Blogday fell on the 31st of August, 2005, which was also Malaysia's Independence Day. I was in KL and posted up the Blogday message from there and forgot all about it.
It was only today that I suddenly realised that the post was missing. I am not sure what went wrong - maybe I forgot to hit the 'Publish Post' button or something.
Anyway here is the belated Blogday post again.
According to the BlogDay posting instructions, we were supposed to:
1. Find 5 new Blogs that you find interesting
2. Notify the 5 bloggers that you are recommending them as part of BlogDay 2005
3. Write a short description of the Blogs and place a link to the recommended Blogs
4. Post the BlogDay Post (on August 31st) and
5. Add the BlogDay tag using this link: http://technorati.com/tag/BlogDay2005 and a link to the BlogDay web site at http://www.blogday.org
Well as I think it's too late I am only going to follow the rules partly:
So here are the blogs. All of them are personal blogs, but all of them write quite serious stuff from time to time. There's only three. I got bored with the others - mostly teenagers.
1. The Surging Waves
Blog Owner: Avik
Location: Kolkata, India
This guy usually has some short interesting posts, which are thought provoking. In one year he has changed his blog 3 times. By change I don't mean templates. He has started and completely deleted and restarted his blog - 3 times with a new blog name every time. I hope he doesn't change it again.
2. Words of a Broken Mirror
Blog Owner: Kayla Vincent
Location: Bucharest, Romania
She describes herself as: "Always changing and yet the same. Somewhat like a ghost: those who believe in me, cannot see me and those who see me do not believe I actually exist".
It is not everyday that you come across a blogger from Romania who blogs in English. I got to her blog from Avik's. You can also check out the nice pics on her Photo blog: Views of a Broken Mirror
3. Charleston Jenerator
Owner: Jen
Location: Charleston, South Carolina, United States
She has this to say about herself: "I am a navy brat workaholic who has lived in Charleston nearly all my life. I work 40 hrs. a week at a car dealership and a few minimal hours at a local restaurant. I am a data analyst by day and an assistant night manager at night making sure the food's hot on the weekends".
She writes about her life in Charleston and brings up some interesting issues. I find that we share some common issues despite the distance between countries, cultures, etc. One of her recent topics was on teenage pregnancies, an issue often swept under the rug here.
Happy Belated Blogday.
06 September 2005
04 September 2005
View From Our Apartment 2
Some more pictures from our apartment at Flora Damansara.
For more pictures click here.
Related Posts:
View from out apartment 1
For more pictures click here.Related Posts:
View from out apartment 1
30 August 2005
Man on the Moon
All this talk about sending a Malaysian to the moon reminds me of an incident some time back.
I have always been a sci-fi fan and love to imagine that one day there might be a colony on the moon. Though that is unlikely to happen unless someone finds something precious there. Everything is economics. Governments and organizations won’t fund a project unless they are sure to get some economic benefit out of it and a space mission is definitely not going to be cheap.
Anyway, we were attending a talk at Islamic Outreach ABIM, Ampang Hilir. After the talk we were having lunch when one guy started a discussion. He looked educated and well to do (looking at the size of his Mercedes Benz). He was of the opinion that man never landed on the moon and all the moon landings starting right from Apollo 11 mission, were all fake – a drama staged by NASA and the US Government. So Neil Armstrong and the others never landed on the moon.
At first I just tried to be polite and listened but after a few other people started agreeing with him, I decided to speak up.
It is simply not possible that all the moon missions were a hoax perpetuated by NASA.
I gave him a few logical arguments. Are there satellites in space right now or is that another hoax by governments and space agencies around the World? Is there a space station or again another hoax? Where did the pieces of moon rock come from? Are the films made on the moon fake? Are all scientists in this World so stupid as to be fooled?
His answers were like “If they can make Star Wars look so real, why not?”
Of course he could not possibly win an argument against me. However, he went on an on about a particular website, which proves that man never landed on the moon. Like the flag on the moon was fluttering and so on.
I had to gently remind him not to believe everything that is published on the net. At the end, I could see he had really worked himself up and simply refused to see my point of view. I decided to end it by moving to another table.
Do you guys believe that man never landed on the moon?
Related news:
The Star report
I have always been a sci-fi fan and love to imagine that one day there might be a colony on the moon. Though that is unlikely to happen unless someone finds something precious there. Everything is economics. Governments and organizations won’t fund a project unless they are sure to get some economic benefit out of it and a space mission is definitely not going to be cheap.
Anyway, we were attending a talk at Islamic Outreach ABIM, Ampang Hilir. After the talk we were having lunch when one guy started a discussion. He looked educated and well to do (looking at the size of his Mercedes Benz). He was of the opinion that man never landed on the moon and all the moon landings starting right from Apollo 11 mission, were all fake – a drama staged by NASA and the US Government. So Neil Armstrong and the others never landed on the moon.
At first I just tried to be polite and listened but after a few other people started agreeing with him, I decided to speak up.
It is simply not possible that all the moon missions were a hoax perpetuated by NASA.
I gave him a few logical arguments. Are there satellites in space right now or is that another hoax by governments and space agencies around the World? Is there a space station or again another hoax? Where did the pieces of moon rock come from? Are the films made on the moon fake? Are all scientists in this World so stupid as to be fooled?
His answers were like “If they can make Star Wars look so real, why not?”
Of course he could not possibly win an argument against me. However, he went on an on about a particular website, which proves that man never landed on the moon. Like the flag on the moon was fluttering and so on.
I had to gently remind him not to believe everything that is published on the net. At the end, I could see he had really worked himself up and simply refused to see my point of view. I decided to end it by moving to another table.
Do you guys believe that man never landed on the moon?
Related news:
The Star report
28 August 2005
I am Malaysian
Overheard in a shop in Bangsar.
Lady No. 1: You look Chinese. (you have Chinese features)
Lady No. 2: I am Chinese.
Lady No. 1: But, you speak Malay so well.
Lady No. 2: I am Malaysian
Lady No. 1: You look Chinese. (you have Chinese features)
Lady No. 2: I am Chinese.
Lady No. 1: But, you speak Malay so well.
Lady No. 2: I am Malaysian
23 August 2005
Ikea Kitchen Planner
I can hear some guys going, “Not Ikea again!”
Yes! This is another Ikea post.
If you have visited the Ikea Malaysia website, I am sure you would agree with me that it is pretty boring. There is just a map of the location and Store locator and an online catalogue in the pdf format.
Just compare it with their site in Singapore, , which is much more interesting and informative.
Anyway, while we were in Ikea on Friday, we were surveying the furniture in the Kitchen section when we noticed some of their staff playing around with the computer. Out of curiosity we went to take a closer look and discovered that it was a kitchen planner.
It is a software where you “can customise your layout, drag and drop kitchen units, and appliances and view the layout from different perspectives.”
My wife was telling me how great it would be if we could have that software on our computer so we could design our dream kitchen at leisure.
Yesterday, my wife informed me that the software was available for download from the Ikea Singapore website. In fact she had already downloaded it and was playing around with it.
Screenshot
Try it out. However, it is a ‘PC only’ software. Sorry Apple fans.
Yes! This is another Ikea post.
If you have visited the Ikea Malaysia website, I am sure you would agree with me that it is pretty boring. There is just a map of the location and Store locator and an online catalogue in the pdf format.
Just compare it with their site in Singapore, , which is much more interesting and informative.
Anyway, while we were in Ikea on Friday, we were surveying the furniture in the Kitchen section when we noticed some of their staff playing around with the computer. Out of curiosity we went to take a closer look and discovered that it was a kitchen planner.
It is a software where you “can customise your layout, drag and drop kitchen units, and appliances and view the layout from different perspectives.”
My wife was telling me how great it would be if we could have that software on our computer so we could design our dream kitchen at leisure.
Yesterday, my wife informed me that the software was available for download from the Ikea Singapore website. In fact she had already downloaded it and was playing around with it.
Screenshot
Try it out. However, it is a ‘PC only’ software. Sorry Apple fans.
21 August 2005
IKEA the Right Choice
If you were in Ikea yesterday (Saturday) afternoon, you might have noticed a guy busy dismantling a bed near the customer service area. Yeah! That was me.
Our new apartment is completely bare except for the electrical switches and plumbing. As we didn’t take the renovation package offered by the developer, we have to do it ourselves, one step at a time.
Do it yourself (DIY) is still a new concept here in Malaysia. However, as prices of services go up, I reckon that DIY is going to get more and more popular here in the future. Ikea is the pioneer of this movement (at least in furniture) and creating more Prosumers (a consumer who is also a producer) in the process. Anyway, going back to my story...
- First of all, we have to fix the lights (13 in total) and 3 ceiling fans.
- Then fix grills to the windows and door. At the same time, fix railings for the curtains.
- Next would come other furnishings including wardrobes and kitchen cabinets.
As money is a constraint, we decided to go for stuff, which is good quality, reasonably priced, yet doesn’t look cheap. Some of you might be asking “Where Got like that?” (Manglish).
Read on my friend and you will discover that quality, style and cheap prices do indeed come together (sometimes).
Of course, our first destination was the Ikea store in Damansara (5 minutes away from our new apartment). We paid several visits this month to look for ideas, as well as to survey the prices. Before you ask, yes! We also visited dozens of furniture malls around the Klang valley as even paid second hand furniture shops in Taman Tun a visit.
After looking around quite a bit, we were either not happy with the quality or the price. Some “Super Sale” deals came with hidden conditions or were of crappy quality. The “quality” stuff came at super prices too.
In the end, we have decided to completely furnish our house with Ikea stuff. Well! Actually partly furnished.
We spent last Friday and Saturday buying all the lights, light bulbs, 2 ceiling fans, several curtain railings, 1 Queen size bed, a single bed, a wardrobe and a table. Apart from the fans, we bought all the rest from Ikea – all of it for less than Rm1000/
Which brings to the first part of my post. What was I doing dismantling a bed?
No! I did not get a part time job in Ikea.
On Friday, we discovered this place in Ikea, which we had never explored before – the ‘As Is’ section. This section carries old showroom furniture (technically, it’s not second hand), slightly damaged stuff and old stock.
Even though the stuff here does not have any warranty, a lot of it is in great condition. We bought the table, the curtain railings and the two beds here. The Queen size bed was a real bargain (we got it at a fraction of their real price) because it had a small chip on the headboard - nothing that a small paint job won’t fix.
Anyway, while paying for the stuff, the cashier mentioned that we would have to dismantle the furniture ourselves with tools provided at the service counter. It was not something I had been looking forward to actually but I had no choice or so I thought.
I spent nearly an hour dismantling the two beds with help from the Ikea staff (and their tiny S shaped screws), when we casually asked one of them about the delivery services. The guy gave me a strange look and told me: “Oh! If you use our home delivery service you don’t have to dismantle the furniture. Our staff will do it for you.”
[NOTE: All delivery within the Klang valley will cost you RM65/ for any number of items. If you want them to assemble the furniture for you, that's an extra 5% of the cost of the products.]
I felt like a complete idiot - all the hard work for nothing. I could only look at the bright side. At least I know how to dismantle them we want to move anywhere next time.
Would love to design the kitchen and fix the cabinets myself – when we have more money. And probably all the stuff will be from Ikea.
Our new apartment is completely bare except for the electrical switches and plumbing. As we didn’t take the renovation package offered by the developer, we have to do it ourselves, one step at a time.
Do it yourself (DIY) is still a new concept here in Malaysia. However, as prices of services go up, I reckon that DIY is going to get more and more popular here in the future. Ikea is the pioneer of this movement (at least in furniture) and creating more Prosumers (a consumer who is also a producer) in the process. Anyway, going back to my story...
- First of all, we have to fix the lights (13 in total) and 3 ceiling fans.
- Then fix grills to the windows and door. At the same time, fix railings for the curtains.
- Next would come other furnishings including wardrobes and kitchen cabinets.
As money is a constraint, we decided to go for stuff, which is good quality, reasonably priced, yet doesn’t look cheap. Some of you might be asking “Where Got like that?” (Manglish).
Read on my friend and you will discover that quality, style and cheap prices do indeed come together (sometimes).
Of course, our first destination was the Ikea store in Damansara (5 minutes away from our new apartment). We paid several visits this month to look for ideas, as well as to survey the prices. Before you ask, yes! We also visited dozens of furniture malls around the Klang valley as even paid second hand furniture shops in Taman Tun a visit.
After looking around quite a bit, we were either not happy with the quality or the price. Some “Super Sale” deals came with hidden conditions or were of crappy quality. The “quality” stuff came at super prices too.
In the end, we have decided to completely furnish our house with Ikea stuff. Well! Actually partly furnished.
We spent last Friday and Saturday buying all the lights, light bulbs, 2 ceiling fans, several curtain railings, 1 Queen size bed, a single bed, a wardrobe and a table. Apart from the fans, we bought all the rest from Ikea – all of it for less than Rm1000/
Which brings to the first part of my post. What was I doing dismantling a bed?
No! I did not get a part time job in Ikea.
On Friday, we discovered this place in Ikea, which we had never explored before – the ‘As Is’ section. This section carries old showroom furniture (technically, it’s not second hand), slightly damaged stuff and old stock.
Even though the stuff here does not have any warranty, a lot of it is in great condition. We bought the table, the curtain railings and the two beds here. The Queen size bed was a real bargain (we got it at a fraction of their real price) because it had a small chip on the headboard - nothing that a small paint job won’t fix.
Anyway, while paying for the stuff, the cashier mentioned that we would have to dismantle the furniture ourselves with tools provided at the service counter. It was not something I had been looking forward to actually but I had no choice or so I thought.
I spent nearly an hour dismantling the two beds with help from the Ikea staff (and their tiny S shaped screws), when we casually asked one of them about the delivery services. The guy gave me a strange look and told me: “Oh! If you use our home delivery service you don’t have to dismantle the furniture. Our staff will do it for you.”
[NOTE: All delivery within the Klang valley will cost you RM65/ for any number of items. If you want them to assemble the furniture for you, that's an extra 5% of the cost of the products.]
I felt like a complete idiot - all the hard work for nothing. I could only look at the bright side. At least I know how to dismantle them we want to move anywhere next time.
Would love to design the kitchen and fix the cabinets myself – when we have more money. And probably all the stuff will be from Ikea.
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