PILATES

My previous post was on yoga, so this one is about pilates.

P/S: Hopefully blogger Hafiz Hector will not say I am a pilates instructor. :)

Yoga is very popular in this part of the world, however, pilates is as famous as yoga in the West. Created by Dr Joseph Pilates, who was born with many sickness at young, he was inspired that we should control our body and not otherwise. As such, Pilates created a new exercise that focus on the our core muscles (scientifically known as transverse muscle), which is found beneath our pubic area. The exercise was done in a systematic and controlled movement via connection between our other muscles with the core, meaning none parts of your body would be missed for training. P/S: Maybe penis is excluded in this exercise.. ha ha ha

Pilates teaches balance and control of the body, and that capacity spills over into other areas of one's life.

Major components in pilates include breathing technique (lateral breathing), core connection and maintaining a neutral spine. Major benefits by practicing pilates are:

1. Ease back pain (by strengthening the core muscles)

2. You will be taller (as it keeps lengthening your spine)

3. Six pecks (as all exercises involves your tummy area)

4. Strengthening your muscles and joints (you will build lean muscles, and get a well-toned body)

5. Less injuries (as all movements are cordinated via your core)

6. A correct posture (have you ever seen the posture of a model walking on the stage or a dancer? Tiger Woods practices pilates for correct posture in golf)

In fact, some of the pilates exercises were being modified from yoga. What's the different between yoga and pilates? A lot of differences, especially in breathing techniques and pilates is all about lengthening your spine. In fact, when you open a male fitness magazine such as Men's Health etc, those techniques shown for abs are mostly based on pilates techniques.

Some of the pilates techniques are shown here:

I have learnt pilates for a period of 9 months, and I got a toner body, balance trained muscles, and of course a smaller waist. In just 4 months of doing pilates, my waist was trimmed at least 3 inches. (Well, I am not showing off here, just want to share the benefits of pilates here :P)

Try it and you will feel the difference...

P/S: Shine, pilates is not to train for self-suck.

IS ANDY LAU GAY?

Some articles of Andy Lau from the internet:

Despite kissing with a number of female celebrities over the years, there were constant rumors that Andy Lau was gay. He has never denied such claims nor did he ever come out like his fellow Hong Kong star, Leslie Cheung.
(Wiki Online Encyclopedia)

HONG KONG (AP) - Veteran Hong Kong actor-singer Andy Lau has denied rumors that he's gay. Asked by an interviewer on Hong Kong's TVB station whether he's a homosexual, Lau said, "I'm not, but if you say I am, I don't think it's a bad thing. Maybe my attitude has caused misunderstanding. I've never pronounced loudly I'm not gay, and I don't think there's the need to do so.''
"I have gays friends,'' said Lau, 44, in the interview, carried in the current issue of the Ming Pao Weekly magazine on Sunday after being aired Saturday. (The Star)

Whether he is gay or not, it makes no differences to me. Since his appearance in the showbiz in the early 80's, truly speaking I am not so fond of him. His vocal sucks, acting so so, but no doubt his nose is sexy.

Anyway, I think he is gay AFTER ALL! :D

BALLROOM DANCING - TAKE THE LEAD (THE MOVIE)




Take The Lead, a movie about ballroom dancing, starring Anthonio Banderas and the rest, unknown to me. Went to Times Square this afternoon for this movie, as I love to learn dancing ;)

This movie cleared a lot of wrong perceiption that dancing was meant for "sissy" guys. Many of us think that dancing is just too feminine for guys. It was said (in this movie) that ballroom dancing was meant for men who was just as strong and dominant as warriors in the older days.

In ballroom dancing, such as waltz, salsa, rhumba, tango etc, men leads and ladies will follow, however, ladies may have the option either to go with him or not. Dancing is about trust, and mutual understanding between the two partners. It trains ladies to be more confident of what she will choose for herself, and for men, he will learn to respect the lady he loves, and appreciate her to love her forever.


Among all the ballroom dances, I still prefer tango, a dance that impossible to do without trust and love. I still remember when I watched Happy Together, a gay film, starring Tony Leung and the late Lestie Cheung and directed by Wong Kar Wai, tango was being used as to represent the gay couples' love was similar to the straight ones. The scene where Tony Leung and Leslie Cheung performed tango dance is so sexy and adorable.

Guys performing tango are so macho, can really can see his masculine character, i.e. powerful, dominant and stylish.

Fitness First will be launching ballroom dancing next month. I can't wait to be there for the first class.

Some scenes from the Take The Lead:

YOGA


Yoga? Sounds familiar. Yes, yoga is for an exercise that connects our body, mind and soul into one. Practicing yoga gives numerous benefits, such as toned body, reducing stress, peaceful mind, strengthening muscles and the list goes on and on....

After about 9 months I practice pilates, I had decided to give yoga a try. I didn't want to try out yoga previously as I didn't want to confuse myself for different breathing techniques. Well, it works for me. Not only I got a calmer mind, I managed to toned up my body as well. Faster than I ever imagined. Sooner or later, I would gave up weights training which focussed on muscles isolation, which trained more towards the big muscles such as chest and biceps, but neglect our core muscles and small muscles deep attached to our bones.

Yoga and pilates focus more on body cordination, and most of the post are meant for the whole body, so we never miss out any part of our body workout.

Ok, ok.. Less words and more pics. Here you are some of posts in yoga:






Warrior 1:
for chest, shoulders, neck, belly, thighs, ankles, and calves










Eagle Post:
for thighs, hips, upper back, ankles, calves, hips, concentration, reproduction system











Crane Post:
strengthen arms, wrists, upperback, abdominal muscles (for six pecks).











Side plank:
powerful post to strengthening arms, belly (six pecks), legs and wrists.

For more information about other yoga posts and techniques, visit www. yogajournal.com. By practicing, no more imporportionate muscles in our body. :P

SPENDING MY SUNDAY


Sunday, June 9, 2006

Waking up at 12.15pm. Oh, gosh... I couldn't make it for my yoga class. :-( Supposingly, I was planning for Vincent's class at Axis. Also felt a bit lazy to go for Body Pump class at 2pm.

Never mind la. After shower, I drove to Old Klang Road for my favourite chee cheong fun. The stall is situated along Jalan Sepadu. I just love the curry gravy there, served with my favourite pig skin and yeong tow foo. Ha ha.. Guilty but nice...

Promised my friend to hand over a music CD to my friend at FF Axis. So I went there, met him and gave him the CD. Traffic was smooth and after that, I on my way to 1U. Yesterday, I bought a slack at G2000 Parkson. That slack needed to be shortened, and I needed to collect it today. Why? Because yesterday they didn't have enough thread. Stupid, right?

Also did some shopping again at 1U. I went to Giant for some grocery shopping as well. Happy to see one of my projects was successful launched in the market. Hmmm... really happy about it after spend so much time and effort into it.

I think I'll be broke soon... ha ha ha

After shopping, it was only 5.30pm. So decided to drive to Cineleisure Damansara for a movie alone. Why Cathay? New, comfortable and less people.

So after seen Harvey's comment in his blog about Cars, so I gave it a try.


Hilarious, fun, nice graphics, and excellent message. At the end, at least, McQueen realised the importance of team work and what friendship means to him. My rating: 4/5.

After movie, then I drove back and have my Indian curry rice at Subang Jaya SS19. However, I still managed to contact Art in Bangkok. Nice to listen to his voice :-)

Back to home I am so tired and after writing this blog, I will have a date with Uncle Chow... haha.. (Sleeping lah)

So the whole day I am alone. Sometimes, I want to ask myself, am I loner? Hmmm... does it matter anyway, when I am happy with what I am now? Of course, with Art, it'll be much better :-)

Good night.

PARADISE

This picture was taken at the peak of Huangshan, China in 12 Apr 2006 at 6.20am (-3'C). Doesn't it looks like a paradise to you?

It reminds me there are still beauty in this world. And it worths to travel around to experience the beauty we have not ever imagine before.

Do you share the same dreams with me to see the beauty of the world?

IS THERE ETERNITY?


For me, I don't think so. Simply because when there's a beginning, there shall be an end one day. I shall not be cheated by love songs or fairy tales, where always will ends with "happily ever after".

So when comes to an end, what shall we do?

Keep the best inside us and forget the bad things.

I love the meaning of this lyric. It's really true, at least to me.


多经典的歌后
一刹眼已走
缠绵着青葱的山丘
转眼变蚁丘
这个刹那宇宙拒绝永久
世事无常还是未看够 还未看透
多好玩的东西早晚会放低
从前并肩的好兄弟可会撑到底
爱侣爱到一个地步便另觅安慰
枉当初苦苦送礼 最艳的花卉
最後化烂泥
夕阳无限好
天色已黄昏
本想去凭爱去换最灿烂一生
想不到长吻带来更永恒伤感

夕阳无限好
却是近黄昏
高峰的快感刹那失憾
风花雪月不肯等人要献便献吻
多风光的海岛一秒变废土
长存在心底的倾慕可会够细数
每秒每晚彷似大盗偷走的青春一天天变老
只可追忆到想追追不到

好风景多的是夕阳平常事
然而每天眼见的永远不相似

Art Of Selling Skills For Tackling Guys

Since I posted about selling skills in our daily, most people that read the blog don't agree with me. Selling is always selling and that involves dollars and cents, and if incorporate in our life, we will be money minded.

Sigh! How come nowadays people are so naive!

Well, I had many times mentioned that it's selling skills, NOT selling products. Probably our mind already set by our teachers in schools, stressing selling and buying are meant for paying money and after that get products or services in return.

Well, let me show you how selling skills can be used in our life. Consider it if you want to tackle someone...

In selling skills for tackling someone, there are 3 important factors:

1. Focus on that person's needs
What did he wants? His interests? His way of life? His ambition? What he wants to achieve for life? Is he what you are looking for? Well, also is he top or bottom? Etc etc etc. Why many people fail in relationship? Simply because both parties don't focus each other needs before be together. That's common where most people are too concentrate on external beauty.

2. Earn the right to advance
Let him accept you step by step. If it's a real ltr, you can't expect you in bed with him (nowadays not surprise anyway, ha ha) and ask him to commit everything to you. You can expect him to tell you everything all at once. Never appear to be pushy. Step by step.

3. Involve him through persuasion
As I said, never appear to be pushy. You know what I mean lah. Ha ha


TRUST ME! IT WORKS... GOOD LUCK

Discovering Yourself and Live With It! (Part 4)

Discovering My True Love
I am sure many of us know how gays get to know each other. Some of us know each other from chatrooms, pubs, massage centers, gyms, being friend's friend etc. It is undeniable most chatrooms nowadays have become sex rooms, most people (can say 85%) there are looking for sex. Sometimes it keeps me wondering are there so many desperate for sex?

Well, in a recent studies, it was acknowledged that gay men had more sexual desire than the straight ones, mainly because of our hormone. Well, I totally agree with this report.

I did logon to the chatroom all the time, normally just "parking" there. On 24 Sept 2002 (I still remember this date), someone privated me. We chatted for almost 2 hours, and then we exchanged phone numbers and e-mails. I just thought we may be good friends, as he's Thai, and stayed in Bangkok. We continued to contact each other as good friends for 2 months plus, and then one fine day I decided to meet him in Bangkok, as I was on transit to Cambodia for holiday. Before that we never exchange our photos before.

I still remember the place we met was in McDonald Central Lad Phrao. We had a chat before I need to rush to meet my straight friends in other parts of Bangkok. And I realised that I have fall in love with him.

Yes, we loved each other very much. For the past few years, we were separated by distance. We managed to meet few times a year. Most of my friends said that I was crazy and looking for disaster. There would be no good ending for us.

At first, I have doubts. I have so many fears in my mind. But I know to ensure our relationship works, we must have faith to each other. It's TRUST.

However, I dared to say that our relationship lasted until now. Coming this Dec, we will be celebrating 4th anniversary as love partner (although there was a break-up in between).

I love him. Because I can feel that he is the only one who really understand me. I don't care how seldom we meet as long as we know that we love each other. He loves me for who I am.

Whenever we have problems, we always open up for discussion. Many people just try to ignore. Why not talk about it? Why are we so afraid to admit if it's our fault? Isn't it good when someone can prove that you are wrong, and you realised it and improve further?

Is arguement bad for relationship? To me, it's NOT. Arguement occurs when we have different in expectation. Arguement (if you look in a positive way) brings couples closer. At the end of the arguement, compromise and reach a consensus. It's an effective way to understand each other more.

Why we need to see everyday? Is distance a main issue? Are we far away?

Well, actually we are looking at the same moon and stars every night. Ha Ha Ha.

I have promised him no matter what will happen in future, he always have a place in my heart.

I love you, Art. I know I always do.

Discover Yourself And Live With It (Part 3)


Discovering Positive Thinking

It was in 2001, I came to KL for a permanent job. The first day I walked into the office, I had known I had a great job. Though challenging, I had a very caring and great teacher as my supervisor. As time passed, we were became good friends rather than supervisor - subordinate relationship.

Don't be mistaken, there was nothing between us (ha ha). He told me a lot about how positive we should be. He told me that selling was not a talent, but a skill. Something that we could master and practice. I believed that and I knew from that day onwards, I would be in selling line for the rest of my life.

Many people despise selling, but many of us didn't know that we practice selling skills in our daily life. How we convince our parents and friends accepting our ideas? That's selling skills. I am talking about selling skills, not selling something and then get profit.

Once he told me, that if someone could prove him wrong, he would be very thankful to that person as he could have a chance to further improve himself.

What a great saying! Now in my vocabulary, there would be no more "weakness" but rather "opportunity for improvement"

From then, I had become a positive person. I knew that being a positive thinking state, it would make my life happier. And it did. There's a quote in a Chinese movie "That's Life, My Darling" 新不了情

“如果死亡是一生中最坏的事，那人生里不会有不了的事情”
If human's greatest problem is death, then there must be solution to anything else.

I realised many people demotivated when problems come. Sitting down there and thinking. Be sad. Disappointed. Got stressed. Despair. Depression etc etc etc.

Why not be proactive? Try to solve the problem. Seek help from people around you. Or just forget it and move on?

Life is short, and never loose it for someone else!


To be continued... Discovering My True Love

Discover Yourself and Live With It (Part 2)


My graduation was on the year 1999. It was a bad year, really. At the peak of the recession after the financial crisis in 1997. Job vacancies were getting less and less. Not much job available especially you wished to get a technical / support job. I still need to survive, as such, I landed myself in selling, oh, yes! I'm a salesman.

Working is definitely very different from studying (Guess many people agree with me). You must know to handle your supervisor, your peers etc etc etc.

Politics! Politics! Politics!

I didn't enjoy my work at all. I hated my job. I hated my supervisors. I hated my life! Once again, I was crashed into disaster again. Nothing seems to be right. I failed in my love. I kept on falling in love with the wrong people (all straight guys). And I was still in the closet, not willing to open up myself. To my friends, I am damn straight guy.

Because of my failures in career and love at that time, I became a very defensive person. I just don't listen to others.

I am always correct, and you're wrong.

I am doing a favour for you, and you need to return back to me.

I am falling in love with you, no matter what you need to love me.

I was wrong. I was indeed wrong. I was definitely wrong.

Again, my heart whispered to me once again. I needed to change. I couldn't stay in such an environment that would destroy me.With full of confidence, I began to write numerous resume for other job opportunities. I had to move out from Penang.

I wanted to change! I needed to change! AND I MUST CHANGE!

Probably it's my luck, I managed to find a job in KL and it had changed my life forever ...


To be continued....

Discover Yourself and Live With It (Part 1)

Recently I read many blogs concerning sexuality. What if when you have discovered you are gay, lesbian or bisexual? How you want to deal with it? How to deal with rejection? Will you just ignore or accept with open heart? This is my experience...

Discovering my own sexuality at the age of 20, I still remembered. I was in university, as a freshie, I was all out to make friends. I never thought of falling in love with my close friend of the same sex. Although I tried to resist, I couldn't control myself but to give in. Our relationship lasted for 8 months. There were ups and downs. Ups... we loved each other so much. Downs... he couldn't accept of his own sexuality. Why? Because of his religion, saying that God prohibits homosexuality. We fight a lot on this issue, until at one time, I gave up and I didn't want to continue the relationship anymore.

He cried and begged me to stay. That's my problem when I saw someone cried. I retracted my decision and continued to be with him. Not knowing that one day he would leave me. And he did. He did it for the sake of his love to God. He wanted to be free from my "satanic" influence.

I was disappointed, truly disappointed. I felt I was betrayed. The one whom I loved calling me Satan and accusing me that I would beat him up. He never wanted to meet me again. He confessed his "sin" to his Church friends, saying I was the "Satan" to lure him to hell.

I totally lost all my confidence in life. I lost confidence in all the people around me. I gave him all my love and is this what I get in return? I tried to seek help from my straight friends, no one was willing to offer any guidance. To them I was the shit of society.

I cried and cried. Continue crying, crying and crying....

Until one fine day (6 months after), just before I went to sleep, I heard a voice... A voice calling me deep in my heart. "Why are you suffering? Why you cry? Why don't you move on? Why are you torturing yourself? Why? Why? Why?"

I was still sobbing, covering my wet eyes with both of my hands. Out all of a sudden, I stopped sobbing. I could sense I was smiling. Smiling because I knew I have move on. I knew there were lots of meaningful things I could do in life. Why suffer for someone that not even worth to be mentioned again?

From that day on, I no longer crying for him. As years passed, I began to sense the importance of life. Nothing is more important than to live on. I learnt to appreciate people around me, learnt to accept friendship. I no longer felt that I was the unlucky ones. Now I am glad that because of this experience and him, I have become a better person.

I no longer hate him and I won't hate him. I respect his decision 10 years ago. And I wish he is happy whatever he is doing right now.

I am proud to be gay, and I never regret for what I have chosen for myself. I never regret for what I have been through. Most people are looking back in anger... BUT I AM LOOKING BACK WITH A HAPPY SMILE!


To be continued...