This is what happens when you procrastinate.

You made a promise to yourself that you’d update more often everyday. Unfortunately by the time you get home from work exhausted every night at 10pm, you tell yourself you’re too tired and that you’ll blog the next day. But when the next day comes, you tell yourself to do it the next day, and the next day, and the next day.

Next thing you know, a month has passed and you hadn’t even typed a single character on your keyboard. So here I am, guilty as charged.

In the process of procrastinating, I missed out on 2 traditionally very important dates on my calendar.

1st January – the day I welcome the new year and make my resolutions.

4th January – the 6th year anniversary of this blog, kennysia.com

Come to think of it, I didn’t even celebrate the new year at the stroke of midnight this 2011.

For the entire day on New Year’s Eve, I was at a local shopping mall doing the greatest fitness roadshow Kuching has ever seen. I gotta be there because it was the first time we conceptualised and set up a large-scale roadshow completely on our own without hiring any event organizers.

At the end of 10 hours I was completely knackered. I took a disco nap at 11pm, thinking I could wake up in 15 minutes to go to one of the many countdown parties happening around town.

Next thing I know, I was rudely awakened by the continuous booming of (illegal) fireworks. It’s the start of 2011 and I have officially welcomed the new year by lying horizontally in my bed.

The very fact that I was sleeping instead of going crazy drunk at some party somewhere… basically sums up my entire 2010.

2010 is when I did some serious growing up. In fact, I believe I have grown up a lot faster than I did in my early 20s.

The things that mattered to me 5 years ago – big parties, lots of alcohol, hot girls and fame – those aren’t as important to me anymore. Instead, I concentrated my efforts on the running of my business. I dedicated my 2010 to a business that aims to improve people’s lives, both those of our members and my amazing team of staff.

At the start of last year, I made a list of 5 new year’s resolutions:

1. Complete a 42km marathon in less than 6 hours. (I did mine in 6 hours 9 minutes)
2. Achieve my sales and membership targets for Level Up Fitness. (About RM5,000 away from my target)
3. Be more optimistic about relationships. (Yeah, not all girls are psychos. There are some really good girls out there after all)
4. Stabilise my business, so I can put more time back into blogging. (HAHAHAHAHA)
5. Help people around me realise their true potential and talent.

I attempted all 5 and although I fell slightly short in first 4 of those resolutions, I must say I made pretty darn good progress.

That said, of the 5 resolutions, I’m definitely proudest of number 5.

Don’t get me wrong, I definitely still enjoy blogging (Twitter is more my weapon of choice these days). But heck, even Tony Fernandes can’t fly planes all his life. If you follow his Twitter, 8 out of 10 tweets are about his F1 venture.

Compared to running a blog, it’s a completely different sense of satisfaction I gain from running a fitness centre. When I wrote a funny blog entry, some anonymous commenter goes "haha! 1st~~" on the comment box and that’s all.

At the end of the day, you wonder what positive impact you make on people’s lives, and what contribution have you made to society?

Last time I photoshop faces on people’s bodies. Now I do it in real life.

It’s different with a fitness centre. People literally come up to you and thank you for turning their lives around.

We have members who thanking us because they have lowered their cholesterols, defeated diabetes and got back their pre-pregnancy weights. We have extremely shy and quiet members transforming into confident charismatic BodyCombat and BodyJam instructors, earning respect and admiration of the hundreds who attend their classes each week.

These instructors become Change Makers – who in turn motivate even more people around them to turn their lives around for better.

Isn’t that such a wonderful thing? To see positive changes in people, taking place right in front of your eyes? Moments like these are truly priceless.

Of course, although neither of those achievements are close to even 1% the result of my sole effort, I still feel the sense of pride and satisfaction that I have somehow played in part in making it happen.

That, to me, is infinitely more satisfying than receiving a "haha! I’m 1st~~~" comment on a blog.

We are all young once. We go out, we travel, we party, we "live the life" so to speak.

Then we become selfish, we chase money and we let it control our lives. Eventually there comes a point in life where you think to yourself, just for one second – that if you were to die tomorrow, what will people remember you for?

In 2003, I was known as Kenny Sia – the youngest son of Simon Sia.

In 2005, I was known as Kenny Sia, The Blogger.

In 2011, I’d like to be known as Kenny Sia, The Change Maker.

27 Things I Did When I Was 27.

 

1. Celebrated by birthday for the first time with my team of staff.

At 27, I became an owner of start-up business (in the traditional sense) for the first time. With that, I started hiring people to take care of my business.

It’s a lotta weight on my shoulders when people put their trust and career on my hands. But we’re like family at work. My birthday last year was particularly special because I spent it with a team I can proudly call my own.

 

2. Had LASIK surgery to permanently correct my eyesight. Best decision I’ve ever made.

 

3. Celebrated New Year’s Eve with the lovely Miss Singapore Universe Rachel Kum.

1 January 2010 was certainly a very memorable night for me. Heh.

 

4. Fulfilled my 6-year-old promise to Eddie.

Eddie is the guy who encouraged me to pick up marathon-running. 5 years ago I promised him I will one day travel to the USA to do the Los Angeles Marathon with him. I finally fulfilled that promise March this year.

It was easily the best marathon race I have ever done. Los Angeles is a beautiful city and people are very supportive of the race. I would go on and on about my trip to LA, but I’ll save that for a different blog post.

 

5. Drove a BMW convertible.

Love it. Too bad it ain’t mine. My friend Alex Wong was kind enough to lend me his house and car in LA while he embarked on his own ride of a lifetime – riding the distance from the tip of South America to North America, on a motorbike.

 

6. Met the king of late night talk shows, Jay Leno at the NBC studios. This was fresh after his rivalry with Conan O’Brien. His guest at the time was actually "The Rock" Dwayne Johnson, a wrestler I grew up watching.

 

7. Watched a live Lakers game at the famed Staples Centre. They kicked the Minnesota Timberwolves asses. In attendance was Jack Nicholson, Chris Brown and Tom Cruise.

 

8. Watched WWE Wrestlemania live in Pheonix, Arizona. Shawn Micheals! The Undertaker! Bret Hart! Triple H! It was my childhood dream come true.

 

9. After Wrestlemania, I drove 3 hours from Phoenix, Arizona to see one of the 7 Greatest Nature Wonder of the World – The Grand Canyon.

 

10. From The Grand Canyon, I need to drive to the airport 3 hours away.

I was short on time and I drove so fast that I earned myself my first international traffic violation – speeding. Cops in America cannot be bribed, so I copped a fine that costs USD232 (or RM720)!

 

11. Spent more time inside my fitness centre than at home. I ain’t complaining. Being a new business, a lot of times I have to be there physically to take care of the details and make on-the-spot decisions.

 

12. Went on self-driven road trips to Bali, Indonesia; Los Angeles, California; Austin, Texas; Phoenix, Arizona and Queenstown, New Zealand.

I went to Austin, Texas to visit my sister’s family after not seeing them for almost a year. I felt incredibly proud as an uncle to my three wonderful nephew and nieces, who remember me despite me spending so much time away from them.

 

13. Climbed the
Sydney Harbour Bridge! Wah!

 

14. Did adventure caving for the first time ever at Jenolan Caves, near Sydney. I won’t say it’s the most fun thing I did, but crawling through rocks and squeezing through holes is definitely interesting, in a challenging sorta way.

 

15. Lost a few friends, gained new ones.

An incident happened between 2 of my very close friends, inadvertently pulling me into the cross fires. Suddenly I find myself questioning if the friendship around me are genuine, or if I am being taken advantage of.

Thankfully, the incident is over now. I even gained a few new friends in the process.

 

16. Visited more gyms and fitness centres around the world than I ever had in my life. I enjoy seeing how fitness centres from other parts of the world operate and how mine stacks up against them.

It makes me envious that other gyms are more successful because people in bigger cities generally are more health-conscious.

 

17. Appeared on the front cover of a magazine for the first time!

 

18. Got my backpack stolen from inside my unlocked car. Inside my backpack are my laptop, camera, iPhone, foreign currencies and my all-important passport. Gone, all gone. It’s a painful lesson I’d rather not happen.

 

19. Got a nose job. Well, not really. It’s more like a nostril job, to stop me from snoring, but he also managed to make me breathe better.

 

20. Laid plans to expand Level Up Fitness by a further 5,000 square feet.

 

21. Dived at Lombok, Indonesia. Gili Trawangan is easily my favourite place for an island holiday after Bali.

 

22. Did the highest, scariest bungee jump in the world off Macau Tower. The jump was 143 metres high. That’s nearly 80 storey above the air!

 

23. Followed up with another bungee, falling backwards off The Ledge in Queenstown, New Zealand.

 

24. Earned my instructor license to teach RPM cycling classes. The training we were put through was brutal. I cycled so much that by the end of my training, I felt as if I had given birth to an exercise bike.

 

25. Drove, kayaked and trekked through Milford Sound, New Zealand. That place has the most jaw-dropping spectacular sceneries I have seen.

 

26. Scripted and recorded my first radio ad for Level Up Fitness. Writing an effective radio ad was difficult. Recording it was easy. Well, the guys at hitz.fm made it easy.

 

27. Spent the eve of my 28th birthday cold, alone and sleeping on the airport floor. My flight back from New Zealand back home was marred with one disaster after another.

First, my flight took off 15 hours later than usual due to Auckland airport’s runway problem. (Much thanks to Steph Chai who was in Auckland at the time to come out to meet me.) Then, my flight into Kuching cannot land due to bad weather. When I finally arrived Kuching, my airline lost my luggage! In the end, I missed out completely on my own birthday brunch and dinner. 🙁

That was 27 things I di
d when I was 27.

I am now 28 years old.

No matter how many times I experienced it, the rock star in me never gets tired of seeing my name on a placard.

7 months after my initial consultation, I finally found time to peel myself away from my business to travel to Singapore again.

My purpose was to visit my ENT Specialist, Dr Goh Yau Hong of Mount Elizabeth Hospital.

I made my doctor’s appointment through ParkwayHealth in Kuching, and they actually arranged somebody to wait for me at the airport terminal. Next thing I know, I was riding an electric buggy through immigration into a waiting limousine.

Dammit, I didn’t even had time to stop for duty free.

I forgot to let ParkwayHealth know I was only there for my snoring treatment. The hospital provide this service for the critically ill, which I obviously was not. But hey, the buggy service is provided free of charge so why not make use of it right? 😀

The arranged transport took me all the way to Mount Elizabeth, located in the vicinity of Orchard Road. As soon as I arrived the hospital, a concierge helped me with my luggage (as if I were staying in a hotel) and I was directed to the Admissions counter.

This is where I would be staying for the night.

Unfortunately, disaster struck.

Apparently, all the standard wards were booked out!

It must have been the high season to get sick in Singapore, but the hospital ran out of single room for me to sleep in.

Lucky for me – they promptly upgraded me to an Executive Ward at no extra cost.

I later found out that I was in same floor where royalty usually stays when they come for treatment. Tried my luck to wonder around, but don’t seem to see any Sultan or princess.

Hospitals are not my favourite place to stay overnight. But I gotta say, the room I was staying at Mount Elizabeth Hospital feels more like a hotel than a hospital.

They got everything from flat screen TV, minibar and in-room WiFi internet. On top of that, they even serve food that does not classify as the stereotypical hospital food good food – like keropok and cheesecake.

But enough about the hotel hospital room.

The reason I had to stay overnight at the hospital was because I was instructed to go through a Sleep Test.

The test is to measure whether or not I suffer from a condition called “Obstuctive Sleep Apnea Syndrome” – a side-effect of which is my very loud snoring.

Apnea is more a condition more serious than just a simple snoring.

Apnea is when I completely STOP BREATHING during my sleep. In mild cases, all it means is that I will wake up groggy and tired. But the worst case scenario is that I might get heart attack, stroke or in extreme cases – death during sleep.

How tragic would I be if I were to die not because of something fun, but due to lack of oxygen during my sleep.

Initially, I was adamant that I did not have sleep apnea. From what I know, it occurs mostly in older and heavily obese males. I thought I was neither, but I was just being delusional.

Dr Goh insisted that I must do the test before he could treat me. Being a good boy, I had to go along with it.

When the results finally came out, I was in for a rude awakening.

It was measured that during my sleep, I STOPPED BREATHING COMPLETELY on average – 17 times an hour. Overall, I was taking in only 78% of the oxygen I was supposed to breathe in.

It was not just loud snoring I am suffering from. Clinically, I am diagnosed as having MODERATE OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA.

That is some startling statistic to look at.

Dr Goh was as blunt and as straightforward as he could be. He advised me that there are two things I could do to lift me out of this nightmare that has been haunting me both physically and socially since young.

First, I must make make an effort to reduce my weight. Doing so will free up my vocal chords when I sleep.

Second, he’ll perform turbinate reduction. By removing the flesh blocking my nose, I will be able to breathe in a lot more oxygen during my sleep.

I went ahead with the procedure. The thing only lasted 15 minutes and was no more painful than a dental surgery.

There was bleeding for 3 weeks after that, but that’s normal because flesh that was microwaved, cooked and fell off.

But after the whole thing was over, I took the first deep breathe through my nose – and it felt… refreshing!

It’s as if for the past 28 years, I had been living with a blocked nose. When I’m suddenly able to breathe in more air than normal, and that II no longer have to open my mouth to breathe… suddenly it felt different.

The gush of fresh oxygen going through my nose and into my lungs was reassuring. I breathed like I never breathed before. And it felt real good.

That was only one part of my snoring treatment sorted out. The other part – the more difficult part – was the issue with my weight.

I am overweight. I had initially lost a huge amount of weight since my last marathon training.

But since then I had been travelling every weekend, working through day and night. Unknowingly I was transformed back into a blimp. I was so much into running my fitness centre that I wasn’t even participating in it myself.

But one good thing about my new nasal passage – now that I can breathe in more oxygen – my stamina has gone up by heaps.

I’m so much more alert in my daily activity now. Gone were the days where I’d run out of breath from climbing up and down the staircase.

I haven’t stopped snoring completely yet because my excess weight is still there. Obviously, I still have a long way to go.

But my ultimate goal was to become like this other one of Dr Goh Yau Hong’s patient.

This is Mr Brown. He saw Dr Goh and got so motivated that he lost 16kg in four months, through nothing but diet, exercise and hard work.

He no longer snores now when he sleeps.

I inherited a lot of qualities from my late father.

Ofs all the things I got from him, I also inherited his snoring.

It’s a Sia family thing. Every single person in my family snore when they sleep. It’s something we’re born with, and it’s something our partners have to live with.

My mother practically lived with it throughout her marriage with my father. After a while, she just got used to it.

For me, things are a little bit more difficult.

My ex used to pinch my nose whenever I snore. If it got worse, I’ll get a whack on the arm. I could never get a good night’s rest with her.

But it’s not just with girls. I travel frequently, and sometimes I share rooms with friends. They would be all cool with me at first, until the following morning.

The first thing they said to me when they wake up is not “Good morning!”, but “KENNY LAST NIGHT YOU SNORED SO LOUD AH!”

Hearing stuff like that hurt my feelings. Then again, I also realised it’s selfish of me to disturb other people’s sleep.

But it’s not like I can help it! If I can find a way to stop snoring, of course I would.

The problem is, I just about tried every solution there and nothing helped. Tablets, nasal sprays, tapes that cover my mouth when I sleep, tapes than open up my nose when I sleep, oxygen machines. You named it, I’ve done it.

Nothing works. In the end, I decided to seek professional help.

I went to see a doctor.

The first doctor I saw was an Ear Nose & Throat ENT Specialist at Sarawak General Hospital. I don’t know how to say this diplomatically, but it was possibly the biggest waste of time I ever had.

Firstly, just to see the doctor, I had to get a recommendation letter from my GP. Next, I need to make an appointment with the receptionist and put on a waiting list for 1 month before I can actually see him.

That’s okay – it’s a government hospital after all.

One month later, when I turned up for my appointment, I was asked to enter into a crowded waiting area. There, I waited for ONE HOUR for my turn – even when I had an appointment booked a month in advance.

When I finally got to see my doctor, he was clearly looking overworked and exasperated. After telling him my problems, the first thing he did was stick a camera through my nose – all the way down my throat.

It was really as disgusting as it sounds. I could smell the lingering odour of KY Jelly after he took the device out.

The doctor saw nothing wrong with my breathing passage. He asked me again what I wanted to do. I said I want to cure my snoring.

His response? Go for surgery.

“Would surgery cure my snoring completely?” I asked.

“Not necessarily… There’s still a risk you would be snoring after surgery.”

Obviously I wasn’t ready for something so risky, expensive and invasive. Some more there’s no guarantee of me curing my snoring problem. So I asked if there’s anything else he could do.

All I got was a very confused doctor looking at me quizzically.

I was rushed out as soon as I rushed in. In the end, I decided to forget about seeking a Kuching doctor for help.

I did some research of my own on how to cure my snoring, and came across a new cure for snoring of called “The Pillar Procedure”.

It works by inserting plastic implants into the back of your throat to stop it from vibrating. In Asia, one of the doctors who pioneered this procedure is Dr Goh Yau Hong from Mount Elizabeth Hospital, in Singapore.

It might sound like a ridiculous idea to fly to Singapore to see a doctor. Thing is, I really wanted to end my snoring once and for all – without invasive surgery if possible.

Earlier this year (after some arrangements with ParkwayHealth’s PR team) I made the decision.

I made the trip to Mount Elizabeth Hospital for my initial consultation with Dr Goh.

It was the best decision I have ever made. Believe it or not, seeing Dr Goh in Singapore was 1000 times easier than than making an appointment to see the ENT doctor at the General Hospital in Kuching.

Mou
nt Elizabeth Hospital is under the Parkway Health Group, Singapore. In Kuching (and other cities like JB, KK and KL), they got a Patient Assistance Centre that handles patient enquiries, appointments, doctor bookings and trip arrangements for their hospitals.

The hospital is widely regarded as the best private hospital in the region. Many people from outside Singapore, including our Sultans, travel here to seek treatment for critical illnesses like cancer, heart, vascular and brain tumour diseases.

Having somebody do the logistics for them locally makes it very convenient for the patients. And their Kuching office provides this service at no extra charge.

Anyway, I arrived for my appointment that morning. After waiting not more than 10 minutes, I was called in to see Dr Goh.

All I can say, it was completely unlike my experience at Sarawak General Hospital.

Unlike my previous experience where I was rushed in and out because the doctor had no time for me, Dr Goh was amazingly patient and considerate.

So patient that he didn’t even administer me any treatment during my first visit!

Instead Dr Goh examined my nose and palate to determine what exactly causes my snoring.

In the end, he said to me three things.

First, although I came to see him for the Pillar Procedure, it would not cure my snoring. The procedure works if my throat muscles were too relaxed, but I don’t have that problem. My throat is strong! 😀

The reason I snore was because I wasn’t breathing through my nose. I’m born in such a way that my nose was always blocked. All my life I had been breathing mostly through my mouth – and that is what causes my snoring.

Second, my snoring could indicate a more serious health problem called sleep apnea. It is when I completely stop breathing during my sleep – risky because it would cause a lot of health problems if not treated early.

And then there’s the weight issue.

This was me and Dr Goh, circa January this year.

I was weighing in close to 90kg, grossly overweight no thanks to my over-indulgence over the New Year. Dr Goh was blunt – if I want to stop snoring, I need to lose some weight.

He asked to come back to Singapore again.

I have to do a “Sleep Test” to determine if I have sleep apnea. Inreturn he promised to make my nose breathe better.

How?

By using a procedure called “Turbinate Reduction”, Dr Goh will COOK the piece of flesh that has been blocking my nose all my life.

Literally, he’s gonna microwave my nose!

I just sent a text message to the owner of my rented apartment in KL.

31st July shall be the last day of my tenancy in KL.

I used to fly to KL pretty often. These days I’d be lucky if I get to sleep over in my apartment once a month. The last time I stayed over, so much dust has accumulated in my room that I woke up the next morning sneezing my head off. Considering what I’m paying and how infrequent to stay over, I’d be better off staying in hotels.

There used to be a time when I go to KL on a weekly basis. I’d attend an event on Saturday morning, then head on to either Sid’s or Phuture for some beer at night. Jaclyn once said I’m more KL than a KL person because I hold a Zouk card and she doesn’t.

A misunderstanding happened between two of my closest friends in KL.

We used to always hang out together, help each other out, tell stupid jokes and laugh our heads off. These days I gotta watch my words so much. If not, things I say might be misconstrued as something else.

A place is only as meaningful as the company you have over there.

Once the company is gone, that place becomes meaningless.

Continue reading →

Dear Papa,

  Today is the 5th anniversary of your passing. How are you doing up in heaven? I imagine you must have had lots of friends by now to keep you company. Heck, as I’m writing this, you might be playing cards with Ah Kong, Ah Ma and Michael Jackson.

  Just kidding. But seriously, how are things up there?

  Will you forgive me if I tell you I haven’t been taking care of Mom very well? These past few weeks I have been flying all over the place. I haven’t been seeing Mom very often. She’s been wanting to talk to me, but I’m always doing work on the computer or on the phone. Sorry Papa. I try my best k?

  Papa, there’s another thing I’d like to apologize for.

  I had chosen not to take over the business empire you built. I know, I know this is not what you wanted. Papa, I’m so sorry but I tried. I just wasn’t as good as you were. I never had the confidence to do what you had accomplished.

  Instead, I spoke to Uncle and Mom. They gave me their blessings to start my own business. 6 months ago, I had the opening ceremony for Level Up Fitness.

  It makes me sad that you were not there to witness this very proud moment in my life. I was under sooooo much stress in the weeks leading up to the opening. There were sooo many problems and I didn’t even sleep the day before the Grand Opening. Mom told me how similar I was to you when you started your business many years ago. Now I know. Guess it is true: like father, like son eh? Haha.

   So many times I wanted to tell you about my business problems, then I remembered you’re on long-service leave.

  Don’t worry Papa, everything is okay now.

  Although my fitness centre is entirely different concept from your supermarkets, your spirit lives on. I work with the same set of principles and values that you taught me, and treat my staff with the same attitude you treated yours. I even incorporated the logo of your business into mine! 🙂 Every time I see it, I am reminded of you.

  I miss you Papa. 5 years on, I still wish you were here. Guess the only way I’ll see you again is on the day I join you in heaven. I’ll make lots of coffee for you then.

  Please take good care of yourself.

 

Love,

Your youngest son.

Reader Ee Venn Soh, a graphic designer based in Auckland, created this digitally-illustrated portrait of me.

Nice!

But then I think I look a little bit like Cheesie?

Cheesie with a moustache?

14 December 2009 was the last day I’ve worn my glasses.

It was the day I’m finally going to receive my laser eye surgery, and be free from the constraints of contact lens and prescription glasses forever.

I happened to be in KL for another engagement, so I requested Optimax to pen me down for my laser eye surgery at their headquarters at Wisma AHP, T.T.D.I.

My surgeon was Dr Stephen Chung. Dr Chung is one of the pioneering laser eye surgeon not just at Optimax, but in the whole of Malaysia. When opting for a procedure to be performed on something as vital as my pair of eyes, obviously I wanted the best of the best.

With Dr Chung, I knew I was in good hands.

 

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous.

The truth is – I was a complete nervous wreck!

*scared*

I was so scared I didn’t even sleep a wink the night before. All night long I was tossing and turning in my bed while a million thoughts went through my head.

What if something went wrong? What if I couldn’t hold still during the surgery? What if the doctor made a blunder? What if I go blind and never get to see again?

WHAT IF, WHAT IF, WHAT IF.

The morning of the surgery, JacJac was nice enough to take time off her extremely busy schedule (doing absolutely nothing) to accompany me to Optimax.

I wouldn’t be able to see properly afterwards – just so I don’t have to spend the night sleeping on the streets of TTDI, I thought it’s a good idea to bribe a friend to become my personal driver + tongkat for the day.

That’s me wearing a sweater to Optimax.

One thing I was afraid the MOST is if I suddenly sneezed while the laser surgery is still in progress.

Later I end up with laser burn marks all over my face, how?

Anyway, the nurses at Optimax are experts at calming people down. Obviously, they dealt with patients a lot more nervous than I was.

No, they did not tie me up in a straight-jacket. But they did try their best to tell me in advance what to expect, and how to take care of my eyes later on.

I was given this gift pack which includes detailed instructions of do’s and don’ts, as well as a collection of anti-biotics, painkillers and heaps of eye drops for post-surgery care.

The centre also booked me in for a series of eye check-ups 1 day, 1 week, 1 month and 6 months after the surgery, all free of charge.

(I mean, it’s gotta be free of charge after you paid so much money for surgery, right?)

After some last minute eye check-ups, I was led to the waiting room.

This was when they put me inside this blue-coloured protective suit.

And a white-coloured cap over my head.

I think essentially, they tried to convert me into a smurf.

I handed my glasses to JacJac after that. It was the last time I ever had to put them on.

Dr Chung came out to meet me shortly afterwards. He was also dressed in his smurf outfit.

From this point onwards I was not allowed to take photos, so I’ll try my best to use words to describe what happened.

Dr Chung led me onto a machine and did a final round of checks on my eyes. After that, he dropped some anaesthetics to numb my eyes. Then it’s time to enter the operating theatre.

I was asked to lie down on the operating bed that looks like this.

I was still very nervous. My eyes were open and I was conscious at all times. To make sure that I do not blink, Dr Chung taped my eyelids open then use a “cup” to secure my eyeball. It was weird seeing a foreign object coming down to my eyeball. It was an uncomfortable yet bearable sensation. I could somewhat feel the cup gripping into my eyeball but I couldn’t feel much pain because my eyes were numb.

Moments later, Dr Chung pl
aced a LASIK machine over my head. This time, I was told to focus on a ring of white light and that I should not move my eyeballs under any circumstances.

I did as I was told.

When the ring of white light appeared over my eye, I suddenly felt a sensation of vacuum suction in my eye. I could hear Dr Chung talking and buzzing noises in the background. Gradually, the ring of white light comes closer and closer towards my eyeball, until all I can see was total darkness. For 30 seconds, I could see absolutely nothing while the LASIK machine did its wonders. At times, my eyeballs flinched slightly, but it wasn’t that bad.

He did my other eye. Before I knew it, it was all over. As Dr Chung lifted the machine away from my head, all I could see was blurry images of the surroundings. Dr Chung said the first step was a success, and I was led to an adjacent operating theatre nearby.

The first step was to create a flap in my eye. The second step was to re-shape the cornea. The procedure was similar to the first one – extremely fast and virtually painless.

Dr Chung said I might smell something burning at this point of the surgery. I guess I was too relaxed to smell anything.

I was so relaxed that if someone passed gas in the operating theatre, I still wouldn’t be able to smell it.

20 minutes after I entered the surgery, it was all done.

As I slowly made my way out to the waiting room, I saw a blurred vision of JacJac in the corner. I asked for my sunglasses because the lights were glaring.

I also heard the nervous voice of a patient talking to me.

Patient: HOW WAS IT?! PAINFUL OR NOT!!!
Kenny: Not really. On the scale of 1 to 10, probably only 1.
Patient: REALLY AH?
Kenny: Yeah. I’ve sat through dentists a lot more painful than that.

The truth of the matter is, I was all smiles. It was done! I don’t have to wear my glasses or contact lens ever again!

My vision at this point after the surgery was blurry. It’s like wearing a fogged up glasses when you exited from an air-conditioned car into the hot weather. I could still see, but only the vague shape of things.

JacJac dropped me back to my place, and I had the longest sleep ever.

T.T

When I finally woke up after 6 hours, I instinctively reached for my glasses. That’s when I realised… NO, I DO NOT NEED MY GLASSES. Because I could see my room so clearly without the need for glasses!

I was ecstatic. Alone in my bed, I screamed for joy like a little boy. I was excited because finally, after 15 long years of wearing glasses – Dr Stephen Chung cured my eyes!

The moment I opened my eyes and saw the surroundings of my room so clearly was definitely one of the most magical, miracle experiences in my life.

It has been 2 months since my LASIK surgery at Optimax. My vision is now officially 20/20.

Aside from the usual dryness during the first couple of weeks, I was doing great. The periodic check-up at the Optimax branch in Kuching reassured me that I was recovering fine.

I’m enjoying my new lease of life.

Life is so much easier without glasses or contact lenses. Nowadays I can wake up without the ritual of putting on contacts in the morning; don’t have to carry along a bottle of solution all the time; can do sports without glasses and swim without worrying about the water washing away my contacts.

I had absolutely no regrets. Going for LASIK was definitely one of the best decisions I have ever made in my entire life.

And it’s all thanks to this man.

 

Thank you Papa Smurf.

Not very often can I look back on a year and say, “Wow, that was an awesome year.”

On the 31st December 2009, I was invited to the New Year’s Eve party at Fullerton Hotel hosted by the gracious Miss Singapore (the Universe one, not the Boomz one).

There I was, sitting at the balcony with a bunch of new friends, thinking to myself how fortunate I was to have crawled out from that shit hole I was in and to enjoy doing what I’m doing today.

I don’t think I’ve ever been this optimistic on the eve of a new year.

In 2005, I lost my dad. In 2006, I had no cash. In ‘07, I made wrong decisions in. And ‘08 was just sucky all-year round that I was so glad it was over.

This time last year, I was so upset at the state I was in that I listed down 5 things I wanted to do in 2009:

1. Run a marathon in less than 6 hours. 
2. Get less addicted to e-mails and Facebook.
3. Double my investment portfolio.
4. Start a new business.
5. Be happier.

Well, I tried doing a marathon but I did not managed to finish it because I didn’t train. Certainly did not get any less addicted to e-mails and Facebook. (In fact, I ended up with a new addiction – Twitter.

Apart from that, I’m happy my other 3 resolutions were somewhat accomplished.

I realised I have grown up a lot in 2009.

My style of blogging has changed compared to how it was when I first started. I am 27 years old now. A lot of those stupid idiotic stuff I used to do for my blog, I stopped.

Ok lah, not completely.

As I grow up, I started thinking what’s important, and started doing things that actually gives back to society. Things like adopting a cause for charity, spending more time with loved ones and running a business that promotes healthy living.

I realised that despite me being single for the first time in 8 years, I am actually A LOT happier now.

Starting my own business was easily one of the best decisions I have ever made in 2009. Sure, it sucked out a lot of my time and energy, but I love my job and I wake up every morning looking forward to going to this fitness centre that I’m so proud to call my own.

In hindsight, I think it’s a good thing I don’t have a girl in my life. A friend of mine had a girlfriend the same time he started his business. He told me that at one point he was so busy that he “wanted to get it up also cannot.”

Eventually, perhaps when my business stabilises, I’m gonna get back into  relationships. For now, I still think girls are fussy creatures that required way too much time and attention than I can afford.

In 2010, I want to:

1. Complete a marathon in less than 6 hours (real one lah this time).
2. Achieve my sales and membership targets for Level Up Fitness.
3. Help people around me realise their true potential and talent.
4. Be more optimistic about relationships, less shy about approaching the opposite sex.
5. Stabilise my business, so I can put more time back into blogging.

2009 was a good year.

2010 will be better!

Twenty six things I did when I was twenty six.

#1

Ended my 2-year relationship with my ex. Of all possible days to do it, we broke up the day of my birthday. It was painful at first, but since then she got herself happily attached, while I also found myself a girlfriend.

She is Japanese. Her name is Soni.

 

#2

Full name Soni Playstation Three.

Unfortunately, lately I have been neglecting Soni a bit. I hardly even had time to eat or sleep normally, let alone play with Soni.

I hope she’s not angry at me.

 

#3

Took part in two 42km marathon runs.

The first was in Singapore last December. I trained hard for the Singapore Marathon and completed it within 6 hours 15 minutes – even with my iPod running out of juice.

I ran again in Kota Kinabalu last month. Due to lack of time, I did not train at all for this marathon and physically could not manage to go on after 33km.

Ah well, at least I attempted.

 

#4

Became an uncle, for the fourth time. Everybody say hi to Ethan!

 

#5

Shaved my head bald for charity.

The target was to raise RM50,000. Thanks to the generosity of kennysia.com readers, we managed to raise RM65,325.01!

 

#6

Travelled to Ho Chi Minh City.

When it was announced that Vietnam had won the ASEAN cup, the entire city was turned upside down into an absolute chaos and frenzy.

 

#7

Travelled to Phuket.

It was supposed to be a Valentine’s Day trip I planned for me and my ex. We broke up 5 days after I booked all the flights and hotels. Instead of bitching and moaning about it, I did something I have never ever done before in my entire life – I put up and thick face and asked somebody whom I only met once to come along.

To me utter surprise, she agreed. It was the weirdest, awkward and most platonic Valentine’s Day date I ever had.

 

#8

Travelled to Wales. Saw some sheep.

I stayed at a friend’s place far away from the tourist district, in the town of Tal-y-bont. I thought there might be nothing to do, but just by walking out of his house, I managed to discover some of the most beautiful untouched pieces of nature.

 

#9

Travelled to Ireland. Saw the Cliffs of Moher. When I saw a picture of this on a tourist brochure, I immediately hired a car and drove all the way to the west side of the island.

 

#10

Went to St James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin.

As an avid Guinness drinker, this to me, is like going to Disneyland.

 

#11

Travelled to Manchester. Went to Old Trafford Stadium. Saw Manchester United. Got force-converted into a Manchester United fan. Then witnessed Manchester United lost in the most embarrassing fashion to Liverpool 4-1.

#12

Travelled to Bali. Again. With 4 hot babes in tow.

I swear I did not deliberately plan for this to happen, but I ain’t complaining! Most men would give up their left testicle in my position. They had a great time being pampered like princesses and I had fun playing tour guide.

It was such a memorable trip that we’re still trading inside jokes till this day.

#13

Travelled to Tokyo. Saw Mount Fuji.

#14

Travelled to Copenhagen. Molested The Little Mermaid.

#15

Travelled to Melbourne. Hosted the Merdeka Party with LapSap and Kim Ong in front of thousands of Malaysian students and had an absolute blast of a time.

Despite having no hosting experience prior to
this, the crowd response that night was something I will remember for the rest of my life. I remember having so much trouble going from one end of the room to the other because I kept having to stop and snap photos with so many people.

It was so awesome. I wanna to go back to party in Melbourne again.

 

#16

Dressed up as Arthur Guinness. Met up with The Black Eyed Peas. Made them laugh.

Till this day I have a "hard time" (hur hur) digesting the fact that Fergie put her arms on my shoulder.

 

#17

Dressed up as Susan Boyle. Flashed my vajayjay.

 

#18

Still jetting back and forth between Kuching and KL. It went from being once a month, to once every 2 weeks, to me being in KL every single weekend.

In fact, I think I spent more weekends away in KL than at home.

 

#19

I go to KL so often that I even received my own Google Maps pin, placed on the front of Bangsar Village.

But I think by now it’s already been replaced with a Christmas Tree.

 

#20

Starred in the TV show Project Alpha.

I know this photo looked suspiciously like the set-up of a porno, but Project Alpha is with Jojo Struys interviewing Malaysian bloggers.

 

#21

Met the Prime Minister of Thailand. Compared him to our Prime Minister.

#22

Became a chef for a day at KDU College.

I’m heading back there in December to host another one of their Open Day.

 

#23

Earned quite a bit from blogging.

 

#24

But also turned down many lucrative offers, simply because I do not have time to commit myself to more work.

I think I must be one of the few bloggers who constantly turn down advertising or event engagements. In the month of October alone, I turned down almost RM20,000 worth of advertising revenue and 4 travel opportunities to Singapore, Jakarta, Sydney and Korea – all because I was too busy setting my own business in Kuching.

 

 

#25

Won an award for at Nuffnang’s Asia-Pacific Blog Awards. When I started blogging, never in my wildest dream would I have imagined I could get a trophy for it!

#26

Started my own business – Level Up Fitness.

I built my dream – Kuching city’s only affordable quality fitness centre – entirely from ground up. So far, things are going great. I poured in a lot of effort on this project and I’m glad it has paid off well.

 

Those are twenty six things I did when I was twenty-six.

Today, I turn twenty-seven years old.

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