Last day at ISPCA
Went to ISPCA early Sunday morning after my morning run.
I made sure that NOBODY did any mushy sad talk. Everything went well. Doreen, Andrew, Pak Cik, and the maids all wished me well.
A lovely gift! A dog and cat pendant on a necklace and those long dangly earrings I like.
Dinner at Sushi King
Yep! We got a cake for saja-saja. And not just any cake. A tri-functional Classic Cheese Cake from Secret Recipe - for Eveline and Tracy's birthdays and my return to the States today.
and after that...
We *gave in* to our 'anti-chinadollcuteposing' sentiments toward sticker photos. This was taken with our own camera after that killer photo session.
September 26, 8.15am
Plane takes off today at 3.15pm.
Dad did a funny thing today. Went off to school as usual.
Half an hour later, he returned home, "I'll follow you guys to the airport lah! See Ling off.."
*Hu-hu. My eyes must have did the trick!*
Seeya guys later! Davis, here I come. Malaysia, I will be BACK!
¶ 4:29 PM
Dinner at Assam House with ISPCA's lovely Aunty Doreen, Mr & Mrs Tham, Uncle Sim & family. I am going to miss them dearly.
*Yuck i look FAT at that angle and silly with my hair over my ear like that*
What do you do when old people shed their tears for you??? I become a dumb-dumb and dont konw what to do or say! Elp!
Saturday, 6.30am Pologround
Met up with Coach Alvine whom i met at the Sg Siput run. We did a short half hour run (approx 6km) on the route he trains his runners on.
- He set the pace well. We could even have a conversation as we went along
- Said I was a 'born runner'..(How true is that, we shall find out..)
- Said I have a good running style and the right runner's 'frame'..
- and that if I had met him earlier he would have trained me and I would be running nationally by now
- encouraged me to contact him once i come back after two years. Potential for SEA Games???
THIS IS TOO MUCH!!
ME?! AFTER ALL THESE YEARS..!
But then again.. I DO wanna have proper training with a proper coach/trainer. We'll see...when I return next time!
Meanwhile, SAN FRANCISCO HALF MARATHON, HERE I COME BAYBEH!!!
4.00pm Jusco Parking Lot outside TGV
*Just couldn't resist this one. The Myth had beautiful poster boards up*
Back to the story:
After watching The Myth with my sis, we found our Wira with a .....
FLAT TYRE!
So yours truly the *strong* started work...
Un-natting (correct spelling? Ok. I meant loosening the nat) the spare tyre first...
Setting up the "what-you-call-that-thing?" to jack up the car. I dunno what you call it but I KNOW WHAT IT's FOR and HOW TO USE IT! There.!
Loosening the nats on the flat tyre..(now don't go looking at places where you shouldn't look)
After this point, no more photos cos the camera ran out of space and 'dear sis' just couldn't bear deleting the pictures of her lovely dovey face!
Anyway, it was a nice experience observing how the passer-bys (yea, you get lots of traffic outside TGV) looked at us two girls *wierd*.
Why? YOu think girls don't know how to change tyres arh!?
There was this group of guys opposite us who almost crossed over to our side to offer help. But after realizing we didnt really need any help at all, they backed off and went back into Jusco.
It WAS funny to see the look on their faces.
GIRLS KICK ASS!
¶ 7:17 AM
Guess what Alvine (Brooks Runners coach) told me yesterday?
Gua Tempurung with darling Fei Yian and her HACC friends. Right after that, headed to Lata Kinjang waterfalls - making Jawi's childhood wish to find that waterfall (which can be seen as you go up the North-South highway) come true. Finished off the day with Tosai Anaconda at Nasmir - this really managed to surprise all of them. And u know what? They initially ordered ONE EACH! BWAHAHAHA. But of course, we settled with just one. Pictures are all with Fei Yian.
Thursday, Sept 14
Went down to KL to meet up with Mdm Siew Kheng, my ex-UITM teacher who is one of the 'bestest' teachers i ever had.
Friday, Sept 15
ISPCA. Met up with an old friend who was leaving the next day. It will be 2 more years till we meet again. Trained like a bozo in pologround for the Sg Siput run. I had it coming. Lacked energy to run a full 7km.
Saturday, Sept 16
Bukit Merah with family.
Ha...any second from now, lizard lovers are definitely going to feed me to the crocs!
*THIS IS 100% UN-PHOTOSHOPPED!*
How did my sister manage to snap such a picture??!?!
Sunday, Sept 18
Now, THIS is the entry that deserves a lot of time and space. Here's why.
Run was scheduled to start at 7.00AM.
And guess what happened at 7.00AM?
*T-SHIRT AND BIB NUMBER COLLECTION*
Two days before the run, Mum and I drove down to Sg Siput not once but TWICE to collect the shirt and bib - only to leave empty handed because the "orang in-charge" was not present/collection postponed. Seriously, this will be my first "How do Malays do things wan ah?"
So the run started at 8.30AM. It was raining 90% of the time. Running in the rain was an experience though - especially with the 'tahan berak' state i was in.
I did not do well - and that was expected. After all, my training was sucky and I was all worn out from the string of activities days before the run. But anyway, I did beat my previous timing for the Ipoh Half Marathon (July 3, 2005) by about 1:30 minutes.
How did those women finish in 43 minutes??!?! I can only manage at least a ONE HOUR to complete a 10km.
Why am I asking this? Oh yea. Because I never had any coaching, formal training, or any groupee training. So now, who can sponsor this gal who needs proper training?
Back to what I really wanted to say:
YOu see, the form for the run clearly stated in black and white that the top ten runners will get prizes in the form of money.
But, all those who won were made to wait FOUR HOURS at the place before it was finally given to them. But what did they get?
*HALF THE AMOUNT PROMISED ON A CEK TUNAI*
WHAT is CEK TUNAI?? "Pay to the order of... tunai..." Bukan sudah lapuk ka, cek tunai?
So everyone had to get their checks rewritten! Not to mention even more waiting...
..and waiting...
and waiting..
...and somehow, the malay guy in charge managed to run away to the carpark to have a chatty 'discussion' with his 4 sidekicks. Soon after, unsatisfied runners had to join them to hurry things up. So..(I can sing a tune for this line now!) "How do Malays do things wan ah?"
more waiting....
and waiting...
Tempers were raised. Fists were clenched. Shouting. Pushing a poor old pakcik who was only doing his job in helping out..
...and the 'people who owe us our earned money' ran off again to the trees.. (were they thinking they could get away if they got closer to the fence? Go figure)
more waiting...
and more waiting..
then guess what happened? THE MAYBANK CHECKBOOK FINISHED!
the poor young man (an indian, NOT malay THANK GOD!) offered to use his personal check book and wrote the remaining checks.
jangan harap la, if that person in charge of the checkbook was a malay.
disgrace.
this is by far the stupidest and lamest organizing committee for a run.
dang it i just hate HATE HATE (ABHORS the word!!!)the 'lazy-saya tak kisah-tunggu lama sikit ya-saya orang melayu kamu jangan buat bising-saya suka malas' look on those malay men who were in charge of this mess.
this is when i wish i could say the *f* word with ease.
but then i remember,
i am a polite mild-mannered and good-natured young lady,
who love doggies and running,
and cannot burst into flaming tempers,
because everyone says its not good
for young ladies like me to get angry, masam, or mad.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAH!
so guess what i did while waiting?
I sashayed here and there and talked to people and took pictures and stayed cool.
And that's how i met the Brooks Runner Club coach and members. Yay. A potential running groupie to join after i return from US. AT LAST.
¶ 3:29 AM
1. ISPCA-ing almost everyday except Sundays
2. Training *poorly* for Larian Perpaduan Sg Siput 10K
3. Eating GOOD FOOD - making it a point to take this task seriously - as I have not been savouring as much delish Malaysian food as I should.
*Did you know that I only got to sink my teeth into my FIRST Roti Canai just LAST WEEK in KL? After 2 months back in Malaysia, I am a failure when it comes to eating good food*
Nadia 0h-so-thoughtfully passed me some baton. I missed the pass but Sara jumped and caught it instead.
So its Sara's. Not mine.
Since Sara can't exactly 'talk', the relieved but proud owner will on her behalf..
1. I flip over and lie on my back with four legs up when I suspect something bad is going to happen to me
2. I like sleeping in the drain - when it is dry of course
3. I like playing *paw-paw* with Xing Ling - even though I don't know what its supposed to mean.
4. I let my kennel mate eat my bowl of food when she pushes me away from my bowl - Xing Ling hates it when I do that. So she takes me outside and gives me another bowl, which I cannot finish on my own
5. I demand to be carried by Xing Ling all the way out of the ISPCA gate before I will walk with her.
Sara passes the baton to her five canine friends at ISPCA
1. Patch the adorable Spitz (Bobo's wife before he was adopted)
2. Monica the black and silky furred dog
3. Tempang the 3-legged black white dog
4. Shushee the vertically challenged and tiny spitz
5. Buta the blind pug
And so, I shall not be *guilty* of imposing any baton responsibilities upon my human friends. ¶ 5:29 AM
Headed to KL on Tuesday in hope of finding a solution to the Sara situation. I have been silently calling this the Sara Project: Operasi Membawa Sara ke California, USA.
Yep. Pretty crazy and hypomanically driven.
But things have took on a turn for the best. Thank GOD. Even though I had already spent a bomb - it was all well worth it.
*Larian Perpaduan Sg Siput coming up in 9 days! NINE DAYS!*
*I met Dr Gilbert today - AGAIN. Heart still fluttering. I saw him..HIM, after vowing to myself never to visit his clinic again. Of all places, Tesco. Sheesh. And being the shy and embarrassed lass I am when it comes to crushes, I avoided his gaze - thanks a lot to my sister for pulling me away. We did walk behind him all the way to the car park. Oh, don't get me wrong. I am not stalking him. I'm TRYING to avoid meeting him remember...???*
Was watching a Japanese drama series about a successful woman being in love with a married man. Oh no. Is this what is in store for my future?
*eep*
¶ 5:31 AM
I can't bear to lose her. What if things done work out? I don't want to gamble with things. I need to know for sure.
Heard the news of the deaths of two dogs in just one day. ARGH. My USJ church pastor's dog, Blessing died of lung cancer. And even closer to home, a close friend's dog also passed away. Why Why Why. After how loyal and caring they are. After how much they adore their owners - Shouldnt they deserve more time on earth?
Not only that, Kak Atun from ISPCA has left for Medan. We sent her off last night, Doreen, Mrs Tham, the maids, and I. It was all so sudden. Without kak Atun, I'm a hopeless blur girl at ISPCA. No one to tell me what to do, where to go, and how to do things.
Are all these signs that Sara can't come with me?
GOD PLEASE HELP. IF YOU ARE TRULY WHO YOU ARE. PLEASE.
And I don't want to start again.
It's too tiring.
Thanks for the email. But no thanks.
¶ 5:45 AM
