Monday, February 27, 2006

OP Ramli's Adventure.

Hi all,

It seems to be an exciting adventourous weekend for a lot of people. My rugby team thrashed another team 23-8 in the Selangor League (Second Division), The ironman action in Langkawi and now, OP Ramli, the same guy that pedalled solo up north to down south and up to the east coast last year has officially started his 1000km Trans-PeninsularBorneo journey today!

He has dedicated an url for all to follow his progress.

Good luck sir!

The Ultra Pedalist

Langkawi Ironman - 26th February 2006

Well done to all Ironman and Ironman Wannabe.

It was at 8.45am when i sms-ed Azmar to check if Doc, Steve and Zabil has already started cycling.

Azmar told me that they are still in the water, as since after paying RM910.00, they decided to go snorkelling.

It was later when i found out that Steve was out of the water first, then followed by Zabil. Doc was unfortunate as he was seasick and at 3.2km, hauled up after he vomitted in the sea. In short, he was deemed Disqualified. However, the organiser let him carry on to test the course. This meant, at that point of time, it was only Zabil and Steve still going on for the Ironman title.

Doc happily went on to do the 180km cycling. I guessed being DNF-ed was bad enough, but his spirit and tenacity (apart from having paid RM910.00 entry fee) fuelled him to complete the whole tortorous circuit.

At about 4pm, i again called Azmar. This time, the response wasn't very favourable as Zabil was suffering from cramps. He wanted to do the race in 14 hours. Something he envisioned do-able. But Zabil was still on the road, pedalling away.

It was a totally different story with Steve as he was still pedalling as if it was some weekend ride. Canadian bear going strong still!

At 5pm, i was told that Zabil bailed out and jumped into the ambulance as he had cramps all over his body. Painful. hearing it has also made some of my muscle in my body tout and having their own cramps.

Steve has completed his 180km cycling in a flat 6 hours. That's an impressive 30km/h average that he did. Now, having a weight in excess of 100kg and still being able to do that was utterly and obscenely impressive.

Doc was about to complete his cycling league and there was no stopping him despite already being DNF-ed after the swimming course.

At that rate, i reckon steve would be done by 10pm. His personal best for 42km was last year in KLIM (which was also his first marathon) which he did a 5hours 3 minutes race. So, i reckon, with fatigue thrown in, he will only take at most anohter 6 hours of slow and steady running.

My guess were right. Steve complete the the whole 3.8km swim - 180km bike and 42km run in 14hours and 45 minutes. Well done Ironman Steve!

By 7pm, Zabil is already back at the starting point nursing his body.

Doc was still going strong. Azmar, being the sweetest soul (girls, he is still single and rocking) actually accompanied Doc while he was running /walking.

A call to him at 10.30pm says that doc has about 25km more to go. Then, Azmar's battery went dead and i called Doc's phone, of which Azmar was holding. Spoke to the hero and he was in high spirit, stating that a lot of unknown people called him to wish him luck (fyi, those unknown people were the Old Putera's of RMC!)

Azmar said that doc will only be done by 1am in the morning latest. Of which he won't make the cut off time already (but who cares? it's thehuman spirit and will at work!)

Ironman Doc finished the course in 16 hours and 45 minutes. Bloody impressive as well, if not because of the DNF at swimming. Don't worry Doc, that 3.8km swim is just a small portion of the whole race. Steve is ultra super, you are super super and zabil was super.

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Stupe Iron-Man

It requires more than just human value and strength to finish the whole course, and of course, make the RM910.00 entry fee worth it.

To Azmar and Karoline, which was in langkawi to support our buddies dream of becoming an Ironman, i salute to the both of you. Many would rahter just sit at home and get the updates, but you oth actually went tehre, gave support, ran, walk and cried with them as they cross the line.

Congrats again to all the 5 of you Light and Easy buddies!

Now, can you all please excuse me as i will now worry about my pending virgin marathon this weekend.

Thursday, February 23, 2006

Ain't No Cloud the Sun Can't Shine Through.

Whenever i feel down or meloncholic, i would always remind myself that there is always sign and indication that things in life are much better, or not as bad as it is/was/were/are.

And yesterday, after sending my boss' kid back home, i couldn't resist but to stop by the road side and snap this pic. Though it was nothing as spectacular, but it was the moment that counts.

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone???

Things has been pretty hectic and jagged for the past couple of days/weeks. With Wedding prep making or taking the most of it. It all suddenly seems surreal. A year ago, we told ourselves that it's well, ONE year away. And yesterday, horror of horror, it's 3 more weeks to go.

Well, most of the important stuff has been done. Nothing much to be worried about.

Then, it's the lack of training for the KLIM next weekend. I swore i will be dead if i even do the Langkawi Ironman this weekend.

But whenever these thoughts of the wedding ceremony and sports comes up to bug me...or when work gets crazy at moment like these...i remind myself that there is never a cloud that the sun can't shine through.

Thursday, February 16, 2006

Fire in the Hole!

Fire right in front of my office at the indonesian squatter area!!!

pics to be uploaded soon!

going to sibuk for a while!

OK Back!!!

Update

Fire spread so fast. Wifey called to ask if i'm ok. Wondered why she even asked that.

Only when i opened the office blinds did i saw what was happening.

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Holy smoke...view from my office

fire2
Was told that fire just started like 5 minutes before i asked anyone there...here it is, at the height of the fire

fire3
Zoomed in 4X as there was an explosion, definately a gas cylinder.

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Heros came and help put out fire, fire spread too fast, Firemen came in less than 10 minutes

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Go buy number, it's 7955

fire 6
What's left of the Kongsi, supervisor said about 50 indonesians has all their belonging burnt. most were at work at the nearby sites.

I suspect the fire started because of short circuit. It was raining heavily when the fire started. Let this serve as a lesson to the other one major big kongsi right next to the TNB sub station just down my office.....

ps- pics are taken with a 3 days old K750i...wifey bought one for me when she got one herself! ;-)

missing..and here is the excuses.

Been rahter busy doing a few things at the moment. Top of the priorities now is the wedding preparation. So far, me and wifey has gotten loads of things off the mind and with a lot to deal with too, where families are concerned.

we've:
1. done the food testing.
2. did my suits.
3. did her gown and dinner dress.
4. did the cards.
5. did the mass booklet
6. gotten a car for wedding
7. did the flowers thingy

outstanding items seems to be piling up by the days too.
1. not done the wedding invite list and seating arragements
2. not send the wedding invites
3. not printed and photostated the mass booklet
4. not collected the suits
5. not collected her gown and dinner dress
6. not finalised how many places for vegetarian seats

i know i missed out on some items, and i know it will come in as the days goes by.

On the working front, been rahter free where work is concerned, not really a very good year for me and boss though as so far, we've not secured any projects. Loads of talks and discussion and if you do see me peddling for a job in 6 months time, you'll know why.

On the sports front, been NOT doing enough running. Due to the weather and the wedding prepartion which took up most of the time we could have. I'm still running the KLIM, no doubt, should be able to finish it below 6 hours (LOL). Missing a few runs here and there and not a good thingy actually as i aspired to join more races this year.

Now, with the Duathlon calender almost being NON-EXISTENT, meaning i'll be doing 3 races short.

My Explorace race with Bandit will only take place end of April, which is a lot of time more, considering. We did our promo shot in RMC (Thank you Tuan Commandant!!) with us as usual slutting and whoring infront of the camera.

Even before the race starts, me and Azly has been talking about what we want to do with the bounty when we win the race.

Well, once could only wish, ain't it?

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Happy Valentines Day Y'all.

Spread the love will cha?

It's Valentines Day and All i want to say...
Even if i looked everywhere and searched the whole world through,
My dear readers/stalkers/criticisers,
I wouldn't have found someone as wonderful as all of you!

:D

Ee-Van

Monday, February 13, 2006

Building a plane?

Read in yesterday's NST about an OP that is currently building a plane.

Yeap, a plane.

OP Lee BL sir, i must say i envy you for being able to do what you are doing!

News Excerpt:

machine

Dr Lee and his flying machine
By Sumitha Martin

Meet Dr Lee Boon Leong — cardiologist by day and experimental aircraft builder by night. The 57-year-old doctor, who has been flying planes since the 1970s, is building an RV-7, an experimental two-seater aircraft made of aluminum alloy.

The RM200,000 RV-7 is his second attempt at aircraft assembly.

His first, a Trike, was completed in 2003 and it flew for 16 months until it met its end in April 2004 when Dr Lee crash-landed in Kota Baru.

The doctor, who learned to fly at the Royal Selangor Flying Club and has since clocked 250 flying hours, is building the RV-7 for a number of reasons.

Mainly, he wants the freedom to "bush fly" — to land an airplane "anywhere" — and have the ability to service his aircraft himself, before taking to the skies again.

"I can’t do this with conventional light aircraft because Department of Civil Aviation rules require such planes to be checked by certified engineers who cannot be found in remote areas," he said.

Successfully completing his RV-7 will give him the necessary DCA certification.

His long-term goal is to fly the route taken by fighter pilots of the US Tiger Squadron from Burma (now Myanmar) to Chongqing, China, during World War II.

"Yes, people think I’m crazy," he said of his aircraft-building, explaining that it’s the challenge of "getting it right" that excites him.

It’s a challenge that is time-consuming — of the 2,000 hours of building time needed, Dr Lee has completed 350 and hopes to have his aircraft ready in two years’ time.

Unlike the Trike, which took a mere 50 hours to build, the RV-7 is serious business.

The plane has more than 600 parts and it will need "some 50,000 rivets to be set with precision" and "each part of the plane will need to be perfectly matched with the other".

The scene in Dr Lee’s shoplot workshop in Kota Laksamana bears testimony to the work in progress — scores of shiny blue metal sheets, a welding machine, all kinds of gadgetry and lots of nuts and bolts in plastic medicine bottles.

The amateur engineer himself sports overalls, boots, ear plugs and protective eyewear.

The doctor is at his workshop every night, after a full day at his private medical centre located five minutes away.

So passionate is he that he has travelled to the Blue Mountains in Australia, Arizona in the US, and Yorkshire, England, for necessary training in bush flying and aircraft assembly.

Monday, February 06, 2006

Sunday Medium Long Run.

Bukit Aman - Hartamas - Bukit Aman - 20km

report and pics here: Azwar's Site

Congrats to you Bro!

What a season of festivities.

Firstly, Welcome back to all of you and Gong Xi Fa Cai. May the year of the dog serves all of you more luck, health, money and love.

Secondly, Congrats to you bro, Surin, on your engagement on the 28th January (yes, that's on the Chinese New Year's Eve) to yuor now Fiancee...

Maythe both of you have loads of fun and laughter and happiness when you both tie the knot end of this year!

Many congrats!

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