PC tantrums

My PC has been acting weird and testing my patience with its erratic behaviour for the past few weeks.

Sometimes when I switch on the PC early in the morning before going to work, nothing appears on the monitor screen. The green and red LED indicators will blink for a while indicating hard disk activity and then the red light would abruptly disappear leaving the green indicator to power on indefinitely with no blinking. However nothing registers on the screen as if the process is not transmitting data to the monitor. Even after a few resets although the process boots up the screen is still blank, empty of any messages and images.

Out of exasperation I would shut down the PC until evening when I return home from work. Then when I power on the PC the screen would magically come alive with the Windows welcome screenshot and the PC
would operate normally.

Last Sunday the monitor refused to power up even after I had repeatedly switch on and off the machine a few times in the morning, and afternoon. Thinking that the machine had finally died on me I sent it to the local computer service shop for service and repair.

When the technician switched on the machine the monitor screen immediately fired up, like everything was back to normal. The stupid PC was taunting and ridiculing me in front of the technician!

"What is wrong with the PC? Everything looks normal and ok," said the technician with an unbelieving look in his eyes. With a sheepish grin I explained the PC's weird behaviour. Not convinced with my explanation the technician successfully rebooted the PC three consecutive times without a hitch. "Since the operating system and the hardware are operating fine there is nothing to fix,"proclaimed the technician with an air of finality.

"Why don't I leave the PC in the shop for a day. You test run the machine a few times in the morning, afternoon and evening to see what 's happening?" I quickly suggested to save myself from further embarrassment and humiliation as I was already starting to feel like a prankster in the eyes of the technician. I hurriedly left the shop after receiving the customer order slip from the shop.

This evening I went straight to the shop at 7.30pm after returning from work. Fully expecting a technical diagnosis of the problem the technician ushered me to his work station, patted my back with a smile and proclaimed. "Your PC's fine and in good health. Nothing wrong with it. No hardware and software malfunction. Why don't you take the machine home!"

The stupid PC sure knows how to humiliate me to the maximum in front of other people. There's a limit to my patience. Heh, heh Mr big-shot PC watch out! When I loose my cool I am going to buy myself a brand new notebook and you are history!

Close Encounter With A Geisha In Metro Plaza

Konichi Wa!

This afternoon I bumped into a geisha as I walked into a store selling Japanese-made trinkets at Metro Plaza.

With a trace of what appeared to be a faint smile on her red lips accentuated by the white makeup and porcelain-like smooth skin of her melon-shape face, holding a shopping bag at the same time expertly balancing an umbrella on her delicate hands, standing with a respectful curtsy as if to greet the visitor and the most exquisite kimono dress she was indeed a stunning beauty to behold. But alas she was not a flesh and blood woman, a human, but just a mannequin, a life-size dummy doll dressed up as a geisha at the shop-front to draw potential shoppers to enter the shop

Turning my head around and cranking my neck to the back and the side I was slightly disappointed that none of the shoppers appear to notice the presence of this lonely beauty standing by the shopfront begging for attention. Well I was not a shopper going into the store to buy stuffs but her exquisite beauty stopped me in my track and enticed me to capture the image on digital photograph. "I'm going to google the internet on the world of the geisha," I made a promise to myself after returning her smile with one of my own as I headed for lift that would take me to the roof-top car park in the shopping mall.

A geisha is a Japanese female entertainer who is skill in the traditional Japanese performing arts such as classical music and dance. Although geishas are sometimes regarded as a prostitutes by non-Japanese  unfamiliar with Japanese traditions and culture, legitimate geisha do not engage in paid sex with clients. Their purpose is to entertain their customer, be it by dancing, reciting verse, playing musical instruments, or engaging in light conversation. Geisha engagements may include flirting with men and playful innuendos; however, clients know that nothing more can be expected.

The traditional makeup of an geisha features a thick white base made from rice powder with red lipstick and red and black accents around the eyes and eyebrows. The white makeup covers the face, neck, and chest, with two or three unwhitened areas (forming a W or V shape, usually a traditional W shape) left on the nape, to accentuate this traditionally erotic area, and a line of bare skin around the hairline, which creates the illusion of a mask. The lip colour comes in a small stick, which is melted in water. Crystallized sugar is then added to give the lips lustre. The lower lip is colored in partially and the upper lip left white for the apprentice geisha in her first year, after which the upper lip is also coloured. Newly full-fledged geisha will colour in only the top lip fully.

Geisha always wear kimono. Apprentice geisha wear highly colorful kimono with extravagant obi. Always, the obi is brighter than the kimono she is wearing to give a certain exotic balance. Older geisha wear more subdued patterns and styles (most notably the obi tied in a simpler knot utilized by married women known as the "taiko musubi" drum knot").

The shimada or hairstyles of the geisha are varied. There are 4 major styles of shimada: taka shimada a high chignon usually worn by young, single women; the tsubushi shimada, a more flattened chignon generally worn by older women;the uiwata, a chignon that is usually bound up with a piece of colored cotton crepe; and a style that resembles a divided peach, which is worn only by maiko. These hairstyles are decorated with elaborate hair-combs and hairpins.

Removing sugar subsidy is a bad idea for the ordinary consumer

The Star Online Wednesday December 2, 2009

Government planning to end sugar subsidy to promote healthy living

Cut sugar intake for good health

There is no doubt the intention of the government to encourage the people to consume less sugar is good. However does the government realise the economic consequence of cutting the sugar subsidy to industries?

Ending the sugar subsidy will raise the price of sugar. The consequence is that manufacturers and traders of food produce will pass the cost increase to the ordinary people by increasing their prices. As prices of food go up the cost of other services will also rise in tandem, thus further causing hardship to the public who is already burdened with the escalating of the cost of living. Even people who habitually don't consume sugar are also directly affected by the price increase of food and services

It is better to let the ordinary citizens to decide for themselves how much sugar that they want to cut back rather than to force it upon them by cutting the subsidy.

Beauty and the Beast: Stone pillars of elegance and beauty

Front view of the old high court building

Tue 1/12/09 Site of the old high court building in Kuala Lumpur

IN THE OFFICE
"Mr Ng, do you have any appointment in the afternoon?" lady boss asked approaching my corner and gesturing with her hands as I was peering into the pc monitor at my desk. Without turning my head I said nonchalantly "I have scheduled a meeting at the Balai Seni Lukis Negara site."

"There is going to be a meeting at 3pm at the old court house building. The architect has requested that the structural engineer tag along with the mechanical engineer, electrical engineer and the quantity surveyor together with the client to inspect the premises," the boss's voice trailed off as she made a u-turn back to her office. Taking the hint I promptly canceled my scheduled site meeting.

AT THE OLD HIGH COURT BUILDING
There were about 8 people consisting of the the architect, structural, mechanical and electrical engineers, quantity surveyor and representatives from the owner gathered at the site.
View of the gallery & skylight

The facade of the building still looked elegant considering that it is about 90 years old. However inside it was completely dilapidated, dusty, dirty and just an empty shell. All the furnishing, wiring, fittings, fixtures were gone, an indication of widespread looting. Even the ceiling had been ripped off exposing the air-condition ducting and some parts were hanging dangerously down from the ceiling. The air inside was stuffy and we had to use flash lights to find our way around. The floor was strewn full of rubbish eg empty cans, bottles, rags, cardboards, material fallen from the ceiling, etc. The architect told us that during his first visit he saw used condoms, broken syringes and all sorts of drug paraphernalia piled up on the floor. Due to long years of neglect the dilapidated building has become a drug haven. View of the stone piers in the court yard

THE BEAUTIFUL, MAJESTIC & ELEGANT STONE COLUMNS
Surrounding all the filth and dilapidation we found a court yard that is surrounded by beautiful stone columns spaced at close centres all of them with elaborately and intricately sculptured Roman style pedestals and capitols. In the centre of the courtyard is a sunken plaza and overhead is a viewing gallery roofed over with a skylight. It is the only lighted spot in the building as the the skylight invites the sun light to beam into the building.
View of the stone piers from the top

In the midst of all the gloom, filth and dilapidation the beautiful stone columns acting as silent sentinels guarding the court yard and the the sun bathing the sunken plaza with glorious light and warm is such a stunning sight that I had to capture it on camera. This incredible contrast reminds me of the story of the Beauty and the Beast, the stone pillars, plaza and the gallery representing the Beauty and the delapidation all round the Beast. I am so glad and gratified that the looters didn't touch the plaza and the columns as they are priceless and irreplaceable. The architecture of this heritage building will surely regain its former glory after the refurbishing and make over work is completed.

Human ants

Sun 29/12/09 KLCC

Looking down the Councouse

Shopping corridorsWhile waiting what seemed to me like hours for mother and daughter to finish the shopping at a department store on the 4th floor I strolled along the busy shop corridors taking in the sights, sounds, smells and the shoppers going about their businesses. Feeling a little tired from all the aimless walking along the endless corridors I stopped to rest my restless legs. Leaning against the railing and without being aware of what I was about to do I looked down the concourse to the ground floor.

From where I was standing on the 4th floor I saw and imagined the hundreds of frenzy shoppers as small dots scurrying about in different directions. Then along the 4 levels of corridors I also saw more dots on the move in random fashion as if oblivious to each other's presence. The dots are of course humans but I couldn't help imagining them as a colony of termite soldier ants going about their business. Then the endless lanes of corridors with the intermediate column supports reminds me of  the multitude of compartments in a termite nest.

The huge crowds of shoppers, all rushing about in a frenzy with single-minded purpose of grabbing the best buys do behave like ants hungrily feeding on their captive prey don't they?

Hanging bicycle

Sat 28/11/09 Batu 14 Hulu Langat

Wall painting of a bicycle

I was strolling by a shop in Batu 14 Hulu Langat when I spotted what I first thought was a bicycle hanging on the wall. Beside the bicycle was a wash basin and below somebody had placed some potted plants on the floor. "Is this someone's idea of parking his bike?", I remembered being amused by the absurd idea. Looking around I noted that there was ample space for the any cyclist to park his machine the conventional way.

As I stepped closer to the shop I realised that the object on the wall wasn't a bicycle but a painting of a bicycle. It looked so realistic. Couldn't tell what medium was used to paint the bicycle. The person who created the realistic painting surely has artistic talent and imagination. The painting belongs to a bicycle sale and repair shop and obviously it is the shopkeeper's idea to advertise his trade.

Morning hike to the Broga Hills

Sat 28/11/09. 7.30am. Broga Hills

The view seen from the hill topI have heard about the beauty of Broga Hill but never made the trip there in my whole life. Broga Hill is the name given to a hill side located not far from Broga town, a one street nondescript town in Negeri Sembilan, about 17 km from Kajang and 10km from Semenyih. If not for the sign board at the entrance to the town the first time visitor from Selangor Kajang wouldn't know that he is stepping into Negeri Sembilan territory.

Mist in the backgroundMy daughter Amy tracked up the hill last week with her friend and the friend's mom. After returning from the hike she was full of praise for the beautiful landscape and the clean mountain air. After hearing so much good things said about the hill from Amy I decided that I should at least investigate her claims. So this morning I decided to drag myself out of bed at 6.30am and together with the dear wife and daughter, the three of us drove to the hill in the Kancil.

We arrived at the foothill at 7.00am. There is a Chinese temple and a stall selling organic food at the foothill. There were some cars parked in front of the temple. Thus other people had arrived there even earlier than us. When I looked up the paved terraces cut into the hill side  I saw groups of people trekking up the winding slopes and also doing morning exercises.

Steep trail up the hill For the first time visitor like me and dear wife, the view of the hill side and the valley was magnificent. The clean morning air was crisp, clean and invigorating, certainly so much more refreshing than the polluted air of Kajang.
  
There are many steep and winding tracks cut along the hill side. However all the tracks are paved with bitument thus suitable for the general public to walk. At first the various tracks starting from the foot hill up to the summit look intimidating and dear wife  expressed her reservation whether with her weak legs she could make the climb to the top.

Start of the trail up the hill With my assurance and encouragement dear wife held onto my arms and the three of us began the descend slowly and leisurely on foot. In the beginning due to the exertion we had some difficulty breathing comfortably but as the climb became more familiar we were able to adapt our breathing to the climb. Bit by bit and stopping at intervals for rest the three of us finally made it to the summit. The summit is just apiece of flat land cut into the hill side. Beside us there was already a party of middle aged men and women doing exercises at the summit. We stayed at the summit for about 10 minutes doing some limbering and light calisthenics.

The view from the top looking down to the valley and the temple below was beautiful and breath taking. The presence of the morning dew and mists added to the beauty of the picturesque landscape. It reminded me of the mountain landscape of Cameron Highlands and Genting Highlands.

Rocky hill slopeThe descend was not as strainous as the ascend, although by that time all of us were sweating from our exertion. While descending we changed our normal way of walking by walking backwards and sideways.

After we got back to the Kancil I suggested that we ate at Semenyih for breakfast. dear wife said she wanted to buy vegetables and meat at the wet market. So the three of us then decided to head back to Kajang.

It was a happy trip for all of us. Definitely there will be more treks up the hill in future.

Rainy days are here to stay

13/11/09. At a KL construction site.

The ground was soggy due to the overnight rain. Some of the soil at the bottom of the ground beam formwork had been washed away by the rain leaving gaps between the earth and the beam soffits. The contractor will have to lay crusher run over the soggy wet soil in order to build up a clean and stable platform to lay the rebars.  The sky looked down cast and I wondered if that was a sign of impending rain..... Rain is always the bane of the building construction business ....