quarrelsome queen

i remember the time i used to work in Tumble Tots. And on weekday mornings, they had this workshop thing or whatever they called it, and it is pretty much like any other preschool to me. I personally don't see the necessity in parents sending their kids there for it for such a high price. but i guess as long as they paid, i get paid.

anyway, the kids learnt the alphabets of Letterland. their songs are quite catchy, i used to hum them when i'm back home. yes, i hummed nursery songs =). anyway, every letter had a character and an action. it was quite silly watching the munchkins acting it out.

Q was for Quarrelsome Queen and the kids had to frown and wiggle their lips to show anger. and there was this very very adorable little indian boy (yes yes, me and my indian boys) who did the cutest impersonation of Quarrelsome Queen ever! because while he struggles to wiggle his lips, he wiggled his butt as well. haha! and he also had the silliest mood swings! not the good mood bad mood kind. if he felt like it, he'd talk to me in English. If not, Hindi. Hindi! haha throw my some mandarin boy! i don't know no Hindi!:)

now as much as all those nonsensical ramblings are my way to avoid the topic, it is very much related. first off, I have been rather quarrelsome lately. i seem to pick fights with a lot of people. My mum's got it, my brother (in Perth mind you), and my friends. i don't know if the world is really against me on this one, or that i'm just being difficult. and it is not PMS, coz that just passed.

for as long as i remember, i have always been rather willful. i always had to be the one who won in the end on most occassions. and as a kid, i kinda always did. but then i grew, and i became more tolerant. i, like my folks often said about themselves, mellowed down. my circle of friends grew too big for me to win in every dispute i had. and i love my friends. all of them. i take pride in being called "the more sociable of the Siahs".

but just these few days i feel like i don't want to be the one who gave in again. i just don't feel like being the one who backed down and called truce. i haven't been up and sunny recently, and i guess my ego kinda fed on these little victories. i have my reasons, i think. but i typed them all out last night and my connection bailed on me. so this morning, let's just say i won't blame the "Bachelor of Commerce" anymore. it was a choice that i myself made with no brainwashing whatsoever. And it doesn't matter whatever took place prior to my decision. in the end, i still made that choice and i'll stick by it till i graduate.

but i had time to reflect, and seeing that i can come up with a post like this, i guess i'm cured. i'll be more accomodating now, more forgiving, and more myself.

to those who got on my bad side, i'm sorry i'm sorry i'm sorry.

i'm sorry.

feelin' low

it's not gonna happen.
i'm not going for AXN Challenge...
i'm so disappointed.
i wanted to go.

he said we couldn't get the equipments in time. so we won't be going this year. and i was looking forward to it.

this sux. i wanna go for AXN. i really do. :(

my porpor fell down today. fell backwards, knocked her head on a flower pot. there was blood. lots of it. my yehyeh got their neighbour to send them to a nearby clinic. they called me to fetch them. when i went there i was shocked to see her condition. there was a huge patch of gauze soaked in yellow lotion and blood covering a huge lump behind her head. her shirt was bathed in blood. she smelled of blood. she seemed a bit traumatised herself. my yehyeh was trying to keep things calm, but i could see he was worried as well. she's fine now. very weak and shaken though. she lost a lot of blood. her wound needed 2 stitches.

today's just low. darn low.

and you know what's the worst thing? after all that's happened, all i can think about right now is how nice it would be if someone was here to comfort me. someone who knows me through and through, and knows just what to say to make me feel better. i can't shut him out...

"we go where no one dares, we do what no one can"

Great tagline. Punchy, eye-catching, intimidating.


now that I'm done with powerman i can finally remove the countdown for it. That leaves only AXN Challenge left. that's right! only one more race to go!

i was browsing through the 2004 photo gallery...and just by the power of sight...i'm officially freaked out. Excited...but freaked out. Sure i've always longed for it. But loads of doubts are clouding my mind right now.

what if i can't pull through?
what if i got injured and become a burden to the rest?
what if i was too unfit to continue?
what if i needed to be carried?

no! i don't think i can bear that! you guys may not know this about me (then again maybe you do) but i would bite back tears, grit my teeth and clench my fists just to refuse any form of help from others during an adventure like this. especially from boys. yes i'm an egoistic woman. you can ask anyone who was in my watch in YAC 15 OBS 2001. i practically loathed the guys who offered me assistance during the expeditions. but i loathed one person in particular. it was a she. scenario went like this:

scene: climbing up a terrain in the jungle
female: eh somebody help Karen up.
me: it's ok i can do it on my own.
female: shut up and just let someone help you.
me: i said i can do it on my own!
female: guys just pull the damn girl up.
me: No!* glares icily at guys*

scene 2: hot seat
instructor: ok Karen's turn.
female: I think she's too competitive. she should learn to tone down.
[some time later]
instructor: now ***'s turn.
me: she probably doesn't realise this but she bosses people around.

i swear i could've shoved my mud caked shoe into her mouth! yea man...it was war within Kinabalu watch. and she sleeps beneath me in the dorm? darn girl.

anyway, back to the topic. I'll do whatever it takes to complete the race with minimal help. i'd be giving help. yea! i can be tough. we're all equal. it's a team! no giving face to the young girl!

powerman results are out!

looks like i didn't do too bad...:)

and isaiah did really well! he's on a roll!!

congrats congrats to all powerman duathletes!!

thanks Esther for coming to my rescue...you know what boredem does to people...muahah! and yes...Friendster surfing is not weird...i repeat...not weird. :)

Purple girl strikes back!

I've always enjoyed Malakoff/Powerman races. For one thing, they've got all these hot hunks on hot bikes *grin*. For another, a big portion of my active friends circle consists of duathletes and triathletes. And it is only at these races do i get to meet these fitness freaks. And they're a whole lot of fun to be around with!

But the main reason why these races are so downright addictive is because of the atmosphere it gives. It's not the same as that of normal road races, whereby it starts in the wee hours of the morning, and everyone wears a gloomy sleepy appearance. there's just a sense of sportmanship, an energy radiating from every single person in duathlons and tris. It doesn't matter whether they're there to win or there for the first time. everyone just seem so lively and upbeat during these races. i mean, c'mon, check out the bikes! how can you not be motivated by the sight of them! some of these bikes cost a car!

I was in my purple suit again. I got a lift from Isaiah today. His dad went and borrowed a friend's Pajero just to accomodate our bikes. hehe...*Thanks Mr Kee!* We reached pretty early in my opinion, but already there were cyclists and runners warming up here and there. Parked our bikes into the transition area and started warming up. I met Terence who came up to me and said he's been to galnexdor. haha sweet...it's so rewarding meeting a reader, ya think?

I finally met Jeffrey who was willing to do the team relay on such short notice *thanks yea!* and i met some other regular kakis. Including this lil angel (top). I saw her at PD Tri doing the sprint as well. Apparently she was in putrajaya last last sunday as well. All this at aged 13, mind you! Now tell me you don't feel ashamed! ahhaha...she was very sweet. i spoke to her, found out she's from Kinrara school. Forgot to ask for her name though...oops.

Finally started off at 7.50 am, after the inidividuals and the relay teams. the 5 km stretch was a very straightforward loop. i don't know if i was slow or the route was >5km. First leg ~ 31'04". Someone cheered for me. Not sure who it was. I think another reader as well. she went "Go Karen!" *if you read this, thanks! was a great help!* Oh and apparently, i came in 2nd this leg.

The cycling was actually pretty enjoyable. Though the hills were built to kill!! and my monitor bailed on me at the 12th km. funny, i thought i was moving that slow to remain at my 12th km for so long. don't know what happened. doesn't matter. i think i improved a bit. expected to do worse but i guess a little encouragement goes a long way. and i had many little gestures of support to sustain me throughout the 30 km. :) see...another reason why i like these races. they're so supportive. second leg ~1:12'37". by this time i was probably number 8 or 9. A good 5 or 6 people overtook me in the cycling. In short, my cycling sux.

running 5 km after a cycling for over an hour was always such a chore. my legs have very slow adaptation rates. hehe...it takes me a while to get my legs orientated to running again. but i notice this time around i was able to maintain a fairly consistent pace. in the last sprints, i usually lose steam in the last leg. overtook roughly 3-4 women sprinters. the same malay girl who cheered in the first leg was cheering for me again. yea~! running's my game! last leg ~ 32'50".

[total ~ 2:16'32"]

didn't take any pictures of myself. hopefully Malakoff did though. hehe...

i saw what the noise is about!

stomp!

let's just say if i had missed it for anything at all, i would never forgive myself....

wanted to write more but something just spoiled my mood. i'm not very good in expressing anger...so i shall not.

anyway i have a race tomorrow. so sleep sounds like a better idea right now than rant.

good night.

what am i supposed to say

what am i supposed to say

when i mean to say i'm sorry

that i haven't got the strength

to find someone else for me

what am i supposed to say

when i mean to say i'm sad

that things between both of us

just seems to me as bad

what am i supposed to say

when i mean to say i regret

that i took things for granted

and end up losing what i had

what am i supposed to say

when i mean to say forgive me

for nothing's gonna change

it's still you i wish to see

what am i supposed to say

when i mean to say so much

but can only manage so little

shoot...i've been bitten by the emo bug again...i guess i just miss it all....i miss the times...i miss the feelings...i miss him.

and i know that right now it's as good as it's ever gonna get. and i don't intend to ask for more. in fact i look forward to the next person that's gonna be capable of making me weak. but it ain't happening now i guess....

and i'm fine with that...i truly am...

darn one tree hill....

and you ask me how?

I didn't come this far for you to make this hard for me.

And now you want to ask me "how"?

It's like - how does your heart beat, and why do you breathe?

How does your heart beat, and why do you breathe?

Why did you come here?

You weren't invited.

You were on the outside - Stay on the outside.

And now you want to ask me "why"?

It's like - how does your heart beat, and how do you cry?

How does your heart beat?

And there are some things that I'd like to figure out.
There are some things that I can do without,

Like you, and your letters that go on forever,

And you, and the people that were never friends.

With all the things that you could be,

You never could learn how to be me.

And now you want to ask me "how"?

It's like - how does your heart beat, and why do you breathe?

How does your heart beat, and why do you breathe?

-Lisa Loeb

I just watched One Tree Hill. and i know it's so the drama...and it's just a show...but it's so sadddddddddd....

*sigh*

there's no wrong or right in love is there? when you fall u just...fall. and Lisa Loeb has such nice lyrics...it's so abstract...love it....

model: karen

apparel: Y-back top from F.O.S, brown cargo pants from Espirit, water polo ball from siew ghee, heart shaped love cushion also from siew ghee.

forgive me...i'm so forlornly in need of love. hahaha.....

just kidding....it's muh gurl's birthday today. Had some random camwhoring session in her house.

didn't have a big bam boom kinda celebrationg this year...exam season for the both of us...*sorry ju*....Julie's mum was extra nice this year though...brought us all to Starbucks....what a treat! :)

so anyway...one last time...

Happy Birthday Julie!!

*hugs*

"gladwrap"

If "Gladwrap"decided to use Jean Claude Van-Damme in its attempt to strengthen its competitive advantage in the market place by stressing it has a "non tangle, thicker wrap with a superior cling", the company would be adopting which of the following:
a. Image differentiation
b. Personnel differentiation
c. Product differentiation
d. Service differentiation
e. Both (a) and (c)

so tell me...what has Jean Claude Van-Damme gotta do with non tangle, thicker wrap with a superior cling?? and what in the world is Gladwrap? Diapers? Sanitary pads?

Answer: e...gee that was obvious!...???

Marketing nonsense aside...

I cycled 10 km yesterday morning...

I walked 2 rounds, ran 4 rounds and walked 1 round today....(cue:applause)

Tomorrow's plan:
~ cycle 10 km
~ sit for marketing exam
~ attend marketing tutorial
~ attend BCM tutorial...or not...hehe
~ sweat it out at dance
~ give Julie birthday visit....*hush*

haha...ah don't bother...i know that she knows i'll pay her a visit tomorrow by hook or by crook.

plus...DLKJ is now open!! hehe...it stands for Direct Link from Karen to Julie...why? coz it is!

now where was i? ah yes...Jean Claude Van-Damme and Gladwrap....

my prom date...

feeling all nostalgic today...

came across this and suddenly felt as though that was the sweetest thing someone has ever done for me. then i started fussing to myself about the fact that he did not get enough recognition for it. so i decided to post this up.

in honour of Puvesh my prom date '03...

SJ Prom 2003 was a blast. even the sam prom couldn't size up. and i don't think anything ever will. kinda sad Metro doesn't have one. it would be a pity completing my tertiary education without a prom/ball to top it off.

just wandering where can i wear my prom dress to next? i paid 200 over bucks for it and i wore it once. Lyn wore it twice though and my cousin might wear it during her marriage registration.

anyway, Chiat called today and he says that i'm in for AXN Challenge. Initially i'd die to get in the race, what more if it's FOC. But right now i'm starting to worry...

i climb like i did the first day i stepped into the gym.

i can kayak but not competitively.

i'd say my trail running is so-so but having Keeran around might be a boost.

and i can't cycle off road for nuts.

so help me God.

running in the rain...

don't really have much to say this time...was just another regular 10 km run....

running in the rain is so therapeutic...i can actually feel my energy level increase as my body gets cooled down by the rain....=)

the PJ crowd ain't the same crowd as the KL crowd...didn't meet all that many people...

missed the medal tally by either 1, 2 or 3 positions depending on how you'd like to view it. medals were given up to 20th position. i sprinted in past a lady in my category. i think we reached about the same time...probably by a split second's difference. but the woman ran into another lane instead of our category's. so technically i reached first at our lane. the official there wrote me the 21st position card. then the other lady came and another official said that she came in first. so the first official wrote her number on the 22nd card and mine on the 23rd.

soo...i could either be 21st, 22nd or 23d....but my cert would be 23rd. doesn't really matter. no medals anyhow.

had a slight tinge of regret that i did not sign up for 21km. i have this desire to redeem myself after my lousy performance last sunday. and i do feel up to it. but i guess i can never be too sure.

Powerman is next sunday...i'm taking the sprint. that's a 5k run-30k bike- 5k run. that ain't no sprint distance! haha...but its alrite...it's all good. i need to start cycling a bit though. i seriously need a training partner. someone who would push me more...i cut myself waaaaaaay too much slack. how the hell am i supposed to excel?

had a little mooncake festival celebration last night at Granny's. but it wasn't all that festive due to some miscommunication among some relatives, which resulted in a short voice raising heated debate. so that pretty much set the mood dial from positive to negative. you know, i really don't get adults some times. they can be downright egoistic and childish sometimes, going against every principle they've steadfastly burried into us kids. all in the name of pride.

a wise man once said...we should learn from babies...they walk, fall, stand up and walk again. no regret, no grudges held, nothing. i can't agree more.

so in honour of the best behaved one last night (i truly mean this), let me present the darling of the family tree...my lil cousin, Charlene. :) ain't she a cutie?

yet another one...

yes...another dear friend of mine is leaving to embark on yet another exciting journey...with his other half, mind you. i keep sending people off...when am I gonna be sent off?? boo u Kenny! hehe...

had Fatty Crab just now to celebrate:-
1) Pei jien's belated birthday
2) Kenny's farewell
3) Julie's pre birthday

The ever gorgeous Pei Jien =)
hehe...the girl likes to be known as gorgeous...can u blame her?

Julie my bestest gurlfriend....

hehe....we figured we needed something other than classic cheesy smiles

Kenny i can't say i won't miss you....

you know the 3 of us used to be tight! hehe...Pei jien-me-julie

erm...tall...dark...and handsome? Han yang-daniel c-kenny



aww...see how much they miss him already....

mamasitas! from top L-R clockwise: Julie, Anne, Ca-Ryn, Pei Jien, me, Ven Nee

I wanted to put more in....but Blogger's not permitting me...grr...will try to add in more tmr...don't worry weng lum, u have not been forgotten! :)

rajan just tagged me

eek!! Rajan just tagged me. Rajan!! haha...and here he claims he ignores me. Which come to think of it...maybe he does...hmmm...

Rajan did u just realise u do, that's why u decided to tag me for goodness's sake?

Alrite, am gonna revise it a bit so it's more suited to me life.

1986: 19 years ago.
Took my first peek into the world in the wee wee hours of the morning of May 11th. Mum told me dad wasn't able to wake up and come greet me in time...hehe...

1995: 10 years ago.
Standard 3 - I remember wearing a bright red tie and a blue collar. I held the respectable position of a prefect. And the most "noble" thing I did in my power was slap a guy who, then, was rumoured to like me. His anonymity shall be preserved for his sake. hehe...then I remembered Anne and Cheryl calling, so called, back-up and ratting on me to Puan Puteri Diana. However, luck was on my side and the poor slapped guy was forced to apologize to me by Puan Puteri Diana.

On my defence, I slapped him because he refused to sit in his place when I told him to, which led to me threatening to slap him if he didn't do as I say, to which he replied "I dare you!".

What can I say? He asked for it.

2000: 5 years ago.
Form 2 - I'd say this was the peak of my glory as I was selected for MSSM Gimrama. We were Team Selangor 2005 Under 15 Juniors! And we rocked MSSM Johore when we returned bearing gold medals! It was this year that the 6 of us, currently known as RSGs (Retired Senior Gymnasts), formed a bond so strong it would take more than just overseas education, or years apart to break. 6 girls, 6 totally different personalities, 1 common passion.

Oh...and shall I add, this was the year I was in a relationship that was deemed to be so perfect, so made for each other, yet so ironically uncanny. I can't believe it has been 5 years...

2002: 3 years ago.
Form 4 - 3 letters. LEO. Yup, I was all out for it. From running for president, to becoming president, to un-becoming president. I loved it. Every bit of it. The schedules, the meetings, the projects, the planning, the organizing, the socializing, the learning. I was "up there" with other Leo Presidents alike. I had a Board of Directors. I had members. I had an entire CLUB. I was in charge. I was who I wanted to be.

2004: Last year.
SAM - Done with SPM, done with school, in college and drivin'! What more could a teenage girl dream of? But SAM was hectic! I was so laden with assignments and tests and presentations that I deprived myself of proper sleep. And as if that wasn't enough, Leo Club of TCSJ was no joke either!

But G5 was a fun class. Never regret meeting them. Had loads of fun whilst working my butt off throughout the year. And although Leo was a pain and a chore, I still enjoyed myself. It had its perks being the founder of a club. :)

2005: This year.
1st year uni - The culture in Metropolitan is definitely very very different than that of Taylor's. For one thing, the students here are most Chinese educated. They're more introverted and reserved. And that rubbed off on me I guess. I was a loner for a good 6 months.

Then, the scholarship came. 2nd sem came. And as of now, I'm enjoying my Metro life. I'm in a lot of societies and activities. I have a lot of friends now. It's cool.

I completed my first 21km! woohoo~!

2006: Next year.
2nd year uni - I'm guessing it'll still be the same. Probably even more friends from other classes. Hopefully we'll bag something at the MAPCU road relay this time around.

If all goes well I might start an athletics club! :)

2015: Ten years from now.
Happily married I hope. With 2 kids maybe. Working as a personal fitness instructor. Now a full marathon runner, triathlete and duathlete.

Have conquered Kinabalu and maybe Tahan.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*

I tag:
1. Melanie
2. Julie
3. Kymie
4. Esther
5. Mei Ling

happy birthday pei jien!

when my alarm rang this morning, my immediate reflex was to turn, stretch my arm and slam the thing. however, the moment i did that i felt the most excruciating pain shooting up my right thigh. darn that 21 km! hehe....

anyway, i'm feeling much better about it. It was my first time anyway. shouldn't be expecting too much out of it. i did a satisfactory 6.5 minute/km pace. that ain't too bad, innit?

the Star featured its scholarship recipients yesterday. can u spot me? =)

- click on image to enlarge -

it's kinda late now, but i did wish her already. just to keep up the blogger's tradition of cyber birthday wishes, here's wishing dearest Pei Jien Happy 19th Birthday!

May you stay happy and gorgeous always...hahaha....

Putrajaya Half Marathon

the last 6 km was the longest, furthest, most torturing 6 km i have ever run in my entire life.

21 km. no friggin' joke! i was without a doubt mentally and physically unprepared for it. yup. my self esteem has never plunged so deep in my history of running. i'm disappointed with myself for 2 things:

1. insufficient training.
2. insufficient will power.

200 bucks? what was i thinking? i wasn't even close to smelling it. i came in 33rd and clocked 2 hours 17 minutes. lousy lousy lousy.

i now suffer the post race symptoms consisting of really painful knees, throbbing toes, aching back and sunburnt cheeks. i have never suffered so badly after a race before.

self deserving punishment. no blook top. no nike top. no nike tights.

self loathing speech aside, putrajaya is majestically beautiful. however it could do with more lushes trees. during the run, i couldn't help but miss the peaceful ambience of the 15km run in Tasik Perdana. but it was exciting anyhow.

met a lot of people there. namely, Jamie Pang, Olivia, Uncle Alex, Christina, Uncle Peter, Ashley Lim, Dillah and many many more.

Ashley did really well. So did Dillah. And they thought i was good? i'm lousy...boo hoo.

Isaiah helped me complete the thing. *many thanks!* I swear the last 1 km felt like i was holding my breath.

Took some pics. Enjoy:

Note to self:
~ Increase weakly mileage
~ Fix 'em ClimaCools
~ Never buy Powerbars again
~ Never eat free PowerGels and wash them down with 100 Plus
~ Lay off the 21s till i'm ready(hopefully i will be by Putrajaya Half 2006)

coz Ms Demeanor said so!

we've finally started our Cheer practises. they sayif you have nothing nice to say, then don't say anything at all. thus, nothing will be said on my part.

nothing.

except that fact that i had every urge to lurch forward and strangle her fragile neck and send a roundhouse kick right into her delicate ribs. yea...precisely how enraged i was yesterday when i came home from practise. dumb woman.

i went shopping with Ju today. walked into blook in subang parade. I found just the top i have been lookin for for ages! haha seriously, i love that top. but alas! Karen, currently a pauper, cannot afford it. it was RM59.90 i think...hehe...

so i told myself, if i get 20th in this sunday's Putrajaya Half, i'll get RM200 and i'll get myself that lovely top!

i have doubts. i did not run the entire week. From Monday to Wednesday i was too tired. Tuesday i went, but i could only muster enough strength to pace with Keith. Yesterday there was cheer and today there was cheer. tomorrow morning there's cheer. how?

u know, i did save some RM50k from the scholarship. think i should just go pamper myself with a new top, the Nike tights and the Nike sports bra?

i'm such an ungrateful daughter. i shll rely on my RM200 from this Sunday. Pray my legs and my head don't fail me on that day.

Star Education Fund

i skipped a total of 3 classes today. 1 lecture and 2 tutorials.

and i actually regret that i skipped the lecture. i was in Menara Star listening to some Ah Beng telling me about self confidence and goal attainment. and i tried befriending 2 fellas i was sitting next to. the girl's cool. but the guy's a freaking poser...

speaker: ok i want u all make new commitment for this year, ah,ok?
me: commitment...hmmm... *scribbles on paper* do 21km under 2 hours 5 minutes
him: *peeping over my shoulder* why not 42 km? i did a 42 km. The KL International marathon. I did within....
me: *quickly looking at the girl* so what are your commitments?

gawd if there's anything i hate most it's talking big! what more coming from a stranger.

after the seminar, we had the award presentation in Eastin Hotel, which is directly next door to Menara Star. As usual, VIP was like an hour late, so in our free time, i do what i do best! *bec, this is even more bimbotic than ures k* Camwhore!!

This is Hui Lynn, she's the other Star scholar of Metro. She's doing RMIT though. Only 2 of us for the whole of Metro. So at the end of the award presentation, every college/institute/university get to have a photography session. and Metro only had 2 people while others have like15-20. there were a couple with only 1 scholar la...

there seems to be a heat wave going on...equinox coming...September 23rd! hehe check out my Geography knowledge man! last touched in form3! haha..i'm afraid that about all i can remember la. that and the occasional Geography lessons i get from my mum randomly at home.

ok...can't take the heat no more...my room's air con is out...now bunking in with little Keith. g'nite!

two down!

yes~! i have finally conquered my management assignment! i'm now such a know-it-all when it comes to Ukraine. Hit me with a question! Legal, political, social, economical, cultural...u name it! muahahahaha!!!

2 individual assignments down, 2 more to go! of course there are also the group assignments but those require powerpoint which i'm pretty familiar with.

i'm left with less than 3 months till i finish Semester 2. how cool is that!?

it looked like my race report was quite a hit. haha this is actually the first time i wrote such a detailed race report. i usually don't bother. but this race had left me smiling from ear to ear throughout the entire day.

tomorrow i'll be helping out with Metro's Cheer Squad. I have no idea how they're gonna come up with a routine in less than a month with members that have zero cheerleading/dancing experience. but training under Mrs Khaw have taught me that no time period is too short! ah...miss the days where she'd drill us for 3 days before the competition. yet we never fail to emerge as champs with a killer routine! that's Mrs Khaw for you! Kudos!

i have always been a procrastinator. which i don't quite understand why considering my parents are both systematic organized robots. i don't really remember how i was brought up during my primary school days, but watching how my mother trains Keith to finish his homework the moment he reaches home kinda puzzles me. i bet i was trained in the same fashion. i'm sure as hell my big brother was.

unless...i was a procrastinator since young! haha...perhaps my mum thought i was done with all my homework, when i actually wasn't? and i'd slave over them till late night to finish them without her knowledge? hahaha i dunno...

all i can say is i have always been one for as long as i can remember. but procrastinate or not, i never fail to do my work. i'd go on consecutive sleepless nights if i have to. when the work is due, it'll be handed in on time....

time for bed...which is a surprisingly early time for the night before an assignment is due! 10 points for being less of a procrastinator goes to me! :)

Adidas King of the Road

so the melodious tune of Simpsons from my handphone ripped through the silence at 5.30am this morning. funny how i felt as though i was already semi conscious at that point. i felt pretty much awake despite the fact that i slept after 1 am last night. yet i felt obliged to stay in bed for another 5 minutes, just for the warmth of my blanket's sake.

breakfast is always a chore to me when i have a run. i'm personally not a breakfast person. i usually attend college on an empty stomach and ikat perut till lunch break. but i need the energy during runs, so i often force myself to down a powerbar or some biscuits or bread. however the particular powerbar i found this morning has expired...hehe...so i figured i'd take it after the race as not to risk spoiling my tummy. didn't want to waste it...Uncle Toby's was pretty satisfying...i had 2 bars of it.

skipping to the race. i honestly thought i did not do so well. 7 minutes into the race i was kinda panting despite the fact that i warmed up a good 15 minutes before race start. there was an old man who was huffing and puffing so loudly that i feared he might just collapse in front of me any second. i silently prayed he hung on till i was at least 100 m ahead of him. but i was slow this morning. my own heart seemed to ache if i tried to push myself harder. i ended up trailing behind Mr Huff'n'Puff. after about 18 minutes into the race, only then did my pulse seem to slow a little. i felt a bit lighter and was able to go a bit faster. time to take down Mr Huff'n'Puff. i have to say, it took me a while. it was as thought Mr Huff'n'Puff was out to kill himself for this race! haha

the route was the exact same one as last year. yet i don't recall doing so many uphills! i swear it felt like the hills grew higher over the year. like one big hill disintegrated into many little hills and i had to take them on one by one. i was darn tired. once again i felt like i was doing below par. what the hell's wrong with me? i resigned to the fact that my timing would be a little off this time.

i think that my hero, or rather my spirit, came in the form of a middle aged Indian man, whom i can only identify as C331. haha...all he did was say to me "you're doing well, keep it up!" and i felt somewhat rejuvenated. That little gesture of his gave me a little boost of energy and my determination back. i was ready to do some PB!

feeling like i owed it to him, i decided to spread the good will. the next walking person i overtook, i told him "hey keep it up!". The guy looked a lot like kevin teoh from behind. except that he was far more skinny and frail. nontheless, he has a unique pan-asian look. i heard him trotting up next to me the moment i overtook him. next thing i knew he was ahead of me by about 30 m. note to self: give encouragement without expecting to beat the guy or u'll end up feeling challenged.

throughout the race, kevin-teoh-clone stopped several times, only resuming his run when little ol' me come zooming by. typical!

oh before i forget, right before i hit the hills, 2 women from my category overtook me out of nowehere. one was in a tight Nike Drifit running suit and the other wore a Songkhla International Marathon vest. i thought to myself that chances of taking down Ms Nike would be higher. Ms Songkhla seemed tough! hehe what did i know....when the hills came, Ms Nike was right ahead of me while Ms Songkhla lagged behind. I was utterly jealous of Ms Nike, coz not only did she just beat me, she looked good doing it too! she had the figure to die for i'm telling you. grrr....

it only took a couple of minutes before i saw Ms Nike for the last time as she vanished from my sight. Ms Songkhla was gaining on me and when we hit the downhills, she sped off ahead of me. To chase or not to chase? hehe...nahhh....she remained in sight for a good 3 km or so though. Towards the finishing she beat me to it.

i sprinted to the finish line like i always do, for the thrill of it. in other words, syok sendiri. nobody was in front nor behind me that would give me a run for my position. i reached the officer. i press Stop on my watch. to my pleasant surprise i saw:

this for 10.7km! hahah...the official gave me card...24th place! whoopee! collect medal!! Isaiah was already done. Got me a Sprite Ice. *Thanks buddy!* Waited around for my dad. Met loads of people.

Oh...then Kevin-teoh-clone came up to me with a friend. Hand outstretched he said "Thanks for your encouragement just now". *smiles* He does resemble Kevin quite a lot. Introduction. His name's Fendi, his friend's Neil, both studying in Sunway College. hehe...now you know why i keep joining runs? it's a social event! u meet new people everytime!

Before leaving, we got someone to take a pic of us. Found out that he was Mr Loh, former teacher of SMKSJ, also husband of Mdm Teh (gimrama coach). Small small world i tell you...

still struggling with my Ukraine business. sigh...why can't i run forever....

ukraine

The territory of Ukraine is mostly a level, treeless plain, called "steppe". There are the Crimean Mountains in the Crimean peninsula and the Carpathians in the west, but they are not very high. Mixed forests of pine and fir-trees, beeches, limes, oaks and elms cover the mountains, but the thickest woods can still be found in the northern part of the republic, in Volyn. Kiev and Cherkassy lie in the midst of Ukrainian southernmost pine forest....[read more]

yup...i've been working on my Management assignment...i am to be a manager of a global manufacturing company, intending to expand my business into Ukraine. Before i proceed, i must first research on the demoraphics of the place to analyse the feasibility of my business...

no i am not enjoying it...though i'd like to go to Ukraine one day...the nothern part where there are thick woods....

i hate assignments whereby citation and Harvard referencing is needed. Even worse is if a minimum number of citations is required, and a variety of them is crucial. dumb uni assignments.

i just found out today that i'm in the CSO sub committee. and that i'm entitled to a free movie screening of Creep on Tuesday. haha...u attend one orientation night and the next thing you know you're a part of everything...that's how under-staffed Metro societies and clubs are....

u noe, being a runner, i myself am shocked to realise how freakin lazy i can be. the sky was a clear blue today at 6 pm but i chose to continue my 2-hour nap when my class this morning started at 1.15 pm and i slept at 1 am last night and woke up at 11 this morning. grr...i'm so disappointed with myself for not going to the lake today....i'm such a pig...

owell, least adidas KOTR is this sunday! and so the running begins! i've done 12 km so far this week. after sunday i'd have 24 km covered this week. which is great since that's already more than a half marathon. apparently, if i'm training for a certain distance, i have to cover that total amount of distance within a week's training in as many splits as i want. for example if i wanna do a 10km run, i'll have to do maybe 5 times of 2kms within a week, or 2 times of 5km, whichever suits me best.

alrite...i'm following daddy to FTAAA tomorrow to collect my number bib...yayy!!

sway with me~!

i should take up latin...i need a partner...someone be my partner!!*pleading eyes*

it has been so long since i last saw my mum getting ready for school, my dad getting ready for work and little keith tearing himself out of bed for school. i do wake up early sometimes, for runs, but that's usually on sundays.

i think that even if i wasn't the one with falling tears, even if i wasn't the one who's in the relationship, today's farewell was rather touching.

it could be that Ju's my best friend and i hate not being able to do anything to make things better...

it could be that the entire Kung Lims were there...Grandpa Kung Lim was such a jolly fella...and little Siew Jin was just adorable...

or it could be that i have made a rather dear friend in Siew Ghee himself...

but i did feel it today...nonetheless...i'm so happy he is able to explore a whole new world, starting today....

enjoy yourself siew ghee! best wishes!

separations

sometimes i wonder if i'll cry when it really happens to me. i know i didn't cry when my kor left for Perth. i didn't cry when any of my friends left for their respective further education destinations. it wasn't that i didn't feel it. my tears just didn't threaten to fall.

maybe it's coz to me they're in for something really exciting. and it's more of a happy thing rather than a sad one. and i feel thrilled for them. i know i would be if i were to be in their shoes.

i could just imagine myself, jumping up and down in KLIA. i wouldn't be sitting down that's for sure. i'd be so darn hyper. i'd be jittery and excited. my adrenaline is gonna rocket sky high. i'd just be elated. and my family's gonna be there. my grandparents will be too. and my friends. Julie and Shirlyn. they'll be there. i don't know if they'd cry but i know i won't. sure i'd feel a little nostalgic and all. but that's about it. My mum probably won't cry, let alone my brother and dad. My porpor might tho, but my yehyeh won't. i'd be racking my brains if i had forget anything. my heart will be racing, thinking of my whole new life that's gonna unfold in front of my eyes. how can u cry when all this is happening??

to me, there's still the internet and the phone to stay in touch with. i mean, i know it's not the same and all, but i sure as hell know my mum would expect me to call every Sunday. and i'd probably see Ju online like everyday. same goes to all my fellow streamyx friends.

honestly, if i ever go abroad, i'd call home less frequently if i have a choice. i'll be online as often, but probably won't chat too much. i mean, that's the whole purpose of leaving home rite? to be on my own, to experience a whole new world, and bring them all home in the form of pictures, souvenirs, and stories.

i don't have a boyfriend so i wouldn't know how living-a-day-without-him would be like. that's everyday for me. but something tells me even if i did, and he left...i still won't cry. reasons explained above. i'd be too thrilled for him.

when Shirlyn leaves for Glasgow then i'll testify. she's one of my closest friends. Her leaving would definitely have an impact on me. if i didn't cry when she leaves, then i'd probably won't cry if my boyfriend-to-be leaves.

i'm not saying it's bad. i think it's good. i used to think what the hell was wrong with me when i was the only one not crying during the church camp i attended years ago. seriously, everyone in the room were sobbing and i just didn't get it! guys...girls...adults...kids...it was like a sobbing fiesta! but nope...i had to be that one person who's shoulder was everyone's to cry on.

so please tell me i'm not the only one with a heart of stone....

Siew Ghee is going to Canada in about 8 hours. Good luck to him! Guan Lim just told me he was leaving too, to Hong Kong. All the best! Kenny is leaving soon to UK. Bon voyage! anybody else???

Merdeka day celebration at Metro. i think the guy on the far right in white is quite a hunk btw ;)