Look who I met in Langkawi?

IT has been an crazy and exciting, extraordinary and exhausting weekend! For the first time, I witnessed what I'd call `super human beings' in action in a gruelling adventure race that covered 95km in 9 hours!!

Yeah, covering the Wilderness Langkawi Challenge 2008 is like having programs you watch on AXN or Discovery Channel coming to life.

I have so much to share although I already have to write stories for the organisers. But I guess I will blog on that a bit later as I'm dead tired.. And I have taken so many photos that my camera battery went dead - couldn't believe I `cleverly' thought I didn't need to bring my charger!

Anyway, I will start with these `teaser' pix. If the participants of the race are superhuman, then this person is even beyond that...

Listening to Dr Sheik Muszaphar Shukor, Malaysia's first Angkasawan (astonaut) shared his space experience to a large group of secondary students in Langkawi, was a delight - even though he was speaking 99 per cent in BM! If he were not to be a doctor or an astronaut, Dr Sheik can surely be a motivational speaker.. :p And yes, he does oozes charm and charisma - and really, judging by his appearance and mannerism, I would think he is more a movie star than a doctor or astronaut!

After listening to him, I have to reconsider the statement that looks and brains are mutually exclusively. In this person's case - he is almost like THE perfect human specimen.. cute, smart, witty, high achiever and an all rounder. The only `flaw' is perhaps THAT - personal and sensitive also an open secret now. Well, I shall not dwell into it. :p

Just say it's too bad for all the girls who drool over him.. but to me, it's just eye candy. ;) But I must say I do admire his determination and what he has achieved, especially after hearing the types of `inhumane' training and practices he went through for his 10 days in space..

And his passion for space is amazing! Having harboured the dream to be an astronaut since 10, he said if today he was given a chance to go to Mars but would not be able to come back to earth again, he would still go for it..

Hmm.. is that true passion or obsession? Whatever it is, meeting and hearing our celebrity astronaut in person is definitely another highlight on this trip!

n.b. photos courtesy of Erick Lirios, photographer extraordinaire from the Philippines. (my battery went dead remember? :p)