Tracking Adventure at Pasir Gudang

On 11 Sep 2009, 3 tracking enthusiasts (2 Suzuki Swift Sports and 1 Subaru WRX) and 1 blur beginner (Chevrolet Aveo SS) drove from Singapore to the racing track at Pasir Gudang, Johor, Malaysia. It did not bore well that it rained heavily before we set off (you would understand why soon enough...). The whole journey from Tuas Checkpoint to Johor Racing Circuit (http://www.johorcircuit.com.my/) took approximately about 1.5hrs. Do prepare about total RM 28 for toll. Fortunately for us, there were no other groups vying with us for the circuit when we reached. In fact, it was quite deserted. Cost was RM60 for one hour circuit plus we needed to sign an indemnity form.

I put on my borrowed helmet (from my colleague) and was ready to roar. The feeling was both apprehensive and excited! Finally we were off! I drove as if I were on Singapore expressway initially (ie 90km/hr lah... and saw my friends disappearing over the horizon), trying to get a hang on the circuit before it was show time. I rammed hard on the accelerator. Clumsily I managed to maneuver my car through the circuit with its straight stretches and corners. We stopped briefly and one of my new-made friends, Han Lin, gave me some tips which I tried to digest quickly, so I would not be left picking up the dust their cars kicked up again! I could smell burning "aroma" from my car too. A result of revving my engine and braking too much. Definitely not pleasant for a person who just got his car 4 months ago. During the course, I was so focused on controlling the speed of my car that I only took notice of the RPM of my car and forgot about the speed. Irony? So I got absolutely no idea what my top speed was. Another friend, Jason, told me his was about 160-185km/hr (take a look at his previous glorious result http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-2n5XdmGXE).

Anyway we were off again. I improved or at least I thought so until at Turn 3, I did not braked enough and as I rounded the corner, my car literally flew off the track and into the sand pits! Luckily that was all to it. No car overturning or crushed bonnet or more spectacular stunt. It took a while for me to calm down and started to notice my breathing again. I tried driving off and heard some weird sound similar to a flat tyre. In my mind, I was like Oh Shit! I got off the car to take a look. No such luck=)

Back at the pits, I salvaged the damage done to my car. Small stones stuck to the gaps between the tyres and rims. Scratched rims (damn!!! I just got them about 2 months ago! sian...). White car becoming brown car on the right side partially. Engines probably "damaged" as well plus probably lotsa "internal injuries" which are not known to me now until they take their toll on the car as it ages... While I was driving back to Singapore, I kept on hearing strange noises coming from my car. Even the Singapore custom officer couldn’t help but stick his head out to see what the problem was… (The noises have since disappeared. Must be some stones stuck somewhere in my rims, tyres, below my car…) It wasn't until night time that the full physical damage was made 100% known to me after I washed it. Besides mentioned above, there are scratches to the white paint work at area between bottom corner of right rear door and the car main body. My pain "ached" as I looked at the damage but well... It was definitely an experience though!=)

I went to consult 2 tyres specialists and they said the only way is to spray it and still the effect may not be homogeneous for all. Not to mention that the cost of the colour of my rims is not cheap. Ok next. The stones were taken out easily by paying $10 for labour. The paint work shouldn't be too much of a problem. Just some money to solve it. I checked with a few workshops and my heart sank when they told me it would cost about $140-$150…Well, no choice cos the rust are starting to appear=/

So till the next tracking adventure! (I need to recover from the pain first=/)

PS: My dear sister, if you are reading this, pls do not tell mama=)

Finally... A Post on My New (Oops! not so new anymore) Car

I got my car sometime in early May this year but eerrrrr... as usual it's a delayed post=P Some of my frens commented I'm quite a slow coach (cockroach?!!) haha. Ok will do my best to overcome this bad habit=)

Eversince I got my car, I ganna 2 minor accidents: 1 was while turning down a narrow multi-storey carpark near my office. I scratched as well as dented the right rear wheel arc. Tat costed me $120 to got it repainted and knocked back into shape=( Ironically I parked tere cos I wanted to save on some parking charges at my office's carpark but... Now I got a phobia of tat carpark though my driving skills r much much better now=/

The 2nd one occurred while both a taxi driver and I were making "illegal" lane changes. We were moving towards each other. Luckily juz some minor rub at the front left bumper which I took care of easily with some removal=)

Not to mention some reckless driving initally=P

Taking care of a new and white car is really no easy feat. While I want it to be spotlessly clean, sometimes it's beyond my capability and patience haha. But I'm proud to say it's overall still a very decent, clean, neat and tidy car=) Thanks to my fren, Kelvin who taught me quite a bit abt cars.

I've also learnt to drive more effectively. Initially my fuel consumption is like 10-12km/l which for a new manual car is like sh*t!!! haha. Now it shld be abt 13-14km/l. Woohoo!

As for modifications, all just comestice so far. I've changed the lights to white light: Phillips Crystal Vision (still legal!) and also from tiny 14" rims to 16" rims. This costs me $1K+ even after trading in my quite new tyres (only worth $250...) But they look great man!

Ok enuff talk. Some pics taken at East Coast yester=) Ok can u can finally buy 4Ds liao (Apparently my dad has bought and won a few times!! The winning numbers r a bit jumbled up though=)

PS: Bear (in pic) courtesy of my fren, Win. Thanks!

Back with a Vengeance & First Attempt at catching a Meteor Shower!

Hihi It's been quite a while! hahaha. I'm back! Hopefully for long...=P

First topic after return would be ... (tata) Perseid Meteor Shower! Ok, Perseid 101:

What are the Perseids? Every year in August, the Earth passes through rock and dust fragments left behind by the comet Swift-Tuttle, last time it came near the Sun. As these small particles collide with the Earth’s atmosphere, they burn-up, often creating a startling streak of light across the sky.It is one of the most famous of all meteor showers due to its consistency to provide an impressive display.
(Extracted from http://www.sgclub.com/singapore/coming_up_perseids_187794.html)

I went on wed ard 2130hrs to Changi Beach hoping to catch a glimpse of this spectacular sight (though I have heard comments that it is very hard to see in Singapore)... When I reached there, the beach was virtually empty! Thus I started to have doubts if I am at the correct place (this venue was told to me by my fren's who is in NUS Astronomical Club). I hanged ard for a while and looked at the dark sky for any "unidentified flying objects" but dun have leh...

Ok, I finally decided to drive down further to the other side (cos maybe I was at the wrong place). There were more people at this part of the beach but none seemed to be here to ctahc any meteor showers... sian half... Anyway I hanged ard again and glued my eyes to the sky but was disappointed to announce that still no luck!

Ok, back to Home Sweet Home!

The next day I decided to go online to c if other people had better luck. Apparently they did! Chekc out their response man! (envy! Envy! ENVY!) http://www.sgclub.com/singapore/coming_up_perseids_187794.html

One valuable lesson learnt while waiting to catch any meteor: Be patient! (I'll do just that the next time). Anyway still got time before the shower ends! So I'll try my luck again but most pro somewhere near my home heehee (Tat day while driving home from Changi to Clementi, I was so sleepy! Lucky I din got into any accident phew!=)

For sale: nagging wife, very high maintenance

LONDON (AFP) - - A British man fed up with his wife's complaints advertised her for sale -- and got a number of offers.

"Nagging Wife. No Tax, No MOT. Very high maintenance -- some rust," wrote Gary Bates, 38, in a small ad in Trade-It, more usually used to buy and sell cars or household goods.

Bates, a self-employed builder from Gloucestershire, southwest England, snapped after his wife Donna on got on his nerves while she was watching television and decided to place the ad as a joke.

"She was nagging me for doing something small, while she was watching some rubbish on TV. So I just thought I'd put an ad in to get rid of her.

"I didn't think anyone would ring up but I've had at least nine or 10 people calling about her. It's gone mad. There was no one I knew -- just people asking, 'Is she still available?'"
The couple only married last year, and Bates said his 40-year-old wife -- whom he advertised in the magazine's Free to Collect section, along with some of his fishing tackle -- initially gave him "a bit of an ear-bashing."

But he said: "She's seen the funny side of it now though!"

Extracted from AFP Friday, March 13

2 men from S’pore in Top 50 list for "Best Job in the World"

SINGAPORE: Two men from Singapore have made it to the top 50 candidates who are shortlisted for what is touted as the "Best Job in the World". They beat more than 34,000 applicants ranging from scientists, chefs and students from around the world.

The two Singaporeans will be up against each other and 48 others for the job of a caretaker of Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef in a tourism promotion by the Queensland state government.

The successful candidate will be paid US$100,000 for six months to enjoy the sun, sea and sand and report his experiences via blogs, photos and video diaries.

For Greg Reynen, a teacher at the Singapore American School, the news that he was shortlisted was a timely birthday present as he has just turned 31.

He said: "I was at my computer and I couldn’t believe it, I just screamed and I went running down the hallway. It’s an amazing opportunity. It totally fits my personality and I get to go out, meet new people and interact with the locals and tourists. I also get to try new things and be adventurous."

For 24—year—old Jimmy Wong, a freelance diver and photographer, it was a total surprise as well.

He said: "At first, I was definitely in a state of shock, but after that I realised if you do something out of passion and the love for it, you can go far."

The judges were impressed with the duo’s video clip submissions.

Leong Pik Yin, manager, Marketing Communications, Tourism Queensland, said: "They were quite creative and their applications were quite out of the box and they met all the five selection criteria." These include being proficient in English and IT savvy.

Tourism Queenland received about 224 applications from Singapore. Besides the two successful applicants from Singapore, two other regional applicants, from Malaysia and Indonesia, made the cut.

The 50 shortlisted applicants will be narrowed down to a final 10. An 11th applicant will be chosen by popular vote via a "wild card" round. You can go to this website to vote.

They will then fly to Hamilton Island in early May to take part in the final selection. The winner will be made known on May 6 and he or she will start work or play on July 1.

Extracted from CHANNEL NEWSASIA.

PS: Check out http://www.islandreefjob.com/ now! Currently Clare from Taiwan is STILL leading the pack, way ahead of the next closest competitor. I haven't decided who to vote for... but it must be a hot babe=P

How to become a Millionaire - The Slumdog Way

1) I must be an expert in cheating.

2) I must be a real lucky guy.

3) I must be born a genius.

4) I must be destined.

Slumdog Millionaire, directed by Danny Boyle and starred by Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Irrfan Khan, Anil Kapoor and Madhur Mittal (who are these actors??! Maybe they are very famous in Bollywood=), has caught the world attention by winning 8 oscars. The most for any film in 2008. They are Best Achievement in Cinematography; Best Achievement in Directing; Best Achievement in Editing; Best Achievement in Music written for Motion Pictures, Original Score; Best Achievement in Music written for Motion Pictures, Original Song; Best Achievement in Sound; Best Motion Picture of the Year and Best Writing, Screenplay based on Material Previously Produced or Published (typing all these make me tired too... phew).

It is an adaptation of the Boeke Prize-winning and Commonwealth Writers' Prize-nominated novel Q & A (2005) by Indian author and diplomat Vikas Swarup.

Why is this film such a success professionally and also so popular among the masses? I'd be playing an amateur critic here=)

First of all, it actually portrays life in India (though I'm not sure if it is a true representation??) but I suspect it may not be that far off as we've heard rumours of such hardship. That day I watched the film was also Oscar Day and thus I already know the results. So I tried my best to notice how the movie was being filmed such that it won so many awards. However being an amatuer, besides having a good feeling overall, I cannot tell the difference between another film=P

The plot was very refreshing too. How every part of Jamal's life provides an answer to the next question asked in the game show, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire (Indian Version of course). And behind all these is his dedication to his one and only Love, Latika. His real purpose on the game show is his hope that Latika would be watching so that they can reunite again. Such pure love!

Other things which make an impression on me is how Salim, Jamal's brother, eventually changes his evil ways to help Latika and Jamal to be together again, though he uses his life in exhange for that. Karma strikes.

How Prem Kumar, the game show host, attempts to give Jamal the wrong answer to the next question but Jamal believes in himself and his destiny more than anything (or evil nature of humans?).

Lastly, this movie has a fantastic good ending which could not be said of so many other great films out there, making the audience having the feeling of imperfection when the show ends! I think the scriptor is smart to give The Three Musketeers question at the end. We already know Jamal clearly do not know the answer, so he can only really count on his destiny and yet at the same time, the audience (we) would most probably know cos this is very common (which means we know he would win the 20 rupees even before the show ends!). Unfortunately for me, I don't know haha.

So the answer to the above question is (D) with a twist: You must be destined to have a scriptor willing to write the story for You!

The universe may one day perish, yet my vows are eternal

The Most Venerable Master Sheng Yen let go of his physical body and left behind great compassion and great vows in this world:

What I am unable to accomplish in this lifetime,

I vow to push forward through countless future lives;

What I am unable to accomplish personally,

I pray for everyone to join forces to promote

Busy with nothing, growing old.

Within emptiness, weeping, laughing.

Intrinsically, there is no "I."

Life and death, thus cast aside. ~ Venerable Master Sheng Yen.

The Most Venerable Master Sheng Yen, founder of Dharma Drum Mountain, passed away at 4:04pm of the afternoon of 3 February, 2009, at the age of 80.

The Master has dedicated his whole life in promoting the idea of "uplifting the character of humanity and building a pure land on earth" through the manifestations of his own physical body and actions. The Sangha community and followers of Dharma Drum Mountain around the world will uphold and fulfill the Master's wishes so that great compassion and great vows will continue in this world.

The Most Venerable Master, who humbly called himself "a monk amidst the rain and snow", was voted as one of Taiwan's fifty most influential people in the last four hundred years. A review of the Master's life depicted a life of drifting from place to place, facing endless trials and dramatic turnarounds. As a child the Master was always sick and frail. After receiving monastic ordination in Wolf Hill, Jiangsu Province, China, and throughout the period of performing chanting rites for the deceased, serving in the military, studying in Japan for his PhD degree, propagating the Dharma in the United States of America, the founding and establishment of Dharma Drum Mountain, the Master always found a way out of all difficulties. In times of hardship we can witness his compassion, through his unswerving determination we can witness his wisdom through Chan practice. To the Master, life is a journey of practicing the Dharma.

In 2004, the Master, well aware of his poor health, made a will and instructed that after he passed away; instead of a traditional funeral ceremony, a Buddhist memorial rite should be held. It should be simple, solemn and economical, all flowers and wreaths are to be declined, just the chanting of "NAN MO A MI TUO FO" (Homage to Amitabha Buddha) so that we will all be joined in the Pure Land. Since he fell sick, the Master's attitude to life and death is not to wait for death, fear death or seek death. Instead he followed his vow "The universe may one day perish, yet my vows are eternal" and continued to lead everyone forward on the path of building a pure land on earth.

In September 2006, the Master handed over the position of Abbot President to his disciple Venerable Guo Dong, symbolizing the transmission of the Dharma Drum Mountain lineage from generation to generation. In regard to the issue of selecting the Abbot President, the Master had clearly stated that regardless of whether a bihikkshu or bhikshuni was elected from within Dharma Drum Mountain or engaged from outside, when the person takes up the position of Abbot President, he/she also receives the transmission of the Dharma Drum Mountain lineage and will not abandon the vision and direction of Dharma Drum Mountain.

Under the leadership of Abbot President, Venerable Guo Dong, the Sangha community and followers of Dharma Drum Mountain throughout the world will inherit the past and continue forward in carrying out the practice of "Four Insistence" - to insist upon the ideas of Dharma Drum Mountain, to insist upon the Three Types of Education, to insist upon the Four Kinds of Environmentalism and to insist upon the practice of orthodox Chinese Buddhism – to support the vision of Dharma Drum Mountain as they had done in the past and to jointly fulfill the will of the Master in the building of the Dharma Drum University.

In accordance with the Master's will, his ashes will be returned to the earth and buried in the Life Memorial Garden.

The Most Venerable Master Sheng Yen once said, "Where there is life, there must be death. If one cannot face this reality it will become one’s greatest barrier in life, if one can regard death merely as a fraction within the eternal time and space then death is not an end to life but the beginning of the next."

Extracted from http://www.ddm.org.tw/