Terry Fox 2011

Last weekend the Terry Fox run was held in Padang Merbok in KL. To tell you the truth i haven't heard of this run before, not until i was coaxed by my friend to join it. He said it was for charity and also it is only a 3.6km run. So, i said ok lah.

The run was started by Terry Fox, he was diagnosed of having an osteosarcoma, a type of cancer of the bone on his right leg. His right leg was amputated as a way to stop the cancer from spreading. He was frustrated by the lack of cancer research at that time, and he was determined to make a difference by raising money to help cancer research. He was determined not to make his disability an excuse not to reach his goal by participating in a marathon. His determination and tale is truly amazing. I truly hope that we can also do something like this not just for cancer, but other reasons as well.

The Terry Fox run was initiated by a man named Isadore Sharp who himself lost a son due to cancer. The run was first held in 1981 which is now in its 31st year. It is a nonprofit run with no sponsors allowed during the run. Anyone can join it as it is considered an informal run.

Group photo with new acquaintances 

My running buddy

Chit chat before the run

Trying to control handsome.. :P

Meeting new friends

I promise i won't run.. don't shoot me..

Looking at a chick stretching (just kidding, hehe)

My friends schoolmate from MCKK

Post run (walking) with our cold Milo

Considering it is an informal run, i decided to just walk (plus i couldn't if i wanted to as there is no room for me to run). Let's just say that the first 1.5km is just walking but then next km i ran as the sun is already shining and it is hot, hehe. Anyway, its a nice weekend and another weekend is upon me. The Penang Bridge International Marathon.

Humility

Humility.

That's the word that keeps on playing in my mind today. Humility to god, and towards other human being. As i was driving back from Kuala Lumpur to Baling, something happened on the highway. I was speeding on the highway with a bend coming, as i approach the bend. I saw people with torch lights waving like mad. I immediately push the brakes to bring my car to stop. Then i looked in front of me, a bus across the road. I was shocked and chills surge through my spine. Thank god i managed to stop my car and pass through slowly from behind the bus.

From what i conclude, the bus was coming from the other direction of the highway (from North to South) and it can't negotiate the bend and smashed through the divider and onto the side of the highway. I cant see if there are other cars involved, but the front of the bus was totally smashed. Then i realized that the accident must have happened about 20-30 mins prior to that, and now i understand why i had woken up late that morning. God was helping me, an insignificant soul among billions of souls. Had i woken up with my regular   time i most probably would have been there at the same time during the bus crashed. You might say that maybe i would have not but you can say too that maybe it could.

God is with us, always. We can only pray and say Alhamdulillah with all the things that God has give to us. Ameen.

I try to be humble around other people too. Yesterday i met with a person that i am not too keen to be around with after i had left the hospital. To think that that person could have greeted me in a better way since it was ages ago that we had some issues. I guess i was wrong. The first greeting to me was that he said that i am an 'orang kaya' a rich person. He must have understood that i left the government practice to be in the private practice is to be rich. I just smiled and said inside Alhamdulillah. But it didnt stop there, he also commented on my losing weight, and nonchalantly says that the reason that i lost weight now is because i am a rich person now and rich person are afraid of dying early. I was stunned, i could have strike back but i chose not to. If i did, it would make me the same level as he is. I chose the higher ground and be humble. I just smiled back and said nothing.

I just pray to God that one day he will realize all the wrongs that he had done, not only to me but towards others too. 

Whats Up Doc?

Hi Blog,

It's kinda embarrassing since it was ages ago that i put up a post. Let's just say that many things had happened since. The most important one is that my kids are not staying with me now. They are in Kuala Lumpur now, and it's my turn to commute back and forth from Baling to KL.

Moved out from my lovely Government quarters to a smaller house. Rented it from a local fireman. My kids and my wife are staying in a house in KL which i bought last year. Did some renovation to the house. Love the surrounding area. It is quite near to Putrajaya, Bukit Jalil, Puchong and etc.. even going to Midvalley is not a hassle. Come to think of it, going to KLCC, The Curve, Empire and such is not too far too.

The first 3 months was hard for me as my kids had never been apart from me for long. I guess it is hard for them too especially the youngest Afiq Iskandar. We were so close that it caused me to have sleepless nights thinking about them and having to sleep without them. Thursdays have become the day that look forward to every week as it means travelling day back to KL to see them. Contrary to early Monday morning where i head back the other way.

The 2 elder brothers, Aiman and Danial also found it hard to adjust to the new surroundings. The new school, new friends and new way of life. They are use to have me around sending them to school, picking them again and so on. There they had to take the van to school everyday. Initially it was exciting as they were experiencing something new but as the days went by the fire slowly burns. Every Friday it would become a day where i send them and pick them, and if i can't make it they would make a long face.

Afiq too has a new school. QDees. He was not excited of the prospect in going to school. His daily routine was waking up and watch cartoon. It was not difficult to convince him going to school but it was not easy as well, plus every Friday the difficulty level goes up a notch as i am at home with him. Seeing him and his progress in school really amazes me. He can read at the tender of age 3 years plus (he is 4 now last month) and speak a few english words. 

What about me? Well, am still adjusting to the travelling life but there are works that is in progress for me. Insyaallah (god willing) i will be with them sooner than later. :)

Forgive Me

Dear Blog,

Sorry for leaving you in a lurch. I have time but it seems that the time is not for you. I know i'll make it up to you somehow, someway.

Please be patient with me. We'll work this thing out. I promise you.

Yesterday

Yesterday..
All my troubles seem so far away..
Now it looks as though they're here to stay..
Oh I believe in Yesterday..

Suddenly I'm not the half the man i used to be..
There's a shadow hanging over me..
Oh yesterday came suddenly..

The song was stuck inside my head while i was driving back from KL to Baling. Yesterday the feeling that i had was a familiar feeling but the last time i had it was 15 years ago.

I was about to go back to Baling and I was sitting in the living room inside my wife's apartment. I was looking at the clock almost every 10 minutes. Then i realized that i was so reluctant to go back that i had wished the time would stop. Just as it was 15 years ago when i was in the boarding school. Every time i was about to go back i would look at the time. I just don't want to go back and wished that i was staying there in KL. All of us together.

Time just wouldn't stop and so life goes on....

IN

Mind block.. writers block.. Goblok..

Dunno what to write. Actually so many things is inside of this head but they are too jumbled up. I can't organize them.

Too many worries, too many expectations, too many at one time... sometimes i just wish that i can take out a magical object from Doraemon's pocket and split myself up.

I wish to be there, but i have to be here. I wish to do that but i need to do this. I wish i can do this but all i can do is that.

I guess i just have to be grateful to God what i have but i just can't escape this feeling of inadequacy, insecurity, insufficient, and incapable..

Hairspray

On Friday during my 1 day off i took my 3 boys to tho local barber shop as their hair was long and i didn't get them cut before the school starts. My eldest said the school prefect had mentioned to him about his hair and asked him to get it cut. I can still remember when i was his age and i was a prefect at the time, i did the same thing too. Checking on them and their hairstyle plus warning them if their hair is not appropriate. If they still did not follow the school regulation they would get punish or would be taken action.

I guess what i did was just following what the teachers had told us to do. but on thinking further i think its not right to scold the school boys or even take action on them. The boys already know that they are not following school regulation but they can't go to the barber themselves right. I mean they are only about standard 1 to 3 which is considered still young and not independent enough for them to go by themselves.

For me, its the responsibility of the parents to bring their children to the barber. And also to make sure that their children are following the school regulations. So its not right to punish the children alone, the parents should be accountable too. If the child is punished in school, he/she would feel that it is unfair to them as they did not do wrong in their eyes because they already told their parents. We as parents should not just let the teachers take care of everything at the school. We must play a big part too. Asking what they did in school, what did they learn in school and etc..

I just hope that i can be a good parent for them and be there for them when they need me the most. And i hope that i can be a good role model for them. Insyaallah.

Stone Temple Pilot

The title might suggest that i might be talking about the band but what i am talking is about stone, renal stone to be exact. At the end of last year i was struck with a medical problem that i didn't think that i would get in my life. It came suddenly out of the blue. I got a renal stone, luckily it was not big and it was on its way out of my body. But the movement of the stone caused a great deal of pain. I was pissing out blood literally, and it was the most excruciating pain ever.

I got it removed as soon as i found out. The procedure was simple, the surgeon introduced a scope or a probe through my urethra via a Ureteroscopic Stone Removal (google it please, i dont want to tell it in detail.) and took out the stone. It was small in size around 0.5mm x 0.3mm but that small stone really did a lot of damage inside. The stone is a calcium oxalate stone which is very common. I didn't get the chance to take a picture of it as they had sent the stone to Australia for an analysis.

Picture of the procedure

The stone looks very much like this

The realization of the disease that i had made me come to terms that i am just another person and not a super person or a superman. The surgeon hit me with the truth, that the stone is caused by myself and by other people. Its the food and water that i had taken for the past 31 years of my life. Apparently i had been taking a lot of acidic food and unhealthy food.

Well for starters, my fav foods is usually seafood like shrimps, squids, and etc... And i have been eating out most of the time. And if i eat at home usually the food would contain 'belacan' as it is my favorite. And the water that i consume doesn't include plain water. Mostly it was carbonated drinks, or colored drinks or even the instant ones and the biggest culprit would be the 'teh ais' which i take almost everyday.

I don't have a family history with renal stone, but with all the factors above plus the area which i am living now is considered as the highest prevalence of people having renal stone so naturally sooner or later i would get it. And i am glad that i got it sooner rather than later. It may sound crazy but i am really grateful that God had given me the chance to feel what is like having this problem. Now i can take better care of my health as a result. And i can tell people with my own experience how it feels and thus i can treat them better.

How to treat it and avoid it in the future. For starters, a lot of modification in my lifestyle especially the foods. I have to avoid all my favourites plus foods that contain high oxalate such as chocolates, spinach, wheat bran. I have to eat less meat, and fish too. It is better to take white meat rather than red meat and especially not to take inside organs such as liver, kidneys. It is because those foods contain high protein content and high protien produces a lot of uric acid which is a factor for stone formation.

The amount of water is important too. I have to take at least 2 to 2.5 liters of water per day to avoid concentrating the urine. It is to dilute the calcium inside of my urine and avoid the stone formation. And of course not to take 'teh ais' anymore.. The content of the water is also important, i need to take water that is slightly alkaline as acidic water promotes stone formation. And also the surgeon advises me not to drink RO (reverse osmosis water as according to him is useless water and in fact will make you worse if you have renal stone) The water is best around ph 7.0 to 7.9.

I am more health conscious than ever before and i hope that i can influence people more by telling my experience. And i hope that i can avoid having a recurrent stone.

Games Numero Uno

The New Year has passed and i have yet to make a definite resolutions yet. But one thing for sure is that i have decided to cut down my daily intake of Facebook. Which i manage to do thus far.

But to day i'm not going to talk about facebook but a similar theme that got me hooked to facebook which is games. I stumbled upon an article in Yahoo Games that highlighted the most recognisable character in the gaming industry.

i had played the game when i was young and the odds are so have you. Which game and character that i am referring to... well, if you guessed Pac-man then you're a genius. Pac-man is a game where you as the Pac-man is required to eat all the pacdots in a maze and the power pellets. You have to finish all the power pellets and the pacdots to go up a level. In addition to the pac-dots and the power pellets, the game also has bonus items in form of a fruit.


The game also has 4 ghosts inside the maze and you need to avoid them or you'll be dead. The ghosts will follow you and sometimes gang you up until you make a mistake. You can also eat the ghosts by eating the power pellets that will make you power up for a while and eat them. Did you know that the ghosts also has their own names which are, Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clide. They also has their own characteristics according to the Pac-man creator.


The game is almost as old as me which is 30 years old this year. I still enjoy playing it despite having played it numerous times. Judging by the popularity and the longevity i guess it will stay here for as long as it can. Well, here's hoping to a 30 years more.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to All of You...

Hopefully this year would be better for me personally as last year was totally not the best year in my life...

Kad Raya and Selamat Hari Raya..

This year most of the kad hari raya were given through facebook or even through e-cards. The traditional kad raya seems to be forgotten. Luckily, a boy named Ahmad Aiman is very excited to learn something new to him which is called Kad Raya. He never knew a kad raya existed before. He even asked me how to make a kad raya. I told him that we don't need to make one. We can just buy the kad raya. He was surprised by the answer as he said that his teacher had asked him to make Kad Raya to be iven to his friends in school.

He later asked me to buy him some kad raya for him as he wanted to give to his friends and teachers. Being a forgetful dad, i forgot to buy him and he got upset. So last night i went out to buy some for him while he was sleeping.

During sahur, i placed the cards on the dining table. He was elated to see the cards and asked when i bought them. He was equally surprised that there were envelopes too as he thought that the envelopes is something that he needed to make too. How naive kids eh. After sahur, while i was waiting for subuh prayers i presumed that he had gone back to sleep. But being so excited of having the raya cards he did not sleep but he was writing on the cards so he can give to his friends during school time.

I still vividly remember the joy of sending cards and receiving them. Sadly the trend is slowly fading. But upon seeing my kid enjoying the raya card i think that there is still hope of the tradition to continue.

As we are approaching raya, i would like to wish all of you SELAMAT HARI RAYA and MAAF ZAHIR BATIN. Wish all of you have a great time visiting your kampung and your loved ones. Drive safely and cautiously.

Here's an E-card for all of you
SELAMAT HARI RAYA!!

Calm and Cool

This morning was a bit of a surprise. I woke up to found out that outside was covered with fog. This morning was a bit chilly and reminded me of cameron highlands and also bukit larut.

It's like living in high country

As you can see, the Hill on the background is covered with the fog and is not even visible from my house. The weather is nice and cooling. Oh how I wish that everyday was like this.

The weather is so nice, felt like going back to sleep

No hill!! Totally covered with fog

The hill during normal days

Baling is not exactly in highlands but it is cool. Especially when it rains. Its not hard not to like this place. But at times like this i wish that my wife is here to enjoy the scenery and serenity.

Oh, and today is little afiq's birthday. Happy birthday afiq!! Bak will post something later ya..

Fasting and sahur.. a tale of eggs

This fasting month is a bit different from the last ramadhan. This year my eldest son Aiman started to train to fast. He had never fast before, so it came as a surprise when he was able to finish the whole day fasting in his first attempt on the first day of ramadhan.

He is also delightfully easy to wake up for sahur. He didnt manage to fast everyday. But almost every other day which is very good for him. I'm so proud of him. Whenever he complains of hunger or thirsty, i asked him not to think of it and concentrate on other things to preoccupy his mind. That was one of the reasons that i had allowed him to play with the PS2. Now he is getting very good with it and even manage to beat me in his favourite game Naruto.

Back to sahur time, he likes to eat mostly rice during sahur. As he always does in other meal time. Last night all of us went to Penang to send their mother to the airport as she is going back to KL. When we got back to baling it is quite difficult for me to buy anything at the stall for sahur. Aiman had requested to eat rice for sahur. Erkk.. Aiyoo, what to do. Rice i can cook but the serving? I dont think so. I spent the night scratching my head on how to prepare sahur. I then said to myself, what the heck. I'll just try to cook something. But what to cook? There is not much in the fridge and i dont think that i can cook something complex.

I scoured the fridge and the answer was just in front of my eyes. What is Aiman fav food. Eggs!! I cant just fry the eggs and eat it with rice like that. So braved myself into cooking. I decided to cook fried eggs with tomato sauce. Luckily it went okay. The taste wasnt the same standard as my wifes cooking but at least it is edible. Hehe. Aiman ate the eggs without saying anything. A good sign eh. Later he said that he liked it. But being aiman, anything with egg he would like it. Haha, success. Now im feeling that im half way being a mr mama.

The not so spectacular eggs with tomato

I've conquered the first hurdle. Maybe in the future i'll try to cook something else that requires more skill. Hehe. I wish.

From McD to Meehon

Spent the whole day thinking of what to have for Iftar or breaking fast. There is only one thing in my was McDonald. Dont know why but i did crave the burgers and the shakes.

Since today i would get off early like i always do on Thursdays. I planned to take all my kids into the Stream and make way to the nearest McD. In seberang perai which is almost 90km in distance. Heh, the nearest. But what to do if you're living in the country region. Heck i cant even call Baling a suburb area.

When i reach home, i told my kids that we were going to McD. I had hoped that the news would be greeted gleefully but something was even bigger than McD. An immovable object. That got my kids hooked for the past 1 week. The Playstation2. The one that i had owned for the past 6 years. Aiman was only 1 year old when i bought it. How time flies!! Now he is able to play it. Now i'm feeling old. Again.

I had to give in to him. While he was playing a Naruto fighting game, afiq fell asleep infront of the tv while drinking his milk. Huh, there goes my McD.

So i rushed off to bazaar ramadhan to scour what to eat for breaking fast. I decided to buy the kids nasi tomato and a modest meehon for myself. Along the way, i met up with one of my patients, who is selling sup tulang and such in the bazaar. He gave me one sup tulang, and he refused to take my money. He just said that to pray for him 'a murah rezeki'. Alhamdulillah, i said to him and wished him to be more successful in his business.

Sometimes, when we didnt not get one thing, god will open other things to us, as long as we keep our mind and heart open. We just have to be thankful in what we have and insyaallah god will give us more.

Introducing... The Dinobots

A few days ago a good friend of mine said that he saw a few spiders in my blog, with it cobwebs too. I replied that the spiders were my pets and i kept them to look after my blog. Hehe.
Actually i think that he saw these Dinobots.
What in the world are Dinobots? Well, they are actually Transformers. One of my favorites actually. Their origin varies from the cartoon series and the comics. Despite the many origin, the Dinobots were portrayed as an elite team of Autobots that kick-ass and doesn't follow orders very well. They are more loyal to each other rather than the Autobots. The Dinobots consists of 5 team members. Grimlock (leader), Snarl, Slag, Sludge and Swoop.

From left to right, Snarl, Sludge, Grimlock, Slag and Swoop

Their team leader is Grimlock.

Grimlock is one of the most powerful Autobots and is equal of Optimus Prime and Megatron. He is a loose cannon and doesn't regard other beings such as humans. Grimlock can snap anything by hi steel jaw in his T-rex mode. He also has Energo-sword and a double-barrelled, self propelled rocket launcher.

Grimlock in a few occasions also has become Autobot leader and also tried to ursurp Optimus Prime as Autobot leader. In the classic animation transformers, Grimlock was pictured as dumb. But he is anything but that. He is ruthless and doesn't follow command very well.

"Among the winners, there is no room for the weak"

Dinobot Snarl

Snarl is a dinobot that transforms into a Stegosaurus. He is a loner and usually unhappy except when he is embroiled in a battle or war. His spirits will lift up when he is fighting.

His spinal tail is gold plated and helps him to increase hi strength during the day, but during the night he is more vulnerable. He usually uses his energon sword rather than a gun

"Only in war there is happiness"

Dinobot Slag

Slag is a dinobot that transforms into a Triceratops. He is one of the dinobots that possess immense raw power and strength. He is also the only one that can stand up to Grimlock. Like other dinobots, Slag likes to battle. He has few friends and most of them are the dinobots only. He also has an energon sword and a high energy rifle.

In Dinosaur mode, Slag can spew up to 3,000 degrees Celcius and up to 25 metres up. His horn can shoot a high lasered beam. His thick head can shatter almost anything.

"I have no need for friends, even less for enemies"

Dinobot Sludge

Sludge is a dinobot that transforms into a Brontosaurus. He also possess enormous strength. He like other dinobots has an energon sword along with a rifle. He does believe that a strong leader like Grimlock should lead rather than a smart leader.

When in dinosaur mode, he can use his feet to stomp on the ground and cause tremors. It is a good weapon when fighting the Decepticons.

"Stomp your enemy, crush him under your feet"

Dinobot swoop

Swoop is different from the other dinobots. Apart that he is the only dinobots that can fly, he also has intelligence superior than the others. Swoop transforms into a pterodactyl. He has 2 missle launchers on both his wings. He initially was called Divebomb but that name was taken by a Predacon. He is less aggresive compared to his Dinobot counterparts.

"Fear can reach targets unreachable by bullets"

Dinobots smash!!

That's one of my collection of transformers. I'll be updating one by one as i grow my collection of G1 transformers.
And by the way Nik, i've sent my spiders away for a holiday. Hehe.