Guns & Water

...wanted to write something last night but was too fatigue after a tiring day starting with the kids waking up early (and me having only about 2 hours of sleep the night before!) and had to send Mam to the airport (thanx to the bus who departed earlier than the stated time and without doing proper headcount too!)...and when a "client" decided he cannot pay for the job I did (due to policy shit even though I was actually doing them a huge favor) the day seemed to crumble on me...so, I went back and took the kids for a treat at Wendy's and after preparing their stuff for today, I went to bed with them, told them some stories and the next ting I knew, it's already today...a tiring day yesterday, frustrating in a way but rezeki comes in many shapes & forms...got an offer to shoot DYMM SPB YDPA golf game and possible some Langkawi Tourism thingy...insyaAllah....
...BUT..what matters most is, I have promised my kids for a splashing fun day tomorrow, so that's what going to happen, INSYAALLAH....just bought new waterblaster guns for the kids (and for me too weheheeh!!)

...as we all can see, it is obvious these shots are done on my phone's camera...lesson learnt from being a pro-photographer, no need to bring the gears unless the job is confirmed and payment is firm...and if possible, choose the client!

Back to school...and work....

1.
I just could not believe it that I have been on leave for almost full 3 working weeks!! Not that I intentionally want to but it was due to the eye disease, 2 weeks and then the school break - nobody to take care of the kids!
...yeah, I kinda enjoy it but I wish I could do more - with only one functioning vehicle and eye, I guess it was ok. At least the twins are now confident to jump into the bigger & deeper pool with their floaters & Aliya can swim a distance of about 2meters in the adult pool too.
I promised her I'm buying her a proper float soon, to encourage her to be more confident, insyaAllah.
Well, at least we can see some result from time to time - bringing the kids to swimming pool - and spend time with them. Nothing like some parents who'd just assign the maids and or swimming instructor....but they have their own reasons and all.

2.
Other than that, like the kids, their appetites are really growing. They know what they want to eat or where they want to eat. No, we do not allow them fast foods and the likes as often as they want but from time to time, yes we do allow it - they are kids & they need to grow up as normal kids, not like a health freak or what!
Yeah, they get a fair deal of swets & fast foods from time to time..but they siwm at least 2 times a week and go to the park running & s
Some people can get surprised when I pass my kids the Sigg bottle that I often carry everywhere and I'd say - "Ok Neena, come here, nah minum air gas Neena".....some "kononnya" health conscious perdson will definitely start a lecture....but the fact is (like I would alway tell some people who look surpfised at me when I give my kids "air gas" (carbonated drinks laaa tu) - my kids refer to plain water as "air gas"!
....and they carry their own water bottles with them everyday (mine is a back-up unit lah!)


3.
Japanese foods would be one of their favorite. I don't really know what the rest are called but edamame is a must. 3 plates of it. So, once a month (Note: depending on how the financial looks like!!), we'd bring them to their favorite Japanese food place - Sushi King (or King Fish as Alisya calls it!).
It's a joy seeing them enjoying the foods....
We did Sushi King last night, since they have been talking about it for a week or so, just so that they have the "drive" to go back to school....
after sushi, we bought some doughnuts...another fav of them - The Big Apple.....each of them has own favorite - they will choose the same one everytime!
Will have to spent more time with them this week - cuz Mama is going off to Bandung so...I am left alone to handle the kids again!


...hmm..need to be able to adjust the E71's manual camera setting more efficiently

F1 - Back in action, different role

Saturday morning, off to the SIC, this tie not as the Fast Intervention Vehicle Driver nor trainer for the newbies but official photographer for the Medical Support Team.
The drivers are mainly newbies - some of which I have worked/ trained during he last couple of seasons - lead by a seasoned driver who drove with me in the early days of our involvement.

Many things happened along the years and the final flag was raised last season, thus why the line-up are newbies. The original team members decided not to get involved anymore - but not entirely all are originally "original"....just to keep it simple - some people cannot give commitment due to their position, some, are just not disciplined enough (we stroke off some names from the list - due to lack of commitment & discipline and more damagingly - not being a responsible driver/ team member).
It is not a privilege, it is a massive responsibility.
While they think they were qualified by being there the previous years, some just fail to put the real fact of being in the team into their thick skull (...some are just too sissy-arsed in reality, could not even make it past Turn 4 without shivering & skidding - so much about bragging being a FIV driver in the first place ahaahahah!!).
Anyway, history will remain history. I am not siding anybody but the show must go on and all I can say is the present line-up of drivers are really tough and dedicated...we can work on the discipline part easily since they are not the "commanders" kind of mentality (the ones that would always want to lead for whatever reason!) but they are real team players and know when to accept commands and when to give feedback, proper. All the best to them....I'll be there just to take photos of the team anyway!

Playground

At our rumahpangsa, some kids would always be assisted by their maid to the playground & swimming pool....not all, but most of them.

In my case, I have been taking my kids for morning walks and all since they were couple of months old. Watching them "overgrew" the usual playground reminds me how time flies.

Some people could not be bothered about it...but not me....no sir.
The kids & their friend they met at a playgorund near to our rumahpangsa

Symbian the reliable

1.
Today I am going to spend time at the pool most of the day, with my kids. Then I will jot down what I am going to get for my kids & me when the client pays up by this weekend...hopefully, or I shall never do jobs for that client again!
2.
It is much easier & faster uploading shots to Blogger via WiMax using my Symbian based phone than any of the 3 laptops on my desk, including the Mac.


~ on Symbian mobile device

Animals Animals Animals

1.
Out of nowhere, I suddenly recall when I was a kid there was this t.v. program called "Animals Animals Animals". I could not really recall in total what was it all about but definitely it was about animals and it involved some cartoon and other fun & funny stuff to make the audience enjoy and understand the contents better. It was cool. The theme song was like:
"Animals Animals Animals Animals Here and there.....
Animals Animals Animals Animals Everywhere!"

2.
As mentioned earlier, my Proton Persona 1.8SRi (Wira UK Spec 1996) was stolen and after a week was found and though it is not as it was according to the workshop guy, I am just happy to have it back.
Restoring it to a perfect state will be a challenge...time & money is neede for that matter....but I will do it. One thing at a time, Insya-Allah.

3.
I have been on MC for almost 10 working days due to bad viral infection to my right eye. Though I am far better than las week's condition, my vision is still no as it used to be. I went for a solo street shoot last Saturday after a lunch appoinment with Ted Adnan and I just had to rely on my instinct & judgement to get 2 shots at a single location...and that's all that I managed. Have not been able to cycle too due to this condition....and work is piling up at the office while the secure connection portal is as good as useless....to top that off, I had to take another 5 day leave this week becautse the kids are on school holiday and nobody can spare time to take care of them, not even my wifey who seems to run 2 offices with one payslip....

4.
At times like this I wish we have a reliable maid. Or a close relative living nearby.....well maybe not. Have given up relying on anybody since everybody will always have their ever so important matters and excuses.
So let them go deal with their matters, I so don't care about it at all and from now I will be the only one in charge and spend time with the kids even if it will cost me a bad performance, so be it....coz it is like almost a full month not being able to come to work already, dammit!

5.
Since everybody close to me have been so selfish, the time has come for me to be ultimately selfish, except for my kids, I am gonna put what I want as top priority from today. The rest, none of my concern.

~ on Symbian mobile device

FairyKenit

<- Hmm...swoosh then flick.....or is it flick then swoosh...Ayah camana ni??

Apparently, while the rest of the Boleh-Land was busy with PPSMI, Politicians Primetime Show (8pm news laa tu!), FaceBook-ers putting up "I-am-an-important-idiot-in-this-organization-so-let-me-tell-you-all-that-I-am-off-to-another-country-on-business-trip" or "I-am-so-very-a-high-society-thinker-&-mighty-above-you-other-mere-mortal" status.....little did they know that KLCC has been taken into custody by a FairyKenit....

...more updates whenever I feel like it....yeah...one eye is better than none!

1-2-3 jump...or is it 1-2-jump....Ayah camana Superman nak start terbang eh?->
...beats me, I thought you told me I am KingKong!

Blogging on a full fledge platform with a SymbianMobile

Eyes still itchy and hot, I am restless to be confined at home. It's a long weekend and I am not sure if I am going to be well enough to enjoy it.
....but taking one thing at a time, adalah hikmahnya tu...my stolen car is found, my kids are running & playing happily, foods aplenty on the table...ALHAMDULILLAH!
Simple humble life, despite being ridiculed & sidelined by some....pity them...
...but anyway, this Symbian baby rocks!!! Many posers a.k.a wannabe have it as showoff stuff...and use it to access their Fb to "maintain cool intellectsoundingIambetterthanothers or Iamtravellingtheworld" status...but c'est la vie

Manusia

Date: 2009-03-03 10:32 AM

I am on MC due to bad eye condition, real bad I guess since I am being referred to a specialist instead of getting the usual eye drop and stuff.
Waiting for my turn, so I am having breakfast.
Saw a group of people that are related to one VeePee conveniently lepaking during this working hour. Manusia...
Good thing I no longer in that Zoo (oops!)

~ on Symbian mobile device

Mandom

<-- I look like a massive red fridge! Well...seldom I'd post my own photo in this blog but well...the week has been messy so I just want to put up something positive against all the negatives that happened....the negatives would be:
1.
On 19th February my wifey's car was hit by a MAROON HONDA STREAM WKM6646 and the kurang ajar punyer orang tua (who'd probably just know 1 or 2 phrases of English but try to speak as if he's highly educated - WTF is wrong with that old bastard!!) snobbishly blamed her and dared her to lodge police report...which she did...and the bastard never lodged any report!! So if you people see this MAROON HONDA STREAM WKM6646, just be careful, you don't want to be close to a stupid old bastard who think's he's successful in life just because he drives a frigging HONDUH! Bodoh punyer Melayu..sah bukan kaki lepak surau nih....ntah2 kalau suruh azan/ qamat pun berpeluh ketiak!

2.
I was down with high fever on the 20th February and at the same time Alisya sakit mata. So, I had to take MC and spent time with Alisya, went to the KLCC Medical Center.....took my Rhino from WMS Adventure which I sent the day before for tuning....and back to the VWM Condo at around 1130am. We parked the car at about 100m from pondok guard. I was not well so I was kinda like feeling lazy to bring the bike up...but somehow I just pushed myself and re-assembled the bike and take it up to the condo....after giving Alisya her dose of medicine and taking my pills, everything went black....we woke up when Mama arrived at about 6pm with their Wa Yati.

At about 830pm we went down to bring the car up ot our unit level, to take send some stuff of their Wa Yati to Tun's place in Mont Kiara.......the car was not there!! The guards got it from me, real bad, and so did the Condo Management guy. The kids & Mama proceed to send Wa Yati back, while I was helped by my buddy Syed Din to lodge police report and meet the inspector in-charge later that night.

I was back earlier than Mama & the kids. They all hugged me when they arrived, I was infront of Yoda (this old iBook of mine) telling buddies on Fb what happened. InsyaAllah..ada la hikmahnya tu....the important thing is I still have my family with me....for the incidents that happened - those involved and all - they are total losers in life, and their family too, big time losers....just like the coward who put up a comment in the post before this. Sehina-hina manusia. The car is my first which I kept since I started working....Wira UK Spec 1.8SRi DOHC, WGK9568. Dark Green color, everything I could ever ask as a perfect rugged sedan. Oh well...rezeki sampai yesterday only...Alhamdulillah.

3.
The positive - although I had to deal with all the fiasco, I was determined to still go for the FRIM Offroad which I have set with the bunch. Mike & Sy Din was kind enough to fetch me and Rhino - body went into Mike's Integra, wheels went into Sy Din's Civic - so I could still join them riding the dirt & mud path! I achieved my target - 14km offroad biking. Scaled up Rover Trail with no T&T, and downhill from the top with ease...then straight to the Steriod Hill, non stop climb up to the base, Mike scaled up to the top and DH in 12 minutes (woohooo!!). From there, the ride down was quite interesting, the rocks & gravels seems to be a bit challenging then usual, I think I did one or two mini stunt...as long as I don't end up 100m down the ravine, I guess I am cool! The shot above was by Sy Din, on my P5000.....just to remind me whatever the fiasco this week, though I am still on medication, the big kahuna massive cool winner is still ME!

Cleaning river bank

I wanted to write about our Perak trip last weekend but since P1 is still buggy, it would take ages to upload. So here's waht I did last weekend - a river Clean-up Program with a bunch of my office mates supervised by the Kelah Action Group of Malaysia (KAGUM).
We started off at 930am with a briefing by Dr Aznir of KAGUM, divided ourselves into groups of 3, take the bin-liners & rubber gloves and off we go!Oh!! I forgot! We got a pleasent surprise...the event is sponsored by Fenwick rod...so we get free caps exclisvely made for Fenwick rod owners! Wheeeeee!!! ....and the event is covered by BH reporter....while Dr Aznir might be writing for The STAR to set the stage for the national level outing soon. Double Wheeeee!

....and off we go


We collected a bit more than 200kg or rubbish in total and everybody had a great time.
A picnic & a cool splash afer all the ahrd works is just bliss!


2.
I had it with Blogger. Fucking unreliable!
Been trying to upload shots for ages and nothing gets through. Babi. Same with P1Wimax. Double Babi!

Night rider

Since my muscle is still "dormant", I decided to do week-day solo rides...which means I have to cycle at night due to my hectic daily schedule. So that's just what I did...after picking the babies from their kindy today, I went to "MyRide" shop..the intent was to get a flashlight for my bike and a bike for Neena...but I end up buying 3 scooters (alloy - RockBike) for the kids...since Neena decided she's afraid to cycle and prefer the scooter instead...and the towkey became Rm300 richer this evening!

After a light dinner with the family and Isya' prayer, I started my journey.....went to Wangsa Melawati from my rumah pangsa, took a break and long chat with Bro Zul my F.I.V. team member (getting some info on some team issues lah!) and his surau buddies....the I rode back to VWM using another route. Total distance of about 10km.

I am just happy to be able to scale the hill from Wangsa Melawati up to the VWM Seri Wangsa 2 road (see pix...notice KLCC and the elevation of the road below the bar...that's the easiest part of the route!).

Rhino needs tuning form a proper mechanic soon...gear shift is not smooth and the disc brakes are not gripping as good as it should. Otherwise, it is still the same good 'ol Rhino!!

Well......cycling & photography...the rather rewarding ways for me to deal with years of being bullied & ridiculed by The Zoo Creatures...they may have their titles, perks, positions & "power", but to those heartless people - F U ALL! Ahahah!!

I have my life to enjoy!!

I just want to ride....so, see you at the top or the bottom!!

From Rover Trail to Steroid Hill

I have been here before...but that was ages ago...
less weight, more fit....
...but it's always refreshing to ride down (or up!) the memory lane...
...or more appropriately - dirt & mud path!

1.

That's the elevation map of rover Trail & Steroid Hill, courtesy of Dr Azmi. (If there's lotsa extra dough lying around my home workstation I'd get the same Garmin thingy!) These hills are in FRIM, Kepong....

...and that's where I spent half of this Saturday cycling with some of the usual gang & two new friends - both are professors.

The group can actually be divided into two - the memang-fit & the nakjugakjadi-fit...I'd definitely be with the latter, the last in line in terms of "qualification" mueheheh!!

In total the memang-fit group did about 17km or so if I am not mistaken, while the rest did about 13km. They did more because they went up Steroid Hill but we waited for the at the base. Apparently, according to the FRIM Penguatkuasa who were there to guard the unmarked entrance from Sg Buloh Hospital Kusta are, the hill is actually named Bukit Hari...there's a story behind it but I do not intent to write it here, maybe you can ask me when we meet or go for a ride...perhaps?!

2.
I had a good night sleep & rest and by 530am I was up & ready for the trip. Packed the T-Bolt (or I fondly nicked Rhino) into the car andperformed Fajr prayer by the roadside of the cond before meting Sy Din & Elda at the stated rendezvous point. Journey to FRIM was smooth, we managed to dodge the traffic which apparenty was hectic by 7am according to AbeDib.
By 830am, we were rolling toward Rover Trail, climbing from the reservoir point. T&T on the first 300m for me since I am not fit yet! The climb is smooth & interesting. Checkpoint was at the picnic waterfall place and from there, everything is smooth and moving downhill. Wohooo!! The discs brakes were really useful and the challenge was not to "tergolek-dog". I tried my best to redistribute weight at the far end of the seat and "look where I wanna go", not where I do not want to go! As simple as it may sound, that rule is actually vital!

3.
I am quite glad to say that FRIM is the same as it was in the early 90's - at least from my point of view - the thress are there, the waterfalls are still cool as it was...yeah, some things are not meant to change at all! The difference would be the entree charge used to be Rm3 but now it's Rm5 per vehicle per day - for a very valid reason. According to Bro Z (a 'Penguatkuasa' we met at the border of FRIM & Sg Buloh), the cars are insured for any damage due to "natural disaster" in FRIM. Trees or branches can broke down etc...so, what is Rm5 for that matter, aye? furthermore, it's a one day access...so if you somehow cycled away from FRIM and found yourself next to the Kusta Hospital building (abandoned) in Sg Buloh, you can still re-enter FRIM from any gate at no cost....well accept your effort to cycle back to FRIM laa...it's quite a long one from Sg Buloh...I have done it back in 1997...and my housemates said this when I got back home - "Mung giler ke apa" heheh!

4.
The top of Rover Trail after a steep 300m climb (aduih! for me lah!)
The waterfall picnic area is nice & cool as it used to be. From here, I am champion la...downhill dirt, mud & gravel, ehehehe...the trick is to allocate the weight to the rear end of the seatpost - behind the seatpost would be better....otherwise you can tumble easily...BUT too much weight at the rear end of the rig may also cause a wheelie-action...no good for traction and you can also fell down....SO, pandai-pandai sendiri la how to survive! It's ok to fall...as long as you can manage to get up and ride again...otherwise, you know you are in trouble!

5.
That shot ------->
....would be the highest point I reached before descending to Steroid Hill's base check point. I had a massive cramp just before I reached the Steroid Hill base - good thing Dr Azmi was there to assist me! Darn...my muscles are still dormant. I need to do more..at leat 5km everyday.
The fit & courageous group would be The 2 Professors (they are really Professors ok!) and Sy Din & Elda (tepuk! tepuk! tepuk!) who managed to scale Steroid Hill and DH down. Lesson learnt - get good disc brakes!

Steroid Hill (Bukit Hari) base point

6.
We had some grubs and borak a bit after we scaled down Steroid Hill....a great outing indeed!

Well done Rhino!

7.
I could not post up photos as I wrote this, had to put it up much later. P1 has not been performing as it used to. Infact this entry could have been posted much earlier if it's not because of the farking P1 unreliability.
They are going to get another round of bashing from me today...definite.

Picnics

....Kuala Sedili
1.
What have the kids been up to lately? Well, apart from exploring new stuff at their new Chinese Medium Kindergarten & Daycare Centre, they went back to Johor recently to have a gathering with their cousins. Almost turned back to KL halfday due to some noises I heard on the left front wheels - but after a pit stop at Ayer Keroh fly-over (and couple of hundred moolahs flew away at the Al-Ikhsan outlet there!) everything was ok. Must have been some road debris on the calipers or something I guess.
Anyway.....they had a great time. First up a picnic at a small campsite by a stream near Air Terjun Kota Tinggi (been ages since I last been there!)..but the water is not clear (it rained heavily the night before) so we decided to go to Kuala Sedili, I have NEVER been there and as for Tok Abah pulak dia kata last time dia pergi was in the 1960s!
It is a very nice place - we had lunch and then splashed for more than an hour - tengahari buta tu pukul 2pm!! We had a great time, together the whole family.

2.
That's Alisya trying to build her sandcastle. Timing sket Minah ni sekarang, demanding. A sure sign of growing up....but she'll want me to hug he at night if she's cold...she will always be my baby!

..and Aliya too...would want me to hug her to sleep though sometimes she'd woke up at around 2am to go to Mama!
Naufal...hmmm...asyik2 NGOMPOL! Aiyooo pening la mamat nih!! Aheheh!



...Blogspot is kinda ridiculously unreliable nowadays, uploading is almost impossible and there is no e-mail support from Blogger anymore. I don't mind paying like FlickR Pro if the service is and support is good, ini macam nak lari jer drp support users, hampeh...
...P1WiMax pulak dah kena taji 2 kali baru today I get to upload quite easily...such a stupid reason they gave - Your condo is not in our coverage area - when the fact is I get yello & green constantly and there's a massive bill board not even 700m from here stating it's WiMax area. Chet! Another hampeh!

Another Saturday ride with PERS

1.
Had another Saturday ride with PERS (Putrajaya Easy Riders) buddies with 3 new members - Sy Din Elda & Haikal. I was not really well on that day - Aliya & Alisya & Mama was a bit under the weather I did not even go to the AKAR Exhibition (my first exhibition for 2009 with CHAPs) and I just got about 4 hours of sleep. Anyway, the ride was fun, the only regret was I should have bought the gel saddle....MUST BUY IT soonest possible lah!

2.
We did not do much off road this time (which a bit of a minus for me lah) but we covered 28km with average of 14km/h or so. The majority was on T-Bolt while wwe have Sy Din on Fuji Tahoe & Elda on Diamondback. Both hardtails. Aliff lead the way while Dr Azmi sweeps the trail...not much of a job because the ultime tail-end would be MOI!
Well at least we managed to scale (termasuk "turun & tolak style!") 3 hills, and found ourselves on PICC overlooking "The Forbidden Bridge".
Oh well...lesson learned - must get a good rest 0 at least 5 hours sleep the night before any ride, a definite! Owh....a proper warm up & warm down too...no excuse!

3.
The next week ride may involve more off-road than previous week. We'll see how it goes. I am going to Perak on Sunday next week - spend some time enjoying the nature with the kids....as what we did last week after that cramp experience!! We had great time - the whole family - picnic at a riverbank & beach...Kota Tinggi & Kuala Sedili. Will post it up once this frigging WiMax technical glitch is settled....one big similarity of any service providers in Bolehland - UNRELIABLE within a short time frame of impressive service!! Why can't they understand the simple concept of less is more!