Before Ramadhan

Yesterday, it was the second day in a row I ride my bicycle from home to Teluk Cempedak (TC), further climbed the Bukit Pelindung till I reached Beserah, a small beautiful town outskirt of Kuantan and back to town. Along with me was Syed Azimal, who was supposed to joined us a day earlier but due to flat tyre, was forced to retire. Frankly, the day before was tiring (a total of 31km) but since Syed was so eager to cycle (maybe due to Ramadhan), I volunteered to tag along. I was so tired that I had to stop at 25km... and ask nobody but my wife Sherry to pick me up and continued the journey back home by Toyota Wish! A life saver she is! Thanks Honey.

I received a SMS that night. "Jom main bowling @ 10pm". I think you guys now what happen, right? So, in one day, I have really squeeze out my energy and hopefully reducing my weight to at least 69kg (currently 72; BMI 26 - pre-obes!). Also, it is meant for stamina enhancement as i'll be leaving for umrah on Sept 17th.

What I learned now is that cycling is not just paddling; it needs planning. Cycling in the evening to TC requires stamina and endurance. You are cycling against the wind and that cost you a lot of energy to move forward, not to mention climbing the hill! That's why if you happen to watch Le Tour de Langkawi or any other cycling events, the group will follow the person in front and will only overtake once the time is right. They can save energy for the finishing line. However, that is only for a controlled situation. As for us, we don't have any escort! Think safety first.

Lastly, I would like to appologise for things or words that might hurt your feelings.

Selamat Berpuasa dan moga mendapat pahala Ramadhan yang lebih baik dari tahun-tahun sebelumnya.

Do'a malaikat Jibril menjelang Ramadhan " "Ya Allah tolong abaikan puasa ummat Muhammad, apabila sebelum memasuki bulan Ramadhan dia tidak melakukan hal-hal yang berikut:

* Tidak memohon maaf terlebih dahulu kepada kedua orang tuanya (jika masih ada);
* Tidak berma'afan terlebih dahulu antara suami isteri;
* Tidak bermaafan terlebih dahulu dengan orang-orang sekitarnya.

Maka Rasulullah pun mengatakan Amiin sebanyak 3 kali. Dapatkah kita bayangkan, yang berdo'a adalah Malaikat dan yang meng-amiinkan adalah Rasullullah dan para sahabat , dan dilakukan pada hari Jumaat.

Till next time!

Think like a Champ

Everybody love to be at the top. If you ask anyone, even your kids, definitely the answer is yes. Right now, its the culture of becoming a champ is what lacking. The drive and sustaining power to become one is weakening day by day. More often than not, its the thing call "complacency"creeping in our mind and we tend to let go our dream. Yes, DREAM is what motivates us to pursue our desire.

I have always wanted to be the best. When I was a small kid, I can still remember my wild imagination of becoming a Pahang cricket player. I practice and practice and practice. Sometimes, it got so late, thus I got the cane! But, really, I never stop there. All the caning, I still practice but manage my time well. Then, I was selected to become a school player when I was in Standard 5. Then, I represented Kuantan District and in fact, manage to get the call up for the state. At this juncture, I was in dilemma. There was also a call for boarding school. Broken hearted, I left Kuantan for my secondary school education in KL... For info,I also a school player for volleyball, football, badminton and hockey (that was all the games they had back then).

My point is, if we think in the right path and keep the dream alive, we will pursue it till the end. We start to get the information, be friends with pool of excel players, observe their style and start practicing rigorously for the betterment of our performance. And all this starts from a DREAM.

I've been with bowling almost two years now. People told me that I've improved a lot (based on the average of 175). But, again, I'm not going to stop there. My target is 200 by end 2009. May I have all the courage and support (especially from my beloved wife).

P/S: Lan: train betul-betul. There will be a rematch once you come back... or do I need to go to Qatar?