7 resolutions for 2012 to keep fit

1. I will manage stress better
2. Every time I eat, half my plate will be veggies
3. I will do things to sleep better
4. I will watch less TV, and surf less internet
5. I will train 30 mins at least 3x per week
6. I will take care of my soft tissue
7. I will eat more home-cooked food

To read the full articles on the above, click here!

A Merry Christmas to you all

We wish everyone a merry and blessed Christmas and a happy new year. May you be blessed throughout 2012!

Don't forget to drop in at the church to celebrate the birth of Christ on Christmas day.

Awesome things people do

Just want to share this awesome stuff people do. Click here to see them! I am sure you will be entertained. But please don't do this at home as they are too dangerous for the untrained.

Free Wildlife Photography book

Wildlife photographer and dpreview.com contributor Uwe Skrzypczak is again making his book

'Wildlife photography: On Safari with Your DSLR: Equipment, Techniques, Workflow' available as a free download. This is available for 24 hours only. So, if you are interested, please click here.
The free download period is:

GMT: 23:01 Saturday 17th to 22:59 Sunday 18th.

For Malaysia time, this will start now and finish at 6:59AM 19th Monday. (We are 8 hours ahead).

Condition for the download is that we are not allow to redistribute as it contravene copyright.

Is your photo blue?

With many function halls switching to LED flood light, ...

... you will have nightmare if you don't know how to adjust your camera accordingly. The LED flood light is simply too cool and also too strong. Our normal eyes will see it as white or bluish white. Even if you switch on your flash light, the picture is still too blue! See this ...

Without correction, even the most expensive camera also cannot beat the strong LED light. The white balance will be completely out!

With correction, the colour can be restored. But how?
Here is how you set your camera:
Use manual white balance (WB) and set it to  between 9,000-10,000. You need to experiment with it.
If you need to use flash, the WB can be reduced slightly to around 8000. But do try it out.
Do not use auto WB.
If possible, set your camera to manual mode.

Drug Free Hi Blood Pressure Control

As usual, I walked at the Bulatan Park and met up with my walking buddy. He is concerned with his rounded tummy where he can't seem to get it flatten. So, I recommended my earlier remedy by walking and elevating the  heartbeat up! Then he went back and went through the internet. He found something interesting. Like squatting to elevate the heartbeat. Then he also said that one Chinese doctor has been massaging three pressure points, cycling and breathing.
Talking about breathing, it was found that it can also control high blood pressure. It was reason that the body automatically response to poor oxygen level in the blood by pumping out more blood. Simple logic is to increase the pressure... so there goes high blood pressure. Now, don't believe me, go to google and enter the key words "High Blood Pressure Breathing" and you will get load of information.
Here is my evidence:

Before I started my breathing, it was 135/90. After breathing exercise for one minute, it drop to the above!

This seems to work even if you are currently on drug. So, if you have HiBP, try it. If you have no HiBP, try it anyway because slow breathing is good for you.

Season Greetings!

I wish all my readers a happy and blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year. May 2012 brings you blessing from God! These two cards are for you...

 You may download them and use them as long as they are not printed for commercial purposes. If you do copy them and redistribute, please do not remove the watermark.

Click the image for a bigger picture.
Picture taken at City Fan, Miri, Sarawak.

About Time

Six truths about time:

First: Nobody can manage time. But you can manage those things that take up your time.

Second: Time is expensive. As a matter of fact, 80 percent of our day is spent on those things or those people that only bring us two percent of our results.

Third: Time is perishable. It cannot be saved for later use.

Fourth: Time is measurable. Everybody has the same amount of time...pauper or king. It is not how much time you have; it is how much you use.

Fifth: Time is irreplaceable. We never make back time once it is gone.

Sixth: Time is a priority. You have enough time for anything in the world, so long as it ranks high enough among your priorities.

Christmas Bazaar .. go quickly tonight

Just realised that tonight is the last night of the bazaar. Go there to eat, be entertained and also to meet friends.

 Performance ... beautiful and graceful dances

 2nd hand merchandise

 Randy the chef...make sure you eat his kolo mee

... more food to buy!
See more photos here.

Christmas at Dewan Suarah..Go go go!

Have you been to the Christmas Bazaar and the City Fan? If you have not, please rush over before dinner. You will not regret it. They have food sales, etc. The prices are cheap! Kolo mee for RM2.00, home made pau for RM1.50, good quality second hand clothing for RM1.00 per piece. Don't eat before you go... they have plenty to offer. So, go go go...

 Christmas tree by Samling. If you are a one third rule freak, this photo breaks all of them! But I don't care, it is meant to be broken.

Another angle of the Christmas deco... framed to make my 1/3 rule freak happy!

He baked his first cheese tart

After observing and helping Janice making cheese tart, Timothy finally got his hand on baking the first successful cheese tart. They tasted good and unfortunately, I cannot eat many as they are simply too rich!

Well done, Timothy. I am happy that he enjoyed baking and now I can relax and enjoy whatever they bake.

How to remove visceral fat (Belly fat)

Visceral fat is fat that surrounds the internal organs.  Some people call it "hidden fat."  It most commonly collects around the mid-section, as this is where a majority or our major
internal organs are located.  Most of this type of fat builds around the stomach area.

Visceral fat is different from other types of fat that are closer to the skin.  This type of fat is more dangerous, and can increase the risks of diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension.  It can also cause high cholesterol.  Developing this type of fat creates a more serious health risk than other types of fat that are stored on other areas of the body.

I attended a talk by a doctor and he recommended walking.
 To remove belly fat, you need to (obviously) exercise. AND you need to ensure that during exercise, your heartbeat reaches 60-70% of 220-your current age. For example, if you are now 50 years old. You need to ensure that your heartbeat is between (220-50)x0.6 to (220-50)x0.7. The heart beat works out to be 102 to 119. At this heartbeat, your body burn fat from your belly! So, when you exercise, measure your heartbeat! There is a heartbeat measuring gadget you could buy from the pharmacy or just count your pulse. To make life easy for you, below is a table showing the age and optimal heartbeat for a flat belly!

Age	HeartBeat
30	114 to 133
32	112.8 to 131.6
34	111.6 to 130.2
36	110.4 to 128.8
38	109.2 to 127.4
40	108 to 126
42	106.8 to 124.6
44	105.6 to 123.2
46	104.4 to 121.8
48	103.2 to 120.4
50	102 to 119
52	100.8 to 117.6
54	99.6 to 116.2
56	98.4 to 114.8
58	97.2 to 113.4
60	96 to 112
62	94.8 to 110.6
64	93.6 to 109.2
66	92.4 to 107.8
68	91.2 to 106.4
70	90 to 105

Confirmed 100% crocodile!

Finally my friend Musa shot this picture today around lunch time... is there any more dispute that this fellow is indeed a crocodile and not just a giant monitor lizard! Our friend from Miri City Council should see this picture!

Thanks to Musa for allowing me to post this picture. The council has finally set up trap! Go to Musa's fb album to see all the photos.

Christmas Parade 2011

Christmas Parade 2011 on 3rd Dec saw a record number in turnout. From the crowd compared to last year, there was a lot more people. But for this year, there was a little less colour.
If not for the heavy rain, it would have been a lot more fun. I could not join the band as the rain was a real nuisance!

Lighting up the huge Christmas tree by pressing the remote button. Datuk Chin Fah Kui had the honour to press the button.

The beautiful Christmas tree ... I think the top part failed to light up.

Congratulating each other...
The Christmas tree will be there for sometime. So, good opportunity for everyone to go over to take some pictures.

Have you been doing exercises?

Morning and evening time at the Bulatan Park ...

Every alternate day morning, the team changes...

Someone is there to guide you. Actually there are two teams everyday but at different places at the park.
Another team is doing repetitive exercise, so very easy to follow. Just join in!

Or you can be like my buddy who is there every day, morning and evening... just walking and hoping to get rid of the extra weight.

You could develop friendship....

Or you could just do simple stretching and bending...

... or could be training your qi!

... or could be walking while on the way to work.

... or could be doing exercise for speedy recovery. I hope he gets well soon.
Have you been doing exercise regularly? Don't wait until it is too late because sweating out is important for you.

Fly Hope

Sarawak Shipbuilder in Kuala Baram made Sarawak proud by being selected by Papua New Guinea to build a couple of ferries. The first of such ferry was launched yesterday at a simple ceremony in Kuala Baram.

The main reasons why Sarawak Shipbuilder were selected was their 100+ years of ship building experiences, a team of very committed family members who has been building ships for three generations in Sarawak, etc.
This ferry has a maximum seating capacity of 150.

Crocodile or monitor lizard?

Deputy Mayor of Miri City Council make a statement in yesterday Miri See Hua Daily news that the ...

... reptile in Bulatan park may not be crocodile but a a giant ...

... monitor lizard!! I was wondering whether he knows how a monitor lizard look like.
I really wish that people at the top do some research and compared photos we publish on the net so that they don't make remark which make them sound so ignorant. So, for the benefit of my readers, the above is how a monitor lizard generally looks like. (photo from Wikipedia) Colour and shape will vary a bit but the features are more or less the same. And...

... this is how a crocodile looks like!
The major differences, when you can only see the head, are the nose and eyes.

 Croc has distinctive eyes and nose well above the water. When they went underwater, it "drops" down like a ...

...submarine. I had not seen monitor lizard behaving in this manner.
He also suggested that more ...

... sign like this should be put up around the park! So if he thinks that it is not croc, why more sign?! Please don't waste tax payer money!

Real or fake?

When coming to digital image manipulation, combined with powerful software and computer, the only limitation now is the imagination! I took the photo below ...

... during a late afternoon at a landscaping exhibition. The image above is no where near to being perfect: the trees are pale due to the strong sun and the image appears flat. To transform the same image, I need to enhance the colour and do something about the grass. Fortunately I have a few very nice looking grass ... and the end result is the following:

I would appreciate your opinion.
Click on any photo for a bigger image.

Tips: It is always better to overexpose a little than to underexpose your image. A little overexposed image has a lot more information than an underexposed image.

How long can your appliances last?

How long can our household appliances last, eg, fridge, cooker, washing machine, fan, etc? One thing I notice is that new appliances don't last long and started to give problem. For example, fan used to be made from steel, especially the blade. Now, everything is made from plastic and they just break apart.
I bought my fridge more than 30 years ago and it is still going strong, with just some repair and services once in a while.
My washing machine bought some 14 years ago gave some problem not long ago. The cold water inlet water valves didn't close any more. Then I found that I never use the hot water valve and it is literally new! So, I swap the cold water valve with the hot water valve and the washing machine is back to proper function.
One of the on/off valves of my 30 years old cooker suddenly didn't work well. Sometimes, it jammed up....

Since there are two rings which I never (seldom) use, I decided to open up the knob this morning to see what I can do. So, after removing two screws, the plunger (valve) were removed and replaced with the one which I seldom use. Bingo... the knob/valve is now working perfectly. Maybe, it will last for another 20 years!
Do you go out and shop for a new one because the towkay  told you that there is no spare? Next time, don't worry, the appliances usually came with "standby" which we just need to look for and use it!

Piasau Bridge going strong!

In February, I posted about the new bridge across the Miri River linking Piasau peninsula and Miri mainland. This morning I went over to take a look as I heard that someone was complaining about the low bridge.

Actually, this new bridge has the same clearance as the old bridge. So, if you own a not-so-big boat, you still can't cross, as before.
The construction of the new bridge is going well and looks extremely solid. I hope that by year end, it will be open for public use.

How civic minded are we?

Our council finally realised that there is a need for special parking lot allocated to the disabled. So, we now see them at the various market in Miri...

... but see how the people abuse the facilities for the disabled! I always see these special lots being used by fully able bodies! Why can't the police go and give summon to all these traffic offenders?! We must respect the needs of the disabled.
In UK, any car without the "disable" sticker or pass are not allowed to park in these lots or they will be fined immediately.

Some Awards

Recently I won two consolation prizes on the Landscaping and Scenery category and Activities and Event category. I have to thanks our photography society chairman for insisting that I submit some photos.

A tribute to my friend and ex-classmate

Chen Tai Huong was my primary school classmate in Sarikei. He passed away on Monday, 21-Nov-2011 at the age of 56. He was a successful lawyer in Sarikei and he used to commute between Sarikei and Sibu.

Ease Chen, a sister of my classmate has this to say:
Lawyer Chen Tai Huong, ex-Sarikei St. Anthony Secondary School teacher and Ex-Student Association's Chairman, had passed away on Mon (21st Nov 2011) He and his Alumni committee have tirelessly promoted School Alumni and at times, at their own expenses, organized various fund raising activities for Sarikei St. Anthony School's new hall. Anyone who wishes to pay last respect can attend his funeral on Wed (23th Nov) at Hospital Sarikei 730AM.
May his soul rest in peace. May the Lord give the living the strength and peace. Our deepest condolences to the family!

Your next step ...

UPSR (sixth year) results were released only yesterday and I saw many parents anxious to register their children  for their choice secondary school. I think they are driven by circumstances because the national education system is like a yoyo when deciding on the language to be used for the medium of education. I was told that it is now reverting back to English for science and maths subjects.

So what is your choice now? Riam Road Secondary School is now flooded with parents since Friday as their school is probably the only one who is firm on using English as the main medium.
Form 5 students just started their exam this week and I was approached by many students on what/where to study! I can safely say that if you intend to go overseas, and you know what you want to study, look for a university who is offering foundation. For example, Leeds University started their foundation in January and in September next year, you start university year one. In three years, you will be graduating at the age of 20/21! Amazing! Cost wise, I recommend UK as they are currently the cheapest. Don't believe me? Do your own arithmetic.

Crocodile of Bulatan Park - clearer picture

My friend/ex-colleague finally got a clearer picture of the crocodile in Bulatan park. It appears at the same place. In fact, I saw the croc yesterday also but I manage to see only the nose and eyes only.

He saw it today from around 8-9AM. That was the time I saw the croc yesterday.
So, if you want to see the crocodile at Bulatan Park, it seems that it is no longer that difficult. Click here to see more pictures of the crocodile. He estimated the length of the croc to be about 3-4 feet, ie, about 1 metre. That was my estimate also.

Crocodile at Bulatan Finally Spotted!

This morning I armed myself with my 200mm prime lens wanting to shoot the new signboard put up by the city council. The signboard actually face the lake, reminding the living thing in the water to beware of the crocodile spotted by many and yet not captured on a real camera!

 I think the positioning of the signboard is a brilliant idea as the croc is of no harm to human at the moment.

I joined my usual "walking friends" for the morning walk and they finally all left at 8:30AM.

During my final round, I thought my 20/20 long vision spotted two distinctive eyes above the water!

As I walked closer, I confirmed what I saw was indeed our friendly, now famous friend, the crocodile of Bulatan Park! The inset is a larger view. No, this is real and not a photoshop of some other crocodile.

As I walked closer, it quickly went under ... see the ripples. The above was taken today, 11-Nov-2011 at 8:33AM.