since1305

you know... i am actually quite irritated by those mac ads with the cool guy and the office nerd... i mean... its not true... macs are not that cool... and all these marketing is wrong... so wrong...

ok... let me explain... so lets just say that you succumb to steve job's marketting ploy and decided to buy a macbook... pro... lets say... and so you decide to use it... duh... and everything looks like so so cool... there are widgets everywhere... the docking function is so visual... and the nice bright white apple logo is so nice... cool... excellent... den you decide to use the lappie for what it was intended to do... firstly to work on... so what do you use?? microsoft office!!!... what?? yeah!! ... mircosoft office for mac!!! it took steve so long to realise microsoft office's superiority... which is good now that macs have joined the bandwagon... but do you really think that the office for mac is better and has more features than the actual microsoft office for windows??.. i dun think so.. but its fine... it may not be as good...but it still works...

but work is boring so you decide to be fun and cool like your new macbook... and you want to play fun and cool games... den disaster strikes... you suddenly realise that despite all the ads saying that mac is so fun and so cool... the only game that is available for you to play on the mac is like what... lemonade tycoon 2003!!... haizz... ooo... how fun!!??... @%*!$%&... hahaha... for starters... all the coolest funnest games out there all run mainly on windows... and even if there really were *gasps* a cool fun game for macs... you will be severely handicapped... why?? simple... you cant right-click like the rest of us can... bwrahaha... we'll be breezing through game play by right-clicking, left-clicking, scrolling, etc etc... while you will have to click... click and hold... and click while pressing the apple icon... haha... its sad... so ok... fine... you cant play cool fun games... so you resort to playing with the cool docking function and the widgets you have... haha... pitiful... sad... and i understand... (not really)... *smirk*... now thats fun and cool for you...

so now that you are stuck with a mac... you try to justify the 500+ bucks more you payed for this cool looking thing... so looking around you find that you got... widgets!!... but i have yahoo widgets... haha... you got safari... i got firefox (although i prefer and usually use IE 7)... you got itunes... so do i... you can dock... so can i... its just not as "cool" and visual... so where did your 500+ bucks go?? to steve and his marketing... yup... the sorry truth...

now that you look at it... the only plus point of the mac is its poser value... the new macbooks run on intel... like all PCs have a long time ago... (what took apple so long!!)... and they dont even make their own laptops... asus got contracted to build the new macbooks... and fyi... i currently own an asus lappie for like 700 bucks less than the macbook of equivalent specifications and performance... so really... what you are paying for is the OS X... but you still end up using microsoft office... you cant play games... and any other cool software that the OS X provides... have been legally copied and modified for PC use... haha... vista... and if its not already copied by mr gates and co. ... it will be copied and improved by all the free open source software out there... like yahoo widgets... firefox... so really... what you are getting is a poser... cool on the outside... but an empty vessel... its marketting... its the poser value...

the real reason (i feel) that PCs and windows are in much wider circulation... is the fact that unlike steve... bill actually sells windows or office to anyone who wants to buy it... while steve will only sell OS X with a mac... and whats worse... instead of opening up OS X to the pc market... steve decides that macs should run on both OS X or windows... haiz... stupidity... so even macs buy windows too... its rediculous... tragic...

if thats not good enough for you... then let the statistics proof my point... last year... despite steve job claims of record breaking sales... macs merely hold less than 3% market share... i mean.. so many people cant be wrong... and even if they are... with so many more people on PCs... there will definitely be so much more support centres, software and products catered to the pc user as compared to the mac user... its just economics and the rule of democracy... and if evolutionists were right... macs are as good as extinct...

anyway... i am enjoying myself slamming mac... but of course... no offense to those who already have a mac... because it really looks cooler and erm... yeah... it just looks cooler... too bad i cant play games with you via network or web... i havent downloaded lemonade tycoon yet... haha... sorry... i couldnt help... haha

so moral of the story is... be smart... save 500 bucks... buy a pc... and thereafter pamper yourself with a new phone... haha... and speaking of phones... the iphone is like the latest news.... but dun be fooled by the hype and everything... because iphone... is old technology... yes... i repeat... stone-age technology... the first thing that comes to mind (for me) of the iphone is... its looks just like the O2 xda II mini which has been in the market since 2004 or earlier... and unlike the iphone where the only way to use the phone is to touch screen and leave finger prints everywhere... the xda gives you the option of either stylus or finger... but of course... functionality aside... the iphone is newer... and hence looks and feels newer... and once again... you cant deny its cool poser value... ooo... haha...

yup... so when it comes to macs or pc... its about form or function... and when it comes to technology... i think it just makes more sense to choose function over form... and if you want both... let me just say that form-wise... there are just so many more options going for pc than macs...

so you decide...

i cant wait for it to start... and i cant wait for it to end... its like a concert... a performance... a musical competition...

you learn your craft... you study the scores... and you improve your skills...
you practise your piece... you know it by heart... and you go through the rehearsals...
then the time comes... and you're finally on stage...
you show off your skills... and you warrant your wage...
then as it started... it has ended... ...
everyone on stage relieved... everyone off stage is pleased... you smile... you bow... and you take your leave...

they will never know how hard you practised... never know how much you sweat... they will never remember the troubles you faced... never remember the setbacks you had... to them... all that ever mattered... was that hour you staged... to them... your worth has been decided... by that song you just played...

you cant turn back the clock... correct the mistakes you made... because your worth has been decided... and so has your fate...

if there is one thing that joining the school band has taught me... it is this... the world does not reward hard work or effort... all that is ever rewarded is the minutes in concert...

the same goes for exams, interviews, presentations etc... ... all the hard work and preparation accounts for nothing... if the results are poor and you're under-achieving... a man is judged by his fruits... as the bible rightly puts... people have claimed that results are not everything... but they are wrong and it is a lie... because when it comes down to results... all that counts is what and not why...

i know that i have put in the effort... that i have run the race... but in 2 weeks time... for each paper i still need Your grace... and i pray that You will be with me... because if You are for me... then who can stand against me!!!!!... oh yeh!!... and amen...

The first sign of greece... erm... literally... haha... ok... let me say something about the greek language... pi-alpha-lambda-omega-sigma-ro-epsilon... haha... greek will drive us engineers mad!!.. density 3.142 wavelength summation stress... wait wait!!... i dun understand!!... argghh... shut'up!!.. haha... ok ok... lame... but i suddenly see the link between greek and geek ... haha... haizz.. reminds me that my exams are less than a month away... haizzz... sianzz sianzz... pi-alpha-lambda-omega-sigma-ro-epsilon... .. ...

Ever wondered why ancient greek statues are usually head-less??? .. well... here is your answer... they are all here!!... this museum has a head fetish... no... seriously...

Arte di contemporari... heh... the definitive italian underground... and this is not an isolated case... almost every tube train is like that... and not just one carriage but the whole length of the train!... i have one word... colourful... two words... very colourful...

Ok... this building is breath-taking... it is huge... super-sized... yeah... just to give you a sense of its atrocious size... just see how tiny the people (at the near bottom of the pic) are compared to this structure... insane!!!!...

another huge structural atrocity commited here at st paul's cathedral... another famous cathedral... just check out the size of the column in relation to the man taking photo!!... and the top of column is not even the ceiling yet!!... madness... clearly, catholic fore-fathers have nothing better to do...

Ok... this is gorgeous... the most beautiful hall way i have ever seen!!... after opening the door... you enter the hallway and your jaw just free-falls... and everyone around you has the same reaction... with their jaws on the floor... yup... no joke... ok... some background info... this hallway leads to the sistine chapel... the people at the vatican really know how to wet your appitite!...

Hey hey!! guess who else was at rome!... it was man u vs roma!... haha... and not as if the easter crowds were bad enough... man u decided to bring their beer-bellied fans along... haha anyway...no... i din watch... which was a good thing since there was a riot in the stands during the match... saw it on the italian news...

St Peters Basillica... the biggest nicest cathedral in the world... yup... check out this huge magnificent architectural master-piece... designed by michelangelo himself... no less... yup... and thats me at the bottom of the pic waving both hands in the air...

i must say... the weather at vatican city was especially 'holy' when i was there... the sun's rays through the clouds is just... ooo... holiness.... haha... nice pic... can just about hear the angels sing... haha... ok ok... joking...

notice anything??... had too much to drink??... seeing double?? ... oh well... all i can say is that two is better than one... apparently... haha.... according to my friend... the two aint identical... one is circular... the other more eplitical... just so that they will look identical at the centre of the square... anyway... i cant tell the diff... so it works!!.. that or i cant be bothered...

haha... check out the swiss guards!!... haha... a.k.a. holy jesters... haha... sorry... couldnt help it... anway... on a serious note... they used to serve as the pope's personal body guard... today they are ceremonial... yeah... these costumes uniforms are at least 500 years old... also designed by michelangelo ... who was clearly no fashionista...

I guess its not just christians who celebrate easter... haha... guess who else was at the st peters basillica... the dalai lama's representitives!!... oommmmm.... haha... hmm... interesting...

ok... this shot is illegal... technically... no photos allowed... but as u can see... it was poorly reinforced... anyhow... this is the celebrated and original statue of david... hero of the renaissance... yup... once again... presenting michelangelo... yeah... his works seem to be everywhere...

Fall!.. tower... fall!!... haha... everyone at pisa just have to take this kinda shot... pretending as if they could hold up the tower... haizz... so this photo was kinda taken out of tradition... lesson learnt: engineering failures can be favourable...

just to show you how bad the tilt of the leaning tower is... yup... its very bad... close to 10 degrees maybe??.. but not to worry... here comes moderning engineering to the rescue... the top part of the tower has been straightened to shift the CG back in... you can see from the previous picture that the tower actually curves upwards... yup... the view from the tower top was beautiful too... :)

florentinian street artist... and there are lots of them around... this one looks japanese... but i din ask... so dun take my word... nice drawing though...

finally... the venetian sunset... the sun... sea... and city... awwww... so beautiful.... its venice... could you expect any less??... anyway... this pic is currently my desktop pic... until next time...

ciao

Greece

Athens

Greeko teenage hobby

Parthenon

Heh... now this is the athens i always felt it should be... ancient and in ruins... i wasnt expecting the restoration work and scalfolding though... it just spoils everything in the name of restoration... Anyway... the buildings (or whats left of them) are huge with a capital H U G E.... i would guess about 4 to 5 storeys high... the ancients really have nothing better to do but build big stuff... haha... once again... the lack of a TV leads men to greater deeds... haha... piles and piles of hand crafted and meticulously placed white marble... it was awe-inspiring and incredible... just standing there was humbling for me... i wonder what would the ancients have felt... it must be supernatural... the work of zeus himself!!

Acropolis

hey... more ancient stuff... well... all i can say is that i pity the statues... where have all the heads and noses gone??... haha... go wiki and find out... i think wiki has info about it... anyway... the problem is there really isnt much left of this ancient greek city... a few stones here and there and they say it was the temple of zeus... i saw a water well... the sign read.. "ancient water clock"... haha... i dun trust historians... and history is what we want it to be... maybe those stones here and there are part of an ancient toilet and not some great temple or forum... and maybe that water hole is just a humble well... i mean why use a water clock when u can just use a simple sun dial... anyway... the place is full of history... and it is the place where democracy and the modern western education system stems from... rich in culture... a once great city... its great to stand there and soak up the atmosphere... but i admit that a lot of imagination is required...

Santonini

The famous island with all the blue and white houses!! its santorini and they must really love their national colours... haha... but it really looks mediterranean... the blue and white is also very calming and peacful... very nice... relaxing... honey-mooners paradise too... its beautiful and rightly so... the beaches there are black sand beaches... interesting... and the crescent shaped island is the top of a volcanic crater flooded with crystal blue sea water... clearly santorini has both natural and man-made beauty... too bad the water is still too cold to swim in... but at least we beat the summer tourist crowd... and the frenzy and price hike that comes along with them... haha...

Day 5 and 6 were spent on the road or on a boat... :( ... i will never do that again...

Napoli and Pompei: Day 7 to Day 9

Napoli

Pompeii

Pompeii and a photo of her patron volcano... haha... ok... not exactly patron but they come together... of course, natural disasters are terrible stuff... but if it has not been that ultra think layer of hot ash that covered the ancient city... pompeii would not have been one of, or even the best, preserved archeological site in the world... shedding light on what life was roughly like... giving those historians much to talk and discuss about... both greek and roman architecture can be seen here... and i guess this city must have been culturally rich until its demise... but i am no historain... so dun take my word for it...

Rome and Vatican City: Day 9 to Day 12

"All roads lead to Rome" and hence, after travelling, we inevitably find ourselves there... and anyway since its easter break in europe... we decided we might as well find benedict!...

Rome!

Vatican City... St Peter's Basilica

Vatican Museums and the Sintine Chapel
Very nice, lots of art, every wall got art... even the ceiling got art... the pope and his merry men like art a lot... very artsy... and they also like statues of naked men and women... lots of them too... haha... just joking... i am sorry but no photos were allowed in the sistine chapel... however you could buy mass-copied photos at the book shop at the exit... haha... commercialism at its most holy... haizz... i say make a whip and chase these merchandising from church courts... and make entry free for people like me!!.. heh...



Pantheon and other stuff
Aparently this is famous... its a catherdral... its still in use... and its crowded...

Florence
Another arty farty place...but by this time... its was culture overload... anyhow... it was great to see works of leonardo and michangello and filipino lipi and other great arty farty people... the city itself was beautiful and filled with tallented buskers (and not-so-talented illegal piraters... Gucci/Prada handbags for 30 euros anyone??)... you tot piracy in Singapore was bad... you are so wrong... at least the singapore police have the authority to catch and jail piraters... the italiano polizio are only here to play a cat and mouse game... polizio come, piraters go... polizio go and the piraters are back in half a second... it was funny watching them go back and forth as we queued to go see more art at mesuems...



Pisa and its badly engineered tower

hey! its still there!.. havent fallen yet! quick take picture before it goes!... haha... although its more well know for its inablility to stand upright... i must say that this bell tower with the church and its baptistry are beautiful architectures... made of grey and white marble... and the grass lawns are great for lazying around and soaking up the mediterranean sun... only realised that the lawns were out of bounds when the police came to chase everyone off it... you know... i always felt that pisa sounds like pi3 sai4...

Venice

ahh... the water republic... very beautiful... very nice... and very slow... haha... another day on this island and i will buy a jet-ski... haha... but of course... slow has its advantages... its the ultimate R & R... no traffic jams... fresh air... unique and gorgeous scenery... and lots of pigeons... haha... really... they have more pigeons than new zealand has cows... Anyway... venice lives up to its name as the place of romance... you cant go worng with that much water and no cars in sight... unfortunately that comes with a large price tag... haha... the venetian high life... good stuff... even the cafes at st marks square have bands to play soothing music as you sip your macchiato or Château de Tracy 2005... haha... whatever... my wallet not there yet... life of the student class... got time no money... the life of the working class... got money no time... thats life... haha... the most wait for CNY to fall on a monday... haha..

haha... redesigned my blog skin... wanted something like venetian upper class feel... the venetians are interesting... unique... and lavish... i think...

will blog about my greeco-italian trip soon... compiling and editing my photos first... heh... got new program must try out... not used to it... realise that there are tons of free software out there... the prob is that its kinda hard to start using... my computer technical/geek level not there yet... need to improve before i can exploit them...

ciao