The Blog vs The Wall

I read somewhere that bloggers are a dying breed and that the digital world is now dominated by the almighty FACEBOOK.

I admit that I am a FB addict. I check my wall a few times a day and make stupid remarks on my friends' posts. That's not counting Farmville. That blasted game has to be the biggest waste of my time that I am, as yet, unable to ignore. I have tried to "abandon" my farm a few times and when I think that I am over the game, the urge to harvest my virtual crops and bake digital Strawberry Shortcakes suddenly overwhelm me and my FB wall is suddenly flooded with posts of my pseudo farming activities.

I'm pretty sure some of my friends on FB has blocked my posts or even "unfriended" me. Ha ha... but I digress.

Ever since I started to Facebook, I have neglected my blog. It all boils down to laziness. Why sit at the computer and spend half an hour to an hour transferring your thoughts via your hands to the glowing white screen when you can get the gist of your message posted on your FB wall in seconds while waiting for the bus? It didn't help that the iPhone gave one round-the-clock access to FB.

In our world of instant information at your fingertips, I find that people (myself included) have grown a lot more inpatient and intolerant of being made to wait thanks to the iPhone. Here's a few examples:

Waiting for the bus.
Past: Sit/Stand and stare at the horizon willing the bus to come.
Now: Open SG Buses on iPhone. Check arrival time. Keep hitting refresh thinking that it will speed up time. Finally give up and open Doodle Jump. Play till I almost miss the bus when it arrives 2 minutes later.

Having a meal.
Past: Inhale food. Chat with fellow diner while waiting for them to finish their meal.
Now: Inhale food. Open FB on iPhone. Check in at current location. Comment on friends' posts. Open Doodle Jump. Completely ignore fellow diner.

However, in all fairness, and completely opposite to what I have just said, the iPhone + FB combo has also played an important part in making me a more patient person. In the past, I hated being made to wait. Not that I like waiting now... its just that in the past, just ask anyone who used to hang out with me. Turn up late and my face will be blacker than my black clothes. That's provided I am still there.

These days, I don't mind waiting, as long as I am not rushing for time. I can sit patiently for up to 3 hours with a drink and just occupy myself with my iPhone/iPad. Of course, once my battery dies, I regress to my cro-magnon temper and Impending Tempest Expression.

Again... I digress.

So having said all that crap about laziness and Facebook and what not, why am I still sitting at my desk and typing out an entry on my blog? Well... I just like reading my own words. Call me narcissistic but I really like to read what I write. Everyone has a list of authors whose works they enjoy reading and I happen to be my own fan. In fact, half the time, I find myself writing for my own enjoyment, which is why I write on topics that interest me and say things that I find funny. Along the way, should someone else like what I write, all so the better. Everyone wins!

Nah... I'm kidding... to a certain extent.

The truth is, putting down my thoughts allow me to reflect on them and when I read them back, I do obtain a new perspective on how I view the world around me. I have written a number of blog entries out of sheer frustration at someone or something I have encountered and a good number of these entries don't get published. Often, while proof reading for grammatical errors, I see their point of view or realize that my actions didn't exactly help the situation and suddenly, the urge to vent is gone. I only wish that in the real world, we have the luxury to proof read our thoughts and actions before we make total asses of ourselves.

Another reason I blog is that I am a very expressive individual and frankly speaking, a single wall post is not enough to adequately express how I feel. Just look at the length of my blog entries. Even my work emails are long. I would send internal emails to make a simple announcement and people would wind up reading an extra four to five paragraphs of light-hearted humor, thoughts and other gibberish. The Chinese would call it "Lor Sor". It's a curse.

Well... just needed to say my piece. I'm getting sleepy. Had a busy day at work. Thank goodness I'm off for the next two days. :D

Let's see when the next entry is. Heh heh heh.

Unmatched Service

I just had a late lunch before visiting my mum at the hospital. After eating, I went to the food court to buy her some food. This is a summary of my experience at the two places.

Establishment 1: O'Briens @ SGH

The first thing I noticed when walked in was that the entire staff of the shop were clustered around the Expresso machine, chatting away. I approached the cashier where a lone lady stood with a blank expression on her face. I picked up a can of Mountain Dew from the chiller and placed it on the counter. She she just stood there. I ordered a Guacamole and cheese sandwich and she collected my money ($12.40 for a sandwich and a drink).

The cashier, who was also apparently the sandwich artist, then told me "Please take a seat" and started moving off towards the sandwich counter. I stopped her and asked if I could have a cup of ice for my drink. She look at me and asked, "You want ice ah."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and simply said, "Yes please."

She continued moving away and asked one of her colleagues to "Get a cup of ice for him." One of the girls from the cluster of staff broke away and scooped me a cup of ice. She then grabbed a tray, place some napkins and the single paper cup of ice on it and placed it before me at the counter. I looked at her and said politely, "I don't think I need the tray. Thanks."

I found a seat not far from the counter and had just settled into it when I heard the former staff announce, "Cheese and GUAKAMOLEE sandwich!"

I turned around and I saw her standing behind the counter, looking straight at me with a plate in her right hand and an expression that said, "I'm not bringing this to you, Buster! Get your ass over here."

So I got out of my seat and got my sandwich, which by the way, contained the hardest cheese I have ever eaten and shredded vegetables that were so small that they refused to stay within the bread and rained down onto the plate every time I moved my hand.

It was not one of the nicest dining experiences I've had.


Establishment 2: Kopitiam @ SGH

After my lunch, I went to the food court to get some spring rolls for my mum. The moment I approached the food stall, the Chinese lady behind the counter smiled at me and asked if I wanted Pohpia. I smiled and told her wanted to get 2 rolls to go. She then quietly placed an empty container beside her colleague who automatically started slathering ingredients onto two rice paper skins which he had prepared the moment he heard me placing my order. I paid for the food and the lady handed me a neatly packed bag with a smile.

I then went to the drink stall to get myself. Bottle of water. As usual, the stall was packed with a long queue. When it got to my turn, I took a bottle of water from a big pile in front of the counter. The lady behind the cashier automatically placed a cup of ice in front of me. I told her that I didn't need ice but accidentally knocked it over when tried to pass it back to her.

I think it must have been a mixture of the long queue of people behind me and the chaos you find in a crowded food court but I panicked and started blubbering out an apology while trying to scoop the ice back into the cup using my one free hand. (I was carrying a bag of food in the other.)

I was expecting some verbal abuse from the lady who looked really hot and bothered but to my surprise, she flashed me a sympathetic smile and told me (VERY KINDLY) to leave it and that she would clear it up so that I wouldn't obstruct the queue.

I mean... WOW! That's what I call SERVICE!

O'Briens... With your overpriced food and lousy service staff... you've lost out to an aunty in a food court. For the price you charge for your fancy sandwiches, at least teach your staff to pronounce their names right!

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Interview 101

How to piss off a potential employer. Tips from actual job applicants I received.

1. Email your resume en mass to several companies... On the same email... with all their email addresses visible on the "To" box.

2. Reject the call when the potential employer calls you. Return call during lunchtime when the interviewer is not around. Leave a message that you are a job applicant returning a call. Reject the call again when the interviewer calls back after lunch.

3. Tell the interviewer that you are interested in the position but you can't make it at the appointed time as you have another interview to attend.

4. List the boss of the company you are applying to as one of your references... wait... make that YOUR ONLY REFERENCE in your resume when it's painfully obvious to everyone in that small company that you've only interacted with him a few times as a customer.

5. Turn up at the company and insist on having a walk-in interview. When the manager turns up to politely ask you to "send us your resume and bugger off", plead like those contestants on American Idol who can't sing but wants to be put through to the next round.

6. Ask someone else to apply on your behalf. When your application is ignored because you are not suitable, keep calling repeatedly to speak with the hiring manager. If you are told that your application was rejected on foreign manpower quota grounds, ask your friend to speak to the boss of the company. Call the hiring manager to tell him that (insert director's name) wants to interview you personally. Keep calling the hiring manager persistantly even after your employment pass application was rejected by the Ministry of Manpower.

Morons...


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Embracing the Dark Side

My last blog entry was made on my HTC Touch HD. I remember typing it out on my phone while sitting at a coffee joint thinking that Wow! This is the best touch screen phone I've ever used. What's more... it really satisfies my black lust. I mean... everything is BLACK! It's even called the Blackstone!

Ok... better not get carried away with the black thing.

BLACK!

Anyhoo... over the last week, both Weng and Kimmie got themselves iPhones. Well they both had problems with their W902 and since their telco contracts were up, they decided to get new phones and Weng started the ball rolling by getting the evil fruit.

At the same time, Kimmie also was also advised by her colleages that the iPhone was easy to configure to receive her office emails. This, together with encouragment from Weng, who was already completely fallen to the dark side, convinced her to get one for herself too.

Over the weekend, I got to play with Weng's iPhone and I was quite impressed with the touch screen. It was more responsive than the Touch HD and OH MY GOD THE APPS! There are so many different apps for both fun and function.

I guess it's a mixture of the impressive features of the phone and me being caught in the fallout of the encouragement for Weng and Kimmie to buy the iPhone but my phone contract was up and I thought... Why not?

My last experience with an Apple product was with my 3rd Generation iPod about 6 years ago. After almost a year of use, it died after 5 minutes of use on a full charge. Also, by that time, Sony Ericsson ruled the Empire with their Walkman phones and I ditched the fruit after the guy at the apple service centre told me that it would be cheaper for me to buy a new iPod than to replace the battery for my less than a year old but already obsolete iPod.

So after 6 "fruitless" years, I'm pleasantly surprised by the iPhone's capabilities. The user interface is simple and yet effective, connectivity is seamless and easy and THE APPS are FANTASTIC!

I was quite disappointed with Windows Mobile's lackluster store so Apple's App Store won me over as my army mates used to put it "boh beh zao".

What I don't like about the iPhone is the keyboard. It may be more responsive that my Blackstone (BLACK!) but I hate that I can't switch to a keypad mode where the buttons are bigger and I can type with one hand comfortably.

Also, I hate that you can't set your own mp3 files as ringtones. As a result, I decided to retain my (Gorgeously BLACK) Blackstone as my main phone with the help of Singtel's multi-sim service where all incoming calls and SMSes are directed to my Touch HD but at the same time, I can still make outgoing calls and SMSes and use my 50 gigs of data on the iPhone.

It also sucks that I can only add new music to the iPhone by importing it to iTunes on my pc and then synching it to my iPhone since the iTunes store is not supported in Singapore.

Since I am not using my iPhone as a primary phone, and I hate some of it's core features, some people might be wondering...

"WTF are you doing with an iPhone then?"

Well... I love the games and apps... and I love the fact that there are so many accessories, electronics and gadgets made with the iPhone in mind.

Damn my gadget lust.

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Black Geeky Goodness

I've been a bad boy recently... in terms of my spending. Finally, after two years trying to squeeze myself into the biomedical sciences industry, I have succumbed to my spending habits and have gone back to my old job at ARVC.

I guess it was not meant to be... I mean... I've given it 2 years. Putting up with the miserable pay and lowly starting position... Sure I gained lots of experience working in a diagnostics lab but as my ex-boss put it during my interview, "One's got to live."

My moment of weakness came when Steph suggested that I go back as the pay would help my financial position and indeed it did. What made the deal "sweeter" was that Steph abandoned me one month back into the job and uncle asked me to take over her position. That's the second time Steph's done that to me... getting me in so that she can get out. Kinda reminds me of the story of Atlas.

Anyway, the new job scope came along with a sizable pay raise (and new headaches) but that's another story.

What I wanted to say from all the crap above was that my financial position was given a big boost.

Now even with my pay cuts the last 2 years, I've not stopped spending. I just spent less but if you look at the proportion of my expenditure with relation to my pay, I'd say it was more or less at a constant rate. Thus with this increased income came (naturally) an appropriate increase in spending.

In my defence, I did spend a lot of it on the house in an attempt to reinstate it to an improved pre-fire state although I did splurge on myself in terms of essential geekware, which brings me to the whole point of this entry. THE GEEKWARE.

Since moving back home after vie renovations, the first major self indulgence was a 32" Samsung Series 4 LCD TV. This, together with a new DVR set-top box (Hubstation) brought about my re-initiation to the world of Cable TV. The Hubstation is now not available for sale but you can rent it in place of a regular digital set-top box for $8 more a month. The remote has also been streamlined and is actually a universal remote that you can configure to operate your TV and DVD player as well.

For my birthday in October, I got myself a PS3 Slim (with the help of my good friends who chipped in) and with it, I was introduced to the world of pseudo Rock Stardom thanks to the plastic guitar and drum set of Rock Band. I actually thought that I could play the guitar until I picked up one while browsing around a music store and realised that the sounds I created with a real guitar, if amplified, could cause people to loose control of their bowels similar to the effect created by The Brown Note.


However, that really piqued my interest in music and that led to Violin lessons. Yes... VIOLIN LESSONS.

You must be wondering... how the hell did this idiot make the connection between Rock and Violins? Well I've always been fascinated with violins. I just love the sound of a well played violin piece. I had a violin that my aunt passed to me years ago after her short-lived interest in it died and I've more or less picked up very scratchy skills through constant desecration of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". Unfortunately for me (fortunately for my neighbours), my violin was burnt to a crisp in The Great Fire of '08.

Now, thanks to the enthusiasm of Steph, and the inspiration by Mitch, our ex-part-time Accounts staff, I've bought myself a new student violin and we've enrolled in buddy violin classes at Siglap on Sundays. However, Steph has just started her own business and is now unable to make time for lessons, so I have to find alternative arrangements for lessons as the school we were at charges almost double what we were paying for solo lessons. Still, after 3 months of lessons, I've done "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" some justice and have gone on to desecrate Pachebel.

Artistic talents aside, I then received news last week that I could graduate this year by foregoing the honours portion of my degree (which I totally screwed up) and as a graduation present to myself, I got a HTC Touch HD aka the HTC Blackstone.

HTC Blackstone

I thought I bought it at a steal from SLS till I realized that the jerk called Henry who sold it to me had taken out all the included accessories and sold it back to me at a total which equaled the selling price of a full set at Challenger. Also, when I tried registering for one of the bundled OEM software, I realised that this set was pre-owned. WTFH!!!

Henry you Lousy Piece of Shit, Lying Rat. May your crotch be infested with the lice of a thousand camels and your hands be too short for you to scratch and when you try to seek relief by running into the ocean, I hope you fall into the sea and drown, and may your mother be unable to get any help as she runs barking along the shore.

Niceties aside, this machine is truly a wonderful piece of equipment. It has one of the biggest high definition screens in the smart phone market (3.8"). It is running on Windows Mobile 6.1 and has a Qualcomm processor. It is also equipped with all the essential wireless connectivity options such as HSDPA, Bluetooth and WiFi. The large screen also makes typing easy using the on-screen QWERTY keyboard but personally, I find that I can type faster using the on-screen phone keypad with T9 assist activated. The large screen also makes viewing video clips a real pleasure.

The last Pocket PC device I used was a Dopod and I was pleasantly surprised at how the OS has changed since then in terms of ease of use. The TouchFLO interface by HTC is sleek and oh so BLACK! I absolutely adore gadgets that come in all BLACK and you can't get any blacker than this gorgeous piece of electronic bliss. Everything from the shell, to the cables, headphone, charger and user interface is BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK. Did I mention that I like BLACK?

HTC TouchFLO Interface

The Touch HD is also equipped with GPS and I put it to the test today when I made my way from SGH to a chinese restaurant somewhere in the middle of chinatown on foot. I ended up at a chinese temple a few doors away from the restaurant but it was because I keyed in the wrong unit number into google maps. Otherwise, if I was looking for the temple, it was spot on.

On the downside, I was not too happy that there was no dedicated button for the camera and that you have to touch an on-screen button to take pictures. There is also no flash but the picture quality is decent. The lack of a directional pad or scroll wheel also makes it awkward when using certain applications but the nett effect of these missing items on the overall sleekness of the design makes it bearable.

I'm such a sucker for design.

I was also slightly disappointed with the short battery life initially but after lowering the backlight intensity, I managed to make it last almost the whole day with me using the internet quite extensively though I would definitely pack a universal USB charger for emergency power needs. Since the unit charges via mini USB, all you really need is a retractable USB to Mini USB cable if you have computers around from which you can leech off a quick charge.

Overall, I'd say that I am very satisfied with the phone. I can't stop admiring its BLACKNESS.

I'm a happy boy. :-)

BLACK! BLACK! BLACK! BLACK! BLACK! BLACK!

Cool Rides

I was never a gear head. Even till now, my feelings towards cars are just merely a convenient mode of transportation. Somehow, fancy cars just don't strike my... fancy. I remember my friends in the army talking about cars and engines and I would be thinking... "God please let them change the subject" and when that failed to materalize, I would pipe in with my "I like BMWs." when my opinion was sought (hardly ever).

However, when it comes to another set of wheels that shared our roads, I had a slightly more substantial level of interest. I'm talking about motorcycles.

Nope, I don't have a bike license. In fact, I hold a Class 3 license which means I can drive a car. The closest I have come to motorcycles was when I rode pillion on one driven by my lecturer when he gave me a ride to his apartment to pick up a banner our class made for our handicrafts stand at the school open house one year. It was a hell of a ride.

Firstly, it was my first time on a motorbike.
Secondly, he didn't have a spare helmet which meant I wasn't wearing one.
Thirdly, he was a speed demon.
Fourthly, it being my first time on a bike, I didn't know what to grab hold of. It was until later that I was told I was supposed to hold on to the rider in front. Basically, I relied on sheer thigh power for the 5 minute ride.

Needless to say, I declined the ride back to school, opting instead to walk back. Besides, I had to carry the banner. Don't think I would have lasted more than 10 seconds on the bike with a "parachute" bellowing behind me.

A bit of a side track there...

What I wanted to say is that I like motorbikes. Not because of their speed or maneuverability, but for their design. I've always been a sucker for design and frankly speaking, the motorcycle is one of the sexiest objects you can build. One exception though... I'm not really a fan of the Chopper bikes. Those long handlebars just don't do it for me. Take that show on cable TV, American Chopper, for an example. I just don't find those kinds of bikes appealing, though the "Eragon" inspired one they designed for Jeremy Irons was kinda nice. I love the medieval detailing such as the shield on the rear wheel and the chain mail on the exhaust pipes.

The Eragon Bike

The kind of bikes I like are more towards the superbikes category... you know, those driven by characters in sci-fi flicks, such as the one ridden by Kaneda in the anime Akira.



Now that you have a general idea of the kind of bike that strikes my fancy, here are some drool-worthy ones that I may (hopefully) someday own.

BMW S1000 RR
As always, BMWs have the best designs. Hooray for German engineering.

Confederate Limited Edition Fighter
It looks like it is ready to merge with other vehicles to form the foot of some Mega-Transformer.

Ural T Sidecar
I just love sidecars. Takes cargo as well as passengers. Just attach a machine gun and it'll be the perfect drive-by shooting ride. Ha ha.

Harley Davidson VRSCD Night Rod
This is one of the nicest Harleys I've seen.

Yamaha VMAX

Vespa GTS 300 Super
Although this doesn't really fall into the superbike category, it is one of the most masculine Vespas I've ever laid eyes on. Something about it just pushed the right buttons in me. of course, it being black was a major draw factor. I can't picture myself on a Vespa though... I'm too big sized. Think of a clown riding a small tricycle. *ring-a-ling*

*Edit*
Piaggio MP3 500
This just in. Looks like an ATV. How much cooler can you get?

Time to get a bike license!

May Day! Mayday!

Hello May! I love a month that starts off with a public holiday.

April was quite interesting. I took my final sub-paper (I hope), helped Elny look house-sit Rocky and Muffin, watched the Swine flu thingie unfold before the whole world, and had a very very interesting lunch on the 30th (yesterday).

Swine flu sucks. It's not just the falling sick and dying bit. It's also the inconveniences that follow the extra precautions that we have to take. Working in a hospital is the worst as it is where the people who are sick head to. It's like working at the battlefront of the war. We've started taking temperatures of everyone who enters the building and in the lab, and we've started wearing surgical masks as the samples we handle could potentially be hazardous. Still, I guess I shouldn't be complaining as those working in the A&E department have to be fully decked out in protective equipment. What's one face mask compared to that?

Anyway, in order for the hospital authorities to effectively monitor all movement in and out of the main building, a few side entrances have been closed off and that includes the one nearest to the lab that leads almost directly to the cafeteria. As a result, I now have to make a big loop to the main lobby before looping back from outside the hospital building to the cafeteria. That, plus the extra amount of traffic in the lobby due to the temperature checks have made me decide to just grab a sandwich from the convenience store before my shift starts and keep it in the pantry fridge for a quick lunch.

Yes... I am lazy.

So yesterday, I bought my sandwich as usual and was planning to eat it (5 mins) and spend the rest of my lunchtime with my best buddy (PSP). However, I got a surprise text from Jen who was at the hospital with her husband and I decided to meet up with her during lunchtime instead.

So we met up at the cafeteria and she told me that she was also meeting her aunt, who happened to be the Director of Laboratory Medicine (aka my Boss). I was contemplating leaving when her aunt arrived and plonked down in the seat in front of me. It was interesting cos I have never spoken to my boss in a social setting and there she was talking animatedly about her nephew, joined by Jen who was describing half their family. It was slightly terrifying and yet intriguing at the same time. (Sorry Jen but I am slightly terrified of your aunt.) However, it was quite interesting as I get to see the more human side of my boss and at the same time get to catch up with Jen.

Just as I was starting to feel more at ease, a familiar voice from behind me suddenly said, "May I join you?". I turned my head and my heart nearly tore itself out of my chest screaming. It was the CEO of the hospital.

Yep... same table with the head of the lab and now the head of the hospital.

I was rooted to my seat in absolute terror as Jen's aunt happily started introducing everyone at the table to the CEO. I shook his hand when I was introduced and noticed that he was studying my name tag. Oh my god... it was a good thing I decided to wear my name tag as I didn't want to get stopped by security checks on my way back from lunch. I usually don't wear my name tag out of the lab because of my tattoo and I didn't want the CEO to know that I was one of the hospital staff.

In a tragic twist of irony, I was in a situation whereby I was seated next to the CEO, who was studying my name tag and just inches below my name tag lay my arm with my sleeve rolled up, exposing my entire tattoo.

It was the most agonizing 15 minutes of my life as I kept my arm hidden under the table with the tattooed part turned away from the CEO. I noticed him glancing down so he must have noticed the unusual arm positioning.

Tartar sauce...

The CEO must have been drawn to the table by the presence of the head of Lab Medicine and luckily for me, he didn't stay long. During the meal, his attention was turned away to Jen as he wanted to find out an outsider's opinion of the hospital's services and Jen, who didn't know that she was talking to the CEO, happily talked about one of the clinics she just visited placing her name label on someone elses' ECG printout. Woohoo!

Talk about power lunch. It was so powerful that I lost my appetite. Ha ha ha

Still, it was great catching up with Jen. She's still as bubbly as ever and she has lost a lot of weight! I can't call her Plumpies anymore. Hee hee.