Sunday, October 26, 2014

Taiping....Thaipeng....Tepeng

Sofiyah had her last paper Thursday 9 October for her PT3 exam.  I then went to her school to take her home.  After packing our bags, I called Ayeshah to drive us to the KTM station for our ride to KL Railway Station.  Both of us were carrying our cabin size luggage and when we wanted to go to  the platform on the opposite side, we were disappointed when the lift had broke down.....again.  So we had to carry our luggage up the long flight of stairs and cross the pedestrian overhead bridge to get to the other side.  

We were surprised when, upon reaching the top, an MRT worker, a Bangladeshi, came to our aid.  He helped to carry both our luggage to the other side.  I thanked him and gave him RM5, which he refused at first, but I told him to use it to buy his lunch.  

The KTM commuter to KL Railway Station only arrived around noon.  We reached the station about forty five minutes later.  I rushed to the ticket counter to purchase two tickets on the ETS for our trip to Ipoh.  I understood there will be a train leaving KL Central at 1pm.  So I told the ticket clerk that I would like to purchase the 1pm ticket to Ipoh  He refused to issue me the tickets and insisted that I bought the 3pm ETS to Ipoh instead.  That really annoyed me.  Rather than wasting my time arguing with him, I bought the 3pm ticket.  

As soon as I reached the platform where Sofiyah was waiting for me, the 1pm ETS arrived.  It was then 1.09pm at KL Railway Station.  Sofiyah and I boarded the train, but we were on the wrong coach.  Our tickets were for coach D but we sat in Coach J.  There were only half a dozen passengers so we sat right in front where there was plenty of leg room.  Then when the lady ticket inspector came on board, she accepted our tickets, no question asked.  Alhamdullilah.  Otherwise we have to wait for the 3pm ETS.

The ETS ride was very confortable.  We were both hungry, so Sofiyah bought food at the coach where the mini cafe was located.  We both ate fried mee hoon.  Sofiyah also bought a beef burger. We finally reached Ipoh at 3.40pm.

 (me on the ETS to Ipoh from KL Railway Station)

After our Zuhur/Asar prayers at the station's surau, I called hubby to inform him that we have reached Ipoh.  Hubby told us to continue the journey to Taiping because he was still at Sungei Panjang.  So, Sofiyah and I then took a taxi to the bus terminal which was just around the corner from the railway station.  That hardly five minutes ride cost us RM10.  What a rip off!!!

We finally reached Taiping at 6pm and called Wahiduzzaman to pick us up.  Wahid told us to wait for him at the nearby Masjid Taiping.  As soon as we reached the masjid, it started to rain very heavily.  When Wahid finally arrived, the rain had stopped.  So he drove us to Taiping Perdana Hotel where we stayed for the night.  

(Sofiyah in the bus to Taiping)


After checking in and leaving our luggage in our rooms, Wahid took us to dinner at Doli restaurant where I had mee rebus while Sofiyah and Wahid had fried kuey teow. We then returned to the hotel and waited for hubby.  He only arrived at 9pm.

The next morning, we drove to Taiping Lake Garden and theTaiping Equine Park, followed by the trip to the Taiping Museum of History.  

  











(the above pictures were at the Taiping Equine Park)






 (pictures at the Taiping Lake Garden)



(pictures at the Taiping Museum of History)




Friday, October 24, 2014

Penang...Penang...Penang

We left Taiping after Friday prayers and headed to Penang.  Our last visit was when we ate pesambur and penang laksa at Jln Gurney.  We were on our way home from Padang Besar then.  But as for hubby this was his second trip in two weeks....hehehe..

For our trip this time around we took the Penang 2nd bridge, thinking it would be a lot faster.....boy....were we wrong.... There was a horrible jam when we drove into Penang.....so hubby decided to use the waze app to get us out of the jam.

We then found ourselves driving up Balik Pulau to Ferringhi....It was raining the whole journey up and down the winding road.....Wahiduzzaman was driving.

When we finally reached the hotel....Alhamdullilah the rain stopped.  So we had dinner at a Pakistani restaurant, Safar Marwah, just across the road.  Then we went shopping along Bt Ferringhi.

I bought myself a cotton patchwork sling bag....Made in Malaysia. That was what the sales guy told me.  Well...the workmanship was good alright.

The next morning after breakfast....Sofiyah and I went to the beach and had fun 'swimming' in the sea. Wahid then joined us. Then we all went to the hotel swimming pool where my children taught me to tread water....
I was still umable to master treading water.   Really really need to learn......

We left Penang, after having lunch at Jln Gurney.  This time we took the ferry to the mainland. 

We sent Wahid to the hotel we stayed earlier in Taiping since he left his car there.  We bid goodbye. I gave him my big hugssss and kisses.

Then hubby drove us all the way home. 

Thursday, October 23, 2014

My 1st run after four years.....


I was one of the early birds that registered for the Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2014.  But of course I registered for the 10Km (Cruise) run only...... I wanted to test myself whether I could run and finish the race after undergoing meniscus surgery last May.

After the surgery, I had physiotherapy three times a week until just before Ramadan.  Then I stopped going for physio during Ramadan.  About a week after Eid I continued physiotherapy at Colombia Asia Hospital in Cheras.  Then when my medical insurance for physiotherapy expired, I quit going for physio altogether.

But then, since I felt no pain on my knee whatsoever, I began running on the treadmill at home.  I could only run 2.3km within 30 mins at a speed of 4km/h...zero incline.  I was very cautious with my running....fearing injury.

Then when I went to see my orthopaedic doctor at KPJ Kajang re my second toe on my right foot which had two screws and a metal plate inserted, whether I could have it removed, I took the opportunity to seek his advice whether I could run the 10Km in October.  I told him about my meniscus surgery in May and the numerous visit to the physiotherapy clinic at Colombia Asia.which had, Alhamdullilah, strengthen my knee and enable me to do my solat without sitting on the chair or on the floor.

The doctor then recommended that I continue with physiotherapy using the Anti-Gravity Treadmill.  I was not allowed to take pictures of the AGT at the clinic....so I download this picture from the internet.


 To see how it works, please visit:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x99fPa7RSaU

Then, on my last day at the physio clinic, just before Hari Raya Haji, the hospital officially launched the AGT.  Since I was there doing my exercises, I had the honour of being the first patient to use the bionic leg brace..... I actually felt like Robocop...hehehe.....Every move I made, wearing the bionic leg brace, there were sounds exactly like what we heard when every time Robocop moves......


 Then four days (October 8) before I ran the 10km (October 12), I joined Edwin Koh, a runner who works at KKLW Putrajaya, for a run from KKLW, across the bridge and  up and around the PICC, a distance of about 4.3km which took me 45 mins of non stop running.  Sofiyah was with me and it was amazing that she could run all the way with Edwin's running buddies. They were all ahead of me, but at least, they were not out of my sight.....heheehe....  Edwin truly motivated me and gave me the encouragement I needed.  I am very grateful to Edwin.

I met Edwin when I ran my first 10Km at the Standard Chartered KL Marathon in 2010.  I ran without carrying my mobile.  So, when I finished the race I needed to call my children who were somewhere among the crowd.  When I tried to borrow a mobile phone, nobody wanted to lend me except Edwin.  Then after calling one of my children, and thanking Edwin, we moved on.

It was only after a few days later that I tried contacting Edwin by sms.  I thought he was Malay, until he gave me his name.  Then when we spoke on the phone, he spoke Malay fluently and told me he was from Melaka and a baba-nyonya descendant.  We have been friends since that day.

Running is my passion, and when I could not run after the StandChart KL Marathon in 2010 due to plantar fasciitis which I had to endure for almost two years.  I was cured completely in 2012, Alhamdullilah.  But then, in Feb 2013, I broke my little toe on my right foot when I slipped and fell on the kitchen floor.  I had surgery where the surgeon mend the broken toe by inserting two wires to speed up recovery.  Alhamdullilah, I recovered fully after three months.  But then in November 2013, i knocked my right foot on the sofa's metal leg and I broke my second little toe.  This time the toe broke into two, so the surgeon inserted a metal plate and two screws.  Again, it was a few months later befor I fully recovered.

Alas, misfortune struck me again, when in May this year, I tore my meniscus whilst training for the Deuter Putrajaya Trail Run. I had Atroscopic Meniscus surgery, and was hospitalised for three days.  Alhamdullilah, I have recovered from surgery and after undergoing physiotherapy.

Finally on Sunday October 12, I woke up at 4am so that I could catch the free LRT ride from Sungei Besi to Masjid Jamek in KL.  The free rides were from 3am to 6am.  But then hubby and my daughter Ayeshah wanted to drive me instead.  We left the house at 4.15am with Sofiyah and Khairulzaman waving goodbye at the gate. I was so touched.

When we reached KL at around 4.30am, most of the roads were not accessible to traffic.  So, while waiting for Fajr prayers, we lepak at McD besides Tawakkal Hospital.  I had a mug of hot MILO and five pieces of dates. Hubby had McFillet with hot tea, while Ayeshah tapau her McBeefburger for later.  We then had our solat Fajr at the HKL surau.  It was already 6.15am when we left the surau and headed for Jln TAR.  Hubby dropped us off near Maju junction and we walked all the way to the Start area at Jln Tar near SOGO.


 (me with a StandChart volunteer)

(tip toed to see the front line)

When Ayeshah and I were on our way to the 10Km cruise paddock, we bumped into KJ who was on his way to the VIP tent.  Ayeshah was frustrated because she could not take a picture of KJ....so close yet so far.....

(KJ at the Finish line)

For me the route for 10Km was a lot easier this time around.  Perhaps its because I ran slower....hahahaha..... Anyway, I did ran all the way, maintaining my pace, but ran a lot slower uphill near padang merbok....felt like walking all the way up...but fearing that if I did that.....I might stop running altogether.....

Along the route there were three water stations....I grab a mug of cold water at each station and drank while running slowly, dared not stopped completely.  There were also pitt stop, I counted three.  The first pitt stop had a long queue for each cubicle.  The second pitt stop had shorter queue at each cubicle...while the last pitt stop....there was no one.....Hahahaaaa.......

My biggest challenge was the last 1km.   I could still breathe normally, no panting whatsoever.....no pain on my operated knee (I was wearing a knee supporter, just in case) and I was running downhill....maintaining my speed...i.e.slow slow slow...dare not put too much pressure on my knee.  Descending is more frightening than ascending to me. 

Then when I reached the corner infront of Masjid Negara, I began to run normally towards the Finish line.  About 100 metre to the Finish line, I saw Ayeshah sitting on the kerb in the middle of the road dividing us 10Km runners and the FM and HM runners.  Ayeshah took the following shots. Thank you Ayeshah.  

Alhamdullilah, I Finished my run.  In shaa Allah, I will run again next year, perhaps the HM??





(me running the last 100 metres to the Finish line)

(me with my Finisher medal)

(the medal and my bib)

(a 25 sec video from the Finish line)



(the above are the official result)

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Beautiful and unpolluted...Sungai Bil








We were in Tanjong Malim and ventured into Proton City when we came across this orang asli village...  As we drove further into the village....we came across this beautiful scenery of unpolluted river.....it was awesome.....Subhanallah.




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