sleepyheads

Made in Hell, Worn in Heaven

2008-07-20T14:08:00.004+08:00

It's the state of business today - look for a country that offers cheap labour, set up shop and start the human conveyor belt to churn out products that are now cheaper to produce, sell them at inflated prices and rake in the profits.

Nike did something similar, and got slapped on the wrist for the exploitation of cheap overseas labour. The company said they've stopped this practise, and everyone was happy again. Nike's profits wasn't particularly affected too. A win-win situation.

So imagine my surprise when I spotted this inside a shoe - Made in Hell, Worn in Heaven. Perhaps an allusion to the sweatshops that produced these sneakers for rich consumers?

These sneakers were on sale. RM29 a pair. Yes, that's twenty nine Ringgit a pair. Quite a drastic price cut from the original price tag of RM179.

I sure hope these shoes weren't made in sweatshops. Exploitation of cheap labour will continue. I can yell all I want for better quality of life, but the world isn't listening. What I can do is to focus on MY life and make sure I live it, and not let others live it for me.

Taking care of business

2008-07-14T13:55:00.001+08:00

My desktop on the iBook

2008-07-07T23:11:00.005+08:00

This is the desktop on my faithful iBook. It's almost three years old and it's chugging along steadily. Since I see my desktop daily, I wanted to use it as my vision board. If you've read The Secret, you'd know what's a vision board.

So for a few months, I had a Mini Cooper wallpaper. After a while, it didn't work out for me because I wanted to put more things into my vision board. So I looked on the Internet for an application that would let me add tiny photos onto my desktop, and I found Photo Desktop. The latest version isn't free, and with our exchange rate, it's much too expensive. So I decided to do it the hard way, and turned to Pixelmator that I bought during the last Macheist.

But before that, I used Photo Drop to create borders around my vision pictures. Photo Drop is a widget that lets you add visual effects to your images, such as Tape and Pin that you can see on my desktop. I then used Pixelmator to combine the wallpaper and the vision pictures created by Photo Drop. And now I have a nice wallpaper AND have my vision board at the same time.

Other things I did to my desktop:

I keep my morning affirmation displayed on my desktop using Geektool.
CoverSutra gives me a quick glance at the music I'm listening to.
I keep an eye on my system resources with iPulse.
And use StickyWindows to keep TaskPaper always within reach for quick access.
Finally, the desktop wallpaper calendar is from Smashing Magazine.

The Work Table

2008-07-07T23:02:00.003+08:00

Heather Champ style.

We try and try, but we hardly see our dining table.

Watches and guys

2008-07-05T19:36:00.003+08:00

My first watch, the earliest that I could remember, was a Mickey Mouse watch. Mickey's hands were the hour and minute hands, and I wore it all the time. Then it was a steel Citizen digital watch that I wore for years before losing it on a beach during a hiking trip.

What is it about watches than makes men lust for them? Why are there magazines on watches?

Unlike women who have accessories to adorn themselves, men only had their watches. And men can only wear one on their arm. Well, if you're a rebel, you could wear two. But it is that single watch that men wear to differentiate themselves from the rest of the crowd. Why else would you find men wearing watches that were larger than their wrists. The larger, the shinier, the better.

Watches can be generally divided into two groups - Quartz and Automatic. I believe quartz watches are the majority because the mechanism is cheaper to produce and they keep accurate time. Automatic watches on the other hand have complex gears and springs that are powered by the movement of your arm, and aren't as accurate so you'll have to readjust the time occasionally. Naturally it didn't take long before the line between Quartz and Automatic watches are blurred and now there's a third group, the Kinetic watch, a Quartz watch powered by the movement of your arm.

It took me a long time before I appreciated the wristwatch. I prefer the Automatic watch because I admire the engineering behind the complex mechanism that allows the watch to be powered by my arm. There are no batteries yet it keeps time. That amazes me.
This watch is fine for normal situations. But a guy also needs a watch that can keep up with him when he's in the great outdoors. Able to be with him when he's scaling mountains, and fighting rapids.

When I'm in these situations, I wear my Swatch. Some may recognise this model because it's a gift from a HSBC promotion a few years ago. It's a surprisingly tough and reliable time piece that's survived freezing temperatures at Mount Kinabalu and the bumps and grazes from white water rafting.

So when a guy decides its time to get a new time piece, it's an important decision for him. It doesn't only keep time, it also defines him to society.

Moleskines etc.

2008-06-24T22:07:00.003+08:00

Moleskines are very expensive in Malaysia. Not many can justify spending over RM50 for a small notebook. Now that the exchange rate is much lower, how come Moleskines still cost over RM50?

I use my Moleskine mainly as a journal, but recently several other interesting notebooks are popping up in bookstores. One in particular that I especially like are notebooks from Grandluxe. I found them at MPH and also at Borders. They're much cheaper than Moleskines at around RM12-RM14, depending on which type you buy.

These are 2 products from Grandluxe that I like. The top one looks exactly like a Moleskine, but the cover looks rubbery. This is called the monologue Ruled Notebook. I haven't used this yet. But I did use the bottom one. It's a sketch book variety, and it's called the monologue Soft Sketch Book. I used this during my trip to New Zealand, and it was really useful. I liked the band that stretches across the middle of the notebook. It helps keep everything inside and not fall off. I like it so much that I bought another one as a backup.

I'm glad Grandluxe realise people want something more in a notebook. Sure there are cheaper notebooks out there, but how else can you explain sites dedicated to notebooks like Moleskinerie, Notebookism and Black Cover? (disclaimer: I added the link to Black Cover because there's a contest going on there, with a chance to win a Rhodia notebook.)

I probably won't buy another Moleskine... unless their prices drop. monologue notebooks suit me just fine. They're cheap (relatively) and good, and that's a rare combination.

Disney sneakers, and they're affordable!

2008-06-23T19:13:00.003+08:00

The last time I visited Add-On at Queensbay, I was pretty put off by the high prices of Disney merchandise. But at our recent visit over the weekend, I was surprised by the price cuts. There was nary a sign boldly proclaiming "SALES", but clothes that were previously more than RM80 were now selling for less than RM40, and shoes that were RM199 were now selling for RM60.

Which was why SP "ter-buy" this awesome looking sneaker.

An outing at Pulau Jerejak

2008-06-21T22:47:00.004+08:00

I decided to join the company outing last Friday in my attempts to recover from my slump. We were headed for Pulau Jerejak with plans for a paintball session and a go at pretending to be a flying fox.

It was my first trip to Pulau Jerejak and I didn't know what to expect. The ferry ride to the island was rather pleasant. I didn't get seasick, and everything was very orderly. Once on the other island, we had a pretty good view of the Free Trade Zone.

I couldn't sort what I felt. It wasn't a particularly attractive view since it's an industrial area, but I also felt an tingle of elation because I felt a disconnect from what the area represented - work.

So I decided to focus instead on the sky, which was quite attractive.

I didn't have any photos of my paintball session. Too bad, because I was particularly aggressive. The rules were, if you're out of ammo, you out. If you're shot, you're out. I certainly didn't want to go out without a fight, so within the first minute, I had claimed my 2 kills. Each kill was delivered by multiple shots to ensure without any doubt that it was a clear kill.

As I was preparing for my third kill, I got shot! In the head! I was pretty surprised because I was pretty sure I was hiding behind a wall. It was only later that it dawned on me that the "wall" was actually made of foam that didn't offer any protection.

Anyways, it was then time for the flying fox part. We had to cross a suspension bridge.

The flying fox was rather short, but thrilling. I wanted to go for seconds, but I wasn't allowed.

It was a fun trip. Tiring, but fun. I can't wait to have another go at paintball.

Patriotic

2008-06-18T18:31:00.002+08:00

Cross-processed

Giving VLC a new look

2008-06-15T08:16:00.007+08:00

Quicktime on the Mac doesn't let you playback popular Internet video files such as Xvid or DivX. Although there are plug-ins available for Quicktime such as Perian to support these files, I think the best and least problematic solution is to install VLC.

Most of the time, VLC works much better than Quicktime on my iBook G4. If there was one thing I wish I could improve upon VLC is how it looks. And thanks to the information at MacThemes, I can now turn the plain VLC from this:

to this - the Black Pearl skin.
Installing the skin is easy. First, download the zipped file from MacThemes. Unzip the file and you'll see these 2 directories.

This pretty much explains everything. Now go to your Applications directory where you've installed VLC.

Then right-click on VLC and click Show Package Contents.

Then just replace the files as instructed in the zipped file.

The skin still works on the latest version 0.8.6h VLC. And if you want to revert back to the default skin, just reinstall VLC.

Guardian of the door

2008-06-14T23:39:00.002+08:00

Lomofied RAZR

These shoes are made for walking

2008-06-12T14:58:00.001+08:00

Lomofied 838pro.

Today

2008-06-10T19:05:00.003+08:00

I am disgusted by how work has taken priority in our lives. Yes, I realise we work for a living, but it's becoming clearer that we are living for work. Today I am told about a question posed by an interviewer at a certain multi-national company.

She said, and I'm paraphrasing here, "Do you plan to have children? Do you realise that many people who have children do not have the commitment at work. They have longer lunch hours, go home earlier and cannot put in the time for work."

This is clearly discrimination. How can our worth be judged by how much we can sacrifice for work?

Lomo - Got the film!

2008-06-07T17:56:00.003+08:00

Back in SP's home town, and she found some film for my LOMO LC-A. The film is pretty dated... expired in 2002. Anyways... it's still worth giving it a try.

It took me a while to load the film... I guess I'm a little rusty. Now the film is in the camera, and it's time to adjust the ISO on the LC-A. I decided to go for ISO50 to compensate for the deteriorated film. Maybe it's gotten less sensitive to light, so setting a lower ISO might help out a little.

Next... to take some lomographs.

Old friends at Telok Tempoyak

2008-06-06T22:35:00.004+08:00

SP and I arrived early, so we went on the wooden bridge that extends way out in the sea. Both of us don't swim, and I was really nervous about walking on the bridge. It didn't help that as we went further out into the sea, the wood seemed more worn with numerous gaps where wooden boards have rotted away.

Quite possibly the last shot we took before the sea turned rougher, and the sky got darker. I thought a storm was coming, but as most things in life, what you think might happen may not happen at all.

6 years ago - Top of the world

2008-06-05T21:40:00.002+08:00

Moments like these come rarely - when you're struck dumb by the awesomeness of life.

Trying something new

2008-06-03T23:20:00.003+08:00

This is a poor attempt at recreating what Heather Champ has done on her site.

LOMO LC-A - Finding myself

2008-06-02T17:13:00.003+08:00

I am a different person from who I was a few years ago. 3 years ago, to be a little more precise. Back then, I was tearing down hilly slopes on my mountain bike with nary a care in the world, and every thing around me was an exploration of my artistic eye to be captured on film.

I'm not going to talk about who I am today, but I do know that I want to recapture that zest that I've lost. And my first step is to rummage through my closet to find a long lost friend, my LOMO LC-A. This was the camera that rekindled my love for photography, and led me to buy my first digital SLR. What better way to find myself than to start from the beginning.

The LOMO LC-A is no longer made. At least not in its original form. Even so, I'm not really sure how "pure" is my LC-A. The LC-A stood for LOMO Compact - Automat, a compact, unassuming, simple automatic exposure camera from St Petersburg, Russia. It would have probably faded in history if it were not for the marketing skills of the people behind the Lomographic Society. They made the low-tech camera attractive to people who have gotten jaded by Japanese automatic cameras that produced sharp, focused, accurately exposed photographs. Retro was cool, and the LC-A with all its retro gears and capacitors became cool.

However, all good things must come to an end, and the LC-A is no longer made in Russia. Like many of today's corporations, the production of the LC-A has been moved to China and is now called the LOMO LC-A+. The "+" is added because some subtle tweaks have been added. One addition is the MX slider for multiple exposure shots. Multiple exposure is possible with the original version, but is made much easier on the LC-A+. Perhaps the most radical change is the support for lens accessories on the LC-A+ with the addition of grooves on the camera.

Now that I've dusted off my "original" LOMO LC-A, it's time for me to exercise my artistic muscle. First, I have to get some film, and that's my first obstacle. Film...

A quick trip to Tesco and I came back empty handed. Tesco used to sell store branded film, and I wanted these since they should be cheaper than the branded ones. Nope, no luck. Tesco doesn't sell film any more. A peek at the Kodak Express store, and I balked at the RM11 price tag on the Kodak Max 200 film cartridge. It seems that film prices hasn't dropped at all. I guess I should be thankful that prices haven't increased because so few people use film nowadays.

I try looking around in KL on my next visit. Maybe I'll score some cheaper priced films there.

Converse and Pallas, a tale of two shoes

2008-05-22T22:59:00.015+08:00

The purple Chucks.

The last time I wore canvas shoes was in my primary school days. Then came Nike and Reebok with their high tech shoes fitted with pumps and air cushions, and slowly canvas shoes weren't so attractive anymore.

Fast forward some 20 years and I find myself wearing a pair of canvas shoes - the Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars, or as fans would call them, Chucks.

I didn't specifically look for Chucks. I actually wanted a pair of Pallas shoes, that in retrospect, look very similar to Chucks.

As I'm wont to do after any purchases, I did some research online and discovered the rich history behind Chucks. It seems that many Americans grew up wearing Chucks and today, they're still attracted to them. It's probably due to nostalgia, but it could also be because Chucks have a down to earth appearance. It's simple and reminds people of simpler times. It also doesn't hurt that many famous people wear Chucks and that Chucks appear in many movies.

This led me to wonder. Why didn't the Malaysian made Pallas shoes achieve similar status in Malaysia? They look like Chucks, even down to the pattern on the soles. Most Malaysians would have probably worn them when they were young. Perhaps the only difference is that no rich and famous Malaysians wear them.

Chucks on the left, Pallas on the right.

It's quite a shame because the Pallas Jazz-Star is every bit as attractive as the Converse. It's definitely not as well made nor quite as comfortable, but at RM24, it's a good compromise.

My red Pallas Jazz-Star

Maybe it will take 100 years, as Converse celebrates its 100 year anniversary this year, before Malaysians begin to appreciate our very own, home grown, ever fashionable, ever humble pair of canvas shoe - the Pallas Jazz-Star.

I did my part. I bought a pair of Pallas Jazz-Star to complement my Chucks, and enjoy wearing them every day at work.

Wish I was back there

2008-02-25T14:29:00.001+08:00

Putting up the tree

2007-11-19T23:14:00.000+08:00

Getting a head start on the Christmas decorations this year.

Putting up the Christmas tree has always been something I look forward to every year. This year however, is the first time I'm putting up the Christmas tree together with my wife. We decided to keep things simple, and I think it looks pretty good.

Now that the tree is up, what's left is to fill up the empty space under the tree!

Let it Snjor

2007-11-18T15:18:00.000+08:00

Christmas is just around the corner, and what better way to bring some festive cheer to your desktop than having it snow!

Snjor, that's Icelandic for snow, lets you do just that. Once it's running, little white blobs will slowly, almost hynotically, fall across your desktop. You set the snow to lazily drift about on your screen or wreck havoc by bringing down a blizzard.

Leopard's Stacks - here's how to make it better

2007-11-13T00:18:00.000+08:00

One of Leopard’s new features is Stacks. Stacks let you place any folder into the Dock and clicking on it will spring the contents of the folder in a Grid or a Fan. It’s quite visually pleasing, but it’s gotten some flack because you can’t assign an icon to a Stack. Instead, the icon would be of the latest file in the folder. And that makes it rather difficult to distinguish between different Stacks.

So... how do I tell which Stack is my Downloads folder?

Thanks to Optica Optima, my Stacks now look like this.

Visually distinct Stacks, and the translucency is very attractive.

Here's how we do it. Before we proceed, we should define the Sort behaviour of the Stacks. So right click (or command click) on the Stack, and sort by date modified.

Get the icons from this link. The page is in Japanese, but you shouldn’t have any problem finding the link to download the icons.

Choose the icon we want, and place it into the Downloads directory. In the example below I’ve renamed the icon to download_icon. Since we want the latest item to be displayed first in a Stack, we’re going to use the Unix touch command to set the modification date to somewhere in the future. So fire up Terminal, and enter the following commands.

cd Downloads

touch –mt 202001010101.01 download_icon

This will change the modified date of the download_icon to the year 2020, January 1^st, 1:01:01 am.

You can do this for other Stacks in the same manner.

I found out about this from Daring Fireball.

Update:

There's a second set of icons for Stacks. And this time, the icon's modified dates have already been set to the year 2010. So all you need to do is to sort the Stacks by modified date, and forget about the Terminal.

All the icons can be downloaded from optima-optica.

WriteRoom for distraction free writing

2007-11-02T08:06:00.000+08:00

The month of NaNoWriMo is upon us, and budding writers around the world are prepping themselves to complete a novel within a month. The pace is fast, the enthusiasm is furious, and the writer has to be ready not to drift from the goal.

To do all that, all forms of distractions must be eliminated, and that's where WriteRoom shines. WriteRoom's tag is "Distraction free writing" and that's what you get. At first launch WriteRoom goes into fullscreen mode and all you get is a blinking green cursor and a black, empty background. No desktop, no browser, no email clients in sight. Just you and your text. It can't get any simpler than that.

WriteRoom in fullscreen mode.

WriteRoom in window mode.

There is a free version of WriteRoom and that was the version that I used all the while. I thought it served my needs - that's until I tried the shareware version. In my opinion, a great application is an application that caters to needs that I didn't even know I needed. The shareware version provides many more customisation and tweaks that really helps to improve the transition of your thoughts onto the screen.

Just take a look at the customisations you can make to WriteRoom. I really like the "typewriter scrolling" option so your focus is always on the middle of the screen while the rest of the text scrolls upwards. You could also change the text and background colours but I like the retro green text on black background theme. It brings be back to the days when I first set my eyes on my first PC.

You can also use WriteRoom from other applications. There's an "Edit in WriteRoom" which is an Input Manager plugin. I'm not sure if this still works in Leopard since I've read Leopard doesn't support Input Managers any more. But if you're on Tiger, installing this Input Manager will add an "Edit in WriteRoom" menu item into the Edit menu of other applications. So if you're blogging in Safari, you can click the "Edit in WriteRoom" menu item, the text in the current web form will be transfered into WriteRoom for "distraction free writing". And when you're done, just save and close WriteRoom and the text you edited will be copied back to Safari. Pretty neat! Since this feature is not officially supported in Leopard, I can still use the Services menu. WriteRoom lets me copy text and use the Services menu to send the text to WriteRoom for editing. And when I'm done, it's just a copy and paste action. Quick and easy.

I did notice one inconsistency. Whenever I change the font in the Preference, the existing text in the document does not reflect the new font. I had to restart WriteRoom before the new font is properly displayed. Other than that, WriteRoom works great for me.

I've written this review in hopes of getting a free WriteRoom license. Hopefully I'll get it, but even if I don't get it, I had a great time reviewing the application.

Serenity shows her spots

2007-10-27T21:00:00.000+08:00

Installed Leopard into my 1.33 GHz iBook, Serenity. Against my better judgement I chose the Erase & Install option, and it's a lot of work getting everything back to the way I like them.

So far no show stoppers...

Temeraire

2007-10-15T21:50:00.000+08:00

Temeraire, a historical fantasy set in the Napoleonic period, by Naomi Novik - my current favourite book. What is it about? Think of Lassie, toss in Russell Crowe from Master and Commander, and blend together the historical fantasy of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials, and you get a rough idea of what Temeraire is about.

Temeraire is a story of Captain William Laurence, an up and coming Naval officer engaged with a beautiful fiancee, rising up society's ranks and highly praised officer in His Majesty's Navy. And how he gave everything up to be an aviator, an outcast of society, all for the friendship of a fighting dragon he named Temeraire, after the ship HMS Temeraire.

It doesn't take long before the story of the friendship between Captain Laurence and Temeraire seized my attention. Stories of dragons and people fighting together is not new, but Naomi Novik takes this premise and puts a new spin to it. Dragons and and their captains in her novel have such a bond that either would give their life for the other. And the story is set in the Napoleonic period, although I know nothing about the war, the sense of urgency and loyalty to King and country comes clearly through the prose. The story is quite easy to follow, so don't worry too much about not knowing anything about English history.

I was also pleasantly surprised by how dragons were used in the war. I assumed the dragon would have a rider and that was that. It was typical in most of the books I've read. But in Temeraire's world, dragons were like living flying ships. There would be the captain, his first officer, handlers, and crew. The crew would do their combat maneuvers on the dragon while in flight, secured to the dragon's harness by carabiners and leather straps. Delightfully unique!

Temeraire is the first in a series of books. The US edition has a change in title, Temeraire: His Majesty's Dragon. I rather prefer the simple title of Temeraire in the UK edition. I got my UK edition from Borders for a pricey RM40, but SP found books 2 and 3 of the Temeraire series from BookXcess in Amcorp Mall for only RM20 each! And the books SP bought for me were the larger versions, so I'd expect they would cost more than RM40 in normal bookstores.

Temeraire is a fun read. Pick it up if you find it. I'm already starting on the second book - Temeraire: Throne of Jade.

And something I recently discovered. Peter Jackson has gotten the rights to the Temeraire series, so a movie may be in the works. I can't wait.

Manly men wear kilts

2007-10-10T21:14:00.000+08:00

I was listening to Buzz Out Loud at work when I heard something that caught my attention - Utilikilt. What's that? A kilt? For geeks? A quick Google search and I found Utilikilt's website.

Give the site a visit and get a mighty dose of testosterone. I can't blame the site for pumping up the macho macho manliness of wearing the Utilikilt because lets face it, not many of us would wear a kilt in public. Especially in Malaysia. We'd probably be stopped by the police for public indecency.

Still, I am intrigued.

At the back of my mind, the Utilikilt seemed familiar and no wonder! I've seen Patrick Norton from the old TechTV Screensavers wearing such a kilt. Much digging later my suspicion was justified. Here's a picture of the Screensavers team wearing kilts, taken from Dvorak Uncensored. image taken without permission... much apologies.

Montblanc? No, Tesco!

2007-09-28T17:56:00.000+08:00

I remember like it was yesterday. My dad brought me to our local supermarket to get my first fountain pen - a red Sheaffer. It must have cost quite a bit, but I was too young then, and today, I've no idea where's the fountain pen my dad bought for me. Too bad.

But my dad's actions so many years ago led to my fascination of fountain pens of late. After lying dormant for years, a spark of interest was struck on that fateful day in Amcorp Mall, 2 years ago. SP and I were browsing the stalls at the weekend flea market, and we were about to leave when something caught my eye. It was a tray of fountain pens, and a silver Montblanc stood out among the rest. Sure it must be a fake, but for RM10 I couldn't resist.

The Montblanc served me well these past 2 years, but I had trouble with the ink flow. It flowed too freely, forcing me to write much faster and larger than I like. But it was smooth and didn't give me any leaks.

But what's that got to do with the title?

A colleague of mine discovered that Tesco sells fountain pens, and they cost RM2.90. And each pack comes with 4 blue ink cartridges. What an amazing value! So today I rushed to Tesco and got one for myself. And I'm pretty happy with it.

The pen is made of smoked translucent plastic, with a rubber grip. I'd compare the quality of the plastic to be similar to what you'd get from a normal ballpoint pen. There's not much weight to it, but it's comfortable enough to write with.

The pack comes with 4 blue ink cartridges, but I'm thinking of swapping it with a piston filler. I think it will fit. The bundled ink is blue with a hint of purple - it's a nice "perky" blue.

The pen has an iridium tipped stainless steel nib. It's a little scratchy, but I think that will improve in time, when the ink reservoir is completely filled. Currently, the ink flow is less compared to my Montblanc, and that makes this pen suitable for my Moleskine. The ink doesn't spread onto the next page, and I can write at my own pace and write in my usual handwriting size.

Maybe fountain pens should make a comeback. Now that everyone is conscious about the environment, fountain pens make a good alternative to disposable pens. A bottle of ink should last much longer, and probably cheaper, compared to ballpoint pens.

iTunes throttled by Streamyx - The fix

2007-09-22T21:56:00.000+08:00

I’m hooked on podcasts. They are like radio stations that I could download into my iBook and listen to them whenever I had time. Since there are so many podcasts to sort through and download, iTunes is a great tool to consolidate all my favourites.

All was fine and dandy until the day TM decided to start throttling P2P activities using methods only known to them. Somehow, through some freak of administrative and executive knee jerk reaction, downloading podcasts using iTunes got throttled as well.

A common sight for me – unable to even load the iTunes Store.

I’ve made numerous calls to TM’s customer support, explaining to them what are podcasts and how I couldn’t download them using iTunes. I’ve received many suggestions and repeated requests for details about my PC and my modem, and I patiently answered all their questions. There was even a time when my report “I cannot download podcasts using iTunes” got scrambled in ways only TM customer support can manage, to “I cannot load iTunes website”. And the technician resolved my issue by trying to load http://www.itunes.com. Of COURSE it will load. After all that, I still didn’t have a solution to my problem.

A guy’s patience has its limits and for almost a year, I had to put aside my favourite podcasts, and left to wander aimlessly on the Internet, occasionally manually downloading individual MP3s of podcasts that I happen to stumble upon. But NO MORE!

Thanks to helpful Mac users from http://www.lowyat.net and http://www.mymug.org, I was shown a way to overcome the throttling. And with this method, it’s clear as day that Streamyx is throttling iTunes based on its user-agent string.

The Fix

First, you’ll need to download PAW (Pro Active Webfilter). It’s a Java application, so you’ll have to make sure you have Java installed on your Mac, or PC. My instructions below are for the Mac.

It comes as a zipped file. Unzip the file and copy the extracted folder into your Applications directory. I renamed the folder to paw. There are 2 important files in that folder:

Just double click on paw-server.jar and that launches the PAW server. This server acts as a proxy server that strips away the user-agent ID of any applications that wants to make a connection to the Internet. But you’ll have to enable this setting. To do that, proceed to the next step.

Now you double click paw-gui.jar to launch the GUI.

Click to headers-request in the Files directory, as shown below. You’ll want to delete the hash “#” on the user-agent you want. What this does is PAW will strip away the user-agent of the software that wants to access the Internet and replace it with the user-agent for Internet Explorer 6.0, in the case below.

Don’t forget to click the green floppy button to apply your edits. Then click Sync to update the PAW server to your latest setting.

Now that the PAW server is running and you’ve configured the server using the PAW GUI, it’s time to make some changes on your Mac.

Launch System Preference, and double click Network. You maintain all your existing settings, but change the Proxies tab, as shown below. The Web Proxy Server you see is actually the PAW server. The DNS 127.0.0.1:8080 is what’s suggested by PAW in their documentation.

Normally I’d only run PAW when I want to update my podcasts. So I create a new Location on my Mac just for PAW.

When I'm done, I go to the PAW GUI, click Stop PAW Server, and click Shutdown PAW Server to free any resources taken up by the PAW Server.

And the result?

Just like old times...

Hazy Dazy Days

2007-08-09T22:46:00.000+08:00

Penang has been shrouded with haze for several days. And the buses and lorries that spew thick black clouds of soot aren't helping any. So I'm thankful that I get to stay indoors for most of the day. But then again, one can't be too careful.

On an encouraging note, a quick check on my weather forecast widget shows thunderstorm for the upcoming week. Here's hoping for rain.

Tuesday - Fried Chicken

2007-07-27T21:00:00.000+08:00

Chicken has become so prevalent in our society that it has become generic. I don't think where chicken come from. I just know where to get them. And it's probably without a doubt that KFC, or Kentucky Fried Chicken for you older folks, makes the best tasting fried chicken.

However, going to KFC is not a simple affair. Nor is it cheap. That leads me to the point of this post. Every Tuesday, a van rolls up beside the road at the Sungai Nibong residential area and 2 men gets out and start preparing their chicken. One would do the frying, and the other would tend to the customers. And what customers. People would stand in line, sometimes up to the middle of the road, obstructing traffic and endangering themselves, all for the sake of fried chicken.

I've joined in the experience, and came away reasonably happy. The chicken is not as tasty as KFC's, but they're not too bad. They're not too greasy, pretty crispy on the outside, and juicy on the inside. But perhaps they could do better on the marinade because the chicken tastes like chicken - a little bland.

Don't go away thinking I dislike the chicken. No. For the price, I'm pretty happy with it. And every other Tuesday, I'd be among the crowd, risking my neck, for my piece of the chicken.

Harry Potter - So The Drama

2007-07-20T22:31:00.000+08:00

Yes, the next and final installment of the Harry Potter series is about to be unveiled tomorrow. And already, the drama has started.

According to The Star, several bookstores - MPH, Popular, Harris (never heard of them...) and Times - will NOT be selling Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows tomorrow. Wow.

Here's an excerpt from the article:

MPH, Popular, Harris and Times at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur at 4pm announced that they would not sell Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in protest against Carrefour and Tesco selling the book at a hefty discount.
The recommended retail price of RM109.90 is being violated by hypermarkets advertising and selling it at RM69.90, the bookstores said.

Since Amazon is already selling the book at 50% discount, I'm going about to see if I can get a colleague who's over in US to get me a copy, and bring it back for me when he returns.

I've got the earlier 6 books the same way. Although books 1-5 were gotten in a not so ethical manner. It was like this. I ordered the set from Barnes & Nobles online. I was told it would take 2 weeks to deliver. 2 weeks came and passed, and naturally I was concerned. I emailed their customer support person and told them my predicament. To my relief, I was told they'd refund my money and that I could make another order. Guess what happened the next day? I received the package, and I got the refund!

In my defense, I did inform the customer support person that I've received the package and told them to take back my refund. Instead, I got a nice "Thank You" email from them, with hopes that I'd continue to purchase books from them.

There's no rush for me to get the 7th book. I've still got to refresh my memory, so I've started reading the 6th book since a few days ago.

Transformers, fun. Bakerzin, wanting.

2007-07-09T22:50:00.000+08:00

Two and a half hours later, I was dusting popcorn crumbs off my shirt, SP was chatting with her colleague, and we were walking out of the cinema, after having watched Transformers. The caramel popcorn at GSC Queensbay is quite the treat. Sugary, crunchy and not a single unpopped corn to be found.

The movie was fun. And like the popcorn, the movie was meant to be enjoyed without being too critical. Big explosions, check. Big guns, check. Cheesy lines, check. Comedic relief, check. Eye candy, check. Good triumph over evil, check.

After the movie, the three of us decided to have dinner at Bakerzin. The place is sadly ostracized by Penangites. I wanted to try the Linguine Vongole that SP had during our first visit to Bakerzin. SP and her friend decided to try Bakerzin's new set menu. 2 side orders, 1 main dish, a dessert, a soup and a drink for $20. We thought it was quite a good deal, until we saw the portions. But wait. Before we go on a tirade about Bakerzin, think about it. You get to try so many flavours for only $20. It's not the best deal, but at least Bakerzin is trying.

I had the Linguine Vongole, so my portion was the largest. As much as I'd like to rave about Bakerzin, I'm afraid they let me down that night. Some of the clams had sand in them and the sauce was a little too plain for me. The Linguine Vongole was only average that night. The chef is not too consistent because the dish was very good on our first visit.

I wanted to order the Iced Chocolate Mint but was surprisingly persuaded NOT to order it. Very strange. So I ended up with the Iced Lychee Mint. It was refreshing, but seemed out of place with my Linguine Vongole.

Although it seemed we didn't enjoy our experience at Bakerzin that night, we did enjoy each other's company. In fact, we stayed and chatted until it was closing time. However the way we were asked to leave was a little crude. The waiter simply handed us the bill and mumbled something about closing time. Bakerzin could have handled it in a much more pleasant manner. Perhaps ask us if we wanted to order anything else since they were going to close the kitchen soon. That would be hint enough for us to know that they're going to close the restaurant.

However I had another opportunity to visit Bakerzin again, and this time I accompanied my sister. She's never tried Bakerzin so I suggested she try the Linguine Vongole. Wary of my last experience at Bakerzin, I asked the waitress to inform the chef about my preference for the sauce and I'm glad to say that I got the quality I had expected from Bakerzin. And my sister enjoyed the dish.

I also managed to order the Iced Chocolate Mint, and I did enjoy it. Chocolatey and minty, with some ice cubes to temper the sweetness of the chocolate.

I'm not sure if we'll ever visit Bakerzin again. Perhaps for their dessert and cakes. I'm just discouraged by the inconsistencies of their dishes.

The wine for our wedding

2007-07-02T23:16:00.000+08:00

A few months before our wedding, I chanced upon a Rose wine from Chile - Miguel Torres San Medin Cabernet Sauvignon Rose. We discovered that we enjoyed this particular wine and naturally we decided it would be the wine we'd serve at our wedding dinner reception.

SP made some calls to find out the distributor for the Torres wine, and discovered it was in KL. We left several messages, found ourselves being pushed from one person to another, and finally we found out we could easily get the wine from Penang. No need for transporting boxes from wine from KL, all the way to Penang.

And where in Penang did we get these wines? Sunshine Square. And we even got some discount and a free wine glass for every bottle we bought. It was quite an experience for us, carting the boxes of wine in our shopping trolley.

As soon as we got home, we were so concerned about the proper way to store the wine. The sommelier suggested a dark, cool place would be the best conditions for the wine. And so the wine went into our second room. The place is normally cool, and it's quite dark once the curtains are drawn.

We brought the wine to Lone Pine the day before our wedding so that the people at Lone Pine could keep the wine chilled until they were served. The wine was quite popular at our wedding dinner reception. All the bottles were finished, and everyone had their fill.

So right now we more wine glasses than we need at home, and they're still in their boxes. Maybe they'll come in handy when we have company... and then there's that bottle of Sparkling Rose in the fridge...

Some Mac Geekery

2007-06-13T22:23:00.001+08:00

2 years. That's how long I've been a Mac user. Serenity, my trusty iBook, has been serving me well considering that she's hardly ever been turned off since the first day I pressed the power button.

Only recently I've started getting the urge to indulge the inner geek in me, and here's what I've got to show - my desktop, running GeekTool.

GeekTool is probably mainly used to monitor your system because it allows you to display unix commands output onto your desktop. It also lets you display contents of text files and images. Pretty geeky looking, but it's really useful for me.

Let me guide you through my desktop. On the top right corner, I display the date and time. Previously I displayed the date and time on the menu bar like everyone else, but on a 12-inch notebook, screen area is precious. Removing the date and time from the menu bar and putting them on the desktop freed up more space on my menu bar, making it less cluttered.

Shell Command to display the date:
date "+%a %b %d, %I:%M %p"

Then on the top center portion of the screen displays the currently playing song on iTunes. Normally I have iTunes minimised when I'm listening to music. So it's pretty useful for me to check what song's playing, and to check if I've paused iTunes before I remove my headphone jack in the office. Achieving this on GeekTool is a little more complicated, but if I can do it, so can you.

Save the script below into a directory of your choice, eg ~boysbytes/Documents/GeekTool_iTunes.scpt

Enter this script into Script Editor.
tell application "System Events"
set powerCheck to ((application processes whose (name is equal to "iTunes")) count)
if powerCheck = 0 then
return "iTunes not running"
end if
end tell
tell application "iTunes"
try
set playerstate to (get player state)
end try
if playerstate = paused then
set trackPaused to " (paused)"
else
set trackPaused to ""
end if
if playerstate = stopped then
return "Stopped"
end if
set trackID to the current track
set trackName to the name of trackID
set artistName to the artist of trackID
set albumName to the album of trackID
set totalData to artistName & " - '" &amp; trackName & "' on " & albumName & trackPaused
return totalData
end tell

And in GeekTool, enter this Shell Command:
osascript /Users/boysbytes/Documents/GeekTool_iTunes.scpt

Still with me? Next up is my TO DO list. This is simply a text file todo.txt that I put into my Documents folder. Then I tell GeekTool to poll this file every few minutes.

The Shell Command to display my todo.txt.
cat ~boysbytes/Documents/todo.txt

The same for the list of TV shows that I follow.

And the last part at the bottom of the screen shows the 10 running processes on Serenity. It's not really useful for me, but sometimes I like to see what application is chewing up my CPU cycles.

Shell Command to display top 10 processes, their CPU and memory utilisation.
top -FR -o cpu -n 10 -l 2 | tail -11

Remember! Don't set your polling interval too frequently, or it will tax your system. Give a reasonable frequency. In my case, I update my Date and Time every minute, my todo.txt every 5 minutes, iTunes every 30 seconds, and refresh my top 10 processes every 30 seconds.

I got all the Shell Commands and scripts from Lifehacker and other internet resources that I forget. But do a Google and explore for yourself.

Wedding scrap book

2007-05-30T22:44:00.000+08:00

Since we agreed not to have a professionally photographed wedding album, we decided to make a scrapbook of our lives - as individuals, as a couple, as well as of our families and friends.

So a couple of weeks before the Big Day, we brushed aside the cobwebs in our cupboard, blew away the layers of dust off the container that kept all our old photographs. It was quite a trip down memory lane.

We bought a nice wedding album from MPH with pages already pre-cut for us to put our photos. But we felt the layout was too restrictive for our mad, mad imaginations, so SP had a fabulous idea of making decorative backing for each page with nice wrapping papers. Now we could paste our photos any way we want.

Both of us put our thoughts and our version of the memories we had together - the vacation we took to Langkawi, Redang, Bukit Tinggi (now Berjaya Hills), our trips back home to our families, fun times with friends, and our Registration of Marriage.

I don't know if any of our guests actually browsed through the book, but both of us had fun preparing the scrapbook.

Wedding biscuit

2007-05-29T21:42:00.000+08:00

These has to be the best tasting wedding biscuit I've ever had. SP's mom ordered these for all her relatives who attended our wedding reception in KL.

The wedding biscuits come in pairs, and are presented in a handy box with handles. There were some extras, so we took a few back for ourselves. The skin was thick and just flaky enough that it doesn't crumble in your hands. And the lotus and black bean filling wasn't too sweet.

Our wedding speeches

2007-05-28T22:30:00.001+08:00

We decided to prepare a speech for our wedding reception, and what better way to get our creative juices flowing than lounging at Starbucks, sharing a cup of coffee, writing our thoughts into our little Moleskines.

And wouldn't you know it, that on the day of our wedding reception, the speech we gave was totally different from the speech we originally wrote at Starbucks.

Just Married

2007-05-26T21:41:00.000+08:00

We're a married couple for three weeks now. How time flies. We were busy bees during the weeks prior to the wedding day - rushing to the cake shop, dashing to the hotel, making sure the preparations in KL and Penang are ready, ordering flowers, converting the other bedroom into a makeshift wine cellar...

So I think you'd understand why the long silence in the blog. More details to come in the following weeks, months, years, but until then, here's a short slideshow of our Chinese wedding reception at Overseas Restaurant in KL, our wedding at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Penang, and our dinner wedding reception at Lone Pine, Penang.

The world today

2007-04-20T19:09:00.000+08:00

I wonder about the world we live in today. Only recently I read newspaper articles about the elderly conning people at ATMs, about children involved in syndicated home robberies, and other news where people are taken advantaged. So what am I to think of the world today?

A couple of days ago, we got home a little later than usual, and while SP was unbolting the door, a stranger met us along the stairway. He claimed he was our upstairs neighbour, and that he lost his wallet, and since his parents weren't around, he asked if we could borrow him some money so he could get his IC replaced the next day.

In an ideal world, we would have given him the money, and rest easy, knowing very well that we helped a fellow man.

Instead, in the world today, we gave him the money and wondered if we were conned?

In our defense, he did look familiar, having seen him around the neighbourhood. And he even offered to show us that he could enter the unit upstairs. He even looked a little teary-eyed, as if he was afraid of what he was going to do since his parents wasn't around.

Perhaps it doesn't matter if we did get conned. Sometimes we just have to put a little trust to others. Otherwise, what kind of world we'd live in?

Bakerzin, Queensbay - an unappreciated gastronomic delight

2007-04-13T23:40:00.000+08:00

There's this email about Bakerzin that made its way among my colleagues. The writer spoke of their unsatisfactory experience at Bakerzin, Queensbay. Too few clams, too simple desserts they said. How utterly wrong they were...

We had our first dining experience at Bakerzin, Queensbay, and we're delighted to say - people don't know what they're missing!

The staff was attentive and we were given Spritzer mineral water. Mineral water! Right out of the Spritzer bottle, not some funky tasting water that's laced with lemon. Their menu was quite extensive, and we took about 10 minutes looking through the pretty photos and reading the interesting descriptions of the dishes.

Bakerzin, originally called Baker's Inn, boasts some impressive desserts, and I think if you're going to try Bakerzin, leave room for their desserts. Bearing that in mind, their pasta dishes are reportedly pretty good. So SP had the Linguini Vongole while I had the Ham and Bacon with Penne in Pink Sauce.

The Ham and Bacon with Penne in Pink Sauce was pretty nice, with large chunks of ham and bacon in thick creamy sauce. Although delicious and very very filling, I think SP had the best dish of the night. Her Linguini Vongole was tangy, refreshing and was overflowing with clams. The sauce was permeated with the juices from the clams, flavoured with some white wine and herbs. Simply delightful. It's a little spicy, but that bite really stimulates your appetite. And the clams. I mentioned "overflowing"? SP was provided with a "flower pot" to put the clam shells, and at the end of the meal, it was filled to the brim!

For dessert, we ordered the Profiteroles - homemade vanilla ice cream, sandwiched between 2 layers of puff cakes. Then almond slices were liberally sprinkled all over, with chocolate sauce drizzled over everything. The vanilla ice cream was the real deal. No artificial flavours. We could see the tiny black vanilla seeds in the ice cream. The vanilla ice cream was refreshing without being overly creamy, and that suited well with the creamy chocolate sauce and combined with the crunchy texture of the almond slices, made for a enjoyable dessert.

However, not everything is perfect at Bakerzin. Our Americano coffee was a little disappointing. I had an extra shot of Hazelnut flavour that made the coffee too sweet. SP had the normal variety, but it lacked the espresso "kick".

I'm amazed that Bakerzin has not gained much popularity in Penang. It's pretty good value for money, especially SP's Linguini Vongole. The prices are almost what you'd expect at Dome's, or Chef & Brew. Bakerzin - Good food, good dessert, good service. So unappreciated.

Gourmet meals with Max

2007-03-31T18:35:00.000+08:00

I was introduced to Max Gourmet by SP. It's right opposite Queensbay, and it's getting popular. If you arrive late for lunch, expect to wait for seats.

The food and theme of the place is a little similar to Kim Gary's, ie Hong Kong styled restaurant where everything is quick quick quick.

The food is reasonably priced. So far we've tried their Roasted Duck with Crispy noodles and Curry Hor Fun. Both were yummy.

Give Max a try. And arrive early.

I dream with subtitles

2007-03-15T16:11:00.000+08:00

Do you dream in colour? I do. My dreams even have subtitles. No, the subtitles don't appear all the time. They only appear when I dream in Chinese, and I don't even speak it well. The problem is, I can't recall if the subtitles are in English or Malay. I'll just assume the subtitles in my dream are in English because I'm pretty sure I think in English.

Then there was the time when I had cognitive dreams. That's when I'm aware that I'm dreaming and that I could do anything I wanted without worrying about the outcome. Now that's the kind of dream I'd love to have every night. Too bad I could only remember having cognitive dreams twice in my lifetime. Once I could fly, and another... well, that's personal. After all, that's the great things about cognitive dreams. I could do anything.

Some of my dreams don't even feature myself. I'd be observing people, places, situations, just like watching a movie. Perhaps that could be a sign that I'm watching too much television.

And the most irritating kind of dreams are the kind where I find myself with something I really really want. And at the moment when I'm about to wake up, I realise it's a dream and I try so hard to hold that item in my hands, fervently hoping that I could bring it from my dream world into the real world. I'd wake up with my fists clenched, for a split second hoping that it worked, only to find I woke up empty handed.

I don't dream much nowadays. Either I forget having them, or I never had them. Perhaps it's because I love, am loved, is in love. How could anyone ask for more?

Crocs invade the Island

2007-03-12T16:07:00.000+08:00

My parents paid us a visit during the weekend. I promised my mom a pair of Crocs, and so we saw ourselves at Queensbay last Sunday. Queensbay is getting popular judging from the weekend crowd. When we reached the Crocs shop, I was surprise to see a small crowd already there! Parents had their kids try on Crocs, aunties were picking Crocs off the wall and asking for discounts, and the salespersons were busy helping the kids choose their favourite colours. Quite a rowdy crowd too.

The Mickey Mouse Crocs had arrived and its bright red colour with black straps was certainly very attractive. Although there were other colour combinations, I'm glad my mom chose this pair.

I'm tempted to get a red strap to customise my Crocs... but they're pricey at $29 a pair.

Yes, Crocs have invaded the Island. I spotted at least 5 people wearing Crocs that day, although no one had the bright colours that my mom and I had.

Miguel Torres San Medin Cabernet Sauvignon Rose

2007-03-09T12:50:00.000+08:00

There was a company farewell event yesterday and we were served champagne for the farewell toast. That led to the decision to pop open the Miguel Torres San Medin Cabernet Sauvignon Rose wine that I'd been keeping in my fridge.

The champagne we had yesterday was very similar to the Misty Moorings Late Harvest wine, without the fizz, of course. It was my first taste of champagne and I had high expectations. I don't know the label, but it was sweet, simple and uncomplicated. Very much like the Misty Moorings.

But I want to tell you about my latest wine purchase. My first foray into Rose Wine was the JP Chenet Cinsault Grenache. Its unique twisted neck bottle aside, it was a very pale pink, very dry, very unsatisfactory.

Unwilling to give up on Rose wines, I thought I'd try a little more upmarket selection, and that brings us to the Miguel Torres San Medin Cabernet Sauvignon Rose.

Rose wines are best when they're young, so this 2006 wine fits the bill.

It uses a screw cap. Very new world, very modern, very rebellious - just like the people who like Rose wines.

The swirl. A quick swirl to let the wine breathe, but not too much, advised my sommelier.

Then the smell. A fresh aroma with a hint of cherry and a touch of strawberry sweetness.

The colour. Wow... clear deep red, almost crimson. It's certainly young based on the colour at the edge that's hardly turned yellow. With colours like this, it's no surprise why people like Rose wines.

The taste. Blew my mind. Right away my tongue registered an explosion of pert, sweet cherry-like, a bit of pear, strawberry, fresh fruity flavours. Almost syrupy. All that for a split second. The finish is short, with a lingering mild sweetness, but the flavour is complex enough that you want to keep sipping just to experience that explosion of flavours again. Not too dry, good balance of white wine crispness and the wholesomeness of red wine.

I got the Miguel Torres San Medin Cabernet Sauvignon Rose wine from Sunshine Square for RM45, and I got a free wine glass with my purchase.

Serenity's Desktop

2007-03-08T12:11:00.000+08:00

There was a post on TUAW about some impressive Quartz Composer Art by a Japanese designer. You could use them as screensavers, but since I don't use screensavers, I wondered if I could have them displayed as my wallpaper. And it turns out I could!

I use a freeware called Quartz Desktop. It appears on the menu bar and is really easy to use. My favourite is the Quartz Composer Art called Rimpa. You can see it running on my desktop from the video below. Quartz Desktop running Rimpa takes an average 40% of Serenity's 1.33 GHz G4 Power PC CPU cycles. Quartz is supposed to offload some of the task to the graphics card, but maybe Serenity's Radeon 9550 graphics card is not quite up to the challenge.

Anyways, I can still do my normal web browsing, watch videos and listen to music. Maybe when I'm doing something more processor intensive, I'll turn of Quartz Desktop. The rest of the time, I'll enjoy being mesmerised by Serenity's desktop.

Hammerbay Panorama

2007-03-01T13:17:00.000+08:00

Click for a larger view.

She beckons -
seeking an audience
before Night's lullaby

Crocs in the family

2007-02-25T23:20:00.000+08:00

Crocs have arrived at Queensbay! And I was their first customer. The first pair was for SP, a pink, or Fushia in Crocs-speak, Beach Croc and to make it special, I added a couple of Jibbitz.

The store in Queensbay is wall-to-wall Crocs of every colour. There are many types of Crocs, from the tough and manly Off Road to the cute and dainty Prima. But there's only one Croc in my sights, and that's the odd looking, clog-like Beach.

SP was really happy with her Crocs and a couple of days later, I revisited the Crocs shop at Queensbay and got myself an orange, or Coral in Croc-speak, pair of Beach Crocs.

So if you see a couple walking around wearing brightly coloured Crocs, it could be us.

How I fsck'ed Serenity

2007-02-12T15:48:00.000+08:00

Serenity, my trusty Apple iBook, is never turned off. I close the lid and it goes to sleep. When I need to use it, just open the lid and in about 2 seconds, it's ready for me. So every month or so, I'd do some system maintenance on Serenity because prevention is better than cure. I usually use Onyx to automate the task, but the latest version of Onyx does a disk verification at startup. So during this disk verification, it found some errors on my harddisk!

To be extra sure, I ran Disk Utility's Verify Disk and sure enough, errors were detected on my harddisk and to repair, I had to boot Serenity with the Tiger DVD. Since I didn't have my Tiger DVD handy, I did the next best thing. I decided to fsck (file system check) Serenity.

I don't know the technical details behind fsck, but I knew I had to run it to fix the errors. fsck has to be run at the Console at startup. So I rebooted Serenity and pressed Command+S until some Linux-y text appeared on the screen.

There were instructions on the screen on how to run fsck, and since my harddisk is Journaled, I had to "force" fsck, so I entered at the prompt: fsck -fy

I had to keep typing fsck -fy until the message states that the harddisk does not appear to have any errors. Fortunately for me, I only had to do it twice.

Then type exit and press Enter to resume booting into the OS. Everything looked OK until I found out my trackpad wasn't working, my Bluetooth and WiFi was non-existent! Resisting the urge to scream like a wussy, I decided to try restarting Serenity. Luckily the keyboard was still working and managed to reboot Serenity.

A reboot later, and everything was back to normal. Phew...

And folks, that's how I fsck'ed Serenity.

The fuss over a pen

2007-02-06T15:53:00.000+08:00

I remember that moment, so many years ago, when I finally reached the age when I could use a pen in school. All the while in primary school we only used pencils, so when I could use a pen, I felt so grown up. Pencils were for kids. Adults used pens!

We were given a list of things to buy before the school term starts, so my Mom and I went shopping together. On the list was the Reynolds FINE blue pen. This was an all blue pen design, and since it was stated on the list, I had to have that pen. We looked and looked but could only find the Reynolds MEDIUM pen. This pen had a beige body, and I made quite a fuss. I wanted FINE and not MEDIUM. It's stated right here on the paper. FINE, not MEDIUM.

My Mom and I must have reached a compromise because we got me the MEDIUM pen first, and later, weeks later, I had my FINE pen. Turned out, the FINE pen wasn't that fine afterall. I think it was too sharp and wasn't comfortable to write with, so I went back to the MEDIUM pen.

Fast forward to the present, and I still like to browse the pen aisle. So many colours, so many brands, types, varieties and sizes. But so far, I like gel pens the best.

Today I claim an accomplishment! I actually used a pen to the last drop. The very last drop. Usually, my pens would either dry up due to neglect, or had a faulty nib and had to be thrown away, or I'd lose it carelessly. But since I started my journal, I've been using the Pilot G1 Grip 0.5mm - yes, I actually know the brand and model number of my pen - almost daily, and it served me well up to today. Good thing I have a refill handy. These gel pens are expensive, and buying a refill is slightly cheaper than buying a whole new pen.

Starbucks, Borders, WiFi... Wow

2007-02-02T15:29:00.000+08:00

Here I am, on my day off, lazing the day away at the Starbucks in Borders. Not many people in Borders, but quite a techie crowd in Starbucks. The free WiFi is really attractive. I wonder if I can get reception at Coffee Bean downstairs.

I don't usually do the "WiFi at coffee shops" thing, so I'm pretty impressed that quite a number of people bring their notebooks to surf. Looking around, I can't help but feel that I have the coolest looking notebook around. Decals and all. Yeah... techie vanity.

One guy brought his whole office - laptop, mouse, french press (!), mobile phone, important looking papers. He's on the phone all the time!

Another guy looks like he's listening to podcasts, is staring at his notebook with headphones on. A girl has her notebook on her lap, a big no no for guys, surfing the internet.

Looks like there are power plugs at strategic places for people to plug in their notebooks. The staff doesn't seem to mind that I pay for a cup of coffee and spend hours hanging around in the store. The logic fails me, but it must work.

Stepping back, and remembering

2007-01-31T14:40:00.000+08:00

Sometimes I need to take a step back, to remind myself about what's important and what's trivial. Sometimes it takes someone to remind me to take that step back. Sometimes it takes a book. A book written a long long time ago by a girl, about her family, and their life in the prairie. Care to take a guess to the title of the book? Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

1999 and I had just started my work life, in a new place, far far from my family and friends. It was also the year I bought my own copy of Little House on the Prairie. Back then, Penang didn't have a proper bookshop, so I had to buy the book from Amazon. I read the book during my secondary school days and enjoyed reading Laura's accounts of her life in the Prairie. They had a simple life, but how they cherished all the little things they had. I enjoyed reading how Pa asked Ma to put her handprint on the bread she baked and about the little cakes filled with white flour, sprinkled with precious white sugar that Laura and her sister got for Christmas.

8 years later, my copy of Little House on the Prairie is now falling apart at the seams. So when I spotted a similar version of the book a few weeks ago, but this time printed on high quality paper, and with coloured illustrations, I couldn't resist getting another copy. A new copy, for a new chapter in my life.

Of Moleskines and alternatives

2007-01-26T15:47:00.000+08:00

I'm just giddy with delight now that Borders is in Penang. Not only are the books more interesting, but they have an exciting selection of journals. There are journals from Moleskines, Paperblanks, Paperchase and other brands that I can't recognise.

Now that my Moleskine is almost due for a replacement, I'm undecided as to which journal to get. The only journals that are close to the dimensions and aesthetics of the pocket Moleskine are from Paperblanks. These journals have a faux leather cover, same pouch like the Moleskine, same elastic band, albeit a few pages less than a Moleskine. But best of all, Paperblank journals are cheaper!

We've read about cars from China looking uncomfortably similar to their competitors. So now that the raw materials that make up the Moleskine journals are sourced from China, why aren't there imitation Moleskines? It's hard to justify spending $50 on a Moleskine...

Timmy and Junior

2007-01-22T17:27:00.000+08:00

I never understood people's attraction to dogs... until I met Timmy and Junior. They stay with sp and her family back home, so I only meet them a few times a year. But whenever we meet, a few sniffs and licks is all it takes, and it's like we were never apart.

Timmy is the quieter of the pair, with the patience brought on with experience but isn't afraid to show who's boss when the younger Junior goes too far.

Junior is a flurry of excitement and energy, always eager to play and partake in his favourite pastime - eating.

They're really well taken care of, and in return they take very good care of the family. One can hardly stay glum with Junior prodding you to take his favourite bone and play with him, or Timmy calmly staring at you with those gentle eyes, not asking for anything except companionship.

French Toast weekend

2007-01-21T14:46:00.000+08:00

This weekend I had an attack of the French Toast munchies. I ransacked the kitchen and found a loaf of baguette, or also known as the French Loaf that I bought from Jusco on Friday. In the fridge was an egg, some butter and an opened bottle of milk. Pepper... check. Sugar... check. All the ingredients I needed to make French Toast!

I mixed the egg with a generous squirt of milk, several shakes of pepper and a teaspoon of sugar together. Then I cut the baguette into inch thick slices, then soaked them into the mixture. The baguette has such dense texture that I let the slices soak much longer than usual. Gotta let all the eggy goodness soak deep into the bread.

I buttered the pan and fried the slices in low heat. I had to make sure everything is cooked properly, yet not too dry. I wanted my French Toast to be mildly crispy and sweet on the outside, slightly moist, almost custard-like on the insides, and with a thin layer baguette left untouched in the center.

My French Toast turned out pretty good! sp hasn't sample them yet. I'll make a new batch when she comes back.

Misty Mooring

2007-01-16T20:50:00.000+08:00

Before I go any further, let me say that I don't know how to appreciate wine. I've read wine reviewers go on and on about the fresh fruitiness of the bouquet, the raisiny, curranty and oakiness of the taste. I'd love to go get a bottle of the same wine and see if I could taste any pears, or raisins. I tried, but they're too expensive.

So with a firm budget in mind, and considerable online research written down on my moleskine, I set off to Jusco, Queensbay in hopes of finding a wine that I could enjoy. And I came back with this - Angove's Misty Mooring - Late Harvest Sweet White.

Quite a plain looking bottle, but the price was right, and since it's a Late Harvest variety, it's supposed to be sweet, ie a dessert wine. Late Harvest wines are normally made from grapes that are left to ripen on the vines. Ripe grapes have a higher sugar content, so the end product is sweeter and generally a higher percentage of alcohol.

Did I like it? Misty Mooring being of the Late Harvest grape variety is a dessert wine, and I enjoyed the extra sweetness. I tried sniffing the wine in hopes of discerning some kind of fruit to describe the smell, but all I could describe is that the wine has a fresh aroma... of grapes.

I found it tastes pretty good after a spicy meal, just like it's recommended by the wine maker. I also find myself enjoying the wine in small sips. It seems to be more flavourful that way.

Hot Cross Buns

2007-01-15T22:27:00.000+08:00

Several times I've passed the bakery in Tesco, yearning to buy some Hot Cross Buns, or, as Tesco and everyone else nowadays refer to them as, potato bread. How could a nice and emotive name like Hot Cross Buns be turned into a plain and drab sounding Potato Bread, is beyond me.

They are usually served on Good Friday, although I believe there were raisins in the bread back then. I'm not a fan of raisins, so no big loss. I have vague memories of eating them in church when I was a kid.

I finally bought some today, and they taste pretty good. Sweet, custard-like aroma.

Mobile phone ad I'd like to see

2006-12-22T15:44:00.000+08:00

fictional phone advertisement:

Motola CRZY
Features:
Save up to 20% of your call charges!

So how would you react to such an ad? You can save money by using this phone. How is it possible?

By reducing the talk-time! Instead of having mobile phones that let you talk for hours, you can save money if you get a mobile phone that only lets you talk for 10 minutes on a single charge. Faced with rising prices and expenses, I think there would be people interested in such a phone. Judging from the amount of hoo-ha over the new high tech toilets in KL, such a phone could be a runaway success.

I can't take credit for this revolutionary idea. Zin mentioned this in passing while we were on our lunch break.

And in case you're wondering what I'm rambling about, it's just my lame attempt at making a joke. Erm... anyone laughing?

Paddington's House of Pancakes

2006-12-21T17:37:00.000+08:00

More Queensbay gastronomic delights. This time at Paddington's House of Pancakes.

The place didn't have much of an ambience - simple decor. But it makes up for it with its extensive menu and comfortable environment. Their menu consists of pancakes from Russia, Holland, America and maybe Germany, if I'm not mistaken. A whirlwind of pancakes (and pies, lasagna, pasta) for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert.

Anyways, speaking of their extensive menus... they don't serve all of the selection. And to make matters worse, their grill was not working that day. So we were limited to the 12-inch Dutch pancakes, the pannekoek.

The pannekoek is 12-inches of thin pancake that's crispy at the edges. Then toppings are added and an array of complements like mashed potatoes, baked tomatoes and in some dishes, spicy wasabi mayo!

My parents accompanied us to Paddington's, and we have a trip around the world! We had the Amsterdam, Seattle, Tokyo, Capri and Venice pannekoeks. Delicious!

A cat's life

2006-12-21T17:23:00.000+08:00

A little more to the left...

Pannekoek and Moleskine

2006-12-20T10:57:00.000+08:00

I remember -
of family's delight
at Paddington's

Old Town Experience

2006-12-19T19:19:00.000+08:00

Queensbay, the largest and longest (why longest when it's already the largest?) shopping mall in Penang. A long, long time ago I thought to myself, would I still be around should the building ever be completed?

7 years later and I found myself walking with SP along the lower floor of the shopping mall. Who would have thunk.

We had dinner at Old Town, a quaint little coffee shop with old style chairs and tables. The ambience would have been really nice had there been walls. Instead the coffee shop is in the middle of the floor, under/beside the escalator.

SP had their famous white coffee. I can't help but suspect they used the same instant 3-in-1 coffee packs that we find in supermarkets. I was not impressed. We also ordered their "famous" kaya and butter toast. Again we were left wanting. The toast was cold with thick chunks of butter and a layer of kaya.

For the main course I had the curry laksa. It looked good but didn't taste as good. It was much too oily and lacked the creamy curry sensation. The yellow noodles were undercooked.

SP had the rendang chicken rice which was basically nasi lemak. It was ok, but nothing exciting.

Our high level of expectation may be because we have another "old town" coffee shop to compare. It's located in Amcorp Mall, KL and their toast and coffee are exceptional.

Would we visit Old Town again? Maybe for some toast and coffee... maybe.

Cute Mr Posey

2006-12-11T00:00:00.000+08:00

My tortoise in shining shell

- sp

Bakerzin, a haiku

2006-12-10T23:31:00.000+08:00

Night's cloak unfurls -
unable to resist
sweet delicacies' beckon

Little Cottage in the City

2006-12-10T08:27:00.000+08:00

SP have been telling me about this restaurant along Burmah Road, and we finally decided (actually she decided) to visit the place.

It's called Little Cottage, and it sure is little. But don't be fooled by the size of the place when you enter because there are more tables upstairs. Little Cottage takes up 1 lot downstairs, but takes up 3 whole lots upstairs.

We had our lunch upstairs. The decor is decidedly cozy. Lots of knick knacks, an almost country-like decor.

How can anyone not like turtles greeting you at the stairway?

There are lots of waiters in Little Cottage, and they are very attentive. There's a lunch set menu with a considerable selection to choose from. Then the waiters will bring each course as you finish them, unlike other places where everything is dumped onto your table.

First there's the mushroom soup. Thick and yummy. The soup comes with a bun and butter. Then the main course. I chose the Grilled Fish with the Little Cottage special sauce. Accompanying the dish are mashed potatoes and a few selection of vegetables. I enjoyed the fish. It was moist and tasty by itself. I hardly needed the special sauce or the dollop of tartare sauce to enhance the taste.

SP chose the Chicken Chop. This is quite a normal dish, so I didn't choose it. But SP let me have a bit and I was surprised. It actually tastes good! The chicken chop had the right crispiness, together with the sauce, made for a very delicous bite.

Then there's dessert and a choice of coffee or tea. If you wish, you could add-on to the lunch set. Only the tiramisu caught my attention. We didn't have the tiramisu because the lunch set was quite substantial.

Little Cottage, a diamond in the rough, along Burmah Road. Parking may be difficult, but the food and the ambience is worth it. Oh... and the prices are very reasonable.

A respite

2006-12-08T10:40:00.000+08:00

The past few weeks I have been drowning in a torrent of "we have to meet the deadline!", "stay on schedule!", "this has to be done before the week is over!". What little personal time I had was used for my "cave time" where I would tune out from reality and spend an hour or so in front of the idiot box.

Then, a respite.

I can now allow calm personal thoughts to percolate in my mind.

Just last night, we sat on the sofa and had some quality time together with Amy Grant singing Christmas carols in the background. Our Christmas tree was set up in the living room sans the blinking decorative lights. We'll have to get a set this weekend. The tree just isn't complete without those lights.

This respite also meant I could catch up with my reading. I'm halfway through Michael Crichton's State of Fear. A blurb on the back cover states, "... In the jungles of Malaysia, a mysterious buyer purchases deadly cavitation technology, built to his specifications. ..." How could I resist?

How could I not stop laughing? Why? This deadly hypersonic cavitation generator is made in a factory in Pudu Raya, and is located "just a few kilometers" from "the ultra-modern airport designed by Kurokawa" (read: KLIA). A factory in Pudu Raya? Just a few kilometers from KLIA?

This one factual error aside, I found the book rather interesting. I don't know where facts become fiction, but perhaps that's why I like some of Michael Crichton's books. He takes an idea, and pushes it to the extreme.

A quiet place

2006-11-09T13:31:00.000+08:00

at day's end
she finds solace
in a quiet place

The Eastern Wishes Cafe

2006-11-08T18:54:00.000+08:00

Our lunch outings are getting pretty extravagant judging from our latest discovery - The Eastern Wishes Cafe located in i-Avenue. It's facing Bukit Jambul Complex, so parking is not too difficult if we arrive before the lunch crowd. It's the shops facing the other side that's attracting the most crowd.

The decor is the popular contemporary - dark wood furniture, simple fixtures with similar dark wood trims. bigfish noticed an interesting, yet simple, design - using wooden boards to hide exposed wiring. Neat trick! It's something I may want to do for my home where ALL my wiring are exposed.

Ah... the food. They serve set lunches, so I ordered the sweet and sour fish fillet. It comes with soup (ABC soup was the soup of the day) and a drink. I chose orange juice, and I was pleased that they used real oranges. My dish was satisfying, although my lunch buddies' sweet and sour pork portion seemed a tad small. The lunch sets are reasonably priced considering the environment.

The place didn't have a lasting impression on me. The place was comfortable and the food was reasonable, but there are many other restaurants that offer the same things. Unless they find their niche, I probably won't visit The Eastern Wishes Cafe that often.

My attempt at haiku

2006-11-07T15:33:00.000+08:00

the weekend passes...
through the daze of work
love's clarity remains

This little piggy...

2006-10-31T19:44:00.000+08:00

is on its way to market...

Keep right

2006-10-31T17:50:00.000+08:00

My Moleskine on Thailand

2006-10-30T22:20:00.000+08:00

Before there were City Moleskines, I had already started a quick and dirty guide to Bangkok, Thailand in my Moleskine. This was for our trip to Bangkok in May 2006. Here are some of the pages:

Next year, we're planning a trip to Hong Kong and I've already started on the guide. But this time, I'm starting the guide from the back of the notebook. Since I use the Moleskine daily, I thought it would be better to write from the back so the guide won't be scattered all over the notebook.

We may not refer to the Moleskines that frequently in Hong Kong because the tourist maps are usually much better illustrated, but I enjoy writing in the Moleskine the destinations that we may visit, and discovering their attractions in advance.

That's just me. I like knowing as much as possible about a new place before arriving. SP on the other hand enjoys the exploration.

Pre-nup and a treat

2006-10-30T17:55:00.000+08:00

After 6 months of procrastinating and busy work schedule, we've finally completed our prenuptial inquiry with the priest! The priest was very patient and explained all the questions to us, making sure without any doubt that both of us knew what we were getting into. Half an hour later, we've set the date for our wedding and now, what's left are the practical preparations like, "do we want flowers?", "where will we have the luncheon?", "who's going to photograph the wedding?".

And the treat? Dinner at Zealand Cafe, along Gurney Drive.

Korea House

2006-10-30T11:03:00.000+08:00

SP and I were in KL during the DeepaRaya holidays and we visited a Korean restaurant - the Korea House. It's located at the popular Sri Hartamas area. I find it strange that the place is so popular but it sure is unique, with trendy bistros opening next to old-skool kopitiams. The shoplots look old, the walls are tiled with bathroom tiles (!) and the streets are narrow.

Korea House is another odd duck. A Korean restaurant but the interior is without a doubt very English Victorian decor. Don't expect Korean ambience, but the food is pretty good. And I'm not even a fan of Korean food!

It was a BBQ affair. We don't even have to lift a finger. The waiter did all the BBQ'ing for us.

So much kim-chi... I don't like kim-chi, but the BBQ meats were very nice - well marinated, and cooked to perfection. The stove uses charcoal! Maybe that added some flavour to the BBQ.

It was a nice experience, but not enough to persuade me to like Korean food. Kim-chi... too sour...

Yi Pin at Sg Nibong

2006-10-27T13:14:00.001+08:00

YiPin
Originally uploaded by boysbytes.

This was another place that SP and I recently discovered. We've heard of this place a few months ago, but never gave it much thought because we weren't sure the food would be good.

Turns out, SP's colleagues brought her to Yi Pin for her birthday bash and she liked the food!

The place was sparsely decorated and the exterior was rather plain. But good looks are not what we're after. We want good food. I would have liked to say that Yi Pin didn't disappoint, but the food was only average for me. But SP insists that their steamed fish was delicious. It was already past lunch hour, and according to the waitress, we couldn't order that particular dish.

Anyways, we settled for claypot tofu, fish fillet in black bean sauce and some vegetables. The claypot tofu was pretty good - lots of meat and mushrooms and vegetables. The fish fillet was so-so, but I'm not really a fan of black bean sauce. And the vegetables (I can't remember the name) were nice, cooked in garlic. Very pleasant.

Looks like we'll have to revisit Yi Pin to try out the steamed fish.

Deepa-Genting-Raya

2006-10-26T15:52:00.000+08:00

SP and I went to my parents' place in Genting. I stuffed myself silly during the 3 days I was there. Those mini-pretzels are really addictive.

My dad planted some sweet potatoes in the garden and my mom would pick the leaves and cook them for lunch or dinner. SP even helped to pick the leaves. It's like my very own "Little House on the Prairie" experience.

The pumpkin patch I mentioned from my last visit is going to be replaced. The last few pumpkins are huge! My mom hasn't decided what they would plant in its place. It's either kacang botol or kacang panjang.

Day by day...

2006-10-19T21:47:00.001+08:00

ContactSheet-001
Originally uploaded by boysbytes.

I'd stand on the same spot and take a photo. Day or night, rain or shine.

Not any more.

New carpark

2006-10-19T17:04:00.000+08:00

The new carpark is finally ready!

Lots of parking bays and a "sky bridge" that connects the carpark to the main building.

Shanghai Ding Tai Feng

2006-10-15T21:15:00.000+08:00

SP told me about this new place near Queensbay - Shanghai Ding Tai Feng. Or as the sign shows, "House of Dumpling".

The place is still quite new, but I could see it's getting popular. SP actually heard about the place from a fellow blogger, and now you're hearing about it from us!

Getting there is quite easy. Just head to Gold Coast and turn into Queensbay. You can't miss the restaurant. Just look for the huge signboard on your right.

They mainly serve dimsum and a few handmade noodle dishes. SP told me about a few of their dimsums, but what really caught my attention was the dimsum with soup on the inside - siew loong pau. I really liked this dish, especially when it's still piping hot. Hold the dimsum in your spoon, bit a small bit on the side to let the steaming hot soup flow out, let it cool a little, and pop the whole thing into your mouth. Yum!

Then there's the oddly named "pockey mouse" dimsum. SP said they looked more like porcupines. Maybe the dish should be called "pokey mouse" instead. The pau skin is speckled with black seeds that I couldn't identify, and inside is a sweet filling. The speckled pau skin adds a very nice texture.

From top left: SP cornering the last "pockey mouse", "pockey mice" huddled together, roasted pork ramen, siew loong pau, deep fried red bean bun, Shanghai pot stickers.

Highly recommended. We would have ordered more if we had brought enough money. Nevermind. There's still next time.

View from the backseat

2006-10-14T18:25:00.000+08:00

Whenever we go out for lunch, I have dibs on the backseat.

Food Loft

2006-10-14T09:22:00.001+08:00

food loft
Originally uploaded by boysbytes.

I've heard of this new restaurant at Gurney Plaza. From what I hear, it sounds like a high class food court. So SP and I found ourselves outside Food Loft on a Friday night, and although the concept was a little like a food court, the ambience was way, way better.

The waiters and waitresses were friendly and helpful. Since it was our first time at Food Loft, we didn't know how things worked. We sought their help a few times and soon we were comfortable ordering like regular customers.

Each of us were given a "food card" where we would order our food from the kitchen section and show the cashier our food card. That's how our orders are tracked.

There's quite a variety of food to choose from - there's the Nyonya kitchen, Western kitchen, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean... We were spoilt for choice...

I was most attracted by the dessert - the Jumbo Mango. It's a huge bowl of shaved ice, covered with mango puree and lots and lots of sweet delicious chunks of mango. Ooo... bliss...

Remember that food card? After our meal, we handed our food cards to the cashier and she'd tally up our bill. Sounds like a food court, doesn't it. But the decor, the efficient service, and comfortable environment made our first visit to Food Loft an enjoyable one.

SP and I will definitely revisit the Food Loft.

Shariff's Nasi Kandar

2006-10-12T11:12:00.001+08:00

shariff
Originally uploaded by boysbytes.

Our favourite place for Nasi Kandar. The way I like my Nasi Kandar - rice drowned in curry... hmm...

zin deconstructed

2006-10-11T15:27:00.001+08:00

zin
Originally uploaded by boysbytes.

What is "Deconstruction"?

An alternate view of a subject by breaking it up into individual parts that interact with each other, creating the subject as a whole.

Lunch with George(town)

2006-10-11T11:04:00.001+08:00

Lunch with George(town)
Originally uploaded by boysbytes.

Seeing Red

2006-10-11T08:25:00.001+08:00

Seeing Red
Originally uploaded by boysbytes.

Watch your head

2006-10-10T17:23:00.000+08:00

RAZR V3i, Lomofied

A wedding at E&O

2006-10-08T15:14:00.000+08:00

SP and I were invited to a wedding at E&O last night. It's the second time we've attending a wedding at E&O. I can see why couples chose the place - the setting and the ambience were beautiful.

We were dressed to the nines.

The dining hall looked grand. Perhaps to maintain the grandeur-like environment, the dishes were delivered rather slowly. However, this time was much faster than the first wedding we attended though...

There was live piano music played by a friend on stage. Very nicely planned wedding, with a very comfortable pace.

Mooncake Festivities

2006-10-07T17:13:00.000+08:00

Friday was the mooncake festival, and we were invited to a potluck gathering organised by SP's friend. Traffic was bad that night, but we managed to grab a bucket of KFC and still arrived at the gathering pretty early.

Lots of cats at Gold Coast. This fellow wasn't camera shy.

Everyone brought lots of food - KFC, local kuih's, keropok, fried rice, even crab! I didn't try the crab because I didn't like messy food, but I did try a taste from all the food that night.

The decor was very nice. Minimalist, and white theme everywhere. I especially liked the embedded sound system and the LCD TV. It might be a plasma... I can't tell.

Everyone enjoyed meeting up again after the Sabah trip. The DVD SP and I made was a big hit. Lots of laughter, lots of good memories of the trip.

Our life on iLife

2006-10-07T16:17:00.000+08:00

SP and I stayed up pretty late last Thursday to prepare the DVD of our trip to Sabah. Apple's iLife suite really simplified most of the work. The only time consuming parts were picking the photos and the music to accompany the slideshow.

We managed to finish the DVD on Friday, just in time for the potluck gathering that night. Our friends who joined us in Sabah were there along with a few friends.

They looked pretty happy with the DVD. I still have a few final touches to add to the DVD, but that shouldn't take too long.

The curious incident of a battery in the car park

2006-10-04T19:15:00.000+08:00

I got a call from zin, asking for cmos' phone number. A few minutes later, zin called again asking for another colleague's phone number. If I weren't so sick with the flu, I may have wondered why zin was calling me so many times. But before my weary brain registered curiousity, zin called again. This time, he was asking for me.

Turns out his car battery was flat.

There's nothing more manly that 2 guys, standing next to their cars with the hoods propped up, and peering knowingly into the engine bay. *grunt, grunt*

Oh yeah, click the image for a larger view of the panorama.

We head out to Kota Kinabalu

2006-10-01T18:50:00.000+08:00

Saturday - September 23, 2006
Day 1

We had a plane to catch. We had already packed the night before and just as we left our apartment, the heavens opened and it rained... like cats and dogs... it poured... and poured...

Naturally I got a good soaking. It was so bad that I was asked twice, why I was so wet - once by the Airasia personnel at the check-in counter, and another time by the security personnel at boarding terminal. Bleh...

To our surprise, our plane from Penang to Kuala Lumpur, and the connecting flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu was not delayed. Although we did hear (a loud groan from the passengers in the waiting room) that the next flight right after ours was going to be delayed by more than an hour. Thankfully it was not our flight.

We arrived at Kota Kinabalu's Terminal 2 airport. It hardly looked like an airport because it was very small. I later learned that Terminal 2 is still under construction as a Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) for Kota Kinabalu.

Our driver was already waiting for us to bring us to where we'd be staying in Kota Kinabalu for the next 5 days - Trekker's Lodge, right smack in the middle of Kota Kinabalu city.

The place was basic. Basic rooms, basic bathrooms, basic everything. At least it was clean.

Here's how the common area looks at Trekker's Lodge. Click the image for a larger version. We ate our breakfast here for the next few days - 2 slices of toast with butter and jam, a slice of local fruit and all the coffee or tea we can drink. I was actually rather pleased with the breakfast.

Trekker's Lodge is right smack in the middle of the city center so everything we needed was within walking distance. There's a 7-11 right around the corner, literally. There are a few restaurants nearby, less than 5 minutes away on foot. Reload cards, toiletries, medicine, snacks, beers, all just a short walk away.

The people running the place were all very friendly and very helpful. There's even a Travel Advisor, Mike, who hangs around the place and is a source of information for tours or trips around the city or the nearby islands for snorkling or diving.

Strangely we hardly saw many fellow trekkers. Maybe they were busy trekking or exploring the city to actually spend time at the common area. Nah, we didn't spend much time at the common area as well. We had a mountain to climb!

We're back!!!

2006-10-01T00:29:00.000+08:00

Five days in Kota Kinabalu... and we're back. It'll take a few days to compile all the photos from everyone in our group.

It's been a blast!

Macro Magic

2006-09-22T22:02:00.000+08:00

I read about this macro "hack" for mobile phones from docfiles. Finally found a suitable lens thanks to bigfish who had an extra loupe.

It works pretty good! Here are some examples. The trick is to hold everything steady and guess the focus.

Dome in August

2006-09-21T19:17:00.000+08:00

It's the month of August and the Malaysian flag is proudly displayed in most establishments. SP and I are more frequent at Dome, at least when we've collected enough points to redeem a Dome voucher.

I like their Macchiato. If I remember correctly, that's 2 shots of espresso and milk. I pass on the sugar packets. Delicious with biscotti.

Spotted: Adidas kampung

2006-09-21T08:08:00.000+08:00

These are quite possibly the elusive Adidas kampung shoes that Mount Kinabalu porters use when climbing up the steep slippery slopes every day.

The whole shoe is made from moulded rubber. The amount of detail is pretty good for a RM5 shoe. There's no fancy shock absorbing midsole, or special rubber compound on the sole. Initial impressions were that the shoe was comfortable, flexible and has good grip. Since it's made of rubber, the whole shoe is waterproof.

SP will be donning these Adidas kampung when we make our trip to Mount Kinabalu this Sunday.

The alley that time forgot

2006-09-20T21:34:00.000+08:00

I don't know where's this place... it's a medan selera in the area where there are lots of banks. And it's a medan selera that has WiFi. Very modern. But right next to it is a passage way, an alley, that time forgot.

The alley is right behind these doors, and inside is a cool, almost quiet alley with long tables and chairs where old timers and a few young executives, take a break from the maddening crowd.

IIII or IV?

2006-09-19T20:44:00.000+08:00

I thought the Ikea clock in our home was unique since its Roman numeral for 4 is IIII instead of IV. Then I found out it's normal! There are many theories why clocks with Roman numerals use IIII to represent 4... except the most famous clock, Big Ben that uses IV.

The theories range from reasons of symmetry, reference to Roman gods, kings, balance, etc. This site is an interesting read about why 4 is IIII and not IV, on clocks with Roman numerals, that is.

Waiting

2006-09-18T20:47:00.000+08:00

The last hike...

2006-09-17T14:08:00.000+08:00

before we head for Mount Kinabalu. shutterjam and bigfish were supposed to join us for this hike but they backed out at the last moment. Tsk... tsk...

We joined SP's friends at the hiking trail entrance in Botanical Garden. I've been to this trail before - a long steep flight of stairs is what hikers would encounter. The last time I was there, a few people had to stop midway to catch their breath. However, this time we were all confident after surviving the 6 hour hike at the longest forest trail in Penang. No problems going up that flight of stairs. Quite an achievement considering I was the oldest member of the group.

I was hiking with my brand new shoes after my old pair fell apart during the last hike. These are Bata shoes and they're cheap at RM60 a pair. They're a little light on padding and the sole is quite soft, but I think they should be enough to get me up Mount Kinabalu.

We ended the hike at the 84 rest stop. No one was there except monkeys. Click on the image for a better view. A quick break and we headed back down and had a satisfying dimsum breakfast at a popular spot in town.

The next hike... Mount Kinabalu.

Hammer Bay

2006-09-16T18:20:00.000+08:00

It was Friday, and also the worst traffic congestion along the coastal road in a very long time. SP suggested we try the ikan bakar restaurant near Gold Coast. I've seen lights and cars from a distance, but I never ventured to check the place out.

It was almost 8pm when we arrived at the ikan bakar restaurant - Hammer Bay. There weren't many people. Maybe they were still stuck in the jam. There was ample parking, but watch out for indiscriminate parking by people who don't know better.

Venture deeper into the restaurant and we saw several cozy huts beside the sea - for those who want a more private and personal dining experience. Then there are the canteen-styled tables and benches for those who want to savour the gastronomic delights without being distracted by delicate decor or fancy tableware.

We ordered ikan pari, fried sotong and belacan kangkong. The ikan pari was pretty good. Cooked over a charcoal pit, the chef managed to keep the ikan pari moist and the sauce was very tasty and generously lathered over the slices of ikan pari. But best of all, I could detect the mild taste and aroma of the banana leaves that were used to wrap the ikan pari. For me, that's the purpose of wrapping fish or any other ingredients in banana leaves.

The fried sotong and belacan kangkong were merely side dishes.

I'm hoping we'll revisit Hammer Bay, but next time we'll bring more people. That's the best way to enjoy ikan bakar dishes.