Cold Weekend

This weekend was cold. Anyway, just had a nice lobster and steak dinner at a local rugby club. Didn't know that its for 'members' only. But at least the security was nice to ask and then let us in 'just this once'.

Went in, sat in the bistro. Immediately, felt out of place. Yes, all the ang mohs and their family and friends. I think we were the only Asians there. Haha. Ate dinner and left. Quite full and not very expensive.. Well, not expensive in Australian terms I guess.

Bought ice-cream and ate some while sitting on my balcony, enjoying cold ice-cream in the cold 12-degrees night. Haha.

Oh, also been going to open houses, looking at the various properties for sale. Looking out I suppose.

Its all the same...

Seen on the morning show that there are talks on public display of affection and how much is too much, etc.

Just brings back the memories that not too long ago, there was a period in the Singapore media and public about the very same topic.

And here I am, hearing from Australians that holding hands and quick pecks on the cheeks and short kisses are ok, but anything more makes many uncomfortable.

And I recall that the 'conservative' Singaporeans saying that they are still Asian and asking youngsters not to be too influenced by 'western' values, etc. Makes me think, why is it that it is always the decadent west ? There are conservative people all over the world !

Ok ok, so technically, Australia is not the west but the east... But you get what I mean ?

I've done it.

And I also bought 2 dozens of Krispy Kreme so that I can play and eat at the same time. Hahaha !

My First Wii Party

It was last night. After work, a few of us went over to one of my colleagues house for dinner (home made, thanks to his wife), chatted, drank a little, and then party !

Well, other than saying it is my 2nd time playing the Wii, I have to say I was impressed by his huge mansion... at least to me.

Its a 4 bed-room, 2 level bungalow, with new and modern facade, large garden area, double lock-up garage that looks like THIS

Its HUGE ! His lounge (aka living room) is the size of my current living room + dining room + kitchen ! I estimate its about 10 metre by 10 metres.

Told me it cost 2Mil.

Anyway, the Wii was really fun, and we worked up a bit of a sweat. I might really consider getting my very first game console...

My First Hangover in OZ...

Simplyjen posted a comment in my previous post about beer.

Well, last night, our company had a BBQ after work (And my friends, that is the 4th BBQ I have attended since I started work... be envious ! hahaha.). So had meat and of course beer.

Well, it was getting colder as the night went on and I had my fourth or fifth bottle of light beer. And then the beer ran out. Was still chatting with my colleagues from all over A/NZ, took some white wine.

I left around 9+.

Boy, did I get into big trouble... Bad idea to mix I guess. It hit me after I showered and was watching some TV.

Slept all the way and had a hard time waking up this morning. Had my 2nd worse hang-over in my life so far. Felt like puking, headache, shivering, etc. Still went to work and only cleared up around noon.

Cold...

Visited a nearby town fair, for a charity fund-raising. It was small and half the stalls were selling food. Anyway, had a sausage bun that tasted quite nice... maybe because I was hungry.

Anyway, its been almost 2 months since I reached Sydney. This is the longest period I have stayed in a cold place. Previously, it has just been a week or 2, holiday to cold places like New Zealand.

The nights are about 10 degrees and the day is probably about 20 or 21. But it does feel colder if the wind blows, even if I am under the sun.

Need to put more moisturizers and lip balm to prevent cracking of various skins.

Spent money on buying heaters and energy bills heating the room.

After every shower, I come out shivering before it becomes comfortable again, no matter what kind of heater I use.

After washing dishes without using warm water, my hands are so cold that I can't touch any other part of my body or I will shiver.

First 5 minutes in bed is always cold.

This is Autumn in NSW. Winter will be another 5 degrees or so colder.
Still, wouldn't have it any other way. :)

Enjoying HD

Its the weekend now. Enjoying free-to-air HD TV programmes here...

Been a busy week, with a day trip to Canberra (4 hours away). And the coming week will be busy with CeBIT and next week another exhibition out of town where I will be staying in a hotel for 2 nights.

Anyway, posting while watching TV... so its a short one.. haha..

Oh, also, remember the LED bulb that I bought for my MagLite ?

For many days, it couldn't turn on.. Or it would turn on for a while and then turn off. Thought it was the cold weather, switch contacts, etc..

Screwed in the old incandescent bulb, it works fine. Put back the LED bulb, it flashes once and stays dark...

Finally, on a hunch, I swap to new batteries... It worked fine !

I guess I have to change the mindset that LED bulbs behave like normal bulbs... that the light output will dim as the battery goes low. Good LEDs are regulated to give constant power and just cuts off if insufficient.

Lawn Bowling

Had my first experience on Friday afternoon.

Went out with sales to meet customers. Instead of yachting (which was supposed to be the plan until something happened to the yacht) it was changed to an afternoon at a local bowling club.

Probably like golf, except everyone can hang around and interact more, as compared to just 4 per flight at golf.

Was my first time and it was quite fun with all the guys and the gals. In the blazing sun for the whole afternoon, had BBQ lunch and beer while bowling and yet not getting wet under the armpits and sweaty all over is definitely a nice feeling.

Hope that I can go yachting the next round.

What's in a name ?

Was watching the news this morning about a report of a cyclone in Burma...

Wait, I thought they are called Myanmar ? I have been using and hearing that name for a long time now. I thought they had changed it eons ago...

So I checked this morning. According to Wikipedia :

On 18 June 1989, the military junta passed the 'Adaptation of Expressions Law' that officially changed the English version of the country's name from Burma to Myanmar, and changed the English versions of many place names in the country along with it, such as its former capital city from Rangoon to Yangon (which represents its pronunciation more accurately in Burmese though not in Arakanese). This prompted one scholar to coin the term 'Myanmarification' to refer to the top-down programme of political and cultural reform that led to and followed in the wake of this renaming.[6] This decision has, however, not been subject to independent legislation and no national referendum was held to decide this change by the people.[1] The official name of the country in the Burmese language was Myanmar, and the official name of the country in English was Burma ever since the country gained independence from Britain in 1948. Within the Burmese language, Myanmar is the written, literary name of the country, while Bama or Bamar (from which "Burma" derives) is the oral, colloquial name. In spoken Burmese, the distinction is less clear than the English transliteration suggests.

The renaming proved to be politically controversial.[7] Opposition groups continue to use the name "Burma," since they do not recognize the legitimacy of the ruling military government nor its authority to rename the country in English. This name change was recognized by the United Nations, China, India, Singapore, Thailand, Lao, Vietnam, Bangladesh, ASEAN, and Russia. However it was not recognized by many western governments such as the United States, Australia, Canada or the United Kingdom, which continue to use "Burma," while the European Union uses "Burma/Myanmar" as an alternative.

And according to CIA Factbook :

Country name:
conventional long form: Union of Burma
conventional short form: Burma
local long form: Pyidaungzu Myanma Naingngandaw (translated by the US Government as Union of Myanma and by the Burmese as Union of Myanmar)
local short form: Myanma Naingngandaw
former: Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma
note: since 1989 the military authorities in Burma have promoted the name Myanmar as a conventional name for their state; this decision was not approved by any sitting legislature in Burma, and the US Government did not adopt the name, which is a derivative of the Burmese short-form name Myanma Naingngandaw

So what does it show when you see this :



And this :



Can't see the subtle difference ?

Hint : Note the country name and the city name...

2 Weeks and More

Ok, I missed my 2nd weekend update, so I will give a longer one today.

First of all, I am still staying in the motel. Will be until next weekend, then it is the big move.

I have started working, 3rd day at work today. As I am not really a 'newbie', I guess I am not exactly entitled to my honeymoon period. :)

So taking up things pretty quickly and will be out to face-the-world next week : By conducting a training session.

Things in this office is pretty systematic. At least I would say the new staff orientation and admin work is pretty thorough. I came in my first day with my desk ready with stationery, my phone has been programmed and my name shows on it. Internal phone list has been updated with my mobile and everything. Brand new 17" monitor laptop is all installed and ready to be used.

Getting my bank accounts and all admin work finalized. Now I just lack a credit card.

Have been to Bondi Beach and a smaller Dee Why Beach the last 2 weekends. Been raining recently, so was just there for a while to soak in the mild sun (hidden behind clouds), enjoy the sea breeze and eating seafood basket (how apt).

Not sure what I will be doing this coming weekend. If it rains, I may spend more time shopping for furniture in the malls. Next weekend, is definitely the big move. And I am looking forward to it.

Blogging in office now, so not much photographs to add. I will be putting photos of my new place once I move it.

In the mean time, it is down to work...

1st Week in OZ. Updates

First week was sort of stressful. Especially in the rental section.

Paperwork in Australia is almost quite unwelcoming for newcomers. Most of the paperwork seems like a catch-22 situation. For example, you need a residential address to apply for a driving licence, bank accounts, etc. And I can't get a rental unless a bank statement is attached to the rental application.

Definitely need local assistance to start off.

Rentals are all taken up, and prices are higher than I anticipated. Tight supply and lots of demand in Sydney. Had to activate my 'backup plan' and rent from a close friend.

So definitely had a few bad night sleep due to this stress.

Haven't had time to do any sightseeing.

On the plus side, I bought a new car. Ford Focus Ghia Sedan for about A$28k. Nice, comfortable with all the bells and whistles. Going to pay in full and getting it in a couple of days time. In time for me to get around, get my stuff, and get to work.

Once my new place is ready, I will have to spend another bomb on furnishings. Beds, Sofas, TV, Dining Table & Chairs...

Oh and I already have my NSW driving licence. Talk about efficiency. I filled in the form, queued up, have my photo taken by their computer, and have my credit-card sized licence issued all within the hour (including queue time). Lets see how fast you get your licence in oh-so-efficient Singapore.

Anyway, am now in my new office for a couple of hours, just to get to know the people and the place, and to download emails on my PC.... :)

Guess the next update will be another weeks time, when I start working.

Quick Updates

Ok.. Been in Sydney for a few days.

Still running around trying to secure a living place. That is the critical point before I can settle most of my other stuff.

Without a proper residential address, I can't apply for lots of things.

Wish me luck...

Look what just arrived...

I ordered this late last week. Was hoping it would arrive before I fly off.



Haha.. will be playing with it tonight and see how it goes...

Total Cost of Car Ownership

Ok. I have done the sums.

Period of Ownership : August 2004 to March 2008 (3 years and 8 months)

Total Payment made for car loan : $47,585.80
Total Accessories : $1,452.65
Total Cash Card (mostly Parking and some ERP) : $1,590
Total Insurance : $3,992.25
Total Maintenance : $3,474.09
Total Parking (Home & Office & Parking Coupons) : $7,449.40
Total Petrol : $12,994.50
Total Road Tax : $3,348.50
Total Others : $1,292.37

Grand Total : $83,179.56

Expected Refunds (Insurance, Season Parking, etc) : $400

Total cost $82,779.56
Average Expenditure Per Month (44 Months in Total) = $1,881.35
Average Cost Per Year = $22,576.24

Goodbye, my first...

car.

Just handed it over to the dealer just now.

The feeling was a little tinge of sadness. I will soon work out how much I spent on it these 3 years 7 months and 12 days.

So it is public transport from now on.

Nostalgia ... here and here

Updates and happenings

Ok. Have some time for updates.

Finally purchased my Olympus SP-570UZ with a whopping 20x Optical zoom, and 26mm wide angle.

Very nice, at a very nice price too. much less than what they are selling for at the recent IT show. But of course, no freebies (which I don't need anyway.)




Been busy with gatherings and dinners with various groups of friends, before my departure from Singapore. Finally almost packed and ready to go.

Now I can take nice pictures and post them here.. haha..

Happy Lunar New Year !

Heh. A little late. But wishing all a Happy Lunar New Year !
May the year of the Rat brings everyone health and wealth !

Not really in the mood for blogging much now, as I am busy with lots of my personal stuff in preparation to moving.

So the next time you hear from me, is probably going to be a few minutes before I fly off from Singapore...

2 New Bright Toys

Haha.. I was at first looking at a Surefire M6-CB, but it is too expensive. And I already have a MagLite 2D in my car (which pales a lot in comparison), so I do not need another huge light.

I need a small, portable one.

So I got the Fenix L1T (Version 2.0) which has a max output of 90 Lumens. Good thing is that this is small and uses a single AA battery.

I also got a more powerful Fenix P3D, also a newer version that has a max output of 215 Lumens. This one uses 2xCR123 battery though. A little expensive, but the light is much more impressive.

Just played with them in a dark industrial area. My MagLite now seems like a child's toy. On its website, it is rated 36 Lumens only.

It is not just the amount of light (Lumens) that it is important, it is also the beam-form.


And to those motorist who pisses me off, watch out for a 215-Lumen White LED light hitting your eyes. Hahahaha...



Oh, and if you must know, I spent less than S$150 for both lights. Quite worth it I must say. So now I shall see how durable it is...

Burst Tyre

This morning, while travelling on the expressway (fastest lane), I felt some vibrations on the road. Before I can decide whether it was the road surface, or something wrong with my tyres, the whole car started shaking up and down, while I was travelling at about 90km/h.

Knowing I probably had a flat tyre, I quickly filtered to the road shoulder, put on my lights and the hazard sign plate, and discovered I had a rear flat, on the driver side.

Took out my spare, jacked up the car and changed. All in about 10+ minutes. Surprising, this was my first time changing a tyre and I didn't panic, and know how to use all my tools for the first time. Haha.. All without my morning coffee. *Proud*

When I took down my flat tyre, I didn't expect to see this :



Of course, this picture was taken after I am in somewhere safe. Looks like a burst somewhere and due to the speed I am travelling, it continued to rip half the tyre apart. If there were more cars on the road (luckily it was a Saturday morning), I might have the whole rubber tyre gone and my rims grinding the road. That would be really bad.

I attribute this to the old tyre (being 1.5 yrs old already, and travelled about 60,000+ km) and my recent incident ( Read : Not-so-good End to 2007)

So I replaced all my tyres to a spanking Bridgestone GR-80. This is much quieter and comfortable. Luckily, it was just shy of $600.

And I was just thinking a while ago, that I hadn't had much "drama" with my car. No crashes, no breakdowns, no tyre punctures... and today I have to experience it at the most inappropriate moment. I had a "safety vest" in my car, just for emergency usage, and I forgot to use it !




And one stupid huge truck had to come very close to me and my car for comfort. Lets just say, about another feet or 2, and I might be on the papers... Sometimes, I really wonder how these people drive and hit things on the road shoulder. I was well clear of the first lane.

This is a WTF Moment....

Complaints that Traffic Police, while setting up speed cameras, are hiding on bridges.

See Stomp Here.

I really do not understand the rationale. Yes, the purpose of putting warnings is to "force" motorists to slow down and prevent accident, rather than issue a speeding ticket.

But come on, this is like a drug dealer complaining about an under-cover police. CNB officers should all wear uniform, so that drug dealers will see them around and not commit crimes...

Oh, some might say that drug dealing is a serious crime, it hurts people, etc, and thus warrants a stronger policing tactic.

So a speedster thinking he is superman doesn't hurt anyone when his car crashes ?

Put in another way, drug dealers only sell to "willing victims". Someone gives you heroin, you can say "No, sorry. I don't do drugs."

When a speedster crashes into YOU, you can't say "No. Sorry, I don't speed."