Monday, December 21, 2009

12km Malakoff Run 2009 & 12hours RestnRecuperate

20th December 2009

*Music playing*... the mobile phone cum alarm clock has sung.

With barely 5 hours of sleep, Norm surprisingly jumped out of bed pretty quickly. It took me awhile before I could pull myself together to get out of the comfort of the duvet that has accompanied me all night.

Where ever did he get the energy from? Ah.. perhaps my constant reminder to him of the time plan for this morning got him moving. He understood how I wouldn't want us to end up rushing for this crazy event that I have signed us up for.

A fortnight ago, I came to know of the Malakoff Run to be held on 20th December. There were 2 categories: -
1. 12km run
2. 6km run (later revised to 7km)

Now, why would I want to sign up for a 6km run when we both have done a 10km run before? If something were to summon me out of bed this early, it had better be worthy! 12km run would be an exciting challenge. It was not until a week before, that I found out that it was going to be a very very hilly route.

Why didn't I sign up for the 6km run instead?

Memories of the last Shah Alam 10km run that I did 2 years back came flashing back. Ouch Ouch Ouch! I remembered that I swore never to join another run again for fear of the immense muscle sore and pain that followed over the next few subsequent days.

I hear the kettle boiling and the sound of cutleries from the kitchen. Sounds you don't normally hear at God forsaken hour 5am! I trudged towards the kitchen and found Norm preparing a little breakfast for us. Ahh.. he takes care of me well :)



Breakfast cereal to give a healthy fuel to the run!

I took the warm cup with both my cold hands (it was a really breezy, cooling night) and sipped it slowly with much gratitude. He has never failed to be the earlier one to prepare our first feed, be it at a ridiculous hour. 5am is ridiculous.



Carbo Fuel - Pandan Kaya Buns

"Here. Have some." He pushed it to me.

"I don't think I want any". It was still too early and I didn't want to work my bowel system too early on this particular day.

"But you should have something. You're going to need the energy".

Sigh.. he was right. I should have something. It doesn't pay to end up fainting halfway, which eventually will mean more hassle and trouble for him! Hmm.. perhaps that was his inner unsaid reason :)

By 6.15am, we arrived at Bukit Kiara Equesterian Club, the start of the run. Familiarising ourselves to the place and after lots of stretches and warming up exercises, we flagged off at 7am!

77 minutes later, I came back with a victorious finisher's medal. Not bad for someone who hasn't trained for this. We both relied only on our regular exercises to complete this race. I saw the beam on his face, and I knew that he was just as satisfactorily proud of this 'achievement'.



We Did It! :)

Breakfast was served at the grounds. The choices were: -
A. Mee Mamak + Taufu Far
B. Roti Jala + Taufu Far
C. Mee Mamak + Cendol
D. Roti Jala + Cendol

Bewildered. I stood looking at the options with raised eyebrows. Not exactly an ideal post-run meal.

What the heck?! It was free. (Well, technically we have paid RM40 each to enter this run which included the 'free' t-shirt). I chose option B.

He had option A. I watched him gobble down his food.

"Aren't you going to have yours?" he asked.

"I don't really have the appetite for this now".

Really, my heartbeat was still in the process of slowing down to a resting heart rate and I could still feel my muscles warm and tensed.

"Can we have eggs instead?" I shot him a sheepish smile.



Old Town Kopitiam



Traditional Kaya + Butter Toasts



Eggs on Toasts

We each had 1L of water earlier at the grounds but that wasn't enough. Between two of us, we had four glasses of "rojak mix" of drinks :p



Fresh Honey Lemon Juice, Iced Lemon Tea, Iced Chocolate, Iced White Coffee



Replenishing fluids

Ah.. finally satisfied! Time to head back for a good shower and rest our aching limbs.

But not before we unpacked and dealt with the anciliaries.



Hanging the t-shirts out to dry



Might as well take the opportunity to take photos of it



Our t-shirts with the well-earned finishers' medals



Goofing around :p

And then it's finally time to sleep! Snuggled up with a book and pillow, I jumped back under the covers and read. And slept. Woke up. Toilet. Read. Slept. And the cycle repeated a couple of times. Aahhh... such rare luxury to have - to live at an unhurried pace in today's urban lifestyle.



Resting

A few hours later, I heard noises in the kitchen. Curosity got the better out of me and look what I found!



Norman in the kitchen!

Hunger pangs got him out of the comfort of his sofa and drove him towards the kitchen.
*Growls*... yeah, I think I am a bit too..
It dawned on me that this would be the first time he 'cooks' me a meal from his kitchen! I was visibly excited :p

5 minutes later...



Tomyam Instant Noodles!



OJ (with saps ;))



The meal prepared

But he wasn't happy. Too plain. Let's see what else we can find here in a bachelor's kitchen.


Tasty Pork!



Struggling Hard

It was amusing to find him struggle to have it opened. The ring was broken on his first attempt, hence the difficulty. Ahh.. he'll do whatever it takes to get his pork!



His efforts eventually paid off



And now we have Tasty Pork with Tomyam Noodles!

I have to say... it was.... strange :)

But wait! There are more ways to eating the pork.

"Adik-adik sekalian. There are many ways to makan babi. One way is to makan dengan ban. Bukan ban sebarangan, tapi pandan kaya ban! Mmm... sedap sekali. Sweet and Salty. Masam dan manis." His hands gestured in tune with his sudden impersonation of a TV-host of a food programme.

That drove me into fits of laughter :D

And for the record, it isn't "masam". It's "masin". Masin dan manis ;)



Babi + Kaya Ban



Proudly showing off his creation
I began to understand that... pork went with anything and everything in his context.
We cleared the table and headed back to the sofa. Snuggled up to watch one of the many many dvds that we have bought earlier and laughed our heads silly at a chic flick movie 'Sex in the City'.
The night ended with dinner at McD's and a truly appreciated foot and back massage session.

So much for a 'healthy' Sunday. The 'health' part ended in the morning. :) But nothing beats the feeling of having shared a satisfactory day together.




21st May 2010 - 5 months later, I received this in my mailbox!! Initially thought that my certificate was lost in the mail until I found it at my doorstep today. Pretty nice with a coloured picture of me too, ya? ;)

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Last Day @ Bali

*24th September 2009*

We awoke to a bright mid-morning with the sun mercilessly shining on Bali. It looked like it was going to be a really hot one!

I looked at the stuff lying around me and sighed... it was time to pack things up, check out and board the plane back home. How quickly this holiday has come to an end. :(

We had a good mix of fun and frustrations on this trip, but essentially an enjoyable one. Will we be back here again some day?

Yes. Definitely.

But before we bade farewell to this beautiful island, Norm adamantly insisted that we have our last meal here(for now!) at Hard Rock Cafe, Bali. Apparently, HRC left a lasting impression on his last visit here and I was curious to find out why.



Large potato shells, fried golden brown, filled with Jack and Cheddar cheeses, crisp seasoned bacon and green onions. Served with a side of sour cream for dipping :)



His absolute favourite!



Mojito + Mint = Simply Cooling & Refreshing



The last of the many many juices I've had on this trip.



Hickory Smoked Pulled-Pork Sandwich
Hickory smoked pork hand-pulled, so it’s tender and juicy. Served with Hickory Bar-B-Que sauces and topped with marinated slaw. Served with seasoned fries, ranch beans and fresh coleslaw.


Oooh Laa Laaa!! Now I know why he came back for this... pork & potato make him a very happily satisfied person. :p

Bali, we *will* be back!

Monday, October 19, 2009

The Sun, The Waves, The Beach

*23rd September 2009*

Yesterday was just a teaser to what was in store for us today. We woke up bright and early, out ready to catch the first ferry out from Sanur to our next destination - Nusa Lembongan Island.

We arrived in good time, with 10minutes to spare before the ferry leaves for Nusa Lembongan at 8am. Yet to have breakfast, we bought biscuits and nasi bungkus ayam at a dodgy-looking stall at the port. And on board we went!

We found ourselves sandwiched between the locals and backpackers from around the globe. Joining our convoy were also live chickens (and also dead ones when I glanced at the family beside me having KFC), and scooters. To add to the experience, my senses were confused with the occasional faint whiffs of ikan masin (preserved salted fish) from the cargo, the KFC fried chicken from the boys next to me and the smell of salty sea water carried by the crisp wind that morning. It was hard to decide whether it was a pleasant or a non-pleasant ride. But it definitely was an interesting one. (Regretfully no photos here :s)

2.5 hours later, we landed at Nusa Lembongan Island. Thankfully, we (the tourists) were let to alight first before the rest. That was as long as my butt allowed me to stay seated on one plank, hardly 20cm wide.

"Pak... Pak! Where do you want to go?" one of the locals called out.

We weren't exactly sure. We've only decided to come here after recommendations from good ol' trusty Lonely Planet and the brochures we picked up along our way. After a few minutes of further discussion with the locals, he decided that we will head to Dream Beach at south coast of Lembongan Island, said to have the best white sandy beach, never over populated - a dream come true for those who appreciate quietness in a pristine beautiful beach.

"60000 rupiah return on a scooter?!?!" he jumped.

"Cheap.. cheap, Pak. Tak bisa jalan kaki. Up, down, up down... scooter takes only 15 minutes."

$$ we can't save. So it was IDR120,000 for both of us on a ride from the port to Dream Beach

Dream Beach did not disappoint.



I still can't get over the sheer magnitude of the imploding waves.





Sunnies and Smiles



We are sooo blluee!

We were ready to jump straight into the sea.. but not without energy source.



Banana Jaffle - toasted banana + cheese sandwich



Mee Goreng - fried local noodle with bullseye egg drizzled with yummy kicap manis!



Brewed Balinese Coffee



Banana + Lime Juice

Lovely experience dining with a sight to behold.



We made our way down...



Found ourselves a nice little spot..





Took a few random shots..



Front



Back



Front



Back



Rubbery find



Intermittent rest before running into the sea again.



And so that was how we spent our afternoon - in and out of the cold waters. The current was strong! I was literally swept off my feet a couple of times but once deeper (away from the shore), it was gloriously exciting to swim with the waves, oaccasionally fighting hard against the current - careful not to be carried away. I love the feeling.

My joy did not rest just there. I was tickled to watch him struggle to keep his footing. Being near the shore, he ended up crashing together with the waves most of the time. It was comical to see him clumsily being tossed around. And it wasn't just me. I could see that the waves were having the same joy playing with him too! ;)

If we had stayed on this island, these will be our huts.





Rustic little looking ones.

2 hours out, and it was time for us to catch the last boat home. Whilst waiting for it, we rested at a little cafe, absorbing the local feel around us.



Salt water left him hygroscopically thirsty.



Say hi to the dog he made friends with.



A Balinese woman walked passed.. I believe this would be shortly after an upacara.



A shot of a happy child & her obliging mother.. possibly the cafe owner's wife and daughter.



There is always a Pura (temple), regardless how small the place is.





Boats bobbing gently, just a couple more hours before sun sets.

The journey back to Bali Island was a lot shorter - only 45minutes via speed boat.

With just enough time to have a good warm shower, we headed out again to grab dinner.

"Jimbaran?", he suggested.

I gave a smug smile. Oh yes! We are going back to the beach again, although we were exactly there just last night! This time, he opted to try a different restaurant. With so many options to choose from, we decided to follow the taxi driver's recommendation.

Ikan bakar, grilled mussels & stirfry kangkung.

But it was a total disappointment! :( The sambal was a far outcry from last night's and that brought the whole meal down. Note to self: Don't listen to taxi drivers in future.

We will not let the night end this way. Hence, we went for the corns... again!



Yum! No sharing this time, Mr Sweet Tooth had TWO all to himself; I was contented with one :p

What a DAY! :D