!!”.

I literally froze in shock. Period. And I can only imagine my own look – jaw hanging half open with half a smile across the face.

It still took another moment before I pieced it together – “so that’s why the cake was there”. I was thinking the cake was for later or something, and I had driven the car all the way there from home with the cake displayed so nicely in the boot. Silly me. Actually the guys were given a spare key and they placed the cake in there right before I was sent to the car.

When Joanne finally joined us in the heat of the car park, she broke the news to me… there’s more. My evening at the wedding dinner had come to an abrupt end and we would be continuing the evening at Mont Kiara. I trailed Soon Yean’s car to Somo, the relatively new chill-out place I hadn’t yet visited. I seriously didn’t expected to see so many familiar faces sitting there waiting to celebrate with me.

In no particular order
Robert
Soon Yean
Sau Yan
Annette & Alex
Jane & Seong Min
Lynn & Jeng
Chiang
Daryan & Ren Lee
Kenny & Foon Yee
Zetuan & Elaine
Edwin
Elaine
Teck Liet
Jason & Tomo
Dennis & Sonia
June, Shirley & Jason

I hope I got everyone in there. If I left out anybody’s name, I blame the alcohol. Courtesy of Zetuan, I was really tipsy within the first 15 minutes of reaching Somo. I remember drinking 3 different shots of I-don’t-know-what (burnt my lip too), one after the other followed by a mug of beer to wash it all down and mess me all up. If any of you have any idea what was in the shots, please enlighten me.

For the record, I have never had a surprise birthday party thrown in my name. I’m deeply honored & touched that you guys were someway, somehow a part of it.

Also thank you Grace, Jessie & Chee How for your wishes. Sorry you guys couldn’t make it but glad you called/messaged that night.

And to the culprit Joanne, I never saw it coming. Thank you so very much. Love you lots!

Up to now, I’ve also received wishes via SMS from Shona in AU & June who couldn’t make it on Saturday, e-cards from Lynn & Irene, and Robert wished me on his blog. Thank you all!

I know this post is very long and unexciting. I’m waiting for Soon Yean to give me some pictures and the video of the surprise.

My Dæmon

2007-07-05T08:48:00.000+08:00

Random Thought: Bukit Gasing PJ

2007-07-04T14:29:00.000+08:00

A random conversation during lunch today brought back some memories from some years ago – an activity with the Leos brought me to Gasing Hill in PJ for a morning hike through the small forest reserve.

There were many people who frequented the place. It was quite obvious because they seemed to know their way around so well, like the back of their palms. For those who haven’t been there, the trails are literally dirt trails, with muddy puddles here and there, and tree roots creeping across the paths. Actually, the only reason those trails exist is because many people tread them daily. There were neither staircases nor pavements as I recall; no signs or maps. I hear it gets really crowded now, especially on weekends.

My most distinct memory from Gasing Hill was watching a pair of golden retrievers play in the stream towards the end of the trail, under the watchful eyes of their owners. It was just so pleasing to watch these adult-sized dogs play around in the water like little puppies. It was enough to make me feel like a kid again. I want to go back there this weekend, hoping to catch a glimpse of something similar. This will be my birthday present from me to me this year.

I’ll be going on Saturday morning. Those interested are welcome to join me.

2007: Review of Q2

2007-07-02T13:26:00.000+08:00

Strange… the first half of 2007 passed just like that. Well actually it didn’t pass just like that. A lot happened in the last 6 months. But hell… I didn’t realize H1’2007 was already over. I previously posted a summary of Q1 here. As with tradition, let’s do a recap about yours-truly’s past quarter.

While most people out there are still struggling to make a living, I’ve decided to start work on making a fortune instead. It’s so exciting you wouldn’t believe it. What makes it so much better is that it’s not one of those get rich quick schemes. Hard work, lots of determination and a fair amount of time is required, but I know it’s real and I know I’m going to make it. Just you wait and see!

I’m now a PADI Certified Advanced Open Water Diver. Clocked 18 dives to date (10 so far this year), including 3 night dives which were simply amazing. If you think diving during the day is fun & exciting, wait till you try night diving. It’s an entirely different experience. When all your attention is focused on the scope of your flashlight, you tend to notice more which you would probably have missed in daylight. And also there’s a hint of mystery in the waters when you’re surrounded by darkness in an environment you’re not entirely used to. Truly something you have to experience for yourself. Next dive – end September. Next certification – Rescue Diver, early 2008.

I have achieved my targeted weight range I set for this year, and I’ve maintained it throughout Q2. Time to up that target – 65kgs by end Q3. I’m determined to gain more lean weight than fat. Will start planning my exercise regimen immediately.

My relationship with Joanne has developed very well. Although we’ve only been together for awhile, we’ve grown so attached that people find it hard to believe how fresh our relationship is. It’s something we’re really proud of and I can only see it getting better.

I’ve met a bunch of bloggers outside my circle of friends who are now followers of BeingMervs too. (Would really love to meet up with you guys again soon!)

Planned for H2’2007 in no particular order:
- Stand atop the highest peak of Malaysia
- Herbalife GET Team
- Decently visible 6-pack abs
- Achieve and maintain 65kgs weight
- Hepatitis B vaccination
- Project Aware
- Parents 30th Anniversary planned and paid for by their 3 kids
- Herbalife Asia Pacific Extravaganza
- Have a side income equivalent to or more than my full-time income, then fire my boss

Just want to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to all of you who follow BeingMervs. I love the comments you guys are leaving because it makes blogging a lot more meaningful to get to interact with you. I’ve always believed in 2-way communication.

A lot of tagging has been going around in the world of blogging. Here’s something new to try – I want to tag the following bloggers to recap their first half of 2007:
Robert
UnkaLeong
SY
Nigel
Annette

Twenty-Five

2007-06-25T13:30:00.000+08:00

Fourteen days to my birthday. I’m turning a quarter century old. The following questions have already been put to me:
1. How are you celebrating?
2. What would you like for your birthday?

To answer the first question…
The big day 9 July falls on a Monday. It’ll be hard to do anything big considering it’s a work day followed by another work day.

Sunday 8 July I’ll be tied up the entire day with a Herbalife event, right up till after dinner. Herbalife events are getting really exciting for me and I’m in the running to win RM500 in a lucky draw (Joanne won her RM500 at the last event). So now I’m feeling lucky and there’s no talking me out of attending this event.

Saturday 7 July I’m spending the afternoon at Malaysia International Dive Expo (MIDE) and attending a wedding dinner at Kiara.

As you can see, it’s going to be a bit hard to have any sort of celebration for this year’s birthday… unless of course the celebration doesn’t include my presence. Haha! If anyone has any ideas on squeezing something in between my existing schedule, feel free to make a suggestion.

As for the second question…
The only thing on my shopping list right now which is appropriate as a birthday gift is a dark leather belt for formal wear. Other suitable items which I don’t necessarily need, but will be happy to receive anyway include shirts and ties.

If all else fails and you still simply insist on giving me a gift, any form of cash contributions (cash, cheque, internet transfer) will be accepted graciously. Hugs and kisses also accepted.

Busy Busy Me

2007-06-22T11:31:00.000+08:00

It’s been a busy week, which explains the lack of updates here. Thank you for your kind patience.

Quick summary of the past week…

Saturday
- AirAsia flight to K.T. on schedule (pleasant surprise); boat transfer to Redang delayed half hour (KNNCCB).
- Afternoon drift diving… bugger the currents were so strong I had to focus on not getting swept away. Not much chance for decent photography.
- Night dive was fantastic. SY & I got to take our time checking out the reef while the rest of the group did their skills session on the nearby seabed under the care of their instructor. Diving is so much more enjoyable when you’re not constantly chasing the group around.

Sunday
- Morning deep dive to 33 meters depth was against crazy currents again. SY ran low on air early and he didn’t even realize it. We had to engage buddy breathing off my tank during our accent. We only managed to complete 2 out of 3 minute safety stop when my air ran out so we aborted the safety stop. Lost our surface marker to the depths too. Shucks!
- 4.30pm boat dive was canceled so we converted that dive into 2 shore dives without guide, at no extra charge. Evening dive was very relaxing, although there wasn’t very much to see at the Pasir Panjang house reef, except snorkellers.
- The only thing I enjoyed about that night’s shore dive was sitting on the deck chair on the beach watching the light fade to darkness. The dive was excruciating because my mask kept fogging up.

Monday
- Gotten so used to night dives that my eyes were quite adept at scanning for movement. Spotted a whip-like snake with a house lizard in its mouth in the bushes on mainland… fascinating.
- Started feeling the effects of nitrogen narcosis. Very drowsy.
- AirAsia flight rescheduled 3 hours earlier... that was nice.

Tuesday
- Back to work… long day at office + 2hrs jap class + Herbalife Opportunity Meeting + Herbalife Advanced Business School. Crawled back into bed at midnight.

Wednesday
- Dad’s birthday dinner with the family at TGI Fridays in The Curve. That must have been the most pleasurable dinner we’ve had as a family in a long time. The extra friendly waitress Sierra added to the experience. She deserved a good tip.

Thursday
- Maxed out my credit cards at Herbalife office. Jo & I have now qualified to be supervisors in the business… and we’re just getting started.

All in all, the past week has had its ups and downs, but I wouldn’t live my life any other way. Cheers!

I do miss the gym though.

If Only

2007-06-14T00:01:00.001+08:00

If only there was wine
If only music for souls
If only a touch that binds
If only as a whiff
If only a view so fine
If only words would rhyme
If only you could know
If only destiny were ours
If only in this life and time

I am truly blessed to have walked this path of mine... and I dedicate this post to all the people who have touched my heart.

If only these feelings could last a lifetime.

Elevator Etiquette

2007-06-13T19:27:00.000+08:00

Living in the Klang Valley, we always find ourselves using elevators to go up and down within buildings. If you use the lift just half as often as I do, you'll come to realize certain things about Malaysians and lifts. Here are some guidelines I'm sure you guys already know, but seldom practice for whatever the reason.

In no particular order:

- If you're the first or the only person into the lift, head straight for the controls and take charge. Hold the doors open for those entering/exiting. Don't be a selfish by hitting the button for your own floor and then running to the back of the lift. It's not nice to get sandwiched between the doors so take care of those who come in after you. If you can't reach the controls (and the arse blocking the controls isn't holding the "open" button for those coming in) use your hand to restrict the doors from automatically closing on people who are still entering/exiting.

- If you're manning the controls, offer to activate the buttons for those coming in, simply because it's easier for you to reach it than for them to stretch from the other end of the lift. A simple smile + "which floor?" will do. Not too hard right?

- If it's just one or two floors up or down, use the stairs. If it takes just 10 seconds for the lift to pick you up and continue on its journey up or down, and then another 10 seconds for to drop you off and continue its journey up or down, you'll be holding back each person in the lift for 20 seconds. If there are 10 people sharing the lift at the same time, that's 200 seconds of productivity gone. And what about the people on other floors who are also waiting for the lift? Walking that one floor ain't gonna kill you!

- Allow people in the lift to exit (if that's their floor) before you enter. There's always going to be more space in the lobby than in the lift. Why squeeze your way in there and block others from coming out?

- If there's one last person in the lift holding down the "open" button for the rest to get out first, show common courtesy by using your hand/leg to hold the doors open from the outside and let him/her out. Smile and thank the good chap for holding the doors for the rest of you. That's just being polite.

- Don't smoke in the lift. The odour stays for quite sometime.

- Don't fart in the lift... at least not when it's packed like a can of sardines.

- If there are other people in the lift, avoid talking on the phone. Speak softly if you have to. Loud noises in a small confined areas tend to be a lot louder and can be really annoying at times.

- Here's a gimme... don't hit buttons to floors your have no intention of stopping at.

- Don't hold the lift at any one floor for too long, even if you're waiting for someone who's taking his/her own sweet time. Be considerate to others who are also waiting for the lift on other floors.
- Stand to the side when people are entering or exiting. Don't assume that you're not in the way. Make way anyway. Some of us really aren't as thin as we think. And sometimes the people behind us trying to pass just don't have enough space to walk around us. If you have to, step out first to allow room for others to exit. Then only reenter the lift and position yourself more strategically.

Most of it is common sense. It doesn't take a lot of effort to be polite and courteous to the people around you... so why not?

Honey, I'm home!

2007-06-12T09:00:00.000+08:00

Today I sit at home in pain and agony from pulling a muscle in my back, just below the left shoulder blade. Hurts like hell. All other body movements have to be slowed to avoid dying in pain.

I finally get to spend some quality time with my home PC again. It's been such a long time I've lost the entire feel of it. The keyboard and mouse feel somewhat alien to me now. I barely recognise some of the shortcuts and random icons on my desktop. My MSN Messenger is being flooded with "where have you been" and "long time no see".

Going to keep this one short because as much as my PC misses me, there are many other places in my house I have not visited recently. Time to get around to the stuff I've been putting off since forever.

Alas, my recent routine is really lacking home time.

More Weddings

2007-06-05T09:21:00.000+08:00

News traveled around to the other side of the world and came back to me. Another friend of mine is getting married 3rd quarter of 2007.

Reason the news came back this way was because my friend in USA isn’t happy that she’s given so little time to plan a trip back to attend the wedding. Now she’s making sure I give sufficient warning so that she can schedule a trip back to attend MY wedding (too soon to be bringing this up).

Really sweet of her. I know great friendships are hard to find, but they sure weather great storms and stretch great distances. Rare indeed.

“i am EXTREMELY reluctant to miss out on YOUR wedding. so if you're gonna get married, you have to give me enough time to scrape money up, beg the boss for vacation, and buy the plane ticket home.”

“rule of thumbs is simple: whoever you *think* you might marry in the specified year, throw me a hint at the beginning of the calendar year (hint; so meaning you can hint before even proposing) and i can keep the vacation days of that year for you.”

Wow… some people really need to plan ahead.

Since it would mean just as much to me to have her at my wedding, ‘hinting’ to her even before any marriage proposal might be a good idea after all. Besides, she’s one of those people I can count on to iron out the finer details in any event… even one as big as a wedding.