Spring cleaning

The mess that is my room now. After effects of renovations to the joint bathroom.

Is your room normally messier than this?

What can you do when you've missed your flight?

Well, definitely not what the lady did!
Actually, other than not being able to reach her destination at the pre-supposed time or not being able to afford a transfer to the next flight, I don't know why the woman would go about as she did.

I couldn't wholly understand what she was crying out. What I hear was ...

Lady: (a bunch of cries) Why wouldn't they let me in? (more intelligible cries)
Ground staff: Not to worry, we will help place you on the next flight out.
Younger guy: How can you help? (Author's note: Is it cause they don't have money to pay for the transfer?)
(more intelligible cries)

My experience of missing a flight was during my flight out to Amsterdam with my aunt from Liverpool airport. We were actually early to the airport and about 30 minutes early at the security check leading to the boarding gates. Little did I know, that past the doorway of the initial security check, is a flight of stairs leading to the security scans. There was already a substantially long queue towards the doorway and the queue continues through the flight of stairs.

By the time that we got to the gate, we were late for boarding. Why?

1. We didn't cut the queue cause we didn't know it was going to take that long!


2. Once we've passed the doorway and was queuing along the stairs, there were no call for late passenger, or at least we couldn't hear the call and therefore, didn't know that we were late.


3. There are no priority lines for late passengers.

So, what could we do?
We could have just grabbed our luggages and go home, or, cough up the cash and pay for a flight transfer. They staff nicely helped us do all that and thanks to my aunt for paying cause I was running low on cash. Either way, I need to get to Amsterdam because my flight back to KL is from Amsterdam.

So, we paid for the transfer, stashed our lugguages at the temporary holding area (again fork out cash) and took a bus to the nearby shopping strip and window shopped.

Therefore, as long as you are willing and able to pay for the transfer, there shouldn't be a reason to trash around like that ... would you?

Have you had a missed flight where you really felt like throwing down and start trashing on the floor like the woman did?

Who are you calling fat?!

Darn sad!!!!
Met some fellow ex-ensemble mates from PGL went I went to watch the show a few hours ago.
The first thing --zoni said to me was ... yo! Why so fat?!

Darn it!
Truth ... At 50kg then I was probably the skinniest that I have ever been, since quitting ballet at 15, while I was doing the show about 4 years ago?
Truth ... I have gained approximately 5kg since then.
Truth ... I'm only about 153cm.

Is that considered fat?

A bad happy?

I just got a call from my dance partner informing me that he might not be able to compete this Sunday. His grandfather is at his death bed and has requested for several family members to his bedside; my partner is one of those summoned.

I am quite ecstatic when I heard that (not the part about his grandpa dying-la!). Probably because practise has not been very good lately. The more we practise, the worse it seems to be. So, it might be a good thing to not compete this time.

Anyway, I've been sick the past couple days and I don't have the strength right now.

Method required

Twas another frustrating practise today. Maybe Joseph is right, we are probably currently at a rut. Our dancing doesn't feel like it's improving. I don't feel like I'm improving; in fact, I feel like the harder I try, the stiffer my dancing becomes. Stubborn and hard headed, that doesn't help. I want it my way! MY WAY!

I know I'm showing that irritating 'sei yong'. I know it. BUT ...

How do you suppress it?

When you are working in a team and is frustrated that something that you are trying over and over and over again is just not happening. How does it show on your face?

When you think you know how to fix it but your team repeatedly returns to the method that was not working. How would you feel?

When it does work the way you explained it but then as the practise goes, it eventually goes back to the drawing board; how do you put on a happy face?

Do I close my eyes and count to 5?
Do I walk away?
Do I just forget it and don't bother trying to fix the problem?

How would you go about it?

Showtime in Klang

Art of Money

Google Sync on Blackberry

If only they were plug and play ...

I've had my blackberry for the past 5 months. The most usage I get out of it is to Berry my aunt, for my bosses to contact me or tell me to get to his floor NOW for a conference call.

Then I discovered the GMail app for blackberry. That was plug-play! There was no problem with the installation at all nor did I have to go through the whole turn-off-device-take-off-the-battery debacle. (Note: There's gotta be a better way for the OS to reset!)

Two days ago, I discovered that Google has a tool to sync GCal to the berry. Oh happy day! Until I installed it. And un-installed it. And installed it. And un-installed it . For the third time, I've installed it again but it's still not working.

Login failed, due to network problems, please check your settings.

Being the berry idiot that I am, I have no clue whatsoever on what settings they might be talking about. Nowhere is it stated on google's site what sort of settings I should be looking for.

If anyone knows how to get this working, please leave me a note. In the meantime, I'd be terrorizing the CS at Maxis again. ;)

One order of this, please

I don't know where I'd be able to place this but this goes into my I WANT list. It's just too cool!

Almost excited

The package for the skins arrived at the hotel today. A friend and I shared the order, I ordered a skin for my laptop and one for my iPod while she ordered six iPod skins. That nutzoid! It's a buy-3-free-1 so she got two skins for free.

Anyway, was happily tearing up the package ...

But why was there only 5 items in it? I see my laptop skin and I see four iPod skins.
Where was my iPod skin?

Bloody hell!

I looked into the package again wondering if I might have been temporarily blinded in the dim lighting of my hotel room.

Nothing. Craps!

Hurriedly, I went to my MSN ... damnit! She's not online. How can she not be online on such an important occasion? Plus, during business hours on a Friday? Hello?

As I waited and waited, hoping that I'll be able to catch her, I started measuring up the laptop skin against my laptop.

Urgh! Too narrow and a tad too long. At least I can do something about the length, but there's nothing I can do about the width. *sniff*

It's late and I still have to get up and go to work tomorrow. Hope my friend contacts gelaskins tomorrow about the missing orders.

Stressed

I have probably taken on more that I can chew this time. The hearts been palpitating overtime and I worry all the time. Stress! Stress! Stress! What is there to do but to soldier on as best as I can. To JUST DO IT instead of thinking about it. If kena marah, so be it.

This would also be the first time that I've rejected a gig from Gerald. I'd usually say yes unless I have a prior engagement. *sigh* I don't even know why I'm doing the gigs. Must be cause it's dance and this is my small bit of professional dancing. Cause the money sure isn't anything to shout about!

So, due to the massive workload, I have not gone for a single dance practise for the pasts 2 and a half weeks, ie. since the last competition. Finally had one practise yesterday and must say, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. However, that's not to say that it was good either. There are a few more weeks before the next competition on Oct 7. Must try to make more time for some classes and practises before then.

I did take some time out to watch Sumi Jo tonight at Dewan Philharmonic Petronas. She was excellent! So so so excellent! If I could sing a quarter as well as she does, I would be a happy puppy. But that day will probably come later. Will need to actually take some singing lessons ... one fine day! Maybe after I get dumped by my dance partner again. :P

SongFest Singing Competition 2007 - Registration now open!

Come show your vocal prowess at this year's SongFest Singing Competition organised by The Philharmonic Society of Selangor, and you might just win some cash prizes and trophies!

There are plenty of categories to choose from - from classical to contemporary to groups.

Do visit the website of the Selangor Phil at http://www.thephil.org.my or blog at http://selangorphil.blogspot.com for more info and to download the Entry Form.

Pictures from the Viennese Opera Ball 2007

www.flickr.com

My maroon costume

This post is especially for Lai Ling cause she asked for it.

Front view:

Side view:

Back view:

So whaddya think?

Farewell chabo

www.flickr.com

To be business minded

"Do what you can to help them."

Next thing I know ...

"Why are you doing that for them? It's not within your scope."

I guess I am too used to the do-everything approach more than the complete role segregation approach. Definitely will have to learn more on how to do that. The new HR does that; she won't do anything else other than HR even if it means a 5 minutes phone call.

So, something learned today. If it's not within your role, let the client if you have the resources available that can and quote them. It's up to them to decide whether to pay for the extra. Just because you might have some spare time and can do it, do not offer your services because it's not your job. Charge on any and all extras!

My mom would probably call that selfishness; but business is business. :)

Getting MyDVD to Work (Part 2) ... almost!

I was going to write the second part of my attempt to get MyDVD to work. When I posted Part 1, I had already got MyDVD to work ... finally! ... OR SO I THOUGHT!

What I didn't know was that images in the burnt DVDs came up upside down. Yup! Image and subtitles all upside down. I was thinking of just flipping the TV upside down but it's flipped image and the subs are going from right-to-left. Unfortunately, the subs in English and not Arabic/Jawi, so it makes no sense.

So that's eight pieces of DVDs headed for the bin.

Note to self: Check the first disk after burning!

Here are my earlier notes that I've made for this post. I don't think I'm going to rewrite this. I'm not sure if I will be tinkering with MyDVD anymore to try and get it working. It's too much hassle and I've got my Vista recently. So everything will be wiped. I heard that there is a DVD burning software that comes with Vista. I will have to find out more on that.

Notes:

- Needed the latest XviD 1.1.2 decoder
- Downloaded ... not working
- Uninstalled DJBCP installed in Part 1

XviD Mpge-4 video decoder

Able to view in WMP
- thumbnail reappears in MyDVD

Direct Sound Device
Support decoding of Generic MPEG-4 video

GSpot

divxdec.ax
xvid.ax

RegSvr32 /u DivXDec.ax

Installed Dump Direct Show Filter from latest DJBCP

No problem with MyDVD LE ... subtitles not showing.

Reinstalled VobSub ... still not working

Installed DirectVobSub (VSFilter) 2.37

Works!

GSpot check - using VSFilter.dll

Competition results

We did reasonably well in the competition. Finishing 3rd in Grade D and semi finals in Grade C. That's one placing better in Grade D compared to our first outing back in December so I guess, it is an improvement, albeit, we were competing with a different group of dancers.

Am I happy with the results? Well ... I'm quite ambivalent about the results. Finishing 3rd and semis in not a bad thing but I was, a little bit, hoping that we could at least get into the finals of Grade C. Guess we'll just have to practise harder.

A friend and adjudicator advised on a change of costume. The maroon dress I have is apparently too dull and not outstanding on the floor, causing me not to be seen. She suggested orange, yellow or green. More striking colours. On top of that, the design of my dress is not quite flattering for my body type. The loose cutting makes it more apparent that I'm not ... ahem ... slim. A few other friends have mentioned exactly the same thing.

So, it's time to suss out for a new costume.

Either



or this purple one on the Dancing With The Stars site.



Which is nicer?

Getting MyDVD LE to work (Part 1)

Finally managed to get MyDVD LE (I have version 6.1.6) which came with the DELL laptop to work.

My first attempt at burning DVD came quickly to a stop with the following error:

Could not make a thumbnail. Make sure you have the appropriate decoder installed. -47010

After much searching through various forums, including Roxio's own forums, the decoder(s) that got it to successfully add a file to the project was the DJBCP Codec Pack 2.1 Light.

During installation, I believe I have only installed the following:
* Decoder 5.1,
* XviD-1.0.1 Final,
* DivX 3.11 Alpha, and
* AC3 Filter 0.7b.

After many successful disks, I also installed the VobSub 2.3 to enable burning (hardsub) and viewing of subtitles.

A whole series later ... it stopped working.

What is my number?

Quick tip I learnt from the friendly Telekom guy who came by to check out the problem with one of my office's phone line. Dial 13183 to find out the number for that line hooked to your phone. Especially useful when you don't have your mobile phone or if caller ID is has been suppressed for that line.