tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69862884200603608942024-03-13T12:12:34.152+08:00jonjwlee.blogspot.comJonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09071687614437985709noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986288420060360894.post-14917455768052532562009-08-04T18:49:00.004+08:002009-08-05T00:56:25.459+08:00Long Live LifeI know I said I wanted to write a review on an album that I just got, so here it is:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos-c-0.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs163.snc1/6088_119175577652_582222652_2755746_4227308_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px;" src="http://photos-c-0.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs163.snc1/6088_119175577652_582222652_2755746_4227308_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />This is Coldplay's latest award-winning album (yes, I know, it's been out for a year already), entitled <span style="font-style:italic;">Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends</span>. It's their fourth studio album after 2005's brilliant <span style="font-style:italic;">X&Y</span>. The band wiped the floor with the others at this year's Grammy Awards, nabbing seven nominations and walking off with three wins, including Best Rock Album and Song of the Year (for <span style="font-style:italic;">Viva la Vida</span>).<br /><br />So why does this particular copy have a different cover from the original (the one with Eugine Delacroix's <span style="font-style:italic;">Liberty Leading the People</span>)? Because this is no ordinary <span style="font-style:italic;">Viva la Vida</span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos-f-0.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs183.snc1/6088_119201872652_582222652_2756093_5456776_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px;" src="http://photos-f-0.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs183.snc1/6088_119201872652_582222652_2756093_5456776_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />No, this is the deluxe version called the <span style="font-style:italic;">Prospekt's March Edition</span> and includes the eponymous EP, which adds eight new tracks to the original ten.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos-a-0.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs163.snc1/6088_119175457652_582222652_2755744_7047827_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px;" src="http://photos-a-0.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs163.snc1/6088_119175457652_582222652_2755744_7047827_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />The main album starts off strong with the lush instrumental track, <span style="font-style:italic;">Life in Technicolour</span> (a complete version with the vocals is in the EP), leading into the dark <span style="font-style:italic;">Cemeteries of London</span>. <span style="font-style:italic;">42</span> is by far my favourite track of the album, with three parts - a deep, mysterious piano-and-strings opening, a brooding instrumental middle piece complete with fast-paced drumming and an uplifting final bit. And of course, who can forget <span style="font-style:italic;">Viva la Vida</span>? The upbeat song about a former ruler reflecting his past glory always brings the spirits up on every listen. Violet Hill, on the other hand, brings the band a bit closer to its rock roots with the thunderous guitars. Bringing up the rear are <span style="font-style:italic;">Strawberry Swing</span> and <span style="font-style:italic;">Death and All His Friends</span>. Despite the ominous title of the latter, both these songs are joyous and rousing, a brilliant end to a glorious album.<br /><br />The accompanying <span style="font-style:italic;">Prospekt's March</span> EP complements <span style="font-style:italic;">Viva la Vida</span> well, and they should - the songs on it were meant to go on the latter but were finished too late. Although there aren't many standout tracks apart from the fit-for-arena <span style="font-style:italic;">Glass of Water</span> and the neat-but-ultimately-too-short piano piece <span style="font-style:italic;">Postcards from Far Away</span>, they are a pleasant addition (apart from a slightly questionable and unnecessary rap section by Jay-Z on <span style="font-style:italic;">Lost+</span>).<br /><br />There are some minor problems, however. Although Chris Martin is an accomplished falsetto singer, his experimentation on singing in a lower pitch on some of the tracks, particularly on <span style="font-style:italic;">Yes</span> shows that he is perhaps quite uncomfortable in that part of his vocal range. Also, sometimes his voice sounds muddled, almost like he's mumbling.<br /><br />Still, it's hard not to like this album. It's so grandiose and atmospheric when it's at its best that you can't help but get carried away. Sure, some of the lyrics are downright gibberish, but who cares when the music's this good?Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09071687614437985709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986288420060360894.post-86091444247193962072009-06-30T01:45:00.003+08:002009-06-30T03:29:53.432+08:00How to Buy a PresentToday's my sister's birthday, so it's my family obligation to buy her a present. Now, I'm not exactly the best person at this sort of job, because first and foremost, I'm not a great observer - I never, <span style="font-style:italic;">ever</span> keep track of people's likes and dislikes (which probably means I'd be the world's worst boyfriend, but I digress).<br /><br />Which made the whole thing a bit of a nightmare. I mean, I know my sister is a bit of a fashionista, but what should I get her? A bag? Accessories? Clothes?<br /><br />My head span for a while, until I got round it using simple logic. Now, I have to warn you again that I'm not exactly an expert at such things, but I do think these tips will help you the next time you're stuck in a mall looking for the right present.<br /><br />The first thing a prospective buyer needs to get into his/her head is that you have to get something you wouldn't mind receiving yourself. Of course you also need to consider stuff such as gender and age, but you get what I mean. Do you think someone would be happy receiving a shoddy toy you paid a fiver for at Petaling Street? Would you? Exactly.<br /><br />With that in mind, you then have to decide exactly what to buy. And one of the most popular gifts people get are clothes. Nice idea, you may think, but there's a caveat: never, <span style="font-style:italic;">EVER</span> buy clothes unless you are <span style="font-style:italic;">absolutely</span> sure of the person's size. Sure, some shops let you exchange clothes in case you've inevitably bought the wrong size, but it would be a complete waste of time, effort and most importantly during these times of environmental awareness, petrol. And even if you get past this hurdle, there's a problem.<br /><br />I never liked people buying clothes for me, because they rarely ever get it right, even if they know me rather well. There's so many things to consider - the type of clothing, the style, the cut, the colours, the materials, etc. - that there's every chance you'd get one, maybe all of them wrong. To be honest, I'd rather give the recipient the money so that they can go shopping on their own (all this goes for shoes as well).<br /><br />Another favourite is stuff such as snow globes and music boxes. Another no-no. The whole point of a present is for it to be used and appreciated. Those things are nice, I admit, but it's only a matter of time before they are assigned to the back of the shelf as dust-collecting fodder. Not the way you want your birthday present to be treated, is it?<br /><br />If your recipient is a girl, you might be tempted to buy make-up and fragrances instead. Which brings me back to the point I made above. Yes, presents are supposed to be used, but they're also supposed to be a lasting reminder. Which is exactly what a disposable is not - the stuff eventually gets used up and the container is thrown away, never to be seen again.<br /><br />So, you might be thinking, you'd probably be better off buying accessories (bangles, necklaces, the lot) for that girl. However, girls usually have drawers full of them, so unless you know <span style="font-style:italic;">EXACTLY</span> what to get, your present would likely never see the light of day again. Ditto handbags.<br /><br />Purses and wallets are relatively safe buys, as people usually go through them one at a time. They're especially safe when their current ones are showing some wear and tear. But like I've been stressing so many times on this article, know what your recipient likes. Don't make the classic mistake of buying a pink purse for a girl who hates pink.<br /><br />Boys (or men who have the mental age of 6, like me) like to receive toys and electronics as gifts. But tread carefully - if you're getting a toy, get your facts right - their favourite action movie, cartoon, car or aeroplane. You don't want to get a 1/2-scale figurine of Superman for a Batman fan, do you?<br /><br />As for gadgets, you need to know what sort of gizmo your recipient is looking for. An MP3 player is only cool to someone who hasn't already got one/is looking for one. Otherwise you'll run the risk of buying something that's inferior to what they've already got. And keep in mind that us boys can be quite fanatical about certain brands and reject anything that is even remotely related to other manufacturers - if I got Philbert a Sony Vaio, for instance, he'd be quite livid...<br /><br />So there, those are my non-expert tips for anyone who's ever been stuck finding presents. Of course, I'm only talking about the usual here - if you wanna get someone a Ferrari 430 Scuderia, he/she would most likely be more than happy to have it. And if you have the time (which I didn't), consider making your own present - the recipient will really appreciate the time and effort you put into it. Last but not least, I hope this helps you like how it helped me, whoever you are. Good luck. And feel free to voice out in the comments whatever you disagree with.<br /><br />Oh, and the present I bought for my sister? A white Vincci purse. She likes it, thank god. Thanks to Priya and Pui Yin for helping me choose the present!Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09071687614437985709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986288420060360894.post-9272612932385483332009-06-03T00:11:00.001+08:002009-06-03T00:22:21.053+08:00That was when I ruled the world...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SiVRk5y-zYI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/kpXMiJJIN4E/s1600-h/_DSC0505.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SiVRk5y-zYI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/kpXMiJJIN4E/s400/_DSC0505.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342766227376754050" /></a><br />Review coming soon.Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09071687614437985709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986288420060360894.post-71450226206460846972009-05-19T00:16:00.003+08:002009-05-19T01:10:07.172+08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/ShGTtftw8LI/AAAAAAAAAVI/y-RSXyJwuVQ/s1600-h/KITTY+IS+BACK.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/ShGTtftw8LI/AAAAAAAAAVI/y-RSXyJwuVQ/s400/KITTY+IS+BACK.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337209443227594930" /></a><br />*kitty = kit lens<br /><br />Yes, I've just returned from the Sony Service Centre with my trusty 18-70mm!<br /><br />And the first miracle is, it's all covered under warranty. There was a brief misunderstanding about the computers not updated on the extra three months I should've got when I registered the camera, but other than that it was smooth sailing.<br /><br />The second miracle is, the lens feels fantastic - tighter and smoother in operation, as though it has just made the trip off the assembly line. The Carl Zeiss can wait (and my wallet can relax).<br /><br />The third miracle is, they've even found the time to replace the loose rubber grip!<br /><br />So, satisfied, I went to KL for a class presentation. Got 2GB of RAM while i was there. Got back, disassembled my Mac. Ten minutes later, with the 'mini put together again and two RAM sticks slotted into place, I ran it for the first time.<br /><br />Well, when I said "ran", what I should've said was "flew", because that was exactly what happened.<br /><br />Having double the memory meant that tasks that were once a pain to deal with became a breeze. Photoshop? iPhoto? GarageBand? Pah! My rejuvenated Mac mini laughs in the face of all this pettiness.<br /><br />And the best part? It cost less than RM100. Power to the economically-hampered!Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09071687614437985709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986288420060360894.post-72824350579762818142009-05-11T22:14:00.003+08:002009-05-11T23:02:01.448+08:00"If you don't mend it, I'm gonna bone your dog."Back on the blog for a while.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/Sgg8NjtvokI/AAAAAAAAAVA/PHU2lskNgrE/s1600-h/Recent+1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/Sgg8NjtvokI/AAAAAAAAAVA/PHU2lskNgrE/s400/Recent+1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334579962243424834" /></a><br />You may remember, if you've actually been following this pathetic, lazily updated blog, that last year my well-used 18-70mm Sony kit lens had what can only be described as a nervous breakdown every time I put it on my DSLR. Then it got fixed. And now it's back.<br /><br />Same symptoms: sticky focus ring, vibrates wildly when affixed to the camera. Already sent to Sony Centre at Mid Valley - its second visit in barely half a year. Hoping, no, <span style="font-style:italic;">praying</span> it's still covered by the warranty.<br /><br />This lens seems like it's on its last legs - doesn't feel as smooth, and the rubber grip has come loose. I can already see the Sony salesman trying to drag me towards his stash of Carl Zeiss.<br /><br />This is gonna take a big chunk out of my MacBook Pro fund...Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09071687614437985709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986288420060360894.post-12086689987764693232009-04-19T00:00:00.002+08:002009-04-19T00:03:23.461+08:00Things you can't take with your own DSLR.1. Your own DSLR.<br />2. Your entire lens collection.<br />3. All your memory cards.<br /><br />P.S. I'm finally 18. Now stop telling me I'm underaged.Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09071687614437985709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986288420060360894.post-71512212717890959132009-03-10T21:50:00.004+08:002009-03-10T21:58:38.810+08:00Never mind the bollocks.It's Malaysian Studies. Lecture was boring and full with absolute bullshit, as usual, made worse by a stand-in lecturer who sounds like he's constipated. Suddenly, a message rings in. It's Philbert.<br /><br />"Just met Pei Hau. Damn ironic bugger went to Naza [exotic car showroom] yesterday. Saw this guy with two chicks walking out as he was walking in. Bugger looked familiar - was Razak Baginda. Bloody hell, blow up Altantuya and still can go buy car..."<br /><br />I fired back.<br /><br />"Ironically, I'm at a Malaysian Studies lecture. Or, more accurately, a BN propaganda event."<br /><br />P.S. The race is on. Damn, she's gorgeous.Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09071687614437985709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986288420060360894.post-53605018003965841642009-03-08T20:11:00.003+08:002009-03-08T20:56:51.661+08:00D for drive, N for neutral, R for reverse, P for panic.I hate parking.<br /><br />I hate, hate, hate, hate, <span style="font-style:italic;">hate</span> parallel parking.<br /><br />Trying to place your car into a space barely big enough to fit it is bad enough. Add a big drop by the side (also known as a drain) or a curb and the experience is diabolical.<br /><br />I can drive on the road almost well enough, but once I get to my destination and the only parking spots available are those of the parallel variety, panic sets in and I need help.<br /><br />For one, I'm sitting on the right side of the car and about as far away from the parking bay as I can get without being outside the car, so judging distances is a Herculean effort all by itself. And then there's the problem with driving the car into the said parking bay.<br /><br />You see, to be able to fit into the space available you have to turn left into the space ridiculously early. So you'll almost certainly whack into the car behind the space before you actually set a wheel into that space.<br /><br />Then, still turning left, you have to drive ridiculously far in before turning right. Which means you'll almost certainly fall into the drain or clip the curb.<br /><br />And then you have to actually turn right to fit into the space. Which means you'll almost certainly drive into the car in front.<br /><br />And then you have to reverse to straighten the car. Which means you'll almost certainly back into the car you'd almost certainly have hit earlier.<br /><br />And if, after all that, you still haven't fit in to the space (which is almost a certainty), you have to drive out to try again. And that almost certainly means you'd add another dent into the car in front. And so it goes on.<br /><br />Of course, it's a bit easier if you reverse into the space. But of course, as this is Malaysia, by the time you've shifted into reverse, there'd almost certainly be a line of cars an inch behind your rear bumper. Which means you'd almost certainly reverse into the car behind.<br /><br />Before I got my hands on a licence, I used to think that everyone should know how to park and those who don't are idiots. But now I know I was wrong. It's virtually impossible.Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09071687614437985709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986288420060360894.post-51564833402660355432009-02-18T02:25:00.002+08:002009-02-18T03:48:44.476+08:00Left-hand politics.I know this sounds weird, coming from someone from both sides of the fence, but I really do think left-handers are like Mac users, in the sense that they think that they're unique and better than everybody else.<br /><br />Now, before anybody from both camps pelt me with food, think about it. Lefties always extol the virtues of being a left-hander, like being smarter and more artistic. But you never see a right-hander boasting about being more logical, do you?<br /><br />Likewise, a typical Mac user utilises every opportunity available to talk about how their aesthetically-pleasing machines run faster and more efficiently than an equivalent PC, whereas Windows users...wait, there are no redeeming features for Windows.<br /><br />Mac users and left-handers are also similar in other ways. For instance, you always see lefties go looking around in class for other people writing with the same hand (I'm afraid I do that sometimes) the same way someone with an iMac looks around at Starbucks for people carrying MacBook Pros.<br /><br />These characteristics can be shared with people of/with other things as well. In fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised if 95% of the world's left-handed people are also either Mac users, DSLR photographers, Citroën drivers, artists, French or various combinations of all of the above.Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09071687614437985709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986288420060360894.post-25272108437481370992009-02-05T05:08:00.002+08:002009-02-05T05:20:39.728+08:00Shittyx, part deux.Just to show anyone bothering to read this how monumentally frustrated I am of Streamyx, I've came back to rant.<br /><br />Streamyx is literally the most hopeless, most unreliable piece of technology I've ever had the misfortune to pay for. The iPod comes close in reliability - that thing broke after just three years - but at least it was fun while it lasted. All Streamyx does, on the other hand, is give constant headache.<br /><br />What's so hard about giving us perfectly decent broadband service? It's not like we're asking for supersonic download speeds - just make it simple, reliable and adequately quick. And yet somehow, the thick people at Menara TM (they couldn't even design the building by themselves and ended up with a Burj Al Arab rip-off) could screw it up.<br /><br />We should all sue them for fraud. After all, Streamyx isn't cheap.Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09071687614437985709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986288420060360894.post-27562969559438248752009-02-05T00:52:00.003+08:002009-02-05T01:52:03.353+08:00Tagged. Again.This was off Philbert's blog.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Does it matter to you if your boyfriend or girlfriend smoke?</span><br />Very much. I don't give an inkling if friends smoke (and trust me, a lot of my friends from Limkokwing do), but as far as a girlfriend is concerned, it's all a bit...meh.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">How about drinking?</span><br />That's not a problem. As long as she's not Amy Winehouse alcoholic.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Do you like someone you can't have?</span><br />I did. Who hasn't?<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />If someone liked you right now, would you want them to tell you?</span><br />Yup. Because it never works the other way round.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What's your favourite sport?</span><br />Like Philbert, Formula One. Kimi Räikkönen really needs to wipe the smug smile off Lewis Hamilton's prepubescent face this year.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Its Saturday night, and you're home alone... what do you do?</span><br />Threesome. Nah, joking.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Do you like roller coasters?</span><br />Haven't been on one. Seriously. Does that count as a no?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">When's the perfect time to have a bf/gf?</span><br />When you can juggle work and play.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">If you could date any celebrity, who would it be?</span><br />What do you mean by "celebrity"?<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />What are you doing this weekend?</span><br />Going out with a friend from primary who's about to leave to Australia.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What is your favourite restaurant?</span><br />I've no favourite. I love all food too much.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Have you ever hugged someone?</span><br />Yes.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Ever kissed someone you weren't attracted to?</span><br />No.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Do you like anyone right now?</span><br />Um, yes and no. Take it however you like.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />What is the first thing you notice about the opposite sex?</span><br />Looks. I'm a shallow person, to be honest. Philbert says it's "the whole picture", but he also told me once that he looks at girls directly where his eye level is, i.e. lower.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Which do you prefer, Beach or Mountains?</span><br />Mountains. The beach doesn't really do it for me, somehow. Probably because all the sand goes straight into your pants.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />What kind of phone do you have?</span><br />My bargain-fodder Sony Ericsson W200i. As far as Sony Ericssons go, it's positively <span style="font-style:italic;">cheap</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Computer or Laptop?</span><br />Got a desktop, want a laptop. That MacBook Pro...<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Jeans or Sweats?</span><br />Jeans.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Which year(s) has/have been the best so far?</span><br />1991. Because I was born then.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">How old are you gonna be on your next birthday?</span><br />Legal age.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What should you be doing right now?</span><br />Sleeping.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />What is your favourite TV show?</span><br />A draw. In the American corner, we have Emmy-winning medical drama House (whose titular character is played, ironically, by a Brit). In the Brit corner, we have Emmy-winning motoring show Top Gear. Both epic shows.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What's been your last purchase?</span><br />Converse clothes.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Are you attracted to girls/boys that smoke?</span><br />I can understand why people do it, but apart from that, no.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Have you ever fallen on your butt in front of a crowd of people?</span><br />Not yet.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What do you do when you're at home?</span><br />Computer, video games, eat, shit, sleep.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What is your favourite subject?</span><br />Hard to consider, since all of them revolve around the art of drawing. Probably Analytical Drawing. But hey, there's Photography coming...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What's the best thing that's ever happened to you?</span><br />I dunno. When was the last time I got a toy/gadget?<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Tagging:</span><br />Everyone.Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09071687614437985709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986288420060360894.post-16114237984015352392009-02-04T22:56:00.003+08:002009-02-04T23:32:36.313+08:00Shittyx.Streamyx - for me, anyway - is stupidly, hopelessly tepid.<br /><br />You know, there was a time in the not-too-distant past when Streamyx was a moderately adequate broadband service.<br /><br />Now, it's so slow that the bandwidth can only be described as one-way-street narrow.<br /><br />What an utter waste of precious, hard-earned money.<br /><br />Every month my family pays RM66 to the overlords of telecom service that is TM and what do I get?<br /><br />Frequent disconnections.<br /><br />Painfully slow loads.<br /><br />And - this is what <span style="font-style:italic;">really</span> irritates me - MSN constantly bouncing back messages that I've sent.<br /><br />Every time I use MSN there's bound to be a slew of "The message cannot be sent because a timeout/connection error has occured". Which is deeply annoying when you're engaged in a conversation.<br /><br />Seriously, the only reason I'm not rushing to plug that phone line straight to the Mac mini is that it doesn't support dial-up.<br /><br />I really do hope that in this economic recession TM will be hit by such a shitstorm of debts, corruption, mismanagement, complaints and loss of customers that even government bailouts can't save it from being steamrolled into the depths of bankruptcy.<br /><br />And that, while trying to bailout all the struggling companies, the government itself will go under.<br /><br />And that, without the money that they can sneak so easily from under the table, the corrupt politicians and businessmen in the country will all go wither and die a painfully poor death.<br /><br />Which would give me a really good reason to switch to some other broadband service.<br /><br />Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm on a phone call to TM. Because I know that ain't happening.Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09071687614437985709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986288420060360894.post-1941126714168622832009-01-16T06:16:00.004+08:002009-01-16T07:51:40.538+08:00Scuderia Fisher-PriceHave you seen Ferrari's new F60? No, it's not a replacement for its Enzo flagship but rather, its latest in a long line (make that 60 years long, hence the name) of Formula One contenders. And certainly when you look at it, the words that flow through your mind are less "world-class racing" and more "Fisher-Price"...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/01/36113_f2009_33.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 520px;" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/01/36113_f2009_33.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Like a few people who've seen it, I initially thought that this would be a look that we would eventually get used to. But after a few days, some thought and the subsequent launch of Toyota's own TF109...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/01/tf109_front_1_black.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 520px;" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/01/tf109_front_1_black.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />...my opinion changed.<br /><br />This year's crop of cars will never look "right".<br /><br />Some people may argue that with every rule change - and it's always the rules that dictate the shape of the car - there's always a certain time before a car's new look becomes comfortable to look at. But in the past, no matter how revolutionary the changes were, all the cars had a certain rightness in their proportions.<br /><br />Take, for instance, an F1 car from last year (like this BMW Sauber, and spamming my own blog with my photo in the process)...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3066/2787287644_c65012778c_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 520px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3066/2787287644_c65012778c_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />...and one from, say, 1950 (like this, Nino Farina's championship-winning Alfa Romeo)...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i25.tinypic.com/16hkm68.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 520px;" src="http://i25.tinypic.com/16hkm68.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />The two of these cars couldn't be more disparate, yet they are both pretty in their own right. One, heavily-bespoilered yet somehow sleek; the other - devoid of any aerodynamic devices - elegant and pure. And most importantly, both look proportionate.<br /><br />Which is more than can be said of this year's cars. The huge new front wings make the cars (despite undoubtedly occupying the same footprint as their predecessors) look small, almost go-kart-like - a look exacerbated by the narrow-yet-tall rear wings.<br /><br />True, these changes are due to new rules designed to make races more interesting (the new wings are said to encourage overtaking), but surely there are better solutions out there. I mean, '90s racing was close, and they didn't have to resort to this...<br /><br />But one thing's for sure - with all these new rules and regulations - and the teams struggling to cope with them - this season is shaping up to be a good one. Who knows, maybe these new appendages do work after all.<br /><br />Oh, and by the way, Ferrari, lose the spinners/wheel covers. Yes, they're there for aerodynamic reasons, but nothing says 'cheap' like hubcaps on a US$25m car.Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09071687614437985709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986288420060360894.post-51579397602698975312008-11-01T15:25:00.002+08:002008-11-01T15:34:38.864+08:00WTF. Was doing some stuff on the computer the other day, heard a loud commotion. Ran out, and sitting there on that old crappy coffee table, like some space-age battleship that had just landed on some cornfield, was my new housemate's black PS3. Metal Gear Solid 4 was awesome.<br /><br />Still no update on the camera. Got a new pair of shoes to replace my outgrown and outworn Adidas, though. Converse, black, low-cut, RM95.90.Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09071687614437985709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986288420060360894.post-24966492424527154562008-10-25T22:04:00.012+08:002008-10-27T15:26:35.208+08:00Me against the gadgetsI've come out - briefly - from my blogging hiatus to vent my frustration.<br /><br />The month of October 2008 should really be called the month of the fragile gadgets.<br /><br />It all started when my new Sony Ericsson W200i (which hasn't even racked up two months of service, I should say) started having problems. After syncing with my computer one day, every file on the Memory Stick goes corrupt, necessitating a reformatting of the card. This became increasingly frequent and, thinking it was a problem with the Memory Stick, I upgraded to a 2GB card and bought a card reader to minimise the risk of file corruption while connecting and disconnecting from the computer. Then a new problem emerged - the phone started to have difficulties playing M4A audio files.<br /><br />It would be able to play a number of files of this type in succession, then flag up a "playback failed" message. Switching to an MP3 file and back would cure the problem, but only for a short while before every file - M4A, MP3, even theme files - becomes unreadable and the phone has to be restarted. And then the cycle repeats itself. Doing a master reset on the phone has no effect whatsoever.<br /><br />To rub salt in the wound, just last Monday, while trying to add pictures into the phone to bring to the school's print shop (I don't have a pen drive, see) both the phone's USB cable AND that stupid cheapo card reader I just bought cease to function properly. But the biggest, most important and possibly the most expensive failure came later that day.<br /><br />While using my beloved Sony A200 camera, the 18-70mm lens had a tendency to get stuck while focussing. Perplexed, I switched to manual focus mode and rotated the focussing ring to try to free it up a bit, then flicked it back to auto focus. Without warning, the camera vibrated so violently that I had to switch it off to prevent anything else from breaking. Clearly, something was broken in the lens.<br /><br />Annoyingly and disturbingly, three of the four products mentioned were Sony products.<br /><br />So today, I brought the phone to the dealer who sold it to me to claim warranty. Idiotic salesman argued that AAC (which Sony Ericsson says the phone can support) and M4A files are two different formats and insisted the I had put in files of the wrong format. He is wrong - AAC is the encoding scheme for audio files, M4A is the file created from this scheme.<br /><br />Whatever. I'll ask the Sony technicians when I bring the lens (which I seriously hope would be covered under warranty) to the service centre another day (it isn't open on weekends). Until then I'll continue to be worried - the month isn't over yet, and I've still got one working Sony product left (the PSP).<br /><br />Fingers crossed.<br /><br />P.S. Pictures of Limkokwing University of Creative Technology's <span style="font-style:italic;">kolam</span> project at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur are now up on Facebook. Check them out.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">UPDATE:</span> Checked across forums and it turns out that the playback problem for M4A files is a known bug. Which is depressing - was hoping to take advantage from the higher sound quality of this format compared to MP3s. Ah, well, shit happens.Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09071687614437985709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986288420060360894.post-82694703855765139192008-08-17T00:47:00.004+08:002008-08-17T01:49:25.937+08:00Walking DisasterThe rules of this tag are relatively simple: <br />1. Put whatever music player you're listening to (iPod, iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc.) into shuffle mode.<br />2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.<br />3. Type out the song title, no matter how incredibly ridiculous it sounds.<br />4. Put any comments in brackets after the song title.<br /><br />1. If someone says, "Is this okay?" You say?<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Infernal Dance of King Kastchei from The Firebrid Suite (1919)</span> - Igor Stravinsky<br />(My brain cannot imagine the look on that someone's face when I say that.)<br /><br />2. How would you describe yourself?<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Be At Home</span> - Isamu Ohira<br />(Um, because I actually <span style="font-style:italic;">am</span> at home?)<br /><br />3. What do you like in a girl?<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Hold On</span> - KT Tunstall<br />(Yeah, sorry, I still haven't decided...)<br /><br />4. How do you feel today?<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Fake Tales of San Francisco</span> - Arctic Monkeys<br />(Whud?)<br /><br />5.What is your life's purpose?<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Devil in the Wishing Well</span> - Five for Fighting<br />(Yes, my life's purpose is to be red, have horns, have a particular liking towards the numbers 666 and sit in a wishing well. Yeah.)<br /><br />6. What is your motto?<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Underclass Hero</span> - Sum 41<br />(Uh huh.)<br /><br />7. What do your friends think of you?<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Jeux de Vagues from La Mer</span> - Claude Debussy<br />(Which, according to my translator widget, is "Sets of Waves from the Sea". Riiight...)<br /><br />8. What do you think of your parents?<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">One and Only</span> - Timberland featuring Fall Out Boy<br />(Yes, you are. Love you.)<br /><br />9. What do you think about very often?<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Love Song</span> - Sara Bareilles<br />(Okay, I don't do that. Honest.)<br /><br />10. What is 2 + 2?<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">4 Minutes (feat. Justin Timberlake and Timbaland)</span> - Madonna<br />(Partly correct, but what in the name of all that's holy is this song doing here?)<br /><br />11. What do you think of your best friend?<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What If</span> - Coldplay<br />(What if... you were less of an opinionated bastard. You know who you are.)<br /><br />12. What do you think of the person you like?<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Me, You and My Medication</span> - Boys Like Girls<br />(My medication, <span style="font-style:italic;">kononnya</span>...)<br /><br />13.What is your life story?<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Auto Rock</span> - Mogwai<br />(*acts confused*)<br /><br />14. What do you want to be when you grow up?<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Angry Mob</span> - Kaiser Chiefs<br />(We are the angry mob, we read the papers everyday, we like who we like, we hate who we hate, but we're all so easily swayed...)<br /><br />15. What do you think of when you see the person you like?<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Sweetness</span> - Jimmy Eat World<br />(Oh, yes.)<br /><br />16.What will you dance to at your wedding?<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Kiss You Goodbye</span> - The BAD<br />('the f*ck?)<br /><br />17.What will they play at your funeral?<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Everybody's Changing</span> - Keane<br />(When we die, we change. From a house to a coffin.)<br /><br />18.What is your hobby/interest?<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Carpal Tunnel of Love</span> - Fall Out Boy<br />(Pfft.)<br /><br />19.What is your biggest fear?<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">On Top of The World</span> - Boys Like Girls<br />(Which is sorta true, actually - I'm a bit acrophobic.)<br /><br />20.What is your biggest secret?<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Pastorale from L'Arlésienne (Suite 2 No. 1)</span> - Georges Bizet<br />(Er...)<br /><br />21.What do you think of your friends<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arm's Race</span> - Fall Out Boy<br />(Yes, all my friends are engaged in an arms race...)<br /><br />22. What will you post this as?<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Walking Disaster</span> - Sum 41<br /><br />Well, that's about it. I'm tagging Philbert. Can't wait to see how he answers, with his MacBook full of Chopin.Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09071687614437985709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986288420060360894.post-41172433982771684942008-08-11T18:49:00.005+08:002008-08-12T19:37:44.330+08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SKAaiMl6D8I/AAAAAAAAANo/bYNSkKQ4eew/s1600-h/Top+Gear+spoof+cover.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SKAaiMl6D8I/AAAAAAAAANo/bYNSkKQ4eew/s400/Top+Gear+spoof+cover.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233211941802610626" /></a><br />I'm quite a big fan of the British motoring magazine, Top Gear. Sure, it's not the most detailed magazine of all, but its blend of stunning photography, great graphics and witty writing makes it excellent reading material (and of course, who can forget the great Jeremy Clarkson, who has his own column in it). So when I heard that someone was going to create a Malaysian version of it last year, I couldn't wait. Then that someone turned out to be Donald Cheah...<br /><br />Before Top Gear Malaysia, Donald was the usual Malaysian motoring mag editor - average, and frankly very dull. But when such a big name came to his hands he obviously had to do something to stand out from the crowd. And he did.<br /><br />As a result, TGM isn't so much a motoring mag as a men's mag with a few car reviews in it. Of course, quite a bit of what makes the original great is still in it, but the rest is a total letdown.<br /><br />Let's start with the adverts. Normally, this wouldn't be an issue, but in TGM there's so many of them that it simply becomes annoying. Yes, the original also relies heavily on ads, but at least they were car ads. Flip through a copy of TGM, on the other hand, and all you see are watches... watches... more watches... men's clothing... men's fragrances... men's undies (!)... even more watches...<br /><br />Then there's a problem with a section of Top Gear called - creatively enough - Top Gear. This is one of the more likable sections in the original as it is essentially a collection of really, really cool automobile-related merchandise (like watches, jackets, toys and the like), complete with great (and sometimes hilarious) descriptions. In the Malaysian edition, however, the entire collection is replaced with - you guessed it - men's stuff. Clothes, fragrances, phones, computers, belts, ties, wallets, briefcases, pens, cufflinks, rings, teddy bears (eh?) - you name it, they have it, the list goes on. Even more annoyingly though, almost all of them have absolutely <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">zilch</span> to do with cars. And just to make the section even less appealing, the descriptions look to have been written by a ten-year-old one afternoon.<br /><br />Amazingly, you think, they've left out the watches. You let out a huge sigh of relief, only to turn a few pages and find out that Donald Duck really did have a watch fetish after all.<br /><br />THERE'S AN ENTIRE SECTION DEVOTED TO WATCHES.<br /><br />OH MY GOD.<br /><br />YOU CAN'T BE BLOODY SERIOUS. YOU JUST CAN'T.<br /><br />Yes, it's only a small section. Yes, I was overreacting. But Donald, this is a car magazine! Stop diluting it! You're only gonna make it worse! If I was in the market for a watch I'd have gotten a men's mag instead so please, STOP IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTT!!!<br /><br />And then things get really bad. They loped-off the Lifers (i.e. long-termers) section. For those not familiar with the concept of long-term testing, it's basically about a group of the staff of the magazine (writers, photographers, editors, etc.) who are each given cars to live with for a long period of time (usually a year) and asked to write on their thoughts of their cars every month. It's a great concept, since it tests things (like reliability and customer service) that usually cannot be evaluated in a usual, short review. But obviously, the Malaysian team must have decided that, since local car companies would never loan cars for that long a time and that the Brits only test foreign cars in their own country's conditions, it doesn't deserve a place in the mag. And that is a great shame.<br /><br />If you've seen all that and still want to read the Malaysian-made articles, do proceed with caution. Because there are problems there too.<br /><br />I'll start with the pictures. Phtography in Malaysian car mags are usually well below par. TGM improves upon this, but it still lags horribly behind Getacar, which is easily the local magazine with the best photography.<br /><br />Then there's Donald Cheah's writing. It's typical of most local scribes - boring. He does improve upon arriving at TGM, but it's still a bit anodyne.<br /><br />That wouldn't be so bad if he had a team of much better writers to back him up. But the only other writer in his stable is Ben Tan and to be honest, he's even worse. Much, much worse. Reading his articles is a bit like watching a Windows computer start up.<br /><br />It truly is page after page of eye-drying boredom.<br /><br />And this leads to the crux of the problem with TGM. Most publications can get away with monotonous writing because the foreign magazines they're based on aren't really known for their bunch of entertaining writers. But Top Gear UK is, and this is where the local team falls the hardest.<br /><br />And they still make mistakes that should never happen. I'd like to direct this one in particular to Ben Tan - how incredibly stupid can your Mathematics teacher be before he/she can make you think that a RM69,888 Suzuki Swift "easily undercuts" a RM65k Proton Waja?<br /><br />Last but not least, there's parent company Astro's approach to censorship. Yes, Top Gear isn't the magazine out there with the cleanest language and sure, there's the obvious stuff to asterisk. But just to show how narrow-minded they are, turn to the last page. This is the Campaign for Real Racing Drivers section. On the original, there's a badge that says, "Sex: Breakfast of Champions" on the top left. They removed it from the Malaysian version. Enough said.Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09071687614437985709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986288420060360894.post-10889241015442952692008-08-03T16:24:00.002+08:002008-08-03T16:41:49.178+08:00Learning to drive a car with a manual transmission is scary.<br /><br />In an auto car, you only have to deal with the steering, brakes, accelerator and the world around you. Throw into the mix a clutch and five gears (including reverse) you have to row yourself, however, and it becomes a one-ton, 40 km/h juggling game. And while you're busy dealing with all that, you also have to put up with a particularly irritable instructor who speaks in a language you're not familiar with.<br /><br />And you have to do all that without stalling (at the lights) or crashing (everywhere else).Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09071687614437985709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986288420060360894.post-24492545412297717612008-07-15T00:00:00.005+08:002008-07-15T23:58:58.489+08:00The Petrol Dilemma.Ah, yes. Petrol. What's a Malaysian blog without a post on the now-infamous price hike?<br /><br />Some people have been whingeing about fuel prices since their cars started running on the stuff. They put all the blame on the government for letting it burn a massive black hole in their pockets. My advice to them is to just stop the nonsense and get on with it.<br /><br />It's not like the price of fuel has sat on a finely-tuned balance in the previous years. If you would just cast your mind not too far back, they hiked the price by 30 sen barely two years ago and 10 sen <span style="font-style:italic;">twice</span> the year before. You may think, sure, this is nothing compared to 80 sen the petrol station now asks extra for, but bear in mind that world oil prices increased twofold since 2006. Plus, the last time I checked, not a sen was added to the proce of petrol last year, which was an attempt by the government to "protect the people".<br /><br />Also do remember that despite the exponential hike, we still enjoy one of the cheapest fuel prices in the region (I said "one of" because Brunei takes the cake - but more on that later). You only need to see how the Thais are still trying ever-so-cunningly to smuggle our petrol to see my point.<br /><br />But no, said the detractors. They said we should only compare our fuel prices to countries that actually produce oil. So they put up a chart comparing petrol prices... to countries in the Middle East.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_bsrZzTl-Lw0/SElYUJvtFuI/AAAAAAAABTU/ldRCudUn7oo/S1600-R/Petrol+prices.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_bsrZzTl-Lw0/SElYUJvtFuI/AAAAAAAABTU/ldRCudUn7oo/S1600-R/Petrol+prices.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />What, to use a more euphemistic phrase, on the face of the Earth, the Solar System, the Milky Way and the Universe <span style="font-style:italic;">combined</span> were they thinking? The oil we make compared to any one of these countries is literally a drop in the South China Sea. Let's look at the evidence - even United Arab Emirates, the country with the most expensive petrol of the list, makes about 2,500,000 barrels a day. Take a guess, if you will, how much we make in comparison.<br /><br />1,500,000? 1,000,000? No. 800,000 barrels a day. No wonder our petrol costs twice as much.<br /><br />And besides, if we did make anywhere near that amount of oil we'd all be obscenely wealthy and drive <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/13/ultimate-bling-saudi-arabian-chromes-his-ferrari-599-gtb-fioran/">chrome Ferraris</a> and <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/24/objection-burberry-edition-maserati-quattroporte-spotted-in-sau/">Burberry Maseratis</a>. Would you really want to see stuff like that? Really?<br /><br />Ah, but the more discerning of you would point me towards Brunei. Compared to Malaysia, they make a drop in the bucket - 200,000 barrels a day - yet they are still able to peg the price of petrol at RM1.22 a litre. The reason? Simple. Brunei's size and population is also a drop in the bucket compared to Malaysia.<br /><br />Larger land + Higher population = More money spent on the people + More money spent on development + More money spent on corruption. The end.<br /><br />And why is every father, mother and son making Petronas a scapegoat for everything? It's not like they're the petrol overlords and are able to change prices at will. Blaming them for the rise is like blaming Maybank for the decrease in value of the Ringgit.<br /><br />But what really pisses me off was when people started putting the blame on Petronas' expenditures. There was an article in The Star that talks about the exact same thing and I agree with everything he/she said. Take, for instance, the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra. This drew a lot of ire from some members of the public because the members are mostly foreigners and that it was a waste of money. Right. And who do you want to see playing instead, a bunch of ill-advised locales who can't even differentiate between a violin and a cello?<br /><br />People seem to be forgetting that the foreigners are only here to lead the way for Malaysian musicians to join the orchestra. Petronas should really be commended for reigniting interest in classical music, a genre that is fading fast in the face of sometimes awful modern music. And what about the Youth Orchestra, which I think I'm right in saying is all-Malaysian? Is letting young local talent show their skills to the world a waste of money?<br /><br />And then there's the problem with their involvement in Formula One. You might think that it's unreasonable that we should be paying more for our petrol whilst they're out feeding some very thirsty race cars to go basically round and round a set path. But come on. State-owned it may be, but Petronas is still, to all intents and purposes, a profit-driven business. And what a better way to bring more customers to their fold than to sponsor a seriously competitive race team (BMW) in what is arguably the highest-profile motorsport championship in the world?<br /><br />And don't go on blathering about the fact that there aren't any Malaysian drivers in the team. Petronas sponsors fuel, not drivers. Yes, BMW's presence in Malaysia has skyrocketed since the takeover of Sauber (in which Petronas was a team partner). And yes, BMW has given opportunities for local talent to enter the world of motorsports with Formula BMW and so on. But the choice of top-flight drivers is still BMW's. Which is a German company. Michael Schumacher or Alex Yoong? Exactly.<br /><br />So while you can knock the Government for many different things, fuel prices aren't one of them. Yes, they are getting expensive, but they're not unbearable. So please, move on. There are much better things to focus on.<br /><br />Like spending some of that subsidy money on the stupid bus system.<br /><br />A few weeks back, I've started working again. Well, it's not actually a job. Basically, my dad has persuaded his friend to let me learn and do some stuff at his design studio for a couple of months before I head off to Lim Kok Wing on the 28th. The problem is, the studio is at the other end of the world - Subang.<br /><br />That meant that due to the rise in fuel prices, my mother wouldn't send me all the way. For the best car-to-bus ratio, she decided that I'd be dropped off at the crossing point between Jalan Gasing and Jalan Universiti. But that still means I had to take two buses en route to the studio.<br /><br />So just imagine what it was like for me, then still an amateur public transport rider, the first time I had to take a bus there. The first bus got me to the bus stop at Subang Perdana. Pretty uneventful. So I was thinking the second local bus would be the same. So I waited.<br /><br />And waited...<br /><br />The longer I waited, the more agonising it became. The sun was rising, heating the place like some oven that was permanently stuck at the maximum setting. But the bus, however late I was for "work", wouldn't come.<br /><br />Honestly, more planes flew by than there were buses. So I got fed up and decided to walk.<br /><br />And promptly got lost in the process.<br /><br />In the end, tired and furiously late, I hauled a taxi. Which cheated me of my tenner.<br /><br />Turns out I waited at a bus stop which the bus doesn't stop at, even though it was supposed to. And you know what annoyed me most of all? The "proper" bus stop turned out to be just a few feet away from where I was swearing profusely from.<br /><br />Bus services are a nightmare in this part of the world. You are more likely to contract polio after being vaccinated than to get to your destination on time in a bus.<br /><br />And the problem is actually not punctuality - because the buses always arrive at a set time. I've checked the tickets from previous journeys and it turns out that most of them arrive within 5 minutes of each other every morning.<br /><br />No, no. What is the problem is the frequencies of the buses. A half-hour wait between buses is the norm on normal routes. And it's even worse on local shuttle routes, because there's only one bus per route. And they're so irregular - you can wait hours for the next bus only to find that the one after that is literally behind it.<br /><br />What we need are more buses. And the worst thing is, instead of fixing something genuinely wrong with the public transport system, the government has decided to spend all its subsidy money on the one link in the rusty chain that isn't in dire need of repair - the rail transport.<br /><br />That's the problem with the mentality of the truly abysmal ignoramuses at the helm of the government today. The Japanese would acknowledge a fault and mend it. The Singaporeans would acknowledge a fault and mend it. The Malaysians? They will deny the fault outright and will remain ignorant until a significant percentage of the population comes knocking on the doors with guns and swords. And even then they'll only do the easiest, most idiotproof work, then skive off and, oh, I dunno, insult Indians.<br /><br />It's like a Titanic. You use all the effort in the world to try to manoeuvre the ship away from the iceberg, only to realise, slumped on the floor, that you're still heading towards the iceberg.<br /><br />And then there's the problem with the bus drivers. Has anyone seen how arrogant and ignorant can they be? How can they possibly expect everyone, especially foreigners, to bring exact change everywhere they go? Show them anything other than the right amount and they'd act as if you'd just mentioned some unutterable two-syllable, four-lettered word. And nobody dares argue because they'd otherwise be stuffed into a hospital with blood coming out of every orifice.<br /><br />And - this is what pisses me off - why the hell do they ever so often "forget" to turn on their electronic signboards? They're there for a reason, you know.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SHy55HCqEMI/AAAAAAAAANg/Z4QP6woNdQs/s1600-h/DSC06749.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SHy55HCqEMI/AAAAAAAAANg/Z4QP6woNdQs/s400/DSC06749.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223254058636808386" /></a><br /><br />They may argue that there's no need to have the electronic signboard because you can read the plastic one below it. They are <span style="font-style:italic;">wrong</span>. How can you expect someone like me, who's a bit dopey and has poor eyesight, to read some text printed on a panel the size of a postcard 500 million metres away? And no, I can't wait for the bus to come closer. Any nearer and the driver will pretend to not see me and speed off to oblivion.<br /><br />And why, oh why do they stop for so long at the end of the route? It's okay is the route is quite a long one, where the drivers need to rest. But come on, the local shuttle route? Which is usually less than 10km? And it's not like they're actually resting - all they do is chat up the passengers and some bloke who comes and writes on paper. They should have this cast iron plate blocking the driver from the rest of the bus. <span style="font-style:italic;">Then</span> watch them whine about exact change.<br /><br />And last but not least, who the fuck decided to put up the route map of a bus that <span style="font-weight:bold;">DOESN'T STOP THERE</span>?<br /><br />All this rambling brings us down to a question. Why can't we - the people who made the world's longest heated box made of chicken wire that can also be used to cook fish, remember - make a half-decent public transport system? In Japan - where people can't be bothered to actually cook their fish - the average delay of a train is six seconds. For them, a late train is anything over a minute late, by which time people get to ride the train for free. And if they're five minutes late, they get a verbal apology from the conductor and a delay certificate to explain to their employees why they were late for their morning exercise. <br /><br />Now I will admit that it was a pretty exaggerated example. But even if we were able to do 0.005% of what the Japanese did, we'd end up with a system miles away from what the cocks at RapidKL have done.<br /><br />So there we are. I spent all of my time trying to get everyone to stop blaming the government about the fuel prices. Only to be pissed off by the government like everyone else.Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09071687614437985709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986288420060360894.post-25555286992939007242008-06-04T21:46:00.010+08:002008-06-12T00:04:47.219+08:00Damnit.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SEgyDJqh2MI/AAAAAAAAAMc/pP9L0WEob5g/s1600-h/nowifi.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SEgyDJqh2MI/AAAAAAAAAMc/pP9L0WEob5g/s400/nowifi.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208467998769273026" /></a><br />This is what I had to deal with last week. A tectonic-plate-slow Streamyx and a kaput WiFi. It's infuriating, to be honest, to try to use a computer without any sort of Internet connection whatsoever. I've lost count on the number of time I've forgotten this fact and opened Safari (Apple's standard Internet browser) only to be slapped in the face with the message "Safari can't open the page...blah blah blah". A call to TM had them sort out (i.e. make marginally less slow) the connection speed, but trying to massage the white Netgear wireless router to actually communicate with the Mac proved more time consuming.<br /><br />Lots of prodding and browsing the manual diagnosed the problem - the router was inadvertently reset, deleting all the information needed to connect to the Internet. On Netgear routers, this information would have to be put back before wireless connectivity would be re-enabled. A few minutes of typing in the ISP details and putting up with a dependable-if-predictably-slow 5-year-old Dell and wireless internet was for everyone in the house to enjoy. I was understandably proud, to say the least. Bill Gates, eat your heart out.<br /><br />Now, if you know me you might think I'm only interested in cars. Well, you're damn right. And obviously, being a car addict and just turned 17 I wanted to get a driving license. So two weeks ago I went for the Driver's Education Curriculum class in Nilai. This is a mandatory 5-hour course that is basically a prep for the theory exam. As expected, it covers everything from road signs to accident factors to demerit points. What I didn't expect, however, was the lecturer who goes by the name of Victor. While effective at teaching, he was an oddball, a Mr Thong of sorts. I mean, he started the class by introducing not only himself, but the rest of his family as well. And being from a race that originated from the land of Bollywood, his verbal and body language was nothing if not dramatic. He is, in short, a bit scary. If you see him as your lecturer, <span style="font-style:italic;">run</span>.<br /><br />A week after that decidedly haunting experience, I decided to put everything Victor taught me to the test. Literally. Because I had to go to Kinrara to sit for the theory exam. An objective paper (well, not exactly "paper", since the whole thing is computerised), it consisted of 50 questions divided into three parts. The first 15 questions are all about road signs, while the next 25 questions tested driving skills and ethics. The final 10 questions, on the other hand, ask about stress and the highway code, including driving licenses and demerit points. The best thing is, every one of those questions is a random selection from 500 preset questions. And they're all in a book that would be given to you. Together with all the answers.<br /><br />Simple, you may think. I thought so too. Until a slight distraction in the form of my 10-year-old cousin staying overnight meant that even after all my efforts, I still couldn't finish studying for the test the night before. Under-prepared is an understatement.<br /><br />So I arrived at Kinrara at about 8:30 (after hastily studying on the way there), expecting the whole issue to be done rather quickly. It turned out not to be.<br /><br />You may have waited in a government building before. You might even think you feel my pain. But I'm afraid not. Yes, waiting in the government building is always an excruciatingly long process, but waiting in a government building for an exam? Frankly, I'd rather have done the exam in the Samad toilet. And there was no use to study - for me, the more I try to study at school on exam day, the more I forget. To make matters worse, I didn't carry my PSP with me. And I got a really bad cold. Enough said.<br /><br />So, bored, irritated, unprepared and suffering from an increasingly leaky nose, I was finally let into the exam room at 10:30, worried that I'd actually flunk it.<br /><br />And promptly came out again.<br /><br />Soon afterwards, the blokes at the desk produced the results slip (very SPM-ish, no?). It read like this:<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">SEKSYEN A:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">13/15</span></div><div style="text-align: center;">SEKSYEN B:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">25/25</span></div><div style="text-align: center;">SEKSYEN C:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">10/10</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">JUMLAH MARKAH:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>48/50</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">MARKAH LULUS<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>42/50 </span></div><br /><br />Best of all though, was the time taken: 10 minutes 23 seconds. Sticking to the motoring theme of this post, that means that in around the time it takes for Jeremy Clarkson to complete a full lap around the Nürburgring Nordschleife in a Jaguar S-Type (diesel, granted), I did 50 questions. That's even faster than EST.<br /><br />Yes, I didn't get full score, but hell, I was happy.<br /><br />With the result in the bag, I took the next step towards obtaining a license, which was to attend a workshop. Another mandatory course, it is split into two sessions - a three-hour theory (indoor) session and a three-hour practical (outdoor) one. The first session is similar to the first class I attended, but focused more on driving. But of course, being the JPJ, we had to wait. Again. This time though, I learnt my lesson and carried my PSP with me, so it wasn't so bad.<br /><br />After quite a while they <span style="font-style:italic;">finally</span> sent out an lecturer. And of course, being in the JPJ, he was Malay. What was funny, though, was the jacket he was wearing. It was black, with a JPJ insignia on one side. And on the other (like as if they'd sponsor them) was a cheap Nike iron-on badge. I had to twist my face to stop laughing it off.<br /><br />Fake badges aside though, he was at least relatively funny, and much better than Victor. Even going so far as to make fun of his name, Hamdan. Which, in Cantonese is - of course - salted egg.<br /><br />After this, it was time for the practical. No, I haven't been able to drive a car yet. At least legally. Anyway, this session was just to show the various parts of the engine bay, as well as to demonstrate changing tyres, using an actual Kancil as a volunteer. However, the bloke who taught us, Zul, forbid us blokes from participating in the session and relegated us to the seats instead, because it would be "too easy for the guys". So he let the girls participate.<br /><br />Now that would be fine if they were actually smart. Instead, we had to sit there in frustration as the they tried to differentiate between a radiator and an oil dipstick (bearing in mind this was all taught just a few hours ago during theory). At least we got to choose which girl to embarrass.<br /><br />Still, it all went well. After yet more waiting, we were let home. Now that I'm waiting for my L license, the next stage is, of course, driving. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be using the internet. Wireless broadband is fantastic, isn't it?Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09071687614437985709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986288420060360894.post-80971749599747395762008-05-23T19:17:00.003+08:002008-05-24T03:09:00.280+08:00Tagged again?I've recently been tagged by Philbert. It's called "Three Things". I don't think I need to do an introduction - the title itself says it all.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Three things that scare me.</span><br />i) That bloke who taught me the Driver's Education Curriculum. His many parrot-esque "MARI!!!"s are enough to haunt you for endless nights. Nice guy, though. Just...<span style="font-style:italic;">odd</span>.<br />ii) Cockroaches<br />iii) <span style="font-style:italic;">That</span> Astro woman. Her voice borders on psychosis-inducing.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Three people who make me laugh.</span><br />i) Philbert. One part insensitive berk, two parts pervert, ten parts brilliance.<br />ii) Top Gear. I know, but putting Clarkson, Hammond and May individually on the list would've filled it up. Besides, they're at their funniest when they're with each other.<br />iii) Lee Mack. Top-shelf comedian. Go search YouTube.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Three things I love.</span><br />i) Cars.<br />ii) Photography (Yes, I finally have my DSLR!).<br />iii) My Mac. Yes, my answers are the same as Philbert's. Shut up.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Three things I hate.</span><br />i) Horrible advertisements.<br />ii) Broken language on signs.<br />iii) <span style="font-style:italic;">That</span> Astro woman.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Three things I don't understand.</span><br />i) Additional Mathematics.<br />ii) Hokkien dramas.<br />iii) Girls.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Three things currently on my desk.</span><br />i) My Mac mini.<br />ii) My PSP.<br />iii) My Sony α200.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Three things I'm doing right now.</span><br />i) Chatting with Philbert.<br />ii) Wondering why BMW always has such pretty receptionists at their functions.<br />iii) Studying for the theory driving test.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Three things I want to do before I die.</span><br />i) Go to London to be on the set of Top Gear.<br />ii) Have a really nice car. Preferably an Aston Martin.<br />iii) Be a designer.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Three things I can do.</span><br />i) Draw.<br />ii) Take pictures.<br />iii) Play a piano (vaguely).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Three things I can't do.</span><br />i) Play a violin.<br />ii) Do ballet.<br />iii) Get 11A's in SPM.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Three things I think you should listen to.</span><br />i) Rachmaninov's Prelude in C-Sharp Minor.<br />ii) Dr. Gregory House.<br />iii) Your parents.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Three things you should never listen to.</span><br />i) Me.<br />ii) The Government. I second Philbert on this.<br />iii) <span style="font-style:italic;">That</span> Astro woman.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Three things I’d like to learn.</span><br />i) Play a piano. Properly.<br />ii) Driving (I will be, soon).<br />iii) Italian.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Three favourite food.</span><br />i) Beef noodles.<br />ii) Grilled Chicken Foldover.<br />iii) Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Beverages I drink regularly.</span><br />i) Water.<br />ii) Kickapoo.<br />iii) Yogurt drink.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Three shows I watched as a kid.</span><br />i) Barney. Can't ignore a purple T-rex that is actually <span style="font-style:italic;">nice</span> with kids.<br />ii) Teletubbies. C'mon, they're cute.<br />iii) Power Rangers. Okay, now I'm really embarassed.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Three people I’m tagging.</span><br />i) Priya.<br />ii) Suwarna.<br />iii) My sister.Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09071687614437985709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986288420060360894.post-11366644783798984382008-05-12T04:36:00.003+08:002008-05-12T05:45:29.780+08:00National DisgraceThe other day I went to the Selangor Registration Department to collect my sister's IC. It was a painless process - take a number, grab the card, leave. Ten minutes at the most.<br /><br />But it was during those ten minutes that I saw something that drove me <span style="font-style:italic;">up the wall</span>. A sign.<br /><br />It wasn't actually a sign, just a piece of paper people would usually print a short message on so as to avoid spending a few hundred ringgit on a proper signboard. That's fine. But what really raised my blood level was not the message it conveyed, the gaudy-coloured paper or even the cheap-looking speech bubble shape of the sign. It was how the message was written. I don't remember what it was about, but it started off - bearing in mind we are talking about a message on a sign of a government building in a major city - with this:<br /><br />"Sekejap aje................."<br /><br />And then I saw another one at the photo booth reading something like this:<br /><br />"Semasa ambil gambar boleh duduk diam tak??? Bolehhhh.......hhhhhhhhhh........."<br /><br />Now, before a Malay starts pointing fingers at me for being racist, I would like to make it clear that I'm fine with people talking like that in everyday life. I even have friends that text to me that way. I may not like that kind of lingo, but if people want to speak the way they want to speak, God has not yet created a creature or force that can stop them.<br /><br />But this is ridiculous. Putting signs like that in a Malaysian government building is akin to stepping into the Pentagon to find hip-hop language in their signs.<br /><br />Is this the image we want to portray? That Malay is our national language and even government officials can't use it properly?<br /><br />We may be way past the age of ties, jackets, tweed hats and meticulously perfect Queen's English, but that doesn't mean we should speak like men in caves in 1325 B.C. At least their language wasn't broken.Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09071687614437985709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986288420060360894.post-58671295992208075802008-04-28T01:29:00.003+08:002008-04-28T02:03:49.588+08:00Travelling through time<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SBS5WUHeEMI/AAAAAAAAALI/N04-71gWrUU/s1600-h/Untitled_HDR2_tonemapped.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SBS5WUHeEMI/AAAAAAAAALI/N04-71gWrUU/s400/Untitled_HDR2_tonemapped.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193980063273324738" /></a>Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09071687614437985709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986288420060360894.post-34296947715960475832008-04-15T20:29:00.037+08:002008-04-24T23:48:39.070+08:00Chili's for birthday.Yeah, chocolate-flavoured snot. Thanks, Pei Hau.<br /><br />Anyway, last Saturday was my birthday. Now, I didn't want to do anything fancy this year, but then Priya called, saying she wanted an outing. Have to please a friend, no?<br /><br />So fast forward a few days later, me sitting in a Starbucks outlet at the Gardens at five in the evening...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SATExujrmZI/AAAAAAAAAHA/FmD8p6SVncA/s1600-h/DSC01761.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SATExujrmZI/AAAAAAAAAHA/FmD8p6SVncA/s400/DSC01761.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189489029227977106" /></a><br />...with Philbert and his gorgeous new MacBook. I feel outdated already.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SATLYujrmbI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/s-0o_8p0eNo/s1600-h/DSC01762.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SATLYujrmbI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/s-0o_8p0eNo/s400/DSC01762.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189496296312641970" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SATOO-jrmcI/AAAAAAAAAHY/gBwSkVQVqaE/s1600-h/DSC01768.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SATOO-jrmcI/AAAAAAAAAHY/gBwSkVQVqaE/s400/DSC01768.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189499427343800770" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SAYskejrmfI/AAAAAAAAAHw/G4ysNZzT2iw/s1600-h/DSC01771.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SAYskejrmfI/AAAAAAAAAHw/G4ysNZzT2iw/s400/DSC01771.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189884625780709874" /></a><br />Now, being anal and suffering from a severe form of OCD, Philbert is very, <span style="font-style:italic;">very</span> protective about his 'Book. Nevertheless I managed to have a go.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SAjwVujrmgI/AAAAAAAAAH4/Seb10m1xqmE/s1600-h/DSC01772.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SAjwVujrmgI/AAAAAAAAAH4/Seb10m1xqmE/s400/DSC01772.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190662826610104834" /></a><br />Soon, Starbucks turned into an impromptu studio. I whipped out my tripod and we started shooting, experimenting various techniques. Admittedly, however, they were mostly rubbish.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SAnOWS3PxZI/AAAAAAAAAII/8DDFgkaKbKo/s1600-h/DSC01788.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SAnOWS3PxZI/AAAAAAAAAII/8DDFgkaKbKo/s400/DSC01788.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190906927937209746" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SAoDxS3PxaI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/T0TCacRunHY/s1600-h/DSC01794.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SAoDxS3PxaI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/T0TCacRunHY/s400/DSC01794.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190965665909949858" /></a><br />Eventually we got bored of taking pictures. So we went back to the Boulevard. And took some more pictures.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SA7ZJEHeD9I/AAAAAAAAAJQ/UXgsciTV-VE/s1600-h/DSC01797.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SA7ZJEHeD9I/AAAAAAAAAJQ/UXgsciTV-VE/s400/DSC01797.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192326170151882706" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SA7aK0HeD-I/AAAAAAAAAJY/BFq3uhtnXfo/s1600-h/DSC01803.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SA7aK0HeD-I/AAAAAAAAAJY/BFq3uhtnXfo/s400/DSC01803.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192327299728281570" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SA7fIkHeD_I/AAAAAAAAAJg/NgAvyMkZftM/s1600-h/DSC01816.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SA7fIkHeD_I/AAAAAAAAAJg/NgAvyMkZftM/s400/DSC01816.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192332758631714802" /></a><br />While I was busy taking pictures, Philbert caught a glimpse of Priya. So we decided to surprise her with our camera flashes. She was clearly not happy.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SA7i2kHeEAI/AAAAAAAAAJo/k1NJKvHdtZo/s1600-h/DSC01818.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SA7i2kHeEAI/AAAAAAAAAJo/k1NJKvHdtZo/s400/DSC01818.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192336847440580610" /></a><br />After a bit of a telling off, we were ushered into Chili's to meet up with the rest - Asmath, Beth, Brigette, Pei Hau, Choo Xiang, Suwarna, Amelia, Michelle and Ayesha.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SA9drUHeEBI/AAAAAAAAAJw/Ce9ErEiUpe0/s1600-h/DSC01819.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SA9drUHeEBI/AAAAAAAAAJw/Ce9ErEiUpe0/s400/DSC01819.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192471894097268754" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SA9vCUHeECI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/RHtwV67CMtE/s1600-h/DSC01828.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SA9vCUHeECI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/RHtwV67CMtE/s400/DSC01828.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192490980931932194" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SA-C1UHeEDI/AAAAAAAAAKA/A0gAdFYeJSQ/s1600-h/DSC01835.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SA-C1UHeEDI/AAAAAAAAAKA/A0gAdFYeJSQ/s400/DSC01835.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192512747826188338" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SA-VJ0HeEEI/AAAAAAAAAKI/p0akTzYBelk/s1600-h/DSC01839.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SA-VJ0HeEEI/AAAAAAAAAKI/p0akTzYBelk/s400/DSC01839.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192532891222806594" /></a><br />The food was fantastic. Nachos for the appetiser, chicken quesadilla for the main course...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SA-ZZUHeEFI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/9iWFSnkcRXA/s1600-h/DSC01844.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SA-ZZUHeEFI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/9iWFSnkcRXA/s400/DSC01844.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192537555557290066" /></a><br />... and guess what we had for dessert.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SA-fx0HeEGI/AAAAAAAAAKY/2cGSFTE1Qco/s1600-h/DSC01855.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SA-fx0HeEGI/AAAAAAAAAKY/2cGSFTE1Qco/s400/DSC01855.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192544573533851746" /></a><br />Yup. A giganormous piece of Secret Recipe chocolatey goodness, brought out by some waiters singing "Happy Birthday". Which turned out to be kinda funny, because minutes later they carried another birthday cake to a girl sitting on the <span style="font-style:italic;">opposite</span> table. Okay...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SA-oBUHeEHI/AAAAAAAAAKg/z9aqwGt_ZXI/s1600-h/DSC01854.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SA-oBUHeEHI/AAAAAAAAAKg/z9aqwGt_ZXI/s400/DSC01854.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192553635914846322" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SA-sEUHeEII/AAAAAAAAAKo/ixZqdhQ3u7A/s1600-h/DSC01860.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SA-sEUHeEII/AAAAAAAAAKo/ixZqdhQ3u7A/s400/DSC01860.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192558085500964994" /></a><br />Needless to say, not a lot of the cake ended up in my mouth. Ayesha smothered my face with chocolate and, just as I've washed my face and was about to tuck in, Pei Hau did the inevitable.<br /><br />Oh, and if you were looking for any photos of that particular moment, tough luck. Camera was with me. Sorry.<br /><br />Cakeface shenanigans aside, the rest of the evening turned out to be rather enjoyable. Chit-chatting, gossiping and much joking. Most of them aimed at Priya.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SBBCSkHeEJI/AAAAAAAAAKw/QwmxcIQYNF4/s1600-h/DSC01877.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SBBCSkHeEJI/AAAAAAAAAKw/QwmxcIQYNF4/s400/DSC01877.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192723257058267282" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SBBEhUHeEKI/AAAAAAAAAK4/BkTH0cTwSuE/s1600-h/DSC01862.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SBBEhUHeEKI/AAAAAAAAAK4/BkTH0cTwSuE/s400/DSC01862.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192725709484593314" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SBCZmkHeELI/AAAAAAAAALA/d7xr8nTbSqU/s1600-h/DSC01874.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/SBCZmkHeELI/AAAAAAAAALA/d7xr8nTbSqU/s400/DSC01874.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192819258167267506" /></a><br />After a while the bill came. And what a bill it was. We somehow managed to sink ourselves into a RM250 hole. Luckily, there were eleven of us (Choo Xiang left early), so it was considerably easier to swallow.<br /><br />Just before we left, a woman came up to us. Uh oh. We thought we were in trouble. That we've made so much noise that we were going to be given the single biggest telling off in the history of mankind.<br /><br />And you know what she said?<br /><br />"This is what Malaysia should be. I love watching you guys. Remember that, after 20 years, we are still Malaysians."<br /><br />What a nice lady.<br /><br />P.S. Thanks Priya. Without you I wouldn't have that much fun on my birthday.Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09071687614437985709noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986288420060360894.post-68416405187431273762008-03-22T23:55:00.006+08:002008-04-08T15:10:36.620+08:00Smile!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/R_Ul32rXdGI/AAAAAAAAAG4/yfJ3sljv5jc/s1600-h/jonjwlee+copy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GPCUbf8l4w8/R_Ul32rXdGI/AAAAAAAAAG4/yfJ3sljv5jc/s400/jonjwlee+copy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185092187487433826" /></a><br />Yes, I finally broke down and replaced my old, broken Casio camera. And given that I wanted to take up photography as a hobby and since everyone left, right and centre seems to be going for a DSLR, I might as well get one myself.<br /><br />But while everyone else has bought either a Canon or a Nikon, I went for the left field choice. That camera I'm holding in that picture above is a Sony α200.<br /><br />Why? Value for money. A Canon EOS 400D with an 18-55mm lens currently goes at around RM2,499 (<a href="http://tikiyong.blogspot.com">Philbert</a> got his for somewhere in the region of RM2,800). The Sony - even with a slightly better-specced lens - is yours for RM1,999. Toss another 500 quid at your dealer and you can even get an additional telephoto lens.<br /><br />So, two lenses for the price of one. Handy, eh?Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09071687614437985709noreply@blogger.com0