you know you're growing older when...

... you're absolutely hooked on this lately:

I mean, I never used to abhor it or anything, but I never really cared too much about Desperate Housewives before. So, why now?

The only logical explanation I came up with is that I've finally caught up with the issues brought forth in there, that now I actually understand where those women are coming from.

Sigh. I never thought life could get so complicated. Wasn't I brought up with a set of simple values and expectations? Where have all those simple, carefree days gone?

that one's for australia!

Rafa and Roger weren't the only ones who pulled out phenomenal moves at Rod Laver last night...

mantera beradu

The best of Malaysia and Singapore... Love this song.

"aku suka mengintai, pantang ditenung

berakhir pertelingkahan 

dalaman pasti belum...

ijazah terbaik datangnya dari jalanan

dari pengalaman bercakar dan bersalaman

konflik motivasi, cuba meditasi

positif, yang benci jadi inspirasi pagi

peduli interpretasi basi...

awan mendung yang berarak

bawa tangis, bawa resah

rebah rindu yang terkumpul

semua gerak dan kalimat

semua janji yang terikat

lebur di sisiMu...

gagal merancang merancang kegagalan!"

-- Malique & M. Nasir

there is no "ego" in "team"

So all that drama about Carlos Tevez not wanting to return to his current club, Manchester City, is costing him a crazy £9.3 million in fines and withdrawn loyalty payments!

I really don't get these football stars sometimes. You've been bought for an indecent amount of money, you earn a basic of £198,000 a week to do what you love, you've penned your name on the dotted lines, and still you wanna be all PMS-ey and go AWOL on your job?

Please. People are starving in the world.

The great Tevez vs Mancini showdown

the man of my life

He gives me unconditional love like no other. He's always there for me, someone I can depend on no matter what. Most importantly, he's given me Life.

He is my Abah, and today is his day.

Happy happy birthday to my #1 man! Words can never express how much I love you. Thank you for everything  :)  Mmmuah!

Fontana di Trevi, Roma

it's about bloody time innit!

love of my life

I've always had a thing for hip hop. There's just something about the rhymes and beats that really touches my heart. And this song from Erykah Badu perfectly expresses my feelings towards this unique genre. Can't wait to catch her in-the-flesh next month!

"I met him when I was

A little girl, he gave me

He gave me poetry

And he was my first

But in my heart I knew 

I wasn't the only one

'Cause when the tables turned

He had to break up

Whenever I got lonely

Or needed some advice

He gave me his shoulder

His words were very nice

But that is all behind me

'Cause now there is no other

My love is his and his is mine

A friend became the

Love of my life..."

running the world

2011 has been a great year for me, particularly in my travels. It was the year where I said "hello again" to London, a place I used to visit so often. Also, I got to materialise my lifelong dream of stepping foot on the soils of Barcelona, Roma and New York City. And being able to run—and race—in these great cities was definitely the highlight of my visits. Alhamdulillah  :)

17 MAY 2011, LONDON
My KL running kaki, Azhar, and I were fortunate to have my ex-schoolmate, Fiona, to take us on a "London By Foot" tour. We started our 11K run at Paddington and went through Hyde Park (passing by the Royal Albert Hall along the way), Green Park, St James Park, past the Big Ben and Buckingham Palace, towards the London Eye by the river, St Paul's, Millennium Footbridge, Shakepeare's Globe and finally ending our sesh just after the Tower Bridge.


Me, Fion and the London Eye



Me and Azhar on the Tower Bridge



Big Ben behind me

24 MAY 2011, ROMA
As fate had it, Azhar arrived in Rome on my last day there so I dragged him to the gorgeous Villa Borghese, the city's largest public park, for a run.


Me, Azhar and one of my twin nephews, Arman, at Villa Borghese



In front of a beautiful 18th century arc called Arco di Settimio Severo (I think)



Running in Roma's largest public park? Check! BTW I just love how Villa Borghese is shaped like a heart  ;)



19 MAY 2011, BARCELONA
Got some precious 'me' time when I went for a solo run in beautiful Barça. The architecture truly blew my mind and I couldn't help myself from stopping so much during this short run all in the name of capturing this city's beauty on my camera.

Parc de la Ciutadella

Arc de Triomf

21 MAY 2011, LA PUJADA AL TIBIDABO
My very first overseas-, trail- and uphill-race. This had me running up Mount Tibidabo, the higest peak in Barcelona (that huge green monster behind me) with total elevations of more than 500m! Happy to have conquered 9.45km of undulating trails in 1:17:41. It was tough but totally worth it  ;)



1 & 3 NOVEMBER 2011, NEW YORK CITY
Myself, Nana and Shanaz did a couple of training runs at the famous Central Park before the three of us ran the NYC Marathon.

Our first training 10K done five days before running the NYC Marathon



See how huge the park is?



6 NOVEMBER 2011, THE ING NEW YORK CITY MARATHON
My dream marathon in my dream city done during my dream 11/11/11 birthday month... and completed in my dream time of sub-5 hours  :)))  This was at the 10K mark in Brooklyn. Can you spot me?



Malaysia Boleh in New York!

2012, I wonder where you will take me...

*See the full story of my 2011 running journey in pictures here