Coincidence & Power of the Internet

Few months ago, I was shopping for grocery and saw someone that looked like an old friend of mine - my junior in Uni, who was Malaysian, that I got to know in hostel.

I looked at him, but he didn't seem to see me. Sounded like him too, but I didn't dare approach as I thought it would be highly unlikely that I would meet someone there.

Fast forward to 3 days ago.

I finished work at about 5.30pm and was crossing the road to my car. The same guy was crossing the road the other way. We saw each other in the middle. I looked at him and he looked at me. But he didn't show visible signs of recognition.

The next morning at work, I received an email that he has added me to his network. Yes, the person I thought I recognized. So I was right afterall !

What a small world, to be working 2 buildings away. He has migrated to Sydney too, a few months earlier than I. He told his wife about seeing me and his wife thought he was mistaken too.

And he found me through a social networking site, even without my photo shown on that site.

Interesting how we meet old acquaintances and the ways to get in touch with someone.

Long awaited...

Long awaited updates for you all... :)

Let's see what has happened in the last few months...

My work is getting busier with more projects and and stuff.. I am travelling to Perth monthly, which is nice for me meeting my friends and all, and good for my frequent flyer points. Heh heh.

The weather has turned cold here. Winter started earlier it seems. Luckily, we do not get that much rainfall and flood like in parts of Queensland.

And I have bought a new 3-bedroom, 194sqm townhouse to live in. With that, I got $24k of government grant (and free stamp duty worth $16k) and I only pay $200 per month more than my previous rental (of a 2-bedroom towhouse).

I have also gotten $900 of the stimulus package from the government without needing to do anything. No need to top up CPF, or login to register, etc. They just send put the money into my bank account.

But of course, with the new house and all, more money has been spent on furniture, deocorations, etc. I sure helped the economy.. haha..

A couple of close friends came to stay for a week, and we went out to enjoy Hunter Valley and Blue Mountains. And I also got to visit Taronga Zoo as well. It's a nice place, but I personally think that the Singapore Zoo is still slightly better.

Hmmm.. What else do you wanna know ?

Maybe I can make this more interactive (no, not trying to emulate twitter) and maybe I'll have more things to write about.. and you'll have more articles to read.

Weather and blood pressure

Sydney is now cold due to rain. Its still summer now and temperatures of below 30 in the day and 19 at night.. It feels like autumn is here earlier.

I was just back from Perth last week, and it was still hot out there. Day temperatures of near 40.

Parts of Queensland is flooded.

Parts of Victoria is burning.

And what has this gotta to do with blood pressure ?
Nothing.

At least until I went to the doctor's yesterday for my cough, and ask the doctor to check my blood pressure due to the fainting I had a couple of months back.

Turns out, my pressure is a little low. She said 90/60. Nothing else feels bad (except my cough now) so she told me to increase my salt intake slightly.

At least I know it is blood pressure and not brain tumour...

Thankful and more...

I made a trip back to Singapore during CNY. Caught up with lots of friends and some relatives. However, there are still quite a number of friends that I didn't have time to catch up with. Next trip I will stay longer to catch up with everyone.

Sleeping back at my parent's place during the CNY, I learnt that even though my current place in Sydney seems noisy at night, it is definitely so much more peaceful and quiet compared to the city I lived in.

Every night, I had to ignore loud inconsiderate motorists (loud cars and loud motorbikes) travelling around residential areas.

Every morning I wake up to the sound of hydraulics doors of buses and LRT trains opening and closing.

So what is the sound of occasional resident returning home, or the distant hum of the motorway that is 500 metres away from my sydney rental place that I cannot live with ?

*~*~*~*~*

Near the end of my stay in Singapore during the CNY, I developed a bit of flu. That lead to a sore throat and now I have cough. Hope I will recover quickly

*~*~*~*~*

I am sure almost everyone heard about the recent bush fires in Australia, especially the recent tragedy of the Victorian fires that killed many people and are still raging on.

Fires around parks and bushes in Australia is common during summers. Temperature as hot as mid 40s (in Celsius) are common. Nationally occuring fires are already unavoidable. Add the fact that there will always be careless people (cigarette butts, etc), fire-fighting resources are already stretched to the limits.

And somehow, every year there will always be arsonists who liked setting things on fires and somehow killing people or destroying properties. It is just sad and everyone is resigned to the fact that somehow, there will always be people like that, just like there will always be robbers or murderers.

Bad start for the year - Episode 2

Yesterday, while out looking at properties, I stopped outside the garage of a house that I viewed. I parked sideways so as not to block the small road. As I was about to drive out, I didn't recall nor notice that a short brick parapet was right in front of my car. I remembered the curb, and thought I could turn out without a problem.

So moved out and then I heard a loud crack.

Damn. It was loud enough for the property agent who was in the house to come out to take a look. No damage to the brick of course, as I wasn't going fast.

The corner of the brick parapet hit the bumper where the foglight was. Foglight casing was cracked, bumper was scratched, and plastic molding panel for the foglight dropped out.

This afternoon, I tried to repair the damage. Not sure how much it would cost me to replace it, but I am quite sure they will charge me for a SET of lights instead of just one.

Used duct-tape to wrap around the light holder to make sure its water-proof. Pushed it back into the bumper (the holding ears were obviously broken so it can't be screwed back on) and then put the plastic molding panel back on. Some of the clips were broken and the screw broke as well, but it still held on ok. I used a few double-sided tape to ensure it doesn't drop off. That will hold the light in as well.

The light still works, just a bit unfocused and I am sure I can't turn it on for long, as I am worried that the duct-tape might not take the heat very well. But I hardly use my foglights anyway.

Oh bummer.. At least cosmetic-wise, it doesn't look too bad.

Bad start for the year

Few days ago, I had a bad start to the new year. I fainted and knocked my head.

I had woken up and walked to turn off the alarm. Then all I remembered was I felt faint. Next thing I knew, my housemate was trying to wake me up.

I woke up but I could feel a small lump on my head.. I must have bumped my head on the wall or the floor.

Must have been lack of sleep... or I just jumped out of bed too quickly...

I guess I just have to be careful from now on...

And no, this bump on the head didn't win me the top prize of the $30million lottery here... Oh well, better luck next time...

New Year - 2009

Yes, looking back at my blog, this post is obligatory.

I haven't been a person who writes resolutions, and I am worse at following them. So I will just probably review what I have and haven't done for 2008 and what I hope to achieve in 2009.

What I have done in 2008 :
- Uprooted myself and finally moved to Australia smoothly
- Got myself working in a job that I liked doing more and get appreciated
- Bought myself a new digital camera and a few toys
- Read a few novels

What I haven't done in 2008 :
- Continued my stock investment homework. Seems like I made a few mistakes again in buying shares without proper evaluation again and lost some money. Not huge, but enough to wipe out a couple of years of dividend payouts.
- Picked up more healthy activities like jogging or sports regularly
- Read more non-fiction and expand my general knowledge
- Blog more regularly about intellectual stuff
- Complete my Command & Conquer game series

What I hope to achieve in 2009 :
- Continue my investment with due diligence
- Pick up my golf again
- Add more healthy exercises into my routine
- Learn how to be a better cook

2009 will bring lots of opportunities for investments, if only I am prepared. I am not getting younger and I have to start exercising both my brains and my muscles. I think I shall just focus on these few things for the coming year. I hope the rest will fall in place soon after.

Anyway, I wish everyone all the best for 2009 as well !

End of Work Year 2008

Today is officially my last day at work. Our office is closed except for some skeleton crew for services. Our office will open on January 5, 2009.

I have about 2 weeks of free time, part of which I will use to complete some work related stuff (like some project proposals that are urgent.) 

Still wondering if I should take a short trip, or spend most of my days playing computer games that have been waiting for me for so long... Hahaha..

Oh well, I would have some time to blog too, and write longer ones...

And here's wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year !

More TV to watch

Finally got my system set up for my ISP's free IPTV trial.

I now can watch CNA (International version), Bloomberg, CCTV, Phoenix and a whole lot of other channels from other countries, most of which I can't understand anyway.. Hahaha..

Come 2009, Free-to-air TV in Australia is going to have at 15 Channels, half of which are in HD, to choose from compared to the current 8.

So many programmes, so little time.. hahaha

First Christmas in Australia

Soon, I will be spending my first Christmas in Sydney. I will be having a week plus of holidays, as my company will be closed from Christmas day till 2nd Jan 2009. 

Its forced leave, but ok. I just do not know what to do yet, except try to catch the fireworks...

Will be having our office Christmas Party next Friday, but I don't have much after that. Anyone wanna invite me to their parties ? Hahaha..

More on Medical and Insurance

I have recently gotten myself Private Health Insurance (PHI). I have gotten hospital and extras cover.

The reason is mainly 2 folds - (a) Reduce taxation (b) Get extras that cover part of my dental expenses.

First of all, I am above an income bracket where I will have an additional 1% tax on my income to suppliment the govt's free Medicare if I do not have PHI.

Furthermore, govt will subsidise 30% of the PHI premium. Well, one can say that in most sense, this doesn't make much difference as almost everyone is entitled to get that 30% discount. Thus they are calculated into the premiums already. 

The most important part is, I have additional benefits above Medicare. Now Medicare already covers all doctor's fees (Read my previous encounter) and that's true even for hospital. But for some operations, especially elective, public healthcare doesn't cover for them, or one had to wait in a waiting list for a long time to get it free. 

With PHI, I am entitled to be treated as private patient in public hospital for everything and my PHI will cover the gap (additional fees). That means I can choose my specialist, get faster attention (for non-emergency treatment), stay in better wards, etc.

Also, with PHI, for some operations (depending on level of cover), I can choose a private hospital and choose a doctor and still have everything covered - 100%, less the excess amount. And the excess is capped per year.

Second type of cover included is what we called 'extras'. That is something above the normal hospital cover. It include things like dental, optical (glasses, contacts, etc), massages, therapies, etc.

Now, as everyone knows, dental expenses are higher in Australia compared to Singapore, I estimate at least 50% more expensive. For example, filling for a large tooth here (they measure by type of filling and number of surfaces the fillilng covers) cost me about $150, whereas I can get it filled in my neighbourhood dental clinic back in Singapore for about $70-80.

I bought the basic level of cover, which means I am entitled to claim 65% of my dental expenses, limited to $500 per calendar year. I am also entitled to claim up to $200 for glasses prescription, up to $300 or so for various types of massages (foot reflexology, oil massage, etc, by licensed practitioners), $300 or so for therapies (aromatherapy, physiotherapies, etc, again must be by licensed practitioners) every calendar year. 

My premium for the extra's portion is about $200+ per year. I can claim back about $500 per year - its already an advantage to me. Also, I can claim 100% of 2 x dental cleaning and scaling per year, and 100% of 1 x flouride treatment per year. 

Since I have bad dental history and weak teeth, I would have to use the dental services in Australia sooner or later. Based on history, I spend a few hundred buck a year anyway, back in Singapore. Here, with the claims, my out-of-pocket and premiums, it works out to be slightly more per year (about 30% more) but I can now regularly visit the dentist to repair and also, hopefully, to prevent more problems.

Not too bad a deal, especially when I need to get PHI anyway to save on tax. The amount I save on tax is more than my premiums in the first place !

In future, I can increase my cover, PHI will even include heart operations, joint replacements, and up to 95% of my expenses on dental, etc (and the cap per year will increase too, not just $500).

So in summary, with the govt's Medicare and my PHI, I am covered for all medical expenses (I pay only $500 excess) if I am involved in accident, or develop any cyst or tumour, appendicitis, requires minor eye surgery, or any joint reconstructive surgey, or even to repair a slipped disc.

My Name in Chinese

Haha...

Happen to try out google's translation service.

Take a look at this...

So Calamari For Thought is translated as 汽车工业的思考... Hahaha..

Oh but it has my name correct.

Name: Singapore Calamari
名称：新加坡鱿鱼

Melbourne Cup...

Yeah. Never heard of it ?

Neither have I until recently. Today is Melbourne Cup.

It is touted as the event that stops Australia.

Many companies close after lunch. For those who are still open, more than half are glued to TVs and not really working.

Me, I was working at a school today. Was walking around a high school and at about 2-3pm and noticed some interesting things.

There were a few classes where the teachers showed races at the cup, while having lessons.

And there was one teacher who was trying to conduct a class while showing the race on the project - How does she expect the kids to pay attention to her ?

Anyway, I am not a horse racing punter - Hope I have better luck in winning the lotteries...

Appreciated

Just today, I was given a $50 shopping voucher by a salesperson that I was supporting quite a lot the last few months.

He didn't need to as I was just doing my job well and I don't see any reason that he had to suck up to me. Thus it is a geniune gesture of appreciation which I am grateful for.

Its nice to be appreciated.

There is cold and there is cold...

The weather has been cold for the last few days. And it was announced that last night (or was it the night before...) was the coldest night in October for the last 14 years.

And tonight is cold as well. Cold enough that I needed the heater again, which I haven't used for a few weeks already.

It has been raining frequently the last few days. And yesterday, I had to drive a long journey from Sydney to Wollongong. Along the entire way, I could really feel the car being rocked by gusts of wind. It really was an entirely new experience driving at 110km/h with suddenly jerks by the winds.

Something that I didn't even experience while driving on the Malaysian NS highway.

*~*~*~*~*

Last weekend, I went to view a house for sale. 

Its in a nearby suburb, not exactly near train stations but not too far (my current place isn't near one either.) 2 Level townhouse in a secured complex without facilities like pools, courts, etc.

Its just a few years old , so things are all new. The taps are all what I liked (that is not those 2 taps where one is hot and one is cold.)

More than adequate front and back yards. Though the house is just beside a main road, the master bedroom has double-pane windows to keep the noise out. 

It has walk-in wardrobe, 3 bedrooms in all, 2 toilets, and 2 carpark in secured underground parking.

And it costs below $490k which means I can get all the grants and benefits of first time home owner.

But think about the amount I have to pay as deposit, and the loan and interest, I feel cold...

So, does anyone want to help me out and loan me money as investment ? (Either as fixed interest, or partial ownership of the property, can be arranged.) 

Back to Reality

My friends have all gone back home.

It was a lovely holiday for me. Its been a long time since I have met them.

Didn't feel like writing a lot, but just a few pictures to give a summary of what my holidays involve :

Blue Mountains :





Port Stephens





And Hunter Valley



I will not show you the amount of wine that I have bought. Haha...

Next week, its back to work then.

Holiday

Finally, I have taken my first holiday after I moved here.

My friends came from Singapore and Perth. So in the next week plus, I will be relaxing, going to the beaches, going to Blue Mountain, Port Stephen and Hunter Valley.

Relaxing ! Yeah !

Spring is here...

Its spring !
Weather has changed quite quickly. Now its warm in the afternoon and the wind is not so cold anymore.

Well, the past 2 weeks has been hectic for me.

Exploring remote country side for the better portion of last week. This week was busy as well. But luckily some work things got canceled and I had a breather.

Today I had to work as well.

And tomorrow I will be flying off to Taiwan for a week.

At least, when I am back from Taiwan, a few friends will be here for holidays and I can also take some leave and go on road trip !

Planned to do touristy stuff. Haha.. Well, I have just been here for half a year, I am still entitled to be a tourist.

Battery Life Update

I have been able to use my E71 for 2 days only with one full charge. Claims and many people who say they can go 3 to 4 days on one charge made me investigate more - Do I have a faulty battery or a faulty phone ? 

First of all, I noticed that 8 hours in the office, and it doesn't even drop a single bar. Not that I noticed.

Then when I get home at 6 and by 10 or 11, I noticed it dropped 2 bars. (E71 has 7 Bars for battery indicator.)

I have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on the same setting all the time. And I do have an AP that it connects to at work. My VoIP is enabled on Wi-Fi all the time too. And I get more push mail during office hours.

So, it should drop more when I am in the office. Why does it seem to use more juice when I am at home ?
I downloaded Nokia's Energy Profiler to monitor power usage.

So far, on average during standby, it is consuming about 0.10 to 0.12 W. With everything ON ! This seems reasonable. Battery indicator says that with this kind of average, I can get 50+ hours on a full charge. That's about 2 days, which is what I am getting.

1500mAH battery, 3.7V rated (4.07V when fully charged, 3.8V when half power) - 0.029A drawn at 0.11W usage =>  51.724 hrs

However, on active usage (check mails, SMS, Synchronize via Bluetooth) for 3 mins, the average is 0.25W => 0.066A => 22 hrs.

So if on average, 70% of the time it is on standby, 30% active => Average power = 0.15W => 0.04A => 37.5 hours. Roughly there I guess.

So last night, I left the software on to collect information. This is what it shows at various times.

Midnight :



Average of about 0.02 Watts. That's good. I don't know what the regular 30 minutes interval spike of 0.3W, nor do I know what the 2-hour interval spikes of 1.3W.

My only guess is that it has to be Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GSM related.

Early Morning :



Now the scale is changed.

At 9am, the SEVEN push mail client is supposed to connected to the Server. And I think there were a couple of emails pushed down. They used about 1.5W.

From then on, there is a regular 5-min interval spike to 0.6W. I really do not know what is set at 5 min interval.

I woke up about 9.45 to check on the phone. Thus the backlight was active and had some activities. And I regularly check on the phone to see the data-capture, thus irregular spikes of 1.4W.

Then I sent and SMS at 10:40am, and received SMS a couple of mins after that.
And at 12:05pm I sent SMS and had received missed calls. (Repeated in next chart.)

Noon :



The said SMSes and Missed Calls, using about 3W for Ringtone, Vibrator and lights.

Still the regular 5-min spikes of 0.6W that is unknown.
Between 12:25 to 2pm, I was at the same location for lunch, thus it was just that and my checking on the phone (about 1.2W spikes).

Afternoon :



You can see that I am checking on the phone quite often (1.2W spikes)
Probably a couple of emails that came in as well, which I can't remember when.

Parts of high usage (3:19-3:21 and 3:23-3:24) which I don't know what, cos I was shopping around that time. Maybe the phone was in my pocket and it had bad GSM signal and trying to connect ?

3:53pm onwards, I am probably on the road, from what I can remember.

Evening :



Spikes of about 1.5W, probably due to phone roaming while I was driving. Reached home at 4+. I turned on the AP about 4:30pm.

So you can see that when it detects the AP (I set WLAN scanning interval to 10-min.) it starts logging on and connecting my VoIP.

From then on, you can see the base-line has shifted up. From 0.02W to about 0.05W.

The 5-min spikes of 0.6W (now obviously 0.65W) is still there. So it is not WLAN scanning.. Wonder what it is...

I remembered a couple of emails got pushed down as well, just not sure when.

When the log was downloaded, the Average power usage was 0.06W and the estimated runtime for a full battery was 100+ hours. Wonderful !

Well, its been turned on for 36 hours now and there is 4/7 bars left. Looks like it might last another 24 hours. Hmmm.. just when I am investigating the battery, it looks like its starting to behave...

For the past 2 hours, I logged it with Wi-Fi connected, VoIP connected and some emails arriving. Average power consumption was 0.09W and at this constant usage, full Battery is estimated to last 62+ hours...

My Camera

I have been using an IP Camera at home to monitor my front gate.
D-Link DCS-2120.

I have turned on Motion detection and in event of detection, to email me snapshots as attachments.

Now, I thought when I turn off my internet connection, I would miss those detections.
But it seems like I was wrong.

I left my router off since last night. Now, it seems like the camera made use of its in-built memory to store the snapshots and sent them all at once when internet connection is re-established.

However, it wasn't in chronological order, but then all the attachments dated (via filename) back to last night. Wow.