The Day the Internet almost died…

Wikinews: Strong earthquake strikes off the coast of Taiwan

On 26th December 2006, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake shook Taiwan. In addition to the damage on land, undersea fiber optic cables were also damaged from the quake. This resulted in the disruption of communications and Internet traffic to Asia and Australia. Apparently, Internet traffic for the general asia-pacific region is routed through these undersea cables that run through Taiwan.

Work in the office was also messed up. Emails, even ones sent to local addresses in Spore, were bouncing and being rejected. Websites refused to load up; even Google “could not be found”. Messenger couldn’t log on, meaning in order to ‘chat’ with my colleagues, I had to actually walk over to their cubicle! What great inconvenience! :P

It’s quite scary how dependent we’ve come to be on the Internet for our communications in the last few years. It’s even more worrying how uncomfortable and helpless I felt when I couldn’t log in to check my e-mails and have my usual fix of internet news.

It’s almost like we are all linked into the Matrix, and if the Matrix dies, we all somehow die too – figuratively speaking.

Now all we need is the ability to "think" our clothes like they do in the Matrix. :)

Christmas Presents

What else can I say? Thanks guys! I’ll make sure this last as long as possible.

Three days long enough?

Heehee….
:)

The Package

First peeks...oohh.... Chocolate Coffee beans!

The rest of the loot

hmmm.. chocolate coffee beans... 3 types no less!

More chocolate coffee beans!
heeheee.....

The reason for Christmas...

¹In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ²(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³And everyone went to his own town to register.

⁴So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

⁸And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. ¹²This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
¹⁴“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

¹⁵When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Luke 2:1-20 (NIV)

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you this Christmas,
That your mind be Happy,
Your soul be at peace,
And your Heart finds love.

You've Got Mail!

hey hey... look what came in the mailbox today!

Thanks guys! It's such a nice fuzzy feeling to get a personalized card.

Gee, S, I'd never knew you were such a good artist. Yet another talent!

Yeah.. Christmas here will be a relative bummer without you all around. I miss having you all around.

Anyway, have a blessed and peaceful Christmas too!

:)

Rain rain go away! Come again another day lah!

Tuesday's heavy rainfall third highest in 75 years - CNA

75 years, 24hrs, 366mm.

Those were the numbers surrounding what has been the wettest day in Singapore in 75 years. Rain fell for almost 24hrs, chalking up a record 366mm.

Lots of places were flooded - most were up to knee level but some were up to waist level. There were plenty of reports of trees falling over, some mud slides and the inevitable traffic accidents.

Personally, it crapped out my day in several ways. Some errants had to be post-poned; a trip to Orchard cancelled; shoes were wet/damp and my nose decided to go running.

This morning, the weather seemed a little better. It seemed almost like that it felt bad for all the cats and dogs yesterday, so it decided to show a little sun this morning.

But now, it seems to have changed it mind again, threatening us with a big show of dark clouds and strong winds.

Oh well, I suppose in lieu of snow, rain is the next best thing I guess. At least it beats being broiled alive in the aussie summer heat. heehee... are you people downunder chao-tar yet? :P

Not that I'm being insensitive to the bush fire situation there. But how Chirstmassy can you feel in a 40 degree plus heatwave?

If only there was some way to divert some of this rain there. That should make quite a lot of people pretty happy.

Stuff

Wet wet wet

The Lion sleeps tonight

Gone shooting

I'll be out and about tomorrow on a photography outing for the entire day.

It's not really a big deal, until you consider the fact that I'm still nursing a sore knee.

I do hope to survive the outing. Apparently there's going to be a fair bit of trekking around some rather unusual and out of the way type of places. And given the wet weather of the last few weeks, its going to be siong.













PS: I know this doesn't show my knee

How to be a Professional Photographer

Just for laughs


This was taken through the tour bus window when I was in Mumbai.

:D

Reflections of India

I’ve never been to India. So when the opportunity came up for me to have my camera there, obviously I grabbed it. I know I said in a previous post that I only had my ‘small’ camera with me but ‘something’ came up and I was able to have my DSLR flown over for me. Heehee…

Anyway, during my 3 weeks in India, I shot 4.89GB worth of pictures – that a total of 1983 pictures. (Now you know why I took so long to post up the pictures.)

So here’s a small part of those pictures.

Enjoy!

http://picasaweb.google.com/hobbesyeo/IndiaICT2006

Black Beast

I don't normally gush about cars (my brother is the car nut in the family) but while at Vivocity, I saw this beautifully sleek beast resting on its throne.
The sleek lines of its black body hints at its superb aerodynamics with understated sophistication.

Behind the simple yet stylish grill, barely hides a monster all alloy, 48valve Quad Cam V12, 5935cc engine. Capable of leaping from 0 to 100km/h in 5.1 seconds, the Aston Martin DB9 Coupe has a top speed of 300km/h.

The Aston Martin DB9 Coupe. James Bond's latest muscle car for the movie 'Casino Royale'.

"A song is a pillow you can lay your heart on" - Corrinne May

These days, a lot of singers can't really sing. So to mask and make up for their lack of talent, they use a lot of "noise/instruments", provocative dance moves and controversial lyrics in their music.

S introduced me to Corrinne May. And I must say that her music is a really refreshing change from the usual crap that gets blasted on the radio.

So what are you waiting for? Go visit her website and listen. Her rendition of Silent Night is one of my favourites.

http://www.corrinnemay.com

My first Fotog paycheck


Just a quick post before I go to bed…

This weekend, I had my first, official, paid job as a photographer.

More details later… Good nite!

:D

Last of the Coffee Beans

Today, I finally ate the last of my coffee beans. (sob sob...) This was a present from 'L' early on in the year while in S'pore.

Anyway, I'm on leave today, and after a rather busy afternoon, I finally had the chance to just sit down and chill in front of the telly.

Discovery had this fascinating program on high speed trains, and half way through, I had the attack of the munchies.

As you know, I have horrible self-control when it comes to snacks, so I simply don't buy them. But I feeling rather peckish, and I finally relented.

And thus so, the last of the coffee beans bravely met their end.

hmmmmmm....milk chocolate cover espresso coffee beans with a dusting of cocoa powder... :P

PS: Yeah, I know I forgot to take a picture of the actual beans. By the time, I thought about it, the last one was already crunching in my mouth. Actually, I'm quite surprised they lasted me so long. heehee..

The World according to (some) Singaporeans

Sunday Brunch

I had the good fortune of being invited to a home-cooked brunch last Sunday. The menu consisted of Penang laksa, Wanton soup, Chawanmushi (Japanese steam egg), fried Vietnamese spring rolls and Otak (the only thing that wasn’t home-made but still pretty good). And to top it off, there was Tiramisu for dessert. Yum!

I didn’t contribute any dishes but I did bring the drinks and fry the spring rolls. Actually, if I had more time, I would have made some sushi.

Too bad I didn’t have my camera with me, so you’ll just have to make do with my crappy PDA camera.

Look at the spread! Yum!
























A close-up of the Laksa, Chawanmushi and the Wanton soup

It's Raining again ...

The weather has been very pleasant this week. The rains have made it very nice and cool at night, although its also a little more humid than usual in the day.








(Taken with a crappy PDA camera)

The Muppet Show – “Mahna Mahna”

heehee... this brings back so many memories of the Muppet Show.

The Taj Mahal Place Hotel

The Taj Mahal Palace is a famous and prestigious hotel located in the Colaba district of Mumbai, India, next to the Gateway of India.

Quote from the hotel’s website:-
“Built in 1903, the hotel is an architectural marvel and brings together Moorish, Oriental and Florentine styles. Offering panoramic views of the Arabian Sea and the Gateway of India, the hotel is a gracious landmark of the city of Mumbai, showcasing contemporary Indian influences along with beautiful vaulted alabaster ceilings, onyx columns, graceful archways, hand-woven silk carpets, crystal chandeliers, a magnificent art collection, an eclectic collection of furniture, and a dramatic cantilever stairway.”

Wishes from Afar

Dear A,
A picture may be worth a thousand words
But that's not yet close enough to express what dwells within.
What I can only do is to pray for you,
many days filled with joy & laughter,
for clear blue skies & a cooling breeze
and unexpected blessings from above.
Happy Birthday!

Gateway of India















The Gateway of India is Mumbai's most famous monument.























Completed in 1924, it was designed as a triumphal arch to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary.









































As with any tourist hotspots, there were quite a lot of hawkers lurking around - some selling postcards; some offering to take a picture for you.

One of the more unusual things they were selling was this giant orange color balloon.















The Gateway is located right at the waterfront to Mumbai's harbour. These little boats were moored right next to the Gateway. Apparently you can hire these boats for a 'harbour cruise'.
















See here for more information.

My Playground for 19 days

This was my 'playground' for 19 days. Fantastic view, ain't it?

Now this is what I call space – big enough such that when you look all around, there’s no one else but you. Space so huge that when you close your eyes, all you hear is the whisper of the wind and your own breathing.

I used to like urban areas like what we have in S’pore. Loads of people; tiny nooks and crannies that are filled up with things for sale; the buzz and excitement of life just rushing on all around you. But now, I avoid crowded areas like plague - and I believe in shopping on weekday mornings only.

Perhaps it’s because I’m getting old. And I guess those years downunder may have contributed to that yearning for wide open areas too.

Blue Skies

For most of our time in India, we were quite fortunate to be blessed with bright, clear sunny days.

In fact, it was so sunny that many of us got sunburnt within the first two days.

Nashik (see here for more info) is located approximately 600m (on average) above sea-level. This gives the region this wonderfully clear blue sky in the day, and a star-studded sky in the night.

We were also quite lucky to be able to escape the worst of the haze in S'pore too.

Incredible India

Out in the field, I get to watch a spectacular sunrise every day. Sunrise starts at about 6am. It’s really wonderful just to watch this massive red orb slowly rising above the horizon.

And the sky’s color just keeps changing by the minute – from the minuet tones of red that start to peep out to the wonderful shades of night that reluctantly yield away.

Leaving on a jet plane

“…All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go
I'm standin' here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye

But the dawn is breakin', it's early morn
The taxi's waitin', he's blowin' his horn
Already I'm so lonesome I could die

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go

'Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane
I don't know when I'll be back again
Oh, babe, I hate to go…”


My bags are almost packed. Approximately another 12hrs to the start of my adventure up in India.

Internet access is a huge question mark where I'm heading, so I'll be offline until 25 Oct 06 or thereabouts.

So see you all later.
:)

This is what I do

Rain

Some of my Favourite things....