Can you help us?

I need some help here... My gf has entered the hitz.fm Walls Cornetto Love in Tune contest and we need to get as many votes as possible.

So if you would be kind enough to do us a favour and vote for us via sms:



I promise if we win I'll do Body Jam naked in any of the FF gyms we'll be very grateful to each and everyone of you!

Voting ends 5pm 23 Sept. If you like to know how her entry sounds like, click here.

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Didn't really think I would do this but somehow after reading some comments at a particular forum got me into writing my experience with Fitness First.

I started as a member in July 2003 when FF opened its branch in Penang. My sole purpose of joining the gym then was to do some body building(I'd slacked off since I started working in 1999). I was with a small gym then but I was only paying Rm50 a month and that wasn't motivating enough for me to be consistent. So, I figured that if I were to pay more for the subscription, I would be "encouraged" to go regularly.

Up till then, I had no idea what group exercises was about- it was a lady friend who asked me to join her to do Body Combat. Since the name "Combat" sounded macho, I followed her to an afternoon class one Wednesday(I was still doing sales, so got long lunch hours). I had fun but I paid the price- body was in pain for about 3-4 days. It was then I found my passion with group exercises.

From Body Combat I ventured to Body Pump and Body Step as well, but I stayed away from RPM because it was torturous inside the cycling studio! Honestly, I had imagined myself teaching Body Combat and Body Pump but never in the world even thought of attending RPM classes as a particpant!

Eventually I got my training in BC in March last year and that was how I started teaching. Now I do an average of 2 classes per day except Wednesday which is my gym Sabbath. I am also in the process of taking up another 1-2 classes on weekdays and maybe convert Saturday into my Sabbath.

You can probably tell from this blog that I enjoy the gym stuff more than my full-time job. If I were any younger, I might just resign from my desk job and go full time fitness industry... or maybe still not too late to do that?

Finally, something for mature audience

“Do you still remember your childhood dream about a silver shooting star? The dream still remains somewhere in your heart unbroken. The year 2005, it took us 39 years to come across the shooting star again…”

With that introduction, say hello to Tsuburaya's new Ultraman for mature audience- Ultraman: The Next .



Being a sucker for anything Ultraman-related, I was pretty excited with the direction Tsuburaya has taken lately. First, it came out with the Ultraman Nexus series in 2004 which has an actual storyline with less monsters(unfortunately didn't do well in Japan because children couldn't appreciate it) and now this movie.

The movie premiered on 18 December 2004 across Japan and I was hoping that it could perhaps make its way here to the local cinemas too. Unfortunately that didn't quite happen but heck... At least Speedy chose to release it in VCD. I was on my way to the car park at Cheras Leisure Mall last Sunday and the video shop was showing it on TV. I just knew I had to get my hands on it!



Now, there are 2 language versions of the movie: Malay and Japanese/Cantonese and of course I took the Jap/Canto version(Actually I couldn't care less about the Cantonese dialogue as long as they give me the chinese subtitle). As usual, it comes with 2 VCDs...



However when I opened the cover, something else was inside too.



Looks like the people at Speedy and KFC did not do their homework on the movie - any parent who buys this movie for their young children is unknowingly wasting their money. There are far too much drama and talking that the kids are going to fall asleep watching it.

Like I said earlier, the target group here is the adults, people who grew up with the Ultraman mythology. So the movie flows more like a sci-fi than and kiddy stuff. In fact, the hero doesn't turn into the gigantic warrior using any special device. Instead, he has to go through a seemingly painful mutation before changing into the silver giant. Speaking of the giant, this Ultraman looks nothing like his predecessors.


First and final transformation- the initial transformation reminds me of the Bio Booster Guyver

It looks like he's wearing an armour instead of a suit, which kinda tells you he's serious about kicking a$$es! There's only one monster in the movie, dubbed The One by the scientists. It is a beast that is capable of mutation- transforming from a human, to a small beast, and subsequently into more powerful forms as it absorbs other lifeforms into its body.

At the centre of the movie is the hero Shunichi Maki. Unlike previous Ultraman hosts who were young, single and (almost!)carefree,this guy really has a tough life. Maki was a middle-aged F15 pilot who left the air defence to spend time with his family; his 5-year-old son is suffering from a congenital blood disease that threatens to kill him before he turns 7. He's a man who just wants to be with his wife and son as they go through this difficult moment, but fate has chosen him to be Earth's hope against a monster that was going to destroy the planet. For more on the movie, do check out www.ultramanlah.com which has an archive on the movie. There you can find an excellend review plus an article where the director Konaka Kazuya talks about the movie.

I enjoyed the movie because it gives me a new twist to the Ultraman story- a story that doesn't make you laugh at its silliness. Rather it makes you empathise with the struggles of a father who's trying to do the right thing and be with his son at the same time and the pain of a scientist who must kill her loved one who has turned into a monster.

Hopefully, there'll be more such feature films coming in future.

Surprise, surprise

Q:
What's better that 1 pair of FREE Nike shoes?

A:
2 pairs of FREE Nike shoes!

Introducing my Nike Spin Trainer.



This is the best picture I could get from the net, though mine is actually silver and navy blue and not black as shown.

I really didn't see this coming. Yesterday morning I got an sms from Leng Lui(a senior group-x coordinator- I call her leng lui for obvious reasons) that my Nike shoes were with her. I was puzzled since I wasn'' cheating on my gf and left my shoes with Leng Lui at her place as I had already collected my Nike shoes from Mommy(another senior group-x coordinator). Turned out that I got this one for cycling.

I tried the shoes yesterday evening and the cutting is slightly smaller than the regular Nike shoes- after all, it's for studio cycling. Fortunately, I can still wear 'em without much discomfort(another RPM instructor couldn't wear his).

Though thankful for the 2nd pair, I am sort of caught in a situation as to what to do with it. I am already using Sidi cycling shoes with Look pedals so I would definitely not wear this Spin Trainer for my RPM. In moments like this, thank God for eBAY that I can sell my shoes for cash After much consideration, I'm gonna keep this for a while and maybe use them later for Body Combat. I think they will look stunning when I do my side kicks.

Speaking of Body Combat, last Friday we had a Body Combat tuition with Jacq. Jacq gave a feedback to this guy that his technique has improved much; no longer he is a Body Jam instructor who teaches Body Combat, but a Body Combat instructor. That comment made me think about myself as an instructor. I am currently doing Body Combat, RPM, and Body Pump and I wonder where I am. Am I:

a) A Body Combat instructor who teaches RPM and Body Pump?
b) An RPM instructor who teaches Body Combat and Body Pump?
c) A Body Combat and RPM instructor who teaches Body Pump?
d) An instructor who is trying to teach Body Combat, RPM and Body Pump?

I am neither trained in martial arts nor race cycling- the closest things were imagining myself as a kung fu master(as a kid) and cycling to buy groceries/food. As for weight training, my first experience with weights was in 1998 after being dumped by my S'porean ex(yeah, low self-esteem).

I wish I could ask my gf where I stand as an instructor, but since she worships me, she'll probably say I'm the greatest instuctor in the universe she could be biased- so the search for an answer goes on...

If I may list down my favourite programmes, the order will be this:

1)Body Combat
2)Body Pump
3)RPM

However, at the moment 60% of my classes is RPM, and 20% each for Body Combat and Body Pump. I wish I could do more combat but the fact of the matter is we are short of RPM instructors. Some more we have quite a number of BC and BP instructors around so the pie is pretty small for everyone to share. Hopefully with more gyms opening next year, I can secure more BC and BP classes. Another encouraging fact is with the conclusion of 2 RPM instructor trainings, there are now more RPM instructors to help us out.

Maybe next year I'll do Body Balance? (If you're reading this, Jacq... You can't pay me enough to do Body Jam!!!)

Old flame

Before I really knew her, she was already well known among the blokes. Even the ladies talked about how good and beautiful she was. I had always wanted to make her part of my life but I often wondered if she was way above my league.

Eventually in 1996, we started our relationship right before I left for my studies in Sydney. And throughout my time there, I took pride in having her beside me wherever I went. Sure, I had others that came along during that period, but deep down inside she was the one I loved the most.

Then something happened. After checking with some of my friends, I began to suspect that maybe she wasn't as trustworthy after all. I have entrusted her to take care of me, but somehow she might have been more interested in my money only. Slowly and surely, we began to drift apart and in 2001, after one incident which I shall not digress yet, I decided that enough was enough- I told her that she would need to show me more care and protection or I would never ever be with her again.

I thought that it would be the end of our relationship, but alas, we crossed path again in 2003 when I joined Fitness First. She was still as beautiful as ever-if not more- and apparently she had gone through some changes. Even though we met almost everyday at the gym, I tried to stay away from her and stick to the others. But slowly, I was beginning to let my guard down and finally I warmed up to her. I discovered that she was actually collaboraing with the gym on a long term basis. So, there's no way I could ever avoid her again.

As months went by, the more I spent time observing her the more I learned to trust her again. However, there was still one big barrier that was preventing from trust her completely. But, now that I am working for Fitness First, we have become- sort of- a TEAM.... and Tuesday night, she finally gave me a dare; a challenge to trust her completely with my whole being.... including my feet.

Introducing my first sponsored Nike shoes.



The model is Nike Shox 45 for cross training, and they couldn't have come at a better time- my old Adidas outsoles are very thin now. I've not used Nike shoes since the 1st generation Presto I bought in 2001. Sure, the Presto were very comfortable walking shoes but they provide no ankle support- a couple of times I twisted my ankles on uneven ground. For a pair of shoes that costed RM250, I felt then that I was being ripped off. It was then that I decided not to buy any Nike product.

However, after working out at the gym, I began to have quite a lot of people using Nike products that I started buying the tops for my classes. To be honest, I totally love the Nike Dri-FIT, Sphere tops but I was still hesitant about getting Nike shoes.

As a part-time with Fitness First, I had been getting sponsored Nike products but this is my first pair of sponsored shoes.



Like any other Nike shoes, this pair of shoes looks great! I have not tried them in my classes yet but this time round, I'm more confident in them now. I took my sister shopping in July before she went back to Shanghai and she bought a pair of nike trainers. So far she said that the shoes have been excellent. If only I can get my hands of the Nike Free...

Besides the shoes, I also got the following stuffs:



THANKS NIKE!!!!!

More bulu ketiak...

I was walking around Brooklyn when these cool guys drove by
They said "we’re looking for a good time baby, wanna ride?"
I flashed my biggest smile,
I said "hey, sounds like fun"
Then I flash my armpit hair.
They turn. They run.

Armpit Hair! Armpit Hair! (it’s a weapon)
Armpit Hair! Armpit Hair! (use discretion)

Well, I hear that the Senate is planning a convention to pass an amendment
On body hair prevention. I’m planning on attending,
I’ll be sitting in the front row.
I’ll have chains on my pits screaming
"Hell no, it won’t go!"
I’m like Inspector Gadget, when I unfurl my curls
I lasso all the bad guys, then I rope in all the girls.
Well, I figure I owe ‘em cause they saved me
From the clueless and the hairless Patriarchy!

Armpit Hair, Armpit Hair! (you know it)
Armpit Hair! Armpit Hair! (grow it, grow it!)

Well, I want to go to Europe, the land of Brave and Free
Where it’s considered natural for girls to be hairy.
Where gillette don’t make a profit off of keeping women busy
As pleasers with their shavers and their razors and their tweezers.
So to all the boys and the men with the furry, furry masses
With the ape like backs and the very hairy a**es.
I don’t find that particularly pretty
So get your opinion out of my hairy pitty.

Armpit hair! (forget..) Armpit hair! (gillette)
Armpit hair! (don’t cut it) Armpit Hair! (rapunzel swung from it!)

excerpt from
[Armpit Hair]
(mammally factual)
©2001 Alix Olson.

Note: I was planning to publish the entire poem but realised that some parts are rated R, and this blog is supposed to be MA(Aussie ratings, because Malaysian ratings basically don't mean much). On a happier note, I'm pleased to inform you that my hair is growing well!

Things that make you go "Huh?"

Nothing much to blog about today. I need to do some statistics for my boss... so, here are a few things that caught my eyes recently.

At Taman Tasik Perdana



This is quite a dangerous move. Doing this exercise will put a lot of pressure on the lower back. The lower back should stay on the platform all the time. You don't need to take your legs up all the way to work your lower abs.




This reminds me of what our DPM said about reality talent shows, "No hugging, we're Muslims" How about "No kissing, we're Malaysians?"


Shopping Centre in Cheras


So the theif goes free?


I'm moved too... to laughter

At the pharmacy


Wanna get horny?