Ticopi's Bike Log n Self Gossip

Postcards from Deutschland

2007-03-28T01:00:00.000+08:00

Here are some postcards from my wonderful time in Germany from 10th Feb to 9th Mar 2007

Volkersberg is a lovely place where I first saw snow!

With nice cycling all around! I'll do another post about that again!

Moving on to Bamberg

And down to the mystic Alps!

More to come!

Facets et Evolution!

2006-11-14T22:43:00.000+08:00

Facets in an ever changing world!

Some ask:
How stupid one can be? ... How thick-skin? ... How Cheap? ... How does one express oneself? ... How creative can one be? ... How to make use of natural resources?

I ask:
How do I create a smiling world?

It can only start within and around oneself!

L'Artist

2006-11-05T22:37:00.000+08:00

Le Cabaret, the latest trendy place in Holland V is on the 10th floor.

The crowd seems to be enjoying themselves over there!

Appreciations are shown and the singing only gets better!

!!!

Somebody is back!

2006-10-19T23:58:00.000+08:00

Finally Somebody has some updates for this page again.
Ya, really felt like I'm a nobody earlier today but thanx to some good talks with friends and this very wonderful person:

Life is back running into the veins ...

Give me back my Dependance!

2006-07-19T12:32:00.000+08:00

Why am I faced with such difficult decisions every few months?!!

... I manage to avoid it, or rather things settle down nicely with everything falling in place ... then BANG, it comes back in a different form.

Now I'm being offered 2 different positions. Things I've been interested in! Wrong timings, wrong environments ... anyway tough decisions to make and diplomatic rejections to draft in very short times!!

Argggg.... an independant life is sometimes hard!!!

Why can't they offer me a job as a photographer in a northern Sudan, in the middle east, along the Mekong, in Zimbabwe? For that I would straight away give up anything right now, go head into it without having to headache of making difficult decisions!

Am I being a coward in facing the realities of my life? Hmmmm ...

Lifestyle

2006-07-10T18:36:00.000+08:00

Been in a dilema between going to get my motorbike licence vs getting a saxophone ...

Then came the unexpected. Fell in love with this nice big semi acoustic bass standing in the shop window in the basement in town!!

Being a sax player would be cool but holding this bass on stage looks more realistic (and HANSOME ^_^) in this near future and kept me awake for a few days ... Should I? Hmmmmm ... Should I once again make an exception to that savings plan I've been trying to put in place (for the past 3 years!)?

Lately been trying to go back to a healthier lifestyle. Some times back (reflected at the beginning of this blog) I used to make a lot of sacrifices to ride my bike ... now the lazy side seems to be dominant. I'm slowly going back through all the joyful moments to try to get back to that lifestyle. It really helps to think that I've done it before, so it definetly spot on to now use the term LAZY!!

Anyway, right now I'm having the Million dollar look. Or almost there.
If I were on the Survivor show in the final stages, almost about to win that million dollar, I would have had that same messy unshaven and long hair look!

Oh and one thing that I will sure do some day: Bring my girlfriend to see Kitaro concert ... I've had the priviledge of seeing one of his concerts (thanx for the National Lib DVD rentals!). It's really an experience to live ...

Lapar!

2006-06-26T18:38:00.000+08:00

Ya I'm Hungry. Starving again ...

I've satisfied my hunger for travelling, doing research ...

No wait, I'm still hungry for these ... It might be safer to say that I'm in control of these hunger now.

Now what's ticking my brain cells everyday is the desire to play the Saxophone.
It's something that I've always said I want to be able to do some day ... so it's time to get down to doing it. Why not? Hmmmm ...
Just talking about it won't make it happen, so now I'm getting a bit more serious. The instrument is really expensive, so while waiting to find a cheap one second hand, I'm starting the dry theory work. Checked out a few books. Hmmmm, it confirmed my suspision. It's an amazing instrument!

I'm also currently undertaking another challenge.
Anouncing it to everyone is a good thing to make sure I really get down to doing it!
I'm growing my hair!
I need help and advise about the basics of having hair and taking care of it!
Life is cool

Redifining a Monday at work!

2006-06-20T13:50:00.000+08:00

Amazing!
No time for any Monday blues when you start work on Monday morning at 00:30 (that's 30 min after it was officially known as Monday by the local calenders!) up to 23:00 (11pm at night!) with just 2 hours rest on a couch,

No kidding! Luckily I had a lazy Sunday morning in bed till almost 11. That sustained me all the way till Monday night.

It was a very eventful day ... spontaneous, fast decisions and moves to make ...
I'm encouraged along the way by seeing a few other ppl (kind of my mentors) taking so much concern when a teenager being delinquant (beyond parental control) and in moral danger ...

Happenings!

2006-06-15T10:48:00.000+08:00

Finally an update to this page!

Been really too busy. It has been an insane month full of new things to learn at work and mad rehersals that make the fingers swollen red and the hand muscles ache like crazy!!!
It's been long hours of practice as well! Dropped my dad at the airport and strait to a friend's place in a nice quite place near Serangoon Gardens (Chiselhurst). Later on my way back home, I get a message telling me that my dad has already reached home! Way before me and that so much further away!!! Well it's been more than 9 hours!

Performance is this Saturday at 4pm at L'Alliance Francaise!

That's such a big dream coming true. One of the things I always thought I'd NEVER be able to do.

Well, so far all the things I thought I'd never do or be able to do are all being achieved one by one!

Shaving my head! Going overseas to study! Doing research! Doing social work here! Riding a racer! Taking part in races! Bike Touring in South East Asia! Touring alone! Handling a snake! Getting bitten by a venomous snake while milking it! Taking digital photographs! Going to Australia! Visiting a few countries in South East Asia! SCUBA Diving! Having a Nature publication! and now playing the Bass in a band!

I'm not being thick skin but I'm just extremely happy and grateful that these things are happening to me.
I need to pass this on to the youth I'm working with!

And there are still a lot of things I won't ever be able to do ... well, maybe I should not have such a list anymore!

Crayons

2006-05-13T21:09:00.000+08:00

This is the latest band in town!

They will sure be in the Top 10 charts of French music locally and probably in the whole of South East Asia ...

Catch them at L'Alliance Francaise on the 17th of June as they perform their French repairtoir for the Music Day concerts. (Apparently this is the only band playing french music that night!!)

This is crazy ... at first I was excited about the idea of playing french songs (thought it would be just one or two songs and that was an idea 2 other friends and I had since end of last year!), but now we have to prepare a whole set (30min) or maybe 2!!!
And we only have 1 month to prepare all the songs! ... And still trying to convince another pretty girl to join as singer!

A dream coming true ... but its a huge challenge!

The Visitor

2006-05-13T21:00:00.000+08:00

This Handsome Old Man, with metallic grey hair, is coming to town ...

I'll be able to update my album coz this is the last picutre I took my Dad when I was last in Mauritius in Dec 2004!

It's cool to have him here but it's such a bad timing ... and now I need to rush and clean up my room!

01-02-03-04-05-06

2006-05-01T22:36:00.000+08:00

What will you be doing at precisely 2min and 3 seconds past 1am on this coming Thursday the 4th of May 2006?

Hmmmm ... that's definetly one moment in history!

This weekend also I had my moments ... some of which I hoped would never end.
Had a good time in Malacca in good company!

The way back in the rain (although in a bus this time) also brought back memories of one of the most momentous moments I've ever had on my bicycle ... The way back from Kota Tinggi to Sg escorted by a contingent of Malaysian police after the Tour de Langkawi.

Life's little moments
to remember
forever!

Outreaching!

2006-04-27T23:56:00.000+08:00

Irony of this new "job" (besides the fact that it doesn't feel like I'm doing work ...)

To do the outreach, I find myself reaching deep inside!
It's really a big challenge and for once, after a long while I have to go beyond my comfort zone to reach out to the youth!

It's definetly no monkey business! Today I realised that its something I've done before, just different context ...

Still have a lot of questions myself and after writing them down, re-reading them, thinking ... almost half of them are about questioning MY SELF!

But I found some good answers (about the SELF) this evening by breaking into a group of youngsters ...
Like the work I did in Secondary school, I realised that to be sincere and willing to commit longterm to build friendship/a raport is the key to the outreach I want to do.

Btw, these are just some self-portraits I took back in Sept last year! Not the current state +_+

The Enlightenment

2006-04-14T13:54:00.000+08:00

Started my first day of work yesterday. Its a big scary step but I'm finally touching ppl's lives directly. It does not really feel like I'm doing work but so much has been done yesterday ...
It really brings meaning to life ...

Good Morning Vietnam

2006-04-12T18:33:00.000+08:00

Just some shots from this lovely country ...

A lot more nice ones to come +_+

Too bad I didn't take a picture of that very old man on the street who tried to find me a wife! (Too bad there was only one girl nearby ... I also regret that he was not there at the right times!)

In Limbo

2006-03-29T15:05:00.000+08:00

Strange. I’m pretty sure I’m not PMSing, yet the mood swings by the day!

The other day one of my labmates (the only friend I have around here), had a picture of a gel with bands on it trying to find justifications for the extra ones … A while back, I would have been enthusiastic about this. Nice challenge. But then, things change and I no longer have any interest in “research”! Guess it's coz I finally found the true meaning behind this word and how it’s regarded as a big thing and bla bla … yet misused (at least here).
So I blame it on the environment. I mean the stupid idiots doing it, the reasons for their doing it, the way they bluff their way through it, the bigger idiots who got the idiots to do it in the first place, the lack of perspective …
Lack of perspective … Hmmm, speak to the right ppl and you start dreaming again!
Since yesterday the drive is coming back.
Strange!
Today it’s getting even better. I’ve been invited by my boss to lunch with a visitor. He is more of a clinician (but also a very enthusiastic herpetologist) and while waiting he presented me a bit of his work. He is based in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and has to treat thousands of snake bite victims each year. I’ve seen some of his research work before but hearing first hand what else he does apart from research has rekindled the fire in me. (+ the fact that my boss is giving me such big opportunities … Think he is one great sincere guy, who has already achieved all he wants and now gives all this backing to the next generation, grooming them to take over!)
Seeing pictures of ppl on a hospital bed documenting the different clinical symptoms (ya sorry I can’t remember those clinical terms yet!), does open one’s eyes. Basic research (which I’ve always been interested in and involved with) does have important applications that ppl like him are really putting to good use and seeking for improvements. It’s not just scientific knowledge gained when ppl like him bring it down to educate the locals who have to deal with envenomations in their daily lives!
I think there is an avenue for me to contribute more …
I might end up the last half of this year in some remote places of PNG with some of the world’s finest herpetologists and toxinologists, bringing in my humble molecular expertise … Real work done for the ppl … not just a hunt for the prestige of a scientific career or a patent or more money out there in the comfort of a material world where it’s so easy to forget about the real reason for doing the research.
Talking to 3 ppl with genuine passion for what they do helps bring a fresh perspective!

Weekend Rush

2006-03-28T00:33:00.000+08:00

What makes me stay up all night? A weekend with plenty to do, with my sports and photography self being fully rewarded!

First there was the nice concert at the Esplanade, then nice movie (The Manchurian Candidate) at a friend's place till 2am ...

Next is some quick stuff to settle at the bank, a visit at a popular bike shop in China town which I finally discovered and some carpark racing actions! I was a bit of the odd one out there on my thin thin 2 wheels without motor attached to my skinny frame!

Anyway I managed to get some good shots despite the weather. It started raining and became dangerous for the riders. Some fell right in front of my camera! It was only the qualification rounds ... so all the good shots I have are not prepared for viewing yet.

Good Kaya toast n tea at Killiney Kopitiam was my reward for the day ^_^

Downloading all those pics from cam to comp took me a while! Slept very late and almost wanted to sleep through the next morning! When my alarm rings when its still dark outside, it means there must be something good in plan! So I have to unglue my head from that pillow!

Its the SACA (Singapore Amateur Cycling Association) first Road Race of the year.
There were some incidents during the races and during one of the major ones in the race of the Elite category, the ambulance which is usually on standby was not around ... It was horrible witnessing that wait for another ambulance!

The race went on and there were lots of attacks from the peleton trying to bring back the 4 breakaways! Good team work, by teammates one of the race favorites (last year's national champion) who is in the breakaway, managed to nullify the attacks ...
So this is Junaidi, the guy who won the elite category:

And he also won last weekend's Mountain bike race! Its rare to have someone talented enough to be successful in both diciplines.

I was there also of course ... my first time shooting a Mountain bike race!

------

And I rushed, without lunch, to the Kallang carparks again for the motorbike races. What a beautiful show that was!

And for the superbike it was a close fight for the first 2 positions in both the novice and expert categories!

And with all this I missed the Bike Trial Asia Pacific Championships!
I simply reached home at around 5pm, bonked ...
Straight knock out till Monday morning!
I just love this kind of Weekend Rush

Macro Photography

2006-03-23T20:05:00.000+08:00

Seems like there is some problem in posting pictures!!

Think I know how to go around this by the long way!

Testing again!

Finally had the time to go out to the botanic garden to test that new toy: the Sigma 105 macro lens, a friend kindly donated to me at a very low price ...

My love for photography started by fooling around with my dad's macro extension tubes on the flowers in the garden ...
I'm back to this nature appreciation more seriously this time after many years!

Back to Stupidity

2006-03-23T15:59:00.000+08:00

Back to work!

What a disgusting place to be!

One calls himself a scientist, is actually recognized in this country as a promising young researcher …. Yet, he is a stupid fat ass looking for the easy way out of things and not even knowing what is going on in his lab! He is one of those who has mastered the skill of writing fundable research proposals and get big grants. That leads ppl to thinking he is a good scientist! Such is how some make use of the loophole in the system!

He treats the ppl he employs to “help him do his research” as “just technicians” whom he does not care much about while demanding a lot of them. He spares no thought to how he talks to them, making some of the female employees even shed tears in front of everyone!

Then I also leave his service. He did mention before: “Technicians come and go!” referring to some of his research staff who were leaving a few months before me. More than 6 months later, he gets my email address and tries to contact me … he is looking for some stuff in his fridge and expects me to come back look for them.

To me he is someone with no honor. We had a verbal agreement which he did not respect. Nvm, we are in a free world and it was just verbal and I would most probably not have honored it myself in time to come (the fact now being that He didn't honour it while no one can accuse me of not having! Big difference between talking and actually doing right)! But it was the stupid process in which he only consulted a third party that totally took away all my shred of respect still left for him! Yet another example of why I strongly believe that third parties just create a big mess and miscommunications.

Anyway … I can live with that.

What I can’t live with is how stupid some “scientists” can be! He did not do his part when I was leaving. He didn’t renew my contract (based on what a stupid person had told him! Basically he didn't even realise that one of his lab officers, more like his secretary, took the decision for him!) and so knew very well 3 months ahead of time that I would be leaving! Did he do everything he should have done to know what he paid me to do for 2 years?! Did he at least assign anyone of take over things from me? He didn’t bother … He just asked me to pass things over and leave my log book! Of course I did but what good is that for him (specially when he does not refer to that log book at all, just looking for the easy way out by sending me an email and expecting me to help out in his research!)

Did he personally check? He thinks that everyone is so 110% interested in his research! Turns out that no … Students in this lab, understandably, have their own projects and thesis to worry about! His staffs have their own projects to worry about coz he would be demanding a lot from them … so who volunteers to have things and responsibilities passed to them in such a situation where there is no rewards (either scientific or materialistic) for them?

Now he writes to me as if I’m still his employee!! Sorry I have no obligations to his demands … not even any moral obligations considering how stupid he is!

After much pleading by one of his student who is suffering the consequences of being my friend and having that stupid guy as boss, I made my way there just to calm things down. Things have changed as expected!

I write informing of my visit, how things are no longer in the state in which I had left them and how he should ask his senior postdoc, who btw, is another extremely stupid old man whom he trust more than anyone but who is the one with the least interest in his research, with no lab ethics, with no life, without any communication skills but there with the best ability to act dumb when confronted (some say that its just his inability to speak proper English). Anyway, he replies back saying “in other words …” not what I had written to him at all! I wonder what kind of scientific reasoning such a person can have!

I’m done with such a stupid guy! Someone needs to show him that not everyone below his status is just vulnerable to his authority! Not everyone needs his “favors”! Not everyone is scared of him! Not everyone lives to serve him! Not everyone respects him! Not everyone thinks he is a good researcher or a good scientist! Not everyone is interested in his research!

Anyway, that was remnant frustration from the previous job and not the main reason why I started this post. I’m back today for a final 1 week and 2 days work in this other lab. Talk of a career in life science!

And there you go. I’m surrounded by the stupid ppl again!

They are having what I decipher as an argument! It’s pretty animated and hot. I’m almost expecting them to bounce off their chairs and start boxing … but I guess they are not man enough for that. Or just too clean and proper.

I’m tempted to stand up and interrupt to tell them with a big head shake that I’ll bring them to Komalas tomorrow for lunch. That would sure have eased the tension, but instead I’m there trying to hold my laughter and typing this, having taken a break in writing my progress report to the boss!

It’s amazing how some ppl with a PhD can be so stupid while my brother having dropped out of school is a much more sensible person! Think its time for me to follow his footsteps again!

LTdK Photos

2006-03-21T22:46:00.000+08:00

My camera: That's one piece of big equipment I brought along for the ride almost just for the extra weight it provided!

I was not very photo inspired (although I've seen such beautiful places!).
There were a few problems:
1. It's a big camera (looks pro by the local standards)
2. Not very appropriate to take out when you are already wearing such funny clothes and attracting a lot of attention for being an alien in town (speaking some Malay, trying to be friendly yet ...)!
3. Didn't want to give the image, to the theif wannabe, that I'm travelling alone and carrying such a big equipment!
4. Having it in good watertight protection made it that much more troublesome to take out that it was better left untouched many a time!
5. Was more the cyclist than the photographer throughout!

Anyway, here are just a few shots:
The machine with her 2 panniers that brought me through the Kampongs ... My instrument of choice for playing the Jazz +_+ (Roaming/improvising/exploring/freedom/Jamming yet making sense of it all in those Kampongs is like playing the Jazz!) ... since I can't do it with a guitar ...

The mosque in Kuantan ... I know I'm not doing justice to such a nice place with this picture!

OK, even this blog does not want to post the rest of my lousy pictures ...
I've been trying to post this for a few times now without sucess ... will add on a few more pictures to this post at a later date if its possible!

Le Tour de Kapas - The Tour reports

2006-03-15T19:52:00.000+08:00

Prologue and Stage 1: Saturday 4th March. West Coast – Checkpoint; Checkpoint - Mersing

The Prologue started at 5.30am from my house in West Coast crossing over the length of the island (18km!) to the check point. There is a weird shadow being projected on the ground in front of me every time I pass lamp post. For the first time I’m riding with panniers … Just got it the night before and improvised a rack.
I just love my bicycle. It’s been my means of commuting to work, to town, to explore this country … it took me through some charity rides, it brought me across the starting line of a few races and now it’s bringing me touring (in style with the panniers behind!). Such a versatile faithful machine which will complete her 10 thousandth kilometer during this Tour! So cool.
I see a few cyclists queuing in the motorcycle lanes at the checkpoint while I’m passing in the car lanes!
Advantage of doing a solo ride is immediately obvious; I clear customs so much faster and the ride starts much earlier for me. Quick hi to the one leading the group, my friend Kevin who is bringing them to Tanjong Piai (Southern most point of continental/mainland Asia)! And I’m off to start the great adventure.

It’s a good ride. I meet another solo cyclist heading down. We stop for a little chat. He’s from the US. Been teaching in some places in Pahang before, so he was visiting them there … he had a very interesting bike which could be totally dismantled and fitted in a normal sized luggage … really practical for traveling!

And I finally reach The final 80km! This is the stretch that I really hate. Tried that before, around a year ago, without success. Refer to the first few post of this blog (the reason why this blog was started!) …
It’s really the worse ride there is to do in Malaysia. Rolling hills going on for all of the 80km! And by the time you are on this stretch of the ride, it’s inevitably midday! No trees for shades … no drink stalls by the roadsides … just the oil palm plantations, the rolling hills, the overhead super heater switched to max power, the melting tarmac and the stupid idiot on a bicycle being passed by cars and trucks!

This second attempt on this road should have been better since now I’m more experienced … yet there is a fear at the back of my mind. As I pass the point where I had abandoned last year (ya sure recognize the place!), I try to convince myself that I’m doing good … doing better … but there is also the fear that I might start suffering anytime soon!

And it happens … the cramps start kicking in. Nothing much to distract the mind! I decide to stop and stretch coz this time there is no support vehicles to pick me up from the roadsides and I still have 30km to go. Getting off the bike causes even more pain! I’m screaming in pain while still having to hold the bike! I cursed myself for not having installed that bike stand before leaving! With the panniers, I can’t just drop the bike to the floor!

I take it slow and 10km away, its horrible pain again!
In normal circumstances, riding 30km would be an easy task, but this seemed to be the longest never-ending 30km!! Every 500 meters completed is an achievement! This is hard.

I see an old man coming slowly on a simple “fisherman bike” (the old solid full steel black bikes …). I wave at him and he ignores. As he comes closer I wave higher. He stops and I go across for a chat. He immediately asks in French if I could speak his language. The old Frenchman is VERY anti-social. Doesn’t like to talk to ppl or worse, to be talked to! Guess it’s slightly different coz I speak his language. We have a long chat. Despite his stupid big French ego, I still admire what he has been doing on this bike. He’s been in Southeast Asia for the last 4 months. Toured all around Malaysia, went up across Thailand (which btw, he only did in 19 days total and sleeping in temples all throughout!), to Cambodia and then back down. He does all this really the most primitive and simple way … the old fashion way … no fancy equipment.

So for the final 20km, I have something to WAAOH on! And here I was on this light bike, with so many speeds to play around with, to make it a smooth ride, yet still suffering of cramps, while that old man was still doing fine.

I finally reach Mersing at around 3.30pm having completed 153 gruesome kilometers!

Stage 2: Sunday 5th March. Mersing – Kuala Rompin

I leave Mersing and about 14km further north, I go explore Air Papan. It’s a beach stretch reached by going through the kampongs and rice fields. Not too bad.

Then I hit a very interesting section. It’s also rolling hills for 30km. The hills seem to be steeper and longer than the day before, but I’m still fresh, it’s still early and it makes for a fun ride! Actually this stretch between Air Papan and Endau is the most memorable stretch of road of the whole journey. In one of those endless roller coaster turns, I’m passed by a bunch of motorbikers … cool. That’s something I hope I’ll able to do one day! I stroll slowly through the little town of Endau exploring a bit. It’s a place I like. I continue on and eventually stop in Kuala Rompin for this leg after having completed 80km for the day (that includes a little 10km detour to explore Air Papan).
In the series of unusual road kills (usual ones being snakes of all sorts, baby monitor lizards, birds, dogs, quirrels and all the other unrecognizable ones!), today I see a turtle. About 1 ½ times the size of my hand! I stop to examine it. It seems to be a very fresh kill! Yesterday was a baby tiger or a baby big cat of some sorts. I took pictures and will have my friends of the museum help me identify it later!
As I go through the town later in the evening, I find myself stuck at a coffee shop enjoying a really nice ABC special (the nicest ever!) while watching an old black and white Malay movie showing on TV. I was in heaven and so appreciative of the whole joy of life around me. I’m surrounded by good young ppl around earning an honest decent living by working at a coffee shop.

Stage 3: Monday 6th March. Kuala Rompin – Kuantan

It’s expected to be a long ride, so I decided to start early. All throughout the night I could smell some smoke. Thought someone was smoking in the lounging area in the guest house … As I got out, I realized that the whole town was engulfed in a thick layer of smoke. I guess some piece of the Endau Rompin nature reserve must have gone in flames during the night! Despite the thick smoke, I decide to proceed, hoping that it will clear off soon. The visibility at some points is not more than 300 meters! It was really horrible and I had a special thought for all those asthmatic ppl out there as well as the Orang Asli out there! I wondered how they deal with this situation. It clears off as I head north, luckily.
As I pass the morning school assemblies this Monday morning, I’m sometimes tempted to stop, go snatch the microphone from the headmaster and deliver a motivational talk to the school kids. I want to tell them to study hard and that all the sacrifices will someday pay off as it eventually provides the freedom to leave one’s dreams just like this stupid guy enjoying his time cycling aimlessly in a foreign land! Pusang pusang ajah!
As it’s a long ride, I break it into smaller portions. First target is about 40km away, the town of Nenasi, for the first stop. Then another small leg of about 40km to the town of Pekan. This seems to be a really nice little town with a lot of historical sites and palaces to visit.
The last portion is the final bit to Kuantan. When all seems to be going fine, on the super flat roads, the head wind picks up to make the life of a solo cyclist more difficult!! The final 9km into the city of Kuantan was a nightmare! I suddenly have to shift from the road no 3 to the no 2 which is the major carriage way from Kuala Lumpur to Kuantan. The traffic here is wild! The numerous major left turns which I must overshoot and the sand on the road sides does not help to make it a safe place for me with my thin wheels and 2 big panniers behind! Once in town, I go around looking for a nice little hotel. The ones that my guide book recommends are really sub-below acceptable standards!! I can’t believe it. At this point, I so wished there was someone else with me to share the cost. With that same amount of money I would have been able to enjoy a much better hotel! It’s been the 2nd longest ride of the tour with 140km completed that day.

Stage 4: Tuesday 7th March. Kuantan – Cherating

Today I know it will be a short ride. Since my hotel in right in front of the post office, I suddenly have the wonderful idea of sending a postcard back home. So I go out wandering in town looking for postcards. Couldn’t find any! I settled for a greeting card instead. I still need to go translate what was written in the card!
For breakfast I try something new. “Lempek”. Not sure if I got that name right. It’s something I’ve never seen before. It’s kind of a pancake with yam inside I think. It’s cooked and looks like a prata … It’s served with a nice shrimp paste. I was not in a mood to go ask! Think its coz Kuantan is not a place I really liked despite its subtle charms (like the soccer game I watched the night before while eating my satay and cendol right next to the field just in front of the big Sultan Ahmad Shah Mosque!).
Anyway, the post office was finally open and I rushed to post my letter and was happy that I would finally be able to start my ride and get out of this city!
As I head out East-wards, I came to a very nice quiet corner of the town. I decided to explore it a bit and eventually bumped onto a gem! Teluk Chempedak is a nice little beach just 5km from the city centre. I kicked myself for not having explored that the night before. And there was a nice little cheap guest house right there! There is a McDonalds. I go to the drive through and order myself a nice chocolate milkshake. I explore the beach and the nice little boardwalk leading to the next beach with the bike in one hand and a milkshake in the other. It’s a nice place worth to be visited again someday!
I proceed North-wards with Cherating in mind. I know its not very far, so I take my time to explore. I end up in a VERY busy industrial park. Big HUGE trucks passing me. Road conditions are not good at all! I know this can’t be the right track and eventually make my way back out onto the small quiet kampong roads! I reached Cherating early. Looking for a place to stay, I finally settle for Coconut Inn. The owner is a very scary man! He has “Turret” (not sure if that’s the right spelling. I’ll have to find out more about this nerve disoder). He wears extremely thick glasses and lenses which are literally taped down on his face! When I first saw him, I thought I got him while he was busy doing some welding work or something … He has some uncontrollable reactions during our conversations and that scared me a bit at first. But his place is nice. It’s a very simple hut with the bathroom window opening straight onto the river. It’s a cool place.
As I go around the village in the evening, I realize that a lot of the chalets and guest houses around here are actually owned by ppl from KL or some other far away place like Seremban! There is a lady even from Hawaii. She’s been here for over 10 years now, married, with 3 kids … Only thing that distinguished her was the unusual accent. She had been working in Japan before and came to Malaysia trying to do a cycling ride as well… Didn’t manage to cycle much I understand and been there ever since!
So, with the 10km of going round and round visiting, that makes it 64km for the day.

Stage 5: Wednesday 8th March. Cherating – Dungun

I head off from Cherating without a clear plan. I have in mind 2 possible destinations. Should I go to Tasik Kenyir or to Pulau Kapas? I told myself that I’ll figure out on the way. All depends on the condition I’m in! So I take it one step at a time. As usual, I break the day’s worth into smaller packages to make it look less tough! This kind of long rides is often more of a psychological challenge rather than a physical one! So short term goals and rewards are helpful to keep the morale high!
I pass Cukai and Kemaman as I first enter the state of Terengganu. I go explore the beaches of Kijal a bit. The next objective is the town of Kertih. Then as I continue up north before reaching the town of Paka, I suddenly pass through a strange almost unreal stretch. Suddenly the roads are very good. Very clean. Double laned. Nice residences on each side! I even see a sign for an airport nearby! Some helicopters fly past. Seems like this is the Petronas city!! Then I come to the petrol refineries! One whole long stretch of those refineries! I even have a special “Lorong Motosikal”. I guess it would not be a good idea to be cycling around here at the time when they all kick off from work. At some points, the motorcycle lane seems to be wider than the car lane!
I finally reach Dungun (pronounced more like doung-goun). It was hot. I was tired. I’m cycling along a long stretch of road right by the beach. I see a few homestays. I’m told that they are full! I wonder if it’s coz they saw a bicycle! The beach resort is too expensive! Anyway, I’ll have to go right into town or maybe go further to Rantau Abang. So I decide to take a break. The nice sea is too tempting. I go take a dip. It’s really refreshing despite the big waves.
I’m then fresh enough to go round and round again. After having done 102km for the day, I decide to stop in what seems to be the Chinatown end of the city. I later go jalan-jalan again. Today there is a sports day at a local school. I think it’s more like a regional sports event. Anyway it’s the highlight of evening in town. I join the crowds by the roadsides to see the relays closing the show. With my bike in one hand and a big nice smile, I seem to have made the day of a group of girls! Only thing is that I must remember that the winks don’t work when I’m wearing the sunglasses!!
At night at the hotel, doing the routine of going through the maps and guide book planning the next day’s route and destination, I finally make up my mind to go to Tasik Kenyir. That means I’ll have to go to Kuala Berang. I suspect that this town is on the highlands so that would make for a nice climb for a change. I pick up my reading book full of excitement about the challenges ahead. I eventually go to sleep but soon jump out of bed remembering a brochure I had picked up in Cherating the day before. I realized that it might be too expensive and not worth a solo expedition to Tasik Kenyir. I settled for keeping it as some other adventure to be done with friends in the future. That immediately meant that the next day would be an exciting ride to Pulau Kapas!!

Stage 6: Thursday 9th March. Dungun – Pulau Kapas

It was an exciting start of the day coz I knew that the destination would be Pulau Kapas! Been there before and I really loved this island. It’s a jewel not very popular with tourists. I start early for 2 reasons: I’m too excited and I might want to catch the 11 or 11.30 boat! I make a little stop at Rantau Abang just to see for a while. There seems to be some nice accommodations there as well.
The road is all flat. There are marsh lands on both sides. Cool little ride and I did feel a bit cold riding so early in the morning. I reach Marang in no time. Along the way a nice food smell compelled me to stop. I tried this thing called Sata. It’s shredded fish mixed with coconut, wrapped in pandan leaf and barbequed! Nice stuff.
Knowing that food is quite ex on the island, I decided to stock up a bit before going and I remembered just in time to look for a disposable underwater camera!
I reach the jetty just in time for the 11.30 boat departure! Some ppl are surprised that I’m bringing my bike over on the boat …
As I reach Pulau Kapas, I head straight for the Light House, right at the end of the beach. I asked for a room but eventually decided to take a bed in the dorm. It’s good value!
I discovered some really nice place on the third beach from the jetty. Qimi Chalets look good. They have a nice little hut high up in the canopy. Not yet completed. Without electricity and water so right now you pay as much as you want! It was occupied at the time, so I didn’t manage to secure it. What I managed to secure though is some really nice food! Qimi is a little 5 year old boy (extremely smart for his age I found!) and his mum does some really nice cooking! They are also from KL! She used to be an air stewardess with the Malaysian Airlines.
I made some good friends at the dive shop there as well. I was the big talk of the island coz I was the only Mauritian they have ever met (although I was there with 3 other Mauritians just about a year ago … I must admit that we didn’t interact with the locals much during that trip then!) and there are not many stupid ppl who come over there with a bicycle (let alone all the way from Sg)! And he speaks some Malay and talks to the French couple in what does not sound English!
Inbetween all the socializing, I go for long good snorkeling and swimming!
The island life is really good. The tough decision of whether to spend some money to go diving was eased by the fact that the dive master would be unable to come over! So no diving possible! Too bad, but it’s ok!

Stage 8: Saturday 11th March. Pulau Kapas – Pulau Duyong (Kuala Terengganu)

I reached the island on Thursday and will be leaving today. Went for a nice final swim in the morning! Really nice.
Qimi and his mam and one of their German guests come to walk me to the jetty this morning. Qimi wanted to see my bicycle. I’ve had such a good time on this island. I’ll sure be back again specially that now I have some friends there.
As usual I was still undecided as to where to head to today. The French couple I met on Kapas had highly recommended a compulsory visit to a nice place in Kuala Terengganu. It was also in my guide book. Awi’s Yellow House on Pulau Duyong. That’s a little island in the middle of the Terengganu river.
Since it was already the afternoon, I decided to take a very slow ride to reach the city of Kuala Terengganu and eventually made my way to Awi’s place. It was not easy to find in the nice quiet little kampong specially that it didn’t have any signage. I asked around and was directed to a blue house! While other houses were yellow, Awi had repainted his blue! He showed me the guest house. It’s a really really nice place right on the river. As he made me visit, he mentioned a few times that the toilets were very simple. I later realized what simple means in this island! The room is just about big enough to fit a double bed and some space to walk around it. In one corner, behind the ¾ high curtain is the toilet. Very basic: just a shower, a tap and a nice squarish hole in the planks. At low tides it’s mudskippers that you can see down there instead of the fishes!
Anyway, I like the quiet little place.
In the evening I went to explore the city. Good long exploration and also looking for the very famous Nasi Dagang. I also found the nice beach area near the hospital and the big A&W float root beer which I could not finish!
Biggest mistake ever: I went to check my email! I’m being asked to attend an interview back in Sg on Tuesday! Should I ignore that mail and continue on with my trip?
It was a tough decision to make. Eventually I was at the bus station buying myself a ticket back to Sg!
I was not the only cyclist there. There was a Belgian couple. The guy had long perfectly white hair! Nice. They were departing that same night to get back to Sg while I was trying to get a ticket for a return on Monday! That cleared the little moment of panic and tension as the Belgians feared there would have been some problems to accommodate 3 bikes on the bus!
We had a long chat and I helped them load their bikes onto the bus before I made my way back to Pulau Duyong. When leaving in the afternoon I had purposely tried to memorize certain landmarks so that I could make my way back into those complex little nameless roads in the Kampong. Problem is that those houses which were bright yellow and green right at the junctions during the evening were not very obvious anymore in the moonlight! I went round and round for a while until I reached a place which I didn’t recognize at all! Eventually I admitted defeat and asked for directions. Turns out that I was not very far!
Told Awi that I would be extending my stay for one more night.

On Sunday I went around town in the morning to visit. Then back to the hut to sleep after lunch and out again in the evening to go Jalan Jalan again! Later at night as I came back, I did a second big mistake. Sat down in the kitchen! I was stuck now listening to the old drunk British guy. He is the one taking care of this place. He’s been around for a while. I heard he has been traveling a lot in Malaysia. It’s his birthday the next day and there he is all drunk telling me his whole life story. Such a sad life! Damn long and sad! I try to be compassionate, offer the listening ear coz he must be very lonely, hardly get to speak to ppl … I keep thinking that this is yet another test for me. I’ve been in these kinds of weird situations so many times before in my life! But this time I find that he is an idiot. Just sitting there getting himself drunk and complaining about his whole sad stories! It doesn’t seem to me like he is trying to resolve the bad elements of his life … so as soon as the story finally reach the end of the second act, just before the curtains go up again for the third, I immediately jump up, telling him how I have to wake up early tomorrow morning to catch such an early bus!! … I see that he is very disappointed but like all drunk man with big pride offers me a soft handshake and rest his heavy head on the table! I quickly rush back to my quarters. No reading tonight coz I’m supposed to be asleep with lights off. I certainly don’t want him to come over to continue the talking here! Part of his stories was a bit scary and involved the possible assumption of a murder of his father either by his mother or maybe one of the kids! (oh btw, “kids” are baby goats according this English man who privately took A-level English literature at the age of 16 while he was still doing his O-levels … I managed to upset him a bit earlier by asking what his kids were now up to when he mentioned that he had 2 lovely children!! Oooops!). So now I could only sleep with one eye closed!

Stage 9: Monday 13th March. The return!

The next morning, still drunk, he had prepared tea for me. The previous days he only had shorts on while today it was only a long t-shirt!! I gulped the tea down the soonest possible, paid for my 2 night stays, wished him a Happy Birthday and left as quickly as possible cutting short his “caring” questions about whether I had enough food and water to last me the long journey back!
I was releaved to be back on the roads!
I went all the way across town to have a nice Malaysian breakfast! Roti canai. I saw a big crowd at that place the day before and they seemed to be doing something special there. It was indeed very good.
Later as I’m sitting on the bus, I see all those 720km+ that I’ve done during the last 9 days being undone in just 10 hours. Actually the southern part of the journey back is on a different route. One which I also had I mind for a cycling return.
The way I look at the roads now have changed. I’m now scrutinizing the roads … analyzing it inch by inch. I notice all the uphills. Take note of how long they are! I see the presence and absence of a good paved road shoulder. I notice the heavy traffic. More big trucks and speeding buses along this road! I notice that its long stretches without any possible rehydration pit stops although it offers relatively more shades! …

Until now I’ve always thought that the best way to travel, discover and appreciate a culture was to travel with a local. But I’ve found an equally good means. Traveling alone on a bicycle!

Just that next time I should probably remember to bring along my translation dictionary! Fixing it on my handlebar would have helped a lot as I was devouring all the numerous sign boards all along the coast!
It would have also avoided some stunned moments when I walked into a hotel and asked: “Berapa?” and the reply I got was a question: “Bilik?”! Although I did manage to make out certain things over time …

It’s been an amazing adventure. Several liters of Teh Tarik, 100+ and Es Limau have been ingested. Lots of food as well to make sure I did not loose a single Kg at the end of the long rides +_+ Cycling is such a good excuse to eat more!

There definitely will be a second edition of Le Tour de Kapas one day!

Le Tour de Kapas

2006-03-14T08:19:00.000+08:00

I'm back from Le Tour de Kapas.

Ya Le Tour de Langkawi is one of the major pro cycling events in Asia, yet it's a race taking place mostly along the west coast of Malaysia and never passing by Langkawi at all!

My trip from the 4th to the 13th of March 2006 has been the very first edition of Le Tour de Kapas.

Been cycling along the east coast of penninsular Malaysia. Overnight stop points were Mersing, Kuala Rompin, Kuantan, Cherating, Pulau Kapas (2 nights!), Kuala Terengganu (2 nights!).
Was still planning to go up north, but I did the mistake to go check my email! I've had to put an early end to the trip to come back for an interview (of which I don't really care of the outcome right now). The reason I chose to come back was to fulfill my "social responsibility"! Some ppl have agreed to back me up on this some times back, so I'd have a very clouded conscience if I now decided to just through it all up by ignoring the mail I read and continuing with my trip.

It's really strange to be back after such a trip. I've been living life as I wanted for the past 10 days! Simple, casual, relaxed, no definite goals but a rough plan being modified along the way. 2-3 options running through my mind as I make my way and finally settle for one and enjoy it!

Here it's hot. Even at night!
I'm confined!

Someone told me that I should not go for such a ride solo coz I'd return a changed person. Actually I dont' think I've changed. It has just re-enforced my belief that I'm in the wrong place!

Anyway, its been a really nice trip! Good thing about it being incomplete is that now I have something to look forward to +_+
I'm already thinking of the second Edition of Le Tour de Kapas. I'll do my overnight stops at the nice little towns inbetween that I've breezed through this time round! Air Papan, Endau, Pekan and of course Pulau Kapas and further north Pulau Lang Tengah ...

Ode to the Bike

2006-03-07T15:21:00.000+08:00

Hi from the road.

Just to reassure some ppl that I'm still alive!

Little ode to the wonderful bike. She has complete her 10 000 Kilometer during this trip!!!
Ya so I'm bringing her for a little reward.

Day 1 was a cruel 154km ride from West Coast (my house in Sg) to Mersing!! I think that's the toughest ride there is to do in Malaysia! Met an excentric old French man on the way. But still have to admire what he has been doing on a simple bike while I was suffering of cramps!

Day 2 was a lighter one of about 80km to Kuala Rompin
Day 3 and I reached Kuantan. Was a long ride.

Didn't really like this town. Too busy. Crowded ...

Day 4: this morning I discovered some really nice place only 5km east of Kuantan. I regret not having gone there the night before!
Anyway, had a late start today, just to wait for the post office to open and send a card back home! And the planned journey today was not long. Reached Cherating at around 1pm. Having explored quite a lot. Even a stupid industrial park! Was a horrible ride in there.
I'm staying at a nice place tonight. Its called Coconut Inn. Very rustic. Open my window and there is the river! Nice breeze.
But the owner of the place is VERY strange. He told me he has a disease (some kind of nerve problem!). He is very scary, but seems a nice person. I wonder if I'll be able to sleep tonight!!
For the time being, I'm going off to take some nice tea and once the sun is lower, to the beach.

Btw, now that I've already reached the "destination" initially intended, I'm thinking ever since last night of going to Tasik Kenyir ... Hmmm ... will figure out if its really worth it. If not I'll be going to Pulau Kapas maybe ... Hmmm, think I should start planning a southern journey as well.
For the past 4 mornings I've been riding north on a very exposed east coast. Now I have a very uneven tan! Only the right side is cooked! I'm only halfway to being Mr Tan!

This is soooo coooool.
I'm so happy. Finally doing what I've been dreaming of for the past 3 years!
And I just love the solo adventure. Although when its time to look for hotels I wished there was someone else also with me to share the cost n we would have been able to enjoy a much better standard room with the same amount of money!

Ok, time to go chit chat with the locals.

Reading Books. Where Got Time?!

2006-02-28T11:32:00.000+08:00

Working hard … That’s what I’ll be doing for the rest of the week!

Coz after that there is the reward. Since contract ending in March, I have to clear my 13 remaining leave days. I’m surprised myself that I still have so much leave to claim.

Anyway, so it’s been approved n I’ve informed my boss (who just replied, informing me how he wished that everything is completed before I leave!).

So what to do during those long days (19 total!)? Well, I recently bought myself 2 very interesting books (as friends gave me a wonderful gift as a birthday present: Book Voucher!), and since I don’t usually read much, I need to find a quite place to be able to focus and devour those pages!

Hmmm, ok, set, this Saturday I’m taking my bicycle and heading up North! Cycling up north for a few days along the east coast of the big patch of land protruding out of South East Asia (some call it Peninsula Malaysia), I should be able to find a few quiet moments, I guess!

Here is the general plan (in case you urgently need to get in touch with me!): Day 1 > to Mersing or Air Papan (anticipated to be the toughest riding day of this trip!). Day 2 > to Kuala Rompin. Day 3 > to Pekan. Day 4 > to Cherating. Day 5 > explore the beaches in the area. Day 6 > Continue up North? Day 7 > Explore Kuantan? Day 8 > Reached Terengganu maybe? Day 9 > head back down to enjoy more beaches …. Day somewhere-towards-the-end-of-the-trip > back to Mersing to explore Pulau Sibu or Pulau Rawa maybe! Day when-I’m-rested-enough-n-finished-reading > back home. Day 19 > Vietnamese Embassy (to do my visa for the Vietnam trip in early April).

I’m ready to go! Just need to let the week pass by … I hope it’s one of those which pass by really unnoticed!

And just now I got a phone call from a friend asking me to seriously consider a job offer! I’m torn again! It’s an interesting offer and the boss really wants me to join them apparently. Hmmm, yet another parameter added to make resolving the equation of my life more complex!

One thing at a time. For now, I need to focus on reading my books ^_^

Turning the Page

2006-02-23T22:52:00.000+08:00

I am so excited tonight, I badly needed a good work out. I rode full with excitement, joy and satisfaction that same route I take every morning to work! N I just realized that in the process, I broke the record of the usual 12-15min (fluctuating depending on mood and traffic!) to just over 10min!

I haven’t had such a feeling in a while!! Tonight I feel TOTALLY relieved. There is a HUGE weight which has been removed from my heart. It not ecstasy coz I know it a feeling which will last for while (I have to remember this feeling to boost myself when the low times come again!).

Anyway, if you want to know why all this: I’m turning a page in the book of my life. Is that the end of a chapter? I don’t know! In time, I’ll figure out if there is a continuation of this chapter!

For the time being, I’m going to follow my heart and do something meaningful OF (not in!) my life! (Just if you don’t get it, it’s like for some ppl cycling is A part of their life but I had consciously made cycling my lifestyle!)

It’s kind of the best birthday gift ever! Late at night on my birthday recently, I met up with some old friends whom I didn’t meet in a while. The usual complaints about life were exchanged over our tea (as what was a usual pleasant socializing/relaxing routine in Holland V some times back!), when one of them asked me to jump overboard.

Pros and Cons were weighed heavily for the next few days … She is someone I cannot lie to and who knows me and my wild ideas, my restlessness, my apprehensions but also my dedication and apparently my social skills!

It’s been a complex decision but in the end I can’t let down such a trust some ppl are willing to put in me. Someone (they) is (are) finally giving me a chance to add meaning to life.

I’ve been volunteering, more like helping out as and when needed (read 2-3 times a year) with this social work agency for a while now. Now, come mid-April, after I finish taking a little break, I’ll be joining them on a trial as community worker.

As I realized much later, it was a long (the longtest I’ve ever experienced!) “Interview”. More like a good open-hearted chat actually.

So, I’m putting to the drawer some of the big dreams I had! Do I really need yet another Cert?! For what?! Can I live a fruitful and meaningful life without it? Can I live with less money? Is it the country I’m in or just the immediate environment I’m in?

I seriously really still don't know if this is the right move! And I'll definetly have to take big decisions in a few months from now!

The driving force for now is: As long as I can Survive Happy!