A Tragic Sunday

The risk of collapsing & fainting during runs is always imminent. Therefore, always expect the unexpected!

Funny looking shape, but still a medal is a medal!

I understand that everybody wants to be a winner, no problem with me. The only thing that bothers me is when a person refuses to go through the road of preparation & yet, expecting results to happen. Thus, when you didn't manage to get what you want, you start pointing fingers at others for your misfortune!

Volunteers setting up booths early in the morning


Runners were presented their finishing medals & free gifts


Runners receiving minor treatment


Here is a runner smiling like an idiot =P

Someone actually lost his life yesterday. Apparently, he suffered from a cardiac arrest during the run. There were probably around 16000 runners participated in this event, where the majority are made up by beginners whom had never finish a 10km race before. I predicted that the victim's family is likely gonna sue the organisers for negligence.

If you think about it, would the guy be still alive if he had prepared himself both physically & mentally? Personal Mystery Shopping Trainer has no problem with people wanting to achieve greatness, he's perfectly fine with it. But please discipline yourself first! I'm not just referring to the dead guy because many runners were also making the same mistakes. Though they were small, they can be potentially fatal as well should you choose to be ignorant;

1. Didn't had breakfast or something to eat prior to the run
2. Didn't had a proper warm up
3. Didn't conditioned yourself physically through regular training (I think that's how he died, padan muka!)
4. Sprinting too early from the start
5. Never gave yourself time to catch your breath due to personal pride (lagi padan muka!)

Okay sympathise the dead guy a bit lah. Even though it was his own mistake in the first place, you have to take the medical officers to be held responsible too because their ambulance van lack the the most basic equipment necessary needed for emergency situations, which is a Defibrillator (something like a mask to supply oxygen). What is this man? You can't just go to the roadside looking for potential patients to help without any equipment available whatsoever!

The 'tidak apa' attitude by M'sians, it's so typical of them ~

"By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail" - Benjamin Franklin

Crossroads

I've been in my comfort zone for too long. Soon, trials will come knocking on my door!

The time has come for me to make a big decision!

It has been confirmed. Starting next month, I'll be working at Centro Klang as a part-time personal trainer. There's a problem though. My working days is between Monday to Friday, which means I can't go to cell group anymore on Thursdays in order to sustain my job. If I have to sacrifice cell group, that means I am putting God aside!

The first day of July is the day I'll be signing the contract to finalise things up. I could ask my boss to give me a day off on Thursdays in exchange of working extra hours during Saturdays so that I won't neglect my religious obligations. Even so, this alternative will cause another problem to occur!

You see, most of the running competitions I've participated so far are held on weekends. If I choose to give up my Saturdays instead, my career as an athlete will be in jeopardy. There is just no perfect solution to my predicament. This one cannot! That one also cannot! Either way will force me to make a sacrifice in favour of the other. So the question is, will I put God or my career first? I'm at a crossroad here people!

Which way should I take?

The reason why I put alot of emphasis on this issue is because the outcome can either elevate a whole new breakthrough into my life or tear down everything I have build on & bring me back to the drawing board again! Because of one stupid decision, my life in 2007 was a living nightmare. Surely, I do not want a repeat of 2007!

Going to cell group is like going for Christian fellowship, just like the one you see during high school. It may look like a small matter or rather an unimportant event but I've seen people backslided before for not coming to cell group, among other things as well such as prayer meeting, church, etc. Not immediately of course, but you will see their lives start to fall apart slowly bit by bit. This is something I want to avoid of, which is why I must think this through very carefully!

To create a win-win situation with God, I was thinking why don't I attend another cell group during weekends. Ar see so simple, problem solved! But, but, butt! I doubt my leaders will accept this idea, I'm not really sure why but I have a strong feeling it will not go down well with them (think of Wayne Rooney transferring to Liverpool).

Whatever it is, I only have less than a week to make a decision. God, tell me what should I do!


27th June, 7am at Dataran Merdeka. Be there or be square!

Annually, this is one of the biggest marathons in M'sia. When I say biggest, it means there are hundreds of celebrities & personalities participating in this run. Apart from that, the number of runners is enough to make an army! I'm glad I can now give myself a reason to start hitting the treadmill again. So far I know six people will be joining this event too, one of them who is none other than my favourite guy, Teh Yong Yuan!

Courtesy of Nova

Seriously, you gotta love this dude! He's the reason why I keep coming back to serve in the usher ministry again & again. He's like the best brother anyone could ever have, gayishly speaking. It's very hard to find people like him nowadays who just want to build a relationship with you rather than seeing what you can offer him in return. Mystery Shopper gives his professional recommendation that you go make friends with this bloody son of a...

Anyway, you'll be shocked to know that Teh is planning to run a full marathon this coming Sunday. A full marathon is worth 42km, that is like four times my category which is only 10km! My God, only elite athletes can compete in a full marathon because they are mentally prepared & physically conditioned for such long distances. Whereas Teh is just...you know, Teh. Nevertheless, I admire his spirit for attempting the impossible. And it is his spirit that earn him my utmost respect for him, both as a leader & friend ~

"To become truly great, one has to stand with people, not above them" - Charles de Montesquieu

When Learning Is No Longer Joyful

Your best days as a student is during university, or is it?

Tan Vi June actually has this shirt!

C'mon people, is university life really that bad? Besides describing it as boring, tough, stressful, hectic or hellish, don't you have any positive comments at all? I am gonna pursue my basic degree this coming September. You guys should be encouraging me, not the other way around!

One of my previous postings stated on why I envied others whom are studying in traditional universities besides mine;

"What I really want out of my university years is a campus life. In other words, a campus life is where I get to hang out & make new friends, join clubs & societies, represent the university as a delegate at special events & who knows, probably get a girlfriend! That is what OUM actually lacks in, a large space for students to develop their social & creativity skills"

However, this is not the case though. Whenever I ask you people on how's life in uni, I can expect only the typical response, which is either boring, tough, stressful, hectic or hellish because of assignments, exams & presentations! So cham meh? I thought being a student is suppose to be the most exciting & enriching experience of your lives!

If this is the only picture I can remember of myself when I grow old, then forget it. Count me out!

Hell no!

You guys very funny lah. I am the one suppose to be complaining you know because I thought (ar see, again I thought) I'm at a disadvantage here because my chosen uni is not a 'normal' uni, you get what I mean? In other words, I don't attend lecture halls or tutorial classes like everyone does. Instead, I am given the flexibility to arrange meetings with my prospective lecturers of where & when to meet up. Come to think of it, it's actually a good thing isn't it?

OUM, are we destined to make beautiful music together?

But seriously, show me some enthusiasm about your respective unis & courses, okay guys? It's awesome to be a student, & it should be. Always be hungry to seek knowledge. Always be curious to know how things work. And please don't complain, because there are others out there whom are not as fortunate as you to even get an education in the first place. The next time you see me, you know what to do right? Encourage me ~

"I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework" - Lily Tomlin

Sell Sell Sell

I finally got a job, yucky sucky! That sounds so mature!

Guess which gym am I working for?

These are the criteria I've set myself for consideration before finding a job;

1. Working hours must be between 4-6 hours per day
2. Saturday & Sundays are my off-days
3. I can still participate in sporting events & go for church
4. Cannot, & I mean cannot clash with studies
5. Workplace not too far from home
6. Most of the time, I only need to use either English or Malay during conversations
7. I get to wear shorts for work
8. Wages not less than RM800 per month
9. I can still be myself, literally
10. Hot chicks, lots of hot chicks. That means a KFC outlet has to be nearby

A bit too much right? I may be ACE certified, but that doesn't mean I could use my qualifications to call the shots rather than my prospective boss. Nevertheless, if I cannot fulfill all of the criteria above, I should at least able to secure a part-time position. This is the main priority, go part-time!

But very hard lah to find a part-time job at fitness centres these days! Everywhere I went around Subang also told me the same thing, "We only want full-time staffs, not part-timers." Just when I'm about to give up my colourful lifestyle by working full-time instead, an idea popped up in my head.

I remembered while I was still undergoing through the process of getting certified, one my coursemates managed to find a part-time job in a well known gym nearby the Curve. Therefore, I've decided to do the same thing by first visiting that particular gym's main branch in Klang.

Centro Klang, so far?

It's not that far lah actually. Just take a RapidKL bus from the Sri KL School & then you will reach Klang in less than 30 minutes! How I know ar? This is something you'll obtain after working for awhile as a mystery shopper, navigation skills motherfeather!

The manager I've met over there for interview was actually a very nice person. She has no problem in hiring me part-time. The only thing she's concerned about me is my lack of experience in doing sales & inability to converse in Chinese! Alright I'll explain what does the first problem mean.

All commercial gyms have only one goal, which is to sell sell sell. If they can't sell, then can't get profit. And if they can't get profit, then they can't expand or even survive! As a personal trainer in commercial gyms, I have to persuade potential clients to sign up up for membership as well as personal training sessions in which my course did not prepare me for this aspect, the business part!

The second problem is that the people in Klang, whom the majority are Chinese either don't speak England or American, similar to their cousins in KL. The manager went on to say that these folks are not sophisticated nor cultured unlike those living in the suburbs. But I want to stress one thing. It's not about who is better. We are just different, that's all! Sorry ya please don't get mad if you're from Klang or KL!

So to avoid language barrier, I asked the manager if she can employ me in this branch instead;


PJ Trade Centre, motherfeather!

Honestly, I really fell in love with Damansara ever since my course started here last February. I'll be damn happy if I can get this branch instead of Klang. Just imagine it, the Curve & 1 Utama is like just located beside your workplace everyday. So awesome right?

Even if I must work in Klang, it's okay, it's okay *pat myself on the back*. At the end of the day, the company I'll be working for is a BIG name in the fitness industry. I can't tell you which gym exactly because I want you to personally ask me in person, muahaha!

"Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary" - Cecil Beaton

Baby

"He's so bloody annoying, he doesn't even know what love is!" - A typical hate fan of Justin Bieber

"I love Justin Bieber, NOT!" - Peter Chao

He seems to be everywhere on the radio! His 'Baby baby baby ooh' chorus will echo into your head wherever you go. He won so many admirers for his talents & at the same time, many haters as well (including a handful of my churchmates). But why exactly do people hate him so much? This phenomenon has been fascinating me lately as such a young talented singer can earn so much hatred for what he does;

"He sings like a girl!"

"He's too young...& short!"

"He sucks!"


Enemy spotted!


Looking from the context of behaviour psychology, I would say his haters are experiencing what we call as Tall Poppy Syndrome (TPS)

Don't get me wrong. His songs are not my taste, neither do I like him. But does that mean I have to hate him for that? Imagine a chick hates me just because I look like her ex boyfriend, WTF!? You can claim that he sucked, but what success have YOU achieve compared to his? He's only what, 15, 16 years of age? What have YOU accomplished during his age if you say Justin Bieber is an epic failure?

Hate him all you want. You can complain to God that he doesn't deserve his success. But while you are living in anger & hatred, people like Justin are already moving on to achieve even greater things in his life. Now that's cold hard reality! In conclusion, I've learned that too much success in a short period of time will see others with chainsaws coming right at you!

No one likes to see others more successful than them. Beware, those whom aspire to be great!


*Sigh*

Believe or not, I ain't gonna watch the World Cup. Since M'sia did not qualify for it, there's no reason for me to be supporting other countries. For too long the church has been rallying it's members to keep believing in God for a revival in this nation. But you guys don't even believe that God can work a miracle for our national football team! How then can a revival be ever realized ooh you faithless goons?

You all may not know this, but I'm actually deeply disappointed that our country is always been looked down upon by others when it comes to football, among many other things as well. As a man of pride, I really don't like to be laughed at. Of course, I can always change my nationality of a better country. But to me, that is a cowardly act. I refuse to take the easy way out. I want to finish what our forefathers has started for this cursed nation. God, let not my idiotic decision be in vain!

"Constant complaining without any action makes us equally responsible for our current situation" - Hannah Yeoh

Manhood

"Circumstances are the rulers of the weak, they are but the instruments of the wise" - Samuel Lover

13th medal, *roar*!

Wah good good! This run was well organized & planned, very impressed indeed! There are three mistakes I've made though prior to this run; 1. Didn't had my breakfast (oops) 2. Didn't warmed up properly (double oops) 3. Sprinting from the start (triple oops). And the results are? Dragging my body throughout the run while feeling jaded, hoping to see the light at the end of the tunnel! So remember kids, the will to win is important, but the will to prepare is vital!

One of the cultures of CHC; get to know your neighbours within 3 minutes!

I think it's time I whack some of the guys in church *bitching mode power on*! Men, stop watching action movies & complained to me on how underachieved your life is. And please lah, stop crying during praise & worship, praying to God that something great will happen in your life. I bet my whole life savings nothing will ever happen! Do you know why?

God will only MOVE when you MOVE! If you're gonna let your circumstances dictate on how you should live your life then rest assured, you will live a mediocre life! Don't let excuses like work, exams or assignments hinder you from making important decisions in life. Most of you already allowed these excuses stopping you from going to Asia Conference & missed the amazing transformation power of God, how pathetic!

Looks guys, seriously ask yourselves this. When is the LAST TIME you've ever felt adrenaline rushing through your body by doing something great, enjoyable & purposeful at some point in your lives since high school? Can't answer me right? That means you have already forgotten what it feels like to be a real man. It's okay, it's okay *pat you on the back*, you can always follow my example;

Join a marathon, motherfeather!

I assure you, if you decide to join me in running events, you will feel like a man again! When you reach the finishing line, you will feel a sense of satisfaction that you have overcome an obstacle. When you receive your medal upon completing the race, you will feel that you have accomplished something great in your life. When you look back to this day from many days to come, you can proudly say to yourself & to your future grandchildren, "I was once part of something great, & it shall stay with me forever!"

Don't tell me "see first lah Marc", just do it!

"The people & circumstances around me do not make me what I am, they reveal who I am" - Laura Schlessinger