Friday 22 October 2010.

Day 3

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! It is 9am in local time. Wah! I got a good sleep last night. OMG! It is dam super COLD! I had shower. I took 1 ounce of “Maqui” juice and had dates. Time for me to update on the email but there are no connection to the Face Book and blogger. Someone press the door bell and the house keeper wants to make up the room but I told her to come later. Sending some items to the laundry and it cost me 45 Yuan.

So fast it is 2pm in local time. I get ready myself for another window shopping around -----. Took lots of photos and I went for a cup of coffee and tuna sandwiches at Starbucks. I bought a sweater for my 2nd daughter as she is going to Beijing next month for school project. It cost me 90 Yuan. I also bought some tees for the children’s. I need to be back at the hotel before 6pm local time as I need to go training. Since the weather is super dam cold and I decided to run at the treadmill in the GYM for 30mins with 90kmh. My heart rate is 80 and burn 210 calories. Back to the room after shower and time for me to go out at nearby shopping complex. There are Carrefour around and I bought 2 bottle of mineral water. Not much to see at night as shop are closing around 8pm and decided to go back to hotel. I had a great day today but with my family around much better. I will save lots of money and hope next time will bring my family back to Beijing for holiday. Hey! Meet my family closer via live.com and view the cam. I show my wife what I had bought. It’s already midnight and time for me to go bed. Good night everyone!

Thursday 21 October 2010.

DAY 2

Good mornnnnnnnnnnnning Beijing! That what the flight captain says. I could feel the coolness in the aircraft and finally out of the Arrow Bridge and heading to the arrival hall. After passport clearance and collected my luggage at row no. 36. I was stop by Custom officers and they screen the baggage and the sport shoe that I was wearing anyway all have been clear.

OMG! Where is the driver who supposed to come and fetch me? No one speak simple English here. I went to the Airport information counter and I show her the GTA form and she called the hotel to check. The counter staff told me that the hotel had not received any instruction from the travel agent in Singapore. OMG! What am I supposed to do now? There is no signal to my mobile and I could not contact anyone. The counter staff advice and directs me to board Airport shuttle service and it will cost 16 Yuan to Beijing Rail Station and from there she advice me to take a cab to the hotel. I manage to take the bus and it is a cool ride. There are so many bicycles around and they have their road lane too. Finally I reach the rail station and while waiting for the cab, someone approached me and says he is the driver for the taxi and I ask him how much to Beijing Peixin Hotel and he told me it’s 70 Yuan and I agreed to be send to the hotel. Reaching at the hotel and I paid 100 Yuan to him and wish he could return to me the balance 30 Yuan and he told me it’s 700 Yuan. OMG! An exchange of words started and I near punch his face but I have to take care of myself here not to be a hero as there are his people around and I just paid that amount and walk off from him. It’s ok but his day will be returned for cheating a handicap person like me. I was dam stress and reported the matter to the hotel staff. They don’t even understand what I am trying to say. After the booking process had done and the bell man carried my luggage to the room at level 4. I paid him tips of 5 Yuan and he is so happy for serving me.

I got the standard room and still could feel the coolness in the room even the air con is switch off. I set one corner of the room and my anger is out and could not believe what had happen to me. Dam!!! To clear the sadness of myself I just went to the bed and sleep for few hours. I miss my family and friends.

At 2pm local time, I had shower and add some “TGC” on my knee and also “JUMPSTART” at the stump area. Put on my TNF jacket and glove, I get ready myself for sightseeing and learn the experience alone on myself, I informed the hotel staff and she book a taxi to the tourist attraction area and it cost me 25 Yuan. Reaching at Tian’ men square, There are lots of people’s there and everyone keeps staring at me. I don’t know why? Maybe I look too handsome? hahahaha! While strolling around I took some photos and finally saw a Mobile shop called “China Mobile” sell hand phone and prepaid card too. I bought a handphone sim card and it cost me 100 Yuan and I manage to call my wife and children back home. My younger daughter keep talking and she miss me lots. I told her that I have a mission here for our country where I am running to inspired everyone and it will be the first Singaporean amputee wearing the flex run leg to run marathon.

OMG! Yes, thanks God! I manage to found “Starbucks Coffee China” at BJ Qiarmen. I had a cup of black coffee and you could feel the aroma. Hey! Beside me there is Singaporean couple and he could not recognize me until I pass him my name card. OMG! He is shock to see me here hahaha! We had a chart. He is here for 1 month holiday. After the coffee I went for window shopping again. There is a Chinese Halal food here, but I decide to go back to hotel. I took a taxi at nearby and I paid 20 Yuan to the Hotel located at Chongwen District.

It is 7.45pm local time and I am so hungry and decided to go out and search food. I informed the hotel staff and she book a taxi for me to -----and I paid 15 Yuan. There are no halal food here and I have no choice to go for steak Restaurant. I had salad and Sir Lion steak and it cost me 115 Yuan. Hey! Check this out there is a place where you could buy all sports gear goods in one building. Just name it. The cost of the price is from 119 – 400 Yuan. I bought for my wife and younger daughter pairs of sports shoes. Time for me to go back to hotel and have a good rest as tomorrow will be another day to go out. Clean up myself and time for me to go bed. Good night everyone. Oh yah! Not so cold now.

Wednesday 20 October 2010.

Receive the confirmation flight detail on Tuesday afternoon by Anita Travel Management Pte Ltd. I will be flying off on Thursday early morning at Changi Airport Terminal 3 by SQ800 to Beijing and the depart time is 0110am and arriving time approx 0710am.

DAY 1

Today is Wednesday and will be busies day for me. At 0830am I and Endon will be running approx 5km around Yishun Central and after the run at 0940am we will be meeting with Bro Azil at the car park of Blk 603 Yishun Central St 61 where he will be fetching me to Yishun Stadium for MediaCorp interview and also will be meeting with Su Shan Tan from NorthEast CDC to collect the cheque. While waiting for Adam One Arm Runner to arrived, I had my photo shooting first. We were interview by Gene Khor, writer for MediaCorp Pte Ltd and this is for the Spring Magazine on “Special Talent Fund” After the interview I will be heading to Kaki Bukit Crescent where I will be meeting with Nelia from OUTDOOR Venture to collect the sponsorship gear and GU nutrition and also will be meeting with Mr Walter Tan to discuss on the going running mission.

At 2.30pm I will be rushing to Geylang and meet up with Seet Yin Shan, Seet Marit and Edmund Seah from LYNK Biotechnologies where I will be collecting some sponsorship items such as “JUMP START” Instant Energy Cream and “TGC” Transdermal Glucosamine Cream for joint and cartilage. This product really works on me and I have already sent my testimonial on the product to the company. Time moving fast and it is 4pm and now I am rushing to Running Lab Velocity@Novena to purchase the running bib holder and hand glove as I heard from friends Beijing must be 9 degree Celsius. I had my hair cut there too.

Finally reach home and pack all my belonging and at about 7.30pm I and my daughter, Nur’ Atiqah and Nur’ Athirah will be accompany me to Changi Airport Terminal 3 where later I will be meeting with the rest of my family there as they are sending me. Before I went to check in we decided to have dinner together. My wife bought for me all kinds of food such as bread, dates, energy biscuit and many more. She told me not to eat unnecessary food there and even bought for me sock, wet tissues and hand lotion for gems protection.

It’s 1030pm and I have checked in the baggage at SIA counter 3. All done and we are heading to the Departure Hall where my family says good bye to me. In the restricted area, while waiting to check in at 0110am. I had a cup of black coffee and update the emails there. It is 12 midnight and I am heading to the boarding gate at A1. This is my first time to board on SQ flight and also the first time to go far away from home for marathon. I got my seat at 51c and cool there are no one else sitting there. I was serving by the beautiful SIA Stewardess. The journey starts now. I will be uploading more photos soon and do check it out.