Following from Chloe and Nicole, I hereby declare the countries I've visited, or at least set foot on -- UAE and Taiwan were just stopovers in the airport. I've not been to China, only to Hong Kong. The map is a bit misleading -- it colours the entire country regardless of which area you've been to. So even if you've visited just one teeny weeny little village on the border, the whole country will be coloured anyway. Like, I've only been to Bali, but all the Indonesian islands are coloured as if I've also been to Sumatra and Irian Jaya and Sulawesi (how I wish!). Also, the relative sizes of the countries tend to distort the scale of reference. For instance, if you've visited just one city in the US but five cities in the UK, the US would still dominate the map due to its massive size. I wish I could colour the ocean red too. :)
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Lately
What interesting things have been happening lately?
1. Going to Atlanta soon. I've been receiving "orders" to bring back various items from Atlanta, e.g. Taboo game set, something from Victoria's Secret, porn DVD with signature of the actors, a bottle of Atlanta air, glucosamine tablets, music from a not so well-known composer, fridge magnet, photos. Please don't ask me who asked for these items. I do not reveal identities of guilty parties. Besides, some of these things I definitely cannot do. Those that I can, I will try my best. Photos will be the easiest.
2. CopaIBA last Saturday. Woohoo! What a day! Reports here and here. Photos here. The match against Sunway was classic. If there are fewer photos of that game, it's because I was too engrossed by the suspense that I forgot about the camera. This was my first time shooting a sports event with the new camera. Lighting conditions were pretty tricky -- bright background with dim indoor light + super high and dark ceiling + fast-moving action. I ended up using direct flash most of the time, but I was experimenting with various shutter speed and aperture settings, on shutter-priority, aperture-priority and manual modes. I don't think I got it all right, but it's OK for a start. Maybe I should have used a higher ISO and gone without flash. Next time.
3. I attended the public hearing on the proposal by Sime UEP to develop "part" of the Taman Subang Ria. Judging from the responses from the audience, Sime UEP and MPSJ are up against their biggest foe of all time. Subang Jaya folks are not going to take this lying down. One of the residents appointed lawyer Derek Fernandez to argue on his behalf. Dun play-play. Two main objections I have regarding the project are this: (1) the land is zoned for recreation, so Sime UEP has to convert it to commercial and housing first before going ahead with this proposal. The strange thing is that Sime UEP has been holding the title since 1988 -- a case of a private entity owning public property for 20 years!!! This deserves an explanation. (2) The proposed development will "only" take up 25% of the park area. They didn't mention that 50% is water, leaving only 25% of the land left. And out of that 25% remaining land, a big chunk will be taken up for the access road. And mind you, the access road is not primarily for the park. It's for the 3 blocks of 29-storey condos and offices. So despite the promises of upgrading the facilities at the park, and assurances of traffic studies having been carried out, my feeling is that residents are close to 99.9% against the project. Another salient point raised is that the new guideline for open spaces in urban areas is 2 ha per 1000 persons, and no longer the standard 10% of development area. The MPSJ president, Sime UEP boss, Member of Parliament and State Assemblyman present on stage were all put on the hot seat. Let's hope they make the right decision. Perhaps with some advice from the residents.
1. Going to Atlanta soon. I've been receiving "orders" to bring back various items from Atlanta, e.g. Taboo game set, something from Victoria's Secret, porn DVD with signature of the actors, a bottle of Atlanta air, glucosamine tablets, music from a not so well-known composer, fridge magnet, photos. Please don't ask me who asked for these items. I do not reveal identities of guilty parties. Besides, some of these things I definitely cannot do. Those that I can, I will try my best. Photos will be the easiest.
2. CopaIBA last Saturday. Woohoo! What a day! Reports here and here. Photos here. The match against Sunway was classic. If there are fewer photos of that game, it's because I was too engrossed by the suspense that I forgot about the camera. This was my first time shooting a sports event with the new camera. Lighting conditions were pretty tricky -- bright background with dim indoor light + super high and dark ceiling + fast-moving action. I ended up using direct flash most of the time, but I was experimenting with various shutter speed and aperture settings, on shutter-priority, aperture-priority and manual modes. I don't think I got it all right, but it's OK for a start. Maybe I should have used a higher ISO and gone without flash. Next time.
3. I attended the public hearing on the proposal by Sime UEP to develop "part" of the Taman Subang Ria. Judging from the responses from the audience, Sime UEP and MPSJ are up against their biggest foe of all time. Subang Jaya folks are not going to take this lying down. One of the residents appointed lawyer Derek Fernandez to argue on his behalf. Dun play-play. Two main objections I have regarding the project are this: (1) the land is zoned for recreation, so Sime UEP has to convert it to commercial and housing first before going ahead with this proposal. The strange thing is that Sime UEP has been holding the title since 1988 -- a case of a private entity owning public property for 20 years!!! This deserves an explanation. (2) The proposed development will "only" take up 25% of the park area. They didn't mention that 50% is water, leaving only 25% of the land left. And out of that 25% remaining land, a big chunk will be taken up for the access road. And mind you, the access road is not primarily for the park. It's for the 3 blocks of 29-storey condos and offices. So despite the promises of upgrading the facilities at the park, and assurances of traffic studies having been carried out, my feeling is that residents are close to 99.9% against the project. Another salient point raised is that the new guideline for open spaces in urban areas is 2 ha per 1000 persons, and no longer the standard 10% of development area. The MPSJ president, Sime UEP boss, Member of Parliament and State Assemblyman present on stage were all put on the hot seat. Let's hope they make the right decision. Perhaps with some advice from the residents.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Rubbing shoulders, so to speak
I attended a dinner last night at one of the nice hotels in the Klang Valley (OK, so it was the Sunway Lagoon Resort Hotel). I was offered the (free) seat by my friend, whose boss' father had bought one table and needed some willing souls (and stomachs) to fill the gaps. So, I also asked my brother and he gladly said yes too.
Besides the prospect of a big dinner, the other "attraction" was that the event was the Tun Razak Lecture 2007 featuring a speech titled “Recipe for National Unity in a Changing World” by Tun Musa Hitam, former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia (many moons ago). You can read one reporter's perspective of the event in The Star.
Being a rather high profile event, the dress code was "lounge suit" or "batik" for men, and for the ladies, the invitation card said, "appropriate". Seriously. I have no idea what "appropriate" is supposed to mean.
We arrived on time. But of course, our stomachs had to endure some waiting, as the VIPs came fashionably late. While waiting in the lobby outside the ballroom, I browsed through a poster exhibition of Tun Abdul Razak's life and career as the second Prime Minister of Malaysia. I found out that he was the prime minister who launched the First Malaysia Plan in December 1965. We are now in the era of the Ninth Malaysia Plan. So that legacy continues.
Slowly more and more guests made their way in. I recognized a number of people, like the bowtie guy, Datuk Seri Abdul Kadir, the former Tourism Minister. I thought I saw a Chief Minister, or ex-Chief Minister but I couldn't recall which state he was from. Or maybe I was plain mistaken. Everyone looked quite important, in their suits and batiks. We went to take our seats. The big shots arrived.
Guess who walked in? None other than Datuk Seri Najib Razak, the current Deputy Prime Minister. Then it occurred to me... Oooh yeea, he is the son of Tun Abdul Razak, so that explains his presence here. The former former Inspector General of Police, Tun Hanif Omar gave the opening address and introduced Tun Musa, like, as if he needed it.
Then the dinner began. It started with satay, which was very tasty. It had an extra strong whiff of serai (lemongrass) that gave it a refreshing aroma. I've never had such sweet satay before. I was secretly hoping the waiter would give me more than the four sticks, but there was a limited supply per table. Oh well. I should be grateful, coz he started by giving only two per person, but since there were three empty seats at the table, there was some extra satay for seconds. Then there was seafood chowder. Then we had the main course(s) which was in "muhibbah" style, i.e. five main dishes served together on the platter. The chicken was good, and so was the beef kurma. While we dined a five-man one-woman Royal Malaysian Police band entertained us with a good repertoire of acoustic melodies. There was a double bass, two classical guitars and three percussionists. They actually sounded very good. I would have bought their CD if it were on sale.
While our forks and spoons were still clanging on the plates Tun Musa took the stage. I confess that I was having some trouble concentrating on his speech and the chicken on my plate at the same time. Tun Musa started off by telling stories about his early life as a young student leader overseas, and his first foray into public administration as assistant district officer in Kluang, where he witnessed the segregation of Malaysian society according to racial lines that defined occupation and geography -- Malays in the rural country, Chinese in the town and Indians in the estates. He then related his experiences with Tun Abdul Razak, and what a exemplary mentor and statesman that Tun Abdul Razak was.
But on the main topic of "National Unity in a Changing World", I'd say, in a nutshell, Tun Musa expressed that he is optimistic about where Malaysia is today and where we'll go in the future. He is confident that Malaysians of all races and walks of life can come together for a brighter future. (Hooray!) Compared to other developing countries, Malaysia has fared better. Our founding government did not squander our natural resources after independence, not like other newly independent countries of that same era. He said that the New Economic Policy (NEP) has done good for the country, and enabled the Malay community to rise up in the educational and economic arena, thus balancing the share of the socio-economic pie. However, he didn't touch on the weaknesses of the NEP, and so did not spice up his speech enough, which is why I found myself drifting away at times. Tun Musa also remarked that he didn't really care about the 30% target for Bumiputra equity ownership. He said "quality" matters more than "quantity" -- 10% high quality is better than 30% low quality. I thought to myself, quantity is an attribute of quality. It's not a simple case of either-or. But if it were, then why was the 30% target set in the first place? He also admitted that he's not a fan of statistics -- statistics can lie, can be manipulated. I rebutted in my mind, "But without statistics, how do we measure anything?" But anyway, I didn't want to pick a fight. :P
Towards the end Tun Musa emphasized on the role of the middle class who played a moderating effect on the socio-political landscape of Malaysia. (Although I was wondering about his definition of "middle class" -- KL middle class is not the same as Kota Baru or Kuala Lipis middle class, though there are similarities). In the end I didn't really get the "recipe" that the title of the lecture alluded to and seemed to promise. Perhaps I was looking for a sophisticated recipe for banana toffee cake with cream but missed the simple cupcake that was being presented. But Tun Musa did ask us to go back and start "cooking". (For another report see The Star.)
After Tun Musa Hitam delivered his speech/lecture, there was a time of question and answer. I was wracking my brain for an incisive question to ask, but other people beat me to it. Well, OK, no, I wasn't really gonna ask a question. I didn't want to create a stir by asking a "sensitive" question in public, what with all the press cameras** zooming in on whoever was holding the microphone. And when Khairy Jamaluddin (KJ @ SIL/son-in-law of our PM) stood up to ask a question, I realized that perhaps I would do the wiser thing and just listen. And finally Zaid Ibrahim of Zaid Ibrahim & Co. stood up to ask a question, which sounded more like a comment rather than a question.
Last night I got within 10 feet of the DPM and Mr. KJ. That's enough shoulder rubbing to last me a while.
** Mostly Canons with 70-200 f2.8 L lenses. And some TV cameras.
p/s Malaysian "Secret Service" agents wear batik. But they have those cool earphones with wires down the collar.
pp/s Datuk Seri Najib and his late dad share some striking similarities in their political careers. Both were Education Minister before. And both have held the concurrent posts of Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister. Makes me wonder if the pattern will continue...
Besides the prospect of a big dinner, the other "attraction" was that the event was the Tun Razak Lecture 2007 featuring a speech titled “Recipe for National Unity in a Changing World” by Tun Musa Hitam, former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia (many moons ago). You can read one reporter's perspective of the event in The Star.
Being a rather high profile event, the dress code was "lounge suit" or "batik" for men, and for the ladies, the invitation card said, "appropriate". Seriously. I have no idea what "appropriate" is supposed to mean.
We arrived on time. But of course, our stomachs had to endure some waiting, as the VIPs came fashionably late. While waiting in the lobby outside the ballroom, I browsed through a poster exhibition of Tun Abdul Razak's life and career as the second Prime Minister of Malaysia. I found out that he was the prime minister who launched the First Malaysia Plan in December 1965. We are now in the era of the Ninth Malaysia Plan. So that legacy continues.
Slowly more and more guests made their way in. I recognized a number of people, like the bowtie guy, Datuk Seri Abdul Kadir, the former Tourism Minister. I thought I saw a Chief Minister, or ex-Chief Minister but I couldn't recall which state he was from. Or maybe I was plain mistaken. Everyone looked quite important, in their suits and batiks. We went to take our seats. The big shots arrived.
Guess who walked in? None other than Datuk Seri Najib Razak, the current Deputy Prime Minister. Then it occurred to me... Oooh yeea, he is the son of Tun Abdul Razak, so that explains his presence here. The former former Inspector General of Police, Tun Hanif Omar gave the opening address and introduced Tun Musa, like, as if he needed it.
Then the dinner began. It started with satay, which was very tasty. It had an extra strong whiff of serai (lemongrass) that gave it a refreshing aroma. I've never had such sweet satay before. I was secretly hoping the waiter would give me more than the four sticks, but there was a limited supply per table. Oh well. I should be grateful, coz he started by giving only two per person, but since there were three empty seats at the table, there was some extra satay for seconds. Then there was seafood chowder. Then we had the main course(s) which was in "muhibbah" style, i.e. five main dishes served together on the platter. The chicken was good, and so was the beef kurma. While we dined a five-man one-woman Royal Malaysian Police band entertained us with a good repertoire of acoustic melodies. There was a double bass, two classical guitars and three percussionists. They actually sounded very good. I would have bought their CD if it were on sale.
While our forks and spoons were still clanging on the plates Tun Musa took the stage. I confess that I was having some trouble concentrating on his speech and the chicken on my plate at the same time. Tun Musa started off by telling stories about his early life as a young student leader overseas, and his first foray into public administration as assistant district officer in Kluang, where he witnessed the segregation of Malaysian society according to racial lines that defined occupation and geography -- Malays in the rural country, Chinese in the town and Indians in the estates. He then related his experiences with Tun Abdul Razak, and what a exemplary mentor and statesman that Tun Abdul Razak was.
But on the main topic of "National Unity in a Changing World", I'd say, in a nutshell, Tun Musa expressed that he is optimistic about where Malaysia is today and where we'll go in the future. He is confident that Malaysians of all races and walks of life can come together for a brighter future. (Hooray!) Compared to other developing countries, Malaysia has fared better. Our founding government did not squander our natural resources after independence, not like other newly independent countries of that same era. He said that the New Economic Policy (NEP) has done good for the country, and enabled the Malay community to rise up in the educational and economic arena, thus balancing the share of the socio-economic pie. However, he didn't touch on the weaknesses of the NEP, and so did not spice up his speech enough, which is why I found myself drifting away at times. Tun Musa also remarked that he didn't really care about the 30% target for Bumiputra equity ownership. He said "quality" matters more than "quantity" -- 10% high quality is better than 30% low quality. I thought to myself, quantity is an attribute of quality. It's not a simple case of either-or. But if it were, then why was the 30% target set in the first place? He also admitted that he's not a fan of statistics -- statistics can lie, can be manipulated. I rebutted in my mind, "But without statistics, how do we measure anything?" But anyway, I didn't want to pick a fight. :P
Towards the end Tun Musa emphasized on the role of the middle class who played a moderating effect on the socio-political landscape of Malaysia. (Although I was wondering about his definition of "middle class" -- KL middle class is not the same as Kota Baru or Kuala Lipis middle class, though there are similarities). In the end I didn't really get the "recipe" that the title of the lecture alluded to and seemed to promise. Perhaps I was looking for a sophisticated recipe for banana toffee cake with cream but missed the simple cupcake that was being presented. But Tun Musa did ask us to go back and start "cooking". (For another report see The Star.)
After Tun Musa Hitam delivered his speech/lecture, there was a time of question and answer. I was wracking my brain for an incisive question to ask, but other people beat me to it. Well, OK, no, I wasn't really gonna ask a question. I didn't want to create a stir by asking a "sensitive" question in public, what with all the press cameras** zooming in on whoever was holding the microphone. And when Khairy Jamaluddin (KJ @ SIL/son-in-law of our PM) stood up to ask a question, I realized that perhaps I would do the wiser thing and just listen. And finally Zaid Ibrahim of Zaid Ibrahim & Co. stood up to ask a question, which sounded more like a comment rather than a question.
Last night I got within 10 feet of the DPM and Mr. KJ. That's enough shoulder rubbing to last me a while.
** Mostly Canons with 70-200 f2.8 L lenses. And some TV cameras.
p/s Malaysian "Secret Service" agents wear batik. But they have those cool earphones with wires down the collar.
pp/s Datuk Seri Najib and his late dad share some striking similarities in their political careers. Both were Education Minister before. And both have held the concurrent posts of Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister. Makes me wonder if the pattern will continue...
Monday, July 09, 2007
Atlanta GA 30303
This will be my City, State and ZIP code for the period of 21-28 July, or should I say July 21-28.
This afternoon, I went to the US Embassy to pick up my passport duly affixed with a US visa. It was the last step of the procedural process of applying for a visa. If you want to know how it's done, go here. It's not so difficult, but there's a lot of things to do. First, I had to get a haircut and get a photo of myself specially for the US visa, following strict specifications -- 2" x 2" on white background. I had to renew my Malaysian passport because I had less than 6 months of validity -- I used the KiPPas kiosk system at the Malaysian Immigration Dept at Pusat Bandar Damansara, which is surprisingly easy and fast coz I got the new passport within 3 hours. I had to make online hotel reservations because Uncle Sam wants to know where I'll be bunking in. I had to go to RHB Bank to pay the application fee -- that was easy, it took only 5 minutes. Then I had to fill in the Electronic Visa Application Form (EVAF) DS-156 and Supplementary Form DS-157 in which they asked me whether I had training in nuclear or biological warfare. I had to print out the forms and glue my photo on it. Then I had to make an appointment via the website for an interview by embassy officers. Then I had to show up and queue to get into the embassy compounds. And then queue to get my interview. And finally the interview lasted all of 2 minutes. The friendly officer asked me 3 questions. She didn't even ask to see my supporting documents that I had compiled with help from my company admin dept. In all, it took one week to do everything to get the visa.
So I'm going to Atlanta, Georgia, USA for what? To attend a workshop on Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program (WASP7.2) by the US Environmental Protection Agency. WASP is a water quality modeling program to simulate water quality in estuaries, that much I know. So I'm gonna learn a thing or two from the sifus. A lot of hydrodynamics and environmental chemistry to cover in 5 days! Need to reactivate my brain before I go.
Atlanta is the birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr. I would like to visit his tomb and the Ebenezer Baptist Church that he pastored with his dad. Atlanta is the HQ of Coca-Cola -- in fact, it's where Coca-Cola was invented. It's also the HQ of CNN. It's got the largest aquarium in the world. My brother says it's got a good jazz heritage. So maybe I'll catch a jazz session at the aquarium on Friday night. Atlanta was the host of the 1996 Olympic Games. I hope to walk around the city after hours. Maybe take a ride on the MARTA, i.e. Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority trains. The summer sun sets late, so that's good.
It's summer there, so I'm wondering what to pack. My colleague says to pack a suit. I'm like, what? I need to figure out what those USEPA guys wear to training workshops. My brother says it is hot. He also said it's a predominantly black area, so I'm gonna feel very small and puny around the 6' 6" hunks with ripping biceps and abs.
Oh yea, a coincidence. My sister-in-law will be flying back on the same flight as me from LA to KL. She's flying in from somewhere near Boston and connecting to the same flight. So I'll have some company. I hope they show some nice movies, like Die Hard 4.0. I also hope there's some nice sunsets or sunrises at 39,000 feet up.
I haven't set foot in the USA since my family and I left Chicago in 1987 after a good 1.5 years there. This will be some sort of walk down memory lane, though things would have definitely changed a lot.
This afternoon, I went to the US Embassy to pick up my passport duly affixed with a US visa. It was the last step of the procedural process of applying for a visa. If you want to know how it's done, go here. It's not so difficult, but there's a lot of things to do. First, I had to get a haircut and get a photo of myself specially for the US visa, following strict specifications -- 2" x 2" on white background. I had to renew my Malaysian passport because I had less than 6 months of validity -- I used the KiPPas kiosk system at the Malaysian Immigration Dept at Pusat Bandar Damansara, which is surprisingly easy and fast coz I got the new passport within 3 hours. I had to make online hotel reservations because Uncle Sam wants to know where I'll be bunking in. I had to go to RHB Bank to pay the application fee -- that was easy, it took only 5 minutes. Then I had to fill in the Electronic Visa Application Form (EVAF) DS-156 and Supplementary Form DS-157 in which they asked me whether I had training in nuclear or biological warfare. I had to print out the forms and glue my photo on it. Then I had to make an appointment via the website for an interview by embassy officers. Then I had to show up and queue to get into the embassy compounds. And then queue to get my interview. And finally the interview lasted all of 2 minutes. The friendly officer asked me 3 questions. She didn't even ask to see my supporting documents that I had compiled with help from my company admin dept. In all, it took one week to do everything to get the visa.
So I'm going to Atlanta, Georgia, USA for what? To attend a workshop on Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program (WASP7.2) by the US Environmental Protection Agency. WASP is a water quality modeling program to simulate water quality in estuaries, that much I know. So I'm gonna learn a thing or two from the sifus. A lot of hydrodynamics and environmental chemistry to cover in 5 days! Need to reactivate my brain before I go.
Atlanta is the birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr. I would like to visit his tomb and the Ebenezer Baptist Church that he pastored with his dad. Atlanta is the HQ of Coca-Cola -- in fact, it's where Coca-Cola was invented. It's also the HQ of CNN. It's got the largest aquarium in the world. My brother says it's got a good jazz heritage. So maybe I'll catch a jazz session at the aquarium on Friday night. Atlanta was the host of the 1996 Olympic Games. I hope to walk around the city after hours. Maybe take a ride on the MARTA, i.e. Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority trains. The summer sun sets late, so that's good.
It's summer there, so I'm wondering what to pack. My colleague says to pack a suit. I'm like, what? I need to figure out what those USEPA guys wear to training workshops. My brother says it is hot. He also said it's a predominantly black area, so I'm gonna feel very small and puny around the 6' 6" hunks with ripping biceps and abs.
Oh yea, a coincidence. My sister-in-law will be flying back on the same flight as me from LA to KL. She's flying in from somewhere near Boston and connecting to the same flight. So I'll have some company. I hope they show some nice movies, like Die Hard 4.0. I also hope there's some nice sunsets or sunrises at 39,000 feet up.
I haven't set foot in the USA since my family and I left Chicago in 1987 after a good 1.5 years there. This will be some sort of walk down memory lane, though things would have definitely changed a lot.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Canon in D
Finally, for once, let's talk about a Canon that is not a camera. I'm referring to the famous Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel. Or more specifically, the recent transmogrification of that classic piece into a rock guitar solo called Canon Rock by Taiwanese guitarist Jerry C. It has since been rehashed by numerous other incredibly talented guitarists. Their videos are all on YouTube. There's this particular guy by the name of Funtwo who has received over 20 million hits on his video! Well, thanks to Jon who has compiled some of the Canon videos, we can now view them on his blog. Be inspired.
It's amazing what two hands and ten fingers can do. Of course, all wired to a brain. Only God Almighty could have created and endowed His creatures with such skills.
It's amazing what two hands and ten fingers can do. Of course, all wired to a brain. Only God Almighty could have created and endowed His creatures with such skills.
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Finally
For those of you folks who have been following the epic saga of my relentless, mind-bending (haha!) quest for a digital SLR to replace my old film camera which died, I am pleased to announce the arrival of my Nikon D80:
OK, so maybe I'm still kind of in a state of denial... but don't worry, I'll get over it. :)
So far, it's been doing OK, except that the battery life seems to be surprisingly shorter than expected. A lot shorter than the official figures. I hope it's because the batteries are new and not fully "warmed up" yet (if ever there is such a thing). I also had some trouble setting the flash to second curtain (or rear curtain) mode, which is to fire just before the shutter closes instead of when the shutter first opens. When I set it to second curtain it fires at the second curtain, but it ALSO fires at the first curtain! So, the flash fires TWICE when in second curtain mode! I thought that's weird. Can anyone help me on this? I want the flash to fire only once (as expected) but only on the second curtain.
I thought this would be the end of my journey to DigitalCameraland, but now I realise it's really just the beginning.
OK, so maybe I'm still kind of in a state of denial... but don't worry, I'll get over it. :)
So far, it's been doing OK, except that the battery life seems to be surprisingly shorter than expected. A lot shorter than the official figures. I hope it's because the batteries are new and not fully "warmed up" yet (if ever there is such a thing). I also had some trouble setting the flash to second curtain (or rear curtain) mode, which is to fire just before the shutter closes instead of when the shutter first opens. When I set it to second curtain it fires at the second curtain, but it ALSO fires at the first curtain! So, the flash fires TWICE when in second curtain mode! I thought that's weird. Can anyone help me on this? I want the flash to fire only once (as expected) but only on the second curtain.
I thought this would be the end of my journey to DigitalCameraland, but now I realise it's really just the beginning.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Monochromatic almost
Ah, I sort of got "tagged" by Grace, who asked us to post our favourite black and white photos. Unfortunately, I'm not a B&W type of guy. Historically, 99.9% of my pics have been shot on colour film. I can't remember ever loading B&W film in my old faithful camera (which is now RIP, sadly). And since the advent of digital, I've also been shooting in colour... though it never occurred to me to seriously shoot in B&W although I've been encouraged to try it out. In the family, my brother and sister are the ones who have dabbled in B&W. I know it's so much easier now, with digital photography, to shoot in B&W just by changing the camera settings, and even to convert colour to B&W during post-processing. I've played around just a little bit with the focal B&W and de-colourizing, as you can see in the picture of the water lily on the side bar and my earlier post.
But for now, here's my humble offering of a "B&W" picture. It was actually shot on colour film, but the lighting and mood of the scene lends it an almost monochromatic appearance. If you look closely you can see tinges of green on the edges of the vegetation. This picture was taken on my second hiking trip up to Gunung Tahan in October 2002. We were scrambling up the steep cliff on the side of Gunung Gedong, which we had to surmount on the way to the Gunung Tahan summit. The route was rather hazardous due to the loose, crumbling rock surface that kept slipping away under our boots as we tenaciously tried to get a grip on the near vertical slope. There were permanent ropes affixed for climbers' convenience, which we used to pull ourselves up. However, I often find it more reassuring to grab the firmly anchored tree roots that are much more sturdy than the swaying rope! Halfway up, while resting precariously on a ledge, I glanced back and saw this ethereal scene of mist wafting through the jungle. I took out the camera and snapped a quick shot while holding on to dear life. Only one shot. There was not much time nor space to compose and recompose. I would count this as one of my serendipitous shots that turned out quite well. :)
Misty forest, Gunung Gedong, Oct 2002
But for now, here's my humble offering of a "B&W" picture. It was actually shot on colour film, but the lighting and mood of the scene lends it an almost monochromatic appearance. If you look closely you can see tinges of green on the edges of the vegetation. This picture was taken on my second hiking trip up to Gunung Tahan in October 2002. We were scrambling up the steep cliff on the side of Gunung Gedong, which we had to surmount on the way to the Gunung Tahan summit. The route was rather hazardous due to the loose, crumbling rock surface that kept slipping away under our boots as we tenaciously tried to get a grip on the near vertical slope. There were permanent ropes affixed for climbers' convenience, which we used to pull ourselves up. However, I often find it more reassuring to grab the firmly anchored tree roots that are much more sturdy than the swaying rope! Halfway up, while resting precariously on a ledge, I glanced back and saw this ethereal scene of mist wafting through the jungle. I took out the camera and snapped a quick shot while holding on to dear life. Only one shot. There was not much time nor space to compose and recompose. I would count this as one of my serendipitous shots that turned out quite well. :)
Misty forest, Gunung Gedong, Oct 2002Saturday, June 23, 2007
Christmas in June
I know, it's June, it's summertime, but I've been captivated these past few days by Sarah McLachlan's Wintersong album. It was released last October but I only heard it last week. It's meant for Christmastime, but who cares. Listening to Silent Night in mid June is fine with me. Besides, the song Song for a Winter's Night just blew me away.
Other good stuff getting airtime on my speakers lately have been the albums Arriving and See the Morning by Chris Tomlin, Top of My Lungs by Phillips, Craig & Dean and Wherever You Are by Third Day. Earlier, I was listening to a borrowed copy of Casting Crowns by Casting Crowns, but unfortunately it seems to be out of stock at the shops.
Other good stuff getting airtime on my speakers lately have been the albums Arriving and See the Morning by Chris Tomlin, Top of My Lungs by Phillips, Craig & Dean and Wherever You Are by Third Day. Earlier, I was listening to a borrowed copy of Casting Crowns by Casting Crowns, but unfortunately it seems to be out of stock at the shops.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
of paddy fields and daffodils
Right, I'm probably dreaming a bit here. There's lots of paddy fields but no daffodils in Kedah, as you can see in the pictures below.
I made a quickie day trip to Alor Star and Sungai Petani yesterday. First flight in, last flight out. It was a reconnaissance trip to check out the area for some work-related thingy. The area of interest was the Merbok River basin. It has very nice mangroves along its estuarine banks, from the river mouth at Tanjung Dawai and extending upstream past Sg. Petani town. Gunung Jerai (1380m) forms a dramatic backdrop to the flat coastal plain where rice paddies dominate.
Alor Star Landmark
Infinity on a coastal bund
I made a quickie day trip to Alor Star and Sungai Petani yesterday. First flight in, last flight out. It was a reconnaissance trip to check out the area for some work-related thingy. The area of interest was the Merbok River basin. It has very nice mangroves along its estuarine banks, from the river mouth at Tanjung Dawai and extending upstream past Sg. Petani town. Gunung Jerai (1380m) forms a dramatic backdrop to the flat coastal plain where rice paddies dominate.
Alor Star Landmark
UFO!
Wobbly jetty near the river mouth
Boats
Row
A cow's life, Gunung Jerai in the background
Infinity on a coastal bund
Field
Sky
Reflections from the past
Stop
The Straits of Melaka as seen from Tanjung Dawai beach
Sg. Tupah
Sunshine through the clouds
Reality Bites
A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.
"Not very long," answered the Mexican.
"But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American.
The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family.
The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"
"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs... I have a full life."
The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat. With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge enterprise."
"How long would that take?" asked the Mexican.
"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the American.
"And after that?"
"Afterwards? That's when it gets really interesting," answered the American, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!"
"Millions? Really? And after that?"
"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta, and spend your evenings dining and enjoying your friends."
"But isn't that what I'm doing now?"
"Not very long," answered the Mexican.
"But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American.
The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family.
The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"
"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs... I have a full life."
The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat. With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge enterprise."
"How long would that take?" asked the Mexican.
"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the American.
"And after that?"
"Afterwards? That's when it gets really interesting," answered the American, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!"
"Millions? Really? And after that?"
"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta, and spend your evenings dining and enjoying your friends."
"But isn't that what I'm doing now?"
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Does God draw with AutoCAD?
There was a reflection on 1 Chronicles 28 in church today. The word that jumped out at me was somehow not very "spiritual" in the usual sense. You see, the passage was talking a lot about the detailed building plans of the temple that God had dictated to David, and which David subsequently passed on to his son Solomon who was commissioned to build the temple. And I just wondered how those plans were recorded. On paper? On parchment? On clay tablets? Or only in "softcopy?" Did David have any training in architecture or quantity surveying or interior design? And the big question, since God was the master architect, did He use AutoCAD? Of course not, silly me. But it was thought-provoking for a little while.
And now, on this Father's Day, let's hear the words of a father to his son...
4 “Yet the Lord, the God of Israel, has chosen me from among all my father’s family to be king over Israel forever. For he has chosen the tribe of Judah to rule, and from among the families of Judah he chose my father’s family. And from among my father’s sons the Lord was pleased to make me king over all Israel. 5 And from among my sons—for the Lord has given me many—he chose Solomon to succeed me on the throne of Israel and to rule over the Lord’s kingdom. 6 He said to me, ‘Your son Solomon will build my Temple and its courtyards, for I have chosen him as my son, and I will be his father. 7 And if he continues to obey my commands and regulations as he does now, I will make his kingdom last forever.’
8 “So now, with God as our witness, and in the sight of all Israel—the Lord’s assembly—I give you this charge. Be careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God, so that you may continue to possess this good land and leave it to your children as a permanent inheritance.
9 “And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. 10 So take this seriously. The Lord has chosen you to build a Temple as his sanctuary. Be strong, and do the work.”
*****
Congratulations to Jon for his well delivered maiden sermon on Daniel 6. Hallelujah. May there be many more to come! :P
And now, on this Father's Day, let's hear the words of a father to his son...
4 “Yet the Lord, the God of Israel, has chosen me from among all my father’s family to be king over Israel forever. For he has chosen the tribe of Judah to rule, and from among the families of Judah he chose my father’s family. And from among my father’s sons the Lord was pleased to make me king over all Israel. 5 And from among my sons—for the Lord has given me many—he chose Solomon to succeed me on the throne of Israel and to rule over the Lord’s kingdom. 6 He said to me, ‘Your son Solomon will build my Temple and its courtyards, for I have chosen him as my son, and I will be his father. 7 And if he continues to obey my commands and regulations as he does now, I will make his kingdom last forever.’
8 “So now, with God as our witness, and in the sight of all Israel—the Lord’s assembly—I give you this charge. Be careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God, so that you may continue to possess this good land and leave it to your children as a permanent inheritance.
9 “And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. 10 So take this seriously. The Lord has chosen you to build a Temple as his sanctuary. Be strong, and do the work.”
*****
Congratulations to Jon for his well delivered maiden sermon on Daniel 6. Hallelujah. May there be many more to come! :P
Happy Father's Day
may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
Give us today the food we need,
and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one.
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Amen.
Matthew 6:9-13 (NLT)
Friday, June 15, 2007
Gender imbalance?
1. NAMES
If Laurie, Linda, Elizabeth and Barbara go out to lunch, they will call each other Laurie, Linda, Elizabeth and Barbara.
If Mark, Chris, Eric and Tom go out, they will refer to each other as Fat Boy, Godzilla, Peanut-Head and Scrappy.
2. EATING OUT
When the bill arrives, Mark, Chris, Eric and Tom will each throw in $20, even though it's only $32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and no one will actually admit he wants change back.
When the girls get their bill, out come the pocket calculators.
3. MONEY
A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs.
A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need but it's on sale.
4. BATHROOMS
A man has five items in his bathroom: a toothbrush, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel from the Marriott.
The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 337.
5. ARGUMENTS
A woman has the last word in any argument.
Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.
6. CATS
Women love cats.
Men say they love cats, but when women aren't looking, men kick cats.
7. FUTURE
A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.
8. SUCCESS
A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend.
A successful woman is one who can find such a man.
9. MARRIAGE
A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.
A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, and she does.
10. DRESSING UP
A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the garbage, answer the phone, get the mail.
A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.
11. NATURAL
Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed.
Women somehow deteriorate during the night.
12. OFFSPRING
A woman knows all about her children. She knows about their dentist appointments, romances, best friends, favorite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams.
A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.
13. THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Any married man should forget his mistakes. There's no use in two people remembering the same thing.
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