tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17158441424499160492024-03-13T07:18:17.992-07:00A Family and A Fistful of CouponsA blog about a 50++ family guy that needs to loose weight and stay healthy. Check out his <a href="http://www.todoalive.com/jakkuku">ToDo List</a>.Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09193062922866265129noreply@blogger.comBlogger110125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715844142449916049.post-82923426557687624622016-06-10T23:14:00.001-07:002016-06-11T02:12:36.450-07:00The Order: 1886 - Sequel Needed<div dir="ltr">
Recently, I purchased The Order: 1886 from the PlayStation Network when it was on promo. It was a good deal at MYR 42.00. The download took about 2 days to complete on my crummy 8mb Streamyx line.</div>
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When I first launched the game, the text and dialog were in Japanese. I was like, "WTF!!". So, I googled around and found others with the same problem.</div>
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Managed to resolved it by simply change my default language from English (UK) to English (US). This has never happened before and I found it rather odd.</div>
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<b>Gameplay</b></div>
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In any case, the game started off well enough. Initially, I found the camera angle and view of the character, being off center, unlike a FPS or standard third person shooter (TPS) very disconcerting. </div>
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Almost a third of the screen was blocked by the character and it made for awkward camera views in navigation and combat. The ability to switch between having the character standing on the left or right of the screen (using the Camera Bias option) helped a little bit. </div>
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I supposed the developers designed it that way to increase the "challenge" to the game. Took some getting use to, but eventually it became less annoying after I really got into the game and plot.</div>
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<b>Photo Mode</b></div>
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One of the cool feature of the game is the "Photo Mode". According to a blog post from PlayStation, it was added much later during one of the game's updates.</div>
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When enabled, it allowed for video and imaging edits (if you like that sort of thing). What I liked about the Photo Mode was the ability to freeze the game, then allowing me to navigate the 3D environment to see what and where the enemies were, so that I could come up with an attack plan... lol. For example, where the ammo refills or weapons are located. </div>
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You can either use the Photo Mode or the Camera Bias at any one time. So obviously, I preferred the Camera Bias almost all the time :)</div>
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<b>Combat</b></div>
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The combat of The Order: 1886 was unconventional, with a mixture of point and shoot, timed button presses, joystick directions and combinations of the aforesaid. Each of the combat method was tied to specific type of battle. </div>
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For example, the werewolf boss battles were left or right trigger button presses, swiping the joysticks at the indicated directions and timed correctly, then repeat. The normal werewolf battles were shoot, timed button presses to block, and button push to give the final killing blow. Not my type of combat gameplay.</div>
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The regular battles against human adversaries were more conventional, (aim and shoot) and were quite fun and challenging (partly due to the camera angles). I rather like the choices of weapons, and how the game forced you to only use those weapons available at that chapter.</div>
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<b>I Definitely Want More! (Spoilers)</b></div>
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I felt that the game was really too short. Took me less than 10 hours to complete the game. I love the excellent costume and set design; what a really amazing and beautiful visual experience.</div>
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Overall, I treated The Order: 1886 as an interactive cinematic experience which has a nice story line with engaging characters in a well designed period settings flourished with steam punk elements.</div>
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I started off the game irritated at being forced to play the game with unfamiliar controls and camera options but ended with me wanting more of this world and story. I want to know what happens next. I want to take on the vampires in the Americas. </div>
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I want to buy the sequel!!!</div>
Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09193062922866265129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715844142449916049.post-89701852577121328312013-10-15T08:15:00.000-07:002013-10-15T08:16:22.903-07:00Maker KidsRecently, I set up a Wordpress blog for my kids to post up photos of what they made. I decided on a Pinterest-type theme as it would be easier for them to post the photos from the mobile phones and android devices using a Wordpress app. Snap photo and post. As simple as that.<br />
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I also managed to get a very nice domain name for their site. Go check it out here <a href="http://jhky.org/">http://jhky.org</a>. JHKY are the initials of all my kids' name. Except for my eldest daughter, all the three younger ones have the same initials.<br />
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The reason behind what I am doing is rather simple. I want my kids to be maker kids, as in kids who made things, anything! From baking to welding, I mean anything that will make them do something with their hands and involving their minds (conceptualize and visualize) end result in the end is to make something. Basically, learning the process of designing and creating something by figuring out the process on their own.<br />
<br />Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09193062922866265129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715844142449916049.post-22520295357440737482012-12-15T03:38:00.001-08:002012-12-15T04:06:11.107-08:00A Family Project - Crossbow<p dir="ltr">Make a harmless crossbow for the kids today that shoots paper bullets. Used a plastic hose, rubber band and some wood for it. Took about 45 minutes to make. Works like a charm... Lol.</p>
<div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-qp7IQYJb_FY/UMxlTHDh2qI/AAAAAAAABRY/W8Jnu7rShc4/s1600/20121215_172432.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-qp7IQYJb_FY/UMxlTHDh2qI/AAAAAAAABRY/W8Jnu7rShc4/s640/20121215_172432.jpg' /> </a> </div><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='http://lh4.ggpht.com/--DUVcwItnmc/UMxlgjtNTnI/AAAAAAAABRg/b7f5drCzLak/s1600/20121215_172404.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/--DUVcwItnmc/UMxlgjtNTnI/AAAAAAAABRg/b7f5drCzLak/s640/20121215_172404.jpg' /> </a> </div><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ikfw3wfHpnw/UMxluvl2jEI/AAAAAAAABRo/zpwgcIip5OI/s1600/20121215_172416.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ikfw3wfHpnw/UMxluvl2jEI/AAAAAAAABRo/zpwgcIip5OI/s640/20121215_172416.jpg' /> </a> </div>Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09193062922866265129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715844142449916049.post-46127683386411802302012-10-06T06:50:00.001-07:002012-10-06T06:50:08.189-07:00Ultraman Head Making Contest<div><p>Joel,  Jordan and Jodene were competing to make an Ultraman head out of Playdoh. And here are the results. </p>
<p>And the winner is Jordan with the yellow head. Btw, their mom was the judge. </p>
<br/><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-F2V3tezbE4Y/UHA27nTq2OI/AAAAAAAABQk/v-QLI1e82so/20121006_214327.jpg' /><br/><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-9PDvxj8l1OA/UHA2-Z4hmvI/AAAAAAAABQs/7aC1hBSBwFk/20121006_214224.jpg' /><br/><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-kA7d9wCJMkw/UHA3C7d5q6I/AAAAAAAABQ0/mkvvJQMyARg/20121006_214102.jpg' /></div>Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09193062922866265129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715844142449916049.post-37314137562032767982012-10-06T06:34:00.001-07:002012-10-06T06:40:02.710-07:00A Flamingo Made from Playdoh<div><p>My 8 years old made a flamigo from P laydoh. Well... not exactly Playdoh but a Playdoh like material . It looked so real.... lol. I am so proud of her.</p>
<br/><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-idFpqkrQvlU/UHA0rhA7BxI/AAAAAAAABQY/ERtzq_nRkfk/1349530750427.jpg' /><br/><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-m0gbIoHZVjo/UHAzbUwVeqI/AAAAAAAABQQ/49JmdCt0MPY/20121006_213125.jpg' /></div>Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09193062922866265129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715844142449916049.post-20645808908551840882012-09-29T12:42:00.001-07:002012-09-29T12:42:09.752-07:00Mangoes, Mangoes, Mangoes<div><p>Today I am back in Batu Gajah, Perak to visit my in laws. </p>
<p>It is mango season and naturally, we plucked and harvested more than a few :)</p>
<p>Yummy! </p>
<br/><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ynajI4faIMo/UGdN2EW-TGI/AAAAAAAABPs/U5RR2Mb2JEE/20120929_190723.jpg' /><br/><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-VjQY2ccq1TA/UGdOedDjBCI/AAAAAAAABP0/3Ughve12x_k/20120929_190741.jpg' /><br/><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-poVaEDcIZ2g/UGdPDLV82VI/AAAAAAAABP8/YUMYcYWJ5JE/20120929_190802.jpg' /></div>Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09193062922866265129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715844142449916049.post-61595418108754101832012-07-22T01:06:00.001-07:002012-07-22T01:20:36.678-07:00Selecting A Tablet<div><p>I have been thinking about getting a tablet for my kids for a while now. My rationale is to provide them access to online learning materials whenever they need and to get on video conference call with me whenever I travel. </p>
<p>We do have a PC at home for them to use. But they have been banned from using the home computer for quite sometime now. Reason for the ban is because they will spent too much time on YouTube and online gaming. There was no way to control what they can do on the PC. </p>
<p>Hence, the tablet. With an Android tablet (not sure if it is possible to do that on an iPad) I can set a PIN for each app to lock and prevent it from launching. </p>
<p>So, my idea is to lock all the apps with a PIN and only allow the apps I choose to launch without the PIN. </p>
<p>That way I can lock the web browsers but allow them access to the Wikipedia app or any other educational apps I install for them.</p>
<p>So, the question is which tablet to get for them. Right now I am leaning towards the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 Plus 7 inch version. Alternatives are  the Nexus 7 or even the Samsung  Galaxy Note. </p>
<p>Still can't decide yet. Will wait and see. </p>
<p>Btw, that app to lock other apps is called Perfect AppLock. Go check it out. </p>
<br/><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Si1ZWdYjuR8/UAu0kPDi72I/AAAAAAAABNo/coeGhLAYC4I/SamsungTab.png' /></div>Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09193062922866265129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715844142449916049.post-3281823853138953812012-07-21T11:16:00.001-07:002012-07-21T11:24:13.861-07:00Samsung Galaxy S3<div><p>Bought a Samsung Galaxy S3 in June for the wife. Got it at a very good price. </p>
<p>Of course, I got to test it out first. It was only just recently that I got myself the S2. I really liked it. Especially the Android OS. I found it to be so much more flexible than the iOS. IMHO, the S3, like the Galaxy Nexus, has the perfect screen size for a smart phone.</p>
<p>But most importantly, my wife loved it. </p>
<br/><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-DqDyAtriedw/UArxwVJ5UjI/AAAAAAAABM8/vx2Usba4Mug/1340274763501.png' /><br/><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-S7NzIUNdUJM/UArxzybgUDI/AAAAAAAABNE/YADE1P6NA2w/1340277879071.png' /><br/><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-4JRZGiq0SAU/UArx3-xZdVI/AAAAAAAABNM/MGqZO0c9yWI/1340274869838.png' /></div>Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09193062922866265129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715844142449916049.post-37259517893741051552012-07-21T10:23:00.001-07:002012-07-21T10:24:24.097-07:00Camping At Jerankang Waterfall<div><p>April was a pretty busy month. I took the boys camping at Jerangkang Waterfall in Pahang state together with my friends. Suffice to say that is was part of my annual all-male friends trip to somewhere. (Last year's was to Terengganu for sotong or squid fishing.)</p>
<p>It was a fun trip for Joel and Jordan. It  was their first trip camping and  hiking. Build their first fire too. Posted some photos of the trip here. </p>
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<p>Uninstalled it and have not been blogging since. The funny thing was  that I was not aware that Google had a mobile app for Blogger. I remembered searching for it in the marketplace but it was not available. Not sure why. </p>
<p>Anyway, long story short, I found it today. Hence this post. So, here is another attempt to kick-start my blog updates.</p>
<p>Btw, Blogger's mobile app is called Blogger. </p>
<br/><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-HzN62CnOSyg/UArzYm7UJzI/AAAAAAAABNU/lgej87vzMVA/Screenshot_2012-07-22-02-19-53.png' /><br/><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-62T0_lIpU1k/UArzZZMCZ_I/AAAAAAAABNc/zfcshNqX6qc/Screenshot_2012-07-22-02-19-27.png' /></div>Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09193062922866265129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715844142449916049.post-82623287190018007012012-04-07T22:23:00.001-07:002012-04-07T23:10:27.027-07:00Dr Who Sonic Screw DriverWoke up late today. <br/> <br/> Was up till 4 am this morning on my PlayStation 3 checking out the new Skyrim update. Had to delete the game data and reinstall the game as the latest patch seemed to cause the game to freeze and hanged the system whenever the character entered water. <br/> <br/> After the reinstallation, my quests went pretty well.... lol. And as usual before I know it, it was 4 am. <br/> <br/> Well that was why I got up late. Now back to the Dr Who sonic screw driver. When I came downstairs, Joel was excitedly telling me that he made a sonic screw driver. I must say that it looked pretty good considering the fact that it was made from paper and cellophane tapes. I decided to spray it with silver paint to give it a metallic look.
<p><a href='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-2GD-3u7kJaE/T4EackywG6I/AAAAAAAABL4/T5Hvx7bmaWY/s0/20120408_120855.jpg'><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-2GD-3u7kJaE/T4EackywG6I/AAAAAAAABL4/T5Hvx7bmaWY/s288/20120408_120855.jpg'/></a></p>
Joel, Jordan and Jodene have been Dr Who fans for the longest time. I introduced them the show a couple of years back. I myself have been a fan since I was a teenager when I watched a couple of episodes on the television broadcasted by the Brunei TV station. I used to stay in Miri, Sarawak, where we could received their broadcast; and then continued with the series on PBS when I studied in Canada. <br/> <br/> Anyway, I interviewed Joel in the following video.
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I am actually looking forward to see what my kids will come up with next. <br/> <br/>
Maybe I will give them some additional art and craft items to see what they will fabricate... lol.
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<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.4</div>Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09193062922866265129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715844142449916049.post-84384500531335658342012-04-07T07:29:00.001-07:002012-04-07T07:42:22.410-07:00DIY Paper ToysHere are some of the paper toys made by my kids.
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Armed with cellophane tapes, papers, scissor and their creativity, they will fabricate items they see in the movies like Indiana Jones hat, PS3 Uncharted game items, X-men, etc.
<p><a href='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-SZ-6bvAk_C0/T4BPBjETS_I/AAAAAAAABK4/GOl5PV3V8a4/s0/20120406_203338.jpg'><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-SZ-6bvAk_C0/T4BPBjETS_I/AAAAAAAABK4/GOl5PV3V8a4/s288/20120406_203338.jpg' /></a></p><p><a href='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-1ib2Ea715rk/T4BPDB47nXI/AAAAAAAABLA/jIEbgQIMs0I/s0/20120406_202922.jpg'><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-1ib2Ea715rk/T4BPDB47nXI/AAAAAAAABLA/jIEbgQIMs0I/s288/20120406_202922.jpg' /></a></p><p><a href='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-JFIBr5Azc2g/T4BPE5GZ8MI/AAAAAAAABLI/K_BJWk1dDlE/s0/20120406_202811.jpg'><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-JFIBr5Azc2g/T4BPE5GZ8MI/AAAAAAAABLI/K_BJWk1dDlE/s288/20120406_202811.jpg' /></a></p><p><a href='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-C1x8MRDiNuk/T4BPHIYJIlI/AAAAAAAABLQ/dTZzTpTeFvU/s0/20120401_182118.jpg'><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-C1x8MRDiNuk/T4BPHIYJIlI/AAAAAAAABLQ/dTZzTpTeFvU/s288/20120401_182118.jpg' /></a></p><p><a href='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-gpmhUxP-h-Q/T4BPL4wCQFI/AAAAAAAABLY/xwxmAv1_0HE/s0/20120401_181913.jpg'><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-gpmhUxP-h-Q/T4BPL4wCQFI/AAAAAAAABLY/xwxmAv1_0HE/s288/20120401_181913.jpg' /></a></p><p><a href='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Ct1prMmAeMY/T4BPN4QyEzI/AAAAAAAABLg/c3hKNPPJ5Do/s0/20120401_181735.jpg'><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Ct1prMmAeMY/T4BPN4QyEzI/AAAAAAAABLg/c3hKNPPJ5Do/s288/20120401_181735.jpg' /></a></p><p><a href='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-mhAausTtAHo/T4BPQc39IKI/AAAAAAAABLo/eGrT5cVw6bQ/s0/20120315_163423.jpg'><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-mhAausTtAHo/T4BPQc39IKI/AAAAAAAABLo/eGrT5cVw6bQ/s288/20120315_163423.jpg' /></a></p><p><a href='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-OGkBrGgjtMk/T4BPS9lIRnI/AAAAAAAABLw/Bg-tLcjM-og/s0/20120315_163433.jpg'><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-OGkBrGgjtMk/T4BPS9lIRnI/AAAAAAAABLw/Bg-tLcjM-og/s288/20120315_163433.jpg' /></a></p><div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.4</div>Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09193062922866265129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715844142449916049.post-17561158262934390012012-04-07T07:02:00.001-07:002012-04-07T07:15:34.588-07:003 Rooms Apartment Made From McDonald Happy MealsLast weekend, my wife decided to give a treat to our three kids. <br/> <br/> Yup, McDonald Happy Meal is considered a treat in this part of the world. <br/> <br/> The next morning when I got downstairs, I found a three bedroom house with a pool made out of the happy meals. <br/> <br/> LOL... after they were finished with the meals, with cellophane tapes and a scissor as their tools they went to work. <p><a href='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-88NP_jACoB0/T4BI9wzs2sI/AAAAAAAABKw/99TWm0qUzmE/s0/20120401_205110.jpg'><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-88NP_jACoB0/T4BI9wzs2sI/AAAAAAAABKw/99TWm0qUzmE/s400/20120401_205110.jpg' /></a></p>
I have always encouraged them to be creative and this is just one of their many projects. <br/> <br/> Cheers. <div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.4</div>Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09193062922866265129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715844142449916049.post-32469959255025516662012-04-07T06:09:00.001-07:002012-07-21T11:24:42.338-07:00Trying Out Mobile Blogging<div><p>Have not been updating my blog for so long. Thought I will start blogging again from my mobile phone. </p> <p>Recently, I got a pretty good deal on  a Samsung Galaxy S2 and decided to dump my five years old Dopod D810. Yup, that Taiwan company that was bought over by HTC years ago. </p> <p>It has been almost two months now since I got the new phone. The Swype feature is really superb!! And the number of apps available from Google Play is amazing! </p> <p>I found this blogging apps for Blogspot.com called Blogger-Droid and this is my first post using the app.</p> <p>So far the user experience is pretty good. With this app I hope to be updating more often. </p> <div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.4</div></div>Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09193062922866265129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715844142449916049.post-89818119852819474492011-10-17T01:21:00.000-07:002012-07-21T10:25:04.206-07:00Joel and Jordan Catching their First Fishes<div>After watching several episodes of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extreme_Fishing_with_Robson_Green">Extreme Fishing with Robson Green</a>, my two sons were inspired. To top if off, they have been playing some fishing game on their mom's Ipad 2. They have both been bugging me about taking them go fishing. And I did just that two weekends ago and here are the results :-)<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uFXzZE8kko0/Tpvq_0L8THI/AAAAAAAABHk/zOz_vI4Zcjg/s1600/IMG_0841.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uFXzZE8kko0/Tpvq_0L8THI/AAAAAAAABHk/zOz_vI4Zcjg/s320/IMG_0841.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664379338409921650" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">You can see the disappointment of not catching anything.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YzwIA1CBB2k/Tpvq_7HRcBI/AAAAAAAABHQ/rOgzoQgML4E/s1600/IMG_0837.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YzwIA1CBB2k/Tpvq_7HRcBI/AAAAAAAABHQ/rOgzoQgML4E/s320/IMG_0837.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664379340269383698" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Joel with the fish he caught.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--NDE_vqNxjs/Tpvq_mT0ZyI/AAAAAAAABHA/gIoRTZTDZmA/s1600/IMG_0835.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--NDE_vqNxjs/Tpvq_mT0ZyI/AAAAAAAABHA/gIoRTZTDZmA/s320/IMG_0835.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664379334684862242" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Jordan holding up the the fish that Joel caught.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z_EqO4dHnjQ/TpvrAi8xiAI/AAAAAAAABH0/ujfiAwiFJMw/s1600/IMG_0844.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z_EqO4dHnjQ/TpvrAi8xiAI/AAAAAAAABH0/ujfiAwiFJMw/s320/IMG_0844.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664379350962767874" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">He was worried about not catching anything... after he caught one, he was relief and pretty proud of himself.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7b8SCjBrlcQ/Tpvq_53jWGI/AAAAAAAABHI/1tIVtvLZVqQ/s1600/IMG_0836.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7b8SCjBrlcQ/Tpvq_53jWGI/AAAAAAAABHI/1tIVtvLZVqQ/s320/IMG_0836.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664379339935012962" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">A close-up of Jordan and the fish.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cpDl8KDhIlk/TpvrSg4ZUXI/AAAAAAAABH8/S-arcgJSYCE/s1600/IMG_0852.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cpDl8KDhIlk/TpvrSg4ZUXI/AAAAAAAABH8/S-arcgJSYCE/s320/IMG_0852.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664379659645178226" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Caught four fishes. All tilapia of the cichlid fish family.</span><br /><br />Check out the following videos:<br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/itUV6Xg0gCg" allowfullscreen="" width="500" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">First time for everything, Jordan trying to hold a live fish in his hand.</span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Qk0jiUsjfUU" allowfullscreen="" width="500" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Joel so happy to have caught his fish.</span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/K4chY4bJHUM" allowfullscreen="" width="500" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Jordan finally caught a fish too. </span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/o37BitM7aEk" allowfullscreen="" width="500" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Letting all the fishes go.</span><br /><br />Now they are constantly bugging me to take them fishing. Unfortunately, the last couple of weekends have been pretty busy. Maybe this Saturday... LOL.</div>Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09193062922866265129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715844142449916049.post-15358625558073568282011-09-04T06:25:00.000-07:002011-09-04T07:34:40.122-07:00Help! Invest in Gold or Foreign Currency?In Malaysia, property prices are crazy. Early this year, I have seen the price of a 1400 sq. ft. condo in Vista Komanwel go from about MYR250k to MYR400k; and today I heard that someone is interested to buy that same property at MYR441k.
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<br />I am not an expert or even a student of the property market or the economy by any means but that really send warning bells to me that something bad is going to happen in the near future.
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<br />In my opinion, I think Malaysian currency is in the process of loosing it's value relative to our neighbouring countries. No matter what the Malaysian government says about our current inflation rates, I think a lot of BS are being propagated and we are not getting the whole picture.
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<br />In my opinion, the Malaysia property market is going to get screwed before end of 2013. This property bubble just cannot sustain itself. The prices of properties are just too ridiculous! And that will start the ball rolling for all bad things when the bubble burst!
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<br />So what is the next step? For families like mine, where my 3 children are still below ten, what should we do? How will we be able to provide for their education and cost of living? Education insurance? Bank Savings?
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<br />Actually I am really at a lost of what is the best thing to do. But two things are for sure:
<br /><ol><li>Must not put savings in MYR!</li><li>Must sell all properties to take advantage of the current price.</li></ol>And so, now I must look for ways to invest to make sure that I don't get screwed. A couple of friends are heavily invested in Gold, which I think is not a bad idea. My current options are:
<br /><ol><li>Gold Investment Accounts</li><li>Foreign Currency Accounts</li></ol>After reading some online articles and exploring various institutional offerings, I think I have to know what my goals are.
<br /><ol><li>Is it to profit from investing in the above two options?</li><li>Or is it to maintain the current value of the savings?</li></ol>The following is the 5 Year Gold Price in USD per oz.
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<br /><a href="http://goldprice.org/charts/history/gold_5_year_o_usd.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 311px;" src="http://goldprice.org/charts/history/gold_5_year_o_usd.png" alt="" border="0" /></a>
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<br />You can see that the general trend is upward with various corrections along the way but still upward. Just something to think about.
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<br />Check out the following Forex charts comparing the MYR against various currencies between 12/3/2004 and 9/3/2011. Watch the trend, is it a reliable indicator?
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<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kOc2Qu6m8Cw/TmOHFOjG-VI/AAAAAAAABGI/kv1yoRflSew/s1600/Chart.usd.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 192px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kOc2Qu6m8Cw/TmOHFOjG-VI/AAAAAAAABGI/kv1yoRflSew/s320/Chart.usd.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648506881527183698" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">USD is the only currency that the MYR seem to be stronger.</span>
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<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_GdpKwt-I6c/TmOHE2_XYFI/AAAAAAAABF4/pndTx7DvRBU/s1600/Chart.cny.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 192px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_GdpKwt-I6c/TmOHE2_XYFI/AAAAAAAABF4/pndTx7DvRBU/s320/Chart.cny.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648506875203248210" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Renminbi is seen to be the next World currency. But when?</span>
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<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fds80-X_HEw/TmOHFHc_CoI/AAAAAAAABGA/O7HmObu7wY4/s1600/Chart.jpy.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 192px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fds80-X_HEw/TmOHFHc_CoI/AAAAAAAABGA/O7HmObu7wY4/s320/Chart.jpy.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648506879622449794" border="0" /></a>
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<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8DxqfqvhyO0/TmOHEsNSDOI/AAAAAAAABFw/Kba4_8uP6C0/s1600/Chart.aspx2.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 192px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8DxqfqvhyO0/TmOHEsNSDOI/AAAAAAAABFw/Kba4_8uP6C0/s320/Chart.aspx2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648506872308829410" border="0" /></a>
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<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lMZllz_RcEI/TmOHEu8EmoI/AAAAAAAABFo/v0_FGM0L0bc/s1600/Chart.aspx.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 192px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lMZllz_RcEI/TmOHEu8EmoI/AAAAAAAABFo/v0_FGM0L0bc/s320/Chart.aspx.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648506873041951362" border="0" /></a>
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<br />The Singapore dollar is on top of my watch list, not so much for profiteering but rather for security reasons, plus the fact that it is Malaysia's closest neighbour making it very accessible :-)
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<br />Still a lot of things to research into. If I can just managed to sell that property of mine at that ridiculous price, then I will need to do some serious thinking and decision making.
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">References:</span>
<br /><ul><li><a href="http://goldprice.org/gold-price-history.html#5_year_gold_price">http://goldprice.org/gold-price-history.html#5_year_gold_price</a></li><li><a href="http://www.exchange-rates.org/history/MYR/SGD/G/3000">http://www.exchange-rates.org/history/MYR/SGD/G/3000</a>
<br /></li></ul>Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09193062922866265129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715844142449916049.post-33934450408501896802011-07-29T02:17:00.000-07:002011-08-19T02:58:06.422-07:00Fruits Season in Batu GajahApril this year, the family went on a weekend trip to Batu Gajah and Ipoh to visit the relatives and for my wife to catch up with her aunt and sisters. For me and the kids, the highlight of the trip was a visit to my wife's aunty's farm around Seputeh in Batu Gajah.
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<br />We went there at the right time. It was the start of the durian season. When we arrived at the farm, aunty had already collected 10 durians for us.
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<br />Check out some of the photos below.
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<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_zzdVheUa9o/TjJ7Z-w6tFI/AAAAAAAABB4/PtZ2cwfcryk/s1600/IMG_0382.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_zzdVheUa9o/TjJ7Z-w6tFI/AAAAAAAABB4/PtZ2cwfcryk/s320/IMG_0382.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634701770069029970" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Durians that ripen and dropped the night before.</span>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9xCnAmMuWCA/TjJ9Add2POI/AAAAAAAABFY/RMuz8J3jCLg/s1600/IMG_0454.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9xCnAmMuWCA/TjJ9Add2POI/AAAAAAAABFY/RMuz8J3jCLg/s320/IMG_0454.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634703530657201378" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The durians still on the tree waiting to ripen. During this time, it is customary to visit the orchard early in the morning to collect the fruits.</span>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ESJemN0vaTk/TjJ9AE9gupI/AAAAAAAABFI/THvIL34o3sc/s1600/IMG_0449.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ESJemN0vaTk/TjJ9AE9gupI/AAAAAAAABFI/THvIL34o3sc/s320/IMG_0449.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634703524079123090" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">While visiting the orchard, we found some more durians that had ripen and dropped</span>.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rVPKfjNxM3w/TjJ8vyELZ1I/AAAAAAAABEw/nEtJF2CXVJQ/s1600/IMG_0432.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rVPKfjNxM3w/TjJ8vyELZ1I/AAAAAAAABEw/nEtJF2CXVJQ/s320/IMG_0432.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634703244128905042" border="0" /></a>
<br />Serai or lemon grass.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oumvC0Sd1qE/TjJ8vRPNlEI/AAAAAAAABEo/hZ1SyMelsds/s1600/IMG_0431.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oumvC0Sd1qE/TjJ8vRPNlEI/AAAAAAAABEo/hZ1SyMelsds/s320/IMG_0431.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634703235316814914" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Joel and Jordan had never seen a pineapple plant before.</span>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YkJQ1ogjYhA/TjJ8vCebOmI/AAAAAAAABEg/F9b0zKswtvM/s1600/IMG_0429.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YkJQ1ogjYhA/TjJ8vCebOmI/AAAAAAAABEg/F9b0zKswtvM/s320/IMG_0429.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634703231354092130" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Pineapples that were ready to be harvested.</span>
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<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MtJLTdZkpkQ/TjJ7aP_LAWI/AAAAAAAABCI/lbTrth0VlKg/s1600/IMG_0387.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MtJLTdZkpkQ/TjJ7aP_LAWI/AAAAAAAABCI/lbTrth0VlKg/s320/IMG_0387.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634701774692221282" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">A giant pineapple, that aunty kept for us.</span>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O_Xd2jCHb_w/TjJ8v3FDQqI/AAAAAAAABE4/g1uGBYec6oE/s1600/IMG_0437.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O_Xd2jCHb_w/TjJ8v3FDQqI/AAAAAAAABE4/g1uGBYec6oE/s320/IMG_0437.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634703245474742946" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">What better way to enjoy rambutan than freshly plucked from the tree.</span>
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<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jHUvLEZdFbA/TjJ8AdOgQlI/AAAAAAAABDA/-VgSJF6E1yE/s1600/IMG_0409.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jHUvLEZdFbA/TjJ8AdOgQlI/AAAAAAAABDA/-VgSJF6E1yE/s320/IMG_0409.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634702431081218642" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The rambutan fruit was really of the best quality. See how small the seed of the fruit is in comparison to the edible part.</span>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bI5lxEgEC14/TjJ8fy_vlQI/AAAAAAAABEI/D2N18L1b9Tk/s1600/IMG_0425.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bI5lxEgEC14/TjJ8fy_vlQI/AAAAAAAABEI/D2N18L1b9Tk/s320/IMG_0425.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634702969500833026" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Papayas waiting to be plucked.</span>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u2TxCMrd_xQ/TjJ8fgmrIpI/AAAAAAAABEA/4NhVFjkcGhQ/s1600/IMG_0424.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u2TxCMrd_xQ/TjJ8fgmrIpI/AAAAAAAABEA/4NhVFjkcGhQ/s320/IMG_0424.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634702964563845778" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Joel and Jordan with their cousin checking out the fish nursery.</span>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-67nV9YglhRk/TjJ8fUI2ltI/AAAAAAAABD4/o_6n4PNyWMw/s1600/IMG_0423.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-67nV9YglhRk/TjJ8fUI2ltI/AAAAAAAABD4/o_6n4PNyWMw/s320/IMG_0423.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634702961217541842" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">These containers acted as water aeration and filtering system to keep the water fresh for the fishes.</span>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mVErf7Z2Ra8/TjJ8fTxLCQI/AAAAAAAABDw/ip8y9md7VI0/s1600/IMG_0422.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mVErf7Z2Ra8/TjJ8fTxLCQI/AAAAAAAABDw/ip8y9md7VI0/s320/IMG_0422.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634702961118218498" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Each of this container contain a baby fish.</span>
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<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DAOL4xPlJ9A/TjJ8RJLj4JI/AAAAAAAABDg/3olpGfpN9r0/s1600/IMG_0417.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DAOL4xPlJ9A/TjJ8RJLj4JI/AAAAAAAABDg/3olpGfpN9r0/s320/IMG_0417.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634702717757939858" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The name of this fish in Malay is called, "ikan hantu", which translates to "ghost fish". I believe the English name is </span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="st">Marbled Goby</span><span style="font-style: italic;">. This fish is highly prized for it taste and can fetch a high price in the market.</span>
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<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eNjO-B8d7ks/TjJ8RQz-WfI/AAAAAAAABDo/sghR3rxSCIQ/s1600/IMG_0420.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eNjO-B8d7ks/TjJ8RQz-WfI/AAAAAAAABDo/sghR3rxSCIQ/s320/IMG_0420.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634702719806495218" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The adult </span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="st">Marbled Goby were kept in the larger tank.</span>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RlWAND5tJzQ/TjJ8gAVLYPI/AAAAAAAABEQ/tEjGkDg8W8o/s1600/IMG_0428.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RlWAND5tJzQ/TjJ8gAVLYPI/AAAAAAAABEQ/tEjGkDg8W8o/s320/IMG_0428.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634702973080396018" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Bananas for the picking.</span>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GGeK53h1SO0/TjJ8RP3ksuI/AAAAAAAABDY/zr8ZZHRhYkU/s1600/IMG_0414.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GGeK53h1SO0/TjJ8RP3ksuI/AAAAAAAABDY/zr8ZZHRhYkU/s320/IMG_0414.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634702719553155810" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Freshly fell coconuts.</span>
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<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-komCXktyHIc/TjJ7aWkYXDI/AAAAAAAABCQ/wWBX_Fe1HYI/s1600/IMG_0389.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-komCXktyHIc/TjJ7aWkYXDI/AAAAAAAABCQ/wWBX_Fe1HYI/s320/IMG_0389.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634701776458898482" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Took me a while to get this bunch to fall.</span>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NhGJE2oo91U/TjJ8Q0NX6cI/AAAAAAAABDQ/NbO5-D2RstY/s1600/IMG_0413.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NhGJE2oo91U/TjJ8Q0NX6cI/AAAAAAAABDQ/NbO5-D2RstY/s320/IMG_0413.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634702712128399810" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Using a special rod with a saw at the end to cut down the coconut fruit bunches.</span>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6BYD2kfKsjI/TjJ8AHMQdAI/AAAAAAAABC4/HR7SirGFWx8/s1600/IMG_0403.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6BYD2kfKsjI/TjJ8AHMQdAI/AAAAAAAABC4/HR7SirGFWx8/s320/IMG_0403.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634702425166214146" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Jordan complaining that he cannot carry the coconuts... LOL.</span>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ykM5odv9kxw/TjJ7_25vrFI/AAAAAAAABCw/-rEsiS76gCU/s1600/IMG_0402.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ykM5odv9kxw/TjJ7_25vrFI/AAAAAAAABCw/-rEsiS76gCU/s320/IMG_0402.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634702420793601106" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Needed a ladder to reach the coconuts.</span>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7Vag9wXN77Q/TjJ7_8OS_-I/AAAAAAAABCo/7tDdCIrS4rE/s1600/IMG_0401.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7Vag9wXN77Q/TjJ7_8OS_-I/AAAAAAAABCo/7tDdCIrS4rE/s320/IMG_0401.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634702422221979618" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The saw used to cut down the coconuts.</span>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NqXN5yFVH9s/TjJ7_jUKMUI/AAAAAAAABCg/m3HwF_2ZmVc/s1600/IMG_0398.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NqXN5yFVH9s/TjJ7_jUKMUI/AAAAAAAABCg/m3HwF_2ZmVc/s320/IMG_0398.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634702415535681858" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Pandan leaves </span><span style="font-style: italic;"> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandanus_amaryllifolius">Pandanus amaryllifolius</a>) </span><span style="font-style: italic;">right at the backyard of the house, ready to be used anytime for cooking.</span>
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<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xOh4p212Ql8/TjJ8QNl5p4I/AAAAAAAABDI/LhwgSpcew7w/s1600/IMG_0410.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xOh4p212Ql8/TjJ8QNl5p4I/AAAAAAAABDI/LhwgSpcew7w/s320/IMG_0410.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634702701762291586" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Found a bird nest in the pandan leaves.</span>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JyAQzNIGhv0/TjJ7aN9JxBI/AAAAAAAABCA/I4GpzFuvd5o/s1600/IMG_0385.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JyAQzNIGhv0/TjJ7aN9JxBI/AAAAAAAABCA/I4GpzFuvd5o/s320/IMG_0385.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634701774146880530" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Uncle with his shotgun getting ready to go wild boar hunting.</span>
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<br />It was great day for the kids and the family to be able to visit the orchard. We were told to go there to collect the durians, but ended up with all kind of fruits to bring back home.
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<br />We will be back next year when it is durian season again :-)
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<br />Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09193062922866265129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715844142449916049.post-7813195954560598102011-04-20T01:58:00.000-07:002011-04-21T00:42:37.559-07:00Mobile Bar in BangkokOne of the highlights of our company trip to Bangkok was the mobile pub that we came across when we visited Soi 3 in Sukhumvit at 1:00 in the morning. The bartender was very friendly, the beverages reasonably priced and best of all, reggae music blasted from the Volkswagen van sound system. The catchy tune of "Buffalo soldier..." is still stuck in my my head.<br /><br />Check out some of the photographs and video below:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B5FwIwytPNY/Ta6i1HUvDUI/AAAAAAAABBs/LkTq_PQpxdQ/s1600/IMG_0178.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B5FwIwytPNY/Ta6i1HUvDUI/AAAAAAAABBs/LkTq_PQpxdQ/s320/IMG_0178.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597590420250889538" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L9cM2hS24Fg/Ta6i0vZ1mgI/AAAAAAAABBk/f-v7feJLufw/s1600/IMG_0185.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L9cM2hS24Fg/Ta6i0vZ1mgI/AAAAAAAABBk/f-v7feJLufw/s320/IMG_0185.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597590413829839362" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CXwuQocMVuU/Ta6i0awc_vI/AAAAAAAABBc/_6l6LbD8A_0/s1600/IMG_0175.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CXwuQocMVuU/Ta6i0awc_vI/AAAAAAAABBc/_6l6LbD8A_0/s320/IMG_0175.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597590408287551218" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wteEyUougnw/Ta6h5VVQLBI/AAAAAAAABBU/SEDczyIAGX8/s1600/IMG_0192.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wteEyUougnw/Ta6h5VVQLBI/AAAAAAAABBU/SEDczyIAGX8/s320/IMG_0192.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597589393219005458" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HnJEJn80dvw/Ta6h4-0Gl_I/AAAAAAAABBM/VGBsNHCaAWA/s1600/IMG_0179.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HnJEJn80dvw/Ta6h4-0Gl_I/AAAAAAAABBM/VGBsNHCaAWA/s320/IMG_0179.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597589387174385650" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8ZTxjjd6i4U/Ta6h4dmIK4I/AAAAAAAABBE/b1tpuutSBxE/s1600/IMG_0168.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8ZTxjjd6i4U/Ta6h4dmIK4I/AAAAAAAABBE/b1tpuutSBxE/s320/IMG_0168.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597589378257398658" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S4_9m8qv614/Ta6h4ODsqLI/AAAAAAAABA8/KQHRr7QJ3Gw/s1600/IMG_0176.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S4_9m8qv614/Ta6h4ODsqLI/AAAAAAAABA8/KQHRr7QJ3Gw/s320/IMG_0176.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597589374086457522" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/22646218?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" frameborder="0" height="300"></iframe>Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09193062922866265129noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715844142449916049.post-62958600385046717672011-04-14T17:35:00.000-07:002011-04-14T20:24:20.872-07:00Vampires in Bangkok Palace HotelLast weekend, I was on my company annual holiday trip. Sixty of us were shuttled in two AirAsia flights to Bangkok for four days of bliss and relaxation. Personally, I have been to Bangkok a few times on business-related trips, but this is the second time I was there as a tourist :-)<br /><br />I was looking forward to the infamous local Thai food and bone-cracking massages. We did the customary tour on the floating market, temples and palaces.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BXNX1coQiUA/TaeZBrOVCnI/AAAAAAAAA-8/AAue-VQTWEY/s1600/bangkok_montage.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 181px; height: 510px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BXNX1coQiUA/TaeZBrOVCnI/AAAAAAAAA-8/AAue-VQTWEY/s400/bangkok_montage.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595609316092873330" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Unfortunately our most memorable moments in Bangkok were not of the wonderful times we had but rather of the "vampires" we encountered at our hotel.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Vampires in Bangkok Palace Hotel</span><br /><br />After a long day on the flight, walking around the city and visiting the many tourist destinations, we were extremely tired when we reached our hotel. Our tour company, <a href="http://www.mayflower.com.my/">Mayflower Acme Tours</a>, in arrangement with the local tour operator booked us to stay in <a href="http://www.bangkokpalace.com/">Bangkok Palace Hotel</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yHBLo8pFKq8/Taemuw-hybI/AAAAAAAABAU/7K4Gu_xBqcA/s1600/IMG_0056.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yHBLo8pFKq8/Taemuw-hybI/AAAAAAAABAU/7K4Gu_xBqcA/s320/IMG_0056.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595624384382486962" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qjM2iYLu7v8/TaemvoByitI/AAAAAAAABAk/KOPH16qjvpE/s1600/IMG_0071.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qjM2iYLu7v8/TaemvoByitI/AAAAAAAABAk/KOPH16qjvpE/s320/IMG_0071.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595624399160117970" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We promptly went to bed at around 1:00am as we had to wake up earlier for the next day's city tour. At about 4:00am, I was woken up by George, my colleague. He told me that he wanted to change room and he showed me the rashes and swellings around his neck, arms and abdomen.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/22396203" width="400" frameborder="0" height="300"></iframe><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">This is a video showing the bed bugs we caught.</span><br /><br />We did not know what caused the swelling and rashes, but George was itching as hell. He said he saw a small cockroach scurrying off his bed. George being short-sighted and was not wearing his glasses, had not realised that the "cockroach" was actually a well fed bed bug. You can read up more about the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bed_bug">little blood suckers on Wikipedia</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/Bed_bug%2C_Cimex_lectularius.jpg/250px-Bed_bug%2C_Cimex_lectularius.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 175px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/Bed_bug%2C_Cimex_lectularius.jpg/250px-Bed_bug%2C_Cimex_lectularius.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Photograph of a bed bug from Wikipedia.</span><br /><br />George managed to catch it and squashed the little bugger. After removing the bed covers and checking our pillows, we found another four and two of them from my bed. I caught and put them in a glass. During that time, George went down to the reception to request for a change of room.<br /><br />After about 10 minutes, the hotel staff came up and we showed him the bed bugs we caught. He told us that our new room was ready and that we could move in anytime we wanted. He was NOT even surprised. That really pissed us off.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The "Vampiric" Aftermath</span><br /><br />The next morning at breakfast we found out that 8 of our colleagues had the same "vampiric" experience the night before.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Dv4xY9d5wuY/TaejJ9oeVBI/AAAAAAAAA_k/02TfEwIHiBQ/s1600/IMG_0136.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Dv4xY9d5wuY/TaejJ9oeVBI/AAAAAAAAA_k/02TfEwIHiBQ/s320/IMG_0136.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595620453589603346" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rodvwjIcR5A/TaejJAGq6NI/AAAAAAAAA_U/nHtq2N-bYUM/s1600/IMG_0134.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rodvwjIcR5A/TaejJAGq6NI/AAAAAAAAA_U/nHtq2N-bYUM/s320/IMG_0134.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595620437073258706" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gflZrs4IFxI/TaejIskiekI/AAAAAAAAA_M/MnKLNA34USM/s1600/IMG_0073.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gflZrs4IFxI/TaejIskiekI/AAAAAAAAA_M/MnKLNA34USM/s320/IMG_0073.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595620431829826114" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GjCm_RM3Sak/TaejJlKmoII/AAAAAAAAA_c/Lz2BUpHEyWA/s1600/IMG_0072.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GjCm_RM3Sak/TaejJlKmoII/AAAAAAAAA_c/Lz2BUpHEyWA/s320/IMG_0072.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595620447021867138" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FGd-FF8qzlQ/TaejIbteECI/AAAAAAAAA_E/cyN3Kq7jqws/s1600/IMG_0066.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FGd-FF8qzlQ/TaejIbteECI/AAAAAAAAA_E/cyN3Kq7jqws/s320/IMG_0066.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595620427303882786" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ynpw_qf7Nwo/TaelAmj0ArI/AAAAAAAABAM/I_Zv5fuxqmc/s1600/IMG_0199.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ynpw_qf7Nwo/TaelAmj0ArI/AAAAAAAABAM/I_Zv5fuxqmc/s320/IMG_0199.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595622491800470194" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qlU7OEC2hoE/TaelASDIP5I/AAAAAAAABAE/dZAFCgyRQak/s1600/IMG_0200.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qlU7OEC2hoE/TaelASDIP5I/AAAAAAAABAE/dZAFCgyRQak/s320/IMG_0200.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595622486294675346" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eAAKzqdOQd0/Taek_zJ9ugI/AAAAAAAAA_0/YjUpP6azC_g/s1600/IMG_0132.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eAAKzqdOQd0/Taek_zJ9ugI/AAAAAAAAA_0/YjUpP6azC_g/s320/IMG_0132.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595622478001846786" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We complained to the tour operators and they arranged for some of our colleagues to change rooms as well. If this were to happened to other tourists, I doubted if the hotel could have gotten off so easily.<br /><br />In any case, this hotel is on our banned forever hotel list! Anyone thinking of traveling to Bangkok, be warned not to stay at Bangkok Palace Hotel, lest you become the next victim of these vampires!Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09193062922866265129noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715844142449916049.post-27899190015107023462011-03-27T23:32:00.000-07:002011-04-21T08:35:55.291-07:00Point and Shoot!My good old reliable Canon PowerShot A430 camera conked out a couple of weeks back. Since then I have been looking for a replacement.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/A430/ZYFRONT-LG.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 469px; height: 247px;" src="http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/A430/ZYFRONT-LG.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">This old camera had given me tons of memories. Especially those videos I took while <a href="http://we.wildgeeks.org/">learning Biketrials</a>.</span><br /><br />When I first took the PowerShot A430 to a Canon's service and repair outlet, I was told by the technician there that the cost of replacing the faulty parts would be better spent on a new Canon camera that came with better specs and feature. He told me to look for a new Canon camera that I liked, and he will give me a discount off the selling price.<br /><br />Hence, I have been scouting for a Canon camera since. Although my choice was limited to Canon models due to the discount I could get from Canon, I was still gonna look at other camera brands to make sure that I was getting the latest feature set at least... LOL.<br /><br />My selection criteria were quite basic:<br /><ul><li>It had to be a point and shoot camera. DSLR was an over-kill for my needs :-)</li><li>High resolution enough for me to get a good print when I needed one.</li><li>Less than USD300.</li><li>Small and easy to handle.<br /></li></ul>Like what was written in this article, <a href="http://www.photographycorner.com/articles/basics/photography-on-display">Photography on Display</a>, "... part of the enjoyment comes from actually taking the photographs - the process is not only a means to an end, but is part of what makes photography so irresistible for most of us. The end result is always the goal, but actually going out and taking the photographs is definitely part of the fun."<br /><br />So the camera, in my case is the ability to record a moment in time where I can revisit and share with friends and family over and over again :-)<br /><br /><a href="http://reviews.photographyreview.com/files/2011/01/Canon_A2200.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 467px; height: 563px;" src="http://reviews.photographyreview.com/files/2011/01/Canon_A2200.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">In the end, I found the Canon PowerShot A2200 the most value for money and suitable to my needs :-) </span><br /><br />After scouring some photography and camera sites, I decided to stay with Canon and managed to find a model that I liked, the Canon PowerShot A2200. The camera is packed with features that I probably will not use often. <a href="http://www.canon.com.my/p/EN/114-Digital-Cameras/204-Powershot/1840-PowerShot-A2200/">Check out the specs here</a><span>, and </span>it only cost me about USD80 or RM289!<br /><br />I was advised by a friend (<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tiensoonlaw/">Tiensoon</a>) to consider getting a DSLR. Well, I told him that he is a freelance professional photographer and has a necessity for one. Not me :-) In fact, he should look to further elevate his skills and scope, to even exhibit at a place like the <a href="http://www.parkwestgallery.com/">Park West Gallery</a>, (which incidentally, also runs the <a href="http://www.parkwestgallery.org/">Park West Gallery Foundation</a>, a non profit organisation that organise and does charitable work for the community).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.olympusimage.com.my/products/dslr/epl2/style/images/front02.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 266px;" src="http://www.olympusimage.com.my/products/dslr/epl2/style/images/front02.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">This is the camera owned by Tiensoon, the </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.olympusimage.com.my/products/dslr/epl2/">Olympus PEN E-PL2</a><span style="font-style: italic;">, a thing of beauty, but way out of my league... LOL.</span><br /><br />As for myself, I shall strive to just point and record memories that I hope one day will tell a tale to my children of the many things I have done or tried to do... LOL.Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09193062922866265129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715844142449916049.post-12728663557687853612010-10-18T06:32:00.000-07:002010-10-18T07:59:28.185-07:00Gmail Limit Up!This morning when I logged into my primary Gmail account, I received a warning message stating that I am "almost out of space". I have used up 7150 MB of 7509 MB or 95% of my allocated space.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TLxMzFNJ7HI/AAAAAAAAA2Y/50uCeb3sy1c/s1600/gmailquota.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 117px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TLxMzFNJ7HI/AAAAAAAAA2Y/50uCeb3sy1c/s320/gmailquota.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529378882958519410" border="1" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">My Gmail account almost out of space.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TLxMzIc7yPI/AAAAAAAAA2Q/w9TW2ovtBEs/s1600/gmailstatus.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 74px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TLxMzIc7yPI/AAAAAAAAA2Q/w9TW2ovtBEs/s320/gmailstatus.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529378883830008050" border="1" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I am using 7150 MB of 7509 MB or 95% of my allocated space.</span><br /><br />According to my Google Accounts info, my storage were pretty much used up.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TLxMyp6PUmI/AAAAAAAAA2A/u_gbg-z1CiY/s1600/MyAccount.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 237px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TLxMyp6PUmI/AAAAAAAAA2A/u_gbg-z1CiY/s320/MyAccount.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529378875631424098" border="1" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">My Google Account storage status. I do not know why Gmail is showing 8.42 GB instead of 7509 MB. Any ideas?</span><br /><br />As you can see, I have completely used up the 1 GB space allocated to my Picasa Web Albums. The reason was that all videos and photos I uploaded to my blogs were stored on Picasa Web. Learned my lesson after that... :-)<br /><br />In the end, I transferred ownership of some of my blogs to a new Gmail account and thus a new Picasa Web Album account with a new 1GB quota... :-) From then on, I only used Picasa Web for photos and all my blog videos were uploaded to YouTube.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Purchase Additional Storage</span><br /><br />In any case, I was offered to purchase additional storage by Google. I must say that the plans were pretty good.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TLxMy4NeV-I/AAAAAAAAA2I/mJ3_RUb6S-4/s1600/MyAccoun2.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 278px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TLxMy4NeV-I/AAAAAAAAA2I/mJ3_RUb6S-4/s320/MyAccoun2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529378879470196706" border="1" /></a><br /><br />Unfortunately, I am a frugal elderly Malaysian Chinese and I am duty bound not to pay, unless I totally have no other options... LOL. But you know what, Google even offered to show me how to reduce my email storage without having to subscribe to a new plan... and I intend to follow their tips to the letter... LOL.<br /><br />This morning, I started by deleting all my newsletter subscriptions. By doing just that, I managed to reduce the email storage to a respectable<span class="mj"> 6912 MB or 92% of my 7509 MB.</span> I have not begun deleting all my emails with big attachments yet. Well, I will not move to this step until I have exhausted all other avenues first.<br /><br />Ultimately, the day will come when I will reach the storage limit.... by then, I will probably follow another Google advise to forward all the emails to a new Gmail account :-)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">My First Gmail Conversation</span><br /><br />Since I started using Gmail back in 2004, I had stopped using any desktop email client (Outlook Express) and my Yahoo! Webmail account.<br /><br />The oldest email in my Gmail Inbox was dated <span class="gI">Thu, Jul 1, 2004 at 1:03 PM</span><span class="gI"> (GMT +8</span>). And the first "conversation" I had was with my colleague, George. The conversation showed how excited we were to use Gmail and how impressed we were with the way Google had disrupted email... LOL.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TLxTSJeVxRI/AAAAAAAAA2o/5D_BdduGXzU/s1600/gmailgeorge.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 113px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TLxTSJeVxRI/AAAAAAAAA2o/5D_BdduGXzU/s320/gmailgeorge.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529386013750052114" border="1" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">First Gmail conversation with George.</span><br /><br />It has been more than 6 years since I started using Gmail. It was and is a good ride. Now I have 6 Gmail accounts and will probably get more when the need arises... LOL. Thanks Google!Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09193062922866265129noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715844142449916049.post-84410536373289073202010-10-17T23:42:00.000-07:002010-10-18T00:39:55.686-07:00Running Two Firefox Browser Profiles ConcurrentlyLast week, I was trying to learn how to develop a Firefox extension. One of the things I discovered, that was useful, was that I could create another Firefox profile and use that specifically for development.<br /><br />So now, I have a "default" profile that I use for my daily work-related stuff and a "dev" profile that I use for researching into developing Firefox add-ons.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TLvuIgNruSI/AAAAAAAAA1A/Oom-8ZUmQOU/s1600/FFprofile.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 234px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TLvuIgNruSI/AAAAAAAAA1A/Oom-8ZUmQOU/s320/FFprofile.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529274797381105954" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">When I need to, I just launched the appropriate profile to suit my tasks.</span><br /><br />Today, I wanted to launch two sessions of the Firefox browsers as I needed to log in to two different Gmail accounts (one of my many Gmail accounts is reaching the quota and I needed to transfer some of my emails... LOL).<br /><br />I Googled and found this blog post on how you could run multiple copies of Firefox - <a href="http://lifehacker.com/software/firefox/geek-to-live--manage-multiple-firefox-profiles-231646.php">http://lifehacker.com/software/firefox/geek-to-live--manage-multiple-firefox-profiles-231646.php</a><br /><br />If you don't want to read the entire blog post and want to quickly get going, just do like what I did:<br /><br />1. Press the <a href="http://www.seoconsultants.com/windows/key/">"WINDOWS" key</a> and "R".<br />2. Type in "<span style="font-family:courier new;">firefox -P profile_name -no-remote</span>".<br />3. Press the "ENTER" key.<br />4. A "Firefox - Choose User Profile" pop-up will appear. You can create a new profile or use an existing one.<br /><br />Launch as many profiles as you need by following the above steps :-) Btw, I am using Windows 7. So the steps for other Windows versions might be different.<br /><br />Also, if you like, you can create a Windows shortcuts for each profile you created. Cheers.Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09193062922866265129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715844142449916049.post-50530092511084774572010-09-22T23:26:00.000-07:002010-12-15T21:17:09.227-08:00Celebrating the Mooncake FestivalThe family had some fun with lanterns over the moon cake festival.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TLxL5CDoWeI/AAAAAAAAA1Q/Mhh-u0rN7gA/s1600/IMG_0918.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TLxL5CDoWeI/AAAAAAAAA1Q/Mhh-u0rN7gA/s320/IMG_0918.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529377885680851426" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Homemade lanterns for the kids.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TLxL4-aduMI/AAAAAAAAA1I/rPrghfksLmw/s1600/IMG_0917.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TLxL4-aduMI/AAAAAAAAA1I/rPrghfksLmw/s320/IMG_0917.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529377884702881986" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Top view of the homemade lanterns.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TLxL5ch5WUI/AAAAAAAAA1Y/luhRU5Vw9fg/s1600/IMG_0919.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TLxL5ch5WUI/AAAAAAAAA1Y/luhRU5Vw9fg/s320/IMG_0919.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529377892787116354" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Jodene and Jordan with some of the homemade lanterns.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TLxMNY5O92I/AAAAAAAAA1w/8n_7oBeUSuA/s1600/IMG_0932.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TLxMNY5O92I/AAAAAAAAA1w/8n_7oBeUSuA/s320/IMG_0932.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529378235408643938" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Lighted lanterns hung around the house.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TLxL6xKxdjI/AAAAAAAAA1o/OX1uWc_pTG0/s1600/IMG_0931.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TLxL6xKxdjI/AAAAAAAAA1o/OX1uWc_pTG0/s320/IMG_0931.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529377915507144242" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The family having fun with the lanterns.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TLxL6M7DLDI/AAAAAAAAA1g/7p6jg03FaqM/s1600/IMG_0927.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TLxL6M7DLDI/AAAAAAAAA1g/7p6jg03FaqM/s320/IMG_0927.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529377905777519666" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Joel, Jodene and Jordan with their lanterns.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TLxMNwnGKBI/AAAAAAAAA14/RJbwBD0Ec1Y/s1600/IMG_0939.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TLxMNwnGKBI/AAAAAAAAA14/RJbwBD0Ec1Y/s320/IMG_0939.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529378241775020050" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Celebration of the Mooncake festival with some really delicious moon cakes.</span>Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09193062922866265129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715844142449916049.post-50522091144160129102010-09-06T08:13:00.000-07:002010-09-30T00:50:26.857-07:00FAM Interactive Gathering After 10 YearsAfter 10 years, I meet up with all my ex-colleagues from FAM Interactive for a reunion dinner and drinking session in Puchong. We had a nice dinner at Restoran 8 Road. If you wanna know how the food there was like, you can check out <a href="http://makantrip.com/2010/09/puchong-dinner-restoran-8-road">George's Makantrip Blog</a> :-)<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TJd7qCI1HOI/AAAAAAAAA0g/tJAGXQOTdFk/s1600/02092010019.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TJd7qCI1HOI/AAAAAAAAA0g/tJAGXQOTdFk/s320/02092010019.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519015830424460514" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Allan, me and KC.</span><br /><br />After dinner, we adjourned to Overtime and had a barrel of Stärker Beer, trading stories and tall tales... LOL. Tall tales mostly coming from me... hahaha. A few of the guys got married and some were proud parents. Some remained in the happy realm of bachelorhood refusing to make that final commitment.<br /><br />Worth mentioning was Eugene, whom have sworn never to ever get married and have any kids, now a proud father constantly twitting about is son, Shane... LOL.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TJd7razzkpI/AAAAAAAAA04/UIxDr333GcQ/s1600/02092010026.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TJd7razzkpI/AAAAAAAAA04/UIxDr333GcQ/s320/02092010026.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519015854227034770" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Esther, Eugene, Derrick, me, KC and Leong.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TJd7rAX2CaI/AAAAAAAAA0w/2PwuCVxV7kM/s1600/02092010025.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TJd7rAX2CaI/AAAAAAAAA0w/2PwuCVxV7kM/s320/02092010025.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519015847130433954" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Tapping from the barrel.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TJd7quBTA-I/AAAAAAAAA0o/d4kGWkj2_4U/s1600/02092010024.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TJd7quBTA-I/AAAAAAAAA0o/d4kGWkj2_4U/s320/02092010024.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519015842204025826" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Leong and KC having good conversation and catching up with old times!</span><br /><br />I totally forgot to take photo and video of the occasion. Luckily, George, the diligent food blogger was there to record some of the happenings. Unfortunately, not in any of the photos above were George and Aaron... LOL.<br /><br />Also, Boon Hui, Mike and Edwin were not present for the reunion as they were in Japan, USA and New Zealand respectively.<br /><br />Anyway, the current plan was to do this again some time soon... probably during Chinese New Year at someone's house... LOL.<br /><br />Till then, peace and goodwill to all! :-)Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09193062922866265129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1715844142449916049.post-62507698498012360362010-08-19T06:30:00.000-07:002010-10-18T00:28:32.195-07:00Ryan Seacrest in Malaysia?Saw this advertisement on a bus. Looks like Ryan Seacrest is in town... every Monday to Friday from 1 to 4 pm on FlyFM :-)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TG0yNvMOREI/AAAAAAAAAwQ/kF2XIRgoD-Y/s1600/IMAGE_081.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TG0yNvMOREI/AAAAAAAAAwQ/kF2XIRgoD-Y/s320/IMAGE_081.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507113130931405890" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TG0yN_r63mI/AAAAAAAAAwY/Hn4pzXVAh0g/s1600/IMAGE_082.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UVz8udLH8nM/TG0yN_r63mI/AAAAAAAAAwY/Hn4pzXVAh0g/s320/IMAGE_082.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507113135359319650" border="0" /></a><br /><br />He looked kinda of over-weight on the poster compared to when he was on American Idol... LOL.Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09193062922866265129noreply@blogger.com0