A day trip in Bruges, Belgium

Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is one of the Europe's most important landmarks as the city centre has hardly changed since the Middle Ages. Bruges is known for its lace, beers and chocolates like truffle.
I found that there is no custom check from France border to Belgium. This is quite normal if you travel within Europe countries.

Le Tour de France in London

What a luck that I can spot the Tour de France race this year. For the first time in its 100 year history, the Tour de France will be starting (Grand Depart - Stage One) from central London (Trafalgar square) and travel through south London (Bermondsey, Deptford, and Greenwich) before travelling into Kent. The route winds through the beautiful Kent countryside before the stage finish in Canterbury.
The Tour de France is the world's best-known cycling race, a three week long road race that covers a circuit of most areas around France, and sometimes neighbouring countries. The race is broken into stages from one town to another, each of which is an individual race. The time taken by cyclists to complete each stage becomes a cumulative total in order to decide the outright winner at the end of the Tour. For more information please visit http://www.tourdefrancelondon.com/

Time stood still for me when ......

This is the place you may consider if you would like to be in two zones and get a bit of fresh air. Greenwich park is the oldest enclosed Royal Park and home to a small herd of fallow and red deer. It is situated on top of a hill, you can enjoy sweeping views across the River Thames to St Paul's Cathedral and beyond. The park is part of the Greenwich World Heritage Site, host to the Prime Meridian Line and the old Royal Observatory. There are several historic buildings nearby including the Royal Naval College, the National Maritime Museum and the Queen's House.
Greeenwich Mean Time (GMT) is a term originally referring to mean solar time at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich in England. It is now often used to refer to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) or when this is viewed as a time zone.

Hang in there

Difficulties arise in the lives of us all.
What is most important is dealing with the hard times,
coping with the changes and getting through to the other side
where the sun is still shining just for you.
So beginning today and lasting a lifetime through -
Hang in there and don't be afraid to feel like the morning sun is shining just for YOU.

Time to change

I just bought a Nike Women Air Pegasus recently after struggling between Asics and Nike. An early Christmas present for myself. This is my second pair of Nike shoe since 2004. It costs £51.99 after discount. It is not a good deal if convert to RM. Anyway, it is too late to regret. All these years, Adidas shoes have been taking some of the space in my shoe rack. It is always my favourite shoes for running. Maybe it is time for me to try a different model. Air Pegasus has been voted as one of the top running shoes in 2006 due to its nice roomy fit feels secure without restricting your foot. Plus, it's flexible with just the right amount of cushioning. I like the bouncing feel as it will reduce the impact to my legs. I can't wait to give it a try when the weather is getting better. :-)

Always create your own dreams

Dreams can come true if you take time to think about what you want in your life.
Get to know yourself.
Choose your goals carefully.
Find out what is important to you.
Don't be afraid to make mistakes.
Laugh and have a good time.
Open yourself up.
Live life to the fullest.
Create your own dreams and follow them until they are a reality.

You See Impossible, I Saw Finish Line – Flora London Marathon 2007

Yes, I make it. Due to the crazy idea from my colleague, I have taken part Flora London Marathon 2007 as one of the 'feel the route' runner. I was struggling last few days and wondering is that really works. In fact, nobody will spot me as there are around 30,000 runners in this race. Besides, this is not an offence but more like a challenge. I never expect I am in UK this year and it was too late for me to register the run too.

Flora London marathon has been held each year in London since 1981, usually in April. It was held on 22^nd April this year. It kicks off at Greenwich Park and Blackheath, continues through Surrey Quays, Brunel Road, Tooley Street, Canary Wharf, the Tower of London, Embankment, Parliament Square and Birdcage Walk, with a royal finish on The Mall by Buckingham Palace. The run started at 9am (elite runners) and 9.45am (mass runners). I expected to complete the run before 3pm. Gosh, I will be burned like roasted chicken by the time I came back.

I woke up about 5:15am to take the 6:52 train to Maze Hill. The weather was cloudy, fairly warm. I know I am on the correct train when more and more runners get into the train after half an hour. The station was crowded with marathon runners when I reached there around 8am. I followed the runners who were going to the red start.

I took a new flavour Powerbar but the taste still the same. One word for it ‘yuck’. That’s all I have for my whole marathon journey.

By taking a loophole from the barrier, I manage to go into the crowd before the starting point. It took me 10 minutes by walking to the starting line after the gun went off.

The crowds that turn out along the 26.2 mile route of the Flora London Marathon really impressed me. Thousands turn up to cheer on friends, family and colleagues as they put themselves through a huge mental and physical challenge. This is a race that I could not take my eyes off all the way till finish. There are band performance, motivation music from the shops and funny costume worn by some of the runners. The support from the crowds is phenomenal. I never feel alone by running on my own. The wonderful atmosphere and crowds inspiring marathon sights has distracted my mind from thinking whether I can finish the run or not.

It is getting hotter when I pass through 15km mark. I was pleased to reach the Tower Bridge and the crowds are rousing when passing over the bridge, which mean I’m also close to the half way point. The photographers on Tower Bridge were taking photos to runners who pass through. I might be on the video too. :P

A lot of runners having a hard time with the sun shining and the temperature set to rise above 21C as the day wore on. I saw a lot of runners were suffering and walking with cramps. I manage to survive as I was bought up in a 34C whole year country. However I can’t run away from sun burn on my face and hands.

There are four run-through showers installed along the route to refresh the runners. I really enjoy that. The use of bottles rather than cups for water is convenient for runners to grab the water from volunteers. However it also meant that the later runners were unable to have water to drink. The water had simply run out once. Anyway the organiser added an extra 2,600 bottles of water to the normal stock of 25,000 bottles at each station to help runners deal with the high temperatures.

Time flies, it was few miles left when I ran through Big Ben. London Eyes was across the Thames River. It was magnificent. There is 1 mile to go when I turned the corner at Westminster. The crowd was fantastic. I am so excited and all I had was the anticipation of finishing. The countdown markers came rapidly now. 800m left, 400m left… less than 1 minute to go. Suddenly I was stopped by the organizer from the side saying that I can’t go through the finishing line without a number. :-( Even though it is as expected, I still feel very happy and without any regret.

This is an incredible and memorable event I have taken part and very well organised.

The front and back of London Marathon 2007 medal. Is it nice?

Geneva, Switzerland

Geneva is the second most populous city in Switzerland after Zurich. Geneva is widely regarded as a global city, mainly due to the presence of numerous international organizationsincluding the European headquarters of the United Nations.

What’s officially still known as “The Republic and Canton of Geneva” is only nominally within Switzerland’s borders, squeezed into a bulge of land that shares just 4km of internal border with its Swiss neighbour but 108km with France all around. Some French frontaliers commute daily to their workplaces in Geneva from dormitory towns just over the border, benefiting from both a high Swiss salary and relatively low French living expenses.

It is a very nice and clean city. The public transport is very well accessible. The people are friendly. Overall, the people here can speak English even though French is still their mother tongue. This make London looks bad. Sorry if I really say so.

With more than a thousand restaurants in the city, you can eat and drink your way around the world in Geneva – at a price. You can get the first grade Dairy products like cheese and chocolates here. Les Arcades du Molard in Geneva is the place to go for people who looking for high-end products and who like to shop in a picturesque atmosphere that changes style from stand to stand. Watches and jewellries shops are at your reach.

Travel on a business trip might be tiring sometimes. Anyway, this is a good opportunity for some visiting.

Spring has sprung

Adidas Seeding Program 2007

What an honour to be chosen as one of the candidate for the Adidas Seeding program. It is like winning the lottery. I never expect I can get the bid among all the competitors as I don't want to miss a chance. Never try never know.

The Adidas Seeding program is a wear test program initiated regionally for runners to try out their latest shoes before they hit the market. This program was opened to Pacesetter members only.

I managed to drop by Adidas headquarter in Plaza Damansara during my trip back to Malaysia on March for the shoes testing. I was given a chance to try out different pairs of adidas shoes which were adiZero LT, Supernova Control and adiStar cushion with the help of Mr Mori.

If you are out to win a marathon, adiStar cushion shoe has all the smooth stability you will ever need. Its ProModerator provides lightweight stability while ForMotion technology adjust to your running style to make every step smoother and more balanced than ever before. The shock absorption is good as well as their cushioning.

However, for Supernova control shoe, it is a light weight running shoe with smooth cushioned ride great for long training runs and for runner who want high comfort and high performance. The Road-smoothing ForMotion technology combined with adiPRENE cushioning and a No Seam upper provides a comfy snug fit ride.

For AdiZero LT, it is a lean and athletic shoes which designed for runners who are seeking for a lightweight. With a lighter weight and new climate-managing materials, this nimble flat is ideal for everything from speed training to marathon racing. The perforated upper and midsole provides excellent ventilation. Even though I hardly wear it for any race, it gives me a feeling that it has no single gram of extra fat which you can fly with it.

March - End of Winter

On Wednesday 20th, the Vernal Equinox will officially mark the beginning of Spring. It is the time at which the sun crosses the celestial equator. On that day the sun will rise directly in the east and set directly in the west. Everywhere on the Earth will experience 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. This mean UK is 7 hours behind Malaysia now. The weather turn to be a bit shiny and mild. It will be quite nice for me to jog and I can't find any excuse to be lazy now.

KLIM 2007

I just managed to take part KL International Marathon 2007 (18th March) in conjunction with my return to Malaysia last 2 weeks. Without much expectation nor any target for myself, I was enjoying myself in this run. It is great to see that more participants have taken part this year.
The run started at 4.30am which is 1 hour earlier than previous year. This is good for runners who will suffer under the hot sun if they took longer time to complete the run. I woke up 1am in the early morning not because of I'm excited for the run however I am still haven't recovered from the jetlag. I thought I should be quite tired after a long hour flight and fall asleep like a pig. By the time I feel sleepy it is about 6-7am where I am struggling hard toward 30km mark. The sun is so kind to me as it is a mild and pleasant day. Anyway, I don't want to take it for granted as I know the sun will never be mercy to us in Malaysia. I know I am getting closer to the finishing point when some of the pacesetter members cheering for us at the 40km mark. Finally, the finishing point is within my eyesight. Althought it is not a great achievement in term of timing, I have make it again.

Happy Valentine's Day

Let us not love in words, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
1 John 3:18

May all my friends & family have a Happy Valentine's Day & Happy Chinese New Year 2007!

Fantastic February!

Have you ever thought about where are you going to celebrate your Big day, Chinese New Year and Valentine day? With the same person, at the same place or having the same meal?
What do you think if you are going to spend your Valentine day in France, Chinese New Year in China Town UK and your birthday at the cathedral city in South East England. Is that sound good to you? :-)

British museum!

The British Museum in London is one of the world's greatest museums of human history and
culture. Its collections, which number more than 13 million objects from all continents, illustrate and document the story of human culture from its beginning to the present.

As with all other national museums and art galleries in Britain, the British Museum charges NO admission fee, although charges are levied for some temporary special exhibitions. You can simply spend whole day in the museum as it is so informative and educational. You are allowed to take as many picture as you like. This is definitely a place that worth a visit.

Snow shower today

When I woke up this morning, I can't believe my eyes. It is snowing today. This is my first experience to genuinely feel the cold and snow! Really lovely. It has the velvet-feeling of a first snowfall on top of frosted ground, cars and roof.
This is an exciting feeling to me for the first snows of Winter. I enjoy looking at the scenery and beautiful snowy road and towns.

The weather!

What a foggy and misty day! There are all type of weather terms you can use to describe the weather in UK. I never pay too much attention to the weather forecast in Malaysia, because it is either sunny or rainy. However I need to do so in UK as it is always unpredictable.

Windsor Castle and St George's Chapel

Windsor Castle, at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, is one of three official residences of The Queen and has been home to the Sovereign for over 900 years. The Castle is the largest inhabited castle in the world and the oldest in continuous occupation. The imposing towers and battlements of the Castle loom large from every approach to the town, creating one of the world's most spectacular skylines. No other royal residence has played such an important role in the nation's history.

Together with Buckingham Palace in London and Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, it is one of the principal official residences of the British monarch. Queen Elizabeth II spends many weekends of the year at the castle, using it for both state and private entertaining.

There are five main areas that open to public. The State Apartments, extensive suites of rooms at the heart of the working palace. The Semi State rooms, which are some of the most splendid interiors in the castle. They are furnished with treasures from the Royal Collection including paintings by Holbein, Rubens, Van Dyck and Lawrence, fine tapestries and porcelain, sculpture and armour. Within the Castle complex there are many additional attractions, including the Drawings Gallery, Queen Mary's dolls' house, and the fourteenth-century St. George's Chapel, the burial place of ten sovereigns and setting for many Royal weddings.

George IV created these in the 1820s as part of a new series of Royal Apartments for his personal occupation. They continue in use by The Queen for official entertaining. Damaged in the 1992 fire, they have been restored to their original appearance and contain furniture and works of art chosen by George IV. The semi-state rooms include The Green Drawing Room, The Crimson Drawing Room, The State Dining Room and The Octagon Dining Room.

When the Queen is in residence the Royal Standard flies from the Round Tower. At all other times you will see the Union Flag.

St George's Chapel is one of the most beautiful ecclesiastical buildings in England. The building was started in 1475 by Edward IV and took fifty years to construct. It is the Chapel of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Britain's highest order of chivalry founded by Edward III in 1348. Members are selected by The Sovereign and include foreign monarchs and previous Prime Ministers. Ten monarchs are buried in the Chapel, including Edward IV, Henry VIII with his favourite wife Jane Seymour, Charles I, George V and Queen Mary and George VI. Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother is also buried here, along with her younger daughter Princess Margaret. Beyond St George's Chapel is the entrance to the Albert Memorial Chapel, converted by Queen Victoria as a memorial to her husband Prince Albert who died in 1861.

Christmas month...

Christmas is around the corner, time for some traditional British sweet pastry which usually consumed during the Christmas and New Year. What would Christmas be without Mince pies and Christmas pudding.