What a fantastic first week at work, but busy at the same time. I have been given many tasks already, but there is no deadline on it. The philosophy here is take however long it takes you to do your work; quality is the focus. This is the real method to producing a quality I.T. system.
My workplace is pretty good, close to many restaurants and cafes and the people I work with are all very supportive. My boss is Australian too amazingly and not only does he do a lot of admin work for the team, he also gets down and dirty and does some of the programming tasks.
Pretty happy so far, hope it stays like this.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Monday, November 5, 2007
The Netherlands
One thing for everyone to try is to travel without any carry on luggage onto the plane. I had the most relaxed flight knowing that all I had to do was jump on and off the plane. No need to get the bag out from the over head storage just walk straight off. :)
Anyway it was a really nice trip to The Netherlands. Howan picked me up from the airport with her old Mercedes Benz and we travelled to the uni campus where she parked her car for free.
After a short ride to the Amsterdam I started my first binge eating of herring. Oh yea! This was in a fish shop, it wasn't the best herring but it was a good way to start. Had 2 anyway and gobbled it up in no time.
I got thirsty sometime later and decided to get a drink, but I think myself going straight for the herring stand. hmmm... bought 2 and gobbled it up in no time again. This time I also have the nice juice that can only be found in Holland.
Day 1 herring count 4.
Day 2 started out even better. Had some raw ham missed in with some kind of cheese and sauce and also some Stroopkoeken for breakfast. Such a nice breakfast. Just relaxed in the house by looking at the view of river rein and enjoying the fresh air that Elst gave.
Howan's Family, Howan and I went to a local market to do some seafood shopping. Her dad decided to take us on a herring hunt around that market. I finally tasted some really good herring and also learnt that the best time for herring is late June when they are caught.
The first store we herring store we visited I had 2 and a bit herring. This herring was the best I've have tasted to date. It was soo creamy and it kinda melted in my mouth and it was only 5.50 euros for 4. Bought 4 extra herrings for later consumption. The second store I went to was an interesting. We got to see the herring being prepared, as in gutted and the skin removed before being served. As you may have guessed by now, herring is pretty much raw when consumed. Had 1 herring and this herring has a fresh taste, not as creamy as the first store, but still very good. Also had some fried fish cheeks which was really nice and soft. yummy.
Went back home with all the shopping for the chef at Howan's family restaurant to cook a feast. There was freshly made roast duck, squid, scallops and some of the biggest prawns I've ever seen! That was a good lunch, but too bad I was already filled on herring.
Went to Vennendal to do some window shopping and had some of that really nice juice again and discovered that the Nintendo Wii's in Holland were actually a lot cheaper then the UK, that got me thinking that I should buy the Wii. After two laps around the shopping mall, I decided to buy one, but at the counter when I was about to pay for it, I discovered that they don't accept credit card. No where I can find accepted credit card. How disappointing!
So I went back home to the herring that is waiting for me. Luckily Howan wasn't feeling hungry that night so I was able to have most of the four herrings... hehe..
Day 2 herring count 7.
The next morning I woke up with a heavy stomach after such a massive herring injection of the previous day, so I decided I shouldn't eat much today. How wrong was I, more on that later.
We went to Amsterdam and found the smallest house that is inhabited which is about 1.9 m across and also found the smallest house which is no bigger then the width of a standard door. I started to imagine how they actually fitted a bed in there. Along the way though, I also found a herring stand and bought one herring, only because it was expensive.
Howan had arranged to meet her sisters for dinner that night at a Japanese all you can eat. I don't think I have ever eaten that much sashimi in one go! My god was I full of fish that night. I weighed myself that night and discovered that I had eaten 2kg's of sashimi. Oh yea!
Day 3 herring count 1. Total sashimi consumed 2kg's.
It was a good trip. I know I will be going back in June next year for the fresh herring. I will be very hungry for it, as a matter of fact, I already miss it.
Total herring count 12 in three days. mmm. No wonder why my love handles seem bigger, and plus all that sashimi, I am looking forward to the gym.
Anyway it was a really nice trip to The Netherlands. Howan picked me up from the airport with her old Mercedes Benz and we travelled to the uni campus where she parked her car for free.
After a short ride to the Amsterdam I started my first binge eating of herring. Oh yea! This was in a fish shop, it wasn't the best herring but it was a good way to start. Had 2 anyway and gobbled it up in no time.
I got thirsty sometime later and decided to get a drink, but I think myself going straight for the herring stand. hmmm... bought 2 and gobbled it up in no time again. This time I also have the nice juice that can only be found in Holland.
Day 1 herring count 4.
Day 2 started out even better. Had some raw ham missed in with some kind of cheese and sauce and also some Stroopkoeken for breakfast. Such a nice breakfast. Just relaxed in the house by looking at the view of river rein and enjoying the fresh air that Elst gave.
Howan's Family, Howan and I went to a local market to do some seafood shopping. Her dad decided to take us on a herring hunt around that market. I finally tasted some really good herring and also learnt that the best time for herring is late June when they are caught.
The first store we herring store we visited I had 2 and a bit herring. This herring was the best I've have tasted to date. It was soo creamy and it kinda melted in my mouth and it was only 5.50 euros for 4. Bought 4 extra herrings for later consumption. The second store I went to was an interesting. We got to see the herring being prepared, as in gutted and the skin removed before being served. As you may have guessed by now, herring is pretty much raw when consumed. Had 1 herring and this herring has a fresh taste, not as creamy as the first store, but still very good. Also had some fried fish cheeks which was really nice and soft. yummy.
Went back home with all the shopping for the chef at Howan's family restaurant to cook a feast. There was freshly made roast duck, squid, scallops and some of the biggest prawns I've ever seen! That was a good lunch, but too bad I was already filled on herring.
Went to Vennendal to do some window shopping and had some of that really nice juice again and discovered that the Nintendo Wii's in Holland were actually a lot cheaper then the UK, that got me thinking that I should buy the Wii. After two laps around the shopping mall, I decided to buy one, but at the counter when I was about to pay for it, I discovered that they don't accept credit card. No where I can find accepted credit card. How disappointing!
So I went back home to the herring that is waiting for me. Luckily Howan wasn't feeling hungry that night so I was able to have most of the four herrings... hehe..
Day 2 herring count 7.
The next morning I woke up with a heavy stomach after such a massive herring injection of the previous day, so I decided I shouldn't eat much today. How wrong was I, more on that later.
We went to Amsterdam and found the smallest house that is inhabited which is about 1.9 m across and also found the smallest house which is no bigger then the width of a standard door. I started to imagine how they actually fitted a bed in there. Along the way though, I also found a herring stand and bought one herring, only because it was expensive.
Howan had arranged to meet her sisters for dinner that night at a Japanese all you can eat. I don't think I have ever eaten that much sashimi in one go! My god was I full of fish that night. I weighed myself that night and discovered that I had eaten 2kg's of sashimi. Oh yea!
Day 3 herring count 1. Total sashimi consumed 2kg's.
It was a good trip. I know I will be going back in June next year for the fresh herring. I will be very hungry for it, as a matter of fact, I already miss it.
Total herring count 12 in three days. mmm. No wonder why my love handles seem bigger, and plus all that sashimi, I am looking forward to the gym.
Friday, October 26, 2007
The Two Signatures
The day I have been waiting for since I arrived. Signing of the accommodation lease, and signing of work contract. This also means that my life for the next year or so is owned by this people. Oh Well, that's life.
I may also get another contract as something on the side to work for my landlord to redevelop their website. Going to meet up with them in two weeks time to discuss this opportunity. Who knows what I can end up getting. :) Just pay me with your BMW!
I may also get another contract as something on the side to work for my landlord to redevelop their website. Going to meet up with them in two weeks time to discuss this opportunity. Who knows what I can end up getting. :) Just pay me with your BMW!
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Job aswell!
Got a call from the agent today with an offer for a job with Aspiren! Start work on the 6th of November!
Its a permanent role with Aspiren. The salary is really good, lots of benefits including gym membership and private health care and in a great location too. Oh did I mention that it is only 6 stops from the place I have rented.
Next week, I am off to Amsterdam!
Its a permanent role with Aspiren. The salary is really good, lots of benefits including gym membership and private health care and in a great location too. Oh did I mention that it is only 6 stops from the place I have rented.
Next week, I am off to Amsterdam!
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Finally got my own place!
After 3 days of searching, finally got the contract in my hand. :)
The rental market here is insane! Basically as soon as it is advertised, it is gone by the afternoon., especially the really good places.
So my plan of attack was to go on gumtree.co.uk at 6 in the morning and write a list of all possible places I might be interested. As 8am approached, I called people to make appointments for viewings. If you like a place, and think its good, you have to take it.
Unbelievable!
The current tenant is real nice, they are offering a range of stuff for us for 40 pounds because they can't be bothered moving it, which I might as well take because I need everything she said :)
Anyway, moving in date is on the 28th of this month.
The rental market here is insane! Basically as soon as it is advertised, it is gone by the afternoon., especially the really good places.
So my plan of attack was to go on gumtree.co.uk at 6 in the morning and write a list of all possible places I might be interested. As 8am approached, I called people to make appointments for viewings. If you like a place, and think its good, you have to take it.
Unbelievable!
The current tenant is real nice, they are offering a range of stuff for us for 40 pounds because they can't be bothered moving it, which I might as well take because I need everything she said :)
Anyway, moving in date is on the 28th of this month.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
First Week in the UK
Still jet lagged and awake at the oddest times of the night, I reflect on the first week of being here for the first week.
From day 1, as soon as I arrived at Joe's place, I started hunting for a place without much success. Didn't find anything but discovered I needed a lot of information just to be able to rent a place, which didn't help.
Had an interview with Bite Consulting and was told of their services, but after some research I discovered that their services costed too much.
Finally found a really nice place on Wednesday and now just waiting for approval from the landlord. For 190 pounds pw inclusive of all bills and Internet and in Canary's Wharf, who could resist.
Had a record long interview (3.5 hours) with Aspiren on thursday, and it was all positive from them and the agent. It all depends on the remaining candidates.
Also had an interview on Friday with Accenture and it was all positive from them too.
I should hear back next week as to whether I have a job(s) or not.
Also got my bank account setup. I can get paid when I get a job!
All in all, a productive week, when I thought I had nothing much to do.
Just some random pictures from the first week of life in the UK.
A thing for Islamic people living in Britain at Trafalgar square.
Thousands of motorbikes going through the city. Guessing to raise awarness for motor bikes on the road.
Going out to watch the Rugby World Cup.
Random picture.
London china town.
From day 1, as soon as I arrived at Joe's place, I started hunting for a place without much success. Didn't find anything but discovered I needed a lot of information just to be able to rent a place, which didn't help.
Had an interview with Bite Consulting and was told of their services, but after some research I discovered that their services costed too much.
Finally found a really nice place on Wednesday and now just waiting for approval from the landlord. For 190 pounds pw inclusive of all bills and Internet and in Canary's Wharf, who could resist.
Had a record long interview (3.5 hours) with Aspiren on thursday, and it was all positive from them and the agent. It all depends on the remaining candidates.
Also had an interview on Friday with Accenture and it was all positive from them too.
I should hear back next week as to whether I have a job(s) or not.
Also got my bank account setup. I can get paid when I get a job!
All in all, a productive week, when I thought I had nothing much to do.
Just some random pictures from the first week of life in the UK.
A thing for Islamic people living in Britain at Trafalgar square.
Thousands of motorbikes going through the city. Guessing to raise awarness for motor bikes on the road.
Going out to watch the Rugby World Cup.
Random picture.
London china town.Thursday, October 18, 2007
New Phone, K800i
Death to the O2 Atom!
For some reason as soon as I landed in Heathrow, my atom decided to play up. Touch screen stop working, phone turns itself off and crashes all the time! It had to happen when I needed my phone the most!
So out I went and bought an El Simple phone! no more touch screens just a phone with buttons and one that can do the main function, make and receive calls, something which my Atom couldn't do.
The more I play with this phone, the happier I am with it. The interface is quick and responsive, it has all kinds of connections and it has a 3.2 mp Cybershot camera with xenon flash! Perfect for taking photos when I don't have my real camera.
The quality of the photos are really good too! Here are some examples...
The voice calls are also amazingly clear, unlike that atom where I have always had broken up conversations.
In my opinion its a great buy.
btw, for my friends at work in DEWR reading this, check it out, Kings Cross Station.
For some reason as soon as I landed in Heathrow, my atom decided to play up. Touch screen stop working, phone turns itself off and crashes all the time! It had to happen when I needed my phone the most!
So out I went and bought an El Simple phone! no more touch screens just a phone with buttons and one that can do the main function, make and receive calls, something which my Atom couldn't do.
The more I play with this phone, the happier I am with it. The interface is quick and responsive, it has all kinds of connections and it has a 3.2 mp Cybershot camera with xenon flash! Perfect for taking photos when I don't have my real camera.
The quality of the photos are really good too! Here are some examples...
The voice calls are also amazingly clear, unlike that atom where I have always had broken up conversations.
In my opinion its a great buy.
btw, for my friends at work in DEWR reading this, check it out, Kings Cross Station.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Brunei, Day 2
There is no order in Brunei. I'd thought that I wake up early to queue up and see the Sultan, but that didn't go according to plan. Luckily the taxi driver asked one of the cops what time the queue started, but the cop said I couldn't go in because I wasn't properly dressed. So I went back to the hotel, and put jeans and a shirt on. That is crazy.
When I finally got to the queue, it all seemed good some order not much pushing, but then all of a sudden everyone started pushing forwards! What! There was no queue, it was a matter of who can push who aside! Luckily, I had experience in situations like this and shoved everyone off. haha!
Once in, it was an amazing palace, the 2 rooms I saw. The first hall is a massive place where they served us food for free. It was all very nice food too and I am guessing its a selection of tradition Brunei cuisines, but I can tell you its not healthy. Lots of deep fried stuff, but what the hell, I have sweat so much that I needed it and I was enjoying it, but that is when it all changed.
I am a fairly fast eater and finished my plat of food in record time and went to the next queue. This queue was the worse in the world! They make you wait until the entire army, air force and navy, over 10000 of them, have gone to see the Sultan before they let you see him. This in itself is a 5 hour wait! Lesson learnt, do not go on the first day.
Once the military finally finished filtering through and as they let more citizen through. They didn't follow the order any more. They just let all the people at the back of the queue go first, what the hell is going on here! The cops can't even get it right, no wonder why these people push and shove.
Alright once I got to the next room, which I might add is absolutely amazing, there is another queue. When I got there the military just finished leaving that room, and it took 45mins from the last military to leave the last room before I entered the next. I thought, this must be the dumbest system I have ever seen. The crap thing is I had to check out at the hotel at 2pm and it took one hour to get back. So I left after only seen that one room. So no, I didn't get to shake hands with the Sultan.
On the way out, I had to walk all the way around and queue up to leave! What crap is that! They made you accept a present from them and that took another 30mins. I was like, I don't care about it, just let me leave damn it! The answer was no. AARRGGHH!!
Summary of Brunei, its the most boring place I've been to. No clubs, alcohol is banned, shops close heaps early, and the capital is smaller then Woden.
If I ever go back, it will be straight to the rain forest!
When I finally got to the queue, it all seemed good some order not much pushing, but then all of a sudden everyone started pushing forwards! What! There was no queue, it was a matter of who can push who aside! Luckily, I had experience in situations like this and shoved everyone off. haha!
Once in, it was an amazing palace, the 2 rooms I saw. The first hall is a massive place where they served us food for free. It was all very nice food too and I am guessing its a selection of tradition Brunei cuisines, but I can tell you its not healthy. Lots of deep fried stuff, but what the hell, I have sweat so much that I needed it and I was enjoying it, but that is when it all changed.
I am a fairly fast eater and finished my plat of food in record time and went to the next queue. This queue was the worse in the world! They make you wait until the entire army, air force and navy, over 10000 of them, have gone to see the Sultan before they let you see him. This in itself is a 5 hour wait! Lesson learnt, do not go on the first day.
Once the military finally finished filtering through and as they let more citizen through. They didn't follow the order any more. They just let all the people at the back of the queue go first, what the hell is going on here! The cops can't even get it right, no wonder why these people push and shove.
Alright once I got to the next room, which I might add is absolutely amazing, there is another queue. When I got there the military just finished leaving that room, and it took 45mins from the last military to leave the last room before I entered the next. I thought, this must be the dumbest system I have ever seen. The crap thing is I had to check out at the hotel at 2pm and it took one hour to get back. So I left after only seen that one room. So no, I didn't get to shake hands with the Sultan.
On the way out, I had to walk all the way around and queue up to leave! What crap is that! They made you accept a present from them and that took another 30mins. I was like, I don't care about it, just let me leave damn it! The answer was no. AARRGGHH!!
Summary of Brunei, its the most boring place I've been to. No clubs, alcohol is banned, shops close heaps early, and the capital is smaller then Woden.
If I ever go back, it will be straight to the rain forest!
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Brunei, Day 1
The day started off with a trip to the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque where hundreds of people were praying. Mostly men actually. Strange, but I guess that is the tradition. The other strange thing is that they broadcast their hymns on a really really loud loudspeaker. I heard it as soon as I walked outside of the hotel, which is at least 3 blocks away.
Didn't want to walk through the gates at that time so I asked one of the policeman that was guarding the parking lot where Istana Nurul Iman was. He said it was too far. I asked how many kilometres and he said about 4. I thought, I have walked this easily, so I started my journey.
Speaking of which, Brunei Airlines plays a hymn, as we were taxiing to the runway, to bless the plane for a safe journey, almost like Catholic's when they are about to eat. This blessing must have gone on for 5 minutes. I hope they don't do that when they drive their car.
Was it a hard walk! The humidity is really bad here, I couldn't stop sweating. I got to about halfway and got really thirsty and faint and with no shops open, I had to admit defeat and head back. Luckily though, it wasn't even open today. It is going to open on the second day of Hari Raya. So when morning breaks, I will be there by taxi or bus.
Had a little rest in the hotel and off again. This time back to Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque where I took my shoes and through the doors. As soon as I went through someone stopped me and told me it was closed. Damn, but from the brief glimpse of the inside of the mosque, it was amazing! I saw gold on all the edges of the wall the ground is completely carpeted.
I was really disappointed after that, so went back to buy a packet of chips to eat. Were the chips good! It was a cross between prawn and potato chips with some sort of sweet chilli sauce. Thinking about it makes me want more. yummy!
Now that I was full of energy, I did a bit of shopping in the Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Foundation Complex. Nothing special here, but they seem to sell heaps of fake stuff. Seems expensive too for the fake stuff, so I left it alone. The shopping complex also sells mod chips for all consoles and copied games. It seems to be legal here, as everyone just goes in and buys it.
I was also very tempted to buy the Nokia 6120 Classic as it only costed $333 AUD. Only get that price on ebay and that doesn't even include postage. The only problem is that it doesn't have international warranty, so I pulled the plug.
After visiting the same shops a few times (thats how small Brunei CBD is) I headed back to the hotel to rest. This was only 2pm and I had gone around Brunei so many times already.
After deciding that the hotel room was even more boring I went for another walk. This time I went towards the market next to the hotel, but they were closed so I walked towards the river. I saw so many speed boats on the river. Apparently they are just taxis's to get to and from the water villages, but it looked like suicide bathtubs with a big engine! These things are fast! Being the crazy person that I am, I found one and jumped on it. Initially the driver asked for $20bnd for a half hour ride around the villages. I heard that and said forget it. He quickly said $15bnd and I said $10bnd and the deal was done.
I can see why they call this place the Venice of the east. Everything was on water. The houses, the schools, the police station and even the petrol station. What a great ride on the speed boat, the driver was nice enough to slow down when I wanted to take photos. As I headed back, the driver somehow new I wanted him to go faster and find waves to bounce on. He did it all, awesome! I gave him a little tip for doing an awesome job.
The day slowly came to an end and I went to some Indian place around the corner to get some take away (no A/C in the restaurant) and that was real nice but wasn't enough. So I went to get some desert. Found a little restaurant next to the river and and a massive coconut. I think there would have been about 1 litre of juice and there was heaps of coconut meat inside. All this for $2bnd, amazing!
And now I find myself at the lobby of the hotel where the Internet is free and the air is cool, and getting ready for the long wait at Istana Nurul Iman.
Didn't want to walk through the gates at that time so I asked one of the policeman that was guarding the parking lot where Istana Nurul Iman was. He said it was too far. I asked how many kilometres and he said about 4. I thought, I have walked this easily, so I started my journey.
Speaking of which, Brunei Airlines plays a hymn, as we were taxiing to the runway, to bless the plane for a safe journey, almost like Catholic's when they are about to eat. This blessing must have gone on for 5 minutes. I hope they don't do that when they drive their car.
Was it a hard walk! The humidity is really bad here, I couldn't stop sweating. I got to about halfway and got really thirsty and faint and with no shops open, I had to admit defeat and head back. Luckily though, it wasn't even open today. It is going to open on the second day of Hari Raya. So when morning breaks, I will be there by taxi or bus.
Had a little rest in the hotel and off again. This time back to Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque where I took my shoes and through the doors. As soon as I went through someone stopped me and told me it was closed. Damn, but from the brief glimpse of the inside of the mosque, it was amazing! I saw gold on all the edges of the wall the ground is completely carpeted.
I was really disappointed after that, so went back to buy a packet of chips to eat. Were the chips good! It was a cross between prawn and potato chips with some sort of sweet chilli sauce. Thinking about it makes me want more. yummy!
Now that I was full of energy, I did a bit of shopping in the Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Foundation Complex. Nothing special here, but they seem to sell heaps of fake stuff. Seems expensive too for the fake stuff, so I left it alone. The shopping complex also sells mod chips for all consoles and copied games. It seems to be legal here, as everyone just goes in and buys it.
I was also very tempted to buy the Nokia 6120 Classic as it only costed $333 AUD. Only get that price on ebay and that doesn't even include postage. The only problem is that it doesn't have international warranty, so I pulled the plug.
After visiting the same shops a few times (thats how small Brunei CBD is) I headed back to the hotel to rest. This was only 2pm and I had gone around Brunei so many times already.
After deciding that the hotel room was even more boring I went for another walk. This time I went towards the market next to the hotel, but they were closed so I walked towards the river. I saw so many speed boats on the river. Apparently they are just taxis's to get to and from the water villages, but it looked like suicide bathtubs with a big engine! These things are fast! Being the crazy person that I am, I found one and jumped on it. Initially the driver asked for $20bnd for a half hour ride around the villages. I heard that and said forget it. He quickly said $15bnd and I said $10bnd and the deal was done.
I can see why they call this place the Venice of the east. Everything was on water. The houses, the schools, the police station and even the petrol station. What a great ride on the speed boat, the driver was nice enough to slow down when I wanted to take photos. As I headed back, the driver somehow new I wanted him to go faster and find waves to bounce on. He did it all, awesome! I gave him a little tip for doing an awesome job.
The day slowly came to an end and I went to some Indian place around the corner to get some take away (no A/C in the restaurant) and that was real nice but wasn't enough. So I went to get some desert. Found a little restaurant next to the river and and a massive coconut. I think there would have been about 1 litre of juice and there was heaps of coconut meat inside. All this for $2bnd, amazing!
And now I find myself at the lobby of the hotel where the Internet is free and the air is cool, and getting ready for the long wait at Istana Nurul Iman.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
DTS (Database & Team Foundation Sidekick)
I decided to make this tool to help with the database management in Team Foundation Server. There is a massive gap between TFS and SQL Server Management Studio. SSMS can communicate with TFS but the SSMS environment is so limited.
Current features of this tool:
- Generate Scripts from SQL Server 2000/2005 in SQL 2000 format.
i.e. If exists then Drop then Create.
- Save output to file.
- Save output to TFS
- Find changes from TFS in a defined folder.
Future features:
- Compare 2 different databases and script the changes into TFS
- Compare lookup data of 2 different databases and script the changes.
You can download it from here.
You will need the Visual Studio SDK 2005 installed.
Current features of this tool:
- Generate Scripts from SQL Server 2000/2005 in SQL 2000 format.
i.e. If exists then Drop then Create.
- Save output to file.
- Save output to TFS
- Find changes from TFS in a defined folder.
Future features:
- Compare 2 different databases and script the changes into TFS
- Compare lookup data of 2 different databases and script the changes.
You can download it from here.
You will need the Visual Studio SDK 2005 installed.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Office Pranks
It was payback time. After many small attacks from a co worker, it was time for a major attack!
A team of us decided to do a full attack on her desk. The result, just hilarious
A team of us decided to do a full attack on her desk. The result, just hilarious
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Meroo Point, Jervis Bay
What an awesome labour day long weekend. I got to camp and laze about on the beach where the sand is white! Eat marsh mellows and had some of the best pies! The best one I've had on this trip is of course Rainbow Pie Shop on the princess highway. Thai chicken, chilli beef... mmm I want more! It puts the pie shop in perisher to shame.
An esky is a must for a camping trip. The possiums found our food and ate a large packet of chips and all four bananas! There goes my unhealty breakfast. One good thing is that we got to see a possium in close up. This one wasn't even scared of us.
Howan and I went for a nice morning walk along the meroo point beach and it was nice. Made a sand wall to block the water coming through but that failed. Have to remember to bring a shovel next time.
The day ended in a nice drive back from Jervis Bay while watching Stephen Chow's movies.
What a great way to relax.
An esky is a must for a camping trip. The possiums found our food and ate a large packet of chips and all four bananas! There goes my unhealty breakfast. One good thing is that we got to see a possium in close up. This one wasn't even scared of us.
Howan and I went for a nice morning walk along the meroo point beach and it was nice. Made a sand wall to block the water coming through but that failed. Have to remember to bring a shovel next time.
The day ended in a nice drive back from Jervis Bay while watching Stephen Chow's movies.
What a great way to relax.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Skiing Season Over
Once again, the skiing season has come to an end. Snowboarding skills a little better. Can do the toe edges a lot better then before. I thing I have to remember is to relax the knees so that I can go over the bumps. I also discovered that shifting my body weight helps with steep slopes.
Ended up going 6 times (all at perisher) this season and on the last time Iggy and I discovered the best fun we could have without any equipment! Find a slope that is about 85 degrees and just slide down with your body... My god was it fun.
It was a great season, with Howan learning to ski and ski very well for a beginner. Iggy going like a cannonball down the mountain where it almost seems like he has no control. Phong, Lewis and Matt stacking while attempted to do jumps.
Can't wait to do it again!
Ended up going 6 times (all at perisher) this season and on the last time Iggy and I discovered the best fun we could have without any equipment! Find a slope that is about 85 degrees and just slide down with your body... My god was it fun.
It was a great season, with Howan learning to ski and ski very well for a beginner. Iggy going like a cannonball down the mountain where it almost seems like he has no control. Phong, Lewis and Matt stacking while attempted to do jumps.
Can't wait to do it again!
Saturday, September 15, 2007
UK, Here I Come
Well not long to go before I leave for the UK. Can't believe this is finally happening. I've been talking about it for ages, but now I am actually going to do it. I guess in the end I just need to take the plunge.
I hope everything is smooth sailing when I get there.
I hope everything is smooth sailing when I get there.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Nintendo Wii
The Nintendo Wii, what a machine... It doesn't have the best graphics, and its doesn't have the best sound, but it makes up for that in pure design innovation!
Firstly, the games are not controlled in the normal fashion of button smashing. It is controlled by the movement of the control and to move the control, you have to move the remote through the air. It also detects the speed of the control movement through the air, so depending on the game, the faster you swing the remote the faster the movement will be in game.
One thing I noticed is that the Nintendo Wii doesn't have digital sound. I didn't read up on the console much apart from the fact that swing the remote is the control. Not having digital sound didn't matter because the remote has a little speaker. In Wii Sports, the tennis game would trigger the remote make a noise every time you swing the ball. This gave the game more realism as it feels and sounds like you are actually swinging a real racket! Amazing!
I can't wait for the developers to take full advantage of the new control method of the Wii. I heard from a friend that the ninja turtle game coming out for the Wii will have new ways of using the remote. There are also combo moves in the game. It should be interesting how that translates to real life control.
I highly recommend this console as it brings a whole new level of game play not brought by any other console. It has the capability to bring the non gamers to play games. Awesome stuff!
Firstly, the games are not controlled in the normal fashion of button smashing. It is controlled by the movement of the control and to move the control, you have to move the remote through the air. It also detects the speed of the control movement through the air, so depending on the game, the faster you swing the remote the faster the movement will be in game.
One thing I noticed is that the Nintendo Wii doesn't have digital sound. I didn't read up on the console much apart from the fact that swing the remote is the control. Not having digital sound didn't matter because the remote has a little speaker. In Wii Sports, the tennis game would trigger the remote make a noise every time you swing the ball. This gave the game more realism as it feels and sounds like you are actually swinging a real racket! Amazing!
I can't wait for the developers to take full advantage of the new control method of the Wii. I heard from a friend that the ninja turtle game coming out for the Wii will have new ways of using the remote. There are also combo moves in the game. It should be interesting how that translates to real life control.
I highly recommend this console as it brings a whole new level of game play not brought by any other console. It has the capability to bring the non gamers to play games. Awesome stuff!
Sunday, March 4, 2007
Feburary. The month I go bankcrupt
My car has gave me so many hints in the last few months telling me to fix it up... Finally I got my act together and got most of the problems fixed up.
First off it was a general service where brakes were checked, oil and oil filter changed and other general maintenance items.
Next up, I changed all four tires from the Yokohama tires to the BF Goodrich Sports T/A tires in the car. There is a noticeable drop in the rolling noise, and the grip is a lot better now.
Next I had a gas tank fitted into the car to try and reduce the running costs. It now costs me $30 to fill up the tank and I get approx 300km from it.
Finally I installed a stereo into the car. The Sony GT550 is great, I got a huge discount on it and after listening to the music it pumps out, All I have to say is that I used to miss out on so much sound.
Well, all this is great for the car, but the credit card doesn't agree. Here is the master card break down..
General Maintenance: $100
Tires: $450
Stereo: $245
Gas Tank: $2850
A car that will save me money on fuel and sounds great: priceless... (my only way of justifying the cost)... :)
First off it was a general service where brakes were checked, oil and oil filter changed and other general maintenance items.
Next up, I changed all four tires from the Yokohama tires to the BF Goodrich Sports T/A tires in the car. There is a noticeable drop in the rolling noise, and the grip is a lot better now.
Next I had a gas tank fitted into the car to try and reduce the running costs. It now costs me $30 to fill up the tank and I get approx 300km from it.
Finally I installed a stereo into the car. The Sony GT550 is great, I got a huge discount on it and after listening to the music it pumps out, All I have to say is that I used to miss out on so much sound.
Well, all this is great for the car, but the credit card doesn't agree. Here is the master card break down..
General Maintenance: $100
Tires: $450
Stereo: $245
Gas Tank: $2850
A car that will save me money on fuel and sounds great: priceless... (my only way of justifying the cost)... :)
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Kyosho MiniZ AWD
My AWD MA010 SP chassis kit finally arrived. Put it all together as soon as I got home and started driving around. This thing rocks! The drifts you can do with this thing are awesome. I've put my AE86 Toyota sprinter body on it, to recreate Initial D drifting scenes.
To buy next, a faster motor and some bodies for the other Mini Z's.
To buy next, a faster motor and some bodies for the other Mini Z's.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Thunderstorms
What a thunderstorm that happened here in the A.C.T. The heavens finally opened the taps. More Please!
Monday, February 19, 2007
Shopping @ Brand Depot
Well what a crazy month it has been, work work and more work, no more life... mmm... the only upside is that I work close to brand depot. When I was there for one of my breaks, I noticed that the Fila store had everything at 50% of plus another 10%. Out of curiosity I went in to check it out. To my surprise, I found some Puma Mostro's. The only price I could find on it was $0.00. That can't be right, so I asked the store attendant how much it was. It turned out to be $31! that is amazing! Now I have 3 pairs.. mmm..I also found a nice salomon jacket which was originally $200 but came down to $50.. awesome!
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Cleaning
Cleaning up the pig style I live in... boy does it bring back memories.. found some old school uniforms, karate outfit and other clothes that I used to love... oh well.. time to put it into the old clothes bin for the people in need..
Also discovered a whole pile of other bits and pieces... need to find a good way to store these things.. what are some good storage solutions for things like this?
Also discovered a whole pile of other bits and pieces... need to find a good way to store these things.. what are some good storage solutions for things like this?
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Thoughts on Hewlett Packard Photosmart C7180 printer
YAY!! I have a photo printer! The decision was based on the fact that I want to be able to print out some of the photos that I have taken and be able to experiment with the colours and such... If I was to do the same thing by taking the adjusted photos to the shop and printing them, it would have required more time and the large prints would have been more expensive.
I printed three prints in total last night, to see what this printer was capable of...
The first print was a portrait picture of my girlfriend. The colours were mostly dark apart from the face. It was printed on HP advanced photo paper. Most of the photo was reproduced flawlessly, apart from the top right corner. In that corner I noticed some obvious noise in the blending of the reds and darks. I had a look else where on the photo to see whether the other reds had the same kind of noise. Near the center of the photo, next to the guy in white, there is a pinkish tint window with a white background. There is hardly any noise in that. These are observations of the first print I did, more 4x6 prints with different colours needs to be done to check out other colour blending.
The second print I did was an A4 print of the top of Aiguille Du Midi in Chamonix. This print is composed of mostly blue and white colours. There were no noticeable noise on the picture at all! This is quite amazing, but I am guessing there isn't the same kind of blend as the first print, the redish and darkish blend.
The final print I did was quite similar to the second print, and it turned out to be about the as the same as the second print. Almost flawless!
All in all, I am quite happy with this investment. I still have to play with negatives scanning, general scanning and printing more photos of different colours.
I printed three prints in total last night, to see what this printer was capable of...
The first print was a portrait picture of my girlfriend. The colours were mostly dark apart from the face. It was printed on HP advanced photo paper. Most of the photo was reproduced flawlessly, apart from the top right corner. In that corner I noticed some obvious noise in the blending of the reds and darks. I had a look else where on the photo to see whether the other reds had the same kind of noise. Near the center of the photo, next to the guy in white, there is a pinkish tint window with a white background. There is hardly any noise in that. These are observations of the first print I did, more 4x6 prints with different colours needs to be done to check out other colour blending.
The second print I did was an A4 print of the top of Aiguille Du Midi in Chamonix. This print is composed of mostly blue and white colours. There were no noticeable noise on the picture at all! This is quite amazing, but I am guessing there isn't the same kind of blend as the first print, the redish and darkish blend.
The final print I did was quite similar to the second print, and it turned out to be about the as the same as the second print. Almost flawless!
All in all, I am quite happy with this investment. I still have to play with negatives scanning, general scanning and printing more photos of different colours.
Finally, bring on more devices that connect to the computer via wireless ethernet! There is only one wire going into this printer and thats the power cable! awesome!
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Miniz Problems and Voltage Comparison
Last night I decided to take out my Miniz racer and decided to take it for a run around the house... To my horror, it stopped working, just like it did before... no motor movements, no steering movements (the first time it stopped working was when I installed a FET upgrade to it (2x3 of FET 7389) but it started working again 3 years later without me fixing it).
I took the thing apart and found that the negative battery has snapped off and the negative servo wire has snapped off too.. strange I thought.. on closer examination, it turned out that the wires has become brittle from heat generated by the electronics. I don't know the cause of the excessive heat, but I didn't really want to know anyway...
I replaced all the faulty wires on the board and put the batteries back in and viola, it started to work again...
My girlfriend asked me which miniz's out of the three that I have was the fastest one.. my natural answer was the one with the FET upgrade (the Subaru body)... Then I decided to experiment and find out which pushed more voltage to the motor...
The Miniz's
Subaru WRX
FET upgrade (2x3 7389 plus the stock FETs)
and other various hop ups
MR01 chassis
Ferrari F40 - Japanese electronics
Stock car
MR01 chassis
Initial D Toyota Trueno AE86 - Japanese electronics (I am guessing)
Stock car
MR015 chassis
As it turns out, the Trueno gave 5 volts to the motor, WRX gave 4.81 volts to the motor and F40 gave 4.79 volts... Keeping in mind that I bought the F40 and WRX at about the same time, I was actually quite shocked to see that the electronics of the WRX and F40 gave about the same voltage. Whats more shocking is that the Trueno I bought recently, gave more voltage than the other two miniz's...
I do remember when I first compared the WRX (before upgrading) and F40 years ago, the WRX was noticeably slower then the F40...
I do remember when I first compared the WRX (before upgrading) and F40 years ago, the WRX was noticeably slower then the F40...
It seems the Japanese have the better electronics right out of the box... but more experimentation is need to conclude this...
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
First Blog
I have ventured into the unknown... Blogging. What is it? What fascinating stuff should I crap on about every so often? mmm.. questions that will be answered or will they? Who cares!
More importantly though, time is moving faster and faster and it feels like stuff that happened a year ago only just happened yesterday... what happened in between?
On a lighter note, thank you for taking the time to read this blog and I hope you find something that interests you...
More importantly though, time is moving faster and faster and it feels like stuff that happened a year ago only just happened yesterday... what happened in between?
On a lighter note, thank you for taking the time to read this blog and I hope you find something that interests you...
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