I, the mosquito hunter

International Business Park
Jurong East, Singapore
89.6° F (32° C)

Recently, there has been alarming number of dengue fever occurrences around Singapore (see this map for recorded locations). The reason I mention this is because my colleague from our partner company in Singapore and I are engaged in a life and death struggle against the tiny vampires that, not only deprive us of our blood and leave us digging (with our germ-ridden fingernails) toward the source of seemingly insatiable itch, but also, escalate our chances of death by dengue fever. Since the first bite, my senses have been heightened into kill mode and been scanning for stealth attackers. So far, I have been bitten twice and killed three. 2 to 3. Not bad.

As a side note... has anyone looked into breeding dragonflies as controlling agent for mosquito population? The insecticide fumes are pretty to look at, but the smell has to go. Oh yeah... insecticide also kills everything else, at least by little or indirectly. How about bats? They eat mosquitos, don't they?

Before I finished this entry, I killed another one. This one was bloodless. Preemptive kill/strike. Score? mosquito 2, the mosquito slayer 4. I rock!

sång om dag:
Under the Weather
Eye to the Telescope
by KT Tunstall

feeling naked

This blog entry was initially entered into a Samsung T509
@ Starbucks near City Hall MRT station exit A
Singapore
Temperature? I'm guessing hot and humid.

Binoy is heading back to India for a 10 month project. He, Kim, and I decided to meet for a drink at the New Asia Bar on the 70th floor of Swissôtel near City Hall. For one reason or another, I ended up at our proposed meeting place a full hour before 22:30. 'Crap...' I'm not armed with my usual arsenal of blogging tools or a book. Right now, just my iPod would do.. but, alas, I am here with nothing but what I had on my body... and 100 dollars less than my usual night out cash reserve in my pocket at that. Great... I feel so naked... unprepared for anything that might happen. Thank goodness for my temp mobile phone (I can't wait till I can get my hands on iPhone)

It's raining outside...

Outram Road
Singapore

It's raining outside... Something woke me from my slumber. I took it as a sign to call my parents. I miss them...

The toughest thing about being perpetually on the road is the solitude. Correction... isolation from the loved ones. But with friends and family all over the world, it can be a blessing and a curse; more opportunities arise for me to see them... but the friends I make, I have to leave them behind... not knowing when I can return. Someone once told me that "friends are family you choose"... In my case, it's awfully true. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my family, but I deeply care for those who I consider to be my friends...

I wish I can herd all of them into Singapore and retire from this so called nomadic life... I miss them. I will always miss them.

 

chanson du jour
Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap

Google likes me

Coffee Bean @ Wheelock Place
Singapore
89.6° F (32° C)

Someone (or something) at Google likes me. I would like to tell that person (or thing) I like him/her/it right back. 'Why?' do you ask? I'll tell you why.

Just last night, I blogged of lost blogging moments... of which it included an advertisement I had seen of Microsoft Vista. I went back to my own blog (not because I am narcissistic, but because my writing is full of holes). I wanted to double check that the phrase was indeed "What a wonderful day!" Naturally, I googled "Microsoft Windows Vista what a wonderful day". Long and behold, there it was. My own blog entry. Number one out of 672,000 matches. Google loves me and I love him/her/it right back.

Here are some other search words that my blog shows up as first of many:

• gentle kryptonite - naturally.
• creative theorist - thank you, Emily, for introducing me to the online test.
• Americano Misto - thanks Melinda for the providing me with the recipe

I'll probably have to review this post and fix the many errors I usually make... Sad, but true...

blogging moments...

Outram Road
Singapore
82.4° F (28° C)

It's odd. There are moments when I feel inspired to blog. The words seem to form in my head and I feel the urge to purge them into my blog. But sometimes, I do not have either the means (not even my primitive blogging tool) or the time to capture those words. Sometime later, when the means and time become available, I try to regurgitate and recreate the moment... but it never seems to turn out just right. Words become awkward... and contrived.

For example, couple of days ago, inside a Starbucks in Melbourne, I suddenly felt quite content looking at my favorite bookmark. I thought to myself, 'such a small and insignificant item can make me happy.' The words started to flow... something about happiness not being some grandiose event, but a moment when we allow ourselves to be content no matter how small and insignificant it might be. I tried to recreate that moment (the words), but I failed miserably.

Oh... why did I feel content looking at my bookmark? On one side, it has one of my favorite quotes by Emerson:

The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common.

and other side of the bookmark is a miniature scrapbook of some sorts; it has an admission ticket to my university graduation, my business card from AdvisorTech, and the temporary user ID and password for internet connection. It's nothing special... but it's priceless...

Here are some other blogging moments I had missed:

What a wonderful day! Inspired by Microsoft Vista advertisement that I saw at Southern Cross Station (Melbourne) that read "What a wonderful day!" I immediately thought, 'What a wonderful day! The computer crashed oredi. Can go home liao. Thank you Microsoft.'

Eat me! Inspired by an advertisement from a restaurant that had a drawing of a horizontally challenged middle aged woman saying "Eat me! everyday" Eeeeeeyuuuu!!!

Magic Peeling Glove. I saw this advertisement on Australian television about this glove that costs 45 AUD. Then I thought... 'wait, what a rip off! Koreans have been using something similar for so long (as long as I can remember) and it only costs only a dollar or so if not less.' You could probably find this at a Korean market for about a dollar or two (AUD).

[UPDATE 2007.07.10]
As it turns out, the ad actually states: "Wow" What a great day!.
The other one, which even funnier (to me) is: "Wow" That was fast!
My immediate thought? "Wow" That was fast! It crashed liao! What a great day! I can go home oredy (for those of you who do not speak Singlish, "liao" means "already". "oredy" also can)

Back in Singapore...

Outram Road
Singapore
84.2° F (29° C)

I'm back in Singapore... Though I have only spend 8 months of my life here in Singapore, I feel as if I have returned home. Perhaps it's a sign... a sign that I belong here...

bubbly insomnia

Still awake at 04:20...
Docklands, Melbourne
Australia
48.2° F (9° C)

The little critters, whichever species they belong to, has kicked in my insomnia into full gear. Even though the mattress is sealed inside an overpriced critter-proof bag, I can't bring myself to lie in it let alone bare my skin in it. So... I have been opting to stay awake into exhaustion and crash on the modern art-ish pleather sofa... I am definitely looking forward to Friday; I will be back in Singapore... where (hopefully) a critter-free hotel bed awaits my exhausted booty. (Corporate apartment without maid service blows!)

To make my insomnia a bit more bearable, I have been listening to a single by Colbie Caillet. I can't tell you how soothing it is to listen to good music over a decent sound system... (Yay~! corporate apartment!)

assmosis |asˈmōsis|

48.1° F (9° C)

noun

a wishful process by which knowledge passes through one's buttocks from the book one is sitting on, thus equalizing the concentrations of information between book and the person.

• figurative: the process of gradual or unconscious assimilation of ideas, knowledge, etc. by sitting on a book

I can't take credit for this. During a conversion, I was just reminded of it and had to share it with the whole world (or just few who happen to stumble upon my blog). My high school biology teacher, Mr. McLaughlin, used this joke EVERY year. I say every year because I had him for honors biology, Advanced Placement (AP) biology, and, in my senior year, as teacher's assistant (TA). He was a teacher who was truly dedicated in educating the young mind and making biology fun.

Utter Disregard for the Public

Docklands, Melbourne
Australia
42.8° F (6° C)

Along the Yarra river that flows through Melbourne, there is a narrow bridge named "the Sandridge". This bridge channels unsuspecting pedestrians from Flinders Street Station toward Crown entertainment complex where people from all over the world come to empty out their pockets and leave feeling unburdened of worldly possessions. On this bridge, there exists monuments made out of shatterproof glass outlining the Australian immigration history.

A few days ago, as I walked across the bridge after my required dose of Korean cuisine at KIMCHI Tray (near Elizabeth St. on Flinders St.), I noticed a chain-link fence that I haven't seen before. At first glance, I thought it was merely a temporary installation for maintenance... but upon closer observation, I noticed something horrific. The panes of safety glasses dedicated to individual countries have been destroyed. Someone apparently felt it necessary to deface and destroy publicly owned and cherished pieces of art/history.

I wonder what was going through the vandals' minds... Don't they understand that when they destroy public art/monument, they are destroying a small part of everyone's lives? I cannot begin to fathom why anyone can have such disregard for others...

bed bugs + sleep depravation = vanity?

Away from the wretched bed infested with bed bugs
still inside the apartment
Docklands, Melbourne
Australia
42.8° F (6° C)

It's little past 5 in the morning, but I can't sleep. I feel like I'm in living hell (actually dreamed it was hell). Not only is my so called shelter bombarded by street noise, it's infested with something that keeps me up at night. I tried flipping the mattress and witnessed something horrifying: the biohazard-ish stains covering both sizes of the mattress. I am not going to lie in that bed until the bed is safely sealed inside an allergen blocking mattress cover and I have washed ALL the sheets, at least, 3 times in excruciatingly hot water.

Perhaps it's the sleep depravation affecting my reasoning, but right now, for some reason, I'm thinking it might a good idea to start posting my photos before I get too old.... Don't ask. Perhaps it has something to do with "revel[ing] in my own imperfection and mediocrities" (me. from About Me, Blogger Profile... I'm quoting myself. This is why no one should blog at diminished mental capacity)

[updated 2007.06.20] the mattressed is now safely wrapped with protective cover that supposedly stops even the dustmites from penetrating.

Strands of distinction

Dust mite-ridden Corporate Apartment
Docklands, Melbourne
Australia
44.6° F (7° C)

I have noticed some time ago that I have several strands of resilient white hairs. They have been plugged (not by choice) but they have never failed to make a comeback, each on its own time. I'm thinking they're here to stay. I might as well embrace the marks of distinction... of being old. Wah... I'm getting old.

The Aussie English

Same old place
Melbourne, Australia
46.4° F (8° C)

As Ruby Pan once said in her closing remark, "some English are more English than others" (the mrbrown show: TalkingCock in Parliament, Ruby Pan). During my stay in Melbourne, I was able to recognized a few subtle differences between American and Aussie English so far:

American	Aussie	Note
Good morning	G'day mate!	mate is optional.
Good afternoon	G'day mate!	mate is optional.
Good evening	G'day mate!	mate is optional.
Thank you	Cheers mate!	mate is optional.
You're welcome	No worries mate!	mate is optional.
My pleasure	No worries mate!	mate is optional.
Good for you!	Good on you, mate!	on you for short. mate is optional.
Good job!	Good on you, mate!	on you for short. mate is optional.
(American) Football	Grid Iron Football
Soccer	Footy or football
Soccer/Rugby hybrid	Footy	This is an "only in Australia" type of game, but has avid following comparable to Football (grid iron) in U.S. judging from the waves of people moving in and out of Telstra Dome every weekend.
sidewalk	footpath
ice coffee	ice long black(?)	It seems "ice coffee" means coffee with ice, cream, ice cream, sugar and whipped cream.
You can purchase tram tickets from the machine inside the tram	Honest Australians and dumb tourist can purchase tram tickets from the machine inside the tram.	I don't usually take the tram to work. I have been intentionally avoiding the tram so that I would walk to the office. However, since St. Kilda beach was a bit out of reach on foot, I took the tram 16 to St. Kilda. After paying 3.20 AUD for 2 hour full-priced ticket, I noticed only a few were actually buying and/or validating tickets. It could possibly be due to today being the public holiday... but that was never mentioned in my guide book. If it were indeed free on public holidays, no one bothered to volunteer such info during the whole time I was trying to figure out under which ZONE St. Kilda would qualify... Even after my observation, I still bought the ticket on my way back... Once again, I blame my upbringing.
How are you doing?	How are you going?	(courtesy of Jason). I keep imagining, mrbrown repeating "har? go where ah?"

My Worldly Wisdom, Part 1: Ramen

Waterview Walk
Docklands, VIC, Australia
39.2° F (4° C)

I couldn't sleep. I have been working on an urgent issue with the Boston office during the last week and I had to synchronize my work hours with Boston. I needed to get back to my "normal" hours, but my body wouldn't listen to me. I was wide awake... and hungry. I wipped out my trusty ramen and started cooking... then it suddenly dawned on me... if I were to die tomorrow, all things ramen I had mastered over the decades of consumption would be lost (if I do indeed die tomorrow, tons of instant ramen I had consumed probably had something to do with it). For the sake of humanity, I thought I would pass on my wisdom so that people would benefit for generations to come.

Cooking

The ideal way is to cook the noodles separately from the soup... which I almost never do... to get rid of the shelf-life-extending light oil coating the instant noodle. When the noodles are done (definition of done depends on your preference), transfer the noodles into boiling pot of water with soup base for at least 30 seconds before consumption. Oh, yeah... while cooking, if your stomach can't handle the acidity (usually due to the large amount of alcoholic refreshments from previous night), crack open an egg and dump it in 30 seconds before the ramen comes off the stove. Mix it well for better acid absorption.

The Cleanup

If you're in a hotel, dormitory, or a corporate apartment without a proper garbage disposal unit in the sink, you can't just throw out the remnants of what you thought might make a satifying wholesome meal into the sink and hope for the best. Here's what you do. Squirt some dish washing liquid (hotel shampoo or any liquid soap will do) and a bit of water into the remaining soup. Mix well... then dump it into the toilet. Yes, the toilet. Believe me. Your toilet had to endure much larger and funkier stuff than instant ramen soup with soap. Don't forget to mix the soap BEFORE you throw it in there though. Otherwise, the soup/oil mix will cling on to your toilet bowl.

Oh yeah... Did I mention instant ramen is BAD for your health? Ramen should come with a large gruesome picture similar to those that adorn the cigarette packs in Australia and Singapore... except this one would have fat belly or gruesome cellulite on thighs.

My first Aussie middle finger

Waterview Walk
Docklands, VIC, Australia
43° F (9° C)

I was walking along Spencer street when I saw the green stick figure luring me to cross the street. I quickened my pace toward Collins street. Just as I reached the intersection, the green figure turned into a flashing red monster... taunting me to cross if I dared. I thought, 'if I half jog for a few steps, I can more than make up for that one second'. I broke into a short dash then back into a haste stroll. As I neared the end of the crosswalk, a car inched closer to my knee as if it were threatening me with permanent knee injury if I did not clear out of its way. I was puzzled as to if I had ever agreed to such an unfair game of chicken between metal and flesh. I looked toward the driver seat with my best quizzical look. 'Wow... my first Australian middle finger.' The elderly woman in the passenger seat quickly pulled down the man's arm.

I felt uneasy... regurgitating the undeserving hostile finger. U.S. and Australia... these are the only two countries where I had the pleasure of middle finger salute...

This definitely does not lure me into making Australia my permanent residence.

O 12'' PowerBook, where art thou?

Starbucks
Swanston St. & Bourke St.
Melbourne, Australia
57.2° F (14° C)

I miss my 12'' PowerBook...

I used to lug that thing around as if it were a pacemaker; I could not function normally without it. It was my library, journal, assistant, and keeper of my dark (well... not so dark) secrets. When it was ripped away from me, I had to find a replacement, pronto. Well... it was around the time when Apple has decided 12'' PowerBooks were passé and robbed the avid Mac enthusiasts of a truly portable and stylish laptop. I had no choice but to take the smallest laptop available. I happily forced that thing into my leather bag meant for my 12'' PowerBook and lugged it around for some time... but small difference in weight and size made enough difference over time... enough for me to start leaving it behind. Pretty soon, I stopped carrying it all together.

I refuse to purchase a Windows machine, so I will have to patiently wait until compact and portable laptops are back in Apple's fashion. Until then, I will have to make-do with my primitive blogging tool. I think some of you might have heard it. It's called the "pen and paper." I know. Archaic. But it is more portable than a 2.31 kg (5.1 lbs) and somewhat old-world-chic...

I know I shouldn't, but I am SERIOUSLY contemplating rummaging through secondhand stores for a 12'' PowerBook...