Been a while

Been a while since i tip toed here. I don't know if my blogger friends are still around the blogosphere.

Yeah... that's what they used to call it back then. People still blog these days but more hours are spent on facebooking and tweeting. Hmm... no need for me to explain the obvious.

Funny, this feels like quietly walking down memory lane... the people i got to know, the places i used to go, the emotions and attention it used to draw.

Maybe facebook killed it for me.

Lan Beraya Ngan Ketua Menteri Sarawak

Suasana sekitar ketibaan para jemputan, seluruh masyarakat Sarawak di Lembah Kelang.

Detik ketibaan Ketua Menteri Sarawak ke Lan Beraya Ngan Ketua Menteri

Majlis bermula dengan bacaan doa selamat dan ucapan-ucapan.

Persembahan yang disajikan khas buat tetamu...

Sesi karaoke dan poco-poco menyerikan lagi malam raya.

Sarawakians Get Together

Hope it goes smooth as planned... yikes!

KL Hornbill Festival 2008

Pictures of Hornbill Festival 2008



Oh what a night!

Two nights actually!

Wait for the videos!

Pinhole glasses

If you’ve been to the major pharmacy chain stores in Malaysia, you’ve probably come across a section displaying weird looking eye wear. They look like sun shades because they’re black, only with many tiny holes in them. They’re called pinhole glasses.

They reminded me of a promise I made to the good people at pinhole-glasses.com to publish an unbiased review, way back in May. Gosh, how time flies. Sorry Gwen.

I was excited to give it a try since I am myopic. Who knows this might improve my vision, not completely or instantly but it's worth a shot. And I do get heightened dizziness after long hours focusing on my laptop monitor, prolonged TV viewing and intensive reading. At times I had to hold on to a solid object like my bed post, the sofa or even the wall. Lying down or closing my eyes doesn't help, I just have to rough it out. Who knows, this will be the remedy I've been wondering about. I'm not sure if others have the same problem or intensity. It's probably just me.
The pinhole pack, all the way from Italy.

I have tried the product and it does help give clear outlines to my vision.
I am able to read under good lighting wearing pinhole eyeglasses, without my prescribed glasses. So can I watch tv and do work around the house. I would say it gives me 50% improved reading vision as compared to 100% with my prescribed glasses.

Of course with the many tiny holes, it makes my vision somewhat multiplied, like having fly eyes; honeycomb vision they call it. And the pinholes are noticeable enough to give me stares and puzzled look from the public. Come to think of it, it does make me look like a fly; with the transparent frame and two black eye patch looking lenses. The researchers and designers at pinhole-glasses.com sure could put some sleek design sense into this one.
The pinhole view. Takes a little getting used to.

Just as I wouldn’t wear it in public, I will not wear it for driving as it gives me obstructed and limited view. (This is also mentioned in the ‘how it works’ section at pinhole-glasses.com. The site also explains the initial 'nuisance' experienced by first time users and how it can be overcome. Like any first time, it takes a little getting used to, and what better way than to have extra knowledge of 'why' and 'how') Furthermore, I am very myopic and my prescribed glasses and contact lenses are still the best aids. The same goes to those who operate heavy and hazardous machinery.

I am not sure how long it will take to gain noticeable improvement in my eyesight but for those seeking better eyesight and vision in the long run, pinhole glasses seems like a good option to try. It is not prescribed glasses or contact lenses; neither does it compare to laser eye surgery; but it’s worth a shot. And it’s affordable too.
Note the honeycomb effect.

Check out the details of how it works, benefits and limitations of this simple solution at pinhole-glasses.com. It is a great site offering loads of information, not only about the pinhole concept but also useful facts about the eyes and vision. And as one of the experts in pinhole eyeglasses, the site helps users to fully benefit from the use of pinhole glasses. Knowledge is power.

You might also want to view the wiki about pinhole glasses.

Gawai Nite'08

Come one come all, come big or small.
Be in your best costume, let's all paint the entire room.
This is a joyful invite, come all with an open heart.
Worry not about your wit, we'll fix that with the right spirit...(read:tuak)
Ooohaaaa....

Hairy

If a blog is a web log, can you see the sperm?

Would you rather be uncut?

Me? I don't pay for spa perm or a hair cut. I help myself, FOC.

This ain't a riddle if you play the fiddle.

Wedding & Reunion

With ex PPP ITM college mates.

Sarawak Night

The invite, courtesy of Dato Michael.

The representatives from Persatuan Warisan Sarawak. Me and Mina Lahang

The teacher and the student. Ex.

It was such joy to bump into Mdm. Doreen at the function. Haven't seen her since I left high school in 1995. She took some time trying to match my face to my name after I introduced myself as her student back in SM Sains Miri.

Teachers get it the hardest don't they. With hundreds of students throughout their career, it's hard to instantly recognize and match the adult faces to the cute little young faces they were used to. Especially when there is much less hair involved.

She went, "Oh, it's hard to recall you with that hair"

I almost said "What hair?", but didn't.

And we went on to the same table, since it was a free seating event.

After we chatted a while she went "Ah, now your face is slowly becoming familiar"

"You have to focus below the hair line, it helps a lot" I told her while my hand blocked my forehead from her view.

The backdrop.

The magician, a guest and a table.

The table floated around the stage! Someone has to tell me how they do that!

The fashion show.

The table flower deco.

The host, Dato Peter Chin, addresing the guests of elite Sarawak business people and more than a dozen cabinet ministers.

The lucky draw. Prizes range from Nike golf equipment, Nokia phones and refrigerators.

Even the host himself, Dato Peter Chin, got a splendid Nike golf carry bag.



And me, I got a putter! Damn! I wished I got one of them Nokia phones!

But Damn I'm lucky! It's by Nike!

And check out the door gift!

Everyone got a pack from CrabTree and Evelyn; a perfume, which smells a lot like Burberry Weekend, three bars of soap and their award winning hand therapy lotion; all are from their Sarawak range.

The cufflinks are from HSBC.

Now all I have to do is pick up the game. Ignite!

And to top the night, a picture with the most gorgeous woman that night, Miss Stephanie Chai! Not our most flattering angle I guess. But it's all good!

Labor Day Melaka Tour

Here's a motherload of pictures from my tour of Historic Melaka with a bunch of friends. We arrived on Labor Day Eve around 4pm; browsed around the city malls, enjoyed the sunset at Sunshine bar and walked the empty Jonker street after having dinner at the Portugese settlement. The tour continued on Labor Day with a good long walk around town, checking out the old, the new, the borrowed and the blue.

These pictures, and several more, are stored in my picasa album. Click on them to zoom and browse for more, picasa style.

Historical buildings in Melaka. Nothing you've never seen before actually. I've seen them many times; only this time, I was finally there.

The view from our room at Mahkota Hotel.

Alien looking palm. Looks like spider eyes don't they?

The usual suspects.

The view across the water. Looks like a turkish structure doesn't it?

The lovely Sunshine Bar signage, sunset approaches.

I just love the view. Bear with me now.

Is that a sign or what!? I repeat, 'Is that a shine or what!?'

The scrumptious scallops with crispy garlic and butter.

Calamari fritters

Eggplant portugese style. If you're not a fan of eggplant, these will convert you in a bite!

We also had kangkung belachan and portugese grill fish (the one wrapped in aluminium foil) but were too busy to take photos of them.

The lonely Jonker street at 9pm.

The view from our hotel room.

A deco near the pool.

The rotating capsule called 'Taming Sari'.

Charming city tour bus. London calling?

I'm in the capsule, about to take off. It's a good ride. RM10 for Malaysians, foreigners RM20.

That's the Maritime Muzeum.

I've got a big cannon. Don't fcuk with me. I'll blow you to bits, bitch... now turn around!

They've got nice replicas of old ships. You could really hang around here for hours if you're a fan.

This ship, well, barge actually, is not going anywhere... but the excavator might, all the way down.

When you've gotta go, you've gotta go. "Not time to call port, mine's opening damn soon!" says the captain.

The milk for growth, says the sign. They don't make signs like this anymore.

Nothing says antique like an ancient signage for your shop eh mate!

The respectable snail house.

The questionable Ho house; gallery actually.

Nice deco.

Way to go captain obvious.

Click the picture and watch the girl in green disappear in three frames.

The driver must have given up on red lights after seeing so many red buildings in Melaka. He definitely went green all the way.

This tree is protected by city council's law and can never be chopped down or altered for any reason; it's invincible. No wonder it is starting to look like a person, limbs and all! Reminds me of treebeard.

Here's something you've probably seen hundreds of times. Fort A'Famosa. To some it's over rated, not in a bad way; it's the city's icon after all. But it sort of makes the city static; like there's nothing new to see here. When I told friends I went to Melaka for the short holiday, they asked 'what's there in Melaka?'

They've probably been there recently, or many years ago, but yeah, who can blame them for thinking 'what else is potentially new?'

Actually, it does take more than a two days, one night stay in Melaka to fully appreciate the charm and historical magnitude. In fact, I'm thinking of going there again because this tour felt more like a rush to cover all the places, there was no time to just take one step back and look at things from a few different angles; to linger within the stories of old, immersed in the imagination of what it must have been like back then, surrounded by the same structures and nostalgia from hundreds of years ago.

And oh, did I mention the food! Portugese, Nyonya, and everything else in between. If you're no fan of history, the food will always tempt you to get your lazyass there. You'll be calling port several times to onload before you reload.

I told you it's a motherload, of pictures!

Oh, one more thing, they say Melaka Zoo is better that the National Zoo in KL.

So there, plenty to see in Melaka.