Relay for Life KL 2010

What? Relay For Life KL 2010

Where? Padang C, MSN Training Stadium

When? 29 May (6pm) to 30 May (10am) 2010

Who? Organised by National Cancer Society Malaysia (NCSM)

Why? To celebrate cancer survivorship and raise fund for NCSM cancer awareness projects.

How long? 16 Hours

That evening started wet! As I was about to step out from my house, it poured and poured from the sky! But, I was not gonna let a little wetness bother me. So I put on my slippers and took the umbrella out.

On the way to the commuter station KTM, I got drenched by an inconsiderate driver who zoom passed a puddle of water by the roadside. I told myself, "a little more wetness is not going to kill me...." and moved along.

I switched from KTM kommunter to Rapid LRT at Bandar Tasik Selatan. Bought the ticket and happily waited for the LRT to arrived.

30 minutes passed without the signs of the train! Then the loud speaker blared something about train being late because of technical faults! So, I have no choice but to wait along with hundred over stranded passengers like me!

My pants which were dripping from the earlier incident were now almost dried when the train service was re-up! The time was already 7:30pm. I had certainly missed the opening and the survivor lap! Nevermind. My consolation was that I still could make it to the Luminaria Ceremony.

The sky was already dark when i reached the MSN training stadium. I quickly registered myself and the walked to the field where the RFL was held.

First stop, Celebrity Station! :)

The field was like a huge mega mud pit! Wet, slimy and sticky! My slippers got stuck in the mud like a hundred times no matter how careful I tread around the field. But then I told myself, "A little bit of mud won't kill you! At least the rain had stop!"

The celebrities present obviously were not too bother with the muddy field either. There were seen taking pics with fans. A little donation of RM3 entitled you for a snapshot with your favourite celebrity!

So, I took pictures with Amber Chia and Thanuja. (The first pic of this post). Mom-to-be, Amber Chia looked radiant like a million dollar with a glowing tiara on her head. LOL! Not bad a deal eh? Two and 1/2 for a price of one.

Amber behind you!

Was sneaky Lan Pet Pet up to no good? Heheh! Not really, he was very supporting of the cause. :)

Among other celebrities I spotted are....

Malaysian Idol (1st Season), Jaclyn Victor.

Bernie Chan (right) busy with the Luminaria.

Singer Atilia busy selling for glowing and blinking toys for charity.

Marina Mahathir was there too!

I didn't manage to take pics of Yasmin Yusuf who looked exteremely busy in the Celebrity Station. I also bumped into Niki Cheong, "social media advocate" with his dirty toes and all, lending support in raising cancer awareness. Sorry no pic.

Niki disappeared before could say Cheong Peck Beng. Heheh! That's his real name BTW. Heheh, some of info that I got by watching Project ALPHA, an online TV program that highlights some famous Malaysian bloggers.

It was muddy too at the food station. You can buy food coupon and exchange it with mouth watering delicacies for charity.

About 8:40pm, the symbolic Luminaria ceremony took place in which survivors are honoured and those who have not survived are remembered.

FYI, Luminaria are small paper bags which are decorated by participants and then filled with sand and a single tea light candle which will be lit in the remembrance of those who have passed on.

This is the BEFORE picture....

The AFTER picture....

During the Luminaria Ceremony, the track was emptied from participants until the torchbearers led the procession.

Here's the script which was read during the Luminaria Ceremony. It was a touching script and I feel obliged to share with you all. The Luminaria were lighted accordingly according to the dedication dictated by the script.

We come together today to renew our fight against cancer through Relay For life and to celebrate our efforts thus far.

One aspect of this celebration is to honour those touched by cancer who were, and important part of our lives.

Cancer has no preference. It strikes the young, the old, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, best friends, old friends and dear friends.

Firstly we would like to honour those who have left us and whose MEMORY we cherish tonight. Those honouring a family member lost to cancer, we invite you to please light your luminaria now.

Those honouring a friend, colleague lost to cancer, we invite you to please light your luminaria.

This light represents the love we shared. It still burns for others to see, but it burns the brightest in our hearts and in our souls. You were and will always be a part of us.

Now, we invite all of you to light your luminaria for those who are currently fighting the battle or who have won.

We light these candles in recognition of your journey and as our continued promise to share the fight. These lights glow in honours of all of you today!

Ladies and Gentlemen, now let us take a moment of silence.

After the Luminaria Ceremony, everyone was invited to join the procession, walk with a cancer survivor, walk among to Luminaria and reflect on all they represent - life and memories....

While we walked in the procession, there were number of dedications being read out which WE CELEBRATE, REMEMBER and FIGHT BACK!

RFL is an international event mooted by the American Cancer Society. It is held in 22 countries and has raised a billion dollars to support programs at eliminating cancer. Approximately 6,500 people registered for the KL edition - comprising cancer survivors, caregivers and general public.

The relay is a 16 hour walk within the stadium track, whereby the walk symbolizes the continual fight against cancer and that individuals with cancer do not have to walk alone. Participants can walk individually or as teams for a short period or over rge whole night in staggered times. The main aim is that within the 16 hours the track should never be devoid of people walking.

Surely, the track was wet, muddy and dirty! It was ugly. And cancer is an ugly disease.

But that didn't stop us from fighting and walking the journey. Cancer cannot take our spirit. The sucess of a person's fight against cancer is not measurd by life or death but in their fight!

Let's us join he fight against cancer with HOPE in out hearts and minds that we will beat this disease together. :)

After walking a couple of rounds in the stadium, I hopped over to the next door stadium for this....(After a taking a major bath for my legs. LOL!)

I don't want to waste the ticket which I have won from a Twitter contest by AirAsia.

Not everyday that we get to see one of the greatest Indonesian singers in action. Even though I missed first half of her show, I must indeed be thankful, despite the rain, the train delay and the sloshy mud field, I get to enjoy such a beautiful performance fro such a beautiful songstress. :)

Rossa was backed by 30 strong orchestra led by Yovie Widianto. Konsert Melodi Cinta Rossa also featured two favourite bands of Malaysians and Indonesians alike, Ungu and ST12. :)

What a night to remember! :)

Acknowledgement: Thank you to Elizabeth and Meem of NCSM for providing all the information I needed for this post.

Vote for Sunway Lagoon and Win Exclusive MTV World Stage Passes

BANDAR SUNWAY, May 2010 – Next month the recipient of this year’s “Asia’s Best Attraction”, as awarded by the highly respected International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions (IAAPA), will be decided.

For three consecutive years 2007-2009 this award has been given to Sunway Lagoon - this year Malaysia ’s best-loved multi-park destination hopes to make it four in a row.

Fans of the attraction can help ensure a fourth consecutive win comes home to roost for Sunway Lagoon and, by registering their vote, stand the chance of winning some amazing and appropriate prizes.

Here’s what involved: log on to www.sunwaylagoon.com/iaapa before June 15 ‘2010

1) Vote for Sunway Lagoon to be Asia ’s Best Attraction

2) Refer as many of your friends as possible to also vote (note your referrals), the higher the number of your referrals the bigger the chance of you winning:

These are the prizes:

Grand Prize - exclusive invite to the MTV World Stage 2010 at Sunway Lagoon Malaysia .

1st Prize - three post-party MTV World Stage 2010 invites

2nd Prize - one year Sunway Lagoon’s Fun Card Membership for two adults per winner valued in total at RM1792. Fun Card Members enjoy unlimited access to Sunway Lagoon for FREE for one year.

50 x Merits Prizes - two adults 5-Parks Tickets valued at RM200 and

80 x Consolation prizes - two adults 3-Parks Tickets Valued at RM160.

Despite having won the award three times already Sunway Lagoon has in no way been resting on its laurels – this year the multi-park destination has been adding bigger and better attractions with the Flo Rider – a simulation surfing experience and the first of its kind in Malaysia; the AJ Hackett Bungee Jump; the all-new Scream Park, the first Terminator attraction in the region; Archery Target Shooting and a brand new 4D cinema.

Mr Aaron Soo, CEO of Sunway Lagoon, says: “Sunway Lagoon started out with just the wet park and the dry park but today it boasts 88 acres of state of the art fully integrated multi-park with six different themed destinations that includes the Water Park, Amusement Park, Extreme Park, Scream Park; interactive boutique zoo, Wildlife Park and newly included Nite Park. We are still working hard to improve things everyday. That is why we have won the IAAPA for three times in a row and why I really hope we can win it again this year.”

Sunway Lagoon is home to a number of rides and records – it has the world’s largest man-made sandy surf beach, the world’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge and a 360-degree rotating pirate ship.

“Not for nothing have we won this award for three years in a row - we are continuously expanding, renewing and perfecting what we do,” said Aaron. “Our visitors know this and that is why they keep returning in such large numbers from all over the world and the IAAPA judges have recognised this too, making us the best attraction in Asia from 2007 till 2009.”

Sunway Lagoon was voted best venue for a music concert in Malaysia earlier this year with The MTV World Stage Live and the Arthur’s Day Celebration featuring the Black Eyed Peas as the best concerts of 2009, both staged at Sunway Lagoon as stated in Hot Magazine based on a survey held. MTV World Stage Live 2010 will be taking place at Sunway Lagoon come July 2010.

For more information, call 03-5639 0000 or visit www.sunwaylagoon.com.

Standard Chartered Kuala Lumpur Marathon 2010 Media Route Tour

Last year I thought THIS VIDEO was very cool when I first saw it.

This year I get the chance to be in the bus for the "making of" SCKLM 2010 Route Tour video. :)

A special route tour was organised by SCKLM on last Wednesday (23 May 2010) for the media to preview the newly improved 42.195 route, showcasing the country’s historical landmarks and tourist attractions.

We were asked to meet at Stall No.6, Kompleks Makan Tanglin, Jalan Cenderasari around 9am.

What a peculiar meeting place, eh?

It turned out that the organiser wanted to feed us first before the tour. With the famous Nasi Lemak Tanglin! Yum!

It was my first time there. Yup! The nasi lemak was fantastic! Fluffy rice and rich sambal to start off the tour!

While tucking in the delicious nasi lemak, I also chatted with Kak Azura and Kak Khadijah from Yayasan Anak Warisan Alam (YAWA) and learned something about preserving the environment. FYI, YAWA is one of the 5 beneficiaries of the Run for a Cause program in SCKLM 2010.

Here's our tour bus.

I was expecting an open top Hop-on Hop-off bus, which is less confining compared to the normal coach.

Anyway, the plus point of this bus, we get full air-con comfort.

The tour officially started here.

Familiar building eh? If you have been a fan of road races in Kuala Lumpur, you would know that almost 90% of the races start here in front of the Dataran Merdeka and the Sultan Abdul Samad Building.

Our bus was flanked by three Malaysian traffic police motorcycle outriders.

Along for this first hand glimpse of the route was Mark Williams (extereme right), the Official Running Coach of the marathon, provided insight into the various running techniques and tips to be used along the many surfaces along the route.

He was joined by Rex Musadek (extreme left), Radio Announcer and Full Marathon runner, who played tour guide and pointed out the various landmarks along the route as well as share its historical and touristic significance to Malaysia.

The guy in the middle is Rainer Biemans, the Operational Director for SCKLM 2010.

And now, a karaoke rendition of Iron Maiden's The Loneliness of a Long Distance Runner....LOL!

OK...Who's up for Whitney Houston's Run To You?

The new route promised to be a major improvement from the previous year. There will be water station (every 2km), isotonic drinks (every 4km) and sponges (every 4km).

Medical station (12 in total) at every 4km.

A banana buffet station at 16km. Runners, eat but don't throw the peels on the ground!

And for the final boost, Power Gel Station at 30km.

Our official photographer at work.

It's tough being a photographer, no?

OK, here's the list of landmark to watch out for in the 42km route - Dataran Merdeka (0.0), KL Railway Station (1.0), National Museum (1.5), Sg Besi Airport (7.5), Badminton Stadium (16.5), Standard Chartered Tower (22.0), KLCC (24.0), National Library (25.0), National Art Gallery (26.0), Istana Budaya (26.5), PWTC (28.0), Bank Negara Malaysia (39.5), Menara DBKL (40.0) and back to Dataran Merdeka (42.0)

KL Tower...You can see it from various spots on the route.

KLCC...Sorry, can't get a full pic of it since I was confined to my seat. :(

Guess where is this place?

Jalan Ipoh is famous for its bridal shops.

You get to enjoy the whole stretch of Jalan Ipoh in your marathon and it's a long long road....if you get tired, just look at the beautiful brides on the billboards....

Traffic update, Rex? Heheh!

The route can be described as undulating....to have a wavelike appearance or form. There will be no steep hills to tackle. But of course after running like more than 30km, any gradient is going to take a kill on those muscles.

Please reserve some energy for the "hilly" parts at Jalan Langgak Tunku. (km 37-39).

We saw a lone runner here. Training for SCKLM perhaps? :)

The tour finished in about 1 hour by bus. Last year, it took champion, JULIUS NDIRITU KARINGA (KEN) to complete the whole 42.195km in just 2 hours 17 min!

One for the album before the end of the tour at Dataran Merdeka.

Watch a short video clip of what Rex's thought of the new improved route HERE.

Download the route maps HERE.

The road tour video like THIS will be uploaded soon to KL Marathon website. We will embed it here too when we get the link. Please come back for updates.

Acknowlegments: Thank you to the organizers and promoters of the marathon, Golazo Sdn. Bhd., and the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) for the nasi lemak and tour. ;)

Shape/ Men's Health Night Run 2010

What? Shape/ Men's Health Night Run 2010

Where? Putrajaya, Malaysia

When? 31 July 2010

How far? 12.3km & 5km

Who? Organized by Shape & Men's Health Magazine

Registration starts 1 June. RM5 off coupon in the SHAPE magazine.

Check out the details in the magazine cutting below. Men's Health June Issue is not out yet. I wonder why women magazine always out first in the market compared to the rest....Kiasu? Mag Clip: Shape Run 2010

Check out last year's race report below

http://runwitme.blogspot.com/2009/07/what-shape-mens-health-night-run-2009.html

Roasters Chicken Run '10 @ Sunway Lagoon

What? ROASTERS Chicken Run

Where? Sunway Lagoon

When? 23 May 2010 (7:30am)

Who? Organised by Kenny Rogers ROASTERS

Why? In aid of National Kidney Foundation

How far? 4.8km & 2.8km

Three thousand people gathered at Sunway Lagoon garbed in red T-shirts last Sunday. If this was in Thailand, security would have been pooping bricks already. Heheh!

Anyway, they were not the Thai Red Army. They were runners for the 6th Annual ROASTERS Chicken Run!

This year, the run has successfully raised RM60,000 for National Kidney Foundation of Malaysia – Dialysis Treatment for the young, a provider of dialysis treatment and a one stop centre for all matters involving the kidneys! (Insert applause here!)

Runners were seen balancing an egg on a cone while running the 4.8 route (adult & Junior category) and 2.8 km route (Kids Category) respectively surrounding area of Bandar Sunway.

EGG citing eh?

Dato Francis Lee (Executive Director f Berjaya Roasters (M) Sdn Bhd) – It always amazes me how generous Malaysian are in lending a helping hand to those in need. The numbers of participants had increased tremendously.

Roaster Chick? YB Hannah Yeoh (State Assemblyman of Subang Jaya)

“I am proud and honoured to be here and I would like to say thank you to Kenny Rogers ROASTERS for organising such a meaningful and charitable event that benefits many Malaysia", commented YB.

After a check (RM60,000) presentation to NKF and a warm up session by Celebrity Fitness, YB Hannah Yeoh and Dato Francis Lee flagged off the Chicken Run!

What we like about the Roasters Chicken Run?

The venue! The entry fee was inclusive of the entry for all parks in Sunway Lagoon. This spelled fun for the whole family and friends plus value for money on a Sunday!

Lucky draw was lucrative! Mobile phones and a massage chair worth close to RM10,000! Too bad by the time the grand draw was announced, most runners were already having a splashing time in Sunway Lagoon!

What can be improved in the next Roasters Chicken Run? These are my personal views. Comments are welcome.

1) Reporting. The number of reporting counters should be directly proportional to the amount of runners in that category. I saw only one counter for each category. While the people at the kiddies counters were swatting flies, it was chaotic at the Male A and Female B counters....The queue were long to tag and to get the eggs.

2) Family category should be introduced for parents and small children. One of my friend, Aiman had registered himself in Group A but he had to join his two small kids in the kids category. Lots of male runners had join the female flag off too! LOL! Maybe we need a couple category for them? Just kidding. But I think the family category should be considered.

Chicken backside....Hole for ventilation? LOL!

Hips don't lie. Eat healthily and keep those waistlines trim. :)

Muffin Eating competition.

Now it got me wondering..What happened to the eggs after the run? Did they make muffins with those eggs? Heheh!

Chomp! Chomp!

The beneficiary, National Kidney Foundation booth at the Roasters Chicken Run.

For more info about how you can contribute to this foundation, please click HERE.

Grand Draw. This lucky SOB fler won himself a ~RM10,000 massage chair!

The shiny medals....

Winner list:

MALE A:(1) M. ARUL THEVER (2) MURALI A/L MUNIANDY (3)PEDBAKHARAN A/L MADHAVAN

FEMALE B:(1) LYNN GUAN (2) NG CHOOI LIN (3)WONG CHING LING

Heheh! I don't have the complete list of the winners. The list sort of disappeared after the prize giving ceremony. :)

Lastly, check out the video...

ENJOY!

Acknowledgment: Thank You to Kenny Roger ROASTERS & Go Communications for the media invitation.