After reading about the
tsunami warnings being raised in many countries, I woke
up around noon expecting to read about the areas
affected by it. But I found none.
Then I met up with Zonghao and
Ronghui and we made our way down to China Square. Along
the way, we started to talk about the earthquake in
Chile. A while later, news started to come in thru the
radio about the tsunami hitting Japan and Russia. 'Japan
reported that tidal waves of up to 30cm has hit their
coastline...'
Ronghui: "Did she just said
30cm?"
Me: "Yeah, I think she did."
It made me wonder how do people
identified it to be a tsunami when it's just 30cm? Most
waves probably have the same height or higher.
"Russia has cancelled their
tsunami warning even though their coastline has been hit
by tsunamis as high as 10cm..."
Well, a tsunami wave that high is
definitely not worth raising alarms for.
But tsunami waves were higher for
areas closer to the epicenter of the earthquake. Which
isn't surprising, considering that the force of the
earthquake is greater. You can get more details on that
in this article.
Still, one must never take things
easy when it comes to natural calamities. Because the
forces of Nature are something not to be underestimated
or undermined.
Speed Climbing Training
I met up with Li Bin for the
first time today, after communicating plenty over the
phone and email. Today was going to be our first speed
climbing training session, first climbing session
together and first time meeting up. There's always a
first for everything.
And I found out it was her first
climb on the wall this year too.
Anyway we got acquainted fast and
got to know the wall faster. Since it was her first
climb I gave her some tips and showed her the way of the
wall. Speed climbing is different from normal climbing
in terms of techniques and wall configuration. Li Bin
picked up the basics fast, which was good since our
competition is next weekend.
End of the day, we felt sure we
will be awesome next week for the competition. Stay
tuned for the results and wish us all the best!
When Chilli Doesn't Get Processed
(Note that this entry may be
difficult to stomach as it contains some graphic toilet-ish
detail. Skip it if you can't stand it. You have been
warned)
I had Fried Kway Teow with
generous amounts of chilli for lunch today. This
resulted in a rather spicy lunch. I thought nothing of
it as my stomach can handle spicy stuffs.
But somehow the chilli skipped my
stomach's processing. And went straight for my body's
exit point. This resulted in a rather slight painful
burning sensation in my ass when I visited the toilet
for my daily output processing.
The burning sensation lasted for
a short time. The experience still lingers. =\
The End Of Feb
The good thing about February is
that it is short. But that is also a bad thing because
it means March is here sooner than expected.
I realized that greed and
stupidity often end up being in the same room. Whenever
a person is greedy, that person will do stupid things.
As an example, read
this article
about this guy. He could use his own identification card
or driver's license to go into the Resort World Sentosa.
But he doesn't. Instead, he used his brother's driving
license (which he had stolen). Stupid.
Next, he became greedy and placed
a bet after the result of a game was out. And he tried
to convince the dealer that he had made a legitimate
bet. Really stupid.
Lastly, he tried to convince the
police officer that he is the guy in the stolen driver's
license. Really, really stupid.
On the plus side, he became
infamous as the first guy to be involved in Singapore's
first casino fraud case. Well done Mr Loo!
Know Thy Weakness
A chain is only as strong as
it's weakest link. Similarly a person's character is
only as good as his flaws.
One of my greatest flaws is
self-discipline. Or rather, the lack of self-discipline.
Many a times I get bored with
the routine stuffs that need to be done, and that's when
procrastination takes over. This leads to me suddenly
finding myself short of time in doing things or things
just don't get done.
Thus I rationale that to make my
life better, I have to start inculcating a stronger
self- disciple. This means doing what needs to be done,
seeing things thru to the end, weakening my
procrastination and strengthening my resolve.
I have tasted the fruits of my
labour when I had a stronger self-discipline. I had bear
witness to positive results when I took better control
of my life and my self. And I thoroughly enjoyed the
experience. And I want to relive it.
Looking back at my old notes, I
realized that this has been a target of mine since 2008.
It's time to take more affirmative actions towards
achieving this.
I know I can.
The Earthquake in Chile
I reached home and couldn't sleep
so decided to catch up on world news. That's how I found
out a 8.8 magnitude earthquake had struck Chile. And
that the
biggest tsunami warning in history had been sounded.
The world is still recovering
from the quake in Haiti. Now another earthquake has
struck, this time in Chile. Is Nature giving signs that
it is fed-up with people's crimes against Nature?
That's the face of the coward
that got away, with murder.
He came here, worked in a
consulate and instead of keeping the peace like everyone
else, used his car as a tool to carry out a murderous
car rampage that has led to the death of one person and
injured two others. After knocking people down, he
abandoned the car, got into a cab and called the police
to say the vehicle was stolen. Three days later, he left
the country and now is said to be holidaying.
Obviously he is never coming
back.
Where is the justice in this
world?
Can anything be done to bring
this guy back to justice?
If the message wasn't clear or
graphic enough, look below:
Seriously,
FUCK FACEBOOK!
For no reason whatsoever, my
account was disabled.
There was no warning, no error
message, nothing.
I wasn't even doing anything
wrong.
The last thing I did was add an
app, replied to some status comments and went on to chat
on MSN Messenger. When I came back to check a while
later, I was logged out of my Facebook account on my
browser. When I tried to log back in, it informed me my
account was disabled.
So, seriously,
Fuck Facebook.
I've wrote in to find out what
exactly happened so now I'm awaiting their reply.
There's a saying that goes around
frequently, which is 'getting up on the wrong side of
the bed'. If your bed is against the wall, this means
waking up and banging your head against the wall.
Fortunately, my bed is not against the wall.
Unfortunately, calls made to my
phone disturbed my sleep repeatedly until I was
unwillingly, crankily awake. Damn it!
A bad start to a day can spoil a
good day in many ways. First off you'll feel sleepy and
sluggish all the time. Your movement and your brain
becomes s-l-o-w.
Secondly you body sensors are
numbed to the point you don't really feel hungry even
though your body needs food. By the time you realized
it, you're damn hungry and it's almost dinner time.
Thirdly, it becomes challenging
to be cheery for others and for yourself. That's because
half the time you wish to be in bed, but you can't
because now you have stuffs to do, people to talk to and
matters to resolve. How can you be happy when you can't
do what you want to do?
Lastly, no matter what, you have
to put up a professional front and communicate as if
it's just another day. And you have to watch what you
say because a slip of the tongue can leave you with a
shitty after-taste.
I don't enjoy a bad start to
another day. Not one bit. It cramps up my style.
Seriously, let me sleep and I'll
get back to you. Roar!!!
Good End
A good movie seen with a good
friend makes an awful day have a good end. Thanks
Ashley!
'Percy
Jackson And The Lightning Thief' Synopsis
Trouble-prone teen Percy Jackson
is about to be kicked out of school but that's the least
of his problems. The gods of Mount Olympus and other
assorted monsters seem to have walked out of the pages
of Percy's Greek mythology texts and into his life and
they're not happy. Zeus' lightning bolt has been stolen
and Percy is the prime suspect. Now, Percy and his
friends must embark on a cross-country adventure to
catch the true thief, save Percy's mother, and unravel a
mystery more powerful than the gods themselves.
'Percy
Jackson And The Lightning Thief' Review
I don't know what my climbing
friends are complaining about, because this show is
quite entertaining.
While the British have Harry
Potter, the Americans have Percy Jackson. Young boys
with awesome powers. And emotional baggage tied to
parental issues.
Like I said, I find the show
entertaining. The story is told in a mixed of direct and
indirect manner, injected with timely humor and peppered
with plenty of thrilling action. It was rather hilarious
and weird to watch Pierce Brosnan as a Centaur, with a
horse's ass. And while Uma Thurman played her role quite
well, it did her a great unjust to have her playing a
minor yet impactful villainous role. Reminds me of the
time she played Poison Ivy in one of the old Batman
movies.
What I find challenging about the
show is that the plot development was a bit confusing in
the beginning. The battle scenes did make the story a
little more understandable. The twist was definitely
unexpected, but at least a villain was clear. If the
whole movie is Greek to you, then maybe you will give
the sequels a miss.
If things were to go by the book,
there will be at least 3 more sequels coming up. The
next one, Percy Jackson and
the Sea of Monsters, is slated to be shown in 2012.
I'm looking forward to it!
When a teacher opens a time
capsule that was dug up recently in his son's elementary
school, he discovers that it contains some chilling and
strange predictions about the future. Some events have
already occurred and some are yet to unfold. The
discoveries soon lead him into believing that his family
plays a role in the events that are about to unfold.
'Knowing'
Review
If you knew what I know, would
you have done things differently?
This is the second time in which
Nicholas Cage plays a role where it involves knowing the
future (first time is in 'Next'). And in both movies he
play a tragic hero role. Except this time, the story
really stretches one's imagination and belief.
As the story goes, Cage's
character comes across a paper that has grim predictions
of the future that is accurate to the dot. He tried as
much as possible to alter the course of the future but
somehow nature is just against him.
As the story develops, you can
feel the desperation in Cage's character and the
tremendous change from professor with issues to
professor with a big burden of the world on his
shoulders. Similarly, you can feel the desperation in
the Rose Byrne's character as a protective mother and
sympathized to how she reacted in dire situations. And
you will be piqued by the role of the children in the
whole story and the outcome of it.
What I enjoy a lot about the show
is the grand scale of the story and how it showed that
little things can impact a great deal to people and the
world. What I didn't enjoy was how exaggerated some
parts of the story can be. But hey, it's all part of a
movie, right?
Well this is one show worth
catching on a rainy day with a DVD or other means.
So, if you knew what I know,
would you have done things differently?
Ultimate Tiredness
Seriously, some thing doesn't
feel right today.
I woke up feeling tired. This
despite sleeping for some 8 hours or so. Without so much
as a bite, I surfed the net before going back to bed one
hour later. And I was asleep till near dinner time. And
I still fee tired!
Feels like the energy around is
being sapped somehow.
It's been so long since I
indulged in a me-me. But this one looked fairly
interesting and I was in the mood for self-discovery.
Thus I answered the questions and got the following (by
the way it's from an app in Facebook. And I put my own
comments in red):
Get to know yourself better
Dear Dean Addien, below are your Personality Tests
result:
Who is your true self:
You are mature, reasonable, honest and give good advice.
People ask for your comments on all sorts of different
issues. Sometimes you might find yourself in a dilemma
when trapped with a problem, which your heart rather
than your head needs to solve. (Hmmm... yes I was told
to learn to listen to the heart than the head.... Looks
like I still have more lessons to go)
Your view on yourself:
- You are intelligent
- Honest
- Sweet
- You are friendly to everybody
- Don't like conflict
- Because you're so cheerful
- Fun people are naturally attracted to you
- Like to talk to you
(I like this. Really. I think
it's cause I'm a Sagittarius)
The type of girlfriend you are
looking:
- You like serious
- Smart
- Determined people
- You don't judge a book by its cover
- So good-looking people aren't necessarily your style
- This makes you an attractive person in many people's
eyes
(Well I don't generally put a criteria on the girlfriend
but friends have told me that I am quite choosy)
Your readiness to commit to a relationship:
- You are ready to commit as soon as you meet the right
person
- And you believe you will pretty much know as soon as
you might that pe
(The last statement didn't make
sense as it was cut off. But yeah, I'm ready to commit
to the One)
The seriousness of your love:
- You like to flirt
- Behave seductively
- The opposite sex finds this very attractive
- That's why you'll always have admirers hanging off
your arms
- But how serious are you about choosing someone to be
in a relationship
(This, I'm told, is what makes
some girls afraid to commit to me and some girls wary of
me. Well, I can't change those girls but I'm sure the
right girl can change me)
Your views on education:
- Education is very important in life
- You want to study hard
- Learn as much as you can
(Knowing is everything)
The right job for you:
- You're a practical person
- Will choose a secure job with a steady income
- Knowing what you like to do is important
- Find a regular job doing just that
- You'll be set for life
(Knowing is everything. That's why I did this me-me. To
know what I am like. Seems like now I must work on
knowing what I like to do)
How do you view success:
- You are afraid of failure
- Scared to have a go at the career you would like to
have in case you d
- Don't give up when you haven't yet even started! Be
courageous
(The first sentence applies to
some aspect of my life. The second one doesn't apply
because I will jump into a career. The last sentence is
inspiring)
What are you most afraid of:
- Sometimes you show your anger to cover up how you feel
(Why am I afraid of that?)
Is it Hot in Here???
Ever since I came back from India
I found myself to be perspiring excessively. And it is
mainly due to the humid weather. Have I become so
accustomed to a cool environment that my body now is
reacting negatively to this humid climate?
Hopefully I readjust in days to
come, else I'll go around topless just to make sure my
clothes don't soak up my perspiration. And that's not a
pretty sight. =\
So Many in So Little Time
Catching up on the news, I noted
that 8 people got arrested recently for crimes related
to the caSINo. Barely 1 week after its opening and
already 8 people were arrested. Seems like a sign of
things to come: more crimes.
One thrilling thing about
travelling out of the country is that you'll never know
the kind of people you're going to encounter and how
that will affect your travel experience. Some could make
your trip memorable, while others could make you wish
you never left your home. Then there are those who are,
well, interesting.
From the hotel to the airport, a
transport was arranged for me. The driver was a
young Indian chap. He was quite polite and
service-oriented, offering to carry my luggage and
offering me drinks before we start on our journey.
In the beginning there was some
small talk. He asked me where I was from (he thought I
was from Japan), what's my experience like staying at
the hotel and the food. In return, I asked him a bit
about his work life and India in general.
That question about India was
when the stories started rolling. He began by telling me
how and why Mumbai is called Mumbai, the troubles
plaguing the city, a bit of the local town politics
(towns officials are akin to Godfathers), what makes
Mumbai so unique (over 100 types of Indians from all
over India can be found in Mumbai), why he worked in the
hotel line and so on.
As he animatedly talked to me
about India, I became both fascinated and annoyed.
Anything about a country's culture, history and people
fascinated me. Yet I was annoyed by the fact that the
car slowed down when his talking and descriptive stories
speed up. To the point some vehicles were honking us to
speed up!
Then he asked me for my name.
That's when things started to take an interesting turn.
I said my name is Dean and he said it is a good name. I
returned the compliment after he introduced himself as
Pradesh Raj. Then he told me, with pride and humour,
that the meaning of his name is God. To be more
specific, the God of God. And of course I reacted
animatedly by saying 'Woah! God of God! That's a really
impressive name you got there!'
God of God then told me that it
is funny for him to have that name, because he is a
small man. He is slim built, and definitely appeared
small compared to the big guys found in Hindi films and
along the streets. Yet he has a big name. I mentioned
that it must have been a tough time in school. We both
laughed at that statement.
Thereafter he shared with me the
meaning of my own name. In Hindi, my name has two
meanings. The first meaning is 'Today'. Nothing fanciful
about that. When he said that I wondered if that means I
am one who lives in the present. After all, being called
'Today' has to mean something to that extent, right?
The second meaning of my name
totally blew my mind away.
Me: "What's the other meaning of
my name?"
God of God: "Small..."
Me: "Small???"
God of God: "Yes. Small... but
powerful. Just like Mumbai. Mumbai is small, but
powerful. So your the meaning of your name is small, but
powerful."
Me: "Wow! Cool! I think I like
this meaning better! Hahahaha..."
So the second meaning of my name
is small, but powerful. That revelation did inspire me
to create an impact on my life. It's a matter of
figuring out how.
After telling me about the
meaning of my name, God of God went on to provide an
analysis of my character, my life and what the future
can hold for me. At the end of it he told me that he
shared with me all this because he had learnt about
fortune-telling, palmistry, astrology and other stuffs
related. And for me, I enjoy hearing such stuffs, good
or bad.
On my character, he said that I
am a good man. Simply because thru-out our conversation,
I was polite and gave mutual respect to him despite him
being just a service worker. He told me that some
customers are rude and some are just plain arrogant. But
we agreed there's different type of people in this world
and one is bound to come across the good, the bad and
the ugly.
And then he said that I am a
person of desire. And from what he can tell, he said
that I will get what I desire, even if it's thru
indirect means some times. So if I desire simple
comfort, I will get simple comforts. If I desire great
achievements, God will help me attain that achievement.
Knowing this does somehow make me feel small, but
powerful.
About my future, he just told me
that I tend to think a lot. He told me to take actions
instead of inaction. Things happen for a reason, and
there will be signs of it. I should learn to 'read the
signs' and know when to act and when to think. It
reminded me of my favourite book, The Alchemist, where
the main character of the story was told to learn to
recognize the signs and go with the flow of it.
Eventually he did and it brought him a wonderful life
that he dreamt about and greatness of life that he
learnt about.
As we continued our conversation,
I felt that something extraordinary was happening and
something great was in the works. I just have to learn
to recognize the signs, think less and act when needed
to. God of God had given me some inspiration. The
encounter had been divine.
Finally, I will be going back to
Singapore. It is confirmed that I will head back
tomorrow night. Hooray!
Finally, I got hold of a camera.
My own personal camera was not allowed onboard thus I
had no photos to take. Till today, when I found a camera
from one of the personnel. I borrowed it and finally
managed to snap some pics.
Dean at
work
A shot of
the Rescue Ship
A view so
beautiful
Another
beautiful view
While I was taking photos of the
sunset, this Indian guy came up to me and asked me if I
could take a photo of him. To pass him the photos, he
suggested that I email the photos to him. Being a kind
soul that I am, I obliged and took a photo. He then
asked me to take a few more shots, and directed me on
how he wanted the shots to be taken.
After that, I thought he would
offer to help me take some photos of me. But he didn't.
Instead he went off to get pen and paper to write his
email address. I was really annoyed by this, as he
seemed to me to be ungrateful. The least he could offer
was to help me take a photo for me. But he didn't.
When he returned, I had finished
taking photos. The guy then started to talk to me,
asking me where I'm from and so on. After that he just
went on talking and talking and talking.
He started of with telling me
about himself. Thereafter he went towards local
politics, education and so on. The most interesting
stories were that of his travel around India. Due to
work he was able to travel to almost all parts of India
and he related to me his experiences. I was quite
intrigued by his stories, to the point my annoyance was
gone. After a while someone he knew joined us and I
left.
Looking back at my encounter with
this guy, I learnt a few useful and valuable lessons.
Firstly, if you want something,
you have to ask for it. People won't know what you want
until you say it. It is pointless and very much a
self-inflicting injury to think that people will know
what you want. So the next time you want something, say
it!
Secondly, whenever you get the
chance, just travel around the world or around the
region. The travel experiences will enrich your life
greatly and you will see the world for what it is and
people for who they are.
Thirdly, there's more to India
than meets the eye. I will see it the next time I guess,
because tomorrow I'm going home!!!
Ok this entry will be grossly
difficult to stomach so if you can't swallow disgusting
descriptions then it would be wise to skip this entry.
You have been warned.
Now if you've friends who have
been to India, one thing they will warn you about is
against drinking water from the tap over there, or plain
water. Many a horrific diarrhea stories have emerged
from victims who don't heed this wise warning.
Well I avoided drinking water.
Any water that I drank was bottled water. But I never
expected my diarrhea attack to come from a juice that I
had during dinner.
After I drank the juice, my
stomach started to rumble occasionally. It is as if my
stomach disagrees with what I had just drank. But there
was no pain so I was able to sleep.
Suddenly, at 3.30am, I woke up
with a start. Something felt wrong. Seriously wrong. In
the dark, I got up, found my slippers, and rushed to the
toilet.
When I reached the toilet, I
started to throw up. I puked all the stuffs that I had
for dinner and supper. I vomited and vomited and vomited
and vomited. To the point that I had tears coming out of
my eyes. Once the vomiting stopped, I found myself
rushing to a cubicle.
There began the second and main
part of the ordeal. The diarrhea attack. I just sat
there shitting and shitting and shitting and shitting.
Everything was mixed of solid and fluid. But mostly
fluid. I thought that one round was the end of it. I was
wrong.
As soon as I reached the door to
my bunk, my stomach rumbled and growled and made the
rest of my body moved speedily towards the toilet. I was
back again for another round of shitting. And shitting
and shitting and shitting. When I thought the end was
over, I had to vomit again. After I vomited, I had to
shit. Again.
By the time I made it back to my
bed, it was close to 5.00am. My body was weak,
dehydrated and sleepy. In that 1.5hours, I had vomited
many times and went thru 3 rounds of shitting. But that
wasn't the end of it all.
From the time I woke up again in
the morning till lunch time, I had visited the toilet
another 3 times. But I had also visited the doctor too.
He gave me some pills to eat and that made my stomach
more docile by lunch time.
During lunch, I ate little for
fear of having to visit the toilet more frequent again
since my stomach had 'reloaded'. But the pills seemed to
work because by dinner, my diarrhea was gone. And my
appetite returned.
Good
riddance to the stupid diarrhea!
The Need To Talk
When I reached my client's place,
I saw a familar face and this guy talked to me abit and
asked me where I was bunking. Turns out I was bunking
with a fellow countryman of his (Indonesians) and so
after dinner he swung by for a visit.
Now both of them are much older
than me, and we're both working in different industries,
so there wasn't much common topics to talk about. Yet I
didn't really have to talk much because both of them
were talking to me most of the time and I just listened
and answered questions whenever necessary. It seemed
that they just want to share stuffs and just talk.
It made me realize that for them,
being in their line, they have to be away from their
families between 4 to 6 weeks. Thus it can get boring
some times. Hence the need to talk to someone,
especially if that someone is not from the same line.
At the very least the interaction
can provide a break from the routine. And any break from
a routine is always welcomed by anyone.
As expected, you can find plenty
of Indians in the hotel.
The interesting thing I noted was
that some of these Indians are actually foreigners to
India. They may look Indian but they have a natural
Caucasian accent. I encountered a family who spoke with
a British accent, and a few ladies who chatted with an
American accent. If I closed my eyes and listen to these
Indians talking, I wouldn't expect to see an Indian nor
would I think I was in India. Weirdly interesting.
Finally... Work!
Finally, I was able to board the
helicopter without any delays, hindrance or hassle.
Looking forward to my return on Sunday. It's a major
bummer that I would only reach Singapore on Monday
morning. But hey, everyone would still be on holiday!
That pretty much killed off my
interest to check out Mumbai town. So what's left is to
check out the area around the hotel. On the plus side
there is a beach right in front of the hotel. Thus I
headed there for a walk after lunch.
The white
gate is where I came out from. The grey walls are about
2.5m high.
A dog
taking a nap in a ditch by the beach
Let
sleeping dogs lie.
Despite the bright sun, the air
is cool and windy. I suppose it's due to the fact that
it is still winter in India, though the end of it is
near. If I had the proper gear, I would be jogging along
this never-ending beach, or join the locals for a game
of beach soccer.
Now, any mother will tell you not
to play with your food during meals. But hey, mother is
thousands of miles away.
Well at least you can see that
I'm trying to have fun on this accidental holiday.
Last time, stories begin with
'Once upon a time...'.
These days, the beginning of a
story would be 'It all started with a phone call...'.
Well the following took place on
8th February, between 1400hrs to 1500hrs.
It all started with a phone
call.
Me: "Hello Sharon"
Sharon: "Hi Dean. Guess what?
You're going to beautiful India!"
Me: "Hahaha... so I heard. I'm
so 'excited'. Do you want to join me?"
Sharon: "Hahaha... you have fun.
Ok let's go thru the itinerary..."
And that was the phone call that
changed it all.
Within 27 hours of that call I
found myself on the plane, heading for Mumbai.
As mentioned, everything was
done in a rush. I had to settle my documents, prepare my
gear, try to post updates for my website, send photos
out to some friends and pray that I didn't leave
anything behind. I had mixed feelings about this trip.
But hey, I'll be back by Saturday morning, just in time
to have fun with friends for the long holidays.
Or so I thought.
Due to some idiots wanting some
'grease money' but not getting it, I was not put on the
helicopter to fly to my client's place. 'Chopper is
full', these idiots said.
'Full of shit' is what I thought
of them. Haiz...
So here I am, back in the hotel,
on an 'accidental' holiday. The next helicopter is not
due till Friday morning. That leaves me with around one
and a half day (half the day is gone when I was sent
back to the hotel) of the 'accidental' holiday. On the
plus side I'm getting paid for it. So what
do I do next?
I did what most guys do in day
time at the hotel. Watched movies while lazing in bed.
And eventually take a nap.
And subsequently realizing that
I'm not going home on Friday.
Today I was at the launch of
Ampere Vehicles' Electric Motorcycle and Electric
Bicycle showroom. Ampere Vehicles is the manufacturer
and distributor of their own range of electronic
transports, which consists mainly of motorcycles and
motorized bicycles. Their vehicles will offer consumers
an interesting, fun, economical and eco-friendly way of
travelling. You save money, and you save the Earth too!
Ok now on to the details about
the stuffs I just said.
As the name implies, the
vehicles being offered by Ampere Vehicles are powered by
electricity. The advantages include no costly petrol, no
toxic gas emission, no noisy engines, no wear and tear
of moving parts, better energy efficiency and plenty of
cost savings.
In terms of cost savings, think
about paying something like $0.42 to travel 40km! That
is like travelling from Ang Mo Kio to Bedok, at your own
convenience! It's cheaper than any public or private
form of transport at the moment (except for walking).
Other cost savings include doing away with expensive
petrol and reducing expenses on maintenance of various
moving parts.
The motorcycles are powered by
an electric motor. An electric motor is quiet, energy
efficient and can still pack a punch like a normal
motorcycle. In addition, an electric motor is
eco-friendly as there is no gas emission and no noise
pollution. You'll be wondering if you're riding a
motorcycle at all because it is so quiet!
Electric
Motorcycles
Besides motorcycles, there are
also motorized bicycles. These bicycles have an electric
motor that gives the bicycle extra boost and mileage
from every complete pedal. This in turn multiplies the
rider's efficiency as the rider is able to cover more
distance in shorter time with less effort. It feels like
riding a rocket! Seriously, you have to try it!
Electric
Motorized Bicycles
I tried both electric vehicles
and I must say the riding experience is exhilarating!
The electric motorcycle actually picks up speed really
fast, maybe faster than a conventional motorcycle. This
is because there are no gears to shift, hence you zoom
right up to speed.
The 'zooming' effect is also
experienced on the motor bicycles, and you will just
find it addictive. And I appreciate the fact that these
electric vehicles are eco-friendly, cost-saving and
cost-effective.
These affordable electric
vehicles are the future. And they are available now! Let
me know if you want to order one, I will point you in
the right direction.
Congratulations to Ben and Suzanna for tying the knot
today. May you be blessed with eternal wedding bliss and
enjoy the new flat! =)
Recharge
I stayed at home to recharge my
batteries. Wasn't in the mood to go out. But persistence
paid off for my friends and I found myself heading out
for some 'fresh air'. Is the air still fresh during
dinner time?
'Departures' Synopsis
Daigo Kobayashi is a devoted
cellist in an orchestra that has just been dissolved and
now finds himself without a job. Daigo decides to move
back to his old hometown with his wife to look for work
and start over. He answers a classified ad entitled
"Departures" thinking it is an advertisement for a
travel agency only to discover that the job is actually
for a "Nokanshi" or "encoffineer," a funeral
professional who prepares deceased bodies for burial and
entry into the next life. While his wife and others
despise the job, Daigo takes a certain pride in his work
and begins to perfect the art of "Nokanshi," acting as a
gentle gatekeeper between life and death, between the
departed and the family of the departed. The film
follows his profound and sometimes comical journey with
death as he uncovers the wonder, joy and meaning of life
and living.
'Departures' Review
This show was recommended by
friends and the shop selling it (there was a sticker
with the words 'Highly Recommended' on the case cover).
Thus the show was bought and we headed to Zonghao's
place to watch it.
Typical of such Japanese shows,
the start was a bit slow, but direct. I like the
light-hearted humour that was spread thru-out the show
as it made the subject of dealing with death easier to
watch and with less gloom. The acting wasn't stellar,
but at least the characters had depth and meaning.
As the story unfolds, the
audience will see the growth of the main character,
Daigo, and will be able to relate to the changes. I was
reminded that death is just another part of life, and we
should be grateful of the person's impact in our lives
after their passing. Even after a person has left us, we
would want the best for that person. Somehow, after
watching the show, I felt a need to reconnect with some
people in my life.
Aside from that, some parts of
the show was a bit too predictable. Maybe it's just me,
because I've watched a lot of shows. Overall, the show
is interesting and impactful to watch. Get the DVD if
you can. Good to watch on those times when you need
inspiration and searching within your soul.
Myintzu arrived yesterday from
her month-long training attachment in Israel. Since she
will be leaving for Australia again soon, I figured
today would be a good day to meet up and hang out.
Originally the plan was to go to
places where there is local snacks, as she missed local
food. But I didn't know exactly where one can find local
snacks. Eventually we agreed to meet up at Raffles City.
After a quick lunch, we walked around the area looking
for snacks.
Eventually we passed by a
historical-looking building (as Myintzu described it) on
our way to SMU. That historical-looking building
belonged to the Singapore National Museum. The best part
is, Kelly is now working there. So I gave a call to
Kelly and asked her to meet us at the entrance.
Kelly and Myintzu are like best
friends so it was a good thing that we were able to meet
up at the museum. There was an Egyptian exhibition going
on so there was something different and interesting to
check out. Of course, with complimentary tickets
courtesy of Kelly. Hehehe...
The Egyptian exhibition, called
'The Quest For Immortality: The World of Ancient Egypt',
was a special display that is ongoing till April this
year. It showcases many things from ancient Egypt,
including a real mummy! As far as I know, everything
shown are authentic stuffs, not replicas. The exhibition
is on-going till April.
Sphinxes
Scary Head
The one on
the right is an Egyptian God
Original
Bird-man
I would never fail to wonder on
how the Egyptians were able to build the pyramids. And
to add to that wonder is how elaborate their ceremony is
for the dead. This reminded me that I was looking at
stuffs belong to the dead. And that even the dead can
tell tales.
Aside from the Egyptian
exhibition, we also checked out the exhibitions related
to Singapore. I noted that while we have a rich cultural
history, the displays were rather skeletal. It's as if
all the displays of Singapore were for quick viewing
only.
Live to Eat
or Eat to Live? Damn Cock!
Hmmm...
Since Kelly hasn't knocked off by
the time we were done, Myintzu and I had time on our
hands. With that time, we went up Fort Canning Hill to
give it a short tour.
At Fort Canning Park, we found a
pair of Cupolas that stood out like a sore thumb on the
slopes of the hill. According to the information tablet
placed near it, no one really knows when it was built or
why it was built. But somehow someone knew who designed
it. And for me, I just knew I had to take pictures with
it. Hehehe...
Myintzu
posing in front of the Cupola
As we walked around the hill, we
discovered many historical buildings and structures. It
felt abit like walking back in time. These buildings
have stories about them, and these stories will last a
long, long time. It made me wonder again, if I ever will
have stories about me that will last a long, long time.
I think that would be cool. To be
remembered for a long, long time. Immortality is the
ultimatum of vanity, and vanity is my favourite
indulgence.
I've always referred to February
as the Month of Love. Mainly because Valentine's Day
falls in this month. And in conjunction with that, there
will be plenty of love movies shown, plenty of
love-related items sold and plenty of love words spoken.
Hmmm I wonder if people rush to
get together so that they can have their first
Valentine's Day together?
Now what was it again...
Lately the goldfish memory has
struck me a little bit more often.
I would be thinking about doing
something, get distracted momentarily, and end up
forgetting what I wanted to do in the first place.
Eventually I'll be asking myself the question,' Now what
did I want to do?'
Damn. And it's coming so often
that it is annoying.
I've already forgotten what I
wanted to write about. Argh!
My Entry For That Contest
Ok now I remembered what I wanted
to share about.
Last week I learnt about a
contest being organized by Singapore's Climbing
Association thru their magazine,
Dyno. The contest is
about writing up about your favourite place to travel
and climb.
Since I was in a writing mood I
decided to join the contest. The prize is a pair of
climbing shoes! Sweet.
So here's sharing with you, my
entry for the contest (limited to less than 500 words,
as per contest criteria).
No Blues
in the Blueys
In my climbing life I have travelled to places near and
far, to quench the unending thirst for new crags, new
heights and new adventures. From the sharp rocks of Ipoh
to the misty mountains of Yangshuo, I have tried and
tasted many routes, and I still want more. Favourites
places, I have plenty. But the one that stands out in my
mind would be the crags in Blue Mountains, Sydney,
Australia.
With over 100 climbing areas and more than 1000 routes,
it is no wonder that this is one of Australia’s most
extensive climbing locations. Since there are a lot of
climbing areas, it proved wise to plan your climb a day
ahead. To help you with your planning, there are
climbing guide books with maps that show the location of
the crags. Some crags are close enough that you can
spend half the day in one place and then drive up to
another place after that. When I was there, my friends
and I would usually spend almost one whole day in an
area because there’s just plenty of physically and
mentally challenging routes!
And that is what that attracts
climbers all over the world to this place. The large
quantity of good quality climbs. There are plenty of
challenging 7s and 8s at almost each crag to keep
climbers humbled and coming back for more. Each offer
different type of challenges to power, endurance and
techniques. I still remember my first 7a climb till
today (These Apples Must Be Jen’s, at Porters Pass). It
was dicey, technical and tested my endurance. Overall,
it was quite a fun route.
Another major attraction is the fantastic view of the
natural landscape. Up in the mountains, away from the
hustle and bustle of the city, one feels closer to
nature. Also, one gets to admire the beauty and wonders
of nature. To me, this is a priceless reward after each
climb. Many a times I would enjoy the view of endless
valleys, surrounded by majestic mountains and overlooked
by the blue skies with cotton-like clouds. Many a times,
it is the view that takes the breath away.
Aside from climbing, one can
indulge in other outdoor activities such as canyoning,
trekking, bush-walking, mountain biking, abseiling and
more. One can also visit places of interests, like ‘The
Three Sisters’ and Jenolan Caves. If you’re looking for
indoor activities, there are bookstores and video stores
and even a world-famous ice-cream parlour! These places
and activities add on to the fun-filled experience of
being up in Blue Mountains. They also make the climbing
rest days more enjoyable.
Thinking deep about it, I could go on forever on what
makes Blue Mountains one of my top favourite place to
travel and climb. What I’ve shared so far are the main
reasons to take a plane and travel to Sydney to get
there. Thus if you’re looking for a new favourite place
to climb,then Blue Mountains would be it.
I try to live life to the
fullest while enjoying the beauty that life has to offer.
It's all about the brighter and
funnier side of life.
For everything else, you would
have to discover for yourself.
