HK on a really clear day
HK on a "normal" day
HK just a few hours later
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Caught this on camera...
Two girls on stage for some Miss HK beauty pagent.
So, I arrived in HK, checked into the hotel, and promptly went out looking for dinner. To my surprise, I came across some beauty pagent just 30m from the hotel...
Immediately, I liked HK already...
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Sorry for the abrupt end.
I mean my last post, i didn't manage to have the time to end it properly.
anyway, conclusion of the previous post - wicked is a really good musical. Its good not just because the sound, lighting, stage effects, story, entertainment etc.. its really good because it has some grounding in reality and mocks the government or authority as not always being as good as it seems to be...
ok, so moving on.
in the previous post, i was at heathrow airport waiting to fly to HK for business. "wahhhh" i hear all of you say. relax la, its nothing special really, they just want me to come down to HK so that I can help with a bit of work, get to know a few pple in person rather than just communicating over email etc...
and now, guess what, i'm at an airport waiting again. seems to be the routine huh, i'll only update my blog when i'm going overseas.. hahaha.. the reason could be that i can't find anything to do while waiting for my flight - i don't have my laptop, so i can't play wow.
this trip overseas has been really helpful to me. i feel i have learnt a lot, experience-wise. i got to know a little bit of the difference in lifestyle and work culture between taiwan, hk, london and singapore. i got to know a few really good people - not necessarily the successful people in their career, but good in the sense that they're friendly, honest, and sincere. Funny I find it so hard to find pple like that in London.
and i've been complimented a few times, on various little things, such as
- i've got a "good" smile. i got this said to me twice in the same day, by completely unrelated people. the "good" smile apparently gives the impression that i'm optimistic and cheerful.
- i adapt fast. nice to know.
- my spoken mandarin isn't too bad. though to be honest, i really really need to take mandarin courses if i'm to work in taipei/china. maybe i will just talk more to my chinese colleagues.
ok then, till next time...
anyway, conclusion of the previous post - wicked is a really good musical. Its good not just because the sound, lighting, stage effects, story, entertainment etc.. its really good because it has some grounding in reality and mocks the government or authority as not always being as good as it seems to be...
ok, so moving on.
in the previous post, i was at heathrow airport waiting to fly to HK for business. "wahhhh" i hear all of you say. relax la, its nothing special really, they just want me to come down to HK so that I can help with a bit of work, get to know a few pple in person rather than just communicating over email etc...
and now, guess what, i'm at an airport waiting again. seems to be the routine huh, i'll only update my blog when i'm going overseas.. hahaha.. the reason could be that i can't find anything to do while waiting for my flight - i don't have my laptop, so i can't play wow.
this trip overseas has been really helpful to me. i feel i have learnt a lot, experience-wise. i got to know a little bit of the difference in lifestyle and work culture between taiwan, hk, london and singapore. i got to know a few really good people - not necessarily the successful people in their career, but good in the sense that they're friendly, honest, and sincere. Funny I find it so hard to find pple like that in London.
and i've been complimented a few times, on various little things, such as
- i've got a "good" smile. i got this said to me twice in the same day, by completely unrelated people. the "good" smile apparently gives the impression that i'm optimistic and cheerful.
- i adapt fast. nice to know.
- my spoken mandarin isn't too bad. though to be honest, i really really need to take mandarin courses if i'm to work in taipei/china. maybe i will just talk more to my chinese colleagues.
ok then, till next time...
Monday, April 16, 2007
My last post was 7 March!?!
Blame my infrequent updates on WoW. But hey, at least I manage to post once a month eh?
My darling came down to London (well, really Cambridge, where she had a conference for 4 days) last week. Unfortunately, she came down with the flu just one day after she arrived, and when she got better three days later, she was off to Cambridge for the conference. Bad timing I must say, but at least she was ok for the conference. Rather be sick with someone familiar to take care of you than be sick at someplace foreign with nobody to help right?
So the days that she was sick, she spent the time sleeping, and I spent my time entertaining myself with wow. The days she was at cambridge, I was at work, or at wow. but then she finished her conference on sat afternoon, and thats when the real fun began.
We went to watch Wicked, a musical. Its soooo good. Really watch it if you get the chance. The story was engrossing, with little twists, and though the general plot was easy (well, children can enjoy it) and funny at times, there were little subtle lines throughout and some parts of the story was eerily representative of current world politics... But I'm not a very good writer, and I don't think I can explain well, so... watch it for yourself if u can.
There was this line that was particularly memorable for me. The wicked witch was complaining to the wizard of oz that he's not telling the truth and that the citizens of oz are being kept in the dark. He said, "Truth is not based on fact or reason; Truth is what people agree on." I was like nodding in agreement while watching.. Then he continued saying that people can be thieves or philantrophists; invaders or crusaders; etc etc... And I kept nodding. It just rang a bell within me. I had been thinking all this while that history was written by people - it could be accurate, but nevertheless it could have a bias. Imagine if the Nazis won the world war, they'd be credited with uniting the world, perhaps... Their unethical scientific research could even be credited as breakthroughs in science...
Anyway, I gotta go, got a flight to catch. catch u later..
My darling came down to London (well, really Cambridge, where she had a conference for 4 days) last week. Unfortunately, she came down with the flu just one day after she arrived, and when she got better three days later, she was off to Cambridge for the conference. Bad timing I must say, but at least she was ok for the conference. Rather be sick with someone familiar to take care of you than be sick at someplace foreign with nobody to help right?
So the days that she was sick, she spent the time sleeping, and I spent my time entertaining myself with wow. The days she was at cambridge, I was at work, or at wow. but then she finished her conference on sat afternoon, and thats when the real fun began.
We went to watch Wicked, a musical. Its soooo good. Really watch it if you get the chance. The story was engrossing, with little twists, and though the general plot was easy (well, children can enjoy it) and funny at times, there were little subtle lines throughout and some parts of the story was eerily representative of current world politics... But I'm not a very good writer, and I don't think I can explain well, so... watch it for yourself if u can.
There was this line that was particularly memorable for me. The wicked witch was complaining to the wizard of oz that he's not telling the truth and that the citizens of oz are being kept in the dark. He said, "Truth is not based on fact or reason; Truth is what people agree on." I was like nodding in agreement while watching.. Then he continued saying that people can be thieves or philantrophists; invaders or crusaders; etc etc... And I kept nodding. It just rang a bell within me. I had been thinking all this while that history was written by people - it could be accurate, but nevertheless it could have a bias. Imagine if the Nazis won the world war, they'd be credited with uniting the world, perhaps... Their unethical scientific research could even be credited as breakthroughs in science...
Anyway, I gotta go, got a flight to catch. catch u later..
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
The worst day of my life...
Ok, I'm exaggerating a little. But its bad. Can you imagine something worse than wanting to play
World of Warcraft when your internet connection died? Yeah... its wanting to play World ofWarcraft when my PC died.
Its so bad. I couldn't check emails, I couldn't watch movies, I couldn't check my emails, read the news.. I couldn't even look at pictures, or webcam with L. Sucks...
I went to bed at 9.30pm.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Back in London (again)
Yeah one month has passed since my last entry. I was back in Singapore and now I'm back in London.
1. The first SG paper I read in many months struck me as how pro-goverment it was. The GST was raised from 5% to 7%, yet the text was disproportionate. One paragraph actually addressed the hike. The other 10 columns (of 10 paragraphs each) were about the rebates and offsets. The general feeling I got from the paper was the hike isn't a hike... it was a tax-restructuring.
2. Met an old sec classmate who I haven't seen in like... 10 years. Was surprised that I spoke without a Brit accent after learning I was overseas for like 5 years. I simply replied "ah, all my friends will leave me if I spoke with an English accent"
3. My only regret was I didn't manage to meet up with all that I'd like to meet. There simply wasn't enough time. I had double dinners on two occasions (one at 6, another at 7.30), and on the day before I left, I met 4 different groups of people, excluding my family... To those I didn't meet (you know who you are), I'm terribly sorry.
4. I'm somewhat surprised (though if I think about it, it shouldn't be surprising) that many more of my peers are talking about cars, houses, marriage, babies... and diamond rings...
1. The first SG paper I read in many months struck me as how pro-goverment it was. The GST was raised from 5% to 7%, yet the text was disproportionate. One paragraph actually addressed the hike. The other 10 columns (of 10 paragraphs each) were about the rebates and offsets. The general feeling I got from the paper was the hike isn't a hike... it was a tax-restructuring.
2. Met an old sec classmate who I haven't seen in like... 10 years. Was surprised that I spoke without a Brit accent after learning I was overseas for like 5 years. I simply replied "ah, all my friends will leave me if I spoke with an English accent"
3. My only regret was I didn't manage to meet up with all that I'd like to meet. There simply wasn't enough time. I had double dinners on two occasions (one at 6, another at 7.30), and on the day before I left, I met 4 different groups of people, excluding my family... To those I didn't meet (you know who you are), I'm terribly sorry.
4. I'm somewhat surprised (though if I think about it, it shouldn't be surprising) that many more of my peers are talking about cars, houses, marriage, babies... and diamond rings...
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Back in London
Oh. my. god.
I realised I didn't even let you guys know I came back to london. I had the intention to post something else actually, then realised my last post was about my christmas plans.
So yeah. I'm back in London. Same old routine of work - then wow. then work, then wow. Peppered occasionally with toilet breaks, lunch/dinner breaks, and laundry. Life's routinely uninteresting.
But wait. I'm going back again to Ca-li-fo-ni-a!!
This time its a work trip. Ok, don't ask anymore :D.
--------
But the real reason why I want to post is this. I just watched the show "Pursuit of Happyness". Its not a typo, its meant to be spelt happyness. Quite an inspiring movie and I'm glad I watched it. One line I wish I should never forget...
"Don't ever let ANYONE tell you what you can or cannot do.... when you want something, GO get it."
Nice. Remember that people - don't ever let anyone sway your confidence. =D
I realised I didn't even let you guys know I came back to london. I had the intention to post something else actually, then realised my last post was about my christmas plans.
So yeah. I'm back in London. Same old routine of work - then wow. then work, then wow. Peppered occasionally with toilet breaks, lunch/dinner breaks, and laundry. Life's routinely uninteresting.
But wait. I'm going back again to Ca-li-fo-ni-a!!
This time its a work trip. Ok, don't ask anymore :D.
--------
But the real reason why I want to post is this. I just watched the show "Pursuit of Happyness". Its not a typo, its meant to be spelt happyness. Quite an inspiring movie and I'm glad I watched it. One line I wish I should never forget...
"Don't ever let ANYONE tell you what you can or cannot do.... when you want something, GO get it."
Nice. Remember that people - don't ever let anyone sway your confidence. =D
Monday, December 04, 2006
Update, Christmas plans...
My good friend asked me to update her on events/plans. Quote: "Update leh... your blog isn't particularly illuminating".
I've been neglecting my blog, and with that my readers, I apologise. Too lazy you see, and too caught up with world of warcraft (WoW). Lately I've been rushing home after work just to spend 4 hrs on the computer.
Work has been pretty ok. Not particularly a lot of things to do, and I feel pretty confident about most tasks now - i.e., I won't screw up big time - so work has been... a little unchallenging. but i'm not complaining. especially after my "performance review" today, when my boss told me that I did very well this year.
Quote: "So how's L?"
She's good, still in the States doing her PhD. She really has a work-life balance - she took up dance again, and knitting, and she has loads of friends over there. Plus the weather there is brilliant, the food is cheaper that where I am, and she owns a car. I'd say she's living a better life than me. :P
"Christmas plans?"
Eh heh, can't stop grinning when I think about christmas. hehehehhee..
I'm leaving this friday to the States and I'm going to be seeing L after eight bloody long months! and heh, I better not reveal all our plans otherwise you guys will go green with envy (damn cliche..)
And I'll be there for 3 weeks.
And for her I'll be giving up WoW.
For 3 weeks.
I've been neglecting my blog, and with that my readers, I apologise. Too lazy you see, and too caught up with world of warcraft (WoW). Lately I've been rushing home after work just to spend 4 hrs on the computer.
Work has been pretty ok. Not particularly a lot of things to do, and I feel pretty confident about most tasks now - i.e., I won't screw up big time - so work has been... a little unchallenging. but i'm not complaining. especially after my "performance review" today, when my boss told me that I did very well this year.
Quote: "So how's L?"
She's good, still in the States doing her PhD. She really has a work-life balance - she took up dance again, and knitting, and she has loads of friends over there. Plus the weather there is brilliant, the food is cheaper that where I am, and she owns a car. I'd say she's living a better life than me. :P
"Christmas plans?"
Eh heh, can't stop grinning when I think about christmas. hehehehhee..
I'm leaving this friday to the States and I'm going to be seeing L after eight bloody long months! and heh, I better not reveal all our plans otherwise you guys will go green with envy (damn cliche..)
And I'll be there for 3 weeks.
And for her I'll be giving up WoW.
For 3 weeks.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Haircut
Had my hair cut last weekend. It was really short. Like a military guy. But I liked it.
Came in to work this morning and one response was,
“That’s serious.”
“What is?”
“Your haircut.”
On another occasion, another guy commented, “Ah, you had your hair cut.”
“Do you like it?” I asked.
“Yeah. You look like you’re saying, don’t mess with me. I’m ready for you.”
…
I never had that intention. I just thought it looked cleaner.
Well, at least they didn’t say it sucks. =D
Came in to work this morning and one response was,
“That’s serious.”
“What is?”
“Your haircut.”
On another occasion, another guy commented, “Ah, you had your hair cut.”
“Do you like it?” I asked.
“Yeah. You look like you’re saying, don’t mess with me. I’m ready for you.”
…
I never had that intention. I just thought it looked cleaner.
Well, at least they didn’t say it sucks. =D
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Could we do this...
I always get this kind of work-related emails:
Dear W,
A couple of questions:
1. Can we look at the backtest to ...
2. Can we also look at ...
Let me know if you have any questions.
Thx,
M
Or
Dear W,
Could we do the following
1...
2...
Rgds,
M
Or
W,
Can we please cross check ...
Rgds,
P
Or
W,
We need to optimise ... and let us see what comes out.
Rgds,
P
Notice a pattern?
These are all emails requesting me to do some work, but instead of:
"Please work on this" or "Will you do this for me"
its always:
"Can we", "Could we", "Let us" etc.
and its not even "Can YOU", its always "we" or "us". When in fact its just ME.
Sometimes I just wish I could just reply
"Yes, WE can." or "Yup, I agree, WE should do it." and leave it at that. Based on syntax, that isn't a real work request, is it? Besides, if its a "we", its inclusive of the person who sent the email right? That means the responsibility also lies with the sender, right?
They make it sound like they're contributing something, but they're not.
How can I make it sound like they are not doing anything, I'm doing everything, and they're making it sound like "WE" are sharing the work?
Sigh...
Dear W,
A couple of questions:
1. Can we look at the backtest to ...
2. Can we also look at ...
Let me know if you have any questions.
Thx,
M
Or
Dear W,
Could we do the following
1...
2...
Rgds,
M
Or
W,
Can we please cross check ...
Rgds,
P
Or
W,
We need to optimise ... and let us see what comes out.
Rgds,
P
Notice a pattern?
These are all emails requesting me to do some work, but instead of:
"Please work on this" or "Will you do this for me"
its always:
"Can we", "Could we", "Let us" etc.
and its not even "Can YOU", its always "we" or "us". When in fact its just ME.
Sometimes I just wish I could just reply
"Yes, WE can." or "Yup, I agree, WE should do it." and leave it at that. Based on syntax, that isn't a real work request, is it? Besides, if its a "we", its inclusive of the person who sent the email right? That means the responsibility also lies with the sender, right?
They make it sound like they're contributing something, but they're not.
How can I make it sound like they are not doing anything, I'm doing everything, and they're making it sound like "WE" are sharing the work?
Sigh...
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Sorry for the extended absence..
To get right to the point, the reason why I didn't update the blog was not because I was swamped with work or errands or other important stuff.. and not because something terrible happened...
its because i kinda got addicted playing World of Warcraft. If you heard of it, you probably also heard that one 8 year old kid played for 4 days non-stop until he died. i'm not like that, in case you were wondering...
BUT, truth is I am addicted. every little bit of free time I have after work, I spend it playing the game. on weekends, if I don't have plans, I'll be at home playing it. While its fun, it kinda sucks the life out of you.
Yeah, i know, i should cut down on it. I will, I promise.
And I'll try to update this blog at least once a week.
And finally, before I end this post, I'll like to thank all you sweet things who emailed/msn-ed/sms-ed me birthday messages. To tell the truth, I would have forgotten its my birthday. haha.
its because i kinda got addicted playing World of Warcraft. If you heard of it, you probably also heard that one 8 year old kid played for 4 days non-stop until he died. i'm not like that, in case you were wondering...
BUT, truth is I am addicted. every little bit of free time I have after work, I spend it playing the game. on weekends, if I don't have plans, I'll be at home playing it. While its fun, it kinda sucks the life out of you.
Yeah, i know, i should cut down on it. I will, I promise.
And I'll try to update this blog at least once a week.
And finally, before I end this post, I'll like to thank all you sweet things who emailed/msn-ed/sms-ed me birthday messages. To tell the truth, I would have forgotten its my birthday. haha.
Friday, October 06, 2006
A coupla things..
I hadn't been updating the blog lately, i realise.
Reasons are:
1 - been too busy at work.
2 - been too busy after work.
I wanted to post 3 issues today...
1. Limbo. Heard the pope was thinking scrapping the idea of limbo... i.e., right now if children die without getting baptised they won't go to heaven. So once he does that, children, apparently, will go to heaven if that occurs. Amazing isn't it? Maybe one day he could say that, oh, contraception is allowed. then maybe another day, oh, gay priests too. I mean, they argue that limbo is just a theological hypothesis.... but hey, isn't the entire faith a theological hypothesis?
2. Muslim headscarves. They created some waves a while ago in France, where it is outlawed. In Singapore too. And now there's this debate going on in the UK. This MP in the UK suggests that Muslims should take off their veils (you know where they cover their entire face except for a slit for the eyes), and then got shot back by a lot of people saying that he's being discriminating, racist etc. You are entitiled to your own views about this, but what I think is that people should be allowed to voice their opinions without being branded as racist. how else can we achieve understanding and tolerance??
3. World of Warcraft. I'm playing now. Which sorta explains why i'm cutting short my post.
Reasons are:
1 - been too busy at work.
2 - been too busy after work.
I wanted to post 3 issues today...
1. Limbo. Heard the pope was thinking scrapping the idea of limbo... i.e., right now if children die without getting baptised they won't go to heaven. So once he does that, children, apparently, will go to heaven if that occurs. Amazing isn't it? Maybe one day he could say that, oh, contraception is allowed. then maybe another day, oh, gay priests too. I mean, they argue that limbo is just a theological hypothesis.... but hey, isn't the entire faith a theological hypothesis?
2. Muslim headscarves. They created some waves a while ago in France, where it is outlawed. In Singapore too. And now there's this debate going on in the UK. This MP in the UK suggests that Muslims should take off their veils (you know where they cover their entire face except for a slit for the eyes), and then got shot back by a lot of people saying that he's being discriminating, racist etc. You are entitiled to your own views about this, but what I think is that people should be allowed to voice their opinions without being branded as racist. how else can we achieve understanding and tolerance??
3. World of Warcraft. I'm playing now. Which sorta explains why i'm cutting short my post.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Back in London
I only slept 2 hours the night before the flight. Reason being that I met CT (again, the second time that day) for supper/tea at Adam Road Food Center (really quite happening place) and had pengkang (barbeque/grilled) stingray with the shiok chilli sauce. and also a plate of char kuay teow. yum.
And then we went to a friend's place to watch the English Premier League. I think I watched more football in Singapore in that 2 weeks than I watched in England for 12 months. Caught a bit of Chelsea/Liverpool/Arsenal (not playing each other) and the whole of Man U vs Tottenham at 12am. The match wasn't too bad, but the climax of the night was the Barcelona match against some unknown team in the spanish league. That game started at 2am. Man, Barcelona seemed unstoppable. They basically had all the world's best and most promising players - Ronaldinho, Messi, Deco, Eto'o ... it was simply stunning, watching them tear apart the defence.
The match was done at 4am. Soon after me and my mum went to a market to buy some stuff, and we had breakfast at the market. Oooh, I had a plate of oh-so-good carrot cake. mmm-hmm... *smile on face*. So by the time I reached home it was 7.30am. Having to reach the airport by 10, I had to wake up by 9.30.
So the flight wasn't too bad. The moment I boarded the plane -> *poof* i was out. really dead out. the flight was delayed i think by close to an hour, because one of the passengers i think mistakenly boarded another flight (how the hell does that happen?) and they had to unload his baggage. but i didn't notice. i didn't even notice the plane taking off. i didn't notice them turning the lights off. or them going around giving warm towels. luckily by the time i woke, they were just about serving dinner. heh. only then did the captain explain the delay (otherwise I wouldn't even know there was a delay. haha)
Oh oh, i was supposed to write this down a while ago. When I first arrived in Singapore, I was surprised when I turned on my handphone and saw on the screen, underneath the M1 network name, the words "Changi Airport T2". Wow. I thought that was like, so cool. As I took the taxi back home, I constantly checked my handphone, and saw the text change to stuff like "Ubi Ave 2, Blk 369". Super amazing. In orchard road it sometimes became "Shaw House", or "Cineleisure". Woah. Best.
ok, back to the topic.
I bought an LCD monitor in singapore. A nice samsung 940BW. Initially I was slightly worried at the resolution setting, at 1440x900, as being too uncommon (weird). But no problem at all, I could set the resolution properly. See my computer setup now:
nice right?
And then we went to a friend's place to watch the English Premier League. I think I watched more football in Singapore in that 2 weeks than I watched in England for 12 months. Caught a bit of Chelsea/Liverpool/Arsenal (not playing each other) and the whole of Man U vs Tottenham at 12am. The match wasn't too bad, but the climax of the night was the Barcelona match against some unknown team in the spanish league. That game started at 2am. Man, Barcelona seemed unstoppable. They basically had all the world's best and most promising players - Ronaldinho, Messi, Deco, Eto'o ... it was simply stunning, watching them tear apart the defence.
The match was done at 4am. Soon after me and my mum went to a market to buy some stuff, and we had breakfast at the market. Oooh, I had a plate of oh-so-good carrot cake. mmm-hmm... *smile on face*. So by the time I reached home it was 7.30am. Having to reach the airport by 10, I had to wake up by 9.30.
So the flight wasn't too bad. The moment I boarded the plane -> *poof* i was out. really dead out. the flight was delayed i think by close to an hour, because one of the passengers i think mistakenly boarded another flight (how the hell does that happen?) and they had to unload his baggage. but i didn't notice. i didn't even notice the plane taking off. i didn't notice them turning the lights off. or them going around giving warm towels. luckily by the time i woke, they were just about serving dinner. heh. only then did the captain explain the delay (otherwise I wouldn't even know there was a delay. haha)
Oh oh, i was supposed to write this down a while ago. When I first arrived in Singapore, I was surprised when I turned on my handphone and saw on the screen, underneath the M1 network name, the words "Changi Airport T2". Wow. I thought that was like, so cool. As I took the taxi back home, I constantly checked my handphone, and saw the text change to stuff like "Ubi Ave 2, Blk 369". Super amazing. In orchard road it sometimes became "Shaw House", or "Cineleisure". Woah. Best.
ok, back to the topic.
I bought an LCD monitor in singapore. A nice samsung 940BW. Initially I was slightly worried at the resolution setting, at 1440x900, as being too uncommon (weird). But no problem at all, I could set the resolution properly. See my computer setup now:
nice right?
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Some more thoughts before I fly back.
1. Tiffany is just soooo cute. She said (not to me but loudly enough for me to hear), "I like W- Kor kor". She treats me like I'm her knight in shining armour. How cute is that. L doesn't treat me this way... (got to clarify - if L treats me the same way, I'll really be quite worried)
2. I'm not young anymore. Can't go to Cineleisure and fit into the crowd anymore. And I cringe at their behaviour and conversation, half-wondering whether I used to behave/ talk like them.
3. A- called me. She was complaining that I never mentioned her in my blog. Truth was, her name did come up a couple of times during our gatherings. We're all wondering how she's coping in Bahrain.
4. Happy to have gotten to know KL better. Great guy. Only flaw is that he refuses to be treated. He has plenty of good-looking friends too. No wonder his wife was complaining.
5. Glad to have met up with so many old friends during this short trip.
2. I'm not young anymore. Can't go to Cineleisure and fit into the crowd anymore. And I cringe at their behaviour and conversation, half-wondering whether I used to behave/ talk like them.
3. A- called me. She was complaining that I never mentioned her in my blog. Truth was, her name did come up a couple of times during our gatherings. We're all wondering how she's coping in Bahrain.
4. Happy to have gotten to know KL better. Great guy. Only flaw is that he refuses to be treated. He has plenty of good-looking friends too. No wonder his wife was complaining.
5. Glad to have met up with so many old friends during this short trip.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Singapore Gripes
1. Uniquely Singapore. Its the campaign organised by the Singapore Tourism Board. I think people complained about this before. First of all, "unique" doesn't tell you much about anything right? It can be so dirty its unique. It can be so clean its unique. It can be steaming hot. It can be icy cold. The people could be super arrogant / unfriendly. Hell, any place in the world can be described as unique - even a patch of grass along the highway. Besides, it has become a more politically correct way of saying "fat" or "ugly" or "wierd". Eg., "What do you think of him?"
"Er.. he's unique."
You get my point.
2. Together, Singapore's OK. I think this is something during/just after the SARS period. You know when people were getting infected with some kind of virus and some kind of epidemic was going on? The government started to a campaign to get people to flush toilets, wash their hands etc. But what i hate was the Singapore's OK. OK only? man, shouldn't we be aiming for something better? Like... people ask you "how's the food?".
"Ok lor."
Sigh...
3. Have you seen the trees along orchard road wrapped up in red and white? Its in preparation for the IMF. Shows that some people just have bad taste. I'll try to take and post a picture of it for you all to judge.
Yeah, other than these gripes, singapore's ok.
"Er.. he's unique."
You get my point.
2. Together, Singapore's OK. I think this is something during/just after the SARS period. You know when people were getting infected with some kind of virus and some kind of epidemic was going on? The government started to a campaign to get people to flush toilets, wash their hands etc. But what i hate was the Singapore's OK. OK only? man, shouldn't we be aiming for something better? Like... people ask you "how's the food?".
"Ok lor."
Sigh...
3. Have you seen the trees along orchard road wrapped up in red and white? Its in preparation for the IMF. Shows that some people just have bad taste. I'll try to take and post a picture of it for you all to judge.
Yeah, other than these gripes, singapore's ok.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Confusing C
This post is dedicated to my JC classmate, C. She says she doesn't mind this bit of fame (given my readership, heh, her fame is really limited).
She's one hell of a puzzle. My first impression when I saw her about 8 years ago was : Chao-Ah-Lian. And I don't think it was just me. Apparently the teachers also had the same bias. Long knee length socks, short skirt (ok, maybe it was her long legs), longish hair, I dunno, the general feel of her was just that, CAL. Three months later, I learnt she was one of the top students in Singapore, scoring twice as many A1s as I. erm.. to be exact, she scored more than twice as many as I.
Yet she gave me the impression that she was dumb. This was a girl who copied during a general knowledge test, and yet get 40 (out of 100). She thought that Macau was in Malaysia. There are more instances demonstrating her general lack of general knowledge, but I don't remember. I just remember that while I'm terrible at GK, she was just... atrocious.
And she's confusing because sometimes she gives me the feeling that she's very witty and sharp. I played dai dee with her once (and two other friends), and I remember we lost to her quite terribly, more than a few times.
I don't keep track of these things, but just yesterday she demonstrated her blurness again. It was drizzling. She complained that it was drizzling. FL, with her usual bluntness said,
"Eh, you have umbrella what, open it la!"
"Oh yah hor."
Me: "..."
And on our way back home, she was telling me about this TV show Greys Anatomy, which was full of witty humour. Then she started describing this particularly funny bit. Uh huh, I listened, full of expectation.
"So there was this guy with some kind of gun, K--..." (i forgot the name of the gun) ... I was still listening ... "So then he had a bomb in his chest. He got into an ambulance and the medic was pressing her hand against the wound, unknowing that he had the bomb in the chest... " ... then somehow he got to the hospital, i gathered... "... and then they realised there was a bomb. luckily it hadn't gone off yet, because around them were all the oxygen tanks, if it goes off the whole hospital would be destroyed. So they called the bomb squad ..."
"uh huh", i was still listening intently for the joke
she slowed down, and i thought she was going to deliver the punchline, "and the bomb squad removed the bomb and carried it outside... and then the bomb went off, killing the bomb squad".
"uh huh", yeah man, come on it has to come now.
"..." she didn't go on.
"so. what's the joke?"
"thats it. you didn't find it funny? i knew it was going to end like this when I didn't see you laughing midway."
I was silent for a while.
Wow.
And then I burst out laughing at her. She really blew me away. Her joke wasn't funny. But she was. I never expected that from her.
She then said, "Luckily you weren't Cindy. I'd have died if it was her."
Yeah. I'm kind. Less caustic than I was. And I'll probably never understand her.
She's one hell of a puzzle. My first impression when I saw her about 8 years ago was : Chao-Ah-Lian. And I don't think it was just me. Apparently the teachers also had the same bias. Long knee length socks, short skirt (ok, maybe it was her long legs), longish hair, I dunno, the general feel of her was just that, CAL. Three months later, I learnt she was one of the top students in Singapore, scoring twice as many A1s as I. erm.. to be exact, she scored more than twice as many as I.
Yet she gave me the impression that she was dumb. This was a girl who copied during a general knowledge test, and yet get 40 (out of 100). She thought that Macau was in Malaysia. There are more instances demonstrating her general lack of general knowledge, but I don't remember. I just remember that while I'm terrible at GK, she was just... atrocious.
And she's confusing because sometimes she gives me the feeling that she's very witty and sharp. I played dai dee with her once (and two other friends), and I remember we lost to her quite terribly, more than a few times.
I don't keep track of these things, but just yesterday she demonstrated her blurness again. It was drizzling. She complained that it was drizzling. FL, with her usual bluntness said,
"Eh, you have umbrella what, open it la!"
"Oh yah hor."
Me: "..."
And on our way back home, she was telling me about this TV show Greys Anatomy, which was full of witty humour. Then she started describing this particularly funny bit. Uh huh, I listened, full of expectation.
"So there was this guy with some kind of gun, K--..." (i forgot the name of the gun) ... I was still listening ... "So then he had a bomb in his chest. He got into an ambulance and the medic was pressing her hand against the wound, unknowing that he had the bomb in the chest... " ... then somehow he got to the hospital, i gathered... "... and then they realised there was a bomb. luckily it hadn't gone off yet, because around them were all the oxygen tanks, if it goes off the whole hospital would be destroyed. So they called the bomb squad ..."
"uh huh", i was still listening intently for the joke
she slowed down, and i thought she was going to deliver the punchline, "and the bomb squad removed the bomb and carried it outside... and then the bomb went off, killing the bomb squad".
"uh huh", yeah man, come on it has to come now.
"..." she didn't go on.
"so. what's the joke?"
"thats it. you didn't find it funny? i knew it was going to end like this when I didn't see you laughing midway."
I was silent for a while.
Wow.
And then I burst out laughing at her. She really blew me away. Her joke wasn't funny. But she was. I never expected that from her.
She then said, "Luckily you weren't Cindy. I'd have died if it was her."
Yeah. I'm kind. Less caustic than I was. And I'll probably never understand her.
Monday, September 04, 2006
Troubleshooting a faulty computer
I helped L's mum fix her faulty computer. Took a bit of time and imagination but I'm very satisfied I managed to fix it. Here's a walkthrough of the thought/ troubleshooting process.
When a computer doesn't power up, what could be wrong?
1. Power supply faulty. Check power supply unit. Remove cover from the computer case, remove power supply, and inspect for any burnt/black/melted components. The power unit in L's computer, without much doubt, had melted down. Could see a couple of components which looked more like goo than electrical components.
So I happily deduced the power supply was faulty. Went down to Sim Lim the next day and bought a new power supply unit. After installing the unit correctly, the computer still doesn't power up.
What else could be wrong?
2. Never on power switches. Duh.. Of course I checked before step one. But I checked them again this time. Nope, all switches are on.
3. Faulty power cable. Unfortunately at L's place, they only had one computer power cable, and only one component using it (the computer). Bo bian, cannot check (unless I stick two metal objects into the cable with my hands and seeing if I get an electric shock)
4. Blown fuse in the cable. The fuse showed traces of brown, might have blown. Replaced fuse with another one, and the computer still didn't start.
What else could be wrong?
At this point I nearly gave up. Decided to bring in an old computer to check another time...
The old computer could start. Switched the cable to L's com. Hmm. Didn't start. Given the power supply was new, and the cable obviously works, I can only deduce one other fault...
5. The power switch on the computer case was not working. It felt kinda "soft" to be honest, and didn't have the "click" when you press it. I decided to dismantle the switch from the case. Which involved 4 screws, a lot of prying and some guts to potentially crack/ damage the case. I didn't have a lot of the latter, so I thought I'd shift all the components from L's computer into the old case I brought.
After some time unassembling the components, I realised that the components from L's computer didn't fit into the old case! It wasn't compatible because of the power/reset/hd light connections.
Seeing no other way out, I decided to gather some guts and pry the switch out of the case. After I did that, I was more convinced the switch was the problem, because the switch had lost its ability to spring back out once it was depressed. I reconnected all the components and tested the switch, this time by pulling the switch back out instead of pressing it in. And it worked!
Once I had identified the problem, things became simpler. I pressed and pulled on the switch like 1000 times to loosen it, added some veggie oil as lubricant so it will spring back out, and fixed it back into the case. Computer fixed =)
Its such an innocuous component, the stupid switch... I wish I had identified that it was the problem sooner.
* update: it seems the computer has failed again. This time I think there's something wrong with either the graphics card or the graphics port. *
** update 2: I think I've fixed it again. At least, I'm using it now. I was wrong, there's nothing wrong with the graphics card/port. Apparently there's something wrong with the sound card, because once I unplugged the sound card it works fine. I've re-installed some drivers for the on-board sound to work. **
When a computer doesn't power up, what could be wrong?
1. Power supply faulty. Check power supply unit. Remove cover from the computer case, remove power supply, and inspect for any burnt/black/melted components. The power unit in L's computer, without much doubt, had melted down. Could see a couple of components which looked more like goo than electrical components.
So I happily deduced the power supply was faulty. Went down to Sim Lim the next day and bought a new power supply unit. After installing the unit correctly, the computer still doesn't power up.
What else could be wrong?
2. Never on power switches. Duh.. Of course I checked before step one. But I checked them again this time. Nope, all switches are on.
3. Faulty power cable. Unfortunately at L's place, they only had one computer power cable, and only one component using it (the computer). Bo bian, cannot check (unless I stick two metal objects into the cable with my hands and seeing if I get an electric shock)
4. Blown fuse in the cable. The fuse showed traces of brown, might have blown. Replaced fuse with another one, and the computer still didn't start.
What else could be wrong?
At this point I nearly gave up. Decided to bring in an old computer to check another time...
The old computer could start. Switched the cable to L's com. Hmm. Didn't start. Given the power supply was new, and the cable obviously works, I can only deduce one other fault...
5. The power switch on the computer case was not working. It felt kinda "soft" to be honest, and didn't have the "click" when you press it. I decided to dismantle the switch from the case. Which involved 4 screws, a lot of prying and some guts to potentially crack/ damage the case. I didn't have a lot of the latter, so I thought I'd shift all the components from L's computer into the old case I brought.
After some time unassembling the components, I realised that the components from L's computer didn't fit into the old case! It wasn't compatible because of the power/reset/hd light connections.
Seeing no other way out, I decided to gather some guts and pry the switch out of the case. After I did that, I was more convinced the switch was the problem, because the switch had lost its ability to spring back out once it was depressed. I reconnected all the components and tested the switch, this time by pulling the switch back out instead of pressing it in. And it worked!
Once I had identified the problem, things became simpler. I pressed and pulled on the switch like 1000 times to loosen it, added some veggie oil as lubricant so it will spring back out, and fixed it back into the case. Computer fixed =)
Its such an innocuous component, the stupid switch... I wish I had identified that it was the problem sooner.
* update: it seems the computer has failed again. This time I think there's something wrong with either the graphics card or the graphics port. *
** update 2: I think I've fixed it again. At least, I'm using it now. I was wrong, there's nothing wrong with the graphics card/port. Apparently there's something wrong with the sound card, because once I unplugged the sound card it works fine. I've re-installed some drivers for the on-board sound to work. **
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Good old times
Met with a couple more friends over the past two days. One group was my sec school classmates. man, we really go wayyyyy back. some people I haven't seen in like 10 years. it was really cool to meet up. everybody around the table, except the docs, probably haven't seen each other in years. The last gathering we remembered was sometime in 2002, when we met in Pizza Hut at Wisma Atria and proceeded to play CS at far east shopping center.
Everyone looked very much the same. Surprisingly. You would expect someone to change a lot in 10 years. But things had changed. Invariably, we were distant. Yet we were comfortable with each other. One guy was told us he broke up with his gf of 7 years. That, you usually don't say to distant friends. Another guy was confiding about his relationship with his gf. Even I found myself opening up and talking about things I usually keep to myself. It was fun.
The next day I met with a group of JC classmates. There should have been more people, but one is uncontactable (perhaps sailing), and another is in Bahrain. One more had a private birthday celebration with her husband (!) and another was on call (doctor duty). But there were still 7 people, thanks to one who brought her hubby (!) and another who brought her potential hubby (Mr GD!)
Ok before I go on, lets explain the exclaimation marks. See, to me its still kind of foreign. I haven't yet quite swallowed the fact that more than a handful of my friends are married. Its so weird because I still get checked for my ID when I go to pubs, or when I go cut my hair I always get the question, "studying or working?" (yeah student got discount).
I'm so happy to have finally met Mr. GD. Its not like I'm really concerned for that friend of mine, or wonder if Mr GD is the guy (snicker) for her. Its more like I had to see for myself if Mr GD knows what he has signed up for... and thats all. =)
Soon after I went to TJ's house to watch soccer (thanks TJ!). That was very enjoyable. We made jokes about this Andorra player who looked like he was a coffeeshop "uncle" (waiter). He had a thin lanky frame, sunken eyes, longish hair, and wrinkles on his face that made him look like 40... Then we critised Peter Crouch for being clumsy, and felt that he didn't deserve to score 2 goals. We exclaimed at Hargreave's two shots hitting the post. And we also had a good eyeful of "Miss Teen USA" which was also showing on another channel. Poor Ms Wyoming who looked really sweet and cute, got knocked out at the very first stage.
Oh oh oh! Gotta jot this down because its classic. One of the girls, who really looks like she belongs in a porn movie, got asked this question by the legendary Carl Lewis,
"How would you define 'Integrity'"
"Oh, Integrity is someone (!!!) who's determined (!!!) to succeed. He's passionate about his goals and will not give up along the way to achieve the things he wants."
Hahaha. TJ and I were laughing like mad after the answer. First of all integrity isn't someone. it isn't somebody. and she obviously didn't know what integrity means. Its ok if you have your own definition right, but come on, at least get the gist of the meaning la. Its not like people ask you what's honesty and you tell them oh it means that person is capable and intelligent. wtf!
anyway after her answer (last round already) we decided that she won't EVER get the title.
the surprising thing was that she did win the crown.
and my conclusion is that the judges didn't know what integrity meant either.
Everyone looked very much the same. Surprisingly. You would expect someone to change a lot in 10 years. But things had changed. Invariably, we were distant. Yet we were comfortable with each other. One guy was told us he broke up with his gf of 7 years. That, you usually don't say to distant friends. Another guy was confiding about his relationship with his gf. Even I found myself opening up and talking about things I usually keep to myself. It was fun.
The next day I met with a group of JC classmates. There should have been more people, but one is uncontactable (perhaps sailing), and another is in Bahrain. One more had a private birthday celebration with her husband (!) and another was on call (doctor duty). But there were still 7 people, thanks to one who brought her hubby (!) and another who brought her potential hubby (Mr GD!)
Ok before I go on, lets explain the exclaimation marks. See, to me its still kind of foreign. I haven't yet quite swallowed the fact that more than a handful of my friends are married. Its so weird because I still get checked for my ID when I go to pubs, or when I go cut my hair I always get the question, "studying or working?" (yeah student got discount).
I'm so happy to have finally met Mr. GD. Its not like I'm really concerned for that friend of mine, or wonder if Mr GD is the guy (snicker) for her. Its more like I had to see for myself if Mr GD knows what he has signed up for... and thats all. =)
Soon after I went to TJ's house to watch soccer (thanks TJ!). That was very enjoyable. We made jokes about this Andorra player who looked like he was a coffeeshop "uncle" (waiter). He had a thin lanky frame, sunken eyes, longish hair, and wrinkles on his face that made him look like 40... Then we critised Peter Crouch for being clumsy, and felt that he didn't deserve to score 2 goals. We exclaimed at Hargreave's two shots hitting the post. And we also had a good eyeful of "Miss Teen USA" which was also showing on another channel. Poor Ms Wyoming who looked really sweet and cute, got knocked out at the very first stage.
Oh oh oh! Gotta jot this down because its classic. One of the girls, who really looks like she belongs in a porn movie, got asked this question by the legendary Carl Lewis,
"How would you define 'Integrity'"
"Oh, Integrity is someone (!!!) who's determined (!!!) to succeed. He's passionate about his goals and will not give up along the way to achieve the things he wants."
Hahaha. TJ and I were laughing like mad after the answer. First of all integrity isn't someone. it isn't somebody. and she obviously didn't know what integrity means. Its ok if you have your own definition right, but come on, at least get the gist of the meaning la. Its not like people ask you what's honesty and you tell them oh it means that person is capable and intelligent. wtf!
anyway after her answer (last round already) we decided that she won't EVER get the title.
the surprising thing was that she did win the crown.
and my conclusion is that the judges didn't know what integrity meant either.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Thoughts while in Sunny Singapore
1. Rude drivers ...
Never fail to impress me. On one occasion I wanted to filter to the right. I signalled my intention early, and I was preparing to go in right after the car just beside me has passed. To my disgust, the car just behind the car next to me sped up and closed the gap. Fine, I thought, petty man, I'll go after you. As soon as I changed lane to the right, the car behind me flashed his lights at me! WTF! As though he couldn't see me. As though he couldn't see my intention. As though I obstructed him. He'll be like what, 2seconds slower? If it was me I'd have let the poor guy come into the lane. I've driven in the US and the UK, and in all honesty, even though the drivers in Singapore are without a doubt more highly skilled, they are undeniably more rude and inconsiderate.
2. Tiffany
never fails to amuse me. She remembers my name. She exclaims "w- kor kor come back already! But L- biu je and H- kor kor did not come back!". She throws a towel sized piece of cloth over her back and pretends to be a fairy. And flys around. Then she poses as prettily as she could in front of L's father. He gives her a shocked and disgusted look and she laughs and runs forward to "hit" him for mocking her.
3. Friends
Looked through my old cards that I received from friends on past Christmas/New Year/Birthdays. Cards from friends I haven't met in a while. Friends I used to be really close to, but got distant thru the years. Friends I wish I didn't neglect. Eh, I even got a Birthday card from a super slack JC classmate. nope you won't be able to guess - you'd never expect someone like him to send a card. Looking at all these cards made me think - how did an ordinary guy like me end up with such amazing friends.
4. Fire Alarm while opening accnt.
I was in a bank, opening an account. On the 30th storey. The lady was very professional and sorted out all the application forms. Halfway through, the fire alarm rang. You know normally its just a freak accident, or some form of vandalism that caused the alarm. Thats what I thought it was and brushed it off. All the while she was trying to explain something to me. And had to pause many times because of the alarm ringing and a guy shouting over the PA system, "Ladies and Gentlemen. May I have your attention please. The fire alarm has been activated. We are currently investigating it. Please remain at your desks and keep calm." Then in 30 seconds, "Ladies and gentlemen, there is an incident on the 18th storey. Will people from the 18th storey please head down to the plaza via the staircase. Please do not use the lift." Hmm.. the lady in front of me was determined to get it processed asap. And so was I. I wasn't prepared to make another trip. I nodded and nodded while she went through all the details, pausing as and when the guy over the PA interrupted. Towards the end, he was speaking almost all the time (very loudly), so the lady was forced to shout even louder to get her points across to me. Finally we settled everything, I got my stuff, went to the toilet first, before I climbed 30 storeys down the building.
Never fail to impress me. On one occasion I wanted to filter to the right. I signalled my intention early, and I was preparing to go in right after the car just beside me has passed. To my disgust, the car just behind the car next to me sped up and closed the gap. Fine, I thought, petty man, I'll go after you. As soon as I changed lane to the right, the car behind me flashed his lights at me! WTF! As though he couldn't see me. As though he couldn't see my intention. As though I obstructed him. He'll be like what, 2seconds slower? If it was me I'd have let the poor guy come into the lane. I've driven in the US and the UK, and in all honesty, even though the drivers in Singapore are without a doubt more highly skilled, they are undeniably more rude and inconsiderate.
2. Tiffany
never fails to amuse me. She remembers my name. She exclaims "w- kor kor come back already! But L- biu je and H- kor kor did not come back!". She throws a towel sized piece of cloth over her back and pretends to be a fairy. And flys around. Then she poses as prettily as she could in front of L's father. He gives her a shocked and disgusted look and she laughs and runs forward to "hit" him for mocking her.
3. Friends
Looked through my old cards that I received from friends on past Christmas/New Year/Birthdays. Cards from friends I haven't met in a while. Friends I used to be really close to, but got distant thru the years. Friends I wish I didn't neglect. Eh, I even got a Birthday card from a super slack JC classmate. nope you won't be able to guess - you'd never expect someone like him to send a card. Looking at all these cards made me think - how did an ordinary guy like me end up with such amazing friends.
4. Fire Alarm while opening accnt.
I was in a bank, opening an account. On the 30th storey. The lady was very professional and sorted out all the application forms. Halfway through, the fire alarm rang. You know normally its just a freak accident, or some form of vandalism that caused the alarm. Thats what I thought it was and brushed it off. All the while she was trying to explain something to me. And had to pause many times because of the alarm ringing and a guy shouting over the PA system, "Ladies and Gentlemen. May I have your attention please. The fire alarm has been activated. We are currently investigating it. Please remain at your desks and keep calm." Then in 30 seconds, "Ladies and gentlemen, there is an incident on the 18th storey. Will people from the 18th storey please head down to the plaza via the staircase. Please do not use the lift." Hmm.. the lady in front of me was determined to get it processed asap. And so was I. I wasn't prepared to make another trip. I nodded and nodded while she went through all the details, pausing as and when the guy over the PA interrupted. Towards the end, he was speaking almost all the time (very loudly), so the lady was forced to shout even louder to get her points across to me. Finally we settled everything, I got my stuff, went to the toilet first, before I climbed 30 storeys down the building.
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