Wednesday, December 29, 2010

MCA 1 plate taken in NZ ;)

This morning, I read with amusement this news item from Malaysia:

Melaka RTD to collect RM1.5m for ‘MCA’ licence plates

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 28 – The tender results for car licence plates bearing registration numbers from MCA 1 to MCA 9999 will be put up for public viewing at the Melaka Road Transport Department (RTD) starting tomorrow.

The Transport Ministry in a statement today, said the results would also be made available at the department’s website at www.jpj.gov.my.

A total of 965 tender applications for the MCA car licence plates were received between November 24 and December 15.

MCA 1 received the highest bid price of RM300,100, followed by MCA 2 at RM101,000 and MCA 8 at RM88,168,” the statement said.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Xmas Turkey, Wellington...

Once a year, Christmas is the time we catch up with close friends and traditionally we always try to roast a turkey :)

Through the years, we discovered if we buy our fresh turkey AFTER Xmas day; we can get a real bargain! The best time would be on the 27th of December.

This year however, since we are having a get together on Boxing Day with Boon & Jackie who came back from Brisbane; we went turkey hunting (no weapons needed, duh!) in the morning.

We found plenty of fresh birds at City New World. The price tags tell us the 6kg bird was $125.00 before Xmas and now, on Boxing Day; $68.00!!

We bought two, one for our gathering on the same night and the other for a dinner the next night.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

♡ My Auto Love Affair ♡

I love ♡♡♡♡♡ my Mitsubishi Lancer!

Fast rewind to 1977, when we were all young and beautiful; it was during that time when the newspaper where we worked, "went national" and I had to packed my bags and took my two loves to Kuala Lumpur.

Those were the tough, exciting; and challenging days. We met them head on and looking back, we love it ;)

My "two loves", my young general (we just got married) and the Lancer EL (1,200); first car that I bought with my hard earned cash, a year before we got transferred to Kuala Lumpur.

I remember fondly those KL days when both of us missed Penang so badly that we drove home every week!

Friday, December 24, 2010

Merry Xmas & a Happy New Year

To all our friends, relatives; readers; enemies...

We had our usual "Secret Santa" at work, just for fun; you do not know who give you the Christmas gift ;)

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Canon G12, Best of the G?

Ten long years after Canon launched the G1, the latest ten generation G12 became one of the most advanced fixed lens cameras on the market.

Why is it not the twelve generation? Because Canon missed out the G4 and G8 in their numbering game. Some seems to think the 4 and 8 are taboo to the Japanese, but who know ;)

Compare to other P&S, the G12 is a chunky and weighty camera; some say it is ugly, some like it because "it is built like a tank!" or "It is a MAN's camera!", follow by
Tim Allen's Man Grunt from Home Improvement :)

I suppose it falls into the either you love or hate it category.

The G12 have enough dials, buttons; and wheels to keep any photographer happy. I was told the G series P&S are the favorite "side arm" for pro shooters!
So what kind of features the Canon G12 offer a photographer? Well, only these:

Friday, December 17, 2010

Canon G, Gs; You Came A Long Way!

According to Wikipedia:

The PowerShot products are a line of consumer and prosumer grade digital cameras, launched by Canon in 1995. The PowerShot line has been successful for Canon, and is one of the best-selling digital camera lines worldwide.

The Canon PowerShot G is a series of digital cameras released by Canon. The G series cameras are Canon's flagship models aimed at prosumer photography enthusiasts desiring more flexibility than a point-and-shoot without the bulk of a digital single-lens reflex camera.
The G series offers features such as the use of a lithium-ion battery, a flip-out-and-twist LCD (all models except G7, G9 and G10 which have a fixed screen), Raw image format capture (all models except G7), a lens with a wider maximum aperture than standard PowerShot models, remote capture (except G11), and faster electronics. The range also includes a hot shoe for an external flashgun, including Canon's EX range.


Saturday, December 11, 2010

Remembering the Highland Towers Tragedy

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia:

On December 11, 1993; after 10 continuous days of rainfall, Block 1 of the Highland Towers collapsed.

The Highland Towers were three blocks of 12-story apartment at Ulu Kelang, built in the late 1970s at the western base of a steeply sloped hill, it was later terraced (extensively in the early 1980s) for proposed bungalow developments which were never completed.

Each block was respectively named Block 1 (built first, southern-most), Block 2 (built second, north-northwest of block 1, slightly elevated than the other two, closer in to the hill) and Block 3 (built last, northwest of block 1, west of block 2).

A swimming pool was located between northwest side of Block 2 and northeast rear of Block.

Ten continuous days of rainfall caused the retaining wall at the Tower's car park to fail and this led to a landslide . The landslide swept away the foundation of the building and Block 1 toppled over.

The Highland Towers Tragedy claimed the lives of 48 men, women and children (including an infant).

My involvement...

Saturday, December 4, 2010

These Boots Are Made For...

THROWING!??

According to Wikipedia:

"Gumboot Day is a native celebration of Taihape, New Zealand. It occurs the Tuesday after Easter, and has been a regular event since 1985. It is a celebration of all things to do with gumboots, and includes the famous gumboot throwing contest.
The aim of the festival is to break the world record for the longest gumboot throw. It is a family event, which includes a number of other competitions such as the best-dressed gumboot and ‘shoot the loop’ with gumboots.
Gumboots can also be tossed skyward on any day of the year in the official Gumboot throwing lane located in the 'Outback', just behind Taihape's main shopping center."
On Friday it was gumboot throwing day at my office (NZMS and DI).
Many of my colleagues discovered on Friday that throwing gumboot is not as simple as they imagine!
Just look at the different "styles" of their throw, we all had a really good laugh!


The "High Over The Head Style" that fall short!