Merry Christmas

A X'mas tree at Takashimaya 2014

Merry Christmas !!

Fury The Movie

Watched Fury today.

Watching Fury is like watching Rambo. 1 against the whole battalion of soldiers. Anti-tank weapons seem to be missing for the whole battalion of Germans which was highly unlikely.

Historian knew the kill ratio of the Germans Tiger tank and yet 4 Sherman tanks can beat a Tiger at close range.

And the enemy fire always misses the good guys in the first shot. While the good guys always kill with the first shot.

Moon & Jupiter

 

Moon & Jupiter

Moon and Jupiter observed on 12 Dec 14. Location of Jupiter was confirmed with Google Sky App. It is in the North East direction

Jupiter is just a speck of light. Without camera and view without optical assistance, Jupiter looks like a star.

Photos were taken using high ISO of 6400 and unedited. Lens used was Canon 70-200mm f4.

Cars - Interesting Observation

Audi A3, Mercedes W114, Honda Stream 1.7

Saw something interesting today in a carpark.

(1) My Audi.
(2) A Mercedes W114 which was around the period I was born, late 60s to early 70s. It is technically the S-class of the era. Coloured in beautiful red and looking stunning after more than 40 years. Even the wheel hub is painted in red. The driver must have the passion to own this.
(3) My previous car - Honda Stream 1.7 litre. This one has a spotlight added. My guess is this car is probably 2005 version.

Audi A6 2014

Audi A6 2014

Audi A6 Interior

I took the Audi A6 for a spin for 3 days as my A3 was in workshop for transmission repair.

The good points for Audi A6 are:-

(1) Bigger bootspace
(2) Wider body for more internal comfort
(3) More comfortable ride especially when cruising
(4) Internally, it has a push start/stop button and a keyless entry.

The minus ponts for the A6 are:-

(1) Bigger car means difficult to manoeuvre in a city. Parking also needs more space due to its length. It has both front and rear parking sensor to help driver in a tight situaton.
(2) Comparing with the A3, the A6 being a 2 litre turbo obviously has poorer fuel efficiency
(3) Turning radius appears to be bigger

The A6 while it is comparable to the BMW 5 series and the Mercedes E class has a identity problem. The front of the A6 is almost the same as as A3 and A4. There is no major distinguishable difference across its line. This makes buyer wonder why buy a A6 when A4 or A3 sedan are good enough.

The A6 is about S$50,000 more than the A3.

Kuching Sarawak Part 6 - Hawker Centre

 

A hawker centre at Kuching city. It is known as Song Kheng Hai Ground Food and Recreation Centre. The completion plaque shows  that it was opened on 26 Mar 1995. Interestingly there seems to be an exhaust duct for mechanical ventilation. Whether it was used was not known. The food section is located at the upper storey. The lower storey is empty.

There was also a hygiene grading system with a green sticker pasted at the signage above the stall. It appears that the stalls mainly have attained a 'A' grade.

Kuching Sarawak - Part 5 Orang Utan

The orang utan at Semenggoh Natural Reserve. A reserve that is about 45 mins from city centre. Here you can see orang utan in its natural habitat being fed by reserve ranger. Nothing special in my opinion as I could see them in zoo. While the feeding time is 9:00am, being in their natural habitat whether they take the bait is up to individual orang utan. Waited for about half an hour before 2 orang utan appear.

I did not have a zoom lens that makes photography rather challenging.

Kuching Sarawak - Part 4 Fairy Cave

Fairy Cave Entrance

Concrete Stairs Leading to Entrance

Fairy Cave

 

 

Wall and Green Vegetation

Old Stairs which are steep and narrow

Located on a turn off Jalan Bau, the fairy cave is close to Kuching.

There is an entrance fee of RM5 for foreign visitors. To reach the cave, a person has to climb a concrete flight of stairs. While climbing, you can see the old discarded flight of stairs which are steeper and narrower.

Upon reaching the entrance of the cave, you have to continue climbing within the cave. No lights are provided and it is quite dark inside. Fortunately I have a small touchlight with me. On certain parts of the climb, there are ropes and hand rails to hold onto to prevent fall. Just walk slowly and steadily when the visibility drops. There are water falling from the top of the cave. Towards the end of the climb, the cave opens up to a big limestone enclosure with an large opening for lights to penetrate and brighten the whole cave. Due to presence of light, plants grow well with the cave enclosure.

In the cave, you can hear bats sharp pitch notes as they use echo to determine distance from wall. Due to presence of water, the humidity within the cave is quite high.

If you have not been to cave, it is interesting to take a look at how nature creates limestone,

Kuching Sarawak - Part 3 Food

Food I have eaten in Kuching

Crayfish in black pepper sauce

Comments: Not bad but the best one I ever had was in South Africa (RM14 for 3 crayfish) 

Steam Fish

Comments: Sauce is not as strong as in Singapore but is good enough, but it is still delicous. Fish meat is fresh (RM26) 

Chilli Crab

Comments: Sauce is not as good as Singapore. But at this price, taste is reasonable. (RM30). All seafood shown here is from Top Spot (a Seafood centre with a few stalls at Jalan Green Hill)



Kor Lor mee for RM 3. Kuching signature dish. Simple and nice.



Duck Rice with Char Siew for RM8. Can't find this price in Singapore. The roast pork and char siew are actually quite good and tastefully roasted in the city areas.



Kuching Rojak in a Song Kheng Hai Food Centre. Too little tau pok, too much cucumber. RM4.

Overall, I think Kuching is a good place to enjoy food at a much lower cost than Singapore. The locals would probably find even cheaper food outlets in Kuching that could offer a much lower cost, especially at the outskirt. 

Kuching Sarawak - Part 2

Parking Charges in Kuching

To live in Kuching, many local residents drive as the taxi is quite expensive and the bus is quite rarely seen. However, the issue is insufficient parking in the city. In the city, there was parking charges and drivers who did not display their coupons were fined.

Parking charges in the city are shown above.

I saw a second hand Proton Persona for sale at 20,000 RM.

Kuching Sarawak - Part 1

St Joseph's Church. Kuching

Another view St Joseph's Church

Kuching - View from Hotel

I was at Kuching Sarawak, East Malaysia from 23 to 26 Nov 14.  This was my third time in Kuching, a place near the birthplace of my mum in Bintulu. I was told that my grandfather used to operate a pepper farm before immigrating to Singapore. In those days (probably in the late 1940s and early 1950s), people were free to travel and select their place of residence. That of course changed the fate of subsequenty generations.

The first time I was in Kuching was in Primary 3 (9 years old). The second time was in 2009. The taxi driver who drove me around said that there is little change in Kuching and it was the same many years ago.

When I was 9 years old, I remember visiting St Joseph's Church. In the church, My sister and I were chased around by a dog. My mum was visiting the grave of my grand mother who was buried behind the church. The church internal finishing was what I had recalled more than 35 years ago.

My grand mother had passed on in the year 1939 and it was 75 years since and nothing had changed. This would be almost impossible in Singapore due to city development.

I remember visiting a food centre which is still located at Jalan Khoo Hun Yeang in Kuching centre. I remember there were beggars looking for leftover food. At 9 years old, that left me a deep impression as I wonder why there are people eating leftover food.

I also remember visiting a river and was told there was crocodile in the river. I suspect that the river was Sungai Sarawak as it was within walking distance from the food centre. The river was a region for trade and commerce with the rest of the world as back then majority of the goods were transported by ships.

Altum Angelfish



6 pairs of Altum Angelfish

Nice altum Angelfish in possibly a 5 ft tank in a local fish shop. The temperature in the tank is regulated by a heater.

The photo doesn't really show the beauty of this simple setup.

Tiong Bahru Hawker Centre

Jian Bo Chwee Kueh in Tiong Bahru

Tiong Bahru Market - I went to try the Jian Bo Chwee Kueh. It was comparable to Blk 207 New Upper Changi in that it gives quite a huge serving of preserved raddish. The raddish seems to be diced in  bigger pieces. The photo doesn't give justice to the good quality as the stall assistant wrapped the paper before giving to customer which mixes the raddish. They were quite fast in serving but expect a queue during peak hours. Only 1 negative point, instead of sticks which although were the traditional means of picking up the Kueh, it would be good if they can give chop sticks or spoons. Otherwise it would be quite difficult to scope up the raddish.

The other dish I tried was the Teochew fish ball noodle. A simple dish at $3, but it was good. The quality of the noodle was different from conventional.The fish balls were meaty and made from quality fish as compared to factory manufactured fish balls.  There will be a queue during peak hour.

Electric Blue Balloon Ram Part 2

I have 2 electric blue ballon ram. They belong to the cichlid family of fish and are naturally aggressive in nature. One of the ram is bigger than the other by a few of millimeters and is the dominant ram in the tank (called Ram 1). The other ram has smaller dorsal fins (called Ram 2). Ram 1 being the dominant ram bullys Ram 2 by chasing it around the tank. Ram 2 has to go into hiding among the aquatic plants so that there is no direct eye contact with Ram 1. I sometimes feel sorry for Ram 2 because of the bullying. Ram 1 has dorsal fins that are outlined in black strip that makes it looks aggressive, however, there is minimal bullying of other fishes in the tank.

However, Ram 1 becomes sick with effects such as no appetite for food and lower activity in the tank. But being the dominant fish, it will still create the effect of chasing Ram 2 for a short distant.  In order to treat the fish, I have placed Ram 1 in a separate tank for medication. After Ram 1 is placed in a seperate tank, there is no more stress on Ram 2 and it becomes the only cichlid in the tank and its inherent aggressiveness begins to surface. Ram 2 starts to swim freely in the tank and starts to bully other fishes even thought they are bigger in size. It has started to develop dorsal fins that has black strip. I can't wait for Ram 1 to be cured of its sickness and return to the main tank for peace and order to be maintained.

The observation shows that balance of power is important not only in a tank but also in the world of international politics.

Fishes Asset
2 Electric Blue Balloon Rams
4 yellow Mollys
2 Dwarf Gourami
1 Marble Angelfish
1 Swordtail
1 Platy with black tail
1 Albino Cory
1 red Betta fish

Rest In Peace
2 Guppies

Electric Blue Balloon Ram

Electric Blue Balloon Ram

I bought this ram fish this morning. It was S$2.50 each and I bought a pair. I am pleased with the blue colouration and its black lined fin. The fish also has a pair of red eyes.

I read that the fish requires some skills to maintain. It is a slow fish and does not rush around as compared to my gourami, molly and guppy. Feeding is a problem because it does not rush for food and the food is usually eaten by others. Hopefully the pair of ram can survive long.

Blk 69 Geylang Bahru Porridge

 

A decent bowl of porridge with centuary egg and pork. Cost S$3 without egg. More expensive than Blk 89 Circuit Road Market porridge. Operated by a senior couple.

 

 

 

  

I have a special feeling towards Blk 69 Geylang Bahru hawker centre because when I was a secondary school boy in the 1980s, I used to work for my father, a electrician. His factory was located in Kallang Bahru Industrial Park, which to my surprise and sadness, was demolished. The factory was close to Geylang Bahru hawker centre and we used to eat at the hawker centre.

Aquarium & Fishes

Guppy and 2 gold dust guppy at the background

The second Guppy which has yellow body

I bought a new 2 feet aquarium recently. In the aquarium, I placed 2 aquatic plants, 4 molly fishes and 2 guppies.

Supporting the aquarium are fish food, anti-chlorine, Qian Hu Supper Battle Bacteria 8000, 1 filter air pump, LED lights, 1 fish net, gravel and some pails.

My decision on the type of fishes were simple (i) must be hardy (ii) must be compatible with other fishes in the community (iii) should not easily jump out of aquarium (iv) must have some colours. I have wanted to buy the red swordtail fish as the colour was vibrant but the fish has a tendency to jump out of water. I may consider this choice if my aquarium has a cover.

The molly fish gave birth to 3 fry in the tank. It was pregnant prior to my purchase. The fry need to protect themselves by hiding in the crevices among the garvel. Both molly and guppies are livebearer. Generally, molly fishes swim in a group most of the time and they are quite active. The ones I have are orange in colour or some say gold dust. They are inexpensive and cost about S$1.50 each.

The science of rearing aquarium fishes includes bacteria that can convert ammonium (from waste of fishes) to nitrates that are less harmful to fishes. The frequency of water changes must also be considered and also the need to provide oxygen to the plants and fishes.

When I was a young boy, I had opportunity to keep a small aquarium with gold fishes, tiger barbs and guppies. They were not long lasting and died pretty fast.  I lost interest after fishes died.

Lamborghini Series - Aventador Spyder

Lamborghini Aventador Spyder

 

Nice colour - Metalic Silverish Grey

Lamborghini Series - Huracan

Lamborghini Huracan

Nice Rims on the Huracan almost similar to F430

Lamborghini Huracan Rear with 4 tail exhausts

A car that can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.2 sec. Slightly slower than Sesto Elemento but it is still super fast.
Top Speed is more than 320 km/h
Engine is 10 cyclinders V 90 degree IDS
All wheel drive

Why would they want to paint the car Ferarri red?

Lamborghini Series - Sesto Elemento

Lambo Sesto Elemento - The only thng round in the car are the wheels and fuel cap

Sesto Elemento - Rear View. Very strong straight cutting lines

A car that can acclerate from 0 to 100km/h in 2.5 seconds.
Top speed is more than 300 km/h
Engine is 10 cyclinders V 90 degree DOHC.
4 wheel drive

If you like cars with strong straight lines and not much curves, this is it. It is directly opposite of Porsche 911 in body design.

Cheap & Good Food

S$2 vegetarian bee hoon from Mayflower Hawker Centre. The quality is reasonably good. The fired bean curb are crispy and taste good.

 

S$2 black char tau kway from North Bridge Road Hawker Centre. I recommend the black one because it has the burnt dark sauce fragance. The stall offers $1.50 plate, of course with a smaller quantity.

RAM and Windows 7, 8 & 9

4 years old damaged RAM Chip Sets each 2GB

My Dell Inspiron 580 is more than 4 years old (bought in June 2010). It originally comes with 6GB RAM but recently I noticed that the programs and speed of the PC is terribly slow despite efforts in removing unwanted programs. Then I realised that the RAM was down to 2GB, the remaining 4GB seemed to be unreadable or damaged.

Not knowing which RAM chip set was damaged(there are 3 of them as shown above), I decided to replace the 3 pieces of RAM with a single 4GB RAM set (DDR3) After replacement, the programs run on smoothly. A desktop with 4 years of continuous usage is considered old. But I trust that my Dell can still run for another year or two. Good workhorse.

It runs on Windows 7, which is acknowledged as the best operating system from Windows and to some it is better than Windows 8.1. I have a Dell laptop running on Windows 8.1 but I still continue to use my Windows 7 desktop.

Recently, there was rumour that the new Windows 9 will be released soon (Sep 14) by Microsoft under the new CEO. When I bought Windows 8.1 laptop, the salesman said that the laptop was loaded with Windows 7 and believed it was a better OS. However, I proceeded to pay Microsoft for Windows 8 and subsequently upgraded it to Windows 8.1. The laptop doesn't come with touchscreen, as such it is difficult to use the much promoted Windows 8 Metro interface. I had initially thought that with the promotion of touchscreen interface, there would be attempt by monitor manufacturers to produce large quantity of touchscreen monitors, hence over time, reduce the cost and price. I was wrong. At the time of lauch, a 23 inch touchscreen standalone monitor cost about S$550. Now after 2 years since Windows 8 was released, the 23 inch touchscreen monitor still costs about S$500. Why would anyone pay this price for touchscreen feature when a non screen 23 inch probably cost half of that price? The non-cooperation from monitor manufacturers means that consumers are still using the conventional non touchscreen monitor, aka Windows 7.

Microsoft Office 365 introduced for Windows 8 ran on a yearly subscription format. The non subscription version will cost much more. This is asking consumers to pay Microsoft on a yearly basis. Why this arrangement? This discouraged consumer to upgrade to Windows 8 or Microsoft Office 365.

What I hope to see in the new Windows 9?
Traditional Windows Start Button
More stable Internet Explorer with less security issues
More stable Operating system with less requirement to upgrade
Forget about subscription base Microsoft Office
Full compatibility with older softwares

Well, Windows 7 continues to serve me well even though it is more than 4 years old.

Horse Riding

The Horse (7 years old) and my shadow

This was my second time riding a horse. Both times, my butt hurt after riding, probably due to incorrect riding posture. The first time was in South Africa. The second time was in Tiger Leaping Gorge in China. In China, the task was more strenous for the horse because it was an uphill climbing task and secondly I was much heaviler. I could recall that in the first attempt many years ago, the horse did run for a short distance.

In China, the horse had to stop for a few moments either to breath or for me to adjust my seating postion (as I was shifted too far back). The horse man had to coerced the horse to move. Obviously the horse man said that I was inexperienced in horse riding. The horse understood the path that it had travelled well and due to familiarity, it would stop at certain spots for rider to take photograph. This remind me of the chinese phrase "老马识途" which means an old horse will know its path travelled (and will not be lost).

In the modern days of cars which boast more than 100, 200 bhp. This horse is only 1 horse power and yet it could take me to the peak of a mountain in rugged terrain.

My Favourite Street Food Singapore

Eng's Noodle Wan Tan Mee

I have written about my favourite Singapore steet food on 16 Jun 2013 and one of my favourite is wan tan noodle.
http://e21s.blogspot.com/2013/06/my-favourite-street-food-singapore.html

This wan tan noodle is from Eng's noodle house in Tanjong Katong Road. It opens from 11am to 9pm daily. Interesting taste comes from its extra spicy chilli sauce and a special taste sesame oil. The noodle has also a different texture as compared to conventional.