My Boron was Gone

I bought this Boron 200 back in 1992, when I was selected to play for the University. I needed a racquet with lighter tension but heavy on the head to generate more speed. And it had served me well. After a few years, I mainly played on the front court which required more placement rather than power. This racquet was perfect.

But, it has a limited use since it can't generate power for backcourt smashes. So, I tend to rotate between it and another Yonex, the Carbonex 21. That cracked a few years back.

The real McCoyThe crack was a subtle one but the symmetry and balance were all goneThe grip was real woodLast months, I decided to start playing badminton again with my schoolmates from MRSM. There was no excuse since the court was only about a 5 minutes drive from my apartment. And it was good fun actually. And for that, I needed to get my gears sorted out. I sent the couple of racquets that I had for restringing, but the Boron cracked under tension.

I don't think I would be able to get a replacement for the Boron since they had stopped making it a while back. And frankly, I don't even know which racquet was good anymore nowadays. Time to look around I think ...

A Reunion of Sorts

WhatsApp and Telegram had opened the way for old friends to hook up more so than Facebook. Accessibility being the key, as well as the reduced risk of distraction when one looked at their Facebook page. WhatsApp also allowed for real time notification especially in the current climate of fast is best.

In the last few months, my olds friends from school had created a WhatsApp group which should I say, very active. I got most of the updates from my wife - she is also in the group - as I had shut down the notification since it was too distracting.

One thing let to another and last weekend, my wife had a mini-reunion from other girls from our year. None of the boys were invited but I had the trump card. I was the designated driver for Anita.

The meet-up took place last Saturday at Nu Sentral. I had a long day including ward round, a lecture to deliver at UMMC as well as referral across town at Park City. By the time I was free, it was already time for them to go. I finally hooked up with Anita and the rest at around 5, enough time for a quick group selfie.

As you could see, I was the thorn among the roses! With my white hair sticking out.

Time certainly flew, with some of them I only last met 26 years back. There were murmuring of a bigger reunion towards the end of the year, but I could see that it would be hard work to get everybody together under one roof. It would definitely be in KL since most of them were based there now.

So, would wait for the next meet-up and hopefully the boys were invited as well ....

The Bike Shop

Mahmud or Bob was a schoolmate from almost 30 years back at MRSM Terendak. I used to catch a ride from him to KL those days, as well as hanging around at his house during holidays, spending hours playing computer games. Those were the days.

After SPM, he joined a flying school and now with AirAsia, captaining an Airbus A320. He married a Sabahan, and had settled in Kota Kinabalu for many years. His parents still lived in KL.

I tried to hook up with him on Saturday night, but he had to fly to Canton, returning in the early hours of Sunday morning. The only way we could meet would be if he we can have breakfast on Sunday morning before I catch my flight home. And that was what we did.

And on the way to the airport - which was only around 10 minutes from my hotel - we stopped at his bicycle shop. He only opened last months and some of his orders had yet to be delivered. All the fittings should be ready in a month or two. None the less, the place was impressive. And the bikes weren't cheap!

I don't think I can afford this ...

We spend about 15 minutes at the shop where I had a nice look around. In fact, I might just buy a bike or two from him. A particular hybrid bike caught my eyes. Maybe taking up cycling may not be a bad idea after all. There were a few of my friends organising weekly night ride in Bangsar. It was also a good way to get fit, and to do other things outside work.

The Terendak Trip

Red carpet. Great singing from the College Choir. Wifi at the Balai Pelajar. Students allowed handphones. Students proficient in English. Those were few of the surprises I had today when I visited my former college.

I was honored to be invited to officiate a program there and spent slightly more than an hour at the rostrum, giving motivational talks and taking questions from the floor. It went very well. I had the chance to impart what knowhow I had to help them prepare for their exams and future.

Entering the campI also got to meet my former teachers and visited my old dormitory. Some of the building had been renovated since I've last been to Terendak in 2009 - I was there for a career talk. The main one being Block F being built up to three floors - my batch were the first to use the old Block F back in 1985, and it was a double-story building.

The main cafeteria were also extended to accommodate the growing number of students. The playing fields also looked better maintained, compared to when I was there as a student.

My old dormitory. I stayed there for a couple of years - 1988-89The new block F. It used to be only a couple of floors.The old smelly lake was also gone.The cafetaria had been expanded.I had a nice chat with the Principal as well. I was glad that he put plenty of emphasis on co-curricular activities rather than just all studies. The choir were definitely going strong. I remember how frustrated I was as a student when being told to just study, and the Principal then not giving a hoot about anything else. Something which I touched during my talk.

All in all, it had been a fruitful day. I was also approached to visit other MRSM as well. That would be at the mercy of my tight schedule though. Should I be invited again, I would definitely return in a heartbeat.

Back from Terendak

The journey time from Terendak and Gombak was just under a couple of hours. Both in and then the return. The journey down was especially nice as I travelled on an empty highway, setting off just after Subuh prayers.

I had to be in Terendak by 9 and I made it with half an hour to spare. A nice drive down, exiting the highway at Linggi, taking the last 45 minutes along the scenic kampung route. In early morning in fresh air. It was nice.

I have arrived a bit earlier as I was too tired to hang around, plus the fact that I had to be on call tomorrow meant that I could do with a rest and rest I did. I also had to decline an offer to vosit anotjer teacher in Melaka. As soon as I reached home, I took a nap and only woken up a couple of hours after with a phonecall from work. I'll probably have to drive in to visit a patient at some point this evening.

So, for the meantime, I need some food. And a shower. Will blog more later tonight, maybe after the big game against Liverpool. As usual, I've it to have some tandoori .....