Lonely Merdeka

This year's Merdeka Celebration is gonna be pretty quiet for me. Gf is going to East Malaysia tomorrow for work. OCD taking bus back to Penang as well. So I'll be home alone this time.

At least I don't have Wacko Jacko...

I'm reminded of my first ever Merdeka in KL back in 1999. I just started work with Padini then, and was staying with OCD in Segambut. We actually went to Bangsar just to "look-see". I was still very unfamiliar with Klang Valley roads then(not that I'm an expert now) and going around in his car at night was quite confusing.

One of the most memorable Merdeka moments for me was in 2004. Together with the youths of Penang Christian Centre, we screened a movie on Merdeka eve, and we later gathered to sing "NegaraKu" as we raised the Malaysian flag.

Speaking of the Malaysian flag, we have been encouraged by our leaders to fly our flags on our cars. I have been doing it for a couple of years but this year I'm not going to do it. Reason? We're given cheap low quality flags. The problem is not really the flag but the flag stands. How many of us put our flags up only to find out later that they don't stick well? The fallen flags end up on the roads, run over by cars, buses, etc.

Anyway, back to topic. I'm basically abandoned by my brother & gf this time round. Don't really know what to do... though I did think of coming back to gym to work, but that will be soooooo....*sigh*

Anyone in the same situation? Wanna hang out on Merdeka eve? Do let me know... By the way, I'm not gay and this is not an invitation for a gay date.

Influence

Remember the rumours about my “comradeship”? Looks like I may have contributed to the whole episode.

I had been discussing with a couple of people and someone noted that I may not have switched sides, but I have been influenced in the way I talk. I have been advised that I should not use the word “CUTE” to describe other men. Apparently some people were caught by surprise when a couple of months ago I commented a couple of visiting male instructors were “cute”. “Good looking” and “handsome” are acceptable but “cute” is a no- no.

And so, for the past few days I try to avoid the “cute” word in my daily conversation and everything was ok… till yesterday evening when I realized how “deep” I’m influenced. I was looking for a replacement for a class. Anyhow, I managed to get someone to do it, and smsed the male instructor who was unable to teach the class that I’d found a replacement. Below is how the text conversation went, please note the ones in pink italics are my initial response while the ones is blue are my actual response:

Me: Found your cover already…

Instructor: Alright… Thanks a lot:) Really didn’t know who to look. Who’s covering?

Me: (A cute guy XXX XXX)
XXX XXX, XXXXXXX’s(another instructor) new crush

Instructor: Ah ok… Hmm… Is he dat good looking?

Me: (Yeah, he’s hot)
Tall & good looking

Instructor: Hmm… I guess my crowd is gonna be disappointed when I do back the class next week. Haha…

Me: (But you’re cute also what…)
(Not knowing how to reply without sounding happy, I didn't reply...)

Help - my brain has been hijacked.

I'm Beautiful

Last week I managed to meet up with the “si lais” from my former company for lunch and one of them, Cynthia, commented that my skin complexion was better then before. Hmm… must be the new skin care regime I’ve adopted lately.

If I may:




For a while I was using Hazeline’s oil-control cleansing gel but I had an opportunity to try Dove and I liked the way my skin felt after that so I switched sides.


I got Irise anti-age moisturizer earlier this year because I was looking for something good that doesn’t smell too much. Pretty expensive for a small bottle but I think it’s worth every sen I paid for.


These cheaper Clean & Clear toner & moisturizer were leftovers from my time in B Braun. I used to clean my face during lunch time – mind you, the air cond in the office can be so dry.




Just bought them from Watson a week ago. Since they came in a set- face wash, face scrub, face lotion- I thought I could use them after my morning/afternoon classes. I decided to get the facial masks also since I kinda like it when gf let me try hers last week.

So how do I use all of them at the same time?

Simple. I start the day with Dove together with Clean & Clear toner and then I apply the Clean & Clear moisturizer. Then, during the day I will use the Watson face wash & face after my classes. At night I will again apply Dove with the tone, only this time, I will use Irise anti-age moisturizer instead.

I only add the Watson face scrub to my night cleaning regime twice weekly while the Watson facial mask is for the weekend. Just in case anyone is interested, here’s how to use the facial mask.

1.Wash face


You’ve gotta to make sure your face is clean first. So, in this case, I cleaned my face with Dove & Watson face scrub.

2.Apply mask




Spread mask onto the face. You need to gently press down the sheet to remove the bubbles between the sheet and the skin. Then, leave the mask on for 15 mins.




3. Remove mask


Just remove the mask after 15 mins and no rinsing required.



TADA.... My skin now feels so smooth and soft… I’m so happy!

Matinee Idol

The hottest topic in town lately is about this BODYCOMBAT instructor who's supposed to look like a matinee idol Lai Meng. Apparently he looks so much like the idol that this is what a certain gym member commented: "I checked on the net, and am amazed by the startling resemblance. if leon lai were president of america, then ykh can be his double... (for those high risk assassination appearances)."

So who's this YKH? Allow me to introduce you to our local matinee idol, You Kok Hoe.

Lai Meng and his dancersYou teaching at Miracle 2006
Oh yes, besides BODYCOMBAT, You is also trained in BODYJAM and most recently, BODYBALANCE. The latest programme he's teaching is the all new NIKE ROCKSTAR WORKOUT: BOLLYWOOD.Perhaps you can't see his face that well the first pic, but not to worry...

So does the big bad wolf look like Lai Meng? I'm also curious how much they look alike and so, I searched the net for Lai Meng's picture... and here's what I found:

.

..

...

....

.....

......

.......

......

.....

....

...

..

.

"Hi, I'm Lai Meng from Empat Sekawan!"

I guess they're just 2 different people.

Anyway, You(the instructor, not you) can be found teaching classes in a few Fitness First studios across the Klang Valley.

This is FATNESS FIRST

2 Saturdays ago I was invited to a dinner with yhsmom and a few other members and instruvctors. At the same time I also got this invitation from the members of Cheras Leisure Mall for dinner. Since yhsmom asked me first, I had to decline the 2nd offer. I thought I wouldn't get to hang out with them... Mana tahu, most of the gangfrom Cheras also couldn't make it on 15 July, so they changed the dinner to last Saturday 22 July.

(Gang, if you want to save the pictures, please remember to click on the pictures)

Where? Tanjung Harapan, Port Klang
Quite a far place to go for food. Normally I'm not one who would drive for 1 hour to eat butI'm a cheapskate for free food since it's been a while I get to mix with the Cheras gang....

Thou shalt not waste good food... finish 'em!

Besides me, there were 2 other instructors Michelle(whom I think is the official RPM queen in Cheras) and Danny.

Eat, eat, eat...


Shonda(left) got excited when she saw me sitting right across the table.

"Repeat after me.... F-I-S-H.... FIS!"

good crowd on a Saturday evening

what a load of crabs!


Pretty much a hands-on experience

more crabs...

lai-liu haa...

After the storm...

It's amazing how good food can affect your brains, as the following 2 pictures will show you:

It's offical... Danny is her man

Just in case you missed the first pic

Natalie, Michelle, & Iris

probaby someone said something funny... or someone farted

Ivy & Kit putting hand lotion after dinner


shades & shades gf

We're just fooling around... whatever rumours you heard about me are untrue!

the leng chais

the gorgeous ladies

The usual suspects(from left): Simon(did I get the name correct?), shades gf, Ah Loong(aka Chen), Danny, Iris, Michelle, Natalie, Shonda, Kit, & Ivy

Like I've said before, it never the food that make the night enjoyable- it's the people that you spend time with that makes the difference. There should be another gathering coming up again.

THANK YOU CHERAS LEISURE MALL GANG... Now head back to the gym and work off those calories!

Rumours...

Just had a converstation with 2 people and the conversation went something like this:

X: Eh, I heard you broke up with your girlfriend...

Me: What?

Y: You did?

Me: What?

X: And now you're turning to the alternative lifestyle...

Me: What?

Y: You also?

Me: Huh? Who told you?

X: Someone- cannot say who- recently asked me, "You know Alvin broke up with his gf?" and I said, "That's so sad..." and then the person mentioned, "And now he's also into guys..."

Me: No I'm not!

It's funny how rumours are born. The working environment may be different now but I'm still me.

Almost a nightmare injury...

2 weeks ago while doing the upper body conditioning in my Wed morning BODYATTACK class, I suddenly felt this pain on my left knee. It's not like I was kneeling on the floor- I was using a mat and it still hurt. After the class I had a closer look... it was swollen. However, I had no problem jumping or running. I only felt the pain when I applied pressure on my bent knee, I didn't really think much of it as I could've knock into something.

Yet, the pain was persistent for the next few days, which sort of forced me into doing the hard option for push ups in BODYPUMP. I iced it, applied muscle rub, you know.. all those things you do by yourself... and nothing worked. Last Wednesday after my BODYATTACK class in IOI Mail, I bumped into this personal trainer cum les mills instructor Alex and asked him if he knew anything about such injury. After describing my pain to him, he suspected that I may have put too much pressure onto my knee that the synovial fluid is insufficient to protect my joint anymore.... and the remedy for it: STOP WORKING OUT and hope that it would be better. Also he recommended I take glucosamine.

I don't know about you, but to tell me to stop working out is like telling me to stop breathing. I'm not a person who can sit still and does nothing. God forbid if I were ever to be incapacited(touch wood!), coz it would be a fate worse than death for me. I admire people like Peter Tan who continue to fight on in spite of their conditions, but I don't think I'm that strong-willed.

Anyhow, I decided to get myself a bottle of Viartril-S and gave it a go. That day, I was a worried man. The fear that I had to stop teaching made me lose my mood for workout. So I asked Jason Khong, a new BODYCOMBAT instructor, to replace my evening class in Damansara Uptown. Besides taking Viartril-S, I also decided not to massage or do anything funny with the knee for a while.

By the next day, I felt better and I was back teaching my classes. Surprisingly, that evening's BODYATTACK my left knee felt ok. I was very careful with the way I kneel down for the push ups and cool down, and I didn't feel the pain anymore, though my knee still felt a bit funny(not in a humorous way). Yesterday I did 2 BODYPUMP classes, and again there was no pain when doing knelt-down push ups.

Could it be that glucosamine is so effective? I don't know. For all we know, it could be that I really knocked into something and now my knee is healed. Nevertheless, I'm not going to take my joints for granted anymore. By next week, I'll reduce my glucomine dosage to 500mg daily(now it's 500mg x 3 times a day) to make sure my joint is well taken care of.