Monday, November 30, 2009

English Communication 1

Today is the 1st day of my class with UUM 1st year students taking English Communication 1. Work starts from 8.30am till 5.00pm for seven days....meaning that cycling activities will have to take a back seat...Came back and met Tandope at Neutral Cycle...he's on with something new....hehehe, preparation for Kayuh Lasak Penang this coming weekend, kut??

I will be asking Soobeng to register me for the Kayuhan Warisan Taiping this coming 27th December, heard that registration is already closed but I'll keep my fingers crossed....

Here are some pics of the students having their discussion...got a few international students, 1 Nigerian and 2 Indonesians ....








Saturday, November 28, 2009

Changloon...Guar Napai...Changloon

Finally, the day is good enough for me to start pedalling again...got to know from Achong that a ride was on today and since its the school holiday, I made it a point to drive up north to join them. Arrived at BSN Changloon at 7.30a.m but only 1 rider was there....Azizul (org kuat mtb ni...). Got to know him and later Tandope joined in. Ni semua otai2 mtb Changloon, got to learn a lot from them.

Achong arrived few minutes later, first time meeting him as the only means of communication before this was through SMS and chat box...this guy cycles nearly everyday....strong as a bull...

Another bloke joining us today was Rushdone....had to wait for him to get his tyres pumped up...but later on, he still had problem with his roda .... punctured or something....

What I can say is that this ride was much tougher than my previous outings as rolling hills are aplenty...and that  only shows how unfit I really am...I had to go down once and pushed as there's no more energy left to pedal...a reminder that I need to shape up to keep up with those seasoned riders....one more thing is that they plan to have a ride from Changloon to Durian Burung and back through Derang on the 13th next month and the only way to follow them and not be left behind is to practise and train more....kalau dak malu aje....semput.

Great time I had with them....there will be other outings with you guys, that I can promise...:O)


Tandope tgh perati Yeti yg bunyi...Achong dah teguk ayaq ...


this happened to Rushdone's ride, first time for me, him and Achong to rectify it



Rushdone with one of his wheels, undone ...



stop over at ...ntah kat mana, Achong and Azizul ...



Tandope and Azizul relishing the gushing water ... and Rushdone with the so called little "marshalls" at the far end...



Tandope, Achong, Azizul ... great positioning from shortest to tallest ... jgn marah, bro :O)



breeakfast at kedai mamak....semua senyum sbb boleh makan dah...



me with a tired looking face ... pancit@tak fit ...courtesy of Achong



distance covered, 32.02 km



max speed, 55.1km/h, achieved while dh at one of Guar Napai's strecth ...


Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Rainy Season ...& A Call from UUM

It was a welcome sight yesterday as the weather was just perfect for a quick ride. That was during the day and I was hoping it will continue till the night as I plan to ride after Isyak prayer. I made my move at 8.45pm, but the heaven opened up as I passed through Giant Bukhori ... :O((((
Had to pedal back home in the rain ... only showed 3.6km covered, isk, isk, isk ...

Just received  a call from UUM regarding my part time application to teach English Communication 1 for undergraduates during the semester break. Will start on the 30th Nov right till 8th Dec from 8am to 5pm. It was the same last year but I had international students back then. Some of the pics I took last year with them ...


Indonesians, Thais, Nigerians a few Malaysians from Sabah, Sarawak, Terengganu...

Delighted that it was time to go back home for the semester break ...


Final exam that they have to pass so as to go to the next level ... ECOM 2

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Mesyuarat Akhir Tahun 2009 & My Shimano MT32 SPD Shoes

The usual event that I have to endure year in year out since i started working in 1993. Perkara yg sama aje yg aku dah tau....meaning that I knew what to expect. The good thing is, the long holidays are just around the corner. More time with Merida....


surat panggilan mesyuarat ...



just about to start ...


only a few male species still present here ... me included ...

I managed to get a hold of Shimano MT32 SPD shoes to replace my "koyak" old sport shoes. Hope it will stand the test of time and endure whatever I have in store during my mtb outings. Great shoes for non-mtb activities too....meaning I could wear it for "jalan-jalan cari makan" with my family.


Description:
Ideal leisure / trail shoe suitable for off- or on-road adventure in a modern design.
Thick EVA midsole for better shock absorption and durability.

Trekking style rubber tread gives added grip when walking.
Reinforced nose for added protection and durability.
Complete with a built in laces holder to keep them out of the way of chainrings.
Reflective detailing helps keep you more visible in low light conditions.






Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Mavic Cruize ... the next buy?






My worn out cheap sport shoes just couldn't cope with the pressure (literally) of mountain biking...so, now I am in the midst of getting a new one that can withstand the test of hard pedaling for a couple of years. Found out about this Mavic Cruize shoes, looks and feels just nice for both on and off road. Still, I need more opinions before committing myself to it. 


There are other well known brands with varied price tags, this is where I need opinions. The footwear must serve two functions, mtb and also for daily use...so that I can kill two birds with just one stone...


Nearly two weeks now since the last time I sat on the saddle, rain and family commitment ... so it's going back to square one again .... sigh....


Camnala nak masuk Jamboree kalau camni...mesti semput tahap gaban...tak pun pitam tengah jalan nanti....



Monday, November 9, 2009

Morning Ride

These were taken during my Friday morning ride somewhere in Alor Star...







Friday, November 6, 2009

Tazkirah Jumaat # 1 (06.11.2009)

10 Amalan TerBALIK


Marilah kita bermuhasabah atau menilai dan menghitung kembali tentang amalan harian kita. Kadang-kadang kita akan dapati amalan kita adalah terbalik atau bertentangan dari apa yang patut dilakukan dan dituntut oleh Islam. Mungkin kita tidak sedar atau telah dilalaikan atau terikut-ikut dengan budaya hidup orang lain. Perhatikan apa yang dipaparkan dibawah sebagai contoh amalan yang terbalik:-

1. Amalan kenduri arwah beberapa malam yang dilakukan oleh keluarga simati selepas sesuatu kematian (malam pertama, kedua, ketiga, ketujuh dan seterusnya) adalah terbalik dari apa yang dianjurkan oleh Rasulullah di mana Rasulullah telah menganjurkan jiran tetangga memasak makanan untuk keluarga simati untuk meringankan kesusahan dan kesedihan mereka. Keluarga tersebut telah ditimpa kesedihan, terpaksa pula menyedia makanan dan belanja untuk mereka yang datang membaca tahlil. Tidakkah mereka yang hadir makan kenduri tersebut khuatir kalau-kalau mereka termakan harta anak yatim yang ditinggalkan oleh simati atau harta peninggalan simati yang belum dibahagikan kepada yang berhak menurut Islam?

2. Kalau hadir ke kenduri walimatul urus (kenduri kahwin) orang kerap salam berisi (hadiah wang yang diberi semasa bersalam). Kalau tak ada duit nak dikepit dalam tangan, maka segan ia nak pergi makan kenduri. Tetapi kalau ia menziarah orang mati, tidak segan pula salam tak berisi. Sepatutnya kalau menziarah keluarga si matilah kita patut memberi sedekah. Kalau ke kenduri kahwin, tak bagi pun tak apa kerana tuan rumah panggil untuk diberi makan bukan untuk ia menambah pendapatan. 

3. Ketika menghadiri majlis pemimpin negara kita berpakaian cantik kemas dan segak tetapi bila mengadap Allah baik di rumah maupun di masjid, pakaian lebih kurang saja bahkan ada yang tak berbaju. Tidakkah ini suatu perbuatan yang terbalik.

4. Kalau menjadi tetamu di rumah orang dan di beri jamuan, kita rasa segan nak makan sampai habis apa yang dihidangkan kerana rasa segan dan malu, sedangkan yang dituntut dibanyakkan makan dan dihabiskan apa yang dihidang supaya tuan rumah rasa gembira dan tidak membazir.

5. Kalau bersolat sunat di masjid amat rajin, tapi kalau di rumah, sangat malas. Sedangkan sebaik-baiknya solat sunat banyak dilakukan di rumah seperti yang dianjurkan oleh Rasulullah untuk mengelakkan rasa riak.

6. Bulan puasa adalah bulan mendidik nafsu termasuk nafsu makan yang berlebihan tetapi kebanyakan orang mengaku bahawa dalam carta perbelanjaan setiap rumah orang Islam akan kita dapati perbelanjaan di bulan puasa adalah yang tertinggi dalam setahun. Sedangkan sepatutnya perbelanjaan di bulan puasa yang terendah. Bukankah terbalik amalan kita?

7. Kalau nak mengerjakan haji, kebanyakan orang akan membuat kenduri sebelum bertolak ke Mekah dan apabila balik dari Mekah tak buat kenduri pun. Anjuran berkenduri dalam Islam antaranya ialah kerana selamat dari bermusafir, maka dibuat kenduri, bukan kerana nak bermusafir, maka dibuat kenduri. Bukankah amalan ini terbalik? Atau kita mempunyai tujuan lain. 

8. Semua ibubapa amat bimbang kalau-kalau anak mereka gagal dalam periksa. Maka dihantarlah ke kelas tuisyen walau pun banyak belanjanya. Tapi kalau anak tak boleh baca Quran atau solat, tak bimbang pula bahkan tak mahu hantar tuisyen baca Quran atau kelas khas mempelajari Islam. Kalau guru tuisyen sanggup dibayar sebulan RM20.00 satu pelajaran 8 kali hadir tapi kepada Tok Guru Quran nak bayar RM15.00 sebulan 20 kali hadir belajar pun menggeletar tangan. Bukankah terbalik amalan kita? Kita sepatutnya lebih berbimbang jika anak tidak dapat baca Al Quran atau bersolat dari tidak lulus periksa.

9. Kalau bekerja mengejar rezeki Allah tak kira siang malam, pagi petang, mesti pergi kerja. Hujan atau ribut tetap diharungi kerana hendak mematuhi peraturan kerja. Tapi ke rumah Allah (masjid) tak hujan, tak panas, tak ribut pun tetap tak datang ke masjid. Sungguh tak malu manusia begini, rezeki Allah diminta tapi nak ke rumahNya segan dan malas.

10. Seorang isteri kalau nak keluar rumah samada dengan suami atau tidak, bukan main lagi berhias. Tetapi kalau duduk di rumah, masyaAllah. Sedangkan yang dituntut seorang isteri itu berhias untuk suaminya, bukan berhias untuk orang lain. Perbuatan amalan yang terbalik ini membuatkan rumahtangga kurang bahagia. 

11. Kita cukup teruja untuk meng’forward’ kan sms atau emel dalam bentuk gossip2 artis kepada kawan2. Malah kebanyakkan sms emel tersebut tidak benar dan boleh menjatuhkan maruah org lain. Tapi kenapa susah sangat nak forward emel2 peringatan sebegini kepada kawan2 kita??….. Cukup dengan contoh-contoh di atas. Marilah kita berlapang dada menerima hakikat sebenarnya. Marilah kita beralih kepada kebenaran agar hidup kita menurut landasan dan ajaran Islam yang sebenar bukan yang digubah mengikut selera kita. Allah yang mencipta kita maka biarlah Allah yang menentukan peraturan hidup kita. Sabda Rasullullah SAW: “Sampaikanlah dariku walaupun satu ayat.” (Riwayat Bukhari)Semoga dapat kita sama-sama fikir-fikirkan dan renung-renungkan, tergolongkah kita di dalam golongan yang terbalik ini?



http://www.pinggiranusj.net/tazkirah-f11/tazkirah-jumaat-2-10-amalan-terbalik-t158.htm

On a rainy Friday morning ....

Two of my friends have shown interest in joining me with mtb activities. One is planning to buy a complete bike, the other is still contemplating whether to use his daughter's mtb frame and build it bit by bit (????). I don't really see the logic of him trying to start from scratch...and the old frame is not really suitable for him...guess I have to do a bit of persuasive action to knock him into common sense.

Alor Star has been raining almost daily .... so, I only managed to have 1 night ride throughout this week, sigh. Received a very good advise from a "sifu" on my riding style, no wonder I could not cope with their average speed of 25 to 35 kmh everytime I joined them for their dose of nite ride either to Kuala Kedah or Jitra.


Thursday, November 5, 2009

My Merida TFS 500

This is not really a new buy since I bought it during puasa time. As of now, kira bolehlah nak cycle pelan2, still trying to get into the right frame of mind and fitness....biasala kalau dah nak masuk peringkat umur 40 baru nak mula, need some time to adjust semuanye....






Tuesday, November 3, 2009

14th Wedding Anniversary

It has been 14 years now ... what else can I say, marriage can do a lot to a male homo sapien trying to stamp his mark in this world. Thank you Zarina Omar for completing my life, wishing that together we can face the uncertainties life has to offer.

Monday, November 2, 2009

1st Post

Syukur ke hadrat Ilahi, my first entry to be seriously involved in mountain biking. Not so much of pumping adrenalin rush one get with the bike, more of health consciousness reminder that age is not a guarantee of a fulfilling and meaningful life.

Got myself a Merida TFS500 XC 2010 a few days before Raya, and up till now, the odometer only shows 350++km covered...