Changes: #4 New hobby

I still love photography. But during the last six months, I've pick up new hobby and skill: leather craft.

It all started with a stop at a RM2-kind of shop. I spotted a sewing kit that have an awl in it. I had bought a spool of waxed thread ealier. I am not quite sure why I bought it, but I did.

My riding pouch was showing signs of tear. I decided to try to mend it myself using the sewing kit and the thread. The stitching isn't the neat, nevertheless, more that six months later, it still held!

After the first stitching on the pouch, I was curious. I wonder if I could actually make anything. I somehow found a shop selling leather patch. One thing let to another, before I knew it, the initial sewing kit have grown into a kit that need a small tool box. From mending a torn pouch, I've begun making leather stuff: keychains, wallets, cases (handphone, tablet, memory card), and also tool pouches.

Now I'm sort of 'addicted' to it. I would love to be able to craft at one item each week.

Changes: #3 Jobs

For the past one year, I've changed job twice.

It first started when I noticed that I was sickly. I wasn't exactly ill, but I wasn't exactly well. It felt like I was in constant fever that refuse to go away. I felt just fine when ever I was out of the work premise. I had lost quite a lot of weight.

I initially wanted to take a break and recuperated. Opportunity came knocking in the form of a job offer from a smaller company. Granted, the pay was smaller, but compared to the workload, it was a handsome pay. I enjoyed my time at the company. I had plenty time for rest and family. I even had time to pick up new skill - leather craft.

Alas, it had to end. The probation was suppose to be only three months. But when neither boss nor HR mentioned anything about my confirmation, I started to look for another job after the fourth month. After working for only seven months (among the shortest stint so far), I move on to another job in a bigger company. I'm still adjusting to the new workplace and work environment.

Hopefully this change is for the best.

Changes: #2 New camera

I still enjoys photography. And I still love my mirrorless camera - Olympus Pen.

After spending thousands of kilometres and hours on the motorcycles, I realized that I some time couldn't stop in time to capture some of the fantastic view that I saw. Furthermore, after becoming the road statistic for Eid Fitri a couple of years back (yes I was hit by a car), an action cam was in order.

The relatively cheap action cam, have limited capability. But at the moment it is good enough to capture moments while riding the bike. The buttons on the camera have some what 'worn out'. Some times they don't respond when I pressed them. Nevertheless the action cam still could capture decent videos.

Beside the action cam, I recently purchase another camera: Olympus TG-5. I've always wanted a 'tough' camera. After so many years oogling it, I finally bought it. The image quality is better than the cheap action cam. But I'm not going to mount it on the helmet yet. Now that I have the TG-5, the Pen, besides not being water proof, suddenly seems too bulky to carry around.

So now, I'm using minimalist gears combination.

Dusting out the old keyboard

When I bought the keyboard, I had hoped that I would be posting more frequently in the blog. But that didn't really happened. Not because I had nothing to post about, but some how or rather I didn't get around to post anything. 

Then when some characters on the keyboard stopped functioning, the keyboard got shelved away. I had been meaning to get a replacement, but never did. Today, out of curiousity, I took out the keyboard, and took it apart. Suddenly, the keys are all functioning again. For a RM 75 plastic keyboard, I amazed that it still could function!

Hopefully, I will be more motivated to update this blog in the future.

Growing Old

We were walking

me, down the memory lane.

My shadow shaded him from the sun.

My scarf shielded him from the drizzles.

We were walking

him, in the present.

He towers over me.

I now grows old

he grows up.

Eternal Peace

Rain pelting the tarmac. I sat there, a book in my hand, waiting for the down pour to stop.

Despite the storm, there was calmness and peacefulness in the air. It was surreal. Then I remembered. The spot, the McD where I sat and took shelter, once stood a majestic banyan tree. Underneath it, was a cemetery.

The local people who opened the area, were once buried here. They knew their land. They knew which spot was peaceful for them to rest eternally. But it was not meant to be. Money and commercialisation were more important. In death, they were required to moved.

And so they did. To make way for a mall and a fast food restaurant. A reminder to us all, nothing is eternal in this world, not even death.

Happy New Year

It new year again!

Gong Xi Fa Chai

p.s. I've just realised that it loosely translated to  "wishing (you) abundance of wealth". Who need peace and happiness, when wealth is more preferred ;)

2018

2018. A week has passed. 

I stared blankly on the screen pondering what to write / type. I see others sharing their new year resolutions. I have none; other than to write 2018 instead of 2017.

Some live events in mine have made me feel that new year celebrations on 1st January is overrated. I now treated it as just another holiday. 1st January is new year for Gregorian Calender. We in Asia, have other calenders that we centre our lives around. Chinese Lunar Calendar and Islamic Calendar are just two examples of those calenders. There's also Hindu solar calendar that our Hindu's friends use to pick auspicious date for every thing.

Though I'll say somthing similar again in a couple of months: Happy New Year!

Happy Merdeka Day!

Happy 60th Merdaka Day!

Changes: #1 Mode of transport

There are some changes in my life. As mentioned in my previous post, I've already changed my main mode of transportation.

The power to be decided that some hikes (no I'm not referring to hike-up-the-mountain kind of hike) are long over due. Not only the KTM commuter fare, but also the parking fees, and highway tol - all at the same time. Then there were also reduction of subsidies to the petrol. 

The petrol price now fluctuates every week, according to only God-knows-what. Officially, it was according to market price. But I don't know which market because some times when the world price was down, the local price still went up.

All in all, it was nolonger cost effective for me to continue commuting on the KTM commuter nor the bus. The thought of changing job did occur to me. But while looking for new job, I still had to commute. Then my brothers planted the idea of motorbiking to work.

I never would have thought that I would do a daily long distance commute on a motorbike. If it hadn't because of the hikes, I would still be commuting using the public transport and occassionally by car. So, one thing led to another. 

Now, more than 56,000 km and almost two years later, I'm still on my bike. Not only commuting, but enjoying occasional solo rides.

Blank

I stared blankly at the computer screen, trying to get some ideas for this entry.

It has been quite a long while since I last write anything, apart from work related reports. I longed for my creative juice to flow. To have words flow through my fingers on to the keyboard.

Speaking of keyboard, earlier this month, I upgraded my tablet. The OTG adapter and the keyboard was working just fine. Until suddenly this morning the new tablet refused to detect the keyboard. Imagine my frustration of having to do tech support using only the small touchscreen keyboard on the tablet. You can't really do any serious ten-fingers-typing on the touchscreen.

So, off I went to a gadget shop to buy replacement OTG adapter. It only cost me RM 3. While testing the adapter and the keyboard at the counter, the good sales assistant looks on and enquired about my setup. I casually asked him if the shop have any small keyboard like what I was using. I told him that the tablet can't power up the normal-size keyboard. He said they don't have the mini keyboard, but...

He casually walked over one of the shelves, and reached out for a box. Out came a foldable bluetooth keyboard!

After testing the keyboard, I was sold!

Now it seems to me, it is becoming a pattern to have August as the month for IT upgrades!

Adiwiraku

... that's Bahasa Malaysia for "My Superhero". I'm not talking about the Marvel's superheroes. But about a local film:

There are a lot of reviews written about this film which I refused to read. I didn't want to have any biases when I watch the film. Alas, I only managed to watch it after about a month of it released, regretfully not in the cinema.

This is the kind of film that should be produced more by our local entertainment industry. While the film lack big name & famous actors/actresses, the contents and cinematography made up for those. The very least, it has inspired me to know and perhaps some day visit this place called Pinang Tunggal.

If you love this film, you should watch "Denias Senandung di atas Awan".

Cobweb

That is what seems to be gathering not only in this blog but also probably my head. Not that there are nothing interesting to write about, just that I can't seem to find interesting words to put them into perspective.

Perhaps I've been "staying put" longer than what I should have. Hence the cobweb. Sheryl Crow's "A Change Would Do You Good" is beginning to play in my head these days. Last year I've changed my main mode of transport - now I mostly ride motorbike. It made the commute to work to become a journey to enjoy. Now, a year later, I'm itching again for some changes. 

While I'm working on changes, I have to remind myself that God has a way of giving what you need when you need it. Not what you want when you want it. What you want may not be the best for you. 

In the mean time, the Chinese Lunar Calender is changing to a new year. So to my Chinese Reader: Happy New Year!

Loss vs Lost

When a company make a loss, it meant that the company is not making money. Mistakes that lead to the loss should be identified and learned from.

When a company lost money, it meant the money is unaccounted for. In other words, some one stole/swindled money from the company. Thieves should be caught and put into jails.

So which was it? Did a company make a loss, or did a company lost money, or was it both?

PEKAK

... that's a Malay word for deaf. It is also the title of a Malaysian that had won some international award recently.

Looking at the poster, it easy to over simplify that the film is yet another love story. But it's not really a love story. At least not the typical Malaysian love stories that are full of unattainable fantacies. I can't seem to recall any where in the film where the two main characters (in the above poster) confest their love to each other. Don't expect of those corny I-love-you-you-love-me kind of dialogues and love scenes in this film.

This is a 'heavy' film. It deals with 'heavy' and serious subjects. But at the same time the film sucessfully blends in elements of comedy, suspence, thriller into one seamless flow.

"PEKAK" is the kind of films that the Malaysian film industry should produce more. Unfortunately, looking at the turn up at the cinema hall, I doubt the film would hit any box office.

Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat

Last year I wrote about Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat.

The root of the conflicts was an unjust ruler. Hang Tuah, putting loyalty at the highest priority, did not go against his boss. Hang Jebat on the other hand saw justice is more important than anything else. What about the rest of the "Lima Bersaudara" (Brotherhood of Five?). I wonder what Hang Kasturi, Hang Lekir and Hang Lekiu had in their mind? Did they take sides? Did they take any actions?

If "Hang Tuah Lima Besaudara" is merely a myth, then the person who invented the myth is a visionary. Two opposing side fought, while the majority (isn't three 'Hang's is more than two?) was silent and perhaps torn apart.

This situation still rings true in many modern day conflicts!

Few and Very Far A Part

Those words aptly describe the updates to this blog. 

It has been more than a year since my last update. And last year, there were only two entries.  I'll try to do better this year. 

Let start with what motivated me to update this blog today:

An OTG adaptor for Android device.

 Initially I bought it so that I could plug my thumb drive to my andriod tablet. Then rumaging through my old stuff, I found an old keyboard for mom's now-faulty android tablet. out of curiousity I plugged it in...

Now I have a nifty little thing that I can use to update this blog. 

Hopefully,with this nifty little thing, there will be more frequent update in this blog!

For Malaysians out there, happy Hari Merdeka ke-59!

Hang Tuah and history.

A few weeks ago some local professors claimed to have proved Hang Tuah is a historical figure, not a myth. If he existed, we could deduce that Hang Jebat also existed.

Hang Jebat often potrayed as traitor. It is just human nature to fight unjust ruler. Just because we are loyal to the ruler, like Hang Tuah, are we willing to kill our justice-seeking brother? Should we remain loyal to an unjust ruler?

They said history will repeat itself. I wonder who are the modern Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat.

Wha' chadoin'?

I turn to reference book, field guide, manual and youtube for inpiration and guidance.

Have a great Sunday!

Shocked

It was shocking to see this sign nailed to a tree along a street in KL:

I much rather hear birds chirping during my morning walks than the sound of engines from vehicles zooming by.