It was a Sunday morning when I awaken early at five thirty to get ready for a ten kilometre run. As I drove out to the starting point which was near the clock tower, I could see that the organisers were ready with their people at the checkpoints. Near the clock tower was the registration of the runners which comprises of various age groups. At the age of sixty-five, I found myself in the veteran men's group, that is made up of all men aged forty and above. 

My aim of going for the run was to gauge my capability in a running race. I have not entered into any running race or long distance jogging for more than twenty years although I consider myself very fit and healthy. Yes, I must be healthy to trek up and down the Semarak Hill every morning with short distance jogging at the level ground at the top. But then, I also understand that running ten kilometres is hardly the same as jogging that short level path at Semarak Hill. 

I ate some food, two slices of whole-meal bread and two bananas about one and a half hours before the race. I added a little salt to my isotonic drink, gave my legs a good rub and massage before setting out. Of course, since I had jumped onto a stone a few days back before this and suffered pain in the left heel, I had to put on three pairs of socks to cushion the impact of the ground on my heel and made the pain more bearable. .

Among those who turned up for the run were two young Kenyans, a man and a woman, as well as a Siamese man. All of them did very well, coming in first in their categories. So each of them received a certificate, a medal and a cheque for RM500. Those who came in second and third received the same things except that the value of the cheques were different. For second place, it was RM300 while a third place got RM100.

The oldest male participant was seventy-two years old while the third oldest female participant was fifty-eight years old. The two oldest women were not around to receive their prizes and so the award has to be given to the third oldest. See! We can still have an active life at seventy-two.

Below are some of the photographs I managed to take when I returned from my run. The only photograph before the run must, of course, be the one in which dawn has yet to arrive.

It was still dark at 6am. when I reported to confirm my participation.

And here I am after my run, muscles overstrained but still standing tall.

And here are some of the participants who have successfully completed the run.

The finishing point with S.P. Plaza in the background.

 

And a runner reaches the finishing point.

Next is the runner who is awarded the oldest woman participant in the event.

And below are the first, second and third winners of the various categories.

Well, did you recognise which of the winners were the Kenyan runners? They both got first prize in their grouping, a handsome young man and a beautiful young woman.

Pictures of the medicated oils mentioned in the previous posting.

This blogger was unable to load the pictures given below when he wrote about these two over-the-counter medical oils even when editing the article. Mysteriously, the uploading is only possible as a new posting. So, here are the pictures so that should anyone need to find alternative means to halt the infection, here it is although the writer himself has not tried it as he has no such problem. Well, when all else fails, here is another opening.


This is the Double Prawn Brand Herbal Oil packaged in this box. The oil is only for external use.


At the side of the box is information concerning its use as well as a warning.


And this is the herbal oil in a bottle.Read the information, instructions and warning given in a leaflet.


The top half of the leaflet found inside the box.


The lower half of the leaflet found inside the box.


Here's the King Cobra Brand Medical Oil in a box.


Inside the box is a bottle of the King Cobra brand medical oil. This oil is also for external use only. Read the instructions given on one side of the box.

Terrific oil from over the counter.

The other day I met a friend whose skin is full of blemishes. So I saw the scabs and semi dried areas where the break in the skin had not totally dried up. There was even a toe which has the tip gone and the nail could no longer be seen.

Since he is a diabetic, I asked him how he managed to survive all those cuts and wounds on his skin. You see, normally, the skin of diabetics have very poor healing capability. I have seen diabetics who ended up having to have extremities of the limbs amputated as a result of wounds and cuts refusing to heal despite being under the care of doctors. Sometimes, it is the fault of the patient as he refuses to take care not to scratch or rub the healing skin, thus exposing the raw flesh to further infection and not allowing scabs to form properly. However, there are also cases where ointment or creams given just had not much effect even when under the supervision of doctors in hospitals and amputation had to be done to prevent the infection from moving further inwards towards the main body part.

This friend told me that he had initially seen a skin specialist and was given a cream. Unfortunately, the cream had no apparent effect. Fortunately, another friend came along and told him about two types of medical oils. He told me that when he heard the advice, he called his friend a fake doctor. Though he laughed at that friend, he was getting desperate. The wound was not healing and the infection was moving deeper. Well, obviously thinking there was nothing much to lose in trying out the fake doctor's advice, he bought the two bottles of medicated oil.

One of them is a herbal oil with the double prawn brand. He used that to rub onto the cuts and wounds. It stung badly and he had to fan or blow on it to lessen the pain but it was effective and soon scabs formed. To have the scabs removed properly he used oil with the cobra brand. Three days after applying this cobra brand oil, the scabs came off nicely. Smiling at me, he told me that the fake doctor was good after all. Those two types of oil are so good for him that he had his children have some ten bottles of them ready inthe house.

Well, we have to accept the fact that some 'fake doctors' do have effective solutions to health problems. We have to listen to the voice of experience and who knows when we may need such knowledge. (However, you are advised to try out the medicines or ointment and cream given by your skin specialist first.)

(Unfortunately, this blogger could not upload images of the oils on this posting. However, pictures of the oils have been posted on the next posting.)

Look what a passion for rare coins can get you!

I have written on the importance of encouraging any kind of interest our children may have. My elder son, for example, has a lot of interests and all of them are encouraged by me at all times. He was interested in stamps and I took out my stamp collection to help him get started. Every opportunity my son, my wife and I had, we looked for stamps from all over. He had a wonderful time arranging them in stamp albums. From them he learned a lot from the various stamps from the many countries they came from.

He was also interested in coins and notes, collecting coins and notes whenever he found the chance and time to do so, putting the notes and coins in albums, appreciating not just the designs but also their rarity.

And today, in the news was an item about an exceedingly rare coin, the 1787 gold Brasher doubloon, which was sold for 7.4 million US dollars which was one of the highest prices ever paid for a gold coin. The identities of the buyer and seller were not disclosed. The company which brokered the deal was Blanchard and Co., a New Orleans-based coin and precious metals company.(Note: The Brasher doubloon is considered the first American-made gold coin denominated in dollars; the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia didn't begin striking coins until the 1790s.)

As it can be seen from the above, hobbies such as coin and stamp collecting can be as much an investment as antiques and paintings. They are worthwhile interests to cultivate as it takes those interested to a desire to know more which could lead to language learning and further reading. Life can never be boring when there are things to be interested in.

So, let us help our children develop more of such interests instead of insisting upon them to read and learn without the motivation to do so. Yes, it is the lack of motivation that leaves children without a purpose in learning, be it language or skill.

Growing the passion.

Passion in something is important if we want our children to be extremely good at it. So, if a child were to be truly interested in something, searching for knowledge on it, doing everything needed to understand it well and constantly as well as tirelessly working at it would never be a chore. It would always be a pleasure. There is no need for the parents to fear that the child would give up easily in his/her search for further knowledge when he/she is passionate about that something.

However, we have also seen children who do not seem to have much interest in anything. Of course, they do get interested in things but not for long. There just isn't that great interest that would stand the test of time and energy. So, in the face of such circumstances, what does the parent do?

To explore everything in his surroundings and become exposed to as many things as possible could be a first move. After getting to know his/her own house well, take him/her out to explore and experience things in the park, at the club, on the beach, up a hill or along the roads. Introduce to the child the birds, insects and animals, plants, trees, flowers and their fruits, the buildings, the people or workers in them, and the various types of vehicles. And the list of things to see, appreciate and know goes on.

When my kids were young, I took them anywhere we could afford to go. Certainly, they were interested in many things. They were interested in animals such as the monkeys in the botanical gardens. A visit to the zoo or some kind of animal-farm was always greeted with delight. Fond of fish in streams and lakes, they would watch intently for many minutes. They delighted in the fruits on the trees and the colourful flowers which they encountered. And today, one of them is a nature lover who cares for animals. This interest has lead him to read so much on animals and become a veterinarian. Today, he still continues to further his knowledge on animals, precious stones and plants.

Next move could be to make available the tools, the objects of interest or the instruments. With them, the child can further his interest should any develop. Of course, be ready for some waste and things left around without any hope of them being used. I have two tennis rackets that has remained used only once. I have musical instruments such as the guitar and harmonicas which interested my children only fleetingly. Never mind for all it takes is just one strike and our children would have a beautiful life ahead. Studies and work connected to their interest would be easy as there could be nothing boring in what they are really interested in.

One of things I have bought my children were watches. Well, normally parents buy watches for their children expecting nothing but their looking at them for the time. The younger of my two sons do not look at watches as time-indicators. To him it was something puzzling that moves its hands so consistently. He just had to know what caused that. So, he dismantled the back cover, studied it and replaced it. That, of course, resulted in it no longer being water-proofed. And he had a spoiled watch. Then when he was about ten or eleven years old, there was this electronic Japanese toy which allows a child to own a pet in it. The owner of the toy has to feed the pet and look after it. As it was too costly, he purchased spoiled ones, repaired them, resold them and earned enough money to buy such a toy. This son became interested in electronic things and even before attending university he was welding, repairing televisions and computers. He is now in his final year in engineering.

Thus, as can be seen, given the opportunities to meet something a child can be passionate about, provided with the necessary things to foster his/her growth in it and given all the aids essential to his/her progress, there can only be one path forward-the path to successful mastery of his passion.

Passion brings everything to life.

Why do some people spent so much time on their work and emerge still fresh and ready for more while others toll through life with dread of work? One of the reasons is the attitude cultivated early in life through knowledge and understanding of how attitude can cause a difference between enthusiasm and disinterest. The choice of attitude would determine the type of outlook the person has on life resulting in the person's success or failure.

Another criteria affecting positive or negative outlook on everything is passion, a strong interest in something. It results in great efforts to achieve particular goals without seemingly tiring effort. Thus, a person with a passion for somethings puts in one hundred and one percent effort into that something, yet emerge fresh and ready to do even more should the need arises.

Take for example a person with a passion for a certain subject. The person would devote all his/her time to the subject, sometimes even forgetting the passage of time or essential needs. To improve on the particular subject, he/she would even delve into all available sources so as to reach or gather more knowledge. Such a person knows no tiredness or any kind of deprivation in his/her passion for subject.Expertise in the subject concerned is the obvious outcome when soon everything regarding the matter has already been grasped, becoming the master of the subject. In such a circumstance, success is a certainty.

As can be seen from the above, achieving success can be accomplished with ease when a passion for something has developed by a person. Such a passion could be inborn or cultivated through circumstances that are favourable for the growth of the passion. It might have started with just a little spark of interest which when encouraged can rage into a fire strong enough to have its light drive off obstacles to sufficiently reach deep and far to find slaking its thirst for information hardly possible.

Knowing how passion can drive a person's energy towards its goal, should we not, as parents, learn to recognise our child's interest or prepare fertile ground for the growth of such interest? Helping the growth of our child's interest or encouraging the interest seen in our child would be the first step to helping him/her towards a great wonderful future in which whatever is done is done with passion, with a love that can only lead to mastery of his/her interest. Certainly, there can be no greater happiness than being engaged in one's strong interest throughout life. Lovely is the life of a person under such circumstances.
(Next: Growing the passion.)

A choice of attitude.

This morning, this lady told me, "Oh, no! Time goes by too fast. Today is another working day and there's so much to do."

Thus, she faced another day with dread, knowing that work awaited her. She was, of course, not too happy with having to wake up early, to rush for her transport to take her to work and the fact that she would have to perform some kind of task before returning home tired in the evening.

As for me, I awaken each morning at 5.30 am to get myself ready for a hike up the Semarak Hill with the expectant joy of cool, fresh air and lovely scenery there besides the greetings and exchanges of messages and thoughts with the numerous friends and acquaintances that I am bound to meet there. I expect to return stronger, healthier, fitter and happier than ever.

See the difference in our attitudes towards the new day. Of course, I expect you to say it would be easy for me to have the better attitude as I am looking forward to something enjoyable and not work.

But then, who said work could not be enjoyable? When I was teaching, I woke up each morning, aware that I was still so much alive to face another beautiful day. I would smile at myself in the mirror and be delighted to have my image respond likewise. That was something I learned from some of my teachers, the ones who taught me about living and life, such greats as Napoleon Hill, Norman Vincent Peale and Dale Carnegie. I would reach the school early so that I would not have to rush but have the time to look at the beauties, nature and humans, along the way. Meeting and greeting friends each day was and still is a pleasure that lightens whatever loads and makes each day so fleetingly short that I had no alternative but to treasure almost every moment.

I loved my work and despite the numerous problems that students did cause, it was sufficiently interesting especially when results were achieved and personal satisfaction was derived from it. Perhaps it was my ego but then it was great to have such an ego when all it did was to make living such a challenge that brought a sense of achievement in the end. To this day I can still lay claim to the fact that I had 100% passes with my SPM art students every year during my teaching career. (SPM is the public examination at form five level.) It is also my pride that my gymnasts did very well through my training. Of course, it involved a lot of hard work, five days a week but then gymnasts can never be really good unless sufficient training and practice is held. Well, it was worth it as results fed the ego and that gave a wonderful feeling nothing else could have. So, ego can sometimes be a good thing although being too egoistic can be bad.

And all that wonderful joy was the result of one's attitude towards one's work. And that pleasure is for life as each time I meet an old student, his/her delight at meeting someone meaningful in his/her life gave me further happiness.

Attitude towards life and work is our choice. We can get up each morning with a happy thought of meeting wonderful friends and seeing beautiful things as well as achieving good work or we can awaken with the thought of gloomy skies, dull colourless objects on the way and having to meet lousy people throughout the day. Both choices are possible. We make it so.

When it comes to meeting beautiful people, it is easy as our friends would be around to smile, laugh and joke with us. Our way to work could be filled with lovely plants and flowers in some gardens or at the roadside. Listen and be greeted each morning by the whistling of birds, "Tweet, twee, twee, tweet!" which sounds like "Look at that girl!" or "Hi, handsome one!" Watch the butterflies as they flutter by and should there be a breeze, slow down and love its cool touch of your cheeks. And at work think of the service we can render to so many people. Think of what we can do. Not everyone has the skill or knowledge or capability that we possess. And know that God has sent us here to perform a mission.

Of course, it is just as easy to choose not to enjoy the sights on the way, not to notice the little girl digging her nose at the bus-stop or the man with a different coloured sock on each leg. It is easy to get up as late as possible, plod into the working place, flop into a chair and wonder when the day could be over, hope no one would interrupt the little shut-eye and wish that there is nothing to be done. Well, everything is possible to him/her who desires it. But which would we prefer?

A visit to South-East Asia's largest vineyard.

Yesterday, 27th of November, was a lovely Sunday with the promise of a sunny day. So a friend and my son went with me to what was advertised as the largest vineyard in South-East Asia, Beris Lake Vineyard, in Sik, Kedah, Malaysia, some twenty-five kilometres from Sungai Petani.

At Lake Beris, which is a short distance after the town, we came to a long bridge which span the river flowing into the lake. Just before the bridge was a road on the right which took us to a parking lot in front of the entrance to the vineyard.

We spent about an hour and a half strolling leisurely between the vines that were grown about 7 metres apart appreciating the the bunches of green and red grapes that hung down just above our mouths.

According to a worker at the vineyard, the grapes are organically grown. The manure for the vines come from the cow farms around the area. I wonder what are the cows from the area fed, grass or processed food?

Concerning possible problems to the grapes, rain could damage the grapes. Firstly, the vines must be in well-drained soil. Too much water could also cause the quality of the grapes to drop. Therefore, the vineyard is covered totally with a plastic canopy and there are drain-pipes as well as drain holes to ensure that the ground is not water-logged.

This outing is better seen from the pictures that I have uploaded for everyone to enjoy. Well, a picture paints a thousand words and many pictures do depict the whole story. However, words do have their use as they help explain what may not be obvious.
From the car park, up the stairs to the front door leading to the vineyard.


One of the posters at the entrance where it is stated that the vineyard started operation in November 2007.

This must be an old entrance. Toilets are on the left side of the building. That was the first place most visitors go to, perhaps to contribute some fertilisers.
In front of the new entrance is this poster claiming this place to be the largest vineyard in South-East Asia.

A resting area with the door to the place at the far end. Visitors sit around and discuss what they have seen after moving around the place.
Signs near the ticket counter showing how far away the various vineyeards in the place.

From the visitors' resting area we go to a section on the right to the ticket counter. At the back of that counter were objects for sale such as clothing and souvenirs.
For children, the entrance fee is two ringgit each. (Note: One US dollar is approximately three ringgit twenty sen at the time of posting. One hundred sen makes a ringgit.)
And for adults, it is four ringgit each.

Here are some of the souvenirs and cordials that visitors can buy home.
And should there be anyone interested in growing a grape vine in a 2.2 x 2.2 metre plot in his garden there are plants with the right fertilisers for him/her to buy.
We did not buy the plants. As we were thirsty, we bought for each of us a small bottle of grape juice which, according to the label, was 100% fresh, actually meaning that it was made from fresh grapes.
What was disappointing about the drink was that sugar was added to the juice, so it most probably could not be 100% juice since the grapes ought to be sweet enough if it is purely grape juice. I believe water must have been added, thus the need for sugar although water was not listed on the label. Besides that, I noticed that colouring and certain chemicals have also been added.

Look at these small green grapes! upon entering the vineyard, we saw these cute little grapes. They were just at the entrance into the vineyard. I believe they are a little more than a month old. Still so tiny, still so green.

And then we came to bigger green grapes with a tinge of yellow that could be almost three months old, a month to harvesting time.
Up above us was this canopy of leaves with new shoots tied to the old shoots so that they would not shoot upwards but at almost the same level as the old shoots which is approximately seven feet or 2.2 metre above the ground.
Next, we come to rows and rows of vines bearing dark-red grapes. We were told the grapes would be black and sweet when they ripen in a month's time. At three months they are still red and sour as they are still far from ripe.
And looking upwards, we saw lots of grapes indicating the success of the vineyard.

Alongside the vines are pipes conveying water to them.

A close view of grapes at three months which are still sour as they are not yet ripe. It takes four months for them to ripen.


Wow! Juicy grapes within reach but visitors can only see, touch but not pluck.



When the grapes are plentiful, the vines are covered with leaves. Look at those grapes!



At four months the grapes are ripe and sweet enough to be harvested. Two months after the harvest, the vines are pruned and gone are the leaves. This has to be done so that new shoots and leaves can bring another good crop of grapes.


Slowly, new shoots and leaves begin to emerge and soon leaves are covering the top again. According to a worker at the vineyard, the plants are given cow-dung as manure once every three weeks. The cow-dung is taken from the farms around the area.




Once again, the vines are heavy with leaves and are ready for the next crop of grapes.

Drainage holes are necessary as the vines need well-drained soil and below you can see a drain-pipe for water which flows from the plastic canopy at the top.