Weekdays getaway

Finally came back from my 4-day escape from the city life. So what I've been doing?

I see lots of coconut trees and beautiful beaches.

blue sky everywhere....

Tell you about it next week!

Weird

OK, just to please shanti....

RULES: People who are tagged should write a blog post of 6 weird things about them as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says ‘you are tagged’ in their comments and tell them to read your blog.

6 weird things about me....

1. New shoes
I love new shoes... Like when I bought a pair of shoes for CNY, usually it's like 2-3 weeks before I actually wear them. So till then, I'll be taking them out regularly just to admire them and feel the insoles, the outsoles, sometimes even sniffing them....

2. Sexual orientation
It's kinda weird but I somehow enjoy all the speculation of which side of the fence I'm on. I wonder if any other straight guy feels the same way.

3. Corny stuff
I love to eat corns but limited to:
i) Sweet Popcorn
ii) plain steamed corn in its entirety (i.e. the corns must be attached to the core, which means I don't those corn in cups)
I don't eat corns in other forms, i.e. not in cream puffs, ice kacang, apam balik, not even jagung flavoured ice cream.

4. Humour
I like to inject humour in every situations I'm in... even when I'm in an argument, you'll sometimes hear funny remarks coming out. I always want my life to be like a sitcom.

5. Anti-Tom
Even though I've watched most of his movies, I totally dislike Tom Cruise.Looks too hot for me...

6. Smells like fart
I like my own smell,... 'nuff said.

OK, tagging 6 ppl..... err.... Danny, Leslie, Willie, gf, Xe Hui, pIggy, Flora...

Shoes

I've been asked many times before this question:

"What's a good brand to buy for running shoes?"

Though I don't profess to be an expert when it comes to shoes, I think I can share some bits of my experience with a few brands I've tried before. So today, let's start with my most favourite brand:

MIZUNO

I bought a pair of Mizuno Phantom back in 2004. In a way, I was suckered into buying them because the guy who sold me the shoes said, "We are Asians... the structure of our feet are different from the kwai los. So it is better that we buy Asian brands like MIZUNO. It will fit us better! Some more brands like X* & Y* spend a lot of mony in marketing. So basically the money you paid for the shoes are for the cost of the sponsorships & advertisement."
(*names not disclosed as claims by the seller were not substantiated with stats & figures)

Anyhow, whether his arguments hold water or not, I was absolutely happy(emotionally) with the Mizuno Phantom. They were great in BODYCOMBAT® because they were superbly light! I was so happy with them, that I recommended them to Willie. In the end, he also bought the same shoes...

If you are into BODYATTACK® or you're just a regular jogger, Mizuno shoes would be an ideal choice.

So what's so good about Mizuno? Well, there are a few things that make Mizuno running among the best, but I'll just mention 3. Please note, all info are from their website and you can read more about their technologies there.

Mizuno Wave Technology®

Conventional midsoles use flat materials which allow deep penetration at the point of impact. The Mizuno Wave® disperses impact forces uniformly over the length and width of the midsole, providing unrivaled cushioning. The Mizuno Wave® is a biomechanically engineered midsole technology that resists overpronation, thus relieving stress on ankle and knee joints. Mizuno's unique Wave® Technology minimizes excessive midsole collapse as the foot lands and rolls medially providing superior motion control.

VS-1™

VS-1™ absorbs shock and enhances cushioning properties by resisting
compression-set, thus extending the cushioning life of the shoe.

Unique shock absorbing thermoplastics elastomer positioned within the highest initial impact shock areas of the heel and forefoot. Material is constructed from 70% vibration absorption material with the balance being E.V.A. and Isoprene
rubber.The combination of all the materials facilitates excellent shock
absorption, while also providing an efficient and smooth toe off. VS-1 is
lightweight and has a durable memory (returns to original shape after initial
impact) ideal for continuous force impact.

VS-1 resists compression. The durometer of VS-1 can also be adjusted i.e. Heel wedge is 55 shore C, whereas forefoot is at 40 shore C. In house test results have shown a 20% improvement in shock absorption over E.V.A.

X-10™

X-10™ provides the most durable carbon rubber from Mizuno that allows for longer wear in high impact areas and provides more traction at heel strike.

I'm not too sure what they claim is true or not, but Mizuno running shoes are one of the lightest shoes in the market. Unfortunately, you must know where to go in order to get them as unlike some more high profile brands, they are only available in a few places. If you are in Penang, you can try your luck in KOMTAR(can't remember the name of the independent shop I went to). Mizuno shoes are also available in most World of Sports shops & counters like:

Subang Parade
Sungei Wang
Gurney Plaza, Penang
Selected Jusco Stores

Professionals

pro-fes-sion-al/[pruh-fesh-uh-nl] - adj.
Professional is often used to mean having teh qualities that you coonect with trained and skilled people, such as effectiveness, skill, organization and seriousness of manner.
(Cambridge International Dictionary of English, 1999)

pro-fes-sion-al/
Pronunciation: pr&-'fesh-n&l, -'fe-sh&-n&l
Function: adjective
1 a : of, relating to, or characteristic of a profession b : engaged in one of the learned professions c (1) : characterized by or conforming to the technical or ethical standards of a profession (2) : exhibiting a courteous, conscientious, and generally businesslike manner in the workplace .
(Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary)

Quoting from Wikipedia, under "Profession":

Many organizations have codified their conduct, often designated “code of ethics”, and what they require for entry into their organization and how to remain in good standing. Some of these codes are quite detailed and make strong emphasis on their particular area or expertise, for example, journalists emphasise the use of credible sources and protecting their identities, psychologists emphasize privacy of the patient and communications with other psychologists, anthropologists emphasize rules on intrusions into a culture being studied. Most of the codes do show an overlap in such concepts as,’ do no harm’, ‘be honest’, ‘do not use your position for private gain,’ etc.

Everyone should approach their work with professionalism, including instructors & group exercise coordinators. As coordinators, we are expected to communicate to the instructors any temporary changes in the schedule ASAP. If we are taking an instructor out of the timetable, we should give him/her ample notice as well. We are exepcted to update our timetable (gym board & online) regularly so the members would know if there's any changes to the instructors(unless it's a last minute change). Any dispute/complaint should be handled and resolved immediately, and we should strive our best to give the members whatever is requested.

Instructors, on the other hand, are expected to be representing the club they teach. That means, no wearing of clothes that belong to a competitor. Nor should there be mentioned of where else he/she teaches as the interest of the club he/she teaches at that moment of time must be protected. Instructors should not try to make profit by selling items to the members as well. If an instructor decides to drop his/her class(es), ample time must be given to the coordinator for a replacement instructor to be found. Otherwise, it will cause a lot of inconvenience to both the coordinator & especially the members. Remember that the reason the instructor has a class in the first place is because of the members attending it.

It's sad that some people just don't know how to be a true professional. They just see teaching as a mere source of income without any commitment. The moment something better come around, danggling in front of them,.... Off they go in less than a week.

AMATEURS....

Facelift

Welcome to the all new blog to reflect more of my personal life than work life.

Life is so much fun, just like the notes of a song: it's the combination of the high and low notes that makes it melodious... tis the song of my life!

And before I forget....

Happy April's Fools to all!