maran eXtreme

Nookcolor e-book reader underachieves - The Boston Globe

2010-12-03T14:48:00.000+08:00

Nookcolor e-book reader underachieves - The Boston Globe

Seven Ancient Wonders by Matthew Reilly

2010-03-01T13:18:00.006+08:00

Seven Ancient Wonders has a storyline that consists mostly of action sequences. It was like reading a screenplay of a GI Joe cartoon, in which the hero always survives against the odds. Unlike the cartoon though, many “good” characters do end up dying. What got me to buy the book (and its sequel The Six Sacred Stones) are all the neat diagrams and illustrations Matthew Reilly (the author) used to describe booby traps, building layouts, geographical settings etc. Perhaps Mr. Reilly thought some of the sequences described in the book involving the above-mentioned (and there are many such sequences in this book) are just too complex to be explained using narrative only. He was spot on. Though some people might complain such attempts leaves nothing to the imagination of the reader, I was quite happy to be able to look at the illustrations and understand the situation (or predicaments) the characters find themselves in.

When the story started, there were quite a number of characters introduced (most of them die through the course of the story) – the central figure being Jack West Jr. who could give John Rambo a run for his money, while at the same time…also happen to be an archeologist on par with Indiana Jones. How many characters in the literary world could claim to be both a soldier and an archeologist?

The book contains some information about the seven wonders of the ancient world, information that is mostly fictional in nature. However, as with any book you read you should learn something, no matter how small it is…and with this book you would at least be able to list a few of the wonders of the ancient world.

Some of the unbelievably amazing action sequences featured in the book are like the breaking out of a terrorist from Guantanamo Bay (which was preceded by a short history of Gitmo and how it came to be – something which I never knew and was delighted to learn) by Jack West Jr. and his team, a street chase in Paris involving a double-decker bus, a daring escape from the armed forces that followed, and breaking into the St. Peter’s Basilica (where the author chose to take the opportunity to go the Da Vinci Code route in explaining conspiracies surrounding Christianity) and stealing an artifact.

Some cliché are also present, as are some twists in the plot. Though the middle section of the book was a bit tedious, the story got interesting towards the ending. Almost all loose ends were neatly tied up. This could be a good read if you know what you are getting into – which is almost like watching an action movie. Not so much substance or drama, action all the way.

Low-budget film-maker from India flies high with Superman of Malegaon - Times Online

2009-12-11T11:04:00.000+08:00

Low-budget film-maker from India flies high with Superman of Malegaon - Times Online

Does Hidden Text Prove Shroud of Turin Real? - Science News | Science

2009-11-24T07:26:00.001+08:00

Does Hidden Text Prove Shroud of Turin Real? - Science News | Science & Technology | Technology News - FOXNews.com

Posted using ShareThis

A Tongue Tweetster

2009-10-26T14:30:00.002+08:00

When a tweeter tweets his tweet with wit, and the tweet gets re-twitted by a twit, does the twice twitted tweet, carries twice the wit or does the wit in the tweet gets tweaked?

The Lost Symbol By Dan Brown

2009-10-22T14:07:00.008+08:00

“The Lost Symbol” was engaging and that much is true. “The Lost Symbol” was also entertaining, well paced, and stimulating. In short, it was a good read. What “The Lost Symbol” isn’t though…is controversial. At least not as controversial as “The Da Vinci Code” was. Dan Brown almost seemed restrained, or better yet, anxious to showcase the “secret” organization known as the Freemasons with such reverence and respect. A stark contrast to Brown’s extremely unkind portrayal of “Opus Dei” in the previous book. Could Brown be a “Mason” himself? I will not be the first person to ask this question, or the last.

The events depicted in the novel occurs in one day (as was the case with the previous two Robert Langdon stories), however the similarity ends there. “Angels & Demons” and “The Da Vinci Code” both followed the same formula, more or less. Depending on which book you read first, that will end up being your favorite.

There were several key plot elements in both that were disappointingly similar, and one of it being the age old plot device that (almost) all mystery thrillers and whodunits (be it in print, celluloid or any other media) uses most of the time effectively - that which is “often the most unsuspected character (or believed to be the most unlikely character to have committed the crime) happens to be the villain. A good example of this would be Kevin Spacey’s character “Verbal Kint” in the movie “The Usual Suspects”, or even the classical twist in “Star Wars” concerning Darth Vader’s identity (who, incidentally, gets a mention in “The Lost Symbol” in the most bizarre way) that made me think that maybe…just maybe… Brown was actually inspired by George Lucas. Obviously, that statement would make sense once one completes the book.

It was smart of Brown to have stepped away from the formula (albeit just slightly) and give us a different twist (which some claim to have been so obvious that they saw it coming from miles away). Obviously, I didn’t…and perhaps only because I was so sure that Brown would follow the other two books and kept thinking the real villain to be someone else. A small triumph for Brown, well played indeed.

As was with “The Da Vinci Code”, “The Lost Symbol” is scattered with facts and trivia on many things which we possibly have taken for granted. One of the most enjoyable scene in the book depicts (in a flashback) Langdon challenging a student to join a cult in which he himself is a member of:

“Well, if you were to ask a Mason, he would offer the following definition: Masonry is a system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols.”

“Sounds to me like a euphemism for ‘freaky cult.’ ”

“Freaky, you say?”

“Hell yes!” the kid said, standing up. “I heard what they do inside those secret buildings! Weird candlelight rituals with coffins, and nooses, and drinking wine out of skulls. Now that’s freaky!”

Langdon scanned the class. “Does that... sound freaky to anyone else?”

“Yes!” they all chimed in.

Langdon feigned a sad sigh. “Too bad. If that’s too freaky for you, then I know you’ll never want to join my cult.”

Silence settled over the room. The student from the Women’s Center looked uneasy. “You’re in a cult?”

Langdon nodded and lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Don’t tell anyone, but on the pagan day of the sun god Ra, I kneel at the foot of an ancient instrument of torture and consume ritualistic symbols of blood and flesh.”

The class looked horrified.

Langdon shrugged. “And if any of you care to join me, come to the Harvard chapel on Sunday, kneel beneath the crucifix, and take Holy Communion.”

The classroom remained silent.

Langdon winked. “Open your minds, my friends. We all fear what we do not understand.”

It is for these kinds of insights that many have become Dan Brown’s fan. If nothing else, he seems to be encouraging us to acknowledge that not everything we do not understand is bad, and that sometimes what we take for granted might seem unusual to others. This is also one of the key plot elements of “The Lost Symbol”. The Masons have a secret initiation ritual, and they do seem barbaric. However, each ritual has a meaning and should not be taken at face value. Could this actually be an allegory to depict how sometimes, certain religious practices or rituals seems odd to those who are not a practicing member of that religion? The Jainist Digambaras, Islamic Niqabs, Hindu Firewalking, or even the Jewish Kaparot?

On a different level, “The Lost Symbol” challenges you to not take religious teachings literally. The Book of Revelation apparently does not really talk about the end of days as was generally perceived. In fact, it is about a time when mankind will leave behind an age of ignorance and enter a golden era of wisdom and a better understanding of the universe. There are secrets, knowledge which our forefathers knew but were lost along the ages. These secret are hidden in plain sight and the rediscovery of this knowledge signifies the entrance of mankind into a new era. Intrigued? Maybe…maybe not! A chilling, yet interesting experiment in order to prove the existence of the human soul is described in the book. “The Lost Symbol” will also perhaps spark an interest in Noetic Science.

“The Lost Symbol” is an easy read. Some of the chapters are just one page long. Somewhere on the Internet, some literary critic is not happy with Dan Brown’s relentless use of italics in this book. Some just couldn’t care less. There were also mentions of ridiculous usage of similes (e.g. “The revelation crashed over Langdon like a wave.”). If you look hard enough, there’s definitely a lot to complain about but sometimes it just pays to ignore them and lose yourself in the chase. Sure enough, in “The Lost Symbol” (much like “The Da Vinci Code”), the ending just fizzled out and did not do justice to the overall story. However, do remember that this story is all about the journey and everything you learn along the way and never about the destination itself. All the fun and excitement is in the middle, so don’t expect an explosive finale in which everything is tied up and packaged neatly, and handed to you in a silver platter. There just isn’t one.

“The Da Vinci Code” did wonders to France’s tourism industry, and rightfully so because it took us on a whirlwind tour to some of the most colorful locales in the region. “The Lost Symbol”, however is firmly set on just a few specific locations in Washington D.C. Will “The Lost Symbol” generate enough curiosity and do the same thing it did for France? That remains to be seen. What’s true though is that I will definitely not look at the Capitol Building and the Washington Monument (much like “The Last Supper”), in the same way, ever again!

The Brotherhood of the Holy Shroud by Julia Navarro

2008-07-31T07:09:00.002+08:00

Since the highly controversial ‘Da Vinci's Code’ was unleashed to the public (which ironically helped to propel the book to astronomical heights), I couldn’t help noticing the surfacing of many ‘similarly themed’ novels (religious thrillers if you want) in the bookshops. I’ve always dismissed them as ‘copycats’ trying to cash in on the success of Dan Brown’s bestseller. I’ve managed to stay away from them until I was suckered in to read ‘The Righteous Men’ by ‘Sam Bourne’ recently. Needless to say, it wasn’t as good as the review on the book’s back cover claimed.

Whoever originally invented the oft repeated saying ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ was right on the money – except that it would probably be more relevant nowadays to say ‘don’t judge a book by its back cover’ - the claims they make! That was when Julia Navarro’s ‘Brotherhood of the Holy Shroud’ caught my eyes. I decided to give it another try – and I am extremely glad. ‘Brotherhood of the Holy Shroud’ is a ‘religious thriller’ of the highest order, with an intelligent and complex plot and one I believe that will NOT offend any Christian friends.

I first read about the Holy Shroud of Turin when I was about 14 years old in a book titled ‘The Encyclopedia of Unsolved Mysteries’ by Colin and Damon Wilson. The book was responsible in introducing me to many of the still unsolved mysteries in the world, like ‘The case of the Devil’s Footprint’, ‘The Bermuda Triangle’, ‘Mystery of Caspar Hauser’ ‘The Mysterious Disappearing Men on the Lighthouse Eilean Moore’ and “The Ghost Ship Mary Celeste’, – to name a few. Some of the stories were chilling, especially since they are not fiction and I do remember them till today.

One of the most interesting features in the ‘encyclopedia’ was that of the mysterious image of a bearded man that can be seen in the Turin Shroud, which for the uninitiated is what many believe to be the image of Jesus Christ himself. The Shroud was supposedly the same cloth that was used by Joseph of Arimathea to cover the body of Jesus shortly after he was crucified.

Some people believe that the image appearing on the Shroud occurred as a direct result of the Resurrection of Jesus after he was crucified. The Shroud, for some is one of the most significant religious artifacts in the world while for others it is but a proof of excellent medieval hoax that’s blown way out of proportion. The Shroud and its history is the basis of Navarro’s novel and it involves such colorful characters as the Italian 'carabinieri' (which refer to members of the military who also perform police duties), a high profile reporter and clandestine organizations like the Knights Templar.

The book begins in Edessa (presently known as Darfur) where the Shroud was first brought to its leper king shortly after the crucifixion of Jesus. The king is miraculously healed of his disease and thus begins the Shroud’s journey into history that involves conspiracies and adventures that spans centuries and countless locations around the world. The story moves interchangeably from history to the present day, where we follow the investigations of the Art Crime Department led by Marco Valoni following a fire that occurred in the Cathedral of Turin where the Shroud is being kept (the fire mentioned really did happen in 11th April 1997). Though the fire does seem like an accident which resulted from negligence, Valoni believes that the fire was somehow directly related to the Shroud and hence begins an arduous investigation with his team of highly trained policemen, computer experts and an art historian.

What follows are about 500 pages of Shroud history, conspiracy theories, scientific explanations, a peek into the life of colorful European high society and some interesting attempt (some fiction, some not) at explaining the phenomenon that made the Shroud of Turin such an unmatched and interesting piece of historical artifact that exist today – hoax or not. All that and some drama thrown in as well. Navarro has definitely done extensive research on the history of the Shroud and on the Knights Templar in specific, whose story had captivated the imaginations of many for generations and is closely linked with the Shroud. For someone that would have some knowledge on the history of the Shroud, this is an extremely interesting story to read. However, it is definitely not a prerequisite. If anything, by the end of the book you would probably know everything there is to know about the holy Shroud of Turin. If reading works of fiction ever meant to teach you something other than just providing pure escapism, Julia Navarro’s ‘Brotherhood of the Holy Shroud’ is definitely a book to read, especially for medieval history buffs such as myself.

Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight

2008-07-20T10:51:00.007+08:00

Everyone and his brother already knows how good Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight is, so it'll be no easy task to try and not take part in the "how many different words and expressions can we use to praise this movie" contest. Yes, it's THAT good. My only beef is that Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine did not get enough screen time. That was a real waste of talent.

What I really liked about the movie though, was its White Knight. In literature classes, teachers often stress upon how "round" characters are often the most interesting if not the most important aspect in any story. Bruce Wayne was that character in "Batman Begins". In "Dark Knight", that phenomenon was Aaron Eckhart's Harvey Dent. Sure, Heath Ledger's Joker will be talked about for years and will have a cult following of its own partially due to the tragic events that befell the actor, partially due to a brilliant performance. Ledger's Joker was an extremely edgy and scary character, perhaps even one notch above Jack Nicholson's "shining" interpretation years ago. Still, the Joker is not a "round" character. It was established from the very beginning that he was just bad to the bone naturally, a fact pointed out by Alfred in his story about a jewel robber and his motivations. The Joker was simply beyond redemption.

Harvey Dent, on the other hand was a character that was looked upon as a real savior of Gotham, one that could actually go about (and daring enough) to try saving the city without a mask. A genuine good guy with almost no grey areas to be manipulated by the other side. Fans of the Batman comics (or even those who have watched the Joel Schumaker directed neon "mess" with Val Kilmer and Tommy Lee Jones) know Dent is doomed from the beginning. The only difference here is that you actually care for Harvey Dent because he really is all that - a personification of chivalry itself. Be it due to Nolan's effective script or Eckhart's convincing acting, Harvey Dent's character was wonderfully painted. Unfortunately, it will perhaps be one of the most underrated performance in this movie that almost nailed to perfection certain aspects of film making - acting, special effects, camera work, script and direction.

When the inevitable change in Harvey Dent comes, you cringe because you almost wished it wasn't going to happen. The effects were extremely good, and when you see the other "half" of Harvey Dent, you can actually feel the pain he must be in. Then you realize the pain of his "real" loss was even greater, hence the fall from grace was almost natural with the Joker playing his part in manipulating Dent's emotional tipping point effectively.

Dark Knight really scores big!

Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy II

2008-06-28T11:06:00.005+08:00

Good one - I'd say (and many people would agree) it's better than the first Hellboy movie. Some of del Toro's aura from Pan's Labyrinth have rubbed off in this movie, especially where creature design is concerned. The Troll Market seems to be a cross between "Diagon Alley" from "Harry Potter " and "The Cantina" from "Star Wars", inspired, perhaps.

Ron Perlman was good as Hellboy, but the character that stole the scene would have to be Johann Krauss. Certain parts were downright funny, witty and warrants a "Laugh out Loud".

Throroughly enjoyed it. This year's comic book movies seems to be all really good!

Peter Berg's Hancock

2008-06-20T11:03:00.003+08:00

Liked it, but did not enjoy it as much as I thought I will. Too much hype by the Internet reviewers I guess. Interesting take at the aftermath of one of those "superhero" fights. If you ever wondered what happened to the city of New York after Spiderman and Doc Ock were at each other's throat in Spiderman 2 - Hancock, would give you an idea.

I've always been a fan of Jason Bateman (who started his career in TV as a sitcom star much like Will Smith himself) and he's absolutely brilliant as an innocent and unsuspecting husband who wants to change the world for a better place.

Not too bad, could have been better.

Louis Leterrier's The Incredible Hulk

2008-06-14T11:08:00.003+08:00

Thank you Louis Leterrier. You saved the Hulk. More or less by incorporating certain elements from the wildly succesful TV series featuring Bill Bixby, The Incredible Hulk "continues" the disaster that was Ang Lee's Hulk in 2003.

Edward Norton picks up where Eric Bana left off, and does a marvellous job in capturing the spirit of Bruce Banner's tragedy. Notable cameo by Stan Lee, Bill Bixby (from a scene in the Courtship of Eddie's Father) and Lou Ferrigno. There was even a brief piano interlude from the TV series's ending credit theme.

The storyline was good, and more emphasis was given to action while not neglecting the drama (it all comes down to a balancing act of different storytelling elements in the editing room) and coming up with a well packed action movie, which is what the audience of this genre generally expects and wants.

Another extremely good comic book based movie for this year.

Jon Favreau's Iron Man

2008-04-16T10:59:00.006+08:00

We should offer gratitude to the god of movies if ever such an entity exists, for allowing movies such as this get done. Described elsewhere on the Internet as "126 minutes of gadget porn" Iron man is definitely one of the best comic books to movie adaptation of the year. I'd never been that big of a fan of this particular Marvel character, one of the main reasons being its similarity to DC's Bruce Wayne. Perhaps I've been wrong. Iron Man is quite an interesting character on its own.

Who'd ever thought that Robert Downey Jr. could pull off Tony Stark with such elegance? Coming forward as highly flawed (hence highly human as well), Downey Jr. made Tony Stark into a very likeable "crooked guy". Even Gwyneth Paltrow was good, and did not succumb into the pit that Kirsten Dunst sunk as Mary Jane Watson.

Though the fight between Iron Man and Iron Monger during the climax did come across as a bit "cartoonish", that's just one small part of the movie. If the "Rocketeer" made you believe a man with a rocket backpack can fly, "Iron Man" will convince you that it's not so big a deal, provided you're as rich and as smart as Tony Stark. In fact, the whole movie rides in that simple fact.

Overall, Iron Man was a really good piece of work, one that I'll watch many times over and over again.

Rising in Phoenix

2008-02-23T12:35:00.005+08:00

I reached Phoenix, Arizona at around 6.40 PM. I headed straight to the baggage claim section, and before I even got to the carousel I saw Cheryl and her husband Doug. Of course, I've only seen a picture of Cheryl and have spoken with her over the phones a few times during out tele-conferencing, but I recognized her almost immediately. Apparently she did too as she got up and walked towards me with a big smile.

Doug and Cheryl are two of the nicest people a person could ever meet. They were warm, and friendly and absolutely charming. After getting the luggage, we walked towards their car and were discussing on where to go for dinner. Having already "google-earthed" the area, I knew a few interesting places to eat around Mariott's Residence Inn where I'll be staying. One of them (which one of my colleague back home strongly suggested as well) was the Mexican food restaurant called Abuelo's. Cheryl's jaw dropped when I suggested we go there, she was extremely surprised that I even knew of Abuelo's.

We drove through the town of Phoenix, it was a sight to behold. We reached Abuelo's and just as Cheryl had been worried of, the place was packed. However Doug did say that it wouldn't be too long of a wait so we went in anyway - and sure enough we got a table within 10 minutes. When I had the menu in my hand, I felt as is I was reading a Mexican newspaper. I didn't know any of the items in the menu...but then I had a second look. Of course, I know what a fajita is...and then there was a buritto...and enchiladas. But that was about as far as I got. Taking into consideration my food restrictions, Doug suggested I try the Fajita Chimichanga. I thought the name had a nice ring to it. He was right, I loved it!

So what a Chimichanga is, is basically a deep fried burrito (chicken / turkey fillings) with some salad, refried beans and some Mexican rice. However, what I really enjoyed in Abuelo's wasn't the main course...instead it was the salsa and the tortilla chips which they served as the appetizer. I was immediately hooked on them!

After dinner, I checked in to the hotel which was right across of the Chandler Fashion Mall. Quite a nice area, for someone who is not familiar with the left hand side driving to be able to explore on foot!

Sleepless in La La Land

2008-02-22T17:52:00.022+08:00

After an almost 18 hours flight, I was hugely relieved to reach the Los Angeles International Airport. According to Wikipedia, LAX is one of the busiest airports in the world - but that doesn't necessarily make it the best airport in the world. Compared to Singapore airport, even the KLIA, I personally think LAX pales in comparison.

Getting through customs wasn't a problem. That happened very quickly - as soon as I got out I looked around to figure out where I should stand to wait for the shuttle that was supposed to take me to LA's Sheraton Gateway. First time in LA, all alone, cold and a bit confused, it took me about 20 minutes to figure out what I had to do. I saw the shuttle pass me by twice and I hoped it would stop but it just drove by. I asked someone, and he told me I have to hail them. I did so, and pretty soon I was on my way to the hotel.

I got to know soon enough that this weekend is the Oscar weekend. Which means, Hollywood would be bustling with activity. What a great time to visit that area...I was contemplating on going to either Santa Monica (where the infamous Route 66 ends) or the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The choice seemed obvious, but unfortunately I ended up going to neither place! (more on this later)

I was extremely hungry when I reached the hotel, and not knowing where to go for dinner, I did the most obvious thing - order room service. Of course, all I wanted was a burger and a bowl of onion soup. That's what I ordered...but what I got was this:

The onion soup isn't even in the picture - I had to move back just to take this shot. My very first American dinner - and it tasted like sawdust (the turkey on the burger). The onion soup was very good though, and I would have really enjoyed if only they had not smothered it with cheese. After such a dinner, I needed to sit for a while and relax.

The bed was very inviting, but unfortunately I couldn't sleep all night - it was daytime back home and evening in the US. I was extremely tired, wanted to sleep so much so that I can have that much needed rest but the evil of all travel kicked in - the jet lag.

When I woke up (well if course I didn't sleep at all, I was just lying down on the bed very much wide awake) I was so tired I could barely walk. I took a shower and got connected to the Internet. Wasn't as easy as I thought - the connection was very bad and I kept getting disconnected. I made a mental note to mention that in my company's hotel review website.

Highly irritated, I then switched on the TV and watched some news - then got dressed and wanted to go out. The moment I stepped out of the hotel, the cold weather engulfed me and I felt chilled to the bone. The weather was particularly bad this day, I tried walking around the hotel but I was shivering. How am I going to get to the Hollywood Walk of Fame in this condition? Add to the fact that suddenly I felt so sleepy and didn't quite know the lay of the land, I decided to turn back and embrace the comforts of the bed. I had better get some sleep before catching that plane to Phoenix. Hence ends my LA adventure.

At Changi

2008-02-22T15:19:00.013+08:00

Free Internet access everywhere in Changi airport! The Singapore airport is equipped with many computer terminals where Internet access is provided for travellers, but only for 15 minutes mind you. That's not so bad - still better than nothing.

I took the 10.25 a.m. flight out of Bayan Lepas earlier today, and reached Changi International airport by noon. I got the window seat, but unfortunately the only view I had was of the plane's wing. It was nice and sturdy, and I felt really safe.

As soon as I landed, I walked around and noticed that the airport was more like a mall than any other airports I've been in. And boy, are the staff friendly! It seems like they read your body language, and out of nowhere they appear to help you (with a smile) if you look like you're stumped (i.e. you don't know where to go or what to do).

I'm using one of those 15 minutes Internet stations to post this, one that's near the Hard Rock Cafe. I'll be boarding my next flight to LA soon.

But of course, not before having some lunch. I discovered a nice little place in this huge airport named Breks. They serve good coffee and wonderful pizza, and you could even look at the airplanes while you eat.

Travel Time

2008-02-21T13:31:00.007+08:00

I’m busy getting ready for a two weeks trip to the US. I should finish packing tonight as my flight out of Penang is at 10.30 a.m. tomorrow. I see a long and tiresome traveling period – Penang to Singapore, a 5 hour wait in Changi after which I board a 14 hours flight from Singapore to LA which stops for an hour at Taipei, Taiwan. I should be arriving at the Tom Bradley International Airport at around 6.40 PM, on the same day! How weird is that.

Before I arrive at my destination in Chandler, Arizona, I get to spend one night in LA’s Sheraton Gateway. If time permits and if I am not too tired, I plan to visit the Santa Monica Pier and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Santa Monica Pier, at day and night time

So many plans, so little time. Let’s see if I manage to take my own picture of the Pier and Walk of Fame. The ones above were taken from Flickr.

FDO

2008-01-28T22:46:00.007+08:00

It feels great to be back in Penang, what's not great though was the horrible jam in which I got caught this morning on my way to work. What a first day - enough to make me worry about the decision of buying the house in mainland. I was a bit relieved though when as I drove forward and discovered the cause of the jam - an accident involving 4 black Perdanas. What are the odds? Don't think of me as a horrible person for being relieved that the jam was caused by the accident. What I meant was that at least I know that the jam is not an everyday occurrence but was only caused by that single incident. Honestly, thinking of driving through such a jam everyday is enough to convince me to buy a property in Penang itself (if I could afford it that is).

I was supposed to be at the FTZ by 8.00, but arrived half an hour late. I was lucky in the sense that I've submitted all the documents that needs to be submitted a few weeks ago, because that's what the first hour was for anyway. As that was the case, I sat at the lobby and waited for my new manager to arrive and bring me to my office. I got introduced to the rest of the guys (and a gal) at work. The guys were very friendly, quite a colorful bunch and I can see that it'll be fun working here.

I've got a meeting at 7.00 a.m. tomorrow, can't risk being late so have to wake up early. Off to bed now...it's been a good day. A good FDO. If you know what that means, you know where I work ;-)

Wattpad! What the...

2007-09-27T14:33:00.000+08:00

There's this new cool thing on the net, well new to me anyway...and it's called Wattpad. People have been moving away from doing stuff on desktop PCs to Notebooks...and to PDA/Cellphones. In fact, Nokia N70 even boldly claims it's no longer just a phone, but a multimedia device. I can do lots of things with my phone, the Sony Ericsson W900i. I check my gmail, send MMS, make video calls, upload photos to my Flickr account, read blogs, upload entries to my blog, reserve movie tickets, even watch movies on it...the list goes on.

One of the things I never thought I could do...was actually to read a novel on it. I've always never been comfortable with reading e-books. For one thing, sitting in front of a computer for hours and reading huge chunks of text while scrolling the pages with a mouse...not my idea of a fun reading experience. But then, reading novels on my phone...now there's a thought! I travel quite often from KL to Penang, and over the months have discovered the Snoozer bus. It's always an experience traveling in these luxurious buses, as they are fitted with Personal Entertainment Systems. That's just a fancy way of saying that you get to watch whatever movies you like to while traveling. Believe me, it really helps you pass the time. At times when I don't manage to get the tickets for these buses, then I would have to settle for a normal express bus. Which means about 5 hours of utter boredom. When you travel at night, you can't read. You can't sleep either. The only option is to stare out of the window hopelessly (unless you're stuck on the aisle seat, in which case you can't even do that!)

But now...with Wattpad...I can actually read in the dark, assisted by the phone's back light. Ok, now more about Wattpad. It's actually a small Java application which you can install in your phone, upon which it connects you to a database of downloadable e-books comprising of genres such as Fantasy, Food, Fiction, History, Horror, Mystery etc. Provided you have enough space (shouldn't be a problem with new phones that has GIGS of memories) you can load as many stories as you want. The economic way of going about this would be to download these e-books in .jar formats to your PC and transfer them to your phone via USB or bluetooth - as downloading over the air would incur charges from the line operators.

Last I checked, Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince was available for download among others, along with the complete works featuring Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie's Poirot...and all 12 Wheel Of Time novels by Robert Jordan! It's free for download too, all you need to do is register. I'm not sure if it's legal though...but when has THAT stopped anyone? Noticed this on Wattpad's Terms of Use though:

Copyrighted Material
Do not upload copyrighted material for which you do not own the rights to or have permission from the owner. If you are a copyright holder and believe any user submitted content infringes on your copyright, you may notify us by email at report@wattpad.com. Include a reference to the copyrighted work and contact information of the person authorized to act on behalf of the owner. We will act promptly to investigate such claims.

So how come the works of JK Rowling, Robert Jordan and the likes of David Eddings are provided there? Go figure. I just hope this doesn't end up becoming the next Napster.

URL? : http://www.wattpad.com

The Prince of Thieves

2007-08-24T08:10:00.000+08:00

Yes! I've finally managed to get my hands on Kevin Costner's Robin Hood : Prince of Thieves. I've been looking for this movie ever since I started collecting DVD's...and other than the obvious choice of spending a fortune and buying it online from a certain company that's named after a river in South America, I opted to look for it in the local DVD shops. It took me a while...in fact I've almost given up on it, but lo and behold, a month ago in IOI Mall's Speedy Video Center...there it was, ON SALE!

It's interesting how universal the appeal is for a tale about a rich nobleman that chose to let go the comforts of his estate and ventures into the forest, befriends other outlawed men who were driven into the same forest by the oppressors, forms a band of thieves and steals from the rich to give to the poor. Fantastic, yes...romantic, definitely. It's been a childhood dream (yet to be realized) to visit England and step foot into Nottingham, and on to the Old Market Square from where within walking distance stands the Robin Hood Memorial Statue.

Three cheers to Robin of The Hood and his Merry Men - I want to believe that he actually lived and his exploits were more than just stories.

My Inner Daemon

2007-08-17T17:07:00.000+08:00

Graduated!

2007-08-11T12:41:00.000+08:00

Finally! Graduated from MMU with Master in Multimedia (e-Learning Technologies) - August 11 2007!

The Number 31

2007-03-28T16:36:00.000+08:00

I turn 31 today, and my colleagues at work got me a cake. How nice of them. Thank you guys, I really didn't expect this.

Technically, Mages was the first to wish me. She called exactly at midnight. I knew she would so I waited before going to sleep - otherwise I would be sailing in dreamland by 11:45 (I know, I'm hopeless) I also received SMSes from my brother and sister. Viola gave me a small gift, haven't opened it yet (and yes the suspense is killing me). I'm gonna open it just after I finish writing this.

Sigh...I'm getting OLD! So depressing!

Got what it takes to be a superspy?

2007-03-23T08:12:00.000+08:00

Seven reasons why YOU will never be a Double O agent ;-)

1) You don't fear death, and won't give into torture
2) You have Olympic level shooting skills
3) Even if you double-cross your own parents, you will never double-cross the organization
4) You have knowledge that would surprise even a scholar, and a sense of humor that would make even a bad girl grin
5) You have the sociability of a lamb, but remain a lone wolf
6) You have the highest level of experience with alcohol, gambling, cars and food
7) You can fall in love but you can never love

From IMDB / Casino Royale / Trivia Section

My Visual DNA

2007-03-15T17:00:00.000+08:00

Read my VisualDNA™Get your own VisualDNA™

Heart of Hearts

2007-03-08T00:44:00.000+08:00

There was a time when Radio 4 ruled, and Janet Ambrose was THE ultra cool deejay. I still remember once I actually called in when she was interviewing Anita Sarawak and instead of speaking with the celebrity, I was chatting up Janet. Anita is cool, of course, but I listened to Janet every day. I read somewhere that Radio 4 is now known as Traxx FM or something, and I don’t even know if Janet is still “deejaying”, but all those hours I spent listening to her introduced me to some of my all time favorite songs. Masterpiece by Atlantic Starr, Right Here Waiting & Now and Forever by Richard Marx, Hotel California by Eagles, Final Countdown by Europe…well, the list goes on. You get the drift.

What I used to do in those days (before the existence of MP3 or Internet Radio – heck I didn’t even know what Internet was in those days), was to record the songs as they played in the radio so that I can listen to it later – and yes, Janet did have this irritating habit (like so many other deejays) of speaking just as the song starts to play - so that gets recorded as well. The thing is, most of the songs I love…with a little help from the Internet and P2P technologies, I now have in my handy little W900, Sony Ericsson. Except for this one darned song.

Just as my hunt for the elusive DVD of Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves has elevated it to the “white elephant” status in my conquest, so has this one song, which had haunted and taunted me for so long. In the beginning, I didn’t even know the title of the song, or who sang it. I just remembered a few lines of the lyrics and some bits and pieces of its tune. There was no way I could find out anything about it, as no one I actually hummed the song to, knows it or have heard it before. Then, one fine day I tried Googling for the song by actually entering the few lines of the lyrics that I remembered. To be fair, I tried this a few years ago, but it did not bore any fruits. I told myself, a couple of years between now and then, someone would have definitely created a page that referenced this particular song. What are the odds? I was right! Lo and behold! My search actually returned quite a number of results. Now I know the song which I was looking for was called “Heart of Hearts” by a group called “Johnny Hates Jazz”! All praises be for Page and Brin!

Heart of Hearts - Johnny Hates Jazz

Why do you hide in the shadows?

Are you afraid of the sun?
You've got a lifetime before you
And many wars to be won

You've got to look to the future
And never dwell in the past
And though you'll never forget me
Some things are not meant to last

So why don't you open the door?
It's a beautiful day
Nothing will stand in your way
Just take look in your heart of hearts
It's true

For everything there's reason
Sometimes it's hard to define
But maybe you can take comfort
Knowing you're one of a kind

In the darkness
There's a light that shines on you
It's not over, I'll be waiting
In another place and time

I will still be by your side

Well, I found the lyrics, but the song is still as elusive. If anyone has this song, or at least knows where to get it…please let me know!

Some info on Johnny Hates Jazz, extracted from Wikipedia

Johnny Hates Jazz was an English pop band formed in 1986 by Clark Datchler (vocals, piano), Calvin Hayes (keyboards), and the German born Mike Nocito (bass).Named after a friend who really did hate jazz, Johnny Hates Jazz released their first single, "Me and My Foolish Heart," on RAK Records that year. After searching for a major record label deal they landed one towards the end of 1986 with Virgin Records after a gig at, ironically enough, a jazz club. The group's début single for Virgin, "Shattered Dreams," became a big hit in 1987. The group's debut album "Turn Back The Clock" also proved successful, reaching #1 on the UK albums chart.

Datchler left in 1988 and was replaced by the former Cure bass guitarist, Phil Thornalley. A month before the release of their second album. Tall Stories the band was involved in a serious car accident which left Hayes in a body cast for over a year. The band lost momentum and eventually split in 1995.

Dining Out @ TGI Friday's PJ - Part 2 (March)

2007-02-23T00:40:00.000+08:00

So Akash is back from South Africa, to “get hitched for the rest of his life”, which is what he’s been telling me. Good for you brother, wish you all the happiness in life. Especially since you decided to treat us for a wonderfully satisfying dinner in TGI Friday’s. I’m not really sure who first suggested going to TGI Friday’s for dinner this time as Gangga and I have been planning to go there in March. Dining out twice in the same month? Whoa…ok. Technically, it is almost March…and this time, the soon-to-be-wedded couple also joined us. The more, the merrier…and it was definitely a night to remember.

I had some reservations in ordering drinks because they all seemed to contain some alcohol. Vicky had the Electric Lemonade, which is basically SKYY Vodka, sweet & sour with a jolt of blue Curacao. Gangga had his usual Margarita, while Akash had the Ultimate Strawberry Margarita. Not the one to be left behind, I had a glass of specially prepared Clear Oxygen mixed with two shots of Hydrogen that was run through a delicate combustion process which was stopped just when it reached vaporizing temperature. Yes, I had a glass of plain, boiled water.

Gangga and Akash posing with the drinks.

We started off with the Buffalo Wings. (I think one of us actually thought that this dish consisted parts of beef due to its name, but of course the Buffalo in Buffalo Wings refers to Buffalo, New York.) A bit of history on Buffalo Wings from About.com:

There is some dispute about who came up with the original hot wing appetizer, but most credit the Anchor Bar in where else but Buffalo, New York, USA. The historic creation date for Buffalo Wings was October 30, 1964, when owner Teressa Bellissimo was faced with feeding her son and his friends a late snack. Having an excess of chicken wings on hand, she fried up the wings, dipped them in a buttered spicy chile sauce, and served them with celery and blue cheese dressing as a dipping sauce to cut the heat. The wings were an instant hit. The city of Buffalo has designated July 29 as "Chicken Wing Day," and today, the Anchor Bar serves up more than 70 thousand pounds of chicken per month! The Anchor Bar original recipe for hot sauce is now sold commercially.

The main course was truly scrumptious.

This is what Gangga had:

This is what I had - it's called Country Chicken, and yes I did have to try my best to finish it The mashed potato was thick, creamy and rich. The corn was just corn:

This is what Vicky had:

My dessert - which I fancied due to caramel contents and its imaginative name - Friday's Sundae:

And this, is the bill:

I don't remember if this picture was taken before or after the meal, I'm guessing it's after because...heck, I look HAPPY! and Akash on the right looking not so happy because he had to pay the bill! (thanks for the treat AK - it was truly a good dinner). Gangga just looks cool as always - no expressions. Or is he just stoned after the 2 glasses of Margaritas?

Dining Out @ Chili's Mid Valley – Part 1 (February)

2007-02-09T00:47:00.000+08:00

I went to Chili’s last night with Gangga for dinner, just as we planned. I’ve always wanted to go there ever since I heard Frashad raving about it when I was back in Penang some time ago. Gangga’s a Chili’s veteran, so he was helpful in telling me what’s hot and what’s not. The ambiance in the restaurant was nice, for a while I forgot that I was in Mid Valley. We were told we have to wait to sit in the non-smoking area – we didn’t really mind where we were going to sit because we were really hungry. So we got a table near the bar, which was quite nice as we got to observe the bartenders making drinks. Muz from my office told me to try out the “Monterey Chicken” with “Triple Play” for appetizers. We ordered the appetizer but “Monterey Chicken” was no go…because it comes with beef bacon. I asked the waiter if the beef could be replaced with something else, like maybe more chicken? He gave us a disgusted look and said, “No, we don’t do that. You can choose to omit the beef from the dish though”

It was then, my turn to look at the waiter with the same disgusted look. I am not going to pay more than RM30 for an incomplete dish. Hah, nice try Chili’s waiter!

When I was looking through the menu earlier, I did notice a dish called ‘Citrus Fire Chicken and Shrimp” – it’s basically rice with shrimp and a huge piece of boneless chicken breast with slices of lemon, tomatoes and sautéed broccoli and cauliflowers.

What, rice again? I know…I know! But it looked really nice…and though the prawns tasted slightly raw, the rice, chicken and the rest were absolutely fabulous. I cherished every bite. Mamamia!

The appetizer was good too, “Triple Play” featured Chicken Crispers®, Boneless Buffalo Wings and Fried Cheese with sauces for dipping. One of the sauces were sour cream, can’t remember the other two. I was too busy enjoying them to note down the names, so sue me. Chili’s got a really cool “bottomless” drinks concept – you pay for one soft drink, and then you can get free refills. As many as you want! And you’re not limited to the first drink you order for the refills. You can have a glass of iced lemon tea the first time, and when you ask for refills you can request for Coke Light instead.

Then finally, I had a truly sinful glass of rich chocolate milkshake with chocolate sprinkles.

Gangga had two glasses of Margarita and Prawn Alfredo. We shared the appetizers. The bill came up to RM166, which included tax and service charges. Sigh. My food alone was around RM60. Them Margaritas were expensive, god I’m glad I don’t drink!

Will I go back? Definitely. But not anytime soon, because next on the list is TGI Fridays!

The bill:

Dining out? Why not?

2007-02-02T00:44:00.000+08:00

Gangga and I have decided on going out once a month to try out some of the expensive restaurants in town. Our list consists of Chili’s and TGI Fridays for now. I will record my experiences eating in these places, hope it will serve as a guide for future references. KL, here we come!

Common Factor

2006-12-27T14:23:00.000+08:00

Sir Isaac Newton

What do all these people have in common?

Sir Isaac Newton
Muhammad Ali Jinnah (the founder of Pakistan)
Robert Ripley (of Ripley's Believe It or Not)
Humphrey Bogart
Rod Serling (creator of The Twilight Zone TV Series)
Atal Bihari Vajpayee (former Prime Minister of India)
Nawaz Shariff (Prime Minister of Pakistan)
Sissy Spacek (Holywood actress)
Annie Lenox (singer)
Dido (singer)

Nop, they were not all grandmasters of the Priory of Scion :Þ

Highlight the section below for answer:

[All of them were born in Christmas Day!] <<

A Hallmark Christmas

2006-12-26T10:02:00.000+08:00

Spent Christmas eve all alone, in the house doing my research. I knew watching Rob Lowe's Christmas Shoes will make me sad but I couldn't keep myself away from this emotional, typical Hallmark feature. As usual, it had a happy / sad ending - which is true in most real life situations anyway.

That said, I made good progress on my research. I got home on Saturday evening, spent the whole of Sunday and Christmas Monday in the apartment. What I achieved by being a Grinch is that I'm almost ready to get into the analysis mode, which means most of my work will be completed soon. I can't wait to get this thing over with...I am so looking forward to graduating next year. What next? PH. D. I hope. I guess I still haven't had enough of the academic torment.

Hit me with all you've got! Come on!

Merry Christmas world.

Maran 1 - World 25

Miracles

2006-12-22T16:21:00.000+08:00

Am I expecting for a miracle? Maybe. If so, what's wrong with that. After all the struggle I've been through my life...am I at least not even allowed to hope for one? It's not as if what I wish for is totally beyond my reach. It can happen, and I want to believe that it will happen. It's not as if I want to be rich and famous in an instant. What I am hoping for is something basic, and I know I deserve it. Why? Because nothing in my life had been easy so far. I have met with fierce battle every turn I take. I'm a battle weary, beaten down soldier. I had to fight fiercely for everything I had ever wanted in my life. There had never been shortcuts. There had never been any help from others - it was me, myself and I all the way. Don't I get to choose what I want to do with my life? I am not being choosy or fussy. I have been miserable enough for a long time. I just know what I want, and by being strict with that, I strongly believe I should not be labelled "unrealistic".

There will be miracles, when you believe...isn't that how the song goes? There is no need to be sarcastic about what I believe. What I wish for might not happen, and I might end up being disappointed as always - but this time, my disappointment might be worse because it had been made known that my hopes for a miracle is seen as ridiculous, probably even laughed at.

My confidence has been utterly shaken - and my miracle, whether it comes or not...does not make any difference any more.

Knowing that hurts. Alot.

Cyberpark, Cyberjaya

2006-12-21T14:27:00.000+08:00

Serene Cyberpark, Cyberjaya

Silent Shouts

2006-12-21T13:41:00.000+08:00

Have you ever felt that the world is closing in on you? Not a pleasant experience I tell you...and I'm sure you've gone through these phases as well. When in such situations, do not look for divine interventions. It's not gonna come, and even if it does, it wont be as fast as you would like it.

Things you just want to get over with, has the tendency to move at ultra slow - motion speed. When your entire future (or at least when you think so) depends on the whims and fancy of someone half way across the world, that you've never even met or exchanged pleasantries with, there's nothing much you can do but wait patiently staring at the liquid crystal display and pray.

So what do you do when these things occur? One thing you shouldn't do though, is be alone. Get some company, and talk about other things.

Escapism, is not what Harry Houdini specialized in. That's you and me in a circle of friends or loved ones, learning to deal with troubles of the world by forgetting it, even if it's only temporarily. A single thread of kind words could save you from total insanity, just as it could plunge you into your doom. So take it easy, and that's not my advice to you.

It's to myself.