Lululemon Athletica

I only got to know about this apparel brand when I was loitering at Queen Street Mall, Brisbane. They have a nice outlet at one of the corners there. It is mostly a yoga- inspired theme to their line of clothing. I guess what caught my attention was the design and the colours used were certainly different from your usual sporting stuff such as your NikeFits and Formotions. It does certainly look good with its different cutting style and it does have its fair share of sporting material fabrics. If you do want to look different or stand out in your gym, this is the brand to get. The downside.... prices seem to be on the higher end.

Well, I certainly would want to look good in a Lululemon Athletica.

PS. Yes, I do agree, the brand name does need a bit of getting use to especially for the guys

Mental Strength through rock climbing

Ever encounter a situation where your mind keeps telling you that you can't do it, but physically, you are fit enough to accomplish a task? Well, I do get that during climbing. Guess I would call it the climber's block. I normally face this on technical routes which requires more skills than strength. Overcome the mental block, and you'll be on your way up.

That's what I like about rock climbing. It allows you to build both your mental and physical fitness. Sometimes you just need to focus your thoughts on how to overcome the problematic route. Overcome your fear and build trust on your hands and legs. A good balance would normally give you that confidence to overcome almost any difficult route. Rock climbing allows you to use both your hands, legs and middle section muscles. In other words, it is a full workout.

Sure, there are times when I get a climber's block. Slowly and steadily, I'll overcome the  problem especially fear. On longer routes, you'll need mental strength to keep your composure and endurance, not wasting too much energy and keep psyching yourself to keep going. I also use the bouldering wall to visualize certain problems and working on those moves.

Like they say, healthy body healthy mind.

* picture from Urban Climb

Have you applied (or paid) for your Australian PR yet?

I'm sure many Malaysians would have known friends or family members who have already applied for Permanent Residency (PR) in another country or have already PRs themselves. Most people whom I know do at some point in their life thought of migrating to another country in search for greener pastures for themselves. A majority of them would say they are doing this because of their children's future. Some of their favourite countries Singapore, Australia and even New Zealand. As with the recent controversy surrounding the influx of Sri Lankan asylum seekers demanding to be relocated in Australia, AUstralia is indeed one of the most attractive destinations.

    Since relocating to Brisbane for more than 6 months, I've found out there were three person whom I know who have recently decided to reside in Australia to qualify for their PR status. It seems all three went through some kind of agent (which is the hugely popular way of obtaining an Aussie PR in Malaysia) by paying tens of thousand MYR for the administration and application process. This is a relatively fast process if you are qualified (having said that, it seems almost anyone with a knowledge of English and a decent degree and work experience seem to quality quite easily). It is a big sacrifice for them to leave eveything back home in the hope of making it here in Australia.

    Although I have only been in Brisbane for a short period of time so far, I could understand why many would want to migrate. Being a Malaysian, we are fortunate to be in a peaceful and stable country, so the reasons of war and hunger certainly doesn't hold any water here. The most attractive part of migrating would be the quality of life. Life does seem to be better here as with most developed countries, work life balance is the utmost importance. Flexibility in the workspace is a norm. At 3pm, you would see many people leaving their work and heading for home. There is also a choice of working part time which does allow families to continue to take care of their children. That is something difficult to achieve in Malaysia and hence the growing need of cheap slaves .. or rather cheap domestic foreign maids in Malaysia which I find worrisome.

    The other thing which attracts me is the public facilities such as the parks and the numerous bicycle lanes. Australia is a country which you pay high taxes but know where your hard earned money is being spent. Parks are relatively safe with very strict enforment from the authorities. You certainly don't want to be caught screwing around here. The parks are filled with adults and kids especially during the weekends. The bicycle lanes are top quality. And mopeds are banned from bicycle lanes which makes it safer. I guess bicycle lanes will never make it in Malaysia since we have a huge number of mopeds and the infamous Mat Rempits.

    Also, good public transportation. We haven't got a car here and probably will only plan to rent one when we actually needed it. I think we are doing pretty well without a car over here. We actually bought our stuff and transported them via trains and buses. Each public transport has a schedule which shows approximately what time the service will arrive. A single ticketing system also makes it reasonably priced if you are travelling quite a distance. However, do note that public transport isn't cheap but at least it is quite reliable. There are specific busways built for only buses so that they can maintain their schedule. This is something which Malaysia has a long way to go and till today has never been successful.

    Lastly, most Malaysians whom I know who send their kids to the local schools over here seems to be happy with the education system. Yes, I believe Australia has a coherent and consistent education system although it is getting more and more commercialised at the higher institutions. At least you'll get a fair shot in education over here. Mind you, these are local government schools and not even private schools. Teachers are extremely qualified. Unlike Malaysia, you don't get educators who try to shove down your throat values of the national religion. Things are pretty open over here, with emphasis on Science, Mathematics and language. That's my humble opinion anyway.

    So I guess all these makes it a compelling reason to migrate. No, I don't have a PR and I guess we haven't really thought about applying for it. One of the reason is because I feel we have passed our "PR age" and also because our families are back in Malaysia. Nevertheless, you can't blame anyone who wants to leave Malaysia for greener pastures elsewhere, can you?

    If only I can find a proper job here in Brisbane ...

5.10 Anasazi

Under the label "The I wants" is where I would list things which I would want to have. No, it's not about world peace or anything like that but more materialistic stuff. Sounds shallow but it does have a great feel-good factor. Sure, some of the things will come true, some will not and some will never happen.

My current pair of rock climbing shoe is the Five.Ten Anasazi. It's actually my first pair and it is still going strong. The shoe still maintains its shape nicely and the rubber still sticks. It's maturing up to 5 years now. Part of the rubber soles are starting to separate from the upper layer due to the flexing of the shoe when climbing. The rubber worn out due to friction.

I guess when it's time to get another pair, I will still want to have another Anasazi. It's currently in its second version, V2. Not much visual differences except an updated heel design, nicer straps and second generation rubber soles (the kind of rubber used for F1 racing). It still has the classic design of climbing shoes compared to other more popular makes. It's no longer the top-end of the Five.Ten range but it sure still rocks. All that pain of wearing one has created a bond between me and my shoe. Yes, it does hurt when you're wearing these shoes because it has to be several sizes for the extra "oomph" factor. This shoe is not for wussies.

So there you go, I want a 5.10 Anasazi V2 for my next pair.

PS. I think this will cost a cool MYR400 plus nowadays

S16 launched in Australia... err what???

When I first heard of the name of a car being S16, the first thing which crossed my mind was of a particular Swedish marque i.e. Volvo. I really thought that possibly the new Chinese owners of Volvo were really going to make a small car and named it S16. Well it really doesn't have anything to do with Volvo. It's actually the Malaysian made Proton Saga being launched as Proton S16. I guess the marketing guys nailed this one as the model name of S16 is really catchy. Kudos to them. In my opinion, the Proton Saga is infact one of the better and most practical car in Proton's stable albeit a very limited stable that one. For those of you readers who haven't heard of Proton, it's actually Malaysia's national car. Since it is also highly probable that most haven't heard of the country Malaysia before, let's just call her "The land of Proton" to keep things simple. Will this Proton model sell in Australia? Before I give my verdict as a Malaysian living in Brisbane, I'll firstly do my very best to give a balance viewpoint on this matter

    Here in Brisbane, the car market is kinda big. There's lots of makes on the road. When I first arrived in Brisbane, I noticed the more popular car makes are Mazdas, Toyotas, Hondas. Even Subarus are pretty popular here especially their SUVs and wagons. And yes, Aussie's personal favourite, Holden. Fords more  popular as UTEs. So when you open the car brochure, you'll get lots of choices. Choices mean you'll have an option of getting the most basic model up to the high-end model with lots of accessories. Mind you, you can buy a basic Toyota Camry here which comes in solid colour finish and basic steel rims (with plastic covers). The kind if in Malaysia, most would laugh as being low in class. The used car market here is also pretty competative. The prices of used cars reflect the proper market value. This means, when you buy a car here, it really depreciates a lot. Given the annual salary range over here, cars are pretty affordable and I assume not many car buyers actually take hire purchase loans longer than 3 years. The scenario is pretty extreme back home in Malaysia. In the "Land of Proton", most hire purchases start from 5 years up to 9 years. To summarize the situation in "The Land of Proton", let's just say if you can't afford to buy a car, you'll buy a Proton. The used car market back home is also pretty dead.

What do I think of Proton in Australia (or rather Brisbane)? I would say Protons are just like the Maserati or Aston Martins. OK. That wasn't so right. I would say Protons are just like the Alfa Romeos (hey, I actually love Alfas). They are just so rare to see on the roads of Brisbane except in their country of origin. Unlike Alfas which most of the time, I am stunned by its beauty and innovative designs, when I do manage to spot a Proton here, I'll say "Hey...look. That's a Proton!" as if it's a freak or something.

According to Proton Cars Australia, the drive away price of the S16 is under AUD13,000. If I recall, the basic model should go for about AUD11k plus which makes it a real value for money (i.e. dirt CHEAP). It comes with a 1.6 engine. I would assume that the S16 is considered as a small car. Or maybe it should be called a mini small car. If you want to know why do I say that, take a look at the Holden Cruze. Holden's advertisement claims the Cruze is actually a small car. I've seen the Cruze on the road before. This so- called small sedan car has a 1.8 liter engine with the size bigger than Proton Persona. It has more airbags than the number of passengers. So that's a small car for you in the land of OZ. I guess the S16 will be competing with other smaller cars such as the Mazda2, Holden Barina, Toyota Corolla Seca, Honda Jazz, and maybe even the Tiida (or Latio in Land of Proton). What differentiates S16 from these competing models is most of these small cars except for the Barina are actually hatchbacks with 1.8L engines. Oh yea, maybe its closest competitor would be the Toyota Yaris sedan (aka Vios).

Would I get one here in Brisbane if I am in the market for small cars? I guess not. Why? Well, someone I know here in Brisbane actually bought a 2005 Toyota Camry at an auction for AUD10,000. That's bloody good actually. But you know if I am really looking for an entry level small car, I'll most probably got for a basic Honda Jazz or even the Ford Fiesta. Although a Jazz has only a 1.3L engine and cost much more, it looks and feels better. Or if I am really tight on budget, I would search the used car market for one. Beggers can't be choosers, right???

    I am not sure if the S16 sell well in Australia but I certainly interested to find out how Proton will do over here. Meanwhile, most Malaysians whom I know over here never considered buying a Proton over here. Most opted for the .... Camry Altise.

Cheers! 

Hanging out at Urban Climb

Today my fingers really hurt badly. My four fingers on both hands got a few blisters. You see, I've been helping out at the local climbing gym, Urban Climb nearby where I live. For today, I had to rearrange the thick mats surrounding the bouldering section of the gym. I guess every month, we have to do this and I tell you man, this isn’t any easy task. Firstly, the mats are thick and heavy. Secondly, there is an upper layer that wraps and keeps all the mats tightly together. This prevents climbers who are bouldering from spraining their ankles in the case of a fall. Pulling the upper layer and tying it was quite a workout.


    It’s true that I’ve never done this before. Therefore, I noticed in such cases, I would normally end up with some sort of injury. But that doesn’t dampen my spirit helping out at Urban Climb. Another one of my task is actually to wash the holds.  That isn’t a pretty sigh with chalk, skin (I think) and sweat all stuck to the holds. Luckily, I wore gloves so that helps a bit with the washing part. If you think this job pays well, then you’re wrong. At the moment, I don’t get paid anything. Work if any, is on a casual basis. They call it casual work. And normally, you’re paid by the hour. However, I’ve managed to pass the first test, which allows me to be part of the casual floor instructor team. Most of the team members are actually college students. So, yours truly is most probably the oldest dude around the gym.

    Well, it isn’t all that bad. Because helping out here allows me to enjoy some perks. I get to use the gym free of charge as many times as I wish. That actually saves me quite a bit. Not too bad for someone who is jobless. Yes, it is difficult to find a job here in Brisbane, Oz. I’m still trying. But at least working in the climbing gym allows me to be close to one of my passions, which is rock climbing. It also keeps me active as I intend to climb as long as I am fit. It keeps the flabs away too. Especially in these difficult times with no job, doing something which you are passionate about certainly helps to keep your chin up. Of course, since I am also the house-husband I have to make sure that my chores back home are well taken care of before running to the climbing gym to hang out. I think I am doing pretty ok with what I have at the moment.

    Maybe most of you are wondering if I regretted quitting my job as a senior technical analyst. The answer is NO. Most importantly, I am glad that I am here with my family (actually I quit because my wife was seconded here but that’s another story). True, there will be difficulties and challenges, but I’m sure I’ll find a way. Bring it on.

* bouldering wall picture from Urban Climb

My initiative - 2009/2010

It's been a long time since my last blog. I think this blog is pretty dead. But definitely, I am alive and kicking. Funny, but I have been telling myself to start (or rather restart) my blogging. Well, here I am trying to start the ball rolling.

Many things in my life has changed definitely. I've quit my job as my wife is being seconded to another country for a period of time. I've gotten married. We're going to start a family soon. And of course, I am now a house husband trying to look for another job in this new country which I'm residing now called Australia. Lots of challenges as what many would say, once you've stopped working, your brain starts to slow down and eventually, you'll fade away. I don't want that.

I guess being a house husband gave me lots of time for reflection. And definitely, I don't want all these thoughts to disappear into thin air. Hence my (err..not too sure maybe it is the hundredth time) attempt to start to blog again. Having a Facebook account definitely didn't help my cause. At least I don't Twitter.

Ideas I have a lot but like most people, these ideas remain as ideas. I've lots of things that I want to blog about but never got to it. And as usual, my mind keeps churning out things which I want to write about. But at the end of the day, they all die in my mind. Lacking initiative you might say.

So here I am. Giving blogging and myself another chance. This is my initiative. And of course, each post in the blog has to have a freaking label to categorize it.

I guess I am also trying to beat my other bad habit. I read other people's blogs and have tons of comments but never write my own blogs.

Really hoping for a new beginning in this chapter.