Weekend Around Miri

This long weekend had been busy. First, I created and uploaded a website (still under construction) for my friend. Took photos for Walton International ... etc
"Old man street" in Miri. A stage is now added. It seems that we like acting?!
The street is well managed and clean. Many retirees sit around everyday to chat with old acquaintances.
Lynda has a visitors from KL!
I took some family photos for my friend Simon. I hope that I will be able to take more such photos next Chinese New year.

Car Tip - Oil Pressure Warning Light

I am not an expert in car. But one day, while I was driving my Land Rover Discovery, the oil pressure warning light suddenly came on and off and then after a few days, it stays permanently on. It brought to me great anxiety because if this is not a false alarm, I am in for some very expensive engine repair. I read in the internet and couldn't find any easy way to determine whether it is a false alarm. Thanks again to my Honda mechanic in Miri who gave me a simple way to determine whether it is a false alarm.
So here it goes...
Open the bonnet of your car and remove the oil cap. Ask someone to press the accelerator (quite hard) and if you see engine oil jumping out through the oil cap opening, then the oil pressure sensor is faulty. Just replace the sensor which should only cost a few dollars.
If you don't see any oil jumping out of the opening, then the engine oil pump is faulty or the filter is block. The vehicle must be towed to the workshop!
This method of testing should be applicable to all cars.
Oh... I found that it was only a faulty sensor on my car and replacement was only a few dollars.

Black Image from My Nikon D3!

Can you imagine the frustration when you have in your hand the world most advanced DSLR camera and the image came out to be totally black once in a while?
I was haunted by this problem for a few weeks. Calling up Nikon drew a blank other than the suggestion that I sent the camera in for a checkup. Fortunately, I found the solution as I was relating this problem to my friend. He suggested that I should reload the firmware. True enough, I came back and reload the camera firmware and the problem is now gone for good.
I posted this so that other people who might experience similar "misbehavior" by your beloved DSLR to do the same... reload the firmware.

Beauty of Wild Flowers

I was shooting sunrise a few days ago. Then I realised that the bushes beside me had some really nice flowers. They were ordinary and we often step over them. Anyway, I digitized them for you to enjoy...
"Touch me not"
No idea what is the name of this flower. It lasted only one morning because I plucked some and they "set" by the time I reached home. They were beautiful from the morning sun ray shinning on them!

Jokes to brighten up your day

I got the following from e-mail. Posted here for your reading pleasure.... so laugh!

These are from a book called Disorder in the American Courts, and are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and now published by court reporters that had the torment of staying calm while these exchanges were actually taking place:

ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?

WITNESS: He said, 'Where am I, Cathy?'

ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you?

WITNESS: My name is Susan!

____________ _________ _________ _________ _____

ATTORNEY: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact?

WITNESS: Gucci sweats and Reeboks.

____________ _________ _________ _________ _____

ATTORNEY: Are you sexually active?

WITNESS: No, I just lie there.

____________ _________ _________ _________ _____

ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?

WITNESS: Yes.

ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory?

WITNESS: I forget.

ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?

____________ _________ _________ _________ ____

ATTORNEY: Do you know if your daughter has ever been involved in voodoo?

WITNESS: We both do.

ATTORNEY: Voodoo?

WITNESS: We do.

ATTORNEY: You do?

WITNESS: Yes, voodoo.

____________ _________ _________ _________ _____

ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?

WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?

____________ _________ _________ ______

ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the twenty-year- old, how old is he?

WITNESS: He's twenty, much like your IQ.

____________ _________ _________ _________ ____

ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?

WITNESS: Are you shitting me?

____________ _________ _________ _________ __

ATTORNEY: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?

WITNESS: Yes.

ATTORNEY: And what were you doing at that time?

WITNESS: getting laid

____________ _________ _________ _________ _____

ATTORNEY: She had three children, right?

WITNESS: Yes.

ATTORNEY: How many were boys?

WITNESS: None.

ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?

WITNESS : Your Honor, I think I need a different attorney. Can I get a new attorney?

____________ _________ _________ _________ _____

ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?

WITNESS: By death.

ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?

WITNESS: Take a guess.

____________ _________ _________ __ ____________

ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual?

WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beard.

ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female?

WITNESS: Unless the Circus was in town I'm going with male.

____________ _________ _________ _______

ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney?

WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.

____________ _________ _________ ________

ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?

WITNESS: All of them. The live ones put up too much of a fight.

____________ _________ _________ _________ __

ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to?

WITNESS: Oral.

____________ _________ _________ _ __________

ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?

WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.

ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time?

WITNESS: If not, he was by the time I finished.

____________ _________ _____ ____________ ______

ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?

WITNESS: Are you qualified to ask that question?

____________ _________ _________ ________

And the best for last:

ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?

WITNESS: No.

ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?

WITNESS: No.

ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?

WITNESS: No.

ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?

WITNESS: No.

ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?

WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.

ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?

WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law.

Ground Breaking of Mei Ann Church

I think Mei Ann Methodist Church must be in Miri for more than 30+ years. The current congregation has out grown the size of the church. Beside, the building is also quite old. So, it was finally decided that a new building is to be built to replace the current one.

On 21st Febuary 2010 at 3:00PM, a ground breaking ceremony was conducted by President Su

... a new beginning has just started ...

A large crowd came to witness the ground breaking ceremony....

... and we were all treated to a bowl of "Hung Gang Lon", or rice vermilli with egg. What a blessing!

Stop Complaining And Start Gaining

Do everything without complaining (Philippians 2:14 NIV)
Complaining is toxic. It contaminates both the complainer and everyone within earshot. Sometimes we think we're helping by complaining. We maintain, 'If somebody doesn't say something, nothing's ever going to change!' - as though positive change can come from negative words. We imagine we've contributed something worthwhile by our complaint. But complaining is what we do to avoid facing, dealing with and solving the problem. It's what we do instead of contributing to constructive change, and it makes us part of the problem instead of the solution. The more you complain the more problem-focused you become, and the more problem-focused you become the more you complain. Ultimately, your complaining affects you more than anyone else. The Psalmist said, '… I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed… ' (Psalm 77:3 NKJV). If no one else pays attention to your words, you do. Before you say them you think them: '… out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks' (Matthew 12:34 NKJV). And when you say them, you hear them and believe them just as you would the words of a trusted authority. Every time you repeat them you reinforce their power over you until eventually you make yourself the victim of your own complaints! Your spirit (attitude) will be overwhelmed, not by the problems and difficulties people bring to you, but as the self-inflicted product of your own complaints. So, 'Do all things without complaining… that you may become blameless and harmless… without fault in… a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world' (Philippians 2:14-15 NKJV).
The above article is from thevine.co.nz daily devotion. If you like it, please go to their website and subscribe.

Poor Quality Sensonic Products

I bought Sensonic photo paper and Sensonic CD/DVD ROM thinking that they must be quite good as they made big claim on the label.
To my horror, their photo glossy injet paper is so bad that the ink will not stick. I used original Canon PIXMA ink and the ink smeared so badly that the printout is completely useless!
I also bought their apparent high recording speed DVD/CD ROM. But their performance is nothing but very poor with so many bad disks and extra low recording speed.
My conclusion... avoid these products! What are your experiences?

Family Photos

This Chinese new year, I took family photos for my friends. This is also for me to "practice" my skill in taking family photos.
Antonio and Stephanie
Michael and Michelle
Jeremy and Sara

My family
Eric and Susie
Eric's Friends
Frederick and Nora

Comments are welcomed.

+Chinese New Year 2010

I had been taking so many photos over the last few days and couldn't find time to upload! So, here is the first "installment" . This year, the first day of Chinese New Year fell on Valentine day.
Boulevard used their imagination to decorate their mall...
Mad rush on the last few days before new year... Fresh flower ...
... more ...
... and more!
Decoration of King's Street in Miri by the local council.
King's Street was packed with people...
... to watch the "tiger dance"!
This mascot is getting "familiar" ...
Boulevard shopping mall was taking advantage of the Valentine's day and sold flowers!
New year eve, Krokop 10 market was filled with people buying anything nice!
Lots of food ...
Man made "peach"...
Fish is a must so that next next will be in "abundance"
Nien Kau (or sticky sweet cake) is a must otherwise the devils will return to hell to report that the people are celebrating! So, this sticky stuff will glue their mouth shut!
I learned to make momo this year!
This year, the fire work were not as intense as last year. I think the noise was over in just 15 minutes and there were a lot less firework.

How far are you prepared to go?

This is a real story which has impacted me so much that I can remember it until today. Today, I thought I just wanted to share it here so that more people can learn a lesson out of it. It was back in the mid 60's when we were farmer, planting pepper and veggie. One day, a few guys from the agricultural department visited us introducing DDT for our agricultural use. The point they wanted to bring forward was that this DDT was not poisonous to human and they demonstrated it by actually drinking the pesticides.
Ok, we ended up using DDT for our farm for a couple of years. Then, the news hit us...DDT may cause cancer and will be banned. Then what happened to the guy who had been drinking this chemical? No one knew what had happened. But I wouldn't bother the find out because the lesson learned here is that we must never take the word of the manufacturer for granted thinking that non poisonous also means that it won't cause other problem, eg, cancer.
I found many over zealous direct sales people habitually drink or eat their product to prove that they are non poisonous. They consumed body cream, detergent, etc to prove the point. Non poisonous just means that they are won't cause immediate death. But will they cause other problem, eg, cancer or birth defect? Why take unnecessary risk?

His girlfriend is so big and dark

We have a special delivery on last Friday - it is a black female rabbit passed to us by George Tang. She is going to be "given" to our male white rabbit as a temporary mate.
She is big in size and very meaty. After seeing her, we realised that our male rabbit is far too thin and underweight. She is almost double the weight and 1 inch taller.
Don't panic, ok, Snowie is only doing her bit to register in her memory system that this rabbit is part of the family.
I don't think the white rabbit is any match with the black rabbit when fighting for food is concern. She is simply too strong for her!
Well, we shall see his performance in a few months time. I hope baby rabbit is the result of this friendship.

Enterprising Young People at CNY Market

I visited the Chinese New Year night Market in Miri last night and I met a few group of young people selling delicious "special"... I was pleasantly surprised by their enthusiasm and the food they sell. I sum it up like this ... delicious and special!
They readily posed for me ... unfortunately I didn't get their names.
Taiwanese sausages ...
Fried ice-cream etc...
Home made fried fresh potatoes chip ...
Drinks... etc.
If you still haven't visited the market, rush there tonight and tomorrow will be the last opportunity to try the food from this group of young people. By the way, I found out that they did this for the love of it. I think it is very good! So... go go go ... LOL.

iFM CNY Concert

I was at the iFM Chinese New Year Concert jointly organised by United Printing, AirAsia, etc. I posted just some photos here but you can see all the shots at my facebook.
Superb lion dance by Riam Road Secondary School.
Some of the performances by some stars from KL.
I like this one!
Young photographers of the year! They carry Canon SLR and trying to shoot a photo of themselves!

After 30 years...

Believe it or not, the last time I went into a cinema was back in 1980 while I was working in Singapore. This time, I thought I have to watch the AVATAR because our ex-PM made a statement in the press that if America could make AVATAR so real, then 911 twin tower incident must be a fake also!
The ticket cost RM9! When I was small, we used to buy RM0.30-0.50 ticket! How time has changed! I brought along Tim and Joshua. We were warned by Ah Jon that we must empty our bladders before sitting down as the movie was 150 minutes!
The sound effect was good and the animation was simply amazing. Anyway, we enjoyed the movie very much. The whole cinema was almost empty.