Category: Diary

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Diary For the Geeks

My “New” PC And That Extra Motherboard

Imagine my surprise when I discovered a brand new motherboard (that I did not buy) among the empty boxes returned by the shop.  You see, here in Singapore, assembling a new computer is as simple as ordering food from a restaurant.  You walk up to a shop.  They present you with a long list of components in the form of a pricing list.  You put a tick to each component you want.  They add up the numbers.  You pay the bill.  An hour later you return to the computer assembly area inside one of the back alleys.  You present the proof of purchase.  And they pass you the newly assembled computer, together with all the empty boxes and spare parts.  You bring the computer home with the empty boxes and that’s the end of the story.

This is my new computer that is aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. I was happy with my purchase until Kevin my buddy in Google+ said that this reminded him of a dustbin.

Except, in my case, when I returned home and went through the boxes, I found a brand new motherboard!  No wonder the boxes seemed heavier than I expected.  I am not a saint.  So, for a good ten seconds, I fantasized what I could do with an extra motherboard.  Perhaps for my wife’s computer upgrade?  Pass it to my brother-in-law?  Sell it?  I mean, the same shop was being very mean to me when I wanted to exchange for a new webcam due to a faulty product.

I called the shop the next day.  The store manager turned up at my home in the same evening looking all jolly and happy as I returned to him the new motherboard.  He lingered for a bit telling me that he should have brought a souvenir for me.  He paused for a second or two and he told me that he would extend my assemble warranty for one full year.  I doubt he would remember my face even though I am a loyal customer for more than a decade.  My Guild Wars 2 group was waiting as we were in the middle of a dungeon outing.  I bid him goodbye and quickly jumped back to my online game.  End of story.

Now, why do I write a post on my computer configuration every time I upgrade my PC?  Two reasons really.  My friends often ask: Tell me more about your new PC!  And I would reply: Check out this link and scroll to the bottom!  The second reason is that I know for sure some time in the future, I would want to upgrade some of the components.  Like adding new RAM or getting a new graphic card.  And I would all of a sudden, somewhere not at home, want to know my existing configuration and see if the parts are right for me.  Hence this post.

If you are assembling for a new computer today, I would recommend two items for your consideration.

  1. Get a SSD (solid state drive).
  2. Get a sound proof case.
This is my PC sitting at the assemble area. These guys work so fast! Kudos to them.

I install my operating system into the SSD.  The start-up time is like less than 10 seconds.  The shutdown time is a second or two.  You may say, SSD is expensive, and may breakdown.  And you really don’t mind the longer waiting time for start up, software and OS update, and shutdown.

To that, I would say, the ability to switch on my computer in less than 10 seconds whenever I want to do something with it is priceless. I bought this computer on Sept 18.  I am still feeling the joy every time I switch it on.

I invest good money in my new case too.  Some may be taken aback by the fact that it is just a case.  Well, it is not just a case.  The Scandinavian design is beautiful.  It has an internal dust filter covering the entire front panel.  On top of that, the entire case is sound proof.  My PC runs quiet.  Very quiet.

With these two items, I am happy from the moment I switch on my computer, all the way till it is shut down.

OK.  That is just about all that I wish to talk about in this post.  The specification of my “new” PC is as follows.

  • Intel i5 3570 3.4GHz 6MB LGA1155
  • Asus P8H77-V
  • Corsair Vengence 1600 8GB Kit CL9 (2 x 4GB) Black
  • Corsair Force Series GT 120GB SSD SATA 3
  • Sapphire HD7850 2GB GDDR5 PCI-E (OC Edition)
  • Fractal Design Refine R4 White USB 3.0
  • Corsair TX750M Broze PSU
  • WD Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5″ 64MB SATA 3
  • Samsung SH-S222 22X SATA Internal DVD Writer
  • Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
I thought for 10 seconds if I shall keep this, hehe.
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Diary

Looking At My 2-Year-Old-Ish Niece With Curious Eyes

My niece Bethany called me last Saturday while Cynthia and I were totally distracted by the aftermath of a glass jar jumped off a cabinet smashed into pieces.  No one claim responsibility.  But that was a great deal of debris to clear.  I heard the call but was unable to take.  Fortunately, I have invested in a digital answering machine.  Bethany promptly left me a message in English, after the beep I suppose.

“Kaofu, I want to see you today. Call me.”

Note: Kaofu is how she addresses me in Cantonese.  In Chinese culture, we don’t address each other by names.  Instead, by titles that indicate seniority.

My niece Bethany seems to like this photograph a lot. She kept on going back to this one as she browsed the album on my phone.

Wow, kids grow up fast these days.  She even has this notion of: If you don’t come and see me, I shall go and see you.  Impressed by my niece’s desire and determination to visit and since Cynthia took the car for her haircut appointment, I patiently waited at home, for Bethany and her entourage a.k.a. mom and dad to arrive.

The last time I met Bethany was half a month ago.  We went to Sentosa celebrating her mother – my sister – ‘s birthday.  Even till that very moment, my 2-year-old-ish niece hardly spoke a word to me or did we manage to have any meaningful conversation.  All was about to change last Saturday, when her linguistic ability [towards me] was unlocked.  Just like Stephen Hawking once described and made famous by Pink Floyd, she began to talk.

For millions of years, mankind lived just like the animals. Then something happened which unleashed the power of our imagination. We began to talk.

I could only imagine the joy of a 2-year-old when all of a sudden, she is able to articulate her thoughts and communicate with the external world her wants and desires.  All those years of crying, not knowing how to speak, vanished in thin air.  In return, the floodgate of words pour out from within.  She has learned to speak and listen.  Perhaps, that’s why as adults, we shall continue to learn new skills and sharpen existing ones so as to be able to do something we have yearned for, but are unable not do or do that well.  To articulate our musical thoughts, to cook a delicious meal, to play a beautiful sport, or to write something inspiring – all lead to moments of joy that can be invigorating and liberating at the same time.

I am not a fan of candies.  That explains why a box of candies next to my amplifier is still full.  In every visit, Bethany always attempts to open the box of candies, tightly sealed in a plastic container.  I was so used to talking to her as though I was talking to myself.  So subconsciously, last Saturday, I said to her, “Candies are bad for health.”  And I added, “Chocolate is also bad for health.”  Her parents smiled at my comment.

To that, Bethany replied with one word and she spoke slowly, “Moderation”.

I am sure all kids are super kids.  And I don’t suppose Bethany is any different from others.  This revelation has shocked me in a few ways.

  1. She appeared to listen to what I’ve said.
  2. She appeared to understand what I’ve said.
  3. She appeared to form an opinion and disagree with what I’ve said.
  4. She appeared to articulate the reason why candies and chocolate may not be all that bad.

I was shocked, and am impressed.

After that defining moment, I have come to the realization that this little one may be able to understand what I say.  Not only that, she begins to articulate what she wants.  We played some music – I was on the guitar and she on percussion.  We played a game she called duck-duck-goose, which is more or less like a hide-and-seek on steroid.  Bored of all the games we have played, she led me into my common bedroom.  And she said, “Close the door”.  My interpretation is that she likes things in order.  Open doors are to be closed, crumpled floor mats are to be straightened.  I promptly closed the door and observed her next move.

She went through my notepads and picked one that was blank.  She then chose a pen and has started drawing.  Frustrated by her lack of progress, she handed me the pen and said, “A dog”.  I doodled a dog.  Then she said, “A sheep”.  We took turn to draw and it went on and on until both of us were tired.

Bethany asked me to draw a school bus.  And I did.  She then ask me to draw a person.  Two, and three.  After I was done, she took the pen and started drawing vertical lines on the picture.  I asked, “What is that?”  She answered, “Rain”.  She passed the pen back to me and said, “Umbrellas”.  So I drew three umbrellas, one for each person (I presume her mom, her dad, and herself).  She then requested, “Draw thunder”.  I frowned and replied, “We can’t draw sound.  What we can do is to draw lightning that caused thunder.  Is that OK?”  She nodded and hence, I draw a lighting bolt.

Bethany then climbed to the guest bed, tugged herself nicely with a blanket.  I sat next to her pretending to dose off.  And I asked, “Bethany, tell me a story”.

“You tell me a story!” she giggled.

“No, you tell me a story!” I insisted.

She gave up and started a story, “Once upon a time …”

I looked at her closely and she giggled.  Bethany continued, “Once upon a time, there was a little Kaofo“.

At that my moment, my eyes were moist and my heart was melted.  She was telling a story about me!  Indeed, once upon a time, I was as little as Bethany.  What was on my mind back then?  Who did I want to be when I grew up?  What was my dream?  My mind drifted until Bethany pulled me back to reality.

“Once upon a time, there was a little Kaofo … [giggle] … you tell me a story!” said she.

I smiled and said, “Once upon a time, there was a little Kaofo.  He liked to play guitar … and he lives happily …”

To my surprised, Bethany completed my story with two words: Ever after.

My heart leaped in joy.

Before she left the common bedroom, she went through my oil painting collection.  Staring at the first one on the stand, she asked, “What is that?”  I replied, “These are wine bottles”.  Onto the second one, same question.  I replied, “This is Stitch, you favorite cartoon character”.  Onto the third one, she paused and rubbed her hands all over the painting.  Normally I would be quite mad.  But I recalled Randy Pausch‘s last lecture: The importance of people versus things (people come first, always!)  I laughed it off and gently told her that this might dirty her hands.  She seemed to get the message and she asked, “What is that?”  I stared at my third painting.  I genuinely did not know how to explain.  So I said, “I don’t know really.  This is abstract art”.

*     *     *     *     *

There is so much to learn from my 2-year-old-ish niece.  I can now understand why kids can be so addictive and adorable.  And I wonder when she will visit me next.

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Diary

So I Tried Out The 1-For-1 Exchange Policy

Technology hates me.  That is an open secret.  Millions of people may have no problem with a particular product or service.  But when it comes to my hand, things just go wrong.  Friends would point their fingers at me and say: It is you!  Fair enough.  How am I to dispute?  Like the two phones of the exact model I bought a year ago.  One for Cynthia and one for me.  Mine has to die first.

I always return to a particular shop to buy technology related stuffs.  Not only because they allow me to do a bit of bargaining.  But also at the bottom of the pricing sheet it says 30 Days 1:1 Exchange.

This is the first webcam of my life!

One day after work, I drove 20km shopping for two webcams.  One for my front view.  One for my side view.  Yes, that is how much I love myself.  I bought Logitech HD Webcam C525.  Two of them.  And I have bargained the price down by 10%.  That is fair, I think, since the sales assistant has no value add except telling me that most people buy Logitech webcams.

I am sure millions of people have no problem with Logitech webcams.  I did.  Cynthia and I tried out Google Hangout (you don’t think both are for me, do you?!)  One with acceptable quality.  The one was blurry.  The white balance was off.  Could it be the subtle difference in lighting condition?  I put both webcams side-by-side.  The difference in quality was vast and obvious.  Had I bought one, I guess I would accept either one as it was.  But I bought two.

I have tried re-installing driver and software, swapping the webcams from the two computers of ours.  Nothing changed.  When I held out a piece of Sudoku newspaper cutting as the yardstick, one webcam was clearly blurry.  Perhaps something to do with auto-focus.  The only thing I haven’t tried was to flash its firmware.  On a hindsight, had I done that and purposely killed the webcam by interrupting the update, I could have had a much easier job in asking for an exchange.

So I packed the sort-of-faulty webcam back into its original packaging condition.  On the next day, I drove 20km and requested for a 1-for-1 exchange.  I first approached the Filipino.  He is a friendly guy and he has assembled a few of my computers.  I explained my problem, he looked at my receipt and said, “Talk to the blue shirt guy, the one who sold you the webcam.”

I moved deeper into the shop and approached the Blue Shirt Guy who looks like one of the vampire from Twilight Saga.  The better looking one.  Blue Shirt Guy remembered me and I explained my problem.  Yada, yada, yada.  From his expression, I could almost mind-read him saying, “Hold on a sec.  Let me get you a new one.”

In reality, he said, “Let me talk to my boss”.  His boss looked scary, located at the deep end of the shop.  The most unfriendly looking guy on this floor.  Blue Shirt Guy explained my problem – yada, yada, yada – in Chinese.  Somehow his speech didn’t seem to have the punch.  Therefore I offered my help, put on my charm, trying my best to present my case on why this working webcam has to be replaced.

Then there was whispering between Blue Shirt Guy and the Boss.  Like some sort of argument.  After what appeared as an eternity, Blue Shirt Guy said, “Come, walk with me”.  He led me to his back office operation center, which is a few shops round the corridor.  New computers are assembled in there.  Faulty computers are fixed in there.  As we walked, he explained, “I told my boss we don’t have a computer to test but he insisted.”  He then let out a long sigh.  All these seemed like an extra unnecessary job for him.  I got it.  It was an extra unnecessary walk for me too.

I always bond well with back office guys.  Because I am one too.  After Blue Shirt Guy explained Boss’s request, Back Office Guy protested, “We don’t have a spare computer for testing!”  Blue Shirt Guy concurred, “That is exactly what I said to him!”  Almost too comical.  I would have laughed out loud had my fate not hung on these two’s hands.  Blue Shirt Guy left shortly after the brief introduction and returned to the shop.  What was I suppose to do again?

Casually, Back Office Guy grabbed a newly assembled computer from the ground.  One that I assumed to be delivered to a customer very shortly.  We installed the driver and software, turned on the webcam.  I almost felt sorry to the unknown customer who now has some irrelevant stuffs installed into his or her computer.  Once we started the software, lo and behold, the sort-of-faulty webcam worked almost too perfectly.  The color seemed right and the auto focus seemed fine.  I was dumbfounded.  Without a comparison, it was hard to tell if the webcam was at its finest quality.  I wished I have brought the other one along.

So I stood there, totally awestruck.  And I tried to reason with the Back Office Guy that I wouldn’t have driven 20km had this thing worked perfectly.  We stood in front of the webcam for ages, with me trying to making faces to it from near and afar.  It just worked.  But I could not bring it back because I knew this one was not as good.

What’s next?

The Back Office Guy looked at me sympathetically and said, “I tell you what to say.  You say the image is a bit blurry and I have tested it.”  I repeated the password after him, word-by-word, and he nodded.  I almost wanted to give him a hug when I bid him goodbye heading back to the shop.

The Boss looked too fearsome.  So I approached the Blue Shirt Guy and repeated my password.  He smiled, more than willing to grab a new one for me.  I was pleased and said, “Would you like to call your guy to verify?”  He waved and mouthed: no need.  While he explained this glorious and groundbreaking finding to the Boss, I chitchatted with the Filipino for a bit.  Blue Shirt Guy returned with a white piece of paper and he asked, “What shall I write?”

I suppose he needed to return this sort-of-faulty unit to Logitech with a report.  I repeated the problem – yada, yada, yada – and he said, “Is that all?”  I was unsure how to make the report more dramatic so I nodded.  He passed me a new unit and I bagged it.  Then it was my turn to ask, “Is that all?”  He nodded and I left the shop.

The replacement unit definitely works much better than the sort-of-faulty one.  The same quality level as the other one I have.  Why this inconsistency in product quality?  Now I recall.  I once imported a Logitech Squeezebox from US.  My buddy bought one too.  His remote control worked well with a headphone while mine did not at all.  Perhaps with Logitech, there is a 50-50 chance that you would end up with a faulty unit?

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Diary

On Lora’s Birthday Bethany And I

Lora is my sister.  Bethany is my niece.  On Lora’s birthday Bethany and I built sand castles at Palawan Beach, Sentosa.  After that joyful afternoon, it took me two days to recover from my muscle strain.  Oh little Bethany.  How you have worn me out.  But that was worth it.  Because  she seems to be friendlier towards me after I have spent some quality and quantity time playing with her.  Her mom was munching under the shade most of the time.  My wife Cynthia too was munching and has elected to supervise the end-to-end process instead.  Her daddy’s job was to fetch sea water.  As for me, I was the designated photographer and the co-sand castle builder.

So the plan was to meet at 10am.  The night before we went to sleep, Cynthia asked if we needed to set the alarm clock.  I casually and confidently waved her thought away and said, “How is it possible not to wake up by nine?”  At 9.50am, Cynthia woke me up from my beauty sleep and we both screamed at the clock.

A few days ago, my sister has this sudden urge wanting to build sand castles by the beach.  Jolly well.  I love the sand and the beach.  It was a warm day.  The afternoon sun was rather punishing.  Fortunately there are shades everywhere in this resort island of Singapore.  I often think that Bethany – like my sister – is a more indoor sort of person who prefers air-conditioning to tomar el sol.  I was quite surprised that Bethany could be pretty active in the outdoor.  Her determination to build sand castles was admirable.  Except, no matter how hard we tried to show her, she used dry sand instead of wet sand.  That did not work out.  Halfway, she gave up and played with sea water instead.

I cannot fathom why she deliberately avoided the wet sand.  Maybe she prefers the lighter color to the darker one.  I do not know.  I tried to teach her to add water to the dry sand inside the cup.  But she tended to pour in too much sea water so much so that the sand turned mud got stuck inside the cup.  What should I do?  Instinctively, squatting next to her, I took the larger bucket and started to fill it up with wet sand.  Bethany followed what I did and fill it up with her personal preference: dry sand.  I mixed our sand as we worked our way and fill the bucket to its rim.  Before I flipped the bucket, I would ask Bethany where she wanted it to be placed.  She would pinpoint a precise spot and we would do the count together, looking into each other’s eyes and said …

1 – 2 – 3 … Wow!

OK.  I have to admit.  It was fun.  It went on and on and had I not stopped, the Great Wall of Sentosa would extend all the way from the tree that shaded us to the shore, which must have been fifty to a hundred meters away.

Normally I bring my 24-70mm f/2.4 lens for a general purpose photography session like this one.  That day, I brought my 70-200mm f/2.4 telephoto zoom lens instead.  I love my zoom lens.  It produces a nice bokeh.  And it collects less background distraction.  No distortion to the faces at 90mm and above.  The only drawback is that it is heavy and it requires quite a distance between my subjects and I.  In an open space like Palawan Beach, the latter is a non-issue.  It has only become an issue when Bethany got friendlier with me and started to get nearer to the camera.  That was when I had to jump backward in order to take a photograph.  All in all, no regret in bringing along my zoom lens.  My intend was to be able to take pictures of Bethany without getting too close and become intimidating.  Objective achieved.

In the past, I host my photographs within my website.  But time has changed.  I am more involved with Google+ these days.  So I am giving it a try and have uploaded the photographs there instead.  I am not sure how this will affect the non-Google+ users.  I hope it doesn’t.  Do let me know your feedback in the comments below.  I would love to hear.

  • Click here to view the photo album (29 photographs)

I am delighted to have found a new way to bond with my niece.  Sand and sun at Sentosa is very doable.  Next time, I may wish to bring my chilled picnic box and stock it up with ice cold Apple Cider.  That would be an ideal way to spend a Sunday.

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Diary

Art & Craft With Children At KK Hospital

The corporate volunteering event organizer remembered me.  At KK Hospital, while we were waiting for our lift, she turned to me and said, “We haven’t seen you this year!”

It is true.  It was one year ago when I joined the weeding program at Pulau Ubin.  That was hard work.  Since then, I have been looking for something less laborious and less shocking.  In fact, another option is to spend an afternoon at a mental hospital, which I still haven’t got the courage to sign up yet.  Now that I appear to bond well with my two to six years old nieces and nephew, I thought, perhaps I could contribute my time doing art and craft with children in a hospital.

Except, I have totally forgotten that these children are residing in a hospital for a reason, and they are quite big.  I can’t possibly play hide and seek with them screaming at the top of our lungs and let them beat me up while pretending to be a big bad monster, can I?

Uh oh.  All of a sudden, I realized that I had zero experience for this particular event that I have happily signed up for.

Meet “Lisa”, my proudest creation at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital witnessed by two children whom I spent time with this afternoon.

Before meeting the children from different wards, 12 of us were briefed inside a room specially prepared for the volunteers.  The dos and don’t’s.  And we have a crash course on how to play the games brought in by our corporate event organizer.  Since I am a balloon phobic, I could not join the balloon making team.  Since I am not that good at playing children’s games, I could not man the common playground area either.  Instead, I was paired up with a female volunteer to visit the children at their beds.  Best practice says that children bond better with women.  I was happy to tug along and let my volunteering partner did the introduction.

Drawing is something I love to do.  So I was delighted for this arrangement.  The tool we have is simple, yet utterly fun.  First, we picked a template with the children.  It could be a bee, a flower, or anything that came with the deck.  Then we put a clear sheet of plastic on top of the template and traced the object with some thick ink.  As and when the ink dries up – hours or days – it can be peel off from the plastic sheet.  I told the 12 years old boy that he could stick it onto his daddy’s Apple laptop and we giggled.  OK, I am jumping ahead of my story.

The girl was 19 years old.  We chatted while we drew.  She said she could not draw.  But nothing is impossible after a few words of encouragement.  We talked about K-pop and J-pop.  We talked about seeing the world.  She liked photography and that was quite frankly my favorite topic.

At the other end of the ward, a 12 years old boy saw the three of us having fun.  He also wanted to join.  With my new found confidence, I headed over to him, alone.

Again, he told me that he could not draw.  And he seemed slightly frustrated by the mistakes he made.  I said, this is art, you don’t have to follow the template!  I showed him what I have got, which was totally abstract and random.  All of a sudden, he smiled.  We removed the template underneath so that he could draw freely.  Halfway he stopped and asked me, “What is this that I am drawing?”  Honestly I have no idea.  But it truly looked beautiful.  So I started rotating his drawing and showing him how we could interpret an art from different perspectives.  I then showed him that we did not have to see the picture from above.  Instead, we could turn flip it over and observe its mirror image.  The boy seemed enlightened and he asked if it was OK to add a sun (that later turned into a hand) onto his drawing.  I smiled and said, “Sure you can!”

He said, “I really love drawing!”

I replied, “That is great!  Now keep drawing!”

“I want to be an artist when I grew up.”

“Me too!”

“What do you do?”

“I love to paint and I love creating music.”  (OK, I did not tell him that I write emails and minutes for a living.  That would have been rather uninspiring, I reckon.)

We talked about many things.  He asked if I have a Facebook account and I said no (as briefed by the hospital staff earlier on).  He asked if my band has a video clip on YouTube and I said no (which is true).  He asked how long I would stay with him and I said till I am hungry.  So we have a few hours, he said and I nodded.  I did not stay long because the medication seemed to have zapped his energy away.  At least he has completed his drawing with me by his side.  And I left my drawing titled “Lisa” for the little boy as a souvenir.

What a fulfilling day today in getting to see another aspect of life.

I took a picture from the garden before the event started.
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Diary

On My Birthday My Wife And Buddy

On my birthday my wife and buddy took me for a health check, at Universal Studios.  To see if my heart is still as strong as ever.  Oh, those mechanical rides.  I will get to that later.

My buddy TK has decided to take me for a ‘date’ at Universal Studios Singapore on my birthday as he has a pair of complimentary ticket. Cheers mate! My wife was super excited on our excursion. Photographs of this entry taken using my phone.

Rewind to late last evening.  My mother knew that I would take leave on my birthday, like I always do, and hence I would be home late the next day.  So she called wishing me an early birthday.  How sweet of her.  I love you ma.

At the stroke of midnight, Cynthia and I were battling demons in Diablo III.  Act III, Hell difficulty.  Since we did not need to work the next day, we pushed on with our public game and completed the act.  We were ecstatic on this milestone achievement.  It was tough but we did it.  We went to sleep happy.

Since last weekend, my buddy TK and my wife Cynthia have planned what we should do on my birthday – a visit to Universal Studios Singapore.  How sweet of them.  While both appeared to be more excited than I was at the time of planning, once I stepped into the theme park, I was in high spirit, as excited as they were.  Adding three of our age up well exceeds a century, but yet we were like kids and tourists seeing the attraction the first time.  It was a weekday therefore the queues to most of the rides were under 10 minutes, which was an icing on the cake.

First stop, Transformers the Ride: The Ultimate 3D Battle.  I am not really a fan of Transformers though I once held a contest here.  The ride was fantastic.  It is similar to watching a 3D movie and gets to experience the G-force as our vehicle dashed in and out of the battle between the super-sized robots.  I felt as though I was in the movie.  When will video gaming give us a forth dimension of experience, I wonder.

The Battlestar Galactica (1) Human and (2) Cylon rides are intense, especially when you experience one after another immediately.

The Battlestar Galactica themed roller coasters are no joke.  They are intense, meant for the strong hearts.  Red is the Human ride while blue is the Cylon ride.  Both rides run in parallel with each other.  The main difference is that Human ride is the traditional roller coaster that boosts the speed up to 82.8 km/h while the Cylon ride is a suspended coaster that goes up, around and upside down in a corkscrew and cobra roll style.  The pamphlet says that the roller coasters are over fourteen stories high.  That is as high as the condominium Cynthia and I are staying.  Imagining such height sends a chill down my spine.

Three of us have completely different spontaneous reactions to the ride.  TK would go wah, wah, wah.  Cynthia would scream at the top of her lung, with her eyes closed.  It scared me a little bit because I have not heard her screams with such power and intensity before.  Even as the ride came to an end, when no one was screaming, Cynthia would continue to scream, with her eyes closed.  As for me, I would go hahaha, hahaha, hahahah.  It was a fun ride and a funny ride.  I could not stop laughing out loud, literally.  You should see Cynthia’s condition after the Human ride.  Her hair was moist, flying everywhere.  Possibly the most hilarious thing we have seen that day.

At a fountain somewhere in the Far Far Away land.

After the three intensive rides, we passed by Ancient Egypt that features the Revenge of the Mummy ride.  Cynthia has decided to sit herself out on this one.  Totally understandable.  TK hesitated but was convinced by my enthusiasm.  Basically, it is an indoor roller coaster somewhat similar to the Transformers one, but much shorter, without the 3D glasses.  There were some scary moments.  But nothing two grown men who have come, seen, and conquered the Human and Cylon rides cannot handle.  We skipped the Lost World and headed straight to Far Far Away.  Yes, three of us love Shrek and welcomed a more gentle form of entertainment.  The Shrek 4D Adventure is pretty fun, especially when you are a fan.  I had to keep my mouth shut throughout the show so as not to swallow the water of suspicious origin sprayed onto us.

We hopped into a restaurant when the rain started.  By the time we were done with lunch, the rain has stopped.  We reentered Universal Studios.  Just nice for a final family oriented ride – Madagascar: A Crate Adventure.  An indoor boot ride whereby we sat back, relaxed, and enjoyed watching the animated mechanical animals having a party together.

I have this for lunch.

Then we headed out to the mall next door – Vivocity – for our Amazing Spider-Man treat.  That was my idea.  Though I dislike remakes, Emma Stone is too good to be missed.  And I love it, TK loves it, Cynthia loves it.  I wonder if there will be a sequel.  How would this story tie back to the original story whereby Peter Parker dates Mary Jane?  No idea.  And please don’t tell me.

By the time we reached home, after yet another sumptuous meal, I was shagged.  Time to watch F1 Silverstone online via ESPN Player.  mioTV did not broadcast F1 live last weekend, boo.  Thanks to ESPN posting a video thumbnail of Mark Webber opening champagne at the podium, before I watched the race, I could already guess who the winner was.  Common sense is indeed not that common.  Who would choose that as a thumbnail for the audience planning to watch the feed?  In any case, I am happy with the result.  Although I would want Alonso to win, Webber has a special place in my heart.

I seldom log onto Facebook ever since I have switched to Google+.  And I am thankful for the birthday wishes I have received from both social networks.  I am also thankful for God’s blessing in surrounding me with wonderful friends and families, and providing me with all that I need.  What a wonderful day.  That video of my 2 years old niece singing birthday song to me simply melts my heart.  Thanks Lora and Benny.

And I have this for dinner.
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Diary

On The Same Day Three Unrelated Events

June 15, there were three unrelated events.  It was the high, the low, and the melancholy mid that filled up the in-between.

Every half an hour, horses are led to the starting point for a race that lasts a minute or so.

I was born in Hong Kong.  So naturally, horse racing or rather horse betting should be in my blood.  Indeed, as far as I can remember, it is a big thing in Hong Kong.  Newspapers run full length articles on everything they can find for each horse.  Reporting both comprehensive quantitative and qualitative information so that betters can make decisions.

I was inside a phone booth at work when one of our department managers asked via email if we wished to buy some tickets for charity.  It is in support of providing early treatments to kids in Africa so that they don’t go blind.  Being able to see nature’s beauty is one of the gifts in life.  It is sad to hear that some lose this gift at young age that could have been avoided.  So I bought a deck without thinking much about whether or not I would be one of the seven lucky winners for an evening at Singapore Turf Club.

And I won a pair of ticket.

The event was held in one of the air conditioned room that overlooks the race course.  I have not stepped into Turf Club before June 15.  In fact, I have not seen a live horse racing before that evening.  Cynthia was as excited as I.  On our way to the booth, we were escorted by a friendly staff who has worked in Turf Club for 30 years.

30 years!

He must have loved his job.  Indeed, he was passionately telling us everything about horse racing.  Level 4 of Turf Club is full off corridors with rooms that can be rented for approximately S$800 a night, or for a year at a discounted rate.  There are betting counters manned by friendly receptionists for those who place the bets and collect the wins.  Horse racing happens on Fridays.  On weekend, Turf Club provides live broadcast of horse racing in around the region.  I suppose if you like to bet on horses, Turf Club is the place to be at.

According to our friendly staff, after each race, horses have to go through the urine and blood test.  There is a ‘podium’ like Formula One for the wining horse and its rider to be photographed with their sponsors.  Riders are weighted after the race, just like F1.

If you bet, I reckon the race that happens every half an hour is an excitement to watch.  The race, it seems to me, lasts for a minute or so.  My colleagues were cheering for the horses and at the end of each race, prizes were put into a glass jar as a donation to charity.  Too bad, gambling is not my cup of tea.  To quote my mother, you are already a winner when you have decided not to bet.

I can safely say that F1 motor racing is a million time more entertaining than horse racing. Maybe because I don’t bet.

On the same day, my sole team member called it his last day in my department.  I am 80% happy that he has finally found a permanent position in our company.  He is a smart kid, fully deserves something more than a contract job.  Besides, returning to the front line probably aligns better to his aspiration.  He was put into my team more for headcount administration’s sake.  19% of me is going to miss his company.  What a great guy he is.  As for the remaining 1%, I am concern over the extra work load.  Fortunately, through last minute negotiation, I have secured an alternative arrangement to outsource his role to a foreign country not too far away from here.

At about the same time Cynthia and I arrived at the Turf Club Singapore, my father’s operation started in Hong Kong.  It was hernia.  It does not seem like a major operation so my sister and I stayed put in Singapore, praying for father.  According to my mother, the operation involved the surgeon operating on my father through small holes opened on his abdomen.  I was worried, of course.  Before the event ended in Turf Club, Cynthia and I have excused ourselves for the evening so that I could wait for mother’s phone call at 9pm.  The call came much later due to time the required for my father to wake up from anesthesia.  I am glad that my father managed to receive early treatment.  Praise the Lord.

I do not know how long I will live.  Events like this make you wonder about random things.  Regardless, I think it is important to be surrounded and to treasure those who love you.  And at the same time, reach out to those who need your love.

Since I planned to photograph horses, I have brought a 70-200mm lens to do the job. It is not a lens I often use. But I do love the effect it has on human portraits. I took this photograph of Cynthia at 7pm, outside Singapore Turf Club.
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Diary

The Gemini At Home Is One Year Wiser

Traditionally, Cynthia and I take leave on our own birthdays.  This year, we take leave on each other’s birthday as well.  I mean, who would want to face the ever exciting work items and hyper friendly colleagues on our birthdays?  This year, my wife chose to spend her birthday in Sentosa, with the family.  Her mother from Indonesia happens to be in town.  As always, I am the designated transporter and photographer.  And I tugged along for the adventure.

Over the years, Sentosa has changed quite a fair bit.  There is a new casino, or rather integrated resort and there are so many more tourist attractions these days.  The Sentosa I remember of has a musical fountain, a pier, a Merlion statue, a beach, and an Underwater World.  Today, I don’t even know half of the attractions in the island.  The tram service that runs along the southern coast of the island seems to have received an upgrade too.  It now looks more like a long bus.  As an avid F1 fan, I was eager to try the gravity powered go kart.  Then I divide the ticket price with the game duration.  I think I would rather have some Chinese dumplings for lunch, which we did.

Maybe my gigantic camera appears to be intimidating.  Or maybe my mother-in-law is not used to being photographed.  Capturing her smile requires patience.  At times, patience pays off.

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Diary

So I Married An Indonesian Who Has Become A Singaporean

In a drastic turn of event, Cynthia shocked the world my world by submitting an application for Singapore citizenship, in her own right, couple of months ago.  My first reaction was: Are you sure?  Indonesia is a vast country rich in natural resources.  From Papua in the east, to Aceh in the west, it is a land overflowed with cultural and biological diversity.  Millions of years ago, when descendants of Adam and Eve left Africa, they did not head northwest to America.  Instead, they headed east, arrived at where Indonesia is today, then moved up to today’s China, and etc.  Two thousand years ago, Indians arrived in Java and constructed the magnificent Borobudur.  With the money we earn in Singapore, we could possibly retire in Bali in a farm, overlooking the beautiful volcano with beer in my hands every day.  My flock of animals would stare at me – their master – curiously while I would dream of roast lamb for dinner.  All of a sudden, my wife wants to be a Singaporean?

Yesterday, inside the office of Commissioner for Oaths, my mother-in-law and I watched Cynthia proudly took up the citizenship in front of a Singapore flag.  We clapped, or rather I clapped and then my mother-in-law followed, after the formality was concluded.  Fourteen years ago, I was in the same office, taking up the oath alone.  On that particular day, I wish someone was there for me.  Witnessing Cynthia swore allegiance to Singapore led me to reliving my moment when I took up my citizenship.  Memories juxtaposed.  That piece of memory does not seem that lonely anymore.

“How do you feel?” asked Cynthia.  Emigration is a personal journey.  We emigrate for reasons that only we alone can fathom.  It took her thirteen years to arrive at that decision.  It took me much shorter than that.  I guess, suddenly, things become very permanent.  Previously, there was always this tiny element of doubt, every five years depending on current policy, whether or not Cynthia’s permanent resident status would be renewed.  Now, we have the same home country.  The feeling is overwhelming.  And it is still sinking in, to be frank.

Cynthia’s journey to her new citizenship was not without hiccups.  On the day of taking up the oath, which by the way, she was momentarily stateless for a week, the Customs ran into some fingerprint verification issues.  Apparently, Cynthia’s fingerprints have changed!  Is she who she claims to be?  The same wife I married to?  Can she modify her fingerprints at will?  How well do you really know your wife?

And of course, there is this Family Card episode that we can now laugh about for many years to come.  It was not funny while we were stuck in the process.  To renounce an Indonesia citizenship, you would need to give up your Indonesian passport and IC, as well as the family card and certificate of citizenship of your father (if you are a Chinese I suppose).  If you ask an Indonesian, I doubt he or she would know what a family card is for.  Basically, it is a piece of paper that documents the family tree of a particular housing address.  So if you are no longer an Indonesian citizen, your name should be taken away from the family card.  That makes sense, I suppose.  But what is a family card for?  No idea.  My mother-in-law in Indonesia had to send the family card via DHL, after sending Cynthia’s renewed IC also via DHL the day before (yet another stressful episode).

“Where shall we visit next?” asked Cynthia.  Having a Singapore passport means visa application headache is gone for many countries.

Perhaps US of A?

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Diary

Feast of the Ascension

Cynthia and I, to be frank, picked Cathedral of the Good Shepard due to convenience.  A six thirty evening Mass in town on a weekday was just nice.  Our Cathedral is the oldest Church in Singapore.  It shows.  Part of the ceiling is falling apart.  There are cracks on the walls and there is no air conditioning, unlike the modernized neighborhood Churches.  Maybe the crowd comprises of mainly tourists or short term visitors, I often find that there is a lack of passion in the community compares to the enthusiastic neighborhood crowd.  The fans that regulate the airflow tend to be exceptionally noisy.  So is the traffic outside.  I can barely hear what the priest says through the mic.  The echo does not help.

Today, we were pleasantly surprised.  I arrived before Cynthia and was greeted by the students wearing Catholic banners ushering worshipers into the Cathedral.  Seventh row seemed agreeable and so, I was seated close to the alter, next to the choir.  Cynthia joined me shortly.  Before the Mass began, the students who wear the banners handed us the song sheets.  We saw music notes.  This is so old school!

The choir, was magnificent.  Jaw dropping it was.  The harmony, the dynamic range, and the tone accuracy.  There were three organists.  Church music is meant to inspire, giving us a feel of divinity.  More often than not, Cynthia and I cringe hearing those who sing in Church.  The pamphlet says the the resident choir is Cathedral Choir of the Risen Christ.  Could this be that famous choir in Singapore?  It could well be.  The last time we heard their music was at Toa Payoh, Church of the Risen Christ.  After the Mass, Cynthia turned to me and said, “Perhaps we shall from now on attend our Sunday Mass here?”

Perhaps.

This evening we Catholics celebrated the Feast of the Ascension.  It is the the fortieth day of Easter, always on a Thursday.  Jesus was ascended to Heaven on this day, thousands of years ago.

Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.  “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky?  This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” ~ Acts I 6-10

The priest who gave the sermon looks old.  The little hair he has left was silvery in color.  Yet, there is such energy and fire radiating from within.  Instead of diving into Jesus’s ascension, he started with a rocket launch back in the sixties when everyone was glued to the television watching the lift off.  Eventually, that rocket took the astronauts to the moon and back.  There was excitement, and anticipation.  It was a successful lift off.  People screamed.

What about Jesus’s ascension?  Are we excited, in a trumpet blast?  Or are we dwelling too much with our worldly matter and have forgotten that with our love and bonding with God, we too are having a piece of Heaven on Earth?  The priest then reminded us: Look up to Heaven as you walk!

It is a powerful reminder that wherever we go, God is with us.  All we need to do is to gaze upon Heaven, with love.