easyriderlovescs

Sunday 10 February 2008

2008-02-15T23:02:00.000+08:00

The phone alarm rang at 7am, I woke up, switched it off and went back to sleep in the comfortable hotel room bed. Then the phone rang reminding us to wake up for breakfast. Had a quick shower and went down for a sumptuous buffet breakfast. Had baked beans, sausages, potato wedges, sunny side up eggs, coffee, apple juice and orange juice. Checked out of the hotel in PJ and made our way to the KLIA LCCT to drop my brother off. Made our way back to JB via the PLUS highway.

It was an enjoyable trip to Malaysia, we got to meet our relatives in PJ and Butterworth, as well as enjoy the delicious hawker fare in Penang. Not forgetting the ang pow I received from my relatives and parents. Tossing lou hei for good luck and prosperity. Visiting the Penang Bird Park to see the owls and parrots. Enjoying char kway teow, loh bak and chendol in Penang, and bak kut teh in Klang.

Thursday Afternoon

2007-08-03T03:13:00.000+08:00

Guess what? Thursday afternoon is Pickle Ball day, a day for some fun and exercise. We all headed to Thomson Community Club for some pickle ball fun. For those not in the know, pickle ball is a game played mostly indoors on a badminton court or outdoors on a badminton court. The badminton net has to be slightly lowered to compensate for the in-game physics. I prefer to play indoors because it can get rather hot during the day when playing outdoors.

Pickle ball is an exciting blend of badminton and tennis. In the game, you use an oversized paddle to hit a huge plastic white or yellow ball over the net. Pickle ball can be played as a singles game or a doubles game, but many players prefer to play doubles because it is more fun and less tiring. The game scoring is quite similar to badminton doubles scoring, where there is first service and second service followed by service over. When your opponent returns your service, the ball must bounce once before you can return the ball to your opponent. This is just one of the many rules of pickle ball. More on that later...

Pickle ball is usually played by senior citizens and retirees, but nowadays the game is also popular with youths and adults. The game is fast and furious with non-stop action, especially the volleying and smashing which can really get the adrenaline flowing and your heart pumping.

There's really nothing much more I can say about pickle ball, except that you have to play the game to experience the thrill and suspense of the game. You can play at your nearest friendly Community Club. I usually play at Thomson CC on Thursdays and Sundays. It can get really crowded on Sundays, so I suggest you play on Thursday where there are less people. Highly recommended!!!

Pictures of Me

2007-08-01T15:35:00.000+08:00

I've been reading other blogs and noticed that the bloggers are posting images of themselves with 8 different hairstyles. I don't have 8 different hairstyles, the most I have is 3 different hairstyles, being the straight arrow I am. I have once gone botak a few years back, and the consequences were disastrous. Let's just say I've been wearing a baseball cap ever since. I usually use hair gel to comb my hair back, or gel the Armani hairstyle. There is student hairstyle and working hairstyle. During my student days, I like to wear a baseball cap when I'm outdoors because I was so lazy to comb my hair. However you can't wear a baseball cap during the final examinations. I was told by the invigilator to remove my cap. He probably thought there was a hidden wireless transmitter under the cap. Nowadays I just comb my hair neatly before going out, don't even bother to apply gel.

botak

doggie fringe

center parting

working look

doggie fringe

mkt text

2007-07-30T23:13:00.000+08:00

i have a confession to make... i ruined my mkt textbook some time back. i bungkus a styrofoam cup of hot milk tea and placed the cup (with lid of course) in my havesack together with my mkt textbook. then the shuttle bus came and i went up the bus and sat down. i totally forgot that the cup was in the bag, so i placed the bag on my lap, but alas in a horizontal position!!! by the time i realised my mistake it was too late. the cup contents leaked into the bag, totally destroying my beloved mkt textbook. the lower portion of the book was soaked with milk tea. i had to let it dry for a few hours and washed the bag interior several times to get rid of the smell. fortunately the book wasn't totally ruined, only the bottom portion still has the milk tea smell. oh why why didn't i place the bag in a vertical position?! curse my carelessness and forgetfulness and absentmindedness. i guess this is what they mean by milk tea torture. heh.

consumer behaviour

2007-07-30T22:21:00.000+08:00

i'll be studying mkt1002 consumer behaviour this semester. in the past i have studied a little bit of consumer behaviour in mkt1001 introduction to marketing, but this time i will be studying this marketing subspeciality in detail. from what i know and understand, consumer behaviour is the study of consumer psychology and consumer sociology, also known as consumer sociopsychology. it also incorporates a bit of household economics or microeconomics. just borrowed some books about consumer behaviour from the library to do some reading up and research. still waiting for the course materials to arrive though and still waiting for usqstudydesk access. placed an order for the recommended course textbook which is due to arrive in a month's time. let's see i have to complete two assignments and the two hour final examination in order to pass the unit. the first assignment consists of three online tests while the second assignment is a written report. the final exam consists of multiple choice questions and short answer questions. ok that shouldn't be too difficult to achieve. is it possible to obtain an A grade (75%-84%)? ha i'll be happy if i obtain a B grade (65%-74%). to tell you the truth i have never got an A grade before. most of my grades are Bs and Cs.

graduation eligibility

2007-07-30T17:50:00.000+08:00

an external student from the university of southern queensland is currently studying a university degree in the bachelor of information technology majoring in information technology management. he has previously completed an informatics academy diploma in computer studies majoring in multimedia and the internet in december 2005. his commencement date of the usq degree was in semester one 2006. 24 units are required to graduate. he has been offered 16 exemptions from the diploma, so he only has to complete 8 units to graduate. however, he has previously completed statistics 121 in curtin university of technology, a member of the australian technology network and one of the top 200 universities in the world. so he has been awarded an exemption for sta2300 data analysis in semester one 2006 because of advanced standing or recognition of prior learning. a unit exemption leads to a usq credit transfer. therefore he is only required to complete seven units to graduate. so far he has already passed the seven units required for graduation. but according to usq, he is not eligible to graduate because he was told that the maximum number of exemptions which can be awarded is 16. usq has awarded him 15 diploma exemptions and 1 degree exemption. he has only completed 7 units, so he has to complete one more unit before he can graduate.

he is arguing his case. he is claiming that he should be awarded 16 diploma exemptions and 1 degree exemption, in total 17 exemptions. he has already passed the remaining 7 units, so he should be eligible to graduate. usq should have informed him earlier that the degree exemption was part of the 16 exemptions granted. he was unaware that he has to enrol in one more unit until he made an enquiry last week. he is forced to rush to register for the unit before the unit enrolment deadline. if he was told earlier, he would have enrolled the additional unit in the previous semesters. he has already written in to usq to appeal his case. if the appeal fails he has no choice but to complete the unit in semester two 2007.

Pulau Besar

2007-07-30T16:21:00.000+08:00

Pulau Besar is an island located along the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, just off Mersing. The name, Pulau Besar (formerly known as Pulau Babi Besar) is strange to many despite its idyllic beaches and stunning natural beauty. The island, which is surrounded by Pulau Rawa, Pulau Sibu & Pulau Tinggi, is characterized by quiet, clean beaches of powdery white sand that promises an amazingly spectacular view. Pulau Besar is fringed by crystal-clear azure waters that people can actually catch sight of the abundant reefs. To preserve the unspoiled marine life, the Government has gazetted it as a marine park to protect around 60 species of marine life from any activities that can harm their natural habitats within 2 nautical miles around the island.

Pulau Besar rises some 2,000 feet above the sea level. It is one of the largest islands off the coast of Mersing. It is also surrounded by 15 scattered islands. It has several long stretches of fine beaches with fine, soft white sand that fringe the island which is carefully hidden from the outside world. A place irresistable to those who seek tranquility amidst the charm of a village setting. The island houses many exotic coral reefs and underwater flora as well as numerous chalets and restaurants.

This island got its former name, Pulau Babi Besar, (directly translated as Big Boars Island) from the numerous wild boars that roamed the island before man inhabited the place. Surprisingly, there is not a single boar on the island at present and thus, the reason for the change of name to Pulau Besar.

Rich hues of wild vegetations are dappled throughout the island with the lush greens of the coconut palms and tropical jungles. There are about 7 – 8 small villages that are still populated by around 100 friendly dwellers that are mostly fishermen. There is a myth about a fisherman couple that transformed into mermaids. This legend is so popular among the local folks that they believed at one time, a pregnant fisherman’s wife was craving for a kind of seaweed that is plentiful in the Mersing waters. After eating, she turned into a mermaid and the heartbroken husband became one too after eating the same seaweed. Until today, it is claimed that mermaids floating as couples can sometimes be spotted eating seaweed around the island. During low tide, tourists can see nibbling marks on the island rocks that proves the existence of these mammals.

Pulau Besar is surrounded by vistas so beautiful that even a number of foreign TV stations have flocked to the island to savor the natural wonders and treasure them in films. In fact, a short time ago, a Hollywood film, Ocean Lifeguard, had chosen Pulau Besar as its main shooting location.

In the Mersing waters, there are at least 15 small and scattered islands and each is unique in its own way. Here, you can find many species of giant cockles that live on the ocean floor and 6 of them can only be found around Mersing waters. A number of the surrounding islands such as Pulau Aur, Pulau Pemanggil, Pulau Tinggi and Pulau Rawa have been identified as new habitats for the new generation of the giant cockles that have a lifespan of 70 years, 1-metre long shell and can weigh as much as 200 kilograms. Tourists will be able to set their eyes on these lovely shelled-creatures while snorkeling in the breathtakingly picturesque waters.

There are many resorts in Pulau Besar such as Perfect Life Resort, Hillside Chalet Island Resort, Sun Dancer Chalet, White Sand Beach Resort, Besar Island Chalet, D'Coconut Island Resort, Sun Dancer Island Resort, Aseania Resort (formerly known as Radin Resort & Safaries) and Nirwana Beach Resort. All these resorts offer many interesting facilities, attractions and activities for tourists and locals alike. The more popular resorts are D’Coconut Resort, Aseania Resort and Nirwana Resort.

D’Coconut Island Resort is a tropical paradise in one of the most picturesque islands along the East Coast of Peninsula Malaysia. It is nestled amidst coconut trees, and overlooking the glistening waters of the ocean with white sandy beaches, dazzling coral reefs and prolific marine life. D'Coconut brings you the harmony and beauty of a kampung environment complete with modern amenities. D'Coconut Island Resort, originally a coconut plantation, consists of scattered 'rumah kampung' chalets, a restaurant serving western and local cuisine, a 100-person conference/banquet hall, a cineplex, a karaoke lounge, a swimming pool, a pool bar, conference facilities, satellite TV and a dive shop. Recreational Facilities include windsurfing, snorkeling, scuba diving ,canoeing, jet skiing, fishing trips to nearby islands, island hopping, jungle trekking , beach volleyball, mountain biking, beach gym, sailing and indoor games. The resort provides comfortable chalet rooms with air-conditioning, attached bathrooms equipped with hot and cold shower facilities, hot showers, colour TV and mini fridge. The resort has a total of 19 units of Deluxe Rooms, 43 units of Superior Rooms and 6 units of Family Rooms. The Family Room is based on the Quad Sharing Basis. Power supply is 24 hours.

Pulau Besar is surrounded by many beautiful islands. Visitors to D'Coconut Island Resort will be able to visit the nearby islands of Pulau Mensirip, Pulau Hujung, Pulau Rawa, Pulau Harimau, and even Pulau Tengah, where Expedition Robinson was filmed. Divers will be able to dive at Jahat Aut, Sakit Mata, Mata Tikus and Rawa.

Aseania Resort Pulau Besar (formerly known as Radin Resort & Safari), is a luxurious 50 chalets resort, preserved in the charm of a traditional Malay village and blending harmoniously with the exotic tranquility of Besar Island.

Activities at Aseania Resort include island hopping (upon request), fishing, snorkeling, diving, beach volleyball, board games and jungle trekking. Facilities include a restaurant, swimming pool, TV lounge with 24 hours Astro satellite TV, function room which can accommodate 30 persons (theatre style) and private BBQ parties which can be arranged on request. Rooms are air-conditioned chalets, fully carpeted, with attached bathrooms with hot showers, mini fridge and coffee & tea are provided too.

Nirwana Beach Resort, nestled in the breezy beach of Pulau Besar, offers different styled chalets with a tropical atmosphere. It has all the facilities of a resort such as a small conference room, a sports centre and a souvenir shop.

There are many interesting activities at Nirwana Beach Resort. One can go snorkeling, fishing, diving or take a trip to the nearby islands. Visitors can trek through the woods to see the tropical plants and animals or visit a 'kelong' to see the fishermen hauling up their nets laden with the bountiful harvest from the sea. The resort offer visitors accommodation facilities ranging from traditional Malay village chalets to A-frame huts. The Restaurant serves a variety of local, Asian and Western delicacies.

Tourists can go to Pulau Besar by taking a ferry from Mersing Jetty Terminal. Boat Services are available to and from Pulau Besar and Mersing . The boat ride from Mersing to Pulau Besar takes about an hour , but if you are in a hurry, you can take a fast boat which only takes 30 minutes. Boats can be chartered from 8.30am to 8pm at the jetty, depending on tide conditions.

Mersing is a pleasant fishing town known also as the gateway to the nearby islands. There are many shops for you to stock up on your supplies before setting off for the islands.

Mersing also offers numerous restaurants, resorts and inexpensive hotels to put up for the night before catching your boat if you arrive after 6.00pm as most boats travel during daylight hours only. Take time to pick your transport as there are many boat operators offering different rates.

Mersing is located 399km from Kuala Lumpur, 190km from Kuantan and 134km from Johor Bahru. From Singapore, you can take a air-conditioned coach. The Journey takes 3 hours to Mersing Jetty. The Coach leaves the Golden Mile Complex in Singapore at 6.30 am. If you are traveling by car, you can drive along the Kota Tinggi trunk road to Mersing. The Journey takes approximately 2½ hours. Alternatively, you can drive along the North-South Highway and exit at Air Hitam interchange. After the toll booth, turn right and proceed to Kluang town. Follow the sign boards to Mersing. The Journey takes 4½ hours. If you are staying in Kuala Lumpur, you can take a connecting flight to Senai Airport, Johor and continue the journey by taxi to Mersing Jetty. The Journey takes 2 hours. Taxi and bus services are also available to and from Kuala Lumpur.

Pulau Besar is truly an interesting tourist attraction to visit with your family or friends or simply just yourself. All the while, tourists have only been accustomed to the popularity of Pulau Tioman in Pahang and Pulau Pemanggil in Johor, which are actually situated within the same area. So why not check out Pulau Besar and see for yourself how beautiful this island is.

Music Review

2007-07-30T03:23:00.000+08:00

by Rainer Teh
easyriderlovescs@hotmail.com

The CD I am reviewing is The Matrix Reloaded Soundtrack Album. It consists of 18 excellent tracks performed by today’s popular artists.

It contains tracks by Linkin Park, Marilyn Manson, Fluke, Oakenfold, Rob Zombie, Rob Dougan and other artists. It has a mixture of rock, heavy metal, electronic, techno, trance and orchestral music. The first track by Linkin Park called Session really puts you in the mood of the soundtrack, which is very fast paced and exciting. Although it is only under 3 minutes long, you can hear their superb drumming and turntable scratching, even though this song has no lyrics at all. The second track by Marilyn Manson sounds very demented and demonic. Marilyn Manson is at his best with his angst ridden voice and guitar riffs. He is full of anger in this song and be warned, this song contains a lot of vulgarities. Another track by Rob Dougan is a different version of his same song in the first Matrix album which was called Clubbed to Death. This time it is called Furious Angel and it sounds much better than the first one. You would notice that this song was played while Neo was fighting the multiple Agent Smiths. The rest of the tracks are mainly electronic and orchestral music. Special mention to the track by Fluke called Zion which was played during the Neo Trinity bedroom scene. That song sure puts you in the mood for love. Fans of this movie should buy this soundtrack cause it is worth every cent. But personally, I prefer the first Matrix album. Go buy it now. I give it 75%.

char kway teow

2007-07-29T22:37:00.001+08:00

went to zion rd hawker centre for the famous char kway teow. sgd3 for small plate, sgd4 for medium plate, sgd5 for large plate. comes with your favourite toppings of cockles, chinese sausage, bean sprouts, plus extra chilli if you can handle it and extra black sauce for that tangy flavour. the queue was long as usual, if queue long means food good. simple equation to understand. we ordered three plates of medium char kway teow and washed it down with freshly squeezed sugarcane juice. the hawker centre was not full at the time we were there, so we didn't have to share tables, thank gawd.

after dinner we visited the royal sporting house in great world city to purchase some sport shoes (actually my dad wants a new pair of shoes for sports, not me) bought a pair of reeboks after much decision and consideration, with considerable input from me, my mum and a salesgirl and salesman. we were all very patient with the customer right until closing time.

then we went to that's music to look for music but unfortunately we were told sorry not found no stock at the moment, please try again later. bought some brownies and cheese cakes from the coffee bean and tea leaf. omg the brownies look delicious, but one slice is pretty expensive, need deep pockets to eat brownies.

oh well that wraps up tonight's festivities. reached home and had some sweet mangoes. yummy mangoes, probably from thailand or india.

char kway teow

half life two episode one

2007-07-29T02:30:00.000+08:00

ahem i have an announcement to make... i recently completed half life two episode one. yes most of you will be laughing as you read this, because this game has been released a few years back, and this fella has just completed it?! unbelievable ya?! don't wanna give any spoilers or ruin the element of surprise, but this game should be played by any self-respected first person shooter fan. much shorter than the original half life two because it is delivered in an episodal format via steam, valve's proprietary online software delivery system. you have to solve your fair share of physics problems and in game puzzles, eliminate your fair share of irritating pain in the ass son of a bitch thorn in the flesh foes which play hide and seek with you, but at least you won't be alone in the game, your trusty female sidekick will help you rid the Earth of the Combine scum. some pretty interesting new enemies will be introduced, and we also welcome back some old familiar enemies (if you played half life two you should be very very acquainted with them). the game ends with a cliffhanger which leads to half life two episode two, due to be released soon.

gamewise it is pretty similar to half life two, you don't need half life two to play episode one. the game has a linear sequence where you have to solve the puzzle before proceeding to the next section, so replayability is limited. there are three difficulty levels to test your skill and ability. and you get to admire the beautiful high dynamic range lighting visuals which will blow your mind away. the game requires decent specs to run, check the website for more details. i find the game a bit long-winded, but the character animation is flawless, excellent voiceovers, havok physics, realistic explosions, intelligent AI, cool weapons (read confiscation field), plus a couple of nasty surprises that will hit you when you least expect it. overall an excellent game!!! I give it 95%. for me i can't wait for episode two to hit the shelves. can't wait to meet the new enemies and new allies.

half life two episode one

chicken rice

2007-07-29T01:55:00.000+08:00

went to cheong chin nam rd to bungkus boon tong kee chicken rice. sgd3.80 for chicken rice set meal, plus sgd0.20 gst, so altogether sgd4.00. jesus f***ing christ holy c*** i swore out aloud, why must pay 7% gst, it used to be 5%, no wonder must pay and pay. i hope the money is put to good use. my next stop was giant hypermarket turf city where i purchased some corn chips (staple diet for computing professionals). yep giant opens late during the weekends, on weekdays it closes pretty early. turf city was dead deserted by the time i got there, there is a road that leads to nowhere after making the right turn into the giant carpark. the road really leads into pitch black darkness. don't wanna venture into that dark and lonely place. that road reminds me of the road where a female jogger was murdered while jogging. yikes that place gives me the creeps. turf city used to be the former race course which has now shifted to kranji.

butterworth

2007-07-28T19:15:00.000+08:00

here we are at butterworth, a stone's throw away from pulau pinang (penang). we had dinner at a hawker centre and a coffeeshop, part of the butterworth food circuit. the food was delicious, worth every single cent. can't wait to visit penang for the penang food circuit.

south korean hostage crisis

2007-07-25T21:06:00.000+08:00

it's a sad day for south korea. the taliban has executed a south korean hostage. the 23 south koreans were in afghanistan as volunteers, but they were ambushed and kidnapped enroute from kabul to kandahar. the taliban has threatened to kill the hostages unless south korea withdraws its troops from afghanistan and releases some prisoners. south korean negotiators are already in afghanistan to negotiate their release. but the negotiations came too late. a south korean hostage has been executed. now we can all hope and pray no further hostages are executed. let's hope this issue can be resolved peacefully without any further violence and bloodshed.

the south korean hostage deadline has been extended to Friday 27 July 2007 3.30pm MPST (GMT +10)...

another deadline has been set for the release of the remaining 22 south korean hostages in exchange for the release of the eight taliban prisoners. the new deadline has been extended to Monday 30 July 2007 0730 GMT. the south korean hostages are in ill health and are in urgent need of proper medical care. pope benedict xvi has also made a personal appeal to the taliban to release the south korean hostages, saying that holding them contradicted "the most basic rules of civilisation".

oh my god the taliban has executed another hostage. the hostage is believed to be 29 year old shim sung min, a computing professional. the taliban's demands have not been met so far. afghanistan has refused to release the 8 taliban prisoners in exchange for the freedom of the remaining 21 south korean hostages. the organisation of the islamic conference (oic) has issued a statement, saying that "kidnapping and hostage-taking of innocent civilians are serious crimes against humanity and therefore run counter to the tenets of Islam and its noble values." It has also made a personal appeal "to those who are holding the hostages to end this un-Islamic practice", while showing its "solidarity with the Afghan government on this unfortunate crisis."

Wednesday 1 August 2007 0730 GMT is the new deadline for the hostage/prisoner exchange, where 21 south korean hostages are to be exchanged for 8 taliban prisoners.

The latest deadline has already passed. No news from the front line so far. I am holding my breath in anticipation. Word is out that the South Korean hostages will be rescued one way or another, by any means necessary. We can only hope and pray for their safety and return.

genting highlands

2007-07-24T13:29:00.000+08:00

here we are finally at genting highlands. we drove up the winding hill all the way up to genting, i must say the roads have improved a lot ever since the last time i been there. going up is two lanes while going down is also two lanes. it seems like forever before we reached the summit, but at last i glimpsed the familiar genting logo and breathed in the crisp mountain air. the weather was cool, around twenty degrees celsius, with warm sunshine. upon checking into first world hotel, we did some sightseeing, just walking around the sprawling genting campus. at nightfall, we went to the casino de genting and monte carlo to have some gambling fun. we had a go with the one arm bandits and managed to win some money. you have to get five identical shapes to win money. didn't play blackjack, roulette or baccarat though. you don't have to be in black tie attire to enter the casino. i was allowed in wearing jeans and sport shoes.

on the second day, we checked out of first world hotel and checked into genting hotel. we went to the theme park but didn't go in. you see i have a rollercoaster phobia, so i try to stay away from rollercoasters. the water cycling in the lake looks fun. walked indoors and saw the genting eiffel tower. upon nightfall, we went to see the genting arena of stars variety show. the show was pretty interesting, with acrobatic acts and magician acts. that wraps up our three day two night genting visit. i'll probably visit genting again once i start working.

temping

2007-07-23T23:58:00.001+08:00

did some temping today. basically i was told to answer the phones and watch the shop while my colleague is chaperoning. i tried to make myself useful and learn on the job. did some filing exercise. answered a couple of phone calls. customer interaction. medicine dispensing and patient advice. then i was told to type some letters and envelopes using the electronic typewriter. oh boy this was my first time using an electronic typewriter, it looked like a strange foreign object to me, because i was so used to using a word processor software. margins can be set electronically and any typing mistakes can be corrected by pressing a button which "erases" the typing mistake. but the paper has to be fed manually and manual adjustment has to be made. the keys were similar to computer keys, but they emit a very loud noise when pressed, similar to a typewriter keys. at first i started off with many mistakes, but later on i got the hang of typing and it was a breeze. manual adjustment is not easy, it is actually trial and error to position the typing head at the appropriate position. did it a few times before i got it right. it is not how fast u type, it is how many mistakes u make that matters. typed the receiver's address on envelopes and some official letters. well basically all i did that day was typing stuff. i guess that's what temps do anyway. ah well all in a day's work.

bak chor mee

2007-07-22T21:41:00.000+08:00

just had dinner at newton circus hawker centre/food centre...had a bowl of bak chor mee with a separate bowl of soup and popiah, washed down with freshly squeezed sugarcane juice. the place was packed on a sunday night as usual, packed with tourists and locals alike, all sitting down enjoying their dinner. newton looks more modern and stylish after the renovation, the good food is still there, you just have to look hard for it :)...SGD3 for bak chor mee, cheap and good!!! well recommended!!! parking lots were all filled to the brim, especially on a sunday night, so be prepared for some illegal parking if the need arises, or take public transport or a cab...

Nasi Berani

2007-07-22T00:13:00.000+08:00

What's for dinner?! I headed out to Sixth Avenue to have dinner at the famous nasi berani store. I managed to find a parking spot even though the place was packed. Cars were parked all over the place, some legally and some illegally. Unfortunately by the time I reached there the nasi berani was already sold out. Sorry no more nasi berani I was told, you may wish to consider mee goreng. No thanks, only nasi berani for me. Not wanting to make a wasted trip, I headed over to Cheong Chin Nam Rd to have dinner at another famous nasi berani store. Parking was a hassle once again, I managed to find a spot far far away. All the tables were filled to maximum capacity at the coffeeshop, so I had no choice but to takeaway chicken nasi berani for SGD5. They also serve mutton nasi berani and tandoori chicken with chapatee or nun, and roti prata and mee goreng as well. Basically it is open 24 hours 7 days a week, it serves great food at reasonable prices. Great for having a midnight snack or supper or just catching up with friends over a glass of teh tarik. Delicious!!! Highly recommended!!!

Gua Tempurung

2007-07-21T12:55:00.000+08:00

Gua Tempurung is a natural limestone cave situated in Perak, Peninsular Malaysia. It is similar to Batu Caves except that Batu Caves is for tourists while Gua Tempurung is for locals. It is well worth visiting just to glimpse the natural limestone cave interior and appreciate nature's beauty and natural landscaping. It is advisable to wear a pair of good walking shoes as you have to walk quite a distance to cover the entire cave. A torch is handy for dark areas and poor visibility. Bring some water along too as you may get thirsty after so much walking. For photography buffs, you need a camera with fast shutter speed or high ISO as there is limited natural light in the cave and using flash is a no no. Well worth the visit! Highly recommended!

Pharmacist @ Work

2007-07-20T22:16:00.000+08:00

This was my first time posing as a photography subject. I was told to wear a white laboratory coat and safety glasses in a pharmacy laboratory setting in a variety of poses. Many thanks to Dax for these pictures.

Job Hunting

2007-07-19T17:22:00.000+08:00

Yet another day of job hunting, also known as “making the rounds”. Let me tell you, finding a job is not easy. You have to compete with other potential job applicants for your dream job. You have to produce a cover letter and resume. Then you have to wait for a telephone interview, which is also known as the face to face interview shortlist waiting time. Finally you have to go for a face to face interview, where there is a chance that you may screw up the interview by being tongue-tied or providing an incorrect response to the interview questions. Such a long and arduous process, but it is necessary. Even after getting your dream job, working life is not easy. You have to learn how to get along with your colleagues, whether you like them or not. You have to know how to handle a difficult customer. Remember, the customer is always king. The customer is always right. You have to know how to handle superior insubordination. And then there are the office backstabbers. They may pretend to be nice to you in front of you but deep down in their hearts they are saying bad things about you behind your back. They say something but they mean something else. There is also the issue of work blogging where employees blog about their working gripes and working experiences. There are instances where employees have been suspended for work blogging. It all depends on company policy, but on the safe side it is best not to work blog. Ha so long as you don’t mention any names you should be safe.

So I arrived for a walk-in interview. I was brought into the interview room by the Human Resource Manager after filling up an application form. I took a look at the list of job applicants and realized that my name was at the bottom of the list. Gosh about thirty people are applying for the same position! The interview began and she began asking me questions about why I want to work in a pharmacy, how I can make a positive contribution to the pharmacy, customer interaction, part time or full time position, employment duration, expected salary, etc. I answered these questions to the best of my ability, but I had a feeling that I screwed up the interview because I didn’t answer the questions properly. I was told to leave my cover letter and resume with the retail manager and I would be notified by telephone if I have been selected by human resource. With that the interview ended. I heaved a sigh of relief and thanked the Human Resource Manager for her time and patience. It was a nerve wracking experience, but I came out of the interview stronger and more confident.

911

2007-07-17T20:03:00.001+08:00

I was playing CS at my regular haunt at a downtown cybercafe. I was busy killing CTs and Ts and minding my own business when suddenly a message flashed on the in-game chat: “twin towers are under attack”. I was thinking “WTF?! Twin towers under attack?! Who would want to attack the WTC? Terrorists? Is this the beginning of World War III?” I thought somebody was spreading a wild rumor, a hoax, so I ignored the message and continued playing. When I reached home an hour later, my housemates were huddled in front of the TV set, watching the dramatic events unfold. There was chaos everywhere. Smoke and dust filled the air. People were running around in a panicked and frantic state, all rushing to safety. Firemen and policemen were doing their best to contain the catastrophe and bring order to chaos. And then to my shock and horror, I saw the second tower collapse right in front of my eyes. It was a sight that I would never forget. We stayed up all night to watch the CNN live footage. Many innocent lives were lost on that fateful day. May god have mercy on their souls…

Haunted Lift

2007-07-17T20:00:00.000+08:00

I had a harrowing experience in a hotel lift. In case you are wondering which hotel, I’m not mentioning any names due to privacy concerns. Let’s see. OK I remember it was about 10.30pm on a weekday. I just took a night stroll to get some fresh air. I got into the right corner lift on the lift lobby with another woman. She pressed the “5” button while I pressed the “8” button. The lift stopped at the fifth floor and she got off, but I stayed inside as I’m getting off at the eighth floor. Then the strangest thing happened. The lift door opened and closed repeatedly. I pressed the “Close Door” button but nothing happened. I pressed the “8” button followed by the “Close Door” button but to no avail. Thinking that the lift had a mechanical problem, I quickly rushed out of the lift for fear of being trapped inside permanently. But the lift door was still opening and closing even after stepping out of the lift. It was so eerie hearing the mechanical thunk of the lift door opening and closing. I could hear the wind howling outside. I just stood there in awe watching the eerie spectacle unfold. Without a second thought, I proceeded to enter another lift which safely brought me to the eighth floor. That could only mean one thing – that lift is haunted. That lift is also known as the suicide lift. It only stops at the fifth floor. Enter at your own risk…

Restoran Ambassador

2007-07-14T09:37:00.000+08:00

This Butterworth coffeshop serves delicious koay teow soup at very reasonable prices. The coffeeshop is located next to the Kentucky Fried Chicken Butterworth fast food restaurant. Cheap and good. Highly recommended!!!

koay teow soup hawker stall

koay teow soup

kopi o

Restoran Telok Pulai Bak Kut Teh

2007-07-14T08:59:00.000+08:00

We had bak kut teh at a Klang coffeeshop. The bak kut teh were served in claypot bowls to keep it piping hot. You can also buy you tiao which goes well with the bak kut teh. Chinese tea in a brown clay teapot is served in white porcelain cups. Highly recommended!!!

restoran telok pulai bak kut teh

claypot bak kut teh

Take That – Back for Good

2007-07-07T00:54:00.001+08:00

I guess now it’s time for me to give up
I feel it’s time
Got a picture of you beside me
Got your lipstick mark still on your coffee cup
Got a fist of pure emotions
Got a head of shattered dreams
Gotta leave it, gotta leave it all behind now
Whatever I said, whatever I did I didn’t mean it
I just want you back for good
Want you back, want you back, want you back for good
Whenever I’m wrong, just tell me the song that I’m singing
I just want you back for good
Want you back, want you back, want you back for good.

To be continued…

Piano

2007-07-07T00:48:00.001+08:00

1. Vanessa Carlton - A Thousand Miles
2. Elton John - Your Song
3. Elton John - Candle in the Wind
4. Michael Nyman - The Heart Asks Pleasure First
5. Mike Oldfield - Sentinel
6. Blessed Union of Souls - I Believe
7. Beethoven - Fur Elise
8. Jewel - Hands
9. Jewel - Foolish Hands
10. Faye Wong
11. Natalie Imbruglia – Smoke
12. The Corrs – Silver Strand
13. A Beautiful Mind – A Kaleidoscope of Mathematics
14. Michael Learns To Rock – That’s Why (You Go Away)
15. The Corrs - Forgiven Not Forgotten
16. Alanis Morisette - Uninvited
17. Nikki French - Total Eclipse Of The Heart
18. Richard Clayderman - Casablanca
19. Alanis Morisette - Uninvited

20. Nikki French - Total Eclipse Of The Heart

21. Richard Clayderman - Casablanca

22. Alanis Morisette - Uninvited

23. Charlene - I've Been To Paradise

24. Vanessa Carlton - White Houses

Classical Guitar

2007-07-07T00:44:00.000+08:00

1. Natalie Imbruglia - Torn
2. The Eagles - Hotel California
3. Metallica - Nothing Else Matters
4. Natalie Imbruglia - Left of the Middle
5. Suzanne Vega - Luka
6. Incubus - Drive
7. Oasis - Wonderwall
8. Michelle Branch - Everywhere
9. Alanis Morisette - King of Pain
10. Extreme - More Than Words
11. Green Day - Time of Your Life
12. Michael Learns To Rock - Sleeping Child
13. Sheryl Crow - My Favourite Mistake
14. Indigo Girls - Closer to Fine
15. Layla Kaylif - Shakespeare In Love
16. Lene Marlin - Unforgivable Sinner
17. Luscious Jackson - Roses Fade
18. The Cranberries - Ode to My Family
19. Lisa Loeb - Stay
20. Jars of Clay - Flood
21. Six Pence None To Rich - Kiss Me
22. Shawn Mullins - Shimmer
23. Heather Nova - London Rain (Nothing Heals Me Like You Do)
24. Bryan Adams - Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman
25. Joan Osborne - One of Us
26. Lisa Loeb - Stay
27. Bachelor Girl - Waiting for the Day
28. Take That - Back For Good
29. Take That - How Deep is Your Love
30. Goo Goo Dolls – Iris
31. Goo Goo Dolls – Black Balloon
32. Vertical Horizon
33. Bread – If
34. Ah Niu – Kuala Terrenganu
35. Natalie Imbruglia – Wishing I Was There
36. Deep Blue Something – Breakfast At Tiffany’s
37. Hootie & The Blowfish – Let Her Cry
38. Hootie & The Blowfish – Wanna Be With You
39. SEAL – Kiss From A Rose
40. Lisa Loeb – I Do
41. Lisa Loeb – Wishing Heart
42. Lisa Loeb – Firecracker
43. The Corrs – Radio
44. Michelle Branch – Breathe
45. Avril Lavigne – I’m With You
46. Avril Lavigne – Complicated
47. Sugarbabes feat Sting – Shape
48. Adam Cohen – Cry Ophelia
49. Sheryl Crow – A Change Will Do You Good
50. Sheryl Crow – Everyday Is A Winding Road
51. Sheryl Crow – Run Baby Run
52. Sheryl Crow – Leaving Las Vegas
53. Sheryl Crow – Strong Enough
54. Sheryl Crow – All I Wanna Do
55. Cat Stevens - Wild World
56. Cat Stevens - Moon Shadow
57. Natalie Merchant - Kind & Generous
58. Michelle Branch - Hotel Paper
59. Goo Goo Dolls - Iris
60. Goo Goo Dolls - Black Balloon
61. Sheryl Crow - Hard To Make A Stand (Alternative Version)
62. Vertical Horizon - You're A God
63. Vertical Horizon - Everything You Want
64. Jewel - Hands
65. Madisun - Don't You Worry
66. Nelly Furtado - Powerless (Say What You Want)
67. Duran Duran - Ordinary World
68. Red Hot Chilli Peppers - Under The Bridge
69. The Doors - Come On Baby Light My Fire
70. Backstreet Boys - I Want It That Way
71. Alanis Morisette - Hands Clean
72. Counting Crows featuring Vanessa Carlton - Big Yellow Taxi
73. Martina McBride - I Don't Like To
74. Crowded House - Don't Dream It's Over
75. David usher - Black Black Heart
76. Def Leopard - Two Steps Behind
77. Collective Soul - The World I Know
78. John Mayer - Daughters
79. John Denver - I'm Leaving On A Jet Plane
80. Ronan Keating - When You Say Nothing At All
81. Madonna - Secret
82. Joni Mitchell - Big Yellow Taxi
83. Betty Davis Eyes
84. Jewel - You Were Meant For Me
85. Natalie Imbruglia - Idenfify
86. Natalie Imbruglia - Shiver
87. Seether featuring Amy Lee - Broken
88. R Kelly - Gotham City
89. Take That - Back For Good
90. Patti Smyth & Don Henley - Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough
91. All Saints - Never Ever
92. Atlantic Starr - Always
93. Aqua - Turn Back Time
94. Backstreet Boys - I Want It That Way
95. The Verve - Lucky Man
96. Kit Chan - Home
97. Lin Jun Jie - Cao Cao
98. Lindsay Lohan - Over
99. Matchbox 20 - If You're Gone
100. Matchbox 20 - Bright Lights
101. Matchbox 20 - Unwell
102. Michael Learns To Rock - Someday
103. Placebo - Every You Every Me
104. Alanis Morisette - Precious Illusions

105. James Blunt - You're Beautiful

106. Jewel - Standing Still

Choreography

2007-07-04T21:20:00.000+08:00

1. KLM - 3 AM Eternal
2. The Chemical Brothers - Block Rockin Beats
3. Mika - Love Today
4. DB Boulevard - Point Of View
5. Origene - Suddenly Silently
6. Fragma - Toca Me
7. Bloodhound Gang - Discovery Channel
8. Fatboy Slim - Right Here Right Now
9. Fatboy Slim - The Rockefeller Skank
10. Fatboy Slim - Praise You
11. Sophie Ellis Bextor - Murder on the Dancefloor
12. Sophie Ellis Bextor - I Won't Change You
13. Sophie Ellis Bextor - Get Over You
14. Sophie Ellis Bextor - Music Gets The Best Of Me
15. Sophie Ellis Bextor - The Universe Is You
16. Moby - Porcelain
17. Moby - Southside
18. Moby - Bodyrock
19. Aqua - Doctor Jones
20. Vengaboys - Shalala
21. Sash! featuring Tina Cousins - Mysterious Times
22. Klubheads - Kickin' Hard
23. Bombfunk MCs - Freestyler
24. Alice Deejay - Better Off Alone
25. 666 - Amok
26. Pandora - (You'll Always Be) The Love Of My Life
27. Mark van Dale with Erico - Waterwave
28. DJ Quicksilver - Bellissima
29. Alex K
30. Three Drives On A Vinyl - Greece 2000
31. Candy Girls - I Want Candy
32. Britney Spears - Lucky
33. Justin Timberlake - Where Is The Love
34. Justin Timberlake - What Comes Around Goes Around
35. Diego V
36. Robert Miles - Children
37. Robert Miles - Fable
38. Ministry of Sound
39. Cafe Del Mar
40. Pandora – A Little Bit
41. Prodigy – Smack My Bitch Up
42. Prodigy – Breathe
43. Prodigy – Firestarter
44. Kylie Minogue – Can’t Get You Out Of My Head
45. Kylie Minogue – Come Into My World
46. Kylie Minogue – The Locomotion
47. Kylie Minogue – Red Blooded Woman
48. Kylie Minogue – Giving You Up
49. Jars Of Clay – Flood
50. Prodigy – Mindfields
51. Madison Avenue - Don't Call Me Baby
52. Stars On 54 - If You Could Read My Mind
53. Elvis Presley versus JXL - A Little Less Conversation
54. Paul Oakenfold - Starry Eyed Surprise
55. Chumbawamba - Tubthumping
56. C&C Music Factory - Everybody
57. Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You

58. Scatman John - Scatman's World

Tomorrow Never Dies

2007-07-04T21:04:00.000+08:00

Date: Friday 16 January 1998 (16/01/98)
Title: Tomorrow Never Dies
Location: Golden Village Bishan Junction 8
Time: 9.15pm to 11.15pm

The movie starts off with a Terrorist Arms Bazaar in some snow covered terrain. The whole scene was being viewed by M and other important officials in MI5 in London through a surveillance camera. An official argues with M and finally orders a British destroyer to fire a long range missile to the Bazaar area. But M notices that there was a Soviet bomber with two nuke missiles that could kill James Bond who was working undercover there. She orders the destroyer to call the missile back, but it was out of range. But 007 manages to hijack the bomber and shoots his way out of the area and takes off just as the missile exploded. He manages to destroy another plane following him by ejecting the pilot.

After the opening song by Sheryl Crow, the screen shifted to another British destroyer in the South China Sea. Meanwhile, a stealth ship was slowing moving towards the destroyer. Suddenly, two Chinese MiGs flew past the destroyer and ordered the ship to leave China waters. The destroyer checked its position, but their screens showed that they were in international waters. Unknown to them, a CMGN satellite was manipulating the British GPS satellite, fooling the British ship into China waters. The stealth ship then fired a drill into the British ship. The British thought that the MiGs fired on them. The drill was operated by the stealth ship and it drilled its way to the missile room. This caused the ship to sink and it sent out a last message before it sank. The message read “Ship is sinking. Attacked by Chinese MiGs.” The stealth then fired a missile at one MiG, destroying it. It then sent divers to remove a missile from the British ship’s missile room, making it evident that the British destroyed the MiG.

To be continued…

Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith

2007-07-04T20:58:00.000+08:00

Date: Saturday 4 June 2005 (Sat 04/06/05)
Title: Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith
Location: Golden Village Marina
Time: night

I haven’t written a journal for a very long time already, so I am thinking why am I starting to write a journal again. Well, it can help to improve my English writing skills and my creativity, plus keep my brain active. Hmm, how should I start? Ok, I just watched the movie Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith, with my Dad on Friday night. We went to one of those new digital cinemas at Golden Village Marina, and I have to admit that there is not much difference between digital and analogue (traditional film). Well maybe the colours are brighter, more vibrant and more vivid, but it would be my imagination because my brain is telling me that after reading the ads in the newspapers plugging digital cinemas. The sound is also the same, but unfortunately there wasn’t any THX certified audio in the cinema. THX is by the way LucasFilm certified audio specifications for movies, allowing the audience to enjoy the best possible movie sound experience.

Before the movie, I went for my second jog in two days. My muscles (leg) were still sore but I wanted to test my endurance and stamina and push myself to the limit. Well this time I could run a longer distance before going out of breath, and thankfully there was no stitch this time. I made sure I drank a bottle of water before running to avoid dehydration. This time I ran in the different direction, but still the same route, down the hill, along the main road, past the NJC bus stop along Dunearn Rd, past the row of shophouses along Greenwood Ave and finally up the steep slope. Actually I was thinking of joining the Standard Chartered Marathon this year (one quarter marathon), so I might as well start training for it now. I really need to improve my stamina as this is one area I am seriously lacking in.

After a quick shower, I had dinner and then we rushed to the cinema. Along the way, I almost turned right into the opposing traffic at Raffles Boulevard until my father told me. This is the second time I done that already, another time was in front of the Concorde Hotel. OK we found parking and proceeded to claim our tickets after quoting our reference number. You see, I booked the tickets over the Internet. I tried to book two seats next to the left aisle in the centre block, but the booking engine won’t allow me to leave an empty seat in between. Strange isn’t it?! Anyway in the end, I chose two seats close to the centre. The entire block has eleven seats, so there is a four-three-four split of the seats, where the row of three seats is the best because it is right in the centre of the screen. Well at least one of our seats is in the row of three.

The ads before the show were long and boring, including the new MasterCard commercial about Catherine Zeta Jones, the tuk tuk driver and the chimpanzee/orang utan (dunno which one, please help?), and the new Initial D movie coming up, starring Jay Chou! He can sing but can he act? Hey my good friend Mark would definitely love this movie, as he is a diehard Initial D fan. Finally the lights dimmed and the movie started. (about time!)

I’ve got a few questions about the movie. Firstly, why did General Grievous kidnap Chancellor Palpatine? Did he arrange himself to be kidnapped so that he could lure Anakin to him? Secondly, is General Grievous a droid or an alien or both? Thirdly, Anakin became a member of the Jedi Council but he has no powers? Fourthly, how did Leia grow up to be a princess? And how did Yoda end up in Dagobah? The movie was pretty long, about two hours and twenty minutes to be exact. But it really answered many of the Star Wars questions. This has to be the best movie of the prequels, followed by Episode II Attack of the Clones and Episode I The Phantom Menace. For the sequels, it has got to be Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, followed by Episode IV A New Hope and Episode VI Return of the Jedi. Sigh, too bad George Lucas is not making any more movies. I’m gonna watch it again anyway.

On the way home, we passed by the new SMU city campus, and I have to admit it is pretty big, with so many buildings sprawled all over the place. Those shops around SMU such as Coffee Club will definitely benefit from the new campus. This new campus is much bigger compared to the Bukit Timah campus. Reached home, had some durians and mangoes, then went to sleep.

P.S. I’m really annoyed by people sitting in the back row of the cinema, they tend to be more noisy. Please be considerate to other movie goers.

bak kut teh

2007-06-22T11:24:00.001+08:00

Feast your eyes on bak kut teh!!!

you tiao

claypot bak kut teh

bak kut teh

chinese tea

rice

sumptuous bak kut teh spread

teapot and tea

kettle

Seafood Harvest

2007-06-20T20:12:00.000+08:00

We had dinner at Seafood Harvest where we ordered two huge platters of seafood and some soup for starters.

seafood platter

platter one

platter two

Crab Shack

2007-06-18T19:49:00.000+08:00

We had dinner at Crab Shack, a restaurant situated along a row of shophouses in Thomson. As you can tell from the restaurant name, Crab Shack specializes in flower crabs, served in a shiny metal bucket. They also serve spaghetti and calamari.

welcome to crab shack

table 2 please

deep fried calamari balls

spaghetti galore

crabs in a bucket

view from the top

the aftermath of destruction

Lost Dog

2007-06-18T19:39:00.001+08:00

I took a picture of this poster just outside Thomson Community Club. Rossy is kinda cute isn't she? She looks like a medium breed fox terrier to me. She also has a microchip implant, better known as Radio Frequency Identification. Let's hope the dog finds her owner, or the owner finds the dog, or somebody finds the dog for the owner. Let's hope the dog returns to her owner. Has she been found yet? A silent plea for help.

help i'm lost i need to find my way home

Birds on a wire

2007-06-13T20:44:00.000+08:00

These birds were spotted perching on an overhead telephone cable.

Finals

2007-06-13T20:32:00.000+08:00

Been busy mugging for my finals, doing some last minute cramming, hope I can cram enough in my head to pass the finals. Took some miscellaneous pictures in between studying.

study desk/mugging desk/cramming desk

desktop

laptop

laptop

Perth University

2007-06-12T23:41:00.001+08:00

Hang on a second. Picture this for a moment. Just imagine if the four public universities in Perth merged together. UWA has medicine, dentistry, podiatric medicine, engineering, UWABS, fine arts, music and law; Curtin has pharmacy, nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, CBS, and fine arts (advertising, photography); Murdoch has veterinary science, biomedical science, chiropractic science and radio; and ECU has performing arts (WAAPA) and sports science. The University of Perth would be the largest university in Australia, even larger than Monash. As you know, Monash has six campuses in Australia, namely Clayton, Caulfield, Berwick, Peninsula, Gippsland, and Parkville. You do the math.

UWA + CUT + MURDOU + ECU = PERU

A simple equation nevertheless, but a four way merger is just a fantasy. In December 2005, the Curtin Murdoch merger proposal failed to proceed because "a merger could be beneficial but it would also be a highly complex and expensive process with no guarantee of success". Apparently, a feasibility study was conducted but a merger was found to be not technically feasible and economically feasible. If a two way merger could not proceed, how can a four way merger?

Well, no harm dreaming right? Who's knows in the not too distant future, the University of Perth would not be a dream, it would be a reality.

4 way merger?

Perth Uni anyone?

Overcast Sunny

2007-06-12T23:17:00.001+08:00

These pictures were taken when the sky was overcast with dark rain clouds. Once again the sun was hiding behind the clouds. But after a while there was bright sunshine.

manual, 1/1250, f5.6, evaluative, ISO100, 5.4mm, cloudy, single AF

manual, 1/640, f5.6, evaluative, ISO100, 5.4mm, cloudy, single AF

manual, 1/1000, f5.6, evaluative, ISO100, 5.4mm, cloudy, single AF

manual, 1/1250, f5.6, evaluative, ISO100, 5.4mm, cloudy, single AF

manual, 1/2000, f5.6, evaluative, ISO100, 5.4mm, daylight, single AF

manual, 1/2000, f5.6, evaluative, ISO100, 5.4mm, daylight, single AF

manual, 1/2000, f5.6, center weighed average, ISO100, 5.4mm, daylight, single AF

manual, 1/2000, f5.6, spot, ISO100, 5.4mm, spot, single AF

manual, 1/2000, f5.6, evaluative, ISO100, 5.4mm, daylight, single AF

manual, 1/1600, f5.8, evaluative, ISO100, 5.4mm, daylight, single AF

manual, 1/1600, f5.8, evaluative, ISO100, 5.4mm, daylight, single AF

Flowers

2007-06-12T23:00:00.000+08:00

More closeup shots of flowers. The flowers were swaying in the wind so some of the images may look blurred.

super macro, 1/100, f2.8, evaluative, ISO100, 5.4mm, cloudy, single AF

super macro, 1/100, f2.8, evaluative, ISO100, 5.4mm, cloudy, single AF

super macro, 1/125, f2.8, evaluative, ISO100, 5.4mm, cloudy, single AF

super macro, 1/200, f2.8, evaluative, ISO100, 5.4mm, cloudy, single AF

super macro, 1/200, f2.8, evaluative, ISO100, 5.4mm, cloudy, single AF

super macro, 1/200, f2.8, evaluative, ISO100, 5.4mm, cloudy, single AF

super macro, 1/200, f2.8, evaluative, ISO100, 5.4mm, cloudy, single AF

super macro, 1/160, f2.8, evaluative, ISO100, 5.4mm, cloudy, single AF

super macro, 1/320, f2.8, evaluative, ISO100, 5.4mm, cloudy, single AF

Bee Hoon & Hor Fun

2007-06-11T20:43:00.000+08:00

I had bee hoon and hor fun for dinner with my parents at a coffee shop along Sixth Avenue, I don't really know the name of the coffee shop. We ordered a plate of bee hoon and a plate of hor fun, plus a fish dish.

manual, 1/20, f2.8, evaluative, 5.4mm, single AF

manual, 1/15, f2.8, evaluative, 5.4mm, single AF

Flowers

2007-06-11T20:30:00.000+08:00

This time I have gone super macro with some flowers, although I don't really know the name of the flowers, I just photograph the colorful ones that catch my eye. I have also managed to blur the background and focus on the foreground subject, also know as the bokeh effect. ISO was set at 100 and evaluative white balance was used.

super macro, 1/30, f2.8, ISO100, 5.4mm, single AF

super macro, 1/40, f2.8, ISO100, 5.4mm, single AF

super macro, 1/15, f2.8, ISO100, 5.4mm, single AF

manual, 1/10, f5.8, ISO100, 21.6mm, single AF

Clouds

2007-06-11T19:43:00.000+08:00

Once again, the sun was hiding behind the clouds. But this time, the clouds were shaped like a mushroom cloud. The sky was overcast with dark rain clouds looming nearby, so I used cloudy white balance. It was also slightly sunny, so I also used daylight white balance. ISO was set at 100 and once again I experimented with the 3 light metering modes: center weighted average, evaluative, and spot. I'm also thinking of upgrading to the Canon Digital EOS 350D because it has variable shutter speed and variable aperture value.

Lai Huat

2007-06-10T02:06:00.000+08:00

I had dinner with my parents at Lai Huat Seafood Restaurant. Their speciality dish is the balachan fish. This restaurant has been visited by Our Makan Places Lost & Found 2.

lai huat
manual, 1/25, f2.8, evaluative, 5.4mm

bee hoon
manual, 1/13, f2.8, evaluative, 5.4mm

kangkong belachan
manual, 1/8, f2.8, evaluative, 5.4mm

mussels
manual, 1/10, f2.8, evaluative, 5.4mm

belachan fish
manual, 1/13, f2.8, evaluative, 5.4mm

Our Makan Places Lost & Found 2 seal of approval

lai huat seafood restaurant
super macro, 1/30, f2.8, evaluative, 5.4mm

address
super macro, 1/25, f2.8, evaluative, 5.4mm

Sunset

2007-06-08T19:54:00.001+08:00

I was hoping to photograph a rainbow when it was raining during the sunset, but alas there was no rainbow, or even a water spout for that matter. The sun was hiding behind the clouds for quite a while before it came into view. All pictures were taken with a Canon Powershot A430 with no post-processing.

manual, 1/1600, F5.6, spot, ISO100, 5.4mm, cloudy, single AF

manual, 1/1600, F5.6, evaluative, ISO100, 5.4mm, cloudy, single AF

manual, 1/1600, F5.6, center weighted average, ISO100, 5.4mm, cloudy, single AF

manual, 1/1600, F5.6, spot, ISO100, 5.4mm, cloudy, single AF

Games

2007-06-08T11:00:00.000+08:00

One of my favourite past times is playing games. Not console games such as XBox or PS, but PC games. I usually play FPS games such as CSS or RTS games such as AOE2TC. Gaming is another way for me to destress after a hard day's work. I have to admit gaming is pretty addictive, once you start you can't stop. Therefore I try to limit my gaming sessions to one hour and take frequent vision breaks to rest my eyes. Please take frequent breaks to stretch your legs and rest your eyes. Marathon gaming sessions are not a good idea because they are harmful to health. Gamers have been known to pass away from gaming exhaustion.

Gaming also requires decent hardware, such as a decent video card, sufficient RAM, a decent processor, a decent gaming mouse, a decent PSU and a decent monitor which supports an optimal resolution and refresh rate. A recommended system configuration is a Nvidia Geforce 7600GT, 1GB RAM, AMD Athlon 64 3200+, a Razer Diamondback gaming mouse, an Antec Truepower II 430W, and a 17" DVI monitor which supports a 1024X768 resolution and a 85Hz refresh rate. A sound card is optional as motherboards today usually come with onboard audio which is sufficient. Speakers are also optional as you can use headphones to emulate stereo or surround sound.

Gaming is not a passive activity, it actually improves creativity, improves teamwork, improves reflexes, and encourages you to think out of the box to solve puzzles. For example, CSS encourages you to use teamwork to achieve an objective instead of going solo to rack up your kills. AOE2TC encourages you to plan your war strategy before executing your war plan. Gaming is also an educational tool to teach flying, driving, typing, languages, math and science, just to name a few. However, games such as GTA and CSS may encourage violence and bloodshed. Killing a terrorist in CSS is not the same as killing an innocent human being in real life. Firing a weapon in a game is not the same as firing a real weapon in real life. PC gaming must not spill over to real life.

PC games

Books

2007-06-07T20:40:00.001+08:00

I enjoy reading books in my free time, such as Sidney Sheldon and Michael Crichton, just to name a few. Reading stimulates the mind, improves my English, and gives me inspiration in life. A good book and some relaxing music is a perfect way to relax and unwind after a hard day's work. I used to read Asterix and Tintin in my youth. Now I'm mostly into fiction, although I do read some non-fiction now and then such as self-improvement and self-motivation books.

Buku

Desktop Maintenance

2007-06-04T23:57:00.001+08:00

I was doing a bit of servicing the other day and managed to take a few shots of my desktop. These pictures were taken by a Canon Powershot A430 (4.0MP, Canon Zoom Lens 4x Optical, 5.4-21.6mm, 1:2.8-5.8).

Side view unexposed

Side view exposed

Close up of side view exposed

An even closer look

Night Vision

2007-06-04T23:42:00.001+08:00

Here's how my laptop looks like when the lights go out. No prizes for guessing what the different colours represent.

Lights out

SR71

2007-06-03T16:23:00.000+08:00

The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird is a Mach 3 strategic reconnaissance aircraft. The Blackbird is also known as the Sled or the Habu. It was manufactured by Lockheed Skunk Works. The SR-71 was in service from 1964 to 1998. It was designed by Clarence "Kelly" Johnson. The SR-71 has strengths and weaknesses. It's defensive strengths are its high velocity and high flying altitude. It is capable of evading a Surface to Air Missile (SAM) or a Side Winder (SW) or even an enemy aircraft; by accelerating to Mach 3.3 and outrunning and outmanuevering the enemy missile and the enemy aircraft. The missile and aircraft are unable to catch up with the plane. However, it also has weaknesses. It was shaped to reduce Radar Cross Section (RCS), but it was not stealthy enough (observability) because it produced a radar signature that could be tracked by enemy radar systems. It is not invisible to enemy radar, thus it is an easy target for SAMs or SWs or enemy aircraft. The SR-71 does not have any offensive capabilities, such as SWs or gattling guns. It uses its superior speed and superior flying altitude to defend itself.

13 SR-71s have been lost so far, all due to non-combat related reasons.

Here are the specs of the SR-71A:

General Characteristics
Crew: 2
Payload: 3,500 lb (1,600 kg) of sensors
Length: 107 ft 5 in (32.74 m)
Wingspan: 55 ft 7 in (16.94 m)
Height: 18 ft 6 in (5.64 m)
Wing Area: 1,800 ft2 (170 m2)
Empty Weight: 67,500 lb (30 600 kg)
Loaded Weight: 170,000 lb (77 000 kg)
Max Takeoff Weight: 172,000 lb (78 000 kg)
Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney J58-1 continuous-bleed afterburning turbojets, 32,500 lbf (145 kN) each
Wheel Track: 16 ft 8 in (5.08 m)
Wheel Base: 37 ft 10 in (11.53 m)
Aspect Ratio: 1.7

Performance Characteristics
Maximum Speed: Mach 3.3+ (2,200+ mph, 3530+ km/h) at 80,000 ft (24,000m)
Combat Range: 2,900 nm (5400 km)
Ferry Range: 3,200 nm (5,925 km)
Service Ceiling: 85,000 ft (25,900m, 16 miles)
Rate of Climb: 11,810 ft/min (60 m/s)
Wing Loading: 94 lb/ft2 (460 kg/m2)
Thrust/Weight: 0.382

Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird

Many thanks to Wikipedia for the above information.

Dinner @ 7 Mile

2007-05-26T22:29:00.001+08:00

Just had dinner at Boon Tong Kee and McD. Had chicken rice and chicken teppanyaki burger with large fries and large coke, upsize yes please. The teppanyaki tastes like the prosperity burger, although I haven't tried the chicken prosperity yet. The fries were actually shaker fries, I had to empty the seasoning into a brown paper bag, shake it baby and you are ready to go. Chicken rice was a set meal, SGD3.80, normal chicken of course. (the chicken drumsticks would cost more) After that had some ice-cream, Walls Magnum Almond, yummy! Haagen Daaz and Ben & Jerry's is too expensive for me, if I had the money I would go for HD Green Tea or BJ Butter Pecan. Well students can only afford Walls. Parking was a hassle at 7 mile (Cheong Chin Nam Rd, opp Beauty World/Bukit Timah), all the lots were filled to the brim, managed to get a spot far far away, had to walk quite a distance. Anyone care to treat me to HD or BJ? Sigh... back to the grinding mill.

HP OmniBook XE2

2007-05-25T21:13:00.000+08:00

Btw did I mention that I happen to own a laptop as well, a HP OmniBook XE2 which is 7 years old. This laptop is my working computer, my workhorse, my baby, my precious; I use it for my assignments and projects, it has not failed me so far. Not good for gaming though, it can run HL, Doom 1 & 2, Quake 1 & 2 and AOE2TC decently. It has decent specs: Pentium II 366MHz, 128MB SDRAM, 4.5GB HDD, 12.1" screen, 4MB integrated VGA, running 98SE. The HP is hooked up to an AL ADA305 speakers via USB, and 98SE only supports AMS. It is still chugging along fine, although it has a tendency to shut down when least expected. The PSU might be faulty, gonna send it for repairs one day, don't know if HP still stocks replacement parts for that model. Thinking of upgrading to a HP or Dell laptop, any suggestions? Which one is better - ATI Mobility Radeon or NV GeForce Go? Another question, which one is better - Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Turion 64 X2? Should I upgrade to Vista or stick with XP? Some advice would be helpful.

HP OmniBook XE2

98SE

My Gaming Rig

2007-04-30T19:14:00.000+08:00

I will be talking about my personal desktop computer, which is self-assembled, built from components from Sim Lim Square. I must admit this was my first time building my computer from scratch, because my previous computer was pre-assembled. I took the whole night to build it, reading from the instruction manuals, took ages to fix the heatsink-fan combination to the processor (not very user-friendly installation though), had to attach the washers to the casing before fixing the mainboard to the casing, but it was a rewarding learning experience. Too bad my budget was only about a thousand dollars, so all my components were dirt cheap, but at least it can be upgraded in the future. Static electricity is also your worst enemy, it's a good idea to invest in a static wristband instead of touching metal to discharge your static electricity.

With unabated breath, here we go:

Overall View

Front View

Back View

Bird's Eye View

Side View

Side Closeup View

Top Down View

Top Down Closeup View

Specs

On a final note, I would just love to upgrade my mainboard to the MSI K8N Neo 4 Platinum and upgrade my video card to the NV 7600GT. I would love to go dual core - An AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ processor would be a nice performance boost for multitasking. How about throwing in a Creative SoundBlaster X-Fi sound card with an AL GT5051R speakers? A good power boost would do wonders for those power hungry components - Antec Truepower 2.0 550W PSU would be nice too. Add some more storage for games, movies and music - WD Caviar SATA2 250GB HDD. Last but not least, not forgetting a DRP - UPS for a graceful shutdown and SP to prevent my precious components from being fried by lightning or power spikes. I would also love to get my hands on the new 802.11n (2nd draft standard) wireless router from brands such as Asus, Cisco, Linksys, Netgear; makes for faster wireless surfing, and also safer surfing with the new 802.11i wireless security. I almost forgot this one, I've always wanted a 17" DVI LCD monitor, perfect for watching movies or playing games.

Should I get a SLi or CrossFire mainboard? Is 1 + 1 = 2? Please give some C & C. Some advice would be helpful.