Isn’t Life Great?

What? Great Eastern-Pacesetters 30km incorporating a 20km event 2006 When? Sunday, 22 January 2006 Where? Tapak A, Lake Garden, Kuala Lumpur. At The Start I have been running with my camera since I started this blog about two years ago. Why camera? I guess I cannot rely 100% on my memory as my brain-cells count is reducing with age. So, by using a camera, in some way, I am able to “immortalize” my experiences - The things I saw. The road I took. The people I met. The medals I got. The loot in the goodies bags. Here are some candid pictures I snapped during the GE Pacesetter 30K. Hope you like them as much as I like taking them. (Note: I took part in the 20km event; no gut to tackle 30km in 3 1/2 hr yet).

First This dude is FAST. He was already making his way back when I reached the road leading to Sri Hartamas.

Shop CNY shopping, anyone?

Flap...Run...Flap... I believe I can fly, I believe I can touch the sky….I think about it night and day, spread my wings and fly away…. – R Kelly

Big Gulp Gulp! Gulp! Gulp! Drink like a fish. Run like a …….(Please use comment to fill in the blank)

Back I think this dude was either directionally challenged or found a super effective way to tackle the nasty slopes of Hartamas. He was seen running up the slope backwards.

Look Ma! No shoes 1 km more to go. Saw this dude took of his shoes and pounded away.

Red, White and Blue 

My Medal Handsome-looking medal – 20km finisher. I like the design very much. Sweet!

My Loot What are in the goodies bag? 1) A bottle of Pacesetter reversed osmosis water. Freshly produce – 14 Jan 2006. Expire in 2009. 2) A mandarin orange (Chinese new year) 3) 4 pieces of Nesvita cereal bars 4) A Great Eastern cap 5) A 30% discount voucher for NB products (totally useless since I am a Pacesetter member. I will get 30% discount anyway by producing my membership card). In the afternoon, I went to Midvalley and watched Pride and Prejudice, plus Wallace and Gromit (second time) back to back. Nice way to rest my feet! What’s up next? Circuit Run 3 – Feb 11, 2006

Clown Wit Me

What: Siemens Run 2006 – Celebrate Life

Where: Dataran Merdeka Kuala Lumpur

When: 15 January 2006; 7:50 am.

Flower Power

When was the last time I did something for the first time? I couldn’t have remembered what was the answer if you asked me this question yesterday. But today, I can proudly say that became a clown for the first time in my life. (Insert applause here!)

I signed up for the fancy dress category with Amy. I was really inspired by a man who dressed himself up as a Birthday Cake in the Singapore Marathon 2004. He ran a full marathon in that suit. I had to parade for 2km only.

Amy and I rented my costume on Saturday morning in a shop in Damansara. Initially, the owner wanted to dress me up like a king but I finally decided to go for something totally outrageous, bright and happy. What else if not a CLOWN? So, I got myself a clown suit, which was a huge frilled barrel made of foam, a yellow wig and a gigantic flower. Amy went for some colourful body suit with a pair of golden wings. She wanted to be a butterfly.

At home that night, I decorated the flower with paper cutouts that spelled SIEMENS - CELEBRATING LIFE to give it a more personalized touch.

The moon was still in the sky when I reached Dataran Merdeka with Amy and her little soldiers at 6:30am. I lugged my clown suit around like Santa Claus.

I changed into my costume in the public washroom underneath Dataran Merdeka. Initially, I was feeling a bit uncomfortable being stared at. But then again, heck they were not staring at me; they were staring at the suit! I quickly put on my red nose, spec and my yellow wigs and left.

After surviving a few pairs of staring eyes in the washroom, I had to endure even more outside. I bravely walked with Amy along the Merdeka Square. It was like thousands of eyes were on us. I still cannot get used to this kind of attention. In the starting pen, there were hundreds of runners getting ready to be set off. Some cheered and clapped when they saw us. I heard some wolf-whistles too. I am sure those were meant for Amy. I can’t imagine who would wolf-whistle a man in a clown suit. Hahah!

We waited at the participant tents for Fancy Dress near the flagpole. There, my celebrity streak has begun. Many people approached me for photo like I was some sort of superstar. I could get use to this. Hahah! But of course the star of the day was Farah, the Malaysian Idol 2nd Runner Up. I saw her standing there so demurely in her red rhinestone-studded jumpsuit. It was my turn to ask for a photograph session.

(Insert “3.2.1 Say Cheese” here).

Getting All Cuddly wit Farah

After all the other categories were set off, we were instructed to move into the starting pen.

I am normally reserved and camera-shy; prefer to be behind the camera than in front. But this morning, I was twirling, waving and striking my killer poses for the photographers with abandonment of a super model. (Imagine a Ben Stiller in Zoolander. Hahah! I can’t believe that I did that either!)

Smile! You're on National TV

There were about 100 plus entries for the fancy dress category. We were supposed to run 2 km, from Dataran Merdeka to the traffic light at the junction leading to Tugu Negara/ Lake Garden and make a U-turn. We were flagged off at 7:50am By Tan Sri Elyas Omar.

I was sweating profusely even before the run due my thick clown suit. At 500meter, I felt like I had been running 5km. My clown suit felt like a mini personal sauna. Hot! Hot! Hot! I was steaming inside.

This is no Mardi Gras!

See Spots run!

The Impossible Princesses

It was impossible to run in my clown suit. I can only baby jog or walk. I could feel chafing already started at the thighs area, no thanks to the rough foam lining. It was no fun being fat. Amy had already spread her golden wings and flown away. Her “wings” really look amazing, shiny and sparkling as they caught the sun. I hobbled on. I pity those little girls who had to parade 2km in those heavy costumes and head gears (see above) in the hot sun (to please their parents, I must add..tsk..tsk..tsk..)

I saw Farah stopping at the roadside checking her feet not far after we made a U-turn at the Lake Garden traffic light. I asked if she was OK. She told me not to worry and to go on – just chaffing. Next time break your shoe first before you decide to run in an event. OK, Farah?

I went on trying to catch up with Amy. By then, the 7 and 10km runners were already on their way back to Dataran Merdeka. Some gave me the thumb ups as they ran passed me. Some cheered. Some patted my back. I waved my flower back as acknowledgment.

“Hey Blondie, Can I grab your behind?”, someone shouted from behind.

I looked back and saw a bald guy running towards me. I quickly moved out of his way. Perverts!

As I reached the final few meter, I ran slo-mo ala ”Chariot of Fire” towards the finisher tape. Smiled at the cameras and waved my flowers like there was no tomorrow. Mission accomplished (Insert smile here).

Hung around the stage area while I waited for the announcement of results. Obliged for more photographs. Kids found me irresistible. Girls found me huggable (see below). Everybody wanted a piece of me heheheh!

Do girls find tummy sexy? Hmmmm....

I was interviewed by TV3 for the MY TV3 program. I forgot to ask when they would they air the program. Anyway, it is not important nobody would recognize me under the clown suit anyway. Heheh! Met and took picture with Dylan the host of Step Forward (8TV - Every Sunday; 7:30pm)

Gracey & Dylan. Peace Out, Y'all!!

Overall, the Siemens Run was fun. My clown suit was a hit with the kids, but not the fancy dress judges. I didn’t get my podium finish. (Insert whimper here). Anyway, moving forward, I enjoyed the run. It was a different and special running experience. Will I do it again next year? Probably not. Unless the fancy costumes can come in dri-fit material, I think I will stick to my regular running vest and short. No more clowning around! (Insert wink here ;-))

Long Khong

(Spoiler Alert) I decided that I had to watch this Thai movie based on the movie poster (above) alone. It look so bloody brutal. I was not disappointed. (Insert evil laugh here). The story is build around black magic – retribution and revenge, with a very Sixth Sense twist at the end. In between, you get a bunch of screaming teenagers running around like headless chickens before getting “creatively” massacred one by one with common household items like fishhooks, geckos (these little ugly things burst out from inside the skin – very Alien-like hehehe!), boiling oil, boiling water, blow torch, a pair pliers (to pull nails and teeth out) and power drill. Watch out for the pussy-eating granny. (Poor kitty…). Some bits in the movie are censored especially the sex scene (Yes, there are a few. But NO, it doesn’t involve granny!Hahah!). Will try to get the original DVD version in Thailand. This is a much better watch than Korean flick, The Wig. It comes with a moral of story too – don’t mess with black magic or black magic will mess with you. Bloody good na? Note: The below movie posters are downloaded from the net. You will never get to see these posters at the cinema in Malaysia.

Booty and The Beast

Maddie Vs Kling Klong

The Booty

I finally got my eager hands on Madonna - Confessions On The Dance Floor Special Edition CD. I didn't know that it was available here until I was informed by Alex, who bought his copy from MPH, Bangsar last Sunday. I called up BW, who is a Madonna fan as well. BW went to call up all records stores for the CD. Our jaws dropped when we were told that all sold out. Tower Records. Rock Records. Victoria Music Centre. All SOLD OUT!!! BW finally got through to MPH 1-U. They still have 1 copy there. BW quickly reserved it for himself. Alamak! I went to sleep that night thinking of Madonna.(Insert toss and turn here)

On the next day (Monday), I called up MPH Midvalley sharp at 10:00am. I squealed with excitement when the gentleman at the other end told me that they still have one copy. I quickly ask the gentleman, called Ah Guan to reserve it for me. Time goes by so slowly...tick tock tick tock. I was counting minute to 5:15pm. Dashed to Midvalley after work to collect the CD and still make it on time for my yoga class.

The CD comes with 2 booklets - one glossy booklet 44pages with photos of air-brushed to perfection Madonna's booty and the other one is a blank note book for you to write your confession, complete with Madonna's doodles. There is an extra song - Fighting Spirit, a perfect song to shake your booty to. At RM59.90, it is a steal as BW called it - confessions wrapped in exquisite gloss.

The Beast

I must thank BW for going all the way to 8TV to collect my King Kong prize I won from Reel Review program. Thank Gawd he was not assaulted by the "longkang" or injected with unknown fluid when he was at the TV3 Building. (Insert Sharifah Aini background music here...heheheh!). What did I win? A nostril flaring King Kong poster, a super-cool black T-shirt and a complimentary pass to watch King Kong for 2. Wonderful.....(Insert chest thumping and happy roar here).

Let's Celebrate Life!

Celebrating Life

Collected the event T-Shirt and running bibs from Amy this morning. It comes with a pack of Wood's Peppermint Lozenges, a 7-day pass to California Fitness and a sachet of Deep Heating Rub. Siemen Run will be my first official run for 2006. Should be fun!

I heard Farah, Malaysia Idol 2 Top 3 finalist would make her appearance at the run. Is Farah gonna run and sing at the same time?

T-Shirt Design Verdict: Front is good enough for a celebration. The back is like a backyard wall pasted with advertisements. Ick!!

Running in the Rain is Sexy

Toes-curling Experience?

Rain is what the thunder brings For the first time I can hear my heart sing Call me a fool but I know I'm not I'm gonna stand out here on the mountain top Till I feel your... Rain, I feel it, it's coming Your love's coming down like... Rain - Madonna

It was a nice morning to snuggle up in bed. Outside there was a slight drizzle. Cool weather for some extra ZZZ. But what was I doing up at 6:30 am with my running gear in the rain? I would have stayed in if not for the Second Circuit Run for the KL International Marathon at Lake Garden. Amy and I were not alone. When we got to the registration tents, there were already a bunch of runners busy signing up and warming up for the events. The turn up surpassed the amount of people who turn up for the first circuit run. The rain kept on falling.

We were set off at 7:30am despite the rain. The sky was grey and showed no sign of clearing up. I ditched my camera. I ditched my mp3 player. I ditched my water bottle. It was just me against the rain. Two hours solid.

Tap! Tap! Tap! I felt the rain pelting down as I ran along the familiar track at. No monkey was seen. I supposed they warmly snuggled up in their beds.

It was kind of sexy running in the rain. Everything was wet. Everything was slippery. My dri-fit t-shirt shouldn’t be called dri-fit anymore – it was drenched to the last synthetic fibre strand. It clung to the body like a second skin. My nipples were cold and hence, hard.

My lips were moist. I could felt the rain gently dropped on my lips. My face. My arms. My chest. My legs. It was like I was kissed by rain all over my body. Thousand and thousand of kisses. I opened my mouth and slip out my tongue and taste the rain. Pure and fresh! Forget about the world. It was just the rain and I.

Occasionally, the soft wind would caress my body. Cooling but not chilling, providing a relief to my tired soul. Drip! Drip! Drip! Sweat was oozing out from my pores and mixed with the rainwater. The feeling was sensationally fresh. I was panting as my feet were relentlessly pounding on the pavement. Sexy? (Insert moan here! Hahahah!)

The two hours session in rain had provided me a new running experience. I hope I don’t get a chill from it. Each of the runners was presented with a limited edition KLIM 2006 souvenir pin and everybody went home with wet head and wrinkled feet (see above picture).

Nice Little Souvenir Pin

P/S. Thank you Fadzil (I hope I get the spelling right) for approaching me to say hello. Thank you for being a loyal reader of my blog.

Wish I Were There

One more to my collection

This is unofficially my first medal of the year...without even have to run. (Insert evil laugh here! Buahhahaahaha!) My cousin gave her extra medal to me. (How sweet!) She got it from the Kuantan MCA Countdown Run at Pantai Teluk Chempedak, Kuantan last Saturday. I was told there were about 100 participants in that run. They ran along the beautiful TC Beach route on New Year’s Eve. The medals were sponsored by our Kuantan Pacesetter Tai Koh - William Chin.

I dig my toes into the sand The ocean looks like A thousand diamonds strewn Across a blue blanket I lean against the wind Pretend I am weightless And in that moment I would be happy I wish I were there I wish I were there I wish I were there I wish I were there

- Incubus (Originally “I Wish YOU were HERE")

Get Wiggy Wit It

Something Wigged This Way Comes

(Spoiler Alert!)

The movie posters are cool. (Selected as Top 5 Posters in Korea). The trailer is engaging. The story line sounded promising - a tale of two sisters (wink!), one terminally ill and one had got her vocal chord ripped in a freak accident. (Note: Thank goodness that she lost her voice, the audience is saved from eardrum busting screams hahah!)

The wig is a gift that Chi-hyon gives to her younger sister Su-Hyon, who loses her hair after chemotherapy. Sibling rivalry develops as little sis’ gets an A.T.T.I.tude (snap! snap!) from wearing the demonic hairpiece. The sisters then compete for the attention of Chi-hyon’s useless boyfriend. Their bizarre love triangle is dimensionally complicated by the introduction of a transvestite love interest in a flashback near the end of the film. Was the boyfriend actually gay all along? Hmmmmmm......(Insert deep intellectual thoughts here).

Despite all, the actual movie is far from a hair-raising experience. Lack scares. Nothing special about the special effects. Hated the transvestite twist at the end. Hated the ending where Chi-hyon violently bashes her sister’s brain out with a Nikon classic camera. (Stop b*tch! That’s a very nice CAMERA!).

If you plan to watch The Wig for a good scare, you might want to reconsider. Heck! Sami Vellu's wig is scarier!

Holiday! Celebrate!

Dinner @ Nero Vivo Countdown @ Bukit Bintang

Holiday! Celebrate! Holiday! Celebrate! If we took a holiday Took some time to celebrate Just one day out of lifeIt would be It would be so nice Everybody spread the word We’re gonna have a celebration All across the world In every nation It’s time for the good times Forget about the bad times, oh yeah One day to come together To release the pressure We need a holiday Holiday! Celebrate! Holiday! Celebrate! - Madonna