"The best camera is the one you have with you" These are photos taken with my iPhone, with minimal processing.I view them in the same light as the photos I used to take with my Holga in '98 and '99: they are lo-res snapshots that capture a slice of life as I see it, walking around the city."The best camera is the one you have with you": I read this many years ago somewhere on the net (and now there's a book dedicated to it, as well as other Diver .flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } diver, originally uploaded by Wahj. This shot captures a lot of what scuba diving means for me - the sense of mystery and exploration, the alien landscapes (seascapes?) of coral reefs, and most of all, the fact that scuba Penang: it's the food View over Gurney DriveSo our little trip to Penang is over, and we're safe at home with the cats. The verdict on Penang: it's the food. I hate to say this, but all the historical heritage in Georgetown couldn't drag us away from the food. Now, next time I visit Penang, I'll soak up the history in Georgetown till it comes out of my ears ... but this trip was for the makan.Not that that's all we Fishing off Gurney Drive Fishing Off Gurney DriveWalked around today, looking for an old address that my wife remembered. Walking around, you see a city from street level, and you see the small things - like this boy fishing off Gurney Drive. Penang Though I've never been to Penang before, I have been to countless Penang Hawker food events at various hotels in Singapore - so it's quite something to finally get to Penang, and actually sample that same food in its natural environment. Although I tried very hard not to let the context influence me unduly (everything on holiday just seems better because (a) you're on holiday and (b) you have a USA FlagsThe last time I went to the US, 11 years ago, it was my last big Journey as a student. It was the last time I traveled the way I traveled as a university student - you know: on a budget, dirt poor, hostels and backpacking and such. Everything after that was Vacations - because Vacations only exist when you Work, and indeed they are defined in contrast to Work. Vacations connote a minimum Melaka I have been reminded umpteen times by the wife that I haven't posted on this blog for quite a while, so I thought I'd finally post an update on few things that have happened - mostly trips abroad.Let's start with Melaka:Statue of St Francis XavierOur second driving holiday in Malaysia. There's something nice about driving yourself on holiday - besides the fact that it's cheaper, it keep you 4 Days to Change Our host described Jakarta was a city of juxtapositions. How true: driving through the city is like a cutting through a layer cake of society: slums next to gated luxury apartments. Our driver took us on a short cut through a poor district, where the houses crowded onto the road and I could literally wind down the window and knock on someone's front door and where 50 metres after I saw a little Cenotaph Pictures from a walk round the Padang.The Cenotaph, first in infra-red:then, for comparison, in visible light:While I like both photographs, I think the photos make it quite clear why I go to the trouble of shooting in digital infra-red: it affords the opportunity to see the world in (literally) a different light. Fraser's Hill Or Bukit Fraser, as it is now known.A note to those driving up from Singapore, (as we did). If anyone tells you the journey will take 4.5 hours, or even 5.5 hours, don't believe them. We took 8.5 hours to reach the foot of Fraser's Hill. Admittedly, we did get lost a bit in Kuala Lumpur, and get caught in inner-city traffic, but I don't see how anyone can make the trip in 4.5 hours short of Laksa .flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Laksa, originally uploaded by Wahj. Nothing beats Laksa for breakfast. Except maybe prata. Or Nasi Lemak.But Laksa still edges, marginally, past them all. Chopin in the Gardens A recent addition to the Botanic Gardens is this statue, donated by the Polish Embassy, of Chopin. It looks a bit strange at first sight - two figures in period costume at the top of the hill, and the piano keyboard is strangely abstracted, looking like some synthesiser, adding a slightly anachronistic touch to the whole thing ... as if the sculpture can't decide if it's traditional realist or Mac, fearless ... ... and more than a little daft. If Macavity were living in the wild, he would be the kind of cat who would find himself up a tree, mewling piteously, while some poor fireman climbed up a ladder to get him down - because even in this small apartment of ours, he regularly finds a way to climb up to spots where he subsequently can't get down from.After a few minutes of meowing, when he figures out More serendipity This is one of those weird moments. I was walking along the Esplanade yesterday, and I realised that the construction noises from across the Bay were melding together rather nicely into an almost-musical pattern. I don't know what they were doing - piling works, some sort of hammering noise - but it came our rather tuneful and tone-ful, and more importantly, had a rather neat rhythm going on. Is your fridge too cold? ... because, if it is, you might find what I just found: your eggs freezing to the container, such that when you open the box, the top half just comes away ...You have been warned. Wushu .flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Wushu, originally uploaded by Wahj. The WuShu performance at the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations. Windows: Hating every minute of it Some time back I gave in and bought a PC - a Windows machine - as a gaming platform. This was partly because it was increasingly difficult for my MacBook Pro to serve as an office work station, a repository of all my photos and music, as well as a gaming machine. It was partly also because most games can only be played on a Windows machine.While I wish I could say the PC is a great gaming Serendipity Coincidences:- in the morning, I read this XKCD cartoon, and am completely baffled (discussion thread on the comic here, for those who wish to read more). I make a mental note to myself to figure out what it could possibly be referring to.- in the afternoon, I stop by Borders and this book catches my eye on the shelf. I buy it from pure curiosity (and because the blurb reminds me of Nabokov's More media than you can shake a stick at I have more books than I have time to read; more DVDs than I have time to sit in front of a TV; more CDs than I have time to savour. I download podcasts from BBC's In Our Time and listen to them on the morning drive; I watch TED talks when I'm waiting around to meet people; I carry a book with me to the canteen when I have my lunch and coffee breaks. I still can't read, listen and watch faster Thoughts on the iPhone Fig 1: Self-referential photo - a photo of a photo of myself taking a photo(1) Singtel really needs to re-examine their concept of "reserving" an iPhone. I made my reservation a few months ago, and when collection day came around last week, I was told to select a one-hour time slot to collect it in, and I STILL had to queue to collect it. That's ridiculous. Reservations help the supplier: Omnivore's Hundred I haven't come across a meme in a long while which interested me, but this one from Tym caught my attention. It's also one of the few memes where I've had to actively use Google to find out what the items were!The other nice thing about this meme is remembering the first (and in many cases only time ) eating some of the more exotic foods on this list - such as ...The snake, croc and frogs all Carrot seedlings .flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Carrot seedlings, originally uploaded by Wahj. This was a Teachers' Day present this year. I received them on Friday, watered them on Saturday, and was surprised to see them sprout on Monday. I hope they survive ... the heart asks pleasure first .flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } the heart asks pleasure first, originally uploaded by Wahj. The heart asks pleasure firstAnd then, excuse from pain-And then, those little anodynesThat deaden suffering;And then, to go to sleep;And then, if it should beThe Singapore Museum Night Festival .flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } fire dancer 2, originally uploaded by Wahj. Fantastic show at the Night Festival last Saturday. Part of me regrets not being able to photograph the magic, but another part appreciates the fact that moments of magic like Secret message .flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } secret message, originally uploaded by Wahj. Spotted this funny scrawl on the note pad used to test pens at Muji. Probably some kid, judging by the handwriting. Equal parts banal and mysterious, and mildly disturbing ... Christian Moeller's "Daisy" .flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Christian Moeller's "Daisy", originally uploaded by Wahj. I've been to the new Terminal 3 at the airport quite a few times over the last few weeks, and each time I've looked at this kinetic sculpture I've wanted to thirty-one pounces? I've started a tumblog over here ... I'm not sure what to do with it, but for now it's mostly as a scrapbook of things, thoughts, photos and ideas. (not sure what to name it either ... thirty-one pounces anyone?) PC Show 08 The PC fair at Suntec convention centre is one huge mass of geekery swarming over 3 convention hall floors. Here's the loot from braving the crowds yesterday and today:First off, the largest laptop cooling fan I have ever seen.  Yes, that's one single, huge, fan - and, as a bonus, it's lit with blue LEDs. But here's a pet peeve: why do manufacturers believe that a sticker showing a series of Forgetful is when you get home after work to realize you've left your Macbook Pro on your table. This leaves you without access to the 'net, the wider world, and that part of yourself (the blog, the photos,your World of Warcraft character) which is not located within the confines of your skull and 3 feet of personal space. (forgetful is also somehow misplacing the money you drewfeom the ATM, forgetful Forgetful is when you get home after work to realize you've left your Macbook Pro on your table. This leaves you without access to the 'net, the wider world, and that part of yourself (the blog, the photos,your World of Warcraft character) which is not located within the confines of your skull and 3 feet of personal space. (forgetful is also somehow misplacing the money you drew from the ATM,