My Learning Journey so far...

We're into the 4th week of the course and the relentless schedule is beginning to take its toll. The amount of reading we have to go through, the discussions we have to prepare and the weekly 1000/3000 word essays we have to complete meant that time management is very important.

We have been introduced to Organisational Learning, Security Studies, Leadership Development, the Conceptual Reframing Methodology and Sun Zi Bingfa. We have gone through psychology tests like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI) personality inventory and Belbin® self-perception inventory and gotten to know ourselves as well as our syndicate-mates better.

My day usually starts at about 0300hrs in the morning where I will spend about 4 hours reading up and preparing for my lessons, followed by lectures and discussions from 0830hrs till 1730hrs with a short 1 hour lunch in between. Monday and Thursday evenings are occupied by Physical Training and Sports. Tuesday evenings are reserved for the Distinguished Speakers Programme and Friday evenings are for the weekly Officers' Mess Happy Hour. Our only reprieve is on Wednesdays where we get the whole of the afternoon for 'self study'. However, this is usually occuppied by 'other' commitments like the committees we have to participate in e.g. Magazine Committee, Social Committee, Dining-In Committee, Graduation Ball Committee, etc.

Through all this, I have discovered more about myself in such a short time. I went through the exercise on Personal Visioning again and strengthened it, rediscovered the power of vision, was re-inspired by Robert K Cooper's "Uncommon reminders to bring out the best in you" and fell in love with photography all over again after watching DeWitt Jones' "Everyday Creativity" and "Celebrating What's Right with this World" for the umpteenth time. I have become more self-reflective, I don't leap up the 'Ladder of Inference' as quickly as most of us are akin to do, I read more critically now after having gone through the Critical Reframing Methodology training where we 'painfully' went through Samuel Huntington's article on "Officership as a Profession" and Thomas Kuhn's synopsis on "Scientific Revolutions" and linking them together to form new concepts and came up with a paradigm shift.

Just today we were introduced to Sun Zi Binga by Prof Wee Chow Hou. It was a very interesting and enlightening lecture peppered with anecdotes from the business world as well as ancient China. I am certainly looking forward to more of his lectures in the coming weeks.

Well, my first paper up is the one on Security Studies due in 2 weeks time...something about whether ASEAN is becoming a security community....hmm, maybe I'll solicit some views and opinions from a certain Associate Professor from USM who is coming down this weekend for Buang's wedding...boleh kan Abang Zam? ;)

What drives you?

I would like to welcome my brother to the wonderful world of driving! Yes, yes...he passed his Class 3 driving test on Tuesday albeit by the skin of his teeth. A pass, is a pass, is a pass...no matter the point, especially for driving tests! My advise is that he should take note of the areas he is weak in and work on them. Don't avoid them, but work on them.

This brings me back to the time when I passed my Class 3. That was waaaaaay back in 1993! (Suddenly, I feel old!)...I was then a young lieutenant in command of a platoon of 27 men in the third battalion Singapore Infantry Regiment. Due to time constrains, I endeavoured to complete my Class 3 as fast I possible. I did it all in 3 months - the Basic Theory, the Advanced Theory and the Practical Test itself! And the first thing Abah told me to do after I got back from the Practical test (held in the morning) was to sent Boboy to school! Kewl!!! And that night, I drove all the way back to Bedok Camp on my own! I'll never forget that feeling...

4 foodie nights and a guilt-trip!

This has been a weekend of gastronomic indulgence. Friday night was satay night after a rip-roaring session of Borat with my dear cousins @ Lau Pa Sat. We ate till 0200hrs Saturday morning. Saturday night was spent eating seafood at Danga Bay with 22 other souls celebrating Cik Eton's CPF withdrawal and her birthday! Thanx Cik! Sunday night was spent at Cik Eton's house eating curry chicken with bread, fried noodles and chicken korma. And just now, I had Korean BBQ at Seoul Garden with my entire syndicate. My, my, my...I've had so much food these last couple of days that I HAVE to run tomorrow running...call it a guilt-trip if you must, I'm calling it payback time!

10 years to retirement!

Yep...as 2007 started, it dawned on me that I'm into my last decade in the Service! Who'd have thought that time flies so fast, who'd have thought that 15 years have flown by like a blink of an eye...sometimes it feels like it was only yesterday that I was still a "young and green, blur like f*^k" second lieutenant hailing out those words as I knocked on the doors of the Officers' Mess in Bedok Camp waiting for my turn to be initiated!

2007 will also be the last year that I can take my Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) without going for an FFI (Fit For Instruction) or what civilians know as a medical check-up! Although I turn 35 this year (shudder!), the date for the cut-off to jump a Category is 1 April so since I will still be a 'young' 34 on 1 April, I will still be in what is known as Cat Y1 (30 - 34) so no need for an FFI...

The First Daughter started her second year at the 'masjid school' (as she fondly calls it) without much fuss. She's a 'veteran' when it comes to attending places of formal instructions, having gone for Tumble Tots, KinderGolf, Growing Up Gifted, piano classes, ballet classes and swimming classes. All this at a ripe 'old' age of 4+! But lest we be thought as the 'typical' Singapore parents who send their kids for everything under the sun, I make it a point to always ask her if she's enjoying her classes. At the first hint of 'boredom' or other signs of 'distress', we would ask her if everything was alright. If she didn't seem to be enjoying her classes, we would find out the reasons why with both she and her teachers. As much as we would want to give her an all round education, we would not want to force her to do things that she would not enjoy doing. I'm happy to say that she always looks forward to her swimming, ballet, piano and early reading and writing classes. Just the other day, she enquired why she can't have piano classes everyday! To me, having gone through the trials and tribulations of a short life, education is the key and the education of my kids are the uppermost in all that we do as a family. And by education, I don't mean just the formal schools and classes that she attends. We strive to create a learning environment away from class. Whatever we do with our daughters, be it playing with them, going out with them, we make it a point to pique their curiosity and would always encourage them to ask questions.

The Second Daughter on the other hand, started her very first day of school on Wednesday! Unlike her elder sister, she's not such a pro when it comes to formal schooling having only attended weekend 'enrichment' classes at Growing Up Gifted. So although we had talked to her about being prepared for school, cajoling her, encouraging her, she 'cramped' a little during one of the colouring activities. She sometimes does this in new environments or around people she is unfamiliar with. But other than that, she enjoyed her first day at school...Awww...my baby is all 'growed' up now...let's see what tomorrow brings...

Oh, btw, I cleared all my 3 papers that I took in UniSIM...heh...So 80 credits down...40 more to go! But I'll be defering this year due to my Command & Staff Course...

I would just like to mention my Better Half. I am ever so thankful to my BH for taking care of the whole family. She is the fabric that binds all of us together. Untiring, she takes care of my princesses day in and day out, seeing to their needs, whims and fancies. With no leave or off, she carries on with her duties without complain. Because of her, I can concentrate on my course. Because of her, we are stronger as a family. That is why I make it a point to go out on dates with her at least once a week. (Oh, make that twice a week now since we go for a short dinner date after our Mandarin classes every week!). These dates are only possible because my mum and mum-in-law help to take care of our princesses while we are out. Thanx to all the ladies in my life!

I've not had a New Year's resolution in a long while since I know that most of the time it will be broken. Instead I always use the SAFTI motto as my beacon, "To lead, to excel and to overcome" and the Officer's Creed as my guiding light...(See below)

My being in the Command and Staff Course would mean that I will be a full-time student for the major part of this year. The first 3 months will be full of papers to research and write followed by exercises later on.

My CSC started off on a poignant note! We went on a study trip today to trace the Battle of Singapore following the lecture on the Malayan Campaign yesterday. We went to Reflections at Bukit Chandu, the Battlebox @ Fort Caning, Changi Chapel Museum and ended at the Kranji War Memorial. Although I had been to some of these places before, it never fails to evoke stirring emotions in me as I read about the brave soldiers of the Malay Regiment who put up a valiant struggle to the end on top of Bukit Chandu, how Percival come to the decision of surrendering Singapore to the Japanese, a decision he made at the Battlebox, how POWs were treated in Changi Prison and how those who perished in World War 2 but whose bodies were never found had their names etched on the 13 columns of the Kranji War Memorial. All 24,000 of them! The whole tour concluded with a simple but poignant ceremony on top of the Kranji War Memorial where a poem was read, a wreath was laid, a bugler played the 'Last Post' and 'Reveille' and a bagpiper played 'Amazing Grace'...I had goosebumps throughout the ceremony and shed a tear as I read how, with a heavy heart, the late 2LT Adnan bin Saidi, said goodbye for the last time to his heavily pregnant wife as he sent her and their two boys away before Singapore fell...Reflections at Bukit Chandu made me reflect on a few questions I posed to myself - what would be the last thought on my mind if I were to suffer the same fate as 2LT Adnan had at the hands of the Japanese and would I be willing to give up my life for my country as what 2LT Adnan and many others before and after him had done...The answer is obvious and with that I present, the Officer's Creed.

SAF Officer's Creed

I am an officer of the Singapore Armed Forces.
My duty is to lead, to excel and to overcome.

I lead my men by example.
I answer for their training, morale and discipline.

I must excel in everything I do.
I serve with pride, honour and integrity.

I will overcome adversity with courage,
fortitude and determination.

I dedicate my life to Singapore.

Air is expelled from your 'lumps'...

I went for my first Mandarin lesson yesterday at the Bukit Batok East Community Centre. Arriving about 10 minutes late because of the pouring rain and because the stupid suction of the GPS holder kept dropping thus making me lose my way (Ya, blame it on the GPS...), I was given a set of notes before siting down beside an Ang Moh dude.

I was supposed to go with my BH but she had gone to meet Man Padi instead...well, ok, I did tell her to carry on with Man Padi since she was there since late afternoon...

In any case, it wasn't my first stab at attending formal Mandarin classes. I had attended one at the SCCCI (Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry) in Hill Street many moons ago. The teacher then was this native mainland Chinese guy.

My teacher yesterday was a Mr Tee. A Singaporean obviously. He spoke softly and cracked the occasional joke here and there. His English was ok but his pronunciation of some words had me controlling my laughter! It reminds me of my JC and secondary school days when some of my teachers did the same thing...

Mr Tee: How do we make sounds?
Me: Thru our vocal cords...
Mr Tee: Good...that is one place air will pass thru...
Me: Mouth?
Mr Tee: Actually, the air starts from your 'lumps'...
Me: (blank look)
Mr Tee: When you breathe in...the air fills up your 'lumps' and then expells it out...

That nearly had me in stitches...Another occasion...

Mr Tee: Vowels, unlike consonants are easier to make...How do you pronounce 'ah'?
Me: Ah?
Mr Tee: Yes, when you say it your mouth will open up. That is why the dauter will ask you to say 'ah' to check your mouth...

Ok, ok, let's get on with it. I've always wanted to understand AND speak Mandarin. I mean, we are surrounded by Mandarin-speaking people. And for me especially, it's good to converse in Mandarin with my men (some of whom don't speak-e-de-English too well). Oh, of course I know all the Hokkien swear words...you don't get to be in the Army for 15 years and not know ANY Hokkien swear words! But Mandarin is different. In any case, Mr Tee went through the basics of pronouncing the Hanyu Pinyin - the 6 vowels, the consonants and the tonal language. Ah, the tonal language...that always trips people up. Then we went through some conversational lessons.

Well, I hope by the end of 3 months, I would have improved my Mandarin and can 'spar' verbally with my peers in my current course. Then onto French and Arabic we will go!

Man Padi

This is a warning to all husbands of the above creature...once your BHs have a taste of Man Padi, they will never leave 'him'... Once they have tasted 'his' pleasure, they will come back for more...The MRS (Mars, Rina, Suzlynn) went to see him yesterday evening in preparation to making their husbands 'widowers' to another 'evil' that is Chatuchak. Why? I dunno...Man Padi and shopping just doesn't mix right? By the time they go thru shopping, Man Padi's effect will be gone. But that is the allure of Man Padi...they just have to do it...Yesterday was the 2nd time my BH went to have Man Padi. And it's a different Man Padi. And it was a French one!!

How do I negate the effects of Man Padi? I guess 'cutting grass' would calm me down a bit...I will be 'cutting grass' at Sembawang Country Club next week...yeah...maybe that will calm me down...

Oh, BTW, the BH did end up with nice nails, so all was not lost!

Chatuchak 'widowers'

This weekend will be a first for me...and Fauzi, I think... We will lose our BHs temporarily to men's most dangerous adversary...shopping! And not only shopping at that. This is shopping at its most insidious - shopping in a foreign land, in what some people call the biggest flea market in the world (or something like that), with no husbands around, with cash to spend (hopefully not all dear!), with cheap stuff to drive you crazy, shopping from about 1000hrs to sunset for 2 days!

I'm kinda looking forward to taking care of the kids for the next 4 days alone. Let's see how life looks like from a different perspective!

Ok ladies....enjoy yourselves...but not too much...come back safe and happy! Hah...it just crossed my mind...their initials make up their status...MRS!!! Cool...

My Princesses!

One of the results of the family shoot we just had at nbyn...

First swimming lesson

The first daughter (FD) finally started her 'official' swimming lesson today. We had been looking around for an instructor to teach her and with another 3 neighbours, have chosen Uncle Jimmy (one of the few swimming instructors 'registered' to teach swimming at our place) to teach our kids. Together with Cheyenne & Fatin (Erika couldn't make it), the 3 girls were taught systematically the various methods and techniques necessary for them to be able to swim. It was quite a sight watching Shahira gleefully swim towards the floating rings that Uncle Jimmy threw. She is already very confident in the water and can paddle fast. Well, let's see where this 'venture' will bring her...

Of mochacinnos & ballet...

Well, back at McDonald’s United Square. Ordered my usual Mochaccino medium and settled down with my trusty NEC laptop using the free wireless service by McDonalds. I realise that my mochaccino is not its usual taste and brought it back to the counter to say that it’s not as sweet as usual. The guy who served me is not the regular guy I see every Sunday and he gladly replaced my drink with a NEW one on the house! I had expected him to add only a bit of sweetness but he did what he did and that is certainly good service in my books! Good one there McDonald’s!

Today is Shahira’s first day at the ballet school near our place. And she enjoyed it whole-heartedly, prancing around and listening to the teacher’s instructions. Although new, she immediately immersed herself in the class. It was an almost non-stop movement for 45 minutes and she couldn’t wait to get her tutu and ballet shoes!

Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical

And so it was that the 12 of us - Bik As, Cik Eton, Mak, Jihan, Aqila, Nabilah, Kak Ain, Kak Tini, Boboy, Shahrul, Mars & myself - descended upon the Esplanade to catch the much hyped Puteri Gunung Ledang the Musical.

Watching the production - with its elaborate costumes, simple but effective props, beautiful music and gorgeous dance numbers - was an unforgettable experience!

Although none of the cast members are singers by profession - except for Gusti Adipati (played by Mizal) - the words were clear and the songs well sung. The scene stealer for the night has to be when Sultan Melaka, played by Adlin Aman Ramlie, effortlessly broke into an MTV-style number! Hang Tuah definitely can sing well and even launched into an almost 20 secs non-stop high note at the end of one of the songs! Although he speaks Malay funny I guess that must be taken in the light that he did not know a single word of Malay before being involved in the production. And kudos must go to Tiara Jacquelina for her poise and grace in capturing the essence of Puteri Gunung Ledang although the Javanese in my family complained that she wasn't "jawa" enough! The thunderous applause and standing ovation at the end capped off the audience's approval of a truly magical and unforgettable experience...

Well, aside from the show itself, a few of us were lucky in that our seats were 'upgraded' as the original ones were taken out for some audio-vido equipment. I also met my long lost cadetmate, Mas S...haven't met him for 15 over years. But we instantly recognised each other when we met! He was just sitting two seats to my right! Interestingly, his partner was Rila Melati (yes, her!) and while my BH chatted with her, I caught up on old-times with him. And after the break, I realised that Khairudin Sharom (yes, him!) was in front of me. And I said hi and caught up on 'old' times with him as I had taken him twice for in-camp training back when I was in ITI. Aqila became excited when she saw me talking to him and after the whole thing, I linked them up for a photo op!

The queue that formed for the autograph session snaked all the way to the entrance and those poor sods at the end had no chance to get the autographs of the main cast. Oh but my makciks got it! It was crazy...people rushing forward...breaking thru the security line...aiyo...I came forward to take pictures only because Jihan said 'I'm too shortlah Bomi, I can't see anything to take pictures!'...

I am sure those who were there will remember the entire experience for a long time... Well, as for those of us who are trekking up the actual Gunung Ledang in a month's time, may we not meet her up there (or do we?!?!?)...jeng, jeng, jeng...

Oh, enjoy the slide show...

Exam's over!

Well, yesterday was my last paper. 3 major papers in 10 days is no joke...A total of about 40 over chapters had to be 'encoded, stored and retrieved'! Let's just say that spotting questions (or chapters in this case) is like living life on the edge but hey, what's life without challenges right!?!? All the chapters I 'spotted' came out...let's just wait for the results in late December/early January...

Hey, I’ve got a mention somewhere in cyberspace…OCS Pressbox Article.

Harry Lorayne and his Memory Power System...

I've been using his system for a long time and it came in useful for my exams...helps keep all the concepts and definitions in my mind...And it REALLY works...here's his site...

http://www.harrylorayne.com/

These are the demonstrations...

http://www.harrylorayne.com/demonstrations/index.html

Next time you meet me, I'll give a demonstration and will teach you his method (if you want to). Guaranteed to work...

The normal adult can recall about 6 letters or numbers forward and backwards, the superior adult can do it with 8 but with this system, you can remember 20, 30 letters or numbers!!! And more...

You will never again forget a person's name, telephone number, etc.

You can even remember equations and chemical formulas...And learning a foreign language is no problem with his system...

I'm not selling you koyok or anything. I have his books and tapes that I bought a looong time ago and it still works...Just something to share, that's all...

Happy Birthday Boboy!

Panjang umurnya, panjang umurnya,
Panjang umurnya serta mulia,
Serta mulia, serta mulia….

(ntah betul ntah tidak lirik aku ni...heh...thanx to Rina for pointing out my original mistake of 'setahun ria'...heh...but I think still makes sense what...)

Sempena hari spesel ni, I present gegambar masa2 silam...wait till the end for something long and hard...

Happy birthday to Julie!

Julie is 33 today! Here's a tribute to my dear sister, sister-in-law and bibik!

Less than 24hrs to D-day H-hour...

In less than 24 hours time, I will be in a place called The Grand Hall on the fourth floor of UniSIM taking my DSZS2122 Exploring Psychology exams...it will last three hours till 2230hrs...

I will like to take this opportunity to especially thank my darling wife who has been very very supportive of me...taking care of the kids while I was slogging thru the chapters, providing me with endless supply of tea and other nourishment and of course, her love...thanx dear!

And of course to my two wonderful daughters who kept asking why ayah is always in the study room these past few days...and why can't he read the book to us tonight...it's been a long time since we went swimming...and other seemingly innocent questions that just breaks your heart sometimes...Ayah will make it up to you once exams are over...PROMISE!

Life will return back to 'normal' at exactly 2230hrs on 24th November 2006 after my third and final paper...till then...

To make a grown man cry...

I know I've said that I won't be posting anything here till after my exams but I just can't miss this chance to share something truly inspirational...Dick Hoyt has made the top of my Hero list! Read the article first and then watch the most amazing 4-minute video ever...

Strongest Dad in the World

Rick Reilly for Sports Illustrated

I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay for their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots.

But compared with Dick Hoyt, I'm lousy.

Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars -- all in the same day.

Dick's also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. on a bike. Makes taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?

And what has Rick done for his father? Not much -- except save his life.

This love story began in Winchester, Mass., 43 years ago, when Rick was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs.

"He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life," Dick says doctors told him and his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. "Put him in an institution."

But the Hoyts weren't buying it. They noticed the way Rick's eyes followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was anything to help the boy communicate. "No way," Dick says he was told. "There's nothing going on in his brain."

"Tell him a joke," Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a lot was going on in his brain.

Rigged up with a computer that allowed him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? "Go Bruins!" And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the school organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, "Dad, I want to do that."

Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described "porker" who never ran more than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he tried. "Then it was me who was handicapped," Dick says. "I was sore for two weeks."

That day changed Rick's life. "Dad," he typed, "when we were running, it felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!"

And that sentence changed Dick's life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon.

"No way," Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren't quite a single runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then they found a way to get into the race officially: In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the qualifying time for Boston the following year.

Then somebody said, "Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?"

How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since he was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick tried.

Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii. It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don't you think?

Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own? "No way," he says. Dick does it purely for "the awesome feeling" he gets seeing Rick with a cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together.

This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best time? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992 -- only 35 minutes off the world record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the time.

"No question about it," Rick types. "My dad is the Father of the Century."

And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries was 95% clogged. "If you hadn't been in such great shape," one doctor told him, "you probably would've died 15 years ago."

So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life.

Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass., always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father's Day.

That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy.

"The thing I'd most like," Rick types, "is that my dad sit in the chair and I push him once."

Sports Illustrated Issue date: June 20, 2005, p. 88

Stuffs like these make us wonder how much potential we have within us have we unleashed.

I CAN!

Selamat tinggal Ramadhan, Selamat datang Syawal...

Ramadhan came and went in the blink of an eye...It's time to conduct a reflection on one's own performance during the entire month. Personally, I think I did better than last year. One always hopes and strives to better oneself. I prayed more (during the last 10 days of Ramadhan, I missed terawih at the mosque only once and that was because of my Exploring Psych lecture at UniSIM. Of course I made up for it at home), I conducted myself better, I read more, I was more at ease with myself, I did not use fasting as an excuse not to do the normal things I do like exercising. Overall, I think I had pushed myself to do more. I was more disciplined. I controlled myself better. It is true, the best person to compete is against oneself. My wish is to meet the next Ramadhan and do even better than this year. Insya Allah...

Syawal is already here. I will strive to carry over the good practises of Ramadhan...I want to puasa enam. (If one fasts the whole of Ramadhan and then plus the 6 days in Syawal, it's like fasting for the ENTIRE year. How do we arrive at that magical figure of 1 year? Every ibadat that we do is multiplied by 10 so 1 whole month of Ramadhan is like 10 months and 6 days of puasa enam in Syawal is like 60 days which is equivalent to 2 months...hence 1 year...) I will strive to control my food intake and not gobble every food served! You will see me hitting the gym on Thursday morning before the 3rd day of visiting...It's very simple actually, if your intake (food) is more than your output (exercise), the excess food gets stored as FAT...If you know how hard it is to burn 300 calories (about 20 minutes of lung bursting running at 12km/h), you will think twice about gulping down that juicy, delicious lemak ayam...

Last but not least, Minal Aidin Wal Fa Idzin, Ma'af Zahir Batin kepada semua peminat-peminat ku...(last time I checked, I could count them using the fingers of my left hand...)

Have a good Raya and watch what you eat!

Ibu, I ter-fall down...

The littlest princess is very wide awake on this humid Sunday morning, busy exploring the house and engaging in small talk.

Her small talk (kids at this age are incessently talking) can send us into fits of laughter. Her ability to combine words (both English and Malay) is just amazing, "Ibu, I ter-fall down...". We have never taught her that kind of sentence structure so I guess Chomsky (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noam_Chomsky) is right...Kids have an innate ability for languages...

Just the other day, after hearing a hari raya song, she told my BH, "Ibu, I like this raya-raya song...". She makes her own songs, combining what she has learnt with other songs. For example, she uses the tune from 'Twinkle-twinkle Little Stars' and sings it using her own words. Priceless...

Oh...she has passed the "Ibu, magic word...pleeeease", phase...

69.7...and going down!

Ran 4km on the threadmill just before buka...Did a blistering 12km/h pace for 15min and 11.5km/h till the 20th minute...My 2.4km was done in 11:57min...

As usual, just before I left the gym, I weighed my self and yes...I've achived my goal of weighing in below 70kg by the end of Ramadhan when the weighing machine showed 69.7kg! From a high of 73kg at the start of Ramadhan...

Now the hard's part is in maintaining the sub-70 level...