There is new product coming to the market some time soon. Grace Por left me a tweet just to tell me about it. I think its a pretty cool gadget that all graphic designers and architects will love. Only about $199 USD. Freaking expensive, but I think it is way cool man.



I don't draw cool enough photos. Still prefer looking through notebooks and feel the paper. Their website says it is a ballpoint pen. From experience, ball point doesnt make good sketches. Feel not right, either pencil or ink

I took me a span of 2+ months on and off during the weekends and a total of 18 hours of game play. Finally finished Assassin Creed 2. Nice game with really really good graphic, esp on HDMI, really thanks to Shai for lending it to me.

The game developers have done it good to recreate 14th century Italy. The cities are amazing and the movement of Ezio is smooth and each turn of the body and hack of the dagger is done with such grace. Plus the narration of italian accent is so damn cute. Only the stupid modern day thingy is stupid and a waste of time.


I shall go play Prince of Persia. I think that should cover me about 10 to 12 hours of gameplay. There are a whole list of games I am eying. Went to the game shop again this afternoon after president voting, it was another game shop and the guy wasnt sexist like the other one.



I was just taking a look around. Online reviews for Catherine and Portal 2 seemed good. Only that because they were pretty new releases, they were freaking ex (>$70). And the guy actually introduced me the older games (because I complained they were expensive) which even I knew where of standard. Well. no need more games because i still have Prince of Persia at home.

Spent the whole day finishing up Assassin Creed 2 coz it was left in the PS3 for so long. When I am supposed to be reading the books I borrowed from the library.

Went to the library with the simple goal of getting some books just because the last time I read a book was more than half a year ago (i think). Even did some book reservations online last night because I wanted to read some specific titles with had good ratings and reviews online.

Did you know that reserving a single book from the national library board costs $1.55?

I entered the library happy and left fuming like mad.

I was so pissed through the whole walk back, the first thing I did when i reached home was to try calling their hotline, and cannot get through. So I was more pissed, even wrote an email to their feedback channel.

Click for bigger view

I think my email sounds so nice and polite. Totally opposite from the range of emotions I am feeling now. I actually rolled my eye at the counter staff.

I think the person who receive my mails over at their end will be like 'what the hell is this. so cheapskate, over $1.55 also want to complain.'

Then - would you pay a total of $3.10 to reserve a book, when books from the library are in the first place free to borrow?

I cant believe I'm haggering for petty cash. But seriously, there are too many problems with this issue. I think I have officially become one of those educated people who thinks everything should go their way. Dont think I'll let this matter rest so easily.

Im getting angry over $1.55. If i remember, reservation for library books was like free or 50c last time, before they changed their policy

Do you have any idea how hard it is to read large print? The book is pretty big, that i dont mind. But the size of the font is like I have developed myopia. Even teen reads dont have font so big. Its like reading childrens book WITHOUT pictures.

left is normal print, right is LARGE PRINT EDITION

The stupid font is so big that each line has an average of 7 words (normal print has about 10 words per line). I can speed read like crazy with a normal print book. Can take me as fast as 2-3 hours to complete a whole novel if I dont want to read slowly.

I did something stupid at work last week.

I did some sampling last friday as part of a field work segment of a course at location X. And to my utter amazement, there were more than plenty and a very diverse group of insects sampled. So me, being the excited me when I see the things I like, began to take out little glass vials to store insects.

Once I got back to the office, I dint really know what to do with them. So I put two adult water stick insects, one dragonfly nymph and two damselfly nymph into my little office fish tank that already houses 4 albino guppies.

Yeah. All of the above, except for my guppies are carnivores. Water stick insects hunt like a praying mantis and stick their tubed mouth to suck their victims dry. The ones I had were about 5 cm long. Full grown adults. The 3 cm dragonfly nymph was at maturity and had a chomper of a mouth to chew their victims, and the two damselfly where small but still could do damage.

And I was just commenting to R that i wanted to see the big eat the small. That was before I decided to keep them alive.

I left the office knowing that something will not live through the weekend.

Time to restock the tank, need some more plants coz half the vegetation already rotted away. Plus good to have some fish fry for total carnage to take place.

I think I'll be getting a larger tank for the new office now that we have moved. The small one will be converted to an insect tank. The larger ones will hold some African cichid if I actually get down to set it up.

When I got in on Monday, I was total surprised to see that my small vial of seed shrimp and copepoda were still alive even though I left the air tight lid on. Happy to see them swimming around in that little glass bottle. Microscopic but they look good swimming.

I realized that I love mainstream music, I love what's playing on the radio in the mornings, but there are singing techniques and genres that I so absolutely love. I love that female jazzy voice with a slight accent and coupled with gentle upbeat tunes. And most of the time non of these are played on the radio. Right now my lists of such songs on my play lists are:

















That is why I love singers like the late Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen and Fiona Apple. Time to see what other types of this genre I can find.

Our monthly meeting has become so fun with themed dresscode. It's just once a month, but hey, when you can dress to a theme to work how fun is that?

It has been years since I last met up with Li Hui. She is really one of the few primary school friends that I still remember and drop an occasional message to. In fact, I found out that we were PY classmates back when we where 6 or 7 in RGPS. We met up last Sunday for a small dinner just to catch up on everything. Honestly think the last time I saw her was more than 4 years back at least.


Time has passed and many things changes, but yet some remain the same. Its really nice to be seeing her all over again. In fact, after meeting up, it made me feel disappointed at myself for not keeping in contact with her and many other people over the years.

There are many people I can clearly say i have lost contact with over the years. I've never thought it was necessary to keep up with people unless they are really my closest friends. There are tonnes of old schoolmates I have never kept in contact with. Its nice that I recently gotten hold of some JC mates.

Plus there is one big fat chunk of uncontected hallmates. I guess I was never really that close to anyone back in hall (block) except Mala and Van (Janelle is not counted). And it really shows that no one remembers me when there is gatherings. I'm always forgotten.

Really, if it wasn't for the girls and the tennis team, I think my life would be a hermit.

Recently, I've been listening to iTunes U lectures of Classical Mythology, Chinese Dynastic history and Nordic Mythology on transit journey to work and before bed time, and I have the super urge to go back to school to attend small classes lectures again, write essays on themes and embrace the overseas culture of asking questions in class.

Suddenly wished I can do it all over again, turn back the clock, go back to school and start it out again. And do it all overseas.

Yesterday during mentoring lunch session with B, PY asked me if I was interested to take on a phD. I did think over my answer in my head before answering back. I realized that I haven't exactly settled down at work or much less Singapore since I came back 2 years ago. Plus honestly, it really hasn't been at the top of my mind at all.

There are always so many things to consider

• I think I might enjoy the studying and reading part, but the thought of gathering data is quite a pain, much less doing it. Plus outdoor field work can be a big pain and needs discipline.
• How am I to feed myself now that I have a full time job. I dont have the money to sustain myself overseas for long. If the company sends me, I seriously will consider doing it if they keep my pay coming in, even if there is a bond when i get back.
• However, 3.5 years minimum is really a long time. Not like I can pluck up and leave for such a long time. A one years masters or 6 months exchange is bearable, but 3 years is no joking matter. I have other things in life to think about
• I love my job, and feel that I need to get somewhere at work first while i still have the energy before i need to divert my energy elsewhere. What is the point of phD when I don't have the credentials in the local industry. I feel that there is a need to get a promotion first before a phD.

But I do feel that i miss studying. Sometimes i am jealous of all the people that have been still doing it like Lynette and Janelle.

I just experienced a shot of adrenaline. It is amazing! Even as I type I can totally feel my mind bursting into speed, and my hands are trying to hard to follow up with my brains instructions. Each click of my mouse brings the cursor all over the screen. My speed of thought has increased for a whole 5 minutes.

Its wearing off now, but its amazing. A little different from the one I experienced 2 years ago. Looking back at the date of blogpost, it happened in August too.

All I was doing is backing up my old movies onto my harddrive and then suddenly there was a gradual but sudden shot of me flying through time. I can feel myself thinking slowly 'why is everything moving so fast'. I am aware yet I cannot control it.

Shoikness.

It felt like i was moving so fast I added an extra 15mins of time into a 5 min frame. Fast-forwarded.

I wonder why the mind does that.

Watched this last night at Ron's place. It was a super long movie (about 2 hr 45 min) which I dint think I could last through past 10 (coz that's bed time) and it was so funny and good that I watched it till it ended at 1130pm. Record for me.

But seriously, it was an amazing story about 3 good friends who met in university. Even thought its Bollywood, the morals of the stories are mind winding, the humor are great even though they are subtitled and the ending is damn good.

I've heard about this from a long time ago. But totally forgotten about this until last night. Apparently back in 2009, upon release, the film broke all opening box office records in India.

Never put down a good Hindi movie coz you will never know what you will get. Time to start looking at the list of award winning Hindi shows to watch

I think work has been crazy for the last month. It has been busy since March, but it was ridiculously crazy for the last month. And this week I think things have gotten so much worse. From end to end meetings, with me arriving at work at as early as 5.30am, and ending on the same day at 7+pm. This week itself had me running 3 out of 5 days with 12 hour work days, and the spending the other 2 night working from home after work.

Plus it seems that I'll be working from home Sat, Sun and possibly National Day. Plus it doesn't help that I still have to cover a colleague.

Think this is going to go on for another month before I can get a slight breather. I really do hope with all my efforts I get to be more visible and appraisal will be good.

Not to forget my wallet being $10 emptier leaving the house then when i entered. I seriously suck at mahjong. Cant seem to make my little drawer fuller than it started out with.

Last weekend we had a pre-house-warming-house-warming at YZ and JL new place. The house was open concept and beautifully designed for two person. Furniture was not in yet, but it made me want to go strike toto and buy a house to decorate for myself to use. I wished I had money to self design my own house.


My house warming gift was dapao-ed 2 whole JSL chicken and 10 packs of rice, and even used my own house gong to dapao soup, which since N and other half dint eat, we had round two for dinner.

House warming gift?

Teckie gifted 4 ikea chairs
Ron gifted one mahjong set
Vince gifted a mahjong table.

Call that self investment. Coz with a mahjong table there, future means of mahjonging will all take place there.

Me and Pear were playing kinect, until I was too tired and sweaty and resorted to one round of mahjong and lost $10. Stupid Pear walked home with everyone's money as birthday present.

The lastest Chinese blockbuster movie in cinema now is AWESOME!!! The way the filmed it was awesome, the way the narration progressed is awesome, the fight scenes were awesome, the whole damn movie was simply AWESOME!!!

The movie had pathetic rating on IMDb, but seriously, those angmohs really have no idea how to appreciate the beauty of a movie like this.

Major blockbusters like these never fail to disappoint me. I think this probably beats Captain American. All these super heros can go lick Kungfu's arse.

Ever wondered how the southern most part of Singapore feels like? Let me tell you, it feels nothing like Singapore. More like some of those islands in Malaysia or Thailand. Especially when the sky is so clear and the ozone's blue pierces through the atmosphere.

Welcome to the Raffles Lighthouse, officially the southern most part of Singapore. Its a 29m high white lighthouse just 1deg North of the equator. Sits right on Pulau Satumu, the southern most island in Singapore. Taking the speed boat, we had to take about 30minutes to get from Cyrene to the lighthouse. And I was happily soaking in the sun and wind with F on the front deck of the boat.

This lighthouse is manned by two uncles who never leave the island during their 10 day shift. They have to make sure that the lighthouse always shines regardless of weather or sunset. That is just two men sitting there in their little cozy and beautiful island waiting for nightfall to turn on the lamp.


Our boat docked at the small jetti. Only specially arranged guests can set foot on this island. Like very specially arranged VIPs can only be allowed on the island. One foot on the land, and all you can feel is the perfectly warm breeze trying to mess up my already super messed air. The wind here is so windy and the place so beautiful.


I seriously loved the color scheme of the place. Its totally felt a bit like Santorini on those postcards. White washed buildings, with stone and little bits of kampongish freedom. Special stone benches are laid out all over the island.

Love that the roofs are all decked in white paint, plus the sun and the wind and the ocean, just makes Singapore feel like local and more foreign.


We made our little small walk around the island. Stopping to photo whore while the important people went up to the lighthouse.


There were plenty of rocky shores where an interesting landscape of wonders where lying waiting to be photo graphed by us. The few with the big guns where all over the rocks in their booties trying to take some photos.

My camera was with me, but i decided to sit and await the wondrous feel and zen out on one of the stone benches. I had a good 15 mins of seabreeze to zen out my mind and just think how lucky Singpaore is to have a secret stash of beauty hidden so far south.


Someone from the group even spotted a giant clam sitting off the rock shores. It was a good longer than 30m long. DAMN CHIO. how many times do you get to see one sitting on the rock shores.



There was only one door to the lighthouse. A total of 80something steps nonstop up a small curved stairway. All painted in green all the way to the top. One of the beauty about the lighthouse is that everything is still vintage, from the furniture to the clocks to the photos on the wall. All except that flat screen TV and computer sitting at the side.

All the way to the top opens up to some old mechanism which i have no idea does what. But there were so vintage looking it was pretty to look at. The lighthouse has an exterior balcony for view admiration. You had to step through one of those 70cm high small holed doors in the wall made out of heavy steel.

Love it that it is white on the outside and vintage green on the inside.


The view from the top was pretty enough. I stood there for quite a while trying to take photos and stare out blankly into the ground below. You could see the already submerged reefs and islands in the distance.


One the way back to the yacht club for unloading of human from boat, we passed the 'rainbow warrior' docked right there in all its gorgeous dark green masts. Greenpeace's very own very distinctive boat.

We also saw the seashaw, our Shaw foundation's family boat. Cant imagine how gorgeous the interior would be. If you happen to be wondering, click here.


Good trip. Bet you are jealous.

I took a chance to ballot for an opportunity to take a special trip out south again to another beautiful intertidal reef - Cyrene Reef. This time it was right smack in the middle of the petrochemical triangle of Singapore, just a little ride off shore from West Coast Park.

A nice, healthy, and very diverse habitat which is home for a whole lot of local biodiversity. For all the industrialization and petrochemical production going around the area, together with one of the most massive cargo traffic, Cyrene Reef is doing very very well and thriving in the heart of Singapore's major economy generating developments.

Image from nus.edu.sg

As usual as all reef excursions, you can only make the reef at low tide. So calculating the time of the year and reading through the tide table, that means waking up at 4.30am is a must. And calling a cab and paying $21.00 to ride a super accelerated taxi driven by a speeding taxi driver was necessary.

Boat leaves at 6am, so at least you get to beat the traffic and reach there (Bishan to West Coast Park) in record time of slightly over 10 minutes.

But the beauty of going on a morning trip is that the sunrise never disappoints. Even though you know your brain is barely awake.


We had VIPs, so they got to take the nice fancy boat, as for poor commoners, all we had was a speedboat and 12 people on board. It took us about 15 mins to get to the reef, where we had to disembark onto a dingy and then walk a bit waist deep in water before getting to the reef.

My pants where all soaked through and through. I had my booties on and I think they are pretty well used for all my wet works and excursions.

Dint get to take photos of the disembarkation coz I had to protect my camera by waterproofing them in ziplock bags. I totally forgot it was going to get wet, lucky I carry specimen ziplocks in my camera bag. Two bags, just enough to carry my DLSR and my handphone in the other.


We had to wait for higher order to disembark, meanwhile, we rocked and rolled on the choppy waters. Seasick prone people like me had to keep focus on being unfocused to prevent a whole lot of puking. Heng I dint take breakfast if not I would have been quite sure that everything will be feeding the fishes by now.

The disembarkment took 20 mins. Heng no seasick.

Everyone was so excited as it was their first time on an intertidal. I was at the Semakau trip two weeks back so I wasnt that numbed with excitement. F was literally like a crazy little chirpy bird at 5am in the morning.

Cyrene really is one in a lifetime trip. You need special arrangements just to go there. And getting there already isnt easy with all the waist high water.

As usual, there were so much to see. And this time round, I have my micro lens to take some wicked closeups. Rhea is our guide for today, she was so passionately chirpy and happy to show us her favorite things. She has a blog she keeps to educate everyone of her efforts to saving biodiversity.



On shore, the first thing that we saw were sand dollars. There were already a few of them sitting on the sandy shore we landed on. There were not very easy to spot coz some of them really cameo into the sand very well on the surface and others under the surface of the sand.

Touching them, there were hard like a piece of coral and they were pretty much larger than I thought dollars were.


The second thing we spotted was stars shaped tracks on the sand. Rhea showed us the common sea star that was hiding buried under those tracks. You just had to dig them out carefully, lay them on the surface and wait for them to bury themselves. They some in different patterns too.

Surprisingly, these common sea stars took only less than 5 mins to completely bury themselves. And apparently, despite their name, these sea stars are no longer common in Singapore's shores.

Rhea told us to observe how a 'to-ba-lek' star can upright itself. She flipped one right over and the star immediately started to move its arms to do a back flip. Its little legs on the underside were moving so fast just to get itself up-righted. With my mirco lens I can easily take close ups. See those legs thingy.


These knobby sea stars are once again common on Singapore shores. We saw them on Semakau in pure abundance, and here too, they were littered all over the place. Many colors and surprising many different number of legs. I spotted a 6 legged sea star. C said that 6 was the most he has seen on a seastar, if i see a 7 i should let him know.

Each sea star has a 'finger print' all the knobs on the back can be mapped out of individual identification. No two knobby sea stars are the same.


We were waiting for the sun rise. The view of the colors of the sky was so pretty. Those lines in the clouds are gorgeous.


Against the morning sun was a pretty picture of the mainland in the distance.


Everyone was exploring at their own time. There was no way we could even cover the 1km length of the reef. I think we barely even covered 1/8th of it. Everyone had their eyes on the ground, scared of stepping on sometime living.

Some of those with their huge arse cameras where on their knees bending over like Beckham just to get a nice photo of shore life. Photography in dedication. B said that big camera reduce your ability to enjoy the environment and the surroundings. I actually agreed with him.


We saw so many funny little things again. Plenty of shore life like barnacles, black sea cucumber, anemone, fan worms, algae, sea grass, Acorn worm shit, Sea sausage seaweed, Mermaid fan seaweed, octopus, sea slug, crabs, snails...

Really so many things I dont even want to explain and show one by one.



Took close ups of the knobby's underside. Can mirco all the way to take the legs of the sea star.


Love this photo. Accidentally shot it while squatting with my arse in water. My pants got totally wet getting this photo. Lucky I dint fall into the water.


We saw another species of sea star. This was also stubby, but it was black with yellow dots all over. Hearing from Rhea, they last saw two of these sitting together on her previous trip. I manage to spot one while getting lost in the intertidal.

I was kinda happy that i spotted the fatter and larger of the two.


Cyrene is every much as fun as Semakau. There were plenty to see and more than much to touch and flip around. Too bad there were no nemos and sea urchins and seahorses which I was so hoping to see on this trip.


Back on the boat, I took the front sea right in front of the boat to get away from the spray of the waves. Its was sunny out, but the 9am sun was perfect accompanied by the cool sea breeze. Really felt like I was on some island hopping trip in Thailand. Only without my swimsuit and a coconut.

It was really nice to have the sun on your face and the wind drying your pants. Me and F were totally soaked in the foreignness of being in Singapore. Two of us were decked out at the front, admiring the view of the southern islands and breathing salted air.

LOVES


The boat traveled on south for another 30 mins. I'm keeping my posts short, so i'm spitting my day into two posts and keep you all in suspense.

Next post - Southern most part of Singapore