Showing off my new lappie!

Some of you have heard about my new laptop i bought in early Sept at the Comex show. Cost me S$2497, (there goes the bonus!!) came with free all in one (fax scan copy) printer and $2 more gave me some PC -cilin antivirus with windows office 2007! Cool!

Also coz my sis used her credit card to pay for me first...i got a free samsung bluetooth headset!

here are the specs! HP Pavilion dv6508tx...i really like the look...even has a free external remote control!

The vista OS is a pain actually...coz i need to hunt for drivers...still i think the industry is picking up and many drivers are starting to be automatically available online.

Processor, operating system and memory
Processor type
Intel® Centrino® Duo processor technology • Intel® Core™2 Duo processor T7300 • 2.0 GHz , Level 2 cache 4 MB, 800 MHz Bus speed • 802.11 a/g/n WLAN
Operating system installed = Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium
Standard memory = 2048 MB
Memory type = DDR2 667 MHz
Memory layout = (2 x 1024 MB)
Maximum memory
Supports up to 4GB DDR2 memory (Dual Channel Memory Support; For 4 GB memory configuration, up to 1 GB may not be available with 32-bit operating systems due to system resource requirements)

Internal Drives
Internal hard disk drive =160 GB
Hard disk controller = SATA Hard Disk Drive
Hard disk drive speed = 5400 rpm
Optical drive type = Lightscribe Super Multi DVD Writer (+/-R +/-RW) with Double Layer
System features
Memory card device:
5-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader for Secure Digital cards, MultiMedia cards, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, or xD Picture cards
Modem = High speed 56K modem
Network interface = Integrated 10/100 Ethernet LAN
Wireless capability = Bluetooth® wireless networking
External I/O ports:
VGA; 3 USB 2.0; RJ-11; RJ-45; 2 stereo headphones; external microphone; AC adapter; S-Video-out; expansion port; ExpressCard Slot; IEEE 1394a; Consumer IR; Fingerprint reader
Video capture interface = IEEE 1394 FireWire® Interface
Expansion slots = One ExpressCard/54 slot (also supports ExpressCard/34)
Display size= 15.4” WXGA High Definition BrightView Widescreen
Display resolution = 1280 x 800
Video adapter = NVIDIA® GeForce™ 8400M GS
Control panel
HP QuickPlay media player software and its dedicated menu controls, music and DVD buttons
Internal audio = 3D Sound Blaster Pro compatible sound 16 bit integrated
Speakers and microphone = Altec Lansing® speakers
Keyboard = 101 key compatible keyboard
Pointing device
Touch Pad with On/Off button and dedicated vertical Scroll Up/Down pad, volume control, mute buttons, 2 Quick Launch Buttons
Power supply type = 90 W AC Power Adapter
Webcam = HP Pavilion Webcam with integrated microphone
Dimensions / weight / warranty
Weight 2.86 kg
Dimensions (W x D x H) 35.70 cm (L) x 25.70 cm (W) x 2.54 cm (min) H / 4.30 cm (max) H

(Part Three) 21st October 2006 - Reaching Hokitika

Hokitika (Ho-kee-tee-kah) located along the west coast! i gave the famous Pancake rocks of South NZ a miss coz it would mean me going to Greymouth (see map below)...which doesn't make sense since i'm heading south along the west coast.

I've decided to add a map of my trip so that u can see what i mean. I took the red route ( using highway 73) from Christchurch on the east to Hokitika on the east! What a journey!! now you know what i mean by i drove almost non-stop for about 4 to 5 hours. (Neil, the key man in Hokitika, Birdsong said that's about the time it normally takes!..so i made good timing..thank god!)

I drove Christchurch>>Rolleston>>Darfield>>Springfield>>Arthur's Pass>> Otira then made a left turn to Hokitika.

i headed straight for my accomodation that is along the highway, across the road from the seaside coast! I stayed at a BBH BirdSong...this is a nice place. You can check out their webpage on http://www.birdsong.co.nz/ the animals in the website which they put on the hostel beds are REALLY there! it's not just for the photos!

I was put up in a room on the ground level,...rigth next to the front door...which i might as well share now..it was quite 'scary' realising how basic the security is...the front door lock is those simple 'push in buttons' that we use for our home bedroom doors!!!! Nothing else!!

being my first night on the ground level in a foreign land was weird...the windows of my room had no grills..so of course..i kept the window locked and curtains drawn..i guess that's the level of safety they have there...thus a less stressful life..haha...

Anyway, on with the pictures!...here's Neil behind the reception desk...he's running the place with his wife, who is pregnant or just gave birth thus she's home...so i never saw her...coz they live somewhere else..the hostel is like their workplace! =) Neil gave me a tour of the hostel and quick intros to the present occupants!

He knew i was only staying one night so he recommended that i should go for a jaunt at the coast and catch the sunset if possible. it's been cloudy with all the rain so the sunset hasn't been that good lately.

The coast was BREEZY! and truly..it was right across the road..and you know me lah, the exploring type.

Note...the waves are very strong...and the ocean is neverending coz there is no island opposite!! haha...yup...nothing for miles ahead...the sand there was a weird grey...interesting...I have no idea why...it can't be the pollution. so i think it's just rich in minerals?? LOL!

I picked many pebbles on the beach. these pebbles are smooth and VERY VERY flat. I encountered a man picking pails of pebbles and i soon learned he was living next to Birdsong, and uses these pebbles (after decorating them) to make dinner placemats and flower pots! he sells them ..WOW!..he invited me to take a look at the pots outside his home when i went back later...what a nice hobby!

after half an hour i decided to head back to the hostel. the fireplace is upstairs with a great view of the coast and sunset...and there i started meeting and chatting with the people that have been staying there. A british couple, and a group of Israeli teens!

Mid-week analysis

Good news! My nose has stopped bleeding..well, it didn't bleed today lah! So let's hope it stays that way.

It's already wednesday. In fact, wednesday is over, and i'm beginning to sense the end-of-week rush to complete several tasks at work. Still a handful of outstanding items that shouldn't be delayed actually. Nonetheless, i give thanks to God that i managed to finish my AGM minutes today. Alot of creativity was needed!!

My boss has been pretty stressed lately. He really has alot on his plate. I pray God will help him manage his time and make things move smoother. To protect him from unnecessary appointments and make his meeting times effective and easy. =)

There's so much to do...still...we had to give our time to the interns for their biggie presentation. One of the things i've learned from working life is that...things almost never work out as you have planned...but try not to mope too much about things and pull yourself to embrace what needs to be done now...there may be a mountain of work...but being calm is a good thing as anxiety doesn't make anythg any easier...

of course, all the above is easier said than done! LOL!

The afternoon ended off with 4 of the interns giving a presentation of the work they have done so far. Went pretty well, lotsa comments but it's all constructive. This friday will be their last day...indeed, i'll miss their ways of torturing the Spongebob Squarepants softoy in the office! haha...Their internship teacher was there to 'interogate' them after the presentation too.

After that, we all headed down to the Secret receipe near my home for a farewell dinner. i still feel that this is the best Secret receipe outlet...simply because i believe it was one of the first in Singapore. It was fun and i got to try some new dishes. =)

It's late...time for me to go..chatting with my cgl on msn..it's late and she's still busy doing something...i have no idea what..but she's tired..=) i pray that God will continue to cover and keep her...=)

Nose Bleeds

Sigh...my nose bled two times today again.

This morning while my boss was running through the calendar of events. LOL! See lah he stress me!..haha...but no lah...it jsut came suddenly!

And again just less than an hour ago...when i just sat down in front of the computer after hanging up my washed bedsheet.

went to a couple of websites to read up what's happening. Apart from being heaty (as the common asian diagnose...) ..which i dont' really think so lor...yes, the food i've been eating is not 100% UN-heaty....but not like saying i've been eating heaty food endlessly! i've also been drinking more water today...besides...it has never happned to me before..and i've binged in worse scenarios.

Can't be a vitamin k deficiency coz i love to eat green leafy veges which is a good source...

One possibility is that it could be too dry..it always happened when i'm in an aircon environment...

Oh well...we'll see...i'm not really looking forward to seeing a doctor on this...but if it happns a few more times tomorrow i think i will have no choice bah...

literally 'gift exchange'!

last night i was informed that the present i bought for a fren's bday was not working after set up!...GROWL!..so after searching for the receipt, i realised that we were about 2 to 3 days past the 15 days refund/ exchange period.

But we decided to give it a shot.

now today was my mgt meeting day...yes..my dreaded monday of the month. Ok lah..not so much dreaded...but my most stressful day of the month...where there are once again many many moving parts. Nonetheless, it turned out pretty alright... thansk to my interns taht i could get to help me with brainless (but still essential - coz if they weren't there...i still would have to do it!) stuff...like photocopying, and preparing the files for the meeting.

Anyway, back to the gift...yes...i headed to Suntec C4...thankfully...after lotsa negotiation, by God's grace, we could do a refund, but decided to upgrade to another brand and set.

i was a little sad that my gift didnt work out...but i think i'll look at the positive side of things...besides, my fren still saved on the upgrade, due to my earlier 'payment' on the previous set. Also, if i never got the gift,...my fren will never get doen to buying it ...LOL!...hahah...

so yes,...macham spent the whole night in C4...from 7 30 until about 930 to do all the negotiation and decision on which one to upgrade to..hahaha...after that...grabbed some hotdogs for a late dinner...and guess what...before i could eat, my nose BLED!...

heaty lah i guess...earlier at work was eating several heaty foodstuffs...and also..whole day...due to the stress of my monday meeting i only drank 2 miserable cups of water. OR>...my fren made me so pek chek my nose started to bleed!!..WAHAHAH...i got a 'whack' for that...

anyway. ended up queueing for a cab...and you know those notorious suntec Qs...watever the time of the day..even after 10pm..it's like the cabs are jsut going round in circles waiting for a call...GRRR...good thing even thought after a long day of work..our spirits were up...and could joke and yak...=)

Okies. time for me to rest. We'll catch up again. =)

Thinking back on my BIG solo trip...

Just some reflection time...

It's almost been a year since my southern NZ trip! yup! i left Singapore on 18th October 2006!! 17 days!! Can't believe it man...it feels like a long time ago!

And...erms...I'm supposed to blog it all down hor..haha...no time lah..it's not easy leh...to recollect every detail!...and try to make it interesting so that you don't fall asleep!..hee...but i'm still resolute to share...

Though...erm...now i have two more holidays to share...the one i did in June (Tokyo) and Krabi, Thailand in September. may not cover the Tokyo one so much...coz..erm...too Touristy...ZZZzzz...nothing majorly interesting...but we'll see...---marathon..how much can I write! LOL!...

i have over 800 photos from NZ lor..though it include the mistake kind...hee...alot of self shots mah..since i'm alone!..but stay tuned...I'm determined to finish it!!! ROAR!!!

Photos!

Always seeing Shen's blog go so many photo's from his handphone..made me decide to scrutinise the quality of my Samsung z720 hp camera pictures...

Specs: 3.0 megapixel, autofocus, no flash

view from bedok jetty at sunset (facing west) right side is the CBD!

This cat was enjoying the view too..the bedok jetty bench look familiar? He seemed bo chap abt me taking photos standing near...

I couldn't resist the sunset colours again! Walking to bus stop to get home from office...the building at the bottom is Expo hall 7!

This is my Junior's Dog (Moxie) and Cat (Socks): both rescued and adopted in her home. I love them both...very cute..they get along like friends! no fighting...even though both of them fight for attention! haha...This is the only cat i've really liked for a long time..coz she acts like a dog! =)

My weekend...continued...hee

Continuing from my last post...i reached home on friday night pretty late...and you know me lah..still need settling time into bed..watch some tv...so i think i must have slept close to 4 plus am....

I woke on saturday morning thank god at 12plus pm...=) read the newspaper and went out to buy lunch...i ate kway chap!..hahaha..i joked with my sister during lunch that i must have something against pigs..day before eat bak kut teh...then in 12 hours i eat kway chap!..hahaha...

Then drove my sister and her dog to a nearby plant nursery to pick up some soil for our garden...16 bags worth!!..All thanks to my naughty dog who like to dig the garden she makes me spend hundreds on her..just to ensure she doens't make a mess of things. *GROWL*

After that I went with my Junior to visit her grandfather who is in SGH the past 2 weeks...he's known me for a long time too..unfortunately his condition isn't too good...but it could have been worse. At least he's still reponsive to those around him.

At 6 plus i dropped her off at st Andrews Cathedral and then headed home...settled down abit before i was 'bribed' to drive to boon lay for someone's BBQ...i had time and was free so i thought why not..epsecially since i like to drive so much!..hahaha..

hmmm...then it was sunday morning lor..Always glad to see Pst Kong in church again...coz of the anointing by God's grace has given him...=D

Then after service I ran around running errands...building a cabinet, picking up food and accessories for my mum's birthday celebrations she was going to have that evening with her friends...then came home for dinner, rest abit and then back to pick up my mum home!!

Horrors! it was 11plus pm by then!!! Where did my weekend go!?!?!?..hahaha...scary man...but it was a fruiful weekend i have to say...got a good balance of doing the things i love to do, ticked off an item on my household chore list...helped my friends out, met up with them...and got to accomplish several things..=)

feels GOOD! hee...

alright...that conclude my entry for today..it's late!

Post-lunch Rants

*Burp*... That concludes lunch on 1 October 2007.

Today's menu was: Rice with 'Tau gay', (yes..u mean you never heard of gay beans??..hahaha), steam egg and chicken.

The chicken chunk quantity was pathetic leh...macham like three 20cent coins!... i made noise to the vendor..she said this one premium one coz it's the chicken breast meat.. =S

Bah! Humbug! Anyway..I'm full lah...but it's the principle of the matter! LOL!

It's monday already and i feel as though the weekend really breezed by and i didnt get the rest i hoped for. Eventful but unrested! What a combination!

Friday night was combined CG with Pst Derek in JW chruch.. it was nice to be back there again. Truth be told, I found myself spacing out at some points during the sermon. But there were highlights that maybe i spent more time dwelling over, and thus tuned out the rest. Anyway the presence of God after that was strong...I think the entire zone could have jsut gone on for another hour just being there...=)

We spent a whole hour after the Word worshipping and receiving from Him. LOL!...In Shen's words at the Bak Kut Teh Supper: "It only felt like 15mins!"

We ended at 11pm. Supposed to go pick up the belated bday girl and bf for a Bak Kut Teh celebration! but we were inevitably delayed by..*ahem*..the 'woman-who was accounting for missing headsets'...so ended up we waited till about 12am! when the church lights turned off!

Cows!!..anyway..it was nice to be hanging around in church with friends who were waiting for other members..hahaa...although i think the tiredness got to us and we ended up doing childlike things like sabo-ing Ah Siang's car...haha...

Anyway, it was nice gathering with the friends from my 2nd cg..during the birth months of E198. It's been at least 7 years since we've known each other!

The whole entourage accompanied me back (hmm..maybe they have no choice since Shen was the driver! LOL! and the bulk of them lived West) to my aunt's place to pick up the car she was loaning me for the weekend...

it was 1 plus am!!! Good grief!...hahaha...

Ok ..i better get back to work..will try to continue tonight..hee...

I'm back!

You know you have not been updating your blog when:-

1) You can't remember your user name/ password

2) You start wondering how you added that game/music player/ etc. the last time....and if you can still do it with ease now...

3) You have to read through your last post to see where you ended off

4) Your ardent readers start giving you encouragement on your chat box to update!

hahahaha...oh well, I'm pleased to be back to add an entry. Indeed I've been busy especially the 2 months before 13th September...that is because my company's Annual General Meeting was held on that day. After that day...can shift down by 2 gears...=)

Yes, sadistically the AGM was 2 days after my birthday! LOL! my boss knew and still set the date somemore! *humph!* So being such a big event, i still went back to work on my birthday. AGM is a big thing in my line of work. It is the day when all eyes are on you to perform..it's kinda like the companies anniversary...so minimal hiccups!

Thank God that everything fell into place. I had a chance to share during cg on friday the 14th...the day after my AGM...hee...

You see...on sunday night 9th Sept,..my head was swimming...i only had 3 days to prepare and confirm so many things that were not within my control. (e.g the delay of the auditor's report -- nothing personal to my auditor frens, but really, can cause heart attack ah!) I need the auditor's report signed, approved and printed out by wednesday afternoon...and on sunday night as i lay in bed...i wondered if the report was even read by the partner!!! LOL!

Anyway, i think i've shared many times in cg before...that it's like only a few days before a big event..and you just wonder how in the world everthing is going to come together..But God has always been faithful to see me through in my job. It may not be the most perfect scenario/ event...but it would definitely have been better than the original disaster point it started from. And at the end of the day...it all works out. The hiccups are there...but they are not disasters! hahaha...so in cg i shared the testimony again. Indeed, He is faithful. =)

Oh, and another thing..hee..my performance bonus (excludes 13th month hor...) it's higher than what i got last year...and I did some maths...if i include 13th month bonus (and minus off CPF payouts) I have got exactly double of what i gave in the last church building fund! hee!...isn't that cool or what? My performace bonus was confirmed the day before my birthday...so it was a nice present from God! hee...=)

Hmm...thought now i have to confess...i've been spending it! hahaha...new laptop (HP Pavilion -dv 6500 series) ...holiday trip to Krabi last week...=P Opps!

Hahaha...but my birthday was still good...even though i had to work, my boss bought me a cake (only he know it was my bday lah)...and this year, with my 6 interns on board in the office, it livened up the atmosphere. A simple song and cake cutting...but it was good...hee...

That evening, i met up with my dear fren Bowl, ...'haggled' for my present (just kidding!)... had makan and watched Ratatouille! The rat is Sooooo Cuuutteee!!! hee....

Oh and how can i forget, ....thanks to my cg for blessing me with movie vouchers for my bday present! truly one of the best presents my cg has given me...--> I used it for Ratatouille!

Now to get my hands on the photos from the Krabi trip to share with you...aiyah...not my camera lah... =P