Principle of Uncertainty

How to Pick Stocks

2012-01-18T19:47:00.000+08:00

In one of my previous posts, I wrote about the investment strategy of Peter Lynch, an American fund manager. Some of you are probably interested in it, and want to learn more.

I recently bought the stocks of Padini, an apparel maker. I made the purchase based on the guidelines given by Lynch. Now I will tell you how I came up with this decision:

In the past few years, Padini’s revenue has been growing at about 9% annually, and profit has been growing at more than 20% annually.
P/E ratio was about 9.5, which wasn’t too expensive. (According to Lynch, if the profit growth doubles the P/E ratio, the stock is a bargain.)
The company has more cash than debt.
PADINI is not a hot stock. (Hot stocks tend to be riskier.)
We buy clothes even when economy is bad.

Of course, I am not an investment guru; I may be wrong. The picture is not all rosy. For one, Padini’s brands are relatively weak. Uniqlo, the Japan-based apparel maker, has a much stronger brand. Then again, Uniqlo may not pose a serious threat. Clothes sold by Uniqlo are often too warm for Malaysian climate.

Note:

P/E ratio is short for Price/Earning ratio. We compute P/E ratio by dividing the stock price with earning per share.

My Hong Kong Trip (VI)

2012-01-05T20:51:00.001+08:00

Recycling in Hong King

Recycle bins are common sight in Hong Kong. Here are some…

In Ocean Park…

In Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Center, Wanchai…

Foreigners in Hong Kong

Before visiting Hong Kong, I already knew that there were many Filipino workers in the Chinese territory. It turned out that there were plenty of Indonesians too.

While Filipinos congregate in Central on Sunday, Indonesians do so in Causeway Bay, not far from my hotel. I later learned that Thais meet at Tsim Sha Tsui.

Indonesians in Causeway Bay…

Hong Kong Girls

I didn’t see many pretty girls in Hong Kong. Which came as a surprise, given that the SAR was an affluent and trendy city.

Occasionally I came across pretty girls. But chances were, they were Mandarin speakers…

No Clear Sky

As an avid photographer, I like to take landscape photos with blue sky. Unfortunately, during my 8-day trip to Hong Kong, the sky was almost always shrouded in haze. The wind had blown the polluted air from Mainland China to the SAR.

Colonial Era Place Names

Unlike Malaysian Government who wasted no time to rename most of the streets after independence, Hong Kong still retains many of the colonial era place names. We came across such names like Jordan, Nathan Rd, Wellington St, Shelter St...

I suspect Hongkongese miss the days when they were ruled by the Brits, especially when the two SAR chiefs, Tung Chee Hwa and Donald Tsang, disappoint them.

One Up on KLSE

2012-01-01T20:55:00.000+08:00

I am learning to invest in stock market, and I have just finished reading this book:

One Up on Wall Street, by Peter Lynch

Lynch is a former fund manager. He shares many similarities with Warren Buffet – both of them are long term investors who ignore short-term market fluctuation; both of them invest in companies, not in the market.

However, Lynch differs from Buffet in some other ways. Buffet likes to invest in companies with durable competitive advantages. Such companies would have very good track record; they would have been profitable for many years. The problem is: stocks of such companies won’t come cheap.

Lynch, on the other hand, groups companies into 6 categories – slow growers, stalwarts, fast growers, cyclicals, turnarounds, and asset plays. He has devised a strategy for each of these categories.

Lynch likens a potential fast grower to Harrison Ford. The Hollywood superstar was a carpenter before he joined the cast of Star Wars. A stalwart, on the other hand, is like a lawyer. A lawyer’s wagers, while high, don’t come close to Ford’s income.

In his book, Lynch guides on how to pick a winner, when to buy, when to sell etc…

After reading my post up to here, some of you are probably getting excited, and want to get a copy of this book. Those who have read this book may want to resign from your job and become a full-time investor. But let’s be realistic, can you become a millionaire by investing in stocks?

Let’s say your initial capital is RM10,000, and you invest in just one security. (Few people put all their eggs in one basket!) Within five years, the price of this stock rises by 10-fold. Your investment now values at RM100,000 – not bad at all! Even so, you’re still just a 0.1 millionaire.

I have invested in a few stocks, but I still can’t retire, yet…

My Hong Kong Trip (V)

2011-12-20T21:38:00.000+08:00

Eating in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is foodies’ haven. During my visit to the SAR, we had a meal in the famous Yung Kee Restaurant (鏞記酒家).

Yung Kee is most famous for its roasted geese. Unfortunately, I haven’t got the picture to show here. I am not that kind of people who would say, “Don’t eat! Let me take some pictures and upload to Facebook.”

Anyway, I managed to snap a few pictures before we picked up our chopsticks…

Outside the kitchen…

Preserved eggs…

Roasted meat rice…

Yung Kee Restaurant is located at:

32-40 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong

Hong Kong is also famous for, what else, dim sum. And we also had a dim sum meal during our trip. Here is one picture…

But wait a minute… These are not real dim sum, but fridge magnets! We bought a few as souvenirs. I took picture after we returned to Singapore…

Free, with Terms & Conditions

2011-12-16T20:02:00.000+08:00

Blogger SK wrote about a promotion campaign of KFC in Malaysia. The fast food giant offered free Zinger burgers for a month. Within a few hours after the promotion started, however, KFC had to discontinue the offer ‘due to overwhelming response’.

Is it possible for a business to offer some free goods or service, and still make money?

Well, AirAsia, the budget airline, has been giving away ‘free seats’ from time to time. But the passengers have to pay for everything else, from ‘convenience fee’ to baggage free to check-in fee.

In Japan, there is this kind of eateries called tachi-soba, literally ‘standing soba’. Patrons of these eateries are required to stand while having their meal. No seats are provided. See pictures below…

Source

Now, combining the concepts of AirAsia and tachi-soba, I am thinking of starting a restaurant which serves free noodles, but with terms and conditions…

Noodle – free
Service charge – RM5
Bowl – RM1 (you can bring your own bowl)
Chopsticks + spoon – RM1 (you can bring your own chopsticks)
Drinks – various prices
Chair – RM1 (you may stand)
Use of restroom – RM1

On the other hand, I would increase my revenue by selling ads space in the shop…

So, anybody want to join my new venture?

My Hong Kong Trip (IV)

2011-12-13T21:00:00.000+08:00

Ngong Ping Village

In my last post, I wrote about the cable car ride from Tung Chung to Ngong Ping.

After getting off the cable car, we arrived at Ngong Ping Village. This was a theme village with traditional Chinese architecture. There were shops selling souvenirs and eateries. Ngong Ping Village was very touristy, but I must say that it was quite interesting.

The square...

Bubbles!

Distances to the world, with the Giant Buddha at the background...

Po Lin Monastery

Next to Ngong Ping Village was Po Lin Monastery (寶蓮禪寺). The monastery was famous for the Giant Buddha, the world’s largest outdoor bronze statue. The Giant Buddha sat atop a hill. Surrounding the statue was several smaller statues in the shape of fairies (?) A stair of 268 steps led one to the complex. If you don’t feel like making the climb, you can still appreciate the view from below.

268 steps...

Fairies?

The Buddha & the flags...

Joss sticks...

My Hong Kong Trip (III)

2011-12-08T20:56:00.002+08:00

Ngong Ping 360

On the second day of my Hong Kong trip, we went to experience Ngong Ping 360 (昂坪360) at Lantau Island (大嶼山).

Ngong Ping 360 consisted of 2 parts – the first of which was the cable car journey which connects Tung Chung (東湧) to Ngong Ping. When we reached Tung Chung cable car station, there was already a long queue. We waited for half an hour to purchase the tickets, and another half an hour to board the car. Many of the tourists came from Mainland China. Hong Kong was hugely popular among Mainlanders. We would see a lot more Mainland tourists in the subsequent days.

Our patience paid off. The cable car ride was exhilarating. There were two types of cabins – regular and Crystal. Crystal Cabin had glass bottom, which allowed one to see the landscape beneath. As you might have expected, the fare for Crystal Cabin was higher.

We often perceive Hong Kong as a cosmopolitan city, but Lantau Island was heavily forested…

The crowd at Tung Chung…

The ride…

Hong Kong International Airport is at the background…

Crystal Cabin, with glass bottom…

My Hong Kong Trip (II)

2011-12-05T20:21:00.000+08:00

Ding Ding

One of the more interesting modes of transport in Hong Kong is tram.

Known as Ding Ding (叮叮) by Hongkongese for the sound they make, trams run only in North Hong Kong Island. Ding Ding is slower than bus, and must stop for traffic light. In a city with highly efficient MTR (Mass Transit Rail) system, it is hard to imagine that Ding Ding survives into 21^st century.

A trip on Ding Ding costs HK$2.30 for adults, or HK$1.20 for children under 12, regardless of distance. Ding Ding fare is really, really cheap. But my complaint is that the air at tram stations is choking...

My Hong Kong Trip (I)

2011-12-01T21:09:00.003+08:00

From Singapore to Hong Kong

I joined my parents and sister in Singapore. We flew from the Lion City to the Pearl of the Orient in Singapore Airlines’ double-decker Airbus A380, the largest passenger aircraft in the world.

I often thought Airbus A380 was mainly used for long-distance, trans-continental flights. I was surprised to learn that SIA deployed this plane for its Singapore-to-HK route. Every A380 can seat more than 400 passengers, including those in business class. That is more than double the capacity of A320 used by AirAsia. According to SIA’s magazine, A380 was the most efficient aircraft. Perhaps that’s why we managed to get a relatively cheap airfare. However, due to the large number of passengers, boarding time could be slightly longer. So there are pros and cons with this plane.

We landed in Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok (赤鱲角) after 3 hours and 15 minutes in the air.

Changi Airport Terminal 3…

Airbus A380 super jumbo jet…

Interior of the A380…

Hong Kong International Airport…

My Hong Kong Trip - Preview

2011-11-30T20:26:00.001+08:00

Shot taken at Causeway Bay (銅鑼灣), Hong Kong...

For high-resolution pictures, please check out my Flickr...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kamera-otoko

Cameras for Sale

2011-10-24T20:22:00.000+08:00

I am a shutterbug, but I don’t always understand the mindset of my fellow photographers…

This guy bought a new Canon camera in September 2011 (with 2-year warranty). Barely one month had passed, he was already selling this camera in a forum…

Another guy was selling his 3-year old camera. He described it as LIKE NEW. He had already taken 25,000 pictures with this camera. That is like 8,000 shots per year?

Demise of Steve Jobs, and Apple’s Magic

2011-10-07T08:48:00.001+08:00

teve Jobs, the visionary founder of Apple, died on Oct 5, 2011. His death, together with the announcement of iPhone 4S, seem to signal the beginning of Apple’s decline.

No doubt, iPhone 4S is a nice phone. Nonetheless, having been delayed by a few months, people were expecting a major upgrade. It turns out that the new phone’s screen is still 3.5-inch wide; it doesn’t work on 4G LTE networks, and doesn’t support NFC (Near Field Communication).

One theory says that Apple did plan to launch iPhone 5. For some unknown reason, however, iPhone 5 could not come to market in time. Not wanting to miss holidays season, Apple was forced to launch a more modest iPhone 4S instead.

In fact, the combined market of Android phones has already eclipsed iPhone’s. Apple still leads in the tablet computer market with its iPad, but I doubt its dominance will last long. Without Steve Jobs, will Apple be the same again?

P/S Look out for Samsung’s curved Nexus Prime, scheduled to be announced on Oct 11.

The Third Sex

2011-09-07T20:28:00.000+08:00

In my recent trip to Bangkok, I went to watch Calypso Cabaret in Asia Hotel.

As some of you already know, Calypso Cabaret is a show by transvestites/transgender. (Though there are male performers too.) The most famous transvestites’ shows, as I understand it, can be found in Pattaya. The show I watched wasn’t top class, but I was satisfied with it.

Transvestites are known as kathoey in Thai. But among English-speaking communities, they are called ‘ladyboys’.

Some people ask, “Why are there so many transvestites in Thailand?” Well, I guess there are many such people in other countries too. In fact, I have come across quite a few in Kuala Lumpur. It is just that in the Land of Smile, transvestites are more visible.

The next question is, “Why are they more invisible in Thailand?” I believe this has to do with the fact that majority of Thais are Buddhists. Buddhism, unlike some other religions, does not view transvestites as sinners.

More on Acupuncture

2011-08-29T20:44:00.000+08:00

In my earlier post, I mentioned that I was learning acupuncture, and had been attending a course. The instructor told us that acupuncture was particularly effective in treating the following illness (read: possibly better than Western medicine):

Asthma
Bronchitis
Irregular heartbeat
Coronary heart disease
High blood pressure
Gastritis
Facial paralysis
Headache/migraine
Stroke

So, if you have been plagued by such illness, it’s time to look for an acupuncturist.

Of course, acupuncture is no panacea. You still need to complement it with other forms of medication or therapy.

The King

2011-08-22T20:44:00.002+08:00

No, this is not a post about Elvis Presley...

I had a short trip to Bangkok with my parents in August.

One night, I was walking by King Rama I Road. I wanted to cross the road to get to Siam Discovery Center. But as I was approaching the pedestrian overpass, I was stopped by a police. I knew what was going to happen, as I had similar experience before…

As I had expected, a limousine carrying royal family members sped by shortly. You got the idea: we lowly people can’t be above the monarch in any way.

But I wonder why Buddhist monks do not enjoy the same level of privilege…

If you have been to Thailand, I am sure you notice that portraits of the royal family are ubiquitous in the Land of Smile. You see them at road junctions, on the wall of buildings, and in calenders. The state propaganda machine constantly reminds the people how King Bhumibol has sacrificed for his subjects, therefore all Thais must love his majesty.

The ‘Yellow Shirts’ certainly love the royal family. They ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whom they believed had shown disrespect to the King. (Thaksin denied this accusation.)

Well, I can’t write too much here. You know, I am wary of Thailand’s notorious lèse majesté law…

Learning Acupuncture

2011-08-17T19:46:00.000+08:00

I have been learning acupuncture lately. I attended a short course in a local university. The course was conducted by a lecturer from the Faculty of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

I know some of you will ask, “Isn’t it dangerous to prick a needle in the body?” Well, to be sure I am not a daredevil too. I do it very cautiously. In particular, so far I only choose ‘acupuncture points’ on my arms and legs, which are considerably less risky to apply the needle.

Here are a few points I have used:

Hegu (合谷) – alleviates fever
Zusanli (足三里) – relieves stomach discomfort
Sanyinjiao (三陰交) – relieves stomach discomfort; also relieves menstrual pain
Xingjian (行間) – refreshes tired eyes

The High Flying AirAsia (Stock)

2011-07-24T20:17:00.003+08:00

On July 21, 2011, AirAsia’s stock closed at RM3.67 in KL Stock Exchange. That was an increase of 17 sen, or about 4.8%, over the previous day. The intra-day high was RM3.70. When I noticed the price hike, I thought, “Are there some good news for AirAsia?” Then, on BBC news portal, I learned that the budget airline had just announced a joint venture with All Nippon Airways (ANA). That says it all…

AirAsia has had a 5-star performance in KLSE of late. I started to track its price since last April. On April 11, it closed at RM2.57. In just a few months, the price has increased by more than 40%! Sadly, I missed the boat and only purchased the stocks at RM3.22.

The budget airline group is expanding aggressively. This year alone, AirAsia has signed deals with Airbus to purchase 300 jets. But my concern is whether it will have money to pay dividend, given that it reinvest so much of its revenue into buying new jets. In fact, the company only declared dividend once, in 2010. AirAsia’s Debt/Equity Ratio was above 2.0 as of 1Q 2011, which was somewhat high.

As a stockholder, I hope AirAsia will do well. But as a potential flyer, I also hope that rivals such as Firefly will give it a run for its money. Kinda funny, isn’t it?

Recycling with Tzu Chi (II)

2011-07-19T20:05:00.000+08:00

Last year, I wrote about Tzu Chi’s recycling activities. For the past 4 months, I personally have contributed my time as a volunteer.

Tzu Chi’s recycling program is held on the third Sunday of every month. You may send your disused stuffs to one of the many (temporary) recycling centers near you. However, you are strongly encouraged to sort them first, as this will greatly help the volunteers. Tzu Chi accepts the following items for recycling:

Paper
Cloth
Electrical/electronic items
Metal/aluminum/glass
Plastic

I work in the paper section, and therefore have better knowledge of it. For recycling purposes, paper can be further grouped into following categories:

Newspaper
Cardboard
Black-and-white paper
Miscellaneous paper

It is said that cardboard commands the highest price, followed by black-and-white paper. Please note that shredded paper automatically goes into miscellaneous category.

You can do your part to help Mother Earth too

Hiatus

2011-03-09T21:35:00.000+08:00

Hiatus...

What to Sell Online

2011-03-02T21:14:00.001+08:00

I signed up eBay recently. Since then I have been thinking:

What sort of things is suitable to be sold online?

(That is, not just on eBay, but all e-commerce sites.)

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As seen on eBay...

I am perplexed as to why people buy dresses online. Don’t you want to try them before making payment?

Anyway, I think one category of thing we can sell online is the hard-to-find items. As a shutterbug, I naturally think of such specialty photographic gears such as tilt-shift lens and light meter. Past issues of magazines also fall into this category. I have plenty of National Geographic magazines, the oldest of which was published in 1930s. Somehow, I am reluctant to part way with my collection.

A second category of merchandise great for online trading are things people don’t feel easy to buy in brick-and-mortar stores. These include condoms, and the “nipple cream” I mentioned in another post.

Finally, if you can price your merchandise at lower price compared to in brick-and-mortar stores, you can sell them online. One advantage of online trading is that you don’t need to pay for the rental or installment of a physical store. The drawback, however, is that postage doesn’t come cheap.

Have you bought anything online? Tell us your story!

我的中文作品

2011-02-27T20:36:00.000+08:00

我是華校生。但從大學開始，就比較多講英語和用英文書寫。我愛看英文書，上英文網站。我的部落格，也是以英文為主。我也鼓勵其他人加強他們的英文能力。一些『熱愛母語』的大馬華人，就罵我是香蕉人。

沒錯，我的中文從大學時代就開始走下坡。但『爛船還有三分釘』，我的功力始終是『有返咁上下』。過去幾個月，我寫了幾篇稿，寄去中文報社。一些被淘汰，其他的被刊登了。以下是其中三篇：

《傳統茶室須變革》 – 刊於星洲日報，2011年1月26日

《一個馬拉西亞，一種聲音》 – 刊於東方日報，2011年2月16 日

《股神也有頭痛時》– 刊於東方日報，2011年2月25 日

第一篇《傳統茶室須變革》基本上是翻譯自我的英文貼子Kopitiam - a question of Cost & Price，只是更加詳盡。谷歌翻譯（Google Translate）成了我的最佳伴侶。

說老實話，若非我『熱愛英語』，也未必能寫出這些稿。因為我參考的質料，就是以英文書和英文網頁為主。別怪我喲…

Generosity in Festive Seasons

2011-02-23T21:09:00.000+08:00

Festive seasons have always been the time of giving. We exchange presents on Christmas. Muslims donate to the mosque prior to the celebration of Eid (known as Aidilfitri in Malaysia).

I am a sleeping member of a Buddhist society. Each year, during Chinese New Year season, the society members pay visit to selected devotees. They would perform “chanting of blessing”, and the hosts would, in return, contribute some money to the society. I have been taking part in such activities for a number of years. Due to my busy schedule, however, I could only join on perhaps alternate days. This year, I visited a total of 17 houses

One benefactor deserves special mentioning. Her mansion was located near Thien Hou Temple. We arrived at her house at 9pm, and were greeted by the hostess. She was about 30, dressed in cheongsam (旗袍), which highlighted her curvy figure; her brown (dyed) hair was secured in bun, which gave her an elegant look. The lady lived with her mother and three maids. We saw several portraits of her mother hanging on the wall. Also present was a Chinese calligraphy which expounded filial piety. I was told that the lady invited us to her house because she wanted her mother to “benefit” from it.

We performed the routine chanting. At the end of the session the hostess made her contribution. She also gave each of the visitors – about ten of us – a red packet. How much money was inside the ang pau? For privacy reason, I am not disclosing the number. But, considering that we hardly knew each other, I must say that she was very generous.

As a poor man, I couldn’t make a big monetary donation. But at least I was giving my time. That’s another form of generosity. I look forward to next year’s program…

Thien Hou Temple at Night

2011-02-20T21:48:00.005+08:00

Chinese New Year is just over. Thien Hou Temple in Kuala Lumpur, as usual, was decorated with loads of lanterns during the festival. Last year, I visited the temple during the day. This year, I decided to go there at night. Here are a few night shots taken there…

This is an “out-of-focus” shot. I focused at the far-away lanterns. The nearer ones are rendered out-of-focus…

In this shot, I focused on the statue inside the temple hall…

This is yet another out-of-focus shot. Manual focusing was used to achieve such effect…

Interesting Items on eBay

2011-02-18T20:26:00.000+08:00

I signed up eBay recently. I wish to sell things on the online shopping site in future, but before that, I will make some purchase. Through buying on eBay, I will learn how people run their online business.

As I browsed through the items listed on eBay, I found some interesting stuffs. Here are two…

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Cherry Blossoms for Natural Pink (Nipples & Lips) 粉紅嫩

According to the seller, this is cherry blossom extract which restores alluring sheer pink lips and lightens darkened nipples. Further, there is a description in Chinese which goes like this:

胸前的黑乳頭就像兩粒“黑鈕扣”，讓它變得粉嫩，妳的另一半更加愛妳。。。

My translation: The black nipples on the chest are like two “black buttons”. Turn them pink, and your other half will love you more…

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Sole Cleaner Massage 礦石腳底清潔穴道按摩舒緩墊

Here are some descriptions of the item by the seller:

This unique foot massager features both soft and hard flexible bristles that clean and massage your feet whilst circulating blood stimulation. The sole cleaner is ideal for people for limited movement and makes cleaning your feet in the shower hassle free! This means no more bending down in shower to wash those dirty soles.

If your potbelly prevents you from bending down, you’ll find the sole cleaner useful!

High Tech Gathering

2011-02-15T09:33:00.000+08:00

On Feb 13, 2011, my extended family celebrated my grandma’s birthday cum Chinese New Year gathering. We had a meal in a Chinese restaurant.

A cousin of mine had just purchased a Samsung Galaxy Tab. She was busy snapping pictures with her over-sized camera during the lunch. (pic)

The wife of my other cousin took pictures of every dish and uploaded them to Facebook. We had to wait for her to finish before lifting our chopsticks.

The Chinese restaurant was equipped with karaoke system. Still another cousin, in an attempt to select a song, pressed her finger on the TV screen. Unfortunately, the TV screen was not touch-sensitive like her phone.

Such was a modern day, high tech gathering…

Post-CNY post

2011-02-09T20:25:00.001+08:00

Oil lamps in a temple

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OK, I know Chinese New Year is not officially over yet, but I would like to share my thoughts here…

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This year, Chinese New Year fell on Feb 3. I returned to my hometown for the celebration on Feb 1, and returned to Selangor on Feb 7. As Feb 7 was Monday, I expected the traffic to be smooth, but I was wrong. There was gridlock on many stretches of the highway.

On Feb 5 (Saturday), my cousin traveled from Taiping to Kuala Kangsar. The trip took 2 hours, toll-to-toll. On normal days, it should take no more than 20 minutes.

It looks like Malaysian roads are getting more congested every year…

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I have been thinking: what can be done to tackle traffic gridlock during festive seasons?

The obvious way is to widen the North-South Highway. But given its environmental impacts, and the fact that oil price is rising, I would favor shift of focus to public transportation. The good news is that the government is planning to build high speed rail (HSR) linking the major cities on the West coast of Peninsula Malaysia.

Still, we need a car to visit our relatives and friends during festive seasons. So if we take HSR from say, Kuala Lumpur to Penang, we will want to rent a car on the island. Now I hope car rental agencies such as Hertz would seize on this opportunity to provide the service.

Malaysia’s Dumb Politicians Strike Again

2011-01-30T13:55:00.000+08:00

The city of Kuala Lumpur orders that, started from next year, all restaurants in the city must provide Wifi service for their patrons. According to the mayor, this decree is in line with Information Technology vision for the nation’s capital.

That sounds like a great idea. Just imagine, I can walk into a kopitiam (Chinese traditional coffee shop), pull out my Motorola Xoom (a.k.a. iPad killer), and read Facebook updates. But wait a minute, kopitiams in KL have just increased the price of drinks in January, 2011. Will the operators use the Wifi order as another excuse to hike the price again? I can foresee that a cup of coffee will cost RM1.60 next year. In any case, kopitiams are not air-conditioned. When mercury rises to 33C, I doubt I want to spend more than an hour there.

Or, imagine that I am meeting my fellow bloggers for the first time in Dragon & Phoenix Chinese Restaurant. As soon as we are seated, Witch immediately snaps photos with her iPhone 5 and uploads them to Facebook; Panda Foong tweets with his Samsung Galaxy Tab; and Tekkaus tracks the latest English Premier League updates with his Blackberry Playbook. The so-called Bloggers’ meeting turns into Internet session…

There is a common problem among governments of Asia – they think they know what is best for the people and what is best for the businesses. The fact is, not all eateries in KL need Wifi service. Such service incurs additional operational cost, and ultimately it is the consumers who bear it.

CEOs of Celcom, DiGi, Maxis, P1 and YTL are probably feeling uneasy with the Wifi order too. The mobile carriers have invested billions of ringgit in infrastructure, but must now compete with mamak stalls.

If restaurant operators believe that Wifi service will help them attract customers, they will certainly provide it. The governments should keep their hands off businesses. Let the market decide!

Friendship, Facebook-style

2011-01-26T21:05:00.001+08:00

Last year, I joined a portrait photography event. At the end of the session, the model asked each of the photographers to add her as a friend on Facebook. I complied.

A few months later, I visited her Facebook page. She already had more than a thousand ‘friends’, and had reached the limit set by the social network. She opened a new account so that she could continue to add friends.

I bet, as a ‘friend’, I mean nothing to her…

(I think Facebook has since raised the limit of friends a member can have.)

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Probably because I uploaded some pictures of models to Facebook, a couple of young girls whom I never knew had wanted to befriend me. Should I confirm them as my friends?

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I posted a question on Facebook: “What is XXX?” I was hoping that someone could clear my doubt. In the end, nobody bothered to answer.

I came to this conclusion:

You can post whatever you like to Facebook – barring something deemed offensive such as nudity – but your friends are too busy to pay attention.

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Friend requests – I don’t know them wor…

An Attempt on Food Photography

2011-01-23T20:35:00.001+08:00

As a shutterbug, my interests are in landscape and portrait. Food photography is an area I am weak in. To be fair, my gears aren’t so great for this type of shooting – no macro lens, no image stabilization (IS). Anyway, having come across so many mouth-watering food photos on the Web, I decided to give it a try…

The first three pictures below were shot next to the window of a restaurant. Due to the ample sunlight, I managed to take these pictures without firing the flash:

The next picture was shot away from the window, and flash was fired:

How do I rate my own photos? 5 out of 10. I need to try harder, maybe getting a lens with IS.

All shots were taken at Fun Taipei Café （趣台北）in SS2, Petaling Jaya…

Book Giveaway (2011)

2011-01-21T21:15:00.000+08:00

I am clearing my bookshelf. Here are some books to be given away. If you are interested please drop me a message…

#1
The City and the Stars
by Arthur C. Clark (famous science fiction author)

#2
Beyond Belief
by V. S. Naipul (Nobel laureate)

#3
Phra Farang: An English Monk in Thailand
by Phra Peter Pannapadipo

#4
不丹，深呼吸：山景。雪國。梵音
by 陳念萱

Recycle with Tzu Chi

2011-01-17T20:28:00.000+08:00

Tzu Chi, the Taiwan-based group, is famous for providing reliefs to needy people. Less known to public, though, is its efforts in promoting environmentalism.

In Malaysia, Tzu Chi collects used stuff for recycle purposes on the third Sunday of every month. One of the locations they operate is SS2, Petaling Jaya. I went there recently to hand over my old clothes. At the same time I also snapped some pictures for sharing online…

Cloth…

Paper…

Old computers and electronic products…

…

Education materials (mostly in Chinese)…

So, do you have old clothes or outdated computers for recycling? Send them to Tzu Chi.

Kopitiam – a question of Cost & Price

2011-01-12T21:20:00.000+08:00

The ‘cartel’ formed by the kopitiams (traditional Chinese style coffee shops) in KL and Selangor has decided to raise the price of drinks starting from January 2011.

A glass of coffee is now priced at RM1.40, up 20 sen from last year. A bowl of noodle is about RM4. So, a simple breakfast at kopitiam costs more than RM5, which isn’t so much cheaper than a breakfast in McDonalds’.

For the record, the breakfast set of ‘2 piece hotcakes’ plus coffee in McDonald’s comes to less than RM5. Better still, in the Golden Arches restaurants, you get cleaner environment, air-conditioning, free coffee refill and free Wifi. You can even pick up a copy of The Sun newspaper in certain outlets.

The kopitiams justify their price hike by citing the increase in material cost. I am sure McDonald’s cannot escape the inflation too, but it somehow manages to keep the price steady. In fact, McDonald’s lowered the price of the breakfast sets in 2010. Also, bear in mind that kopitiams hire lots of low wage migrant workers. Employees in the Golden Arches outlets are predominantly Malaysians.

Two words explain why McDonald’s is able to keep the price low: cost cutting. This is something traditional kopitiams must emulate, if they want to stay competitive in the coming decade. Consumers have choice…

Selling Books Online

2011-01-09T20:10:00.000+08:00

As a shutterbug, I bought dozens of books on photography over the last few years. My book shelves exploded, so I decided to sell some of them online.

1st attempt – Internet forum

My first attempt to sell online was accomplished through a photography forum. I asked potential buyers to make payment to my bank account. I then mailed the books to them. I managed to sell a couple of books. However, some people preferred to do COD (cash on delivery). That is, they wanted to meet me, see the books, then make payment. I didn’t entertain their request. My experience told me that many people would be late for appointment. Not to mention the expenses on gasoline and parking.

2nd attempt – Facebook

Having sold several books on Internet forum, I turned my sight to Facebook. I posted information of the books on the social networking site. To reach wider audience, I asked my friends to post the link on their respective page. Unfortunately, my second attempt was a complete failure. No even a single person enquired.

I have no experience with eBay. Perhaps it’s time to give it a try. Can someone please share your story?

By the way, Poslaju is quite expensive. Are there cheaper alternatives?

= = = = =

This is one of the book I managed to let go. With the picture of a hot girl on the cover, it was snapped up in no time...

Tips for your Java Tour

2011-01-06T21:36:00.001+08:00

In my 6-day Java tour, I spent about 2,200,000 Rp (~RM780 or US$245) on Indonesian soil. I feel guilty for being kiamsiap (stingy). To compensate for that, I am going to do a free promotion for this fascinating destination.

Public Transport or Tour Group?

When I was in Java, I traveled mostly by public transport. But in areas not accessible by public transport, e.g. Bromo and Ijen, I did join tour group. Taking public transport can be slow, and sometimes one has to bargain with the service provider. The advantage is that you get to experience the ‘real Java’. (Remember the crowded mini bus from Probolinggo to Ngadisari?)

If you want a hassle-free vacation, your better bet is to join a tour group right from your country. The downside is that you will lose some degree of freedom.

A compromise is to hire a driver at soon as you set foot on Java. This way, you can travel fast and still retain freedom to choose. However, whether you can trust the driver is a big question mark.

Money Matters

Money changers are hard to come by in Java, but you can withdraw cash from ATM with your credit card.

Phone Call & Internet

4 or 5-star hotels should provide Wifi, and you can make calls right from your room. If you stay in budget hotel, try to look for wartel and warnet. There were people selling prepaid SIM card at Surabaya Airport.

Should you go Kawah Ijen?

The 3km hike to Kawah Ijen can be taxing. So, should you go there?

When I was on my way back from the crater, I saw many Westerners in their 50s or 60s going up the hill, some with the help of walking sticks. Is the trip too tough? I will leave it to you to answer.

Note that descending should be easier than ascending, if it is not raining. If it rains, the dirt path can be slippery.

Java Time

Java time is GMT+7, or one hour behind Malaysia’s. Sunrise is 5~5.30am in Surabaya and Malang; sunset is 5~5.30pm. By 6pm it’s all dark.

Night owls from West Malaysia must adapt to local timing. If you wake up at 8am, you miss half the fun.

My New PC

2010-12-29T21:31:00.000+08:00

In the era of iPhone and iPad, writing about PC seems to be anti-climax. PCs are not sexy; they are commodities; they don’t capture our imagination… Nonetheless, most of us still need a PC. So, bear with me…

I bought a new Dell laptop recently. This is my third laptop. My first one set me back some RM7,000; the second one cost about RM3,700. The new Dell notebook costs slightly less than RM2,200, inclusive of genuine Microsoft Office.

As you are probably aware, PCs have become cheaper over the years. At the same time, we also have more ‘objects of desire’. We want iPhone, iPad, digital camera, 42” 3D LED TV, hi-fi set… I see people – the same groups of people – discussing these gadgets all the time, and can’t help but wonder, “Are Malaysians so rich!??”

Back to my new Dell… I initially set aside RM3,000 for a new PC. I could have bought a better laptop, but ultimately decided against it. The reason: our world will come to an end in 2012!

Just kidding lah… The reason is that USB 3.0 will become main stream in 2012. I didn’t want to buy a more expensive PC, which would become obsolete in 18 months anyway. I can now spend the money saved on other gadgets.

P/S

The new Dell has a chrome back cover, which looks great. Unfortunately, any stains are easily discernable. This computer even has a multi-touch touchpad. My main gripe is Windows 7, which isn’t as easy to use as XP.

Java Trip (XII)

2010-12-26T21:25:00.000+08:00

Eating in Java

If you want to save money, the rule of thumb is: avoid tourist-oriented restaurants. Of course, if you are in tour group, you may have no choice. During my Kawah Ijen tour, we had lunch in a restaurant in Pantai Pasir Puteh. Nasi goreng (fried rice) and watermelon juice cost me 40,000 Rp. Compare this to the other meals I had in Java…

Note: Despite the pictures posted in here, I don’t consider myself a meat-lover.

My dinner in Probolinggo (Oct 27) consisted of ayam penyet (chicken), steamed rice and fruit juice. Total price: 20,000 Rp. The ayam penyet tasted better than the franchised variant in Malaysia…

I had mie pangsit (noodle) and bakso on my first day in Malang. I couldn’t believe how cheap they were – each of them cost Rp3,500. I suspect ‘bak’ was derived from Hokkien (Southern Fujianese) and means ‘meat’…

On my second day in Malang, I had my lunch in Ikan Bakar 52. Despite its name, this resto served more than just grilled fish. I ordered ayam taliwang (chicken), tofu and steamed rice. They came to a total of 27,600 Rp…

Before my return flight to Malaysia, I had my dinner in Surabaya Airport. I ordered rawon, a type of meat soup. I don’t remember its unit price, but together with steamed rice and drink, they came to a total of 46,000 Rp…

Street food vendor in Probolinggo…

Mobile bakso stall in Malang…

Bakso must be the national street food of Indonesia. Even President Obama publicly said that the Indonesian food was tasty…

It’s Festive Season again

2010-12-23T21:57:00.001+08:00

Santa Girl wishes you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year…

Bonus pic – four-eyed beauty…

More picture on my Flickr.

台風刮起

2010-12-21T21:25:00.000+08:00

我最近常到一家名為『趣台北』的小食館用餐。『趣台北』位於八打零SS2，馬來西亞留台校友會之下。餐館的菜單上有牛肉麵、魯肉飯之類的台灣美食，當然也有著名的珍珠奶茶。

自從亞洲航空飛到台灣後，福爾摩沙似乎已成為大馬華人最夯，最熱門的旅遊地點。在我認識的人之中，就有好幾位今年去過寶島。博客Grass也在不久前偕同家人去寶島觀光。

作為一名攝影發燒友，我參加了好幾回麻豆（model）寫真會。我察覺許多攝影愛好者都模仿台灣的風格。（台灣攝影界本身則受日本影響深遠。）我這一年內也花了幾百塊錢購買台灣出版的攝影書籍和雜誌。（這其中也包括了日本人編寫，台灣人翻譯的書。）

大馬華社曾經受過『日光』、『韓流』的洗禮。現在是『台風』來襲的時候了。

Java Trip (XI)

2010-12-18T20:39:00.000+08:00

Chinese Indonesians

Chinese Indonesians have been systematically discriminated since the eras of Sukarno and Suharto. During the 1998 riots, many Chinese Indonesians were killed, and women raped. Situation may have slightly improved in the last few years: learning of Chinese language is now allowed; Chinese New Year has been made a public holiday; former President Abdurrahman Wahid even publicly admitted his Chinese root.

The desire to know more about Chinese Indonesians was what prompted me to visit the ‘Chinatown’ of Surabaya. To my disappointment, few of them still lived there…

A few days later, when I was in Malang, I learned from my Lonely Planet that there was a Chinese temple. I made the effort to visit it.

In Eng An Kiong Temple (永安宮), I finally came face-to-face with Chinese Indonesians. Unfortunately, I was too shy to communicate with them. (They probably thought I was one of them.) The temple was more than just a place of worship – I saw teenagers practicing table tennis in the compound.

Actually, majority of Chinese Indonesians were Christians, but I didn’t know which churches they go to. (In any case, churchgoers were more likely to tell me the story of Yesus rather than their own stories.)

So, my objective of learning more about Chinese Indonesians was not met. Anyway, I wish them a better future. I pray for them…

A Chinese restaurant:

Eng An Kiong Temple:

Teenagers playing table tennis inside the temple:

KL International Motor Show 2010

2010-12-14T22:04:00.001+08:00

Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show 2010 (KLIMS ’10) was held from Dec 3 to Dec 12. For those who had not been able to visit the fair, here are some pictures for sharing…

One of the star attractions of in KLIMS was Chevrolet Camaro. This is the car which appears in the movie Transformers as Bumblebee:

Many car makers showcased ‘green vehicles’ in the show. One was them was Insight, Honda’s entry level hybrid vehicle:

Mitsubishi, on the other hand, presented the kawaii (cute) iMiev:

Even Proton, Malaysia’s car maker, displayed a few green vehicles. Shown below are an electric vehicle and a charging station:

Perodua, another Malaysian car maker, displayed a concept car code-named Bezza. I was more interested in the beautiful model though...

Some gorgeous booth babes in the show:

One of the most intriguing thing on display was Honda’s unicycle – code-named U3-X. It could move on smooth surface without tumbling:

A hot girl demonstrating the use of U3-X. Do you think the photographers at the background were more interested in the gadget or the girl?

Many photographers who visited KLIMS were disappointed, as they were expecting to see sport cars. Instead, they were presented with green vehicles. I wonder if I were the only Malaysian excited by clean tech. It looks like the Earth Hour observed in this country every year has failed to instill environmentalism among Malaysians.

Java Trip (X)

2010-12-11T20:50:00.000+08:00

Malang’s Architecture

Architecture photography has never been my cup of tea. In my trip to Malang, however, I decided to shoot pictures of buildings. I did so specially for one person – Kyh – our budding architect.

Balai Kota – City Hall:

A church:

Jesus is Yesus in Indonesian:

Another church:

A mosque:

Not sure what this building is:

Question Marks over a Deadly Accident

2010-12-08T21:32:00.003+08:00

Three teenagers aged 17-18, were killed in a road accident in Malaysia on Dec 7, 2010. The tragedy took place on a highway at around 3.30am in the morning.

According to witnesses, the driver, who died on the spot, was trying to make an illegal U-turn in the middle of the highway when their car was struck by another vehicle.

A few things crossed my mind when I read the news:

First, why was the driver making a U-turn on a highway? Didn’t he know it was illegal?

Second, the accident took place at 3.30 in the morning. Why were the three teenagers not at home by then?

Third, the driver was only 17 years old; he only got his driving license one month ago. (Other sources say a few months.) Was he too young to drive without adult supervision? His father defended him, saying that the teenager ‘had never had any accident record’.

According to another source, the young driver once threatened to not sit for exam, when the school wanted him to trim his hair. I suspect he was of rebellious type. If he had been driving recklessly, who was to be blamed?

source

Read the full story here:

Taking illegal U-turn on highway a costly mistake for three friends

17-years old called home to say they would be late

Java Trip (IX)

2010-12-06T21:11:00.001+08:00

Malang – the city of Bad Luck

I was bemused by the name of this city in East Java, as malang means ‘bad luck’ in Indonesian.

My initial plan for the Java trip was to return to Surabaya in the fifth day. However, after spending my first day in Surabaya, I changed my mind and decided to go to Malang instead. It turned out that Malang was a nice place to spend a day or two.

No, Malang couldn’t compare to Bromo or Ijen. But if you are running out of Rupiah, you can withdraw money from ATM using your credit card.

If you want to buy souvenirs for your family or friends, Sarinah Department Store near alun alun is a good place to stock up.

If you are fed up with tourist-oriented restaurants which serve lousy food at bloated price, there are some fine eateries in Malang. My pick: Ikan Bakar 52 near Carrefour. (It serves more than just grilled fish.)

Splendid Inn

As a budget traveler, I always tried to be kiamsiap (stingy). Throughout the Java trip, I had been staying in budget hotels. On the final night, I decided to let loose and pamper myself with a better room. Nonetheless, for the sake of Mother Earth, I said ‘no’ to air conditioning. My choice in Malang: Splendid Inn. A fan-cooled room cost 190,000 Rp.

Pros:

Good room at affordable price; decent breakfast served from 6.00am; strategic location

Cons:

Rooms need maintenance

Indonesia – the Next Economic Powerhouse?

2010-12-03T21:21:00.000+08:00

Nine out of ten Malaysians who read the title of this post would think I am crazy. Indonesia is a poor country plagued by natural disaster, terrorism and racial conflicts. Its men work in Malaysia as construction site workers, and its women as domestic helpers. How can Indonesia ever be an economic powerhouse!??

Well, if you don’t trust me, you should at least take a hint from Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes, founder of AirAsia and an idol among many Malaysians. Fernandes told Bloomberg TV in an interview that the airlines’ Indonesia business may surpass its Malaysian unit “in the not-so-distant future”.

His remarks hardly surprised me. Indonesia has a population of 238 million, making it the 4th most populous country in the world. Its GDP is $670 billion. (Malaysia’s is $213 billion.) IMF estimates that Indonesia’s GDP will grow at 6% in 2010 and 2011, a very commendable figure. Indonesia is a large, untapped market, which was why Fernandes was optimistic of it.

Indonesia is also a member of Group of 20 (G20), while Malaysia is not. Some observers have added the island nation into the rank of BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China). These five emerging economies are collectively known as BRIIC. A 2008-issue of Newsweek described Indonesia as ‘the new India’. More recently, a Taiwanese magazine (天下雜誌) pointed out that Indonesia, together with Vietnam, are the two bright spots in Asian economy.

So, don’t look down on your Indonesian maid. Ten years from now, we may need to kowtow to Jakarta, much like we kowtow to Beijing now.

Java Trip (VIII)

2010-11-29T21:40:00.000+08:00

Kawah Ijen

With the Bromo Sunrise Tour coming to an end at 8.30am, I set sight on my next stop – Kawah Ijen, or Ijen Crater.

The tour operator picked me up at Yoschi Hotel at 10am. There were three other participants – two Belgians and an Australian. Kawah Ijen was pretty far away, and the access road was VERY BAD. We spent that night at a coffee plantation in Sempol.

The following day we woke up at 3.30am, had breakfast at 4am, and check-out from the hotel at 4.30am. At around 5 in the morning we reached the Ijen National Park. From the entrance, we had to walk 3km up the hill.

Before I left for Java, someone had already warned me that the 3km hike to the rim of the crater would be very tough. I did everything I could to reduce the weight of my bag: The 908-page Lonely Planet and one of my two lenses were left in the car; I had eight AA size batteries. The Australian lady happened to need AA batteries, so I happily loaned four to her.

Unfortunately, I made a mistake for not bringing a raincoat or umbrella. It started to rain as we were ready to set out, and I had to look for shelter. The Austrian lady, who had an umbrella, was way ahead of me. I almost wanted to ask her, “Can we share the umbrella?”

It took me more than an hour before I made it to the rim of the crater. My efforts paid off, as I was presented with a view which marveled me. I took picture with great care. The wind was strong. I was concerned that I would be blown off the ground and tumble into the crater.

Kawah Ijen also produced sulfur. Workers transported loads of sulfur from the crater to the foot of the hill. It was a tough job which paid very little. I was told that the workers got 600 Rp for every kilogram they carried.

By the way, I was proud to be the only visitor who was neither Westerner nor Indonesian on that day…

Sulfur collectors:

The sign reads: All visitors strictly forbidden to go down to the crater… (But the sulfur collectors kept persuading us to descend.)

Two baskets of sulfur:

Loy Krathong in Malaysia

2010-11-26T21:26:00.000+08:00

Loy (“to float”) Krathong (“a leaf cup”) – the most charming festival in Thailand – honors both Buddhist traditions and the ancient water spirit of Mae Kong Ka, the Mother Waters of the Ganges River. Loy Krathong perhaps dates back to Hindu India, but the present form was developed by the Thais at Sukhothai to honor the rains which had watered the earth and to wash away the sins of the previous year.

Loy Krathong begins with a full-day parade of beauty queens, floral floats, and hundreds of participants dressed in historical costumes. As the sun falls, pilgrims launch thousands of tiny banana-leaf boats, each carrying a single candle, onto the rivers and lakes throughout the kingdom – a wonderful, delicate illusion enhanced by the light of the full moon.

(Carl Parkes, Thailand Handbook)

I didn’t go to Thailand, but a Thai temple in Malaysia, Wat Chetawan, celebrated this festival on Nov 20, 2010. Out of curiosity, I went there for a look. As I had sent my DSLR to Canon for service, all my pictures were taken with Panasonic Lumix…

Java Trip (VII)

2010-11-23T21:22:00.002+08:00

The Belgian tourist with an Indonesian student

How Indonesians learn English

I joined a package tour to Kawah Ijen immediately after the Bromo tour. There were a total of four participants – two Belgians, one Austrian, and me.

We stopped at a resto in Pantai Pasir Putih for lunch. As we were waiting for our food to be served, a group of students entered the premises and started to chat with the Westerners. It turned out that their teacher wanted them to practice their English with foreign tourists. (My Austrian tour mate told me that she had similar experience elsewhere in Indonesia. It looked like such practice was common throughout the island nation.)

These students even asked for the e-mail addresses and Facebook accounts of the Westerners…

But I was left fuming, “WTF, do you think I don’t speak English!??”

The Future of 4G

2010-11-22T21:10:00.000+08:00

[Another break from my Java series...]

WiMAX a.k.a. 4G technology is already in town. Should you go for it? Or should you wait for the competing platform called LTE (Long Term Evolution)?

Learn more about 4G in my other blog:

The Coming 4G War

Java Trip (VI)

2010-11-18T21:21:00.000+08:00

Up Close with Mt Bromo

After viewing Mt Bromo and the surrounding landscape from the top of Mt Penanjakan, we rode the jeep downhill at around 6am. The second half of the tour – scaling the volcano.

But first we had to cross the Lautan Pasir, or Sand Ocean. Tourists who did not want to walk on foot could get a horse ride, at a fee. Near the foot of the volcanic cone, there was a stairway to the rim of the crater. Lonely Planet said the stairway had 253 steps, but other sources gave 246, 248, or 250. Horses would stop here, so tourists must rely on themselves for the final part of the journey.

There was a Hindu temple on the Sand Ocean. It is worth noting that natives of the area were mostly Hindus.

Again I will let my photos do the talking…

This is the jeep I rode for my Bromo tour:

Stone markers show the way to Mt Bromo:

Horse ride on Lautan Pasir:

Advancing to Mt Bromo:

Hindu temple:

Stairway to the summit:

Fumes from the crater:

Java Trip (V)

2010-11-15T20:55:00.001+08:00

Bromo Sunrise Tour

On the second day of my Java trip, I woke up at 5am. Some readers of this blog were exclaiming, “Oh, that’s so early!” Well, I had to wake up at 3am on the following day for the Bromo Sunrise Tour.

By 3.30am, I was at the front desk. A jeep came to pick up the participants. There were four of us. We proceeded to Cemoro Lawang, where two more tourists joined the group. We were then driven to the top of Mount Penanjakan. At 2,770m, Mt Penanjakan provided the best viewpoint for Mt Bromo (2,329m) and its surrounding landscape.

Before my flight to Java, I already learned that temperature on Mt Penanjakan could drop to 5C in the morning. I was well prepared by wearing 4 layers of clothing, including a jacket rented from Yoschi Hotel. Beneath my jeans was a pair of thermal undergarment. I also wore a winter hat which I bought the day earlier. But it turned out that the temperature wasn’t as cold as I thought. Maybe it was especially warm on that day; maybe it was because of the crowd…

I will let my pictures do the talking…

Shops on Mt Penanjakan:

Before sunrise:

(near to far) Mt Batok, Mt Bromo (belching smoke), Mt Semeru:

This place was full of people 30 minutes earlier. When I took this picture the crowd had dispersed:

Java Trip (IV)

2010-11-12T20:18:00.000+08:00

Yoschi Hotel

Cemoro Lawang (sometimes written as Cemara Lawang) was the last settlement before Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park, the highlight of my Java trip. Many tourists spent the night here. Unfortunately, hotels in Cemoro Lawang were a bit pricey. As a traveler on a shoestring, I always tried to be kiamsiap (stingy). After doing research on the Web, I decided to book a room in Yoschi Hotel, a few km down the hill at Ngadisari.

Yoschi Hotel offered four types of accommodation: Economy Room, Standard Room, Deluxe Cottage and Family Cottage. I chose an Economy Room, at 104,000 Rp per night. The room did not have attached bathroom, but I could use the hot shower in the garden.

It is worth noting that October was considered low season in Yoschi, but high season in Cemoro Lawang’s hotels.

Here are some pictures of Yoschi Hotel:

My dinner in the hotel – Steak with asparagus:

Now, the verdict…

Pro:

Price is very competitive; atmosphere is great; its restaurant serves good food; the staff are also very helpful.

Cons:

The location isn’t the most convenient: you can’t see Mt Bromo from Ngadisari; there were no wartel (shop for making long distance calls) nearby, and warnet (Internet shop) was 3km down the hill at Sukapura.

Useful information:

Yoschi’s webpage

e-mail: info@bromosurrounding.com

tel: +62-813 3636 5438, +62-857 4988 0299

On the business side:

Yoschi’s rooms were relatively cheap, but it made money from side businesses, e.g. restaurant. Jackets were available for rental at 25,000 Rp each, and I bought a winter hat for 10,000 Rp.

Java Trip (III)

2010-11-08T21:22:00.001+08:00

The Road to Bromo

It was 5am, Oct 25, 2010. I was awakened by the caw of a cock. Can you imagine that I was in the second largest city of Indonesia?

My next stop for the East Java tour was Mount Bromo. But for that, I need to get to Ngadisari, a few kilometers from the volcano.

When I checked in to Orchid Guesthouse the previous day, I learned that complimentary breakfast would be provided. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be served until 7.30am. Wanting to get to Ngadisari early, I decided to check out at 6.30am, and had my breakfast in Purabaya Bus Terminal instead. (By the way, 7.30am was relatively late in East Java. Splendid Inn, which I would stay in four days later, served breakfast starting from 6am.)

I took a public bus from Purabaya to Probolinggo. Along the way, I saw many paddy fields. Java, fertilized by volcanic ash, was an important rice producer…

Paddy field in Java…

At Probolinggo, I changed to minibus. The minibus attendant told me that the fare to Ngadisari was 25,000Rp. There was a catch, though – the bus wouldn’t leave Probolinggo until it was full.

One hour had passed, there were still insufficient passengers. The attendant came to tell the passengers that the minibus would leave in a while, with 2/3 of the seats filled. But the fare would increase to 40,000Rp. (WTF!) Judging that there were no feasible alternatives, I had to accept the offer.

Minibuses to Bromo…

Well, the minibus was not full when it departed Probolinggo, but it continue to pick up passengers along the way. At one point, there were about 20 passengers in the vehicle. Junior high school students, all girls, clung onto the outside of the bus precariously as it cruised along. (See picture below. The guy in black is the minibus attendant.)

After about 1 ½ hour, the minibus reached Ngadisari. I asked to be dropped off at Yoschi Hotel, where I would spend the night. The bus proceeded to Cemoro Lawang, the last settlement before Mount Bromo.

I will write more about Yoschi Hotel in the next post. Now let’s look at some pictures shot in Ngadisari…

Pitfalls of American Model

2010-11-06T22:09:00.000+08:00

[A break from my East Java series]

In my post dated Oct 22, 2010, I hailed America’s decentralized government over Malaysia’s centralized model. Nonetheless, I must admit that American model isn’t all perfect. Here are some pitfalls:

Short term focus

The United States is the champion of capitalism. Typical Americans are more concerned with quarterly bottom line than long term profits.

NIMBY

Not in my backyard!

American homeowners do not want infrastructure to be built near their houses, for fear it would affect the property values. Such mentality has negative impacts on development.

(Read related post here.)

Economy based on consumption

The 2008 economic downturn has proven that America’s economy based on consumption is not sustainable. It is also bad for the environment.

Lobbying

Business groups have too much influence over the Congress.

Java Trip (II)

2010-11-03T21:01:00.002+08:00

WARNING: Long post

Surabaya

My first stop in Java was Surabaya…

Surabaya, the second largest city in Indonesia, was not geared towards tourists. Unlike Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Ho Chi Minh City or Bali, Surabaya did not have a backpackers’ quarter with high concentration of budget hotels and other tourism-related businesses. Based on the information given in Lonely Planet, I decided to stay in Orchid Guesthouse, near the ‘Old City’.

This picture was taken in Jalan Bongkaran, where Orchid Guesthouse was located. Trishaw remained common throughout East Java…

After the evening rain…

For reasons which I did not know, most of the shops in this area were closed. (It was Sunday evening.)

Here is a Chinese-style architecture in Kya Kya Market. Lonely Planet refers to this area as Chinatown, but I didn’t see many ethnic Chinese…

A church in Chinatown…

Narrow alleys in Chinatown…

Fish market in Old City…

While there were plenty of road-side stores in this area, proper resto were hard to come by. In the end, I had to settle it in McDonald’s.

Value meal specific for McDonald’s Indonesia – with rice, soup, chicken, scrambled egg and soft drink…

Question: Should you go to Surabaya?

While the Old City is quite interesting, Surabaya as a whole isn’t such a great place to visit. If you are short of time, you may give it a pass.

Java Trip (I)

2010-10-31T21:08:00.002+08:00

I did my (relatively short) Java trip from Oct 24 to Oct 29. Now, I will publish my travelogue, part-by-part, in this blog.

The Journey Begins

(shot with Lumix)

This picture, showing my backpack, was taken at Kuala Lumpur Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT). This bag had accompanied me for many years. It was very old and worn out. Originally, I wanted a new bag for my Java trip. However, partly due to the fact I wanted to save money, and partly because most backpacks in the market were without zipper – therefore couldn’t be locked – I decided to hold on to the ‘old faithful’. Anyway, this was likely my last trip with this bag. Will this also mark the end of my backpacking life?

At the boarding gate, I observed that most of the passengers were Indonesians. (Indonesian passport cover was green.) Java was not yet a popular destination among Malaysian tourists.

Eventually the plane left the terminal. Many passengers continued to use their mobile phones. I thought Malaysians were bad, but Indonesians were worse!

Two-and-a-half hours later, the plane landed at Surabaya’s Juanda Airport. At the Immigration checkpoint, three counters were opened – one for Indonesian passport, one for foreign passport, and one for visa-on-arrival. Apparently I queued at the second counter, but I saw Indonesians in front and behind me…

(shot with Lumix)

Update From Java

2010-10-27T16:23:00.007+08:00

I am currently in a warnet, or warung Internet (Internet shop) in Java. Have visited two natural wonders of the island - Mount Bromo and Ijen Crater.

The air is choking in Java. Bad for my lungs...

I have been an unofficial translator for a few Western tourists. Indonesian and Malay are quite similar. Still, sometimes it takes a while to understand what the locals tell me. By the way, Javanese have their own language, which I don't understand at all.

Just read the news of volcano eruption in Central Java and tsunami in Sumatra. I am in East Java. I guess I am safe here...

Malaysian model vs. American model

2010-10-22T22:13:00.000+08:00

On Oct 20, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announced that Malacca had achieved the status of “developed state”. This means that, even though Malaysia as a whole was still a developing country, some states were already highly developed. Another state, Selangor, achieved this “status” several years ago. (By the way, Oct 20, 2010 is written in this country as 20-10-2010.)

Upon reading the news on the Web, I couldn’t help but wondered when Perak, where I grew up, would be a developed state too. My guess is not within the next 10 years. Selangor is the wealthiest state in Malaysia, while Perak is one of the poorest.

The disparity between Selangor and Perak underlies one fundamental flaw in the government structure. In Malaysia, most taxes go to the Federal Government, which then distributes the money to individual states. Sadly, the Federal Government has been practicing “favoritism” for the last few decades. Some states get more funding, while other are neglected.

By contrast, state, county and city governments in the United States have the power to collect taxes. For example, every working people pays two types of income tax – one to the Federal Government and the other to the state government. Sales tax also goes to the states. (Oregon has zero sales tax!) Hotel tax, I believe, is determined by the cities. When I was in California some years back, I moved from one hotel to another. Some cities set the hotel tax at 10%, while others had it at 15%.

The local governments will then use the money collected to fund their projects rather than waiting for handout from Washington. Of course, there are times when the states will still need Federal money. To its credit, Washington does not practice favoritism to the same level as Putrajaya. President Obama, a democrat, has been generously enough to support states run by republicans.

I would like to see state governments of Malaysia be empowered. But I am not optimistic this will happen…

Packing

2010-10-20T20:20:00.000+08:00

Getting ready for my vacation...

Apple Empire

2010-10-17T21:43:00.001+08:00

In the last few years, Apple iPhone has swept the world by storm. Malaysian bloggers Witch and FoongPC are both staunch supporters of the Apple product.

But are you aware that before iPhone, the Web was “free”? Apple makes it less free. Now, we have to buy apps to run on iPhone. Worst, we can’t buy directly from the developers, but must go through iTune. Apple gets 30% from all the sales.

And, unlike Bill, Steve has never been known as a philanthropist.

华教地位岌岌可危

2010-10-14T21:01:00.001+08:00

马来西亚星洲日报在10月10日刊登一则新闻，题目是《华教地位岌岌可危》。

星洲日报是在访问马华公会青年团教育主任张圣闻后刊出这则新闻。张氏认为『华教发展江河日下，未来的路只会越来越难走』。

然而，中文教育在大马真的是『岌岌可危』吗？这到底是事实还是迷思？

马来西亚独立初期，许多华人家长把子女送入英文学校就读。后来政府取消英文学校，华文学校就成了华裔家长的首选。而受英文教育的人长大后，也为自己不懂中文感到遗憾，纷纷把儿女送入华校。按理说，中文教育在本国应该是进入了黄金期。别的不谈，马华创党人敦陈帧禄与早期的领袖，大多受英文教育。但自从王家定接任会长以来，该党似乎已由讲华语的一群支配。

还有另一个事实，能说明中文教育的现况。问问身边的华裔中学生：华、巫、英三种语文，那一个是他们最有信心（most comfortable）的。这里所说的信心是指读、写、听、讲的能力，不是指SPM考优等；大家都知道中学五年纪的华文科特别难考。我很肯定大部分的华裔生都会回答说他们的中文最好。

学生中文水准下滑倒是有可能。但那或许是教育制度出问题，或课文欠妥，绝对不关华教地位，也并非华人不重视『母语』。（有学者认为华人的母语其实是方言，甚至也包括了英文和Baba式马来语。）记得我唸中学时，华文课有一半时间是学文言文。后来学校采用新课本，文言文的比例大幅降低。其实华校生唸完小学时，一般已能掌握白话文，中学应当强调文言文和诗词曲才对。

不过话又说回来：我们学中文的目的何在？『华教斗士』会毫不犹豫的告诉我们：『随着中国崛起，中文已经愈来愈重要。』如果我们是以经济利益为出发点，就无须理会文言文；中三程度已绰绰有余。马华又何必搞什么（中五生）『选考华文运动』？

欲提升中文水平，必须对症下药。一味危言耸听，只会给学生、家长和教师施加不必要的压力，牺牲学子掌握其他语文的能力，甚至也加速华族方言的灭亡。

Chopsticks and Spoon

2010-10-11T20:49:00.001+08:00

筷子和羹匙

一位出差到吉隆坡的台湾工程师最近问我：马来西亚华人究竟有无用筷子。

我回答说：吃饭一般用羹匙，但吃面还是用筷子。

我个人是比较喜欢用筷子吃饭。当然，如果我在外面用餐，餐馆没提供筷子，我还是会用羹匙。

岂有此理，居然还有人骂我是香蕉人！

A Taiwanese engineer who was in Kuala Lumpur recently asked me, “Do Chinese Malaysians use chopsticks?”

I replied, “Majority use spoon and fork for eating rice, but we still use chopsticks for noodle.”

I am among the minority who prefer chopsticks to spoon, even when eating rice. Nonetheless, when I eat out, if the restaurant does not provide chopsticks, I would still resort to spoon.

Heck, people still condemn me as a banana man!

Light Pollution

2010-10-07T21:32:00.000+08:00

When I was a kid, I liked to look at the sky at night. I gazed the moon and countless of stars…

Today, I still look at the night sky, but I see fewer stars… There are two possible explanations as to why I don’t see as many stars: First, my eyes have deteriorated over the years; and second, light pollution.

As a kid, I lived in a small town with little nightlife. Now, I live in a big city that never sleeps. Artificial light fills the horizon with orange haze, and blinds us in such a way that we no longer can see the Milky Way.

Today, if we want to see the long-forgotten starry sky, we need to go to less developed areas, or up a mountain. I wish I could do so, if only for a few nights…

For all the benefits of artificial light, we shouldn’t pretend that nothing is lost.

- National Geographic Magazine, Nov 2008 issue

Starless Sky

Playing with Focus

2010-10-04T20:34:00.001+08:00

Teddy & Renee

One oft-used technique in portrait photography is to focus on the subject(s), but make the background out-of-focus. By ‘blurring’ the background, we make sure that the viewers will fix their eyes on the subject(s).

However, in shooting the picture shown above, I purposely did the reverse – focus and the soft toy and make the pretty model out-of-focus. But you probably need to enlarge the picture to see the difference. Ideally, I would like the model to be more blurry, but there were limitations to my gears.

Photography is about creativity. All rules can be broken…

Greater ‘Greater KL’? No thanks!

2010-09-28T21:34:00.003+08:00

The Government of Malaysia has just announced the Economic Transformation Program, or ETP. The ETP identifies twelve National Key Economic Areas (NKEA), one of which is Greater Kuala Lumpur.

The vision for Greater KL is to turn the nation’s capital into one of the global top-20 most livable cities, as well as having a top-20 ranking in city economic growth by 2020. The GNI (Gross National Income) share of Greater KL will be increased from approximately 30 percent of the nation’s GNI to approximately 40 percent. Total employment in this region will also increase from 2.5 million this year to 4.2 million by 2020. Total population will increase to 10 million, up from the current 6.4 million.

That is, the population of this region will increase by more than 50% within a decade!

Isn’t KL crowded enough? Don’t we complain about getting stuck in traffic gridlock everyday? Isn’t the property price already prohibitively high? I can imagine that a person who works in KL proper will have to live in Tanjung Malim, simply because he/she cannot afford a house anywhere nearer to the workplace. And the government is talking about ‘livability’!??

On the other hand, Perak, Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan will be littered with ghost towns, as these states continue to lose their people to Greater KL.

There are people who think that a ‘mega city’ is essential to stimulate the economy. A property analyst, for example, is reported to say, “Cities generally generate a huge proportion of a country’s wealth. Paris produces 30% of France’s wealth, Tokyo 20% to 25% of Japan’s, and the Klang Valley 30%.” (Making Greater KL the nation’s heartbeat, The Star, September 25, 2010)

But why don’t we look at American model instead? In the US, New York is the financial capital, while Los Angeles in the entertainment capital; Silicon Valley hosts the headquarters of Intel, Apple and Google, while Detroit is the home for auto industry; of course, Washington DC is the national capital. Economic activities do not revolve around any single mega city, but rather distributed across the nation.

OK, maybe America is too big compared to Malaysia. But even the state of California has four major centers instead of just one. These centers are – from North to South – San Francisco (Bay Area), San Jose (Silicon Valley), Los Angeles and San Diego. The state capital is the little-known Sacramento.

In Malaysia, the Federal Government decides where the money and people should go. American cities, on the other hand, compete with each other for investment, funding and talents. Which is why any city can thrive – subject to factors beyond their control such as geographic location and climate.

I am not in favor of the Greater KL plan. The government should instead shift focus to less-developed regions of the country.

Book Giveaway

2010-09-26T21:00:00.001+08:00

My room is overrun by books, and I intend to dispose of some of them. If you are interested in the books listed below please drop me an e-mail. I will mail them to you. Alternatively, we may meet in Starbucks or White Town Old Coffee…

BTW, I would like to get your advice on the best way to send a book by mail…

Angels & Demons by Dan Brown

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseni

村上春樹 之發條鳥年代紀

A Lesson on Catchlight

2010-09-23T22:30:00.001+08:00

I am still learning photography, and I regularly make mistakes…

Here is a picture I shot during a photo session. The exposure is right, and the model is photogenic. Nonetheless, I am far from satisfied. Why?

Now, let’s zoom in to model’s eyes. There is one major flaw: No catchlight!

Now, let’s look at another picture. In this one, you can see the catchlight in the model’s eyes.

Catchlight makes a subject look livelier. There are several ways we can create catchlight in the eyes. We can, for example, get the subject to face the sun or light, but this is not always possible. Alternatively, we can fire the flash into the eyes; one possible downside of this approach is that it may render the picture with less 3D-feel. Finally, we can use some white surface to reflect sunlight into the eyes of the subject, but this technique is somewhat cumbersome.

In my earlier post, I mentioned that many photographers dislike flash. But you see, flash can create catchlight in the eyes. It’s not so bad after all.

The Yes Man

2010-09-20T22:25:00.003+08:00

In my earlier post, I mentioned that my company purchased a piece of equipment from Japan. We encountered some problems with this equipment, and we regularly make conference calls with the Japanese vendor to discuss this issue. I notice that one of the Japanese engineers likes to utter the word ‘yes’ when he talked to us. Example:

My colleague: Your equipment has this problem…

Japanese engineer: Yes…

My colleague: The problem is caused by this behavior…

Japanese engineer: Yes…

My colleague: We would like you to fix this…

Japanese engineer: Yes…

In Japanese, there is a word ‘hai’, which is loosely translated as ‘yes’. Japanese often say ‘hai’ when they talked to each other. However, this does not signal agreement, but more like ‘I am listening’ or ‘I understand what you mean’.

So when I heard the Japanese engineer repeatedly say ‘yes’, I knew he was using that word for ‘hai’. (Call it Japlish if you like.) I immediately cautioned my colleague: he was not admitting that their equipment was not functioning properly.

Be really careful if you ever have to deal with Japanese!

Traveling with Laptop

2010-09-17T21:53:00.000+08:00

A friend of mine, who was a shutterbug, went on a photo trip to Bali last August. He would be bringing along his notebook PC, but I advised him to leave it at home. I thought it was a bad idea to burden himself with extra weight of his PC. After all, his trip would last only 4 days.

These days a lot of photographers travel with their laptops. Their main purpose for doing so is to backup their photos as well as surf Net. Some also photoshop their pictures during the trips.

However, I have been backpacking around Southeast Asia, and haven’t found the need to do so. For a start, I usually stay in family-run guesthouses, which do not have Wifi services anyway. If I want to surf Net, I would walk into one of many ‘Internet shops’; if I want to backup my photos, I would burn a CD/DVD in a camera store. As for editing pictures, I will leave it until I return home.

The chief disadvantage of bringing a laptop is its weight. In theory, I can leave it in the hotel room, but then I would be concerned of theft. High-end hotels do provide safe deposit box, but they are not my choice.

Of course, if I would be driving, I may change my mind. And if I am on business trip, I may have no choice.

So, do you have a habit of bringing along a laptop when you are on a leisure trip?

A Lesson on Flash Photography

2010-09-13T22:31:00.001+08:00

Many photographers avoid using flash when they shoot portrait. According to them, portraits taken with flash fired “don’t look natural”. But I am surprised that even some snap shooters have learned to distrust camera flash. Perhaps somebody had told them that flashed photos are bad, so they also turn off the flash when taking pictures, without knowing the tricks.

Last August, I attended graduation ceremony after I completed my MBA study. After the ceremony, my classmates and I took some group shots. For once, I wasn’t the photographer, but one of the subjects. A few days later, my classmates e-mailed the photos to me. I was disappointed, as most of the pictures didn’t turn out good…

The following is one bad shot. The picture is blurred due to handshaking problem. A check on the EXIF data reveals that “flash did not fire”. That’s exactly the cause. Had the flash been fired, we should have got a sharp picture. A flashed photo may be unnatural, but it is still better than a blurred one, right?

(click to enlarge)

Now, you may ask me why a flashed photo is sharper than a flash-less one. The explanation is somewhat technical, and is not within the scope of this post. Just remember: flash helps to counter handshaking problem, thereby giving you a sharper picture. (Well, assuming that you don’t suffer from Parkinson syndrome.)

Here is another flash-less shot. This picture was taken with Canon EOS 550D, supposedly more advanced than my own camera. Furthermore, the lens had Image Stabilization, which helped to counter handshaking. Hence, unlike the first shot, this one is sharp. Nonetheless, I am still not satisfied, because the skin tones of the people look yellowish. (Remember that Asian women generally love fair skin?) Again, had the flash been fired, we would have got more accurate, or more appealing, skin tone.

(click to enlarge)

As a conclusion, don’t be misled into thinking that flashed portrait must be bad. If you haven’t learned the basics of photography, I suggest that you switch to auto mode and let the camera decide for you.

A bite of sweet Apple

2010-09-09T22:43:00.000+08:00

Back in July, I had a chance to photograph a model in kimono & yukata. Recently, I joined another photo session whereby the model was dressed in yukata. It was a different model though, and at another location. Here are some shots for sharing…

By the way, can you guess the name of the model?

Discrimination, Intolerance & Hope - USA vs. Malaysia

2010-09-07T20:55:00.003+08:00

I came across an interesting article by Ziad Haider, a Muslim American, in a Malaysian newspaper recently. He wrote in response to the controversy surrounding the construction of an Islamic cultural center in New York City.

Background:

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, a Muslim clergy who lived in America, wanted to build an Islamic cultural center in New York City. The proposed site was two blocks away from the former World Trade Center. His plan was met with strong objection among Americans, who mistook, or misrepresented, the cultural center as a mosque. They argued that the construction of a mosque so near to the ‘Ground Zero’ would hurt the feeling of the people whose relatives were killed in September 11 terrorist attacks, or that it would mark the victory of extremism.

Here is an excerpt from Ziad Haider’s article:

Catholics were thought to bear ultimate allegiance to the pope – not to America. The election of the first Catholic President John F. Kennedy ended that. During World War II while the US was at war with Japan, Japanese Americans were placed in internment camps – a wrong that has been publicly acknowledged. Now it seems is the turn of Muslim Americans whose allegedly exclusive allegiance to syariah over the constitution is in question at a time when Islamic extremism is the threat.

History seems to show that this too shall pass. Despite a host of hate crimes that have occurred ranging from the recent stabbing of a Bangladeshi taxi driver because he was a Muslim to the desecration of several mosques in the US, the voices of Muslims and non-Muslims supporting the center and condemning such heinous attacks are spilling over across the airwaves, online, and in the streets of New York. The maelstrom will exact a toll in the days ahead but America will, I believe, ultimately self-correct…

(Ziad Haider, America’s Islamic center, The Sun, September 2, 2010)

As a Muslim American, one would expect Haider to be upset over the controversy. Yet, rather than lamenting intolerance in his country, he expressed hope. He believe America would self-correct. He believed in a better future.

Malaysia, like the US, is no stranger to racial and religious conflicts. Our history isn’t as bad as America’s. Unfortunately, we are also more pessimistic. In fact, it is arguable that racial relations have gone downhill since the day Union Jack was lowered some 53 years ago. How could that happen?

In his article, Ziad went on to write:

…For better or worse America is engaged in a debate; it is long overdue elsewhere as well.

I believe debate, or lack of it, is exactly what has held us back…

Indoor Tanning

2010-09-01T20:58:00.000+08:00

source

I didn’t expect Malaysia would ever have an indoor tanning center.

Indoor tanning centers are common in Western countries, where people like tanned skin. But this is Malaysia, a tropical country. Malaysians often prefer to hide inside air-conditioned rooms to escape the searing sun during the hottest hours of the day. Asian women, as we know, traditionally love fair skin. Who would spend money to have their skin tanned? (I believe European women once loved fair skin too, or we wouldn’t have the story of Snow White.)

But I was wrong. Fabulous Tan, a Singapore-based group, has opened a franchised outlet in Malaysia. The center was reported to be doing well, and the owner was already planning to open another branch. Fabulous Tan provides other services such as hair removal and teeth whitening.

According to the owner, majority of her patrons are homosexuals. Do gays like tanned skin? Or are they merely looking for a gathering place?

So, would you try indoor tanning?

P/S Please also check out my post in another blog:

Wanna Customize you Mobile Phone?

The Gloating Chinese 幸灾乐祸的中国人

2010-08-26T23:05:00.004+08:00

香港人和中国人为九名香港游客在马尼拉人质危机中丧生感到悲痛和愤怒。他们谴责菲律宾政府和警员未能保护人质的安全。但是，有一批无同情心的港人和大陆人却幸灾乐祸。请点击以下的图片以放大它们。。。

Hong Kong people and Chinese express their grief and anger following the killing of nine Hong Kong tourists in a hostage tragedy in Manila. They condemned Filipino government and cops for their failure to protect the hostages.

However, there was a small group of Hongkongese and Chinese Mainlanders who were more than happy to see their fellows being killed in the Philippines. Click to enlarge the snapshots below to learn more about these uncompassionate Chinese…

Milker Tsui: 港人死嗮都好！唔駛香港地方咁迫窄..

(It would be great if all Hong Kong people die. Hong Kong won’t be so crowded…)

陈雅倩 Alicia: 好失望咯，以为D香港人真系死嗮…

(I am very disappointed. I thought all those Hong Kong people really die…)

Mandykkhi: 一点都不同情香港人

(I don’t feel a bit sorry for Hong Kong people.)

上朝拜海: 香港的穷鬼们去什么菲律宾

(Why did the poor bastards of Hong Kong go to the Philippines?)

刘我都快: 好啊，香港的活该，我要放鞭炮！

(Great！They deserve it. I want to burn fire crackers!)

Note:

Facebook上的是香港人，其他是大陆人。

Those on Facebook are Hongkongese. The rest are Mainlanders.

Source of the images

A Lesson on Canon Picture Styles

2010-08-25T22:26:00.000+08:00

Blogger Witch recently posted photos of her trip – with hubby Saucer – to Australia. In one instance, she posted two nearly identical shots of Lake Mulwawa – one taken with her Lumix LX3 pocket camera, and the other one taken with Saucer’s Canon DSLR 500D. Witch asked, “Which is nicer?” Apparently she was hinting that the Lumix shot was better, which I agree.

But this is not to say that the Canon 500D is inherently inferior to the cheaper Lumix. Canon DSLR, by default settings, tend to have lower color saturation. This is great for portrait, not so great for landscape. (Nikon DSLR, on the other hand, usually have higher color saturation.) There are workarounds, such as editing the pictures with Photoshop. There is a simpler way though, that is, by applying appropriate Picture Styles.

Newer Canon DSLR has a couple of built-in Picture Styles, such as Standard, Portrait and Landscape. There are additional Picture Styles which can be downloaded from Canon’s official site or third-party sites. Here, I will demonstrate the use of Picture Styles to alter a picture.

This is a picture taken in Bukit Tinggi (Berjaya Hills). Picture Style is set to Standard:

Standard Picture Style

Next, I change the Picture Style to Landscape. Landscape Picture Style increases the saturation of blue and green. Note how the color of the sky has changed:

Landscape Picture Style

Next, I change the Picture Style to RDP III. This is a Picture Style which tries to mimic the film of the same name. It was created by an unknown photographer, who generously shares it:

RDP III Picture Style

Now back to the picture taken by Witch (or Saucer) using the Canon 500D. I believe Landscape or RDP III Picture Style should yield better results…

Note: Nikon has something similar called Picture Control.

Just Graduated

2010-08-24T13:09:00.000+08:00

After years of struggle, I finally completed my MBA study...

Biz & Tech Talk

2010-08-20T22:18:00.000+08:00

I have started a new blog specifically on business and technology-related matter. The inaugural post is:

Green Packet and the future of WiMAX

Do pay a visit

Biz & Tech Talk

Android Phones – alternatives to iPhone

2010-08-18T20:54:00.000+08:00

Apple iPhone is the must-have of every gadget lover. Or, as I put it in my earlier post, it is the LV of smart phone. Bloggers Foongpc and Witch both recommend it. Nonetheless, iPhone is not the only choice for potential smart phone buyers. As I stroll through KLCC last week, I saw a Maxis booth selling HTC Wildfire and HTC Desire, two of many flavors of Android-based phones.

For the uninitiated, Android is a mobile operating system developed by Google. A number of phone makers make Android phones. They include HTC, Motorola, Samsung and Sony Ericsson. You may be surprised to learn that Android phones actually outsold iPhone in the second quarter of 2010. (Apple should pick up more sales in 3Q though, following its launch of iPhone 4 in June.) Singaporean blogger Leon is one Android phone user.

Both Foongpc and Witch noted that the apps of iPhone as one of its major selling points. Android phones also enjoy a wide range of apps – not as many as iPhone, but should satisfy a casual user like me.

So, if I were to get a smart phone now, which one should I pick? iPhone is certainly tempting. But if everyone else is flocking to iPhone, I may want to buck the trend…

Two Android phones sold in Malaysia – HTC Desire & Samsung Galaxy S

Ban or No Ban

2010-08-16T13:05:00.003+08:00

My company recently instituted partial ban of Internet access at workplace by blocking sites which were deemed ‘unproductive’. These included Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, Photobucket, online games sites and P2P (peer-to-peer) sites.

Banning of Internet access at workplace is hardly new. Employees abusing company resources is a known fact. But is banning Internet access, or blocking of certain sites, a solution?

For a start, YouTube may not be as unproductive as some may think. Many product demonstrations are now on the popular video sharing site. Facebook, with the ubiquitous ‘Like’ button, is a great marketing tool. (Imagine that if you ‘like’ a product, all your 1,288 friends will be notified.) These sites, when put to good use, can be extremely beneficial to all businesses. And I don’t think it is wise for the management to tell us:

OK, now we have advertised on Facebook. We will lift the ban for one hour. All of you please go to ‘like’ our products.

The fact that my employer is in IT industry further complicates the matter. Just the other day, a co-worker of mine was doing a ‘stress test’ through the means of YouTube video-download and P2P movie-download.

Internet ban at workplace also has unwanted impacts in human resource development. Why, do you think, is Google so creative? This is because the Internet search giant gives considerable freedom to its staff.

So, should employers block access to those seemingly unproductive web sites? There are no hard-and-fast rules, but this is my suggestion to the management:

If you want your staff to be efficient, ban is an option.

If you want your staff to be creative, then do not ban.

P/S I may get a smart phone to circumvent the ban.

Detective Conan

2010-08-12T21:37:00.000+08:00

In the last few weeks, I have been watching Japanese anime Detective Conan (名探偵コナン).

This is a story about a high school detective who, after being poisoned, transform into a kid. Since then, he has taken the name of Edokawa Konan (江戶川コナン). As you might be aware, the character is named after the author of Sherlock Holmes.

Detective Conan runs over hundreds of episodes. In one episode, The Last Wizard of the Century, Konan/Conan was going after a female assassin. The assassin always shot her victims at their right eyes. When our hero finally confronted her, she again pointed her gun at his right eye. She had only one bullet left, and she didn’t realize that Konan was wearing bullet-proof glasses…

There are a few interesting things which I observe…

When I was a kid, my favorite manga was Doraemon. In this story, Nobita and his pals played baseball, which was considered the national past time of Japan. Detective Conan, on the other hand, plays soccer.

In every episode, towards the end of the theme song, we see Konan pointing his finger forward, and uttering, with full of confidence, “There is only one truth.” (See the picture above.) In the real Japanese society which values conformity, a person who speaks with such confidence will probably be viewed with suspicion. But really, as the Land of the ‘Setting’ Sun sinks into decades-long slump, what they need is leaders with strong character.

Photography – Men vs. Women

2010-08-09T20:28:00.001+08:00

攝影 – 男vs.女

香港U Magazine訪問了女攝影師，fillens.net的Jenny。Jenny在訪談中提到男生和女生玩攝影之大不同。以下是摘要：

如果你有留意，男生攝影，會把作品放上Forum，請大家評價、評分。女生較少這樣做，通常只會放上Facebook或者Blog。女生們要的不是技術上的意見或器材情報，而是一個分享的空間。。。

[男人]只會荼毒奶買好貴好貴的器材，傾向用某幾種牌子同着重技術。女生玩攝影，不一定需要這些，較着重感覺甚至留意一些微小無如相機帶、袋等。。。

（fillens.net之Jenny）

Jenny也認為女性所喜愛的題材包括了寵物、BB（嬰孩）、食物，花和自己的影子。

你贊同Jenny的看法嗎？

= = =

Hong Kong’s U Magazine interviewed Jenny, lady photographer of fillens.net. Jenny mentioned about differences between male and female shutterbugs. Here is the excerpt of the interview:

If you pay attention, you will notice that male photographers often upload their works to forum, and invite friends to comment and rate. Female photographers hardly do that. Instead, they prefer to upload their photos to Facebook or blogs. Females do not want opinions regarding techniques or news of gears. What they want is a space for sharing…

Men like to persuade you into buying gears which are very, very expensive. They are inclined to use several brands of gears, and emphasize techniques. Females do not necessarily need these. Instead, they are more into feelings, even pay attention to such little things like camera straps and bags…

(Jenny of fillens.net)

Jenny also believed that themes favored by ladies include pets, baby, food, flower and their own shadow.

Do you agree with Jenny?

It’s more than Specs

2010-08-06T21:14:00.000+08:00

Which smart phone should you buy?

Blogger Tekkaus recommends Nokia E72. He compares the specifications of Nokia E72 and iPhone side-by-side, and concludes that the former is a better phone. But before I drill deeper into this issue, let me digress a bit…

A couple of years ago, I was searching for a backpack for my DSLR camera. I narrowed my choice to two – Tamrac Adventure 7 and Crumpler Sinking Barge. Tamrac was more practical, with lots of pockets to store accessories, but Crumpler was more stylish.

Tamrac – practical but boring

Crumpler – colorful and youthful

There is another issue with Tamrac: If I were to take out the camera, I must first lay down the bag on the floor. Imagine if I were shooting at a muddy place… With Crumpler, I could access the camera while the bag is still on my shoulder.

In the end, I got a Crumpler…

When you are buying a car, what factors do you consider? Price, dimensions, engine capacity, fuel economy… and of course physical design. You want a cool-looking car, don’t you?

Now back to the question of smart phone choice. Specifications-wise, iPhone may not be the best. But it is elegant. And many iPhone users have reported that the phone is intuitive and easy to use. (Disclaimer: I don’t own an iPhone.) These qualities are not easily quantifiable, but they are the factors potential buyers would consider.

Specs are not everything…

Girl in Cheongsam

2010-08-03T20:30:00.000+08:00

One week after I photography a model in kimono, I took part in another similar event. This time, the model wore cheongsam (a.k.a. qipao 旗袍). The organizer even brought a guzheng (古筝), a type of music instrument originated in

China

. The venue was Sau Seng Lum Exhibition Centre in Puchong. Here are a few shots for sharing…

This is a challenging shot: The hall was slightly dark, but it was sunny outside the window. I was unable to get the exposure right. The model is “playing” guzheng in this picture…

Can you spot her name?

姓氏趣谈

2010-07-31T09:56:00.002+08:00

日前在英文星报看到一则环保屋的文章，以下是其中一段:

Down a dirt road and between thickets of trees, Paul Queen lives inside a grassy, man-made hill in Orlando, Florida, in the United States.

Deer try to stroll across his rooftop. Gopher tortoises attempt to tunnel into the walls.

(Earthy Shelter, The Stars, July 27, 2010)

我早知道西方人有人姓King。其中两个有此姓的名人是已故民权领袖Martin Luther King和作家Stephen King。但我却想不到原来也有人姓Queen。

西方国家也有人以颜色为姓，这包括White， Black，和Brown。Wheel of Fortune的女主持是Vanna White，《达文西密码》的作家是Dan Brown，美国有一名演员叫Karen Black。

无独有偶，中国也有人以颜色为姓，如白、黄、蓝。另外，王也是中国一个大姓，不过我倒没听说过有人姓后。

香港歌手夏绍声，洋名叫Danny Summer。Summer也是Anglo-Saxon民族的姓。以此看来，一名姓王的先生也大可以Mr King自居，姓白的小姐可自称为Ms White。

日本也有许多有趣的姓。我以前上日文班，老师是姓白髮(Shiraga)。还有更奇怪的，如鬼塚、犬養。日文的文法是动词在名词之后，所以犬養其实是养狗的意思。但华人可能会误会它为骂人的话。

Engrish by Native Speakers

2010-07-28T21:31:00.000+08:00

Even native English speakers make such mistakes...

= = =

Say No to Man U?

2010-07-26T21:10:00.001+08:00

Malaysia

is a soccer-mad nation. Manchester United is probably the most popular European football club in this country. However, recently the Islamic authorities have warned that Muslims should not don the jersey of the Red Devils, as its emblem features a devil.

Note: Haram is the Islamic term for ‘unlawful’.

Further, the Islamic authorities have also told the Muslims to not wear the jersey of Barcelona FC, whose logo contains a cross.

Further, Muslims are also told to shun the jersey of Liverpool FC. The main sponsor of the football club is Carlsberg, the bear-maker.

Now, consider this: Malaysia’s national flag has a symbol of Islam – new moon. Should Malaysian Christians to salute it?

Girl in Kimono

2010-07-22T21:11:00.001+08:00

As mentioned in my previous post, the purpose of my visit to Bukit Tinggi Japanese Village was to photograph model in traditional Japanese costumes. The model of this shooting session was Felixia.

The teahouse in Japanese Village had kimono and yukata for rental, at a price of RM20 for 30 minutes. The event organizer had also bought a set of yukata. For the uninitiated, yukata is casual wear typically worn during summer.

The three pictures below show the model wearing yukata （浴衣）:

In the next three pictures, the model is dressed in the more typical kimono （着物）:

Bukit Tinggi

2010-07-19T20:47:00.001+08:00

Bukit Tinggi is a hill resort located slightly further away from the more famous Genting Highlands. (That is, if we drive from Kuala Lumpur.) Run by Berjaya Group, it is also known as Berjaya Hills. I have known of Bukit Tinggi for many years, but it was only recently that I set foot on it…

At 3,500 feet above sea level, Bukit Tinggi is not as high as Genting Highlands or Cameron Highlands. On the plus side, it is less developed, and less crowded…

I shot this picture with CPL filter. It really made a difference…

…

Inside Japanese Garden…

The Japanese Village of Bukit Tinggi is a bit disappointing. But the purpose I went there was to photograph model in traditional Japanese costumes. Stay tuned for the pictures of the beautiful model…

How to be Famous on Facebook

2010-07-16T20:57:00.001+08:00

I came across this news feed on Facebook…

My MBA course mate, Patricia, was tagged in a photo. But I look at the picture, it shows a dress. Where is she???

My ex-colleague, Sarah, is tagged in another photo. Again I don’t see her anywhere in the picture…

So, if you upload your pictures to Facebook and want to capture attention of other people, here is a sure-fire formula: Tag as many of your friends as possible. Not only will your friends be notified, but your friends’ friends will also get the news. Before long, you will be a very (in)famous person on Facebook.

Luxury Prison

2010-07-13T21:30:00.002+08:00

(Click to enlarge)

This picture was taken in the township of Bukit Rimau. This is a big house with big piece of land. The owner must be very wealthy.

Unfortunately, the barbed wire makes it look like a prison…

I shot this picture from across the street. At first I wanted to shoot from close distance. But then I told myself, “No way. If the people inside the house notice that I am taking photo here, they would call the police.” These people are paranoid!

豪华监狱

以上这张照片是在Bukit Rimau拍的。照片中是一所大豪宅，屋主肯定很富有。

可惜的是，围住房子的铁丝网使它看起来像所监狱。。。

我在路的对面拍摄这张照片。我原本想近距离拍，但随即想到：『不行，如果屋里的人知道我在拍照，肯定会通知警察。』这些人怕抢劫和绑架怕到发狂了！

FIFA World Cup Post V

2010-07-10T21:45:00.005+08:00

Soccer in USA

Note: Football is known as soccer in USA.

Soccer is the world’s most popular sport, but it hasn’t quite caught on in the United States. Traditionally, America’s Big 3 sports are baseball, basketball, American football, while ice hockey can be considered number 4. However, many girls play soccer as they are excluded from American football.

Wanting to know why Americans are not interested in soccer, I browsed through the Web to search for an answer. Based on the info I have, Americans dislike soccer because of the following reasons:

Low scoring, boring
Games often end in tie
Competition from other sports – for players, spectators and sponsorship
Soccer is difficult to understand (Well, I don’t understand American football either.)
Soccer is a game for sissies. (Huh!!?)
Players are not allowed to use their hands (What is wrong with that?)
Soccer is an English game, therefore un-American. (But American football evolved from rugby, another English game.)

It is true that goals are scarce in soccer. A match with one or no goal can really be boring. On the plus side, fans get excited every time the teams they support score. Too many goals can spoil the fun.

A point in a basketball match is like your weekly wages. A goal in a football match is like hitting the jackpot. We need wages, but we look forward to the jackpot…

P/S I think 2 to 8 goals per match is perfect.

US Soccer Player London Donovan

Sky

2010-07-08T21:11:00.001+08:00

I took these two photos – on different days – in the morning before I set out to work.

Both pictures were taken with my Panasonic Lumix FH3. This compact camera has quite serious vignetting problem. If you look closely on the second photo, you will notice that it has conspicuous dark corners.

Of course, I could have ‘cropped’ away the dark corners using software…

FIFA World Cup Post IV

2010-07-04T20:27:00.001+08:00

Fair or Not Fair

In the World Cup England vs. Germany match, Frank Lampard of England had a goal disallowed. The incident re-ignited the debate over introducing technology to the game to aid referees in making crucial decision. Such technologies include Hawk-Eye, which uses cameras to detect whether the ball has crossed the line, or Cairos, which works on the same principle but uses electromagnetic sensors. Another alternative is to rely on video replay. FIFA has so far been resistant to technology, but it is increasingly under pressure following tons of blunders by the referees and linesmen in the tournament.

Most football fans support goal line technology or video replay, but there are some who have different viewpoints. A Malaysian photographer who went by the nickname rhizomegrass, for example, argued:

I don’t want [technology in football]…

Later nothing interesting is reported on paper. Everything is soooo perfect… Like this, at least I can talk for another 30 years about the blunder done…

Plain boring perfect game is never nice to watch.

= = =

In the quarter match between Ghana and Uruguay, the Black Star had a great chance to score at the dying moment of the game. Uruguayan player Luis Suarez rescued his team by pushing the ball away with his hands, right in front of the goal line. (Note: Suarez was not the goalkeeper.) Suarez was giving matching order for his foul, and Ghana was awarded a penalty kick. Sadly, Ghanaian player Asamoah Gyan failed to convert the penalty. In the end, the Black Star crashed out.

It’s not fair! It’s cheating! Ghana would have won if not for Suarez’s deliberate handball.

But seriously, didn’t the handball drama make World Cup more interesting?

Do you really like fair play???

Suarez (left) handling the ball

Beauty and the Beach

2010-07-01T21:16:00.000+08:00

I was at a beach in Tanjung Tuan, near Port Dickson. The beach was rather secluded, and it required quite a bit of walking, uphill and downhill, to get there. By the time I reach there, my legs were shaky.

My effort paid off, as I discovered the beach to be quite nice, with sand and rocks. The water was also quite clear. I took out my camera and immediately pressed the shutter…

But wait a minute; I didn’t go there to take landscape photos! I was there to join a model shooting event. This time, our model was Maria Eriksson, from London.

I was thinking that if this were the United States, this secluded beach could potentially be a haven for nudists. But this was Malaysia, a conservative nation. The model would stick to her bikinis. And here are some shots of the sexy model:

This is a picture I personally find interesting. It has sand, sea and sky. But the downside is: the background could have stolen our attention from the model. Is that good or bad?

The model posed in the water, and I shot in the water too…

Model lying on the beach…

More pictures on my Flickr page.

FIFA World Cup Post III

2010-06-29T22:01:00.002+08:00

The Sorrow of England

English football fans are heartbroken. So are many fans in Malaysia.

English Premier League is the most popular football league in this country. Malaysian football fans love English stars such as Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard (though probably not Wayne Rooney). Perhaps because of that, they extend their love to England team. And they felt sad when England was knocked out of World Cup.

England was beaten by Germany 4-1. This was its worst defeat in World Cup. As expected, fingers were pointed at Capello, the coach. There were already some critics who suggested that he should step down. But seriously, how many coaches England has had in the last few years? My records go as far back as Eriksson. He was replaced by McLaren, who in turn was replaced by Capello. Coaches come and go, but England continues to flop.

I am no pundit, but I think fans and critics alike should look at other factors as well. Were English players suffered from burnout following long season of playing at club level? Does England have a comprehensive system to recruit and nurture young talents?

Now, I am bringing up a crazy idea. I know this is blasphemous. But imagine this: If the four regions of the United Kingdom – England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland form a unified team…