pop the world

I’ve been swimming at Nic’s pool every Tues, Wed and Fri for the past few weeks. Today, Nic needed a haircut. How could I say no? XD Cutting my own hair is easy but the last time I trimmed someone else’s hair was back in Melbourne, year 2003 for a Taiwanese skater pal. And so my DIY haircutting skill was put to the test once more… ikuzo!

^BEZZZZZZZZZZZ. weapon of choice - über cool WIRELESS clipper!

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^BEFORE. nani kore? bakemono desuka?

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^AFTER. jeng jeng jeng.. nicolasu ajinomoto suzuki zen zen. hoi hoi hoi.. sugoi nehh.. hontouni kawasaki yamaha zen zen

^ta-kun chasing me

^snow teaching ta-kun how to belly dance. can u spot me?

I attended a ferret gathering this afternoon at Bandar Utama Park, across 1Utama. Bonta, or more affectionately known as Ta-kun is my favourite among the 5 ferrets that were present today. Ta-kun belongs to Elvin. His marking is just beautiful.

I’ve waited 3 years to get one. Just waiting for the right moment and the moment is now. Anxiously waiting for the next batch to arrive :D  Stay tuned!

Last Friday (30/03/07) was the final working day for 4 of my workmates in Arachnid. Major resignation kaboom-boom. New experience indeed. So here’s best wishes to all of you - Sharon, Wei Yee, Winnie and Shinying. Some pix we took…

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01> From left: Sharon, Wei Yee, Winnie & Shinying (plus Siew Mei far right.. sibuk only.. nola.. sayang back… come come dun upset).

02> Sharon and I are big Thai fans.

03> Far right: New Thai pants day member, Tiffany (pants prolly sponsored by her Thai bf).

04> Flashback to the 5th of March - Bryan’s (in green t) farewell lunch at Paris. he’s my best friend in Arachnid and congrats on the great job for Digi’s Fu-yoh site!

View more photos at http://fotologue.jp/huojin

INTRO

Last Friday (23/03/07), I picked my friends up right after work and headed straight to Penang. It was pretty impromptu, but I managed to do a little research prior to departure. The most promising hotel I found online was Good Hope Inn, located around Gurney. And 2 very captivating destinations I felt excited for were Khoo Kongsi and the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion (commonly known as the blue mansion).

Doing 140kmph and arriving in Penang 3.5 hours later, we took our dinner in Gurney Drive. What I realised about the food there was that no matter how bad it tasted, it never dropped below average. That’s Penang fact No. 1. I can’t say the same about their fashion sense though, which brings us to Penang fact No. 2 - zero fashion sense.

Anyway, we checked out Good Hope Inn after dinner. It was late.. about 11pm I think. There were no rooms left. We ended up in the Continental Hotel which sounded cool… a double bed room with breakfast and a pool for RM85. Well, it’ll be the last time we’re staying there. The rooms are old (not in a charming manner). We had our breakfast and checked out by noon, then checked into our prebooked rooms at the lovely Good Hope Inn!

KHOO KONGSI

We left our bags and headed to the grand Khoo Kongsi. Located at Cannon Square (Lebuh Cannon), Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi, or Khoo Kongsi for short, is one of the most distinctive Chinese clan associations in Malaysia. It is well known worldwide for its extensive lineage that can be traced back 650 years.

Some say that its close resemblance to the emperor’s palace in china had upsetted the gods and caused lightning to strike, which had burnt the structure to the ground. It was later rebuilt in a smaller scale, but with the same amazing craftsmanship of the finest artists from china. The entrance fee is RM5 and its location can be found here: http://www.khookongsi.com.my/contact.html

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01> The Leong San Tong clanhouse, highlight of the Khoo Kongsi complex. Other sections include an administrative building with a meeting hall and offices, an opera stage, and 62 units of terrace houses and shophouses.

02> Patron Saint Tua Sai Yah, the famous General Cheah Hean of the Jin Dynasty, is enshrined in the main hall of Khoo Kongsi. If you notice, there’s a divider/bar at the door steps of most temples and some chinese homes. It’s purpose is this: when you look down to avoid stumbling over, you are actually indirectly bowing to the altar placed right ahead of you.

03> "The 9 Old Men". There are 9 of them, but I’ve only focused on the 5 of them who are observing the "twin fish chart" which represents two spheres regulating yin and yang between heaven and earth. Learn more about "the 9 old men" at: http://www.khookongsi.com.my/tour_murals.html

04> Pop, Yenn, Jacq and Shen Z at the entrance of the Leong San Tong clanhouse.

05> Beautiful lanterns and murals within.

06> Happy me and happy male stone lion guarding the main hall’s entrance.

07> I’ll stick this up your ass if you fuck with me

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CHEONG FATT TZE MANSION

Then we headed straight for Penang’s next historical splendour, the fengshui perfect Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion (blue mansion), located on Leith Street. Daily tours begin at 11am and 3pm. We skipped lunch and arrived at 2.45pm. The entrance fee is RM12 and photo shooting is prohibitted inside the mansion.

Built in the 1880’s, this crumbling home of "the last Mandarin" and "first capitalist of China" - Cheong Fatt Tze, was restored in 1990 by a group of heritage preservationists, led by architect Laurence Loh. The painstaking effort costed RM7 million and deservedly won the UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Award 2000.

Cheong Fatt Tze, a Hakka, left Guandong in 1856 at the age of 16 to pursue wealth in South East Asia, known as "Nanyang" or land of opportunity. He worked as a waterboy for a wealthy family and married one of their daughters. With his father in law’s financial backing and merchant experience, he established himself much greater than anyone thought possible - he was a financier, tycoon, diplomat, politician, philanthropist and minister. More on Cheong Fatt Tze at: http://www.tourismpenang.gov.my/article.cfm?id=36

A fraction of the blue mansion’s fengshui features: Rainwater was brought into the house through large pipes in the walls, and kept inside as long as possible before flowing out again (preserving wealth). The front door still faces the sea and the building, with hills behind for protection, is on an incline, a position called "riding the dragon’s back". There are also 28 steps on the staircase, for 28 in cantonese means "yee fatt" or "easy to success", bluntly put. There are no nails or bolts used in the window panels. These wooden panels lock into a yinyang shape when shut.

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01> This mansion is also reknowned as La Maison Bleue (the blue mansion), because early French travellers couldn’t pronounce its chinese name. It’s trademark indigo-blue paint is produced from Indian Indigo mixed with lime and cartilage.

02> This mansion has 38 rooms, 5 courtyards, 7 staircases and 220 windows.

03> Very fragile trishaws, preserved since the 1800’s.

04> If you think the outside is pretty, wait till you see the rooms that are available for stay inside. Prices range from RM250 to RM750 a night. Check out http://www.cheongfatttzemansion.com/

05> Saya tak guna meter. 40 boleh lah… nanti balik takde orang

QUICK DETAILS AND LINKS

LEONG SAN TONG KHOO KONGSI, 18 Cannon Square, 10200 Penang. Tel: +604-261 4609
Opening Hours: Daily, including Sundays and Public Holidays: 9am to 5pm.
Web: http://khookongsi.com.my/

CHEONG FATT TZE MANSION, 14 Leith Street, 10200 Penang. Tel: +604-262 0006
Opening Hours: Daily, including Sundays and Public Holidays: 9am and 3pm Tours.
Web: http://www.cheongfatttzemansion.com/

GOOD HOPE INN, RM85 a night for Double Bed Room, no pool/breakfast. Walking distance to Gurney Plaza and Gurney Drive. Tel: 042290111

CATHAY HOTEL, RM79 a night for a room with 2 (yes, TWO) Double Beds, no pool/breakfast. This is an elegant heritage hotel right opposite the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion. Tel: +604-2626271-2

This Chinese New Year… ahemm.. besides crashing my car on the way to Melaka (there goes my ang paos)… I’ve been looking after Jayme’s 5 feet iguana and Bryan’s 3 tarantulas for a couple of days.

You may think that all this exotic babysitting mambo jumbo is freaky, but there’s only one thing I fear more than the most venemous of snakes or scorpions - a human baby!

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01> Iggy trying to decipher the meaning of "V".

02> Iggy can claw, whip his 2.5 feet tail or bite into your delicate flesh like paper.

03> But fortunately, Iggy’s always cool, especially when it’s hot.

04> Cobalt Blue, one of the most venomous tarantulas.

05> Mexican Fire Leg, red hot!

06> Costarican Zebra, an extremely shy and tame female.

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Welcome to "How to Avoid Saman", a quick tutorial based on techniques shared by fellow Malaysians. We basically apply the donation method. Below, you will acquire tips on negotiating. However, you are advised not to commit any offence whenever possible.

Note: This method is not useful in neighbouring countries such as:

Singapore - You will receive added punishment for attempting to donate.
Indonesia - You are forced to donate in most situations. There’s nothing to learn.

There are various techniques, depending on your situation. Here are 2 common situations you will often encounter:

A. Getting caught committing an offence behind the wheel

Technique
1. Quickly remove excess cash from your wallet before the officer arrives. Express a regretful face posture. Remain calm and polite at all times.
2. When the officer states your offence and the amount of fine, apologise repeatedly and ask for forgiveness "bagi chance laahh encik, kali pertama ini, maaf laaa".
3. He will intimidate you by stating your offence and fine again. Apologise again and ask for help "tolong la encik" x 100.
4. He will then proceed to ask you "macam mana sekarang?" or ask you if you’re working or a student. If you’re already working, try to state a low income occupation such as "saya assistant saja.. gaji rendah. Ini boss punya kereta. tolong la"
5. When negotiating on sum of donation, always open at 15% of the actual fine. If the officer opens first, offer to give 30% of that. Nothing should ever exceed RM350. If you have wealth written all over you, expect to donate a max of RM600.
6. Helpful lines when negotiating: "saya respect dengan encik. saya tahu salah, lain kali tak buat lagi. betul punya. bagi chance lah. tengok.. (open your wallet wide) ada ini saja"
7. Thank the officer and be grateful you’re in Malaysia, where symbiosis prevails.

B. Getting caught while you are not attending your vehicle

Technique
1. Try to acquire a sticker as seen in video.

Omg.. Ssheeet..  hahahaha.. Let me figure this out..

Greed
I know what’s good for me and I want it. ALL. (Greed is not kiasuism, that’s envy. Greed is simply satisfying one’s own desire on a massive scale - having more wants than needs)

Gluttony
Yep, I don’t know where all the food went to either.. Here’s my typical dinner set at Murni SS2:  1x Spaghetti Meatball (has 6 giant meatballs, 15% bigger than the ones at Ikea), 1x Roti Pisang Kaya, 2x Teh O’ Ais Limau. Watch them vanish before your eyes, and you’ll feel like puking hahahaaa!!

Wrath
I hate my enemies to death. My method is cheap, efficient and guaranteed to make the front page. Try me.

Sloth
I loathe redundancy. It makes me lazy. And unfortunately, I get bored quickly.

Envy
Why envy? We only envy what we lack in ourselves. Just work on it and everything will be fine. I’m working on it.

Lust
Action speaks louder than words. sshhh!!! XD

Pride
No one should ever feel bad about themselves. Well, unless you did something really shitty. Pride is good!

The results are quite accurate I guess.. Though I can’t really explain the high score on lust..  I guess life is one big booby trap. Do you know your Seven Deadly Sins?

Finally, wind came this weekend! After waiting for almost 2 months, my kite took to the sky at the Kota Kemuning lakeside. I got myself a Rainbow 8 foot Delta produced by Go Fly A Kite at One Utama. It’s made out of ripstop nylon, a super durable and ultra light material. This kite is designed for winds of 10-32kph.

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01> I’m a big big boy with a big big kite…

02> I was so so happy.. that moment brought back childhood memories.

03> I’m planning to pimp my kite soon.

04> Pui Fun having fun.

05> Wind losing speed. Time to pack.

06> Pui Fun: "I like it big." "It’s light and easy."

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07> Pui Fun launching Rainbow 8 Delta away. Look at the size of that thing!

08> Quality time.

09> Rayken dropped by to chill.

10> What a perfect Saturday evening =P

T is short for tarantula. Today, I bumped into Mark (fellow member of Malaysian Tarantula Society /MTS) at Zara’s Pet Haven, Summit USJ. He was trading some slings (spiderlings) with Jeff, owner of Zara’s.

Mark generously gave me 1 of his 70 Pinktoe slings! This will be my first T ever. Coincidently, the Pinktoe was the first T I handled back at the MTS Arachnid Exhibition (16th Dec, 2006) held in Sunway University:

^handling a pinktoe at the mts arachnid exhibition

^learning how to sex a tarantula from sifu dennis (middle), and workmate bryan

The Pinktoe (Avicularia avicularia) was the first tarantula ever to be documented. They can be most commonly found in Tobago,
Guyana, Brazil, Venezuela, and Trinidad (throughout South America).

^someday my pinky be this beautiful. notice the pink ends on its legs? pinktoe!

If you’re interested in keeping Ts, the Pinktoe is highly recommended for its beauty, docile temperament, active nature, and affordable price. It’s an ideal beginner’s T. Here’s a Pinktoe caresheet.

Thanks again for the wonderful gift, Mark. I’m calling my Pinktoe "Pinky"!

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01> Little pinky, only a few weeks old.

02> 3 moults later and having enough guts to take on a live mealworm (11/07/07).

^just slide and shoot

^minimal buttons. thanks to touch screen!

Construction   
Features         
Image Quality 
Ease Of Use    
Value For $$$ 
Overall            

PROS
Large 3" Touch Screen Display
Intuitive Menu
Excellent Movie Mode
Good AF & Zoom
Super Macro Mode (1cm)

CONS
Red Eye Effect

DETAILS

Construction - The built is pretty solid. My initial fear was the sliding lens cover. It felt fragile but I’ve never had anyone report of a malfunction so far. The large 3" touch screen display is impressive and fun to use. Battery life lasts well too.

Features - The touch screen won me over. And it’s something the other brands don’t have at all (for now, at least). It also has a doodling feature that lets you have fun with your pictures in preview mode. The slideshow is cool too, you can download music into ur camera from your pc.

There are about 8 preset modes. Pretty standard compared to Olympus which has… I don’t know, I lost count. The super macro mode called "Magnifying Glass" is awesome. You can take pictures clearly as close as 1cm!

Click here for more info on features.

Image Quality - Quality is generally all right. The only thing I noticed is the Red Eye Effect which occured in almost every flash shot. I wonder why they don’t just make the Red Eye Reduction as a default function. I’ll try to find out.

Ease Of Use - Everything’s straight forward here. Minimal buttons on the camera, and everything is on-screen. The T50 comes with a touch pen, which lets you avoid having fingerprints all over the display. Pretty much works like a PDA. Cool no?

Value For $$$ - I grabbed this yesterday at Mid Valley, from Foto Shangrilla’s promo booths, featuring Nikon, Canon, Sony and Olympus. It was the last day of a 5-day promo. The T50 package came with a free Sony case, USB pendrive memory card reader, mini tripod, LCD display protective layer and 1Gig memory card. How much? RM1,550. Usual price is about RM1,699.

Overall - Very satisfied! Come come…take pictures with me!

OTHER CAMERAS CONSIDERED

Nikon S series (S7, S8, S9) - Being a proud owner of the Nikon Coolpix E4300, I naturally checked out the Nikon booth first. Unfortunately, the S series has its zoom button located at the top, right beside the shoot button, which dampens the ease of use. Zooming and shooting with the index finger just seem forced and unnatural. The jog dial is also too sensitive. You tend to jog it unintentionally while your thumb is operating the other buttons. Sorry Nikon, not this time.

Olympus Stylus 700 (mju Digital 700) - This camera is neat. I would have gotten this if the T50 lacked the touch screen feature. Going at RM1,149 with a free additional battery and 1Gig card, it’s a steal. The only thing bad about it is the slow capture-processing speed after every shot.

Olympus Stylus 720 SW (mju Digital 720 SW) - Waterproof up to 3 metres, and shockproof up to 1.5 metres, this is the perfect outdoor cam. But I had only snorkled once in my life and party every week instead. I need party cam. Anyway, you rock Olympus.

SAMPLES
I immediately took some shots with the beautiful Xmas deco in Mid Valley after getting my T50. Have a look at http://fotologue.jp/huojin.