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Jalan-Jalan Cuti Sekolah: 5 Cadangan Untuk Anda

2012-05-30T14:25:00.001+08:00

Cuti sekolah telah pun bermula, hurray! Untuk yang bekerja, hurray sebab jalan tak berapa sesak. Cuba periksa tekanan darah sepanjang minggu ini, mesti tak setinggi waktu-waktu lain. Sampai ofis pun boleh tersenyum. Tapi ya, senyuman itu pasti lebih lebar kalau pergi bercuti meninggalkan haruk pikuk kotaraya dan email yang tak putus-putus masuk mengganggu ketenangan melayan facebook. Haha. Bagi yang mempunyai selambak lagi cuti tapi tak tahu ke mana, ini ada lima cadangan:

1. Johor Bahru
Sudah tentulah bermula dengan kampung halaman saya. Harus diakui, JB bukanlah destinasi utama bila berfikir tentang percutian hebat seisi keluarga (sekurang-kurangnya belum LAGI, tunggulah Legoland buka nanti), dan biasanya "pitch" yang diberikan kalau nak ke JB ialah, "Dekat dengan Singapore lah". Tapi hei, banyak yang boleh diterokai lebih-lebih bab makan; mee rebus, otak-otak, kacang pol, lontong, goreng pisang... ah, baru menulis je dah rasa nak balik JB sekarang jugak (ataupun pergi "lunch" di D'Cengkih TTDI).

Tapi ya, kalau anda tahu mana untuk pergi, percutian makan-makan di JB akan menjanjikan sesuatu yang sudah tentu menyedapkan (walaupun program diet anda akan sedikit terganggu). Untuk cadangan-cadangan mesti-pergi di JB, klik SINI dan SINI.

Oh ya, pengalaman membeli-belah di JB semakin berbaloi dengan adanya Johor Premium Outlets. Lebih 80 kedai berjenama menanti anda dengan diskaun-diskaun menarik. OKlah, kalau anda golongan "elitist" yang tidak membeli barangan dari "musim" lalu, mungkin Singapura destinasi yang lebih sesuai, tapi percayalah, yang diperlukan adalah keyakinan diri yang tinggi untuk ketrampilan yang menarik, bukan sekadar dengan membeli Burberry koleksi musim luruh terkini membuat anda dipandang tinggi. Hehe. Untuk maklumat lanjut, klik SINI.

Bagaimana dengan tempat penginapan? Selain daripada rumah saudara-mara yang anda boleh "crash", banyak hotel di bandaraya ini untuk pelbagai bajet. Di tengah-tengah JB sendiri, saya cadangkan Thistle (dengan kolam renang besar) ataupun Puteri Pacific (dengan kolam renang tak berapa besar). Kedua-dua hotel ini berhampiran dengan tempat-tempat makan yang penting. Kalau di luar JB sedikit, mungkin boleh cuba Scholar's Inn dalam perkarangan UTM.

2. Melaka
Masih lagi di selatan tanahair, Melaka sarat dengan tarikan sejarahnya, fakta yang saya yakin anda semua pun tahu. Cuma perlu bersedia untuk kesesakan di kawasan pusat bandar, lebih-lebih lagi musim cuti ini. Jadi, mungkin saya boleh cadangkan sebuah "resort" yang terletak berhampiran dengan tol Ayer Keroh, Philea Resort & Spa.

Dengan persekitaran di tengah-tengah alam semulajadi, Philea memang sesuai untk cuti seisi keluarga. Kolam renangnya besar dan banyak aktiviti yang boleh dilakukan. Klik SINI untuk maklumat lanjut.

Dan kalau tinggal berhampiran kawasan Ayer Keroh, memang banyak tempat-tempat menarik boleh dikunjungi termasuk Taman Buaya, Taman Rama Rama, Zoo dan yang MESTI-PERGI, Taman Botanikal Melaka.

3. Kuala Lumpur
Buat yang di luar Lembah Klang, KL destinasi yang "no-brainer". Rasanya tak perlu sebut tempat-tempat menarik di KL, semua pun dah tahu. Cuma nak bagi cadangan untuk beberapa hotel di tengah-tengah bandaraya. Dan sebenarnya, warga KL pun wajar sekali-sekala "bercuti" di KL sendiri, pasti anda akan dapat melihat dan mengalami sisi lain bandaraya ini.

OK, yang pertama saya boleh cadangkan ialah PNB Darby Park di Jalan Binjai. Saya diberitahu ini hotel kegemaran Yusuf Islam. Setiap kali kalau berkunjung ke sini, PNB Darby Park jadi pilihan. Di sini juga saya pernah menemubual beliau untuk program MHI.

Pertama sekali, hotel ini memberikan "view" KL yang sangat mengujakan.

Selain itu, PNB Darby Park juga terkenal dengan The 39 Restaurant. Terletak di tingkat (apa lagi) 39, restoran ini juga menjanjikan pemandangan kota yang indah selain hidangan masakan tempatan yang sedap secara konsisten.

Sebuah lagi hotel cadangan saya ialah The Royale Chulan di Jalan Conlay. Menjadi tumpuan pelancong asing khasnya, hotel ini memang di dalam kelasnya tersendiri. Bilik-biliknya dihiasi perabot berkualiti dan fasiliti yang disediakan di sini memang tidak mengecewakan.

Saya pernah mencuba dua restoran di sini, L'Heritage yang menghidangkan makanan Perancis dan Warisan Cafe untuk buffet sarapan dan juga makan malam. Memang puas hati. Lokasinya yang berdekatan dengan KLCC dan Pavilion juga merupakan satu tarikan utama.

4. Pulau Pinang
Ke utara tanahair pula! Walaupun kali terakhir saya ke sana adalah untuk berlari dalam Penang Bridge International Marathon, kunjungan itu sangat diingati kerana, ya betul, makanan-makanan sedap yang sempat saya jamah, termasuklah nasi kandar, kuey teow, cendol dan lain-lain lagi. Untuk pengalaman penuh saya, klik SINI.

Bagi tempat penginapan pula, kalau anda berkereta, Eastin adalah pilihan yang baik. Terletak bersebelahan dengan Queensbay Mall yang sangat popular, ianya juga tidak begitu jauh dari tempat-tempat tumpuan di Pulau Pinang. Menarik juga dari hotel ini, anda boleh melihat kedua-dua jambatan yang sedia ada, dan jambatan baru yang sedang dibina.

Tapi mungkin juga saya boleh cadangkan tinggal satu malam di kawasan bandaraya Georgetown dan dua malam di kawasan Batu Ferringhi untuk pengalaman Pulau Pinang yang lengkap.

5. Perth, Australia
Untuk yang mempunyai bajet lebih (sebab pandai simpan duit bonus, atau baru mendapat pulangan cukai pendapatan), dan ingin berkunjung ke negeri Mat Salleh, cubalah Perth! Kenapa Perth? Perjalanannya tidak berapa jauh (sekitar 5 jam), boleh dapatkan package menarik melalui AirAsia (pernah dapat tiket "flight" RM1.5k saja untuk dua orang), dan Perth mempunyai pelbagai tarikan dalam dan luar bandar.

Percutian 5 hari 4 malam boleh mencukupi untuk kunjungan kali pertama. Antara yang menarik: Kings Park, Fremantle dan Rottnest Island. Cuma Perth bukan destinasi untuk membeli-belah, kecuali cenderamata untuk rakan dan saudara mara yang kuat berkecil hati. Baca pengalaman saya sendiri di SINI, SINI dan SINI.

Selamat bercuti!

Ekiden Run 2012

2012-05-29T07:45:00.000+08:00

So on Sunday, it was the first time for me at a different kind of running event, the long-distance relay! It was first mooted by one of our Larian 40 Taman runners and I thought, hey why not?

And so, we formed a five-man team, M.Zul, Fadli, Daud, Ayiem and Mie, and called ourselves "Coklat 40 Taman". Haha. "40 Taman" for obvious reasons, while we added "Coklat" cos Mie's a chocolate entrepreneur.

I reached The Palace of Justice, Putrajaya around 6.45am that morning. The plan was to have some light breakfast before the start so I didn't take anything at all at home.

But as it turned out, things were already getting chaotic as the organizers were trying to get people on buses to take us to our respective stations based on our running turns. And I have to say that I did not like how the organizers were shouting at and ordering people around over the PA system. Come on lah, granted there were a lot of school kids and first timers, but the intonation was all wrong. We paid to participate, so please have some respect!

Anyway, I was the assigned 2nd runner for the team and so I got on the bus and headed to the station. My distance was going to be 2.8km. All of us were running slightly different distances with a total of 15kms.

The mixed category started at 8am sharp and a few minutes later the front runners arrived at our station. Fuh, those guys were really sprinting the first 2.4km! Damn fast.

Our Open category started at 8.10am and after a good time, the sash was handed to me from Mie. My own route was pretty good which went downhill, then a flat stretch before a slight uphill and past a bridge. But of course the heat was pretty punishing by that time.

Anyway, I maintained a consistent pace before sprinting the last few hundred metres. I even recorded my fastest mile ever, according to the Nike + voice!

After passing the sash over to Ayiem, I picked up the food pack before taking the bus back to the Start/Finish line.

Only the first 100 teams would be granted medals and we did it, coming in 90th! Well done Coklat team! But most important of all, it was a good experience for everyone and we bonded even further on the day. Awwww... : )

Impossible Is Nothing: 7 Years Ago...

2012-05-25T12:27:00.000+08:00

I honestly gave up at halftime. 0-3 down against AC Milan, I thought it was all over, no matter how much I loved the club and wanted to believe otherwise. I hadn't cried yet, but my heart was slowly being broken into pieces. It was a bonus that we made it that far, but to see a dream slowly fading away was too painful to bear.

BUT, the impossible DID happen... Liverpool Football Club came back from the dead and showed to the world what true grit and character really meant. 7 years ago today, Liverpool Football Club showed why we are the best sports team on the planet. Period.

Hitting A New Low

2012-05-22T10:44:00.000+08:00

Of the good kind, of course! Yup, stepped on the scale today and saw "81.8", definitely a new low for me : ) My running has been consistent, but I've also tried a new circuit-training routine. Hope I just won't get confused by all the muscle building, fat burning and cardio for performance! Meantime, yes, I do need a bunch of new clothes!

KK Calling

2012-05-16T15:44:00.000+08:00

If you haven't read my post on the Borneo International Marathon 2012, do click HERE .

So yeah, we were in Kota Kinabalu two weekends ago for the event and for some "makan angin" (literally!) I've not been to KK for more than 10 years while this would be the fam's first ever visit.

We took an evening flight out of KL and reached KK 9 plus-ish. It wasn't a long drive from the airport to the Hyatt Regency, but I could see that KK had changed quite a bit. There were strangely a lot more malls, but everything looked neat and tidy, I must say.

The Hyatt Regency itself was opened in the late 1970s, but man, they've really managed to maintain it at a pretty good level. Have a look at our room...

What's great about the hotel as well was the location. It's right smack in the centre of town and we were within walking distance to quite a number of must-see spots.

And so the next day, we started our walk towards the Suria Sabah Mall, which looked a lot farther in google maps, but was really only a stone throw's away. But before that, we just had to take in the ocean smell (not pretty good, I must say) along the waterfront area and snap some obligatory shots.

Then we walked straight to the mall which turned out to be more modern and happening than I anticipated.

I'm pretty sure it opened fairly recently seeing how all the kedai had, er, "bau kedai". It's got some pretty top brands with some pretty good restaurants. It was there that I picked up my race-kit, as well buying some Sabah souvenirs (which I'm sure are a lot cheaper outside, but what the hell, I can't live without air conditioning).

Ironically though, we couldn't decided what to have for lunch there, so we walked back to the hotel and had chinese food at the Chinese Restaurant. Really, the restaurant is called, the Chinese Restaurant.

But we had no regrets at all, as it was one of the best chinese meals we ever had. Sure, the bill came to around RM200, but everything we ordered turned out to be super delectable!

After a short rest, I then took delivery of our rental car, hired through a Media Prima colleague. It was an old Waja that made all sorts of sounds it shouldn't have, but hey, it moved! (Jangan marah, Rona!)

I didn't have a GPS, so we whipped out google maps and just drove following the signboards. We drove by the coastal roads and looked for Stadium Likas, the Start/Finish point for the run, which we easily found.

Then we just drove towards the iconic Yayasan Sabah building. It was the first time I was looking at the building up close, really. (It looks dramatic with the dark clouds in the background, doesn't it?)

On the way back, we also stopped by this gorgeous looking mosque, the Masjid Bandaraya Likas.

Then we attempted to go to 1Borneo Shopping Mall but failed when the google maps (and foursquare), brought us to God-knows-where. But since I saw that we were on the right track to get to the airport, I drove straight there, where the location for my Larian 40 Taman, Perdana Park was.

It had started to drizzle then, but I managed a couple of rounds around this new and wonderful park.

Then it was time for some (more) seafood! And yes, we WERE ready to splurge on lobsters, prawns, the best kind of fish, everything. The only problem was, we didn't really know where to go! I did ask some people and all of them pointed me to the place near Promenade Hotel. So we parked our car nearby and took a walk on the boardwalk.

As for the makan bit, the stalls there were just like any other seafood stalls you see elsewhere offering the same kind of dishes. It was after we've ordered that I googled "Best seafood in KK" and came across this place called SEDCO which had stuff we were hoping for. Argghh... Nevertheless, the food at Anjung Senja wasn't really that bad, it's just that we were expecting a whole lot more. Ah well...

On Sunday morning, it was time for the event. As I mentioned, you can read the whole story three posts down. After the run and a quick nap, it was time to check out and ronda-ronda the city again before driving to the airport. First off we dropped by the observatory deck on Signal Hill. Definitely a great place to see KK from a different point of view.

After that, it was time to hit the world-famous Filipino Market. Bought a pearl bracelet for the little one while we went crazy with the traditional kuih and biskut.

So, it was a pretty good 3 Days 2 Nights stay for us, but no, we didn't go island-hopping or the more outdoorsy activities, which can only mean one thing: we will be back!

Video: Larian 40 Taman 100 Kilometer #1-17

2012-05-14T14:44:00.003+08:00

Food, Glorious Food!: April 2012 Edition (Subang Ku Restaurant, Senibong, Marmalade, T Forty Two, Periuk Belanga)

2012-05-10T12:37:00.000+08:00

Another long overdue post, but rest assured I have some absolutely delicious offerings to share (although I might not recall all the details lah, hehe). So here goes...

First up is a seafood place that's been around for ages but only recently discovered by us. That too, by pure accident. One fine evening, we were craving for some crabs and decided to go to South Sea Seafood in Subang. But when we got there, the place was really crowded and I basically got pissed off by the lack of a queue system.

Frustrated, I then thought about this other place opposite Skypark that we often pass by but never tried before. We googled for a bit and saw some pretty good reviews.

There was ample parking space at Subang Ku Restaurant, and instantly we were greeted by good and attentive service. That's a plus point right there. We then ordered buttered prawns, vege, lala in oyster sauce and the piece de resistance, the salted egg crabs!

One by one the dishes came and we were wowed that each one delivered in terms of taste and presentation. The crabs especially, were absolutely wonderful, with plenty of flesh to chomp on.

Can't remember how much we paid (sorry!), but it was indeed a good experience, and we will definitely return!

Up next, more scrumptious seafood! Yes, I've blogged about Senibong in JB before, but when we returned there the other day, we decided to try another restaurant as recommended by a blog reader, i.e.: Permata Senibong Seafood & Steamboat, serving seafood with a nyonya twist!

We went a bit crazy by ordering more than we could eat. Or so it seemed. Hehe. Of course, we had to have some sotong and that was first on the list! The sotong bakar was perfectly grilled and all the sambals tasted great. A good start to the meal!

Up next was something unique; kupang masak lemak cili api. It looked a lot too although we ordered the small size, but guess what? There was nothing left after we were done with it. Well, except for the shells, lah.

OK, then came our two favourite dishes. The first was siakap stim nyonya, which was absolutely DE-LI-CIOUS! We really didn't know what to expect, but the first sip of the soup was enough for us to give it a big fat thumb's up! It was sweet, sourish and a tad spicy. Not quite tiga rasa, but a milder yet more satisfying version. A real winner, this.

The second one is our little one's favourite: gong gong in oyster sauce (even the name's cute)! First time eating it, you have to pull out the itsy-bitsy tail to get to the flesh. But it was worth it! Again, we finished every single one of these babies.

Overall, a great dining experience that was well worth the money. Definitely a mesti-cuba!

OK, time to leave behind the seafood and head back to KL for some "urban" experience. Haha. While at Bangsar Village the other day, we wanted to try something apart from one of the Ben's joints there and decided on Marmalade. Made a quick survey via google and most people had positive stuff to say about it.

The place is very children-friendly, from the decor, furnishings and its menu. But the experience turned to be just so-so for us. I ordered the beef pie and was disappointed that they used minced beef instead of beef chunks. The sides were just average.

The big breakfast too was just alright. Same goes with the apple crumble. Verdict? Meh.

Moving along. For tea one day, we dropped by T Forty Two at Empire Shopping Gallery. The macaroons on the window display did it for us, really. Apart from macaroons, they also serve scones, cakes, sandwiches, truffles, and a variety of teas.

And yes, the macaroons turned out to be really good! Not La Duree good, but one of the best I've had here in KL. BUT, please make 'em slightly bigger lah : )

It's a very pleasant place to chill out, have a spot of tea and read a hoity-toity magazine. Try it!

And lastly, it's time for some Johor food in Kelana Jaya! Found this place by accident, as I just couldn't resist the photos of soto at Periuk Belanga, Dataran Glomac when we drove past it. Yes, it's the same Periuk Belanga from Danga Bay, so I sort of knew what to expect.

Started off with lai cikang ais. No complaints there.

Then it was time for the soto. It was only slightly above-average. The kuah was good, and all the condiments were there but there was that extra something that was missing. But still sedap lah.

We also ordered the asam pedas with rice. Doesn't look impressive, huh? But it did taste like a genuine Johor asam pedas. Not too overpowering, yet with just an enough amount of "kick" to make it memorable. And I have to say that it did remind of my late grandmother's asam pedas.

And for "dessert", we had the rojak buah. It was good, but could have been better with some jambu air in the mix as well.

We'll probably be back to try out some of the other dishes, and oh yeah, the famous Fendi Ikan Bakar is just opposite this place! : ) Happy makan, folks!

Borneo International Marathon 2012: My Experience

2012-05-08T17:32:00.002+08:00

Into it's 5th year already, I've heard so many good things about the Borneo International Marathon. And so, I made the early decision to register for it back in January, thinking it would be a nice little break for the fam as well. More on the jalan-jalan bits later on, but let's talk about the event itself now...

I collected my race kit from Suria Sabah Mall on Saturday, 5th May without any hitches whatsoever. The mall was very nearby our hotel, the Hyatt Regency, and there were sufficient signs to point me to the right place. The people manning the counters were nice and friendly and I collected my kit in a mere few minutes.

Having rented a car, I also made it a point to drive over to Likas Stadium that evening to check out the route and our Start & Finish points.

But knowing the route a day before proved to be pointless on event day cos as expected, the main roads leading to the stadium were closed and re-routed elsewhere. Yup, I woke up at 4.30am on Sunday, got prepared and drove out of the hotel around 5.10am. Then I got stopped and asked to turn back every time I tried getting to the coastal road. (I know, I know, they gave away pamphlets with the info, but I was just trying my luck!)

Stopped at one roundabout, I asked a cop for direction. "Saya bukan orang KK, tak tahu shortcut Encik," I said. He then asked me to take the Bukit Bendera route and pointed me to the road leading to it. At this point, I genuinely thought that I might miss the whole thing altogether just because I didn't know the directions!

I then saw a turning going uphill but with the word "Istana" written on the signboard, I didn't think it would be the right place. I drove further ahead and stumbled upon the red light district (!). And yes, I was THIS close to asking some transvestites for directions but they seemed, er, busy. But I did get help from a kind (24-hour) KFC staff. Turned out, yes, I was SUPPOSED to go uphill and take a left to the stadium.

And so, in a matter of minutes, the stadium was in view and I patted myself on the back. I get to run the damn thing after all! I parked the car and walked to the 10km starting line. At this point, I had two complaints. 1. There were no mobile toilets, so I had to do my thing at the back of some lorries. 2. There was no motivational music played. It was too quiet. Come on lah, play some shuffling songs or something.

Anyway, I then joined the entourage from Media Prima (and ex-Media Prima), who all looked chirpy and ready. We stretched and camwhored for a bit, and then it was time to run!

As usual, I started a bit at the back, but it didn't take long to get past the gantry.

But really, I should change this "strategy" of starting at the back and once in a while try to work my way to the front of the pack. Otherwise, my "gun time" will always be poor, but even more frustrating, starting at the back would mean you have to get past the power-walkers, the "jalan bersaing" bunch and yes, boyfriends and girlfriends who walk holding hands and continuously smile at each other like it's bloody Valentine's Day.

OK, coming back to my own run, I must say that the weather was just absolutely beautiful. It was cool, and the sun was out later than usual (I was told). And as we turned into the coastal road, the sea breeze made it even more wonderful. Check out the views:

The first water station came after 4km. And I must stress that apart from the above complaints, everything else about the event was perfectly organised. Syabas!

We then got into the city centre area and for the first time too, my family was waiting to cheer me on and snap some pics! What a feeling it was to see their "muka-tak-mandi" waiting for me. Hehe.

We then made a u-turn and went back to the stadium on the same route. Unlike Brunei where we got fried, we were lucky enough to be shielded from the sun by shop houses and lorries conveniently parked along the coastal road!

Then we got into the stadium for the final 200m stretch. I actually felt good the whole way really, but my time fell a bit below expectation. No matter. I then joined the rest who had finished and waited and cheered on for the rest of the posse.

Post-run grub was in the form of cereal and the milo queue wasn't that long as well. Everyone was in good spirits, and that was the most important thing.

And oh yeah, I would like you to meet 62-year-old Dr. Majid. He told me that I inspired him to take up running and lose weight. He saw me on MHI, and in the past few months, he's lost 16kgs! And that morning, he actually ran the Half Marathon. You inspire me now, sir!

There were no goodie bags though, but we did leave with a nice medal and happy memories. Borneo International Marathon, bagus bah!

Borneo International Marathon 2012: All Set To Go!

2012-05-05T13:34:00.000+08:00

Yup, I'm in Kota Kinabalu now and just one day away from the Borneo International Marathon. It'll be my first time running in this event, and despite the lack of training, I'm actually very much looking forward to it.

I picked up the race kit just now at the Suria Sabah Mall, just a few hundred metres from our hotel, the Hyatt Regency.

The mall itself is pretty good I must say with a lot of the top brands calling this place home. And the race kit collection was well-organized with plenty of friendly faces around.

So KK, get ready for a sea of yellow tomorrow! : )

Jom Heboh Ipoh 2012

2012-05-03T10:21:00.002+08:00

It's been ages since my last visit to Ipoh, so it was pretty cool when I was told I'd be "on duty" at Jom Heboh this past weekend. We left KL on Friday evening and the drive took around 2 hours plus. We went into the city centre looking for a makan place, but driving "blind" with no map or guide whatsoever, we actually got lost, going round and round, without finding anything significant. So we decided just to check in to our hotel, the Impiana, and had some hotel grub.

The next day, it was time for me to suit up and face the Jom Heboh heat and crowd. Getting to the location, Stadium Indera Mulia, was pretty easy though. I just looked out for some stadium floodlights and drove towards it.

First up for me was co-hosting "Sembang-Sembang Jom Heboh" with "WHI"'s Azzura and "Mag 7"'s Irin. And we had a special guest on set as well, Filipino award-winning actor, Dingdong Dantes! Yup, the dude's been raking in the ratings on TV3 through a few telenovelas, the latest one being "Endless Love". The buzz on Dingdong had been pretty good with him causing extreme excitement amongst Media Prima staff the day before Jom Heboh itself.

The interview itself went pretty well. And I must say Dingdong turned out to be a down-to-earth dude who loved to eat! He was game enough to brave the heat at the Women's booth and entertained all picture-taking requests from his fans. But then again, I was informed by his entourage that the weather's much more punishing in Manila, so I guess it wasn't too tough for him after all. Hehe.

And talking about the weather, it turned out to be pretty erratic throughout the entire two days there. It was nice and breezy in the morning, scorching hot in the afternoon, and it rained suddenly on both days after 4pm!

Apart from "Sembang-Sembang", I also recorded two other crossover segments that were aired around 4pm on Saturday and Sunday. But one of the highlights I need to mention here of course was my first taste of the famous "nasi ganja". Yup, that's the name, and you're allowed to say it out loud, like this... "SAYA NAK NASI GANJA!!!" Haha. Anyway, the kind peeps of TV3 got someone to buy a few packs of this local delicacy and together with Dindong and his entourage, we gobbled down the good stuff in no time at all.

My verdict? It's somewhat like nasi kandar but with a slightly different sambal concoction. The fried chicken was also absolutely delicious. So yes, as they say on social media-land... WIN!

We also had some time to do some ronda-ronda around Ipoh town. Weren't looking for anything in particular but I was told on fb to try out some of the food at Dataran Ipoh.

The place wasn't too hard to find, but we had to follow our instincts as to which stall to choose. We saw one with a good crowd and ordered the char kuey teow. Which turned out to be pretty good, really.

I also organised the 15th round of Larian 40 Taman at Ipoh's famous Padang Polo, but that's for a different post altogether.

And oh, we also stopped by Ipoh Parade, but you know-lah, a mall's a mall, no matter where in Malaysia :) But I must say the crowd at Jom Heboh was really happening and the people came out in droves. Hate to use the cliche, but "Ipoh mali talak sombong!" Hehe.

Larian 40 Taman: FRIM & Central Park Bandar Utama

2012-04-26T14:30:00.001+08:00

Whoa, I'm far behind in updating the Larian 40 Taman exploits, so I might as well skip a few and talk about the last two runs we did. Hehe.

On the 14th of April, Larian 40 Taman went to FRIM in Kepong to run together with participants of the World Forestry Day Run 2012. Finding the place itself proved to be a challenge for myself, seeing how my last visit there was probably about 15 years ago. Basically, I missed the turning from the highway and ended up further ahead in the middle of Kepong town.

But google maps saved the day for me, and once I found the right turning, it was a breeze finding FRIM. Once I got in, I then had to look out for Rumah Terengganu, the run's starting point. I was pretty fascinated by the fact that there was already a steady stream of people entering FRIM; some in running gear, while others came with the whole family, looking like they're going for a picnic.

I found Rumah Terengganu and immediately hooked up with a few other Larian 40 Taman runners. We then had to wait for a while for the organisers to sort out stuff like T-shirts, but eventually we got the tees with no hitches. The number of participants that morning was were around 160, a bit short of the 200 that they were expecting.

The run was then flagged off at around 8.20am, and this was when things got REALLY interesting. You see, when I was referred to this run, somehow I did not pay attention to the route. Only that very morning did I discover that it was going to be a half/half thing; trail and road running. Which was interesting for me, really. I've always wanted to try trail running and the opportunity came rolling into my path.

We started out OK, but then it was time to go into trail run mode, and immediately we had no negotiate a bukit. A bukit that went on, and on, and on... Seriously, it was literally up the hill for a good few hundred metres.

With no experience whatsoever with the route, it was tough for me to figure out the pacing and what to expect next. So when the climbing didn't stop I just decided to walk it until we got to a flatter part of the route. Plus there was the added challenge of avoiding mountain bikers. So runners, blasting music on your headphones is not recommended at all here. No syok sendiri runners, please!

Of course when you go up, you must come down, and the downhill part was pretty interesting as you had to apply the "brakes" on yourself so as not to skid down the hill. And oh yeah, good and appropriate shoes are definitely needed. I wore my Brooks Glycerin 9, not exactly trail running shoes, but they worked pretty well and gave me good grip throughout.

I finished the 5km route in 40 minutes and was placed 39th out of 160 runners; the first time I'm in the Top 40 of any event. Haha! They also had a lucky draw but I went back empty handed lah. But overall, a very good experience for all of us newbies. Click HERE for the full report.

Next up is the run at Central Park, Bandar Utama, the 14th run in the Larian 40 Taman series. It's a nice little park (with a big name) right next to One Utama and just a few hundred metres away from my office.

A pretty decent crowd turned up this past Saturday morning for an easy 2.6km run (600m per loop). But one thing about this park though, dog owners are allowed to bring their pets here, so Central Park is also known as a "dog park".

For this run too, I got Grand Brilliance and TV9 to sponsor some T-shirts to be given away. So after the run, I had the pleasure of giving away some cool tees to the runners!

For the full report, click HERE .

Call Of The Kettle Bell

2012-04-25T16:37:00.003+08:00

I'm sure you've seen these innocent looking things by the window of fitness shops and thought, "OK, like THAT'S gonna help me with burning fat and stuff". Well, all I can say is, you will be surprised!

The thing about the kettle bell is that it's perfect for you "so-busy-that-I-can't-find-time-to-exercise" lot out there. It's not expensive and you can easily keep them at home or at the office and use them whenever you want.

Seriously though, having known only dumbbells and barbells all this while, using the kettle bell was a nice (and intense) surprise. I regularly use it for squats now, and I can feel the results. For more ideas on how to use the kettle bell, check out this video:

Sami Yusuf On MHI, Will Stage A Concert In Malaysia

2012-04-20T10:01:00.002+08:00

Time magazine hails him as "Islam's biggest rockstar", and this morning, Iran-born British "Spiritique" artist Sami Yusuf was a guest on Malaysia Hari Ini. Sitting together with us was also Indonesia's own nasyid star Opick.

Indeed it was a great thrill and honour to have Sami with us especially since we've been playing hisAsma Al Husna music video countless times on the show. Honestly, I never thought that one day he would be joining us on the show!

Sami was here to promote his upcoming fourth album, Salaam. And even better news for his fans, Sami will be staging his first concert in Malaysia on the 14th of July! So mark that date on your calendars people! He also revealed that tomorrow, he would be recording a duet with our very own Dato' Siti Nurhaliza. How cool is that?

Here are excerpts of the interview:

Q: Nasyid is popular in Malaysia and the region in general. But you call your brand of nasyid as "spiritique". Are you surprised, or not surprised by the success of spiritique which has travelled far and wide across the world?
A: I have a different opinion on the whole concept of Islamic music and Islamic art. I believe we have Islamic sacred music. I don't think it's the correct word to use just because we have some Islamic words in it, that's my opinion. I believe there's good art, and there's bad art. There's good music, and there's bad music. I personally didn't know what nasyid was. I come from a classical background and my father's a composer. The only nasyid I knew was when someone gave me the music of Raihan. That was when I got to know what nasyid was. For me, it's been an absolute pleasure since 2003. I've been blessed by God. I get to travel around the world, greeted by heads of state, performing at arenas and stadium. It's been daunting and surprising at the same time. And I'm very honoured to be here in Malaysia. The concert in Malaysia in July is going to be an absolute pleasure.

Q: You were born in Iran and grew up in England. What was that experience like?
It's beautiful. It's amazing to know the traditions of the east and west. England's a beautiful country with a lovely history. Our national dish is the curry! It's a great thing to know different cultures and backgrounds. The more you learn, the more you realise that we're quite identical on the macro level. One thing I try to do through spiritique is to remind us of that. That we are, ultimately, one human family. And this upcoming tour of mine is about that, about salaam and unity, and bringing people together.

Q: How have you yourself grown as an artist and how have your success and travels impacted your own life.
A: That's a good and complicated question. Well, the more I've travelled, the more I've understood that we are very similar. And as I get older, I have a deeper sense of appreciation for everything traditional. Traditional music, culture, everything. I find myself being at odds with the modern world. But I think that fundamentally, the power of music is a great way of bringing people together. I have been fortunate and blessed to be part of that experience.

Malaysia Hari Ini 2012 Promo

2012-04-17T14:38:00.001+08:00

Search Box Set!

2012-04-16T14:39:00.001+08:00

A dream come-true indeed for a lifelong Search fan like myself! I mean, while we might have all their releases in CD or cassette formats, what's been missing is a box set with everything in it. Well, finally they've done it

Amy, Nasir and Kid were on Malaysia Hari Ini to reveal the box set to everyone and the buzz amongst fans is already building up. Here are a couple of photos of the box set and the press release:

SEARCH MUNCUL LAGI MEMBIKIN FENOMENA DENGAN KEMUNCULAN ITEM PREMIUM BERBENTUK MP3.

Kuala Lumpur, 16 APRIL 2012 – SEARCH, grup rock raksasa dan legenda Malaysia sering kali muncul dengan membikin histori dan fenomena yang tersendiri. Bukan calang-calang grup yang mampu bertahan lama dalam industri malah sentiasa hadir dengan sesuatu buat menghargai para peminat yang selama ini menjadi tunjang belakang karier mereka, Search adalah salah satu daripadanya.

Selama 30 tahun keberadaan dalam industri muzik tempatan, Search sudah banyak menghimpun nostalgia buat perjalanan mereka mahu pun para peminat. Satu demi satu naskhah dan momen diberi dan dikongsi bersama membentuk sejarah yang tersendiri.

Daripada zaman Cinta Buatan Malaysia (1985) hinggalah Gothic Malam Edan (2006), irama dan lagu kumpulan itu sentiasa meresap masuk ke dalam jiwa para pencinta grup yang diasaskan pada 1980-an ini. Itu antara sejarah dan hadiah yang sentiasa diberikan buat para peminat.

Kini tiba masa peminat setia Search pula membalas jasa grup yang disanjungi mereka. Buat pihak Hooray Marketing Sdn Bhd, inilah cara yang terbaik untuk mereka mempamerkan sokongan terhadap grup yang digawangi oleh Amy, Kid, Din, Nasir dan Yazit tersebut.

Hooray Marketing Sdn. Bhd. Berkolaborasi bersama grup Search mengeluarkan koleksi lagu-lagu Search dalam format MP3 , sebuah idea yang mula dirancang sejak November lalu

"Sebanyak 101 buah lagu dimasukkan ke dalam MP3 yang merupakan sebuah item koleksi buat para peminat tegar Search . Kami bekerjasama dengan empat buah kilang di China dan sebuah kilang di Malaysia untuk mendapatkan hasil yang terbaik," ujar Sham selaku Ketua Projek MP3 ini .

"Cuma 5,000 unit akan dijual dengan harga RM333 setiap satu. Harga ini berpatutan dengan jumlah lagu dan reka bentuk kotak yang boleh menjadi hiasan rumah. MP3 ini boleh didapati dijual di laman web http://fenomenasearch.com/mp3/ ," ujar Sham mewakili Hooray Marketing Sdn Bhd.

Sebanyak 100 buah lagu Search menjalani proses master semula untuk MP3 ini dan sebagai bonus, lagu Kejoraku Bersatu dirakamkan semula dan dinyanyikan oleh Amy Search. Proses rakaman lagu Kejoraku Bersatu nukilan Datuk M. Nasir dibikin di Studio Ronggeng, Luncai Emas dan ia merupakan kali pertama semua ahli Search terlibat penuh dengan lagu ini.

"MP3 ini adalah salah satu item Search dan menunjukkan kepelbagaian yang masih berkaitan dengan muzik. Bermula dengan kaset kira-kira tiga dekad lalu, kini Search tampil dengan sebuah buah tangan yang direka dalam bentuk MP3 pula sesuai dengan peredaran masa ," ujar Nasir Daud yang merancang untuk keluar dengan barangan Search yang lain pula selepas ini.

Buat Nasir, dia melihat rakaman semula lagu Kejoraku Bersatu sebagai satu perangsang baharu buat Search dan menurutnya lagi, pengeluaran MP3 merupakan satu pemasaran baru dalam industri.

"Saya rasa ini kaedah yang bagus malah reka bentuk MP3 juga cantik dan sesuai untuk para peminat tegar Search ," ujarnya.

Buat vokalis Search, Suhaimi Abdul Rahman atau Amy, MP3 ini merupakan sebuah buah tangan istimewa buat para peminat Search.

“Ini merupakan sebuah koleksi box set yang dibuat dalam bentuk MP3 yang dibuat dalam pakej yang cantik dan unik. MP3 ini adalah sesuatu yang perlu dibeli pleh para peminat Search,” ujarnya yang menyatakan bahawa rakaman semula lagu Kejoraku Bersatu dibuat dengan susunan lagu yang berlainan.

Menyentuh proses rakaman semula lagu Kejoraku Bersatu, M. Nasir yang digelar sifu berkata: "Dahulu lagu ini dinyanyikan peminat Amy, Moq. Kini lagu ini dinyanyikan oleh Search dan sangat sesuai dengan mereka. Kita cuba keluar dengan susunan lagu dan stail yang berbeza."

Before & After: How I Lost 10kgs

2012-04-13T16:16:00.001+08:00

How? Well, through bloody hard work, that's how. Haha.

But honestly, I thought it was an impossible task doing it on my own without the help of one of those fat-sucking treatments with a celebrity face on it. Oh yes, I did consider paying a bunch of money to do exactly that, but I never made the phone call, which has proved to be the right decision. (Also, I can't imagine going into one of the outlets and saying, "can flatten my tummy ah?")

I've also had a few false starts these past couple of years. In late 2010, I decided to basically cut down on my meals, and it did work for a while. I also bought the exercise bike and treadmill, but those became very expensive clothes hangers after a few months.

But the road to seriously losing weight started approximately one year ago when I took up running. I've blogged about it, so click HERE to read about exactly why I run.

I actually didn't put any target on the amount of weight I wanted to lose or even the time frame. I wanted to get into shape without that extra pressure. And as you know, I have fallen in love with running during the process.

May 2011 vs Mar 2012

But after a few months, I had gone down 5kgs to 87.5. Then it became 86. All this through running and cutting down on all the makan a little. No supplements or personal training.

Jan 2010 vs April 2012

Then came the hardest part; for the longest time, I simply couldn't dip below the 85kgs barrier. It would almost be there, but for some reason, it would go up again. This despite all the extra mileage I was putting into my running. I honestly thought it couldn't be done.

But a couple of months ago, I started going to the gym on a regular basis. Ah yes, the gym. It's been ages since I joined a proper club. Even when I worked out, I basically used the mini gym set I have at home comprising a few dumbbells, a barbell with weights and a bench.

But with a proper gym, I was instantly motivated to zap the fat and pile on the muscle. Chewah.

And guess what? I got on the weighing machine yesterday and saw that I have lost 10kgs since April last year. At 82.5kgs, I am still 3-4kgs off my ideal body weight, but I do feel great.

And here's my current routine and eating habit: I take one type of supplement from GNC, workout at the gym three times a week (30-40mins of weights & 25mins of cardio), run three times a week (3-6km on average), stay away from roti canai and nasi lemak, and eat healthier snacks. Support from the fam is also crucial. And yes, I read a lot of health magazines!

The downside? I need new clothes! Jeans, shirts, t-shirts, the works. And the steak houses are rather upset with me now. Haha.

A lot of work still needs to be done though; especially when it comes to getting rid of those pesky love handles. Perut ni memang tak reti bahasa!

10kgs lost might not be a big deal to some of you out there, but more than anything else, it proved to me that the impossible could definitely be, doable.

Standard Chartered Brunei Half Marathon 2012

2012-04-12T15:25:00.001+08:00

Thanks to ntv7 and Media Prima, I hit another milestone in my running, er, career, when I ran in my first international event this past Sunday; the Standard Chartered Brunei Half Marathon.

In case you didn't know, I once worked in Miri, Sarawak which's just a few minutes away from the oil Sultanate. But somehow I never did cross the border then, so this was indeed my first time in Brunei.

We left Saturday morning on an AirAsia flight, and yes, the plane was filled with runner-looking peeps from Malaysia. It took us just a little over two hours to reach our destination, after which a van took us to our hotel, the Radisson. It's one of the better hotels in the city I was told, and also the official hotel for the event.

Then it was time to hunt for lunch, and we were told there was a good food court just around the corner. We walked in the blazing sun and picked a stall to try some local dishes, although I ended up ordering Roti John. Haha!

After then it was time to rest and I also got to sneak in a bit of gym time, the fitness club being right opposite my room! When night fell, we were all ready to paint the town red! As if, lah. : ) We actually took the hotel shuttle that dropped us off at one of the malls, Komplek Bangunan Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah. What caught our eye straight away was the magnificent Omar Ali Saifuddien mosque.

We also got to see a bit of the famed Kampung Air. It was funny how when we stood by the jetty area, tons of speedboats came racing through in the dark, thinking we were potential passengers.

We then made our way back to the mall in search of some souvenirs and local food. Using a map as a guide, we walked around town a bit looking for the food stalls near the river, but were told that the place "dah terbakar". But we did see a few other decent-looking makan places before that, so we picked one, and ordered the Ambuyat spread. Ambu-what? Well, this was a local delicacy that many people recommended to me, so I just had to check it out.

But first came the various lauk pauk. I must say they were pretty good, indeed.

After a bit of a wait, the ambuyat came. Ambuyat's a "dish derived from the interior trunk of the sago palm. It is a starchy bland substance, similar to tapioca starch." I didn't mind the taste, but trying to twist and flick it on to the plate was rather tricky.

Then it was time to head back to the mall for the shuttle to return to the hotel and a good night's sleep.

Woke up the next morning at round 4.45am and proceeded with the normal pre-run rituals. We then took a taxi to Stadium Hassanal Bolkiah, which took about 10 minutes and 10 Brunei dollars.

The stadium itself was quite a sight. As a fan of sports venues, I must say it was pretty exciting to be at a stadium I've only seen on TV all these years.

The half-marathon was flagged off at 6am. So we had a bit of time to warm up before the 10km started at 6.30am. According to reports, 4,000 people took part in the event, and it did feel like it. It wasn't too crowded, but the feel was rather lively.

The run was flagged off on time and the weather at that time was really good.

There were plenty of water stations, so I can't say I have any complaints there. I started off well too, but by 7.15am, the heat was really getting torturous. All of us agreed that the heat added at least 2 minutes to our final time, while another 2 minutes were contributed by the T-shirt. Yup, a vest would have been much, much better.

But still, it was a pretty good run. The route was rather up and down, but no steep inclines. And there were trees everywhere!

The other great thing about the event? The queue at the milo van was really short! Haha.

A very well-organised event overall, and a great experience indeed for all of us. Thank you Brunei!

Yuna on Conan, Yo!

2012-04-06T16:20:00.002+08:00

Wow, wow, wow... was all I could muster when I first saw the news on my twitter timeline recently. I mean, Conan is my FAVOURITE talk show host (click here to see how I was firmly behind Team Coco during the Jay Leno feud), and to have a Malaysian perform on his show was simply mind-blowing to me.

So, congrats to Yuna for this breakthrough (and this is REALLY a breakthrough -- not another Malaysian doing a concert overseas only to be watched my overseas Malaysians). Just goes to show what real talent (and a good agent) can take you. Enjoy the video!

MHI @ Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai

2012-04-02T16:03:00.001+08:00

I might be wrong, but I think it was the first time ever that Malaysia Hari Ini (MHI) TX-ed "live" from my home state Johor, last week. Yup, we did a full show on the campus of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai last Friday and it turned out to be another fun and enlightening broadcast.

Drove down to JB on Thursday and my first thought when I entered UTM was, like seriously, wow! I think the last time I was here was 20 years ago, and I don't remember the campus being this lively and lovely with horses and stuff (I'm not kidding!). There are even parks and trails that I would love to run one day.

We're put up at the Scholar's Inn, a hotel within the campus grounds. It's undergoing some major renovation works but the rooms proved to be a pleasant surprise.

It was a 2-bedroom apartment for me with a flat-screen TV, air-cond, kitchen with some cooking essentials and very comfortable beds. It's open to the public, so you might consider staying here if you're ever in JB.

Of course, that Thursday night, I just had to take my peeps out for some Johor food. But seeing how time was tight and there was still a bit of work to be done, we couldn't really go makan-hopping and settled at just one place; ZZ mee rebus tulang.

Apart from the mee rebus tulang, we also had satay and otak-otak. Everyone agreed that the food was awesome; I mean, the tulangs were left just, well, tulangs.

The next morning, it was time to rock n roll. In case you didn't know, our broadcast was done in conjunction with UTMost Imagination 2012, the UTM Innovation and Creativity Festival. So there were loads in store for visitors to the 4-day carnival with some amazing stuff on display.

The Carnival, as well as our broadcast was done at the Padang Kawad. We got there around 6am, and the production crew was in the final stages of making sure everything was ready for the TX.

Like I said, it turned out to be a fun and enlightening broadcast. We interviewed the Vice Chancellor, Professor Dato' Ir Dr Zaini Ujang, played with some sumo robots, heard some interesting music, discovered some new inventions and even flagged off a non-conventional bicycle race between the UTM bosses.

The university also invited angkasawan Mejar Dr Faiz Khaleed who tested out something called the Multi Axis Simulator.

The atmosphere was great and personally, I always enjoy doing a show with a "live" audience as you could feed off the energy from the crowd.

After the TX, we were then invited to have some breakfast, Johor-style. Which meant lontong and fried tempe with sambal kicap, among other stuff. Hehe. Thanks for the hospitality UTM!

I stayed back in JB for the next couple of days as the fam joined me for some R & R. Food pics will be shared soon, but before that, have a look at these shots we snapped as we left JB city yesterday.

The Malaysian F1 GP 2012

2012-03-26T16:32:00.001+08:00

The last time I was in Sepang for the Malaysian GP, they canceled the whole damn thing after a few laps. Yup, that was in 2009 when Jenson Button was declared the winner of the "twilight race" that saw heavy rain and dark skies stopping the race with a lot more laps to go. People booed and threw stuff everywhere in disgust; so no, that wasn't such a great day out.

I'd be lying if I said I was not worried about this year's race meeting with the same fate. The weather's been extremely erratic in this country off late, and while a little bit of rain would certainly make the race much more exciting, a mini hurricane would mean another total washout and unruly behaviour from the stands.

Whatever it was, armed with a Diamond Grandstand ticket courtesy of Petronas, and given to me by a colleague, I was pumped up for a good race. The 2012 season has shown that it won't be another Red Bull year and I'm more than ecstatic that the Ice Man Kimi Raikkonen is back on the grid.

My friends and I left USJ at around 1.30pm, but guess what? None of us had a parking sticker. No matter, I told my peeps, they usually sell it on race day after the roundabout near the Sepang mosque. But as it turned out, there's no such thing this time around. So we had to make one big round around the circuit and finally found a spot at Bay 14. From there, we took two shuttle buses up to the main grandstand.

I was also told that SIC had hired 3 "weather consultants" to make sure it was a dry race, but whaddyaknow, this was what greeted us when we got there!

I must say that it didn't feel as crowded in the mall area as compared to the few times I was there. A daily reported that the 3-day total attendance was close to 120k people, but I'm not sure if race day's attendance touched the 100k mark. It certainly didn't feel like it.

And yes, as it took us a while just to find parking space, we were left with only a few minutes to roam around the mall area after getting in. My mission was simple: buy myself a Kimi Raikkonen merchandise. ANY type of merchandise. But I was told everything was sold out since yesterday! Boohoo.

Then I got to the stand, and as the cars were being prepped on the grid, I could feel raindrops falling on my spf30-protected skin. A few minutes later, full-blown rain came down. Bomoh schmomoh, huh?

I won't go too much into the race save to say that it was indeed a scintillating one, especially during the first part which saw drivers trying to figure out what sort of grip they had with some inevitably spinning.

And of course there was a sense of deja vu when the race was red-flagged after a mere 7 laps. That gave me a chance to go and get the free sandwich from Petronas and switch seats to the lower terrace, but the look of concern was written all over the faces of the spectators. I myself had to rely on twitter for updates, and when it was announced that the race would re-start at 5.15pm, I knew we didn't have to throw any tantrum this time around. Haha.

After the restart, Jenson Button got ahead of Hamilton but got bumped down again after an accident. Suddenly it was Alonso leading while Raikkonen was holding his own in 6th, and later on, 5th position. The surprise of the day was of course Sauber's Sergio Perez who came THIS close to winning it all, but his inexperience proved to be his undoing, and so he had to settle for 2nd while Alonso took the highest step on the podium. For the full report, click HERE .

It was close to 7pm when it ended, and the sights around the circuit was simply breathtaking.

Overall, a great day out at the race it was! But no, I won't go into the whole hell of going home with long queues for the shuttle buses and massive congestion for kms and kms. I'll just save the rant for another day....

Larian 40 Taman: Taman Jaya & Taman Tasik Shah Alam

2012-03-23T12:03:00.001+08:00

A 2-in-1 post as I just couldn't find the time to update this last week. Well, the 9th Larian 40 Taman was held on the 10th of March at Taman Jaya in PJ. Here's the ironic bit about the location; I once worked right across the park a few years ago, but not once did I ever run or do anything sporty there. Maybe I thought about it, but that was all.

So it was still technically my first time there, a nice little park which is located right beside the very busy Federal Highway.

We had a pretty decent turnout that day comprising regulars and first-timers. Also present were reps from Tourism Selangor! These kind folks had been helping us to promote the run as well, especially on twitter (follow @TourismSelangor), so it was great to have them run with us!

For the full story on the run at Taman Jaya, do click HERE

And last Saturday, we hit a mini milestone of sorts. The 10th run was held at Taman Tasik Shah Alam! Yes, the 10th run! And I'm proud to share the stats so far: 10 runs, 200 participants, 30kms covered. So a special thanks go out to every one of you who has ran/walked with us!

We also started a new partnership with Alla Fonte, who sponsored the mineral water for all the runners that morning.

Not only that, for the first time too, we had a lucky draw where we gave away a shopping voucher worth RM50! Not much, but hey, we gotta start somewhere right? : )

For the full report on the Taman Tasik Shah Alam run, do click HERE

Food, Glorious Food!: The Comeback Edition (Lazio, Mukha Cafe, Rebung & Asam Pedas Melaka)

2012-03-20T15:42:00.001+08:00

OK OK, I know. Where are all the new food posts here, huh? Has this become an entirely running blog? Well, no way, I say! The truth is, they've not been many new places I've explored these past couple of months, and yes, I've been busy with the Larian 40 Taman project as well. But hey, let's get the ball rolling again, shall we?

First up is an Italian joint... in JB. Yes, indeed. The fact is, Johor is known for its local food in moderate settings, but there are a few good fancy establishments as well, including this one, Lazio Italian Restaurant & Cafe at Danga Bay.

We've been here before ages ago and I can tell you that this was where we had one of the best Fillet Mignons ever. Surprising eh? And so, it was exactly the Fillet Mignon that we had on our minds on our second visit this past January. Unfortunately, it's no longer on the menu. Boo hoo. So we had the regular Italian staples...

The pizza and soup were pretty OK, nothing spectacular. And we also tried the steak...

Which turned out to be average as well. But Lazio is not really a lost cause. We enjoyed the ambience and the view over Danga Bay. Service was not bad as well : )

Up next is the new favourite amongst many of my peeps: Mukha Cafe in Taman Tun Dr Ismail (same row as Penang Village). It's an east meets west meets middle eastern concept here and is the chill joint of choice for those who work and/or live in the vicinity.

I've been here a few times, and I must say the food has remained consistently good, while the service has remained consistently so-so. Haha! My favourite? The steak sandwich, definitely. The beef is always nice and tender and the portion is just enough for a good meal. The sweet potato curls could get a tad oily sometimes though.

Fans of Johor food must be delighted by the inclusion of Kacal Pol (spelt here as "Fol") in the menu. Do order the additional egg as well to make it 100% authentic. We've also tried the lamb cutlets and big brekky (although the place doesn't open for breakfast), and they were all worth the RM.

But seriously, if you're at Mukha, it would be a grave mistake not to try their desserts.The dilemma I'm faced with every time would be, which one to choose?? The pavlova? Red velvet? Banoffee? You simply can't go wrong with any of these, my friends.

Meanwhile, if you're a fan of straight up Malay food, you can't go wrong with the weekend lunch buffet at Rebung, Bangsar. Yes, this is the one owned by celebrity chef, Chef Ismail. A friendly word of advice: Make sure you get there early cos 1. there's a lack of parking space around that area, 2. loads of other people will be there too!

As for the food, it's not an exaggeration to say that this was one of the best Malay buffets we've ever had. Everything tasted good and authentic. Apologies cos this was a few months back so I can't quite recall all the specific dishes, and the pics don't really do the food any justice. But I do remember trying almost everything and being impressed every time. The spread wasn't that excessive in terms of the choices but it definitely had the best of what Malay cuisine have to offer.

Also can't remember how much we paid per pax, but it was also worth every sen of our RM.

One more place to share for good Malay food, but this time I'm taking you guys down to Melaka. And as they say, "When in Melaka, eat asam pedas!" Hehe. But where exactly? Well, allow me to suggest the Pasar Borong at Batu Berendam. Yes, Pasar Borong. There's a whole row of makan stalls next to the pasar and most of them sell scrumptious, authentic Melaka asam pedas.

We picked the second stall from the far left, a favourite with our own peeps in Melaka. You can choose any type of asam pedas here, not just the normal fish or beef. And so, we ordered two different types, asam pedas tetel and asam pedas telur ikan.

Fuyooo, memang terangkat! That's about the best description I could give it. Of course you don't eat it just like that, as each set comes with rice, some vege, papadom and telur masin; the perfect combination! And it was pretty cheap too, less than RM10 per set.

So that's it folks for this "comeback edition". I've got loads more to share soon, so do stay tuned!

ntv7 Feel Good Run 2012

2012-03-14T11:09:00.001+08:00

Indeed! The event that first got me to run returns this year, bigger and better -- the ntv7 Feel Good Run! Quite sad about missing the launch yesterday, but here's the press release...

DO GOOD, FEEL GOOD!

A long-distance running event that is usually run as a road race is called the “marathon”. What then do you call a run that lets you sweat and have fun, while doing charity AND running alongside your favourite celebrities? As surreal as it may sound, ntv7 made it all possible a year ago with the inauguration of Feel Good Run. Returning for a second year in 2012, the one and only Feel Good Run continues its pledge in bringing the “feel good” factor to all participating runners.

The fun run which attracted amazing numbers in its first year including over 5,000 runners and close to 10,000 visitors, and raised more than RM140,000 for its beneficiaries, will be doing it all over again this year in Sri Pentas, Bandar Utama on 8^th July, Sunday.

The mastermind behind this amazing effort is none other than Ms. Airin Zainul, Group General Manager of ntv7 & 8TV. Being an avid runner herself, Airin envisioned a platform which could cultivate healthy lifestyle amongst Malaysians, while encouraging the act of giving to those who are less fortunate. “We are truly grateful to the support given by the public in the first year where we took a leap of faith in organising this fun run. We were overjoyed when runners thank us for making their day a “feel good day” – that’s the kind of feeling which we get that’s priceless,” says Airin.

Coming in as main sponsors for Feel Good Run 2012 are world’s leading cat and dog food – WHISKAS and PEDIGREE – both of which are brands under MARS, world’s renowned petcare, chocolate, confection, food & drink company.

“We take pride in being a responsible organisation so when the opportunity came for us to support an initiative that will eventually benefit PAWS Animal Welfare Society Malaysia amongst others, we did not hesitate to participate. As a leading global food company, Mars is committed to addressing health and wellness issues and promoting healthy lifestyles. And events like Feel Good Run by ntv7 is definitely in line with this commitment,” says Ms. Ng See Meng, Marketing Director of MARS Southeast Asia.

“As the main sponsor, we will be driving communication efforts to maximize exposure of the Feel Good Run 2012 and ultimately the beneficiaries of the initiative,” she added.

With Twenty First Century Sports being appointed again as the Run Management, Feel Good Run 2012 offers the following categories:

Feel Good Run – 7km, aged 13 and above
Run with Celebrities – 3km, aged 13 and above
Costume Fun Run – 3km, aged 13 and above
Kids Run – 700m, aged 12 and below

The Organising Committee has also came out with a tagline this year – Do Good, Feel Good! – created to inspire the public to have a big heart for those in need, which not only include humans, but also animals with proceeds to be channeled equally to four participating beneficiaries – Kiwanis Down Syndrome Foundation, Pure Life Society, PAWS Animal Welfare Society Malaysia, and Yayasan Chow Kit.

Pet lovers will also be thrilled to know that there will be something special for the animals too. Feel Good Run will be introducing a unique platform for pet lovers to run with their pets on special circuit. Stay tune for more details from the Organiser.

Meanwhile, registration is open from 21^stMarch and closes on 1^st June with registration fees of RM25 for participants aged 13 and above and RM10 for those aged 12 years and below. Registration can be done online at Feel Good Run’s official website, www.ntv7.com.my/feelgoodrun, while manual registrations can be done at the following:

Federal Territory Amateur Athletic Association (FTAAA), Level 2C, Multipurpose Hall, Wisma OCM, Jalan Hang Jebat 50150, Kuala Lumpur
Twenty First Century Sports (M) Sdn Bhd, No 51 Jln SS 18/6, 47500 Subang Jaya

Interested participants can also email their enquiries to feelgoodrun@ntv7.com.my or call 03-56373821 for more information.

Also deemed as the nation’s most prestigious celebrity running event with over 70 participating celebrities last year including Nazrudin Rahman, Aishah Sinclair, Jehan Miskin, Jaclyn Victor, Dynas Mokhtar, Leslie Chai, and Debbie Goh, Feel Good Run 2012 will once again be enlivened with the participation of a host of beloved entertainment and media personalities. Joining the press conference today to witness the launch of Feel Good Run 2012 are ntv7 hosts and news anchors, Nazrudin Rahman, Joanne de Rozario, Daphne Iking, Melissa Ong, and Fazilah Hani Harun; 8TV host, Julie Woon; Hot FM radio announcers, Suraya and Deen; Fly FM radio announcers, Phat Fabes and Ben; and one FM radio announcers, William and Wayne. The full list of 2012’s participating celebrities will only be announced by the Organiser in early May.

While Airin admits that the planning and execution of a mass run as this is as hard as running a TV station, she also assures runners that Feel Good Run 2012 will be a unique and exciting run to look forward to. “No run out there has what Feel Good Run is offering. First timers will be able to enjoy the short 3km run, while experienced runners could take on the 7km route as a recovery run after and before other marathons. What’s more exciting, runners will also get a rare opportunity to run alongside their favourite celebrities. And for those who wish to express themselves creatively could also sign up for the Costume Run, while doing charity at the same time,” Airin adds.

“We strongly urge participation from the public as well as corporations to support this initiative,” she concludes.

Joining forces to make the event a success are running partners from Hot FM, Fly FM, one FM, New Straits Times, Berita Harian, and Health Today. For more information on the run, log on to www.ntv7.com.my/feelgoodrun.

The inaugural Feel Good Run is organised in conjunction with ntv7’s 13th anniversary and aims to spread joy among friends and family while having fun and getting healthy. The TV station will also be celebrating its 14^th anniversary this year with Feel Good Run 2012.

The Brooks Half Marathon 2012

2012-03-13T10:47:00.004+08:00

The last competitive run before Sunday's Brooks Half Marathon 2012 was more than a month and a half ago and I was looking forward to this one. Well, until someone pointed out how hilly this route was gonna be. Haha. I mean, the last two runs (Newton New Year Challenge & the Mizuno Wave Run), were the same so I was hoping for a flat route to negotiate a personal best.

Left home at around 5.30am and got there in 5mins. BUT parking proved to be a problem. Half of the huge main car park was closed for some kind of event, and by the time I got there, the other half was already almost full. After a couple of unsuccessful attempts to still make an entry there, I had no choice but to park on the elevated divider. By that time, it was 10mins before the 10km run was gonna be flagged off!

I jogged into the stadium and used whatever time that was left to warmup. Must say that it was pretty awesome that we were going to start on the Stadium Nasional's running track. Don't think I'd ever been on the track there before.

As usual, I started from the back and it took a few minutes to get past the Start line.

The first few kms were pretty good for me, actually. My pace was consistent and there were no problems with the route. Well, save for some parts being rather narrow and some impatient motorists were basically harrassing the runners with persistent honking.

The first water station came after 4km, and after that point, the inclines came. Teruk jugaklah nak mendaki bukit. Haha. After a couple more hilly stretches to negotiate, I knew a personal best time was well out the window.

The worst part was the last 2kms when the bukit showed us no mercy. But with the stadium in sight, I just used up whatever will power was left as I felt cramps on my right calf, no thanks to the express warmup.

We got into the stadium and did one round of the track before crossing the Finish line. What a relief!

For a big stadium, the dispersel of runners wasn't that great. There was a long queue for the water and medal, and we had to go through the seats and narrow lanes to get to the taufu fah and watermelon (highlight of the day!).

And oh, we actually did 11+kms instead of 10. Personally, I could have, and should have done better. Ah well, on to the next run!

Philea Resort & Spa, Melaka

2012-03-09T15:19:00.002+08:00

School holidays start tomorrow, and if you're thinking of a family getaway, you might want to consider this place, Philea Resort & Spa in Melaka. For starters, I like how it's located very near the Ayer Keroh toll plaza. You exit the toll, and a few metres later, you take a left and voila! it's there!

I've stayed here a couple of times actually, the second time being just a few weeks ago when I was in town for Karnival Jom Heboh. In the words of its own website, "Here you will find a resort like no other - a rustic architecture with secluded bays curled around pristine greenery, evening skies woven with colour, and a deep sense of serenity reserved exclusively for our guests".

Not too sure about the "evening skies woven with colour" bit, but Philea does deliver on most of its other claims. It really takes you to a different world which is instantly peaceful and calm-inducing.

It starts after you've checked-in and taken to your room on the buggy. You see nothing but trees and the cool log cabins while the sound of waterfalls washes all your worries away. (Man, I should get paid for this stuff, lah)

One thing for sure as well, is that they don't skimp on making the rooms look mighty fine. "Luxury" is a word they take seriously here, so that swipe of your credit card feels absolutely worth it. Take a look at what I mean...

And so, if your idea of a fulfilling vacation is to stay in the room, chill and just take it easy, you definitely can't go wrong here. BUT, there's also plenty to explore at Philea. They've got a gym and sauna, karaoke rooms, games room, a spa and an awesome swimming pool.

To be honest, since my last trip was for work, I didn't have that much time to check out all the facilities, butI did take a dip in the pool and the restaurants serve pretty good food with above-average service.

If you're wondering about rates, well, your best bet would be to book it online via one of those hotel booking portals. We certainly got a good deal there. Enjoy your holidays!