Beyond this Box

Big plane, big load?

2011-09-29T15:09:00.006+08:00

Spotted this huge plane on the tarmac at Kuching International Airport this morning.

When I got closer, the name on the plane drew blank, as I never seen or heard of such airline. Southern Air? When I Google it I found that its a chartered freight cargo plane that operates from the United Stated. Which made me wonder, what in the world is it doing here in Kuching, Sarawak?

According the their official webpage, the plane in the photo that I took above is a Boeing B747-200f; one of the 15 B747 freight fleet planes that this company lease or charter out to carry anything imaginable.

Who in Sarawak would want to chartered this plane and what will it be carrying?

Sarawak Regatta 2011

2011-09-21T09:18:00.008+08:00

Another year, another regatta.

When the regatta date was announced, I was anticipating a lot of boat races but it was different this year. Running from 15th September to 18th Sept. crowds seems to dwindled even more, most probably people got fed up with difficulty to access the waterfront venue as major roads leading to the area were always blocked off.

Came the day, half an hour lugging my gears, I managed to arrived. I picked up the event's brochure, hmm, there was no jet ski competition, no dragon boat, no sampan race but oddly there was a new event introduced, wake boarding. Not native to this state or country, I wondered why they were brought in for this event. It seems that the traditional boat race has taken the back seat, while foreigner are taking to the water. It makes me wonder why? Are the locals not interested or are we trying to displace tradition. Same thing is happening in Sri Aman where the Benak festival is being run by foreigner.

Above is a photo of man from invited from united state, who is part of the team hired to demonstrate body surfing. Kudos to him or should I pity him for his ignorance of not knowing how polluted the river is.

Photo of a contestant in the world wake board competition jumping the wave. I wonder how much they were paid to come in to surf in our water? Do they need to come here if it is so popular else where?

What's a regatta without the traditional boat race? Above is a photo of a scene of chaos at the finishing line. The yellow jersey team crossed the finishing line earlier and was crashed by the incoming back marker team. Lucky nobody was hurt. Love their facial expressions :)

See you next year.

Durian Season

2011-09-14T12:51:00.002+08:00

Durian season is back this year in Kuching.

And they are back with vengeance! Plenty of them, driving them to over supply and over eating.

Everyone is an expert in how to choose a durian. Shaking and smelling in various way. Bemusing scene at time if one sit far away and observe, as I did in this photo taken at 7th Mile Bazaar. All sort of character, buyers & sellers alike. Uniquely Sarawak :)

Borneo Epic Sematan Endurance Challenge 2011

2011-08-22T11:59:00.001+08:00

You think you have ridden the best mountain bike trail? Wait till you try Borneo best kept secret, the mighty all terrain Sematan that will push every avid mountain bikers skill to their limit.

Introducing Malaysia best mountain biking epic loops trails, The region is well-known for its world-class mountain biking trails combining the most challenging rides with stunning scenery. This year, Sematan endurance challenge trails start with a 8km on road warm up cycle from the fishing village town of sematan before hitting the 100km track's trailhead. Inward is a spider wed-like network of trails, crisscrossing from Gunung Gading national park to foothill of the region legendary highest mountain, Gunung Pueh where one can appreciate the incredible views of surrounding mountains.

Bikers are expected to zigzag through various terrains trail that no single class tyre will be suited for the whole journey. From hard compact gravel road to soft silica sand trails. Tons of single tracks await FSA riders and dramatic elevation changes climb taking riders to breathtaking view, with numerous streams to splash through and hanging bridge to cross, Riders are also to ride through many local villages and confusing plantations route. But no worries , we will clearly mark the trails. In 2010, we saw huge numbers of challengers in Sematan Mountain Bike Challenge 2010, successfully completed the 60 km way ahead of 9 hours cut off time. This year, 2011, we will raise the difficulty from Moderate to Tough, 100 km in 9 hours and 60km in 8 hours.

This year we are even more excited with the endorsement from Sarawak Tourism Board, enabling us to reach out further in showcasing Sarawak to the world. We have also received encouraging sponsorships from various quarters for this year event and are expecting more to come.

In the week to come, we are hoping to be able to start registering participants. So look out for the registration forms as we have limited goodies bag from the main sponsor Shimano and plenty of gifts and lucky draw to be won. Bikers, remember to register earlier so not to be disappointed. Also, do check back occasionally for updates as this site is under constructions.

For riders outside of Kuching, we are more than willing to provide our warm Sarawak hospitality. Please do not hesitate to contact us so we can extend our service in logistic transfer and accommodation for inbound bikers.

So what are you waiting for? We dare you to take THE Challenge!

See you soon!!

NEW!! Click here for >> Entry Form

Orchid exhibition Show Kuching 2011

2011-07-30T12:50:00.010+08:00

How do I get to the exhibitions site?
Well you can take a 40 cents sampan or boat dingy ride across to Astana

This is our water transportation. It sure beats driving which will take about 30mins that goes in a big loop that crosses the Satok bridge which is frequently fill with heavy traffic during peak hours.

Biar Betul, lets do the right thing!

What is there to see?
Well, if you are an orchid lover then, this will be a worth while trip as the center has thousands of these tropical plants flowering in full bloom to be appreciated. Otherwise there is nothing to see or do beside talking a stroll in the park, which can be calming in cooler morning or evening time.

From a photographer point of view, one should bring their macro lens along, otherwise there is not much to shoot as the place is very clutter in photography sense.

Here are some orchid flower photo sample

Entrance is free. And by the way, don't be full by the so call automated gate at the entrance, one need not place their palm to register yourself. It just a gimmick, try using anything to swipe the sensor and it will let you in. :)

The Lost Temple of Matang

2011-04-10T19:27:00.002+08:00

Extracts from the Borneo Post...

"Sri Maha Mariamman Temple – The Lost Temple of Matang

THE Sri Maha Mariamman (goddess of Mercy) temple, 1000 feet up the slope of the Matang mountain in the Kuching district was ‘lost’ for more than 50 years before it was discovered accidentally by a hunter back in the mid 1960s.

It was said the hunter Abi bin Bengggali, stumbled upon an abandoned building on the slope of the mountain while searching for game. Intrigued, he explored the interior of the sturdy building made of belian which despite the ravage of time was still largely intact.

Inside, he discovered relics of what was clearly a Hindu temple and taking fancy of a carved wooden elephant, he took it home. It proved to be a traumatic mistake for that night his house shook violently and in his sleep Abi dreamt that he must return the statue to the temple.

Needless to say the hunter lost no time returning the statue to the temple and his strange adventure became the talk of the village. When it spread to the ears of Hindus in Kuching the mystery of the abandoned temple was quickly unraveled.

The temple was built by Indian and Ceylonese (Sri Lankans) workers recruited by the second White Rajah Charles Brooke to tend his tea and coffee plantation on the slope of the mountain.

Some of the Indian elders in the 1960s still remembered their childhood spent in the plantation and vividly recalled their parents telling them how the workers, who arrived in 1867, using simple tools, built the temple dedicated to Sri Maha Mariamman from belian taken from the surrounding jungle.

When the temple was completed they invited a priest from India to consecrate it, possibly two or three years after their arrival. At its height, the 600 acre plantation employed more than 1000 workers who were housed in barracks nearby.

The workers were oppressed by the canganees (foremen) and managers and were poorly paid. Most of them were Hindus and to practise their religion they first built a shrine near a mountain stream. When they were more settled they set about erecting the temple which like in any Hindu community became the centre of their social and religious activities.

The Sri Maha Mariamman temple was not the only place of worship built by the workers as they also built another temple for the deity Subramaniam. Some of the workers were Catholics and they built a chapel in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary. These two buildings have not been located. After more than 150 years they are likely to be permanently lost to the jungle.

Due to poor management, the plantation was closed down in 1912 and the workers were given a choice to move down to Kuching to work in road construction or go back to India.

Perhaps of their bitter experience in the plantation most of the workers decided to go back to India and only 40 or 50 families decided to stay back. When they left the plantation those who chose to stay behind took the bronze statue of the deity Maha Sri Maha Mariamman with them to shrine near the Sarawak Club in Kuching.

Later they moved it to a small temple built along Batu Lintang Road. Much later a big temple dedicated to the deity was built on a piece of land at Jalan Rock and was completed in 1991. The statue was then moved there where it remains until today.

While the statue of the deity continued to be venerated and properly housed, the temple on the mountain was left to the elements and had it not been built of belian the whole structure would have collapsed to the ground.

Abi’s story sparked a campaign among the Hindus of Kuching to restore the temple leading to an expedition to its site in 1968. The path built during the Brookes leading to the plantation was cleared and it turned out to be a very well built small road meandering up a gentle slope.

Although the walk up to the temple is three kilometers up hill all the way, you do not have to be an Olympian to get there as the path is wide and well constructed and the gradient is gentle.

From then on work on the renovation of the temple under the supervision of Lechamanan Ragua who is also known as R.L. Jimmy began in earnest and there were many tales of strange happenings encountered by visitors and workers involved in the repair of the temple.

Lechamanan recounted how while at work at the temple one day in 1970 he saw a cobra on the roof. Taking a stick he tried to shoo the snake away but was stopped by elders present there. The snake left after the elders entered the temple and said a few prayers.

Later the imprint of a cobra appeared on Lechamanan’s forehead and only disappeared one month later after he sought forgiveness for his impulsive act. It is believed that the snake is the guardian of the temple.

There was another story about a man who tried to take a way the doors of the temple and was blocked by the snake on his way up. He managed to get past the serpent and reached the temple where he dismantle the doors and took it down.

On the way back he was chased by the same snake and had to leave the doors behind as he fled down the mountain. The doors were never recovered but that man fell ill and went berserk when he reached home. He was only cured after he was brought up the mountain and prayers were said over him ridding him of the spirit that possessed him.

On Dec 4, 1970 the repair works were completed and a poojai (high mass) attended by about 500 people were held to mark its restoration. Since then devotees regularly offered prayers there and it was put under the care and administration of the Kuching Hindu Temple Association Ban Hock Road.

Today the temple is again going through another major restoration and this time it is more than just repairing and repainting. The Mount Matang Sri Maha Mariamman Temple Renovation Committee under the chairmanship of Sasindran Nair is rebuilding the temple on its original site and except for minor alterations of the inner sanctum, follow its exact design.

Like the workers of the plantation, the building committee is using belian wood from the mountain to build the temple. The Sarawak Forestry Department granted them permission to cut down five belian trees from the slope for the timber.

“This temple is the only Sri Maha Mariamman temple in the world made of timber and we want to keep that record,” said Sasindran.

Vice chairman T. Kaliani @T. Morgan who was with Sasindran inspecting the construction when I visited the site recently added, “It is difficult and expensive to bring the building materials up the mountain. We are thankful to those who contributed to the cost of the restoration so far but we need more fund to complete the job. We hope more people would come forward to help us restore the temple.”

Surprisingly many of those who prayed at the temple are Chinese who helped contribute to its upkeep through their donations. “Our appeal goes out to devotees and well wishers of other races. We are grateful to Chinese worshippers who come here to pray for their contribution and we also appeal to them to help us restore this temple.”

Morgan added the committee had engaged the services of craftsmen from India to carve the belian posts and plaster other decorations of the temple. They are expected to start work next month.

Those who wish to donate to the restoration of the ‘lost’ temple of Sri Maha Mariamman can contact Sasindran at 019-888 1837 or Morgan at 019-816 8017 for more information."

Source : The Borneo Post - Francis Chan 2007

Jesus Christ!

2011-01-13T09:37:00.008+08:00

What a start to 2011. I went to Church, the very first Sunday!

When I told my wife my intention Sunday morning, you should have seen the light in her face. She was surprisingly happy although doubtful.

Why? What happened?

Well, something happened but it is something that I cannot explain in words. I just felt moved. No, I didn't see any figure, no booming voice from above, nobody spoke to me or out of the body experience. I just felt moved...

But I believe I must have received the calling from above while out riding my mountain bike. You see, I have been mountain biking solo lately. Due to family commitment on Sundays, I usually opt not to join my gang to cycle on their weekly outing. Therefore I schedule my own ride on Saturday afternoon after work.

My usual trail is at a mountain at Matang. Just 20 mins from the city. This trail is my favorite, its a short trail but uphill all the way. There is a little Indian temple at the top and the trail is a single track, lush with natural rainforest. Riding up this trail every-time is such a peaceful experience. Just me and nature. People have asked me, aren't you afraid or feel creepy. Well I just felt that there is someone there to protect me, there is peace, comfort and there is a trust.

At home one evening, oddly I picked up a bible that was given to my wife by her friend many years ago but left untouched and started reading. Because of my dyslexia, I never like reading but I have no problem reading the bible! I also start reading up more about Christ and these have further enlighten myself from within. I am truly spiritually blessed. I feel so happy from within. There is must be a savior that redeem me and moved me to be closer to God.

This is a spiritual calling that have blessed my soul and gave me guidance in life. I am so happy. Praise the Lord, you are great.

Yes, I have accepted Christ to my life and I believe its a calling and I want to commit and share my heartfelt faith in Christ with you all.

Gone Clipless and why

2010-11-10T00:32:00.003+08:00

Yes, I have recently gone clipless on my mountain bike. Peer pressure? No, I do not easily succumb to that and I am not defensive about it nor I have anything against it.

Before hand, I have done plenty of research on the net, weighing all the possible pros and cons. And it took me a long long while before finally taking the step into the spd shoes camp. I rode plenty of bicycles during my childhood and mainly on BMX. I have also ridden mountain bike in the early 90s for a few years before returning the mountain biking scene recently. To be exact, I have been riding for 12 months and 6 days since November last year and I was on platform pedal through out.

As one can imagine, I have always been comfortable on platform pedal and I have no issue with them either. I am technical fluent in handling a bike in any terrain and I am not a slow rider either. However from riding experience with various riders and races, I found myself just not fast enough as I am always lagging behind some riders, especially on climbs and the 8% pedaling efficiency that I have reading about, haunted me to change. And I continue to resists converting as I believe I can train harder and make myself stronger. I did and I got better but others trained too and for those that did, stayed in front of me.

Second reason: was I afraid of falling? Yes, I was and I heard people saying, falling is part of being clip in, what a bunch of bullock talk. Why take the risk I said to myself. Being lock onto a bike and accidentally tumbling onto rocky terrain or worst, off some cliff got me worried even more. However something clouded my judgment last weekend and I went out and bought myself a pair last week. No pain no gain as they say. Worst come to the worst, if I didn’t like it, I could sell it off cursing it as a useless second hand sillymano shoe and never look at it again. That’s if I survive my first ride.

At my local bike shop and being technically inclined, I began setting up my new pedal system. Off goes my wellgo pedal and in goes Shimano XT 770 pedal. And after installing the SH51 cleat onto my Shimano SPD md86 shoe (cool comfortable wide shoe by the way!) and as planned, I requested for a bike trainer where I could mount onto my bike unassisted.

Once on my bike I began practicing clipping in and it did took me a while to find the clip in spot and getting use to deliberately pressing the cleat down into the slot. After some awkward moments, I finally managed and I started clipping in and out with ease. The trainer is a great idea and should be made a compulsory step for all clipless newbie instead of the popular advice by asking them to ride out onto a grassed area (where they could crash safely?). Seriously, on a trainer there is no fear of falling and one will get use to clipping in and out very quickly. It builds confidence!

As for me, it took me less than ½ and hour, which I then mustered enough confident and took off the bike off the roller trainer. Not surprisingly, it was a breeze. I told myself that if I was a competent rider who have conquered so many trials before, how can I fall on a normal ride? It was all in the mind!

I was happy riding in my new pedal and shoe (clipping in and out occasionally, like a kid with a new toy) but did I feel any difference? Seriously I did not. I even took a ride around my usual city loop trail. I couldn’t feel the improvement! I spoke to a few riders at the bike shop later and was told that I should try it off road. Being still a bit skeptical, I planned a ride the next day.

Paying forest

2010-09-14T12:14:00.003+08:00

This is so ridiculous! As a Sarawakian I have to pay to enter my own forest?

Well, recently when Sarawak Forestry was put in charge of the National Forest reserve in state, visitors are to pay when they visit any of the nature area that's gazetted by the government. For many years, as an avid trekker, we were able to enter any forest as it was deem free. However since the forestry took over and just because they built a few basic amenities, they began charging visitors fee to enter public reserve.

Forestry department ought to be cash rich as Sarawak is known for their timber industry and many giant company have been raping the state's resources for centuries. Obviously, they have been taxed and the money should be used to replenish the state but instead, more tax payers money is gone into dubious project and yet they are charging their own people entrance fee to their own land.

How out outrageous can that be? This is totally uncalled for and unheard of in other countries. Well then again, I might be asked to leave the country if I argue too much. Malaysia Boleh and come on, give back the forest to the people. Or least let me walk for free!

Batu Gong MTB

2010-07-18T21:05:00.006+08:00

Batu Gong was the destination for the week.

Located just a stone throw away from 17th Mile Siburan Bazaar, one can see the entrance to Batu Gong at the left turning just after the police observation tower.

The day before that, I had an upgrade to my bike.

my Sugar 1 Gary Fisher full suspension frame, with carbon genesis.
Cane Creek head set, Shimano SLX disc 9 speed system with ergon grip

A new Trigon carbon riser bar with a new shorter Thomson stem. Wow, a a difference it made to my bike compare to my straight aluminum bar with 90mm FSA stem. It was much more comfortable as earlier I was having some lower back muscle ache and surprisingly it felt like a complete new bike it handle differently and the carbon absorb plenty of the road vibration. Just like having a new shock! Must try to believe it.

Sifu was supposed to fetch me but ended up late. When we reached Batu Gong, the gang have left without us to try out a new trail. Can't blame them, we were like an hour late! And since we were there, we decided to ride on our own as sifu knows a route and he also knows how eager I was to ride Batu Gong which was much talk about.

Batu Gong trail is mainly gravel passing through several vegetable farms and poultry farms. It was rather short and flat. The trail ended up at the main road where we had to crossed Kuching Serian highway to to Kampung Tijirat. Now, this trail is a nice trail. Its a single track with a lot of undergrowth. Wet forest trail while some part were very muddy caused by the torrential rain in the past few days. We had to crossed a small stream before the trail loops back to the main road where we ended up in Kampung Kuang Church. It's quite challenging yet rideable. I like it

Dropout

2010-07-13T09:14:00.002+08:00

I learned a new word today. Dropout.

No no, I am not talking about truant students that flunk school. The dropout I am referring to exist in bicycle world and in this context, it means or refer to the end part of a slot in frame or fork where the axle of the wheel is attached.

Although there is a front dropout, dropouts are usually associated to the the rear end part of a bicycle frame and they come in two styles:

Horizontal dropouts, which is a slot (1 to 3 inches long) that runs more or less horizontally at the end part of the frame for the rear axle to fit into. They permit the wheel to be placed in various positions front to rear. Horizontal dropouts are necessary for bicycles which don't have derailurs , because the axle must be movable to adjust the chain tension.
With horizontal dropouts, during installation, wheel need to be align carefully to the frame. Besides that, the axle nuts or quick release must be tightened quite securely, or the chain tension may pull the axle askew.
The second is Vertical dropouts which obviously have a vertical notch for the axle to go up into, and the axle's position is not adjustable. With vertical dropouts, the axle cannot be pulled out of position, even if it is not properly secured.
Vertical dropouts are generally intended for use with derailleur gearing , and do not permit any adjustment of the position of the rear wheel, so there's no way to regulate chain tension if you don't have a derailleur or pulley type chain tensioner.

Sick Pervert

2010-06-14T11:47:00.004+08:00

Disgustingly, one of my top post that gave high traffic to my blog is this post;

Gambir Sarawak.

The post started out as a impromptu posting many years ago because it was something unique to Sarawak but it became a nuisance over the years. People asked a lot of quirky questions. Some curious, some laugh and some even request my help to buy the gambirs, which I obligingly help out. But sadly this become a sadistic sexual product that sick men and women sought after.

Majority of people that buy this gambir sarawak are from semenanjung malaysia or west malaysia. I just couldn't understand why they have this fascination or indulgent in using this gambir? Everything is sexual to them. Need to last longer, need to be more powerful, need to be more kuat. For Batin? Tambah kuat? Or you all have pre mature ejaculation problem? Why everything evolve sexual satisfaction. Is this what you people are all about?

Learn Chinese in 5 mins

2010-05-28T11:21:00.003+08:00

MUST read out loud... (laugh out loud too, if you must)

That's not right... Sum Ting Wong
Are you harboring fugitive... Hu Yu Hai Ding
See me ASAP... Kum Hia
Stupid man... Dum Fuk
Small horse... Tai Ni Po Ni
Did you go to the beach... Wai Yu So Tan
It is very dark in here.... Wai So Dim
This is a tow away zone... No Pah King
Meeting is scheduled for next week... Wai Yu Kum Nao
Staying out of sight... Lay Ying Lo
He's cleaning his automobile... Wa Shing Ka
Great... Fa King Su Pa

Napsiah Ass

2010-05-07T14:29:00.002+08:00

At first glance u might think this stall is into something kinky or at best selling chicken ass or Bishop's Nose which is quite a popular local delicacy. Fortunately or unfortunately it's just a drink stall in Sematan food court, a small coastal town 100+ km from Kuching city.

Virgin AirAsia

2010-05-04T09:02:00.008+08:00

I never thought I would take a ride in an AirAsia plane.

Well, last Friday I went on one. Yeah, I know a few of you guys that are reading this must be laughing your head off. Oh well it was a paid free flight and I wasn't on a official business trip, so it was ok.

My first impression? It was like taking a bus ride. Everybody was up and queuing for the flight the moment they announce the boarding time. I wonder why the fuss, even when there was no plane in sight. A bit more on this later.

After checking in on my maiden flight with airasia, I was just about to sit myself down in the waiting lounge, came the announcement. Not to my surprise, the flight would be delayed for 15 minutes. I was half expecting it as airasia was synonymous with its delays.

But people still waited in the ques. I still wondered why. Then came the plane as I could see it taxing in from the runway. Passengers all got excited and so were the crews. From the airport windows I could see the whole operation and it was very impressively efficient. From the ground crew up to the cabin crew. They can turn around an incoming flight and fully load the plane for take off in less than half and hour. I am truly amazed by their efficiency and the crew's passion for their work.

So I am giving Airasia the benefit of doubt for their bad reps on delays as I can see most of it is due to external factor. They are running on a very tight schedule and any hiccups in between will definitely cause the infamous delays.

Getting on board was another great old experience, I had to walk down the tarmac. I love that, as I used to do that during my young days when there were no aero bridges. I could see and sense the plane. I could hear the jet engine sound. I could see the plane wings! Well I guess I have an obsession with plane wings, I even love to seated next to windows seat next to the wing. Don't ask me why, I just love it.

Inside the plane, being a budget airline, it doesn't look cheap. The plane I boarded was new and clean. My only qualm was the seats. It must be the most upright seat ever! and the space were tight! But hey this is a budget airline.

To all you cynical critics, I arrived home from my round trip in one piece. So will I fly with them again? I definitely will but never when I am on a tight schedule. There are just too many variables that can cause their DELAYS!

Truly asia, well done TonyF. Thumbs up from me.

p/s I love the red hot uniforms!! ;)

Tange Lock Nut LP440

2010-01-25T09:44:00.010+08:00

Drool over this!!
Old School BMX, TANGE Seiki C0, Ltd - TIOGA?
Origin, Made in Japan, FORGED
Head set lock nut, Loose proof
Model LP-440

Colour is exactly as per photo, black with silver/chrome stripe.

NEW old Stock NOS - new old stock!!
NEW in packing, unopen
One of the best head set lock nut for old school BMX, fit Kuwahara Redline Mongose Haro GT or any old school bmx head set.

And its super RARE, estimated from the 80's era, early 1980 circa.

and if you are looking to buy this to complete your dream bike build, you are lucky because this item is for sale!

USD80 Only, grab it - first come first serve

Accept Paypal payment only.

Shipping worldwide, USD 11 flat rate standard through out the world. Item will be ship immediately after paypal payment is received. Do expect 14-18 days for transit time after shipping. For faster shipping, expedite shipping is available, kindly email for quote to your country. Insurance at extra cost. Will only ship to confirm paypal address, no exception. I will not be responsible for any lost or tax incur in your country (if any). Tracking number will be provided only in expedite shipping mode or where available.

Money back guarantee, if you are not satisfied if its not NOS. Sadly no replacement as this is one of the few last unopen unused new lock nut in this planet earth! An old school BMX hardcore must have!!

Thank you for looking and happy dreaming :)

Tange Seat Clamp

2010-01-24T15:19:00.003+08:00

Wow, while spring cleaning, another NOS old school BMX part found in my store room!
Old School BMX, TANGE Seiki C0, Ltd - TIOGA?
Origin, Made in Japan, FORGED
Model not avaialble / unknown

Colour is exactly as per photo, silver with black stripe / red wording.

NEW old Stock NOS - new old stock!!
NEW in packing, unopen
One of the best seat clamp brand and manufacturer for old school BMX, fit Kuwahara Redline Mongose Haro GT or any old school bmx frame set.

And its super RARE, estimated from the 80's era, early 1970's to 1980 circa.

and if you are searching for parts to complete your dream bike build, you are lucky because this item is for sale!

USD80 Only, grab it - first come first serve

Hotmail age

2010-01-22T15:24:00.002+08:00

Received in mail box today :

Thanks for using Hotmail for 10+ years!

That's right!
For roughly a decade you've been using Hotmail® to help keep your digital life in sync, and we just want to say thank you. You've witnessed many dramatic improvements to Hotmail since it launched. Just imagine what the next 10 years will bring!

Sigh, its been that long? Mr. Gates, where is my loyalty reward or free gift?!

Whining & weanies

2010-01-13T12:59:00.008+08:00

Seriously, I am not whining but merely jotting down the things that I see during my return to mountain biking.

What made me write this is because human ride mountain bikes which makes this sport more interesting as we are full of characters.

As a newbie in the new era of mountain biking, I was lucky as my first bike on my return was a freebie from a friend. Initially after she offered, I went over to have a look at the bike, I was a little reluctant to take it as it was sitting in the store rotting away, looking really rundown. But knowing myself being handy, I toughen my pride and took the bike home and did it up. It took awhile as a lot of parts needed to be change for it to be road worthy again. Which in the end I regretted a little bit as the cost of sprucing up the bike cost as much as for me to get a new one today!

Anyway, I was ecstatic, as I did it up with my own bare hand.

During the restoration, I read up a lot on mountain bike parts and visited a lot of local bike shops which in turn made me more knowledgeable on the current brand available. Which oddly also made me more aware that that some people are looking and judging me by what's on my bike?

I for one don't judge people on what they wear, drive or ride for this matter. And I dont stooge either on things as I believe in purchasing things for being practical and durable to buy at a reasonable cost.

For example, I was out shopping for a skewers for my wheels the other day. Yeah, I know its only a damn skewer, a rod passing through your hub for you to lock it. Well I got a Salsa because more generic-looking stuff didn't look right when surrounded by all the goochie megamoney junk I got. Would you put Shimano QRs on your King hubs? I think not. Granted most other QRs work fine, but some things you just get because they're appropriate for everything else you have. It has nothing to do with the fact that they're lighter and better designed than anything else on the market, does it? I mean, what kind of world would we live in?

The real problem with mountain biking is the amount of ego that "hardcore" (i.e.-poser) riders continue to display that pre-alienates potential biking converts before they ever come to understand the wonderful, even spiritual experiences that responsible riding has to offer. Even though the majority of riders are really not that bad, it is the 10-25% of the egotistical riders that make the most lasting impressions on everyone else. I see too many such riders, and what is so interesting is that they tend to be the ones that have the most to learn.

Ride because you enjoy it. Pick the speed you are able to go, or desire to go, and be secure with it. Do not feed into (or beat-down) the insecurity of other riders. Respect other trail users, and realize that ability, fitness, or the bike you're on does not change who has right of way. Yield to people coming uphill, but don't necessarily demand right of way from everyone coming down, particularly in sketchy areas that are difficult to stop in. Be polite. Compliment people once in a while: "Wow, those are nice skewers!"

I remember one time I was coming downhill while someone else was coming up at a decent pace. Although I stopped in plenty of time, I had nowhere to move my bike to give him a polite amount of space. He stormed by, grumbling something that I didn't bother listening to, and then promptly endoed onto a bridge. I watched him flop on his back, not sure whether to laugh or be concerned. My point is there's a fine line between racer and poser. Aspiring too much for one may get you awfully close to the other. And I don't think that guy was using Salsa QRs, either.

Seriously I am not whining...

One of the best Bike Video

2009-12-30T17:41:00.002+08:00

Filmed over the period of a few months in and around Edinburgh by Dave Sowerby, this video of Inspired Bicycles team rider Danny MacAskill (more info at www.dannymacaskill.com) features probably the best collection of street/street trials riding ever seen. There's some huge riding, but also some of the most technically difficult and imaginative lines you will ever see. Without a doubt, this video pushes the envelope of what is perceived as possible on a trials bike.

Credit to Band of Horses for their epic song 'The Funeral.' You can find out more about the band and their music at www.bandofhorses.com or you can buy the featured song from itunes.

Seeing is believing. With more than 13+ million view since April 2009, this video should say something. Do Enjoy!

Greetings from Kuching

2009-12-26T10:29:00.005+08:00

I wanted to be different from other people and tried to come out with a different greeting this year... and seriously, I can't think of any. So, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year folks!

Oh ya, since its a long holiday, here's a link (New World Disorder Trailer) for you mountain bikers fan to drool at. When I was younger, smaller and lighter, I love extreme bmx riding and while I ride mtb leisurely these days, I don't got as crazy as the riders in this video but still love the actions... as the saying goes "What goes up, must come down..." Enjoy the video :))

Keep safe and take care

Cheers :))

Fire razed Gambier St

2009-12-23T10:40:00.011+08:00

When I reached out for the newpaper this morning, I had an uneasy feeling when I saw the photo and the headline confirms it; "7 shop houses up in smoke"

OMG, a section of Kuching city historical heritage shophouses went up in smoke last night. The fire has destroyed 7 pre war shophouses along Gambier street, just opposite the recently controversially demolished century old wet market of Kuching.

I took my Gary Fisher and rode to the fire site. Here's some photos of the still burning site, at 9am in the morning.
What is left of one of the building

Fire and smoke still visible in the early morning of the after math

It took 47 firemen from five fire stations, 4 hours to contain the fire, luckily there were no casualty. Low water pressure and unprepared firemen who were caught off guard were blamed for the slow response. There were many rumors that's flying around on what happen or what started the fire at Gambier Street.

As for me, rumors will remain as rumors. I will not speculate.

Gary Fisher Sugar 1

2009-12-10T15:21:00.002+08:00

Yipee, my Gary Fisher Sugar 1 frame have arrived!

After payment on paypal, I have been tracking the frame parcel which I bought off ebay. It took 2 days for it to get from the wi, united state to Malaysia but not surprisingly, it was stuck in KLIA for a good 6 days! Talk about Malaysia post efficiency eh? On the 10th day, through pos Malaysia online e parcel tracking website, my much awaited frame have finally arrived in Kuching parcel post office after nearly a week in KL. Knowing the process, I can't wait for another 3 days for the postman to send me the notice, so I decided to self collect it from the parcel office.

My excitement hit another block when I arrived at counter and I was told that my parcel was detained by the custom department! To cut the story short, my used old frame was charged 25% excise duty which came to a total of 300 bucks. It didn't make sense as in why they wanted to charge me for an old used frame. No satisfactory answer, just going round and round as usual. I didn't want to waste anymore time after 2 hours of waiting, so I paid up painfully.

to be continue...

Blog update

2009-12-03T16:01:00.005+08:00

I have been neglecting my blog (again!). No apologies to my follower as there is none left! sigh*

Initially, when I setup my blog, it revolves around the happening things in my home town, Kuching and my golfing life. It began with a big bang as usual but after 3 years, I have slowed down and stopped blogging and golfing. I stopped blogging because I am a procrastinator! I should have switch over to micro blogging such as twitter but I did not jump on the band wagon. Does that tell a lot about me?

And I too stopped golfing, since August last year to be exact. It started off with when the rainy monsoon season which started in November last year. Every time Sunday came, the sky opened up on me. So I gave up as it was no fun playing in soggy condition. So I ended up at home doing house chores and playing with my son. It soon become a routine as it was unplayable for the whole month of December, that's unless one wants to play water polo on a golf course.

My son grew accustomed to me at home on Sundays and wanted more time with me. And I also didn't want to miss the family time and watch him grow up. So, that's when I decided to call it quit for golf after 12 years of hacking around. Blogging on golf stuff and clubs review also stop as I didn't update myself by visiting golf shops.

Do I miss golf? Yeah, I still love golf, just that I have different priority nowadays. Maybe when my boy is older, I will start my golf again with him as a family outing. Playing to a single digit handicap of 5, a hole in one and shooting 71 breaking par on par 72 course were the few memorable achievements. Golf in me won't die, I will be back golfing one day. At the mean time I will be focusing on updating this blog with my new or rather, revive hobbies that doesn't consume so much time as golf.

So stay tune folks and visit me more often, I need the traffic :)

My wireless cycle computer

2009-11-12T16:02:00.014+08:00

I just received the bicycle computer for my mountain bike which I bought from ebay, albeit 2 weeks later, sigh Malaysian postal service!

This is the package that contain the much awaited Cateye Strada wireless, model CC-RD300W. My first impression? It look much much smaller that I first imagined. Anyway I was so excited that I rip through the package to get to it only to find that I had to go through a whole bunch of instruction, in the matter of fact, there are about nearly a dozen other language.

When I finally found the English section for the instruction to my cyclocomputer toy, I some how obediently followed the step by step installation, very unlike me. I guess its a sign of maturing after going through a few bad experience skipping steps during DIY projects. hehe

It doesn't take long to set the unit up, its straight forward but when the final step was done, I took a spin at the wheel and the most dread thing happened... Nothing! The computer didn't respond, i.e it didn't work. I went through the step again, for 3 times and it still lifeless. The speedo meter still showing "00000"

I goggle for solution and apparently I am not the only one having the problem. Many suggested to change both batteries, one for the sensor and the other on the main unit. So I did and purchased 2x CR2032 and it they went. But still it did not help.

Even after consulting the troubleshooting page on the official Cateye website, it didn't solve my problem either. Here is the excerpt from the site

"How do I get my computer head unit to register a signal with the sensor?

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If you computer head unit does not pick up a signal or does not seem to "communicate" with the sensor - check the following:

First, make sure the "AT" icon or "AUTO" is displayed on the screen (computer is in auto-timer mode, not manual stop/start mode).

Second, make sure the magnet is passing within 2-3 mm of the mark on the sensor (on the fork blade or chainstay, depending on model).

If neither help restore a consistent signal, then it could be either a low battery or a damaged wiring (Bracket/Sensor) kit.

Even if the LCD display is clear and bright, the battery may be too low to transmit a signal from the sensor to the computer head unit.

Next, with a fresh battery installed, try performing a manual restart operation to bring the LCD display back to life. Do this by either 1. pressing both buttons (Mode and Set on back) OR 2. all three buttons (Mode, Start/Stop, and small Set button on back) at once and then releasing all three OR 3. by pressing the AC (all-clear) button if your computer has one. This should bring the display back to life, and the unit can now be re-calibrated for your bike. See if consistent signal is re-established.

Finally, If that does not help, take a paper clip and bridge the 2 diagonally opposed metal contacts on the back of the computer head unit. If random information appears in the current speed display (upper portion of screen) while bridging the contacts, then the computer head unit is fine and the problem lies with the bracket/sensor kit. It may be stretched or damaged just enough to interrupt the signal transmission, even if not visibly so. If that is the case, please visit our small parts site to purchase the appropriate replacement sensor kit. "

After rereading the instruction several times, and a little tinkering with the setup. I finally got it to work. Here is the step by step instruction or rather the trouble shooting manual for cateye strada:

The solution or rather the problem lies in the sensor unit.

1. One have to set up the sensor unit VERY near (the nearer the better, approximately less than 3cm in distance) to the magnet which is attached to the fork. If you have the same problem of the unit not responding or sending signal. Try this: take off the magnet and rub it or wave it in front of the sensor. If the main unit pick up any signal, it will show the ")))" sign on the bottom left corner of the screen.

2. From there, you know that the unit is not faulty and you need to readjust the position of the bottom sensor bracket so that its nearer or as near as possible to the magnet bracket. If signal is still weak then you need change the batteries.

3. Hope this how to solve section will help and save you the heartache and some money from buying new batteries before knowing that its not a battery problem. hehe

My Top 5 Treat List

2009-10-28T11:31:00.009+08:00

Today is my birthday.

~~Anybody who says I am old will get it from me!~~

Strangely, I always look forward to my Birthday as I want people to wish me happy birthday, yeah I know, I am full of myself, haha! and most importantly I want presents.

And for those that have forgotten or develop sudden dementia on this great day of mine, below is the list to remind you people of what I want for my birthday, (even though I have repeated it thousand of times through out the year)

1. A new top of the line full suspension mountain bike
2. A BMW M3 coupe, if not X6 will do
3. A round of golf at pebble beach, with supermodels as my caddies
4. A holiday in Bahamas will all of the above?
5. A new laptop, Dell Inspiron 13 to be exact
Realistically, if you guys can't chip in to get any of my top 4 treat list, at least get me the Dell Inspiron 13 as my HP2800 died on me last week after serving me for a good 10 years!

Now now, no excuses, as you can even purchase it online and send it to me :))

Or if you are intending to get one for yourself, even if you are not a regular my blog readers, I am rewarding you guys by giving you a special coupon code 7ZQVQF2RLZRKW3 from Dell that would allow anyone who makes purchase of a Dell Inspiron 13 (S510701MY) with RM100 Instant Cash Redemption!!. This promotion is only available online or by calling dell at 1800-88-0301. This coupon code expires on 10th Nov 2009.

Free $100 wor!!

You see, I am not full of myself after all. :)

Happy Birthday me.

Project code name ET

2009-09-22T10:52:00.024+08:00

Recently a friend called me up and asked, you know anything about BMX? I said, of course I do! I am from the BMX era which was popularized by the movie E.T. in the 80's.

My hybrid old school BMX left unloved in the backyard

During my childhood years, I virtually went everywhere on my bike and took care of it every single moment that I could. I also know every part of my bicycle as I assemble and repair them on my own. And by having a buddy whose dad runs a bicycle shop definitely helps as I get access to all the tools and parts. Looking back, I really relish those moments.

Anyway back to my this friend, he said that he is into BMX and wanted a unit because as a child he never had one! Haha, what a deprived child, I ridicule him. I guess his parents were over protective then.

Interestingly, he told me that he wanted to build up his so call dream bmx bike using old school parts and while searching for info on the net he accidentally stumble upon Eddie's site, who runs a blog site and share the same passion on bmx. He is a Malaysian but now reside in United State.

Coincidentally we met up with Eddie and Fish Fish who is also a blogger and now husband and wife! (Congrats guys.) They were back for their visit / holiday to Malaysia and my friend & I took the opportunity to meet up with them and we went hunting for old bicycle part all over town. That's a first for me after so many years; interesting.

And that episode also gave me the inspiration to start this bike restoring project.

I am lucky this time around to have an assistant to help me out with my project.

my young, sometime over enthusiastic assistant

The stripping down begins...
It's rather sad that some of the parts can't be re use. Wear & tear stuff
Such as the original Kuwahara two tone color BMX rear tyre! Look at the knobby thread, such a classic look and it seems that it can hang on to all kind of terrain and surface. With the expose tyre you can see how well its made, it even have reinforce side wall during those days, see those protruding mess wires!

Front original Taiwan made tire, butterfly thread. Can't remember what happened to my front kuwahara tire? I must have punctured or blown it during one of my stunt :)

MX Dia compe alloy brake caliper with quick release clamp, one of the novelty and rare BMX component during my days
MX, 2 fingered adjustable alloy brake lever

Sugino handle bar clamp combine with Tange ring to secure my ever lasting Kuwahara Laser, straight bar. Although the bike have been left outside for years, rust have not eaten into the chrome surface. The rust can be easily remove by wiping it with aluminum foil (best or solution that works), it comes off even easier if you apply a little bit of oil or wd40.

One of the most sought after old school BMX crank pedal, the Shimano DX crank set!! Even up until today people are still searching for it. I am selling this if the price is right, ha! Just leave me a message :)MKS PB series plastic pedal. My preference over the spiky metal which causes plenty of damage to my feet each time I slip. The MKS are lighter too compare the metal counterpart.

Elena Aero Turbo seat
Paired with Tange unique 90 degree reinforced chrome molly seat post
These are also a very sought after vintage old school BMX parts, original made in Japan, distinctive white line Ukai alloy rim, 20x1.75. The mounted single gear is also made in Japan, Suntour 4532. paired with Shimano Via hub, which I personally think are one of the best hub around then.

to be continue...

No SMS while driving!

2009-09-11T09:18:00.008+08:00

This morning I had a close shave on the road. This lone girl driver probably in her early teens, served into my lane and nearly knock into my car if I didn't use my horn. What irk me, she didn't even wince and kept on driving while talking on the phone!!

I am not trying to be gender bias but I just see too many drivers, especially young girls these days texting or talking on their phone while driving! What's the point of doing this? I find it very irresponsible and if you don't care for your own life, please spare a thought for the people that love you and other road users !!!!

Have look at the video below, please bewarned that it's
18+ Very Graphic - Dangers of texting while driving - UK SMS Commercial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIqO2IBR8aY

This video is designed to show what can happen, but there are more examples of it really happening. SMS is fun, but can be dangerous. Please - always be careful. http://www.calllimiter.com

Please help spread the word and share this info. A little help from everyone, no matter how small you might think it be, will go a long way to make this world a better place. Thank you my dear friends and readers.

Pfizer to pay record $2.3B penalty for drug promos

2009-09-03T17:29:00.002+08:00

By DEVLIN BARRETT, Associated Press Writer Devlin Barrett, Associated Press Writer – Wed Sep 2, 9:19 pm ET

WASHINGTON – Federal prosecutors hit Pfizer Inc. with a record-breaking $2.3 billion in fines Wednesday and called the world's largest drugmaker a repeating corporate cheat for illegal drug promotions that plied doctors with free golf, massages, and resort junkets.

Announcing the penalty as a warning to all drug manufacturers, Justice Department officials said the overall settlement is the largest ever paid by a drug company for alleged violations of federal drug rules, and the $1.2 billion criminal fine is the largest ever in any U.S. criminal case. The total includes $1 billion in civil penalties and a $100 million criminal forfeiture.

Authorities called Pfizer a repeat offender, noting it is the company's fourth such settlement of government charges in the last decade. The allegations surround the marketing of 13 different drugs, including big sellers such as Viagra, Zoloft, and Lipitor.

As part of its illegal marketing, Pfizer invited doctors to consultant meetings at resort locations, paying their expenses and providing perks, prosecutors said.

"They were entertained with golf, massages, and other activities," said Mike Loucks, the U.S. attorney in Massachusetts.

Loucks said that even as Pfizer was negotiating deals on past misconduct, they were continuing to violate the very same laws with other drugs.

To prevent backsliding this time, Pfizer's conduct will be specially monitored by the Health and Human Service Department inspector general for five years.

In an unusual twist, the head of the Justice Department, Attorney General Eric Holder, did not participate in the record settlement, because he had represented Pfizer on these issues while in private practice.

Associate Attorney General Thomas Perrelli said the settlement illustrates ways the Justice Department "can help the American public at a time when budgets are tight and health care costs are rising."

Perrelli announced the settlement terms at a news conference with federal prosecutors and FBI, and Health and Human Services Department officials.

The settlement ends an investigation that also resulted in guilty pleas from two former Pfizer sales managers.

Officials said the U.S. industry has paid out more than $11 billion in such settlements over the past decade, but one consumer advocate voiced hope that Wednesday's penalty was so big it would curb the abuses.

"There's so much money in selling pills, that there's a tremendous temptation to cheat," said Bill Vaughan, an analyst at Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports.

"There's a kind of mentality in this sector that (settlements) are the cost of doing business and we can cheat. This penalty is so huge I think consumers can have some hope that maybe these guys will tighten up and run a better ship."

The government said the company promoted four prescription drugs, including the pain killer Bextra, as treatments for medical conditions different from those the drugs had been approved for by federal regulators. Authorities said Pfizer's salesmen and women created phony doctor requests for medical information in order to send unsolicited information to doctors about unapproved uses and dosages.

Use of drugs for so-called "off-label" medical conditions is not uncommon, but drug manufacturers are prohibited from marketing drugs for uses that have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. They said the junkets and other company-paid perks were designed to promote Bextra and other drugs, to doctors for unapproved uses and dosages, backed by false and misleading claims about safety and effectiveness.

Bextra, for instance, was approved for arthritis, but Pfizer promoted it for acute pain and surgical pain, and in dosages above the approved maximum. In 2005, Bextra, one of a class of painkillers known as Cox-2 inhibitors, was pulled from the U.S. market amid mounting evidence it raised the risk of heart attack, stroke and death.

A Pfizer subsidiary, Pharmacia and Upjohn Inc., which was acquired in 2003, has entered an agreement to plead guilty to one count of felony misbranding. The criminal case applied only to Bextra.

The $1 billion in civil penalties was related to Bextra and a number of other medicines.

A portion of the civil penalty will be distributed to 49 states and the District of Columbia, according to agreements with each state's Medicaid program.

Pfizer's top lawyer, Amy Schulman, said the settlements "bring final closure to significant legal matters and help to enhance our focus on what we do best — discovering, developing and delivering innovative medicines."

In her statement, Schulman said: "We regret certain actions taken in the past, but are proud of the action we've taken to strengthen our internal controls and pioneer new procedures."

In financial filings in January, the company had indicated that it would pay $2.3 billion over the allegations.

The civil settlement announced Wednesday covered Pfizer's promotions of Bextra, blockbuster nerve pain and epilepsy treatment Lyrica, schizophrenia medicine Geodon, antibiotic Zyvox and nine other medicines. The agreement with the Justice Department resolves the investigation into promotion of all those drugs, Pfizer said.

The government said Pfizer also paid kickbacks to market a host of big-name drugs: Aricept, Celebrex, Lipitor, Norvasc, Relpax, Viagra, Zithromax, Zoloft, and Zyrtec.

The allegations came to light thanks largely to five Pfizer employees and one Pennsylvania doctor, who will now share $102 million of the settlement money.

FBI Assistant Director Kevin Perkins praised the whistleblowers who decided to "speak out against a corporate giant that was blatantly violating the law and misleading the public through false marketing claims."

To rein in the abuses, the government's five-year monitoring will force Pfizer to notify doctors about Wednesday's agreement, encourage them to report any similar behavior, and publicly post any payments or perks it gives to doctors.

Under terms of the settlement, Pfizer must pay $1 billion to compensate Medicaid, Medicare, and other federal health care programs. Some of that money will be shared among the states: New York, for example, will receive $66 million, according to the state's attorney general, Andrew Cuomo.

When Pfizer originally disclosed the settlement figure, it also announced plans to acquire rival Wyeth for $68 billion. That deal, which would bolster Pfizer's position as the world's top drugmaker by revenue, is expected to close before year's end.

Shares of Pfizer dropped 14 cents to $16.24 in midday trading.

___

AP Business Writer Linda A. Johnson in Trenton, N.J., contributed to this report.

Conversation with an AhLian mum.

2009-09-02T16:27:00.012+08:00

Every parent is a beginner and we need help from time to time. As parent myself I learn from experience and experience shared by friends. Interestingly, today I just had a rather cute msn chat with a friend living in the busy capital city of Malaysia and I can't help it but to share it here. Have a read:

sl says (3:01 PM):
i want to check with u

MahaguruS1A says (3:01 PM):
shoot

sl says (3:02 PM):
lately my son, he wakes up crying with fright
these few nites and just now also

MahaguruS1A says (3:03 PM):
lately, as in when did this start?

sl says (3:03 PM):
few nites ago

MahaguruS1A says (3:03 PM):
he can converse with you guys right?

sl says (3:03 PM):
no not yet, age 2 only

MahaguruS1A says (3:04 PM):
oh sorry 2 yo, I thought he was 3

MahaguruS1A says (3:04 PM):
so he can comprehend what so say to him right?

sl says (3:04 PM):
he can understand what we say
but he can't converse yet

MahaguruS1A says (3:05 PM):
its ok, he can nod and shake his head rite?

sl says (3:05 PM):
slept halfway just now woke up crying scared

sl says (3:05 PM):
no he can't

MahaguruS1A says (3:05 PM):
oh....?

sl says (3:05 PM):
is something disturbing him ?
how come he wakes up with fright?

MahaguruS1A says (3:05 PM):
when he wakes up, is anyone around him?

sl says (3:06 PM):
nope

MahaguruS1A says (3:06 PM):
hmm... does he always sleep alone?

sl says (3:06 PM):
afternoon o yes

MahaguruS1A says (3:06 PM):
ok, usually kid don't like to wake up being alone

sl says (3:06 PM):
my maid then has to make him sleep

sl says (3:06 PM):
but last time not like that
when he wakes up he does not cry
he opens the door and come out on his own

MahaguruS1A says (3:07 PM):
normally kid will wake up or sub consciously wake up and when he finds no one around him, they will get scared. So most probably he had a bad nightmare last week.

MahaguruS1A says (3:07 PM):
So next time just sit down with him and ASSURE him that you are just nearby so that the next time if he wakes up he knows that you are there for him. Even if he doesn't know how to talk but he can understand what u say. And keep to you words! Never break your promise. This is important.

MahaguruS1A says (3:08 PM):
if you busy, just make sure ur close to him where you or he can see you

MahaguruS1A says (3:08 PM):
sorry me no expert, just my personal experience

sl says (3:09 PM):
is ok

sl says (3:11 PM):
these few days i found him waking up in tears

sl says (3:11 PM):
like in fear

sl says (3:11 PM):
usually not like that

MahaguruS1A says (3:12 PM):
like I said because he wakes up and find no one around him mah

sl says (3:12 PM):
he has been waking up for the past months being his usual self

sl says (3:12 PM):
but these few days are different

MahaguruS1A says (3:12 PM):
once he is traumatized, he will remember the scary experience

MahaguruS1A says (3:13 PM):
sit down to talk to him and reassure him that you are there for him, like what I said earlier

sl says (3:13 PM):
how come this fear develops suddenly

MahaguruS1A says (3:13 PM):
communication to a child is important, talk to him, he can comprehend

MahaguruS1A says (3:13 PM):
fear? I guess its just a bad nightmare, it happens

sl says (3:13 PM):
and especially this month is the ghost festival

MahaguruS1A says (3:13 PM):
sorry no comment on that
I am a scientific person

sl says (3:15 PM):
i am half half

MahaguruS1A says (3:15 PM):
so remember to be there with him the next time
Talk to him, reassure him that you are there for him

sl says (3:17 PM):
that one not a problem

MahaguruS1A says (3:17 PM):
so wats the problem?

sl says (3:18 PM):
he has never cried like that before

MahaguruS1A says (3:18 PM):
.....

MahaguruS1A says (3:18 PM):
so u expect him not to cry?

sl says (3:19 PM):
aiya not like that

sl says (3:19 PM):
i know his normal cries

MahaguruS1A says (3:19 PM):
(Obviously sl didn't get what I was talking all this while!!)

ok SL, just try to be near him this week when he is asleep
Don't let him wake up alone, can u try that?

MahaguruS1A says (3:19 PM):
yes?

sl says (3:20 PM):
that is ok

sl says (3:20 PM):
probably he is afraid to be alone

MahaguruS1A says (3:20 PM):
!! that what I said all this while!!

MahaguruS1A says (3:20 PM):
sigh*

sl says (3:20 PM):
ok ok

sl says (3:21 PM):
we will see these few days

MahaguruS1A says (3:21 PM):
just be with him... simple thing to do right. Good luck

sl says (3:21 PM):
thanks
bye

Stand by me

2009-09-01T16:18:00.000+08:00

Stand by me is one of my all time favorite song.

I am also learning it on my guitar. There are several variation on how to play this song on guitar and I have the guitar tab and guitar chord version for this song. Email me on how to get them.

Below is a video presentation of Stand by Me gig complied by the great people at Playing for Change. Have a listen. I am sure you will love it.

Source: www.youtube.com

http://playingforchange.com - From the award-winning documentary, "Playing For Change: Peace Through Music", comes the first of many "songs around the world" being released independently. Featured is a cover of the Ben E.

Law of the Garbage Truck

2009-08-03T15:01:00.003+08:00

I must admit, I have a rather short temper.

At times it can be bad but after I received and read a forwarded mail, I found it very useful and wish to share with you all. Have a read and see how true it can be.

* * * * * *

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were
driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a
parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his
brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver
of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My
taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was
really friendly.

So I asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car
and sent us to the hospital!' This is when my taxi driver taught me
what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.'

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around
full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of
disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump
it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally.
Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their
garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the
streets.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks
take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with
regrets, so... love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones
who don't.

Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!

Have a blessed, garbage-free day!

In remembrance of Michael Jackson

2009-06-26T09:52:00.017+08:00

Shockingly sad news this morning, Michael Jackson the King of Pop have passed on approximately 6:50 am Malaysia time.

He was one of my childhood star idol in the 80's. Man, the moonwalks we did in school, his songs, his dance. sigh*

Remember the time, you are not bad Michael, because you rock my world. We all know you were dangerous and a smooth criminal at times, sad that you didn't beat it this time. Billie Jean still rings in my ears and it was a thriller to see the journey in your life. I can't help it, The way you made me feel as you are not just another man in the mirror. You have gone too soon, although you have always told us don't stop 'til you get enough. And its only human nature to ask; will you be there but you left us with a earth song. So don't worry, you are not alone as you have helped heal the world. Now its black and white that you have passed on. Rest in peace Michael, thank you for the memory and HIStory. We will always rock with you.

I have his songs playing at the background now. Sigh, a bit teary coming from a MCP like me, weird? Maybe I am a sentimental old fool.

Viagra Ad

2009-05-08T10:56:00.002+08:00

Now this is what I call advertising! :))

I can see clearly now

2009-05-07T16:05:00.004+08:00

It was dim but I can see clearly now that it is a dark today.

Make the world a happier place

2009-04-30T16:03:00.007+08:00

There are too many hatred and sad people these days.

Watch this you tube musical video. Music gives such great feeling

Don't you wish that everyday will be such joyous?

Sound of Music "Do Re Mi" perform in Antwerp Central Railway Station in Belgium

Celcom Broad your Band please

2009-04-24T17:17:00.008+08:00

This is another rant on telekom internet speed.

I have stopped using streamyx for about 2 years ago as their service interruptions were to frequent for my short temper to bear. Hence I switched over to their cheaper and mobile 3G broadband last year.

As it was just launched then (and cheaper - save me some mulla), I was fine with the chugging service in the beginning as I didn't expect much from the speed that they claim can achieved, up to 1mb? Well, not to belittle my own country's monopolize telecommunication company, but we are seriously lacking behind other countries in internet infrastructure, speed and services. I wouldn't dare to tell my friend oversea what speed I am getting for broadband services. But simple click on the net you can discover what speed are provided. Yeah, although they claim of up to 1mb speed, but most of internet subscribers in the country are suffering in silence because of the crawling speed which at time are less than 90 kb which is by today standard is no better than the old age 44kb dial modem speed that I used 10 years ago.

And recently after a year launching the 3G broadband services, TM (Telekom Malaysia) is only now trying to push their internet penetration by heavily advertising and promoting their services. They are claiming that they are the number 1 broadband in the country although the fact that they are the only backbone out for the country really irk me. Unlimited excess for only $$XXX amount of money. blah blah blah....

until I received an sms recently that goes like this :

"From: 25222 24/04/ 2009 16:35:00
A friendly reminder, your data usage is reaching the allocated 5GB/ mth (Celcom Broadband Policy). Pls reduce your usage to avoid having your speeds managed."

I am not a heavy data user, but due to work commitment this month I received the above warning. Eh, why unlimited but you cannot use more than 5GB??? Net citizen, don't be fool by their deceitful advertising! Now I am crawling even slower on the net!! Malaysia boleh hai hai....

Waiting for a superman

2009-04-11T11:01:00.003+08:00

No golf again this weekend and no, I am not waiting for Superman :)

But did some browsing on one of my favorite guitar tab website, Chordie when I stumbled upon brooke's site http://www.supernaturalthings.net/

Her cover album song, Waiting for a superman just simply blows me away.

Brooke is on an indefinite hiatus from the internet, just became a mum. Congrats!! :) But all her music to date can be downloaded for free over at last.fm:

Or check her out on youtube below, I have her on repeat :)

Justice my foot

2009-04-07T13:14:00.011+08:00

I often hear people say that Malaysia's judicial system sucks!

Well, I never really paid attention to it. Its like, in one ear and out through the next ear. That's until something happened, well not to me directly but to a cousin of mine.

She was almost killed when she was knocked down from behind while riding home on her motorcycle. This incident happened a few months back and I only wrote about it now because her case just got mentioned. Talk about efficiency.

For the matter of fact, it happened on the eve of Chinese New Year, when my cousin was riding back home from town, when she was bulldoze down from behind by one of those 4 wheel drive vehicle. Yes, those monster cars are common in timber rich Sarawak and the drivers are one of a kind too. Not to generalized but most of them are ruthless especially those found in cowboy town Sibu.

The impact apparently flung her into the air violently and she was knock unconscious. Luckily the safety helmet safe her, even though it was found crack in halve! She was admitted to the ICU and remained unconscious for a few days. Sadly, the driver who knock her down was no where to be found.

After a week, we were all relieve when she recovered consciousness but there was a severe injury to her nerve system and her walking ability will be impaired permanently. To make think worst, the hit and run driver turn up at the local police station a few days later, not to turn himself in but instead made a report that my niece knock into 4wd. Wat the ????

Apparently this is what most hit and run driver do here. How can they get away with this? Call it a loop hole in the country's justice system or rather the lack of it. I just cannot imagine how can a deceitful person sleep at night?

The police are still investigating the case and apparently the chances of the bugger getting acquitted is very high because of the lack in evidence.

Be it the red tapes or bureaucracy, many hands are tied or paid to be tied. This legal system can be lob sided, depending on who you know or who you pay. This is Malaysia alright.

Free money!

2009-04-01T12:52:00.003+08:00

Oumaikot!!!

I won the lottery.

Anyone that leave a comment in my comment box with a valid email address within this 24 hours, will get $1000 dollar cash from me.

This is not a joke.

I hate golf carts

2009-03-31T12:17:00.001+08:00

People who know me, know about my dislike for golf buggy. And it's one of the many reasons that I have stopped golfing for a while. More on other reasons later.

Not that I couldn't afford the golf carts fee, but its the communist way of golf clubs forcing golfers to take the carts that put me off. Some even went as far as to amend their club constitutional by law to make it compulsory for players to take carts.

No doubt that carts rental generate income for clubs but there are many other way of doing it. Personal gains for the dollar signs are making people greedy and turning this old age game into a semi motor sport.

Common sense will tell you that golf carts do a lot of bad things for the game of golf. They prevent golfers from deriving any exercise benefit from playing, they slow play, they require courses to build unsightly golf paths and they damage turf in multiple places where the carts go off the paths. And worst of all, it restrict the bonding that golfers get when they walk together in foursome. There are thousands other reasons that I can list but writing them just makes me more piss.

What good do they do? Well, they make a lot of money for the golf professionals and for golf courses, so they are here to stay unless all lazy golfers are rid of this world. I am not naive to believe that this blog entry will end the nightmare or will it bring back the glory of walking golf but I hope it will spread the awareness of walking to season and new golfers alike.

Please feel free to comment

The Walking Golfer

Personality tests

2009-03-18T12:28:00.004+08:00

This is so freaky : http://www.quizbox.com/personality/test82.aspx

My result:

Your view on yourself:

You are down-to-earth and people like you because you are so straightforward. You are an efficient problem solver because you will listen to both sides of an argument before making a decision that usually appeals to both parties.

The type of girlfriend/boyfriend you are looking for:

You like serious, smart and determined people. You don't judge a book by its cover, so good-looking people aren't necessarily your style. This makes you an attractive person in many people's eyes.

Your readiness to commit to a relationship:

You prefer to get to know a person very well before deciding whether you will commit to the relationship.

The seriousness of your love:

You like to flirt and behave seductively. The opposite sex finds this very attractive, and that's why you'll always have admirers hanging off your arms. But how serious are you about choosing someone to be in a relationship with?

Your views on education

You may not like to study but you have many practical ideas. You listen to your own instincts and tend to follow your heart, so you will probably end up with an unusual job.

The right job for you:

You're a practical person and will choose a secure job with a steady income. Knowing what you like to do is important. Find a regular job doing just that and you'll be set for life.

How do you view success:

You are afraid of failure and scared to have a go at the career you would like to have in case you don't succeed. Don't give up when you haven't yet even started! Be courageous.

What are you most afraid of:

You are concerned about your image and the way others see you. This means that you try very hard to be accepted by other people. It's time for you to believe in who you are, not what you wear.

Who is your true self:

You are full of energy and confidence. You are unpredictable, with moods changing as quickly as an ocean. You might occasionally be calm and still, but never for long.

Learning Guitar

2009-03-13T11:13:00.014+08:00

As a ~~non musical~~ person not exposed to music at a young age, I thought I have made a fair bit of progress since I picked up the guitar a few months back (2 months to be exact)

But after watching this kid on youtube, I am embarrassed!

Sungha Jung an 11 year old Korean kid playing Hit the road Jack. Is he for real or is he fake? But what ever rumor people are saying about him, he is just simply amazing on the video and I just can't stop tapping my feet to his music. He is an inspiration to a 30 something like me to learn the guitar even more.

But seriously, not comparing with the kid above, looking back I think I have made a leaping progress in my own standard as I can't even pluck a single note on the guitar 2 months back but with the help and encouragement of friends and relatives, I managed to learn all the major open chords and now into barre chords. Heck, I can even hum a few songs now after a short span of many late nights of plucking and strumming.

So how long will it take to learn the guitar? In my opinion this is very subjective and depends on one's personal objectivity and commitment to improve. Do I want to play like Jimmy Hendrix? John Daly (hey you know this pro golfer is also great guitarist) or like the Sungha Jung kid? Well, I will never know and I will take this new addictive learning as it goes. As to me, learning the guitar is like other things in life, the process is a journey and not a destination. So I guess its a life time learning process and here's to many more hours of music.

Strumming a G to end this note. Until next time.

What the Fcuk (I)

2009-03-05T16:52:00.003+08:00

This country never ceases to amaze me.

From aisehman.org

I HAVE questions.

If I’ve been a good boy and my wife decides to reward me by giving me a blowjob, am I committing an offense under Section 377A of the Penal Code?

I mean, I’m her husband. Can’t husbands get the occasional head from their wives without breaking the law?

And that’s not the end of it.

Did you know there is no law against you giving your wife (or any other woman) a good … uh, how shall I say this, tongue-lashing?

So think about it — it’s a crime if your wife goes down on you but it’s not if you go down on her.

Isn’t that discrimination?

Where is the justice?

What the Fcuk (II)

2009-03-05T16:01:00.000+08:00

After my car accident last year, I had it repaired but there is still a minor part missing from my car.

This :
Toyota Black Grille, Radiator Side for my RH side to cover the front bumper body kit grille, just below the small head light. Part number 53112-BZ040

For the past few months, somehow I have this funny feeling that people were staring at my 1 eye jack car as if the hole was huge! So heavy heartedly, I dragged my self to UMW Toyota's spare part department, knowing that it will cost me a bomb to buy that simple cheap plastic cover.

Have a guess? .... I had to cough out $48.50 for that single piece. No discount! If you compare that to the price to weight ratio of gold, this thing is a dynamite!!

Well that's business monopoly to you.

Bapa Saya

2009-03-04T10:07:00.009+08:00

This article made my day.

BAPA SAYA

Bapa kita ialah orang yang menjaga kita sejak kecil. Dia menjaga kita tidak mengira masa.

Bapa saya bernama ****** Sia. Dia berumur tiga puluh lapan tahun. Dia tinggal di Jalan *****. Dia bekerja sebagai peniaga.

Dia bekerja di sebuah farmasi. Dia menaiki kereta ke tempat kerja. Dia balik ke rumah pada pukul enam petang. Dia juga menaiki kereta semasa pulang.

Bapa saya gemuk. Dia mempunyai rambut yang pendek. Dia suka memakai pakaian yang berwarna hitam.

Hobi ayah saya ialah berjoging. Dia berjoging di taman yang berdekatan dengan rumah. Dia berjoging pada hari Ahad. Ayah saya juga suka pergi gim. Dia pergi ke gim pada waktu malam. Dia menaiki kereta ke gim.

Saya sangat beruntung kerana mempunyai bapa yang baik. Ayah saya seorang yang penyayang. Saya sayang ayah saya.

Justin Sia

It was written by my 9 year old son as part of his school project. After he gave me his thumb drive this morning, he reminded me to print it out for him on my office printer.

So I did. And after reading it... sigh, I am all soft and mushy now.

KYB Ultra

2009-03-02T11:12:00.018+08:00

I was so happy to see Achmad on Saturday and I was happier when he pulled out a box from his bag. Its the KYB ultra suspension that I have been waiting for since the past month.This is the photo of my much awaited Kayaba Ultra special performance shock absorber for my Toyota Avanza. This better quality suspension upgrade apparently is only available in Indonesia. Although there is a factory that produces Kayabas in Malaysia, they only have limited selection and only cater for certain vehicle model.

Achmad was kind enough to hand carry the pair of rear Kayabas all the way from Jakarta for me and that save me from paying transportation fee. He said it wasn't a problem to carry the small box (13cm x 49cm x 7 cm), although it weighs quite heavy when I carried it.

For those that have been following my blog, you will know that I have been tinkering with my suspension for my Avanza for a while now. This quirky car is a hate and love car. One minute you love it and the next minute you will hate it down to every inch. Its beautiful car to some and ugly looking to a few. But the worst nemesis of this car is its' bouncy suspension. If you own one, you will know what I am talking about!

Anyway this is and will be (hopefully! - fingers and toes crossed) my final suspension upgrade attempts to solve this Avanza suspension woe. As I am getting sick from the, god knows how many times I have taken down the suspension to experiment with different setup.

And the answer to my suspension problem is this yellow looking nitrogen filled tube
Since it was a Saturday, I had the whole afternoon free. So I immediately drove to my mechanic but was disappointed when he turned me down as he had a long Que of cars to service. Come back on Monday he said.

I can't wait until next week and as impatient as I am, I decided to take on this absorber upgrade replacement project on my own. Why not I said to myself, I am good with my hands. :)

So, out came the trusty old tools and I was set. In fact, only minimal tools were needed. There are :

1. Car jack (the one from the car is sufficient)
2. Size 17 spanner
3. An adjustable spanner as a normal guy usually don't have x2 size 17 spanner in a box
4. Lubricant spray (its for the nut!!)
5. A can of water (just in case I get thirsty)
6. And lots of energy and enthusiasm

I will not go into details on how to jack up the car because that's the basic for a DIYer. If you don't even know how to jack up a car, especially if you are a guy then this is not a project for you. My advice to you is to take up cooking class or something that's more feminine.
Tip: remember to put the jack at the correct location. For Avanza, the point is the rear arm bar as shown in the picture above. Do not jack up at the side of the chassis as the small jack will not be able to lift the car high enough for the wheels to be clear out.

With wheel taken off
I was a little shock to see that the Eibach prokit spring + Original absorber could not hold the load. As you can see from the photo above, the marks on the rear axle, evidence from the multiple impact from the bump stopper. Yikes!
It took only minutes to take down the abs manually with size 17 spanner. Tip: For ease or removal, remember to spray some lubricant such as WD40 to loosen up the nuts. As can be seen from the photo above, Kayaba Ultra performance compare to the stock original abs. They are about the same length but the diameter of Kayaba ultra is much bigger. However, the main difference is the 3 stage and faster rebound rate on Kayaba Ultra.

In goes the Kayaba Ultra and I am set.
How is the ride? After years of experiment, this is so far the best combination, Kayaba Ultra with Eibach pro Kit spring. It reduces the bounciness by a fair bit. Not to the extend of a sedan ride but it's comfort is close to that. Ride over hump, bump and pot holes are bearable for a small short wheel base SUV. 100% better than the stock.

KYB + original spring is nothing to shout about as the ride is still harsh. And APM + eibach is the worst combination, so never try it or you will regret it as APM is too soft to be paired with Eibach. However, APM paired with original spring + all the UR bars, which I have been on for the past year is a good combo. The only set back is the big fender arch and tyre gap.

As a conclusion, it was fun in a way to experiment with different suspension setting but I had to cough out plenty of resource and time to tinker with it. And come to think of it, its a bit ridiculous for me or any Toyota Avanza owner to cough out extra money to improve this vehicle suspension. As to me, Toyota should have done all the necessary R&D and shouldn't have came out with such sub standard suspension quality. In another word, as a Toyota Avanza owner I felt I have been short change by this popular mass produce profit making Japanese company. Buckle up Toyota or you will lose loyalty in the long run.

My 2 cents worth. Do leave a comment if you have any question.

Related post:

Semenggoh

2009-02-26T14:26:00.016+08:00

Last weekend, was the first time I set foot onto Semenggoh Wildlife center.
Strangely I never been to the center even though I live in Kuching, I know where it is and even passed by Semenggoh numerous times but I just never thought of going into the center before.

That's until my Australianized cousins from Melbourne came for a short visit and being away all their life, my sister and her family from UK who coincidentally are still here suggested that we make a trip to Semenggoh for a visit to see the orang Utan.I didn't know what got into me, I was nice, I canceled my weekend golf (!!?) and somehow offered myself to ferry them to the center with my compact people mover vehicle . Spontaneously, 6 adults and 2 children filled up my Avanza and off we went.

Rated as one of the main tourist attraction, the center is situated 12th mile off Kuching and the trip only took us roughly 20 minutes from the city. Even without a locality map, to get there, just make your way to 10th mile bazaar and from there, just ask the local for direction as it's just a stone throw away.

The Semenggoh Orang Utan Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre is part of the Semenggoh nature reserve which consists of Semenggoh Bio Centre, a Botanical Garden, Forest Nursery, a Seed Bank, Herb Ethnobotany Centre, Fern and Orchid Garden.

We paid RM3 for an entry permit each at the entrance and drove all the way to the back of the center, skipping the rest of the garden and nursery as we were short of time and wanted only to see the orang utan.

Btw, I still can't believed that I paid money for myself to been seen by a bunch of orang utans! Oh well, there is alway a first time for everything.

At the center, I found out that the best time to visit the place are during the feeding times which are at 9 am and 3pm each day. It's not recommended to go during fruit seasons as the orang utan tend to stay away from the feeding platform as there will be plenty of food else where during those time.

"A young orang utan cracking coconut against a tree"

We were lucky that day as we saw more than a dozen orang utan during the afternoon feed. And the biggest male, Richie, was there as well. He is an impressive sight to behold. Age at around 30 years old, he is as huge as 2 to 3 adult human combine. It's size, agility and strength is something to aw at too.

I didn't managed to get much photos of the orang utan as my point and shoot digital camera was not capable of zooming far enough to capture any good photos. Although one can close to some of the smaller orang utans, visitor are warn not to go near them as precaution. Especially female orang utan that are carrying their young.

Silence is also require when going into the feeding area but somehow, some idiotic people just doesn't observe the rules. They even use camera flash! Luckily the warden came and advice them before I got mad as a monkey (did I just wrote that?).

Anyway, despite the bad encounter with baboon tourist, I was glad that I made the trip and will recommend anyone to visit this rehab center.

Definitely a worth while visit and I bet it will make any nature lover excited.

Thumbs up from me.

No Photo please

2009-02-23T16:21:00.005+08:00

No photo in public swimming pool?, my friend asked me through MSN

I asked him, what kind of photos? Nude? He said no. He was only taking photos of his kid while he and his family was at Majlis Bandaraya Ipoh Pool over the weekend.

As far as I know and upon checking their website, its a public swimming pool and there are no rules and regulation against people taking photos there.

"Ipoh municipal council Swimming pool complex apparently is one of the biggest and modern in South East Asia and is built to Olympic standard. It's equipped with diving pool, beginners' pool, children pool and wave pool." - Kolam Renang Dewan Bandaraya Ipoh

Beside good food, I also heard about Ipoh being renown for its beautiful girls, so I told my friend that maybe the warden was worried that people might snapped girls in skimpy clad bikinis? Ha! that will be the day.

But seriously, is taking photo at a public swimming pool illegal?

What's your take? Comment please

Wrong Anthony Won

2009-02-16T10:19:00.007+08:00

While driving to work, I thought I heard on the radio that Anthony Kim won the Malaysian Golf Open. However, I heard wrong as after I read the sports news, I found out that it was Anthony Kang that won this year 2009 Malaysian Golf Open. Wrong Anthony!

Anthony Kang of the United States ended an eight year victory drought by rolling home a short birdie putt at the final hole to emerge from a tightly bunched field for a one stroke victory at the Maybank Malaysian Open.

The Asian Tour regular held his nerve during a nail-biting final round at Saujana Golf and Country Club to pick up his third and biggest career victory after a five-under-par 67 gave him a winning total of 17-under-par 271.

With a late birdie on the 18th, Kang avoided a possible five way play-off with the English duo of David Horsey (64) and Miles Tunnicliff (68), Jyoti Randhawa of India (66) and Thailand’s Prayad Marksaeng (68), who finished tied for second on 16 under.

As for our Malaysian hopeful, Danny Chia that lead on the 2nd day, only managed for a share of 11th place. It was the best finish by a Malaysian since the event was co-sanctioned in 1999, he shot a 71 on the final day.

Kudos to him for making so far, although deep down inside he must have tried very hard to block out last year disaster from repeating it self where he lead for 3 days and blew up on the last day.

As for Anthony Kim, the most anticipated star player for the tournament, was purportedly paid an appearance fee of no less than RM700k by Maybank (the official main sponsors) only managed joined 48th at -7 under after a poor start on the first day.

Strangely, most of the foreign pros struggled at Saujana although the tournament's rule allowed clean and place rule through out fairways. Well I am going to self impose this rule the next time I am there to tame the Cobra course!

That will my excuse anyway :)

Valentine's Day = Having Sex?

2009-02-12T10:32:00.008+08:00

This is so stupid!

Read in a recent newspaper statement; JAIS (Malaysia Islamic affairs) said, "We do not stop people from celebrating Valentines Day, but it would be very wrong if they choose to celebrate their love for another by having sex or engaging in illicit romancing especially if they are unmarried couples"

I wonder what goes in the mind of people in JAIS?! Do they think at all? Or they just need to babble something to make a statement? What are these so-call religious people trying to teach or propagate?

Valentine's day is the day to have sex? that will lead to sex? must have sex? Equating Valentine's day to a day that will end with sex? A bit wayward thinking, is an understatement here. Sigh!

A simple search on the internet will give you the meaning of Valentine's Day; according to wikipedia:

"Valentine's Day History
There are varying opinions as to the origin of Valentine's Day. Some experts state that it originated from St. Valentine, a Roman who was martyred for refusing to give up Christianity. He died on February 14, 269 A.D., the same day that had been devoted to love lotteries. Legend also says that St. Valentine left a farewell note for the jailer's daughter, who had become his friend, and signed it "From Your Valentine". Other aspects of the story say that Saint Valentine served as a priest at the temple during the reign of Emperor Claudius. Claudius then had Valentine jailed for defying him. In 496 A.D. Pope Gelasius set aside February 14 to honour St. Valentine.
Gradually, February 14 became the date for exchanging love messages and St. Valentine became the patron saint of lovers. The date was marked by sending poems and simple gifts such as flowers. There was often a social gathering or a ball."

No mention of sex there? Another Malaysia Boleh case!

For the people at Jais, no sex for you on Valentine's day.

This is so stupid...

Daion Guitar

2009-02-05T16:41:00.011+08:00

I got an old guitar.

To be precise, its a Daion quality guitar Model DA-71 EC.
I have no idea where its made, but inside the sound hole the stickers mention - Made for Central Musical Instrument Australia. It looks like an old guitar, probably in the 1980s circa and should be consider a classic vintage(?) Anyone out there know how much this guitar is worth?

Please do help out as I have no idea, as I am new this guitar world.

Here's a photo of a Daion guitar (handcrafted guitar), not my model but it looks similar in lighter colour. Personally I think the Daion logo is a classic as it looks like a tuning fork or a goat's horn, that's if have wild imagination like me :)
I am a non musical person but ever since I got this guitar, I am addicted to it. As I just love how the guitar sounded as it can be so calming and soothing.

And with help from friends, book and online internet guitar lesson, I managed to learn some guitar basic and have been plucking and strumming away for many late nights, to much of my neighbor annoyance I bet. As the result my left fingers also suffered; they are still sore from the countless hours fret pressing. Any cure for this beside stop practicing? :)

I know (and hopefully) its going to be worth while as I am beginning to hear the results.

And most importantly, I hope this will cure my much debated so call tone deafness and 'miraculously' add a little music to my life.

MEME: What kind of driver you hate most

2009-02-04T11:18:00.009+08:00

In Kuching particularly, I hate those driver that

1. slow down after exiting onto the main road.
worst: especially when they see you coming at high speed

2. don't use signal light - for decoration ah?
worst: when used, its only after they made their turning!

3. never acknowledge after people give way to them
worst: show you their don't care karipap face. Their hand must weight a tonne?

4. change lane like mad F1 driver.
worst: when its during traffic jam. In a hurry? leave early next time!

5. drives with broken brake light
worst: all lights not functioning including their 3rd brake light!

6. talks on mobile while driving - if its important, stop driving
worst: when they do stop, they park indiscriminately, blocking traffic or stop at dangerous spot.
worst2: its some auntie (no apology to this kind of women drivers) but these type of drivers ought to be shot, as they use their phone to chat and drive at their leisurely pace, breaking almost every traffic rule and don't care for other road user.
worst3: when you horn them to avoid accidents, they show you the "huh" whats happening face.

7. use text or SMS while driving - the most dangerous act while driving beside having oral sex (now that's a different story)
worst: I can't think of anything worst than this. I wonder what is so important that it can't wait?

8. drives slowly on the right lane
worst: its an old motorcycle

9. tail gate
worst: they are drunk and drive car with loud music and broken exhaust sound

10. purposely stop beyond the junction line, jutting out their car trying to block
incoming traffic - so that they will give way? I still don't understand this mentality.
Worst: they drive so far out, almost blocking the whole road and incoming traffic but refuse to turn out.

Hmm... let me see who shall I tag :)

Hole in one 7 times!

2009-01-30T10:32:00.003+08:00

It may sound strange but it's no joke.

It is just a miracle feat by an amateur golfer from South Korea, Choi Son Eub, who managed a hole-in-one seven times all within a period of less than 100 days.

Choi, 63, a housewife and suffering from cancer may have broken the world record when she did the miracle hits on November 2, 15, 17, 27, 30 last year and again on January 1 and the latest on January 26 at Tuanku Jaafar Golf Country Resort in Seremban.

The unbelievable feat was witnessed by a number of local golfers and fellow Koreans including resort chairman Dalton Kim. And as a recognition for her miracle achievement, Choi was rewarded with a plague.

Cho's feat, who played with the handicap 11 and 12, is certainly a difficult one for anyone to repeat.

Choi's fortunate spell started on November 2 after she accidentally stepped on cow dunk on the fairway. "A fellow Korean golfer told her that i could be a good omen. The Koreans believe that such incidents is the sign of good tidings ahead," she siad through an interpreter.

Since then, Choi has been making miracle shots and even did a hole in one in the most difficult hole on the course, hole No.8.

The housewife started playing golf only a few years back with the guidance of a coach at Horse Valley Golf Course in Seoul, South Korea. Her husband Lee Sung Un, 63, is a successful timber merchant back home and spends a large amount of money to finance his wife's hobby in golf.

Playing golf back in South Korea is very costly thus many Koreans take a break between two and three months annually to play golf in Malaysia as it is much cheaper. Choi encourages more local women to take up golf as the game here is dominated by males.

"Golf is the most appropriate exercise for women. It is not an aggressive game. It is also said to bring good luck," she said.

Her suffering due to cancer has also lessened, she feels much healthier after being in Malaysia since last october as this country is blessed with fine weather and healthy air.

Avanza: Spring Upgrade

2009-01-24T10:35:00.008+08:00

My much awaited package finally arrived from KL, many thanks to bro Yappy :)
It's an Eibach Federn Pro Kit, specially custom made for Toyota Avanza. The box didn't weight a tonne as per broYappy's complain but it was on the heavy side, 14kg to be exact. So do expect to cough out some dough for shipping this baby. The part number can be found at the side of the box and it's originally made in Germany, according to James at auto jazz, the authorized distributor for Malaysia.So, what prompt me to buy this pro kit set? My Avanza is already fully equipped with bars from Ultra Racing and currently on APM absorber. I guess I have a high expectation and was on a constant look out to improve the ride quality. And after reading many reviews on Eibach pro Kit, I was hoping that this spring kit will further improve my ride comfort.

With a new gadget sitting infront of me, I couldn't wait to have them install. But since Chinese New Year is around the corner, my usual mechanic had his hands full with cars lined up to be service and had to decline my last minute request. And being me, I have to had it done, so I went around searching for a workshop that was willing to accommodate my urgent request.Well, I found one :)Ah Boon, dismantling and installing the rear spring onto my Avanza.

It took over an hour for a competent mechanic like him to dismantle and install the whole set. And another 1/2 hour to do the wheel alignment. I had 2 chamber nuts installed to the suspension system as the original setup doesn't come with adjustable bolts. It cost me $45 for each nut excluding labour charges, which cost me another $100. Expensive but it was worth it as they were good at what the did. Professional!

The end product, have a look at the my lowered Avanza photo. The pro kit definitely gave it a more muscular aggressive athletic stance.The rear was lowered approximately 1.5 inches and the front at 1.1 inches

more later....

CNY & Car Wash

2009-01-23T12:12:00.006+08:00

Never send your car to car wash center, days before Chinese New Year, unless you are willing to ~~be sliced~~ pay for it.

I found that out today, when I casually drove into this car wash center that I visit once in a blue moon. Not to name the center but the place is a popular center located at Jalan Mendu, where you can find many other car wash centers that dot the whole road. The place was a little quiet than normal days and brush aside my suspicion and assumed that it was because of the rainy season.

After my car was cleaned and dried, I proceeded to the payment counter and handed RM10 ringgit to the cashier, which was the normal price for a car wash and interior vaccum. But the girl looked up and said, sorry today is RM15 ringgit. I said, what!? No way, why RM15? And she said, new year is a few days away and if you come tomorrow it will be more expensive, double charge!

I paused for a while to regain my composure and ask to see her taukeh as I found it a bit ridiciolous to charge a spike up price without informing me before hand. I am not going to hood wink by something that doesn't make sense.

Minutes later, a rough samseng looking guy, I assumed the taukeh came out and I told him that he shouldn't have charged me the extra RM5 and should put a notice if they intend to hike their price, not that I couldn't afford it. There was a few seconds of void in the air and I was expecting some kind of confrontation but the guy disgruntledly said ok and waived the RM5 but gave me a kind of ill feeling sour face.

Nevertheless, I thanked him and wished him happy new year without getting a reply. Rude bastard.

So remember this, car washing in Kuching, days before Chinese New Year is like having hair cuts at saloons. They are at super cut throat prices that somehow people here accepted blindly. But not for me I guess.... Kuching Boleh.

Happy New 2009

2009-01-10T10:44:00.006+08:00

Happy New Year everyone.

2009 already?! Man, is it just me or did time flew passed faster than Tiger Wood swing speed?

First of all I have to apologizes for the things that I might have done and not done. It does seems that this blog is one of the neglected one but I do always look into it regularly, just that it has not been updated... Doesn't make sense? Yeah, as confusing I may sound (that's me alright), I will try my best to update this blog = One of my many many many new year resolutions. :)

And to start things off, here's a letter I received recently;

Dear mahagurusia,
I have never written to you before, but I really need your advice.

I have suspected for some time now that my wife has been cheating on me. The
usual signs; phone rings but if I answer, the caller hangs up. My wife has
been going out with 'the girls' a lot recently, although when I ask their
names she always says "just some friends from work, you don't know them".

I try to stay awake and look out for her when she comes home, but I usually
fall asleep. Anyway, I have never broached the subject with my wife. I think
deep down I just did not want to know the truth, but last night she went out
again and I decided to finally check on her. Around midnight, I hid in the
garage behind my golf clubs so I could get a good view of the whole street
when she arrived home from a night out with 'the girls.'

When she got out of the car she was buttoning up her blouse, and she took
her panties out of her purse and slipped them on. It was at that moment,
crouching behind my golf clubs, that I noticed a hairline crack where the
grip meets the graphite shaft on my 3-wood.

Is this something I can fix myself or should I take it back to the pro-shop
where I bought it?

Regards,
Troubled

Sigh... That's all for now folks.

Thanks for visiting mahagurusia.blogspot.com and wishing you a great year ahead.

Name of KL sex drug party newscaster

2009-01-05T16:40:00.000+08:00

So who are the actress and newscaster involve in the recent sex cum drug party in Malaysia capital city recently on new year day?

Awkwardly, a few days later, the newscaster name surfaced and was identified as Farahrizan Abdul Razak, 22, with Astro Awani channel while the identities and names of the 26 others were not revealed. Farahrizan is said to be a popular face on the 24-hour news channel.

Here's a file photo of the actress in the said sex case.
No wonder she got an invite :) Pretty hot looking babe I must say.

And as Malaysian as this case can be, the whole episode after 3 days it was exposed, has now changed to a drug case instead of a sex orgy. Makes one wonder why eh?

Truly Malaysia boleh.

Upgrading opamp

2008-12-19T17:40:00.001+08:00

Thinking of upgrading and tweak my amplifier Quad Opamp
From this:

STMICROELECTRONICS - TL074CN - OP AMP, QUAD JFET, DIP14
STMICROELECTRONICS,TL074CN,OP AMP, QUAD JFET, DIP14 Image is for illustrative purposes only.
Please refer to product description

Catalogue Page More Images

Manufacturer: STMICROELECTRONICS

Order Code: 9755934

Manufacturer Part No: TL074CN

RoHS : RoHS Compliant Yes
Description

* OP AMP, QUAD JFET, DIP14
* Amplifiers, No. of:4
* Op Amp Type:Low Noise, High Speed
* Gain, Bandwidth -3dB:3MHz
* Slew Rate:13
* Termination Type:Through Hole
* Case Style:DIP
* Temperature, Operating Range:0°C to +70°C
* Amplifier IC Type:JFET
* Bandwidth:3MHz
* Base Number:074
* Device Marking:TL074CN
* IC Generic Number:074
* Logic Function Number:74
* Operational Amplifier Features:Low Noise
* Pins, No. of:14
* Temp, Op. Max:70°C
* Temp, Op. Min:0°C
* Temperature Range, IC:Commercial
* Voltage, Input Offset Max:13mV
* Voltage, Supply +Nom:15V
* Voltage, Supply Max:36V
* Voltage, Supply Min:6V

to this :

NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR - LM837N - OP AMP, QUAD, DIP14, 837
NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR,LM837N,OP AMP, QUAD, DIP14, 837 Image is for illustrative purposes only.
Please refer to product description

Catalogue Page More Images

Manufacturer: NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR

Order Code: 9488391

Manufacturer Part No: LM837N

RoHS : RoHS Compliant Yes
Description

* OP AMP, QUAD, DIP14, 837
* Amplifiers, No. of:4
* Op Amp Type:Low Noise, High Speed
* Gain, Bandwidth -3dB:25MHz
* Slew Rate:10V/µs
* Termination Type:Through Hole
* Case Style:DIP
* Temperature, Operating Range:-40°C to +85°C
* Amplifier IC Type:Operational
* Bandwidth:25MHz
* Base Number:837
* IC Generic Number:837
* Logic Function Number:837
* Pins, No. of:14
* Temp, Op. Max:85°C
* Temp, Op. Min:-40°C
* Voltage, Input Offset Max:5mV
* Voltage, Supply +Nom:18V
* Voltage, Supply Max:36V
* Voltage, Supply Min:10V

or this :

NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR - LME49740NA - OP AMP, HIFI AUDIO, QUAD, MDIP14
NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR,LME49740NA,OP AMP, HIFI AUDIO, QUAD, MDIP14 Image is for illustrative purposes only.
Please refer to product description

Catalogue Page More Images

Manufacturer: NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR

Order Code: 1433169

Manufacturer Part No: LME49740NA

RoHS : RoHS Compliant Yes
Description

* OP AMP, HIFI AUDIO, QUAD, MDIP14
* Case Style:MDIP
* Temperature, Operating Range:-40°C to +85°C
* Amplifiers, No. of:4
* Bandwidth:55MHz
* Base Number:49740
* Pins, No. of:14
* Slew Rate:20V/µs
* Temp, Op. Max:85°C
* Temp, Op. Min:-40°C
* Termination Type:Through Hole
* Voltage, Input Offset Max:0.1mV
* Voltage, Supply +Nom:17V
* Voltage, Supply Max:17V
* Voltage, Supply Min:2.5V
* Gain, Bandwidth -3dB:55MHz
* Op Amp Type:Low Noise, Low Distortion

Hmmm.... will be experimenting. Stay tune folks.

Misc.

2008-11-12T17:12:00.000+08:00

Quick update:

Bought my Eclipse 7200
found the mystery sound after dynamating my car roof
The wonder of simple sandpapering bass enclosure tube
Tuning my Eclipse CD7200 mkII
The search for speaker mounting ring
Rain and more rain.... = NO GOLF

More detail crap later

Roof sound deadening project

2008-10-27T15:30:00.002+08:00

Sound proof my car roof over the weekend.

However, it took me several months to brave myself to start this project. I have tried searching for instruction on how to dismantle the roof covering and to my disbelief, I couldn’t find any information. With no experience and never seen it done before, it gave me more uneasiness to take off the thin layer of sheet covering with zero prospect of reinstalling it back.

However, being a member of TOCM, Malaysia unofficial Toyota Avanza Owners Club, it have helped me to gain confidence as I have learnt many valuable tips and completed various DIY project. RDS was one of the first project that I completed and it was the project that gave me the insight to how to start this dismantling process.

Starting by carefully and slowly sliding off the RDS (as it might rip off the fragile plastic covering), it exposes various clip-on plastic board that covers the A & B pillars. The coverings comes off easily by plying them off with bare hands, just be careful not to break any of the clips! Then the sun shades, passenger support holder, rear view mirror, internal lighting etc. are easy to take off by simply unscrewing their bolt with a Philip screw driver (the only tool you will need in this project). Finally, with everything unlock, just unhook the plastic sheeting that clings to the side of the roof. Don’t worry, even though this simple step of pulling the sheet off the side can be unnerving, the reward at the end when you see the final part expose is speechless.

Shockingly, Avanza’s inner roof is bare with nearly no insulator, which explains the noisy tin can orchestra sound when it rain- I can’t even hear myself think! And with virtually no sound proof material inside the roof lining, except for a few small pieces of recycle looking cloth form that are flimsily glued to ceiling, it took me no time to expose the bare metal by tearing the foam off and clean up the sticky residue.

Then in goes the Dynamat Extreme :)

Dynamat was chosen as I have used it on various part of my car and as a proven product, it should withstand the tropical climate as my car often get exposed to the sunlight heat. Looking at the specification, with working temperature up to 70c, it should not melt (finger crossed)

To reinstall, the most difficult part will be hooking back the plastic sheet. They need to be pull and tug into their original position, starting from one edge, slowing work your way to the other end. It can be daunting but not to worry as it will clip into place if you apply enough tugging pressure and I did it single handedly. For the rest of the accessories parts, just follow the step by step instruction backward.

As a conclusion, this is one of the most rewarding DIY project that I have done, rap test it and you will know what I meant. The car felt solid and traffic / wind noise was reduced significantly. I have not tested it in the rain as it haven’t pour this week but I am sure it will be 100% better than stock condition including the new facelift model.

********

Duration Time taken to complete this project :3+ hours. Dynamat used : 3 pieces if used sparingly. 4 1/2 piece will be ideal. Good luck and mail me should you need any help.

Eclipse CD7200 mkII

2008-10-23T17:43:00.013+08:00

For goodness sake, someone buy me this unit!

Eclipse CD 7200 mk II
Launched 2008, 7200 model is the latest top of the line car mobile audio CD player
from Fujitsu Ten

I have been trying to resist this contagious ICE virus ever since I caught it a few months back and I admit that I failed miserably. Every time I tried to stay away, it just keep coming back. For people that have gone through this stage, they can surely relate to my experience as the need to upgrade become endless. It's incurable, no matter how strong is your will!

What happened to need and necessity?

Well I guess it went out the window when I personally tested out the unit today. To make matter worst, there were other units on display for comparisons!

Initially I was eyeing Mcintosh 5000 with 24bit DAC but found out that it was way over my budget and wanted the ever beautiful Mcintosh 460 instead. So I did a little research and I guess I over did it and ended up having too many choices. From Nakamichi 700, 500, Pioneer P9 to Clarion 9255 but finally decided on the 7200 as it offers the best overall value for the sound quality and features among the various models that I have looked at.

At the showroom, beside testing out other brand, I had the chance to test out other Eclipse models such as 2100 with the 5100 and against the 7100. And the 7200 somehow stands out more with clarity and power. Maybe as a dead head and powered by a new 24bit DSP with the 8 volts, the output produce is more clean. Couple with more voltage being sent from the HU to the amp, the gain on the amp won't have to be turned up as much to match with the HU. Compare to the conventional 4 / 5 volts, the 7200's 8 volts provide more headroom, meaning less chance of the amp clipping? That's if you have a good quality amp to utilize all that beautiful voltage.

Other than the great sound quality, sadly nothing else impressed me about this unit. If not for the copper plate chassis and gold plated connectors, the cheap plasticky feel and look of the face plate totally puts me off. As for the 6 selectable pattern illumination options to suit car interior and personal taste, they are annoying and bright with no option to switch them off!

True to Eclipse tradition, the 7200 is full of features; x over, time alignment, parametric EQ : PEQ, online audio customization, it also comes with USB connector, Bluetooth (BT) connectivity for phone and ipod friendly (*ipod connector sold separately). However, maneuvering the vast menu is no easy task, especially with the light cheap plastic dial knob and its strongly advisable not to use them while driving!

With all that said, I still want it as it has great audiophile sound quality. So, some kind soul out there PLEASEeee buy it for me! :)

Excuses

2008-10-14T13:46:00.002+08:00

I hate hearing excuses.

My mother for example has a chronic excuse offering trait and never admit any of her mistake and will some how find some excuses even if she is in the wrong. She is so afraid to be perceived as incompetent. Thus she can persistently and defensively make up excuses and she often succeed with outsider but she can never fool me as I can see through her like a block of glass. Probably its the up bring in her family as I noticed this clearly in her family members too. Excuses are plenty and always made to justify their actions and remove any blame off themselves. A bit kiasu in my opinion. Sadly, my sister inherited this bad trait of hers, although her intentions at time are good but its just plain lame to me.

I spoke to my little sister on the phone last night about her Chinese New year home coming plan. Btw, she is not little anymore, at 30 something, blessed with a little 3 year old daughter, they now resides in the UK after her husband (lets call him KS) received a job offer there a few years ago. We talked for awhile and the topic came to their house in KL which they bought when they first started working after graduating. When they left for the UK, the house was left empty for a time being and later, her sister in law move in, then brother in law with his wife move in and God knows how many people are staying there now.

And it came to the point where little sis told me that KS might have to cut short his Kuching trip short to return to KL as he need to find people to fix the house. Apparently, the house has been leaking for a while now and I asked her why didn't KS's brother or sister fix the problem or get someone to fix it. She said they did requested but no action was taken and she somehow had to give an excuse for them, saying that they didn't have the time and was busy with their work crap! What kind of excuse is that? and most intriguingly, WHY?

Living in the house for so many years (as a close relative) and they can yet ignored the leak for so long. A leak on roof can lead to many other damages, I can't imagine the state of the house now. It got my blood boiling when little sis added that the house's gate had also broken down, the lawn is like a safari jungle and yet she gave excuses for them. I do not know what gives.... With my sister's excusing trait plus KS family trait, too many 'I don't care less' attitude? I am just guessing here as I do not know KS's family and don't think I like to meet them either after hearing this horror story.

I just can't stand people making up excuses to cover up mistake, imperfection or to protect their self ego. And I must admit that I used to make up excuses for myself but I have thrown that attitude away because I don't want to end up as a chronic excuse maker. As seen in my mother and her family, they often believe that excuses are justified but over time, their words and beliefs just don’t match, and they tried to change them in order to resolve the internal “disconnect.” The mental processes of dreaming up excuses is both emotionally draining and personally demeaning and in the end, your own self-respect suffers, even when someone else is unaware that you’ve covered over the truth.

So please, stop making excuses and live a truthful life.

Eagles CD

2008-10-13T10:28:00.000+08:00

Last weekend, I finally had a listen to the Eagles CD - Long Road of of Eden which I bought during my recent Singapore trip.

And its been in my CD player ever since. Oddly, I bought a bunch of other CDs but it never came to mind to test this cd as I was more interested in the demo test track cd that I bought. What a mistake! :)

Where did I buy them? I was supposed to shop at Delphi shopping center, the home AV center in Singapore, but due to time constraint I never made it there and instead I grabbed a few cds at one of Gramophone store located at the basement of Ngee Ann City Takashimaya shopping center along Orchard Road. They do have a wide selections of CDs but for serious Audiophile enthusiast, Deplhi Center is still the way to go.

The Eagle Cd that I bought came in a twin CD pack and had about 20 songs. At SGD22, it came in paper bag packaging and its stated that the CDs are manufactured in Singapore. The recording details are reasonably good, so it was not bad deal I thought, although xrcd format are available but they only contain 10+ selected songs at double the price.

Have a listen to them at their site, I am sure you will love them.

Busy being fabulous is among my favorite.

Singapore Visit

2008-10-09T10:47:00.004+08:00

Despite a bad month in September, the holiday to Singapore was a great change.

The trip was planned a while back after I found a great deal on Malaysia Airline (MAS) website, Zero fare for a round trip from Kuching to Singapore and back! Even with the airport taxes, surcharges etc. added in, the trip still cost me less than RM500, which I thought was a great deal especially when I can enjoy all the full fare perks (meals, baggage allowance, seating arrangement) and save me on time and transportation charges if I go through JB.

Accommodation and transport were all taken care with first class. I even get to be driven in BMW latest 335i convertible, a 200 merc compressor and not least a family oriented volvo xc90. Coincidentally, F1 first night race was on when I arrived that day and I managed to catch glimpses of the race. Great atmosphere and the sonic sound from the F1 cars were just describable. And most of all, super organization skill from the expected Singaporeans, this I take my hat off to them.

Singapore F1 grand stand as seen from the ECP drive by

Golf was not on the agenda but I managed to squeeze in a game, courtesy of an invite from Latuk who is a member of the prestigious Sentosa Golf Club. And I cannot argue when they say it's undisputedly Singapore's most exclusive and beautiful golf club. (Check out the green fees >> HERE) Its also the home to not one but two of the most scenic yet challenging golf courses in the region - Serapong and Tanjong. Serapong is the venue for Asia's richest National Golf tournament Barclays Singapore Open. Great layout and maintainence, truly in a class of its own.

Teeing off at par5 Serapong

And there was a lot of food, in between the few restaurants, we had a mixture of hawker food such as Singapore Laksa, chicken rice, prawn mee, we even had pizzas with champagne! And besides stuffing ourself near to death, there was the, Shopping! The FX exchange was painful though, 2.4 ringgit to a dollar. Need time to recuperate.

HK next.

Accident

2008-09-24T09:36:00.000+08:00

Bad month for me, spun and crashed my car last night.

I am ok.... more later

Abolish ISA !

2008-09-16T17:25:00.006+08:00

The outdated draconian ISA rule should have been abolished a long time ago.

In the wrong hand of desperate people, the result can be devastating for the nation and even more for a mother.

(added : Teresa Kok’s mother related what her daughter is going through. Video in Mandarin. Transcript found here.)

ISA must go. Free Teresa Kok!

http://www.petitiononline.com/freetkok/petition.html

* UPDATE : DAP Seputeh MP Teresa Kok was released unconditionally at 1pm today, 19th Sept 2008, after being held under the Internal Security Act for seven days.

Friends

2008-09-15T16:53:00.001+08:00

In these trying times, sadly I had to find out who my real friends are.

The true friends, no matter how we met or how long we have known each other, they stuck around and tried to help within their capacity, no questions asked. However, many will 'mysteriously' disappeared or try to elude you when money is concern.

For those that chipped in, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping out and you earned my life time respect. I do not know how or when can I repay your helping hands but I really appreciate them, not matter how small the help was.

God Bless and thank you for being my friends.

Plugging 2V1G

2008-09-12T16:45:00.005+08:00

With my newly acquire component speakers, I went into a frenzy in search for new CDs where I stumbled upon this locally brew talent, 2V1G

Although I am no audiophile expert, I love listening to high fidelity quality CD as I am into vocals and instrumental music. And amazingly, all it took was two voices and one guitar to get me hooked on this group. Roger Wang (guitarist - check out his website for sample music download), Winnie Ho and Regine Tai, you guys rocks!

The classical love songs are in Chinese Mandarin and although I don't fully understand the songs as my mandarin is half past six, the quality just blew me away. The limited CDs are imported as they are pressed in Hong Kong and surprisingly they are competitively priced. The CD can be purchase online from their blog website at RM39.90 Click here for >>> 2V1G Online Purchase

Do check them out, they even have sample of their music on their website.

2 thumbs up from me.

p/s By the way Leslie, if you are reading this, please send me an extra copy as I really want to have an extra copy to keep. With autographs please! :))))

Santubong

2008-09-02T10:19:00.001+08:00

Came back from a church camp retreat at Santubong.

Surprised that I am a Christian? To cut the long story short, yes I am by faith but I just don't practice it sadly. Too many things just don't make sense to me (yet).

Anyway it was a long weekend as Merdeka Day fell on Sunday. We managed to pack everyone into my 7 seater MPV and moment like this is when everyone appreciate people mover like mine. The short distance drive to Damai was made sweeter with Andrea Bocelli's CD playing on my new crystal clear sound system. Weather was great, sunny through the whole 3 days. And as expected, the resort was packed with holiday maker, typical of Kuching as there are not many places to go during holidays. Santubong resort that we stayed in, is however in a bad state as maintenance is clearly lacking in every department. Despite that we had great fun and enjoyed the sun and beach. Even the food were great despite being buffet style, as we ate out heart out.

One will be even more surprised to know that The golf bag didn't tagged along despite Damai Golf and country club is just beside the resort. Proudly I managed to resist the temptation while we walked along side the 18th hole on way down to the resort beach. The beach is quite secluded and surprising clean. Public can actually access it through the golf club, so there is not much exclusivity there and expect every dick tom and harry to be there during peak season.

I did however went on the golf course but I didn't played, instead I went running in the early morning. I ran the 2 mornings and did two loops each day on the ocean nine as the fresh air and view are just breath taking. Which made me wish that I have a home just beside the seaside.

Wishful thinking... well that's me.

Mobile Fidelity

2008-08-28T12:41:00.005+08:00

I love gadgets and car hi fi system is one of them. So what's stopping me from upgrading my Toyota Avanza's sound system?

Being poor (ahem) is one of them and for those that are into ICE (In Car Entertainment) sound system, they will understand my hesitation as upgrades will be an endless affair. ie. It's a damn expensive hobby! Choices and new gadgets comes out every now and then, just like mobile phones and computers models! So if you are on a budget constraint, don't even think about this.

It ain't broken! Avanza stock sound system is fine as it is and it come with a standard single CD player with radio receiver and four 6.5" 2 way paper cone speakers. They are nothing to shout about and there is nothing to complain about it either. However, the head unit (HU) is interesting, OEM branded as Toyota, it's manufactured by Fujitsu Ten which produces the Eclipse brand that has long been known to car sound enthusiasts. And it is not surprising that the sound quality from this HU is far better than any entry level HU such as pioneer, kenwood, sony etc.

Being me, I couldn't resist the temptation and went ahead with my mini plan despite knowing the difference between need and want.

Firstly I did a little sound proofing project on the 4 doors. Dynamat Extreme sheet were used on each door. Installation were done on the inner door and another layer was used to cover the outer door. Expensive I know but it was worth every cent spent especially when I hear the bass improvement even with the paper cone speakers. Sound from outside were reduced dramatically and it made closing the door more luxurious, just like those heavy high end class cars. I also bought a roll of bitumen strips 3" x 10m (used in roof sealing) and used it as a sound dampener under the wheels. However the results were not as good as the dynamat on the doors. So I guess the saying "you get what you pay for" holds very true in this aspect. As for the floor board, I am still planning on what material to use at the moment (basically I am broke!)

A few months later, in goes a Pegasus Amp. The 1562 is a four channel amplifier with 50w rating which I used to power up the front speakers. I got my tuner to connect the rear speakers to the amp and tune it down to act as a filler for the back seat passenger. Yeah I know, for the hardcore user, its unconventional to power rear speakers... Monster cables were used for the connections and I had to purchase 2 set of Hi to Low RCA as the stock head unit doesn't have any output for them. (another reason for me to upgrade the HU?)

Fast forward to yesterday. After recuperating from the heavy wallet onslaughts, I initially planned to have an active sub woofer install. Occupying roughly 1/3 of the rear boot space, its a definitely tempting as it save plenty of space. I tested a few units (Vifa, Steelmate, Alpine) and I must say the sound from the ready made enclosed sub is pretty good despite all the the negative reviews I have been hearing. I wouldn't go for the under the seat sub as the bass quality is poor despite being able to fit snuggly under the seat. Its tempting but I bet I will great it later.

And being calculative as I am, the sub woofer project was dropped (or rather put on hold) on the last minute as I needed the rear space for loading stuff and most importantly, my golf bag! Instead, I upgrade the front speakers to component speakers.

So which speakers are better? A silly question I must say as it all depends on how much you are willing to spend. To get a decent pair, be prepare to cough out 1k or more. I got myself a RS 6.5" component speakers which are awesome stuff as it real suit my pegasus amp. The other half of the battle is to get a knowledgeable and competent installer which I managed to find. Trust me, installation and tuning make a huge difference.

Next project, sub woofer. *Scream for help....

Bad News

2008-08-22T15:24:00.004+08:00

At dawn the telephone rings, 'Hello, Senor Rod? This is Ernesto, the caretaker at your country house.'

'Ah yes, Ernesto. What can I do for you? Is there a problem?'
'Um, I am just calling to advise you, Senor Rod, that your parrot, he is dead'
'My parrot? Dead? The one that won the International competition?'
'Si, Senor, that's the one.'
'Damn! That's a pity! I spent a small fortune on that bird. What did he die from?'
'From eating the rotten meat, Senor Rod.'
'Rotten meat? Who the hell fed him rotten meat?'
'Nobody, Senor. He ate the meat of the dead horse.'
'Dead horse? What dead horse?'
'The thoroughbred, Senor Rod.'
'My prize thoroughbred is dead?'
'Yes Senor Rod, he died from all that work pulling the water cart.'
'Are you insane?? What water cart?'
'The one we used to put out the fire, Senor.'
'Good Lord!! What fire are you talking about, man??'
'The one at your house, Senor! A candle fell and the curtains caught on fire.'
'What the hell?? Are you saying that my mansion is destroyed because of a candle?? !!'
'Yes, Senor Rod..'
'But there's electricity at the house!! What was the candle for?'
'For the funeral, Senor Rod.'

'WHAT BLOODY FUNERAL??!!'

'Your wife's, Senor Rod', she showed up very late one night and I thought she was a thief, so I hit her with your new Taylor Made Black Adjustable Super Quad 460 golf club.'

SILENCE . . . . . . .. . . .LONG SILENCE . . . . . . .

'Ernesto, if you broke that driver, you're in deep shit!!'

Sarawak Blackout

2008-08-10T11:13:00.001+08:00

Everything went pitch black when I was just about to have my nasi lemak for dinner, there was a power outage!

This is just great, a blackout on a Saturday night! I looked out the window, the street was dark and so was my neighbour's houses. The whole town must be out and thought nothing of it as it happened before, so we waited in the dark for the electricity to recover. Beside, there was nothing we can do as we are at the mercy of Sesco, the sole electricity provider in the state, so we waited recklessly in the humid night. 10 minutes passed and another 10 went by and another. Half an hour later there was still no sign that any current will return. A call to the customer complain line was useless as the telephone line was apparently jam or they couldn't be bother to hang it up, to avoid receiving angry calls from consumers around the city.

2 hours later I made a call to a friend who is working as an engineer in the state own company and was told that there was a major breakdown in one of the main grid and nearly the whole Sarawak is in the black. Hmm.... that's a major event.

Or does it have to do with the State government wanting to build over 12 new damns around the state which received zillions of objection and protest from NGO's and environmentalist around the world.

Another conspiracy theory or is it another coincident?

Titleist ZB

2008-07-22T12:05:00.003+08:00

Finally I found the replacement for my aged Titleist 990, they are the new Titleist Z Blend forged iron set.

I bought the 990 irons in 2002, which is now more than 6 years old and its nearing the end of the average life span of a cast irons set. They originally came with factory installed Precision Rifle 5.5 steel shaft, which I struggled to play for a few months. They felt harsh, so I gave up on them and re shafted the irons with Nippon Steel NS950GH and never look back ever since. They are the sweetest iron shaft I have played that give great feed back especially for my moderate swing speed. Unfortunately, the groves on the short irons, especially on the pitching wedge and 9 iron, are worn out. I tried re grooving them with a regroover but it didn't last long either and made the grooves line crooked after a few rounds.

The Titleist Z.B that I am eyeing now, comes with the latest Nippon Steel Super peening series steel shaft. They are a tad heavier that the 950GH which weight in at 104g per shaft.

to be continue....

Kuwakchai

2008-07-19T11:14:00.008+08:00

Kuwakchai is a new MMORPG game in town.

In Chinese Cantonese, Kuwakchai literally means gangster. Developed in the heartland of Malaysia, the game mainly revolves around the Kuala Lumpur city. There are also several towns surrounding it and they might sound foreign to players that do not resides in Malaysia but not to worry, you will get use to it quickly after a few clicks.

The game is free to play and its easy to access once registered, which only take seconds. Players can donate to receive extra goodies which makes the game more enjoyable.

Playing the game is simple, once inside, the simple layout is easy to figure out, Playing instruction are available in the help section or you can make friends and ask questions with the thousands of players online everyday. For more information, new player can browse through the forum page for help, which can be located at the left page in the navigation menu. The navigation menu is easy to figure out once you figure out what they mean as some of them are written in localized Malaysian English.

As a mobster game, one need to perform several task to gain energy, will, experience and health. And off course there are monetary rewards and the more money you have, you can buy more items to be powerful and form gangster group. There is no cheat or hack available yet.

Kuwaichai has gone through its beta stage and are free from bug after vigorous testing by the ever helpful admins. So what are you waiting for? Do head over to http://kuwakchai.com and check out this new game, u might see me in Pudu jail. :-)

** Remember to use the my link as I get referral points. Tenkiu **

I am DySLExiC

2008-07-15T17:50:00.006+08:00

I am dyslexic.

Sadly, not many people here in Malaysia knows much about dyslexic or even aware of it. Especially my stubborn know-everything parents. They didn't had a clue which made it was even harder for them to realize that I had problems or admit that they didn't know all the answers. Now as a grown adult and knowing what plagued me, I am glad that I self diagnose myself as a dyslexic.

The word dyslexic comes from Greek, meaning difficulty with words. Looking back, when I was in secondary school, I found it harder and it takes longer for me to comprehend my studies. I excels in some subject that doesn't require much reading such as biology and geography but I had harder times with math and numbers, especially when they are read to me vocally. Not that I dislike them nor I have low IQ, I just had difficulty in digesting and memorizing them. Its like climbing a hill over and over again. Reading certain book was not easy task either, sometimes over certain books, it was harder as I struggle to read a passage multiple times. It was frustrating as I couldn't understand why!

I later somehow managed to get to college and took up engineering, but when I took big lecture classes or took exams, I failed miserably. It was so disheartening and I felt down and depressed whenever I try as then I didn't know that I was dyslexic and I blame my failure on myself.

In my present working life and knowing what plagued me, I am glad that I know my limitation and I have found my own way to cope with my special disadvantage. However most importantly, I am lucky that dyslexic doesn't effect my golf except for the occasional adding up of my total scores on a bad day :-)

For parents, please do read up more on this and do not ignored the signs. I am one of the victim that found out a little too late. There are help available.

More information on Dyslexia can be found here:
1. Wikipedia
2. Website for Parents of Dyslexics
3. Dyslexia help and support

Get a grip on your game

2008-07-15T08:49:00.005+08:00

Grip it and rip it like John Daly? Well, do you have a good golf grip in the first place?

Yeah, I am very sure that there are zillions of golf swing tip books and lessons written on how to play Golf, which guarantee to lower and cut golf scores instantly! And if you are a golfer reading this post, I am sure you can relate when I say you often get dozens of freebie tips from people that you meet at the range or when you play a round with your buddies. However has any of it worked for you?

Sometimes, 'miracle' tips happens but mostly they will remained as a quick fix or a temporary remedy to your golfing woes. Hence I religiously believe in starting with the first and the most important basic Golf Fundamental, The Grip!

Believed it or not, everything in Golf depends and start in the grip. If it's wrongly applied, it will create the worst golfing nightmare with an avalanche of other ill effect such as bad Alignment, Stance, Posture and which eventually lead to a bad (bad bad) golf swing.

So what is a good grip and how to get a good grip? Well my advice is to go and see your golf professional. If he or she is not interested to teach and elaborate on the importance of good grip, move on and get a new teacher. As for season golfer, most of us are stubborn lot, hence the reluctant to change but trust me on this, setup for a good grip and everything else will follow suit. Perfected fundamentals with lead to consistant lower scores and a better enjoyment of the game.

Go ahead, get a good grip on your golf and happy swinging. :)

RainForest Music Festival 2008

2008-07-10T15:22:00.011+08:00

THANK GOODNESS....
NOTHING HAPPENED!!
case close
14th July 2008

Shit, I am not spreading rumours nor am I speculating anything but this was what happened to me today and I have tell someone.

As you all know, Kuching World rain forest music festival (RWMF) will be held this weekend at Damai and the town center is full of tourist. However something was just not right when three turban men, definitely not local and probably from west Malaysia judging by they way speak, walked casually into my office in the middle of town and asked for Potassium Nitrate!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_nitrate
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqwG9WauKAs

I found it rather odd for tourist to ask for this item and I quickly told them that I don't keep any. They then coolly proceeded to ask me where they could find it and where is the nearest place that sell agriculture product. I didn't gave them further information and told them I didn't know and they quickly left.

Seriously, they don't look like farmer or they brought their plant with them and why buy potassium nitrate when you are on a holiday? Maybe I should have asked more details but I just wanted to get rid of them quickly as their request just gave me a funny feeling deep down inside.

Although Kuching is a safe place, the RainForest Festival is a walking disaster as it will be full of tourist from all over the world. Maybe some people are trying to play a practical joke on me by coming around asking these kind of questions? But all these happening is too a coincidence? So, I am hoping that this is just a bad wrong feeling of mine and pray nothing untoward will happened as the security there is really lacking!

I am not being biased or paranoid. Am I?

No matter what, do take care people.

Chicken delima

2008-06-20T11:57:00.006+08:00

Cockadoadoo!

I rubbed my eyes and glanced at my alarm clock. 5 a.m! I don't even get up this early for golf!! Holding my explicits words, I sat up at the edge of my bed and there goes the crow again, this time louder. Am I dreaming or is this another repeat of my nightmare.

A few years back before we moved to our current house, we experienced a bad encounter with a neighbor that turned their house into a chicken slaughtering house. The sound of chickens and their screams left a bad scar on me as I had to endure the racket every morning that usually starts as early as 3 a.m! Luckily , we were able to move to a new house a year later, far away from the terror house.

As I made my way to the window, peered through the curtains, still hoping I was just dreaming. But to my horror I saw shadows of at least 3 dozens chickens in two make shift coup at the back of my new neighbour house. They must have moved them in during the night.

Not another time? Why me? Why? Why? Why?

Later in the day, I found out from my other neighbour that our new friends are from out of Kuching. And that probably explain the reason why they didn't know the few rule living in city's vicinity. Mind you, I was a kampung boy myself but I adapted myself to modernization. But hey, this got nothing to do with that. It's about common sense and having respect for other peace and human need, such air clean air? good night sleep? Which also explain why in general, people living in urban areas don’t rear chicken at the back of the house in modern residential areas. Hello, remember the time not long ago when there were fears of a return of the bird’s flu?

After the third day, enough was enough. And not wanting to offend our new big biceps neighbour, I wrote to my local council for a little assistance. And to my surprised they were prompt to response. However due to red tape beurocracy they had to liaise with numerous agencies before acting. That's government service to you.

Two weeks later after enduring sleepless night and foul stench. A call came from the local council and I was informed that after their supposedly simple but yet lengthy investigation, they found out that Mr. xxx is rearing xx number of chickens for his wife's consumption during her confinement period for 1 month!

I am dumb folded. What will you do if you are in my situation?

New Titleist 909 Driver?

2008-06-12T15:14:00.003+08:00

News are buzzing that Titleist will be launching it's new driver soon.

As seen in this undated photo, Adam Scott - Titleist ambassador is seen playing the latest Titleist 909 Driver with an unconfirmed new prototype proforce shaft which yet available to the market.

A checkup upon USGA website confirmed the existance of this new driver as it's listed and registered as one of the confirming drivers for 2008 list.

Look like that there will be three model available for the upcoming 909 although there are only 2 listed on USGA site under confirming drivers list :

Acushnet Company Titleist 909 D2 8.5, 9.5, 10.5 SOLE: (loft), Titleist, 909 D2
BACK: (circular weight)
TOE: Titleist
CROWN: (line and triangle alignment mark)

Acushnet Company Titleist 909 D3 8.5, 9.5, 10.5 SOLE: (loft), Titleist, 909 D3
BACK: (circular weight)
TOE: Titleist
CROWN: (line and triangle alignment mark)

Here are the photo of the 3 said new up coming driver obtained from Titleist public page

1. Titleist 909DComp
460cc deep face, full pear profile, multi-material titanium and composite driver that produces high launch with mid spin.

2. Titleist 909D2
460cc full pear profile, titanium driver that produces mid launch and spin.

3. Titleist 909D3
440cc deep face, classic pear profile, titanium driver that produces mid launch with lower spin.

UPDATES: Titleist 909 drivers will be available in select golf shops in October 2008, full product details will be available on Titleist.com in September.

Petrol effects on Golf

2008-06-11T16:18:00.001+08:00

I was on my way to golf when I stopped by the petrol station for my first fill up after Malaysian government hiked it's retail fuel price to RM2.69 per liter a few days ago.

With the 100 ringgit note I had, I only got back 5 ringgit this time! Usually I had about 30 to 40 odd ringgit to spare for my golf wagers / betting and drinks. Grr.... I am pissed!

I am not venting my frustration at the inevitable increase in global fuel price but at the way the people managing this crisis. Yadda yadda yadda... to cut the story short, there is no vision and transparency in managing this country! My only hope is that the so called money saved on subsidies will be channel back to the people fully (?)

And it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the fuel hike will indirectly caused inflation as the operation cost especially in transportation of good will have to increase. Food and daily essential goods have all increased. Does this mean golf balls, clubs and equipment will be more dearer in the near future? I sure hope not or else I will be eating my own divots for lunch!

So what's the remedy to counter this extra expenditure? I would have taken the public transport to my club but I don't see any bus or train going through my private club nor will there be one in the future.

Car pool or use less Titleist ProVs, I guess...

FORE!!! #%&@*

Untitled

2008-05-30T14:19:00.006+08:00

Welcome people, welcome to the land of hornbills.

If you are planning a trip to Kuching, here are a few things to expect.

Politeness: People of Sarawak always greet their visitors with an open heart, which often make people taken aback by our genuine warm hospitality. But we don't blame anyone as the world nowadays are full of selfish people.

Tolerance: We tolerate ignorance very well, as we are used to them. First time visitors normally expect Kuching to be some dark undiscovered remote primitive world. We don't ask much from visitors but here are a few tips and information when visiting us as I found that many visitors to Sarawak are either naive, stupid, ignorant or just plain don't care. And what ever it is, here are a few facts that ~~you nincompoops~~ visitors to Sarawak need to get straight

Pesta Keamatan is in Sabah for goodness sake, we in Sarawak celebrate Gawai festival.
Kuching is in Sarawak, not Sabah. Miri is in not another state and we are not related to Brunei and yes we are part of Malaysia and not any foreign country. Get your facts right or even better, buy a map!
Air plane is one of our main mode of transportation, so don't come and tell us that you come from far especially those from kampungs in Kuala Lumpur. We take plane like we take bus you know.
We city folks like to keep our place clean, please just the dustbin and do not litter indiscriminately.
We are multi lingual, beside bahasa melayu, chinese and half a dozen other local dialect, we can speak and understand english well, so don't try any funny kiddy languages with us.
Some other quirky but real life questions can be found here <click>

Unique Food: Local food are normally available in the morning and through out lunch although do expect majority of stalls to be closed after 2pm as they are normally sold out by then. Some stalls reopen in the evening or even start in the evening but not to worry as food are available through out the day especially the numerous fastfood chain. However, the food on the must try list are Sarawak Laksa, Kueh Chap, Butter Kaya Toast, Kolo Mee Noodles, Char Kueh, Prawns Cucur to name a few. They go well with local drinks, thats if you can order them correctly with my guide! :)

Bargain Shopping: For shoppers, Kuching is a shopper's paradise but please bargain at a reasonable price. The old age advice written in guide books and given by tour guides are obsolete can be an insult to the traders and your own pride if you try to bargain at a ridiculous 50% discount from the original price. Traders are in business to make profit and not to do charity works. Besides, businesses are very competitive these days and so are their prices. Offer a fair price for what the items are worth and traders here do not scold customers like the rude one found in petaling street in Kuala Lumpur. Do have some pride and shop with some dignity, expect some discount but don't' push your luck to the edge of being silently branded as a stupid cheapskate. It will also save you time and effort which can be use to enjoy the many scenery, food and people.

to be continue.....

N.S.PRO shaft

2008-05-29T13:45:00.001+08:00

As I was browsing through one my favorite golf store the other day, I stumbled upon a rather strange silver matted looking N.S.PRO shaft. At first I thought it was one of those imitation knock off shaft as it was not shinny as a normal stainless steel shaft and have a graphite look but yet feels like a steel. And upon closer inspection, I was told that it is one of N.S.Pro latest shaft offering, N.S.PRO Super Peening Steel shaft for irons (Semi-lightweight type)

Here's a photo of it that I found on NSPRO website
The matted look is due to Shot peening treatment which strengthens the surface to eliminate shaft weakness and the resulting head lag. That means one can hit the ball hard and still count on accurate trajectories and greater control.

I came to like NS PRO shaft after I reshafted my Titleist 990 a few years back with the ever popular 950GH NS.PRO and never look back ever since. And as my love and hate 990 irons are wearing out, especially the grooves in the shorter irons, I am hunting for a replacement iron set with NS Pro shaft in them. And so far I have narrow it down to the ZM series although I was gravitating toward the AP2 Titleist apart from the new AP1 and ZB blend model.

In the end, the thinner top line of the Z muscle back series appeal to me more than the AP2. Besides, the ZM that I saw, came with the super penning shaft. It comes in a few model which are colour coded, brown, orange, red and blue, which indicate different weight and kick point.

The lightest of the super penning series shaft is the brown coded that comes in 107g which slightly heavier than my 950GH which I don't really mind. As long someone is willing to sponsor me the set! Email me for donation details. :-)

REVIEW: Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 2007

2008-04-12T09:38:00.007+08:00

Pegasus is a mid entry model running shoe, which has been in Nike stable for decades. However, as a legendary model, the year 2007 model received a luke warm response reviews from it's followers and the running community. Nevertheless I bought it as running is a part of my golf fitness regime and here's my review.

Straight from the box, thanks to my uncle in Nike Malaysia, the grey and redliner on my new pegasus stunned me for a while as I was more used to the conventional white base shoe colour. Nevertheless the shoe slipped easily into my foot and it was comfortably cushy with plenty of good padding all around. The shoe's lace however is a bit short, so I left the last lace loop empty, just like the rest of my other running shoes.

The feel is flexible yet a stable platform to run on. It also felt light as the upper side is constructed from breathable synthetic mesh which gave the shoe overall weigh in at 360g, which is not the lightest shoe around. The inner red bowerman PU mid sole liner however is a bit thin for my neutral foot liking, but don't be fool as the outsole provide plenty of cushioning and it looks durable. And oh yes, it also come with the optional ipod nano pad for those tech savy runners that love music while on their run, which I yet to try on how to use.

On the road, my first run with it felt very responsive as the sole is flexible yet it felt sluggish as there were plenty of cushioning which I was not accustom too. And evidently I was proven wrong when I ran and timed my first 5km in this pegasus; I managed to clocked a moderate 28mins in a slight breeze condition route. Not bad for guy that haven't ran for years and I believe a faster time will be recorded when I get my fitness level up!

Overall, this shoe is a good buy although not cheap which is currently retailing at RM359. Still a value for money if one is looking for a reliable mid entry level running shoe. 3.5 stars out of 5 from me.

The world is laughing

2008-03-15T18:15:00.001+08:00

Malaysia must be the world's laughing stock these days.

The ruling coalition that just managed to hang on to a simple majority is still in a daze of what hit them although it was obviously a train that slammed into them. Maybe they are just plain ignorant or arrogant.

Then there are the people that are too emotionally to think straight or just can't think for themselves. Given the benefit of doubt, maybe they are influenced by slick talking politicians that are insecure of their future. Or maybe they are brain wash by the bias reporting from the main stream media that are politically owned.

What's wrong with fair governance for all? The outside world must think that Malaysian don't have any backbone to stand on their own. Where is the pride?!

Stop bickering Malaysians and give the new system time to work. Dont't be insecure, the change is good for the future.

Shaping your shot

2008-02-28T15:36:00.013+08:00

No, this blog entry is not about how to shape your golf shots.

I am actually trying keep this particular site to focus on golf as its one of my passion but at times I just can't help myself to jot down some of my ramblings. Especially this one when election fever is everywhere.

On this 8th of March, 2008, Malaysian voters will go to poll again to decide on who will govern this country for the next 5 years and maybe beyond. Will there be a change in our political landscape? Will it for the better or worst? I cannot foresee the future or any good in any of our politicians, so I do not know.

But one thing I know for sure, many things have changed over the years. From my profile, it doesn't tell much about me except that I am a Malaysian but felt segregated ~~as a non bumi~~. I never felt that way when I was a kid and I wonder why?

As a child, I spent most of my schooling years in the outback of Sarawak due to my parent's work commitment. In primary school, I was enrolled into the sole national school in my small little town ~~and I was one of the very few non-bumi~~. As an innocent child, nothing matters. I made friends with everyone, regardless of who they were. I learnt to speak different dialects and languages and I blended well with them. I got to understand different cultures, believes and religions. I even remembered vividly that I top my class in Jawi subject as it was included in the co curriculum, Not that having an ustaz as one of my neighbor helps but I definitely made more friends.

I changed school during secondary school and I made even more friends as pupils from other primary schools around the division merged into this main secondary school. There I met Chinese students which were rare during my primary school years. From there I learnt to speak mandarin and even managed to pick up a few local Chinese dialect. As you can imagined, I am quite multi lingual, not an expert but I get by as it helps a fair bit in this multi racial country. From there I graduated and was lucky to further my study else where.

While oversea, I was proud that I came from a multi racial country and assumed that everyone back home have the same patriotism as the people in this foriegn country. They are also proud to be who they are and they don't differentiate on who you were or where you came from. Everyone is at par and enjoyed the same right as every fellow countrymen should deserved. However upon returning to Malaysia after many years abroad, I had a rude shock of what's happening. Things were not as I thought they were when I was a child, people are economically isolated by allegedly corrupt and lob sided government policies which is silently killing the national integrity. But being Malaysians, people here have endured, maybe because of their nevermine (tidak apa attitude) but for how long?

I feel sadden and I think my late grand father would have felt the same way as he came to this country a century ago, like many others to toil his bone and sweat to make a living as a farmer and helped built this nation into a country we now call Malaysia.

I can't do much nor that I change the world alone but I do care. I do care for a fair and righteous governance. I do care about a government thats for all. Please! Malaysians are ONE and should not be divided into quotas!

So vote for what is right. Good luck my fellow Malaysian, the golf shots is in your hands.

Meaning of Titleist

2008-02-27T16:56:00.009+08:00

Have you ever wondered what is the meaning of Titleist?

Well, if you have been reading this blog, I guess by now you should have known that I am a big fan of Titleist but I have no clue how Titleist name came about. That's until I coincidentally found out when I met this fellow 'hakka chinese taukeh' businessman during my casual 9 hole round.

After my hit my shot on the 8th hole, he said to me in his slangy chinese dialect, "no wonder you over shot into the pond, you are using Tai-ta-lit", which in chinese meant hit too hard!!

I had a double bogey on that hole but I sure did had a good laugh.

Retro Green

2008-01-28T12:01:00.003+08:00

Last weekend, one my playing partner complaint again on how slow the greens were. "How can you putt on this slow shaggy green?", he lamented. As for myself, slow greens doesn't really bother me, as they require as much putting skill as on fast greens, maybe more. But what irk me most is when the rolling speeds are inconsistent .

Over the year, I learn that the key to good putting on slow greens is that one have to commit to a line absolutely and then accelerate the putter all the way through the ball. Its also extremely important to strike the ball with authority to get the ball rolling on a coarse surface green. Which reminded me the time I played well when my ex club's green keeper tore up our 8th hole at the back nine to test out a new type of grass. As the green was rebuild, we had to use part of the fairway as a temporary green, which was cut a bit shorter than the regular fairway height. Gosh, I bet majority of the member swore every time they play that green!

Ball skipped and hopped as I putted on that green but I kind of like it as it remind me the way all greens did a few decades ago. Green these days are mowed as short as major championship greens and it doesn't take a scientist to know that the green's health has suffered as the result as they are more likely susceptible to diseases and dry out in this high tropic temperature. And to most amateurs, greens that are too fast for their own good will encourage slow play as they will spent more time scratching their head and cursing on their four putts.

So when you are on the green next time, think about the wonder of the good old shaggy green.

Diamana Shafts

2008-01-07T12:44:00.007+08:00

Are the Diamana shafts overrated? Well I found that out myself when I installed them into my 907 D2 head recently.

My 907D2 came with Titleist factory Aldila VS Proto 65S stock shaft. This particular shaft by far is the most popular 907D2 shaft on offer direct off the shelf for retail consumer. I like the low mid launch on this shaft as its very stable but somehow just lack the jazzy feel that I was looking for. Hence my quest for a better shaft to suit my swing.

After a week search, I narrowed them down to 3 exotic shafts from 3 golf shaft manufacturers; True Temper, Fujikura and Diamana. I obviously chose Diamana and bought 2 shaft, from this Japanese seller on ebay, a white board and a red board, both in stiff flex.

And during my search, I found that there are 2 diamanas in the market, one for USA/International distribution and the other is exclusively for asian or rather Japan market. The difference according to Mitsubishi Rayon (the manufacturer for Diamanas) is only cosmetic; the Japanese model has the Ion Flowerband near the butt of the shaft, just below the grip area. They are a little girly for my liking but that is the only distinguishing mark of the two shafts. Performance wise, they are the same although many installers and players alike disagree and believe the Japan model plays slightly softer. -10 cpm

Titleist 907 is known as a bore through head that didn't pose any problem as I managed to pulled out the Aldila VS Proto with ease and safely inserted the Red diamana series at 1.5 inch. The red was chosen because I was looking for a shaft that will launch the ball higher and the 3.2 torque was good enough to reduce unwanted twisting and increase shaft kick through impact.

On course, the first few hit with the Diamana red were good and very forgiving. However, after the so call shaft breaking-in period; I found that the trajectories seems to a tad higher for my liking (on my 9,5 degree driver). The ball flights are not as penetrating as I wanted it to be but I did managed plenty of huge carry. I can't see it be any good in windy condition as it would be certainly a disadvantage to hit high shot into blustery head wind. However I would recommend this red shaft for golfer with slower or average swing speed and wants plenty of carry.

So it was back to the drawing board. Off came the red and I currently preparing the white board to be the install...

more reviews later...

2008

2008-01-01T12:31:00.000+08:00

An end to the past, a new beginning into the future.

Yes I know, I have been neglecting this site for a while and I can't think of a good reason why. Time just slipped away and 2007 is gone in a wink! Somehow as one age, time just accelerate a tinny winny bit faster than one wish for. So many things to do with so little time.

Was it bad year? Not really.... I managed to survived (as usual). Happy but not richer. Wiser but not smarter. And along the way, learnt a few hard lessons which were an eye opener. So I am looking forward to a calmer Two Thousand Eight and better days ahead.

All the best and have a great new year to you all.

Review : Titleist 907 D2

2007-09-12T09:23:00.000+08:00

Square drivers? Seriously I would rather 3 putt than be seen with one. Call me an old stubborn traditionalist but I am sticking to my pear looking shape driver. Hence I got myself a Titleist 907 D2 driver to replace my ageing 905R.

But then why are majority of manufacturers coming out with their own version of unconventional shaped drivers? Have they ran out of ideas? Technically it make sense if we look closely at the current hype as golf manufacturers are pushing more and more weight to the back corners hence making drivers wider and squarer looking shape.

But are they any better? Feedbacks and reviews from users certainly are mixed. Mostly reported that the balls certainly go straighter and felt more forgiving but no necessary longer. And as for golfers that like to shape their shots then these boxes are certainly more difficult to turn over.

As for my Titleist 907 D2, it came with the new Aldila Proto VS 65g Stiff shaft

to be continue.....

Titleist New Fairwood 2007 ?

2007-08-17T08:51:00.000+08:00

Yeah I know... this blog haven't been updated for a while, so here's some :)

Titleist SP14 (Prototype)

The evolution of Titleist Clubs.

Titleist Drivers :

PT --> PT Mid --> 975D --> 975R --> 975J --> 975J VS 975J FS -->

983K 983E--> 905T 905S --> 905R --> 907D1 907D2 907 D4

Titleist Fairway Woods :

PT --> 907 --> 975F --> 980F --> 980F --> 904F --> 906F2

NEW Toyota Avanza 1.5 G

2007-06-28T09:45:00.008+08:00

What do you know, I got the latest Toyota Avanza.

To many disbelieve, I bought the 1.5G series without even a test drive. Couldn't recall why but I guess the pricing was attractive enough and I was in the market for a new affordable family car with an automatic gear! And coming from a guy that have owned over half a dozen of manual cars, its a big BIG change.

Launched in 2006, Toyota UMW gave their Avanzas in Malaysia the much awaited face lift. Besides the standard features available in the previous model, the upper notch 1.5cc G series also comes equipped with 2 SRS air bags; driver and front passenger, anti brake system ABS + EBD, a new skirting which I thought is a pretty attractive body kit as it makes the car sportier, especially the front bumper.

So how's the car?

As the saying goes, what you do not know will not hurt you holds very true. After I took delivery of my new car and started driving with it for a few weeks, I discovered the many ills and wonders of this Avanza.

First and most of all, the suspensions for this Avanza sucks big time!! Even as a previous SUV and mini van user, I find the ride a bit harsh. So regular sedan car users, please be prepare for a little rude shock as any slight uneveness on the road will feel like a wild pony horse ride. Other than that, the car handle sufficiently well on its stock 15 inch alloy rims with 185/60 profile tyres, that is if you keep the speed below 80 km/h and don't take corners at neck breaking speed.

Interior wise, this 7 seater capacity is spacious enough for a medium size family. The rear 3rd row seat which is foldable, can provide ample cargo space. And it suit golfers like me as a single golf bag can be snuggly place at the rear cargo even with the seat upright.

Cabin noise is at an acceptable low level as the insulation is an improvement from the previous model. However do not expect to much from the stock audio sound system as there is nothing to shout about. The head unit is a Toyota re branded unit which is produced by Fujitsu Ten and is link to 4 mid way speakers, 2 at the front and 2 at the rear side door panel. Most in car entertainment (ICE) enthusiast, will up grade the head unit to eclipse, pioneer or sony to name a few and I have seen a few that opted for the newer double din unit which can be fitted snuggly into the existing slot. For hardcore users, they will usually install amplifier and woofers to enhance their bass sound. I personally like the compact under the seat flat 10 inch woofer as it safe plenty of space.

As for power, the new 1.5 litre 3SZ-VE vvti engine churns out 109hp which is sufficient for normal city drive and family outing as it cruises pretty well on the highway. However do expect a higher fuel consumption (FC) in the stop and go city drives. I am getting about 8 - 9 km for every liter of petrol in city drive and the mileage was surprisingly economical at 13 - 16 km/l when its driven on long haul highways at moderate speed (90-100 km/h).

*Fuel consumption estimate was based on previous petrol price at RM1.92 per liter

******

A little update on my car :

1. I have installed several bars from Ultra racing to enhance the ride. They basically reinforce the car structure to give it a more stable and rigid ride. The comfort level have dramatically increase and the car is more stable, especially the reduction in body roll. The 5 bars are the lower front and rear arm bar, front and rear anti roll bar and the 4 point stabilizer bar.

2. For the engine, I have upgrade the spark plugs to the 0.4mm Denso platinum and guang dong volatage stablizer with electrical grounding. The VS is highly recommended by me as, it gave the auto transmission a smoother shift, a better audio sound and better electrical support to the whole car.

3. The car is also installed with Dyna mat, the best sound dampening around for car enthusiast. A bit costly but money worth well spend. I did the 4 door panels and the 5th rear door by myself DIY but paid for the floor board to be done by car accessories installer as its very timing consuming to do it alone.

4. Avanza Eibach Pro Kit Spring upgrade <--- NEW PHOTO ADDED! more update later....

*********

UMW Toyota Malaysia have announced that a new model of Avanza 1.5 in manual transmission will be available soon. Estimated model launch date is around December 2008

NEW Titleist Pro V 2007

2007-03-23T09:10:00.000+08:00

The best golf ball in golf just got better.

Titleist will be launching an improved, higher coverage 392 dimple design, along with a new staggered wave parting line and exclusive A.I.M. (Alignment Integrated Marking) sidestamp. Which means, Titleist is saving me time and effort of drawing my own line on my balls!

The new Pro Vs claimed to provides longer, consistent distance with the driver and long irons, while maintaining soft feel and high performance into and around the green with Drop-And-Stop control.

Yup they are coming this April 2007, Yuhoo! an extra 4 yards to my driving distance? Yeah right, as if it's going to make a huge difference in my game. We will just see.

Signing off,A ProV addict.

Ernie Els joins Callaway Golf

2007-03-21T08:50:00.000+08:00

Yup, it's confirmed that Ernie Els or better known among golf enthusiast as The Big Easy, is now officially playing under Callaway Golf. No announcement or reason was given on Ernie's official website on his recent migration from his long time equipment sponsor, Titleist.

I sure hope the move to the new Callaway Golf FT-5 Driver and the HX Tour 56 Golf Ball will improve his luck for the coming years, as he possess one of the best swing on tour. Who knows, the switch might just give him the little more luck that he needs to built up his confidence.

Good luck Ernie

Titleist 907D2

2007-01-11T16:02:00.000+08:00

It's been a few months since my last update and what do you know, nearly all golf manufacturers are planning or in the midst of launching new clubs.

As for Titleist fan, here's a sneak preview of what might we might see in a few months time.

However fear not if you have just purchased your dream clubs, as I can't see how the upcoming clubs can drastically improve the current technology which is nearing to their limit.

So you noticed the driver's shape in above photo a bit squarish? Well observed but bewarned that most drivers coming out soon are going to spot some square shape. Taylor Made and Callaway will be the squarest of them all; which are too weird for my taste.

Besides Titleist 907 D2 model, apparently another model, 907 D1 is going to be launch at the same time. No details on their specification is available yet at the moment. Do let me know should any of you have details on them.

Until the next fairway, signing out for now. :)

2006 Pre Merdeka Parade Photos

2006-08-29T09:48:00.000+08:00

For those that are still in the dark, Malaysia 49th independence day celebration will be held in Kuching Sarawak for the 2nd time in history. The last one was 16 years ago.

And despite the slight haze blanketing the region, everything looks okie dokie.

So enjoy the rest of the sneak preview :)

Own Backyard

2006-08-12T09:16:00.000+08:00

What's new? The haze is back, again!

It's getting more prevalent over the last 10 years as if the smoky scene is a yearly ritual and why is this so? As time goes by people around the world progresses but why are we are going backward? Well, as usual money is the root of all evil. With just a single match stick, thousands of hectares can be cleared cheaply for precious commodities like palm oil which grows well on peat soil. And peat soil fire burnt deep underground for days and even weeks, thus creating this unhealthy environment.

At what cost? The life of millions?

Authorizes are as usual without any power to stopped these happening eventhough it have been happening years over years. Even top ministerial meeting can't produce any results. Too many beuraracies and red tape are the main excuses. So when is this going to ever end? When people run out of land to clear or when the money run dry?

related post:
Slower killer haze
Kuching haze situation

Gamed

2006-07-11T10:35:00.000+08:00

Was sent an invite to this FREE online game

Conquer Online

and I am now hooked.

Remember not to disturb me for the next century!

Signing off,
The Big Kid

Why golf is exciting?

2006-07-06T15:42:00.000+08:00

Regular non-golfers to my blog usually asked, what's so exciting about golf?

Well, it's hard to explain if one never played golf but here's a video to show why,

although a little tiny bit exaggerated...

Tag: Golf, Video, Myrtle Beach, Funny