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July 05 Increasing Dellie's RAM Kingston 1GB PC2-4200 CL4
The tech staff from Dell J dropped by Friday morning at around 10 and had Dellie up and running within 45 minutes. After a change of motherboard and undergoing some diagnostic test, Dellie was humming again. As its original RAM is only 1GB, I thought we might as well ask him to increase it to 2GB but found the cost too expensive as compared to a DIY fix.
J was kind enough to write down the model of the 1GB Kingston memory card (PC2-4200 CL4) which he said we could buy at Sim Lim square and showed us how to insert it into the correct place. Thanks to J, we saved a bundle as the 1GB memory card from Sim Lim costs us only $20. It does pay to learn some simple DIY maintenance.
When I next logged on, I found it strange that some of the earlier deleted photo albums appeared on the desktop. Goes to show that deleted stuff still lurks furtively in the system and which can be retrieved to haunt you. Anyway these were just some common holiday snaps so nothing scandalous that anyone would want to steal and post online. Dellie is noticeably running much faster with its improved RAM ...... so this is possibly one of the reasons for its sluggishness earlier.
I'm back to being a night owl again.
The before & after pics of extra 1GB memory card installation
  July 02 Stay The Same by Joey McIntyreStay The Same from his first solo album (1999) with the same name. He used to be a member of the popular boy band group New Kids On The Block (NKOTB) which disbanded in 1994 due to backlash from allegations of lip syncing to pre-recorded vocals during their live performances.
I had once used this song as a personal dedication to a special friend so it does have some significance to me. From lyrics at the end ...... and I hope you'll always stay the same, cos' there's nothing about you I would change .........
Reviving Dellie After a week in Challenger's PC clinic, my Dell was diagnosed with a defective motherboard and any further servicing would have to be referred back to Dell support. So it had been a wasted week with Dellie still in a comatose state back home. As its warranty had already expired, Dell's tech support gave us 2 options ....... to have the CPU components replaced at $500-$600 or extend an additional year's warranty with faulty component replacement on-site at $375. Their tech staff will still have to check Dellie to confirm the fault.So should I go for either option or simply get a new CPU? Perhaps I could even consider paying someone to assemble a non-branded unit for me but then I'll have to buy the Windows OS. Before I can do a comparison, I should find out the price of a new CPU and the minimum recommended specs for my requirement. After looking through a few web-links on Google and sieving through the IT-speak, I came across a helpful article by Dwight Silverman from the Houston Chronicle which gave a simple explanation of the main PC components and recommendation for basic PC specs for the budget buyer, home and power user. I wish more technical articles could be written with such an easy-to-understand content which gives all the necessary information in 1 page.
Over MSN chat, my techie friend W suggested I should just replace the motherboard since the hard disk should be fine. Luckily I had just transferred all my pics into an external hard disk before Dellie went 'thop' so they are safe. Anyway, there are no scandalous pics so there's nothing to worry about. Lesson learnt ...... always do a backup.
I had been toying with the idea of getting one of those cute 10" Netbooks but what would I do with my still functioning monitor? Some reasons too why I won't be a Netbook convert anytime soon ...... screen too tiny, no optical drive and I hate touchpads. It's difficult to drag the cursor to a precise spot and I usually need to tap 'enter' a couple of times before it would respond. It might be convenient to lug around but my intention is more for home use.
I think I'll just get Dellie's motherboard replaced. Sigh ...... I'm unable to get back online at home until it comes back to life.
Update @ 4.40pm : Yay yay, Dell tech staff just confirmed servicing tomorrow morning. Hope Dellie will be up and running again soon.
June 30 Who's The Beast? Dear Kiwi, I'm so sorry they did this to you
I was flipping through the ST pages this morning when this pic of Kiwi almost made me cry. Poor thing, all that was left of its lower right hind limb was its exposed bone with the skin and flesh stripped off. The pain must have been excruciating. Who are the horrible humans behind those illegal traps? For wild boars or not, that's downright cruel. Then there was this deliberate poisoning incident recently at Bayshore Park condominium and earlier reports of mutilated cats.
Why have some of our humans become so inhuman? Yes, I might not understand their dislike or fear of animals or their annoyance at what the creatures did to their property ...... but deliberately hurting them is so sick. Some of the unsound ones might have an excuse for not being able to know right from wrong but not for the rest.
Sorry for these unkind thoughts but may those culprits above get a taste of their own medicine:
for setting those traps, may they develop diabetic feet.
for poisoning the kitties, may they eat badly contaminated food and retch their tummies out.
for mutilating kitties ....... may they *#@*#%@* (too violent, censored).
Whatever justification these people might come up with, may they get the punishment they rightly deserve.
June 29 Canon Ixus 95 IS Digital IXUS 110 IS (12MP, 4X zoom, 2.8" LCD) $546 Digital IXUS 95 IS (10MP, 3X zoom, 2.5" LCD) $371
Powershot A2000 IS (10MP, 6X zoom, 3.0" LCD) $399 Powershot A480 (10MP, 3.3X zoom, 2.5" LCD) $219
A1000 IS (10MP, 4X zoom, 2.5" LCD) $299
Images not to scale and figures above are GSS promotional prices
After looking through online reviews on various Canon digital camera models and fiddling with some sets on display at Best Denki, I still couldn't quite decide on which to buy. I tend to get overwhelmed by too many choices. Both Audio House and Harvey Norman too had been constantly enticing me through their ads with marked down prices and I had planned to drop by for a look yesterday. I did not visit both stores in the end as the thought of trudging to 2 different places suddenly seemed rather tiring.
As I was at Challenger to collect my still unrepaired Dell, I had a look at the available Canon cameras on display. Canon Powershot A480 at $219 ....... same price as Best Denki. The other Canon models here were different from 2 other mid-range models (Powershot A1000 IS & A2000 IS) I had seen at Best Denki so I was unable to do a price comparison. I might have chosen the Powershot A1000 IS or Powershot A2000 IS but I didn't quite like their 2 toned design. The IXUS 110 IS with its slim bodice and rounded edges on one end was definitely more attractive and had better specs, but its price was unfortunately above my budget.
I was drawn to the IXUS 95 IS which resembled the IXUS 110 (except for the rounded edges). I liked its slimness but wished it had a higher zoom value and larger LCD screen. Some of its specs ....... 10 MP, 3X zoom, 2.5" pure colour LCD, face detection, image stabilizer, digic 4 image processor, smart auto mode for brightness & contrast and NB 6L battery pack (good for approx 260 shots). After some deliberation and since it was having a promotional price of $371 (UP $399), I decided to take it. It's available in 6 colours (gray, silver, red, blue, orange & green) ...... I chose silver. Its bundled accessories ..... mini tripod, 8GB SD card, strap, USB & AV cables, battery & charger, soft camera case, screen protector & user manual kit.
I've finally got myself a camera with anti-shake and hope my next pics will turn out much better. It's probably not the best but I'm not going to expend mental energy berating myself for not getting the other model with a larger LCD or higher zoom.
June 26 Beat It - In Memory of MJBeat It, a single from his 1982 album Thriller
I first heard about MJ's death on Class 95 as I got out of bed early this morning. This must have come as a complete shock to his many adoring fans worldwide. Though I'm not a totally devoted fan of his, I like his songs with Beat It being one of them. Love the nice toe-tapping beat. If you listen to the lyrics, it carries a social message .............. that one should be man enough to walk away without resorting to violence.
I feel sorry for him that his recent years were shadowed by the child abuse cases filed against him as well as his financial problems. May he now rest in peace.
As sung by MJ ...... it doesn't matter who's wrong or right, just beat it ........
June 23 Junking Stuff Sometimes it can be a good thing to be without internet access, at least for a short while. Occasionally, it might do us good to get disconnected and use the time to attend to other stuff.Since my Dell had been sent for servicing, I spent all of Sunday junking stuff in my room. First to go were all those papers in the drawers ....... old bills, ATM receipts, insurance and income tax statements dated a few years back and accumulated knick knacks. Paper with blank pages shall be recycled as note pads. Next the large Toyogo containers holding my light knit wear, some which I've not worn for ages and felt a bit shrunken (oh no, I've put on weight). Anyway with the current heatwave, it's unthinkable to wear these so they're going into the pile for donation to the Salvation Army Thrift store. Similarly for that pile of skirts on my wardrobe shelf which seemed to have grown. Quite a number of them still looks new ....... hmm, perhaps I should set up a temporary stall at some bazaar and sell these cheap. Have my own GSS and get back some $$$.
Going through my stuff and junking the unnecessary are in my to-do list but which I've been putting off. Without Dellie's distraction, I managed to clear up quite a bit and it felt good. I don't know what it is about spring cleaning but I find it therapeutic. Perhaps it's to do with my Virgo trait of needing to be organized and as described on an online astrology site: 'Virgos deal with stress by working on things, making things, cleaning things or analyzing things rather than by shopping'. No wonder I like to organize and clean stuff.
June 22 PC DownWhere's Dellie?
I'm not sure what knocked out my Dell yesterday but it just uttered a sudden 'thop' and the monitor black out. I was clearing up an external hard disk and after deleting all the files in it, decided to carry out a disk clean-up as its properties indicated some content in it. That's when Dellie got knocked out and all it could do was blink helplessly at me with its orange light at the front power-on button.
I tried switching it off and on again from the power socket but it didn't make any difference. After a few unsuccessful attempts, I had to conclude that I have a serious problem ...... horrors, did Dellie just died?? But all I did was do a disk clean-up. Could that evil hard disk have corrupted some component or caused a short-circuit? Sigh, I'll have to send it to the PC clinic. After disconnecting all the cables, we took the CPU to the nearest Challenger Store (Tiong Bahru Plaza) which has an inhouse PC servicing centre. I'll be informed within 2-3 days after the staff had carried out a check.
I hope Dellie can be revived with everything intact and with no major damage. Fortunately I had just finished transferring all my pics from Dellie into another hard disk so these are safe. Dellie had been running a bit slow recently (why do I always get plagued by this??) and I thought reducing its total files might hopefully speed it up. I had also carried out a C-drive defragmentation and uninstalled the malware scan in case it might be one of the probable causes.
The monitor looks a bit forlorn without Dellie so I propped Pinkie on top to cheer it up. I miss her too and will be unable to go online at home for the next few days. Perhaps it's good in a way as I'll be sleeping earlier and not stay up into the wee hours. But I want Dellie back.
Update 29th June:
After a week of troubleshooting by the Challenger staff, he concluded that Dellie needs a motherboard replacement. I'd have to contact Dell support for servicing ....... on hindsight, I should have done that from the start as I had purchased it online and its spare parts are not easily available. Wonder how much it'll cost to fix the damage; hope it's not too expensive or I might as well get a new CPU.
June 21 Wasp Nest  On windowsill (hidden by curtains) Inside wardrobe door handle
Look what I found during yesterday's spring cleaning ..... a couple of wasp nests on the windowsill and wardrobe door handle. The nest at the window looks slightly detached as I had just started to remove it with a skewer when I decided to take a snapshot of it. I would not have noticed it if I had not taken down the curtains for washing. Fortunately both nests were unoccupied as it would be yucky to dig out wriggly baby wasps.
I have found similar nests occasionally and it seems that wasp must have liked this particular room. Perhaps I should check it more often, especially those little hidden spots which it seems so fond of. Sorry little one, you'll have to go look for another place to raise junior.
June 20 Leaving Facebook I was once a part of the Facebook community and most likely, my membership must have been the shortest on record. I had joined because of a friend's invitation and out of curiosity, I decided to take a peek. I'm not sure why but somehow I could not feel I belonged.
I saw a vast network where everyone seems to see and be seen and it all seemed so surreal, so busy. Perhaps I was looking for a gentler virtual world, a place where I can take time to gather my thoughts and just be me. I was searching for a place where I could just talk to myself or to someone who really wanted to listen. Perhaps it's why I feel at ease here in MySpace ....... it's just what it is, my little virtual space where 'Spacers' can drop in to say 'hi' or wander in and out unseen if they so choose to.
I had been receiving some invitations to view photos on Facebook but had not followed those links as it would mean having to sign up again. Yesterday I finally decided to take another peek as I figured it could have undergone a revamp. I had also wanted to view those photos. A second attempt and yet, I still couldn't feel I belonged in there. My thoughts are already stored in Spaces and it would be easier to just keep them centred here.
Dear Facebook, I'm sorry ...... perhaps we're just not meant to be.
June 19 Need My CuppaI'm feeling sleepy but it's only 9 pm which is much too early for bed. My usual lights-out is a couple of hours past midnight but on some weekends when I'm immersed in some kdrama, it can be extended until almost dawn. Could it be my sleep debt catching up on me? I've been telling myself to sleep earlier but have yet to get around to it.
It's probably because I missed my 2nd caffeine fix this afternoon as I was busy with some work. I need at least one cup daily or else I'd get a headache and end up yawning all day. My minimum daily requirement is 1 cup but 2 would be better. I know some people cannot take any tea or coffee late in the day as they would have difficulty sleeping. It doesn't seem to affect me so I can have it at any time of day or night. To make up for my missed 2nd cuppa, I'm actually sipping it while writing this entry.
Perhaps I should turn in earlier tonight and catch up on the ZZZZs ........
June 16 Improved MRT PanelsPic taken with my Nokia 2320
The next station flashes red with the remaining stations lit in green.
The door-to-alight indicator is shown at the extreme right.
I'm glad we now have some MRT trains with panels which light up to indicate the various MRT stations along its route as well as from which door to alight. The station name is also displayed on a drop-down electronic panel at the centre of each cabin so everyone else can see the information as well. I first came across such trains when I was in Hong Kong and thought it was so clever of them to provide these features for commuters. Thumbs up to their MTR and bus systems which are really great and easy to use.
These added features are useful for the hearing impaired and those who might not be familiar with the various stations line-up. It's also good for when the trains are packed and you do not have a clear view through the train windows. There may be announcements on board but sometimes you cannot hear that very well. I had on one occasion missed my stop as I was sandwiched in a spot between cabins and the crush of humans blocked all views to the platform signboard.
As I take the MRT infrequently and can never remember from which side to alight, sometimes it worries me to have to guess which direction I should try to squeeze my way through a packed train. There's this anxiety that I might not have enough time to struggle from one side of the cabin to the other before the impatient crowd on the platform surges in and the beeping signals the door closing, so I appreciate the inclusion of this feature on the panel. I could then park myself close to the correct door just before the MRT reaches the station. I hope all trains will have these improved panels soon.
On a separate note, to avoid taking the wrong train I always make it a point to check the information panels on the platform which list the various stations along the line. On a couple of occasions when I was in a hurry to board and didn't have time to check, I took the train that was going in the wrong direction.
 June 13 I Could Fall In Love With You by Selena
This lovely song is from her 1995 album Dreaming Of You. Selena was a popular Tejano singer who was tragically shot to death in 1995 by her boutique manager Yolanda Saldivar who was also the founder of her fan club. According to her biography, the shooting was triggered by an argument she had with Yolanda over the latter's embezzelment from her boutique. More details on her biography can be found at this link: Selena A movie of her titled Selena was released in 1997 in which Jennifer Lopez acted as her character. June 12 Stuck MUVO My 1 year old MUVO decided to hang on me this morning as I was about to reach the workplace. I was on bus 197 listening to my current favourite song Heart, I'm Sorry when the music somehow got stuck and gave off a continuous whirling sound. I tried switching it off but to no avail. It's still whirling away and my PC couldn't even detect it when I plugged it into the USB port. I suppose some internal mechanism must have got stuck and the only thing I can do is to wait until its power runs out. Hopefully I can get it unstuck; if not it would take to its grave all the songs I've saved ...... *sob sob* .......
Update: The whirling finally went off and I tried plugging the MUVO into my PC port. What a relief when the pop-up indicated its detection and its blue light lit up showing it was re-charging. When I switched it on again, it worked just fine and so my fears of its doom were unfounded. Hope it doesn't go into that whirling trance again.
June 10 No respite yet I had been hoping the weatherman would give us a clue for the current energy sapping heat wave and someone in ST must have read my mind. I was just about to google for information when I came across this afternoon's report in the online home news titled No Respite From The Heat. I thought the awful heat was probably due to global warming or the El Nino effect. I cannot remember exactly what the latter is except that it's to do with ocean currents which somehow affects the world climate. I'll need to google and read up on this again. The following is taken from today's ST news online :
THE sizzling hot and humid days in Singapore are set to continue for the rest of this week, with the mercury likely to rise to 34 degree Celsius, said the weatherman. While it may have felt scorching hot in the past weeks, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said that the hottest day so far, May 13, hit only 33.6 deg C, a far cry from the record 36 deg C recorded on March 26, 1998. These hot and dry conditions are typical of the prevailing Southwest monsoon that affects Singapore and the surrounding region. If what NEA says is correct, we're all going to have to sweat it out until the SW monsoon ends in September. Groan ....... June 09 She's Like The Wind by Patrick SwayzeWished they didn't use the wave-like effect in this clip which I thought was bad for the eyes.
From the soundtrack of the 1987 movie Dirty Dancing featuring Patrick Swayze (as Johnny Castle) and Jennifer Grey (as Baby). He plays a dance instructor at a resort in the Catskills Mountains where Baby and her family had gone for a holiday. In spite of her dad's disapproval, she secretly learnt the Latin dances from Johnny with whom she fell in love.
The title Dirty Dancing might give the impression that it's some kind of kinky dance which Baby's strict dad would most definitely frown on, but it's really about the passionate and sensual Latin dances which were perhaps not too proper for the year of 1963 (in the movie).
The movie might be 22 years old but the soundtrack is nice; anyway I like songs from the 80s. Another of his movies I've watched is Ghost (1990, with Demi Moore). An update on Patrick Swayze is that he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January 2008 (probably due to his heavy smoking) and rumoured to be close to death.
An additional music clip I found:
Patrick and his wife Lisa Nieme at the 1994 World Music Awards dancing to Whitney Houston's song All The Man That I Need. It's lovely to watch a couple dancing in sync with each other.
June 06 My Girl by Kang Sung Hoon
I chanced upon this nice song by Kang Sung Hoon, the lead vocalist from the disbanded hip hop boy band Sechs Kies, after which he had gone on to release 4 albums. I do not know much about him prior to this but he's rather cute, isn't he? Heart I'm Sorry by Lee Ji Hoon
This is the actual music clip of the song Heart I'm Sorry featuring the good looking singer Lee Ji Hoon himself, from his 6th album The Classic and shot in Prague. It's such a lovely heart-touching song. The translated English lyrics can be viewed from the music clip under my previous Boys Before Flowers Kdrama entry. He acted in the 2007 Kdrama Hello My Lady besides a few others. My earlier posting of this series is listed in the January 23rd 2009 entry in this link: OST.
Boys Before Flowers KdramaHeart, I'm Sorry Sung by Lee Ji Hoon
Uploaded by summerxsummer0
I had thought the song used in the fanmade MV above was from the series OST but after locating the music clip featuring the singer Lee Ji Hoon and checking out the OST list, I realised it's not. Anyway I like the song so shall keep this clip. The series OST can be viewed on YouTube (search under Boys Before Flowers).
This 25 episodes Kdrama series Boys Before Flowers is currently on Channel U every Saturday night. I've finished watching the entire series online on MySoju. It should appeal to the younger viewers as it features some good looking young Korean actors, 2 of them from the Kpop groups of SS501 and Tmax. This series is an adaptation from the Japanese manga series Hana Yori Dango by Yoko Kanio and which has been remade into various drama series in Taiwan (Meteor Garden 2001), Japan (Hana Yori Dango 2005) and Korea (Boys Before Flowers 2009).
The story is about the relationship between Geum Jan Di (Koo Hye Sun), whose family runs a dry cleaning store located near the elite Shin Hwa College and the F4 group who are wealthy students from the college. The group's leader Goo Joon Pyo (Lee Min Ho) is well known for terrorizing the students, with the unfortunate ones being issued the dreaded F4 red card which would be a signal to other students to start the merciless bullying. On one such occasion, Jan Di who was delivering clean laundry to the college saved a suicidal student and this triggered off bad publicity for the college. In order to salvage its reputation, she was admitted to the college on a scholarship by Joon Pyo's mum who runs the place.
Though the F4 group initially made life miserable for Jan Di, Joon Pyo couldn't help but fell for her when she had the courage to stand up to him. He might appear tough on the surface but was really a sensitive boy at heart, deprived of family warmth and closeness. Filming for this series was carried out in some lovely places which included New Caledonia in the South Pacific, on Waiheke Island, Macau and Jeju Island.
 Main casts (left to right): Kim Joon, 25 (from Kpop group Tmax) .... as Song Woo Bin, heir to Ilsim Construction and whose family are leaders of a criminal organisation. Lee Min Ho, 22 ..... as Goo Joon Pyo, leader of F4 and heir to global business enterprise Shin Hwa group Koo Hye Sun, 25 ...... as Geum Jan Di, Joon Pyo's love interest Kim Hyun Joong, 23 (leader of Kpop group SS501) ....... as Yoon Ji Hoo, grandson of former Korean president Kim Bun, 20 (baby of the group) .... as So Yi Jung, heir to Korea's largest private museum.
June 05 Girls Day Out @ Carousel With my colleagues at lobby of Royal Plaza On Scotts, this pic was taken
from our reflection off the floor-to-ceiling mirror
Lt - Rt: Me (in blue), A, Afz & KH
A couple of weeks ago, my colleagues and I decided we should each take a half-day's leave from work and try out the buffet lunch at Carousel in Scotts Road. We were not celebrating any occasion but just wanted a girls' day out and to get away from the lab. At first we couldn't decide between the Hi-Tea (weekday $28/ weekend $34) and Lunch (weekday $40/weekend $45) menu. After comparing the dishes listed in their online menu, we decided on the latter as it offered a wider variety.
With its international selection of dishes, one would definitely be spoilt for choice. There were different food stations such as Japanese maki rolls & shashimi, Korean appetizers & salad, Thai papaya salad, Mexican salsa & Spanish tapas, European cuisine, soups & sphagetti, chicken & beef rotisserie, Asian specialties, chicken rice & noodles, dim sum & hotpots, a chocolate fountain with fruits & marshmallow and a multitude of sweet desserts such as custards, pudding, mousse & tarts. For the complete listing, visit this link: Carousel menu
Here are some of the pics taken with KH's Nikon. I usually don't bring my camera into food outlets out of respect for their usual 'no photo taking' rules so I do not have many food postings. As expected, KH was politely reminded by the outlet staff not to take pictures. Food looks yummy, doesn't it?
    Steamed Spanish Black Mussels KH's selection of scallop, clams, crab & crayfish
  Love this delicious Toffee Vanilla Creme Brulee Blueberry Cheese Cake
June 03 Up North.jpg) KL Twin Towers I had gone up north with J to KL last Saturday to attend my niece's (my eldest brother's 2nd daughter) wedding and dinner. As a few of my sister-in-law's siblings and families (from Ipoh and Malacca) had been invited to attend, my niece had booked a couple of the KL Plaza service codominium apartments to accomodate all of us. It's conveniently located along Jalan Bukit Bintang and within walking distance to the popular shopping complexes of Lot 10, Sungai Wang and Bukit Bintang Plazas.
.jpg) We had taken the 9am Aeroline double decker bus from Harbour Front and reached KL at around 3pm. The drop-off point was at Corus Hotel located in Ampang, about 30 min on foot to Jalan Bukit Bintang. We decided to walk and asked some of the passers-by for directions. I was thrilled to see the KL Twin Towers at such close range for the first time and snapped a number of pics from different angles. Due to its proximity, I could not get an image of the full height so I had to snap either the bottom or top 3/4 of the towers. My feet were already starting to hurt due to the uncomfortable pair of slip-ons I shouldn't have worn for this trip, so I made up my mind to get myself a pair of laced-up shoes when we get near the shopping area. Our destination suddenly seemed rather distant so we decided to take a cab. The first one we flagged quoted a fare of RM10 so we flagged another who agreed to use the meter. Along the way, we chatted with the lady driver who shared with us the woes and difficulties of earning a decent living with the slow-ticking cab meters coupled with bad traffic jams. It's not surprising that most of the cab drivers preferred not to use the cab meters but go for a quoted fare instead. Since she was such a nice lady and feeling sorry about their low earnings, we paid her RM5 though the metered fare registered only RM2.50.
The wedding dinner was held on Saturday night at the Oriental Pearl Restaurant within the Bukit Kiara Equestrian & Country Resort grounds, located off Jalan Damansara. We hitched a ride from my other niece (the bride's sister) but as her husband was not familiar with the confusing roads, we got a little lost along the way even though we were following another relative's car. Though the latter was a KL resident, he too was not very familiar with some of the roads to the outskirts. After taking the wrong road and detouring back, we finally managed to find the dinner venue. The tea ceremony for the bride's family was held on Sunday morning at the KL Plaza condominium where we were staying so it was quite convenient for us. After that, we made our way to the groom's house which was quite a distance away on the outskirts and helped ourselves to the good buffet lunch provided.
 Feeling much rested after an afternoon nap, we finally made our way to the nearby shopping centres for some shopping and dinner. My brother and his family was driving back to Ipoh on Monday but J and I had planned to stay an additional day for more shopping or sight-seeing. After we had checked out on Monday afternoon, we booked for a day's stay at the Federal Hotel which was also located along the same shopping belt. After a few shopping rounds, I managed to get a few pairs of my favourite laced-up shoes and a Bossini polo tee on sale at only RM18($7) down from RM69(28.50). I got a dark brown jacket with detachable fake fur collar(RM150/$62) for YL as she had been looking for one with a similar design. I had been thinking of getting a new camera to replace my existing one which is prone to blurred images but since Singapore is currently having its Great Singapore Sale(GSS), I think I'll get it back home. Later that evening, we walked over to the street bazaar at Jalan Petaling. My last trip to this place was around 20 years ago and it now seemed rather unfamiliar. The various stalls were selling the usual bags, clothing, footwear and souvenirs which I didn't find very interesting and after dinner at one of the stalls in front of a row of shophouses, we took a cab back to Jalan Bukit Bintang for a final hour of browsing before the stores closing time.
Our trip back to Singapore on Tuesday was at 3pm on the same Aeroline bus. After a leisurely breakfast and last shopping round, we checked out and took a cab to the bus pick-up point at the Corus Hotel. This time the quoted fare was RM7 but we paid the nice driver RM10 since he was resourceful enough to take some of the back lanes to avoid the traffic jam. At one of the rest stops along the highway back to Singapore, I was fascinated by the many trapped flies on a sticky trap used by one of the fruit stall sellers. There were quite a number of them still buzzing over the many varieties of ripe fruits. We bought 10 giant guavas for only RM20($8.20).
We finally reached the Tuas 2nd link at around 7pm. Going through immigration with the masked up officers and temperature scanner, I was reminded of the current H1N1 watch and was surprised to see on the news that the confirmed cases had doubled to 8 when there were only 4 the day we left Singapore. Anyway it's good to be home.
 Sticky trap for flies, with some of them visibly struggling in the glue
May 29 Life Expectancy Calculator Taken from website: Virtual AgeThis is one fun website to calculate your virtual age/life expectancy against your real age and average life expectancy according to your lifestyle and health. It also gives you your age in days rather than years. My life expectancy was given as 88.6 years. Results to be taken with a pinch of salt so do not be too worried should yours turned out to be less than what you would like it to be. I suppose it serves as a good reminder to lead a healthy lifestyle.
To get to the website, click on virtual age link above.
Graduation Day SP grounds before start of ceremony, taken from entrance of Convention Hall
 Stage of Convention Hall, arrival of graduands & guests
 Blurred pic of me after receiving the scroll box, flitting like a spirit through Dr Thomas Chai,
(Director, School of Chemical & Life Sciences)
 With one of my course mates after the ceremony, just outside the Convention HallGraduation Day (27th May 2009)
After the preparation and anticipation, I'm glad the day had finally arrived. I had taken a day's leave from work so that I could get ready and reach the venue with plenty of time to spare. I wished the weather had been kinder as I was wearing my new long sleeves white blouse with a striped tie (to give it a smarter look). Looking at the bright sunlight outside my window, I decided I could not tolerate leaving my hair loose and had it tied up in my simplified bun style.
YL and I took a cab, reaching there around 10 mins before the doors to the Convention Hall were opened to allow graduands and guests in. I decided to snap a pic of the building adjacent to the Hall which had a large congratulatory banner. The grounds might seem rather quiet with not many people around as most of the guests and graduands were gathered behind me and in front of the Hall entrance.
Soon it was time to enter and as there were separate entrances for graduands and guests, I left my bag with YL after taking out the graduation gown, admission ticket, NRIC and mobile. We had been told to have our NRIC (for collection of diplomas in a seperate area after receiving the scroll box) and admission ticket (to be presented for scanning when we walk up on stage, which will generate our names on screen along with our image). As my camera was with YL, I had to rely on her to take the pictures during the ceremony. A pity most of them turned out blur due to my camera's limitations for capturing fast/continuous motion. A good example was the 'special' ghost effect of me passing through the presenter in the above pic. I know it's high time to get a better camera.
The graduation ceremony was held over 4 days with a total of 11 sessions. Ours was the 5th session on the 2nd day which comprised 9 courses with a total of 465 graduands. My group had the smallest number and not all of my coursemates attended. We were seated according to courses and being at the last row, we were one of the last groups to go on stage. After receiving the scroll box, we were directed to an area outside the hall to collect our diploma and then re-entered through another entrance to get back to our seats.
After the ceremony, there was a tea reception at the plaza (SP grounds in the first pic above). I had wanted to take a group photo with my coursemates but somehow most of them had disappeared into the crowds. Already feeling the heat outside, I couldn't wait to remove the gown but put it back on to have my pic taken with one of my coursemates. I should have taken a snapshot of the graduands milling around the tea reception area but was occupied trying to locate the photo booth to order the official graduation photos. These were taken by the appointed photographers inside the Convention Hall when each of us went on stage to receive our scroll box.
The heat was already getting to me, sapping my energy and all I wanted was to go home. Most of the graduands were happily snapping group photos with their classmates and families, and tolerating the heat in the thick gowns. On hindsight, I should have taken more pics that day. Hopefully the official pics will turn out well. To view more graduation pics, visit the SP website: SP Graduation (click on browse through photo gallery > session 5).
May 26 Awful Heat This insane heat and humidity is awful and makes me feel as if it's one big sauna out there. It makes me want to scream 'AARGH!!' and go hibernate in some faraway wintry land. On some days even the wind has gone into hiding, leaving the heated air to wrap itself around us. The cool air-cond comfort of the workplace offers some much needed relief and makes me glad it's a work day. I do not use the air-cond at home though there's one ancient window unit in the master bedroom installed years ago. It had not been used for ages and I'm not sure whether it still works. I prefer using the fan when sleeping as the air-cond is too drying for my throat. Besides it's also easier on the monthly utilities bill. But lately, the fan seems to be just re-circulating hot air even when I have it blowing directly at me all the time.
How much longer is this horrid weather going to lasts? Are some of us going to melt in this wilting heat or shrivel up like a prune before it gets any better?
Update: Yay, it rained this evening and washed away the heat. Thanks for bringing back the rain.
May 24 Always On Your Side by Sheryl Crow & Sting
Always On Your Side, a song from American singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow's 2005 album Wildflower. This music clip is the version of her duet with British musician Sting. I came across this song quite some time ago and it somehow got stuck in my head. I can't really explain it but some songs have that certain 'feel' that speaks to me. |
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