Despite some misgivings about spending money now, when my Dell Dimension 4700 rebooted on me for the umpteenth time, I told myself that I have had enough. The time had come for a much needed upgrade, that I had put aside for the longest time, despite the encouragements of my buddy Wilfrid, who had upgraded his home PC back in May 2008.
So when one of Warden’s friend’s Dell Dimension 4700 (I’m not putting across a point, it is a real coincidence) “died”, apparently due to a terminal hard disk failure, I decided to pass her my pretty new hard disk, plus 1 GB of RAM, since I was helping her to resuscitate the machine. In doing that, I decided to replace the Xpert Vision nVidia 7300GT graphics card, the motherboard and CPU, the hard disk, the memory (RAM), the power unit as well as the casing.
Thus, during the last weekend, Warden and I went on a multi-purpose “excursion” to relieve a couple of itches:
- The laptop that Warden has been using needs fixing.
- I was to get the hardware for my upgrade.
- Warden wanted to do some shopping.
- I might drop in on Alan Photo to get a circular polariser filter.
My Warden has been putting up with a laptop screen that started having a single vertical line, and grew to multiple lines, that could not be read properly. As we walked around Sim Lim Square, the first shop that we found quoted us $250 with 9-months warranty (after Warden’s persistent bargaining), for a glossy screen. The second shop quoted $220 with 1-month warranty for a non-glossy screen. The third shop turned out to be under the same management as the first shop, but after some bargaining, gave us $230 for a glossy screen with 9-months warranty. To put things in perspective, Dell wanted to charge us about $550 for a year of extended warranty.
Next, after collecting all the promotional materials from various shops, we sat down for a cup of coffee, and an ice kachang for Warden. I looked for the hardware that I sought, and did the maths, which did not look too pretty at around $1,400. The shops seem to be priced around the same, so I just chose one that looked decent and checked with a friendly sales guy. I told him what I wanted, and he quickly pieced together the components after I told him I had a budget of $1,000. Warden actually asked him, “$800 can or not?” and the guy actually said it could be done. But we all know where that’s headed. I did not want something that I will throw away in less than a month. This must have been one of those quick and dirty shopping experience - just hit and run. Here’s a quick run through of what I got for $1,095 (incl. the damn GST):
- Intel Q6600 Core 2 Quad (2.4 GHz)
- MSI P43 NEO3-F - LGA775 motherboard
- Team Elite 800 - 4GB Kit (RAM)
- Western Digital 500GB/16MB SATA2 (Hard disk)
- Palit GF9800GT 512MB PCI-E (Graphics Card)
- Andyson 500W Power Plus (Power Supply Unit)
- GZ-X1 ATX Casing
- Microsoft Vista Home Premium 64-bit (OEM Operating System)
Yes, after much hesitation, I have finally upgraded to Vista.
Since we were waiting for the laptop to be repaired and the desktop to be pieced together, we went over to OG to look around. Then went for some food at the nearby market/hawker centre, plus some more shopping around the area. After which, it was time to pick up the goods and head for home. Since I had spent all my budget on the PC, I decided to give Alan Photo a pass. Sigh… another time, another month perhaps… but I’m a happy man 
A loveless marriage, haunted by the past, an unrequited love, a sister suffering from psychological trauma, and his father who disappeared and turned up dead, Work seemed to have been dealt the short end of a deal in Life. As the police worked to track down Ezra’s killer, they were convinced that Work was the culprit.
As the reader plows through the emotional drama of Work’s life, you cannot help but feel the noose tightening around his neck. The book is filled with twists and turns, enough to satisfy most fans of mystery thrillers. I enjoyed the ending, which of course, shalt not be revealed here. Grab a copy off Amazon or your local library today.
I got my Christmas gift from my Warden, slightly earlier than expected. Yes, the Kata DC 443 camerabag. It is actually a free gift from subcribing to 13 months of Practical Photography, which Warden paid for when I told her about the deal. The retail price of the bag is pretty close to the subscription price of the magazine, and since I needed a camerabag, it is an excellent Christmas present 
Kata’s camerabag is able to carry the DSLR body, lenses, flashgun and other accessories. The cushioned dividers can be customized to fit the shape and size of your gear - a DSLR, two lenses and a flashgun will fit comfortably. There is even a built-in raincover that offers protection from the elements and folds away neatly into a pouch - very handle for the rainy Singapore weather.
Now I can carry my DSLR around without getting weird looks from Singaporeans, who seem to think anyone carrying a large camera around is some sort of pervert! For those interested, you can head over to Kata’s website to have a look at their range of products.
I was having dinner at Changi Village with Warden and my family, where there is a branch of Tiong Bahru Boneless Hainanese Chicken Rice. My brother-in-law came back from Hong Kong, and it seems like he is crazy about this chicken rice. Apparently my second sister thinks it’s pretty good too.
The chicken rice is indeed good. The chicken flows smoothly down your throat and the meat is lean. I tend to remove a little bit of oil under the skin, but the more health-conscious people may skip the skin entirely.
I do not visit Changi Village that often, but these days, it may hold some level of interest to tourists or people who live nearby. Other than some delicious hawker food nearby, there are now multiple pubs and restaurants, plus two foodcourts along the same row of buildings facing the road. There was a little flea market going on and you may be able to find some intricate items like handicrafts of sea shells, or laptop pouches. Not enough of variety for me though.
When we dropped in to see how my father is doing, there was a cat just lying on the floor of the stairs. He might have just eaten a chicken too, look at that yawn!
As the year 2008 draws to a close and we welcome in 2009, I cannot help but reflect upon the events that happened in the past year. I started on a project in Jakarta, Indonesia in January - a first for me, and left the comfort of Singapore for the rather foreign land. It was both apprehensive and exciting. The greatest reward must be the fact that I met quite a number of wonderful people and made new friends there.
I came back to Singapore after an eight-month stint, partly due to the fact that my father was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and he had to go for an operation. I figured I am needed back home, for a family I have largely stayed aloof from, for many years. Coincidentally, a good friend of mine of ten years also reported recently that his dad has been suspected of having pancreatic cancer - the same type that took Randy Pausch, author of The Last Lecture, aged 47.
Then I signed up for my current project, which is indescribably tough. It takes time away from my family, my Warden, my friends and my hobbies. But it brings in the dough, and that is extremely important now in such turbulent economic times.
The year 2008 ends in a rather surreal fashion for me. Two wedding dinners attended, one wedding invite in Bangkok which I could not attend, a Christmas party, met up with many friends whom I have not seen in months, and a dinner this evening with my family. Not quite looking forward to 2009, but what is meant to come will come. Already, I look forward to the end of 2009, rather than the days in between, but taking a que from Wilfrid, I shall plan for more accomplishments in the coming days. The following collage is of friends’ children, as well as my niece and nephews, photos taken in the past week.
As a Partner of a consultancy firm and friend keeps saying, “Obstacles are there to challenge us. And without challenges, we will not grow”. Happy New Year to everyone, and here’s wishing that we all come out stronger at the end of this economic crisis.
This is the second time that I have been to Ken Japanese Noodle House, for a dosage of Ken’s delicious ramen. For a very reasonable price, Ken throws in a generous handful of char siew in the ramen. I usually like my ramen with an egg, and Ken makes them just right.
Situated right beside Cuppage Plaza, it is just a stone’s throw away from Centrepoint. If you happen to be around the area, give yourself a treat and try Ken’s delicacies. Other than ramen, they serve cold noodles, steamed gyoza, and apparently a variety of sake and Japanese beer.
Noodle House Ken
150 Orchard Road
#01-17/18 Orchard Plaza
Tel: 6235 5540
Operating Hours:
Mon-Sat: 12noon - 2pm, 6pm - 2am Closed on Sundays)
Let’s Go!
December is usually an interesting time to walk down Orchard Road. The Christmas lightings give a seasonal feel and brighten up an otherwise normal-looking shopping area.
I was meeting an Indonesian friend whom I had worked with on the previous project, a couple of months back. Michel (yes, not a very Indonesian name) briefly bunked over at my serviced apartment during the last two months of my eight-month stint in Jakarta. As I waited for him outside the busy Wisma Atria, I joined in the countless number of people taking pictures of Orchard Road, drawing in the sights that this place has to offer.
Since the Busking Scheme was introduced in 1997, followed by the much-welcomed relaxation of the regulations, buskers have been appearing along the streets, mostly in front of the widest stretch of pavement of Takashimaya. Most of them are highly entertaining and breathe new life into the Singapore entertainment scene.
Before Michel arrived, I was contemplating where to have dinner, and entertained the thought of treating him to one of the restaurants in the area. A moment later, he turned up with four other Indonesian friends, and the previous thoughts were quickly discarded when I learned that they had their dinner at Vivocity Of all the things that they wanted to see in Orchard Road, they asked me for the location of Charles and Keith… duh! I had to make an emergency call to Warden who seems to know this place like Google Map, and she duly informed me that there is one C&K at the basement of Wisma Atria. Handy person to know, my Warden 
What is Christmas without friends around you? So Warden and I invited some of our friends over for a potluck lunch today. I was too lazy to wake up for a jog in the morning, and thus ended up waking up really late. After a quick breakfast, Warden and I started the tasks of tidying the place and preparing the food. At around 11am, while I went out to throw the rubbish down the chute, I bumped into a flower delivery guy. Since he was holding the flowers that I had ordered online the previous day, I asked him if he was looking for my unit number. In a fluster, he looked concerned and showed me the flowers. He said they did not look fresh and asked me if he could return with another bunch in the afternoon. Of course I agreed. I must commend Noel on training their staff really well, and taking pride in their work.
Our friends started arriving around 1:30pm, and the wonderful food started spilling all over our tiny dining table. Ham, salad, pizza, strawberries, otah, pork knuckle… very sumptuous!
The rest of the afternoon and into the evening, we played mahjong. We thought it was more fun if we could throw in a bit of money just for kicks. For some strange reason, a rookie like me lost just $2.50! Finally, after watching the current Mandarin drama series, titled “Little Nyonya” I think, we had a little gift exchange. Warden and I got a cap each! So cute!
Christmas is a wonderful time to catch up with friends and enjoy each others’ company, don’t you think so?
It has been quite a long while since I had such a busy time at work before Christmas Eve. Who would have predicted the extent of the decay in the financial systems of the world? The current economic slowdown has yet to rear its ugliest head, and already the casualties of this war has included my Warden and I.
Warden was recently retrenched from her job of five-and-a-half years. Somehow, she caught wind of what was to come, and seemed to have been mentally prepared for it. After the news was broken to her, she has remained positive and gone about doing her part-time Property Agent work, and at the same time, her job search. Kudos to her never-say-die attitude!
I was caught up in my own web of incredibly-frustrating-and-impossibly-anal IT consulting work. Sorry to my employers and clients, but that’s just how the work is like at the moment. Due to the short work week, I was rushing like a headless chicken trying to pull things together that are fast falling apart. On Wednesday, 23 Dec evening, I was contemplating trashing the entire laptop and just throwing in the towel. But I relented and stayed in office with Scrumpiness and another colleague, until 1:30 am, 24 Dec morning. I looked at my phone which was set on Silent, and had a shock of my life when I saw 3 missed calls from Warden around 12:50am. But I guess she was sleeping when I tried to return the call. When I left, I believe the two guys were still talking about their work plan for the next phase of the project.
When I got home, Warden was sleeping soundly as I thread lightly like a little thief (or perhaps Santa Claus who was a bit early) into the bathroom and had my shower. Shortly after 3am, as I was trying to sneak into bed without waking Warden, I accidentally knocked over the alarm clock at my bedside table and froze! Unfortunately, the noise was so loud it must have woken her up and she mumbled something to me about the time. I just told her to go back to sleep. I got into bed, cursing to myself that I had only less than four hours before I had to get out of bed again.
Such is Life. I look forward to a peaceful and restful Christmas Day.
