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HELLO FROM THE OTHER SIIIIIDE

3R International Marathon 2015

4/25/2015

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When  you see the word 3R the first thing that come to mind is... it must have something to do with Recycling. You bet it is! This is a running event to create awareness or eco-friendly lifestyle. 

The running event was held last week on a Sunday in Putrajaya. I ran a 5 km route and it was an easy run. I expected Putrajaya to be blazing hot but surprisingly it was not that morning. So that was refreshing! I finished my run in 36.57 minutes. Yaaayy! Got a nice medal at the finish line and ... I'm a happy girl! 
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So after the run, me and my friends decided to get breakfast. Knowing there is a carnival going at that event, we decided to check it out. We can definitely get some food there. What's a carnival without food right? 
Turned out it wasn't much of a carnival. In fact, it can't be called a carnival because runners didn't flock the place after they finished their run. The so called carnival was deserted! There are lots of canopies erected but most of it were empty. But we can find food and drinks alright. Haha. 

The performance at the stage nearby provided some entertainment to the runners alright. But the whole event wasn't as happening as I thought it would be. I expected a CARNIVAL but no... I didn't see that on the day of the event. Heheh. 

The most dissappointing thing is to still see some runners and their supporters still throwing rubbish anywhere they like but at the rubbish bin. This event  didn't stress much of this awareness I guess. Runners joined the event to run, finish it, get their medals and go home. They have nothing related to 3R which is Reduce, Reuse and Recycle in their minds after leaving the event. 

Good thing is, runners' spirits were high as always regardless of the distance they ran. 

Aaannnd here come the photos and selfies. Huhu.
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Pangkor Island for the new year.

4/6/2015

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Phew! Quarter of the year has gone and here is my first post for the year. Where have I been for the past 3 months? Well, I had a good time with some of my best friends in Pangkor Island at the start of the new year. Then I went to The Banjaran to spent a night there with another bunch of best friends. So that was a pretty good start for my new 2015.
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Hey, while I'm here, Ima share a bit about my trip to Pangkor Island. It was not my first time here but this time around the atmosphere was a little different. It's like the whole island was kinda deserted. Not many tourist were around. Maybe because of the huge flood that took place on the east coast at that time. So I  figured that must be the reason why the number of tourists were so low. 
My friends and I stayed at Pangkor Sandy Beach Resort. It's a nice little resort just right next to the beach. If I'm not mistaken the name of that beach was Bogak. The room was decent. It has 2 queen size bed which was just nice for the 4 of us. Swimming pool is right in front of the room where the main walk way is. We can't really get a lot of privacy when hanging outside of the room but then again this is a small resort so not much of passers by anyway. 

Ok, enough about the resort. What did we do during the 3 days 2 night we were there apart from dunking ourselves in the swimming pool? Right! We rented a van to see the sights and interesting places in the whole Pangkor Island. I think we paid RM60 for half a day tour. About 4 hours. 

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We visited the Dutch Fort or what's left of it. Heheh. Don't expect a huge ruins here. It is a small place but the compound were kept clean and nice. The view from the top of the ruins were not bad. We left the place after snapping some photos because literally nothing much to do here. 

Next stop was Fu Lin Gong Temple. Or did we went to this temple first then head on to the fort. Couldn't remember... Anyway, what's special about this little temple is mini Great Wall of China right behind it. 
We also left the place after snaping some pictures. Then I think we stop by a local store to buy some fish produce like satay ikan and all that. 

Oh yes! Sunset...a beach holiday wouldn't be complete without a sunset right. So we got our sunset at Bogak beach. I don't like swimming there because the water is not clean. I have a dark sticky residue on my skin after swimming in there not more than 10 minutes. Yuck, yuck! Probably due to a lot of water activities there like boating so the water is a bit polluted. Yuck! But the sunset is nice. 
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There is one more common outdoor activity that one can do in Pangkor Island. Go around the island with a bicycle. But I wouldn't recommend it unless you have a lot of stamina because half of the island's road are on hills where the roads are so narrow, corners are sharp and the hills are steep. I consider it dangerous because tourist vans are driven soooo fast at those sharp corners. My sister fell off her bicycle because of one such incident. It left her with a swollen ankle for weeks and a permanent scar at her knee. Well, she went there with her friends a week after I was there. My advice, just take the taxi ...safer that way. 

Till next time!
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The day I turned a year older.

12/1/2014

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My birthday was 3 days ago. Gosh, I'm a year older now! Haha. I thank Allah that brought me this far in life. Without Him I'm absolutely nothing! 

I didn't have a birthday celebrtion at all believe it or not. Frankly, I am completely okay with that. I don't feel depressed or like a loser which is quite surprising. Before this, I always had something plan up for my birthday months in adance .... every.single.year! If it doesn't happen according to plan, I'll get depressed. This year, I'm not depressed. The birthday wishes that I got from Whatsapp and Facebook was enough to make my day! 

This year, I just don't give much thought about my birthday because I think me being alive is already more than a blessing that I usually took for granted. I don't mind about what others should do for me. Not anymore. If people do something nice for me... I'll take it as a bonus. If they don't, I wouldn't hold it against them. Be it family members or friends. 

This makes me wonder. Since when I changed. But I like this change. It's a good change. I feel like I'm much more at peace with myself. I think ... the less I give some thoughts about things that doesn't do me any good...the better I treat yourself. I do notice litle by little that I changed in the last 12 months. Emotionally and spiritually for the most part. I guess this is the stage in my life where I begin to "figure my own self" more and more. I don't have much of this "internal rage" inside of me too. The one that eats me from the inside. Not that it's not there but somehow it is almost non existent.

Ok, I guess I better stop now. Moving on, I hope I continue to grow. Continue to be a better person. A  better daughter. A better big sister. A better friend. A better listener.  In Syaa Allah. 
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KL marathon 2014 - it has been a while

10/13/2014

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My sister and I at the start of the race.
I've returned to KL Marathon this year. I've signed up for this event like months earlier thinking that I have a lot of time to prepare me for a 10 km run. Haha. Truth is, I did not fully prepare myself for long distance running. Just don't ask me why. So, on race day which was last Sunday, I just thought ... just run. It's only a 10 km race. What could go wrong right? My plan was to just run really slow in a comfortable pace so that I will make it till the end. 

Did my plan work? Oh yes, it did. Haha. My run went well for the first 5 km. I just ran and ran comfortably ... sometimes I slowed down to a walk to take a sip of water from my water bottle and continue running. My sister was my buddy the whole time. Another reason I ran at a slower pace was to avoid any major injuries to my muscles or ligaments. I hate recovering from injuries...so I want to stay injury free this time. Hihi.
PictureThat's my finisher medal
Buuut I started to feel some pain in my feet at the last 2 km which was something that I had expected. Just a bit of a nagging pain but enough to waive away my concentration from runnning. So, I ran a little slower. I did feel a bit sluggish here but I keep reminding myself to keep my back straight all the time and not to slouch. Gosh, that was such an internal struggle! A struggle that was way harder to keep towards the last 1 km of the race. 

At the last km of the race .. I was struggling between running and walking. Part of me want to run but when I ran ... I feel like I'm going to faint anytime soon. So I returned back to walking. Slowed my pace a little bit. Last 500 m of the race, I was still walking. Only like 100 m to the finish line run did I ran and end the race without much of a drama. Haha. 

I was soooo hungry when I finished the race. I din't realized I was hungry until I was given a banana by the volunteer. I gotta say that I've never been soooo happy to see a banana in my life! Haha. I chomped down on 2 bananas straight away. Oh yea, of course I got the finisher medal. :)

I really gotta say a huuuuuge thanks to my sister. Her pace was much faster than I am but she did slow down a bit for me to keep up with her the whole time. So her presence gave me a bit of relief that I can do this although I didn't do proper training for the longest time! It's good to know that if anything bad happen, she is there to help.   

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Putrajaya Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2014

4/18/2014

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This was my second time at Putrajaya Hot Air Balloon Fiesta. The main attraction is of course the hot air balloon in various shapes and sizes. My first time at this annual event was last year. It was a big disappointment for me because it rained the night I went to watch the Night Glow event. It rained so heavily that Night Glow event had to be canceled! 

So, I prayed hard that this year there is no rain during Night Glow show. My wish wasn't totally answered though. It drizzled a bit that night. Ok, more on that later.
PictureA balloon in a shape of a cone ice cream taking shape.
Now, what is this Putrajaya Hot Air Balloon Fiesta all about? Well for me, it is just another excuse to bring my friends and family for a good fun time watching balloon up in the air - which doesn't happened often in a year. Heck, it only happened once a year in Putrajaya, Malaysia! 

Besides the balloon as the main attractions, there are lots of other things to do during the course of this fiesta which usually last for 3 days. You can have a picnic nearby the lake, tethered hot air balloon rides (very popular), kids play area and last but not least the most anticipated event  - The Night Glow. 

I definitely came here for the Night Glow event. My sister who came each year for this annual event (she lives nearby Putrajaya), have so many things to say about this Night Glow. How awesome it is ...interesting..bizarre ..bla bla bla. So, I decided to come and have a look...that was last year. But the rain spoilt it! 

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There are many balloonists taking part at this year's Putrajaya Hot Air Ballon Fiesta (as always). I think the most bizarre balloon was the one from United Kingdom. It is a hot air balloon in a shape of a man on a super bike. Sadly, I didn't get to see it in action. Oh well, perhaps next time.

Now my story of how my wish wasn't totally answered is here. I arrived in Putrajaya around 5 pm and the there was dark clouds hanging over. Uh oh, not a good sign at all. It may rain but I was still optimistic that things weren't going to be so bad. I crammed myself into the crowd waiting for the hot air balloon flying show. True enough, not long after, rain starting to fall lightly. Noooooooo. But the crowd didn't move a bit. So was I. 

Slowly, a few balloonists came in and set up their balloons one by one.  The first one was a balloon in a shape of a cone ice cream. Why oh why?! At that moment I suddenly crave for a chocolate cone ice cream. Damn! Haha. Then another was inflated and then another one. So one by one fly over the sky of Putrajaya that evening. i watched in awe. This was my first time seeing a huuuuge balloon being inflated. 

Right, now to the highlight of this whole fiesta - The Night Glow event. It is where the balloons are lined up one beside another and it'll glow following the music that was being blasted. No idea what I was talking about? Watch this video. 

Tips to get best view during this Putrajaya Balloon Fiesta.

  1. Check the event itinerary first before going so that you know what time a particular show starts. You can their official website here. 
  2. Get there early so that you can secure the front unobstructed-hot-spot. Looking at the balloon while your view is obstructed by tall trees is not my idea of fun. 
  3. For flying show, I suggest you come for the morning slot. The weather is much, much more forgiving in the morning and the natural lights are superb. Perfect for those who is thinking of bringing their DSLR along.  
  4. For the Tethered Hot Air Balloon Rides (RM20 per person). Well you have to queue really early for this one. It is very very popular and some people queue up before 6 AM to try to get the tickets! Some even earlier than that!
So, yeah next year I'll sure come again. I hope I can wake up really early for the morning flying show. :)
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Hazy days 

3/16/2014

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Haze in Kuala Lumpur reached unhealthy level few days back. Gosh,how suffocating the air was. There was burning smell and it is really not healthy to breathe that kind of air. But can't help it, I still have to inhale it, don't I. My company distributed the N95 mask to all it's employees to protect ourselves outside. Wearing one of this outdoor is really not coolI must say. Haha. 
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Kuala Lumpur and other parts of Klang Valley still a bit hazy today. Although the level have gone down (yay!)  after it rains yesterday and this morning. So, it was such a relief to have the air finally clears a bit. 

The thing I hate the most during this hazy season is apart from not breathing good air is ... I can't spent time outdoor doing the thing I love which is run. I miss running in the outdoor. I wish I can do so very soon. 

Some of my friends got sick during this season. Oh, haze usually happens during the driest season in Malaysia. So we don't only have haze problem but heat and water problem too. My friends who got sick, they got fever and also headache. So, this is not only a time to stay indoor but have to drink lots of water too to keep one hydrated. 

So my advise to all of you is to stay indoor as much as possible. Make sure you drinks lots and lots of water.  I really mean LOTS of it. For me, I consumed as much as 3 liter of waiter daily. Sometimes even more. It helps me beating the heat a bit. 

Let's doa that the rain will fall more often and this hazy days will soon end. :)

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New driving license for Malaysian

1/26/2014

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I'd say it's about time! I believe many of you still holding the old driving license which is basically a piece of paper with all details on it then the paper is laminated with plastic. In fact, this driving license has been in used in Malaysia since 1989 without any upgrade! That's 25 loooong years! 

So, last year in around July Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan (JPJ) has introduced new driving license with improved security. Gone were the days where your driving license needed to be laminated. Now, the new one looks and feel pretty much like your Mykad. 

And starting from July last year, anyone who has to renew their driving license will get the new one at the same fee. Yes, the fee is still the same! You don't have to pay any extra money. Thing is, you can only get it directly from JPJ offices nationwide. You can't get this if you renew your license at any Post Malaysia branches...yet. There, you will still be issued with the old type of driving license.
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That's my new driving license. The expiry date will be adjusted to your birth date.
It doesn't just look and feel better (sturdier plastic) but have higher security too. Your information on the card is protected with High Secure Hologram. So, when you hold it in your hand, you'll notice the hologram of Malaysia and JPJ logo. A sign that your driving license is a genuine one. ​

Getting the new driving license is quite a breeze.

I think this only applies if you renew the license at any UTC  center. I went to the one closest to my place in Sentul and I've got my license in about 35 minutes from the moment I took waiting number until the new license is given to me. Don't bother going to JPJ center in Wangsa Maju. Just too may people there and the queue is ridiculous! I know because I went there to try to renew my license. 
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Back to UTC in Sentul. I went there after 3 pm on a working day. I actually went a few days earlier but system was down so they couldn't do any transaction. Darn! So, when I went there again, thank god the system is working. 

One you arrive at the ground level of the UTC Sentul. Take the elevator up to the 3rd floor. Go out the door on the left. You'll see Post Malaysia first. Then JPJ right right next to it. Easy peasy!

So there weren't much of a long queue at JPJ UTC Sentul. When my number was called, I went to the counter. Pay the necessary fee for my license and the expiry date will be adjusted to my birthday. This is compulsory and I think it is a good move too. Easy to remember when to renew my driving license next time! 

Then I go and placed myself in a short queue in front of a door.
At first I was clueless as to what I have to do after I pay for my driving license fee. The person there told me that my name will be called to take a picture. But I have a feeling that this wasn't the case as I saw a short queue forming in front of a door. I peeked inside and immediately understood that one has to go inside the room to get their pictures taken. Just follow the queue and enter one by one. 

You have few options when taking picture. If that day is your bad-hair day. Hehehe. You can opt for your picture to be taken from your Mykad. Or you can bring your own passport sized picture for it to be scanned. If you are absolutely gorgeous (hate you :P), then just take your picture then and there! Since I'm not the gorgeous type, I brought along my passport sized photo. 

Once the picture has been taken or scanned in my case.I walked out of that room. Wait outside for about 5 minutes. Later, an officer came out of another door and called out my name. I approached him and he handed my new driving license. Yaaay! I got my new driving license in my hand.

Ok, I have a new driving license. Big deal?

It is kind of of a big deal. Apart from the improved quality and security, the new driving license now has dual language. One is Bahasa Malaysia (of course) and the translation in English. So, this new driving license is accepted internationally. If you are a traveler like me, then it is a huge deal as I no longer need to obtain international driving license in the case that I want to drive overseas. 

Oh, if you simply want to upgrade to this new driving license but your expiry date is not yet due, please note you can't do so. You have to wait until the expiry date is due to renew and get this new type of driving license. A reminder though, for now you can only get the new one from any JPJ offices and branches. Post Malaysia will offer this service soon  but I'm not exactly sure when. 
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    Hi, I'm Shan

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