Day after the 7Km Run of the 2006 KL Marathon....

Reflections

Hmmmm....I survived the run. Not bad considering that I have not run for quite a long, long, long time...and all I managed was to put in some "practice" runs in the gym & around the office a week before that.

The Day
Got up at 5.20am as I needed to pick Josh's fren Keen Wai and then set off to pick Josh (he stayed overnight at his best fren's place). Discovered that the highway leading there was closed (for the full marathon) and we had to detour to Pantai before reaching Taman Desa. As we set off we discoverd we had not prepared properly....gosh we were hungry. Fortunately Josh's fren Foo Seng had some bananas......good source of energy.

The Race
Soon it was time to start off from Dataran Merdeka. Agghhh...too many people infront, just had to let the crowd run first and started a steady (old man talk) pace. Strangely stamina was not an issue (probably becos of the slow pace) but the tightness/pain around the left ankle and ahhemmm...the bladder gave some issues. Well, mind over matters....there will always be something that will not be right with the body when you run these races.

First milestone after Dataran Merdeka....Pudu Jail. Sweats, pain,burning heart, pumping lungs, a full bladder & NO finishing line in sight....but I must go on....loh behold I reached the Lot 10 junction. Still a long way to go....shall I stop or go on?!! I must continue (my surname is Hum, you know.....) and finally around Sheraton Hotel, Jalan Sultan Ismail (maybe with another 3 or only 2 km to finishing line) I had to walk to ease the pain. Walked briskly for 200 metres and started running again....strangely the pain went away. Smooth running after that and soon it was the turn to Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman....and loh....from far I see the tallest flagpole in the world (the most beautiful sight). I preservered and continued running, finished the race and survived.

The Reward

The reward.....nasi lemak with curry chicken and plenty of sambal with a hot cup of teh tarik with Josh and his frenz.

Josh, Yih Hon (Josh's best fren) & me after the race and before the
glorious nasi lemak!!

Hiking in Pat Sin Leng

We went hiking in the Pat Sin Leng Country Park today. It is called the Pat Sin Leng in Cantonese which is translated to the "Eight Immortals" because of the eigth peaks.

Although we all think that HK is a concrete jungle, this is not so. About 60% of the territories is park land and there are many trials. The Pat Sin Leng is part of the Wilson trial that stretches from HK island to the New Territories to the border with Shenzhen.



There is a surprise diversity of flora in the Pat Sin Leng Country Park. Some of these are shown on the right. To view pictures of Kam Kwi and me, visit my blog

HK Marathon 2006

Ran in the 10 km race at the HK Standard Chartered Marathon last Sunday 12/2/06. There were about 20,000 runners for the 10 km race in several groups. I ran in the Master group (used to be called the veteran for the oldies). It was quite an experience to run with so many people together - for mutual encouragement. I did a slow jog and finished in 1 hour 06 minutes. Luckily no injuries or mishap. Unfortunately 1 runner (of the full marathon) collapsed half way and died in hospital 2 days later.

My wife ask me why I took part in this 'hazardous' activity? I don't really know but it may have something to do with getting old? As Onn Keong said getting to 50 makes him want to do things faster; many more things to do. I suppose joining the race is same. I want to take on new challenges while I still can. It would nice to hear from others what challenges they have taken recently.

After all these years good frens still meet at Miners Arm

Gong Xi Fa Cai greetings from FeiChiew, WanHon, KeeKuang, FongFatt & FooWah.

Also taking this auspicious period to share some doggie lessons ......

(extract from Heart Talk by Yeoh Siew Hoon – an editor/contributor from The Inner Circle – Shangri La Golden Circle newsletter)
Never bite the hand that feeds you: A well-trained dog would never intentionally bite its owner. It may occasionally snap at those that would do you harm. In business, we should never talk bad about our employers while we're working for them and especially after we've left them. Such words have a way of coming back to bite you in your behind when you least expect it. Ditto with friends who give you love - don't talk bad about them behind their backs. Say it to their face if you feel strongly enough about it.
There are no bad dogs, only bad owners: Dogs reflect their owners' disposition. Angry owners make angry dogs. Happy owners make happy dogs. It's as simple as that. In the same way, there are no bad employees, only bad managers. There's a saying that goes, if you point the finger at someone, three fingers point back at you. Next time you're unhappy with someone for a reason, find three reasons how you could have contributed to the situation.
Live every moment: For a dog, there is no time like the present. NOW is what counts. Many self-help books, especially those on meditation, tell us to live the moment. Many of us say it, but truthfully, find it hard to live up to. Trapped as we are by the burdens of the past and the fear of the uncertainty of the future, we struggle to live in the now. Throw away those books, just observe dogs for a day. It's cheaper and, trust me, more fun.
Give unconditionally: Yes, yes, it's true that dogs do expect to be fed at the very least. But they do know the art of loving unconditionally. No matter what you do to them, they will remain loyal and faithful to you. Give without expecting anything in return. It's far more rewarding than calculating from the onset what you're going to get in return if you give. The pleasure comes from not expecting; the expected always disappoints.
Express yourself: Dogs do not hold back on expressing their feelings. They sulk when disciplined. They roll over shamelessly when they want their stomachs rubbed. They whine when they want something. They put their head on your lap when they want love and affection. They lick you when they want to say, "I love you too." We should learn to be equally expressive and spontaneous. Too often, we are afraid to express our feelings for fear of "what will others think of me". Truth is, most people are too self-absorbed to bother about other people anyway. We should say and do what we feel with those we care for. Make it easy for those who love us to love us.
Respect other species: Dogs may hate cats but they have a healthy respect for the felines. They may chase them but they know they could get their eyes scratched out if they are not careful. Similarly, we should have a healthy respect for other races and religions. We may not understand them but we should accept that they are part of our world. Just as dogs are. Next time you meet a dog, don't shriek, "Does it bite?". Instead, say hello and ask to shake its paw. Make friends with other species, not spurn them.
Play for your life: There is no sight more joyful than watching a dog run on the beach or across an open field. They bound with such abandon that it fills your heart with laughter. We should learn to play more. Have fun with our lives. Play in the sand. Run through an open field. Wallow in the mud. Stop at every tree to appreciate its beauty. Play with each other.

Never take a dump in your own backyard: A well-trained dog does not do its business in the house. My dog has the ability to choose the most remote and hardest-to-get-to spot, forcing me to wade through knee-high grass to clean up after him. He knows discretion is the better part of valour.
And now some older pics....
(Left) 2005 CNY ... HongYick, OnnKeong, KeeKuang, MoonChong, NyatKeong, FongFatt, FeiChiew & FooWah


















(Below) Some years ago in PJ SS2......FongFatt, HuaChik & TuckSing

Watch out for more pics in the next blog.....keekuang aka agfoxx

Photo Opportunities

The Chinese New Year festive season is here. There will be lots of photo opportunities for us all. Please keep the postings coming with all the lovely pictures.

Can you guess who these two gentlemen are? Photo taken at my clinic yesterday.

Hi -Really old ACS classmate
Chi Wi here in Taiwan for over twenty years.
Here is a photo of me, my wife and daughter(third chlid, 9 years old) at an outing in Eastern Taiwan. Will post my two handsome sons photos (19 and 17 years old) next time.
It nice for Onn Keong to set up this Blog so that we can all chat once a while.
I am still surviving and goes back to Malaysia at least twice a year to see my parents in JB.
I travel around quit a lot and it will be nice to know other classmate oversea so that we can visit.
I suggest an address book (plus phone) to be added.
Hope to see you people around sometime.
If anyone happen to be in Taiwan, give me an e-mail (cong@mail.nsysu.edu.tw) or ring me at
(77-5250355, ignore the 07 if you are in Kaoshiung or 0952311150 H/P) . We have ample space to put you up for as long as you like.
Cheers everyone and 'HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR

Creating CG16 cum CGMC Website

The Year 2006 has arrived and it is time to create our Cell Group cum CGMC website. The website URL is www.infoline.com.my/cgmc (under construction). This missing link from my original Breath Links website is vital for evangelism as it is the pointer to Spiritual Health besides the mental and physical health which I most commonly deal with. This website will heighten the interest of our viewers to the activities of the Canning Garden Methodist Church and the Christian faith. It will also provide links to various Christian resources available worldwide.

As for this blog I pray that our cell group members will provide more postings for our readers. There are so many things one can blog about: spiritual matters, hobbies, interesting local or worldwide news, book reviews, etc. Other cell groups members are welcomed to join us. They may also be enrolled as team members. Team members have the added advantage of posting articles in the blog besides just giving comments.

Wishing you a Happy and a Blessed New Year.