Shopwiki

Found an interesting website recently - Shopwiki.

Like a wiki, it aims to educate shoppers except its focus is solely on the products. Thus it has buying guides and gift guides to share pointers with you. This is entirely different from how traditional shopping sites work. The most you can do is to read users' review.

But for Shopwiki, take for example I wish to buy a Printer, I will first read the buying guide for Printers, then determine that given the technology today, I would prefer a photo printer to print my digital photos. So I probe further for Shopwiki to suggest a list of Photo Printers and how to select a suitable one.

Further probing will then give me a price list and the stores selling them.

And there are buying guides for all sort of stuff especially IT products which as all who knows me will know that the only stuff I splurge are IT gadgets. So there are buying guides for monitors, desktop computers, keyboards, mouse, laptops and even speakers.

Let me check out the mouse section as I was recently looking for a suitable mouse. Coolz, they even had a list of the popular picks for me to consider as well as related products haha.

Later should share with my brother the buying guide for monitors and see if he finds it useful too haha.

Temples Visit

This is the first time I followed my parents to pray and is indeed an interesting visit.

In Loyang Tua Pek Kong Temple, there are a series of steps for you to follow.

First you had to buy 6 items: A pack of tea, A pack of crackers, Joss papers, A tailsman (接引贵人符), 2 candles and a pack of incense sticks.

Then starting from 1, you follow the signs and directions to complete all 12 altars.

An interesting thing to note is not all deities are Chinese.  Some of them are the Hindu Gods too. It is indeed a worthy sight to see some racial integration in religion and somehow I concluded it had been a right choice to finally follow my parents to this temple which I ran past before.

After that you trail your fingers around this wheel of fortune (as I called it)

Before dropping your coin into your respective horoscope slot.

Lian Shan Shuang Lin Monastry is actually a tourist attraction spot.  And the place is indeed very big.  How big you would ask.  Big enough to even have a pagoda haha.. which is the main bait why I had wanted to tag along all these while. I like the bells hanging...

However, the main activity is concentrated only in its Cheng Huang Miao (城隍庙). Steps to pray here are a bit more fuzzy so I ended up just "Monkey see monkey do".

Oh and at here, I decided to take a close-up of the tailsman. 接引贵人符 seems to be more in-depth than the normal pray/burn taught by my mum. Read here for more info on it. I shall have to find time to see the tailsman again, hmm.

National Museum Highlights

Source: National Museum Singapore Visitor Services Guide

Rotunda Dome
The Rotunda Dome is the Museum's most iconinc architectural feature.  Originally built as the former Raffles Library and Museum in 1887, the building had been expanded in 1906, 1914 and 1916.  The 2003 restoration of the Museum is the most extensive conservation project in the building's history.

Fish-Scaled Zinc Tiles
There are 3,770 pieces of fish-scaled zinc tiles used for the Rotunda's exterior.  Due to the effect of acid rain, more than 3,000 pieces of tiles had deteriorated extensively than expected.  A new titanium-zinc based coating was used to prevent corrosion.  The tiles were originally from Manchester in the 19th century.

Stained Glass
All 50 pieces of stained glass from the Rotunda Dome were carefully restored by a professional stained glass artist in Singapore.  The artist adopted 18th century glass reinforcement techniques to improve the lead and glass works.  Upon completion, the stained glass pieces were cleaned and buffed with a special polishing compound to bring out the original colour and shine of the beautiful Victorian designs.  

Pedas Pedas (Chilli) by Kumari Nahappan
This unique giant bronze Pedas Pedas (Chilli) is the largest in the distinctive Chilli Series.  Incorporated into the Museum's Landscape Garden, the context of its placement facing Fort Canning Hill indicates that the hill was the original site of the Singapore Botanic Gardens.
--> There are other Chilli Series but I cannot seem to find more information on it.  I did saw a photo depicting another of the series.

Seeds by Han Sai Por
Using the excavated material on its site.  Seeds was created from the very base rock excavated from Fort Canning Hill during the Museum's redevelopment project.  The artwork captures the essence of growth, possibilities and creativity of the Museum in its transformation.

20 Tonnes by Han Sai Por
A monumental series of stone monoliths, each was carved and hewn out of a single quarried granite rock. 

Transformation by Tan Teng Kee
Constructed by stainless steel pipes of different diameters and lengths, Transformation presents a basic structure that offers transformative possibilities of space.  Each insertion or placement of the pipes shifts the form, which unfolds to a new structure.

Rangoli
A traditional Indian art of decorating walls and floors.  These designs are beautiful and symbolic, and are traditionally made with the simplest materials, such as rice, lentils, seeds and fruit.

终点与过客

放手
人真的是一个很矛盾的动物
如果一直觉得答案是这样
就会不断的说服自己
曾经我把你当成我的终点
所以我很难放手
现在我知道你是我的过客
就变得容易多了
- 北极熊对女王的一番话，深深刻在我脑里。

还记得曾经写过这段感触：
原来雪糕溶化了，真的会走样。。。
原来好马真的不能吃回头草。。。
原来当你不在执着这个心里终点，他将变成过客了。




曾经陪伴着我的，却在我想放弃的那个星期，也出现了斑点。好懊恼，好伤心，也失去了睡眠与胃口，因为这一切来得太突然。因为我并不是真的很想很想放弃。可能一切是注定，因此忍着痛，买了它。却发现，因它电磁不强， 我还是需要带出那曾经的伴侣。只是，它已变成后备。。。



Anyway after that, I got myself a pair of booties finally. Yeah! Am quite excited about the horseshoe crab R&R.

By the way, I happen to take my bro's DSLR out for a walk and am quite amused by this toy of his. It is heavy, it is misleading, and yet it does makes me feel inspired to read up more on how to master it (I haven't start it yet though haha. let me procrastinate till next year。 Afterall it is his DSLR still...)

Anyway let me share with you what amused me. It was taking this picture, at that time I still don't know how to focus with his camera and I was just taking it randomly. My first/second attempt failed.



I wanted to give up but decided one more time. Third time lucky (I have an afinity with being third time lucky. Hope my camera will be third time lucky too.. *cross fingers*), I managed to focus finally. Then I showed my brother these photos, he was saying the first one isn't too bad at all because the background was sharp. And that it depends on what I was trying to focus hahaha. End up, I like both photos because ya, I actually like the structure in the background (took a few more pictures of it).


Oh and this is the Istana. It was really an impromptu visit as I just happened to walk past it from my gym while heading to the National Museum again haha. But I'm glad to have visited it once in my lifetime. I did compare it with the Taiwan's Presidential Building which explained why I had created a new FB album, initially to put these 2 presidential buildings. Later on, decided to add a few more landmarks so that the album will not be too empty haha.

Speechless - Janice Vidal

Speechless
- Janice Vidal

Some might say, love is like, fairytale
But I say, love can be, hurtful still, oooh
Cos we are, all human,
We all make mistake and never regret
We know we won’t be together is just a matter of time
Just a matter of time

We never speak with all the truth from heart
We made it wrong and we broke it from start
No matter how we tried and tried
Even though we cried and cried and cried

We’ll never fix the wound that’s lying inside
We might as well just let it die and say goodbye
Maybe one day we’ll realise
The reasons hiding behind

Some might say, love is like, fairytale
But I say, love can be, hurtful still, oooh
Cos we are, all human,
We all make mistake and never regret
We know we won’t be together is just a matter of time
It’s all a matter of time

We never speak with all the truth from heart
We made it wrong and we broke it from start
No matter how we tried and tried
Even though we cried and cried and cried

We’ll never fix the wound that’s lying inside
We might as well just let it die and say goodbye
Maybe one day we’ll realise
The reasons hiding behind

It’s all kept inside
We both are hurting inside

Pulau Tioman (9th October 2009 - 11th October 2009)

Can't believe how time flies when you are in the arms of Mother Nature.

On the 9th Oct Evening, I reached Peninsula Plaza with mixed feelings. Earlier on, there had been some unhappiness and I am not sure what will the repercussions be. Now that it is over, I still don't know what will the repercussions be. But seriously, my focus is on Mother Nature so do I really need to be concerned about these human problems?

So I heck! Just concentrate on the journey to Tioman which is actually quite late. Thankfully we were a large group thus a coach had been hired instead of a mini bus. So we actually had a lot of leg space to sleep comfortably (the coach style). Although we couldn't really sleep as it was still early evening. We reached Mersing at 12am to board a boat. As usual XX reminds how lucky we are that the boat is now bigger and a little bit better. I was quite worried about sea sick especially when I was cramped in a corner so my friend and I decided to go out of the boat and catch some fresh air. It was like what LP advised me, you always feel better when you are out in the open. And I really like the feel of being on the boat with the waves gushing behind and the wind blowing.

Anyway we got tired and I slept very soundly till we reached Tioman at 3am. Then is horror struck, ok a mini horrow because the lodge did not receive their reservation. They did managed to dig out enough rooms, just that the rooms were pretty untidy with horror stories of stepping into a room spewed of tidbits. Eeks... why do some guests do that to hotel/resorts? I really cannot understand. Our room was still relatively alright except the pillow really seems scary and we used the bedsheet to cover over them haha.

Oh and someone brought a telescope and I look through to see the moon and its craters. Cool stuff! Hmm ya hor, I realised I did not take a photo of the telescope. Darnz, must be still grieving over the spots. I actually took very little pics for this trip. Plus the fact I was quite worried about the theory.

Well but I did woke up early the next day to take some photos of the surrounding. Actually in the day, the room do looks pretty haha.

After a quick breakfast, we headed for our first dive. First we had to assemble the buoyancy controller (bc) set with the regulators, cylinder, pressure gauge.

Must remember to place fins within arm's length else I will definitely have problem trying to get it later.

Then is off to our dives. The first plunge was horrible. Everything I did not expect. The water was real salty (first time tasting sea water) and the mask clearing was a hassle to me. After the dive was lunch time but the choppy water made me lose even more appetite that I guess I look sick haha. Anyway I did not dare to eat too much for fear of regurgitating out in my next dive.

This was taken during lunch. Pretty corals. During the dive I also saw alot of sea urchins, pretty fishes / clownfishes, sea anemones, sea cucumbers etc.  I'm actually quite afraid of the sea urchins because I'm wearing a shorty thus everytime I see sea urchin, I will faster flap myself higher than the sea bed haha.  Anyway part of the reason why I did not like my first plunge was because I kept hitting the sea bed.  Not that it matters that I get alot of cuts later, but the fact that my fins will destroy the corals and other sea creatures at the sea bed makes me feel extremely guilty.  Is back to the thought of to embrace in Mother Nature, I had once again tramble on Mother Nature.  Sighz...

This island reminds me of the Bun Island... hmm... I think I dive around this island if my memory did not fail me haha. But I'm not sure what is its name. (Think can check but abit lazy.. "p)

I am always fascinated by the sunlight effect on the water thus it is no surprise I will take a few pic on it for this trip.

I was visualising a door opening effect into Little Mermaid Kingdom's outskirt. Hmm maybe I should have made the door slant more?

Before I left Tioman, took a photo of the owners of Ramly burger. Interestingly I first heard about Ramly burger in my Berkelah Waterfall trek. And even till now, I still have not eaten one. Haha. Somehow I was never really tempted to try it.  Look at how bright the lady smile.. sweet!

A dinner at Restoran Queen Park marked the end of the Tioman adventure. I took a few sky pics here too haha but I ended up liking this photo of the building. Maybe it is the open air coffeeshop concept which triggers some distant memories.

I am actually looking forward to the next diving trip because
1) While typing this blog, I realised I am forgetting my steps already
2) I was thinking along the line that this is just a start to roaming the outskirts of Little Mermaid's Kingdom. And my ultimate goal is of course to visit Little Mermaid's kingdom. While I do admit especially at the first dive, that everything I see is blue. But one day I believe I will be capable enough to carry a torchlight or even camera and see the outskirts like how Little Mermaid's see her surroundings.

Apathy towards the Opposition

I finally understood how opposition felt. How when someone pushed you a deal you cannot accept, and you just wanted to fight back.

It could be just an hour before, a day before, 2 days before you were told that you need to pay for the extra lesson. The point is you are already in a situation where the extra lesson has been forced on you, and no matter what you are trapped to pay.

I called it hidden cost. Because it was not mentioned to me beforehand. Was the word strong? Isn't hidden cost a cost not mentioned beforehand of any course of action planned and unplanned? And wasn't this a situation where neither of us expect to have dragged to the extent we need a makeup. And that you tell me last minute that this makeup will incur additional charges.

And I felt like opposition for once when I voiced out my discontent and finally shut up the middleman when I said this is hidden cost because if it is not, then you should let me know before the first session that if we are unable to complete, any extra session will incur additional charges. It was resolved also via the middleman except I felt I was marked from then onwards. Which makes me suddenly realise how the opposition felt.

The opposition whom will voice their discontent at the risk of getting marked. Because the majority was pushed into a trapped situation where you have to accept the conditions laid out whether you like it or not as you are a citizen living here. At times they win, at times they lose. If they win, the majority benefit. If they lose, the majority suffer. But whether they win or lose, they will just be marked, sadly.

I suddenly feel sad for the opposition who had to be marked for having the courage to voice out their discontent for the benefit of the majority.

To try to end on a happier note, I shall include these quotes given via email to me:

Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

A sharp tongue can cut your own throat.

If you want your dreams to come true, you mustn't oversleep.


Of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important.

The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.

The heaviest thing you can carry is a grudge.

One thing you can give and still keep... is your word.

You lie the loudest when you lie to yourself

If you lack the courage to start, you have already finished.

One thing you can't recycle is wasted time.

Ideas won't work unless 'You' do.

Your mind is like a parachute... it functions only when open..

The pursuit of happiness is the chase of a lifetime! It is never too late to become what you might have been.

Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right... Forget about the one's who don't.

Believe everything happens for a reason.

If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands. If it changes your life, let it.

Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.

Friends are like balloons; once you let them go, you might not get them back. Sometimes we get so busy with our own lives and problems that we may not even notice that we've let them fly away. Sometimes we are so caught up in who's right and who's wrong that we forget what's right and wrong. Sometimes we just don't realize what real friendship means until it is too late.

戴佩妮-怎样

戴佩妮-怎样
作词：戴佩妮　作曲：戴佩妮

我这里天快要黑了
那里呢
我这里天气凉凉的
那里呢
我这里一切都变了
我变的懂事了
我又开始写日记了
而那你呢

我这里天快要亮了
那里呢
我这里天气很炎热
那里呢
我这里一切都变了
我变的不哭了
我把照片也收起了
而那你呢

如果我们现在还在一起会是怎样
我们是不是还是深爱着对方
像开始时那样
握着手就算天快亮

我们现在还在一起会是怎样
我们是不是还是隐瞒着对方
像结束时那样
明知道你没有错
还硬要我原谅

我这里天快要亮了
那里呢
我这里天气很炎热
那里呢
我这里一切都变了
我变的不哭了
我把照片也收起了
而那你呢

如果我们现在还在一起会是怎样
我们是不是还是深爱着对方
像开始时那样
握着手就算天快亮

我们现在还在一起会是怎样
我们是不是还是隐瞒着对方
像结束时那样
明知道你没有错
还硬要我原谅

如果我们现在还在一起会是怎样
我们是不是还是深爱着对方
像开始时那样
握着手就算天快亮

我们现在还在一起会是怎样
我们是不是还是隐瞒着对方
像结束时那样
明知道你没有错
还硬要我原谅
我不会原谅
我怎么原谅

p/s: 从没真正听到尾，今天听到她说“我不会原谅，我怎么原谅”，好震惊，也好庆幸拥有戴佩妮，有她“这样的女生”。

中秋节快了！

中秋节快了！

p/s: The eyes were made from red bean.. cute right..

Lost in Outram

Made my way to Tiong Bahru with a heavy heart. I still wish my camera will cure on its own. But miracle did not happen even with the hair dryer.

Tiong Bahru, a very familiar and unfamiliar area. Likewise I have not visited it for a long time. I did not even know Bukit Ho Swee is in that vicinity. Hmm.

But I did find my way to River Valley Office.

At least in that area, I actually saw the building name before I went on further than I thought I had to.

But when I headed to Outram, I actually got lost. Somehow that area always has this effect on me. I was supposed to head to Concorde Shopping Center. But I got captivated by the Holiday Inn because of its name I supposed.

So I concentrated taking photo of it and actually walked past the shopping center. Saw Furama hotel so I had to backtraack. Then went another direction realising I got further and further from the end point stated in my GPS. Backtracking again, I finally saw the shopping centre. And realised that Holiday Inn was a hotel I been for CNY gatherings. Hmm sometimes, I wondered why are my childhood memories so fuzzy. It's like I can recall some stuff and yet unsure of the details. How had I been living my life?

As I head back to Outram MRT, saw the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore when I turn the wrong way again. It is a strategic partnership with Duke University aims to develop a new generation of physician-scientists. Hmm sometimes, I have to admit education is getting more and more interesting and giving the students more and more opportunities.

Oh and I passed by the Forensic Medicine Research Department. Interestingly, it is located near the mortuary.

Lately, I been thinking should I do a career change.... But for now, I think I have too much problems on hand to bother thinking about these.

p/s: To avoid thinking, I went to watch Save the Last Dance for Me.  I used one night to watch finish.. to learn that there is something call secret love, to learn that one should not be greedy or he/she will suffer from it...