We've gone far

Tomorrow marks the apex of scientific studies when the Hadron Collider recreates the Big Bang. Who knows the world will not exist anymore after tomorrow. We're talking about black holes here, who knows right? If not, I hope aliens who read this post will know what happened to us.

Which makes me think we've gone far in science and technology from the time when the solution to stop an infection for example, is to cut off the limb! And did I say without anesthetics?!

This evening I went for a walking tour of London's history which made me think again that we've also gone far in our mindset, culture, believes and ideals of life.

History makes me appreciate of what I have today.

I took some notes of the tour and thought of sharing them about what I've learnt from it:

1. If you're a university graduate in the 16th century, the maximum punishment for killing someone is imprisonment for four months! You'd think education is the license to kill! It very well was!

2. Long time ago, when the internet was not around, people get their latest information by looking at the flags. To see a play for example, the theatres will fly different colour flags. Black is dark play and red is romantic. I've forgotten about comedy. Likewise, if the King or Queen is in residence, they fly a different flag too. If the flag is high enough, it's just like the fastest broadband in the world, you get to know the information in no time! Now you know why there are so many flagpoles in the UK!

3. The idea of recycling started in Britain two hundred years ago when people started scouring the River Thames to look for dead bodies and sell them for money! The hair is used to make wig, clothes sold as used clothings, and body to doctors to do experiments. It was a flourishing trade, which brings me back to think that point no.1 makes sense now! People can make a killing with this...err, quite literally!

4. In the 16th century when someone goes to a play, no one queues to buy admission tickets. Everyone will put money into a box when it is passed around the audience (People were more honest then). The collection would then be stored in a secured place called the box office. That is why the place where we buy tickets to see a play today is called the Box Office. You can't find this in Wikipedia or Google!

5. London Bridge has fallen twice! 1832 and 1960. The one in 1960 was brought down because it was not designed to take vehicle loadings. Hence the third bridge we see today. Shouldn't kids now sing: "London Bridge has fallen down, fallen down and falling down"? Touch wood for the third one!

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I've also learnt that one thing has crystallised with time: Prostitution - the oldest profession in the world!

Have you learnt something?

Taste of Fame in London's High Street

What does it take to be featured on London's Oxford Street and seen by thousands of people?

If you ask a model, the answer is: Lots.

But my answer is: Nothing is impossible.

Sounds like you've heard that before? Go there then. I didn't expect it too.

Let's not forget our disabled friends

Today is the start of the Beijing Paralympic Games.

I knew it was happening but didn't know it was today. I only knew about it when I was watching the BBC News in the afternoon and they were crossing over to Beijing live for a while. So I quickly tuned in to the other channels to see if they have a full coverage of the event. I found it in BBC One!

I installed a software not long ago to take screenshots from the TV. Am I glad it came in handy this time. They actually turned out not bad.

I may be like many of you who didn't expect much of the Paralympics. But I was so wrong. At first I thought I wasn't going to spend a lot of time on the channel then I realised I had spent close to 3.5 hours!

The sunbird and a blind singer


No one will believe these performers are deaf by looking at their synchronised moves with the music accompaniment.

Thanks to the signing instructor

I was really taken by surprise by the level of participation and preparation for the opening ceremony. It was stunning! The stadium was as filled as the opening of the Olympics on 8th August. This is like reliving the event a month ago.

It seems like the world hadn't had enough of Beijing and this is an encore to them. The Paralympic Games will never be the same again after what Beijing has shown the world.

92,000 seats filled

This little girl was injured during the Sichuan earthquake and had a leg amputated. Her dream to be a ballerina lives on. It was a moving presentation.

Performers using their hands to show the moves that correspond with the little girl's. Superb!

Over 2,000 schoolchildren performing in this one. You thought for a while, "Okay, they look colourful and cute and jumping like monkeys. That's about it right?"

Then you see this...perfect circle!

And this. Acrobatics! All 2000 of them doing it together. They just sweep you off like a hurricane!

Hey, that's us!


The culmination of the event was the lighting of the cauldron. The question in everyone's mind: "what are they going to do this time?"

Remember Li Ning was lifted up mechanically in the Olympics opening? This time this guy pulled himself and the wheelchair up to the cauldron. There was so much hard work. Apparently that was a message that this is the sort of hardship that disabled people go through in life. I thought it was quite an accurate depiction since you can feel the excruciating moment even from the TV screen. This was also very exciting as he winced in exhaustion at midway and the crowd cheered him on and on until he reached the top. When you see something like this, you just can't stop hammering your fists in the air as soon he reaches the top.

And it's finally lit up!

Recently, one of my deaf friends forwarded an article about two deaf Malaysians who won gold a medal each for badminton in the World Deaf Badminton Championship last year, were not recognised by the government. They weren't even sent a congratulatory letter! It must have been such a let down for them!

I was quite upset by this news actually. One on hand we had Lee Chong Wei getting a silver for the Olympics and a hero's welcome; and on the other we have two gold medallists being disregarded by the government! Sick shame!

I'm not saying Lee Chong Wei does not deserve anything less than a hero's welcome but I don't think our disabled badminton players deserve anything less than Lee Chong Wei's. C'mon, at least a congratulatory letter!

This issue comes at a time when we have some fruitcakes refuting that this was all a political stunt but on the other hand what I'm reading, seeing and hearing, tell me a very different story altogether verging on deceit and hypocrisy.

Anyway, whatever happened few weeks ago is now history. So let's move on.

Our Paralympians will compete in Beijing for the next 12 days. I hope there will be good media coverage in the Malaysian dailies for this event. We can't expect BBC to do that for us, can we?

Should we get a medal for the Paralympics, can someone in the government get his/her gracious butt off for a while and go to KLIA to greet this person? Thank you!

I nearly got married...

Lil Khoo asked if I'd like to meet his friend who's friendly, single and around my age. I said why not.

A week after, a holy matrimony was arranged between Juitan (not her real name) and I. I was in my wedding suit with my bestman and groomsmen on the day but I haven't even met Juitan or get to know her properly, goodness sake!

My parents were there to make sure I wasn't feeling nervous. But how can I not feel nervous when I'm not doing something I know! I couldn't believe it I asked my groomsmen the name of my bride and her character and looks. How can I not know the person I am marrying? It's ridiculous!

One of the groomsmen pulled me to a room where Juitan's photo was hung. He pointed to the framed photo. She's a bespectacled Chinese. I kept quiet and nodded. Then we left the room.

I sat back at the table and my parents and family were all dressed for my big day. They neither looked excited nor sad. But I was worried; dead worried about what have I or not gotten myself into. I kept hoping someone would jump out and say, "smile you're on candid camera!", but that moment never came.

My parents-in-law came over and asked me to make a speech. It was my first time seeing them. We shook hands. Suddenly there were a lot of people surrounding us and waiting to hear from me. I stood up and greeted everyone.

I blushed and then continued with my speech. It was the speech of my life but I lied. I told the greatest lie to my audience that "I had the greatest honour of marrying Juitan" and I thanked her parents for "trusting me with their daughter". How can I say that?! I was flabbergasted!

After the speech, the crowd dispersed leaving my parents and Juitan's at the scene. We came together and my father-in-law put his arm around my shoulder. He checked how was I feeling. I said horrible.

"How can I marry your daughter when I don't know her?!" I yelled at him.

"Don't worry. What's important is that she knows you!" he retorted.

I was puzzled but he continued, "Juitan has known you much earlier. She's been reading your blog!"

I was like, "What?! No! You can't be serious!"

I pulled my parents aside and broke the news to them that I must end this right away. My dad sadly looked down and continued, "That's your choice. You're old enough to make it. Do what you think is right."

Then I walked over to Juitan's parents, as if I was at the boxing ring talking to both parties. I apologised I couldn't marry their daughter. It's just wrong. I don't even feel right doing that!

They nodded their heads as if understanding my predicament well and over. They didn't say anything and then slowly walked away. I didn't see them again. My parents and I left the scene. It was a fast transaction like in the supermarket.

I woke up from my sleep. It was the weirdest dream ever in my life! I could even recall the image of Juitan!

Today at work, while still recovering from my illness, the framed photo of Juitan emerged in my mind. I thought it was strange I didn't meet up with Juitan at all in the dream! Suddenly it crossed my mind that the photo looked like those that you'd usually see in an obituary. In fact, it was also sized that way! It was a chilling moment. I quickly got back on to work and stopped thinking about it.

A while ago, I Google-ed for the name and image of my "bride". I found a match that fitted 90% of the person I dreamt of. Only thing, she's not wearing a pair of spectacles. I concluded this person must be alive then.

But that's strange enough to have someone with that name and with a close match of the image that I dreamt of. A scarier thing is that, I haven't even come across such a person with this name and who looked like that, ever in my life!

I hope this person is okay whoever she is, if this is a premonition of some sort. I can only pray in times like this.

Nike Human Race Report: London Edition

I ran the Nike Human Race today. It started in Wembley Stadium. Ironically I am running for London instead of KL since runners here can only represent this city. I found out from CP, that runners in Paris get to choose the city they want to represent.

Shots taken before the race when it was still dry and bright

Even though I couldn't run for KL, I am still proud that I did it for London and we came in second to Madrid in the overall ranking! Londoners have to concede the matadors were just too strong for us! Other than that, we beat 24 other cities in the world. So that's pretty remarkable.

City ranking

Even though I took part in the event, I was in my worst form.

Imagine a time when you have a migraine and had to climb the stairs. Suddenly a dog chases you as soon as you reach the landing in the middle of nowhere and then the sky starts pouring like mad and you had to run for cover from the rain as well as from the fierce bitch.

I felt exactly like that before the race.

I was down with a sore throat for three days and then it developed into a mild fever with an unstoppable running nose. I tried using Clarinase to plug the mucus but to no avail.

Trying to run with flu is like trying to drive a car with the exhaust pipe blocked. Only thing, you’re the car.

It was affecting my mood terribly and I had the Nike Human Race today. Unlike the London Marathon, they do not reserve your place for the race next year if you do not feel fit to run.

So I had to make a decision - to run or not?

30quid was too much to lose, so I decided to gamble it with my life. I didn't realise the decision of my life is only worth a low 30 quid!

Anyway, when I arrived, I sorted my baggage and went to the stadium. I was placed in the first wave of four. I managed to make last-minute contact with Bettina, who was also doing the race. She was in a different wave. I don’t know how have they allocated the waves but I suspect it has something to do with our predicted finishing time.

The first two waves get to go to the pitch, i.e the football field.

I did recover from my illness when I arrived into Wembley Stadium. It was false recovery from the excitement and adrenaline rush into the body. But it fell through when the sea of runners dressed in red amassed and glared by the stadium floodlights. The aggressive colour was too much for the retina when it is in sick mode.

The glaring red colour is too much for a pair of ailing retina!

This run is slightly different. They started with a mini concert by Pendulum and Moby. They were good but they annoyed us after a while when they delayed the entire race.

Pre-race concert on the pitch of Wembley Stadium

The race was supposed to start at 7pm but was delayed until 7.30pm. The sky turned to dusk at this time. That’s also when normal human beings usually have their dinners and bats look for food. But the 30,000 of us were waiting to run!

I hope Nike has learnt that high-profile artistes and a high-profile race cannot go together. There can only be one show!

I was surprised to see Paula Radcliffe, who represented Team GB for the marathon event in Beijing (but didn’t finish). She was there to flag off our race. It was my first time seeing her in person so I was quite excited. She's shorter in real life than in TV!

Paula Radcliffe on stage

At the start, runners from the first wave, probably 10,000 of us, converged into a one-lane tunnel. It was quite a nasty start as people jostled to get through it. It took me a while to orientate myself out from the crowd.

Runners converged into a tunnel to exit the stadium

As soon as we were out, we were greeted by the good ol' British weather; the rain. I was soaked in 10mins. I also thought I was going to be electrocuted by my iPod in such wet condition. The last time I checked, it’s still working.

The race course has its fair share of undulation and flat stretches. I like the climbs. I overtook many runners in these places. If you're sick, soaked and running, all you care is to finish the race as quickly as possible whether it’s a flat or undulated course!

First and last two ks were zig-zagged around the stadium

I am glad there were no complications in my breathing even though I was down with a running nose.

The rain stopped as soon as I crossed the finishing line. Just can't help thinking if I'm the cause of the rain!

Picturesque finish

After the race, all runners were rewarded with a finisher’s T-shirt and lots of energy drinks. There were no medals though but since Nike has bribed us with two of their apparels, they can be forgiven this time.

The not-so-glaring finisher's shirt

Furthermore, the proceeds from the race will all go to charity organisations, so that’s not too bad. At least I know some of the money will go to saving the Orang Utans (in Sumatra!).

I received my official time through the SMS. The results came through half an hour after I crossed the finishing line. Now that’s very efficient.

Runners making their way to the Tube as soon as they are changed. No-nonsense, no lucky draws, no prize giving ceremonies, no time-wasting. Suits me really well.

To my surprise, despite the illness and adverse weather, I smashed my previous personal best for a 10k race with a time of 44mins 6 secs.

I am placed 7626th out of a supposed 1,000,000 runners in the world ranking. Sweet!

A video I found from the official website showing the race in London, Paris, Istanbul and Rome.