Thursday, November 30, 2006

Scrubbing down the police

Apparently no one has commented on my previous post, a sign that most Penangite engineers are wusses (except maybe Michael Ooi). Come on, you guys can do better than that.

Anyway, I came across this sign somewhere near Old Klang Road.

I know RM5 is cheap for a car wash here, but to provide snow wash and vacuum for the police? And they'll even throw in a free wash for every five washes. Imagine 5 + 1 policemen frolicking in the bubble wash.

And I thought only the taxi drivers were smelly. Looks like the police force needs a good 'scrubbing down' too.

thought completed at 12:42 AM | 3 comments

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Tuesday, November 28, 2006

10 reasons to work in KL

10 reasons why working in KL is better than in Penang (applies mainly to those working in the electronics industry):

1. KL is hip and happening, the place you'd want to be for awesome events. Where else can you bump into movie stars alike?


2. KL has the bestest shopping malls in the country. Visit 1 Utama and you'll never want to go back to the third-world-looking Prangin Mall again.


3. KL has more variety when it comes to food, and they come in larger portions too. Seriously, don't you get tired of laksa and prawn mee with a dozen strands of noodles everyday?


4. Living in KL makes you a more hardworking, resourceful person, because everything is more expensive here and people are more motivated to earn more money so they can spend more.


5. Living in KL makes you a more patient person. Having to live through all the hours wasted in traffic jams and flash floods builds your patience up to a higher level.


6. KL is near to everywhere, being in the central region of the peninsular. Imagine how your bum will feel during those trips back home if you're from Malacca and working in Penang.


7. In Penang, you need to pay outrageous toll fees for crossing a bridge when attempting to get to somewhere. In KL, all the bridges you'll see are flyovers, and most of them are (still) free.


8. In KL, microchips don't simply get stolen by armed robbers.


9. Most EE graduates work in Penang, which makes the place overflowing with engineers. Pray tell how can you expand your social circle when the people you're working with came from the same class?


10. Most importantly, who would want to work for those boring, predictable companies in Penang? (No names mentioned, you know which companies)

Long live the capital of Malaysia! I'm waiting for the response, any of you Penangites (or future-Penangites) care to take this up with me?

thought completed at 12:29 AM | 2 comments

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Sunday, November 26, 2006

My wrist is killing me

Doctors and I have never had much of a relationship. For the past 5 or 6 years, I figure I've never been to see a doc more than 5 times (discounting the visits for medical checkups).

This doesn't mean my body is bulletproof though. It's just my principle of not wanting to depend on medicine/drugs as a 'healing' method. Drugs don't heal, ask any addict and they'd tell you that. And if they did, don't you think that medical practice would become an extinct profession?

Anyway, I mentioned in the last post that I was diagnosed with a strained wrist, a result from consulting a doctor. Apparently it's not yet considered as carpal tunnel syndrome yet, and I sure hope it does not progress till that stage.

It started with a sore wrist, the type you'd want to 'shake' off. Then the pain came. Chronic, throbbing pain that would I would gladly exchange for one second of hell. Imagine someone squeezing your nerves with a crushing force and you could do nothing to stop it, that's how I feel like right now.

For once, I was grateful for the medicine the doc prescribed.

Painkillers and nerve medicine.

As I said, I'm still puzzled as to what would have caused it, but most probably I think it's because some repetitive stress I had during work. I was advised not to stress it too much for the next few days, which I am blatantly disregarding now by typing this post.

Thinking I'd need some support if I were to do serious work, I went out and bought a Puma wristband. Not those flimsy thin ones that are the rage nowadays, but a REAL wristband for sports purposes.

My theory is, if Agassi or Jordan could wear one during their games for protection, I could probably do the same at work to prevent the condition from becoming worse. Of course, I might be wrong here, but I'm taking my chances.

Hey, it could even be fashion accessory in its own terms.

That's all for now. Til I recover, cheers!

thought completed at 9:10 PM | 5 comments

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Friday, November 24, 2006

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Apologies for the lack of updates. Have just been diagnosed with a strained left wrist, and it's leaving me with much pain during most of the day. I'm still trying to figure out what caused it; whether it was due to the swimming sessions or did I sleep in the wrong position, or did I do some excessive tapping of the keyboard?

I'm practically writhing in pain as I'm typing this. See how sacrificial I can be when it comes to updating my blog. By the way, my broadband connection at home is screwed. Anyone in Kelana Jaya experiencing the same problems with Streamyx?

thought completed at 1:24 PM | 2 comments

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Sunday, November 19, 2006

James Bond and E-Mee

The big hoo-ha over the new James Bond has finally toned down a bit, now that the movie's been showing for a few days.

I don't know what's the fuss about Daniel Craig playing the new 007. So he's not as dashing as Pierce Brosnan, nor as suave as the previous Bonds, but give the man a break here. I personally thought he gave a good performance playing the MI6 agent, though I wouldn't say the same for the movie in general.

And damn the censors for omitting some crucial parts of the movie. They should've rated it 18PL instead of U, robbing us mature movie goers of some of the more salacious scenes.

Interestingly though, the balls-kicking torture scene was left uncut...which I think, would seriously be more of a negative influence to the pure minded. My point is: someday kids will grow up and do the whole sex thing anyway, but imagine if a girl applied the 'scratch-my-balls' technique to an unsuspecting boyfriend. Now that would be scary.



Anyway, I saw this in the menu at one of Muar's newest (and quite reputable) restaurants.

Deep's Meat anyone?

Of course it's possible that this was a typo (DEER instead of DEEP). But then judging by the changes in the prices of the dishes, it's obvious the menu has been reviewed at least once. Yet no one has done anything to correct it.

IQ question: What do you call modernized noodles that can be ordered via e-mail?

E-Mee.

Prefixes can be so convenient.

Technorati tags: james bond, casino royale, e-mee

thought completed at 11:47 PM | 2 comments

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Thursday, November 16, 2006

Damai Laut getaway trip (Part 2)

We came back early from Pangkor for a reason, and that was to try out the watersports and other activities available at the resort.

Archery, canoeing, nature walk and bicycling activities were actually FOC, which really surprised me as I remember having to pay the last time I was there. Unfortunately, archery and the nature walk were scheduled events, so we had to give them a skip.



Row row row your orange boat, gently into the sea!

Lucky for us the waves were not too high even though it was the monsoon season. We didn't hesitate to pull out the canoe and gather a pair or oars to do some serious paddling. It was funny how we would get out of sync when rowing and the canoe would go the opposite way instead of the direction we intended.



We also went bicycling around the resort. But because some buggers were hogging the bikes, only one was available and we took turns while the other sort of jogged to keep up. Also went to the pool for a dip after that.

And suddenly I forgot Gurl was a former state swimmer. Was thrashed in the pool, bad. But it was fun :)



Dinner was at Pantai Remis. We randomly picked a restaurant that looked respectable and ordered our dishes there. Of course we did not forget to order some seafood, though it was only limited to prawns as I'm not a very big fan of fish.

Did some night shots with the tripod when we were back.



Chandelier in the lobby



Rickshaw with bowl of flowers



The Lobby at night (and I seriously need to be more creative in naming pictures)



Posers posing under the light (and I admit I suck at naming pictures)

It was a great trip. We had fun. What more could we ask for?

Technorati tags: damai laut, lumut, pangkor

thought completed at 8:40 PM | 4 comments

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Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Damai Laut getaway trip

Two weekends ago, Gurl and I made a trip to Lumut, Perak for a relaxing getaway. Tons of engineering work put behing our minds, we were hoping this would be a refreshing and fun holiday.

The journey itself was not very interesting...half of it was on the NSE and the other half on trunk roads. I must say the Perak government really takes care of its state roads, it was rather a smooth journey all the way long. So after about 4 hours of driving and a quick stop at Lumut town for dinner, we reached Swiss Garden Resort & Spa Damai Laut, which would be the place of our accomodation for the next two nights.

That was my second time being there and I chose the place because of its lush, beautiful surroundings. Although quite isolated from the town areas, it is the perfect retreat for people who want to escape from the daily hustle and bustle of the city.



Didn't do much for the first night, as we were weary after the journey. Took a walk to familiarize ourselves with the place as it was quite huge. After that, it was Star Movies all the way.



After a good night's sleep, we were raring to set out for Pangkor Island. Before we left the resort, Gurl took this pic with an orang asli (native) warrior. He was playing some sort of musical instrument which was connected to a speaker. I wouldn't be surprised if he whipped out a PDA and started talking into it.

It took us half an hour to reach Lumut town. With a town area even smaller than Bentong, it would be a quiet and sleepy little place if not for the regular tourists. At the jetty we were greeted by some sort of a mini Bintang Walk, with stalls that sell mostly Malay food, sea produce and souvenirs.



After another half an hour spent on the ferry, we set foot on Pangkor Island. First destination: to fill our stomachs as we had not had lunch. Surprisingly, some of the stalls in the town area served some delicious food.

We decided to skip the usual rent-a-van tour and instead, rented a motorbike from the locals. It cost us RM10 per hour, which was really expensive as I recalled that even a Kancil didn't cost that much back in uni days. Anyway, it had been a long time since I rode on a bike, so we had to be extra cautious on the roads given that the roads in Pangkor are known to be notoriously narrow and hard to manouvre at times.



We stopped at a few tourist attractions. The pic above was taken at the Fu Lin temple. I did not notice the guy beside me who mimicked my pose...must have been a nutcase or something.



You see, Sports Toto is everywhere. There is no escape.

We didn't spend much time in Pangkor and left just about when evening came.

Back in the resort, I took this pic of Gurl looking out into the Straits of Malacca. Evening had come, and it was beautiful.

(To be continued)

Technorati tags: pangkor, damai laut, swiss garden, lumut

thought completed at 10:40 PM | 7 comments

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Sunday, November 12, 2006

I saw the devil in Genting

I was up in the City of Entertainment during the weekend. Just for the fun of it.



Weather wasn't too good though. Most of the time it was raining...which made the usually-tolerable climate really cold. And it didn't help that I was only wearing a thin layer of fabric and sandals.



I walked around First World square. No sales, no movies...just hoardes of tourists (isn't it still a schooling week?). Came across a young girl in costume who could balance bowls on the tip of her feet, upside down.



Also came across a guy (I presume) in a female elephant's costume who went around acting cute and making babies cry.



And then I spotted something familiar...



Omg the devil!





I bet (s)he went cheap this time and skipped Prada for some unknown brand.

Genting is so fun, and I am so in need of improving my fake enthusiasm skills.

thought completed at 11:47 PM | 3 comments

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Thursday, November 09, 2006

Politcians come up with the best excuses

It appears that now everyone has an excuse for almost everything.

Case #1:

“My cousins and I are staying in several houses built on a single plot of land in Rantau Panjang. I have not seen the latest assessment bill and I believe it may have been sent to the house of one of my cousins. I am going to visit all my cousins to look for the bill. "

Case #2:

“The renovations to the car porch and kitchen of my house in Taman Sri Sentosa was done by the previous owner and I have been living there only since 2003. "

Case #3:

“I have not paid assessment for my four-storey shoplot in Pulau Indah for last year and this year only. My registered address is in Shah Alam and the assessment bill may not have reached me because of this. "

Case #4:

“The renovation for my house in Taman Sri Andalas was done five years ago. It is difficult for me to answer why I didn’t submit the building plan. "

Read the source.

Seriously, politicians who think they are above the law should have their titles taken away. Those who think they can get away with it spot clean should have their citizenship revoked. If these people were let off the hook that easily, imagine what criminals might plead in future courts.

Case #1: Loansharks aka Ah Long

"My ma chai and I have been staying in several bungalows built on a single plot of land. I have not seen what they've done to the people whom I loaned money to, but I swear I didn't set fire to the person's house. The IOU note must have been sent to the wrong ma chai. I am going to visit all my ma chai to look for the correct IOU."

Case #2: Arsonist (who is rich enough to employ a lawyer)

"The vandalism done to the car porch and kitchen of the plaintiff in Taman Yoyoha must have been done by a different person as the my client has only been an arsonist since 2005."

Case #3: Robber (pleading for leniency)

"I have robbed five shops and a factory for the past two years only. My registered address is in Cheras and the police may not have reached me because of this."

...and the best excuse of all,

Case #4: Murderer

"The murder of the waitress in my house was committed five years ago. It is difficult for me to answer why I chopped off her limbs and stuffed her into a suitcase."

Air Politica-Malaysia...now everyone can lie.

thought completed at 10:16 PM | 1 comments

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Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Poetry in motion

Being a pure bred product of the science stream no doubt has resulted in me being a non-lover of the arts and literature. I do love a good read from time to time, and have composed some poems back in my younger days, but the sublime beauty of poetry has some how eluded me.

It was not until I came across Shakespeare's Sonnet 18 that I began to start appreciating these works of art. And guess where I saw it? In an LRT train, no kidding! I confess that I've never read any of Shakespeare's plays...though the modern film industry has given us some interpretations of its concepts.

Romeo and Juliet makes me think of a young Jack Dawson fast forwarded into the future speaking even cheesier lines than he had in Titanic. A Midsummer Night's Dream reminds me of an elfish Stanley Tucci. And did anyone know "10 Things I Hate About You" was an adaptation of The Taming of The Shrew? Or "She's The Man" was originally adapted from Twelfth Night?

My my, dear Shakespeare would be proud (or turning in his grave, depending on the situation) to know that his works are so influential even today. Even Bollywood has it's own adaptation of Macbeth.

Here's a reproduction of the famous Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare.

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

I actually missed my station because I was too absorbed in reading the sonnet. Kudos to the people who sponsored the ads, I for one have enjoyed it.

Technorati tags: shakespeare, sonnet

thought completed at 12:32 AM | 2 comments

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Monday, November 06, 2006

Say cheese

I was MIA for a weekend getaway. Before the trip, Gurl half-persuaded and half-coaxed me into buying this.

Panasonic Lumix FX3

It never occured to me to get a new digital camera after my purchase of a handphone not long back. Although my Pentax Optio 33L was considered an old giant in this age of ultra-compact digicams, it was still doing its job quite well.

Well, at least with the FX3, I no longer have to worry about space when carrying my digicam around. Other than looking much sleeker than my current model, it also fits into my pocket nicely. And black is the colour, no?

The picture quality was very good when transferred and viewed from my PC. I particularly liked the optical image stabilizer; it comes as a valuable feature in this baby. Taking pictures indoors under low light conditions no longer seem to be a big challenge.

Total damage: RM1257 for the entire package including a spare battery, casing and screen protector.

More to come about my trip and some sample shots using the FX3. Stay tuned.

Technorati tags: panasonic, lumix, fx3

thought completed at 9:56 PM | 6 comments

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Thursday, November 02, 2006

Blog evolution

Evident from the previous post, I'm happy to announce that there's a brand new "About" page for my blog (well brand new in the sense that it never existed before).

In some way, I feel that my blog has been evolving. It used to be a personal blog, but somehow I have found myself venturing into different realms. Call it peer pressure or natural evolution, it is not exactly what I had in mind when I first started this blog.

Of course it's not to say that I don't enjoying blogging as much as I did; I still thoroughly enjoy the satisfaction of writing a good post (good by my standards, maybe mediocre in general). It's just that as the internet becomes more of an open space, and I find the sudden vulnerability a little unnerving.

Because of this, although I bet most of you who are reading this must know me personally one way or another, I decided to remove the link to my Friendster page to reclaim some extent of anonymity in cyberspace.

I have also been curious about the people who have came across this blog, accidentally or otherwise. So I'd really appreciate if you'd drop a message by commenting, just so I know who you are and where you're coming from, ala Michael-Ooi-style.

Once again, thank you for (re)visiting this humble blog of mine. Cheers!

thought completed at 12:27 AM | 5 comments

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