A run in the sun: Sutera Harbour 7K Charity Run 2009

I wanted to blog about this yesterday but I was too pooped to do so. So, after a good night's sleep, I thought I'd write about it this morning before the details of yesterday's event became fuzzy.

We arrived at the Sutera Harbour for the run just before it started, and boy, the place was absolutely full of people. Many were wearing the official t-shirts, but quite a number as well were not. I suspect they joined the run just for the fun of it. The Sutera Harbour 7k Run is a yearly event, and I'd say it's almost like a big community event. It's basically a charity event: the recipients of the proceeds from the event being the Sabah Chapter of the Special Olympics and the Sabah Thalassemia Society. And while this is only my second time joining this, I think the turn-out every year is huge. This year, according to newpaper reports, more than 10,000 people showed up in support of the event!

The event has some interesting traditions in keeping with the number 7 theme. It starts at 5.07 pm, that's 1717 hours, and if you finish it in 77 minutes, you're eligibile for a lucky draw. I remember the first ever time it was held, and it was held on the 7th day of the 7th month in 2001.

Anyway, we brought Adelle along for the run and she was pretty excited about it as we had been telling her about it before this. But, surely you can't expect a two-and-a-half-year-old child to walk the whole seven kilometres would you? So, being the smart parents that we were, we brought along her stroller - for her to sit in (which she did most of the time any way). My wife did the pushing since I lagged behind trying to take some decent pictures of the event (which I didn't). I tried to catch up, mixing a brisk walk with the occasional short-distance trot. The funniest thing was, as I was making myself out of the hotel grounds, I already saw a number of people returning!

I was quite surprised by the weather. It had been raining the past two days in the evening with strong winds but the weather was just perfect yesterday: no sight of dark clouds, and not a single drop of rain. The sunset was quite beautiful and it wasn't very hot, so conditions were just about perfect. I finally caught up with my wife and Adelle just past the half way mark, and we walked together after that. All of us reached the finish line but I think it was past the 77-minute cut-off time, since there was no where to register ourselves for the lucky draw when we finally crossed it. Oh well, another time perhaps.

There was other programmes lined up for the evening: a concert by several local artistes, a lucky draw, foodstalls to buy food from, and others, but we didn't stay. We just helped ourselves to some of the free drinks that were available (Adelle has discovered the good taste of 100 plus!) and then left. Since I parked the car quite a distance from the starting line, I had to walk another kilometre or so to get it and pick-up my wife and Adelle.

It was a fun-family outing, and I'd highly recommend it for a healthy family do-together activity if you've never joined it before. For more photos, please visit my photoblog.

Adelle getting into the swing of things at the start of the run.

Things that go bump in the night

"Do you believe in ghosts?"

That was the question I was asked during an interview a long time ago. I remember that situation quite vividly. There I was sitting down in front of a panel which comprised of four interviewers. My hands were clasped together feeling quite clammy, and my legs quivered as if they had their own built-in motor. While waiting for my turn, I had prepared myself to answer factual questions, questions that would test my knowledge and logical thinking, questions that would enable the panel to make precise decisions based on the organisation of my ideas, the maturity of my answer, and the depth of my analysis.

But this?

"Err, no. I don't believe in them," I blurted out. "But, I do believe in spirits."

As soon as those words left my mouth I knew I had to think quickly of what exactly was the difference between those two. I don't remember now what my exact answers were but that question has stuck with me because of some recent events. So, is there such a thing as ghosts?

Popular culture would seem to confirm that there is such a thing as a ghost. You are told about it on the tv, in the cinema, in magazines, in books; you sometimes hear ghost stories from friends as well, events that seemed to have affected people closer to you.

But, if you asked me, then I'd have to answer the question with another question: what's your understanding of the word 'ghost'? Does it refer to the spirit of someone who's died? Or is a ghost, a spirit being?

If you're Christian (or even if you're not), consider this passage from the Bible:

Hebrews 9:27
And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment...

The Bible declares that man dies only once, and after that he is judged. There is no mention of an in-between state. You die, then you're judged. But at the same time, the Bible also teaches about spirit beings who can somehow manifest themselves in our world and connect with it. Of these there are two: angels and demons. Angels are servants of God, faithfully serving Him. Demons on the other hand are evil, deceptive and destructive. Their primary modus operandi is that of trickery: disguising themselves as servants of righteousness (2 Cor. 11:15). And while such spirits can sometimes seem to do good (as in giving some useful information or a warning), it is their nature to deceive. Their intent is only one: to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10).

That's why Christians are called to test the spirits to see if they are from God (1 John 4:1). And how do you know whether a spirit is of God or not? Read 1 John 4:2.

So, after all that lengthy explanation, do I believe in ghosts?

No, I don't believe in them. But I do believe there are spirits.

A talk with a stranger

I woke early this morning. Extremely early. It was even earlier than the time I'd wake up to go to school. And what would drive me to wake up at such an insane hour on a cool-sleep-inducing early Saturday morning? A photoshoot.

My cousin Alvin had asked me last week to help him out with a family photoshoot at Tanjung Aru this morning, and never having the experience of such a task, I gladly agreed. So, I got up when everyone else was still in dreamland and got ready and drove to Tanjung Aru. The shoot was at Shangri-la Tanjung Aru Resort and it was a blast. If you're interested you can check it out at my photoblog.

But, the reason I'm posting is that when we arrived, a lady was looking at the swallows which kept flying near the windows of the reception area. Then as we wanted to go to the garden grounds below, out of the blue she talked to me and said how amazing the birds were and how wonderful it was to be in Sabah. Not wanting to be rude, I said it was. Then she asked me if I was a guest and I answered that I was just visiting. I bid her farewell and thought nothing more of it.

After we were done with the shoot, we were leaving on our way up the stairs when we chanced upon the same lady again. Again she asked where we were from, and I guess she remembered because she blurted out the words 'KK'. Then, seeing that we were holding cameras she went on to ask questions about who we were and so on. And after talking about her life in British Columbia, Sandakan and Singapore (all in a span of 10 minutes!), my cousin and I found ourselves being persuaded about the benefits of becoming a yoga practitioner. By this time, all three of us were already sitting down. I guess my cousin and I were just being too polite. We actually wanted to go somewhere to review the pics we had taken, and so we 'endured' and made polite conversation with this lady. Towards the end, she gave me a photocopy of this supposed master, and asked me to read it. She even offered to possibly meet up in Canada if we ever headed over there.

We managed to excuse ourselves soon after and then went to Coffee Bean for some fake cool-air comfort and some ridiculously expensive drinks. That encounter with the woman got me thinking: she was basically hot-calling: strike up a conversation with anyone and introduce them to something that seems worthwhile. And she was doing it with all earnestness, too.

She's got guts.

And the verdict is...

That Maths and Science will not be taught in English beginning 2012. This will be a huge sigh of relief for a number of people, while others will lament a lost opportunity. Well, it has been said often enough and I guess I'll be saying the same thing that's on a number of people's mind: be ready for changes whenever a new Education Minister takes office. It's been proven time and again.

I remember when Anwar Ibrahim used to be Education Minister since I was in seconday school then. He was the guy who introduced that silly idea of starting the schoool academic year in December. Then, it was reverted to its original start in January when the next minister came in. I don't remember what Najib did when he was Education Minister after that as I was already in college, so that doesn't count. When the non-politician Musa Mohamad took over, English for Maths and Science was introduced. When Hishamuddin came into office, it was the introduction of a compulsory but non-examination subject called Civics and Citizenship in 2005. And now we have Muhyiddin with the scrapping of the teaching of Maths and Science in English. Oh, and the talk is he plans to introduce subjects like grammar and composition and English literature as well. And that's in addition to the plan to increase the number of teaching hours, too!

While I'm not against change, but when that change is not calculated carefully and not planned with a long-term eye, it can only be described as haphazard and will ultimately be detrimental to the students and the teachers who have to face more headache and (in this case, potentially) more time doing even more paperwork.

It really makes me wonder where exactly it is the education of our young minds is heading...

Eventhough teachers may rant, complain, and whine all we want, but at the end of the day it just boils down to one thing:

"Saya yang menurut perintah."

Sigh.