I myself, have never been to the new Turf club, let alone watch a horse race live.

I mean, you’ve heard about it, seen pictures, watched documentaries, watched movies, about it, but never seen it live. So, you could imagine my excitement when this opportunity came up.

When we finally got there, the atmosphere was almost electric.  You could feel the anticipation of the punters, especially when the race was going on and everyone was shouting and cheering.  Phew! I am getting goosebumps just re-living the image in my mind.

We were ushered to the Marquee, where we were served drinks, food in an air-conditioned hall.  TV screens lined the back wall where you could keep tabs on the races coming up, watch the race itself, and even see who will be racing.  But, if you want to catch the action live, you could head out to the open air area, and actually watch the horses thunder past you about a hundred meters away from you.

The race starts and I'm hoping that my selection wins...

Come on Flying Fulton (No. 9)!!!

Yes!!!! Flying Fulton wins!!!!!

After grabbing some food and drinks and watching the next race, we were brought down to see the introduction of the jockeys who were riding in the next race and thereafter to see the horses being paraded.   Owners, VIPs, guests, as well as public from the gallery get to see the horses just before they race as they are walked around the parade ring.  You could tell that these horses were ready and raring to go.

The jockeys being introduced to the crowd.

Man! I look like a giant next to the jockeys. Guess which profession I will never join.

Then there was a mad rush because everyone was trying to get in a last minute wager for the race.  After that,  it was back to the front gallery to watch the race unfold.

The race starts, there’s mad cheering, we watch the screen, then try to catch of the glimpse of the horses, can’t see them cos they’re too far, then it’s back to the screen, the crowd cheers get louder, the horses come round the corner, you hear the thundering of the hooves get louder and louder, the cheering gets louder too, the horses thunder past you, the crowd is going crazy and there is a winner!  Rocketman wins the Krisflyer International Sprint!!!  Rocketman was a pre-race favourite and he lived up to his reputation.

Rocket Man's owner. Too happy for words.

Straight after the race, was the prize presentation and we got to witness that first hand.  The joy and elation was evident on the owners face and tears filled his eyes.  He was one happy man!

We then made our way back to the Marquee to enjoy the rest of the evening.

All in all, I had a really great time at the races and look forward to the next time I get to see the beautiful horses thunder down the final furlong.

…. Oh! Before I forget, if you do happen to want to put a small wager on the races, please remember to do it responsibly. 

These shoes are cool, both figuratively and literally!

How many of you have actually complained that running in our hot, humid weather actually caused your poor feet to suffer?  Well, not anymore!  I am always on the lookout for shoes that help keep my feet cool and comfortable and have come across a couple of them like the adizeroes

and one of my personal favs… the F50 runner.

Now, I get these beauties, and I think I am a convert!  They come in an array of vibrant colors to choose from, but these are my choice….

The Adidas Climacool Ride features 360 degree ventilation, reduces in-shoe moisture by 20%, reduces foot temperature by 12%, and the unique sole construction ensures that there is full foot flexibility as well as full length cushioning. (psst! it is also miCoach compatible!)

The cool-ness level for this shoe is off the charts I tell you!  Even the videos about the Adidas Climacool Ride are extremely cool, so cool that I decided to do one myself.  Check it out!

I guess it’s true, the wedding itself was the just the beginning. After that, you just have to go along for the ride.  You have no idea what is around the corner.  There will be ups and downs, good times, bad times, and definitely loads of surprises along the way.

I am just so very thankful that my partner in this ride is one of the best partners a guy could ask for.

She is a gift to me and I am the luckiest guy around to have her as a partner.  She is there to help me when I am down and I will definitely be there to support her whenever she needs me.  We still have loads to learn about each other but we are slowly getting there.  No rush for that cos we have our whole lives ahead of us for that.

Corny as this may be, but while writing this blog post, I can only hear one song ringing in my head and one particular line keeps going on repeat… “lucky I’m love with my best friend, lucky to have been where I have been…”

I am excited because I really do not know what is in store for us but you can be sure about one thing, we will face it hand in hand, together.

Happy Anniversary Sweets!

I know that I always say I would update, but never do.

Maybe cos I have so many thoughts in my head but when I want to finally put it down, I get muddled up just thinking about what I want to write and give up.

I have a whole new respect for those of you who can churn out blog posts (that make sense, mind you) almost everyday or every other day.

I am trying to churn something out right now…. really I am….

Tell you what, I’ll come out with something really soon. Promise!

Ok ok.  I have not been as diligent as I should be in updating this blog.  Hopefully that will change in the new year that is going to be upon us in a matter of hours.

So, what has 2010 given me?  Lots and lots of memories.  Ones that I will not forget anytime soon.

There were trips to Bali, Shanghai & Maldives.  There was the World Cup and F1 night race. And there was also my working trip to KL which, I must say was a whole lotta fun!

It was also the year of the iPhone 4 and iPad 3G.

Some friends adding to their families and some losing them, happy times and sad times.  New friends made, old friendships renewed and current friendships strengthened.  I really couldn’t ask for more.

I am really thankful for all that I have in my life.  My family, my friends and most importantly my one and only reason for me being who I am today.

I am so very happy to be able to usher in the New Year with you sweets…

So here’s wishing one and all a very Happy 2011!

and please… if you are going to be drinking, don’t drive!

This year, Mel and I decided to catch the race from the comfort of our home and didn’t buy any tickets.  Last year, if you remember, we bought and went for all three days of the Night Race and had loads of fun. You can read that post here.

So this year, I was really honored when the good people of Lenovo asked me to host a special meet and greet session with Lewis Hamilton.  What? Are you serious? Of course I would!!  I even got to ask him questions that I came up with (with approval of course).

The event itself was called “The Lenovo Up Close and Personal with Lewis Hamilton”.  They had some really cool netbooks available for bloggers to update their blogs and for others to update their own social networking sites right there at the event itself.  The people from Lenovo also had a whole array of products on display like their Ideapads and Thinkpads.  Very powerful machines, and very easy on the eye as well.

Meeting Lewis Hamilton and getting to speak to him was a really awesome experience and I really could not have asked for more.

But… there was more!  At the end of the event, both Mel and I were invited to watch the race from the Padang Grandstand together with the good people from Lenovo.  We were super excited and couldn’t wait for Sunday to come by.  The smell of the rubber, the roar of the engines, the chance to watch the cars zoom past live really gets the heart rate going.  It was also a plus that we would be able to catch Mariah Carey performing after the race!

So, on Sunday, Mel and I, armed with our cameras, ponchos, and tickets, made our way to the meeting point for a small little reception and to collect our kangaroo tvs (those small little handheld tvs that will allow us to follow all the action on the track).  When we finally got the to track, you could already feel the buzz and excitement that only comes with the Formula 1 Grand Prix.  After exploring the Padang, buying some merchandise and food, we made our way to our seats for the start of the race.

Only when we got to our seats did we realize that we had really awesome seats…. this was the view we had…

I did manage to get a couple of decent shots of the drivers in their cars and I want to share my two favorite shots of the night…

This was Hamilton while he was still racing… I did manage to get a decent shot of him thankfully.

.. and this one was of Webber waving to the crowd at the end of the race.

We ended off the night with some Mariah Carey and made our way back home still buzzing from the day’s activities.  Once again, a big thank you to Serene and all at Lenovo for a great F1 experience.

psst! Did you know?

Lenovo is the official sponsor for Vodafone Maclaren Mercedes Team.  They provide all the computer systems for the team.  How cool is that?!

Are you serious?!!

Finally! A shoe that I can use to work, a shoe I can use to go out with, a shoe I can use to run, a shoe I can use to go to the gym, aiyah! Basically a shoe I can do anything in!

Ok first, let me clear up some things, you will not be running a full marathon with these shoes, I lasted very comfortably for about 6 km in them.  But for everything else, these shoes were the BOMB!!

I wore them on board the plane to a recent trip to Maldives, wore them almost everywhere on the island and they were so light and comfy, I almost forgot I was wearing them.

I tried wearing them to work one day, breaking a couple of my own fashion rules, but hey, what was it they always said, “Rules were meant to be broken” and broke them I did.  Didn’t have any complaints though, because I was so comfortable in them and the feet didn’t hurt from being in leather shoes all day.

All I can say is, if you are looking for a multi purpose, cool as ice looking shoes, these are the ones for you.  You guys can choose from 7 different colorways and for the ladies, slightly more choice of colors with 8.  Take your pick and feel the coolness and comfort that comes with it!

Mel and I have been working really hard the past couple of months and were feeling the effects of it.  So, when the opportunity came by, we grabbed it and off we went.

This time round, we were heading to the Maldives.

I’ve been there before, but that was for work and I never got to go back again after I left the airlines.  From what I could remember from those days, the Maldives was a beautiful place to go to, made even better when you go with an equally beautiful person.

Needless to say, both Mel and I were really excited to our stay at Club Med Kani and looking at the pictures online made us even more impatient to get there.

The day finally came and the next thing we knew, we were in paradise….

I could write on forever about it, but seriously, nothing say  it better than pictures…. Take a look.

Us with the most beautiful background… The lagoon suites just behind us.

Taking a dip in the waters just outside our lagoon suite.

The waters were super clear.

View of the lagoon suites at high tide (the currents were quite strong then)

The most beautiful sunsets we had ever witnessed.

Our resident titan triggerfish we called “sweetlips”.

Goofing around underwater.

“Big Blue” came around and shocked me when I was snorkling on the last day.

All in all, it was a great break!  Mel and I came back refreshed and ready to face whatever challenges that were waiting for us (and boy! was there a lot!)

So till my next post….

You’ve seen Messi mesmerizing his opponents and Villa scoring with ease.  But, have you ever wondered what is their choice of footwear?  Well, it is none other than the highest scoring boot in the World Cup 2010… the fastest and lightest boot…. weighing in at a measly 165g, the F50 Adizero!

I attended the launch of this beauty recently and had the opportunity to try them out for myself, and since that day, I have been lusting for this awesome pair of boots.  They were light and comfortable and I must say, very eye catching with the colorways. It is almost a chameleon type of color.

At the launch, I also got to meet some of the Albirex Niigata players from the current S-league season.  They showed of their skills with the F50 adizero and man! These guys are really fast.  Cool bunch of guys too.  Managed to get a picture with them and I went away wishing I had half the skills of these guys. Ok ok, one quarter will be good too!

Well, the semi finals are up next and no prizes for guessing who we’re backing…..

After the England/Germany game

and this was after last night’s Argentina Germany game.

Personally, I would like to see those three stars become four…. only time will tell…..