Anyway, just a few updates on what has happened the past 2-3 months since I last blogged

1. Bali Trip
   Went to a short weekend trip to Bali with a group of 8 ppl including Peiwen and myself. My blog header picture (paddy field) is actually taken at Bali in case you’re wondering. Will probably take it down soon as it’s taking quite a bit of real estate. Took some photos there, so maybe will post a few on the blog soon. (or never depending on laziness level)
2. Actual Day Wedding Photography for Kaifeng And Meili
   Took wedding day photos for Kaifeng whom is Peishi’s (ex colleague) younger brother. Was a whole day affair starting at 8am at the bride’s house at the faraway land of Pioneer (west side). My day ended at 11 pm after the wedding dinner and all. Really tiring affair but glad the photo turned out alrite.
3. Actual Day Wedding Photography for Johnson And Xuejing
   Another wedding day photos for my good old friend Xuejing (secondary school classmate). Quite a delightful affair starting the day at 6+ am in JB and ending after a nice poolside ROM and buffet luncheon. No less tiring of course even though it was 1/2 day of work. They’re just going through the photos after coming back from honeymoon in Japan. Hope I managed to capture the moment.
4. A new desktop PC
   Got myself a new Desktop PC. Assembled it at Sim Lim. The big plan for this PC is more for CPU intensive work for image editing as well as a storage solution. Intend to actually fit in a few HDD configured in a RAID array. Well, the RAID part is not in yet due to budget constraints. So that’s upcoming in future (probably not so near unless SingaporePools approves my application)
5. New furniture from IKEA
   Bought 2 new furniture from IKEA. A table for my new desktop PC as well as a Billy Bookcase for well.. books and such. With these purchases I’ve clocked enough purchases from IKEA to qualify extension of my IKEA Friends card for another 2 years (yeah.. spending a lot at IKEA).
6. Helped a buddy with his website
   Helped a buddy revamp his clinic’s website. You can check out the website at http://backandneckchiro.com. My buddy Vish runs the clinic and I personally go there for chiropractic treatment to fix up my back aches as well as headaches. If you’re having issues with your back and neck, I personally recommend that you check out my friend’s clinic.
7. Gained a few Kilos
   Gained a few kgs.. DRATS.. need I say more

Well, some targets I have set for myself for the very new future

1. Buy ingredients for my next beer brew.
2. Upload a few pics from the Bali trip.
3. Upload a few pics from the weddings I’ve taken recently.
4. Cut on expenditure.. spending money like water the past few months.
5. Prepare to take wedding pics for my colleague Darren.
6. LOSE a few Kilos.

Okay, that sums up updates for now. Hope to blog again real soon.

Don’t really have much to say.. but my colleague just sent me this youtube clip that I think it’s very nice. Do check it out.

This clip has been out a while but kudos to the people who made it. Something refreshing in the midst of all these crap we hear about racial divides these days.

MERDEKA!!

First off, earlier this month minus few days back (end March, I know I’m cheating) was joyful and tiring. My wife’s younger brother got married to his long time girlfriend. It was a grand affair with me being the photographer. Tiring no doubt to cover the wedding event being the photographer and bro-in-law but nevertheless it was a satisfying time for all.

Then 2 weeks later in mid April… April 15… tragedy struck. My mother in law passed away that fateful morning.. very suddenly. Everyone was in shock. Everyone was in sorrow. I cried that day, the first time I cried so badly since my own mother passed away more than 10 years back. No one expected this, no one was ready. The next few days was a blur with the funeral and all. I can’t remember a lot of things that happened those few days.

That few days was tough for everyone and my family and I take this opportunity to thank everyone for their concern and contributions. We really appreciate the concern and not forgetting those that came by to the wake and helped out.

I believe the funeral was a grand event that is fitting to send off my dear mother in law where alot of her friends and acquaintance attended. May she rest in peace.

Then on Apr 18, one day after the cremation another emotional twist occurred. My nephew was born that evening. It was the baby son of my wife’s elder brother. Our feelings were a mix of sorrow and joy that day. A new life was born when one left just days before. Days before we drove about the same route heading to the memorial park for the wake and funeral. Then days later we drove the same route heading to the hospital where the baby was born. Emotionally draining I tell you.

Today at Apr 30, I have just packed up some clothes to go back for the long weekend. My wife and I are still slowly adjusting to our loss in a prominent figure in the family and also adjusting to life with the newborn. It’s hard emotionally and it will take some time getting used to and to slowly turn the sorrow into memories.

Finally however cliché it may be, if you have been away from your love ones for sometime, don’t make anymore excuses. Go back and visit them. I must make it a point to visit my dad more often as well.

Very meaningful and touching. A must watch!!

Anyway, spotted someone rather interesting.

Someone familliar.. don't you think?

Well, he’s probably not the real deal, but I do find it rather amusing. Wonder if my hero RPK is in facebook….

It was really close!

This is how close I got to the wall when I parked the car that day. And of course it became the talk of the day. Hehe.

And NOPE, it didn’t touch the wall. It about a centimeter away. And I couldn’t really fit my fingers into the gap.

Really cutting it close. A feat that will not be repeated.

This time round, I finally decided to switch my mobile to Singtel as well from M1. I have been contract-less with M1 for almost a year now and the turning point came for me to decide to switch over was Singtel’s Mio Home plan.

The Mio Home plan consists of Singnet Broadband + Miotv + Fixed Phone line … All three which I currently have. Instead of paying for them separately, the Mio Home plan can consolidate and offer them at a lower price. Besides that, there are benefits for the mobile plan as well, first being that I get 15% discount off my mobile line subscription. More savings. (economy no good, must save save save).

Anyway, my post is not about the plus points of the Mio Home. For details on Mio Home you can head over to their website here.

Back to the main part of the blog, the boo boo. It’s on my mobile line. The wonderful thing these days is that you can do full number portability. Meaning we can switch telcos and retain the mobile number that we are currently using. Full portability means we have no number forwarding crap that was in place previously.

So my number was supposed to be ported to Singtel from M1 today at 13/01/09 which was confirmed by an sms from Singtel telling me that the port was completed and I can use the number by 13/01/09. So this morning, I switched over my SIM card to the Singtel card and started my phone. Voila.. connected to Singtel.

So I tried to call out to my fixed line at home and it worked. Then I decided to set up my WAP and MMS settings. So I went over to sonyericsson website (my phone is an SE P1i) and sent over the Singtel settings to my phone. To my surprise, I didn’t get to receive the settings. I waited…. and waited.. no settings sent over. Pretty weird I thought. So I took my fixed line and called my mobile…. Guess what…

The M1 number you have dialed is not in service.

Huh… What the….. So I called the Singtel Customer Service. At first they told me that based on their records I have my divert set to my M1 number. I told them I have no divert on but I’ll try it anyway. On hindsight… that was a dumb question. I did a number port, so even if i DIVERTED to my M1 number, it’s the SAME number.

So after verifying the the divert was a no go, I called the Customer Service again. This time round I got someone with more sense. She called my mobile (I used a fixed line) and once hearing the M1 message she told me that this is not normal and she will contact the processing team and get back to me. The Customer Service called me back after a while and informed me that there is an issue between Singtel and M1 for the recent ports and I’m not the only one affected. They only managed to solve the issue half a day later.

So this is the second Singtel Boo Boo that I have encountered. I hope that when I decide to pick up Singtel’s Broadband on Mobile in future I will not blog about my third Boo Boo.

It was some photos I got off the Sheares Hall Photo Commitee website a few months back, just a few photos. It really does bring back a lot of memories. Those were really fun days.

Orientation Time.

Skits. We really love acting... silly...

Men/Women in Black. We were rehearing to act tough againsts our freshmens.

Nite Cycling. Another testament we don't need sleep.. haha..

Committee Work. We do serious stuff too... really..

Too bad I lost most of the photos when my harddisk crashed. So fellow Acers of my batch, I would be eternally grateful if you can send me the photos. You know where to reach me!

LInG : i can’t find him you know
Turqoise : find him?
LInG : i drop my hubby first then i park the car
LInG : i search ard can’t see him
Turqoise : then?
LInG : i almost give up, then i search from our kitchen window
LInG : saw him sat between the car
Turqoise : omg.. hahaha
Turqoise : then was he still hugging my bucket?
LInG : yup

That, my dear friends, is the aftermath of wine, tequila and god knows what at my house yesterday. Two person puking at my house. One borrowed a bucket from me and I was out cold within 20 minutes after they left.

I’m gonna stay away from alcohol for awhile.

Peiwen and I cooked some spaghetti, salad, wings and ribs. We also got ourself a cheesecake from Hilton. Then we had Ah Hwa sponsoring some white wine and a beautiful looking biscuit house, Yonn and Darren with red wine. A glutton night it was.

Ribs

Biscuit House

After dinner, we had to work off those extra calories of course. And how best to do it other than having a Wii Party! It really got us to use our brains and us all moving about.

Thinking Hard

Moving About

Trust me, the pictures don’t do justice to the wonderful event that night. Hope to do it again soon…