MAKE YOUR OWN HAPPINESS

Dato Ibrahim texted me last week for a round of golf and I obliged since I have not played with him for over a year.  He has also made arrangement for us to play at The Mines, one of the most exclusive golf courses in Malaysia and I definitely did not want to miss out on this golden opportunity. 

Ezani, the Golf Manager, showed us hospitality that matched the beauty of this course. 

The foursome - Dato Jet, Dato Ibrahim, Dato Sabariah and me

The fun part about golf is the little game we played and yesterday the Boys decided to play against the Ladies. They definitely chose the wrong duo to play against! 

Both Dato Sabariah and I are ex-TKCians and when it comes to competition, we have a certain "je ne sais quoi" that we won't ever understand but it helped us to be relentless. 

We were up 3 holes with hole 16 (par 3) being the deciding hole whether The Ladies would win or had to continue the fight for the remaining holes. To make it even more exciting, we had a gallery with Tan Sri Tajuddin and his flight mates watching us play this hole. 

Dato Ibrahim teed off and his ball landed a few feet away from the hole. Shocking, as he had not being playing well the last few holes. Perhaps the audience gave him the motivation required. 

I was the last one to tee off. The fighting spirit in me kept saying that I could do better (even when the boys already have a chance of birdie in their pocket)! I teed off pin high. It looked promising but unfortunately the ball landed off the green. By now it was between Dato Ibrahim and I as we were the closest 2 balls to the pin. 

I consulted the line with Aiman, our caddy and we both decided that I was better off to putt as I have had a good streak with my putter the last few holes. And he was right on the money because the ball trickled into the hole as soon as it made contact with my putter face! The look of bewilderment on everyone's face followed by the applause from the gallery! I was ecstatic while Dato Ibrahim was in shock!

The boys definitely did not have a good round yesterday but through it all, they held on positively. It is a trait I truly admire as it demonstrates how strong they are mentally. It is a rare sight to be treasured as it is not easy to stay composed when you feel that everything is colluding and working against you. 

Dato' Ibrahim taught me an invaluable lesson yesterday: IN LIFE, YOU NEED TO MAKE YOUR OWN HAPPINESS! I chose to accept defeat with grace and be happy! Not sure about the latter statement as they did not look so happy over lunch while planning for their revenge game this Friday! Good thing I will be in Seri Menanti!  

Hobby

In the Contest Form for the Toastmasters Speech Contest, there was a question asking for my hobby which I, without thinking twice, wrote READING and SOLVING PUZZLES. 

Almost everyone I know though, would assume that my answer would relate to some kind of sports. The Contest Chair was no different. 

I then explained to him, I can't live without sports. It is akin to the air that I breathe. I live, eat and sleep for them. But a hobby, it is just something fun that I do. I love crossword puzzles, kakuro, rubic cube. I love the smell of the paperbacks and now I am beginning to fall in love with the monotonous voices of the audiobook readers!  

As it was a busy week, I didn't give it another thought until I had a conversation with Tasha about Franco's retirement. 

Me: Tasha, we need to find Papa a hobby, PRONTO. Otherwise what is he going to do come June?  

Tasha: Ma, you have to start admitting the fact that Papa is NOT you. Work is his source of income, his passion AND his hobby! There is NO distinction! If you want to find Papa a hobby, find him a job! 

Me: What a sad existence! 😜 

How can anyone not fall in love with this kind of algorithm? 

Old Girls, Old Sport

Golf has become such a popular sport since MCO that booking for a tee off time has become a competitive sport in itself, except when you play with the dignitaries! 😛

Yes, I am the shameless beneficiary of this feudal system! Sorry to say but I love it when it works in my favour! 

With just one phone call, Tunku Anne managed to get us a tee off time, VVIP buggy on the fairway, the best caddies the house has to offer and the coldest room on the planet for our post game lunch! 

For most, she is the sister of the Yamtuan Besar Negeri Sembilan, but for me she is just a senior from school. She left TKC the same year I was born. Similarly with Dato' Sabariah whom I just call Kak Lang. She is exactly 20 years older than me! At 71 and still golfing, I have great admiration for her tenacity! 

Despite the age gap, there is something about ex-TKCians. There is a bond so strong and love so pure shared by us all. The feeling is just undescribable. I am just so lucky to have so many of them who brighten up my life in more ways than I can imagine! 

 

The Malaysian Sakura 

Here is to my Kakak-Kakak! 💖💖💖

Surfer's Paradise

 

When Ivy invited me to go windsurfing, the memories of my surfing days in Cherating and Hood River came flooding in. 

It was 1998 and I was just being seconded to manage the contract closure for Bombardier Inc, a Canadian Engineering company responsible for the driverless train for the LRT Putra line. The short stint turned out to be one of the best times in my life, thanks to my boss, Sarah and her husband Brent. 

Both of them are ardent surfers (even until now)! They used to spend most of the weekends driving back and forth to Cherating while we were working in KL and later on to Hood River when we were working in Vancouver. So it was only natural that their names and faces came flashing when I think of windsurfing. 

And so we went on a fine Saturday afternoon, to D'Saville Lake in Puchong. With Waze it was easy enough to locate the place but I couldn't find any ingress into the water. Turned out, you just needed to jump in and set yourself up in chest deep water which was fine for me as I am used to deep sea start for triathlon. However, it was definitely not a place for beginner! 

After a quick orientation, wallah.....it felt as if I have never stopped windsurfing! The venue wasn't exactly Surfer's Paradise but the feeling of being able to windsurf again was heavenly. 

Kiasu Me!

At the start of the year, Dr. Pui San and I met for lunch after not seeing each other for almost a year. I have a lot of admiration for her because she is very well read and vocal about her specialty - sports medicine. She is also one of the few doctors whom I allow to dry needle my hamstring! 

Since both of us are avid readers, the conversation revolved around the books that we have read and the learnings from them. She made a list of recommendation and when I was going to do the same, I realised that she had read all on my list even though some of them are newly researched and published material!

Me: How many books are you reading a week? 

PS: On average 2-3! 

Me: What? I am reading a book a week and I thought that I was doing very well for myself! How the h**l do you manage to do that? 

PS: Audio and e-book mostly. 

Ting! That is what's missing for me. The audio book! 

I got home, subscribed to  Blinkist and now averaging 2 books a week. Woohoo! Fiction on audio book while I am chilling and paperback when I need some inspiration. 

Kiasu me!

Competitiveness

Another 2 weeks before I can reclaim my Sundays. Till then it is a late lunch in our household to synchronise with Regina (that's Queen in Italian and that's Franco's pet name for me)'s work schedule. 

Today it was lamb chops with pasta which was yummilicious. I boiled some edamame so that there was some green on the table. I ended up eating the whole bowl by myself while Franco and Tasha sucked the bones dry. 

Conversation at lunch varies from Tasha's best friend to fake diamonds from Tiffany's but today it centred around golf since I had just acquired a new club membership yesterday. Of course, no golf talk is complete without some reviews of the performance of the caddies. After all they are the ones who make or break our game. Well...mine anyway. Tasha thinks that I am way too pampered to always be playing with a caddie. The only reason she normally plays without one is because she is too frugal to tip them! 

Anyway, I mentioned to Franco about how terrible the caddie at Palm Garden was. Tasha concurred with my observation as she missed a birdie and a par chances when we played there a few days ago (plus it is always good to blame it on someone else)! 😄😄

FRANCO: I like Nordin. He reads the line very well. 

ME: He is good but he talks too much. Maybe because we are both Kelantanese and he feels that he needs to constantly chat with me! I don't like chatty caddie because I need to focus when I play. That's why I like Manik. He is not the best but he ticks all the boxes. 

TASHA: Ma, you like him because he is as COMPETITIVE as you. He is always giving you hope for sinking the ball in the hole even when the chance of that happening is less than 5%! Not to mention, he will make you fight until the last stroke. Even when you are already winning, he has to make sure that you have a landslide victory!  Seriously! Who does that during a fun game? 

FRANCO: Babe....what's with you and getting people to be COMPETITIVE? Last week it was Kaarthi. What was it. He did 1 speech the whole of last year and now that he is mentoring you, he did 4 speeches in 1 day? 

TASHA: Yeah ma. You remember when we played last week. I was one up against you. Then Manik was cheering you on to make sure that you squared with me, which you finally did on the last hole. How both of you were high 5-ing when you managed to even your score. And that was against your own daughter!!! 

For the rest of lunch, Franco and Tasha took turns to be in the firing squad that finally left me unarmored! For the first time I was relieved that my break time was over. I reminded everyone to be quiet and hurried back to the desk to talk to my mentee in Turkey, a very COMPETITIVE national athlete turned coach. 

Yesterday's Gallagher's Challenge! 

  Looks like it is the story of my life!  

 

Pareto Your Life

Have you ever wondered why you feel so tired and become so frustrated that you are not accomplishing your goals? Imagine getting things done while having the spare time you need to relax and pursue your passions. 

The Pareto principle is based on a well verified observation that in business, economics and life generally, about 80% of all results flow from a mere 20% of our efforts. 

The unspoken corollary of the 80/20 principle is that little of what you spend your time on actually enriches your life. But by concentrating instead on the few things that do matter, you can unlock the enormous potential of the critical 20% and multiply your happiness and fulfilment. When you learn how to systematically apply the 80/20 principle, you will finally have the power to transcend the pressure of modern life. To become more powerful and to enjoy more leisure, serenity and great relationships with friends and loved ones. 

The sunrise I would have missed!

                              

Warm and Happy Place

How many times have you had an amazing idea while taking a shower? Stanford University conducted a scientific research on this phenomenon of showering inspiration. They found that people tend to think more creatively when they are in a warm and happy place and when they are emotionally uninhibited. Being naked in a hot shower is as close as it gets for most of us!

My husband is one of them. Always exclaiming, "Babe, I have an epiphany!" loud enough to wake up the whole neighbourhood. Unfortunately for him, the realisation disappears as quickly as it dawns on him! To be precise, as soon as he turns off the faucet and steps out of the shower.  😜

My warm and happy place is when I run. When all I could hear is the sound of my shoes pounding the tarmac. When all I could feel is the gentle beating of my heart beat. When the beads of sweat trickle from my head down to my cheeks and my neck. When my thoughts dissipate into thin air with the evaporation of the droplets. This is when my mind will be engulfed with endless inspiration. And unlike my husband I try the best that I can to make a mental note of it! 

I ran 8km last night and another 12km first thing this morning. During a chat with one of my athletes he asked what I did since I last saw him yesterday. 

Me: I ran 20km within 12 hours. 

Him: Oh no!

I smiled because he has been my athlete long enough to know that the training to follow will be a "new" experience for both of us!

Where is your warm and happy place? 

 

Saturday Be Like

My focus in coaching took a turn on 1st February 2021 which requires for me to work on Sundays for the next one year! As a result over the last two weekends, I have been trying to maximise my Saturday by doing things I love and surround myself with people whom I enjoy their company. 

Yesterday was no different - started my day with a ride around the neighbourhood traversing the concrete jungle of Klang Valley. The hills were alive even in the wee hour of the morning! I resolved to tackle each and every single one with vigour since I have not been cycling as much due to the lockdown as well as time constraint!  

Section 16 Wall

Jalan Kelantan 

(can't run away from my beloved state even if I want to!)

Many many hills later, we headed to Canteen in BSC for my first cup of cappuccino. 

Ivy had been wanting me to host a talk on ClubHouse for a few days already but the logistics and timing was never right. After a quick conversation on Ikigai (Alfred had just finished reading a book and I had just delivered a speech about it), we figured between the two of us, we would have enough content to chat about it. That got Ivy excited and she quickly got the ball rolling. We hurried home in time for the session. Since it was the first time for all of us, we didn't know what to expect. I started the conversation to a very silent audience. Turned out they were totally engaged and some even stepped up to share their Ikigai experience. Tasha joined for the first part of it but had to leave half way for her lunch appointment. Not without leaving a little note to her mommy dearest. 

I know I will always have at least one ardent supporter in every new venture!   

The afternoon was even more exciting when Judy, Kaarthi and I met for coffee at Pokok. Toastmasters brought us together but now our lives are intertwined in more ways than we thought it would be. We chatted about everything under the sun - from Tommy Thomas to Marie Kondo to Stephen Covey for hours on end! While Judy is predictably full of entertaining life stories, I was hoping to uncover the  carefree side of Kaarthi as I was assured that it exists waiting to be unearthed! I guess we will just have to have more coffee before that reveals itself!  

Had to rush home for dinner and meet one of my athletes before calling it a day. I have not met Hao for nearly a year when we decided (according to him it was solely my decision!) that he needed to spread his wings by being exposed to training with other coaches. Apparently it is not working out for him as well as we hoped for. His mom thinks that he is sabotaging his relationship with other coaches so that he can return to the way things were. I have been coaching him for 7 years (since he was 12) and I thought a break from each other would be welcomed by him. After last night's reflection, I may need to find an extra 20 hours a week so as not to lose him as one of Malaysia's most promising athletes.  

Too exhausted to think of how, but totally fulfilled, I fell asleep with "New Amsterdam" playing in the background. Bon Soir! 

The Eagle Has Landed

Not wanting to rely on technology, I am very dependent on the accuracy of the caddie in reading my putting line, gauging the distance and sometimes advising me on the choice of clubs. 

Manik is one of the better caddies at Tropicana Golf Club. Having played as a national junior in Bangladesh, he had come to Malaysia armed with experience competing at a high level.  Not only is he competent, he also has the right attitude, and best of all, only speak when spoken to. My dream guy! 😜

I played my usual conservative game with the aim of scoring bogeys with occasional pars and that was how the game went. It was nothing exciting to the point that another caddie Andan commented on how boring and safe my game was! I told him point blank that I am too old to be playing an aggressive game and entertaining inconsistency in my game. Manik just nodded in agreement. 

 

On the last hole, I played even more conservatively, teeing off with a 5 wood leaving me with 125m to the green. I asked Manik for a 6 iron that put a shock on his face. He reluctantly handed me the club after I reassured him that it would be ok. 

I repeatedly told myself to trust my judgement, took a swing and as soon as the ball took flight, I knew it was going to be a great shot. The ball flew right towards the pin, dropped just a few meters short and rolled into the hole earning myself my first ever EAGLE!

On top of that, I played 88 that day. You don't get luckier than that! 

 

8.88

Went out for my 8km this morning, to complete my weekly 30km target when I saw Tey running on the opposite side of the road. Tey is a sports journalist with Sin Chew Jit Poh and over the last 10 years that I had known him, we have used each other well. I would give him the inside scoop for sports and he will use the press to promote an idea, event or an athlete that I am supporting! It helps that both of us love running and live within the same neighbourhood. So, as long as we keep on running, he won't be able to run away from me! 😃 (I digress)

Me: Happy New Year, Tey!

Tey: Thank you. 

Me: How far are you running today? 

Tey: 8.88  

I smiled at his response, remembering that amongst the Chinese, the number 8 is viewed as an auspicious number. Even the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics  was held on 8/8/08 at 8:08:08pm! 

Not wanting to lose out on my fair share of fortune and good luck, I decided to add on .88km to my original plan.  

Upon returning home, I googled to find out the significance of number 8. The facts below were unearthed within less than a minute on Google:

A) Malaysia's iconic building, Petronas Tower for example, has 88 floors. Taipei 101 although has 101 floors, features a series of 8 segments of 8 floors each and the list goes on!

B) The British Airways' route from London to Chengdu is BA88 and Cathay Pacific's from Vancouver to Hong Kong is CX888! Apparently these were not mere coincidence. Airlines like Etihad, Air Astana and KLM were found to share the same practice for their flights to China.  

C) Instead of using "9" for price point, it is common to see "8" being used in Asia to achieve the same psychological effect. 

 I was surprised to discover how significant number "8" is and how deeply entrenched it is even in our daily lives! So, I am glad I bumped into Tey this morning who inspired me to start the Ox year right. 

Gong Xi Fa Cai! 

Not Today

Woke up feeling really tired this morning. 

Regardless, I dragged myself out of bed for my morning ritual of saying a prayer and recite some Quranic verses. It helps to soothe the soul and serves as a daily reminder of how lucky I am to still be alive and healthy. The feeling of gratitude normally would make me spring into action. NOT TODAY! 

Tasha and Franco were still deep in their sleep, so the house was eeriely quiet. I turned the coffee machine on and within seconds the aroma of the freshly grounded beans permeated the air. Most days this would have perked me up. NOT TODAY! 

I had a list of things to do - from revising my Toastmasters speech to completing my Module 3 for the Mentorship Program. Mornings are always the best time for me when it comes to “creative” work. The deep sleep from the night before provide such clarity, ideas ooze out from pen to paper so fast that I had created a lot of shorthand to help me keep up with the flow. NOT TODAY! 

I had to choose a couple of photos from TKC for the Book Project (have they not printed it already?), and by now Tasha was awake and joined me in the search for the least ugly photo of me playing sports! Most times we are always able to agree on one thing. NOT TODAY! 

So I sent both photos to the editor. 

Managed to complete everything on the Things to Do list just before noon. Yes! Now I have the whole afternoon to errr....twiddle my thumbs. But decided, NOT TODAY!

So I set a conversation about Dennis Ignatius in motion. He recently wrote an article on the book by Tommy Thomas that has sparked controversy in the Malaysian political circle. We ordered the book, "Justice in Wilderness". It arrived 4 days ago and Franco who has the monopoly of the book is still reading the Preface. I reminded him that it took him 2 years to finish Sarawak Report and that maybe I should read this book before him so that I don't wither to dust waiting for my turn! 

He looked up and said, "ok sayang!" 

No way! We have been married 23 years and this never happens! Whatever bad news he has to break, I hope he will save it for another day. 

Please, NOT TODAY! 

ABC

I was greeted by news of Isa Samad being found guilty of corruption on The Edge this morning and just 24 hours before, I attended an Anti Bribery and Corruption (ABC) course conducted by Time.com for all their contractors and suppliers. 

Having been involved and responsible for the contract awards in mega projects in so many countries around the world in my previous life, I must say that I do know a thing or two about bribery and corruption! In fact I was subjected to constant audits due to the position that I was in.  

The worst was when I was doing some PRO BONO work for World Bank and AusAid (Australian Aid) to rebuild the Solomon Islands after an earthquake and tsunami in 2004.  

The project, for a contract specialist such as myself, was considered a huge success for a few reasons: 

1. It was within the budgets provided by AusAid. 

2. It was awarded in the shortest time possible without compromising any of the processes that could raise the red flag. 

3. The design chosen took into account the local culture, traditional know-how skills and yet the supplier had managed to interlace the modern disaster resistance to ensure that the structure would withstand the next earthquake. 

4. The structure was built at the suppliers' premise to overcome the supply issue in Solomon Islands, flat packed and shipped to Honiara with all the necessary tools, bolts and nuts, IKEA style!  

BEFORE & AFTER:

It was a work of genius! 😀

Throughout this project, I was working from Sinclair Knight Merz office in Melbourne with my daughter Natasha, being installed at the nearby Intercontinental Hotel. While I was burning the midnight oil, the hotel butler was raking in cash by taking Tasha to watch Cirque du Soleil, visits to the Aquarium, Zoo, McDonalds and the list went on. 

On the last day, we had a meeting with World Bank and AusAid to finalise the payment to the Supplier when my colleague, Paul Mulgrew casually asked about my daughter. I jokingly told him  how she was making me bankrupt by ordering room service 3 times a day and using the butler service at her whims and fancies! 

The representatives from World Bank overheard the conversation and for months after that they never left me alone. It was almost like it was their ultimate goal to find dirt on me! 

Anyway, after a few weeks, all was resolved and I was given a clean bill of financial health and invited to undertake another project by them. Errr..."thanks but no thanks", was all I could muster after all the energy being drained in trying to defend myself against the bombardment regarding my financial status! So much for doing pro bono work, huh.      

The point is that this ABC policy is good but applied overzealously, it may put people (like me) off from doing the world a lot of good completely. So, the question I asked Time.com yesterday was, where do you draw the line? 

_________________________________________

 

Be Your ExtraOrdinary

20210201 

New month and a new beginning for me....

19 coaches from around the globe (out of which only 8 from Asia) have been selected for the World Triathlon Mentorship Program and I was one of them! 👊

The Program has been designed to develop a skilled cadre of mentors who will support newer coaches with real potential to be the sports' next generation of leaders. It is thus a BIG responsibility but one that I am looking forward to fulfil to elevate my contribution to this sport that I love!  

Along with a host of qualifications required, the participation to the program is limited to triathlon coaches who have produced Olympians and Youth Olympians! I was selected through the success of my athlete, Chong Xian Hao who qualified and competed at the Youth Olympics Buenos Aires in 2018. 

Buenos Aires 2018

I had a mixed feelings when I received the e-mail bearing this good news - I was intimidated to see some of the BIG names in the list but at the same time, super excited to be inducted in the major league!   

In line with the motto "Be Your ExtraOrdinary", World Triathlon has prepared a 7 week online course followed by 9 months of mentoring the selected mentee coaches in the hope that they will eventually be the next generation of coaches to produce an Olympian!   

My facilitator is none other than the South African, Norman Brook who is a former Olympics Coach and  CEO of the British Triathlon Federation. He has been active in all aspects of the sports - so much so that he was awarded an MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for his contribution. 

For training purposes, I have been paired with a coach from Turkey, Huseyin Onur Aydemir, whom I have not met but I guess with us having to work hand in hand for the next 7 weeks, I will either be his best friend or worst enemy, we shall see. 😀

Given that we are on 3 different continents with Coach Norman in Africa, Coach Huseyin in Europe and I in Asia, our first challenge is to coordinate our online training session. We have agreed to meet at 7pm Malaysian time (1pm in South Africa and 2pm in Turkey!). 

8 more hours and then it is TIME TO PLAY WITH THE BIG BOYS! 😜

_______________________________________

And oh...don't forget the moral of the story is: 

Whatever Age You May Be, Always Be Your ExtraOrdinary!  

Women of New Generation

When Dee Boys was in Malaysia, I had the privilege of cycling with her on a few occasions. A privilege because she has competed in Australian National Championships in cycling and World Championships in triathlon! As I was always cycling with the boys (who never turn to men!), I was beginning to really enjoy a challenge from another fellow female cyclist when she had to leave the country to follow her husband to Dubai. We decided to stay connected via Facebook. 

When she turned 50, she was curious as to what health advice was available for female athletes going through menopause and was shocked to find that most of the materials do not address this segment of the population. Since there is a whole new generation who are still competing, she decided to create an environment where these women can connect with like minded people and share their tips on health, fitness and wellness. 

And that was how "Women of New Generation" was born.    

https://www.womenofthenewgeneration.com

https://www.facebook.com/groups/womenofthenewgeneration

In my short life as a coach, I specialise in coaching kids as they are the future of the country. When I saw what Dee was doing, I spoke to her about my plan to contribute to this platform. My first point of contact was the Associate Professor Clare Monahan from Griffith University, whom I met during the Commonwealth Games 2018 in Gold Coast and had the opportunity to sit in some of her lectures in between races. She specialises in the advancement of human performance with a key focus on the determinants of performance in female athletes! 

However, instead of focusing on senior female athletes, I decided to contribute to the larger segment of the society and that was how Women of New Generation Malaysian Chapter started. 

The target is to build strength and improve the quality of movements. 

1. Strength Training 

• As we age, we lose about 1kg of muscle a year. It is therefore important that we continue to rebuild muscles to maintain a healthy mass.  
• Metabolism also drops about 3% per decade which adds up to the weight gain very quickly unless we reduce the food consumption (very unlikely!). The best way to overcome this is by building muscles as they keep the metabolism high and are great at burning calories at rest. 

2. Quality Movements

These can be achieved through exercises focusing on the following:

• Flexibility - to increase the range of motion for the joints
• Mobility - to allow a person to perform movements without restrictions
• Stability - to maintain control of the joint movement or position 

Combined, they can unlock quality human movements. 

NOTE: Good flexibility does not always denote good mobility as the person with good flexibility may not have the strength, coordination or balance to execute the same movement. Mobility relates to movement while stability relates to control. 

And of course, nothing beats a great stretch to finish off the session! 

The best part is that all sessions are free of charge! You just need to have an internet connection and dial in with a great attitude! 

(Un)Conscious Bias

My Toastmasters mentor, Kaarthi has not given a speech for a long time (well..long for my standard!😄) and finally he delivered one this week - a mind-blowing speech entitled "Unconscious Bias". 

As soon as I heard the title I was excited for three reasons. 

(1) It was a topic Tasha wrote for her IB project 5 years ago, so it was a very familiar subject to the Rende family as she read, researched and presented to us over and over (AND OVER AND OVER) until she "nailed" it. 

My Pride and Joy

(2) It resonated well with the conversation I had with her just a few weeks ago about my reading habit. (More on this later.)

(3) Given my familiarity with the topic, I couldn't wait to hear Kaarthi's perspective. (Post speech: he certainly did NOT disappoint! 😎)

The meaning of the term "Unconscious Bias" is rather straightforward in that, more often than not, we, without realising, are swayed by some factors when making a decision - factors such as our background, personal, cultural and religious values, life experience, education and the list goes on. 

Back to the conversation I had with Tasha a few weeks ago which took place while we were golfing. It started when Tiggy innocently asked Tasha about the kind of books she reads. 

Tasha: Mom and I read everything! Even the label on the newly bought shirt! (ha! ha! But it is true!) Even when I was in the UK, we would spend hours on the phone discussing a current case that we were following or talk about a book that she wants me to read.  BUT BUT listen to this Auntie Tiggy...

And this was when she dropped the bomb! 

Tasha: Even though we read the same book, sometimes I wonder whether we actually read the same book because she would only remember and talk about the parts that validate her already-formed opinion and would NOT accept any other point of views! 

Woe is Me! I was astonished to hear that from her because we always talk about the books we read and she had never said such a thing. However, I was too flabbergasted to immediately retort, so I composed myself and took a deep breathe. 

Me: First of all, that was a total exaggeration! I am a very open minded person who will consider other points of views. However, through 51 years of life, I am pretty confident of what works and what doesn't, what's real and what's a fantasy and what's to be taken seriously and what's to be read with a pinch of salt. 

Tasha: See....that's what I meant! Unconscious Bias has taken over you! 

Me: No, sweetie. You can't accuse me of Unconscious Bias. I am very aware of the points that I made and the reasons behind them. If it is a bias, it is a conscious one. 

We were interrupted by the Marshall giving signal to continue play. (Thank God!) But it got me thinking. Is there such a thing as Conscious Bias?! Is it just me being conscious of my Unconscious Bias? Or are they the same thing? 

I guess I will have to write another post when I find the answer. So stay tuned!

Women of Substance

Citi-ZEN January 2021 Issue

Truly honoured to be sharing the front cover of Citi-ZEN with Cindy Ong, the swimming gold medalist at the 2019 World Masters Championship and Michele Low, the Malaysian golfer who has made our country proud on the LPGA circuit. 

I am even more honoured to be receiving hundreds of congratulatory messages from family and friends via Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp. And yet the ONLY person I would have truly loved to share this piece of news is my late father. 

I hardly speak about him because we never really had a chance to do or share a lot of things. Growing up, I was home only until I was 12 years old. Right after, I was shipped to a boarding school in Seremban for my secondary school and for my A-Levels in Oxford before attending university in Nottingham. Daddy passed away just a few months after my university graduation. I had just started work in the UK then and was planning to visit him once I am entitled to take some leave. 

I remember him cutting my nails every Friday, I remember him teaching us math crossed legged on the floor, using the parquet tiles as our calculator, I remember his favourite "ikan singgang" which he ate almost daily. I also remember him waiting for me in front of the gate with a belt in his hand! They are little things but even after all these years, still very vivid in my mind for some reason. 

Most of all, I remember him as someone who loved sports. We ran together as a family, when he was the President of KAFA, he would bring us to watch football matches at the stadium. Of all the sports, he loved badminton the most. He played every evening after work and in fact spent his last breath doing what he loved when he had his heart attack while playing against our cousin. 

We grew up loving sports because of him. Thank you daddy for this awesome gift. 

Inna lillahi wa'inna ila hira ji'un

  
 

To Jab or Not to Jab?

Now that the COVID19 vaccines are becoming more available for the masses, the burning question in everyone's mind is, of course, to jab or not to jab. 

Being someone who is not fond of having to make life's decision based on what is reported in the media, social or otherwise, I decided to attend a webinar organised by the TKC Old Girls' Association, to find a definitive answer to this very question. More so because the speakers are eminent experts in this field. They are: 

• Dato Dr. Professor Adeeba, our very own specialist in the field of internal medicine and infectious diseases, well-known for her work and publication not just in Malaysia but internationally. 

• Dato' Dr. Musa, a paediatrician and neonatologist, whose phone number I had on my speed dial for good 10 years of Tasha's early life! He is the champion for global equity in child health, rooting for immunisation as a strategy for child's survival.     

The take aways from the webinar are as follows: 

ARE THE VACCINES SAFE?

There are more than 10 different types of Covid 19 vaccines developed worldwide, using different technologies. The much talk about is the mRNA technology that has been in the vaccine pipe dream for the last 30 years (due to Ebola, AIDS, SARS and MERS). It is only now that Pfizer and Moderna are able to bring the vaccines to its full development due to an influx of funding as well as circumstances that allow for large scale testing. 

Most of the vaccines that are being talked about have gone through human trials and have been declared safe for respective applications by different relevant authorities.

SIDE EFFECTS

The side effects of COVID19 vaccine are similar to other vaccines and that it will affect different people differently. I can attest to the latter part of the statement based on personal experience in preparation for the SEA Games Manila in 2019, when all athletes and coaches were required by the Philippines Government and the Malaysian Olympics Council to have the following vaccines: 

• Polio since Philippines declared an outbreak of polio in September 2019, two months before the Games
• Flu which is commonly administered when we attend major Games that require for us stay in the Games Village with athletes and coaches from other countries. 
• Typhoid for when we travel to countries with "suspect" food and water sanitisation!  

I remember vividly the concerns I had when Serena missed her swim sessions for days because she couldn't lift her arm, Aimi had a fever so high that she had to put on drips and Ziq had itchiness at the jab locations! The remaining of the team just had a bruised ego when they flinched at the sight of the needle! 😃

The point is flu vaccines have been around since 1940s and polio vaccines, the mid 50s. Yet there are still people who experience side effects from them. It will be no different with COVID19 vaccine, now or in years to come. 

Even for a person who always get affected by vaccines, the risk due to the side effects has to be weighed against its protective benefit. As numbers don't lie, here are some based on the current statistics. 

1. The risk of experiencing serious side effects from covid19 vaccines = 1 in every 400,000 (0.0003%)
2. The chance of being infected by COVID19 in Malaysia = 1 in every 250 (0.4%)

0.0003% versus 0.4% risk. It is a no-brainer.

EFFICACY AND EFFECTIVENESS

The efficacy of the vaccines is pretty high, with close to 95% for some brands. However, it is not the only factor in choosing the best one as they vary in cost and logistics requirement with some of them needing to be stored in -70C, which is colder than winter in Antartica!  

 

As to how long the vaccine will remain effective? There is no data yet to determine whether you need to vaccinate annually (like a flu jab) or it will be good for a lifetime! 

STAGES OF ROLLOUT

Malaysia is expecting the first arrival of vaccines for mass distribution in February 2021 and the priorities have been determined as follows: 

1. The front liners
2. The elderly, the handicapped and those who have high risks 
3. General population (18 years and above)

Based on the above plan, it could be another year before we as a nation can be considered "safe" from the virus!  

WHY JAB? 

Same reason as any other vaccines - Prevention Is Better Than Cure. 

For some, science and religion don't mix but I always believe that our health and well being are the blessings bestowed by God upon us and therefore it is our obligation to strive to preserve it. 

But it is not just about us. Since we live in a society, public health is paramount and the onus is also upon us to ensure the health of the people around us through herd immunity. 

To achieve this in Malaysia based on the current dermographics, it is estimated that 70% of the population must be vaccinated. Since COVID19 vaccine excludes application to the minor, this means that almost everyone in Malaysia who is of legal age (18+) has to take on the responsibility to be vaccinated! More so, if you are suffering from diseases that put you in the high risk category. 

Hopefully with this information, when you are asked whether to be vaccinated or not, you will do the right thing and say YES to the JAB. 

SPECIAL MESSAGE

Apart from being the first neonatologist in Malaysia, Dr. Musa is also a man of religious authority, being the President of the Federation of Islamic Medical Associations (FIMA), the parent body of Islamic Medical Associations in 41 countries. It was very impressive to hear him use scientific terms and recite words from the Quran all in the same sentence, in order to win the hearts and minds of the Muslim anti-vaxxers to accept and adopt vaccination as the simplest form of protection. 

"For indeed a dirham weight (6g) of protection is better than a qintars weight (150kg) of treatment." 

 

Mister Bombastic

During our Toastmasters meeting this week, Tatee texted me after I had just delivered a speech "2 Steps Forward and 1 Step Back."

Tatee: "I need to bunga-bungakan my sentences! I tend to use very straight forward simple English. Was told to use a few bombastic, descriptive words".

Me: "Oh! Kena baca lots of fiction".

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The day after, I started reading a book "Mister God, This is Anna". It is an account of a 4 year old who seemed to understand with uncanny certainty the purpose of being, the essence of feeling and the beauty of love. The following is the extract from the book. 

"The whole business of adults going to church filled Anna with suspicion. The idea of collective worship went against her sense of private conversations with Mister God. As for going to church to meet Mister God, that was preposterous. After all, if Mister God wasn't everywhere, he wasn't anywhere. For her, the churchgoing and Mister God talks had no necessary connection. 

For her, the whole thing was transparently simple. You went to church to get the message when you were very little. Once you had got it, you went out and did something about it. Religion was for doing things, not for reading about things. Once you got the message there wasn't much point in going over the same old ground. Keeping on going to church was because you hadn't got the message or didn't understand it or it was just for swank!"

And the message:

"I know to love Mister God and to love people and cats and dogs and spiders and flowers and trees - and the catalog went on - with all of me." 

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Anna's thoughts were expressed in straight forward simple English but the message has since, entrenched in my medial temporal lobes forming part of my semantic memory. I just couldn't stop thinking about it. 

Which brought me back to my advice for Tatee. 

Perhaps, in retrospect, I should have told her that it is not the bombastic words that she should be concerned about. It is far more important to focus on the usage of vocabulary that can help express ourselves and connect with others. Just what Anna had done. She and I are now connected at so many different levels with just the above passage. She had managed to get into my head and when it comes to storytelling, that is the ultimate goal!  

Fruits - Fab, Fad or Fat?

My dining table centrepiece this morning

A friend once told me that she went through 50 to 60 oranges a week and she is a family of 3! When I asked "why" instead of exclaimed "wow", she was a tad upset with me and started on a "rampage" about juicing. 

Personally, if there is a dirty word associated with fruits and vegetables, it would be JUICING.  I cannot for the life of me understand why people would waste a bag of kale or a perfectly good fruit to a blender or extractor or a juicer. More so when there are a lot of scientific researches that concluded the benefits of eating whole fruits and vegetables and none (up until September 2020) that supports juicing as better than eating them whole.  

And even when you, like most people do NOT read scientific researches, common sense should prevail. It takes at least 3-4 oranges to make a glass of juice. Imagine the amount of fructose in that! I am not just talking about the spike in the glucose level that could lead to insulin resistance and a host of diseases that come with it, but these extra calories, if not careful can easily lead to weight gain! 

Fruits - fad or fab? Well, if you are into juicing, you can certainly add fat to that burning question too! 

Serendipity Indeed!

I was at 1U looking for some books recommended by Dr. Pui San when Gim Kim texted me. 

Told her I was heading to the book store  to which she replied, "Maybe you could have a look at some of the books I have too!" 

I was already excited at the prospect of receiving and reading a book that she co-authored. Now she is offering me even more books! Of course I dropped all my other errands and rushed to her house before my afternoon training session! 

Typical of an addict who can't get enough with just one hit, I left her place with 6 additional books! A book for every 2 days of MCO 2.0! How awesome is that! 

Speaking of MCO 2.0, on the day that the government announced it, (being the optimist that I am), I told Kaarthi that the good thing about this MCO is that it will give me a chance to redeem myself at making my own bread! 

Honestly, I had no intention of doing that because now I know someone who makes fabulous sour dough! I know if I flutter my eyelashes long enough, she will bake me one! And the best part is that she lives within 10km radius from my house!  

I told Gim Kim exactly that. How Gina would text me and told me that she had sour bread in the oven and how I would shamelessly rush to her place to pick up my supply! Gim Kim just smiled at my story! 

It was only this morning that I managed to read Gim Kim's story. Turned out Gina is Gim Kim's half-sister! 

SERENDIPITY Indeed! 

   

A Perfect Run

The plan was to ride Broga loop with my darling dearest, Ronnie and use the saddle time to rekindle my love/hate relationship with Doc Alwi, the IJN poster boy who is also a renowned Cardiothoracic Surgeon. At my age, who knows when I might be needing a heart specialist. 

Then rain happened. The phone went abuzz at 6am and we decided to abort the plan. 4 hours, 2 shots of caffeine and a book later, it was still drizzling and I was getting restless. So I put on my running shoes and went downstairs. The guards shook their head, disapproved of my decision to run in the rain. 

“Easy run only” I told them. 

I kept my heart rate low, as promised, but the cool air and the drizzle certainly made it easier for me to run faster with less effort. Entertaining the same line of thoughts, my mind started to wander to the phenomenal running event in October 2019 when Eluid Kipchoge broke the 2 hour marathon barrier. 

1:59:40 to be exact. 

Even though it was not recognized as a world record, it was definitely an athletic spectacle of historic proportion. He shaved off 2 minutes from his own world marathon record time of 2:01:39. 

As a coach, I was curious to find out where the 2 minutes came from and the levers that I could think of are as follows: 

Race Environment 

• The race was so staged that the time of the race was not confirmed until a few hours before to make sure the weather was the most perfect. 
•  The course chosen was flat and fast with no sharp turns to ensure that the pace could be kept constant throughout. 
• He had a group of pacers who kept him shielded from any wind. (We all know with drafting this could minimize the energy utilisation by between 1-6%). 
•  There was also a car with the timing clock ahead of the pacers which could possibly provide drafting benefit as well.    

Training

• Based on an interview, Eluid Kipchoge trained for the 1:59 Challenge in the small town of Kaptagat, in the Kenyan Highlands. This is his camp for the past 17 years with his life-long coach Patrick Sang. Nothing extraordinary was done in preparing him for this challenge, so I will discount this out. 

Nutrition and Hydration

• A Norwegian company had been playing around with the fueling required and finally put together a cocktail with 14% carbohydrate! Those who know a bit of nutrition would know that, that is a lot of carbohydrate to ingest! A lot of research and technology had gone into this fuel to ensure that it would provide quick absoption and not upset the digestive system. 
• As for the hydration, Kipchoge had cyclists feeding him water while on the run so that he did not have to slow down at the water stations to pick up the bottle by himself. 

Equipment

• And then of course there were the NIKE Vaporfly shoes that had reviews saying that “it felt like running on trampolines!” NOTE: To treat myself to a pair or two of these! 
• Since then, 31 of 36 top 3 finishes in major marathons in 2019 were to found wearing these shoes when they claimed their podium positions!  NOTE: To treat myself to a pair or two of these! 

If I have to divide the 2 minutes, my best guess would be as follows: 

What are your thoughts?