Life is fragile, appreciate life.

Malaysia is no longer a safer place to stay. Yesterday, there was an armed robbery happened in Subang Parade. The robbery happened around 8pm at night. 2 guards and 1 robbers were killed in action (KIA).

Imagine that time was the best time for family outings and shopping for Chinese New Year supply. The robbers just simply open fired in the public and bullets are blind.

There are total of 5 robbers and the police believe their partner in crime waited for them in different vehicle outside the shopping center.

Just imagine you were in that situation and you life is so closed to that bullet fire zone. It was that near to death. Life will be wasted if the bullet just blindly hit you.

I do really pity those guard who KIA. And for the robbers, there's nothing we can do about it but to curse on you (THE ROBBERS) who had a PIG BRAIN, NO LIFE and SCREW YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY. May the God and Allah S.W.T PUNISH you! You will serve you sentence right after you are dead and live in HELL. There is no MERCY or FORGIVENESS will be granted on you!

I don't like to curse people but the robbers and their entire family deserved to be cursed due to their upbringing in a PIG farm. Well I guess the real PIG are much more smarter then the robber cause they don't kill.

After the robbery, I had made my hypothesis on the psychology of the robbers. (It is just my thought)

From the sources I got. I can summarize the robbery as below:

1. The robbers choose the peak hour and time (8pm, Saturday night) cause they might have thought that Malaysian Don't Care attitude - no one will notice if they were robbers.

2. They only rob those goldsmith near to exit or entrance where they can easily escape.

3. Notice that the robbers wear cap and dress quite formal.

4. A surrounding that can be easily escape and can take public as hostage.

What I had learned:

1. Shopping center is not a save place to hang out especially those with jewellery shop inside.

2. Be full alert when you saw someone suspecious especially those who dress like a gentleman but trying to cover his face with cap.

3. If you wanted to hang out in a shopping center with jewellery shop inside, better stay out of the premises of the jewellery shop.

4. Wear a kevlar jacket and helmet when you're in public if you can get one.

By summarizing all the possibilities, I can conclude that:

1. Subang Parade and Sunway Pyramid shopping center have been robbed.

the next possible target of the robbers were:

1. Ikano Shopping Centre
2. The Curve Shopping Centre
3. 1 Utama Shopping Centre
4. IOI Shopping Mall

There is a possibility for MidValley Shopping Centre, but the traffic there was quite congested. It's quite hard for the robber to escape unless they plan to use a helicopter or a bike.

Remember you won' t know if that stranger is a robber, just be alert and concious about what happened in your surrounding. You can't smell danger or death.

Life is fragile, appreciate life.

My report worth RM2 Million?

Can't you imagine a survival of a contracting company RM2 Million depends on my report? What should I do?

I am not joking, this is the truth. I've been striving hard now to write the best report out there in order to get back RM2 million for the company.

How do you judge if this report worth RM2 Million.......

Help me....

The best part is.... I need to submit the report tomorrow morning.. and I got nothing in my brain now......

11.01.2007

Finally I am back! Back to my little space. It's been more than a month since the last time I write about something.


New year 2007 - a new beginning. Things doesn't really goes well in the first week of 2007. I have been severely hit by misfortunes.

My spectacles broken...
My car got minor 'injuries' in front...
Spend quite a lot this month...

Hmm..it's time for me to sit back and relax before I continue by journey to the new beginning of year 2007.

Nothing much to write about and my life as usual... big time procrastinator...

The Xtreme Nights (TXN)

The Xtreme Nights (TXN) is the first modified car exhibition held in Malaysia. This event is organized by Motorsport Malaysia and supported by Ministry Of Youth Malaysia. It is held in LRT Square, Bukit Jalil National Stadium on 10th and 11th November 2006 - 5pm till midnight. Modified car are getting more and more popular among Malaysian especially Japanese and European cars.

The local car modification culture are mostly from Japan and U.S. The movie Fast and Furious and drifting motorsport generate lots of interest among the youth and teens.
Original car are just not enough for those car enthusiast. The car need to be pimped or 'zhng' in Hokkien so that it looks 'Whoah' or "Ooooh". Note I mentioned 'Car enthusiast' and not 'ah beng, ah lian or mat rempit modified car'. There is a contrast difference between a true car enthusiast and 'ah beng or ah lian / mat rempit enthusiast'

The 3 major difference you can spot if it is a car enthusiast or ah beng's modified car:
1. Ah Beng's modified car - the exhaust louder the better but no power. In car enthusiast modified car, there's no loud sound in the exhaust, you can only heard 'swooooosh' - the car is fast and silence.
2. Ah beng's modified car got lotsa crappy sticker - FAKE GReddy, Apexi, D1 GP, SARD, bla...bla...bla... and so on. On the spot you know it is fake cause they just simply stick it to attract Ah lian. Where as for car enthusiast, they normally don't apply so much sticker on their car cause they don't get a single cent by putting those sticker on and it spoil the beauty of their car.
3. Ah beng's modified car are not engineered car because they only know how to install a damn big GT Wings spoiler on their car even thou the car is only an 800cc SLK (Super Little Kancil) - according to them 'yau yeng' ma (in Cantonese) As long as it is big enough but they don't know the purpose of the spoiler. A car enthusiast will want their car to be fully engineered.

I think I better stop here else I will sound like an Ah Beng. Here are some photo to share - the reason why guys like to go to car exhibition: best of both world - got sexy chicks and nice cars to see!

Ticker V3

Check this out:

Isn't this cool....

Chu Yok Fan (Pork Noodles) @ Seri Kembangan Market

It's Sunday morning, wake up as usual 6.30am in the morning. Sitting in front of my PC staring at my old 17inch Samsung CRT monitor.. reading blogs...

My long lost housemate finally awake and ask us to go for a famous Chu Yok Fan breakfast at Seri Kembangan market.

We have been going to the Chu Yok Fan stalls since we were in the old University days. It's been quite some time we didn't taste the Chu Yok Fan. The best I had ever tried in Seri Kembangan market..

The soup was cooked fresh for every single bowl of Chu Yok Fan. Additional egg can be added into the soup for better taste.

For those who are interested, the stall is located near the junction of the Seri Kembangan market. There is the only kopitiam with 2 stalls - one selling Chu Yok Fan and another selling Wan Tan Mee. In front of the kopitiam there's a stall selling newspaper.

Email me if you need the exact location of the Chu Yok Fan stall.

Photo Exposure Calculator

Check this out below:

http://www.furyphoto.com/fotocalc/purchaseus/downloadall.htm

How to make a better bounce card?

For those who don't know what is bounce card, bounce card is used in camera external flash unit to bounce the flash upwards and forward. It simply just to diffuse the flash to get creamy and soft shadow photo instead of direct flash. In short, bounce card is used to reflect and direct flash light to certain direction.

18 minutes video by Peter Gregg shows you how to make a bounce card that will only cost you the price of a paper compared to other specially made bouncer like Stofen Omnibounce, Lumiquest Pocket Bounce, Gary Fong Lightsphere etc.

I still haven't try it out my self on my Canon 580Ex Speedlite, going to make it on this coming weekend.



For more information, you can visit www.abetterbouncecard.com

Canon EFS 17-85mm F4-5.6 IS USM

Bought this lens last Saturday from MIR FTZ. The lens was about 3 months old and still under warranty. Quite satisfied with the lens and it's the best walkaround lens compared to kit lens. The IS help a lot especially those low light photography. The contrast of the image are also slightly improved.

All the shots below are handheld and with Image Stabilizer (IS) ON, no tripod were used.

Selamat Hari Raya and belated Deepavali

Even though it is late, but still need to greet all muslims Selamat Hari Raya and all indian Happy Belated Deepavali..

It's better late than never..


Time passed by so fast... Yet I still wondering in my own world....sigh...

开斋节快乐！

时间过得很快，不知不觉已经到了二零零六年的年尾了。

我还在我自己的世界里梦游着。。埃。。。。

Home town...

It's been ages since the last time I drove back to my hometown - Perai, Butterworth, Penang. Finally back to my hometown today. This will be short stay here, I will be back to KL on Monday morning.

Initially, my plan to start my journey back at 4am in the morning, unfortunately I was to tired to wake up at 3am in the morning. Started off my journey at 6:15am in the morning and reached my house about 9:15am - The total journey was 2 hour and 30 minutes from Kuala Lumpur to Penang. That was fast! I won't say how fast I drive but picture convey a thousand meaning. So take a look on the photo.

It pays to reach Penang in 2 and a half hour. My RM82 bucks full tank petrol just gone like that. Wah, I not going to do that again. The petrols just like swallowing water.

I was too tired to think when I first reach my house. Not much changes in Penang, can still smell the slow paced life here. Everything is slow - the development, the cars and the building too...

I was so tired till I just fell asleep when I lie onto the sofa. It is much more comfortable to be at house.

*yawn* time to get back to sleep again...

Back in one piece...

Back in one piece from Dubai...finally. The journey was freaking tired and juiced up all my energy. 7 hours of flight plus 4 hours different time zone really make me sick.

I was so happy thought that I can give myself a break and rest when I come back. Things are in a mess - I have to do my laundry, pay my overdue phone and broadband bill, check my car, repair my stupid pc that won't switch on which I don't know what happened to it, clean up my super duper dusty keyboard and mouse, clean my abandoned room, claim my 1GB of SD card (winning from PIKOM Photography Contest) from the post office...bla...bla...bla... and so on... Piles of work need to be settled in a day..

It's 1.30am now, tomorrow need to work yet still can write these crap. I am just abnormal. Sigh...

IBN BATTUTA MALL

Busy..

It's been more than a week since the last time I update my blog. There's a pile of work need to be clean up recently. The work getting tougher when added up with a lots of communication and coordination issues. Basically everything in a mess...

I need some break after work. In Dubai, the shopping center opened from 8am till 12 midnight during Ramadan Kareem. At night, I took a ride down town to Nassar Square and did some window shopping. The things there basically are cheap. You can get a good bargain there if you know how to bargain well.

..

Pile of SH*T

Yeah, it's been few days since I update my blog. My situation not really good, in fact there is pile of SH*T for me to clean it up. I wish I can come back next week.

In Dubai, during Ramadan Kareem (This is what the locals there call, in malay it is known as 'Bulan Puasa'), it is hard to get food during lunch time. I have no choice but to pack food from petrol station or some indian restaurant that offer delivery. Sick of Indian food, tandoori chicken, masala, what ever chicken tikka ...ish. I have been eating Indian food for the past 4 days.. I think I gonna get sick if I continue eating that.

Talking about Dubai, I have been busy lately cracking my head to clean up those pile of SH*T. It's almost two weeks here in Dubai, I still haven't get used to the time and weather here. I still sleep according to Malaysian time. The weather here is freaking hot and burning in the day time. I found some of the skin already pilled off from my arm.

If I stay here longer, I think I gonna get heatstroke and homesick.

All right, till then, I need to go and continue cleaning "THE SH*T" =)

No time for photo, will post once I downloaded my photo into hard disk. I found that my Canon EOS 350D original battery surprisingly can last for 2 weeks after normal usage, it is really unbelievable!

Ok! I better cut the crap and continue working..

Before I end my crappy blog, here's some link to share for auto lover:
http://www.autoblog.it/

Ciao.

Ramadan Month in Dubai

Today is the starting month of Ramadan in Dubai. It is the my first time to see how the other country's Muslims life during the Ramadan month.

I was told by my agent today is the start of Ramadan. All the restaurant include McDonalds, KFC, Shakeys, Chillis etc will be closed daily from 6am till 5pm. NO FOOD will be serve! Yup NO FOOD will be serve till 5pm DAILY! I finding hard time to look around for food, luckily some indian restaurant have delivery service to send the packed food to your location.

I have been warned by my agent DO NOT EAT IN THE PUBLIC. According to the local there, it is AN OFFENCE to eat in the public during the month of Ramadan include DRINKING WATER! They didn't tell me about the PENALTY for EATING IN THE PUBLIC during Ramadan. It is better to play by the rules and play it safe!

During the month of Ramadan, all the office hour changes to 8am to 3pm (Normal office hour for Dubai's government sector was 8am - 3pm from Sun - Wed, 8am - 1pm on Thurs. Public sector was 8am - 6pm from Sun - Wed and 8am - 1pm on Thurs) daily except Thursday which is 8am - 1pm. Imagine the how they work yet earn big bucks.

For those who plan to visit Dubai, think twice before you plan your holiday. You don't want your trip to Dubai to fall on Ramadan month. I have no choice, but to 'tapau' some food from Carrefour.

Work is getting tough, meeting deadline is a must and yet the Ramadan month, working time cut short. Therefore everything must in the plan. Problems are everywhere; to ensure the plan goes smoothly - the only thing I can do is PRAY! (First of all I am not Muslim, and I worship different god. The difference between Muslim and me - Muslim pray 5 times a day where as I pray ONCE I got into trouble!). See what kinda person am I? lol. God gonna be angry at me if IT knows I am such an idiot!

Tomorrow is Sunday and it is my 7th day in Dubai. I don't really know how long I going to be here, but for sure I need to solve the problem before I going back home.

It is a lucky day for me to get such a good WIFI signal in my apartment I occupied now.

That's all folks!

Ciao! 再见！=)

Photo Photo Photo...

Photo speaks a thousand word and it conveys a millions of meaning.

Emirates Towers

Bur Dubai Abra wharf

Inside Gold Souk


Start of the locals daily life at Gold Souk

Friday - A weekend in Dubai

Friday is a holy day for those Muslims in Dubai. Therefore it is consider as a weekend (Sunday is our weekend in Malaysia). Most shop either closed or open from 8am till 12pm, then from 4pm till 10pm (This includes shopping mall as well).

The traffic are clear and not like weekdays where the car are bumper to bumper on Friday. I finisned by job early today therefore I am going for a tour simple around Deira area. My agent's engineer drives me around the area.

First, we went to the Gold Souk in northern part Deira. I don't really know the meaning of Souk but I think it refers to market, because when I check out the map of Dubai, there's a few popular Souk in Dubai such as Spice Souk etc. Gold Souk is an area where all the shop sells jewellery at a very competitive price. Most of the shop are own by the local there. I don’t stay long there because there's nothing caught my interest.

Later, we went to Baniyas Road, beside Dubai Creek where the history and evolution of small village into one of the world's famous tourism spot began - Dubai.

For yours information, Dubai are divided by a creek called Dubai Creek. If the Arabian Sea is on the north and the 'mouth' of the creek face north, the left side of Dubai is called Bur Dubai where as the right side of Dubai is called Deira (Pronouns as dieeeera). Basically Diera is known as the Old Dubai.

In the old days, when there is no bridge, the local people cross the creek with a boat or water taxi. In Dubai, the local calls it ABRA. It takes about 5 minutes or less to cross the creek.

Beside Baniyas Road, there is a place where all the boat load and unload the goods to distribute to the nearby city like Sharjah on the north, Jebel Ali Port and Abu Dhabi on the south of Dubai by sea.

We have taken a ride on abra to cross the creek to Bur Dubai, there is a few heritage site there but we don't have enough time to tour around. The ride was fun thou.

I get back to my apartment around 11am. After taken bath and everything, I set my foot from my apartment and headed to nearby bus stop. The nearest bus stop is about 150 meters away.
It is quite easy to catch a taxi in Dubai. I got a taxi in less than 2 minutes. Headed towards the Emirate Tower (I have no idea where to go initially, and just pick and go from the map).

Emirate Tower is one of the famous landmarks in Dubai where the Emirate Boulevard Mall is located. The shops inside Boulevard Mall are designer brand. Everything is luxurious there and the prices are hefty high.

I walked around Emirate Tower, and cross the famous Sheikh Zayed Road (14 lanes road) headed towards Holiday Plaza where I had my McDonalds lunch there. Never ever try to cross the road because you never make it to another end! Trust me! This is not 2 lanes Malaysian highway, the car there average speed at 120kmph! Imagine you need to cross 7 lanes first before you reach the center divider, then another 7 lanes...no! no! I used a pedestrian underpass to cross the road instead. Beside McDonalds, nothing much to see except the architechture and building engineering around that area. The view was fantastic. Both side of Sheikh Zayed Road are surrouded by high rise building. It was too hot to walk around to shoot some photo.

Finally, decided to go to another shopping center - Deira City Center. I took a taxi to Deira City Center. It is quite easy to get taxi, and there are total of 14000 taxi operate in Dubai. The fares are relatively cheap compared to Malaysia and you get to sit in a brand new Toyota Camry. The taxi in Dubai use digital meter to calculate the fair and it is controlled by the Road Transpot Department. Therefore don't worry, you won't get conned by those taxi driver. The taxi fair is basically AED 3.00 once it is hired and AED 1.50 per kilometres.

Deira City Center is the latest attraction in Deira. 340 shops under one roof include Carrefour, Debenhams, Virgin Records and 11 Cinemas. Most famous brand can found there. I have a stroll down the mall and had my dinner there before heading home to my apartment.

The journey is tiring but it's quite enjoyable to travel and backpack around Dubai.

That's all for today.

Gold Souk in Deira

Dubai Creek

Abra - Water Taxi

Emirates Tower

Sheikh Zayed Road

High rise building around Sheikh Zayed Road, Jumeirah, Dubai.

HUMMER H2 Limo?

Limo HUMMER and Baby HUMMER?

Life in Dubai

The wireless connection here is unstable. On and off connection.

Since the second day in Dubai, there is much work coming in and everything is in a mess. For the past two days, I have been to site and doing some measurement.

Today is Friday, it is a weekend in Dubai like Sunday in Malaysia. In Dubai, Friday and Saturday consider a weekend for them.

My brain stuck now...it is 6am in the morning. I have difficulties get my email sent and MSN online! Phew....

The temperature is getting unbearable - hot in the midday and there is a possibility of getting heatstroke.

I went to Gold Crest tower at Jumeirah Lake area - maybe 10KM south of Deira City Centre. Went up to 32nd floor to do some inspection work. The view from Gold Crest tower is breathtaking and superb. The famous self proclaimed 7 star hotel - Burj Al Arab, Jumeirah Palm Island, Dubai Ski can be seen. Beside that, Burj Dubai - worlds tallest building - 1000m can be seen under construction.

Taken a few shot on the view of the area. I will try to upload once I got FREE WIFI access at Starbucks Coffee, Coffee Bean or Costa Coffee.

I have tried out McDonald's Chicken Foldover in Dubai, it is called McArabia. Last night went to Deira City Centre Shopping Mall do some grocery shopping. The mall is huge and it accomodate 340 shops inside the mall include Carrefour, Debenhams and some famous brand.

Till then...

View from 32nd Floor of Gold Crest Tower - Jumeirah Lake, Dubai.

View on the South of Jumeirah Lake, Dubai.

World's tallest building (1000m tall) - Burj Dubai under construction.

Panoramic Dubai

Panoramic scenery of Dubai International Airport and it's surrounding.

Taken with Sony DSC P-10 and stitched with Photoshop CS2

:-p