Bullsh*t news: Spartan Sprint KL 2015 counts towards 2016 Trifecta

It has always been the global policy of Spartan Race that a Trifecta has to be earned within a calendar year (January to December). This is a policy and code honoured by all Trifecta holders around the world, regardless if they got it in Australia, America or Dubai. It was this policy that drove my team and I to dedicate an entire year of training and saving up just to travel to Australia in order to obtain my Trifecta. And I did.

And then, Spartan Race Malaysia, just coming off the high of their inaugural Spartan Sprint KL on 10-11 October 2015, announced in an email that Spartan Race KL 2015 will count towards the 2016 Trifecta.

Spartans around the world say it with me....WHAT THE FUCK? 

Under Armour launches Star Wars: The Imperial Collection

"The clothes maketh the man, while the film character’s costume maketh the character." - Mr Michael Binger, Chief Executive Officer of Triple Pte Ltd, the exclusive distributor of Under Armour in Southeast Asia.

Under Armour, honours the iconic Star Wars films with the launch of the Star Wars: The Imperial Collection apparel series. Join in the excitement leading up to the premiere of the return of Star Wars to the big screen after a decade, the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens, before the release of the film in mid-December. The new collection is an extension of the ongoing collaboration with Star Wars for the label’s Alter Ego line.

Tokyo 2015 - Day 1: Things to do and eat in Asakusa at Night

In contrast to the bustling city that was Tokyo, the downtown area of Asakusa held a charm of its own. With the old city mesh with the draw of a tourist attraction that was the Sensoji temple, Asakusa was a really nice place to stay. My accommodation was booked at Khaosan Tokyo Origami hostel, right smack in the backyard of Sensoji temple and from there, exploring Asakusa was great fun.

Sensoji Temple
I had just descended from Mount Fuji that day but despite the weariness in my body, I was excited to explore the downtown. So as soon as I was washed up, I headed out to wander about Sensoji temple once the sun has gone down and it was gorgeous.

It was a great difference from the crowded afternoon ambiance and the structures were beautifully lilted with the night illumination. If anything, the temple seemed to come alive in the evenings, making the entire place more mysterious. The Sensoji temple was completed in 645, making it Tokyo's oldest temple.

Spartan Sprint Singapore 2015

I missed Kuala Lumpur's first ever Spartan Sprint in October due to my adventures in Sydney-Melbourne (which I have yet to blog about. Stay tune!). The busybody in me wanted to see what a Spartan Race in Asia was like so I registered for Singapore's first ever Spartan Sprint which took place on 15 November 2015 alongside Nicoll Highway.

Some initial impressions based on prior obstacle races I've done in Singapore: Singapore is too urban and clean for it to be a Spartan Race experience like Australia and at the same time, have a lot of rules to abide by when it comes to cleanliness. I figured these factors would affect the race setup and indeed it did.

OCR How to: Spartan Spear Throw

If there was one obstacle that sends shivers down the spines of even the most seasoned Spartan Elites and racer, it would be the spear throw. All Spartan race regardless if it is a Sprint, Super, Beast or Ultra Beast, have a spear throw obstacle (or two) somewhere in the course.

The rules of the spear throw are simple.
1. Pick up the spear
2. Throw it.
3. The aim is to make sure it sticks in the target or goes through the center of the tire as done in Australia.

Under Armour: Women of Will Campaign

I love getting fit and working towards a personal fitness goal. It gives me direction and some thing to focus on that is beneficial for myself and no one else. Most importantly it made me take care of me.

And this was the core message shared at the launch of Under Armour's Women of Will Campaign on the rooftop of Avenue K. Held in conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness month, the campaign celebrates the Pink Ribbon cause. And even though BCA month is over, Under Armour continues to carry this purpose strongly in its stores with donations pledges made from 10% of all proceeds from its Power in Pink range for the entire month of October to Breast Cancer Welfare Association. In addition to proceeds benefiting BCWA, Under Armour has also set up donation boxes at all Brand Houses to be used at the discretion of patrons.

Delayed Obsession: MBLAQ

I finally truly understand the madness behind the KPOP pandemic that has been wrecking Malaysia for the past decade. Why?

Because I finally caught it in the form of MBLAQ, a KPop boy band founded by the entertainment and talent company owned by Rain. 

It started with one very cool and emo song, It's War. I had it on repeat in my playlist for the longest time ever and then I started rewatching the music video (again...and again...and again). 

And then dance version of it. (Anybody wanna teach me the routine ar?)

Khaosan Tokyo Origami Hostel review

When looking for a place to stay in Tokyo, I came across the Khaosan hostel branch. With Asakusa as their center point of their hostels, I was intrigued by the thought of staying in the older downtown area of Tokyo and furthermore a friend highly recommended it. I opted for Khaosan Origami hostel, located in the quieter section of Asakusa, right behind the iconic and beautiful Senso-ji temple.

Khaosan Origami was about a 10 minutes walk from the train and subway stations of Asakusa. While lugging suitcases might be a bit troublesome, the walk to and from the hostel was rather nice as I got to really soak in the bustling crowd and colours of Asakusa's food and attractions during the day and the quietness stillness of that same area at the night.

Australia: Tough Mudder Melbourne 2015

Tough Mudder oh Tough Mudder. You hold a special place in my heart. You were the first obstacle race I ever signed my life over to, the first obstacle race I tackled abroad. The first of many to come. The start of the depletion of my retirement and investment funds....

So anyway, a week after Spartan Stadium in Sydney, I flew to Melbourne to take part in Tough Mudder which took place in Broadford State Motorcycle Complex. An hour's drive to the race site consisted of driving within the speed limit, slowing down at speed traps and praying for a sunny day out. The last time I did an obstacle course in Melbourne, I nearly froze to death.

Whiskas National Cat of the Year Winner

Kitty lovers, hear ye hear ye!

Whiskas Malaysia has crowned the winner of its recent National Cat of the Year 2015 grand finale held at AEON AU2 Setiawangsa. In a heated and intense show-and-tell performance, 15 cat owners showed off their beloved furkids to a panel of judges consisting of celebrity Syakila Nisha Jangir, better known as Kilafairy, Khalid Rashid, President of the Malaysia Cat Club and Dr Susan Wan, veterinarian from Whiskas Malaysia.

Four titles were up for grabs that day; the grand NCOTY champion as well as three categories winner; Bright Eyes, Shiny Fur Coat and Lively and Energetic - which are the three signs that epitomizes a health cat. At the end of the event, . Cha Cha, a five month old cat owned by Nurul Hanin binti Ismail, was judged to be the cat that best epitomised the 3 key signs of a healthy cat. The parent and furkid took home a cash prize of RM10,000 and a year’s supply of Whiskas cat food.