Run With Us!

Foot on paddle, ready for action!
Peace Run, Penang - - one of the major annual activity in SCI Malaysia's calender. 14 of us drive down from KL - - that's including Parag and Shampa, who arrived couples of day earlier from Bangladesh. About 1500 others run with our friends on the wheelchair, despite the haze and a cool morning shower.


Ms Koh, sharing her stories with Raffie while Loong looks on
The rain helps us, in a way.

While waiting for the rain to stop, we start buzzing around, trying to find our "partner" - - friends on the wheelchair! As we talked, i realize that we don't know much about them, even if we thought we do. Take Ms Koh for instance, she is much "taller" that she appear to be - - paralympic swimmer, representing Malaysia!

That's much "taller" than me! So far i just "represent" Malaysia to visit other countries, hehe...


Sense of Peace, as we roll past an India Temple
Back to the RUN, sometime one could hardly imagine things until you really actually do it. It's not as easy as standing behind a wheelchair and use your strength to push them. Sometime we need to be just a little more careful, like adjusting their foot on the paddle, make sure they sit properly, let them control us control the speed, etc.

And in my case, by request - - Maria to stand besides the wheelchair while holding it along the journey!


Dance by the ladies of Cheshire Home, while Vicknesh still hard at work
Among the activities worth mentioning was few dance by the performers from Cheshire Home, Penang. What you don't see on the photo above is this: Stephen, dancing with them, something you don't see everyday! :) And i saw a granny who was equally energetic, much to my surprise!


Fantastic Shampa, on the move!
Then, it was Shampa's time.

Beautiful custume and move, you said? Well we should really pay some attention to her face expression as well - - it coincide perfectly with the dance and the music!


Vicknesh, teaching English and art, from Thailand
Not forgetting Vicknesh, who was the creator behind the Peace Run logo...


Stephen, in front of the final art piece
...logo with some people on the run, wheelchair or not!

Stephen, though, was not part of it:p Even if his posture in this photo above may fits the painting well! Actually he is about to have some photo session with Parag and wife, Shampa. Surely the photo will turn out better than this one :)


Wheels on, and it start moving!
As we were leaving the field, there is one last job - - gets our friends on the wheelchair in the car, before we do! And this is the fist time i ever saw this special van, shame on me!


St. Nicholas, Home for the Blind
Back to St. Nicholas, i have much time, with "light" (we arrived yesterday night), to look around the place we spent our night before. Situated just 20 minutes away from the famous Gurney Drive, it was a really nice place, except for the unfriendly "female" mosquitors!

Few photos should tell the stories...


Rehabilitation track?


Believe me, we were at St. Nicholas!


Organic farm, similar activities with Temerloh's.

Thanks everyone!

(More photos: Stephen's eye & mine, video clips here)